THE EMPEROR,STAR & JUSTICE

[Aeon418]

On the theme of Crowley not having everything worked out with regard to the Aeon of Horus, a good example can be found in the Thoth deck itself. The Aeon card.

Following the example set by the traditional Judgement card, the Aeon should really show the end of the Aeon of Horus. But Crowley says in The Book of Thoth:

Behind this letter is a symbolic representation of the Sign of Libra; this is the forth-shadowing of the Aeon which is to follow this present one, presumably in about 2,000 years - "the fall of the Great Equinox; when Hrumachis shall arise and the double-wanded one assume my throne and place". The present Aeon is too young to give a more definite representation of this future event. But in this connection attention must be drawn to the figure of Ra-hoor-khuit: "I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power; the wand of the Force of Coph Nia; but my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an Universe; and nought remains."

In his commentaries on The Book of the Law, Crowley says that the next Aeon is that of Maat. Probably because Maat (Libra) is the next god after Horus in a Golden Dawn temple. But Hrumachis suggests another form of Horus combined with Maat. Hru (Horus) machis (Maat).

Maybe this is something that Crowley was unsure about. He certainly argued with Frater Achad on this point. Achad thought Hrumachis was Har-Makhu, Horus of two Horizons (east and west). Crowley's final words in the above quote suggest he might have had second thoughts about Achad's ideas.

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Fulgour

Try this: If you put the letters of the alphabet with the cards
(in the golden dawn order) BACKWARDS then IV & XVII will be
in each other's position... that's all Crowley was really "seeing"
and he made the "switch" just to try and show up Waite's bit,
swapping VIII with XI ~ Crowley had nothing better to offer...

Yawn!
It's not Waite's swap, it's the Golden Dawn's. Waite copied them in his deck.

[Fronterance]

Originally Posted by Aeon418

It's like someone who complains that Spot the Dog doesn't have the same depth as Shakespeare. It's not supposed to!

Let's flesh out the comparison. Spot The Dog (or "See Spot Run?") would be a book that teaches children how to read, correct? So then, when they are good readers, they can attempt to read some Shakespeare. (But, I would recommend "Ye Shall Spotteth The Dog That Didst Runneth" first to bridge the gap) Chicken Qaballah is "A Dilettante’s Guide to What You Do and Do Not Need to Know to Become a Qabalist". He's right about that because he advises in the book to join BOTA. I did and boy am I glad since the book itself was useless as a learning aid.

Regardless and whatever his aim was with the book, my point is that I don't need to be wasting my time with authors that write entertaining drivel. The market is saturated with intro to the Qaballah books, most of which are more revealling than DuQuette's and a heck of a lot more practical. Is that so incredibly wrong to say?

I am not trying to insult the man or anything. If I had endless time and money, I would continue to buy his books for the wit, humor and honesty. But, unfortunately, I have found that the content of his books are practically useless to anyone with a few really good books. Like "Magick of Aleister Crowley," for instance. Nice little handbook, but that's about it. Practically no additional instruction or advice beyond what was already available.

[Fulgour]

The "Thoth" Alphabet (0=1)

Backward & Forward

21 Tav - 20 Shin - 19 Resh - 18 Qoph - 17 Tsade...

0 Aleph - 1 Beth - 2 Gimmel - 3 Daleth - 4 He...

-1, -2, -3, -4, -5= Tsade "Star/Emperor"

+1, +2, +3, +4, +5= He "Emperor/Star"

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Fronterance

Regardless and whatever his aim was with the book, my point is that I don't need to be wasting my time with authors that write entertaining drivel. The market is saturated with intro to the Qaballah books, most of which are more revealling than DuQuette's and a heck of a lot more practical. Is that so incredibly wrong to say?

No I don't think it's wrong. That's you're opinion and you are entitled to it.

Personally I have no problem with DuQuette or his books. The charge of ripping off and dumbing down Crowley can be leveled at him, but he does introduce many people to Crowley who would otherwise be put off by his complex style and frequent assumption of knowledge that can only be found in other books that the student may not have, usually by Crowley himself.

There seems to be a lot of intellectual snobbery around esoteric subjects. People who have some level of understanding or knowledge tend to look down on those who don't. I prefer a horses for courses attitude. I first read The Book of Thoth nearly 20 years ago and couldn't understand a word of it. How I wish I could have had access to DuQuette's Thoth book back then. It would have saved me endless hours of frustration and head scratching.

I'm reminded of what Crowley said in relation to Frater Achad's books:

The point is this - the books - even apart from the absurd new attribution proposed for the Paths - are so hopelessly bad in almost every way - English, style, sense, point of view, oh everything! - yet they may do good to people they are written for.

Originally Posted by Fronterance

Like "Magick of Aleister Crowley," for instance. Nice little handbook, but that's about it. Practically no additional instruction or advice beyond what was already available.

I enjoyed it despite the fact that I own almost every single book written by Crowley. I also have no problem recommending it. Any serious student will use DuQuette's book as stepping stone to the real thing.

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Fulgour

The "Thoth" Alphabet (0=1)
Backward & Forward
21 Tav - 20 Shin - 19 Resh - 18 Qoph - 17 Tsade...
0 Aleph - 1 Beth - 2 Gimmel - 3 Daleth - 4 He...
-1, -2, -3, -4, -5= Tsade "Star/Emperor"
+1, +2, +3, +4, +5= He "Emperor/Star"

Glad you've caught up with everyone else Fulgour. Now look at the mobius strip on page 11 of the Book of Thoth. Makes sense doesn't it?

Liber AL 3 : 73 Paste the sheets from right to left and from top to bottom: then behold!

[Fulgour]

Originally Posted by Aeon418

Glad you've caught up with everyone else Fulgour.

I am unaccustomed to being treated with such flippancy
in this study group... I guess I will withdraw from Thoth.

[Fronterance]

Originally Posted by Fulgour

I am unaccustomed to being treated with such flippancy
in this study group... I guess I will withdraw from Thoth.

Well, personally, I thank everyone here who has helped rip me a new one. Now, it will be even easier to spew my crap around :-D

Actually, unless the charges/taunts/whatever actually apply to you, nothing anyone says can disturb your peace of mind. You're the one who decides to be insulted or angry. I find that things only hurt if they hit close to home and then self-honesty goes a long way to dissolving that pain. Expose the shadows to light and watch them disappear.

As for the idea of "occult snobbery," since it doesn't apply to me in the slightest (projection on the part of Mr. 418), I won't bother to address it at the moment, other than to say, quite simply, managing my own time and money is my business. And while we're on the subject: what other people think of me is none of my business. Think along these lines, Fulgour, and much heartache disappears forever! :-D

[AbstractConcept]

Fronterance, I reccomended the book because you didn't seem to get Crowley's attribution, and in it DuQuette gives a pretty thourough explaination of it in a less taxing mode of English.
As for BOTA, I wouldn't trust a guy who had it in for LIGDISL and his fellow Enochian friends

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Fronterance

As for the idea of "occult snobbery," since it doesn't apply to me in the slightest (projection on the part of Mr. 418), I won't bother to address it at the moment, other than to say, quite simply, managing my own time and money is my business. And while we're on the subject: what other people think of me is none of my business. Think along these lines, Fulgour, and much heartache disappears forever! :-D

A sense of humour helps quite a bit as well.