Chapter VIII – The Tradition of the Golden Age

A great deal more might be said on this subject, in fact it is truly inexhaustible, for fresh Light is Ever Coming.

There are one or two points which seem of particular interest and importance, and these I should Like to mention in the present treatise, so as to make is as complete and comprehensive as possible, as far as it goes.

I feel I have submitted fairly substantial evidence in justification of the Reformulation of the Order of the Paths, but I may point to some other interesting facts.

Firstly, the Path from Malkuth to Yesod is Aleph. Above Yesod and below Tiphereth we find the Paths of Vau and Mem, forming a Cross. These together are AUM, the word whereby we may prolong Dhyana, etc. But since M, the last letter is a closed sound and represents Death, we have been using the Word AUMN for some time, as this prolongs the Breath through the nasal sound of N, thus showing that Death may be overcome. We find the Path of Nun, N, or “Death” immediately above Tiphereth; so by this means we may be said to pass ON. This formula brings us directly in contact with the Channel of the Holy Spirit, or Shin.

I may say a new Ritual was revealed to us early this Year. I do not intend to describe it on account of its great Power. It might be a hindrance rather than a help to those unprepared for it. All I shall say is, that what we may term the 1923 Qabalistic Cross has the effect of Enlightening the Subconscious Mind by means of Wisdom and Understanding, thus enabling us, while on Earth, to ascend through the Power of the Breath, overcoming Water and Fire in the Light of the Spirit. Those who are ready will understand without further explanation. The Ascending Sign is that of Apophis as the Triple Flame.

While mentioning formulae we might also point out an exact correspondence to that of the Ritual of Mercury as indicated in the present arrangement of Paths. Taht, or Mercury, assisted Horus, be it remembered, in his struggle against the Powers of the Waters, by means of his Knowledge of the luni-solar reckonings. The Ritual states “The Sun is thy Father, thy Mother the Moon, the Wind hath borne thee in its bosom, and Earth hath ever nourished the changeless Godhead of thy Youth.” In other words: The Sun (Tiphereth) is thy Father; thy Mother (Mem) the Moon (Yesod); the Wind (Aleph) hath borne thee in its bosom; and Earth (Malkuth) hath ever nourished the Changeless Godhead (Hadit) of the Youth (IU).

Now let us discuss a slightly different aspect. The Root of the word Qabalah is QBL, meaning “to receive.” The Numeration of QBL is 132 which suggests the Supernal Triad. The word Qabalah is in Hebrew QBLH. The Final He suggests the Daughter, Malkuth. Kether, Chokmah, Binah, are the Sephirotic Roots of the Elements Air, Fire, and Water. Malkuth alone is attributed to Earth which is a compound of the other three. Therefore QBLH implies that Malkuth is “To Receive” the “Roots” of the Primordial Elements directly from the Supernals, and is composed thereof.

It has been shown how the Path of “The Magician” is directly representative of the Will and Wisdom of the Father in Chokmah, or of Yod of Tetragrammaton. Also how the Path of “The Empress” is directly representative of the Understanding of the Great Mother Binah, or of the He of IHVH. Again how the Path of “The Fool” transmits the Power of Vau, the Son, and of the Spirit or Shin. We find all these within the Daughter or final He, which becomes one with IHShVH, which, as 326, has also been shown to be the numeration of PARChVAL the earliest spelling of the Fool which is Aleph, the One who is in All. 326 is also indicated in the Descending Triad of Binah, Chokmah, Tiphereth; symbolizing that Tiphereth is also within Malkuth in the Complete Sphere, of which Malkuth or Nuit is the Infinite Circumference, Kether the Invisible and Infinitely Small Center, or Hadit; while Tiphereth, as Ra-Hoor-Khuit, is the Finite Universe, capable of being absorbed into the Heart or Soul of Man, half-way, so to speak, between the Infinites. The Sphere of the Moon, Yesod, is the Subconscious Mind of Humanity which absorbs the Solar Seed of Truth, and reflects it to the Individual Soul.

This can be shown in another manner. If we take Malkuth as the Planet Earth, the Air (Aleph) circles around it. Then comes the Orbit of the Moon. We may imagine Yesod circling round Malkuth with her reflecting surface always toward it. This orbit of the Moon may be fittingly taken for the Aura of the Earth, capable of receiving every impression and transmitting it to the Subconscious.

Malkuth and its Moon travel round the Sun, Tiphereth, and the elliptic is the Aura of the Earth in a larger sense; since the Signs of the Zodiac retain a fixed relation to the Earth as imaginary divisions of this elliptic, even though the actual constellations have changed their positions owing to the precession of the Equinoxes. This causes the actual Constellation to extend its influence through a different Sign. For instance, at present (since 1900), the Constellation of Aquarius exerts its influence upon the Sun, through the Sign of Aries, and this influence is transmitted to the Earth.

This Orbit of the Earth, is however a part of the Aura of the Sun, which may be said to extend to the Orbit of Saturn. (More properly Neptune in the light of modern discovery.)

Between the Earth and the Sun, as we look to Him as a Center, revolve the Planets Mercury and Venus. If, therefore, we Worshipped the Sun as our main objective, we should find ourselves traveling to a false Center. So we must turn our backs to the Sun, looking at things from His point of view, while still on the Earth, and around us will appear the Orbits of Mars, then Jupiter and then of Saturn, outside which are the Constellations of the Zodiac, and so on. From this symbolical viewpoint we may begin to absorb all these within us, as before stated in a slightly different way.

Now the Sun is ever the Son of the Star Mother, but as Father of Earth He transmits the prevailing influence of the Starts to the Earth through the medium of the Moon’s orbit. If, from Earth, we look up at the Sun at the Vernal Equinox, which opens the Year, we should see him with the first Degrees of the Constellation Aquarius as a background. The Sun’s Aura is particularly affected by the Influence of this Constellation, during the 2155 Years it appears back of the Zodiacal Sign of Aries in the Earth elliptic. The Life-force from the Sun is therefore charged with this Influence, and all on Earth are accordingly affected.

The Breath, or Prana, of the Sun is transmuted in the Body of Man, and he tends to become the Type of the Aquarian Age. This is a purely Human Sign, of the Water-bearer who carries the Waters of Life fearlessly. Horus has overcome the terror of the Waters, his ancient enemy, and to him that overcometh shall be given of the Waters of Life freely.

One could draw many parallels from the Scriptures to show that this is the Age of Fulfillment; even the FULL-FILLING of MAN with the Water of Life. Readers may, however, be interested in tracing some of these for themselves in “Revelations” and elsewhere.

We should remember, however, that Horus is the Ever-coming Son. This is not merely His second coming, any more than the last manifestation was His first.

At the risk of repeating myself I want to point out once again, from the Tree of Life, what a very important Age we have entered. In the last period, the influence of the Path of Pisces being predominant, it was next to impossible to rise above the Sphere of Chesed. Jupiter was the Highest conception of the Father known to man. It was an age of Mercy, unbalanced, and tending to aid and abet evil, just as the period before that was Over-severe and cruel. Without tracing all these paths again, let me once more say that the Path of Aquarius (if our plan is accepted as the correct one) is the ONLY Path of a Reciprocal nature among the Supernals, and the only Zodiacal Path above the Abyss. Therefore the coming period of 2132 years, is the ONLY period in the Cycle of 25000 years, when Humanity has the advantage of the True Light of Wisdom and Understanding. At the end of this period, we may expect another FALL, just as Lucifer Fell at one period, and Eve at another. Then the Influence will be in the Path of Capricorn, or “The Devil,” and the Light will decline towards Tiphereth as the principal manifestation of God according to the “Eye” Doctrine.

We may now understand why it was that the Ancient Brethren of the previous Golden Ages, seeing all things clearly, and realizing the future as well as the past, made very effort to leave PERMANENT MEMORIALS and LANDMARKS for the guidance of Humanity who would arise during the twilight and dark periods that must inevitably follow HIGH NOON. Our endeavor during this cycle should be to leave just such a permanent record, in Living form if possible. The formation of the Twelve Tribes as Living representations of the Signs of the Zodiac was just such an attempt in the past. The Jews were the IUs, representatives of the Ever-coming Son, the Wanderer, and thus they were called the chosen people. They were the people to which IUsaas came, hoping to find they still had a recollection of the Universal Tradition. But they had lost it, and did not understand. So He had to be content with promising the Gentiles that He would Come Again, and that next time it would be at the Eleventh Hours, in the Sign of Aquarius, and that the Golden Age would be renewed for a period. “In my Father’s House are many mansions,” He said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” In other words, “This limited and restricted Sign of Pisces is which I am now appearing, leaves much to be desired.” He knew He must be misunderstood, that the IUs having failed Him there was no chance of reviving the Lost Tradition, that the World would have to fulfill its destiny. He tried to explain to a few disciples, making each of the represent one of the Signs, so as to form a new Circle corresponding to the Tribes. Most of these have misunderstood, as time has shown.

Now He comes as a Conqueror, not as a Slave; but his chief weapon will be His Childlike Simplicity and His failure to perceive anything but good in all around him. For He knows that the Universe is the Perfect Work of a Perfect Being, that Existence is pure Joy, that the sorrows are but shadows, they pass and are done, but there is that which remains.

Now, in conclusion, let us say a few words in regard to Hermes, He who has given us His Book, the Tarot, as a true token of remembrance, of Whom we have one indisputably authentic record in the famous Emerald Tablet; all that is left of the Wisdom of Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt. Hermes prophesied that Egypt would fall, and so She did. He say there would come an end to the Golden Age in which He lived.

What says the Emerald Tablet. “True, without error, certain and most true; that which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above, for the performing of the miracle of the One Thing (or One Substance); and as all things were from one, by the mediation of one, so all things arose from this one thing by adaptation; the father of it is the Sun, the mother of it is the Moon; the wind carries it in its belly; the nurse thereof is the Earth. This is the father of all perfection, or consummation of the whole world. The power of it is integral, if it be turned into earth. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, gently with much sagacity; it ascends from the earth to heaven, and again descends to earth; and receives the strength of the superiors and of the inferiors-so thou hast the glory of the whole world; therefore let all obscurity flee before thee. This is the strong fortitude of all fortitudes, overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. So the world was created. Hence were all wonderful adaptations of which this is the manner. Therefore am I called Thrice Great Hermes, having the Three Parts of the philosophy of the whole world. That which I have written is consummated concerning the operation of the Sun.”

May Hermes, Thrice Greatest, guide the earnest seeker in his study of this book. May He enlighten the minds of those who study the Emerald Tablet, comparing it with the teaching herein set forth, the Keys of the Tarot, and the Reformulation of the Paths. It is enough if I add that the Three Parts of the philosophy of the whole world, the Three Supernals, now directly exert their Influence upon the Earth, through the Channels of Wisdom, Love and Power, and that in very Truth “That which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above, for the performing of the miracle of the One Thing” which One Thing is the One Thought of the Supreme and Concealed Father, as Manifested in the Ever-Coming Son.