The Book of The Law Study Group 3.64

Zephyros

The first thought that came to my mind when reading this verse was that silver was a feminine metal, and as "the first ordeal," it brought to mind the Empress, or even the Priestess of the Silver Star. Looking at the value of 64 in Sepher Sephiroth, I see that it is indeed נוגה, Venus. It is also דין, one of the names for Geburah, and this actually brings to mind another thread in which Ross mentioned the five paths that cross the Abyss. The Five of Geburah brings to mind change, volition, Will, desire, urging, perhaps even birth pains. We also have אנחה, a groan, or sigh (in modern Hebrew it is more sigh than groan) further suggesting some sort of birthing process.

The Comment refers to the Moon of Yesod, which also makes sense, of course. To me it connects quite nicely with what I wrote above. I feel some hint of sexual magick here, although I can't put my finger on exactly why.
 

Aeon418

Closrapexa has already identified most of the important correspondences, so I won't go over them again. But 64 is also a Mercurial number.

Looking at the verse there are 7 words before the comma, and 8 words after. That suggests Netzach and Hod. The path inbetween is Peh - Mars and Atu XVI The Tower, which gives us a connection back to Din.

The verse is the 209th in the book. The number does not appear to be of any special significance, but it is suggestive of Yesod 2=9.

The Book as Silver? This makes me think of an intuitive understanding of the text. The book speaks to the subconscious through it's imagery and symbols, and maybe stirs up internal currents that have the potential to manifest as Atu XVI events. Sudden flashes of insight and breakthrough experiences. Maybe even some degree of turmoil.
The book may be oracular at times and may appear to reflect both outer and inner events in a way that is consistent with a lunar stage of development.

But the light of the moon is only reflected light. It can cast deep shadows and doesn't always show the whole picture. I wonder if a test is implied here? The chapter and verse number can be read as 364 which is the numerical value of H'ShTN, Ha Satan - the Adversary. There might also be a link to the awakening of the sexual force here also.
Hmmm... very Samekh and Peh sort of stuff.
 

Always Wondering

Looking at the verse there are 7 words before the comma, and 8 words after. That suggests Netzach and Hod. The path inbetween is Peh - Mars and Atu XVI The Tower, which gives us a connection back to Din.

Din? I tried looking it up.

AW
 

Aeon418

Din? I tried looking it up.

DIN is another title for the Martial fifth sephira, Geburah. It means Justice or Judgment. One interpretation of Din relates it to that aspect of Geburah that deals with Karma and the Adjustment needed to maintain equlibrium and balance.
 

Always Wondering

Thanks guys.

AW
 

RLG

Dwtw

There are four ordeals associated with the Book, which are described in language that appears to be increasingly 'majestic' for lack of a better term. To me, this indicates that each step in this process is part of a holarchy, i.e., each ordeal reveals the Book as a whole which is simultaneously a part of a greater whole on the next level.

In a holarchy, each successive level both includes and transcends its predecessors, and may also negate aspects of the previous level. This is similar to software upgrades, where a new version can work with files from an older version, but may make some functions obsolete, as they are superseded by 'better' functionality at the higher level.

From this standpoint, the revelations of the 'silver' level would be subsumed in the 'gold' level, making them to some degree less applicable to that level. One is reminded of captions where Crowley indicated 'Book X is true up to the level of Adeptus Exemptus'. Beyond that level, it is no longer 'true' in the same sense, for the Magister Templi.

This increasing level of meaning/awareness/understanding of the Book contributes to disagreements as to the 'meaning' of passages to each individual. It therefore becomes necessary to find some indication of what ordeal a Thelemite exegete has undergone in order to understand how they will explain the meaning of particular verses.

Another complication arises when one considers an explanation such as the one I'm attempting to give. Since each level of the holarchy reveals a more 'exalted' meaning to the Book, from which level can we discuss this increase in meaning and depth?

If one begins with the simple dictionary definitions of the words, and their typical associations, then from the beginning level of the Fool who 'understandeth it not', the Book has increasing levels of meaning - silver to gold to precious stones to ultimate sparks... But this is as far a one can discuss it from that level. One cannot say what the 'silver ordeal' really entails, or what meaning it gives the Book, until one has passed through that ordeal. Then a description/explanation of the Book can be given from the 'silver' plateau.

But at each plateau, it will always be true that there are successive levels of depth/meaning to the Book. It's just that from the lower level, the higher cannot yet be described with any accuracy.

So, from the initial 'foolish' perspective, the four levels seem to relate to the steps from Malkut to Yesod (silver/moon), then to Tiferet (gold/sun), then to Keter (precious stones), then to the Ain Sof (ultimate sparks). This seems obvious from the symbolism, standing here in Malkut before beginning the ordeals. This symbolism and wording is the 'given'. We are simply told there are four levels/ordeals. Their nature is not explained in detail, and cannot be understood until they are experienced. But the symbolism gives us important clues as we start out on this journey.

After passing one ordeal, the symbolism of silver, gold, etc may change to something else, and so on for the next levels. The following is not supposed to be dogmatic, just speculative: perhaps at the 'silver' level the four ordeals will represent the successive cards of the Tarot - Moon/Sun/Aeon/Universe. Then at the 'gold' level, the four levels may indicate the four 'worlds' of the Kabbalah (Assiah, Yetirah, Beriya, Atzilut). Then at the 'stones of precious water' level, the four ordeals might be Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, Transcendence. The final level of 'ultimate sparks' may show the four levels as Divide, Add, Multiply, Understand.

The point is that the ordeals will impart broader and deeper meaning/understanding, and may entail abandonment of explanations that held true at lower levels, as well as acquisition of gnosis that makes those lower levels even more explicable and understandable.

Litlluw
RLG
 

Aeon418

From this standpoint, the revelations of the 'silver' level would be subsumed in the 'gold' level, making them to some degree less applicable to that level. One is reminded of captions where Crowley indicated 'Book X is true up to the level of Adeptus Exemptus'. Beyond that level, it is no longer 'true' in the same sense, for the Magister Templi.

I agree. Although I suspect the difference between levels is not always the same. The use of the Silver and Gold symbolism for the first two levels suggests a kind of identity between the two. They are both precious metals which seems to indicate that the 'gap' between them is not huge. Although the Silver level may be indeed to subsumed within the Gold level I think there is still room for a kind of polarity to exist. An analogy might be the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. The Sun doesn't rely on the Moon, but a 'function' of the Moon is dependent on the action of the Sun. This does set the stage for all kinds of relationships that would naturally differ depending on the two different points of view.

But the the transition from Gold to Stones of Precious Water (Pearls?) suggests a complete change of state. Is there a still a link between the two levels? Of course. But it is much bigger and may be of a completely different nature to the first one.

Another complication arises when one considers an explanation such as the one I'm attempting to give. Since each level of the holarchy reveals a more 'exalted' meaning to the Book, from which level can we discuss this increase in meaning and depth?

Is it even possible to 'discuss' more exalted meanings? (Assuming that these "more exalted meanings" are not just more layers of intellectualizing. In which case they're not exalted.) Up to a point I suppose. But as soon as you try you are faced with the same problem that Mystics throughout the ages have always faced. How do you describe the divine, the intangible, the elusive in the language of the concrete and mundane without spouting jibberish? Contradictions can be used to momentarily jolt the mind out of it's usual state and allow it to catch a glimps of something beyond. But they can just as easily mislead and confuse. Just so with symbol and number systems which can become an end in themselves instead of a 'finger pointing to the moon.'

Going back to the example above, it might be possible to discuss the insights of Gold in the 'language' of Silver. Of course it won't be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But the disparity between the two levels is only one step, so some degree of communication may be possible up to a certain point. But how does one even begin to frame the insights of a Stone of Precious Water in the 'language' of Silver or even the fool?