Aeon418
Self Slain
Here's an interesting New Aeon perspective on XIII Death from Daniel Gunther.
Here's an interesting New Aeon perspective on XIII Death from Daniel Gunther.
J. Daniel Gunther said:In the unique symbolism of the Thoth Tarot deck, on Atu XIII, Death, there is a distinct clue that leads us to the central meaning of the card. The Grim Reaper is depicted wearing the White Egyptian Crown of Osiris. In the Old Aeon, Osiris was the corn or wheat mowed down by the sweeping scythe of Death. In the New Aeon it is Osiris himself who wields the blade. The enormity of this veild revelation by The Master Therion cannot be underestimated. In the New Aeon, Asar (man) is no longer the victim of Death, but he is the bringer of Death himself, and more importantly, he is the bringer of Death to himself.
In the 22nd Aethyr of the Vision and the Voice, a great revelation is unfolded to Frater Perdurabo. As an Exempt Adept of the A.'.A.'. he experiences his first vision of the Crowned and Conquering Child Hoor; and, significantly, that vision occurs within the Vault of the Pastos, the symbolic tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz, founder of the Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross. He hears the voice of Hoor, the babe in the egg of blue, who says unto him:
"Behold! where are now the darkness and the terror and the lamentation? For ye are born into the new Aeon; ye shall not suffer death. Bind up your girdles of gold! Wreathe yourselves with garlands of my unfading flowers! In the nights we will dance together, and in the morning we will go forth to war; for, as my Father liveth that was dead, so do I live and shall never die."
To these sublime words, Crowley added his comentary to help clarify the meaning:
"In the New Aeon, Death is become Life Triumphant, not through Resurrection, but in its own Essence...
The Thelemite does not "suffer death". He is eternal and perceives Himself the Universe, by virtue of the categories of Life and Death, which are not real but subjective forms of his artistic presentation."
The Thelemite is not conquered by Death; he or she experiences the category of perception we signify by the symbols of Death. We are the Self-Slain, not the victims of catatrophic death as Asar, or Isa the sufferer. We have dismembered ourselves deliberately and intelligently in pursuit of Truth. We do not require Resurrection for we are the Resurrection, the Truth and the Life.