Tree of Life- Averse Reflection

[Jim Eshelman]

The word most often translated "litigators" is probably more literally "hagglers." I tend to think that, as Q'lippoth of Tifereth, they represent lack of equilibrium and (ahem) just proportion.

[David]

The Golden Meanies

[Hermitas]

"...argue that both ways." Lol. Nice.

[lightning bolt]"hagglers"[/lightning bolt]

Litigating "deals." Oh my damn... So much sense. For me, anyway.

[Freya]

Why is the Tree of the Qlipoth called the Tree of Knowledge? I have seen elsewhere that it's called the Tree of Evil. Do any of you know?

[Jim Eshelman]

@Freya said

"Why is the Tree of the Qlipoth called the Tree of Knowledge? I have seen elsewhere that it's called the Tree of Evil. Do any of you know?"

It isn't called the Tree of Knowledge AFAIK. There are passages (e.g. in one of the GD rituals) that give that impression if read a certain way but, in fact, are referring to Malkuth as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil (e.g., can branch either way).

[Freya]

ok thank you (i saw it written on the picture kindly posted by frater INRI). Has the Qlipoth tree a specific name?

[Fr Seraphis]

@Freya said

"ok thank you (i saw it written on the picture kindly posted by frater INRI). Has the Qlipoth tree a specific name?"

Yeah, they (Order on the link above) have somewhat different system of thought from ours. They seem to call it 'the tree of knowledge'. Its all in the book on the link provided.

[Freya]

They claim to follow the left hand path if I have read correctly. Not a system I want to follow....

[Freya]

Does Thelema follow the left-hand path?

[Jim Eshelman]

@Freya said

"Does Thelema follow the left-hand path?"

Thelema tends to move avoid sharp either-or dichotomies.

If the question might be expressed as, "Is there anything called Left Hand Path in the curriculum of A.'.A.'., or in anything Crowley ever endorsed?" then the answer is No.

If you ask, instead, whether the Thelemic philosophy per se is aligned with or avoiding of LHP, then the answer is that the Thelemic philosophy is averse to a priori polarities,

The matter is complicated further because the modern LHP-identified community uses the term in ways that don't necessarily have anything to do with how the term has been used in the history of the world (including the way Crowley used it).

[Freya]

Thank you Jim for clarifying that. Yes, it's confusing and there is a lot of misinformation on the web, so thank you for the explanation

[Anonymous]

Recently someone asked "Is Thelema of the Left or of the Right Hand?" and, though it wasn't directed at me, I answered "It's of the hand in your face."

It's funnier in Portuguese, anyway.

[Fr Seraphis]

@Jim Eshelman said

"
Thelema tends to move avoid sharp either-or dichotomies.

If the question might be expressed as, "Is there anything called Left Hand Path in the curriculum of A.'.A.'., or in anything Crowley ever endorsed?" then the answer is No.

If you ask, instead, whether the Thelemic philosophy per se is aligned with or avoiding of LHP, then the answer is that the Thelemic philosophy is averse to a priori polarities,

The matter is complicated further because the modern LHP-identified community uses the term in ways that don't necessarily have anything to do with how the term has been used in the history of the world (including the way Crowley used it)."

Well said, Jim.
Balance.

[Freya]

So how would a Thelemite refer to the averse reflection of the Tree of life? What is the correct term? would tree of the Qlipoth be correct or tree of evil as I saw written in a book? (can't remember which one)

[Takamba]

Why complicate it? Why not just call it the Qlipoth?

[Jim Eshelman]

@Freya said

"So how would a Thelemite refer to the averse reflection of the Tree of life? What is the correct term? would tree of the Qlipoth be correct or tree of evil as I saw written in a book? (can't remember which one)"

It's not a Thelemic issue. It's a Qabbalistic terminology issue, neither inherently Thelemic or un-Thelemic.

As Takamba said, you can just call them the Q'lippoth. The "Tree" idea is just one way of modeling it. You can equally think of a mirrored tree reflected downward from Malkuth, or a dense layer (what I sometimes jokingly call the Fifth World, or World Minus-1) of the Four World stack, or other ways.

[Freya]

Thank you Jim So for example, Hod corresponds to Archangel Michael, in the Q'lippoth to Samael and false accusers. Would this be correct?

[Jim Eshelman]

@Freya said

"Thank you Jim So for example, Hod corresponds to Archangel Michael, in the Q'lippoth to Samael and false accusers. Would this be correct?"

Exactly.

It's the way the tables are laid out in 776 1/2.

[Freya]

I must get the book, it's on my wishlist.
The book by Dragon Rouge describes Samael as the one who tempts with knowledge. This is quite different from "false accusers" which one is correct?

[Jim Eshelman]

@Freya said

"I must get the book, it's on my wishlist.
The book by Dragon Rouge describes Samael as the one who tempts with knowledge. This is quite different from "false accusers" which one is correct?"

"False accuser" is a title, not a translation. The basic idea is a distortion, degradation, and reactive-defensive misapplication of Mercury ideas.

For a literal translation, sm- refers to a category of poisons, drugs, and other related chemicals. I like to call Samael (SMAL) "God's Dope." There is significant reason to believe, though, that a lot of the ideas related to Samael are concatenations of Mars ideas, caused by confusing the name with Zamael (ZMAL), the Angel of Mars.