Enochian Magic in Theory on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

My book on Enochian magic is now available to buy from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, with free shipping.

There are still copies of the Limited Hardback Edition available to pre-order. They will hopefully start shipping next week.

The Bare Minimum

Students of the Golden Dawn system are required to learn the Knowledge Lectures to pass their exam. The information in these is valuable, but it is, in all honesty, relatively scant. Someone with a good memory could easily cram this into their mind within a day or two and then regurgitate it onto their exam paper.

Initiates are also expected to learn key parts of their initiation ritual, including the roles of officers, their godforms, how many divisions the ritual is made into, and so forth. This is probably the more difficult part, but could also be learned in a relatively short period of time.

There are also a number of side lectures that are given out in each grade, most of which provide valuable information, yet many of which are extremely dated and somewhat limited in scope. Modern orders usually expand upon these, either by literally editing the papers or by adding new ones of their own.

All of this, along with the required daily ritual and practical work, is the bare minimum expected of an initiate. It is the launching pad, the starting point, not the entirety of what an aspiring adept should be doing.

Ideally a magician should be doing more. They should be seeking out information and insight, and going beyond what is expected of them. This is the mark of an adept in my eyes, as it shows an independent mind, a drive and willingness to learn and do, a magical maturity that shows that they do not need to be spoon-fed their lessons throughout the grades.

Of course, it is important that these extra-curricular activities are not taken at the expense of the minimum knowledge and practice required within an Order, as this would amount to neglecting the primary duty of study and a failure to do the work that was agreed during the oath.

If an initiate wants more out of magic, they must give more. One drop of blood will pay back tenfold in knowledge. One bead of sweat in practice will result in a downpour of experience and insight in ritual. The bare minimum will provide some of this, but at some stage we have to go beyond it.

For example, instead of just learning the list of Hebrew letters in the Neophyte grade, why not try to understand them? Intellectually speaking, the Neophyte can research their correspondences, while practically he or she can meditate on or skry the letters, giving a personal insight and experience that will make those letters meaningful - and help prevent the valuable occult information from being forgotten.

Aim high and even if you fail to meet those goals you will learn and do and grow well beyond that which can happen with just the bare minimum. Push the boundaries of your knowledge and experience and you will realise just how far you can go, just how much you really know, and just how close you are to becoming more than human.

Poetry: Man or Myth

Mere man or myth, their whispers trickle down

From times where what was real is now but mist.

We, servants of the path, must see their crown,

Yet, in truth, we know not that they exist.

Some say that they are sages from the past,

That they bear secret teachings for the soul.

Despite the threat of time they do outlast

And keep as comfort their cold heart's control.

Others speak of meetings on astral plane,

Where beings have no flesh in which to dwell.

They are real or just part of our own brain.

It matters not; we are under their spell.

Perhaps they are but form to that fair light

That all upon this path see in their life.

In place of angels we now have a blight

That sets our brothers deep in endless strife.

And hidden in the depths of our own mind

Are what we want to see, and hear, and know.

These silent masters are so hard to find,

And in their place there's little we can show.

Magicians mutter what they think is real;

Azazel takes his place across the land.

Whenever we lose grip upon the wheel

We use this slight to mind, this sleight of hand.

Fuelling Magic with Emotion

One of the keys to a successful ritual is the use of emotion. If the prayers and invocations are read in a dreary, boring way it will have little effect upon you or those around you. Good acting depends on emotion and it can cause significant changes in us and how we perceive the world.

Emotion is the Force with which we fill the Form of magic. It is the Will that directs and guides, activating and bringing to life the Imagination. It is what makes godforms come to life and charges our talismans, including the Candidate in an initiation ceremony. It is, in essence, what makes it all work, what turns the cogs of the magical universe.

Buried emotion can be a particularly powerful treasure trove that can be channelled for a productive end in magic. Ignored and unattended it is like a nuclear bomb waiting to go off, but it does not have to be this grim. If it is tapped into and directed towards a magical goal it can become like a nuclear power station, providing immense amounts of energy, fuelling and powering our Will.

The Qlippoth and the Golden Dawn

The Qlippoth ("shells") are an area of Golden Dawn study and practice that is often ignored or glossed over. Working with the darker aspects of the universe and ourselves are something that most Right Hand Path magicians want little to do with.

And yet it is an essential part of the ultimate ascent up the Tree. We cannot, for example, fully understand Geburah, in particular, if we do not understand the Qlippoth. We are also missing a key to the puzzle of all the Sephiroth by not understanding what went wrong with the Breaking of the Vessels.

The Qlippothic forces are the extremes. They are what happens when balance is not reached or kept. Therefore we inadvertently encounter them throughout our path, and particularly in the Golden Dawn system in those grades that are not on the Middle Pillar, and yet also in every grade when we get too little or too much of an element, planetary power, etc.

The Qlippoth are parts of us and parts of the universe that are not as they should be. They are what went wrong, what is going wrong, and what might go wrong in the future. They are evil, the potential for evil, and good brought to such an extreme that it has become a new evil of its own.

During some work with the archangel Gabriel he showed me his role as lord over the Qlippoth. He told me that he stands in the West, the place of the Hiereus, because it is there he watches over and guards against the Multitudes. He is the key into our subconscious and also our guide for working with Qlippothic forces.

Gabriel attributed Qlippothic work to the 6=5 grade, which applies with the role of Geburah as the source of evil in Qabalistic tradition. The 4=7 grade receives a dim reflection of these forces within the Outer Order, and this is the grade attributed to the office of Hiereus. In a sense the Hiereus protects against the Qlippoth at the Western part of Malkuth on the temple floor, the place that is the Kether of the Qlippothic Tree, and yet also protects the Outer Order against the Qlippothic forces that emanate from Geburah.

Gabriel can show several techniques for Qlippothic work, most of which are understandably risky and quite terrifying to even think about, let alone actually do, but he also works as a protector, a shield against the shadow, a light within the darkness.

Personally I liken some of this work to the binding of Cacodaemons in the Enochian system, an equally ignored area, and yet a very powerful one. I plan to publish a full technique and guide for such Cacodaemon work in Enochian Magic in Practice, hopefully later this year.

Unfortunately a number of Golden Dawn orders and temples have axed or ignored Qlippothic work, fearful of what it entails. A great deal of caution needs to be applied to even studying these forces, of course, let alone working with them, but that is no reason to completely avoid the subject altogether - a subject that was part of the original Golden Dawn syllabus, even if only in a cursory form.

I think part of of the misunderstanding comes from the forbidding of "evil magic" in the 0=0 Oath, which some magicians think entails any and all Qlippothic work. Of course, there are some who work with the Qlippoth in the sense of black magic, to cause injury and harm to others, and so forth, but this is actually allowing that Qlippothic force to have power over the magician, rather than balancing it within themselves.

Some people think they need to work with the Qlippoth in the sense of making pacts with demons, but that is not true at all. The point is to understand, bind and balance them, and most of this work takes place internally, even if it involves an external demonstration through ritual magic.

As Gabriel indicated, this is high grade work and requires lots of preparation, which comes from prior initiations, lots of personal magical and spiritual work, and a healthy dose of introspection. It is not for the faint-hearted, nor the untested, and it has just as much power to destroy a magician who does not watch where they tread as it has to bring about a greater balance within them.

For those who are truly ready, however, it can prove very rewarding.

Table of Contents for Enochian Magic in Theory

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Chapter I: Dee & Kelley
Chapter II: The Magic of the Angels
Chapter III: The Enochian Language
Chapter IV: Liber Loagaeth
Chapter V: The Stone & the Ring
Chapter VI: The Sigillum Dei Aemeth
Chapter VII: The Table of Practice
Chapter VIII: The Lamen
Chapter IX: The Bonorum
Chapter X: The Tablet of Nalvage
Chapter XI: The Great Table
Chapter XII: The Governors & Parts of the Earth
Chapter XIII: The Aethyrs
Chapter XIV: The Calls

Appendix I: Enochian Gematria
Appendix II: Enochian Dictionary

There's still copies of the Limited Hardback Edition left, so make sure to pre-order!

The Book of the Concourse of the Watchtowers

Sandra Tabatha Cicero's book on Westcott's Enochian Tablets, with many previously unpublished GD documents, is available for purchase:

It looks like an excellent contribution to both Golden Dawn and Enochian studies, and I look forward to reading it. Expect a review on this blog some time in the near future.

The Ruby Tablet, Vol. I, No. 1

The first issue of The Ruby Tablet is out, compiled and edited by Darcy Kuntz.

There are some reprints of articles from old esoteric journals and some previously unpublished papers. For example, this launch issue features the GD Azoth paper.

Darcy isn't charging for this, but he is accepting donations, which I heartily recommend (what's $5 out of your pocket anyway?), particularly as it will ensure future issues of this important contribution to esoteric publications.

Note: File opens as PDF.

Aaron Leitch on Enochian Magic In Theory

More praise for Enochian Magic In Theory:

“As the subject of Enochian magick has become more popular among modern occultists, it is no surprise to find new introductory material being offered by those who studied the system in its obscurity. Enochian Magic in Theory is a good example of such a resource. Here, students interested in the “Dee-purist” tradition will find simple and straightforward introductions to the various tools and tables, angels and spirits recorded in Dee’s occult journals. Students of the post-Victorian “Neo-Enochian” tradition will find detailed explanations of material (some of it quite obscure) added to the system by the Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley and others. All of this is mixed together with the personal work, theory and experience of the author (and, in some cases, that of his Enochian-based Order, the O.S.D.L.), giving us a rare glimpse into the modern theory and practice of the greater Enochian tradition.”  

— Aaron Leitch,
author of The Angelical Language, Volumes I & II.

Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero on Enochian Magic In Theory

The positive reviews for Enochian Magic In Theory are already rolling in:

“Students of the Western Esoteric Tradition are often presented with an “either/or” approach to Enochian Magic—they are told that they must choose between either the Dee Purist tradition or the Golden Dawn tradition because “one is right and the other is wrong.” In Enochian Magic in Theory author Dean F. Wilson takes a refreshingly ecumenical approach, presenting the Enochian system from various viewpoints and removing the unfortunate partisanship that has too often entered into the discussion. Written from the perspective of someone who has considerable experience with Enochian, Wilson’s text is reader-friendly and filled with valuable illustrations that will help students better understand this complex subject. We wholeheartedly recommend Enochian Magic in Theory to anyone, beginner or Adept, who seeks a well-rounded, well-researched book on Enochian theurgy.”

— Charles “Chic” Cicero and Sandra “Tabatha” Cicero

Chief Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

authors of The Golden Dawn Enochian Skrying Tarot

Pre-order Kerubim Press Books

Check out the latest press release from Kerubim Press. Golden Dawn and Enochian - what more could you want?


Pre-order Now!

Limited Hardback Editions available for pre-order.

The Kerubim Press launch titles, King Over The Water by Nick Farrell and Enochian Magic In Theory by Dean F. Wilson, are now available for pre-order. Both books are set for a late February launch, which is only weeks away, and there are only 100 copies of the Limited Hardback Edition of each title. All 100 copies will be signed and numbered by the author, and each copy will come with a Kerubim Press bookmark that is sure to be the envy of whatever it is you're currently using as a bookmark. If that wasn't enough, the Limited Hardback Editions also feature a different cover design compared to their paperback cousins, making them a true collector's item.

Paperback editions will be available from online retailers like Amazon in late February. Ebook versions will also be available within the coming months.

KING OVER THE WATER

King Over The Water is Nick Farrell's controversial prequel-come-sequel to Mathers' Last Secret, the exposé on Samuel Mathers from Golden Dawn fame. This book is set to rock the magical work just as much as its predecessor, with a thorough look at the ousted King of the Golden Dawn and how things went in his post-rebellion group, the Alpha et Omega. There are also a number of previously unpublished original GD and AO documents, such as the original Z documents and the Book of the Tomb, the secret and much coveted text that was required for making a Vault of the Adepts.

Pre-order Now!

ENOCHIAN MAGIC IN THEORY

Enochian Magic In Theory is Dean F. Wilson's long-awaited tome on the theoretical elements of the powerful Enochian system of magic. The book provides an indepth look at the history of the system and answers many of the questions about the puzzles left behind by Dee and Kelley. Using a unique mix of scholarly critique and personal insight, Wilson provides a thorough understanding of a system that has beguiled many. As a magician who has worked extensively with Enochian magic for many years, Wilson prepares the foundations required for using the system - the necessary steps before delving into the practical guidelines of Enochian Magic In Practice, the sequel expected later this year.

Pre-order Now!

Remember that there are only 100 copies of these Limited Hardback Editions. Make sure to pre-order your copy today to avoid disappointing both yourself and your bookshelf.

KERUBIM PRESS

Enochian Magic In Theory - Book Cover

Here's a sneak preview of the cover of my upcoming book on Enochian magic:

 

It might be slightly altered before publication - and the limited edition hardcover version will have a different cover.

Golden Dawn Talk at Féile Draíochta

Earlier today (or rather yesterday, since it's after midnight) I gave a talk on the Golden Dawn at the Féile Draíochta magical conference here in Dublin. It was recorded and is now available to view on YouTube. Unfortunately the last five minutes or so, including a brief demonstration of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, was not captured, but the majority of it is available.

The talk itself is a basic introduction to what the Golden Dawn is, a brief look at its history, and addresses a few key points relevant to the audience, such as the place of religion (and Paganism in particular) within the Golden Dawn tradition. I hope some of you it interesting viewing material.

Announcing Kerubim Press

DUBLIN, IRELAND – Kerubim Press, independent publisher of occult books, officially announces its existence today, giving the esoteric community a valuable array of texts on topics ranging from ceremonial magic to paganism.

Kerubim Press authors deliver thoroughly researched topics presented in an accessible, yet scholarly format and/or easy to follow guidelines for practical magical work.

Books are published in both a limited hardcover edition of 100 signed and numbered copies, standard paperbacks for a more affordable budget, and multiple ebook formats for the revolutionary digital book age, which Kerubim Press plans to be major mover in.

The first two books in Kerubim Press' lineup are Nick Farrell's King Over The Water and Dean F. Wilson's Enochian Magic In Theory, both scheduled for release in February 2012. Pre-orders for the special limited edition of each will be available before release. Pricing has yet to be decided.

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(Temporary artwork)

Over the years many myths have built up about one of the founders of the Golden Dawn, Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers. Many of these have been created by those who wish to damn the Golden Dawn and its system of magic or by those who want to naively believe a bogus magical story about the Order and its founders.

In King Over The Water, Golden Dawn magician Nick Farrell paints a picture of the founders of the Golden Dawn becoming out of their depth as the Order began to create magicians. Rather than painting Mathers as an eccentric genius, Farrell sees him as an autocratic fantasist. He sees Mathers struggling to keep up as his students rapidly became better than him at the system he created, and shows how he was unable to raise his game to help the Order develop further.

In what will be a portrait of the problems that could befall any esoteric leader, Farrell (author of Gathering The Magic, a textbook on magical group dynamics) reveals how Mathers' later rituals were an attempt to remove the magic from the system he created so that he could milk it for money.

Included will be previously unpublished papers from Mathers' own version of the Golden Dawn, the Alpha et Omega, including the unexpurgated version of the Tarot manuscript, the full version of the Book of the Tomb (a key document for creating a Vault of the Adepts), the original method for the consecration of the sword, and much more.

King Over The Water is the prequel to Farrell's groundbreaking exposé on the Alpha et Omega, Mathers' Last Secret (2011, Rosicrucian Order of the Golden Dawn), and provides another look into the mind of a magician that helped develop the magic we use today.

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(Temporary artwork)

The first of Dean F. Wilson’s eagerly awaited Enochian Magic series, detailing John Dee and Edward Kelley’s magical system in extraordinary detail, from the Heptarchic system to Enochian proper.

Wilson provides a unique mix of thorough research with his own experience and understanding from using the system for many years, resulting in a book that is both scholarly and insightful.

He explores the history behind the famous magician and seer, shows how the system was delivered, explains why it is such a powerful magical tool, and answers many of the questions that people have asked about the nature of the angelic beings.

Gain an indepth knowledge of Enochian magic. Learn how to derive the names of angels from the various tablets. Discover the purpose of the tools. Ponder the mysteries of the more obscure parts of the system, with Wilson’s suggestions for what they might mean.

This tome provides a comprehensive overview of the Enochian system for both scholars and magicians, with excerpts from Dee's diaries and insights from a number of Enochian magicians over the last century.

Enochian Magic In Theory is the first of a two part series on Dee's angelic system, with Enochian Magic In Practice providing the practical instructions for how to put the magic into use. The latter is scheduled for a late 2012 release.

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Like the Kerubim of Ezekiel, Kerubim Press aims to look in all directions to provide one of the most comprehensive selections of occult books on the market, while remaining committed to quality in everything it publishes.

Spread the word about Kerubim Press by telling your friends and colleagues.

Bookmark Kerubim Press' website:
http://www.KerubimPress.com

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http://www.facebook.com/KerubimPress

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http://www.twitter.com/KerubimPress

Waite's Fellowship of the Rosy Cross Tarot

Tarot enthusiast and esoteric scholar Mary K. Greer (author of Women of the Golden Dawn) posted an interesting blog on the original Waite artwork for his order, the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross (FRC), which was a derivative of the Holy Order of the Golden Dawn, itself a derivative of the original GD (with many of the more mystically inclined people joining it).

A book featuring the original artwork in full colour, along with Waite's commentaries, should be out before the end of the year, according to Greer. Check out her post, as there's some interesting information there.

Golden Dawn scholar Tony Fuller responded to the revelations with:

"It may be a little bit of a misnomer to say that are ‘discovered’. There are coloured versions of these cards/Keys (including a large version) which are in constant use by the FRC Order in London and elsewhere. The FRC has continued, almost without interruption since Waite established it. The coloured versions are even more dramatic. Dr R.A. Gilbert suggested that some of the cards may have inspired drawings for th original Lord of the Rings – Charles Williams, an influential member of the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis) was also a member of the FRC for many years. Details can be found in Gilbert’s biography of Waite."

Greer added the following in response:

"The b&w images have been making the rounds for years. And colored versions have been in private hands but rarely shared with others and then usually under strict vows of secrecy. However, these are the original artworks—which seems like a pretty stunning discovery to me. Plus, those involved are willing to share them with everyone else. That’s news!"

Geomancy Figures & Images

When magicians are first introduced to geomancy the geomantic figures can seem a little daunting, difficult to recognise, and hard to interpret. However, there are some good ways to view the figures that make them easier to remember and understand.

Puer (boy) has a relatively easy image to remember: a sword. This is a very masculine symbol and helps relate it to both the meaning of the figure and the planet associated with it (Mars). However, there is another image linked with this that I found through John Michael Greer's work: "a male figure with exaggerated testicles". This is quite a strong image that reveals the meaning without question, and it also makes sense when taken in context of Puella. The aggressive nature of the sword also ties in with Aries, who was a god of battle  and particularly focused on weaponry.

Amissio (loss) is an interesting one, as it looks like an upside down bag, which lets the coins fall out. This can be related to the earthy aspect of its astrological sign, Taurus.

Albus (white) looks like a cup or chalice, which ties in with the idea of white wine.

Populus (people) is pretty much self-explanatory, as it contains all eight dots possible in a geomantic figure, with each one representing a person. They say three is a crowd, so imagine what eight is. Sufficed to say, it's the most populated of the geomantic figures.

Via (way) is also self-explanatory, as it represents a straight road, which guides the way. Both it and Populus share the same astrological sign, Cancer, and planet, Luna. They are the exact opposite of each other in terms of dots, with Populus showing four pairs of two, while Via shows four pairs of one.

Fortuna Major (greater fortune) has the image of a valley through which a river flows, according to Greer, but I don't think this is a particularly strong image. Personally I liken it to a torch or lamp, which guides the way. Since this represents the inner connection with the Divine, the Spark of Light, it is the greater fortune. The link between a torch and fire also helps cement the relationship with Leo and Sol.

Fortuna Minor (lesser fortune) has the image of a mountain with a staff on top of it, according to Greer, but again I don't think this is very strong. Personally I see it as a lever for the Wheel of Fortune, but since this is a game of chance, it is the lesser fortune in comparison to that of the lamp. It shares the same sign and planet as Fortuna Major.

Conjunctio (conjunction) looks like the astrological symbol for opposition, while the symbol for a conjunction is half of this. However, we can also see it like a pair of handcuffs, which conjoins your hands or the hands of two people together. Another parallel is the planet Mercury, which is also the planet for Albus, which has the sign Gemini. The Twins are an obvious sign of two forces conjoined.

Puella (girl) has a relatively simple image: a sword with point down, symbolising the passive element of the female gender. Greer also gives "a female figure with exaggerated breasts", which is self-explanatory, and "a mirror", which is an interesting one, as it relates well to the planet associated with the figure, Venus, in terms of beautifying oneself. It can also be seen as a scales, indicative of the astrological sign linked with it, Libra.

Rubeus (red) is a cup or chalice upside down, representing red wine. The reason this one is upside down is because of its link with Scorpio and Death. I also sometimes see the image as an X with a line underneath it, like a warning symbol. The colour red helps link it with its planet, Mars.

Acquisitio (gain) is a bag of coins held upright, representing achievement. I link this with the arrow of Saggitarius, which I see as hitting a bullseye. I also see the image as an X with a spot beneath it, as in X marks the spot (where treasure lies). Finally, the link with Jupiter, which we often beseech when looking for gain, is obvious.

Carcer (prison) can be seen as a jail, an enclosure. This links pretty well with the earthy aspects of Capricorn, but even moreso with the planet Saturn, which represents the force of bondage and constraint.

Tristitia (sorrow) can be seen as a wooden stake, which we can imagine putting through the heart of a loved one, which links well with its meaning. The waves of the Acquarius sign (even though it's an Air sign) can be linked to tears, while the planet Saturn is heavily linked with sorrow, particularly in the form of melancholy.

Laetitia (joy) is the exact opposite and can be seen as a tower, where we are high in the clouds, away from the troubles of the world. The link with the joyful, or jovial, aspects of Jupiter is pretty obvious.

Caput Draconis (head of the dragon) could be seen as the head, with the line representing the neck. Its link with the north node of the Moon is inherent in the name.

Cauda Draconis (tail of the dragon) is the exact opposite and clearly looks like a tail. Again, its link with the south node of the Moon is self-explanatory.

Dublin Temple of the Magical Order of Aurora Aurea

I'd like to officially announce the website of the Dublin Temple of the Magical Order of Aurora Aurea, the Golden Dawn Order run by Nick Farrell.

The Dublin Temple was established in 2009 and has operated quietly since then, but I think it's time now to formally announce its existence to the world so that magicians in Ireland can benefit from another option to the magical consortium here.

Check out the website here.

A Cursory Look At The Vault Walls

Jupiter Wall of Magical Order of Aurora Aurea Vault

Initiation in the Inner Order takes place within the illustrious and mysterious Vault of the Adepts, a Golden Dawn recreation of the mythical resting place of Christian Rosenkreuz.

At first glance at the walls of the Vault it might look like a seemingly random series of mystical symbols, including Hebrew letters, astrological glyphs, and alchemical icons. However, it's really a simple and logical array of some of the most potent forces we deal with as magicians.

First, let's deal with the Hebrew letters, which are found within squares with a border. These are the first letters of the names of the Sephiroth, and their placement mirrors that on the Tree of Life. So, the square in the centre of the second line contains Kaph for Kether, the two on the line below are Beth for Binah and Cheth for Chokmah, and so on.

Above the Kaph square is the symbol for Spirit, which is a fairly common sense placement, given the position of the Ain Aoph Aur, etc. above Kether. On either sides of this symbol are the glyphs of the Kerubim, in order of elemental progression up the Tree from right to left: Taurus (Bull - Earth), Aquarius (Man - Air), Scorpio (Eagle - Water), and Leo (Lion - Fire).

These four symbols are replicated further down on the fifth line from the top, where the more familiar astrological symbol for Scorpio is employed. These represent the astrological powers, compared to the Kerubic forces at the top.

The rest of the astrological symbols can be found on the final two lines, on either side of the Hebrew letters Yod (for Yesod) and Mem (for Malkuth). These are placed in the same elemental order as the Kerubic or Fixed Signs, with all the Cardinal ones on the second last line and all the Mutable ones on the last line.

The planetary symbols for Tiphareth (Sol) and Yesod (Luna) are found directly above their Hebrew letter square. The symbol for Saturn is above Sol, mirroring its placement on the Hexagram and its mystical relationship with Da'ath (which borrows its Divine Names from Binah).

The remaining planetary symbols are found directly to the side of the Sephirothic squares, Mars next to Gimel (Geburah), Jupiter next to Cheth (Chesed), Mercury next to Heh (Hod), and Venus next to Nun (Netzach).

The remaining symbols are found directly beneath the Kerubic ones at the top. On the right-hand side there are the three primary elements: Water, Air and Fire. Note the placement of the Water triangle beneath the Water Kerub and the Fire triangle beneath the Fire Kerub, but also note how Air is placed between the two, not below Fire, since it is the reconciler between these two extremes.

On the other side there are the three alchemical symbols of Sulphur, Salt and Mercury. Note the placement of Salt beneath Earth and Mercury beneath Air, with Sulphur on the next line, which matches the placement of Fire across the way.

For a look at the colours on these walls check out this post by Nick Farrell and, of course, the Book of the Tomb.

Hebrew Pronunciation & Spelling, Part 2

In Part One we covered the often confused issue of vowels in the Hebrew language. Now let's look at some similarly confusing letters that have multiple sounds, along with resolving some confusions over doubled up letters in the English transliteration. We'll save prepositions for a future post.

Division of Letters

Hebrew has 22 letters, but these are split into three different groups: Mothers, Doubles, and Simples (or Singles), which we learn in the Third Knowledge Lecture. 

The Mother Letters are Aleph, Mem, and Shin, relating to the three primary elemental forces. The term 'mother' for these is appropriate since all other forces are born from these elements.

The Double Letters are Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resh, Tav. These relate to the seven planets.

The Simple or Single Letters are the remaining twelve letters: Heh, Vav, Zayin, Cheth, Teth, Yod, Lamed, Nun, Samekh, Ayin, Tzaddi, Qoph.

The terms 'Mother' and 'Simple' are fairly common sense, but 'Double Letters' can seem very confusing at first, but really it boils down to the simple fact that they have two pronunciations.

Double Letters - Double Sounds

All seven Double Letters traditionally have two sounds, a hard sound and a soft one. These are as follows:

בּ Beth (Hard) - B

ב Beth (Soft) - V (Bh)

גּ Gimel (Hard) - G

ג Gimel (Soft) - Gh

דּ Daleth (Hard) - D

ד Daleth (Soft) - Dh

כּ Kaph (Hard) - K

כ Kaph (Soft) - Kh

פּ Peh (Hard) - P

פ Peh (Soft) - Ph (F)

רּ Resh (Hard) - R

ר Resh (Soft) Rh

תּ Tav (Hard) - T

ת Tav (Soft) - Th

The first thing you'll note is that all of the soft sounds work by adding a 'h'. This softens the sound so it has less impact and becomes more guttural or fricative. 

Technically all of these sounds employ the 'h', including the 'v' sound of Beth. In many languages (including Irish) when something is spelled as 'bh' the sound is pronounced 'v' (a fricative 'b'). The same for Resh - the 'h' helps roll the sound; this can become clearer if you put the 'h' in front of the 'r' - for example, in how you would pronounce 'hroll'.

In English we do this with the letter 'w' in words like where and wheel. Most of us pronounce this with a hard 'w', but the sound is really a fricative 'w', denoted by 'wh'. The difference in the sound is that it tremors, vibrates, or buzzes, compared to the explosive sound of the hard form of the letter. This dual sound for 'w' isn't present in Hebrew, but it might help you get a better idea of where the Double Letter sounds come from.

The 'dh' sound of Daleth and 'th' sound of Tav are very similar, but neither are really used nowadays (we use them in the proper English pronunciation of words like though and there, however).

The soft Resh is pronounced at the back of the throat. It's like a cross between a thrill and a guttural 'r'. Many people pronounce this as a normal thrill, however, primarily because it's easier. In modern Hebrew Resh is always pronounced in its soft form. However, English-speakers who learn Hebrew tend to always pronounce it like the normal English 'r', since it's difficult to pronounce the other variation.

The hard and soft Peh are both used today, such as in Sephiroth (soft Peh - 'ph', pronounced as an 'f') and Qlippoth (hard Peh -'p').

The soft Kaph is pronounced like Cheth, the harsh guttural 'ch' sound found in Scottish loch or German bach. This is why certain words like Malkuth employ the Cheth sound for Kaph and why some people spell it as Malkhut.

The soft Gimel sound is very alien to English speakers, as it employs the back of the throat in a way similar to that of Cheth, albeit with a 'g'. It's almost like a choking sound. This is generally not used in modern Hebrew anymore.

The double sounds that have survived in modern Hebrew are: Beth, Kaph, Peh and Tav, although Tav has become indistinguishable from Teth in pronunciation for the most part. The double sounds for Gimel, Daleth and Resh have faded out, mainly because they were difficult to pronounce (Gimel), somewhat obsolete (Daleth), or became the standard (Resh).

Doubles & The Dagesh

You might have noticed a little dot in the middle of the Hebrew letters above that contain the hard sounds. This is called a dagesh, which is used to help you see the difference in pronunciation. It was not employed in original Biblical Hebrew, since the Rabbis knew the words by heart, including the subtle differences in pronunciation, but the modern language tends to use them. However, you'll generally not see a few of them, such as Gimel and Resh, since the second sound (which would employ the dagesh) has been lost.

[If you have difficulty seeing the dagesh in the letters, try pressing CTRL and + on your keyboard to zoom in on the article. You can make things smaller with CTRL and -. CTRL and 0 will return everything to normal.]

Shin & Sin

Shin is another letter that has two sounds, yet it is not one of the Doubles. Primarily it is pronounced as 'sh', but sometimes, very rarely, it is pronounced 's', similar to Samekh. The letter is sometimes written and pronounced Sin when denoting the 's' sound.

When a dagesh is employed for Shin it goes above the letter, either on the right or left. If it's above the right prong of the letter (שׁ) it's pronounced 'sh'; if it's above the left (שׂ), it's pronounced 's'.

A rule of thumb for Shin is that it's predominantly pronounced as 'sh'. For example, Shalom (שלום), Shemesh (שמש), and Shabbathai (שבתאי). However, in some rare cases you'll see words spelled with an 's' in the English transliteration, but with a Shin in the Hebrew. For example, Seraphim (שרפים). At first glance you'd think this is spelled with a Samekh (the usual letter for an 's' sound), but the Hebrew employs a Shin. These exceptions or irregularities, like those in all languages, simply need to be learned by heart, since they do not follow the rules.

This problem for Shin is exacerbated by some common Hebrew words that have crept into the English language, such as Sabbath (שבת). This is technically pronounced Shabbath, but many modern English-speaking Jews pronounce it Sabbath, since this is the common pronunciation we are used to. This is deceptive, however, and doesn't do us any favours in learning how to spell the language. This is why I always spell the transliterations of these words as they are pronounced in Hebrew; i.e. Shabbath.

Double Letters in Transliteration

You might come across some instances where you see a doubled up consonant in the transliterated form of a Hebrew word. Some examples are: Qlippoth (קליפות) and Tiqqun (תיקון).

It is easy to be tempted into putting two of the same letters in to the Hebrew spelling, but all doubled-up letters in the English transliteration are a single letter in Hebrew. These represent the hard sounds, with the transliteration showing two of the letter to drive the point home that it's pronounced with a strong explosive sound (often called plosives in linguistics).

A rule of thumb is that you never put the same Hebrew letter twice unless there's a vowel sound between them. For example, Metatron is spelled MTTRVN (מטטרון). Teth is there twice in a row, but that's because there are vowels between them. The word is not Mettaron - if it was there would only be a single Teth in the Hebrew, despite there being two in the English transliteration.

In Part Three we'll cover some common prepositions and two very common endings you'll see in many of the words we use in the Qabalah.

Hebrew Pronunciation & Spelling, Part 1

Hebrew is a difficult language for English speakers to grasp initially, as it works very differently, particularly with its lack of vowels. However, there are a number of 'rules of thumb' that can help people considerably with it.

The Holy Tongue

The first thing to note is that Hebrew (Ibrith or Ivrith - עברית) was intended as a holy language from the start, called by many the Leshon ha-Qodesh (לשון הקודש), the Tongue of Holiness. It was a language studied by Rabbis and held in great reverence, so much so that it became part of the philosophical and religious teachings of the Jews. It's very different to other languages that we might use in magic, such as Latin and Greek, as it was never intended to be spoken in everyday life. Some people objected to the idea of the language being used in mainstream society in Israel towards the end of the 19th Century, but it is now a spoken language in addition to being used for religious purposes.

Vowels

Hebrew has no vowels. All 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet are consonants. This is particularly hard for many people to grasp, especially with letters like Aleph and Ayin, but it's an important point that needs to be understood from the start. I'll explain what the letters that people often mistake for vowels really are in a moment,  but for now simply recognise that they are consonants.

Vowels were implied in texts, because the texts were effectively known by heart, and the pronunciations were given orally, so there was never any real need to write them down. Eventually, after many centuries, a method of adding vowels into the text was developed called 'vowel pointings' or niqqud. This is employed in modern Hebrew, but the classical Hebrew that we use in the Golden Dawn does not use these.

Aleph and Ayin

The majority of people who encounter Hebrew for the first time in the Golden Dawn think the letter Aleph represents the English vowel 'a'. It's easy to see why people would think this and it's not helped by the fact that the First Knowledge Lecture puts down 'a' as the power of Aleph.

The truth is, however, that Aleph is a silent consonant, or, depending on the context, a glottal stop, which to most English speakers is pretty much the same thing, since we find it difficult to pronounce glottal stops. So why does it exist? It acts as a place-holder for when a vowel is implied but isn't obvious from the text.

For example, in the word Adonai (אדני) we see an initial Aleph, which doesn't actually represent the first letter 'A', but hints that a vowel precedes the Daleth. This stops us otherwise pronouncing the word as Donai.

You might notice that the second 'a' in the word doesn't require an Aleph. That's because it's not needed, since the vowels are implied between the other consonants of Nun and Yod. Esoteric students have an awful habit of putting in Alephs everywhere they see the letter 'a' in a transliterated word, but generally speaking you never put an Aleph in unless it's unclear that a vowel goes there. Most often it will be at the beginning of a word, but it also crops up elsewhere. There are exceptions to the rule, where an Aleph isn't really needed but shows up anyway, but these are occurrences are rare.

Ayin is similar to Aleph in that it's also a silent consonant or a glottal stop, and it acts as a place-holder for a vowel sound. You'll most likely see it in the middle of a word where you encounter a sharp stop in the vowel, followed by the same vowel, such as in the word Da'ath (דעת). However, you can also find it in other places, such as the beginning of a word, like Aleph.

An important point I'd like to make now is that the glottal stop that we see in Da'ath is very different from the sound we encounter in the likes of ha-Aretz (הארץ). If these were one word, instead of two, it would most likely employ an Ayin for the double 'a', but since it's two words we need to approach them separately, where we recognise a vowel place-holder (in this case, Aleph) doesn't need to follow the initial Heh, but must precede the Resh in the following word.

Yod and Vav

Yod and Vav are also consonants, but they are more unusual in that they can have a hard consonantal sound ('y' and 'v') or can be place-holders for usually very specific vowel sounds ('i' and 'o' or 'u').

Generally speaking if either begin a word they will be pronounced as a voiced consonant, such as in the words Yesod (יסוד) or Vav (וו). When they are found within in the middle of a word they are generally silent, indicating a vowel sound, such as in the words Michael (מיכאל) and Hod (הוד).

The handy thing about these letters is that they tend to allows mark the place of specific vowel sounds. For example, Yod is generally pronounced 'ee', while Vav is generally pronounced 'oh' (long 'o') or sometimes 'oo'. This is why getting the pronunciation of words right is vitally important, as it will tell you if there is a Yod or Vav there. For example, the on part of Metatron (מטטרון) is not pronounced like the English word 'on', but rather like the word 'own' instead. This tells us that there is a Vav between the Resh and Nun. The same applies for the Yod in Michael. We pronounce it Mee-cha-el, not Mick-ah-el, because of this Yod.

There are exceptions to the rule, however, such as in the word Elohim (אלהים). The 'oh' sound is present, yet the Vav is not. If I did not already know what the word was and how it should be pronounced I'd assume it was supposed to be Elhim or Elehim (a shorter vowel sound), but this is something that we just need to learn. This occurence is not particularly common, but irregularities are found in all languages (English is full of them). In Hebrew these words that don't follow the rules usually carry extra significance worth meditating on.

When a Yod is found at the end of a word it is often pronounced as a diphtong (a double vowel), most commonly 'ai' (like in the word Thai). For example, Adonai is not spelled Adoni or pronounced Ah-doh-nee, but rather Ah-doh-nie. Other examples are Chai (חי), which means 'life', and Shaddai (שדי), which means 'almighty'. Note how there's no Aleph before the Yod.

There aren't many words besides Vav that start with the letter Vav, so it almost always acts a place-holder for a vowel. The reason for this is because the letter is also used as a preposition, meaning 'and'. For example,    'light and life' is aur va-chaim (אור וחים). Whenever you see a Vav at the beginning of a word it's usually safe to assume it means 'and', but context is always key. Whenever you see a word transliterated with a 'v', it's usually the letter Beth instead (for example, Levannah - לבנח), which can be pronounced as both 'b' and 'v' (more on that in a future post).

One thing that usually throws people is when they encounter an Aleph or Ayin with a Vav at the beginning of a word, such as in the word Olam (עולם). Instinctively we would spell Olam as Vav Lamed Mem, since we're using the Vav to hold the place of the long 'o' sound, but when we look at it logically we realise we cannot do this, as the Vav would be misconstrued as the hard 'v' sound, ending with a word like Valem (which, as far as I'm aware, doesn't actually exist). So we have to add a place-holder, to indicate that the Vav is silent and therefore pronounced as a vowel.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments section. Part 2 will cover letters with two sounds, doubling up of letters, and a few basic prepositions, including why they always join the following word. If there are any particular areas of Hebrew you'd like covered, feel free to ask.

Hebrew Errors in the Golden Dawn

Hebrew is one of the first things people learn when they initiate into the Golden Dawn, and it crops up consistently throughout all the grades. The problem is many people never look beyond a cursory knowledge of it and take the Knowledge Lectures at face value, but there are many errors in them and various other books that continue to this day.

Sandra Tabatha Cicero covered some of these in an excellent blog post last week, but another one I came across recently was the spelling of Haniel with an extra Aleph. Regardie's book shows the spelling as HANIAL (האניאל), but in the Tanakh, where the name originates, it is spelled HNIAL (הניאל). Generally speaking Alephs are not needed to mark a vowel in the middle of a word, but many people have a habit of putting an Aleph anywhere they see an 'a'. Aleph is not a vowel, it's a silent consonant that acts as a place-holder for a vowel (for example, at the beginning of a word) or as a glottal stop. 

A particular pet peeve of mine is when people spell Shem ha-Mephoresh (שם המפורש) as Shemhamphoresh or any other variation of that. This is what we find in the Knowledge Lectures, but it's an error that comes from a lack of understanding of the grammatical constructs in Hebrew. Shem is clearly 'name', while ha is a preposition that can mean 'of', 'the', and various other things, depending on context. In Hebrew this is spelled with a single Heh, but no letter would ever be left on its own, so it joins the next word, which obviously led to some people thinking the next word began with Heh, not Mem. Sufficed to say, this is a mistake that modern students should try to rectify. Mephoresh means 'explicit', but some people translate it as 'extension' or 'divided', which are not entirely accurate, but give an insight into what the overall phrase means.

I consider Hebrew a vital part of the Golden Dawn corpus which students could benefit from studying in more detail. Not only will this enhance their ability to write, read and speak the language within the context of ritual, but some of the grammar that people dismiss as irrelevant to magical work provides insight into the mysteries of the Qabalah that cannot be accessed otherwise. The Qabalah is entirely built up on the foundation of the Hebrew language. To dismiss it is to dismiss much of the Qabalah itself.

I will be posting a few more things on Hebrew over the coming weeks that people might find interesting. First up will be some pronunciation aides and 'rules of thumb', which will also make spelling Hebrew words a lot easier.