Goddess image as the rebirth
of the Soul or Higher Self
Preface
to the electronic edition of Alan Bain's
Keys to Kabbalah (April, 1997)
It is with great pleasure that I announce the appearance of the electronic version of Dr. Alan Bain's book "The Keys to Kabbalah".
His book has circulated in a limited circle of students thus far, one of the reasons being the non-sensational approach of the author respecting Kabbalah.
The teachings of the Kabbalah form an integral part of the so-called Hermetic tradition (encompassing areas of study such as kabbalah, tarot, alchemy, astrology, etc.). This tradition has long been an influential factor behind the scenes in Western civilization and is currently gaining ground and getting the attention it deserves.
It seemed a good idea to me to make Dr. Bain's research on the Kaballah available to the student in this field, especially since his work contains valuable new insights pertaining to the tree of life in relation to the 21 stages and 32 paths of wisdom, culminating in his diagram called "Jacob's ladder".
The old Kabbalistic doctrine of emanations is clearly illustrated in this diagram and elaborated upon in the text. Also, this book may provide a key to you for charting your own progress on the spiritual path.
Dr. Alan Bain has studied, taught, and practiced Kabbalistic teachings for over thirty years and has consented to my request to publish his book on the world wide web.
He is also one of the founders of Theosophy International (TI), a new organization that promotes the study, comparison, and practice of the various esoteric teachings and traditions that currently exist in this world.
One of these practices is to rephrase old ideas from the wisdom-tradition (known under various names) into modern language and concepts.
Without the existence of TI this electronic edition might not have seen the light, as I came to know Alan better through his work for this organization.
It is my hope that the students of ~Keys to Kabbalah~ will be able to expand their understanding of Kaballah, of matters of the spirit, through a serious study of Dr. Bain's book. They may in the long run be able to contribute themselves to the body of knowledge that is offered here for free.
Martin Euser
Member Theosophy International
meuser@wish.net
PS: Alan Bain can be reached via Alan@ambain.softnet.co.uk
As is known to many students of Kabbalah, much of the information available dealing with the theory of the subject has been derived, in some cases through two or three generations, from various works published by members, or sometime members, of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The teachings derived from this source have helped many students to understand human nature and their relationship with the spiritual dimension.
Much of this teaching included deliberate "mysteries" which led many students to believe that some areas are for ever beyond human knowledge. As far back as the late Nineteen-fifties, it became clear that the subject was misrepresented. This was because, as well as the "mysteries" mentioned, the teaching incorporated inconsistencies which led naturally to conclusions not borne out by experience.
This inspired looking more deeply into the matter, and the results of some nearly forty years of work are now freely available. Originally completed in 1977, this work has circulated mostly to a few students in sections and in manuscript form, partly for lack of funds, and partly due to the reluctance of publishers to move away from the tried and tested "safe" - and usually "sensational" type of work (such as "How to make your numbers and stars work for you improve your love/sex life make you rich and able to live forever in your astral body without having to leave this one that will remain forever young send $25 per jar.")
As a basis for research, it was necessary to go back to what are believed to be the first published dissertations on the subject, namely the Sepher Yetzirah (or Book of Formation) and the text known as the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom. From these beginnings, it has been possible to build up a consistent scheme which does not incorporate an embarrassing number of "mysteries" and which can be verified by personal experience. Because there are readers who are being introduced to Kabbalah for the first time in these pages, it is necessary to start at the beginning with some elementary definitions familiar to students of any school of Kabbalah. The differences in the arrangement presented later will not, therefore, become apparent until these preliminaries have been disposed of. From that point on, however, it will be found that the teaching progresses naturally into areas which have previously been considered enigmatic or paradoxical and thence to an exposition of "Jacob's Ladder" (Genesis) which not only incorporates "ten Sephiroth and not nine, ten and not eleven" (Sepher Yetzirah) but also consists of thirty-two paths (32 Paths of Wisdom) with no serious inconsistencies or paradoxes whatever.
The keys to the Holy Kabbalah, a path of Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding, lie in the texts already mentioned, The Thirty Two Paths of Wisdom and Sepher Yetzirah. A most serviceable translation of the former is made by A.E. Waite in his book The Holy Kabbalah, and this version is used here in conjunction with the text of Sepher Yetzirah. In the diagram of the Ladder delineated in Part Three, these thirty two paths are presented according to the principle of the "lightning flash" and in doing so reveal ten Sephiroth. "Ten and not nine; ten and not eleven." At the same time, the Tree of Life is unfolded in each of the four Worlds of Kabbalah, preceded by three veils of "negative existence" and culminating in the Malkuth of Assiah. With the keys now in place, the diagram of the Ladder becomes a mine of Kabbalistic information and is, at the same time, a complete exposition of Kabbalist teaching.
For those whose understanding of the subject is small, there is
an introduction to the basic general principles of Kabbalah and
its root doctrine of the ten Sephiroth.
In Parts Two and Three, there is frequent reference to the 22 "Trumps" of the Tarot. Such attributions as have been used have not been included in all of the diagrams. This is because they can be used on at least three levels, and the simplicity of diagrams would become unnecessarily complicated by the addition of too many texts, figures, numbers and the like. For reference purposes, all attributions, of which the Tarot is a major source, are tabulated at the end of the series, apart from those found illustrating the twenty one stages of the Way, included in Part Two. The Tarot illustrations in Part Three are from a primitive source much older than those used in Part Two, and help to explain why two cards re-numbered by Waite have had the original numbering restored.
On the use of Tarot cards generally, two things need to be said.
First, their main value lies in their being an aid to understanding.
They have no intrinsic merit in themselves. The mystique of the
cards lies only in their ability to arouse a response in the observer.
In themselves, they are pieces of card with pictures on them.
As an aid to understanding, it is the picture which is important.
The titles commonly given to, or found on the cards are principally
for convenience as a means of identification. Early packs have
no such titles (as is seen in the Part Three illustrations).
The word Kabbalah is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "to receive," and Kabbalah is a teaching received. Its origins, like other similar doctrines, are obscure. It is enough for our purpose to say that its first outward appearance seems to have occurred during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Since then, a tremendous amount of superstructure has reared itself upon the Teaching from Christians, mystics, astrologers and the like. This can only be tested by study and experience. We are therefore compelled to take it as we find, and to test its validity for ourselves. It is not essential [though interesting] to establish origins, for if what we are taught makes sense in terms of our experience, then for us it is valid until further experience either confirms or denies it. Therefore, Kabbalah is given here as received, without placing unnecessary emphasis on `from whom' or from where.
Like all such systems, Kabbalah seeks to lead to Self knowledge
among those who use it. It attempts to provide answers to the
riddles of the universe and the riddles of humanity. This it does,
in part, by likening the one to the other" saying, "that
which is above is like unto that which is below." In terms
of the "above," it sets forth a description of the basic
laws of the world or the universe, and works its way, step by
step, to individual human beings and their various states of awareness.
It is a comprehensive system, and is so constructed that it can
readily absorb into itself other teachings and philosophies without
losing anything of its own character. In fact it gains from this.
The basis of Kabbalah is a diagram called the Tree of Life. It consists of a representation of ten spheres or regions systematically arranged to illustrate the patterns and relationships of things. The most important thing about this diagram is that it illustrates the doctrine of emanations, by which each sphere emanates its successor, without losing anything of itself, so that the first sphere is said to contain all those below it in order of creation.
Similarly, it is said that the last sphere contains all those
above it in the order of creation.
These ten spheres are called the ten Sephiroth, a Hebrew word meaning numbers, or better, numerations, the singular of which is Sephira.
The first Sephira is called Kether, which means Crown, and may be considered as representative of the Infinite Source of all things. From the activity of this source emanates 'Hokma, Wisdom, which, while being a separate sphere, is nonetheless still part of Kether; and Kether, although having emanated 'Hokma, has lost nothing of itself. 'Hokma in turn emanates Binah, Understanding, which in turn causes to be emanated 'Hesed, Mercy; Geburah, Strength; Tiphareth, Beauty; Netzach, Victory; Hod, Glory; Yesod, Foundation; and Malkuth, Kingdom.
Kabbalah is a Hebrew system which has been developed and expanded
by Christians and others. The important thing, however, is not
how it has developed but what it is capable of bringing to its
students. It is suited particularly for those seeking an increase
of awareness, Self-knowledge and Self-realisation.
The ten Sephiroth exist in what are called the Four Worlds. This means that Kabbalah distinguish between four states of being, from the most abstract and spiritual to the most dense and material. Rather like the Sephiroth, the Four Worlds depend from each other, but in a different manner. The first of the Four Worlds or levels is called Atziluth, or the World of Emanation. Here, creative force is seeking expression, but lacks form. In Atziluth, the Divine Source takes the first steps towards creation. If we think of this in terms of the creation of the world, then drawing a parallel with Genesis we can say:
"In the beginning the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God (or "the gods") moved upon the face of the waters."
Atziluth, then, is pure spirit beginning to take its first movements towards creative expression. It is that region where all potential lies, from where may come anything we may learn how to bring into expression, or that may be brought into expression by divine activity or "Holy Spirit." In Kabbalah, we try to make our actions and operations come into line with this divine activity, or LAW.
The next World in order is called Briah, and is described as the World of Creation. It is the region where the basic plans for the objects of creation have their beginning. From Genesis again:
"And God said 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
If there were no light or darkness we should be unable to perceive anything, whether of light we measure in wavelengths, or of spiritual light when the word is used another way. In Briah are the the seeds - and only the seeds - of differentiation. In terms of human psychology, here lie the roots of mind, the raw material from which ideas and ideals are born.
It is not until we reach the World of Yetzirah, or the World of Formation, that form, produced through force, begins to take on recognisable shape. In this region, everything that takes place can present an image to the mind. Symbols, as distinct from the words which describe them, are of great value, for they can convey concepts which, if we tried to think about them in an ordinary sequential manner might take days to formulate. An excellent example of this is the Tree of Life itself. It makes no difference whether an image invoked in the mind is of an object, perhaps remembered, or if it is pure fantasy. For this reason Yetzirah, where in human terms, all is seen in the form of image and symbol, is the most dangerous of the Four Worlds, for here fantasy is almost as real as the record of facts held in the memory.
To complicate matters, it is at this level that we mostly "live and move and have our being" in real terms: another way of saying that we spend most of our waking lives in a perpetual round of fantasies and mental imaginings, often hardly noticing our physical surroundings at all. This will help explain why, in Christian terminology, the world of Yetzirah equates with Purgatory - not a place to which we go after death to be "punished" for our crimes, but a world in which we live right now, and in which we need to "purge" or purify our lives. It is in this world that most of the work of the Kabbalist takes effect.
Kabbalah helps us to distinguish between that which is real and that which is not. From there we can begin to build a real place for ourselves in a real world, and to become real people.
The last of the four Worlds is called Assiah, the material world,
related to the Klippoth, or shells. In Assiah, all the
activity of the previous three Worlds finds its expression in
material activity, or material objects. It is also the world of
appearances, for all things in Assiah contain within them the
three worlds preceding it, hence the idea of shells, or containers.
That includes us. It is Assiah with which we are necessarily
the most familiar, and in which we seek to create order. We often
fail in this, since for there to be order in Assiah, it must first
be conceived in Atziluth. In other words, there can be no harmony
in the world unless we recognise therein the activity of the divine
influence, the Holy Spirit, or presence of 'God' - YHWH - "That-which-is,"
or "Eternal Being."
There is little that can be said about Kether, for according to tradition, those who reach it do not return to tell us of their experience. Kether is, for us, unknowable, but we may nevertheless speculate concerning it, and we may attempt to describe it by saying what it is not. Kether is Eternity, an idea expressed by its other titles, The Ancient of Ancients, the Ages of Ages and the Ancient of Days. We are accustomed to think of eternity as an infinite extension of time. Eternity, as symbolised by Kether, is the complete absence of time. In Kether, time is not.
Kether also represents the goal of all things. Time, like the things of life, is an illusion; a reflection. Being as we are, it is obvious that any spiritual condition of the nature of Kether is impossible of realisation. While we are in the body, we are subject to, and limited by, time. To exist and function in Kether, we should need a form - or lack of one - where the conditions of time did not apply. There are, however, in various ways, conditions which approximate to Kether. To explain this, it is necessary to introduce the idea of scale. It is possible to draw the Tree of Life in such a way as to give a separate Tree in each of the Four Worlds (which is seen in the breakdown of the Ladder in Part Three). Because of variations at different levels, it is essential to distinguish in the mind upon which scale we are working, and not to mix one with another, except insofar as "that which is above is like unto that which is below." (Like unto it - not the same as it). If we attempt to compare the attributes of Kether on different scales, there may be, at first glance, little that seems to connect them. At one end of the scale is the Ancient of Days - a description of YHWH, or '91God'. Further down the scale we find the divine spark in each human being. Both concepts may be referred to Kether. The Ancient of Days is like a remote and elevated deity who has the power of life and death over not only humans, but over whole worlds, galaxies, or even the Universe in its entirety, whatever that may be.
The divine spark in ourselves, which can be described as the purest part of our being, is the factor which makes us human. Without it we are governed entirely by sense experience. It may seem that there are many people who are exactly like this. How closely do we, as individual human beings, stand examination? What makes us so special if we have no such divine spark? The answer is that we do, but are not necessarily aware of its existence. Kabbalah teaches that we are in human form for the purpose of learning that we are so endowed, and to grow and develop by learning to bring the activity of Yechidah, or spirit, into the experience of life, discovering self-knowledge and self-realisation as we do so.
A little thought shows that the two correspondences given have
something very basic in common. Without the "Ancient of Days"
the world could not exist. And without the divine spark in ourselves,
we, as we are, could not exist. Consider that the search for
self-realisation is in three stages, which can be described as:
In the sense that these terms are used, it would be foolish to
assume that we have necessarily begun to do even the first of
these three, although it is a good thing to attempt to be ourselves
always, as best we may. Most people seem to be dominated by one
of the four psychological functions described by Jung: Thinking,
Feeling, Sensation and Intuition. If we are to break the ties
which bind, we must set our sights upon Kether, not some intermediate
stage, for those who wish to fly to the moon cannot hope to succeed
if they make their calculations for a point somewhere along the
way. It is in this light that we need to approach the study of
Kabbalah if our study is to be practical, and this light is a
spiritual one. Kether represents the Holy of Holies, whatever
this expression may mean to whoever uses it, for which reason
one Kabbalistic organization exhorted its members not to blaspheme
the name by which others know their god. No matter what our level
of understanding, or from what level we approach, there is always
a Kether which for us is unattainable. In any theology, God is
necessarily omnipotent and omniscient, for God is always the Crown
of Creation, Kether, which, in the words of Path Ten of the 32
Paths of Wisdom, "is exalted above every head" (as the
Kether of the World of Briah).
In 'Hokma, the source of all being in Kether has begun to move in the direction of manifestation. As with Kether, there is not much we can say concerning this sphere except by analogy. Let us consider, if we can, infinite power in infinite motion in infinite space. This may give some idea of the nature of 'Hokma. Also, we need to remember that at this level there is no such thing as time, for the conditions of limitation necessary for its existence have yet to appear. 'Hokma is undifferentiated force, whereas Kether is undifferentiated potential. In 'Hokma, this potential begins to move, begins to be realised, but unless it is limited in some way, unless it can be circumscribed or contained, nothing may be created, nothing will become manifest. A good analogy for 'Hokma is electrical energy. While much is known about this force, all that we know is known only because we are able to trap its energy by various means. We know, for example, that radio waves are carried continuously through the air, but we are unable to make use of them unless we are able to build an instrument to confine them and to channel them in a way that may be of service, as we do with a radio receiver. In a sense, then, although we may consider 'Hokma as total power in total motion, this power is equally impotent, because being infinitely distributed through eternal infinity, its pressure is equal in all directions .....
We can get a glimpse of the significance of 'Hokma when we regard
it as the "Supernal Father," as it is sometimes called,
or the fundamental male principle. In doing so, we shall see how
analogies with human sexuality are useful in understanding the
mysteries of Kabbalah. The human male is in a similar position
to 'Hokma, for like the Sephira, he bears within him the seeds
that may beget life, but if this seed is dispersed outside the
body, then no life form can be created. The human male seed has
to be contained within the human female and combined with her
seed. Even then, many further processes are necessary before there
can be a human child. Analogously, the energy potential of the
Supernal Father has to be contained within the Supernal Mother,
Binah, before creation proper can commence; equally, there are
further processes to be undergone before this creation can become
manifest, before the spiritual child is born. Here, as with all
the Sephiroth, we can see a universal Law of being applying to
all things at all levels, from galaxies to geraniums.
When we reach the Sephira Binah, we begin to be in a position to describe some recognisable conditions, although we are still dealing with basic principles. One of the symbols for Kether is the point, which in pure mathematics has no dimension. A similar symbol for 'Hokma is the straight line, which has length but no width. The relevant symbol for Binah is the triangle, and here we can see via the symbolism that the impulse towards creation begins to be confined, in the same way as the space within the triangle is confined.
Binah has been called the Supernal Mother, and we can see how this principle complements and balances the operation of the Supernal Father, 'Hokma. We can also see that the analogies with human sexuality mentioned when describing 'Hokma are in accord with the symbolism. In Binah we are getting closer to principles which we can understand in a more material sense. Indeed, this Sephira has strong associations with the tenth Sephira, Malkuth, which represents the manifest creation as we see it.
The principle that is Binah, Understanding, is the principle in everything at all levels which confines and contains within definite limits, as the space is confined within the three sides of the triangle. Hence the title, Understanding, for to understand anything we must be able to contain it within some frame of reference. Understanding is made up of two words, "standing" and "under." In this sense, Binah stands under the two Sephiroth preceding it, and receives from them the influence which it is able to contain, confine, and preserve. In astrology, Binah is associated with the planet Saturn, which has similar attributes.
We can see how Binah acts like a receptacle for the energies of the other two Supernal Sephiroth. There is a relationship here with the ninth Sephira, Yesod, Foundation, also called "the receptacle of the emanations" due to its position on the Tree of Life. In this illustration we can also see that each Sephira below Kether is thus the source from which the Sephiroth below it are brought into being. This is even true of Kether itself, for it is condensed from out of the non-substance of the Great Unmanifest, and is itself subject to the law of emanation.
Binah is the Supernal Mother, the Great Mother of ancient religion and modern depth psychology alike. For immediate practical purposes it represents the highest level of principle that we, as incarnate human beings, may appreciate. Binah, though, is on the far side of an Abyss, and we can therefore never fully realise the nature of this Sephira while in the flesh. Fortunately, we are nonetheless able to make some contact with this level at advanced stages of practical work by virtue of the link which arises between the Supernal Sephiroth on the Tree of Life and those below them. This link is called Daath, Knowledge, sometimes considered for convenience as another, _93invisible" Sephira, more properly explained elsewhere. Here we may simply say that Daath, as a Sephira, does not exist. The path of the Lightning flash proceeds directly from Binah to 'Hesed, the fourth Sephira, without interruption in its journey. As Daath is sometimes portrayed in the centre of the Abyss, we shall describe the significance of Daath before going on to the remaining Sephiroth in the order of their emanation.
(Daath is shown as the dotted circle in the diagram of the Tree)
Daath cannot in any sense be considered as a Sephira on the Tree
of Life. It does not emanate from any other, nor does it cause
anything to be emanated in its turn. Its significance lies in
the position assigned to it. Daath means knowledge, and has significance
only as a function of consciousness - but it is present only to
consciousness developing upwards towards the higher principles.
On a different scale, it is the point of contact between those
who work within the world of appearances - in groups and societies
for example - and what has been described as the "inner planes."
This term can be misleading, but so can any terminology which
seeks to describe the non-material aspects of creation, of life,
being, and consciousness itself. That there is a reality to these
"inner planes," in beyond reasonable doubt to those
with sufficient experience, but it is no kind of reality or objectivity
as we are accustomed to experience the same. Not a great deal
can be said about Daath at this point, except that it is the point
of knowledge via which hidden teachings are received. It may for
practical purposes be considered as a function of the Sephira
Tiphareth, and yet has many Binah qualities and attributes. At
the same time, it is the Throne of Binah to the developing consciousness.
It is best understood in the light of the "subjective"
Sephiroth in connection with the Ladder in Part Three.
The fourth Sephira is the highest level we can ordinarily reach
without special disciplines. The planet Jupiter is assigned to
this sphere. In astrology, it is the planet governing religion
and philosophy. For our study, more is required than ordinary
religion or philosophy can provide. In its representation of basic
principles, 'Hesed refers to the very beginnings of manifestation
that we can knowingly understand. The triangle of Binah has no
depth, and cannot therefore symbolise anything properly material,
being only two-dimensional, whereas creation as we see it is three-dimensional.
In 'Hesed we can add an apex above the triangle, forming a triangular
pyramid illustrating the possibility of movement within space
as we understand such movement. In so doing we have also introduced
time and duration. Here we have the ground plan of creation made
manifest. Here lie the roots of nature and of natural law. 'Hesed
is the principle from which these roots and this law derive their
origin. If we consider the triangular based pyramid as made of
glass, like a bottle, but with no opening, we can imagine that
the bottle fills with water, but from within itself, in a way
we cannot fathom, due to the influence of the three preceding
Sephiroth, by way of emanation. The principle of limitation established
in Binah is now at work, for the bottle can only contain as much
water as its form allows. At this level, however, we are still
dealing very much with abstract principles of emanation, later
to become manifest in Malkuth. Our bottle's dimensions are still
those of infinity. Within this bottle only is there such a thing
as time, as we understand time, and it is within this bottle that
all life subject to limitation has its origin and its being. The
bottle that is 'Hesed is of infinite size, and of infinite duration.
(Usually rendered "Mercy," 'Hesed can also mean "Benevolence"
and "Charity.")
This principle may be considered as the force which motivates to activity. It is not the activity itself, but the power which lies behind it. In 'Hokma we described the principle of undifferentiated energy. Here, that energy has been confined by the third Sephira Binah, and transformed into potential by the additional dimension developed by 'Hesed. In Geburah energy is set in motion subject to the limits imposed by the principles emanated before itself. If we consider the analogy of a car engine, we can obtain an idea of the importance of Geburah. The idea of being, i.e., that there can be such a thing as the engine, stems from Kether. The potential to drive it derives from 'Hokma. The principle of confining this energy to put it to practical use is provided by Binah, and the idea of the form it will take is established in 'Hesed. Geburah represents the principle of this energy in controlled motion, motion controlled by the activity of the other four principles. It does not in any way refer to the means of operating the engine, such as the fuel, or the spark which ignites it. It is the principle which contains the necessary energy to drive the car. The mechanics come later. Geburah represents the principle of energy in controlled motion for particular purposes, whatever they may be. Therefore the principle that we call Geburah, Strength, is true for such motion at all levels, whether it be the car engine, the revolution of the world on its axis, the power behind galactic motion or that behind human desires, all of which by virtue of Geburah are driven to perform varying kinds of activity. In astrology it is referred to Mars, the god of war - very much a business of controlled energy, with its creation of armies, weapons, and the means of delivering that energy for particular purposes, to particular targets.
Geburah is the throbbing at the heart of all things that are.
This Sephira is, for us, the most significant on the Tree of Life,
and one of the most difficult to describe. In astrology it is
represented by the Sun, the centre of our own solar system, and
Tiphareth may be regarded as the centre which holds the other
Sephiroth together in a similar manner. In Tiphareth all conflict
may be reconciled, all seeming contradictions resolved. Tiphareth
is the principle of manifest being. To avoid confusion, we must
remember that it is manifest being which is being referred
to; absolute being is a quality of Kether and the unmanifest which
precedes it. Without Tiphareth, all the principles of form and
energy which have gone before can come to nothing. The knowledge
of force and the understanding of form cannot of themselves cause
anything to become manifest in creation. In order for there to
be knowledge there has to be one who may know; for understanding,
one who may understand. There has to be finite being. Tiphareth
represents the principle of manifest being itself, at all levels,
be it the individual human being, about whom we understand so
little, the being at the centre of the universe, or at the heart
of the pebbles on a beach. Tiphareth is the heart of all true
religion, for it is the lower representative of Eternal Being,
the life of which flows like a cool stream through all that lives.
If Kether is God unmanifest, Tiphareth is God manifest. In us
it is the individual soul, also called the Self. Tiphareth is
the soul of all things. Kether is the Spirit of all things, and
Yesod, the Foundation, together with Malkuth, the tenth and final
Sephira, representing the outward appearance, is the body of all
things.
In 'Hesed we considered the ground plan of creation; in this Sephira we are concerned with the principles which enable the plan to take particular forms, according to the functions of the different departments of manifest creation. Where the Sephiroth including and above Tiphareth relate in each instance to one principle or law, those below Tiphareth all have to do with these same principles engaged in diversification of activity. If we think of 'Hesed in terms of our own world, then the ground plan of this will consist of many things whose existence, or potential existence, is implicit in that plan. Netzach is immediately below 'Hesed on the Tree of Life, and may be considered as a reflection of it. In Netzach, the principle is that which separates out the various elements in the ground plan and prepares them for actively manifesting the forms of life. In the human being this principle is related to our feelings about things, people and situations. Observation of our own experience will show that our feelings act in just such a manner, and perform just such a function. There is a continuous sequence of activity in each of us which does not cease from birth to death, waking or sleeping. We are not normally aware of this nor do we need to be, except at such times as we need to understand what we are, and how we work.
In astrology it is related to the planet Venus, and our first
reaction to any situation or event is a feeling one. That is to
say that our feelings are aroused - or not, which is the other
side of the same coin. Feelings stimulate thoughts, and thoughts
motivate action, which changes the circumstances. To these changed
circumstances we then react with suitably modified feelings, and
so the process continues, even in dreams. We may see that there
is a constant diversification and adjustment taking place within
us that is related to our desires and ambitions. The Sephira Netzach
represents this principle at several levels - diversification
and adjustment based on whatever ground plan is appropriate to
the level of action concerned. Some Kabbalists have described
Netzach as a Sephira of repetition, a view which expresses well
the circular nature of the inner human activity just described.
The diversification spoken of in connection with Netzach is a
process which continues and becomes more refined in the Sephira
Hod. Here differentiation is taken a stage further into classification
and arrangement. Most important of all is that with the development
of this principle the separate, differentiated parts of the manifestation
of spirit originating in Kether begin to become autonomous. In
Hod they are given the vital energies, as distinct from the principle
of energy in Geburah, which are appropriate to, and necessary
for them to become finally expressed in Malkuth, the Kingdom,
as distinct forms of life different from each other, although
each according to its type, or ground plan. This is so whether
that form be animate or inanimate. When parts of a fundamental
unity become separated in this way, the only manner by which they
may each recognise or rediscover their common origin is by some
form of communication of one part with another. At the same time
as the principle of Hod separates and gives life, so necessarily
does it provide a means of communication between the parts, establishing
potential relationships for all forms of life, one with another,
as well as with the common life which is the heritage of them
all. In astrology it is represented by the planet Mercury.
Yesod is the principle which represents in the downward development
of the Tree of Life as the foundation of all forms of manifest
life. It is the principle of body. All forms of life are contained
within a particular type of form according to their natures, and
Yesod is the principle of this form-giving quality. It is not
the body of things as we are accustomed to seeing them, as all
we ever see ordinarily is the outward appearance of that body,
the surface of it. Yesod represents the totality of body, from
the smallest atom outwards. For the same reason, it also represents
the motivating principle immediately behind all activity, and
like the body, is a continual reservoir of potential motion and
action, awaiting only the necessary stimulus. The principle of
Yesod is, of itself, inert, and does not initiate anything of
its own, being an entirely self-contained principle devoted to
maintaining a condition appropriate to the particular form, the
particular type of body, so that when it is required to be active
in some way it is ready so to behave. We may think of it as a
highly present, differentiated principle, localised in each particular
form of life, containing within itself all the necessary potential
for behaviour and activity inherent in all the principles that
have gone before. Vibrant with energy, very much alive, it is
prepared for whatever is required. In the human being it governs
the action of reflex, whether automatic bodily reflex, or conditioned
reflex installed through the effect of events upon the personality
as a whole. Because it receives the energies of all the preceding
principles or Sephiroth, and holds them in readiness for the consummation
of their final expression in Malkuth, it is called by Kabbalists
the receptacle of the emanations, and is represented in astrology
by the Moon.
Malkuth is called "Kingdom." It is here that the activity
of the nine Sephiroth preceding it takes shape, where the manifest
creation to which we have been referring continually is seen
to be manifest. We are told by tradition that Malkuth is a "fallen"
Sephira, and that therefore its position as shown on diagrams
of the Tree of Life is not as it should be. We can appreciate
this to a degree when we consider that in the position of following
Yesod it can only act in a very limited manner, acting in a similar
way for manifestation as the Sephira Binah acts in principle.
It represents in this place the principle which contains and confines
the energies of the Sephira Yesod, giving them a means of activity.
It is also related here to the World of Klippoth, or shells. The
principle of Malkuth at this level represents the surface of the
body referred to in Yesod; how a thing appears from its outward
appearance. It is the surface of things, the shell which contains
the elements which make up the body of things in Yesod, classified
and arranged in Hod, differentiated in Netzach, given independent
life in Tiphareth, based on controlled drives from Geburah, following
the ground plan of 'Hesed, which is contained within the framework
of such a plan by the limiting action of Binah, which regulates
the undifferentiated energies of 'Hokma derived from the need
of Spirit in Kether to become manifest. Malkuth is also called
the Bride, and it is said of the Bride that she has to be redeemed,
so as to take her rightful place upon the Throne of Binah. This
redemption is the way of Kabbalah, and the work of the Kabbalist.
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew title, Malkuth,
has, in the original language, a feminine plural ending, which
illustrates very well the proper sense of the term, for as physical
inhabitants of this Malkuth we call "Planet Earth,"
we are all shells or wombs in which may be born the expression
of the One Life, the Eternal Unity, which seeks to make of each
one of us a 'receptacle of the emanations.'
We have now described briefly the development of the Tree of Life from Kether (1) to Malkuth (10). With these basic principles to guide us, we can attempt to describe a journey in awareness portrayed as a return path from Malkuth to Kether. This begins in Malkuth and follows through 22 stages. As one is a stage of preparation, we speak in practice of 21. Here we describe the return journey as far as is practical for us, which is as far as the place of Daath. These may be described as seven steps, one for each Sephira from Yesod to Daath. (On the higher scale of the Ladder it is seen see that as we reach a stage of genuine knowledge - as distinct from theory - each Daath or Knowledge stage is transformed into a Yesod or Foundation stage for the next level or world above).
In the 21 Stages, we can see from the diagram that before we move on from each stage to the next, we first look back and consolidate the work that we have done so far, completing the various triangles which connect the Sephiroth. Broadly speaking, stages which fall directly on particular Sephiroth represent definite levels of awareness, in the same way that the Sephiroth represent definite principles. The paths which connect them represent the activity of that awareness in its development.
(The whole arrangement of the 21 stages properly belongs in the world of Yetzirah on the scale of the Ladder as delineated in Part Three. The significance of this cannot be over-emphasised).
To reiterate what has been said elsewhere, the four worlds have a direct correspondence in the Christian tradition, which may be expressed thus: Heaven (Atziluth); Paradise (Briah); Purgatory (Yetzirah); and Hades (Assiah). If we choose to equate Hades with Hell, as is sometimes done, then is this not an accurate description of the world in which we find ourselves? The classic descriptions of "Hell" leap out at us every day from our newspapers and television screens. We call it "The News."
Who is to blame for the evil conditions and events which continually take place? The atrocities and horrors of this or that war in this or that part of the world? The rape and torture of women and children? The ever-increasing ability of human beings to devise "better" ways and means of inflicting the greatest possible agony upon each other? What kind of God, many people ask, created such a world for us to inhabit?
The answer is, or course, that no kind of God did any such thing. We have created these conditions ourselves, and it is our responsibility to change them. For each one of us, the only change we can make practically is a change within ourselves. It is easy to see that this or that world leader, dictator, politician, political movement, etc., is to blame for this or that condition or sequence of events. It may be that the blame we so readily apportion truly belongs where we allocate it, but allocating blame does not change things. As long as there are human beings ready to perpetuate such evil, and other human beings who are willing to allow it to take place then it will continue as it has done for centuries.
If we are honest with ourselves as individuals, we will acknowledge and recognise that we all, each one of us - and especially ME - has the capacity for evil, possibly as great as the most evil person in history. If we have any hope at all of changing the world order, then the first and most practical place to begin is on our own doorstep, that is with ourselves.
This, according to the Teaching, is the work which we each undertake in the world of Yetzirah, of Purgatory, of Purification. One way of depicting this work is shown by means of the 21 stages.
The value of this is that it provides a practical guide to those who wish to chart their own progress without the necessity of consulting self-styled Masters or Adepts. Another advantage is that it is most practical to begin with an arrangement of what is available to us, namely, the Sephiroth of Yetzirah. What immediately follows is, therefore, a partial system of the greater teaching of the Ladder, though it can be used independently.
(While it is not vital to an understanding of this arrangement, it is of interest to consider the following remarks of Dion Fortune in her book The Mystical Qabalah, (4:12): "Concerning the Tarot cards, there are three modern authorities of note. . . . All three are different. Concerning the system Mr. Waite gives, he himself says `There is another system known to initiates.' There is reason to suppose that this is the method used by Mathers.")
It is this method that Dion Fortune adopted and published in her book. There is, however, even better reason to suppose that attributions, as published, are not that of the `other' system, referred to by Mr. Waite. One of the most widely used Tarot packs in modern use, and which is recommended to all students, is that designed by Waite himself, and faithfully portrayed by Pamela Coleman Smith. We may reasonably suppose from what he says that he was aware of this 'other' method, and that being so, he would be likely to incorporate it into his own pack. Without speculating further, it is interesting to observe that the internal evidence of Waite's designs, i.e., the pictures actually on the cards, are more in accord with the arrangement of the 21 stages than with any other published system.
For example, cards 2, 5 and 8 (when the original numbering is restored) all show figures seated between the Pillars of the Temple. No other cards show such symbolism so clearly, and all three cards connect with Malkuth at the bottom of the Tree.
Cards 1, 10 and 21 all contain fourfold symbolism of a more specific
nature. In card 1, the Magician stands in front of the symbols
of the four Tarot suits on the table. In card 10 the four Holy
Animals appear in the four corners of the card. This is repeated
in card 21. These three cards all appear on the Middle Pillar
of the Tree in ascending order (See "The Middle Pillar"
below). Card 6 joins Hod and Netzach, and shows the Sun of Tiphareth
shining behind the angel who veils it, while card 17 similarly
joins 'Hesed and Geburah, and shows the star of Kether shining
through a veil of seven lesser stars).
In this arrangement, the Middle Pillar reaches only as far as Daath, Knowledge, representative of the Supernal Triangle at the human, subjective level of awareness.* Let it be said here that all human awareness is ordinarily subjective, being even at its highest subject to infinitely more powerful laws of being shown "as in a mirror darkly."
*(We shall see in Part Three that whenever a "Daath" position is reached, it becomes, to developing awareness, the "Yesod" or Foundation of the level above, and there is another Tree to climb!)
With this in mind, we may nevertheless consider the relative significance of the development of awareness as portrayed by the 21 stages, and in particular the symbolism of the Middle Pillar upon which three major changes in awareness can occur. The stages concerned with this process are Stage 1, lifting awareness from sleep in Malkuth towards Yesod, shown by the Magician; Stage 10, raising Personality awareness in Yesod to Self awareness in Tiphareth, symbolised by the Wheel, and Stage 21, elevating Self awareness to its maximum development towards Daath, Self Knowledge, or Spiritual Awareness, symbolised by the card "The World." These three cards are the only ones (in the Waite pack) which clearly show the symbolism of the four worlds. As we proceed, the relevant equivalent location of the important stages as described on the greater scale of the Ladder in Part Three of this work will be given, and in some measure connected to their relation to the 21 stages.
In Stage 1 the Magician has available the four symbols of the Tarot suits, representing Fire, Water, Air and Earth. These may be taken to represent the tools we learn to use on our journey.
In stage 10, the Tarot card The Wheel shows the four Holy Animals in the corners of the card, each with an opened book. This symbolises the work we have to do in order to apply our learning and further our progress. In stage 21, the same Holy Animals again occupy the four corners of the card, but this time as simple representations without wings, books or other attributes, symbolising the simplicity of true knowledge.
The symbolism of these three cards, together with card 6, The
Lovers; card 17, The Star; card 2, The High Priestess; card 5,
The Hierophant, and card 8, Justice, suggests that A. E. Waite
may have had a very similar arrangement to that which is used
here before him when be designed his own cards.
A few words are necessary here, for we are dealing with an aspect of the teaching on a different scale from that of the 32 Paths outlined in Part Three. The main point in need of emphasis is that while that which is above is like that which is below, it is by no means the same thing, and that which adequately illustrates one level cannot necessarily be easily or directly transferred to another. The view from the upper deck of the bus is not the same as that from the lower, even though both share the basic principles of bus arrangement. Accordingly, the attributions of the Tarot trumps to the 21 Stages of the Way are different from those of the downward flow of the 32 Paths. There is no contradiction in this; the same tools are being used in a different manner, that is all. For example, we may use a spoon for stirring, for measuring, or for cracking the top of a boiled egg.
When, in due time, we have used the tools and completed the building of the "Temple not made with hands," we put the tools aside. This work is not a game to be played, and although "magical" symbolism is employed by the Tarot, any ideas we might get that we are in any way some sort of "magicians" with "special powers" belong to the comic books and science fiction or fantasy movies, not real life. Real life is much more clever than that.
The foundation of the Tree of Life is the Sephira Yesod. It is represented in the 21 Stages by The High Priestess, card 2. Below her are two figures; the Fool and The Magician. The Fool, in Malkuth, has yet to awaken and knock at the gate. "The Gate" is one of the titles of Malkuth. When we awaken, due to events and circumstances outside of ourselves, we come under the influence and operation of Step 1, called elsewhere "right impulse" or "good impulse" and develop a desire to seek Knowledge. In doing so, we become a "Magician," armed with the tools symbolised by the objects on the table before us. The process of awakening has begun, and can continue until we become Self-aware in Step 4. We begin to apply the virtue of Malkuth, discrimination.
Here we stand at the entrance of the outer court of the Temple,
as prepared as it is possible to be, seeking admission. Before
us are three figures, all representatives of the Temple, only
one of whom can grant admission. On one side is the figure of
the Hierophant, seated between the Pillars of the Temple. A priest,
however, cannot grant admission, for such work is to expound the
teaching in a manner acceptable and intelligible to those outside
the Temple gate, whether they seek admission or not. On the other
side is the figure of Justice, who also cannot grant admission,
for this work is to bring the unseen influences of the teaching
to those outside, and to assess the worthiness of applicants for
entry. By these two, after a manner, the candidate has already
been prepared, and stands at the feet of the High Priestess in
Yesod, who holds the scroll of the Law, and who alone can grant
admission to the outer court of the Holy places.
This is not properly the first stage in the journey towards Self-awareness. Rather is it a necessary pre-stage whereby a certain amount of preparation has already been done. As it is an absolute necessity that this preparation is made, a great deal of importance is attached to it. This takes place very much in the everyday material world, and is concerned with the body of things as it appears to unawakened awareness. It is only the body, not the soul, nor the spirit, except by reflection, and body may also be symbolised by our own planet, the Earth itself. The body is a shell, a container - in this case for the soul and Spirit which motivates it. And the world of shells or husks is called, in Kabbalah, Klippoth. It has nothing to do with any kinds of demon, except perhaps the 'demons' we are ourselves.
Here we may be compared with the figure on the card, from the point of view of the development of awareness. We are governed by what are basically bodily considerations, though we may not recognise them as such, attributing our desires to outside influences and other people.
Even at this early stage, a higher consciousness is at work in us, seeking to develop, to bring us closer to Self-realisation. This causes us in different ways, depending upon what sort of persons we are, to attempt to change direction and to make the fullest use of choice. At this stage, however, we do not know enough to do this properly. In fact we do not usually know that we do not know, often supposing that we know a great deal. We need to learn that what often appears to be decision based upon experience may in fact be no more than conditioned reflex, built-in reactions to events and circumstances, having little to do with choice on our part at all. The more our awareness struggles to develop however, the greater the likelihood of our following the path of the figure on the card. The dog at our heels represents the law which governs the direction of things, and the body of things. It is attempting to tell us to wake up and look where we are going. As generally we do not realise that we are (in relative terms) asleep, we take the unavoidable step over the cliff, and find that our previous values no longer apply; this is the Awakening - with a bump, always, and often painful.
Putting this another way, before the first step proper may be taken, we must see that we have been living our lives as if asleep, treating dreams as reality. The awareness of life that is possible, compared to what sometimes passes for it, is like the difference between sleep and waking. To begin to know ourselves, we need to see how much we have been spending our lives in a sequence of action and reaction. To see this, all that is necessary is a little honest observation of our own behaviour. The first thing is to 'Wake up' if only for a moment now and then. The key to this is observation, coupled with discrimination - the virtue of the Malkuth. Observation of action-reaction in the events of our daily lives; observation of the appearance of things. To do this, it will help if we remind ourselves as frequently as is practical, to stop. That is, whenever we remember, deliberately to interrupt the flow of action-reaction in which we are engaged, to stop and observe what is. Common sense should tell us when not to practice this exercise. We may be surprised at what we discover.
On the scale of the Ladder, this position is directly related to Path 28. The text for this path states:
"The Active Intelligence. Thence is created the spirit
of every creature of the supreme orb, and the activity, the motion
to which they are subject." By "creature"
is here understood the animal body, which has an intelligence
of its own, not the soul or spirit who inhabits it (you or I,
for example). A major realisation for us at this stage is to
recognise that we are not our bodies, but something else. The
quest for that something else now becomes our immediate concern.
Intellectually, this may appear obvious, but this work is not
an intellectual activity; not an interesting mental exercise.
It is learning to recognize our true psychological and spiritual
identities. It is about living what we do and learn.
When first we open our eyes after the Awakening, it is as though we have passed through a gate into a new and unexplored region. This stage takes us from Malkuth, the world of appearances, to Yesod, the Foundation. These connecting stages represent the activity of consciousness, and we can expect to be particularly active during this first stage. So, of course, it always is when we discover something new which invites us to explore. The hidden potential stored in the 'foundation' of our natures is ready to be stimulated into action, and will have definite effects in the real world. One of the titles given to Malkuth is "The Gate" a title also given in esoteric astrology to the sign Cancer, ruled by the Moon - also attributed to Yesod. One quality of this sign of the zodiac is that of holding tightly to that which we possess; a self-contained principle which at times can degenerate into avarice, a vice associated with Malkuth. Another aspect of this sign is what is often described as moodiness - a description of some Cancerians which may not be gratefully received. More accurately this impression is formed due to a tendency to engage in a considerable degree of reflection, often quite deeply.
The Moon, we know, reflects the light of the Sun, and Cancer is a sign which may produce people who often unerringly capture or reflect the activities and attitudes of others. This can sometimes incline to participation in some form of entertainment or theatrical activity. The important thing is that the talent for reflection can be a form of accurate imitation, although it may over- or under-stress certain aspects. So it is with us. In order to understand the nature of people, particularly of ourselves, we need to gather with crab-like tenacity the qualities which may be used to reflect and direct the qualities of the inner and deeper levels of our being, beyond the superficial appearance; to learn to know and understand both ourselves and others, and in so doing, to make improvements. The source of light at this stage is symbolised by the reflective Moon of Yesod, at the feet of the High Priestess, the receptacle of the emanations; the vast hidden potential of the Tree of Life itself, of which it is said that it has its roots in heaven and its branches in Earth.
At this stage we are particularly under, and sensitive to, the influences of psychic "moon" forces, and the tenacity and self-containment of the crab are necessary to keep our balance. This is also the very first step in the purification of awareness, and for this reason we must keep ourselves very much awake and alive to the power of the hidden potential whose energies lie before us. In the Waite pack the 'Magician' is shown with five objects, four on the table, and one in the raised right hand. This latter represents freedom of choice and action, free will, while the other hand, pointing towards the earth, represents the direction in which the power is to be employed: in the real world of living things, symbolised by the growth of vegetation in front of the table.
On the table itself are the four symbols of the Tarot: the wand, the cup, the sword and the coin. These four symbols relate directly to the four worlds of Kabbalah, and to human nature. The wand represents the world of Atziluth; in us it represents our spiritual origin. The cup represents the world of Briah, or world of creation; in us it represents our most fundamental essence, an essence of Spirit, which in its original purity is called Yechidah, recognisable by us only through Knowledge. Yechidah carries the connotation, in Hebrew, of "only child" or "only-begotten" and thus points towards a perception of the otherwise seemingly absurd Christian doctrine of Jesus as the "only-begotten" of God. The Atziluthic principle in us is called in Kabbalah, 'Hia, usually translated "life" but as it is used here is particularly related to the One Life of Kether, origin of all life and of the Tree of Life. The Hebrew word is also the root of the word for "Eve," described in Genesis as "the mother of all life (or living)." The Briatic principle in us is called Neschamah, which may be translated loosely as aspiration and ideals. So we may say that in order to perfect ourselves we must aim for union with the One Life of Kether, via Yechidah, or the spirit within ourselves, and which we truly are.
The sword represents the world of Yetzirah, and the power of reason, properly understood as the intelligence which makes us human in a way different from other creatures. It is this native human intelligence which we now must learn to use as our "sword" of truth, to separate and discriminate between that which is real and that which is not. Discrimination is the virtue of Malkuth. It is the development of this quality which has brought about the Awakening. As we now learn to discriminate between previously hidden qualities within, so we develop in proportion the virtue of Yesod, which is Independence.
Although the stages of the Way are each symbolised by the figures on the different Tarot cards, we remain fundamentally a "Fool" in different situations. The differing images on the cards represent the forces and principles which impress themselves upon us, and which we seek both to reflect into the world, and to reflect upon in our journey towards knowledge and understanding.
The coin represents the world of Assiah, of the visibly material, and is represented by what is known as Nephesh, which has been interpreted as the animal passions. The use of the word "passions" is a little unfortunate, for modern usage has distorted its original meaning. It is better to think of this principle as our animal nature, closely related to the body itself, which is the animal form within which we are temporarily confined. The important thing to understand is that in all the stages of the Way the work we do is reflected through this animal body and animal nature. It is with this nature and this body that we will give expression to the principles and forces that we come to know, and which are impressed upon us. The activity of these principles and forces will reflect through us according to our understanding, combined with the direction of the will. The energies invoked by the double-ended wand in the right hand will have to pass through the 'magician' (you or me) before they may be directed into the world by the downward-pointing left. It is therefore wise for us to note that this wand is double ended, and that the sword of reason is double sided - discrimination, in other words, is absolutely essential in all 21 Stages.
In the second stage we meet for the first time the principle of Yesod, the foundation. This might be considered as a first exploratory meeting, for the complete foundation is that of a rounded and integrated personality - a work which never ceases in life, however far we progress. The stages of personality are the first ten stages along the Way. When we have returned to Yesod a second time via stage nine, and with our feet firmly on this foundation, we may, if we are ready, take the path of the wheel in stage ten in an attempt to lift our entire level of being from personality, based on the Yesod foundation, to Self, which centres on Tiphareth. This step has been described by one school as a change in our 'centre of gravity.'
In stage two, however, we touch the principle upon which personality is based as an apparently unknown and very powerful force in our lives - which it is. In speaking of the sign Cancer in stage one, we said that it was ruled by the moon. From the point of view expressed here, we are saying that in Yesod lies the controlling power which is itself the root cause of tenacity and the reflective qualities we need. In astrology, the element of water is assigned to Cancer, and it may be said that the foundation of human personality is of a watery, fluid nature; reflective, as water at night may show the reflection of the moon in the sky, and as the moon itself reflects the light of the sun.
This illustrates very clearly an aspect of the Teaching, that the main function of personality is its capacity accurately to reflect the light of Self from Tiphareth, to which latter Sephira Kabbalah attributes the sun.
At this point it is appropriate to say something of what are called the chakras in the human body, and of the subtle body of refined matter commonly referred to in occult literature as the etheric body, or etheric double. It is called a double because, in appearance when seen apart from its denser, more material counterpart - the "shell" we have already spoken of - it is a whitish replica of the physical body with which we are familiar. This etheric body is referred to Yesod, and it is this body which separates from the shell of the physical in certain kinds of out of the body experiences, and at physical death. These experiences are commonly called astral projection, but "astral" projection and etheric projection are not the same thing. In etheric projection, consciousness is transferred to this "Foundation" body upon which the physical is molded, and is able to move around in the usual surroundings of the everyday world, which appears exactly as we see it in the normal waking state, except that we may notice a kind of white "mist" pervading everything, called by some the "astral light." This is a term which has had its meaning blurred from too much usage by too many people with not enough understanding or experience.
In "astral" projection, the contents, or rather particular aspects of some contents of the psyche, are capable of being projected onto their own plane, which may be an inner, subjective one or an outer objective level one step removed from the etheric conditions mentioned above. It is on this Yetziratic or astral level that the so-called angels and demons, etc. of so-called 'magical' operations are encountered, and it need hardly be said that such experiences are of the inner subjective variety, and in consequence not reliable as evidence of anything except perhaps the state of mind of the person experiencing the phenomena. Such experience properly belongs to psychology - but psychology is itself an important study within the Teaching. On one scale Yesod is seen as the lowest Sephira in the world of Yetzirah, and it is important to realise that in Yetzirah the products of fantasy have as much apparent reality as the record of material events held in the memory. Behind this simple fact lie the roots of some psychological or psychic disorders.
The chakras are centres of force, or energy, within the etheric body, and have a similar importance to this body to that which the organs of the physical body have in the material world. In both cases, the organs of the body are vital to existence. The first or lowest of the chakras is related to Malkuth, and the posterior pelvic plexus or nerve complex in the physical body [the Muladhara chakra]. In practice, the relationship between the etheric and physical body is maintained by these complex nerve centres throughout the physical body. Under normal circumstances the etheric centre, or chakra, appears to be interwoven with the physical nerve complex or its equivalent by very fine connections or threads of etheric substance. In etheric projection, these connections are loosened so that the etheric double may act independently of the physical, and the energy interplay which is necessary between them to maintain physical life is said to be maintained by what has been called in occult and spiritualist literature as "the silver cord." This is usually seen (when it is seen) us connecting the two bodies, either via the solar plexus centre, or the centre between the eyebrows. Some researchers however do not report such a cord, and appear to be able to function without one.
There is an aspect of the Malkuth centre which is related to the anterior pelvic plexus in the body, that is to say in the front, and this is referred to Yesod rather than Malkuth [the Svaddisthana chakra]. It is useful and practical to consider these two lower Sephiroth as two parts of a single whole.
From the point of view of the development of awareness these lower centres are particularly related to the first two stages of the Way. The main function of these two plexi and their etheric counterparts is the maintenance of the "automatic" bodily functions such as walking sleeping and breathing, as well as the excretion of waste matter. At the same time, the anterior pelvic plexus is very much concerned with the mechanics of sexual behaviour. It cannot be stressed too strongly that it is the mechanics, not the delights that are referred to. We may find in stage one, and more particularly stage two, that sexual awareness is heightened. This level is closely related to Nephesh, and our animal nature, and at this level sexual awareness is of this kind. The more easily recognisable aspects of human sexuality which we experience as excitement, but of a different kind, such as attachment to particular aspects of sex, and which stir our feelings and thoughts, do not belong here. Even so, the attraction of the Nephesh nature is very powerful, and probably accounts for more of the underlying attitudes and conditioned reflex mechanisms in the human personality than is generally realised.
As ever, the essential approach in such matters is that of discrimination and observation. The next centre with which we are concerned is the solar plexus centre, related to the Manipura chakra and stage ten of the Way; it is at this level that we, as ordinary human beings, live our lives. This life is based on personality and the four lower Sephiroth. From this point we may, when we are ready, take the step to Self-awareness and transfer our centre of being to the heart centre, related to Tiphareth on the Tree. The Indian method of mantric meditation imported into the West by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is based on a Hindu mantra related to the solar plexus, and we can see how such a method is intended to work upon a particular centre in order to strengthen it. This is one way of building a firm Yesod, a firm foundation, for when we come to stage ten, we return to Yesod a second time, as can be seen from the diagram illustrating the 21 stages. From the point of view of the Teaching, such a method used on its own has many shortcomings. It is important to us not only to be able to go somewhere, to be somebody, and to grow in awareness, but also to know where we are, where we have been and to see where we are going, or as much of what lies ahead as may be possible. This is why we have a map, called the Tree of Life, and the information necessary to interpret it.
We find it useful to know, for instance, that the Hindus have other mantras for other centres, and are thus able to put such methods into perspective in relation to the whole being, an advantage that someone who practices mantric meditation with no other experience than the mystique of an initiation ceremony in Sanskrit does not possess. [Details of these can be found in the Pelican Book, Yoga, by Ernest Wood, p. 152]. This is not to say that such a method of meditation should not be practised - quite the reverse; but it is to say that such practices are more effective when allied to a system of thought, and to a teaching. Sanskrit is the language of the mysteries for the people of the East. For the West, it is the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Kabbalah, from which tradition Jesus appeared. Having said this, it is also said that all versions of the teaching originates in one source, and that all traditions are branches of one tree. Only good can come out of a marriage of East and West. A glance at both Hebrew and Sanskrit writing still shows traces of what may have been a once common, but long forgotten, language.
After the heart centre [Anahata chakra] of Tiphareth comes the throat centre [Vishuddha chakra] referred for convenience to Daath and stage 21 of the Way. The centre between the eyebrows [Ajna Chakra] is related to that aspect of Daath which lies on the other side of the Abyss, and the Sahasrara chakra, above the head, presides over all like a crown, and is referred to Kether. In the development towards material expression down the lightning flash from Kether, Yesod, foundation, refers on the human scale to the etheric foundation upon which the human body is built. In other words, the etheric structure comes first, and the physical is molded upon it. When the physical body dies, the etheric does not, remaining for a short time the outer container for the individual within. When we first approach Yesod in stage two, we begin to touch upon this level as separate, and to feel something of its power and mystery, a feeling well conveyed by the image of the High Priestess. We are, at this point, on the threshold of the Temple, and if our work is properly done, we will be able to pass between the two pillars and approach the holy places within.
On the scale of the Ladder, this position is directly related to Path 25, the text of which states:
"The Intelligence of Temptation or Trial. It is the first temptation whereby God tests the devout."
The tarot attribution of the Empress depicts the powerful forces of life in motion. The natural impulse of this path is from Hod to Yesod, whereas we are seeking to develop against the flow, in the opposite direction to the lightning flash, and progress from Yesod to Hod. It follows that the discrimination of Malkuth and the independence of Yesod are very necessary prerequisites to attempting this stage. As we saw when describing the Sephiroth, the vital energies of life flow down into the receptacle of the emanations, the form-giving Yesod, and on this path the keyword might well be "vitality". It brings to the body the vital energies of Hod.
It is clear that we need clear heads in order to keep above the rushing waters of vitality shown on the tarot card. We learned under Hod when discussing the Sephiroth that this Sephira is concerned with classification, arrangement and communication. This is the work of step three, (see the Seven Steps at the end of Part Two). To this may be added analysis, showing yet again the importance of discrimination. We need to consider all that we have discovered about ourselves and our world, and all that we are learning still, and relate each to the other and ourselves, using the framework of the Tree of Life as our guide, until we have established a certain stability of thought and approach, which is to become symbolised by the Emperor in stage four.
We may think here of the vital energies referred to in relation to the etheric body discussed in stage two. This body has been called the vital body, and the "powerhouse`" behind our physical manifestation. Whereas we referred to individual chakras previously, we may now begin to realise that there is a continuous interplay of energies between them, and also a giving and resolving of vital energy to and from our environment and other people, so that the "astral light" spoken of in stage two is, in fact, the medium via which these energies are transmitted from place to place. Some people have an instinctive understanding of such forces, and are able in some measure to take advantage of others, and rob them of vitality. This may well be the basis of "vampire" legends, but in general is much simpler to deal with than by running around with wooden stakes and mallets.
The simplest way to deal with such a problem is, not surprisingly, to remove ourselves from the presence of whoever it is that is affecting us in this way. Even so, the following comments should be noted. Such activity takes place through the solar plexus centre, provided that the body is "open" to it. As the body is a complete circuit in itself, we may be able to protect ourselves against unwanted loss of energy (which some people can feel draining away via this centre) by closing the circuit to outside influence, making it self-contained. This is done by ensuring that the feet and hands are together, touching or clasped (or arms folded). If the feeling of loss persists, or is particularly severe, it will help to contract the muscles around the solar plexus, the muscles of the abdomen, and temporarily to hold the breath. The breath should be held where it is, that is to say, do not breathe in or out, but simply halt the breathing process wherever it is at the time. It is difficult for energy to drain away under these circumstances, though it must be said that this method is not infallible, and may not work for everyone. Such vitality loss is not necessarily due to the behaviour of others, and can be due to a simple dissipation of energy on the part of the sufferer - probably the most common cause, though we all no doubt know of people who "drain" us, and whom we instinctively avoid.
It will be appreciated that knowledge of these things is gained
by observation and experience - as is knowledge of anything. (There
is a difference between knowledge and information). To be of use,
information must be arranged, related to other information, and
communicated. In stage three we learn to do this for ourselves.
The symbolism of the Emperor is an apt illustration of developing awareness and individualisation. Hod is an active Sephira, and we may recall to advantage the aspects of Hod previously referred to of analysis and classification. To quote from the previous section on Hod, "the differentiated parts of the manifestation of spirit originated in Kether begin to become autonomous." So at this stage it may be seen that we have come to the place where our own integrity, honesty (the virtue of Hod) and individuality begin to find real expression and importance. Because of this we find in practical work that people progress fairly quickly through the first three stages into stages four and five. The real difficulties begin in stage six, for by this time we shall be moving away from our own egocentricity towards more universal principles and qualities of Self.
The figure on the card is very impressive, in royal robes, carrying orb and sceptre and seated on a throne; but the symbolism may not appear so glorious as first impressions suggest when we observe the territory which is ruled over. It is a realm of rocks and mountain peaks. This is the place of the rationalising intellect. There is a fascination about intellectual capabilities which can take hold of us, and we may find that a love of classification, categorising and rationalisation, while being necessary to our appreciation and learning, can hold us back and delay our further development if we engage in it for its own sake.
We need to avoid the temptation of substituting intellect for understanding, and information for knowledge, else our environment may become as sterile as the rocks which surround the emperor. If we succumb to this temptation we may sink into smug complacency, unlikely to develop further.
Usually, however, having reached the heights of intellect, the very satisfaction with our own progress is likely to provide a spur, for who can resist an occasional glance, or even several glances, at the spot from which they began? Indeed, at this stage we are in a position to use what we have learned, and to place it at the disposal of others following behind, which we can begin to do in stage five. Before we move on though, we should begin to appreciate the deeper function of intellect, namely the ability simply to sit, like the emperor, and watch in silent contemplation.
One the scale of the Ladder it is represented by Path 24, "The
Imaginative Intelligence." True contemplation is indeed an
imaginative process - and constructive - but there is no cause
for complacency.
This card is called in some packs "The Pope," and the figure on the card is in a position of great respect. So we feel ourselves to be at this stage. We have progressed considerably since we began, and are aware of it. In learning to use our intellect to the best advantage we find ourselves able to discourse, and to be listened to, by those who have not travelled so far. Perhaps, however, we seem a little pontifical and condescending to them. Although we may feel this to be justifiable, for even as far as we have travelled (it is not so very far) the way has not been easy - but we have no cause to be smug.
Even so, we are well equipped to be of some help at this stage to those beginning their journey by being able to see clearly some of the conditions which apply en route. Looked at on the diagram of the 21 stages, we see that this stage links the Sephiroth Hod and Malkuth, and we are now in a position for the first time since we began to establish where we are by reference to two other points, much in the same way as a navigator of a ship at sea might take bearings to get a "fix" on the ship's position. Many people linger in this stage for some time, valuing the stability which can be achieved here. Some become identified with their new condition, and slide quietly along the direction of the arrow towards Malkuth, applying their new knowledge solely to the material side of life, finding that greater appreciation of the laws of action and reaction is of value in their everyday lives. They do not seek to travel further, nor should they feel that they must.
Higher Self-awareness is not for everyone, and those for whom it is may not need to pursue it immediately when stage five has been reached, though they may well take up the journey again after a longer or shorter interval. If we feel inclined to go no further, or simply to take a break, then stage five is a good place for us to pause, whatever we may do later.
Nonetheless, all are advised to persevere as far as stage five of the Way, for this stage takes us back down to earth, to Malkuth, where all our work takes place, whatever we do.
For those who go on, however, Step two of the Seven Steps remains
to be consolidated, and there is one more stage before this is
done. For most of us it is the stage where the road begins to
climb uphill, and we need to go twice as fast just to stay where
we are. This is stage six.
This card shows very clearly our state at this time. It is here that we begin to feel the power inherent in our own feelings; the strange quality that lies in intuition and the glamour attached to sex. It is a very different kettle of fish from the orderly regulation of the neat "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not" of the intellect. The guidelines of stages four and five seem of little value here, yet we shall find that we need to refer to them again and again.
We may discover that we are reluctant to undertake this part of the journey. Finding ourselves half way across this path can become alarming - we can begin to swing between intellect and feelings like the unregulated pendulum of a crazy clock. Here we first begin to make the decision whether to go on or turn back, and it may seem that it is as difficult to do the one as it is to do the other. Make a choice we will, however, for the immediate goal of our journey now begins to be visible in the distance as we become dimly aware of the possibilities before us. This is illustrated by the symbolism on the card. This stage is the Path which joins the Sephiroth Hod and Netzach, and if we look at this path we see that the Self of Tiphareth, the very centre of the Tree, stands immediately above us, like the light behind the figure in the illustration. If we become aware of this to any appreciable degree, we shall go on, for we become aware that the voice which calls us onward is our own, calling from deeper levels of being.
The figure on the card is handsomely attired, shaded by a glowing canopy, and the horses are two sphinxes, one black and one white, perhaps similar to the Chinese Yin and Yang in intent. The chariot has no reins, and the sphinxes are very firmly sat down, unlikely to go anywhere. This does not appear to disturb the charioteer. It is easy to see that the fool who began the journey, now a charioteer, having escaped the austerity of the intellect, needs to relax for a time in the gentle glow of feelings, discovering new delights in appreciating the environment in terms of intuition in contrast to the mental gymnastics which are encouraged by intellectual pursuits.
We may tend, at this stage, to use our "canopy" a little too much to shield us from some of the unpleasant aspects of reality, looking at the world to some extent through rose-coloured spectacles.
To begin with, in stage seven, this is quite natural, and also quite necessary, for it takes a little time to assimilate new experiences of feeling-based events in life. Not that we did not experience such things before, but now they become more conscious.
Throughout the first three Steps, in fact, there is nothing new in our lives other than that we begin to experience more of the events of life consciously, with the difference in attitude that accompanies such activity. Indeed, it is our very awareness that is being developed, to the point where the seat of consciousness is transferred, in Step four, from the personality, or little ego, to Self.
After a greater or lesser degree of relaxation in stage seven, we begin to realise that we are in the position of being "all dressed up with nowhere to go." We soon find that we can apply this awareness for the benefit of those following behind us on the Way much as we did in stage five. This we begin to do in stage eight.
On the scale of the Ladder, stage seven is related to Path 23, "The Stable Intelligence."
When, in stage five, we were able to help those behind us, we were able to do so only in an intellectual manner, classifying and analysing information, pigeon-holing the particulars of our understanding. To do the same thing from a feeling-based approach is not so straightforward, except that by lending a sympathetic and understanding ear, we can sometimes be of more service than in any other way, simply by virtue of experience and the watchful use of intuition.
There is also a tendency at this stage to judge or assess other people, feeling how they fit into the pattern of life, comparing their condition with our own and profiting by the comparison. We may also, as may be obvious, fall easily into negative criticism, particularly if our feeling nature receives a few knocks. We can avoid this danger, if we are wise, by putting our experience and understanding to good use, an activity which brings its own reward.
Gradually, as we come to terms with our feelings and come to understand the powerful effect that feeling as such has in the world around us, even though it is, for the most part, unconscious, we gather to ourselves the knowledge gained by means of our intellectual capacities, together with the limited experience of our instinctive roots, and the understanding of the conscious awareness of feelings (and feeling itself).
We can now begin to work towards Step Four, in which we hope to become truly Self-aware; but first we must consolidate our position and establish a firm foundation from which to take such a major step. This we shall begin to do in stage nine, attempting to bring together Knowledge (Step Two) Understanding, (Step Three) and Being (Step One). For any major change in awareness to occur, these three factors always combine to provide the necessary impetus, as we can discover for ourselves.
In this stage,we take the final steps to establish our foundation - Yesod, towards which Sephira we now return - and the first part of the preparation necessary to reach Self-awareness.
The figure on the card shows a wise man, with the staff of knowledge
and the light of understanding going forward alone to establish
true being. Now we are necessarily alone for a time, and we withdraw
from instruction, from seeking experience in our environment,
stepping out unaccompanied, using the light we have gathered in
these preparatory stages to guide us. We are getting closer to
Self, and we look inward more deeply than before in order to integrate
the personality attributes of intellect, feeling and instinct,
making of ourselves a unity at the lower level of being, so that
we may rise to the higher level of Self. We have experienced each
of the three lower attributes separately and applied this experience
to ourselves and to our environment. Our task in stage nine is
to weld this experience together in a "whole" personality
and thereby complete a solid foundation on which to build further.
Prior to discovering Self, or to be more accurate, unveiling Self, this stage is the most important of the first ten. Here is the opportunity to transcend personality and to begin to realise Self. We find that this is not so easy, for the gate into Self is narrow, and we have to pass through the veil that shrouds the light of Self, shown symbolically behind the High Priestess in stage two, and by the wings of the angel in stage six. To make the transition from personality awareness to Self awareness requires sacrifice. The word sacrifice is used in the spiritual sense of transmutation or change, and not in the sense of "giving something up." We may need to change our attitudes to some most dearly held ideas, ideals and illusions. The personality experiences the cleansing light of Self examination, so that it may be a worthy tool for the use of Self.
Habits die hard, and this truth is demonstrated here. We may find that we have to follow the path of the wheel around the instincts, intellect and feeling many times again, discovering and integrating parts of personality that we previously overlooked before we are in a condition to enter into the heart, where Self resides. In a sense we are back at Path 25 on the scale of the Ladder, "The Intelligence of Temptation or Trial, by which God tests the devout."
Attitude attracts environment. Think about this.
Many remain at this stage for a long time - sometimes for years - without much ambition to go further, being satisfied with a firm foundation and a rounded and integrated personality which brings them true independence - the virtue of Yesod.
There is no "fault" in this. They have achieved more than some of us who are still buffeted by the winds of circumstance.
To enter the next stage, and to take the next Step of the Way requires simple devotion. The ties which bind awareness to personality must be loosened and let go, personality left behind (but by no means forgotten or lost) so that we may discover Self as unadorned as a new born child. It is a Step, and a devotion, that demands the firmest of foundations and a great deal of courage.
If we choose to go on, we shall need to adjust our attitudes,
desires and ambitions in terms of Self awareness, terms which
we do not, cannot fully understand, for we see "As in a mirror,
darkly," and we must take Self on trust. Given the courage,
we can do this, for the Self that we seek is no stranger; it is
the Self which we are, and the personality which we are not. Personality
is simply the means through which Self finds expression, which
it has in fact been promoting all along, except that we have not
been aware as Self, being identified with various aspects
of personality.
The Tarot card "Strength" is the most subtly representative of balance in the whole of the Tarot. It shows a simply dressed woman bending over a lion and holding its jaws. There is no coercion or exertion; no domination. The lion appears quite calm; the woman is in command. This card symbolises Self-control - i.e., control by the Soul, or Self; control, in fact, of the lower levels governed by Yesod and personality. Nowhere is seen the fierce determination of the fanatic. The woman [soul] is serene; the lion [personality] is obedient.
This is precisely the relationship we shall find with personality when we discover Self. We become aware of freedom and clarity. Someone once described this condition as being like a day in the country after it had been raining. Everything is sharper and clearer. Here we can no longer fool ourselves about what we want or what we are. We may ignore what we see, but we can never ignore the fact that we have seen it.
Some approaches end with the discovery of Self, for when Self is discovered, we have found the expression of Heaven within. Some, however, will want to explore the new-found condition.
Those who go on seek to take the journey three major Steps further. In order to truly know Self, we first discover Self, and then learn to be Self. We investigate and integrate the parts of Self much as we did with personality. There are problems of Self to be resolved, and we shall need to resolve them. After this comes the realisation of Self, in the way that one "realises" assets by putting them to practical use. Before we continue - if we so choose - we pause here and consolidate what we have learned.
The next journey is a quest for Spirit, both human and divine. If we are determined to persevere, we may learn to converse with angels, to come to know and recognise the spiritual presence in the Creation.
On the scale of the Ladder, this stage is represented by Path 22, the text of which states:
"The Faithful Intelligence. Spiritual virtues are deposited
and augment therein, until they pass to those who dwell under
the shadow thereof."
When we have taken so great a step forward as we do in becoming Self-aware, it is not only natural but very necessary that we consolidate our position by reference to what has gone before, in order to have a clear idea of our whereabouts. In this stage we establish this by reference to the analytical and critical faculties of the intellect, below us in Hod.
The figure on the Tarot card is suspended by one leg over a pit, with a kind of glow, or halo, around the head. We can see that the view of the intellect regarding Self and Self-discovery that we had at stage four was, after a manner, quite upside down. We were able to see that Self-discovery would require sacrifice of some kind, but that we viewed sacrifice as being a loss. We can now appreciate that we have in fact gained considerably; that the power of intellect can now be a pure force, like the halo on the hanging figure; a force and a capacity that we are able, possibly for the first time, to use consciously, without identifying Self with our thoughts and ideas.
For we are not our thoughts; we have thoughts. We can also see how incomplete we were during the first ten stages. We are able to use intellect, to observe our thoughts as separate, individual events that are part of our experience of life.
In life there are two kinds of events; outer events, which take place in the circumstances of our environment, affecting us to a greater or lesser degree, according to their importance to us, and inner events which take place within us - such as individual thoughts, or complete thought processes - which interact constantly with the outer events.
Now we are able to observe these processes, both inner and outer,
without being too easily identified with any type of event or
circumstance. One of the lessons we hope to learn in these further
stages, which are stages of Self-awareness in the search for Self-realisation,
is how to choose. For this we shall need a clear and watchful
intellect, which can only be so if we have ceased to identify
with it.
Before we can set out to tackle the higher levels above Tiphareth, we must establish a sound feeling base to balance the intellect. In this stage, therefore, we look back toward Netzach and stage seven.
The feeling based person, as distinct from the intellect based person, senses the significance of the change which takes place when Self is discovered, and while we are at the lower level, such considerations can arouse the unconscious aspects of life at which most of us prefer not to look. We fear them as unknown, and associate them with a kind of death. To reach Self from feelings involves wandering among these unconscious elements, seeming to pose a real threat to consciousness itself, a walking through the valley of the shadows. We now see that we have, after a manner, experienced death of a kind. The person we were before is gone forever, and although traces may remain, we can never return to that person and identify with personality as we did before. We are not feelings: we have feelings. By making conscious use of feelings and thoughts through awareness of Self we can use the personality in the service of later stages.
The death symbolism is two-fold here in the same way as the previous card, were we to slide down this path and re-identify with feelings, it would be a kind of death to our newly-awakened awareness. Some Christian symbolism is described as seeking "salvation" (Tiphareth in Kabbalah) from the direction of feelings in stage seven. Likewise, the concepts of "rebirth, wrestling with sin, death and the devil" often take this approach. But personality in stage seven, or for that matter any of the lower stages, is incapable of doing these things. It can only affirm the intent and devotion to the ideal. The battle against evil can only take place from the level of Self, where the individual is with and in "Christ," and "Christ" is in the individual. "Christ" comes from the Greek word, `to anoint' (as does "Messiah" in Hebrew) so that to be "in Christ" is to be in a state of spiritual anointing. "Christ in us" is simply one way of saying that we have received a spiritual anointing from a higher Source.
Netzach is one step higher up the Tree of Life than Hod, and is the nearest we come to Self from the lower stages. Also Netzach receives an influence direct from the central Tiphareth, coming down the lightning flash. Truth has not passed through so many filters, and the feeling based person seizes upon feelings as a means to Self-discovery more readily than the intellectual, who has to analyse and classify truths before acknowledging them. The drawback for the feeling person is, of course, that the intuitional perception of truth does not exempt anyone from development of the intellectual aspects of personality in order to balance and understand experience. The Self-aware person, looking from Self at the feeling nature, is able to realise that, close as feelings are to true Self they are still only a possession, and an equal part of personality together with the other parts. The card "Death" now symbolises the possibility of ascendancy over fears of death, for when we have found Self we are open to contact with the Spirit.
The clarity that Self-awareness brings can, as we progress, make the unknown known. We can discover that we are both immortal and eternal. The body dies; but we are not bodies. We have bodies, that is all. They are the means whereby we are able to localise awareness in this world in order to gain experience.
We may now start out towards the first of the deeper levels beyond
Self, in which Self has its being.
We now prepare to set out, gloriously Self-aware, towards the level of desires. "Desires" here speaks of the most deeply rooted needs of our being, having nothing to do with what we like or dislike, which is an aspect of the feeling-nature of personality in stage seven. The card portrays an angel pouring water from one cup into another. It is a card of beauty, and the angel has great sweeping wings. It is maintained that death does not change our fundamental being, and we shall discover that becoming Self-aware does not change it. It does change much of what we possess (although not all of that, as we may be ruefully aware). The change that has taken place on reaching Self-awareness is that we now live from Self, being able to use our personality instead of living from it, subservient to its impulses.
Our basic nature is not changed, and becoming Self-aware only shows us more clearly what we are fundamentally, for good or evil. By far the largest problem, and probably the only real problem which confronts us in living from Self is pride, the vice of Self, and the only "original" sin. It is natural for us to be proud of our achievement, and to see that we are eternal beings with a heritage of truth. The image is true, so far as it goes, but we must put our heritage to good use, however eternal the soul, and we are not angels - yet.
The figure on the card pours water from one vessel into another
- a somewhat futile procedure. We cannot hold on to what we have,
and simply enjoy our new capacities to our own advantage, for
we have to learn that this is not the function of the human being
in the world, even though we see so many doing this. The Tree
of Life does not end with Tiphareth, but with Malkuth. The work
we have undertaken leads eventually (for those who can go this
far) to an understanding of how we may bring the spiritual element
into the affairs of Earth. For this reason,a path is shown on
the card leading either to or from the light (in the Waite pack).
The choice is our own. Its successful conclusion is the taking
of Step Five.
The level at which desires operate can be quite terrifying. Beyond the level of Self-discovery we begin to come into close contact with deeper forces which motivate not only ourselves, but whole armies of selves, and entire departments of nature. Pride may tempt us to identify at a Self level (unfortunately this is quite possible) and claim these energies for our own. We are apt to say, "My desires," but this level belongs at the same time to all of us and to none of us. The levels of instinct, intellect and feelings also belong to all, but these are levels of personality, functions of being, and are in fact reflections, in the personality, of Self. Above us are deeper levels of Self, and levels beyond Self. The possessive pronoun "my" properly belongs to personality and has no real place among the qualities of Self, nor may it properly be applied to Self. So long as we cannot discriminate at the level of desires, so we are chained to desire, as are the unfortunate couple on the card, who are chained to a stone upon which sits the devil. So long as the fires generated by desire can engulf us, we have cause to be afraid.
The devil has no objective existence, as popular myth would suppose, but represents the peculiarly human tendency to humanity's worst vices, hence cruelty is assigned here. In the Semitic languages from which the concept derives, "evil" is understood as the evil disposition in human beings.
If therefore we pray, "deliver us from evil," then the Aramaic-speaking people who gave us this prayer would have understood it in the sense of "separate us from [our own] evil inclination." According to psychology, one of the most common methods of dealing with fear is to explain it away, and here we may be tempted to do this.
Intellectualising, however, does not work above Tiphareth, for we have to know what we are; what we may safely do with such power as we find at this level of being. Yet the Sephira Geburah, which is related to this stage (and Step five) is representative, at the higher level, of the Sephira Hod, immediately below it on the Tree of Life, which is its reflection, and called the sphere of intellect in stage four.
Stage fifteen, however, requires a much higher degree of this principle, which has been spoken of as watchfulness. It also represents the faculty of reason - not the same thing as intellectualism. To understand this level and function according we need to be able to hold our awareness - our Self awareness - still, unmoving, letting the forces flow around us, so that we may know them for what they are without being swept along by them into situations which we cannot control. Mostly by this time we are able to control our reactions to outer events quite well, and it is the inner situation which requires our attention. Attention - we need to attend, to be watchful. Attention - we need to attend, to be present.
At this stage may find that life will present us with considerable temptation to demonstrate how holy we have become. Also, we shall see that life will present us with truly "diabolical" situations; situations where we must choose, yet at the same time where we seem to have no choice at all. Only those who have seen something of this level can fully appreciate this, for the conflict that rages here rages within the soul and has little to do with outer circumstances. These merely throw us back on ourselves - possibly very hard, but no harder than we should be able to deal with. At this stage, we begin to look for the deeper level of being which transcends Self, and we begin to appreciate that we are terrifyingly and wonderfully not Self, but Spirit.
On the scale of the Ladder this stage is represented by Path 21:
"The Rewarding Intelligence. It receives the divine influence,
and influences by its benediction all existing things."
Now there's something to think about . . .
This card, like some others, has a double significance. The images on the card show clearly the effect that occurs if we presume to claim deeper forces for our own, instead of seeing their influence working in us and through us, instead of coming to terms with them and working in line with them. If we persist in holding on to cherished notions which have little relation to reality and truth - both inner and outer truth - we shall find that life will knock us hard, and even harder, until any false positions we attempt to maintain (from pride) are seen to be false. The truth, however unpalatable, has to be accepted. It is only the top of the tower which falls, and it is only our pride which will be hurled down by the lightning flash. The rest of the tower is intact. This is one way of saying that however hard we may seem to be hit, it is only our identifications which have to go. The work we have done up to this stage cannot be undone and we remain Self aware beings, if somewhat wiser.
It can happen, however, that unable to relinquish our identifications, we find ourselves going down the path that joins Geburah and Hod, landing back at stage four, except that we bring with us the power of Self. We could in this state become quite formidable intellectuals, but the energy which gives this power is misplaced, and although we may have excellent Self control, we are in an unbalanced condition, as there is no equivalent power for our feeling nature in Netzach to use. If, in such a state, we are to continue, we shall need to circumnavigate the whole of the lower triangle of personality once more, distributing the power of Self among the attributes of personality, so that we may climb up again from a firmer foundation. If, however, we are able to avoid such identifications, we can set out towards 'Hesed, via stage seventeen.
This card shows a naked woman, representing the soul, with a brilliant star shining in the background. Like the angel of card fourteen, she has two vessels of water, but unlike the angel, she is pouring one on the earth and the other into a pool. Gone are the glorious trappings of card fourteen. Here we must be as we are, not as we would like to appear. This stage shows the beginning of Self-realisation. Devoid of trappings and identification and attachment with lower levels, relatively humble, we are able to use in a constructive manner the truth we have been given. Some of the water is poured upon the ground. That is to say that we may use what has been given to us outwardly, in the world. The rest of the water goes into a pool. That is to say that we also apply truth inwardly towards higher and deeper levels, allowing it to work within us in the same way as the water poured upon the earth may work outside of us.
The star of Kether shines in the background, and intimations of Spirit are strong, in the same way that the star of Tiphareth shines behind the lovers in stage six, where intimations of Self are strong.
We still have much to learn at this stage, except that we begin
to learn by doing, with less emphasis on watching, which should
now be second nature to us. Here we begin to be open to spiritual
energies, and to transmit them to those behind us on the Way.
Both this card and the card which follows it are certainly misnamed in this arrangement. The significance of card eighteen has to do with the card as a whole, and if we compare the symbolism with what we know of the Sephira 'Hesed with which it is associated, we shall see that it presents highly relevant symbolism. This is the level of origins. A primeval creature crawls out of the waters. Two ancient stone pillars stand silent in the landscape, flanking a pathway, well trodden but primitive, leading to a far off place. Two hound-like creatures are howling at the moon, apart from which all is still as night. Here are the roots of the elements and the roots of physical form. Here, we meet the passive but powerful mind aspect of nature. Here, we are in contact with the power of mighty Mother Nature herself, and subject to her dominion.
Here, we come to terms with natural law and find our place within it. This level, like the one before, will not allow us to identify with it nor to claim it as "mine." If we attempt to do so, then we shall be subtly but firmly removed to a lower place to learn differently. Natural law surpasses human laws and conventions. Human laws are only workable so long as they are in accord with it. Human law may legitimately restrict the movement of nature in ways which are in keeping with the needs of a time or place, but it cannot countermand natural law. We can place buckets in the rain to restrict the flow of water upon a particular spot, but we cannot stop the flow and, if the rain is heavy enough, no amount of bucket-placing will prevent the ground from becoming soaked.
Here we learn to bend with the wind, like a blade of grass, to go, consciously, where it is necessary for us to go, and to do, consciously, what it is necessary for us to do.
On the scale of the Ladder, this stage is represented by Path 20:
"The Intelligence of Will. It prepares all created beings,
each individually, for the demonstration of the existence of the
primordial glory." Wow!
As with the previous card, there is more here than just the sun which forms a part of it. Here we see what may happen should the feeling which this level arouses cause us to identify with the forces of nature. We are in danger of slithering into a warm "summer" glow, returning, blissfully unaware of what is happening, to stage seven. Lulled, perhaps, by a false sense of security (due to pride) in the presumption that we have conquered nature. The fall, though gentle, and not at all disruptive in the way that card sixteen depicts, is every bit as devastating.
We will bring to the level of feelings in Netzach all the power of Self, finding that we can appear to sweep away obstacles almost by wishing them gone. But this is the other side of the coin shown in card sixteen, and in the same way we shall have to go round the lower triangle once more to re-establish our equilibrium.
In the tarot card this is shown by the soul, in the form of a
child, being carried by the horse, representing the forces of
nature. The rider has no reins to guide the horse, and goes where
the horse takes it. The light of Self is left behind on the other
side of the wall, although it still shines over it as does the
sun on the card. The lesson here is to be able to move with natural
forces without being carried away by them.
This card portrays the angel of judgement calling forth the dead
from their graves, symbolising the last stage before we complete
the realisation of Self. The judgement which is made is the judgement
which we make upon ourselves. All loose ends are tied up here.
Any remaining problems are dealt with. All buried impulses, identifications
and attachments are brought to light. Our house is put in order.
In this stage we can walk through the valley of the shadow without
fear, dealing with each ghost as we meet it, integrating what
we find in the deeper levels within us, and whatever we receive
from higher levels above us, and emerge at the other end of the
valley whole and complete, entering into the state of grace which
is called here Self-realisation. This stage is equivalent to stage
nine of personality development shown by the Hermit, but at the
higher level of Self. Here we complete our Self foundation in
order to take the step towards Spirit, as in stage nine we prepared
the ground to take the step towards Self.
Our journey is almost complete. We have built our foundations
and are able to stand in direct contact with the power of Spirit,
ready to become spiritual beings when we are called from the other
side of the Abyss. At this stage the meek truly inherit the earth,
and we can become a direct channel for the power of the Spirit.
The first three steps are steps of personality, as are Stages
one to ten. The remaining steps are steps of Self and Self-awareness.
The first stages in Step One are taken once the Awakening has
begun. These are represented by cards 0 to 3. In the beginning
stages up to Stage Ten we are attempting to build personality
into a stable foundation upon which the greater awakening to Self
and Self-awareness may be begun. The first Step is the beginning
of a Foundation upon which we build our understanding on the journey
towards Self-awareness, Knowledge and true Being. As a result
of a certain amount of preparation in life, the desire is stimulated
towards Spirit. This first step opens the Way towards freedom,
independence and self-expression. Yesod is the ninth Sephira on
the Tree of Life. Its virtue is Independence; its vice, idleness.
In astrology, Yesod is represented by the Moon. At Step One our
level of being is governed by and related to the anterior pelvic
plexus, governing the organs of generation, whilst the posterior
pelvic plexus, governing the organs of evacuation, may be referred
to Malkuth. In the chakras of the subtle body, these are represented
by the svaddisthana and muladhara chakras respectively.
At this level, our minds tend to be dominated by sex and materialistic
considerations. In the quest for realisation this step is the
arising of the right desire, or right impulse, the starting point
which leads on to Step Two by means of good intention.
The second step of the Way is where we come to a decision, through
reasoning, concerning the desire for real freedom. Here we apply
the intellect to the matter of growing towards spirit, and we
adopt or discover a system to follow. Hod is the eighth Sephira
on the Tree of Life.
Its virtue is Truthfulness. Its vices are Falsehood and Dishonesty.
In astrology it is represented by the planet Mercury. Here we
have no doubt about the Way, for it is in line with our intentions
and conviction. We have realised that we can go further.
In the second three stages during step two, we are strongly affected
by the "vital" or "vitality" energies of Nature,
sometimes considered to be analogous to the prana of Eastern
schools. In the subtle body it is represented by the solar plexus,
a little higher than the navel, and is called the manipura
chakra.
In common with the psychologist Jung, it is important to mention that purely Eastern systems of development are unlikely to be suited to the temperament of people in the West. Jolande Jacobi, in The Way of Individuation (Hodder & Stoughton, 1967) tells the story of a Western man who spent six years in an Eastern monastery, but had to leave as he could not find what he needed. On his departure he was given an exquisitely wrapped gift. When opened, it proved to be a beautifully bound Bible.
The level of being in Step Two is basically that of Step One,
except that we are now better able to appreciate the nature of
the human personality.
The third Step of the Way. During this stage, continual help is
being received from outside influences. Here begins to be formed
within us a centre from which we may build permanently in order
that Self may become manifest in us. The glamour of, and attachment
to possessions is very strong. We need to cultivate humanity and
humility. Netzach is the seventh Sephira on the Tree of Life.
Its virtue is Unselfishness; its vices are Selfishness and
Lust.
At this point, we must make a definite effort to realise the nature
of love, represented in astrology by the planet Venus. The level
of being at Step three is basically what it has been since we
began, except that we now begin to develop a conscious desire
to raise our level of being to a more permanent state, developing
the heart centre, or anahata chakra as we proceed.
The awakening of Self. The Fourth Step of the Way. Before this
can become permanent, there is a time of preparation and testing.
The voice of Self is heard, the impulses of Self become known,
and we are gradually given the opportunity to see ourselves as
we are. The rest of the journey will need all of our qualities.
If we continue further, we can be united after Step Four in a
manner not easily described. Having permanent centres, these centres
are linked in Eternity, and we are truly "members, one of
another." Tiphareth is the sixth path on the Tree of Life.
Its virtue is Devotion; its vice is Pride.
In stage ten, we have our being in the region of the solar plexus in the body, there being continual interplay be