At this point, it seems to me that the idea of having a Salt Lake City based discussion group for the Golden Dawn is pretty much defunct. I've gotten some recognition from online personalities in remote areas (i.e. they read the blogs but don't comment or discuss) but none from anyone located in SLC. This miscarriage is upsetting, but I feel believe that when something is dead, one should let it really die.
That being said, there's no reason why this whole blog should go to waste entirely. Although I may not have any opporitunity for Face-to-Face interaction like I wanted, at least perhapse my little voice can be heard amongst the din of GD bloggers.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Break from Posting
Those of you who have been following may have noticed that I haven't posted in a long time. This is because my personal life has gotten very busy. I am getting married in September of this year and the planning of the wedding has taken up a great deal of my time. No worries as soon as I have time and a little inspiration I will be posting again.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dream Theater and Rosicrucian Songs
Did anyone notice that Dream Theater's new album has a couple of songs in them that seem to be inspired by Rosicrucianism? You know, I always sort of suspected that they may be involved, but I had really nothing concrete to go on. Lo and behold, I saw the video for "A Rite of Passage" and I said to myself, "Self, this looks like an initiation ceremony!" The title seemed to suggest the same thing. Then I read the lyrics, and they pretty much confirmed where their inspiration came from (although there's not enough for me to point out a specific order).
See the following lines:
Bound by oath and honor
Like the rose and cross
An enigmatic union
Of esoteric thought
Beneath an ever watchful eye
The angels of the temple fly
Another song, The Count of Tuscany, seems to vaguely suggest a similar thing, although it appears to be more from an outsider's perspective, and I am not familiar with the legend that the narrator is being told. Anyone care to take a look at the lyrics and fill me in on what this second song is about?
See the following lines:
Bound by oath and honor
Like the rose and cross
An enigmatic union
Of esoteric thought
Beneath an ever watchful eye
The angels of the temple fly
Another song, The Count of Tuscany, seems to vaguely suggest a similar thing, although it appears to be more from an outsider's perspective, and I am not familiar with the legend that the narrator is being told. Anyone care to take a look at the lyrics and fill me in on what this second song is about?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Qabalah Part Four: Shekhinah
I haven't posted for quite some time because I've been in the middle of a move and haven't had much time, but I have also been trying to consider the best way to approach the subject of Malkuth. My reason for this is because to me, Malkuth essentially encompasses the essence of Qabalah more than any other Sephirah (closely rivaled by Binah). And therefore to explain Malkuth in a way that does it justice is a very tall order indeed.
Malkuth means "Kingdom". In a very limited sense, it is the physical universe in total. This includes matter, energy, protons, neutrons, electrons, photons, stars, galaxies, black holes, and literally everything that proceeded from the singularity of the Big Bang. Even time belongs to Malkuth, for time is governed by the laws of physics as Einstein demonstrated.
But there is more then that to Malkuth, surely. "The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and placed there the man whom He had formed. And from the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad."
God walked in the Garden with man. In Qabalah, there is a term for the Divine Presence of God. It is called Shekhinah, which is another term for Malkuth.
The Yetziratic Text for Malkuth reads as follows:
"The Tenth Path is called the Resplendent Intelligence because it is exalted above every head and sits upon the Throne of Binah. It illuminates the splendours of all the Lights, and causes an influence to emanate from the Prince of Countenances, the Angel of Kether."
All Sephiroth from Binah to Yesod are given a planetary correspondent, while the others have similar correspondents although not planetary. To Binah is given the correspondent of Saturn. My reason for bringing this up is to demonstrate the relationship between Malkuth and Binah. Saturn was a Roman god, the Greek equivalent of which was Chronos. Chronos was the God of Time, Father Time, as it were.
Time, like all other things in physical manifestation, is just a system of landmarks. It's like reading a book. All the words are there when you begin to read, but you experience it in intervals of letters, words, paragraphs, and chapters. Because of our limited consciousness we cannot experience the whole at once.
The same applies to time and space. In truth, the All and the One are mutually inclusive of each other. (The All that I am referring to here is Malkuth, while the One is obviously Kether.) But because of our human condition we can only experience it in limited degrees. This is in truth where the concept of evil comes from, because all is simply truth (and therefore a part of God). But in our limited perspective, we can only see facts "out of context". From a cosmic perspective, there is no evil, no death, no pain. The fall of man is not being cast out of the Garden of Eden because we are still there. It is simply experiencing a part of the Garden without awareness of the whole.
There's a Buddhist saying, I don't know by whom, that expresses this well. "It is not after we understand the truth that we attain enlightenment. To realize the truth is to live - to exist here and now. So it is not a matter of understanding or of practice. It is an ultimate fact."
One of the steps up the ladder of attainment is to realize ones place in the Universe is that of the Creator because "As above, so below". The truth is that the whole Universe is contained within our minds, it is only a matter of realizing this fact, that we are in truth Eth ha-Adam, the Spirit of Man, giving manifestation to all things in existence just as the biblical Adam gave names to all the creatures in the Garden of Eden. Malkuth is the Garden of Eden, and we have never actually left it.
In order for this to take place we must begin to see purpose in all things, whether pleasant or not. "These 'tendencies' must be combated: distasteful facts should be insisted upon until the Ego is perfectly indifferent to the nature of its food." (Crowley, Book 4, p.102). For how can we be masters of nature if natural cause and effect, or Karma, cause us to whimper like a child. For more on this matter, see my previous post "Curious Element, Earth". Even more can be gained from meditation and contemplation on some of the paragraphs presented in this post.
Malkuth means "Kingdom". In a very limited sense, it is the physical universe in total. This includes matter, energy, protons, neutrons, electrons, photons, stars, galaxies, black holes, and literally everything that proceeded from the singularity of the Big Bang. Even time belongs to Malkuth, for time is governed by the laws of physics as Einstein demonstrated.
But there is more then that to Malkuth, surely. "The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and placed there the man whom He had formed. And from the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad."
God walked in the Garden with man. In Qabalah, there is a term for the Divine Presence of God. It is called Shekhinah, which is another term for Malkuth.
The Yetziratic Text for Malkuth reads as follows:
"The Tenth Path is called the Resplendent Intelligence because it is exalted above every head and sits upon the Throne of Binah. It illuminates the splendours of all the Lights, and causes an influence to emanate from the Prince of Countenances, the Angel of Kether."
All Sephiroth from Binah to Yesod are given a planetary correspondent, while the others have similar correspondents although not planetary. To Binah is given the correspondent of Saturn. My reason for bringing this up is to demonstrate the relationship between Malkuth and Binah. Saturn was a Roman god, the Greek equivalent of which was Chronos. Chronos was the God of Time, Father Time, as it were.
Time, like all other things in physical manifestation, is just a system of landmarks. It's like reading a book. All the words are there when you begin to read, but you experience it in intervals of letters, words, paragraphs, and chapters. Because of our limited consciousness we cannot experience the whole at once.
The same applies to time and space. In truth, the All and the One are mutually inclusive of each other. (The All that I am referring to here is Malkuth, while the One is obviously Kether.) But because of our human condition we can only experience it in limited degrees. This is in truth where the concept of evil comes from, because all is simply truth (and therefore a part of God). But in our limited perspective, we can only see facts "out of context". From a cosmic perspective, there is no evil, no death, no pain. The fall of man is not being cast out of the Garden of Eden because we are still there. It is simply experiencing a part of the Garden without awareness of the whole.
There's a Buddhist saying, I don't know by whom, that expresses this well. "It is not after we understand the truth that we attain enlightenment. To realize the truth is to live - to exist here and now. So it is not a matter of understanding or of practice. It is an ultimate fact."
One of the steps up the ladder of attainment is to realize ones place in the Universe is that of the Creator because "As above, so below". The truth is that the whole Universe is contained within our minds, it is only a matter of realizing this fact, that we are in truth Eth ha-Adam, the Spirit of Man, giving manifestation to all things in existence just as the biblical Adam gave names to all the creatures in the Garden of Eden. Malkuth is the Garden of Eden, and we have never actually left it.
In order for this to take place we must begin to see purpose in all things, whether pleasant or not. "These 'tendencies' must be combated: distasteful facts should be insisted upon until the Ego is perfectly indifferent to the nature of its food." (Crowley, Book 4, p.102). For how can we be masters of nature if natural cause and effect, or Karma, cause us to whimper like a child. For more on this matter, see my previous post "Curious Element, Earth". Even more can be gained from meditation and contemplation on some of the paragraphs presented in this post.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Eucharist Ceremony
In order to give an example of the kind of magick that may be performed by a Golden Dawn group, I am posting a ritual that I wrote to be used as a religious observance but can also be used as a preparation for Evocation. The structure is a Golden Dawn structure as given in "The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chic and Sandra Tabitha Cicero and the "Invocation to the Highest" is taken from "The One Year Manual" by Israel Regardie. The main working was my own creation. Enjoy!
Eucharist Ceremony
Dress - Hierophant’s Regalia
Temple set up - Neophyte Hall
On the alter - Cup of the Stolistes; Censer of the Dadauchos; Paten with “Blank” cakes of life; Chalice of wine; Cross and Triangle; White candle
“Hekas, hekas, este bibeloi!”
Perform the LBRP
Purify the hall by water, “So therefore , first, the priest who governeth the works of fire, must sprinkle with the lustral water of the loud resounding sea!”
Consecrate the hall by fire, “And when after all the phantoms are banished, thou shalt see that holy and formless fire, that fire which darts and flashes through the depths of the universe. Hear thou the voice of fire!”
Perform the Bringing down the Light and the Circumambulation.
Perform the Adoration to the Lord of the Universe.
Perform the SIRP, LIRP, or IRT.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever believeth in me, through he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever believeth in me and liveth, the same shall never die. I am the first and the last. I am He that liveth and was dead - and behold! I am alive forevermore, and hold the keys of hell and of death.
“For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father save by me.
“I am the purified. I have passed through the gates of darkness and into the Light. I have fought upon the earth for good. I have finished my work and entered into the invisible.
“I am the preparer of the pathway, the rescuer unto the light. I am the Reconciler with the Ineffable. The dweller of the Invisible. Let the white brilliance of the Divine Spirit descend.”
“I, (State Magical Motto), open this temple to perform a working in the magic of light. I seek to bless and receive the Holy Eucharist and in so doing assist all beings in obtaining salvation and union with the light. Look with favor upon this ceremony. Grant me what I seek, so that through this rite I may obtain greater understanding and thereby advance in the great work.”
Make a cross over the cakes, then hold your hand over them. Visualize a shaft of white, golden, or white flecked gold light descending from above onto the cakes.
“By the Power of Adonai Ha-Aretz and in the name of Yahovah Aloah ve-Daath, I, (Magical Motto), do bless and consecrate these cakes of life, that they may truly become talismans of purity and potency and will show the way to Eternal Life to all those who partake of it. Moreover, I pray that all invisible beings unable to partake of this, Thy Flesh Divine, by bodily means, may receive the same blessings if they will keep safe this, Thy grateful servant, and obey my every righteous command that is in accordance with Thy Divine Will. I ask in the name of Yehesuah Yahovashah. Amen.”
Eat one of the cakes of life and contemplate the meaning of Eternal Life. If there are more people participating, they should partake at this time in the same order as in the Elements of Mystic Repast. At this time you should call upon all spirits to partake if they wish. Hold the paten on high, and say, “I invite all beings present to partake with me this cake of life.” Eat another cake. As you do so, remember that this second cake is in truth not partaken by youself, but by the spirits present. Perform the Qabalistic Cross.
Make a cross with the Chalice of wine, and set back down on the alter. Hold your hand over it. Visualize a shaft of light as before descending unto the wine.
“By the power of Elohim Tzabaoth and in the name of Eheyeh, I, (Magical Motto), do bless and purify this wine, that it may truly become a talisman of perfection and power and will become a rushing current drawing to union with Thee, Sole Wise and Eternal One, all those who partake of it. Moreover, I pray that all invisible beings unable to partake of this, Thy Holy Blood, by bodily means, may receive the same blessings if they will keep a peaceful temperament, and answer readily and plainly all questions that this, Your devoted prophet, ask of them that is in accordance with Thy Divine Will. I pray in the name of YHVH. Amen.”
Partake of the wine. Again, if in a group, the others should partake in the same order given in the Mystic Repast. Then hold the chalice on high. Say, “I invite all beings present to partake with me this wine of light.” Drain the wine. As before, remember that it is the spirits who are partaking this second drought. Say, “It is done!” and place the empty chalice between the cross and triangle. Perform the Qabalistic Cross.
Perform the purification by water and consecration by fire. Perform the reverse circumambulation and the Fading of the Light, then the Adoration to the Lord of the Universe. Then say, “I now release any spirits that may have been imprisoned by this ceremony. Depart in peace to your abodes and habitations. Go with the blessings of Yeheshuah Yahovashah.”
Now perform the LBRP, then say, “I now declare this temple duly closed.”
Eucharist Ceremony
Dress - Hierophant’s Regalia
Temple set up - Neophyte Hall
On the alter - Cup of the Stolistes; Censer of the Dadauchos; Paten with “Blank” cakes of life; Chalice of wine; Cross and Triangle; White candle
“Hekas, hekas, este bibeloi!”
Perform the LBRP
Purify the hall by water, “So therefore , first, the priest who governeth the works of fire, must sprinkle with the lustral water of the loud resounding sea!”
Consecrate the hall by fire, “And when after all the phantoms are banished, thou shalt see that holy and formless fire, that fire which darts and flashes through the depths of the universe. Hear thou the voice of fire!”
Perform the Bringing down the Light and the Circumambulation.
Perform the Adoration to the Lord of the Universe.
Perform the SIRP, LIRP, or IRT.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever believeth in me, through he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever believeth in me and liveth, the same shall never die. I am the first and the last. I am He that liveth and was dead - and behold! I am alive forevermore, and hold the keys of hell and of death.
“For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father save by me.
“I am the purified. I have passed through the gates of darkness and into the Light. I have fought upon the earth for good. I have finished my work and entered into the invisible.
“I am the preparer of the pathway, the rescuer unto the light. I am the Reconciler with the Ineffable. The dweller of the Invisible. Let the white brilliance of the Divine Spirit descend.”
“I, (State Magical Motto), open this temple to perform a working in the magic of light. I seek to bless and receive the Holy Eucharist and in so doing assist all beings in obtaining salvation and union with the light. Look with favor upon this ceremony. Grant me what I seek, so that through this rite I may obtain greater understanding and thereby advance in the great work.”
Make a cross over the cakes, then hold your hand over them. Visualize a shaft of white, golden, or white flecked gold light descending from above onto the cakes.
“By the Power of Adonai Ha-Aretz and in the name of Yahovah Aloah ve-Daath, I, (Magical Motto), do bless and consecrate these cakes of life, that they may truly become talismans of purity and potency and will show the way to Eternal Life to all those who partake of it. Moreover, I pray that all invisible beings unable to partake of this, Thy Flesh Divine, by bodily means, may receive the same blessings if they will keep safe this, Thy grateful servant, and obey my every righteous command that is in accordance with Thy Divine Will. I ask in the name of Yehesuah Yahovashah. Amen.”
Eat one of the cakes of life and contemplate the meaning of Eternal Life. If there are more people participating, they should partake at this time in the same order as in the Elements of Mystic Repast. At this time you should call upon all spirits to partake if they wish. Hold the paten on high, and say, “I invite all beings present to partake with me this cake of life.” Eat another cake. As you do so, remember that this second cake is in truth not partaken by youself, but by the spirits present. Perform the Qabalistic Cross.
Make a cross with the Chalice of wine, and set back down on the alter. Hold your hand over it. Visualize a shaft of light as before descending unto the wine.
“By the power of Elohim Tzabaoth and in the name of Eheyeh, I, (Magical Motto), do bless and purify this wine, that it may truly become a talisman of perfection and power and will become a rushing current drawing to union with Thee, Sole Wise and Eternal One, all those who partake of it. Moreover, I pray that all invisible beings unable to partake of this, Thy Holy Blood, by bodily means, may receive the same blessings if they will keep a peaceful temperament, and answer readily and plainly all questions that this, Your devoted prophet, ask of them that is in accordance with Thy Divine Will. I pray in the name of YHVH. Amen.”
Partake of the wine. Again, if in a group, the others should partake in the same order given in the Mystic Repast. Then hold the chalice on high. Say, “I invite all beings present to partake with me this wine of light.” Drain the wine. As before, remember that it is the spirits who are partaking this second drought. Say, “It is done!” and place the empty chalice between the cross and triangle. Perform the Qabalistic Cross.
Perform the purification by water and consecration by fire. Perform the reverse circumambulation and the Fading of the Light, then the Adoration to the Lord of the Universe. Then say, “I now release any spirits that may have been imprisoned by this ceremony. Depart in peace to your abodes and habitations. Go with the blessings of Yeheshuah Yahovashah.”
Now perform the LBRP, then say, “I now declare this temple duly closed.”
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Qabalah Part Three: The Astral Triad
We now come to the third triad of the Tree of Life, called the Astral Triad. The Sephiroth of the Astral Triad are Netzach (meaning "Victory"), Hod (meaning "Splendor") and Yesod (meaning "Foundation").
Netzach is the first we will consider, but as with Chesed and Geburah in the Ethical Triad, Netzach and Hod are only understood in relation to each other.
Netzach is best expressed as energy. This is not the same kind of energy as was described in Chokmah. The energy of Chokmah is movement, or rather the concept of movement. Chokmah is an archetype. Netzach is more of a manifested energy.
At the same time, Netzach is not the same kind of energy that is described in physics. The school of physics applies entirely to the Tenth Sephirah, Malkuth. Therefore, we are not talking about photons, electrons, heat, or any thing like that. These things would be better classified as the expression of Netzach in Malkuth. One of the methods of studying Qabalah is to view each Sephirah of the Tree of Life containing within itself an entire Tree of its own. Therefore, the energy that is described by science would be expressed as Netzach of Malkuth.
One of the most effective ways of describing Netzach is by looking at its choir of angels. Every Sephirah has assigned to it a hierarchy of entities. It has firstly a divine name, the expression of the Sephirah in Atziluth or the World of Archetypes; secondly, it has an archangel, the expression in Briah or the Creative World; thirdly it has a choir of angels, corresponding to Yetzirah or the Formative World; and lastly a "mundane chakra" which is a physical representative of the Sephirah in Assiah or the World of Action. Usually this mundane chakra is one of the seven planets of ancient astrology. I have avoided going into this hierarchy in earlier posts because they are confusing and may easily give you the wrong idea about the system. Once these false connections are made, it is extremely difficult to get them out of your train of logic. I will address this issue in a later post.
Back to the subject at hand, the angelic choir of Netzach is the Elohim, meaning "Gods". This angelic choir represents the forces of nature that are given expression in the pantheon of pagan gods of mythology.
STOP!
Do not think about what I just said until reading this next quote from Dion Fortune's The Mystical Qabalah or you will be lost in superstition. "This brings us to the great question, which might almost be called the Dweller on the Threshold of occult science, the horror which confronts every adventurer into the Unseen; which unites in itself the functions of the Sphinx, and asks a question of the soul upon the answer to which hangs his fate. Shall he be condemned to wander in the realms of illusion? Shall he be turned back on to the planes of form, or shall he be permitted to pass on into the Light? This question is, Do you believe in the gods? If he answers Yes, he will be a wanderer in the planes of illusion, for the gods are not real persons as we understand personality. If he answers No, he will be turned back at the gate, for the gods are not illusions. What then shall he answer?" (Fortune, p. 203)
If you read her book, she gives an explanation of the question immediately after asking the question, but at the moment, I feel it best to allow the Astral Triad to better frame the question to allow the reader to answer the question for themselves armed with the wisdom of Qabalah. Keep this question in mind as we progress.
If Netzach is representative of the gods themselves, then Hod is representative of the names and images of the gods. Remembering the themes of force and form explained by Chokmah and Binah, we can use this model for Netzach and Hod as well. Netzach represents therefore the forces of nature, while Hod represents the forms of nature. If applied to psychology, Netzach would represent the right side of the brain governed by intuition and emotions, while Hod would represent the left side governing analysis and intellect.
Take some thought or another, and you will see that it usually has two sides to it. There will be an emotion behind that thought that cannot be expressed fully on its own because it is rather abstract. So this thought will find its expression in an image or statement representing that thought. Bonding between two individuals, for example, is not based upon the actions of these two individuals, but finds their expression in action. Love is much larger than the actions based on it. Superficially, a kiss is simple friction and anatomy devoid of emotion, and yet this expresses emotions that cannot be otherwise realized.
Any other idea also follows the same structure. Language by itself is only a pattern of simple sounds and symbols and falls into the territory of Hod. Netzach therefore embodies the actual meaning behind the words we use. Each taken individually is meaningless. Netzach without Hod is void of communication, chaos. Hod without Netzach is void of spirit, sterile. Together, these two meaningless ingredients combine to give expression to all things.
These two Sephiroth are usually best understood in psychological terms as intellect and emotion, yet every Sephiroth exists in the Macrocosm as well as the Microcosm. To give an example, if protons, neutrons, and electrons come together to form an atom, the structure of the atom (number of electrons in each shell) falls into the category of Hod. If this is true, then the laws which govern its construction such as electromagnetism would fall into the category of Netzach. Hod is specific and Netzach is general. Hod is natural forms and Netzach is natural forces. I may remind the reader that in this example, we are talking about the expression of the Sephiroth in the World of Action that is Malkuth.
And so Netzach would represent the principles attributed to the gods such as war, love, wisdom, communication, time, death, fertility, etc. Therefore, Hod would represent the names and images given to the gods.
Yesod then follows. Yesod basically represents the ether, and the ether is essentially a scaffold upon which all things physical are built. The English translation of Yesod, "foundation", as well as the name of its choir of angels, Kerubim meaning "the strong", gives us a general idea of the function of this Sephirah. All practical magic and psychic activity has important ties to Yesod. This is because for anything to manifest in the actual, it must first manifest in the ether. It is similar to a cast or mould which is then filled with the actual material. This applies not only to objects in the physical realm, but to occurrences as well. It is a bit like the plan of action before the action takes place. This is how the psychic can not only see images in the ether, but can also see the course that events will follow in the future.
At times I find it useful to think of Yesod as having its expression in Einstein’s Space-Time Continuum. This continuum is not exactly physical reality as usually understood. One cannot take a sample of it and study it for analysis. It can only really be studied in lieu of its effects on physical reality. It is commonly known that the Space-Time Continuum is responsible for the phenomenon of gravity. Science has recently been searching for what they call the “graviton”, or a particle of gravity. This has not been found. Yet we can study gravity through the behavior of planets, stars, and black holes. We know that gravity exists, and therefore we know that the Space-Time Continuum must exist in one form or another.
And so it is useful to me to think of this as Yesod at work. This Sephirah is very important for all practical occult work. The clairvoyant observes the ether and therefore can make determinations and predictions on what is, has, or will happen in the manifest universe. The magician takes a more active approach by making changes directly upon the ether which will then later come into manifestation on the plane of matter.
Yesod corresponds to the element of air, yet its mundane chakra is the Moon, and its psychological correspondent is the unconscious. This is often times the first thing that confuses new students to Qabalah because they have always associated the Moon with water. This seems to be self-evident. What is even more confusing is that Hod has Mercury as its mundane chakra, whose psychological correspondent is the intellect, and whose element is water. One becomes convinced that this reversal of elements must be a mistake.
Once again, I will remind the reader that the mundane chakras of the Sephiroth are not the Sephiroth themselves. The elements given to the Sephiroth have very specific reasons for being the way they are, but the reasons for assigning the mundane chakras are different and also very specific. In the diagram below there are three pillars superimposed on the Tree of Life. On the left is the Pillar of Severity, on the right is the Pillar of Mercy, and in the center is the Pillar of Mildness.
Now each Sephirah is assigned an element. The element of Earth is only assigned to Malkuth. The other Sephiroth on the Middle Pillar, the Pillar of Mildness, are given the element of Air. Now the two side pillars are given Sephiroth with Fire and Water alternating. In the Pillar of Mercy, Chokmah is given Fire, Chesed is given Water, and Netzach is again given Fire. On the Pillar of Severity, Binah is given Water, Geburah is given Fire, and Hod is given Water.
As regards why the question about why water and fire alternate, I think Dion Fortune explains in "The Mystical Qabalah" the reason. Fire in this case is a symbol of force while water is a symbol of form. The Pillar of Severity is negative while the Pillar of Mercy is positive. Now the elements of the Sephiroth alternate because force and form both occur in positive and negative ways. So Chokmah is positive force, Chesed is positive form, and Netzach is positive force again although to a lesser degree. Binah is negative form, Geburah is negative force, and Hod is negative form again, also to a lesser degree. Now air is considered a reconciler between water and fire, which is why the Pillar of Mildness is attributed to air. Then Malkuth, which holds a sort of special status on the tree as being the receptacle of all the energies of those that came before is attributed to earth, and earth is also the receptacle of the three other elements. This is why Malkuth, and by association earth, have the three tertiary colors of citrine, olive, and russet followed by a fourth color black. These colors are all a mixture of the three primary colors at differing ratios.
Now, in regard to the original question on this as to why Yesod is assigned both the Moon and the element of air, the answer I settled on is that Qabalah is very elastic and flexible. So for Yesod there is definitely a watery aspect as it corresponds with the moon and the subconscious mind, however this really applies to Yesod in Assiah and the microcosm. There are airy qualities in all four worlds including Assiah. Again remember that the lower parts of the tree are not so pure in one element or another, especially in Assiah which often times is assigned only to Malkuth.
Hod and Netzach share pretty much the same qualities as they have influence from all three elements as well. A
good way to see this is in their colors on the “Minutum Mundum”. Netzach is green because that is the flashing color of red which is fire. But green is a mixture of blue and yellow, water and air. Hod is orange which is the flashing color of blue which is water, but is a mixture of red and yellow, fire and air. See the image of the caduceus to the left.
There is another very good answer given by Dean F. Wilson in his article, “Reconciling an Elemental Inconsistency” in Volume 2, Issue 2 of Hermetic Virtues Magazine. “The order of the elements matches that of the order found in the Tetragrammaton and the student could be seen as creating the name of Tetragrammaton in themselves, working backwards from Earth and the final Heh.” (Wilson, 2008)
Two things need be mentioned here. The student of the Golden Dawn does not work from Kether down to Malkuth, but rather works in the reverse order, or the Path of Return. The Path of Manifestation has already
taken place. The goal is to return to the divine.
The Tetragrammaton by itself could take up chapters, if not books, to explain, so I will only give the amount necessary. “Tetragrammaton” is Latin for “four lettered name”. This is YHVH, or Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh. This is the name of God from which we get Jehovah or Yahweh. This is the name of God that the Hebrews were not allowed to speak as per the Ten Commandments, which is why it is almost always either spelled out or referred to as Tetragrammaton.
Each letter is given an element, a Sephiroth, and a Qabalistic World. Yod is given the element of Fire, and corresponds to Atziluth and Chokmah. Heh is given the element of Water, and corresponds to Briah and Binah. Vav is given the element of Air, and corresponds to Yetzirah and Tiphareth. Heh (sometimes called Heh Sophith or Heh Final to distinguish it from the first Heh) is given the element of Earth and corresponds to Assiah and Malkuth. These also refer to the court cards and the four suits in the Tarot Deck, Yod for wands and Knights (Kings), Heh for cups and Queens, Vav for swords and Kings (Princes), and Heh Final for disks and Princesses (Pages). I will not go into the variations on the male figures in this post. That can come much later.
In application to the question at hand, however, we have Yod corresponding to Netzach and giving it the element of Fire, Heh corresponding to Hod and giving it the element of Water, Vav corresponding to Yesod and giving it the element of Air, and Heh Final corresponding to Malkuth and giving it the element of Earth.
Now, usually an analysis of the Astral Triad will conclude with a summary of Malkuth, but because I have an awfully big crush on Malkuth, I will wait until the fourth installment of this primer to sing her praises.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Qabalah Part Two: The Ethical Triad
The second triad on the Tree of Life is termed the Ethical Triad. Between the Supernal Triad and the Ethical Triad is a gulf that is termed "The Abyss". That is the separation of the ideal and the actual. In Plato's philosophy, there are forms (archetypes) and shadows (actual). See the image where the puppeteers hold up shapes which cast their shadows on the wall of the cave. In this analogy, the Abyss and the quasi-Sephirah placed in it's center called Da'ath (Knowledge) would be the cave itself, or in other words the empty space of the cave.
Let me clarify something about Da'ath. It behaves similarly to an actual Sephirah, but it is not a Sephirah in it's own right. It is considered the conjunction between Chokmah and Binah, or alternatively the embodiment of the Abyss. It is also not too far from truth to say that it may be an expression of the Thirteenth Path of Gimel leading from Kether to Tiphareth, which it stratles.
The Sephiroth in the Ethical Triad are Chesed (Hebrew for "mercy"; also sometimes called Gedulah, which means "greatness, magnificence, glory"), Geburah (which means "power"; sometimes also called Pachad, which means "fear"), and Tiphareth (which means "beauty"). All these definitions are taken from the glossary found in The Tree of Life by Israel Regardie.
Beginning with Chesed, this is a collecting or organizing principal. It is assigned the planet of Jupiter which is the planet of expansion. One of it's symbols is the tetrahetron because it's number is four (points or sides of a tetrahedron). This would imply a solid in its first manifestation. The two dimentional shape of Binah (that is the triangle) receives another dimention and becomes something tangable with three dimentions. "In Binah is the idea of form, and in Daath the process of transmutation into form, but these forces actually cohere into forms in Chesed." (Gareth Knight, A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism, p. 114) However, Chesed is not without its own sinister aspect. It may be best to explain this side of the Sephirah after giving a description of Geburah.
The converse of Chesed is Geburah which is a much misunderstood principal in the same way that Binah is misunderstood. Geburah on the one hand is a destructive force which breaks down the forms created in Chesed. Why is this? Because all forms are mortal and must necessarily disintegrate. Its assigned planet in astrology is the firey, energetic, sometimes destructive planet of Mars. Of course anyone familiar with mythology will recognise Mars and his Greek persona Eros as the God of War, and of course war, especially in spiritual or New-Age circles, is thought of to be a four letter word!
Although Chesed has a better reputation, without the balance of Geburah, it is every bit as foul as Geburah without the counterbalance of Chesed. "Too much charity is the handiwork of a fool; too much patience is the hallmark of a coward." (Dion Fortune, The Mystical Qabalah, p. 163)
I am reminded of the Neville Chamberlain's speech, "My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time... Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." This was just after returning from the Munich Conferance of 1938 which gave the Sudetenland of Czechslovakia to Nazi Germany. March of the next year, Hitler took the rest by force. He could not have done so without first obtaining the Sudetenland! This was Chesed at the helm when the better pilot would have been Geburah.
So important is this that it is informed to the candidate at the Neophyte Initiation ceremony by the Hierophant and by the Hiereus at one of the more dramatic moments of the ceremony. The Hiereus demands that the aspirant give his name. The Hegemone, who speaks for the aspirant, says, "Darkness is thy name, thou Great One of the Paths of the Shades." The Hiereus replies, "Thou hast known me now, so pass thou on. Fear is failure, so be thou without fear. For he who trembles at the Flame and at the Flood and at the Shadows of the Air, hath no part in God."
A similar exchange takes place at the station of the Hierophant. He demands the aspirant give his name. Again, the Hegemone speaks for the candidate, "Light dawning in darkness is thy name, the Light of a Golden Day!" The Hierophant then informes the aspirant, "Unbalanced Power is the ebbing away of Life. Unbalanced Mercy is weakness and the fading out of the Will. Unbalanced Severity is cruelty and the barrenness of Mind." (Israel Regardie, The Golden Dawn, pp. 124-125)
There is another aspect of Geburah that should be addressed. That is the aspect of Karma. Usually when one thinks of Karma, ideas of punishment or reward come to mind. This is really a somewhat unenlightened perception of Karma. Karma is simply Reality. Karma is Truth stripped of illusion. "Here the soul stands stripped naked of every shred of excuse or possibility of evasion while the piercing shadowless light penetrates to every part of its being... The soul is in such and such a state and is revealed to be so. In this revelation everything is taken into account, automatically, inevitably, pitilessly." (Knight, p. 127)
I am reminded once again of episode 20 of Neon Genesis Evangelion (this series is saturated in Qabalistic philosophy and is highly recommended) where the main character swore that he would never Pilot his Eva again. Yet in a time of great danger, he did pilot his Eva again and became swallowed up into it in the process. The following is an excerpt of the psychological experience he had while his mind was lost inside Eva. "Shinji-kun, you are here because you got into Eva. Because you got into Eva, you became what you are. You can't deny that, the fact that you got into Eva, nor what you were, in your past life." Shinji is tortured by this fact that such and such happens, in this case that he did in fact pilot Eva. Yet this fact is layed out mercilessly before him. He cannot close his eyes from it, he cannot avoid it or ignor it. His entire consciousness is focused on this cold torturous fact that he did pilot his Eva. This entire episode, along with episode 25 and 26 I believe are an adiquate description of what may happen when a soul enters into Geburah consciousness.
Karma is Truth. Geburah is Truth. "You may say 'these things are deplorable, is there anything that can be done?' But you cannot say they are not so, and that is why we train you; because the tendency of the spiritually-minded is to be nice-minded; we want you to be true-minded. There is a disctinction." (Master of Compassion, quoted by Gareth Knight, Dion Fortune and the Three Fold Way, p. 51)
The next Sephirah in the Ethical Triad is Tiphareth, meaning "beauty". You will notice when you look at the entire diagram of the Tree of Life that Tiphareth occupies the central position on the diagram. This is important because it not only reconciles the conflict between Chesed and Geburah, between the Pillar of Mercy and the Pillar of Severity, but it also mediates between the upper realms and the lower realms, between Kether and Malkuth. This can be seen by meditation on the number six, because it is the sixth Sephirah on the Tree. It may be represented by the cube which is composed of six squares forming its faces. Analysis on this leads to some Christian Mysic symbolism, as the cube may be unfolded to form a Calvary Cross of six squares.
To further illuminate this, I quote from my own article, "The Arius Controversy" from Hermetic Virtues Online Magazine. "The God of the Jews, Yahweh, to whom the Christians attribute the Father aspect of the Trinity, is well known for his wrath and seemingly irrational behavior. He is so far removed from humanity as result of his omnipotence and power that the fates of these
creations of him seem of little worth unless they cease to worship. The story of Job illustrates
this phenomenon. Job, the faithful servant of Yahweh, finds himself the object of a divine bet made between God and the Devil. His possessions, friends, and even family are taken away from him through all manner of calamities inflicted to demonstrate Job’s faithfulness to Yahweh. When Job comes to God to beg for justice, rather than having mercy on his prophet, he comes down in a whirlwind to demonstrate his greatness and demands, “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up
now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” (Job 38:1-4). A Christ of the same nature and substance as Yahweh would only compound this issue.
"In many cases, Jesus as the Christ is also called the Mediator (Greek: Lεσίτης mĕsitēs). This suggests the idea of a go-between representing Divinity to man and man to Divinity. This idea is also demonstrated in Qabalistic philosophy. “In Tiphareth God is made manifest in form and dwells among us; i.e. comes within range of human consciousness. Tiphareth, the Son, ‘shows us Kether’ the Father… The Redeemer, then, manifests in Tiphareth and is forever striving to redeem His Kingdom by re-uniting it to the Supernals across the gulf made by the Fall, which separated the lower Sephiroth from the higher…” (Fortune, 1935). Also, “The Spiritual Experiences of [Tiphareth] are two in number instead of the usual one. This signifies that there are two sides to Tiphareth and indeed it is par excellence a linking Sephirah, reconciling the upper part of the Tree to the lower.” (Knight, 1965).
"In other words, because of the separation of consciousness between Yahweh and mortal men, a reconciling principal needed to be created. In Arius’ Christianity, Jesus embodies this principal when he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6). In Qabalistic tradition, the Spiritual experience of Kether, the Father Principle, is called the “Vision of Annihilation” because, “It is said that never while in incarnation can we rise to the consciousness of Kether in Atziluth and retain the physical vehicle intact against our return. Even as Enoch walked with God and was not, so the man that has the vision of Kether is disrupted
so far as the vehicle of incarnation is concerned… If therefore we reproduce in ourselves the mode of being of that which has neither form nor activities, it follows that we must free ourselves from form and activity.” (Fortune, 1935)." (Moore, 2008)
It would do well to review my earlier post on the Seven Bodies of Man. Notice the particular significance of the Fifth Body or Spiritual Body. This actually encompases the entire Ethical Triad but in particular, Tiphareth defines it. This is the seat of incarnation, self-awareness, free will, and purpose.
The divine name of Tiphareth is YHVH Aloah va-Da'ath which loosely translates to "God Made Manivest in the Sphere of the Mind". When a prophet or mystic believes that they have come into contact with God, they have actually rather come into contact with their own Tiphareth centers. Of course, this is as good as contacting God for all intents and purposes. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)Some more symbols which will illuminate Tiphareth are the Hexagram and the Cadeuceus, as seen here on the Magician Tarot card.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
