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| Cover of "Ishtar of the Starry Heavens" FOI Liturgy Book |
Qabalah and the Liturgy of the Fellowship of Isis - Part II
K. Matthew Bearden, Adept, Pr. H.
Iseum of Aradia, Iseum
of Apollo and Artemis Lyceum of Hathor of the Ten Houses 11.
Sun Magic of the Life Force - Tifareth: Tifareth is the Sphere of the Sun, which nurtures all life and can destroy life (such as in a
desert) if its rays remain unchecked. It is the sacrificial king and the divine child. Kether is the Sun behind
the Sun (of Tifareth) and some of it's energy passes down in to Tifareth. But the Sun is still too bright to look
at directly. So we have to go down the Middle Pillar to the Sphere of the Moon, Yesod, before we can gaze on the luminary.
"Yet protect us, weak as we are, from the consuming fires of Kali.
"...the wise prepare themselves, lest their habitations be destroyed by my Fire."
[This is more a reference to spiritual fire and the "habitation" Is our own bodies. This ritual
also deals with the 7 planets that revolve around our sun.]
"Brothers and Sisters who speak for the Seven Holy Planets, we would invoke the Inner Sun, the Divine Sun Goddess..."
[That Inner Sun that we deal with so much is the Sphere of Tifareth as it manifests within each of us.]
"Saith Man: Are not the powerful rays of Ra, the Sun, we see
and feel, sufficient for our needs? For we are born and live our lives in cycles and finally we die..."
"Without the compassionate Goddess, the Great Sun God is
fierce and blinding and devours planets and all creatures..."
12.
Lunar Magic of the Tides - Yesod: This is perhaps the easiest Sphere to classifiy. Yesod is the Sphere of the Moon and all
moon Deities are found there, especially the Triple Goddess who is Maiden, Mother, and Crone. It is also the foundation
for this reality. Everything has an astral counterpart in Yesod.
"…every
creature, every stick, each atom has its true being in the psychic realm over which I preside. "So you will be the friends
of bats and toads: of deer and wolves: of owls and snakes: and of my ethereal creatures that exist in the
Sphere of My Moon."
[All lunar animals]
"I invoke the Triple Goddess of the Moon: She who Was and Is and Is to Be."
[Beltis
is called as Goddess of the Waning and Dark Moon. Cynthia is the New Moon. And Astarte is Full.]
"Triple Goddess Hecate, of the Cross Ways, where all paths meet..."
[Finally, another Moon Deity is called - Selene.]
13. Earth Magic of Transmutation - Malkuth: Malkukth is perhaps the easiset Sphere
to understand because, as we are physical beings, we are standing right in the middle of it. This is the plane of the
physical world--the final fruition of the Tree that results in form. This Sphere is associated with the Earth and all
its aspects and correspondences. It is all Mothers, espcially the Earth and the fire of the Earth at its core.
This rite invokes Earth Gods including Gaea, Pan, and Seb.
"From a
cracked egg's lower fragment, Now the...earth She fashioned.”
"As the mother nurtures the body, so the Mighty Mother nurtures the soil.”
"From the Sea her Head She lifted,
And
her forehead She uplifted.
And She then began creation,
And She brought the world to order,
On the open ocean's surface,
On
the far extending waters.
Whereso 'ere Her hand
She pointed,
There She formed the jutting headlands;
When towards the land She turned Her,
There the level shores extended."
"I am the Hearth Fire, the Heart of Life, and the secure earth that is your house...Honor
your home, the earth, not for its greatness, but for it's littleness. For in this matrix is your protection.”
"Know Me as the Earth Mother Who brought forth all things that breathe and move and have their being. My body
holds all the elements...”
[Indeed all of the elements can be found in the
Earth plane. The Higher Spheres deal with the more pure elements. But here on Earth, we encounter them all in
one form or another.]
"[Gaea] feeds all the creatures
that are in the world, all that go upon the goodly land, and all that are in the waters of the seas, and all that fly; all
these are fed from Her store. Through you, O Queen, men and women are blessed in their children and blessed in their
harvests..."
14. Mars and the Morrigan - Geburah:
This Sphere
deals with breaking down, Power, and Strength. It is also known as Din, "Judgement" and Pachad "Fear."
Here we find awe of the destructive powers of nature. This is a Sphere of defense but also of punishment.
Form is broken down here. War and natural disasters are here. The Sphere is all about Power andn the myriad ways
it manifests itself. The Virtues of this Sphere are energy and courage.
"Raven tressed Prophet with the river of life and death flowing about they feet. Come grant us power.”
"To hold the Sword of the Ruler is good, but it is wisdom that declares how
the Sword shall be used."
[Without wisdom this Sphere quickly degenerates
into unchecked destruction. I think the story of Sekhmet feasting on the blood of the people is a good example of what
happens when this Sphere is out of balance. Also consider, along these same lines, we have the power to destroy the
world at the push of a button.]
"But when I appear
to you as the Ancient One, your initiation is nigh. Then you too will feel the inner fire..."
[As a God of War, Ares is found here.]
"Ares,
exceeding in strength, chariot rider--golden helmed, doughty in heart, Savior of citites. Thou defender of Olympus.
Father of War-like Victory, ally of the Goddess of Justice, Themis, Thou doest whirl They fiery sphere among the planets..."
"When in your wanderings you may come upon
Badb by a Ford washing dust and blood from your earthly armor, know that your time has come to cross the river of death.."
[Even in death, there is pomise of new life, as the Goddess has a foot on each side
of the river.]
"It is Nemain, the Cailleach who
indeed gives the Sword of Light by plunging it into the hero's heart.”
15. Venus and Vishnu - Netzach:
Netzach is the Sphere of pleasure
and beauty. It is wine. It is the arts (It is the creative aspect of the arts--that spark of inspiration.
The form those arts take is in Hod.) This is the Sphere of nature--the beautiful and awe inspiring aspects (Natural
disasters and such would be placed in Geburah. It is emotion - especially pleasurable emotion. It is all forms
of love. All Deities of love are here. Aphrodite is the first Goddess called.
"The development of scientific technology has outstripped emotional development."
"This is the education of the heart, to instill good emotion through
empathy."
"Art and nature are at last
properly respected."
"I am the Milky
Way for from my breasts sprang your universe."
[That implies Hathor, who
is certainly a Goddess of Netzach.]
"These manifestations
may be works of art, new ideas--a reborn better humanity. All creative unions are divinely ordained."
"Fellow seekers for love and beauty, we are assembled to practice
the magic of creative love through the second planet Venus."
"Hear the words of the sage Ptolemy, on the planet Venus: ‘If Venus alone taketh dominion of the soul,
in an honorable position, she maketh her subjects pleasant, good, luxurious, eloquent, neat, cheerful, fond of dancing, eager
for beauty, haters of evil, lovers of the arts, fond of spectacles, decorous, healthy, dreamers of pleasant dreams, affectionate,
beneficent, compassionate, fastidious, easily conciliated, successful in general, charming.’ "
[All aspects of Netzach]
"Vishnu--Born on the
wings of the bird Garuda, with Lakshmi by thy side, bring us creativity and life through changing form."
16. Mercury and Sophia - Hod:
Hod
is a Sphere of mental activities, particularly those that create form. If you want to write a poem, the inspiration
comes from Netzach. Whether it will be a ballad, sonnet or something else is determined in Hod. Hod is a sphere
of occultism and prophecy. It is also conventional science, teaching, and the intellect. Hod is the quest
for order in the universe from a left brained perspective.
"Students
of the occult mysteries are the hidden children of the unveiled Sophia. Yet, remember as you pursue some circutous path
that the labyrinth of conceptual thought and mystic symbols, that without Love [Netzach] and without the Law [Geburah], all
your knowledge is not only meaningless but dangerous."
"Soul
is eternal intelligent Essence, having intellect as it peculiar reason. Through her own thought proper to herself, the soul
acquires harmony. There are then Essence and Reason and Understanding and Thought! Yet also be good, O child.
The Good will philosophize pre-eminently."
"Thus
I learn that goodness [Netzach] must be conjoined with intellect [Hod], that essential intelligence may be obtained...What
must I study, that I may realize my intention?"
"Candidate:
I have followed the Path of Mercury, of Hod, from my youth up, with Qabalistic and Alchemical teachers well versed in the
most complex systems of the occult."
17. Jupiter and
Hathor - Chesed:
Here is love in a high form. This is the love we experience when we realize we all
come from the Deity and are all in the end, one. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to fully experience that kind
of love while in incarnation. This is also a Sphere of creation, manifestation and expansion, building up.
Chesed is also the Sphere of benevolent father Gods, such as Jupiter (He is placed here even though he wasn't always
benevolent.)
"For long hard centuries, you my dear human children have sought
knowledge and authority, strength and sanctity--But though it is well to be powerful, without love and happiness you are as
nothing...And this love is not from strange and terrible passion that could tear you asunder, as is love when suppressed or
misused: rather it is the friendly benevolence that not only seeks the good for others, but also oneself..."
"True friendship and marriage is to share good things, such as abundance, laughter,
and peace."
"Be peaceful. Be happy. And in this way you will, through gentleness,
find power, through stillness, achieve progress, and by living fully each moment gain abundance for all time."
"May we receive the planetary gifts of sovereignty, nobility, friendship,
and success."
"Juno, also called Olympia,
Domiduca, and Februa, Goddess of all power and empire and the patroness of all riches."
"no sovereignty is worthy without compassion..."
18. Saturn and Astarte - Binah:
Binah is the Sphere of the Great
Mother Goddess. The Moon as a symbol of the Great Goddess is found here. It is love of self. It is also the idea
of form. The energy and force of Chokamah could not be properly used without this form. Binah is the archetype
of the Goddess. The Goddess at this level has three aspects: Aima (the fertile one), Mara (the Great Sea), and
Ama (the dark one). These are not to be confused with the Maiden, Mother and Crone found in Yesod. This is a
Sphere of Death and the Underworld. It is also a Sphere of reincarnation and karma.
"Blessed Mother and Lady of the Waters.."
[Here we have a referrence to Mara, the Great Sea.]
"Goddess of the Moon..."
[Here we have the Moon representing the feminine archetype.]
"Aid us to reach Thy Heaven, now and beyond the
grave."
[Here she is again as an Underworld Goddess.]
"Know that I am the Hidden Power behind the God of cause and effect:
of law and time."
"So if you would
find me, use both the imagination and the intellect, love and the law: creativity and loyal endurance..."
"I hail Mighty God of Saturn of the ringed orb, Bringer of Justice and Balance."
"Astarte...Who wealdeth the tides of
ages and of birth and death...Thy wisdom is of the inner mysteries, and this knowledge is lost to us, orphaned as we are of
the Great Mother."
[The answer to the riddle of the Sphinx:]
"The Winged Goddess, She Who will be. For her animal body is her past,
and her woman's body is her present, but the wings are of her soul."
[Here
is another reference to the aforementioned trinity. Aima gives energy form. She is at the beginning. Mara
is the creation of and evolution of life. Ama is the end of all things--time and space. Indeed She has wings,
because when this time comes we will enter Binah and there will be much rejoicing.]
"The Mother has the child Within herself. So she accepts the reality of another being.
But the child does not comprehend the Mother."
[Just as we cannot fully comprehend the Sphere of
Binah.]
19. Uranus and Sarasvati - Chokmah:
Chokmah is the Sphere of pure spiritual force. Physical force has not come into being yet. Thus Chokmah
is formless. It is the great fertilizer. It is also the realm of the Sky Deities and the source of Wisdom.
Here is where Force comes into manifestation.
"Know
that the Divine Language of Symbols is comprehended throughout all spheres. Symbols not only have power within
themselves, but also are the keys to unlock each successive door that guards the inner spheres...Our bodies are a symbol for
our souls in heaven, and our souls symbolize our spirirtsin realms of everlasting beauty."
[This "realm of everlasting beauty is Chokmah. We cannot conceive it. It is entirely beyond our comprehension,
yet part of us exists there, nonetheless.]
"Nor
aught nor aught existed; you bright sky
Was not, nor
heaven in broad woof outstretched above;
What covered
all?
What sheltered?
What
concealed?
Was it the waters' fathomless abyss?
There was not death, hence was there naught immortal.
There was no light of night nor light of day.
Aditi breathed breathless into herself,
Other than Her, nothing since has been.
Darkness there was, and all at first was veiled,
In gloom profound, an ocean without light,
The germ that lay still covered in the husk
Burst
forth, one Nature from the Mother's heart.
Then
first came Love upon it, the new germ of mind;
Yea,
poets in their hearts discerned
Pondering this bond
between created things
And uncreated. Came this
ray from earth
Piercing and all-pervading, or from
heaven?
The seeds were sown, and Mighty Powers arose,
Nature below and Power and Will above.
The heart-beat of the universe began."
[So we begin without Chokamah and thus without form or order. Like the Deity color of this Sphere, everything
is gray. Then came a self-created deity, who is all things and yet nothing. How can an entity be born without
form? So it is necessary for it to create itself. Love is the first thing that came into being--in
this case the Love of Kether for Chokmah, its other half. We find the seeds of all things in Chokmah. They are
sown in Binah. Through the reciprocal action of these two Spheres everything came into being. Chokmah is
the Great Initiator and it initiated the heart-beat of the universe.]
20.
Neptune and Ngame - Kether:
Kether is the first thing created (from the three
Veils of Negative Existence), before even the ideas of force or form that we find in Chokmah and Binah. It is before
the Universe was created. It is beyond human conception, yet it is the Source we all seek. It is "the
first mover" before manifestation. There are many ideas of creation. They are all right. They
are all wrong. Kether is "The Hidden Light."
"With
my White Light, I make the occult manifest: and with my clarity I draw hidden knowledge from the depths of the Ocean
of Being into your consciousness. That which materialists term unreal is real: and that which they call real is unreal."
"...gaze upon water in Cup or pool, or into
crystal or mirror...You will experience that which was, and is, and shall be...Work to make the earthly realm a clearer
reflection of the Greater Spheres of Eternity. For you can lose Heaven in a second; but only regain it through years
of constant struggle."
[The goal is ascension into Kether. To achieve
this goal, we must work of our karma, which causes us to lose sight of where we are going and "lose Heaven."
Then we have to spend lifetimes burning off our karma.]
"O
secret Light. O Hidden Goddess of unseen Glory.
Raise
the Veil from Thy face, that its rays may illuminate my ignorance.
Raise me to be Thy Beloved in that bright Land of Thine. :
But let Thy Darkness also bring deeper knowledge.
O
secret Moon. O hidden Pool. O Goddess of Many Names!
The veil hath fallen from my eyes, and I see Thy shining Face.
But sleep draws nigh, Thy Blackness rises to enfold me."
"That which is divorced from divine nature must be restored to her roots, and so be purified and born anew."
[There is one way of looking at the Tree as if it were upside down. Thus it's
roots are in heaven and that is what we must aspire to. There are many seeming contradictions in this part of the text.
On one hand we have the "secret Light and a Goddess with a "shining Face." On the other hand, her "Blackness
rises to enfold me." These seeming paradoxes occur because Kether is a level of being beyond our mortal conception.
So it is all of these thing and none. For most people, the "veil" only falls away after death and many incarnations.
That is where we are going. And we must struggle to get there.]
K.
Matthew Bearden is an Adept within the Fellowship of Isis. He was ordained into the FOI priesthood by FOI co-founder
Olivia Robertson. He co-heads the Iseum of Apollo and Artemis with Rt. Rev. Michael Artonn Starsheen. Matthew is the founder
and head of the Iseum of Aradia, and Priest Hierophant of the Lyceum of Hathor of the Ten Houses. More information
about the work of this iseum and lyceum can be found here: www.geocities.com/iseumaradia He is currently in the process of working toward becoming a Hierophant
in the College of Isis. Matthew is also a Reiki Master and TCBA Certified Tarot Consultant. You may
learn more about Matthew's work as a Tarot Reader and Reiki healer here: www.geocities.com/wwdivinations
He owns the following online discussion
groups:
Tarot Traditions:
Iseum of Apollo and Artemis:
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