THE FORMULA OF THE NEOPHYTE
This formula has for its "first matter" the ordinary man
entirely ignorant of everything and incapable of anything. He is
therefore represented as blindfolded and bound. His only aid is his
aspiration, represented by the officer who is to lead him into the Temple.
Before entering, he must be purified and consecrated. Once within
the Temple, he is required to bind himself by an oath. His aspiration
is now formulated as Will. He makes the mystic circumambulation of
the Temple for the reasons to be described in the Chapter on "Gesture".
After further purification and consecration, he is allowed for one moment
to see the Lord of the West, and gains courage<> to persist. For
the third time he is purified and consecrated, and he sees the Lord of
the East, who holds the balance, keeping him in a straight line.
In the West he gains energy. In the East he is prevented from dissipating
the same. So fortified, he may be received into the Order as a neophyte
by the three principal officers, thus uniting the Cross with the Triangle.
He may then be placed between the pillars of the Temple, to receive the
fourth and final consecration. In this position the secrets of the
grade are communicated to him, and the last of his fetters is removed.
All this is sealed by the sacrament of the Four Elements.
It will be seen that the effect of this whole ceremony
is to endow a thing inert and impotent with balanced motion in a given
direction. Numerous example of this formula are given {39} in Equinox
I, Nos. II and III. It is the formula of the Neophyte Ceremony of
G.'. D.'. It should be employed in the consecration of the actual
weapons used by the magician, and may also be used as the first formula
of initiation.
In the book called Z 2<> (Equinox I, III) are given
full details of this formula, which cannot be too carefully studied and
practised. It is unfortunately, the most complex of all of them.
But this is the fault of the first matter of the work, which is so muddled
that many operations are required to unify it.