Greek Kabala

8/16/2019 Greek Kabala

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Greek KabalaPart 1

by Jack Courtis

We are familiar with Hebrew kabala to such an extent, that we assume that this is the only kind of kabala there is. Not so.

The basic point about kabala is that in languages that have no symbols for numbers, letters stand for numbers and numbers stand for letters. This was true of both the Greek and Hebrew languages at thetime of hrist. The significance of this is that the !ld Testament was written in Hebrew and the NewTestament was written in Greek. Therefore there was a Hebrew kabala and there was a Greek kabala.Thus a word could be translated into a number and a number could be translated into a word. Theclassic example of Hebrew kabala is from the !ld Testament"

• #n Genesis we are told of the $erpent who is called in Hebrew, Nachash. The total numericalvalue of his name is %&'.

• (t the time of hrist, the )ews were expecting the Messiah, whose numerical value is also%&'.

• Thus the $erpent that brings the *all is also the +essiah who brings the edemption.

• -ut there is more. The number %&' consists of the %rd, th and &th numbers in the *ibonacciseries" /, 0, 3, 5, 8, /%, 0/, %, &&, '12.. This series of numbers is related to the Greek

mystical number ϕalso known as the golden number . #t is the way in which to calculate and

draw geometrically, the mean and extreme ratios. #n turn, this was one way in which theGreeks taught the abstract principle of the Logos. *urther, the numbers %, and &, describethe 3ythagorean Triangle. #ts internal angles are 144, %54 and &%4. The Hebrewword mem 6water7 has the value of 14. This is the 8living water8 or 8elixir of life8, of theosicrucian 3hilosophers. #n the Confessio Fraternitatis, the osicrucians give %5 reasons for their existence. The Hebrew word ehben 6stone7 has a value of &%. This is the 8$tone8 of theosicrucian alchemists. *inally, the Hebrew name Moses has a value of %&. These arerandom examples to give you an idea of what is going on.

Now for the classic example of Greek kabala in the New Testament, from the (pocalypse of )ohn ch/% v /' 69ing )ames version7" 8Here is wisdom. :et him that hath understanding count the number of the beast" for it is the number of a man; and his number is $ix hundred threescore and six.8 #n Greek,

the key phrase" 82..και ο αριθµος αυτου χξς 8 6and his number is


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Testaments are written in code and it takes a great deal of effort to understand it. However crackingthe code brings Wisdom and @nderstanding in their kabalistic sense. $o much has been written aboutHebrew kabala that it is not proposed to repeat much of that here. #nstead we shall concentrate onGreek kabala in order to gain an appreciation of early hristianity.

The Greek and Hebrew alphabets have a common origin and therefore it is not surprising that we

shall find similarities between the two forms of kabala. Thus the Greek and Hebrew Trees of :ife havea very similar structure but subtle differences in their paths. *irst the Hebrew Tree. #ts structure isderived from Genesis h / where"

• There are /4 references to 8God said8;

• There are % references to 8God made8;

• There are 5 references to 8God saw8; and

• There are /0 single references to 8God8.

Thus there are /4 sefirot , % horiAontal paths, 5 vertical paths and /0 diagonal paths. The Hebrew Treeof :ife is shown below.

The Hebrew alphabet has 00 letters and an internal structure of % +others, 5 Boubles and /0 $ingles.The Greek alphabet has 0 letters and an internal structure of & alchemical letters, 5 planetary lettersand /0 Aodiacal letters. The correlation is very close. The difference is that the % Hebrew +othersconsist of only % alchemical letters" alef 6air7, mem 6water7 and shin 6fire7; whereas the & Greekalchemical letters correlate to all & elements, aether, air, fire, water, earth. Thus the Hebrew schemelacks the activating principle of aether and the grounding principle of earth.


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-oth the Greek and Hebrew Trees have /4 spheres" in Greek sferes 6plural7 and sfera 6singular7;while in Hebrew sefirot 6plural7 and sefira 6singular7. Notice the similarities= We have seen thederivation of the /4 sefirot of the Hebrew Tree. How are the /4 spheres of the Greek Tree derived= #nthe (pocalypse of )ohn /"', hrist says"

Εγω€ ειµι€ το ... Α€ και . το ..€ Ω ..... αρχη ... και €€ τελος€

# am the (lfa and the !mega beginning and ending

How many words do you see= There are /4. *or reasons that we shall see in 3art 0 of this

series, αρχη is more properly translated as 8*irst 3rinciple8. *urther, τελος means 8ending8 in the (ristotelian sense of 8purpose8. That is in the *irst 3rinciple there is the purpose for which the 8# am8exists. (ll of this becomes intelligible on the Greek Tree of :ife.

-oth Trees have % pillars with similar meanings. We shall deal with that topic separately.

:et us now turn our attention to the /4 spheres of the Greek Tree of :ife and its 0 paths. The namesof the spheres and pillars are adopted from the New Testament and the Greek !rthodox liturgy writtenby $t )ohn hrysostomos in the & th century C. The attributions of the paths are taken from early

Greek hristian and Gnostic sources. Hidden subtly in the structure of the paths is the 8ascent of thesoul8 that is explained in great detail in the Gnostic Books of Ieou. :ook for the order of the planets. #tis the 3tolemaic order and is Duite different from the order on the Hebrew Tree. This difference pointsto a different theology and a different way to salvation.


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There are three issues for us to consider in our personal search for salvation, using the Greek Tree of :ife"

/. The attribution of the Greek letters to alchemy and astrology means that we can translate thetitles of the Greek spheres into our personal alchemical and astrological functions. This isbecause of the Hermetic principle of" as (bove, so -elow. The Tree of :ife is a kosmicblueprint for our internal spiritual structure.

0. The ascent of the soul that is portrayed on the Tree, gives us a clue as to how to direct our lives with the clear intention of influencing our future incarnations.

%. We can relate the spheres and paths of the Greek Tree to the Gospels and derive a newappreciation of theology.


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These issues will be taken up in the following articles of this series.

*inally, the relationship between Greek and Hebrew kabala is analogous to the relationship of the*ibonacci spirals on a sunflower head. They are very similar, but different and need to be seentogether in order to be understood properly. !bserve the diagram below.

We shall get a true appreciation of the subtle nature of the scriptures when we see how the two Treesof :ife interact.

#n the previous article, we mentioned the translation of the names of the Greek spheres, into their alchemical and astrological attributions, so that we can gain a deeper understanding of them. To dothat, we must know what the attributions are. The table below shows us those attributions and revealseven more subtle relationships. The Greek alphabet in both upper and lower case 6and its Cnglishtransliteration7 is attributed as follows"

Name Greek English Number Attribute Meaning

(lfa Α , α (, a / Moon /st chakra

-eta Β , β -, b 0 (ries Head

Gamma Γ , γ G, g % Taurus Throat

Belta ∆ , δ B, d Gemini $houlders

Cpsilon Ε , ε C, e & Mercury 0nd chakra

Eeta Ζ , ζ E, A 5 ancer hest

Cta Η , η #, i ' Venus %rd chakra

Theta Θ , θ Th, th 1 Earth F see below

#ota Ι , ι #, # /4 Sun th chakra

9appa Κ , κ 9, k 04 :eo Heart


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:ambda Λ , λ :, l %4 irgo $tomach

+i Μ , µ +, m 4 :ibra #ntestines

Ni Ν , ν N, n &4 $corpio Genitals

i Ξ , ξ , x


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it. Water is attributed to what he called the 8epithymetic soul8 which has to do with feelingsand emotions. Air is attributed to what he called the 8irascible soul8 that we now refer to as leftbrain thinking. We use this as a description for logic and the kind of thinking we do for science. Fire is attributed by him to the 8rational soul8 that we now refer to as right brainthinking. This has to do with vision, imagination and inspiration. Aether is mysterious becauseit is the divinity within us. !ur society still has no analogy for it.

• !nce the letters are placed on the Greek Tree of :ife, we have the basis for a new theology. (hint will be given here. There are % groups of letters" /0 Aodiacal, 5 planetary, & alchemical.There are % inner Journeys; the combined, the masculine and the feminine. This point will betaken up in a later article.

:et us begin our consideration of theology by looking at the meanings of the spheres on the diagram

of the Tree of :ife that appears below. Note that the spheres start with Αρχη 6*irst 3rinciple7 as / and

finish withΒασιλεια 69ingdom7 as /4. That is from top to bottom. However the paths begin from thebottom 6alfa7 and proceed to the top 6omega7. This is the reverse of the Hebrew Tree of :ife, wherethe paths go from top to bottom. This difference between the Greek and Hebrew Trees, points to adifferent view of theology and therefore to a different salvation. The view of theology that we shall

develop is very much concerned with salvation. :et us look at the Greek Tree below and begin the Journey of the spheres.


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Sphere ! ρ χ η "Arche# $irst %rinciple

The word Arche appears in the opening statement of the Gospel of )ohn. (ll of creation emanatesfrom this sphere. Great confusion has been generated in the past by the conventional translation of )ohn /"/. :et us have it in Greek and then in Cnglish"

Εναρχηηνολογος 2 usually translated as2..8#n the beginning was the word2.8.

This creates unwarranted confusion because it implies time and therefore a literal historical meaning,instead of a more profound metaphysical meaning. (fter all, if there is a beginning then time is beingmeasured from some point by someone. To make the confusion even worse, this passage of scriptureis compared with Genesis h / as if they were identical theological statements. They are not. #t willtake some effort to untangle the mischief, so please stay with us.

The problem is that Greek is a sophisticated and subtle language. Cnglish is not comparable. $omemetaphysical Greek words are able to carry different nuances of meaning that simply cannot be


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of the feminine Journey. The fourth letter η 6eta7 is attributed to the %rd chakra and to enus. This is thethird step in the masculine Journey and the full description of the experience is in the third :etter of the (pocalypse 0"/0K/5, to 3ergamon. This path connects Greatness and ictory on the Tree. Thisindeed is a description of the experience.

We now have a formula for understanding the *irst 3rinciple. We must experience the paths of the

+oon, apricorn, Fire and enus. #t implies that we must travel the paths of the Tree before we cantruly comprehend the *irst 3rinciple. That is as it should be. This experience has to be assimilated inour normal lives in order to be the basis for salvation.

We shall continue to investigate the Greek Tree of :ife in subseDuent articles. !nce we have itsoutline, we shall consider the % Journeys" the combined, the masculine and the feminine.

Greek 9abala

%art &

by Jack Courtis

We are on a Journey to salvation, but we need a new view of theology because our old view has failedus. #f you dispute this statement, simply ask yourself whether you are 8saved8. With all the pain in your

life, the failures, the disappointments, the hurts, where is your salvation= (fter 0,444 years of our old

view of theology, the world has not advanced morally or spiritually. Where is the worldIs salvation= #t is

time to try something new. 3aradoxically, our new view of theology is based on something very old,

the Greek kabala of the New Testament and the Greek Tree of :ife. :et us continue the Journey by

looking at the second sphere of Σοφια 6Wisdom7.

$phere 0 K Σοφια 6$ofia7 Wisdom

The word 'ofia appears in the New Testament in < different contexts. *ortunately for us, its meaning

is basically the same" wisdom. -ut do we really understand what this means= #t is easy to accept

that 'ofiais an emanation from Arche 6*irst 3rinciple7. #t is selfKevident because the *irst 3rinciple isthe source of spiritual light and life. -ut what are we actually talking about= #n the view of theology,

that we are developing, we can use Gnostic sources to assist us and so, we can refer to !he 'ecret

Book of John. Here, )ohn describes the emanation from the Monad of /0 proJections, the last of which

is 'ofia$ #n this text, Wisdom is personified as feminine and she desires to create and does so without

the consent of the masculine principle. The mystery of the virgin birth is concealed in this concept. #n

the Gnostic scripture!hunder(%erfect Mind , a manifestation of Wisdom describes herself as 8harlot8,

8virgin8, 8mother8 and by implication, 8widow8. emember these points because they are relevant to

the feminine Journey on the Tree.

:et us now look at the first letter Σ 6sigma7. #t is attributed to (Duarius and connects 3ower with *irst

3rinciple on the Tree. This path is a step in the combined Journey of men and women. $urely power

must be exercised with wisdom or else it kills and destroys. The second letter ο 6omicron7 is attributed

to +ars. #t is the fifth chakra and the fifth masculine path that connects 3ower and Glory. ( very

appropriate attribution. The description of the experience is in the (pocalypse of )ohn, %"/K


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the attribution of the Greek letters to the chakras is different from the Hebrew system. That is because

the theology is different and so is the way of salvation. The description of the experience of this path

is in the (pocalypse of )ohn, 0"/K5, the :etter to Cphesos. This path connects 9ingdom and

*oundation.

The formula for experiencing 'ofia is (Duarius, +ars, Air , $un and +oon.

$phere % K Νοεσις 6Noesis7 @nderstanding

Noesis appears in < different forms in the New Testament. 8@nderstanding8 is one of the meanings

and the one appropriate in this theological context. #n the Gnostic scripture !he !hree !ablets of 'eth,

we are told that @nderstanding is bestowed upon 3ower and that 3ower is bestowed upon

@nderstanding. That fits the Greek Tree of :ife perfectly and indicates the accuracy of the view of

theology that we are developing.

The first letter Ν 6ni7 is attributed to $corpio and is part of the combined Journey. #f you refer to the

table in 3art 0 of this series, you will see that it is also attributed to the genitals. This is a subtle

indication that sexuality is involved in the spiritual process. This path connects Goodness with Gloryon the Tree. The second letter ο 6omicron7 is attributed to +ars and the fifth chakra. #t is also the fifth

step in the male Journey. The description of the experience is in the (pocalypse of )ohn %"/K


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#n the gnostic myth, 'ofia creates asexually, that is, without the concurrence of the masculine

principle. #n some gnostic texts this leads to her fall and creates the necessity for her redemption.

However it must be emphasised here that this is not the view that we take. The irgin +ary is the

personification of 'ofia and +ary conceived asexually in the sense that she conceived by the Holy

$pirit. This is the mystery of the irgin -irth. Hence the irgin +ary is the personification of the first

step of the feminine Journey on the Greek Tree of :ife. +ary must give birth as a virgin to the

edeemer, Just as 'ofia gives birth as a virgin to the kosmos. (s (bove, so -elow. These are deep

issues and we shall return to them in a later part of this series. )ust one point at this stage however,

one of the Greek titles of the irgin +ary, is Θεοτοκος6Theotokos7 which means 8God -earer8. The

first Greek letter of her title is Θ 6theta7 and on the Greek Tree of :ife it is attributed to Earth, connects

Greatness to Goodness and is the first step in the feminine Journey. ( small confirmation of the view of

theology that we are developing.

-ut let us return to the main issue, the sphere of +nosis. )ust as in the Hebrew Tree )a*at is created

by the *all of (dam and Cve, so in the Greek Tree +nosis is created by the *all. #n both cases the

8creation8 is a negative, that is, a lack or an absence. What is it that is lacking= 9nowledgeM How is

the negative turned into a positive= How is 9nowledge created= -y pain, hard work, personal

discipline and constant effort. No wonder that we prefer to think that all we have to do is to have faithand believe. That takes no effort at all. -ut it also explains the lack of results for most people.

The first letter Γ 6gamma7 is attributed to Taurus and is part of the combined Journey of men and

women. #t connects 9ingdom and ictory on the Tree. The second letter ν 6ni7 is attributed to $corpio

and is also part of the combined Journey. We also know that $corpio is connected with the genitals

and this points to sexuality as being part of 9nowledge. This path connects Goodness to Glory. The

third letter ο 6omicron7 is attributed to +ars, the fifth chakra and the fifth step in the masculine Journey.

#t connects 3ower to Glory. The experience of this path is described in the (pocalypse of )ohn %"/K


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The doctrine of the pentagram was first publicly taught by 3ythagoras. $ince his time the doctrine has

become one of the cornerstones of the western esoteric tradition. #n the view of theology that we are

developing, 9nowledge is the combination of the five spheres that form a pentagram around it. -ut to

get to those five spheres reDuires that the whole Tree has been traveled and all its lessons have been

learned. That is, the sphere of 9nowledge is created as the last stage of the work. We have a lot to

do, but it is worthwhile because it is 9nowledge that will set us free. #n our present spiritual state,

the +nosis of freedom promised to us by hrist, is still ahead for most of us. We can recreate that9nowledge by doing the work.

The formula for experiencing +nosis is Taurus, $corpio, +ars, (Duarius, $un and (Duarius.

Greek 9abala

%art ,

Boes the work ahead cause you to feel disheartened= #s that because you believe that you do not

have to do anything, you can get to heaven by doing nothing more that believing and having faith= -ut

believe what= Having faith in what= The evidence of the last 0,444 years proves that for most people

the old theology has failed. However if you still need to have faith and believe in something, at least

believe in 9nowledge, because hrist promised that it will set us free. The point that we make is that9nowledge has to be worked for. :et us proceed with the inner Journey.

$phere K ∆οξα 6Boxa7 Glory

)o-a is used in /' different ways in the New Testament. -ut do we really understand the concept of

glory= #n the Gnostic scripture .ostrianos, we are told that the 82glories are perfect concepts,

appearing unto powers2they are patterns of salvation28. This fits in with the Greek Tree of :ife

because Glory is opposite 3ower and they are perfect concepts directly connected by a path. -ut

more importantly, it is now clear that Glory is the pattern of salvation. This is obvious from the Tree

because Glory is directly connected to *irst 3rinciple that as we have already seen in 3art 0 of this

series, contains the pattern of order. Thus Glory fully opens up the pattern of salvation that exists as

latent potential in *irst 3rinciple. +oreover, hrist will come with 3ower and Glory 6:uke 0/"057. Lou

can now see that we are taking the concepts of the old theology and examining them in a new way.


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3ower and *irst 3rinciple via (Duarius, a sign of the Aodiac usually attributed to very high intellect.

The number 5 is significant for the number of steps in the masculine Journey and the chakras. (ll of

this tells us that the male Journey must be completed before the path of (Duarius can be properly

activated to enable *irst 3rinciple to recover the lost 3ower of salvation. This is paradoxical because it

implies that salvation can be achieved without completing all three Journeys. The problem is that *irst

3rinciple cannot be activated unless 9nowledge is created. That cannot occur until all % Journeys are

complete. onfused= Good, let us proceed.

$phere < K Αγαθωσυνη 6(gathosine7 Goodness

Agathosine is used in two ways in the New Testament, both implying goodness. However goodness is

not the Good. Here we must turn to 3lotinos for assistance. *rom his teachings recorded in

the Enneads, we find that 8goodness8 is an emanated Duality of the Good which itself is identified with

the Monad . We have already seen that the *irst 3rinciple is identical with the Monad , so what does all

this mean= :ook at the Greek Tree of :ife and you will see that the sphere directly below *irst

3rinciple 6Monad/, is Goodness. That is the Duality of goodness is an emanation of the concept of the

Good. #f this is not clear, try reading the Enneads or the gnostic scripture !he !hree !ablets of

'eth that states 82by Goodness you have bestowed 3ower upon @nderstanding8. Note that on theTree, Goodness is connected with 3ower that in turn is connected with @nderstanding. Who is the

8you8 who does the bestowing= The Good, that is, *irst 3rinciple. We therefore have a circuit of

spiritual influence as follows"

*irst 3rinciple ⇒ Goodness ⇒ 3ower ⇒ @nderstanding ⇒ *irst 3rinciple

The circuit is complete because @nderstanding connects with *irst principle. The whole Tree is

important, but this circuit is significant, because it is approached from below, by the first step of the

feminine Journey. There are a few surprises in store for us in that Journey, but more of that later.

The first letter Α 6alfa7 is the first masculine step and has been described before. The second

letter γ 6gamma7 is attributed to Taurus and is part of the combined Journey. #t connects 9ingdom to

ictory. The third letter is also α 6alfa7. The first step is being emphasised again. The fourth

letter θ 6theta7 is attributed to Earth and is the first feminine step. #t takes us from Greatness to

Goodness and the circuit we have seen above. This implies special power to the feminine. emember that it is associated with the aetheric body and that in turn is the connection between the physical


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body and the soul as vehicles of consciousness. !ut of interest, observe that the path from Goodness

to *irst 3rinciple is the second feminine step and is also part of the circuit. Bo you find this confusing=

Good. +aybe you will let your intuition guide you.

The fifth letter ω 6omega7 is the seventh masculine step and is attributed to $aturn and the seventh

chakra. #t connects Wisdom and *irst 3rinciple. The experience is described in The (pocalypse %"/K00, as the :etter to :aodicea. The sixth letter σ 6sigma7 is attributed to (Duarius, connects 3ower to

*irst 3rinciple and is part of the combined Journey. The seventh letter υ 6ipsilon7 is the sixth masculine

step attributed to )upiter and the sixth chakra. The experience is described in the (pocalypse %"5K/%

as the :etter to 3hiladelphia. #t connects Glory to Wisdom. The eighth letter ν 6ni7 is attributed to

$corpio on the combined Journey and connects Goodness with Glory. Note the subtle sexual

connotation yet again. The ninth letter η6eta7 is the third masculine step, attributed to enus and the

third chakra. $ince enus is the personification of sexual desire, our attention is again being attracted.

#t connects Greatness with ictory and the experience is in the (pocalypse 0"'K/5, as the :etter to

3ergamos.

The formula for experiencing Goodness is +oon, Taurus, +oon, Earth, $aturn, (Duarius, $corpio and

enus.

FFFFFFF

:et us pause for a time and review what we have done and where we are. #s all of this confusing,

infuriating and boring= #s it a waste of time following all these letters and paths on the Greek Tree of

:ife= an you see any relevance at all in any of this for your life here and now= #s all of this

nonsense= Lou are being tested.

Greek KabalaPart 5

How dare anyone test youM Why do you have to put up with all of this= Why is this not explained inplain Cnglish so you can understand it and apply the teaching= Why all these metaphors, symbolsand parables=

hrist said, 8Therefore speak # in parables" because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not,neither do they understand.8 6+atthew /%"/%7; and again, 8@nto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God" but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.8 6+ark "//7!nce more, 8@nto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God" but to others inparables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.8 6:uke '"/47

Have you got the message=

Sphere ) ! Νικη "Nike# Victory

Nike is used six times in the New Testament and means ictory in its usual sense of a triumph over an adversary after a struggle or battle. -ut what is the struggle= Who is the adversary= (fter all, we

have Just come from Goodness. The clue is given by the path of ε 6epsilon7 that leads into ictory and

the path of η6eta7 that leads out of it. These are the second and third masculine paths. -efore we canprogress from the second to the third, there is a struggle that must be won. The second path isattributed to +ercury whose archetypal meaning is the high intellect. The third path is attributed toenus whose archetypal meaning is desire, emotion and yet again, the sex drive. What then is thestruggle= #t is the battle between the intellect and desire. What does ictory mean= Not that onedefeats the other. That would be the opposites in direct opposition and mutual destruction. ictory isthe symbiotic relationship between intellect and desire, so that they work together. That is easyenough to say, but very difficult in practice, hence the title of this sphere is ictory.


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The first letter Ν 6ni7 is attributed to $corpio and the combined Journey. (ppropriately, it is the path of

the genitals and the physical location of the struggle. The second letter ι 6iota7 has already beendescribed. Here, simply note that it is the next step on the masculine Journey after the struggle has

been won. The third letter κ 6kappa7 is attributed to :eo on the combined Journey and links Goodnesswith ictory. Bo you see the intricate interconnections within the Tree= We are only touching the

surface at the moment. There is a great deal more to discuss. The fourth letter η 6eta7 is attributed toenus, the third masculine step and the third chakra. The experience is described in the (pocalypse0"/0K/5, as the :etter to 3ergamos.

The formula for understanding ictory is $corpio, $un, :eo and enus.

Sphere 8 ! Μεγαλωσυνη "Megalosine# Greatness

Megalosine appears four times in the New Testament. uriously, it is not used in its literal meaning of 8greatness8, but rather in the sense of 8maJesty8. Thus it means something like great authority,sovereignty, dignity and imposing character; all meanings Duite appropriate to the subJect we arestudying. Here is the clue" there are /4 letters in Megalosine. The whole of the Tree of :ife is

encapsulated in this word. (ppropriately, & letters are vowels and & are consonants, thus giving abalanced perspective. The true Greatness of the Tree lies in the breadth and depth of knowledge of the process salvation that it gives to us.

The first letter Μ 6mi7 is attributed to :ibra on the combined Journey. #t connects Goodness and 3ower.

The second letter ε 6epsilon7 is attributed to +ercury, the second chakra and the second step in the

masculine Journey. #t connects *oundation with ictory. The experience is described in the (pocalypse

0"'K//, as the :etter to $myrna. The third letter γ 6gamma7 is attributed to Taurus on the combined

Journey. #t connects 9ingdom and ictory. The fourth α 6alfa7 has already been described, but note

that it is attributed to the +oon and she reflects the 8greatness8 of the $un. The fifth letter λ 6lambda7is attributed to irgo on the combined Journey and connects ictory with Glory; Duite appropriate to

Greatness. The sixth letter ω6omega7 is attributed to the seventh masculine step, the seventh chakra

and $aturn. #t connects Wisdom with *irst 3rinciple. The description of the experience is in the (pocalypse %"/K00, as the :etter to :aodicea. The seventh letter σ 6sigma7 has already beendescribed. #t connects 3ower to rown, again appropriate to Greatness.

The eighth letter υ 6ipsilon7 has also been described. #t connects Glory to Wisdom and are they not

attributes of Greatness= The ninth letter ν 6ni7 has already been described. #t connects Goodness with

Glory, again very appropriate for Greatness. The tenth letter η 6eta7 connects ictory and Greatness.#t is the third masculine step, the third chakra and is attributed to enus. The experience is describedin the (pocalypse 0"/0K/5, as the :etter to 3ergamos.

The formula for Greatness is :ibra, +ercury, Taurus, +oon, irgo, $aturn, (Duarius, )upiter, $corpioand enus.

Sphere * ! Θεµελιον "&hemelion# $oun(ation

!hemelion is used 0% times in the New Testament as *oundation and is related to the Greek word thatmeans 8to establish8. learly, a foundation is laid for the purpose of establishing a firm basis for whatshall be built upon it. !n the Tree, this is the correct place for *oundation and not the sphere of 9ingdom, because a foundation is itself dug into the ground. 9ingdom is the ground in which the*oundation is established. -ut what does it all mean= The clue is contained in +atthew /


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The first letter Θ 6theta7 is attributed to Carth and the first feminine step. #t connects Greatness withGoodness. #t is the start of the circuit we have noted before. To say that the feminine principle is deep

in the *oundation is more than Just a play on words. The second letter ε 6epsilon7 has already beendescribed. Note however that it connects *oundation to ictory and is part of the struggle we have

already observed. The third letter µ 6mi7 has already been described. The fourth letter ε 6epsilon7 is

very familiar by now. The fifth letter λ 6lambda7 has also been described. The sixth letter ι 6iota7,

seventh letter ο 6omicron7 and eighth letter ν 6ni7, are all well known. The point is to understand howthey establish the *oundation. !nce more note $corpio and the genitals.

The formula for understanding *oundation is Carth, +ercury, :ibra, +ercury, irgo, $un, +ars and$corpio.

Sphere + ! ασιλεια ",asileia# King(om

Basileia is found /


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• The Journeys and the tests are part of the process of salvation. This is a new view of theology.#f you do not like it, give up now.

#f you do not want to give up, read on.

Greek 9abala%art 0 We have heard a great deal about the % Journeys. #t is time that we begin to understand them. $o far,

we know that there is a masculine Journey, a feminine Journey and a combined Journey. learly, the

concept of a Journey is related to significant life changing experiences. +ost of them are unpleasant

and according to our present society, are to be avoided. That is because our society is geared to

instant selfKgratification 6easy credit, fast foods, instant entertainment7 and avoids anything

unpleasant. That avoidance includes salvation as a process of personal transformation because as

we shall see, salvation reDuires discipline, hard work and total commitment. #t is hard to be committed

while we drink beer, eat a hamburger and watch T. That is much easier than fasting, studying,

meditating and praying. !ur society would rather 8feel good8 than do any spiritual work.

That still does not explain why we must take the Journeys. The reason is that before we are liberated

by salvation, we must have every human experience. Thus we have all incarnated as men and

therefore we have all been rapists. We have all incarnated as women and thus have all been raped.

(s women we have all had abortions. We have all been gay. We have all incarnated in different races

and therefore been racists and the victims of racism. We have committed crimes and been the victims

of crime. We have been rich, we have been poor; we have been powerful, we have been weak. (nd

so it goes on. To have every human experience reDuires more than one incarnation; it demands

thousands. *or a society that craves instant selfKgratification, this is not a cheerful prospect. The

easiest course is simply to deny that salvation needs effort on our part.

We have in fact done Just that and deny the need for hard work in order to be saved. We use a

theology that matches our societyIs needs. !ur current understanding of theology tells us not to worry,because )esus did it all for us 0,444 years ago. His crucifixion is sufficient for us to be saved today

without any effort on our part. This old theology is very popular but it may not be true for you. #f it is

not, then the Greek Tree of :ife is the road map for all the Journeys that we must take.

Lou did not expect to read any of this did you= #f you donIt like it, you had better stop now, because if

you continue, you may not be able to stop.

-ut why should we take the Journeys anyway= WonIt reincarnation and karma take care of

everything= Les they will, but very slowly. The point is that we can choose to accelerate our own

progress by choosing to have those experiences that our society sees as unpleasant and

unnecessary. To do that, we need discipline. *or those who want to come along, let us begin.

&he -ombine( Journey

We start with this, because it is the easiest to comprehend. !n the surface it appears to be referring

to the physical nature that is shared by men and women. !n the Greek Tree it is symbolised by the /0

letters attributed to the signs of the Aodiac and the body parts associated with them. #t will be helpful

to see these attributions in table form"


-eta Β , β -, b 0 (ries Head


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Gamma Γ , γ G, g % Taurus Throat

Belta ∆ , δ B, d Gemini $houlders

Eeta Ζ , ζ E, A 5 ancer hest

9appa Κ , κ 9, k 04 :eo Heart

:ambda Λ , λ :, l %4 irgo $tomach

+i Μ , µ +, m 4 :ibra #ntestines

Ni Ν , ν N, n &4 $corpio Genitals

3i Π , π 3, p '4 $agittarius Thighs

ho Ρ , ρ , r /44 apricorn 9nees

$igma Σ , σ $, s 044 (Duarius (nkles

Tav Τ , τ T, t %44 3isces *eet

-oth men and women have the same body parts listed above. Whatever affects their bodies is an

experience common to each. (ll of this is a metaphor and substitutes symbols for individual

experiences. !bviously, this Journey has /0 steps. What are they= There are many explanations, in

fact as many explanations as there are people. Here is one explanation; the key to it is the number

/0. We need experiences that will counter the damaging effects of our obsession with selfKgratification

and 8feel good8. There is one word that describes such experiences" disci1line. (ccording to tradition,there are /0 spiritual disciplines of % types, with examples of each type"

.nner /uter Group

*asting $ubmission Worship

$tudy $ervice Guidance

+editation $olitude onfession

3rayer $implicity elebration


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:et us now place the /0 steps on the road map of the Tree of :ife, so that we can see where we have

to go. (s we shall discover, it is difficult to correlate the /0 disciplines with the /0 steps, but that is

also a part of the Journey.

:et us now look at the disciplines. The inner disciplines we do alone and we can hide that fact from

our relatives, friends and the people we work with. The cumulative effect of fasting, study, meditationand prayer, takes time to be noticed if we keep our behaviour confidential.

However the outer disciplines immediately mark us for attention. !ur normal behaviour will change so

radically, that we shall be treated as a threat, for indeed we are. To behave with submission, service,

solitude and simplicity, is to reJect the entire basis of our present culture. We are a threat precisely

because we are taking control of our own spiritual destiny. When we combine with other likeKminded

people in the group disciplines, we become intolerable. !ur society has turned worship and

celebration into entertainment, thus demonstrating its lack of understanding. onfession is thought of

in simple psychological terms and guidance in spiritual matters is lacking. What a threat we are if we

work on all /0 disciplines.

This is your second warning to stop now and go no further, if you do not like what you are reading.


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We shall not discuss the /0 disciplines in detail here, because it has been done elsewhere. *urther,

the correlation of the /0 disciplines with the /0 signs of the Aodiac and the /0 body parts is difficult.

*or example, fasting affects"

• The head 6(ries7 because what we see and hear needs as much control as what we eat and

drink.

• The stomach 6irgo7 and intestines 6:ibra7 because of what we eat and drink.

• The genitals 6$corpio7 because our sexual behaviour is strongly affected by what we see andhear in the head 6(ries7.

$tudy, meditation and prayer affect the head 6(ries7 and by changing our behaviour, affect all of our

body parts. #n other words the correlation between the /0 disciplines and the /0 signs of the Aodiac is

not linear. #t is a nonKlinear relationship and understanding that is part of the combined Journey.

There is only one issue to be observed at this time. The experience of the /0 disciplines in thecombined Journey results in the integration of our vehicles of consciousness body, soul and spirit, with

our male and female nature. #t is precisely because we each have a male and female nature that

reDuires us to make each of the % Journeys. :ook at the diagram below"

What has this to do with the body parts= (re we doing a Journey in the body= ( well known relaxation

techniDue begins at the head and moves down the body in the order of the above table. -ut it is more

subtle than that. Think of the acupuncture meridians. #f you visualise yourself as a point of light 6an

esoteric exercise of the +ysteries7 and literally take the Journey from head to feet as per the table, you

are stimulating the flow of chi through the meridians. Ouite apart from health, it has a more profound

effect of transforming your physical body into a body of spiritual light. #s this Journey worth taking=

The combined Journey is a process of integration and wholeness. #t must be performed by both men

and women in the same way. The time for separate Journeys comes after this. Why= The combined

Journey is the minimum standard for our spiritual lives because to proceed without having done it, is

dangerous. Les, it can be dangerous to live spiritually. The danger is in dealing with forces we do not

understand and before we are ready for them. The whole point of the spiritual life is to deliberately setinto motion the hidden processes of the kosmos. The power to do so is granted to us by God in his


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infinite mercy. The wisdom to do so must be very painfully earned by us. The power to set kosmic

forces into motion is based upon the knowledge of how it is done, knowledge that is locked into the

Tree of :ife.

(s the minimum standard the /0 disciplines are the least that is reDuired of us. (fter them, the

Journeys get serious. This is your third and final warning. #n the +ysteries, you only get three

warnings.

Now what about the female Journey=

Greek 9abala%art 2 #f you have got to this point, it means you are at least curious enough to find out what the feminine

Journey is about. 3lease note that men as well as women must take the feminine Journey. -e warned

that our present society will not like much of what you are about to read.

&he $eminine Journey

Lou already realise that this is a Journey of & steps but there is nothing like it in current theology. What

is it= The clue is the name 8+ary8, in Greek, Μαρι . There are & letters in her name and that is the

fundamental number of archetypal experiences for the feminine. onsider +ary as"

/. The irgin.

0. The +agdalene.

%. The +other.

. The Widow.

&. 'ofia.

These are & transformative steps that have to be experienced by each of us, as part of the totality of

human experience. This is because we must have all possible human experiences before we can

have the liberation of salvation. :et us look at these & steps in the table below"


Theta Θ , θ Th, th 1 Earth irgin

i Ξ , ξ , x


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Virgin

This is very embarrassing because it is linked to the irgin -irth. The hurch tries to get around this

by telling us that in +aryIs time, the (ramaic word for 8virgin8, meant something like 8young girl8 and

although it implied sexual virginity, that was not guaranteed and certainly not expected after marriage.

#t was a social convention that young girls would be virgins when they married. The best evidence of

the hurchIs embarrassment is that it chooses an (ramaic word for 8virgin8. 8$o what8, you will ask=

The point is that the New Testament was not written in (ramaic. #t was written in Greek. (ramaic is

absolutely irrelevant. The only relevant Duestion to ask is what is the Greek word used in that context=

The word is παρθενος and it means 8virgin8. That meaning is uneDuivocal and unambiguous. The

hurch cannot escape its embarrassment by distracting our attention with an irrelevant (ramaic word.

#n the view of theology that we are developing, we can understands virginity to be a metaphysical

state that implies an absolute spiritual integrity that can never be defiled. How can such a state be

described= *ortunately, the gnostic scripture !hunder 3 %erfect Mind , has given us Just such a

description"

For4 it is I #ho am the first5 and the last$

It is I #ho am re"ered5 and the des1ised$

It is I #ho am the harlot5 and the holy$

It is I #ho am the #ife5 and the "irgin$

It is I #ho am the mother5 and the daughter$

I am the members of my mother$

It is I #ho am the barren5 and #ho has many children$

It is I #ho am the one #hose marriage is magnificent5 and #ho ha"e not married$

It is I #ho am the mid#ife5 and she #ho does not gi"e birth6

It is I #ho am consolation5 of my o#n tra"ail$

It is I #ho am the bride5 and the bridegroom$

And it is my husband #ho has begotten me$It is I #ho am the mother of my father6 and the sister of my husband$

And it is he #ho is my offs1ring$

onfused= Lou should be, because it is no use trying to analyse this with left brain logic. This is right

brain material. The clue is in all the opposites that have to be reconciled. !nly after that reconciliation

can the true nature of the irgin be understood. -ut there is more.

onsider the Gospel of )ohn /"/. @nder the old theology it is translated as, 8#n the beginning was the

word, 28. (s we have seen, a better translation is, 8Within the first principle exists the pattern of order,

28. #n any event, it goes on to say in )ohn /",&, 8#n him 6*irst 3rinciple7 was life; and the life was the

light of men. (nd the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.8

The darkness is the metaphysical virgin state of the feminine that must be brought to life and light by

the masculine part of the *irst 3rinciple. The virgin state is the feminine side of the *irst 3rinciple prior

to its act of manifestation. -oth sides are necessary for manifestation, they must be reconciled and

neither are well understood. :et us admit candidly that this is a mystery of the highest order. #t will be

grasped only by disciplined action on our part. Bo you now understand the necessity for the /0

disciplines=

The transformative state of the irgin is attributed to the path Θ 6theta7 and the alchemical

element Earth$emember that alchemy is a metaphorical system of parables about personal

transformation. We have already seen the 3ythagorian explanation that this element symbolises the

aetheric body, as the connecting link between body and soul. Earth is the grounding principle and theultimate metaphysical place for the manifestation of the life and light 8that shineth in the darkness8.

Given the deep mystery of the virgin state, this is entirely appropriate.


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7erily I say unto you4 Wheresoe"er this gos1el is 1reached throughout the #hole #orld4 this also that

she hath done shall be s1oken of for a memorial of her$

#s this woman important= onsider this. !nly two people conducted maJor rites for )esus" )ohn who

baptises him at the beginning of his ministry and the woman who anoints him at the end. The baptism

and the anointing imply authority on the part of )ohn and of the woman. The point is subtle. (lthough

by baptising and anointing they bestow authority on )esus, they must themsel"es ha"e authority to do

so$ :et us again be blunt how can a prostitute have this kind of authority= We shall find out in 3art '

of this series.

However let us finish this 3art with a reference to the gnostic scripture !he +os1el According to

%hili1, where +ary +agdalene is described as the :ordIs 8partner8. #t is then said that he kisses her

more than the rest of his disciples and they complain about this. #n answer he says to them"

Why do I not lo"e you like her8 If a blind 1erson and one #ith sight are both in darkness4 they are not

different from one another$ When the light comes4 then the 1erson #ith sight #ill see the light4 and the

blind 1erson #ill remain in darkness$

Greek 9abala%art 9 We are still dealing with a prostitute, +ary +agdalene. Why is she so important to the hristian story=

When we discover her importance, we shall understand why she embarrasses the old theology so

much. emember that she anoints )esus and thereby confers upon him the status of hrist. This is a

ritual of profound significance. #t is a 8kingmaking8. When she is criticiAed for using such an expensive

ointment, )esus upholds her authority, at )ohn /0"5,'. -ut that still does not explain why a woman is

anointing )esus and why he allows her to do so. (fter all that was not )ewish custom at the time.

)esus and +ary +agdalene take part in the Ιερος Γαµος 6#eros Gamos7, the $acred Wedding. The oldtheology carefully avoids this issue because it is a pagan practice of the era that we are dealing with.

(t this time in 3alestine, a man is made a legitimate king if he has sexual union with the High

3riestess. He can only receive his full divine power through the authority of the High 3riestess.

Without her, his claim to kingship is invalid. The embarrassment of the hurch is obvious. We too feel

embarrassed, because we have no concept of sacred sexuality. This is not about physical sex,

personal gratification or eroticism. #t is the belief that in the sacred marriage, the man and woman

become as gods and experience the divine. Thus the High 3riestess acting as a channel for the divine

blesses the king and confers authority upon him. The $acred Wedding is the ultimate expression of

temple prostitution. The body of the 3riestess is a metaphor for the gateway to the gods.

Note carefully that in this belief system, a man needs a woman to approach the gods, but a woman

does not need a man. $he is in touch with the divine automatically. Hence in the Ouest for the Holy

Grail, it said that although men must search for the Grail, women already have it.

-ut we have not yet finished with +ary +agdalene. #n her day, the mystery schools of !siris, TammuA,

Bionysios, and (ttis, had a rite that reDuired the symbolic death of the god, played by a priest. (fter

three days, the 3riestess in the role of the goddess revives the god. Buring the ritual she says, 8They

have removed my lord and # do not know where to find him.8 Why is this relevant to the theology that

we are developing= ead )ohn 04"0 where +ary +agdalene says"

!hey ha"e taken a#ay the Lord out of the se1ulchre4 and #e kno# not #here they ha"e laid him$

(nd again at 04"/% +ary +agdalene tells the angels"

!hey ha"e taken a#ay my Lord4 and I kno# not #here they ha"e laid him$


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says, Εγω ειµι το φως του κοσµου68# am the light of the world87. We then compare that with )ohn ch /

v %K&,

All things #ere made by him6 and #ithout him #as not any thing made that #as made$

In him #as life6 and the life #as the light of men$

And the light shineth in the darkness6 and the darkness com1rehended it not$

The key to the irgin -irth is the 8light8 that emanates from the masculine aspect that is within the

8life8 of the *irst 3rinciple. The 8darkness8 is the feminine aspect of the *irst 3rinciple. To make the

point clearer, the !ao is the differentiated unity of the 8light8 masculine :ang and the 8dark8

feminine :in. )ust as the !aosimply 8is8 according to hinese philosophy, in that manner the *irst

3rinciple is 8selfKoriginate8 in the gnostic myth. Thus the true nature of the irgin -irth lies in the selfK

originated nature of the *irst 3rinciple. (t the end, we see the irgin -irth as a deep mystery that can

only be understood when we have travelled all the paths on the Tree of :ife, with the aid of the /0

spiritual disciplines.

The fundamental point is this" The +other is 'ofia giving birth to the edeemer.

FFFFFFF

:et us review the first three steps on the feminine Journey by seeing them in the context of whole of

that Journey.


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The first step from Greatness to Goodness leads directly into the second step from Goodness to *irst

3rinciple. $o the irgin +ary and +ary +agdalene follow in seDuence. The third step from Glory to

*irst 3rinciple is +ary the +other. With the fourth step, we shall see +ary as the Widow and finally

with her (ssumption, +ary will be seen as the personification of 'ofia$

(t the time of his ministry, )esusI mother was a widow. Why is this so important as to merit a step inthe feminine Journey= (fter all widowhood is as common as motherhood. Why is there an issue=

0i(o'

(ll *reemasons are called 8$ons of the Widow8. This title comes from Hiram (biff the Grand +aster +ason and architect of $olomonIs Temple, who was murdered by three of his workmen. What has this

to do with )esus= #n +atthew /%"&& and +ark


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deep mystery that reDuires study, meditation and prayer in solitude 6remember the /0 disciplines=7, tounderstand with wisdom and be wise with understanding.

Sofia

This is the path of Ψ 6psi7 that connects @nderstanding to *irst 3rinciple. #t is attributed to Aether , the

divine activating principle. #t is the least understood path of the feminine Journey because our societycompletely reJects the issues it involves.

-y her (ssumption, +ary enters heaven as a complete woman having lived the entirety of humanexperience. Her widowhood should not be underestimated. $he is liberated and she is theascended 'ofia. +ary becomes the bride of God in the Greater $acred Wedding and unites God withhumanity. Thus +ary as 'ofia can express"

• The *ather as the *oundation of creation that enhances her 3ower and is the source of her Wisdom and @nderstanding.

• The $on as the *irst 3rinciple of creation, its, meaning, intelligence, truth and Justification; thatis, its 9nowledge, ictory and 9ingdom.

• The Holy $pirit as the Glory of creation, its Greatness, Goodness, holiness, purity andimmaculate aspect.

'ofia is the *ourth 3erson of the Trinity. Without her, the Trinity is incomplete because she is theWorld $oul and therefore becomes the vehicle of manifestation for the work of the Great (rchitect.The Castern !rthodox hurch recognises that as Theotokos 6God -earer7, +ary allows God tobecome man, so that man may become God. This is the work of the Great (rchitect performs for our sake, our Theosis 6God -ecoming7, through the mediation of 'ofia. The fact that she is in her rightfulplace gives us hope. -ut this is all a myth isnIt it=

What about 8real8 women in our society today= *or you, 'ofia is a strong archetype. $he is your divine potential. $he is the 3ower that overcomes adversity in order to complete the feminine Journey.Her spirituality is nonKlinear and therefore not logical. Hence her Journey is different from themasculine experience, but she must be known by men. !ur problem is that she is so little known byour society at a time when we need her so badly.

-ircuit o1 %o'er

#t is time we reconsidered the circuit of power that we saw in 3art of this series because we knowthat there is a deep feminine relationship between some of the paths. #n 3art we discovered that 82by Goodness you have bestowed 3ower upon @nderstanding8. !n the Tree, Goodness is connected

with 3ower that in turn is connected with @nderstanding. Who is the 8you8 who does the bestowing=The Good, that is, *irst 3rinciple. We therefore have a circuit of spiritual influence as follows"

*irst 3rinciple ⇒ Goodness ⇒ 3ower ⇒ @nderstanding ⇒ *irst 3rinciple


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The *irst 3rinciple emanates into Goodness, then into 3ower in order to energiAe @nderstanding sothat the circuit can be closed when @nderstanding flows into the *irst 3rinciple. Note the direction of the arrows. *irst 3rinciple to Goodness is also the path of +ary +agdalene but reversedM !nly inthis way can she, through her undefiled goodness, recover her power and gain understanding of her condition. (s 'ofia she moves from @nderstanding to *irst 3rinciple taking with her all that she haslearned and giving it freely to her divine lover in the $acred Wedding. #t has to be this way because inthe gnostic myth she desires to conceive without knowledge, hence as she passes down through thepath there is no sphere of 9nowledge. That lack of 9nowledge is the wound on the Tree of :ife thatwe must heal on our inner Journey.

FFFFFFF

#t is now time for the masculine Journey of seven steps. With linear male logic, it is described by theseven vowels of the Greek alphabet and the seven :etters to the seven churches, in the (pocalypseof )ohn

Greek 9abala%art ;


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(lfa Α , α (, a / Moon /st chakra

Cpsilon Ε , ε C, e & Mercury 0nd chakra

Cta Η , η # ' Venus %rd chakra

#ota Ι , ι # /4 Sun th chakra

!micron Ο , ο !, o 54 Mars &th chakra

#psilon Υ , υ

# 44 Jupiter


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1 out of his mouth a sharp two edged sword

/4 his countenance as the sun.

He is described in /4 statements because there are /4 spheres on the Tree of :ife. 8He8 is not a

member of humanity, as we might believe, Just because he is said to be the $on of man. There are %

different Greek words for 8man8 used at the time of hrist. Two of them refer to ordinary men but the

third, ανθρωπος6anthropos7, refers to a higher principle and is the word used to describe hrist.

(nthropos is used in


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not enough. There must be a turning around of our fundamental nature. Lou thought the female

Journey was tough, didnIt you=

$o how do we change our fundamental nature= Have you tried the /0 spiritual disciplines, or like men,

merely read about them and think you understand them= The /0 disciplines are the minimum

standard of behaviour on the inner Journey. What is the point of all this= 8He who overcomes shall eat

of the Tree of :ife8. He who undergoes metanoesis, shall absorb the fruit of the Tree. #s the result

worth the effort= @nless we do the /0 disciplines we shall not understand that we have to go beyond

understanding.

Greek 9abala%art ;;!ur society has a current concern for gender eDuality and nonKspecific gender roles. The problem

becomes clear when we examine the inner Journey and realise that it has genderKspecific

experiences, all of which must be dealt with. This is not a popular point of view.

Step ! Mercury

The second masculine step is the letter ε 6epsilon7 attributed to +ercury and connecting *oundation to

ictory. This is the second chakra according to the Greek scheme. +ore correctly, it is the second

chakra to be activated. The Greek name for +ercury is Hermes. This immediately alerts us to the

hermetic writings because at the time of hrist, they were the intellectual foundation for the gnostic

interpretation of hristianity and are now the foundation for the western esoteric tradition. +ercury is

attributed to high intellect and hence on the Tree of :ife, this path connects appropriately, *oundation

with ictory; but victory over what= !nce more let us turn to the (pocalypse at 0"'K// in the :etter to

$myrna"

/ To $myrna

0 speaks the first and the last% # know your works

and the blasphemy

& fear not

< hear what the spirit says

5 he that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

!ur 8works8 are the foundation of our spiritual life and they are truly a blasphemy if we do not live to

the highest standard. Have you practised the /0 disciplines lately= -ut if we 8overcome8, that is if we

have victory, we shall not be hurt by the second death. ictory over whom, and what is the second

death= We must overcome precisely this path. (s men we must overcome our intellect because it is a

limitation and barrier. #t prevents vision, inspiration and imagination. The intellect is a foundation upon

which these other faculties are built. What is the price of failure= The second death.

!ur society avoids this issue because it has no answer to it. We are told that we are all saved from

death and have eternal life by doing nothing more than simply believing and having faith. What then is

hrist saying to the church at $myrna= What is the second death= #f it is true extinction, then victory

over it is obviously important but the old theology tells us nothing about how to 8overcome8 it. ( deep

understanding of the Tree of :ife tells us that we can overcome provided we conduct our lives with

disciplined action. We must have every human experience and we must go on all the inner Journeys.

We have the *oundation, so let us go to ictory.

Step 3 2 Venus


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stand to gain the morning star. #t is the sign that heralds the rising of the $un. #t is a reference to the

correct activation of this chakra. #s that desirable= #f you donIt do it, you cannot proceed.

!ne final point. The numerical value of ι 6iota7 is /4, the number of spheres on the Tree of :ife. There

is something about this particular transformation that encapsulates the entire Tree. (ll steps on the

masculine Journey are important but this one is vital. Hence the emphasis upon overcoming theproducts of the 8feel good8 society.

(re you feeling tired and weary, getting discouraged and wondering whether any of this is worth the

effort= ThatIs good because it gets worse.

FFFFFFF

)ust a reminder; in each :etter to each church we are told to 8hear what the spirit says8. The

numerical value of the first and last lettersPvowels of the Greek alphabet Α Ω 6alfa > omega7 is / >'44 ? '4/, which is the numerical value of Περιστερα , the Greek word for 8dove8. The dove is the

symbol of the Holy $pirit. #n our understanding of the Tree of :ife, small details like this are important.

What is the fundamental difference between the male and female Journeys= Women feel while menthink. That is why it is so much harder for men. Transformation comes from feeling not thinking.Women feel through their bodies as a natural conseDuence of who they are. That is why sexuality istheir path to spirituality. #n order to feel, men need to be wounded. That is why so much is demandedfrom them. +en have to learn that their wound is sacramental and the key to transformation. #s it anywonder that selfKgratification and 8feel good8 are more popular=

Step 5 2 Mars

The fifth masculine step is the letter ο 6omicron7 connecting 3ower to Glory and attributed to +ars. #tis the fifth chakra to be activated and is of particular significance to the man who seeks to be wounded the warrior. Les, men must positively accept their wound and make it the source of their power. Thatis why older and wiser societies than ours, recognised glory as the legitimate expression of the power generated by the masculine woundedness. Today, we understand the warrior so little, that we prideourselves about how we despise the ictory and Greatness that are the *oundation of his 3ower andGlory.

#n our society men suffer in silent pain. They are despised if they cry out and also if they do not cryout. :et us see what the (pocalypse has for us %"/K


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The sixth masculine step is the letter υ 6ipsilon7, the sixth chakra, attributed to )upiter and connectingGlory to Wisdom. #t is obvious isnIt it, that wisdom is the result of the pain that glorifies= Wisdom is of course, the abstraction of 'ofia. +en try to think wisely instead of feeling 'ofia directly. The barrier tofeeling wisdom is an unconscious realisation that sexuality is involved. How then is wisdom to be felt=:et us look at the (pocalypse, %"5K/% as the :etter to 3hiladelphia"

/ To $ardis0 speaks he with 5 spirits and 5 stars% you are alive and dead be watchful and strengthen& remember < he that overcomes # shall not blot out his name5 hear what the spirit says.

Now at last, we are making progress. That is the whole point of knowing Wisdom in the heart. 3aindoes that. We have kept His word, that is, we have experienced the pain and humiliation, so He willwrite upon us a new name. That is, He will acknowledge openly our inner transformation, for He hasalways loved us. We have never been alone or abandoned, for he is holy, true and has the key thatopens and shuts. His love for us comes from the heart and that is related to passion and desire. He isthe son of +ary, the personification of 'ofia and hence she is very close to the surface. We need somuch to feel her once again.

Step ) 2 Saturn

This is the seventh masculine step, attributed to Ω ,ω 6omega7, the seventh chakra and $aturn. #tconnects Wisdom with *irst 3rinciple. #t is the last and culminating step in the inner Journey. Theexperience is appropriately described in the (pocalypse as the :etter to the :aodiceans, %"/K00;

/ To 3hiladelphia0 speaks he who is holy, true, has the key and opensPshuts% you have kept my word know that # have loved you& behold< to he that overcomes # will write upon him my new name5 hear what the spirit says.

$ignificantly, this :etter is addressed to the people, not the city of :aodicea. This difference implies achange of consciousness and that is what we would expect. (gain we have the problem of the

inappropriate translation of the word 8beginning8. !nce more the Greek word is αρχη 6arche7 andaccording tour interpretation, means *irst 3rinciple. Thus we hear that the *irst 3rinciple of thecreation of God wants us to be completely focussed as either hot or cold. No fuAAy 8feel good8 here.He tells us to anoint our eyes to see. Thus we too must become anointed ones, hrists. #f we becomeas He is, He shall open the door and we shall sit on His throne. That is why men have made this

Journey. To become fully masculine, express that aspect of the *irst 3rinciple and sit on the throne.

#t is the duty of all men to travel the maAe, experience the pain and be transformed by it. Note oncemore the maAeKlike Duality of the seven masculine steps in the diagram below.


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Have you seen something else= There are five paths that lead directly into *irst 3rinciple fromGoodness, 3ower, Glory, @nderstanding and Wisdom. There are three feminine paths, fromGoodness, Glory and @nderstanding; one masculine path from Wisdom; and one combined path from3ower. (ll three Journeys end at the same place, but the female Journey takes pride of place. Thus our understanding emphasises the feminine as especially important. #t follows logically that women musttake an active role in the hurch as clergy. #n the cases where this already happens, the mistake hasbeen made for women to fulfill menIs roles. They are women priests instead of being priestesses.

We shall not assist 'ofia until women fulfill their archetypal duty of love, mercy and healed sexuality.+ale clergy have trouble doing this even if they have found their feminine side.

FFFFFFF

#t is time for a rest because the worst has yet to come. The Journey of the deep masculine, theGnostic ascent of the soul. #t can only be accomplished by men who have felt their pain, whosewounds are sacraments and who have completed the outer masculine Journey.

Greek 9abala%art ;&#t is the privilege of men to perform their Journey twice. The first time is to feel their pain and discover

their sacramental wound. The second time is to experience the ascent of the soul and set into motion

the hidden processes of the kosmos in order to efface karma and redirect their future incarnations. (lthough women have to do this too, we are dealing with archetypal principles and therefore speak in

terms of genderKspecific roles.


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We have all heard of the Cgyptian and Tibetan -ooks of the Bead. Bid you know there are hristian

-ooks of the Bead= They are the gnostic Books of Ieou$ hrist is the central figure and to understand

His role in those books, we need to know that they were written by ethnic Cgyptians who became

hristians in the late Hellenistic period, that is c /44K%44 C. They undoubtedly transformed their

ancient beliefs as expressed in the Cgyptian -ook of the Bead, into a hristian form. Thus hrist

combines the roles of, Horus as the conductor of souls, (nubis as the performer of the balance, +aIat

as the principle of truth against which the actions of the deceased are balanced, Thoth as the recorder

of the result of the trial, !siris as the Judge and Typhon as the executioner. The Cgyptians understood

the analogy of death as initiation and the metaphor of initiation as death, because they realised that

essentially, both are out of body experiences. *or that reason, hrist admonishes his disciples to

maintain a very high standard of discipline and action. Cven a cursory reading of the Books of

Ieou demonstrates this necessity.

#n essence, these teachings are a transcendent mysticism, which reDuires years of detailed study. *or

the purposes of these articles, we shall focus on one issue only, the ascent of the soul.

#n the Books of Ieou, hrist makes it clear that what He is teaching must be done by the soul after it

leaves the body. We interpret this as a reference to the body as a vehicle of consciousness and thesoul as the carrier of personal identity. This means that hrist is referring to a different level of reality

from here and now. He is referring to the place of symbols, dreams, visions, images, metaphors and

analogies. Thus what happens at this level of reality during initiation also happens here at death,

because in both instances, the soul leaves the body to experience this reality. Therefore initiation is

the metaphor for death and the near death experience is the analogy for initiation. Hence it is

legitimate for us to use the hermetic and gnostic practices implied in the Books of Ieou, to explore the

processes of death.

*undamentally, the soul has to navigate the inner landscape by a conscious and deliberate

visualisation that focuses on each planet in turn. That is why we have looked at the planets in the first

male Journey. -ut that is only the warm up. The second Journey reDuires us to consider death as an

initiation. Thus if the first Journey is sacramental, the second Journey is initiatory. That is why thesecond Journey gives us the opportunity to redirect our future incarnations.

Books of Ieou

$ince you may not be familiar with the text, the relevant part is set out below"

=But the 1aralem1tai >recei"ers/ of the !reasury of the Light come and they bring forth the soul from

the body4 until they 1ass through all the aeons and the 1laces of the in"isible +od4 and they take it to

the !reasury of the Light$ And they erase all sins #hich they ha"e committed kno#ingly4 and those

#hich they ha"e committed unkno#ingly$ And they make them to be 1ure light$ And the soul lea1s

continually from 1lace to 1lace4 until it reaches the !reasury of the Light$ And it 1asses into the interior

of the #atchers of the !reasury of the Light$ And they >the souls/ 1ass into the interior of the threeamens$ And they 1ass into the interior of the t#ins4 and they 1ass into the interior of the tri1le(

1o#ered one4 and they 1ass into the interior of the ranks of the fi"e trees4 and they 1ass into the

interior of the se"en "oices$ And they e-ist in the 1lace #hich is #ithin them4 #hich is the 1lace of the

incom1rehensible ones of the !reasury of the Light$ And furthermore all these ranks gi"e to them their

seals and ?their@ mysteries4 because they ha"e recei"ed mysteries before they came forth from the

body$=

:et us analyse what we are being told. *irst, the soul is brought forth from the body, so this is

definitely an out of body experience. $econdly, sins are erased, or, karma is effaced. They are made

into pure light. That is, the hidden processes of the kosmos are now activated for the liberation of the

soul. This is how future incarnations are directed. Thirdly, there is the second male Journey of seven

steps. The soul reaches the Treasury of the :ight and"


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/. 3asses into the interior of the watchers.

0. 3asses into the interior of the three amens.

%. 3asses into the interior of the twins.

. 3asses into the interior of the tripleKpowered one.

&. 3asses into the interior of the ranks of the five trees.


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life creates the foundation of his experiences. Lachesis measures the thread of his glory 6or its

opposite7 and Atro1osexercises the power to cut it.

Buring life, a man has to contend with three goddesses" Anangke4 !yche and Nemessis$ The

first, Anangke, means Necessity. $he personifies the greatness of the law of moral cause and effect

and is karma in its strict application. Therefore she is remorselessly predictable unless some other

factor mitigates her action. The second, !yche, means hance not in the scientific sense of

randomness, but rather in the sense of chaos theory that is, deterministic but unpredictable. Thus she

modifies her sisterIs conduct but makes things worse because she makes it hard for a man to have

victory over his fate. The third is Nemessis and her name means Bivine (nger. $he is utterly ruthless,

pitiless and merciless. $he pursues a man to the ends of the Carth. There is nowhere to run and

nowhere to hide. $he knows. #t is her knowledge of our actions, thoughts and feelings that makes her

so terrible.

(t death, the three eres, agents of the Tree *ates, carry out the grim duty of execution. They carry

the dead manIs soul to the place of shadows. The eres are really the Three *ates in another form

because they sit on the boundary of life and death.

#s all of this depressing= #t should be. *or the Greeks, initiation was designed to liberate them from the

wrath of these dreadful females. -y initiation in the Greek mystery schools a man sought what we

now call salvation. hristian initiation added a new dimension to previous practices. The hristian

factor is the forgiveness of sins. !ur problem is that we have no idea what this means. We think that

nothing more is reDuired than for the priest to say" 8-less you my sonPdaughter, your sins are

forgiven.8 #f that were true you would not be reading this article now. +oreover, the history of the last

0,444 years would have been radically different. learly, something is wrong with our understanding.

There is something missing.

*ate is the law of moral conseDuence that transforms us as spiritual beings. !ur moral choices

change our fate and therefore change our future incarnations. -y accepting personal responsibility,

we change our lives. -y changing our lives, we change the world. The key to the problem is this" our society lives on the principle of selfKgratification and 8feel good8. Thus Greek fate acts inexorably and

mercilessly upon us. What evidence do we want= Brugs, crime, suicide, poverty, depression, despair=

@nder Greek fate, we get exactly what we ask for, without pity or mitigation. -ut at the very moment

we accept personal responsibility and make moral choices, we begin to efface our karma and

ameliorate our fate. We are on the brink of understanding the hristian mystery of the forgiveness of

sins. This is the extra factor that takes us to hristian initiation and salvation. :et us look at all of this

on the Tree of :ife in order to make sense of it.


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Greek fate is locked into a rigid pattern as shown in the above diagram. The Three *ates and the

three goddesses are implacable and immovable. ause creates remorseless effect, without mercy.

No wonder the ancient Greek dramas were concerned with the tragedy of human life. Greek initiationinvolved great difficulty and it still does because of the way in which our society functions today. The

real tragedy is that it is easier now, to be liberated, but we have not yet understood what is reDuired of

us. The hristian initiation brings the factor that breaks the deadlock it brings the forgiveness of sins.

The greatest tragedy of all is that we do not understand that the other side of forgiveness is the

acceptance of personal responsibility.

-y making moral choices we set into motion the hidden processes of the kosmos that inevitably efface

our karma by 8forgiving our sins8. Thus on the Tree above,

• We spin our life thread so that it becomes the *oundation of our life.

• We measure our thread to Glorify our life.


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• We exercise our 3ower of choice to cut the thread when we should do so.

• !ur true Greatness is the understanding of necessity.

• !ur ictory is the triumph over apparently chance and meaningless events.

• !ur 9nowledge averts the terrible process of a rigid fate.

• -y choosing hrist, we choose to accept personal responsibility and set into motion theforgiveness of sins.

These are the hidden processes of the kosmos. The activating factor is our moral choice. The

hristian mystery is revealed by hrist but, we must choose Him. We must make the hrist )ourney.

The beginning of this )ourney is the conscious choice to activate our repressed right brain functions

and balance them with our very well developed left brain functions. (gain we turn to the Tree for

assistance.


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!ur right brain functions are the #nspiration that comes from true knowledge, the #magination that is

the basis of all human greatness and the #ntuition that alone can bring victory to our life struggles.

These blessings are bestowed upon us when we choose to undergo hristian initiation. #t has three

steps" 3robation, #llumination and #nitiation. The mystery of the forgiveness of sins becomes direct

experience when all this is done by the exercise of moral choice. The point is that according to

the Books of Ieou the ascent of the soul in full consciousness comes with the forgiveness of sins. That

is, the second male Journey can now commence. That Journey is far beyond the scope of these

articles.

-ut we still have to get to 3robation, #llumination and #nitiation. How do we do that= That is what the

hrist )ourney is about. We shall end this series by examining

Greek 9abala%art ; The hrist )ourney takes us to 3robation, #llumination and #nitiation. They in turn lead us to the

faculties of #nspiration, #magination and #ntuition. Thus gifted, we can perform the ascent of the soul in

full consciousness. #n this article we examine the hrist )ourney with its % stages and /4 steps. The %

stages are the % pillars on the Tree of :ife. The /4 steps are the /4 spheres on the Tree. :et us look

at this in totality.


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3 Stages

The abstract principles of the spheres have been personified in order to give us an image to act as a

compass as we navigate the Tree. This activates the faculty of #magination and that gives us the clue

for where to begin.

:et us commence with the left pillar as the first stage because #magination is the true Greatness of

humanity and is therefore found in sphere '. This is personified as 3eter, the RrockI upon which hrist

built His hurch. #t took great #magination to see such a vision when 3eter failed so badly, by denying

hrist three times Just before the rucifixion. Next we go to sphere & and )ohn the -aptist. #t was his

#llumination that recognised the $on of God and his 3ower that performed the -aptism. $phere %


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the combined, feminine and masculine Journeys. $elfKgratification is a lot easier isnIt it= *rom now onall comments will be made on the assumption that the three lower Journeys 6combined, feminine,masculine7 have been completed.

Step 2 $oun(ation

We need the change of consciousness symbolised by the -aptism. There are in fact three baptisms"water, Holy $pirit and fire 6+atthew %"//; :uke %"/


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!nly )ohn the -aptist has such 3ower. He is approached by ι 6iota7 and the $un on the ascent of the

soul from Greatness 6is he not great=7 and via µ 6mi7 and :ibra from Goodness 6is he not good=7. Heis the great #lluminator and performs the rite that begins hristIs mission. He has a similar function for us, if we can use our #magination. emember that the path of the $un connects #magination directlywith #llumination. There is a very close relationship between #llumination and #nitiation as we shall seewith )ohn the -eloved. The 3ower to illuminate flows into the glory revealed by our initiation.

Step ) 2 Glory

The love embodied by )ohn the -eloved can only be described as Glory because no other word isadeDuate. #f you have followed the )ourney so far, #magination plus #ntuition lead to hoice. We canthen choose #llumination and #nitiation. The steps are cumulative in their effect. -e very certain that atthis stage of our inner Journey, there are no accidents and no random, meaningless events.Cverything that occurs to us is the result of our choices. We choose #nitiation either consciously or

unconsciously. #t is often a very painful experience. We approach )ohn via λ 6lambda7, irgo from

ictory, ν 6ni7, $corpio from Goodness and ο 6omicron7, +ars on the ascent of the soul from 3ower.We can see that the steps are cumulative in their effect and they are building up to a climactic event,the 9nowledge that can only come from Beath and esurrection.

Non!Sphere 2 Kno'le(ge

This is the rucifixion. Notice how the paths literally cross at this point on the Tree. Traditionally thisplace on the Tree is regarded as the (byss and this explains why 9nowledge is not a sphere in actualmanifestation. #t has to be brought out of the darkness by blood and sacrifice, by Beath andesurrection. !nly by dying and living again do we know ; all else is idle speculation. -ut from9nowledge comes #nspiration and this guides us with certainty and truth. #s the sacrifice worth it or is8feel good8 better= There is no polite way to say this" we must offer ourselves up for rucifixion as aliving sacrifice. The result is+nosis and that is yet again, a radical change in consciousness. Themoral choices we make to activate the forgiveness of sins must have a higher purpose than simply tolet us off the hook of our fate. -y choosing with 9nowledge we gain the #nspiration to do GodIs work.There can be no other reason for struggling to get to this point.

We approach the Beath and esurrection experience via ξ 6xi7, Water from Goodness, ρ 6rho7,apricorn from 3ower and τ 6tav7, 3isces from Glory. +ary +agdalene is here and her experience is


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part of the process of bringing 9nowledge out of the darkness. This change of consciousness is soradical that we can hardly imagine what it may mean. That is why it has to be experienced and notread about. The literal crossing of the paths is significant and indicates that our personal crucifixion isnot merely a symbolic statement.

To get to 9nowledge from below its position on the Tree we follow the formula"

9nowledge ? Goodness > 3ower > Glory ⇒€€#nspiration€= hoice > #llumination > #nitiation

@nderstanding the formula gives us an insight into the process. 9nowledge transmutes into #nspirationas a conseDuence of our hoice to undergo #llumination and #nitiation. #n turn, the hoice for #nspiration is the hoice for personal rucifixion, Beath and esurrection. What will we choose whenwe get to this point= $elfKgratification, 8feel good8, avoidance, denial= We have already made all of these choices in the past. The above diagram helps us to understand our position by putting all thespheres into a context of rucifixion because above 9nowledge we have @nderstanding, Wisdom and*irst 3rinciple. *ollow the paths"

#nitiation 6Glory7 ⇒ #nspiration 69nowledge7 ⇒ @nderstanding

#llumination 63ower7 ⇒ #nspiration 69nowledge7 ⇒ Wisdomhoice 6Goodness7 ⇒ #nspiration 69nowledge7 ⇒ *irst 3rinciple

9nowledge is transmuted into #nspiration by the rucifixion and this is put into motion by hoice, our personal choice for Beath and esurrection. Bo you still want to know =

Greek 9abala%art ;2 #t is impossible to overstate the importance of 9nowledge as a part of the process of spiritual

transformation we call the hrist )ourney. #t is actually impossible to 8know8 9nowledge as a left brain

concept. 9nowledge is an experience and that is why we can only 8know8 it by rucifixion. #n a further

attempt to grasp the ungraspable, let us return to the pentagram that we first saw in 3art % of this

series.


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9nowledge emerges out of and is therefore the conseDuence of a dynamic interplay of forces. 6Have

you seen the pun= The word 8dynamic8 comes from the Greek word 8Bynamis8 which means

83ower87. (s a formula it looks like this"

*irst 3rinciple ⇒ Glory ⇒ @nderstanding ⇒ Wisdom ⇒ 3ower ⇒ *irst 3rinciple

? 9nowledge

There is a sense in which we must first grasp all the other spheres of the Tree before we can bring

forth the nonKsphere of 9nowledge. That is why we must do the combined, feminine and masculine

Journeys before the hrist )ourney. The emergence of 9nowledge on the Tree is a higher version of

the irgin -irth. This means that we are dealing with a deep mystery and it therefore reDuires all the

right brain processes of #magination, #ntuition, #llumination and #nitiation, which we must activate by a

positive hoice. (gain we note that this implies a radical change of our consciousness.

Step 8 2 6n(erstan(ing

an we now 8understand8 @nderstanding= 3robably not and that is why we need +ary as the +other

of $orrows to per

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Greek Kabala