The Book of The Law Study Group 3.29

[Grigori]

Originally Posted by Aiwass

29. Moreover, be they long kept, it is better; for they swell with my force. All before me.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/index.htm
http://hermetic.com/crowley/index.html
http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0220.html

Other threads in this study group

[Aeon418]

In his commentary I see that Crowley was unsure whether this verse was a reference to cakes or the beetles. I'm not sure if it really matters either way, but I lean towards the cakes.

What is this "force" that these cakes/beetles swell with? Crowley says somewhere(?) that the number of magical force is 29. Coincidentally (ahem!) this is verse 29. This same force is sometimes described as astral or lunar force. A connection to the Moon?

The 29th Path connects Netzach and Malkuth. Qoph - Atu XVIII The Moon.
Also III x 29 = 87, which is LBNH, Lebanah (or Levanah) the Moon.

I think this is significant in the context of the previous verses where, due to the focused orision, subconscious (lunar) "beetles" were said to fill the perfume/cakes.

The final few words, "All before me", are interesting. If we assume R.H.K. is Solar/Tiphareth, then before him is Yesod.

[Jellybean]

Could 'cake' be a reference to the womb, which is also a Moon reference, and the swelling pregnancy? Not necessarily literally but something being gestated within the Self?

R.K.H. enters Yesod/womb to be born into Tiphareth. If the beetles are to be slain as enemies, the longer the swelling, the more beatles/enemies to be slain, so the closer one is to the HGA. R.K.H. fights himself in Yesod/moon/womb.

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Jellybean

Could 'cake' be a reference to the womb, which is also a Moon reference, and the swelling pregnancy? Not necessarily literally but something being gestated within the Self?

Absolutely! Every eucharist has an outer/exoteric meaning, and an complimentary inner/esoteric aspect.

If we take the cake/womb reference a step further we may be able to link it to the Scarlet Woman mentioned in III:43-45. Now this Scarlet Woman does not necessarily have to refer to any particular woman, but may instead be a reference to the Nephesh - the Animal Soul.

At the very least it puts a new spin on "a bun in the oven".

[Aeon418]

Just out of idle curiosity I thought I would count the word/letter totals of this verse. Doing so has brought up a few surprises in the past.

17 words and 66 letters. A possible reference to the "force" of R.H.K.?

17 = IAO

66 = a number of Magick, the Great Work, and the Qliphot, being the sum of the first 11 numbers. [1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11= 66]

[Aeon418]

This burn = Shin

Make cakes and eat = Tav

Another use = Qoph

[Aeon418]

Originally Posted by Jellybean

R.K.H. enters Yesod/womb to be born into Tiphareth. If the beetles are to be slain as enemies, the longer the swelling, the more beatles/enemies to be slain, so the closer one is to the HGA. R.K.H. fights himself in Yesod/moon/womb.

Just noticed your latest edit.

Instead of R.H.K. entering the womb I would suggest it is Osiris (the natural human who is dead in the sleep called life) that enters the womb/tomb and, after a few battles in the subconscious/underworld, is reborn as the Conquering Horus.

[Aeon418]

Just running with the cake symbolism a bit...

A tentative way to classify the ingredients of the Cakes of Light might be:

Meal = Earth (Malkuth)

Honey = Air. (Yesod) Bees fly and collect pollen from flowers which smell.

Olive oil = Water? (Hod)

Abramelin Oil = Fire. (Netzach) That one should be obvious.

Blood = Spirit (Tiphareth)

Classified in this way it's possible to see how the cake/perfume mix might be interpreted on a less literal and more symbolic level that represents the "raw ingredients" of the aspirant him/herself.

[Always Wondering]

Originally Posted by Aeon418

Just running with the cake symbolism a bit...

A tentative way to classify the ingredients of the Cakes of Light might be:

Meal = Earth (Malkuth)

Honey = Air. (Yesod) Bees fly and collect pollen from flowers which smell.

Olive oil = Water? (Hod)

Abramelin Oil = Fire. (Netzach) That one should be obvious.

Blood = Spirit (Tiphareth)

Classified in this way it's possible to see how the cake/perfume mix might be interpreted on a less literal and more symbolic level that represents the "raw ingredients" of the aspirant him/herself.

I missed this earlier. I like it. It works in my head somehow. I've had a bit of a hard time with these latest verses, they seem so physical or literal.

AW