Oppositions of Science Falsely So Called

The title of this post is extracted from a phrase used in I Timothy 6:20.  The word science used here is translated from the Greek word gnosis, which characterizes Arcanum II. There is a science which is in accord with the creation of God; and there is a science of the manipulation of creation which is devilish.

Wikipedia makes the interesting statement that the High Priestess, is the Shekhinah, or “the female indwelling presence of the divine”.  This intrusion into the godhead is blasphemous.  We noted in the previous post that whatever the Knowledge referred to in Arcanum II represents, it is in opposition to the knowledge of God in the Bible.  Proverbs 5:6 describes the Guardian of these veiled mysteries perfectly when it says, “Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.”

Hebrew letter Beth

Mouni Sadhu says that we need knowledge of the astral plane, and Arcanum II provides us answers. He says that the shape of the Hebrew letter Beth reveals that the analysis will be based on an analogy between things similar but not equal.  The number 2 of this Arcanum also is found in the horns and the two columns, pointing to the law of binaries.  The woman seated between two binaries is passive and a balancer of forces. She represents the contemplative, sensitive learner.  Her throat symbolizes a shelter or temple where one can hide oneself, and she holds a book of the great law partly seen, partly hidden. The Priestess is wearing the solar cross, intersecting yet joining of the male and the female in intimacy.  She is the Universal Mother and is honored in the 33d degree of the Freemasons when they speak of the Supreme Mother Council of the World.

The problem that occultists face in their desiring the knowledge of the hidden realms, is that once they rebel against the words of God, and continue down their path, Isaiah 29:10-12 descends like a black mist over them.  This passage of scripture says, “For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:  and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, I am not learned.”

Mouni Sadhu then proceeds to discuss the astral plane.  He explains that the binary of dynamic and static, action and counteraction, will result in a rotary motion when unbalanced, which is called a tourbillon or vortex.  Astral waves are stirred by the effects of imagination and animated by willpower. On page 47, he comments, “When realized in the physical world, actions and phenomena are reflected in the astral plane, through the intermediary of higher, or more subtle sub-planes of the physical, as in a mirror.”

“By means of this process they establish themselves exactly in the astral, thereby forming the astral clichés of happenings in the physical world.” He also seems to imply that the astral plane is eternal, and not like the physical which has the element of time.  The ability to concentrate is the key to becoming the true spiritual master.  However, there is a cautionary note given here.  The example given by Mouni Sadhu is of a man with evil desires who does not make an attempt to realize his imaginations in the physical world. By only drawing his desires on the astral plane he creates some kind of an entity because of his intentions.  The word given to describe this entity is larva, which can fasten itself on the man’s aura or perhaps on another person because of  likeminded desires.

In this regard it would be wise to consider that Jesus Christ warned that such a focus of the heart and imagination on hatred of another person is equivalent to murder; or lusting after a woman is the same as adultery. No doubt all humans have had imaginations in their heart which they thought were harmless, because of none effect; yet in truth, God saw that these thoughts did in fact affect others. This is the basis of black magic and the use of invisible weapons aimed at another person intentionally.  I suppose that such weapons are at times formed ignorantly, and without the intent of their actual materialization on the physical plane. So all persons need to be aware of the effect of their inner thoughts and motives.

In this regard, John 8:40-44 has Jesus accusing the Jews of seeking to kill him for telling them the truth, and says that they do the deeds of their father the devil.  Mouni Sadhu refers to the man in his example of being the father of that astral entity called a larva. Perhaps the Devil’s thoughts indeed create larvas which attach themselves to likeminded persons.  He gives three examples of ways of eliminating these unwanted larvas.  One is to concentrate with the will against them.  Two, concentrate mentally on another object, as one would do in prayer.  Three involves the power of realization based on the physical plane.  This involves using an actual sharpened sword to  destroy larvas attached to our aura.

Mouni Sadhu discusses several other miscellaneous points, which I believe are covered in depth later in his book.  So we will end our general examination of Arcanum II, with a quote from II Corinthians 10:5, which discusses the fact that the weapons of warfare of the Christian are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”.

The Gnosis of a Strange Woman

Mouni Sadhu begins his look at Arcanum II,”The  Priestess”, noting that this card is associated with the Hebrew letter Beth, the numerical sign of 2,and the human throat as its hieroglyph.  This card represents Gnosis, or Knowledge; occultists also term it “The Door of the Sanctuary.”  He observes, “In the background of the picture on the card, there are two columns. The right one is RED, and crowned with the sign of the sun.  It is called ‘Jakin’.  The left is BLUE (sometimes also BLACK).  It is crowned with the moon and is called “Bohaz’.  In masonic language, the space between the columns is known as the ‘middle’ space.”  ( Note that the tarot card shown at the right does not match the details of  Mouni Sadhu’s tarot illustration. In fact on his card, the columns are reversed, and he does not refer to the woman as the High priestess, but simply as the Priestess).

My comment at this point is to quote William J. Schnoebelen and James R. Spencer in their booklet, Whited Sepulchres: The Hidden Language of the Mormon Temple, on page 23, “The moon and the sun are the two principle deities of most pagan religions, including witchcraft.  The phases of the moon are scrupulously observed by modern astrologers, witches and magicians for the proper execution of their rites and devotions.  The moon is the symbol of the Queen of Heaven (Jer.7.18), the supreme deity of witchcraft known as Isis, Ishtar, Astarte, or Diana.  The sun is a symbol of the sun god Baal (I( Kings 18 and elsewhere) also known among witches as Lucifer, Cernunnos, Herne or Pan.  These deities were the chief rivals of the true God of the Bible for the attention of the children of Israel.”

Mouni Sadhu continues, “In the foreground a woman is sitting on a cube-shaped seat.  On her head we do not see the sign of infinity, as was the case in the First Arcanum, but the horns of Isis, with a full moon between them.  Her face is covered with a half-transparent veil, while her figure is clothed in a flowing gown, of her dress, and her bosom hangs a square cross.  The three names of the Second Arcanum on the planes of the Archetype, Man and Nature are: DIVINA SUBSTANTIA, FEMINA, NATURA NATURATA.”

When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, “he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.” (II Chronicles 3:17) We cannot find in the Bible anywhere that “the Priestess” pictured sitting between these two pillars is sanctioned.  In fact, Proverbs 9:13-18 warns, “A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call passengers who go right on their ways:  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:  and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.  But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.”

In I Kings 11:1-10, we read, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh,, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:  Solomon clave unto these in love.  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD ,as did David his father.  Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.  And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.  And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.”

Mouni Sadhu does not warn the unwary soul of the spiritual dangers of the Tarot in its most simple manifestations.  Now later in his discourse, he does state that he does not give exact instructions of certain practices in writing, nor face to face, to his students unless he is assured that they are sufficiently mature to handle certain dangerous paths.  But clearly, the Bible gives warning after warning against following the Gnosis of strange gods and goddesses.  Mouni Sadhu again tells us that “the Tarot is an extremely exact and logical machine”, yet it does not include Spirit in its arcana, for this is beyond its practical reach.  He adds, “I believe the Tarot to be a preparatory school for the realization of the Spirit in man, that is for his ultimate and highest aim.”  So what Spirit is he referring to?  It cannot be the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit condemns the Tarot as unholy. The spirit of man is fallen, so does our Tarot Master think that we can raise ourselves to a higher level on our own?

We leave this post by asking the question posed in Isaiah 28:9a, “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?…”