Above

us,

in

the

eternal

spheres

from

which

emanate

Light

and

Life,

reigns

the

unfathomable

and

splendid

mystery

of

the

Absolute.

The

Absolute

envelops

our

being

like

a

wrapping

and

confines

it

within

the

narrow

circle

of

our

concepts;

in

all

things

He

has

stamped His seal.

Those

who

do

not

possess

Science

see

it

as

Darkness

and

Unknown,

but

it

is

nothing

more

than

a

veil

covering

the

First

Cause

and that rises before the Initiates.

Blessed

is

the

one

who

will

have

known

how

to

rend

the

veil

before

the

hour!

For

the

Light

that

he

will

know

will

no

longer

dazzle

him

with

its

unexpected vision.

But

let

those

who

have

taken

delight

in

the

nonexistent

fear,

that

the

guardian of the threshold himself may lift it for them!

Then,

upon

seeing

what

they

had

never

suspected,

what

they

perhaps

had

despised,

they

will

be

annihilated

in

the

depths

of

the

abyss,

where,

no

longer

conscious

of

themselves,

they

will

lose

their

entity

and

will

never again be found.

Oh,

the

pettiness

and

futility

of

the

learned

in

this

decisive

moment!

How

many

lamentations

for

acts

not

performed,

for

projects

not

executed!

How

many,

unable

to

mend

omissions

and

errors,

will

have

to

postpone,

imperfect, incomplete, and impure, their definitive realization!

Follow

me

then,

my

Disciple,

on

the

Path

of

the

Absolute

that

I

will

teach

you;

follow

me

and

I

promise

you

that

one

day

you

will

gird

your

forehead

with

the

crown

of

light,

the

golden

diadem

of

the

wise,

reserved

for

those

who

have

carried

out

during

their

life

that

Work

which

sums

up

every Work.

Many

have

heard

of

the

Great

Work.

Some

intend

to

dedicate

themselves

to

it,

but

few

begin

the

search.

All

say;

“Later,

when

we

have

free

time

and calm.”

But

between

leisure

and

calm

one

never

arrives,

while

the

Absolute

calls

you without fail because it is from Him that it emanates.

O!

Will

you

be

able

to

pass

through

this

earth

without

having

deciphered

the

enigma,

without

having

penetrated

the

insurmountable

secret

that

some

of

our

ancestors

knew,

you

who

have

already

begged

wisdom

from

so many men who did not possess it?

The

Great

Work!

The

Great

Work!

A

prestigious

word!

Fulgent

splendor!

Some,

then,

in

past

times

would

have

contemplated

this

marvel,

would

have possessed it entirely, and you would leave it unexplained in books!

And

in

the

beyond,

then

endowed

with

the

plenitude

of

your

perceptive

lucidity,

you

would

see

the

triumphant

assembly

of

the

wise,

flooded

with

a

radiant

jewel,

crazy

with

happiness

and

joy,

delighting

in

the

PHILOSOPHER'S

STONE

and

feeding

for

eternity,

and

you

would

have

no

share

in

this

feast!

And

you

would

hear

the

white

theories

of

the

Initiates

who would call you as Dante:

“Guai a voi anime prave Non isperate mai veder lo cielo”

(Woe

to

you,

evil

souls,

no

hope

of

ever

seeing

heaven!)

…as

they

would

depart

forever,

triumphant

in

the

Light,

leaving

you

alone

in

the

bosom

of

growing darkness as their shadow extends around you!

May

this

thought

be

enough

to

inspire

you

despite

having

dismissed

the

Mastery of the Wise.

God

grant

that

it

is

not

too

late

and

that

you

do

not

find

yourself

too

far

ahead

in

life

to

undertake

the

work!

For

if

the

ascent

has

not

begun

upon

leaving

adolescence,

it

is

doubtful

that

you

can

ever

reach

perfection.

In

this

sense

Nicholas

Valois

says:

“Spring

advances

the

Work”

and

Thomas

Aquinas:

“The

early

days

should

rise

at

dawn

and

look

if

the

vine

is

in

bloom.”

Apply

yourself,

then,

without

delay

to

working

it

and

knowing

it

with

the

blessing of Jesus Christ.

If

I

have

undertaken

the

drafting

of

these

twelve

following

meditations

with

the

invocation

of

the

Holy

Spirit,

it

is

to

address

you,

my

Disciple,

on

this Path. Blessed be the Lord.

Grillot de Givry