We may now begin to understand what was meant by the next few words of the "Sepher Yetzirah" which states: "These Ten Numbers, beyond the universal One, have the boundless realms, boundless origin and end. . . ."
But we may turn aside for a moment, at this point, and consider the old system of the Qabalah, as perpetuated and expounded by the best commentators of the past.
Mention is made of the "Four Worlds" of the Qabalah. These are called Atziluth, the Archetypal World; Briah, the Creative World; Yetzirah, the Formative World; and Assiah, the Material World. These have been attributed to the Four Letters of the Ineffable Name IHVH. Sometimes these worlds have been allotted to the "Tree of Life" as follows: Atziluth and Yod (the Father) to Chokmah; Briah and He (the Mother) to Binah; Yetzirah and Vau (the Son) to Tiphereth as the King ruling over Chesed, Geburah, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (thus embracing six Sephiroth); and finally Assiah, as the Daughter or second He, to Malkuth. In this plan "Kether" seems to have no place. Again, sometimes the whole "Tree" is considered as if it were represented on Four Planes, one above the other, or interpenetrating each other. In this case we get 40 Sephiroth, Ten for each World; and for purposes of classification each Sephira was considered to contain another complete tree, so as to make in all 400, with a correspondingly great number of paths. This plan seems to have been little used for practical purposes; it is, of course, very complicated and difficult to conceive on Four Planes at the same time.
The only other attempt, that I am aware of, was to place the Diagram of one Tree above the other, so that the Kether of the Lowest touched the Malkuth of the next, and so on with the other two higher Worlds. Such an arrangement is shown in Mathers "Kaballah Unveiled," where the influences from the Archetypal World are shown descending, by means of arrows running along the Paths of the Flaming Sword (but, be it noted, there is no connecting path from Binah to Chesed on the Tree), and then through the Creative and Formative Worlds to Assiah, where the current ended in Malkuth of the Lowest Tree.
But no one seems to have shown a LIVING TREE with Its Roots in the Infinitely Small and its Branches spreading out to the Infinitely Great. Yet it is called the TREE OF LIFE. It would seem, in the past, it has been little better than the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
One can only account for Attainment by the Old System, as by the Grace of God. The "Paths" wrongly arranged (but the Sephiroth-corresponding to Grades fortunately in perfect Order) were confusing rather than illuminating; the method of progress leading to the Horrors of "The Abyss" between Chesed and Binah. However, that makes little difference if my surmise is correct (as explained in "The Egyptian Revival") that during this Aeon, Wisdom and Understanding are directly projected upon the Children of Earth, and the Abyss definitely Bridged.
But to return to the further development of this wonderful Plan. On Monday, April 16, I had occasion to visit a friend and Brother, who is a cunning craftsman and designer. He is a man of much intelligence, but not a deep Student of the Qabalah, his interest in this matter having dated from a cursory reading of "The Essence of the Practical Qabalah" followed by some study of "Q.B.L." a few weeks ago. I was impressed to ask his opinion of the New Plan, and found that he grasped its possibilities at once. We discussed it for some time and made a temporary sketch similar to the one I first drew (Fig. XXI). He offered to make me a careful drawing showing several progressions. The following day I called upon him again, when we made some further experiments together, and discussed the proper proportion of the Diameters of the Sephiroth in their relation to the Paths. It was noticed that the Paths from Chesed to Tiphereth, and from Geburah to Tiphereth, would generate a similar "Tree" between Tiphereth and Yesod in addition to the one between Yesod and Malkuth. Then he was illuminated by the Idea that an intermediate "Tree" extending from the Center of Tiphereth to the Center of Malkuth should be formed, and another one half the size, between the Center of Yesod and the Center of Malkuth. This Idea produced startling results. The Second Tree was exactly Half the Height of the First, and the Third, Half that of the Second (perfect octaves). The Size of the Sephiroth should progress accordingly, and be based upon the original generating Circles of the whole Tree. It was then found that the Kether of the Second was in the Center of the Tiphereth of the First, and its Tiphereth in the Yesod of the First, while its Malkuth was in the First Malkuth.
The Third "Tree" had its Kether in the Yesod of the First, and the Tiphereth of the Second; while its Malkuth was again in the Center of the Malkuth of Both. In other words, the CENTER of MALKUTH represented the INFINITELY SMALL, and the Triple Trees went on Increasing in Size by octaves to Infinity, while MALKUTH continued to EXPAND about its OWN CENTER.
The accompanying Plate will show this marvelous Plan in great clearness of detail.
At this point we must clearly realize that since the Plan of the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom is ever increasing in orderly progression towards the Infinitely Great, or Nuit, and at the same time contracting in the same proportions towards the Infinitely Small, or Hadit, the Concealed Father of All, it is no longer proper for us to talk of the Influence as ascending or descending. But, since the extremely minute is more quickly lost to view, and on account of the inconvenience and difficulty of making a drawing of a very small size, we must start from a Central Point in Malkuth, and discuss the subject as if the "Tree" were increasing in size from that Point.
Thus, for convenience, we shall now call the smallest visible Tree in our Design, the First, the next larger, the Second, and so on for the necessary number of progressions.
The Central Dot in Malkuth of the First Tree represents Hadit. This should be considered as an unextended Point of Light or Pure Essence of Being, the true complement of the Infinitely Great and unknown Body of Nuit which is beyond our utmost conception of the expansion of the Greatest Tree we can imagine. The small Circle around this "Point" is Malkuth of the First Tree, and the Tree itself may, for convenience, be considered as growing up out of Malkuth, just like any other tree in proper soil. The True Kether is concealed within this as the Essence of Life and Form is within the Seed. When we reach the "Manifested Kether" of the First Tree it will be very much like the most perfect fruit containing within it the "seed" of further progression.
We have been accustomed to consider the "Tree of Life" as descending from Kether, but now that we realize that the "Tree" grows to Infinity, we cannot conceive of a starting point at the Top, so as to work downwards. We must start from the Center and work outwards and upwards.
It will not be possible for me to give all the details of this marvelous plan, but I may point out a few interesting features, leaving the Student to add the results of his own researches, as time goes on.
I am of course adopting the "Reformulated Plan of the Paths" but some may prefer to arrange them otherwise; it makes no difference to the general geometrical design.
The Correspondences of Attributions of the First Tree will therefore remain exactly the same as previously given. Each aspirant will have to fulfill the necessary requirements of mastering the "Ideas" connected therewith, as before. He will have to Attain, as formerly, before the Fuller Consciousness comes to him; but there are additional "clues" to his progress which are most valuable.
For instance: If he commences his Journey by the Path of Aleph, the Pure Fool, leading from Malkuth to Yesod, when he has traveled half-way up this Path, he will obtain an additional influx of Power from the corresponding Path on the Second Tree. He will have reached the circumference of the Second Malkuth. On arrival in Yesod, he will have contacted the circumference of Malkuth of the Third Tree. Let us consider his progress up the Central Pillar first; supposing it to be possible for him thus to travel in perfect equilibrium from the start.
On the Path of Mem or "The Hanged Man," which is attributed to "Water," he will receive the additional Power of the "Air" from the Path of Aleph in the Second Tree, till he reaches the First Tiphereth. That is to say, for instance, he will find a greater use for Pranayama; and so on. But before he enters Tiphereth he will already be receiving the benefit of the Influence of the Yesod of the Second Tree, which he will have contacted after crossing the Reciprocal Path of "The Hierophant" or Taurus. All the way from the First Yesod to "The Abyss" he will be receiving the still higher power of Aleph of the Third Tree.
As he beings his ascent from the First Tiphereth he will do so by the Path of "Shin" or "The Great Judgment." This is the Way of the Triple Spirit and of Fire, but thereon he will also feel the influence of "The Hanged Man" from the Second Tree, as well as from "The Fool" of the Third.
On crossing the "Path of Death" he will leave behind him the influence of Yesod of the Second Tree, but half-way across the Abyss he will contact the Influence of the "Hierophant" of the Second, and at the same moment enter the sphere of Yesod of the Third Tree.
Next, he will cross the Path of the "Star" or Aquarius, on the primary Tree, contacting immediately the Tiphereth of Tree Number Two, through the aura of which he passes on to the First Kether Attainment. During this journey up the Central Pillar, his original Malkuth will have doubled in diameter on the Path of Aleph, doubled again when he reached Yesod, again on reaching Tiphereth, and once more on his attainment to Kether, which then Crowns his Work. Thus the First Kether Attainment is representative of the Fifth Visible Progression of the Sphere of Malkuth, after which the Aspirant begins to contact the Sixth progression of the Whole Tree, and from that point in his Career, every further progression of Malkuth will touch the center of a Higher Kether, to Infinity. But as the Sixth visible Progression of Malkuth contacts the Second visible Kether; the Seventh, the Third; and so on, there will always seem to be Four untraveled Trees between. It may be that these represent the "Four Worlds" of the Qabalah, and that he must in reality always progress in the Four Worlds simultaneously.
It will be noticed that the Path of Beth, or Wisdom, leading from the first Malkuth to Hod, the Sphere of Mercury, contains, essentially, all the Powers of Mercury or "The Magician" to Infinity in that direction; since this Path leads to larger and larger "Hods" in regular sequence.
Similarly, the Path of Daleth or Love, "The Empress," or Venus, leading to Netzach, continues to Infinity in that direction also. So we find all Love and Wisdom concentrated in the center of Malkuth. Since all the "Three Mothers," Aleph, Mem, and Shin, interblend on the Middle Pillar, these Powers are also fully concentrated in the Center of Malkuth, and conversely, proceed from It.
In regard to the other Paths and Sephiroth of the First Tree-and this applies equally to All the Trees we may point out that Netzach and Hod will always be found in the exact Centers of the Paths of Venus and Mercury on the next larger Tree.
Chesed and Geburah are always exactly in the Centers of the Paths of Cancer, "The Chariot," and Luna, "The High Priestess," of the next larger Tree.
Chokmah and Binah will always have their Centers in Leo, the path of "Strength," and Gemini, or "The Lovers," of the next progressed Tree.
Kether always appears in the Center of the next Tiphereth, and of the following Yesod, to infinity. In other words, the Light is always within the Life of the Sun, and the Sun within the Body of the Moon.
The Reciprocal Path of "The Hierophant" will always have an influence horizontally across the Abyss of the next Tree below. The path of the "Hanged Man" will always leave Him suspended from the Reciprocal path of "The Star" or Aquarius of the "next" tree, while he is seen below Tiphereth on his own Tree. This is exactly where he is mystically supposed to be according to the old system of the paths, although he was otherwise assigned.
It is a matter of almost unending interest to trace out these
various combinations, but there are even more important
considerations ahead of us. We must leave the Student to work
things out in his own way, and pass on to wider fields of study.
During the afternoon of April 17th, after obtaining a glimpse of the foregoing possibilities while discussing the details of this Plan, a still wider conception dawned upon me.
Since the Center of Malkuth has become the Point from which All proceeds, why should the Tree grow only in one Direction?
What we have been calling the "lower" part of the Tree is in the form of an Equilateral Triangle, and the Progression of the Trees only increases the size of this indefinitely. Surely there must be Six such Trees, forming a Star, and so filling every direction of two-dimensional space.
This seemed to throw light on some little understood passages of the "Sepher Yetzirah," which I shall now further quote. It will be remembered that the last words we studied in that connection were: "These Ten Numbers, beyond the universal One, have the boundless realms, boundless origin and end," but the verse goes on: "an abyss of good and one of evil, boundless height and depth, East and West, North and South, and the one only God and King, faithful for ever seated on his throne, shall rule over all, for ever and ever."
This is striking evidence that our Plan is that which was intended to be conveyed by the Author of this mysterious treatise. I may now quote the remaining verses in the First Chapter, since these make the matter still clearer.
"These ten Sephiroth which are ineffable, whose appearance is like scintillating flames, have no end, but are infinite. The word of God is in them as they burst forth, and as the return; they obey the divine command, rushing along as a whirlwind, and returning to prostrate themselves at his throne."
This seems fairly understandable in the Light of the Two Infinites with the manifested Universe, Ever-becoming, between Them.
"These ten Sephiroth which are, moreover, ineffable, have their end even as their beginning, conjoined, even as is a flame to a burning coal: for our God is superlative in his unity, and does not permit any second one. And who canst thou place before the only one?"
In other words, Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, are a Perfect Three in One.
"And as to this Decad of the Sephiroth, restrain thy lips from comment, and thy mind from thought of them, and if thy heart fail thee, return to thy place; therefore is it written 'The living creatures ran and returned,' and on this wise was the covenant made with us."
This means that since the "Tree" is everywhere the same in every part of space, once its general attributions are fixed in the mind, it is not well to confuse ourselves by too much attempt at progressed expansion of the idea. Rather we should return and contemplate the Center from which All proceeds, thus obtaining the Pure Essence Here and Now.
"These are the ten emanations of number. One is the Spirit of the Living God, blessed and more than blessed be the name of the Living God of the Ages. The Holy Spirit is his Voice, his Spirit, and his Word."
This is very similar to the instruction in Liber Legis: "Be thou Hadit my secret center, my heart and my tongue," but CCXX is a new Covenant, and goes much further than the old one recorded in the Sepher Yetzirah.
"Second, from the Spirit be made Air and formed for speech, twenty-two letters, three of which are mothers, A, M, Sh; seven are double, B, G, D, K, P, R, Th; and twelve are single, E, V, Z, Ch, T, I, L, N, S, O, Tz, Q; but the spirit is first among these. Third, PRIMITIVE WATER HE ALSO FORMED AND DESIGNED FROM HIS SPIRIT, and from the void and formless made earth even as a rampart, or the standing wall, and VARIED ITS SURFACE AS THE CROSSING OF BEAMS. Fourth, from the Water, He designed Fire, and from it formed to himself a throne of honor, with the Auphanim, Seraphim, Holy Animals, and ministering Angels, and with these he formed his dwelling, as it is written in the text 'Who makest his angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire.' (Psalm 104, v. 4)"
Note the reference to the design made from Primitive Water by the Spirit, and also about the "crossed beams" or Paths of the Tree. His thrones of Honor, are the Manifested Kethers. Holy animals refer to the Zodiac, etc.
"He selected three letters from the simple ones, and sealed them as forming his great Name IHV and he sealed the universe in SIX DIRECTIONS.
"Five. He looked above, and sealed the height, with IHV.
"Six. He looked below and sealed the deep with IVH.
"Seven. He looked forward, and sealed the East, with HIV.
"Eight. He looked backward, and sealed the West, with VHI.
"Nine. He looked to the right, and sealed the South, with VIH.
"Ten. He looked to the left, and sealed the North, with HVI.
"These are the ten ineffable existences, the Spirit of the Living God, Air, Water, Fire, Height and Depth, East and West, North and South."
So ends the first Chapter of this mysterious treatise, and there is little doubt that our Six-fold Star is the solution of the problem which has puzzled to Qabalists for so many Centuries. With its Center it forms the Heptad.
Let us now examine the Design of this wonderful new Star, as drawn in such minute detail.
A glorious vista opens before us-Infinite Space in the Form of a Pure Snow Flake. What could be a better way of "Fixing the Design in its Purity"? What more likely, since all things are said to have proceeded from the Primal Water under the action of Spirit, than that the Substance should Crystallize in exactly the same way that any drop of water, or any crystal, is found to take form under the direction of the lines of polar force which always form six radiating lines or axes in every rain drop which becomes a snow-flake?
Surely this is a pure enough conception of the beginning of all things and the infinite progression of this manifested universe. Scientifically it can hardly be denied.
Thus the Pure Essence of the Soul of Man may also crystallize and become a Center of the Great Star. This may take place at any point in space and at any moment in time, for the Center of the Infinite is Everywhere and the Circumference Nowhere.
What a vista of Attainment opens up before every human being, for we have been told in Liber Legis:
"Every man and every woman is a star." Also "Every number is infinite; there is no difference."
But let us consider a few more details of this Divine Plan. What changes have really occurred owing to our Multiplication of the Stone of the Wise?
Netzach and Hod and the Paths of Venus and Mercury -- which before were seen to progress directly to infinity -- have now become forever united. There is no difference; Love is ever under Will. Again, these Combined Paths are exactly equal to the Paths of Aleph, Mem, and Shin which formed the equilibrated Middle Pillar, for the Father and Mother together equal the Child. Every Path radiating from the Center is now Equilibrated or Balanced. The combined Sphere of Netzach-Hod or Venus-Mercury is always to be found exactly between the Spheres of Binah and Chokmah of the Two Trees of the Scale below. Also the combined Paths of Venus-Mercury always lie exactly between the Spheres of Chesed and Geburah, or Mercy and Severity of the "Tree" below, and so on to Infinity.
All else remains the same, but there is no longer any possibility of unbalanced progress.
But we must not forget the instructions in Liber Legis, which is of the utmost importance. "The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs. Worship then the Khabs and behold my light shed over you!" We must Worship the Central Point which is concealed in Malkuth and in the Center of our Being; then only will the True Light of Infinity be shed upon us. If we fail in this, seeking in the outer, our minds fall back, failing to grasp that which is beyond our finite vision. "The Living Creatures run and return" and having returned, the Illusions of Space and Time are exchanged for the Everpresent Here and Now. The Introduction to this treatise should now be more clearly understandable to the average reader. We can see how the Light or Fruit of Light, the Six Kethers, are always First in Advance towards the Infinite without. Next follows the progress of the Life or Soul of Nature and of Man, then follows the regular progression of the Sphere of Malkuth in ever-widening Circles as "Matter" eats up "Form" and the "Form" comprehends the Efficient Cause, which is itself the manifestation of the Invisible Final Cause.
But Malkuth is also Nuit, for "Matter" or "Substance" is continuous, so it is equally true to say that she contracts upon Hadit the Invisible Center, or that He Expands towards Her Infinite Girth. Ra-Hoor-Khuit, with His twin Hoor-Pa-Kraat hidden within Him, may be called Heru-Ra-Ha as the Crowned Child, the whole Manifest Universe in Time and Space, which is the Star 418.
This, too, is the Great Hexagram of the Macrocosm, but what of the Pentagram, the Microcosm, MAN?
Another great Mystery lies before us, needing only to be Brought to Light, as will be shown in the next Chapter.