[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Main Index][Thread Index]

# "The Golden Book of Wisdom"

#### Message 01789 of 3835

- To: "BardonPraxis" <BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: "The Golden Book of Wisdom"
- From: "Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>
- Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 12:23:11 -0800

    Dear Friends,

    Since things have been a bit slow around here at the BardonPraxis for
    the past day or two, I thought you all might enjoy this reply that I
    made to a question posed on the FranzBardonMagi list, yesterday. :)

    My best to you,
    :) Rawn Clark
    19 Nov 2003
    rawnclark@...
    rawn@...
    http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
    http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe

    ======================================
    >> but I was wondering if anyone could possibly give me a bit if
    information on how "Golden Book" is connected to The Emperor and how it
    would relate to the Tree in an Initiatory context. <<

    The Emperor (or Imperator) is associated with the Hebrew Letter Heh
    which, in the Jewish Kabbalistic tradition of the 32 Paths of Wisdom, is
    the Second Path connecting Kether to Chokmah. The Torah verse
    associated with Heh is:

    Genesis 1:2 -- "And the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was
    upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of Elohim hovered over the
    face of the waters."

    And the Path description from the "32 Paths of Wisdom" document reads:

    Path #2 -- "The second path is that of the illuminating consciousness.
    It is the crown (Kether) of creation (Briah), the splendor of the unity,
    like unto that which "exalts itself as the head over all." The masters
    of kabbalah call it the second glory."

    And to quote from my own commentary upon the 32 Paths of Wisdom:
    ========================
    Here we see the Kethric Light emanating down to Chokmah. This emanation
    of Light "crowns" Briah. In other words, it stands above the Briatic
    World of Chokmah-Binah. This descending illumination carries the
    "splendor" aspect of Kether, the Primal Glory. Therefore, Heh is called
    the "second glory" and is depicted in the Tarot as an Emperor who
    "exalts [him]self as the head over all." The Emperor may wear and
    personify the power that the Crown confers, but he is not the Crown
    itself.

    Heh represents the "first" non-sequential act of creation (Briah) which
    is/was/will-be a matter of Elohim turning Its attention "downward":
    Here, Elohim "does" nothing more than take notice of the state of
    potential and "hover over" attentively. Yet this divine attention is
    what ultimately sustains the universe since it provides the mental
    pattern for all that follows.
    ============================

    My understanding of what Bardon hoped to accomplish with the "Golden
    Book of Wisdom" is: 1) a theory section in which he discussed the occult
    anatomy of The One Self (i.e., the structure of the universe), and 2) a
    practical section in which he hoped to teach three things -- (a) the
    direct perception of essential meaning (or, in Bardon's own terms,
    "legality"), (b) a first hand, experiential understanding of the occult
    anatomy of The One Self, and (c) the *direct* creative manipulation of
    essential meaning / legality.

    I would think that the theory section and parts (a) and (b) of the
    practice section would have been *very* helpful for students at any Step
    of IIH and that section (c) of the practical section would perhaps only
    have been appropriate after mastery of Step Eight of IIH.

    In his introduction to the "Golden Book of Wisdom" Bardon stated:
    "The description of the fourth Tarot-card is of very great help
    for magicians, spheric magicians and also for quabbalists, for it makes
    them penetrate deeper into the secrets of wisdom and thereby enables
    them to solve the greatest problems. **This is not only possible from
    the point of view of knowledge, but -- what's more important -- from the
    point of cognition, i.e., the point of wisdom.** An initiate must be
    able to answer, at any time, any question that he may be asked. If he
    has taken the right way, he must be capable of solving any problem that
    he may be facing in connection with the universal laws."
    "Logically, it is not possible to accommodate and explain all
    the wisdom in only one book. Part of it though, is contained in this
    work. **Above all, the subject matter contained in the preceding three
    books is illuminated from many aspects, so that any practitioner who
    becomes absorbed in the study of what this book contains will become
    more acquainted with the universal laws and their effects by extending
    his consciousness and enlarging his knowledge.** The more he identifies
    himself with the comprehensive subject matter, the stronger will he be
    seized by the greatness of power of these laws, and he will be filled
    with unbounded awe, will look up to Divine Providence in humbleness."
    "Anyone who masters this Book of Wisdom completely will
    thoroughly know the foundations of hermetic philosophy and may be
    considered a hermetic philosopher from the standpoint of the universal
    laws."

    The foundation of Wisdom is the *direct perception of essential
    meaning*. With this faculty, the magician is able to understand any
    thing and any situation. In his "Golden Book of Wisdom", Bardon would
    have related his own *direct* perceptions of how our universe is
    structured, phrased in the "language of intellectuals". And, as was his
    way, he would invariably have included a section of exercises that
    reveal an initiatory path which trains the student in the faculties they
    will need to make their own *direct perceptions* and then how to make
    Wise, creative use of those perceptions and the Understanding that
    arises from them.

    Hence the Emperor -- one who is absolute sovereign over the "realm". In
    the standard Tarot image, he is enthroned and bears all the symbols of
    rulership. Personally, I prefer the image of the "Imperator" from the
    Tarocchi del Mantegna, which serves as the foundation of the image I
    developed in my "32 Paths of Wisdom Tarot" for the Letter Heh. In this
    image, the crowned and enthroned Imperator is gazing into a sphere that
    he holds in his left hand. At his feet, there stands a Raven. To my
    mind, this image presents a more accurate depiction of the branch of
    magic which pertains to the Letter Heh. It is about *direct perception*
    and about the levels of creative power that *direct perception* opens
    the initiate to.

    My best to you,
    :) Rawn Clark
    18 Nov 2003
    rawnclark@...
    rawn@...
    http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
    http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe

- Follow-Ups:
  - Mundane Relationships
    - From: Allen Kray <sourceport@...>

- Prev by Date: ABardonCompanion.com Website Update -- Self-Healing Archaeous: Lesson 8!
- Next by Date: Mundane Relationships
- Previous by thread: ABardonCompanion.com Website Update -- Self-Healing Archaeous: Lesson 8!
- Next by thread: Mundane Relationships
- Indexes:
  - Main
  - Thread

Main Index | Thread Index