Aeon418
Mea culpa! 
The Book of the Law Study Group 3.15
Richard
I've done that too. That's why I caught it.Aeon418 said:Mea culpa!
Always Wondering
I am glad to read this because I've been feeling really cynical. For me the joy is the mystery, not in solving it. I have been thinking about Samekh, it's correspondence to Sagittarius and the huntress. There is much excitement in the hunt. Of course there is nothing like a good meal, but then it's over. It's all so anti climatic. I just start over again. Like I have a choice.
Perhaps this is my death grip on perception. This verse seems to confirm my thoughts. There is no bliss except what I make now. To focus so singly on a later result, building, aspiring, desiring, inflaming, it couldn't possibly be all that I built up in my mind. It never is, with anything. Maybe I am showing my sun sign too.
I can't reconcile this with Crowley's system. Probably because I can't ever wrap my head around Knowledge and Conversation. Or maybe I make too much of this also.
AW
Aeon418
Skipping ahead I think this is roughly what the next verse is pointing to. In essence it's saying don't go running after the things you "think" are good. Don't run away from or worry about the things you "think" are bad. You're not in a position to perceive the real nature of the process. Stick with it and have an adventure. It might not seem like it sometimes, but it's really all joy!Always Wondering said:
In a way I think you could compare it to someone who overcomes an accute fear of something. When they are in the grip of a fear the object of that fear takes on an exagerated and overblown importance. But if they work through it the same person can turn around and see how silly and funny the whole situation was. They may even be glad that they went through such a "seemingly" painful situation.
Liber LXV 1:34-36. Don't panic! It's only a flower petal.
You can't wrap your head around K&C. If you try you'll just tie yourself up in knots. The Sword can never Understand the Cup until it is dipped into it. At which point it ceases to be a Sword and the question of wraping around becomes meaningless.Always Wondering said:
Always Wondering
I was having trouble verbalizing this. But it is close to the feeling I get when I read this verse.Aeon418 said:
Aeon418 said:
This implies a subtleness that I hadn't considered before. What a wonderful visual.
Aeon418 said:. You can't wrap your head around K&C. If you try you'll just tie yourself up in knots. The Sword can never Understand the Cup until it is dipped into it. At which point it ceases to be a Sword and the question of wraping around becomes meaningless.
This is the feeling I get with this verse as well. Like it won't matter anymore. I still don't get the sadness. It seems to imply attachment. This is something I hadn't related to the attainment of superconsciousness. But perhaps I am tying another knot.
AW
Aeon418
Wrath!
In, The Three Dangerous Magi, there's a story about a guy called A. R. Orage. He was a writer and editor who went to Gurdjieff's institute for instruction. Gurdjieff put him through a baptism of fire by giving him the task of digging a useless ditch in the garden and then refilling it. He had to do it again and again for days. Orage was quite intelligent and knew that Gurdjieff was trying to rattle his ego by making him do useless menial work that was below his station in life. But at the end of the day Orage would return to his spartan "monks cell" and collapse physically and emotionally. This went on for days. At one point Orage reached the end of his tether. He was completey rowed out and couldn't take any more. So he decided to give it one last supreme effort the next day. And that's when the change occured. The next day while he was digging something "shifted" within Orage. He suddenly experienced a surge of energy and actually began to enjoy his useless task. Gurdjieff instantly recognised the change and told him to stop working and join him for a cup of coffee. It seems that Orage had to hit rock bottom before the light began to shine.
On a different note....
The Hebrew word sa'ad, spelt Samekh, Ayin, Daleth, means to uphold, support, sustain. This ties in with the meaning of the letter Samekh - prop or support. This makes me think of AL II:53.
Look at Atu XII The Hanged Man. Just like us he's submerged head first in a world of watery illusion. To him this illusion all seems very normal and proper. In fact he is very attached to it. But if he is going to wake up from this illusion and see it for what it is, he is going to have to let go. Letting go is often a difficult and painful process.Always Wondering said:
In, The Three Dangerous Magi, there's a story about a guy called A. R. Orage. He was a writer and editor who went to Gurdjieff's institute for instruction. Gurdjieff put him through a baptism of fire by giving him the task of digging a useless ditch in the garden and then refilling it. He had to do it again and again for days. Orage was quite intelligent and knew that Gurdjieff was trying to rattle his ego by making him do useless menial work that was below his station in life. But at the end of the day Orage would return to his spartan "monks cell" and collapse physically and emotionally. This went on for days. At one point Orage reached the end of his tether. He was completey rowed out and couldn't take any more. So he decided to give it one last supreme effort the next day. And that's when the change occured. The next day while he was digging something "shifted" within Orage. He suddenly experienced a surge of energy and actually began to enjoy his useless task. Gurdjieff instantly recognised the change and told him to stop working and join him for a cup of coffee. It seems that Orage had to hit rock bottom before the light began to shine.
On a different note....
The Hebrew word sa'ad, spelt Samekh, Ayin, Daleth, means to uphold, support, sustain. This ties in with the meaning of the letter Samekh - prop or support. This makes me think of AL II:53.
Notice the phrase "mask of sorrow". The mask is the persona, the outer personality that we usually think is ourselves. When Hadit lifts up he creates a mask/persona of sorrow. I think this is related to Samekh being Wrath. Aspects of the outer persona naturally resist this lifting up. They feel comfortable right where they are. It is they who will get put through the mill just like Orage.
Always Wondering
Aeon418 said:
Okay. So perhaps this verse is talking about a process rather than an event. I think I was stuck on event for some reason.
Wonderful story. The book is on my wishlist.Aeon418 said:
Aeon418 said:
This is very helpful. I was struggling with the word Wrath.
This is especially helpful.
AW
Aeon418
The word, Wrath, suggests energy to me. And lots of it too! The question to be answered on the path of Samekh is your orientation to this energy and your ability to handle it. This is why Samekh is a fiery path of trial, test, verification, and probabtion. If aspects of yourself are obstructive, resistant, or out of balance, they will begin to feel the heat.Always Wondering said:
If you look at the Art card you can see the roaring flames beneath the cauldron. Spiritual practices are a way of fanning the flames under it. And guess who's in the cauldron, trying to come through an alchemical change?
