“Modulations of Consciousness From the point of view of consciousness, there is no separate, individual self or ego that could transition through any states. Waking, dreaming and deep sleep are temporary modulations of consciousness, which is never itself inherently changed by any of the states it assumes.”
Science and Art probe Reality for different Truths. They may examine the same exact phenomena we encounter as sentient beings, however, by different methods and questions. Both are Ultimate Manifestations of Consciousness and both require and inspire Creativity. Assigning rank or capability is possible only when enforcing specific situations and even then that would be based on the individuals background and biases, therefore rendering it no longer ‘Absolute’ on the grand scheme of things.
Of the many human disciplines, there are few that could seem more divergent than Art and Science. The artist employs image and metaphor; the scientist uses number and equation. Art creates illusions meant to evoke emotion, while science engages in the pursuit of empirical verification. There is, to some degree, a physiological cause for this apparent divergence: the two halves, or hemispheres, of the brain. The right side of the brain is responsible for emotions and intuition, the left for logic and reason. Yet the notion of two brains gives rise to the function of one Mind. Perhaps it is this one “Undivided Mind” that presents a way forward through the monumental cultural changes we now face, enabling us to surf this dynamic moment in history from a platform of Balance and Symmetry.
Neil deGrasse Tyson also discussed the possibility for Universal Truths within the Realms of Science and Art. He notes that one of the definitive differences is that with Science, the same answer should be uncovered regardless of the observer in pursuit. Art, however, produces answers completely unique to the observer. This intellectual collision of seemingly disparate bedfellows, that something magical and unexpected happens: new patterns emerge; new connections are forged between previously unconnected ideas and inspiration reigns. The main difference between Science and the Arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin, even different parts of the same Continuum, but rather, they are Manifestations of the same thing. The Arts and Sciences are Avatars of Human Creativity.
A
L C H E M Y may be described, in the words of Baudelaire, as a process
of ‘distilling the eternal from the transient’. As the art of
transmutation par excellence, the classical applications of alchemy have
always been twofold: chrysopoeia and apotheosis
(gold-making and god-making)—the perfection of metals and mortals. In
seeking to turn ‘poison into wine’, alchemy, like tantra, engages
material existence—often at its most dissolute or corruptible—in order
to transform it into a vehicle of liberation. Like theurgy, it seeks not
only personal liberation—the redemption of the soul from the cycles of
generation and corruption—but also the liberation (or perfection) of
nature herself through participation in the cosmic demiurgy. In its
highest sense, therefore, alchemy conforms to what Lurianic kabbalists
would call tikkun, the restoration of the world.
Almost
invariably, the earliest alchemical texts describe procedures for
creating elixirs of immortality—of extracting transformative essences
from physical substances in order to render metals golden and mortals
divine. Through this, the earliest alchemists innovated physical
processes such as distillation and fermentation, extraction and
refinement, and the analysis and synthesis of various chemical
substances. However, it must not be forgotten that the earliest contexts of ‘material’ alchemy were not proto-scientific, but ritualistic.
Whether one looks at the Taiqing (Great Clarity) tradition of
third-to-sixth century China, the Siddha traditions of early medieval
India, or the magical and theurgical milieux of Hellenistic Egypt, the
most concrete alchemical practices were always inseparable from ritual
invocations to and supplications of the divinities whose ranks the
alchemist wished to enter. Moreover, in east and west alike, the
alchemical techniques themselves were allegedly passed down from
divinity to humanity. Alchemy was a divine art (hieratikē technē).
Whether
stemming from the entheogenic properties of physical elixirs, or
developing independently, the desire to encounter the divine directly
through inner experience (gnōsis, jnāna) was soon cultivated
via internal practices of a meditative or metaphysiological character.
Here the elixir began to be generated within the vessels of the human
body in order to transform it into an alchemical body of glory. Thus,
the two basic traditions—external and internal alchemy; neidan and waidan,
laboratory and oratory—can, in the final analysis, be regarded as
complimentary approaches to the same end: the attainment of perfection
through liberation from conditioned existence.
Despite
these generalising remarks, and despite the unusual aptness of
Baudelaire’s phrase, it must nevertheless be conceded that the effort to
define alchemy to everyone’s satisfaction may well be impossible. On
one hand, alchemy needs to be defined in a way that encapsulates the
living breadth and depth of the world’s alchemical traditions. On the
other hand, such a definition must also be internally consistent with
the many specific, historically contingent (and at timescontradictory)
expressions of alchemy. Moreover, the very attempt to strike such a
‘golden mean’ between the universal and particular, between the
‘synchronic’ and the ‘diachronic’, is something of an alchemical act in
and of itself—the elusive, indeed transformative, point where ‘art’
becomes science and ‘science’, art. In this respect, alchemy may well be
seen to inhere precisely in such ‘nodal points of qualitative change’
(as Jack Lindsay called them in his landmark study of Graeco-Egyptian
alchemy), or in instances of
‘qualitative exaltation’ (as the twentieth-century alchemist, René
Schwaller de Lubicz, described them with regards to the ‘teratological
proliferations’ of biological species).
Rather
than offer a single, rigid definition (which will quickly become
restrictive), what I would like to do in this introduction is present a
series of linguistic, historiographical, and phenomenological
‘circumambulations’ around the alchemical mysterium. In so
doing, I seek to trace some of the more salient contours of the
alchemical landscape, and, if possible, glimpse the presence of its
elusive ‘centre’. One of the merits of approaching alchemy by
circumambulation is that it affords a much wider circumscription of the
phenomenon than the narrowly fixed parameters of disciplinal specificity
usually permit; it therefore allows a more eidetic or phenomenological
insight to develop—an approach that, in German philosophical traditions,
is seen to promote actual understanding (Verstehen) rather mere explanation (Erklären). As Hans Thomas Hakl points out in a recent study of Julius Evola’s alchemical works, circumambulatio is
precisely the approach taken in order to engender an actual experience
of the realities that allegedly underpin the multiplicity of Hermetic
symbols. It is, potentially, a
method of ‘knowledge by presence’ rather than simple ‘representational
knowledge’. Of course, such approaches, which are fundamentally
morphological in their method, are also ahistorical in character, and so
what must be offered here is not an exclusivelyphenomenological
approach, but a circumambulation that is also tempered in the fires of
historical rigour. Such an approach, in my experience, is fundamentally
more balanced than either of the extremes.
At
the same time, it must be recognised that there is an inherent tension
to this balance; a tension that requires one to embrace a Heraclitean
‘harmony of contraries’ between deeply opposed methodologies. In
circumambulating a centre, whether as an ‘essentialist’ or ‘relativist’,
the ultimate nature of the centre, indeed the substantial existence of
the centre itself, must remain an open question. As the Dao de Jingremarks,
‘thirty spokes meet in the hub of the wheel, but the function of the
wheel is in the empty part’. Without the concrete spokes of
empirical-historical data, we may not become aware of the centre, and
yet this centre, which is empty, is precisely the function (the
phenomenological Verstehen) around which the spokes revolve,
giving them their form, their function and thus their meaning. Both
aspects are interdependent and both must be equally accounted for. Thus,
before we open up to any deeper phenomenological perceptions, our
circumambulations must begin by first situating alchemy in its concrete
historical-linguistic and historiographic contexts.
What is synchronicity and why does it have such an impact on our lives? Well, whether you believe in it or not, synchronicity is a spiritual phenomena, which is presented by experiencing frequent coincidences, names, phrases, numbers or even seeing the same animal regularly (omens). Coincidence, on the other hand , does definitely exist just like synchronicity, but ther’s a slight difference. Coincidences only happen once and one time only, whereas synchronicity is the same coincidence that keeps getting repeated. Now this is when a simple coincidence that happens to us becomes a sign from the higher realms and the universe. This is when we should take note of it and listen to our intuition, rather than ignoring it. The first person to take notice of synchronicity, was Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung, who was talking to a client about a dream they had about a golden sacrab beetle, and before they knew it, they saw one in the window of Carl’s psychotherapy cabinet which was rather majestic considering that species of beetle wasn’t native to Switzerland.
Most people in everyday society believe that synchronicity is utterly meaningless and should be taken as a pinch of salt. However, this is the attitude that feeds mediocrity and unsatisfaction within our lives. By acting this way, we are subconsciously blocking ourselves from experiencing serendipity, joy and blessings that life brings into our path. Ever since we were children, society and our parents have continuously made us believe that the world is dangerous, scary and full of negativity and tragedy. Society doesn’t want you to have a curious mind because society thinks these people have the power to change world instead of conforming like everyone else. So start embracing your inner child and explore the world like you’ve never stepped on Earth before. You’ll begin to see your life as more blissful, wondrous and free, so adopt this attitude and end the cycle of negativity.
1. You keep noticing or hearing their name in random places
Have you ever experienced this? When you consistently hear or see a particular name everywhere on your travels it means that this person male or female, is soon to enter your life in 3D some time in the near future, who will awaken you spiritually and make drastic changes in your life for the better. It can also have romantic connotations as well, which means that they will be manifested as your ultimate lover that you’ve always dreamed of. This is very common with people who are on the twin flame journey, particularly during the seperation stage. The universe gives you these divine messages because it wants you to know that you are still loved by your beloved twin, even though in reality it doesn’t seem like it at all. It’s like the universe is telling you to never give up hope and listen to your higher self.
2. You see angel numbers and sequences on a regular basis
You see numbers like 1111, 777, 888, 111 and many other sequences on a regular basis whether that is on a clock, number plates or telephone numbers. Sometimes you can wake up at the same time every morning or night as well, which often causes many people to freak out. The synchronicity of 1111 is very common within the spiritual community, as it generally means someone special is coming into your life such as a twin flame. However, it can also mean that you are going through a spiritual awakening as well. I have experienced the 1111 phenomena occasionally, but it is not as common for me. My angel number has been 111 for over a year and it continues to be even now. I have also seen 222 and 333 randomly sometimes. These numbers can also represent as a deceased loved one that is trying to communicate with you. See these numbers as a message from a deceased relative that is telling you to keep following your spiritual path and have faith in it.
3. You think of someone and then out of the blue you accidently bump into them
When this happens most people take this as a pure coincidence or chance. This is right, especially when it only happens once and never to occur again. However, when you consistently think of someone and see them randomly on your travels, take note. Do not get this synchronicity confused with stalking, as this can be mistaken very easily. If you keep bumping into someone serendipitously this means that this particular person will have a powerful impact in your life in someway. They can be people you knew in the past or a random stranger you just met yesterday.
4. Hearing a song on the radio that reminds you of someone or scenario that had a significant impact in your life
Have you ever listened to the radio and then a random song plays with lyrics that coincidentally matches up with how you feel about someone or a scenario? I have experienced this several times in my life. This usually happens between soulmates and twin flames during the separation phase of the divine partnership. It is another form of telepathy or psychic communication soulmates and twin flames can experience when they’re not talking to each other in the physical world. Music is created and lead by the emotions and the spirit, so this is why many twin flames and soulmates have experienced this synchronicity while they’re on their spiritual journey to reunite with each other again.
5. Randomly thinking about someone and they call you or send you a message a split second after
This phenomenon is very common with soulmates, but more so with twin flames. This phenomenon is called telepathy, which means mental communication between two people (whether they are near each other or faraway). Sometimes twin flame or soulmate couples can have telepathic communication – even when they’re on the other side of the world from each other. I have experienced this myself, and I have to confess that I’ve often scratched my head out of pure confusion because the phenomena is just absolutely bizarre. It’s so bizzare that no one would believe you if you told them about it or they would ask for evidence to prove that it exists. Bearing in mind that soulmates and twin flames don’t necessarily have to be a potential romantic partner, but they can also be a relative, your child, sibling, a best friend or parent. However, most of the time twin flames (more so than soulmates) are romantic partnerships.
6. You come across something that fixes a problem that has been worrying you for some time
Have you ever gone into a store or read an article online and then out of the corner of you eye, you suddenly see something that has the answer to a problem that you’ve been desperately wanting to fix? These are epiphanies or miracles from the universe showing you that you can finally break down the blocks that have cause you pain, suffering and anguish. When you see this, the universe is telling you that there is hope and you can escape from what has been holding you back.
7. You meet a stranger that awakens you about a particular aspect in your current life
Throughout our daily lives we meet many people who come in and come out without us consciously thinking about it, but then there’s some people that entered our life in some way that stay in our memory for many days, months, years, decades or even for a lifetime. These people may have been a stranger that helped you or saved your life or that special someone who took your breath away at the first glance of them. These people are usually lightworkers, twin flames, soulmates or your guardian angel that has incarnated on Earth. When you encounter someone like this, you feel an instant connection to them which feels sacred and cosmic. These people are your healers, protectors, divine lovers, soul friends and spirit guides. This why you’ll always remember them for many years.
8. You consistently see meaningful or sacred symbols
These symbols can be anything that has significant meanings and interpretations or have a religious connection to them. Symbols such as the holy trinity or infinity (lemniscate) are perfect examples of this. If you are on the twin flame journey, whether that is meeting your twin for the first time in 3D or you are currently going through separation you may see synchronicity involving the infinity symbol. When this happens the universe is basically telling you that their love for you is eternal and unbreakable and you should never give up hope even when you feel lost, helpless and stuck. On my twin flame journey, I have experienced synchronicity, especially with the infinity symbol so much so that I decided to buy an infinity necklace because it’s meaning meant so much to me.
9. You casually find yourself watching a movie that accurately mirrors the story of your life and what you’re going through (or have gone through)
This is a rarer type of synchronicity, as there are not many movies that have been made, which are nearly accurate to your own life story. If you have experienced this before, consider yourself lucky because it’s very, very rare. I believe that this is the most meaningful and poignant kind of synchronicity that I have listed in this post.
10. Reoccurring prophetic dreams about an event or person that will soon be entering your life
This synchronicity is very common when you begin to start waking up spiritually and develop psychic abilities. When you have very profound dreams that are repeated regularly with the same dream, this is known as clairvoyance or psychic vision. You’ll begin to have these at the very beginning of your spiritual awakening and journey. By having these dreams, you are now becoming self-aware of your divine gifts and talents that you can share with the world, rather than ignoring them and pushing them away.
If you are new to numerology, please see the earlier articles in the archive – for a menu of the detailed information behind this.
Sometimes it is helpful to access the link between numerology and
astrology, to call on the additional symbolic vocabulary which
astrologers have developed to a very sophisticated level.
If we are working in pure number – for the story told by numbers, or
for their manifold interrelationships, or even working with dates – we
can use the astrological linkages (see below) directly. However, if we
are working with words or names then we have an intermediate step to go
through.
The astrological vocabulary of numerology was brought in by the
Romans, and further developed in mediaeval times. So we have to work
with the number-values of letters which traditional European numerology
has used since Roman times:
1 is the value of A, I, J, Q, and Y
2 is the value of B, K, and R
3 is the value of C, G, L, and S
4 is the value of D, M, and T
5 is the value of E, H, N, and X
6 is the value of U, V, and W
7 is the value of O, and Z
8 is the value of F, and P
No modern letters are evaluated at 9
This is very different from the “normal” sequential values used by
modern numerology. It actually arose out of the letter sequence of the
pre-roman Etruscan alphabet. The Romans kept the old values when
working in Latin, and modern letters such as J, U, W, and Y were fitted
in later as they arose. So it looks a bit of a mess now, but a lot of
powerful people have been energising it for over 2,000 years. You may
sometimes find this called the “Chaldean System”, but the Chaldeans
wrote in cuneiform characters, so that name does not really stand up.
If we were to use the astrology with the much easier direct
letter-values which are normal in modern numerology, we would usually
get complete rubbish in the interpretation. Please stay with the
Aura-Soma Equilibrium Bottles as your deep vocabulary when working with
sequential modern letter-values.
The astrological linkages are:
ZERO was a concept unknown in Europe until about 1300, so it has no
old attributions, but has latterly been associated with the element
aether, and by some people with the planet Pluto.
ONE has positive polarity, and is associated with the fire element and the cardinal quality. It is ruled by the Sun.
TWO has negative polarity, and is associated with the water element and the fixed quality. It is ruled by the Moon.
THREE has positive polarity, and is associated with the air element and the mutable quality. It is ruled by Jupiter.
FOUR has negative polarity, and is associated with the earth element
and the cardinal quality. In Roman times it was ruled by Saturn, but
the Mediaeval revision (see below) gave it to the Sun, now in modern
times it is ruled by Uranus.
FIVE has positive polarity, and is associated with the air element and the fixed quality. It is ruled by Mercury.
SIX has negative polarity, and is associated with the air element and the mutable quality. It is ruled Venus.
SEVEN has positive polarity, and is associated with the water element
and the cardinal quality. In Roman times it was ruled by Jupiter, but
the Mediaeval revision (see below) gave it to the Moon, now in modern
times it is ruled by Neptune.
EIGHT has negative polarity, and is associated with the earth element and the fixed quality. It is ruled by Saturn.
NINE has positive polarity, and is associated with mutable quality.
It is ruled by Mars. Its elemental attribution is less clear.
Originally it was given the fire element, but the Mediaeval revision
suggested that it related to all elements, and some more recent
authorities associate it with aether.
The Mediaeval Revision
In Mediaeval times they thought that it was unfair that Saturn and
Jupiter should have two numbers each (although that can be traced back
to Chaldean astrology); so they decided that the “two great luminaries” –
the Sun and Moon – should have two numbers each and ordinary planets
only one. Likewise the fire element was identified as unfairly having
three numbers rather than two, so they associated the NINE with “all”
elements.
Identifying the Signs which will be revealed
Aries is positive cardinal fire
Taurus is negative fixed earth
Gemini is positive mutable air
Cancer is negative cardinal water
Leo is positive fixed fire
Virgo is negative mutable earth
Libra is positive cardinal air
Scorpio is negative fixed water
Sagittarius is positive mutable fire
Capricorn is negative cardinal earth
Aquarius is positive fixed air
Pisces is negative mutable water
In analyses, the elements and qualities are more important than the
polarities, as it is possible to have a result showing such as “negative
cardinal air” – a combination which does not exist in a real sign. In
such cases we would ignore the polarity.
How can we use this?
Let’s try an example of finding the astrological vibrations in the name of “Fred Smith”:
FRED SMITH
8254 34145
using the traditional letter-values.
First we count the occurrences of each factor:
Positive has 4 occurrences, from 5, 3, 1, and 5
Negative has 5, from 8, 2, 4, 4, and 4
Fire has 2 occurrences, from 3 and 1
Air has 2 from the two fives
Water has 1 from the single 2
Earth has 4 from the 8 and three 4s
Cardinal has 4 from the 1 and three 4s
Fixed has 3 from the 2 and two 5s
Mutable has 1 from the single 3
Sun has 1 occurrence
Moon 1
Jupiter 1
Uranus 3
Mercury 2
Venus <none>
Neptune <none>
Saturn 1
Mars <never occurs on an individual letter>
The total value of “Fred Smith” is 36, which reduces to (3+6=) 9, so the overall ruler is Mars.
Within the detail above, we have Negative slightly greater than
Positive, Earth out-ranking the other elements, Cardinal out-ranking the
other qualities, and Uranus (followed by Mercury) out-ranking other
planets.
Result
The Cardinal Earth sign in astrology is Capricorn, and it happens to be negative. So the dominant astrology is of Uranus in Capricorn. This could be refined to be seen as a Uranus-Mercury conjunction in Capricorn, with Uranus the stronger.
So words and names and pure number carry astrological influences.
Their vibration resonate to a harmonic in sympathy with normal planetary
astrology. If you are doing a personal reading, this enables you to
use numerology and astrology together. If you are working with the
symbolism of pure number, the astrology will bring out additional subtle
tones.
Details when using traditional letter-values
Accents
Umlaut = 5
Circumflex = 3
Cedilla = 3
Other accents = 0
Double letter ß = 10
The rationale here is that the umlaut represents a missing letter
“e”, and circumflexes or cedillas represent a missing letter “s”.
Whilst “ß” now represents “ss”, it originally represented “sz”. Other
accents are pronunciation indicators only.
Abbreviations
Spell out all abbreviations: including
“&” becomes “and”, or “et”, or “und”, etc.
“@” becomes “at”, or “à”, or “zu/bei” etc.
“U.N.” becomes “United Nations”
Extra information on number, unrelated to the use of astrology
Aleister Crowley defined magick as the “Science and Art of causing
Change to occur in conformity with Will”. However, all magical working
concerns the manipulation of glamours, and none of these results or the
desires that fuel them have any substance or reality in themselves.
Hadit is the Magician and the Exorcist, and all phenomena appear
spontaneously—there are no causes and no effects.— Hermetic Qabalah Initiation Workbook
Advaita or Non-Dual reality is often ascribed exclusively to Eastern
mysticism, as though it had no part in the Western Hermetic Tradition.
And yet, the Hermetic Tree of Life does not begin with Kether, the
‘One’, or Chokmah, the ‘Two’. The three veils of Negativity that precede
Kether—Ain, Ain Soph and Ain Soph Aur—have a vital role in all
practical working, whether the aim is mystical, magical or both. When we
begin meditation on the Tree of Life with Kether, or the Rituals of the
Pentagram with the word “IAO”, aspiring upwards, there is a momentary
pause. In that pause, we clear our minds of all thought and sensation,
and contemplate the Ain as no-thing, no object, no subject—pure
emptiness and spaciousness. Then when we utter the first words, Kether
is truly formulated from the three veils of the infinite.
Kether and Atziluth as a concentration of the three veils of Negative Existence
The Mexican sorcery or shamanism that
is described in the writings of Carlos Castaneda is none too different
from the magick of the Hermetic tradition. The trick of following a
symbol back to its source with the infinite—analogous thought as opposed
to analytical thought—is vital to both traditions. With the Mexican
sorcerers, there is more emphasis on the natural world, whereas the
urban magician is usually inclined towards more abstract ciphers. The
hieroglyphs are ‘out there’ in nature, in rocks, plants, mountains,
physical places and their genius loci.
However, this is no
different than the magick practiced by our ancient Egyptian forebears.
Every bird, animal, creature, stone, plant, building or place is a
cipher of the infinite. The word “cipher” itself is derived from the
Arabic sifre , meaning “zero”, and there is a meaningful correspondence between sifre and sephira or “number”. In the Egyptian Book of the Law, Liber AL vel
Legis, Nuit says: “Every number is infinite; there is no difference.”
The teachings of Castaneda’s Don Juan insist that the nagual —the
Mexican word for the formlessness and space that is the true nature of
matter—is the only source of real power to the magician or shaman. The nagual—more
or less equivalent to the thread of the Ain Soph of the Qabalah—is the
timeless source of all magick and sorcery. It is said that if a sorcerer
has enough power, then he or she can enter the nagual and leave
it at any point in space or time. A shaman can thus disappear from one
place and in an instant be transported to some other place a thousand
miles away. The Mexican shaman gains knowledge of every thing, object,
creature or plant, by entering into the formless reality that is veiled
by the object. Likewise, the Kemetic and Hermetic magician follows every
symbol back to its source with the infinite.
Lightning Flash
One unique thing about the Hermetic practice is that we start at the top
and then draw down the force, before working upwards again. In other
traditions, it is more common to begin from the ground and work your way
up. So it appears from our practical work that we begin with Kether the
Crown, the first emanation of the Tree of Life. Kether more or less
approximates with the Atman of Eastern philosophy. The Egyptian god Atem
or Atem Ra embodies much the same principle. However, numbers begin
from zero, not one. The idea of negative existence or Non-Being is as
integral to the Hermetic tradition as it is to Eastern Advaita. In the
Qabalah we have three veils of the negative light, the Ain, the Ain Soph
and the Ain Soph Aur—No-thing, Limitless Space, and Limitless Light.
Kether is the first appearance, and is really a concentration or mirror
reflection of those three veils of the infinite. The traditional name of
Kether in Atziluth is AHIH, “I Am”, the pure existence,
undifferentiated. If we say “I Am” backwards, we declare “Maya”—that
the ‘One’ is the root of the delusion of appearances. The Ain, Ain Soph
and Ain Soph Aur reflected in Kether is Light in Extension, the LVX
formulation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. When this is
reversed, we formulate NOX or Night, the threefold eye of Ain, Not-Self
or Non-Being. The word Ain is closely related to the letter and word
Ayin, the eye of the void.
The Qabalist bears in mind at all times that the sephiroth of the
Hermetic Tree exist at four worlds or levels, and that there is a tree
in every sphere. The divine world, Atziluth, is more or less the plane
of the gods at the cosmic level. The Egyptian gods are Neters,
“Principles”, that are the divine expressed in nature by natural laws.
Nuit and Hadit, the primary gods of the Egyptian Book of the Law, Liber
AL vel Legis, are the most cosmic or absolute of all the gods. As such,
their first place on the Hermetic Tree is with the Ain and the Ain Soph.
There is some correspondence with Shiva and Shakti of the Eastern
Tantras.
On the plane of time and space, the temporal world, all things, objects
and creatures appear to be a result of causes. We therefore tend to
perceive everything as a chain of cause of effect. Malkuth in Assiah is
the world of action and elements, identical to the Sanskrit “karma”. In
the cosmic world of Nuit and Hadit, there are no causes and no
effects—there is no time. The notion of time where there seems to be a
past that is no more, a present that is ‘here’, yet constantly moving
forward, and a future that is as yet unborn, does not come about until
the midpoint of the Tree, Tiphereth. Even then, time does not fully
obtain until we reach Malkuth, the world of manifest appearances. The
perception of cause and effect, although real enough on its own plane,
is a trick of how we perceive things.
Form vs. Formless Reality
The argument between the advocates of a formless absolute and those that
revere gods, divinities, is an exceedingly ancient one. The great Hindu
sage Ramakrishna proposed a satisfying solution to that argument. The
story goes that one day Ramakrishna encountered some ardent followers of
Shiva, and they said to him, “Why are you worshipping this goddess? She
is Maya, the great delusion. We are followers of Shiva, who is Formless
and absolute, the only Reality.” Ramakrishna went away to think and
meditate on this. When he returned, he found the Shivaites again and
told them, “You are right! However, so am I! The goddess that I love is
the Form of the Formless. Ultimately, the Form and Formless are
perfectly equal and amount to an expression of the same Reality.”
The thread of the Ain Soph does not only exist ‘above Kether’, for it is
the key to transformation at every conceivable level. How does Geburah,
the 5th sephira, become Tiphereth, the 6th? How does the world of
Yetzirah become the world of Assiah? It is through the thread of the Ain
Soph that weaves throughout the worlds. In the numerical scheme of
things, Malkuth is ‘below’ and Kether is ‘above’. And yet, Malkuth is
Kether, but after another fashion. The Ain Soph is hidden in Malkuth—and
so present at all times—as much as it is ‘above’ even Kether.
In the practice—whether it is a meditation on the Hermetic Tree, the
Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, or an operation to consecrate a
talisman, we start at the ‘top’, the most absolute that we can conceive,
then work towards manifestation. And that is the transformation or
Great Work that is essential to magick and alchemy, the working upon the
plane of matter. When this is reversed, so that each symbol is followed
back to its source in the infinite, the Non-Dual reality may be
realised. To use the Eastern terminology, which is more familiar to many
than the symbolism of the Hermetic tradition, Jnanamudra leads naturally to Mahamudra. According to “The Rites and Ceremonies of Hormaku”, Ritual Magick
:The adept embraces both heaven and hell, becoming at the last a
flame—and then the fire itself. Enoch provides the primary example of
magical invisibility since, after the translation of his Ka into spirit
or Khu, he was never seen again on earth by mortals. When the adept
knows that which he loves even as he is known and loved, a universe is
crushed to nought (i.e. returned to Nuit). “That which remains” (Liber
AL, II: 9) is not created from the substance of the earth—for it is not
of created things. The adept—unless he falls back into time and space at
the crossroads—is therefore invisible to all men, even while dwelling
in the body of flesh.
The True Will in the tradition of Thelema is a wonderful conception, and
can be truly liberating. It is inevitably confused, though, with the
personal will that appears to drive choices and decisions that, in turn,
seem to affect changes in the material life. If too much personal
energy is applied to effecting change on its own plane , that
energy becomes depleted and the Ka (vital body) becomes a vampirical
force. Although vampires and ghouls are a glamorous concept, especially
to those that have never experienced the psychic planes directly, the
(relative) reality of such things is unpleasant, to put it mildly.
The Great Work of magick and alchemy is identical, and the work of
transformation is effected downwards on the planes, “As above so below”.
The world of Assiah is ‘negative’ to the ‘positive’ of the world of
Yetzirah. Geburah is negative to Binah and Chesed, but positive to
Tiphereth and Hod. To work upon Malkuth, the plane of material illusion,
one does not begin with a wish or desire—though such a wish may have
served as a lever to turn the magician towards the Great Work. With the
Ain or non-conceptual reality there is no subject, no object and no will
to do anything or to change anything. There are no things or objects
with Ain, there is no-thing to desire or crave and no one to desire it.
Yet it is from Ain that magick is worked and it is only by embracing
Non-Being that the true Will is known. Magick and mysticism can easily
be seen as two entirely different paths, one leading this way, the other
leading that way. The magick of the true Will, however, works
simultaneously from the Formless to Form, and from Form to the Formless.
This mirroring or doubling of the worlds is described in the writings
of Kenneth Grant as the “Aeon of Zain”, named after the 17th path of the
Hermetic Tree to which the symbol of the sword is referred.
The downward striking action of the Flaming Sword or Lightning Flash—the
word or utterance of Kether which is itself a mirror of the void of Ain
Soph—automatically invokes a reflex, a current of return from Malkuth.
This simultaneous, two-way relationship between the Formless void and
its expression in matter and substance weaves the very fabric of
anything we can perceive as existence. By travelling to and fro across
the planes, a ‘substance’ is created that has an existence outside of
the gates of matter and time. This is no different than the immortal
stone or elixir of life that was described by medieval alchemists.
Referring once more to the writings of Carlos Castaneda, Don Juan was
always insistent that the ‘tricks’ of the shamans, whether to travel
over vast distances, to effect magical transmutations upon things,
creatures or humans, or to play some humiliating practical joke upon an
unwary acolyte, has deadly serious intent. And that intent is the
ultimate liberation of the soul from all constraints of matter, time and
death. This is no different in any way from the Great Work of the
Hermetic tradition or the goal of liberation of the Advaitans.
In this Integral Mandala we see the four ontoclines or gradations of Reality, as the four arms of the Mandala. Each of these correspond in a generic way to one of the primary parameters of Consciousness and Reality. These four themselves come from a Center, representing the Divine or Supreme or Absolute Reality, and this Center is itself made up of four as well as three levels.The four ontoclines are as follows:
Left – Self and Non-Self from True Self / “I” to Non-Self / “This” / Phenomena (and vice versa) – representing the Monadology (or pluratity and unity) of Selves. This pertains to the Nature of the Knowing Self (especially as elaborated in Eastern Philosophy). With Liberation (moksha, Enlightenment) in one realises one already is the Absolute (Atman-Brahman).
Bottom – The “Vertical” Physical-Spiritual Axis – from Transcendent Spiritual Mind down to Physical Matter (and vice-versa) – representing the Hierarchy (Great Chain of Being) of Octaves of Existence. This “Vertical” Axis or Planes of Existence (in which one ascends to the Absolute) corresponds to the various subtle and gross Universes and ocatves as described through Esotericism and Occultism with their understanding of the Nature of gross and subtle Realities, and to the ascent of Consciousness through levels of Existence.
Right – The “Horizontal” Inner-Outer Axis represents the contrast between the Innermost (Inner Light, Divine Soul) and Outermost (most external) Being – representing the Psychological Polarity of Being. The “Horizontal” Inner-Outer Axis corresponds to Psychology and Mysticism which addresses the depths of the being, and also on a more superficial level to the Arts with its dicotomy of Mythos and Logos, Imagination and Reason, and to depth and transpersonal psychology.
Top – The Universal-Individual-Atomistic Axis – From Universal Whole to “Atomistic” “Point” (and vice versa) constitutes the Holarchic arrangement of Systems. This “Concentric” Universal-Individual Axis corresponds, on the physical level, to Science especially the systems sciences and natural and applied sciences, also the social sciences in part. On the supraphysical it becomes the domain of Esotericism, but the basic principles of interaction, ecology, system dynamics, chaos theory, and so on. The overall Reality is the (esoteric) science of Cosmecology, which includes the experiential approach of Astrognosis.
All the ontoclines together represent the Spiritual Path; not literalist or exoteric religion, but Yoga, Sadhana, and Esoteric (Mystical) Religion; the Essense of Self-Transformation.
When spiritual teachers recommend you to ground yourself, they usually tell you to empower your root chakra. There are multiple practices including meditation, yoga etc, which can do that for sure. What i want to teach you here is just a shift of a perspective in a sense about the same topic.
Grounding means activity which empowers sense of stability and balance. The secret of this is simple. The key to build up the sense of groundedness is working with your own sense of “Order“.
What do i mean by that? By that i mean casual cleaning.
Connect mindfully the idea of grounding with the idea of cleaning and creating more of order around you. Doing dishes by hands, vacuuming, getting new plants for your windows, buying some orgonite pyramids for your bedroom is great, printing new pictures which you like, creating something like an altar with precious objects. Throw out stuff which you have all the time under your nose, you know that you dont need it, notice that you open some boxes in your home once in a year and for no reason. Get rid of them, the willingness to riddance is purifying.
The essence of all this is doing it with gratitude and mindful perspective. Learn to like these activities and give them some more attention than just putting them in-between other events. By this practice and with this awareness you create better aura for your home and therefore your own auric field can expand and resonate.
Occult Aspects 