Michael Sternbach

Also, if he would come to power, the US would be sinking into imperialist dreams more than ever. But hey... There is an upside to everything! I say, NO!!!

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I agree. Counselling and healing people takes a lot of study and training. Some of this will be "learning by doing". If this is for you, you will enjoy giving the effort, So yes, it can be fun, but determination is needed. Especially every time you aspire to a yet more advanced level. But, if you hear the call, by all means, follow it!

Not specifically about American Indian Herbs, as far as I am concerned. But as a general analysis and advice regarding what you are on to, please contemplate what I wrote just yesterday here.

As it happens, I have just written about states like the one you are currently experiencing from an Archetypal/Alchemical perspective here.

I still like Richard Wilhelm's translation best. From the text of hexagram 22 (Adornment), I would highlight This speaks to your occasionally giving your higher aspirations a try, but, alas, without the necessary determination and perseverance necessary to truly succeed. Also the commentary on six in the second place seems very pertinent: Don't you get a kick out of temporarily seeing and feeling yourself as an entrepreneur? "Oh yeah, I could do it if I really wanted!" Isn't there in fact a certain vanity in your attitude? Hexagram 26 (The Taming of the Great) is all about holding firm. Here, we read: The oracle confirms that you indeed have the creative power in you which it takes to have great success. But it requires more firmness - and the daily renewal of such. Perhaps start the day with some physical exercise to keep your body, mind and spirit in shape. The time is right - go for your dreams!

Sure. As we have seen, the High Priestess is the alchemical Mercury - she dissolves the rigid dualistic boundaries of the "male" mind. Her counter part is basically the Magus, which we also talked about in the previous thread (linked above). On this one, I opted for the Fool as representing Sabara, mostly because he is described as "mad" - but this could also mean the very ordinary "madness" of the mind caught up in the dualities of the world. In alchemical practice, the Philosophical Mercury dissolves the gross matter quite at the beginning of the Great Work. On the level of human initiation, this takes the form of an ego transcending experience - a powerful mystical experiencing as a result of meditation, a mind blowing drug-induced trip or an intoxicating love, preferably including some ecstatic sex . And here we see the connection to Trump XI or Lust. In his description of the High Priestess, Crowley quotes his Book of Lies: The path of the High Priestess on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life leads over the Abyss (the veil of delusion) right up into the supernal triad. She has a special relationship to the "hidden" Sephira Daath, or Knowledge, which is located on this path. What I find really amazing in this regard is that a projection of the ToL onto the human body (such as in the Golden Dawn's Middle Pillar exercise) identifies Daath with the neck - and above, we read what? The void we already saw as an equivalent to the High Priestess, and the night represents the Abyss rather nicely. It should be mentioned that in the enchantment or ecstasy by this Archetypal force, there lies a danger. The rational and action oriented ("male") psyche must eventually regain its structure, lest it falls victim to things like illusion, apathy, psychosis. After the trip, it must come back to the ground. And it must not "take off" anew before it has integrated the transcending experience as to avoid getting damaged. Likewise, for the alchemical process to succeed, it needs to go through repeated stages of solution and coagulation - "solve et coagula" is one of Alchemy's central maxims. The successful Alchemist, Magus or Shaman will eventually have Mercury's transcendental Force fully at his disposal.

Isn't this kind of synchronicity absolutely amazing?

Wafer

Hi Orion, For how long have you been in this state?

Some friends of mine on another forum are quite knowledgeable regarding the use and effects of various psychotropic substances. I found this thread particularly informative: http://forum.alchemyforums.com/showthread.php?4361-How-to-do-psychedelics&s=1fe241f81e121cd7b28be8ea1b4cf1a1

Thank you, ilumairen. Right on the mark.

I highlighted in red the part of the sentence that you didn't understand.

I don't get it. What is not clear enough?

And aren't those mind blowing plants really awesome? Now you should ask for reverence books!

And let's not omit And maybe now we understand what it is telling us that this card (no. 11) is linked to the High Priestess (no. 2) via its numeric value (1 + 1 = 2). That's Tarot's numero-logic.

ROFL

My advice is simple: Use psychoactive plants with care and make it a "celebration" every time. If you are constantly "celebrating", it will become meaningless and burn you out. As in everything, balance is key.

Me?

Alright, let's try to tackle this baby. High mountains, the home of the Sabari girl, are symbolizing closeness to the highest spiritual principle. She wears peacock feathers: In Hinduism, the peacock is associated with Lakshmi, a deity whose attributes are benevolence, patience, kindness, and compassion. The gunja berries necklace plays a role in the worship of the prominent goddess Radha, which stands for beauty, humanity, kindness, nature, devotion, and actually for the whole world. She is the companion of Krishna and sometimes identified with the original goddess Shakti. There is actually a belief that aforesaid Lakshimi emanated from Radha! So it seems like Sabari partakes in all that Radha/Lakshimi represent. In short, Sabari is the female, the Yin to Sabara's Yang - in Jungian terms his anima. Sabara is wild and mad and needs to be told not be too noisy. Well... For some reasons, different versions of The Fool keep popping up here in our discussion! I have found "Sahaja Sundari" translated as "the Beauty of Naturalness", which ties in quite nicely with the naturalness and unconventional spontaneity symbolized by the Fool. The Archetypes of the collective unconscious are universal, and can show up pretty much the same way in both the Tarot and an ancient Indian text. The ear ornaments are probably meant to underline Sabari's divine nature (deities often wear them). The mention of the vajra here is very interesting, since, in Tantric tradition, it is a common symbol for sunyata or the underlying unity of things - which brings us back to the aforementioned thread with its references to Tarot, specifically to the High Priestess with my discussion of this Archetype: http://thedaobums.com/topic/40331-nirvana-is/page-7#entry670810 More and more, I feel that Sabari must be a really close relative of hers... The forest could be a symbol for the apparently impenetrable thicket of the manifest world. Wandering Sabari symbolizes the true unity that exists throughout it. The union of the male and female polarities occurs on all levels - physical, psychological, spiritual. The union of the sexes (on all levels) also plays in important role in the Hermetic tradition, for instance in the Alchemical imagery of the famous Rosary of the Philosophers. In the betel leave, all the most important Hindu deities are said to be present. http://www.hindu-blog.com/2010/09/betel-leaves-in-hindu-rituals.html By the union with the female, Sabara became whole and unified all the forces of his being in his heart (the symbol of unity). The night once again symbolizes the opaqueness of the manifest world; however, Sabara now moves through it in the bliss of his union with Sabari (sunyata). Using Artemis's bow and arrow shown on the High Priestess card perhaps?

This tread is spinning off http://thedaobums.com/topic/40331-nirvana-is/page-7#entry670826 where the OP already expressly states his interest in the take of the Hermetic TDB order on this text. Whereas in one of the Eastern philosophical forums, it would almost exclusively attract attention from the specialists there. It is therefore right where it belongs.

French

Hi Tarot Bums, It is a feature of many Tarot decks that the 36 numbered Minor Arcana reflect the images and meanings traditionally attributed to the 36 decans of Astrology, even though this is not always obvious. The most prominent system for making the link is no doubt the one devised by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It was integrated by both Aleister Crowley and (more disguisedly) Arthur Edward Waite in the design of their respective decks. But it is nowhere as prevalent as in the beautiful Liber T - Tarot of the Stars Eternal. That deck's Major Arcana and Court Cards are somewhat simplified versions of Crowley's Thoth cards, but what sets the Liber T apart is its reception of the decans' images as found in the Sublime Books, Liber Hermetis, Indian astrological tradition, Latin Picatrix, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Giordano Bruno's De Umbris Idearum, as well as in the "Hall of the Months" in the beautiful Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara, Italy. It is noteworthy that there are many parallels between the images in all these systems, spread out through different times and cultures - notwithstanding the transmission that without a doubt occurred. But let's look at an example. The Two of Wands is attributed according to the Golden Dawn with the first decan of the Zodiac (the first ten degrees of Aries). What do the classical sources have to say on this decan? (We find them conveniently compiled in Austin Coppock great book 36 Faces - The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans.) Liber Hermetis: "It is an armed sign, standing upright, walking, having the likeness of a man, standing on feet like claws and holding above his head a double-sided battle-axe with both hands." Birhat Jakata: "A man with white cloth around his waist, dark complexion, pretending to protect, fearful red eyes and a lifted axe." Latin Picatrix (the direct inspiration for the Golden Dawn's decan interpretations): "The image of a black man with a large and restless body, having red eyes and with an axe in his hand, girded in white cloth, and there is great value in this image. This is a face of strength, high rank and wealth without shame." Three Books of Occult Philosophy: "A black man, standing and dressed in white and girded, a large body, red eyes, and great strength, as if angry ... This image signifies and is made for boldness, strength, loftiness, and immodesty." Further, we want to consider what some of the pioneering Tarot books in more modern times tell us about the Two of Wands: Book T (this is the GD's outline for Tarot and foundation for the Liber T deck): "The Lord of Dominion ... Strength, domination, harmony of rule and of justice. Boldness, courage, fierceness, shamelessness, revenge, resolution, generous, proud, sensitive, ambitious, refined, restless, turbulent, sagacious withal, yet unforgiving and obstinate." The Book of Thoth (Aleister Crowley's treatise on his deck which the Liber T reproduces): "The background of this card shows the power of the planet Mars in his own sign Aries, the first of the Signs. It there represents Energy initiating a Current of Force. The pictorial representation is two Dorjes crossed. The Dorje is the Tibetan symbol of the thunderbolt, the emblem of celestial Power, but more in its destructive than its creative form. More, that is, in its earlier rather than its later form. For destruction may be regarded as the first step in the creative process. The virgin ovum must be broken in order to fertilize it. Fear and repulsion are therefore the primary reaction to the assault. Then, with understanding of the complete plan, willing surrender rejoices to co-operate.Six flames issue from the centre. This indicates the influence of the Sun, who is exalted in Aries. This is the creative Will." Crowley's design for the card mirrors its decan's meaning. Of course, this short introductory survey would be incomplete if we would neglect A. E. Waite's version of the card: Wikipedia tells us how this card is generally understood by contemporary Tarot readers: ""The image on the Rider-Waite deck shows us a wealthy merchant or noble, looking out at his territory, or perhaps for his ships that have set sail. He holds the world in his hands, symbolizing power." This reiterates at least some of the decan's attributions. Whereas Waite's own words - strongly based on popular interpretations and ever so cautious to avoid any violation of the author's oath of secrecy to the GD - are not very reminiscent of the card's decan: "Divinatory Meanings: Between the alternative readings there is no marriage possible; on the one hand, riches, fortune, magnificence; on the other, physical suffering, disease, chagrin, sadness, mortification. The design gives one suggestion; here is a lord overlooking his dominion and alternately contemplating a globe; it looks like the malady, the mortification, the sadness of Alexander amidst the grandeur of this world's wealth." By the way: This thread spins off a current discussion on the thread "Tarot Set for Advanced" and was suggested to me long ago by Nungali - thanks.

This is an excellent question, Brian. and I wish there was a simple answer to it. What it boils down to is whether the Tropical zodiac - based on the position of the Sun at the equinoxes and solstices - is the "correct" frame of reference, which is what almost (but not quite) all Western school astrologers assume - or whether the zodiac needs to be adjusted due to precession, which leads to a so-called Sidereal zodiac, several versions of which are popular especially in Indian astrology. That will determine also your positioning of the decans. Personally, I have been using the Tropical zodiac for decades with excellent results, and there are also good theoretical grounds for it, which I talked about here: http://thedaobums.com/topic/35896-astrological-musings/page-3#entry572916 This post was followed by a long and interesting discussion with Nungali in which he highlighted that the Golden Dawn in fact favoured an sidereally adjusted zodiac, using the star Regulus as point of reference. Now, I am not aware of any practical astrologer that would have followed this suggestion; if memory serves, not even Crowley did this in his book on astrology. But it seems like it did have some influence on the design of his cards as we saw earlier on this thread.