A Covenant with Death

Mouni Sadhu’s last words  forty-three years ago are reported to be, “No need to help! It’s time for me to go”. And so Death overtook him.  The words he wrote on  Arcanum XIII- the  Death card, were written with full confidence that there is no eternal hell, not even for the most wicked of souls. There are few alive who would argue that Death is a sure event in each of our lives; what is disputed is what happens once we leave our physical body. It comes down to whose words do you trust; God or the Serpent in the Garden of Eden?

I knew little of death when I witnessed a man die before my eyes.  I was 18 and working in a nursing home, when an elderly man’s soul left his body.  I was astonished to see the great contrast, in a blink of the eye, between a body that had been filled with life and personal expression, and that of a lifeless carcass.  At that time I had never considered whether heaven and hell existed, or whether one’s soul faced judgment or was reincarnated numerous times till “we got it right”. If you desire to read Mouni Sadhu’s observations and beliefs on Death, they will prove interesting; yet if you fail to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation with understanding, you will  end up deceived.

Death

Towards the end of his lessons on Death, Mouni Sadhu summarizes the equations for this Arcanum as follows:

13=1+12 Deliberate sacrifice of a life for an idea.

13=2+11 A compulsory death.

13=3+10  A natural death (according to karma).

13=4+9  Death of an adept caused by the breaking of his astral umbilical thread by exteriorization.  Otherwise, astral disaster.

13=5+8  Death according to the requirement of the law (for example, a death sentence in court).

13=6+7  Death in a fight, bringing victory for the idea.

13=7+6  Death in an unequal fight.

13=8+5  Death as an expression of the pentagrammatic will of man (that is, suicide).

13=9+4  Premature death as a result of bad conditions in life.

13=10+3  Death in childbirth.

13=11+2 Death because of unconscious inner disharmony of the tragedy of earthly existence.

13=12+1  The passing of an adept to another plane, because of having finished his task on Earth.  In other words, the Master goes to support his Egregor on the astral plane.  For such a case, there is a beautiful expression in French:  IL SE LAISSE MOURIR (he consents to die, or he allows himself to die).

Mouni Sadhu is correct when he says that it is wise to prepare oneself for our day of death. However, he himself denied what the Bible says about Death and Hell.  Isaiah 28:15 speaks of those who boast that “We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us:  for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.”  No doubt Mouni Sadhu at the time of his approaching death felt that his death was 13=12+1.  But at the moment when Death took him, he discovered the truth that he had never displayed a proper fear of the God that has the power to send him to hell.

The other day I was listening to an internet audio by a Christian man who routinely receives death threats from occultists.  He said that one evening his teenage daughter was alone at home and someone astral projected into her room, and she could see it.  She asked God, “What do I do?”  And the reply she discerned was, “Cut his cord”.  I do not know how that is done, except in prayer. She witnessed a look of horror on the man’s face, as his soul disappeared from sight. He had died, when the cord connecting his soul to his body was severed.  Perhaps that man’s headstone reads, “13=4+9”.

A number of years ago when my youngest daughter was in Middle School, she began to feel threatened when she went to her bedroom, saying that it was haunted.  I reassured her that our house was not haunted.  But a couple of days later, I decided to lay down on my bed for a few minutes in the late afternoon.  I laid there with my eyes open, resting, when suddenly a man walked in front of my bed, appearing like black mesh.  He had astral projected into my home.  He turned and looked at me, as I looked at him in astonishment; then he left.  I prayed that God would not allow this person to enter into my home again. I did not pray for his death, but for his salvation.

But one has to wonder what the motives of these believers in the Hermetic path really are, and why they think that hell does not await them on the other side of death.  At the time that I saw the astral projector in my room, I felt that I knew his identity.  He was and still is, a pastor of a fundamental Baptist Church.  The strange thing is that one day he was at a cemetery and was greatly disturbed when he saw a headstone with his exact name on it. 13=13+0.

No More Sacrifice for Sins

On September 11, 2001, Richard Drew of the Associated Press, the photographer noted for his photos of the assassination of Robert Kennedy, happened to be in  Manhattan.  Subsequent to the World Trade Towers being hit by airplanes, he captured images of a man falling from one of these towers to his death.  The photo chosen for infamy shows the inverted figure of a man in the position of the Tarot Card known as The Hanging Man, representing Arcanum XII. Since there were other shots of this man tumbling through the air in various positions, this image was chosen for a reason, which the occult world picked up on immediately.  When I viewed several blogs writing on this famous photo, one of the comments posted under the article quoted our author, Mouni Sadhu.

Richard Drew AP photo on 911

Now it is interesting that Mouni Sadhu refuses to call this Arcanum The Hanging Man.  Of course, once upon a time, this trump was called The Traitor after the infamous Judas Iscariot, who hanged himself. Apparently over time, this bothered some followers of Hermetism,  and the card  received a new name. But as I began to review the features of this trump, specifically its association with the twelfth Hebrew Letter Lamed, and its number equivalent of 30 and  symbolism of a goad or a shepherd’s crook, I came to the same conclusion as the occultists of old.

Zechariah 11:10-13 says, “And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.  And it was broken in that day; and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.  And I said unto them,  If ye think good give me my price; and if not, forbear.  So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.  And the LORD said unto me, cast it  unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them.  And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”  This scripture was fulfilled in the New Testament and refers to the betrayal of  Jesus by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver.

Now what is strange about Mouni Sadhu’s book is that his illustrations do not match his words.  He says that on his card it is the left leg which is hanging to a tree in the shape of a Tau Cross.

Hanging by the left foot

But in fact his illustration shows the right leg, as do many other popular tarot cards.  Mouni Sadhu subtitles this Arcanum with a ternary beginning with the word Messiah and he gives commentary on the sacrifice of Jesus as the Son of Man. He does not acknowledge Jesus as The Son of God.

Hanging by the right leg

I John 4:1-3 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:  because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:  Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:  and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come;  and even now already is it in the world.” Further in chapter 5:5, John asks, “Who is he that over cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? And in verse 10-12, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in the Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Deuteronomy 21:22-3 declares, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (For he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that the land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. Most commenters on the Hanging Man note that he has a halo and a blissful countenance. Mouni Sadhu notes that Jesus Christ suffered at the hands of those who crucified him, but he makes no mention of Jesus suffering for the sins of mankind as the Messiah. While as part of the ternary of this card he grants the use of the word Messiah, in no way does he link it to Jesus as The Son of God.  He does not mention the underlying reason for the necessity of blood sacrifice, but rather uses the word sacrifice as meaning some sort of charitable giving.  Given that he was a Roman Catholic and displays familiarity with the scriptures, what does this mean?

The Sulphur of the Abyss, one of the three elements important to Alchemy

It would appear that Mouni Sadhu was ashamed of Jesus Christ,  his words and of his gospel.  Hebrews 10:26-31 provides insight into the seriousness of Mouni Sadhu’s position on sacrifice, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.  And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

The Traitor with 30 silver pieces of filthy lucre

When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, he experienced the wrath of God  on him as the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.  Since he was without sin, rather than having a blissful countenance, Psalm 22:1 recorded in advance his words:  “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”  But because He is the only begotten Son of God, the Word made flesh, he overcame Death for us.

Since Mouni Sadhu rejected the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for his sins, and thought that sinful man could overcome his own death through many incarnations of working Hermetic magic, he now sits in the bottomless pit with that Son of Perdition, who at one time called himself Judas Iscariot.  Revelation 9:11 says that this king of the Abyss, known as Apollyon or Abaddon,  will be let out for a short time to become the Antichrist.  But it is too late for Mouni Sadhu to be saved, for he was an imperfect sacrifice, and he will have no more incarnations.

FEAR THE RETURN BLOW

Mouni Sadhu explains that the hermetic equation of 8=2+6  represents Gnosis + the Law of Reaction in the Universe.  What this means for the operator in the realm of  static and dynamic binaries is that there can be a Return Blow to him based on several scenarios.  The most probable cause of a curse returning to the magician is when he creates “an astral vortex of a definite type against another person”.  Here he explains that this operator “creates the current  (vortex) in a perfectly finished form…and directs it to his aim…he realizes his action, and creates it as a physical fact, the clichés of which are joined to the karma of the operator in a positive or negative sense.”  He adds, “But it can also happen that the fact is not realized despite the existence of the tourbillon”. Why?  Well it depends on the actions of the victim!

He gives three reasons in detail and adds a fourth called the odic cloak which is not explained in detail.  Upon being made aware that an evil vortex has been directed against him, the victim can put on the armor of Concentration, and actively repel the aggression.  Secondly, there is the situation “when the victim of the attack, at the moment of active contact with the tourbillon’s energy, separates from its action by conscious and powerful concentration on another object of realization belonging to a cycle of astral projects much more perfect, and powerfully planned than was the scheme of the attacker.”

Thirdly, “when, in the moment of contact with the attacking vortex, the most active part of the pentagram of the man who is being attacked, lives in the sub-planes considered higher than those of the most active parts of the tourbillon.”  The example given is that of a victim who prays for his enemies.  This results in ” a larva of hatred (a very destructive thing, if it finds a suitable and ‘undefended’ target)”  returning as a blow to the sender.  Therefore the black magician typically directs the fury of  his vortex against two victims, and if the stronger repels it,  the vortex is  then directed at the weaker target.

An example of this Perfection of Wickedness would be the use of Exodus 21:17 which says, “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.”  This scripture placed in the balances is the curse against the parents equalizing the death judgment on the child.  The Egregor of the black magicians using this method of trickery is none other than that of the  angel of the Knights Templar who  resents the implications of the Judges 5:23 bitter curse against the 33d degree high priest  Meroz.   After all, do they not mock those who plead the blood of Jesus Christ by claiming that these Christians are actually pleading Meroz the 33d high priest?  Proudly referring to himself as the Angel of the Priesthood of The Son of God who hath his eyes as a flame of fire, here we see the operations of that spirit of Death and Destruction.

But what saith the Scriptures?  Jeremiah 23:17-19 says this:  “They say unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.  For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word?  who hath marked his word, and heard it?  Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind:  it shall fall grieviously upon the head of the wicked.”

Perhaps these magicians,  who are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and judgment of the righteous God, should remind themselves of whose name and authority they have usurped.  We read in Revelation 19:11-16 this:  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God.  And his armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

It is Strong Delusion to believe that this is  a description of the Captain of the host of the mighty Order of the Knights Templar Crusaders.  Woe unto the world because of offences!  for it must needs be that offenses shall come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matthew 18:7)

Job 40:1-5 displays the repentance of Job for using the balances of the Master Builder as the means of instructing and reproving God.  But verses 6-14 further reprove him for being as a Double Headed Eagle Crowned Knights Templar  displaying the judgment of the throne of iniquity.  Job also repented and said that he had “uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.”  Wherefore he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes, unlike those Knights Templars of today which have taken upon themselves the mantle of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  FEAR THE RETURN BLOW.

 

 

The Law of Reprobation

Arcanum VIII is  Justice,  the Hebrew letter Heth, and the hieroglyph the FIELD. It is passive and it is here that the Conqueror turns his activity. This hieroglyph, I should mention, is referred to in Judges 5:18-20,which says in part,  “Zebulon and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.  The kings came and fought…they fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.”  It was after this mighty battle that Judges 5:23 records, “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.”  The meaning of the eighth Arcanum is deeper than meets the eye.

Mouni Sadhu says that behind the seated lady Themis are two columns with a canopy in between.  Her head is crowned and wears a golden band and her eyes are covered by a band, which indicates impartiality.  Her seated position denotes passivity, “something made and accomplished, and no longer acting.”  This statement is interesting, for when we view photos of the statues of Justicia we always see her standing and active.  Perhaps this passivity reflects the Deist view that God has set the world in motion with its laws, and he is no longer present acting upon this universe.

Mouni Sadhu says that this card is to be viewed as looking into a mirror.  Therefore what we would normally say is the left hand, is in fact the right hand holding the balances.  If we are looking into this card as a mirror, then the reflection is of us. Mouni Sadhu says, “There are three binaries in this card, all neutralized by third elements.  The first binary consists of the two columns, neutralized by Themis in the ‘middle space’.  The explanation here differs somewhat from previous ones: ‘If you see Jakin (right column) with Themis in the middle, then on the other side there must be Boaz’.”  That is, “If you see that there is a force on one side, and recognize the existence of the astral vortex (tourbillon) to which the force seen also belongs, then you should anticipate the existence of a second force, balancing the whole construction, and directed to the opposite side…If there is JUSTICE (-minus) and the possibility of spiritual harmony (neutral), then there must also be the third element-GRACE or CHARITY(+active).”  This leads to the idea of balance and law, and the law of cause and effect. The scales held in the hand of Themis forms another binary.

Mouni Sadhu asks, “Where does the magician use the fruits of his mental victory?”  He answers that it is in the astral plane, by his astral operations, and here is where he needs to consider the Law of Balance. It is necessary that the magician must counterbalance his astral desire with one of non-desire which will be of equal magnitude. He adds that for this reason prayer for others in charity is more effective than prayer for ourselves.

Mouni Sadhu, in speaking about justice, says that “whether and in which way an occultist can allow himself to defeat or to overcome his neighbor” becomes an important question. If you are primarily concerned about the transgression committed by the neighbor, this astral cliché will create itself through the eighth Arcanum and the mental judgment will create the axis of the astral vortex.  Therefore “the enlightened occultist has the right to judge the acts of others only in so far as he participates in the work of the Emanation of the Primary Cause. Briefly, only a true theurgist has the right to defeat another man.  Theurgy itself presupposes a very great clarity of contemplation and purity of feelings, so that in accordance with the Law, we can very seldom defeat someone else.”

He adds, “The magic punishments which Christian Illuminism allows its adepts have a collective name-‘Reprobatio’ which literally means a kind of condemnation.”  He list three types: a  lack of recognition of a man’s actions, sorrow for his actions, and condemnation of them. Referring to the Bible he uses the illustration of Christ telling us to ‘shake off the dust from your feet’, declaring that it is’ better  this man were not born’, and thirdly of Moses inflicting fiery death on his rebellious people.  Mouni Sadhu also gives the example of the Master of the Knights Templar who was burned on the stake as  cursing the Pope and the king to death.  The historical record declares that his death curse was indeed effective.

Mouni  Sadhu advises his students that they will have to “meditate deeply in order to fathom the secret that lies hidden in lawful reprobation.  He gives the example of a father cursing his son when he has the support of only one arcana, the fourth, representing his authority.  But the Law of Reprobation belongs to the eighth arcana which means it has to pass through the Sixth and the Seventh Arcanum.  In this regard let us read through Romans 1:18 through 2:11, regarding the Law of Reprobation of persons who disregard not only the laws of God, and the person of God, but also the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Arcanum I:  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Arcanum II:  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.

Arcanum III:  Wherefore God also gave  them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:  who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.

Arcanum IV:  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Arcanum V:  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Arcanum VI:  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Arcanum VII:  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

 Arcanum VIII:  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God:  who will render to every man according to his deeds:  to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory and honor and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  for there is no respect of persons with God.

The Star of your god Remphan

Arcanum VI is represented by the Hebrew letter Vau, the number 6, and the hieroglyph of the eye and the ear. Although not pointed out by Mouni Sadhu, I would like to note that Vau is also The Nail, a symbol often used to denote Satan.  This tarot card shows a young man with two women;  the one on his right is trying to show him the right way, and the one on the left represents temptation to do the wrong thing.  Mouni Sadhu explains that the three figures on the right side of the man form an evolutionary triangle reflecting the virtue in the young man.  The three figures on the left therefore form an involutionary triangle.  A mirror image has been created with the man standing at a crossroads of decision making.  Indirectly we can also see the form of the stauros. Mouni Sadhu has named this tarot card Temptation rather than The Lovers, as others have done.  One of the names also given Arcanum VI is The Enamoured One, which seems to capture both ideas.

“Analogy and reflection are the principles on which is built the pentacle of this Arcanum, the Great Hexagram, or Solomon’s Star, or the Seal of Solomon, the personal side of the Great Pentacle of Solomon, Sign of the Macrocosm, and so on.  This pentacle is a combination of two triangles, one of which is the reflection of the other.  In the center of the hexagram we see a stauros symbolizing the process of fecundation: the vertical arm is active and male, the horizontal one is passive and female.”  Mouni Sadhu then adds that this pentacle contains within it almost the whole content of Arcanum VI.

Tau in center of Hexagram

After looking at several concepts and applying the hexagram idea of ascending and descending triangles, our author asks, “But where will we find the necessary instruction for the true choice between the two triangles?  Tradition tells us that it comes from  the SPIRITUAL HARMONY in us.”  He then turns to the Hermetic conception of harmony; “the neutralization of the binaries of  ‘Adam-Eve”, ‘Activity-susceptibility’ inside of the astral man himself”.

 Temptation, as a persuasive power affecting our eyes and ears,  creates a crossway in the heart and mind of fallen mankind. We should remind ourselves that when Jesus Christ died on the Cross and accomplished our redemption, his life and death also condemned sin in the flesh.  Arcanum VI undervalues the end result of the decisions men make in their lifetime.

Whereas this tarot card shows an innocent  looking cherub shooting an arrow which is punitive, according to Mouni Sadhu, into the evil woman on the left side, most of us have seen Valentine’s Day  cards where the arrow was the cause of infatuation.  When I view this archer in the card, and the idea of temptation as originating from the Devil, I think of Obadiah 1:14. It says, “Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.”  Solomon in the book of Proverbs contrasts Wisdom with the Strange Woman, and gives warning against that persuasive harlot whose path leads to hell.  James 1:14-15 says, ” But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

It is interesting to note that modern Israel displays the hexagram of this Arcanum on its flag.  Amos 5:25-26 asks, “Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?  But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.” In the book of Acts, Stephan addressed the council of the Jews, referencing this Old Testament passage, but he called their image, “the star of your god Remphan”.  The Hexagram does not so much seem to be a sign of temptation in its first stages, so much as a sign of the finality of judgment upon the tempted who as 2 Timothy 4:4 notes, “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 

 

Satan Transformed into an Angel of Black Light

The Great Hierophant or Pope wearing triple crown rather than horns of Isis

Arcanum V is the Great Hierophant, the High Priest Initiator into the Mysteries, seated between two pillars as the Master of Magic.  This man, says Mouni Sadhu, displays “the enlightened will-power, of the active authority, the human PENTAGRAM.” The tarot card illustration by our author shows this high priest, or Pope, as having the two horns and moon of Isis, whereas other tarot cards display a triple crown.  Holding the triple cross of the hierophant, which rises higher than the binary horns, indicates that this is the upright pentagram of White Magic.  Mouni Sadhu, in contrast to others, says that one of the two men kneeling at the feet of the Great hierophant is black, while the other is white. The Hierophant as a PENTAGRAM is “triumphant, together with all the powers of light, even over the forces of Darkness, compelling them to serve his GOOD aims”.

Arcanum V is represented by the Hebrew letter He’, the number five, and the hieroglyph “Breathing,” a symbol of life.  Here we see that Five represents the Tetragrammaton with the letter Shin added.  Shin is viewed as three cloven tongues of fire, the Divine Spirit, or the desire for knowledge and enlightenment, the Logos.  Mouni Sadhu tells us that “the Fifth Arcanum of the Tarot teaches us about the potential power or ability which exists in every one of us, and which creates our individual force, our active life.”  He poses the question, “How is it possible to create in us this human pentagram, this astral power?” To answer this he provides us with a systematic approach to developing the astral, mental and physical aspects of the individual man.  The primary key to unlock this enlightened will-power is the power of Concentration.

The use of occult numerology begins to get more interesting in Arcanum V, as five can be viewed as 1+4, 4+1, 2+3, or 3+2. A pentagram viewed in either an upright or an inverted position can mean the differences between the motives of a white or a black magician.

Upright Pentagram of White Magic

Inverted Pentagram of Black Magic or Incarnation from Logos or spirit to flesh

Mouni Sadhu notes that in an inverted pentagram, the 5=2+3 “symbolizes the obscuring of the absolute essence of the triple law by means of mirage-like, deceptive astral clichés.  This happens  because of the presence and activity of involutionary (that is, tending to a deeper  merging into matter) tourbillons (vortexes), and to them correspond  the dark beings, like:  black magicians occupied with work on the astral plane,” elementars who in between incarnations are looking for a physical body for their lusts, egregors , and astral scum such as larvas.

The pentagram with the formula 5=3+2 composed of the highest and middle principles of the Great Arcanum of Magic represents the white magician, spirit guides and egregors and elementars of the positive type.  The Great Hierophant is an upright pentagram of the highest sort, “the fully evolved pentagram…the man who has attained power over the elements and astral currents, that is, he is endowed with super-physical abilities, which make him a magician.”

Mouni Sadhu explains that the astral plane reacts to symbols.  Since beings on the astral plane do not have a body, unless they have access to a medium or other body, they do not see as we do. They most likely see energy patterns, thus when a magician aims to make himself into the Pentagram, he is then able to dominate the astral world by the power of the image he has created.

Fluorescent Minerals under a black light

The Bible notes that Satan is able to transform himself into an angel of light. My thought is that perhaps he appears as a black light on the astral plane.  For Matthew 6:22-23 says, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

The woes spoken against the scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites in Matthew 23 appear also to be spoken against Arcanum V, for we see in verse 2 that Jesus is referring to the scribes and the Pharisees which sit in Moses’ seat as expositors.  The Greek word here for seat is cathedra, which reminds us of the Pope, to whom in verse 9, Jesus says to “call no man your Father on earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”

I note that the seat of Moses was also a judgment seat.  Mouni Sadhu does not mention that there is an outline of a pentagram traced out in our solar system by the relationship of the orbits of Venus and Earth.   In 2922 days,  Venus orbits the sun  five times and the earth  eight times. Venus is also a symbol of Lucifer, who seems to hold the mastery and the power of Moses’ Seat, now that this righteous prophet is no longer here.  

Mention is made by our author of the warring of pentagrams and the sorcery involved in controlling other human pentagrams. It appears to me that the upright and inverted pentagrams, when in rotation, become indistinguishable, and create a vortex of black light.  Those persons who wish to kneel at the feet of the Great Hierophant will discover upon their death that they were unable to transform their fallen natures into what Adam was previously, before he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If Lucifer cannot overcome his fall, how can man do so by following his  rebellious counsel?  The Bible refutes the karmic, reincarnation theology of redemption put forth by Mouni Sadhu, who in his book, is our Great Hierophant.

Jesus spoke to the Jews who considered themselves Upright Pentagrams, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there was no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”(John 8:44)

I will mention one more comparison to be made with the Great Hierophant, having to do with the Melchizedek Order.  Many persons have speculated that Shem was this high priest which Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils to.  Genesis 9:26 says in part, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem.  We are to note that the name of Noah’s son Shem means Name.  So here we see the combination of Jehovah, God, and Name. The high priesthood of Lucifer displays no conscience in stealing names and titles from God, whether it be to base their works on the Tetragrammaton, or to add Shin as the Holy Spirit, and steal the Melchizedek priesthood from Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ came from heaven as the WORD made flesh, according to Arcanum V principles, this represented an involutionary process of the Inverted Pentagram of Black Magic. Since the Great Hierophant arose to his high place by an evolutionary process and is represented by the upright Pentagram of White Magic, I suppose this is to signify that Satanic redemption is higher than God’s redemption of mankind. However the Bible declares in Hebrews 1:8-9 declares “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

 

Centre Point of the Death of the Cross

Under Arcanum IV,  Mouni Sadhu discusses the four Virtues of Hermetism which are to Dare, to Know, to Keep Silent, and to Will.  These four virtues he assigns to the pattern of a Greek Cross, which has equal length arms.  He explains that the cross  is an example of man’s active and passive manifestations on the astral plane. On such a cross, to Dare would be represented by a black horizontal bar, with the vertical colored white.  To Know is a black cross. To Keep Silent is represented by a cross with a black vertical bar, with the horizontal white.  To Will is a white cross.

Greek Cross representing “To Know” the light within which is Darkness

The vertical arm of the cross has Yod at the top and Vau at the bottom; the upper,as more active, is assigned the sphere of Good.  The lower is assigned the realm of Evil.  The horizontal arm of the cross has the first, or passive, He’ at the left, as the receiver of Evil influences; the second He’, as active, is at the right and the receiver of good influences.  Mouni Sadhu says, “An Initiate must, in every moment of his life discriminate well between both realms, and always to hold himself in the middle, in the neutral point of the centre of the cross.”  He adds that this is knowledge of good and evil in deeds.

“Man, who has reached the wisdom of the arcanum of authority (that is the Fourth of the Tarot) should not only understand  how to discriminate between good and evil, in his own deeds, but also to realize how to use good and evil influences alike.” That is how Mouni Sadhu explains the meaning of the cross.

He overlooks the biblical references to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the fact that a man judged worthy of death and  hung on a tree is accursed of God.  He ignores the historical narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who as a sinless man, and unworthy of death, was hung on a cross and overcame the wrath of God against mankind’s sin which began in the garden of Eden and ended with us receiving  Death as the wages of our sin.

Mouni Sadhu continues, “The mystical authority of Man is based on the fact, that he should stand in the centre of the Hermetic Cross, then being present in all its elements, and so become the master of them, as is the case with the central point which belongs to all of the cross.”  Now at this point he assigns various elements of the metaphysical, physical and astral planes to his Hermetic Cross, and creates some common arrangements such as the circle of Ezekiel.

I think that Job must have felt that he was caught in the rotating circle of the Hermetic Cross.  For Job 23:8-9 says, “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him:  he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.  But he knoweth the way that I take:  when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job came forth as gold in part because he understood the importance of the blood sacrifice and his need for a redeemer. In addition he learned that man cannot at will enter into the hidden realm of God’s will.

It is apparent from the lesson that Mouni Sadhu has given on the centre point of the cross, and the idea of rotation, that vortices of power can be created.  I can see that a simple cross can be developed into a more complicated form such as the sixteen pointed cross or star of the Central Intelligence Agency.

16 pointed cross shown as a star

While he does not go beyond the basic cross in Arcanum Four, I can see that the centre point of a swastika is similar to the Polaris star around which Ursa Major and Ursa Minor revolves.  The Big Dipper, also called the Great Bear or the Plough, symbolizes the high priesthood of Lucifer.  To this Proverbs 21:4 says, “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”  I can see no way that Mouni Sadhu can escape his own iniquity when he desires to neutralize all binaries that cannot be neutralized.

In his final lesson on Arcanum IV, we learn of The Great Arcanum, which is not to be confused with the Arcanum of the Tarot.  Mouni Sadhu says, “In magic, this unitary connection between the metaphysical axiom, astral tourbillon, and physical method is called the Great Arcanum”.  He notes that this final mystery of the maximum of human power is never communicated by a Master to his pupil directly.  If the student is in fact ready for this understanding, he will reach it on his own.  The driving aim behind these magical operations is “the perennial search by Man for his eternal HOME, that forgotten and lost spiritual fatherland to which leads the Great Arcanum of the Hermetic Tradition.”

The Great Arcanum is the realization of Man’s true being or ultimate SELF.  I understand this to mean that it is a search for the powers given to Adam before he disobeyed God and was cast out of the Garden of Eden.  It is also seen as a means of overcoming  the Cherubims and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.  These magicians initiated into each Arcanum of the Tarot display an increasing pride of heart.

Three symbols are shown by Mouni Sadhu to represent The Great Arcanum of Magic.  The top and first is a triangle (a ternary) with Yod and He’.  The middle is a hexagram with Vau , and the third lower symbol is a quaternary, a square with He’ enclosed in a circle with a cross.  I am not going to go into the details of such magic, except to note that INRI and IGNE NATURA RENOVATUR INTEGRA are brought into this lesson.  INRI, Mouni Sadhu notes, was the symbol of the Rosicrucians.  And we see this symbol on the 33d degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. Thus in addition to misusing the name of God, Jehovah as the Tetragrammaton, we also see the blasphemous use of the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.  And these magicians really think that they can live on a neutral point on the Cross and escape the executioner of Death?

INRI 33 Degree Freemasons

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?…”

Manifest Folly

I am still considering Arcanum I, and am focusing briefly on the table before the Magician.  On the table are four items, related to the Minor Arcana, a wand, or baton; a sword, a coin which appears to be a pentacle, but in Mouni Sadhu’s illustration has a symbol of the cross; and a cup. Although there are four objects, the author only briefly mentions three and excludes the wand.  It is not apparent why, but perhaps he discusses these things later in his book.

I Corinthians 10:21-22, says, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” The context of this scripture has to do with the communion of bread and wine, and here in Arcanum I we find only the cup. But we may ask, is this the table of devils?  Who is this Magician communing with? Is it accurate to say that the powers which magicians desire only involve impersonal, elemental forces, or are false or strange gods involved?

We have already brought up a story involving a coin, wherein Jesus refused to be ensnared in a binary type question. His answer telling us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and render unto God the things that are God’s undermines the entire foundation of the Tarot.

The subject of the use of a sword is extensive in the Bible.  But since  we are concerned here with the blasphemous use of the Name of God, Jehovah, and the overturning of his power and words for selfish purposes, we need to be reminded of Hebrews 4:12-13. It says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

In my dealings with sorcerers, I have often been astonished at their lack of the fear of God. Isaiah 29:13 warns, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:  therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of the wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?  Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay; for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?”

There are several groupings of magicians in the Bible.  In Exodus, Moses and Aaron are pitted against the magicians of Egypt.  At first they are equal, but opposing forces, which results in the hardening of Pharoah’s heart.  When the magician’s could no longer duplicate Moses, they told Pharaoh that “this is the finger of God”. The New Testament names these magicians in 2 Timothy 3:8, commenting, “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs was also.”

The book of Daniel also speaks of magicians, but since that book is mainly about visions and dreams and their interpretation, I believe that Arcanum II is a better place to discuss this subject. The book of Acts highlights two sorcerers.  In chapter 8:9-24 we find Simon who was known as a great one.  Verse 11 says, “And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them in sorceries. And in verse 18-21, “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle’s hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.”  Hence we have an English word used today called “simony”.

Peter rebukes Simon saying, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God; if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.  For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”

In Acts 13 we find Elymas the sorcerer who withstood Barnabas and Saul, “seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.” Verses 9-11 says, “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.  And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.”

With these pictures of magicians in mind, let us continue on with Mouni Sadhu’s commentary on Arcanum I.  On page 38 he asks with regard to the binary of Man, “what is it that could bind together Spirit and matter, to offer a transition from the plane of ideas to that of manifested, material objects?  The answer is:  A PLANE IN WHICH ENERGY DEFINES THE FORMS.”  Three ternaries are offered: Spirit-Energy-Matter; Ideas-Forms-Material Objects; and Mental-Astral-Physical.

On page 39 Mouni Sadhu makes this comment, “By making the effort with your imaginative powers, that is condensing the astral, you may reach the fulfillment of your aim, which belongs to the physical plane.  He gives an alchemical aphorism as an illustration of “the law which works with the majority of processes for the realization of things”.  It is:  “IN ORDER TO CREATE GOLD, ONE MUST HAVE GOLD.”  He adds, “The overwhelming majority of magic operations possess such a characteristically wise chosen starting point.”

It is common knowledge that if a magician desires to curse a person, that they ask for a signature, hair or other DNA, or a personal object as a starting point.  One time I loaned one of my books to a former “Christian” pastor’s wife, who seemed to be also an occultist.  She had the book for almost a year, and I desired it back.  She refused.  I told her that it was my property, and I desired her to return it.  When she refused a second time, I told her that I had certain persons cursing me, and that their curses would also flow through my property, including that book.  Fifteen minutes later, a car pulled up in front of my house, and when I opened the door, this lady had jumped back into her car.  My book was laying on my front step. And this woman had  manifested her folly of cooperating with black magicians.

 

A Proud Look

In the Introduction to Mouni Sadhu’s The Tarot, he gives us a brief look at the Minor Arcana; however, since his book concerns only the Major Arcana, I will not reference his comments, unless it becomes necessary as we progress through his work. One reader of this book has accused our author of plagiarizing wholesale from Gregory Ossipowitch Mebes.  This may be, but I am unable to personally verify this claim.  Also in the Introduction are given us detailed meanings of certain words; as I run across them later, I will quote these definitions.

Mouni Sadhu presents himself throughout his book as being a White Magician, and not a Black Magician. The difference between the two is motive and application of occult principles for good or evil purposes. On page 24, he says, “There is one thing against which every black magician will always fight:  it is his unmasking.  He will use everything he can in order to avenge this, and to render harmless to him, the person who reveals his true quality.”

All magicians are involved in witchcraft.  In the Bible,  I Samuel 15:23, we read, “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”  And Galatians 5:19-21 warns, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;  Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,  hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”  So while Mouni Sadhu makes a distinction between white and black magic, the Bible views it all as rebellion against God.

In this posting, I am going to look at the first Arcanum.  However, we must remember the seven triangle grouping of the Tarot; the first triangle consisting of the first 4 mysteries, or cards. This first mystery is called The Magician.  The title of this post, “A Proud Look”, is based on Proverbs 6:16-19:  “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and  he that soweth discord among brethren.”

Mouni Sadhu tells us that the First Arcanum, as the Hebrew letter Aleph, contains the idea of Unity and Activity. He begins the first lesson by saying, “For a truly intelligent and evolving man, the foremost principles in life are (1) his consciousness of that life, and (2) the degree of the power of realization which is at his disposal in his present incarnation.  The striving after the so-called ‘initiation’ in the three-plane existence, usually manifests itself in man in one of these two principles, but very often in both of them.”  Later he identifies (1) and (2) as binaries, which the occultist would neutralize by a third element,  Harmony.  We will explore this idea later.

We are told that, “in Hermetism, INITIATION is based on what are known as ARCANA, or mysteries.” Thus as we progress through the Tarot, our consciousness is being raised to a higher level, and we become occultists. My comment here is that these mysteries were at one time shrouded in secrecy, but since the advent of an increasingly high tech visual world through movies, television, advertising and the internet, all persons, even the very young, are being initiated into these mysteries.

In The Tarot, Mouni Sadhu has employed an Australian woman as his artist.  Because I am a Low Techi, I will be using examples of tarot cards downloaded from the internet, and if there are important variances from the ones shown in this book, I will let you know. For example, the card at right shows a normal table; Mouni Sadhu’s card shows a table which is a cube. He does not comment on this distinction. I am speculating that perhaps his cube hearkens back to the Hebrew cubic Holy of Holies, as the Magician here also represents a priesthood.

Mouni Sadhu in lesson 2 describes this first card as representing, “a MAN standing with right hand raised, and holding a sceptre, a symbol of authority.  The left one is directed towards the earth.  The whole figure cleverly symbolizes the letter Aleph.” He continues to examine the twofold position of the Man’s arms. I observe that there is some similarity between the arm positions, to the “As above, So below” concept. Holding the sceptre of authority, we must recall the relationship of this card to the first Active letter of the Tetragrammaton, Yod.

On the subject of binaries, Mouni Sadhu says, “In all fields of knowledge we find binaries, or combinations of two opposite poles or planes.  Metaphysics speaks about the ESSENCE and SUBSTANCE of things, placing these two opposites to one another.  Science speaks about principles or maxims, as the antithesis of facts.  To this realm also belong the well-known use of the terms SPIRIT and MATTER.  Mentally analyzing life we will meet with similar binaries such as, LIFE and DEATH, CONSCIOUSNESS and REALIZATION, GOOD AND EVIL.”

Next he introduces the Hermetic idea of “a neutralizing of binaries. which simply means the birth of a third or intermediary element which offers us a passage from one extreme to another. In such a way is created the idea of a threefold manifestation, the TWO merging together, with the help of the THIRD to form a unit”. The examples which Mouni Sadhu gives are: spirit-matter-soul; life, death, exteriorization into the astral; good-evil-deed, or even our own human binary; consciousness-power of realization-harmony.  He adds that one of the properties of INITIATION may be defined as just the ability to neutralize (or to solve) the above mentioned binaries. I am reminded at this point of the “thesis, antithesis, synthesis” of dialectical analysis. Underlying the idea of neutralizing a binary is that the three parts form a unit, or a triangle.  The example given is husband-wife-child forms the unit “family”.

At this point, let us turn to Mark 11:27-33 in the Bible and ponder this occult operation. The first Arcanum is termed the Magician, and he holds the sceptre of authority and he is operating in the name of the Tetragrammaton. At one point as Jesus was walking in the temple in Jerusalem, “there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things?  And who gave thee this authority to do these things?  And Jesus, answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?  Answer me.”

Jesus has given them a binary to solve. Verse 31 continues, “And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, from heaven; he will say,  Why then did ye not believe him?  But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.”

These religious leaders are unable to neutralize the binary, and they can readily discern the consequences if they choose one opposite over the other.  So this is how these great magicians solved the binary: “And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

We see this same story told in Luke 20, and after this incident, Jesus gave the parable of the vineyard.  Because “the chief priests and scribes perceived that this parable was spoken against them”(vs 19), they “watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.  And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:  Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?” (vs 20-22)  In other words, these men presented Jesus Christ with a binary to neutralize, or solve.

Verses 23-26 reveals the response of Jesus, “But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?  Shew me a penny.  Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.  And he said unto them.  Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.  And they could not take hold of his words before the people; and they marveled at his answer, and held their peace.”

Christianity has been criticized because it does not neutralize binaries. You are expected to choose one or the other. The act of neutralizing binaries is called tempting God. It gives a dishonest answer which involves craftiness.  The image chosen of highest degree in Freemasonry, the thirty third, is the Double Headed Eagle Crowned. With two heads and a reference to INRI, as Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews, we are reminded that the founding of America was founded on solving binaries regarding the freedom of speech and religion.  Whereas the Bible states in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”,  Americans once believed that they could escape persecution by designing a nation which has a constitution based on neutralizing binaries.

In my next post, we continue to look at Arcanum I, and consider the magicians in the Bible and the objects which lie on top of the Magician’s table.