Theos-Talk Archives (February 1994 Message tl00001)

On Sun, 30 Jan 1994 daratman@aol.com wrote:

> A frequent quotation I've seen here is "As above, so below". The
> other half of that quote is "...but vice-versa". If you visualize
> the first half of the statement you will have a picture and its
> mirror image, like a sunrise over a pond. Adding the second half
> flips the reflection horizontally, like the two faces on a playing
> card: As above, so below  O I   but vice-versa  O I
>                                       O I                         I O

Not to quibble, but, I believe the quote you are referring to is:
  That which is above is at that which is below, and that which
  is below is as that which is above.

This comes from the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, and refers to the central
principle behind all Hermetic teachings, namely that the Macrocosm and
the Microcosm are separate yet one, God is in man, as man is in god,
and together the two are one.  Differentiation (above vs. below) is
useful for analyzing and cataloguing traits and characteristics, but
after a point, it detracts from the underlying universal truth of
oneness.

I apologize to all readers, if my comments are out of line with your
normal methods and ideology, but I am not a Theosophist, but rather a
Hermeticist. The above comment sparked my interest.

> These four quotations have great significance to the ongoing
> discussion here, because they are all true. So, ultimately, they
> are connected to the same source. Translated into any language
> they have the same meaning. Translated into the language of the
> Universe, they need no other translation. Someone mentioned that
> as we approach this Truth, any linguistic symbolism begins to
> break down. Eldon said we can only smile. But there is a point
> beyond, where we catch our second wind, our second sight.

The nature of symbols is to overcome this inability of human
communication, to a certain point.  Symbols speak to the subconscious,
relaying concepts that language cannot do as efficiently, or perhaps
they tap into stored memories that are already there, dormant. There
is much support for this view in the methods of qabalistic
pathworking in my tradition.

But, the problem with symbols is that often we fail to recognize the
Truth that is represented by the symbol and see only the outward
appearance of the symbol.

> Let's say you have a string 84 units long, tuned to 264 cycles per
> second (C) and you want to put a fret somewhere that will generate
> a tone of 352 cycles per second (F). Where do you put the fret?
> Since the ratio of the higher note to the lower note is 352/264
> (4/3), the fret is placed 3/4 of the distance from the bridge
> (63 units - as above, so below but vice-versa). This represents
> the Physical/Metaphysical duality.

This is an interesting relationship.  I do not see this in the same
manner that I believe you do.  To me, the Emerald Tablet and similar
relationships in such things as the Tree of Life of the Qabalah teach
that duality is the appearance of things, that unity, or balance, is
the true nature of all things, man, god, the universe.  In fact, I
do not believe duality exists, except in its role in relational
comparisons.  This is the doctrine of the Three Pillars.  Black and
white are dualistic extremes, balanced by neutrality, thus becoming
three, not two, which in turn forms a new unity, but at a different
level. One to two to three to one.  We are neither male nor female,
but both in neither.  This is not paradox, it is balance.  This
returns to the emerald tablet, as above, so below, and as below, so
above.  We are all things, good and evil, light and dark, male and
female, but in them we are whole, we are one, we are balanced.

Or at least we should aim to be.

> The Hebrews apparently liked a Circumference divisible
> by 22, the Greeks by 24.

Could this be related to the fact that Hebrew had 22 letters in their
alphabet and the Greeks 24, with each letter of the alpahbet being a
number.  Thus the circle, reprenting many esoteric concepts, equally
divisible by all of Number, indeed this is powerful magic.
Additionally, bearing Gematria in mind, this is not unlike certain
methods employed in talismanic magic.

> In Astrology/Astronomy the geometric calculations of planetary and
> constellational positions can be translated into structures and
> musical compositions. In fact, if you put them on a transparency
> and flip them over, you can plot the stars onto the face of the
> Earth and build representations of them. The zero point is located
> where the sun would be at the Winter Solstice of a particular year.
> Someone built a Great Pyramid there. Any connections to HPB?

Sounds too much like proof texting to me.  I can take a handfull of
sand, toss it on a map and prove whatever I want.  Too many variables
in this example for me to believe, I was with you pretty much until
this one.

> Daniel Hampson

Rodrigo de Ferres
(sorry to be so impolite in my first post to you list)