From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.occult.kabbalah,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage,alt.consciousness.mysticism Subject: PMaison: Daath Date: 13 Sep 1997 11:12:28 -0700 Organization: Bay Junction Technology, Inc. Lines: 94 Sender: tyagi@news.bjt.net Message-ID: <5vel2c$b94@bay1.bjt.net> Reply-To: Patricia X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) NNTP-Posting-Host: bay1.bjt.net Path: bridge!not-for-mail Xref: bridge alt.magick.tyagi:14904 alt.magick:118390 talk.religion.misc:323854 talk.religion.newage:80024 alt.consciousness.mysticism:13106 [from kabbalah-l@hollyfeld.org: Patricia ] Greetings to All, When contemplating the Qabalistic Tree of Life, we often think of the Four Worlds, the Three Pillars, the Ten Sephiroth, etc. However, many of us seem to forget about the "pseudo-sephira"- Daath (Heb. DOTH). Some ancient, as well as moderm, Qabalists consider Daath to be merely a symbolic representation, while others consider it to be a legitimate Sephira. Either way, the importance of this "Sephira", and it's function cannot readily be denied. Many students have noticed, that unlike the two other triangles (Moral and Mundane), the Supernal Triangle appears to have no reconciler between Chokmah and Binah. One reasoning is that "Chokmah and Binah, are so perfect, and so refined, that they do not need equilibrium." This is a fallacy and does not even fit in to Qabalistic doctrine. In fact, Chokmah and Binah DO have a reconciler: Daath. Consider for a moment these words from the Zohar: "And when all things are comprehended, they are comprehended therein, and are called by that name of Father, Mother, Son. And these are CHKMH (Chokmah); Wisdom, Father; BINH (Binah); Understanding, Mother; and DOTH (Daath); Knowledge, Son." Clearly, Daath is the product of its "parents", Chokmah and Binah. Similarly, we are Sons and Daughters of these two creative forces. Daath means "knowledge" in Hebrew. But this doesn't imply the more cerebral knowledge of Hod, but rather, knowledge of a spiritual nature. As the magician attempts the arduous climb up the Tree of Life (to reach Kether), it is at Daath that he enters the Abyss. It is here that the magician becomes part of the "black brotherhood" or continues along the Path of Light. Therefore, Daath is the spiritual battlefield where the magician must confront his nemesis or Devil, before he can be deemed worthy of the mysteries of Kether, Chokmah, and Binah. In essence, he is facing the "Son" of Binah and Chokmah. The "Son" of the Living God. He is confronting his True Self. This is why spiritual knowledge is so important here. When the magician is free of the delusions in his own ego, and capable of seeing his True Self, then he can conquer the dark Abyss. If not, he may become tricked by his own ego and desires, and choose not to follow his True Will. In the Middle Pillar Ritual, Daath is located at the base of the neck, and visualized as having a lavender color. Strangely enough, the lavender color in Daath is reminiscent of the violet color of Yesod. Could these two Sephiroth be related to one another in some way? Yes. The Zohar also tells us that: " For the Father and the Mother are perpetually conjoined in Yesod, the Foundation, but concealed under the mystery of Daath or of Knowledge." In other words; "Chokmah and Binah (Masculine and Feminine) are forever joined in the Foundation, but hidden under the mysteries of Knowledge." This is a great secret indeed. Note, how the two "creative" forces of Chokmah and Binah are apparent in the Sephira of Yesod, and in the Middle Pillar Ritual. In the Middle Pillar, Yesod is visualized around the groin area, where our reproductive organs are, ergo, the ability to create. But in Daath, these two forces may not be so obvious. At first, to the magician, its forces in the Abyss may seem destructive rather than creative. What is "hidden" or "concealed" about this is, that these forces in the Abyss actually "create" a magician who is ready to receive the mysteries of Binah and Chokmah. Gematrically speaking, the number for Daath is 474. From a Qabalistic viewpoint, Daath must have some relationship to DOTH (testimony), because this word, also, equals 474. Oddly enough in the Zohar it says; "Since the Son assumeth the symbols of His Father and His Mother, and is called DOTH, Daath, Knowledge, since He is the testimony of Them both." The key word in this passage, and the gematria, is "testimony." Testimony can be defined as; Evidence in support of a fact or assertion. Therefore, the fact that Daath (the Son) exists, is proof that Chokmah and Binah (creative forces) exist. These two principles cannot be mutually exclusive, and are dependent upon one another. Certainly, the often overlooked sephira of Daath is a pivotal one, both Qabalistically and magically. It is here, in that unintelligible Abyss, that true magic is born, refined, and purified. Not only does it symbolize the union of The Mother and The Father, but it re-emphasizes the union between ourselves and the Divine. It can serve as either a place of defeat, or a memorial of victory along the path back to who we Truly are. LVX Patricia -- (emailed replies may be posted);join the AMT syncretism!!;call: 408/2-666-SLUG! see http://www.abyss.com/tokus; "Clement of Rome taught that God rules the world with a right and a left hand, the right being Christ, the left Satan." - CGJung