College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

"Give me the verse and I can look it up. It's been well over a decade since I did the translation. (And I think that passage, or something similar, occurs two or three times in the book.)

Well, one place it appears is SY 2:1. The word characterizing Mem is DVMMTh. That one's easy: DVMM, doomam, means "silence.""

IN 2:1 Kapan's translation is Mem hums, Shin hisses and Alef is the Breath of air deciding between them.
Kaplan translates as Damam (DMM), looking back at the hebrew I see DVMMTh, as in your quote above. Kaplan also uses damamah to mean hum. Mem is MM, certainly a humming sound. I'm not saying you're wrong ,you can see my hebrew is horrible. I just find this matter to of great impotance. In kaplan's translation Mem is attributed to Chokmah, and Shin to Binah, the opposite of the R.C. tradition. This is where the confuion sets in. Binah being Marah (the bitter or great sea), I have to agree with the R.C. tradition.
My main point is that the qabbalah came to us from the Jews, where did the deviation, or split occur? Are these deliberate blinds? I know these are two systems of Qaballah, the problem is the atrributions of the paths in Kaplan's system is appealing 3 Mothers for the three reciprical paths, 7 doubles for 7 horizontal paths, 12 elementals for 12 diagonal paths. I have to say I find it appealing, but when you add the tarot it all breaks down, at least for me. As an example, the reciprical path between Chesed and Gevurah is , in Kaplan's system, is Aleph the Fool, in the R.C. it is Teth Strenght (Lust in Thelema). Lust/Strength seems, to me to be a better mediator between mercy and severity, Lust being the attraction of the opposites, and Strenght is what one needs to balence the two. Not to mention (altough I guess I just did), what becomes of the concept of the Qaballistic Zero?
Also, the planetary attributions in 4:8 through 4:14 the planetary attributions are also different. B = moon, G = mars, D = Sol, K= venus, P= mercury, R= saturn, Th=jupiter. Yet the signs of the Zodiac are the same as the R.C. system and differ only form Thelema due to the revelation "Tzaddi is not the Star", where aries and aquarius are exchanged. Once more I see truth in the Thelemic system. It seems right that the mediator between the Father and the Son should be the Mother. That's how it worked in my family, when my father and I butted heads (and that was quite often) mom was the mediator. I know this is a bad example, but its the best I could come up with.
Perhaps I am making too much fo all of this. It may just be the Qabalah like humanity, the universe, and all that exists evolves over time. I may be mistaken the dead letter for the living ( thus evolving) truth. Should it not be that the glyph that represents the macro and microcosoms also be "ever becoming" ?
Once again I must repeat I AM NO INITIATE! So, I may and am almost sure I am missing some vital information. Thus the difficulty in chosing a system. I've an enormous respect for the Jewish tradition, the liniage , the continuity is awesome! Yet, something, and not just alittle something draws me back to Thelema.
I just don't get the point of blinds, I mean if you can't reveal something due to an Oath, don't mislead me, JUST TELL ME YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO DO SO and I shall ask no more. Here I do not refer to you, Jim, but to all teachers on the path.
Yours in Light and Love,
Dominic
P.S. I konw I used the term Kaplan's system in error, this is for lack of a better term. I can not say this is the Hebrew system, or any other term as I'm not a part of that tradition. Sorry for the sloppy terminology.

ya drug induced is not bad whatsoever, i do it with cannabis a bit, but you have to be aware and know yourself, no you dont have to been in complete contact with your HGA, what messes people up is that they do that () and have issues, or it brings something suppressed out(bad trip) and can screw your mental and emotinal faculties for a bit. properly a person who know thyself and uses intoxicants to iduce altered states of mind are "psychonauts" but its not an easy path, like i said you have to be aware for many reasons of yourself in a sense for one so you dont get addicted, psychologically of course, you have to be a stable person enough mentally and emotionally to do the () anyway."

After many years of acid trips, I recieved little expansion of mind, but unless ethnogens are used in their natural state, and preferably under a guide/sitter, I don't believe you will get much out of them. I mean your average acid hound isn't going to medtiate while tweeking, he/she's more likely to tweek out on the plystation or some other nearly worthless(but quite enjoyable) endevor. I prefered nature, and though you feel "more" its still of little use. Ethnogenic use should be seen as sacred, and used for that purpose. I caution any and all greatly! USE ANY AND ALL ETNOGENS WITH GREAT CAUTION! Start slow a little at a time, effects differ from person to person and potencies vary from plant to plant. I've a few friends who shall never be the same, one who almost ran a screwdriver through my chest over an Iron Maiden argument. Just a warning, but as always Do What Thou Wilt!
In Light and Love
Dominic
P.s. I removed the line where I said Which enogens I make use of. In high doses even these natural items can have undesired and possibly permenant changes for the "unexpierienced".

I've read Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's book and find it an invaluable resource. It sheds light on many concepts when seen from a jewish perspective, as well as gnostic qabalah material gives yet another perspective, and Dion Fotune's Mystical Qabalah, another priceless work, gives a more mystical veiw (this veiw appeals to my particular nature).
Once again I've strayed greatly, fogive my writing, I attended a vocational high school followed by four years in "punk school" ( International Association of Bridege Structual Ornamental and Reenforcing Ironworkers apprenticship program), neither of wich stressed litterary skills.
Anyhow, my question is in your translation your's reads, not verbatim mind you, Mem is silent, Shin hisses... In Rabbi Kaplin's book the translation is mem hums and shin hisses. Can you help clarify this? I confess my knowledge of Hebrew is sparse. I've only recently found a Rabbi willing to teach. I thought Aleph and Ayin were silent? I only ask to learn from one whose knwledge on the subject far surpasses that of my own (and a scant bit that is!).

Just a small question from the town Idiot, how are we, who may be learning without the benefit of direct instruction, to know if we are on the right track if we don't post? It may be a revelation, it may be self delusion (I'm not speaking of this particular thread, but all threads, this one just seems to have become a little heated), it may be a personal revelation. I run with a blue collar crowd, such discussions are just beyond most of them, not for lack of intelect, but a lack of interest. I know I'm off point, but in my humble, uninitiated view, post away brother!! If nothing else I've learned a thing or two from the replies to your post. So I'll add , thanks.
in love and light,
Dominic

Thank you for the insight. I not very familiar with Isaac Luria, my information came from Gnostic sources (Tau Malachi), not that I'm saying this is where the tradition began. The more I learn , the more questions arise. Through all I've learned, witnessed, and expierienced, I only know that I know nothing! I am lost in the dark, but knowing I'm am lost is a begining.
In Light and Love,
Dominic

"Though my main answer here is that Hebrew Divine Names, being truly Atziluthic, do not have images, the following alternative answer might serve you better temporarily: All of the Hebrew Divine Names have the same magical image, and it is imagelessness. (This is actually true and not just a technique, since it addresses the idea that sits in your brain.)"

Respectfully, aren't the Partzufim in Atzilut? Or are the Partzufim ,perhaps, only Yetziric expressions of Atziluthic Ideals through wich we might develop some slight concept of the purely Ideal? (I konw the first answer is that the orders of angels are of the yetzric world, but if Atzilut is of complete formlessness then how can the Partzufim be said to be of Atzilut?)
Please let me know if I am mixing systems here.

Greetings Bretheren,
First I must confess, I don't know if I would cal myself a Thelemite. I do accept the new aeon, and the law. I have a great reverence for Crowley, his book 4 is among my most treasured possesions (I know, we never truley possess anything, just keep it but a while). I shunned Crowley's work at first, due the fact that his fist work I read was the book of the law, and it was just so far beyond me at that time. I was introduced to the Golden Dawn through the works of Dion Fortune, S.L. MacGreggor Mathers, Chic and Tabatha Cicero, and most importantly Francis Israel Regadie (may his light shine forever!).
I am no initiate, I belong to no order, I have taken no oaths (in regard to magickal/mystical orders, I have taken the oath of a Union Ironworker and I hold and keep it dearly). The reason I don't konw if the term Thelemite applies to me is because my God is still the formless one of the Jewish/Christian/Muslim theologies. My question is it Lawful to replace the Sacred names in ritual with Thier Qabbalistic equivilents? I konw and believe that all paths lead to the same goal in the end. Ialso beleive the divne names are NOT the names of the Creator, but the modes and means of manifestation of divne force. I think of them as more akin to verbs than to nouns. I ,myself, prefer the title Ain Soph, without limit, for whatelse can be said of Infinite Being? In my humble veiw, to say this name or that name is the name of the Creator, than would that not deny all other names, all other letters, and the permutations thereof?
Anywhoo, I've prattled on quite enough. If one were to ask I would have to say I am a Pantheist, meaning that I worship the Creator as that wich is the All, the manifest and the unmanfest.
In Love and Light,
Dominic
After reading this nonsense (although it is my nonsense, and I stand by it!), this is a place for introductions and I've done nothing of the sort!(lol)
Breifly, my name is Dominic, born in Lackawanna ,NY. I live and grew up in South Buffalo ,NY. I'm half Irish and half Syrian, wich would basicly make me a drunken camel jockey! I play bass, love everything from Mozart to Morbid Angel, although I'm big into Louis Armstrong right now. I'm a Local 6 Journeyman IronWorker, I do mostly bridge and structual Iron. I'm also one of the lucky ones who can speak of my career in terms of joy! There is nothing better to be up on the Iron, just you , your brothers and the job! I've a dog I love and a cat I tollerate. I'm a pretty simple guy, I don't need much in life, materially speaking, it all just becomes clutter afterawhile. I try not to interfere in the lives of others, the most I may do is offer a bit of advice, having made so many mistakes (each of wich I am thankful for) myself. In dealing with others I try to remember they too are a part of the divine (sometimes its difficult, like when one of them cut me off in trafic), and therfore have their right to autonomy also. I'm not much of a writer, so I'll stop here. Please forgive the run on sentences and general grammer.
yours in Light and Love,
Dominic