Visions & Voices

Owl Tarot

Maybe the text of each vision could be divided into numbered sections. It might make things easier and more manageable. That way we could still start off with the complete text of a vision and thereby take in the 'big picture', while at the same time providing common reference points to go back to. That is the approach that Eshelman took in his V&V book, and it works quite well. But of course the division of the text was organised to accomodate his commentary. We might have to settle for something a little more arbitrary.

Would be a nice idea indeed. Numbered parts could work out well indeed, because all one has to do is write the number and then post what he wants to add. Another idea regarding the commentary would be not to go too deep but not too shallow either, in order to keep everyone informed of the general idea of each numbered part and work it from there.
 

Aeon418

That's settled then. :) Now we just need Grigori to 'rubber stamp' it and we're off.

In the mean time here's an old article by well known occult author Donald Tyson. Personally I think he may have been reading a bit too much H.P. Lovecraft before he wrote it, but his angle is interesting even if it is a bit off target.
Enjoy. })

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bb/bluebook418.htm
 

Aeon418

Thanks, that is really useful :)

Another thing that may be useful in the study of Liber 418 is an 'interpretive model'. The most useful model I have come across is one that attributes the 30 Aethyrs to the 10 Sephiroth, Malkuth to Kether, in the worlds of Yetzirah, Briah, and Atziluth. Some poeple object to this model by pointing to a passage in the 12th Aethyr, LOE.
LOE said:
But I reveal unto thee a mystery of the Aethyrs, that not only are they bound up with the Sephiroth, but also with the Paths. Now, the plane of the Aethyrs interpenetrateth and surroundeth the universe wherein the Sephiroth are established, and therefore is the order of the Aethyrs not the order of the Tree of Life. And only in a few places do they coincide. But the knowledge of the Aethyrs is deeper than the knowledge of the Sephiroth, for that in the Aethyrs is the knowledge of the Aeons, and of Θέλημα. And to each shall it be given according to his capacity.

But in contrast to this statement the angel of the 9th Aethyr, ZIP, revealed a map of the Aethyr's to Crowley that does correspond with the Sephiroth.
ZIP said:
And the Angel cometh forth, and behind him whirls a black swastika, made of fine filaments of light that has been "interfered" with, and he taketh me aside into a little chamber in one of the nine towers. This chamber is furnished with maps of many mystical cities. There is a table, and a strange lamp, that gives light by jetting four columns of vortex rings of luminous smoke. And he points to the map of the Aethyrs, that are arranged as a flaming Sword, so that the thirty Aethyrs go into the ten Sephiroth

I take a practical view on this issue. The 1-to-1 mapping of Aethyrs to Sephiroth isn't always a perfect match and only provides one layer of symbolism. But it is a very good starting point to begin the exploration of Crowley's visions of the Aethyrs.

The Aethyr - Sephiroth model.

30. TEX - Malkuth in Yetzirah.
29. RII - Yesod in Yetzirah.
28. BAG - Hod in Yetzirah.
27. ZAA - Netzach in Yetzirah.
26. DES - Tiphareth in Yetzirah.
25. VTI - Geburah in Yetzirah.
24. NIA - Chesed in Yetzirah.
23. TOR - Binah in Yetzirah.
22. LIN - Chokmah in Yetzirah.
21. ASP - Kether in Yetzirah.

20. KHR - Malkuth in Briah.
19. POP - Yesod in Briah.
18. ZEN - Hod in Briah.
17. TAN - Netzach in Briah.
16. LEA - Tiphareth in Briah.
15. OXO - Geburah in Briah.
14. UTA - Chesed in Briah.
13. ZIM - Binah in Briah.
12. LOE - Chokmah in Briah.
11. IKH - Kether in Briah.

10. ZAX - Malkuth in Atziluth.
9. ZIP - Yesod in Atziluth.
8. ZID - Hod in Atziluth.
7. DEO - Netzach in Atziluth.
6. MAZ - Tiphareth in Atziluth.
5. LIT - Geburah in Atziluth.
4. PAZ - Chesed in Atziluth.
3. ZOM - Binah in Atziluth.
2. ARN - Chokmah in Atziluth.
1. LIL - Kether in Atziluth.
 

Always Wondering

It was really helpful Aeon, it gives a nice overall and after reading it I think I understand the concept here better. My book order will take a bit to arrive, so I'll work with the threads until I get them to study them deeply.

I found it helpful also. Especially this. . .

I had learned not to trouble myself to travel to any desired place in the astral body. I realized that space was not a thing in itself, merely a convenient category (one of many such) by reference to which we can distinguish objects from each other. When I say I was in any Aethyr, I simply mean in the state characteristic of, and peculiar to, its nature.

For the past weeks I have been trying to find an actual place to put myself and frustrating myself with technicalities such as gates, watch towers and magic triangles.

AW