After the first coniunctio with the Veiled Isis (this is the taking of the forbidden fruit), our protagonist is captured by the Empire and forced to confront himself (expulsion from Paradise--ignorance is bliss).
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| The Garden State |
And the archons took him and placed him in paradise. And they said to him, 'Eat, that is at leisure,' for their luxury is bitter and their beauty is depraved. And their luxury is deception and their trees are godlessness and their fruit is deadly poison and their promise is death. And the tree of their life they had placed in the midst of paradise. (The Apocryphon of John)
He said to her, "Do not be afraid. In death you shall not die. For he knows that when you eat from it, your intellect will become sober and you will come to be like gods, recognizing the difference that obtains between evil men and good ones. Indeed, it was in jealousy that he said this to you, so that you would not eat from it."
Now Eve had confidence in the words of the instructor. She gazed at the tree and saw that it was beautiful and appetizing, and liked it; she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she gave some also to her husband, and he too ate it. Then their intellect became open. For when they had eaten, the light of knowledge had shone upon them. When they clothed themselves with shame, they knew that they were naked of knowledge. (On the Origin of the World)
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| "I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both." |
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| Letter: Vav |
The Great Beast (Master Therion), a.k.a. V.V.V.V.V (Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici -- "While still living, I have conquered the universe by dint of truth.") and Perdurabo ("I Will endure unto the end.")
(Crowley under the mask?)
protestari, from pro- ‘forth, publicly’ + testari ‘assert’ (from testis ‘witness’ ).
