The Wheel of Ezekiel is the type on which all the Pantacles of the Higher Magic are designed.
When the adept is in the blessed possession of a full knowledge of the powers of the Seal of Solomon, and of the virtues of the Wheel of Ezekiel, which is indeed correspondent, in its entire symbolism, with that of Pythagoras, he has sufficient experience to design talismans and pantacles for any special magical purpose.
The Wheel of Ezekiel contains the solution of the problem of the quadrature of the circle, and demonstrates the correspondences between words and figures, letters and emblems; it exhibits the tetragram of characters analogous to that of the elements and elemental forms. It is a glyph of perpetual motion.
The triple ternary is shown; the central point is the first Unity; three circles are added, each with four attributions, and the dodekad is thus seen. The state of universal equilibrium is suggested by the counterpoised emblems, and the pairs of symbols. The flying Eagle balances the man; the roaring Lion counterpoises the laborious Bull.
Kether, the Crown; Tiphereth, Beauty; and Yesod, Foundation, form a central axis; while Wisdom, Chokmah, equilibrates with Understanding, Binah; and the Severity of Justice, Geburah, makes a counterpoise with the Mercy of Justice, Chesed; similar conceptions are the contests between Eros and Anteros, between Jacob and the Angel, Samael and Anael, Mars and Venus. The Philosophic Cross and the Greek monogram of Christos are comparable also to this magical wheel.
In order that a consecrated talisman shall give real help to you, it must be well understood, and the correspondences realised; for a pantacle is an ideal materialised, made visible, made portable, and may contain as much knowledge as a book. It is an image of some part of God and His works, it is as a card of the eternal kingdom.
Consider well the aim to be accomplished, and the powers to be invoked; select the symbols, emblems, and letters with the greatest care, seeking Chokmah and Binah from that spark of the Divine which overshadows you, and then trace, mark, or engrave your chosen design upon a plate of gold, silver, or of Corinth brass, or cut it on precious stones, or draw it upon virgin parchment. When the work has been skillfully and accurately finished, then submit it to consecration with prayers and invocations of the Four and of the Seven, using suitable perfumes in the incense; after which wrap up the talisman in clean silk and place it in a cedar casket, and it will be effectual to carry it always about with you.
Listen now to the secret of strength.
A constant dropping will wear away a stone, and in the end will perforate it. The aim to which you ever devote your will power will be at length attained; you begin to succeed as soon as you begin to will success. Real will power is not a privilege in the hands of the multitude. To exercise true will power you must be free; no one of the multitude is free; to be free is to be the master of your life, and over others. To learn how to will is to learn how to exercise dominion. But to be able to exert will power you must first know; for will power applied to folly is madness, death, and hell.
To mistake the means for the end is an absurdity.
To mistake for the end that which is not even a means is the acme of absurdity.
You are the master of all the events you can overcome. Things for which you have an imperious need are masters over you.
Things you possess the right to desire, you have the power to obtain.
You must be ever watchful in the exercise of your will, and be heedful that you do not fall into a position of dependence from want of exertion, from simple idleness.
Men who are to contend together in a race must go through a long and severe training.
Magical ceremonies may be regarded as a sort of gymnastic exercise of the will power, and for this reason all the great teachers of the world have recommended them as proper and efficacious. In any religious sect only those who carry out the external observances are reckoned as real supporters of the cause.
The more one does, the more one can do in the future.
To live a life guided by the caprice of the moment is to lead the life of an animal; this may conceivably be a life of innocence, but it is a life of submission.
Those who watch, those who fast, those who pray, those who refrain from pleasure, those who place body at the command of mind, can bring all the powers of nature into subjection to their purposes. Such as these are the world’s masters; such men alone do works which survive them.
Never confound the slaves of superstition and fear with such masters of nature.
To abstain from pleasant things through fear is to enslave the will; such conduct tends to lower rather than to raise your position.
To live like an anchorite, without the superstitious ignorance which leads him to such a course of life, this is wisdom indeed, and power is the reward.