kaos

article originally published in Red Flame No. 2, “Mystery of Mystery: A Primer of
Thelemic Ecclesiastical Gnosticism”, by Tau Apiryon and Helena; Berkeley, ca 1995.
Given the ephemeral nature of the Web, I have reproduced the passage obtained by
Dee and Kelly about the “Daughter of Fortitude” in my note following this letter.]
I don’t really know that there is a connection, but the Sigil of Binah is reminiscent of
one of the “Ensigns of Creation” that are placed upon the Holy Table in the Enochian
System (illustrated below).
This particular Ensign is associated with the Sun. I am wondering if there is a relation
between the “black shining Triangle, with apex upwards” that appears in the 3 rd Æthyr,
and the “vast black triangle having the apex downwards”, that appears in the 2 nd . I have
no thoughts on the matter, beyond this
observation. It does seem relevant that the
vision of one would follow closely on the
vision of the other.
As for “The mystery of chaos is beyond
the comprehension of any but Masters of
.
the Temple.” This seems fairly obvious, at
least to me. The Master of the Temple sits
there in Binah, utterly open and receptive
to the influence of Chokmah. Chokmah,
as the Magus, is, in a sense, chaos. Binah
brings all things into manifestation: good,
bad, indifferent. This manifestation only
appears random and meaningless, good and evil, from below the Abyss, where Reason
has power to make such distinctions. It also, with respect to the experiences and activities
of you and I, reflects the relationship between the Yijing and the proper attitude towards
it, and the Oath of the Master of the Temple, as you have noted before. I hope I’ve
made this clear, but doubt that I have.
The reference to Lilith in the 2 nd Æthyr is a little dense. I went back and read what
Crowley had to say about it in The Book of Thoth: it didn’t help much. I’m not sure he
understood, or could explain, the concept himself. Lilith was the “mate” of Adam before
the creation of Eve, according to Hebrew mythology. She bore him “children”, of a sort.
Sitting here, I can’t really recall where I learned even that much. I found a reference to
an article by Gershom Scholem, in which he relates that she and Samael issued from
beneath the throne of Divine Glory, and that their activities there rocked its legs a bit.
I can appreciate Lilith and Babalon being “sisters”, in a similar sense as Isis and
Nephthys. I can also see Lilith as an Illusion that conceals Babalon. In purely material
23