and mastery of thee; these thrones and powers [king or father figure] must, however, be overthrown and their place found no more. Thou hast deeply mourned that thou hadst to do without the ever near communion or union with God thy Creator, [Only the masters sit near the sun.] but be not surprised at that. The cause lies here in complete extinction because you are not yet deceased and dead completely in the mystical manner. [Complete extinction first results in the third degree.] This is the first baptism that you must experience, but ah, how many have rushed into this too abruptly, because they have not given their earthly selfishness a single mortal blow right to the heart. [The circle or sword placed on the left breast alludes merely to the process of the clearing of conscience. Here the whole ego is not yet annihilated.] So I recommend to thee my flaming sword. Be courageous and let it achieve complete execution in the field of nature [The weed in the field is exterminated where, as Jane Leade frequently says, ears of corn are to grow.] or banish completely all young or old, and turn from life toward death whatever in you does not bear my mark and name that is my image.’ ” [From this the psychological sense of the countersign is recognized. In connection with the field we are reminded especially of Shibboleth (Judges XIII, 6: The Ephraimites who could not speak it had to die). Leade often mentions the Ephraimites. Directly pertinent to the above passage is, of course, Revelations, passim.] (L. G. B., I, pp. 21 ff.) The earthly is, as it were, to be sacrificed to God as a burnt offering or melted away in a fiery furnace, in a vessel of the purest metal. [Probably it will not be superfluous to remark that in the Bible the first worker in all kinds of metal was Tubal Cain, whose name is a password.] Jane Leade finds “the conditions or circumstances which thou [Wisdom] requirest of me to be very hard; especially do I find myself still dwelling in the offspring of a mortal shadow, where whole millions of spirits tempt me and employ all their ability and strength to hinder and hold me back from the high and noble exaltation and aspiration, [The seductive and restraining voices in the circuitous way or on the way to the Lodge according to the eclectic ritual. The band corresponds to the mortal shadow.] while I, alone and seeing the receptacle and fire before me, stood in thought about it and pondered the matter, and was willing, like Isaac, to ask, But where is the lamb? [The apron is of lamb’s fleece.] She [Sophia = Wisdom] answered my unspoken question with these words: You yourself must be the paschal lamb that shall be slain. Thereupon I was instructed to say or to beg: Then give yet this life pulse a stroke so that it may completely return. And as I stretched out my neck, so to speak, to the love flaming sword, I felt that a separation or beheading had taken place. [Note the baring of the