The Pageless Book

God is an alcoholic substance made of fermented grains and hops… No! Seriously! Just watch the video!

I have an admission to make; for the past twelve or so years of my life, I have studied and been involved with occultism. Let me be clear of what I mean by occultism - I’m not talking about Wicca, the New Age movement, or rampant Harry Potter fandom. When I talk about occultism, I’m referring to Enochian Magick, The Golden Dawn, Thelema, Chaos Magick, as well as the study of personalities, practices, and history that go along with the Western occult tradition. I am talking about the “hard stuff” that paranoid fundamentalists only dare speak of when they are brave enough to condemn it. I know that nothing stirs as much controversy among the religious as the subject of the occult.

I also know that nothing infuriates atheists and rationalists more than the idea that it just might be possible to alter reality with a thought. It seems to be the very pinnacle of human arrogance to believe that manipulating reality in a way that is currently beyond science is within the ability of a man waving his arms around and chanting in some foreign language. It is an insult to any discerning and sane mind. This isn’t to mention the fact that to accept the proposal that the occult may indeed have some effect on reality, you would have agree that there may be more to reality than what can be empirically proven.

Most people are uncomfortable with the subject of occultism. Understandably so, as popular opinion has it that the occult is either a damnable offense, evidence of utter delusion, or incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. I’m not going to try to convince anyone otherwise because, quite honestly, it can be all three of these things - even if not exactly in the way in which you would imagine. In my experience, though, it also can be a tool for a greater good. What I will do is attempt to explain exactly what I understand of occultism.

First of all, it is important for me to point out that, to my knowledge, there is no massive global network of occultists seeking to take over the world. The simple fact of the matter is that those who study the occult are far too individualistic, egotistical, and/or eccentric to form cohesive organizations strong enough to infiltrate or overthrow governments - yes, even small ones. The largest of occult organizations weigh in at about 1,000 members. Most occult organizations are lucky if they have over 50 members. Don’t get me wrong, it makes for great Hollywood fiction, but that is all it is - fiction.

While we are on the subject of paranoia, I should mention that occultists are not interested in corrupting your children. I am well aware of the use of occult symbols in television, movies, games, and fiction. There is also an abundance of Asian characters and mythology in television, movies, games, and fiction - yet no one seems to think that Buddhists are interested in corrupting children. Our entertainment industry simply has a love affair with anything that is exotic, foreign, or abnormal. The mythology surrounding occultism is also exotic, foreign, and abnormal to the majority of Western society. It stands to reason that television, movie, game, and fiction writers would abuse the stereotype of occultism, or any stereotype for that matter, to sell products. If you want to blame anyone for “corrupting” your children, blame the entertainment industry.

I’ve also learned that the occult is the an amalgamation of religious beliefs and mystical practices driven underground by the persecution of the Catholic Church. The majority of what constitutes occultism is a blend of the remnants of Christian movements deemed heretical by the Catholic Church, the scraps of lore left over from extinguished polytheistic religions, and Jewish traditions. Occultism is a direct outcome of the persecution of Pagans, Jews, and other Christians by Christians. Those groups persecuted includes the Order of the Templar Knights (widely believed to have latter become the basis for Freemasonry), Christian Gnostic sects and Qabalah. In other words, Occultism is a direct result of the persecution and intolerance of the Medieval/Renaissance Catholic Church. I know that is a bold statement, but in reading ancient grimoires, I have frequently been amazed to find the corrupted names of Greek, Roman, Germanic, and Celtic Gods, references to gnostic teachings, angels, and obscured bits of Jewish lore.

Those who practice the occult also often assert that their practice is scientific. Occultists are prone to referring to the chaos theory and quantum mechanics, and often take special interests in scientific developments. In fact, Aleister Crowley defines ritual magic as the “art and science of change.” The irony is that many of the earliest scientists and mathematicians were occultists as well. It is already well known that the science of chemistry evolved from the occult science of alchemy, and that astronomy evolved from astrology. What isn’t well known is that scientists, well into the 18th century, believed in or practiced some form of occultism. I’m not talking about a few isolated individuals dabbling in occult practices; at one time science and occult knowledge went hand in hand. The most notable example is Sir Isaac Newton’s research into astrology.

Finally, it is important to understand that occult practices are deeply psychological. Whether or not you accept the premise that ritual can affect the fabric of reality, there is no question that occult ritual affects the mind in profound ways. Ritual has the potential to reach deeper into the subconscious then prayer or meditation alone. It may even be possible to alter your subconscious with the use of occult ritual. This aspect of the occult, in my opinion, can be a useful tool for self exploration and improvement, but for those who are unstable, this can be dangerous. The majority of occultists are well adjusted individuals, but within any group of people there are a few who are not so well adjusted. This is, perhaps, the scariest facet of occultism, and is likely the origin of some horror stories concerning the occult.

My hope in explaining what I understand about the occult isn’t to convince you that the occult should be treated as if it were another hobby, or that all objections to occultism are completely unjustified. I think what I want most is for you to understand that there is vastly more to the subject then supposed experts would lead you to believe. The tendency is to dismiss occultism as a whole based upon assumptions, rather then investigating and thinking for yourself. I find that thinking for yourself is perhaps what is hardest to do when faced with something as polarizing as the occult. I also believe it is most necessary when faced with similar polarizing issues.

First Image provided by FrauBucher. Second Image provided by Edgar Zessinthal. Final Photo by Thomas Roche. Originally Published November 3, 2007.

I’ve been reading Aryeh Kaplan’s translation of The Bahir, one of the firsts texts on Qabalah or Jewish Mysticism, and I’ve realized that I am yet to write about Qabalah in any substantial way here on my blog. When I talk about Qabalah on this website, I have this annoying habit of just assuming that my readership knows what I am talking about. Pretty arrogant of me, if I do say so myself. The problem, however, is that I’m not quite sure that my definition can do it justice.

Qabalah is at once very complicated, simple, obscure, clear, self-contradictory, and internally consistent. It has often been called the Zen Buddhism of Western Culture, and, like Zen Buddhism, is a peculiar mixture of pretentious bovine manure and profound truth. Both lie and truth may or may not lead an adherent to enlightenment. The driving force behind Qabalah and Zen Buddhism is to get the adherent to think and break beyond their preconceived notions. I am not entirely sure I am qualified to speak about either, to be honest. I don’t pretend to be any more enlightened than the average angst filled teenager - my poetry certainly isn’t any better.

Yet, I am always willing to try humbly. Being forewarned of my ineptitude, I can only ask my readers to keep an open, if discerning, mind as I move forward.

The word “Qabalah” means to receive. In Jewish folklore, the teachings of Qabalah were said to have been received by Adam in the Garden of Eden, and later again by Moses on Mount Sinai. The word itself has been subject to a variety of English spellings (Kabbalah, Cabala…) all of which refer to the same body of practices, although may at times be used to differentiate one school of Qabalah from another. Currently, there are four major branches of Qabalah: Jewish Qabalah, Christian Qabalah, Hermetic Qabalah, and Red String Qabalah.

Jewish Qabalah, or Orthodox Qabalah, is what I want to focus on today. However, I want to touch base on the other three as well. Christian Qabalah is, predictably, the application of the practices of Qabalah to Christian teachings. Understandably, Orthodox Qabalists see Christian Qabalah as a perversion of the truth behind Jewish Qabalah. Hermetic Qabalah is the adaptation of Qabalah as a system of symbolism by Occult Qabalists. This is the Qabalah that I know best - The Qabalah of The Golden Dawn. Both Jewish and Christian Qabalists view Hermetic Qabalah as an abomination. “Red String” Qabalah, or pop-culture Qabalah, is the Qabalah that Madonna practices, and which you are most likely to find along side copies of the “Celestine Prophecy” in New Age shops. If you guessed that Jewish, Christian, and Hermetic Qabalists all disdain Red String Qabalah with a vitriol rivaling the toxicity of battery acid, give yourself a pat on the back.

Inter-religious politics aside, Qabalah is a means of extrapolating meaning from holy texts. Every method of squeezing further meaning from a sentence, word, or letter is used. To quote The Bahir:

Why does the Torah begin with the letter Bet? In order that it begin with a blessing (Berachah). How do we know that the Torah is called a blessing? Because it is written (Deuteronomy 33:23) “The filling is God’s blessing possessing the Sea and the South” The sea is nothing other than the Torah, as it is written (Job 11:9) “It is wider than the sea.” What is the meaning of the verse “The filling is God’s blessing?” This means wherever we find the letter Bet it indicates a blessing. It is thus written (Genesis 1:1), “In the beginning (Bereshit)…”

The reasoning behind Qabalah seems simple enough; the books of the Hebrew Prophets as they are originally written is the word of God, as such every letter of those books contains nuance of meaning that can only be understood through the methods of Qabalah. From the outside it seems a bit silly to think that just because two words begin with the same letter, or have the same letters, or are the same numerical value that the meaning behind those words are related. However, Qabalah is more of a means to an end. Assuming meaningful connections between words and ideas creates verbal puzzles seated in the text and context of the Hebrew Bible. These puzzles serve to break down the presumptions, much like Zen Koans.

Unlike Zen Koans, the extrapolated knowledge serves as a basis for an even more complicated system of symbols - The Tree of Life - from which ever more complicated riddles emerge. Each successive level of complexity is declared to deliver within it some aspect of the Truth, and indeed adherents find truth in this complexity. I hesitate to call it the Seinfeld of religions, but seeing as so many people find that show funny even though it’s not funny, this works as an excellent metaphor. When they realize that this found truth is in spite of, rather than because of, that complexity, do those who plumb the depths of Qabalah begin to shake free from the habit of literal interpretation and the belief in an absolute Truth. This is where the real work towards enlightenment begins… and consequently, where I have so little experience.

Now, you might question as to why someone would want to practice Qabalah, as it seems to be little more than mental gymnastics. But it is these same mental gymnastics that allows the adherents of Qabalah to ascribe more meaning to the world around them, and see the interconnection between all things. Qabalah pushes each adherent to question the world around them, their assumptions about that world and how it works. I admit that it isn’t the only path to enlightenment, but I love it because of it’s eccentricities; it’s more like a hobby than it is a religion, which is how I like my religion.

For More About Qabalah

• http://www.kabbalah.info/
• http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/faq.htm
• http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kabbalah.html
• http://www.webofqabalah.com/

Photo Credits From Top:

Above Photo by Joi Ito. Image Below by Chris Gladis. Hebrew Script Photo by Jurek Durczak. Last Photo Below by Jeff Kubina.

In my previous article, Three Serpents, I discussed the symbolism behind the entities Metatron, Sandalphon, and Apollion, as the holy trinity of The Gated Emptiness. They are not the only trinity present in this text, however; we are also presented with a trinity that represents all of humanity. The Gated Emptiness reads:

“The mother is the past, but she shall be ever present. The father is present, but he ever thrusts forward. The child unites both past and future. The child opens the gates of hell, of heaven, of the palaces, and of the worlds. These three enter all gates, and close all.”

The trinity of humanity - man, woman, and child - represents past, present, and future in various stages. They also represent the movement of time. Woman symbolizes the movement from the past to the present while man symbolizes the movement from the present to the future. Yet it is the child, who unities both past and future, that opens the all gates - all of our possibilities. What is meant by these passages and what does it say regarding humanity?

Before we can get to answer that question, we have to understand the language that The Gated Emptiness is using. It is no coincidence that we are introduced to both a holy trinity and a human trinity within the confines of the same chapter. This points to the frame work within which we can better understand what the text is telling us. Not only can this be interpreted as a reference to the biblical account of the Divine making mankind in its likeness, but simultaneously introduces the concept of the infinite cycle of history. In my mind, there is no mistaking this passage for anything but a reference to the Gnostic credo, “As Above, So Below.”

So “Gnostic” is like being agnostic, right? Er, No. Gnosticism was a religious movement which blended Christianity with the popular Greek, Egyptian, and Roman religions or philosophies. This movement was considered highly heretical by the early Christian church which attempted to suppress Gnosticism and was largely successful due to the shear diversity within that movement. Gnostic beliefs later became highly influential in the formation of Qabalah (a Jewish form of mysticism) and medieval occultism.

And what of the gates of hell, heaven, the palaces, and the worlds? Is this, too, a Gnostic reference? Actually, it is a Qabalistic reference, as is the following passage:

“Twelve hands grab hold of the sides of sky and pull the starry hosts towards the center into the eye of God. Six hands go forth and move the fabric of night and day. Eight hands usher the wise towards enlightenment, holding upright the Tree of Life. So are formed the altar and keystone, the foundation of the earth.”

Twelve? Six? Eight? What?! This is going to take some explaining. Pay attention, as there will be a quiz later on… The twelve hands represents the twelve astrological signs, six hands represents the six ancient planets (minus the sun), and the eight hands represent the seven lower Sephiroth of the Tree of Life along with Da’ath. The Tree of Life is a graphical representation of creation, as understood by Qabalists, which has ten Sephiroth or stages of creation along with one Pseudo-Sephiroth named Da’ath. The “altar and keystone” are symbolized by these hands; a cube has six faces, twelve edges (where two faces meet), and eight points (where three faces meet).

If this all sounds like one long convoluted riddle, that is because… it is a long convoluted riddle! Both Gnosticism and Qabalah are extremely symbolic in their language and artwork. These religious movements formed during a time of persecution, so secrecy was an important consideration, but more important was that both of these movements understood that the Divine is beyond our comprehension. Much like a Zen Koan, hiding their meaning underneath layers of symbols ensured that a person had to dismantle their preconceptions before coming to understand its meaning.

Why does The Gated Emptiness include something so arcane that its meaning has to be spelled out? I could give you some pretentious bovine manure, that in order to understand and appreciate the depth of The Gated Emptiness you would need to be versed in several mystic traditions; the truth, however, is not this glamourous. During the period which I wrote this text, I was heavily into occultism, which influenced my subconscious. Whether you believe that The Gated Emptiness is a divinely inspired text or not, it still had to run through the filter of my subconsciousness. If it had not been for this fact, the two above passages probably would have read very differently:

Humanity exists as a cumulation of our choices as a species to date and the possibilities we will have in the future. It is we who choose our own suffering or pleasure, poverty or abundance. The very universe in which we live is there to support us and challenge us. It is in this way that we are in the image of God.

Yes, it is easier to understand, but not nearly as poetic.