The Intelligence of Luna

After the Luna Rite, I found myself drawn towards an analysis of the names of the Intelligence and Spirit of Luna. In my interpretation of the dream that followed the creation of the Talisman, I deduced that the name of the Spirit, Shad Barshimath ha-Sharthathan, represented a wrathful, wilderness-dwelling Tannin who, like his Lunar counterpart Asmoday, responds to curses and enacts wrathful vengeance.

An analysis of the name of the Intelligence of Luna, however, reveals an entity of a feminine, celestial nature.

מלכא	בתרשישים	ועד	ברוה	שהרים
Malka	be-Tharshishim	va'ad	be-ruah	Shaharim
Daughter	of the Virtues	and constantly	with the Spirit	of the Dawning Ones

The word ‘Malka’ corresponds to both ‘Queen’ and ‘Daughter.’ With the Tharshishim, ‘the Brilliant Ones,’ being a cognate of the Angelic Order of Virtues, she can either be seen as either the Queen of that Order, then,  or an offshoot of it. With the Intelligences being lesser Angels and the Tharshishim denoting the choir of Angels of Briah in Geburah, it would be more correct to place her as a spiritual offshoot of that order who inherits a middle management function amongst the Choir of the Ishim in the Heaven of Levanah rather than a higher ranking entity in the Heaven of Madim. 

The Choir of the Ishim, whose name depicts ‘flaming’ or ‘sparks,’ are reflected by the Order of Kerubim in the realm of Assiah, and preside over the elements and the motions of the celestial bodies and the natural and elemental forces as they manifest in Malkuth. These natural and celestial functions are reflected in the name ‘Shaharim,’ a spiritual Order with whom the Intelligence of Luna is in constant accord. This Order derives its name from Shahar, the Ugaritic god of dawn and offspring of El, who, with his twin, the dusk god Shalim, ruled the liminal boundaries of night and day. 

With the morning and evening stars being one in Venus, and with the ‘Daughter of the Virtues’ being an offspring of the Heavenly order of Mars, what we see in the Intelligence of Luna is an energy formed by a blending of those of Mars and Venus. This merging of male and female energies is reflected in Luna’s traditional magical power of ‘the White Tincture,’ the stone formed by the Whitening process of Alchemy,  in which the feminine aspect of the soul is realised to be a precursive stage to the Coniunctio that occurs with the production of Gold in Tiphereth. Likewise, the Vision of the Machinery of the Universe associated with Yesod reflects the powers of the Order of Kerubim with their governance of Celestial mechanics.  

The Serpent Dove

“And I Solomon, having heard this, glorified God. And though I marvelled at the apology of the demons, I did not credit it until it came true. And I did not believe their words; but when they were realized, then I understood, and at my death I wrote this Testament to the children of Israel, and gave it to them, so that they might know the powers of the demons and their shapes, and the names of their angels, by which these angels are frustrated. And I glorified the Lord God of Israel, and commanded the spirits to be bound with bonds indissoluble. – Testament of Solomon, 66.

My ongoing learning process has long led me to the idea that the origin of all religion, magick and spiritual phenomenon, just like all physical life, is ultimately stellar in nature. The ideas I’ve expressed previously about the Zodiac as a manifestation of ‘God,’ refers to that stellar Totality. That there are billions of stars in the sky is a reflection of the vast plurality of divine forces that their existence symbolises, and just as we can call that vast collective of galaxies, constellations, stars, planets, moons and asteroids ‘the Cosmos,’ so may we also divinize it and call it ‘God.’ If we don’t like that term for our own personal reasons, we can also call it ‘the Divine,’ ‘the All,’ or ‘the Universe.’

As per the maxim of Hermes, what goes on ‘up there’ in the Celestial realm goes on ‘down here’ on Earth too. This maxim is the basis of astrology and any worthwhile magickal or religious system. Here, on the ground level we also experience those ‘higher’ spiritual reflections in telluric entities, which we call 'Elementals,' and chthonic entities, which we call 'Spirits of the Underworld.' The bridge between the celestial 'higher' and earthly 'lower', is the Astral, from which come the sub-lunar 'Goetic' aspects of the divine force, which bear a natural control over the telluric and chthonic forces beneath them. This is why Spirits of this ilk have powers over the dead and have the ability to reveal the location of hidden treasures. Yet the one foot they have in the Celestial also makes them portals into those realms, as evidenced in the gifts of astral travelling, invisibility and the knowledge of astrology, liberal sciences, philosophy and things past and future that they can grant.

This 'bridge' between realms they inhabit is known as ‘Qesheth,’ meaning ‘bow,’ and signifies the paths of Qoph, Shin and Tau that connect Malkuth to the rest of the Tree of Life. Elsewhere, this bridge is called Bifrost, which is the Rainbow Bridge that connects Midgard, the realm of men, with Asgard, the realm of the gods. The Spirits that inhabit this bridge not only act as gateways to the celestial places beyond it, but offer mastery of the telluric and chthonic gateways below. Working with them grants access to both the celestial and chthonic, enabling the magician to gain one form of wisdom by hanging from the heights of the Tree for nights all nine before descending to the tree’s base to sacrifice his eye to the Waters of the Norns. Both methods are not only valid but vital for holistic magickal development, and are reflected across the entire human spiritual spectrum as the Descent into the Underworld.

By working with the liminal, gateway Spirits that lie between these realms, then, one realises the nature of the vertical pillar that begins in the underworld domains of Hel and the Qlippoth and rises like a serpent up to the celestial crown of the tree, the Fixed Star Polaris, around which the Great Dragon, flying free, sets its guard. In such thinking, the 72 'Angels' now only reflect the higher, celestial aspects of these 'Spirits.' The Angels are not separate entities that exist only to subjugate and punish the Spirits, but are our realisation of the Spirits' higher forms. By 'reconnecting' the Angels and Spirits, one in fact does nothing but realise the true, interconnected nature of these beings. Their essences are not separate, but one, and it's only through man's foolish belief that light and dark are separate at all that we have ever come to appeal to certain aspects of these Entities while neglecting the others.

There is a Gnostic cognate in which such wholeness is personified, and it is is found in the name Abraxas. Unlike the divided name of IHVH, Abrasax represents a complete and undivided circle. It is both time and the cosmos in a single form. From the understanding of the oneness of these ‘high’ and ‘low’ aspects into one Name comes my drive towards finding a holistic method of combining the ‘celestial’ and the ‘sub-lunar’ aspects of the names expressed in the Shemhamphorash and the Goetia. Of course, just as the Cosmos is a combination of many things under one vast, interconnected canopy, so too is it a plethora of individual, separate and unique forms. Being so, it may be of benefit to think of it as such most of the time. Yet it may be even greater benefit, in the ultimate, Universal context, to cast aside such notions of separation. This is what the Great Work, at its core, is all about.

As Above, so Below.

Aspects of the Divided Name: Angels, Demons and the Minor Arcana

“You have us to torture for a little while; then we shall disperse among human beings again with the result that we shall be worshiped as gods because men do not know the names of the angels who rule over us.” Asmodeus – Testament of Solomon 5:5

I’ve long harboured suspicions that the astrological attributions of the Shemhamphorash Angels and the 'Day' and 'Night' aspects of the Goetic Spirits assigned by the Golden Dawn and Crowley have been essentially wrong. With The Golden Dawn’s assignment of the beginning of the Astrological year with the Fixed Star Regulus (which, due to precession was associated with Leo when the G.D. system was formulated, rather than Aries, where it was situated when the Egyptians began their year with it), anomalies occur which Crowley rightly corrected back to beginning with the sign of Cardinal Fire.

Despite changing the Spirits' astrological associations to an 'Aries first' astrological year in his edition of the Goetia, the attributions of the Shemhamephorash Angels found in 777 retain their 'Leo first' placements, which has often led to magicians who haven't done ample research overlaying the Angels and Spirits incorrectly. Consulting the excellent  'Complete Magicians Tables,' by Stephen Skinner is a good place to start remedying such issues.

If, as in the above work by Skinner, one instead chooses to follow the attribution of apportioning the Goetic Spirits rulers from the Shemhamphorash Angels in the manner attributed by Dr. Rudd, then the reasons for thinking the concept of ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ demons as a flawed one becomes more apparent. With each Angel representing one of two quinaries in each Decan, they would each rule a different demon by day than they do by night. If, instead, one splits the Decans associated with the Goetia in the same way that they are split into quinaries with the Shemhamphorash Angels, then each Spirit is ruled by a single Angel and things become more sensible. A chart of how the Angels and Spirits fit together in a chronological, zodiacal manner can be found on the Minor Arcana page of this blog.

There are, however, other factors that are worth considering. Agrippa places the order of the Shemhamephorash Angels in elemental order, as seen in the diagram from his Three Books below, in which the first row relates to Fire, the second, Water, the third Air and the fourth, Earth.

This elemental order also fits the instructions of the Key of Solomon, which state:

Thou shalt write these Names upon Thirty-six Talismans, two upon each Talisman, one on each side. Thou shalt divide these Talismans into four series of nine each, according to the number of the Letters of the Schema. Upon the first Series thou shalt engrave the Letter Yod, symbolised by the Flowering Rod of Aaron. Upon the second the Letter Hé, symbolised by the Cup of Joseph. Upon the third the Letter Vau, symbolised by the Sword of David my father. And upon the fourth the Hé final, symbolised by the Shekel of Gold. These Thirty-six Talismans will be a Book which will contain all the Secrets of Nature. And by their diverse combinations thou shalt make the Genii and Angels speak

In number, these Talismans fit the nine cards (barring the Aces, the roots of the elements) of the four suits of the Minor Arcana the Tarot, with two Angels being attributed to each of the thirty-six cards.

To add to what Agrippa and the Key of Solomon tell us, in Oedipus Aegyptiacus, Athanasius Kircher places the zodiac signs into the modal order of Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable for each element. Placing the Shemhamphorash Angels into the elemental orders given above, then placing Rudd's Goetic equivalents to those angels, the Angels and Spirits can be attributed to the Minor Arcana cards and their corresponding Zodiacal placements in the following way.

No.	Shem. Angel	Goetia	Sign	Decan	Minor Arcana	Dates
1	Vehuiah	Bael	¡	5	2 Wands	Mar 21 - 26
2	Jeliel	Agares	¡	5		Mar 27 - 31
3	Sitael	Vassago	¡	Q	3 Wands	April 1 - 5
4	Elemiah	Samigina	¡	Q		April 6 - 10
5	Mahasiah	Marbas	¡	T	4 Wands	April 11 - 15
6	Lelahel	Valefor	¡	T		April 16 - 20
7	Achaiah	Amon	∞	W	5 Wands	Jul 22 - 27
8	Cahetel	Barbatos	∞	W		Jul 28 - Aug 1
9	Aziel	Paimon	∞	V	6 Wands	Aug 2 - 6
10	Aladiah	Buer	∞	V		Aug 7 - 11
11	Lauviah	Gusion	∞	5	7 Wands	Aug 12 - 16
12	Hahaiah	Sitri	∞	5		Aug 17 - 22
13	Iezalel	Beleth	ª	3	8 Wands	Nov 21 - 25
14	Mebahel	Leraje	ª	3		Nov 26 - 30
15	Hariel	Eligos	ª	R	9 Wands	Dec 1 - 5
16	Hakamiah	Zepar	ª	R		Dec 6 - 10
17	Lauviah	Botis	ª	W	10 Wands	Dec 11 - 15
18	Caliel	Bathin	ª	W		Dec 16 - 21
19	Leuviah	Sallos	¢	T	2 Cups	Jun 22 - 26
20	Pahaliah	Purson	¢	T		Jun 27 - Jul 1
21	Nelehael	Marax	¢	3	3 Cups	Jul 2 - 6
22	Ieialiel	Ipos	¢	3		Jul 7 -11
23	Melahell	Aim	¢	R	4 Cups	Jul 12 - 16
24	Hahuiah	Naberius	¢	R		Jul 17 - 22
25	Nith-haiah	Glasya-Labolas	•	5	5 Cups	Oct 23 - 27
26	Haaiah	Bune	•	5		Oct 28 - Nov 1
27	Jerathel	Ronove	•	Q	6 Cups	Nov 1 - 5
28	Seeiah	Berith	•	Q		Nov 6 - 10
29	Reiiel	Astaroth	•	T	7 Cups	Nov 11 - 15
30	Omael	Forneus	•	T		Nov 16 - 20
31	Lecabel	Foras	≠	W	8 Cups	Feb 19 - 23
32	Vasariah	Asmoday	≠	W		Feb 24 - 28
33	Iehuiah	Gaap	≠	V	9 Cups	Mar 1 - 5
34	Lehahiah	Furfur	≠	V		Mar 6 -10
35	Chevakiah	Marchosias	≠	5	10 Cups	Mar 11 - 15
36	Menadel	Stolas	≠	5		Mar 16 - 20
37	Aniel	Phenex	¶	R	2 Swords	Sep 23 - 27
38	Haamiah	Halphas	¶	R		Sep 27 - Oct 1
39	Rehael	Malphas	¶	W	3 Swords	Oct 2 - 6
40	Ieiazel	Raum	¶	W		Oct 7 - 11
41	Hahahel	Focalor	¶	V	4 Swords	Oct 12 - 16
42	Mikael	Vepar	¶	V		Oct 16 - 22
43	Veuahiah	Sabnock	–	T	5 Swords	Jan 21 - 25
44	Ielahiah	Shax	–	T		Jan 26 - 30
45	Sealiah	Vine	–	3	6 Swords	Jan 31 - Feb 4
46	Ariel	Bifrons	–	3		Feb 4 - 8
47	Asaliah	Uvall	–	R	7 Swords	Feb 9  - 13
48	Michael	Haagenti	–	R		Feb 14 - 18
49	Vehuel	Crocell	£	V	8 Swords	May 21 - 25
50	Daniel	Furcas	£	V		May 26 - 30
51	Hahasiah	Balam	£	5	9 Swords	June 1 - 5
52	Imamiah	Alloces	£	5		June 6 -  10
53	Nanael	Camio	£	Q	10 Swords	June 11 - 15
54	Nitael	Murmur	£	Q		June 16 - 21
55	Mebaiah	Orobas	º	V	2 Disks	Dec 22 - 26
56	Poiel	Gremory	º	V		Dec 27 - 31
57	Nemmamiah	Ose	º	5	3 Disks	Jan 1 - 5
58	Leialel	Aim	º	5		Jan 6 - 10
59	Harakel	Oriax	º	Q	4 Disks	Jan 11 - 15
60	Mizrael	Vapula	º	Q		Jan 16 - 20
61	Umabel	Zagan	™	3	5 Disks	Apr 21 - 25
62	Iah-hel	Volac	™	3		Apr 26 - 30
63	Anianuel	Andras	™	R	6 Disks	May 1 - 5
64	Mehiel	Haures	™	R		May 6 - 10
65	Namabiah	Andrealphus	™	W	7 Disks	May 11 - 15
66	Manakel	Cimejes	™	W		May 16 - 20
67	Etaiel	Amdusias	§	Q	8 Disks	Aug 23 - 27
68	Xabuiah	Belial	§	Q		Aug 28 - Sep 1
69	Rochel	Decarabia	§	T	9 Disks	Sep 2 - 6
70	Jabamiah	Seare or	§	T		Sep 7 - 11
71	Haiel	Dantalion	§	3	10 Disks	Sep 12 -16
72	Mumiah	Andromalius	§	3		Sep 17 - 22

A further possible correspondence with these placements comes in the form of the Ephod, the oracular garment containing the breastplate of the ancient Priests of Israel, upon which four rows of three gems were placed. Used in conjunction with a sheet of parchment on which the name of God was written, the Aurim and Thummim – Lights and Perfections – of the breastplate were consulted by using the gems as a means of Divination. Upon each gemstone, Hebrew Letters, possible relating to the names of each Tribe of Israel they were associated with, were inscribed, though Kabbalistic tradition states that there were six Hebrew letters placed on each stone. These letters spelled out the 72 letter name of God, which, in partnership with the Aurim and Thummim (note that each word begins with Aleph and Tau, the first and last Hebrew letters) and the Name of God that was slipped inside the Ephod, may give us a clue towards one of the origins of the Solomonic and Kabbalistic Talismans which eventually became the Minor Arcana.