The Circle Squared
"This book shall be translated into all tongues: but always with the original
in the writing of the Beast; for in the chance shape of the letters and their position to one another: in these are mysteries
that no Beast shall divine. Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key
of it all. Then this line drawn is a key: then this circle squared in its failure is a key also. And Abrahadabra. It shall
be his child & that strangely. Let him not seek after this; for thereby alone can he fall from it." Liber AL vel Legis
3:47
Crowley's reference to himself as the Beast is centered in this verse. Aiwass, the carrier of the
ancient message, gave him this title. For it was his pen that scribbled down the words during that magickal contact in Cairo.
At the same time, however, Crowley was emphatically told that even though he was to write comment,
there were some mysteries within its pages "that no Beast shall divine. Let him not seek to try . . ."
Yet "one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all."
As mentioned earlier, every prophecy has a minor and major event. Crowley was the minor Beast who
recorded the message and spent a lifetime interpreting it. It was his work that paved the way for the final arrival of the
great Beast of the New Aeon.
After saying this, the author of the Book of the Law suddenly delivers one of the biggest mysteries
of them all. It lies in the center of a page drawn with both vertical and horizontal lines, much like a map. The spaces between
the lines are numbered from top to bottom, from zero to 10. Across the top the eight spaces seem to be marked by strange symbols.
Also there is a slash line that begins high on the upper left corner of the page and flows downward toward a circle with a
plus symbol inside. Two parts of the symbol touch the edge of the circle and two do not. It lies nestled between the words
"then this circle squared in its failure is a key also."
Hours have been spent by students of Liber AL vel Legis, attempting to grasp some significant understanding
of this page, its strange lines, the circle and the written mystery therein. Even though he was warned that he would not solve
it, Crowley made an effort. He discovered that the mystery letters, presumably marking the vertical spaces, are letters from
the Book of Enoch "and are stars, or totems of stars." From this he concluded that the person who divines, or solves the puzzle
on this page, would be a Magus with the value of 9 = 2. He was referring to a grade within the O.T.O., and not the Tarot value
of 1. After reaching this grade within the organization, Crowley thought he would then be qualified to solve the puzzle. Naturally,
it did not work.
While I am not sure that Crowley was correct in his assumption that a Magus will solve this puzzle,
I point out here that my personal Tarot number is 10, or Fortune. That breaks down to 1 plus 0 = 1, which also makes me a
Magus. And I can assure you that I am among the least qualified of researchers to resolve this strange puzzle.
Yet here are my thoughts on this matter. I believe the following sentences also contain clues. "And Abrahadabra. It shall be his child & that strangely."
As explored earlier, the word Abrahadabra has a Cabalistic value of 418. This number is a reference
to the Word of the New Aeon, to Horus and the Beast. The solution to the mystery "shall be his child &
that strangely." In other words, only the Beast will know the answer, and it will come to him in a strange way. Once
he possesses the knowledge, it will give him power to change the world and usher in the new Church of the Sun and launch the
New Aeon.
The final word of warning: "Let him not seek after this; for thereby alone can
he fall from it." The solution will come to the Beast strangely and in a way he would not expect. He must not waste
his energy looking for it, or he might miss it.
The phrase "circle squared" is in mathematical conflict. Number crunchers have proven that it is
impossible to square the volume within a circle. The closest that one can get is by using the formula Pi = 3.1415926.
Copyright - James Donahue
