Panels on Magician's table edge

Abrac

I'm not so sure now about the panels referring to the three sephiroth on the left-hand side, though it seemed like a good idea at the time. :) It seems a bit forced, and there's something else that works a lot better. Earlier in this thread I quoted from Waite's "Allocution of the 5 = 6 Grade" in Gilbert's Hermetic Papers of A. E. Waite; it's here, I believe, the true meaning is found, or at least truer.

No date is given but it's from the Independent and Rectified Rite period of 1903-1914. Waite is addressing newly initiated Adepts into the Adeptus Minor grade, i.e., the first grade of the Second Order (Tiphareth). Woven throughout are references to all three grades of Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major (Geburah) and Adeptus Exemptus (Chesed). Especially interesting are the comments he makes concerning Water, Blood and Spirit and a reference to comments made by the Chief Adept in the GD Adeptus Minor initiation. First, Waite's comment:

"Think for a moment of that which is signified by the versicles of the Chief Adept when the stigmata are impressed upon him [the Candidate]. They refer to the Triad in the Archetype, and because of the correspondence between things above and below they refer also to the Triad in humanity; to the Spirit, which is the Divine part; to the Water which is the psychic part; to the Blood, which is the life in Nephesh, the animal part; and in fine to mystical death and resurrection, or the Greater Mysteries which are the crown of the crucified life."​

Here are the words of the Chief Adept from the ritual. I'm quoting the second part of his verscicle first to be consistent with the order in which Waite refers to them:

"Quit then this tomb, O Aspirant, with thine arms crossed upon thy breast, bearing in thy right hand the crook of mercy and in thy left the scourge of severity, the emblems of those eternal forces betwixt which the equilibrium of the universe dependeth; those forces whose reconciliation is the key of life, whose separation is evil and death."​

The Chief Adept refers to the eternal forces of mercy and severity; between these is the equilibrium on which the universe depends. This is the "Triad in the Archetype" Waite refers to. The analog of this is the Triad in humanity—Water, Blood and Spirit or the psychic part, the animal part and the Divine part. The Chief Adept refers to the reconciliation of the two forces as the "key of life." Waite illustrates this in Temperance where the reconciliation of the psychic and material natures brings about a "rebirth."

Waite also mentions mystical death and resurrection as part of the Chief Adept's versicles. He calls them "the Greater Mysteries which are the crown of the crucified life." This refers to Adeptus Major (death—or more accurately, burial) and Adeptus Exemptus (resurrection).

The Chief Adept:

"Buried with that light in a mystical death, rising again in a mystical resurrection, cleansed and purified through Him our master, O brother of the Cross and the Rose."​

It seems to me Waite is either hinting at what is illustrated in the Magician or describing something which he would later have Pamela illustrate in that card. All the elements are there; it's possible the Magician is the resurrected Exempt Adept.
 

Abrac

After thinking about this some more, I believe the Magician could represent Waite's interpretation of the Candidate's journey through the grades of the Second Order (Tiphareth, Geburah and Chesed). If DIN represents Geburah on the left pillar, then Chesed would be at the top of the right one. Geburah is "going in" and Chesed illustrates the Magician "coming out" from Chesed. The Table edge is the path connecting them. In both the GD and the FRC this is path 19, Teth and represents resurrection or spiritual transformation. In the GD it's more subtle, being illustrated by Strength (8)*, but in the FRC it's fairly clear, represented by Judgement or Resurrection (19). Illustration below.

http://s19.postimg.org/ufpzgxkub/DIN.jpg

The panels are a legend of sorts, or a key; they illustrate each of the grades. One of the main aspects of the Adeptus Minor ritual in Tiphareth is the shedding of blood or suffering upon the cross, this is the central panel. The path between Tiphareth and Geburah represents the way from the place of crucifixion to the place of burial; finally, Geburah (6 = 5) represents the place of burial. In both the GD and the FRC, the symbolism of Water plays an important role in the Adeptus Major ritual and is represented by the water panel; it would have been noticed, I believe, by an alert observer in the GD Second Order. From Zalewski's Secret Inner Order Rituals of the Golden Dawn:

Chief Adept: "Noble Lord of Eventide, place the bowl of water in the hands of the Postulant that he may behold his face as in a glass darkly."

3rd Adept does so, instructing Postulant to bend his face and look steadily at the reflection.

Chief Adept: "Behold then, my Frater, thyself submerged, even as of old the Postulant was held beneath the waters of baptism until he entered the gates of death, emerging then, and then only, purified from the stains of earth. Thus must thou also purify thyself, body and soul in darkness and in silence before thou canst pass along the path of Purgatorial Fire (of which the Southern Pillar [i.e., the right pillar] is the emblem), to that resurrection which we in patience hope for."​

In the FRC Adeptus Major ritual, water plays an even more central role (many of the FRC rituals are adaptations of GD rituals with certain aspects expanded upon and given Waite's own mystic spin). Waite draws on the symbolism of the Drowned Giant beneath the Waters of Creation, comparing it to the Divine Spark hidden within the waters of the individual. The ritual itself involves the Candidate going within beneath the dark waters and discovering this Spark.

Adeptus Major: "But the history of man, my Brother, is that of the greater universe. In him the Divine Spark is immersed within the waters of his own material existence."​

and,

Adeptus Major: "The hour comes when he is drawn into the deeps of that image by a mystical death, and so passes through it, leaving the world of images—to abide in Divine Darkness."

Adeptus Exemptus: "What is this place of darkness?"

Adeptus Major: "It is the world within, stilled in the Waters of Contemplation, and these are Waters of Love."​

and finally,

Adeptus Exemptus: "Fratres et Sorores, we are in fine called back to the House of the Father. Let us fear not therefore those waters which intervene, though they are cold to the simple senses."​

After three days of symbolic burial, and having had an experience with the Divine Spark of the Christ Spirit within, the Candidate is resurrected bodily in Christ and emerges as an Exempt Adept in Chesed (at least in the FRC rituals). It's interesting to me that the three panels are in the order corresponding to the three grades: Blood (Tiphareth) in the center; Water (Geburah) on the left; and Spirit (Chesed) on the right. The symbolic crucifixion in Tiphareth is death of the physical body; the burial is symbolic of going deep within the psychic part. In the ritual quoted above, Waite calls it "leaving the world of images—to abide in Divine Darkness." The GD ritual says: "Thus must thou also purify thyself, body and soul in darkness and in silence. . ."

* It just occurred to me that this could account for Waite going out of his way in the PKT to elucidate on the number 8 and it's connection with Christ.
 

parsival

Clever analysis Abrac.

I have a comment regarding your quotation from the FRC "It is said in the Secret Tradition that the Pillar of Severity, summarised in Geburah, is the way of going in, while the Pillar of Mercy, resumed [now rare: "summarised"; presumably from résumé] in Chesed, is the way of coming out ".

I think I can see how in terms of the ToL as a whole , the Pillar of Severity might be the pillar by which the soul enters manifestation based on the fact that by entering manifestation the soul is " travelling ' away from its source in God. This apparent separation from its source is in effect a kind of evil for the soul ( depicted in the Wheel of Fortune by the evil Typhon descending ) . We could remember as well that Binah is the " Great Mother ' and the fount of souls .
However I cannot see how the Pillar of Mercy " is the way of coming out " ( of manifestation ) because the return to God is always by way of the Middle Pillar e.g. to quote Waite in the essay " The Tarot and the Rosy Cross " : " the true ascent is only by the Middle Path ".
I may be interpreting " going in " and " coming out " incorrectly ?
 

Abrac

On the one hand it sounds like he's talking about the pillars, but I agree with you that it doesn't exactly make sense. On the other hand he could be talking about Geburah and Chesed as representatives of each pillar, but the wording isn't in favor of that. The next two sentences which follow after the end of your quote I believe are the keys,

"The science of the Paths which communicate with Chesed belongs to the root-matter of resurrection itself, which involves return in its meaning. To attain resurrection the Postulant must traverse the Path of Teth, but thereafter he comes forth out of Chesed. . ."​

To me this shows he's talking about coming out of Chesed specifically, which is on the side of Mercy.

My understanding of "going in" and "coming out" as Waite uses them here is as references to the symbolic death and burial in Geburah and the subsequent return in Chesed.
 

parsival

Yes i agree that it makes more sense .