Qabalistic interpretations of the book of revelations
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I have a very large book partly written on the subject. (Written in my head for 20 years, and about a third done on paper, with no time frame for completion.)
So... yeah... have lots of thoughts about it. Any specific questions?
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I was wondering how it fits into Thelema.
I remember Crowley somewhere putting it off as incoherent, and a mix of way too many metaphors and legends. Not sure about the precise quote, though. -
It's a step-by-step manual on illumination through laya yoga.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It's a step-by-step manual on illumination through laya yoga."
That's an interesting way of looking at it, it never occurred to me before but now that you mention it the gradual unfolding of imagery from the mundane to the fantastically overwrought does have something about it.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It's a step-by-step manual on illumination through laya yoga."
Woah. Seems I will have to go back to my Kundalini work. After I get through asana, which is a pain.
Have to re-read it a few dozen times now to make sure I understand it.Thelema is so much fun.
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<sigh> Applying this to one isolated 17th Century translation into one particular non-native language. Bizarre.
Here's the actual text:
[attachment=0:3nd240se]<!-- ia0 -->Rev11-1.GIF<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:3nd240se]
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EQ11 applied to the translation in Equinox 1.1 pg. 142. I assume The Beast 'isolated' it there for a good reason (usually there are lots of reasons, this one important enough to be the only words on the page
), which is why I chose this translation. Thanks for the original, I'll study it as well...however I still suspect the Beasts' version is the 'right' one.I see in the original there appear to be 22 words if I am counting right. The Beasts' version has 31, one of the signals that raised my interest. Also, there are 11 words before the ':'. There are 121 letters, 11x11. Too many signals to not be worth investigation, given the overt exposition of Key numbers that relate to AL (specifically, 11 and 31), and the fact that its English, point to EQ11 and this specific translation as going together to solve a cipher, which I suspect contains a ritual. Interesting page 143, the next page (or 'opposite page'), 143=11*13. Bizarre maybe...but also lots of 'coincidences'. The foundation and analysis/interpretation is valid and produces Thelemic keys and other 'patterns'.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It's a step-by-step manual on illumination through laya yoga."
Not to digress too far away from the topic, but once again i find myself in a situation whereby for political reasons i would find it extremely useful to be able to disseminate esoteric knowledge and practices under an exoteric situation and/or organization for example Christianity; and the good thing is that no nominal Christian can understand/interpret the book of revelations any way
, so a step by step manual on illumination through laya yoga with Revalations being the main text or a central text may be exactly what i'm looking for! 
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And, of course, The Apocalypse of St. John is no stranger to political struggles
Have you seen Gail Sheehy's recent book on the subject? She covers the one area where I wanted some real expertise, the contemporary-social-political implications of the book. In particular, she documents splendidly how the Christian community, by late 1st Century, already was divided into two distinct political factions. These were the Jews (call them Messianic Jews) who saw Jesus' teachngs not as a new religion but simply as the next step in Judaism; and those who were trying to bring gentiles into the fold as something entirely new. The former group was anchored especially by Peter and James, and the latter led by Paul. John was with the former group, and a lot of the book includes not-so-subtle snipping at the internal opposing faction, in places quite openly taking down Pauline teachings.
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Gail Sheehy? Did you mean someone else?
Elaine Pagels's new book Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation covers this territory well.
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@gmugmble said
"Gail Sheehy? Did you mean someone else?
Elaine Pagels's new book Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation covers this territory well."
Yeah, mind-burp
Duh. (Read my first book from both of them at the same time decades ago. But YES, absolutely, meant Elaine.)