Lux Occulta

The Hermit from The Tarot of The Holy Light

We are still on the 9th Arcanum of The Hermit, studying small aspects of this Great Initiate. When we are looking at the Tarot, as has been said previously in our little introductions, we are being transported to a place of Archetypal View. This view is like that of standing upon the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building. Every thing that we were looking at before arriving at the summit  pops into perspective and we are now able to see what we have walked through and its ultimate position in relation to that which matters.

The great sage Eliphas levi has said in his book on tarot exegesis
" The lamp of Trismegistus is reason illuminated by science;
The lamp of Trismegistus
enlightens present, past and future, lays bare the conscience of men and manifests
the inmost recesses of the female heart. The lamp burns with a triple flame"

Eliphas Levi tells us the lamp has a triple flame, or in other words The lamp is threefold , corresponding to Physical Astral and Mental Planes. The biggest secret of Initatic Science is that of the Constitution of Man , the actual structure of Man the Microcosm apart from that of "unique" personality levels, we are all of the same "parts".

This is the lamp of Wisdom speaking to us, When the hermit comes and reveals the "light" what is being shown is that we are part , nay, entirely interwoven in the Cosmic Fabric. As the lamp stands for what is in Initiatic Language "LUX OCCULTA" or profanely known as "The Hermit" we are seeing the actual light.

Light in the physical realm as deduced from reason and illuminated by science is a ray of vibration slowed down at a prism and split into lower and lower aspects of the original whole. It shows us color and perspective. Occult light is the light that is literally "Hidden" when this hidden light is shown it’s what Blavatsky called "astral light" or the light of our higher constitutions of being. This whole based view of our entire self or MONAD is the Light of the Occultist and learning to use it is the activation of the Staff and Mantle.

When we are familiar with all levels of vibration , psychic energy and the literal fabric of our SELF then we can be that self everywhere, communicate to that self in water, earth, fire and air. WE can be the self in others and the SELF of the Cosmos.

For the Light (SELF)that shines in the Darkness (PERSONALITY), but the Darkness comprehends it not.
In GNOSIS
Tim

He Who Gives... Receives!

Greetings!

As I was glaring at the El Gran Tarot Esoterico version of the hermit, I was taken back by the White beard. I often see the strength of a lion , a hunter, a doer in an old man. The Duc De Palatine says that " we are stuck with the image of a father figure" And I guess that this ol Hermit is my father figure archetype

In the snowy mountains there are many hermits , in meditation and contemplation on the greater good. This is the real atlas, the weight of the "real" world is upon their shoulders, because the world they have to be strong with is one where they are seen as the most hungry, needy and proud of individuals in the jungle. Sure there are those that are able to shed the "Father Figure" but not always. What usually happens is like the Duc De Palatine says " you love him because you want to be him, but you hate him because he is what you are not". So long as we are putting our worth and measure upon another to carry our burden , will we be ruled by this father figure.

The real world of earth is not the monetary one, that is a symbol of the worlds exchange. The real life blood of our world is the "etheric sphere" this is why the Father must be linked with the beneficent role of the Sun, spreading rays, indiscriminately to all who need them. With money we can't do this. Money is simple exchange , as our famous Ayn Rand said " Value for Value", this is only a partial truth. When we leave Atlas "father" to hold this planet for us in our pursuit of money or even worse to swindle it from those who have it, we are stuck increasing the burden upon those "gods" and when doing so we destroy our ability to be free of them.

Since these little snippets of tarot reflections could be expanded indefinitely we will get to the point. The real world that atlas holds is the subtle world of our thoughts, emotions and decisions . This energy is the "burden" the money is just a symbol for this mass of condensed energy that we have thrown upon Atlas " father" Shoulders.

When we are considering the Great Ones that take this burden, now we know that our Enterprises and Corporations are increasing the "etheric" load on poor atlas's shoulders, will we then shrug?

There is a better way, by taking upon oneself the burden often casted upon others we can clean our lives , we can keep house, repair our country and disempower those who are in a delusion of temporary gain while making the Solar Logos’ Shoulders Buckle with Pain and Agony, altruism can't be forced , but can we live without it? Our Cosmic Father , Atlas is holding the entire energetic content of what we do in agony and writhing pain ..
will    we   shrug?

In Gnosis

Tim

"Thy Rod and Thy Staff Comfort Me"

Psalm 74:2: Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt

Rod in old Hebrew is 'shebet'. This literally means stick, but the stick or magical tool in hermetic literature is not meant to be "spare the rod spoil the child" the "Rod" here is meant to be the authority and basic will of the highest powers. Rod as 'shebet' means the following: rod, sceptre, staff, tribe. Its important to realize that this statement of the "rod" here in our Hermit Arcana is telling us that man can always depend upon the Rod or Staff for balance and support. This means that Hierarchy is there to assist us as the Heavenly "tribe". or Staff. Like the staff of the church. Its not difficult to realize that "stick" is the physical representation of this archaic form of Priestly Vestment or Tool. The MITRE of the Hierophant is now the Rod of the Hermit. Meaning that the Authority of the Hierophant has now passed. The church is no longer in power and the child in the lovers card has chosen to become a fully supported Emanation of the Power of the Heavenly Tribe by transmuting the Arrow of Cupid into this Staff.

Next i'd like to call attention to the words of Alice Bailey from Initiation Human and Solar :

there are four levels of power descending through the Rods of Initiation

1. Cosmic

2. Solar

3. Planetary

4. Hierarchical, used by an occult Hierarchy for minor initiations, and for the first two initiations of manas by the Bodhisattva.

Manas is the MAN all philosophy talks about. This is the non gendered , asexual Initiate in the SK Thinker, or One who Thinks. 9 in hermetic philosophy and Pythagorean Mysteries represents the MAN. Also in Pythagorean philosophy the rod represents the "cabiric chain" basically as Bailey indicates the Rods are used to transmit power to us by this Heavenly Hierarchy, or Tribe.

IN Christine Payne Towler's book Underground Stream she says of the Hermit in the chapter Holy Blood, Holy Tarot, " These individuals learned how to create spaces inside of their ego for the overshadowing invasion by the archetypes".

I'd bring attention to this fact that All healers use a Rod to do the healing. Similar to Moses and all Adepts. Here for the first time we are hearing about the practical aspects of Magical Implements, its to do the work of the Tribe that we are blessed to be in contact with via the Cabiric Chain.

As Above so Below

IN GNOSIS

Tim

The Social Color, Or Lack Thereof

Greetings!

 We are now at the 9th key of the Tarot cards titled Hermit. This Hermit is at first a very sullen looking character, perhaps the most depressed looking at first. It’s important to realize that his grey robe in popular occultism is actually a representation of whats called "the robe of glory" or aura. This aura by isolation is turned colorless or grey when unhealthy. To me this represents the necessary cycle of death that the old Hermit goes though.

 The 'robe' has been discolored because of the extant 3 untied knots in the walking stick, meaning the 'walk' or activity of this old man has been very poor indeed. This of course isn't the grey reality as a static place of unchanging conditions and circumstances, but it’s an indication to the pupil that this card is telling a very realistic tale. The life of one who follows the lights of conscious expansion is in very immediate danger of 'polarization' to the light who can and will devalue the bodily aspect. This is one way of viewing the card. The other is that by realizing one's final purpose life takes on meaning ultimately and is a guiding force in one's life.

 YESHUA Said “the kingdom is within you". This sagely advice in connection to this card  is to me a warning that a Kingdom, or Malkuth that is neglected will become knotted and choked up energy will gather at the base level. Without the vitalization of the aura the power to manifest this kingdom will be completely baseless and the light though in front of us will be an illumination no doubt, but our life will not embrace the light and we will focus upon the container of light to harness it . Instead the vitalization of the etheric body and the auric influences will be dissipated and there will be darkness in spite of perceived light.

 This is because as Mar Yeshua said " the kingdom is within you" and our image is holding an external light. There are other interpretations but this is the story of involution, unless it’s recognized that the tarot is speaking to our involuted nature and is showing a way of evolution as well we will be polarized upon one aspect of the body and the other of body less, form and pure energy are synthesized in MAN. This is why the hermit is such a great figure, it represents the aloof manner of polarization toward two extremes, and each creates knots.

In GNOSIS

Tim