#henry cornelius agrippa

[rosario-aurelius]

Aiwass in Theory and Practice

Thelema is a living religion based on the pursuit of one’s will with measured steps of devotion. In terms of religion, it is a new religion that embodies the philosophies of religions past by raising them up, tearing them down and creating a new foundation out of the bones of religions past. Its more primary concepts were presented in The Book of the Law. The Book of the Law, channeled and…

[linillinil]

“So great a power is there of the soul upon the body, that whichever way the soul imagines and dreams that it goes, thither doth it lead the body.”

- Philosophy of Natural Magic, Agrippa

[victor-frankensimpart]

I’m not the only one who thought this right?

[talonabraxas]

The Kerubim, “The Strong Ones”

An “Angel” (Greek angelos or “messenger”) is considered to be a heavenly spirit, a messenger or intermediary between God or the gods and humankind. All religions possess one inherent commonality–the relationship of human beings with the Spiritual realm. In ancient Greek religion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this relationship is thought to involve angels–divine messengers sent to humans to instruct, inform or command. An angel can function also as a protective guardian, as a heavenly warrior, and even as a cosmic power. Moreover, the line between a good angel and a bad angel, or demon, is sometimes unclear.

Therefore, angels can be broadly described as personified powers meditating between the Divine and the human. Even in its devotion to monotheism, ancient Israel was able to embrace the image of a council of gods by turning all of them into angels that serve the One God. This acceptance of a belief in angels was a development made relatively easy because lesser gods and angels could be referred to as “sons of God.” Later development in both Judaism and Christianity shows a remarkable growth of angelic folklore as a result of continuing this ancient practice of absorbing the gods of polytheistic religions by turning them into angels.

After the period of Israel’s Babylonian exile (597-538 BCE), Jewish thought about angels was considerably altered and enriched. Drawing on Mesopotamian art, artists and writers began to provide wings, even for the anthropomorphic angels, and an interest developed in angels’ garments, names, and relative ranks. In addition to the Mesopotamian influence, the Persian dualistic tradition of Zoroastrianism added another dimension to the Jewish conception of angels by positing hostile and destructive angels who are rebellious against God. The Jewish Qumran sect, or Essenes, saw the world as a battleground, the scene of the struggle between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Wickedness, the latter an angelic power opposed to God called Belial or more commonly, the “Devil.”

In Judaic Angelology, there are nine classes of Angels: the Seraphim, Kerubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. According to Henry Cornelius Agrippa, in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy, aspects of the Elements can be attributed to the natures of these orders of Angels as follows: Fire to the Seraphim, Authorities and Powers; Water to Thrones and Archangels, Air to the Dominations and Principalities, and Earth to the Kerubim. Placed in superior hierarchy are the supercelestial angels, who, mediating the pattern of Divine Will, are: the Thrones as the Wisdom of God; the Seraphim as the Goodness of God, and the Kerubim as the Essence and Form of God. As stated by Agrippa, from the Angelic Orders humankind is strengthened with extraordinary attributes.

“From the Angels, Mankind perceives messages of Divine Will and a clearer comprehension of the Mind of God. From the Archangels, humanity obtains rulership over beasts of the field, fish of the sea and fowl of the air.”

From the Principalities, all things are overcome, engendering a comprehension of the ascendancy of all things, and drawing spiritual power to oneself by a secret and divine force. From the Virtues come the power and strength against enemies of Truth. From the Powers, the ability to conquer these enemies within ourselves. From the Dominations, subjugation of these adversaries. From the Thrones we are woven together and collected into ourselves with remembrance fixed on Eternal Visions. From the Seraphim we acquire the perfect flame of Love, and from the Kerubim comesthe light of mind, the power of wisdom, and the exalted images by which we contemplate the Divine.

As stated in Three Books of Occult Philosophy, the Hebrew theologians numbered and called these orders as follows: in the supreme province, are the Chayoth ha Qodesh, or Creatures of Sanctity, to which EHEIEH gave the gift of life. In the second place are the Auphanim, Forms or Wheels, whereby YHVH differentiated the chaos. In the third place are the Aralim, great, strong and mighty angels, by which YHVH joined with Heh (HHYVH) to provide form to the liquid matter. In the fourth place are the Chasmalim by which AL framed the image of bodies. In the fifth order are the Seraphim by which ELOHIM GIBOR drew forth the elements. The sixth are the Malachim which ELOAH produced metals. In the seventh sphere are the Elohim or Gods, by which YHVH TZABAOTH produced vegetation. In the eighth reside the Beni Elohim, Sons of Gods, by which ELOHIM TZABAOTH produced animals. The ninth and lowest sphere contains the Kerubim by which SHADDI EL CHAI created Mankind.

The above has been a short introduction into the realm of Angels. The subject of the Kerubim alone could involve voluminous amounts of information as there are many different classes and functions of the Kerubim–they are not simply limited to the Sephirah of Yesod. The Elements have their analogies at every level, and these attributions can be applied to every Sephirah, but particularly the central Sephiroth on the Middle Pillar. The Kerubic forces of Kether descend the central Column from Kether to Malkuth. This is indicated by the Kerubic signs about the corners of the Tarot Trump XXI, The Universe. Malkuth is the sphere of the Elements and Yesod is its foundation, which, being on the Second Plane, is the sphere of contact with Natural Forces. Tiphareth is the Sephirah from which the Elements are controlled, the Sephirah of the Elemental Kings (Elementals which have begun to respond to Spiritual vibrations).

The Seraphim (derived from the word “Seraph” meaning “burn”) are another class of angels considered to be an upper octave of the Kerubim. Their function is to burn false doctrine and convert man back to righteousness. It is said that they pass on information drawn from the Neschamah during sleep, to the Creator in Atziluth, for the Seraphim are the Holy of Holies, or the Highest Heaven in Briah.

The focus of this paper, however, covers only those Kerubim which include Gabriel, the Angelic Choir of the Kerubim of Yesod, the Archangels of the Elements, and the Right and Left-Hand Kerubs, Metatron and Sandalphon.

Gabriel

Gabriel’s name comes from the same Hebrew root as Geburah (GBR) indicating a relationship between the 5th and 9th Sephiroth. Gabriel serves a triple function, Annunciator, Guardian and Guide. Gabriel is the divine messenger who relays information between the Divine and humanity and bestows the gifts of vision, hearing and psychic abilities as well as the powers of life, procreation and equilibration. This angel is referred to as Gabriel Yesodel (Archangel of Yesod) and as Gabriel Kerubiel (leader of the Kerubim).

As an angel of high eminence in Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition, Gabriel is one of the four most often noted in Judaism and Christianity, the others being Michael, Raphael and Uriel. Gabriel is the heavenly messenger who appears in order to reveal God’s will. In the Old Testament, Gabriel interprets the prophet’s vision of the ram and the he-goat (Daniel 8:15-26) and explains the prediction of the 70 weeks of years (490 years) for the duration of the exile from Jerusalem (Daniel 9:21-27). In the New Testament, Gabriel announces to Zacharias the birth of his son, John, who is destined to become known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20), and in Luke 1:26-31 reveals to Mary that she is to be the mother of Christ. Among Muslims, Gabriel is believed to be the spirit who revealed the secret writings to the Prophet Mohammed. As the Annunciator, Gabriel is most likely to speak to us through dreams.

Gabriel means “Strong one of God” or “Strength of God.” As seen by the position of Yesod on the Tree of the human psyche, the name is not without reason. From the position on the central Pillar of Consciousness on the Tree, Gabriel is the firm and stable foundation of the Spirit. As Yesod in the World of Briah, it is the ego consciousness of Briah, and the Sephirah occupied by Gabriel is a crucial one. It is the last stage before the aspirant reaches the Kether of incarnation, or the Tiphareth of Briah, for beyond lies the threshold between Raphael in Hod and Haniel in Netzach. At this point, he is still Man but may be referred to as “Hero of God” under the guidance of Gabriel. To pass, the initiate must rise up the Tzedek Path of Righteousness where the shadow side of the personality is destroyed, and all remnants of being as a separate entity are dissolved. Only then can one attain Tiphareth in Briah and come under the direct influence of Archangel Michael, or “One Who Is Like Unto God.”

The Kerubim

The Kerubim can be conceived of as a reflection of the Four Holy Living Creatures of Kether, the powers of the Eternal Elements. The duty of the Chayoth ha-Qodesh is to formulate the primary pattern upon which the rest of existence is built. These Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar to Yesod where the Kerubim, as the structural powers of the Universe, support this existence. Therefore, the Kerubim are the formative powers of the Elements stationed in the sphere of Yesod, the etheric substructure that supports the physical universe. As these etheric powers, the Kerubim are the formative forces of the world and humankind. As Angels of Lunar Yesod, the Kerubim also have an association with time, the four Kerubic points in the year which are the Hermetic Qabalah’s cross quarter days. Their name means “the Strong Ones” which is derived from the Akkadian word Karibu which means “one who prays” or “one who intercedes.”

The work of the Kerubim is to influence communication between the inner and outer worlds by serving as Guardians, Heralds, Equilibrators and Guides. They work on the building of knowledge and the harnessing of force in etheric or Yesodic methods. One of these methods is the use of symbols relating to Yesodic perception within the depths of the unconscious mind. With the progression of time, these symbols become less ritualistic and more psychic, becoming tools in the hands of the aspirant. These images are the contents of the Treasure House of Images, and the forces behind these images are the Angels of Yesod.

The Tetradic Kerubim are the animated powers of YHVH working through the fixed signs of the Zodiac. As given in Exodus 25:18-19 and 37:9, their shapes represent the aspects of the four dynamics of the Elements. These energies are not the Elements themselves, but rather are placed between the Angels and the Elements in hierarchy. One of the functions of the Kerubim is to take these energies and set them into motion and as such,, this Choir of Angels has a direct affect on the Earth and Man. As presidents of the Elemental Forces, these Four Kerubim are each assigned one of the letters of the Divine Name YHVH, and they operate in and through the four astral Elements in Yesod before these Elements are formulated in the physical world of Malkuth.

This Tetrad serves as Equilibrators by creating a stable nucleus from which the physical world comes forth into being. These four Vice-Gerants of the Elements, under the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel), are synthesized in the formula of YHSHVH. Yod, Lion, Nequaquam Vacuum, Nowhere a Void; He, Eagle, Libertas Evangelii, Liberty of the Gospel; Vau, Man, Dei Intacta Gloria, Unsullied Glory of God; and Heh (f), Ox, Legis Jugum, Yoke of the law; and in the midst of the four letters is Shin, the letter of Spirit, which, formed from the Tetragrammaton, gives the Divine name of Yeheshua, The Pentagram represents the concentrated force of the Spirit and the four Elements governed by the five letters of the Name of the Restorer, YHSHVH and is not only attributed to the planet Mars, but also shows the Kerubim and the Wheel of Spirit. The Kerubim of Ezekiel have four faces, those of the Lion, the Bull, the Man and the Eagle, alternating with each other by rotation. Beside them was the symbolic form of the Spirit, symbolized by the wheel. As suggested by the two wings that covered their bodies and the two wings that stretched upwards to each other, the synthesis of the Kerubim is found in the revolving Cross, in the Pentagram, and in the idea Spirit dominating the four Elements.

The Kerubim are winged celestial beings which, unlike most conceptions of angels as anthropomorphic, are zoomorphic. On the 32nd Path between Malkuth and Yesod, the Zelator encounters these Four Kerubim who perform elemental purifications which aid in the alchemical transformation of the aspirant. In this ritual, the aspirant learns that the Elemental Spirits are invoked through the power and governance of the Kerubim and their Zodiacal symbols. They are given Hebrew names but their appearance is primarily Egyptian:

Adam (Hebrew for Man), Kerub of Air, stationed in the East, human-headed Aquarius. “The Priest with the Mask of Osiris spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Eastern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “Thou art NUT, Goddess of the Firmament of Air. Thou art HORMAKU, Lord of the Eastern Sun.”

Aryeh (Hebrew for Lion), Kerub of Fire, stationed in the South, Lion-headed Leo. “The Priest with the mask of the Lion spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Southern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” Of which is replied, “Thou art MAU the Lion, Very Powerful Lord of Fire. Thou art RA, the Sun in his strength.”

Nesher (Hebrew meaning Eagle), Kerub of Water, stationed in the West, Eagle-headed Scorpio. “The Priest with the mask of the Eagle spake and said, “Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Western Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “HEKA, Mistress of HESUR, Ruler of Water, is Thy name. Thou art TOUM, the Setting Sun.”

Shor (Hebrew meaning Bull), Kerub of Earth, stationed in the North, Bull-headed Taurus. “The Priest with the mask of the Ox spake and said ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Northern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is responded, “SATEM, in the abode of SHU, the Bull of Earth, is Thy name. Thou art KEPHRA, the Sun at Night.”

The arrangement of the Theoricus Hall of only four officers suggests the conciliatory Element of Air reconciling the opposing energies within the Hall, resulting in a perfect balance of forces. The number four is associated with Chesed, the first Sephirah to manifest below the Abyss, but it also refers to Yesod as the firm foundation within which the Four Elements are given etheric form which then later materialize in Malkuth during the course of the Lightning Flash.

In the Theoricus Ritual, as the Hierophant addresses the candidate on the meaning of the Cross within the Triangle, it is stated that the Cross, placed upon the Altar at the base of the Tree of Life, refers to the Four Rivers of Paradise. It is Gabriel who rules the “Living Water streams that well from out the Highest Throne.” “…And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelations 22:1). These Rivers are referred to in Genesis 2:10-14: “And a River, Nahar, went forth out of Eden to water the Garden, and from thence it was parted and come into four heads. And the name of the First River is Pison, it is that which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. There is Bdellium and the Onyx stone. [–Leo.] And the name of the Second River is Gihom, the same as that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [–Scorpio.] And the Name of the Third River is Hiddekel, that is it which goeth forth to the East of Assyria. [–Aquarius.] And the Fourth River is Euphrates. [–Taurus.]” This indicates the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel) over the four Elements.

In the Zelator Ritual the aspirant is told. “And Tetragrammaton placed Kerubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a Flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the Path of the Tree of Life, for He has created Nature that Man, being cast out of Eden, may not fall into the Void. He has bound Man with the Stars, as with a chain. He allures him with scattered fragments of the Divine Body in bird and beast and flower, and He laments over him in the Wind and the Sea and in the Birds. When the times are ended, He will call the Kerubim from the East of the Garden, and all shall be consumed and become Infinite and Holy.” …. “This drawing of the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim is a representation of the Guardians of the Gates of Eden.

As the Qabalah teaches, the everlasting abode of the Higher Self is in the Eden of Paradise, the supernal sanctuary which is forever guarded from chaos by the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim whirling across borders of the Abyss. After the descent from Grace, the Kerubim were stationed at the Abyss to separate the Supernals from the effects of the Fall.

The Four Kerubim, through their assignation to the four Archangels, are Four of the Seven in the Presence of the Lord. This description of the Kerubim is from John’s vision (Revelations 4:7-8): “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, is and is to come.’ ” Here, the Kerubim are seen as single-headed but having six wings, thus uniting the powers of the number seven (the Planets) with the number four (the Elements).

The Invisible Stations of the Hall of the Golden Dawn

The Stations of the Man, the Lion, the Bull and the Eagle are the Four Cardinal Points without the Hall and these are the invisible Guardians of the boundaries of the Temple. They are placed according to the Four Winds and are stationed beyond the thrones of Hierophant, Dadouchos, Hiereus and Stolistes.

The Kerub of Air, behind the throne of Hierophant, is the power of the Goddess Hathor who unites the powers of Isis and Nephthys. The sign of Aquarius, the zodiacal sign of Air, is the Water-Bearer, the container of Rain. The Egyptian name for the Sign of Aquarius is Phritithi.

The Kerub of Fire, face and form of a lion, with large, flapping wings, is behind the throne of Dadouchos, and is the power of the Goddess Tharpesh or Tharpheshest. The action of the Lion Kerub is through the Flaming Fire of Leo with the Egyptian name of Labo-Ae.

The Kerub of Water, which has the face and form of a great Eagle with large, glinting wings, is behind the throne of Hiereus. It is the power of the God Thoomoo, and his operation is through the Sign of Scorpio, which is called in Egyptian Szlae-Ee (in Egyptological works the name of this god is Tum or Tmu).

The Kerub of Earth has the face and form of a Bull with heavy, dark wings and is situated behind the throne of the Stolistes. It is the power of the God, Ahaphshi, operating by the Sign of Taurus and its Egyptian name is Ta-Aur.

Sphynx, the Synthesis of the Kerubim

The Sphynx is a synthetic of the Kerubic figures. In the Ritual of the 32nd Path leading into the Theoricus Grade, it is written, “The Sphynx of Egypt spake and said, ‘I am the synthesis of the Elemental Forces. I am also the symbol of Man. I am Life. I am Death. I am the Child of the Night of Time.’ ” As stated in Regardie’s Golden Dawn: “Now learn the mystery of the Wisdom of Egypt: ‘When the Sphynx (synthesis of the Kerubim) and the Pyramid (synthesis of the Elements) are united, thou hast the formulae of the magic of nature. These are the keys of the wisdom of all Time; and its beginning–who knoweth it? In their keeping are the sacred mysteries and the knowledge of Magic and all the Gods.”

According to Levi in Transcendental Magic: “You are called to be the king of air, water, earth and fire, but to reign over these four living creatures of symbols, it is necessary to conquer and enchain them. He who aspires to be a sage and to know the Great Enigma of Nature must be their heir and despoiler of the Sphynx, his the human head, in order to possess speech; his the eagle’s wings in order to scale the height; his the bull’s flanks in order to furrow the depth; his the lion’s talons, to make a way on the right and the left, before and behind.”

The Kerub, or Symbolic Bull, which Moses placed at the gate of the edenic world bearing a fiery sword, was a Sphynx which had a bull’s body and a human head. It is the Assyrian Sphynx, symbolic of the combat and victory of Mithras. This armed Sphynx represents the Law of Mystery who watches at the door of initiation to warn away the profane.

The Mosaic Kerub also represents a great mystery in which the elements are expressed by the number seven, without, however, giving the final word. This word is what the Qabalists write as YHVH and interpret by Aleph Resh Aleph Resh Yod Tau Aleph, expressing the triplicity of the secondary principle, the alliance between the triad and the tetrad, in a word composed of four letters, which form seven by means of a triple and double repetition. This word is pronounced “Ararita.”

The universal key of all magical operations is that of the ancient religious doctrines, and it is the key to the Qabalah, the Bible, and the Lesser Key of Solomon. With this key, we are able to understand the enigmas of every Sphynx and penetrate the Mysteries–and the key is this: (1) a hieroglyphic and numerical alphabet, expressing by characters and numbers, a series of universal and absolute ideas, (2) a scale of ten numbers, multiplied by four symbols and connected with twelve figures representing the twelve signs of the zodiac and (3) the four angels of the cardinal points.

The symbolic tetrad, represented in the Mysteries of Memphis and Thebes by the four forms of the Sphynx, i.e. the man, eagle, lion and bull, correspond to the four elements. Now these four signs, with all their analogies, explain the one word hidden in all the Mysteries. It is the name of the four primal letters of the Ineffable Name: YOD, symbol of the paternal scepter of Noah; HE, the cup of libations and also symbolic of maternity; and VAU which emerges from and joins the two. This is the triple sign of the triad in the Divine Word; but the mother-letter, HE appears a second time, to express the fertility and abundance of Nature and of woman to concisely express the doctrine of universal and progressive correspondences, which descends from cause to effect and ascends from effect to cause. Moreover, this sacred word is not pronounced, it is spelled, and expressed in four letters which are the four sacred words, Yod He Vau He.

Metatron and Sandalphon

One of the most common appearances of the Kerubim is the great dyad of Metatron and Sandalphon. These two holy Kerubim are the Sentinels of the Briatic Mother Temple of Light. Metatron is the Great Masculine Kerub, corresponding to the White Pillar of Yakhim, and Sandalphon is the Great Feminine Kerub, corresponding to the Black Pillar of Boaz. These Two Pillars, positioned on the right and left sides of the Tree, are symbolic of the concepts of Active and Passive, Male and Female, Adam and Eve and refer to the Pillars of Fire and Cloud which guided the Israelites in the wilderness. In the Theoricus Ritual, the hot and moist natures are further marked by the Red Lamp and the Cup of Water. These Two Kerubim are the Angels of the Devir, the Holy of Holies of the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. In this Temple, one inunense pair of Kerubic Images spread their wings from wall to wall and a smaller pair stood at the two ends of the Ark itself. Between them was the Kaporeth, the Presence of Yahweh.

Eheieh denotes breath and the sound that every being pronounces all its existence, and it is the Name of the Lord of Life. By the inspiration and expiration of Eheieh through the two Great Pillars (Macroprosopus is Aima and Abba, Mother and Father), all things are thrown into vibration. As Guardians over Malkuth, Metatron and Sandalphon are the Two Pillars, but the work of these Dyadic Kerubim is not solely relegated to the role of Guardians. They function also as Equilibrators, balancing opposites and defining the center, the place of balanced power. As Equilibrators, these Two Kerubim are closely related to the Egyptian Godforms of Isis and Nephthys. Nephesch ha-Messiah (also called “Kerubim”) is the animal soul of Messiah, or the Shekinah, and is the Presence between these two Kerubim. The Shekinah represents Aima Elohim, the Supernal Sephiroth as a synthetic unity of the Divine White Brilliance. Since this is spoken of as between the Kerubim, it is the Middle Pillar of the Tree and as such, is the Path of the Redeemer.

The vibrations of the Briatic World of Kether are shown through the influence of the mighty Archangel Metatron, the Great Angel of the Presence and the World Prince. Also called the “King of Angels,” Metatron was the guiding angel that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. Metatron, alone, sees the Face of God. He presides over the Tree of Life in its entirety and is considered the Right-hand Masculine Kerub of the Ark. It is said that Metatron communicated the Qabalah to humankind, and as stated in the Abodah Zarah of the Talmud, he is the “teacher of the prematurely dead children of Paradise.” He is known as the Metatron Ketheriel and is also called IOEL – “I am God.” Metatron functions as the link between God and Man, and the vibration of this Archangel’s name will generate a yearning to return to God or the pure state of Kether. Therefore, he is the guide or source of aspiration in attaining the higher levels of the self and by vibrating his name, we draw down that part of him to aid us in this effort.

The effect of the Briatic World of Malkuth is through the Archangel Sandalphon. She is also the Left-hand Kerub of the Ark of the Covenant. Translated from the Greek “Sandalfon” which means “Co-Brother,” Sandalphon is considered the twin of Metatron or another form of this Archangel. Another translation of the name is “Lord of the Extent of Height” and because of this remarkable height, she is said to be able to reach her twin in Kether, which points to the idea that Malkuth is Kether–but after a different manner. As the Archangel of Malkuth, Sandalphon reconciles the material energies which are brought forth into the physical world. She is also said to convey the power and beauty of the natural world to the Souls of humanity and influences worldly affairs in general by creating the building blocks and designs for each civilization.

On the Microcosmic Tree of Life, Malkuth of Briah is the equivalent to the self of Man. The archangel Sandalphon watches over the Kether (the most spiritual essence) of the physical body and the Tiphareth (the consciousness) of the psychologically unawakened individual. When initiates begin to evolve, Sandalphon guards them as the Neschamah grows, always keeping consciousness on the Middle Path. As the Neschamah becomes stronger, an image of the Briatic World, the realm of Spirit, begins to form. Slowly a foundation is formed on the lower portion of the Briatic Tree, and the initiate begins to perceive and comprehend the images of this World, as is demonstrated by the Chariot and Throne of the vision of Ezekiel. It is here that the creation of a purified consciousness is originated, and with this fusion of consciousness comes the development of an awareness in the Ruach triad. When the crystallization is complete, when it is stable within, it is no longer a passing flash or a gift, but a permanent foundation.

Conclusion

The word “Kerubim” might be better understood as a matter of function, rather than as a title, indicating the working together of groups, or polarities, i.e. dyads, tetrads, enneads, etc. Viewing the Tree as functioning simultaneously, the Elements originate in Kether through the Fylfot or the Spiral–“God breathes.” Chokmah is the pure, inexhaustible force of this “breath,,” and Binah is its vehicle of definition. These two Sephiroth originate the channel whereby the Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar, and the Side Pillars maintain this passageway through which they move. These Elemental forces are drawn forth across the Abyss by Geburah, working in conjunction with Chesed which equilibrates them, and it is these two Sephiroth which bring these forces through to individualized potential. They are then manifested as the heart of self through Tiphareth which rules and controls them. Netzach and Hod duplicate the efforts of Chokmah and Binah and of Geburah and Chesed in the lower personality of the self; and it is in Yesod, or the ego consciousness, that these Kerubic forces are structured. Malkuth is the manifestation of these elements within the physical body, the grounding of the circuit. The function of the Kerubim seems to be in guarding the gate of this action.

art: Spitblossoms

[thrashkink-coven]

Hi all,

Welcome to the last part of my 2024 altar tour! 4/4

What a year it has been! I have learned so much and made so many new friends! My altar has always been a reflection of my psyche, seeing it’s beauty reminds me of the beauty that exists within me. :)

So this is my final little work space where I do pendulum magick and tarot readings. There is a devotional mug to Lord Lucifer which I use for our morning coffee chats. There is also Lucifer’s devotional dragon statue, as well as the dual scrying mirror for him and Faviel.

There is a normal mirror and a statue of a pharaoh’s tomb. The board which the flowers and offerings are placed on dawns Faviel’s sigil and candle. To Faviel I have offered a palm stone, flowers, an acorn, smoky quartz, some black earrings, and some grubs.

Beside him is my pendulum in a selenite charging bowl along with my pendulum mat.

The black and white image you see was a piece of art I made for Archangel Jophiel after he gifted me a vision a year or so ago. I use it whenever I’m reaching out to him.

Beneath my altar is some space for storage where I keep my larger cauldron, mortar and pestle, larger candles, etc. There is also my stand where I keep my broom, fire poker, and shovel. My witch broom is wrapped in a protective seal. I use it to sweep ash from my prayer mat.

And finally, here are a few of the books I have in my collection that have greatly greatly aided me in my craft. Remember to do your research my dears!

The Arbatel of Magick- First English edition 1633, new edition 2013, edited by Earl Marwick

Healing with Form, Energy, and Light- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Gods and Goddesses- Hallam, Elizabeth

The Lesser Key of Solomon- S.L MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley

The Dictionary of Alchemy- Diana Fernando

The Art of Angels- Howard Loxton

Backland’s Book of Spirit Communications- Raymond Buckland

Transcendental Magick- Éliphas Lévi

The Greater Key of Solomon- S.L MacGregor Mathers

A History of God- Karen Armstrong

A Dictionary of Angels, Including Fallen Angels- Gustav Davidson

Making Talismans- Nick Farrell

The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses- Johann Scheibel

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim- Scott Alan Roberts

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft- Raymond Buckland

Candle Burning Rituals- Raymond Buckland

The Complete Book of Black Magick and Witchcraft

Green Witchcraft, Folk Magick, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft- Ann Moura

The Book of Forbidden Knowledge, Black Magick, Superstition, Charms and Divination- First Edition 1910s Johnson Smith & co. New Edition 2016 edited by Earl Marwick

Three Books of Occult Philosophy- Henry Cornelius Agrippa

and of course, The Holy Bible- New Living Translation.

I have many other books in my collection on tarot and astrology in my living room, but these are the books that have had the greatest impact on my craft. Here are a few of those other ones:

Love Potions- Tatania Hardie

The Book of Destinies- Jane Struthers

The Crystal Bible 2- Judy Hall

The Tarot Bible- Sarah Barlett

The Wicca Bible- Ann Marie Gallagher

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs- Scott Cunningham

Magic and Medicine of Plants- Reader’s Digest

The Power of Birthdays Stars and Numbers- Saffi Crawford and Geraldine Sullivan

The Witches’ Goddess- Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Witches’ God- Janet and Stewart Farrar

•••

I wanted to end this tour off with my reading material because I want to emphasize how important it is to understand that “magick” is not just “stuff”.

I really enjoy all of my magical tools and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having and wanting pretty things or an aesthetically pleasing altar. In fact I believe aesthetic and care are acts of love in themselves. Don’t ever let someone shame you for wanting to decorate and indulge in the aesthetics of your craft.

But please do remember that our greatest magical tool is our minds, our senses, and our experiences- our brains. Remember to read read read lots of material from many different sources. Contemplate honestly on everything you read, hear and experience. Do not take everything you believe today as a fact, do not box yourself in to anything. (Maybe that’s the Luciferian in me speaking lol)

Learn how to do magick alone, without any tools. My magick is not my stuff, although my stuff greatly aids me in my magick. Does that make sense?

Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to growing and learning so much more this year! :)

Blessed be!

[thevirginwitch]

The Origin & Evolution of Correspondences in Witchcraft

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If you’ve been a witch for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself: where do correspondences come from? Who decided that lavender was good for calming, or that obsidian was good for absorbing negative energy? Where does the concept of correspondences come from in the first place? To answer these questions, we must first look at something called “correlative thinking”: Marcel Granet (1884-1940), a French sociologist, coined the term “correlative thinking”, which can be defined as “thinking of an item of one class by correlating it with an item of another class”, typically organizing and relating “natural, political/social, and cosmological data in highly ordered arrays or systems of correspondence.” Sound familiar?

Correlative thinking takes many forms throughout religion, philosophy, and humanity – even showing up as early as Mesopotamia, where they believed events on earth ran parallel to events in heaven: “each city-state had its own patron god and every change in the balance of power between the city-states was seen as the direct reflection of a change in the relationship of the gods.” (Cavendish, pg. 12) In ancient Greece and among Hellenic philosophers, they came up with the “macrocosm/microcosm” analogy, which describes the relationship between the smaller, human being (the microcosm) with the much bigger, seemingly infinite cosmos (the macrocosm).

This correlative thinking is prevalent in many magical texts throughout the years – including The Emerald Tablet (late 8th-early 9th century), The Picatrix (a 9th century Arabic grimoire), The Key of Solomon (1312), and the Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). After the publication of The Three Books of Occult Philosophy and the boom of new-age spiritualism in the 1970s, there have been a massive number of publications related to witchcraft, correspondences, ritual magic, and more. For the purpose of this post, however, we’ll be focusing on these foundational texts to better understand the evolution and origin of correspondences.

The Emerald Tablet, dated around the late 8th-early 9th century, is one of the most highly influential texts within the philosophical and occult realm. An English translation of a line of text within The Emerald Tablet provides one of the most popular terms among new agers and modern pagans: “That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above”. A shortened version of this phrase, “as above, so below”, can be found in Helena Blavatsky’s work, Isis Unveiled (1877), where it became massively popularized among the modern pagan community. This phrase, along with terms related to correlative thinking, tie back to many cultures – including China, India, and more.

The Picatrix, 9th-century Arabic grimoire on astrological magic, is yet another influential piece of text. This text contained astrological magic, magical potions and spells, and different Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Aristotelianism philosophical passages – and it also included the explanations of links between planets and intangible objects such as colors and perfumes/fragrances.

After a few series of translations in the 12th and 13th centuries, the information within the Picatrix (and other sources) were recorded and arranged by Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) in his work, Three Books of Occult Philosophy in 1509 (not being published until 1533). From there, Dr. John Dee (1527-1604) expanded on Agrippa’s work in the 1580s and 1590s.

Shortly after, in 1620, the Magical Calendar was published, which compressed much of the previous material. This calendar, amazingly recorded on one page, “contains tables of correspondences arranged by number, from one to twelve. The material is based largely on the extensive tables in Agrippa, book II, but goes beyond this, especially in its inclusion of sigils.” (Skinner, pg. 14)

Moving onto another incredibly influential text, The Signature of All Things, published by Jakob Bohme in 1764, covers a similar concept to correlative thinking known as ‘the doctrine of signatures’: God created everything on Earth with a “signature”, or sign, that tells you what that object’s purpose is. The idea is that any plant, herb, or object on earth should resemble what it’s purpose is – for example, walnuts (which look like brains) are used for brain health, and tomatoes (which are red, plump, and contain ventricles like the human heart) are used for heart health. Obviously, this concept was adopted in the context of medicinal use – by looking up an object’s signature within this book, a physician could theoretically find treatments for specific illnesses. While the contents of this book (and similar texts) have been debunked as pseudoscience, the influence of the doctrine of signatures is prevalent in witchcraft correspondences today.

In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded, and during that time S L MacGregor Mathers (1954-1918) and Dr. Wynn Wescott (1845-1925) prepared knowledge lectures for the Order, which eventually led to the generation of a Book of Correspondences (unpublished). According to Adam McLean in his edition of The Magical Calendar, this book circulated among members of the inner order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and was later published by Aleister Crowley as his own work, Liber 777 (1909). Meanwhile, in 1908, The Kybalion (an anonymously written text, though often attributed to William W. Atkinson [1862-1932]) was published, including topics like “The Principle of Correspondence” and “The Planes of Correspondence”.

From here on, we have an uproar in magical texts, thanks to the new-age/spiritualism movement of the 70s and 80s – popular authors like Gerald Gardner, Scott Cunningham, Ray Buckland, and many others published works on the subject of magic, often including their own correspondences, typically influenced or inspired by the works of Crowley, Mathers, and Atkinson. Of course, the contents of these modern texts are what is most recognizable to practitioners today – we usually find tables of information, relating astrological signs, herbs, planets, feelings, colors, and more to their “meanings”: protection, anti-stress, happiness, love, etc.

As it stands, correspondences are a by-product of the ‘correlative thinking’ concept we covered earlier – this correlative thinking shows up in Mesopotamia, and evolved throughout magical texts and grimoires, eventually becoming these “tables of magical correspondences” that we are familiar with seeing in modern witchcraft and pagan books and resources.

As I round off this post, I want to share a quote from Richard Cavendish in his book, The Black Arts: “Man is a tiny replica of the universe. If two things are naturally associated together in the human mind, which is an image of the ‘mind’ of the universe, this is evidence of a real connection between the two things in the universe. Many of the important magical analogies and connections are not natural to most people’s minds today, but have been handed down by tradition from the remote past. This enhances their value for occultists, who believe that humanity was a great deal wiser in these matters in the remote past than it is now.” As practitioners, particularly modern practitioners, I feel we put too much emphasis on older concepts and traditions. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with sticking to traditions and building off of older magical systems, I think it’s just as important that we work on our own magical systems – what does the color red mean to you? What about the planet Jupiter? Find out what works for you – you may find that it makes you feel more connected to your craft and your practice, and your workings could become more powerful, too.

Sources/Further Reading:

Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism by Wouter Hanegraaff

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

The Signature of All Things by Jakob Bohme

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult by DK

The Complete Magician’s Tables by Stephen Skinner

Neurobiology, Layered Texts, and Correlative Cosmologies: A Cross-Cultural Framework for Premodern History by Farmer et al

https://youtu.be/p0z3MuuB9uc

https://youtu.be/gYSGSjU84vE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1av438mLY

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2018/06/03/magickal-correspondences/

https://howardchoy.wordpress.com/tag/correlative-thinking/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/An-abstract-diagram-meant-to-illustrate-the-perfectly-correlative-structure-of-the_fig4_237249544

https://swedenborg.com/emanuel-swedenborg/explore/correspondences/

[wishful-seeker]

Going to the library to look for books, anyone got witch book recommendations?

I really like these books so far:

Southern Cunning, Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

Faries, a Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk, by Morgan Daimler

Any books on folklore of witchcraft, working with spirits like the fae, dragons, the dead, ect. (any supernatural creature really), books on herbal medicines/poisons and how to make things with plants, or just really old books on magic, books on alchemy would also be cool. Anyone know any books?

I find it really hard to find books that aren't filled with new age crap and tell me something i don't already know. If anyone has any recs it would REALLY help me out. These 3 books and any book by @breelandwalker are the only witch books i would really recommend to people. After 6+ years of having an official craft these are the only books i actually deem good. Its sooo hard to find good ones.

[coinandcandle]

Occult Topics to Look Into

This is less of a witchy post and more of an occultist post. While they do tend to mingle, most of these topics should not be viewed as things to incorporate into your practice.

These are meant to be read and researched with a discerning eye and a solid ability to understand context and nuance so keep that in mind.

General Topics

Alchemy (history of + modern) Sacred-text's Alchemy index

Victorian Spiritualism & Occultism

Theosophy (Sacred-text's Theosophy Index)

Thelema (Sacred-text's Thelema Index)

Hermes Trismegistus

Philosophy (history of + modern)

Books/Texts

Jakob Böhme's The Signature of All Things

Agrippa's Philosophy of Occult Magic

Francis Barrett's The Magus

Manly P. Hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages

People

Austin Osman Spare

Éliphas Lévi

Paracelsus

Roger Bacon

John Dee

HP Blavatsky

Henry Cornelius Agrippa

[rosario-aurelius]

Act Passionately, Think Rationally: A Review of Ubiquitous Consciousness by Bill Duvendack

Ubiquitous Consciousness opens with a lesson on energy, vibration, quantum mechanics, resonation, oscillation, and metaphysics. Though it sounds like a heady beginning, its introduction is essential to the discussion, and the relationship between these concepts teaches us how we experience energy through various states. Many of these are familiar to the students of Hermeticism. Chapter Two…

[aurevoirmonty]

« Rien n’est caché aux sages et aux sensés, tandis que les incrédules et les indignes ne peuvent apprendre les secrets. »

Henry Cornelius Agrippa

[miniaturemoonheart]

Encyclopedia Britannica

occultism

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occultism

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occultism, various theories and practices involving a belief in and knowledge or use of supernatural forces or beings. Such beliefs and practices—principally magical or divinatory—have occurred in all human societies throughout recorded history, with considerable variations both in their nature and in the attitude of societies toward them. In the West the term occultism has acquired intellectually and morally pejorative overtones that do not obtain in other societies where the practices and beliefs concerned do not run counter to the prevailing worldview.

Henry Gillard Glindoni: John Dee Performing an Experiment Before Queen Elizabeth I

Henry Gillard Glindoni: John Dee Performing an Experiment Before Queen Elizabeth I

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Key People: Zarathushtra J.F.C. Fuller Robert Fludd Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim Aleister Crowley

Related Topics: witchcraft magic alchemy divination astrology

Occult practices centre on the presumed ability of the practitioner to manipulate natural laws for personal benefit or on behalf of another; such practices tend to be regarded as evil only when they also involve the breaking of moral laws. Some anthropologists have argued that it is not possible to make a clear-cut distinction between magic—a principal component of occultism—and religion, and this may well be true of the religious systems of some nonliterate societies. The argument does not hold, however, for any of the major religions, which regard both natural and moral law as immutable.

The Western tradition of occultism, as popularly conceived, is of an ancient “secret philosophy” underlying all occult practices. This secret philosophy derives ultimately from Hellenistic magic and alchemy on the one hand and from Jewish mysticism on the other. The principal Hellenistic source is the Corpus Hermeticum, the texts associated with Hermes Trismegistos, which are concerned with astrology and other occult sciences and with spiritual regeneration.

Kabbala

Kabbala

The Jewish element is supplied by the Kabbala (the doctrine of a secret mystical interpretation of the Torah), which had been familiar to scholars in Europe since the Middle Ages and which was linked with the Hermetic texts during the Renaissance. The resulting Hermetic-Kabbalistic tradition, known as Hermetism, incorporated both theory and magical practice, with the latter presented as natural, and thus good, magic, in contrast to the evil magic of sorcery or witchcraft.

Alchemy was also absorbed into the body of Hermetism, and this link was strengthened in the early 17th century with the appearance of Rosicrucianism, an alleged secret brotherhood that utilized alchemical symbolism and taught secret wisdom to its followers, creating a spiritual alchemy that survived the rise of empirical science and enabled Hermetism to pass unscathed into the period of the Enlightenment.

Freemasons

Freemasons

During the 18th century the tradition was taken up by esoterically inclined Freemasons who could not find an occult philosophy within Freemasonry. These enthusiasts persisted, both as individual students of Hermetism and, in continental Europe, as groups of occult practitioners, into the 19th century, when the growth of religious skepticism led to an increased rejection of orthodox religion by the educated and a consequent search for salvation by other means—including occultism.

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But those interested turned to new forms of occultism rather than to the Hermetic tradition: on the one hand to spiritualism, the practice of alleged regular communication between the living and the spirits of the dead through a living “medium,” and on the other hand to theosophy, a blend of Western occultism and Eastern mysticism that proved to be a most effective propagator of occultism but whose influence had declined markedly by the late 20th century.

Indeed, despite the 19th-century revival, occult ideas have failed to gain acceptance in academic circles, although they have occasionally influenced the work of major artists, such as the poet William Butler Yeats and the painter Wassily Kandinsky, and occultism in Europe and North America seems destined to remain the province of popular culture.

Robert Andrew Gilbert

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[chequerootlurks]

As someone who has a huge collection of early esoteric works involving various angels and demons, the idea of a computer angel hits hard!

Like, why wouldn’t this Be A Thing?

Why couldn’t one petition an angel (or demon) to grant that technological protection / knowledge?

I’m going to be thinking about this way too much now.

“And the angel [something]EL teaches knowledge of automotive repair. His direction is [ ], and his sigil is [ ].”

_______

A Reference for the Curious

Henry Cornelius Agrippa's fourth book of occult philosophy and geomancy magical elements of Peter de Abano : astronomical geomancy : the nature of spirits : and Arbatel of magick

Agrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich Cornelius, 1486?-1535., Turner, Robert, fl. 1654-1665., Petrus, de Abano, ca. 1250-ca. 1315. Heptameron, or magical elements of Peter de Abano.

new month, new postcard for the postcard club! 🖥📀💾

[talonabraxas]

Seal of Solomon ✡︎ Talon Abraxas

"Magic (Occult) Science embraces a knowledge of the most sublime and exalted truths, the deepest mysteries in nature, the knowledge of the nature of matter and energy, of the attributes and qualities of all things. By uniting the powers of nature and combining the lower with its corresponding higher counterpart the most surprising effects may be produced. This science is therefore the highest and most perfect of all; she is a sacred and exalted philosophy the culminating point of all." — Henry Cornelius Agrippa

[dangerousironpineapple-blog]

Dont mind me just thinkjnig about my boy Henrich Cornelius agrippa who did some great work for the natural philosophy but still existed at atime when academic profressional life was about as chaotic as a wandereing court jester or physician or smth. Like mans just read up on some jewish lore to supplement christianity and wrote sm shit like I do not dislike Jewish Rabbis before being immediatly covered in a shitstorm trying to cancel him for 'Judaizing heresy' amd then he could only surivive by going around simping to whichever aristocrat could give him funding.

What a time tho, imagine ur vibing with some mf IDEAS to write abt and u get fucked over your SOURCE CITATION and then are comdemed to wander and teach chuds and staceys who dont give a shit about the magical propreties of numbers and rocks and cant handle a secdond grade math level, and thats just the normal times, if youre lucky lucky, maybe youl get a chance to give a flex poem to some nobles and hopefullky end up with the options of either taking part in Henry VIIIth divorce drama or tending to some dusty library somewhere in the netherlands.. WHat a rpgesque time tbh, this joint tasts loke burnty toast