College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

Good thread. 10/10

I find all these young young Hitler apologists quite amusing. It's got to take some intense mental gymnastics to find anything worth admiring in the National Socialist doctrine and their history as it played out in Germany. Hitler was a clever man and willed himself into being one of the most powerful and destructive men in history. But should one admire him and try to emulate him and his policies? Absolutely not.

For fvcks sake--and I'm speaking in general but also to you young Nazi apologists--of all the men to admire in history you have to admire Hitler and present yourself as an adherant of his doctrines, restyling him as a deeply misunderstood savior of his people, a genius tainted by the crooked world and events around him? Your deceiving yourself and sure as not doing yourselves any favors. There's a whole lot of other men for you to look up to who make Hitler look like a sneaky little rat who was only able to force his perverted will on the German people because of his deceptive genius and the nature of the times after World War I.

I have a deep interest in history--especially military history-- and I've spent a good deal of time reading about the Third Reich and Hitler. Trust me, Hitler was a bad dude, the holocaust happened, and there is nothing whatsoever to admire about the Nazis other than their cool uniforms and their military's genius for tactical improvisation on the battlefield.

@Jim Eshelman said

"Trying to use ceremonial magick to overcome heroin addiction is like trying to fix a broken leg by hopping around the room on the broken leg."

Excellent analogy!

Good writings, Frater!

It is a good sign when one's Work manifests itself in artistry.

"A tree will be known by its fruits."

@Jim Eshelman said

"PS - I think people keep missing that, with hardly having a day of actual employment in his life (well, there was that stint at The International), he lived quite comfortably during most parts of his life and essentially always had what he needed and more. He had more actual prosperity than 95% of all people you likely know today."

Granted, his father did leave him that brewing company.

Like Donald Trump having to work his way up from that million-dollar loan his father gave him.

Aside from having prosperous and generous fathers, I think this is where the Trump-Crowley comparison ends.

@Takamba said

"You have to see every word in the context it is applied to.

Pity not the fallen! I never knew them. I am not for them. I console not: I hate the consoled & the consoler.

In this case, the argument isn't against consoling but against pity. Search the forums for "pity vs compassion" to see more. Long discussions, simpler principles, I don't see the need to repeat it all."

To add to this:

Usually, when one is consoling another human being it involves distracting or averting that human being from the issue at hand. There is absolutely no point to consolation of this kind as it would be more fitting to accept the situation as it stands without recourse to blind emotions. In effect: consolation detracts from our ability to see and accept the realities of situations. The same goes for pity. Consolation is applied pity.

@ThelemicMage said

"So Jim, you would place Pan as closer to the "Luciferian" side of Baphomet, as contrasted to the "Satanic" side of Baphomet, the word "Satan" to mean "accuser" or "adversary"?

I suspect a slew of comments in an attempt to contrast Lucifer or Satan with Baphomet. Though Baphomet is certainly related to Allah as well. Seeing as how Satan-Typhon is the twin-brother of the Sun, or Sol, or as Crowley puts it, "The Sun in the South", they share a lot of characteristics throughout the world's gospels.

(Though Jim, Crowley directly refers to Pan as "The Devil" in the Book of Photeth.)

A very interesting conversation that might deserve it's own thread if not for the sole fact of one being easier and enough for us to explain things to those interested in breaking away from the herd and becoming one of the Pack. "To whom even the Mountain Goat trembles in riotous fear."

So, you are correct in saying Pan worships those who deserve worship, as they worship Nature and Pan likewise.

Hail Eris!
All Hail Discordia!!"

This is a rather old thread but since it has been resurrected I might add a couple short comments. During some recent travels I've come into contact with several individuals who identified with Satanic and Demonic entities and I had a chance to have some conversations with them and discuss their views. With the exception of one, all of these individuals struck me as quite unbalanced and lacked a certain focus or sense of control to their personalities. I eventually came to the conclusion that a.) Satanism, in essence, has not a few parallels to Thelema, and if one reads the Satanic Bible itself it is clear that LaVey is more than a little influenced by Crowley, even down to the language he uses. b.) The Satanic path lacks the coherence and balancing elements that make the system of Thelema a viable means of attainment. c.) Those who practice demon/spirit worship and in/evocation without proper training or knowledge are very much doomed to failure and are deceiving themselves and others if they think these things can be practiced without risk. (I was quite surprised to find that one of these individuals didn't know there was a difference between invocation and evocation.)

At any rate, the Satanic/Luciferian system might be useful at the lower stages of the Work, but is really in essence a derivative of other, more coherent systems.

I think another issue to be raised about this, perhaps the main issue, is the fact that most of these individuals were quite young and simply lacked access to any other system of attainment. I remember that when I was a youth and I decided I wanted to rebel against the traditions of my upbringing, the lack of fellowship with properly trained and studied individuals compounded the ensuing problems.

"
How would you contrast Yod (The Hermit) with Meym (the Path wherein the Sleep of Siloam is undertaken as a task)?"

Yod: the secret seed; the sperm; the essence of light, "Had"

Mem: Water; the fluid in which the sexual reaction takes place; the Path between Geburah and Hod representative of the descent or ascent of the Essence of Mind to the Essence of Matter.

Both are merely glyphs of a transference of energy that brokers no names.

@dillanh said

"Quick question: anybody know what kind of knot Crowley was talking about in the book of lies. There's a tom fools knot and quick release knot and a naughty knot. They're all pretty likely candidates.

The Tom Fools knot is like handcuffs that pull apart when you bring them together, which is what I think he's talking about. The quick release knot, can't be pulled apart by the horse that it would be tied to, but the owner can pull it apart by pulling one one end and the last one is a knot that is a sexy knot that girls where, which pulls apart right away. For what ever reason I'm compelled to know."

I might as well do something useful for once...

The Answer:

A "Tom Fool's Knot" is, to quote wikipedia, "a good knot with which to commence a slightly fancy sheepshank."

Knowing Crowley's tendency towards homosexuality, I think we have a good idea of what this knot was used for...

As for the quick release knot:

"This knot sometimes happens when a human male has ingested an excess quantity of alcohol and is unable to bring the female (presumably human) to climax."--my defenition.

The quick-release knot, only to be used in event of emergency, is in fact an antiquated--(fucking English!)--an antiquated English term for "slip-knot," not to be confused with the band.

The naughty knot:

Here definitions fail. Just imagine what the man Crowley, given enough booze and cocaine, would do to your girlfriend (if you have/had one)--imagine what he would do to her in the dark, using an "advanced scottish sheepshank," (these being ancient Masonic techniques involving consensual [most of the time] sodomy)--imagine what he would do, given the chance. Only then do you have a dim conception of the "naughty knot."

I myself use these knots only in times of extreme religious persecution and when all other rituals fail.

Cool.

Tarot Meditation: "Death, XIII."

11:03-11:28 A.M. [No date. I assume 4.28 or 3.1.14]

Tired; less that satisfactory meditation. I recall the old pack with the laughing face of Death; I note the Saturnian connection with time and the eternal sine wave of space (motion which makes necessary changes in order for manifestation to appear--the play of incarnation.)

Difficulty w/concentration.

3.2.14 10:47-11:06 A.M.

"Death is the road to awe." Kings and beggars alike meet with death. Each breath is an act of dying and rebirth. The white eagle above the crown of Osiris represents to me the glory of death. (Again, not much intellectual import with this mediation.)

Tarot Meditation: "The Hanged Man, XII."

4.27.14 9:46-9:58 A.M.

Meditation interrupted in a most unsatisfactory way.

Water flows downward: the glyph represents this. Waves and ripples of emotion (embodied by the fluidic, changeable nature of the element)--these are the basis of suffering. Formula of the Dying God: "...the corpse of Osiris afloat in the tomb..."--the resignation of the Adept to the tribulation of ordeal; eventually stilling the Animal Consciousness; Union of Mind-Body-Soul. Sat-Chit-Ananda attained by suffering--the suffering necessary to Self-Realization. Again the pain of Asana comes to mind. I recall the exquisite agony of heroin withdrawal: the ultimate manifestation of pain eventually accepted as a sacrament & transcended. The IAO formula of redemption consummated & redeemed by the triumph of Horus who has avoided the grasp of the Dweller in the Water, the Crocodile Typhon.

Stillness of the mind is attainted through voluntary suffering. The secret of redemption exemplified by the path from Hod (Glory) to Geburah (Action.)

4.27.14

"...green, the color of Venus, signifies Grace." --Book of Thoth

12:17 P.M.-12:41 P.M.

Fair. The Adept dies and is reborn in the womb--similar to a crucible in which all is cleansed and made new. The subconscious where memory is active is like water: constant flux. To still this flux and penetrate the core of being requires a stillness which is a kind of death of the individual.

Water is an essential factor in the flux of energy between beings. The glyph of water shows water coursing downwards according to the "path of least resistance."

Not a great deal of intellectual matter to be gleaned from this meditation--just stillness and purity of consciousness. I bask as though refreshed by a clear and cold spring of water; I am cleansed of all impurity.

"Playing catch-up here."

Likewise.

Tarot Meditation "Lust, XI."

"Thus eleven, as my bride is eleven."

12:11-12:21 (too many distractions)

She lifts the Grail of blood and wine to the Supernals: rapture, ecstasy, the divine madness that accompanies the drunken exaltations of Lust. Artistic abandon, the primal urge satisfied; existence vindicated in the joy of union. [My black cat always asks to be let in the door or window to join my meditations. ]

Chesed to Geburah: the King, exemplified by the qualities of Leo rules by virtue of Severity balanced with Mercy, each in proper measure. The secret of rulership is to maintain a balance between Love and Fear, for Mercy without Strength is weakness, and Severity unmitigated is mere brutality. Witness the Roman emperors: those unable to rule with this balance were quickly destroyed: the debauch and weakness of Commodus; the brutality of Nero; the mad hedonism of Caligula and the hermaphroditic pedophilia of Heliogabalus. Those very few who united force of Will and regal dignity to Passion were cherished emperors: Marcus Aurelius is one of these philosopher kings who ruled in righteous affirmation of the nobility necessary to kingship and exemplified by Leo.

Unlike Aries, the Leonian is not so bloodthirsty: though there is enough bloodlust and thrill of battle there is a nobility of temperament that tempers rage in the well-aspected types: witness the magnanimity of Alexander the Great in certain circumstances.

The Scarlet Woman: I look forward to a deeper contemplation of this card as it represents a transitional phase between Aeon currents. The Blood of the Saints fermented into wine made to reawaken the Eld of the All-Father: one must give oneself completely to Babalon--the lower (but not lesser) manifestation of Nuit--a complete reversal of the virgin goddess which was the paradigm of the Old Aeon.

--The Chaos of the Abyss: She transmutes Chaos into the Elixer of Life and offers this to the Supernals.

[cursory notes; many distractions]

4.24.14-4.25.14 "XI. Lust" 11:45 P.M.-1:16 A.M.

[Synchronicity abides. Prior to this meditation as I was making notes my girlfriend walked into the room suggestively clad and a love-making session promptly ensued. I withheld orgasm so as to reserve Magical Force for the ensuing meditations; I lengthened the meditation to a half-hour so as to penetrate deeply (haha) into the meaning of the card.]

The antithesis of the Old Aeon concepts of morality: Babalon--wanton abandon of whoredom. Yet does she offer all to the Supernals above, receiving their influence in return. The lifting and drooping down of the head of the Snake mentioned in the Book of the Law.

The Saints have given their all to Babalon and are united to the ecstasy of the Supernals, the All: "My joy is in your joy." All may partake of Her. I notice that She holds the reins of Passion: uncontrolled lust is a destructive force: "All unto me," "Love under Will." Rapture without adherence to one's True Will is distraction and dissipation.

Wanton abandon, debauch, intoxication, lust, divine madness: all is permitted; these are means by which Truth can manifest if the rapture is that of the Blood of the Grail--that is, sacramental. The relinquishing of the self (little "s") for the attainment of the infinite--this is the Mystery I see reflected in this card. It is easily intellectually grasped but like all things of value difficult of true comprehension.

Strong determination furthers the absolute. (Note: highly unsatisfactory meditation. Tired/intoxicated.)

Coyotes howl outside the window.

4.25.14 "XI. Lust"

"In this card, therefore, appears the legend of the woman and the lion, or rather lion-serpent."

"...the Woman in the card may be regarded as a form of the Moon, very fully illuminated by the Sun, and intimately united with him in such wise as to produce, incarnate in human form, the representative or representation of the Lord of the Aeon."--The Master Therion

Babalon: the name of seven letters. "...and by a secret name when at last he knoweth me."

Mercy & Strength

Meditation: 8:20-8:41 A.M.

The bliss of union consummated; the Woman Satisfied: with abandon She gives Herself over to the miracle of the moment. Her drunken ecstasies cause Her to arch Her back, pulling the reigns of the Beast, who howls. No longer the prudish behind-closed-doors sexuality of the Old Aeon but a complete fulfillment of Womanhood, the Feminine current now vindicated in a shameless attitude of rapture. The bondage is broken, the veil torn away, and Woman brought out from under the shadow of oppression and servile obedience to Man to be set again on the throne of the Matriarch in glory, the Queen again at rule and balancing the Patriarchal dominion of the last Aeon. Now is the Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child. There is no formula of war or enmity between the sexes but a childlike rapture of shameless desire gratified without shame. "Lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture..."

I see the Scarlet Woman as the manifest function of the Feminine whose role in the last Aeon was that of Mary, the mother of Christ. The Feminine Archetype or Paradigm is now one of liberation,--see what strides have been made since 1904! But still women are everywhere oppressed, in some places brutally and in some places in more subtle ways. It is one of the tasks of the Adepts of this Aeon to assist in restoring balance between the sexes now that we've done away (in theory, at least) with all that apple-munching Eve crap which to many ignorant minds predicated in women an innate disposition to Evil. In many countries women are still treated like cattle.

In this the Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child let the Woman be armed with the Sword of Will and Volition to win back Her rightful throne, and let Man assist Her to regain Her rightful place in positions of rulership, for the Scarlet Woman tempers the wanton fury of the Beast, and the Beast inflames Her with lust and glory.

I found it interesting to read about the Beast & Scarlet Woman in the Book of Revelations.

Crowley says of this card: "Every Aeon requires a new system of classification."

--The Scarlet Woman takes the Blood of the Saints, the Essence of Life, and gathers and sublimates it in Her "Cup of Fornication." She transmutes this life-force as fermented wine/blood into a sacrament to re-awaken the "Eld of the All-Father." I see this Mystery represented in the cards images as a Function or Formula that takes place simultaneously in the Mundane and Spiritual realms.

--All desire is to be directed to the highest image of aspiration; "To me...","..but always unto me." The Scarlet Woman and the Beast are in a way intercessors between the Supernal Realm and the Mundane. "This card represents the Mystery of Incarnation."

@Al-Shariyf said

"Meph I'm astounded at the scope and depth of what you got out of working with this card. Holy (****). Amazing."

I am deeply honored. What a wonderful vindication of my often trying devotion to this project. I take the Work rather seriously, and if there is any merit to the results I've obtained it is to be ascribed the veracity of the methods taught by the teachers of the Temple of Thelema. This Order is in direct alignment with the Thelemic current, and it is only by the enlightened guidance of of my superiors (you guys ) that I've attained any sort of progress at all.

All that can be said is that earnest effort is duly rewarded. In the language of the I Ching, "perseverance furthers."

I am deeply indebted to your appreciation of my efforts and for the instruction offered by the Temple.

93's

Tarot Meditation: "Fortune"

4.19.14

10:11-10:33 A.M.

Fair meditation: tired/stressed, experienced certain difficulties with visualization but this will dissipate with practice. I was entranced by the whirling energy and brilliant colors of the design--what a beautifully conceived card! The Wheel of Dhamma (Law) constantly whirling, the transference of energy constantly in flux. The regal manner of the Sphinx, who upholds the Law by virtue of the Sword: short Roman type. The Roman methods of jurisdiction established many precedents for Law/Government, many still implemented today. The mode of Victory: Chesed and Netzach, Mercy and Love. The Kingdom is established by the wise and merciful Sage/Philosopher who understands the revolution of energies and thus meets every change with regal equanimity. I reached rapture while contemplating the Wheel: the thunder and lightning descends from the firmament with power into a whirling maelstrom which is nonetheless still. The hand of the ruler at the bottom of the Wheel: the King holds the divine scepter in his fist: the power of rulership and divine authority. "The gloved hand or the mailed fist," the wrath and paternal benevolence of Zeus; vengeance, mirth, or mercy; the revolution of matter.

4.19.14

--I realize that the palm is raised in benediction in certain types of social intercourse. Zeus/Jupiter was regarded in ancient times as the patron god of strangers and wanderers; it was a custom in ancient Greece to entertain any stranger, beggar, or suppliant as sacred to Zeus.

11:22-11:39 P.M.

Good insights with this meditation: the lightnings and the whirling forces seem to originate in the Supernal Realm, from which all things manifest. The means of manifestation are intellectually inscrutable: the Roman numeral X represents 10, the full establishment of the decimal system--so a form of completion--but also "x" the incalculable factor. "There is a factor infinite and unknown." Thus the unwise king may lose his throne and the beggar be made to rule: all things are fixedly impermanent. The lightnings reflect the flash of Fortune/Inspiration which often comes "in the 11th hour." Note how the hand plays a fundamental role in human relations: the handshake of meeting, the angry shaking of the fist, the open palm of benediction, or the open palm of "halt!"--all tokens of Jovian quality. This paternal property underlies the mores which give cohesion to society. This is exemplified by the regal demeanor of the king.

"This card thus represents the Universe in its aspect as a continual change of state." Book of Thoth

10:07-10:22 A.M.

Good visualization today: fragmented at times, but my concentration on the egg/sphere of colored light is getting better. (I find that when my awareness is pure it seems to activate the unconscious mind to a certain extent via the sphere thus allowing the card to interact with deeper levels of the mind.) I am reminded that the wheel is popularly considered the first development necessary to a civilized culture. (Anthropologists might argue that language, the written word, and agrarian development are paramount to civilization, but we'll leave such arguments to the academics.) Three Gunas, ten spokes: 13, Achad, Unity. X, the Pars Fortuna in Astrology, the factor of Luck. Jupiter, IAO-Pater, the All-Father, infinitely benevolent (even His seeming wrath is as a strong king protecting his kingdom.) Zeus, the royal aspect: the king remains unchanged despite any apparent negative or positive revolution of phenomena but yet adapts his means to the occasion; grace and mercy are qualities paramount to the king, but strength as well (fortis): firm, but open to supplication from the ruled. A very sublime and soothing card, to me, as it represents benevolence. I very much enjoyed meditation with this card. In divination this is always an encouraging card to pull.

@kasper81 said

"In the Eye in the Triangle, Regardie said this was bad advice"

Oh, Regardie turned out just fine. Unlike that poor fellow Neuburg. (sp?)

Tarot Meditation: "The Hermit"

4.17.14

"Behold! these be grave mysteries; for there are also of my friends who be hermits. Now think not to find thme 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 ye shall 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." Liber AL vel Legis, II:24

10:15 A.M.-10:42 A.M.

Worked hard at color/sphere visualization: fair meditation despite somewhat tired disposition today. Virgo: the seed of life is pure of itself; the darkness of Earth is illumined by a secret inner fire. The hand: works of manifestation are manipulated using ten digits [pun on number here.] The lamp: each of us carries a spark of the infinite; the Hermit wanders and is illumined by this union with the Secret Fire; He is the prophet who carries the seed of inspiration. This seed is virgin, as it requires a womb in which to gestate. Fire is pure. (There are difficult doctrines to this card I shall have to contemplate.) Cerberus: one is reminded of Dante and his descent into Hell: the formula of V.I.T.R.I.O.L., the alchemical aphorism: mastery of Hell is to be undertaken alone. The Orphic egg: the basis of life is within, not without: the Secret Fire burns inside every star. Manifestation/illusion is the basis of "separation and loathing,' Hell. To conquer separation by union one must undertake the path through inner darkness: alone. The secret seed of creation: fertile, not sterile, even though alone, for the seed is the realization of inner light and the womb is the mind. Chesed to Tiphareth: the influence of the Sun united to the stability and power of Chesed. "The Kingdom of Heaven is within."

Today: Sol in Aquarius, Luna in Virgo

**Notes:
**
Orphic egg: in the ancient Greek Orphic tradition this is the cosmic egg from which hatched the primordial hermaphroditic deity Phanes/Protogonus, who in turn created the other gods. Phanes means "manifestor" or "revealer" and is related to the Greek words "light and "to shine forth."

Ancient Orphic hymn or invocation: "Infallible, hidden, brilliant scion, whose motion is whirling, you scattered the dark mist that lay before your eyes and, flapping your wings, you whirled about, and through this world you brought pure light. [Doesn't that have such an excellent relation to the Hermit?]

4.18.14

8:25-8:42 A.M.

Good visualization today: vivid green energy flowing up/down egg/sphere; working on bringing concentration both to the sphere and the card in union (meditation of this sort means making of samadhi, or concentration, on an object: in this case the card.) Orgasm is an intense form of samadhi but dissipates energy in most cases. The Hermit is representative of the stage in aspiration where one turns inward to seek the light in the darkness. The hounds are "the wild dogs in the cellar" [phrase from Nietzsche's ideas about the unconscious]--powerful unconscious drives that can manifest as mara, the evil, dissipative aspect of Illusion which distracts one from the True Self [the HGA.]

Wheat: fecundity. The Hermit seems to be adoring the Orphic egg as it peers through a window of blue sky above the benighted wanderer: the lone Adept peers up through the clouds of Hell and sees the aim of His aspiration.

4.18.14

3:32-3:45 P.M.

Meditation undertaken at the summit of Ladyface Mountain outside of Agoura Hills. Adorations of the Stele performed in the East after preliminary mantram. Excellent meditation. No notes taken.

@Avshalom Binyamin said

"I'm sure that She and the Fool make an amazing couple... "

What insight, Av! Crowley states in the Book of Thoth that She is the compliment and completion of the Fool; She balances Him.

4.16.14

Tarot Meditation: "Adjustment" 8:10-? Interruption.

Excellent composition w/this card: perfect balance of color; harmony pervades.

4.16.14 "Adjustment" 8:27 A.M.-8:48 A.M.

It is interesting to consider that the concepts related by the Tarot represent Things-in-Themselves, the ideal world of which Plato spoke: this storehouse of images represents primary symbols--archetypes--which when manifested compose the various intermingled aspects of life.

"Lamed is the yoke of Vav." "Love is the law, love under Will."--the balance of Libra--the austere discipline of Saturn and the ethereal airy form of Venus--represent "love under will."

"The Woman Satisfied: the Scarlet Woman fulfilled by direct application of Judex and Testes."--Book of Thoth

--She is able by her equilibrium to balance all uncompensated manifestation. Immutable law of Karma.
--Air is of the suit of swords; an intellectual equanimity is the key to balanced manifestation. All things conform to Law.
--In this Aeon the Woman is no longer subservient but armed and strong: armed with the sword of intellect, strong by reason of poise and balance. She holds the Sword upside down for she has mastered the Phallic whims of Man.
--The Feminine disposition resolved by conformity to Law.
--Tiphereth to Geburah: Beauty united to Strength, Saturn and Venus: the Woman strong and empowered, no longer subject to Mood but equanimous: the Woman Satisfied.

Adjustment: "to bring into [proper] relation with." (my definition)

--Venus, the Woman, reawakens the Eld of Saturn, the Primal Father.

This is one of my favorite cards: a harmonious exhortation to tread the path with good conduct. Balance is constantly to be maintained, poise and dignity further the aspirant on the quest to fulfill the Great Work. Strength and Beauty are united with the Force and Gravity of Saturn and the Grace and Beauty of Venus: Venus mitigates and perfects the ugly grace austerity of Saturn and Saturn mitigates the frivolity and wantonness of Venus.

4.16.14 4:35-4:52 P.M.

One must grasp the hilt of the Sword--the Mind--and weigh all things in the balance. Thus one may come to a true apprehension of Things. The aspirant must use the goad and yoke: enthusiasm and discipline. In balanced equanimity the path to Truth is to be tread.

Good meditation despite busy street distractions.

The wanton antics of the Fool [Therion states that Adjustment represents the Feminine complement of the Fool] are balanced by the scales of Right Thought; the discipline of meditation brings equanimity to the Mind, which is of the nature of Air. Thoughts flutter and gust like the wind and cause ripples in the surface of the pool; there is rustling in the trees: the scales tip as the mind fluctuates between This and That, Past and Future. Duality is resolved in stillness, when the waves of thought are silent and no new Karma is generated--then is balance attained and Truth manifests.

Tarot Meditation: "The Chariot" 2.12.14 10:35-10:50 P.M.

Guardian of the Grail: the Charioteer sits above the four Kerubs, master of the elements, stable in the midst of change. The Divine Feminine, the blood of menstruation, of the Moon, Cancer. Crab, dweller in the tides of Luna. The blood-black infinity behind the eyelids.

(Luna in Cancer)

2.13.14 10:31-10:47 A.M.

Good meditation: no interruption.

Slightly sinister aspect to this card: the Blood of the Saints in the Grail. But there is no longer a sacrificial aspect to death in this Aeon; death is undertaken willingly on the path to mastery. "Abracadabra" written above the Charioteer: is this error intentional? "Abrahadabra"=true numeration 418 and 418=Cheth.

2.14.14. 8:08-? A.M. *

Luna in Cancer. [I take note of the prevailing Astrological conditions, though now I see the sphere isolates one from outside influence to allow full permeation of the card.]

The images of the paths reflect the natures of the Sephiroth: I see intuitively the Mystery reflected by the image of the Chariot, the Feminine Binah in relation to Geburah. (That's it!--"relationship.") I understand how each Thing-In-Itself only has relation to the whole.

A decent meditation. I am progressing in my ability to focus & visualize the "egg of light"--(to be ctd.) [another interruption]

--at any rate, Faye [my black cat] whined outside the window until she too was admitted to the meditation. She nuzzled the card out of my hand and then stepped on my computer keys turning on a trance song on shuffle called "Fata Morgana" [the cat is named after Morgan le Fay, and I had never heard this song before--strange synchronicities!]. She then proceeded to jump into pile of cardboard boxes which fell over. The little she-devil! Amanda [my girlfriend] then walked in and all concentration went out the window--I can't work in these conditions!

Some thoughts: the Charioteer sits in a meditative pose, reminiscent of the Buddha. The crab has an element of absurdity, like the camel. The riddle of the four elements: only to be resolved in contradiction. A pure blue-white vibration shines in the background: the reflection of the Supernals. The Charioteer is enthroned on the Moon.

Try again, round 2:

9:08-9:22 A.M.

Interruptions, fragmented meditation...on to "Adjustment."

@Ankh said

"
"Quote: Yes, it is the "many-breasted" aspect of Diana."

Thank you for the reference Mephisto. I am getting ready to move, everything is in boxes right now. "

Odd, I myself have been preparing to move and all of my things are boxed up as well. Synchronicity abides.

@Ankh said

"Oh yeah, also, while I am thinking about it. This morning, I took pictures of the cards on my phone. This way, I can carry them with me were ever I go. I though the idea might be useful for everyone here who participates in these mediations."

Great idea! I'm going to put the day's Atu as my backround from now on so that whenever I look at the time/text or whatever I'll be further reminded of the card.

I'm posting my notes today up to Fortune; I've been doing an accelerated program and should be caught up by next week. I'm in the middle of a move but I'm working as diligently as possible. I'll be going to another Vipassana meditation course in mid-March, but this time I think I might smuggle in my deck and do a little clandestine Tarot meditation.

I'm getting a lot out of this project. The comparison between our observations is awesome, as it often brings new aspects of the card to light I haven't thought of. I feel like I'm finally getting a firm grasp of the Tarot and the Tree of Life, subjects I've studied for years but never systematically and in depth.