The Mercury Wall of the Vault of the Adepti (one of seven)
5' x 8'
Background squares: base color with 20% (or so) yellow
Symbols: base color with 20% (or so) purple
Next up: Jupiter
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Samekh, spelled in full: Samekh Mem Kaph
Samekh is the prop, attributed to Sagittarius and Art or Temperance.
Mem is water, attributed to Water and The Hanged Man.
Kaph is the fist or closed hand, attributed to Jupiter and The Wheel of Fortune.
The paths of Samekh, Mem and Kaph (in that particular order) lead from the Outer Order grades (barring Zelator) to those of the Inner Order. Samekh leads from Yesod to Tiphareth, Mem from Hod to Geburah and Kaph from Netzach to Chesed. In the Golden Dawn Portal ritual, the paths of Mem and Kaph are barred, while the aspirant is permitted partial entry onto the paths of Ayin and Nun, and is particularly directed to the path of Samekh.
The paths Samekh, Mem and Kaph each pertain to a different relationship between the aspirant and the Macrocosm. On the path of Samekh, the elements of the aspirant's Microcosm are synthesized, while the rejected parts of the self are brought into the light. The aspirant is brought to a greater level of wholeness so that their Microcosm might reflect the Macrocosm (hence 5=6; pentagram = hexagram; Microcosm = Macrocosm). The path of Mem requires a surrender to the higher, repeated submersion in the vast sea of universal consciousness, the regular attainment of samadhi. The Microcosm on this path is dissolved in the Macrocosm. The path of Kaph pertains to the mastery of the Macrocosm through the attainment of the center of the Wheel. All of this is reflected into the path of Samekh, which contains the entire Inner Order process in seed form.
Taken as a succession of simple glyphs, the full spelling of Samekh indicates that this is a path of surrender to the central sun of spirit. Crowley's Fortune card shows ten spokes, but Waite's shows eight, a glyph of spirit. The path of Samekh corresponds to the Portal grade (in the Golden Dawn) and Dominus Liminus (in the A∴A∴), both of which represent spirit as the synthesis of the four elements (represented by the Outer Order grades). Once the elements have been separated, developed, equilibrated and refined, the process by which they are brought together as one is not under the control of the aspirant. Here, control must be surrendered. The bow of QShTh has been drawn back, the process has been set in motion and like it or not the arrow must fly. The proper course for the aspirant at this point is to surrender (Mem) to the higher (Kaph).
The transition from the Outer Order to the Inner Order involves the crossing of a significant threshold (this is true in both the GD and the A∴A∴; in the former, the threshold is the Veil of the Firmament, separating Assiah from Yetzirah; in the latter, the threshold is the Veil of Paroketh, separating Yetzirah from Briah). Every major threshold (there are three) involves a reversal of perspectives (symbolized by the Hanged Man) as the aspirant encounters a new, more expansive basis from which to work (the Wheel of Fortune). This is the general dynamic of the experience of Tiphareth. The ground disappears from beneath the aspirant's feet; what was thought to be the center of the world is found to be simply a satellite on the circumference as a new and greater center is found.
The letters Samekh Mem Kaph total 120. The door of the tomb of Christian Rosencruetz bore the inscription: POST 120 ANNOS PATEBO ("in 120 years, I will be opened"). This tomb is the basis of the Vault of the Adepti, in which the second half of the Golden Dawn Adeptus Minor (Tiphareth) initiation takes place. Paul Foster Case argues that the number 120 represents, symbolically, the number of years it takes for an aspirant to mature to full adepthood.
120 is the sum of the numbers 1 - 15, relating it to the 15th path of Ayin, or the Devil (switching the paths of Ayin and Samekh, interestingly enough, balances the distribution of the Zodiacal signs around Tiphareth with their ruling planets as attributed to the Sephiroth - just a curiosity). One attribution of The Devil is Baphomet, who brings together Sun and Moon, male and female.
In Genesis, God gives humanity 120 years before the flood (Mem?). Moses is said to have lived 120 years. The 360 degrees of the Zodiacal wheel, divided by 3, yields 120. Any given third of the wheel represents the four elements (given one sign per element), which seems quite fitting for a path in which the four elements are synthesized under spirit.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Voice of Tahuti, 8th Installment
The Ritual
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
My shrine stands inviolate at the center of the earth. Let the Light break through and illuminate it; let the shrine be housed in the Foundation, with its base in the strength of the dark earth.
Let the Child go forth victorious, that the Word may be given to all that seek it.
The speech is sacred, but all secrets will be known. Mystery is known only to those that already behold its Light. Revealed in the clear light, the secrets will remain inviolate. So shall the Word be known.
Yet there is a Word not known, none will know it. Let this be the basis of all Mystery and Truth. It will be as virgin, untouched by the mind. By what light will the source of Light be revealed? This is the secret fire which is the basis of all Truth. There is a sign by which it will be known, but who gives the sign? Do not seek it. Let Mystery be mystery.
The shrine is guarded by its own Light, it is unassailable. Does a shadow touch the sun? All shadows pass, the light endures.
Let the Word be given equally to all – hold back nothing. Learn the subtle arts of speech and writing. Every weapon in your arsenal will be used in its time and place. Let the child grow wise by skill and cunning.
The Word will be delivered in some ways secret and in some ways known. Learn the measure and merit of each, but proceed from the inmost. Does speech arise from the tongue or from a place more subtle? Let the tongue be skilled in all the parts of speech, though it will never know the source of speech.
So will Wisdom be known to all, its source to none. Even the inmost won’t know it, though it will know all things. Let it be thus, and Understand. Understand, and you will not desire to know. The balance between Wisdom and Understanding is maintained by the child in the bringing forth of the Word. Truth is in the doing, not the knowing.
The Comment
let the shrine be housed in the Foundation...
As noted in the 5th installment, the Word, the most pure expression of the inmost Self from which all other parts of the self arise, must descend into the deepest level of the lower unconscious. This builds a bridge from the highest to the lowest, with the result that both extremes of the self find the Word, True Will, as their Mecca. That which lies between is like the string which vibrates according to its tuning.
Mystery is known only to those that already behold its Light.
In general terms, knowledge of the soul can only be conveyed to those that already have knowledge of the soul. The true secrets of the Mysteries are conveyed in the language of the birds, which confounds the rational mind. (I think the common phrase is "Protect the secrets by revealing them openly.")
In terms of True Will, which is the means of service, each will be served according to their needs. The Word reverberates on all planes, at all levels of being. One Word serves both the soul and the body, but each according to the nature of their plane of existence. This is useful information for people who think that their True Will must be high and lofty and spiritual and has nothing to do with the practicalities of day to day living (or vice-versa). True Will exists on all planes - why would it not serve on all planes equally? Those who aren't awake to the subtler planes can still be served on the material.
Yet there is a Word not known, none will know it.
There is a level of existence that can't be known (where there is only singularity, there's not room for both the knower and the known; by analogy, you can't look directly upon your own face). On a more practical level, I think this points out that the mind will never be able to fully grasp the source of True Will. Instead of spending your time trying to know, simply do.
There is a sign by which it will be known, but who gives the sign? Do not seek it. Let Mystery be mystery.
There is a great joy to be found in this instruction.
The shrine is guarded by its own Light, it is unassailable. Does a shadow touch the sun? All shadows pass, the light endures.
People will misunderstand the expression of your Will - but who cares? That doesn't affect the Will at all.
Learn the subtle arts of speech and writing. Every weapon in your arsenal will be used in its time and place.
Develop all parts of the self. Go out into the world and learn by experience, also learn of the subtle worlds through meditation. Every part of the self will be of use in the expression of the Will.
The Word will be delivered in some ways secret and in some ways known.
Some acts of True Will take place in the outer world, some on the inner planes.
Learn the measure and merit of each, but proceed from the inmost.
Learn how to work in both (or more properly, all) worlds. The Neschamah will tell you when to work in each.
Let the tongue be skilled in all the parts of speech, though it will never know the source of speech.
Self explanatory. Especially in light of the above.
The final paragraph summarizes the entire message, remembering that the child is born from the marriage of the eternal and the temporal, the highest and the lowest, and thus partakes of both natures.
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
My shrine stands inviolate at the center of the earth. Let the Light break through and illuminate it; let the shrine be housed in the Foundation, with its base in the strength of the dark earth.
Let the Child go forth victorious, that the Word may be given to all that seek it.
The speech is sacred, but all secrets will be known. Mystery is known only to those that already behold its Light. Revealed in the clear light, the secrets will remain inviolate. So shall the Word be known.
Yet there is a Word not known, none will know it. Let this be the basis of all Mystery and Truth. It will be as virgin, untouched by the mind. By what light will the source of Light be revealed? This is the secret fire which is the basis of all Truth. There is a sign by which it will be known, but who gives the sign? Do not seek it. Let Mystery be mystery.
The shrine is guarded by its own Light, it is unassailable. Does a shadow touch the sun? All shadows pass, the light endures.
Let the Word be given equally to all – hold back nothing. Learn the subtle arts of speech and writing. Every weapon in your arsenal will be used in its time and place. Let the child grow wise by skill and cunning.
The Word will be delivered in some ways secret and in some ways known. Learn the measure and merit of each, but proceed from the inmost. Does speech arise from the tongue or from a place more subtle? Let the tongue be skilled in all the parts of speech, though it will never know the source of speech.
So will Wisdom be known to all, its source to none. Even the inmost won’t know it, though it will know all things. Let it be thus, and Understand. Understand, and you will not desire to know. The balance between Wisdom and Understanding is maintained by the child in the bringing forth of the Word. Truth is in the doing, not the knowing.
The Comment
let the shrine be housed in the Foundation...
As noted in the 5th installment, the Word, the most pure expression of the inmost Self from which all other parts of the self arise, must descend into the deepest level of the lower unconscious. This builds a bridge from the highest to the lowest, with the result that both extremes of the self find the Word, True Will, as their Mecca. That which lies between is like the string which vibrates according to its tuning.
Mystery is known only to those that already behold its Light.
In general terms, knowledge of the soul can only be conveyed to those that already have knowledge of the soul. The true secrets of the Mysteries are conveyed in the language of the birds, which confounds the rational mind. (I think the common phrase is "Protect the secrets by revealing them openly.")
In terms of True Will, which is the means of service, each will be served according to their needs. The Word reverberates on all planes, at all levels of being. One Word serves both the soul and the body, but each according to the nature of their plane of existence. This is useful information for people who think that their True Will must be high and lofty and spiritual and has nothing to do with the practicalities of day to day living (or vice-versa). True Will exists on all planes - why would it not serve on all planes equally? Those who aren't awake to the subtler planes can still be served on the material.
Yet there is a Word not known, none will know it.
There is a level of existence that can't be known (where there is only singularity, there's not room for both the knower and the known; by analogy, you can't look directly upon your own face). On a more practical level, I think this points out that the mind will never be able to fully grasp the source of True Will. Instead of spending your time trying to know, simply do.
There is a sign by which it will be known, but who gives the sign? Do not seek it. Let Mystery be mystery.
There is a great joy to be found in this instruction.
The shrine is guarded by its own Light, it is unassailable. Does a shadow touch the sun? All shadows pass, the light endures.
People will misunderstand the expression of your Will - but who cares? That doesn't affect the Will at all.
Learn the subtle arts of speech and writing. Every weapon in your arsenal will be used in its time and place.
Develop all parts of the self. Go out into the world and learn by experience, also learn of the subtle worlds through meditation. Every part of the self will be of use in the expression of the Will.
The Word will be delivered in some ways secret and in some ways known.
Some acts of True Will take place in the outer world, some on the inner planes.
Learn the measure and merit of each, but proceed from the inmost.
Learn how to work in both (or more properly, all) worlds. The Neschamah will tell you when to work in each.
Let the tongue be skilled in all the parts of speech, though it will never know the source of speech.
Self explanatory. Especially in light of the above.
The final paragraph summarizes the entire message, remembering that the child is born from the marriage of the eternal and the temporal, the highest and the lowest, and thus partakes of both natures.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Meditation on the Hebrew Letters III: YHV and the Cube of Space
The Sepher Yetzirah posits six directions in space: up, down, east, west, north and south. In terms of human experience (oriented toward the east, the place of the rising sun) these relate to that which is above, that which is below, that which is before us, that which is behind us, that which is to the right and that which is to the left. As long as we've been conscious, we've been aware of these six reference points. The six directions in space are so basic and intrinsic to our nature that we scarcely give them a second thought, yet, according to the Sepher Yetzirah, they reflect six primal aspects of the creator (seven if you count the center).
“Orientation is a primary phenomenon of our presence in the world. A human presence has the property of spacializing a world around it, and this property implies a certain relationship of man with the world."
Henry Corbin, The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism
The cube of space appears in four of the Sepher Yetzirah's six chapters. In the second, third and fourth chapters, the mother, double and single letters all appear on the cube - the mothers as the axes, the doubles as the faces of the cube (including the center) and the singles along the edges. The first chapter relates the six faces of the cube to six primal aspects of the creator as the permutations of the name Yod-Heh-Vau.
The permutation of divine names is key to the structures and practices outlined in the Sepher Yetzirah. If a holy name contains a key to the primal consciousness of the absolute, then the permutations of that name each reveal one aspect of that key. Meditation on the holy names and their permutations allows us to penetrate further and further into our own inner being, leading us into the (relatively) shallow waters of our own subconscious, then further into the vast ocean of the collective unconscious, and further still toward dissolution in the consciousness of the absolute.Of course, before it becomes possible to unlock the mysteries contained within the names of divinity, we must first penetrate to some extent into the essences of the individual letters, as outlined in previous installments of this series.
The three letters Yod Heh Vau reflect the attributes of the three mother letters - Shin Mem Aleph. Yod is fire, active, positive, the archetypal father (attributed to Chokmah); Heh is water, passive, negative, the archetypal mother (attributed to Binah); Vau is air, neutral or mediating between the positive and negative, the archetypal child (attributed to Tiphareth). The archetypal ideas subsume the whole of creation.
The Sepher Yetzirah attributes the permutations of Yod-Heh-Vau to the six directions as follows:
This is a very basic, yet effective, meditation. The real value of the meditation is in the training of the psyche to differentiate between the essences represented by the letters (though persistence with this technique will take you much further than that). Think of it as a workout for the higher intuition, a technique by which the organ of spiritual perception is stirred to a greater state of awakening. This organ is none other than the Neschamah: it is the very means by which the primal archetypes, even the absolute, may be known.
“Orientation is a primary phenomenon of our presence in the world. A human presence has the property of spacializing a world around it, and this property implies a certain relationship of man with the world."
Henry Corbin, The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism
The cube of space appears in four of the Sepher Yetzirah's six chapters. In the second, third and fourth chapters, the mother, double and single letters all appear on the cube - the mothers as the axes, the doubles as the faces of the cube (including the center) and the singles along the edges. The first chapter relates the six faces of the cube to six primal aspects of the creator as the permutations of the name Yod-Heh-Vau.
The permutation of divine names is key to the structures and practices outlined in the Sepher Yetzirah. If a holy name contains a key to the primal consciousness of the absolute, then the permutations of that name each reveal one aspect of that key. Meditation on the holy names and their permutations allows us to penetrate further and further into our own inner being, leading us into the (relatively) shallow waters of our own subconscious, then further into the vast ocean of the collective unconscious, and further still toward dissolution in the consciousness of the absolute.Of course, before it becomes possible to unlock the mysteries contained within the names of divinity, we must first penetrate to some extent into the essences of the individual letters, as outlined in previous installments of this series.
The three letters Yod Heh Vau reflect the attributes of the three mother letters - Shin Mem Aleph. Yod is fire, active, positive, the archetypal father (attributed to Chokmah); Heh is water, passive, negative, the archetypal mother (attributed to Binah); Vau is air, neutral or mediating between the positive and negative, the archetypal child (attributed to Tiphareth). The archetypal ideas subsume the whole of creation.
The Sepher Yetzirah attributes the permutations of Yod-Heh-Vau to the six directions as follows:
[The creator] looked above, and sealed the Height with Y.H.V.
[The creator] looked below, and sealed the Depth with Y.V.H.
[The creator] looked forward, and sealed the East with H.Y.V.
[The creator] looked backward, and sealed the West with H.V.Y.
[The creator] looked to the right, and sealed the South with V.Y.H.
[The creator] looked to the left, and sealed the North with V.H.Y.
[The creator] looked below, and sealed the Depth with Y.V.H.
[The creator] looked forward, and sealed the East with H.Y.V.
[The creator] looked backward, and sealed the West with H.V.Y.
[The creator] looked to the right, and sealed the South with V.Y.H.
[The creator] looked to the left, and sealed the North with V.H.Y.
Meditation on the permutations of Yod-Heh-Vau on the six faces of the cube of space is an excellent way to come to a greater intuitive understanding not only of this particular name, but of the primal essence of each of the six directions. This is not the way to gain intellectual knowledge, but rather understanding of the soul. The meditation is as follows:
Open with the banishing ritual of the pentagram (and the hexagram if you like).
Imagine that you sit in an infinity of blackness, with nothingness stretching out infinitely on all sides.
Visualize the letters Yod, Heh and Vau (right to left), in white light, shining forth in the darkness far, far above you. Vibrate the name: Yod Heh Vau several times. Imagine the essence of the name radiating out as it were the light of the mind of the creator.
After several minutes, shift your attention to the space far below you. Visualize the letters Yod, Vau and Heh (right to left) far below you in white light. Vibrate the name: Yod Vau Heh several times. Again, imagine the essence of the name radiating forth from below.
Repeat the same for the name: Heh Yod Vau far in front of you, the name: Heh Vau Yod far behind you, the name: Vau Yod Heh far to the right and the name: Vau Heh Yod far to the left. Meditate on each name for at least five minutes.
When you're finished, vibrate each name in sequence once: Yod Heh Vau above, Yod Vau Heh below, etc. Repeat this a few times, then sit in silence for as long as you see fit.
Close with whatever banishing rituals you opened with.
This is a very basic, yet effective, meditation. The real value of the meditation is in the training of the psyche to differentiate between the essences represented by the letters (though persistence with this technique will take you much further than that). Think of it as a workout for the higher intuition, a technique by which the organ of spiritual perception is stirred to a greater state of awakening. This organ is none other than the Neschamah: it is the very means by which the primal archetypes, even the absolute, may be known.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Ayin, spelled in full: Ayin Yod Nun
Ayin is the eye, attributed to Capricorn and the Devil.
Yod is the hand, attributed to Virgo and the Hermit.
Nun is the fish, attributed to Scorpio and Death.
The combination of Yod and Nun suggest a corrosive light, or knowledge that destroys and causes the knower to decay. This is beheld by the eye of Ayin, revealing an insight that leads to the death of the mind that conceives it (at least in its present form).
The light of revelation, which has its origin in the Neschamah, is shown in Hod upon the symbols and structures associated with the Mysteries, allowing them to be understood in the light of intuition. In this way is the inner nature of a given symbol revealed. This process is applied to symbol after symbol (through meditation) until the aspirant has come to a more than intellectual understanding of the entire arcana. Among the many symbols with which this process is carried out are the Tarot Trumps, which, in the Golden Dawn, were first given to the aspirant in the Practicus grade.
On the path of Ayin, this light is shone directly on the self, revealing the outer persona in all of its glory (or lack thereof). This brings to light the rejected portions of the persona, the so-called 'not-self' which has been projected out onto the external world and onto others. Only in this way can the fragmented self be healed and brought to a greater degree of integrity, represented by the sun in Tiphareth.
The lamp of the Hermit contains the light of primordial fire, the seed of infinite consciousness that contains all things and which is, ultimately, the true Self of the aspirant. In Crowley's Hermit card, the lamp has 8 sides, linking it with Hod and Mercury (which rules Virgo, to which the Hermit card is attributed). The light shone through the lamp is here beheld by the open eye (the symbol of the path), revealing the true nature of the structure of the self.
This path brings about the death of several cherished illusions. It is no longer possible, once this path has been fully traversed, to identify completely with the persona (which itself is greatly transformed on this path). Nun plays its part here in the death of the persona as the perceived king of the self.
In this path is a tremendous power. Freed from the confines of identification with the mask, the mind is able to rise to great heights, coming to know somewhat of its very source, its deathless nature. This is accomplished in three general stages. The first stage is the rending of the Veil of the Firmament, in which the aspirant transitions from Assiatic to Yetziratic consciousness, revealing the trans-personal self. The second is the rending of the Veil of Paroketh, in which the aspirant transitions from Yetziratic to Briatic consciousness, leading to the dissolution of the individual in the universal, destroying (at least for a time) the illusion of separate existence in the perfect bliss of Union with the source. The third stage is the rending of the Veil of the Abyss, in which the aspirant crosses over into Atziluthic consciousness, making their permanent home in the universal, freeing the mind at last from identification with the separate ego.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Voice of Tahuti, 7th Installment
The Ritual
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
Unutterable truth, abomination and terror, this is the voice of the silence as it appears to the mind. The mind cannot bear it. The child of the eternal and the temporal alone can carry the seed unto the earth, only a child can bear it.
The child may appear as great or terrible. All natures are partaken of as one. The child mediates between the speech in the silence and the speech in the outer, the voice of prophecy.
The Word is exceedingly subtle, yet infinitely durable. So must the child be of sufficient strength and refinement to bear it, to deliver it.
Go forth into the world, involve yourself in its ways, taste of its fruits, for only then can the seed of Heaven find its way therein, only thus may the child know the world. Innocence is folly, for the earth must be known in its ways if it is to be reconciled with Heaven.
Let the ground be made fertile, let the soil be cultivated and made rich with nutrients that the seed may prosper. Let the Word not be hindered by inexperience, let the world be known in its variety that the Word may flourish. It will thus grow to transform the face of the world. Let it be delivered unto waiting hands.
The gates of Heaven are open - who would deny the Word its habitation?
The Comment
The child, as indicated in the last two installments, is the result of the coming together of heaven and earth, the eternal and the temporal, the descent of the light of the inmost self, the Yechidah, into the Nephesch. Once the fruit of this union sufficiently matures, it bears the "seed", the Chiah, the Word of the Yechidah or True Will, into the soil of Assiah. Here is given a general instruction in the maturation of the child, and in the preparation of the "soil" of the world.
The gates of Heaven, the higher planes, you might call them higher brain functions (after Leary), are opened largely as a result of years of work in seclusion. The aspirant withdraws from the outer world to whatever degree is necessary and works alone for the most part. Once a sufficient level of development has been attained (when the aspirant is able to attain to universal consciousness at will), the place of work changes from the inner to the outer. At this point the aspirant emerges into the world as an avatar of their higher Will. (In truth, the inner and the outer are seen increasingly as two modes of expression of a single thing).
Of course, in real life, nothing is ever quite that simple. There are multiple phases of withdrawal and emergence all along the path. The general movement, though, is that of a withdrawal inward to the source of Self, followed by an emergence into the world as that source is expressed as service. At that point, wisdom in the ways of the world is a very valuable thing.
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
Unutterable truth, abomination and terror, this is the voice of the silence as it appears to the mind. The mind cannot bear it. The child of the eternal and the temporal alone can carry the seed unto the earth, only a child can bear it.
The child may appear as great or terrible. All natures are partaken of as one. The child mediates between the speech in the silence and the speech in the outer, the voice of prophecy.
The Word is exceedingly subtle, yet infinitely durable. So must the child be of sufficient strength and refinement to bear it, to deliver it.
Go forth into the world, involve yourself in its ways, taste of its fruits, for only then can the seed of Heaven find its way therein, only thus may the child know the world. Innocence is folly, for the earth must be known in its ways if it is to be reconciled with Heaven.
Let the ground be made fertile, let the soil be cultivated and made rich with nutrients that the seed may prosper. Let the Word not be hindered by inexperience, let the world be known in its variety that the Word may flourish. It will thus grow to transform the face of the world. Let it be delivered unto waiting hands.
The gates of Heaven are open - who would deny the Word its habitation?
The Comment
The child, as indicated in the last two installments, is the result of the coming together of heaven and earth, the eternal and the temporal, the descent of the light of the inmost self, the Yechidah, into the Nephesch. Once the fruit of this union sufficiently matures, it bears the "seed", the Chiah, the Word of the Yechidah or True Will, into the soil of Assiah. Here is given a general instruction in the maturation of the child, and in the preparation of the "soil" of the world.
The gates of Heaven, the higher planes, you might call them higher brain functions (after Leary), are opened largely as a result of years of work in seclusion. The aspirant withdraws from the outer world to whatever degree is necessary and works alone for the most part. Once a sufficient level of development has been attained (when the aspirant is able to attain to universal consciousness at will), the place of work changes from the inner to the outer. At this point the aspirant emerges into the world as an avatar of their higher Will. (In truth, the inner and the outer are seen increasingly as two modes of expression of a single thing).
Of course, in real life, nothing is ever quite that simple. There are multiple phases of withdrawal and emergence all along the path. The general movement, though, is that of a withdrawal inward to the source of Self, followed by an emergence into the world as that source is expressed as service. At that point, wisdom in the ways of the world is a very valuable thing.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Voice of Tahuti, 6th Installment
The Ritual
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
Concentrate your Will into a seed, a point of potency and light, the very Yod which preceeds creation, and cast it into the fertile ground. Let this be witnessed in silence, let go of all attachment and concern with result. Thus shall the Word be made manifest.
Let the sun be followed by the moon, for in the seed they are as one.
Let the seasons pass, each with its effects.
Let the Word provide fruit, let it nourish the body. There will be a purging of impurity, then let the cycle begin again.
Let the Word thus transform all things, great and small. Let the very dust be turned to rich, brown soil. The ground will grow ever more fertile, and the seed ever more potent, and ever greater will be the desire of the one for the other until their union is perpetual. The natural forces will aid you in this.
Learn the secret formulas that are hidden in the parts of speech, in the letters and their works. With these you may work wonders. Speech and writing are sacred unto me, in them I have hidden mysteries whereby the courses of the stars may be understood aright, and by which the natural forces may be directed and combined. Let this all be done in accordance with the Word - let no operation be neglected. By this work are the formulas redeemed and is life engendered in the dark and stagnant ponds.
The Commentary
The Word in this case is associated with the Chiah, the Word or Voice of the Yechidah. This is synonymous with the True Will, and is the most pure expression of Self at the highest level.
Concentrate your Will into a seed, a point of potency and light
Crowley would encourage his students to represent their True Will in a single sentence. Despite the fact that this is necessarily a limitation of that Will (or perhaps because of it), this allows for the application of the True Will at every level. Though the Will may be deeply understood, if its expression is vague then the mind can't make use of it in a practical way. When rightly understood, the Will can be envisioned as a single point, albeit a point containing the universe.
cast it into the fertile ground.
What constitutes fertile ground? Certainly not a garden sewn with judgments, rational thoughts, or desires. Work done for its own sake creates the most fertile ground. Vivekananda writes on this at length in his Karma Yoga.
Much of this message is self-explanatory. A demonstration of the effect of the lance on the cup, such that the cup is made more ready to bear the lance. The following passage is of especial interest:
ever greater will be the desire of the one for the other until their union is perpetual.
ie: the entire organism will, at length, be transformed into an engine for the continuous expression of True Will at every level of being. This is very much indicated by the path of Yod and the Hermit card, which (in the Crowley deck, at least) shows an image of Thoth. The aspirant operating at this level is entirely self-sufficient. From ritual Israfel: "I see by my own inward light." The idea here is mirrored by the endless quest (and scientific impossibility) for the invention of a perpetual motion machine. Such a machine does exist, and we're it! Of course, the entirety of the cosmos is needed to keep it running. Fortunately, each of us already has that inside of us.
There is a mystery revealed by the Hermit card that will render the above paragraph intelligible. At its most simple: Doing the True Will changes one in such a way that one is better able to do the True Will. Expressing the highest level of Self makes one better at expressing the highest level of Self. Of course, it also gives a satisfaction beyond that possible by any other means.
The last paragraph indicates that the various operations of the art are to be performed in accordance with the True Will. The operations may be represented in many ways - each of the Hebrew letters represents one such operation, for example. The general idea is that the various types of transformation, represented by the formulas expounded in the Mysteries, can only find their true purpose when applied in accordance with True Will. It seems fitting that these formulas are hidden in the parts of speech and in the letters of the alphabet (as the Sepher Yetzirah so eloquently demonstrates), as these things are the very means of expression in the outer world. Hence, the creation and structure of the universe are often represented using the motifs of speech and writing: the Logos, the Pen (attributed to the first Arabic letter, Alif), the Holy Book, etc.
Addendum
The day after receiving the vision, I stumble upon a quote that more or less perfectly sums up the general meaning:
"...it is in Heh-final, Malkuth, Assiah, the field of our actions and senses, that we create the most perfect conditions for the creative expression of the central Seed-Will, the primal impulse of our inmost being. Persephone, the Daughter of Earth (Heh-final), is truly wed to Hades (=Hadit), the Inmost and Hidden One (Yod); and it is by her own will (by voluntarily eating of his seeds) that she remains in Hell, no longer as a captive slave but as its queen.
The enduring copulation of Yod (the Father) with Heh-final (the Daughter) is also the continuous pouring of yourself (your will, your fire: everything you are) into what you have conceived - your Malkuth ("Kingdom"), field of action, or dharma."
James Eshelman, Visions and Voices, commentary on the 4th Aethyr.
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
1st Enochian Key
Ritual Israfel
(reception)
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Voice
Concentrate your Will into a seed, a point of potency and light, the very Yod which preceeds creation, and cast it into the fertile ground. Let this be witnessed in silence, let go of all attachment and concern with result. Thus shall the Word be made manifest.
Let the sun be followed by the moon, for in the seed they are as one.
Let the seasons pass, each with its effects.
Let the Word provide fruit, let it nourish the body. There will be a purging of impurity, then let the cycle begin again.
Let the Word thus transform all things, great and small. Let the very dust be turned to rich, brown soil. The ground will grow ever more fertile, and the seed ever more potent, and ever greater will be the desire of the one for the other until their union is perpetual. The natural forces will aid you in this.
Learn the secret formulas that are hidden in the parts of speech, in the letters and their works. With these you may work wonders. Speech and writing are sacred unto me, in them I have hidden mysteries whereby the courses of the stars may be understood aright, and by which the natural forces may be directed and combined. Let this all be done in accordance with the Word - let no operation be neglected. By this work are the formulas redeemed and is life engendered in the dark and stagnant ponds.
The Commentary
The Word in this case is associated with the Chiah, the Word or Voice of the Yechidah. This is synonymous with the True Will, and is the most pure expression of Self at the highest level.
Concentrate your Will into a seed, a point of potency and light
Crowley would encourage his students to represent their True Will in a single sentence. Despite the fact that this is necessarily a limitation of that Will (or perhaps because of it), this allows for the application of the True Will at every level. Though the Will may be deeply understood, if its expression is vague then the mind can't make use of it in a practical way. When rightly understood, the Will can be envisioned as a single point, albeit a point containing the universe.
cast it into the fertile ground.
What constitutes fertile ground? Certainly not a garden sewn with judgments, rational thoughts, or desires. Work done for its own sake creates the most fertile ground. Vivekananda writes on this at length in his Karma Yoga.
Much of this message is self-explanatory. A demonstration of the effect of the lance on the cup, such that the cup is made more ready to bear the lance. The following passage is of especial interest:
ever greater will be the desire of the one for the other until their union is perpetual.
ie: the entire organism will, at length, be transformed into an engine for the continuous expression of True Will at every level of being. This is very much indicated by the path of Yod and the Hermit card, which (in the Crowley deck, at least) shows an image of Thoth. The aspirant operating at this level is entirely self-sufficient. From ritual Israfel: "I see by my own inward light." The idea here is mirrored by the endless quest (and scientific impossibility) for the invention of a perpetual motion machine. Such a machine does exist, and we're it! Of course, the entirety of the cosmos is needed to keep it running. Fortunately, each of us already has that inside of us.
There is a mystery revealed by the Hermit card that will render the above paragraph intelligible. At its most simple: Doing the True Will changes one in such a way that one is better able to do the True Will. Expressing the highest level of Self makes one better at expressing the highest level of Self. Of course, it also gives a satisfaction beyond that possible by any other means.
The last paragraph indicates that the various operations of the art are to be performed in accordance with the True Will. The operations may be represented in many ways - each of the Hebrew letters represents one such operation, for example. The general idea is that the various types of transformation, represented by the formulas expounded in the Mysteries, can only find their true purpose when applied in accordance with True Will. It seems fitting that these formulas are hidden in the parts of speech and in the letters of the alphabet (as the Sepher Yetzirah so eloquently demonstrates), as these things are the very means of expression in the outer world. Hence, the creation and structure of the universe are often represented using the motifs of speech and writing: the Logos, the Pen (attributed to the first Arabic letter, Alif), the Holy Book, etc.
Addendum
The day after receiving the vision, I stumble upon a quote that more or less perfectly sums up the general meaning:
"...it is in Heh-final, Malkuth, Assiah, the field of our actions and senses, that we create the most perfect conditions for the creative expression of the central Seed-Will, the primal impulse of our inmost being. Persephone, the Daughter of Earth (Heh-final), is truly wed to Hades (=Hadit), the Inmost and Hidden One (Yod); and it is by her own will (by voluntarily eating of his seeds) that she remains in Hell, no longer as a captive slave but as its queen.
The enduring copulation of Yod (the Father) with Heh-final (the Daughter) is also the continuous pouring of yourself (your will, your fire: everything you are) into what you have conceived - your Malkuth ("Kingdom"), field of action, or dharma."
James Eshelman, Visions and Voices, commentary on the 4th Aethyr.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Peh, spelled out in full: Peh Heh
Peh is the mouth, attributed to Mars and the Tower.
Heh is the window, attributed to Aries and the Emperor.
Mars rules Aries, while Sol is exalted in Aries. The lightning flash that destroys the Tower is delivered at the command of a higher authority, here represented by the Emperor in his Solar aspect in Tiphareth.
Hod is the place of structure. In the Practicus grade, this structure is represented by the chalice, which in Hod is filled with the waters of understanding. Throughout the course of the Practicus grade, the light of understanding illuminates the names and symbols associated with the Mysteries, allowing them to be known in a way that transcends rational thought. This results in an interrelated system of symbols, grasped by both the reason and the intuition. This is the beginning of the knowledge of the soul, fluency in the language of the birds. At this point, the dynamic arcana of living symbols still exists as if in a vacuum, suspended in the depths of the mind as if in a glass case on display at a museum. This changes dramatically on the path of Peh.
Had not the structure been so meticulously built, had not so much effort been put into the construction of the tower, were it not a structure of great beauty and intricacy, then the tower's destruction would be in vain - it would not be an object worthy of sacrifice. From the destruction of the tower arises the means of great transformation. In order for the contents of the tower to be of any use, the glass case must be cracked open, the defenses must be broken. The window pane that separates the display piece from the messiness and chaos of the outer world, from life with all of its pains and passions and unpredictability, must be destroyed.
Netzach is the highest sphere in the triad of the personality (consisting of Yesod, Hod and Netzach). It opens up directly to Tiphareth along the path of Nun. Tiphareth in this context represents the beginning of the trans-personal self, which is a vehicle for a still higher aspect of Self. The trans-personal here is represented by the Emperor, who also represents spirit entering into the realm of the elements. The path of Peh also crosses directly over the path of Samekh, which leads from Yesod to Tiphareth, and thus passes directly below the Solar sphere.
Heh, as the window, allows the perception to pass into the inner essence of a subject (the subject, whatever it is in the specific, is generally symbolized by Beth, the house). As the aspirant moves from Hod to Netzach, crossing over the path of Samekh and directly below Tiphareth, the veil of the trans-personal self is pulled back just enough to allow the aspirant to perceive their ego in a different context that was possible before. The aspirant sees themselves the way others see them. The increase in the level of self-awareness shatters the existing self-image. This is necessary in order for the aspirant to enter into the sphere of Netzach, in which the self is experienced in a new way in relation to others.
In the Practicus grade, it is typical for aspirants to withdraw, as if protected from the influence of others. In Philosophus, there is a corresponding expansion as the life force that is stirred to awakening in the aspirant naturally seeks interaction with that of others. The heart is opened both to higher influences and to the feelings of others. Many of the hidden desires of the aspirant are exposed. This again is the effect of the window on this path.
Often the commanding voice of the Emperor is invisible on this path. The destruction of the tower may be experienced as senseless chaos and turmoil. Afterward, when the dust has settled and the work of rebuilding has begun, the sun arises and a new understanding dawns. Tiphareth represents the highest level of reality that the aspirant can grasp at this point, but in truth the command originates from the Chiah in Chokmah, the voice or the Yechidah, the True Will. On the Sephirothic Tree, the path of Heh brings the influence from Chokmah into Tihareth.
Using Crowley's attributions, the path of Heh is attributed to Aquarius and the Star. In this case, the Star is the Khabs, the house of Hadit. The symbolism is much the same. The Word is spoken from Chokmah, resulting in the destruction of the glass pane separating mental abstraction from raw experience. In Crowley's view, it is the mother archetype that delivers the Word as opposed to the father archetype. This is more consistent with Heh in the context of Yod Heh Vau Heh, and points perhaps to a more joyous experience. Rather than the stern authority of the father, which delivers a fiery bolt of lightning to shatter the current conception of the self, the eternal waters of the mother flow forth to break up and dissolve the walls of the tower, sweeping the aspirant up in their currents, carrying them out into the unknown, but always with the love of the mother for her child, and always for the joy of dissolution.
"This is the creation of the world, that the pain of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution all."
Liber AL, I: 30
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