The Golden Dawn Page 13
Assiah, action—matter, man, shells, demons.
The ten houses, or heavens, of Assiah, the material world are:
1. Primum Mobile, Rashith ha Gilgalim.
2. Sphere of the Zodiac, Mazloth.
3. Sphere of Saturn, Shabbathai.
4. Sphere of Jupiter, Tzedek.
5. Sphere of Mars, Madim.
6. Sphere of Sol, Shemesh.
7. Sphere of Venus, Nogah.
8. Sphere of Mercury, Kokab.
9. Sphere of Luna, Levanah.
10. Sphere of the Elements, Olam Yesodoth.6
The Serpent on the Tree of Life
The traditional tarot consists of a pack of seventy-eight cards made up of four suits of fourteen cards each, together with twenty-two trumps, or major arcana, which tell the story of the soul. Each suit consists of ten numbered cards, as in the modern playing cards, but there are four instead of three honours: King or Knight, Queen, Prince or Emperor, Princess or Knave.
The four suits are:
1. Wands or Sceptres comparable to Diamonds.
2. Cups or Chalices comparable to Hearts.
3. Swords comparable to Spades.
4. Pentacles or Coins comparable to Clubs.
The Divine Names Attributed to the Sephiroth
No. of Sephirah
Divine Name
(Atziluth)
Archangelic Name
(Briah)
Choir of Angels
(Yetzirah)
1. Kether
Eheieh
Metatron
Chayoth ha-Qadesh
2. Chokmah
Yah
Raziel
Auphanim
3. Binah
YHVH Elohim
Tzaphqiel
Aralim
4. Chesed
El
Tzadqiel
Chashmalim
5. Geburah
Elohim Gibor
Kamael
Seraphim
6. Tiphareth
YHVH Eloah Vedaath
Raphael
Melekim
7. Netzach
YHVH Tzabaoth
Haniel
Elohim
8. Hod
Elohim Tzabaoth
Michael
Beni Elohim
9. Yesod
Shaddai El Chai
Gabriel
Kerubim
10. Malkuth
Adonai ha-Aretz
Sandalphon
Ashim
Note by Regardie: The student should himself draw several Trees of Life, and upon them place the above names in proper order. Only by doing this will he learn of their significance.
Planetary Names
Name of Planet in Hebrew
Angel
Intelligence
Spirit
Shabbathai
Cassiel
Agiel
Zazel
Tzedek
Sachiel
Iophiel
Hismael
Madim
Zamael
Graphiel
Bartzabel
Shemesh
Michael
Nakhiel
Sorath
Nogah
Hanael
Hagiel
Kedemel
Kokab
Raphael
Tiriel
Taphthartharath
Levanah
Gabriel
Malkah be Tarshisim
ve-ad Ruachoth
Schechalim
Schad Barschemoth
ha-Shartathan
Second Meditation
Let the Zelator meditate on a straight line. Let him take a ruler or a pencil and by moving it a distance equal to its length, outline a square. Having done this, let him, after quieting his mind with the rhythmic breathing taught in the first meditation, mentally formulate a cube, and endeavour to discover the significance of this figure and its correspondences.
Let him meditate upon minerals and crystals, choosing especially a crystal of salt and, entering into it, actually feel himself of crystalline formation. Looking out on the universe from this standpoint, let him identify himself with the earth spirits in love and sympathy, recalling as far as he can their prayer as said in the closing of the Zelator grade.
Let him meditate upon the earth triplicity, visualizing the symbols of a bull—a virgin—a goat—which stand for Kerubic earth—mutable earth—cardinal earth. For the above terms consult a simple astrology manual. Make notes of the ideas and pictures which arise in your mind.
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5. Note from JMG: This is a canticle used in Christian worship, also known as the Song of Creation, in which all the works of creation are called upon to bless, praise, and sanctify God.
6. Note by Regardie: This is sometimes rendered Cholem Yesodoth, and translated “The Breaker of Foundations.” I am pretty certain that this is a mistake no doubt due to a printer’s error in reproducing “Ch” in place of “Gh,” the latter being intended for Ayin, according to some older systems of transliteration.
THEORICUS GRADE PAPERS
Third Knowledge Lecture
The soul is divided by the Qabalists into three principal parts:
1. Neschamah, the highest part, answering to the three supernals.
2. Ruach, the middle part, answering to the six Sephiroth from Chesed to Yesod inclusive.
3. Nephesch, the lowest, answering to Malkuth.
Neschamah answers to the higher aspirations of the soul. Ruach answers to the mind and reasoning powers. Nephesch answers to the animal instincts. Chiah answers to Chokmah, yechidah to Kether, while neschamah itself is referred to Binah.7
The Sepher Yetzirah divides the Hebrew letters into three classes of three, seven, and twelve.
Three mothers:
Seven double letters:
Twelve single letters:
The Holy Place embraces the symbolism of the twenty-two letters. The table of shewbread, the single letters. The Altar of Incense, the three mothers.
Astral spirits are those belonging to the astral plane. Such are false and illusionary forms, shells of the dead, and ghosts and phantoms. Elemental spirits are those belonging to the nature of the elements; some are good and some are evil. An angel is a pure and high spirit of unmixed good in office and operation.
In the tarot, the ten small cards of each suit refer to the Sephiroth. The four suits refer to the letters of Tetragrammaton thus:
Sceptres or Wands to Yod
Cups—Heh
Swords—Vau
Pentacles—Heh (final)
The four suits also refer to the four worlds of the Qabalists thus:
Sceptres to Atziluth
Cups—Briah
Swords—Yetzirah
Pentacles—Assiah
The honours of the tarot pack are, as it were, the vice-gerents of the Great Name, in the Qabalistic world to which each suit is referred. They also symbolize father, mother, son, daughter, birth, life, death, and resurrection.
The seventeen squares out of a square of lesser squares, refer to the sun in the twelve signs of the zodiac and the four elements.
This form of the caduceus of Hermes is that of the three mother letters placed on one another thus:
Fylfot Cross
Mother Letters Caduceus
The caduceus has another meaning on the Tree of Life. The upper part wings touch Chokmah and Binah: These are the three supernals. The seven lower Sephiroth are embraced by the twin serpents whose heads rest upon Chesed and Geburah.
The meaning of Luna on the Tree of Life is thus: in its increase it embraces the side of mercy; in its decrease the side of severity; and at the full, it reflects the sun of Tiphareth.
Tree of Life Caduceus
Third Meditation
Let the Theoricus practice the moon breath, while saying mentally the word Aum. (Moon breath is through the left nostril only.)
Let him m
editate upon the waxing and waning crescents, while visualizing a silver crescent upon an indigo background.
Let him now call before his mind the signs of the airy triplicity zgem, zlib, and zaqua and enclosed in these, let him meditate upon the numbers nine and five and therewith the forms of the pentagram and pentangle.
Let him now rise in imagination above the mineral world into the world of trees and flowers and identify himself in love and sympathy with the powers of the elements behind these.
Let him realize the mental world where mind rules over matter, and let him meditate upon the ideas of appearance and reality.
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7. Note by JMG: That is, yechidah, chiah, and neschamah are the three highest parts of the soul; the term neschamah is also used for all three collectively.
PRACTICUS GRADE PAPERS
Fourth Knowledge Lecture
The Figures of Geomancy and Their Zodiacal Attributions
Puer Aries
Puella Libra
Amissio Taurus
Rubeus Scorpio
Albus Gemini
Acquisitio Sagittarius
Populus Cancer
Carcer Capricorn
Via Cancer
Tristitia Aquarius
Fortuna Major Leo
Laetitia Pisces
Fortuna Minor Leo
Caput Draconis Dragon’s Head
Conjunctio Virgo
Cauda Draconis Dragon’s Tail
The numbers and lineal figures appropriate to the planets are:
Saturn
3
Triangle
Jupiter
4
Square
Mars
5
Pentagram
Sun
6
Hexagram
Venus
7
Heptagram
ury
8
Octagram
Moon
9
Enneagram
The magical squares of the planets are formed of the squares of the number of the planet, arranged so as to yield the same number each way. The number of the sum of each column of figures and the number of the total of all the numbers of the square, are also numbers especially attached to the planet. Thus the number of the planet Saturn is three, square nine, sum of all columns vertical, horizontal, and diagonal fifteen; total sum of all numbers, forty-five.
These numbers are then formed into divine and spirit names, as is demonstrated in that section of this book dealing with sigils.
The solid Greek Cubical Cross, the admission badge for the Path of Tau, is composed of twenty-two squares, answering to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Solid Greek Cubical Cross
The solid triangle or tetrahedron, or Pyramid of Fire, the admission badge for the Path of Shin, represents the simple fire of nature and the latent or hidden fire.
The three upper triangles refer to fire—solar, volcanic, and astral—while the lowest or basal triangle represents the latent heat.
Tetrahedron
The Greek Cross of Thirteen Squares, the admission badge for the Path of Resh, is referred to the sun in the twelve signs of the zodiac, and also in the midst of the four elements.
Greek Cross
The Cup of Stolistes, the admission badge to the grade of 3xox = 8xhx, is thus referred to the Tree of Life. It embraces nine of the Sephiroth, exclusive of Kether.
Yesod and Malkuth are referred to the triangle below, the former to the apex, the latter to the base. Like the caduceus, it further represents the three elements: water, fire, and air. The crescent refers to the waters above the firmament, the sphere to the firmament, and the basal triangle to the consuming fire, which is opposed to the fire symbolized by the upper part of the caduceus.
Cup of Stolistes
The symbol of ury on the Tree of Life embraces all but Kether. The horns spring from Daath (Knowledge), which is not, properly speaking, a Sephirah, but rather a conjunction of Chokmah and Binah.
ury on the Tree of Life
Attribution of the Tarot Trumps
Path
No.
Tarot Trump
Letter
Symbol
11
0
The Foolish Man
12
1
The Juggler
13
2
The High Priestess
14
3
The Empress
15
4
The Emperor
16
5
The Hierophant
17
6
The Lovers
18
7
The Chariot
19
8
Strength (Justice)
20
9
The Hermit (Prudence)
21
10
The Wheel of Fortune
22
11
Justice (Strength)
23
12
The Hanged Man
24
13
Death
25
14
Temperance
26
15
The Devil
27
16
Tower Struck by Lightning
28
17
The Star
29
18
The Moon
30
19
The Sun
31
20
Last Judgment
32
21
The Universe
Fourth Meditation
Let the Practicus meditate upon the symbols of the rhomboid and the vesica. Let him seek out their meanings and correspondences. Let him contemplate the symbol of ury and the number eight.
Let him now learn to control his emotions, on no account giving way to anger, hatred, or jealousy, but to turn the force he hitherto expended in these directions towards the attainment of perfection, that the malarial marsh of his nature may become a clear and limpid lake, reflecting the divine nature truly and without distortion.
Let him identity himself with the powers of water, considering the water triplicity in all its aspects, with its attributions and correspondences.
Notes on the Tarot
by Frater S.R.M.D.8
In the Tree of Life in the tarot, each Path forms the connecting link between two of the Sephiroth. The king and the queen are the correlations of the Abba and the Aima in that suit; the knight or prince answers to Microprosopus, and the knave or princess which was anciently a female figure, is referred to the bride, Kallah or Malkah.
Combining, then, the material attributions of the Sephiroth and the Paths, it results that:
0. Fool = The crown of wisdom, the primum mobile acting through the air on the zodiac.
1. The Juggler = The crown of understanding, the beginning of material production, the primum mobile acting through the philosophic ury on Saturn.
2. High Priestess = The crown of beauty, the beginning of sovereignty and beauty, the primum mobile acting through the moon on the sun.