And Last; Cabalistic Profundities

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CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH, AND LAST

CABALISTIC PROFUNDITIES

IT is an assertion of the occult philosophers that the meaning and purpose of life is altogether mistaken:--necessarily--that is, in the 'Necessity of Things'--mistaken. That, inasmuch as he lives, man is incapacitated for pronouncing upon the nature of his life; being it--itself. He being as a 'Liver'--'It'--(i.e. 'Life', 'Itself'). Philosophy and common sense take it for granted that life needs consciousness, or some form in which the consciousness may be, in order that the liver may 'live'. Abstract philosophy asserts that the liver (living), UNLIVES (in the true sense), for the very purpose of living. In other words, it is concluded that, as man is the 'thing seen', the individual cannot ever go out of himself, 'to see himself'; that the 'judged at the bar' cannot cease his character to become another character, and thus 'change places' with his judge, and thus become the judge on the bench, going out of 'himself', to become 'something other' than himself, and to judge of what he is, himself. Now this, obviously, cannot be in common-sense, or in any sense. Thus, this philosophy is applied in the hermetic sense. The alchemists contended that it is possible (by art) to obtain out of the boundless, holy, unappropriated eternal Youth of Nature, a wherewithal, by means of which to 'wreak'--to use a strange word. Thus there could be miraculous renewal, even out of the powers of nature. No one knows the purposes

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of God, nor can any one limit the powers of God.

'Angelicarum animarum revolutionem, quanquam ad terrestrem regionem proprie, dictam haud pertingit, ad superiorem tamen partem mundi Asiathici et atmosphœram extendi. Nec tamen nisi parcius et compendiosius hisce de rebus egimus in Cabbala Philosophica; in Geneseos, Cap. 2 & 3.

Animas, quæ non sua quidem culpa, laborant, sed Divino quodam Fato, in mundum Asiathicum delabuntur. Divina quadam vi munitas ac agitatas tuto certoque in mundum Aziluthicum reverti.

Animam Messiæ in mundo Aziluthico tan tum profecisse et tam arcto amore ac unione cum Divino Intellectu, sive æterno Logo coaluisse ut tandem summo plane gradu Aziluthico vel potius Hyperaziluthico, et si scholastici loqui liceat Hypostatico, cum eo unitus esset, adeo ut Anima Messiæ et Divinus Logos unafieret ‏פרעוף‎, i.e. unapersona (ut anima et corpus unus Homo) quæ recte appellanda esset Filius DEI.

Electrum vero in medio Ignis est Elementum Divinum cælestis vortices materiæ inclusum et interspersum.'

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'Upward of the "server" or of the heavenly-assisted influences.' Sphara Litera (M) signata, representat Mundum Briathicum, ubi observanda.

FINIS

'Soli deo gloria per Christum.'

'Kabbala Denudata seu doctrina Hebræroum Transcendentalis et Metaphysica atque Theologia scriptum Omnibus Philologis, Philosophis, Theologis omnium religionum, atqu: Philo-Chymicis. Sulzbaci, Typis Abrahami Lichtenthalbri--1677.'

Extracts from the Cabala

THE 'SECOND RUIN'

In which Second Ruin the origin of the strangely great, strangely mysterious religion of the first Buddhism, or first Buddhistic (or more properly Bhuddhistic) system is to be found.

'When the old primæval world was ruined.'

'‏הוה‎ chavvah. R. Moscheh inquit, sic appellari Malchuth, quia est vere est Mater omnis viventis, et uxor Adami primi sub mysterio ‏מה‎ to quod refert numerum ‏ארם‎. Pardes. Tr., 23, c. 8.

'‏חופה‎ Thalamus, vel cælum nuptiale, sub quo sponsus et sponsa consecrantur. Kabbalistæ totum systema Aziluthicum in Chuppah præfigurant. Kether enim est Tectum. Chocmah Parietes; Binah ostium; Chesed, Gebburah, Nezach et Hod quasi brachia in

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introitu Thalami constituta; Tiphereth et Malchuth sponsus et sponsa intra Thalamum per Jesod, qui est Paranymphus. Pardes. Tr., 23, c. 8. Kabbala Denudata, p. 338.'

Morum trium est terra, de qua ibidem; sicut trium nominum receptaculum est Adonai, a quo omnium judiciorum fit executio. Hinc intelligitur mysticum illud Genes, 42, vers. 33. Vir ‏אר֞ני האר֞ץ‎ Dominus terræ. Conf. Jehosch., 3, vers. 11.

'Arca, est Malchuth: unde in eam ingressus dicitur Noach, i.e. Jesod. Gen., 6, 9, Pard.

'Duodecim ergo signacula Tetragrammati et 4 vexilla eorum sunt hæc: Vexillum primum; vexillum secundum; vexillum tertium; vexillum quartum.

'Duodecim autem Tribus in hæc vexilla distribuuntur. Vexillum 1. Juhudah, Jissaschar, Sebulon. Vexillum 2. Reuben, Schimeon, Gad. Vexillum 3. Ephraim, Menanche, Binjamin. Vexillum 4. Dan, Asser, Napthali.

'Duodecim vero menses cum 12. Signis et limitibus Zodiaci in 4 Quadrantibus anni ita locantur.

'‏דר‎ Incola inhabitans. Omnium interpretum consensu vocatur Malchuth. Et in Schaare Zedek additur ratio, quod sit ‏דירה‎ hospitium Tetragrammati Tiphereth, vel quod habitet in tonos sicut scriptum est: Lev., 16, 16, qui commoratur cum eis in medio immunditiarum eorum. R. Moscheh autem dicit, ‏דר‎ esse nomen Lapidis pretiosi; item spinarum et tribulorum. Atqui sit et hæc mensura se habet, quippe a qua provenit bonum et malum Dicetque quod a ‏דר‎ venit vox ‏דרזם‎ meridies. Ipse autem R. Moscheh hanc vocent applicat ad Binah, in Malchuth ergo illius respectu erit. Pard. Tr., 23, c. 4.' Kabbala Denudata. Ed. 1677. Salzbuch.

'Cerva amorum. Prov., 5, 19. Ita vocatur Malchuth potissimum ob mysterium novilunii quando

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sc. ista in altu porrigit Cornua, quæ sint Cornua. Hod gloriosa in ipsa apparentia quando nova sit h. m. : aliquando tamen cornu unum altius est altero h. m. : sit tradit R. Schimeon ben Jochai in Raja Mehimna, hac adjecta ratione: Hæc variare secundum diversitatem renovationis. Vel enim æqualis sit ab utroque loco: et tunc cornua equalem habent altitudinem. Si vero a parte plus accipit, ita ut hæc sinistræ prævaleat, tunc cornu unum elevatius est altero: atque tunc vocatur cerva amorum, ob mysterium amoris et Chesed seu benignitatis in ipsa prævalentis. Si autem sinistrum prævalet latus, vocatur ‏הטחר‎: ‏אלת‎ cerva nigricans seu diluculi caliginosi. Ps., 22, 1, nim. ob nigredinem et anxietatem cui subjecta est in exilio.'

'Lurking principles in the physiology of the human construction.' Extracted from Cabala: ‏חבעלת״‎ Rosa. Est Schechinah, juxta Cant., 2, 1. Ratio datur in Sohar Sect. Æmor, quod sicut Rosa crescit ad aquas, et emittit odorem bonum, sic Malchuth hoc gaudeat nomine, cum influxum affugit a Binah, quæ bonum elevat odorem. Item: quod tunc sic vocetur, cum copulari desiderat cum Rege: cum vero Eidem jam adhæret per oscula, nominantur ‏טוטנח‎ Crinorrhodon; juxta Cant. 5, 13. Pardes Tractat., 2, 3, c. 8. Kabbala Denudata. Ed. 1677. Salzburg. P. 333.

'Sed a muris versus exteriora sunt turmæ malignæ ad latus sinistrum, non quidem supra, sed infra tantum. Et caput omnium catervarum malarum est Samaël: et illæ omnes sunt autores jurgiorum et odii, et non pertinent ad habitatores atrii Regii; sed extra degunt extra tertium aggerem et extra muros, qui circum castra. Et huc pertinet illud Num., 5, 2, de exclusione Leprosorum, fluentium; et aliorum immundorum; quæ sunt tres catervæ. Isti dicuntur

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inquinare l. c. attendunt enim, quam accuratissime sicubi peccatis se polluant homines, atque turn in supernis eos accusant. Atque sic dicitur Psal., 104, 4. Faciens angelos suos spiritus, ministros suos ignem flagrantem. Hinc Aqua ad El, Ignis ad Elohim, Aër ad Tetragrammaton, et Terra ad Adonai refertur. Ordinem reperies Gene., 1, 2, ubi inter tenebras (quibus Ignis æquipollet) et aquas, ferri dicitur spiritus, ut inter Elohim et El est Tetragrammaton. Receptaculum autem quod a ‏דר‎ veniat vox ‏דרום‎ meridies. Ipse autem R. Moscheh hanc vocent applicat ad Binah, in Malchuth ergo illius respectu erit. Pard. Tr., 23, c. 4. Kabbala Denudata. Ed. 1677. Salzbuch.

'Cerva amorum, Prov., 5, 19. Ita vocatur Malchuth potissimum ob mysterium novilunii quando sc. ista in altu porrigit Cornua, quæ sint Cornua Hod gloriosa in ipsa apparentia quando nova sit h. m. : aliquando tamen cornu unum altius est altero h. m. : Sit tradit R. Schimeon ben Jochai in Raja Mehimna, hac adjecta ratione: Hæc variare secundum diversitatem renovationis. Vel enim æqualem accipit influxum a dextra et a sinistra, et renovatio æqualis sit ab utroque loco: et tunc cornua equalem habent altitudinem. Si vero a parte dextra plus accipit, ita ut hæc sinistræ prævaleat, tunc cornu unum elevatius est altero; atque tunc vocatur cerva amorum, ob mysterium amoris et Chesed seu benignitatis in ipsa prævalentis. Si autem sinistrum prævalet latus, vocatur: ‏השחר‎: ‏אלט‎ cerva nigricans seu diluculi caliginosi.--Ps., 22, 1, nim. ob nigredinem et anxietatem cui subjecta est in exilio.'

Pairing (human) is synthesis--it is the union of 'Half-Sex', Man (so assumed in this abstract sense), and 'Half-Sex', Woman (so assumed, also, in this abstract sense). The union of these 'Two' half-sexes is the establishment of a 'Whole' Sex--

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[paragraph continues] Hermaphrodite: (Hermes-Aphrodite. Venus-Mercury). The mechanical definition of the exercise of Sex is power of blissful protrusion; human organic-advance; willed, conscious magnetism (for an end):--with climax of dissolution and destruction (in the end).--Perishing as in the 'flower' of this 'stalk'. Thus Cornelius Agrippa and Paracelsus--thus the mystic anatomists, like Fludd and Van Helmont. Thus, the Mythologists say that the orders are to be taken as identical, although, in fact, they are directly contradictory. It is these things, which are set against each other, which constitute the stupendous and irresistible natural temptation (obtained out of shame or out of denial, and disgrace), of all this enchanted side of life.

'‏טבור‎ Umbilicus. Est schechinah, quatenus adhuc occulta; Corpus enim est Tiphereth, et venter Malchuth de parte Binah; sub mysterio ‏הא‎. Sed Tibbur est notio Jod, quatenus est in ventre et in Tiphereth. Et hoc est punctum illud, quo fundamentum habet mundus, quod vocant Tibbur seu medium terræ; nempe punctum Zijon. Et forte Tibbur est Jesod. Pard. Tr., 23, c. 9. ‏חטוקיהם‎ Ligaturæ illarum.' (Kabbala.)

There is nothing in the lower and sensible world, that is not produced, and hath its image, in the superior world. Since the form of the body, as well as the soul, is made after the image of the Heavenly Man, a figure of the forthcoming body which is to clothe the newly descending soul is sent down from the celestial regions to hover over the couch of the husband and wife when they copulate, in order that the conception may be formed according to this model. We have before declared in our chapter on the mystic anatomy, enlarged upon by Cornelius Agrippa, that the human 'act' by which the power of perpetuation

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has been placed in the exercise by man, and has been elevated into the irresistible natural temptation, is rightly a solemnity or magic endowment, or celebration to which all nature not assents simply, but concurs, as the master-key, however blindly or ignorantly, or brutally often practised. The Sohar, iii. 104, a, b, declares that 'At connubial intercourse on earth, the Holy One (blessed be he) sends a human form which bears the impress of the divine stamp. This form is present at intercourse, and, if we were permitted to see it, we should perceive over our heads an image resembling a human face. And it is in this image that we are formed. As long as this image is not sent by God, and does not descend and hover over our heads, there can be no conception; for it is written 'And God created man in his own image' (Gen. i. 27). This image receives us when we enter the world; it develops itself with us when we grow; and accompanies us when we depart this life, as it is written: 'Surely man walked in an image'.

The followers of this secret doctrine of the Kabbalah claim for it a pre-Adamite existence. It is also called the secret Wisdom, because it was only handed down by tradition through the initiated, and its whole story indicated in the Hebrew Scriptures by signs which are hidden and unintelligible to those who have not been instructed in its mysteries. 'All human countenances are divisible into the four primordial types of faces which appeared at the mysterious chariot-throne in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel; viz. the face of man, of the lion, the ox, and the eagle. Our faces resemble these more or less according to the rank which our souls occupy in the intellectual or moral dominion. Physiognomy does not consist in the external lineaments, but in the features which are mysteriously drawn in us.'

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The following are fragments from the Cabala:

'Ad Kether, Mundus Intelligentiæ, Sphæra prima, que dat facultatem omnibus stellis et circulis.

'Ad Chochmah, sphæra motus diurni.

'Ad Binah, sphæra otava stellarum fixarum, et duodecim signorum cælestium, cum quibus combinantur duodecim menses.

'Ad Gedulah--Saturnus.

'Ad Gebhurah--Jupiter.

'Ad Tiphereth--Mars.

'Ad Nezach--Sol.

'Ad Hod--Venus.

'Ad Jesod--Mercurius.

'Ad Malchuth--et in medio locatur Terra.

'Figura T. representat Hortum-Eden, ejusque septem mansiones: ubi in circuitu est murus Paradisiacus et sequuntur septem palatia; in medio autem arbor Vitæ.

Ut legitur Deuter. 30, 15. "Vide, exhibui coram te vitam et bonum, mortem et malum", etc., added locum Proverb, 31, 11, 12. Beatus, qui intelligit insigne hoc mysterium, quia ex eo potest intelligere mysterium albedinis et Lunæ a principio ad finem' (pre-eminently indicative of the mysteries of the Rosicrucians). 'Hinc etiam Lepra continetur sub mysterio Labani Aramæi. Qui hoc intelligit, etiam capiet mysterium Lepræ, quæ signum est, quod clausus sit mundus dilectionem unde Targumice Lepra dicitur.'

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'These are sexual notions--in fact as such must be everywhere'--'Et Malchuth, quando locata et alligata est inter Jesod et Binah etiam vocatur Fœdus. Et hoc est mysterium ‏הפריעה‎ Denudiationis: quia circumcisio refertur ad Jesod et denudatio ad Malchuth. Et propteria dicitur: Qui circumcisus est, et non denudatus, idem est, ac si circumcisus non esset;

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quia fodicat portam ingressus, quæ est Malchuth, et Ista est denudatio.

'Appetitus bonus et prava concupiscentia. Vid. Sohar, Sect. Lechlecha, 57, 227; Vajera, 68, c. 269; Vajischlach, 95, c. 379; Toledoth, 82, c. 325; Vajischlach, 101, c. 406; Vajescheb, 106, c. 424; Mikkez, III, c. 445 sqq., etc., etc. Also Kabbala Denudata. Ed. 1677. Salzburg.

'Ignis ‏אש‎ Fire. Cum in viri appellatione, id est in ‏איֹש‎ reperiatur, ‏וֹ‎, quasi dicatur ‏אש וֹ‎ Ignis Joddatus, id est masculinus. Si autem componantur ambo, inde fit ‏אשיֹה‎ Ignis Dominio.' Et unus quidem Ignis, remoto omni dubio, est ad dextram; estque Ignis albus; Alter autem est ad sinistram; Ignis nemper ruber: quæ apparent ex ‏יהׁ‎, ubi Jod dextrum, He, sinistrum designat. Pardes Rimmonim Tract., 23, c. 1, h, t, Videantur plura de Uxore in Sohar, Part Sect. Breschith, fol. 39. Col. 154, 155.

'Cum purum non dicatur, nisi respectu prioris impuritatis. Fundamentum ergo sanctitatis est in Chesed, supra qua Chochmah; cui nomen sancti tribuitur; et hinc per dextram sanctitas venit super omnia. Sed fundamentum puritatis est in Gebhura; quia igne Gebhuræ omnia dealbatur.' Ligaturæ illarum, Trabeationes, Exod., 27, 10, 11, etc.

'In Tikkunim hoc nomen applicatur ad Hezach et Hod; vel quod se invicem colligant, ut fiant unum in copula: vel a fulciendo, quod sint Trabeationes Domus, et Domus firmetur super eas, quatenus. Sunt Jachin et Boas. Vel quatenus sunt in classe Tiphereth et Malchuth, qui inter ambas istas uniuntur. Pardes I, c.'

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'The exercise of the mysteries.'--

'‏יין‎ Vinum. Hæc vox absolute posita refertur ad Gebhurah. Sed si album intelligitur inclinare

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censeatur ad Chesed, cum rubrum sit vis Gebhuræ: Dicitur autem bonum, quando miscetur aquis; subintelligendo aquas Chesed, unde bonum provenit, ut dictum sub ‏טוב‎. Eccl., 7, 12; Jeches., 10, 20; Pard. Tr., 23, c. 10. Vid. Soh., Sect. Noach, 54, c. 216; Lechlecha, 61, c. 244; et Toledoth, 81, c. 321; Vajikra, 5, c. 19; Schemini, 17, c. 67; Æmor, 46, c. 182; Fol., 48, 192; Pinchas, 114, c. 454; Debharim, 123, c. 491.' Cabala Denudata. SALZBACH edn., 1677.

'‏סגידּן‎, quasi clausura, (et Leprosus ‏מוסגר‎ quasi clausus, sive quis Leprosus sit simpliciter (primo aspectu, ut nulla inclusione opus est) sive mundari queat; quod est mysterium magnum. Lepra enim venit ob linguam malum; quæ omnia clara sunt; omni enim proveniunt e scaturigine serpentis antiqui, qui causa est, ut claudantur portæ Rachamim. Ille autem qui intelligit mysteria hæc magna, de comestione Adami ab arbore cognitionis tempore præputii, etiam intelliget, quare vocetur Arbor cognitionis; et quare vocetur Boni et Mali. Kabbala Denudata, p. 495. (Edn. 1677.)

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