Symbols ana a

^In Stobaeus, Flor., 4.107, cf. Arisrides, Ekusis, 256.
* A pul ei us, Metamorphoses, 11.23.

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^In the Barrio Thodol (The Tibetan Book of the Dead) trans by Lama K. D. Samdup (London, 1927).

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^H Cf, R.. Steiner, Das Iniuacenbewufttsein (Dornach, 1927), 64-69, 114-18, etc. A mysterious correspon­dence of Agrippa, concerning a neophyte who also wanted "to explore his abyss," gives this ins truer ion: "Cast him out to test space and let him be carried on the wings of Mercury from the Austral to the Boreal Heavens”; (from the introduction to the Italian translation by A. Keghini of the De occuka philosophia, l:xxvi).

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^ Philalethes (Imroitus aperrus, §25) speaks of a discipline "intended to strip the King of his golden vestments [meaning vulgar Gold) and to engage the Lion in such combat as to reduce him to extreme weakness . . . then the realm of Saturn appears, . . There is no further sign of life in the mixture. This sad spectacle and image of eternal death is all the more agreeable for the Artist."

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^Tdcographically, this is earth V that unbinds and frees itself from immobility and rhus we have V, the Waters.

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^Cf. CAG, 2:131: "The operator needs a subtle understanding in order to recognize rhe spirit which has exited from the hodyif he is to make use of it and by surveying its guardianship, reach his goal- raking care that when the body is destroyed, the spirit is not also destroyed ar rhe same time.

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^This is mammon/—the action of die wingless dragon that carries along the one who has no wings, and who in rum returns the former to Earth (Pernetv, Dtctionnmrc, 219). R. Lully says that the "hlack" is made of Sun and Moon, indicating an immediate union of the two so complete that in future they can no longer be separated. Concerning the dragon (here conceived as especially regal and celestial) and its flight, we can note that it constitutes a frequent enough symbol in Chinese esotcrism. And there are, as well, particular analogies between the allegory of the Mithraic bull and the illustrations of esoteric Buddhism (ct. Evola, Doerrme of die Awakening).

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