An intricately carved ebony arch, relieved by pieces of crystal and tiny panels of isinglass, enclosed the eastern altar, containing a gold sunburst and throne of the same, on which was seated a green jasper statue of Maia—the Virgin Mother of all.
The elevated platform of black marble had incense vessels, urns, and vases of gold, set with black onyx and diamonds, in a delicate tracery of black enamel.
Emblematic brocades of pale blue silk hung between the square windows, whose innumerable small panes were of frosted glass set in a circular frame.
A circle inscribed within a square is the geometrical emblem of death, and the veiled light conveyed the same idea.
In the center of the southern wall, under a richly canopied entablature of arms of Atlantis, emblazoned on a heavily fringed and corded brocade of shaded blue, was a high granite slab, back of which was a square ark containing an aerolite stone.
The Immaculate Conception also pertains to the mystery of death, since it is a new birth, and the heaven-born stone signifies that the newly released spirit is immaculate. In other words, that its birth into the body and contact with material life have left no stain upon its intrinsic purity.
Before this shrine Yermah ordered a purple veil of Akaza to be placed. Skulls and crossbones in white were painted upon this, to show that he was master of the living as well as of the dead.
The queen of odors, jasmine, which corresponds to G in alt, or equilibrium, filled the perfumed lamp suspended in the center of the shrine; while ewers of oil, containing citron, lemon, orange-peel, verbena, and rose sat on either side.
The Azes recognized the octaves of odor, and offered the higher grade to age; while the lower, consisting of almond, heliotrope, vanilla, clematis and neroli, were placed in ewers on the altar opposite, as a sacrifice to youth.
Musically, these correspond to the lower bass and upper treble clefs.