Re: LOVE UNCONTROLLED BY WILL

["Peter Reist" <preist@...>]

Dear Rawn,

>>>Your post was quite lovely. :) I really love what you did with the
Pattern on the Trestleboard!!!<<<

To me, the Pattern on the Trestleboard is just a tool that can be 
used in the aid of understanding virtually anything. Those key words 
can be replaced with virtual any noun or verb imaginable: love, hate, 
anger, malace, joy, and so forth. By placing the key term of each of 
those statements - Power, Will-To-Good, Wisdom, Understanding, 
Substance, Justice, Beauty - into all of the key places one arives at 
a version of the three of life that describes the tree within that 
particular sepheroth.

>>>Actually, his statement in IIH was fairly straight forward. 
Essentially he was pointing out that the magician must at all times 
(and especially when interacting with astral beings) be in control of 
their own emotions. For the magician, emotion must be *intentional*, 
not reactionary, and the magician must at all times be aware of, and 
in control of, that which motivates their actions.<<<

That's one take on it, a particularly practical one when looking at 
the workings of Bardon's Hermetics. What Bardon wrote was, "The Love 
is the Love, but Love under a Strong Will." 

The first portion of the statement reminds me quite heavily of 
something from Moses Cordovero's _Pardes Rimmonim_ in which he likens 
the sepheroth as coloured vessels through which water is poured 
through. As the water passes through these various vessels, the water 
appears to change to the colour of that vessel, yet the water itself 
is colourless. The change in colour does not effect the water itself, 
but rather our perception of it. The Divine is the Divine, no matter 
what shape it exists within. So to is the Love always the Love, even 
though it may take many shapes and many forms.

The second portion of the statement is a little bit more complex, 
depending upon which position you wish to look at it from. With your 
interpritation there is a definative hierarchy; love must follow from 
a conscious choice, an act of will. Taken from a more structural 
standpoint, if Love is to be placed underneath the Will, then it is 
Love that supports the development and actions of a strong Will. 
Without Love, there can be no strong Will to make such conscious 
actions. Sortof a circular argument, I know...but that never stopped 
occultists and metaphysicians from making them. :)

In some respects, Love is somewhat like the prima materia within 
alchemy. It's the first step that needs to be taken for a firm 
foundation to be created. Though, in most cases, it's not something 
that falls into place til one builds up to the third or fourth story 
then looks down at the foundation and goes, "Umm...that doesn't look 
too stable, does it?" Or just falls flat on their face a couple of 
times when everything collapses underneath them. While the Magician 
and the World occupy exactly opposite positions upon the tree of 
life, I feel that they are two things that should be trained at the 
same time. Though the neophyte often doesn't realize the importence 
of the path of love and compassion til a few years into their 
training.

Now, after reading your explination as to what Tav is all about in 
relation to the 32 Paths of Wisdom and the Torah verses...I want to 
bang my head against the nearest wall. When I was writing up the 
first draft I got hung up trying to explain how all of this relates 
to thre tree of life, Bardon's works, the 32 paths of wisdom and what 
not all. Mostly due to the fact that I was persuing the writing from 
an intellectual position as opposed to the position of a practicing 
magician. After not being able to put it all into coherent words I 
simply set it aside and continued with my practice. Guess I'll leave 
the technical stuff to you, I'll just write the actual exercises once 
I actually get them figured out myself as to how it all works. :)

Shadow Dancer,

Yes, this sort of thing does potentially lead into a discussion about 
sex magic and what not all. Though given the fact that it is late, I 
am tired, having just got over a bit of a cold, and am still 
pondering over the wisdom of discussing such things in detail in the 
open...I'm going to bed.

Love and Live well,
Peter Reist