College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

I'm pondering how the hebrew letter Yod = 10 and Had (the root of Hadit) = 10 and the 2 seem very similar ideas to me. I was wondering if there is any evidence of this in Crowley's writings or am I way off?

"On the Tree of Life, Atu XIII and XV are symmetrically placed; they lead from Tiphareth, the human consciousness, to the spheres in which Thought (on the one hand) and Bliss (on the other) are developed. Between them, Atu XIV leads similarly to the sphere which formulates Existence. (See note on Atu X and arrangement.) - BOT, Devil"

Alright so what if the monkey on the left is the devil...
The croc on the right is the death card...

Here we have the formula ON... male and female.

The sphinx on the top then would be the Art card? As sulpher s/he almost seems more like the Tower, which the Art card crosses (bow and arrow) and the arrow in the Art card does represent directed Will.

So get the male monkey on the left to be mercury or the will begins with the "maleness" of each magician (the active)... YOD? The female croc is the co-equal mother Salt... HEH? And the sphinx is the "expansion of the consciousness" (MTP, ch3), the son, VAU... and the union of all 3 is HEH final...

I'm reaching. Feels like I'm making headway... but still too much reaching.

"—Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which may be translated roughly as “Calm,” “Activity,” and “Slothful Darkness.” (BOT, pg18)"

Sattva = Calm
Rajas = Activity
Tamas = Slothful Darkness

Looking at the card it appears that the Monkey going wild climbing is Activity, Rajas, the Sphinx sitting up top is the epitome of calm, Sattva... and of course the Croc on the down path is Slothful Darkness.

"This Sulphur is Activity, Energy, Desire; Mercury is Fluidity, Intelligence, the power of Transmission; Salt is the vehicle of these two forms of energy, but itself possesses qualities which react on them.” (BOT, pg18)"

Sulper = Activity = Rajas
Mercury = Fluidity = Sattva
Salt = the vehicle = Tamas

But then the switch in the Fortune card...

Could be a misprint. The line

"But in this card the attribution is somewhat different."
has given me the impression that it is not.

Further down the rabbit hole:

The Golden Dawn version of this card has the Sphinx associated with Mercury (Superconsciousness?)

In Crowley Aethyr vision of the Fortune card, the attributions switch places once again...

"But at the top seems to be the Lamb and Flag, such as one sees on some Christian medals, and one of the lower things is a wolf, and the other a raven. (BOT, pg134)"

"“(His attribution is salt; the wolf mercury, and the raven sulphur.) (BOT, pg135)"

Anyway, I'm still lost as to why: Sattvas (the sphinx?) is attributed to Sulphur/Shin/Fire and why Rajas (hermanubis?) is attributed to Mercury/Aleph/Air.

Having some trouble with the Gunas and how they correspond to the Fortune card - looking for clarity...

BOT, Fortune Atu:

The Gunas are represented in European philosophy by the three qualities, sulphur, mercury and salt, already pictured in Atu I, III and IV. But in this card the attribution is somewhat different.

Crowley then goes on to describe the 3 figures on the card. How I interpret his attributions on the Fortune card:

Sattvas Sphinx Sulphur Shin Fire
Sattvas is calm, intelligence, lucidity and balance.

Rajas Hermanubis Mercury Aleph Air
Rajas is energy, excitement, fire, brilliance, restlessness;

Tamas Typhon Salt Mem Water
Tamas is darkness, inertia, sloth, ignorance, death

The clouds of confusion sweep in because I'm trying to understand why Sattvas (the sphinx?) is attributed to Sulphur/Shin/Fire and why Rajas (hermanubis?) is attributed to Mercury/Aleph/Air.

They seem switched (the "somewhat different" Crowley mentions?) But why do it?

Or: www.amazon.com/Marjoe-Thoth-S-K/dp/B000CCW2VG

What year was the ski incident?

Did he have separate initiations into the rest of the grades (Golden Dawn vs AA)?
My notes say that his Adeptus Exemptus grade came in 1906 and he took the oath of the Magister Templi in 1907... which are before the 1908 John St. John initiation into 6=5... some of my sources say that it wasn't until the Vision and Voice series in 1909 that he finally accepted he had crossed the Abyss and was a Magister Templi - so I suppose I could understand this to be his "A:.A:. Magister Templi" initiation???
But what about the 7=4 grade? Did he achieve that all of a sudden after the fall from his horse? Is that both GD and AA?

The footnotes in your book lead me to believe that an Adeptus Minor works to increase his contact with his Angel and his balance and expertise in Magick until a time that he and his Angel, and finally his Superior deem him ready to progress to the Adeptus Major grade.

I'm also trying to understand this progression in terms of Crowley's own advancement but as you explain, the documents seem sparse. I believe that his motto for the 6=5 grade was Ol Sonuf Vaoresaji; is this correct? But we don't know when he took that motto? Would his reception of the BOL herald his 6=5 grade?

After that the Adeptus Major works on the accomplishment of the tasks assigned to Kaph, Yod, and Teth at which point the Adeptus Major shall proceed to the grade of Adeptus Exemptus at any time the "authority" confers it.

You went a little into what "authority" means, but I'm still unclear. I get the impression it's no longer a requisite that your Superior have a vote in the matter. Is that true?

What grants advancement for an Adeptus Minor (Without) to an Adeptus Major?

This from another post by "the atlas itch":

That's a great observation that the Empress is showing the sign of alchemical salt. I took a closer look and the Priestess and the Emperor are likewise displaying the signs for mercury and sulphur, respectively. It's unmistakable.

About the Priestess=Mercury...

@Book of Thoth said

The Emperor is also one of the more important alchemical cards; with Atu II and III, he makes up the triad: Sulphur, Mercury, Salt. - pg77

The Gunas are represented in European philosophy by the three qualities, sulphur, mercury and salt, already pictured in Atu I, III and IV. - pg 90 (Fortune)

The bit about Alchemical Mercury appears in Atu I, the Magus... with nothing obvious mentioned in the High Priestess card... what other Crowley texts mention Atu II as bearing mercurial significance? I guess I wonder about that connection; point in fact, I always wondered:

1. if one of the quoted sentences was wrong (editorial mistake)
2. if 1. was not the case and why

A bit in the BOT that I did find as indirectly associating The High Priestess (the arrow on her lap) with Alchemical Mercury was this bit in the Art card:

The Arrow, both in this card and in Atu VI, is of supreme importance. The Arrow is, in fact, the simplest and purest glyph of Mercury , being the symbol of directed Will. - pg 104

"Just by the act of knowing the supposed "future" things can and will change."

Wait...wait...I'm trying to digest this one...

If I "know" the future, then it changes
But if I don't "know" the future... it won't change?
Does that mean I shouldn't schedule my appointments anymore because then they won't happen at the time I "know" they will?

Don't answer that.. I'm just kidding around...

But seriously... I have no idea what you're saying and what value it has...

But I like it

RifRaf - where did you get all those diaries and how can I acquire them?

What's the slight modification Crowley made to the LBRP that you are referencing Jim? Is the addition of Aiwass to the mix?

I always considered that card to represent more the period period... or, cunniling... or even the things one most block out during the exp... but birthing too? It seems far more to represent the path than the goal and isn't the birth of the child AN end?

hmm.... looks lambish to me Jim, and a bit menacing to boot; the lower end of the master/slave relationship

"“The card represents a crowned male figure, with imperial vestments and regalia. He is seated upon the throne whose capitals are
the heads of the Himalayan wild ram, since Aries means a Ram. At
his feet, couchant, is the Lamb and Flag, to confirm this attribution
on the lower plane; for the ram, by nature, is a wild and courageous
animal, lonely in lonely places, whereas when tamed and made to
lie down in green pastures, nothing is left but the docile, cowardly,
gregarious and succulent beast. This is the theory of government.“"

plus remember his vision of the Wheel:

"“The figures on the wheel are darker than the wheel itself; in fact,
they are stains upon the purity of the wheel, and for that reason, and
because of the whirling of the wheel, I cannot see them. But at the top
seems to be the Lamb and Flag, such as one sees on some Christian
medals, and one of the lower things is a wolf, and the other a raven.
The Lamb and Flag symbol is much brighter than the other two. It
keeps on growing brighter, until now it is brighter than the wheel
itself, and occupies more space than it did.

“It speaks: I am the greatest of the deceivers, for my purity and
innocence shall seduce the pure and innocent, who but for me should
come to the centre of the wheel. The wolf betrayeth only the greedy
and the treacherous; the raven betrayeth only the melancholy and
the dishonest. But I am he of whom it is written: He shall deceive
the very elect.""

But you know this... what are you holding back? Or what aren't you taking the time to explain?

I'm tring to better understand what these things are.

Is the Hermit of Esopus Island a magical diary of his time on the hudson? A part of the diary? Was his magical retirement strictly during the summer of 1918? Anyone have more specific dates?

The Book of the Great Auk
Is the fragment from May 14, 1919 that we have all that it was? Was this document part of a larger document / diary?

So in the name A:.A:. there is no reference to Atmadarshana or "Vision of the Universal Peacock"?

Would someone please translate Estai and Meral for me? Any additional info on why the Soror's choose their names would be wonderful.

Most helpful Froclown - thank you.

I was thinking along the lines of twigs and berries (sometimes the ol' brain gets stuck in that line of thinking decyphering AC)

from the Book of the Lies...

TWIG - I don't understand... what does a twig represent?