General Concepts

General Concepts

by Dean Hildebrandt

Introduction

According to my research, there are a number of patterns found in the Enochian material which are related to but not identical to certain traditional hermetic concepts. It seems simplest to give these general patterns their own page. These relate to the original Enochian material as received by John Dee and Edward Kelley; the I Ged material as received by Runar Karlsen, which consists of tablets and call for the various groups referred to by numbers in the original calls; and various other pieces of material received by Runar, Carlos de Castillo, Patricia Shaffer, James Barnes, and me. In a number of important respects it builds on the work of Benjamin Rowe, as will be noted as we proceed. I should note that I have no real interest in the Golden Dawn's take on the material.

Cosmology

Based on my own work and drawing on Ben's Book of Seniors and other results, I have come to the following conclusions. There is a being variously known as God, the Tao, etc. from whom our inmost spirits were formed and of whom we, or most of us, are still a part. God is only a part of the Earth's creative scheme and is junior to the spirit enlivening the planet, to whom I will refer as the Worldspirit, and She is in turn junior to the spirit enlivening the Sun. Somehow, perhaps as described in the Book of Seniors, the Worldspirit has come to be encased in the core of the planet behind a double barrier, with only a few cracks to let Her influence out. The Babalon mentioned in the calls is the bodily intelligence which has remained in Her place. Also, there is a veil over the Earth, coincident with the aethers, which limits the influence coming from the Sun as well as the other planets of the solar system and extrasolar forces. This veil is rapidly burning away. As a result of human beings' physical incarnations, we have developed in ways fitting with our place in Babalon's realm. As contact increases with the Worldspirit, Sun, and extrastellar forces, people will develop in directions relating to these as well. The religions of the Age of Pisces have emphasied dissolving into God (or Tao or emptiness) and exhibited a disdain for the nature of the world, categorized as a realm of sorrows where one inevitably gets crucified and so on. The Age of Aquarius can be expected to bring a greater emphasis on choice as to spiritual direction. Curiously, Ben talks about large numbers of human spirits going off to other star systems or universes, yet he ducks the fact that God is not out there where they'll be going, and sticks with the Piscean notion as to the point of initiation. The Enochian material, in contrast to systems that have been known longer such as Kaballah, is not designed for the purpose of bringing people to the realization of God. The Enochian angels are primarily creative beings, not devotional/teaching ones, and they seem to be members of the broader Earth scheme who answer to God as well as others, as opposed to direct minions of God such as Kaballistic angels are. Between these, the I Ged spirits, the other beings mentioned in the calls, and the various forces that all of these can bring one in contact with, one has a great deal of choice as to the direction one will go. Of course, the flip side of choice is responsibility. One needs to be clear on the direction one is bringing to Enochian workings and to get to know the various beings before deciding which ones one wishes to become attuned to, if any. An important example of this point is the business of climbing the aethers. The aethers are the avenue through which influences from outside the planet are able to enter, and so climbing the aethers will tend to bring one into tune with the will coming from the Sun rather than that coming from God.

Elements and Gems

The Enochian material is not inherently elemental, but can fit with the elements in various ways. It seems to fit naturally with a sequence of geometric solids discovered by James Barnes and explored by him and me. A basic discovery is that the elements can be seen as composed of three polarities, male-female, chaos-order, and abstract-particular. The first corresponds with the triangles pointing up or down in the traditional symbols for the elements, and the second corresponds with the absence or presence of a line in the middle. The qualities for the elements are:

Fire: Male, Chaos, Particular

Air: Male, Order, Abstract

Water: Female, Chaos, Abstract

Earth: Female, Order, Particular

This leaves four more combinations for which I prefer the term dark elements since their functioning is less visible, like dark matter and dark energy. My preferred terms are:

Steel: Male, Order, Particular

Glass: Male, Chaos, Abstract

Fabric: Female, Order, Abstract

Clay: Female, Chaos, Particular

The elements, dark elements, and spirit fit with the nine points of Gurdjieff's Enneagram as follows:

1) Fabric, 2) Earth, 3) Clay, 4) Water, 5) Air, 6) Glass, 7) Fire, 8) Steel, 9) Spirit

James also associates the dark elements with the primary Dungeons and Dragons classes: Steel-Fighter, Glass-Magic User, Fabric-Cleric, Clay-Thief, which seems to fit pretty well.

If the elements are assigned to the faces of a tetrahedron, then the vertices of the tetrahedron fit with the dark elements. If we project from the center of the tetrahedron through the centers of its faces, going an equal distance in each direction, we end up with four point corresponding to the elements that are then the vertices of a tetrahedron whose faces correspond to the dark elements. The farther we project, the larger the resulting tetrahedron. We select the one whose edges intersect the edges of the original tetrahedron, i.e. one of equal size to original. When we then combine the vertices of the two tetrahedrons, they become the vertices of a cube whose faces have the edges of the tetrahedrons as their diagonals. The faces of the cube then correspond to the qualities. If we then project from the center of the cube through the centers of its faces, we get the vertices of an octahedron whose faces correspond to the elements and dark elements and whose vertices correspond to the qualities. Again, we size the octahedron so that its edges intersect the edges of the cube. If we then take the combined vertices of the cube and octahedron, they become the vertices of a rhombic dodecahedron (12-sided) whose faces have the edges of the cube and octahedron as diagonals. If we then project from the center of the rhombic dodecahedron through the centers of its faces, we get the vertices of a cuboctahedron (14-sided) whose faces correspond to the elements, dark elements, and qualities. Again, we size the cuboctohedron so that its edges intersect the edges of the rhombic dodecahedron. Taking the combined vertices of these, they become the vertices of a 24-sided gem. In order to get a gem that fits together with this in the same way, we must project through the midpoints of the longer diagonals of the 24-sided gems faces. Doing this gives the vertices of a 26-sided gem whose faces correspond to the elements, dark elements, and qualities. If we then take the combined vertices of the 24- and 26-sided gems, they become the vertices of a 48-sided gem. This is as far as the geometric sequence can proceed, and the 48-sided gem is the outer gem containing all the others.

If the vertices of the octahedron are placed at coordinates (+/- 1, 0, 0), (0, +/- 1, 0), and (0, 0, +/- 1), then the vertices of the cube end up at (+/- 1/2, +/- 1/2, +/- 1/2), those of the rhombic dodecahedron at (+/- 2/3, +/- 2/3, 0), (+/- 2/3, 0, +/- 2/3,), and (0, +/- 2/3, +/- 2/3), and those of the 24-sided gem at (+/- 6/7, +/- 2/7, +/- 2/7), (+/- 2/7, +/- 6/7, +/- 2/7), and (+/- 2/7, +/- 2/7, +/- 6/7).

Each face of the rhombic dodecahedron connects two non-opposite qualities and the element and dark element that share these. For example, the Male-Abstract face connects Air and Paper. We should also note that each group of four faces which omit a common opposite pair of qualities form a square, something that can be easily seen in relation to the edges of the octahedron. My sense of the these is:

Male-Abstract: Cause

Female-Abstract: Organizing

Male-Particular: Manifested will

Female-Particular: Effect

Male-Chaos: Untamed male energy

Female-Chaos: Change proceeding

Male-Order: Architecture

Female-Order: Plans proceeding

Abstract-Chaos: Understanding possibilities

Abstract-Order: Organized thought

Particular-Chaos: Causing change

Particular-Order: Rules

The faces of the 24-sided gem each connect an element or dark element with one of its qualities. The faces of the 48-sided gem seem to be more a single surface where the gem interacts with the world. This gem seemed to me to have a golden glow and an animating spirit that might be described as creative and bouncy.

I have extended the idea of tools corresponding to the elements to include the dark elements and Spirit, arranged geometrically according to Gurdjieff's Enneagram, including words of power fitting with English Qaballah. Clockwise from top (pronounced with soft A's and hard O's and U):

Orb Spirit  NAZAQANA

Ruler Fabric  UDA

Pentacle Earth  MOL

Paintbrush Clay  YAZA

Cup Water  ZOGA

Sword Air  FOA

Lens Glass  BOL

Wand Fire  VOVA

Hammer Steel  RAV

Astrological Forces

Astrological forces traditionally appear in a form filtered down through the aethers and reflecting how they appear on Earth. The Enochian material often connects more directly to the planets and stars and to the patterns they have amongst themselves.

Outside of the aethers, the influence of the stars is felt individually. Within aethers 1-22, their influenced is organized into the constellations in relation to the tropical zodiac. From aether 23 in, their influence is organized into the sidereal zodiac. All of this may be approached through the OS and OL material.

The Enochian entities can work with the planets as traditionally seen, but they more naturally fit with the planets as controlling a sequence of 12 zones that make up the solar system. These come in six pairs Sun-Mercury, Venus-Earth, Mars-asteroid belt, Jupiter-Saturn, Uranus-Neptune, and Pluto-transpluto. The QVYD material is the most direct way to approach these. In addition to the 12-fold pattern of zones and 6-fold pattern of pairs of zones, this also gives a 7-fold pattern; Venus-Earth, Sun-Mercury, Mars-asteroid belt, Jupiter-Saturn, Uranus-Neptune, Pluto-transpluto, all forces outside the solar system; which underlies the Heptarchic system. Venus-Earth begins this sequence because we are on Earth, and the order given to Dee refers to these by the first planet in each pair, with Mercury standing in for Uranus, Saturn for Pluto, and the Moon for outside forces. The planets in themselves can be understood in relation to a solar system level version of the seven rays discussed by Alice Bailey, these being labelled:

1: Will,

2: Love-wisdom,

3: Creative intelligence,

4: Harmony through conflict,

5: Concrete intelligence,

6: Devotion,

7: Ceremonial order.

The solar system equivalents are oriented toward the Sun rather than God, which makes the most difference for the even numbered rays. The planets have the following soul and personality (inner and outer) orientations:

Sun: soul 1, personality 4

Mercury: soul 2, personality 5

Venus: soul 2, personality 3

Earth: soul 3, personality 7

Mars: soul 4, personality 6

Asteroids: soul 3, personality various

Jupiter: soul 5, personality 2

Saturn: soul 3, personality 7

Uranus: 1, 3, and 7 switch among inner and outer.

Neptune: soul reflects influences from outside the solar system, personality 5

Pluto: soul 1, personality 7

Transpluto: soul and personality 6, probably more is involved at a deeper level.

The traditional interpretation of the planets emphasizes the personality aspects, with Venus also reflecting her pairing with the Earth. Earth, the asteroids, and Saturn have similar natures and seem to have the form-giving role in their pairings. The inner three pairs of zones are concerned with implementing the Sun's plans. The outer pair determines what is let in from outside the solar system and the next from outer processes this. The Jupiter-Saturn pair is where the primary interactions between the Sun's influence and influence from outside take place.

The seven rays are a variant of a general pattern defined by seven solar systems, the rays Alice Bailey discussed being the human version, the ones mentioned above being our solar system wide version, and the Sons and Daughters and Son of Sons and Daughters of Daughters of Light in the Sigillum Dei Aemeth following an angelic version. I have found that the underlying systems are:

1) Lalande 21185, 2) Sirius A+B, 3) Sol, 4) Ross 248, 5) Alpha Centauri A+B, 6) Wolf 359, 7) UV Ceti A+B

Various other connections to extraterrestrial forces can be found through the material, especially the 16 Paths material and the AF.

The Olive and The Angles

Runar has discovered an Olive structure consisting of parts Axis-Seed-Nut-Fruit-Skin. These correspond roughly to the Sephirot: Axis-Keter, Seed-Chokmah, Nut-Binah, Fruit-Zer Anpin, Skin-Malkhut. As per the OX cubes, these fit with pairings of elements and dark elements: Axis-Fire/Steel, Seed-Air/Glass, Nut-Water/Fabric, Fruit-Earth/Clay, Skin-Fire/Steel. The difference between these attributions and those associated with YHVH is due to YHVH's reflecting a general process of creation and the Olive's reflecting the nature of an individual actor, with Axis and Skin reflecting higher and lower wills. The angles mentioned in Calls 4-6 fit with these, the first angle being the turning between the material plane and Skin, the second between Skin and Fruit, the third between Fruit and Nut, the fourth between Nut and Seed, and the fifth between Seed and Axis. Groups of aethers also fit with the Olive structure, outside the aethers going with Axis, 1-10 with Seed, 11-22 with Nut, 23-29 with Fruit, and 30 with Skin. Nut can be further divided into inward and outward facing parts, fitting with Binah as partially dark (connecting to Chokmah) and partially light (projecting down through the Zer Anpin). Aethers 11-19 and 20-22 fit with this division.

The Celestial, Human, and Earthly Realms

Also significant is the division of the world into celestial, human, and earthly realms. This constitutes an independent dimension relative to the angles. Related to this is the four-fold division found in the NI and OX of receptive celestial beings, implementers of the first group who span the three realms, independent agents moved by these who also span the three realms, and earthly implementers of these agents' will. This division is found in the watchtower hierarchy in the form of the banner-names, the seniors and kings, the kerubic angels and 6-letter names, and the 5-letter names and serviant angels and squares. The EM and VX live in the three spaces between the four divisions.

The Letters

Patricia Shaffer has come up with the following letter essences:

O Root of Being-Becoming: being, becoming, existence

L Root of Primacy: first, primary, one, providence

S Root of Possession: have, acquire, gather, together

N Root of Interiority: within, inside, self-hood

F Root of Manifestation: manifest, show, appear

V Root of Darkness: dark, hidden (therefore, unknown), reflection

U Root of Light: light, enlightenment

R Root of Motion: move, motion, emotion, motivate, change

G Root of Negation: not, none, nothing, nor

H Root of Breath: breath, life

I Root of Energy/Enablement: energize, enable, ability

Y Root of Increase: grow, increase, more, faster

A Root of Time: begin, beginning, anew, new, again, then, when

D Root of Possibility: possible, potential

B Root of Choice: duality, multiplicity, choose (between)

T Root of Balance: balance, justice, adjust, judge, equilibrate

C Root of Causation: make, cause, create, because (of)

Z Root of Division: divide, seperate, other (than), part(s) of

P Root of Establishment: space, place, put, set, here, there, where

M Root of Knowledge: mind, know, awareness,knowledge

Q Root of Desire: desire, love

E Root of Will: will, intend, purpose, intention

X Root of Limitation/Decrease: limit, lessen, lower, slower

A word or name can be interpreted as a sequence of meanings corresponding to the letters and can also be broken down into its constituent diads and triads of letters which are then interpreted as a sequence.

Gematria

The letters besides G are assigned to the numbers 1-7 as follows (G is treated as 0):

1) L

2) U/V, A, R

3) D, F, M, P, Q, X

4) S, Z, E, H

5) I/Y, C

6) N, T

7) O, B

There are separate totals in each direction. The value of each letter is added in the direction determined by subtracting the value of the letter on the left from the value of the letter on the right (using 0 for no letter) and looking in the following table.

East: -7,-3,1,5

South: -6,-2,2,6

West: -5,-1,3,7

North: -4,0,4

The directions give the points of a square. East can be interpreted as the basic principle of the word, South as the shaping factor, West as how it is seen, and North as how it manifests. A final central number is found by taking the highest of the four directional numbers, subtracting the second highest, adding the third highest, and then subtracting the lowest. Positions with 0 are left out of the interpretation.

So, for example, the letters of BALT have values 7 2 1 6, 2-0=2 so we add 7 in the South, 1-7=-6 so we add another 2 in the South, 6-2=4 so we add 1 in the North, and 0-1=-1 so we add 6 in the West, giving totals of 0 in the East, 9 in the South, 1 in the North, 6 in the West, and 9-6+1-0=4 in the Center. I propose a notation of 0,9,1,6:4 for this.

Numbers 1-7 are interpreted according to the group of letters assigned and other attributions described below. Numbers 8-49 are interpreted as 8 is the 7ish aspect of 1, 9 the 1ish aspect of 2, 10 the 2ish aspect of 3, ... 14 is the 6ish aspect of 7, 15 the 6ish aspect of 1, ... 21 is the 5ish aspect of 7, ... 49 the 1ish aspect of 7. Numbers higher than 49 are interpretted by subtracting the largest possible multiple of 50 and interpreting.

The numbers 1-5 relate to angles and also to pairs of planetary zones. The number 5-7 have a Hadit-Horus-Nuit pattern.

Interpretations of the numbers 1-7 are as follows:

1) 1 signifies a primary actor, as seen in the letter L and the Sun of Sun-Mercury. 1 in terms of the angles relates to Nuit and her body as a single space in which things happen.

2) 2 relates to states of change, as seen in the letters A,R,U/V and the varied ways the asteroids respond to Mars. The 2nd angle sits between the working space of 1 and the formative energies of 3, letting energies be introduced.

3) 3 relates to various formative or material letters, somewhat analogous to the two Heh's of IHVH combined. Jupiter-Saturn relates to ordering processes, also necessary for formation. The 3rd angle also fits with the first Heh of IHVH.

4) 4 fits with the idea of separate true selves, often pictured as a huge number of stars. This is seen in the letters E and H reflecting true will and life-force and in the letters Z and S which emphasize separation. The 4th angles fits with this, as does the role of Uranus-Neptune in giving form to varied energies.

5) 5 fits with Hadit, reflected in IALPIRGAH the flames of first glory and its first letter I. The purifying aspect of Pluto-transpluto fits with this notion of unity.

6) 6 fits with Horus as particular forms, which possess the capacity for selfhood and judgement. The letters of NI can be taken as giving forms (N=6) to Hadit's energy (I=5).

7) 7 fits with Nuit, seen in the polymorphous letters B and O. In terms of the calls, it may be related to all the calls 8+. Note that OX, OP, O, OB, and OL all start with O.

To return to our example, BALT can be read choosing to begin primary agents of justice, in terms of letter essences. 9 meaning the 1ish aspect of 2 suggests flux congealing into primary agents, so BALT's energy is shaped by the emergence of agents which choose to carry out judgement. This also fits with the central 4 as an individual will choosing to act so. This appears as 6 justice and manifests as 1 the agents. Note that the letter L and number 1's interpretation as first is contextual. Something can be primary in one context and yet subordinate in a broader one.

AMSU

In addition to the way numbers are used in the gematria, there are at least three other ways numbers are used in the calls. The smaller group numbers, eg. EM 9, are simply numbers of members of the group with no particular numerological significance. The 3-5 digit group numbers are interpreted in relation to the EM and Zodiac. Finally, the numbering of the flames fits with the formula AMSU and another use of the numbers 1-3. Amsu is the name of an Egyptian god also known as Khem or Min. Taken as a formula, The S and M relate to the Hadit and Nuit parts of the Hadit-Nuit-Horus trinity and are numbered 1 and 2. These fit with the corresponding Hebrew mother letters. The A and U fit with Horus as varied possibilites arising between Hadit and Nuit and Horus as forming an integrated role joining them and are numbered 3 and 0. These fit with the Hebrew letter Aleph pronounced as the respective vowels. Because the Enochian material is coming from the Hadit side of things, this side takes a more dominant role here than it would in other contexts. The 2nd flame has described himself as the slave of the 1st and the 3rd as the servant of the 1st (suggesting an interesting interpretation of "The slaves shall serve." in The Book of the Law). The Enochian letters L, S, D, and O correspond to this pattern 1, 2, 3, and 0. The reason 2nd is written out Viu in the calls is because V is the applicable letter for the 2nd angle and S is the applicable letter for the 2nd flame. Besides the flames, this formula appears a number of other times through the material.

AMSU can also be taken as an initiatory sequence: A becoming aware of a level, M absorbing into it, S receiving inspiration, U reintegrating. For example, in terms of the gems mentioned above, one can approach them: A seeing the gem from the center point, M absorbing into its faces, S receiving inspiration through the vertices, U reintegrating back to the center point so one can proceed to the next gem. For the outer gem, the sequence is: A seeing the surface from the center point, M feeling the energies outside the gem impinge on its surface, S feeling inspiration arise in the center point, U integrating the gem as a way of interacting with the energies of the world. See my Kabbalistic writing for my take on how the formula fits with the Tree of Life.