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CHAPTER EIGHT
CONCERNING NUMBERS, SYMBOLS AND MATTERS COGNATE.

The Three Interpretations of the Numbers from 1 to 10, given in "The Equinox" Volume 1. Number 5 [see], are so brief, concise and clear, that I am fain to depart from my intention to refrain from using books of reference and, with due acknowledgments to Fra. P., quote the passages in full.

I.

0. The Negative-the Infinite-the Circle, or the Point.

1. The Unity - the Positive - the Finite - the Line, derived from 0 by extension. The divine Being.

2. The Dyad - the Superfices, derived from 1 by reflection 1/1 or by revolution of the line around its end. The Demiurge. The Divine Will.

3. The Triad, the Solid, derived from 1 and 2 by addition. Matter. The divine Intelligence.

4. The Quaternary, the solid existing in Time, matter as we know it. Derived from 2 by multiplication. The Divine Repose.

5. The Quinary, Force or Motion. The interplay of the divine Will with matter. Derived from 2 and 3 by addition.

6. The Senary, Mind. Derived from 2 and 3 by multiplication.

7. The Septenary, Desire. Derived from 3 and 4 by addition (There is however a secondary attribution of 7, making it the holiest and most perfect of the numbers).

8. The Ogdoad, Intellect (also Change in Stability). Derived from 2 and 3 by multiplication, 8=2³.

9. The Ennead, Stability in Change. Derived from 2 and 3 by multiplication, 9 = 3².
(Note, all numbers divisible by nine are still so divisible, however the order of the figures is shifted.)

10. The Decad, the divine End. Represents 1 returning to 0. Derived from 1+2+3+4.

11. The Hendecad, the accursed shells, that only exist without the divine Tree. 1+1=2, in the evil sense of not being 1.

II.

0. The Cosmic Egg.

1. The Self of Deity, beyond Fatherhood and Motherhood.

2.. The Father.

3. The Mother.

4. The Father made flesh - authoritative and Paternal.

5. The Mother made flesh - fierce and active.

6. The Son-partaking of all these natures.

7. The Mother degraded to mere animal emotion.

8. The Father degraded to mere animal reason.

9. The Son degraded to mere animal life.

10. The Daughter, fallen and touching with her hands the shells.

It will be noticed that this order represents creation as progressive degeneration - which we are compelled to think of as evil. In the human organism the same arrangement will be noticed.

III.

0. The Pleroma of which our individuality is the monad: the "All-Self".

1. The Self - the divine Ego of which man is rarely conscious.

2. The Ego; that which thinks "I" - a falsehood, because to think "I" is to deny "not - I" and thus create the Dyad.

3. The Soul; since 3 reconciles 2 and 1, here are placed the aspirations to divinity. It is also the receptive as 2 is the assertive self.

4-9. The Intellectual Self, with its branches:

4. Memory.
5. Will.
6. Imagination.
7. Desire.
8. Reason.
9. Animal being.

6. The Conscious Self of the Normal Man; thinking itself free, and really the toy of its surroundings.

9. The Unconscious Self of the Normal Man. Reflex actions, circulation, breathing, digestion, etc., all pertain here.

10. The illusory physical envelope; the scaffolding of the building.

The above quotations will give the Student food for thought, and should be carefully studied in the light of what has been written in the previous chapters.

The study of the numbers above Ten involves a great deal of work, and far too lengthy an explanation for this brief treatise. In the SEPHER SEPIIIROTH (to be found in "The Equinox" Vol. 1, Number 8), we have a more or less complete Qabalistic Dictionary of Numbers and their corresponding Words. This book is quite invaluable. The Student, as time goes on and he advances upon the Path, finds CERTAIN NUMBERS are of peculiar importance to him, and these become so closely associated with his Work, that they form Keys to the innermost recesses of his being. These will not always be the same for each student, rather each must discover his own, sometimes by years of toil. The writer has found the Numbers 0, 1, 13, 31, 861 93, 111, 136, 141, 165, 300, 418, 419, 496, 620, 777, 913, 963, all very closely associated with his Work, besides, in a more general way, such great Numbers as 65, 78, 156, 666, etc.

It is not within the scope of this work to discuss the many wonderful things that have arisen in connection with the above Numbers, as far as the author is concerned, but in order to give the Student some idea of the Nature of the Sepher Sephiroth, and how words may be connected through their numerical value, I will take 31 numbers and their equivalents as an example. The first 24 of these numbers have been chosen simply on account of their close juxtaposition on the TREE of LIFE. The others, being of the Grand Scale, are interesting on that account. I commence with 12, since 1 and 2 are Kether and Chokmah, then 13, as 1 and 3=Kether and Binah, and so on.

The foregoing will give the Student some little material to work upon, and to experiment with, in tracing out some of the correspondences for himself, though he needs "The Sepher Sephiroth" for reference and further research. Also he will find "The Essay on Number" in "The Temple of Solomon the King," [see] Equinox Vol. I, Number 5 [see], and "A Note on Genesis," [see] Equinox Volume I, Number 2 [see], of tremendous help and value.

We may now give an example of the way in which we may use the TAROT SYMBOLS for the interpretation of certain WORDS. The relation of these Symbols to the Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, each spelt in full, has been ably shown in one of the articles mentioned above, but I do not know that any attempt has been made to interpret the Names of the 10 Sephiroth in a similar manner.

The Symbolism of the Tarot Trumps being Universal, many interpretations could be given representing different planes. Here is one, which came to me yesterday, which if deeply MEDITATED upon, may prove illuminating.

AN ATTEMPT TO INTERPRET THE NAMES OF THE SEPHIROTH FROM MALKUTH TO KETHER BY TAROT. Fra∴ Aleph June 12,1922, E. V.

The Student should take his Tarot Cards and study them very carefully in connection with the above, and it may be well if he try to obtain other interpretations, say in the order from Kether to Malkuth, representing the Descent of the Light from above.

He should also study the Shape and Parts of the "Tree of Life" itself, and he will notice that the whole forms an ANKH or Egyptian Key of Life, which is again the symbol of Venus. It should be noticed how the "Tree" forms Three Pillars, those of Mercy and Severity, with the Pillar of Mildness between them. Again, the Hexagram is formed by the Upper Six Sephiroth, and the lines of the Pentagram may be drawn by connecting the upper Five. The "Tree" can be divided into Seven Planes, etc., etc. In fact, one cannot exhaust the possibilities of its study.

I should like to remark once again, however, that this is, after all, just a CONVENIENT MEANS OF CLASSIFICATION. Sometimes we desire to Symbolize ALL as Unity, and we should probably use merely a Circle or Point. Again, there is the DUAL Aspect. Then the Great THREE-FOLD DIVISION as the TRINITY. Then the FOUR-FOLD nature of the ELEMENTS can be expressed as a SQUARE or CROSS. But once we use the CROSS, there is the POINT OF INTERSECTION indicating the Hidden SPIRIT, so we adopt the Great FIVEFOLD classification of THE PENTAGRAM, Symbol of THE MICROCOSM, MAN. Again we wish to symbolize our correspondence to the MACROCOSM and we use the HEXAGRAM, or SIXFOLD STAR, upon which we place the Planetary Symbols and the Holy Seven-fold Name ARARITA, for this Star has a CENTRE which is attributed to The SUN and this makes it also a SEVEN-FOLD means of classification. Next comes our TEN-FOLD QABALISTIC TREE of LIFE, with all its possibilities of extension through the 22 paths, 4 Worlds, etc. and its TAROT ATTRIBUTIONS. These, again, can just as well be expressed in the form of a Great Wheel, with the TWELVE SIGNS of the ZODIAC on its rim, and it is from the Rulers of the Decanates that the Divinatory meanings of the Small Cards are obtained. Lastly, since this Wheel has a CENTRE it expresses THIRTEEN, and we may arrange our Zodiacal attributions on a GREEK CROSS of THIRTEEN SQUARES with SPIRIT at the CENTRE. So, you see, you must not think the Plans are fixed, they can always be interchanged, according to the Nature of that aspect we most desire to make prominent.

But remember, in all this diversity, is the One underlying UNITY, which itself arose from that which is NOT.

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