20 December (Hadit) Liber CCXX, 2:24-25
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(v. 90) 24. Behold! these be grave mysteries; for there are also of my friends who be hermits. Now think not to find them in the forest or on the mountain; but in beds of purple, caressed by magnificent beasts of women with large limbs, and fire and light in their eyes, and masses of flaming hair about them; there shall ye find them. Ye shall see them at rule, at victorious armies, at all the joy; and there shall be in them a joy a million times greater than this. Beware lest any force another, King against King! Love one another with burning hearts; on the low men trample in the fierce lust of your pride, in the day of your wrath.
(v. 91) 25. Ye are against the people, O my chosen! -
The essential method of worship of the Angel here disclosed is simply to live life to the fullest, with trained and practiced appreciation and enjoyment; and to love all others we meet with ferocious, almost uncontainable passion.
A few other remarks on the verses...
@CCXX said
"(v. 90) 24. Behold! these be grave mysteries; for there are also of my friends who be hermits. Now think not to find them in the forest or on the mountain; but in beds of purple, caressed by magnificent beasts of women with large limbs, and fire and light in their eyes, and masses of flaming hair about them; there shall ye find them. Ye shall see them at rule, at victorious armies, at all the joy; and there shall be in them a joy a million times greater than this. Beware lest any force another, King against King! Love one another with burning hearts; on the low men trample in the fierce lust of your pride, in the day of your wrath."
This verse is Liber L.'s definition of the Hermits. Yet it may be (it seems in context) that these are the Adepti, not the Masters. In any case, the attitude is clear: Their "hermitage" is not induced by living in isolation or outside the raptures of life, but rather from living life to its fullest. If they are "apart from others" it is because they clearly go their own way, live by their own rules. Hadit is Life - He is the flame in the Lamp of the Hermit. Those who bear this Light must be veritable apostles of the living of Life in its fullness.
This is verse 90 of the entire Book. 90 is the value of MLK, "king." It is also Tzaddi, The Emperor. This is a verse of kingship.
"beds of purple" - Purple is Kaph here, not Yesod. The Hermits, Yod, are in the company of Kaph and Teth in this symbolism, these being the three Paths attaining to Chesed. And these women are (inwardly, at least) in the image of Babalon. Again, the essence of their experience is vast joy. The closing sentences continue the previous themes, encourage passionate love of each for his or her fellows, and say in a new way, "Thou hast no right but to do thy will."
"(v. 91) 25. Ye are against the people, O my chosen!"
"Ye" is plural! The word "chosen" does not apply solely to AC, but to more - presumably to a number of "chosen," perhaps to all Thelemic "kings." There is every common sense reason to assume this to be true for each other use of the word "chosen" throughout the Book.
This being determined, the rest of the verse is straightforward. The true individual - and especially the individual of genius - is always against the general populace with their commonplacisms and nigh atavistic views. Public opinion is a tool to be used, but not a damsel to be courted.
In a more important sense, this also posits the initiate as "against" all that is commonplace and servile in himself or herself.
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So what of my lot?
If I am a friend I have what....do I get a lover in cool purple bed, do I have large limbed fellas.....?Realizing this is about Kings, Hermits,
Feeling slightly like I need to pull up some trousers to understand.Yet, the verse does say, that there are also....
So should I take it to mean,
That certain friends be Hermits and other friends will be......others? -
@Veronica said
"So what of my lot?
If I am a friend I have what....do I get a lover in cool purple bed, do I have large limbed fellas.....?"Oh, absolutely! (If that's the way your tastes go
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Very good,
I feel though that my response tells me I need training in appreciation, your first statement is how I feel most all days, but never gave any thought to training and practice of enjoyment.
I should have practiced before I went caroling, it would have been more enjoyable for everyone.
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Of, definitely practice!
Approach everything in your life the way a connoisseur approaches wine tasting.
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What is the difference between Love and Lust?
Spit or swallow.
I hear what you are saying, and I know you love a good bottle of wine, yet a connoisseur does not swallow at a tasting.
I practice everyday to keep a light on in the corners of my eyes, to keep a smile on mY lips, love in my voice, and a certain type of bounce in my walk.
What I hear this verse saying to me, is that I Need to practice appreciation of what is before me, be it a big busty gal, or a little dirty rugrat....things that I normally do not get lovey towards..
So I should approach everything in life the way a lover approaches Her Loved.
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@Veronica said
"What is the difference between Love and Lust?"
Sometimes a lot. Sometimes, the line between them isn't easy to find.
"I hear what you are saying, and I know you love a good bottle of wine, yet a connoisseur does not swallow at a tasting."
They do, however, saturate their senses with the experience of the tasting. (And then probably will pick the bottle of wine they want to swallow!) - PS, Sometimes they swallow <s>.
"So I should approach everything in life the way a lover approaches Her Loved."
Which, by the way, is how the connoisseur approaches that special bottle of wine.
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There have been many times, upon finishing a conversation or interaction with another person and parting ways, another shall approach and say: "How can you stand that person? They are such an asshole!"
To that I shrug, offering a sheepish smile and this reply: "They are all ways really nice to me."
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@Uni_Verse said
"There have been many times, upon finishing a conversation or interaction with another person and parting ways, another shall approach and say: "How can you stand that person? They are such an {***hole}!"
To that I shrug, offering a sheepish smile and this reply: "They are all ways really nice to me.""
Ah Brother! You are no Sheep....
Smile with the devil in your eye!
As a long time public servant, I have been mistaken for a door mat....
Well, until I open my mouth...
Nothing soothes an irritated arse like a little love and kindness.....an nothing irrates them more either....ironic isn't it? -
That was my best blow job joke......
I should have set it up a little bit better...
My joke delivery has gotten lax lately....I think I need some new material,
did you hear the one about the crowded elevator, and the gent who got on it, and said "ball room please". At which the blond replied, " oh sorry I didn't k ow I was crowding you so much"I am such a hysterical twit, I ca just look at my hubby, giggle, say "ballroom please". And I am laughing hard all by myself.
As a side note, a prize should be awarded to anyone who can name the invention to help women who suffered from hysteria in the 1800.
@Jim Eshelman said
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@Veronica said
"What is the difference between Love and Lust?"Sometimes a lot. Sometimes, the line between them isn't easy to find.
"I hear what you are saying, and I know you love a good bottle of wine, yet a connoisseur does not swallow at a tasting."
They do, however, saturate their senses with the experience of the tasting. (And then probably will pick the bottle of wine they want to swallow!) - PS, Sometimes they swallow <s>.
"So I should approach everything in life the way a lover approaches Her Loved."
Which, by the way, is how the connoisseur approaches that special bottle of wine.
" -
@Veronica said
"As a side note, a prize should be awarded to anyone who can name the invention to help women who suffered from hysteria in the 1800."
You mean the vibrator, right?
There were a couple of variations. A crank-driven vibrator was one. But also the water jet, similar to current mounted or hand-held shower attachments.
This took the pressure off of uncomfortable physicians who previously had manually "massaged" (um-hmm) women's genitals until they experienced a "spasmodic release" (the women; presumably not the doctors). I've always found it hilarious/tragic that a medical term was invented for this "sign of a cure," since it suggests that the doctors had never encountered a female orgasm before.
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Hurray!
Give that man a prize!How sad for our ancestors indeed, but look at where that mis thought led us, to the fun filled sex shops of today, where men and ladies actively seek out ways to bring pleasure to each other! So many new ways to get inmate and personal with another.....gosh...