Book of THOTH

The Juggler (conjurer or magician).
Candidate Recognized initiable because of his aptitudes and his good capacities.

ARCANA II : THE HIGH PRIESTESS

"Remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that the mind is enlightened by seeking Ptah with the eyes of the will.
Ptah said, "Let there be Light," and light inundated space.
Man should say, "Let truth show itself and good come to me."
And if man possesses a healthy will, he will see the truth shine,
and guided by it he will reach all the Goods he longs for."

The High Priestess, ISIS, Mother of the Initiated.
The initiatory Science one has to discover by himself.
ISIS confides the Key of the Mysteries to Her Children only, the Sons of the Widow, deserving of knowing her secrets.

ARCANA III : THE QUEEN OF EGYPT

"If the Arcana III should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Amon remember then,
Son of the Earth, that yearning for what is true and to desire what is just
is half-way towards creating those things;
denying them is condemning oneself to destruction.
Be hopeful for the success of your undertakings, provided that you know how to unite productive activity with the rectitude of spirit that makes your works bear fruit."

The Empress, Lady of the highest ideality.
The conceiving Wisdom .
After having entered himself (Reflexion Cabinet), the recipient rises from blacks depths until the highest ideal of Egyptian Masonry.
If he did not assimilate himself to the pure idea the realization of which should be pursued, he would not be initiated.

ARCANA IV: PHARAOH

"If the Arcana IV should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon remember,
then, Son of the Earth, that nothing can resist a firm will,
which has as its support the knowledge of Truth and Justice.
The struggle to achieve these things is more than a right, it is a duty.
The man who triumphs in this struggle does no more than accomplish his mission here on earth; the one who succumbs in his devotion to the cause acquires immortality.
Think of action! Leave extremes and recognize the ground where opposites collide.
Take ownership of yourself, seize the sceptre which commands your personality."

The Emperor, Center dispenser of Initiatory Power.
From ethereal Heigths of ideal, the building candidate is hurled over the ground of action (rite of the first symbolic journey).
It is the battlefield of life; swords cross there.
But the future initiate does not get involved in the sterile fights of opinions and parties: he retains his energy, in order to be able to apply it to the shaping of the Cubic Stone.

ARCANA V: THE HIEROPHANT

"Remember, Son of the Earth, that before saying a man is happy or unhappy
you must know to what use he puts his will,
for all men create their lives in the image of their works.
The genius of Good is on your right, the one of Evil on your left:
their voices can only be heard by your conscience.
Meditate, and they will tell you what they say."

The Pope, supreme holder of the Science of the Initiated.
Without complete theoretical instruction, nobody was able to tackle the actual practice of the Royal Art.
To become a Fellowcraft, one must be trained in the manipulation of tools and must not ignore anything about Architecture rules.
The Worker who has conquered Light perceives the blazing Star
And knows the meaning of the letter G,
Because Geometry must be familiar to him.

ARCANA VI : THE LOVERS

" If the Arcana VI should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that for the ordinary man vice has a greater attraction than virtue.
Take care to keep your resolutions.
Obstacles bar your road to happiness;
contrary influences hover over you;
your will vacillates between opposing sides.
In all things indecision is more fatal than a wrong choice.
Move forward or backward , but never hesitate;
Remember that a chain of flowers is more difficult to break than a chain of iron."

The Lover, or the Initiated of the first degree undergoing the test on which depends his pay rise.
Intellectual Initiation confers Freedom.
The educated man does what he wants; he chooses the direction which is advisable for him to follow.
If, with full knowledge of the facts,
He decides to dedicate himself to the Work of the Builders of PTAH, he will not be able to return on his commitment any more.
The Oath he pronounces in front of his Worshipful Master, determines its future.

ARCANA VII : THE CHARIOT

"If the Arcana VII should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that the empire of the world belongs to those who possess the sovereign power of Spirit,
that is to say, the light which illuminates the mysteries of life.
By breaking obstacles, you will crush your enemies,
and all your wishes will come true,
if you go towards the future with boldness reinforced by the consciousness of doing right."

The Chariot is occupied by the Worshipful Master who assumes the management of the teamwork of the Lodge.
The initiated submits himself to the square, which indicates the Master who has been chosen to manage Works.
The elected Leader shows himself accommodating, sociable, always worried to maintain harmony.
From the shock of opposite opinions, he knows how to draw the conclusion which finds out impartially the part of the truth they imply.

ARCANA VIII : THE BALANCE AND THE SWORD

" If the Arcana VIII should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that being victorious and overcoming your obstacles is only a part of the human task.
If you would wish to accomplish it entirely,
you must establish a balance between the forces you set in motion.
Every action produces its reaction,
and Will must foresee the onslaught of contrary forces in order to lessen or check it.
All future things hang in the balance between Good and Evil.
The Mind that cannot find equilibrium resembles a sun in eclipse."

The Masonic Justice.
The level asserts Equality in front of the Law of Work.
Everything exists only to carry out a function.
In the universal order, everyone has to carry out his task.
We live to "work", not to enjoy life for nothing.
Pay rises in Lodge reward the good Worker who, by applying himself to live better,
Benefits from the superior mode of existence to which he is promoted.

ARCANA IX : THE HERMIT

"If the Arcana IX should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that Prudence is the armour of the Wise Man.
Circumspection allows him to avoid reefs or depths and to be forewarned of treachery.
Take it for your guide in all your actions, even in the smallest things.
Nothing is unimportant on earth :
a pebble may overturn the chariot in which the master of the world is riding.
Remember that if Speech is silver, Silence is golden".

The Hermit, a Wise man whose influence makes feel itself with a discreet irresistibility,
the Master having reached the full Mastery of the 3-rd Degree.
While working, the Initiated thinks.
He refuses to act as a machine;
The Artist is interested in his work, which he loves, because he feels it.
The rule does not force itself to him superficially, because he has appropriated it by deepening its logical justification.
The plumb rule steered his spirit towards the interior of things , towards the Esotericism which escapes the unitiated man.

ARCANA X : THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

"If the Arcana X should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that ability depends on the will;
if your will is to be accomplished, you must be daring;
and to dare successfully you must be able to keep silence until the moment comes for action.
To possess Knowledge and Power, the will must be patient;
to remain on the heights of life, if you succeed in reaching them,
first you must have learnt to scan the broadest depths with steady gaze ."

The Wheel of Fortune: the Entered Apprentice displaying his initiative.
In the centre of himself, the Initiated perceives the burning heart which corresponds to the Column J. °.
His salary of Entered Apprentice is translated into an energy of internal source, which makes undertake with Boldly,
But never without opportunity; because the Mason sets himself to work when the hour has come to open Works.

ARCANA XI : STRENGTH

"If the Arcana XI should appear in the Oracle of the Great Prophet of Ammon
remember, then, Son of the Earth,
that deeds necessitate faith in your ability to accomplish them.
Proceed with faith: all obstacles are phantoms.
In order to become strong, silence must be enjoined on the weaknesses of the heart;
your duty must be studied, for it is the rule of righteousness.
Practise justice as if you loved it."

The Strength: the Fellowcraft who has become strong by controlling himself.
The Initiation Rite of Fire exteriorizes internal heat.
The Initiated who undergoes it feels within himself an attractive empty space for the outside dynamic agent.
Therefore he has approached the Column B. °. In which is drawn the Strength which executes.

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