ernobe

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Posts posted by ernobe

  1. Posted

    When I'm not playing, this is what I'm doing, that's how seriously I take it.   I have lake in Chokmah, counting the binary digits as representing earth, man and heaven, not heaven, man, and earth.  The water trigram, 010, is assigned Malkuth, but may also be thought as assigned to Yesod, because both the 17th and 18th paths (and Tarot trumps) belong to it.   This is significant considering that Lurias' Tree has Malkuth at the bottom without any paths extending from it anywhere except to Yesod.   Anyway to answer your question, this is my assignment and you may find out more about it at my website: https://archive.org/services/purl/ernobe 

  3. Posted · Edited by ernobe

    @FraterUFA

    I'm asking why you think we have drifted away from the original subject, or have steered off course from its object.   Your exact words were that we have "drifted a long way from the original subject of the thread", and have "steered far from it", which certainly seems to imply that we have drifted or steered away from our original objective.

     

  5. Posted

    Thanks Harmen.  On page 215, note 58, it says:

     

    Quote

    John S. Major (1978, 13), for his part, draws the link between the Five Planets and the Five Elemental-Phases: “it does seem reasonable to believe that something like the Five Phases existed as a cosmological principle in the pre-philosophical state of Chinese thought, expressed in myths about the characteristics of the gods of the five planets. So again we see that a key concept of Chinese science probably can be traced back to Chinese versions of widespread cosmological myths.”

     

    To this can be added that the names of the planets themselves are identical with that of the elemental phases.  And if they were worshipped as gods, that itself could account for their correlations with the seasons and directions.  Elsewhere (p. 212) there is evidence for these correlations from the Bronze Age (circa 5000 B.C.).

     

    • Thanks 1

  10. Posted · Edited by ernobe

    On 10/11/2018 at 7:23 PM, noonespecial said:

    The division of Spirit into the Supernal Triad (Neshama, Chiah, Yechidah). 

     

    Yet, without our mercury, nothing gets done.   Concerning this Baha'u'llah says (as translated from the Arabic by Stephen Lambden, with his notes in brackets and parenthesis):


     

    Quote

     

    [VII]

    [1] Some have asserted that the [philosophers'] Stone (ḥajar) is the microcosm (`ālam-i asghar) [lesser world] which derives from the macrocosm (`ālam-i akbar) [the greater world]. [2] This inasmuch as they consider that humanity embodies each of the three kingdoms [species] (ajnās); namely, {i} the plant (nabat), {ii} the mineral (ḥajar) and {iii} the animal (ḥayawān). [3] [They believe] that the exterior aspect of this [bodily] temple, although it is of the microcosm (`ālam-i saghīr) is yet, in its interior aspect, an imitation of the macrocosm (hakī āz `ālam-i kabīr ast). [4] They have likened the created nature (khalq) of the [philosophers'] Stone (ḥajar) to the created nature (khalq) of the human being (insān) in terms of the fact that he appears from the earth and returns thereto. [5] But [consider also that] plants do not come forth from the earth except through [the action of the further element] water.

     

    [VIII]

    [1] Then understand [furthermore], O questioner, the subtleties of the mysteries I shall mention, in terms of the secrets of the words [through] but a hint (ramz) of the riddles (rumūz) of the prophets (anbiyā), so that thou may be acquainted with the secrets of this [alchemical] matter (amr). [2] If you would penetrate the riddles of that [alchemical knowledge] then know that God -- blessed and exalted be He -- created the earth through the water and created the sun so that it would shine forth upon the earth. [3] Then a vapour (bukhārī) and a smoke (dukhanī) rose up and [the] heavens (āsmān) were created. [4] Then through mature wisdom (bi-ḥikmat-i bāligha) the world [universe] (`ālam) came into being such that the heat of the sun adversely effected the earth. [5] Then, through the perfection of [divine] Power (bi- qudrat-i kāmila), He created the clouds (sahāb) so that rain would fall upon the earth and from it be manifest every color and hue (alwānhā wa ranghā) [ = the rainbow ? ).

     

     

    ( from https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/721/ )

     

    EDIT: I'm attaching a pdf of a previous version of this translation, which includes items 8-10 in section II (omitted in the version at the above link).  The reason it was removed probably has to do with the opening sentence of section III, which is derived from a different mss. (see the introduction for details, though no reason is given for preferring one mss. to the other):

    TB-MCOPT.pdf

     

    FURTHER EDIT: I've found a link to another version, at the same site, which does include the missing items:  https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/287/ .

     

  11. Posted · Edited by ernobe

    Just for the sake of completeness, I'm posting some diagrams from the work of Oswald Wirth mentioned previously:

     

    wirth.png.00cd684e523a36e09ff07cb25cd59c60.png

     

    Their relationship on the Tree is clearer here:

     

    wirth11.png.33c469477069bae951bd376f5d5a9844.png

     

    Here are the six Partzufim:

    The first is called the Realizer, corresponding to Nachash:

     

    wirth4.png.d986378f27cf42eb0f633b50d903d5f5.png

     

    Opposite to it is the Dreamer, corresponding to Yechida:

     

    wirth5.png.65d0495803d575e0c104aeecfc8de92c.png

     

    Then comes the Pacifist, corresponding to Neshamah:

     

    wirth6.png.5adc1eb3eda4ab8de7bb31fe798663e6.png

     

    Opposite to it is the Conqueror, corresponding to Ruach:

     

    wirth7.png.633580d323fd2c60bb02d3cdf9a4fe5a.png

     

    Next comes the Egotist, corresponding to Chia:

     

    wirth8.png.d6dffde4b08fc7db733f184867940fea.png

     

    Opposite to it, the Altruist, corresponding to Nefesh:

     

    wirth10.png.6577ee0a7fe9b5ce5c285b486a03d58b.png

     

    EDIT: correspondences with the Partzufim are my own.

  13. Posted

    13 minutes ago, noonespecial said:

     

    Can you give specific examples of the Jewishness of the Corpus or ET, or are you saying the both spring from an earlier tradition, which I would agree with. 

     

    You can do so yourself.  Did you not say previously that you prefer the Hermetic concepts in their pure, neo-platonic form, as presented in the CH and ET?   In their Sumerian form these concepts appeared as the Tree of Life, and have been transmitted to us by the Jews.  They had no need to graft anything onto the Tree, because all they had to do was become re-acquainted with the teachings that had already been given them by Abraham.  This is according to traditional accounts among the Arabs, that Abraham was acquainted with and transmitted the Sumerian lore, such as alchemy and astrology.

     

    I think there has been some confusion generated over these concepts, particularly in presentations like that of Rubaphilos, in which initiation is presented as something in which the initiated has no way of knowing what it is that he or she is being initiated into beforehand.  As a workaround, even Rubaphilos finds himself recommending that candidates familiarize themselves with the degree system of the Order of the Golden Dawn before initiation.   The true doctrine is even clearer in the work of Oswald Wirth expounding the Hermetic symbols of alchemy in Freemasonry (which he derives from the Rosicrucians).  Particularly his exposition of the psychological archetypes related to the planets has much in it to link it with Rubas' presentation of the Partzufim.  Unfortunately the work exists only in the original French (and the Spanish translation I own), as far as I can tell.

     

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    @noonespecial

    The "Jewish stuff" (including much stuff in the Zohar) includes, according to traditional histories among the Arabs, the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, whom they regard as having obtained their ideas from the Jews.    The Corpus Hermeticum is chock full of it.  As for the Emerald Tablet, the Yetzirah, and older parts of the Zohar, there is evidence to suggest that they are indeed part of the older, authentic Tradition.

     

  15. Posted

    On 9/21/2018 at 4:26 PM, noonespecial said:

     

    Hermetism (and for that matter, alchemy) existed before the popular version of the tree of life we are all familiar with came to be (unless we count the much older Sumerian versions). Personally, I find Hermetic concepts much simpler and more effective in their pure, neo-platonic form (as presented in the Corpus Hermeticum and the ET), rather than with all the Jewish stuff grafted on to it. That is, the principles presented in the above mentioned works, taught by an effective guide, can stand (that is to say, they work) on their own without Qabalah or Tarot, etc.

     

    With all that being said I think the stripped down version of qabalistic initiation presented by the GD is incredibly powerful in the right hands, and the qabalah presented by the founders of the GD is quite unlike any modern Jewish incarnations which I find to be rather 'fluffy'.  Turns out the Qabalah practiced by the R+C might be an offshoot of a 'lost' oriental/continental Sabbatean Kabbalah, I'm sure you will enjoy the read at the following link which explains the connections there. Enjoy!


    The Origins of the Qabalistic Tradition of the Golden Dawn

     

     

    I see no reason to focus on a specific branch of the "Qabalah practiced by the R+C" (the German), to the exclusion of the more original, and consequently broader, Latin tradition, as the GD seems to.   It could be due to a language barrier, and consequently to their having to rely on secondary material, rather than the original tradition.

     

    As for the CH and the ET, considering their relatively late dating, it is likely that they are an expression of Hermetic material with, as you say, "Jewish stuff grafted onto it".  The more original Hermetic material can be traced to the Sumerian religion, and its diagramatic expression in the Tree of Life ( see for example the study of Simo Parpola called The Assyrian Tree Of Life ).   

     

  16. Posted

    Here is a link to a discussion about this we had at the Newcomer corner.  In the last few decades, the trend has been to focus on the original Chinese rather than in the commentary traditions.  Which is not to say that some commentaries are not better than others at expressing the full range of meanings in the original.  It is just a question of balance.

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    On 9/19/2018 at 1:55 PM, Unicorn said:

    Please excuse me for barging into this discussion as a newcomer on this forums, but I found some parts interesting, enough to make a registration here.

     

    I would be interested to hear your opinion on the following statement:

     

    Physical transmutation should be possible given the principles at play are the same, but as processes require the largest amount of energy on the physical plane, it would be impractically difficult - but that doesn't mean that physical experimentation could not yield knowledge applicable on all planes.

     

    That is a familiar concept in the circle of Rubaphilos and I'm sure you'll fit right in.  You can apply to his Yahoo group at the link I posted previously on this thread.  Their basic idea is that the secrets should not be revealed because it would be like setting the pressure in your kitchen faucet too high.   High pressure faucets have their own proper place, which only your assigned teacher can reveal to you.   I think the true reason for not revealing the secrets is more akin to not overloading a donkey with more books than he can carry.   However, the revealer is not to be held responsible for unloading the books which prospective students are carrying.   He is responsible for providing the books to those who have freed themselves from their own baggage, and have asked for them.

     

  18. Posted

    @Stinky

    I think you would agree that there would be no secrecy if the original Qabala, as distinct from the traditional orthodox Jewish Kabbalah, were known to us.  The secret has to some extent been unveiled by the Golden Dawns' assigning of planets to the Sephirot, relating them to astrology and alchemy.  These subjects are at the foundation of Hermetism as expressed in the Tree of Life, which is what those in the tradition of Rubaphilos are attempting to elucidate for us.  In the video posted above, at minute 28, Rubaphilos says that in the next podcasts he will elucidate the spiritual significance of the alchemical processes.  Yet, 8 videos later, he has yet to correlate any of the physical processes mentioned with anything spiritual.  I don't think we can expect much more from him, seeing that he himself expresses his own ignorance in one of his essays:

     

    Quote

    There can be no argument that astrology has been a part of Hermetism as far back as historic record reaches. Therefore, there can likewise be no argument that astrology is a valuable part of the Hermetic tradition. The question that arises, though, is just how was astrology of value to the ancient Adepts? That much, today, we do not know. Whatever the true value of astrology was to the ancients that understanding has been virtually entirely lost to us today. I also have no doubt that whoever it is that rediscovers the real value of astrology will contribute an understanding of the greatest aid to modern Hermetism.

     

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  20. Posted

    Yep, breath is the natural way to go, but all the things you say you can do with chi are due to more than just breath.  My suggestion would be for you to adopt a practice in which you can observe the more immediate benefits to be derived from breath work.

     

  21. Posted

    Good video on the current controversy over the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines, in place since 2015.  For the first time, the National Academy of Medicine will review the process by which they are elaborated, for the upcoming 2020 guidelines.  If successful, fortified, refined grain cereals will be recognized as part of problem rather than solution, because the vitamins and minerals they contain require saturated fat in order to be properly absorbed.   If they will, for the first time, include the scientific evidence for saturated fats, they will also have to admit that the case against polyunsaturated fats has been pretty strong all along.

     

     

     

  23. Posted

    Books like those you mention have become so well known because they succeeded so well at the transmission.  Would you want to go through all the trouble of finding a teacher only to find he was weak on transmission?  Smoke some weed together and call it a successful transmission?  The goal is not some experience instead of the words of the Tao, but the application of the words in action.  Anyway, you've come to the right place if you want to sort out reliable sources of information and the proper orientation of your studies before any actual practice. 

    • Like 2

  24. Posted

    Just being here and sharing with others what you've learned by meditating is part of your practice, it's a real result.  So far, you have not specified what you've found objectionable in here.  No doubt, as we become more familiar with your practice, this will be cleared up.

    • Like 1