Magical Golden Dawn |
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THE TREE OF LIFE The Archetypal World, the World of Air is separated from the rest of the Tree of Life by an Abyss "of endless breadth, depth and width." It's so deep you can't see the bottom of the pit, you can't see anything as you look down except endless space. It's so wide it appears to go in either direction forever. The other side is so far away you can't see it. You're not even sure there is another side. Standing on the edge of this abyss, it feels like you're standing on the edge of the world looking out into nothingness. At least, that's what most of the mystics who've been there have to say. Yet, when we look at the Tree of Life, we see paths connecting each of the three top-most spheres to each other. We also see five paths from these three crossing the Abyss; one from The Creator and two from both the Father and Mother Archetypes. These five paths are called The Impassible Paths because crossing the Abyss is impossible until and unless you've completed all the requirements to do so. We'll discuss those requirements over the next couple of months, But in short, they can all be summed up in the admonition to love your Creator and your neighbor as yourself. The Abyss not only separates the World of Air from the rest of the Tree of Life, it reflects the first three Sephira into the next level of the Tree. As a result of this reflection, the second triangle is upside down relative to the first. It is a reflection like a pool of water might reflect that which is above it. If the second triangle on the Tree is a reflection of the first, then the second triangle isn't real at all. It's just a reflection. Reflections aren't real. Some of the modern theories about the birth of the universe would agree with this point of view. The modern concept accepted by most physicists is the universe is a hologram within the mind of some vast intelligence. It doesn't take much of a leap of faith to believe that Intelligence is the Creator as expressed through the Father and Mother Archetypes. Science continues to prove the Gnostic viewpoint in all things. The Sepher Yetzirah, which is the first written document we know as the Qabala, teaches that Spirit breathed (Air) and from this breath came the "The Great Waters." Air came first and Water second. The Sepher Yetzirah continues explaining that Water carried Fire in Her belly. Desire (Fire) comes from the belly and is a combination of Air and Water but desire (Fire) is born of Water. Desire is born from our emotions. Here's a little exercise to help you understand the Abyss a little better: Stand in front of a mirror. Point both your index fingers like guns. Point these "guns" at the mirror and slowly move them forward until they touch the mirror. In this example, your shoulders are the Father and Mother Archetypes above the Abyss. The reflection of your shoulders are Daughter and Son on the other side of the Abyss. The mirror represents the Abyss. Both your arms and the reflection of your arms are the connecting path between these spheres. They connect at the mirror but each remains in its own world and does not encroach into the world of the other. This is actually a fairly good analogy. The spheres above the Abyss are in a different world than those below. The spheres below are a reflection of the spheres above. The spheres above are connected to the spheres below through the Abyss. But since that which is above and that which is below the Abyss do not cross the Abyss, this connection is between two different kinds of things. The two kinds of things do not mix, they connect. They touch each other at the Abyss. The only thing that crosses the Abyss is our consciousness. Our bodies never cross the Abyss nor does our personality. Our thoughts, ideas, memories, and attitudes cross the Abyss but our emotions and our desires do not. When we cross over the Abyss from above all we bring with us is our thoughts, ideas, and attitudes. We leave our memories behind in the World of Air, the World of Archetypes. [ Part Four ] |
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