The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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\_Ath , ATh, means “the,” “the very substance of.” Qabalistically it signifies “the beginning and the end,” and is like the term “Alpha and Omega ” used in the Apocalypse. For as Alpha and Omega are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so are Aleph and Tau of the Hebrew. The “ two extreme paths” are the crown, Kether, and the kingdom, Malkuth, the first and tenth Sephiroth, the highest and the lowest, Macroprosopus, and the queen. If the reader turn to the Introduction, to the Table showing the Sephiroth arranged in three pillars, he will see that Malkuth is, as it were, the antithesis of Kether ; and hence it is said that “ Malkuth is Kether after another manner.” And this recalls the precept of Hermes in the Smaragdine Tablet ; “ That which is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is like that which is below.”
7. HShMIM, Ha-Shamaim , “ the heavens ” (the fifth word of this text, and) VATh, Vaath , “ and the substance
THE BOOK OF CONCEALED MYSTERY.
of ” (the sixth word ; they are referred unto the paths of beauty and victory) like as it is written, I Chron. 29, 1 1 : c< And the beauty and the victory.” These paths are joined together in one.
[“ The beauty and the victory ” are Tiphereth and Netzach, the ;sixth and seventh Sephiroth.]
8. HARTz, Hactretz , “the earth” (the seventh word •of this beginning denoteth the queen joined together with the glory and the foundation), like as it is written, Ps. viii. 2 : “ How magnificent (this is the path of glory) is Thy name in all the world ” (whereby is symbolized the foundation) ; the -earth (which is the kingdom. Also) Isa. vi. 3 : “ The whole earth is full of His glory” (where these three paths again concur).
9. “ Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,” “ to make a distinction between the Holy Place and between the Holy of Holies.” (That is, between Microprosopus and Macroprosopus.)
1 o. The Most Ancient One is expanded into Microprosopus (or the Crown into the Beauty), and adhereth (unto it, so that it may receive increase. If) it be not perfectly expanded (so that Microprosopus as it were existeth by himself, but instead is retained in his mother’s womb) the mouth speaking great things moveth in that place (that Microprosopus, so that he may be fully born), and he is crowned with the lesser crowns under the five divisions of the waters. (That is, Microprosopus receiveth the influx of the five benignities, which are called “ crowns,” because they descend from the crown, or Macroprosopus ; but “ lesser crowns,” because they take their rise from benignity in the Microprosopic path; and they are called the five divisions of the waters, because the water belongeth unto the benignity, and in this verse, Gen. i. 6, 7, the word MIM, Meim , waters, filleth the fifth place).
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KABBALAH.
1 1 . Like as it is written, Num. xix. 17: “ And shall pour upon him living waters in a vessel.” (But the life looketh towards the mother ; and it) is (understood to be that path which is called) ALHIM CHIIM, Elohim Chiim , “ the Elohim of life ; ” and the king of the universe (that is, the understanding. Whereunto belong also the following sayings : — ) Ps. cxvi. v. 9 : “I will walk before the Lord in the lands of life.” Also 1 Sam. 29: “And the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the quiver of life.” Also Gen. ii. 9 : <c And the tree of life in the midst of the garden.” (All these, I say, refer unto the understanding, from which the six members receive the influx. And to it also pertain the following names, namely, the name) IH, Yah (whensoever it is written in full with A in this manner :) I YD HA, Yod Ha (and containeth the number of the numeral powers of the letters of the Tetragrammaton, namely, 2 6 ; unto which also is referred that form of the name belonging unto the intelligence), AHII, Eheii (where in the place of the final He , Yod is put, as in a former instance. (See Chap. I. § 32.)
[In the Hebrew, CHIIM, Chiim, “ iving” ; in our version of the Old Testament it is translated '‘running water.” Chiim is plural.]
12. Between the waters and the waters. (Since there are the superior) perfect waters, and (those which are in Microposopus) imperfect waters (or those mingled with, severities ; because in another manner it is said) perfect compassion, imperfect compassion. (Now followeth a mystical explanation of Gen. vi. 3.)