Chapter VI – ת (Tav)

Crowley writes in the 22nd Aethyr, “Contrast each verse of Cap. I [of Liber ARARITA] with the corresponding verse of Cap. II for the first of these methods. Thus in Cap. III (still verse by verse correspondence) the Quintessence of the ideas is extracted; and in Cap. IV they are withdrawn each one into the one beyond it. In Cap. V they have disappeared into the Method itself. In Cap. VI they reappear in the Form appointed by the Will of the Adept. ” Now, in Chapter VI, we see each of these ideas “reappear in the Form appointed by the Will of the Adept.”

Line 0. Deeper and deeper into the mire of things! Farther and farther into the never-ending Expansion of the Abyss.

the never-ending Expansion of the Abyss: In the previous Chapter attributed to Yod, Line 0 opened with a rational exposition of the nature of Hadit. In this Chapter attributed to Tav, Line 0 describes the nature of Nuit. We thus have Yod (Hadit) and Tav (Nuit), or I and T; together they are “IT,” mentioned in Line 10 of Chapter V. They correspond also, on a lower scale, with the mind (hence the rational exposition of Hadit in the chapter of Yod) and the body (hence the mentioning of “the mire of things” and “the Abyss”). 

Line 1. The great goddess that bendeth over the Universe is my mistress; I am the winged globe at her heart.

the great goddess that bendeth over the Universe is my mistress: This is a fairly obvious reference to Nuit, the infinite space and infinite stars thereof, who is depicted as a goddess bending over the Universe in the Stele of Revealing.

the winged globe at her heart: This is a fairly obvious reference to Hadit, the fire and energy of all Being, who is depicted at the heart of Nuit in the Stele of Revealing. The author, saying “I,” identifies with Hadit in particular with Nuit as his “mistress.” The Love between the infinitely contracted point of Hadit and the infinite expanded circle of Nuit is nature of all Existence.

Line 2. I contract ever as she ever expandeth;

contract: Hadit’s nature is to contract, being the center of all spheres.

expandeth: Nuit’s nature is to expand, being the circumference of all spheres. Their complementary actions are reflected into the ideas of Yang (Hadit reflected into Chokmah) and Yin (Nuit reflected into Binah). 

Line 3. At the end it is all one.

At the end it is all one: That is to say: at the end of all these words, these things that are considered separately in language – namely, Nuit and Hadit – are actually One Thing and not two (nay, are None). Another way to see this line is “the end” refers to the end of duality, the union of subject and object in Samadhi; “all” refers to multiplicity or Two, which unites and becomes “one,” the ineffable Unity.

Line 4. Our loves have brought to birth the Father and Creator of all things.

Our loves: The “loves” refer to the constant infinite embrace between Nuit and Hadit.

brought to birth: The Love between the infinities of Nuit and Hadit create Existence, finity. In Liber DCCCXXXVII: The Law of Liberty Crowley writes, “He is eternal energy, the Infinite Motion of Things, the central core of all being. The manifested Universe comes from the marriage of Nuit and Hadit; without this could no thing be. This eternal, this perpetual marriage-feast is then the nature of things themselves; and therefore everything that is, is a crystallization of divine ecstasy.”

the Father and Creator of all things: This refers to the idea that the Creator is not the highest god, but merely the “demiurge.” This “Father and Creator” is Chesed, below the Abyss, to which we attribute gods such as “Jehovah.” Chesed is the 4th Sephirah on the Tree of Life and this is Line 4.

Line 5. He hath established the elements; the æther, the air, the water, the earth, and the fire.

established the elements: As this is Line 5, the idea of creation is reflected into the idea of 5, specifically the 5 Elements. These are æther (or “Spirit” or the “Quintessence”), air, water, earth, and fire. This is most likely a reference to the Chaldean Oracles, of which Crowley was very familiar and studied diligently. Many references to the Chaldean Oracles can be seen from this point on. Specifically, it is a reference to aphorism 116: “He maketh the whole World of Fire, Air,. Water, and Earth, and of the all-nourishing Ether.”

Line 6. He hath established the wandering stars in their courses.

wandering stars: This refers to the Macrocosm, often understood under the figure of the Hexagram. The Hexagram contains the 7 classical Planets with Sol in the center; it is a 6-pointed figure and this is Line 6. This is a reference to the Chaldean Oracles, aphorism 121: “He constituted a Septenary of wandering Existences (the Planetary globes).”

Line 7. He hath ploughed with the seven stars of his Plough, that the Seven might move indeed, yet ever point to the unchanging One.

seven stars: These are also the 7 classical Planets, related to the “seven churches of Asia,” “seven spirits before the Throne,” “seven golden lampstands,” and “seven stars” mentioned in chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation. These seven relate to this being Line 7.

the Seven might move indeed, yet ever point to the unchanging One: The 7 classical Planets all move, but in their movement they “ever point” to the idea of the ineffable Unity, that which contains all Change and is therefore Stable and Unchanging.

Line 8. He hath established the Eight Belts, wherewith he hath girdled the globes.

Eight Belts, wherewith he hath girdled the globes: These Eight Belts most likely refer once more to the 7 classical Planets with the addition of Earth itself; specifically the belts are their  courses in Space. Eight is also a reference to the fact that this is Line 8.

Line 9. He hath established the Trinity of Triads in all things, forcing fire into fire, and ordering all things in the Stable Abode of the Kings of Ægypt.

the Trinity of Triads: A Trinity of Triads refers to the number 9, and this is Line 9. It refers in particular to the idea that the One is expressed as Three (the doctrine of the Trinity), and these Three reflect themselves thrice as seen in the 3 triangles of the Tree of Life (Kether-Chokmah-Binah, Chesed-Geburah-Tiphareth, and Netzach-Hod-Yesod). In terms of “Creation,” the One becomes Three which then becomes a Trinity of Triads. In terms of “Attainment,” the multiplicity (Trinity of Triads) becomes Three (perceiver, perceived, and perception – or knower, known, and knowledge) which then becomes One in Love. The idea occurs in several places in the Chaldean Oracles such as aphorisms 28-32: “The Mind of the Father said that all things should be cut into Three, whose Will assented, and immediately all things were so divided. The Mind of the Eternal Father said into Three, governing all things by Mind. The Father mingled every Spirit from this Triad. All things are supplied from the bosom of this Triad. All things are governed and subsist in this Triad.

forcing fire into fire: This is a reference to the Chaldean Oracles, aphorism 119: “He fixed a vast multitude of un-wandering Stars, not by a strain laborious and hurtful, but with stability void of movement, forcing Fire forward into Fire.”

ordering all things: This idea of “order” and stability being connected with the 9th Sephirah, Yesod (meaning “Foundation”) has occurred in previous Chapters in Line 9.

the Stable Abode of the Kings of Ægypt: This refers to the Microcosm of the world that is a reflection of the Macrocosm. As it says in the constitution of the OTO, “This is the Constitution and Government of our Holy Order; by the study of its Balance you may yourself come to apprehension of how to rule your own life. For, in True Things, all are but images one of another; man is but a map of the universe, and Society is but the same on a larger scale.” 

Line 10. He hath established His rule in His kingdom.

His kingdom: This is Line 10 and the 10th Sephirah, Malkuth, means “Kingdom.”

Line 11. Yet the Father also boweth unto the Power of the Star 418 and thereby

the Father: The “Father” here refers to the “Father and Creator” of Line 4, who is the king of the gods but not the Ultimate God. 

the Star 418: This is the 11-pointed Star of ABRAHADABRA (that enumerates to 418), mentioned in Chapter I and Chapter IV, both in Line 11.

Line 12. In his subtlety He expandeth it all into twelve rays of the Crown.

Line 13. And these twelve rays are One.

These lines are virtually identical to Lines 12-13 in the previous Chapters. The 11-fold word ABRAHADABRA is expanded into the 12 Rays of the Crown, and then the twelve rays are united into the One (13 = Achad = Unity = 1).

[ ← Chapter V – י (Yod)  ← | → Chapter VII – א (Aleph) → ]