I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou art my
hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy Word.
Depart from me, ye evil-doers: for I will keep the
commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy
word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect
unto thy statutes continually.
Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes:
for their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked
of the earth like dross: therefore I love th testimonies. My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
The fifteenth Hebrew letter, Samekh, the number 15 and the fifteenth Tarot card are alike in one important respect, their transmutative power. Samekh is not the letter S of the English alphabet, but it has the sound of S, and the name of the letter is sometimes written Xmekh, as we have shown earlier. It is not be confused with Schin, the twenty-first letter, which does correspond more closely with the English S.
The letter Samekh relates to Sagittarius, which in its low phases tends toward worldliness but in its high phases produces the priest, the prophet and the seer.
The fifteenth Tarot Arcanum shows the spirit of evil-generally termed the devil or Typhon, which has been described elsewhere in these pages. In some of the Tarot series it is represented as sitting in the ruins of a temple which has been destroyed by fire, the torch which he holds in his hand having been the cause of this destruction. In other series he is represented as wearing an inverted pentagram upon his forehead-the sign of black magic. The two male and female figures previously described as being bound to his feet with chains are connected with the inverted pentagram.
An important point for study and meditation just here is the fact that evil cannot forge the chain by which it is bound to any individual. Only man himself can do this. Evil may entice and seduce, but only man himself can forge the links which bind him to evil ways, and only he himself has the power to break the chain and free himself. Others may advise and point the way, but the individual himself must do the work.
The most important point of all to be considered in connection with the fifteenth Arcanum is the fact that there is not and never has been a personal devil; nor is there a burning hell to which hapless persons may be consigned for everlasting punishment. These hideous images are the product of false concepts and diseased imaginations.
Comparatively few persons even in this modem day understand the tremendous power of thought and the need that it be used constructively. The Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." And so he will certainly become. It is possible to think one's self into health and prosperity. Young children should be taught these things and be led into habits of constructive mental image-making.
The occult scientist knows that the physical body, seen by physical vision, is not the only "body" which the ego possesses. He has finer vehicles — etheric, astral, mental and spiritual — which can only be studied by means of higher or extended vision. He understands that this earth planet also has similar envelopes, or shields, in addition to the physical sphere upon which humanity lives. It is in the mental envelope or body of the planet that we plant our thought seed. If planted by a strong will and powerful, vivid imagination, these seeds grow and influence not only those who have planted them but others who are thinking on the same subjects. Thus we may note the great blessings wrought through the lives of such souls as St. Francis of Assisi, whose thought seems to have inspired and influenced all generations since his time. A modern example is Mahatma Gandhi. An opposite picture is shown by dictators and war lords. Any individual who dreams of world domination can be powerfully influenced by the seed-thoughts planted in the mental realm by such characters.
As we meditate upon these far-reaching truths we realize anew the deep importance of the poet's words, "Thoughts are things. "
The hideous symbolic figure of evil has sometimes been confused in the mind of the occult student with the Dweller on the Threshold. This is not always correct, for unless a person is consciously vicious or evil (which is certainly not true of the majority of mankind), the Dweller is not necessarily evil. It is a wraith-like figure which has been formed from the mistaken or negative thoughts and deeds of the individual to whom it may appear as an apparition, not always evil in appearance, but sometimes bearing an aspect of deep sadness which affects the soul with profound melancholy. This figure bars the gates of Initiation until the disciple has dissolved it by means of love, understanding, forgiveness and compassion.
The Bible prayer for Samekh is the petition sent forth by those devotees who are seeking to eradicate every form of fear from their lives and to replace it by the great and wondrous healing power of Love. This is a most difficult task, but it can be accomplished if one possesses sufficient faith and perseverance.
"Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in thy word. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe; and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies."
It is only when fear has been cast out of the life that the aspirant may know the sublime bliss of being cradled in "the Everlasting Arms. "
I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine
oppressors. Be surety to thy servant for good: let not the proud
oppress me.
Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy
righteousness. Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy, and
teach me thy statutes. I am thy servant; give me understanding,
that I may know thy testimonies.
It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void
thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea,
above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts
concerning
all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
Ayin, or Oin, the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, relates to the cleansing and purifying of desire and emotion. Its virtue is to tear down and eliminate all that does not contribute to the highest phases of the Love power. Again, 1 + 6 = 7 represents a certain time cycle (ruled by the seven planets) in which a specific work is to be accomplished.
The sixteenth Arcanum is the Lightning-struck Tower or Pyramid from which the two figures are seen falling as the tower crumbles, the one with a crown and the other without, showing that Cosmic Law is no respecter of persons. There is ONE COSMIC LAW FOR ALL, and its commandment is the same for all, Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you; but unfortunately the majority of mankind have not accepted this message, being wholly absorbed in narrowly selfish interests and paying little heed to the welfare of others. This has divided society into two classes, the "haves" and the "have nots" and has filled the world with restless discontent, causing wars and rumors of wars.
It must be understood that we, and we alone, are responsible for everything that happens to us. Nothing can come to us that is not of our own making. When we realize this and cease to blame outside agencies for trials and misfortunes, we shall the sooner be able to remedy conditions and make for ourselves a new and better life.
Do we send forth to others thoughts of hatred, envy, jealousy or vengeance? Then sometime, somewhere, these same things will return to us. Just when we think our dreams are about to be realized they will turn to ashes in our hands, like Dead Sea fruit. The person who places his confidence solely in material gain builds upon a crumbling foundation and may at any time be bereft of all that seemed to him secure. Any individual or nation whose foundation is not laid in God is impermanent and is eventually swept away.
The way in which Nature aids in bringing about the right causation in the life of man is most interestingly described in Max Heindel's Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, from which we quote:
"Refracting Stratum: This part of the Earth corresponds to the World of Divine Spirit. There are, in occult science, what are known as 'The Seven Unspeakable Secrets.' For those who are not acquainted with these secrets, or have not at least an inkling of their import, the properties of this stratum must seem particularly absurd and grotesque. In it all the forces which are known to us as the 'Laws of Nature' exist as moral or, rather, immoral forces. In the beginning of the conscious career of man they were much worse than at present. But it appears that as humanity progresses in morals, these forces improve correspondingly; also that any lapse in morals has a tendency to unleash these Nature forces and causes them to create havoc upon the Earth, while the striving for high ideals makes them less inimical to man.
"The forces in this stratum are thus, at any time, an exact reflection of the existing moral status of mankind. From the occult point of view the 'hand of God' which smites a Sodom or a Gomorrah is not a foolish superstition, for as surely as there is individual responsibility to the Law of Consequence which brings to each person the just results of his deeds, whether for good or evil, so is there also community and national responsibility, which brings upon groups of men corresponding results for their collective acts. Nature forces are the general agents for such retributive justice, causing floods or earthquakes or the beneficent formation of oil or coal for various groups, according to their desserts."
A man's self-created destiny may send him across the world that he may be present where some catastrophe is to take place. There he may be required to yield up his life or, again, to be the instrument of salvation for many others. It is only in the light of the Twin Laws of Rebirth and Causation that a solution is found to problems such as these. The Twin Laws are eternal, ever-enduring, and unerring. All that we send forth must return to us sooner or later. Nowhere are these two laws enunciated more clearly and precisely than in the Bible and in the Tarot. Troward, the English metaphysician, rightly said, "There are three gates to the Mysteries-the Bible, the Tarot and the Pyramid. "
The disciples exemplified in the supplication of Ayin are those who are learning, despite all outer trials, and inharmonious circumstances, to put God first. "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy Law."
The letter Ayin, termed "silent" but sometimes correlated with the sound 0, having something of the force of a vowel, refers kabbalistically to the Eye of God, which in esoteric symbology is sometimes enclosed in a triangle representing the Triune Godhead. This is the Great Eye or All-Seeing Eye which ranges over the universe, seeing all and knowing all and rendering judgment. It proclaims God's omnipresence. It is the Eye which is seen in the triangular capstone of the perfect pyramid. The lightning-struck pyramid, like the Great Pyramid of Gizeh in Egypt, has no summit stone.
The slogan of the white forces, or forces of Good, is, Harmonize and unify. The slogan of the dark forces, those of evil is, Divide and destroy. It is not difficult to see on which side most of the nations of the world have placed themselves today.
Inharmonious conditions which now hold the world captive are already showing signs of dissolution, are already melting away like the troubled dreams of the night, to be remembered no more.
King Solomon, wisest of kings, was once asked what was the greatest comfort he could give to those in trouble, and he replied, "And these things, too, shall pass away."
Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep
them. The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding unto the simple.
I opened by mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy
commandments. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me,
as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have
dominion over me. Deliver me from the oppression of man: so
will I keep thy precepts.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy
statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they
keep not thy law.
The seventeenth Arcanum, termed The Star, is one of the most beautiful and inspiring of the entire Tarot series. There is a close connection between Arcane 14 and Arcane 17. In the fourteenth Arcanum the young maiden is holding in her hands two urns, one golden and one silver. She is pouring the contents of the golden urn into the silver urn, taking care that not a drop shall be spilled. The seventeenth shows the same maiden, save that this time she is pouring from the silver urn into the sea and from the golden urn upon the land.
We noted in the fourteenth card that preparatory work was begun upon the building of the New Age body, the two urns representing the two masculine and feminine force-centers of head and heart. Not a drop of the precious life fluid is spilled, indicating that perfect equilibrium or balance has been established between these two centers. In the seventeenth Arcanum this work has been completed, the maiden is now pouring its extracted essence in love and blessing upon the world.
At the beginning of the Great Work the disciple spends much time alone studying, praying and meditating. Later, as he begins to walk in the Light and to see in that Light many glorious revelations, he is filled with eagerness to share them with the world, for truly "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
Above the head of the maiden shines a great luminous eight-pointed star, surrounded by seven smaller eight-pointed stars. Herein is depicted the future development of mankind. Within every human body are seven important centers awaiting development, for they are latent in the vast majority. One of these centers is located at the base of the spine; one near the spleen, one in the solar plexus, another in the heart, one in the throat and two in the head. All Mystic Schools have taught their students how to awaken these centers, and various philosophies have given them different names. Some have called them stars, others, blossoms. They are the Lotus blossoms of the Orient and the Roses of the Western Wisdom schools. The beautiful salutation of the Rosicrucians, "May the Roses bloom upon your Cross," is a prayer that these blossoms may unfold in all their radiant beauty; and it is this attainment which is figured in the luminous Star over the head of the maiden, for when these centers become alive in all their sparkling, swirling beauty, one does literally walk in Light and become a Christed individual.
In Revelation the soul body with its seven centers is referred to as the Book of the Seven Seals, and there is great lamentation because no man is found worthy to open the book except the lamb of God, which means that this attainment belongs to the coming Christed Dispensation. "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." (Rev. 5:3)
Christ, the Lamb, whose advent marked the beginning of the Great Sidereal Year of Aries (and the Piscean Age within that Great Year), opened the Way of Initiation to all. Previously this high spiritual prerogative had belonged only to the priestly class. Through Initiation the seals (centers) are awakened and become as scintillant flowers of light blossoming upon the cross of the human body. Hence the origin in early Masonry of the Roses upon the Cross and the term Rosicrucian
The beautiful maiden in this Arcanum represents the great Cosmic Mother or the Exalted Feminine who holds in her possession, and bestows upon those worthy to receive it, the highest phases of spiritual Truth.
St. John, the most advanced of Christ's Disciples, had attained to this exalted experience when he proclaimed exultantly, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
The number 17 is one of great strength and power. Seven is a number of completeness, accomplishment and perfection. 7 + 1 = 8, the Christed number, and points to the coming Christed Dispensation in 80 and 800.
The Hebrew letter Pe is also correlated with great spiritual strength and power. It is significant to note that it is sometimes called the "letter of the Star" and sometimes "the letter of the Rose." Because of the beauty and harmony with which this letter is associated, some writers have placed it under the direction of the planet Venus, but because of the great wisdom with which it is also endowed, other writers have placed it under the direction of the planet Mercury.
To quote the Sepher Yetzirah, "He produced Pe and referred it to Power; He crowned it, combined and formed with it Mercury in the universe, the fifth day of the week, and left ear of man."
The prayer for Pe is for the few who are seriously working to cultivate the high state of consciousness wherein they may say with the psalmist, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments. Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore doth my soul keep them."
The Cosmic Christ is the Star which has guided the Magi or Wise Men all down the ages, both before and during the Christ Ministry on earth as well as afterward. It is this same Christ Star which shines on the threshold of the New Age of Aquarius, and the Voice of the Master is heard, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him."
The Christing of mankind is the work of the Aquarian Age. This does not mean that every individual in the world must accept the Christian religion as it is presently known in the West. It does mean that he must follow the example set by the Christ and attune his life to the Golden Rule, for the Christ Life and the Christ Rule are universal in scope and applicable to every creed, cult and civilization. It is not what one believes but how one lives that is of first importance.
For all men everywhere St. Paul's word still holds, "Let the Christ be formed in you."
The aspirant who follows the Christ Star has set his feet in the Path of the Wise, and he will have the companioning of Angels to the ultimate destination.
Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.
Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and
very faithful.
My zeal hath consumed me because mine enemies have
forgotten thy words. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy
servant loveth it.
I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is
the truth.
Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: Yet thy
commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy
testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
"He produced Tzaddi, predominant in taste, crowned it, combined and formed with it Aquarius in the Year and the gullet of man." — Sepher Yetzirah
Tzaddi is a letter of power and authority. The word means a fish-hook, which is an instrument used to draw an object up out of the depths of darkness and bring it forth into the light. This was the chief work of the Master's disciples and the reason they were called fishers of men. It has nothing to do with the catching of fish in the ordinary sense of the term.
Tzaddi placed at or near the beginning of a word indicates that some new object or concept is in process of formation. If placed near or at the ending of a word, it indicated that the project of concept has been successfully accomplished.
The number 18, 90 and 900 may be read as 9 in the esoteric code. This is of far-reaching importance, for 9 is the number of humanity and also the — number of Initiation.
The eighteenth Tarot Arcanum is one of the most interesting and important of the entire series, well worth the study and prayerful meditation of the most serious student. In this Arcanum a large Full Moon hangs in the sky, but its light is largely veiled by a mass of dark clouds; hence the two names by which the card is known, The Twilight and The Moon. There is an open road (the path of life) which winds away and is lost amid distant hills. On each side of this road stands a pyramid — one white, one black — and before each pyramid sits a dog baying at the moon, and one dog is white, the other black. The black dog sits before the white pyramid and the white dog sits before the black pyramid. This tells us that evil and sinister forces will follow the aspirant to the very door of the Temple; and again it tells us that the love of God is all-encompassing and will follow the errant soul into the darkest pits of hell, and an Angel of mercy attends us all the way.
Upon the winding path between the two dogs lies a large scorpion, which represents the sign Scorpio in the heavens, this being one of the most powerful of the zodiacal signs. The Scorpio native can reach the depths of depravity, as illustrated by the scorpion with the sting of death in his tail. He can also attain to the heights of transfiguration, as expressed by the eagle which flies closer to the Sun than does any other bird.
In the Book of Revelation these two paths are plainly outlined. The way of the dark pyramid may be noted in the Mark of the Beast whose number is 666, — which denotes 18 or 9; and, in the 144 which denotes 9 also — the number of humanity — all humanity — who stand on the sea of glass and bear upon their forehead the sign of Christ (the awakening of the spiritual centers in the head).
We recall that in Arcane six where the neophyte first enters the Path, he stands between two maidens, one crowned with vine leaves, the other with stars; and we saw that this represented a place of decision, where the soul must choose one way or the other. He cannot follow both. If he has chosen the positive path, then we have followed his progress through the successive cards of the Tarot up to this point; and we have seen the varied gifts of the spirit bestowed upon him as he slowly but surely climbed the Path of Life Eternal.
In Arcane Eighteen he has now reached the place of the last great decision. Here the path rises abruptly, becoming steep and narrow. We have said that life is itself the great Initiator and that the most important trials come in the course of daily living. Here man is tested by the Higher Powers who attend him every step of the way.
If now he chooses the way of the dark pyramid, it will not seem to him to be dark, because he is subjected to every sort of flattery, the object being to increase his sense of self-importance, to make him proud, arrogant, inflated with self-conceit. Nothing more effectually closes the door to spiritual fulfillment than this subtle failing, which is all too prevalent among aspirants to the higher life.
If he chooses the way of the white pyramid, this does not mean that his path is all sunshine and flowers. On the contrary, the Way becomes more difficult than before. He stands alone and must learn to put self in the background, to live only to serve, and to be a lamp for the darkness of the world, guiding and uplifting all who come within the radius of his light. He must learn to say with the Blessed Christ, "Of myself I can do nothing — the Father within me doeth the works."
Nowhere is this more beautifully evidenced than in the Eighteenth or Rose Croix Degree of Masonry. This has been depicted by the Swan or Pelican (always a symbol of Initiation) wherein we see the mother bird surrounded by her seven little ones, tearing her breast to nourish them with her life-blood.
Albert Pike, the great Masonic genius, in writing of the beauty of this Degree, quotes, "Whomsoever God loveth, him He chasteneth," an expression that formulates a whole dogma. The trials of life are the blessings of life to the individual or the nation, if either has a soul that is worthy of salvation. "Light and darkness," said Zoroaster, "are the world's eternal ways." The Light and the Shadow are everywhere and always in proportion; the Light occasions the Shadow and also obliterates it. It is by trials only, by the agonies of sorrow and the sharp discipline of adversity, that men and nations attain Initiation. The agonies in the Garden of Gethsemane and those of the Cross on Calvary preceded Resurrection and were the means of Redemption. "It is with prosperity that God afflicts humanity."
As one studies the great wisdom concealed and revealed in the Tarot, one is filled with awe and reverence for the profound wisdom of the great sages who gave these truths to humanity, for they have been given in some form to every race and nation the planet has ever known.
"Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness." (Eccle. 2:1)
"The wisdom of the prudent is to understand His way; but the folly of fools is deceit." (Prov. 14:8)
The prayer for Tzaddi belongs to those brave, strong souls who are cultivating discrimination and discernment, so that they may serve as chief cornerstones of the Temple not made with hands, which is eternal in the heavens.
The fishhook is something with which an object is drawn up out of the darkness into the light. The letter Tzaddi is indicative of that force within man which, when awakened, enables him to exchange darkness for light and error for truth. This does not mean that the darkness must be assailed but that it must be filled with light, which is the real formula of transmutation. Transmutation is the high peak of the Initiate life, where he learns to become the light which makes darkness impossible. The Initiate has the power to lift the life force and convert it into light force, thus greatly enhancing his inner spiritual power. An ancient Wise One said that in the blending of light and darkness is constituted the supreme mystery of all mysteries, but the secret of that blending is that Light is the sole reality.
I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep
thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy
testimonies.
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped
in thy word. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might
meditate in thy word.
Hear my voice according to thy judgment. They draw nigh
that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.
Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.
Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast
founded them for ever.
The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Quoph, signifying the back of the head, the cerebellum or "feminine" brain, the medulla, where the keynote of the archetype is heard in sounding flame, the pons Varolii, the Tree of Life or Holy of Holies within the human skull.
Quoph or Koph is the higher octave of Kaph wherein the work of illumining this holy place is first begun. In Quoph the "Great White Work" is consummated. One who reaches this high place knows the truth of the statement, "Thou art near, O Lord, and all thy commandments are truth."
The nineteenth Tarot card has been called The House of the Sun, and these words well describe this Arcanum, for the Sun is its main feature, shedding its golden glory over the landscape. The two human figures are a youth and a maiden standing hand in hand, enclosed in a wreath of eternal green. This card depicts the Edenic realm, but here there is no sign of the Tree of Good and Evil or of the serpent. All dark shadows have disappeared, and peace, harmony and beauty reign in their stead.
Man lost the celestial realms through his own misdeeds. Now he is undergoing sorrow, pain and suffering in the long pilgrimage through materiality. The day will come, however, when he will be worthy once more to live in the celestial realms. This is God's divine plan for His earth children, and it will some day know a glorious consummation.
The youth and the maiden standing together hand in hand typify the union of the masculine and feminine poles within the human body. 1 + 9 = 10 — which is the number of this perfect blending. 1 is masculine, 0 is feminine; their union forms the number 10, which means spiritual consummation. In the union of these two forces the love power of the awakened heart is united harmoniously with the Will power of the illumined mind in the Mystic Marriage Rite of all Temple teachings. The 10 x 10 or 100 of Quoph shows the power of ten raised to the cosmic level. The prayer for Quoph is the petition of those who are striving to know the glories of the Mystic Marriage Rite, "Thou art near, 0 Lord; and all thy commandments are truth. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever."
Among the treasures of ancient Gnosis which have come down to modem times is a "wedding song of Wisdom" which illustrates most beautifully the meaning of Quoph and the nineteenth Tarot Arcanum.
The Maiden is a daughter of the Light in whom is set
.... the radiance of the Kings;
And delightful is the sight of her shining with
luminous beauty,
Whose garments are like spring flowers, and from them
a breath of fragrance is wafted
While on her head the King is found feeding on His Nectar
there before Him.
Now Truth reposes on her head, while with her feet she
rays out joy;
Her mouth is gracefully open-thirty and two are those
who sing her praises.
Her tongue is like a curtain of the door which is shaken
for those who enter;
Her neck rises like a flight of stairs which the
First Creator has fashioned.
Now her two hands make signs and suggest that the
choir of the happy Aeons are preaching,
While her ten fingers suggest the gates of the City.
Her bridechamber is brightly lit, breathing an odor
of balsam and spice,
And giving out sweet scent of myrrh and foliage,
while myrtle branches are spread within.
And heaps of sweet-breathed flowers; the folding-doors
are beautiful with reeds.
Her bridesmen have closely surrounded her, whose
number is seven, whom she herself selected;
While her bridesmaids too are seven, who lead the dance
before her.
But twelve is the number of those who serve before her
and under her have watch and gaze on the
Bridegroom,
That at the sight of Him they may be filled with light,
And forevermore they will be with Him for that eternal
joy;
And they shall remain in that Wedding whereto the
Nobles are gathered together,
And stay in the Feast whereof the Eternals are held worthy;
And they shall be clad in Royal Robes of Light, and in both joy and ecstasy.
Then they shall glorify the universal Father whose
superabundant Light they have received,
For they have been filled with Light at the very sight
of their Master,
Whose Nectar they have obtained which has no waste at all,
And they have also drunk of the Wine that gives
them no thirst and bodily desire.
And so they glorified and hymned, together with
the Living Spirit,
The Father of the Truth and the Mother of the Wisdom.
— Gnostic Hymn in "The Gospel of the Gnostics," —Duncan Greenlees
The words of this hymn reveal that it was both sung and danced. The dancer, and the chorus of dancers attending her, "dance out the Mystery," to use the ancient term. Singers chant the narrative and text, the dancers with mime and gesture illustrate the meaning. Musicians accompany the singers and dancers. The dance portrays the descent of the soul into the outer universe, and its ascension therefrom, led by the Light of Wisdom. "Her two hands make signs" to show that "the happy Aeons (Hierarchies) are preaching." "Her ten fingers" show that the Gates of the Heavenly City are raised up so that the glorified soul, the King, may come in. Within the City is the palace and the bridal chamber brightly lighted, odorous with the incense of sacred branches from the Tree of Life, gay with the beauty and sweet with the perfume of celestial flowers. The Bridegroom is God or the Cosmic Christ.
Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget
thy law. Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according
to thy word.
Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy
statutes. Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me
according to thy judgments.
Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not
decline from thy testimonies. I beheld the transgressors and was
grieved; because they kept not thy word.
Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord,
according to thy loving kindness. Thy word is true from the
beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth
forever.
Twenty is a number of power. It is formed of two cycles of 10, the first meaning successful accomplishment upon a high plane of attainment and the second cycle meaning successful accomplishment upon a still higher plane. 20 is a feminine number, both 2 and 0 are feminine, and 200 implies that power, mysticism and beauty which is contained in the High Feminine.
The Hebrew letter Resh also denotes great power. It represents Freedom, Independence, Originality and Intuitiveness, in fact, all the characteristics of the New Aquarian Age toward which its powers tend.
The twentieth Tarot Arcanum depicts, as previously observed a mighty Angel hovering above the earth, his magnificent aura extending in all directions about him. When he blows a mighty blast upon his trumpet a grave opens on the earth, and from it arise a man, a woman and a child. The Angel is Gabriel, who blows the trumpet of the Resurrection.
For the occultist this Arcanum holds a profound significance, far other than the superficial reading of its outer symbolism.
In one of the Tarot series number 20 is represented by a man, a woman and a child standing knee-deep in a stream of running water. This typifies cleansing, purifying, renewal and regeneration, the spiritual Baptism.
Saturn is the planet most closely related to this Arcanum. So long as man lives for material things alone, Saturn is his sternest and ofttimes his most cruel taskmaster. But when one enters upon the initiatory path, Saturn is transformed into his wisest Counsellor and most loving Guardian.
Initiation has always been the foundation-stone of Temple teachings, both ancient and modern; and the processes by which the candidate is initiated have not been too different. In ancient times the body of the candidate was put to rest in an open crypt or casket and left in charge of two guardians, usually a man and a woman who had been through a similar experience. Then under the care of a competent Teacher the spirit of the candidate was taken into the inner realms, and at sunrise on the morning of the third day he returned to his body, where he was greeted with much rejoicing as the "New-Born." For this reason the candidate in this Arcanum is represented as a child. "You must be born again (become as a little child) before you can enter the Kingdom of Heaven," said the Christ.
Singularly beautiful is the account in the Torah of the passing of Moses at the end of his mission to the people of Israel, "One Angel after another sought to take his life but in vain. First came the Angel who had been his instructor, but whose courage failed when he essayed to destroy the fabric on which he had spent so much time. Then came the Angel of Death. He approached eagerly, but when he saw the wonderful luster of that face shining like the sun, he, too, shrank back, abashed. At last came Jehovah Himself, and in one long and tender kiss He drew away the soul of His faithful disciple. Michael, Gabriel and all the heavenly host assembled in rejoicing to welcome this exalted spirit into the heaven worlds." Thus was described the initiatory passing of Moses.
The kabbalists said that Moses was reborn as Elijah. The ascension of Elijah in the fiery chariot represents the highest phase of the Fire Initiation as known in the Old Testament Dispensation. It represents mastery over death. However, it does not mean that the imperfect body into which each soul is born will be rendered immortal and deathless but that the interval stretching between the death of this body and the soul's awakening into a new and larger life will be spanned by the fully awake Initiate consciousness and that this consciousness will extend into the succeeding incarnation. This attainment is the high spiritual meaning of the Fire Initiation in ancient times and for the majority of disciples today. The New Testament equivalent is the blessing of St. John by the Christ. Jesus saith unto him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me." Occult tradition has long held that St. John is the Initiate name of Lazarus.
The processes of death are processes of crystallization. The fiery life force which keeps the atoms of the body tingling with life is withdrawn little by little, or suddenly, as the case may be. The increasingly inert atoms then gradually separate from one another, and the body disintegrates in chemical processes. The life forces are of the Spirit in man, and every sensitive has felt that the atoms of his body are accelerated when he passes through an exalting spiritual experience, which tends to lift the consciousness far above and beyond the ordinary daily living. It was in this exaltation of consciousness that St. John lived, hence it was that his vibratory rhythm was so high that death was powerless to touch him. This is the glorious ideal set before all mankind, and it is the meaning of St. Paul's statement, "The last enemy to be overcome is death."
Our Blessed Lord the Christ, Way shower for all mankind, has outlined for us the process by which death may be transformed into Eternal Life.
On that first Easter morning when the disciples approached the empty tomb they were met by angels who said, "He is not here, He has risen."
Again we read in Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
The spirit of this most wonderful twentieth Arcanum may be summed up in the words, "Mortality has been swallowed up in Immortality."
The prayer of Resh is the petition of those who are endeavoring to learn by means of the expansion of consciousness to build the bridge between Waking and Sleeping and between Life and Death.
"Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord; quicken me according to thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving-kindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever."
The letter R or Resh refers to the process of Transmutation. We noted in the study of the letter Yod the beginning of the process, and in the letter Resh we may observe its consummation. The last enemy to be overcome is death. The time will come when all mankind will know from actual firsthand knowledge that there is no death and that life is continuous and eternal, for the darkness of death will have been transmuted into Light Eternal.
In this high state of consciousness the Resurrection will become a Cosmic Event, and the entire earth will be filled with the triumphant chorale of the Angels as they sing of the glories of Eternal Life.
Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart
standeth in awe of thy word. I rejoice at thy word, as one that
findeth great spoil.
I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love. Seven times a
day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments. Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend
them.
Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy
commandments. My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love
them exceedingly. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies:
for all my ways are before thee.
The number 21 is formed of three cycles of seven, which typifies successful accomplishment on all three planes of manifestation — physical, mental and spiritual.
It is also a divine number because it equals 3 in the esoteric code (2+1), the number of the Trinity. It is the threefold God-power which manifests as the Father or Divine Will-principle, the Son or Cosmic Love principle, and the Holy Ghost or spiritualized Activity principle, through which all creation on this earth takes place. By means of this threefold God-power all creation is formed through Love and sustained by Love, for God is Love. Hence it is that all creation in its original concept is perfect. Both the Bible and the Tarot verify this Truth. "And God saw what He had made and pronounced it Good."
The twenty-first Arcanum is termed "The World." Here is shown a young girl kneeling in adoration as she plays upon a three-stringed harp. Above her head is a wreath formed of twelve stalks of Lotus blossoms, each stalk bearing three blossoms, full-blown. These twelve flower-stalks symbolize the twelve zodiacal Hierarchies which surround this solar system and supervise its working. The three blossoms on each stalk and the three-stringed harp typify the perfect functioning of the threefold body, physical, mental and spiritual, of the coming Sixth Root Race — for which this beautiful New World will be the home.
St. John saw the vision of this new World and its glorified inhabitants, which he described in the Book of Revelation, saying, "I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth coming down like a bride adorned for her bridegroom."
The young maiden playing the harp indicates the marked importance of music in the life of the New World. Every human body has its archetype or pattern that emits a musical keynote which sustains the body. This keynote sounds continually from the moment of birth to the time when the heart is stilled in death..
Every great tree in the forest is also continually sounding its own keynote — every flower that blows in the wind; every star that shines in the heavens has its musical tone. Birds in the forest often catch echoes of this sublime music in their enchanting songs, but with rare exceptions the earth-dulled ears of mankind cannot hear the heavenly melodies.
We are told that in the second heaven the glorious music is a source of amazement and delight, for in this realm one literally lives, moves and has his being in music. Even the very means of communication of one with another is through melody. Much of the miracle-life contained in archetypal music will be transplanted into the lives of the Sixth Root Race in the New World which they will inhabit.
In the four corners of the twenty-first Arcanum are placed the four beasts of the Ezekiel vision - the Bull (Taurus), the Eagle (Scorpio), the Man (Aquarius) and the Lion (Leo), which we also saw on the tenth Tarot card. There we beheld the Hierarchies of Taurus and Scorpio holding the whiplash of dire necessity over man and nations until the last karmic debt has been paid with Aquarius and Leo holding forth the beautiful ideals of the incoming Aquarian Age.
Now, however, in this new World of the twenty-first Arcanum all karmic debts have been paid, and peace, harmony and beauty reign supreme. The Hierarchy of Taurus holds the cosmic pattern of form for all the earth, and under the supervision of its opposite sign, Scorpio, the Lords of Form, an forms upon the earth are builded. Under Aquarius each man will meet every other man as his brother, and under Leo all Law will be motivated by Love. Every thought, word and deed will be centered in Love, which, as St. Paul states, is truly the greatest virtue of them all.
In the second septenary we noted the number 14 in which preparatory work was begun for the building of the New Age body. This work was tremendously increased in the seventeenth Arcanum and was brought to high degree of perfection in the nineteenth.
In the eighteenth Arcanum man passed his last subtle testing and proved his worthiness to enter into and inhabit the New World of Arcanum Twenty-One.
The first three cards of the Tarot and the Book of Genesis describe early man as being made in the image and likeness of God. The Book of Revelation and the last three cards in the Tarot series — 19, 20, 21 — depict the new, regenerated and redeemed race who are worthy to return again to the Father's House.
Sometimes the four Hebrew letters Yod, He, Vav, He which take the place of the sacred unpronounceable Name, are included beside the four Sacred Beasts, for they imply the Name of One who was, who is and who ever shall be.
Papus, the French Tarot scholar, puts it admirably in stating that the first septenary, the Absolute, manifests through God. In the second, the Absolute, manifests through man; in the third septenary the Absolute manifests through the universe.
The prayer of the 119th Psalm for Schin is the supplication of those Illumined Ones who are learning to "walk in the Light as He is in the Light." "My heart standeth in awe of thy word. I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they who love thy law, and nothing shall offend thee. My soul hath kept thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly."
Schin, S or SH, as the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet concludes the septenaries. It represents the highest stage of regeneration, lifting to cosmic consciousness. We know that every human spirit sounds forth its own unique keynote and that this keynote sustains life in the threefold body which we call the personality (physical, astral and mental) and brings them into attunement with itself.
This is true also of the planets belonging to our solar system, each of which has its own keynote. The keynote of the planet Earth sustains the physical globe and its permeating envelopes of etheric, astral and mental stuff, together with all that lives upon it and within its spiritual atmosphere, attuning all with God.
The musical note of our planet sounds in the keynote of the threefold song which the Angels sang on the first Christmas night:
— Corinne Heline
