13 April - (Earth) Liber LXV, I:4-6
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4. Therefore thou writest that which is of mother of emerald, and of lapis-lazuli, and of turquoise, and of alexandrite.
5. Another writeth the words of topaz, and of deep amethyst, and of gray sapphire, and of deep sapphire with a tinge as of blood.
6. Therefore do ye fret yourselves because of this. -
The colours of the gems in verse 4 are like this: green, blue, blue-green & green or red.
In verse 5 they are yellow, violet, blue-grey and (I suppose) blue-red.
Something to note as well is that verse 4 is addressed to one person (thou) while verse 6 is addressed to more than one person (ye).
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@Zafero Berr said
"Something to note as well is that verse 4 is addressed to one person (thou) while verse 6 is addressed to more than one person (ye)."
Good observation. In the first occurrence, it is Adonai speak to V.V.V.V.V. But the second one is Adonai speaking (still to V.V.V.V.V.) about V.V.V.V.V. and one or more others.
"Therefore you, V.V.V.V.V., write one kind of thing. And somebody else writes some other kind of thing. And all y'all fret yourselves about it."
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I notice that the first set of stones - those which characterize V.V.V.V.V., our Binah character - are markedly feminine. (Alexandrite isn't necessarily so. The other three are dramatically so; and Alexandrite corresponds to Zayin, one of the Paths opening to Binah.)
Others - those who are not V.V.V.V.V. speak in a wider range of modalities. (That is, there is no similar coordinating idea. They presumably represent many others. And most of these are even more valuable stones in the measurement of the mundane world.)
If nothing else, I think these passages encourage us to appreciate the differences of others who are "coming from a different angle." Liber I reminds us that even the Magus 9=2 will teach in a fashion consistent with his or her distinctive nature, not from some universal language of truth.
Mostly, I think this is just a continuation of the prior verses... continuing the same point, though elaborating it a bit.
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The passages begs the question:
Is the light of the stars one?The prayer of the Gnomes form the Golden Dawn rituals describes the "Kingdom of Gems, the marvelous Seed of the Stars!"
Who are the stars? We are, every man and every woman.
"...thus ye have star & star, system & system; let not one know well the other!""1:50 There is a word to say about the Hierophantic task. Behold! there are three ordeals in one, and it may be given in three ways. The gross must pass through fire; let the fine be tried in intellect, and the lofty chosen ones in the highest. Thus ye have star & star, system & system; let not one know well the other!"
There may be individual associations for the stones and their colors, but at my stage of insight I will tend to read the text in a more poetic light: that, in the most general sense, all the rich colors represented by these precious stones are referencing our individual cases and causes as stars in the body of Nuit, unique and conquering.
So, do not fret, the light is one, but it manifests as per each individual star that shows it.
Love and Will
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as I read this today- I realized that I did not (again!) understand the true meaning of the word fret. I had always assumed it simply meant worry, bother, or even divided self.
Upon learning what a fret truelly is, and what it allows (or disallows) brings clarity to this final stanza, and I see why we are told to fret.....
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There are three separate uses of "fret," with three actual histories. The raised piece that is part of some stringed instruments is actually of an unknown origin.
But "fret" in the use above comes from a German word for "to eat." Something "fretting" you is eating into you, taking a bite out of you, etc. (The word is actually used to describe chemical processes of acid corrosion.)
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I ask myself, "How do I not fret about such things?" And the speeches of the Book of the Law come to mind.
In other words, even when I am done fretting (I would like to be!), others will see my actions and fret, and they will assume my actions are the result of my own fretting and, in their own fretting, attempt to stop me.
There seems to be no escape to the tangled web of fretting except the embracing of one's true will as embodied by the harsher and more manic sounding passages in the Book of the Law.
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@Veronica said
"as I read this today- I realized that I did not (again!) understand the true meaning of the word fret. I had always assumed it simply meant worry, bother, or even divided self.
Upon learning what a fret truelly is, and what it allows (or disallows) brings clarity to this final stanza, and I see why we are told to fret....."
Well, I had to look this up. And it is very suggestive when you look at the other meanings for the word. I particularly like the reference to the frets or bars on a musical instrument—so, to make music. It also relates to an interlacing geometrical design of sorts. Then I go back to first definition, to worry, to eat away, to agitate, to make a hole by constant irritation...
The whole notion becomes very alchemical all of a sudden.
EDIT: had to add this from Jim—"(The word is actually used to describe chemical processes of acid corrosion.)"
Love and Will
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Yes, I do like learning about words......
In looking in my Dictionary I see several illustrations of the art of fretting, which is to carve ornate design into stone, or wood.....
as if eating away, to corrode, to divide up......
I have often times used gems and minerals as a metaphor for my own personal refining.....The art of lapidary and the cutting of stones (masonry in way) is very much like the unfolding of a human being, or a flower....you start with a raw substance and chip away, and create angles and ways for light to play....
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This one brings to mind the ol' two people observing the same car accident, but having dramatically different accounts bit.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"I notice that the first set of stones - those which characterize V.V.V.V.V., our Binah character - are markedly feminine. (Alexandrite isn't necessarily so. The other three are dramatically so; and Alexandrite corresponds to Zayin, one of the Paths opening to Binah.) "
This VVVVV identity has been bugging me because I initially took it to mean the Magister "aspect" of Crowley's attainment. But I have since read the Gunther book which largely I didn't understand.
But I feel I have to be in the majority there because I'm pretty well read when it comes to Crowley.Anyway, he claims VVVVV is not an aspect of Crowley but is another adept entirely.
Maybe this isn't the perfect thread to ask this, but I was hoping I could get some clarification on who/what VVVVV is and in what contexts.
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You might find this thread interesting:
www.heruraha.net/viewtopic.php?p=18576&sid=984275e96117f9cd89188edeb2a8edbd -
@AvshalomBinyamin said
"You might find this thread interesting:
www.heruraha.net/viewtopic.php?p=18576&sid=984275e96117f9cd89188edeb2a8edbd"Thanks but already read it... again, my main question pertains to Gunther's book. He says explicitly that VVVVV is another adept entirely than Crowley. And I get the distinct impression he does not mean a higher-self version or whatever. I don't have it in front of me, or I'd quote it. I would appreciate someone who's read the book chiming in, or at least explaining this.
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"I am waiting
In my glass coffin"—PJ Harvey
Meditation of the Day! Can I get an amen!
I, ever so gently, nudge Jim's foot under the table and smile. Say! It's the 14th already...
Love and Will