So speaks the guardian of this temple's words. Feel in thyself the sore weight of his words. THE IMPERSONATOR OF THE AIR ELEMENT: Fly from the weight of earth-life which would kill The being of thyself, as thou dost sink. Fly from it on the lightness of the air. In light of cosmic space thy being seek. Bind to thy semblance that which thou dost find; Its flight will give thy being unto thee. THE RECORDER: Thou wilt not understand, as thou dost fly, Whereto we lead, till thou hast heard his call. We light for thee the life of thy real self; Perceive our work; else must thou lose thyself As semblance in the cosmic weightiness. THE MYSTIC: So speaks the guardian of this temple's words. Feel in thyself the uplift of his words. THE CHIEF HIEROPHANT: My son, thou wilt on wisdom's noble road The mystic's counsel carefully obey. Thou canst not see the answer in thyself; For error's darkness still doth weigh thee down And folly strives in thee for distant things. Gaze therefore--on this flame which is more close (The bright, quivering sacred flame flares up on the altar in the middle of the stage.) To thee than is the life of thine own self, And read thine answer hidden in its fire. THE MYSTIC: So speaks the leader of this temple's rites. Feel in thyself the ritual's holy power. THE IMPERSONATOR OF THE FIRE ELEMENT: Let all the errors of thine own ideas Be burned in fire that this rite lights for thee. Let, with thine errors, thyself also burn. As flame of cosmic fire thy being seek; Bind to thy semblance that which thou dost find; Its fire will give thy being unto thee. THE KEEPER OF THE SEALS: Thou wilt not understand why to a flame We fashion thee till thou hast heard his call. We cleanse for thee the form of thine own self; Perceive our work; else must thou lose thyself As formless being in the cosmic sea. THE MYSTIC: So speaks the guardian of this temple's seals. Feel in thyself the power of wisdom's light. THE IMPERSONATOR OF THE WATER ELEMENT: Resist the flame-powers of the world of fire That they may not devour thy being's might. From semblance, being will not rise in thee Unless the wave-beat of the cosmic sea Can fill thee with the music of the spheres. As wave in cosmic sea thy being seek; Bind to thy semblance that which thou dost find; Its waves will give thy being unto thee. THE KEEPER OF THE SEALS: Thou wilt not understand why to a wave We fashion thee till thou hast heard his call. We build for thee the form of thine own self; Perceive our work; else must thou lose thyself A formless being in the cosmic fire. THE CHIEF HIEROPHANT: