Even though the central Mystery of Christianity is the Resurrection, the symbol for the faith is the cross. Originally the cross was equilateral (arms of equal length), and churches were low and domed (both mandalic symbols), until the 'upward' movement of the Gothic mentality developed. The Gothic cathedrals took hundreds of years to build, and their magnificent vaults and spaces can truly expand the mind. Spires to the heavens; taking leave of Earth, the cross assumed its form with the cross-bar moved up from center, and shortened, to resemble the instrument of execution that it once was. Shortly after, the corpus of Christ was added - some more gruesome than others.
If one looks at the four Gospel accounts of the crucifixion; realizing of course that these were written anywhere from 55 to 110 years after the event (which can be determined by historians who deduce from themes and their knowledge of 1st century Judea), one can find the mystical symbolic elements. Matthew and Luke (who built upon the earlier work of Mark) have Jesus hanging between two thieves - a penitant one and an impenitant one (good and evil). Jesus and the two were suspended between Heaven and Earth. The sky being darkened between the 6th and the 9th hour (3 symbolic hours) is sometimes depicted as a solar eclipse - a Conjunctio, or union of opposites (a sort of Western Yin-Yang). John has His heart pierced with a lance (the Spear of Destiny [of Longinus the Centurian] - a relic), and "forwith came there out blood and water." Of course, that would be the pericardium filling with fluid because of asphyxiation, and blood from the heart; but on a mystical level, one sees something else.
The Heart is the Transpersonal Center - the Point where the Infinite came to dwell in the finite. The Catholics depict the Sacred Heart surrounded with the Crown of thorns. The Crown (symbol of Divinely annointed power - Kingship, and Consciousness, or in those days 'Spirit'), has descended from 'On High' into the Heart and Center of Humanity. Blood and Water - Solar and Lunar - Sun and Moon - the Alchemical Opposites in Union - Fire and Water - the Philosophers' Stone - Christ, poured out into space time. The Logos, the Word to be received on Pentacost as 'tongues' of divine fire on the Crowns of the disciples, sinking to their Throat Centers and creating glossolalia - the speaking in ' tongues,' before descending to the place of the Heart.
The Head and Heart (the Throat or Tongue, the silent Mystery of the Word between the two); Kether and Tiphereth (with the silent Da'ath, or Knowledge Center between the two Kabbalistic Sephiroth of Crown and Heart). Luke has Jesus say to the 'good' thief: "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Paradise - PRDS - the four levels of understanding in Hebrew Kabbala: Peshat, the literal; Remez, the allegorical; Derasha, the Talmuddic and Aggadic (Prophetic); and Sod, the mystical.
Whether you are Christian (in whatever sense) or not, when Good Friday comes around with its image of an ancient crucified Jew: Stop and wonder. In the words of an old New Riders of the Purple Sage song entitled, Death and Destruction, are the words that started me on this path: "...When you were in Jerusalem...Do you remember how it was that day?...The day they hung that man up in the sky...Did you ever stop and think, 'I wonder why?'...Do you remember my friend, what it feels like in the end?...And will you wish you had a friend, when it all comes 'round again?..."
Shalom. Pax. Peace.
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γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
Edited by MarkostheGnostic (04/01/02 12:42 PM)
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a solid read markos.t.g
i ponder on this -
The Logos, the Word to be received on Pentacost as 'tongues' of divine fire on the Crowns of the disciples, sinking to their Throat Centers and creating glossolalia - the speaking in ' tongues,' before descending to the place of the Heart.
the hebrew letter - yod, looks remarkably like a tongue of flame and is considered the basis of the hebrew writing system. i once read that written hebrew is known as the fire language.
do you have any thoughts as to why daath is considered 'invisible' and rarely included in tree of life diagrams, no traditional paths on the tree lead to daath and it is never included in tarot nor astrological attributions in the construction of the tree?
gareth knight describes daath as mysteriously profound and representing knowledge in the biblical sense of sexual union...but as a kind of divine union where a transformation takes place.
dion fortune gives warnings about meditating upon daath but also mentions a hidden path running to there from chesed.
also, paul f. case rarely mentions daath, except in passing, but he usually drops a few seeds that can be sprouted and nurtured for those that wish, i suspect mr case reserved his knowledge on the subject for the latter stages of his study course.
i also wonder about the underlying motives for the deliberate omission of daath from the tree, it is such a glaring space that obviously should be filled, its absence leaves the tree geometrically imbalanced......its like a fish-hook to snag inquisitive minds.
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