21 January (Heru-Ra-Ha) Liber CCXX, 3:30-33
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(v. 175) 30. My altar is of open brass work: burn thereon in silver or gold!
(v. 176) 31. There cometh a rich man from the West who shall pour his gold upon thee.
(v. 177) 32. From gold forge steel!
(v. 178) 33. Be ready to fly or to smite! -
@Aiwass said
"(v. 175) 30. My altar is of open brass work: burn thereon in silver or gold!"
“Brass” is a familiar alchemical blind for copper. Ra-Hoor-Khuit’s altar is described here, and may, in fact, be physically described; but it is especially an altar sacred to Venus. We can conclude that his worship is an “open work” of Venus, i.e., an open act of love.
And this love is especially sexual. Silver and gold are the metals of Luna and Sol. They represent the natures and functions of the female and male, respectively (including, in my experience, the aspect of the very interior body that is most suitable for sexual congress on the inner planes). The meaning of the whole verse is quite clear, including the “burning” thereon.
There is a special alchemical significance wherein gold, copper, and silver represent, respectively, the heart, throat, and “third eye” chakras, and Visuddha is the translation or transformational center that interfaces the gold and silver. Also, students of the periodic table will know that copper, silver, and gold are intimately related in their atomic structures, being (in one since) nearly the same metal except for minor subatomic variances; and the only known element to share these characteristicsis is the synthetic radioactive element Unununium (literally, No. 111; sometimes now called Roengenium) discovered in 1994.
Note that this is verse 175 of the whole Book; and 175 is one of the four Great Numbers of Venus.
"(v. 176) 31. There cometh a rich man from the West who shall pour his gold upon thee."
At a material level, this sounds like a wish phantasm; but we should also remember that Crowley was fairly well off in 1904, actually wealthy in a modest way.
If someone is waiting for this prophecy to come true physically, they are likely going to have to wait a while longer.
Meral told me once that this is a reference to the HGA. I am inclined to agree with her on an intuitive basis, although it is harder than usual to sort out the logic of it. (Note, though, that this verse 176 is the Tiphereth verse in the present series.)
He is “from the West” - note the capital “W” - thus referring to sunset. He is “from beyond death” as the saying would go, and related to completion, fulfillment, wholeness.
By Anglo-Hebraic transliteration: “rich man” = ריח מאן, which is 218 + 91 = 309. This is pretty amazing, since 309 is שט (Crowley’s idea of Set, Sun and Moon conjoined - στ = [Sun-Moon ligature], cf. the immediately preceding verse - and also ‘Αρης. I do this from memory, and seem to recall that there is more.)
By English Simplex: RICH MAN = 38+28 = 66, Σ(0-11), a Great Number of magick, and an especial reference to Kundalini (see Liber 66, and compare it to the present verse with this in mind!).
"(v. 177) 32. From gold forge steel!"
Gold is the metal attributed to the Sun, as iron is to Mars. This verse appears to reflect the attainment of Geburah, based upon the foundational attainment of Tiphereth.
Or, in any case, it shows that real strength o be wrought from this inner gold. The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel is the foundation of all real strength - and a tremendous strength it is. Real strength is, at least initially and primarily, inner strength, which then may be expressed (or manifested) as action in life.
There is a subtlety that could be easily missed because it seems self-evident; but it is, in fact, a reciprocal meaning. This verse may be read as, “It is from this gold that you will forge your steel. ” It is, therefore, a direct admonishment to attain to the K&C of the HGA as the source of all strength.
"(v. 178) 33. Be ready to fly or to smite!"
This appears to be a simple reference to the “fight or flight” reflex which is related to the Svadisthana chakra and the planet Mars. (There is usually a third “F” related to this constellation of expressions.) This gives some confirmation of our interpretation of the prior verse, that it refers to an expression of the Mars force.
The advice, then, is to in fact actively manifest this Mars energy, and be prepared to use it.