If I understand you correctly, adepts are expected to learn the symbols intellectually, then assimilate their significance into their psyche, culminating in a whole. This, indeed, is what attributions, knowledge lectures and the like are for. Without understanding the symbols they meditated upon, adepts would meditate or use symbols with imperfect results.
(Or just use their 'intuition'
)
I believe so, ... they must be balanced by all faculties but Mercurius is the balance point ... it needs to cycle through the whole system ( or tree).
Otherwise one might find oneself sitting on mountain with an alfoil hat waiting for the 'Space Brothers' to come and make right everything one messed up oneself ... or steadfastly refusing to comprehend or deny the 'Daimonic'.
(Hope I'm not offending, not everyone speaks fluent ravenest, which is why I paraphrazed
)
Nope ... I don't even mind offence ... if it helps to get a sensible and relevant point across
As to humility, I agree it has no place in Hermetics, at least not the Western accepted idea of it (which normally means sacrifice and suffering). On the contrary, what you try to do Hermetically is enlarge yourself, not become aware of how small you are (although recognition of that is an important stage of initiation, perhaps the grade of Malkuth?)
Learn first — Oh thou who aspirest unto our ancient Order! — that Equilibrium is the basis of the Work. If thou thyself hast not a sure foundation, whereon wilt thou stand to direct the forces of Nature? …
Humble thyself before thy Self …
A man is what he maketh himself within the limits fixed by his inherited destiny; he is a part of mankind; his actions affect not only what he calleth himself, but also the whole universe. …
Remember that this earth is but an atom in the universe, and that thou thyself art but an atom thereon, and that even couldst thou become the God of this earth whereon thou crawlest and grovellest, that thou wouldest, even then, be but an atom, and one amongst many.
Nevertheless have the greatest self-respect, and to that end sin not against thyself. The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices. …
So shalt thou gradually develop the powers of thy soul, …
Ask and ye shall have! Seek, and ye shall find! Knock, and it shall be opened unto you!
{Liber XXX … note: Class B. }
Yes, that answer I arrived at was the only one that really satisfied me.
And that HGA is too an analogy and a symbol that needs to be treated in the same way.
What did AC say about the term ... chose it as it was the most obscure term he could think of or something ?
