Inside the temple. The hall of initiation. The ceremony is performed on a broad flight of steps descending from the back to the front of the stage. The characters stand in groups below one another and on different steps. The drop-curtain goes up, disclosing everything in readiness for the initiation of the Neophyte, who is to be thought of as an earlier incarnation of Maria; behind the altar and to the left of it stands the Chief Hierophant who is to be thought of as an earlier incarnation of Benedictus; on the other side the Recorder, an earlier incarnation of Hilary True-to-God; a little in front of the altar the Keeper of the Seals, an earlier incarnation of Theodora; in front, on the right side of the altar, the Impersonator of the Earth Element, an earlier incarnation of Romanus, and with him the Impersonator of the Air Element, an earlier incarnation of Magnus Bellicosus; quite close to the Chief Hierophant, stands the Hierophant, an earlier incarnation of Capesius; on the left side of the altar the Impersonator of the Fire Element, an earlier incarnation of Doctor Strader, with the Impersonator of the Water Element, an earlier incarnation of Torquatus. In front of them Philia, Astrid, Luna and the 'other Philia.' Four other priests stand in front of them. In front of all Lucifer to the left of altar and Ahriman to the right in the guise of sphinxes, with the cherub emphasized in the case of Lucifer and the bull in the case of Ahriman. Dead silence for a while after the interior of the temple with its grouped mystics has become visible. The Keeper of the Temple an earlier incarnation of Felix Balde, and a Mystic, an earlier incarnation of Dame Balde, lead the Neophyte in through a doorway on the right of stage. They place him in the inner circle near the altar, and remain standing near him. THE KEEPER OF THE TEMPLE: From out that web of unreality Which thou, in error's darkness named'st world, The mystic hath conducted thee to us. From being and from naught the world was made Which to a semblance wove itself for thee. Semblance is good, by being understood; Thou didst but dream it in thy sembled life; And semblance known by semblance disappears. Learn, semblance of a semblance, what thou art. THE MYSTIC: Thus speaks the guardian of this temple's door. Feel in thyself the sore weight of his words. THE IMPERSONATOR OF THE EARTH ELEMENT: Beneath the weight of earth-life seize upon The semblance of your being without fear. That thou mayst sink into the cosmic depths In darksome cosmic depths thy being seek. Bind to thy semblance that which thou dost find; Its weight will give thy being unto thee. THE RECORDER: Thou wilt not understand, as thou dost sink, Whereto we lead till thou hast heard his call. We forge for thee the form of thy real self; Perceive our work; else must thou lose thyself As semblance in the cosmic nothingness. THE MYSTIC: