Ipsissimus
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I've been giving a class series on the Sephiroth and Paths through the eye of what the initiatic steps are along the way. In preparing for the last installment (Chokmah and Kether, and the Paths leading to them), I pulled the following piece from an old diary and thought it might be of general interest.
A contemplation about the approach to Kether:
There are 16 “hidden Paths” on the Tree of Life. The first of these encountered, in the course of initiation, are those connecting Malkuth and Yesod (respectively) to Geburah. That is, they do not become relevant That is, the whole issue isn’t relevant until 6=5.
In each of the subsequent grades, either visible or hidden Paths connect each approach Sephirah to each one beneath it, save one. That is, there is neither visible nor hidden Path connecting Geburah or Chokmah to Netzach, or Chesed or Binah to Hod.
One thing consistently observable in the approach to and entrance into each grade is that the new consciousness first has to take root both in one’s physical body (remapping the cells, so it seems) and in one’s psychological structure. Only after this, do the real Paths of Admission seem to begin opening at the accelerated pace which marks the approach to the new grade. One way of interpreting these observations is to say that this is the action of the “hidden Paths” connecting the new Sephirah first to Malkuth and then to Yesod.
Something I just noticed today is that – in contrast to the grades preceding – Kether has neither visible nor hidden Paths to either Malkuth or Yesod. (There is the whole of the Middle Pillar, of course – along which modes of consciousness are “stepped down” – but no direct pathways.)
This is quite fascinating. It leads immediately to an interpretation that had instant intuitive confirmation: That the grade of Ipsissimus stands aside from the others in the specific sense that it doesn’t map to the physical body or field of subconsciousness. The highest level to which these most mortal aspects conform is Chokmah, the field of the stream of life itself.
In the approach to Kether, the first two paths worked [according to this model of visible & invidible Paths] are from Hod and Netzach. These are the only aspects below the field of Tiphereth wherein the linkage to Kether was originally experienced. The intellect and desire aspects of the human psyche – its Water and Fire aspects – are the densest to be opened to What One Genuinely Is....
It may, in fact, be that “getting the right idea about it all” is the first step... . This is also interesting in terms of the characteristic expression of Chokmah through Hod. “Catching fire” in the desire and devotion aspect would come next, according to the model.
From Tiphereth, the Path is clear and direct: It is Gimel, wherein the Holy Guardian Angel was experienced by the young Adept. I’ve written a few things about this a couple of years ago in this diary and won’t dwell on it now.
Next come invisible Paths opening Geburah and Chesed to Kether. These, again, are Fire and Water – but in a higher world, and operating under different conditions. Instead of Gñana and Gauni-Bhakti finding their equilibrium in the way that transforms the separation of Yetzirah into the identity in Briah’s opening, it is now Karma and Para-Bhakti finding their identity in the transcendence of adepthood at the gate of the Abyss.
Ah. Instead of the attunement of Malkuth and Yesod – “mere” Sephiroth – it is entire Worlds that are attuned and absorbed. (This is starting to feel like Liber IOD, in fact.)
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Thereafter, the visible Path of Beth is worked. The “3” that we might have called Binah before is barely distinguishable from the Gimel that has been worked very fully; and now Beth is what opens that Cosmic Nephesh to the Cosmic Ruach of the Magus (and is, in turn, barely discernible from the [Higher] Mercury in Chokmah). And, finally, this becomes the foundation of Aleph, the final opening into Kether.Or, so it all seems now.
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I was going to post the following, on the Path of Gimel, in another thread (in the Qabalah forum) - but it actually is probably most relevant here. Again, a diary excerpt from a while back.
The title given to Gimel in The 32 Paths of Wisdom is “Consciousness Leading to Unity.” I suppose I have tended, generally, to interpret this as “leading from the Many to the One.”
Usually we interpret projections (among other psychological mechanisms) as separating because they appear to define some aspects of ourselves as external to ourselves. This morning, though, I’m taken by the opposite perspective – that projections (including the lunar characteristics of Gimel) are unifying – connecting up the various impressions of ourselves independent of whether they appear within or without.
After all, within-without is a constantly shifting boundary. At one level, any psychological content is internal; but our thoughts and emotions are quite external to any deeper sense of self. (Just the smallest amount of yoga – or simply abstracting oneself from a rioting thought or emotion – makes this clear enough. Samkhya catalogues such things in detail.) So the question of what is “within” vs. “without” is pretty arbitrary. It’s a useful distinction (in a given moment), but not in any persistent sense.
Therefore, as I wrote above, projections are not inherently a distinguishing mechanism, but an intrinsically unifying mechanism. The matrix of projections binds together aspects of self-perspective. The greater matrix of these is a direct expression of the Unifying Consciousness, “the consummation of the essential Truth of unified spiritual being.”
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Throughout this whole Winter season, you have persisted in posting exactly what would be most useful to my Work at the precise moments of my paramount receptivity to IT beyond ego-perception.
You've been keeping(or helping to keep) that Triangle ablaze in my mind.Even though it's unintentional, and you are just doing your Work as I am and we all are, I thank you for being such a diligent conduit and shining light for those who peeked behind the curtain and got a little lost in what they saw.
Meaning me.
93's.
(point being: these writings are a powerful and useful string of thought that I appreciate being given a perspective on)
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Unintentional?
There are layers of "intentional." One of them is commitment to a certain purpose (at a level essentially identified with oneself). That, in turn, works because of the actual principles discussed above (aha!).
Thanks!
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@Jim Eshelman said
"There are layers of "intentional." One of them is commitment to a certain purpose (at a level essentially identified with oneself). That, in turn, works because of the actual principles discussed above (aha!).
" Aye! Evolution is one helluva drug!
See? You even forgot to say 'you're welcome' 
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Any references where one could learn more about the hidden paths? Do they have correspondences in any way similar to the other 22?
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@Avshalom Binyamin said
"Any references where one could learn more about the hidden paths? Do they have correspondences in any way similar to the other 22?"
I can't think of anything openly in print.
Basically, any two sephiroth have a potentional Path betwen them unless something else is "in the way" (e.g., no Path between Hod and Binah, or Hod and Chesed). In addition to the 22 visible and documented Paths, this gives us 16 "Hidden" Paths.
No, they don't have attributes in the sense of the Hebrew letters. Their "correspondences" are simply that they are transitions between the two anchoring sephiroth, e.g., "the Hidden Path between Malkuth and Geburah." Meditation on these will start to show certain symbolic elements arising from the formulation. Years ago I tried to find something more concrete, e.g., applying the 16 vowels, but I really think that's not a viable (er) path.
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That helps, thanks!
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Hey Jim - Very curious about this class - is this material similar to that in your A.A. book, or does it go into more detail about the signposts and experiences (physical and spiritual) linked to each path/sephira?
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@frater aSP said
"Hey Jim - Very curious about this class - is this material similar to that in your A.A. book, or does it go into more detail about the signposts and experiences (physical and spiritual) linked to each path/sephira?"
It would be too extreme a statement to say it's "similar" to that in M&MAA, because it's not as fully developed. It does bridge off the same information as a starting point for talking about the experience of each sephirah and the Paths.
The class is in a private venue, not open to the public.