11 questions regarding Liber Theta
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Hi Everyone,
I've been studying Liber Theta and the tarot on my own steam, and I have some questions about some things that I just can't find answers for. If anyone can refer me to some literature or if they know the answers to my questions, I would be very grateful. Apologies for so many questions but I've already had to restrain myself. I'm new to this board and thelema, and I have more questions than answers but I hope that's ok. Here are my questions:-
Why is HRU written specifically in Theban on the Crux Ansata? Why employ that cipher script?
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On the inner page HRU is described as "He Vau Aleph". He Vau Aleph is a pronoun for Kether but the Zohar says it is not a Tetragrammaton.. So are we talking about an angel or are we talking about a divine name of Kether? Mathers comments in "Kabbalah unveiled" that He Vau Aleph relates to Binah - so are we instead invoking an angel of Binah? 777 says it's a title of Kether identifying it with the zodiac.. But since when did Kether relate to the zodiac since I thought that was Chokmah?
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Where does the equivalence of HRU as being He Vau Aleph come from?
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Is HRU Thoth? If so, why does Crowley say in 777 that HRU is Horus? Who then is HUA?
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Is HUA the equivalent to He Vau Aleph? If so, then why is HUA (avenging angel of GD) and HRU (angel of tarot) often confused and interchanged?
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Who exactly is the angel of the Tarot? What is the sephiroth of this angel? How is he clearly invoked? Where would I place HRU if I was looking up a table in 776 1/2 for example?
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Page 3 describes He Resh Vau as being the great archangel of the tarot - where does this Hebrew spelling come from? Why so many variations of spelling?
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What is the Hebrew and Enochian table on page 2 of Liber Theta for?
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Why invoke HRU in the name of IAO, when Book 4 says that IAO is now VIAOV in the new Aeon? Furthermore, why not instead just invoke HRU by the corresponding Divine Name? What is the sephiroth of IAO and VIAOV? What does it mean in 777 about when Crowley spells IAO as yod aleph vau and also his identification of The three gods of IAO as aleph beth yod when book 4 says IAO is instead ayin aleph yod? What actual new aeon and old aeon initiation do you need to invoke IAO or VIAOV or HRU?
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Regarding the Crux Ansata - what is this symbol trying to actually convey and what is it's use?
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Who invented the Celtic cross spread?
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I'm on the road (stopping with my love for breakfast, at the moment), but, once I opened this thread, I'd never see it again if I didn't start to answer... so, here's what I can do off the top of my head.
@Sean White said
"1. Why is HRU written specifically in Theban on the Crux Ansata? Why employ that cipher script?"
It's a traditional design. I preserved it because there was no reason to change it.
There is no traditional explanation of this choice. It might be stylization, or it might have a specific subtle meaning.
"2. On the inner page HRU is described as "He Vau Aleph". "
Where? (I don't have a copy with me.) That would be Hu, an important Divine Name of Kether, rather than Hru, an archangel with the same rooting.
ADDED: That's a typo on the Copyright page (or, rather, typing the wrong word - the Divine Name instead of the archangel name). HVA should be HRV. Thanks for catching that.
"3. Where does the equivalence of HRU as being He Vau Aleph come from?"
See above.
"4. Is HRU Thoth? If so, why does Crowley say in 777 that HRU is Horus? Who then is HUA?"
No, Hru is Hru. Thoth is Thoth. One is a Hebrew archangel; the other is an Egyptian god.
The Horus connection is because Hru and Heru (Horus) are spelled with the same Hebrew letters (HRV) and different pointing.
"5. Is HUA the equivalent to He Vau Aleph? If so, then why is HUA (avenging angel of GD) and HRU (angel of tarot) often confused and interchanged?"
Yes, HUA is a transliteration of He Vav Alef, and is pronounced Hu.
On the second part, that is a mystery confidential to the Second Order of the R.R. et A.C. I decline to answer.
"6. Who exactly is the angel of the Tarot? What is the sephiroth of this angel? How is he clearly invoked? Where would I place HRU if I was looking up a table in 776 1/2 for example?"
These are hyper-tedious questions coming from too narrow a place, I think - like you're trying to pin a larger idea down to a nailed-down specific formulation. There are potentially dozens of "angels of the Tarot." (Or maybe I'm missing something particular in your question.)
"7. Page 3 describes He Resh Vau as being the great archangel of the tarot - where does this Hebrew spelling come from? Why so many variations of spelling?"
Probably you're confused because of the typo above.
"8. What is the Hebrew and Enochian table on page 2 of Liber Theta for?"
It's an Abramelin square that I created to seal certain magical particulars into the book for those who have it physically in hand.
"9. Why invoke HRU in the name of IAO, when Book 4 says that IAO is now VIAOV in the new Aeon."
I regard VIAOV as a particular formulation Crowley was working through. It has value in certain contexts. (If the T.'.O.'.T.'. Fifth Degree initiation ceremony were not private, I could say a few more specific things about that.)
Crowley's experimental formulation does not at all abrogate the ancient, powerful, enormously important name IAO, especially for those working the Mysteries of Tifereth (for whom this work was uniquely written: Remember, Liber Theta is actually an official instruction of the Adeptus degree of Temple of Thelema, that was permitted by its Guardians to be published in public. It is explicitly written for the use of certain training and tasks distinctive of those who have been admitted to, and have dedicated themselves to, the Greater Mysteries of Tifereth, but is provided to the public for those who can benefit from it otherwise.)
"Furthermore, why not instead just invoke HRU by the corresponding Divine Name?"
The goal in writing this work is to bring the R.R. et A.C. document "Book T" up to date while keeping it rooted explicitly in its original (R.R. et A.C.) context (but New Aeon etc.). This goal requires that the language of its prior magical links and formulations be preserved.
"What is the sephiroth of IAO and VIAOV?"
IAO is as Divine Name of Tifereth. VIAOV was intended by AC for a similar purpose.
"What does it mean in 777 about when Crowley spells IAO as yod aleph vau"
That's how it's spelled in Hebrew. In fact, notice that it's the notariqon of the composite Hebrew Divine of Tifereth, YHVH ALVH VDOTh.
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What actual new aeon and old aeon initiation do you need to invoke IAO or VIAOV or HRU?"That's a subject for a whole different thread (feel free to start it); it's not distinctive to the discussion of Liber Theta.
However, in the context of this book, I'll reiterate something I mentioned above: As the book says, this is an official instruction of the Adepts degree of Temple of Thelema. A lot of the fine points you asked about above are more obvious to those who have taken the T.'.O.'.T.'. Fifth Degree initiation. (This paragraph is not intended as an answer to your explicit question.)
"11. Who invented the Celtic cross spread?"
You mean the Celtic Cross? I haven't a clue, don't care. It works marvelously, though, and is one of the two or three most useful for me. Mary Greer probably could answer the question (and may have done so in one of her books).
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Hi Jim, I'm very grateful for your response.
HRU is referred to as Heh Vau Aleph on the unnumbered 4th page (if you count from the front cover). It's the page that contains the copyright and the description of the front cover illustration.Although the actual illustration reads HRU in Theban, the description of the text is "...having at the top the Name of the Great Angel Heh Vau Aleph"
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@Sean White said
"Hi Jim, I'm very grateful for your response.
HRU is referred to as Heh Vau Aleph on the unnumbered 4th page (if you count from the front cover). It's the page that contains the copyright and the description of the front cover illustration.Although the actual illustration reads HRU in Theban, the description of the text is "...having at the top the Name of the Great Angel Heh Vau Aleph""
Yeah, see above: Typo.
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In the unlikely event that anyone is wondering about the origin of the Celtic Cross spread, I found a passage in "Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition" by the Ciceros that says in section 10 of the Philosophus grade section that this layout was "recommended to Outer Order initiates in Mather's day, because it was simple and direct."