I have been struggling with CSJ's Liber 31 during the lockdown. It's written in part as a diary of what was going on in his head in 1918 - ish and part as a commentary on Liber Al vel Legis. I believe Crowley was impressed. Is there any analysis of Fr Achad's efforts available? I would like to look into it further because some of it is very confusing.
I have moved your question here, to a thread on Liber 31 in a forum started by Paul for discussion of Achad's work. No, Liber 31 is not straightforward, because it is in the format of diary extracts and it covers a lot of ground. And yes, Crowley was very impressed with the presentation of AL as the Key to The Book of the Law. His reaction a few days after receiving the typescript of Liber 31 from Achad included the following:
"\ = 418. “Thou knowest not.” Your key opens Palace. CCXX has unfolded like a flower. All solved, even II.76 and III.47. Did you know π = 3.141593? And oh! lots more!"
Though falling out with Achad over subsequent years, Crowley retained his enthusiasm for AL as the Key to The Book of the Law. In 1936, after many years of silence between them following the Release of 1926, Crowley re-opened correspondence with Achad because he was preparing The Equinox of the Gods for publication, and wanted to include an account of the discovery of AL as the Key.
No, there isn't an analysis of Liber 31 as yet, so far as I am aware. There may well be an analysis of it in Jerry Cornelius's recently-published book; my copy hasn't been delivered yet. However, Liber 31 will be amongst the Works of Achad to be prented, edited and commented upon by Henrik Bogdan, and I should imagine that he will analyse it in his Introduction.
It is many years since I last read Liber 31, but if you have any specific questions I'll do my best to answer them.
And yes, Crowley was very impressed with the presentation of AL as the Key to The Book of the Law
Currently it's CSJ's derivation of AL as the key of Liber L vel Legis that i'm struggling with. Crowley renamed the Book of the Law as Liber Al vel Legis after reading the manuscript of Liber 31. So, as you say he was impressed.
it is in the format of diary extracts and it covers a lot of ground
The diary extracts jump around a great deal. There doesn't seem to be many logical connections between the entries and one wonders exactly what was in between them. The entries may be an attempt to form a record of how CSJ worked through his analysis to derive AL and it occurs to me that the "missing" days may be where he followed up "red herrings" as it were.
CSJ's diary has an entry at the begining for Sept 22nd 1918 - I quote
"It seems as if Sunday is the one day of all the week on which I am impressed to write a few fragments of what passes through my mind"
The phrase "passes through my mind" is interesting. A curious observation about people suffering a nervous breakdown - or a psychotic episode - is that they see connections between what rushes through their minds, where in reality there is none.
Thanks for giving me some leads on this. I've been struggling with some of the gematria - especially "418"
The phrase "passes through my mind" is interesting. A curious observation about people suffering a nervous breakdown - or a psychotic episode - is that they see connections between what rushes through their minds, where in reality there is none.
When claiming the grade of Magister Templi, Achad had sworn to interpret all events as the dealings of God with his soul. He continued to regard events in this way. For instance, he would derive signifinace via Sepher Sephiroth at the time of starting or finishing something. He maintained that all his major initiations were accompanied by events - particularly weather conditions - around him. So far as Achad was concerned, all was connected, intermeshed, interwoven.
I don't think that Achad was psychotic or mentally ill. I've seen many of his letters spanning several decades, and again don't have that impression at all.
I've been struggling with some of the gematria - especially "418"
418 denotes the Great Work. It's also the number of Parzival, one of Achad's magical names. There's also a host of other correspondences listed in Sepher Sephiroth.
“ The phrase "passes through my mind" is interesting. A curious observation about people suffering a nervous breakdown - or a psychotic episode - is that they see connections between what rushes through their minds, where in reality there is none. “
Perhaps he was able to write down what streamed through the medium of the mind stuff during spells when the shakers dancing didn’t cause a rattle.
So far as Achad was concerned, all was connected, intermeshed, interwoven
I get that, I would agree that everything exists in an interconnected 3D matrix, but as something like this - "a butterfly flaps its wings in the Brazilian rainforest and in another time, on the other side of the world, an egg is laid, destined to become a new species...."
It's also the number of Parzival
If you spell it "Parsifal" as Wagner did in his opera, its different. It also different depending on which style of gematria you use. All very confusing!
Parzival got an interesting treatment at the begining of Trevor Ravenscroft's book "The Spear of Destiny". One day I'm going to visit the Hapsburg Museum in Vienna and gaze upon their spear.
Perhaps he was able to write down what streamed through the medium of the mind stuff during spells when the shakers dancing didn’t cause a rattle.
If you read Achad's diary, its not really like that. Do you rattle when you dance? You dont want to be on patrol in the Guatamatan jungle with a soldier who has'nt tied his kit down properly and rattles. Or tread on a snake who rattles either....connections and mind games!
"a butterfly flaps its wings in the Brazilian rainforest and in another time, on the other side of the world, an egg is laid, destined to become a new species...."
Well, such connections as this are not apparent to our rational minds. I don't see what's wrong with the passage you quote. Perhaps it was intended as poetry or analaogy; who knows what he intended. It may be that you might find similar passages in Crowley's The Book of the Heart Girt with the Serpent, or Achad's XXXI Hymns to the Star Goddess.
If you spell it "Parsifal" as Wagner did in his opera, its different. It also different depending on which style of gematria you use.
Just because Wagner spelt it as "Parsifal", doesn't mean it's not permitted to spell it in any other way. Achad chose to spell it as "Parzival" because it thereby enumerated as 418. Nor, transliterated into Hebrew letters, does his spelling appear to be all that eccentric. Tzaddi for S is hardly a massive stretch. Vav for f is not outlandish. Achad used Hebrew gematria almost exclusively, and rarely strayed further than Sepher Sephiroth.
Personally I don't think there is anything confusing about Achad's use of gematria. However, it may be that gematria simply isn't your cup of tea; that's the case for many occultists, probably most. Those of us that use gematria each have our own approaches. In my case, I have a small core of numbers that are meaningful for me, being connected to my magical and mystical experience, and work outwards from there, accumulating thereby my own Sepher Sephiroth which grows out of my own experience.
For what it's worth (probably not a lot), I used to loathe gematria, but gradually developed an interest in it as my attachment to rationality slipped away. What I mean by that is not that I am a lunatic (though I might be, I suppose), but that I use rationality as a tool, useful for some things (crossing the road, writing computer programs), less useful for others (writing poetry, conversing with one's Angel). Horses for courses, as the pit-pony said to the racing stallion.
@@frater_anubis
Some times i rattle and even shout when i dance !
Do you drum when stalking a good bargain ?
Will have to read Achad's diary .
Parzival is the original spelling as used by Wolfram von Eschenbach in the epic of the same name (Wagner's Primary source). Wagner had read somewhere that fal parsi is Persian for "foolish pure one" (törichter Reiner) which he therefore changed into parsi fal - "pure fool" (reiner Tor). The Persian is known to be completely wrong, but Wagner couldn't know that in his day.
Markus
Parzival is the original spelling as used by Wolfram von Eschenbach in the epic of the same name (Wagner's Primary source). Wagner had read somewhere that fal parsi is Persian for "foolish pure one" (törichter Reiner) which he therefore changed into parsi fal - "pure fool" (reiner Tor). The Persian is known to be completely wrong, but Wagner couldn't know that in his day
That's very interesting, Markus.
but Wagner couldn't know that in his day
so, he was the pure fool.
The diary extracts jump around a great deal.
After one has read, and annotated, ~fifty or so Magical Records, one (anyone) might find a lot of this jumping. The Official Scriptures say that the Record must be legible and readable by others. Sometimes, some people actually do this.
Perdurabo's written Record from, say, the era of the Cairo Working, displayed a lot of shorthand and/or scribble, with some entries too highly coded for anyone to interpret. This gives rise to strange actions by others, including accusations of fabrication.
My own Records are all printed (no scribble scripting), and for the most part are readable, the way they're supposed to be, but then not everyone is a Virgo. Too bad I didn't discover the Key to Anything, and nobody would want to read my impeccable presentation.
I don't think that Achad was psychotic or mentally ill.
Although Crowley probably penned his two-pennies worth of Achad's psychological instability, we may mainly look to Wilfred T. Smith ("The Unknown God") for his written comment: "I saw Jones today. He is medico-legally insane." CSJ had stopped by the Lodge for a visit with Smith in the late 30s or early 40s. The general impression of anyone in Agape was that they (all) felt Achad had lost his marbles.
This is a common phenomenon in spiritual/occult/initiatory groups. When anyone gets on the shit-list, the remaining members regard them as dangerous, traitorous, evil, stupid, crazy, or hopelessly lost. Soror Capricornus, supposedly a high-level initiate displayed this tendency after Frater Taurus was the first one to resign from Solar Lodge. He moved on the join the LA Police Dept, and Capricornus' reaction was the first display of bothersome tendencies.
She would constantly express the thoughtform that she was projecting. An absolute case of Black Magic, wherein Taurus would be assigned to the Ghetto division, where he would be overwhelmed by angry, violent crowds of ghetto gangs. She never vocalized the outcome (injury or death), but she certainly wielded this petty revenge with vigor.
Of course, Taurus was stronger physically (than anyone) and mentally than Capricornus, and this crap was all made up in her lower mind (she never did ceremonies or used talismans ... on him), and he never got assigned to the deep ghettoes, and he never got overwhelmed by any individual or gang. Most of the other members didn't know Taurus, so they were neutral in this matter.
A few years later, I got moved onto the shit-list. I know just what the "vibes" of the members become, and thus am attempting to explain the syndrome.
To cut the psycho-babble to the chase, anyone can study the overall history of Achad and see that there is no insanity involved. The claim of his derangement is based on (1) early on, his claiming ascendency in grade over Therion (bad news in any org) and (2) later, he expressed ideas that were outside the Thelemic box. He is insane, everybody rushed to think and say.
Perhaps he was able to write down what streamed through the medium of the mind stuff during spells when the shakers dancing didn’t cause a rattle.
You have used big words and fringe concepts in a complex sentence, but you did it in a much shorter space than I. Translating your jargon, I note that I had the same thought.
Most "breakthroughs" are the result of some spontaneous revelation (Of E=Mc2, Einstein said, "It was given to me." Of Quantum Theory, Max Planck said, "It was a lucky guess."), and not the result of mental, analytical reasoning.
There is a certain mental magic in Solve the first half, forget the second. The mind is established so that anyone (who has, or can develop, the knack) can set up the basic parameters of a complex problem, then dismiss the whole thing, and then the answer is given to them ... in meditation dream, vision, or number(s).
I get that, I would agree that everything exists in an interconnected 3D matrix ...
You are expressing a problem, and you are looking for rational connections. The spontaneous revelations I speak of (above) are 5D.
By mentioning 4D (persona) or 5D (higher mind), I am moving outside the Thelemic box. Ignant has already accused me of (benign) insanity and he affirms that everyone else in this Tong knows it (and tolerates me out of respect for my advanced senility).
I also mention auras, rays, and spaceships. I am so far outside the 93 Box that I will soon be driven away, and those who remain will write of me in the same way they deride Los, the Departed, who comes around later, like Achad, but not for long.
I'm going to visit the Hapsburg Museum in Vienna and gaze upon their spear.
Note that the legends proclaim that every high-ranking member (about 200) of the SS had a copy of this artifact. It is possible that the present, on-display item is not the original. You will need all your psychic powers to divine the energy of said Spear head.
A fake? Well, on the other hand, the Spear was received by Patton, who held it, and thus took possession. Then he directed it be given back to the Treasure House Museum. The legend says whenever its NOT in one's possession, death will come. Both Adolf and George P. let it get out of their hands, Both died not long after. So maybe the pointy sticker in the Treasure House is the real deal.
connections and mind games!
Exactly.
Well, such connections as this are not apparent to our rational minds.
This is why some connections are termed acausal by Jung, as a definition of non-linear perceptions or results. But Jung, in his turn, is outside the 93 Box, but he was too cool to put on the shit-list.
Just because Wagner spelt it as "Parsifal", doesn't mean it's not permitted to spell it in any other way.
Like Percival? Parzival (however he spelled it) was also Perdurabo's magical moniker as a 5=6, a piece of trivia not often mentioned.
... as my attachment to rationality slipped away.
Oh, so you're on, or headed for, the shit-list as well. That's okay. Some of us maintain a mask of sanity, solid enough to fool the mentats ... who simply think we are strange.