The Hermit:

 

The Hermit:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The Hermit ATU corresponds to the letter Yod and connects Chesed to Tiphareth, the card is associated with Virgo and is attributed to the 20^th path on the Tree of Life. This path symbolizes creativity at its peak manifestation. This creativity is the result of Chokmah’s influence on Chesed, the influence of which is carried to Tiphareth and reflected into the Astral Triad. Thus, it is from Chesed’s influence that the force of the Logos may be brought into balance and its influence manifested as creativity. Crowley writes: “the letter Yod is the highest form of Mercury”. The Mercurial nature of Yod is in this card representative of the Azoth, another term for the Astral Light and the source of The Great Work. We can think of the Astral Light as Jung’s Collective Unconscious, wherein we find the archetypes that manifested with humanity's first creative impulses as symbols, symbols that will keep evolving until the end of time. I like to think of it as the realm of the Gods, that influences the course of human evolution, thus the creative potential for the entire human race. This also indicates the card’s relationship to the Logos, which is a term describing the procreative force in the universe. Crowley writes: “The highest symbolism of this card is, therefore, Fertility in its most exalted sense.” Without quoting Crowley again, he goes on to state that, Virgo is associated with corn and thus Persephone, who in Greek mythology is the Goddess of Earth and Fertility. Virgo is also ruled by Mercury and Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo, so the influence of Mercury is very great along this path and therefore, a card indicating divine inspiration, it is that state of being when creativity flows naturally, the work becomes easy, and one is at his most productive. Not hindered by influences from the world at large, but rather making a baby, in perfect harmony with one’s surroundings. Another name for this card is The Magus of the Voice of Power, in this name, the Voice of Power expresses the creative influence of the Logos upon the Adept, who then becomes the Word, which serves to inspire the lower. It is also said that The Hermit brings the Light to the College of Adepts, again drawing attention to the card's distinct connection with the Astral Light, as representing an Adept’s office, or as his work with the Azoth. The rebirth that is necessitated by The Hanged Man ATU is in need of the Universal Solvent to establish union between the three worlds and it is via this path that this union may be affected, hence the saying, The Hermit brings the Light to the College of Adepts. So, it is a multifaceted path in this respect, that not only is the Adept inspired here. But it is the path wherein the essential nature of the work in the Ethical Triad is established, and the Adept is raised to perfect union with his Angel.

Virgo is associated with the myth of Persephone who was the goddess of the underworld, vegetation and fertility. One day she was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld, while she was there, she had eaten a pomegranate and as a result of eating food from Hades, she was unable to go back to the world. This made her sad and she wept unconsolably for which Zeus took pity on her and said that she would be allowed out of Hades for six months a year. Her release from Hades became celebrated as the first day of spring and she became synonymous with the spirit of fertility symbolized by the changing of the seasons. Crowley writes: “In this Trump is shewn the entire mystery of Life in its most secret workings. Yod Phallus Spermatozoon Hand Logos Virgin. There is perfect Identity, not merely Equivalence, of the Extremes, the Manifestation, and the Method.”

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Fortune:

 

Fortune:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Fortune represented by the Hebrew letter Kaph joins Chesed to Netzach and it is the twenty-first path on the Tree of Life. The card is associated with Jupiter, this card used to be called the Wheel of Fortune in the old Tarot decks and is the literal interpretation of the card, as it means luck or chance. Kaph means the palm of a hand or a grasping hand, which entails control. Or, seeming control over external circumstances which as most people probably know is nonsense, that one cannot truly control external events and circumstances, hence this fact is reflected in the card. As the card in a sense symbolizes the appearance of control and is an auspicious card to draw, however this appearance is the result of the adaptability of the querant’s perspective and the flexibility of his actions. The card according to Crowley suggests The Eye of Shiva as the destroyer of the universe and so the destruction and renewal of things which is an unavoidable part of existence, again stability is found in this changing of circumstances and one’s ability to adapt to these changes. Another name for this card is The Lord of the Forces of Life, indicating the nature of the card with more exactitude.

This card reflects mastery of the Powers of the Sphinx, to Know, to Will, to Dare and to Keep Silent. Once these powers have been brought under the control of the magician, they serve to fortify the work and balance life, so that the magician can focus on the Great Work without interference from the outside world. They teach us the proper way to conduct ourselves for success to be attained along the path, without these powers the magician doesn’t have a sure foundation or any foundation. The fifth power is to Go and associated with Spirit, thus completing the pentagram and a symbol of mastery and the ability to affirm our wills upon the world, this is indicated in the card, with the Sphinx’s position at the top of the wheel. The three beasts depicted on the wheel are the Sphinx, Typhon and Hermanubis, they also symbolize the Gunas and are indicative of the nature of the universe, which as mentioned is in a state of constant change. These are accordingly associated to the three alchemical elements, salt, sulfur and mercury. So, perhaps the Gunas on a micro and macrocosmic level is indicated and our need to harmonize with the environment, which leads to control.

The lightning at the top of the card is to symbolize the card’s relationship with Zeus, wherefrom the card is associated with inspired action. Divine inspiration is symbolized by the fact that according to myth, Zeus fathered many children with mortal women, most of whom became heroes. This influence can only truly be made use of, if the above-mentioned equilibrium has been attained, otherwise a person is subject to external circumstances and not a master of life.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Who Knows?

 

Who Knows?

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

True Will is a particularly sketchy subject to approach, especially with so many people claiming that all ideas written on the subject are useless, if it wasn’t written by Aleister Crowley. Be that as it may, in Thelema we talk about three different types of will, and these three types of will are free will, True Will and Pure Will. I think any rational person would agree that these three are not the same thing. I have always thought that Pure Will is the will of the Spirit and should be seen as the Logos or the will of the Demiurge, which basically means the laws that govern the universe and especially the laws that govern spiritual attainment, which has to do with the collective interpretation and understanding of the symbols by humanity as a whole. Once a magician becomes an adept he unites with the Demiurge and establishes a perfect union with the Logos and lives life in harmony with the laws that govern the universe. Thus, the Pure Will could be described as the Will of the Spirit, at least this is my interpretation of the term. That being said, anyone is well within his or her right to dispute what I think it is, if he or she validates it with his or her own opinion. The idea is that once the adept is awakened, he becomes a perfect reflection of the Logos, but on the level of Spirit not with concern to his ego, but in the deepest part of himself, he is guided by the spirit that permeates the entire universe. This spirit is that same Spirit with which Hadit seeks reunion, and this may only occur after physical death, so it is Hadit’s will to expand into the eternal body of Nuit, perhaps in a sense it could be called Anatta or even Pure Consciousness, however I am not sure.

I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to understand what the True Will is and all I can think, is that nobody knows, not even one who is doing his True Will. I think the closest we can come to understanding the True Will is by studying our unconscious impulses. I believe the True Will really ties into the soul’s karma and can only be described as that which a person was born to do. Obviously, it makes sense, but nobody has the first inkling what he or she was born to do. I am not saying that past lives are a real thing, I do not think past life memories say anything to me about who I was in any past life, as I don’t think I have inherited some individual soul that has the capacity for conscious reflection, which is a brain thing and brains are physical organs. To tell you the truth, I think past life memories are conjured in the imagination as representative of feelings that cannot be intellectually understood and the only way for the mind to cope with something as ecstatic as the revelation of the spirit. I think such feelings can only be understood through archetypal imagery that take on an historical character on account of the constitution of man, being three-fold. Whereby through symbolic imagery this experience is perceived by the intellect and absorbed by the ego, so that equilibrium may be re-established. So, in my opinion, it is more apt to describe these visions as coping mechanisms rather than memories. Be that as it may, they are spiritual phenomena and happen within the context of spiritual training, so that these ‘memories’ have the character of the unique school of thought which they are associated with, and so we may conclude, that they are a means of establishing a magickal link with tradition, as between the ego and the spirit. Thus, I would have to conclude, that the ego is the driving force of the True Will, the person who I become in life and what makes me unique, along with my interpretation of the Logos is my True Will and so everyone’s True Will is different. But then, everyone also has a responsibility to himself or herself to find out what his or her True Will is, in order to avoid wasting their lives.

“Love is the law, love under will.”