VII

"[upon passing the gate of a merchant's home]

As he was standing there, he began to smell the savory odors of all kinds of rich and delicious meats and splendid wine.  So he raised his eyes to heaven and said, 'Glory to you oh Lord !  I beg you please pardon me for my sins and crimes.   May Your will be done as you so choose, for You are almighty.  Praise be to You, Most Perfect One.  Whomever You desire, You make rich, Whomever You desire, You make poor.  Whomever You desire, You exalt.  Whomever You desire, You debase.   There is no god but You ! ...

[after being admitted into the merchant's home]

    'Oh my lord, my name is Sinbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head for hire.'
    The master smiled and replied, 'I want you to know, oh porter, that your name is just like mine, for I am Sinbad the Seaman, and now, oh porter, I want you to recite the words you just said at the gate.
    The porter was abashed and responded, 'May Allah be with you, excuse me, for toil, travail, and lack of luck teach a man poor manners and boorish ways.'
    'Don't be ashamed.  You have become my brother. So repeat the words you uttered at the gate.'
     So the porter repeated his words, and they delighted the merchant, who said to him, 'I want you to know oh Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and you will hear everything that happened to me and everything I underwent before I rose to this state of prosperity and became lord of this place.  Indeed I did not come to this high position without a great deal of travail and perils galore.  You can't imagine how much toil and trouble I suffered in the past!  I made seven voyages, and there are marvelous tales connected with each one ..."
Arabian Nights (Sinbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman)
Adapted from Richard F. Burtons Unexpurgated Translation by Jack Zipes

"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law

An iv3 Sol 2° Gemini, Luna 28° Pisces Dies Martis

Good banishings, when forming figures it is patently better to focus on the forming rather that the figure.   Evocations of Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and invocations of Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram powerful.  Middle Pillar Ritual also effective.   For Tarot Contemplation Ritual drew 0, the Fool.  [lacunae] myself as the Fool and opened my eyes to see black, then purple, then blue.  Stepped out of the position of the fool to see what I could see, and immediately fell into blackness.  A case of failure due to 'lust for result' I believe.  Another lesson.

Love is the Law, Love under Will"

From the journals of Frater Credo Quia Absurdum