LIBER BATRACHOPHRENOBOOCOSMOMACHIA
SUB FIGURA DXXXVI
By Aleister Crowley
A.. A..
Publication in Class B
Imprimatur:
N. Fra. A.. A..
Within His skull exist daily thirteen thousand myriads
of Worlds, which draw their existence from Him, and by Him
are upheld.
I.R.Q. iii. 43.
0. Let the Practicus study the textbooks of astronomy,
travel, if need be, to a land where the sun and stars are
visible, and observe the heavens with the best telescopes to
which he may have access. Let him commit to memory the
principal facts, and (at least roughly) the figures of the
science.
1. Now, since these figures will leave no direct impression
with any precision upon his mind, let him adopt this practice
"A".
A. Let the practicus be seated before a bare square
table, and let an unknown number of small similar
objects be thrown by his chela from time to time upon
the table, and by that chela be hastily gathered up.
Let the Practicus declare at the glance, and the
chela confirm by his count, the number of such objects.
The practice should be for a quarter of an hour
thrice daily. The maximum number of objects should at
first be seven. This maximum should increase by one at
each practice, provided that not a single mistake is
made by the Practicus in appreciating the number thrown.
This practice should continue assiduously for at
least one year.
The quickness of the chela in gathering up the
objects is expected to increase with time. The practice
need not be limited to a quarter of an hour thrice daily
after a time, but increased with discretion. Care must
be taken to detect the first symptoms of fatigue, and to
stop, if possible, even before it threatens. The
practised psychologist learns to recognise even minute
hesitations that mark the forcing of the attention.
2. Alternating with the above, let the Practicus begin this
practice "B". It is assumed that he has thoroughly conquered
the elementary difficulties of Dharana, and is able to
prevent mental pictures from altering shape, size and colour
against his will.
B. Seated in the open air, let him endeavour to form a
complete mental picture of himself and his immediate
surroundings. It is important that he should be in the
centre of such picture, and able to look freely in all
directions. the finished picture should be a complete
consciousness of the whole fixed, clear, and definite.
Let him gradually add to this picture by including
objects more and more distant, until he have an image of
the whole field of vision.
He will probably discover that it is very difficult
to increase the apparent size of the picture as he
proceeds, and it should be his most earnest endeavour to
do so. he should seek in particular to appreciate
distances, almost to the point of combatting the laws of
perspective.
3. These practices "A" and "B" accomplished, and his
studies in astronomy completed, let him attempt this practice
"C".
C. Let the Practicus form a mental picture of the
Earth, in particular striving to realize the size of the
Earth in comparison with himself, and let him not be
content until by assiduity he has well succeeded.
Let him add the moon, keeping well in mind the
relative sizes of, and the distance between, the planet
and its satellite.
He will probably find the final trick of the mind
to be a constant disappearance of the image, and the
appearance of the same upon a smaller scale. This trick
he must outwit by constancy of endeavour.
He will then in add in turn Venus, Mars, Mercury
and the Sun.
It is permissible at this stage to change the point
of view to the centre of the Sun, and to do so may add
stability to the conception.
The Practicus may then a the Asteroids, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The utmost attention to
detail is now necessary , as the picture is highly
complex, apart from the difficulty of appreciating
relative size and distance.
Let this picture be practised month after month
until it is absolutely perfect. The tendency which may
manifest itself to pass into Dhyana and Samadhi must be
resolutely combated with the whole strength of the mind.
Let the Practicus then re-commence the picture,
starting from the Sun, and adding the planets one by
one, each with its proper motion, until he have an image
perfect in all respect of the Solar System as it
actually exists. Let him particularly note that unless
the apparent size approximate to the real, his practice
is wasted. Let him then add a comet to the picture; he
may find, perhaps that the path of this comet may assist
him to expand the sphere of his mental vision until it
include a star.
And thus, gathering one star after another, let his
contemplation become vast as the heaven, in space and
time ever aspiring to the perception of the Body of
Nuit; yea, the Body of Nuit.
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