Summary of Exercises of Step X

Summary of Exercises of Step X
I. Magic Mental Training:
1. Elevation of the spirit to higher levels.
II. Magic Psychic Training:
1. Conscious communication with the personal God.
2. Communication with deities &c.
III. Magic Physical Training:
1. Several methods for acquiring magic faculties.
End of Step X
Epilogue
As I have already mentioned in the introduction to this volume, this handbook is not destined to be the steppingstone in the search after wealth and honor, but it has to serve the purpose of studying Man the microcosm in relation to the macrocosmic Universe together with their laws. So the reader’s opinion about magic will undergo a noticeable change and I hope he will nevermore degrade this ancient wisdom to sorcery and similar pieces of devilry. It is understandable that each reader will judge this book from his individual point of view. He who stands upon the purely materialistic position, an unbeliever in religious matters,
ignoring supernatural phenomena and only concerned in material interests, undoubtedly will regard this book as sheer nonsense, and I am not purposed to convert such people to any faith or to change their ideas. This work has exclusively been written for those who seek the pure truth and the supreme Wisdom that they will indeed find in it.
Many times our fellow men are argued and even persuaded into a special turn of mind, and here we often learn by experience that the various representatives of the different ideas cherish revengeful feelings towards each other for professional jealousy or for better knowing. The genuine magician will feel nothing but pity for people and creeds like that, but he will never hate or despise anyone. Whosoever seeks God, and whatever may be the way he chooses to lead him toward this goal, shall be paid his due respect. It is a pity but also the truth that the clergy, theosophists, spiritualists or whatever they are called are antagonistically inclined just as if only their chosen path leads to God. All men seeking this path to, and union with, God should always remember the words of Jesus Christ, the great Master of the mystics who said,
“Love thy neighbor as thyself”. This sentence ought to be a sacred command to any seeker of illumination on this spiritual path.
Many of the beings who had to leave our material world and who had no opportunity at all on this planet to attain the true cognition in the spirit complained in the higher spheres about the fact that the true knowledge reserved so long to the chosen ones in the past is not obtainable here below. Consequently the mysteries that have been kept as secrets for thousands of years now are being revealed step by step by Divine Providence to those inhabitants of this earth who honestly long for the truth and perception. Evidently the benefits of perception will never come overnight; they have to be acquired in very hard labor and with many difficulties

and obstructions. A great number of people, if not most of them, will prefer to become convinced first of the truth of the rules to have faith, and only then will they make up their minds to enter the path of initiation. The honest magician will realize that this attitude of
Man is the wrong one. He is convinced that one has to be trained and educated for the faith by the initiation. By the mere reading of this work one can of course achieve an intellectual knowledge, but not wisdom. Knowledge can be gained by transference, but wisdom must be acquired by experience and recognition, the latter depending on the spiritual maturity of the individual. And this maturity again is determined by the spiritual development that is formed on the path to initiation.
Anybody who has been reading about the Tarot will know as a fact that there are 21 more cards called the great Arcana besides the first Tarot card, which is symbolized by the magician in the Egyptian mysteries, being the cradle of all wisdom. And each of these Tarot cards again includes an initiation system. Apart from the 22 great arcana, there are 56 minor arcane corresponding to the tarot cards, likewise symbolizing small mysteries, and each of these cards requires a description.
Divine Providence will decide what and how much I shall be permitted to write and publish about the single tarot cards. Having penetrated to the real inner significance of this book, the reader will have arrived at the conclusion that there is neither a white nor a black magic. In fact, there is no difference at all between magic and mysticism or sciences like that. As I have mentioned at the outset, any science is neither good nor bad; it can, however, become a hindrance or a help according to the use man makes of it. The opinion of the existence of black magic is to be attributed to the fact that up to now men had not the least idea of what magic is. In the various chapters and I connection with the methods I repeatedly pointed out that this type of science is only destined for the most sublime purposes. Furthermore, I have always fully shown that the magician is bound to ennoble his character in the course of his development to the highest degree to avoid an interruption, or even worse, a falling off in his rise. The ennoblement of the soul goes hand with the rise of the development. He who is keen only on gaining occult faculties and powers to brag of them, will working vain, for the ways of Divine Providence are forever inscrutable. He who aspires after occult powers for futile motives will be led away from his path sooner or later, occult faculties being only byproducts,
a sort of compass of the development and meant for noble purposes and for helping our fellow men. Consequently, they are reserved exclusively to the true magician.
He who has entered the path to initiation does not have to change his ideology as far as religion is concerned. True religion is in fact nothing else but the practice of the instructions given here, and any religion whatever can be brought into harmony with the present initiation system.
But before entering this path, everyone should ask himself whether he will regard true initiation practically as his religion, i.e., his life task which he is intent on fulfilling in spite of whatever hindrances and difficulties may be put into his way, and whether he will try hard to pursue and never to run away from this path as soon as he has entered it. It has to be taken for granted that an enormous, almost superhuman amount of endurance and patience, a tenacious willpower and secrecy regarding his progress are the fundamental conditions.
For all the readers desirous of perfection and who have chosen this book as their leader, I
sincerely wish a good success and Divine blessing.
The Author.