TQ
Commentary on the Gematria of Liber Trigrammaton
Do what thou
wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Here is Nothing under its three forms. It is not, yet informeth
all things.
The first letter of this Book is H, which is valued at 3, the
numerical basis of the Trigrams, and emblematic of the three-line structure.
Compare this with the letter Bet, which begins the book of Genesis.
H is attributed to the Ace of Swords, and the element Air, and
thus introduces the intellectual/literary component of the work. The first word is HERE = 43. 'Here' represents a point in space, a
position. The major components of 'space' are the stars, so it is fitting that
the word STAR equals 43, as do the words NOT and TIME.
The first three
words total 139, and this is symbolic of the numerical value of the three lines
of any trigram; the bottom line has a potential value of 1, the middle line of
3, the top line of 9. HERE IS NOTHING
= 139 = EQUILIBRATED. (See the verse below).
The key word is
NOTHING, which has a value of 81. This resonates perfectly with the set of
trigrams, which are 27 glyphs of three lines each, thus 81 lines in total. Since the Trigrams appear as 13 pairs of
Antigrams, (which cancel each other out), plus the Zero, (which is neutral), it
is fair to say that the entire set of Trigrams amounts to Nothing, and thus the
gematria of this word is perfectly appropriate.
81 is also the
value of the words GRADES and ORDEALS, of which there are Three each. There are
81 chapters in the Tao Te Ching, and since there are nine possible Bigrams in
this system, (the numbers from 0 to 8), there are 81 possible Tetragrams
encased between the top and bottom lines of all 729 Hexagrams.
These 81
represent the values of the 'Nuclear Hexagrams', created by the classic I Ching
method, and they are important in the distribution of divination probabilities
in this system. So for quite a number
of practical reasons, 81 is an excellent number to represent the word NOTHING.
The total value
of the verse is 668, which in Base 3, is 220202. This Hexagram consists only of
Yin and Tao lines, thus in a way representing the 0 = 2 formula.
668 = Amen. {This is of the 4: there is a fifth
who is invisible, & therein am I as a babe in an egg.}
By analogy with
the letter Bet in Berashith, which is attributed to the planet Mercury, and
therefore to the Tarot Atu of the Magus, this Trigram can also be interpreted
as the Magus, for it is said in Crowley’s Liber B vel Magi that "One is the Magus, twain his forces, four his
weapons." The Magus is Zero, his forces are Yang and Yin, and his
weapons are the classic magickal armory of Wand, Cup, Sword, and Pantacle. The
first 7 Trigrams represent these, but the Forces are the 9 and 18, as they have
the 0 Bigram below; they are the neutral poles of the system. The other four
Trigrams, (1, 2, 3, & 6), are therefore attributed to the four Aces of the
Tarot, the four Weapons of the Magus.
Now cometh the glory of the Single One, as an imperfection and
stain. = 613
SINGLE ONE equals
111, the reversed Hexagram of 93.
111 = THE KEY OF
IT ALL.
The total of
this verse is 613, which is important to the Hebrews as being the total number
of divine precepts given in their Torah.
613 = At the touch of the Fire Qadosh the earth melted into a
liquor clear as water. (813: 7:1)
But by the Weak One the Mother was it equilibrated. = 478
The total value
of the verse is 478 = 122201.
This is the 17
Trigram over the 19 Trigram, and this sets up an interesting
result. Since
the difference between the 1 trigram and the 2 Trigram is
1, they
represent the beginning of the Antigram-pairing method.
By also pairing
the value of the verses for these two Trigrams, by
the Transitional
Triad method, we get:
613
= 211201
478
= 122201
019
= 000201
The resulting
third member of the triad is the 19 Trigram, which is the center trigram in the
sequence of XXVII, and is attributed to Libra. The total of this Triad is
therefore 1110, which reflects the idea of SINGLE ONE = 111.
478 = She is like a pearl, and seeketh Seventy to her Four.
(CCXXXI:4)
Also the purity was divided by Strength, the force of the
Demiurge. = 637
PURITY = 70 =
MOTHER.
STRENGTH = 98 =
HADIT + NUIT.
DEMIURGE = 120 =
KNOWLEDGE.
This Trigram,
being the Ace of Swords, is appropriate to knowledge, as well as to the
combination of Nuit and Hadit, since any addition of two things creates a
third.
The word
Demiurge could also be translated into the original Greek. Its function is to
divide the Heavens into the upper and lower.
The total of
this verse is 637 = 212121 = Hexagram # 63 of the I Ching, called After
Completion. In a sense, the work of creation is already completed by this time,
as the Tao, Yang and Yin have already become identified.
637 = Yet from these we will distil ye a liquor beyond the
nectar of the Gods.
(VII 6:37, note the identity of the
chapter and verse number with the value of the verse).
637 = the Holy One came upon me, and I beheld a white swan
floating in the blue. (LXV 2:17)
And the Cross was formulated in the Universe that as yet was
not. =
626
CROSS = 56, and
there are those who would make 56 into 11, and then 2, which is appropriate for
a Cross. The first pole of the system is the pair of Trigrams 1 & 2; the
second pole is the Trigrams 3 & 6. When these are seen as opposite faces of
a cube, then the poles cross each other in the middle of the polyhedron, making
an equal armed Cross.
56 = 002002, the
doubling of the 2 Trigram, and this is appropriate to the figure of a Cross,
which is the result of combining two poles, each of which has two ends, the 1
& 2, the 3 & 6.
The total of the
verse is 626 = 212012, Luna over Taurus, which are the attributions of the
Tarot card Success, the Six of Disks; this is perfectly appropriate to the 6
Trigram, which represent the magical weapon of the Disk, or Pantacle.
626 = For I am the soft sinuous one entwined about thee, heart
of gold! (LXV 1:27).
But now the Imperfection became manifest, presiding over the
fading of perfection. =
802
This Trigram is
one of the two neutral poles, so one may call it Spirit Active, or the Head of
the Dragon, or Pluto, or the Aeon Atu, etc. Zero is Spirit, and 9 is Spirit
become manifest, as the verse says. In fact, the word MANIFEST = 99, as if to
reinforce this idea.
The sum of this
verse is 802. No other verse in the Holy Books has this value.
thou drivest the constellations seven abreast through the circus
of Nothingness. = 802 (VII 6:16)
(the 7 stars of
the Plough point to the Northern Pole-star).
My body is white as milk of the stars; it is bright with the
blue of the abyss of stars invisible. = 802
(LXV 1:28)
Also the Woman arose, and veiled the Upper Heaven with her body
of stars. =
671
This is the 18
Trigram. If one were to resolve this whole system into one Trigram, this would
have to be it, for its divisors comprise the set of the first seven Trigrams,
which the TQ considers 'Elemental'. From this set, the entire cube of space can
be formulated through simple addition of the components.
The 18 Trigram
has an analogue in the 18th letter of Hebrew, Tzaddi, the Stars Atu of the
Tarot, (which stars are mentioned in the verse). Note that 18 & 9 are the neutral pole; their Hebrew analogues
are 90 & 9, which are Aquarius and Leo, the axis of the current Aeon.
The total of the
verse is 671 = 11 x 61. This forms one part of the solution to AL 1:47; 61 + 30
(VIII) + 80 + 400 + 100 (XVIII) = 671 = the Hebrew word TORAh. Note the
relation to the verse-value of the 1 Trigram. This is the Law, those are the
precepts within it. She is the Cosmos, Had is the Single One within her
body.
my word is six and fifty. Divide, add, multiply, and understand.
= 671 (CCXX I:24-25)
Now then a giant arose, of terrible strength; and asserted the
Spirit in a secret rite. = 763
The total of
this verse is 763. No other verse of
the Holy Books has this value. 763 = 7
x 109. 109 = ELEMENTS, of which there
are traditionally four, which is the value of this Trigram. The giant asserts
the Spirit, the fifth Element, within these four, but more importantly there
are 7 Elements of the TQ: the first 7 Trigrams of the Book.
of all things. He hath
established the elements; the aether, the air, the water, the earth, and the
fire. = 763 (813 6:5)
Where is now the Master? cry the little crazy boys. He is dead!
He is shamed! He is wedded! = 763 (LXV
2:35)
And the Master of the Temple balancing all things arose; his
stature was above the Heaven and below Earth and Hell. = 1009
210 = THE MASTER
OF THE TEMPLE
210 = THE LORD
OF THE GARDEN
210 = THE SOUL
OF THE DESERT
210 =
N.O.X.
He balances all
things because he is the Single One in the midst of the Tao and the Yin. The Trigram is valued at 5, representing the
pentagram, which is the special seal of the Hierophant, which is the Tarot Atu
attributed to Taurus, the sign of this Trigram.
The structure of
this Trigram symbolizes that the Master is on the path of Dalet on the Golden
Dawn Tree of Life; above him is the Ein Sof, below is the world of duality.
master! O come to me, mix the fire and the water, all shall
dissolve. I await Thee in sleeping, in waking. I invoke Thee no more; = 1009
Against him the Brothers of the Left-hand Path, confusing the
symbols. They concealed their horror [in this symbol]; for in truth they were = 1209
The second
Trigram in this verse is 21, but I take this as part of the narrative, not part
of the Trigram sequence. Normally this
Trigram is written smaller in the printed versions of this Book. The verse is
somewhat of a commentary on the 5 Trigram, for the ‘left-handers’ are the
inversion of the Master of the Temple.
The total value
of this verse is 1209 = 13 x 93. There
are 93 letters in this verse up to the end of the parentheses, and 18 thereafter,
for a total of 111 letters. LEFT-HAND
PATH = 111.
Note also the
first appearance of the word CONCEALED, which is the only word in the text that
equals 93. Since the 93 Hexagram is the reversal of Hexagram 111, the Left-hand
Path is related to 'concealed'.
Apparently this verse is not as vile as the surface meaning would
indicate.
think not to find them in the forest or on the mountain; but in
beds of purple, caressed by magnificent beasts of women = 1209
The master flamed forth as a star and set a guard of Water in
every Abyss.
= 713
ABYSS = 73 =
Hebrew GML, the path across the Abyss on the Golden Dawn Tree of Life. As a friend observed, this Trigram looks
like a pictograph of the Chariot Atu; the Tao line is the Charioteer, or the
Graal, and the lower Yin lines are the four sphinxes that draw it.
Appropriately the Trigram is attributed to Cancer, and the Chariot.
“Flamed forth as a star” refers to the central Yang line of the
Master breaking apart into a Yin line, just as a star breaks apart in all
directions to radiate its energy. The
“guard of Water” is the consequent doubling of the Elemental Water line in this
Trigram, thus confirming the connection to the Cardinal sign of Water, Cancer.
boweth unto the Power of the Star 418 = 713 (813 6:11)
Also certain secret ones concealed the Light of Purity in
themselves, protecting it from the Persecutions. = 940
THE LIGHT OF PURITY = 141 = ONE, ONE, ONE.
This verse
describes the 10 Trigram, the value of the word WILL. It is attributed to Leo,
and the Lust Atu. The 'sunray mane' in
the following verse is a symbol of the Lion, the sign ruled by the Sun.
940 = Uranus chid Eros; Marsyas chid Olympas; I chid my
beautiful lover with his sunray mane; shall I not sing? (VII 4:16)
This is the 11
Trigram, whose number is emblematic of magick in this aeon. MAGICK = 56
11 being of the
nature of combining opposites, both sons and daughters are mentioned, as are
Hermes and Aphrodite. This represents sex magick between members of the
opposite sex.
The total value
of the verse is 829; no other single verse has this value.
None, breathed the light, faint & faery, of the stars, and
two. For I am divided for love's sake, = 829
(CCXX I:28-29)
Let the pleasure and pain be mingled in one supreme offering
unto the Lord Adonai! = 829 (LXV 5:47)
Possibly the Greek
names should be enumerated in that gematria system. This would make the verse
total 2015 = 5 x 403, whereas the verse for the 7 Trigram = 1209 = 3 x
403. 403 is the value of the 43rd
I Ching Hexagram, Increase.
403 = For the colours are many, but the light is one. (LXV
1:3).
The
letter of this Trigram is G, an important Masonic symbol. 11 and 19 are the only pair of Trigrams that
are both Antigrams and Reversals of each other.
But the Enemy confused them. They pretended to conceal that Light,
that they might betray it, and profane it. = 987
This is the 19
Trigram, attributed to Libra, the Balance.
The word ENEMY = 89, (a curious prime number found in the great cipher
of Liber AL II:76). Opposed to them is
the LIGHT, which equals 24, the same value as the word TAO. Note that 89 is the 24th prime
number.
What the Enemy
is confusing is, (as in the 7 trigram), the Yang and Yin lines. The previous Trigram, 11, is both the
Antigram and the Reversal of the 19 Trigram.
This marks a critical point in the sequence of Trigrams, for this is the
14th, and therefore the center, of all 27 Trigrams.
987 = We parted thence; ever to the smaller, ever to the
greater, until now, O sweet god, we are ourselves, the same. (VII 5:19).
Parting
to the smaller and greater is somewhat related to Libra, the sign of this
Trigram of balance. “We are ourselves,
the same”, may refer to the relationship between the 11 and 19 Trigrams.
Yet certain holy nuns concealed the secret in songs upon the
lyre. = 644
The total of
this verse = 644 = 212212 in Base 3 notation.
This Hexagram is the doubling of the 23 Trigram, which is the Trigram of
Luna, a very feminine Trigram. The I
Ching Hexagram is # 29, the Abysmal.
CERTAIN = 67 =
PERFECT:
HOLY NUNS = 120
= DEMIURGE:
LYRE = 46 = 2 x
23.
The
structure of the Scorpio Trigram is also related to this verse:
the waters
were cloven and the illusion of the towers was destroyed. = 644 (CCXXXI 18)
The doubling of the 23 Trigram can also
symbolize the two sets of 23 chromosomes that combine at human conception:
drain out thy
blood that is thy life into the golden cup of her fornication. = 644 (CLVI 2)
Since there are no Yang lines in this Trigram, the
symbolic ‘concealment’ is not a physical barrier, like a cloak, but encrypted,
as in the notes of a song. But it
remains enigmatic how one can conceal the secret of the ‘Light of Purity’ in
musical notes.
The classical lyre was tuned to the seven notes of
the diatonic scale, not the even-tempered scale of today. In classical tuning, the natural progression
of fifths in this scale will never resolve back to an exact octave of the root
note. The small discrepancy of less
than 2% between the actual, (slightly flattened), and the ideal, (perfect
octave) value of this note is known as the Pythagorean Comma. The even-tempered scale distributes this
comma throughout the scale, making exact tunings easier, but losing the ‘Light
of Purity’ found in the ratios of a single vibrating string. Songs upon a true, classically tuned lyre
resonate with the eternal Tao.
Now did the Horror of Time pervert all things, hiding the Purity
with a loathsome thing, a thing unnameable. = 919
919 = I was stricken as a bird by the bolt of the thunderer; I
was pierced as a thief by the Lord of the Garden (LXV 4:40).
This is the
Sagittarius Trigram, ruled by Juppiter/Zeus, who is the ‘thunderer’ that throws
the bolt that strikes the bird in this verse. The bolt also recalls the
arrow-glyph for this Zodiac sign.
The two upper
lines of the Trigram, valued at 12, are called “the Horror of Time” = 155 =
CIRCUMFERENCE. It is the circumference
of the ecliptic plane that is divided into 12 Zodiac signs, to mark the passage
of the Earth in one year around the sun.
It is also the circumference of the clock-face that is divided into 12
hours for each half-day.
Yea, and there arose sensualists upon the firmament, as a foul
stain of storm upon the sky. = 896
In the end he
shall offer up the Vast sacrifice, at the moment when the God licks up the
flame upon the altar. = 896 (LXVI:30)
The word ‘firmament’ has an interesting etymology:
Firmament: ME < OF < LL firmamentum, (trans.
of Gr. Stereoma - heavenly vault < translation of Hebrew ragi’a), from L., a
strengthening, support, from firmare–to make firm.
THE FIRMAMENT = 144 = 12 x 12, thus relating this
word to the 12 x 12 magic square that is created by the interplay of all the
possible Zodiac Trigrams with each other.
And the Black Brothers raised their heads; yea, they unveiled
themselves without shame or fear. = 902
BLACK BROTHERS =
143 = TRIGRAMMATON = THE BOOK OF THE LAW
902 = In the ruddy and awful cup of death we shall drink the
blood of the world, and be drunken! (VII 4:21).
Also there rose up a soul of filth and of weakness, and it
corrupted all the rule of the Tao.
The
total value of this verse is 782. No other verse has this total. TAO = 24, and this Trigram = 24. This is the
only occurrence of the word Tao in the text.
There is help & hope in other
spells. Wisdom says: be strong! Then canst thou bear more joy. = 782 (CCXX 2:70)
The 24 Trigram
contains the only Tao line in the last group of nine Trigrams, and thus
represents the 1/81 chance of throwing a Tao-changing-to-Yin line in a
divination. This probability is represented by the Eight of Cups, the first
decan of Pisces, which is called Indolence, the utter stagnation and
corruption of the Tao.
This Trigram is
attributed to The Moon Atu, which shows the god Khepera between two
towers. This scene is shown graphically
in the Trigram by the Tao line beneath the Yin lines.
Then only was Heaven established to bear sway; for only in the
lowest corruption is form manifest. = 921
The 13 Trigram
is the mean between the extremes of 0 and 26. In the same way, the doubled 13
Trigram is the center of the 27 x 27 Kamea of Baphomet.
The I Ching
calls this Trigram ‘Heaven’, and ‘the Creative’; thus the reference to Heaven
in the verse. This may also be a veiled reference to Ouranos (meaning
‘Heaven’), who rules Aqaurius in the modern scheme, just as Saturn did in the
old regime.
13 is the Saturn
Trigram, and Saturn castrated his father Ouranos, separating Heaven and Earth.
This Trigram separates Heaven, the Zero Trigram, and Earth, the 26
Trigram.
FORM = 57 =
002010;
MANIFEST = 99 =
010200. These hexagrams are reversals of each other and total 156, which is the
value of the final eight Trigrams, and these eight are literally, 'form
manifest'.
THE LOWEST
CORRUPTION = 193 = THE STAINLESS ABODE
THE LOWEST CORRUPTION
IS FORM MANIFEST = 364 = the doubling of the 13 Trigram. This is not only the center square on the
Kamea of Baphomet, but also the very first Hexagram of the I Ching.
921 = Thou art like a goat's horn from Astor, O Thou god of
mine, gnarl'd and crook'd and devilish strong. (VII 2:17).
Also did Heaven manifest in violent light, =
383
383 = Now a curse upon because
and his kin! (CCXX 2:28).
This Trigram is
attributed to Mercury, who, as Logos, (meaning Reason), is the Word. But the phrase ‘all their words are
skew-wise’ found in Liber AL warns us to not rely on reason.
And in soft light. = 146 =
VOLUPTUOUS = THE RAPTUROUS = IN THE NIGHT-SKY.
Since
the previous verse ended with a comma, it might be added to this one to give a
grand total of 529.
Then were the waters gathered together from the heaven,
= 521
This Trigram has
a value of 22, representative of the old Qabalah of the Hebrews, as well as the
number of Tarot keys.
Every number is infinite, there is no difference. = 521 (CCXX 1:4)
thou shalt find new symbols to attribute them unto. = 521
(CCXX 2:55)
Surely these two
verses from Liber AL are related, from the perspective of a new Qabalah. The ‘new symbols’ are the Trigrams, which
are both pictographs and Base 3
numbers at the same time. These new symbols thus give the letters attributed to
them both a symbolic and numeric significance.
As for the mathematical statement of AL 1:4;
Every number = 197
Nu! The hiding of Hadit = 197
And a crust of earth concealed the core of flame. = 419
This is the
Venus Trigram, valued at 17; its glyph is identical to a doorway, which is the
meaning of the letter Dalet and the Empress card, also attributed to Venus.
The total value
of the verse is 419 = the Hebrew letter TITh, attributed to the Lust Atu,
suggesting a combination of the Empress and the Lion, (whose Hebrew letters total
13), which are the two upper horizontal paths on the Golden Dawn Tree of
Life. Note that the reversed Trigram of
17 is 25, which is attributed to Mars.
Around the globe gathered the wide air,=
360
The total value
of this verse is 360, suggesting the degrees in a circle; the circle is then
analogous to the sphere, or globe, mentioned in the verse. The central Yang line would then be the
diameter of this circle, and the Yin lines would represent the circumference.
360 = a circle? Therein is all progress base illusion (CCCLXX 36)