The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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44. “ And from Himself those Lights shine forth, and they emit flames, and they rush forth and are extended on every side, like as from an elevated lantern the rays of light stream down on every side.
45. “ And those rays of light,* which are extended, when any one draweth near unto them, so that they may be examined, are not found, and there is only the lantern alone.
46. “ So also is He the Most Holy and Ancient One :
He is that highest Light concealed with all concealments,
* Carrying on the Bimile of the lantern and its rays.
KABBALAH.
and He is not found ; those rays * (proceeding from Him ) being excepted, which are extended, which are revealed, and which are hidden.
47. “ And they are called the Holy Name, and therefore are all things One.
48. “ Which truly our companions have said in former books, that certain paths have been created by the Most Holy Ancient One, who is revealed through them collectively and severally ; since they are the conformations of the Most Holy Ancient One, concerning them now there is not time for examination.
49. “I have spoken concerning them in the Holy Assembly, and I have beheld that which before I did not understand in such a manner, and I have hidden the matter in my heart.
5 o. “ But now I alone will describe these things before the Holy King, and all those assuredly just men who have assembled to hear these words/’
CHAPTER II.
CONCERNING THE SKULL OF THE ANCIENT ONE, AND CON- CERNING HIS BRAIN; AND CONCERNING THE THREE HEADS, AND THE HAIR, AND THE DISCRIMINATORY PATHS.
5 I . The skull of the White Head hath not beginning, but its end is the convexity of its joining together, which is extended, and shineth.
52. And from it the just shall inherit four hundred f desirable worlds in the world to come.
53. And from this convexity of the joining together
* The Sephiroth.
t Which is the number of Th, the last letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, which includes the symbology of the cross.
THE LESSER 'HOL Y ASSEMBL Y.
of this White Skull daily distilleth a dew into Microprosopus, into that place which is called Heaven ; and in that very place shall the dead be raised to life in the time to come.
54. Like as it is written, Gen. xxvii. 27: “And
Elohim shall give thee from the dew of heaven.'*’
55. And His head is filled with that dew, and all the place of the apple-trees distilleth therewith.
56. He, the Most Holy Ancient One, is hidden and concealed, and in that Skull is the Supernal Wisdom concealed, who is found and who is not found.
57. For assuredly in Him, the Ancient One, nothing is revealed save the Head alone, seeing that that Head is itself the Head of all heads.
58. The beginning of that Supernal Wisdom which also is itself the Head, is hidden therein, and is called the Supernal Brain, the Hidden Brain, the Tranquil and Calm Brain ; neither doth any man know it, save He Himself.
59. Three Heads have been formed forth, one within the other, and the other above the other.
60. One Head is the Concealed Wisdom, which is covered and is not disclosed.
6 1. And this Hidden Wisdom is the Head of all things, and the Head of the remaining Wisdoms.
62. The Supernal Head is the Most Holy Ancient
One, the Concealed with all Concealments.
63. The Head of all Heads, the Head which is not a Head * — namely, that which is in that Head — neither knows nor is known, because it cannot be comprehended either by Wisdom or Understanding.
64. And therefore is it read, Num. xxiv. 1 1 : “ Fly thee in thy place;” and Ezek. i. 14. The Chaiotli , living creatures, are said to run forth and return.
* That is to say, which will hardly admit even of so vague a definition, seeing it is the Indefinite Absolute in Kether.
KABBALAH.
65. And therefore is the Most Holy Ancient One called AIN, Ain , the Negatively Existent; seeing that back from Him dependeth the AIN, the Negative Existence.*
66. But all those hairs and all those locks depend from the Hidden Brain.
67. And all are calm (otherwise, are disposed) in the Equilibrium; neither in any manner is the neck seen (i.e., because of the locks which overshadow it).
68. Because He the Most Holy Ancient One is in an unvarying condition of joy, neither changeth He from mercy for ever.
69. But in the thirteen measurements f of mercies is He found, because that Wisdom hidden in Him is divided into three { paths in a quaternary, and He Himself the Ancient One comprehendeth them, and through them doth He reign over all things.