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Author : Constant Alphonse-Louis (Eliphas Lévi)
Title : The Key of the Mysteries
Year : 1861

Link download : Constant_Alphonse-Louis_-_The_Key_of_the_Mysteries.zip

This is an elaborate symbol in the form of a barrel key. The shank is vertical and to the bottom. Three flat bits extend to the right, with three projections at the upper edge of each. There is a large circular ring at top. Down the shank, from top: "R" inverted, Sun, Moon, Mercury, circle (probably for Mars), Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Above the top bit: "DEUS", on that bit "rouge". Above the middle bit: "HOMO", on that bit "blanc". Above the bottom bit: "TORA", on that bit "bleu". The ring has a "T" above the top, "A" to right and "O" to left (with the "R" on the shank, "TORA"). Outside at the upper left, a cup, upper right a Pantacle, lower right a dagger and lower left a wand. On the ring itself, the numbers from 1 to 20 arch over the top half, left to right and the Alphabet in capital letters on the lower half from left to right. Inside, the ring is quartered by horizontal and vertical diameters. The left upper quadrant has the sign of Aquarius, upper right the eagle head of Scorpio, lower right the sign of Leo and lower left the bull's head of Taurus. In the center there is a hexagram made up of two triangles, one apex to bottom and the other to top. The outer three triangular points of the inverted triangle are shaded. In the heptagon formed in the center is HB:Yod- Heh-Vau-Heh} "Religion says: - 'Believe and you will understand.' Science comes to say to you: - 'Understand and you will believe.' "At that moment the whole of science will change front; the spirit, so long dethroned and forgotten, will take its ancient place; it will be demonstrated that the old traditions are all true, that the whole of paganism is only a system of corrupted and misplaced truths, that it is sufficient to cleanse them, so to say, and to put them back again in their place, to see them shine with all their rays. In a word, all ideas will change, and since on all sides a multitude of the elect cry in concert, 'Come, Lord, come!' why should you blame the men who throw themselves forward into that majestic future, and pride themselves on having foreseen it?" (J. De Maistre, "Soirees de St. Petersbourg."). ...