The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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717. And when They are conjoined together, They appear to be only one body.
718. Hence we learn that the Masculine, taken alone, appeareth to be only half the body, so that all the mercies are half ; and thus also is it with the Feminine.
719. But when They are joined together, the ( two together) appear to form only one whole body. And it is so.
720. So also here. When the Male is joined with the Female, They both constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from Their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum.
721. And therefore it is said, Gen. ii. 3 : “ Tetragrammaton blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.” For then all things are found (to exist) in the one perfect Body, for MTRVNIThA, Matronitha , the Mother {i.e., the Inferior Mother) is joined unto the King, and is found to form the one Body with Him.
722. And therefore are there found to be blessings upon this day.
THE LESSER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
723. And hence that which is not both Male and Female together is called half a body. Now, no blessing can rest upon a mutilated and defective being, but only upon a perfect place and upon a perfect being, and not at all in an incomplete being.*
724. And a semi-complete being cannot live for ever, neither can it receive blessing for ever.
725. The Beauty of the Female is completed by the Beauty of the Male. And now have we established these facts ( concerning the perfect equality of Male and Female) , and they are made known unto the Companions.
726. With this Woman ( the inferior H) are connected all those things which are below ; from Her do they receive their nourishment, and from Her do they receive blessing ; and She is called the Mother of them all.
727. Like as a mother containeth the body (of her child before birth), and that whole body derivethits nourishment from her. (Otherwise, containeth a garden, and the whole garden is from her.) Thus is She unto all the other inferiors.
728. It is written, Prov. vii. 4 : “ Say unto Chokmah,
Thou art my sister.” f For there is given one Chokmah
(Male), and there is also given another Chokmah (Female).
729. And this Woman is called the Lesser Chokmah in respect of the other.
730. And therefore is it written, Cant. viii. 8 : “We have a little sister and she hath no breasts.”
731. For in this exile (i.e., separated from the King) She appeareth unto us to be “our little sister.” At first,
* This section is another all-sufficient proof of the teachings maintained throughout the Qabalah, namely, that Man and Woman are from the creation co-equal and co-existent, perfectly equal one with the other. This fact the translators of the Bible have been at great pains to conceal by carefully suppressing every reference to the Feminine portion of the Deity, and by constantly translating feminine nouns by masculine. And this is the work of so-called religious men !
f Chokmah, Wisdom, the second Sephirah, is Male in respect of Binah, hut Female in respect of Kether. This is somewhat analogous to the Greek idea of the birth of Athene, Wisdom, from the brain of Zeus.
KABBALAH.
indeed, she is small, but she becometh great and greater, until she becometh the Spouse whom the King taketh unto Himself.
732. As it is written, Cant. viii. 10 : “I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers.”
733. “And my breasts,” &c., since they are full with the nourishment of all things ; * “ like towers,” because they are the great rivers which flow forth from Aima the Supernal.
CHAPTER XXII.f
CONCERNING THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF MICROPROSOPUS.
734. The Male is extended in right and left, through the inheritance which He receiveth ( i.e., from Chokmuh and Binah).
735. But whensoever the colours are mingled together then is He called Tiphereth, and the whole body is formed into a tree (the Autz Ea-Chaiim, or Tree of Life), % great and strong, and fair and beautiful, Dan. iv. 1 1 .
736. “ The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.”
737. His arms are right and left. In the right arm is
Chesed and Life ; in the left is Geburah and Death.
738. Through Daath are His inner parts formed, and they fill the Assemblies and Conclaves, as we have said.
739. For thus is it written : “ And through Daath shall the Conclaves be filled.”
* Compare the symbolism of the many breasts of the Ephesian Diana.