The Book of the Law Study Group 2.18

Aeon418

THE STAG-BEETLE

Death implies change and individuality if thou be
THAT which hath no person, which is beyond the
changing, even beyond changelessness, what hast
thou to do with death?
The bird of individuality is ecstasy; so also is its
death.
In love the individuality is slain; who loves not love?
Love death therefore, and long eagerly for it.
Die Daily.

The Hanged Man is a perfect snapshot of the little human self (made of the four elements). He believes "I am I, and if I change/die I will no longer be I". For this reason he tries to resist change and as a consequence he suffers.

Spirit wants to experience things through us. But a vehicle that won't go anywhere or do anything isn't a lot of use. Spirit is constantly urging us to Do what thou wilt. But our little selves insist on acting like a snotty nosed, petulant little brat in a supermarket checkout line, stamping it's feet screaming, "I won't, I won't, I won't!!"

But if the Hanged Man could realise that the force that animates him (look at the Ankh on the card) isn't this little thing he mistakenly calls "self", then a great change will take place within him. Suddenly he won't fear change anymore. Instead of resisting spirit he will become a perfect conduit for it. Willingly entering into experiences, unafraid of change which is Death.

Aeon418

Here's one for the Liber-T crowd.

What does the small difference between the Liber T and Thoth Hanged Men indicate? Has the Liber T Hanged Man opened his mouth? Is is it a void to indicate that there is No-thing inside?

Aeon418

It's just occured to me which card should go above the Devil and the Hanged Man. It's the Aeon. (I bet similia can't fit all three on his scanner. :laugh:

)

As above, so below. Malkuth is in Kether, and Kether is in Malkuth but after another fashion.

AL II:26 .... If I lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one. If I droop down mine head, and shoot forth venom, then is rapture of the earth, and I and the earth are one.

Always Wondering

I am learning a whole new appreciation for The Emperior. I have been resistant to what I thought were his attributes.
Liber Tzaddi is beautiful. It sheds a whole new light for me on 1:57. I think I was looking at "choice" as a limitation. Liber Tzaddi seems not at all about limitation.

AW

Aeon418

Always Wondering said:
Liber Tzaddi is beautiful. It sheds a whole new light for me on 1:57.

I'll bait my Fish-hook. But will I get any bites. :laugh:

Here goes....

If it shed light on 1:57, how about 2:57?

II:57. He that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is filthy shall be filthy still.

Who saves the Hanged Man in this Aeon? Does he just need hope or faith in a saviour. A messiah who is going to come along and save him by fishing him out of the waters of illusion. Or does he have to save himself?

Liber Tzaddi: 24. My disciples are proud and beautiful; they are strong and swift; they rule their way like mighty conquerors.

Aeon418

No bites? Oh well.

The letter Tzaddi enters and says: O Lord of the world, may it please Thee to create the world through me, inasmuch as the righteous [Tzaddikim] are sealed with me, and Thyself, who art called Righteous, art indicated by me, as it is written, “For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness” [Psalms 11:7], and hence it is meet to create the world through me.

The Lord made answer: O Tzaddi, thou art Tzaddi, and thou signifiest righteousness, but thou must be concealed, thou mayest not come out in the open so much lest thou givest the world cause for offence.

Aeon418

Readers of Gunther's book might have spotted the link between this thread the chapter called Corridors of Twilight.

Sarah was almost 90 when the blood of life began to flow again. And was 90 when she gave birth to Isaac.

Tzaddi = 90

AL III:11 ... let blood flow to my name

Always Wondering

Aeon418 said:
I'll bait my Fish-hook. But will I get any bites. Here goes....

If it shed light on 1:57, how about 2:57?

Who saves the Hanged Man in this Aeon? Does he just need hope or faith in a saviour. A messiah who is going to come along and save him by fishing him out of the waters of illusion. Or does he have to save himself?

I've been nibbling around.

II:57. He that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is filthy shall be filthy still.

Liber Tzaddi said:
40. My adepts stand upright; their head above the
heavens, their feet below the hells.

Liber Tzaddi said:
41. But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel,
another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link,
the last attach more firmly to the higher.

I am thinking the righteous and the filthy are two in one. Wondering about the word filthy though, it seems a little loaded. But no more than Demon I guess.

So I was just starting to think the Hanged man didn't need to be rescued, just strengthened.
But that is easy to say and think when the waters of illusion are calm.

I guess the answer is in here which sounds a little like rescue to me. If you like being pushed.

Liber Tzaddi said:
42. Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. I will aid my
disciples; as fast as they acquire this balanced power and joy
so faster will I push them.

I don't quite understand it yet.

AW

Always Wondering

The letter Tzaddi enters and says: O Lord of the world, may it please Thee to create the world through me, inasmuch as the righteous [Tzaddikim] are sealed with me, and Thyself, who art called Righteous, art indicated by me, as it is written, “For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness” [Psalms 11:7], and hence it is meet to create the world through me.

The Lord made answer: O Tzaddi, thou art Tzaddi, and thou signifiest righteousness, but thou must be concealed, thou mayest not come out in the open so much lest thou givest the world cause for offence.

Is this all Bible, or just the quote? The Key of Solomon?

AW

Always Wondering

And if our sense of trouble is an illusion; then our sense of well being is an illusion: and round and round I go. :laugh:

All this alluding to bliss. Bliss is not Nothing. I don't get it.

AW