numbers in the book of the law
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@ViaLuxInTenebresEs said
" - well in this department I'm totally stuck."
You remind me of myself. I get stuck in these qabalistic puzzles in much the same way. Our problem is that we take the literal qabalah too literally. Here's my two cents.
Letter and numbers are the natural vocabulary of the conscious mind. Picures and other sensory symbols are the natural vocabulary of the subconscious mind. The point of the qabalah is to build a bridge between the two minds by mapping letters and numbers onto symbols. Once you've learned your 777, then whenever the subconscious realm presents you with images in a dream or a tarot spread or whatnot, you can translate it into something the conscious mind is more comfortable with; conversely, if you want to tell your subconscious something, you can look up the right symbols in the tables to put into a ritual or a talisman or whatnot. Thus making open the path of creation and of intelligence between us and our minds and enlightening our understanding.
It seems to me that you are being top-heavy, being too rational and not involving your intuition. Learn to dance and play with the qabalah. Read Crowley's analyses, read Jim Eshelman's and Paul Case's, but develop your own style.
This is what is called congealing the spirit in the lair of energy.
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@ViaLuxInTenebresEs said
"I am nuit and my word is 6 and 50."
The Hebrew letters Nun-Vav enumerate as the sum 56; the approximate transliteration into English letters is NU, one of the names of Nuit in TBOTL.
"divide, add, multiply, understand."
The math operations are discussed in the commentaries on TBOTL produceed by Crowley.
6 / 50 = .012: Crowley thought this result indicative of his "0=2" formula, which stated simply, holds that from the negative emerges two polarized opposites, with the negative representing the divine; the goal of the initiate is to combine the two opposing pairs, reducing them to nothing through cancellation, in order to achieve union with the divine. It could argued this equation expresses the formula of mysticism.
6 + 50 = 56: 5 + 6 = 11. Crowley equated the number 11 with magick, a number that results from combining the five with the six, numbers he considered symbolic of the microcosm and macrocosm; it could be argued this equation expresses the formula of magick. The number five is equated with man / the microcosm through the five senses, which relate to the five elements; the core teaching of western ceremonial magick is the need to construct five elemental weapons to be used while performing ritual magick. The number six signifies the macrocosm, which can be demonstrated a number of different ways. Significant to the union of the five and the six is the word of power Abrahadabra, which contains five vowels and six consonants (which relates more to an English configuration of letters than Hebrew), expressing the combining of opposites, adapted by Crowley from the word Abracadabra for that purpose.
Arriving at 300 / Shin by multiplying 6 & 50 is the intended result, with Shin signifying the element of Spirit, or "nothing."
"further verse 46. the jews call it 61 I call it 8, 80, 400, 18
47 but they have half and unite by art so all disappear?"
The value 61 is the enumeration of the Hebrew word Ain, which means not or nothing, consisting of the first word in the well-known qabalistic expression Ain Soph Aur, which means "the limitless light."
While it's true the number 8 and 418 can be linked together through the Hebrew letter Cheth based on the ideas formed by Crowley on the subject, such as Cheth having a gematria value of 8 and the word Chith having an enumeration of 418, no one has explained how the numbers 8, 80, or 418 specifically relate to the idea of nothing as expressed in the verse. C.S. Jones added the numbers together to arrive at a sum of 506, the enumeration of ShVR in Hebrew, a word that means bull or ox, the animal and idea that correlates to the letter Aleph, a letter linked to the element of Air and the Fool of the Tarot, concepts that correlate to "nothing." Jones theories are interesting, but simplistic and very circular, seeming to lead nowhere as far as new insight into TBOTL is concerned; all of Jones' conclusions achieved through his working of the symbols are stated in the book in the plainest of language.
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Wow I usually use Stephen Skinner's complete magician's tables so I never opened 777. now I see it has like all the hebrew words by number in the back!
As far as 6 and 50 what about ha' 'aTem - "a window is sealed"
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@Heru-pa-kraath said
"While it's true the number 8 and 418 can be linked together through the Hebrew letter Cheth based on the ideas formed by Crowley on the subject, such as Cheth having a gematria value of 8 and the word Chith having an enumeration of 418, no one has explained how the numbers 8, 80, or 418 specifically relate to the idea of nothing as expressed in the verse."
That's not true. I published the solution about 20 years ago.
"Sixty-one the Jews call it; I call it eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen. But they have the half: unite by thine art so that all disappear. My prophet is a fool with his one one one: are not they the Ox and none by the Book."
61, as has been mentioned here, is 61, "none."
8 + 80 + 418 = 506, the value of ShVR, the actual Hebrew word for "ox," and the name of the constellation Taurus.
So "eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen" on the one hand, and 61 on the other, are literally "the Ox" and "none" - all by the book!
But let's take the whole thing together: 8 + 80 + 418 + 61 = 567. By itself, 567 has no special relevance to our puzzle, for it is not a complete truth. (The "they" in vv. 47-48 above refers to the 61, 8, 80, & 418 of v. 46. The numbers themselves are the only reasonable antecedents in a strict critical reading of the text.)
If 567 is the half, then the other half is also 567. The whole is thus 567 x 2 = 1,134, which is:
AYN SVPh AVR -
Hello.
What about the reference at II.76? The text reads:
"4638abk24algmor3yx2489rpstoval. What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it."
Has this alpha-numeric key ever been expounded?
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@David Stanton said
"What about the reference at II.76?"
Whole 'nuther subject
"Has this alpha-numeric key ever been expounded?"
Over and over again.
My interpretation: The verse doesn't say there's an answer. It just says Crowley won't figure it out and somebody will expound one. This, of course, has come true: One "pounding out" after another has been circulated for decades. Expounding is all over the place! One after another, they get pounded out...
As an example: Around 1979 I sat down to write a spoof on it, took one theoretical key, and just let myself go crazy. To my horror, an hour later I had a coherent solution that even had a surprise punch line. It was impossible not to take it somewhat seriously for a while, it was so compelling. It's still, to me, the second best solution (by a wide margin) of any I've seen (and I've seen a lot). But... I don't think it's anything of substance for the book, not "the unlocking of the great mystery," etc. It's just the spoof I sat down to write about 31 years ago. It's... expounding.
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I'm sure quite a few tables have been pounded and pencils chewed up over this.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Gather round to marvel at the ultimate occult brass ring. Just turn the key and win. Expound the mystery that confounded The Beast, and you will be the "one," prophesied in The Book of the Law, II.76!"
The image of Hadit as carnie huckster is making me laugh.
Still, I'm inclined to believe this reveals something worth knowing. I find the immediately preceding verses particularly compelling and wonder about a connection with the key. Plus, I'm intrigued by the indecipherable.
Did you publish your spoofing,Jim? Do you know of any other decent explanations that are publicly available? I got zilch with Google, and that's a very precise search term to run.
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Not sure where there might be a copy of my original. But the very best thought I've seen on it - some real coherence - is here:
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thanks!
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@ViaLuxInTenebresEs said
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Every number is infinite they're all the same? so this is a joke of no significance?"
well this one is quite enlightening - consider a number line - which continues of course infinitely. it's just an infinite line of 1's with no total sum. Once we create representations of groups of 1's (2, 3, 5, etc) all we are doing is re-ordering the 1's using symbols for them (2, 3, etc etc)
so....there are an infinite number of 2's, 3's, 156's, etc etc - all of these numbers are infinite and continues, our usage of any number other than 0 and 1 is a usage soley in context to the operation at hand and in that sense, could be considered subjective. to be clear, there are an infinite number of 2's, 3's, 4's, etc etc
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@Heru-pa-kraath said
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@ViaLuxInTenebresEs said
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6 / 50 = .012: Crowley thought this result indicative of his "0=2" formula, which stated simply, holds that from the negative emerges two polarized opposites, with the negative representing the divine; the goal of the initiate is to combine the two opposing pairs, reducing them to nothing through cancellation, in order to achieve union with the divine. It could argued this equation expresses the formula of mysticism."
"There are a few interesting things about the numbers 0,1, and 2 from a philosophy of math perspective. In one sense, it represents the entire foundation of all counting and ordering, something intrinsic to mapping objective reality. Objective reality is manifest of course as the entire body of nuit - or the collection of an infinite number of sentient beings/stars/hadit(s)
the only pure number is 1.
2 (and any other number above 1) are really illusions or re-orderings of 1.
Consider; numbers are symbols for objective values. However, 1 is the only number that not just represents the value it symbolizes, but also IS that same value - it literally is 1 symbol for 1 value. it IS the thing in and of itself. 2 , and any number above 2 - is NOT the thing that it represents, it's just easy short hand so we dont have to write 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1.
This is enlightening because this is exactly how we crunch 'truth' in any sense. We have objective truths, which signify objective reality, which is really meaningless other than just being what it is. A =A. Then we have our own subjective universe, our own unique ordering of objective reality (which we project onto it) - our own personal truths.
so the numbers 1 and 2 could be looked at the same way as the symbols yin and yang (ironically, there is ONE yang line and TWO yin lines in the iching)
Of course, the infinite number line of which all numbers are infinite therein flows from 0, which is both valuable and valueless, a transcendent of number ordering. It is valuable because with out it, the entire number line simply fails to perform it's true will, counting and ordering, yet it has no value in and of itself indeed it is nothing in and of itself.
So consider NUIT is 56, divided (deconstructed) we have the entire ordering of objective reality through number, 012
I believe This is very harmonious with much of the philosophy of thelema. Consider Crowley's story of the blind men and the elephant in the room ( i think i have this story correct, but the essence I retain) each blind man has his own unique ordering of the information he is perceiving, yet no blind man has the same map of the elephant, yet all the blind men SHARE the elephant in common. Look at the elephant as the 0, manifesting as a 1, and hidden by the 2.
even more freaky fun things to consider. 1 is a pure number which, like mentioned above, IS the thing in and of itself, a beautiful representation of objective reality - of course Nuit is Chapter 1 in the book of the law. 2 is the more personal context of ordering of 1, something more representative of subjective reality and of course the self. Hadit - the highest exaltation of the self, is chapter 2.
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@David Stanton said
"Still, I'm inclined to believe this reveals something worth knowing. I find the immediately preceding verses particularly compelling and wonder about a connection with the key. Plus, I'm intrigued by the indecipherable.
."
oh it does. what it means is PURE MYSTERY. Understanding the role of MYSTERY on the psyche is indeed quite enlightening.
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"PURE MYSTERY."
I love that. Great point. Oldfriend. There's nothing quite like gnawing on the ineffable to strengthen one's bite.
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"My interpretation: The verse doesn't say there's an answer. It just says Crowley won't figure it out and somebody will expound one. This, of course, has come true: One "pounding out" after another has been circulated for decades. Expounding is all over the place! One after another, they get pounded out... "
the only thing about this that seems a little off here to me is that it assumes (and forgive me if I am mistaken) that the verse is meaningless, not in a taoist sense, but in a more logical sense - if Crowley would never know the meaning - that implies that the meaning could be hidden from him, not necessarily because it's non existant blabber. Even suggesting that the verse is meaningless is supplying some meaning to that verse.
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@ldfriend56 said
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"My interpretation: The verse doesn't say there's an answer. It just says Crowley won't figure it out and somebody will expound one. This, of course, has come true: One "pounding out" after another has been circulated for decades. Expounding is all over the place! One after another, they get pounded out... "the only thing about this that seems a little off here to me is that it assumes (and forgive me if I am mistaken) that the verse is meaningless, not in a taoist sense, but in a more logical sense - if Crowley would never know the meaning - that implies that the meaning could be hidden from him, not necessarily because it's non existant blabber. Even suggesting that the verse is meaningless is supplying some meaning to that verse."
"Meaning," like "value," is where you find it.
I do believe that there is no inherent mystery in the verse.
Look at it In context of the surround verses. The verses right before are very profound. The provide important keys to living life. I then read vv. 75-76 as saying, essentially: "So, this isn't the kinda shit you wanna hear? OK, here's some gobbledy-goop! BLATHER. NONESENSE. INTRIGUING PUZZLE. So, smartypants, what you think THIS means, eh? You're never gonna figure it out (hahahaha)... Sure, somebody will come along and start expounding what it means. - Meanwhile... now this is important, so listen up... here's what matters: Remember to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word."
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@ldfriend56 said
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"My interpretation: The verse doesn't say there's an answer. It just says Crowley won't figure it out and somebody will expound one. This, of course, has come true: One "pounding out" after another has been circulated for decades. Expounding is all over the place! One after another, they get pounded out... "the only thing about this that seems a little off here to me is that it assumes (and forgive me if I am mistaken) that the verse is meaningless, not in a taoist sense, but in a more logical sense - if Crowley would never know the meaning - that implies that the meaning could be hidden from him, not necessarily because it's non existant blabber. Even suggesting that the verse is meaningless is supplying some meaning to that verse."
"Meaning," like "value," is where you find it.
I do believe that there is no inherent mystery in the verse.
Look at it In context of the surround verses. The verses right before are very profound. The provide important keys to living life. I then read vv. 75-76 as saying, essentially: "So, this isn't the kinda (****) you wanna hear? OK, here's some gobbledy-goop! BLATHER. NONESENSE. INTRIGUING PUZZLE. So, smartypants, what you think THIS means, eh? You're never gonna figure it out (hahahaha)... Sure, somebody will come along and start expounding what it means. - Meanwhile... now this is important, so listen up... here's what matters: Remember to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word.""
I always thought the 'glad word' referred to that particular verse, no? curious to see another interpretation here.
Not sure I see what your saying about 75 - 76, the context of 'so this is not what you want to hear?" - to me it just says Yes! you're (on the right path, correct, right etc etc) and listen to the numbers and the words. listen to me is a quality of paying attention more acutely especially internally. so to me it just says YES pay attention here to this unknown - you will not know it, but one (not many) shall come after you to explain it's meaning.
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@ldfriend56 said
"I always thought the 'glad word' referred to that particular verse, no? curious to see another interpretation here."
I think it means almost anything except the immediately prior text. The "But" at the beginning of the sentence is exclusionary.
I take "glad word" broadly to mean Liber L. overall, and more specifically Chapter 2.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@ldfriend56 said
"I always thought the 'glad word' referred to that particular verse, no? curious to see another interpretation here."I think it means almost anything except the immediately prior text. The "But" at the beginning of the sentence is exclusionary.
I take "glad word" broadly to mean Liber L. overall, and more specifically Chapter 2."
ahh - gotcha. well this is part of the beauty of liber al - all the different layers and levels of meaning we can project onto it. to me the verse simply represents mystery or unknown in it's pure form, and the eternal mystery is indeed a glad word to share.
thanks jim!
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@ViaLuxInTenebresEs said
"Wow I usually use Stephen Skinner's complete magician's tables so I never opened 777. now I see it has like all the hebrew words by number in the back!"
Infinitely quotable.
Don't get bogged down in the particulars. Gematria is a discipline that takes many years of study before it yields fruit. Many aspiring Qabalists have gone bonkers on Liber AL; you're best off starting with the "Sepher Yetzirah," or something of the kind. "The Temple of Solomon the King," at the beginning of 777, contains an excellent intro to Gematria, and should be learned by heart. Jim's 2.0 version of the same book is also indispensable.
I also recommend a pocket calculator. It can be handy for all those nasty permutations.
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@Avshalom Binyamin said
"61 = ain = aleph-yod-nun = 1+10+50 = "nothing""
61 also equals "I am". The term "I am" is profoundly significant throughout history: Jesus uses the term "I am" to describe himself seven different ways in the Bible and there is a famous latin saying that goes "Cogito Ergo Sum" (I think, therefore, I am).
According to wikipedia:
The use of “I am” without a predicate was considered a name for Jesus by St. Thomas Aquinas who considered it the most proper of all divine names, for Aquinas believed it to refer to the “being of all things”.
Suffice to say..."61" is a very important number.
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