by Frater L.M.
(Sun, Nov 14, 2010 7:27 pm)
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
In order to move into the sphere of Hod, two paths had to be taken: Shin and Resh. Shin explains the trials of fire of the first degree, whereas Resh allows the solar currents to flow in balance through the Muladhara (Yesod). The effect of performing Resh is balancing the elemental currents, helping the aspirant to fulfill the task of controlling the physical plane. The pathway of Resh, on the other hand, may have a very important part to play in Yesod. Since the objective of the first degree is to fill the moon (Yesod) with the light of one’s star, the Sun, the pathway of Resh and the ritual in Liber Resh has a crucial connection to this effect.
In contemplating the subtle effects of performing Resh, I’ve been struck by the way in which the spheres of the Ruach are involved in this act. Let us stand in Yesod for a moment and see what happens when the light of Resh flows through the psychic channels into our foundation. If we stand in Yesod, and face the East looking at Tiphareth. The air elemental flows dominant, as it is the element of the 6th Sephira, in which Sol resides as well. The Egyptian god corresponding to this sphere is Ra, and it makes sense here to salute Ra in his rising.
We say:
“Hail unto Thee who art Ra in Thy rising,
Even unto Thee who art Ra in Thy strength.”
Now, the strength is an attribute of Geburah, which signifies “strength” and it is connected to Tiphereth through the path of Lamed which is also ruled by air. Geburah is sending the energy from Binah downward into Hod, and from there to Yesod through Resh. Therefore, at this moment we are facing and calling into us the forces from Tiphereth and the left side of the Tree.
At noon we face the South in Malkuth, and with the element of fire dominant we call thus:
“Hail unto Thee who art Ahatoor in Thy triumphing,
Even unto Thee who art Ahatoor in Thy beauty.”
Here we are facing the right side of the Tree. Netzach means “victory” or “triumphing”, and it corresponds to the element fire. The Sun in Tiphereth radiates both to Netzach and Chesed above it. Chesed receives the solar flow from Netzach (the triumphing of the upward moving current) and directly from Tiphareth, hence the “beauty.” The Beauty and the Triumphing both intersect in Chesed. In this ritual we have so far called the forces of all three sides of the Tree in the Ruach.
At dawn we face the waters from the West like this:
“Hail unto Thee who art Tum in thy setting,
Even unto Thee who art Tum in thy joy.”
Here we face the water element that comes from the path of Mem as the unifying force of Ayin and Lamed. Mem’s Egyptian deity is Tum, and it’s symbolized by the Hanged Man, the dying god. This is the setting of the Sun, and Tum is the god that signifies the completion of creation (thus connected to Lamed which is the completion of the Great Work). Tum is said to have created from his own semen or his tears (through masturbation, love of his wife, or searching for his children), hence the joy of the adoration. Notice here the connection to Ayin (eye) which is also the conduit of semen and the tear of Tum.
At midnight we face again the right side of the Tree, but this time we receive the forces of the pathways like we did during the setting sun:
“Hail unto Thee who art Kephra in thy hiding,
Even unto Thee who art Kephra in thy silence.”
Here we are saluting the path of Nun supported by Yod and Keph. Nun is the fish who swims under the waters (after the Sun set in the waters to the West). Nun is death. The arm and hand of of the supporting paths move the sun towards rebirth, and Yod happens to be the element Earth and contain the power of invisibility.
Finally, through all these adorations we repeat the following:
“Tahuti standeth in the splendor at the prow,
Rahoor abideth at the helm.”
Through the adorations we have been drawing from each of the sephiroth of the Ruach, and their activating paths. With this last verse, we address Tahuti while he stands in Hod (Splendor) through the path of Resh, and Rahoor who abides above him in Geburah. Thus we acknowledge the downward current from the waters of Binah mixed with the solar currents of Tiphareth as it emanates its radiations towards the left hand currents.
It’s amazing to contemplate here how Tahuti (the god of magick, science, writing, and scribe of the gods in charge of bringing gnosis to humanity) stands here in Hod in his mercurial nature. In a higher level, Tahuti also resides in Chokmah. It is clear, however, that Hod contains in a lower manner the attributes of Chokmah. When we look at the corresponding chakras, we see how in the downward current of the male sexuality, what transpires in Agna (Chokmah) affects and gives life to what happens in Swadhisthana (Hod). In both there is an aspect of mind which activates the flow of creation and magick. The higher receives the current from the Crown to produce the “I Am”, the first creative impulse that manifests as Hadit. In the lower sphetre, the current that flows from Tiphareth through the path of the Devil activates that mechanism that generates an erection. It also explains how thoughts originates (the words of the mental activity). However, there is a second path that comes to Hod from above. That is the energy from Binah that descends through the path of Cheth and then Mem. These waters bring down the gnosis of understanding from the Great Mother, Binah. If Binah has been impregnated by the Father (Chokmah), she changes from AMA to AIMA (the Yod adds the creative seed that comes from Chokmah to the waters that reflect already the Father and the Creator). Therefore, the descending current contains not only the waters from the Mother, but also the creative seed from the Father, thus generating gnosis if the lower mind of Hod is capable of receiving it, does not waste it, and if the paths of Cheth, Mem, and Ayin are clean and open. This explains why the lower sphere of Hod contains in a lower way the elements found in the higher sphere of Chokmah. Thus, “as above so below,” and “the Son is the Father.”
The effect of Liber Resh on the Ruach explains in part how the Foundation was laid during the man of Earth degree, opening the pathways and activating the spheres that will be worked with during the degree of the Lover, hence “the trials of intellect.”
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater L.M.
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Further thoughts on Liber Resh (continued)
(Sun, Nov 28, 2010 2:41 am)
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
While performing Resh, feeling and meditating on the fulness of this ritual, the following has been coming through lately.
Ra and Ahatoor are addressing the five Sephiroth of the Ruach, as I wrote about in a previous email. Tum and Kephra seem to deal with the paths that connect these Sephiroth. In each case, however, Resh addresses mainly one path in each side of the Tree.
Tum is centered around Mem, which means water (the active element at sunset) and it is connected with the Egyptian god Tum. In the psychic body, Mem corresponds to Apas, the silver crescent used to represent Swadhishtana Chakra, which is the chakra activated while doing Resh at sunset.
At midnight, we center the ritual on Nun. Nun is associated with the Egyptian god Kephra. It is the Atu Death, which is associated with Scorpio and the Mulhadara Chakra, the one activated during the midnight adoration.
Mem has the value of 40 and Nun 50. Together they form 90, which is Tzaddi (or the “fish-hook”, that which is used to capture Nun). Notice how Tzaddi connects Yesod to Netzach, while on the other side of the Tree Yesod connects to Hod through the path of Resh. Thus, the Moon (Yesod) is being filled by the light of the Sun (Tiphereth) through these two paths when the Ruach is properly activated.
Now, when we add the values of the Sephiroth of the Ruach, 4+5+6+7+8, we obtain 30. Lamed (30) is the balance, Libra, and at the same time it serves as the Ox-Goad that brings down the supreme and silent consciousness of the Fool (the Ox of the first Path). Through the balance of these spheres of the Ruach we set in motion the descent of the supreme consciousness.
If we add 30 to the value of the main paths active in Resh (though all paths connecting Tiphareth with the Ruach are active and play a role, there is one in each side which would be the “conciliating” force of the other two as a previous email proposed), we obtain 30+40+50=120. The letter Samekh adds up to 120, and it is the path from Tiphereth to Yesod. According to Liber LVIII, 120 is also the synthesis of the pentagram (1x2x3x4x5=120) and therefore key to the 5=6 ritual.
This analysis in conjunction with the one where I analyze the effect of Liber Resh on the Ruach further points to the immense value of this ritual in establishing the proper Foundation of the Great Work by bringing the light of one’s Sun to the Moon, and is that not also the work to be realized later by the Lover at a higher level? The work of the Lover can then happen because the suitable groundwork has been laid by the man of Earth.
Love is the law, love under will.
In service,
Frater L.M.