The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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70. One {path) which shineth in the midst of the hairs going forth from the Skull, is that path by whose light the just are led into the world to come.
7 1 . Like as it is written, Prov. iv. 18: “ And the path of the just shineth as the light.”
72. And concerning this it is written, Isa. lviii. 14 : a Then shalt thou delight thyself in Tetragrammaton”
* We must be most careful not to misapprehend the meaning intended to be conveyed in this passage. Kether, the Ancient One, Macroprosopus, is not in the more restricted sense of the first Sephira, the AIN, but that that idea links back from Him must be manifest on consideration. Yet even He, the Vast Countenance, is hidden and concealed; how much more, then, the AIN! From Negative to Positive, through Potential Existence, eternally vibrates the Divine Absolute of the Hidden Unity of processional form masked in the Eternal Abyss of the Unknowable, the synthetical hieroglyph of an illimitable pastless futureless Present. To the uttermost bounds of space rushes the Voice of Ages, unheard save in the concentrated unity of the thought-formulated Abstract, and eternally that Voice formulates a Word which is glyphed in the vast ocean of limitless life.
+ The thirteen conformations of the beard of Macroprosopus. t The Trinity completed by the Quaternary.
73. And from that path * are all the other paths illuminated which depend from Microprosopus.
74. He the Eternal Ancient of the Ancient Ones is the highest Crown among the Supernals, wherewith all Diadems and Crowns are crowned.
7 5 . And from Him are all the Lights illuminated, and they flash forth flames, and shine.
76. But He verily is the Supreme Light, which is hidden, which is not known.
77. And all the other Lights are kindled by Him, and derive (their) splendour (from him).
78. He the Most Holy Ancient One is found to have three heads, which are contained in the one Head.t,
79. And He Himself is that only highest supreme
Head.
80. And since He the Most Holy Ancient One is thus symbolized in the Triad, hence all the other Lights which shine are included in Triads.^
8 1 . Moreover, the Most Holy Ancient One is also symbolized by the Duad.
82. And the division of the Ancient One in the Duad
* Kether, the first Sephira, from which all the other Sephiroth proceed, namely, those which are summed up in the Tetragrammaton.
+ I.e. , His manifestation is triune.
£ This refers to the Triads in the Sephiroth, when the Autz Chaiim is formed. (See Introduction.) It will be found that in this arrangement of the ten Sephiroth there are ten Triads, viz. :
(1) Kether, Chokmah, Binah.
(2) Chesed, Geburah, Tiphereth.
(3) Netzach, Hod, Yesod.
(4) Chokmah, Chesed, Netzach.
(5) Tiphereth, Yesod, Malkuth.
(6) Binah, Geburah, Hod.
(7) Chokmah, Tiphereth, Hod.
(8) Binah, Tiphereth, Netzach.
(9) Chesed, Tiphereth, Hod.
(10) Geburah, Tiphereth, Netzach.
Wherein Kether and Malkuth are each repeated once ; Chokmah, Binah, Chesed, and Geburah, thrice ; Tiphereth, six times , Netzach and Hod each four times ; and Yesod twice.
KABBALAH.
is so that the ( one form is) the Highest Crown of all the Supernals, the Head of all Heads.
83. And (the other is) that superior Head, and It is not known.
84. So also all the remaining Lights are mystically divided into Duads.
85. Furthermore, the Most Holy Ancient One is symbolized and concealed under the conception of the Unity, for He himself is One, and all things are One.
86. And thus all the other Lights are sanctified, are
restricted, and are bound together in the Unity or
Monad, and are One ; and all things are HYA, Hoa ,
Himself.
CHAPTER III.
CONCERNING THE FOREHEAD OF THE MOST HOLY
ANCIENT ONE.
87. The Forehead, which is uncovered in the Most
Holy Ancient One, is called Grace.
88. For that Supernal Head concealed in the Higher, which no man hath known, expandeth a certain external manifestation, beautiful and gracious, which is comprehended in the Forehead.
89. And since He Himself is the grace of all graciousness ; hence He assumeth the conformation of the Forehead, which is disclosed in the most intense light (otherwise, hath a formation in the figure of a leaf).
90. And when It is disclosed, the grace of all graciousness is found in all worlds.
9 1 . And all the prayers of the Inferiors are accepted ; and the countenance of Microprosopus is illuminated, and all things are found to exist in mercy.
92. And since ( through this ) all judgments are hidden
THE LESSER HOLY ASSEMBLY.