A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism bk 1.pdf

A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism

1. ~exparzfisincrucemanibm,
traxifliomniaadteSECVl.A.
~~. ,
Tree of Life from Syriac NewTestament,Vienna,155'5
'Magichaspowertoexperience andfathomthingswhich are
inaccessibletohumanreason. Formagicis a greatsecret
wisdom,
justas reason is agreatpublicfolly.'
-PARACELSUS
APRACTICAL GUIDE
TOQABALISTIC
SYMBOLISM
ONE-VOLUME EDITION
Volume I
ONTHESPHERESOFTHETREEOFLIFE
Volume II
ONTHEPATHSANDTHETAROT
by
GarethKnight
SAMUELWEISER, INC.
York Beach,Maine

2. FirstpubIishedin the United Statesof America
in one volumein.1978 by
SamuelWeiser,.Inc,
Box612
York
Beach,<Maine03910
999897969594
13121110987
Copyright©.1965 Gareth Knight
All rights
reserved.No partofthis publication maybe
repr()~
duced or transmitted in any formorbyanymeans,electronicor
mechanical,including photocopy;without pertnissionin writing
from
SamuelWeiser,Inc.Reviewersmayquote briefpassages.Firstedition.intwo volumes,publishedin 1965 by
HeliosBookService(l\lblicati~ns) Ltd.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:66-71818
ISBN0..87728..397-4
EB
Printed in the UnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthis)publicationmeetsthe
minimumrequire­
mentsoftheAmericanNationalStandardforPermaneneeofPaper
forPrintedLibraryMaterialsZ39.48-1984.
ToROMA
withoutwhoselove
and faith in me
this bookwouldnot
havebeen

3. AUTHOR'SPREFACE
Thistwovolumebookdealswith ·theSephiroth'andPaths of
theTree ofLife asabasis for astudy ofmanybranches of
esotericsymbolism.It is notanacademicorhistoricaltreatise
butisintendedtobe apracticalguide tothosewho wish to
useQabalisticsymbolismasameanstoexplorefields ofcon­
sciousnessbeyondthephysical.
Iwouldlike to
thankthe SocietyoftheInnerLightfor per­
missiontoincorporateextractsfromvariousunpublishedpapers
in theSociety'sarchives,particularlyinVolumeI.However,
the
workrepresentsmy own views only, as they were at the time of
writing,anddoesnotnecessarilyrepresentthose ofthe Society,
pastorpresent.
My own views havechangedin somerespectsoversubsequent
years,
butthebookremainswhatit always was, anexample of
meditativework uponthegroundplan oftheQabalisticTree
ofLife,andinsofaras this reveals the allimportantstructureof
the Tree
itshouldserve itspurpose,individualquirks ofinter­
pretationnotwithstanding.
Mylaterdirection
ofthoughthas since beenrecordedin
EXPERIENCE OFTHEINNERWORLDS,whichserious
studentsarerecommendedtoreadinconjunctionwith the
present
work;andTHECHRIST,PSYCHOTHERAPY
ANDMAGICbyAnthonyDuncanhas alsomuchrelevance.
Themaindifferenceinemphasis,oroutlook,is in areturnto
acloserconcernwith theoriginalJewish
Qabalahandthe
Europeantraditionthatspringsfromit,throughtheChristian
Qabalists
ofthefourteenthtonineteenthcenturieswith some
admixture
ofSufi influences, as aresult oftheCrusades.In
philosophical
terms'we have
movedfrom amonistto atheist
standpoint.
Withregardto thepresenttext, someexperiencedoccultists

4. have written to saythatthey useothercorrespondencesthan
the onesIuse, and I have nodoubtthatothersystems can
be used successfully and
thatthere is, in fact, no'oneand only
true'.
lamindebtedto Mr. Prier Wintle who hastakenmuch
troubleto explain
thatC.C.Zain'sattributions, thatIdismiss
somewhatshortly, are in.fact based
.:onwell
thoughtoutprin­
ciples, however far removed his resultingcorrespondencesare
fromthetraditionalsystemsthatLfavour.
Some have alsotakenme to task withregardto
myfulsome
remarksaboutscientology-
Itmaybethatthey are made
on.in­
sufficientevidencebut I can only in
allhonesty
.recordthatmy
ownpersonalexperiences
·ofthistechniquehave been
•.•.very
helpful. It may bethatI have been singularlyfortunate.
O.K.23.11.1975
CONTENTS
PartOne
CHAPTER PAGE
IThe Uses of theQabalah. . . . . . . . ......I
IIA Yoga for the
West... . .... . . . . . . . ...12
IIIAn Outline of the Tree ofLife.. . . . . . ...24
IVTh.eSephirothicAttributions. ... . . . . ...38
PartTwo
V TheUnmanifestand the Veils of
Negative Existence
... . . . . . . . . . . ...53
VIKether-TheCrown... . . . . . . . . . . ...65
VII
Chokmah-Wisdom. . . . . . . . . . . . .....76
VIIIBinah-Understanding 87
IXDaath-Knowledge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..101
X Chesed - Mercy.....0••0 • 0•••0 • • •••113
XIGeburah -Severity..0••••••••0 0 • • • ••124
XIITiphareth-Beauty..0••o•••••00
•••00137
XIIINetzach-Victory.....o•••••••••••••150
XIV
Hod-Glory.....0 0••.'•••••••••••••164
XV Yesod-TheFoundation 175
XVIMalkuth-The Kingdom 0 0••189
XVII
XVIII
XIX
XX
XXI
XXII
PartThree
The Flexibility of the Tree0••0••••0 0 •••205
Relationshipsof theSephiroth
...0 • 0 • • ••211
The EsotericGrades. . 0 • • • • • • 0 • • • • • ••217
MiscellaneousAttributions
..0 0•••••••o.227
TheQliphoth.
0•••••0•••••••••0 • •••232
PracticalApplications
0 0••0••0 • • • • • • ••237

5. Diagrams
PAGE
Tree of Life from Syriac NewTestament,
Vienna, 1555. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
frontispiece
1. The Tree of Life 25
2. The Lightning Flash 26
3. The Pillars '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4. a) The Three Primary Rings 54
b) The Cloud-Veils of Negative Existence 55
c) Chinese t'ai chi t'u sign 58
5. TheCaduceus
107
6. Ritual of thePentagram
a) Opening
241
b) Closing 242
Tables
I. The Hebrew Letters 245
(Name,transliteration,translation
and number) 246
II. The Sephiroth
a) Title, God Name, Archangel,Orderof
Angels, MundaneChakra
247
b) English versions of above . . . . . . . . . ...248
c) Usualtranslationsof above 249

6. part1

7. ChapterI
THEUSESOFTHEQABALAH
1."Ifwewouldknowtheinner natureofmanby hisouter
nature;ifwe'would understandhisinnerheavenby hisout­
wardaspect;if wewouldknowthe .inner
natureoftrees,
herbs,
roots,stonesbytheiroutwardaspect,wemustpursue
ourexplorationofnatureonthefoundation oftheQabalah.
For.the,Qabalahopensup access totheoccult,tothe
mysteries;it'enablesus toreadsealedepistles andbooks
andlikewisetheinnernatureofmen."*Thuswrote
PhilippusAureolusTheophrastusBombastusvonHohen­
heim,calledParacelsus, themedievalphysician,.philosopher
andmystic.
2.
Thepurposeof.thisbookis toprovethatwhat
Paracelsusclaimed onbehalfoftheQabalahis astruein
ourdayas it was in his.Themethod
ofproofwillnotbe by
any
attemptatahistoryofitsusage,orananalysisof
whenceit
stems;forthe proofofanypuddingis inthe
eatingofitandnotin anycatalogue ofpreviousillustrious
partakersofit,noratreatiseon thesource ofthevarious
ingredients.
3. As atheosophicalsystem,
theQabalahandits basic
diagram,theTree ofLife,works. Thesole.
purposeof
thesepagesis to putthereaderin apositionto try it for
himselfandthentomakehis own
judgmentfrom his own
experience.This
bookisthereforeapracticalguideas
well as atheoreticaltreatise.It isintendedforthosewho
seek apsychic
questandspiritualadventure, ratherthan
forthosewho seek merely anacquisition ofknowledge.
4. But in
ordertopreventanyinitialmisunderstandings
I
*Paracelsus,Selected Writings (edited
Jacobi)published by Routledge and KeganPaul,Lon­
don.AlsoAmerican publishers. Pantheon.1951.New York.

8. 2
itmaybe as well toexamineParacelsus'claiminmore
detail.
5.
HisfirstclaimisthatbymeansoftheQabalahwe
canknowtheinnernatureofmanby hisouter.nature.and
understandhisinnerheavenby his outwardaspect."He
thengoesontoincludetheexternalworldoftrees,herbs,
roots,stonesandnatureingeneral.
6.Fromthiswe cangatherabasicconceptthatthereis
an
innerrealityoressencetothingsapartfromtheirout­
wardappearance,andthatfurther,thenatureoftheinner
canbededucedfromtheouter.Thisis by nomeansan
exceptional.concept;.itis fully inline withallidealist
philosophy.Itincludeshowever, therefinementsofthe
HermeticschoolsthatasGod
mademaninHisownirnage,
socantheexamination'of.manleadtotheknowledgeof
God.AndasGodcreatedNature,so it, atthesametime,
hidesandrevealsGod.
7.Thusallmanifestationinthematerialworldis an
effect
ofcausesoperatingfromahigherplane,andthese
causescanbededucedfromtheeffectsproduced,right
back
..to•thePrimalCause,God··Himself.Thisisinaccor­
dancewiththeHermeticaxiom'Asabove~so below'.
8.··Itisobviousthatwithinman,thelevelofcausation
ishigherthanthematerialworld.unlessoneis toregard
manas anautomaton.Forinstance,aman'sactions'are
ruledby his mentaldecisionsoremotional.directions.:It
maybesaidthathisdecisionsanddirectionsareinturn
an. effectoftheenvironment,and.thisisofcoursetrue,
forallwholiveinthematerialworldareaffectedbyit
-thoughsomemorethan··others.Thegreatmajorityof
humanityare.ruledbytheirexternalcircuIllstances,>hut
thesuperiorman.is.hewhoworksouthisowndirection
andthenchangeshisenvironment,orhisreaction·toit,
accordingly.Heis amasterofhisdestiny.
9.Inthesameway,themultitudinousformsofNature
canbeconceivedas variousexperimentsin.whathasbeen
called
theGreatLaboratoryoflife.Thematerialisthypoth-
3
esisof'naturalselection'is all verylogical.on its own
level,butitpusheslogicaverylongway,almostas far
as
theproverbially.longarmofcoincidence.Oneisasked
tolookuponarose,ortheiridescentbeautyofapeacock's
tail.forinstance,and.'.thenbelievethattheonewasthe
formultimatelymostattractivetocertaininsects,and
the
other.theoneparticularpatternthatmostexcitedthe
eroticdesiresof.thepeahen,andthat.allothervariations
diedout.Similarly,coincidenceisinvokedtoexplainhow
thephysicalnatureofthisplanetjusthappened.to..bethat
inwhichlife couldbesupported.Surely,aPlanbehindit
allisreallythemostlogicalandsatisfyingexplanation?
(Somewillsaythatlogicandsatisfactionarenotnecessari­
lycriteriaoftruth>andofcoursethisiscertainlytruein
regardtophilosophicalspeculation~If onedrivesthemind
farenough,oneISeventuallyfacedwith thechoiceof
nihilism.:orfaith.Onethencomesbacktologicand
satisfactiontojustifyoneortheother-accordingtoirration­
alchoice.)
10.However,
thebeliefin a DivinePlan--except
per­
hapsto aChristianScientist-doesnotentailan attempt
todenythelimitationsthatthephysicalworldimposes.
TheLawsofthephysicalworldcannotbegainsaid,and
anythingthatgoesagainstthemsuffersaccordingly. The
Lawsofphysics,chemistryandbiologyantedatethe
comingoflife,andlifehastoadapttothem.Butthese
Lawsdo
notpreventthemanifestationofgreatbeauty,orany.otherpurposesoflife,anymorethantheycauseit.
Theyare,atmost,conditioners.
11. In viewofthis,itispossibletoconceive thatthere
areformsoflifeonotherstarsandplanetswhichare'
adaptedtoflourishin thoseconditions.Onecouldconceive
ofbeings.with bodiesoffire intheSunforexample. This
iscertainly.moreprobablethantheidea.thatoursisthe
onlyinhabitedplanetwithinthousandsoflightyears.Iflife
desirestomanifest,itwillmanifest,whatevertheconditions:
andthenhavingadapteditselftothoseconditions,itwill

9. 4
pursueitsownwayofexpressioninaccordancewith,not
as aresultof,thoseconditions.
12.ThisbringsusbacktoParacelsus'statementthatthe
innernature,whichcausedthe'outwardform,canbede­
ducedfromthatoutwardform.Themethodherecommends
isthatoftheQabalah,which,althoughbeingasystem
builtuponsymbolicalcorrespondences,isnothingtodo
withthepseudo-sciencesthatgrewupintheMiddleAges',
exceptthatthelatterare'ignorantapplicationsofitsgeneral
doctrine.EvenParacelsus,beingamanofhistime,was
guiltyofthiskindoferror.Hebelievedforexample'thatas
theleavesofthethistleareprickly,it·wasanexcellent
herbforthecureofinternalprickling,andthatasanother
herbhasrootswrappedin anenvelopelikearmouritwould
giveprotectionagainstweapons.Itwouldneedverygreat
faithnowadaystoputone'strustinsuchcuresandpreven­
tionsbuttherearemanywhopaygoodmoneyforbooks
purportingtotellcharacterorfortunefromthelettersof
theirname,theresidueintheirteacups,theircoffeecups
andsoforth,allofwhichsuperstitionsstemfromthesame
source.
13.Thepityofitisthatsuchmanifestationscausemany
intelligentpeopleoftodaytocondemnanythingsmacking
oftheoccultasfoolishness,justasourlesstolerant
forefatherscondemnedit aswitchcraft.Themoralinboth
casesisnottothrowoutthebabywiththebathwater­
thoughourancestorsburnedit atthestakeforgood
measure.
14.Paracelsusthengoesontostatethat"theQabalah
opensupaccesstotheoccult,tothemysteries;itenables
ustoreadsealedepistlesandbooksandlikewisethe
innernatureofmen."
15.Itisinterestingtonotethatafterhiscatalogueof
'occult','mysteries','epistlesandbooks',hecomesback
tomanagain.Manisthewholekeytoallthesethings,
for,thefamousmottowritteningoldintheentranceto
t'heDelphicOracle-GNOTHI·SE.AUTON,(KnowThyself,
5
orGettoKnowThyself)-isthebeginning,andalsothe
end,ofallspiritualdevelopment.
16.Theword'occult'meanshiddenandisoftenused
synonymouslywiththeword'esoteric'-forthefew.And
theyarebothusedinconjunctionwithwhatisoften
called'theMysteryTeaching'JItmaybeas welltoexpand
theseconceptsalittle.
17.Incommonusagetheword'mystery'canmean'some­
thingeithersecretorinexplicable.In itsecclesiastical
senseitis areligioustruthabovehumanreasonbut
revealedbyGod;andin itsarchaicsenseitwasahandi­
craftortrade.IntalkingoftheMysteriesasaschoolof
initiationoneisusingthewordas acombinationofall
thesemeanings.
18.TheteachingsoftheMysteries,inthatmanyofthem
arereligioustruths,arebeyondtherationalmind.Tothe
logicalmentalprocesses,withwhichsomanypeopleinsist
onoperatingentirely,theymaywellappearnonsensical.
TheMysteryoftheHolyTrinityforexampleis areligious
truthwhichisbeyondthereachofthemind.Mosthaveto
takeitonfaith,butforthefew,themysticsofthe
Church,itcanbe agreatreality,aprofoundexperience
whichcannotsubsequentlybeadequatelydescribedin
words.Butwordsarethedatauponwhichtherational
mindworksandtheonlymeansofcommunicationofsuch
thingsinwordsis byanalogy,allegoryandsymbol.And
eventhisconveyslittletothenormalmindprocesses,as
anyonewhoattemptstointerprettheBookofRevelations,
forexample,canwellproveforhimself.
19.It isforsimilarreasonsthatthewords'occult'and
'esoteric'areused.Muchportentousnonsensehasbeen
writtenabout'occultsecrecy',the'KeysofPower'and
thelikein pastyears,mainlytocloakignoranceinthe
writer,orelseforcheapself-aggrandisernent.Thereason
whytheMysteries,whicharereallytheYogaoftheWest,
arecalledhidden,andforthefew, isbecausetheycannot
beexplainedtooutsiders.Thebarrierispurelyoneof

10. 6
communication..Totrytodescribeamysticalexperienceis
liketryingtodescribe
thescentofaflower;onecannotdo
it.
Thebestonecando
istelltheenquirerhowbesthe can
obtain.•theparticularflower sothathecan...smell it for
himself.
Ifhecannot·bebotheredtofollowyourdirections
orflatlyrefusestobelieve '.thattheflower exists.thereis
nothing
onecandoaboutit.TheQabalahcouldtherefore
bedescribedas
..aground-planoftheflowergardenof
mysticalexperience..One ...canpresentit to an. enquirerif
he isinterested,butitultimatelyrestswith himifhe will
use it.
Thatis, it is nogoodhishavingapurelyintellectual
grasp
ofitsramifications;he hastomakepracticaluse ofit.
Themerely
.•.intellectualapproachis likeexpectingto smell
flowersdirectfromaseedsman'scatalogue.
20.
Wheresecrecydoes comeinisinthepracticaluse of
theQabalahonagroupbasis.It ispossibleto makea fair
degree
ofprogresson one'sownaccount,but
inaMystery
Schooltheprocessisquicker.Here,aGroupMindis set up
whichaffects
theunconsciousmindofeachofitsmembers.
Theideasofeachmemberofthegrouparepooled,as it
were, so
thattheycan. bepickeduptelepathicallyby all
theothermembers.Thisis apurely automaticprocess
andoccursinany groupofpeopleto agreaterorlesser
extent,
butmoresowhen whatisknowniskeptasecret,
strictlywithheldfromany
outsidethegroup,andparticu­
larlyso when.
thethingsheldsecret arematterswhich
profoundlyaffectthesubconsciousI.e.,symbolism,religious
beliefs,mythologicalimages,etc. In
thiscasethen,secrecy
isnecessary
orthe
work.becomesvalueless.But it isonly
secrecy
ofpracticalusagerelevantto thatparticulargroup.
21.Thusinpractical.esoteric work,as
inreligiouswor­
ship-andthereis aclose connectionbetweenthetwo-a
groupisadistinctadvantage.As OurLordsaid:"For
wheretwoorthreearegatheredtogetherinmy.name,
theream I in
themidstofthem."Andinmoreadvanced
work,particularlywhere thesymbolsused arenotmerely
subjectively
•.contemplated,butrituallyenacted, somehigh
7
degreeofskill isrequired. Thereismoreto aRoman
CatholicMassforexample thandressingup investments
andrecitingthewords.It is inthis developmentofskill
that'theMysteries'canberegardedin thearchaicmean­
ing
oftheword,as a craftortrade.Thetrainingisoneof
apprenticeship.Thustoforma ritualgrouprequiresat
leastonepersonwhoisalreadyexpertwhocan trainthe
others.Ifacrowdofamateursgettogetherandtry
todo
ceremonialworkingtheresultwill beeithernothing or
morethantheybargainedfor.Andthelatterisnojoke,for
thesubconsciouspotenciesbehindmysticalsymbolism. are
psychologicaldynamite.
22.TheQabalah,then,is asystem ofrelationshipsamong
mysticalsymbolswhich canbeused,as Paracelsusrsays,
toopenup access to··thehiddenreaches ofthemind­
beyondthefrontiersofreason.Itenablesus toread'sealed
epistles
andbooks',bywhichis meantwritingsofamysti­
calnaturecouchednecessarilyin symboliclanguage,
becausetheQabalahgives usthemeansto penetrateto
themeaningbehind thesymbolism.
23. Itcouldberegardedas
themysticalprocessin
reverse.A
naturalmysticwillhavehisvisionsby whathe
would
nodoubtcall'thegraceofGod'andwouldthen
attempttowritethemdowninsymbolism oranalogy-i­
thenearestapproximatemetaphorsinthelanguage ofthe
mind.TheQabalah,by astudy ofsymbolism,helps the
Qabalisttobreakthroughtotherealitythatthemystic
hasattemptedtodescribe.
24.Thisapplies
notonlyto Christianmysticismbutto
all
otherreligiousfaithsincluding thepagan.Thusone
canobtaintheexperienceofwhattheGreeksmeantby
PallasAthene,Zeus,
DemeterandalltheotherOlympians;
whattheEgyptiansmeantbyIsis,Ra,Osiris,
Horus;
whattheCeltsmeantbyKeridwen; theAmericanIndians
by
theManitou"Hiawatha,andso onthroughoutthe
wholehistory ofman'ssearchfor theDivine.Of'the
sealedepistles andbooks'thereisnotonlytheBiblebut

11. 8
othermysticaltreatisessuch as'TheEgyptianBook ofthe
Dead',
'TheHighHistory oftheHolyGrail','TheIChing,
or Book ofChanges',toname
buta few.
25. ·Inshort,althoughprimarilyaJudaicsystem,
.•by its
systematiclayoutit acts
asakey to the studyofcompara­
tive
religion-andnot merely as anacademicpursuitbut
as apracticaltheosophy.Thereasonwhy this can be.done
isbecausetheinnerstructure
ofhumanpsychologybeing
the samewhateverthe race
orcreed, andGodbeing One,
allapproachesto
Godmust besimilar.Thediversity of
mencouldbeconsideredto bespread allroundthe cir­
cumference
ofa wheel, withGodat thecentre.Then,
although.theapproachesto
Godwould be fromdifferent
angles, as thespokes
ofa wheel, and someapparently
diametricallyopposedto eachother,onespokewould be
much like
anotherthoughperhapspaintedindifferent
coloursorcarvedin adifferentshape.
26. It may bethought
thatit isimpossibleto reconcile
Christianity,forexample,withpaganreligions,
.one being
amonotheisticsystem and thepaganreligionsworshipping
adiversity
ofgods. Thepointis thatGodworksin many
ways and even
themostorthodoxChristianpraysto God
in manyaspects, asFather,Son, HolySpirit,Judgeof
theWicked,Redeemer
ofSins,MakerofRain,Protector
oftheHarvests,to saynothing oftheVirgin Mary and the
intercession
ofSaints.Noneofthese isincompatiblewith
the belief in
theOneGod.And thepaganhadmanygods
each of which was aparticularaspect
oftheOne God,
Whoexisted then as now, .exceptthatamongthepagans
more did not realise it.Paganandmodernworshipare in
a waydiametricallyopposite.ThemodernChristianthinks
only of one
Godand yetpraysto many in thevarious
aspects of the One. Thepaganthoughtonly
ofmany aspects
ofGodandyetprayedto theOne Godthroughthem. It is
all really aquestionofterminology,the reality isthesame.
27.WheretheJudaicsystem is .sovaluableis
thatit was
one
ofthe
.earliest;if nottheearliest, ofmonotheistic
9
systems andthereforehas a foot inbothworlds.God,
althoughbeing One, is.consideredtomanifestthrough·ten
emanationswhich arecarefullydescribed,andunderthe
presidencyofeachemanationis anArchangeland Choir
ofAngels.Nothing jfnotthorough,they alsoprovided
details
ofa whole system ofdemonstocorrespondto each
emanation
ofGodtorepresenttheassociatedaverse
aspects, but these need notdetainus at the.moment,in fact
the less theydetainus thebetter.
28. Inconnectionwith eachemanationoraspect
of
Divinity,apartfrom thewritingson it,therewas also
allocatedanumber
ofsymbols,verbal orpictorial,around
whichothershavegrownin
thecourseof Qabalisticstudy
throughthe ages. Ofthe ·latersymbolism,some is more
reliable
thanother,and some stillsubject toresearchand
experiment.TheQabalahis a living system, itsproofsare
inpracticalworking,
notinhistoricalresearch.
29.Symbolismingeneralcan be classifiedundertwo
headings,Arbitraryand Universal.
30.Arbitrarysymbolsare used extensively in many fields,
inscienceandmathematics,in musicalnotation,inwords
themselves. Theyoccurin art. In medieval timesJudas
used to bepaintedwith a yellow robe to signify envy,
while the VirginMaryhad acloak
ofblue.
Jl.Thelattersymbolismofthe VirginMarybeing as­
sociatedwith blue isalmosta U
niversalsymbol-butnot
quite. In some casesthere
isnosharpdividingline between
one and theother.
32.Universalsymbolismismoreor lessimmutable
in
basic significance.Numericalsymbolismis a goodexample
in
thatthenumberthree, forinstance,or thetriangle,
signifiestriplicityin allthings,theThree-in-Oneof the
Divinity;thethesis,antithesis. andsynthesis ofHegelian
philosophy;thepossiblemodes.
ofmanifestationofforce,
active.ipassiveorequilibrated.TheSun isanotherexample,
thecentreof a system, asource
oflight,sustainer oflife,
all
ofwhich can also apply to Deityofwhichitis a symbol.

12. 10
Itshouldnotbe.thoughtthatourpaganancestorsnecessarily
worshippedtheSunitself,theywerecapable ofahigh
degreeofcivilisation.andphilosophicalsubtlety,··as their
writingsshow. Onecouldequallyunjustlyaccuse Christians
ofworshippingacross,merelybecause -itappears-ontheir
altars..1n fact, it is asymbol,andaUniversaloneatthat,
thoughvarying·in itsforms.A·Calvary Crosscalls.up
differentassociationsfrom anEqual-armed Crossora
Swastika.
33.
Theexamplesgiven
hereareallsimplesymbols, but
it ispossibletohavehighly compositeones.Thestoryof
AdamandEve.vforiexample,isavastsymbolofthe
beginningsofhumanlife,andtheRevelationofSt.John
theDivine anevenvaster oneoftheending. Thereis a
wealth
ofsymbolismin paganmythology,·as, forexample,
PrometheusstealingDivineFire
tobringtoman.This
couldbe
takenatoneleveltomeanthediscovery of
physicalfire
.butthereis really agreatdealmoreto itthan
that.Itthrowsarevealinglightonthemeaning ofFree
Will
andonprematurerevelation.
34.
Therearetwomovementsafoot
at'the-presenttime
withregardtomythology.Oneis toexplainitawayby
means
ofdepthpsychology,
whichisanexplorationinthe
rightdirection
·butwhich,inthelastanalysis,does .notgo
deepenough.
Theotheris toexplainitaway byattributing
ittothehistoryofthemovementsoftribeswith thesub­
sequentrise
andfallofvariousdeities andformsofworship.
Thisno
doubt
hassometruth·initbutisavery.shallow
approach.
35.
Themajorityofmythsholda widediversity ofmean­
ing,<naturalandartistic,.moralandethical-philosophical
andmetaphysical,religious andtheological,mystical and
occult.Theymayapplytornan-ortheUniverseorboth.
Whatappearstobeasimplestorycanleadtoan'appre­
hensionofinfinitetruthwithapplicationsinall'realms-of
consciousness.
36.The...sameappliestothecomposite. symbol-of-the

13. ChapterII
A
YOGAFORTHEWEST
1
..TheWesternMysteryTraditionisthecounterpartof
whatisknownasYoga .:intheEast,andit isunfortunate
thatmostpeoplehaveneverheardofthefirstandknow
verylittle..aboutthesecond.
2.IntheOccident,neitherofthesesystemsreceived
muchattentionoutsidetheirdevoteesuntil thelatterendof
thenineteenthcentury,sincewhentherehasbeena
graduallyincreasinginterestinways ofinnerdevelopment,
togetherwithagraduallyincreasingpromulgationof
foolishness,asanyexaminationofthebulkofthewares
in
anyoccultbookshopwillshow.Thepublicalways
demandswhatissensational,whetherit betrueornot,and
thereareplentyofpeoplewillingtosupply thedemand.
3.AccordingtotheQabalah,thefirstqualityneeded
beforeanyspiritualprogresscanbemadeisdiscrirnina­
tion.Anddiscriminationisneededto sortoutthetrue
mysticfromthefalse.
4. In
theEast,whatis
..usuallyconsideredbytheWest­
ernerto be a yogi is, infact,afakir.A fakirsubjugateshis
physical
bodybydominatingitwithhis will, through
suffering.Manyofthemproudlyexhibitwithered arms
thathavebeencausedbyholdingthearmintheairfor
fantasticlengths oftime,orblindedeyesfrom staringat
theSun.Theyareeitherignorantfanaticstorturingthem­
selvesin ordertoattain.heavenlygrace,orconjurors
performing'miracles'basedonskill,patienceandphysical
contortion.Manyof
themclaimto beyogis butthetrue
yogi isneitherfanaticnorsectarian,nordoeshe perform
12
13
tricksformoney.Itistruehemayhavedevelopedab­
normalphysicalpowers, particularlyif he is afollower of
HathaYoga,butthesepowersareameansnotanend.
5.ThegoalofYogaiswhatthewordYogameans,Union,
whichcorrespondswiththeultimateexperienceofthe
Qabalah-,-DivineUnion.Andtheway tothis goalis bythe
controlofthewillandthefunctionsofthought,emotion,
andinternalorexternalbodilymovement,allofwhich
ordinarilyoperatewithoutanygreatdegreeofcontrol.The
wholesystemisreallya combinationofphilosophy,•science,
religion
andart.Ithasitssystemofdoctrinewhich
consti­
tutesitsphilosophy,yetitrequiressomething ..morethanan
academicappreciation,namely,anactivereligious faith,
and,.like theptacticeofmedicine,it is at thesametime
ascienceandanart.
6.Whathasbeensaid oftheYogaoftheEastalsoapplies
to
thatoftheWest.Thegoalofthetruepractitioneristhesame,andinbothcases,thetrueismaskedby the.clamour
andexhibitionismofthefalse.IntheWestthesituationhas
beenfurthercomplicatedinthattheChurcheffectively
stampedoutanywrittenexpositionoftheMysteries.Thus,
whatIiteraturethereis,thevariousalchemicaltreatises
forexample,isextremelycrypticwhere'itisnotdeluded­
fortherewereas many,probablyfarmore,falsealchemists
thantrue;andofthevariousMagicalGrimoires,mostare
medievalrubbish,orcopyingsofcopiesofcopies,with
successivelyincreasingmistakes, rightuptothepresent
day.
7. All in all,thereislittleoriginal workintheliterature
ofWesternilluminismandwhatthereis isunreliable,
throughcautionorfolly, sothatwecannotcomparewith
theEastanditsvastamountofesotericlore. Perhaps
this.isall-tothegoodfor it.throwsusontoourown
resources.We mustderiveourtheoryfrompractice,
insteadofhavingourpracticeunconsciouslylimitedby
theory.
8.TheQabalah,aspractised,isderivedalmostentirely

14. 14
fromonesimplediagram,theTree
ofLife,.andthat
·is·all
thatisbasicallyneeded.
9.Theusestowhichthediagramcan be putcanbest be
describedbyreferenceto theEasternsystem ofYoga.·This
fallsintofivemaincategories:
i)
RajaYoga-theeducationofconsciousness
.through
meditationandcontemplation.
ii)BhaktiYoga-thereligiousway ofdevotionalmysti­
cism.
iii).GnanaYoga-thepursuitofenlightenment•through
philosophicalspeculation.
iv)KarmaYoga-theapplicationofYogathroughright
living.
v)
HathaYoga-thecontrolofthebodyanddevelopment
oftheinnerphysicalresources.
10.TheWesternsystem
hasparallelsto all these ,tech­
niques
but
.generallyis·appliedinadifferentway, for the
conditionsofEastand West andthephysical andpsycho­
logicalmake-up
ofEasternandWesternmanare tosome
extentdifferent.
Raja Yoga:It isexpected ofmostpeople
inthecivilised
worldtoday
thatthey have sufficientcontrol over·their
emotions
nottobreakoutintophysicalviolence. Even
.this
is difficult forsome,
andimpossible,itseems,onagroupor
nationallevel,RajaYogaisasystemoftrainingwhereby
theemotions
andthe mind areplacedunder
.conscious
controlso
thatnotmerelyphysicalharmonyisachieved,
butthereis no rioton thesubjectiveemotionalormental
levels.
11.Anyaveragepersonwhocarestotake anhonestlook
attheconditionofhis ownpsychologicalprocesseswillbe
aware
ofthe.teemingconfusion thatliesthere.Theprocess
has beendescribedquitefully
inthe'streamofconscious­
ness'
literaturebetweenthewars. Also,toascertainthe
generalcondition ofhumanconsciousnessconehas only to
countthenumber
ofadvertisementsinmagazinesby firms
15
which seem
todo agood tradeinhelpingpeople.to over­
come'grass-hopperminds','nerves'
andso on.
Itis
generallyrecognisedalso
thatanulceratedstomach,to
name
butonedisease,
canhaveitsrootsin emotionalstress.
Thereisclearlymuch to .begainedin thecontrol ofthe
mind even from a
pointofviewofmaterialprofit,
tosay
nothing
ofthespiritualaspectsinvolved.
12.
ThetechniquesofRajaYogain theearlystages are
purelycallisthenicsofthemind,andthey are. basic .to any
kind
ofocculttraining.
Infacttheinitialexercisesare
preciselythosewhich are used bymost
ofthe firmsthat
advertisecuresfor'mind-wandering,weak will, etc.There
is no easyroad
either.If one isphysicallyflabby the, only
cure
ishardexerciseandthesameapplies
·,to·,themuscles
ofthemind.
13.Therearethreestagestothetrainingofthemind, by
RajaYoga-i)concentration,ii)meditation, iiijcontem­
plation.
14.
Withoutconcentrationanyoccultworkisimpossible,
for
itrequires.the faculty toholdan,imageinthemind,
oftenfor longperiods.
15.Theonly way tolearnhow to hold animagein the mind
is
todo .it.Onecan setoneselfagradedsystem ofexercises
starting
byimagining,anobject,
say.afootball,·andholding
itbefore
themind'seye fortenminutes.Thenonecan go
ontomorecomplicatedimagesuntil one can hold in the
mind'seye adetailedpainting ora roomfuUoffurniture.
Eventuallyone
cangraduatetotakingashortstory,
and
havingreadit thoroughly,goingthroughit as aspectator,
seeing all the scenes
and'hearingthewordsspoken.This
shouldbepossibleaftershortpractice
dailyoverthreeor
fourmonths.Thesecret
ofsuccessisshortregularpractice
ratherthanlongboutsatirregularintervals.
16.Once
the
'powerofconcentrationhas beenachieved
meditationispossible.Meditationis theconcentrated
examination
ofsomething,whetherit be animageor an
idea, and whilethemind is fixed
uponit,allowingideasto

15. 16
risearoundit. Inthis mannera well issunkintotheun­
conscious,as itwere,
andtherelatedideasallowedtorise
tothesurface.
17.
Thisprocessallows thesignificanceofanysymbolto
beelucidated,andnotescanbetakenoftheideasthat
arise.Furthermore,theideasthatcomefrommeditation
are'realisations'ratherthanconcepts.Tohaveaimental
conceptismerelytohaveapieceofinformationheld
within
themindwhichmaybeusefulormaybe.notand
is
easilyforgotten. Tohavea realisationofsomethingmeans
thatitbecomes.apartofoneself.Onehastakenanideaand
madeitreal-'real-ised'it.
IS.Meditationisthereforeanimportant.mentalprocess
inusing
theQabalisticTreeofLife, for itallows thesignifi­
cance
oftheramificationsofsymbolismattachedto it to
be
understoodandtobecomeapartofone.AndastheTree
ofLife is adiagramoftheDivinePlan,alifetime's
meditationon
it,buildingits conceptsintothesoul,will
takeanystudentalongway alongthePathofAttainment.
19.·Herewehavegonebeyondpurelymentalcallisthenics
andthemindisbeingusedforesotericpurposes.Itisim­
portantthereforetoopenandcloseanymeditationwith
someholysignsuchasthesignoftheCross,forthemind
isbeingused
inareceptivemannerinconnectionwithvery
deep
symbolism.someofwhichISnotuntaintedbyprevious
dubioususage.
20.Contemplationfollowsonfrommeditation and.canwell
beusedin conjunctionwithit. It isdifficulttodescribe
becauseit issucha
simpleprocess--itisreallyonly.a
questionof'beingaware'.Inadditiontotheconcentration
andreceptivityofmeditationithas·in
itthequalitiesof
faith,love andtranquillity.Meditationisanalytical,itdwells
uponstatements,principlesorideasaboutsomething.
Contemplationisofasynthesisingnature,itis.simplya
calmgazeuponsomethingthathasbeenpreviouslyrealised.
It isreallyaspiritualperception-e-t'Bestill,
andknow..."
21.
Meditationismoreartificial.Contemplationis aneasy
BhaktiYoga:ThisistheYogaofdevotionalrnysticisrn.It
teaches
howtobelieveandhowtopray.andcanbeapplied
toanyreligion,fordifferences ofreligiondo
notexistfor it,
thereisonly'thereligious·Way.'
23.Ithasbeenmadeknownthroughtheworksofdisciples
ofRamakrishna,anavancedexponentofit.Ramakrishna
spenttwelveyearsfollowingthe. wayofeach.greatreligion
inturnandalwayscametothesameresult,astateof
divineecstasy.He thusclaimedtoprovefrompersonal
experiencethatallthegreatreligionsareone,thattheyall
leadtothe·OneGod.
24. InthattheTree.ofLife'canbe used as acompendium

16. 18
ofcomparative.religion itwillbeseenthat.the, useofit by
a.devotionalmystic'
isaWesternway ofBhaktiYoga.It is,
inaway,similartoRajaYogaexcept thattheaccentis
placedon theemotions.
Forthosewithstrong,emotionsit
breakstheemotionsin andharnessesthemin areligious
direction.while
atthesametime it candevelop thereligious
emotions
inthoseinwhomtheyare weak.
25. Asthereisanextensiveliteraturein the Weston the
practice'
ofreligion,the "concepts ofBhaktiYoga'arequite
familiarto
mostpeople,butitmay be as well tosummarise
them.
26. To thedevotional
mysticprayerisnotmerely a kneel-
ingdownatcertaintimeswith
arecital'ofprescribed'words
oftengrownmeaningless
throughconstant'repetition,nor
is it, adetailedsolicitation"orpetition. Prayeris a
'yearning
ofthesoul forunionwith itsDivinesource,anarticulate
expressionofaspiration,Itis' 'at one and the sametime,
aspiration.vcompunction,reverence,adoratiorr.vpraise,
gratitude,communion,'invocation,lovingdesire,oblation
andworship.
27.Methods
ofprayerhave beenIaiddownby'various
mysticalwritersbutgenerallyspeakingthey follow asimilar
basicpattern:
i)
Preparatioubymeansof"preliminarysacredreading
ormeditation.
ii)Vocalprayer,which can bespontaneous
orprescribed,
utteredaudiblyorformulatedin thethoughts.
iii)Ferventmeditationor voiceless
aspiratiorriofthe
heart.
iv)Mysticalexperiencein which
thesoul
isdrawninto
interiorcommunionand'colloquywith theDivinein silence
ofwords,thoughtsanddesires.
28.Theseare theprinciples
ofprayerto. God
inwhatever
form theDivine'isconceived,eitheras
theChrist,or in
theaspect
ofGod,known
asZeus,Isis"Woden,Ahura..
Mazdaorwhathave you. It is notidolatryfortheOneGod
isbehindallthe aspectsthathave beenformulatedbyman,
19
butforthoseintheWestunder theChristiandispensation
anddrawnparticularly,
todevotional.mysticism,
"the
Christianwayiswithoutdoubtthebest,forthe ,LordJesus
issomethingfar more, to say the least,"thanan idea
of
man'sof
aniaspectoftheGodheadaswerethepagangod­
forms.Also,OurLordsaid,HIamthe way, thetruthand
the life: no mancometh,unto
theFather,but,byme."and"La,Iam with'youalways, even unto. the'endofthe
world."
29. Thisisnotwritten.:as asoptoorthodoxybutasa
resultofmysticalexperience on,anmdividualandgroup
level.
30.Whilston
thesubjectofBhaktiYogait is
aswento
examineanotherformof,religious'practicewhichdoesnot
occurin
the
,Eastbutwhichhasbeenlaid down"bySt.
Ignatius
ofLoyola,thefounderofthe SocietyofJesus, in
his
"SpiritualExercises'.
31.'Thissystem oftrainingrecommendsthestrong
visualisation
ofbeingpresent duringscenes inthelife ,of
OurLord.It has,however, otherapplicationsand is used
extensivelyinoccultschools.
Itis afurtherdevelopment
to
theadvancedexercises in-concentration.inthatinstead
ofrunningover
a,shortstory,awork ofliteraryfancy, one
is using as a basis.powerfulemotivesymbolism.
32. It
canbefurtherdeveloped
inthatspontaneousevents,
symbolsandpersonagescan
'beallowedtoarisein
con­
sciousnesswhilstdwellingonacertainscene-atemple
constructed,inthe.imagination
forexample.It calls for a
high degree
oftechnicalskill, the fruit ofmuchpractice,in
moreelementaryexercises, and is not athingto befooled
aroundwith
..Tosomepeopleit comesmoreeasily than
othersandit issometimescalled vscrying'or.'astral
clairvoyance'.Somepeoplefind'building-upandholding
images in
theimaginationeasier,whilstothersfind recep­
tion tospontaneous,imagessimpler.The highly'skilled
operatorcan usebothmethods atonce withequalfacility.
33.Withregard totheQabalahIt
isofuse.mainlyin

17. 20
treadingthePathsoftheTreeofLifeandwillbegoneinto
in
moredetailin
.thesecondvolumeofthisbook.It is a
usefultechnique
butcan leadeasilytoabuseorself-delusion.
Gnana Yoga:This
Yogaistheway .ofknowledge, anduses
themethods
ofRajaYoga..concentration,meditation and
contemplation,toarriveat aconception·of therealityof
thingsandtheirinter-relationship.
34. It
teachesthe.mind.totravelinunaccustomeddirec­
tions
andonnewplanes-inotherwords-notontheoutward
aspectof.things
butontheirinnerprinciples.Itteaches
a
manthatonlywhathe hasexperiencedas truecanbe
truefor him,thatwhatseemstruetothelogicalmindneed
notbetrueatall when viewed from ahigher
level,andthat
wordscanbe agreaterhindrance than·helptotruth.
35.TheQabalisticTreeofLife isasystempar''excellence
forrealisingallthis.As acompositesymbol ofunderlying
relationshipsitenablesonetocollatewhatoneknows and
thentodeducewhatone doesnotknow.partlyfromintuition
andpartlyfrom firstprinciples.
Itis a kindofmetaphysical
algebra. 36.Itroustalwaysberememberedhowever thatmeta­
physicalsymbols,likealgebraic'ones,representsomething
and
are
notendsinthemselves.Thegreatlimitationofthe
intellectualtypeis thathecannotbreakfreefromhisreason.
Oncehehasaconcept,
orlabelfor.somethinghe.thinkshe
knowsit.
Thushe may beaware ofthesymbol oftheBlack
IsisleadingtotheWhiteIsis;
butwhen faced withthereality
behind
thesymbol,the
<hideousred-in-tooth-and-clawed
aspect
ofNature,he isapttoforgetall helearnedfrom
symbol
andthegloriousrevelationbeyond oftheWhiteIsis.
37.
Occultmeditation,leading toahyper-developedin­
tuition,is
onecure
forthis,.asopposedtoratiocinationor
mentaljuggling,whichis all
tooeasywithsymbols.Symbols
canbe agreathelptothe mindinleadingitinthe
right
direction,buttheycanalso be aterriblebarrier.The.whole
aim
ofsymbolismis its own destructionsothatonecanget
21
totherealitywhichitrepresents.
38.Thisis a
pointwhichis all tooeasilyforgottenby the
intellectualtype
ofpersonwhoisattracted.to this branch
ofstudyanditmarsmany bookson thesubject ofthe
Qabalah,forwithoutpracticalexperienceall.philosophical
discourseson
thesubjectare justwords,words,words,
which, as
saidabove,areagreaterhindrance
thanhelp,
particularlyto the.higherrealms
oftruth.
Karma Yoga:Thisisthe
Yogathatteachesrightliving,and
in view
ofthe factthattheWesternoccultstudentlives out
in theworld,isall-importantin theWest. It isthedirect
opposite
oftheconceptof'Sundayreligion'.
39.
Toastudentof
theQabalah,allthathe.learnsfrom
itshouldbeexpressedinhisdailylife. He lives his life in
the
lightofspiritualprinciple.
40.
Theaimoftheordinarymanis to
.live his lifeavoid­
ing alldifficulties,.discomfortsand;unpleasantnesswithin
the.bounds
ofhisconscience.Theesotericstudentshould
be amanwith a verydemandingconscience
andso his life
ismoredifficult.
Thisdoesnotmeanthathegoesabout
seeking for ormakingdifficulties forhimself,buthe meets
all,obstaclesas achallenge,
andthegreatertheobstacle
the'greater.the
opportunityit ·isforhim toovercome. the
weakeraspects ofhisnature.
41.
Thepatternsforlivingareshownforthinmany ofthe
herolegends ofa race, forexamplein theadventures of
KingArthurandhisKnights oftheRoundTable.An
esotericstudentis .expected todevelopordinaryvirtuesto
theheroiclevel.And
inmodernlife the difficultiesaremore
subtle.Inthelegendarystories
theevil is easilyidentifi­
able.Thereis lessdefinitioninordinarylifeandalsothere
is noaspect
ofmedievalglamour. Thedragonhe has to
meet may be hisemployer/orhis wife, which is a farmore
subtlechallenge
thananyknight hadto face inthe
ancientstories,
42. Also, themaindirection
ofspiritualdevelopmentleads

18. 22
bytheWayofthe.Cross,which.wasthe.patternIaiddown
byOur-Lord:andalso.in'thelegends ofsacrificed gods
before him.
It.is.awayof-self-sacrifice,
aPathon the Tree
ofLifetrodover andoveragainvandthoughtheCrucifixion
may not meanaphysicaldeathit.is in.some'respectsfar
hardertoliveoutone'slife fora causethan todie for one.
43. In case' thisshouldseem
toodepressingforanyone
it
shouldnotbeforgotten.thataftertheCrucifixioncomes the
ResurrectionandsubsequentAscension.
HathaYogaiThisYoga is thedevelopment. ofpower
.over
thebody
andisunsuitedfor theWest. Thevariouspostures
andbreathingexercises
ofHathaYogahaveadirecteffect
upon
theethericcentresand. endocrine glandsand
•.produce
abnormalsensitivity..To.developsuch',a'.high"degreeof
sensitivity whilst living anormallife in the hustle andbustle
ofWesterncivilisationis...tocourtanervous-breakdown.
44.Thereisnostrictphysical.regime.neededfor'.the
pursuit
ofoccultismunderWesternmethods. Itis merely
aquestion
ofcommonsense; andquestions of'vegetarian­
ism,teetotalismandabstinencefromtobaccoare
bestIeft
fortheindividualtomakeup his own mind-afterall,he
shouldknow whatsuits him. Theprincipleisone ofmoder­
ationandbalance,and the results. in daily livingshould'be
ease
offunction,so thatthere.isno.bodilydistractionfrom
gettingon with the
jobinhand.
45. Thesensitivity
that
isbroughtaboutin theEastby
HathaYogaisinduced,fortemporaryperiods,in the West
byceremonialritual.This is a highly skilled..businessas
mentionedbeforeandshould
notbeattemptedoutsidea
Mysteryschool. Toanyonewho
isnotastudent
of/onebut
iscurious
toseethetechniqueinaction,·it can be
seenand
experienced..byattending.a"RomanCatholic Mass..partic­
ularly oneconductedbypriests
ofaContemplativeOrder.
Attendance
'.alaGreekorRussianOrthodoxservice.can
also be aninterestingexperience.
Buteven here,littlemay
be gained
ifonetakesthe
..attitudeofu-merespectator.
23
With all aspectsofoccultismand mysticism as with
religion, it isbasicallya way
of
.life; one mustcommit
oneself
to,activeparticipation.Afterthe first steps are
takenin faith, the following steps becomeplain,and the
proofsof thevalidity
oftheteachingbecomeevident.
46. Unless the first steps aretaken,nothingcan follow.
Thatis whyscience,up to now, hasmadeso little'ofthe
innerrealitybehindappearances.

19. ChapterIII
ANOUTLINEOFTHETREEOFLIFE
1. We have, so far,posited theexistenceofawhole
range
ofexistencebehind theappearancesofphysical
reality.Wehavealsomadea
briefsurveyofthemethod
bywhichthisreality.can
bernadeaccessibletoconscious­
ness. We
cannowproceedto anexamination
oftheTreeof
Life,bymeansofwhichaplan ofdirectioncan beformu­
latedso
thatthesemethodscan be used to bestadvantage.
2.
TheTreeofLife (Fig.1)consistsoftenspheres,plus
an'invisible'eleventh,with
twentytwopathsinterconnect­
ingthem.
Constantreferenceis.recornmendedtothebasic
diagram
oftheTree andfurtherhelp will begainedby
makingfurtherdiagrams
andplacingsubsequentinforma­
tion
uponthem.Theaim .is to getthebasic diagramwell
beddedintotheunconsciousmind,andpersistentconscious
working
andbroodingoverthesymbolistheonlyway to
do this.Oncethisfoundationhas been well laid anyfurther
symbolismcan bethrowninto
thesubconsciousmind to
gestate,where itwill,afteratime, takeitsplaceon the
appropriatepartoftheTreeandthusreveal itsmeaning
andrelationship
toothersymbolismpreviouslyassimilated.
3.
TheTreeofLifepurportstobe
asymbolofthe soulof
manandoftheUniverse.AstheBible says, Godmademan
in His
own.imageandlikeness,sowhateverisrelevantto
thestructure
ofthesoulandbody ofmanis relevanttothe
souland
.bodyofGod,theUniverse. ThustheTreecan
act as a
toolofphilosophicalspeculationas well ofpsy­
chologicaldiscovery.
24
25
Fig. 1.THETREEOFLIFE
The Ten Sephiroth
andtheTwentyTwoPath$
4. Thespheres,orSephiroth (singular:-Sephirah)are
stagesin the.
emanations
oftheSpiritofGodormaninits
progressfromnoumenalexistence toitsbuildingofa
physicalvehicleinthephenomenalworld.EachSephirah
representsastageon the way, whichremainsas. acentre
offorceafterit hasestablisheditself andthenoverflowed
to form
thenextcentre.
··TheSephirothwereestablished.in

20. 26 27
PillarofMercy
Positive
Male
Spirit
Active
MiddlePillar
of
Equilibrium
or
Consciousness
Pillar of Severity
Negative
Female
Motter
Passive"\I
q
,.
II
II
II
II
I
(Fig. 3)TheQabalahteachesthatallmanifestationis
basedonduality;and·therighthandPillarrepresents·the
positive,masculine
oractivepoleandtheleft handPillar
thenegative,feminine
orpassivepole.Thisduality
isin
everything;as well as
therebeingadualityon theTree
there
isalso adualityin everySephirah.It is theprinciple
ofpolarity.
6.Thisprinciple
canbe seeninamyriadformsinthe
physical
environment:thepolarityofthesexes;the
nucleusandencirclingelectrons oftheatom.anyphysical
actionhas it,the
moverandthemoved;beforeaphysical
action
isevenperformedthereispolarity,thedesire to
Fig. 3.
THEPILLARS
Fig.
2.THELIGHTNINGFLASH
numericalorderandthisisshownin theglyph ofThe
LightningFlash orDescentofPower.(Fig.2) Aglyph,in
the sense used inWesternoccultism,
isapicturerepresent..
inganideaor
.ideas;.Mysteryteachingis...putinpictorial
form for this is
theonlylanguage the.unconsciousmind
understands.As
Malkuth,thetenthSephirah,representsthe
wholeofphysicalexistence,including
thebodyofman,
someidea
ofthevastrange ofthe
wholesymbolcanbe
gleaned.
5.
Inadditionto
theglyphofTheLightningFlashthere
is a
furtherbasicsymbol whichcanbesuperimposedon the
Tree.That
istheglyph.ofThePillarsofManifestation.

21. 28
move ornot tomove; the thesisandantithesisofHegelian
philosophy;relationshipsbetweenpeople,performerand
audience,leader
andfollower,father andson-countless
examplescometo mind with a fewmoments'thought.
7.
Thepointtorememberfromall
..thisvarietyis thatthe
conceptsoftheTree ofLifearenotstaticeasilydefined
things,
butconceptsofmovement,changeandrelationship.
ThePillars
arepresentedascovering
eachof.onesideof
theTreebutitmustberememberedthattheyalsooperate
ineachSephirahandbetween oneSephirahandanyother.
The onlyUnityis
inthe Unmanifest-thatis thepurestate
ofnon-existencefrom whichexistence arises-symbolised
onthe'Tree
··bythethreeveilsbehind Kether,thefirst
Sephirah,
TheVeilsofNegativeExistence.
8. A veil issomethingyou
canseethroughbutdimly,if
at all, so onemust
notexpecttocometo an easyunder­
standing
oftheconceptofNegativeExistence.It is veiled
fromunderstandingbecause
ourunderstandingis partand
parcel
ofpositiveexistence.But it is by nomeansentirely
futile to try tocome
tosomeunderstanding.Somedim
glimmeringcan beattained.
Ifonelikestotrytheexperi­
mentonemightobtainsomerealisationbywatchingcrystals
materialising
outofasaturatedsolution
.as itcools.
Alternatively,onecouldvisualiseaspider'sweb,symbolis­
ing
theunmanifestmindofGod,uponwhich dewbegins
to formfromtheatmosphereinshimmering
crystalglobes
until
itis aradiantnetworkofJight.Insuch amannermight
theworldshaveformed.
9.Thereremainshowever
theMiddlePillar,which,when
placedupontheTree,covers.the.
centralSephiroth
..This
is
thePillarofEquilibrium,poisedbetweenthePillars of
Function.
10. Itmightbe as well atthis
pointtotakeanexample
from
thebasalSephiroth oftheTreeastheseshouldbe
withinconscious
reachofanybody
~.•Amongstotherthings,
theSephirahNetzachatthebase oftherighthandPillar
representsthecreativeimagination.
Hod,at thebase ofthe
29
left
handPillarrepresents theimagemakingconcrete
mentation
ofthehumanmind.In aproperlybalanced
personthesetwofactorsshouldbeequilibrated.If aperson
has
toomuch'Netzach'andtoolittle
'Hod'you willhave
the highlyimaginative
butimpracticalso-called
'arty'type;
andiftherewere toomuchtllod'<andlittle'Netzach',the
dry-as-dustacademician,verygoodatpassingexamina­
tions
butwithlittleimagination.Theresult ofthecombina­
tion
.ofthesetwo sideSephirothwillmanifestitselfin
Tipharethas the
philosophicalorreligiousattitude ofthe
person,inYesodas hisinstinctualbehaviourand in
Malkuthas hisphysicalbeingandaffairs ofthe
world.
11.Thusit will be seenthattheTreecan be used as a
diagnosticinstrument,
butwhatismore,it can also
beused
fortreatment.
Forshouldthepersonbe astudent ofthe
TreeofLife,havingdiagnosedhisunbalance,he can set it
torightsbysustainedmeditationupontheSephirothin
whosepowershe islacking.Furthermore,when wecome
to astudy
ofthePathsbetweentheSephiroth, considerable
subtletiesarepossible,
butthismustbe left untilVolumeII.
12.Also,as
thehigherSephirothon theTreerepresent
thesuperconsciousandspiritualaspects
ofthepsyche,
expansion
ofawarenessandspiritualgrowthisachieved
bymeditationonthese.
TheTreeisthereforeameans
wherebyanyone can,intime,attainhis fullestpotential.
Its
dangeristhatpeoplewhoarebadlyunbalancedwill be
naturallyattractedtothose
partswhere theyalreadyhave
anoverplus
offorce,thuscausingmoreunbalanceinthem­
selves. It is apowerfultoolforgood,
butnotathingto be
idlyplayedwith.
13. As life is agreatcomplex
ofrelationships,so is the
Tree
ofLife. Itsadvantageis thatitenablesaspects oflife
to be
sortedoutandplaced underthe psychicmicroscope.
However,thisdoesnotmaketheprocess
ofunderstanding
very much theeasier.
ThestudyoftheTree ofLife
demandsmore
thanalifetime'sworkfor,beingwhatit is,
if you have fullunderstanding
oftheTreeofLife,thenyou

22. 30
have
fullunderstandingofJifeitself. This
isno easyshort
termmatter,however goodyourtools
ofelucidation.
14.
Thepointisthatas noaspect oflifecanbe"fullyundet­
stooddevoid..ofitsrelationshipwith.•agreatcomplexof
otheraspects, so noSephirahon the Tree can be described
withoutreferenceto all theotherSephiroth.AQdthesame
thing applies to thePathsbetween them.
15.••Inordertoformsome kindofbasisofunderstanding
it will be necessary,therefore,tocoverthe whole Tree
cursorilyfromdifferentaspects.beforedealingwith.each
Sephirahin detail.
16. BehindKetherisNegativeExistencefromwhich
all things came.FromthispregnantvoidemanatedKether
bymeansofa
•kindofcrystallisingprocesssymbolisedin
threestagesby The Veils ofNegativeExistence. These are
called in Hebrew, Ain, Ain Soph,
andAinSophAurinorder
ofadvancing',concretion.Translated,these words mean
Negativity,TheLimitless,and
TheLimitlessLight.Concrete
thought••canmakelittleofthis,thoughmeditation·.is
recommended,for theunconsciousknows far morethan
theconsciousmind gives itcreditfor.
17
..Negativityisnothingness. Yetit isalreadysomething,
forwe are able to posititifnot define it. ThencomesThe
Limitl.ess--li~itlessn~thingness. Itcouldbecalledinfinity
-aCIrcleWIthnocircumferencewhosecentreis every­
where. Itsnearest.andpurestsymbol isperhaps
zero-­
thenumberbeforenumberscommence. Thenthis
nothin~.
ne.ssbecomesa blaze of light-TheLimitless Light."God
said,Lettherebe lightandtherewas light."
18.FromthislimitlesslightcrystallisesKether-s-meaning
Th~Cro~n. Acentrehascrystallisedin nothingness-a
point,WhIch"accordingtoEuclid'saxiom haspositionbut
no"size.It',is ,self,"existent, alone, andthereforecan be
allocatedthenumberone.
19. Then.. when' theCrownofCreationisestablishedit
becomesconsciousofitself,havingnothingelsetObec6n­
scious of,.andprojects'an image of itself, the •second
31
Sephirah,Chokmah-s-meaningWisdom.Thereis now a
dualityin being
andso, wehavethenumbertwo. The
'SpirituaIExperience'ofChokmahis called'TheVision of
Godface to face'. As
itis' stressed many. times, in theOld
Testamentthatno man shalllookupon'the face ofGod,and
live
it.canbesurmisedthatareal experience of the
SephirahChokmahwould beshattering.Onlythe,highest
mystics are likely
togetanywherenear itwithoutheavy
protectiveveils
ofsymbolism.
20.Next comes,Dinah,
making,thefirsttriangle,the
simplestplane figure, andthusthe.ideaofform-Upto now
all
has.beenpure' force. And even, Binah is force,but-force
with
,the,latentidea of form becauseanarchetypalidea has
beencreatedby three forces
which,bytheir verynumber,
make possible theconcretionintoform.Binah
'has been
described as the idea .or
possibilityofform,
,orlimitationof
force--eachSephirahworksout
one-new'idea'.Thenumber
of Binah is,
ofcourse,three; and itsname means Under­
standing.An idea of thesubtletyof, these levels can 'be
inferred byconsideringthe titles ofChokmah
:and'Dinah,
Wisdom andUnderstanding.Understandinghas a slightly
moreconcreteimplication
thanWisdom. Wisdom .can be a
purestate,butUnderstandingimplies
thatthereis some­
thing tounderstand.
21. We now have atriangleformed which can be called
theSupernal.orArchetypalTriangle,incontradistinction
to theMoral,orEthical,Triangle
ofChesed,Geburah,
Tiphareth
and.,theAstralor PsychologicalTriangle of
Netzach,Hod, Yesod.Malkuth,the physical world, is on its
owndiagramatically,as apendant,to the Astral or Psycho­
logicalTriangle.Thesetrianglesdemonstratewhich func­
tionalSephirothpolariseintowhichcentralSephiroth.An
example has .already been given
ofNetzachand .Hod seeking
theirbalanceinTiphareth,Y
esodandMalkuth.Similarly
thepureforceofChokmahandthearchetypalidea ,of form
ofBinah havetheir pointofequilibriuminKether,the
originalsource
ofupwelling ·lifepressurefrom theUnmani-

23. 32
fest,and, comingfurtherdownintoconcretion,in
Tiphareth,thecentralbalancing
pointofthewholeTree.
The
PathsinterlinkingtheSephirothshow the.rnanifesta­
tionofthistriangularprinciple.
22.ThereisafurtherdivisionoftheTreeintofourlevels
knownas the
FourWorlds.These areAtziluth,theArche­
typalWorld;Briah,
theCreativeWorld;Yetzirah,the
FormativeWorld;andAssiah,
theMaterialWorld.
23.TheArchetypalWorldconsistsonly ofKether,the
pointwheretheoriginallifeurgewells
up,holdingwithin
itselfas anarchetypethelatency ofitsfuturepotential­
ities'asa seedholdsthe·archetype ofthegrownplant.
24.
TheCreativeWorldconsists ofChokmahandBinah,
the
pureforceandideaof
formfrom whichfurthercreation
ensues.
25.TheFormativeWorld,theworld offorms,containsthe
remainingSephirothexcept
Malkuth,foralthoughphysical
concretionhas
notyettakenplace,allmanifestationbelow
theSupernalTriangleis interms offorms,whether
mentalconcepts.orimaginaryimagesorpurenodesof
energy.
26.
TheMaterialWorld,the SephirahMalkuth,iswhere
physicalmanifestationtakesplace.
27. Torevert
tothedescentoftheTree,followingthe
course
ofTheLightningFlash,thenextstagefromBinah
istheformation oftheSephirahChesed.Here whatwas
supernalforcetakeson form
andthepointoftransmutation
isoverwhat
iscalledtheAbyss. TheAbyssis the void
betweenforce
andformandtheplacewherethetrans­
mutationtakesplaceis the
'hidden'SephirahDaath­
meaningKnowledge. TheMysteriesofDaathareprofo.und
and werelittletouchedon inearlierwritingson theQabalah.
TheSephirahhas nonumberallocatedtoitandbyKnowl­
edge ismeant
notsomuch whatweunderstandbythe
word,butthewordinitsbiblicalusage ofsexual"union,
only here themeaning
isa·kind.ofDivine"Unionwhere
differingplanes
ofbeingimpactandthereis aresultant
33
changeofstatebroughttobirth-a'transformation
or
transmutationofpower.
28. In'Chesedisthepristineform laid down.iChesed
meansMercy orLovebutitsalternativetitle;Gedulah,
GreatnessorMagnificence
perhapsgives abetteridea. Its
numberisfour,withtheimpliedassociations offour­
squaredness,orafoundationstone.uponwhich
all"further
developmentinformisbased.
29.Fromthisfundamentalsphereofstabilityisemanated
Geburah,thefifth,Sephirah,meaningStrength, orPachad,
Fear.Itistheonwardthrustintodensemanifestation and
is asphereofvastforce'inform,asitsdiagonallyopposite,
Chokmah,isvastforcewithoutform.It will be seenthat
thestabilityofChesedislikewiseareflectionofitsdiagonal
opposite,Binah,thearchetypalidea
ofform.
30.
TheattributionofthewordPachad,Fear,to' Geburah
canbemisleading.It is notfear
ascommonlyunderstood
butwhatmightbecalledthe 'fearofGod',the feelingof
aweonefeels inthepresence ofagreatkineticforce of
Naturesuch as aneruptingvolcano,aragingsea, a tornado
or anearthtremor.
31.ChesedandGeburaharerespectivelythelatent and
kineticenergy of'theUniverse.We usethetermenergyas
opposedto forcebecauseforce wehavestatedtobethe
state
oflife,beyondform;byenergywemeanforceindwell­
ing form.Andin
thespheres
ofChesedandGeburahthe
formsarenotconcretedintoimagesyet; attheselevels pure
energyis a form,Inpsychologicaltermsit is 'will toaction'
beforeanyplan
ofactionhas
.beenformulated. Theimages
assignedtoChesed
andGeburahmaymakeunderstanding
easier-Chesedisrepresentedby a kingsittingon a throne
instate,Geburah,by a king
inhischariot,
32.Fromthepricklyfive-sided form ofGeburah,evolved
symbolicallyfrom'
thestablesquareofChesed,we have the
six-sidedfigure ofTiphareth.Tipharethisthecentral
SephirahontheTree,the
pointofequilibriumfor all
that
hasgonebeforeitandallthatistocomeafter.All the side

24. 34-
Sephiroth.balance intoitandit.also.holdsthebalance
between
DaathandYesod,andKetherandMalkuth, It
is
thusappropriatelynamed Beauty,Itistheforceofthe
Supernalsbroughtdownintomanifestationinperfect
equilibrium.
'33.Thestateofequilibriumfinallyoverbalances inthe
courseof.thedescent.ofpowerandtheseventhSephirah,
Netzach,meaningVictory,is formed,Itisanactive
Sephirah,reflecting itsdiagonal,
Geburah,which
inturnwe
haveseen reflects
thekineticnatureofitshigherdiagonal
opposite,
Chokmah.The
figureseven,attributedto.Netzach;
callstomind theseven.bandsofthespectrumandit is. in
NetzachthattheequilibratedpowerofTipharethsplitsinto
diversifiedaspects.
34.Thesediversifiedaspects ofenergydevelop intoforms
in
Hod,·Glorye :Thefigureeightcanbe.consideredadevelop­mentorthefirstcomingintoformsymbolisedbythefourof
Chesed.-Thereisalinkb.etweenHodandChesedasthey
arediagonallyopposite;theyare,likeBinah, 'form'as
opposed
to'force'Sephiroth.35.FromtheconjunctionofthepowersofNetzachand
theformsofHodcomesTheFoundation,Yesod.Asitsname
implies,it is thefoundationoftheiphysicalform,the
framework
ofstresseswhichlaterconcrete intothetenth
Sephirah,Malkuth;thephysicalworld. Withthefigureten
istheendoftheseriesofnumbersandalsothecompletion
ofthedescentofforceintoform.36.Torecapitulate,wehaveseen how force.upwellsin
Kether,flows forthinChokmah,takesontheideaofform
inBinah,descends intoform.via.Daath,manifestsas
energy,latent,.kineticandequilibratedin.Chesed,Geburah
andTiphareth,diversifiesinNetzach,takesonconcrete
formsinHod,formsabasic patterninYesodandphysically
manifestsin
Malkuth,37~This.isthe barebonesofthephilosophyoftheTree
ofLife.ApplyingtheSephirothto thepsychologyofman
wehaveKetherrepresentingtheessentialselfofthe.soul
35
ofman,his innermostbeing,thesparkofdivinefirewecall
theSpirit..'InChokmahisreflectedthetype,ofthebasic
poweroftheSpiritandinBinah,howthattypewillmanifest
in
theworldsof-form. 38.AcrosstheAbyss,inChesed,theforceoftheSpiritis
firstequilibratedin form;adirectreflectionin psychic
energyofthespiritualpatternofitself.InGeburahthis
energisedimage or'eidolon'takesmoreconcreteform'by
expression
ofitsnature,
andtheequilibriumresulting
from
theperfectimageperformingperfectexpression for
itsnatureresultsinTiphareth,thespherewhich
in
psychological.parlance.hasbeencalled theSuperconscious.
39..Tipharethmanifeststamanintheworldas the
proddingsofconscience,andmostreligiousexperiences..of
amoreorless'commonoccurrenceareexperiences ofcon­
sciousnesstouchingthesphereofTiphareth,WilliamJames'
classictreatise'VarietiesofReligiousExperience'collates
manyexamples
ofthis.
40. As agenuine
contactofthe'ordinaryconsciousmind
with
Tipharethcanresultinsuddenconversionandmystical
revelation,itwillbe
gatheredthat'experiencesofGeburah
andChesed,
letaloneDaatbandtheSupernalTriangle,
will be even
morepotent.Itcouldchange the
whole,life
andevenshatterit,.hencethewarningsagainstdabbling
with..ceremonialmagicwhich arefoundin booksonthat
subject.Ifconsciousnessispowerfullyconcentratedby
artificial
methodssuchas highritualtheremaywellbe a
dangerouslypowerfulinflux
offorceunless thewhole
thing
iscarefullycontrolled,as in a RomanCatholicMass,which
is
ofcoursearitualdesignedtoevokein thesoulthepowers
attributedto
theSephirahTiphareth.
41.Thereshouldbe no danger.formoststudentspractising
individualmeditationon
theTreehowever,unless theyare
ultra-psychic.Indeed,given goodsenseandgoodintention
theTreeisafinespiritualtherapybutlikeallthingswhich
arepotentforgood
itcanbemisapplied. Ifanydiffusionof
consciousnessisexperienced.asaresultofworking'upon

25. 36
itthenit is as well to let italonefor atime,oreven
abandonitaltogetheruntilsuchtimeasonecanstudy
underthepersonalsupervision ofanexperiencedteacher.
These
wordsarenotsaidfordramaticaffect,norare
·they
meanttofrightenanybody-theymeanexactly whatthey
say.Thereis nogreaterriskthan'in anyothersystemof
mysticaldevelopmentfor theaveragestudentbutitis well
to be
awareofthepossibilitiesandpotenciesinvolved. 'It
is noparlourgameforover-imaginativefools.
42. In
Netzachistheforceofthe.creativeimagination
andtheemotionsin
general;inHod,the,concrete'images
ofmentalconcepts andallthatisusually'meant<by
'mentality'.Yesodholdsthesubconsciousmind andthe
instinctsvandMalkuth,thephysicalman.
43.
,Thuswehavecovered theTreesuperficia.llyinits
philosophical
andpsychologicalaspects,butit'mustbe
remernbered
thattheTreeexists
initsownright"as an
archetypal
planandthattheideasofincreasingconcretion
in,formimpliedby .the Sephirothcanbeappliedatany
level. We
canpositaTreeineach Sephirahfor'instance.
A,Sephirahwhenit is first formedmanifests.first as apoint
ofupwellingforce, its ownKether,andfromthisarchetypal
level,
orAtziluth,procedes toproduceits ownCreative,
FormativeandMaterial
.Worldsthroughtheformation'of
itsownSephiroth,The' termMaterialWorldheremeans·its
densestpossibleaspect,thereisnophysicalformforKether
forinstance,buttheMalkuthofKetheristhatwhich
precedestheformationoftheKetherofChokmahandso'on
downtheTree.Thoughonemustnotforgettheanalogues
oftheVeilsofNegativeExistencewhichprecede··the
Ketherofeach·Sephirah.
44. Inthis
mannertheuseoftheTreecanbefurther
extended.In theabstruserranges-of.occultmetaphysics
forexample,
thewholeoftheUniverse,from Spiritto
Matter,can'beplacedin Malkuth,thatis,Malkuth
'is.con­
sideredto be theentireSeventhCosmicPlane.-Ketherthen
wouldbe theCentralStillnesson theFirstCosmicPlaneand
37
theotherSephiroththestagesbetween.Thisis anapplica­
tionwhichwill be ofuseandinterestonlyto advanced
esotericstudentshowever,
45.Studentswithsomeknowledge ofothertheosophical/
systemsmay
caretoattempttocorrelatethesesystems
with
theTreeofLife.Attemptstodothisareverygood
practiceinbecomingfamiliarwith theconceptsoftheTree.
As ageneralguide,
theTreecanbesplitintoasevenfold
systemby
takingit level by level:l-Kether,2-Chokmah
andBinah,3-ChesedandGeburah,
4~Tiphareth, 5-,­
NetzachandHod,'6-Yesod,7-Malkuth.Alternatively,
Daathcanbeincludedas a separatelevelandYesodand
Malkuthlumpedtogether'.'Anotherway istoincludethe
Supernalstogetherasthehighestlevel andYesodand
Malkuthtogetherasthelowest,witheachindividual
Sephirahas a levelbetween.
Thethreefunctional.Triads,
andtheFourWorldshavealreadybeenmentioned and
suggestcorrelationswiththreeandfourfoldsystems. The
MiddlePillarcanalsobeusedto'correlatewiththe Chakras
oftheEasternteaching.It will be foundinsomecases
thatnostraightforwardcorrespondencecanbemadethat
isnotopentodebatebutthisis all tothegood.
Itis far
betterforanyoneattemptingthiskind ofexerciseto work
outtheproblemsforhimselfthantolook,up' booksandread
otherpeople'sopinions.It is bettertohavealittlegenuine
understandingabouttheTreeofLifethanmuchsecond­
handlearning.

26. ChapterIV
THESEPHIROTHIC ATTRIBUTIONS
1.Theattributionsofsymbolismassigned to thevarious
Sephiroth.are·best.consideredunder.certainclassified
headings.
2.
Atfirstsightsome oftheheadingsandtheattributions
mayappeararbitraryor nonsensical,butthis is
purelya
consciousmindreaction.TheTree ofLifespeaksto the
unconsciousmind which has its own lines ofreasoning
that
theconsciousmindcannotreadilyunderstand. Itwill be
found
thatafterworking
.at theTreefor. a.timetheattribu­
tionswillfall-intoplacequitenaturallywithoutany efforts
ofconsciousmemory. Andafterall,iftheTreeis what it
isclaimed
tobe, adiagram oftheinnerstructure ofman,
then this
isonly what one has arighttoexpect.
3.
Itmust'always berememberedthatit is a Treeof
Lifeand not aFramework,of Mentality. Mere mental
jugglingwithsymbolismwill
leadnowhere,it hastobe
made a
partof
onebymeditation,contemplation,prayer,
or fasting,sack-clothand ashes if necessary...The .implica­
tions
ofthesymbolism,as well. as 'beingconsideredby .the
mind, must be felt in theheart;groped
forbytheaspirations,
embeddedin the visceraalmost.TheTree
.ofLife is not
merely a'lifetime'sstudy, it is a way
oflife.
4.
Inviewofthis
itwill beplain thatany so-called'objec­
tive' studyoftheTreeofLifewouldbe, ifnotimpossible,
certainly
oflittleconsequence.Theremarkson theattribu­
tions
.•throughoutthisbookthenmustbetaken,not as.an
attemptat.logical .proofs· to therational mind,butasthe
often unclassified resultsofpracticalexperience,including
38
39
greatchunks ofsymbolismwhich have not been fully
explored,and alsotentativeintuitions
offurtherpossibilities,
Theimplications
ofthe TreeofLife are so vastthatno
definitive
treatiseis possible.
S.However,abraveattemptwill .bernadeatarational
approach
'sothatthestudentcall findhisbearings.Andif
anythingisfoundwhichappears.toofantastic,-orjustin­
comprehensible, it is besttoleave it aloneandcomeback
to it at somefuturetime, when it may havebecomeclearer..
Oftheattributions,only theHebrewDivineNamesare
partof theoriginalTreeand.thuswithclaimsto bedivinely
inspired. Theremainder.~f th~.attributions.have'.been
built up by.subsequentresearchthroughtheintervening
centuries,and
asincorporatedhere,includesome ofthe
mostrecentconceptsofadvancedesotericism,Thelatter
areincludedasbeinga possible help tooccultstudentsof
some experience; theyshouldnotbe allowed tobecomea
barrier
toanyonewho comes .to.esotericismforthefirst
time via thisbook.
6. Oncontemplatingtheproblemsinvolvedingetting
across some of theconcepts
ofthe TreeofLife one isstrong­
lytemptedmerely to listthe.basic symbolism,give
a.few
simpleinstructionsonmeditation,and then tell thereader
to get on with it. This mightperhapsbetoobald anap­
proach,but it ishoped thatthereader.wil!setdownand
geton with itafterhaving. read thisbook-otherwiseit will
have beenwrittenin vain.
Whatmattersiswhatone
receives from the Treeoneselfand one only getsthatby
workingon it.
7. In view
ofthis,nothingwhichappearswithin these
pagesshouldbe
takenasauthoritative.The only real
authorityrests within oneself, and it has to besearchedfor
"Ask,and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall beopeneduntoyou.
Foreveryonethat
askethreceiveth; and he
thatseeketh findeth; and to him,
thatknockethit shall be opened." And it isperhapsnot
always realised
thatthe givingofwhatis asked, and the

27. 40
revealingofwhatissought, andtheopeningoftheWayit
isdesiredtotread,isdoneby thesamebeing
thatdoesthe
asking,theseeking,and the
knocking-towit,oneself.
8. The Titleofthe Sephirah:Thisgives, in sofaras is pos­
sible, arootidea
ofwhattheSephirahstandsfor in oneword,
e.g.Wisdom,Understanding,Beautyetc.
Itis givenfirstin
anglicisedHebrewandtheninEnglish, andatableofthe
letterswhich go to
makeup theHebrewtitles andDivine
Namesis· given at
thebackofthisvolume.
9. It is well to become.familiarisedwith
theHebrewletters
becausethey play an
importantpartinpracticalworking
uponthePathsbetween
theSephiroth,which will bedealt
with inVolumeII.Muchwasmade
ofthenumericalvalue
assignedto eachletterbyearlyQabalists
andby
.an
elaboratesystem
ofcodesandanagrams,hiddensignifi­
cances
andsecretteachingwas
-.said to berevealed.
10.As anexample,Genesisxviii 2, "And10,threemen"
in theoriginalHebrewhas anumericalvalue
of701,which
isequaltothenumericalvalue
oftheHebrewsentence,
"TheseareMichael,Gabriel
andRaphael"-threeofthe
SephirothicArchangels.Further,the firstword
ofthe Old
Testament,used as anacrosticby themedievalJewish
Qabalist,SolomonMeirBenMoses,wastakento hold the
followingsecretmeanings:
a)
"TheSon, theSpirit, theFather,TheirTrinity,
PerfectUnity."
b)
"TheSon,theSpirit,theFather,ye shallequallywor­
shipTheirTrinity."
c)"YeshallworshipMyfirst-born,My first,Whose Name
isJesus.
d)
"WhentheMastershallcomeWhose NameisJesus
ye shall worship."
e)
"Lwillchoose
·avirginworthytobringforthJesus,
and
yeshallcall herblessed."
f)
"Iwillhidemyselfincake(bakedwith)coals,for ye
shall eatJesus,My
Body."
41
11.Bymeans oftheseheapparently.converted another
Jew,previouslybitterlyopposed toChristianity.However,
thenumber
ofpermutationsandcombinationsused inthis
branch
ofQabalismmakeitpossibletoprovealmostany­
thing
andthereisprobably
moresuperstition,special
pleading
andlogicchoppingin it thananythingofvalue.
But likemostsuperstitions,it
hasa basisoftruthtoit.It
seems
thatcertainwords,usuallyProperNouns,were
specially'constructedoriginallywith this kind
ofthingin
mind. As
.anexample,thenameforthemetaphysical
eon­
cept,'thegreatsterileMother'isAMA,(Aleph,Mem,
Aleph.)TheletterYod,as asymbol,representsthe fertilis­
ingaspect
ofnatureand sothenamefor 'thegreatfertile
Mother'is thesame,butwith
aYodaddedto show thatit
has beenimpregnatedwith
fertility-e-namely,AlMA,(Aleph,
Yod, Mern,
Aleph.)Thisisquite apartfrom anynumerical
significanceorcoding.
'
)2. But topursueacomprehensiveline ofresearchin
thesematterswouldrequireaknowledge
oftheHebrew
languageand access to theQabalisticliterature,the·Old
Testamentin theoriginal,the
Zohar,the.SepherYetzirah,
theSepherSephiroth,the AschMetzarephand all
their
dependencies.Thisisbeyondthe scope ofmoststudents
includingthe
presentwriter.It is alsobeyondthe scopeof
thisbookwhich
isconcernedprimarilywiththeQabalistic
diagram,theTree
ofLife, which,
.fromexperience,isquite
enoughto keepanyoneoccupiedfor
averylongtime.
13.However,in thecaseofobvioussignificances,tentative
interpretationswill beattempted.
Itisafield which has
been little tilled
andthere.appearto be some.strange
growthsin it.Anyonewho hasthenecessaryqualifications
isinvitedtoreapwhathe
canfindbuthe will have to go
it alone.Thereislittlemodernliteratureon thesubject
and mostreferencesseem
tobe
i
derived.fromMagregor
Mathers'
'TheKabbalahUnveiled',writtenin1887,
or
ChristianGinsburg's 'TheKabbalah'of1865.
14.
It isinterestingtonotehowever,the vast wave of

28. 42
popularsuperstitionthathasarisenfrom'this.•.Judaictradi­
tion-Thereure.any-amountofbcokspurporting.totell
futureandcharacterfromthelettersofone'sname,or
addingthedigitsofone'sdateofbirthandso on.These
areoflittle.if'any,worthandaremerelysuffocating-and
foul-smelling'smokefrom,.and.concealing..averyvdim­
glowingfire. Eventheknow-it-allCrowleyabandonedthe
comparisonofmodernalphabetswithearlyonesashopeless.
15.Subsidiary Titles:..Theseare.:further.titlesculled from
Qabalisticliteraturewhich. expand.thevconceptofa
Sephirah,
oftenfrom adifferentpointofview.
16.TheMagicallmage:.tvtagicisthe-termusedforbuilding
mentalimagesandis perhapsanunfort~nate termasit
h~sagla~e ofglamou~aboutit. TreMagicalImagethen,
is themental•picturewhich canbebuiltup •.torepr~sent
aSephirah..•Theunconscious.Il1indworksprimarilyin
pictures.andsoitisauseful~evice.Likeall symbolismthat
hasbeenusedfor long ages, apoolofforceandideas grows
up arounditsothatone hasonlytotapthatcentralsymbol
andalltherelatedideas will flow-upfrom theunconscious;
Thetechniquefordoing.thisis, ofcourse,meditation.
17.TheGodName:This,togetherwiththeArchangelicand
AngelicNamesis anoriginal partoftheTreeofLifeand
thushasclaimstodivineinspiration.
18.TheG'odNamerepresentsthemostspiritualformof
the.Sephirah-andthusisconceivedasfunctioningin the
Kether.iorAtziluthicWorld,ofthatSephirah.In commenc­
ing...ameditation.oripractical..operation·onone···ofthe
SephiroththespiritualforceoftheGodNameshould·be
dwelt on first.Oneshouldalways, asamatterofprinciple,
startfromthemostspiritualaspectand.workdownwards.
ConcentratedworkpurelyontheGodNameisnotrecom­
mendedbecause itrepresentsadirect force,untempered
by anyintermediary, andthus··canwellprovetoobotto
43
handleunlessthe..operator.iawellexperienced.
19.ItmustbeborneinmindalsothatalltheGodNames
areaspectsoftheOneGod.Thusonewouldthinkinterms
of'theOneGod,inHisName...'~
20.TheseNamesallappearintheOldTestamentbutfor
themostpart.havebeen translatedbythesingleword'God',
thoughwithoccasional attempts.atmoreliteraltransla­
tionsuchas Lord,TheAncientofDays,LordofHostsetc.
Itisinteresting·tonotethat·intheoriginalHebrew, God
canbebothmasculineandfeminine,singular andplural.
ForJnstance,in·Genesisiv26the.literal.translationis
"AndElohimsaid: 'LetUsmakeman..."The.word
Elohimis afemininesingularstemwitha.masculine.plural
ending.Thustheprincipleofpolarityistakenwellinto
account..apointwhichislostin thetranslation.
21.TheapproximateEnglishequivalent .isgiven-inthe
tableofGodNamesbutinpracticalworktheHebrew
versionshouldbeused.One-canvisualise theNamein its
Hebrewform,notforgettingthatHebrewreadsfrom.right
to left,
andifit
is.saidaloud·ormentally,experiencehas
shown
thatpronunciationisnotimportant,theHebrew
Namesanywayconsistmainly ofconsonants.
22. TheArchangel: Thismaycause someinitialdifficultyto
thosebroughtup onProtestanttheologyoron notheology
at all.
23.
TheArchangelorganisestheforcesinherentin a
Sephirah
and.thedirectionofmotivating.forcesthatcome
underitspresidencyvItthusworksontheBriaticlevel,
theCreativeWorld,ofaSephirah,andcertainofthe
symbols
.andtitlesofaSephirahrelateto thatlevel.
Reflectiononthesesymbols ortitles'.canbringacontact
withthecorres.pondingArchangel.Thus'Ama'·'·has. a
specialrelationshiptoTzaphkiel,
andtheorbandtetrahedron
haveaspecial relationship
.toTzadkiel. Experimentis
recommendedwithregardto theotherSephiroth.
24.Archangels
arerealbeings thoughtheyhave not

29. 44
physicalbodies. Theiranthropomorphicforms,as.repre­
sentedinreligious
painting.for·example,come·fromthe
humanmind,which-hasto.have
,.amentalformacceptable
to
theunderstanding.Moreappropriateforms.wouldbe
pillars
ofvastforce,orprofoundgeometricshapesin
accordance.with
thebasic.nature'ofthe.Sephirah-e-such
wouldbe·
morein,accordancewiththereal'appearance'
anArchangelwouldassume.
25. An
ArchangelisaLordofFlame,theLordsof
Flame
beinga lifeevolutionprevioustohumanity--infactthe
primalevolution-whichlaiddowntheprimestressesof
theUniversewhich arethebasisofthephysicallawsdis­
covered
byscience.
.Itisimpossibletoenter-intothese
fascinatingfields ofesotericcosmologyhere,buttheycan
beexaminedin.DionFortune's'The·CosmicDoctrine'
(AquarianPress,London.)TheFlamereferredtointhe
title,LordofFlame,isDivineFire,whichisahighlyab­
stractconditionofWill-themythofPrometheushas
relevanceto it.
26. It
is,generallyspeaking,easier, andassaidbefore,
moresuitable"until afairdegree ofexperiencehasbeen
attained,toinvoketheArchangeloftheSphereratherthan
theGodName-thoughtheGod·Nameshouldbedwelton
brieflyfirst tobasethemeditationoroperationonaspiritual
level.
TheforceoftheArchangel
iseasiertohandleshould
thepotencyinvokedcausetoogreatan influxofpower.The
forceoftheArchangelwill,strongasitis,dissipateand
disappearmore'quickly.In invoking.angelichelp,visualisa­
tionof.the.appropriatecolour·andplaying.appropriate
music.isofgreatassistance.Onecanalsodwellmentally on
thosewhomtheArchangelhas.helped.iforexample,with
Raphael,theyoungTobias,or,withGabriel,Danielorthe
VirginMary.
27.Incasethisshouldappearassheersuperstitiontoany
readeritmightbe as well toreiteratethatexperienceis
theonlyproof.Andifmentalcontactisattemptedin a
spirit
ofscepticismthenthe.resultwill befailure-though
45
thisfailurewill be·consideredsuccessno
doubtfromthe
scepticalpointof.view,Inmysticalworkcertainsteps
haveto betakeninfaithandthisisoneofthem.The
criticalfacultiesshould,by all meansbeusedafterapsychic
experiment-s-blindcredulity
isofusetono-one-s-butwhen
doingactualworkalong.theselines,beliefisnecessary,
andthecontrolleduse.andreceptivity.ofthecreative
imagination.InQabalisticwords,onedoestheworkinthe
spiritofNetzach,theOccultIntelligence,butusesone's
Hod,whoseethicis. Truth;afterwardsin"analysingthe
results.
28.
Thosewhoaremoreinclinedtocredulityontheother
handshouldbewarethesuperstitionthattheArchangelis
standingthereintheroombeforethem.Thecontactis an
innerone.Byvisualising the,appropriatesymbolsand
performingtheappropriateinvocationsoneistuninginone's
mental'radioto aparticularwavelengthandthisanalogy
explains
howit is,possibleforseveral peopleindifferent
places
togetonto.'aparticularcontactatthesametime.
Muchmisunderstandinghasbeencausedbytakingstate­
ments
ofmysticstooliterally-theseeingandhearingis
donewiththeinnereyeandearand.notwith thephysical
organs.In
otherwords,with thecreativeimagination.
29. Itshouldbe
'Saidthoughthatanobjectiveshell can
bebuiltup forapsychicforceto indwellvbutthisisnot
likelyto beachievedby anyonewhohasnotundergonea
long
courseofmentaltraining.Andahyway,
,'theform
wouldbevisibleonlyto
someonehaving'etheric vision'­
anaturalpsychic.This,formofpsychism
isfairlyun­
commonandthelackofitcausesmuchheartburningto
manyesotericneophytes.Howeveritis noparticular
advantagetohaveit-infact itcanbemoreofahindrance
for ittendstodrawtheattentionentirely'totheglamour
ofastralforms.Esotericschools trainpeopletoperceiveon
ahigherlevel, todevelopa'hyper-sensitive
intuition,and
this,althoughlesssensational totheperceiver,is a far
morereliablemethod
ofpsychicperception.

30. 46
30. The OrderofAngels:Muchthathas been saidaboutthe
Archangelsappliesalso totheAngels.TheAngelsare
responsible•forwhatmightbecalled thevmechanics-.ofa
Sephirah
andoperateinitsYetzirah,
orFormativeWorld.
Godhas.beencalled TheGreatArchitectofthe...Universe,
theAngelsareHisbuilders. By.the-samemetaphorthe
Archangels
could'beregardedas Hisforemen oroverseers.
31.
There.are,besidesthe·.SephirothicAngels, other
Orders,including greatand
.beautifulNatureBeingsofthe
highertypesunderwhomElementalswork,Theorderof
theirhierarchyis Archangel,Angel,ElementalSpirit.In
theEastthey aregenerallyknownasDevas,
32.CertainAngelsworkespeciallywith
GroupSoulsof
animals,others.with GroupSoulsofnations,thatis,under
thepresidencyoftheNationalAngel
ofthecountry..A
N
ationalAngelisbestbuiltintheform
thatholdstheideals
ofthatnation.Forexampleitcouldtaketheform in
Britain
ofBritanniaor .St.George, andintheUnitedStates
of·theStatueofLiberty.Rememberthattheforms that
thepotenciesindwellaremanmade.
33.There
areotherAngelsthatensoultheessenceof
beautyin thevariousforms ofartwhethermusic,painting,
sculpture,poetry
ordrama.
Iftheseartsreallytouch·the
higherlevels theybringdowna
greatamountofAngelic
forcewhichintensifiesahundredfoldtheappealto the
hearer
oronlooker.Ready-built man-madeforms' forthese
are,
forexample,the NineMuses.
34. It isquiteuselessexpecting
contactwiththesebeings
if one neverthinks
ofthem,.thereforeif onewantsAngelic
contacts
one.mustthinkoftheAngels,feel with them,
imaginethemas they are,great andwonderfulforms of
lightandglory,deep protectivepresencesin contactwith
Godandman,forminga linkbetween.WhereAngelsspeak
orsendmessages
·toman,they•donotexactlysenda
messageinlanguage,
buttheyimpresstheidea orthe
meaning
ofthemessageverystronglyon themind ofthe
recipientandhissubconsciousmindsupplies appropriate
47
words.They. arealsomuchconcernedwithimmediate
after-deathconditions
ofmanandthe
.beasts.
35. An
Angelis aperfectentity,itdoes notevolve. In
a
way, the lesserAngelsaredivine automata.Inthisthey
aresuperiorto
manbutthey"do nothaveman's
..potentiali­
ties.
Manhaspluckedthefruit oftheTreeoftheKnowl..
edgeofGoodandEvilwhichmakeshimpotentiallya God,
thoughonly.after
a.longperiod oftravailbeingstrung
halfwaybetweenthecondition
oftheAngelsandthebeasts.
Man'sPathisoneoftheequilibriumbetweentheopposites,
forgingthe
patternof
hishumanity.Thebestial.typeof
personis reallynoworsethan.theone whodeviatestothe
side
oftheAngelsandis'toogood
tobetrue'-in··factthe
lattercanbe evenmore,andliterally,inhurnanvTheglyph
ofthePillarsisverymuch ofpersonalas well as Universa.l
application.
36. The
MundaneChakra:Thisis notagoodnamefor the
idea
ittriestoconvey,butmustbe used for wantofsome­
thingbetter.
TheMundaneChakrasare, forthemostpart,
planetary
.attributions,buttheastrologicalforces associ­
atedwith
theplanetsareproperlyallocatedto thePaths
between
the-Sephiroth,whicharepsychologicalstates,
microcosmic,asopposedto
theSephiroththemselveswhich
areprimarilyUniversalorMacrocosmic.
37.
WhatisimpliedbytheMundaneChakraisthateach
oftheSephirothhassomeresemblance totheDivinePlan
behind
certainplanetsorastronomicalforces. Thewriters
ofsciencefictionspeak truerthantheythinkforthereare
life forces on
orin or'in-forming'all the otherplanetary
andstellarbodies
..butperhapsnotin a wayreadily
imaginable.toman.Wheneveracertainconcepttakesa
grip
uponthemind.ofmanin the mass it is agood
indication
thatthereis a truthbehindit,howeverfantastic
theimaginativespeculationsmayappear.
Andthetruth
oftenturnsout
to.bestrangerthanthefiction;thelimits
ofman'smindare; in acertain sense,hisprotection.

31. 48
38.
While-astrologyis by nomeansacertainscience,
therebeingso
manyvariablefactorsinvolved, thedevelop­
mentandconstantchange
..ofthe'zeitgeist'or'spiritof
thetimes',thesimilarityin branchesofartworkandthe
frequentcases ofsimultaneousscientificdiscoverycanbe
consideredlargely
theresultofextra-terrestrial.influences.
39.
TheSpiritualExperience: Thistitleexplainsitselfand
eachoneiscalledaVision. Thisismisleadingbecause
it
doesnotmeanapicturethrownintoconsciousness,buta
stateofmindorexpansionofawareness,broughtaboutby
realisation
ofthepowersofaSephirah.It issimilar to
being'informed'byanArchangel,asDaniel .was
by
Gabriel,whichdoes notnecessarilymeanthehearingof
anywords,oraseeingofanypictorialvisions, but,aprocess
ofbeing'in-formed'sothatone'spsycheactsas avehicle
for,
orispermeatedby,thepowersconcerned. Thusis
spiritualgrowthsteadilybutunspectacularlymade.
40. The Virtue and Vice:Thesearenotstrictlypartofa
Sephirahitself
butarethereactionsofthehumanpsyche
to it.
TheVirtueisthequality thattheSephirah'should
conferandwhich, isessentialto theproperworkingofthe
powersofthatSephirah.TheVice isthetype ofunbalance
thataSephirahmaycausethroughhumanweakness;really
aSephirahhasno vice,butthe'MundaneChakra's'
astrologicalbadinfluenceis putthere,sometimes with
dubiouscorrectness.HowevertheVicecansometimes
serveas aninteresting
indicatorin anoccultschool,for
humannaturebeingwhatit is,theunbalanceusuallymani­
festsfirst,sothatwhena studentwellestablishedin ·the
harmony
.ofTipharethstartsbecomingunaccountably
contentiousthenonecanmarkitdownas apossible
symptomofspiritualgrowth,for it.maymeanthathe is
approachingGeburahbuthasnotattainedfullcontrolof
itspotenciesyet.
49
41.
The Symbols:Theseare imagessubsidiarytotheMagical
ImageandasalreadymentionedinthesectiononArch­
angels,
canbeusedto makecontactwithcertainaspects
ofaSephirah.Theycanalso'throwfurtherlighton a
Sephirahfromadifferent
angle.pictorially,as the.subsid­
iarytitles
doverbally.
42.
TheYetziraticText: Thesetextsaredescriptionsofthe
SephirothandPathsasgiveninasupplementtothe.Sepher
Yetzirah,
orBookof
'.Formations,anearlyQabalistic
document.Thelanguage,thoughobscure,yields muchto
meditation.
43.
Thebookoftextsdesignatesas 'Paths'allthefacets
oftheTree-thetenSephirothandthetwentytwoPaths-­
hencetheexpression'
'TheThirtytwoPathsof'Concealed
Glory'.Italsogives eachoneatitle,calledan'Intelligence',
whichactsas a veryuseful
subsidiarytitletothe
SephirahorPath,
44.Thetranslationsusedare
thoseofDr.WynnWestcott,
takenfromtheHebrewversionofJoannesStephanus
Rittangeliusprinted·inAmsterdamin 1642,andwith
referenceto
numerousotherversions.Dr.A.E.Waitehas
criticisedthemasbeingtooeclecticandhasofferedhis
own
translationswhichheclaimedto be moreaccurate,
butexperiencehas showntheWestcottversionstobemore
valuable.It canhardlyberepeatedtoooftenthat'the
Qabalahis alivingpracticalsystem, notacutanddried
bodyofauthority.Even ifWaite'scontentionistrue,that
hisscholarshipis
superiortoWestcott's,itdoesnotalter
thefactthat,asfarasthemodernpracticalQabalistis
concerned,anintuitive,reconstructionofanancient and
probablycorrupttextissuperiorto anunimaginative
literal
translation.
45.The Flashing Colours:Thesearecoloursattributedto
each
Sephirah,oneforeachlevelwithinit. Invisualisation
it
canbe ahelpto use theappropriatecolour.ThusGod

32. 50
manifesting in aSephirahcouldbe picturedasanefful­
genceoftheAtziluthiccoIour,the Archangel as a pillar of
the
Briaticcolour,theAngels as
.geometric shapes of the
Yetziratic colour, and a generalbackgroundcould be used
of
theAssiatic'colour.
46.It is best to buildupavocabularyofcolour.in the
mind from thenaturalworld by.contemplating.thebrilliant
colours of sunrise or sunset for example, or
.thesubtle
colourings.ofthe
..floraand faunaofNature.iRadiant.Iight
shouldbetheconcept to getat.rather. than the reflected dull'
light of pigments. Thecliches'of the mind should be .over­
come by the freshness of
firsthandobservation.
47. Inpracticalworking, when pictures build
upsponta­
neouslyvinthe. imagination,itmaybe found that the
colours do not
correspondwiththetraditionalones. This
need not cause anygreatconcern for, from experience, the
colours seem to. be
Iargelyarbitraryforthey often vary
from person to person. Sometimes an
importantsymbol
will come up in theappropriatecolours.
48.,For general purposes inmeditationupon the Tree it
iscustomary
tothinkof each Sephirahinits Briatic colour.
Thisis nodoubtinaccordancewiththefactthatthe
Archangelic.force istheeasiest to handle.
49..Pagan. Myth%gy:Thegods.and, goddessesofpagan
mythology are sonumerousand diversifiedthatimmense
scholarshipwould be neededto,attributeeach to its place
ontheTree, and, beingcomposite,each could goonmore
than oneSephirah,
forexample, Artemis onGeburah,
YesodorNetzach, depending on eachone'sideaof the
God.
Inallcasesitistheideathatcounts. Notimeis
wastedinstudying-rnythologyhowever for all myths and
legendsare.expressions of arace'sattemptto.classify the
powers of God as they workthroughthe subjective and
objective worlds.AlLthegods andgoddessesare aspects
of the One
God,butthey
arenot codified so neatly as the
51
TenEmanationsof the Jewish Qabalah,It is a useful
exercise tocorrelatethe different systemsthough,.for one
throwslighton another, not only from the pointofview of
intellectualunderstandingbut also from thestimulationof
theimagination.Apersonwhocouldmakelittle of the idea
ofChokmah,for instance, mightgetclosertoan awareness
of itsnaturebyconsideringtheattributionof Zeus hurling
thunderbolts.But then in hisotheraspects Zeus could
equally beconsidered.as aKether figure..as
~ingof the
gods, or in
Chesedas thebeneficentruler,
orInGeburah
etc, etc, etc. Againonesees theimpossibilityof cut and
driedcataloguirtg.Nosystem.aticattributionswill be made
thereforethroughoutthe text unless to emphasise a partie­
ular point. It isstronglyrecommendedthatstudentstry
to work outcorrespondencesfor themselves for. this will
producefacility in using the Tree. Alsoattributionsmay
vary, quitevalidly,from person to person, and sot.h~re
is little to be gained byhuntingup supposedauthorities,
such asCrowley's
'777'or even the text of this book. With
theQabalahit is a question of
'noticket--nolaundry'"'­
and the only valid ticket ispersonalexperience.
50. The Tarot:Ascorrespondencestothe Tree of Life, the
twentytwoTrumpsof theTarotrelate to the Paths, the
sixteenCourtCardsto theFourWorlds, and the forty
smallcards to theSephirothaccording to number. As the
Tarotis a complete system within itself it will be dealt
with as a whole, including theSephirothicattributions,in
the second volume
ofthis
book.
51.TheGrades:An esoteric grade is assigned to each Sephi­
rah but as there is so muchmisunderstandingwith regard to
theconceptionof esoteric grades they demand a special
chapter
tothemselves.
52. TheQliphoth:
Thesedemonic 'forces are best left until
agoodgeneral idea of the Treehasbeen assimilated.They

33. 52
arethusalsotreated·separately.
53.
Miscellaneous:Thisincludespreciousstones,plants,
animals,perfumes,
alchemicaltermsetc.,mostofwhich
are
.•highlyarbitraryand.Inanycasemoreintheprovince
oftheexperiencedritualist. Thusaseparate.chapteris
allocated
tothissubjectalso. PartII

34. ChapterY
THEUN,MANlf"'ESTANDTHEVEILS
OFNEGATIVEEXISTENCE
1. Before themanifestationofthe first,Sephirahis the
Unmanifest,which,throughthecondensationof the Cloud­
Veils of Negative Existence, finally concretes Kether, the
first manifest of the manifest Universe.
2.
TheUnmanifest
isthatwhich is, beforeanythingwas,
and to
whichall thingswillreturn..
Itis thealpha andthe
omega,
theBeginning andtheEnding.Ttis nota thingthat
can be explained ,because it is beyond the reach of the
rational
.mind.Itis a concept which defies
thereason
because it is above reason.Itisperhapsto-breakpeople
of thedominationof reasonthat
ZenBuddhism usesaphorismslike'imaginethe sound of one hand'clapping'.
Anattemptto imagine
theUnrnanifestthrowsa..similar
spannerinto
,the,worksofthe mind.
3.The,firstchapterof'TheCosmicDoctrine',the cos­
mological treatise received from the inner'
planes .through
the mediurnshipofDian
Fortune,attemptsto describeit
as follows:
4."TheUnmanifestispure existence.Wecannotsay of
itthatis is Not.Althoughitisnotmanifest,.itlS. IT is the
source from
whichall arises.ITis the only'Reality'. IT
alone is substance. IT alone is
stable;allelseisanappear­
ance and a becoming.OfthisUnmanifestwecanonlysay
~ITIS'.ITistheverb'tobe'turnedback uponitself.IT
is a state of pure 'Being',withoutqualities
andwithout
history. All we
cansay of'I'T isthatitisnot anythingthat
we know,
forifwe knowanythingit must be in manifesta-
53

35. 54
Fig.4a.TheThree PrimaryRingso.f
'The.CosmicDoctrine.' The
RingCosmos subsequently
becomesadisc, concreting a
centre-'TheCentralStillness.
tionfor us toknow it,andif it is in.manifestation,it is
notunmanifest.
TheUnmanifestis
theGreatNegation;
at thesametimeIT istheinfinitepotencywhich has not
occurred',It is bestconceived ofundertheimage ofinter­
stellar'
space."t
5. It is well
tonotethattheimageofinterstellarspace
is .but asymbol
toassistunderstanding. Thesamesource
goes on todescribetheprocess
offirstmanifestationas
'space-beginningto move
ina ring, ifonecanconceiveof
nothingnessmoving, andthe"movement'ofthis ring
settingup'.'movement'at'rightangles'to it so thatanother
'rin'g.isformedoutsidethe first. Theinteractionofthe
forcesofthe two.ringsthencauses.theinnerringtorotate
ontheaxisformedwhere thetworingsinterconnect, thus
causinga.thirdsphericalringtobeformed'bythetrans­
verse
rotationoftheprimaryring.Thesymbolthus
describedresemblesagyroscope.(Fig.4a) Thecentral
ring,spinningin two
directionsat.
oncethen.concretesa
centre.
The CosmicDoctrine--DionFortune.Published byAquarianPress. London.
55
Fig
..4b.TheCloud-Veilsof
Negative
Existence
Concreting Kether.
6.Thefirst ring, from which iseventually createdthe
wholeCosmos,iscalledtheRingCosmos;
thesecond'ring,
which'acts as a.thrust-blockfor the firstring's.secondary
movement,iscalled
theRingChaos; andthethirdring,
describedby
.thetransversespin ofthefirst, iscalled the
Ring-Pass-Notbecauseittranscribesasphere oflimitation
for allfuturedevelopment.
Thecentrethenformedbythe
Ring
CosmoscorrespondstoKether,
7. It,mustberemembered
thatthisis allmetaphor.
8. These,threeRings can be
equatedwiththeVeilsof
NegativeExistenceon theTree ofLife.TheRingCosmos
toAIN,theRing ChaostoAINSOPH,andtheRing-Pass­
NottoAINSOPHAUR.
9.Thisconcretion ofacentre,Kether, byAINthrough
thedevelopment
ofAINSOPHandAINSOPHAU,R can be
furtherillustratedby thetraditionalQabalisticdiagram
of
theCloud-VeilsofNegativeExistence.(Fig. 4b) It will be
seen
thatthecorrespondencesfromthesetwosources are
exact.
10. In theoriginalHebrew,
thenamesoftheThreeVeils

36. 56
areofthree,six,and nine letters respectively, with each
threelettersoccurringin the next
denserVeil.AIN-Aleph,
Yod,Nun.AIN
SOPH~Aleph, Yod, Nun.Samekh,Vau,
Peh.
AINSOPHAUR-Aleph,Yod,Nun. Samekh,Vau,
Peh. Aleph,Vau,Resh, This has reference to
th.eThree
Pillars, which.are the three possibilities<ofthe way in
which force can manifest-s-active, passive orequilibrated.
TheFourWorlds of theSephirothonlyexistwhentheyhave
been achieved, and when.manifestationultimately with­
draws up
theplanes they cease·toexist.The. Pillars, as
possibilities, exist whetherthere
istmanifestationor not.
11.Thus the glyph of the Pillars should not bethoughtof
aspartof the glyph of the Tree of Life. They areseparate
entities. The
Sephirothareestablishedmodes of existence,
the Paths between
'themrareestablished experiences in
consciousness, but the Pillars are possibilities of rnanifesta­
tion and have their root in the.
Unmanifest,
12
..Inpursuitof furthermetaphorsfor theconcepts
implied. by the VeilsofNegative. Existenceitmay prove
helpful-toturnto..theearlyversesoftheOldTestament.
Ithasbeen .saidthatthe Bible .can be fully explained 'only
in the light of theQabalah,thelatterbeing .amystical
interpretationofit, as theTalmudis a learnedcommentary
upon it.Whetherthis·istrue or not would .need very
advancedunderstandingto judge, but in our
elementary
studies,theBible, which we do know fairlywellr.may
throw
somelight upontheQabalah,whichwedo not.
13.Verses twotofiveofthe firstchapterof Genesisread
as.follows:
"AndtheEarthwas withoutforrruandvoid:anddark..
ness wasupontheface ofthedeep. AndtheSpirit-of
God moved upon the face of the waters. 'And GodsaidvLet
there be light: and there was light. And Godsawthelight,
thatit.was good:andGod divided the light from.thedark..
ness. And God called the light Day, andthedarknessHe
calledNight."
14.Unless one is a confirmedFundamentalist, itwill.be
57
obviousthat'Earth',
'waters',and'light'are not meantto
be understood. in their
everyday
sense.As a suggestion,
thedarkvoid can beequatedwith AIN,Nothingness;the
Spirit of God moving.upon.thefaceofthe waters,withAlN
SOPH, the Limitless; and the light with AIN SOPHAUR,
the Limitless Light.
15. Here
itis
interestingto.recalltheEastern teaching
which conceives
of
DaysandNightsofManifestation.After
a Day ofManifestationthewhole Cosmos iswithdrawn
back to its source, where it rests. in aNightof
Pralaya,"AndGod called the lightDay,and thedarknessHe
calledNight."
16. In almost all religiouscreation
myths,creationfirst
occurs as
theimanifestationof
light.But theVeilsof
Negative Existence refer to thepre..dawn.period..before
darkness-has.fullygiven birthto.light, and inthisshadowy
area there are manysymbolswhichattemptto givesome
understandingof theprimordialdarknessbeforeanything
was. All of them, however, arevariationsupon
thecircle
or sphere, from the serpent with its,
tailin itsmouthto
the
'rotundum'ofthealchemists.
17
..Itisthecircularfigure,the endless line, which best
gives the idea of something which is self-contained,without
beginning or ending; withnobefore or after,thatis,time­
less;.withno above nor below,withoutspace. Space and
time, beginning and ending, come onlywiththe coming of
light, or consciousness, and this is not yet present.
18.It is also, as shown in the symbol of the CosmicEgg.,
the germ from. which allcreationarises. It is also a state
inwhichtheoppositesare united as is shown in theChinese
t'aichit'usign. (Fig. 4c)Itis theperfectbeginning
because theoppositeshave not yet
flownapartand the
perfect ending
because·theoppositeshave cometogether
again. It is
at·the same time the primal germ and the final
synthesis of allcreation.
J9. The firststanzaof
'TheSecret BookofDzyan'.given
inHillard'sabridgementof H.P.Blavatsky's'Secret

37. 58
Fig.4(.Chinese t'ai.chit'u sign,
'the supreme ultimate.'
Doctrine'givesanotherdescription ofthiscondition:
"TheEternalParent,wrappedinherever-invisible
robes, had
slumberedonceagain
forsevenEternities.
Time
wasnot, for
itlay asleep in the infinitebosom of
duration.UniversalMindwas not, for ··there were no
IntelligentBeings tocontainit....The causesofexistence
were no more; the visible
thatwas,andthe invisible that
is, rested ineternal Non-Being-theOne Being. Alone, the
One form
ofExistencestretchedboundless,infinite, cause­
less, indreamlesssleep; and Lifepulsatedunconsciousin
universalSpace,
throughoutthatAll-presencewhich is
sensed by the'OpenedEye'
ofthe Seer. But where was the
Seer when theOver-Soul
oftheUniversewasabsorbedin
the
Absolute,andthegreatWheel wasparentless?"
20.Herewe have,implicitin thedescription
ofthe Un­
manifest,
theideathatthereis a greatCyclic Law by
whichmanifestationoccursandtheniswithdrawnintothe
Unmanifestto come
forthintomanifestationagainat some
later
time-----althoughofcourse,at these levels,thereis
no suchthingas time as weunderstandit.
21.StanzaIII
ofthissacredbookdescribesthe first
coming
intomanifestation-thatis, inQabalisticterms,
theformation
ofthe firstemanation,Kether:
"ThelastvibrationoftheseventhEternitythrills
throughInfinitude.TheMotherswells,expandingfrom
59
withinwithout,like thebud ofthe lotus. Thevibration
sweepsalong,touchingwith itsswiftwing the whole
universe,and
theGermthatdwellethin Darkness;the
Darkness
thatbreathesover the s!umberingWatersof
Life.'Darkness'radiatesLight, andLightdropsonesolitary
Rayintothe
.Mother-deep.The Rayshootsthroughthe
virgin Egg, the
RaycausestheeternalEgg to thrilland
dropthenon-eternalGerm,whichcondenses
intothe
World-egg."
22. Thispassagecalls
tomind thesection ofGenesis
previouslyquoted,
"anddarknesswasuponthe face ofthe,
deep. And theSpirit
ofGodmoved'upon thefaceofthe
waters.And
Godsaid, Lettherebe light: andthere
was
light."And wehave'alreadyequated.this..with theThree
Veils
ofNegativeExistenceand theThreePrimary
·Rings
of'TheCosmicDoctrine'.
23.
TheStanzacontinues:
"Thenthethreefallinto the
four."The'three'refers totheVeilsofNegativeExistence,
in which are held thethreepossibilities
offorce. inaction,
positive,negativeor
equilibrated,whichissymbolisedin
the glyph
ofthePillars.The"four'refers toKether,which,
as we shall see in the nextchapter,is
ofafour-foldnature.
AsKetheris thecrown
ofcreationthisfour-foldnatureis
relevantto all levels
ofmanifestationand iswhat
.the
ancientscalled'theFourElements'.Theiridea thatall
substancewascomposed
ofvaryingmixtures ofearth,
air,
fire andwaterwas aphilosophicalconcept-s-theElements
being modes
ofbeing. Theyofcoursetried.to ,apply these
ideas toprimitivechemicalscience and much
error
resulted.But it is evenmoreerroneousformodernsto
thinkthemmoremistaken
.thanthey wereandthatthe
elementsas theyconsidered
themwere only thefourphysi­
cal ones.
24.TheStanzas
ofDzyanare wellworthcorrelating
as
far as ispossiblewith theaspects oftheTreeofLife. They
are said to betheoriginalworkfrom which the
-religious
booksofallnationsarecompiled,including 'TheBookof

38. 60
ConcealedMysteries' which is one of the mainQabalistic
texts. Thisneednotbetakentooliterallyasit is unlikely
thatthecopyingwas donephysically..What isprobably
meantisthattheinnersourceof divine writings is the same
andthattheStanzasofOzyanaretheoldestand purest
transcriptionof ideas from thissource.Bycomparing
sacredtextsandsymbolsystemsrnuch..enlightenmentcan
begained.Thelanguageofmostofthemis soobscureand
symbolicthatit is often·difflcult"totell the difference
betweenwhat isprofound.symbolism beyond one's present
understandingand what isjustcorruptioninthetext
throughfaulty copying ortranslation.But ifapparent
differencesare.approachedinacreative way,seekingto
find.resemblancesand.an.over-all
synthesisvmuchwill be
attained.
A.criticalapproach,seeking ·to expose .discrepan­
cies is
optlikely to beproductiveofanythingbut a cata­
logueofdiscrepancies.
25.Manyscriptsforexample setoutto symbolise differ­
ent things, and from different viewpoints and thus there
are bound to.bedifferences-ofdetail. Also it is well to
makeone's.owninterpretationofsymbolismthrough
meditation.randnot to acceptotherpeople'sideas.Notonly
aretheredifferences inpeople'spsychology, causing them
to see thingsinadifferentlight, but also much symbolism
has reference to
.manydifferent levels, .and
as.oneopens
consciousnesstodifferent levels of beingthenthe under­
standing
ofparticularsymbolisrnmaywell change or
expand also.· Always, the .only valid meaning to a symbol
is. the
meaning-thatonehas wrested from
itoneself. A
second-handmeaningis of aslittlevalue as no meaning-s­
and possibly aconsiderablepositive.hindrance.
26.Ascertainraceshave moreaptitude formetaphysical
speculationthanothersit will be foundthatsome mythol­
ogieshavecomparativelynaivecreation myths;··but on ·the
otherhand,manythatsound naive arereallyhighly
abstrusewhenthe keytothe symbolism is found. Also the
importantpoint, as mentioned above,iswhat aparticular
61
godorgoddess means tothestudentrnotnecessarily what
it is supposedtohave meanttothe originalworshippers.
Thelatterwill have ·varied from place to place andtime
to time, and itispresent time ·thatisimportant-tothe
esotericstudent,notthepast,or'eventhefuture.
27. A closecorrespondencewith theconceptionofthe
Unmanifestis to be found in the Greek Hesiod, who wrote
his'Theogony'
intheeighthcentury B.C.It
isthe oldest
known Greek.attemptata mythologicalclassification.
28."Inthebeginning,"he writes,"therewas.Chaosvast
anddark."
This
termChaoscomes from arootmeaning
'togape' andthusdesignates.openspace.Laterconfusion
has
.arisen
becauseof afalsederivationfromaword
meaning'topour'sothatthe word came to mean a confused
andunorganisedmass of elements scatteredthroughspace.
The original and•.true meaningisa pure cosmicprinciple
devoidofgod-like (orany)forms.
29.FromChaos,continuesHesiod, there firstappeared
Gaea, thedeep-breastedEarth.Gaeathus came tobean
Earthgoddess, which would place her Qabalisticattribu­
tion inMalkuth,butfurtherexaminationof hercharacter­
istics suggests
thattheEarthmeant is the
solidbasis of
primemanifestation,not the solid basis of thegrowthof
life on this planet. There is a symbolicanaloguebetween
earthand cosmic space as is shown in the ancient worship
of stones, by no means ameretotemisticreligion.
30.ApartfromGaeathere alsoappearedEros-e-not the
later minor god ofhumanlove but agrandercosmological
conception. There is a parallel between themthough
-if
one
considersthatthere is Divineaswell asprofanelove-­
Divine Union as well as sexual union. And Union with God
is the Spiritual Experience ofKether.One could conceive
of a mighty Eros rising and loosing a greatarrowwhich,
wingingthroughspace, creates the planes while descending
them like the Lightning Flash upon
the
Tree.
31.ThusGaeaand Eros couldbothbe considered as
Ketherfigures,bringingattentiontothebi-polarityof God.

39. 62
In.supportofthisattributionthereis thefact thatGaea
gavebirthtoUranus, 'thestarrysky', andPontus,'the
sterilesea',which tie in well ascorrespondences ofChok­
mahandBinah.
32.
ChaosalsobroughtforthErebusand Nightwho, in
turn,matedandgavebirthto EtherandHemera,the day.
This alsocorresponds.with .the first.manifestation
oflight
asdescribedin
thetextsalreadyexamined.
33.
IntheEgyptianpantheons,theHeliopolitansystem
describesthegodNuas theprimordialOceanin which the
germ
ofallcreationlay. He was ··called the'fatherofthe
gods'buthadnotemplesbuiltfor him andwas apurely
intellectualconcept,thoughsometimesshownas
a.figure
waist-deep
inwaterholdingup thegods hehad
.created.
It was
taughtthatinsideNu,beforethecreation,
...there
lived aformlessspiritcalled.
Atum,whoborewithinhim
thetotality
ofall existence.Whenhe finallymanifested
from
Nuas aseparateentityhe gavebirthto allgods,
men and livingthingsand wasthenknown
asRaorAtum­
Ra-obviouslyinthismytha Ketherfigure.
34.
Hathor,inthatshe wasdescribedby some texts asa
greatcelestialcow whocreated theworldandeverything
in it,includingthe
Sun..can also be
.alignedwiththeUn­
manifest.Thereis
aptto be acertainoverlapping of
conceptsparticularlywithMothergoddesses,becausewhat
isconsideredas
theMotherofForms,and aBinahfigure,
can also, on ahigherlevel, beconsidereda
MotherofAll,
andthusaform-givingaspect ofthe Unmanifest;in
Qabalastic
terms,theAINSOPH.Onemustaccustom
oneself
tothese.transpositions,forthoughthey may appear
confusingat first they givemanyuseful clues tothe rela­
tionshipsbetweenaspectsof.themanifestUniverse;more­
over,whilsttheSephirotharesimple'mono-ideas',the
god-forms,beingmadebyhumans,areinevitablycomplex
and so
fitseveralsimplicities.
35.
Anotherexampleofthistranspositionformula,which
is
foundmostfrequently.intheEgyptianpantheons,is
63
thescarabor beetlegod,Khephera.He was said
toemerge
from his ownsubstance
andwas.thereforea symbolboth
oftheSun and alsooflife,whichiscontinuallyreborn of
itself.Butbearinginmind thecyclicrhythmofDaysand
NightsofManifestationitcouldequallybeappliedto the
Unrnanifest.Anon-Egyptian analogueofthiswouldbe ·the
pheonix,rising from its own ashes.Thisisprimarilya
symbol
ofreligiousregeneration butall lifehasitsanalogues
onhigher.andlower
levelsinaccordancewith
theHermetic
axiom
'Asabove-sobelow'.
36. So inattempting
togetbehind thesymbolismtothe
reality
.:of.amyththeterms .usedmust
notbetakenat
theirface-valueonly. Wehavealreadyseenthat'Earth'
can alsomeantheprimebasicsubstance ofmanifestation.
It is
notuncommonformodernstothink itratherquaint
thattheancientsshould havebelievedin acosmologyin
which
theSun andstarswerecreatedafter theEarth.
Andit istruethat.beforeCopernicusthemajority ofman­
kindbelieved.
this-somestilldo.But manymythsare
parablesinventedbythepriesthoodandtheinitiatory
schoolsto embodyteachingsofcosmicprinciples, andare
notmeantto betakenattheirfacevalue anymorethan
theChristianparables. TheparableoftheSowerhas not
beeninvalidatedbymodernadvancesinagriculturaltech­
niquesanymore
thanancientcosmogonyisinvalidatedby
astronomy,oralchemybymodernchemistry.Theterms
of
referencearedifferent.
37.Similarlywithsomemythswherethe Sun isreferred
to,
ortheMoon,they mayhavereference topsychological
statesor toanythingradiant,positiveand life giving
and
anything.reflective,negative andmagneticrespectively.
Onehas to
learntothinkinanalogyas theancientsdid.
It istrue
thatthinkingbyanalogyis viewedwithgreat
suspicionby
logic-butinthesematters ofshiftingsymbols
andvariablepsychological.equationslogic
isoftenmore
hindrance
thanhelp.
38. The Sun
thatappearsinsomesymbols,even if it

40. KETHER---THE CROWN
ChapterVI
Artancient bearded.kinginprofile.
Eheieh,
Metatron:
Chaioth he Qadesh, HolyLivingCreatures.
Prirnum Mobile. FirstSwirlings,
Attainment.CompletionoftheGreatWork.
ExistenceofExistences.ConcealedoftheCan..
cealed.AncientofAncients. AncientofDays.The
Smooth Point. The Primordial Point. The Most
High. TheVastCountenance', The WhiteHead.
The Head WhichIsNot.Macroprosopos,
Union with God.
Brilliance.
Pure white brilliance.
Pure white brilliance.
White,
fleckedgold.
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRATIC COLOUR:
ASSIATICCOLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
Thepoint.The point
withina circle; The crown,
The swastika.
1.Ketheristhe fount ofCreation,thepointwhere life
wellsupfrom thedeepsoftheGreatUnmanifest.Itis
manifestationonthepointofbecomingmanifest,thecentre
crystallisedinthemidst ofNon-being, containingwithinit
thepotentialitiesofall tocome.Itisthesupremeheightof
Godheadalthoughitmustnot be forgottenthatallthe
Sephirothareequallyholy;beingemanationsofthe.One
God.ThusMalkuth,thephysicalworld,is asdivineas the
highestspiritualsphere, Kether,the CrownofCreation.
65
"TheFirstPath
iscalledtheAdmirable orHiddenIntelli­
gencebecauseitistheLightgivingthepower··ofeompre­
hensionoftheFirstPrinciple,whichhathnobeginning.And
itisthePrimalGlory,becausenocreatedbeing.'can.attain
toitsessence."
MA'GICALIMAGE:
GODNAME:
ARCHANG~L:
ORDER OF ANGELS:
MUNDANE
CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
64
should
applytoastellarbody,mayhavereferencetoother
starsthanourSun.Thisisparticularlytobewatchedfor
in.connectionwithwingedEgyptianfigures.Wings.appear
seldomll
l11on
gtheEgyptiangods.forit\Vas.llconcept
beyondtheexotericreligion oftheperiodvbutwherethey
do,itsignifiesthecosmicprincipleofaparticularforce.
Thusthesolardiskwornonthehead-dressofIsisor
Hathor.particularlytheWingedIsis-referstoSothis,now
morecommonly knownasSirius,theDogStar,which.Was
astarparticularlysacredto Isis.
39.Esotericstudents ofsomeexperience willseetheim­
plicationsofthis,.forSothis.:alongwith theGreatBear
andPleiadesris-aeource.ofpowerbehindthetwelve
zodiacalconstellations,whichinturnradiateinfluencesto
ourSolarSystemviathe..mediationoftheSolarLogos--­
ourGod.
40.Intheesotericpsychologyof.man,theVeilsof
NegativeExistencecorrespondto thatpartofhisbeing
whereforcesfromoutside.the SolarLogoidaljurisdiction
cancontacthim,usuallyfromUniverseswhereprevious
evolutionaryexperiencehasbeenundergone..Suchacon­
tact,ifvery.strong, comingfromsuchaforeignsource,
mightcausestrangeaberrations withinthatsoul.Some­
timesa Black Adeptstartshiscareerthus,thoughnotall
suchcontactsareoutoflinewiththePlanofthisSolar
LogoidalSystemandmay bedesirous.ofserving it.
41. To 'helptogainaconscious conceptionofNegative
Existence,speculativemeditationisrecommendedonthe
textsanddiagrams ..givenandon anyoftheearlycreation
mythswithwhichthestudentmaybefamiliar.Itmayalso
help.
toworkon
thefollowingseedideas andimages:
a)·
a
vacuumofpressure.
b)alimitlessoceanofnegativelight.
c)·nothingnesscrystallisingacentre.
d)aninvisiblewebuponwhichshiningdewforms.

41. 66
2.Thosewhoconsider Malkuthhoty.withoutreference
to thehigherSephirothfall.intotheerror
ofpantheism,
which is ahalf-truth.Thosewhoconsider
Kethertobe
holierthanthesubsequentcreationfall into theequal
error
of'.denyingtheUnityofGod,ofsettingup adichotomy
between'SpiritandMatter.Allsubsequentcreationfrom
thepureforce
ofKetheris
·agradualconcretionintoform
ofthe one divine force.Formisforcelocked upintopatterns
ofits ownmaking.Forceis thatwhich is released when
thepatternsor forms arebroken.Forceand form, are
one and the
same-'Asabove-sobelow'.
3. This is theprincipleof the unity
ofoppositesand of
theprocessesoflife anddeath.Forceon one level acts as
aduality,functioningeitheractively or passively. When
opposingforces meet theymutuallyattractand repel one
another,form aspinningringafterthemanner
ofthe
process.describedin theextractfrom
'TheCosmic
Doctrine'in theprecedingchapter,and thus descend a
plane,creatinga formthroughtheinterlockedequilibrium
oftheirpotencies.Inalikemanner,if thestabilisedform
isbroken,the forcesinherentin it become free-moving,
on 'a higher plane.
4. To anentityconsciouson thelowerplanewhere the
form is built, theinterlocking
ofthehigher forces,causing
a form on
thelower level, willappearto beabirth,When
the form isbrokenand
theforcesreturntotheiroriginal
higher level the process willappear
asadeath.
5.To anentityconsciouson thehigherplanehowever,
the descent" into form
offree-movingforces will be con­
sidered adeath,
andthebreakup ofa formtorelease the
forces. will be abirth.
6. In this way
itwill be seenthatbirthanddeathare two
sides
ofthesamecoin. Theemptyshell of thebuilt-upform
remainson the lowerplane,to resolve backintothe basic
matter
ofthat,plane,and the forcesreturn
totheirhigher
level, nowvibratingwith theexperience'
ofmanifestation
in thedenserform.
67
7. This is thebasicpatternofallmanifestationand un­
manifestation,which we havealreadyseen to be cyclic.
It is also theprocess
ofthehumansoulcomingdownthe
planes intodensestform andsubsequentlydying to this
form and beingrebornto theinnerworlds, and
then,after
a time
ofassimilationofpastexperienceindensestform,
comingto
birthintoit again by thedeath ofitsfreedomof
the less dense formsofthehigherplanes.This is the basic
doctrinebehindthetheory
ofreincarnation.It is also the
rationalebehindtheprimitivereligiouspractice
ofblood
sacrifice-bydestroyingthe form, force was released
to
wing its way to thehigherworlds.
8. The fossilisedremains
of.extinctspecies are the cast
off forms
oflife which
·werenolongeradequateto the
expression
.oflife-force. But the life has achievedrebirth
inhighertypesof vehicle
..,Itwasonlybyabandoning
simplerforms
thatlifecould entermorecomplexexpres­
sions
..ofexistence. Aconsciousnessinhabitingadoomed
simpler. form would lookuponthe decline
ofits genus as
a
.tragedy.Aconsciousnessinhabitingamoreadvanced
evolutionaryform,growinginpowerat the expense
ofthe
old, would rejoice. In this
waydo species and races and
nationsrise and fall.
FromthestandpointofKetherit is
all one, forKetheristhebasic life-force at the
rootofall
forms.Thusthis level isbeyondthe
goodand evil as con­
ceived
ofbyconsciousnesseslimitedin forms. InKether
is
theSpiritthatknowsit isimmortalwhateverthe
triumphsand vicissitudes oftheexpressionsofform.
9. In this way it can beconsideredas theCrown
of
Creationas theCrownin amodernmonarchyisabovethe
roughandtumble
ofpartypolitics. This indeed could be
regardedas anaspect
ofKetherin thesphere ofMalkuth
-andtheCrownis asymbol ofKether.
10. Theothersymbols, thepointand thepointwithin a
circle,indicatethemanifestation
ofKetherto beboththe
simplest form
ofmanifestation,as apointis thesimplest
geometrical
figure,andalso theconcretion ofacentrein

42. 68
theGreatRoundoftheUnrnanifest.Thesubsidiarytitles
alsobear-outthisattribution,particularlyThePrimordial
PointandTheSmoothPoint.Thelattertitleis oneofthose
conceptionswhich ..are.nonsensicaltotheconcretemind,
forapoint,bydefinition,hasnosurfacetoberough·or
smooth.Itimpliesasphereofnomagnitudeandtakesinto
accounttheUnmanifestsideofKetnerwhichis'alsoimplied
bythe-titlesConcealed.•ofthe·ConcealedandTheHead
WhichIsNot.AsthereisadarksideoftheMoonwhichis
everinvisibletomananEarthsoisthereasideto Kether
which,beingoftheUnmanifest,isincomprehensibletothe
restofcreation.
11.AstheYetziraticTextsays,itisthePrimalGlory,
becauseno-createdbeingcanattainto itsessence. Were
anycreatedbeingto attaintoitsessence,whichaccording
totheSpiritualExperienceis UnionwithGod,itwould.by
thatvery-factbecomeuncreate, Yetthisisthegoalofall
evolutionas
theVirtueofKetherreveals,Attainment,
CompletionoftheGreatWork.TheGreatWork,aterm
oftenmetwith inmagicalandalchemicalwritings,is the
great
workoflifeitself,thedeathoffree-movingspirit
intoformanditssubsequentregeneration.
12."TheFirstPathiscalledtheAdmirableorHidden
Intelligencebecauseit is theLightgiving thepowerof
comprehensionoftheFirstPrinciple,whichhathno
beginning."
13.This.mainstatementoftheYetziraticTextconfirms
theSpiritualExperience,foronly UnionwithGodcangive
thepowerofcomprehensionoftheimmortalSpirit,which
isthe.first.principlebehindmanifestationandbeing.im­
mortal,withoutbeginningorending.ThusisthisSphere
calledtheAdmirableIntelligenceforcreatedbeingscan
onlyadore-oradmire-inthepresenceofGod.Andthe
HiddenIntelligence.againsignifiesthattheSpiritstems
fromtheunknowableGreatUnmanifest.TheTextalso
referstotheSephirahas'theLightgivingthe powerof
comprehension'r.againweseethatLightisthefirstthing
69
manifest,andinKether...theLightgivescomprehensionof
itselftoitself. It willberememberedfromGenesisthat,on
thecreationofLight,theDarknesscomprehendeditnot.
Itmustalsobe borneinmindthattheLightreferredtois
notthetypeofetheric.disturbancethatwecalllight.but
ahighmetaphysical conceptofwhichthelight.oftheSun
andstarsisonlya symbol.andloweranalogue.Lightas
weperceiveit
through
·ourphysicalsenses couldbecon­
ceived
of
asadenseaspect oftheKetherofMalkuth,but
theLightoftheKetherofKetherisSpirit;justastheFire
thatPrometheusstolefrom.HeavenisatypeofSpiritual
Will.
14.Lightbeing
theFirstManifestit
isalsoobviously the
oldestthingincreation,except thatthesespirituallevels
areoutsideourconceptionsofspaceandtime.Thetitles
AncientofAncientsandAncientofDaysbringoutthis
point.Thedaysreferredto areobviouslyCosmicDaysof
Manifestation.TheMagicalImage,anancientbearded
kingshowninprofile,is apictorial symbolofthesetitles,
butcanbemisleading.FromthisMagicalImage,which
has.obviously
throughlongcontemplationofGod
bythe
exotericchurch,filtered throughtothepopularconception,
hasgrownthenaiverepresentationofGodas an oldman
withflowingwhite beardand.gown.
15.Thisis aconcreteexampleofthepowerbehindthese
Qabalisticsymbols,
forthecolourwhiteisalsoa Kether
colour-asforinstancein thetitle,TheWhiteHead;white
containsalltheothercoloursasKethercontainsallsub­
sequentmanifestation.
Butit isalsoanexample ofhow
symbols·canleadpeopleastray,for
manyprofesstodeny
religionon
thegrounds
thatitsanthropomorphicconcepts
aretoonaive,Thetruthis,ofcourse,thatthecriticis too
naive,and,as sooftenhappens,projectinghis ownfailings
ontotheoutsideworld, theonlyway mostofuscanface
ourowninadequacies,byblamingthemon.others.
16.However,while Godisarealbeing,andnotamere
metaphysical
abstraction,He isobviously notan oldman

43. 70
in awhitegowneither.In theMagicalImageHeiscon­
ceivedofas inprofile,for theothersideof.Ketheris
unmanifest,and·he isconsideredold'becauseKether·isthe
firstmanifest. Butoneshouldgleanashredofwisdom
from.themythofTithonus,whoobtainedthegiftofim­
mortalityfromthegodsbutforgotto.askforeternal
youth.Consequentlyhegotmoreandmoresenileand
decrepituntilhis life wasaburdento.him.As anactof
mercyhe waschangedto acicada-whichhepresumably
still is tothis day.Thiswasnodoubtalessontohim,but
thelessonforus is nottothinkofgreatdivinebeingsas
subjectto thephysicallaws oftime,biology andchemistry
andthusoldfashionedanddecrepit;theyalso have
'eternalyouth'.
17.TheNameofGodinKetherisEheiehwhichhasbeen
likenedto
theoutflowingandindrawingofthebreath,thus
symbolisingKetherastherootfromwhichall flows andto
whichall returns.TheDivineBreathisawidelyused
symbolamongstEasternmysticsandmuchoftheteach­
ing
behindHathaYogaisbaseduponit.
18.
TheHebrewletterswhichmakeuptheNameare
Aleph,Heh,Yod,Heh.Inthesymbolism.oftheHebrew
alphabettheletterAlephdenotesthebeginningsofthings
andHehthereception,orstabilisationata levelofform,
Yodrepresents thefertilisingprinciple. ThustheName
itselfimplies theinitialgoingforthofforcewhichisthen
stabilised,andthenafurtherfructifying
.emanationresult­
ingina finalstabilisation. Thiscanbeconsideredeither
asincreasingmanifestationinslightlydenserstages,or,
perhapsbetter,manifestationandthenreturntostability
in
theUnmanifest.Yod andHehcanalsorepresentthe
positiveandnegativeaspects offorceandthuscould
be
equatedwithChokmahandBinah.Thusonecouldconsider
theNametorepresentthecomingforthoflife(Aleph)
resultingin
thestabilisation(Heh)oftheprinciplesofman­
ifestation,positive (Yod).andnegative{Heh).Thereare
nodoubtfurtherpossibleinterpretations.
71
19.Eheiehhasbeenvariouslytranslatedas IAM,orI
AMTHAT
IAMorIBECOME.Allofwhichcorresponds
withthetitleassignedto Kether,ExistenceofExistences.
20.
ThecolourassignedtotheAtziluthofKetherisBril­liance,whichtranscendsallcolours,asKethertranscends
allcreation.
21.TheArchangeloftheSephirahis··Metatron,who
presidesoverthewholeTreeofLife as well asoverKether.
Traditionally,itwasMetatronwhogavethe·Qabalahto
man.Thiscanbetakentomeanthatfromhisinscrutably
highheavenly worldhesentthroughanideachartof
evolutionwhichwas imprintedonthehigherlevelsofman
sothatitcouldsubsequentlybebroughtthroughtothe
consciousmind'bythe·techniques.ofmeditation.
22. Itwasnotwhatcouldjustlybecalled'telepathy'for
itwasabovetherealmsoftheconcretemind.Suchahigh
beingas
Metatronwouldnotdealdirectlyin mentalcon­
ceptsorpictorialformsbutwould
makedirectcontact
withthespiritofman.Ontheabstractspirituallevelson
whichsuchabeingoperates,mentalideaswouldappear
assolidandconcreteaslumpsofrockdotousvandwhen
wewishto communicatetoeachotherwelookforeasier
methodsthancarvingmessagesonstone.
23.
Thisdoesnotmeanthatit
isimpossibletomakecon­
tactwithonesuchasMetatron;oneshouldneverallow one's
practicetobelimited-bytheoryinthesematters.Hecan
bepicturedintheBriaticcolourofKether,avastpower­
fullyradiatingpillarofpurewhitebrilliance.
24.
TheOrderofAngelsassignedtoKetherisTheHoly
LivingCreatures.Theseareclassifiedintofourtypesin
accordancewiththeBiblicalsystemwhichdescribes them
ashavingtheformsofaBull,a Lion,anEagleanda
Man.TheAngelsareconcernedwiththeFormativeWorld
ofaSephirahandthisis theclueto much,forwhatis
formedinKetherwill bereflected throughoutthewholeof
manifestation.Thisis·the
basisbehindthemuchmaligned
FourElementsoftheancientswhichtheJungianschoolof

44. 72
analyticalpsychology isnowdoingmuchtorestoreto
respectability.
25.Esoterically.speaking,GodmanifestsinFour.Aspects
asopposedtotheThree.AspectsorPersonsoftheexoteric
church.TheseFourAspectsaretheFather,Son,HolySpirit
andtheDestroyerorDisintegrator.TheAspectofthe
FatheristhePowerAspectortheSpiritualWill,The
AspectoftheSonis Love,thatis,completeunderstanding
oftheneedsofall,notsweetsentimentality.TheAspectof
theHolySpiritisWisdom,ActiveIntelligence orIllumina­
tion.
TheFourthAspect
istheWithdrawerofLifefrom
thedeathof'formandultimatelyofallmanifestlifetothe'
Unmanifest.
26. Allthewordsused todescribe theFourAspectsin
theaboveparagraphareinadequate.ThepowersofGod
arebeyondthe.graspofwordssoinsteadofbeinglimited
bythem.oneshould,bymeditation,try togetbeyondthem
tothetruththattheysopoorlyrepresent.
27.
ThesymbolsoftheHolyLivingCreatureswill berecognisedbyastrologicalstudentstocorrespondwiththe
zodiacalsigns ofTaurus,Leo,ScorpioandAquarius.These
aretheFixedSigns oftheFourElementsofEarth,Fire,
WaterandAirrespectivelyfor in Ketheraretherootsof
theElementalpowerswhich arerepresentedby theTarot
AcesofCoins,Wands,CupsandSwords,whichwere the
originaldesignation oftheDiamonds,Clubs,Heartsand
Spadesofmodernplayingcards.
28.Theancientssaid thatallthingswerebasically made
up·oftheFourElementsand.thisisliterallytrue,for the
Elementsaremodesofactionandnotjustthefourphysi­
calelements,althoughthesearereflectionsofthearchery­
palprinciplesinvolved.
29~.TheinterlinkingcorrespondencesoftheElementsare
numerousanditwouldbe oflittleuse toexamine themin
detailbeforeacomplete
examinationof
theTreehasbeen
undertaken.Studentsfamiliar.with Jungianpsychologycan
getsomeconceptionoftheirapplicationbyconsideringthe
73
fourJungianpsychologicalfunctionsofintuition,feeling,
intellect
andsensation,which correspondtoAir,Water,
FireandEarthandwhich
011thelowerSephirotbofthe
TreecanbeequatedwithTipharethvNetzach,Hodand
Malkuth.
30..ForcontactingtheangelicpowersofKetheritisnot
reallynecessarytogointoalonganalysis..ofcorrespond­
encesthough.Perhapsthebestimagetobuildup isthe
Swastika,whichis.anemblemoftheEqual-armedCrossof
theElementsincircularmotion..Onecanpicturea
swastikaofpurewhitebrilliance,withapictureofoneof
theHolyLivingCreaturesineacharm, andthenvisualise
theswastikaspinningrapidly onabrilliantaxisagainsta
backgroundofwhitefleckedwithgold.
31.Thisspinningmotion.willcallto.mindthe.1\1undane
ChakraofKether,thePrimumMobile,orFirst.Swirlings:
ThisattributionmeansthatanideaofKethercanbegained
bygoingoutandcontemplatingawhirling.nebulainthe
nightsky, for it willbean.astronomicalanalogueofthe
cosmologicalcreation. Thissymbolmayalsoservetoshow
thattheancientswere notallsodumb,astronomically
speaking,as weliketomakeout.
32.ThetitleassignedtoKetherofMacroprosopos,orThe
VastCountenance,is apurely.Qabalisticone,relating to ,
oneofthewaysofdividingtheTree.These patternsonthe
TreewiUbedealtwithin a laterchapterbutthetitleof
TheVastCountenancecanbeusedas animage without
referencetometaphysicaltheory,Imagineagreathead
arisingfrom thedepthsofacalmstillseauntilit com­
pletelycovers the.spaceabovethehorizon.Thenseethe
imageofthisvastcountenancereflected inthe.waters.
33.Alternatively,
one
canidentifyoneselfwith thevast
countenancerising,perceiving one'sreflectionon .the
surfaceofthegreatdeepfromwhenceonehasarisen.Or,
identifyoneselfwiththe,reflection..Mostsymbols canbe
usedinthissubjectiveway,whatever theirform,butused
inthiswaytheireffectsmaybefarmorepotentthanthe

45. 74
usualmethodofvisualisingthemobjectively.Theprocess
sh.ould be .used
withdiscretion.
34. Inmythology
Kethercanbealignedwithall prime
creatorsspringingupfromthe abyssof
.waterorspace,
self-created,·and·creatingall othergods,men and'living
things.Therecanbe acertain amountofoverlapping;for
where
aprimecreatoris
.male··hecouldalsohave.claims
to.bealignedwith Chokmah.:andiffemale,withBinah.
ThestateofKetherisreallyandrogynousand···wehave
already.examinedthis
dualnatureinthecosmologicalcon­
ceptionofHesiod.wherebothGaeaandEroscanbeconsi­
dered
.Ketherfigures..Cronos,also,.couldbeconsidered
a
Kether'figure,.inthat
···he··devoured·hischildrenas
Ketherfinallyindrawsallthathasbeencreated throughit.
35.Cronosishoweveroftheseconddivinedynasty ofthe
Greeksandalthoughtheaboveattributionisvalid'for
anyone
whocaresto
makeitsovCronoshasreferenceto
amuchlaterstageormanifestation.Hewasone'ofthe
Titans,whocan be consideredhumanmemoriesofa pre­
humanrace.They-tookpartintheGreek.version ofThe
WarjnHeavenwhichappearsinsomany·mythologies,
including
theBible.Cronosinturnwasoverthrownby
Zeus,who,with
theotherOlympians,
was·themainmani­
festationofGodtotheGreeks.
36. In
theOrphic'cosmogony Cronosis anentirelydif­
ferentconcept,beingcalled
theFirstPrinciple-s-Time,
fromwhich
cameChaos,theinfinite,andEther,thefinite.
Chaoswassurroundedby Night,andinthedarkness
an
egg wasformed ofwhichNightformedtheshell.Thecentre
of.theegg was Phanes-'-Light,creator;.inconjunction
withNight,ofheavenandearthandalsoZeus.
37.Thiscreation
fantasycanbeconsideredas
aresume
oftheconcretionofKether,.Thedistinctionsoftime,
InfiniteandFinite,LightandDarknessarephilosophical
abstractionswhich
demonstratethisconception,.tobe
a
metaphysicalstructure rather·thangenuineprimitivemyth.
Thesewritingswereattributedto
Orpheus,whoseoriginal
75
teachingswere
probablyofEasternorigin, thoughit was
DionysoswhobecamethesupremegodofOrphism.
38. In
theEgyptianpantheonsThoth,Ra,PtahandOsiris
amongstotherswere
allcreditedbytheirfollowerswith
creatingtheUniverse.
ButtheHeliopolitansystem. seems
tocorrespondwith
theQabalisticconceptbest in Atum-Ra,
who livedinside Nubeforeanythingwas, andwhosename
Atumderives'froma rootmeaningboth'not
tobe'and'to
becomplete'which.correspondswell with ·the dualmani­
fest
andunmanifest,alpha' andomega,beginningandending
aspects
ofKether.

46. CHOKMAH __WISDOM
ChapterVII
SPIRITUAL'EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATIC COLOUR:
YETZIRATIC COLOUR:
ASSIATIC COLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
"TheSecond
Pqthis-calledtheIlluminatingIntelligence.
It istheCrownofCreation, theSplendourofUnity,equal­
lingit,Itisexaltedabove every head, and is namedby
Qabalists, theSecondGlory."
MAGICAL IMAGE: A bearded male figure.
GOD NAME: Jehovah, or Jah.
ARCHANGEL:
Ratziel.
ORDEROF ANGELS: Auphanim.Wheels.
MUNDANE CHAKRA: The Zodiac.
VIRTUE: Devotion.
TITLES: Power of Yetzirah.
Ab.Abba. The Supernal
Father.Tetragrammaton.Yod of Tetragramma­
ton.
The Vision of God face to face.
Pure soft blue.
Gr~y.
Pearlgrey',iridescence.
White.fleckedred, blue and yellow.
The
lingam,The phallus. Yod. The Inner Robe
of Glory. The standing stone. The tower. The
uplifted Rod of Power.
The,straight line.
1.Chokmahis the dynamicthrustand drive of spiritual
force.
Itisthe upwelling spirit of Kether in positive action,
the
powerhouse of the Universe. One does nothaveto be
much of aFreudianpsychologist to see the idea of, mas­
culine sexuality behind most of the subsidiary symbols
assigned to theSphere.At the same timeChokmahis the
SephirabofWisdom, which mayseemrather strangeat
first sight, forinmuchof the workings out ofthedrive of
sexuality,Wisdom is usually the one thing which is notice­
ableby itsabsence.However,itmust berememberedthat
76
77
we are dealing with cosmic
principlesbehind manifesta­
tion and not withtheirreflectioninthe greatlyaberrated
actions of
man.
2.In its
passiveaspect.Chokrnahis a reflection'ofthe
primal'upwellingof forceinKether,andin its positiveas­
pectitis'the divine force inpositivefunctionasopposedto
its passivemodeofactionin Binah. Whentheglyphof the
Pillars is placed
upontheTree.Chokmahis atthehead of
the Positive Pillar
andBinahatthe.headoftheNegative
one,sowecan expect tofindallsymbolsofapositiveand
masculinenature"assigned.to,theformer,'and'all',symbols
of a passive andfemininenatureassigned tothe latter.
3. Before making anexaminationofthephallicChokmah
symbols though, it will bebesttoexamineitsaspectsas'a
reflectionofKether.In all matters ofspiritualanalysis it
is best to work from the 'highestpoint'downwa.rdsinorder
togetagenuineunderstanding,forthe'higherprecedesthe
lower in point of creation and is thus itscause.Thus
Chokmah
isadynarnicSephirahbecauseit
is'a-reflection
of Kether and all the subsequent symbolism'stems'from
this fact. By examiningthernalesexual symbolism first
and then preceding fromthatto'the cosmic factors one, is
liable to fall into
theerror' of
manyfollowers of Freud who
try to describe religious symbolism as mere projections of
human sexuality.
4. To use the language ofmetaphorical
symbolism,one
could say that the
God-headmanifests, a VastCounten­
ance, from the nothingness of theGreat
Unmanifest. It is
therefore alone and self-created with nothing else in
man­
ifestation toattractitsattention.Itthereforereflectsupon
itself and this reflection causes'animage ofitself-tobe
formed,and as the Mind of God is so powerful, thisimage
takes on anobjectiveexistence-s-anythingthatGod thinks,
is.Thusthewhole'ofmanifestationcould be conceived of
as thethoughtprocess ofGod."We aresuchstuff as
dreamsaremadeon."
5.It is this firstprojectionof anidea.'of itself,thatis

47. 78
whatwe call theSephirah Chokmah.It istheactionofthe
Mind
ofGodinmanifestation,andthisgreatimageofGod,
being aperfectimage,is alsoself-conscious,so
thata'
greatpolarity ofmutualrecognitionissetupbetween
KetherandChokmah.AsGodinKetherbecomesaware of
theimageofitselfin ChokmahsodoesItsownmentation
change,thusproducingachange.in Itsimage, Chokmah,
whichagainproducesachange inK.ether,andso on ad
infinitum.
6.
"TheLordourGodisalivingGod".The.Mysteriesof
thisgreatprimalpolarity are
partofthegreatEleventh
PathofConcealedGlorywhichleads betweenChokmah
andKetherandwhoseTarotsymbolis perhapsthepro­
foundestin.thewholepack;-TheFool.
7.·Itmaybenoticedthatwereferto Godas It.Thisis
notmeantin anattempttoreducetheUniverseto a eon­
ception
ofmechanics-thoughmechanics,
likegeometry,
can give a useful field
ofsymbolism,"Godgeometrises."­
butbecauseGodis theGreatAndrogyne,bothmasculine
and
..feminineandyettranscendingthem.
8. It is in view
ofthispureprimereflection oftheGod­
head,Kether, thatthe YetziraticTextdescribesChokmah
as"theCrownofCreation,theSplendourofUnity,equal­
ling it. It isexaltedaboveeveryhead,
andisnamedby
Qabalists,
theSecondGlory."
9.
Italsoexplainsthenature oftheSpiritualExperience
ofChokrnah,the VisionofGodface to face. It isunlikely
thatany livingpersoncould attainto such a high mystic
vision, for as is said in the Bible in severalplaces,no.man
canlook uponthe faceofGodandlive.Andwhen one
realiseshow difficult it is
formantolookuponhimselfas
he really is,one
canimagine'howtnuchmore ofashatter­
ingexperienceitwouldbe tolook
uponhisCreator.How­
ever,
theparallelis notexact,formanfindsitdifficult to
look
uponhimselfbecause ofthetawdryshabbinessofhis
own sins,whereastheVision
ofGodface tofacewouldbe
arealisation
ofsearingomnipotentperfection-s-ornaked
79
Truth.Yetas manisbuiltin theimageofGod,he has his
own
God-headwithinhim, hisSpiritwhichfirstcreated
him.Thishe
has.tolookuponalsointhe>end. Butwhat
stopshim is hisownself-madeblockages,thebarriershe
hascreated.withinhimself.
throughhis
.deviationfrom.the
DivinePlan.Thushe has first tofacehisownDweller.on
theThreshold,todispersehis ownShadowand. FalseDark­
ness'beforehe cango oneventuallytofacetheLight,The
Lightthatisusuallyreferred'to in.religiouswritingsis that
ofTiphareth,andthefacingoftheDwellercomeson the
PathsbetweenTipharethandGeburah,andGeburah.and
Chesed,
farbelow theexaltedvisions of.Chokmah.
10. InfurtherconfirmationofthisanalysisofChokmah,
itsVirtueis Devotion.andonecanimagine
..thatany Vision
ofGodface 'to face .would impeldevotion.At such a high
levelofmysticalrealisationas this therecouldbe no evil
manifesting
andsocas.with.Kether, there
is.no Vice' as­
signed to
Chokrnah.Andlooking
attheworldtoday'it is
prettyobvious
thatgeneralconditionsaresotainted that
no-onecouldlive an active lifewithoutdirtyinghishands
spiritually.in some
way-theonlyexceptionbeingonesuch
as
OurLord
..So ifanyoneclaimsto be oftheesotericgrade
ofMagusorIpsissimus,thegradesassignedto Chokmah
andKether,heproclaimshimselfeitheras aChrist,a liar,
or a fool.Andif injustificationheshouldsay
that
the
assignationofthePathbetweenChokrnahandKetheris
TheFool,thenhe isfurtherguilty ofasheerignorantabuse
ofsymbolism.It is themeaningbehindsymbolismthatis
important,
notthemereoutwardformofthesymbolas
wemustrealiseif we are tounderstandthephallic
sym­
bolismofChokmahandtheyonicsymbolismofBinah
correctly.
11.,Thepositivemasculineside ofChokmahis the All­
Fatheras issuggestedby theMagicalImageofabearded
male figure,
andthesubsidiarytitle ofTheSupernalFather.
12.The
NameofGodin theSphere ofChokmahisJeho­
vah, or, as itappearsintransliteratedHebrewscript,
JHVH.

48. 80
(Yod,Hen,Vau,Heh.}MuchhasbeenwrittenonthisNarne,
iti SthepedanticQabalist's-delight.It·..is-thisparticular
"Nall1eofwhichitissaidthatwere ittobepronounced
;correctlytheUniversewould bedestroyed.'It.is.notrecom-
tt1en~edthatstud~ntsattempt/the¢xperilt1ent as-theirvocal
chords\iill
he\Vornoutwitheffortlong
beforetheattempted
cataclysmisachieved..Silencewill comeuponthem,but
nottheUnmanifestSilence,
13.The.motecredlbtetdeabehtodthiastoryis.thatany­
oneabletofunctionintheSephirahChokmahvwhichisthe
SphereoftheVisionofGodfacetoface,wO~ldbe,through
the.absolutepurityof.Devotion.•.offhisexperience.idrawn
intoUnionwithGod,andwouldthus,from thepointofview
of'<manifestation.inoIongervexist.vHe-wouldattainan
entirelynoumenalrather...thanajrherrornenal-realityand
thushisownmanifestUniversewouldbedestroyed.
14.Thisisnottodenythatthereisgreatpowerbehind
certainwords,patticularlyHolyNames.Onthecontrary
thereisoftengreatpower; thatiswhattheNamesarefor
andtheyshould.nctbe.usedindiscriminately. Thereare
manyWordsofPower.inoccultismwhich arekeptas
guardedsecretsforthisreason.Thisishotonlyfor fear
thatsomeonemightdo himself'harmbyusingthemfool­
ishly,
butsuchfoolishusewouldalsotendtodispersetheir
power.It isreallyfor
thesamereason thatonewouldnot
use analtar
covetingfora ..dishwipingcloth.
15.OrthodoxJewsdonotpronouncetheNameofGod
whenreadingfromtheirtexts,··buteithermakeapauseor
substituteanotherword.Althoughthismightfacilelybe
consideredsuperstitionit is.reallyan act ofreverence,
andreverenceshouldbe paidtooccultsymbolsifoneis
tomakebestuse ofthem,.and.wordsare•alsosymbols.
16.JHVH,(orIHVHorYHVH~the Hebrewletter Yod
beingtran~litetat=d asaJ,lotYbyvariousauthorities)
like
theGodNameforKether,Eheieh;
(Aleph,Heh,Vorl,
Heh.)isatetragrammetonicorTourletterwordWhich
signifiestheidea'tobe'.Itcanbevariouslywrittenin
81
twelve
differentwaysandvaccordingtoMagregorMathers,
allthesetranspositionsretain
themeaning'tcbe'vafact
whichisnotapplicabletoanyotherword.Thetwelve
permutationsofthe.four.lettersarecalled 'thetwelve
bannersofthe..mightyname'.andaresaidby. sometocor­
respondto
thetwelvezodiacalsigns.Thistheory isinterest­
ingin
.thelight..ofthefactthatthe.MundaneChakraof
ChokmahistheZodiac.
17.
TheNamecanbeinterprettedsymbolicallyin many
waysbuttheusual.method
.istoequate.itwiththe-Four
Worlds:YodtoAtziluthv.HehtoBriah,Vau to.Yetzirah
andthesecondHehtoAssiah,Onceagraspofthemean­
ing .of
theHebrew.lettersis
.attainedthere.18greatscope
formetaphysicalspeculationinthis
oneword,
butitisa
lineof-research".forspecialistsand.so··cannotbe•.•entered
upon.inthepresentcontext.
18. Asregardsthe'practicalpronunciationoftheword
it isreallyamatterofpersonalchoice.The..usualforms
areJehovahorYahway,orthespellingoutofeachletter,
Yod,Heh,Vau,Heh.Sometimes theword.Tetragramma­
tonissubstitutedforit.MacGregorMathersclaimedto
knowovertwentydifferentways
ofsayingit butthereare
noprizesofferedfor
exceedingthisscore.
19.
TheArehangelofthe.SephirahisRatzielandthetitle
Ab
orAbbaisperhapsofhelp incontactingthispotency.
Thesetitles,consisting
ofthefirsttwolettersofthe
Hebrewalphabet,Aleph andBeth,·signify.·theformation.of
asecondprinciplefrom
thefirstprinciple andtheterm
Ab is
thusthefirstcorningforthofdivinepower,andAbba,
itsreflection.TheArchangelcouldbeconceived
..as agrey
pillaragainst alightbluebackground,andthe.best.source
ofthe.realqualityofthecoloursis inthecloudsinthesky
on a
brightday.Thisvisualcontext
•willbring..in.theassoci...
ationofinterstellarspace whichis very.pertinent.inrelation
to
thehigherlevels oftheTreeofLife.
20
..TheOrderofAngelsistheAuphaniurn,orWheels,
theircolouraniridescentgrey.Thewordgrey isperhaps

49. 82
notagoodone as itcontainsanallusiontonondescriptness
ordirtyness,butitisthenearestverbalequivalent tothe
realcolourintended.
Thedescription.of.
thisOrderof
AngelsasWheelsgivesthe...conceptionofcyclicaction,
unendingpower
throughmotion;andanideaoftheirmode
ofbeing.canperhapsbest be
.obtainedbycontemplating
theeternalwheeling
ofthestarsin the
nightsky,forthe
MundaneChakraofChokrnahistheZodiac.Thewhite,
flecked red, yellow
andbluewhichisthe colourassigned
toAssiahalsosuggeststhestars,which
appearwhiteto
thenakedeye,
thoughmanyarered,yelloworblueon
closerexamination.
Onewayofbuilding
.,animage ofthe
Auphanimwould/be topicturewhirlinggreyiridescent
wheelsagainstabackground
ofthenightsky.
21.
Ofthesubsidiarysymbols,perhapsthesimplestis the
straightline,whichgives
the>ideaofthepoint,asymbol
ofKether,now in dimensionalrnotion.
22.TheletterYod,thefirst.letteroftheGodNameof
Chokrnah,isthelettersignifyinginitiatoryfecundating
power.
TheHebrewsymbolfortheletterYodistheHand.
Crowleyhasconsideredthis
to·be.aeuphemismforthe
malesperm,
andthereis muchto-besaidforthisinter­
pretation,
butit also ·signifiestheHandofGodwhich
stretchesforth
andsetscreation
inmotion.Thepainting
oftheCreationofAdambyMichelangelointheSistine
Chapelgives agoodvisualconceptionofthis.Thisis
furtherexpanded
bythetitleThePowerofYetzirah,or
ThePower ofFormation,for
itisthepowerofChokmah
which.animatesall.subsequentform.
23.
TheInnerRobeofGloryisoneofa seriesofsymbols
ortitleswhichconceives ofthevariousSephirothnehaving
correspondences
.in thetechnical.equipmentofaritual
magician.
Themeaningintendedhere is thatGodis a
GreatMagicianbringing
higherpowersdownintolower
forms,.thus.the
TarotCard,TheMagician,isassignedto
thePathbetweenKetherandBinah,the Godheadandthe
Archetypal
IdeaofForm.Form,inthisparticularsymbol-
83
ism, is said to be
'TheOuter'Robe' ofConcealment,butas
Chokmahisaboveeven theideaofform,and
yetisnot
GodheadItself,thoughareflectionofIt,itisnaturally
called
TheInnerRobeofGlory.
24.
Theremainingsymbols
.arephallic,orphallicderiva­
tives,
andsignifytheMalePrinciple
oftheUniverseor
the'.UniversalMale. Thesubject-ofsexualsymbolismin
religionis
avastone,overlaidwith manyfalsetrails and
confusingramifications."Thefact
that·manyofthevisions
ofthesaintsareexpressedin sexualsymbolismhasled
sometoinfer
thatreligionis ·nothing·· more.thana sub­
limatedexpression'of·inhibitedsexualdesire
...Thisof
coursemaybe.trueup ·toapoint"and,manyofthesaints
wereprobably
pathologicalvbutthisbynomeansproves
thethesis,whichisindeed
thatmosttreacherousofthings,
ahalf-truth.
25.Sexualityis ameans
ofexpressionofthelife-force
within
·a·person,justasanyothercreativeactivityis,
whetherit be inreligion,
art,oranexecutivecapacityin
thefields
ofscienceorcommerce.Andifthelife-force
is
blockedoff ononelevel it will seekexpressiononanother.
Thislife-forceisoftenconfusedwithsexualforce, for
sexualexpressionis
commontoallmankind,beingrooted
in
theinstincts,butitmustberemembered thatsex is a
function,
notaforce, eventhoughlife-forceusuallyseeks
thismeans
ofexpressionastheline ofleastresistance.
26. It
Iisthislife-force,on all its levels.whichisthe
correspondenceofthelife-forceofGod,inChokmah.Life­
forceup-wellsoriginallyfrom
theUnmanifest,notfrom
thephysical.
27.
Thisfactisnotimmediatelyobviousbecausethere
are
tw'o'threads'oflifein-anorganism.Oneisthelife
threadandtheotheristheconsciousnessthread.'Esoteric
psychology
teachesthatwhenanentitysuchas mancomes
intoincarnation
therelativelyimmortalpartofhimself­
variouslycalledthe Higher.SelfvEvolutionarySelf,the
Souletc.~projects arodorthread-like·process intothe

50. 84
lowerlevelswhichforms thebasis.ofpersonality,andthis
developsalifeofitsownandiskeptaliveby meansof
thislifethreadwhichhasbeendescribed asacsilvercord'
not.only.intheBiblebutalsoin.recordedexperiences.of
etheric.projection,the' detailsofwhich.areavailablein
rnanybooksonpsychicalresearch.Asthepersonality
developstowardsmaturitythe.HigherSelf..beginstotake
overtoagreaterorusuallylesser·extentandthis.Isby
meansofopening'.upthethreadofconsciousnessbetween
thetwolevelsofbeing.
28.
Theaimofesoterictraining
istomakethisdualcon­
sciousnessasinglereality.TheconsciousnessoftheLower
Selfisraisedby meansof.meditation,.contemplation,and
prayer.andtheHigherSelfisbroughtdown byattention,
intentionand,intheWest,ritualmetho·ds.As·theLower
Selfmaynothe, for'varyingreasons,'an accurate.projec­
tionofthe.HigherSelftherewillbenaturallimitstothe
extent•thatthis.ideal canbeachieved.Thelackof'a.con­
scious
linkbetweenthetwolevelsisoneofthe.results.of
man'sOriginal
Sin,butwhateverthecauses,it canbe
seen
thatitisbecauseofthisoccluded. linkthat
.manhas
suchalimitedideaofhisownpsychologyandnormallyno
awareness
ofanyexistencebeforehispresentphysicallife.
29.
OntheTreeofLife,usedas a symbolofman'spsy­
chology,
thelinkismadeatTiphareth,thecentral'Sephirah.
So
normally
manisnotconsciousofanythingabovethis
Ievel-s-indeed,hiswhole conceptionofhimselfmustbeless
thanhalftruth.Butitcanbe seenthenhoweasilyhecan
makethemistakeofassigningtheforceswhich stemfrom
ChokmahandKethertothedriveoftheinstincts,which
correspondtotheSephirahYesod,becauseunless'he is
guidedbyfaith,he will.considerhedoes notexistabove
thelevelsofHodandNetzach,theSephirothofthemind
andcreativeimaginationrespectively.
30.Sotoavoidthis mistake.wernustremember'·that in
religious
and'occult
.symbolism,mostsexualemblems
relatetotheSupernals,thebasicpatternofduality.and
85
polaritythroughoutallmanifestexistence.Inearlysects
wheretheseprincipleswere
representedbyactualrepre­
sentationsofthegenitaliait
isobviousthat,humannature
beingwhatitis,mostofthemwoulddeclineintoorgy.In
manycasesthismayhave-beendeliberatebythepriest­
hood,forfrenzied'orgygivesoffgreat.quantities ofraw
emotionandethericextrusionwhichcanbedirectedoccult­
ly,This.is therationalebehindtheWitches'Sabbats,which
alsoused
bloodsacrificeas a sourceofrawpower.
31.Needlessto
saysuchmethodsareriotusedinesoteric
groupsnowadays,apartfrominBlack'andDirty..Grey
Lodges.Althoughtheyarenodoubteffectivemethods,
apart•fromthesocialand'legaldifficultiesoforganising
sucha procedure,thedegradationofhumanindividuality
involved
couldnotbecountenanced.Whereetheric
forceis
neededit. is
tobeobtained
.muchmoresalubriouslyand
simply·byhavingagroupofpeoplesitting"quietlyirra
circleso thattheirethericforceis concentrated.Thisis
thetechniqueoftheseancetableinspiritualism.Thepower
tomovelightobjectssuchas papertrumpetsandsimilar
paraphernaliacomesfromthesittersthemselves, orfrom
anectoplasmic
medium,thatis, apersonwithanunusually
highdegree offreeethericmagnetism.Eventhis method
is
.notgenerally'usedinesoteric traininggroupsthough,
fortheiraimisthedevelopmentofhigherconsciousness,
notthemanifestationofapparentwonders.tothe'lower
consciousness.
Andwheremessages areconcerned,
tele~
pathiccontactis farsuperiortotheouijaboard"orplan­
chette,andeasierto operatethanthe''techniqueofdeep
trance.
32. In view
ofthedangersofdirectphallicsymbolismit
canbe
Seenthatthereasonsforthederivativesofitare
notjustprudery.Inthecourseoftimetheprinciple
becamesymbolisedinsuchformsas thestandingstone,
thetower,thewand,thesnake,thebull,thegoat,the
cockandthespireetc. Itmayberathermaliciously
amusingtospeculatehowmanygoodchurch-goersrealise

51. BINAH--UNDERSTANDING
Chapter.VIII
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATIC COLOUR:
YETZIRATIC COLOUR:
ASSIATIC COLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
86
theoriginofthecockerelonthe topoftheirchurch and
whichjustifiesitsexistence
nowadaysas awindvane orI
asthecockwhichcrewthriceforPeter, butonemustnot
maketheerrorof.thinkingthattheoriginalideaispurely
sexual;
theoriginalideais .theCreativePowerofGod.
Andanyonewho isdisposedto try toreducereligiousideas
tomere
sexualprojectionsiscounselledto taketoheart
the38th.chapter ofJobwhere the.Lord,answeringJob
outofthewhirlwind,thundered:"Whois thisthatdarken­
ethcounselbywordswithoutknowledge?Girdup now thy
loins like aman; forI willdemandofthee,andanswer
thouMe.Where wastthouwhenI laid thefoundationsof
theearth?Declareif thouhastunderstanding.Whohath
laidthemeasurethereof,if thouknowest?Orwhohath
stretchedtheline.upon.it? Whereuponarethefoundations
thereoffastened? Or who laid.the-cornerstonethereof;
whenthemorningstarssangtogether, andallthesonsof
Godshouted..for joy?"
33..Thispassage.iapartfromitsliteralmeaning,is full
ofChokrnahsymbolism.
34. Inthe
paganmythologies.obviouslyall theGreat
FatherfigurescanbereferredtoChokmah,and
intheir
higheraspects,all thePriapicgodssuch asPan.But
perhaps
thebestgod-formtomeditate uponisthatofPallas
Athene-thevirgingoddess of.wisdorn, whosprangfully
armedfrom
thebrowofZeusmuch asChokmahsprang
from
thereflectionofKether.Themeaningofthetitle
Chokmah.isWisdom, Or,iftheEgyptiangod-formsare
preferred,herEgyptian
counterpartIsis-Uraniacan.be
used,winged,to show hercosmicaffinities,
and
..withthe
diskofSothisabove herhead.Bothgoddesses can' be
visualisedagainstabackground
ofthenightsky, and·thisid~aofcosmicreality canbeassistedbyputtingthe Earth
intothispicturein theformthatit really. is, asphere
spinningandspiralling
throughinter-stellarspace.
"TheThird PathiscalledtheSanctifyingIntelligence, the
Foundation
01PrtmordialWtsdom;>itisalso called the
CreatorofFaith, and itsrootsare inAmen.It istheparent,
offaith, whence faith emanates."
MAGICAL IMAGE: A mature woman.
GOD NAME: Jehovah Elohim.
ARCHANGEL: Tzaphkiel.
ORDEROFANGELS: Aralim,Thrones.
MUNDANECHAKRA: Saturn.
VIRTUE: Silence.
TITLES: Arna, the dark. sterile mother. Aima, the bright
fertile mother. Khorsia, the
Throne.Marah,the
Great Sea.
Visionof Sorrow.
Crimson.
Black.
Dark brown.
Grey,
fleckedpink.
Avarice.
The
yoni,The kteis. The Vesica Piscis. The
cup
or chalice. The Outer. Robe of Concealment.
1.Binahisthefirst'form'Sephirah.Thatis,.although.it
is faraboveanykind offormas weknowit,thereisimplicit
in it
thearchetypeorideaofform.Formcan bedefinedas
theinterlocking'
offree-movingforce intopatternswhich
thenoperateas
aunity.
Inthisway aunit offorce, nolonger
isunconditioned
buthasto.operateinconjunctionwiththe
otherforceswhichgo to makeupthepatternofwhich it
isapart.
2.Fromthiscanbededucedthereasonforevolutionary
manifestation.Spiritualentities,
orDivineSparks,although
perfect,
areincapableofgrowthin
theperfectlyfree
87

52. 88
conditions
ofUnmanifestation,ormanifestationabovethe
form levels. Inorderfortheretobeanydevelopmentthere
must
besome.Iimitationofpossibleaction. Purevirgin
spirithas
-.no,
orvery few,distinguishing .'characteristics
from.
othersparksoffirstmanifest
spirit.··.Capacityforin­
dividualisedactionisgainedbytheentryintothelimiting
factors
ofform,
.firstly.therelativehighdegree offreedom
ofthespiritual.levels..thenthemorelimitedfreedomof
mentation~(andanywriter strugglingto>findawardto...fit
aconceptknows/this)-then'theevengreaterlimitations
whichtheemotionallevelsimpose,.andfinallytheextreme
limitation,physicalexistence,(andanyone.whohasever
missed
thelastbushomewill be
wellawareofthis.)
3.Thus-thewhole
purposeoflifeisthegainingofexperi­
ence
inform.Thespiritualbabes--theDivineSparks­
entermanifestation,muchas humanbabies,
with.certain
inherentcharacteristics,but.lackingexperienceoflife.
'J"ht;irinvolutionaryandevolutionaryexperience islikethe
mouldingofcharacterinthelifeofman.Andtheirfinal
withdrawalfrommanifestation
correspondstothedeathof
aman,who,unlesshehas spentmostofhislife in an easy
rut,
..carries.farmorepracticalwisdom outofthis<world
thaneverhe broughtintoit.
4. So it
willbe seenthatspiritualgrowthisbestattained
bygettingfully togripswithlife in theworld.It is a
common
pathologywithesotericallyinclinedstudents that
theywantto findtheeasiestway.outofit.Thisaccountsfor
many
ofthe'muzzymystical'societieswhichgivesucha
badnametooccultism.In agenuineoccult school
the
studentshouldbe rammedgoodandhard.intothemael­
stromoflife;anduntil.hecancope ..efficientlywiththe
physicalplanethehigherplanesofexperienceshouldbe
barredtohim-s-forhis 'ownsakeaswellas.others.A
student
whocannothandlehismundaneresponsibilitieswin
onlyreapconfusionworse·confoundedif he
•startsopening
himselftothefo~cesand .responsibilitiesofthesupra­
mundanelevelsoflife. It isnotalwaysrealised thatthe
89
higherworlds,owingto thedeviationofman,areby no
meansall
sweetnessandlight,aIldit ispartofanoccult­
ist's
jobtocompensateunbalancedforcesonthese
levels
andbringthemthroughinharmonisedbalanceto physical
living. If,throughignorance.orlackofcompetence,he
brings
themthrough.unbalancedtheeffect on hisphysical
circumstanceswill bechaotic. Andthe-implicationsofsuch
anactiongo far
deeperthananydiscomforttohimandhis
immediateassociates
.and relations~· Thisiswhy.high
standardsareexpected of'.·occultstudents.Andifthe
standardsofatraininggroup. arenot.highthenonecan
deducefromth.atveryfactthatitsvinnerrpowersare
negligible,forif it didhaverealpowerbeingexpressed
throughit,any·loweringof.standardswould.burst..the
organisationwide openbyrintemaldissensions.This is
usuallythe reasonwhyoccult..groupssometimes••founder;
theyget ontoa levelofpowerwhichtheycannothandle.
Thedevelopmentofan.occultgroup,aswith anindividual,
mustbeundertakenwithgreatcircurnspection.iand.any
unduehastecanbe.fatal.There.oredonotbelieveanyone
whooffers toteachyou theWisdomoftheAges in six
months-s-heisonlyafter
yourmoney. Youmaygainwis­
dom" from
thetransaction,butnotthekindyouexpected.
5.
ThetitleofBinahisUnderstandingwhichis theform
side
oftheWisdomofChokmah.ThisWisdomandUnder­
standing
arenotmerelythewisdomandunderstanding
ofthehumanmind.asordinarilymeantbythesewords.
TheUnderstandinghereindicatedismore
ahighertypeof
Faith.TheYetziraticTextstates thatBinahis'theparent
offaith,whencefaith emanates.'Andtheotherattributions
oftheYetziraticText:theSanctifyingIntelligence, the
FoundationofPrimordialWisdom, theCreatorofFaith,
amplifythisstatement,while thephrase'itsrootsarein
Amen',whichmeans 'Sobeit.'indicatesthefirstmanifesta­
tionofform.
6.Asthehumanmind,being composedofformsitself,
mustgiveshapetoanythingin ordertounderstandit, it

53. 90
is
obviousthatBinah
istheabsolutehighest.levelwhich the
mentalitycouldattain.Allourconsiderationsofthelevels
beyondBinahhavebeen in
theform.ofconceptandsymbola~d.·yetformonlyenters intothe··.schemeofthings·at
Binah.Allourawarenessofcosmicforce.. therefore,must
befilteredto us byform representations-i-vfornowwe see
throughaglass,darkly;butthenface. toface." Atitshigher
levels,thisstatementofSt.Paul'sappliesto thecosrnic.ini­
tiationsbeyond.Binah;theSpiritualExperience 'ofChok­
mah,it will be'remembered,being TheVisionofGodface
to face.
7.Binah
.istheformgiverto allmanifestation andthus
also istheArchetypalTemplebehindalltemples,theInner
Churchbehindallchurches,theBasicCreed'behindall
creeds.
ItistheWombofLife,'andthis/archetypalfeminine
quality
oftheSephirahmanifestsin
twoaspects,as Ama,
thedarksterilemothervandAima,thebrightfertilemother.
8.
AmaiscomposedoftheHebrewletterMem,which
signifiesWater,theWatersofForm,betweentwoAlephs,
signifying
thebeginningsofthings.Aima
isthesameword
withthefertilisingYodimpactedin it.
9.
Ama,theDarkMother,istheaspectofBinahwhich
bindsthefree-movingforce ofChokmahintolimitingform.
Aimatendsmoretothefuture conditionwhentheim­
prisonedforce
hasachievedharmonisedfunction
in'form
andtheformis thereforeno.longeranecessarylimitation
foritsdevelopment. ConsideringChokmahandBinahas
theSupernalFatherandMother,Aimawouldbe themate
orspouseofChokmahandAmathecorrectivedisciplinarian
for it
imprisonsandbreaks
upthefree-movingChokmah
force.
10. As
AmaistheaspectofBinahwhich'trains'theSpirit
it is an
importantsideofthefunctionoftheSephirahand
shouldbedeeplyconsidered.In itsessenceit is theforce
oftravailin alltypes andlevelsofbringingtobirth,the
labourthat
isrequiredtobring aboutanygoalin theworlds
ofform.Thisaspect'.canbevisualisedin theformofa
91
giganticMotherSuperior,completely shroudedfrom"head
to
footinblackvthefacepartlyconcealed,andholdingin
thelefthanda
.correctingrodformedofashort,slightly
tapering,
roundedbarofunpolishedblackwood. The
impressionthatthefigure.shouldgiveisofsplendourand
beautyveiled bythis volurninoussombrerobe-TheOuter
RobeofConcealment.
11.Itmustnotbeforgottenthatthespiritualsideofthe
AmapowerispartoftheactionoftheCosmicChrist,the
regeneratingandreconcilingAspectofGod.Regeneration
couldbedefinedas thefacingup toindividualreality
honestly
combinedwiththegenuinedesiretochange.
It
canbe apainfulprocessforthepersonality;fewpeople
caretolookattheirfailingshonestly, andmanyfear
changeofanykindas itappearstobe athreattosecurity.
Thedrossinhumannaturegoesup in flameswhenexposed
tothisregenerativefire, andtheDarkMother,theMother
ofSorrows"whomediatesthisforceto thecharacter··over
a
greaterorlesserperiodoftimeisreallya figure ofgreat
compassioncomparedtothedirectapplication ofacosmic
forceas
potentastheCosmicChrist,the.searing heatof
which,appliedto thesoul,would,be akintoapplyingan
oxy-acetylene
torchtothebody.
12.
TheCosmicChristforceshouldnotbeconfusedwith
theLordJesus,theMasterofCompassion.What
.ismeant
hereis theblindcosmicforcewhichwas mediatedinone
ofitsgreatestformsin thehistoryofmankindbyOurLord
inhiscapacityas theBeareroftheChristforce.TheLord
Jesusmediatesthisforceas doestheAmafigure,whichis
represented'in
ChristianworshipbytheVirginMary.
Throughthecourse·ofagesrepresentationsofOUfLady
havebecomesentimentalisedtoalargeextent, theearly
Byzantinepaintings
andmosaicsofhergiveatruerindica­
tionofherBinahaspectas the'MaterDolorosa',Andher
descriptionin theLitanyas
'MaterBoniConsilii'is very
aptforthe.UnderstandingofBinah.
13. It is
onthecharacterbuildingwhichthisforcebrings

54. 92
aboutthatsomuchdepends, forwithoutit" theforces ofthe
GreatFather,thehigher wisdomofChokmah,cannotbe
btough~ t~rough.to. theminda.ndthusbringabouttheliving
of,thehigher.life-thecontinualconsciousmediation of
SpiritinEarth oftheinitiatedadept..
14.Thearchetype oftheinitiatedadeptis also held in
Binah, the esoteric grade of which is theMagisterTempli
-Master,of,the'Temple.Thistermapplies'to onewho is
absolutemaster
ofthearbitration
.andmanipulation,of
force. andformandwho.has completeunderstandingof
cosmicpowerand thecreation oftherequisiteformsin
which thispowermaymanifest.Also,who has theability
togaugeconditionsfrom
dayto day and toacceptpeople
as they .are atanygiven moment, seeing the stagethat
they havereachedandtakingintoaccount thedifference
betweena soul as
itis andwhatit willbecome asaresult
offurthertraining;and"includingintheassessmentthe
effectsofkarma'.on'thepersonalityor'physicalvehicle.
Thearchetype
ofsuch a one can beconceivedas aseated
figure with agreyishEgyptianhead-dressand
uraeus,or
snakesymbol,perhapsintheform ofaserpenttwined
staff~abo~e thebrow. Theface likethatofagreatsphinx,
butilluminatedfromwithinin a kind of'luminousgrey.
Therobesshouldbeblackandthefigure shouldbear'a
stonesceptrewith aroughlyshapedobjectsuggestive
of
aheartat thetop.I~.The'Temple'ofthetitleofthegradealsoimpliesthe
vehicles
ofthe'Spiritinmanifestation,includingthephysical
bodyas well
asthepsychicstructure. OurLordwas one
w.ho
demo~stra~ed thepow~rsofthe MagisterTempli.in
hISwords,IwilldestroythisTempleandrebuilditafter
threedays."
andit will berecalled thatatthe
~ndofthe
Crucifixion
"theVeiloftheTemplewasrentin themidst."
Theabilityofthis
gradeis10buildatemple outofthe
structuresofthepersonalityandto dwellin',ituntilthe
timecomestodestroy
itsothatabetterform can bebuilt.
This.destructioncomesunderthe
FourthAspectofthe
93
Deityand also undertheDarkMother,andis
bynomeans
evil.
16.TheSpiritualExperience
of'Binah
.istheVisionof
SorrowandanalternativeMagicalImageto thatof'a
mature
womanis
•a.heart.•..piercedverticallywith...three
swords.Therearecertainpictures ofthe VirginMary
which show herheartpiercedwithswords andthis is really
acombination
ofthetwomagicalimages.17.TheSorrowoftheVision,hasmanylevels ofmeaning.
Itdoesnot
meanmerelyatemporaryemotional disturbance
over someminormisfortune,
.butmoreanabsoluteand
completerealisation
oftheroadto betravelled, ofall.that
willhappenand thathashappenedalong thatroad,and
how' and whenandif.achievementwillcome. Thusthe
Vision.
ofSorrow':as theSpiritcomesdownintothe form
buildingprinciples ofBinah
istherealisation.ofthe toil­
some way
ofinvolutionaryandevolutionary.progressvThe
Sorrowismadeall thegreater ofcoursebythesubsequent
Fall
ofMansothatwhatwasbeforethe Fall
atoilsome
struggleis now acontortedagony.But thisdeviation
of
man's,havingno place intheDivinePlan,has nonoumenal
reality,
andso itsresultsare
not,strictly....speaking;tobe
assignedto
Binah-orindeedtotheTreeat all in thatthe
Treeis aDivinePattern.
Thesins of man aremorecor­
rectlyassignedto the Pit
oftheQliphothinwhich. arethe
distortedreflections, oftheHoly Sephiroth,
18.However,themanifestation ofsorrowin the human
personality
canbe'regardedas thework ofAma,the
Motherof.Sorrows.Griefis apurgative andstronglydis­
ruptiveforce,
andwhenthe,essentialwork ofbreaking
down
adhesionsanddispersingpoisonshas been donebyit,
it givesplaceto a deeplassitudeand feeling ofemptiness
which.
canact ,as apurifiedbasisfornewgrowth.People
are
somadethatthey willnotorcannotrealiseathing
fully unless they are
hitinthemostvital.partinsome
deepemotionalsense.
Andso only bysorrow,and by going
fromsorrowtosorrowcan
anindividual'sevolution

55. 94
proceed.·Themanwho cannotor willnotfeelsorrow or
face itinotherscannotproceedat all.
19.
Thereis,however,novalueingriefforits ownsake.
Throughsomequirk ofthehumanmake-upittendsto be
regardedas astaticimageinstead
ofaprocesswhichleads
on
toahigherlevel ofenlightenmentand
restandthus
transformedfrom anegativedestructiveforceintoapositive
constructiveone.ExotericChristianityhas
tendedto'make
thismistake and'becomefixated in theCrucifixion'without
goingon to
thesubsequentResurrection andAscension.
20.Thesemay seem
hardsayings,butiftheyevokea
violentemotionalreaction
of
.disbelief,thenonewoulddo
well toexamineoneselfas
towhythese particularstate­
mentsshouldproduceanemotionalreaction
ratherthan
mereindifference.Astrongemotionalantagonismtowards
somethingusuallydenotesapsychologicalblockage
anda
refusalto' face
whatisimpliedby it.
21.Butwhetheroneacceptsthesestatements ofthe
necessity
ofsorrowornot,if oneshould'beundergoinga
period'
ofgrief'itcan, beofgreathelp inmorewaysthan
one topicturethe MotherofSorrows.She canbe seen as
a
.mightymaternalfigureofmajestyandsorrow,robedin
black,
andseatedin thecentre ofasphereofpurplelight,
graduatingfromtranslucentviolet
andlilac tothedeep
purple
ofgrapesin the centre-anexcellentsymbolin
itselffor it signifies one whohas
trodthewine-pressalone.
This figure
canbeconsideredasChristian or'pagan,for
thesorrow
ofthefeminineside ofDivinityis thesame
throughtheages,whether
itbeDemetersorrowingfor
herdaughter,
Ishtardescendingtheseven hells for her
.Iover,Isissearching forthedismemberedpartsofher
husband,
orMarywatchingherson die.
22. On thehigherlevels
theSorrowofBinahistheknowl­
edge
andunderstandingofthegreatcosmicfactorsbehind
theincarnationofmanandalsoofChrist.
Itistherealisa­
tionandrevelationoftheGreatMotherherself.Anaware-
95
nessofthisconditioncanbemadebybuildingthepicture
oftheCrucifixionwith Our'LadyandSt. Johnoneither
side
oftheCross. Theskiesareseen togrowblack and
theCrucifixiontakesplacebetween earthandsky insome
strange'condition
ofspace.Mary'herselfsteps'forward'as
if to
takeon,herselftheweightofthesymbolism, and
overshadowingall isTzaphkiel,theArchangel ofBinah,
and
thedeepcrimson,
black,darkbrownandgrey.flecked
pinkoftheSephirah'scolours.
23.Thisimageshouldlead to anunderstandingofthe
whole
ofthemanifestedUniverseas aformencompassing
purecosmic
'force;agiganticCrossuponwhichthis force
iscrucified.Andthewhole oflifeislivedundertheShadow
ofthisCross.This.is the primaryCrossofLifeofwhich
the
CrossofGolgothais
a·lessermanifestation;ashadow
castbythe
GreatShadow.
24.
ContemplationofBinahrnaybringa very real sense
ofbeingsurroundedby Great·Waters,andin thisconnec­
tion
theTempleofBinahis as'anArkupontheSupernal
Seas.Thisisthe
'ArkofIsis',asymbol oftheWomb.of
the
GreatMother.Theremayalsocomeanawareness of
theinneraspects ofthesoul,a feeling thattheordinary
personalityis butthevisiblepartofagiganticiceberg,
huge inthesubmergeddepthsbelowconsciousness.A
geometricalform may be
.perceivedinrelationtothis'and
is wellworthworkingon inmeditationfor it will bea
potentsymboloftheinmoststructures ofone'sbeingupon
which alltherest isbuilt. It couldbeconsidered•as'the
Rock
uponwhichthefoundationsoftheTempleofone's
beingarebuilt.
25.
TheGodNameoftheSephirah,JehovahElohim,is
usuallytranslatedas
'TheLordGod'.God
isreferredto
underthetitleofElohiminthefirstchapterofGenesis,but
inchapterII,aftertheseventhday has beenblessed,
becomesJehovahvElohim.Elohimis afeminine word
witha masculineending,implyingbi-polarduality,and
asJehovahcanbeconsideredas theactionofGodinthe

56. 96
FourWorldsthe.combinedtitlegivestheidea.oftheprin­
cipleofpolarityfunctioning onall levelsandthusthebasis
ofform.
26.
TheArchangelofBinahhasbeen
calledthe'Keeper
oftheRecordsofEvolution'and.astheinfluenceofBinah
develops...formsfromtheAkashicSeaof-Consciousness,
whichis the.basicmatter.oflife,thispresumablyhas
referencetotheCosmic·AkashicRecords,theMemoryof
Godwhichrecordsallthings thatoccurduringthecourse
ofmanifestation.Thegeometricform thatonemightcome
acrossinmeditationonBinah.whichrelates totheinner
structureoftheselfcouldthuscomefromanindividual
segment
ofthisspirituallyprimeval.level.Thus.the.Arch­
angelTzaphkiel,in
thatallthekarmicrecordsareunder
hisjurisdiction,is ahigher analogueoftheDarkAngelof
theSoulofManwho.mediatestheAma
.forceofdiscipline
andregenerationtohim, justastheArchangel.ofChokmah,
Ratziel,representsarchetypally theBright'Angelofthe
SoulofManwhobringsillumination andguidance..These
twoAngelshavebeen
handeddowninpopularbeliefas
the'Good'and'Evil'Angels thataccompanymanthrough
life. Butthey arebasicallydivineprinciples and
it.isthe
shortsightednessofthelowermind thatdescribescorrection
andretributionas evil,orbadluck.Actually theDarkAngel
holds
therepository
..·ofasoul's.karmaandtheBright
Angel. itsdestiny.Destinyis
thetasktheSpiritundertook
tocarryoutonentryintomanifestation,andkarmaisthe
actionnecessary,
.oftenpainful,toreadjust pasterrorsthat
haveoccurred throughtheFallofManinorderthathe
shallbe in apositionto takeup his·workofdestiny­
to.returnhishandstotheplough.OntheTreeusedasa
chartofthepsychologyofman,thesetwopersonalAngels
areusuallyascribed tothe.spheres .ofChesed..and
Geburah.
27.TheArchangelTzaphkiel canalso beconsidered·to
preside'overall
theplanesofthe-Cosmos,justasRatziel,
theArchangelofChokrnah,presidesover theCosmicRays,
97
whoseanaloguesare.the.zodiacalsigns. Tzaphkielcould
also, beconsideredas theAltarofManifestationand
RatzielastheFires
ofCreativeForcedescending'upon.it.
And,asthisattribution,..impliescTzaphkielisbehindthe
formulationofallthemysticalgroupsthat,haveemanated
fromtheGreatWhiteLodge.HeistheArchangelofthe
ArchetypalTemple.
28.-TheChoirofAngelsofBinaharecalled'Aralim,
Thrones,atitlewhichis'apt.whenone,considersthata
throneis aseatofpower.Aking withoutathroneispower­
less
andthus'.
a.subsidiary.titleofBinahis Khorsia,the
Throne.FormisthethronewhichDivinity. mustoccupyin
order,tocontrol.Itsown.powers•which.otherwisewould
dissipate,havingno
thrust-block,Steam
isausefulanalogy
for
the.forceof. the"Spirit,whichwhenconfined candrive
vastmachinery
butwhichwhen
notconfinedaccomplishes
nothing.
29.
Saturn,theMundaneChakraassigned
toBinahisnot
anentirelysatisfactory attribution,fortheSephirahreally
referstoaconditionofSpace.In fact a farbetterMundane
Chakra'would..beinterstellar,space-whenonerealises
thatsuchspaceis aform. ThetraditionalMundaneChakra
is.appositehoweverin that.Saturnisaplanetwithseveral
moonsandBinahis theprinciplebehindall moonforce,
whichis
almostuniversallyregarded
aspresidingover the
femininefunctions. Saturnisalsoa planetoflimitation.on
thelowerplanes,astrologicallyconsidered, and'yetonthe
higherlevels itdoes drawdownpowerfromtheLimitless
Void
'towardthespheres.ofform.Thiscorresponds.well
withDinahin
thatthisSephirahgivesprimalform
or
expressionto.thegreatstellarforces ofChokrnah,drawn
downthroughKetheroutoftheUnrnanifest.
30..Forcesofstellarmagiccanthereforebe.contacted
throughBinahandtheconstellationsoftheGreatandLittle
Bear.have
particularsignificancefor this
.Universe·as our
SolarLogosissaidtohaveundergonepreviousevolution
onthose.stars.weassociatewiththeseconstellations. Thus

57. 98
inthestarsof.theseconstellationsare the.prototypesof
evolutionarydestinyoftheplanetsofthisSolarSystem.
The
GreatBearalso hasreferenceto the RoundTableand
theLittleBear
totheHolyGrail.Investigation ofthe
SamothracianMysterieswillprove
.fruitful'inthissphere
for
theyweremuch'concernedwith
.stellar..magic.
31.Samothracewas also astronghold
ofAma,as were
certain'EgyptianTemples,particularly thoseconcerned
with
therdarksidesofIsisandOsiris.Isis
isalso, asthe
spouseofthepriest-kingOsiris,'anexcellentexampleof
Aima,the'bright'sideofBinah.Andthe'dark'sidecould
bedelegatedto hercompanionNephthys,
32.Itshouldberemembered thatthedarkandbright,
Ama
andAima,workinconjunction,being twosidesofthe
samecoin.
Thusweavinggoddessesareapplicablehere
such as theGaelicOrchil,weavingtheThread
ofLife;
with one
handspinningit up throughthemouldand with
the
otherweavingitdownagainbeneath theearth.Thus
Orchilrepresents thedarkandbrightaspectswithinthe
same image.
33.AsChokmah,asMasculinePrinciple oftheUniverse,
has awealth
ofphallicsymbolsassignedto it, soBinah,as
theFemininePrinciple,isassignedfemininesexualsymbols.
As with
themalesymbolism,thiscan varyconsiderably
in itssubtlerramifications.
Thusapartfromthevulva,the
womband
thebreaststhereare also the cuporchalice"
thecauldron,
thecave,themoon, thesea,thetomb,certain
fruit such as figs orpomegranates.ienclosing
forms.such
as cities,houses,gatesor fences,
pondsandwells,water
ingeneralasopposedto
.themasculinefire,andso on and
soforth.
34.Finally,theVirtueand Viceattributedto theSephirah
mayappeartobequitearbitraryat first sight.There -isa
certainanomolyinassigninga 'vice to aSupernalSephirah
-or,indeed,to anySephirah-butperhapsit was felt that
a vice.should·beassignedto anySephirahwhichis in
Form,
andsoBinahwasincludedas being theMotherof
99
Form.Ormorelikely, thevice may have beenassigned
because
ofconfusionoftheSephirahwith theastrological
factors
oftheMundaneChakra.Avariceis thevicethatis
concernedwithanobsessionwithform
andBinahis the
formbehindall
forms.'However,itmightbebetterto
considerthe vice asthevicebehindall
vices-'forming
andholdingthewrongidea ofoneself.Thatis,making
a falseeidolon
or
imageoftheSpiritwithwhichtowork
intheworlds
ofform.Thisisthe rootofthePrime
Deviation.
35.TheVirtueofBinahis Silence and thisimpliessilence
on all levels
ofbeing,notonlythephysical.It isnecessary
to still all theclamouringnoises
ofthelowerlevels in order
tohearthevoice oftheSpirit,andso the idealstate ofform
in
ordertomaketheverticalcontactsis oneofquietude.
On
anothermorepracticallevel, ifoneisperforming
magicalworkandbuildingupformsinsubtlematter,silence
and secrecy areessentialin
ordernot
tobreakthepsychic
stresses.Theeasiestway toruinesotericworkis
totalk
aboutit, and as Dinah is theArchetypalTemplewhere
formsarebuiltfor force to·indwell,it isnatural
thatthe
Virtueshouldbe Silence.
TheVirtueisexemplifiedinthe
greatBinah figure
ofthe VirginMary- she who knew the
wonderfulandterribleexperiencesbeyondtheesoteric
knowledgeandexperience
ofanyordinarywomanand
couldsufficientlypossesstheinnerwisdomto keep all such
thingsto herself. AyoungJewish girl whoconfidedinno-one,
who led,apparently,an
ordinarylife,lookingafterher
ownhousehold,seeingherownwomenrelations
andfriends
occasionally,watchingwithterribleknowledge
themission
ofher sonandknowingwhat thefinalachievementin the
worldwouldbe,
anddoubtlessknowing·atleastsome part
oftheotherachievementsin theotherworldsas well.
36.It is to be wishedthatmanyesotericstudentshad
similarpower
andwisdom.Usuallytheylearnbyexperi­
encethat,thoughthe
.barriersofunbeliefarethrowndown
withinthemselves,they willreapnothing
butridiculeby

58. SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOU R:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRATICCOLOUR:
ASSIATIC COLOUR:
VICES:
YETZIRATICTEXT:
MAGICALIMAGE:
GOD NAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDEROf'ANGELS:
MUNDANE.CHAKRA:
VIRTUES:
100
running
round.tryingto.spread.:theLight totheirfriends
and.relations.Every 'soulhasitsown pace,andthetrue
adept
hastoknow,andaccept,thatthe. onlythinghe can
do is
to·keepsilent,watchinguntilthetime...is ripe for
revelation
to particularindividuals.orgroups.
ChapterIX
DAATH-KNOWLEDGE
Ahead with two faces, looking both ways.
A conjunction of Jehovah and Jehovah Elohim,
The Archangelsofthe Cardinal Points.
Serpents.
Sothis or Sirius,theDog Star.
Detachment. PerfectionofJustice andtheappli..
cation of the Virtues' untainted by Personality
considerations. Confidence in the future.
TITLES: The InvisibleSephirah.
.TheHidden or Unre­
vealed Cosmic Mind. TheMysticalSephirah.The
'UpperRoom.
Vision across the. Abyss.
Lavender.
Silvery grey.
Pure violet.
Grey, flecked yellow.
Doubt of the future. Apathy.
Inertia.Cowardice,
(fearofthe future.) Pride, (leading to isolation
anddisintegration).
SYMBOLS: The CondemnedCell. The Prism. The Empty
Room. The Sacred Mountain of any race. A
grain of corn. The complete absence of symbol,
1.Daath,regardedas aSephirah,is acomparatively
modernconception.
ItismentionedinearlyQabalistic
writings
butisconsideredastheconjunction oftheMas ...
culineandFemininePrinciples of··God,Chokmahand
Binah.Indeed
theearlytextsstatemostexplicitly" that
thereare tenHolySephiroth, notnine andnoteleven,but
ten.However,modernresearchhas led to sufficientevidence
tojustifyits.beingregardedas aSephirahin its ownright,
butinratheranespecialway,Itisthustermed theInvis­
ibleSephirah.andCrowley.suggested.
thatitmight·bebest
consideredas-in anotherdimension-to·theotherSephiroth.
101

59. 102
On theTreeitcouldbe said to be'astride'the Abyss, the
Abyss being
the.gulf-ahigheranalogue oftheGulfbelow
Tiphareth-whichdividesnoumenalfromphenomenal
reality.
2.
Daathis thespherewhere pureforcetakeson form.
Binahrepresentsthearchetypal
ideaofform and thefourth
Sephirah,Chesed,is aSephirah
offorms;Daathrepresents
thestatewhere.actualforms are.precipitatedfrom the
interaction
ofsupernalforces. Daathcouldthusbe con­
ceived
ofas a loweranalogue ofKether,butastatewhere
formandnotforce firstmanifests.Theformsimpliedhere
are
ofcoursein still a veryabstractcondition,beingmore
in thenature
ofnodesofenergy.Actualimagesandshapes
as wegenerallyunderstandthemdo notoccur.until the
SephirahHod.
3.
Daathisthusthe highestunityin theworld offorms.
One
couldsaythatin·DaaththeLogoidalMeditationtakes
place, for from
Daaththesupernalforces arebroughtdown
acrossthe Abyss tomanifestin form as'abstractknowl­
edge'.ThustheKnowledgereferredto in the .title, as with
the titles
oftheSupernalSephiroth,means farmore than
theordinary humanmentation,abstractknowledgebeing
almostsynonymous
withfaith. But faithemanatesultimate­
ly from Dinah andcouldwell be called'unmanifestknowl­
edge'. In
Daathis thetransition oftheLogoidalPlan from
astate
ofunmanifestationto astate ofabstractionso far
as the
humanmentationisconcerned.
4.
Daathis thehighestpoint ofawarenessofthehuman
soulregardedas a soul(orinotherterminologiesHigher
Self,EvolutionarySelf, etc.) forawareness
ofthesupernal
levels can only bepossibleto
theSpiritorDivineSpark
itself. It isthegatewaytowhatis called
Nirvanain the
East, andthusrepresentsthepointwhere
asoul has
reachedthe fullstature
ofhisevolutionarydevelopment,
hasattainedperfectfree willandcanmakethe.choice
between going on tofurtherevolutioninotherspheres
or
remainingto assist intheplanetaryHierarchy. 'TheRays
103
and theInitiations'receivedthrough themediumshipof
AliceA,Baileygives afascinating accountof
thechoicesof
Pathopentoa soul atthispoint.It will beobvious thatthe
esotericgradesassigned.totheSupernalSephiroth.are
grades
ofMasterhoodandthusinnerplanegrades.
5.BeforethegradeofDaaththeexperience
orasoulis
devotedtobringing
abouta fusion,ofitselfwith theSpirit~to'becoming'. AfterthepowersofDaatharefullyopera­
tive in a
soulthereis nofurtherprocess'of'becoming'for
thatsoul.'is'.
6.Daathisthusrightlycalledthe MysticalSephirahfor
itbringsaboutthe.
correctunderstandingofthatmuch
abusedword'mysticism'.Mysticismis
notaconfusedstate
ofpurposelessor illdirected'spirituality',it isaclear-cut
realisationof'.the
variouspotenciesoflife andtheirunity
with
Godand with thesoul,InthisSephirahthebalance
andrealisationand
absorptionofthesepotenciesmeet
togetherin the
'lightoftheabstractmind,
7. InChristianlanguage DaathisthesphereoftheUpper
Roomat thedescent.ofthePentecostalFlames.In pre­
Christiantimes
itwas thesphere' oftheCreativeFire in
the realm
ofMind.ForexampleinDruidismit was con­
nected, withBeltane'though
Beltanewasthe festivalofthe
earthlycreativefire as well.
8. Thesymbol
ofthecloud-hiddenpeak oftheSacred
Mountain
ofanyraceisappositeto DaathforitwasDaath
consciousnessthatMosescontacted,when he received the
Tablesofthe Law fromthetopofSinai,the Moon
Mountain.Thisconsciousnesscouldbeshown underthe
symbolof.agrainofcorn--thesenseofbeingineverything,
containing,in essence, thesacramentalbread.
9.
Daath,then,is thesphere ofRealisationin itssuprem­
estmeaning,understandingunitedwith
knowledge-and
these twowordsarechosenwith ·care.Thehumanmind at
this most
abstractlevelattains
toacompleteawareness
ofAll and in thiscomplete awarenessisabsorbedby the
EternalMindandmadeone with it, so
thatDaath,asa

60. 104
Sephirah,representssupremeWisdomandsupremePower
ofRealisation.AndRealisationatitsgreatestheightis
Illumination,
andallthesupernalrevelationsofancienttimesthathavecometogreatspiritualleadershavebeen
acquiredthroughcontactwiihtheconsciousnessattributed
to
Daath.
10.There
is.anotheraspecttoDaathbyreasonofthe
greatWisdom.andRealisationthatit··.holds....andthat.is
Justice.Againthisis .afargreaterthingthan.ordinary
~uman justice,orperhaps·oneshouldsay attemptsat
justice..·TheJusticeofDaath.is.the ..absolutebalancein­
herent
inthe
.Cosmoswhich·takes accountofallfactors
withinitfromtherelationshipsofthesimplestatomtothe
remotest
andlargestsuns. ThisJusticeisexact,
forbyits
verynature,asabsolute
AdjustorandBalancer,it cannot
veer-toleft Ofright, butmustbeperfect.II.Itiswelltobearinmi~d thatthehumansoul,being
?ynomeansperfect,wouldbeseverelydisrupted ifbrought
Intoprematurecontactwiththeactive.sideofthisJustice.
ItisthekindofJusticethatshowsnomercy to anytrans­
gressionofCosmicLaw.Thismaysoundhard,butone
wouldnotexpectmercy.•frombeingburnedifoneputone's
handinthefire;one has toacceptthelawsofthephysical
worldandsimilarlyonecannotcontraveneCosmicLaw
unscathed.Thisis theprinciplebehindkarma.Ithasbeen
saidthatonecouldabreactallone'skarmain anhour,but
thisis highly•unlikelytobeachievedfortheagony ofspirit
wouldbe so.intenseasto.shatter'.thepersonality.
12.Because
ofthisaspect,the Daathpowertends
toupset
previous
conditions
in.thebodyormind.Itisreally a
b~lancing force.,butthisis inthelongview anditstemper­
aryresultswillbedisrupting.Notonly will...theinner
vehiclesbeseverelyshakenupbutthelowerJevelsmay
becomecompletely
outofhand.This canbededucedfrom
the
VirtuesandVicesattributedtotheSephirah.theeffect
oftheforceofDetachmentuponthepersonalitywilltend
to.cut..offthe.·personfrom thestandardsofsocialliving
105
whicharebuiltup abouthim in hispresent.life..andthe
consequences
ofthesehigherlevelsbeingstimulatedwill
becompletelyregardless
ofanyconsiderationsofthewel­
fare
ofthepersonality.The.higherlevels of
hisbeingwill
drivehim!intosituationswithoutanyregard forthefuture
comfortofthelowervehicles.
13.
TheDaathpowersinbalancedfunction, ofcourse,
give
thetypeofperson
•with...amissionorsenseofdestiny
whowillhavesufficientdetachmenttocuthis waythrough
anyobstructionsto hisaims,
atnornatterwhatcostvand
who hasabsolutelynoconcern, for
whatdangerthe.future
mayhavein
storesuch is hisfaith
inhispowers andaccept..
anceofhisdestiny.Theprimeexemplar ofthisis OUf Lord
andalsotheApostles andofcoursetherearemanyothers,
inthefields
ofscience,art,medicine"social
.welfare,
political
reforrn.ievangelismand
soon.Itisnotanattitude
offanaticism,though.thecondition.can ·lead to .this.
Fanaticismis atfootintensepridewhich willeventually
leadtoisolation
.fromhuman.contactand.ultimateself­
destruction.
Thefanaticisalwaysinhuman. OurLord,in
spite
ofhismany hard·sayingsandhisundeviatingcourse
towardshisdestiny,couldneverjustlybecalledinhuman.
Thefanaticis really
ablasphemouscaricature ofthe
exemplarylife for hepushesvirtues·so.farthatthey
becomevices,
andin the end hedestroys himself-asOur
Lorddestroyedhimself. Butthereis agreatdifference
betweenthe life
anddeath
ofaJesus,oraSocratesor a
ThomasMoreandthelifeanddeathofaHitleror "any
otherfanatic,religious,political,scientific orwhathave
you.
Ofcoursemanyfallbetween thetwo.categories.but
therealfanaticis he who is so proudandself-centredin
thesupposedrightness
ofhispersonalconvictions thathe
lackscompassion.
14. Evil
alwayspaysgoodthecompliment ofmasquerad­
ingasitbuttheunfailingdiagnosticindicatorofitislack
ofcompassion,or, thoseothermuchmisunderstoodterms,
charity,humanity,ortheLove
ofGod.

61. 106
15'.Fromall this it will beobviousthat.rneditationson
Daath,unlessverycarefullydecided uponbeforehandand
directed,.arenot.verysafe,particularlyiftheyimpinge
upontheCosmic
JusticeaspectoftheSephirah.Thecolours
oftheSephirah,lavender,silverygrey, pureviolet,and
grey, flecked.yelloware wellenoughtoworkwith,par­
ticularlyon Isismythology,
butshouldone. come'across
strangereds
and-greens,aspeckledbrown andwhite,or
electricblue, oneshould.ceaseworkimmediately,for these
relateto.theJusticeaspect
andhaveastrangerate of
vibrationwhich cando muchdamage-totheinner,vehicles.
Thereis also a
darksideofDaathrelating
towhatmight
becalled
thesubconscious,mind ofGodandthiscould.'have
strangeresultson the soul.
Contactswiththepersonalsub­
consciouscan bedisturbingenough,so one
canwell.imagine
how muchmoreexplosivewouldbecontactswith the Uni­
versalSubconsciouscontainingthe"whole
pasthistoryand
innerstressesofthe Logos.
16.Thesafestway toworkwith
DaathisthroughtheIsis
mythology,for
thisrelatesgenerallyto thebrightpositive
side
ofDaath
inwhich is held theSupernalPlanning ofthe
wholeUniverseand theshininggoals
ofthefuture.Tsisis
a veryancientgoddess,farolder
thantheEgyptianpan­
theons.Thisisindicatedin
themyth whereIsis,' bythe
power
ofhermagicrinducedRa, theFatheroftheGods,
toimparthis secretnameto herwherebysheobtained
power
overhim. She was saidtohave herhomein thestar
Sept, which 'is
the"star we now call SiriusorSothis,the
DogStar.Andstudents
ofadvancedesotericismwillknow
thatSirius
isthesphere ofthe,GreaterMasters,and the
Sunbehind
ourSun. I
17.Althoughall the myths,concerning
Isis, .•can.becor­
relatedwithmanyparts oftheTreeit isthrough theDaath
SephirahwithintheseSephiroth thattheIsiacforcefunctions.
This is really the key to anunderstanding
ofthepowerand
methods
oftheIsisformula,thoughthere areotheraspects
to it.
107
Fig.S.THE CADUCEUS
18. Isiscouldbecalled, inaway,theEtheroftheSpirit,
and she can becorrelated
.withThePriestessoftheSilver
Starwhich is
thefulltitleoftheTarotTrumpwhich is
assignedto
thePathwhich leads upacrossthe Abyss'
through
DaathfromTipharethtoKether.There is.alsoa
connectionwiththeglyph
oftheCaduceus,a winged staff
entwinedwith twoserpents,havingapineconeat its head
and the sign
ofScorpio,thescorpion,at its base. (Fig.
5)
Alignedwith theTree ofLife,thepineconecoversKether,
the wingsembrace
ChokmahandBinah, andtheserpents

62. 108
headsuniteinDaath.Theserpentsymbolism ofthis figure
denotesthemanifestation
offorce at any level. Thisserpent
symbolismis wellexplainedin the myths
ofIsis if
medi­
tatedupon, and itiswell torememberthe sevenscorpions
attributedto Isis in
thelight
ofthesevenplanes ofmani­
festationand the symbol at the base
oftheCaduceus.
19. Thecomplete
Isismythglogygoesthroughseveral
cycles-for.instanceafterher journeyings
tofind the body
ofOsiris she hadtogoonanotherjourneyto hide her 'son
and then onanotherjourneyto find thescatteredfragments
ofOsiris and so on. Inpsychologicalterms,thesevarious
cycles givecontact
withthearchetypesondifferentlevels.
And so if acourseofmeditationis.essayed ontheminorder
to elicittheirinnermeaning,
the.pathoftransmutation
andsublimation
ofthe psychetowards
theconsciousnessof
Daathcan be.troddenwith··theminimumofdanger,for
thisparticularline ofmeditationwillbuildformsinto the
psyche which will hold the forcescontactedwhetherin the
depths
oftheinstincts
ortheheightsofsuperconsciousness.
20. It wasbecauseofthe.clearrun-through ofpower
possiblewith thisformula
thatIsis oftenappearedwinged
inEgyptiansacerdotalart.Althoughtheprofoundsymbol­
ism
ofthosewings mightnot beappreciatedby thepopulace
ofthe day,theirinfluence andmeaning
couldbe.
4felt'­
and still can be. They haverelationto the wings ofthe
Caduceus.
21.The Isisformula
isparticularlyworthworkingon
because it is relativelycompleteand it gives the feminine
side to.the moreusualmasculinesymbols ofesoteric
development-itcan be used as acomplementto the Osiris
andChristteachingsrelatingto theSephirah.Tiphareth.
Thereissymbolisminothergoddessformulae,particularly
theGrecianand
Assyrian.and inMary,the Motherof
Jesus, wheredifferentaspects are
.moredeveloped,but the
teachingofIsis,apartfromitsgreatwisdom,powerand
inspiration,
isone of themoststabilising,and that
.is a
very necessarycontributiontowardsinner.development,
109
particularlywhere Daathisconcerned.
22.Therewill be no difficulty inunravelling
thepopular
teachings
ofIsisinthe light .ofordinarystates ofcon­
sciousnessbutthesestateshave to beworkedover again
and again
onahigherarc and .whatrnayseem to be the
mostobviousparablesaboutIsis will befoundto.bereposi­
toriesofprofound'esotericknowledge.
23.
The-Isismythscontainreferences. to·differentgrades
ofinitiation,toprinciples
ofsexualpolarity,
tocontactwith
theHigherSelf, tocontactwith theSpirit,.and-eventothe
Spirit
ofGodItself,Isiswas abletoperformmiracles, to
heal,
tobringthe.deadtolife..She was agreattraveller
andalsogoddessofthe sea.Oneofher giftswastheim­
partingofsweetperfumetothoseshetouched.This has
deep reference to the
SephirahDaath,which is ananalogue
of Yesod, (one
ofwhoseattributions.is perfumes.and incense),
on ahigherlevel. It refers to the'perfume' oftheSpiritof
man,and thoughthis may at firstappearto beastrange
concept,itindicatestheability toimparttoothers,even
throughthe senses,
thewonderand thebeauty,the glory
and the
joyand thepower oftheimmortalSpirit.
24.
TheformofIsis can bebuiltup in the. Daathcolours
oralternatively
inblue, for the force hasmuchto do with
the
'BlueRayofthehighermind. Forgeneralpurposesthe
best
wayisto. visualise a hugepillar ofEgyptiansculpture
and within it theclear-cutlines
ofthegoddessseatedupon
herthronewith vast wings
thatwould, encircletheUniverse;
on
her
head.theSolardiskofSirius...Thecolumnshould
towerup to theuttermostlimits
oftheUniverseand
equallypenetrateto theuttermostdepths.Oneshould
feel
particularlyan.auraofvaststrength.
25.
OftheotherpaganpantheonsJanusgives the best
MagicalImagefor theSephirahas
thegod wholooksboth
ways;down
intomanifestation,seeing all thatoccursthere­
in, and alsotowardstheSupernals,thusgiving theSpiritual
Experience
ofTheVisionacrossthe Abyss.
26.BaldertheBeautifulandHorusequallyhave aspects

63. 110
relatingtoDaath,thepureSpiritcoming.downintomani­
festation;and·Heimdall,whoguardstherainbowbridge
whichleadsfromtheworldofmantotheworld.of'gods,
alsohasrelevance,
27.
ThepotentiallydangerousaspectsofDaathtothe
ordinaryhumanpersonalityarewellillustrated
intheheroes
whose
adventuresareobviouslyDaathexperiences-these
arePrometheus,GalahadandPerseus,tonamebutthree.28~Prometheusstole.DivineFirefromHeavenassisted
by
thegoddessofWisdom,PallasAthene.Thiscanbere..
gardedas an,aspect ofFreeWill,bywhich .primitive.man
tookastepforwardinphysicalevolutionfromthenear
animallevel.AccordingtoZeus,orthepowersreigning
atthetime,this, was a prematureactandPrometheuswas
chainedto'amountainintheCaucasus,tormentedby an
eagle
devouringhis.livere :·Theeagle ofcoursewasa symbol
ofZeus,butitisalsoanotherformofScorpio,thescorpion,
whichisassociatedwithdivineforce comingdowntomani­
fest
in'aplaneofforminboth'theCaduceusandIsiac
symbolism.
29.
Thefeminineside ofPrometheusisIo,who,ravished
byZeus,was turnedintoawhiteheifer,andwanderedover
manylandstormentedby agad-flysentby Hera,thelead­
ingfemaledivinity.Eventually10was
restoredtohuman
forminEgypt,
.wheresheboreason>andwasworshipped
thereas afore-runnerofIsis.
30.
GalahadwastheperfectknightoftheArthuriancycle
andtheGrailwinner
andhehas,beenover-spiritualisedby
laterChristiancommentatorsinjustthesamewaythat
theLordJesushas.beenrendered'meekandmild'.He
washowever thegreatest.knightofall,overwhelrningall
comers,
andcompletelysingle-pointedin dedication,so
muchsothatwhenhehadcompletedhisQuest,his one
wish,whichwas granted,wastodie.
31.Perseuswas
theherowhocapturedtheMedusa'shead
whichchangedallwhosawit tostone,andis agood
symbolofthedarkside'ofDaath.Hewasassistedby
111
Herrnea..whoalsohadahandinrescuing10from Hera,
andalsoby PallasAthene,theaiderandabettorof
Prometheus.PallasAthenethusalsohasherplacein con­
siderationsofDaathalthough"like IsisUrania,she'isalso
aligned
withChokmah.
'.HerrelevancetoDaathandthose
whoaspiretoitspowersis wellsummarisedinthepassage
aboutherfromKingsley's'TheHeroes':"1amPallas
Athene;andIknowthethoughtsofallmen'shearts,and
discerntheir, manhoodortheirbaseness.Andfromthesouls
ofclayIturnaway,andtheyareblest,butDot by me.They
fattenat ease,likesheepinthepasture,andeatwhatthey
didnot.SOW,likeoxenin the,stall. They-growand,spread,
likethegourdalongtheground;but,.likethegourd,they
give no
shade
tothetraveller,andwhentheyareripe
deathgathersthem,andtheygo downunlovediotahell,
andtheirnamevanishesoutoftheland."
"Butto"the.soulsoffireIgivemorefire,andtothose
whoaremanfulIgive amightmorethanman's.These
aretheheroes,thesons'oftheImmortals,whoareblest,
butnotlikethesoulsofclay.ForIdrivethemforthby
strange.paths,Perseus, thattheymayfighttheTitansand
themonsters,theenemiesofGodsandmen.Through
doubtandneed,dangerandbattle,Idrivethem;andsome
ofthemareslainintheflowerofyouth,nomanknows
whenorwhere;andsomeofthemwinnoble names,anda
fairand,green
oldage;butwhatwill betheirlatterendI
knownot, andnone,
saveZeus,thefatherofGodsand'men.'
32. As
DaathwasnotconsideredtobeaSephirahbythe
originalQabaliststhespherehasnoGodName,Archangel
orOrderofAngelstraditionallyassignedto it. Howeverthe
GodNamecanbeconsideredto be asynthesis oftheGod
NamesofChokmahandBinah.Alsoas it is a
.reflectionof
Ketheritcouldbesaidto representallthreeSupernal
Sephirothatthefountoftheworldsofform.
33.
TheArchangelcanbetakenas acombinationofthe
ArchangelsoftheFourCardinalPoints,'Raphael,Michael,
GabrielandU riel,theArchangelsofEast,South,West

64. CHESED~ MERCY
ChapterX
"TheFourthPath is called theCohesiveor Receptive Intel­
ligencebecauseitcontainsalltheHolyPowers,andfrom
it emanate' all the spiritual.virtues.withthemostexalted
essences. Theyemanateonefromanotherbyvirtueof·the
PrimordialEmanation,theHighestCrown,Kether."
1.Chesed,before Daathwasconsideredto beaSephirah,
was the firstSephirah oftheFormativeWorldandthis
explainstheYetziraticText,which still holdsgood,for
ChesedreceivesalltheHolyPowersfromtheSupernals
rayedthroughDaath,oneofwhosesymbols isthePrism.
2.TheText affirms
thatalltheEmanations, orSephiroth,
havetheirultimate rootin.theprimeupwelling ofdivine
force inKether.
Thisforce,which isactivated,andgiven
potentiality
ofform inChokmahandBinah.jsthenrefracted
throughDaathintoChesed,which isthuscalledtheRecep-
113
Amightycrownedandthronedking.
El.
Tzadkiel,
Chasmalim,BrilliantOnes.
Jupiter.
Obedience.
Gedulah, Love, Majesty.Magnificence.
Vision.of Love.
Deepviolet.
Blue.
Deep purple.
Deep
azure.fleckedyellow.
Bigotry. Hypocrisy. Gluttony, Tyranny.
The solid figure.Tetrahedron.Orb. Wand. Seep..
tre.Crook.
MAGICALIMAGE:
GOD NAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDER OF ANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHIC COLOUR:
BRIATIC .COLOUR:
YETZIRATIC COLOUR:
ASSIATIC COLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
112
andNorthrespectively.GabrielandUrielhave-particular
reference
.··totheSephirahon theirmore.profoundless
obvioussides.
34.The
AngelsoftheSephiraharea.kindofSeraphim,
only
notflamingas theSeraphimofGeburah.Toclairvoy­
antsighttheyhavethe
appearance'ofsilvery greyserpents
withgolden
darting
.tonguesandatypeofforceemanating
fromthemwhichcanonlybedescribedas'Incandescent
Knowledge'.
35.
Allattemptsat adescription
ofthe-statesofcon­
sciousness.of,Daath .•canatbest'be onlymetaphorical,for
really itisthestateofawarenessdevoid ofall...symbols.
Thisis why
thegreatformula'that. .expressesthenature
ofDaathis'TheE'mptyRoom'v.Thisisthenearestsymbol
whichimpliesabsence
ofsymbol,
<andthuscontactwith
Reality.Itisanawarenessofthe'CompleteDenudationof
God'into'that.whichis.neitherforcenorformbutcontains
both.
It.Is.
a'condition'beyondall 'other.conditions-a
SupremeState, andthisstateisapproachedwhenthephase
oftheabstractmind'isentered. The.approachto thisstate,
which
canbeanalysedinto'severalstages,
isalong'a
'secret'PathoftheTree ofLife,fromChesedtowards
Daath.Itis aninitiatoryprocess fortheAdeptusExemptus
-onewhohaslearntall thatEarthhastoteach-andthe
way
canbeaterribleone,being thewellknown Dark
NightoftheSoul,ofthemystic,buton ahigher arcthanis
usuallyexperienced.

65. 114
tive.Intelligence,Itisalsocalled theCohesiveIntelligence
becauseit is inthisSephirahthattheforcesfirst cohere
intoforms,althoughonasubtlelevel. InBinahistheidea
ofform,andinDaaththeprocessoftransmutationinto
form,buttheforcesactuallycohereintoformsinChesed.
3.FromChesedtheseformsgradually,throughthe.re­
mainingSephiroth,attaingreaterdensityofmanifestation
andthusisitalsosaid thatfromChesed'emanateallthe
spiritualvirtueswiththemostexaltedessences.'In other
words,Chesedisthesupremeheightofmanifestationin
form,althoughformhasbeenforeshadowed,andhas'its
placeto a certainextent,in DaathandBinah.ButChesed
is.thefirstSephirahbelowtheAbyss.
4.
Thusit will be seenthatfromthisSephirahemanates
allrulershipovertheworldsofforms.although
theprime
forceemanatesfromtheSupernalSephirothtransformed
throughDaath.Becauseofthis,thesphereoftheMasters
issaidtobeinChesed.
5.ThehistoryoftheconceptoftheMastersisastormy
one.Before theendofthenineteenthcenturytheywere
rarely,
ifever,mentioned.Anyonewhocontactedthem
priortothiseitherkeptthefactsecretorelse wasunaware
ofwhatorwhoitwastheycontacted.Wheretheinner
planesareconcernedtheactual
...formconceivedisusually
colouredby .thementalbiasoftheperceiver.Aparallel
tothis
canbeseen
intheannalsofpsychiatrywhereit will
be.
foundthatpatientsunderJungiananalysisturnupwith
fineJungiansymbolism,whilepatientsunderFreudian
analysisturnupwith Freudiansymbolismandsoon.
Similarlyin scientologicalprocessingwhereapre-clear
hasaflash-back
inmemoryto atimewhenhewasa.free
Spirit
without,orwithonlyveryabstractformininter­
stellarspace,hewilloftenclothethememorywiththe
trappingsofmodernsciencefiction and,'remember'him­
selfas in aspace-ship andso00,simplybecausehis mind
cannotconceivetheideaofbeingwithoutform.In alike
mannertheJewsalways consideredanydiscarnateentity
115
to beanangelorarchangel-ordevilorarchdevil-in
ordertoconformtotheirtheologyandmaintainamono­
theisticbias.
6. So
theMasters,as wepicturethem,areimagesin our
imagination,asindeedareallinnerplaneentities,human,
angelicorelemental.But this does not mean thattheyare
theproduct
orourimaginations. They are real beings on
their .own
level.··AndtheleveloftheMasterscorresponds
totheSephirahChesed,whichis aspherewhereformsare
ofthedensityofthe.processes.oftheabstract-mindror
intuition.
7.Whenonepicturesaninnerplaneentityinastralcon­
sciousnessoneis.operatinginthesphereofYesod-the
TreasureHouseofImages-i-butoneiscontactingabeing
whoisreally'a potentcentreofabstractforcein thecase
ofaMaster.Thepicturethatoneprojectsintheimagina­
tionactsasafocusforthisforce,whichwill animatethe
imaginedpicture~thus -itispossibletoholdconversations
withthisimaginaryprojectionandthisisthetechniqueof
'astralpsychism'.
8.Howeverit is amethodwhichhasitsdangersand
delusions.Therearefewwhocanworkat'thisdenselevel
ofmentationalformwithoutsubconsciouslyinjecting some
oftheirownideasandconceptionsintoit.Thedirectest
methodofcommunicationis.themostefficientandthatis
byraising
one'sownconsciousnesstothelevelofthecorn­
municatingentityandthusreceivingimpressions'
direct
fromabstractmindtoabstractmindwhichwill. filterdown
intoconcreteconsciousnessas one'sownideasorthoughts.
9.Fromthisitwillbeseen thatthetechniquesofcom­
municationaresuchthatit isimpossibletogive proofs
oftheexistenceofthesehighinnerplanebeingsunder
laboratoryconditions,forphysicalscience hasno 'meansof
gaugingwhatistheemanationofonemindoranother.The
onlyproofisdirectexperience,whichrequires initialfaith,
whichis
notanapprovedscientificinstrumentoreven
attitude.Theonly
.formofpsychiccommunicationwith

66. 116
which science can
gettogripsis deeptrancewhich isnot
acondition
thatisrequired.eitherforastralpsychism
or
mentaltelepathy.
10.Thetwolattermethodsofcommunicationarewithin
the reach
ofanybody,.givena
certain.degreeofmindtrain­
ing,a.nd
manyprobablydo ·it
..unconsciously,thoughit .is
found
thatsomepeople havenruchmoreaptitude than
others.TheMastersthemselvesfavourthehighermental
approach
forit islesssubjectto. erroronceproperly
developed.The
astralmethodhas ledinthepasttosome
ludicrouserrorswhichhasmadetheword'occultism'
stinkin thenostrils
ofmany.whomightotherwisebe
favourabletowards
it.
11.Obviouslyifone isgoingtostartholdinginteriorcon­
versationswithprojections ofone'sownimaginationif
doesnotrequiremuchdissociationofconsciousnesstoland
one.intothestrangeworlds ofschizophreniaandhallucina­
tion.Thatiswhypracticaloccultismshouldbecarriedout
under
'strictlycontrolledconditions andwith
adefinite
purposein mind, and it is thereasonforopeningandseal­
ingritualsbeforeandafterpracticalwork.
12.Whilstearlypropagandistsonbehalf oftheexistence
oftheMastersmay nothavefallen intoschizophreniait
appearsthatmanywere thevictimsofhallucinationin
thattheyconfused theirplanes,mistakingastralconscious­
ness forphysicalreality.
Thusonereadsaccounts of
meetingswith such and such a
Masterin arailwaytrain
orpublicpark,withdetaileddescriptions ofdress,includ­
ing
top
..hat,umbrella andall.
13.AnyonehavinganyconceptionofwhattheMasters
really are
mustrealise
thataccountsofsuch allegedphysical
manifestationsarecompletebalderdash.However.the fact
is
thatthereistruth.behindthe folly and
self-deceptionand
itisanappalling.tragedy thatthefoolish wayillwhich the
factshavebeen....presentedin thepasthas led.manyto
dismiss
thewholesubjectoutofhand-s-andfranklyone
can.hardly
blamethosewhohavedoneso.
117
14.
TheMasters,orInnerPlaneAdepti,
arehumanbeings
who havegained.all theexperience,and all. the .wisdcm
resultingfromexperience,necessaryfortheir spiritual
evolutionin theworlds ofform.Theyarethus'justmen
madeperfect'.All souls, when they havebecomefreeof
the necessity forbirthanddeath,can goon tohigherevolu­
tionin·otherspheres,
butsome electtostaybehind.in
Earthconditionsinorderto helpontheirtyoungerbrethreri'
intheirprogress throughcyclicevolutionon
.this.planet.
Theseare theMasters,andtherearemanyofthem,though
only a few are
knowntohumanitybynamefor
itis only
the'teachingMasters'whocommunicatedirectlywithus.
15.It is this'College ofMasters'thatformstheupper
reaches
oftheplanetaryHierarchyof humanbeings,·just
astheArchangelsformtheupperreachesof theAngelic
andElementalHierarchy.
Thefunctionof.theMastersis
tomediatedivineforcesvorthe Will
ofGod,tohumanity
andthuscan they beconsideredtooperate
intheSephirah
Chesed.
16.
The'InnerCouncilofMasters'however,commonly
referredto as
'TheGreatWhiteLodge'ismore ofaDaath
condition,forwhen the'Council'is in full sessionthecon­
tactswith
thehigher.Supernallevels aremadeand with
theUn-nameableandUn-knowablebeings whohave
their
existenceinthose remotespheres.Itmustberemembered
thatthesetermsare at bestapproximate andthatthe
natureof
the''Council'and itshigher contactsismorein
thefashion
ofa
•..hightelepathic rapport.thanacouncil
meetingas. wecommonlyunderstandit.
17.
ThesphereofChesedcanfurtherbe seen to be a
Sephirahespeciallyrelatedto theMastersin
thatthe
esotericgradeassignedto it is thatofAdeptusrExemptus.
Thatis, one who. isexempt,or free, fromthelimitations
imposedby
physicalandlowerformexistenceandtheneed
toreincarnate.
18.ThefunctionoftheSephirahissimilarto thefunction
of the.Mastersas can be seen by theMagicalImageof a

67. 118
mightyking, crownedandthroned;theFlashingColours,
whicharethepurplesandbluesnormallyassociatedwith
kingship;andthesubsidiarysymbolsoftheorb,wand,
sceptreandcrook.
19.Howeveritmustnotbethoughtthattherulership
impliedis
thatkindofauthoritywhichhumanbeingsusually
inflict on
oneanotherintheworld-sooftenmanifesting
asbossiness
andevenpersecution. TheWillofGod
isalso
theLove ofGodandtheSpiritualExperienceofthe
SephirahistheVisionofLove.Crowleywasperfectly
correctwhenhe said "LoveistheLaw,Love underWill."
eventhoughthatphrasehasbeenmuchmisunderstood,
notleastofall byCrowleyhimself.
20. It
isasimilarcasewith.his otheraxioms,"Everyman
andeverywomanis astar"and
"Dowhatthouwiltshall
be
thewholeoftheLaw."ThewholeoftheLawimplied
hereis
theWilloftheSpirit,whichissynonymouswith
theWillofGod.Itdoesnotmean
"dowhatyoulike"ac­
cordingtothedictatesofthelowervehicles.
21.ItmustnotbethoughtthatallCrowley's.writingsare
fullofwisdom.Thereismuchofworthinthembutheisa
treacherousauthoritytofollowunless onehasaverygood
ideaofwhatoccultismis all about.LikeEliphasLevi,the
nineteenthcenturyFrench.occultistwhomheadmiredso
much,hewasapracticaljokerofthe"pincesansrire'
variety.As an
adept
hewas verythirdrateashislifestory
shows,
andapartfromabrilliantintellect,his maincon­
tributiontooccultismwasthathe was agoodmedium.An
adepthasto beable
tocontroltheforceshe invokesand
Crowleycouldnot.Inspite ofall hisraretalentshesuc­
cumbedtotheforcesherashlyinvokedwith theusualresult
ofagrossinflation oftheself-importanceofthepersonality
andgradualdeclineintodrugaddictionandmagicalim­
potence.He is
stilladmiredbymany,buthisexampleis
moreinthenatureofwhatnottodo,andso hecanbestbe
regardedas alesser
Mordred,onewhowashisownJudas
lscariot-asindeed
toagreaterorlesserextentwe allare.
119
22."DowhatthouwiltshallbethewholeoftheLaw"and
"LoveistheLaw,Love underWill"applywell toChesed,
fpratthe.levelofthisSephirahthewilloftheindividualis
completelyin
harmonywiththeWillofGod.ThusObedience,
whichis
theVirtueofthisSephirah,doesnotmeanthe
willingnessto takeorders.Whatisimpliedis that
thesoul
whohasachievedthegradeoftheChesedinitiationisso
alignedwith
theWillofGodthathisownwill
isthesame
astheWillofGodandso hecandonoevil--itiscompletely
foreign
tohisnature.
23.ThustheMasters,whentheytrainpupils,donottrain
themtotakeorders,buttodevelop'themselvestothedegree
thattheycanmakeuptheirownmindswhattodo,andthe
resultofwhichwill be in accordancewiththeWillofGod
andtheaimsoftheHierarchy.Human
.free-willis sacrosanct.
24. In viewofthislastfactor-thereis nocompulsionin
Whiteoccultism.Ifapersonisheadedfor anastyfall he
maybewarnedaboutit. If hepersistsnonethelessin his
courseofactionthenthatis hisaffair, thoughifthedamage
he islikelyto dotohimselfandothersislikelytoinjure
theGrouphe is intoobadly,he maybeaskedtoleaveit
in
theinterestsofallconcerned.He isthenfreetoleave,
pursuehiscourseofactionandhavehissmash-up,andif
he is in a fit
stateafteritandhasdevelopedalittle wisdom
fromtheexperiencehe maybere-admitted.It
·i5oftenthe
onlyway thatsomewilllearn.
25. AstheWillofGodinrulinghis creationistheLaw
ofLove,Gedulah,Loveis perhapsthebettertitleforthis
Sephirah,
andit isquite oftenso termed.However,Chesed,
Mercy,isthemore
commonusageandisprobablyderived.
fromthefactthatwhentheglyphofthePillarsissuper­
imposed
upontheTree,this Sephirahis inthecentreofthe
PillarofMercyatthe'Ethical'or'Moral'level.Geburah,
Severity,corresponds
inalikemannertothePillarof
Severity.ThesubsidiarytitlesofMajestyandMagnificence
arealsowell to bearinmind.
26.Lookingaroundattheworldinthephysicallevel of

68. 120
Malkuthitmayappearstrangeto.somethatthe Willof
God shouldbeLove,for.the worldisfar frombeingalove­
ableplace attimes....But it must berememberedthat
according to
thisLaw.ofLovehuman.free-willcannotbe
gainsaid.andmostofthehorror.of physical existence
stems
from.manhimself."Man'sinhumanitytomanmakes
countlessthousands
mourn" . Andnodoubtcountless
thousandsmore willmournuntil the majority
ofthehuman
race.learnstocontact·theChesedicsphere,whetherthey
call it by theQabalistictitle
arnot.
27.Apartfrom the more obvioushumaninventionssuch
as neuroses, psychoses,gas.chambers,concentrationcamps,
slums,torture
.chambersvhydrogenbombsandsoonvon
thesubtlerlevels,
.byhisdeviationfrom theWill of God,
man is
alsoresponsibleforintroducingcertainof thepara­
sitic and
saprophiticentitiesto this planet.whichmanifest
as some diseases. However, man has baked his cake
and
he must eat
it,every lastcrumb,and when he has doneso
then he can clap the plate on his head and use it for a halo.
28.These mayseem.very hard sayings and some will no
doubtask"WhydoesGod allowit?"And the only answer
one can give isthatthey
.hadbetter.askGod. It.
isperhaps
in his MercythatHesent thelastdeluge, but the fresh
starthumanitygained from it doesnot.seem to have.im..
provedmatters..Faced with thesituationas we arethe
only thing we can do is to. try
torightit,and.the only way
thatcan be done is by seeking the Will
ofGod within. No
easy task.
29.Perhapsit isbetterto reserve
one'ssympathyfor
theanimal
andElementalkingdoms,whichhad no
partin
theFall but have had to suffer muchofthe consequences
inthatthey share theplanetwith us..It is also. a grisly
truththatwhatmay be good from thepointof view of the
Spirit can be mostunpleasantwhen viewed fromthe/per­
sonalityorientation,This againisaresult ofman'sdevia..
tion, for had he not abused·free will, he wouldstillhave
the linksoperatingbetween
anthe. levelsofhis being and
121
he would be able to
.see with the eyes of. the Spirit.
30. But in
.ourconsiderationsof Cosmicadjustmentwe
are verging on the.bordersof the
SephirahiGeburah.It
must be said
thatcomparedto therealitiesofman'scosmic
situation,the'angst'oranguishoftheatheistexistential­
ist is very small beer-s-but there. arecompensations.Very
great ones
.indeed-sfor"every manandevery womanisa
star",basically, andpotentially.
31. TheNameofGod
in.thisSephirahisElOfAI, com..
posedoftheHebrewlettersAlephand Lamed.....Aleph;as
we have already discussed, signifies the beginning
ofthings
and
oneofthe symbols of Lamed is thewing
orabird,so
thatthe name can be said to convey
theidea of power and
potentiality,(Aleph),combinedwith uplifting and out­
spreadingforce, (Lamed). Viewed in this light
asymbol
could
beconstructed-oftheNamewhereby Alephis repre­
sented
byapointwithin a circle,
forthisisarepresentation
of beginnings of things, and Lamed
by
a.wing.Theresultant
compositesymbol would resemble the winged disk
ofthe
ancient Egyptians.Alternatively,using thetraditional
Qabalisticsymbolism for these letters, Aleph
iscalled the
Oxand Lamed, the Ox-goad, sothathere we have the idea
of primal driving force undercontrol.
32. The Archangel of theSephirah,Tzadkiel, as well as
theOrderof
AngelaChasmalim,
orBrilliantOnes, can be
built
upinimagination,the Archangel having an especial
link with the symbol of the Orb, and the influence of these
beings will be valuable to anyone suffering frominstability,
whether of mind. oremotions.Generallyspeaking,
anin...
ability to bepunctualor tocontrolthetimefactor is a
symptomof mentalconfusion,whilegeneraluntidiness or
inabilitytocontrol.the space factor
isasign ofemotional
confusion.Thesoothing,constructiveforces of the Chesedic
sphere can do much
torelieve theseconditions.
33. TheplanetJupiter,which is theMundane
Chakraof
Chesed,haslong beenconsidered inastrologyas the great
beneficent influenceamongthe planets
.and this is no.doubt

69. 122
aresultofthefactthatthisplanetisthatonwhichthe
evolutionisintermsof'concreteSpirit'-notaterm,that
conveysmuch,butwhichcanbe seentoapplywell to
Chesedwhichisthefirstoftheforrn-Sephirahproperand
receivesthe pureabstractspiritualforcesfrom theSuper­
nals.
Thusonecanperhapsobtainan,ideaofwhat
'con­
creteSpirit'is'byconsideringtheSephirahChesed,and
thisis oneofthewaysofworkingthatmaketheTreeof
Lifesuchavaluable symbolforunknownconcepts'can be
defined
andunderstoodbyreferenceto theknown.
34.
TheVicesof'theSephiraharethosevices commonly
shownbypeople whosetthemselvesup in authorityor
whoaresetupbyothersas, anauthority, andtheyoften
manifestin verysubtleways.
Thereis thecommonsaying
that
"Powertendsto'corrupt."andanyonewhois given
power,inthathemustbe tosomedegreeaberratedor,he
wouldnot,be inincarnation·atthistime, willinevitablybe
butapoorcaricatureoftheDivineRule ofChesed.Some I
ofcoursewillbemoresuccessfulthanothersbutthereis
norecord
ofafaultlessrulerintheknownhistory of
humanity.Bigotry,hypocrisy andtyrannyareall vices
thatstemfromidentifyingoneselfwith therulingprinciple
whilstrefusingto face
therealityofthose,partsofthe.self
thatareunworthyofrulership,Gluttony'is asheerabuse
ofthewholeprinciple,asindeed,is Tyrannyalso,in that
rulershipoverothers orover
objectsisorientatedentirely
for
the
'benefit'oftheselfratherthanforthebenefitof
theruled.It mustnotbethoughteither,thatthesevices
andtemptationsapplyonlytothoseinhighpositions' of
authority-theyapplytoeveryone,foreveryonehasruler­
shipoversomethingeven if it beonly
thephysicalbody.
35.
Thesymbolofthesolidfigureindicates 'anadded
dimensionto
theplanefiguresrelatingto theSupernal
Sephiroth.
Theaddeddimension ofcoursebeingform.
36. In
thepaganmythologiestherelevantgodswill ob­
viouslybe.those
thatarebeneficentrulersovergods and
men,orthoseaspects ofanygod
,or'goddesswhichso rule.
123
Fromthisit canbe seen howthepagandeityattributions
frequentlyoverlapvariousaspects ofDivinity.Zeus,for
example,as
theAll-Fatherfigurewouldrelateto Chokmah,
butastheruler ofgodsandmenwouldbe aChesedfigure.
Againthisis
oneoftheadvantagesoftheQabalisticsystem
for it givesgreaterease
ofclassificationanddifferentia­
tionthantheteemingchaoticprofusion ofmostmythologies.

70. GEBURAH -SEVERITY
Chapter"XI
"TheFifthPathiscalledtheRadicalIntelligencebecause
itresemblesUnity,uniting
itselfto'Binah,Understanding,
whichemanates
.fromtheprimordial.depths ofChokmah,
Wisdom."
1.
TheYetziraticText ofGeburahissimilarto thatof
Chesedin thatit laysstresson thesourceofpowerinthe
Supernals,WheretheTextofChesedspecificallymentions
Ketherhowever,theTextofGeburahspecificallymentions
ChokmahandBinah.KetheristheAtziluthicorSupernal
Worldofthe.wholeTree,while ChokmahandBinahboth
constitute
theBriaticorCreativeWorld.Fromthisone
cangatherthatasChokrnahandBinahrepresent the
DivineForceofKetherinaction,sodoes Geburahrepresent
themoreactiveside oftherulershipprinciple ofChesed.
Thisis
borneoutbytheGeburicMagicalImage-amighty
124
125
warriorin hischariot,theSpiritualExperience-theVision
ofPower,andthe
VirtuesoftheSephirah-energyand
courage.
2~TheattributionsofGeburaharealmostallmartial
ones,andthough,becauseofthis,itisperhapseasierto
gainanelementaryconception.
ofGeburahthanoftheother
Sephiroth,
itcanleadtosomemisunderstandingforthis
Sephirahhas itssubtleties
andprofunditiesequaltothose
ofanyof
theotherspheresoftheTree.
3.Geburahisbasicallya Sephirahofadjustmentand
assessment;it is a sphere..ofabsoluteandunmitigated
Truth.Onecouldsaythatitwouldhavebeeninthelightof
GeburahthatonthesevendaysofcreationGodlookedat
whatHehaddoneandsawthatit wasgood.Onetendsto
glossoverthisaction
ofGodalmostas aneedlessformality,
butin anymysticaltreatise ofthequalityoftheBookof
Genesis,
nothingisputinmerelyfor thesakeof.effect.
After
thecreativeeffort of
.puttingthingsintoform,there
followsthenecessity. ofscrutinisingtheresultintensely
andpurgingtheformofanyexcrescences ordefects.
4.
Theprocess
canbestbeconsideredin thesphereof
creative.art.A painter,say,worksat acanvas,buildingup
coloursandformsininter-relationshipuntilhe hascreated
whatheconsidersmaybe afinishedpicture.Hedoesnot
send ittoagalleryforsaleimmediatelyhe haslaiddown
hisbrush-hetakesawalkandthen.returnstolookatthe
picturewithfresheyes.Hemayturnits face tothewall
andre-examineitagain andagainoveraperiod ofdays,
weeksorevenmonthsbeforehedeclaresit afinishedwork
worthytobearhissignature.Thestandardshewillusein
judgingvariousaspectsofthepicturewillbe .set bythe
lawsofthepictureitself. Apatch.ofonecolourinapar...
ticularshapeandpositionwill be validorinvalidaccording
toitscontextintherestofthepicture,whetheritbalances
up
andcomplementsall the.othercoloursand.shapes-In
otherpositionsoverthecanvas.S.Onecanconceivethat. theCreationofaUniverseby
A mighty warrior in his chariot.
Elohim
Gebor.
Khamael.
Seraphim, Fiery Serpents.
Mars,
Energy, Courage.
Pachad, Fear. Din, Justice.
Vision
ofPower.
Orange.
Scarlet red.
Bright scarlet.
Red, flecked black.
Cruelty. Destruction.
Pentagon.Five petalled rose
..Sword. Spear.
Soourge, C hain.
MAGICALIMAGE:
GOD NAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDEROFANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUALEXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRATICCOLOUR:
ASSIATICCOLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:

71. 126
anIntelligentEntitywouldfollowmuchthe sameprocess.
Thebuildingup oftheforms andrelationshipsofapaint­
ing, like
theformulationoftheformsandrelationships of
a
Universecanbepositedas underthepresidency ofthe
Chesedicsphere.The-cleareyedassessment
ofthework-of
artorofthe-ManifestedUniverseandtheerasure orcor­
rection.
ofanyfalsitieswould thusbe anaction ofGeburah.
6. In a wellconceived andexecuted.work ofartthere
wouldbelittleneed
ofcorrectiveaction, thoughthe
principle
ofGeburahwouldbeappliedwithequalforce in
theassessment
ofit. In abotchedworkthesubsequentcor­
rectiveaction,which
isadifferentaspect ofGeburah,would
need to begreater.
Thesameappliesto
theUniverse.One
canimagine thatthecreativeworkofGodwouldrequire
littlesubsequentadjustment,
butsomeofthe'colours'God
has usedarehumanandcapableofindependentaction.If
manhadactedthroughouthisevolutionarylife inaccord­
ancewithDivineLawallwouldbe.relativelywell, buthe
didnot,·sotheresult,inthis
planetatleast,has beenlike
apaintinginwhich
thecoloursarbitrarilychangetheir
hues,lighten,darken,orspreadoverthecanvastoareas
where
theyshouldnotbe.Thisofcoursecalls for constant
assessmentand readjustmentonthepartoftheCreator,
andtheattemptsto keeptheUniversalwork ofartfrom
becominganunredeemablemess are
whatwe call the
workings
oftheLaws ofKarma,ormoreproperly,Re­
adjustrnentvandtheseLaws
areattributed.to theSephirah
Geburah.
7. It is inviewofthisthatthereis anaspect ofGeburah
knownas'TheHallofJustice'or'TheHalloftheLordsof
Karma'.Justice,as theperfectbalancebetweenMercy
andSeverity,isproperlyassignedto Daath,theconjunc­
tion
ofChokrnahandBinah, thetwoSephirothmentioned
in
theYetziraticText ofGeburah.Geburahis thesphere
where
thatJustice
isappliedintheworlds ofform.
8.Thisaspect
ofGeburahcanbeimaginedas agreat
127
hall,completelyempty, butradiatedthroughoutwithscarlet
light.Here
thesoulstandsstripped.naked ofeveryshred
ofexcuseoripossibilityvofevasionwhile thepiercing
shadowlesslightpenetratesto every
partofitsbeing.
In
theuttersilenceoftheScarletHall,Justiceisrevealed.
Thesoulisinsuchandsuchastateandisrevealedto
be so.
Inthisrevelationeverythingis takenintoaccount,
automatically,inevitably
andpitilessly.It is aHall of
Justice,not Judgment,andnosentenceis pronounced,no
doomdecreed.Silencereigns supreme
~thesilenceof
Binah,Understanding,towhich, as-theYetziraticText
says,
Geburahisunited.AndGeburahisresembledto
U
tiity,forthepartistakenintoaccountasbeinga ·part
oftheunifiedwhole.
9.
Theresultto thesoulis thepresentationofan ines-
capable
fact-whatthatsoul-reallyis '.Inthisassessment
factor
ofGeburahthereis noconception ofapunishment
forceduponasoul.The.HallofJustice-islike
animmensely
complicated
andinfalliblecalculatingmachine,itdelivers
theanswer
andthatis all,thoughthe.wholeomnipotence
oftheCosmosisbehind thatanswer.Thereisequally
no
considerationofwhetherthesoulhasthestrengthto
beartheTruthrevealed,orwhetherit will becrushed
beneath
-theburden.Theanswer-comesandthesoul can
takeitorleave it aslongas itchooses,as longaschoice
remains.
10.
Thesubsequentactionsnecessarytobring thesoul
intocorrectalignmentwith
whatitshouldbe arenopart
ofthisparticularforceofGeburah.Thenecessarybalanc­
ing,compensating
oradjustmentmay wellcomeunderthe
action
ofthedestructiveside ofGeburahbutcouldequally
be
undersomeothersphereofthe_TreeofLife.Thusa soul
whichcontinuallyrefusedto face up to
thefactsoflifeof
theinstinctswould probablybestprofitfrom theinfluences
oftheconstructivesideofYesod..aharshapplication of
pureGeburicforcemightdo moreharmthangood.It
isin
guiding-andhelpingsoulsto-eradicatetheirfailings and

72. 128
excrescencesthattheHierarchy-of Masters is concerned.
These'elderbrethren'
ofhumanity,knowing thestrengths
andWeaknesses
ofa soul, may advise and help it sothat
the expunging
of
'thescarlet letters on the.scrollof the
machine of
Truth'maybeaslittle Shattering as possible.
Whetherthe
soulasksthataidorseeksthatadvice is a
matterfor thatsoul alone todecide-buthoweverlong.the
Truthisevaded.itstill has to be faced in the end, whether
inthe hard
.wayorby easier ways, itmattersnot tothe
Forcesof.CosmicBalance.
11.·Inits more.positivecorrectiveside Geburahshows
the
.jointactionofthe Active and PassivePillarswithinitselfprobablymore clearly than anyotherSephirah.
There are souls which can face. a terribledeathin' some
religious,politicalorothercause, a death which by reason
of
~h~physicalmake-upcannotcauseveryprolongedagony.
This
IS·thesharp Geburicaction symbolised bythespear
and sword. The passive aspect ofGeburahcan be very
slow, and indeed its slowness
..is one of itsmostpotent·
methods,implying constantvigilance and ironcontrol of
itscontinuousworking over a very long time. This is. tobe
seen in thegradualevolutionaryforces ofkarma,the
gradualdevelopmentthroughtrialandtribulationof the
humanbeing, the
gradualdevelopmentand
break-upof
racial groups.
Therelevant symbols here are the Scourge,
which lashes tocontinuousaction, and theChain,which
holds captivethroughgreat stretches of time and prevents
any escape.
"The. Mills of God grind. slowly, yet they grind exceeding
small;
"Thoughwith patienceHestandswaiting, with exactness
Hegrindsall."
12.Theinevitability.ofthis processofGeburahis shown
in the title assigned to
itintheYetziraticText-theRadical
Intelligence. This impliesthat
theworks ofGeburahhave
to
do.withrootsources and origins, formingpart ofthe
129
essentialnature ofthings;and are alsothoroughgoing
andunsparing,sothatanythingwhich does not align with
the basicpattern
isdetected and completelyeradicated.
13.However one title ofGeburahmay be very misleading
and
thatisPachad,Fear.Ifthereis one thing
thathas
absolutely no
parr-inthe DivinePlanforevolution,and
which is in itself unreservedly evil,
inorigin and manifesta­
tion,thatthing is Fear. One could almost sayitwas from
Fearthatallotherdeviationsand evil arose,
thatit provides
thefoundationfor the Powers of
Evil.
14. Where
thtereisFaith.iorKnowledgeof God, thereis
no Fear.ItwillberememberedthattheVirtues and Vices
ofDaath,theSephirahof Knowledge, are muchconcerned
with
theabsenceor. presenceofFear.
Ashas.beerrwell
said:
"TheTruthshallmake you free.",asItseemswere
the
earl)"Christianmart yrs,going singing totheirdeaths,
and yet ofcoursemany fearTruth,and
.fearitSO
much
thatthey.cannoteven.admittothemselves theexistence of
their fear.Fear'of course is very deep rooted andis
commonto animals and man, so it isnotprimarilyaresult
ofman'sFall. It has been saidthatit was a prime cause
of the legendary War inHeaven,whencertaingreat beings,
Angelic and otherwise, revoltedagainstthe
Willof God,
fearingtheirextinctionor exceeding
change.This event,
primeval
asfar ashumanityis concerned, hasbeen
handeddown inpopularlegend as the revolt
ofLucifer­
thoughLuciferhas been much maligned by thisattribu­
tion as he
is.reallyan aspect of thePrometheanforces, his
name signifying
'theLight'c.-thoughvheissaid to have
fallenthroughPride. Pride however is one side of a coin
whoseotherside is Fear, andFear
isa result
oflack of
Faith,
abetrayalof the loveof God.
15.Geburahis one of the HolySephirothand soFear
shouldhavenopartin
it.-norshouldFuryand Anger, for
all these things areaberrativeand notpartof the Divine
Plan. They aresymptomsandproductsofdeparturefrom
the Plan. Assessment andcorrectiveaction'arepartof the

73. 130
Planbutthisdoes notrneandestructivecriticism orfury
andangertoproducefear,thesearetypically
human
distortions.16.Itisinterestingtoconsider theToneScaleofhuman
abilityputforwardby Hubbardandused as abasis'for
scientology
anddianetics: 'Here,the humanbeingfunction­
ing at theheight
ofhispowersis said to be in
acondition
ofeagernessand exhilarationandit isobvious thatthe
analytical
andcorrectivework ofGeburahcouldbest be
doneby a
humanbeingfunctioningat this level. As
aberration
.increasessothe humanbeingbecomesless
efficient,
andinsteadof
.the.eager,.exhilaration,onehas
dropsinabilityrangingfromstrong•interest,mildinterest,
indifference,boredom,
resentment-andso on,throughanger
andfear,
.··.togriefandapathy,whichin itsmostapathetic
form
isdeath-thecompleteindifferenceto survival.Now
obviouslyone
oftheTen Holy.Sephiroth,theEmanations
ofGodImminent,couldhavelittleto do with astate
ofsuch heavyhumanpsychologicalocclusionasanger
or fear.
17.Theideas ofangerandfearbeingassociatedwith
Geburahprobablycomefromthetypicallyhumanassocia­
tionsderivedfrom asuperficialstudy
ofitssymbolism.The
title,Pachad,Fear,refersmoreto the awe thatencom­
passesone incontemplating
avastmanifestationofGod's
powerinnature, whatalsomightbecalledthe FearofGod,
which isnotat all thesameas ordinaryfear.
18
..Angerandfear may also be humanreactionsto the
forces
ofGeburahatwork.Thatis,angerat thereality
revealed,
andfear of.theconsequencesnecessarytobring
thatrealityintoalignmentwithSpiritual TruthorSpiritual
Reality.
19.AlthoughEnergyand Couragearetrueenoughas
Virtues
ofthis'Sephirah,fortheyrepresent theforcesof
the fullyfunctional unaberratedhumanbeing in'actionas
putforwardby L. RonHubbard,AngerandFearmight
well beincludedin its Vices.Crueltyisobviouslya
Geburah
131
vice, forapartfrom thecrudervarietiesofphysical
cruelty
,onitssubtlerlevels it is adistortion ofthepowers
ofassessmentandcorrectionintocarpingcriticismand
mentalandemotionalbullying.
20.TheattributionofDestructionas a Vicethoughcan
lead
tomisunderstanding,anditwouldbebetterto con­
sidertheVice as
WantonDestruction.Destructionwhere
destructionisneededis
anecessaryandholythingandis
indeed
underthepresidencyoftheFourthAspectofthe
Deity.
21.Therearemanypeoplewholook
uponanythingde­
structiveas evil,
butthis is onlybecausethey taketheshort
insteadofthelongview andconsideranychangeas a
threattotheirsecurity.Thuswehavetheold bogey,Fear,
croppingupagain.
22.But amoment'sthoughtwillshowthe fallacy ofthis
fear
ofDestruction.Ifone has acancerthedesirability of
thedestructionofthatgrowthshouldbeobviousto .anyone,
Onmoresubtlelevels, the forces ofchangearealways about
us,pressingus on throughthecenturies,andnewforms
have to befoundto giveexpressionto these new forces. As
OurLordpointedout,one isaskingfortroublebypouring
new wineintooldbottles.Yetdespitethis it seems
that
humanityneedswarsanddisastersbeforeit getstheim­
pulsetobreakdownthe oldandbuildthe new. Itrequired
thedevastation
oftwowarstoclearmany Europeanslums.
Itrequiredrevolutionatleastonce in
thehistoryofalmost
everyWesternnationtobreakuptheold
thoughtforms
andpreparetheway fordemocracyin oneformoranother.
Yet theprincipleis so
simple-youcannothaveanomelette
withoutfirstbreakingeggs.
23.Thesameresistancetochangeoccursin themake-up
ofthehumanbeing on hisquestforspiritualenlightenment.
Perhapsthegreatestbarrierto everystudentis therefusal
to let go
ofpastemotionalandmentalhabitpatterns.In
theRevelation
ofSt.JohntheDivine,He who sat uponthe
thronesaid,"Behold,Imakeallthingsnew." butone

74. 132
cannotmake allthingsnew withinoneselfwithoutchanging
the old.
24.Itiswhen an esotericstudentinvokes theforceswhich
will make thingsnew,andthentriestoopposetheresultant
changes,
thathe getshimselfintotrouble.Thespiritual
force comes boring in like a drillthrough
wood,and if
it meets anyblockagesthen the heat and frictionstarts
which can be not onlyuncomfortable
buteveninjuriousto
the soul.
25.Whereconsciousduplicityisconcernedtheresultant
catharsiswill. be evengreaterand the Biblical story of
AnaniasandSapphiragives an example. In the early days
ofChristianitywhen members
oftheChurchcontributed
alltheirwealth and possessions to thecornmunityrAnanias
.and his wife sold a plot of land yet
withheldpartof the
price. Whenconfronted
bySt. Peter with anaccusationof
theirhypocrisythey'persisted
indenialof it and were both
struck dead. This is an example of theGeburicaction of
the Holy Spirit and
itmustberememberedthatit did not
seek
themoutin the firstinstance.AnaniasandSapphira
took theinitiativein seeking
forthe higher knowledge
and then refused to accept
theprice for .getting Jt. They
tried to hold on to their
oldsecuritywhilstseeking for
the new.
26.There is a great lesson here for whoever seeks to in­
vokethepowers of the Spirit.Changeswill be necessaryin
the.orientationof ·the soul, and ifthatreorientationis
denied
orresistedthen theproductof theresultantconflict
can beunpleasantin the extreme, resulting in bad
casesin
nervous or physicalbreakdown,insanityor evendeath.And
whilst evilintentionsreaptheir.own evil reward, where
the higher forces areconcernedeven goodintentionsare
noguaranteeof safety.
Thatis whysupervisionand long
trainingis necessary foranyonewho seeks the higher
realms ofpracticaloccultism.
27.It must beborneinmindthatminorkarmicadjust­
ments are often as painful
asamajor
balancingup.In any
133
adjustmentthatismade it is necessarytopulldown and
tearapartthe aspectsconcernedandthento replace them
incorrectalignment.TheForce
ofGeburah
isone which,
possiblyaboveallothers,needs calmanddetachment-inits
application.It is all too easilyconfusedwithbruteviolence
but itreallyrepresentsthe Majesty of the Law on the
inner planes.
28. The symbol of the great Balance held by the figure of
Justice-can beelucidatedin the light ofanotherimage.That
imageis
ofashipin distress in whichthesailormustadapt
himself
totheworstcircumstances,doing
.allhe.canto
keephimselfattoatand finally, when he
hasdoneall in his
powerto help himself,puttinghistrustin
Godalorie,
29. The results of work on theSephirahGeburahwill
vary
accordingto thetemperamentof the oneendeavouring
tocontactits
forces,With some it will upset physical plane
conditions,withothersemotionalstates, and
itisboundto
bring conflict on the mental level. But this is all to the good
for it shows
thatthe forces areworkingandreadjustments
are being made.Eventuallyofcourseeveryone will have
to face thesereadjustmentswhetherthey desire
thecontacts
ofGeburahor not.
30. Abeardedwarrioris one of the Magical Images
of
Geburahand
itis well to link it up with some ideal figure
such as
S1.George, Ares,
Mars,or oneoftheArthurianor
otherknightly heroes. SirGalahad,the perfect knight of
theRound.Table and HolyGrail,clad in ironarmourand
standingin astarruby is a very
good'form to use.
31. The esotericgrade attainedinGeburah
isthatof the
AdeptusMajor,who is one fully skilled inworkingmagic.
It differs from thehighergrade
ofChesed inthatin Chesed
the
adeptismagic. By magic is meant thebuilding.of
appropriateforms forspiritualforces to indwell.
32~The GodNameof theSephirahis ElohimGibor,per­
haps besttranslatedas AlmightyGod,implying theMight
of Cosmic Law whichcannotbe evaded. Thetoweringscarlet
figure of theArchangelKhamael,and the Fiery Serpents

75. 135
gramas a sign fordelimitingacircle andbanishing
unwantedforcesclearlyis inaccordancewith theprinciples
oftheSephirah.Anothersymbolicway oflookingatthe
Sephirahgeometricallyis byconceivingthe
solidfigureof
Chesednow inmotion,dynamic.
36.
Ofthepaganpantheons,theGodsofWar,Ares,
Mars,
Thorandso on areusuallyappliedto Geburahin
view
ofitsgeneralmartialsymbolism butthismust not
lead to anoversimplification
oftheidea oftheSephirah.
Ares wasnotwellthoughtofby theGreeksbecause of
hisbrutalityandblindviolenceand .Thorwas also very
muchthe
rude'simplewarrior.Perhapsthe RomanMars
gives abetterallroundfigure in thathe was first a god
ofSpring,whichisthenewmovement andvitalityof
Geburah,thenfather ofRomulusandRemus,thefounders
ofthegreatempirewhich broughtlaw andordertomost
ofEurope
afterconqueringit underthe.aegisofMarsas
GodofWar.
37. It is amistaketothink
ofGeburahentirelyinterms
ofwar-likesymbolismfor it also has itsaspects ofjustice,
assessment,analysis,endurance
andso on.Thusonecould
alsoattributetotheSephirahmanygod-formsandheroes,
from theAvengingFuriesorErinyes
oftheGreeks,through
thefortytwoAssessing
GodsoftheEgyptianBook ofthe
Dead,to thejesterknight DinadanoftheArthurian
cycle, forlaughteralso comesunderthepresidencyof
Geburah.Humouris thedestroyer ofpainfulemotion,its
oppositeface, as theGreeklinkedcomic
andtragic masks
imply,andeven
apartfromitssatiricalcuttingaspectit
is one
ofthegreatestweaponsagainsttyranny. Thepen is
mightier
thanthesword andthetypeofvainglorythatoften
setsitselfup
asanauthoritycansurvivesnubs,curses or
evendirectpersecution, butlaughterandridiculenever.
It hasbeenfoundalso
thatpeoplewith a welldeveloped
sense
oftheridiculousarenoteasily'brainwashed'and so
laughtershouldperhapsbeconsideredaprimeforce
of
Geburah,for it isameliorative andmorecutting thanthe

76. 136
ironburin orthemartialweapons oftraditionalGeburic
symbolism.Theremightbemuchvalueinmeditating upon
'God'slaughter.'
ChapterXII
TIPHARETH~BEAUTY
UThe Sixth PathiscalledtheMediatingIntelligence,be­
causeinitaremultipliedtheinfluxesoftheEmanations:
foritcausesthatinfluenceto flow into all thereservoirsof
theblessings.withwhichtheythemselvesare united."
MAGICALIMAGE:
GODNAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDEROFANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUALEXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRA TICCOLOUR:
ASSIA TIC
COLOVR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
A king. A child. Asacrificedgod.
Jehovah
AloahvaDaath,
Rap-hael.
Malachirn-.Kings.
TheSun.
Devotiontothe Great Work.
Zoar Anpin,TheLesserCountenance,Melekh,
the
King.
Visionofthe Harmony of Things.Mysteries of
the Crucifixion.
Clear rose-pink.
Yellow.
Rich salmon-pink.
Golden amber.
Pride.
Lamen,Rose Cross. Calvary Cross. Truncated
Pyramid. Cube.
1.Tipharethis thecentralSephirah oftheTreeofLife,
the
keystone-of
thewholecreation,holding thebalance
betweenallthe
otherSephirothwhichitconnects:between
GodintheHighestin KetherandthephysicalUniverse of
Malkuth;betweentheupperandlowerpolesofthepsyche
in
DaathandYesod:between theoppositesofChokmahand
Binah,ChesedandGeburah,Netzachand
Hod;betweenthe
similarpotenciesofChesedandHod,GeburahandNetzach;
in factitistrulytheMediatingIntelligenceassignedto it
by
theYetziraticText
..Thereisfruitfulscopefor medita...
137

77. 138
tionin all thetrianglesformedby,thePathsleadingbetween
Tipharethand theotherSephiroth
andwithoutknowledge
ofwhatall thesePathsrepresentandtheirinter-relation­
shiptherecan never be fullunderstanding
ofTiphareth.
The sameappliesto
theotherSephiroth, ofcourse,butthe
inter-relationships
ofTipharetharesofundamentaland
various
thatanunderstanding ofTipharethisalmost
synonymouswith anunderstanding
ofthe whole Tree.
Itis
theSephirah
ofBeauty, whichmeanstheDivinePlan
carriedthroughintomanifestationas itshouldbe.
2. TheYetziraticTextstates
thatall the influences
'of
theotherEmantions,orSephiroth,flow intoTipharethwhere
they are blessed with an
imprintofover-allunity. This
Sephirahthenis theintegratingaspect
ofthewhole Tree,
leadingtowardssynthesisandunity,which is a'state
towardswhichhumanityhas
beenstrugglingforthousands
ofyears and the lackofwhichistheprime
causeof,pain
and suffering. It isbecauseTipharethrepresentsthe goal
to which allmustattain
thatitsVirtueis thatofDevotion
to theGreat,Work.Andas,withinthe soul
ofman, the
GreatWorkisregeneration,orrebirth,the Sephirahisfull
ofthesymbolism ofdeath,andresurrection.It is the
Sephirah
ofall theRedeemerGods,including, ofcoursethe
Supremeexemplar
ofhumanredemption, OurLordJesus
Christ.
3. TheSpiritualExperiences
oftheSephirahare two in
numberinstead
oftheusualone. This signifiesthatthere
are two sides to
Tipharethandindeeditis
parexcellencea
linkingSephirah,reconciling
theupperpartofthe Tree
to the lower.Thereis
'a.splitin'normal'humanconscious­
ness,brought
aboutbytheOriginalFalland this is
symbolisedbyTheGulf,placed
justbelowTiphareth.The
averageman has littleconception
ofthevastsphereof
his divineconsciousnessabovethe levels ofthework-a-day
mind and will only beaware
ofTipharethconsciousnessif
he is
ofareligiouspersuasion.Even then he may have no
greatfunctionalawareness
oftherealisationsofthisgreat
139
spherewhichconfersa Vision oftheHarmony ofThingsand
anunderstandingoftheMysteriesoftheCrucifixion.And
it isrealisationwhich is the
importantthing,nota mere
intellectualtheoreticalconception.
4. Thecolours
of
'.theSephiraharepinks,yellows and
amberswhich can be bestperceivedin thesupremebeauties
ofthehorizonatsunsetand dawn.TheNameofGodin
thisSephirahisJehovahAloahva Daath,meaningGod
MadeManifestin theSphereofMind,butunfortunatelyGod
islittlemanifestin
themindofmanatthepresenttime.
S.Harmony,orBeauty,implieshealthand healing and
soRaphael,
the,Archangel
'whichstandethin theSun'is
obviouslyan'integral
partofTiphareth.Inritualworking
he is theArchangelwhoguards
theEastern,quarterwhich
is thequarter
oftheElementofAir. TheEasthas always
beenregarded"as the,source
ofholiness;'it is thepoint
wherethelightofthe sun firstappearsafterthelonghours
ofnight,justas
the,SpiritualLight dawnsin thedarkness
ofunilluminedconsciousness. TheElementofAir is also
a
symboloftheSpirit,free-movingandunconfined,pene­
tratingeverywhere.
6.Raphaelcan bevisualised,as analternativeto the
Sephirothiccolours,in thecolours,
ofgold and blueof'the
shiningdisc
ofthe sun in aclearsky,rayingthehealing
andsustainingpowers
ofsunlight,whichincludethe forces
of'radiantheat,infra-redandultra-violetbesides .the
spiritualenlightenmentandquickening
oflifeof,the Sun
behindthe Sun. He can bepicturedwith wings which fan
theaircausing
arushoffireandair whichrevitalisesthe
forceaof'<anyaura
itcontacts-itisagreatcontact of
healing,spiritualandpsychologicalas well asphysical.
7. Theorder
ofAngels are calledMalachim,Kings,and
can beconsideredashealingandlife-bringingagentsunder
thepresidency
ofRaphael.Thereisgreathealingpower
innature
ofcourse,theSphereoftheElements,and the
Four,Elemental,Kings,
theRulersofthepeoplesofeach
Elementcan beassignedtoTiphareth,though
the'Sphere

78. 140
oftheElementspertainsreally toMalkuth.
8.ThetraditionisquitewellknownthatElementals,being
units
oflifecreated.bytheearlyBuildingPowers ofthe
Universe
andnotemanatingfromtherealms
..ofSpiritual
Reality,have
onlyphenomenaland'notnoumenalexistence.
ThuswhentheDayofManifestationcomesto an end they
willbecome
.extinctunlessinthemeantimetheyhave
pickedup thevibrationofspiritualbeingduringthecourse
ofit.Theycan obtainthischanceofimmortalityfrom any
evolutioninhabiting
the.planet
.whose.bodilyshellthey
hold inbeingand
soonEarththeyrely oncontactswith
humanity.
Onehasonlyto
•.take.alookroundathumanity
to be filled with agrave
doubtas totheirchances. The
largeproportionofhumanity
isignorantofits ownspiritu­
ality,letaloneaware ofthe need formediating this
quality.And.evenwheremanhasachievedhighspiritual
awarenessithasbeenalltoo.oftenaccompanied byacon..
temptand horrorofthephysicalbeing.Medievaltheology
brandedallElementalbeingsas devilsandinmodern
timestheirveryexistenceisdenied.
Thusthe
adepthas
alwaysbeenconsideredtheinitiator·ofthe
ElementalKing­
domsasthe onlyonequalifiedby
reasonofspiritualstature
andrealisationso todo.
Thestrangeold book'Comtede
Gabalis'by theAbbeN. deMontfaucon
deVillarscontains
verygreat
truthson these.matters underthe guiseof
makingfun ofthem,oftenthe only way thattruthsonthese
matters
canbegotacrossthroughthehardshellofman's
cosmicparochialism.
9.
·When.anElementalhasattainedspiritualawareness
itcan be said tohave Tipharethconsciousnessandthe
ElementalKings,thoseElernentals thathaveattainedthis
state.rarealsoWay-showerstothem.The.Elemental.Kings
go by
thenamesofParaIda, for
Air;Niksa,forWater;
Ghob,forEarth;and.Djin,forFire;butafull.considera­
tionoftheElementalevolutionreallybelongstoMalkuth:
10.TheMundaneChakraofTipharethis the Sun, which
is.thesource ofIightand-IifetoitsUniverseandso·a
141
physicalmanifestation ofthepowersofGodHimselfand
thespiritualworlds. TheConditionerandSustainerofour
SolarSystemistheSolarLogos-s-commonlyreferred.toas
God-andthoughHeistheOneGodas far ashumanity
and
the-restof .the SolarSystemis concerned,HeisGod
only
overthatSystem,andthe Suncanbeconsidered.His
physicalbody,
though·all therest ofphysicalexistence of
theSolarSystem
isunderHispresidency.
11.Whereesoterictheologydiffers fromexoteric
theology
isthatthelatter
regardsGodasunchangeableandsupreme
overallexistence..Esoteric.theologyonthe otherhandcon­
siders
God.igreatas He is, to beevolving.Also itconsiders
thateverystaris
aGodpresidingover·lt8owncreation
andthatover.theGodofourSolarSystemthereare other
Godsrisingingreatnesstothe Godpresidingoverthe
wholeGalacticSystem,which,like
theSolarSystems, isa
giganticrevolvingwheel; .andthatpresumablytheremay
be a
GodpresidingoverallGalacticSystems throughout
thewhole ofinter-stellarandinter-galactic
space.
12.Thisis notadenialofmonotheismforthe GodorSolar
Logos
ofourSystemisomnipotent,omniscient andomni­
presentwithin
thisSystemandso istheOneGodfor all
overwhichItpresides.All theextra-Logoidalinfluences,
whetherfromSirius,
theGreatBear, thePleiades,An­
dromedaorthe·constellationsoftheZodiac,affect the
SolarSystem only throughthemediationoftheSolarLogos,
notdirect.
13.Allthesemattersrelatingto Tipharethjustconsidered,
GodMadeManifestin theSphereofMind,the greatheal­
ingharmonisingpowersofRaphael,thedivineconscious­
ness
oftheElementalKings, thelife givinglight andheat
of.the Sun,havereferenceto theVision
of"theHarmony
ofThings.Thereishoweverthe otherSpiritualExperience
-theMysteriesoftheCrucifixion.
14.Itis inTiphareththattheSpiritmakes itscontact
withthemind
ofman.andthiscontactwill at first besmall.
Thesupremesymbolfor thebirth.ofspiritualconscious-

79. 142
ness isprovidedin theChristmasstoryoftheChristchild
bornin amangerwatchedoverbythebeastsofthefield.
Manisabeingstrunghalfwaybetweengod andbeastand
thespiritualconsciousnessis at firstweakas asmallchild
in
theanimalworld ofthepsyche-thestill ·small voice
whichcanbe soeasilyignored.
15. Butthechild,givenprotection,grows,gradually
learning
thefactsofits·newphysicalexistenceuntil
eventuallyitbecomesas aman,
andwiththeSpirit,not
onlyaman, butasakingamongstmen.Following the
Christiansymbolism,which
istheexemplaryWay,Truth
andLife, it will berememberedthatChristwascalled the
KingoftheJews,though,ashesaid,his Kingdomwas
notofthisworld.In hisintellectualjugglingsover whatis
Truth,Pilatemighthaverealised thatmanya truewordis
spoken-orin hiscase,.written-in'jest.
16.Followingupontheprincipleofkingship,whichis the
rulership·of theSpiritoverthe·rest ofthepsyche,thesoul
treads
outtheWayofLovewhichisthesacrifice oftheself
for
thebenefitofothers,as OurLordwascrucified-though
theCrucifixionis nottheend,
butthemeanswherebythe
subsequentResurrection
and·Ascensioncomes andthe
establishment
ofDivine.Kingship.
17.Thisis thesequenceofideasbehindtheMagical
Images
ofthisSephirah, theChild,theKing andthe
SacrificedGod,andit is a waythatevery soul has to·tread,
notonce,butmanytimes.Thewholepatternis laiddown
inthelifeofOurLord.In theprogressofthesoulthe
Crucifixiollis
butasymbolfor a modeofaction,thoughit
isnonethelessreal forthat.
Theoddthingis thatthereare
manysoulsseemingly permanentlyfixated intheCruci­
fixion;souls
whomakeoftheirwholelives awearypattern
ofself-sacrificeandself-inflictedsuffering,·completely deaf
tothecriesofthe'spirits
in',prison'oftheanimalside of
theirownpersonalities andrefusing, to go onthroughthe
DescentintoHell to givetheseaspects ofthemselves
realisation
ofthespiritualprinciplesinvolved, andtothe
143
releaseandilluminationoftheResurrectionandAscension.
It is akind
ofspiritualmasochism-definitelypathological
andprobablyresulting,fromarefusalto facecertainareas,
ofthesoulwhichwereresponsible for,orarearesultof, the
initialdeviation
from'theDivinePlan.
IS.Everyonehas hisownCrucifixion, or'Crosstobear'
asthesaying,goes,accordingto his strength.vandit is
usuallyonlyin
oneormoreofthelastearthlyincarnations
thatlifeitself
issacrificedin devotionto aprinciple'for
thewelfareofothers.Thedeath'ofthephysicalbodyis
oneofthesupremerformsoftheprincipleofCrucifixion.
Onewhichequals,it is the'deathofinitiation'.Thisis the
comparativelyhigh.initiatioriwhere thewholelife is
dedicatedtothe.serviceoftheSpirit,whichis' theservice
ofallothers,andtheinitiateinstead ofdyingforaprinci­
ple,Jives
outhis life inaccordancewithaprinciple, and
thiscan
>bea>farharderthing.Hebecomes 'alivingdead
man',thatis, he livesoutfullyalifeintheworldbut
afterhisunreserveddedicationhe islivingon borrowed
time.TheGreatWorkcomesfirst,whateverthecost, and
sotheVirtueofTipharethisDevotiontotheGreatWork.
AndDevotiondoesnotmeanintellectualinterest, part-time
work,vague goodintentions.These arewellenoughfor
thelay-man
ortheminoraspirantbuthopelesslyinade­
quateforthehigherinitiate whohasmadehisdedication,
servedhisterm
ofprobation,andfinallybeenacceptedby
the
InnerPlaneHierarchyforindividualtraining andwork.
19. On
theotherhand,althoughanunreserveddedication
iscalled
forthisdoes
not',meanthattheesoteric'.fraternities
shouldbecoteries
offanatics.Fanaticismis anaberration.
As hasalreadybeenmentionedfanaticismis aform
of
Pridewhichis theViceassignedto Tipharethandone
very likelytocomeup intheinitiatenewly takenon
individual
probationbya.Master.TheGreatWorkrequires
humanbeingsandwhenonedevotesone'slife to aprinci­
ple
.thereisarightwayandawrongwaytogoaboutit.
20.Thewrongway is tobecomecompletelyidentified

80. 144
with thefunction oftheprincipleso thatonebecomesmore
ofafunctioningobject thanahumanbeing.Thecommonest
form
ofthisisthepoorVillageschoolteacher,who
isnot
allowedtobeanythingbuttheschoolteacherwhetheron
or offduty.Theothermembers ofthecommunitywill not
let her beanything else.Whenevertheytalkto her it is
alwaysto
'theschoolteacher'theytalk andnot to a flesh
andbloodhuman
being.
21. Theright.formofdedicationis toretainallthehuman
characteristicsandyettolivealifeentirelydirectedby
principle.It maynot.call for anygreat outwardaetsof
heroicvirtueorshowyself-sacrifice;however,itisex­
pected
thatthevirtuesoftheinitiatebe raised to theheroic
level.
Notonlydoesitrequirecompletelyethicalactions
on the physical.planein
thesmallestdetails-andpersistent
virtue
inso-calledsmall/matters is equally as important
as, and evenmoredifficultthan,ashortburstofvirtueon
the grand,scale-but italso requirescontrolofthethoughts
andemotions.As OUfLordsaid: "Yehaveheard thatit
was said
bythemofold
..time,Thoushaltnotcommit
adultery:But
Isayuntoyou,Thatwhosoeverlookethon a
womanto lust
afterherhathcommittedadulterywith her
~lreadyin~isheart."To the occultist every planeofbeing
ISofequalImportanceand a lifeoutwardlyvirtuouson the
physicalplaneisworthlessifthereisnotequalvirtueon
the inner planes. Such a condition would be one of great
hypocrisyand almost spiritual pathology, for it would imply
a.
~o?formance to outer law with asplitinthebeing
dividingthe outerconformityfrom the realchaoticand
anarchiccondition
ofthe soul.
22.This istherealfunctionofthemagician,toconstruct
the right forms outofhis own being for his own spiritual
force toindwell.The ritual workings ofceremonialmagic
are ,but aspecialtechnique for raising aparticular.potency
?flifeto the nthdegreeto give acorrectorientationto it.
The
realritualis a.twentyfourhoursa dayprocess-of
living out
lifeaccordingto spiritual principles so that, by
145
thistalismanicaction,patterns ofright.living areformed
in
theunconsciousmind oftherace sothatthisrightway
oflivingbecomes.easier for
..thosewhofollowafter.
23. It may be..thoughtthat.a fewinitiatesliving life ac­
cording.
toprinciplecouldhavelittleeffect on thevastmassofpeopleliving.theirlives invariousdegrees ofchaos,
seekingonlyafterpleasureand.profitratherthan.princi­
ple..The.•point.is,..though,thatalifelivedwithtalismanic
intentionhas fargreaterforce
than
.onethathas its
patternsbased,
notonspiritualreality,b.ut on day today
physicalexpediency
..Also.the 'initiatehas atrainedmind
and hisclear-cutthought-formsandthevibrancyofhis
aurahaveaprofoundeffect on theenvironment.The
thought-formsoftheaveragemanaregenerallytooweak
andvacillatingtohavemuchpermanenteffect,except
throughweightofnumbers.Also thewholeforceofthe
GreatWhiteLodgemediatingtheWill ofGodisworking
behind
andalongsideandthroughtheinitiatesintheworld.
24. Itshould
berememberedthatafterthe deathofOur
Lord,the way oflife.
thatsubsequentlyformedallChris­
tendomwasstartedoff by eleven men ofanobscureMiddle
Easternsubjectnation.Also one
canconsiderthe ideals of
theRoundTable,somuchwithus .now in theprinciples of
democracy,albeitwithmanyshortcomings
.....Onecan
imaginehowlittle
ofhisidealstheoriginalArthurcould
have..consistentlyachievedphysically,
yettheideal lived
on
throughthehey-day anddeclineoffeudalism,through
the rise .anddecline ofthe-.merchantguilds,throughthe
rise anddecline
ofthenineteenthcenturyfactoryowning
bourgeoisieuntil
'ourownmore orlessdemocratic.times
of'roundtableconferences'andequalityfor all intheory
ifnotyet inpractice
-.Of.course,humanitybeingas it is,
thesethings
.comein withvariouslydistortedapplications.
Thusinstead
ofbeing a circlewhere allrepresentedcon­
tributeto thegeneralsolution,a roundtableconference
isusuallya gang
ofpeopleallpulling theirownseparate
ways,jealouslyguardingtheirown.minorinterestsso
that

81. 146
allthatis left is aheap of'discordsand bitterrecrimina­
tions
and
atbestadubiouslyworkableuniversally.hated
compromise.Also
thegeneraltrendof'thefightersfor
equalityfor
manhas been to pulldown thesuperiortothe
levelofthemobinstead
ofraisingthe mobtothequality
ofthearistocraticinheart,mind anddeed.Butthereis
plenty
ofevolutionarytime lefttorunevenifhumanity
doesgive'itselfaset-back ofseveralhundredorthousand
yearsby temporarilysolvingitsdifficultieswithhydrogen
bombs.
25.
Theonly finalsolution .tohumanity'sproblemsis by
the.universalrealisationoftheVisionof·theHarmonyof
Things
inTiphareth,whichimpliesthesupreme.·ethic of
Service,andthis issymbolisedby theWayoftheCross.
Thusoneofthemost importantsymbolsofTipharethis
theCross,whetherin itsform oftheCalvaryCrossofblack
with
threeblackstepsleadingup to it, orthegoldEqual­
armed
Crosswitharose
oJredblooming atitscentre.
26.TheCalvaryCrossrepresentsthe way ofself-sacrifice
for
thebenefitofothersand .itistheonly way by which
man
canreturnto hisspiritualhome. AsOurLordsaid:HNo
mancomethto the FatherbutbyMe."Onlyafterthe Way
oftheCrosshas beenaccepted andexperiencedcanCome
theknowledge
oftheRose Cross,whentheRose ofthe
Spiritbloomson theUniversal
Crossofmanifestationin
densematter.
Inthislattersymbolthe Visionofthe
HarmonyofThingsandtheMysteriesoftheCrucifixionare
one. On
theCalvaryCrossisthemansacrificedasa
separatebeing; ontheRose
CrossistheSpiritofmanin
harmonywiththewholeUniverse,includingdensestman­
ifestation.
27.
Theprinciplebehind theCalvaryCrossis thatofthe
Way-showerwhodescendedintothecorruptionofhuman
existenceon Earthandshowed theformulaofRedemption.
TheprinciplebehindtheRoseCrossisthatof
theWay­
shower
whoremainedoutofmanifestation.holdingthe
perfect
patternofwhatmanshouldbe,untaintedbycor-
147
ruption.Hadtherebeenno fall ofman
theCalvaryCross
wouldhavebeen unnecessary,therewouldhavebeenno
illusion
ofseparatenessandlackofbrotherhoodandmutual
servicebetweenmen. TheSpiritwouldhave buddedand
thenburstforthintoflower like afragrant rose
....onthe
goldencross ofaharmoniousphysicalexistence.As we
nowstand,
theRoseCrossisunobtainablewithoutaccept­
ing
theCalvaryCrossfirst.
28.
TheQabalisticTitlefor TipharethisZoarAnpin,the
LesserCountenance,asopposedtothetitleArik Anpin,the
Vast
CountenanceofKether.Thus
.Tipharethinthissym­
bolismisconceived.asKetheronalowerarc,thesourceof
theSpirit,notatthefount ofcreation,butinthemidstofit.,
29.AlternativelythesetitlesoftheVastCountenanceand
theLesserCountenanceareputintheirGreekformof
MacroprosoposandMicroprosopos,andthenMalkuth,the
physicalworld,isknownas theBrideofMicroprosopos,
Or,whenTipharethisreferredto as theKing,Malkuth
istheQueen.Thisshowsplainly thatthephysicalworld
has an
importantplaceinthePlan ofGod,for it isthe
physicalworld, Malkuth,whichwiUbejoinedin
'marriage'
and'rulership'withGod-made-manifest-in-the-midst-of­
creation.
30. It isthiswhichisimpliedin
theRevelationof81.John
theDivine:
HAndIJohnsawtheholy city, newJerusalem,
coming
downfromGodoutofHeaven,preparedas abride
adornedforherhusband." andfurther,
"Andtherecame
untomeoneofthesevenangels. . . andtalked,withme,
saying,
Comehither,Iwill shewthee thebride,theLamb's
wife.Andhecarriedmeawayinthe spiritto agreatand
highmountain, andshewedme thatgreatcity,theholy
Jerusalem,descending
outofheavenfrom God."TheNew
Jerusalemis
theGardenofEdenon ahigherarc, andit is
the
purposeofGodandmanspirituallyto civilise theprime
simpleform ofcreationrepresentedbythe
garden.ofEden
to
theexpressionofspiritualrealitiesinthedensestlevels
ofmanifestationasrepresentedbythebuilding oftheNew

82. 148
JerusalemonEarth.
31. Thesameideainspires
muchofWilliamBlake'sverse:
"The.fields.froIIIIslingtontoMarybone,
ToPrimrose.Hill andSaintJohn'sWood,
"Werebuildedoverwithpillars0fgold;
AndthereJerusalem'spillarsstood,'
"HerLittleOnes .ran on the fields,
TheLamb.ofGodamongthemseen,
"AndfairJerusalem,His Bride,
Amongthelittlemeadowsgreen."
"PancrasandKentishTownrepose
Amonghergoldenpillarshigh,
"Amonghergoldenarcheswhich
Shine
uponthe/starrysky
~"
32.Anyonehavinganyknowledge ofsomeofthese
Londondistrictswill have a very fairconception
ofthe
gapbetweenvisionandreality.
33. It
shouldbeunnecessarytostate, ofcourse,thatthe
ultimateaim
oftheinitiatedadeptis notthe useofgold as
abuildingmaterial,
norareconstructionoftheworldin a
kindofpre-Raphaelitemish-mash.However,it isperhaps
well toemphasisethe fact for it islittlemorefatuous than
theideathatbecausetheyoftenuseJudaicsymbolismand
imposeoaths
ofsecrecythatWesternEsotericSchoolsare
secretagents
ofInternationalZionism-whichwas an
accusationmadeagainstthemsomeyears ago whenanti.
Semitismwasmorefashionable.
34.
Oftheremainingsymbolscommonlyassigned to
Tiphareth,thecube,thoughat first sight aChesedsymbol,
cancorrespondtoTipharethbecause
ofitssix faces.The
truncatedpyramid, also'a sixsidedfigure, hasimplicitin
itsformthesuggestion
oftheapex,whichwouldbeKether,
thoughthehigherlevels are notactuallyin the form
ofthe
149
solid figure, whichrepresentsform belowTiphareth,broad­
basedanddiverseat thelowestlevel andascendingtowards
theUnity
oftheapicalpoint-theGod-head.TheLamen
is
thesymboluponthebreastofthemagicianwhichhas
written
uponit theexactnature oftheforce with which he
isworking,thusitcorresponds
toTiphareth,which isthe
Vision of the
Harmonyofall the forcesofnature,particu­
larly as
itiswornon ,the breastwhich'is theTiphareth
centrewhen theTreeof Life isappliedto the humanbody~
35. Inthepaganpantheonsall sungods,.healing gods,
andsacrificedredeeminggodscan, beappliedto, Tiphareth
and intheirdiversity cangive useful clues tothemany
aspects
ofthisSephirah,whoseramificationsare,tremen­
dous.Oneoftheattributionsnotimmediatelyobviousis
Percival,one
oftheArthurianKnightsoftheRoundTable.
In hisyouthhe waskeptwell away fromknighthoodby his
mother,whohadlostall, her
othermenfolkinbattle, but
Percivaleventually
metsomeknights, andfired. bytheir
example,went, arude countryyouth,to
Arthur'sCourt.
Therehe
slewaknight,though withoutarmourhimself,
and was soignorant
ofthefactsofknighthood,thatunable
to
undohisvictim'sarmour,hebuilta fire
,·andtriedto
roasthim
outofit. He waseventuallytakenin andtrained
byakindlyvavasourandsubsequentlybecameone ofthe
greatestknights andaGrail-winner.This
isanotherslant
on
the
firstearlyattempts oftheSpirittomanifestin the
lower'worldsassymbolisedby theChild
ofTipharethand
subsequentlygainingcontrol
andperformingtheworks of
itsFather
inHeaven.

83. ChapterXIII
NETZACH-VICTORY
"TheSeventh Path is called the OccultIntelligencebecause
it isthe'refulgent splendouroftheintellectualvirtues which
are perceived by theeyes
ofthe intellect and the contem­
plations
offaith."
MAGICALIMAGE: A beautiful naked woman.
GOD NAME: Jehovah Tzabaoth.
ARCHANGEL: Haniel.
ORDEROF ANGELS: Elohim. Gods.
MUNDANE CHAKRA: Venus.
VIRTUE: Unselfishness.
TITLES: Firmness. Valour.
SPI RITUALEXPERIENCE: Vision
ofBeautyTriumphant.
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR: Amber.
BRIATICCOLOUR: Emerald.
YETZIRATICCOLOUR: Bright yellow green.
ASSIATICCOLOUR: Olive, flecked gold.
VICE:Unchastity.'Lust.
SYMBOLS: Lamp
andgirdle,Rose.
1.The.SeventhPath,being theOccultIntelligence, and
'occult'meaninghiddenor
secretorfullofmysteries,the
SephirahNetzach,likeoccultism,isfraught withglamour
andmisunderstanding.Whenever thehumanmindcomes
upagainstthingsmysteriousitprojectsallkinds
ofmis­
conceptions
andsuperstitionsintothatvoid.
2.
Theterm'intellectual'in theYetziratictextmeans not
somuchthelogicalprocessesoftheconcretemind butthe
humanmind.as awhole, thepsychebelow Tiphareth.The
SephirothicTriadof'Kether,Chokmah,Binahwas translated
byMatherssimilarlyas theIntellectualTriadthusleading
togreatrisk
ofmisunderstandingbecausethese three
SupernalSephirotharequiteabovetheintellectualmind,
150
151
whoserealsphereisHod.So it iswith Westcott'stransla­
tionoftheYetziraticTextanditwouldbe lessmisleading
to
renderthelatterhalfas,"becauseit istherefulgent
splendourofthepsyche;whichpsychicrefulgenceis
perceivedby
thelowermindbothbymentaldiscernment
andreligiousawareness."
3.Thisrefulgent splendourofthe.psycheisreally the
forceof
the,'creative'imagination,andsoNetzachisthe
spherewhence emanatestheinspitationnotonlyOfthe
artistbutofallwho workcreatively.ItisaSephirahof
perfectbalanceofforceandform,thoughantecedingthe
concretionofmentalformsin Hod,andtheawarenessof
theperfectbalanceproducesecstasy,joy,delight.andful­
filment,Of,inotherwords,theSpiritualExperience ofthe
VisionofBeautyTriumphant..Theresultofapproachesto
thisperfection
ofbalancemanifests
,.ultimatelynotonlyin
greatworks
ofartbutalsoin thebeautyofwelldesigned
tools.jnachinery,scientificinstrumentsandsoon,forper­
fection
ofprecisionin usegivesbeauty ofform.Onehas
onlyto comparethebeautifullines andefficiencyofthe
modernsupersonicairlinerwith, thegawkinessandineffi­
ciency
oftheearly'heavier-than-airmachines'toseethis
principlein
operation.,There'is ,analliance,between art
andscientificinvention-ashasbeen demonstratedbythe
geniusofLeonardodaVinci-andthisisbecause both
emanatefromthe'psychicirefulgence'ofNetzach,the
creativeimagination.
4.
TheVictoryoftheTitleofNetzachis
thevictoryof
achievementandthereis alinkbetweenNetzach, the
SeventhSephirah, andtheSeventhDayofCreationof
Genesis:"Thustheheavens andtheearthwerefinished,
andallthehostofthem.AndontheseventhdayGodended
HisworkwhichHehadmade;andHerestedon theseventh
dayfromall HisworkwhichHe' hadmade-AndGodblessed
theseventhday,
andsanctifiedit:because thatin itHe
had rested from all
Hisworkwhich Godcreatedandmade."

84. 152
5.Theachievementof.perfectioninform andforce
requiresb.othFirmnessandValour,twofurthertitlesof
Netzach,andwhichcanbelookeduponastwosidesofthe
symboloftheBalance-Geburahona.lowerarc,Onecould
c~IL. Firm~ess andValourthetwosidePillarsasthey
manifestInNetzach,
TheAtziluthicandBriaticcolours
are
amberandemeraldandthe
twoPillarsoftheTyrian
Templeweregold andgreen.Thereisalsoa linkwith the
HibernianMysteries,thePillarsofwhoseTemplesrepre­
sented.Science
and
Art.
6.TheRose~a symbolofNetzach-isinitselfacomplete
symbolsystemandisusuallyconsideredto be..the.perfect
flower..
combiningscent,colour-andshapeingreatbeauty;
also,It IS a
spherecontatnlngsemi-sphereswithinit and
is intruthaCosmicPatterncentredaboutthegolden
heart
ofitssystem-hence,theRosaMystica.
7.
Anyonewho
··haseverattemptedcreativeworkwill
knowthefeelingofvastinertiathathasto beovercome.
~ot ~nlyisthereinertiainthematerialinwhichexpres­
sionISsoughtbutthereis.alsoinertiainthemeansof
expression,.thelowernature,whichbeing moreanimal
than.god,isnotbasicallyconcernedwithhigherforms of
creation.Howeverthisinertiaisovercomeandthemeans
ofitsovercomingistheflamingcreativeenergy ofNetzach,
for
Netzach'isanactiveSephirah,.beingassignedtothe
Element
ofFireas is itshigher diagonalopposite,Geburah,
andGeburah'shigher.diagonalopposite, Chokmah.
. 8
..Withtheurgeofcreationsuccessfullyovercoming the
mernaofthedenserlevels comesthejoyofcreation,a
satisfyingdelightin
theawarenessofthelife-forcewhether
it be used in sex,art, ritualmagicorwhatever.Netzach
hasmuchtodowithmagic, anduntiltheenergy.ofNetzach
is atwork.theimagesofHodwill
hotbeensouledandthus
anyritualwill be..mereemptygesturesandwordsand
anyart,·lifeless. .,
9.
Thus
the.magicalweaponsassignedto··Netzach.are·the
LampandGirdle.TheGirdle,thatwhichgirdsup theloins
153
foraction,
andthe.Lamp,theEternal
LampoftheMysteries
bringingIllumination.
Theoperationsofceremonial.magic
arecreative
workinthebestsense.
10.
JehovahTzaboath,theLordofHosts,istheNameof
God.intheSephirahNetzach.andindicatesthediversifying
aspectoftheSephirah,
.which,like aprism,splitsup the
SunlightofTipharethvtheOneforceoftheSpiritualLight,
intothebeauteousaspectsofthelowerworlds.A good
symbolfortheSephirahcouldbegainedfrom contemplat­
ingthemorning.skywith therisingsunlighton theclouds
evoking
theimageofagloriousarmywithbanners­
particularlyif theMorning·Star,theplanetVenus,
.the
MundaneChakraofNetzach,isalsointhesky.
II.TheArchangelHanielis notsowidelyknownasthe
otherArchangelsofthelowerSephirahsuchasMichael,
Gabriel,
andRaphael,theprotector,thebringerofvisions,
andthebringer,ofhealing.Thisis a greatpityfor all
the
contactsofNetzachcanbegained,fromhim,notonlythe
awarenessofharmonyandbeautyinthelowerworlds but
also agreatwisdomoftheinter-relationshipsofallthings
whether
ofplanets,plants,spheres ormen.He canbe
pictured.asshiningwithagreen
andgoldenflamewitha
rosecolouredlightat
thetop,oroverhishead,if ananthro­
pomorphic
.formisused, andemanatinggenerallyan aura
ofarchetypicalsympatheticvibration.
12.
TheOrderofAngels
istheElohim, orGods.Netzach,
beingthesphere.wherethe Oneappearsindiversity,is the
sphereof.formationofallthemythological-god-forcesof
whateverpantheon.Whenastralclairvoyance.ior'scrying'
in
thepictorialimagination,isused, thegodformsplay
an
.importanr-partandmaytakeonalifeoftheirown.
Suchanoccurrenceis notadirectmanifestation ofGod
Imminent.TheVisionofGodfacetoface is aChokrnah
experience,not. to begainedby suchadenseform ofwork­
ing
as!thatofthepictorialimagination.However,some­
thingis
motivatingtheformsandforcesofthegods,which
areaspectsoftheOneGod"andsoonecanconceive·the

85. 154
agencyto be
theOrderofAngelsofNetzach,thesphereof
thecreativeimagination,theGods.Onecouldpicturethese
angels
asactualpagangod-formstherefore.
13.TheMundaneChakraofNetzachistheplanet.Venus.
This.
planethasvastimplications, esotericallyconsidered,
in its
relationshiptoEarth,mainlystemmingfromthefact
thatthePlanetaryRulerofEarth,known.intheEastas
SanatKumara,cametoEarthfromVenus.
Itis aplanet
whichwill profoundlyaffecttheincomingofwhatiscalled
theAquarianAgeforitconcernsthesympatheticcoalesc­
ing
andinter-relationshipofall. Itcanbe seenthatthe
generaltrendofhuman
.affairsis towardsa finalunifica­
tionoftheraces.nowonEarth.Theearliertribaland
feudalideas ofrelationshipoutofwhichgrew thefamily
systemis well on
intoIhephasesofdisappearance.Even
theracialbarriersofbloodare
beingbrokendownmore
andmorewiththeincreasingeaseofintercommunications
andtravelandalsotheincreasingoccurrenceofinter­
marriage.
14.Thelatterfactorstillprovidesmanybonesofconten­
tion,for thekeepingofthebloodofaracepureis a very
ancientinstinctwhicharoseintheearlydayswhenthe
authorityofcertaintribes,families andraceswasbuilding
up,
anditsaimthenwastoforwardevolution.Froman
esoteric
standpoint,thebloodwaskeptpuretoincreasethe
strengthofitscontactwith
theOversouloftherace.From
thisconceptcamethecovenantsofdedicationbetweenthe
'BloodEntity'anditsinnerplaneguardianssuch.as was
made,forexample,by theancientJews,theMayansand
theChinese,withtheirtutelaryspirits..ThisCovenantpar­
ticularlyextendedtotheRoyalFamilyofaraceand.this
custom.hasnowbecomethesentimentsfelttowardthe
BloodRoyal.
15.Inearliertimesthegiftofetheric·clairvoyance~now
largelyan atavis-m thoughtoreturnmorenaturallyinthe
farfutureas adevelopment-was.maintainedbyheredity
inthelineageofthePriest-Kings,thuspurityofbloodwas
155
actually
themeansofthepowertocommunicateat will
withtheinnerplanes.Also,as thebloodholdsthe.life-force
it islinked
withtheSpirit.But
as,withtheevolutionary
developmentofman,Spiritbecomesmoreeasilyconscious..
lylinked•.withmatter,sodoestheneedfor theactivitiesof
theBloodEntitylessen.Ashasbeenlongrealised.in the
Easttherelationshipsofthevariouspersonalitiesofsub­
sequentreincarnationsaremoreimportantthan.•hereditary
relationships.
16.
TheoverallfactorofNetzachispolarity.iandby
polarityismeantrelationshipinanyofitsmanyandvarious
forms.It mightbe as well to ·listsomeofthemorecommon
formsto showthegreatdiversitiespossible.
i)
Polarityonspiritualormentallevelsbetweentwoof
thesamesex, i.e.betweentwoaspectsofthesameforce.
The'formula'ofthisis 'friendship'whichwas onceas
importantanaspectofchivalryastheknight'srelations
withwomen.Thereisalsoofcoursethewellknownrela­
tionshipbetweenDavidandJonothan.Thisis aform of
relationshipbearingverygreatgiftsto bothpartiescon­
cerned.Therearemanymenwhohaveserved
inthearmed
forceswhowilltestifythatoneofthegreatestthingsthey
missincivilianlife is
thecomradeshipinadversityofthe
Services.Onitsmoreintenselevels it canbedangerous
withundedicatedpeoplefor, by aconfusionoftheplanes,
a
highpoweredmutualstimulationonthementaland
higheremotionallevelscandegenerateintohomosexuality.
Inspiteofthemodernspateofapologeticsforthisformof
loweremotionalandphysicalrelationshipit is aperver­
sion
andevil. It isperhapsas welltostatethisquite
categoricallyas
itis aformofvicelikelyto be on the
increasewiththelesser.differentiationinphysicalsexual
characteristicsoftheAquariantypeofhumanbeingnow
comingintotheworld.Thisincreasinglackofdifferentia­
tionisbecomingquitecommon,.thereareincreasingly
fewer
mennowadayswhocould.grow
areallypatriarchal
beard,andwomen,fromthebuxommammaliansof

86. 156
classicalpainting arebecomingmoreboyishand angular
in figure,tosaynothingoftheoccasionalmuchpublicised
actualchanges.fromonesextoanother.Homosexuality,
like
theuseofdrugs,is -.oneofthetechniquesofblack
magic. In
thehomosexualact twostreamsofforceare.
calledforthwith. all
thepoweroftheinstinctsandasthese
two.streamsofforceareofthesametypethereis nocircuit
offorcepossible.rsothatthecombinedforces areavailable
formagicaldirection.
Itis amuchmorepotentwayof
workingthantheuseofincubiandsuccubi,lowerelementals
ofsensuality,which areformed.bythesolitarytechnique
offantasiesofmasturbation.
ii)Polaritybetweentwoofadifferentsex. Hereagain
occultismis
muchonthesideof'old-fashioned'morality.
Whilst
thereisnopointinupholdingabadmarriagefor
thesake
ofMrs.Grundyunlesstherearechildrencon­
cerned,(andtheir
righttoahomeisparamount,outweigh­
inganyconsiderationsofconveniencefor thefatheror
mother),.andwhilstsemi-permanentsexualrelationships
canbeproductive
ofmuchbenefitto bothpartiescon..
cerned,there islittleto be said
forpromiscuity.A temporary
union.rarely.touchesanythingdeeper thanthesensesand
theemotions.Theunionofthetenderaffections,intellectual
sympathies
andspiritualidealsis thefruitonly ofa long­
standingrelationship.·Thiscouldbe said to be acounsel
ofperfectionandrareandluckyaretheywho canachieve
it.
Theremay benothing butgoodto begainedfrombreak­
ing up arelationshipwhichhasbecomestale
withusage,
and
hasdegeneratedintomeremutualtolerationoutof
forceof
habit
iii)Polaritybetween'force' and'form'proceedingfrom
thesamesoufce.-e.g.therelationshipbetween brother
andsister,andbythewordrelationshipis meantareal
psychologicalrapport,notamerebiologicalcategorising.
Thusthebrotherhoodandsisterhoodbetweenmembers of
anesoteric·fraternitycanbe everybitas real asthat
betweentwooffspringofthesamephysicalparents.As
157
mentionedbeforeinthischapter,thereisrelationship.in
'spirit'aswellas
in'blood'.
iv)·Polaritybetween
'higher'.and'lower'aspects. ofthe
sameforce-e.g.relationshipoffather
and.son,ormother
anddaughter.Hereagainthesameappliesinspiritas well
asblood.
Thereistherelationship ofall menandwomen
to
GodtheFatherandGodtheMother.
Itoftenhappens
thereforethatachildwhois on very.badtermswith.the
fathermay be upona cycleofkarma.relatingto anoriginal
rejectionofGodtheFatherinspirituallyprimevaldays.
v)Polaritybetween'higher' and'lower'aspectsof'force'
and'form'drawnfromthe.samesource-s-e.g.relationship
ofmotherandson,orfatheranddaughter.Hereagainthe
sameprinciplesapplyaswith theabove.
vi)Polaritybetweenaspects of'force'and'form'drawn
fromanother.levelofthesource-e.g.relationshipofaunt
andnepheworuncleandniece..Onhigh.esotericlevels the
relationshipbetween humanityandearlierevolutionscould
becatalogued
underthisheading. Theovershadowingofa
highinitiateby a LordofMindforexample, ortheover­
shadowing
oftheLordJesuswiththe Christforce.
vii)Polaritybetween
thesourceorapowerandoneofits
levels
through.anintermediary-e.g.relationshipofgod­
parentandgod-child.Thisrelationshipcontains thewhole
function
ofpriesthoodalso.
viii)Polaritybetween
teacherandpupilondifferent
levels as in
theesotericsense oronthesamelevel as
in
theexotericsense.
ix)Polaritybetweena
groupandanindividualas in the
relationshipoftheleadertothe othermembers.This can
beappliedesotericallytotheconception ofManusofancient
races.
17.
Thereismuchteachingonpolarityinmythological
storiesandalso ingreatliterature.Lancelotand.Guinevere,
TristramandIseult,PaoloandFrancesca,Romeoand
Julietareallinitiatorytypes. Oneofthehumanabusesof
thepolarityprinciples ofNetzachistheexaggerationof

87. 158
oneparticularaspectat theexpenseofotheraspectsand
this can. lead togreattragedyas exemplified·jnthegreat
romances.Veryoftentroublemay stern fromsexualmagic
inancienttimes. Thecourtesanholdsinmodern:times a
verydebasedposition
anddeservedlysovforthemotives
are
..entirelycommercial, butinformertimes theTemple
courtesanwas.a.priestesswhose.workwasdistinctly
religious.Money
andgifts werenotgiven
toherpersonally
burasathank ...offering to.theDivinityinwhosenameshe
acted.Functioncarriedoutincombinationwithritual
becomesa
sacrament.nsforexampletheeatinganddrink­
ing
ofbreadand wine allied withritualaresacramental
acts inChristianity
today,andin thesameway the sexual
functionwas used inancientdaystobringthroughdivine
power
toahighdegree.So if such athingbedonetoday,
unconsciously·perhaps
throughvaguememories and
promptingsofapastincarnation,thepowerbroughtdown
may well be
toogreatto becontrolledandthusthe partner
will beworshippedas adivinity, andwill beexpectedto
behavelike a
divinity.and ageneralsituation
produced
which has alltheelementswithinit forgreattragedy.
18.Thecontra-sexualimage oftheJungianpsychology,
ofcourse,can beattributedtotheSephirahNetzachthough
strictlyspeaking.all themagical
powerofthearchetypes
belongshere.
However,Netzachbeing thesphere ofVenus­
Aphroditetheanima
hasparticularrelevance.Theaction
ofthisarchetypeisquite commonly·known--that.it is a
projection
oftheman'sideasoftheAll-Woman ontoany
particularwomanwhohappensto be
aroundand who
bearssufficientresemblanceto thearchetypalfigure for
it to use her
asahookfor it to behungon.Thusthe
woman,who may bequiteashallowcreature,isinvestedin
thelove-blindeyes
oftheloverwith all theattributeswhich
representtheidealessence
ofwomanhoodto him. If the
projectionismutual,ahasty
and.ill-advisedmarriageis
oftenthe
result-amarriagewhich isextremelyunlikely
to last, formarriageis one way
ofreallygettingdownto
159
realityandneither partnerin such a case can live up to
the loftyconceptionheldwithin.theother'spsyche.
19. It is notgenerally
realised-thoughthatthecontra..
sexual image isoften
theimageofthehigheraspectsof
the soulitselfwhich are seeking'unionwith thelowerself
Thusthebest way. toovercome thedorninationofapower..
fulcontra-sexualimage is throughthewayofreligion..Thus
the highreverence
fortheVirginMaryin RomanCatholi­
cism,apartfrom itsreligiousaspects,is also apsychological
therapy.If thegod-likeattributes
ofthecontra-sexual
imageare being safelyprojected
ontoareligiousobject->
which is really thetruedirectionof projectionanyway­
thereis lesslikelihood ofthem-
.beingprojected..onto
anotherhumanbeing with all thesubsequentdisillusion
andpossibletragedy
thatthiswillentail.Thereis con­
siderable
.dangerin theall-masculinebias -ofProtestant
theologyand
itnodoubtisitselfasymptom
oftheAnglo­
Saxonpuritanheritagewhichbordersvery closely on
spiritualpathology.
20.Thesubject
ofpolarity,sexual or.otherwise,is a vast
one andvolumescouldbe, and have
been,writtenaboutit.
All itssubtletieshoweverareundertheprovince
ofNetzach
and in view
ofthis,Netzachis perhapsthemostsubtleand
intricateSephirahon thewholeTree, andthere
isscope
for muchresearchuponit in the light
ofthe manymytho­
logical
cyclesrelatingtoit.
21.Aphroditeis the maingod-form
oftheSephirah,and
like all the gods andgoddesseshas a
'dark'and'bright'
side. As aroughclassificationthe'WhiteAphrodite'can be
assignedto theAtziluth.andBriahofNetzach,and the
'DarkAphrodite'totheYetzirahandAssiah. Auseful glyph
formeditationderivingfrom this is apillar,or a figure of
Venus orAphrodite,inwhich theupper halfis whiteand
thelower halfblack.Also, the twogreatsymbolsof
Aphrodite,thedoveand theleopard,canbeassignedto
the'higher'and'lower'aspectsrespectively.Broadly
speaking,insexualrelationships,theserepresentthehappy

88. 160
andfruitfulmate ofthebountifulbrightside,.whoseobverse
aspectis thewanton;and the.dominatingmate
ofthedark
side,whose
obverseaspectis thecalculatingwantonwho
uses.thedestructiveaspectofAphroditefor selfish. ends.
Thereis no rigidclassificationhowever,and
thecombina­
tionsofaspectsare infinitein real life as the sarneperson
canmanifestdifferentaspectsatdifferenttimes.Thegreatfjguresofmyth,legendandliteratureprovidemorecon­
sistenttypes forstudy,fo(example,Guinevere,Morgan
IeFay,Desdemona,LadyMacbeth,Juliet,Clytemnestra,
Electraand
soon
...TheQueensandLadiesoftheArthur­
ian cycle give a veryfulloverallpicture ofthevarioustypes
offemalefunctioningintherelationshipsofMother,
Maiden,Mistress,Auntand so on,andtheoccupationsof
Guide,Guardian,WiseWoman,Magician,Recluseetc.
22.Thereare. also verysubtle
andadvancedteachings
held in
othermythologiessuchas thematingofIsis and
Osirisafterthelatter'sdeaihto givebirthtoHorus,which
mightbedescribedas the'RegeneratedForceofMating
emergingfromDestruction'.Thereis.similarteachingin
theMysteries
ofHecate,relatingto the forcesreleased
when a
woma.n'sreproductiveperiodis .endedwhich so
o
ften ,owingtowrongattitudes andteaching..results. in an
upsetting
of.physicalconditions,causingfailinghealthin
one way and
another.Weretheforce, freed fromreproduc­
tion,guidedto
work.consciouslyandpowerfully onthe
innerplanes,theindividualshouldbe evenbetter
inbody
and mind
thanbefore.
It·is sooftenforgottenthatthere .:is
a'vertical'as well as a
'horizontal'aspectto allforms of
polarityworking.
23. In view
ofthis,Venus-Aphrodite
issometimescalled
'TheAwakener'.Thisdoesnotonlyrefer to theawakening
ofthehorizontalpolarity ofsex, but also to the vertical
polarity
ofinnerplaneconsciousnessandcontacts. Another
aspectofthis'awakening'force isevidentparticularlyin
thearts,where thecreative
ima~ination isalways.bring­
ing in newforms
andconceptions,usuallyresultingat first
161
ingreatantagonism from·thosewho are not
..read!ly
awakenedtonewexperience, hencethebattleagainstIn..
differenceand hostility.that.almostevery greatcreative
artist.has to face
before.hiswork.isfirstacceptedandthen
drawninto
thebulkofestablishedacademicismwhichlater
artistsintornhavetofi~}1tag<;l.inst.· Similar..difficulties
occurin·other branches.of.hurnan.creative.activity,the
pioneerisalwaysresentedwhetherhe bescientist, doctor
oroccultist.
24.Thiscan besymbolisedbyLucifer
theLight-bringer,
who is closelyassociatedwith Venus, theStar ofPromise
risingoverthestormywaves-e-and
iUsriott?beex~ected
thattheVictory·ofNetzachshould....beachievedwithout
Valour,
Firmness,andstruggle.
Itisinterestingtonote
thatLuciferhasbeenreadilyassociated.with theDevil.
25.
Anotherveryesoteric
formula.isthatofvl'heSonof
his
Mother'havingreferenceto theGoddessbringingforth
a Son,who,whenadult,
isre-absorbedintoher wombon
thehighest.arcs.This
isbehindthe Isis,Nephthysand
Horusforrnula-vtheBullbegottenofthe TwoCows.' A
similarformulaisinthe BookofRevelationsreferringto
thebookwhich wheneatenis sweet ashoneyin the
mouth
butin thebellybitter.Thishas
referencetotheinnerrela­
tionshipbetweenNetzach
andthe'greatbitterSea' ofBinah.
26.
InAssyrianmythology Ishtar
isanaspectofthe
'force'side
ofthe'DarkGoddess'and mightbedescribed
as the
'ArchetypalCourtesan'.
Hermythologyis well
worthstudy.
27. Amythologicalfigurehavingmuch
todo withthe
forcesofNetzachisOrpheus.This greatbeingbrought
harmonyto theElements,birds,beasts
and.trees,though
in the myth didnotbringit toman-s-thislattermightbe
called the work
of·the'AquarianOrpheus'.Orpheus.is the
presidingfigureover
whatis
.calledtheGreenRay,.which
mightbeconsideredashaving.threefacets-i-fair.propor­
tionorphilosophy;power;harmony,includingsere~ity
and·poise.Orpheuscanthusberegarded·as theBalancing

89. 162
Powerin
thelowerplanesas Thoth
isinthehigherplanes.
Thesetwogreatbeingsare
theSupremeBalancers, justas
Osirisand
theLordJesusmightbetermed,eachin his
own way,Holders
oftheBalance.
28.
Furthermore,thereis" muchsignificance'in'the
'.'great
Seven-stringedLyre
ofOrpheus,seven being thenumberof
NetzachandalsothenumberofplanesintheUniverseand
Cosmos.
29.
All"thesesuggestionsmay notmeanmuchat first
reading
buttheyaremeantonlyto indicatefruitfullines
offindividual
meditation'andresearch.
30.
ThereremaintheVice andtheVirtueoftheSephirah
toconsider.Unselfishnessis'really theprimenecessityfor
anysuccess in any
.polarityworking andthisshouldbe
readilyobviouseven
thoughdifficultofapplication.The
VicesofUnchastityandLustare
not,meanttobetaken
onlyintheir sexual'connotation.Unchastityisimpurity
andlackofcleardefinitionintheuse offorce,resulting in
'blurrededges'andgeneralmuddle, theoppositeofthe
Firmness
ofNetzach,It is
thisfaultwhichoftenleadsto
thatwishy-washyconception of"niceness,sweetnessand
lightwhich is.atravestyoftheclear-cutglorious hard
beautyofNetzach.Lustis anover-emphasis andexaggera­
tionofforceandthusacontraventionoftheperfectbalance
whichresultsinthetrueBeautyTriumphantofthe
Sephirah.
31.
Itis easy tointerpret Netzachentirely
intermsofsex
as it is,equallysuperficially,to
interpretGeburahin
terms
ofwar.ThebeautifulnakedwomanoftheMagicalImage
canbeidentifiedwithVenus-Aphroditeaslongasone
remembers
thatthereis more
',tothegoddessthan.akindof
patronsaintofcabaretandstripteaseshows. TheDanceof
theSeven Veilsisusuallyassociatedin theWesternmind
withfrightful
Orientalsensualism,ornaughtynight-clubs,
butifoneconsiderstheseven veils tobe'theSevenPlanes
oftheUniverse then'therevealed
,,'nakedGoddessis
obviouslysomething
farmorethananobjectoferoticism,
163
justastheCosmicErosissomethingmuch morethana
chubbylittlelove-cherub.
32.
TheVictoryofNetzachisreallythevictoryoverall
thefalseidealsevolvedsince
andbecauseoftheFall,
such as, forexample,
the'greatlovers'-theconception
thatanoverwhelming passionatelove foranotherhuman
beingis apurifying andenoblingthing.Heloise and
Abelard,RomeoandJulietandalltherest werejust
victimsofsheerglamour. Andtherearethemany other
falseidealswhich aregenerallygenerouslycoatedwith a
thicksyrup
ofthissameglamour.,Thebrass bandsand
flyingcolours thatincitemen to kill oneanotherfor
example.Realwar,like real love, is notathingofglamour.
Theexterminationofevilrequiresmorethesurgeon's
attituderatherthanthepopularconceptionofabloodstained
patrioticherogoingsingingto hisvictory ordeath.There
is agreatdifferencebetweenbeingfiredwith theglamour
ofbattleoveranewspaperat homeandactuallymeetingan
enemyin a
muddyfield with fixedbayonet,face to face.
33.
TheVictoryofNetzach,overallthesefalse ideals,­
cancomefully onlyafter theSacrificeofTiphareth;and
beforeit cancome,all thefalseideals of'Beauty'and
'Peace'willhavealso to
bedestroyed--thoseperversions
oftruthandbeautyonesees in theirgrossestform in
nineteenthcentury
'salon'artortheEarthdenyingtype of
'mysticism'whichstillclingstooccultism. Morecrudely,
'piein thesky'religion.
34.
Thefalseideas ofBeautyhaveeffectivelyprevented
the
Manyfrombecomingthe
One,forBeautymustbe in
accordwith
Truth.ThustheSpiritualExperiencecould
betterbecalled
'TheVisionoftheTriumph'ofTruthand
Law'-forthatisBeauty.

90. HOD-GLORY
ChapterXIV
A,hermaphrodite.
ElohimTzabaoth.
Michael.
BertiElohim. Sons of God.
Mercury.
Truthfulness.
"TheEighth Path is called theAbsoluteorPerfectIntel­
ligence because. it is the mean
ofthePrimordial,which
has,no"root by which itcan'cleave or rest, save in the
hidden places
ofGedulah,fromwhichemanatesitsproper
essence.
MAGICALIMAGE:
GODNAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDEROF ANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUALEXPERIENCE: Vision
ofSplendour.
ATZI LUTH
rcCOLOUR: Violet purple.
BRIATICCOLOUR: Orange.
YETZIRATICCOLOUR: Red russet.
ASSIATICCOLOUR: Yellowish black, flecked white.
VICE:Falsehood.Dishonesty.
SYMBOLS: Names and Versicles. Apron.
1.HodisprimarilytheSephirahoftheformsofthe con­
cretemind andintellect,andas form was firstformed
in
ChesedorGedulah,which is itsdiagonalopposite,the rela­
tionshipbetweenthesetwo,Sephirothisstressedin the
YetziraticText.Itwill be seenthatChesedis also adiagonal
opposite
ofBinah,where,the ideaofform" is first,con­
ceived and sothesethreeSephirotharelinked
inthisway,
beingregardedas
underthepresidencyofWaterjustas
Chokrnah,
GeburahandNetzacharereferredtoFireand
the line
ofcentralSephirothto Air.
2. As
thehumanmindworksinterms ofform, it is
ob­
viousthatHodis thePerfectorAbsoluteIntelligence,for
164
165
when theformsare true,thenthey arethemeansby which
mancancometo grips' withtheformlessverities
of
the
PrimordialorSupernalregions ofbeing.Yetform,when
viewed from thePrimordial,Supernal
orSpiritualstand­
pointhas noreality,it hasphenomenal, notnoumenal
existence,
and,'sotheYetziratieText statesthattheselower
forms,howevervaluablethey
maybe,haveno basicreality
save 'in the
.hiddenplaces,ofGedulah'whichwould. be
moreor less, a
Daathconditionwherethespiritualforces
arefirsttakingonconditions
ofform.
J.
Thusitisthatmananthropomorphiseshisgods.The
diverseaspects of,Godhavetheirsphereofaction,in'the
lower'worldsin'theSephirah,N·etzach, butNetzach''is·a
force,
notaformSephirah.Thereforethe forcesofnature
andtheinternalforcesofmanare
givenpictureimages,
andthese.imagesareformedintheSephirahHod.Itmatters
notwhethertheform be agross ornaiveonesuch asthe
image
ofGodtheFatheras an oldmanwithpatriarchal
beardandrobes,orwhetherit be highlysymbolic and
subtlesuch astherepresentation of'thesameconceptas
apointwithinacircle.or
'thesmoothpoint';animageis
usedandallmentalimages
.are'formedunder theTower
coheringprinciple ofHod.So allthegod-formsbelongto
Hodjustas allthegod-forcesbelong toNetzach.
4. Thesceptic
.mayobjectthatallformsare reflected
images
ofthephysicalworld,' andso intheunlikelyevent
ofascepticalmaterialistbeingaQabalist,hewouldno
doubtinsistthatallformsbelongto Malkuth.Giventhe
materialist'spremisses,thiswouldbecorrect, butthe
Qabalahisbasedimplicitlyon" anidealistphilosophy and
holdsthatformsarefirstconceivedontheinnerlevelsand
subsequentlyconcreteintoforms.Thisis noplaceto go
intoananalysis
ofthemainwatershed ofphilosophical
speculation-amaterialistoridealistconception ofthe
Universe-s-evenif such ananalysiswouldbe likely to be,
of
anyvalue. Mostphilosophiesaresoundlogicalstructures
andtheirdiversitystemsbasicallyfromwhateverpremisses

91. 166
theyarebuilton.
Andasmostpremisses,even when they
contradicteachother,
areheld to beself-evident andthus
axiomatic,thereislittleto begainedfromlogicaldis­
quisitionsonthem.In the
lastanalysis'youpaysyour
moneyandyoutakes yourchoice',andthechoiceofthe
Qabalististheidealistviewpoint.
5. Allphilosophies,in
thattheyarestructures ofform­
alisedconcepts,come
underthepresidencyofHod,and
theironlyethicis.whetherthey aretrueor false,which
is
theessenceoftheVirtueandViceofthisSephirah.False­
hoodcan betermed.an error;andcouldbeconceivedas
partoftheschemeofthings,for it is afruit ofinexperience,
andtheaim ofevolutionis togainexperience.Dishonesty
however,whereit isconscious,
andevenwhenit is un­
consciousfor
thatmatter,isadeliberateperversion,there­
foreQliphothic
andevil,andthus
·has norealpartin the
scheme
ofthingsbutisanotherfoulfruitofman'sprime
deviation.
6.
TheGodNameoftheSephirahHod
issimilarto that
ofNetzach,beingElohim Tzabaoth,GodofHosts,as
comparedtoJehovahTzabaoth,LordofHosts.InNetzach
theHostsarethemyriadforces ofthelowerworlds
whereasin
Hodthey are themyriadformswhichserve to
clothetheseforces.Thereis aninterestingfield
ofspecula­
tionin whyNetzachshouldhaveJehovahas the first
part
oftheNameof
GodandHodhaveElohim.As we have
alreadydiscussed,
Jehovahrefersto themanifestationof
forces ondifferentplanes andsotheNameisapplicableto
Netzachas it givesinsightstorelationships
offorces at all
levels.Elohim,on the
otherhand,isaNarnehavingpolarity
andpluralityimplicitin it, themanyin
theformofone,
andHodis aSephirahwherelogicalstructuresaremade,
whichprocessis one
offinding acoherentunity todiverse
aspects.It will benoted
thattheMagicalImage ofHodis
theHermaphrodite,aformwhich,likeElohim,hasduality
andpolarityimplicitin oneform.Alsothe NamesJehovah
andElohimfirst
appearinChokmahandBinahrespective-
167
ly,ofwhich,accordingtotheprinciple ofsimilarityof
diagonallyoppositeSephiroth,Netzach andHodarelower
forms.Whentheglyph
ofthePillarsissuperimposedon
theTree
ofLife,ChokrnahandNetzachare atthehead
andbaseoftheAch'vePillarofForceandBinahand
HodattheheadandbaseofthePassivePillar ofForm.
7.TheArchangel ofHod
isMichael,thegreatGuardian
whoholdsatbay'the forces oftheUnderworld.Inmagical
workinghe isassignedto theSouth,theFireQuarter,and
canbevisualisedas a greatcolumnar
figureblazingwith
all
theredsoffire.Alternatively,thefamiliaranthro..
pomorphicformcanbe usedofa.mightywingedbeing, withswordupraised,crushinga dragonorserpentbeneathhis
feet.ThisArchangelis the one to becalled
uponwhen
assaultedby
dangerorunbalanced,force ofanynature,
includingthe
uprushof
.averseanddemonicaspectswithin
oneself.
8.TheElement
ofFireisthatElementwhichtransmutes
forms, to ahigherlevel
andso isassociatedwithMichael
byreason
ofthe factthathedealssimilarlywithunregen­
erateformsandforces.Fireis thepurgingElementas
Michaelis thepurgingArchangel.As
Hodis a'Water'
Sephirah·it may seem.strange thattheArchangelofFire
shouldbeassigned
to,it,buttheprocessesofmentationof
Hod,logicandscience, thecategorisingtheunknowninto
knowablestructures,isasheddingoflightinto darkplaces
and'one
ofhumanity'sgreatestfears isthefear ofthe un­
known.
Itis thispastpassion forlogicalcategorising that
has led. to theexistentialist jibethatallpre-existential
philosophieshave beenattemptstoescapefrom facing a
Universewhich is
illogicalorabsurd.Bethatas it may,
andthereis morethan
·agrainoftruthin it evenifthe
Universeisnotastructure
ofmeaninglessabsurdity,
thereremainsthe fact
thatignoranceis the
breeding
ground.ofmuchevil andthatignoranceisdispersedby the
lightofthe mind inHod.ThustheattributionofMichael,
theDisperserof the
Forcesof,Darknessis acorrectone.
9. It is aninterestingfact
thattheChristianChurchhas

92. 168
long' usedMichaelas aprotectorandguardian,,.though
prefixing his name with the title of Saint.Theremust be
hundreds
ofplacesdedicated
toSt.'Michael'andthey are
usually sites ofpagan'worship, and thus places frequented',
according.'to medievalChristian.belief, by devils. These
sites are often on high places
orhillocksandthemost
famous are St.Michael'sMount,near.Penzance,Cornwall,
andMontSt. Michel off thecoast
orBrittany.Also the
tower onGlastonbury
Tor-i-partof'<theholyesterthein
Englande'-ispartofachurchoriginallydedicated toSt,
Michael. The rest ofthechurch,it is said, wasdemolished
by
.earthquake.leaving .onlythestandingtower-s-apagan
symbol, soperhapsthe old forces havewanhere..One does
not need to
takethistoo.seriouslythoughfor the differences
betweenpaganandChristianworshipof
Godare really
quite superficial. Basically it is oneworshipand oneGod.
10. TheOrderof Angels, the Beni Elohim or Sons
ofGod
or Sons of theGods;
canbe conceived asworking'in con­
junctionwith the
Order
ofAngelsofNetzach,the Elohim,
orGods.These twoOrdersof Angels could beconsidered
astheforce and form aspectsofall thevariousgods and
goddesses conceived by the mind of man. The term'Son'
means an esotericrelationshipas can be seen byChrist's
naming. two.·ofhis disciples Boanerges, Sons ofThunder;
and
Christhimselfisknownasthe Son ofGodand Son' of
Man, theformernot being. entirely derived from
thebelief
in the.ImmaculateConceptionby the Holy Spirit.
11.TheMundaneChakra ofHod is theplanetMercury,
thephysicalplanetwhichstands.closest to the Sun and
receives more
lightthananyother
..It is closely involved
esoterically.with Venus and theEarthand isassociated
withthepsychic level
oftheabstractmind. It ha's much
to do
withthe .Mysteries of Hermes.
12.Hermes has given.his name to acompleteoccult
tradition-theHermeticRay,which is the way ofenlighten­
mentthroughthe mind. Hod then'is very much the sphere
of esotericphilosophyand magic. ThethreemainPathsof
169
Western occultism can be aligned with the
lowerSephiroth.
The Green Ray ofnaturemysticismrandart refers to
Netzach,
thePurple
Rayofdevotionalmysticism to Yesod,
and theOrangeRay
ofmagic and occultphilosophy
toHod.
All threePathsunite however at the level ofTiphareth.
The key figures on eachPath"areOrpheus;OurLord, and
Hermes, respectively.
13. HermesTrismegistusgoesunderseveral.variations
ofname,Mercurius TermaximusandThrice-greatest
Hermes
ibeing-vRoman.and Englishequivalents ·ofthe
Greekform
.whichprobablyderived from theEgyptian
Thoth-Tehuti: Thehighestaspect was
asthe'Divine
Pymander'.'Pymander'means'Shepherdofmen' and
signifies thearchetypalleader,teacherandilluminatorof
mankind.He
is.a
.beinghoweverwho.worksprincipally
throughteaching of the mind
ratherthanthroughthe
emotionsor religious faith, as
ishinted in anextractfrom
some of
theHermeticwritings:HHaveMein' thy mind
andwhatever
thou.wouldst
..learn, I will teachthee."and
Emerson was moved
towrites
"Icannotrecite, -eventhus
rudely,lawsof theIntellect,withoutrememberingthat
lofty andsequesteredclass who have been itsprophetsand
oracles, the high.priesthoodof the pure Reason, the
Trismegisti,theexpoundersof
thoughtfromage. to age.
When, at longintervals,'weturnover theirabstrusepages,
wonderfulseems
thecalm.andgrandair ofthesegreat
spirituallords, who have walked
intheworld-theseof the
old religion
..
'.This band ofgrandees,Hermes,Heraclitus,
Ernpedocles,Plato,PlotinuscProclus,Synesius,
Olympic­
dorus,andtherest, havesomewhatso vast in their logic,
soprimaryintheirthinking,thatit seemsantecedent
to
all theordinarydistinctionsofrhetoricandliterature,and
to be at oncepoetry,and music and.dancing,andastron­
omy
,andmathematics."
l4.Thesecret of the logicoftheseHermeticphilosophers
isthatit is based uponTruthand so speakstothe intui­
tion as well as tothelower mind.Unenlightenedphilosophies

93. 170
canbefarragoesofnonsensealthoughtheirstructuremay
becompletelylogical,simplybecausethey. are.
notbased
on
Truth.Onecanbuildupagreatimposinglogicaledifice
buttheultimateworthofitwilldepend uponitsfounda­
tions,whetherit is
builtupontherock ofTruthorthe
shiftingsands ofpersonal'opinion
..Againthisrefersusback
to.theVice
andVirtueoftheSephirahHod,Truthand
Falsity.
15.According
toClementofAlexandria
thewholeof
Egyptianreligiousphilosophywas containedinthe.Books
ofThoth.Thoth,theLordofBooksandofLearning,was
regardedas theinspirer
ofallsacred··writings and
..the
teacher
ofallreligion
andphilosophy.Furthermore,as
Iamblichustells us,
Thothwasthepresident ofall
.priestly
disciplineandevery.Egyptianpriest.was held tobeapriest
ofThothoverandabovehis otherpriestly'functionsbecause
Thothwas .thearchetypalpriest orhierophant-theOver-
soul
ofallpriests. '
16. As hasalreadybeenmentioned
underNetzach,Thoth
canberegardedas theBalancingPoweron thehigher
planes
asOrpheusis onthelower.Thisdoes notimplythat
oneisgreater thantheotherfor alltheSephiroth,andthus
alltheplanes,areequallyholy. Hod,asitis alowerreflec­
tion
ofChesed,is a linkbetweenhumanityandallteachers
on
thehigherplaneswhetherthey,beMasters, (thatis,
highlyevolvedhurnans.)
orLordsofMind.TheLordsof
Mindareperfectedbeings. ofa
previousevolution,and
Hermes,Merlin, BuddhaandtheindividualSpirit ofJesus
ofNazareth(i.e.JesusasapartfromtheChristforce)
havebeen said to be
ofthatevolution.Thetechniqueof
teachingoftheLordsofMindisalwaysthelinkingup of
some.oftheDivineReasonwiththehighermind of
man;
inotherwords,they give knowledgeofGodasdistinguished
from
awarenessofGodwhichlastis themethodofthe
Venusteacherssuchas
Orpheus..Theinnerpriesthoods
knownasthe
OrderofPrometheusandtheOrderof
MelchizedekderivefromMercury andVenusrespectively,
171
thoughthereare theforcesofcertainconstellationswork­
ingbehindtheseplanets.
17. It may seemstrange
thatJesusshouldbeconsidered
in.relation'to
theHermeticRayashe isprimarilyateacher
on
theLoveAspect ofGod.Howeveritmustberemembered
thatnoAspectcanbeconsideredwithouttheothersand
thattheyallinterlink,Manypeopleareanxiousto give
themselvesup to
Wisdominspite
ofthefactthattheylack
thenecessarybasis
forit.Thisbasis
is.'Love,forcornpas­
sion,in
itstrue.sense,fertilises Wisdorn
sothatrightuse
is
madeofit.ManyJeadersofesotericgroupswho,by
theirWisdom
bias,areledto.thefield.:ofteaching,have
personalitiesinwhichthe, Love"Aspect'is
notadequately
developed.
TrueWisdomcannotbepresentwithoutthe
otherLogoidalAspects,for,as .:the
'.AthanasianCreedsays
oftheWisdomPrinciple oftheLogos:H(It)isneithermade,
created,
norborn,butproceeding."
18.
TheimagesofHodarenotthesameasthose ofYesod
-theTreasureHouseofImages.They areformsmadeand
controlledbymind andwillandreflected in.thegreatWater
TempleofHod.Theyareimagesofeternityoftenconceived
andplacedthereby higherbeingsto bepickedup by man
andmeditateduponto givesubsequentrevelation andthe
Vision
ofSplendourthatistheSpiritualExperience ofHod.
TheWaterofHodisnottheElementalWaterbutthe
crystal-clearWellofTruth.
19. Inthiscategory ofsymbolicforms canbeplacedall
themainpictorialsystems ofesoteric·teachingsuch' as
Hebrewletters,
theastrologicalsigns andtheTarot,which
latterisoften
.calledtheBookofThoth.Theoriginofthe
Tarotcardsisshroudedinobsourityvbeingplacedbysome
authoritiesas far
backastheEgyptianMysteries andby
othersaslateas thesixteenthcentury.However,thistype
ofscholasticresearchmattersnothingfortheir trueorigin
comesfrom
theinnerplanes andtheirauthorityderives
notfromthedateoftheirphysicalinception butfromtheir
use as apracticalsystemhere
andnow.

94. 172
20. Themythologicalattributes
oftheEgyptian Thoth
give ageneralpicture oftheattributionsoftheSephirah
Hod.He wasdepictedwith
theheadofan ibiswhoselong
beakcan belikenedtotheanalyticalmindpicking
outthe
morsels
ofTruthfromtheswampywaters offalsity. He
was also amoon-god,having
thecrescentmoonuponhis
head,theheavenlybodywhich
.bringsreflected light tothe
darkhoursofEarthasthereflectionsinsymbols ofthe
higherpowers
ofChesedbring lightto the mindofmanin
Hod.Apartfrom being theDemiurgeinHermopolis,the
'City
ofEight', he. Was also a DivineJudgeorBalancer,
andhisactionat theheavenlytribunalbeforewhich the
implacableenemies Horusand Setappeared,earnedhim
thetitle
of'Hewhojudges thetwocompanions'. He also
helpedIsistodefendthechild
··Horusfromdangerand
droveout.thepoisonfromthechild'sbody..when it was
stungby ascorpion.Thisisanalogousto theduties
and
powersoftheArchangelMichael. Thothwas alsoinventor
ofallartsandsciences andofhieroglyphs,andthefirst of
allmagicians-alsodistinctlyHodattributes,besides being
herald
ofthegods,as wasHermes,.the Greekcounterpart
ofThoth,andalso theRomanMercury.
Inthattheimages
ofHodare.symbolsofdivineimporttheattributionof
messengeras well asmagicianisfairlyobvious.
21.Inanalysingtheattributesofa god inthiswayrela­
tionships
ofdivineaspectscan bededuced. Thereismuch
significancein
therelationshipofThothwith Isis,Horus,
Osirisand Set,
forexample,and .ofHermeswithPallas
Athene,Perseus,ApolloandZeus.Generallyspeaking,the
Egyptianmythsare
purerbecausetheEgyptiancivilisa­
tionwas
avery.rigidone.. alwaysstrictlyunder. thecontrol
ofthepriesthood.TheGreek·wasnotso,andwhile the
Greekdivinitiesmay bemore
.humanandappealingone
hastoguardagainstGreek populardistortionandlevity.
Hermes,forexample,was the
patronofmerchants,travel­
lers..glibtalkersandthieves,whichattributionsprobably
deriveatsecond
handfrom·the factthathe
.wasDivine
173
Messenger.
Therewas noaspect ofcunningandtrickery
in
theEgyptianThoth.
22.TheEgyptiangod-formswerecarefullyprescribed
bythepriesthoodwhohad
agreatknowledgeofthepsy­
chologicaleffects
ofanglesandline. Thusmuch can be
gained
fromcontemplationofEgyptianimageryandits
simplicity
offormmakesit easy toremember,visualise
andholdin theimagination. TheGreekgodsontheother
handare verymuchmore
.human,beingin factidealisa­
tions
ofhumantypes.Thus.iofthe mainWesternpantheons,
theEgyptiantendsto give theinneresoteric side
tothe
divine•forces,andthe.Greekthe outermorehumanside.
RomanmythologyislargelyderivativefromGreek,the
Romansbeingtoopragmaticto bothermuchaboutinner
forces save as ameans
·offurtheringtheirmaterial
ambi­
tions...TheAssyriangodsandgoddesses. areworthstudy
for
theEastdoesnottendtorepressits
.subconscious-as
theWestdoes,·while the. Norseisvaluablein thatit may
havemoreappealtothe
Nordicmentalityanditlooksthe
harderfactsoflifestraightin the eye, for life inthe
Northwas,forpurelyclimaticreasons,much harderthan
lifearoundtheMediterranean.
23.
Byacarefulconsideration ofthewholevariety of
god-formsaconsiderablestore ofoccultknowledge and
wisdomcan bebuiltup andthisisessentiallyaprocess
undertheprovinceofHod.
24.
TheothermethodofHod-workingis thatof
magic,for
magicisessentiallyaprocess
ofbuildingformsfor forces
to indwelland
HodistheSephirah ofmagicalforms.The
NamesandVersicles,symbolsofHod,are thewritings
themagicianhas whichsymboliseanddescribethe
potencieswithwhichhe isworking,they are, infact,talis­
manicforms
ofthosepotencies.
25.
TheApron,which hasMasonicassociations,isthe
characteristic
garmentofthecraftsman,the makerof
forms,which ofcoursethemagicianis. Thattheforms
may bementalorastral
ratherthanphysicalisonly a

95. YESOD-THEFOUNDATION
ChapterXV
"TheNinthPath iscalledthe PureIntelligencebecauseit
purifiestheEmanations.Itproves
andcorrectsthe design­
ing
oftheirrepresentations, anddisposestheunitywith
which
theyaredesignedwithoutdiminutionordivision."
174
differenceoflevel,not offunction.TheApronalsocovers
theMooncentre,orloins,as theLamencoverstheSun
centre,
orbreast,andit will beremembered thatThoth
is agodoftheMoon,fromwhichhederiveshis nameof
Tehuti.
26. As alast
considerationthereis aninterestingtradi­
tionwhichsays thattheBeniElohim, theSonsofGod,
wereSons andDaughtersofotherSphereswho camedown
toEarthin veryearlytimes andmatedwithhumans,pro­
ducingarace ofWisdomthelikeofwhichhasneverbeen
seen since.
Thematingandtheoffspring,thoughholyat
first,degenerated
intoevilbeings ofgreatpowerwhohad
intheendto bedestroyed.Thisfact issaidto liebehind
manystrangelegends ofallracesandthefactthatthese
beingswere
androgynousandcoulduseeithersex at will
is no
doubtthefoundationofsuchlegendsas thatofSodom.
TheMagicalImageofHodis,ofcourse,theHermaphrodite,
andthetracingthroughofsuchcorrelations,oftenvery
strange,
ofthemagical alphabetofsymbolsis a pursuitof
greatinterestandfascination.Thoughaswithallfascinat­
ingpursuits,particularlyesotericones,it is well
notto let
one'senthusiasmgo toounleashedforthereis a very
treacherousandshiftingboundarybetweentheVirtueand
theViceofHod-TruthandFalsity.
MAGICALIMAGE:
GODNAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDEROFANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUALEXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHICCOLOUR:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRATICCOLOUR:
ASSIATICCOLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
A beautiful naked man, very strong.
Shaddaiel Chai.
Gabriel.
Kerubim. The Strong.
The Moon.
Independence.
Treasurehouseof Images.
Vision of theMachineryof the Universe.
Indigo.
Violet.
Very dark purple.
Citrine,flecked azure.
Idleness.
Perfumes and Sandals.
1.Yesodisthe Sephirahoftheethericplaneandsonot
onlyis it the powerhouseormachinery ofthephysical
worldit alsoholds
theframeworkinwhichtheparticles of
densematterareenmeshed.
2.
Thestudyoftheethericis avastone,for it is co­
extensivewith
thewholerange ofthephysicalsciences
butits effect inthephysicalworld canberegardedapproxi­
matelyasVitality.It is anenergy
ofintegrationwhich
co-ordinatesthephysicalmolecules,cells
andso onintoa
definiteorganism,
andsowithoutitourphysicalbodies
wouldbenothing
butcollectionsofindependentcells. It is
175

96. 176
notaproductofphysicallife, forYesodisnearerthesource
ofthingsthanMalkuth,butlivingcreatures,plantsand
even.mineralsareits products.Andeven asa.lackofit
in
thenervoussystemwould
leadtoexhaustionanddeath,
so anoverplus ofitwouldcausedisease andsubsequently
death.
3. It is
thecontrollingagentin thechemico-physiological
changes
ofprotoplasmandshowsitspresence
..bythe
poweroforganismstorespondtostimuli,andisthusthe
basisbehind
thosefibrouscellswhich constitutethenerves
andgivethepowerto feelpleasure andpain.It
isheldby
esotericsciencethatit is.theethericvehicle andnotthe
physicalbodywhichhasthepowerto feel,andthisisthe
principlebehindcertainanaesthetics;theydrive theetheric
doubleoutofthephysicalbody·asoccursin.sleep,deep
tranceandfinally atdeath. Thephysical·.bodyisthe
receiverofphysicalsenseimpressionsonly andhasnoacute
sensoryawarenessexceptasvague,dull,.diffusedfeelings
such asgeneralfatigue.
Theformationofanervoussystem
iscausedby an
admixtureofastralwithethericforceand
sothereisonly rudimentarynervousstructure
inplants
andnoneat all inminerals.Allhowever,have their
structurebuiltandheld bytheethericwebornetwork,
thusit isthefoundationofphysicalexistence, and'The
Foundation'istheTitleofYesod.
4. InthiswayYesod
canbesaidtohold theimageof
everythingthatexists
in.thephysicalworld, andthusit is
theStorehouseofImages.Andyetitnotonlycontains
theseimages,ithasthepowerofalteringthemvandit is
bymeans
ofthisfact thattheYogi,for example.vcan
producechangeswithin thephysicalorganismbymeans of
themeditation·andpostural
••.techniquesofHathaYoga.
ThisparticularaspectofYesodis thatwhichisstressedin
theYetziratieText: "TheNinthPathiscalledthePure
Intelligencebecauseitpurifies theEmanations..Itproves
(i.e.tests}
andcorrectsthedesigningoftheirrepresenta­
tions. . .".whichresultsof, courseinfunctionalformsin
177
thephysicalworld, Malkuth,Theintegratingfunctionover
cellular
andmolecularlife iscoveredin theremainder
.of
theText,whichreads: "(it)disposestheunitywithwhich
they(the
emanations)aredesignedwithoutdiminutionor
division."Ultimately,
•.thesupremeintegratedimage of
Yesodis thatof'theLuminousImageoftheCreator'which
isshownforth
andconcealedin thephysicalworld.Thus
theGodNameoftheSephirahYesodisShaddaielChai,
theAlmightyLiving God.
5.NaturallyasYesod
isaSephirahmuchconcerned
with
theetheric,theimagesofpre-physical-manifestation
ofallthehigheremanations,andalsothevastbodyof
teachingdeveloped abouttheMoon-s-thegreatreflector·of
theSun'slight-theArchangeloftheSephirahis the
ArchangeloftheAnnunciation,Gabriel,whogivesthe
powersofVision.
6.
Hecanbeimaginedas abeautifulblue-greenfigure
withsilverflashes
oflightandatremendousswirlofcolours
ofvariousshades ofpeacocktints shotwithsilverwhich
arehiswings,
orapartofhisextensiveaura,andabout
hishead andbeneathhis feet,streamsofliquidsilver. It
maybenoted thatthesearenotstrictlyspeakingthe
Sephirothiccolours,butoneshouldnotlettheimagination
beboundtoocloselyby tradition,particularlywithsymbols
like
theFlashingColours
whichareto alargeextentarbi­
trary.
Thecoloursgiven aboveinconnectionwith the
ArchangelGabrielshouldevokemuch oftheSeaandMoon
powerwhichis anintegral partoftheSephirahYesod.
7.This
anthropomorphicformcanthenbeseen tochange
intoatremendouspillarofsilverlight, perhapswitha
mauve-greytinge,reachingup as
farastheskyandstand­
ing on
theEarth,andaroundthepillaragainclouds of
peacockblue andgreen.This tremendouspillarshouldbe
conceivedto be like a
battery
oftheUniverse-anelectric
battery-andallactions.oftheUniverseareswitched,as
it
were,ontoyouthroughthisgreatbattery,for thisisthe
basisofVision,whetherclairvoyance·orclairaudience.

97. 178
8.Themightysilverpillar canthenbechangedtoa nine­
fold figure, asolidfigurewith
ninesidesofcrystal,but
reflectingsilver
andblue-greenlight.Imaginein that
ninefold.figure alarge amountofforcefromtheformer
greatsilverandblue-greenpillar andwatchit;watch this
solid as youwouldlook intoacrystalglobeandsee what
appears.Asaconclusiontothisexperimentit is best to
change
theformbackoncemore totheprotectingbeautiful
Angelicformradiatingthepowers oftheMoonandof
Waterwhicharequalitiesin tunewiththevisionary
faculties
thatcangive realand
.rightunderstandingofthe
innerlife. It isGabrielwhorules 'theLivingWaterstreams
thatwellfrom.outtheHighestThrone',(cf.Revelations
XXIIi:"And.heshowedme a pureriverofwateroflife,
clearascrystal,proceeding outofthethroneofGodand
oftheLamb."andalsoGenesisII x "Andariverwent
outofEdento waterthegarden:andfromthenceit was
parted,
andbecomeintofourheads.")
9.TheOrderofAngelsofYesodaretheKerubim,the
Strong,whichtitle
isappositewhenoneconsiders thatYesod
holdsthe.ethericlevels.andstressesonwhichphysical
formdepends.It isthisconceptionwhichisalsobehindthe
Magical
Image-thebeautifulnakedman,verystrong, who
couldbeequatedwithAtlas,
whoheldthewholeworldon
hisshoulders,having
thestrengthofthoseotherclassical
'Foundations'oftheUniverse,theElephant andthe
Tortoise
andtheEagle. In a way,thesethreecreatures
plusthe
manAtlascouldbeconceived ofasreflectionsof
theFourHolyLivingCreatures ofKether.Also,thestrong
beautiful
mancanbeconsideredas OurLordas acounter­
balanceto
theSunday-school'gentleJesusmeek andmild'
conceptionwhich
hasunfortunatelygrownup aroundhim.
Jesus,thestrong
manwhohadthepassivestrength notto
resisthispersecutorswhenall
thetimehe had.thepower
to doallthosethings thatthedeviltemptedhim -with in
theWilderness;
whohadsufficient'presence' ofpowerto
impress
andimpelfaithintoa hardbitten
.Romancenturion
179
whoseservantwas sick;whohadthepowerandknowledge
overtheetheric
levels:tohealthesick,'perform"miracles',
raise
thedead.andreconstructhis bodyagain,glorified,
afterthree
days.
10.TheKerubimworkonthebuildingofknowledgeand
theharnessingofforceinethericorYesodicmethods,of
whichoneis the. useofsymbolsrelatingtoYesodic under­
standingwithin
thedepthsofthesubconsciousmind.With
theprogress
oftimethese symbolsbecomeless'ritualistic'
andmoremental-thatis,theybecometoolsin thehands
ofthevariousschools ofpsychoanalysis,Nevertheless,
theseimages
ofpsychologicalhealingare stillpresentday
versionsofthecontentsof'TheTreasureHouseofImages'
andtheforcesbehindthis therapyare.theOrderofAngels
ofYesodhoweverfantasticthatmay.soundtothescientific
mind..
Thegreatpowersin theetheric'sphereare the
Angelsthemselves, theKerubim,andastheethericpowers
arethegreatformativeforces of
the.worldandofman,
these
greatforcesmustbetakenintoaccount bymedical
researchif it is tohaveanyvalue.
Apartfrom.thesub­
consciousaspects,whichresult
inmuchpsycho-somatic
disease,thecompleteunderstanding
ofthemechanism
whichworks
thebodysothatit may becuredinsickness,
keptingood conditionwhenit is well, andrejuvenated
whenit isold,
areallcontainedinYesod andmustbe
soughtinYesod,
theethericfoundationbehindthephysical
kingdom
ofMalkuth,
11.
Itis inthis.directionthat...thenew'unorthodox'
methodsofhealingareprogressingsuchas anthroposophy,
radionicsandtheAlexandertechniques.Often, certain
ofthesetechniques workbetterwithpeople whohavesome
consciousawareness
oftheirastral andethericlevels and
whoselowerlevels arethuslessdense.People whohave
madea fetishofdrugsontheother,handareless likely to
behelped
byvegetableandhomeopathictreatments.How­
ever, on
theinnerlevels,theincrease ofradio-activefall­
out
ishavingtheeffectofrenderingtheethericlevels less

98. 180
denseso thatthereissome goodcomingfromthis evil it
seems,
thoughofrcourseitcanleadto terriblediseaseif
notadequatelycontrolled,as is wellknown.
12.The.
MundaneChakraofYesod
istheMoonandthe
Moon ....is intil11atelyconnectedwiththegrowthofplants,
andthere.is<muchforgottenloreregardingherbs.and
plants
andtheir
..influenceonsickness andother.matters
which.Paracelsus..tried.to .revive candwhicharestill
revived..today,though.lackofscientificmethod ..doesnot
helpthecausemuch, anditisahappyhuntinggroundfor
cranksandfaddists.
13.
TheMoonisintimatelyconnectedwith theEarthas
theethericplane.is
intimatelyconnectedwith
thephysical.
Thepoweroftheetherievitalityisasthe.power.ofthe
Moonwhichproduces thegreat..movements '.ofthetidesof
the sea00thefaceoflheEarth;andthe cyclicactivity of
the.~theric.'Machineryofthe.LJniv~rse' is asthecyclic
activityoftheMoonandthephysiologicalcycle ofwoman
-theMoonsex.
14. Inadditiontothisthereisalsothevast
amountof
esotericteachingwhichcentres abouttheMoon,forthe
Moonandthe Sunare.two greatprincipleswhichhave
theiranaloguesin thePillarsbehindthewhole
ofmanifesta ..
tion..It can besaid thatPanandIsisareaspectsofthe
Yesodic.spherebecause Pangives the.idea ofarchetypal
strengthwhichischaracteristic
oftheethericandofthe
actionoftheMoononEarth;andIsis givestheideaofthe
archetypalvirginityoftheFeminineside ofGod,the
wholereceptiveside
ofthingswhichisshownforthby the
reflectionoftheSun'slightby theMoon,andby
the
SephirahYesodbeingthereceptacleofall:thehigher
emanationsforthemto beformedinto theimageswhich
are thebasis
offormsin thephysicalworld.Alsothemain
function
ofYesad,themechanismbywhich thehuman
race livesanddies, isbornand
ismated,is also the func­
tion
oftheGreatMother,orIsis, for Isiscontainsall other
goddesses,
181
15.Thereisalsothemagicalside oftheMoon,and
Yesodis more-importantmagicallythananyotherSephirah
exceptpossibly
Hod.Itbeinga MoonSephirah,thegod
Thothis ·alsointimatelyconnectedwithYesod
..Thisfactis
behindsome
ofthelegendswhichtell ofThothbeing a
helper
ofIsis. AsYesodis sointimatelyconnectedwith the
purificationandunificationofformsitsrelevancetoprac­
ticalmagicwill beobvious,for allhigherforceshave.to
pass-throughYesodbefore
theycanmanifestphysicallyin
Malkuth.
16.TheattributionoftheSandalstoYesodalsoshows the
closemagicallinkwith theSephirahHod,foroneaspect
of
themistheWingedSandals oftheGreatMessengervwhich
refers
toHermes,Mercury andThoth.lnanothersense,the
Sandals
aremagicalimplementswhichenable onetowalk
withease on
theFoundationsofthevariouspsychiclevels.
17.
ThePerfumes,alsoassigned toYesod,containanother
wholebranchoftheunderstandingoftheethericvibrations
behindmineralsandplants.Thisagainis
partoftheMoon
aspectofYesodandaspherewhichhas beenlittlein­
vestigatedinspite
oftheprofoundchangesofconscious­
ness
thatcanbeeffectedbymeans ofvariousperfumes­
asindeedwithmusic.As DionFortuneremarked,"How
quicklydo ourthoughtsturnawayfromearthlythings
when
thedriftingsmokeofincensecomesto usfrom the
highaltar;howquickly.do theyreturntothemagainwhen
weget.awhiffofpatchoulifrom thenextpew!"]Further­
morethereis thehigheresotericside toperfume,whichwe
havealreadytouched
uponwithreferenceto Isis andDaath.
There
isastrongconnectionbetween DaathandYesodand
theyare said to be 'oppositepolesofthemagicalcircuit'.
Thatis,DaathisthehighestandYesodthelowestpartof
thepsychewhenthephysical bodyinMalkuthandthe
spirituallevels oftheSupernalTriadarediscounted;they
are
theextremepoles ofthelinkbetweenSpirit andMatter.
18.InthechapteronDaathmentionwas madeofMoses
andtheMoonmountainofSinai,and
theOldTestamentas
tTheMysticalQabalahbyDionForlune----publishedbyWilliamsand Norgate,London.(

99. 182
a
wholecontainsavastcompendiumofYesodicsymbolism.
Muchhasbeenobliteratedthroughthecourseoftheages
andbytranslationbutthegreatsymbolsofMoonworship
arethereforthosewhocaretolook'forthem.
19.Tobeginwith,
asGenesistellsus, thenomadictribe
whichbecameknownastheJewscameforthoriginally
fromUroftheChaldees.Ur wasthegreatMoon-cityof
ChaldeaandcarriedgreatteachingoftheWaterand.the
Moonintheworshipofthatstrangebeing,Ea,theDivine
Man-Fish,who,accordingtoBerosus,theBabylonian
priestandhistorian,."wrotea:book.ontheoriginofthings
andthebeginningsofcivilisation,andgaveittomen."This
bookprobablygavethoseaccounts'oftheDelugeandthe
TowerofBabelwhich appearin.fragmentsfrom theRoyal
LibraryatNinevahas well asintheBible.Ea,orOannes
astheGreekslatercalled·him,says,Berosus,"usedto
spendthewholedayamidstmen,withouttakinganyfood,
andhegavethemaninsightintolettersvand.sciences,and
everykind ofart;hetaughtthemhowtofoundcities,to
constructtemples,to introducelawsandtomeasureland:
he
showedthemhowtosowseedsand. gatherin
crops;i~
short,heinstructedthem'ineverythingthatsoftens
mannersandmakesupcivilisation,so thatfromthattime
no-onehasinventedanythingnew.Thenwhenthesunwent
down,thismonstrousOannesusedto plungebackintothe
seaandspendthenightinthemidstoftheboundless
waves,for he wasamphibious."
20.Shroudedas it is inthedepthsoflegendandmythol­
ogy wecannot.besurewhethertheseaismeantassuch
orwhethertheethericsea ismeant.Inlegendmanythings
canbe.implied'by theapparentlyphysicaldescriptions­
forexampleDaathconsciousnessisusuallysymbolisedby
theseerascendingamountainorgoingto Ianupperroom'.
From.thedescriptionofhisfunctionshowever, Eawas
obviouslywhatesoterictraditioncallsaManuorleader
andciviliserofanearlyrace.Thesebeingsaresaidto have
hadnopermanentphysical.bodiesbuttohavematerialised
183
etherically,somewhatafterthefashionthatectoplasmic
materialisationsoccurintheseanceroom.Inthosedays
tooitissaidthatallmenhadethericvisionso thatthe
Manuwasvisibleto all. Be thatas itmayitwasfromthis
backgroundoftraditionthattheearlyJewsdescended.
21.TheMoon.powersandtheSeapowerswereworshipped
asgodsbeforemenworshippedthefullforceoftheSun
power,andthoughJehovaheventuallybecame' strongly
identified.with theSun,fromearlydayshe was aMoon
force.ThusthegreatpoweroftheMoonregardingfertility
becamewiththeancientJewsasacred thingas' forexample
intheritualofcircumcisioninstitutedbyAbraham.
22. IntheearlydaystheMoonwasworshippedas agod
as well asagoddess,and.certainracesinclinedmore, to
onesideortheother.TheJewsofcoursetendedtowards
the
malesideandsomeconfusiongenerallyresulted when
theraceencounteredrivaltribeswhoworshipped
afemale
representationofthesameforcesuchasIshtarorAstarte.
ThestrangebookTheSongofSolomonprobablystems
fromoneoftheseencounters,foritsreal meaningun­
doubtedlyrefersto thedarkaspectsoftheMoongoddess:
"Iamblack,butcomely,0 ye daughtersofJerusalem,as
thetentsofKedar,asthecurtainsofSolomon.Looknot
uponme,becauseIamblack,becausethesunhathlooked
uponme..."
23.
SolomonandHuramaretwoexamplesofmagical
figureswhere,
althoughhistoricallycertainmencorres­
pondingwiththemcanbesaidtohaveexisted,theyare
reallygreatarchetypalfiguresensouledbygreat,forcesto
adegree
farbeyondthatwhichanymortalcouldhave
borne.Thesefiguresoccurin allracesas for exampleKing
Arthur,RobinHoodandsoon;andtheprocesseven works
withfairlycontemporaryfiguressuch,astheheroes.ofthe
WildWest.
24.
TheSecondBook.ofChroniclestellsoftheconstrue­
tionoftheGreatTempleofSolomonwhichwasbuiltwith
theassistanceofHuramtheKingofTyrewhohadalso

100. 184
assistedDavid.TheTemplewasconstructedwith very in­
tricateandprecisemeasurements---agreat
Moonritual·of
measurementandthe.
pureandexactforms ofYesod-s­
andthe.symbolismis well worth.study
foritembodiessuch
things
asrepresentationsoftheKerubim-s-theYesodic
OrderofAngels,andpillarssurmountedwithpomegranates
-"-definitefemininesymbols, andinthemidstwasplaced
theArk
oftheCovenant.
25.
TheArkisagreatMoonandSea symbolandthus
earlyoriginsofthiscultcan betracedin thestoryofNoah's
ark,which was alsoconstructedaccording....toprecise
measurement,
andto thestrangestory ofJonahandthe
whale.Althoughthe. Moonsymbolsrefermuch tofertility
it
isnotonly a matterofphysicalfertility butalsoof
fertilityofthe mindandimaginationandsoul as well.The
higherteaching oftheArkis thatit is a vesselofMystery,
aprimitive
andEasterntypeoftheHolyGrail, andthe
HolyGrailisthepointoffusionbetweenplanes,
wherea
receptacleis
madeinlowerconsciousness thatcan act. as a
containeror giver
ofform to forcesofhigherconsciousness.
26.Thereis also thewhole
traditionofstellarteaching
connectedwith the SeaMysteries,for
theSea, likeStone,
is asymbol
ofcosmicspace.Knowledge ofthestellarbodies
reacheda
greatheightamongthepriests ofChaldea,
Numberplays asignificant partin the OldTestamentand
inconnectionwith thestory
ofDavidthereis thetale ofa
mortalskirmish.betweentwelvemen againsttwelveand
in asubsequent·battlethedeath ofthreehundredandsixty
men. (2.Samuel.
Ch.II.}Obscuredbytranslationand re­
translation.and
commentarythisprobablyrelatestoearly
zodiacalsymbolismand
tothe.calendarforthenumberof
daysintheyearwas held to bethreehundred andsixtyin
early.times.iDavidalso.wasanxiousto fetch theArkof
theCovenantsothatitshouldbe set in aworthyplace and
receivedinto. the•nationwithproperstate,and todothat
hedancedbeforeit.Wecantakeitthatthis was notmere
primitiveexuberancebut adefinite ritualactandprobably
!
185
theancient'DanceoftheStars',animitation ofthemove­
ment
ofthestarsinthesky.
27.Finallythere
isthegreatracialleaderMoseswho
like somanyJewishleaders
had.been inEgypt, thecentre
ofMysterytraining.Beingthe manhe was it isextremely
likely
thathehadstudiedinthe
Egyptianpriesthoodand
may wellhavebeen apriestofthegreatMoon-godOsiris,
the
GreatRuler,asMoseshimselfwas tobecome.
28.
'A·strongYesodcontactcanbemadeby...visualising
thisgreatteacherof.
MoonMysteriesupontheMoon
MountainofSinai,He can beimaginedafterthe mannerof
thewellknownstatuebyMichelangelo;asomewhatspade­
like face, verythick
hairwhichhasalmosta vitalstrength
as if a livingcreaturein itself,
and.fromthepineal.gland,
stretching
outfromeitherside oftheforeheadcan be
imaginedtwogreatsword-likestreams
oflight.Mount
Sinaican bepicturedas agreat mountainofvolcanic
origin,grey
anddarkincolourandstretchingup farinto
theclouds.
29.Thisimagestrongly'
builtmay wellbringakind of
Daathcontactfor itmusthavebeen astate ofDaathcon­
sciousness
thatMoseswas in, to receivedirectDivine
contact
andformulatethe potentsupernalforcesimpacted
on
hishigherconsciollsnessintolanguageand.preceptsto
behandeddownasthebasiclaws
oftherace.
30.
TheresultingTenCommandmentsare saidtocorre­
latewith theethicsoftheTenHolySephiroth ofthe
Qabalah.
Thefollowingis apersonalanalysis onthe
Commandmentsas given in theAuthorisedVersion ofthe
Bible.The.interpretationmakes
noclaimstoauthority but
accordingto it it will be seen thatthelistedorderofthe
Commandmentsalso .hasQabalisticsignificance.
Thou shalt have no
othergodsbeforemerefers
to theunity
ofKether.
2 Thou shalt
no/makeunto thee any graven image
refers to theformlessDevotion
ofChokmah

101. 186
where the only image is the VisionofGod face
to face.
3 Thou shalt nottakethe name
oftheLordthy God
in vain has reference to the Virtue
ofSilence in
Binah, the root
ofFaith.
4Rememberthe Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six
days
·shaltthoulabouretc.Sixisthe numberof
Tiphareth and the observanceoftheSabbath·or
seventh day has reference
.tothe Devotion to the
Great Work and the Vision
oftheHarmony of
things in Tiphareth.
5 Honour
thy-fatherand thymotherrefers to
Chesed whose Virtue
isObedience.
6Thoushaltnot kill obviously relates
to.Geburah.
7Thoushaltnotcommitadulteryalthough super­
ficially it
mayseem to refer to the Viceof
Netzach really appliesbetterto Yesod, the
Sephirah
ofpurification-thePure Intelligence.
8Thou shalt not steal is anexhortationto the
Virtue
ofNetzach, Unselfishness, and the Firm­
ness and Valour
ofthis. Sephirah. Theft is an
underhand weakness
andasheerabuse oflall
principles
ofpolarity,fortheft can apply to other
levels besides the physical.
9Thou shalt not bear false witness relates to Hod.
The Qliphothic aspect
ofHod is referred to as
'the False A
ccuser'and in the Greek pantheon
the averse side
ofHermeswas considered
tobe
the patron
ofthieves.
10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house .. .
noranythingthat ·is thy neighbours refers to the
Vice
ofMalkuth-Avarice.
187
31. Inthis orderoftheTenCommandmentswehavethe
formulation
offirstKether,Chokmah,Binah,.··anupward
pointingtriangle;thensuccessivelyTiphareth,Chesed,
GeburahandYesod,Netzach, Hod,bothdownwardpoint­
ingtriangles,
and,lastly,Malkuth.Reference.to theglyph
oftheTreeofLifewillshow thatthesetriangles arethe
sameasthethreeTriadsoftheSephiroth.
32.Withregardtosystems
oflegendandmythology.other
thantheBiblicaltheramificationsarevastfortheyinclude
alldeities
ofSea,Moon,Stars,andmeasurement.
33~Bearinginmindthe MagicalImageofYesod,the
verystrongman,Herculesisanimportant.figure.afigure
indeedstanding
forallhumanity. TheTwelveLaboursof
Herculescanbe said torepresent theevolutionarytasks of
man
andcanbealignedwiththeTwelveSigns oftheZodiac,
34.TheEgyptiangoddess Maatislikewiseworthy of
mention.Shewasoftendepictedas a womansittingonher
heels-i-asuggestion
oftheSandalsofYesodandtheFounda­
tion.It
wasshewho,usuallyin theformofafeather,was
placed. in the
panoftheBalance oftheJudgmentHallof
Osirisopposite theheartoftheonenewlydeadto test its
truthfulness.Hereagainwehave
theaccentonmeasure
andthepurityofYesod.Shewas alsointimatelyconnected
with
Thoth,who wassometimescalled 'theMasterofMaat'
-theMasterofTruthandJustice.
35.Thereis also
thetripleaspect oftheMoonandthe
tripleaspect ofwoman,
.virgin,mate andancientcrone.
Thesearerepresentedinthe
GreekpantheonbyArtemis,
Selene
andHecate,although othergoddessesdohaveover­
lappingaspects;PallasAtheneforexamplecouldqualify
as Virgin
oftheMoonin herloweraspects. Thusreferences
incertainoldgrimoires
ofmagic tohavingayoungvirgin
ora hag toassist the
.magicianmay welloriginallyhave
been
guardedreferencestocertain moonsymbolismand
thepotenciesbehindit. Fromthisit will be seenthatone
needs anexperiencedmagicalmethod
ofmentationbefore
dabblingwithcertainoccultmattersfor
thetrueinter-

102. 188
pretation-ofmuchmagical loredepends.onanalogy,alle­
goryandsymbolratherthanstraightforwardlogic.
36.
Inpracticethis unfortunatelyworksoutin the fact
thatthescientifically mindedpersonconsiderstheoccultist
to becompletelydevoid of
anypowersoflogicof sensible
reasoning.Howeveroccultism is in reality·avery exact
science-itmustbe,orthepracticaloperatoris SOonin
trouble,and thetrainingofanadeptis every bit as
rigorousandlengthyas anadvancedgraduateof one
of
the sciences.
Itistobe hopedthatinthefuturethetwo
methodsofmind-workingandresearchwill coalesce as
indeed they seem to be doing
throughthe fieldofmodern
psychiatryand theincreasinginterestin symbolism and
myth.
ChapterXVI
MALKUTH--THE KINGDOM
"TheTenth Pathiscalled theResplendentIntelligence
because it isexalted.above everyheadand.sits uponthe
throneofBinah.It.illuminatesthe splendours of,allthe
Lights,and causes an influence toemanatefromthe Prince
ofCountenances,theAngelofKether."
MAGICAL IMAGE:
GODNAME:
ARCHANGEL:
ORDER OF ANGELS:
MUNDANE CHAKRA:
VIRTUE:
TITLES:
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
ATZILUTHIC COLOUR:
BRIATICCOLOUR:
YETZIRATICCOLOUR:
ASSIATIC COLOUR:
VICE:
SYMBOLS:
A young woman, crowned and throned.
Adonai Malekh, or Adonai ha
Aretz,
Sandalphon,
Ashirn,Soulsof Fire.
Sphere of theElements.
Discrimination.
TheGate. Gate of Death..Gate of the Shadow
ofDeath. Gate of Tears. Gate of Justice. Gate
of Prayer. Gate of the Daughter of the Mighty
Ones. Gate of the GardenofEden.TheInferior
Mother. Malkah, the Queen. Kallah, the Bride.
The Virgin.
Knowledge andConversationof theHoly
Guardian Angel.
Yellow.
Citrine,olive, russet and black.
Citrine,olive, russet andblack;fleckedgold.
Black, rayedyellow.
Avarice. Inertia.
Altar of the double cube. Equal-armed cross.
Magic circle. Triangle..of evocation.
1. TheSephirahMalkuth-representstheentirephysical
worldandthoughitmight seemthatthe fact of'.the
physical world.isobvioustoeveryonethere areprobably
few people who arereallycapable
oflivingin it at will;
thatis, whoseconsciousnessis focussed inpresenttime
and place
andnotwanderingtohappy
ortraumaticcondi-
189

103. 190
tionsofthepastorwish-fulfilmentdreamsorvagueworries
ofthefuture.Somanypeoplehave all'.their.faculties
centredontheirmental
lifeortheiremotional ·liferather
thanthesensorylife ofthephysicalworld.Thereis even 'a
kind ·ofreligious.aversionto
.sensuousness-theworditself
hasunsavouryovertonesto
itinmanyquarters,·so thatit
tendsfrequentlyto beconfusedwithsensuality,theundue
indulgencein thegrosserpleasures
ofsense. It isinterest­
ing tonote
thatoriginallytheword'sensual'wasquitean
innocentone..butthatitsmeaningbecame corruptedso
thatMiltonhadtocointhe newword 'sensuous'whichhas
now alsodeteriorated
in'popularusage, if.notinacademic
definition.
Milton'sownphrasetodescribegreatpoetry,"simple,sensuousandpassionate"forexample .mightwell
be seennowadaysas a sellingsloganon thecover
ofany
paperbacknovel
orblazenedforthin thetrailer ofany
semi-eroticfilm.Againthis
isoneofthesymptomsofthe
puritanpathology-anunconsciouscompulsionto rubdirt
intothegates ofthesenses.Thesoulofaracecan be
judgedfrom its use
oflanguagejust
asthepsychologyof
anindividualcan be assessed by thenewspaperandmaga-
zines hereads.
2.
Theambivalentattitudetotheworld ofphysicalsensa­
tionis
a.strangeone. It is, at thesametime,arunning
away from itintopast,future
orsanctimony,andalsoa
strangeunhealthy
fascinationandfeelingofguiltwhich
characterisesthe
.Anglo-Saxonmentalityinparticular.
Yet,lookingatthingsfrom anevolutionary
andre-incarna­
tionarystandpoint,.thephysicalworldis theworldwhich
shouldbethoroughly
.graspedby the soul-thereisample
timeforemotionalandmentalmeanderingsafterdeath.
Thephysicalworld,in
thatone
.has toreturnto ittime and
timeagain,musthold thekey,tospiritualdevelopment.
Andthisdevelopmentissurelynotto begainedinregard­
ing allphysical
natureas
·atrapandtemptationwhichmust
bestrenuouslydeniedand
putawayfrom one.
3.Accordingtoesotericteaching,
mandescendsonthe
191
involutionaryarc from theplanes ofSpirit,formingfunc­
tionalvehicles on allthedescendingplanes.On
theevolu­
tionaryarc it is hisdestinytogain
controlobjectivelyof
alltheplanesinascendingorder. Thefirstplaneon the
evolutionarypaththenisthe physical
buthowmany
aspirantstospiritual'growthhaveeffective
controlofit?
All
toooftenthemysticallyinclinedpersonis an.ineffectual
on thephysicalplaneandsothe
apparentaffinity with
thingssacredis inrealityarunningaway fromand
attemptedevasion
ofthenext stepanthePath-the
expressionofthe,Spiritfunctioningeffectively 'in the
mundaneworld,whichcouldbecalled
'theInitiationofthe
Nadir'.
4.
TheYetziraticTextoftheSephirahMalkuthshowsthe
importanceofthephysicalworld intheDivinescheme of
things.
"TheTenthPathiscalledtheResplendentIntelli­
gencebecauseit isexaltedaboveeveryheadandsits
upon
thethroneofBinah."
5.ThereferencetoBinahshows thatMalkuthis the
suprememanifestation
oftheformwhichwas firstcon­
ceived as apossibilityin
theSupernalWorldofBinah.It
isthus
"exaltedaboveevery head"forMalkuthis the end
result
oftheDivineimpulseinto manifestation-thespiritual
patternmadephysicallymanifest.
6. Itstitle,
theResplendentIntelligence,isexplainedin
thelatter
halfofthetext:
"Itilluminatesthe splendoursof
alltheLights, andcausesaninfluenceto emanatefromthe
Prince
ofCountenances,theAngel ofKether."TheLights
can beconsideredeitherastheDivineSparks
ofmen or
else the
othernineSephiroth,whichcoverthewhole gamut
ofcreatedbeing. Thereismuchteachingimpliedinthis
shorttextfor itindicates thatphysicalobjectiveexistence
is neededbeforethe
truepotentialitieswithintheSpirit of
eachhumanbeingcanbedrawnforth.It'illuminates the
splendours'ofallofus, or
shoulddo.Many, it seems, are
in
thehabit.ofcartingroundheftybushels ofunrealityto
hidetheirlightsunder.
TheTextreallygives apicture of

104. 192
whatphysicalexistence shouldbe-andindeedmustbe
beforefurtherevolutionaryprogresscan bemade.
7.Thereis alsogreat
import
inthesentence;"( it)causes
an .influence
.toemanatefromthePrince.ofCountenances,
theAngel
ofKether."Thematerialworldcan beconsidered
as being afocussing
orearthingpointfor thecreative
powers
oftheSpirit-forthe AngelofKetherisMetatron,
thegreatbeing.superintendingtheCreativeWorld. of
Kether.ThusSpirit andMatterareasgreat poles..ina.vast
cosmicbattery,eachhas to be.functionalbeforecurrent
can
flow.
inthemagicalcircuitbetween DaathandYesod.
Thisfurtherimplies thatallknowledge ofspiritual
realitiescan begainedfromcontemplation
ofthephysical
world-thereflection.oftheVastCountenanceinKether.
Again we
comeback.tothe.primeHermeticaxiom: 'As
above-so·below.'
8. Thisrevelationhas beenmentioned
byBlakein his
'Auguries
ofInnocence':
"Tosee aWorldin agrain ofsand,
"AndaHeavenin a wild flower,
"HoldInfinityin thepalmofyourhand,
"AndEternityin an hour."
9.
Thevarioustitles ofMalkuthwhich refer to it as a
Gate-showthatthephysicalworld
.isadefinitestagein
spiritualdevelopment
orathingwhich onemustgo through.
10
..TheGateofDeath'andtheGateofthe-Shadow of
Deathrefer tothegreatboundaries ofMalkuthasfaras
man'sphysicalexistenceisconcerned-birthanddeath.
Bybirthwecome
intotheworld and.bydeathwe go outof
it.Birthanddeathhoweverare twosides ofthesame
coin;for whenonediesphysicallyone isborninto
the
higherworlds, andwhen oneisbornphysically,from the
point
ofview.ofthehigherworlds oneis
.dead.
11.TheaspectofMalkuthastbeGateofDeathcan be
consideredin two ways, for
there
is••theGate.oftheDeath
193
ofthePhysicalBody andtheGateoftheDeathofIllumina­
tion.Thesetwoaspectshave beenadmirablyexplainedin
'TheCosmicDoctrine'and so onecan do nobetter thanto
quotethereferencesin full.
12.PhysicalDeath:
"Eachindividualised.consciousness
lives to die and
diestolive.It is only bydeath thatwe can
reap
the
.fruitsoflife.Wegraze .inthe fieldsofEarth,and
we liedowninthefieldsofHeavento chew thecud. It has
been said
'foronehour'sstudydothreehoursmeditation.'
Indeathis
thesoul'smeditationand in life its study."
13.
"Didyou only'live',allexperienceswouldpass
throughconsciousnessand leave
butlittleimpressionafter
the first fewpictureshad filled allavailablespace. All
would.
beconcrete,unrelated, unsynthesised;inthemedi­
tationwhich is
'death',theabstractessence oflife is
extracted,and
insteadofamillionconcrete imagesthere
is theabstractconcept.Learn totrustdeath.Learn to
lovedeath.Learnto countupondeathinyourscheme of
things,.andregularlyperform theexerciseofvisualising
yourselvesasdeadandconceivinghow you·shallthenbe,
forthusyou willlearntobuildthebridgebetween life
anddeath,so
thatit shall betroddenwithincreasingease.
See·yourselvesasdeadandworking
outyourdestiny.See
yourselvesasdeadandcontinuing
yourworkfrom the
planeof thedead. Thusshall thebridgebe
builtthatleads
beyondthe Veil..Letthechasmbetweenthe so-called'living
and theso-calleddeadbebridgedby thismethod,
that
men may cease to fear death."
14.Thespiritualexercise ofimaginingoneselfatdeathis
ofcoursea wellknownone in theRomanCatholicChurch.
Also, thepractice
ofgoingbackover
theday'shappenings
justbeforegoing to. sleepiswidelyrecommendedinvarious
esotericgroupsfor in this way much
ofthe'abstracting'
workofdeathisdonein life. Itshouldalso benoted
that
thebridgingof"thechasmbetweentheso-calledliving
and theso-called
dead"shouldbeachievedbymeditation
workwithinoneselfand
notbyindiscriminatecallingback

105. 194
o~thedeadintheseanceroom.Tointerferecontinually
~I.th ade~d soulinthisway is toriskdoingit verygreat
injuryforItmaywellbecome 'earthbound',whichaccounts
forcertaintypesofhauntings.
15.
The DeathofIllumination:Inthisdeath"conscious­
ness iswithdrawnfromthePersonalityandmadeone
withtheIndividualityandthena maneverbeholdstheface
ofhisFatherWhichis inHeaven,even When hehimself
sojourns.uponEarth.Thus
itisthattheilluminatedInitiate
isnotasothermen.CompleteInitiationis alivingdeath."
16."Thosewhodesirethethingsofthesensesandthe
prideoflife usethewords'livingdeath'todenotethemost
terrible,fate thatcanbefallman;butthosewhohave
knowledge
knowthatthe'livingdeath'meansthefreedomofthe.spiritbroughtthroughtotheplaneofmatter.It
meansawarenessofHeavenwhiledwelling uponEarth.
ThereforetheInitiategoestothelivingdeathwhichis
freedomwhilststill in
thebody,fordeathannulstheLaw
o.f
Limitation,freesthepotentialitiesofthespirit,gives
SIght to
theblindandpowertothe impotent.Thatfor
whichwelongedvainlyin life werealisein
deathfor
deathislifeandlife isdeath." '
17.
"Tothewider.consciousness theworn b is agraveand
t~egraveis awomb.Theevolvingsoul, enteringuponlife,
bldsfare~ell to his friends whomournhim, andtakinghis
courageInbothhandsandfacingthegreatordealand
submittingtosuffering,enters uponlife.Hisfirst actionin
life is to
drawbreath.Hissecondactionwith thatbreath
is to set up a cryofdistress,becausehe has entered'upon
thetaskoflifewithgrief; andhisaimin life is tomake
lifebearable. Butwhenhe entersthegravehepasses
throughagatewayintothewiderlife ofconsciousness·
andwhentheInitiatewouldpassto thewiderlife of
con~
sciousn~ss,he passesto it throughagatewaywhich
symbohsesdeath;andby his'deathtothethingsofdesire
he
obtainsfreedom,andasonedeadhewalksamongmen.
In
thedeathin life,whichis thefreedomofthespiritin
195
thebondsofflesh, hetranscends
theLawofLimitation;
being
dead,he
"isfree;being deadhemoves'withpower
amongthoseburied'•.intheflesh;andthey,seeingtheLight
shiningbrightly
throughhim,knowthathe
is.dead,for
theLightcannotshinethroughtheveilofflesh.While con­
sciousness.is.incarnateinthebody.:theLightcannotshine
throughthatconsciousness;butwhenconsciousnessis
discarnatetheLightshinesthroughit.Ifthediscarnate
consciousnessis stillmanipulatingits.body,thenthatLight
shines
throughintotheworldofmatter
,.andilluminates
men.But
rememberthis,andjneditateupon
it~the il­
luminatedInitiateisadead'manwhomanipulates.hisbody
thathemaythereby'servethosewhocannototherwisebe
approached."
18
..,ThispassagerefersofCoursetothefullyinitiated
adept-s-andthese
arefew.Evenso,this doesnotmeanthat
theadeptgoesabout
lituplikea Christmastree,with
pinealglandablazeliketheheadlightsonacar.TheLight
istheInnerLightofIllumination.randthoughitprofoundly
affectsall whocomeintohisenvironment,itwillaffect
themunconsciously.andtheywill,frequentlyreactwith
hostility.It will be
remembered.thatevenJesus of
Nazareth,themostilluminatedofmen,waslaughedat
in
Nazareth,wherehisownkin .andneighbourscouldnot
overcome.theirpreconceptionsabouthishumblefamiliar
origin,duetolonghabit;andinthecityofJerusalem,he
wasfirsthystericallyfeted
andsubsequently
justas .hys­
tericallyscourged
anddonetodeath.
19.That,inkindifnotindegree,is very muchtherecep­
tionthe'modernadept.receives.iThough.heisunlikelyto
bephysicallypersecuted
nowadaysheusuallymeetswith
indifferencevrnockeryorhostilityon.the'one.hand,and
exaggeratedreverenceon theother.
20.Thereferenceto MalkuthastheGateof
Tearsem­
phasises.itsconnectionwith.theSephirahBinah,whose
SpiritualExperienceis.
theVisionofSorrow.'Theunder­
standingofSorrowisoneofthe
.lessonsofMalkuthand.it

106. 196
must berealised thatithasnothingto do with self pity or
sentimentalitywhich aretherootsofmosthumansorrow.
Thefullrealisationisimpliedbythedivisionmadeby the
Abyss; it istheDivineSorrowwhichcomeswith thedelays
and.....separationsimplicit .:in.evolution.and.inthedevelop­
ment
ofform..
··1t is·perhaps.best.expressedin.theGerman
word'Weltschmerz'.
21.TheGateofJustice•..isareminderthatitis..inEarth
conditions.that..karmaisusuallyworked.out,the.average
soulbeinglargelyinasubjectiveor even.unconsciousstate
whilstdeadto
thephysicalworld.
22.
Prayerisan-activeresultofthe factofFaith,as
MalkuthisofBinah,.the ParentofFaith,sothisisprobably
the basis
ofthetitleassigned
..toMalkuth-s-theGateof
Prayer.Thetitle·GateoftheGardenofEdenrefers of
courseto the.originalstateofperfectcreationto which the
Earthmust-attainoncemoreunderthesymbolism
of
the
NewJerusalem.
23.Theremainingtitles, the•.InferiorMother, theQueen,
the Bride, the Virgin have the
commondenominatorof
femininity.Thisattributionisobviouswhenoneconsiders
thatMalkuth
is.receptiveto-allthehigheremanations of
theTree.iTheQueen.and.the Bride are .references tothe
relation
ofMalkuthtoTiphareth,theKingand the Lesser
Countenance,
theHarmonyofwhichSephirahmustbecome
manifestinMalkuth,'which is also
the
..Crossofdense
matteruponwhichtheSpiritis crucified;thus.we have a
furtherlink withTipharethin theMysteries
oftheCruci­
fixion.
24
..TheInferior.Motherindicatesagainthe link with
Binah,
theSupernalMother, andthetitleofVirgincould
beappliedeither. tothepristinecondition oftheGardenof
Eden or to thecondition ofEarthbeforebecomingthe Bride
ofTiphareth.25.Mostofthesefemininetitlesareassumedinthe
MagicalImage.ofMalkuthwhichisthatofayoung-woman,
crownedandthroned.The ThroneisreallythatofBinah
197
andthe'maidencanbeidentified.with-argoddessofthe
Earthsuch
asPersphone,thedaughterof··Demeter, the
Earth'Mother.
26.The
GodNameoftheSephirahMalkuthis.Adonai
MelekhtheLord
whoisKing,orAdonaihaAretz,theLord
ofEarth.<AnditmustberememberedthatAdonaiisaholy
emanationof.dodjustasisEheiehoranyotherofthe
Names.ThusMalkuthisin no wise ·less
'holy
thanKether
~foritisanexpressioninmanifestationofthesaIlleforce.
Ifthis fact had always beenrememberedthere wouldhave
beenlessunhealthy andpathologicalformsofasceticism
inthehistoryofreligion.andmysticism.This facticanbe
seen in
thedogmaof'theRomanChurchofthePhysical
AssumptionintoHeaven ofthe VirginMary.Thereisgreat
spiritual
truthbehindthisdogma,whichbecomesevident
when oneremembers
theMagicalImageandfeminine
titlesof
Malkuthandalso its
destiny.
27.TheArchangelof thesphere isSandalphonandhis
coloursarecitrine,olive,russet
andblack.A
goodideaof
thesecolourscan be gainedfrom.·lookingat the skinof
anapple.ThisArchangel.ls.theGuideorIntelligenceof
theplanetEarth
and
.hereinliesteaching'.of.verygreat
importance.
28.
Theformationoftheplanetaryspheresis
..asubject
whichbelongsmoretoatreatiseonesotericcosmogony
thanto anoutline oftheQabalah.Howeveritcan be said
brieflythattheplanetarysphereswereformedoneafter
theother'bytheearliestevolutions,theLordsof'Flame,
FormandMind,whobuilttheinitialstresses andstructures
ofform. Eachplanetwasbuiltfirstonacertainlevel, for
exampleJupiteron theplane
ofthedenser
.spirituallevels;
Mercuryontheplaneofabstractmind;Saturn,.concrete
mind;Venus,.the·higheremotionsi-Marsvtheinstinctual
andpassionallevels;' and theEarth.and its Moonon the
etheric/phystcal.Subsequentlyeachplanetdevelops the
lowersheathsor vehicles so thatthey allmanifestphysi­
callyand can be seeninthenightsky. Eachone though

107. 198
has to rely ontheentities.inhabltingitfor thehigherlevels
ofit.to bebuilt.
29:
Thepracticalimplication ofthisisthattheetheric/
­
physicalstructure.ofthe·Earth,whichis builtoutofthe
projectionsofconsciousnessofElementalentities,relies
on
humanitytoput.itintouchwithspiritualrealities.As
theElementalsare'creationsofthecreated',
·thatis,they
areunitsofconsciousnesscreatedbythe·Evolutionsof
Flame,FormandMindandnotbytheirowndevelopment
from
thespiritualreality.-oftheGreatUnmanifest,they
aredoomedtoextinctionat theendofaDayofManifesta­t~onunlesstheyhavepickedup spiritualvibrationbythat
time,andthe.only.waytheycandothisis throughthe
mediationofhumanity.Asthemajorityofhumanityseems
blissfully
ignorantofitsownspirituality,let alonethe
existenceoftheElementalkingdoms,
itwill beobvious
that.theplightoftheseElementalentities.is agraveone.
30.
Thesumtotal
ofalltheseElementalentitieswhich
hold
together
the.ethericstressesofthe.planetiscalled
thePlanetaryBeing.(In somecosmogoniesitisreferred
to as,
thePlanetarySpirit,butin.thelightof
thefactsjust
statedthetitle·isamisleadingone, for..ithasnoinherent
contactwithspirit.)TheArchangelSandalphonis itsguide,
forheholdstheconceptofwhatitshouldbecome,andthis
concept,which hasobjectiveexistenceon its own level,
canbecalledthe·PlanetaryEntity.However, thebridge
between.PlanetaryBeing .and
PlanetaryEntityhasto be
builtby
<humanityitself,andthisconstitutesoneofthe
tasksoftheinitiated.adepts,thoughit isreally the
responsibilityofallhumanity.
~1.ThePlanetaryBeing ishelped muchbytheright
attitudetoearthlythings-thatis,theapplicationof
spiritualprinciplesin ordinarylife.TheethicofMalkuth
OrderrandEfficiency hastobeconsciouslypursuedali
day.long..andit islittleuseinducingit for shortperiods
only·as in
ritualworking,
or'.regarding.thetaskgrudgingly,
as a
dutyorconvention.Also, thePlanetaryBeingcannot
199
behelpedmuchby
theintellect,for it has nomind, but
it
iscontactedandhelpedby whatmightbecalled thecon­
stantdedicationoftheinstincts.Thisdoesnotapplyonly
to
thesexualinstinct butalsoto thetakingoffoodandthe
tillingoftheEarthtomakeitbringforthfruits,for all
these
aresacramentalintheircorrectunderstanding-c-and
thelifeoftheadeptisthesacramentallife,dedicatedto
thegreatergloryofGod,andMan,andPlanetaryBeing.
32. In allthese
considerationsthedistinctionmustbe
borneinmindbetween Earthas aplanet, Earthasoneof
theFourElements,andEarthasMalkuth-thephysical
planeofthewholeUniverse. ThusthetraditionalArch­
angel
ofMalkuth
isMetatron,thesamebeingwhois
Archangel
ofKether,whichagainshowsthe stronglink
betweenSpiritasSpirit andSpiritas Matter.Sandalphon
isreallytheArchangeloftheplanet
Earth;andtheArch­
angel
oftheElementEarthis Uriel.
33.
Urielisoneofthe'greatArchangelsoftheFour
Quarters.IntheEastisRaphael;in theSouth,Michael;
intheWest,Gabriel;
andintheNorth,Uriel.Thefirst
threeArchangelshavealreadybeendescribed.Uriel is
a
greatfigurebuiltup with thedarkgreensandbrownsof
Earthandwho,in hisinneraspects,represents theprime­
valLight
ofGodHimself,andwhoismuchconcernedwith
thegreatteachers whohaveperiodically cometoEarth.
ThusintheEastis thegreatsourceofhealing,inthe
Souththegreatsourceofbalanceandprotection,in the
Westthe greatsourceofvision,andin theNorththegreat
sourceofteaching.Uriel isalsoconnected.with
.Michael
asagreatbalancingforce andisbehindthegreatcata­
clysmsofEarthsuchas aredescribedinthelegendsof
Atlantis,SodomandGomorrah.
34. Inbuildinguptheforms oftheArchangelsoftheFour
Quarterstheyarebestconceivedasgreatfortresses or
towerscolouredintheactivecoloursoftheElementcon­
cerned,viz.Yellow,Red,Blue,
Greenrespectivelyas
opposedtothepassivecolours,Blue,
DarkRed,Silver,

108. 200
Black..Interpenetratingall can be conceived the Archangel
Sandalphonin
citrine,olive, russet and black, pulsing with
the slowvibrations
ofEarth.
35.One can also build up the Kings oftheElemental
Forces,surroundedby the lesser denizens of
theElement
in whatever form most appeals to theimagination
..The
Kingrepresentswhat
mightbecalledthespirituallyillu­
minatedElemental.
36.In the East is theAir-King-Paralda,presiding over
the Sylphs.
>Hecan be pictured asstandingin eddies of air
which arealmostlike the waves of
theseastandingup­
right on
end;air and windstreamingfrom him in radiant
light.
37. In the South is
theFire-King,Djin, presiding over
theSalamanders.He can bepicturedwith waves of heatsurging.uparoundhim andpointsof fire and.flamesearing
theatmosphereand reachingtowards
theceiling.38.10the West is theWater-King,Niksa,presiding over
the Undines. He can bepicturedpermeatedwithmoisture
andcurrentsof foam swingingroundhis feet andpouring
from his aura.
39. In theNorthis
theEarth-King,Ghob,presidingover
theGnomes.He can bepicturedwith waves of'Earth­
power'<-notso much an
ideaof soil as anintermediate
state of matter, slow-moving but vastly strong.
40. The Elements can be conceived of as forming a great
Equal-armedCross, which is a symbol of the Elements and
of theSephirahMalkuth,and in the centre of the Cross one
can picture
theRoseofthe World which slowly blooms
with. thedevelopmentof the
.Elementals and whose dew
falling helps these beings to .manifest.
41. A wholetreatisecould be written on the subject
of
the Elementals alone,Jorlikehumanity,theyforma whole
evolution,as diverse ashumanity
.is diverse.Although
they share theplanetEarthwith. man they are little known
or acknowledged by man save in folk-lore orliterature.
e.g."Wewho are old, old and gay,°so old!Thousandsof
201
years,thousandsof yearsifall were.told."(W. B. Yeats.)
Inorderto avoidsuperstitionone mustrememberthat
the forms assigned to them areman-made,
forman
anthropomorphiseseverything,including God.Whatis re­
quired however
is·recognitionof their existence and this is
bestdonebyan.intelligentuseofprimitive.anthropomor-
phismandanimism.
42. TheFourCardinalPoints, .orQuadrants,also can be
consideredunder theastrologicalheadings of Fixed,
Cardinaland'Mutable,The Fixedaspect
isthe'tempera­
ment' of theQuadrantand
isbased on
thenatureof one of
theFourHoly LivingCreatures
ofKether.TheCardinal
aspectis theGreatIntelligence behind theQuadrantwhich
is the ruling power
oftheArchangel.TheMutableaspect
is ruled by theElementalKings who workthrough'change'.
43.TheOrderofAngels ofMalkuth,the Ashim, or Souls
of Fire,
canbeconsideredas
the'atomicconsciousnesses'
which hold physical.mattertogether,and theMundane
Chakra,the Sphere
ofthe Elements, has beenadequately
covered above.
44. TheSpiritualExperience ofMalkuthis the Knowl­
edge andConversationof the HolyGuardianAngel. The
Holy
GuardianAngel is often confused with theHigher
Self orIndividuality,(Daath,Chesed,Geburah,Tiphareth.)
behindtheLowerSelf orPersonality.(Netzach,Hod,
Yesod,Malkuth.)In reality however, it is very different.
45. In the very early days ofmanifestationbeforehuman­
ityhadstartedupon thejourneyofevolution,the Divine
Plan wasprojectedby the Mind
ofGodinto the conscious­
ness
ofthe swarmofDivineSparkswhichconstituted
.the
basis ofhumanity.With
thecomingofevolutionarylife the
swarm broke up
toactasindividualunits and at the same
time theconceptionof the Divine Plan also'brokeup', a
small piece going with each DivineSpark.
46. This, of course, is very much inmetaphoricalterms,
but theimplicationsare
ofvery realimport.The true
SpiritualExperience ofthe Knowledge andConversation

109. 202
oftheHolyGuardianAngelis noastral VISIonbutan
awareness
ofthetruedestinythateachhumanbeinghas
tofulfill as hisevolutionarytask.Usuallythiswill manifest
as aninnerurgewithina man,andsucha onegoesthrough
physical.lifewithamission,he
isa
4man
ofdestiny'.
Occasionallythisimpulsion toadefiniteform ofactivity
maybeconceivedas a separateentityas in thecaseof
Socratesandhis'daimon',whichwas.probablyanaspect
ofhisHolyGuardianAngel.
47.
Thesubsidiarysymbols ofMalkuthincludethe
Magic
CircleandtheTriangleofEvocationwhichimplytheactual
manifestationofmagicalwork.TheMagicCircleis the
areaofdelimitationthatthemagicianchoosesto workin
andtheTriangleistheareain.whichhe conjuresanentity
toappear.Thisismoreofsymbolicthanpracticalim­
portancefortheethericevocationofdiscarnateentitiesis
a very lowform
ofmagiclittleusednowadays.
48.
TheAltaroftheDoubleCubeisa.six-sidedfigure
thoughhaving.theimplicationin its nameoften,the
numberofMalkuth.Malkuthisofcourseinitselfan Altar,
for it istheplacewhere-on orwhere-inhigherforces
descend.
andinanothersensean altarisalsoa Gate,par­
ticularlywhere thewholebeingisofferedin dedicationori
theAltarofSacnfice-s-whichdoesnotimplyblood-letting
thoughit isequallydrastic.
49.
TheVicesofMalkuthareAvariceandInertia.The
Avariceis.obvious, onehasonlytolookattheconditionof
thehumanrace
today;andtheInertiawill bemetwith
by
anyonewhotriesto changethings,ortodoany
kino.of
creativework.TheVirtueis Discrimination,whichisreally
thekey,andfirstessentialvtoesotericdevelopment,forit
is
notallwhocry"Lord,Lord."whoareto belistenedto
-andthisincludesaspects of
oneselfbesidesthecharlatans
oftheouterworld.
50.
Of
themythologicalteaching,obviouslyall theEarth
godsandgoddesseshave greatimportancewith.regard·to
theSephirahMalkuth.DemeterandPersephoneperhaps
203
mostofall, forthesewere thedeitiesoftheEleusinian
Mysterieswhichwas
oneofthegreatestcentres ofthe
inneraspectoftheEarthCult.Thereisalsomuchto be
gainedfrominvestigation
oftheKabiricMysteriesand
thegodsoftheUnderworld.
51.ThisconcludesouranalysisoftheTenHolySephiroth,
andMalkuthhastakenupmuchspaceandcouldeasilytake
up farmore,for wearebeingsimmersedwithinthatsphere
whetherwe like itornot,andit isoneofthemostimpor­
tantofthewholeTreeforitistheGatewayto allfurther
spiritualdevelopment,anduntilthelessonsofMalkuthare
well.andtrulylearnt,thepathsofthehigherspheres must
beclosedto us.
52. It is avery
humantendencytotakeagreaterinterest
in
whatisremote,butinoccultismas in allthings,it is
thenextstepwhich counts.Andthatstep,for allofus, is
rightbeforeus, in thephysicalworld,Malkuth.

110. PartIII

111. ChapterXVII
THEFLEXIBILITYOFTHETREE
1. Wehavenowcovered theindividualSephirothofthe
TreeofLife bymeans ofageneralanalysis ofcertainof
thepotenciesthatcomeundertheheadingofeachone.
BasicallyaSephirahis aDivine
Emanationandthisis the
realcoreofthewhole matter.Alltheattributionsbesides
theDivineNames arereallyapplications oftheabstract
formulaeoftheSephirothinvariouscontexts. Thusany
particularattributionshouldnotberegardedas a hardand
fastruling,for muchdependsuponthemannerinwhich
theTreeofLife isappliedto variousfactorsof·manifesta­
tion.Flexibility
ofmindmustalwaysbestrivenfor if the
TreeofLife is to beusedto itsfullpotential.
2.Generallyspeaking,we'
haveinouranalysisapplied
theTreeofLife tothemanifestationofourownspiritual
Universe,
thatis,withthe SolarLogosin Ketherandthe
materialworldoftheSolarSystemin Malkuth.However,
Malkuthcouldalsobeappliedto thewholephysical plane
ingeneral,whetherintheSolarSystemoroutofit,and
inthisway Ketherwouldbe thesphereoftheSupreme
GodoverallLogoi, Or,iftheSephirahMalkuthisapplied
to
theplanetEarthonly,thenKethercouldbetheSephirah
ofthePlanetaryLogos.In themicrocosm,whichis man,
Malkuthcouldbetakento bethephysicalbodyandthen
Ketherwouldbe man'sSpiritorDivineSpark.
3.Thusitwillbe seen
.thatthereis. aTreeofLife inevery
Sephirah:
ForifKetherbetakentorepresentthehigh
spiritualbeing
whoisthefountofallCreationorofa
System
ofSolarSystems,theAtziluthiclevel ofTiphareth
205

112. 206
couldthenbeascribedto a SolarLogosandtheAtziluthic
level
ofMalkuthto aPlanetaryRuler.But as a PlanetaryRUle~hasawholespiritualhierarchydependentuponit
the~Itdemandsawhole.Treetocategorisethathierarchy,
which
Treewouldbeentirelyin theMalkuthofthegreater
Tree.
4.
Thenumberofways
inwhichtheTreecanbeapplied
theni.salmostinfiniteandonecouldsaythatcosmically
speaking,
thewholeTreeofLife we use as asystem of
mysticaldevelopmentisbuttheMalkuthofaCosmicTree.
Whenonehasattainedtheinfinitelyhigh stateofconscious­
ness
knownasUnionwith God,onehasonlyobtainedthe
freedomofthelowestCosmic'plane,andthusone.starts
offonhigherCosmicevolutionintheCosmicMalkuth.
5. Allthis isreallyofconsequenceonlyto theadvanced
esoteric:stud~nt, andeventhentheinterestcanbelargely
onlyacademic,fortheSolarLogos.istheConditionerand
SustainerofourspiritualUniverse andwecanknow
directlynothingwhichisoutsideourLogos'jurisdiction.
Alloutsideismediatedto us viatheSolarLogos,andour
primetaskisevolutionwithinthissystem.Therewill be
alleternity,
togettogripswith theextra-Logoidalaspects
of.theCosmoswhenwehavefinallyachieved
ourgoal
withinthis
Logoidalsystem.
6.However,speculationinthese
mattersisnotentirely
uselessfor
someidea,howevervague,
.ofour'Cosmic
~estiny canactas abalancingsenseofspiritualpropor­
tionwhen'theworldistoomuchwithus'.
7.
Theloweraspectsofthemeansbywhichchangesmay
berungonthesignificancesoftheSephirothcan,however,
be
ofmoreimmediateusetous.
8
..Ifthefourfunctions
·of.theJungianpsychologyare
appliedtothelowerSephiroth,theyfit in well asfollows:
IntuitiontoTiphareth,FeelingtoNetzach,Intellectto
Hodand'SensationtoMalkuth.Alternatively,theycould
bealignedwith theElementsinMalkuth,Intuitionto'Air,
Feeling
toWater,IntellecttoFireandSensationtoEarth.
207
In
.thiscase thereisausefulline ofspeculationinthe
Cardinal,FixedandMutableaspectsoftheFourElemental
Quadrantsasappliedto·theJungianpsychicfunctions.
9.
Ontheother
hand,theJungianarchetypes.couldbe
experimentally
alignedwithvariousSephiroth.'·Theanima
toNetzachandtheanimustoHodforexample. Herethere
is aninteresting hintthattheprojectorsofeach
..archetype
areofdifferent..sexual polarity,forNetzaeh···isonthe
MasculinePillar andHodontheFemininewhentheglyph
ofthePillarsisapplied .totheTree.
10.
TheMiraculousChildwouldprobably
bestbealigned
with
Tiphareth,theWiseOldManpossibly
with,Chesed
andtheShadowwithGeburah.TheFriendcouldbe an
aspect
oftheHolyGuardianAngelofMalkuth,
II.The·Mandala,asanintegrationsymbolisprettyob­
viouslya Tipharethsymbol,andusingtheimplicationsof
theTree,
itcanbevisualisedas areflectionofthetrue
beinginKether,· andit isfound.ofcoursereflectedin the
'MagicMirror'ofthesubconsciousnessinYesod.
12.WhenmythologicalfigurescropupinJungiananaly­
sistheycanofcoursebealignedSephirothically ashas
alreadybeen tentativelysuggestedin ourexaminationof
theSephiroth.
13.
Toillustratea furthermethodofapplyingtheTree
wecanturntotheEasternsystemofethericchakras.
Theseallapplyto theethericbodyandthuscouldbe
describedas a
delineationoftheTreeinYesodror,
asthey
haverelationshipswiththeendocrineglands,in M alkuth.
14.TheMuladharaChakra,a'lotus'offourpetalssitu­
atedat thebaseofthespinecanbeassignedtoMalkuth;
theSvadisthanaChakrasituated'atthegenerativeorgans
wouldthenbeinYesod,TheManipuraandAnahataChak­
ras,havingtheircorrespondenceinsolarplexusandheart,
wouldbe appliedtoTiphareth,althoughthere,isagood
casetobemadeforassigningtheformertotheupper
rangesofYesod.TheVisuddhuChakraofthelarynxand
theAjnaChakrabetweentheeyeshavebeenassigned to

113. 208
Binah
andChokmahrespectively,butit
is..perhapsbestto
keeptheseattributionstotheCentralSephiroth,which
correspondtotheuprightlineofthespine-theywouldthus
unitetheirfunction,as doBinahandChokmah,inDaath,
Finally,theSahasraraChakra,theThousand-petalled
LotusabovetheheadobviouslycorrespondstoKether,
the-Crown.
15. In.allthesemethodsofapplicationtherearenohard
andfastrules,for'muchdependsupontheindividual
understandingofthepersonmakingtheattributions.The
suggestionsputforwardherearenotmeantto be inany
way.authoritative.'butarementionedmerelytosuggest
themethodbywhichthe,TreeofLifecanbeappliedto
non-Hebraicsystems.
16.Also,
onceagoodconception-oftheTreehasbeen
grasped,by
formulatingwhatwouldbethemodeofaction
ofaSephirahwithina Sephirah,furthersubtletiescanbe
deduced.
Indeed,theSephirothcouldbeconceived like
Chineseboxes,each onehaving,awhole Treein it,and
eachSephirahofthatTree'havingafurtherTreewithin
it,andso on adinfinitum.
.
17.Toogreatrefinementofcoursedefeatsits ownpur­
posebutitcanbe agoodexerciseto takethis.processone
stage-at anyrateandconsider-alltheSephirothineach
Sephirah.This.will give,overonehundreddifferentcate­
goriesifapplied
tothewholeTreeandit isunlikely that
therewouldbemuchuse ingoing ontothesecondstage
andproducingoverathousandofthem,thoughtheskilled
numerologist
mightfindinterestingdata.
18. As astartonecouldtrytoconceivetheactionofthe
ThreePillarsineachSephirah,thatis,theactive,passive
and.
equilibratedmodeoffunctionoftheSephirah.One
couldthenproceedtoanalyseeachoneaccordingto its four
levels;andfrom.this thenextstage offormulatingthedif­
ferent
SephirothinaSephirah
ISnotsucha formidablestep.
19.Biblicalnumericalsymbolismderivesvery
much
fromthe.Qabalah,thoughonemustrememberthatthe
209
earlyQabalistsconsideredtheretobetenSephirothonly,
as
DaathwasnotthenconsideredaSephirahin itsown
right.Thusthenumberforty,whichappearsinthecontext
oftheDeluge,theExodusoftheJews
fromEgypt,andthe
timeOurLordspentintheWilderness,hasrelevanceto
thefourlevelsofeachofthetenSephiroth.Thenumbers
four,seven,ten,twelve,'.andtheresultofmultiplying
these
numbers,asinforty,onehundred,onehundredand
twenty,onehundredandfortyfour,onethousand,onehundred
andfortyfourthousand,etc.occur
mostfrequentlyin
Biblicalliterature.Allthisisreally
aspecialiststudybut
iteanbeinterestingtodo
alittlespeculativemeditation,
bearinginmind thefourQabalisticworlds,thefourHoly
LivingCreaturesandElements,thesevenplanesandthe
sevenSephirothofthe'magicalcircuit',thetenSephiroth,
thetwelve'signs oftheZodiacandso 'on.
20. In
relationtothereferencetothemagicalcircuit of
seven
Sephiroth~i.e. Daath,Chesed,Netzach,Yesod,Hod,
GeburahandTiphareth.--itmaybeobjectedthatDaath
wasnotoneoftheoriginalSephiroth.However,thereWas
a wellknownseven-folddivision oftheTreeofLifewhich
wasusedby
theearlyQabalists,knownas.theSeven
Palaces.Inthis
theSupernalTriadiscountedasone,
YesodandMalkuthasone,andthe
'.remainingSephiroth,
excludingDaathofcourse,oneeach.Wehaveseen that
Daathisreallythepointofcontactwithform oftheSuper­
nalforces,
andalsothatYesodand.Malkuth,ethericand
physical,areveryintimatelyrelated; thusforpractical
purposesit isquiteinorderto useDaathas aSephirahin
this
manner,andindeedit
isveryuseful todoso,provided
onerememberstokeepto themiddlewaybetweenin-
accuracy
andpedantry.21.ItcannotbestatedtoooftenthattheTreeofLife is
alivingsystem,
andlifedependsuponuse,andefficient
function.
Andanyonewhoreadsmuchinoldbooksonthe
Qabalahwill find aconsiderableamountofdeadwood.
Whilsthavingthesensetodiscardthisit isalsoessential

114. 210
to
putone'screativeenergy intodevelopingnew branches
ontheQabalistic
Tree---aslongas thenewgrowthisnot
ofa-parasiticand.fungoid•.·.naturewhichwill..have.:to be
lopped•offbysubsequentgenerations:
22.>Hcan.beusefultoplayaboutwiththeconceptsofthe
!r~easakind-of.parlourgameinordertogainflexibility
In.rts-use.
Thusonecouldtryapplying
it··tothe.govern­
mentalsystemofacountry.Kether-s-the HeadofState
Chokmah-thenational.ideals,Binah-s-the .·Constitution'
Daath~the reli~io~shierarchy, Chesed~the lygislature:
Geburah-s-thejudicature,Tiphareth-thecivilservice,
Netzach-i-thearts,Hod__the.sciences,Yesod-i-the manu­
facturies,M.alkuth~the.la.nd.
23.Thiskindofthingcanleadtoshallowness,for the
de~perimplicationsofthe.Sephiroth.arestagesofspiritual
being,butneverthelesssuchanexerciseisuseful, and-valid
eve?as~repres~ntati~n oftheTreeinMalkuthappliedon a
sociological
basiscItIS
whenonehasacquiredthefacility
to
throwaroundtheSephirothlike a jugglerplayingwith
coloured
balls,plusagoodknowledgeoftheirdeeperas~
pects,thatonereallybeginsto.appreciatethe·value ofthe
system.as a groundworkon.which·tobasethe.wholeof
one'smentation.
ChapterXVIII
RELATIONSHIPS OFTHESEPH1ROTH
1.FromacursoryglanceattheYetziratic.Textsofthe
Sephirothit canbe seenthat.certainSephirotharepar­
ticularlyrelatedtoothersandindeedinthelastanalysis
they
areallinterconnected
fortheTreeofLifeis.acom­
positeglyph ofthe•.relationshipswhichgo·to·makeup.a
completewhole,whetherthatwholebe a.··Universe,or
Manoreven aSephirahin itself. It is as aguidetocertain
oftheserelationships. thatothersubsidiaryglyphs are
appliedtotheTreeofLife,suchas theLightningFlash,
thePillarsofManifestation,theCaduceusetc.
2.
TheLightningFlashgives theorderofmanifestationof
theSephiroth
fromKether,throughChokrnah,Binah,Daath,
Chesed,Geburah,Tiphareth,Netzach,Hod,Yesod,to
Malkuth.Andinthisorderofthingsa Sephirahcanbe
consideredpositiveto theonewhichsucceeds itvand
negativetotheonethatprecedesit. ThusHod,forexample,
dependsfor
theforceswhichgo
tomakeupitsformson
Netzach,andisthesourceofformativeinfluencefor the
TreasureHouseofImagesinYesod.Alsoit will be seen
thatKetheristhesupremelypositive.Sephirah andMalkuth
thesupremelynegative,so thatthereisastrongpolarity
between.thesetwoSephiroth.
3.ThePillarsofManifestationwhenappliedto theTree
divide.theSephiroth.intothree.categories.Alignedwith
theActivePillar .areChokmah,Chesedand.Netzach;
alignedwith
thePassivePillar areBinah,.Geburahand
Hod;andalignedwiththeMiddlePillar
ofEquilibriumare
Kether,Daath,Tiphareth,YesodandMalkuth,Inthesame
211

115. 212
way
thatoneSephirahispositive
.ornegativeto itsneigh­
bourwhentheglyphoftheLightningFlashisapplied,a
similarrelationship.
canbeconceivedup anddowneach
Pillar.
ThusChesed,forexample,ispassiveto Chokmah
andpositivetoNetzach; andGeburahispassivetoBinah
andpositiveto
Hod;.whilston theCentralPillar,which
couldalso becalled thePillarofConsciousness,thestates
ofconsciousnessshouldeachinfluence theonebelowit and
bereceptive.totheoneabove.Thisclearrun-throughof
powerfromKetherto Malkuthwouldindicate thespiritual.
lyenlightened
man,butunfortunatelythereareblockages
formost
ofus onthewaydown,whicharesymbolisedby
theAbyssat theDaathlevel,theVeilofParokethabove
TipharethandtheGulfbelowTiphareth,to
saynothingof
thenoxiousinfluencesarising fromtheQliphothicPit
belowMalkuth.
4.Therelationshipbetween theSephirothoftheCentral
Pillarisalsostressedin thateachoneisassignedto the
ElementofAir,with theexceptionofMalkuth,whichis
Earth.Airis asymbolforconsciousnessandEarthisthe
finaldense concretionwhichisimplied byMalkuth.The
SephirothoftheSidePillars areassignedto. theElements
ofFireandWater,accordingto theiractivityorpassivity.
ThusChokmahisassignedto FireandBinahtoWater.It
isinteresting
tonotethattheassignationofFireandWater
doesnotapply.all thewaydowneachPillar ofActivityor
Passivity.TheFireSephirothareChokmah,Geburahand
Netzach.This introducestherelationship,andpositivityand
negativity,between thediagonallyoppositeSephiroth,Thus
theorganisingpowers ofChesedarereflectedfrom the
ideasofforminBinah,andinfluencethe lowerformsofHod;andthefierymotivatingquality ofGeburahisre­
flectedfromtheprimalforceofChokmah,andinfluences
thevitality.ofthediverseforces of.Netzach.
5.
Mostoftheserelationshipsarecoveredby theinter­
linking
Paths
of.theTreeandthecorrectunderstandingof
thesePathsdependsmuchon anunderstandingofthe
213
Sephiroththeyjoin,justas a fullunderstandingofa
Sephirahdepends.muchon an understandingofthePaths
leadingtoandfromitandtheSephirothatthefurtherend
ofthesePaths.
6.
TheideasofthepolarityofthePillars
isalsoimplicit
inthedivision·oftheTreeintoTriads.TheunityofKether
isdividedin thenextlowerplaneintotheoppositesof
ChokmahandBinah,whichareresumed intounityon the
nextlower planeinDaath.Stilldescending theplanes,the
unityofDaathdividesintothepolaroppositesofChesed
andGeburah,resumedagain intounityin Tiphareth,to
divide
againintothelowerpolaroppositesofNetzachand
Hod,finally toassumeunityagain inYesodandMalkuth.
Inthislies muchteachingonthedegradationorsublima­
tionofforcetoandfromeachofthesevenplanes. The
term'degradation'isnotusedpejoratively ofcourse,but
in.thetechnicalsenseof'steppingdown'.
7.TheCaduceusshowsthisprinciple inanothermanner.Attheheadisthesymboloffertility,thepinecone,in
Kether-andatthebottom,thelowersymbol of..fertility,
thesignofScorpio,theScorpion.Thespecialspiritual
natureofChokmahandBinahisshownby theoutspread
wingswhich coverthem,andthelowerSephirothare
shownto be. in polaritybytheintertwinedsnakes,whose
tails
joininMalkuthandwhoseheadsmeetin Daath,whilst
theyalsooverlap
atYesodandTiphareth.Thecoilsofthe
darksnakepassthroughthediagonaloppositesofChesed
andHodandthecoilsofthebrightsnakethroughGeburah
andNetzach,Thebrightanddarkcoloursofthesnakes
indicateforce
andformpotenciesrespectively,whichis
confirmedby
thenatureofthe.side Sephirothwhicheach
passesthrough.
8.Therearealsothreefold..fourfold andsevenfold
Qabalisticgroupings
oftheSephirothontheTree,which
havebeenpreviouslymentioned.
9.
ThethreefoldgroupingconsistsoftheVastCounten­
ance,theLesserCountenance,andtheBride.TheVast

116. 214
Countenance,Arik.Anpin,or.Macroprosoposconsistsof
Ketheressentially,·but.·alsoincludes ChokmahandBinah
as
theSupernalFatherandSupernalMotheraspects
of
thisVastCountenance.TheLesserCountenance,Zaur
Anpin,orMicroprosoposiscentredinTipharethbutincludes
theSephirothwhichencircle. it.TheBrideofMicroprosopos
istheremainingSephirah,Malkuth.Appliedtothemicro­
cosm,whichis.man,thisdivisiongivesthealignmentof
theSephirothwiththeSpirit,thepsyche,andthephysical
bodyandenvironment..InthissystemZaurAnpinissome­
timescalled the•.King,andMalkuththereforetheQueen.
Malkuthmayalsobecalled theTerrestrialEve orthe
LesserMothertodistinguishit fromtheSupernalMother
Binah. '
10.
ThefourfoldgroupingisthesystemoftheFourWorlds,
Atziluth,Briah,YetzirahandAssiah.These areusually
translatedastheArchetypalWorld,theCreativeWorld,
theFormativeWorldandtheMaterialWorldrespectively.
AtziluthconsistsofKether;Briah,ofChokmahandBinah;
Yetzirah,
the
..centralgroupofSephiroth;andAssiah,
Malkuth.Thisisbasicallysimilartothethreefolddivision
exceptthata·differentiationis madewithinthespiritual
realms
ofKether,.ChokmahandBinah,
11.Thesevenfoldsystemiscalled 'TheSevenPalaces'
andincludesthethreeSupernalsinonepalace,Yesodand
Malkuthalsotogetherinone,andassignsonepalacetoeachoftheother•Sephiroth,withtheexceptionof.Daath
whichis.notconsideredas aSephirahinthisclassification:
12.Wehavealreadymentioneddividingthe.Tree·..into
Triadsbyconsideringthealternateunityanddivision·into
polaroppositeson alternateplanes.Howeverthereare
threemain.QabalisticTriads,consisting.ofoneupward
pointingtriangle,.Kether,Chokrnah,Binah,andtwodown­
wardpointingones,Chesed,Geburah,Tiphareth,and
Netzach..Hod..Yesod..Thesewereoriginallytranslated"by
MathersastheIntellectualWorld,theMoralWorldand
theMaterial·World.Withthepossibleexception ofthe
215
MoralWorld,theseterms-can.be verymisleading. Mathers'
IntellectualWorldcouldbetterbecalledtheArchetypal,
SupernalorSpiritualWorld,andtheMaterialWorldis
unsatisfactoryas atitlefortheMaterialWorld.isessenti­
ally
Malkuth.DionFortunehassuggestedcalling the
lowesttriadtheAstralWorld,thoughthisis by no.means
anidealtitle. Onecouldsuggestcalling ittheFormorthe
psychologicalWorld,buttheimportantfactoris notreally
thename,butwhatoneunderstandsby.thetriad-s-and
theredoesnotseem to be anyonewordwhichcovers
all
theimplicatiorisofthesethreeSephiroth.
13~Another methodofconjoining.the.Sephirothis to
describe
theStarofDavidorinterlacedtrianglesabout
Tiphareth.ThusChesed,Geburah,andYesodformonetriangle,andDaath,Netzach,andHodformtheother.The
principleoftheInterlacedTrianglesisanimportantonein
spiritualprogress.
ThesoulorHigherSelforIndividuality
issymbolisedby a downwardpointingtrianglewhich
projects
intoincarnationitsLowerSelforPersonality,
symbolisedby
theupwardpointingtriangle.In theun­
evolvedmanthereis nocontactbetweenlowerandhigher
consciousness
andsothetrianglesaredrawnseparately,
oneabovetheother.Duringtheprocessofunitinghigher
andlowerconsciousnesshowever, theprocessissymbol­
ised by
thetwotrianglesgraduallyoverlappinguntil
eventually,in
thefullyilluminatedman,theyformtheStar
ofDavid.Thissignifiesthelowerconsciousnessstriving to
reachup to thelevelsofDaathawareness,andthehigher
consciousnessstriving
tomakeitselfeffective andfunction-
al in
thelowerworlds.
14,Itwouldalsobepossible ofcoursetodescribea six
rayed
starcentredaboutDaathortoconstructfivepointed
starsdependingfromKetherorDaath.Furthermoreone
canattempttofit allmannerofsymbolsgraphicallytothe
Tree,suchas the
planetarysignsforexample. This.practice
may givesomeinterestinghintsormayproveinmany
casesabortive, butitmakesquiteaninterestingdiversion,

117. 216
andwhilsttheparlourgameattitudeisnotagoodone to
maintaininoccultism,.such.intellectualdiversionsdo make
forfamiliarityandflexibilityinusingtheaspectsofthe
Tree,andthisis all verymuchto thegood.
ChapterXIX
THEESOTERICGRADES
1.ThesubjectofEsotericGradeshasprobably.caused
morefoolishness
andmisunderstandingthananyother
branchofesotericlearning.
2.
Inanyesotericgroupwhich usesthegradedsystemit
must
berememberedthatallthegradesarelargely arbi­
trary,in thelowerstagesat anyrate.
Thusanoccult
fraternitymayhave
a.hierarchicalsystem ofgrades
adequatelyfunctioning,
butanotherfraternity,perhaps
workingat ahigher
ordeeperlevel,wouldhavesimilar
grades
buttheywouldall becorrespondinglyhigher,in
functionifnotinname,
thanthoseofthe firstfraternity.
Consequently,if afraternitysuddenlybreaksnewground,
andwindsupsuccessfullythepreviousphase ofitsgroup
development,it isoftennecessaryfor thewhole groupto
bedroppeddownto thelowest
gradeandthen,having
establishedfoundationson
thenewhigherlevel, tocom­
mencebuildingthestructure
ofa newgradedhierarchy.
3.
Fromtheseconsiderations itwill be seenthata neo­
phytein onefraternitymightwell be much
morespiritual­
lyadvanced
thananeophyteinanother.Also, in any
genuine
groupit isnecessaryfor allnewcomersto start
from thelowestgradeandworktheirway up,eventually
findingtheirown level. Inthisway a veryadvanced
personmay be in
thelowergradesforsometime.So
a
.distinctionmustbemadealsobetween theinner
grade,whichis thetruecapabilityofthatperson,and
theoutergrade,which "oftendependsmainlyonthe date
on which theyenteredafraternity,itusuallytakingat
217

118. 218
leastayeartogetthrougheachofthelowergrades.
4.Withregardtotheinnergradetherewillalsobediffer­
ences
ofgradewithinthepsychologicalaspectsofoneperso~.Thushemigjnbeabletofunctionatahighspiritual
levelInsomedirectionsandbequiteunregeneratein
o~hers.Ane.sotericstudent,likeachain,is asstrongas
his
weakesthnkandhisadvancementshouldbeaccording
tohowhe
~ast~rs hisweaknessesratherthanhowgreat
hecanbeInh1s.strengths.Occasionallythoughitmay
b~nefitapersontobeputup to ahighergrade,eventhough
hisweaknessesdonotjustifyit,becausethestimulusof
thehighergrademayhelphimtoOvercomethoseweak­
nesses..Likewise,a personwhohasaveryinadequate
p~rsonality,may, forhisownprotection,betakenintoa
highergradewheretheemphasisisonthehigherconscious­
nes.sratherthanthelower.Ifhewereleftinalowgrade
whichbroughtforcesto bearmainlyuponthelowerlevels
thepersonalitymightsuffetinjury.Suchacaseasthis
wouldberareandonlyappliedwhereahighgradesoul
hadalowgradepersonalityforanincarnationforkarmic
reasons.Alsoonlya wellestablishedfraternitywoulddare
toadvanceunfitpeopleinthisway, andsuchpeoplewould
no~beputinthehighestgradewherepioneeringworkWas
gomgon,forthesakeofthemselvesandthesakeofthe
fraternity.
5.Thisis anextremecasebutitappliesinlesserwaysto
mostpeople.Forexample,exceptinveryrareindividuals
therearecertainaspectsofthepersonalitywhichcannot
beperfected,howeverlongtheymaybekeptinthelower
~rade.s,andsopeopleareusualIyadvancedtohighergrades
mspiteofcertain.moreorlesspermanentinadequacies
theymayhave.Theseinadequacieswillalwaysconstitute
aweaknesstothegroupofcourse,.butinphysicalexistence
atthepresenttime,perfecnonisimpossible.Ifanyone
wereperfecthewouldnotneedto incarnate.
6.The~eweaknessesmayaffectthegroupincertainways.
In.practicalworktheycanbeminimisedbyintelIigent
219
organisationbytheheadofthefraternitybuttheresults
whichcannotbeavoidedentirelyarethe·reactionsofthe
membersoflessergrade,who,whentheyfirstentera
fraternity,.expecttoseeabsoluteperfectionmanifested..by
thesenior.membersand.:areconsequently·disillusioned-­
thoughthismaybe no.badthingforitisanappreciation
ofrealitiesthatisrequiredof.anyoccult.aspirant.The
otherwayinwhichweaknessinseniormembersmay
damagethegroupisthatitcanserveas a channelforevil
forces
whichalwaysacttodisruptagroup.Usuallythese
forceswill manifestthroughamemberwhoseinadequacy
isthathe isanindividualistandaperfectionistandwho
loses.no opportunitytoferretoutandcriticisethefaultsof
others.Evilgenerallyposesasthegood.
7.Whatisreallyneededin'anesoteric
group.isgroup­
mindednessandawillingnessto turnablindeyetothe
defectsofothersandlookafterthestateofone'sownsoul.
Thisis nodefenceoflaxityinesotericmattersbutis an
assessmentoffactorsastheyareinreality.Individual
membersofanesotericgroupshouldnotindulgeincriti­
cism,inthought,emotionorword,fortheresponsibilityfor
theassessmentofthemembers.ofthegrouprests.withthe
headofthegroupalone.Iftheheadofthegroupisgravely
deficientin anywaythenthereislittlethegroupcando
aboutit.Criticismwillnothelpmattersatallbutmerely
serveto
speedthebreak-upofthegroupcausedbythe
inadequacyofthehead.
8.Finallythereisthecyclicfactor
totakeintoconsidera­
tion.Apersonmaybeabletofunctionatahighspiritual
level for atimeandthenwilldropbacktoalowlevel.This
isquiteanormaloccurrence,intheearlierstagesespecial­
ly,anditcouldbesaidthatthepersonisofahighgrade
at hispeakpointsandofa lowgradeathislowpoints.
Generallyspeaking,the'tendencyisanupwardonehow­
ever,andastimegoesonthepeaksandtroughsget
progressivelyhighersothatwhatwasapeakofachieve­
mentfora person,may,severalyearslater,beanormal

119. 220
level•offunctioning,orevena comparativelylow level
experiencedonlywhenhe isspiritually'offform,'Taking
Intoaccountthiscyclicorspiralfactoritcanbe seenthat
ahighgradepersonexperiencingalow pointmaywell
actona.l~werlevelthanalowgradepersonexperiencing
apeakperiod.Anobserver,watching thetwotogetherin
an
environmentwouldnotbeabletoassesstheirrelative
merits
properlyunlesshe couldobservethemoverafairly
long
periodoftime-evenassuminghisownspiritualstand­
ing washigh enoughnottodistorthispowersofobserva­
tionandassessment.
. 9.
Itwill.thusbe seenthatthewholeconceptionofgrade
ISacomphcatedone,buttherearedefinitegradeswhich
arealignedwiththeSephirothoftheTreeofLife.For
practicalpurposesthesegradesmayoftenbeideal rather
thanreal,buttheyhavetoberealeventuallyfor any
real
spi:itualprogresstobemade..Bymeansofthegrades
assignedtotheSephirothonecouldjudgethestandingof
anygroup,for itsreal standingisbasedonreality.A head
ofagroupmightcallhimselfanIpsissimus,butifhehad
notgotcontroloftheelementswithinhimself thenhe
would,inreality,
notevenbe an AdeptusMinor,whatever
hecalled
~imself; andhewouldnotbeabletoinitiateany­
onetoahigherlevel thanhewashimself.Thusthequality
ofagroupdependsuponthequalityofitsleader.
10.Incidentally,afunctioning
AdeptusMinorwould
hardlyhavethelackofrealitytocallhimselfanIpsissi­
muse As
ageneralrule, thehigheraprofessedoccultist
claimsto be,
thelowerheusuallyis inreality.Thereis
nothingtostopanyonefromclaiming tobeanIpsissimus
orMagusorwhat-have-youand'initiating'peoplethrough
asmanygradesastheyliketo paymoneyfor,butthere
willhavebeennoinitiationinreality.NogenuineAdept,
(andonlyan Adeptcaninitiate),will demandmoney,
SImplybecause
initiationcannotbebought,ithasto be
strivenfor. As aproviso,
itshouldbesaid thatmost
esotericschools chargefeesfortheir.initiallessons orcor-
221
respondencecoursesinpreparationforinitiationsimply
torecover
theirexpenses.Afterinitiation,andconsequently
membershipofagroup,allthatisaskedforis.voluntary
donations,aswithanychurch,andlack.ofmoneyisnever
allowed
tobeabartoinitiation.
11.
TheesotericgradesaccordingtotheQabalistic
systemare
asfollows:Malkuth-Zelator;Yesod----Theori­
cus;Hod-Practicus;.Netzach-i-Philosophus;Tiphareth­
AdeptusMinor;Geburah-e-AdeptusMajor;Chesed-Adeptus
Exemptus;Binah-MagisterTempli.:.Chokmah-s-Magus;
Kether-Ipsissimus.ThetermNeophyte.is.usedto. denote
anyonewhohas.justenteredahighergrade,whatever
thatgrademaybe.
12.ThisallocationofSephirothtogradesismisleading
tosomeextentfortherealprogressisalongthePaths.
13.Malkuthrepresents,inthatitisthesphereofphysical
life,
theSeeker,whohasrealisedthatthereisperhaps
muchofsignificancebehindtheworldofphysicalappear­
ancesandwhohasasenseoflooking
··foraquesttofollow
out.Thiscouldbelikenedtoa.faintshadowingforthofthe
SpiritualExperience ofMalkuth,theKnowledgeandCon­
versationoftheHolyGuardianAngel,andin hissearchfor
anesoteric
grouptostudywith,he willneedevery ounce
ofDiscrimination-c-theVirtueofMalkuth-thathecan
muster.
14. On
contactingagroupandpursuingadefinitescheme
ofesoterictraining.hecanbesaidto be.treading the32nd
and25thPathsoftheTreeof.
Life,.fromMalkuththrough
Yesodto theouteraspectsofTiphareth..Duringthisprocess,
whichisessentially
oneoftrainingthepersonality,his
taskis totreadthemiddleway throughtheconflictingpulls
oftheforcesofNetzachandHod.
15.
InMalkuth,thetestsaremainlythoseofgoodchar­
acterasshouldbeexpectedofanyoneintheworld-though
goodcharacterisparticularlyessentialas abasis.onwhich
tobuild
theconscioususeofthehigherpowersofthesoul.
Also,
ofcourse,no-oneeverleaves thelowestgrade,one

120. 222
buildsthehighergradesontoit.Howeverspirituallyad­
vancedapersonmay'be he stillneedsthegood character
andmundaneefficiencyandcommonsenseofMalkuth.
Also,it
will-beseenthatthefullinitiation-ofMalkuth,the
Knowledge
andConversationoftheHolyGuardianAngel,
which is a complete.grasp
ofthewayofone'sdestiny,is
notlikelytobeattaineduntila highdegree ofdevelopment
isreached.
16:
Atthe
phaseofdevelopmentcorrespondingtoYesod
the·subconsciousmindshouldbe.opened.up
andso
atthis
stage, ideallyspeaking,acompletecourseOfpsychologi~al
analysisshouldbeundergone,for toproceedtohigher
occultknowledgewhilstsufferingfrom
anyconcealed
pathology.or.neurosisisaskingfortrouble.Thisprocess
is
..not·necessarilywhatisknownaspsychoanalysis-'-but
thegainingofadeeperknowledgeofoneselfthrough
techniques
ofspiritualpsychology.
17:
FromYesodthesoulundergoesa subjectiveexperi­
enceorgrearisolation,andtheremay be
••asharpcrisis
correspondingto the
pointwherethesoulpasses,sym­
bolically,
acrossthelateral27thPath. Thiscrisishaving
beensuccessfully
passed,'.themysticalcontacts
beginto
openup, sothattheinitiateisableto.functioninvertical
polaritywith theinnerforces as well as inhorizontal
polarity
With.theforcesofhisacquaintances, friends
and
relationsintheouterworld.Shouldthe soulsuccumbto
thecrisis
pointheusuallyleaves thegroup,returning
quiterapidly
tothepsychologicalconditionhe was in
beforehejoined.
18.Duringthiswholeprocessfrom Malkuthtobelow
Tiphareth,thetrainingisdonelargelyon a groupbasis,
and anydefects
thathave beenleftuntouchedarebalanced
up'after,or in,
Tipharethwhenthetrainingismore in­
dividual.Ideally, theinitiatewho hasreachedthisstage
shouldbe
ofsoundmindandhealthybody,withnore­
pressedunconsciouscomplexes andwithafunctioning area
ofmysticalconsciousness.Heshouldbeneitherdominated
223
bytheenvironmentofMalkuth,theinstinctsandpass~ons
ofYesod;.theconcretemindofHod,'ortheover-emotion­
alismoftheunbalancedNetzach.This,ofcourse,is'a
counsel·.ofperfectionandrarelymanifestinpractice,
thoughit is•thegoalwhich. mustbemostardentlystriven
for.Accordingto howitsmembersmeasureupto·this
idealstate-c-orthearchetypalgrades
oftheSephiroth-s-so
is
the
powerandeffectivenessofthefraternity.'
19.Togetherwiththisinnerprocess,ofcourse,goesthe
trainingin•••.elementarymagicaltechnique·accordingtothe
system used bytheparticulargroup.·Itisproficiencyin
this which isoften confusedwith..esotericgradesinpub­
lishedworks.
20.Theopeningup .ofthemysticalconsciousnesshas. its
correspondencewithpiercingthe VeilofQeshethbetween
Yesod
andTiphareth
..This.Veilissymbolisedinrainbow
coloursandindicatesthelight
ofTipharethbeingrefracted
throughtheastral
oremotional
sphere.OntheYesodside
it is as a Bow
ofPromisewhich yetveilsthedirectvision
ofthemysticalconsciousness ofTiphareth,which is seen
in
directvisionassoonas the Veil ispassed'.
21.
Thenextstep is animportantoneandiscalledthe
'CrossingoftheGulf'andit isofthenatureofanUnre­
servedDedication.It is said
thatittakesthreeincarnations
ofsteadyeffortto attainthispoint.It is really a leap of
Faith,for itmeansthatthevaluesofthesoulhave tobe
changedfromthose
oftheouterworldofexpediency,to
those
oftheinnerworld ofprinciple,Afterthisstephas
beentakentheinitiatehasdedicatedhis life to theservice
oftheHierarchyandhebecomesthe'accepteddisciple' of
anInnerPlaneAdept.Thisinvolvesfirst,dedicationby
theinitiate,secondly,aperiod
ofprobationinwhichhis
dedicationistested,··
andthirdly,possible
.acceptanceby
the
InnerPlaneAdeptconcerned.Itshouldbestressed
thatthetestsarenotartificialones butcomeaboutquite
naturallyin thecircumstances
oflifeoftheinitiate.Also,
thededicationatthisstage.is
a.Lesserone,foritis recog-

121. 224
nised
that
.certainvery importantduties,such as the
welfare
ofchildrenforexample,willhaveprecedenceover
the
WorkoftheMysteriesshouldthetwohappento.conflict.
22.
TheGulfhavingbeenleaped, anditreallyimplies
thepowertoactas anindividual'without
.relianceonothers,
ratherthananeschewingofthethings.ofthisworJd,the
processesofTipharethareundergone-theChild,theKing,
theSacrificed.
God.Theseprocesses are.thegrowth'and
development
ofspiritualawarenessand.actionuntil
eventuallythepersonalityis'sacrificed'
and.theinitiate
worksentirelyaccordingto
spiritualprinciple,insofar as
his
karmaallowshim. Another.wayoflookingat this
wouldbe to say
thattheinitiatehas aclearchannel of
communicationbetween .hisHigherSelf'andLowerSelf,
Individuality
.andPersonality,Soul andlowervehicles,
KrishnaandArjuna,Evolutionary Personalityandlncarna..
tionaryPersonality,accordingto theterminologypreferred.
23.
Thesoulthenproceeds,symbolicallyspeaking,up
the 22nd
PathofKarmicAdjustmentto Geburah.Thisis
aprocess
offacingand
'..abreactingmost of'thekarma
accruedwithin,roughly,theperiod ofhistoricaltime.
FromGeburahthelateralPathtoChesedis troddenwhich
involvesthecompletefacing
ofkarmathroughoutthe
wholeevolutionarypast
ofthe soul sothatwhen theinitiate
is firmlyestablished
inChesedhe iskarmafree, has
acceptedresponsibilityfor all hisactions,
andis in aposi­
tiontocarry
outhiswork ofdestinyincompletefreedom
from theresults
ofpasterrors.Thisisthegrade ofExempt
Adeptandsuch a onewould haveno need toreincarnate
and being
exemptfrom his .ownkarmawouldbe in a posi­
tionto
takeonandworkoutaspectsofgroupkarmaas
wasexemplifiedby
OurLord.Generallyspeaking,this
taskisbetter
doneontheinnerplanesat thepresenttime,
conditions
ofphysicalexistencebeing toodegeneratefor
such a being
toworkto full efficiency,andhighgrade
workerson
··theinnerplanesbeingso few.
24.
FromChesedlies-the'Secret Path'to.Daathwhich is
225
symbolisedby
theterm,'theEmptyRoom'.Thisimplies
the facing
ofabsolutereality withouttheveilsofsymbols
orindeedform
ofanynature.It is an approachtowards
theformlessverities
ofthespiritualworldsandinvolves a"
completebreakingclear ofanypreviousconceptions and
form-ties.Itis said tobeahigherandsupremeform of
theapproachtowardsTiphareth,andin theprocessterrible
spirituallonelinesscan beexperiencedforallprevious
conceptionseven
ofGodhave·to bedissolveduntilnothing
isleft,and
thesoul feels
itis onthepoint ofdestruction
throughisolation.
25.Such anaccountwill be ofacademicinterestonly. to
anyonelikelyto need
theservicesofthisbook, butitcan
beimagined thatthesoul'sseemingdestructionbefore
assumingthedirectpowers
oftheSpiritare ahigher
analogue
ofthe fearsofthepersonaIityapproachingthe
leapacross theGulfandtheassumptionofthepowers of
the soul, whichcannotbecompletelybelievedinuntilthey
areexperienced.
26.The
GradeacrosstheAbyssis theMagisterTempli of
Binahandsuch aoneiscompletemaster ofalltheaspects
offormat every level. Such agradeis,ofcourse,ofim­
mediateinterestonly to anInnerPlaneAdept,for such a
gradeisnotlikely to beattainedbyanyoneinincarnation.
Similarly,itwouldbe
oflittlepointtospeculateupon the
capacitiesnecessarytoattainthe muchhighergrades of
MagusorIpsissimus.
27.However,forthoseinterestedingettinga sense
of
proportionwithregardto the realsignificance ofgrades,
'TheRaysandtheInitiations'by Alice A. Bailey givesthe
Tibetan
Master'svery fullaccount ofthehighergradesof
initiation.
28.
Forpracticalpurposeshowever,it mustalwaysbe
remembered
thatthelowergradesare verymuchmatters
offunction.Also agradeisonlyattainedwhen the full
powers
ofaSephirahhave beenassimilated. Thusalthough
Geburahisassignedthe gradeofAdeptusMajor,aninitiate

122. 226
in
Geburahisonly
an.AdeptusMinor.untilhe "leaves'the
sphereofGeburahandis well ontheway. totheChesed
initiations.iAlsoitherecisvmuchoverlapping,.forinitiates
willhavebalancings.ofkarmatoface, whichrelates
primarilytothePathbetween.TipharethandGeburah,
longbeforetheyhave approachedeventhe Tipharethlevel.
29.Itmightwellbeagoodthingifallspeculationsas
regardsGradeweredropped,forthereis the very human
anderroneoustendencytoregardthemas·badges·ofrank
---.;..whichisa.completetravesty ofthewhole purposeand
processesofinitiation.However,it was thoughtwell to
includea
chapteruponthissubject,for theSephirothic
gradeshavebeenquitewidelypublishedin thepast,leading
tomuchill-informedguessworkwhichhastendedto be all
the
morerifesimplybecauseanygenuineoccultist,know­
ing
thecomplexitiesandpitfallsinvolved,usuallysteers
clear
ofthesubject.As aresult,anelement ofmysteryhas
grownupquiteneedlessly,
andmysteryisonething that
oughtto bedispelled onceandfor allfromtheperfectly
natural.process
ofspiritualdevelopment.
Chapter·XX
MISCELLANEOUS ATTRIBUTIONS
1.Underthetitleofmiscellaneousattributionswe include
allreferencestopreciousstones,plants, animalsrealand
imaginary,drugs andperfumes,alchemical···symbolism,
theorgans
ofthehumanbodyandsoon.
2.Muchoftheseattributionsaretakenfromold books
andgenerallyspeakingthey are notonlyarbitrary
.but
chaotic.Beforegivingcredenceto any.ancient.textsit
wouldbe well to.recallthewordsofThomasVaughan,one
ofthe fewspirituallywell-informedearlyQabalists: "There
aremanyPlatonics-s-andthislast centuryhathafforded
themsomeapishdisciples-i-whodiscourseveryboldly
of
thesimilitudesofinferiorsandsuperiors;butif wethorough­
ly.searchtheir trashit is apackofsmallconspiracies-­
namely,oftheheliotropeandthesun,iron andthelode­
stone,the
woundandtheweapon.It isexcellent sportto
hearhow theycrow,beingroostedonthesepitifulparticu­
lars,as if
theyknew theuniversalmagnetwhichbinds
thisgreatframe
andmoves allthemembers .ofit to a
mutualcompassion.Thisis an
humormuchlike.thatof
DonQuixote,whoknewDulcinea butneversaw her."
(CoelumTerrae,1650).
3.
Thekindofthingwhich Vaughanhadinmind,in his
referencetoheliotropeandthesun.forexample,
canbe
seen byopeningat
randomanyoftheoldgrimoires and
magicalrecipe bookswhich,besidesbeingtreasuredby
collectors,
are.reproducedadnauseamin modernbooks
onthesubject. Theheliotropeforexample, ormarigold,
wasassociatedwiththesunbecause·ofthesuperstition
that
227

123. 228
it alwaysturnedto face the sun.Leadingbysomestrange
logic from this,Albertus
Magnussolemnlydeclared that
ifany wereproducedin achurch,noadulterous woman
wouldbe able to leave thebuildingwhile itremainedex­
posed.Thisdivineaid tomoralitymay havecome
about
from thenotion thatas the sunproducedlife, so anyplant
connectedwiththesun, asregardscolour,shape,legend
andso on,wouldhavesimilarattributesandsocouldbe
usedeitheras a sexualstimulantorperhapsas amoral
antidoteto thiswholesalesexualrejuvenationin themore
subtlewaysmentionedabove.
4.Correspondences
canbemadebetweentheSephiroth
andvariousplants,animalsetc.
butitmustbe remembered
thatthecorrespondencesare onlypsychologicaldevices
which can be usedeitheras atechnicalexercise inplaying
aboutwiththeconcepts oftheTree,or as ameans of
concentratingthefocus oftheconsciousmind inmedita­
tion
orritualmagic.
5.Crowley,forexample,hasmadeexhaustivelists
of
correspondencesin'777' buttheyarereally ofno use to
anyoneexcepttoCrowleyhimself,
andhe isdead. Thebest
thatcan bemade ofthemis by thetechnicalexercise of
goingthroughthemandtryingtothink outwhy they were
soattributed,
andeven so one will belearningless about
theQabalahthanabouthowCrowley'smindworked.In
his list
ofanimals,realandimaginary,forexample,one
can see
thatGod,ManandWomanrelatetoKether,
ChokmahandBinah.The attributionoftheUnicornto
Chesedis lessobvious,
butthe Basilisk isrelatedtoGebu­
rahnodoubtbecauseitsglance turnedpeopletostone.
Thoughinthiscasethereis anobviousparallelwith the
Medusa,which is
partofthePerseusmythandthusperhaps
betterrelatedto
Daath.ToTipharethherelatesthe
Phoenix,theLion and theChild.
The
Childis oneofthe
MagicalImages
andtheLion istherebecauseLeo is a
Solarastrologicalsign
andalso'KingoftheBeasts',while
thePhoenix,in
thatit rises from its own ashes,corresponds
229
totheSacrificed andResurrectedGodofTiphareth,Crowley
could.also haveincludedthePelican,anobvious
Tiphareth
birdbecauseofitsassociations
withsacrifice; it was said
topierceits
ownbreastwith itsbeakin ordertofeed'its
youngandwasoftenlikenedtoChrist.
TheLynxCrowley
appliesto'Netzachbecause
itis ananimalsacredto Venus,
whilstthe
HermaphroditeistheMagicalImage ofHod.
TheJackal'srelationto HodmayhaveaQliphothicbasis.
TheElephantisone
.oftheclassicalcreaturessaidto
supporttheworldand thusis.relatedtoTheFoundation,
Yesod,whilsttheSphinxisplaced inMalkutheither
becauseitcontainsbeastsrelatedto
theFourElementsor
becauseit wastraditionallyat theportaloftheEgyptian
MysteryTemplebelowthePyramids.
6.Whilstone can see
thereasonformostoftheattribu­
tionstherearemanyothersthatcouldbemadewithequal
validity,
andfrankly,withequallittlepoint.Some of
Crowley'sattributionsaretakenfromvisionshehadwhilst
workingoncertain
partsoftheTreebutthatmeansonly
thatthey weresignificantforCrowley
inthatcontextat
thattime.Arbitrarysymbolsarenotmadeuniversalby
thesimpleprocess
ofputtingtheminprint.Writerson
occultismseem to love to fly to
tabularinformationbut
insodoingthey domore harmthanservice,
fortabular
informationdoesnothing butappealto thetype ofmind
thatdelightsinmakingimaginaryjourneyswith the use
ofoldrailwaytimetables. Andthoughmuchofthespiritual
journeysoftheQabalaharedonein theimagination,it is
thecreativeimagination
thatisneededto gain any benefit,
notthesecond-handimagination ofjugglingaboutwith
someoneelse'sdata.
7. Thewhole
purposeofsymbolismisthat,likecoinage,
itstandsforsomethingreal.Symbolism,likemoney,is
meantto be used,
andcashedin forsomething ofvalue.
Manymakethemistake ofbeingesotericnumismatists->
merecollectors
of.symbols.
8.Certainpreciousstonesand.incensesare used' in
.cere-

124. 230
menialmagic,butapartfromthedifficultyoforganising
it,ceremonialisbestleft.alonebythetyro.Hereagain,
theincensesarelargelyarbitraryandarebestleft..tothe
choiceof theoperatorwho .has somepracticalexperience
oftheireffect on hisownconsciousness.Forgeneralgroup
work,ordinarychurchincenseis perhapsthebestthing
touse.
9.
Regardingstones,forgeneralpurposesit isthecolour
onlywhich isimportantandsoanycheapcostumejewelery
willdo.It isonlyforadvanced workofatalismanicnature
that thetraditionalmaterials need
beused,thatis,the
metalandpreciousstoneassociatedwith.aparticular
planet.Theplanetaryattributionsofthemetals.areSaturn
-lead,Jupiter-tin,Mars-s-iron,theSun~gold, Venus­
copperorbrass,Mercury-quicksilver,theMoon-s-silver.
The precious stones are allocated generally accordingto
colour,theirsuperiorityto colouredglassbeingthat.the
pigmentation.is in the.atomicandcrystallinestructure.
10. Asregards
thesymbolsofalchemy,.thevariouswrit­i?gsare so fullofintentional blinds andaccidentalcorrup­
tionsthata highdegree ofinsightandknowledgeisrequired
in
ordertotakeadvantageofwhateverteachings maybe
concealedinthem.
Thepositionas itstandsatpresentis
that
ifonehastherequisiteinsight.toisift thewheatof
spiritualinstructionfromthechaffofelaborate'coding,
medievalsuperstitionandprimitivechemicalscience,
thenonehas no real needofit, foronewillhave already
passedthroughthealchemicalprocess. Thusthewhole
interestbecomespurelyacademic.
11..It isimpossible tomakeacutanddriedcatalogueof
thevariousalchemicaltermsbecausetheyvaryinmean­
ingfromwritertowriter.While,as a generalrule,.the
threeprinciples ofsulphur,mercury, andsaltcanbe
equatedwiththepositive,middleandnegativePillarsof
Manifestation,the metals with the Sephirothaccordingto
planetaryattribution,andsoon,thisisby nomeansa
universalterminology.Vaughan,•forexample, whodefines
231
histermsquitewell,calls theastralplaneMercury--the
'middlekingdom'ofAir;Fire.herelatestoSpirit;andthe
materialworldhe considerstoconsistoftwoelementsonly
-EarthandWater.Itisusuallynecessaryto followthe
writingsofaparticularalchemistright throughfrom
beginningtoendinordertounderstandmuchofwhathe
means.
Althoughitcanbeafascinatingalternativetoread...
ingdetectivestoriesorsolvingcrosswordpuzzles,the
generalstudy ofalchemyinvolvessomuchintellectual
effort
inreturnforsolittlepracticalknowledgethatit is
bestlefteitherto theexpertofthedilettante.Theexpert
cangainsomeinterestingphilosophicalinsightsfrom some
ofthemorespirituallyorientatedalchemists,whilst the
dilettanteis bestemployedplaying aboutwiththevast
mass
ofharmless,alchemistic 'literaturethandabbling
withceremonial magic;hypnotictrances,Yogapostures
andbreathingexercisesandsoon,wherehe canruninto
hotwaterfarexceeding
theunpleasantnessofanyal­
chemist'sBalneumMariae.

125. Chapter,XXI
THEQLIPHOTH
1.ThewordQliphothmeans'harlots'or'shells'andas a
philosophicalQabalisticconceptneednotkeepuslong.
AnyonewhowishestoseetheQliphothicdemonsatwork
hasnoneedtoundertakethemightyconjurationsof
AbramelintheMage,he hasonlyto.takealookaround
thenearesthospital,lunaticasylum,prison,brothel,or
slum.WhencomparedtosuchdepravitiesasBelsen and
Auschwitz,orthegeneralby-productsofmodernpolitics
suchasnervegas,
napalmbombs,totalwarfare,atomic
fall-out,brainwashingetc.,theoldfashioned,.witchor
blackmagician outon asex-kickseemsverysmallfry.
2.
TheOrdersofDemonsoftheQabalaharegenerally
personifications
oftheViceofaSephirah,oraprinciple
oppositetothatforwhichtheSephirahstands.Thusthe
ContendingHeadsofThaumielareappliedtoKetheras a
denialofDivine
Unity;Chokmahisgivento Ghagiel-the
Hinderersinlikemanner,andtheSilenceofBinahisper­
verted
intoSatariel-meaning'Hiding'.Thebenevolent
rulingsphereofChesedhas.theSmiters,andGeburah,the
Flamingones,while theHarmonyofTipharethisshattered
byThagirion-theLitigation.TheforcesofNetzachare
scatteredby theRavenofDispersion,andFalsity,theVice
ofHod,isexemplifiedbySamael, theFalseAccuser.The
FoundationofYesodistheObsceneAssandtheoverpower­
inglustofmaterialvaluesis thedomainofLilith-the
WomanofNight.
3.Whateverevil is,anditisprobablyimpossibleofcom­
pletedefinition,its manifestationsgenerallyappearas a
232
233
denialofunity-theDualContendingForces,theLitigation,
theHinderers,the.RavenofDispersionandsoon,orthe
Crowdof
Gods,WorthlessnessandUncertaintyappliedto
theVeilsof..NegativeExistence.Theonepersistentclaim
ofthemysticsisthesenseofsynthesisandunityandthe
factthatseparationisanillusion.Itcanbeseenthenthat
thewordsofChrist.givingthetwonewCommandments
wereadirectattempttosealthedoorofevil:"The-firstof
allthecommandmentsis,Hear,0Israel;TheLord ...our
GodisoneLord:andthoushaltlovetheLordthyGod.with
all
thyheart,andwithallthysoul,andwithall thymind,
andwithall thystrength;this
.is.thefirstcommandment.
Andthesecondislike,namelythis,Thoushaltlovethy
neighbourasthyself.Thereisnoneothercommandment
greaterthanthese."Thesesentencescontainthecomplete
answerto.alltheworld'sproblems-s-semuchso,thatany
otherwritingon morals,.ethics,sociologyetc.seems not
onlyan impertinence,butsuperfluous.
4. It is
obviousthatthesesimplespiritualrulesareno
moreconsideredtodayas abasisforactionthantheywere
on
thedaytheywereuttered.Perhapstheyaretoosimple
tobetakenseriouslyby theinvolvedprideofmen'sminds,
orthetangledconfusionoftheiremotions-forthemore
spirituala
thing,thesimpleritis.
5. It
hasbeenstatedthatthe.Qliphcthicforceswere
generatedquitenaturallybytheperiodofunbalance
betweentheestablishmentofoneSephirahandanother.
TheTreeofLifeis,however,a glyph
ofthePlanofGod
andthustherecanbe .no evil in it.Theevilarosefrom
deviations,bymanandotherbeings,fromthisDivinePlan
andsoanySephirothicattributionsarepurelysecondary
considerations.
6.TheJudaicmindlikedtosystematisealltheforcesof
evil as well astheforcesofgood,butmeditationworkupon
theOrdersofDevils,Demons,Arch-demonsandso on is
betterleftalone. Manalreadyhasmuchevilwithinhim
withoutconcentratingitspotencybyoccultworkthereon.

126. 234
Suchworkisbestleft to
theadvancedadept.Forthe
ordinary.esotericaspirant
thebestapproachtotheevil
withinis,
afterhavingrecognised
and'facedit,tostarveit,
workingonly
uponthedevelopmentofthegoodandspiritual
qualities.
Bydeveloping
thecontactoftheSpiritthepsyche
willeventually
besotransformedthatthereis noroomfor
evilwithin
it.·Directworkuponevilforceswilltendto set
upa.polarityandoccultlink•.withtheseforces. andthisis
onethingwhichmustbesedulously'avoided.
7.Toattempttodobanishingworkuponevilforcesoften
does
moreharmthangood.Thusthereis .thecasein the
Bibleofthemanwhowas.purgedofone
.devilonlyto be
obsessedbyseven
otherswho
flewintothevoid socreated.
Spiritual
pathology,like
.'.medicalpathology,is nomatter
tobetrifledwith.
8.Occultfiction
makesmuchofBlackMagicians butthis
isbutaresultofdramaticfictionalnecessity.
'.Theoccultist's
workis assimilar to·thedescriptionsofmostoccultnovels
as a
policeman'sis
tomostdetectivestories. Thesmall
fry
ofBlackoccultism arenot
tobeworriedaboutforthey
areonlyout'fortheirownwelfare.and.usuallycometo
griefbeforetheyhaveadvancedvery far.Usually they'fall
intothreecategories:i)thoseseekingto'makemoneyout
ofcredulousfools;ii)thoseseekingself-aggrandisernent
from
theadulationof
ditto;andiii)thoseaftera drugor
sex kick.Ofthesethelastare.themostobnoxiousofthe
speciesin thattheycorrupttheyoung.andalsohave good
opportunitiesforextortingblackmail.
9. Asregards
thebig fishofBlackoccultism,theyneed
notworrytheordinaryaspirant.Ifanaspirantentersa
high
gradeesotericfraternityhe may comeupagainst
themif hereachesthehighest gradesbutintheearlier
years
of
histraininghe is wellprotectedbytheforces
behind.his
group.Usually,when someonecomplainsof
occultattack,
itisfoundthattherealtroubleisover­
imaginationorvariouslevelsof.persecutioncomplex, and
scientologicalprocessingusuallyclearsthernup.
235
10. Ifonereallyfeels oneselftobe upagainstanyBlack
occultism,
orevenanyevilarisingupwithinoneself, the
bestdefencelies in.calling upontheregenerative
powerof
Christ.However,evil isnotusuallysounsubtleastoappear
as ahorrific nightmarevision-s-the.usual.methodis to
masqueradeasgood.Thepoliticians,havediscoveredthis
andonecancreditthePowersofDarknesswithatleast
an
equalamountofintelligence.
11.
The
evilwithinoneselfusuallyposes'as thegoodas
well.It.hastrulybeensaidthat'theroadto.hellispaved
withgoodintentions'-thepavingstonesare.moreoften
thegoodintentionswe carryoutthanthosewedonot.
12.Thehumanmindiscapableofincrediblesubtletyin
thedodgingofthefacingofitsowniniquity,thoughifone
is veryself-observantonecansometim'esdetectthe
Qliphothwithinthroughthemanifestationwithinoneself of
anystrongirrational,dislike. Thehiddenmaggotsofone's
ownsoul areusuallyprojected in.righteousindignation
uponothers.Thebeaminanother'seyeisusuallythere­
flection
ofthemoteinone'sown-ashasbeen hintedin
anothercontext.
13.
The
hypocriticalway inwhich themindworkscan
well begatheredfromreadingcomparativelymodern
Frenchliteraturewhichtendsto godeeply intothisway of
mind-working.Particularly recommendedareMauriac,
Marcel,Gide,Sartre,Camusandalsosuch'-playwrights
asDuerenmatt,andtheexistentialist.writersgenerally,
fromKierkegaardeonwards.This,however,may prove
aformidableobstacleto anyonewhoisnotalreadyinclined
towardsmodernliterature:andthosewhodo.notfeel
inclined
towadethroughmanypagesofphilosophyand
psychologicalanalysis-fictionalornon-fictional-withsub­
sequentlengthyintrospection
uponthemselves,arebetter
advisedtostudytheworkofL.RonHubbard.Scientology
is
nota
panacea;however,it canclearthedecksforaction
quickerthanmostothertherapies,butapersonwhois
'clear'isnotautomaticallyanIpsissimus-heismerely

127. 236
anunaberratedhumanbeing,andthis is sorareinthese
daysthatitdoesseem somethingratherspecial.
14.Thewholestructureofman,andthedirectionofman's
growth,ison aspiritualbasis-c-thatis,anycourseofaction
must
beofa
religioussignificance,for.spiritis higherthan
mindotemotion,thoughthetwolatteraretheusualhuman
criteriaofwhatisofvalue.and.whatisnot.
15. It isdifficulttoimaginethescientific oracademic
types
ofmindswallowing .thistruthbut it willhaveto be
acceptedin theend,laterifnotsooner.Meanwhileone
canonly setone'sheartonspiritualthingsandmaintain
eternalvigilance
overoneself
..NodoubtevenJudasthought
himselftobe intheright,hebeingobviously notthe music
hallvillain
ofpopularmedievalconcept,butaveryintelli­
gentandenlightened manwhoperhapsthoughtthatChrist
wascometo beKing oftheWorldandthatbringinghim
face to facewiththeAuthoritieswouldcausehim to sieze
worldly
powerandinstitutetheKingdomofHeavenon
Earththere.andthen.Therecanbe agreatlesson inthis
tragicfigure.
Chapter
XXII
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
1.Enoughhas now been given inthetextofthis·bookfor
anyoneto seek
outthe keysofesotericwisdomforhimself
bymeans
ofmeditationupontheTree ofLife.
2.
Forthemaximumeffect tobegained,meditation
shouldbe
madearegularpractice,dailyifpossible
..Infact,
onewhodoesregulardailymeditation,even if for no more
thantenminutes,willmake greaterprogressthanonewho
spendslongperiodsin ..meditationatirregularintervals.
Thegreatenemy in.thisconnectionisinertia, butasin
allthingsthesecret ofsuccess lies ininflexibility ofwill
andpurpose-s-andthefainthearteddobetterto leave
occultismalone.
3.
Thetimeandplaceofmeditationare important,
.for
it is wisetolethabitworkforone,andit iseasierto
meditateat aregulartime
andplaceeachday. Themorn­
ing isgenerally
recommendedformeditation,whenthe
mindisfresh,buteachpersonshouldexperimentandpick
outatimewhichsuitshimbest.It isnotagoodthing
to
meditatewhencold ortired.
4. A good.
attitudeformeditationis.sittingupright ina
straight-backedchair.withthe feet on afoot-rest ofsuch
height
thatthereshallbe no sense ofstrain.Theattitude
shouldbeneithertense norreclining,butpoised.Thisis
achieved.byadjustingtheheight
ofthefoot-resttothe
length
oftheleg.Afoot-restisreadilyimprovisedfrom
booksor asmallbox.
5.Freedomfrombodilystrain.obtainedbypoiseis to .be
preferred,inmeditationattitude,tofreedomfrombodily
237

128. 238
strainobtainedbyrelaxation,becausewhencomplete
relaxation.isattainedmeditation
is'apttoend in sleep;
whereas,if sleepsupervenesin apoisedmeditationatti­
tude,
thepoise
.is.lost.and thestudentawakenedatonce.
6.Meditationshould notbedoneinaglaring.light,as
thistendsto makeconcentrationdifficult.Noise canbe
overcomeby
theuseofear-plugs,though,withpractice,
noisewilltendtohavelittle
powerofdistraction.After
longpractice,
oneshouldbeabletomeditateanywhere.
7. It is
importantto write.downtheresultsofmeditation
immediatelyafterwards,forthisserves to
'earth'thereal­
isationsobtained.
8.Practicaloccultworkdepends
for.itssuccessfulac­
cornplishrnentprimarilyuponthe·powerofconcentration.
Thestudentmustbeable,withouteffort,to.maintainsteady
clear-cut
concentrationoverconsiderableperiodsbeforehe
canattemptanyadvancedworking,aridmeditationwill
help
todevelopthis.
9.Thepicturingofcompositesymbolsand theundertak­
ingof'journeys'intheimaginationsuch as can be doneon
thePathsoftheTreeto bedescribedinthenextvolume
constitute
themoreadvancedwork.Clairvoyance, orthe
seeing
..ofvisions,and.clairaudience,or thehearing of
voicesshouldbetheresult oftappingthesubconscious
mind,andtheyareas a dreamproducedat will. Itmust
beclearly
understoodthatwhateveris seen or heard·is
goingonwithin
one'sownmind. Ifit seemsthatvisions
areappearingto thephysicaleyesorsoundsareheard
withthephysical
ears
itmaymean thataportionofcon­
sciousness
hasbeensplitoff. Itisunwiseto attemptany
practical
workuntil
thisdissociatedportionhas been re­
absorbed.
10.Thissplittingoff issometimes
dueto anover-sensitive
temperamentandsometimestowrongmethods ofdevelop­
ment,
butinanycaseit is veryharmful.Ifpersistedin,
thedissociationspreads
furtherthroughthe mindandthe
wholepersonalitycan
becomedisorganised.
239
11. Itisessentialto beabletoclosethepsychicfaculties
at will
andreturntonormalconsciousness e.If thiscannot
bedoneandifpsychicconsciousness'overflowsinto.every­
day life, thestudentisunfitted
forthetasksthatlife im­
poses
andisobligedtolive the lifeofahermittomaintain
hismentalandphysicalhealth.Highgradeinitiates
some­
timesundertakesuchretreatsfor the .purposeofaceom­
plishingspecial workbutin nocase cansuchexperiments
berecommendedforthebeginner.
1'2.Also, whilemuchhasbeensaid aboutastralsymbols
andformsitmust
berealisedthatthese.arebutmeansto
an end
and
thatthehighestform ofsuperconsciousness
andthemostreliableform
ofpsychismis
ofthenatureof
hyper-developedintuition.
13.·Givenbelow
arethreeotheroccultexerciseswhich
can be used to
advantageinadditiontomeditationdisci­
pline.
i) Aneveningreview
oftheday'sevents,fromevening
to morning,
onretiringto bed.Theeventsshouldbe run
throughbackwardslikeacinematographfilm with an
accompaniment
ofcomment,judgment,resolutionand
aspiration.If onegoes to sleep inthe process-andthis
exercise
isagoodcureforinsomnia-thensomuchthe
better,forthemindwill
carryontheprocessduringthe
hours
ofsleepandmay yieldremarkableresults.
ii) Amid-daysalutationto
theInnerPlaneAdepti, orto
theLordJesus,who
istheHeadoftheHierarchy of
Masters.Oneshouldturnthe' eyes in thedirectionofthe
sun
atnoon,ifcircumstancespermit, and
.mentallysalute
thesunas the visible>manifestationofthesource ofall
life.
ThinkofGodasmademanifestinnature;listenin
imaginationto
therhythmandswingofthesolarsystem
as itcircles
roundthe
sun;thinkofyourselfas a partof
nature-s-asholding yourownpositionin thisvastmachine
andfeelyourrelationshiptoallthe otherparts.Then
greetthe I nnerPlaneAdepti,orMasters,as yourguides
andfriends.A
briefmentalsalutationis allthatisrequired

129. 240
andthiscanbegivenin almostanycircumstances. By
thinkingoftheInnerPlaneAdeptiinthisway aninitial
contactcanbemadewiththemandthiscontactiscapable
ofdevelopmentasoneadvances.Thinkofthemaselder
brethren,the'CompanyoflustMenMadePerfect',
organisedintoagradedhierarchyintheserviceofGod
and·Man.andEarth.
iii)Contemplation,orcommunionwiththeAbsolute.This
isnot·thesameasmeditationnorasubstituteforit.It is
astilling
ofthemind,at anyconvenienttime,andopening
oneselfto theinfluencesoftheinnerplanes.-Realisethe
presenceandpoweroftheinvisiblerealities andthegood­
nessandperfectionofGodtheCreatorandSustainerofthis
Universe
intowhichthatGreatBeingisever cominginto
manifestation.Tryto seeyourselffromthestandpointof
yourownSpiritandthenfeeltheinfinityflowing intoyou,
for
thesunofspiritualrealityisalways thereandisob­
scuredonlybyone'sownmentalandemotionalclouds.
14.Finally'thereisthequestionofopeningandclosing
thepsychicfacultiesandthisis bestdonebysomesimple
ritualgesture.A
·circledescribedaboutoneselfinthe
imaginationtogetherwiththe. signofthecrossis adequate
forroutinepurposes.Onclosingit is a goodideaalsoto
stampthefooton thegroundas anindicationofreturning
tothings.oftheworld.
15.Forspecialoccasions, oreven.as ahabit,for it is an
excellentexercisein itself,
onecouldusetheritualofthe
Pentagram.Thisisperformedasfollows:
16.
StandfacingEast.Raise theright.handandsay,out
loudormentally,
HInThyhandsis ·theKingdom,thePower
andthe.Glory"-asyoudosomakingthesignofthecross
with
therighthand,
('TheKingdom'willcomeatthebottom
ofthevertical,'thePower'ontherightshoulder,'theGlory'
ontheleft.),"foreverandever,Amen."claspingthehands
together.Keepingtherightarmstraight,first andsecond
fingersextendedinlinewithit, liftitsomewhatabovethe
horizontal,anddrawintheairbeforeyou the: sign ofthe
241
Start - 1 6 - Finish
Fig.6a.
Ritual of thePentagram
Opening.
Pentagramorfivepointedstar
.fFig.·6a)Thelastmovement
willbring therighthandbacktoitsstartingpoint.Then
bringitdownsothatthefingersarepointingatthecentre
ofthestarandsay,HIntheNameof...(GodNameof
Sephirah)...,IopentheEast."
17.NowmoveroundtotheSouth,keepingthearmex-
tendedsothatthefingersdescribea quartercircleand
thererepeatthePentagram,butthistimesay,"Inthe
Nameof..., IopentheSouth."Inthesameway,move
roundtotheWestandNorth,repeatingthePentagramat
eachofthesepoints.Completethecircleby returningto
theEast.TheCircleandPentagramsshouldbevisualised
asblazingin theairwitha goldenlight.
18.
Openthearmswide,parallelto thefloor,andsay,"IntheEast,Raphael;in theWest,Gabriel;intheSouth,
Michael;in theNorth,Uriel.Aboutme flamethePenta­
grams,behindmeshinestheSix-rayedStar,{Dropthe
lefthandandraisetherighttomakesignofthe'crossas
before),
andabovemy
.headis'theGloryofGod,inwhose
handsistheKingdom,thePowerandtheGlory,forever
andever,Amen."
19.TheArchangelsshouldbestronglyvisualised. ateach
Quarterintheformmostacceptabletothestudent.The
entireoperation.canibeperformedinthe'imaginationif
desired'
andthisis anexcellentexercise forthedevelop-

130. 242
Fig.6b.
Ritual of thePentagram "'"­
Closing.
Start-'-1 6 - Finish
mentofthevisualimagination. Thephrase,"behind me
shinestheSix-rayed
Star'isanaspirationalone, for
it
appliesinfactonlytotheAdeptbeyond theTipharethgrade.
20.
TheClosingRitualis thesame,except thatthePenta­
gramisdrawnfrom theleft-hand corner
ineachcase{Fig.
6b)and.the.Archangelsarevisualisedfacingoutofthe
Circleinstead,of..•facinginwards, Forgeneralpurposes
when thework
isnot on
a.speoific.Sephirahtheabbreviated
MalkuthNamecanbeused-Adonai.
21.TheexerciseofdrawingtheTree isa.rnostvaluable
one, for it helpstoestablishtheTree ofLife firmly in the
mind..Itcanbestbeconstructedbydrawingavertical line
andmarkingoffequallengthsalongit-say2inches.This
will give the
centrepointsofKether,Daath,Tiphareth,
Yesodand
..Malkuth.Then,usingapairofcompasses,set
to
thesamedistance,(i.e. e.g.
2ins.)thecentrepoints of
the.sideSephirothcanbe found.Once'youhaveall the
centrepoints oftheSephirothitis asimple mattertocom­
pletetheTreeaccordingto Fig. I. Theabilitytobuild the
Tree-s-andhold.It-intheimaginationis ofcoursealso
valuable.
22. In
thetextofthisbookthereisamplematerialfor
meditation
ontheSephirothtokeepthe studentoccupied
for
averylongtime. Nothingofcoursecanbetter.super­
visedinstructionby..a
goodesotericschool or
teacher,but
243
theseare rareandwherereasons ofgeographyandsoon
makethisimpossiblea fairdegree ofadvancementcan be
madeunderone'sownefforts.Andone's.own efforts. may
makethecontactswhichleadthewaytowardsa particular
school.
23."Askandyeshallreceive, seekandyeshallfind,
knock
anditshallbeopened untoyou."

131. TABLE I -THEHEBREW LETTERS 245
a b c d e f
Aleph Ox~ A,E ALP
Beth House ~ B BITh 2
Gimel
Camel
J G GML 3
Daleth
Door
"
0 DLTh 4
Heh Window
i1 H HH 5
Vau Nail,
V, U VIV 6
Zain Swordt Z ZIN 7
Cheth Fence n Ch ChITh 8
Teth Serpent to T TITh 9
Yod Hand
'"
J, I, YYUD 10
Kaph Palmof ~,
K KP 20
hand (500)
Lamed Ox-goad,
L LMD 30
Mem Water ~CM MIM 40
(600)
Nun Fish
J1
N NUN 50
(700)
Samekh Prop
C S SMK 60
Ayin Eye y 0 OIN 70
Peh
Mouth
~
t"J
P PH 80
(800)
Tzaddi Fish-hook
~r
Tz TzDI 90
(900)
Qoph Backofi'Q QUP 100
head
Resh Head,
R RISh 200
Shin
Tooth
rt'Sh ShIN 300
Tau Tau-crossn Th ThU 400

132. o
-
247
00
c
~
::r::
..c:
U
N
~
Z
c
sr:
..t::
U
0.
c
N
~
Notes246
Column
(a)gives thename oftheHebrewletterasusually
renderedinto.English.
Column
(bjgivesthemeaning .ofthe name.ofeachletter.
Column(c) gives the form
oftheHebrewletter.Some. of
themhave analternativeform whenplacedat the end of
aword.These'final'forms are given inbrackets.There
is
said to be muchesotericmeaningintheshapes oftheletters
and they arerecommendedformeditation,thoughtheir
fullsignificancerelatesto thePathson the Tree.
Column(d) gives the usualtransliterationinto.the
Roman
alphabet.
Column(e) gives thetransliteration
ofthename ofeach
letter.
Column
(f)givesthenumerologicalsignification. Thenum­
bers
inbracketsrefer to the'finals'.Certainletterswhen
printedlargein.Hebrewtexts taketheirvalue x 1000. The
wholesubjectofnumerologyisacomplexandspecialised
one.There
IS,forexample,thequestion ofthe'dogish'in
connection
withcertainletters,anaccentmarkintheform
ofadot.This,saysIsraelRegardiein 'AGardenofPome­
granates'
,changesthepronunciationoftheletterconcerned.
Thus,hestates,theword'Sephiroth'shouldbetranslit­
eratedandpronouncedas
'Sephiros',He alsoclaims that
omissionofthisfact has hamperedmuchQabalisticre­
search.Thecrux
ofthematterseems to lie intheparticular
Hebrewdialectused. As the
Qabalaharosetoprominence
inSpain,Qabaliststend to use theSpanishdialect.Regardie
suggests in
'TheGoldenDawn'thatseriousstudentsmight
find helpfulpointersininvestigation
ofdifferentdialects.
Theseconsiderationsapplymainlytonumerologicalwork.
Inmagicalworkpronunciationhas been found to be un­
important-
correctandclear-cutintentionbeingthemain
factor.Theuse
oftheword'Sephiroth'isretainedin this
bookas it hasbecome
commonusageinQabalisticwritings.

133. TABLElIbTHESEPHIROTH English Version N
~
00
Title God Name
Archangel Orderof Angels
Mundane
Chakra
Kether Eheieh
Metatron ChaiothhaQadeshRashithha
Gilgalim
2 Chokmah JahorJehovah Ratziel Auphanim Masloth
3 Binah JehovahElohim TzaphkieI Aralim
Shabathai
4 Chesed EI
Tzadkiel
Chasmalim Tzadekh
5 Geburah ElohimGebor Khamael Seraphim
Madim
6 TipharethJehovahAloah Raphael Malachim Shemesh
va
Daath
7 Netzach Jehovah TzabaothHaniel Elohim
Nogah
8 Hod ElohimTzabaoth Michael BeniElohim
Kokab
9 Yesod Shaddaiel
Chai Gabriel Cherubim Levanah
10 Malkuth AdonaiMalekh Sandalphon Ashim
CholemYesodoth
TABLElIeTHESEPHIROTH UsualTranslation
3UnderstandingTheLordGod
4Mercy God.TheMightyOne
5Severity God
ofBattles.
GodAlmighty
6Beauty GodMadeManifestin
theSphereofMind
7Victory Lord ofHosts
8Glory
GodofHosts
9TheFoundationTheAlmightyLiving
God
10TheKingdom TheLordandKing
Title
TheCrown
2Wisdom
God Name
I amorIbecome
TheLord
ArchangelOrderof Angels
Holy LivingCreatures
Wheels
Thrones
Shining.Ones
FierySerpents
Kings
Gods
SonsofGod
TheStrong
Souls
ofFire
MundaneChakra
FirstSwirlings.
PrimumMobile
The.Sphere
of
theZodiac
Rest
-Saturn
Righteousness
-Jupiter
Vehementstrength
-:.....-Mars
TheSolarLight
-theSun
Glitteringsplendour
-VenusT!leStellarLight
-.Mercury
TheLunarFlame
-theMoon
TheBreakerofthe
Foundations.
TheElements
-theEarth.
N
~
'-0