Liber 418 study group - 23rd Aethyr: TOR

Aeon418

Aleister Crowley said:
23. TOR - The Kerubim of Earth and Air (Minor officers in the Initiation to 8○ = 3□.) The Vision of the Interplay And Identity of Earth and Air. - Here appear the Cherubim, the other officers of the new Temple, the earth and water assistants of the fire and air Beast and Scarlet Woman.
The Cry of the 23rd Aethyr,
Which is Called TOR

1. In the brightness of the stone are three lights, brighter than all, which revolve ceaselessly. And now there is a spider's web of silver covering the whole of the stone. Behind the spider's web is a star of twelve rays; and behind that again, a black bull, furiously pawing up the ground. The flames from his mouth increase and whirl, and he cries: Behold the mystery of toil, O thou who art taken in the toils of mystery. For I who trample the earth thereby make whirlpools in the air; be comforted, therefore, for though I be black, in the roof of my mouth is the sign of the Beetle. Bent are the backs of my brethren, yet shall they gore the lion with their horns. Have I not the wings of the eagle, and the face of the man?

2. And now he is turned into one of those winged Assyrian bull-men.

3. And he sayeth: The spade of the husbandman is the sceptre of the king. All the heavens beneath me, they serve me. They are my fields and my gardens and my orchards and my pastures.

4. Glory be unto thee, who didst set thy feet in the North; whose forehead is pierced with the sharp points of the diamonds in thy crown; whose heart is pierced with the spear of thine own fecundity.

5. Thou art an egg of blackness, and a worm of poison. But thou hast formulated thy father, and made fertile thy mother.

6. Thou art the basilisk whose gaze turns men to stone, and the cockatrice at the breast of an harlot that giveth death for milk. Thou art the asp that has stolen into the cradle of the babe. Glory unto thee, who art twined about the world as the vine that clingeth to the bare body of a bacchanal.

7. Also, though I be planted so firmly upon the earth, yet is my blood wine and my breath fire of madness. With these wings, though they be but little, I lift myself above the crown of the yod, and being without fins I yet swim in the inviolate fountain.

8. I disport myself in the ruins of Eden, even as Leviathan in the false sea, being whole as the rose at the crown of the cross. Come ye unto me, my children, and be glad. At the end of labour is the power of labour. And in my stability is concentrated eternal change.

9. For the whirlings of the universe are but the course of the blood in my heart. And the unspeakable variety thereof is but my divers hairs, and plumes, and gems in my tall crown. The change which ye lament is the life of my rejoicing, and the sorrow that blackeneth your hearts is the myriad deaths by which I am renewed. And the instability which maketh ye to fear, is the little waverings of balance by which I am assured.

10. And now the veil of silver tissue-stuff closes over him, and above that, a purple veil, and above that, a golden veil, so that now the whole stone is like a thick mat of woven gold wires; and there come forth, one from each side of the stone, two women, and grasp each other by both hands, and kiss, and melt into one another; and melt away. And now the veils open again, the gold parts, and the purple parts, and the silver parts, and there is a crowned eagle, also like the Assyrian eagles.

11. And he cries: All my strength and stability are turned to the use of flight. For though my wings are of fine gold, yet my heart is the heart of a scorpion.

12. Glory unto thee, who being born in a stable didst make thee mirth of the filth thereof, who didst suck in iniquity from the breast of thy mother the harlot; who didst flood with iniquity the bodies of thy concubines.

13. Thou didst lie in the filth of the streets with the dogs; thou wast tumbled and shameless and wanton in a place where four roads meet. There wast thou defiled, and there wast thou slain, and there wast thou left to rot. The charred stake was thrust through thy bowels, and thy parts were cut off and thrust into thy mouth for derision.

14. All my unity is dissolved; I live in the tips of my feathers. That which I think to be myself is but infinite number. Glory unto the Rose and the Cross, for the Cross is extended unto the uttermost end beyond space and time and being and knowledge and delight! Glory unto the Rose that is the minute point of its center! Even as we say; glory unto the Rose that is Nuit the circumference of all, and glory unto the Cross that is the heart of the Rose!

15. Therefore do I cry aloud, and my scream is the treble as the bellowing of the bull is the bass. Peace in the highest and peace in the lowest and peace in the midst thereof! Peace in the eight quarters, peace in the ten points of the Pentagram! Peace in the twelve rays of the seal of Solomon, and peace in the four and thirty whirlings of the hammer of Thor! Behold! I blaze upon thee. (The eagle is gone; it is only a flaming Rosy Cross of white brilliance.) I catch thee up into rapture. FALUTLI, FALUTLI!

16. ... O it dies, it dies.

Bou Sada. November 28, 1909. 9:30-10:15 A.M.
Plain text versions of Liber 418 with Crowley's footnotes:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/418/418.htm
http://hermetic.com/crowley/the-vision-and-the-voice/

Liber 418 in PDF format with images:

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/cr...s/Liber418.pdf
 

Always Wondering

I always find Crowleys brief synopsis in Liber 418's Introduction helpful.
Aethyr 23 The Vision of the Interplay And Identity of Earth and Air.

7. Also, though I be planted so firmly upon the earth, yet is my blood wine and my breath fire of madness. With these wings, though they be but little, I lift myself above the crown of the yod, and being without fins I yet swim in the inviolate fountain.

I really like this line. However, I've struggled with this whole Aethyr. Perhaps I am a little rusty but cannot keep any vision of this Assyrian Bull Man in my head. I finally did an image search. There seems to be only one version.

I will try again tomorrow. It could be all this black slimy worm poison stuff. Perhaps I am not up to wallowing today. :laugh: But it doesn't have a real feel of my Thoth deck like I have found in the other Aethyrs.

Thou art the basilisk whose gaze turns men to stone, and the cockatrice at the breast of an harlot that giveth death for milk.
Paradoxical indeed. :confused:
 

Aeon418

However, I've struggled with this whole Aethyr.
I'm still gathering my thoughts at the moment. But I have finished my introduction to the Aethyr. It might provide a bit of context. Don't worry about the nerdy footnote though. It's just a bit of technical trivia.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

TOR. Pronounced "Toh-ray" in the Golden Dawn Enochian dialect.

Binah in Yetzirah. I believe this attribution is highly significant and crucial to understanding this aethyr. This vision gives us our first taste of Supernal consciousness, albeit only at the level of Yetzirah. Here “Contradiction is Unity.”
And this is the great Mystery of the Supernals that are beyond the Abyss. For below the Abyss, contradiction is division; but above the Abyss, contradiction is Unity. And there could be nothing true except by virtue of the contradiction that is contained in itself.
At the level of Yetzirah this is presented as oppositions or dualities that are expressive of an underlying unity. In this vision it is represented by the opposition between the Bull and the Eagle. According to Crowley the Eagle is now the kerubic symbol for fixed Air/Aquarius.* Anyone who knows their elemental dignities knows that Air and Earth don’t get on very well. But here they are shown to be merely two expressions of one thing: Change is Stability, and Stability is Change.
The Bull requires change to maintain his stability. While the Eagle needs stability in her wings in order to achieve the change and volatility implied by flight.

T = Caput Draconis, Gimel, II The Priestess.
O = Libra, Lamed, VIII Adjustment.
R = Pisces, Qoph, XVIII The Moon.

Gimel(3) + Lamed(30) + Qoph(100) = 133.

133 is the numerical value of the Hebrew IM HMLCh, the Salt Sea, a reference to the Great Sea - Binah.

The Tarot attributions of the name, TOR, are suggestive of two different expressions of the Lunar principle. On either side of Adjustment they balance the scales. The Moon is representative of change, phases, flux and reflux. And yet she is also attributed to Yesod, the Foundation. Change is Stability, and Stability is Change.

[*Note: Hence the position swap of the water and air Kerubs on Atu’s V & XXI. Although this does not necessarily conflict with the use of the Eagle/Scorpio attribution on the Cups/Water minor cards. According to J. Daniel Gunther, the position of the Kerubs on Atu’s V & XXI is indicative of the N.O.X. formula and a new pentagrammaton, IHLVH, that symbolizes the Satisfaction of the Woman (Atu VIII) by the balancing of Heh-prima and Heh-final, the Mother and the Daughter, in the pans of the balance.

The older attribution of the Eagle to Water and Scorpio represents the now superseded (not abrogated) formula of L.V.X. and the traditional pentagrammaton, IHShVH. This formula is still valid and represents the Great Work up to Tiphareth. But it is no longer the supreme formula of initiation. This is now represented by the N.O.X. formula and the “setting of the Daughter upon the throne of the Mother in Binah.”
]
 

Always Wondering

T = Caput Draconis, Gimel, II The Priestess.
O = Libra, Lamed, VIII Adjustment.
R = Pisces, Qoph, XVIII The Moon.

I should have read this, and been warned. :laugh:

The Aethyr is sitting much better today.

Gimel(3) + Lamed(30) + Qoph(100) = 133.

133 is the numerical value of the Hebrew IM HMLCh, the Salt Sea, a reference to the Great Sea - Binah.

Yes, this morning I was getting the feeling of Nuit quite strongly. Especially Liber Al vel Legis 1:27, 28, 29. Division and Union, One and None, Zero and Two, Pain and Joy.

The Tarot attributions of the name, TOR, are suggestive of two different expressions of the Lunar principle. On either side of Adjustment they balance the scales. The Moon is representative of change, phases, flux and reflux. And yet she is also attributed to Yesod, the Foundation. Change is Stability, and Stability is Change.

This is very helpful, thanks.
 

Aeon418

1 –2. Crowley interprets the three revolving lights as the three gunas. But they could represent anything three-ish. The Supernal Triad? The sephirah Binah? Or the Lunar Priestess-Gimel. The spiders web is suggestive of her veil. (Atu II) The star of twelve rays could indicate the zodiac, which corresponds to Chokmah. But 12 is also the value of HVA, a title of Kether. But why the star? Maybe because of the full title of Atu II – The Priestess of the Silver Star. This vision is clearly being staged on a higher, supernal level.

The Bull tramples the earth and disturbs the air. Even though they are separate and distinct (Earth & Air), there is still continuity between them. This makes me think of the everyday phenomenon of changes in consciousness caused by interaction with physical objects.
Behold the mystery of toil, O thou who art taken in the toils of mystery.” The interplay of “toil” and “mystery” reinforces this idea. Toil is heavy and physical labour. While mystery suggests something airy and insubstantial, that can’t be fully grasped.
The Bull is black suggesting heavy and inert matter, but the sign of the Beetle in his mouth. This seems to indicate Atu XVIII, The Moon, and the rebirth of the light in matter. This may also indicate the process of manifestation. The Bull feeds on spirit, and out the other end comes …….. bull sh*t! :laugh:
Aleister Crowley said:
There is also a mystery in the fact that the Beetle rolls up a ball of dung, thus constructing the Sun from the excrement of putrefaction.

3. A spade is not a sceptre and vice versa. But this Aethyr requires a different kind of thinking. The king with his sceptre rules by virtue of the labour of his people and their spades. This appears to be another symbol of the continuity that exists between different levels of manifestation and is a symbolic expression of Binah consciousness
Nuit said:
And the sign shall be my ecstasy, the consciousness of the continuity of existence, the omnipresence of my body.

4. Symbolically the North is said to be the “place of greatest darkness” and the element of earth.
The diamonds in the crown suggest Kether. The spear that pierces the heart may be the Middle Pillar, connecting the Crown with Malkuth.

5. The egg of blackness is Akasha, the egg of Spirit that contains everything. At first glance this is jarring because of habitual associations with “black earth” and “light-spirit.”
The worm of poison appears to be another discordant image of spirit, and it’s “corrupting” influence within matter that causes transformation and change. This symbolism should be compared to the “venom” and “poison” mentioned in the other Holy Books of Thelema.

6. This section continues the discordant theme and is very obscure. The Basilisk and the Cockatrice are both mythological creatures. The Basilisk is said to come from an egg laid by a Cockerel :confused: and incubated by a snake or toad. The Cockatrice is the other way around. It comes from a snake egg incubated by a Cockerel. This ‘mix & match’ symbolism seems consistent with the theme of this vision. But what it means is a bit of a mystery. The Basilisk is attributed to Geburah though, so maybe the Cockatrice is emblematic of Chesed? (See also Liber A’ash v.13 for another interpretation of the Basilisk.)
The asp in the cradle of the babe? The child is a symbol of Tiphareth. But the asp/serpent – NChSh -, Nechesh, is equivalent to MshICh, Messiah.
All of these symbols seem to be the opposite of what we normally associate with these sephira. Was this a way of telling Crowley that he was perfectly Adept (7=4, 6=5, 5=6) and was ready for the next step?
The vine twined about the bacchanal? The vine is a climbing plant rooted in the earth. The bacchanal intoxicates the body with drink, drugs, and sex to exalt consciousness above it’s everyday dullness. But this form of “worship” is diametrically opposite to the usual ideas of piety and chastity that some people associate with worship.
Edit: I note that Crowley links this section to the opposition in the zodiac between Taurus and Scorpio. That might explain the Basilisk, poison, serpent, and bacchanal.

7 –8. Malkuth is in Kether, and Kether is in Malkuth. Matter and the physical world are the playground of Spirit. Ascend to the heights of spirit and you give spirit expression in the flesh. (Ace of Disks.)
The rest of this section continues the contrast of height and depth. Stability and Change.

9. The Bull’s stability is ensured by the variety of his constituent parts and all the small changes that are constantly occurring. This requires one to take in the ‘big picture’ and see things as one big unified whole. But if you focus on any individual part things suddenly don’t seem so rosy. The individual point of view generates Sorrow – 3 of Swords.

10. This section closes the curtain on the first part of the show. The kissing/melting women indicate that next part is intimately connected to the first.

11. The Eagle’s stability is used for flight, which indicates change and volatility. The wings are of gold, the colour of the balanced, airy sephirah, Tiphareth. But despite this appearance of airel stability and balance the Eagle has the heart of the Scorpion (XIII Death) and is constantly changing and adapting.

12. This section is another inversion of what we would normally expect. But if one pole exists, so must the opposite. The theme is Christian and related to the story Jesus. Mary is here contrasted with a harlot. And Jesus the celibate is compared to his not so celibate reflection.
The word ‘mirth’ in this section is interesting. Mirth is attributed to the Path of Ayin and Atu XV, The Devil. This is the card of projections and unwanted shadow material. All the stuff we fear, don’t like, or reject, gets dumped on the poor old scapegoat. How about a bit of Sympathy for the Devil? (Take it away Mick!) But the Devil is PAN. He is ALL. (Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. Saturn = Binah.)
Aleister Crowley said:
The formula of this card is then the complete appreciation of all existing things. He rejoices in the rugged and the barren no less than in the smooth and the fertile. All things equally exalt him. He represents the finding of ecstasy in every phenomenon, however naturally repugnant; he transcends all limitations; he is Pan; he is All.

13. We’ve just seen Death and the Devil, so is the “place where four roads meet” the intersection of the Paths of Samekh and Peh? This part appears to show, in a derogatory way, the symbolic dismemberment and death of the candidate in the Outer Order grades below Tiphareth.
Crowley sees it as the perversion and profanation of the Dying God formula.

14. Back to the Eagle again. He lives in the tips of his feathers. His perception is focused outwards towards the periphery of his being. This contrasts with the Bull who appeared more internally focused. Everything was described as occurring within his body. But the same perimeter edge that defines "within" also defines "without."
The description of the Rose and Cross is opposite to the norm. The Rose usually symbolizes the infinite circumference, while the Cross marks the infinite point at the center of the Rose. But this point of view can just as easily be flipped around.

15. In Binah (in Yetzirah) Air and Earth are complimentary opposites, not contradictory. Here they are compared to treble and bass. Complimentary vibrations.
The vision closes with a series images the reinforce this complimentary view of wholeness. The highest and the lowest. Each one implies the other. When alone both are without meaning.
The 5 points of the pentagram form 5 interior points in the spaces in between. 10 points. The same applies to the hexagram (Seal of Soloman). 12 points instead of the usual 6 count. The Hammer of Thor is the Swastika. It is made up of 17 squares, but it can be drawn ‘whirling’ in two different directions. 2 x 17 = 34. Finally there is the Rose Cross, symbolic of the union of opposites.

The word FALUTLI comes from Liber VII, 5:30. Among other things it symbolizes union and dissolution. (see Crowley’s detailed analysis of this word in the final footenote of the vision. http://hermetic.com/crowley/the-vision-and-the-voice/aethyr23.html#28)
30. Ah God, all is gone! Thou dost consummate Thy rapture. Falútli! Falútli!

16. The final short line appears to be Crowley getting a small taste of the experience of Falutli. Instead of just witnessing a vision of Binah in Yetzirah, he is ‘lifted up into rapture.’ "... O it dies, it dies."
 

smw

This Aethry is mind boggling :eek: I looked at the Falutli commentary, The Fool, (huge amount in the BOT!!) the HGA, the Hermit and Adjustment! The only sense I can make of it is the balancing of the opposites, relating to the contradictions of the Fool - something out of nothing and wisdom/folly. The union with the HGA as the holy spirit (also signified by the Fool) and the creative egg of the hermit.... bringing about on the wider scale the unification or raising of Malkuth to Binah ~head thump on desk~

1 –2. Crowley interprets the three revolving lights as the three gunas. But they could represent anything three-ish. The Supernal Triad? The sephirah Binah? Or the Lunar Priestess-Gimel. The spiders web is suggestive of her veil. (Atu II) The star of twelve rays could indicate the zodiac, which corresponds to Chokmah. But 12 is also the value of HVA, a title of Kether. But why the star? Maybe because of the full title of Atu II – The Priestess of the Silver Star. This vision is clearly being staged on a higher, supernal level.

I was just wondering if this Aethyr was related in someway to the set up of the A.A? It is mentioned at the top about the new temple and the Intiation of 8=3, Magister Templi grade connected to Sephira Binah. Crossing of the Abyss would also relate to the supernal triad and doing something that wasn't thought previously possible. The 12 might also relate to the apostles (disciples) revolving around the sun the father Chockmah. Maybe also the Holy Trinity which seems to be one of the many mysteries of the Fool mentioned in the Falutli formula.

The Bull is black suggesting heavy and inert matter, but the sign of the Beetle in his mouth. This seems to indicate Atu XVIII, The Moon, and the rebirth of the light in matter. This may also indicate the process of manifestation. The Bull feeds on spirit, and out the other end comes …….. bull sh*t! :laugh:

"Have I not the wings of the eagle, and the face of the man?" maybe this end bit is the primary opposite to be reconciled the earthy quality of the bull representing man and the wings of our angelic nature. Or the rebirth of light in matter due to being able to make this reconciliation. Maybe like you have said here?

7 –8. Malkuth is in Kether, and Kether is in Malkuth. Matter and the physical world are the playground of Spirit. Ascend to the heights of spirit and you give spirit expression in the flesh. (Ace of Disks.)

11. The Eagle’s stability is used for flight, which indicates change and volatility. The wings are of gold, the colour of the balanced, airy sephirah, Tiphareth.But despite this appearance of airel stability and balance the Eagle has the heart of the Scorpion (XIII Death) and is constantly changing and adapting.

I thought this section also sounded kind of sad like a plea. Maybe that the potential for flight is there with the golden wings of Tipareth and union with the HGA but the heart is of the scorpion - which brings Death. For some reason it reminds me of the crucifixion plea of being forsaken by the Father and fear of facing imminent death.

ETA perhaps Crowley only had a small taste of the experience of Falutli, otherwise his head might have exploded.
 

Always Wondering

smw said:
This Aethyr is mind boggling.

Well at least I'm not the only one. :laugh: I guess we can take comfort in the fact, according to this very Aethry, if our minds are boggled on one level then on another level we have the understanding of Binah.

Aeon418 said:
The Bull is black suggesting heavy and inert matter, but the sign of the Beetle in his mouth. This seems to indicate Atu XVIII, The Moon, and the rebirth of the light in matter. This may also indicate the process of manifestation. The Bull feeds on spirit, and out the other end comes …….. bull sh*t!

Love this. I immediately thought of a bezoar stone when I first read the Aethyr. Though a perusal of Liber LXV didn't shed much light on that. :laugh:
 

smw

Love this. I immediately thought of a bezoar stone when I first read the Aethyr. Though a perusal of Liber LXV didn't shed much light on that. :laugh:

I just had a look at that interesting :) described as the aspirants relations to his HGA. I saw a mention of different stones as a description of the different ways of understanding things... not that that helps much with a bezoar stone - though they were apparently considered to be antidotes for poison... didn't work :laugh:
 

Aeon418

I looked at the Falutli commentary,...... The only sense I can make of it is the balancing of the opposites, relating to the contradictions of the Fool - something out of nothing and wisdom/folly.
I think the most important part of Crowley's commentary is the first line.
Aleister Crowley said:
It is the cry of the consummated rapture of the Dissolution of any symbol by virtue of Love.
The words "consumated", "rapture", "Disolution", and "Love", all suggest something more than mere balance. There's certainly a union of opposites going on here, but this union results in the dissolution of both parties as they melt into one another. In a way, Falutli, the combined scream of the Eagle and the bellowing of the Bull, is using the imagery of mutual sexual ecstasy to convey a sense of individual boundaries dissolving and breaking down.
I was just wondering if this Aethyr was related in someway to the set up of the A.A?
Possibly. The A.'.A.'. was set up by Crowley and G.C. Jones several years prior to this vision. But it was refined and changed as Crowley's personal initiation deepened and he actually attained the grades that, up until then, only existed in theory. The original 'ground plan' was already latent in the Golden Dawn initiatory scheme, but the Supernal Sephiroth were considered off limits. The vision of, TOR, may represent the first step into this new territory.
For some reason it reminds me of the crucifixion plea of being forsaken by the Father and fear of facing imminent death.
That's a good observation. Immediately after that there is the symbolic 'Scorpionic' initiation in sections 12 and 13. Then in section 14 the Eagle is singing a different song. He seems to have come to the realization that he is not a single entity, but a collection of many things that give rise the appearance of unity. This is similar to the Sankhara's in Buddhist philosophy.
TOR said:
All my unity is dissolved; I live in the tips of my feathers. That which I think to be myself is but infinite number.
ETA perhaps Crowley only had a small taste of the experience of Falutli, otherwise his head might have exploded.
Yes, this was just a small sample. He gets to experience the real deal in the 2nd Aethyr, ARN. (ARN = 156 = Babalon) The same three letters in Hebrew, Aleph, Resh, Nun, are the word for Ark - as in the Ark of the Covenant. And we all know what happens to those who take a look before they are ready. :laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTcheaqt0rU
 

Aeon418

Love this. I immediately thought of a bezoar stone when I first read the Aethyr. Though a perusal of Liber LXV didn't shed much light on that. :laugh:
The Bezoar stone is a collection of many separate things (usually hair) all compacted together, giving it the 'appearance' of a single unified thing. This ties in perfectly with the descriptions of Air and Earth in this vision.

Also, and more importantly, it is a good image of the Air/Earth - Mind & Body - that we routinely identify as 'self'. But this little self is just a collection of separate things that serves as the perfect vehicle for experience. This is one reason why the HGA in Liber LXV is nuts about the Bezoar stone. (The first 10 lines of chapter 4 are meant to be from the perspective of the Angel.)
Liber LXV said:
As the bezoar-stone that is found in the belly of the cow, so is my lover among lovers.
In the next verse the Angel, in the homo-erotic language of Liber LXV, attempts to seduce his 'lover among lovers' and get him a bit drunk. The Bezoar stone is hard and compact and requires a little 'loosening up' first.
Liber LXV said:
O honey boy! Bring me Thy cool limbs hither! Let us sit awhile in the orchard, until the sun go down! Let us feast on the cool grass! Bring wine, ye slaves, that the cheeks of my boy may flush red.