Astron Argon

Science of Mind & The Qabalistic Cross

(Towards a Society for Spiritual Science)

by
Frater Apollonius

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

 

Out of the Transcendentalist School (founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson) in early American thought emerges a new more sophisticated and authentic spiritual pursuit in contrast with the religious institutions of Europe.  Ernest Holmes and the Transcendentalist, William James; as well as the English Transcendentalist, Thomas Troward set the philosophical foundation for a ‘Science of Mind’ that establishes a practical method for communicating with the divine source of life that is posited to be at the center of each our being.

In accord with the Hindu, Advaita School of Philosophy, they posit that individuated life emerges from within, as an extension of non-individuated consciousness; that is the ‘one mind’ or Universal Mind.  That one within; the Atman is in Thelema, the Augoeides or Holy Guardian Angel.  And this is essentially why conversation with the Angel is a symbolic or connotative and not a denotative doctrine.  The non-individuated consciousness cannot converse, but still it informs us if we listen—this being the nature of the dialogue symbolically detailed in Liber LXV.

Ernest Holmes, in founding Science of Mind as a philosophical system established five steps for a process called a ‘treatment.’  The direct correspondence between these steps and the five gestures of the Qabalistic Cross in the Star Ruby are synchronistic.  But of course, Thelema as also, Science of Mind are both a Gnostic system, which basically explains the synchronicity.  What follows are the five intonations of the Qabalistic Cross with their corresponding steps in a Science of Mind treatment—and then our commentary.

Soi—Thou Art

Recognition
In this step we turn our attention entirely away from the “problem” by turning within to the recognition of the inner presence of the infinite God.  Re-cognition is ‘to know again”: an awareness of an inner reality and Truth that we’ve always known, but perhaps have not been conscious of.  “God is…”

The title for the first Science of Mind treatment is Recognition, which couldn’t be a more apt description of the first gesture of the Qabalistic Cross.  The Aspirant recognizes God immediately as he or she reaches up and proclaims to God that “thou art,” as if to establish that “God is…”  As with all invocations, the idea of divinity descending or reaching up to a divinity that is truly within is more a gestural convention as we can’t reach within.  Especially in the West where God is posited as a King, this is symbolically appropriate.

O Phalle—O Phallus

Unification
The recognition of an infinite God is the basis of our awareness of “oneness” with God.  this infinite universal God must be individualized within me, as me.  “If you have seen me, you have seen God, for I and the Father are one.”  “I am…”

The Phallus (and for women, the Clitoris) is not only the source of our self-empowerment, but also symbolizes the number 1 and the Unity (Achad).  For women, the symbol works to the Serpent that is at the core of all Goddess worship; the serpent being again, the number one, but woven into a circle with the serpent eating its own tale.  From this we get positive and negative charges that form the gravitational attraction between the Beast and Babalon.

As the source of power in each of us, the gesture here is to usher that power from us and forward into the energy that we’re to weave in our Magick ‘spell.’  Hence the power we symbolically pulled down is shown to have come from the essence of one’s person; the Atman or Augoeides within.  The Augoeides, being also a star has been symbolically connected to this experience in ancient Greek mythology; that once success at the conclusion of the hero’s journey, his or her star is placed in the heavens.

This explains why the Atman is attributed both to Kether and to Tiphareth on the Tree-of-Life; Kether having also, Paratman (the undifferentiated source of consciousness).  It is the link between these two and ultimately with a properly yoked egoic structure brought up from Assiah and into the Ruach that makes the enlightened human being—the meeting of Heaven and Earth.

Ischuros—Power

Realization
From the consciousness established in these first two steps arises the realization of Truth, the embodiment of the presence of God, an inner truth and a spiritual reality.  This realization is the perception or conception of the individual as a spiritual being through whom the works of God are made manifest.  “I know…” “I see…” “I feel…”

This is symbolized as the Knowledge & Conversation and as the Royal Wedding in Tiphareth.  Once the connection is established, one is in perfect realization of the power manifest within.  The realization is the Truth of the divinity established within oneself.  This is the sole justification for one’s actions and the condition of our each, our lives.  And it is the realization of the connection we each have with each other; in other words, together, these two realizations being summarized in the formula of love under will.

Further, we have here the affirmation of our acculturation into the Thelemic paradigm.  And in light of this philosophy do we comprehend t he awesome nature of our union with the Angel and in its permanent presence in our lives.  Our intuition of all this begins immediately from the first time the Qabalistic Cross is performed and the intuition grows to a full psychic impression in preparation for the luminous beauty, power and might of this most profound grace of divine providence.

Eucharistos—Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving occurs in the moment that we realize that we have received a great blessing.  It is the acceptance of our Realization as the mental equivalent of a sure and certain demonstration and manifestation.  In this step we acknowledge the infinite God as the inner source of all good.  “I gratefully accept and give thanks for…”

Here, there is an exact corollary between the names of the labels; Thanksgiving describing what should be a natural emotive response for what has been accomplished by this point.  As we emanate from God, so does all that is in our lives with its crowning blessing being contained in the ‘here and now’—that is direct communication with the divine Adonai.

For the Science of Mind practitioner, perhaps a lot more has happened; as Ernest Holmes describes in his reflections on each part of the process.  In the Qabalistic Cross, we are merely expressing the formula that we’ve yet to use; suggesting that there’s more to it than what is essentially a populist-oriented redaction for Holmes that makes it easier to approach.

IAO—[the Greek (Pythagorean School) name for God]

Release
In this step we release ourselves from any sense of responsibility for the results of this creative process even as we release the seed unto the soil.  At this point, our work in the creative process is complete.  We have conceived of our good and now release this concept as a seed of thought.  We achieve this sense of completion by knowing that our work is done, and God’s work has begun.  It is necessary that we shift our attention at this point, getting on with our Life and living.   This is the point at which we “move our feet.”  “So it is, and so I let it be.”

For the Thelemite, we have simply bring our thought to focus back on God; vibrating through each and every cell in our body as the ritual itself has been an act of prayer espressed in a series of vibrations and poses.  It is from here that the invocation of the Guardians of the Star Ruby commences.  And these symbolically portray the raising of energy and establishment of empowerment to weave a ‘spell.’  Hence the practice of Magick takes the technique further in the Star Ruby; and even yet further in any succeeding ritual or rituals in a temple setting.

Love is the law, love under will.