January 29-31, 2014: VIII. Adjustment

Al-Shariyf

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VIII
ADJUSTMENT
(Libra)

“Even if I wander from Thee, Thou art there. Thy pleasure ever leads me into the depths of Thee; thy chastening hand is the caress of reclaiming me. I walk through the alleys of Hell, in the byways of my deeds, and the stifling heat is the clasp of thine embrace – yea, of thy holding me tight unto Thee.”

MEDITATION COLOR: Green.

HEBREW LETTER: Lamed, ox-goad: that which drives and steers the ox (Alef). Also means, “to instruct, train, discipline, chastise” (cf. Alef). Greek Lambda suggests balance by its isosceles shape.

CARD NAME: Probably the best standard definition for adjustment is “to bring into proper relationship,” It stems from the Latin ad- (“toward”) + iuxt (“near”). Juxta comes from the Indo-European root yeug-, meaning “to join” (Lamed is the “yoke” of Vav). Important derivatives of this root include yoke, join, junction, conjugal, yoga, subjugate, joust, junction. Compare this to the older title, Justice, which means, “being honorable, fair, righteous, morally right, consonant with law.” It comes from the Indo-European root yewes-, “law,” as in just, jury, jurist, judge, conjure, perjure, injure, prejudice. (Both “conjure” and “perjury” come from the Latin for “to pronounce a ritual formula, or swear an oath.”)

ESOTERIC MEANING: The Faithful Consciousness. Through it, spiritual powers are increased. All dwellers on earth “abide in its shadow.”

TREE of LIFE: Tifereth to Geburah. (Links ‘Beauty’ with ‘Strength,’ the Ego-center with Volition. The “righting” effect of true volition on the equilibrated ego-center, from which place one easily moves in one’s own direction by the HGA’s goad-force that rightly drives one there.)

ESOTERIC TITLE: The Daughter of the Lords of Truth, the Ruler of the Balance

TANTRIC & ALCHEMICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Woman Satisfied: the Scarlet Woman fulfilled by directed application of Iudex and Testes.

DIVINATION: Eternal justice; or, rather, justesse, equilibrium, the act of adjustment, balance by opposites, internal compensation or adjustment within the whole, pending decision. Karma. In material matters, may mean law, legal actions, prosecutions, trial, etc. Socially, marriage or agreements; politically, treaties.

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Danica

Peace, equilibrium, stability. HGA makes it/forms it.
Justice; “Higher Power”.
Count-ability, predictability; necessity.
From the perspective of Cosmic Justice, everything is SIMPLE, all the complex phenomena are reducible to their basic factors, and those to mutually-defining polarities; all problems are easy to solve!
She removes the superfluous (sword – the blade – she cuts).
Sublimity of thought.

Focus, in the sense of: life-direction; one-pointed-ness, which does not exclude the opposites but includes them and works with them (taking both sides of everything always into account).
The Work is the Truth.
Her wings and her whole figure are weightless, light, have absolutely no weight; but the Sword is heavy! – the Sword is the only thing she gravitates upon, holding her in her position; she’s another symbol for the axis in the center of the wheel; here the wheels are spheres, endlessly circling and circling around this sword-axis.
What a beautiful Card this is! It radiates Magnificence.
“Know thyself through thine deeds”, it says; this is the perfect Mirror (the results of our acts).

The Right (correct) Path; the ruthlessness of Truth; the loftiness of Truth; indefeasibility of Truth.
The Truth = deed (existence “defines” it).
Alfa & Omega: wholeness, completeness, the beginning and the end complement each other; cyclicity of processes of experience.
This cyclicity is determined by the higher natural laws (Daleth, in essence).

There is no real Suffering – it’s only an illusion; an Adept accepts all aspects of experience, s/he enters them in order to act in accordance with the Higher Law/Truth of his/her Will (Star-essence). This Higher Law is STERN (nb: in German, “der Stern” means “a star”; is there a common etymological root?), there is no deviation from it!
Freedom! here is the true, real freedom: to act in accordance with the Truth of own Star; it is acting in accordance with the limitations that own Nature, “by definition”, has; and this is Absolute Freedom – it’s inviolable and inalienable.
Social systems should set this as their basis; Liber OZ! this is the social “norm”.
This Card speaks about the Law of Thelema as a means of balancing the community, as a method of evolution of human kind (at the collective level).

The green (as the card meditation color) is hard to formulate, I tend to make it an emerald green, or turquoise; today I finally managed to focus on pure green; immediate associations: Nature, receptivity, maternal protection, tenderness…
This Card means: complete, utter focus on One.
As if: if she haven’t been so absolutely focused on the Sword and blade’s top standing point, it would all disperse – this figure herself and all the perfect structures around her would disintegrate into Chaos.
Her being concentrated on the single-point creates these structures as they are, in their perfection.
Equilibrium is a delicate “thing”; it’s not at all “obvious”; something may look balanced or right, by its symmetry or by any other criterion, may appear as such to perception, but actually be out of balance! It’s the subtle Law of Nature, fine and invisible weft.
Above, the scales branch into Duality (the Many, mind, ideas); but the Sword is stabbed into one point: action in existence by necessity means reduction to one, decision, particularity, cancelling alternatives in a practical choice… the Card shows how alternatives of possibility do not exclude each other, but they actually exist through the non-duality of a practical, particular deed, and they find their balance in this – they are fulfilled through this; existence is paradoxical!
Wisdom of this figure is in observing the paradox and taking into account all the mutually “exclusive” factors –she acts through this.

Something once done can not be un-done, repealed; this is the essence of Deed and of Karma; Karma can not be “un-done”, the whole Universe would have to come back to Singularity; but it is impossible in actuality; the “Singularity” is here, continually-present, though this dynamic of itself, through the Many.
This irreversibility-of-deed, of Time, says nothing “against” Eternity: Eternity is exactly in this! Our perception gives us the flow of Time and irreversibility of act; but conscious focus of attention – in this continuity of such perceived time – on Hadit/Point/The One (in motion, dynamically, because it’s otherwise not possible) opens the view on Eternity.
The Truth shines through Beauty; it speaks to us through everything that is beautiful. The Truth is necessarily Beautiful! (NB: the “rule” of Elegance in contemporary theoretical physics)
Focus your attention to the Beautiful, and let yourself be guided from there in your acting; your work will thus be illuminated with Truth, be in Truth – be Right.
(The Mystery of Beauty here shows itself as: that-which-absolutely-catches our attention and enables it to be continually focused on One, amidst the Many-of-experience)

Al-Shariyf

I slipped a day behind. Just finished up on Adjustment and will start working the Hermit in a couple of hours.

Day one:
The Green background of the card serves a reminder that Love is the background in which Truth arises.

The Plume of Ma'at - Truth and the lightness of Truth

Apple - To hit the apple on her head one must be focused on the target & only that target, which is why it's on her head. A reminder to stay focused on your target and keep all of your actions in alignment with hitting that target.

Her throne parts the veil - when truth is present there is no obscurity

She veils her face as to prevent some sort of misjudgement to occur based on her looks - no opportunity to favoritism here.

Her scales balance that which has come to pass from beginning to end.

Her posture is one of poise and precision. If she moves or loses her balance, everything will lose its proportion.

Day Two
The Green sphere feels velvety and plushy. Love and desire are present and I am wondering what they have to do with adjustment.

Is it not the case that we align ourselves with what we love & when we're not in the presence of that love we do what we can to re-align ourselves with it?

There's something so sexy about the way the women in the card presses herself against that sword. The shape of the diamond in the middle of the card reminds me of a vagina.

Tonight's mediation was pretty sexual. What I got out of it was doing our True Will is like allowing the universe to have an orgasm and she is always adjusting our thrust, posture, speed, stroke, tempo and rhythm so she can get off - RAUNCHY!

Day Three
Steering, controlling, driving (I see myself riding an ox in my imagination, goading it in the direction I want it go)

Bhakti yoga and devotion come to mind.

The act of restraining so that one can remain unrestrained (discipline)

The spheres in the card intrigue me today. The ideas of precision and balance come to mind, proportion, beauty. I am almost stunned by the perfection of the card - perfection in the sense that everything is governing itself so that an incredible and extraordinary event can happen, even if only for a split second

I am brought back to the sexual nature of the card - In the moment of orgasm, the greatest pleasure lies in the tension, the contracting of all the muscles in the body to fully feel and hold on to the sensations it is experiencing.

Avshalom Binyamin

The Lamed/Ox-Goad as a shepherd's crook that keeps adjusting the path of the herd with little nudges. The libra/balance as the state of equilibrium achieved through these corrective motions.

I'm reminded of learning to drive a car. I remember starting out, and having a hard time maintaining a smooth straight line on the freeway. I would only look a few car-length's ahead, and over-correct with the steering wheel. Eventually, I learned to look farther off into the distance ahead, and make tiny adjustments.

It's the Tao of chopping down big trees while they are saplings.

I'm sure that She and the Fool make an amazing couple...

Mephisto

4.16.14

Tarot Meditation: "Adjustment" 8:10-? Interruption.

Excellent composition w/this card: perfect balance of color; harmony pervades.

4.16.14 "Adjustment" 8:27 A.M.-8:48 A.M.

It is interesting to consider that the concepts related by the Tarot represent Things-in-Themselves, the ideal world of which Plato spoke: this storehouse of images represents primary symbols--archetypes--which when manifested compose the various intermingled aspects of life.

"Lamed is the yoke of Vav." "Love is the law, love under Will."--the balance of Libra--the austere discipline of Saturn and the ethereal airy form of Venus--represent "love under will."

"The Woman Satisfied: the Scarlet Woman fulfilled by direct application of Judex and Testes."--Book of Thoth

--She is able by her equilibrium to balance all uncompensated manifestation. Immutable law of Karma.
--Air is of the suit of swords; an intellectual equanimity is the key to balanced manifestation. All things conform to Law.
--In this Aeon the Woman is no longer subservient but armed and strong: armed with the sword of intellect, strong by reason of poise and balance. She holds the Sword upside down for she has mastered the Phallic whims of Man.
--The Feminine disposition resolved by conformity to Law.
--Tiphereth to Geburah: Beauty united to Strength, Saturn and Venus: the Woman strong and empowered, no longer subject to Mood but equanimous: the Woman Satisfied.

Adjustment: "to bring into [proper] relation with." (my definition)

--Venus, the Woman, reawakens the Eld of Saturn, the Primal Father.

This is one of my favorite cards: a harmonious exhortation to tread the path with good conduct. Balance is constantly to be maintained, poise and dignity further the aspirant on the quest to fulfill the Great Work. Strength and Beauty are united with the Force and Gravity of Saturn and the Grace and Beauty of Venus: Venus mitigates and perfects the ugly grace austerity of Saturn and Saturn mitigates the frivolity and wantonness of Venus.

4.16.14 4:35-4:52 P.M.

One must grasp the hilt of the Sword--the Mind--and weigh all things in the balance. Thus one may come to a true apprehension of Things. The aspirant must use the goad and yoke: enthusiasm and discipline. In balanced equanimity the path to Truth is to be tread.

Good meditation despite busy street distractions.

The wanton antics of the Fool [Therion states that Adjustment represents the Feminine complement of the Fool] are balanced by the scales of Right Thought; the discipline of meditation brings equanimity to the Mind, which is of the nature of Air. Thoughts flutter and gust like the wind and cause ripples in the surface of the pool; there is rustling in the trees: the scales tip as the mind fluctuates between This and That, Past and Future. Duality is resolved in stillness, when the waves of thought are silent and no new Karma is generated--then is balance attained and Truth manifests.

Mephisto

@Avshalom Binyamin said

"I'm sure that She and the Fool make an amazing couple... "

What insight, Av! Crowley states in the Book of Thoth that She is the compliment and completion of the Fool; She balances Him.

Anael Lucis

Meditation 1

Heavy chains of righteous and just balances – merciless and profoundly precise
In the world of duality this is the law – the refined and sophisticated division and distribution of karma
Eternally measuring elements of each action and its parts; measuring actions relatively to all other phenomena – in a way that is unimaginable to a standard perception of good and bad
She is on tippy-toes so that every little bit of weight on one or the other side is detected thus putting emphasis on changing the balances for the purpose of determining the ultimate quality of things
Sword – it is ruthless in precision, indiscriminate, cutting at the center of things, enforcing justice mercilessly and without favors
Total neutrality of position – as alpha and omega / as plus and minus cancel each other out, so its ground of perception is from complete neutrality of position, thus no favors are bestowed prior to scaling and judgment; no weakness that comes from partiality or unbalanced emotion
Card is perfectly symmetrical – both sides considered equally in the mind of Lady Justice
She has headdress made from plumes signifying law and justice
In ancient Egyptian symbolism – two feathers – the crown of divine law

Meditation 2

Her posture is highly alert
She has wings
Her sword is the token of enforced justice
Blindfold – does not discriminate – uses her scales to weigh truth
Alpha and Omega – first and last – beginning and end – she weighs all things
Completely symmetrical composition of the card – equal distribution of elements on both ends;
She is in the state of equilibrium – she does not only weigh consequences and actions, but also appears to show balance which is the perfect state of being – the middle way – the way of the Adept – she is the center – symbolically one’s inner center; one’s inner guide; one’s inner judge – divine conscience
Cutting through nonsense/lies/stories we tell ourselves and gets directly to the point, to the essence of things, to the truth
Card is even balanced top to bottom, not only left to right – “as above so below” – same law applies to all no matter where one is in space, in one’s life or on spiritual path
Lamed – ox goad – Lady justice is a compass that guides us on the path of equilibrium

Meditation 3

Peaceful, still and balanced within
At peace for there is no disturbance of equilibrium
Inherently balanced – that is its nature
Power that comes from being consistent with the truth, with the way reality is; no distortion of perception or inconsistent/afflictive activity
Stillness comes from inner peace, which comes from balance of opposites within oneself
Eternal in its state, always present, ever-strong, unmoving force
She is enclosed in the diamond shape – diamond the hardest natural substance and as such identified with the ultimate wisdom, indestructible wisdom, completely clear and luminous – like the enlightened mind free from pollution of afflictive emotions and delusions
Balance of feminine and masculine polarites – reflected in balance of organic/rounded (yoni/ovus - intuitive) and straight, linear (phallic - rational) elements in the card