What is the beast? The mark is 666. The 6 letters are F, O, X, a sly and cunning animal sometimes to be feared. Where is the beast? Since 3 × 6 is 18/9, and 9 is the number of humanity, there is a beast in every one of us. It is important to add here that the exact translation from Greek is “Count the number of the beast, for it is the number of man,” not “the number of a man.” In Greek there are no indefinite articles and “a” was added in the English translation.
Because the lower loop on the 6 represents the womb, the full tummy, the material world, the mark of the beast is nothing more than man's lower nature. The 6 is the hieroglyph for the knowledge of good and evil. The encircling of the material world emphasizes all the worldly desires of the body, all that is part of the animal nature and not the spiritual counterpart.
This counterpart is the Christ-consciousness, which is centered in Tiphereth, the sixth Sephira in the center of man. This is a vertical line that comes down directly from the Source to become manifest in the center of man, which is designated, by the small circle.
There is a vast difference between love and sense gratification, which can be understood only when the spiritual consciousness from this center is developed.
The 6 is powerful because it is composed of two sets of 3 (Holy Trinity), and this power can be used for either good or evil since it is a complete vibration with both polarities. On the negative side, 6 is preoccupied with base emotions and drives. So man must learn to control the beast.
We release that beast any time we force our intentions on others, raise our voices in anger, speak negative words, and commit negative deeds. It is also found in the negative 6 who goes beyond being responsible and tries to run other people's lives.
The root number of 666 is 9, which, besides being the number of humanity in general, is the number of initiation. When man, nations, and humanity as a whole, conquer every lower force within by letting the raised consciousness of each 6 triumph, the beast is vanquished.
So the 666 is concerned with many people—a flock or folk. When we think of a flock, we think of sheep, which are followers. They don't think for themselves but do what all the others do.
In Tarot, the 12th card is The Hanged Man. The meaning is that man must surrender self to Divine Wisdom, for there is too much preoccupation with physical things.
The third Tarot card is The Empress. This is marriage, fertility, wealth, and contentment. When reversed, it is infidelity, instability, psychological problems, and destruction.
Now lets analyze the full number of—
Read backwards, this sounds like one of today's expressions used by the unenlightened vulgar. That is indeed a sound of the beast, which lets himself be known by his words as well as his deeds. Let's see what the Tarot has to say about this. The 15th card is The Devil, meaning potential bondage to the material, the dominion of matter over spirit.
The sixth card is The Lovers, the choice between vice and virtue. When we turn that 6 upside down we have 9, the card of The Hermit. Its upside-down or negative meaning is rejection of one's own maturity, and having foolish habits.
When does maturity come? Some say when we become 18 or 21 we are called ADULT:
The Kabbalah tells us that we are “each a seed.” Seeds produce after their own kind. We are not just a seed, but EACH a seed. In other words, we have individuality; some good, some not. The desire of Adult is 22, the master number of the Great Architect, or the Master Builder; one who desires to do something of value for more than just a few, but for all of humanity.
The negative side of 22 is found in the most deranged criminals and other nuisances to society. Jails are full of those with misguided 22 energies.
So here we see both extremes of an adult. The important thing to realize is that we do have a divine nature within us all. The spiritual antithesis of the beast, the principle of highest love, will overrule the selfish nature and tame the beast.
It takes MATURITY to be a fulfilled, well-balanced adult.
