Crossing the Abyss

The word “abyss” implies something unpleasant. The connotations are that it exists to keep something in, or, in this case, to keep people out. It is there to deter rather than to restrain.

There is nothing pleasant about the word “abyss”. Other words such as
”chasm” or “canyon” do not carry the same hint of menace. The Grand Canyon is not terrifying (unless you fall into it) but imagine a similar geographical feature called the Grand Abyss. The word “canyon” does not trigger a warning; the word “abyss” does. But it is the same thing. A gap, a space between one place of land and another.

The Abyss is that awful thing you go through or across to get to where you think you want to be, that is, Adepthood. And then you find out that the Abyss was an understatement because, when you get to the other side, you see why it exists, to keep people out. When you are on the other side of it, you truly realise that most contact or communication with other people at any real level is finished forever. Your values change, most of your yardsticks by which you measure have been altered. You realise why the Abyss is just that, to keep people out.

You do not cross it in one go. It is not a ferry-ride. You work your way across it day by day. This is not sailing across the Channel. You work your way slowly across the Abyss.

Everybody does it differently, but they all stick to the task in hand and the main concern is subduing your own subconscious and its lies. Some days it does not give many problems, other days you might fall into the same trap two or three times. Before you are aware of it, you are either thinking or speaking from a stance, or you listen and react to someone without realising that they are speaking from a stance. This serves to remind you that you are not yet as accomplished as you thought you were.

The Abyss represents the difference between one state of mind and another.

You can cross the Channel from Dover to Boulogne; you can also cross from Boulogne if you find tat you do not like France. You cannot re-cross the Abyss because that would involve unlearning and unknowing, which is impossible.

There is no question of choosing to take the Right Hand or the Left Hand Path. There is only one route. You either cross or you do not cross.

But what you do when you get to the other side is entirely up to you. You then have access to everything.

Anonymous article taken from the Dark Lily Journal No 4, Society of Dark Lily (London 1988).