CYCLE SIX

1. Just as, in broad evolutionary terms, fire precedes water, and water precedes vegetation (earth), and vegetation precedes air, so the Devil precedes woman, and woman precedes man, and man precedes God.

2. Equivalently, one could speak of doing preceding giving, giving preceding taking, and taking preceding being, like appearance preceding quantity, quantity preceding quality, and quality preceding essence.

3. Which is equivalent to power preceding glory, glory preceding form, and form preceding contentment, as will precedes spirit, spirit precedes ego, and ego precedes soul - at any rate, as far as their main, or per se, manifestations are concerned.

4. Be that as it may, life is ever a combination, in varying degrees, of all four Elements, and such it will remain, as evil, good, folly, and wisdom stake their respective claims on life from the standpoints, in general terms, of fire, water, vegetation, and air.

5. Yet people are capable of sensibility, even though grounded in sensuality, and consequently of abandoning folly for wisdom, and evil for goodness, as they achieve salvation (if male) and/or damnation (if female) for as long as sensibility obtains - only to return to evil and folly as the blessed (female) and cursed (male) norms of sensuality dictate.

6. Wisdom without folly would be as meaningless as goodness without evil, just as grace without sin would be as meaningless as punishment without crime.