Tetragrammaton in the LBRP
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Greetings.
I've read as many pronunciations of the Tetragrammaton in the LBRP as can be imagined with a combination of four letters. Is it better to say the letters י ה ו ה separately as letters (yod-he-waw-he) or some kind of mystical pronunciation (ye-ho-wa), or does it depend?
Thanks.
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@Dhakhair said
"I've read as many pronunciations of the Tetragrammaton in the LBRP as can be imagined with a combination of four letters. Is it better to say the letters י ה ו ה separately as letters (yod-he-waw-he) or some kind of mystical pronunciation (ye-ho-wa), or does it depend?"
Individual Orders or sub-traditions have made different choices concerning this. At the time of writing Liber O, Crowley gave Ye-ho-wau. The Golden Dawn tradition employed the vibration of the individual letters, and Temple of Thelema continues with this tradition: the pronunciation, for us, is Yod Heh Vav Heh. (Not waw. That's a bastardization. I think it came from English-speaking misunderstanding that the German w is pronounced like the English v.)
The original pronunciation of the Name is deemed lost because it was never pronounced by Jews - except by the High Priest on one day of the year. I have what I believe is the correct original pronunciation, but I don't think that actually matters. One of the most important symbols inherent in the Name is that it is ineffable - it is the "unpronounceable Name" of mysticism, the "Lost Word," the "word not known" - that is, as the oldest and original Divine Name of Tiphereth, it is a symbol of the Name of each person's HGA. Jews say Adonai or another variation when encountering it and, as the Divine Name of Malkuth, Adonai has also become useful as the generic and pronounceable Name of the HGA.
With all of these considerations, I think it is far more valuable to retain it as unpronounceable that to debate its pronunciation.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"I have what I believe is the correct original pronunciation, but I don't think that actually matters...I think it is far more valuable to retain it as unpronounceable than to debate its pronunciation."
Did you notice any difference energetically or effects-wise when pronouncing it in the original correct way?
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@he atlas itch said
"
@Jim Eshelman said
"I have what I believe is the correct original pronunciation, but I don't think that actually matters...I think it is far more valuable to retain it as unpronounceable than to debate its pronunciation."Did you notice any difference energetically or effects-wise when pronouncing it in the original correct way?"
That would be hard to sort out of the context.
The original was only to be pronounced (1) by the High Priest (2) within the Holy of Holies (3) on Yom Kippur. The first time I pronounced it as I believe was intended, I had attained to both a grade and an office equivalent to High Priest, had vested and consecrated myself as such, had consecrated a reserved place as a Holy of Holies, entered it as such on a Holy Day, and reinvoked my HGA. There, and only there, did I pronounce it.
Yeah, pretty hot. <g>
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The High Priest is also supposed to have a rope tied around his waist to drag the body out in case he is struck down for pronouncing the Name and found impure.
So when you say it doesn't matter, I presume you mean in relation to the goals of the average seeker or adept. But isn't there a danger that even the average person might accidentally pronounce the Tetragrammaton correctly and be struck down?
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@he atlas itch said
"But isn't there a danger that even the average person might accidentally pronounce the Tetragrammaton correctly and be struck down?"
Not much of a chance, no.
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@Jim Eshelman said
" At the time of writing Liber O, Crowley gave Ye-ho-wau. The Golden Dawn tradition employed the vibration of the individual letters, and Temple of Thelema continues with this tradition: the pronunciation, for us, is Yod Heh Vav Heh. (Not waw. That's a bastardization. I think it came from English-speaking misunderstanding that the German w is pronounced like the English v.)"
The individual letters makes more sense to me. I have to add, though, as a Semitist, that the original, ancient pronunciation of the letter ו was certainly the w sound. But it doesn't matter, and I think this is one of those contexts where tradition, and its development are more central to the 'correctness' of things than historical linguistics. Since the ritual was not likely performed/designed by a native speaker of Hebrew (since none existed) I will stick with what's handed down.
"With all of these considerations, I think it is far more valuable to retain it as unpronounceable that to debate its pronunciation."
That makes so much sense. Especially since * ye-ho-wau * is just the tetragrammaton with the voweling of * Adonai * superimposed on it to remind the reader what to say. Those Masoretes have sure made things hard, if not very detailed, for us!