BOOK TWO original: "LIBER SECUNDUS"

The Second Book.

The First Text.

Since something existed that came to a separation Scheidung: The alchemical process of "separating" or "distilling" distinct forms out of the initial chaos., and through which all things were created: it is first to be understood that there is a distinction among the gods, and it is así. Since the creation is divided—one part into the eternal, the other into the perishable—it follows that there was another Creator of the Mysteries original: "Mysteriorum." Referring to the hidden forces of nature., and not the highest and greatest. For the highest and greatest shall be a Judge of all creation and a punisher of the same; and He recognizes what is permitted to those creatures, and that it is in their power to do good and evil, which was not born out of Him. Furthermore, the creature is incited, tempted, provoked, compelled, and forced toward evil by the Stars, by Fate original: "Fatum.", and by the Infernal original: "Infernale.". Yet, if the creature came from Him, the Highest, it could not be that anything should force its nature toward good or evil; rather, it would be free and its own master without any interference. Likewise, the creature does not have sufficient understanding to recognize evil and good, or to distinguish the eternal from the mortal. For some are fools and simpletons, and among a thousand there is scarcely one wise man; instead, there are many false prophets, lying doctors, and ignorant masters. Yet, they are clearly regarded by the creation as the prominent ones, though they are not. This is a significant cause: because we are such a creation, we do not come from masters who are perfectly good, but are rather made by perishable gods who held power in the Great Mystery Mysterio Magno: The primordial "womb" of all matter., and yet through the Eternal, a judgment was set for them and for us.

The Second Text.

Thus, as was recognized in the Separation, all creatures must consist of and come forth from only four things; so these four are the Mothers of all creatures and are called Elements. And although every creature is an element, or has an attachment to an element, it is not an element in the sense of its mass, but rather as a Spirit of the Element. Nothing can exist without it; it must have an element. They also cannot stand together, for there is nothing that consists of four elements, nor three, nor two; rather, an element stands alone, and every creature has only one element. It is a blind understanding to think that "wetness" is recognized as the element of Water, or "burning" as the element of Fire. For the element should not be understood according to the body, or out of the substance, or according to its outward character. For that which is visible is merely the enclosure The physical shell or "casing" of an object., and the element is a Spirit and lives within things just as a soul lives in a body. This is the First Matter original: "Prima Materia." of the elements—invisible and impalpable, yet present in all things. For the First Matter of the elements is nothing other than the Life that is within the creatures. And that which is dead is no longer in any element, but in the Final Matter original: "ultima materia." The state of matter after it has lost its vital spark., wherein there is no longer any value, virtue, or power.

The Third Text.

Now, since the four Mothers—the four elements—were empowered to create all things, it is further to be noted that the four elements were sufficient for all things; there could have been no more and no fewer. This is because in mortal things, no more than four natures can exist. In immortal things, however, the "Temperaments" original: "Temperament." A balanced state of qualities found in the divine or celestial realm. may exist, but not the elements. For whatever is of an Elemental Nature original: "Elementur." is fragile and breakable. But whatever is of the "Temperature" original: "Temperatur." has no fragility within it; it is so fashioned that nothing leaves it and nothing is added to it; it neither rots nor perishes. But since the mortal is created thus, it is to be recognized that they all stand under four names, and every nature has the name of its element. For instance: the Hot is an element of Fire; the Cold is an element of Earth; the Wet is an element of Water; the Dry is an element of Air. It should be understood that these four natures are each distinct: Fire is only hot, and neither dry nor moist; Earth is only cold, and neither dry nor moist; Water is only wet, and neither hot nor cold; Air is only dry, and neither hot nor cold. They are called Elements for this reason: they exist only in a single nature and are not twofold. However, their manifestation in all creatures should be recognized by how an element behaves with the substance and the body, and how it works therein. And the highest understanding of the elements is that they have a single nature, unblemished by additions of moisture or cold, dryness or heat. This is possible for spirits, and every spirit is singular in its nature and not divided, just as the elements are.

A small decorative floral tail-piece ornament at the bottom center of the text.