2 December (Nuit) Liber CCXX, 1:51
-
51. There are four gates to one palace; the floor of that palace is of silver and gold; lapis lazuli & jasper are there; and all rare scents; jasmine & rose, and the emblems of death. Let him enter in turn or at once the four gates; let him stand on the floor of the palace. Will he not sink? Amn. Ho! warrior, if thy servant sink? But there are means and means. Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine apparel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! Also, take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where and with whom ye will! But always unto me.
-
This extraordinary verse is subject to much potential interpretation. I have long felt sure that I know what it means. It describes a temple of Tiphereth, of the Sun, the Inner Sanctum of each and all. The "four gates" are the solar quarters - the "gates" of Liber Resh or (in the alternative) as in the Portal Ritual. (These two views are synthesized in the Opening of Liber CXX, the A.'.A.'. Zelator initiation ceremony.)
Here is the wedding of the Sun and Moon in the sacrament of Samekh. The floor is of silver and gold. Jasmine and rose correspond to Yesod and Tiphereth. The "emblems of death" are also those of the Rosy Cross (and, I suppose, also the emblems of The Devil and Death, Atus XV and XIII). Each initiate enters these four gates "in turn or at once."
"Amn" is, of course, AMN = 91; but it veils a secret Tetragrammaton (these "four gates") because, with Nun-final, it enumerates to 741 = A M Sh Th, the letters attributed to the Four Elements.
The aspirant, in attaining to this palace, is to "stand," and is apparently admonished not to "sink" (as on bent knee or in prostration). Then again, the remainder may be saying that, after all, there are many valid approaches to such worship.
We are then advised, for the first time, of the ways of worshiping Nuit. We are to take pleasure in every way, including in love (so long as it conforms to will), "But always unto me."
-
What does it mean to do something "unto Nuit"? There are several possible answers.
For me, the most common meaning is being consciously mindful of Her, and extending your faculties to attempt to perceive Her, be in Her embrace, etc.
There are also conceptual rather than literal approaches. For example, seeing your actions in the scope of a larger framework, or recognizing your infinitessimal insignificance in the scope of the whole of the universe.
There are emotional approaches, like understanding and feeling the saturation of love through which you move and exist.
What other examples come to mind? (And wouldn't today be a magnificent day to practice them?)
-
@Jim Eshelman said
""Amn" is, of course, AMN = 91; but it veils a secret Tetragrammaton (these "four gates") because, with Nun-final, it enumerates to 741 = A M Sh Th, the letters attributed to the Four Elements."
Nice observation.
If you are reading this aloud, how do you pronounce "Amn". -
@Jim Eshelman said
"What other examples come to mind? (And wouldn't today be a magnificent day to practice them?)"
Refine the senses! Sit with an apple for a few minutes, smell it, feel the texture of the skin, fruit and core, run your tongue all over it, then, when you desire the fruit withthe whole of your being, bite into it. (These and similar techniques can be applied to other things which are much more sumptuous than an apple, of course). Nuit gives us so much through our senses, and we typically ignore 98% of it.
Refining the outer senses, I've found, helps us to refine the inner senses as well. The ability to "hear" on the inner planes, for instance, can be aided significantly through the cultivation of a greater appreciation of music and sound, the training of the ear, etc. All of these things, especially if done mindfully and joyously, are by their very nature, in my opinion, done "unto Nuit" - all the more so if we keep Her in mind while we're doing them.
-
@gmugmble said
"If you are reading this aloud, how do you pronounce "Amn"."
Since the Hebrew word pronounced amen is spelled Aleph Mem Nun... and, of course, just for convenience... yes, I've always pronounced it amen. ("Amen Ho" has a nice flow to it, too.)
-
"What other examples come to mind?"
What comes to my mind is identifying oneself as a space for possibilities to become actualities.
-
Ah, yes. I just wrote to some people about leveraging the power of Nuit in their decision making. I described this as the power of the vacuum... silence... emptiness. We banish first in magick because we want to start with Zero, with emptiness as the field of unlimited possibility. ("No thing" is mathematically identical with "all things.")