Vault Wall: Venus

The Venus Wall of the Vault of the Adepti (one of seven)

5' x 8'

Background squares: base color with 20% (or so) green

Symbols: base color with 20% (or so) red

Next up: Mars

The Voice of Tahuti, 9th 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

There is a hidden temple deep beneath the surface of the earth, there flames the light eternal, sending forth its currents to the houses on the surface of the earth. Within each house a secret temple also, vibrating in sympathy with the temple in the center of the earth, hidden in the silent darkness, waiting for the kiss of Stellar Light.

The Light of the earth and the Light of the stars intermingle and marry, and thus a house is oriented toward the Pole Star in the North, and the true vocation of the master of the house is revealed. The vocation of the master partakes equally of heaven and earth, macrocosm and microcosm, destiny and accident – it is the product of the marriage between them.

This sacred bond pre-exists the house and the master, for it is eternal. The house is temporal, dis-oriented, and must be reconciled in time with its true origin in eternity.

Thus is the Word a reconciliation between two things, and yet beyond all number and counting – eternal, ineffable, unpronounced.

There is a city outside of time, in the luminous darkness, wherein every building is oriented aright toward the center, which is aligned with the Stellar Pole directly above. When the marriage between heaven and earth is perfect, seamless, uninterrupted, and the Word is continuous and self-sufficient, there shall the master find a place. There the master has nothing save for a place in the city, proper orientation, the Word, and that in silence.

[The City speaks to us in the silence, causing us to light fires upon the earth in order to find our way around it, appearing in art, science, religion].

The Comment
There is a hidden temple deep beneath the surface of the earth...
The house refers to the Nephesch. The raw force of life, in both ourselves and in the world, lies waiting for redemption through a marriage with the celestial. This marriage in ourselves results in spiritual transformation, while the marriage in the world refers to the goal of the work of the adept. The idea is very similar to that of the Tikkun Olam in Lurianic Kabbalah.


The Light of the earth and the Light of the stars intermingle and marry...
The Neschamah descends into the Nephesch, re-orienting it toward the Pole Star, a symbol of the center of the universe. The particular angle between our own location in the universe (symbolically, according to our nature within the whole) and the center defines our vocation or True Will, which necessarily partakes both of the temporal and the eternal, or of our particular position and the center. 


This sacred bond pre-exists the house and the master, for it is eternal. 
We tend to think that our true place in the world (defined by our True Will) is the result of the marriage between the individual and the universal within us, but in fact our True Will precedes us entirely - we arise from it, it doesn't arise from us. 


The house is temporal, dis-oriented, and must be reconciled in time with its true origin in eternity.
Our temporal nature must be aligned with our eternal nature. 


There is a city outside of time, in the luminous darkness...
The city referred to here is a higher vibration of the one referred to in installment two.


[The City speaks to us in the silence, causing us to light fires upon the earth in order to find our way around it, appearing in art, science, religion].
This part came as a vision of sorts. The state of spiritual perfection of all of humanity, like the True Will of the individual, pre-exists humanity itself, and speaks to us and affects us unconsciously even before we've "achieved" it. It is the apotheosis of all consciousness everywhere and, being eternal, is not bound by time. It is ultimately responsible for all art, culture and science. Everything we've ever done refers more or less directly to it. Note that I'm not saying that we, as a species, are necessarily going to get to that point in the course of our evolution. The perfected state exists in the archetypal world whether or not we ever actually go there in the temporal world. Whether or not it "happens" at some point in the future, it is happening continually at every point in space and time. 

Rising on the Planes, Method III

• This method is to be used with the twelve permutations of YHVH, along with the corresponding Zodiacal names, colors, etc.
• This method requires an open astral temple (ie: no walls or ceiling) that has been created and sustained by use over a period of time. 
• Perform the Lesser Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram.
• Formulate a golden archway in the east of the temple. On the other side of the archway is your astral temple or environment. 
• Using the methods outlined in the previous installments, formulate the body of light and transfer your consciousness to it. 
• Project through the archway using the sign of the enterer. Use the sign of silence to seal the archway behind you. 
• Once your body of light has been firmly established in your astral temple, invoke the Zodiacal force in question using the proper pentagram. 
• Let your astral body be filled with light of the color of the Zodiacal sign in question in the King scale. Visualize the letters of the permutation of YHVH in question in white light in the center of your astral body (typically in the cavity of the chest). 
• Vibrate the letters of the permutation in question. As you do so, let the colored light that fills your astral body expand to fill the confines of space. 
• Vibrate also the name of the Archangel corresponding to the Zodiacal sign in question, and the Angel. Vibrate these names numerous times, but always come back to the Atziluthic name. 
• When the level of vibration has risen to a sufficient degree, and you have become firmly established in within the light and essence of the Zodiacal sign in question, let your body of light rise by effort of will. 
• As you continue to rise, the atmosphere will become more rarefied, subtle, refined. 
• If, at any time, you feel resistance to further progress, you may send some astral substance from your body of light back down, proceeding onward with the subtler components of your body of light. This may be done numerous times if necessary, until your body of light consists of no more than a minute point of refined essence. 
• As with the first two methods, this exercise may be used to attain unto the heights of mystical consciousness.
• When you can rise no further (be careful not to exhaust yourself in an effort to rise further), return down the way you came. The full form of your body of light will return to you as you descend. 
• Let your astral temple again formulate around you. Spend a few moments re-establishing your body of light in your astral temple. 
• Banish the Zodiacal force in question using the proper pentagram. 
• When you are ready, project back through the golden archway and merge your body of light back with your physical body. Physically give the sign of silence after you have come back to your body. 
• Close using the Banishing rituals of the Hexagram and Pentagram. 

Rising on the Planes, Method II

• This method is to be used with the planetary Sephiroth only (Yesod – Binah). Pick one Sephira with which to do the exercise (it is wise to start with Yesod). 
• Perform the Lesser Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram, then invoke the planetary force in question by Hexagram (using the proper colors, incense, etc.) 
• Formulate a golden archway in the east of the temple. On the other side of the archway is an open temple representing the Sephira that you wish to rise in. Let the decorations of the temple be consistent with the nature of the Sephira in question (for example, a temple of Yesod might have a blue or indigo floor, a white marble altar with the image of a beautiful naked man inscribed upon it in violet, perhaps a silver dish sits upon the altar as well, from which rises a white flame, etc.) The temple should have no walls or ceiling. 
• Using the methods outlined in the previous installment, formulate the body of light and transfer your consciousness to it. 
• Project through the archway using the sign of the enterer. Use the sign of silence to seal the archway behind you. 
• Once your body of light has been firmly established in the temple of the Sephira in question, vibrate the Atziluthic name of the Sephira numerous times. 
• Once the necessary force has been strongly invoked, let your body of light rise by effort of will. The atmosphere through which you rise (and which interpenetrates your body of light) should be of the color of the Sephira you are rising through in the Queen scale, though the color may change to that of the King scale as you rise. 
• As you continue to rise, the atmosphere will become more rarefied, subtle, refined. 
• If, at any time, you feel resistance to further progress, you may send some astral matter from your body of light back down, proceeding onward with the subtler components of your body of light. This may be done numerous times if necessary, until your body of light consists of no more than a minute point of refined essence. 
• As with the first method, this exercise may be used to attain unto the heights of mystical consciousness, though this is possible only for one who has already reached the threshold of Briah. 
• When you can rise no further (be careful not to exhaust yourself in an effort to rise further), return down the way you came. The full form of your body of light will return to you as you descend. 
• When you have again reached the floor of the temple of the Sephira in question, spend a few moments re-establishing your body of light in the temple, laying your hands astrally on the altar and vibrating the Atziluthic name of the Sephira. 
• When you are ready, project back through the golden archway and merge your body of light back with your physical body. Physically give the sign of silence after you have come back to your body. 
• Banish the planetary force invoked by hexagram, then perform the Lesser Banishing Rituals of the Hexagram and Pentagram. 

Rising on the Planes, Method I

This exercise is best done only after proficiency has been gained in basic astral projection using such symbols as the Tattwas or Tarot Trumps. There is no reason for one to rise to the higher levels of Yetzirah before one has gained a general mastery of the lower to mid levels. Similarly, there is no reason to work in Yetzirah at all until one has gained quite a bit of proficiency with the magical work in Assiah (ie: the physical plane). 

Throughout the course of the theurgic work, there is a general increase in the rate at which the elements of the operator's vehicle of consciousness are able to vibrate. This increase is what allows one to rise to greater heights on the inner planes. It is this dynamic that allows one, when a sufficient rate of vibration has been reached, to enter into the World of Yetzirah, and at length beyond that into the World of Briah. The two methods for rising on the inner planes (this exercise and the one that follows) are designed to raise the rate of vibration of these elements to their maximum capacity, and to expand that capacity in the same way that lifting weights expands the capacity of the muscles. 

• This exercise is to be opened and closed by the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (performed in your physical body). 
• Formulate a golden archway in the east of the temple. On the other side of the archway is a black and white checked floor, with a black, double-cube altar upon which sits a purple quartz crystal. East of the altar are the black and white pillars. There are no walls or ceiling. This is the Temple of Makuth, from which you will rise. 
• Imagine an image of yourself, robed in white, standing before the golden archway. Let the figure's hands be risen before the solar plexus, the fingertips of each hand touching the fingertips of the other. 
• Let the seven chakras alight, from the crown to the base, in color or with white light, in the body of light. Let the light from the base chakra extend down to the toes, while the light from the heart chakra extends down the arms to the fingers. 
• Take a deep breath, and upon exhale, transfer your consciousness to the body of light. Feel the crown chakra alight above the head and the heart chakra in the breast. Feel the legs straight, feet touching the ground, and the fingertips touching on each hand. 
• Raise the left leg of the body of light, set it down. Repeat with the right leg. Let the hands come apart a bit so that the fingers are no longer touching, then join them again. Allow yourself to fully feel the sensations that accompany these actions. 
• When you are thoroughly established in the body of light, open your astral eyes and gaze through the golden archway to the temple of Malkuth. Look to the left, then to the right; you should see the contents of your physical temple on either side of the archway. 
• Project through the archway using the sign of the enterer. Once on the other side (you should be able to sense the archway behind you), use the sign of silence to seal the astral door. 
• In the Temple of Malkuth, astrally vibrate the name ADONAI HA-ARETZ several times, until you feel that the vibratory level of Malkuth has been established. Spend a little bit of time establishing youself within the temple. Lay your hands upon the altar and pillars. There should be a particular effect upon touching each pillar.
• When you feel ready, return to the center of the Temple of Malkuith and let your body of light rise by effort of will. 
• Above the Temple of Malkuth is the Path of Tau. This should be formulated by act of will. The path is flooded with indigo light, and you will pass through a large black tau cross with a single drop of blood in the center. This may be accompanied by other images and sensations as well. Vibrate ‘Tau’ astrally several times while rising through the path. 
• You will come at length to the level of Yesod. This will be filled with purple or indigo light, and should feature a large crescent, silver or pale yellow or white. Continue to rise through the level of Yesod, astrally vibrating SHADDAI EL CHAI several times. 
• The next level is the Path of Samekh, which is filled with blue light, and features a white arrow shooting upwards. Astrally vibrate ‘Samekh’ while rising quickly with the arrow. 
• If, at any time, you feel resistance to further progress, you may send some astral substance from your body of light back down, proceeding onward with the subtler components of your vehicle. This may be done numerous times if necessary, until your body of light consists of no more than a minute point of refined essence. 
• If further progress is still met with resistance after you have shed as much of your body of light as you are able, return the way you have come. 
• At length, you may reach Tiphareth, in which the inner sun will arise in yellow or golden hues. Astrally vibrate YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH at this point several times. Let the radiant essence of Tiphareth shine through you, even to the point of overwhelming what remains of your body of light. 
• It is possible that you may rise further, even onto the path of Gimel. This exercise may be used to attain the heights of mystical consciousness, though this is possible only for one who has already reached the threshold of Briah. 
• When you have gone as far as you are able (be careful not to exhaust yourself in an effort to rise further), return back the way you came, astrally vibrating each name along the way. The full form of your body of light will return to you as you descend. 
• Returning again to the Temple of Malkuth, take some time to touch the altar, the crystal and the pillars. When you have once again become firmly established in your body of light at the level of Malkuth, project back through the golden archway and merge your body of light back with your physical body. Physically give the sign of silence after you have come back to your body. 

Upon merging the body of light back into the physical body, I like to light up each of the chakras again, this time in the physical. These are like the screws (or nails, I suppose) which join one body with another, with practice they can be loosened and tightened at will. 

Mem, spelled in full: Mem Yod Mem

Mem is water, attributed to elemental Water and The Hanged Man.
Yod is the hand, attributed to Virgo and The Hermit.

As the path of Nun involves a dissolution of those elements of the outer persona which obscure the Light of Tiphareth, the path of Mem involves the dissolution of the individual ego in the waters of the absolute. The Adeptus Minor in Tiphareth learns to surrender to the higher, entering into a species of Samadhi or mystical union. (Note that this is true for the Adeptus Minor in the A.:A.:, which takes place in Briah, whereas the grade of Adeptus Minor in the Golden Dawn takes place in Yetzirah, corresponding roughly with the 2=9 level in the A.:A.:). The adept on the path of Mem must learn to surrender to the state of mystical union again and again, with regularity and under will. This state is known in the A.:A.: as Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.

It is not enough on this path to merely undergo the dissolution of the ego on a regular basis. The aspiring Adeptus Major must at length learn to extract something from the dissolute. There is an immortal flame found within the depths of the Great Waters which is not subject to dissolution, since it is itself the essence of those waters. This is the fire of True Will, the transcendent Word of the adept which determines every possible manifestation of their Yechidah.

True Will is the ultimate expression of the universal through the individual, and thus expresses the perfect harmony between them. The expression of the Will, unhampered by attachment or aversion, kindles a flame upon the face of the world that transforms all that beholds it.

The water of Mem is an extension of the watery nature of Hod, the origin of the path. These are the waters of universal mind, aptly represented by Hod in Briah. The fire of the Yod set between (or within) the waters signifies the fiery Sephira Geburah to which the path leads. Geburah is a path both of action and restraint. The Adeptus Major must bring the whole of their outer nature into strict conformity with the Word which is recovered from the infinite waters. The Yod appears between the two Mems as if hidden, which in a sense it is. The adept is at first overwhelmed by the dissolution of the ego in Samadhi. The prospect of recovering anything from that experience seems beyond comprehension. It is only after the adept has assimilated themselves to the greater Light that the Seed of that Light can be extracted therefrom.

The paths of Nun and Mem reflect each other. Each features, in their spelling, a flame within the depths of the waters. On the path of Nun, the flame is that of a torch planted firmly in the earth (this is suggested by the shape of the letter Vau), for the aspirant at this level is still bound to the outer world. The Vau in this case is the nail that keeps them rooted in the ego as elements of that ego are dissolved in the waters of death. On the path of Mem, the flame is naked and unbound. It is in fact rooted in the higher rather than the lower. It is part of the work of the adept to tie that Word to the outer world, in accordance with the nature of their Will.

The fire of Yod is a secret fire, a hidden force. None can ever truly comprehend the Will of another, nor can one every truly know (speaking in the Biblical sense) another's Angel. Though a hidden fire, True Will is aptly symbolized by the lamp of the Hermit. It is a beacon of Light, illuminating the way for all toward knowledge of their own True Will.

The letters Mem Yod Mem add to 90, which is also the value of the letter Tzaddi, the fish-hook, as well as domem, 'silent'.

Vault Wall: Jupiter

The Jupiter Wall of the Vault of the Adepti (one of seven)

5' x 8'

Background squares: base color with 20% (or so) purple

Symbols: base color with 20% (or so) yellow

Next up: Venus

This wall and the Mercury wall are visually linked, in that the color schemes of the two walls directly oppose each other. 

The Bornless Rite: A Redaction

What follows is my personal redaction of The Bornless Rite. Much of the modifications come straight from a version written by Regardie, found in the smaller black Golden Dawn book (as with everything else on this blog, I make no claim to great originality - nor would I consider this a "new" version of the rite, it's a slight modification at best). 

This is a version that I've been using on a very regular basis for quite a few years, and which I have found to be very effective. I post it here with the simple hope that it might inspire at least one other person to create their own personal modification. Regardie's version inspired mine, maybe mine will inspire somebody else's. Needless to say, there is no reason to perform The Bornless Rite until one has had quite a few years of practice with the basic techniques that comprise it, as well as a mastery of some more general synthesis of the elements through spirit (the Watchtower Ritual, for instance, provides this). 

The temple is arranged with Enochian elemental tablets in the quarters. The Tablet of Union, placed on top of the Sigillum Dei Aemeth, sits on an altar in the center. Placed around the sides of the Tablet and Sigillum are the elemental weapons (used for the elemental invocations), with the Lotus Wand (for spirit) on the right and the Mars Sword (here for balance) on the left. For planetary workings, I like to put the Sigillum on top of the Tablet of Union.

A quick read-through of Crowley's Liber Samekh will provide details left out below (for example, when letting fly with the barbarous names, use the proper magical tool to send a current of will blazing through the pentagram, extending exponentially with each name until it transgresses the limits of the space). This is a ritual which, once thoroughly mastered in the physical, does benefit quite a bit from performance on the astral.

This rite is endlessly adaptable. It is perfectly sufficient in itself to exalt the consciousness and fortify the spirit if used regularly over time, though it is also useful as an opening for every type of ritual. Typically a ray of light is directed upward in the penultimate section (in the God form of Thoth), up beyond the tops of the pillars and into the infinite Light above, while the aspirant is made to rise into that Light in the final section. For talismanic or Eucharistic work, the light can be brought back down into the aspirant in the final section, and directed, through the aspirant, into the talismanic base. Alternately, the talisman can remain covered throughout the entire ritual, and the intended force can be invoked after the final section as in a more conventional talismanic consecration, after which point the talisman is uncovered and imprinted with that force (assuming it's been neutralized by water and fire beforehand). 

There is no God form listed for the final section, but there is indeed a God form that is used with that section. This form will come with practice, it is nameless and has no specific colors or characteristics, it is the Lord of Yetzirah and commands all of the spirits. The other God forms are Yetziratic images reflecting a Briatic archetype, so with the final God form (though you might say the source in this case is based in Atziluth). 

The Bornless Rite

Begin in the center, East of the altar:

Thee I invoke, The Bornless One
Thee, that did create the Earth and the Heavens
Thee, that disdst create the Night and the day.
Thee, that didst create the Darkness and the Light.
Thou are ASAR UN NEFER, who no one has ever seen.
Thou art IABAS
Thou art IAPOS
Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust.
Thou didst make the Female and the Male.
Thou didst produce the Seed and the Fruit.
Thou didst form Men and Women to love one another, and to hate one another.
I am [motto], Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of The Magic of Light.

Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.
Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel of Nu, of Had, of Ra Hoor Khu: this is Thy True Name, handed down to the Prophets of The Sun.

Pass by North to East:

Invoke Spirit Active (EXARP, AHIH) and Air (ORO IBAH AOZPI, YHVH, BATAIVAH)

Take on the God form of Aroueris.

Hear Me:
AR ThIAF RhEIBET A-ThELE-BER-SET A BELAThA ABEU EBEU PhI-ThETA-SOE IB ThIAF

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Circumabulate, once around and to the South:

Invoke Spirit Active (BITOM, AHIH) Fire (OIP TEAA PDOCE, ELOHIM, EDLPERNA)

Take on the God form of Horus.

I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God: Who dwellest in the Void Place of the Spirit:
AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRAO SOTOU MUDORIO PhALARThAO OOO AEPE, The Bornless One!

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Circumambulate, once around and to the West:

Invoke Spirit Passive (HCOMA, Atoh Gibor Le-Olam Adonai) Water (MPH ARSL GAIOL, AL, RAAGIOSL)

Take on the God form of Isis.

Hear Me:
RU-ABRA-IAF MRIODOM BABALON-BAL-BIN-ABAFT ASAL-ON-AI APhEN-IAF I PhOTETh ABRASAX AEOOU ISChURE Mighty and Bornless One!

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: sot aht every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Circumambulate to the North:

Invoke Spirit Passive (NANTA, Atoh Gibor Le-Olam Adonai), Earth (MOR DIAL HCTGA, ADNI, ICZHHAL)

Take on the God form of Nephthys.

I Invoke Thee:
MA BARRAIO IOEL KOThA AThOR-e-BAL-O ABRAFT

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Circumambulate to East of Altar:

Invoke Spirit (4 Spirit pents. in the order of the Tablet of Union, with names as before), followed by EHNB

In the names and letters of the mystical Tablet of Union, I invoke ye, ye Divine forces of the Spirit of Life!

Recite the Exhortation of the Portal (alt: the 1^st Key):

OL SONUF VAORSAGI GOHO IADA BALTAH ELEXARPEH COMANANU TABITOM ZODAKARA EKA ZODAKARE OD ZODAMERANU ODO KIKLE QAA PIAP PIAMOEL OF VAON

Go by North to the North-East.

The visible sun is the dispenser of light to the earth. Let me therefore form a vortex in this chamber, that the invisible Sun of Spirit my shine herein from above.

Circumambulate 3 times, with 0=0 signs, as in Watchtower.

Return to the center, East of alter.

Take on the God form of Thoth

I Invoke Thee:
AFT ABAFT BAS-AUMGN ISAK SA-BA-FT IAO

This is the Lord of the Gods:
This is the Lord of the Universe:
This is he Whom the Winds fear.
This is he, who having made Voice by his Commandment, is Lord of All Things; King, Ruler and Helper.

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so thaht every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Hear Me:
IEOU PUR IOU PUR IAFTh IAEO IOOU ABRASAX SABRIAM OO FF AD-ON-A-I EDE EDU ANGELOS TON ThEON ANLALA LAI GAIA AEPE DIATHARNA THORON

I  am He! The Bornless Spirit! having sight in the feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire!
I am He! I am Truth!
I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!
I am He, that ligteneth and thundereth.
I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth.
I am He, whose mouth ever flameth.
I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light.
I am He, the Grace of the World.

"The Heart Girt with Serpent" is My Name!

Come Thou forth, and follow Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

IAO. SABAO.

Nun, spelled in full: Nun Vau Nun

Nun is the fish, attributed to Scorpio and Death.
Vau is the nail, attributed to Taurus and The Hierophant.

The path of Nun leads from Netzach to Tiphareth, from the highest Sephira in the triad of the personality to the Sephira of the Inner Sun of Light and Life. This is a path of the dissolution of the outer persona. The Hierophant is the Voice of Wisdom and the Expounder of the Mysteries. It is this that we come to know when the outer has been stripped away and we reside alone in the void of self-hood.

When one letter is surrounded on either side by another it is an indication that what is represented by the letter in the center is to be found within the midst of the process symbolized by the surrounding letter. In the case of Nun, we rise above the level of the outer self as the LVX dawns within us, only to be plunged into the vast sea of the unconscious in which we lose our sense of self. The Voice of the Higher is found within these hopeless depths. It is for this that the fish hook of Tzaddi is cast into those waters. This is the inner Wisdom which leads us from the chaos of the void and of night into the Light of Tiphareth, this is the initiator that leads us to the higher life of the Inner Sun. Were it not for this voice, the waters of the unconscious would be a place of darkness and obscurity in which we would never find our way. The Hierophant is the power which leads to regeneration from the waters of death.

Taurus is opposite Scorpio on the zodiacal wheel. The arrangement of letters in Nun mirrors that of the next letter, Mem, in which a letter signifying fire (Yod) is found between two instances of a letter signifying water (Mem). In this case, it is a stabilizing force that is found within the chaotic waters of Nun. In Tiphareth, the Voice of the Hierophant becomes the new foundation of the aspirant's self-hood, which is no longer fully based in the old persona. That persona is revealed to be a mere mask, obscuring the true Self. The Higher Will now replaces the will of the persona, though it typically takes several years for this process to come to full fruition.

Vault Wall: Mercury

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

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.

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.

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:

[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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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