Lesson Six Tiphereth
At the very heart of the Tree of Life is the sixth sphere, that of Tiphereth. Perfectly positioned as the connection point between the upper branches and the lower trunk in the middle of the Pillar of Mildness, between the Pillars or Severity and Mercy, Tiphereth is the lower point balancing the Ethical Triangle of mystical consciousness. The name of the sephira translates to “beauty” or “harmony,” for that is its position and power. It is the harmonious center around which all things revolve.
Astrologically, the sixth point on the Tree is assigned to the Sun, as the solar body is both the heart of the Tree and the center of the solar system. The Sun provides us with interesting clues to the nature of the solar sephira. In astrology, the Sun indicates the personal self, the personal core of the individual, but spiritually oriented astrologers know that the zodiac Sun sign does not describe so much who you are personally but who you are learning to be, and there are many evolutions within each sign. The evolution of the personal, ego-based self, which is very solar in nature since it seeks to be at the center, leads to the transformation to the higher self, the magician’s Holy Guardian Angel (HGA).
This Holy Guardian Angel acts as an intermediary between us and the highest divine self of Kether. Tiphereth itself is known as the Lesser Countenance, the lower octave of the Greater Countenance in Kether. In this Qabalistic scheme, the HGA and the individual personal ego associated with the Sun both correspond with Tiphereth, demonstrating to us that the ego and HGA are not that much different. Our introspective spiritual work transforms our ego consciousness, uniting it with the HGA. If we do not do the introspective work of the first four elements and sephiroth, then we can mistake the untransformed ego for the HGA, resulting in a journey of delusions and an overinflated sense of achievement. There is said to be a veil between the lower four spheres and Tiphereth, called the Veil of Paroketh. It is the veil of illusion, and in a sense, it is not really there. It is what separates fire from spirit, two elements that have much in common yet are different. Spirit is the entry point into the macrocosm, while fire is still part of the fourfold system of the microcosm. A magician, through training, knows both ritualistically and intuitively how to part the veil and have a clear, or at least clearer, vision of Tiphereth, while those who stumble into its power see with the veil of illusion over themselves and do not understand the beauty of this level of awareness. They are trapped in ego, while the true nature of Tiphereth is selfless, is sacrifice and harmony with the whole, the transcendence of the selfish side of the ego.
As a solar level of consciousness, Tiphereth could be said to be the first “ray” of en-“light”-enment in the process of magickal evolution. When we truly connect to Tiphereth and integrate its vision, we are utterly changed. When we make regular communion with this Holy Guardian Angel, we feel a sense of peace, balance, and harmony. There is a sense of detachment, yet an even deeper sense of love. It sounds contradictory, yet through this mystery we learn about the witch’s Perfect Love, an unattached divine love, the rosy love that can be ever flowing through us if we are open to it. The true lesson is understanding that this step is one of many steps, not the final step, for there is always another level of the spiral of evolution for those of us incarnated. The universe continues to unfold in harmony, in ever more complex cycles of beauty, even when it feels like chaos or disaster to us from our human perspective.
Tiphereth
Meaning: Harmony
Level of Reality: Higher Astral
Parts of the Self: Imagination, Solar Plexus, Heart
Experience: Vision of Harmony, Understanding the Nature of Sacrifice
Obligation: Integrity
Illusion: Identification
Virtue: Dedication to the Great Work
Vice: False Pride
Name of God: YHVH Eloah va-Da’ath (Lord God of Knowledge)
King Scale Color: Rose Pink
Queen Scale Color: Yellow Gold
Prince Scale Color: Salmon Pink
Princess Scale Color: Golden Amber
Element: Spirit
Planet: Sun
Image: Sun Child
Archetypes: Sun Kings, Young Gods, Sacrificial Gods
Greek/Roman Deities: Apollo, Helios, Dionysus, Adonis, Bacchus
Egyptian Deities: Ra, Osiris, Horus
Middle Eastern Deities: Tammuz, Dumuzi
Celtic Deities: Lugh, Mabon, Lleu, Bel
Norse Deity: Balder
Hindu Deities: Krishna, Vishnu
Archangels: Michael (Archangel of Protection/Fire) and/or Raphael
Angelic Order: Malakim
Choir: Powers
Grade of Initiation: 5 = 6 Adept
Animals: Lion, Phoenix
Planetary Vowel Sound: I (ee)
Resonant Letter: y
Musical Mode: Ionian (Natural Major)
Musical Note: F
Tools: Lamen, Rose Cross, Cube
Incense: Frankincense
Tarot: Six of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles
All Knights/Princes (young males)
Temperance/Art—to Yesod
Devil—to Hod
Death—to Netzach
Justice—to Geburah
Hermit—to Chesed
Lovers—to Binah
Emperor—to Chokmah
Priestess—to Kether
Metal: Gold
Stones: Topaz, Ruby, Yellow Diamond, Citrine, Pyrite
Plant: Sunflower
For this month’s study, arrange your altar with the correspondences of Tiphereth. Use six yellow or gold candles in a hexagram formation. Use the colors yellow and gold and any solar symbols on the altar. Use frankincense as your incense in these workings. Wear gold jewelry. If you have made gold tincture, take a drop before working Tiphereth meditations and magick, or use a few drops in your chalice during solar rites. Yellow and gold stones, such as citrine and pyrite, are appropriate. Place the Tiphereth cards on the altar as a mandala, using the sixes of all four suits and the young male court cards, either princes or knights of all the suits, as well as the major arcana on the pathways leading out of Tiphereth, arranged at the edge of the altar. This time, you will have a more balanced altar mandala than you did with Hod and Netzach.
Entities of Tiphereth
The solar gods are the obvious figures of Tiphereth. Solar figures come in many forms. The traditional image of this realm is the Sun Child. Look at the traditional image of the Sun card of the tarot. Though it connects Yesod and Hod on the Tree of Life, the imagery of the Sun card is the imagery of Tiphereth: a young, golden child, on the back of a white horse, open, jubilant, and free, riding eyes open into the next adventure. Sun mythologies are centered around the divine child, known as the Child of Light, or Child of Promise, for the child is the promise of the light renewed moving from the dark of the year to the light. Though most of us no longer pay close attention to the movement of the Sun in our daily lives, in ancient pagan cultures, the cycles of the Sun, the primary source of life, played a vital role in the cultural consciousness.
The outer Sun of the heavens is not the only manifestation of the child. For initiates, the Sun represents the mysteries of the inner child. The physical Sun corresponds to the spiritual solar forces within us. Descending into darkness is not just a metaphor, but an energetic reality. The Child of Promise must be found in the dark of the Underworld, and resurrected through our actions. Today, in our modern pop-culture psyche, we talk about the wounding of the inner child, and how to care for and play with our inner child. Though this sounds trite, it’s an absolute necessity. To the magician, the inner child is not just a psychological construct or metaphor for innocence, but a real, living energy within each of us and reflected in the heavens. The movement of the Sun reflects upon the movement of the inner solar child, for they both are equal in the eyes of the magician. No wonder so many of us experience depression in the darkness of winter. The stories of the Child of Light can help us understand astrological and astronomical cycles, and the inner cycles they reflect. They are maps to find and nurture our inner light and relate to the God of the mysteries in a new way.
In the myths of the Sun Child, he is lost in the Underworld. We see this mythology played out in the sacred stories of Mabon and his mother, Modron, and of Pryderi and Rhiannon. Both children were taken unexpectedly to another realm, beyond the reach of the mother. The relationship of the Sun with the mother principle, be it the Earth as mother, or the universe, is very important. Both the Irish Lugh and the Welsh Lleu had an unusual relationship with their mother, and grew up in the care of another who guided, nurtured, and trained them. These figures grew up to be the warriors and potentially the king figures we also associate with the solar force. The idea of the golden regent, ruling from the solar heavens, is a popular form of the divinity. It’s one of the reasons European royalty has been associated with lions.
Gods such as Apollo, Helios, and the Celtic Bel relate to light and our relationship with consciousness, as well as the seasons. Though Apollo and Helios are not considered ruling gods, next to Zeus and Chronos, rulers of the Olympians and Titans, respectively, they still play a prominent role in their mythologies and pantheon, being the light of the day. Not much is known of the figure Bel, yet one of the most prominent fire festivals, Beltaine, is named for him, indicating a place of prominence in his culture.
In the Egyptian cosmos, the Sun plays so vital a role that one of the many creation stories attributes the Sun lord Ra with the sole creation of the universe from an act of divine masturbation. To the Egyptians, the Sun was the primary generating force. The incarnation of the Sun’s power on Earth continued through Ra’s lineage, first through Osiris, the first pharaonic god figure. Osiris, and the gods who are similar to him, are the ones who bring the solar force down to the land, bridging the heavens to the Earth. He is a green and horned god, though most modern art does not depict him that way. He is the light within the vegetation of the Nile. He is the flowing of the waters to fertilize the land. He is growth, civilization, and enlightenment, here on Earth. Osiris was sacrificed through the act of his brother Set. Some interpret it as an act of vengeance and malice, while others think the original concept of Set was as the initiator, the teacher, or simply the forces of destruction in the cycle of life. Osiris then was resurrected through the magick and love of his sister-wife, Isis, and became lord of the dead, as he was lord of life. The solar energy descends into the Underworld, but it rises again through his son, Horus, another deity with solar and pharaonic attributes, though Horus also shares some martial attributes with the war godforms.
Though not quite the same story, we see similar themes in all the sacrificed god images, from the Norse Balder to Dionysus, Bacchus, Adonis, Tammuz, and Dumuzi. They all have strong goddess associations, with either a mother figure or a lover. Often this figure has Venusian qualities to her. These godforms are all transitions between the child figure and the divine king. Their resurrection brings them into full adulthood, yet with a dual perspective of life and death, one world and the next. They then become mediators between the gods and humanity, as the fertile land and plants are the main exchange between humans and later divinity, as humans both consume and make offerings and sacrifices to the divinities.
In the angelic realm, the archangel assigned to Tiphereth is another point of contention for Qabalists. Based on our previous work in Hod, I assign Michael as the archangel of the solar sphere. As Michael is the elemental ruler of fire, I find his presence quite strongly here. Out of all the angelic figures, it appears that Michael is one who is working with more people on a conscious level in magickal and New Age traditions. He seems to be guiding the people of the Earth in a very strong way, and this primary position, I believe, comes from this central sphere of solar light.
Other traditions of Qabalah put the archangel Raphael in Tiphereth, for the divine healing he brings. One of the main reasons the archangel of air is associated with Tiphereth is because this sphere is part of the middle pillar, the pillar traditionally assigned to the element of air. I would make the compromise that Raphael is a subruler, along with Michael, of Tiphereth, while Michael is a subruler, with Raphael, of Hod.
The traditional order of angels associated with Tiphereth is usually the Malakim, or Malachim, the kings or masters. They are the angels of balance and centralization, said to keep solar systems and galaxies balanced and harmoniously connected to one other. On a microscopic scale, they maintain the balance of subatomic particles in atoms and molecules. They also are known as Lords of the Pivot, as they hold the center. Many associate these angelic kings with the elemental kings. Though we think of the traditional elemental kings as elemental beings, their highest expression of these elements is said to be in Tiphereth, where the elemental world and the heavenly world intersect. The kings act as the “higher selves” of the elemental realms. The elemental archangels then act as even higher selves, guiding the kings.
In another version of angelic magick, the Powers, also known as the Dynamisms, Potentiates or Authorities, are associated with this sphere, maintaining the power and harmony of the universe. They are responsible for maintaining the balance between the heavens and the material world, guiding consciousness primarily through religious development and guiding lost souls who cannot find the afterlife.
The divine name of Tiphereth is YHVH Eloah va-Da’ath. Starting with the primal power of the Tetragrammaton, this name represents divinity, knowledge, and balance. This manifestation of divine power is the balance point, allowing us to access the divine core, the HGA, when it is vibrated.
The Vision of Tiphereth
The spiritual experience of Tiphereth is twofold, much like the sphere’s nature itself. We don’t often think of the solar powers as twofold. Unlike the Moon and planets, the Sun doesn’t have a dark side and a bright side. Tiphereth’s twofold nature is not dual or polar, light and dark, but is due to the unique position it has in bridging the microcosm and personal spheres with the macrocosm and celestial spheres. It is the linking point between the circle and the cross of the heavens and Earth. That is why it can be associated both with the solar ego and personality and with the divine consciousness of the Holy Guardian Angel.
The experience of Tiphereth is known as the Vision of Harmony. That sounds all well and good, as this sphere is in the center of the Tree, the harmonious anchor around which all revolves. But the dual nature of the vision manifests as a secondary lesson, differentiated from, yet interlinked with, the first. This lesson is known as Understanding the Nature of Sacrifice, also known as the Crucifixion Mysteries. That doesn’t sound like harmony, at least not at first. A lot of pagans studying Qabalah start to back off at this point, feeling the Christian symbolism is too inherent in the system to be overcome. One must keep in mind that the origins of the system, as we know it, are found in Hebrew Kabbalah, which has been greatly influenced by Middle Eastern magick and paganism. Our pagan world is filled with sacrificial gods.
Sacrifice does not necessarily mean crucifixion, nor does it mean altar sacrifice of plants, animals, or people, as potentially was done in the old pagan world. The true nature of sacrifice is the sacrifice of self, not in body, but in spirit, to spirit. Our sacrifice is of the personal self to the higher self, to embody our divine self more fully. We need not die bodily, or become a martyr to any cause, to enact this, but as we approach the higher spheres, their experiences are of an initiate, of a priestess or priest, who must become a minister, a servant, to the divine forces, and mediate them into the world. It is through this sacrifice, this offering of the self to spiritual service for the greater good, that we, too, become like the center of the Tree. We become the star, the solar fire of Aleister Crowley’s Thelema.
To attain this understanding of sacrifice and actually accomplish it, you must maintain integrity in all that you do. That’s not to say that you can’t make mistakes. This realm does not confer godlike omniscience, but it does require that you take responsibility for your mistakes, see yourself and others as objectively as possible, have compassion both for others and yourself, and integrate the lessons of the four elements to work with the integrity of spirit. To truly master Tiphereth, you come into harmony and union with the Holy Guardian Angel. The HGA is said to truly reside in Tiphereth. The virtue of this sphere is dedication to the Great Work, which is both fulfilling your True Will in this lifetime and the Great Work of all lifetimes, enlightenment and union with the source. Once you understand sacrifice and harmony, you continue to strive toward the Great Work. In Crowley’s writings, the word Abrahadabra, a play on the word Abracadabra, is said to be the word, the name of the Great Work in this next age, and can be used as a magick word in rituals to strengthen your dedication to the Great Work.
The illusion of Tiphereth is identification. Sometimes seekers of the mysteries identify strongly with this sphere, and its powers, yet haven’t done the work to integrate it fully, and they think they are already “there,” with no further work to do. Other times, these practitioners identify so strongly with a divine force or patron deity that they take on many of the attributes of the patron god, but forget they are still human and still have to do their own personal spiritual development work. They forget about their own spiritual identity in favor of aligning with a deity. And who wouldn’t want that, at least at first? The deities are grand, powerful, and mysterious, things we often aspire to be. But in their sacrifice to the divine, these seekers lose sight of their own Holy Guardian Angel, their own higher self, and lose sight of many other facets of the divine, focusing only on one being. This type of identification can lead to mystical delusion, martyrdom, and dogmatic theology, believing only one view of the divine is correct. The harmony conceived of is an illusion, for the harmony of Tiphereth must be dynamic, not static, adjusting to the changes and flow of creation.
The illusion goes hand in hand with the vice of Tiphereth, false pride. It is not the pride of an accomplishment well earned, but the false pride of something assumed without the work having been done to support it. The nature of sacrifice is both strong and loving, strong in conviction yet compassionate toward others. The Sun both heals and grows, and burns away what doesn’t serve. If you see only one side of its power, you are missing the vision. You are not truly in balance, in dynamic harmony with the unfolding universe.
Tiphereth Magick
All solar magick is the province of Tiphereth, from seasonal celebrations that are really about harnessing solar energy to turn the Wheel of the Year, to traditional success, health, and inspiration magick. Like the sphere itself, solar magick is dual in nature. In one sense, it is transcendent, self-sacrificing, and performed for the good of all. It is “white” magick in the sense that it is ritual to find enlightenment, commune with the higher self, and become more conscious and aware. Basically, it is magick to become a better human being, living as a divine being in the world of form.
On the second side, solar magick is magick for material success, as the Sun has so much material power. It is for physical health and vigor. It is for financial success, as its metal, gold, is also one of the most highly valued metals on the market. Solar magick is for general career success, to shine like gold, or be the “golden child” in any situation, where you can do no wrong and everything you touch is successful. It is the magick of poetic inspiration, to fuel the imagination of artists, musicians, and writers by their muse, as the Greek Muses had a strong connection to the worshippers of Apollo. But this second side occurs only when you become more in tune with the nature of the higher reality and your higher self. As you attune to your higher self and follow your bliss, your divine calling, you naturally are more successful, healthy, and inspired. So all solar magick leads back to this highest form of magick, becoming a better person. It is part of the nature of the Vision of Harmony and Understanding the Nature of Sacrifice.
Gold and all other solar gems and plants correspond to the work of Tiphereth. Gold is the symbol of the Sun, of Tiphereth, of the Philosopher’s Stone, as it is a pure and untarnishing metal, both solid and malleable. It possesses qualities of both male and female, the central point of balance in the spiritual evolution of metals. Alchemists once believed that all metals in the earth eventually would evolve into gold, just as all humans eventually would move toward enlightenment. Frankincense is the traditional incense and oil, though bay and acacia also are used. Grape vines have a strong connection to this sphere through the Dionysian imagery. The traditional stones associated with the sixth sphere are topaz and yellow diamond, though for some reason ruby is sometimes listed. I find ruby to be more of a Geburah stone myself. Citrine, pyrite, yellow calcite, and anything golden yellow works well to direct this energy.
The totems associated with Tiphereth also have strong alchemical imagery. The lion and the phoenix are the primary animals. The lion of Leo, the zodiac sign ruled by the Sun, is a natural for a Tiphereth correspondence with its fiery disposition. The phoenix is the highest expression of Scorpio, a water sign, but sometimes is described as fiery in its intensity. Another totem associated with Tiphereth is the pelican, as the pelican also is associated with alchemical retorts used to refine and perfect the substances of the laboratory as the alchemist refines and perfects him- or herself in spirit.
All the sixes of the tarot suits are associated with Tiphereth, and as you look at each, you will find points of balance and harmony in the elemental journey. The young male figures are associated with Tiphereth, be they knights in the traditional tarot setup, or princes. They are the embodiment of the young solar king, the Tiphereth energy, in each of the elemental journeys. They are the potential Child of Promise in earth, air, fire, and water.
The geometry implied in the sixth sphere is the hexagram. The six-pointed star is seen as the symbol of Jewish faith, as the Star of David, but the symbol has a much broader meaning. As part of the mandala of the heart chakra, it is the union of Goddess and God, Shakti and Shiva, in the center of the body. It is the union of fire and water in the alchemical triangles, giving birth to the symbols of air and earth, all implied in the hexagram shape.
In the modern resurgence of sacred geometry, a hexagram-based figure known as the Flower of Life is said to be the basic sacred structure underlying all form (Figure 46). It consists of nineteen interlocked circles, surrounded by a larger set of two circles. Brought to popular consciousness through the work of the controversial New Age figure Drunvalo Melchizedek and his Flower of Life workshops and books, the five Platonic solids, the underlying sacred geometry shapes of creation, can be mapped upon the image of the Flower of Life, through the related image known as Metatron’s Cube (Figure 47). The cube is not literally a cube, but a mandala based on the Flower of Life in which all the centers of the circles are connected through straight lines. Many figures of sacred geometry, including the very Tree of Life, can be mapped upon the Flower of Life (figure 48). Study of and meditation upon the flower can yield great insights into the nature of life. The physical source of life, water, has a hexagonal molecular structure, seen in the formation of snowflakes. While the pentagram is the common shape of organic life, the hexagram, as the structure of function and order, is associated most strongly with inorganic creation. Water, quartz crystals, vitamin C, uranium hexafluoride, sugar, pencil graphite, and aspirin all have hexagonal formations.
In ceremonial magick, the hexagram is the star of the macrocosm, as the pentagram is the star of the microcosm. One symbolizes the heavens, while the other symbolizes the terrestrial world. If we place the Sun in the center, as it is on the Tree of Life, and move the position of Saturn to the top point, we have all the planets of the cosmos arranged on the star (figure 49). This symbol is used in magick for the hexagram rituals, to banish or invoke planetary forces, just as the pentagram rituals can banish and invoke elemental forces.
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram, or LBRH, sometimes known simply as the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (BRH), is one of the fundamental rituals of ceremonial magick, done regularly like the LBRP. It is said to banish all “positive” influences. Students hear that and wonder why on Earth they would want to banish positive forces. Remember that, in magick, “positive” doesn’t necessarily equal “good.” It is simply an energy, like yang to yin. More accurately, one can say that the LBRH banishes all celestial forces, while the LBRP banishes all terrestrial forces. Together, they leave a working space completely neutral.
Some forces, both terrestrial and celestial, are not inherently bad, but can be in conflict with the working you have planned. I teach a lot of workshops in public places. Often the room has been used recently by others for ritual, healing, and meditation, and their “vibes” linger. These vibes aren’t bad or evil, but they’re not in harmony with what I want to do in the room next. If I’m doing a dark goddess Underworld working, and the last class was “Finding Love with Your Angels,” then the angelic vibe is not necessarily conducive to my Underworld work. Performing an LBRP and LBRH clears that space completely. When I’m done with the working, doing both rituals again creates a neutral zone, so whoever comes in next won’t have to clean up my energy. Performing only a traditional LBRP or smudging might not make the space completely neutral, for the planetary, zodiac, and angelic forces may not necessary be ruled by the pentagram.
On a deeper and more spiritual note, regular use of the LBRH ritual aligns you with the cosmic forces, the planets and stars of the zodiac. It changes your aura and consciousness. The elements are oriented differently in the circle of the hexagram, aligned with the cardinal zodiac signs rather than the familiar positions known to witches. The elemental order follows the cycle of the zodiac, with fire, earth, air, and water, like Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer. The LBRH is like a prayer to be united with your HGA and have a view that is both on the Earth yet from the heavens.
One of the most difficult parts of the LBRH, particularly for pagans, is the Analysis of the Key Word. The key word is the word, or formula, for the evolving age. When a magician recites this, he or she is aligned with the evolution of the age, the spirit of the age, just as when a magician performs the Qabalistic Cross, he or she is aligned with the Tree of Life. The Analysis is a part of the Golden Dawn’s 5 = 6 initiation ritual. In the Golden Dawn system of magick, adopted by most, the key word is INRI, which is familiar to many people as the inscription above Jesus on the cross. Many pagan occultists turn away from this ritual for this reason, but there are deeper meanings to the four letters, associated with the Hebrew occult correspondences.
Though some of these correspondences might seem unusual at first, they show that, in ceremonial magick, INRI refers to more than just Jesus’s crucifixion, though it does have a lot to do with the sacrificed-god, Tiphereth principle. The key word is a formula for the basic generative, destructive, and sustaining forces of the universe. They are embodied by three Egyptian gods that are familiar to most pagans—Isis, the great mother, Typhon/Apophis, the destructive principle often equated with Set, and Osiris, the resurrected pharaoh god, husband to Isis and brother to both Set and Isis. The notarikon (acronym) of their names, IAO, is also the name of the Gnostic supreme god, and is equated with a wide spectrum of trinity forces, from astrology’s cardinal, fixed, and mutable energies to the modern pagan’s image of the triple goddess. Seen as a Sun figure, Osiris brings the spiritual solar light of Tiphereth to the world. The Latin word for light, LVX, pronounced “lux,” is used as part of this invocation of light in the current age. There are four signs known as the LVX signs. These signs, found in chapter 4, are performed during the LBRH ritual. L is for the Sign of the Mourning of Isis, and V is for the Sign of Apophis and Typhon. The Sign of Osiris Slain is an intermediary step with no LVX letter, and X is for the Sign of Osiris Risen.
The last unfamiliar part of the ritual is the formulation of the hexagrams. Four different symbols, each consisting of two equilateral triangles, are drawn. One “hexagram” in each of the four directions is drawn, each of which corresponds to an element. The divine word used to empower them is ARARITA, a seven-letter word for the seven planets and a notarikon for “Achad Rosh Achdotho Rosh Ichudo Temurahzo Achad,” a phrase in Hebrew that means “One is his beginning, one is his individuality, his permutation is one.” Though I’m sure the use of the male pronoun will upset some of us witches, the concept is of the Divine Mind, the Great Spirit, beyond form or gender.
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (LBRH)
1. Perform the LBRP (Exercise 5). Traditionally, the LBRH is done with the ritual wand, held in the right hand. As in the LBRP, you can use either a tool or your hand.
2. Perform the Analysis of the Key Word. Face east and say:
I N R I
Yod, Nun, Resh, Yod.
Virgo, Isis, Mighty Mother,
Scorpio, Apophis, Destroyer,
Sol, Osiris, Slain and Risen.
Isis, Apophis, Osiris.
I A O
3. Make the Sign of Osiris Slain (page 111). Say: The Sign of Osiris Slain.
4. Make the Sign of the Mourning of Isis (page 109). Say: The Sign of the Mourning of Isis.
5. Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon (page 110). Say: The Sign of Apophis and Typhon.
6. Make the Sign of Osiris Risen (page 112). Say: The Sign of Osiris Risen.
7. Make the Sign of Osiris Slain. Breathe deeply. When ready, move on to the next step.
8. Make the Sign of the Mourning of Isis. Say: L.
9. Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon. Say: V.
10. Make the Sign of Osiris Risen. Say: X.
11. Holding the Sign of Osiris Risen, say: L . . . V . . . X . . . LUX.
12. Spread your arms open as you say: The Light . . .
13. Make the Sign of Osiris Risen and say: . . . of the Cross. Feel the space fill with the creative light of the divine.
14. Formulation of the Banishing Hexagrams. Face east and draw a banishing hexagram of fire in bright golden flame (Figure 50). The hexagrams should be roughly equivalent in size to the pentagrams in the LBRP. You might even perceive the blue-flame pentagrams behind the golden hexagram.
Technically, you will assume the Sign of the Enterer to charge the hexagram with energy, chanting ARARITA, followed by the Sign of Silence. Many magicians dispense with the use of these signs in this complicated ritual, simply vibrating the divine word.
15. Point to the center of the hexagram with your tool, and draw one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the south, just as you did in the LBRP.
16. Face south and draw a banishing hexagram of earth in bright golden flame (Figure 51). Empower it as you did before (step 14) with the divine word ARARITA.
17. Point to the center of the hexagram with your tool, and draw one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the west.
18. Face west and draw a banishing hexagram of air in bright golden flame (Figure 52). Empower it as you did before with the divine word ARARITA.
19. Point to the center of the hexagram with your tool, and draw one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the north.
20. Face north and draw a banishing hexagram of water in bright golden flame (Figure 53). Empower it as you did before with the divine word ARARITA.
21. Point to the center of the hexagram with your tool, and draw one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you back to the east, completing the circle.
22. Repeat the Analysis of the Key Word, steps 2–13. Many magicians also repeat the LBRP to close the space.
There are many variations of this ritual, simpler and more complex. For example, many magicians draw the Hebrew letters Yod, Nun, Resh, Yod with the wand, from right to left in blue flame, and then vibrate them, and/or the Hebrew letters for ARARITA. Others omit or add to the many repetitions of the four main signs in the Analysis. Some omit the line “the Light of the Cross” and replace it with “Let the Divine Light Descend.” Others repeat step 2, adding “Let the Divine Light Descend” between steps 13 and 14. Some magicians omit the circle of light connecting the hexagrams, relying on the ring created by the LBRP. There are even variations on how to draw the hexagrams themselves.
One of the most profound magickal practices that I relate to the mysteries of Tiphereth cannot really be taught. It’s not a technique to learn or a bit of lore to memorize. It’s tapping into the ever flowing spring of inspiration, of divine light, that flows from this sphere and letting it inspire your magick and ritual. Apollo and the solar gods are linked to the arts and inspiration. There comes a time in your training when you have learned the foundation and you have to stop playing so strictly by the rules.
A musician learns scales and practices patterns and then learns to read a piece of music as it sits on the stand. Then the piece is memorized. But at some point, the piece becomes internalized—it becomes part of the musician. Then, once the piece is part of the musician’s consciousness, certain liberties are taken. The expression of the same piece of music by various artists will all be different, as each internalizes and then expresses it differently. Professional musicians learn to improvise, to jam, to take their range of experience and, in the moment, create something new. They can work well with others who have that same level of experience, and together, through inspiration and group synergy, a magickal form of music is created, whether any of the musicians identify as a magician or not.
All artists go through a similar process. Graphic artists learn perspective, design, and how to mix color. They learn their mediums of paints and pencils. But once they have a foundation of skills, internalized, they let inspiration move them to create spontaneously yet still retain their technique. Dancers, like musicians, learn their moves and techniques and train to align the body and mind, but an inspired dancer becomes one with the music and infuses life into the series of moves through a partnership between body, mind, and music. Poets or writers learn their craft of words, voice, rhythm, and meter, but also allow inspiration to dictate to them. But the flow of words comes through their own psyche and is shaped by the skills they have developed. One only has to look at modern channeled material to see that the best of it is written by those who are writers to start with. The translations from the supernal realm to the page leave a lot to be desired when coming through someone with poor grammar and spelling and a lack of basic communication skills. This doesn’t invalidate the message, but it does make it less palatable.
As witches and magicians, we too are artists. Witchcraft is a science, art, and religion. All are interconnected. Yet so many people, seeking to “get it right,” lose sight of the artistry. This is not to say that anything you want to do is right and is witchcraft. A lot of people confuse freedom and spontaneity for “anything goes,” and then feel they don’t have to learn technique, style, or discipline. They think they can’t do it “wrong” no matter what, so why learn anything in a specific or orderly way?
Well, it’s true, you can’t really do things “wrong,” but you can do them well, executing them both beautifully and effectively. True, anybody can dance, but to dance well as an artist, you must learn rhythm, movement, and technique and train your body. Anybody can write, yet there’s a world of difference between a shopping list and a well-crafted story. Anybody can draw, though despite some modern art, we tend to value the art that combines a statement with technique over a scribble. Anyone can hum or sing, yet it takes some form of training to play an instrument, and a basic understanding of the language of music to play with others.
It’s the same with magick. Anybody can hold a ritual, yet not everybody can do effective magick. Fewer still are those who do magick that leads them to evolve and transform. That is the art, science, and religion of our Craft. We learn the fundamentals, the techniques and style, yet have a freedom to create and improvise in a particular format. We know our “scales.” We know the “key” the ritual is in, and when we get good enough, we find ourselves putting down the ritual notes and books and not necessarily using a memorized speech, but flowing with the moment, with the words and inspirations that come to us, doing things that we might not have learned in that particular way, but the combination works at that moment. We become inspired—in spirit. The gates open, the power and knowledge flows through us, and we are capable of anything.
When we reach this point, we realize that all magick becomes both art and prayer, and see how art is a form of magick. Our life becomes more and more infused with magick, in every moment. It was already there—we just awaken to it because we are more inspired. Our life becomes both art and prayer in every moment.
There is no exercise I can give you to complete, for we each come to this point of magickal inspiration differently. What I can do is urge you to master the fundamentals and then let go of your fear and let inspiration come into the moment. For some, you always have been doing this. That’s great. Continue. For others, it’s hard. I know that, as a musician, I had a hard time improvising. I didn’t want to go off the paper, off the sheet music, for fear of doing it wrong, when the “right” way was before me, in black and white. It was a struggle. And in music it still is. I no longer really identify as a musician. But as a magician, as a witch and will worker, I have found my love and inspiration. Some of my best rituals, even for large public groups, were based on a vague outline and intention of the ritual, and then I went for it, in the moment. This can work well alone, but if you have a small group of like-minded individuals, who can pick up on your energetic cues and you can pick up on theirs, you can have quite a divinely inspired group ritual. If this is your path, you have to find the same type of flow, of divine inspiration, in your magick. It is like raising the storytelling magick, the guided imagery used in Yesod, to the next level, the next octave of inspiration. For your next esbat or sabbat or any circle you are doing, put down the notes. Hold the intention of the ritual. Remember your training. Ask for inspiration and the partnership of the hidden world to guide you, and let it flow.
Tiphereth Pathworkings
Tiphereth has more paths connected to it than any other sphere on the Tree of Life. Being in the center, it is connected to three paths below it and five paths above it. The heart of the Tree links all the realms to create harmony. Journeys on the paths above the veil have a different quality than those on the paths below the veil. Though Tiphereth presents many challenges, the challenges are of a less personal nature than those of the first four spheres.
The central path leading directly to Kether is ruled by the Priestess card. At this higher level, the Priestess force is the guardian of the gate, the opener of the way, standing between the Pillars of Severity and Mercy, guarding the paradise of pomegranates behind her. She is the lunar guardian into the depths of spirit guarding the Abyss. The masculine path corresponding to the Emperor card leads to Chokmah. Here we learn about cosmic strength through the male mysteries. Its reflection, the path of the Lovers card, leads to the feminine mysteries of Binah. The Lovers path is the true alchemical wedding, the merging of opposites. A lesser manifestation of such merging occurred on the path of Temperance/Art, but the Lovers path brings the union to completion. The path of the Hermit leads to Chesed. This is the period alone that any king or spiritual ruler must go through, to gain self-knowledge in preparation for true service. The path of the Hermit is reflected in the path of Justice, linking Tiphereth to Geburah. We must learn the wise application of power, for a balanced or just cause, before we can claim the power of Geburah.
Tiphereth Pathworking
1. Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (Exercise 5) and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (Exercise 20). Do any other ritual you feel is appropriate.
2. While in this space, call upon the divine forces of Tiphereth. Burn your six gold candles and frankincense or bay leaves. Knock on your altar six times. Vibrate the divine name of Tiphereth, Yod Heh Vah Heh Eloah va-Da’ath, six times. Call upon any of the solar deities of the sphere, or Archangel Michael. Call upon your Holy Guardian Angel.
3. To count down into a meditative state, do exercise 1 through step 7 (page 76).
4. Let the familiar world around you fall away, as if the material reality you know is only a façade and beneath it lies the beautiful garden of the Goddess, a veritable paradise surrounding you. The land around you becomes a vast primordial garden, the garden of Malkuth, the familiar garden of the four paths.
5. Go to the heart of Malkuth, to the Temple of Malkuth. Decide which path you wish to take to Tiphereth. The easiest way is up the middle pillar, through the World/Universe to Yesod and through Temperance/Art to Tiphereth. Or you can follow the lightning strike—World/Universe to Yesod, Sun to Hod, Tower to Netzach, and Death to Tiphereth. There are many other possibilities. Choose your route and follow the gates from the Temple of Malkuth.
6. While on your path, reflect on the symbolism of the path. Let the images of the associated tarot card and path come to you. Let your thoughts and feelings be guided by the power of the path. Learn what you can of the path, and of your process, to expand your consciousness to Tiphereth. Feel the call of your higher, golden self welcoming you onward.
7. Feel the call of the golden-yellow sphere from your path. You are bidden to enter the gates of Tiphereth, the realm of beauty, but you might have to give a symbol of Tiphereth, such as the divine name (YHVH Eloah va-Da’ath), the solar glyph, or the name of a solar being. Once you enter, the light warms and welcomes you, filling you up as you feel yourself radiating golden light and love. Feel the harmonious and beautiful energy of this sphere. Explore the golden realm. You might encounter the beings of Tiphereth as you make your way to the golden temple.
8. Make your way to the Temple of Tiphereth. You enter a six-sided temple, golden and ornate beyond comprehension. You feel the power of the spiritual Sun illuminate all things and are aware of the eight gateways leading out of the temple. You have come to the temple by one path; seven more remain to be explored in the future.
9. The entities of Tiphereth are residing in the temple. The solar god is manifest, perhaps as a child, king, or sacrificial god. The lion and phoenix are present, along with the archangel Michael or Raphael. Commune with the beings of Tiphereth. Ask to know the Vision of Harmony and Understand the Nature of Sacrifice in a manner that is correct and for your highest good. Ask to learn the virtue and obligation of the sphere and ways to avoid the vice and illusion. Most importantly, feel the golden love of devotion emanating from every being here, from the very walls of the temple itself.
10. When done, thank all the beings who have communicated with you. They might offer you a gift, a token of their goodwill. If you accept, it is polite to reach within your being and offer them a gift of your goodwill.
11. Once you have said your farewells, leave the shrine and follow the path back. Return the way you came unless you feel guided to return via a different pathway and know the pathway back well. Go back to the garden of Malkuth. Focus on the waking world you know, and feel it return around the garden.
12. To return to normal waking consciousness and end your journey, perform steps 15–17 from exercise 1 (page 78). You can close the temple by repeating the LBRP.
Initiation of Tiphereth
In the traditional orders of ceremonial magicians, passing from the grade of Netzach to the grade of Tiphereth, the Adept or Adeptus Minor, 5 = 6 , is to pass from the First Order to the Second Order, going deeper into the mysteries. The initiate must learn the Portal grade, having the ability not just in technique but in all ways to rend and close the veil between worlds, the veil between the lower Tree and Tiphereth. The signs found in the Hexagram ritual are the ones of this rank, that of the IAO formula—Mourning of Isis, Apophis and Typhon, Osiris Slain, and Osiris Risen. In this working, the initiate is sacrificed through the Vision of Sacrifice, knowing that the life of the initiate is not totally his or her own but is dedicated to the service of all life, of the Great Spirit and creative intelligence.
One at this level of initiation already must have performed the first stage of the Great Work, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Briefly experienced as the Vision of Malkuth, this level of knowledge and conversation now must be a daily reality. The initiate must be in regular, if not constant, communion with this higher soul self, and be acting more and more from this higher perspective. You do not lose the personal perspective at all, but you must be able to look, act, and feel beyond it. From a personal energetic perspective, you really must be operating out of the heart space, balanced and harmonious, rather than the lower three chakras. True mastery of the Tiphereth sphere comes with integration of the Holy Guardian Angel identity with the personal identity, to truly live from the perspective of the higher self every day.
Spirit
Spiritual Lessons: Humility, Illumination
Spiritual Tool: Crown
Fears and Challenges: Fear of Ego Loss, Fear of Guilt/Moral Lapse
Virtue: Humility
Psychological Function: None
Stage of Learning: Direct Revelation
State of Matter: Dark Matter
Environmental Sphere: Biosphere
Scientific Force: Life Force
Periodic Element: Sodium
Humor: None
Body System: Endocrine
Sacred River: Starlight
Sacred Geometry: Dodecahedron
Celtic City: Tara
Qabalistic World: Entire Tree of Life
Classical Age: Platinum
Caste: Master
Sufi Breath: In Nose/Out Nose
Mudra: Thumb and First Two Fingers
Planets: Sun, Jupiter, Uranus
Fixed Sign and Animal: None
Egyptian Animal: Phoenix
Metal: Electrum
Chakra: Crown
Time of Day: All Day
Season: Entire Year
Vowel Sound: U
Egyptian Syllable: Sa
Hindi Syllable: Ham
Tibetan Syllable: Kha
Modern Syllable: Ka (Ra)
Obstruent Sounds: None
Time Signature: None
Hebrew God Name: Eihehe
Archangel: Metatron
Angel: None
Ruler: None
Elemental King and Queen: None
Goetic Ruler: None
Enochian King: None
Stones: Quartz, Diamond, Herkimer Diamond, Phenacite
Herbs: Mistletoe, Oak, Vervain
In our comparison of the grades of the elements to the Celtic gifts, there is no fifth gift in the legends. Tiphereth is compared to both the Philosopher’s Stone (or Stone of Destiny) and the Holy Grail. Both legends are connected to emeralds and, in the modern age, the tektite moldavite. A great stone was said to fall from the Lightbringer’s brow and descend into Earth, into the cycle of form and time. It is both the source of the “fall” in Christian mythologies and the key to redemption. Pagans know that redemption is within us all, for we never truly fell anywhere. We’ve always been in paradise. We just haven’t always remembered it, or acted like it. But the emerald of the heart, carved into the sacred cup, is really an allegory for the heart space, which connects us to the timeless heavens. Only through awakening the heart chakra can we connect to the heavenly crown.
In Gareth Knight’s book The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend, the Qabalistic influences are clearly spelled out. Malkuth is the forest or later wasteland, where the Grail knights wander. Yesod is the lake, with the Lady of the Lake as guardian of the astral forces and inner-plane guides. Hod is the realm of the knights, questing forward, swords in hand. Netzach is Camelot, ultimately ruled by the queen, for the king rules only through his relationship with the Goddess and the land, as represented by the queen. The sacrificed king necessary to enter the realm of Tiphereth is Arthur himself, and Tiphereth is the Holy Grail itself, capable of restoring all to true health and vigor, if it is rightly found. This is a slightly different spin on our take of the four gifts and their elemental associations, but again, it leaves us with no fifth tool to work with.
In meditation, I have found the Crown of Humility. It is the Crown of Service and Sacrifice, for contrary to popular opinion, true kings and queens cannot do as they like, but do as they must, to maintain their “right” relationship with the land and the spirits, for the greater good of the people. In days of old, kings and queens were priest-kings and priestess-queens. They were not just political leaders, or even religious leaders, but conduits to mediate the forces of the land and Otherworld for their people. One simply has to look at the Egyptian pharaonic line or the Celtic kings to see this theme. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, literally and metaphysically.
In this day and age, the Age of Aquarius, we are all called upon to mediate our own spiritual forces and not have others do it for us. We are each called to be our own queen or king in the world. To do that, we must master the first four elements.
Though the lessons of this book span to the first sphere of Kether, the student is not expected to attain that level of initiation. Spiritual enlightenment can take many lifetimes, and much spiritual growth occurs between lifetimes. For those of us in a body, the Tree of Life is a map to understand higher consciousness, and nothing more. I don’t claim to have reached these high levels of metaphysical evolution, and neither do most Qabalistic writers. But we do understand the maps, and sometimes understanding what’s ahead helps you tackle whatever is before you.
Rather than perform a ritual or meditation to find the Crown of Humility or undergo a Tiphereth initiation of any kind, you are charged to continue to master the first four elements and see clearly past the veil as this yearlong training continues. The work and lessons of the rest of this book, culminating in the lessons of Kether, will prepare you to more fully invoke the HGA, while rituals to work with the Crown, in service to both your spiritual growth and the planet, will be part of the training in the fifth book of this series, The Living Temple of Witchcraft. Through this fifth book, you will develop the skills and awareness to live from the perspective of the higher self.
No book, and even no teacher, can hope to bring you beyond Tiphereth consciousness. For the purposes of the Temple of Witchcraft series, your only goals in this course are an intellectual understanding of the entire Tree of Life, the creation of your own reality map, and a greater mastery of the four elemental grades and their tools. You can and should develop a relationship with your HGA as a result of this work. You can explore the concepts of the higher spheres to understand them to the best of your ability at your present level of spiritual initiation, but don’t mistake greater knowledge for spiritual mastery of the higher spheres.
Homework
• Do Exercises 20–21 and record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.
• Learn and practice the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (Exercise 20), the traditional version or your own personally reconstructed version.
• Continue to practice the LBRP, Middle Pillar, and Circulation of the Body of Light rituals, the traditional or personal versions. You can continue with the Four Adorations and the Ritual of the Rosy Cross, but this is not a requirement.
Tips
• Fill in the Tiphereth correspondences and colors on your own Tree of Life drawing. Contemplate them as you add them to the image. Start memorizing these correspondences.
• Review and reflect on all you have learned in this lesson.
• Continue to work with the four elements. If you have not yet mastered the Stone of Sovereignty, the Cup of Compassion, the Sword of Truth, and the Spear of Victory, work toward that mastery. If you have, make sure you are continuing to use their energies effectively, both in ritual and daily life.
• Continue working with the lower sephiroth. They are not just one-time destinations, but psychic destinations and temples with which you should become intimately familiar.
• Study appendix VI to deconstruct and reconstruct the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram to fit your worldview, if you so choose. If you are reconstructing it, make sure your symbolism is consistent with the pentagram rituals and other rites.
• Pick one other reality map from appendix I to contemplate. Understanding a variety of worldviews will help you when you construct your own reality map.
• The Analysis of the Key Word can be done as a ritual by itself, either preceded and followed by the Qabalistic Cross or LBRP.
• To bring the macrocosm into their work and ritual attire, some witches and magicians tie the cords of their belt in the reef knot, left over right and right over left, forming a hexagram shape.
• Like the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, there are many variations of the hexagram ritual. You can adapt it to be the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram (using the invoking hexagrams in Figure 54), to align yourself with the stellar forces for a working. The Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram can be used to both banish and invoke specific planetary or zodiac powers. This will be covered in chapter 12.