College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

Neat! I wasn't developing any Qabalah software, but now that I see this, I suddenly get inspired...

It helps me to put things in my own words sometimes, if only to solidify my understanding and, perhaps, making your effort a little more rewarding by demonstrating that I get it.

@Jim Eshelman said

"First of all, don't resist or deny the (). That's not the same as embracing its antithesis. If life is inherently joyful, and atop that we layer ugly reactions, and then on top of that we affirm that it's joyful, we're just making things worse, because we have two layers of lie to get past. I call this construct a Shit Sandwich, two slices of joy with a shitburger in the middle. Not recommended. Instead, own the (), start telling the truth about the things you feel that way about, and get through to the joy."

The main message I am getting here is that we must own our responses to life. There are things we can control, things we can influence with failure or success, and things beyond our control. Ugly reactions are a signal and source of resistance for, in certain ways, life just happens to us. If existence is pure joy, why should we resist anything that is truly beyond our control? While these things stand, they should simply be accepted as part of the existence of our unfolding lives. By taking responsibility over how we respond to each moment, we are that much closer to extending the ecstasy and bliss that is at the heart of life.

Also, thank you for adding your signature humor for color, haha. Very enjoyable. 😀

@Jim Eshelman said

"I think it's just about the truth of what's so, actually and emotionally."

By actually and emotionally, that is almost to say reality and how we respond to it.

@Jim Eshelman said

"Ah, there, I think, is the error: Not joyful participation in sorrow. Rather, joyful participation in the things that cause sorrow. (By telling the truth about it, not by denying the sorrow.)"

This ties back to the Shit Sandwich point above, haha. It's the difference between trying to force yourself to enjoy sorrow and ending the sorrow by accepting its cause as a part of reality.

How do you show someone you love them? I say you do so by simply enjoying their presence, meeting them with the same affection and thoughtful attention that you would afford yourself. Same with life. Life sucks sometimes. It can be a bitch. For some of us, maybe it's always that way. But, if you can accept it and meet life with grace where others might falter, then who is the better lover? 👿

Ah, but life is always the best lover for life always accepts us; it is other people who tend to be the problem.

As of yet, I am still realizing that I have but one Companion, even that one Companion is what I do have.

As always, thank you so much for coming to my aid, Jim. You are a true treasure.

@Zalthos said

"I thought it would be helpful (albeit, probably painful for Jim, as he has so painstakingly addressed this topic in so many places on the forum) to go into more detail as to how we can differentiate consciousness itself from the things that really are products of the mind, like logic, morality, etc.

Having briefly experienced states of pure consciousness in dreams and deep meditation, I personally have a hard time choosing between "pure consciousness" and "pure existence" as an accurate discriptor. I suppose consciousness implies a sentience that may not always be in the case of existence (i.e. unconscious matter can exist), but it seems more accurate to describe the only act of will taking place in such a state as that of simply existing. Especially when so many people are identifying consciousness as a product of the minds of biological creatures, I feel the terms we're using here are important (or interesting, at least) to address.

I know I posted this in the Mysticism section, but as always, I am especially open to what the Qabalah and Tarot have to say about this, and any way of explaining this issue that utilizes those frameworks."

First thing that comes to my mind to answer you is it's just a matter of vibration. If we see the all as one, then only speed is different. So, a first indicator is that of the speed which the yin and the yang oscillate into your consciousness. Thou shalt feel more and more the "shift of gears" when "rising on the planes".

Second thing is rythm. So you have speed and rythm. Already the axiom "the all is in all and all is in the all" is manifested. You go from the yin and the yang to the trigrammes which themselves are two manifestations of four elements, on the tree of life corresponding from daath to 10(manifestation). So a way to illustrate the shift is in the number of simultaneous rythms percieved.

There is quality and quantity. See each in both. Microcosm and macrocosm. Consciousness and tendency. Consiousness is three in one. Tendencies come after. Tendencies imply motion. Though above the abyss motion and stillness are one, thus none ! In time sens it is sumultaneity. Though its all relative. Thus depends on what is considered truth. When ready, the bright made brighter and the dark darker, separate and together too, merge all lights into one which is none and two. And behold even this is another light to be processed.

Also indicators are Joy Though to know those one must discriminate real Joy from false A way i can think of besides normal hermetic training is worship of Nuit. When the sign is there, as written in the book of the Law, thou shalt continue until you attain Nuit in a stable manner ! 🆒

It goes blub blub when you cook it

Most of the time I'm just forcing myself through it, though the occasional times when it does work make it well-worth the effort. Though it always works, in a way.

Nice avatar, Zalthos. I've been meaning to draw that in Illustrator. Meaning to!

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

I thought I might also add that Michael Molinos was very helpful through all of this, as well as works I consider to be focused upon relinquishing the ego, being Liber Cheth, (presumably) Liber A'ash, and the like. The following passage from Liber 333 was also helpful, and I deeply identify with what is described here:

@Liber 333 cap 34 said

"THE SMOKING DOG

Each act of man is the twist and double of an hare. Love and death are the greyhounds that course him. God bred the hounds and taketh His pleasure in the sport. This is the Comedy of Pan, that man should think he hunteth, while those hounds hunt him. This is the Tragedy of Man when facing Love and Death he turns to bay. He is no more hare, but boar. There are no other comedies or tragedies. Cease then to be the mockery of God; in savagery of love and death live thou and die! Thus shall His laughter be thrilled through with Ecstasy.

*COMMENTARY

The title is explained in the note. The chapter needs no explanation; it is a definite point of view of life, and recommends a course of action calculated to rob the creator of his cruel sport.

NOTE
(18) This chapter was written to clarify {Chi-epsilon-psi-
iota-delta} of
which it was the origin. FRATER PERDURABO
perceived this truth, or rather the first half of it, comedy,
at breakfast at "Au Chien qui Fume".*
"

Recognizing the cosmic origin of everything was also a big help--LOL.

Zalthos its all about evoliution passing into new aeon and correct methods for practices and behaviour for you devlopment stage.
Also conflicts between aeons and will of individuals.

@Katanoese said

"The LORD (presumably Adonai)"

Y.H.V.H. in this case. (A study of Job is quite fascinating when you look up each individual divine name, because there is really a whole community interacting.)

heruraha.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5424

@Zalthos said

"I wouldn't know half of what I do if I was ever afraid of being wrong."

Here lieth great wisdom 😀

Verily it is written: Thou must open thy mouth a let bad ideas flow out freely. Thus do they stop blocking the fucking hallways for the good ideas that follow. Amen.

@Jim Eshelman said

"He passed a cup through the audience of the various Rites of Eleusis performances with pharmaceutical grade mescaline (IIRC) to an unwarned crowd."

I just read about this last night in a bio, and I found it infinitely amusing. He did this same thing in New York on several occasions as well. As far as I can tell there were no particular negative effects of his administration of mescaline recorded. He usually administered psychoactive substances to students and acquaintances with a clear agenda in mind. He also seems to have been a good "sitter," having the necessary requisites such as patience, humor, and a genuine care for the subject's individual evolution. He "turned on" many artists and other great minds of his generation--before this was a trend or otherwise culturally prominent.

Light-fucking-years ahead of his time. Crowley makes the 60's phenomenon seem so...amateur. 😆

As to the original post: I think you might find a perusal of "The Fountain of Hyacinth" informative. The book is readily available online and contains Crowley's journals from a period in which he (unsuccessfully) attempted to quit heroin and cocaine. I found the book interesting during my struggles with addiction, mainly because his notes all-too-clearly reveal the self-deception and justification often used by addicts during the withdrawal phase. I think Crowley wrote much of his best work under the influence anyhow, so we may, in fact, view much of his drug use as a service to mankind.

Edit: from "The Fountain of Hyacinth:"

"I then went to the Cafe and had 3 Mandarins (I do not mean that I committed a felony on the persons of three Chinamen of high official rank!)"

😆 I love finding little jewels like this.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

@Jim Eshelman said

"The Rulers of the Elements are Yetziratic, not Briatic. And besides, you already know the Archangels of the Elements."

Jeez, ya'd think I'd never done a LBRP before! 🙄

Either way, thanks for the prompt replay, and the distinction you made here between the Yetziratic Elemental Rulers and the Briatic Elemental Archangels. I will be studying 776 1/2 more closely in this regard.

Thanks again!

Can we blame it on the full moon? 😆

93

"I could cry tears of joy...really!"

I love your enthusiasm!

@Dara said

"I wouldn't like to say if yeast experiences linear time, but I will venture that when consciousness perceives energy and gravity it reflects upon fundamental component of the system that powers consciousness, or it does not reflect and rather fully experiences those fundamental components during states of consciousness."

One thing to consider is that while gravity can act powerfully upon large bodies (such as planets) at microscopic levels (and lower) it has little to no effect.
In other words, for something to be effected by gravity it must have a mass perceivable to human senses.
While Relativity, on the other hand, effects any system with more than one object.
Both cases are dependent upon the interaction of objects (whether they are big as planets, as small as particles).

The question, possibly starting with "does yeast have a conception of linear time?"
Better posed as : "How much yeast must there be for linear time to be perceived?"

More poignantly: How many yeast organisms must there be before one becomes Self-Aware?
Some thing I have personally pondered to a great degree is:
If I was the only human to exist would I be Self-Aware?
Would the notion of Self ever even enter my awareness?

@gmugmble said

"
@Jim Eshelman said
"Babe of the Abyss could last for years (I've seen several reports of it having done so) "

Are there published reports of people undergoing the Babe of the Abyss experience?"

Almost none, besides Crowley's. (In fact, none others I can think of at the moment, off the top of my head. I was thinking of private information.)

@Faus said

"Just a curiosity but, can such similar structure be found in other initiation systems like Martinism or Aurum Solis?"

Aurum Solis has three "halls" - Malkuth, Yesod, Tiphereth ascending the worlds. They also have a stage beyond that.

Martinist? Little more than Freemasonry.

I had a similar experience during the summer of 11'. I was becoming extremely fed up with some people i was working with at our local dominoes. It was like being in a room full of people that really had no idea (or didnt care) that their world was not the entire world. I watched the Baba Ram Dass documentary called "stroked by Grace" and i was able to see that me being in the position to have to deal with these people was "god" giving me an opportunity to grow. I had to learn to realize that god was acting through those people to help bring me to a better place.

This makes me think of an idea i had recently. On my drive to work I drive through the medical district of our city which happens to be across the the highway from the projects, the northern side of our inner city is really pretty rough. Any who, almost everyday i see a homeless person at this intersection and i believe it is only natural to have an emotional (not overly emotional) reaction to seeing a person who needs help. And i cant help but to flash back to what my father did for me as a child (4th grade), he found out i wasnt making good grades do he made me dig a ditch in the back yard at night in the rain (lol). The next day he took me out of school and took me to work with him around the city, and spent the whole day pointing out homeless people and asking me if I wanted to grow up to be a bum like them. So needless to say for most of my adolescence i really judged homeless people because i figured that they F*ed their life up why feel sorry for them? Well i see things a little differently now, i see more of god in the homeless man than I see in the successful man in his mercedes. So i ask you (collective) what do you see when you look at a homeless person?

Love is the Law Love under Will

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

@Jim Eshelman said

"These are the Kerubic ("Fixed" or "Hub") signs of each element. Within Tarot, they and the actual elemental cards (Mother letters plus Tav) are the defining and focussing expressions of the elemental ideas.

So, for the "Root of Fire" (Ace of Wands), the supportive ideas are Shin (attributed to Fire itself) and Teth (attributed to Leo, the Kerub of Fire)."

Whoa, that's awesome!! 😀

And, of course, now that you say it, it seems so obvious... 😆

I'm grateful beyond words for all the help you've lent me this year. Thanks again, Mr. Eshelman.

Love is the law, love under will.

Interesting that dw3w is tomorrow, "the time of dw3t" in Egyptian, a homonym for the other common meaning of dw3t / Tuat (Gunther, 67). Might be etymologically related to devekut?

93

Personally, I began with a study of Phi as applied to nature, art, "beauty" theory, and then as it's applied to acoustic resonance. Take for a base example of a simple knock on a hollow wood block which "hums" and thus has a measurable fundamental acoustic frequency. Following that train of thought, there was study conducted by some scientists who researched the resonant properties of the human body and what was found was that on average it measured between 4-10Hz (dependent on the methods conducted). What interested me was that there was an average found, if I remember correctly (I'll find the link after this) around 8hz which interestingly is the Earth's fundamental (Shuman response) which is 7.83hz - roughly 8Hz... 432hz is divisible by 8 of course and then you follow the yellow brick road 😄

The next step is researching sympathetic resonance such as when you hit a string on and instrument the others will vibrate accordingly. Another example is clocks that will over time
synchronize if hung on the same wall or set on the same bench. It's the same context when looking at magnetic properties...

It's a back and forth approach to reconciling this stuff. The science parts are all over the place - it's organizing it which is the real challenge in acheicving a confidence level that establishes justification. Google is the easiest approach I would suggest. The key is resonance and sympathetic resonance the lock, if you will.

93's