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Post by Zimmer101 on Oct 18, 2015 20:02:15 GMT
Ahh golden Your entries are so "timely". I wish I could sit down and participate in all the string tying and bookending, but there's things to do that I'm already ignoring lol. "22" does correlate in a very interesting way, mainly with the year 2022 and its connection to that "33" which always sticks out like a sore thumb! So how many people know the story in its entirety? Obviously the original "author", and perhaps the protagonist, since in order to play the role an actor must be aware of the script. The illusion is always in the separation.. The part about the staff symbolizing communication or a message is very apt. Combine that with the image of a serpent, which can mean knowledge and wisdom.. A staff, chosen to represent both the act of receiving knowledge and wisdom, as well as the knowledge and wisdom "itself". This serpent staff that I keep in my possession is an allegory all in itself lol, not that I really "use" it for anything, it's more of a memento. One more thing: The concept of a royal road or path comes up often enough that it can't be ignored. Isn't it always said that the greatest kings weigh their power, wealth, and influence through non-material means? The "medium" through which I most often work also includes a "Royal Path" known as "Raja Yoga". With yoga generally meaning the act of "Union", this can be thought of as a "Royal means to Union". The practices, explanations, and meanings behind certain terms have been kept mostly secret throughout the ages, this secrecy is not meant to be a permanent state of affairs however. Here's a quote from a well known teacher "shri shailendra sharma", this relates to the topic as the ultimate goal and aim of Yoga is essentially identical to the alchemical and esoteric arts of the world. This also relates to the transmission and continuation of various traditions that protect and uphold the most important teachings of humanity. These teachings should not be cast about, made public, or posted on telephone poles.. Instead they should be carefully, responsibly, and equally disseminated. This is the original defining factor of the Yoga tradition. "All these traditions are somehow related to the Nath tradition. After all, they were the original yogis! The problems have arisen out of recent attempts to create groups or organizations around yoga teachings. That is not acceptable. It has compromised the gravity and beauty of this art."
Q: "Guruji, in the olden times, was it not like a sect? It was still called Nath samapradaya?” ['samapradaya' commonly means a group]
Guruji: "See, samapradaya means 'to give equally' -sama means 'equal', pradaya means 'to give'. Basically to teach what we have learned ourselves. Now if you are teaching equally, you’d have to follow the strict discipline, along with all the pledges. These days it has nothing to do with teaching equally. Now it means a cult or a group.
"Now yoga traditions were the only true samapradaya, because if you don’t teach what you’ve practiced, how would anybody learn? It was never about creating followers, or have disciples lie at the feet of the guru, getting kicked around, in the hope that one day guru maharaja would wake up and with one blessing turn their life around.
"And the guru would know that if he told the disciple whatever little he knew himself - some mantra or something else - then the disciple wouldn’t give a damn about him anymore. So they’d continue to keep it a secret. This is exactly what has happened in most tantric traditions.
"There have been so many cults around Bhakti (devotion). Why do you think that the only display of power was done by people who started these cults, and not by their subsequent followers? That is because they used to practice something else and taught their followers something else.
"Only in yoga one teaches what one practices, and that is true samapradayikta, whatever be its definition today. Otherwise, the standards could not be maintained. This approach is nowhere else. Even Yogananda didn’t teach what he himself learned.
"The teachings should never be trifled with! Nobody is born such a genius that they could better the results arrived at by the old masters. After so many austerities and hard work they extracted the essence of these techniques and passed down that essence to their future generations. Why be a wise-ass and corrupt that knowledge? Only if you follow the instructions exactly as given you'll get the results, not otherwise.
"That’s why there aren’t so many yoga traditions, only a couple. There are many meditation groups, but they are not becoming yogis. Only when you follow the yogic way of life with all its discipline, and then someone tells you the mysteries of these teachings, the awareness will develop.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 19, 2015 0:27:49 GMT
I AM CALLED LAMBSPRING, BORN OF A NOBLE FAMILY, AND THIS CREST I BEAR WITH GLORY AND JUSTICE.And 'Lambspring' is, of course, Aries... our Magician... As well as the 'twin aspect' of Venus, which is Mars... opposite ends of the same 'stick', or 'baton', I suppose... Speaking of which, this is where our 'Devil' comes into the picture. Astrologically, the card of the 'Devil' or 'Evil' is allocated to the planet Mars, while Venus rules the 'Good',- or you might say, 'energy/Mars' and 'rest/Venus', which provide us with our 'Good' and 'Evil' existing in one 'body', but as two 'opposite' forces, which is, in fact, our expected 'Abraxas'. Mars and Venus, combined... with the obvious connection of 'Mars' with the 'Devil', or the 'Ruler of the Underworld', let's say... And if we cast Venus in the warlike aspect of her twin, Mars, as a 'Devil', or 'ruler of the underworld', you have... Hel... Which reminds me of something else... I think there's a knot in this darned string... Just call me 'Lambstring'... lololol... But siriusly, there was a reason that I chose to edit this particular little post, and that has to do with the opening of the "Book of Lambspring" that I reproduced for you, above. And, there was a reason, I suppose that I chose to include that particular bit of prose with my thoughts in regard to the 'Fool', and the Number One card belonging to the 'Magician'. Did you know that an alternate title for the 'Fool' was, at one time, 'The Alchemist'? Not the 'Magician', but the 'Fool'... Yep. It was. And they say that it has to do with the 'foolishness' that was then ascribed to the 'practice' of 'alchemy' by men that were generally regarded to be 'fools',- that's what they say. Personally, I believe that there is another, and more truthful, reason for the association of the 'Fool' with Alchemy... I believe that the four items that are subsequently laid out on the table of the 'Scientist' or 'Alchemist' or... 'Magician', are the same items (tools) that are carried by the 'Fool' in his satchel that makes up his only 'worldly possessions',- which satchel is described by one author as a "curiously embroidered wallet". That's kind of funny. To continue the same author's remarks in regard to this character: The edge which opens on the depth holds no terror; it is as if angels were waiting to uphold him, if it came about that he leaped from the height. His countenance is full of intelligence and expectant dream... He is a prince of the other world on his travels through this one - all amidst the morning glory, in the keen air.
The sun... knows whence he came, whither he is going, and how he will return by another path after many days... Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card... Now, remember the painting of Venus that I showed you, in which she is being upheld by angels, after having obviously fallen... or leaped from a height? Oh, Benny, she's really keen... She's got electric boots... A mohair suit...And, about that 'stick' that the 'Fool' is swinging his 'wallet' from... and its use as a medium for 'communication,- do you remember Aaron's "rod"? The 'message' (which indicated the 'approval' of a certain 'candidate' for a certain 'position') was communicated by the fact that the candidate's stick not only 'greened', but 'blossomed'... Blossom... lol... Ooops... wrong 'blossoms'... I think I'll dance... And that 'rod' was contained within the 'Ark'... so that it could be 'passed on', I wonder? Like a 'baton'... It is, at least, an interesting contemplation... just kind of 'fun' to think about. As is the additional fact that the wand, it seems, has not much relation with 'Time', per se... and, as an extra bit of 'serendipity', it may indicate that the one that 'bears the wand' was, 'born out of time', as I have remarked is possible in a previous post... At one time, the first five days of the month were considered to be days 'out of time', for some reason. Generally, the say that the 'Fool' indicates the 'flesh' or the 'sensitive life'... a life in the 'flesh', and if he is a 'prince of the other world', just where is this world, if not here, in the 'flesh'? His dress, demeanor, and appearance all indicate that he is not a 'beggar'... merely a 'vagabond', which may or may not have been his 'free choice', although I have a feeling that, this time, at least, it was... It is also known by the name 'Le Mat', or, 'The Mate'... And, Dr. Papus' "Tarot of the Bohemians" is extremely Kabalistic in nature, taking much from the Hebrew... The 'bohemians'... must be Hebrew, somehow...? Well, that's... funny... As a noun, it denotes "a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices". That works... And, as a verb, it indicates "living a wandering or vagabond life, as a Gypsy". Not is a 'Gypsy'... AS a 'Gypsy'. There's a difference, obviously. It's the 'vagabond' connection that is important here, I think... See her dancing on the edge of a precipice...? At any rate, our 'Fool' can probably be said to be a true 'bohemian'... If nothing else. Oh, yes... there is one more 'observation' in regard to our 'Fool' that I would like to leave you with this morning; I should be able to add tomorrow afternoon, due to other circumstances which will interrupt my regular work schedule this week. I hope to use the time to advantage... I might have done more this morning, but I do enjoy the music, and the time spent in 'contemplation'. It just seems important... to 'reflect', so to speak, on what I've picked up so far. For instance, this passage, upon further 'reflection', has gained an increasing significance, which may seem 'small', and yet, as it turns out, it may turn out to be a real 'game-changer', after all... you just never know, do you? It (the 'Fool') is also known by the name 'Le Mat', or, 'The Mate'...The reason that this is important is explained in part, by the statement made in "The Kybalion" in regard to the initiate that wishes to 'PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE' (and the capital letters are their emphasis, not my own, so I assume that it has a 'large' importance)... and the 'game' that keeps recurring in this symbolism is that of... the game of Chess. The game of royalty, or kings, coincidentally... I call to witness the moves made by Alice in her trip through the 'Looking Glass' which was, on reflection, all described as moves across a 'chessboard', until she was finally 'crowned'... And, as a second example, I call to mind one of the 'engravings' from the movie, "The Ninth Gate", in which a king and a 'beggar' or 'fool-type' character appear to be playing a game of Chess, with the remarkable feature that none of the spaces are 'marked'... I have made my own remarks as to the significance of this card, within the context of the series in which it is presented, and which presents further odd 'connections' with our Tarot deck. Now, let's tie up this 'string', by saying this... that in a game of Chess, the winning moves are marked by the statements, "Check"... ...and "Mate". Le Mat... Which may still be a Black Jack, after all... Good morning... I have to be up and going early this morning, since I've been 'summoned' for jury duty; it's a two-hour drive, and I'm hoping for the best. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I took a chance, and bought a ticket yesterday for the state lottery... I didn't have enough money yet to put 'time' on my phone, so I couldn't really call in to win them. On the bright side, I haven't been able to 'post anything on the telephone poles' for a while, eh? Lol... that ought to re-assure 'Zimmer's master' temporarily... and that name, if 'memory' serves, bears some relation to another word I know... let's see... this one,- Tzimtzum, which is kind of a funny word. It's Hebrew, and the fact that he added '101' kind of sounds as if somebody should be getting 'schooled,' so let me tell you what I know about that. It relates... Tzimtum... a term used in the Lurianic Kabbalah to explain his new doctrine that God began the process of creation by "contracting" his Ein Sof (infinite) light in order to allow for a "conceptual space" in which finite and seemingly independent realms could exist. This primordial initial contraction, forming a Khalal/Khalal Hapanui ("vacant space", חלל הפנוי) into which new creative light could beam, is denoted by general reference to the tzimtzum. In contrast to earlier, Medieval Kabbalah, this made the first creative act a concealment/Divine exile rather than unfolding revelation. This dynamic crisis-catharsis in the Divine flow is repeated throughout the Lurianic scheme.
Because the tzimtzum results in the "empty space" in which spiritual and physical Worlds and ultimately, free will can exist, God is often referred to as "Ha-Makom" (המקום lit. "the Place", "the Omnipresent") in Rabbinic literature ("He is the Place of the World, but the World is not His Place"). In Kabbalistic interpretation, this describes the paradox of simultaneous Divine presence and absence within the vacuum and resultant Creation. Relatedly, Olam — the Hebrew for "World/Realm" — is derived from the root עלם meaning "concealment"...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TzimtzumIt is further interesting to note the presence of a 'hidden Sephiroth', which is referred to as Da'ath... which can be interpreted as a 'hole' or... 'abyss'... Now, this next part is interesting, since it also 'relates', on another 'level', with everything that I've been talking about, so far, if you can picture it... I believe that it explains a lot... Tzimtzum describes the first step in the process by which God began the process of creation by withdrawing his own essence from an area, creating an area in which creation could begin. Shevirat HaKelim describes how, after the tzimtzum, God created the vessels (HaKelim) in the empty space, and how when God began to pour his Light into the vessels they were not strong enough to hold the power of God's Light and shattered (Shevirat). The third step, Tikkun, is the process of gathering together, and raising, the sparks of God's Light that were carried down with the shards of the shattered vessels.The vessels were not strong enough to hold the power of the light... the 'cup' needs 'tempering', and I believe that the success of this 'tempering' process is described by the symbolism of the card known as 'Temperance'... A winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon his forehead and on his breast the square and triangle of the septenary. I speak of him in the masculine sense, but the figure is neither male nor female. It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice. It has one foot upon the earth and one upon waters, thus illustrating the nature of the essences. A direct path goes up to certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above there is a great light, through which a crown is seen vaguely. Hereof is some part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his incarnation. All the conventional emblems are renounced herein.
So also are the conventional meanings, which refer to changes in the seasons, perpetual movement of life and even the combination of ideas. It is, moreover, untrue to say that the figure symbolizes the genius of the sun, though it is the analogy of solar light, realized in the third part of our human triplicity. It is called Temperance fantastically, because, when the rule of it obtains in our consciousness, it tempers, combines and harmonises the psychic and material natures. Under that rule we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going.www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/pktar14.htmSee the flags, or iris, which represent the tresfoil... and as far as 'wings' go, I prefer to believe that the these 'winged' 'men' that are represented as angels, are actually more like the winged men shown by the Assyrians, and referred to as 'gods', and the 'wings' (whether real, or imagined in symbolism) indicate that they possess an ability to 'fly', in some way. There is more to this 'pouring from one vessel into another' than meets the eye, of course, and to suggest that this, in and of itself, constitutes a further act of 'alchemical science' seems unnecessary, but I will, because, once again... that really is what this is about. A 'process'... one which is entirely 'scientific' and 'lawful' in nature, that will result in the 'repair' of that which was 'broken'... 'all will be redeemed', isn't that what they say? And speaking of alchemy, it is further interesting to note that if our 'Lambspring' denotes a 'marriage' of sorts, that we have another famous 'alchemical' tract on the subject, which should be familiar to most of you by now, titled, "The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosencruez". Generally attributed to the 'school' known as 'the Rosicrucians', this work is interesting, but not much understood for its symbolism, I wouldn't think. I've quoted from it before, to a small extent, as it seemed to 'relate' at the time. Now, I should just say here that, while I believe that the 'information' to which I am referring can, and should, be applied on a 'personal' level, in order to be effective, I don't know that I can't say that if the 'principles' or 'laws' are applied equally, why they might not be 'successful' for anybody that cared to apply themselves to the laws so set forth... which is the real 'beauty' and 'magic' of the 'scientific process', if you ask me. I recognize, in other words, that it might be you, astraea, or zimmer... or anyone else... that is able to successfully complete the 'process' that is necessary to bring the desired 'repairs' to the vessel(s), which will bring us to that end of 'perfection' that we seek,- whether or not that 'perfection' is of a more 'personal nature' or perhaps carries with it a more general significance. And I think that would be pretty wonderful, either way... And, as I've also said before, that would tend to indicate that it could just as well be me, you know... if I were able to 'understand' and 'apply' the principles that have been 'outlined' by those with greater understanding, over the years. I don't say that it is, either way... how could I? But what I do say is that it is possible... either way... and that some fine day, it Will be. Surely, you can all allow for that much... Well, I should get back to the subject of the 'Fool' at least one more time, and that would be to mention the 'feather in his cap'... even that has some bearing on the subject, I'm sure. The feather, may relate to the 'winged' persons that we just referred to... of which, the Mayan Quetzalcoatl was surely one. 'Feathered Serpent'... maybe... And, the Egyptians (if we are to find our 'origins' there) used the Ostrich feather to symbolize Maat, or Truth and Justice, which surely applies to the situation at hand. Further, the 'feather' symbolism finds an echo in North America... Symbolism of feathers often refers to ascension and spiritual evolution to a higher plane. Feathers were worn by Native American Chiefs to symbolize their communication with Spirit, and to express their celestial wisdom. Also in the Native American Indian culture, feathers represented the power of the thunder gods, along with the power of air and wind.
Native American Pueblo Indians would pay homage to the Feathered Sun which is a symbol of the cosmos and the center of existence. Another symbol meaning of feathers also revolves around prayer, and the Pueblo use feather sticks as they dance in prayer for rain during solstice rituals.throughthehealinglens.com/photo-feelings/symbolic-meaning-of-feathers/Oh, and... you can leave your hat on. It's 'full of stars', right (H)Al...? Lolol... I should be going. I'll try to check in later, since I need to get started with our 'magician'... speaking of hats... Up and 'Attis'... lolol... Perfect... this one will bring us back to our 'Magician', after all... Oh, and about Attis; that is a rather interesting story, in and of itself. It seems that Attis 'ended his life' by having 'emasculated himself' beneath a pine tree,- for which reason, the pine tree was given 'eternal life' as an evergreen (which also goes a Good way toward explaining your 'Christ-mas' celebrations). But this really just begs the question of "Why?" Why would a 'god' (or the 'son' of a god, at least) undergo this sort of 'transformation', if there were not a 'good reason' for doing so? And, what in the World would that reason be? The only thing that I can come up with is that he needed to 'turn himself into a woman'. And the procedure described above is one way to describe such a 'process', I suppose... the only way that it can be done to most people's knowledge, anyway. And, if the 'man' died on the 24th, that means that it was the 'woman' that was 'born' on 'Christ-mas morning', doesn't it? And that also goes a long way toward explaining the 'nature' of the celebrations, which were 'elaborated' on by European royalty that, I assume, were 'acquainted' with the myths... I will have to assume that this 'process' was also symbolic in nature, but that the 'fact' of the transformation is the root 'truth' of the story. And that fact alone becomes moderately provocative in the face of the remaining points of the story... we can illustrate this one with some 'Queen' music, I think... wow, that was Bob Dylan... Well... and 'Mercury' was, of course, a 'messenger' of the gods... At any rate, about that 'Rosie'... Roses and lilies... I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valley...I think I know which valley. 'Hidden Valley'... Lololol... So, do you doubt the analogy that I just gave with the symbolism? How about this, then... There is a figure shown, above their head, which is 'figure 8'... this is meaningful, of course, but how does it 'tie in' to the information above? I will quote this description of the card for you... A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the figure 8 in a horizontal position. About his waist is a serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail. This is familiar to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here it indicates more especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit.
In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth. This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries; it shews the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from the things above and derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit... Beneath are roses and lilies, the 'flos campi and lilium convallium', changed into garden flowers, to shew the culture of aspiration. This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in the liberation of its union with that which is above...
With further reference to what I have called the sign of life and its connexion with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad". The mystic number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy Spirit, and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of Christ. Of course, I also see a 'garden of talking flowers', but... what do I know? They tell her she's just a 'weed'... pretty much a 'nobody'... I want to say 'thanks' for the great music... to whoever is responsible... you know I 'love' this one... and I just wanted to point out the little commercial spot that precedes it, titled "The Seed and the Moon". It's really quite good... there's a vine, and a message on a telephone pole that says, "Dream Big". It was worth watching... which brings me to an old tune that I just can't help playing next... a request, you might say...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 19, 2015 1:18:50 GMT
Ahh golden Your entries are so "timely". I wish I could sit down and participate in all the string tying and bookending, but there's things to do that I'm already ignoring lol. "22" does correlate in a very interesting way, mainly with the year 2022 and its connection to that "33" which always sticks out like a sore thumb! So how many people know the story in its entirety? Obviously the original "author", and perhaps the protagonist, since in order to play the role an actor must be aware of the script. The illusion is always in the separation.. The part about the staff symbolizing communication or a message is very apt. Combine that with the image of a serpent, which can mean knowledge and wisdom.. A staff, chosen to represent both the act of receiving knowledge and wisdom, as well as the knowledge and wisdom "itself". This serpent staff that I keep in my possession is an allegory all in itself lol, not that I really "use" it for anything, it's more of a memento. One more thing: The concept of a royal road or path comes up often enough that it can't be ignored. Isn't it always said that the greatest kings weigh their power, wealth, and influence through non-material means? The "medium" through which I most often work also includes a "Royal Path" known as "Raja Yoga". With yoga generally meaning the act of "Union", this can be thought of as a "Royal means to Union". The practices, explanations, and meanings behind certain terms have been kept mostly secret throughout the ages, this secrecy is not meant to be a permanent state of affairs however. Here's a quote from a well known teacher "shri shailendra sharma", this relates to the topic as the ultimate goal and aim of Yoga is essentially identical to the alchemical and esoteric arts of the world. This also relates to the transmission and continuation of various traditions that protect and uphold the most important teachings of humanity. These teachings should not be cast about, made public, or posted on telephone poles.. Instead they should be carefully, responsibly, and equally disseminated. This is the original defining factor of the Yoga tradition. "All these traditions are somehow related to the Nath tradition. After all, they were the original yogis! The problems have arisen out of recent attempts to create groups or organizations around yoga teachings. That is not acceptable. It has compromised the gravity and beauty of this art."
Q: "Guruji, in the olden times, was it not like a sect? It was still called Nath samapradaya?” ['samapradaya' commonly means a group]
Guruji: "See, samapradaya means 'to give equally' -sama means 'equal', pradaya means 'to give'. Basically to teach what we have learned ourselves. Now if you are teaching equally, you’d have to follow the strict discipline, along with all the pledges. These days it has nothing to do with teaching equally. Now it means a cult or a group.
"Now yoga traditions were the only true samapradaya, because if you don’t teach what you’ve practiced, how would anybody learn? It was never about creating followers, or have disciples lie at the feet of the guru, getting kicked around, in the hope that one day guru maharaja would wake up and with one blessing turn their life around.
"And the guru would know that if he told the disciple whatever little he knew himself - some mantra or something else - then the disciple wouldn’t give a damn about him anymore. So they’d continue to keep it a secret. This is exactly what has happened in most tantric traditions.
"There have been so many cults around Bhakti (devotion). Why do you think that the only display of power was done by people who started these cults, and not by their subsequent followers? That is because they used to practice something else and taught their followers something else.
"Only in yoga one teaches what one practices, and that is true samapradayikta, whatever be its definition today. Otherwise, the standards could not be maintained. This approach is nowhere else. Even Yogananda didn’t teach what he himself learned.
"The teachings should never be trifled with! Nobody is born such a genius that they could better the results arrived at by the old masters. After so many austerities and hard work they extracted the essence of these techniques and passed down that essence to their future generations. Why be a wise-ass and corrupt that knowledge? Only if you follow the instructions exactly as given you'll get the results, not otherwise.
"That’s why there aren’t so many yoga traditions, only a couple. There are many meditation groups, but they are not becoming yogis. Only when you follow the yogic way of life with all its discipline, and then someone tells you the mysteries of these teachings, the awareness will develop.
And this is why I ought to just follow the 'path' of 'molecular biology', I think... I'm not very disciplined. And no... I don't think it is at all necessary for the 'principal' in the story to understand the story at all... at least, not in the beginning. I almost believe, as a matter of fact, that that might actually serve to negate the eventual 'ending' of the 'story',- you see, this person is 'innocent', or without 'motives' attached to his 'movements'... the point of the 'fool', in a way. And yet, with not much more than a 'belief' or 'faith' in an ultimate 'happy ending', so to speak, he manages to 'tie a perfect string'... with his 'feet' no less... almost as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do, although it ran counter to everything that Achilles knew about string-tying, as well as the 'Central Dogma' of Zen Strings... So, are you saying that you have more pressing business, tying yourself up in knots? Lolol... And, as to this... This also relates to the transmission and continuation of various traditions that protect and uphold the most important teachings of humanity. These teachings should not be cast about, made public, or posted on telephone poles.. Instead they should be carefully, responsibly, and equally disseminated. I fully understand the importance of what it is that you are saying here, except that... when it finally makes 'sense' to somebody... then, it must be that time... And, if it is that time, then it is probably time to say so... You would think that if one were really interested in sharing what they'd learned, in order to 'share equally' this great, 'Good News', which is the culmination of these mysterious and arcane teachings, such as your 'Yoga' practices and teachings, that they would welcome the additional 'light' that might be shed in some of these 'darker corners' of theology and philosophy. They're all related, of course... and, this has ever been the 'duty' of those who are blessed with even a small measure of understanding in these matters,- to share it with at least those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see. In that regard, it has been said in the past that "The guardians of certain temples of initiation who keep watch over the mysteries have (so far) no cause for alarm"... and, so far, at least, that has been true. If I am wrong, then you obviously have nothing to fear from my modest 'disseminations' on the subject; if, however, I am right, then it may be that these 'guardians' now have some cause for alarm, after all... A fire alarm... Lolol... The number 22... and a master year, '22' in number... And speaking of Foo Fighters, how about that...? Of course, it's always good to 'see' a 'familiar face'... Hay, there's "Swingtown"... and that reminds me of another 'principle'... the whole 'what goes up, must come down' thing, and by reflection, 'what went down, will surely come back up', eh? Lololol... I was painfully unaware of your sore thumbs, or the whole "33" thing which you say is protruding in some similar manner, except to say that an 11 and a 22 make a 33... and that's just simple deduction on my part. It is a shame that you can't take part in the tying up of strings, for sure, since 'knots' seem to have some particular place in the process, and I have a feeling that you're fairly familiar with that aspect of it, at least... and as to your 'ignoring' other things at the expense of bookends, I wouldn't worry about it, my friend... there is not much, so far, that has managed to escape your attention(s), I think. Lolol... At any rate, it was not for the 'old masters', evidently to 'accomplish'... but to 'oversee'... and as wise 'overseers', they did not divulge certain things, in order to assure the eventual successful completion of the 'term' necessary for development, and growth, as well as information related to 'identity' which needed to remain unknown, until those 'proofs' could be provided. And, further, when that time is done, it is done... and 'all bets are off', so to speak. It will appear suddenly, certainly, but not in secret. The 'Truth' will make itself apparent, I'm sure... Like a sudden flash of lightning, from the west, maybe... All 'great', of course... in their own ways... Oh, and by the way, just coincidentally, I have my own little 'serpent staff', you know... it's just a simple root, that is coiled at one end into the spiraling shape of a serpent, complete with head, that just fits around my little finger, while the rod is held in the palm of my hand. It's just a 'trinket', really... a happy 'find'... but, meaningful to me, nevertheless. It was just sort of a 'gift', you know... a 'consolation prize', if you will... I liked it. Another fine example of 'the little things' that I'm so fond of... Oh, and here's one more... it's too bad I missed this the first time, but did anybody else notice that the license plate on Smoky's Foo-mobile reads... 2-2-2 Divine... Oh, brother... now, that's got to be some Magic, there... I wonder if it's a 'Delta 88'...?
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 19, 2015 2:49:19 GMT
Ahh golden Your entries are so "timely". I wish I could sit down and participate in all the string tying and bookending, but there's things to do that I'm already ignoring lol. "22" does correlate in a very interesting way, mainly with the year 2022 and its connection to that "33" which always sticks out like a sore thumb! So how many people know the story in its entirety? Obviously the original "author", and perhaps the protagonist, since in order to play the role an actor must be aware of the script. The illusion is always in the separation.. The part about the staff symbolizing communication or a message is very apt. Combine that with the image of a serpent, which can mean knowledge and wisdom.. A staff, chosen to represent both the act of receiving knowledge and wisdom, as well as the knowledge and wisdom "itself". This serpent staff that I keep in my possession is an allegory all in itself lol, not that I really "use" it for anything, it's more of a memento. One more thing: The concept of a royal road or path comes up often enough that it can't be ignored. Isn't it always said that the greatest kings weigh their power, wealth, and influence through non-material means? The "medium" through which I most often work also includes a "Royal Path" known as "Raja Yoga". With yoga generally meaning the act of "Union", this can be thought of as a "Royal means to Union". The practices, explanations, and meanings behind certain terms have been kept mostly secret throughout the ages, this secrecy is not meant to be a permanent state of affairs however. Here's a quote from a well known teacher "shri shailendra sharma", this relates to the topic as the ultimate goal and aim of Yoga is essentially identical to the alchemical and esoteric arts of the world. This also relates to the transmission and continuation of various traditions that protect and uphold the most important teachings of humanity. These teachings should not be cast about, made public, or posted on telephone poles.. Instead they should be carefully, responsibly, and equally disseminated. This is the original defining factor of the Yoga tradition. "All these traditions are somehow related to the Nath tradition. After all, they were the original yogis! The problems have arisen out of recent attempts to create groups or organizations around yoga teachings. That is not acceptable. It has compromised the gravity and beauty of this art."
Q: "Guruji, in the olden times, was it not like a sect? It was still called Nath samapradaya?” ['samapradaya' commonly means a group]
Guruji: "See, samapradaya means 'to give equally' -sama means 'equal', pradaya means 'to give'. Basically to teach what we have learned ourselves. Now if you are teaching equally, you’d have to follow the strict discipline, along with all the pledges. These days it has nothing to do with teaching equally. Now it means a cult or a group.
"Now yoga traditions were the only true samapradaya, because if you don’t teach what you’ve practiced, how would anybody learn? It was never about creating followers, or have disciples lie at the feet of the guru, getting kicked around, in the hope that one day guru maharaja would wake up and with one blessing turn their life around.
"And the guru would know that if he told the disciple whatever little he knew himself - some mantra or something else - then the disciple wouldn’t give a damn about him anymore. So they’d continue to keep it a secret. This is exactly what has happened in most tantric traditions.
"There have been so many cults around Bhakti (devotion). Why do you think that the only display of power was done by people who started these cults, and not by their subsequent followers? That is because they used to practice something else and taught their followers something else.
"Only in yoga one teaches what one practices, and that is true samapradayikta, whatever be its definition today. Otherwise, the standards could not be maintained. This approach is nowhere else. Even Yogananda didn’t teach what he himself learned.
"The teachings should never be trifled with! Nobody is born such a genius that they could better the results arrived at by the old masters. After so many austerities and hard work they extracted the essence of these techniques and passed down that essence to their future generations. Why be a wise-ass and corrupt that knowledge? Only if you follow the instructions exactly as given you'll get the results, not otherwise.
"That’s why there aren’t so many yoga traditions, only a couple. There are many meditation groups, but they are not becoming yogis. Only when you follow the yogic way of life with all its discipline, and then someone tells you the mysteries of these teachings, the awareness will develop.
So how many people know the story in its entirety? Obviously the original "author", and perhaps the protagonist, since in order to play the role an actor must be aware of the script. The illusion is always in the separation..I wanted also, to comment on this remark, particularly... how many know the whole story? That is hard to say, since, if you make yourself familiar with the story, it tends to reveal itself to you... by 'stages', I'd say... and while it is a story, it is not in any way, a 'script'. Life has to be lived... 'on the fly', so to speak... and even within certain general 'guidelines', there is, as I said before, 'free choice' involved in the process, and therefore the 'process' is always 'in the process', until the 'results' have been achieved. Remember the 'Truman (True Man) Show'? He had no idea, until he was quite advanced into his 'lifetime', that he was the subject of a 'show', or that he was part of a 'story' that couldn't quite be 'scripted', although, you see that there were general 'guidelines' in place which would tend to 'direct' the actions... It makes a fair analogy. There must be certain knowledgable 'overseers' of this information, for the reasons that I've stated, if not others that may not be so 'obvious', but how many...? And, of those, how many are left that have not chosen to 'derail the train' that they know is coming, in favor of their own 'production', seeing that the 'train' looks like it may be late... if it is still coming at all... and over the years, I daresay that became a more 'cherished' hope. No information is disseminated now, I think, except at the very 'highest levels' of esoteric thought, because those who have 'taken charge' of the 'process' have thought to make it their own story,- and believe that, even in the face of things, they might still succeed. Considering the alternative, I suppose it's worth a shot... Lolol... As to your remark that 'the illusion is always in the separation', I'm not sure where you're really headed with that. Separation is an illusion, at its most basic level, since 'we' are all included in the 'Great Mind' that is 'God'... and more than that. Ultimately, however, every man is required to speak, and act, for himself... in the face of a greater 'reality'. Just as every corpuscle and cell in the 'body' 'acts' individually, and can be born, and die, individually, they are all part of that greater 'body', in which they are not 'seperate', but act as a unified whole in the form of the man that they are all only a tiny part of. It would seem incumbent, then, upon each cell to do that which it was meant to do, individually, in order to insure the integrity of the 'greater organism', and that is not 'illusion',- just good science. Don't get me wrong, though... I love yoga. I'm actually pretty good at it... still quite limber, you know... good supporting cell structure, I assume.
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Astraea
New Member
Dear Friend
Posts: 26
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Post by Astraea on Oct 19, 2015 20:35:56 GMT
Power flows from the heart...
I mean that in an almost literal/physical sense and I am referencing my own experiences.
The posit was that a rejection of feelings, of pleasures or pains or fears and more is where one might find enlightenment, or peace or something.... and you disagreed with zimms theory...
My 'agreed' was at you and what you said in your reply to zimms post.
For me; there was an unspoken sych, that I had been pondering a similar set of theory and antithesis.
That being said; how you are saying that I see you as heartless - I'm dazed and confused by this?
Power Flows from the heart
maybe....
From out my Heart flows power
is better said?
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Astraea
New Member
Dear Friend
Posts: 26
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Post by Astraea on Oct 19, 2015 21:09:22 GMT
As always, I'm happy to know that you take the time to join me here, from time to time... it saves me feeling so alone, myself, and if it weren't for the occasional comments of yours, and maybe one other poster, I would be... alone... so, thank you. I'm sorry if I was presumptuous in my remark; as usual, I responded without taking 'thought', and I should know better than that, by now. I should be more sensitive, myself. Most of my 'unkindnesses' are attributable to the fact that I had my own feelings hurt, somehow (whether the 'wounding' was real or imagined); I'm not at all a 'mean' person, I just... react poorly, sometimes. And that is why I'm alone, for the most part. It may, more likely, be that I was feeling particularly 'guilty' for being 'heartless' (or feeling that I was lacking, somehow) on that day, and so, responded as I did. 'Power' is a strange word, because it can mean so many things to so many people... I understand true 'power' to be the 'force' that is 'generated' by the 'creative energy' that is the product of the 'Great Mind' that is 'God'. This 'power' can be directed, or channeled, in various ways, by various means (I'm sure), on many 'levels', but all 'power', of whatever variety, is, at its most basic level, a manifestation of this first 'energy'. 'Energy' as such, is rather 'blind' in its existence,- it 'knows' neither 'good' nor 'evil', but we all know well enough that it can be directed to uses that might be considered either one, with equal efficacy. And, so with 'power'... And, obviously, the ones most interested in the manifesting, or possesion, of 'power' are the ones that feel as if they have none... but I think that if you begin to understand that all 'power' (energy) is available at all times, in potential, certainly, then there is less need to 'possess it', and the beginning of a desire for the 'wisdom' to 'channel' it, rather. I would imagine... Happily, of course, 'power' is not going to be a necessary component, or qualification, of the 'subject' of our studies here, since we know that it is written: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the Lord...Personally, I would prefer to learn the lesson of 'Temperance'... if you see what I mean... Don't despair, old friend. They say that the best is yet to come... that surely also has to be True in this case, don't you think? You are in my thoughts... as always.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 23, 2015 1:34:23 GMT
I want to say 'thanks' for the great music... to whoever is responsible... you know I 'love' this one... and I just wanted to point out the little commercial spot that precedes it, titled "The Seed and the Moon". It's really quite good... there's a vine, and a message on a telephone pole that says, "Dream Big". It was worth watching... which brings me to an old tune that I just can't help playing next... a request, you might say...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 23, 2015 1:36:22 GMT
I want to say 'thanks' for the great music... to whoever is responsible... you know I 'love' this one... and I just wanted to point out the little commercial spot that precedes it, titled "The Seed and the Moon". It's really quite good... there's a vine, and a message on a telephone pole that says, "Dream Big". It was worth watching... which brings me to an old tune that I just can't help playing next... a request, you might say... Oh, and hay... Word up... Lololol... Which brings us to the 'baton' in his hands... next... Now, wait a minute... it is... 2-2-2 Divine... Do you really think Dave passes out full-sized candy bars for Halloween? That would be pretty cool, all right... I'm game... Lololol... Now, you're just 'ringing' Hel's bells, for sure... Gosh... I'd better get on with it... oh, and the 'serpent-cincture',- that has more importance, too, of course. You should immediately recognize our 'Ouroboros' serpent, and then, you might even recognize the 'astrological sign' of Ophiucus... called the 'Serpent Handler'. Ophiucus only recently came to our attention, as a candidate for 'addition' to the currently recognized twelve 'houses' of the zodiac, which would create a thirteenth. Lucky thirteen? In that regard, we may have an unexpected 'connection' with 'lucky'... but that will have to wait for another 'turn of the cards', I think. Right now, somebody else is thinking about 'getting lucky', I'd wager... Lolol... About the 'baton'... the baton is pointing toward heaven, in a similar manner as Da Vinci has chosen to picture his 'John the Baptist'... with right index finger raised, and pointing toward heaven... Once again, I should like to point out that da Vinci's version of 'John' is somewhat... less... than the rugged, hairy hermit that feasted on locusts, which we are more accustomed to thinking of, when we think of John the Baptist. Nevertheless... it does look rather more reminiscent of the countenance of the 'Magician', and even the accompanying description that I just quoted, sounds as if it might be describing this image, as well... A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes... Now, this would seem to indicate that there is a further 'message' involved in the raised and pointed 'baton' or 'finger' than is described, rather superficially, by the author above, whose own knowledge of these things obviously exceeds the level of the information that he has chosen to give in this regard. "As above, so below" also leaps to mind, but the truth lies rather 'deeper' than that, I believe. And, just how far below are we talking about here? 'Hidden Valley' kind of deep, if I'm not mistaken... and all of the information that I've gathered so far tells me that I'm not. Unbelievable, maybe, in light of what we've been told, historically, but not impossible, in light of what I've been able to find on the subject. You see, in order for any of these 'stories' to be true, they must all find their conclusion within a common story, a 'singular truth'... and I believe that they do. The 'baton' is ' being passed from 'on high' to that which is... or was... now 'below'... This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries; it shews the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from the things above and derived to things below... (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.The sign of 'eternity'... and a table, prepared in the presence of 'enemies'... Mildly provocative... Just so you know, this post was actually supposed to be an 'addition' to the post above that I was just 'editing', but... I couldn't get this additional text to publish with the rest of the post, so in desperation, I started over... You can find the other material I just added on the 'magician' up there, somewhere... and I'm going to suppose that 'destiny' demanded an 1190th post... which also seems like a good number, so I guess we'll 'roll' with that. Reflections... you see them everywhere... Here, for instance... in the thoughts of Manly Hall, wherein he finds that all of the rest of the 'characters' or 'cards' of the Major Arcana are but 'reflections' of the 'Fool', in which all are contained, in potential, and all of which he will evidently play the part of, within the course of his 'journey'... With rare insight, Court de Gébelin assigned the zero card to AIN SOPH, the Unknowable First Cause. As the central panel of the Bembine Table represents the Creative Power surrounded by seven triads of manifesting divinities, so may the zero card represent that Eternal Power of which the 21 surrounding or manifesting aspects are but limited expressions. If the 21 major trumps be considered as limited forms existing in the abstract substance of the zero card, it then becomes their common denominator. Which letter, then, of the Hebrew alphabet is the origin of all the remaining letters? The answer is apparent: Yod. In the presence of so many speculations, one more may not offend. The zero card--Le Mat, the Fool--has been likened to the material universe because the mortal sphere is the world of unreality. The lower universe, like the mortal body of man, is but a garment, a motley costume, well likened to cap and bells. Beneath the garments of the fool is the divine substance, however, of which the jester is but a shadow; this world is a Mardi Gras--a pageantry of divine sparks masked in the garb of fools. Was not this zero card (the Fool) placed in the Tarot deck to deceive all who could not pierce the veil of illusion?
...If Le Mat be placed before the first card of the Tarot deck and the others laid out in a horizontal line in sequence from left to right, it will be found that the Fool is walking toward the other trumps as though about to pass through the various cards. Like the spiritually hoodwinked and bound neophyte, Le Mat is about to enter upon the supreme adventure--that of passage through the gates of the Divine Wisdom.I wonder if it's the 'Ninth Gate', after all...? And, as far as the 'magician' is concerned, Manly Hall has this to say... ...This is also the Adept whom Omar Khayyám calls "the master of the show." His message is that the wise direct the phenomena of Nature and are never deceived thereby.
The magician stands behind a table on which are spread out a number of objects, prominent among them a cup--the Holy Grail and the cup placed by Joseph in Benjamin's sack; a coin--the tribute money and the wages of a Master Builder, and a sword, that of Goliath and also the mystic blade of the philosopher which divides the false from the true. The magician's hat is in the form of the cosmic lemniscate, signifying the first motion of creation. His right hand points to the earth, his left holds aloft the rod of Jacob and also the staff that budded--the human spine crowned with the globe of creative intelligence. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the magician wears an uræus or golden band around his forehead, the table before him is in the form of a perfect cube, and his girdle is the serpent of eternity devouring its own tail.www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/sta31.htmInteresting insights, I think, considering the 'Hebrew' connections to the symbolism that I've already brought to your attention. Hay... it's the 'Wheel of Fortune'... Coincidence...? I think not... Lololol... Abracadabra... Well, here's the thing that I never could understand about 'hanging on loosely', so to speak... If I find myself at the point of 'hanging on' to something, I can't quite figure out why I wouldn't prefer to be 'hanging on tightly' to whatever it is that I'm hanging on to... in the case of a hurricane, would you prefer to just 'hang on loosely', for instance? Or maybe my hat is about to blow off of my head... I'll just kind of 'hang on loosely', I guess, and hope for the best... although, depending on how loosely I was holding on to it, I may have to get a new hat. I could have just held on to the 'old' one a little more tightly, couldn't I? Or, you could just call me crazy, and 'hang on loosely' in the hopes of not being 'dragged along for the ride'... somewhere behind the cart... or even the horse... Here's something funny,- 'Savage Henry' printed up a little cartoon in his October 'Spooky' issue that I liked... I wish I could reproduce it for you here, but the gist of it runs like this: Did you know that one out of four geckos suffers from reptile dysfunction? (Three small green lizards are pictured standing upright, and the fourth is slumped over...) There's something that you probably didn't know... Lololol... And another thing that some of you probably didn't know, but probably helps to explain a lot, as well... As far as the notion of an 'androgyne' goes, it is said that the front half is the male, and the rear half (back side) is the female... just as portrayed by the Janus, they do not face each other. Now... if the 'back side' is female... well... this is where most of those sort of 'practices' find their origin, I daresay, but as to the 'reality' of this situation... Confusion seems to reign supreme in these matters... and that, by design, if you will... Yes... and then, there's that... With thanks to Youtube poster 'GuitarLegendPhil'... and Steven Tyler... I felt suddenly 'inspired' to post... somebody just said the 'G' word... Gloria... Lol... but siriusly, they put out another song which includes the lyrics, "Crying, like a fire in the sun..." And immediately, I'm thinking to myself, "Wow... that sounds... alchemical..." Setting fire to the rain, you know... 'hot' tears... and I believe that I've pointed out the efficacious properties of honest tears on previous occasions, so I won't bother with that again, except to say that you might consider your tears to be 'living water', of a sort... and that we are, indeed, 'fountains of living waters' here, on an entirely other level. And, certainly, that works for me, too... This is from a 1975 (22) album, titled "Prisoner in Disguise"... The 'Magician' is the first card (1), and so it would seem particularly appropriate, let's say, if he made his 'appearance' on the first day (1), don't you think? And, just let me add here that in regard to those 'five days out of time', it would seem that those represent the days on which the 'gods' were born, and a day is assigned to each. For instance, it is said that Osiris himself was born on the first day (1), and that Isis was born on the fourth day (4),- for them, then, 4-1 are the numbers/days. The number three (3), which I've told you that I believe represents 'chaos', seems to be reinforced by the 'fact' that the third day (3) belongs to 'evil' Typhon... the murderer of Osiris. As I said, in order for there to be 'truth', there has to be 'supporting evidence' for these odd, and yet consistent, 'facts' that appear within the course of our 'studies'... the pieces have to fit, as they say. Let's look on, for just a moment, beyond the first (or 'opening') card, and consider the next four 'characters'... these are comprised of 'pairs', really... two sets of 'two'... which, in order for the whole representation to 'succeed', as far as the 'magician' 'working through' these 'transformations' to the 'end of the program', ought to represent the 'Forces' which are double in nature, and by nature, that will be accessed by our 'scientist' in the further performance of his 'Great Work'. These are represented, as we know, by the Empress/Emperor and the High Priestess/Hierophant, male and female, which symbolize the 'earthly power' vested in, and channeled through, the 'physical' Empress/Emperor as representatives of 'the people' and the 'will of the people', as opposed to the 'power of the spiritual' level of 'manifestation' which is symbolized by the High Priestess/Hierophant, with these being representative of 'God' and the 'Will of God', as the 'reverse' or 'reflection' of that which is 'below'. You see...? The 'magician', in order to be 'successful', must 'juggle' both... and find 'equilibrium'... Now we can go on to explain the symbolism of these four cards, which might otherwise escape us, since they may not seem to have any 'obvious' relation to our 'fool', or even our 'scientist', but, as you can see... there are four 'tools' made available for his use, and these four 'powers' are laid out for him as the next four 'cards' through which he might 'channel' his knowledge' and imagination, here in this 'theater'. The cards that follow these go on to describe the various 'phases of the journey', itself, beginning with number 6... 'The Lovers', which, interestingly, shows a man and woman, much like Adam and Eve, standing before two very familiar trees, which bear, respectively, 12 fruits... and a serpent twining around one of the trunks. And I think that that really is the 'beginning' of the story, or 'journey', counting from 'Genesis'... which is mildly provocative, itself, I think. The study of the symbolism here should be familiar ground, don't you think? And 'man' it is said, was created on the... sixth (6th) day... card number six (6)... Lolol... "He is a feather in the wind..." And that, too... But first, we have to finish up with the 'beginning', before we can get to an 'end'... and, really, we're just getting started on this one. Which brings us back to our 'serpent' or 'tempter', which is present evidently, from the beginning... which means... that he may have been counted as one of the 'gods' or 'powers' that were 'known' to exist. And that 'god' must be Typhon, or Set, who is represented now as a 'serpent', but we know that the story tells us that he was the 'brother' of Osiris, and was joined by 'conspirators' (human, enough evidently, or like as he was), 'built' a box and employed it in his plan, and that he did actually thereafter murder his 'brother', effectively sending the 'kingdom' into 'chaos', and then did 'dispose of the remains', as it was hoped, forever, in order that he 'supplant' Osiris as the ruler of the world. He had legs, in other words... But now... he is referred to as a serpent, and 'equated' with the 'world serpent' Leviathan, or Tiamat, which 'encircles the world' within its grip... and somehow, he seems to have lost his human qualities (humanity), which are symbolized by his 'legs'... he can no longer 'stand upright'. From Wikipedia... As noted by Herodotus, Typhon was traditionally identified with the Egyptian Set, who was also known to the Greeks as Typhon. As early as pre-dynastic Egypt, Set's mascot or emblem was the Set animal; the Greeks and later classicists referred to this unidentified aardvark-like creature as the Typhonic beast. In the Orphic tradition, just as Set is responsible for the murder of Osiris, Typhon leads the Titans when they attack and kill Dionysus, who also became identified with the earlier Osiris.
Mythologist Joseph Campbell also makes parallels to the slaying of Leviathan by YHWH, about which YHWH boasts to Job.
Comparisons can also be drawn with the Mesopotamian monster Tiamat and her slaying by Babylonian chief god Marduk. The similarities between the Greek myth and its earlier Mesopotamian counterpart do not seem to be merely accidental. A number of west Semitic (Ras Shamra) and Hittite sources appear to corroborate the theory of a genetic relationship between the two myths.But... about that 'aardvark-like creature' they just mentioned... didn't we just see a blue aardvark here somewhere? Hay... And, just coincidentally, our next little 'story' by Douglas Hofstadter is all about an anteater... Doctor Anteater... and I'll bet he's got some 'bad medicine'... lolol... You just can't make this stuff up... but you can imagine it... if you try... And about the 'serpent-cincture' that our 'Magician' wears about his waist... we can find a 'connection' with our number four (4), Isis, here, in the 'Secret Teachings' of Manly Hall... A serpent interwoven among the olive leaves on her head, devouring its own tail, denotes that the aurific unctuosity was soiled with the venom of terrestrial corruption which surrounded it and must be mortified and purified by seven planetary circulations or purifications called flying eagles (alchemical terminology) in order to make it medicinal for the restoration of health. (Here the emanations from the sun are recognized as a medicine for the healing of human ills.) The seven planetary circulations are represented by the circumambulations of the Masonic lodge; by the marching of the Jewish priests seven times around the walls of Jericho, and of the Mohammedan priests seven times around the Kabba at Mecca. From the crown of gold project three horns of plenty, signifying the abundance of the gifts of Nature proceeding from one root having its origin in the heavens (head of Isis).'Fly like an eagle'... And that, too... They say further that Osiris was 'bound up' within a 'chest' that was specially constructed by Set... a beautiful chest... which made Osiris 'the man in the box', so to speak, in whom this 'power' yet resides... and that this chest 'floated'... like an 'ark', maybe... preserving its contents towards their future 'resurrection'. Just a few more interesting 'connections' that might be made... please feel free to add your own, at any time... Now, about 'Set'... whose 'animal' is a 'strange creature', and rather unclassifiable, except to say that it is related to the crocodile (ancient reptile), and linked, as I said, to a 'serpent', which is mildly provocative, if we consider that this 'Set' was one of the 'original' 'gods' or 'powers' that was present at the time of the 'beginning' (of our story, at least). It is interesting, since I have forwarded my own theory that this 'subtil' creature that managed to 'sway' Eve over to his way of 'thinking' (and succeed in his 'treachery' against Adam, the man), was, in actual fact, the offspring of an intelligent, and evolved, form of reptile (crocodile/snake/lizard) which had its own beginnings with that most ancient of creations, the dinosaur. The brother, Abel, who instituted the 'blood sacrifice'... was replaced by... Set(h). And it was at this time, it is written, that men began to 'call on the name of the Lord'. In other words, 'religion' was instituted, accompanied (once again) by... sacrifice. Men 'called on the name of the Lord', because the Lord no longer communicated with them, directly, as He had with Adam, and Cain, and evidently seemed to communicate with, and through, certain other men, which included Enoch and Methusael, and then Noah, and Daniel, as well as other men (and women) through the ages. You can speculate as to the reasons for that (and surely there are reasons... there is a 'cause' for every thing), but I believe that it was the 'genetic piece' that was missing from the one set of progeny... the 'spiritual hard-wiring' that was necessary for 'processing' that Mind. In which case, there must still be the possibility of this particular genetic 'hard-wiring' to be present in certain situations... And then, men began to speak 'in the name of the Lord'... And they put a whole lot of foreign words in his mouth... And now, Sir Zimmer, and ladies and/or gentlemen of the audience (provided that there are any... I really can't tell, you know), before there can be a suitable 'conclusion', there needs to be something of a 'show', don't you think? And our 'magician' must be prepared to give us something... so, let me 'pull a rabbit out of my hat' at this point, and show you how I can prove the 'truth' of the words of 'Lambspring' with the next two cards in our 'progression'. You're going to like this one, I think... I AM CALLED LAMBSPRING, BORN OF A NOBLE FAMILY, AND THIS CREST I BEAR WITH GLORY AND JUSTICE.So, our 'fool' is an alchemist... and the 'magician' is going to 'transform' something... and we find that they are represented by this 'Lambspring'... or Aries... or Mars/Venus... And I further told you that the next four cards would be an 'integral' part of the process of 'transmutation', didn't I? To witness as to the veracity of both of the above statements, let me begin by 'revealing' to you one of the 'meanings' of the 'card' known as the 'High Priestess',- if not the most important one... ...that is to say, she is the bright reflection. It is in this sense of reflection that her truest and highest name in symbolism is 'Shekinah' - the co-habiting glory. According to Kabalism, there is a 'Shekinah' both above and below. In the superior world, it is called 'Binah', the Supernal Understanding which reflects to the emanations which are below. In the lower world it is 'Malkuth' - that world being, for this purpose, understood as a blessed Kingdom that with which it is made blessed being the Indwelling Glory. Mystically speaking, the 'Shekinah' is the Spiritual Bride of the just man, and when he reads the law she gives the Divine meaning. There are some respects in which this is the highest and holiest of the Grand Arcana.Dr. Papus also renders the meaning of the High Priestess as the spoken 'Word' or communication... represented by the letter Beth. This would correspond to the 'Logos', or the 'Son of God' with which all that was made was made, and without which nothing would have been made. Which is funny, because... the High Priestess (or Pope Jean/Joan; Papesse) is a... woman. Right? Anyway... there is your 'Glory'... and now, for the 'Justice', I bring you... The Empress... Which Dr. Papus describes thusly: This woman is represented with wings, or in the centre of a radiating sun. (My note,- this echoes the Egyptian symbol of the 'winged sun' very nicely)
The idea of the spirituality of the vivifying Principle of all beings.
She holds an eagle in her right hand. The eagle is the symbol of the soul and of life (Holy Spirit).
In the left hand she bears a sceptre forming the astrological sign of Venus. The sceptre is held in the left hand to indicate the passive influence, which Nature, Venus-Urania, or the woman exercises in the generation of beings.
She wears a crown with twelve points, or twelve stars. The sign of the diffusion of the vivifying Principle through all the worlds and of the sun, through the Zodiac.
The third card of the Tarot shows the result of the reciprocal action of the two first terms neutralizing each other in one principle. It is the Neuter Element of Wronski, the basis of every system of reality.
The absolute creative force, or Osiris, and the absolute preservative force, or Isis, neutralize themselves in the equilibrist force, which contains in itself the two very different properties of the two first forms.
In God this would be the equilibrium of the Father and of the Son, or--
God the Holy Ghost, (known also by the name)HORUS...Now, this state of 'equilibrium' that is realized within the symbolism of the Empress is that of the balanced scales... or, Justice... and the Empress, herself, is the symbol for Venus and ruler of the astrological sign of Libra... the 'scales'. Which is further illustrated by the appearance of Horus, the son, as 'avenger' of his father's murder... the figure of Horus, as symbolized by the 'Empress' is also most obviously a 'female figure'. And so, I believe that I have produced for you the double attributes of 'Glory' and 'Justice' that are the claims of our 'Lambspring'... And two really good reasons why 'John' looks so much like... a woman... And that's pretty good work, if you ask me...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 24, 2015 16:10:22 GMT
As always, I'm happy to know that you take the time to join me here, from time to time... it saves me feeling so alone, myself, and if it weren't for the occasional comments of yours, and maybe one other poster, I would be... alone... so, thank you. I'm sorry if I was presumptuous in my remark; as usual, I responded without taking 'thought', and I should know better than that, by now. I should be more sensitive, myself. Most of my 'unkindnesses' are attributable to the fact that I had my own feelings hurt, somehow (whether the 'wounding' was real or imagined); I'm not at all a 'mean' person, I just... react poorly, sometimes. And that is why I'm alone, for the most part. It may, more likely, be that I was feeling particularly 'guilty' for being 'heartless' (or feeling that I was lacking, somehow) on that day, and so, responded as I did. 'Power' is a strange word, because it can mean so many things to so many people... I understand true 'power' to be the 'force' that is 'generated' by the 'creative energy' that is the product of the 'Great Mind' that is 'God'. This 'power' can be directed, or channeled, in various ways, by various means (I'm sure), on many 'levels', but all 'power', of whatever variety, is, at its most basic level, a manifestation of this first 'energy'. 'Energy' as such, is rather 'blind' in its existence,- it 'knows' neither 'good' nor 'evil', but we all know well enough that it can be directed to uses that might be considered either one, with equal efficacy. And, so with 'power'... And, obviously, the ones most interested in the manifesting, or possesion, of 'power' are the ones that feel as if they have none... but I think that if you begin to understand that all 'power' (energy) is available at all times, in potential, certainly, then there is less need to 'possess it', and the beginning of a desire for the 'wisdom' to 'channel' it, rather. I would imagine... Happily, of course, 'power' is not going to be a necessary component, or qualification, of the 'subject' of our studies here, since we know that it is written: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the Lord...Personally, I would prefer to learn the lesson of 'Temperance'... if you see what I mean... Don't despair, old friend. They say that the best is yet to come... that surely also has to be True in this case, don't you think? You are in my thoughts... as always. To begin this day, I would like to take a moment to answer, one more time, my 'old friend', "astraea", whose comments I have enjoyed, when they make a rare 'appearance' here, but whom I find to be somewhat 'cryptic', as often as not. I always wondered, but... I believe that I know, now. It seems somewhat ironic, I think, that your 'old friend', Manley Palmer Hall, should have spoken it to me... but that's one of the true 'wonders' of 'revelation', I think... it comes from the strangest places, sometimes. Which is one of the reasons that we need to give things enough time to 'reveal themselves' when we don't understand them,- and this has certainly been one of those cases. Now, this testimony all has to do with the 'sol invictus', let's say, and to begin with, 'invictis' is the same term that the Persians gave to the same 'god' which they knew as Mithra, and who was born in a grotto. Anyway, all of this took on a new 'face' with the advent of the 'Christ-ian' religions, and especially the Catholic Feast of the Assumption, which finds its parallels in astronomy, as well... if you can imagine such a thing... At the end of eight months, when the sun-god, having increased, traverses the eighth sign, he abosorbs the celestial Virgin in his fiery course, and she disappears in the midst of the luminous rays and the glory of her son. This phenomenon, which takes place every year about the middle of August, gave rise to a festival which still exists, and in which it is supposed that the mother of Christ, laying aside her earthly life is associated with the glory of her son, and is placed at his side in the heavens. The Roman calendar of Columelia marks the death or disappearance of the Virgin at this period. The Sun, he says, passes into Virgo on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of September... This feast was formerly called the Feast of the Passage of the Virgin...
The ancient Greeks and Romans fix the Assumption of Astraea, who is also this same Virgin, on that day."The middle of August... and a 'special' day, wouldn't you say? Although, 'god' forbid that you should take any of that personally... right? I wish that you'd just put a True 'face' on things, and try to remember... We oppose deception...And so will everybody else, in the 'end', I daresay... You know, I may seem somewhat 'long-winded' from time to time, but if you had only used a few more words to say what you really meant, to begin with, instead of leaving me to 'imagine' what it was that you meant to say, we might have been spared this whole state of 'back-peddling', which is somewhat a waste of energy, if you ask me... energy that might have been better spent in the building process, which I would much prefer. And, you will still not 'confess' to knowing me... *sigh* Yes... amen. They are all beautiful... And I really mean that. Now, this is a really wonderful little video production... you should watch it again, carefully, for the 'reflections'. Do you see that she almost resembles the 'Bride of Frankenstein' at one point, as I showed you above...? And the tea party... I wonder which one is 'Mrs. Nesbitt'? Lolol... and the sea shells... and the children, at the feet of a 'teacher'... and the moon,- whose symbolism is upcoming on our 'road'. So many echoes, yes...? Yes... There is so much more to take in when you read between the lines, don't you think...? It really is a Wonderful World... and it really must be 'the Greatest Story ever told', All things considered... if you could just tell it, out loud... Oh, and one more thing, about the 'High Priestess', while we're here... ...that is to say, she is the bright reflection. It is in this sense of reflection that her truest and highest name in symbolism is 'Shekinah' - the co-habiting glory. According to Kabalism, there is a 'Shekinah' both above and below. In the superior world, it is called 'Binah', the Supernal Understanding which reflects to the emanations which are below. In the lower world it is 'Malkuth' - that world being, for this purpose, understood as a blessed Kingdom that with which it is made blessed being the Indwelling Glory. Mystically speaking, the 'Shekinah' is the Spiritual Bride of the just man, and when he reads the law she gives the Divine meaning. There are some respects in which this is the highest and holiest of the Grand Arcana.
In other words, this 'place' that is understood as a 'blessed Kingdom' here below, might just as easily be referred to as a... 'Magic Kingdom', don't you think? I do... And, let me add this bit of explanation, in regard to the notion of the 'Shekinah', or 'indwelling glory' that is depicted by our 'High Priestess', which you should find most 'enlightening'... Most people have little understanding of what the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God is, let alone realize the prophetic significance of this manifestation of God. The Jewish rabbis coined this extra-biblical expression, and it is form of a Hebrew word that literally means "he caused to dwell" -- signifying that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of YEHOVAH God on this earth. In order to fully understand the prophetic passages in the book of Revelation, we need to thoroughly grasp the concept of the physical manifestations of our Creator God...
In Revelation 21:22, the phrase "glory of God" in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures is rendered "God's SH'KHINAH" in the Jewish New Testament -- notice!
"I saw no temple in the city, for ADONAI [YEHOVAH], God of heaven's armies, is its Temple, as is the Lamb [Christ]. The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because GOD'S SH'KHINAH gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."
This is very important. The word "Shekinah" (Sh'khinah) was coined from verbal cognates (related words) in the Bible which describe the "presence" of YEHOVAH God in a certain locality. The verbal cognates are used extensively to describe the "Shekinah" appearances. The word "Shekinah" itself is not found in the Biblical texts, but the concept clearly is. The word most certainly is derived from "shakan," and whoever first used the word "Shekinah" coined it as a substantive (noun form) from the verbal forms used to describe the "abiding, dwelling, or habitation" of the physical manifestations of YEHOVAH God described in Exodus 24:16, 40:35 and Numbers 9:17-18 -- and various other places where "shakan" is used.
Note that the word is also used to describe the mystical "Shekinah" presence in the Tabernacle and later in the first and second Temples. The word "mishkan," (mshkn), a derivation of "shakan" (shkn), is often translated "tabernacle." The Hebrew for tabernacle is more often simply "ohel," 'ohel, or tent. "Mishkan" means "dwelling place" -- that is, THE "DWELLING PLACE" OF "HIM WHO DWELLS" OR "SHEKINAH."
The Hebrew verb "shakan" (shkn) simply means to take up residence for a long period of time in a neighborhood. The distinction between this word and "yashav" -- which is also translated "dwell" -- is as follows: You can use the word "yashav" to mean an individual doing the dwelling WITHOUT reference to others or to duration, while "shakan" means a PROTRACTED DWELLING IN THE MIDST OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE. The primary meaning is to reside and continue as a member of the community. Of course, when it refers to YEHOVAH God, it takes on an added mysticism that is obvious from the scriptures.
When verbal forms are translated as nouns, the word sometimes means "habitat." Grammatically (in Hebrew), when verbal forms are translated as nouns, they are called "substantives." Technically, therefore, "Shekinah" is a substantive rather than a noun.
Some people object that the word "Shekinah," (shknh), is not to be found in the Old Testament in its noun form, and that it describes a concept that is not scriptural. It is also claimed that the word was coined by Post-Biblical Rabbinic scholars. While it is admitted that the Rabbinic concept of YEHOVAH God being some sort of hovering non-personal force is an unacceptable extension of the meaning, the CONCEPT OF A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION of YEHOVAH God's localized dwelling on this planet IS, nonetheless, scriptural. I have chosen to use the word "Shekinah" (shknh) to name this "presence" and to better develop a concept I will get to later on in the article. Also, this meaning is in general use among many Christians -- even though they are generally ignorant of the origin of the word.www.hope-of-israel.org/glory.htm"A protracted dwelling in the midst of a neighborhood or a group of people..." Well, now, that is interesting... and it makes Alanis Morrisette look a little bit less silly, now, doesn't it...? Except that's a little bit too... personal... maybe... May God bless you... may God shine upon you...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 25, 2015 15:26:52 GMT
Post number 1192... or, 11-11, if you Will... I Will... But before I continue with my little presentation, I wanted to take a short 'side-trip' or two... and the first, serendipitously, has to do with 'making', which is what our 'Magician' is up to, I think... making 'something' from 'nothing',- and, believe it or not, that is the subject of a very 'sirius' work in regard to that very thing, that is known (if it is known) as the "Sefer Yetzirah", or 'the book of formation.' Particularly appropriate... how do they do that? Lolol... I'll 'see' that, and raise you a 'Foo Fighter'... Watch carefully, while I 'connect' our 'Magician' with the equally 'mysterious' 'Book of Formation'... remembering now, that Dr. Papus connects the figure of the 'Magician' with the Hebrew letter 'Aleph' in his "Tarot of the Bohemians"... I will quote to you from a book titled, "The Sefer Yetzirah (In Theory and Practice) by Aryeh Kaplan,- ...The Sefer Yetzirah describes a sign through which one knows that he has attained this state. He must go through the entire array, "Alef with them all, and all of them with Alef." This means that he permutes the array forward and backward, which respectively are the modes of creating and destroying.
The initiate then "foresees, transforms and makes." The word for 'foresee' here is 'tzofeh', and... this word denotes mystical insight and foresight. If the initiate has attained the proper state, he attains a mystical insight through which he can perceive the inner essence of all things. He can then engage in the process described earlier, where the Sefer Yetzirah said, "discern with them, and probe from them."
When the initiate reaches this high level, he can also "transform", actually changing physical things. He can even "make", bringing things to existence in the physical world.
Most important is the final realization: "All that is formed and all that is spoken is one Name"...
"Twenty-two objects in a single body", is a sign that the initiate has completed this discipline and mastered it fully... You should have noticed a few parallels between this small bit of information regarding 'transformation' and our 'Magician'... such as the remark that "Twenty-two objects in a single body" definitely seems to echo the fact that the Tarot sequence numbers 22 cards, summed up in the 'body' of our 'Fool', as well as the fact that this is absolutely the ensuing 'work' of the 'Magician',- the successful 'transformation' of 'lead' into 'gold',- a very spiritual alchemy with very physical results. Alef with them all, and all of them with Alef...But there is more... naturally... Let's continue with the short passage immediately preceding this one, which will bring us to our card number 2... the High Priestess... remembering this piece of information, that we just quoted in the post above,- ...In the superior world, it is called 'Binah', the Supernal Understanding which reflects to the emanations which are below. Now, watch again... nothing up my sleeve... lolol... A very similar process is described by the great Hassidic master, Rabbi Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezritch (1704-1772). He writes that when a person contemplates a physical object completely and totally, he can actually bring that object onto his thought. If his thought is then bound to the supernal Mind, he can elevate that object to the level of Mind. From there, it can be further elevated to the level of Nothingness, where the object ceases to exist. When this object is then once again brought to the level of Mind, it can be brought back in any form that the initiate desires. Thus, when he finally brings it back to its normal physical state, the object can be changed in any manner he desires. As the Maggid states, "he can even transform it into gold".
It is in this state of consciousness that one can visualize the Sefirot as "great pillars"...We continue with card number 2... Well, how do you like that...? Great pillars... and a 'supernal understanding which reflects to the emanations which are below'... And you see that the pillars represented here are black and white... positive and negative, perhaps, or 'something' and 'nothing', maybe... not to mention that they are also said to represent the pillars named Jachin and Boaz, pillars of the 'Temple', whose names mean 'Yah establishes' and 'Strength', respectively, which is also... interesting... Again, the symbol of the 8, and card number 8, which Martinism associates with the Christ... anointed one... Who is seen to quietly close the jaws of the 'strong one', the 'predator'... here symbolized by a Lion... which is also moderately provocative, I think... But we're not quite there yet... And before we continue on our 'royal road', I'd like to take one more little 'side-trip' to another 'land down under', so to speak, which brings us yet another strange 'connection' to our Venus... or Aphrodite... Which we find in the strange story of "Etidorpha"... Aphrodite turned 'backwards' or 'upside down', maybe... like Alice... The story is about the 'spiritual journey' of an illuminate/illuminati known as 'I-Am-The-Man' (also known as 'the-man-who-did-it'), in a 'strange' or 'alien' country located beneath the earth... By his account, the speaker is kidnapped by fellow members of a secret society, because he is suspected to be a threat to their secrecy. (This was likely based on the 1826 kidnapping of William Morgan and the start of the Anti-Masonry movement.) I-Am-The-Man is taken to a cave in Kentucky; there he is led by a cavern dweller on a long subterranean journey. It becomes an inner journey of the spirit as much as a geographical trip through underground realms.
The book blends passages on the nature of physical phenomena, such as gravity and volcanoes, with spiritualist speculation and adventure-story elements (like traversing a landscape of giant mushrooms). The whole ends with a summary letter from "I-Am-The-Man" and a conclusion from Drury. Subsequent editions of the book added various prefatory and supplementary materials.
Although the secret society is not named, the narrator is made to take an oath by raising his hand and repeating after a man who acts as his guide, "To all this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform my oath, without the least equivocation, mental reservation, or self-evasion whatever," reminiscent of initiatory oaths of multiple degrees in Masonry. And a man the narrator encounters around the end of the novel says, "The future is operative and speculative"...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EtidorhpaInteresting 'parallels', don't you think...? No, really... How do they do that...? Well, it is very nearly Halloween... And everybody wants Candy... Isn't that right? Mind if I dress up as Esmerelda? I'm kind of a gypsy, myself... Forgive me, won't you? That was just... crazy... So much for your 'diversions', then... let's get back to the subject at hand, shall we? I believe that we were speaking of the High Priestess in her role as 'Shekinah'... and we can add this,- Shekinah – a Chaldee word meaning resting-place, not found in Scripture, but used by the later Jews to designate the visible symbol of God's presence in the Tabernacle, and afterwards in Solomon's temple. Now, this is interesting, because we can find an 'echo' for that, here... Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his... I have just a few more observations to make in regard to our High Priestess, before we continue... first, let's look at the further 'explanation' of the symbolism by Dr. Papus: The woman is adorned with all the attributes of Authority and persuasion, and she is placed under the porch of the temple of Isis, between two columns.
Idea of a sacred dwelling, of a divine recipient.
The two columns, like the arms of the Juggler, express the Positive and the Negative.
The woman is crowned with a tiara, surmounted by the lunar crescent, she is enveloped in a transparent veil falling over her face. On her breast she bears the solar cross, and upon her knees lies an open book, which she half covers with her mantle.
This is the picture of Isis, of Nature, whose veil must not be raised before the profane. The book indicates that the doctrines of Isis are bidden; but she divulges to the magi the secrets of the true Kabbalah, and of occult science. We must admire this profound symbol. My own thoughts in regard to these observations, are that this figure signifies the moon, and therefore, the lunar crescent; the 'horns of Isis' signify the 'duad' indicated by the number 2; the transparent veil indicates that the 'mysteries' are 'veiled' (covered over) to the uninitiated, or 'unlearned', but more, they indicate the 'veil of the temple' with which the 'Holy of Holies' is covered (just as I believe that the two pillars are those of Solomon's temple, as well, and that this 'Holy of Holies' is also the name given to the book known as the 'Song of Solomon' contained within the Old Testament... which, coincidentally, is said to refer to the King's bride,- his 'wife' - and therefore, she wears the tiara); and that, finally, the 'open book' which is half-covered, represents the 'Book' (or body of knowledge, let's say) that you possess,- including the Torah - but that it is only partially understood, or only half of it, more or less, is 'open' to the uninitiated, or 'unlearned'. According to another author,- ...she is really the Secret Church, the House which is of God and Man. She represents also the Second Marriage of the Prince who is no longer of this world; she is the spiritual Bride and Mother, the daughter of the stars and the Higher Garden of Eden. She is, in fine, the Queen of the borrowed light, but this is the light of all. She is the Moon...Mildly provocative... So far, so Good, I think... and now we'll go on with card number 3... Gosh... you know I'm a 'sucker' for Nirvana... I think I'll go light a candle... light up my little corner... You know I prefer the 'Radar Love'... And, again, how very appropriate... Golden earrings, that is,- I think the story goes that someone had theirs returned, on the way back up... from a trip underground... if memory serves... It's a great story, anyway... For me, the obvious place to begin with our 'Empress' is... from the 'top'. From the Book of Revelations, we have the first verse of Chapter 12... And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.Now, this 'rod of iron' might well indicate the 'baton' in the hand of our 'Magician'... and so, may also represent our 'Magician', since the number 8 above his head connects him, symbolically, at least, with our 'Christ'... Fairly speculative, I know... Would it help my case if I mentioned that 'iron' is the metal symbolic of Mars, or Ares... our Ram, or... Lamb... Out like a lion, in like a lamb... and both of them eating grass... Like a 'lunatic'... ...something like that. And I can always appreciate a little bit of T Rex... so... Let's get it on... And speaking of 'long times'... and you were... I wanted to mention something that I heard on one of those morning radio shows this morning that I actually thought was fairly interesting, as far as 'science' goes... One of the hosts was saying that astronomers were currently watching a 'sun' (about half again the size of our own) that has been displaying some fairly 'unnatural' tendencies, with regard to the 'bending' of its own light... 'channeling' it, I suppose, for some purpose... one might assume that it has to do with 'energy', and what I was just telling you about all 'energy' or 'power' being accessible, at least in potential,- and that (in this case, certainly) while it is true that you could never hope to 'possess' this 'power', you might 'access' it, in truth, just as it might appear that 'someone' or 'some thing' may actually be doing. The thing to remember about what is happening, is that it is evidently taking place some 1500 light years away, which means that we are only now witnessing (in 'real time') the results of a 'project' that was begun a long, long, long time away... ago... but here we are... Amazing, don't you think...? You know I 'love' Science... So full of... culture... Lololol... I don't suppose you'd like to dance...? I think I would... But, I'll do something else instead. I think that I can tell you something that you didn't know about the 'Empress'... well... most of you, anyway. I expect that if I can imagine it, so could anybody else, and for all I know... they have. But I don't really think so. Let me quote to you from words regarding what is known, or 'passed on', about 'her', and then I will give you my own 'translation', if you will... A stately figure, seated having rich vestments and royal aspect, as of a daughter of heaven and earth. Her diadem is of twelve stars, gathered in a cluster. The symbol of Venus is on the shield which rests near her. A field of corn is ripening in front of her, and beyond there is a fall of water. The sceptre which she bears is surmounted by the globe of this world. She is the inferior Garden of Eden, the earthly paradise, and all that is symbolized by the visible house of man...
She is the fruitful mother of thousands. There are also certain aspects in which she has been described as Desire and the wings thereof, as the woman clothed with the sun, as 'Gloria Mundi' and the veil of the 'Sanctum Sanctorum'... She is above all things universal fecundity and the outer sense of the Word...
In another order of ideas, the card of the Empress signifies the door or gate by which an entrance is gained into this life, as into the Garden of Venus; and then the way which leads out therefrom, into that which is beyond, is the secret known to the High Priestess...
Most old attributions of this card are completely wrong on the symbolism...Well... some of that sounds awfully familiar, but if most of the 'old' ways of looking at things were wrong, there must still be a further 'connection' that we are missing, somehow... and, if my premise is to be 'correct', and consistent, then there must be some way in which she is to 'perform' in our acts of creation/formation... and what do you know? I think there is... Card number three (III),- represents the Three ' Mother' Letters of Creation... which are, notably, I think, Alef, Mem, and Shin. Three Mothers: Alef Mem Shin Their foundation is a pan of merit a pan of liability and the tongue of decree deciding between them.These 'pans' belong to the scales of Justice... which is the property of our 'Venus' of astrological sign of Libra, as I have already described to you in the post above. Now... if you use your 'imagination' just a little bit, you can see that there is 'merit' on the one side, and 'liability' on the other (ahem), and that the tongue of 'decree' will decide between them. I know the 'decree'... I already told you, at the bottom of every post. Behold I declare the decree; thou art my son,- this day have I begotten thee.These three 'mothers' are considered to be a great, mystical secret, deeper than even the Tetragrammaton, and an aspect of creation that existed before the Sefirot... perhaps from the very beginning... It is the True 'reconciliation of opposites', and it is said that the letters AMSh contain the mystery through which one can walk on fire... Phoenix-like... I would imagine... Oh, bagpipes... Less 'dreary'... The 'good news' here is that it looks like she got her 'sheepskin'... I wanted to go on with my thesis, by moving on quickly to the next 'card' in our progression, since this establishes our 'base' of 'operations', as you'll see... I don't think you'll have heard this one yet, either, although goodness knows I could be wrong, and may still be, but... something tells me that I'm not. For instance, I've referred to this 'story' that I've taken up as my 'thesis'... which fits the definitions given fairly well... 1. a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved "his central thesis is that psychological life is not part of the material world" synonyms: theory, contention, argument, line of argument, proposal 2. a long essay or dissertation involving personal research, written by a candidate for a college degree"Written for a degree"... lolol... I suppose so. At any rate, it also fits in with the 'process' of 'formation' or 'creation' that our Magician is undertaking, and it is appropriate to our Empress, and the 'three Mother letters' that I have associated with it. The simplest interpretation is that Mem is thesis, Shin is antithesis, and Alef is synthesis...Let's just leave it at that for a minute, because there is certainly more to all of that, but suffice it to say for now that Alef, our Magician, represents 'synthesis', which fits... and if we associate 'vibration' or 'rhythm' with our 'creative energy', then that makes him a... Synthesizer. Lololol... Now, about the Emperor... It seems a fair certainty that this 'card' belongs 'with' the preceding figure of the Empress, or that they make a good 'pair', at least... as do the High Priestess and the Hierophant, since they seem to be 'twin' aspects of a single 'power'. They are numbered strangely, though, since the two female 'aspects' are given 'preference' in order, rather than female/male, female/male... we have female... female/male... male. Well, there must be a reason... I believe that it is because the number four (IV) card must be 'paired' with the preceding three (Mother letters) in order to 'proceed'... and I can proceed with the 'process' that I began, in order, according to the 'Book of Formation', with the 'addition' of the number 4, Emperor, with the number 3, Empress, in order to form 7... 7 'double' letters, which follow the three Mother letters, and are composed of 'pairs' of sounds, just as is indicated by their having been made 'doubles'. They work seperately, in effect, just as our Emperor and Empress, but they are also an integral part of a 'married' or joined pair(of opposite gender, which is important, as indicated by the Hermetic principle of Gender, which we'll get around to) if you Will,- which is why these cards took on a superficial definition of 'married life', although it is said that they do not precisely represent that. I will go on to give the 'official' or 'accepted' definition assigned to the card, and then my own 'views' on why my proposed association of these cards, and their numbers in the sequence, are particularly appropriate to the case at hand. And before I continue, I'd just like to address "Zimmer's" remark as to the 'timeliness' of my replies... I didn't 'catch' it, to begin with, but... yes. They do seem to be particularly 'timely', don't they? Sometimes I notice, but generally only after the fact, and I have to admit, I get kind of a secret 'charge' out of the numbers... You know, my friend was always good at posting 'by the number', and I noticed, but I never really took any great personal pains to imitate him in the habit... I told him that it was my own opinion that, while I could see a certain 'wisdom' in applying the 'power' of the numbers to whatever situation one was dealing with, I thought that it would be better if the numbers were allowed to just 'happen'... or 'roll out'... what I've referred to as 'becoming the numbers',- which means that the 'numbers' are a 'natural' part of your own 'process', as I would think that they must be, in order to be 'integral'. And, in retrospect, I can't say that it hasn't actually worked out (at least as far as 'timing' goes), when I look back at the numbers. I often wish to remark as to the time of the last edit, or whatever, just because it seems so... coincidental... but, I just smile... And try to let it be...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 2, 2015 21:58:51 GMT
Hay, Andy... as a 'special friend' of Mrs. Nesbitt's... I just wanted to say how much I would have enjoyed seeing you 'dressed up' as 'Gomez' for Halloween... you know, I always had kind of a 'soft spot' for dear Gomez... he was an 'intellectual', a fine dancer, a cigar afficionado, and he spoke at least a few greatly intriguing French phrases, which, of course, turn out to be not at all necessarily meaningful, under the circumstances... Myself, I was hoping to put on 'the dress' for Halloween, so that I could at least see what I looked like in it... I was kind of hoping to wait for the right ankle-high, lace-or-button-up style boots to wear with it, but I have some satin heels... anyway... as it turned out, I got sick as soon as I got home on Friday afternoon with a most horrible intestinal virus, which is only now allowing me to remain in a seated position... elsewhere. I hope that none of you find it... it was awful. At any rate, I was too sick to put on a dress, so I laid down on my bed (for as long as I could) and tried to think mildly frightening thoughts about Gomez, instead. I think I smiled... and if not, I should have... You know I appreciate your 'friendship' on the radio, just as all your other listeners must... you do make it a really Good morning, just by showing up. And that's True, whatever else is, or isn't. I always listen to the Mike Harvey SuperGold show on Saturday night on your station, too... of course, I can't help loving that music, too... and I really enjoy the requests. I wrote down the number, I think, but I don't have a phone handy right now, and I was feeling too 'poopy' to get up and get one from another part of the house, but I was going to make a special Halloween request last night,- I know I've played it before, but I'm going to play it now, anyway... better late than never, isn't that what they say? I think that's also True... mostly... I almost feel like dancing... But, maybe I feel... more like this... Have a good day all,- mine is looking Up... Thank you. I have more replies to make this afternoon, since I'm still 'recuperating', but I missed some posting time, obviously... I hope to make up for some lost time this evening, and I so badly want to 'skip ahead'... Happy Halloween, Andy... Have a 'baguette'...? The Coneheads seem to like them. Coneheads... from France. Funny stuff... I should have liked one of those little armadillo baguettes... I thought they were quite charming.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 2, 2015 22:23:29 GMT
Might as well have some 'fun' with it, eh... And, hay... I might have to spew... This song is mildly provocative, under the circumstances, I think... Not to mention the rubber gloves, and the 'Scooby Doo ending'... Excellent. But, you know I like this one, too... kind of a lot. Karaoke night with hula hoops... dude... What's not to like...? Anyway... as long as we're on the subject, remember another recent song I played, titled "Spirits of Ancient Egypt"? The lines go,- Spirits of Ancient Egypt... Echoes of Sunken Spain...Now, 'spirits of ancient Egypt' seems obvious enough, translation-wise, but what about those 'echoes of sunken Spain'? What's that all about? It must make sense within the context, somehow, translation-wise, but how can we make that 'work'... translation-wise? Well, there is the ancient kingdom of Atlantis, which sunk somewhere in the Atlantic, and its proximity to Spain may be 'verified' by this little piece of information, which I've given out before here, somewhere... It is said that the Celts referred to the 'Lord of the Underworld' as 'The King of Spain'... If that is true, why do you suppose that is? And the 'Lord' of the real 'Underworld' would be Neptune, or Poseidon, as you will, who was also rumored to be the King and Ruler of Atlantis. And they further say that the rightful title to the City of Jerusalem belongs also to the 'King of Spain.' Which one, do you suppose? All of which I find to be 'mildly provocative'. Me and Cinderella... one headlight... I like that, too...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 2, 2015 23:24:58 GMT
And at this point, before I go on, I feel that I owe Zimmer somewhat of an apology, at least, and a small, at least, response to one of his (other) former remarks, that I chose not to reply to... mostly because I suddenly recognized that what he was saying was coming directly from the pages of the book that I had recently procured, titled "The Golden Force". He told me that I had actually gotten exactly what I 'asked for', and received that which I expected to receive... and I chose to ignore it. I did that, because, the truth is that under the conditions set forth for the equitable and reasonable, I might add, working out of these 'laws' pertaining to this 'Force', we really do get that for which we have prepared ourselves, and 'okayed' ourselves, to receive. It's almost like 'fighting a battle in your head' before you get there, which, they say, 'prepares' the warrior for the 'victory' that he has already 'foreseen' and 'authorized' for himself. You can 'undo' things in the same way, for better or worse... by a sudden change in 'perspective', let's say, that takes place mentally, often well before things actually play themselves out in 'real time'. Let me just add, though, that such a 'change in perspective' is just as likely to be precipitated by real observations,- whether those observations were subsequently translated correctly, or not. They say then that the best thing to do is just let go... and remember that it is just as it should be... Not my will, but Thy Will be done. on Earth, just as it is in heaven... And some of that... through me... Anyway, the upshot of the reply was to say that... you were right. I asked for a 'friend'... which is exactly what I got... mostly. Of course, I have reasons for the rest of my... snit... whatever... but, I suppose that I did get what I asked for. For better or worse. I guess I owe somebody an apology, maybe... And then re-formulate my request, according to more accurate specifications, let's say... When I was a child, I thought as a child, and I spoke as a child...Hold my hand... please. I might get lost in the turnstile again...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 3, 2015 3:23:42 GMT
Before we go on to describe the qualities of our 'Hierophant', I would like to point out one or two more things in regard to our Emperor and Empress... to begin with, you will see that on the Marseilles tarot design, the Empress bears the shield of Venus, and the Emperor sits on the cubic stone, or throne, of Mars,- as shown by the rams' heads that decorate the arms. Venus and Mars, again... and, in yet another illustration of the same figure, Dr. Papus tells us in his "Tarot of the Bohemians" that: Like the 1, it is a sign of active creation; but this creation is the result of previous actions easily determinable, whilst the origin of the Unity is inaccessible to human conceptions. The Daleth expresses a creation made by a created being. according to divine laws.
The Daleth should be the image of the active vivifying principle of the Universe, Jupiter, the reflex of the Primal cause.
This symbol should express in the active form all that the preceding card expressed in the passive.
A man seated in profile.
The man indicates the active; his position, however, shows that this activity is engendered by a superior term. The 1st arcanum, the Juggler, the active absolute, was represented standing, looking to the front; the 4th arcanum, active relative, is seated in profile.
This man holds in his right hand the sceptre, the symbol of generation or of Venus.
The sceptre is held in the right hand, to indicate the active influence, which the vivifying principle exercises in nature, by opposition to the formative principle.
The man is bearded and wears a helmet with twelve points (six on each side). He is seated upon a cubic stone, which bears the figure of an eagle.
The helmet indicates the rule of the Divine Will in the Universe, and its universal action in the creation of Life (eagle).
The position upon the cubic stone indicates realization in all the worlds.
(1st) Realization of the Divine Word by the creation.
(2nd) Realization of the ideas of the Being shared by the quadruple work of the spirit--
Affirmation,--Negation, Discussion, Solution. And the rams head is also associated with Jupiter... And the 'Cubic Stone' is, of course, familiar to Masons as the 'pierre cubique' or Perfect Ashlar.. You know, most people don't realize the difference, but an Emperor was never actually a 'King', properly speaking... in his most exalted position, the Emperor was a special representative of the people. The Emperor of a country symbolized, or typified, in his personhood, all of the qualities that the people of the country wished themselves to 'reflect'. In Japan, emperors were sometimes a most respected and kindly older man, who embodied the traits that the people respected, morally and socially. A true 'representative of the people', you see? Not so much a King. He was a ruler, and symbolized the 'power' of the people, as well as the 'law of the land', and never mind if he was 'nice'. They mostly weren't. And, after a while, the duties of both positions were placed in the hands of one representative only... typically the King, who then 'handed down' the position, whenever possible, to maintain some sort of 'continuity', I suppose, although the fighting within families, as well as opposing factions (or 'viewpoints', if you will, as to how the country 'ought' to be run), for these positions was... legendary... and mostly bloody. And so, as far as our 'symbolism' is concerned, I think we ought to hold to the 'old school' of thought, which saw the position of the Emperor as a 'representative of the People', in which position he works very nicely with our current... thesis. As I said earlier, considered in this light, he is the 'Will of the People' which becomes 'creative' in their behalf, as part of the 'double' pair of Empress/Emperor which represent the 'Physical' sphere, as opposed to the 'double' of High Priestess/Hierophant which are 'spiritual' representatives of the People, representative of the creative Spiritual Will. Together, they are the 2 and the 5, which combine to make 7... which finds a fine echo in our 'Hermit' (this may seem confusing, since the 'Hermit' is a 9, but there is a 'hidden double' included within the pictured symbolism of that card, that is emphasized by a change in design, which has gone mostly unnoticed, I think; still, the 'meaning' of the symbolism finds an interesting, if not somewhat expected, 'echo' within the notion of the 'opposite doubles' that we are now 'working with')... as well as corresponding again to the 7 doubles... coincidentally... and, thankfully, that still falls in with my little 'thesis' regarding the 'doubles'. Other interesting meanings ascribed to the number 7 are these, which seem oddly appropriate to the case at hand... It is the number of the perfect man, complete and perfectly realized as the sum of the four females and the three males.
Symbol of the totality of the created Universe (3 the sky + 4 the earth), it expresses the creation within which the man evolves.
Saint Augustin sees the seven like the perfection of the Plenitude. He made it also the number of the creature, considering not the life of this one but its become, the evolution.
Symbol of the infinite numbered in its return to the principle, that of the snake which bites its tail, according to Abellio. It would be also the number of the achievement in the space-time.
It is the number of the initiation, that is to say the union of exhibited with the infinity.
Symbol of eternal life for the Egyptians: it symbolizes a complete cycle, a dynamic perfection.
For the Indians in the prairie and the "Pueblo" Indians, the number seven represents the cosmic coordinate of the man.
In Africa and for the Bambaras of Senegal, seven is a symbol of the perfection and the unity.
The "Dogons" consider the number seven as the symbol of the union of the opposites, of the resolution of dualism, therefore like symbol of unity and perfection. It is also the mark of the master of the word.
The seven symbolizes the cross with its six directions plus the center - indefinite extents moving toward the top, the bottom, the right, the left, forwards and backwards.
The dice symbolizes the seven: the dice itself, 1, having 6 faces.www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu7.phpDice, huh...? See how much fun this can be...? This is a 'Masonic apron-front' which shows the 'seven stars' arranged in the shape of a cube, or die, maybe... and, we have columns... Did you know that the phrase "it was good" appears seven times in the biblical account of creation? It was that good... And, speaking of fun... I was really happy to see that they're going to continue the expedition on 'Oak Island'... Shakespeare, and that Tree of Life-thing made it doubly interesting for me... I can't wait... Before we continue our 'story', I 'd like to add one or two more 'points' to our Emperor,- to begin with, I did want to say that our idea of 'noblesse oblige' (of which we may have little to remember) has, I believe, its origins with this symbolic 'Emperor', and his subsequent 'trasition' into kingship, or 'nobility', which (as the 'essence' of the Emperor) he attempted to symbolize within his own 'station'. The Merovingian Kings might have been more accurately termed 'emperors' in this regard, since their 'position of leadership' relative to the 'people' is generally regarded to have been mostly 'symbolic', toward the end of their rule, certainly... and reflective of a 'higher authority' which the 'people' recognized as being vested within these men... for some reason. After Clovis's death, his kingdom was partitioned among his four sons, and over the next century this tradition of partition continued. Even when several Merovingian kings simultaneously ruled their own realms, the kingdom—not unlike the late Roman Empire—was conceived of as a single entity ruled collectively by these several kings (in their own realms) among whom a turn of events could result in the reunification of the whole kingdom under a single ruler. Leadership among the early Merovingians was probably based on mythical descent...
The Merovingian ruling family were sometimes referred to as the "long-haired kings" (Latin reges criniti) by contemporaries, as their long hair distinguished them among the Franks, who commonly cut their hair short. The term "Merovingian" comes from medieval Latin Merovingi or Merohingi ("sons of Merovech"), an alteration of an unattested Old Dutch form... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynastyI can see a 'relative' myth already,- in the story of the Kingdom of Poseidon, or Atlantis, and the way that that kingdom was 'divided' in rule by his 10 sons into seperate smaller 'kingdoms, which were ruled 'together' by meeting and vote, as well as support, with the 'whole' Kingdom 'ruled' in its complete form, by Poseidon. And it does seem at least moderately provocative that these men traced their own ancestry to... a mythical sea-creature, known as a Quinotaur... named Merovee, or Merovech, if you will. At any rate, they are considered/known to be the "first race" of the kings of France... which is kind of a funny way to put it... "first race"... but I got that from the Encyclopedia Britannica, so... there you go. I wouldn't think you could belong to much more of a "first race" than that of Atlantis... or so... Now, this is interesting... it is the cover of a Merovingian sarcophagus 'with Christian IX monogram', it says... do you want to know what I see? "Cover of Merovingian sarcophagus Musee de Saint Germain en Laye" by Uploadalt - Own work, photographed at Musee_de_Saint_Germain_en_Laye. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cover_of_Merovingian_sarcophagus_Musee_de_Saint_Germain_en_Laye.jpg#/media/File:Cover_of_Merovingian_sarcophagus_Musee_de_Saint_Germain_en_Laye.jpgI see the 'six-pointed star' which is represented by the 'crown' of our 'Emperor'... or, one half of it, anyway... it is even in the shape of a crown... a circlet... Now, that really was interesting... And, so is this... It says 'Rho... monogram of Christ'... Bon jour, mes amis... and et tu, Gomez... I surely did have a Good time last night... I finally felt well enough to do some dancing in the moonlight... without any shoes at all... and I finally screwed up enough courage to call in a request, but I have one more small request, in that regard,- please don't have too much 'fun' with it. I nearly choked, just trying to get the words out. But I did have fun... and the music was all great. So, let's start our journey today with one of those requests... a little 'traveling music', Maestro, if you please... Let's start with one more small 'observation' in regard to our 'feather in the wind', as in,- He is a feather in the wind... It 'connects' to our story in a very specific, and perhaps even, unexpected way... you see, it is said in "The Secret Teachings of All Ages" that the Atlantean 'Initiates' were known as 'Priests of the Sacred Feather'. Now, that's interesting, since we were just discussing the kingdom of Atlantis... and further, that while the 'message' contained within the Tarot/Tora/Rota has its 'origins' in Egypt, it is nevertheless not to be considered to be necessarily 'Egyptian', since its history, or 'roots', if you will, go far deeper than the Egyptian soil. And, since our Fool wears a feather in his cap, and he is 'propelled' by the wind (driven by spirit, and the voice of 'God'), according to the symbolism, this 'character' may actually have 'his' own 'roots' in Atlantis... And that, too, is just mildly provocative, I think... But, we could go on to ask a more important question, which is, "Why feathers...?" Priests of the Feather... Well, of course the issue of flight leaps readily to mind, and, the simple answer is usually the best, but... there are other 'levels' of meaning that might be considered, as well. For instance, in the story of Ishtar (Inanna), 'the keepers of the house of death' are covered with feathers, like birds... and indeed, it is said that Ishtar (Inanna) herself, the daughter of 'Sin' (the Moon), swept downward 'with outspread wings' to the gates of Death... From which she did eventually return... and 'captivity was taken captive'. And this little bit of information is certainly suggestive of a certain relative importance of 'feathers' to our story... I almost requested this one... maybe next time... If you can imagine such a thing... And, as we 'progress' on with our seven doubles, which are implied by our 'pairs' under further discussion now, I can tie those in to another song I like... coincidentally... lolol... as well as find a completely truthful basis for it here, within our Sefer Yetzirah...
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT Up and Down East and West North and South And the Holy Palace precisely in the center and it supports them all. ...
...The Holy Palace. This is usually referred to denote Malkuth. The Hebrew word for 'Palace' here is Hekhal, 65 (11 by reduction, my note) the same as that of Adonoy, the Divine name associated with Malkuth.
According to the Bahir, 'Hehhal HaKodesh' here should not be read as 'Holy Palace', but as 'Palace of the Holy'. The 'Holy' denotes Keter, and the 'Palace of the Holy' refers to Malkhut when it is directly connected to Keter in the Mystery of "Imbed their beginning in their end".
This also represents a great mystery in creation, as explained by Rabbi Judah Liva (1525-1609), the Maharal of Prague, famed as the creator of a Golem. He states that the reason that the world was created in six days is because a three-dimensional world has six directions, as the Sefer Yetzirah states here. Each day was necessary to complete one of these directions. The Sabbath is then the center point, which binds all together, and supports them all...From 1975... Houses of the Holy... Although, I think that photo above looks a lot like my own 'lucky quarter'... I still have it, because a vending machine won't take it... lolol... no. Two bits... and that's one too many for most nags... It really is a shame that Zimmer can't hang around for the string-tying (connecting) and bookending, because it's turning out to be a pretty Good story, after all, I think... They put the 'beginning in the end'... Psalm 40,- I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.May 'God' bless the reading of the Word... And, 'May God Shine His Face upon You'... even in this rain... We'll continue with our final figure of the two sets of 'doubles' which 'frame up' our 'theatre of operations', so to speak... and there is so much to say about this one... Now, this image is 'familiar' to most people... funny, isn't it? Of the two 'double' images that represent the 'spiritual' aspect of creation, and existence, one of the images is so 'unfamiliar' to most that it can only represent something unfamiliar... and therefore, 'taboo', somehow. Foreign... and unknown... (which really isn't that surprising, really, when you think about it) and the other, which is 'known' on the 'surface' by its 'trappings', is just as unknown to most people as the mysterious High Priestess. To emphasize this point, I would like to point out the most obvious difference between the two figures immediately, so that you can keep that point in mind as we go on... You should have noticed that there are, rather conspicuously, two figures kneeling before the seat of the Hierophant in reverential adoration (or fear... it's hard to say, from the back), while the Temple of the High Priestess is... empty. She is alone... and veiled, at that, before the lone seeker in whose view alone she 'appears'. Notice the 'robes' of the sycophants... one wears roses, and the other lilies... with an obvious cross in the center of his back. This symbolism is also meaningful, for I understand that he is the Worldly or 'apparent' 'leader' of the many and various branches of the 'Universal Church'... the roses representing the Rose of Sharon, and the earlier Hebrews, while the lilies and the cross represent the later Christ-ian church, which owes its own beginnings to those earlier Hebrews and their religious beliefs and mysteries, whether they realized it or not. And that is what the Hierophant truly represents... the holder, keeper, and dispenser of 'Dogma',- the 'channel' through which the Worldly manifestation of Spirit could be made accessible, if not understandable, as well as the 'channel of Salvation' for the 'Universal Church' at large... and not necessarily the Catholic Church, in particular, although they will have you to understand that 'catholic' means 'universal', and indeed, it does... but that is kind of a fast shuffle, under the circumstances, for the most 'Catholic' of churches is far from Universal... and the 'channel of Salvation' (or salvific knowledge, at least) has been 'stopped' at its 'source' for a long time now... The description given of the figure indicates that 'he holds in his left hand a sceptre ending in a triple cross, and that with his right hand he gives the ecclesiastical sign of esotericism, distinguishing between manifest and concealed parts of doctrine'... while the High Priestess makes no sign. Oddly, the High Priestess is symbolic of the 'concealed' or 'hidden' or 'occulted' parts of doctrine, which are the domain of the Spirit... so that means that even within the 'apparent' doctrine that is represented by the Hierophant, there are yet parts of that doctrine that are 'concealed' from his sycophants... else, he would need no sign, either. It is further interesting to notice that he holds no book... no 'knowledge', in other words... he holds only the 'translation of the knowledge' by means of the sceptre (or wand, which we have shown earlier indicates communication, or messages... you see, the 'knowledge' of the High Priestess can only be 'disseminated' by means of 'communications' through an appointed 'agent', let's say) to the People... and, as such, it is entirely possible that the 'agent of dissemination' himself may not even 'understand' the Wisdom that he is the representative of. I believe that this is mostly the case in regard to your temporal figureheads that have attempted to place themselves, or have been 'placed', in this position... they forget entirely what it is that they are representing, and that the true place of the Hierophant, or Pope, is to serve as the 'reflection' of another, and greater, order... Neither does the Hierophant actually hold the double set of Keys... which lie on the floor at his feet, significantly... they are not within his grasp,- you see that they are within the reach of any Seeker. The Hierophant, or 'Pope', if you will, represents the ruling power of external Religion... all of the things that are righteous and sacred on the 'outer' or 'manifest' side of religion, and its utmost rigidity of expression,- while the High Priestess is the prevailing Genius of the esoteric withdrawn 'relationship' with Spirit, which is not 'manifest' or 'outwardly known'. They sit between twin pillars, but they do not sit in the same Temple... Today, this 'Hierophant' is best represented as a terrible sort of a 'religious empire' which has been covered much earlier in time by authors Martin A. Larson and C. Stanley Lowell in a book titled, "The Religious Empire" (coincidentally), and I'm sure that since its publication, nothing got any 'better' within the dominion of the Hierophant... I would like to cover some of that material on the 'Christian Corner' thread later on, maybe... I just don't have time to stand there and ring the bell all by myself, mostly... Oh, hello... I was just mulling over part of Zimmer's last reply (again... I really wring these for everything they're worth, I think... if I had more replies, I probably wouldn't dwell on them quite so intensely, maybe, but... oh, well...), and I hope that I'm not guilty of 'posting up great mysteries on the telephone poles', but on the other hand, didn't he also say that they should be 'shared equally'? Or does that only apply to the 'tantric' practices, I wonder? I don't care to apply those practices to my own 'pole', so to speak... I'm afraid that I've abandoned that particular 'road' for something a bit less traveled, let's say. The 'good news' here for me, I think, is that one can't be guilty of giving away what you haven't got... isn't that right, Zimmer? So, considering that I apparently don't 'know' anything, in particular, there is no possible reason for you to worry that I might 'give anything away', is there? I don't even know you, for that matter... It would seem that your 'occult secrets' are safe with me, then, wouldn't it? And, it's funny, I think... for all of various people's 'practices' and 'wisdom' they can't really prove with any definitive authority that they are even one inch closer to 'God' right now than... I am... At any rate, I'll add a few things to our Hierophant, before I have other things to do for a while; time always goes too quickly. To begin with, let's take a closer look at his 'crown' and 'sceptre', which both echo the number 3; this 3 is obviously symbolic to even the 'layperson' as representative of the Trinity, or 'Holy Trinity', the members of which are slightly more nebulous than the number of the thing in the minds of most people. In the Judaeo-Christian religious traditions, the Trinity is said to represent the triune 'Godhead', made up of a Father, a Son, and a Holy 'Spirit'... which later somehow turned into the even more nebulous 'Holy Ghost'. Ghost...? Well... kind of... sort of... but, even if there is Truth in it, that Truth is not at all recognizable for the 'truth' that it may contain, or reveal, upon further reflection. After all, we are told, there are no 'coincidences', so the choice of phrase must mean something. This 'Trinity' which is represented, and displayed, by the 'Church' or Hierophant is part of the 'exoteric' portion of this doctrine that can be given for contemplation to all that enter therein for worship, teaching, and further 'indoctrination' into these 'higher realms of thought' which all find their culmination in the Great Mind, and together, they ought to form a sort of a 'road' to 'salvation' for Man, and this 'road to salvation' is the domain of the Hierophant,- the religious 'representative' of the People, in a very Universal manner. This 'trinity', however, is older than the Hierophant who displays it, and the original symbolism is not that which is recognized by the Church, as represented by the Hierophant... his is only a 'figure' of those higher Truths which are held in the silent halls of the High Priestess, whose 'crown' is more properly representative of those Truths. Because the double pair of the Empress/Emperor represent 'creation' on a Physical level, and this portion of our 'deck' contains the 'tools' that our Magician needs in order to 'create' all of that which follows, we can assume that the High Priestess/Hierophant are 'creative' in their own right. I believe that they do represent the 'doors' that allow access to those creative possibilities inherent within us, and subsequent acts of 'spiritual creation' which happen on a 'mental' or 'unseen' level of consciousness. The Hierophant, as the 'public door' is representative of the wide gate, which seems to lead to as much destruction as ever salvation, and place the High Priestess squarely behind the 'strait and narrow gate' that leadeth to salvation, but that so few men actually enter in at. Still, it is within the domain of the High Priestess, and also that of the more worldly Hierophant, that access to those higher realms of creative potential become available, through the 'cultivation' of the Spirit, and the spiritual, within you, which, in turn, strengthens your 'effective' 'contact' with that higher Power of Mind that is 'God'. The Hierophant has another 'hidden double', if you will... and here's something that most people likely haven't considered, but it does bear further contemplation, if you are really interested in these things, and the 'truths' that are contained therein... The 'High Priestess' is actually only one 'end' of a larger 'pole', if you will... she is the 'Positive'-ly charged end of the rod, which communicates these 'messages', if you will, and, for the purposes of our 'creative license', we have made the Hierophant the transposition of the High Priestess, in order to cover both 'hidden' and 'manifest' parts of the 'doctrine', but... there is a 'lower octave' of the Hierophant, which was, I believed recognized by Eliphas Levi, and symbolized on the card that is known by the name, "The Devil". Which, in and of itself, is rather a natural 'transposition' of the worldly 'Hierophant' or 'Man of God' gone bad, say... every picture tells a story, isn't that right? Let's have a look... This 'Devil' is said to represent the Baphomet... which is symbolic of 'Wisdom'... but it is not the 'higher Wisdom' of 'Sophia' or the High Priestess to which the acolytes have repaired, but the 'lower octave' of Worldly 'wisdom' which is the 'other end' or 'back side', if you will, of the way of the Hierophant.... Excuse me... that was kind of funny... Notice that the number of the Hierophant is 5, and the number of the 'Devil' is 15... and the five-pointed star of Venus (the morning star, and symbolically representative of Lucifer) has been 'reversed' or 'turned upside-down'. You see that the Hierophant gives the 'ecclesiastical sign' of two upraised fingers on the right hand, and you will also see that our Baphomet is giving a sign with his right hand, as well, which shows two sets of two upraised fingers, seperated by a space between them, and this is interesting in light of our reference to 'doubles' with these cards. Does this signify the 'second double aspect' of our Hierophant? Notice also that while in the courts of the Hierophant, the acolytes, or sycophants were kneeling, but still 'free' to get on their feet at any time, and leave the room. Once the acolytes have sought the lower wisdom of the 'Baphomet' or 'Devil', they are 'chained'.... no longer do they have the 'freedom' that is necessary to travel away from this place under their own 'power'. They cannot be 'creative' on their own merits, which creative powers are represented in their 'tails',- you see that the woman ought to be 'fruitful' or 'fecund', and the man ought to have the fiery power of the elements, as represented by the flames, but... they are impotent. They have been 'yoked and hobbled' by wrong knowledge, or a lack of knowledge altogether, which binds them to the very grossest side of worldly materialism. They are now prisoners here... and neither can help the other. This 'Devil' is, I believe, the 'other side' of the Hierophant... its True transposition, or 'opposite pole'... and I believe that you can see examples of the truth of that idea in the public displays of the most horrific acts of blood and betrayal ever perpetrated and worthy of the Devil himself, if ever there were one, within so many of the 'acts' of the 'Church' and done with its own 'authority' as the vested representative of 'God' on earth, in his dealings with 'men'. Do you see that he displays the horns, wings, and fiery orb on his sceptre that are representative of the Egyptian trinity of Ammon, Ra, and Osiris which are represented rightly by the wings, serpents (spiraling horns of Ammon), and the solar orb...? But these symbols have been turned to ill use within the symbolism of this 'created' Devil, which is nevertheless powerful enough to hold man in his 'clutches' and prevent his ever finding his way to the silent and sacred Temple of the High Priestess, who also displays the solar orb and the horns, and sits between the twin pillars, marked "B" and "J"... Which, coincidentally, might just as easily stand for 'Baphomet' and 'Jehovah', under the circumstances, don't you think...? Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT Their foundation is Wisdom, Wealth, Seed, Life, Dominance, Peace and Grace. I won't have much time for posting this morning, since 'loading' time is... extended... but, I do have a few thoughts to leave you with, on my way to work today. To conclude my 'immediate' thoughts on the 'transposed double' card of 'The Devil', I would point out again the sign given by the right hand, two fingers, upraised in a 'pair' of 'doubles' for the 'Transposed Hierophant'; two fingers, upraised as one set of 'doubles'; and thirdly, there is the 'sign' that our 'John the Baptist' is giving, which is one finger, the index finger of the right hand, upraised, and that these 'signs' represent a 'progression'... four... two... one. This 'progression', I believe, represents the 'refinement' of your 'connection' to the 'creative Spirit', whereby that which is indicated by our 'Pretty John' is a 'mainline'... a direct connection through the High Priestess, if you will, in which 'polarity' is absorbed in the point of 'equilibrium', or 'balanced forces'. To further strengthen the notion of a 'negative double' being represented, I point out the two 'prisoners',- acolytes become 'demons', if you will, as indicated by the 'short horns' and the 'tails'... something like cattle. At any rate, the 'tails' indicate the positions that these 'persons' hold, which is that of the Empress/Emperor, or the 'physically creative' forces that are now bound beneath the chains of 'occult wisdom' that has been 'transposed' or... reversed. Turned upside-down... and, interestingly, this is exactly the case that I find to be present today; the 'truth' of the situation has been very much turned upside-down, and all of creation is paying the price. On a more personal level, of course, these poor 'seekers' could be you and I... and you can make the same correlations, because 'as Above, so Below'... The saddest part of their situation, of course, is that the 'keys to Hell and Death' lay right before their faces at one point... where they might have easily taken hold of them, and left the Halls of the Hierophant. The 'good news', I think, is that somebody must have... 'John' tells us in the first chapter of the book of the Revelatons,- 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter... You will know the Truth, and the truth will make you free. They said that, too... and, one more thing (lolol) about the 'doubles' and their importance in the 'creative process',- let me quote from the Sefer Yetzirah again, because you need to understand the importance of 'turning things upside-down'... and, let me just add that, along these lines, it is said that to say a thing 'forward' or 'in order' is 'positive formation'... to utter the words 'backwards' is 'negative formation' or... destruction, if you will. You understand...? Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT in speech and in transposition. The transpose of Wisdom is Folly The transpose of Wealth is Poverty The transpose of Seed is Desolation The transpose of Life is Death The transpose of Dominance is Subjugation The transpose of Peace is War The transpose of Grace is Ugliness.
Peace and War relate both to nations and the individual. A person can be at war with himself, or at peace with himself. These letters can be used to transmit these qualities both to oneself, or to another.Now that we've laid our 'foundation', we can begin our 'journey'... and that begins with card number 6... in the Garden... (To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.Oh, yes... the number of the 'Devil' is 15. If you take the triple-tiered crown and the triple-cross represented on the staff that is in the possession of the Hierophant, or 3, and multiply it by the 'number of his name' or, 5, you have... 15,- the 'Devil'. I told you previously that I believe that the 3 actually represents the descent from balance, which is the next step below Unity, and this 'third step' is 'out of balance' and into 'chaos'. Our 'mission' here is to create 'order' from that 'chaos', but... the 'Devil' is actually 'chaos multiplied'. Here, we find not true 'Dominance', but only its transposition... 'Subjugation'. This is the 'dark side' of the 'Force'... And in this particular little picture-lesson, I believe that we can substantiate the value of the words... Choose ye this day whom ye will serve...Have a thoughtful day, friends. May His own Peace be with you... may His face shine down upon you.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 15, 2015 17:08:52 GMT
It's good to be here this morning... I am anxious to begin my posting, since I can spend most of the day at it today, with only a few 'distractions', I hope, and there is so much ground left ahead of us to cover... It's been a 'fair fall', don't you think...? Love... lord above... The sun shines in the zenith, and beneath is a great winged figure with arms extended, pouring down influences. In the foreground are two human figures, male and female, unveiled before each other, as if Adam and Eve when they first occupied the paradise of the earthly body. Behind the man is the Tree of Life, bearing twelve fruits, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is behind the woman; the serpent is twining round it. The figures suggest youth, virginity, innocence and love before it is contaminated by gross material desire. This is in all simplicity the card of human love, here exhibited as part of the way, the truth and the life. It replaces, by recourse to first principles, the old card of marriage, which I have described previously, and the later follies which depicted man between vice and virtue...
In a very high sense, the card is a mystery of the Covenant and Sabbath.
The suggestion in respect of the woman is that she signifies the attraction towards the sensitive life, which carries within it the idea of the Fall of Man, but she is rather the working of a Secret Law of Providence, rather than a willing and conscious temptress. It is through her imputed lapse that man shall arise ultimately, and only by her can he complete himself. The card is therefore in its way another intimation concerning the great mystery of womanhood. The old meanings fall to pieces of necessity with the old pictures, but even as interpretations of the latter some of them were of the order of commonplace and others were false in symbolism. This card marks the 'beginning' of the 'Royal Road', which journey is being completed on many 'levels'... and which might very rightly be thought of as ' the way, the truth, and the life', as it is referred to in the description given above. Interestingly, it is within this 'beginning' that we will find our 'end', and if it is true that through her 'imputed lapse' that man will be enabled to 'arise', then we do find the Truth of having come 'full circle'... which Truth is echoed by our 'serpent handler', Ophiucus, when he places the 'tail' (end) of the 'Serpent' into its 'mouth' (beginning) in order to 'complete the circuit' and bring it All 'full circle'. Lucky thirteen... But in the meantime, there are twelve fruits hanging on the Tree of Life, aren't there...? I think I know why... or, one Good reason, at least... There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, which 'alphabet' was used, it is said, in the very act of creation... they are 'primal', and were 'engraved' on the very essence of the universe with 'black fire'... which reminds me of a lava flow, for some reason... Anyway, if we subtract from those 22 letters the three (3) 'mother 'letters' and the seven (7) 'double letters' which belong to 'higher creative realm' of the Empress/Emperor and the High Priestess/Hierophant, that leaves... 12 letters to the 'lower creative realm' that is our own Garden of Eden, and the 'property' of Man. Twelve letters, twelve fruits... twelve 'houses' of the Zodiac wheel... twelve 'tribes' of Israel... The woman stands before the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which I believe is representative of the 'double Sephiroth'... positive and negative... which is itself being twined about with a 'serpent', which serpent is also a symbolic representation of the dual qualities of 'good and evil'. And it is here that we must find our 'link' between the 'higher creative powers' and those belonging to the 'lower realm', if you Will... According to Dr. Papus,- The hieroglyphic sign for the Vau is the eye, all that relates to light and brilliancy. The eye establishes the link between the external world and ourselves; by it light and form are revealed to us. The dominant idea expressed by this letter will therefore be that of a connection, of a link between antagonists. We have already dwelt at some length upon the Vau, but we think it may be useful to quote Fabre d'Olivet's observations upon this letter in extenso--
"This sign is the image of the deepest and most inconceivable mystery, the image of the knot which reunites, or of the point which separates, the nothing from the being. It is the universal convertible sign, which forms the passage from one nature to the other; communicating on one side with the sign of light and of spiritual sense וֹ (a pointed Vau), which is but a higher form of itself; on the other hand linking itself in its degeneration with Ayin (ע), the sign of darkness and of the material senses, which again is but a lower form of itself."
The Vau is the second simple letter; astronomically it represents the second sign of the zodiac, the Bull.The symbolism of the 'serpent' is of particular importance to the 'fall' and 're-generation' which are integral to the 'beginning' of the story that ensues, but it would seem that only one aspect of the 'serpent' has been given any 'play' within the Christ-ian mysteries and dogma... but there are other aspects that are equally significant... ... the Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit) and to renew fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and the lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.." In other cultures snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiars—sometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Crete—and they were worshiped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_%28symbolism%29Do you see that within the Hopi story there are two snakes, as well...? Just as there are two snakes twined around the staff of healing, or caduceus... and in the Hopi story, the 'serpents' renew the 'fertility of Nature', or 'Creation'... physical creation, particularly, as it is related to the Earth. The Delphi Omphalos stone... which is said to represent the 'navel' of the Earth... complete with 'umbilical cord', as shown here...
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