Nun

[Always Wondering]

Imaginative Intellegence...

Hi all. I haven't been around because I've been busy healing. It turns out the anxiety and fatigue I was experiencing had a nutritional cause. I am not nearly as conflicted as I imagined. But I am feeling so much better.

I am back to my old fascination with the cards and am putting my focus on the Tree. I got through Kaph and Mem all on my own, with some new insights, but ran into some questions on Nun. (No particular order, just as I pull them.)

On page 134 of Book of Tokens, Case talks about the Universal Imagination. What is this?

As long as I'm hear I am slightly thrown by the "O Israel" on page 131.

That what men call life and death
Are as beads of white and black strung upon a thread;
And this thread of perpetual change
Is mine own changeless Life
Which bindeth together the unending series
Of little lives and deaths.

Beautiful, isn't it. But why "O Isreal'? Is this like invoking HGA to give this verse a global generational meaning? Because on another level I can see this thread of perpetual change in mundane daily life.

Also in Paths of Wisdom, on the path of Nun, Greer talks a whole bunch about sorcery. What's that about?


Any thoughts?

AW

 

[Abrac]

In paragraph one under "Comment on Aleph," it says, "Throughout this text the proper name 'Israel' should be understood as applying to the spiritual Israel." The Kabbalah represents the secret wisdom of Israel. In esotericism generally, "Israel" refers to the spiritually enlightened as opposed to those still walking in darkness.

 

[Barleywine]

Imaginative Intellegence...

Hi all. I haven't been around because I've been busy healing. It turns out the anxiety and fatigue I was experiencing had a nutritional cause. I am not nearly as conflicted as I imagined. But I am feeling so much better.

I am back to my old fascination with the cards and am putting my focus on the Tree. I got through Kaph and Mem all on my own, with some new insights, but ran into some questions on Nun. (No particular order, just as I pull them.)

On page 134 of Book of Tokens, Case talks about the Universal Imagination. What is this?

As long as I'm hear I am slightly thrown by the "O Israel" on page 131.



Beautiful, isn't it. But why "O Isreal'? Is this like invoking HGA to give this verse a global generational meaning? Because on another level I can see this thread of perpetual change in mundane daily life.

Also in Paths of Wisdom, on the path of Nun, Greer talks a whole bunch about sorcery. What's that about?


Any thoughts?

AW

I read somewhere that the "O Israel" is a kind of universal "everyman" salutation to the initiated reader. Now I'm going to have to go find it to see how good my memory is.

 

[Aeon418]

Throughout this text the proper name “Israel” should be understood as applying to the spiritual Israel. This name means “He shall rule as God”, and thus the text is addressed to all who, by identifying themselves with the Divine Will, become unobstructed channels for its expression. Thus they truly live the Divine Life, and consequently share in the Divine Rulership.

O Israel! Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The Universal imagination is pretty much the same as your imagination, but bigger and more general. It's the Universal urge to create and transform before it becomes manifest.

The most common and fundamental way that we humans experience it is through sexual desire. All that fantasy, erotic imagery and arousing thoughts that run through the mind and urge us to 'do it' are an example of this Universal imagination localised within our own heads. There's no need to blush. The whole Universe is up to it! But this is the most primitive and Scorpionic expression of Imagination. With control of the imagination desire can be channelled in other directions. MAGICK!

Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.

 

[Always Wondering]

Thanks guys.

Throughout this text the proper name “Israel” should be understood as applying to the spiritual Israel. This name means “He shall rule as God”, and thus the text is addressed to all who, by identifying themselves with the Divine Will, become unobstructed channels for its expression. Thus they truly live the Divine Life, and consequently share in the Divine Rulership.

Oh I see this now on page 14. I actually bought the real book, now I just got to settle down and read it.

The Universal imagination is pretty much the same as your imagination, but bigger and more general. It's the Universal urge to create and transform before it becomes manifest.

The most common and fundamental way that we humans experience it is through sexual desire. All that fantasy, erotic imagery and arousing thoughts that run through the mind and urge us to 'do it' are an example of this Universal imagination localised within our own heads. There's no need to blush. The whole Universe is up to it! But this is the most primitive and Scorpionic expression of Imagination. With control of the imagination desire can be channelled in other directions. MAGICK!

Ah I should have known. I may be a little rusty with this stuff. But I see in my journal I wrote Inspiration in big letters, so maybe I wasn't too far off.

AW

 

[Always Wondering]

This morning I read that the constant association/transformation of sex to Magick is a near superhuman task so I feel less rusty.

Here is another issue I am having with Nun....

I am using a handful of books to study, so far Case is my favorite, mostly because I can understand him.

With Mem especially I was able to see or feel the influence of Geburah, Hod, and even Yesod(mainly because Case said so) on the path. I am not having the same success with Nun. Tiphareth has always been a most overwhelming sphere for me. Also the association of Netzach to Venus with all this reference to the Great Sea of Binah seems to short circuit my process.

The other books all appear to handle the sephirah and paths separately. Why is this? My goal is to understand better the influence of the sephirah to the paths as I figured that is the way to have a better understanding of Qabalah. Is this misguided? Am I missing a step? I thought the most practical route of study would be how all this pertains to my life, thus the journaling and pulling of cards, but now I am wondering if I should study in the direction of the lightening flash.

AW

 

[Barleywine]

This morning I read that the constant association/transformation of sex to Magick is a near superhuman task so I feel less rusty.

Here is another issue I am having with Nun....

I am using a handful of books to study, so far Case is my favorite, mostly because I can understand him.

With Mem especially I was able to see or feel the influence of Geburah, Hod, and even Yesod(mainly because Case said so) on the path. I am not having the same success with Nun. Tiphareth has always been a most overwhelming sphere for me. Also the association of Netzach to Venus with all this reference to the Great Sea of Binah seems to short circuit my process.

The other books all appear to handle the sephirah and paths separately. Why is this? My goal is to understand better the influence of the sephirah to the paths as I figured that is the way to have a better understanding of Qabalah. Is this misguided? Am I missing a step? I thought the most practical route of study would be how all this pertains to my life, thus the journaling and pulling of cards, but now I am wondering if I should study in the direction of the lightening flash.

AW

I'm probably going to pollute the well here, but when I reassigned the astrological correspondences to the Major Arcana, I put Venus with the Lovers; so in my model there is a relatively straight shot from Binah via Venus to Tiphareth and then on to Netzach via the "little death" of Scorpio (sex). I've called my model the "Tree of Love and Lust."

 

[Aeon418]

I am not having the same success with Nun. Tiphareth has always been a most overwhelming sphere for me. Also the association of Netzach to Venus with all this reference to the Great Sea of Binah seems to short circuit my process.

It might help you to consider the letter Nun. It is spelt NVN. The two N's sit either side of the letter Vau, the letter of Union. "One (HGA) Shut up within the semblance of the Many. The One True Desire (Tiphareth) is the root of All Desires (Netzach).

That One is the All,
And entereth into all.
Everything that is,
Even those things which men account unclean,
Is an aspect of this All,
Which is myself.
And as the Fish is hidden in the waters of the Sea,
So is the secret of the One Shut up within the semblance of the Many.
Therefore is the Fish a sign of the Secret Wisdom,
For that Wisdom is naught but the discovery of the One.

The Discovery of the One? NVN - uniting the many desires (NN) into One True Desire (N) leaves NV (Nu). Lift the Veil of Isis and discover the One behind it. (Note the verse number - 50, Nun.)

50. Let not the priest of Isis uncover the nakedness of Nuit, for every step is a death and a birth. The priest of Isis lifted the veil of Isis, and was slain by the kisses of her mouth. Then was he the priest of Nuit, and drank of the milk of the stars.

Until the Veil is lifted the HGA beckons. (Note the verse number - 6, Vau)

6. O ye that drink of the brine of your desire, ye are nigh to madness! Your torture increaseth as ye drink, yet still ye drink. Come up through the creeks to the fresh water; I shall be waiting for you with my kisses.

 

[Always Wondering]

I'm probably going to pollute the well here, but when I reassigned the astrological correspondences to the Major Arcana, I put Venus with the Lovers; so in my model there is a relatively straight shot from Binah via Venus to Tiphareth and then on to Netzach via the "little death" of Scorpio (sex). I've called my model the "Tree of Love and Lust."

What a fun way to alter your conception of Scorpio.

It might help you to consider the letter Nun. It is spelt NVN. The two N's sit either side of the letter Vau, the letter of Union. "One (HGA) Shut up within the semblance of the Many. The One True Desire (Tiphareth) is the root of All Desires (Netzach).

Yes! It does help. I have copied it into my journal.

The Discovery of the One? NVN - uniting the many desires (NN) into One True Desire (N) leaves NV (Nu). Lift the Veil of Isis and discover the One behind it. (Note the verse number - 50, Nun.)

Awesome. I aspire to this kind of thinking on my own. Seems I need to pull out of few more books and give myself a few more years.

O ye that drink of the brine of your desire, ye are nigh to madness! Your torture increaseth as ye drink, yet still ye drink.

So much better than all that Jonah stuff.

Come up through the creeks to the fresh water; I shall be waiting for you with my kisses.

This immediately became my new favorite affirmation. So now I see Case's pretty string of black and white beads in the the light of DNA and/or Kundalini.

So is the secret of the One Shut up within the semblance of the Many.

Tipereth.

 

[smw]

The other books all appear to handle the sephirah and paths separately. Why is this? My goal is to understand better the influence of the sephirah to the paths as I figured that is the way to have a better understanding of Qabalah. Is this misguided? Am I missing a step? I thought the most practical route of study would be how all this pertains to my life, thus the journaling and pulling of cards, but now I am wondering if I should study in the direction of the lightening flash.AW

Wang's Qabalistic Tarot covers both spheres and paths. I have recently bought it, though it was pricey. He does discuss the path of Nun as being the transformation of the many desires of (the personality/ego) Netzach, *killing them off I guess to go back up to Tipareth, the reverse of the lightening Flash. He calls it the flaming Sword which I guess is the Angel guarding the way back to Eden.

I tend to look at where I am in my personal life in terms of the paths, I'm thinking now that you have mentioned it that a structured approach in addition might be helpful for linking up associations etc. I'm noticing that Netzach described as the first transformation of the energy of the lower creator (the son- Tipareth) paralells Chesed on the lightening flash (number 4) as the first form after Binah and the three supernals above the abyss. Big leaps...

* killing them? on second thoughts I am not entirely sure how that would work.. Liberating... hmmm

( going off a bit, the one and many, talk reminds me of "I am many, for my name is legion" bible/ Red Dwarf )