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Post by whistler on Mar 15, 2005 3:48:41 GMT
Found this " Possessing an understanding of the mysteries of generation, and keeping his desires under control of a resolute will, the next step of the candidate symbolizes wedlock. It is made before the altar, to indicate that of all acts possible to man, this is the most Holy sacred, and enabling, when actuated by love, and its inner laws are obeyed. It is then that the inner spaces open and the germs of divine power are contacted. This is the mystery of Holy Shekinah, so carefully guarded by the Jewish Kabalists"
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 18, 2005 1:45:10 GMT
The shekhinah is almost as breathlessly unspoken-of by Kabbalists as is the shikse by Rabbis in general: never mentioned explicitly, but always just out of sight, a susurrating movement beneath a silken garment, or the perfume of arousal on a summer's day.
The shekhinah is the glory of God: not the Countenance itself, but the gleam off its pate. Long before the recensions of the Restoration, it was probably the name of the female consort of Jehovah, the Ashtoreth to His Baal.
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Post by whistler on Mar 18, 2005 2:04:27 GMT
Is it like the "God" that is hidden by the Light?
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Post by middlepillar on Mar 18, 2005 8:13:21 GMT
The Shekinah is said to be Gods Divine Presence, imagine a mirage in a Desert and put that on top of The Ark of The Covenant! Between the two Cherubim, for it is there that it is said to of rested.
The only time The Shekinah is mentioned in Freemasonry is to my knowledge in The Royal Masters Degree in Royal & Select, where they use an interpretation something like the above, I have thought about this passage for many years and it is very thought provoking, considering everything that has been written about the Ark over the years.
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Post by whistler on Mar 22, 2005 19:45:02 GMT
This leads to the thought what does God look like
God is always behind the Light - Remove the light what to you have
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Post by Thegnostic on Mar 22, 2005 22:16:31 GMT
Brethren All,
On Kabbalitic matters I usually do not stray far from Gershom Scholem or Aryeh Kaplan (ask Ruffashlar) <LOL> but on this occasion I prefer Halevi`s version of the Shekinah. The The mystery of the Immanence and Transcendance of God has puzzled many for centuries, but for those who have experienced the Shekhinah or the Divine Presence, there is no problem. I am that I am is also that which has no nmae and is therefore in Kabbalah called EN SOF, which means Nothing. As all these names are but forms, they thenselves are no more than ciphers for human intelligence to grasp. However, when a person moves beyond the range of the senses, the sensitivity of the psyche and the scope of the spirit, then the I of the self encounters the THOU of the Holy One. When this relationship between the Creator and the Creature becomes apparent, there emerges between what is in manifestation and that which is beyond, a profound dialogue which is continuios, as long as consciousness is sought. From this, conversation is established, a connection that many mystics have spoken of, if only by hint, for not a few have been persecuted by the orthodox of their religion who do not know what it means to have such an experience. This is because direct experience is always a threat to a priesthood that has no real spiritual connection and is only concerned with preserving the social form of tradition and its own status. Generally speaking Kabbalists never speak of these matters to anyone except those who know and even then such conversations are limited, because it is not possible to describe the indescribable. It has been said that the Holy One enjoys good company and especially yearns for intercourse with human neings, who are the only creatures capable of perceiving the grand design of Exsistence. This is because they can extend their being both below and above the level they are born in to, which gives them a special place and particular access to the Divine. As yet most of the Human race is insufficiently evolved to be able to recognise this possibilty, and therefore those who have reached the stage where they recognise their own potential bear a considerable burden. They must not only seek to communicate with the Divine and assist in the unfolding of the Cosmic Plan, but it is their duty to teach those who follow, as well as aid the millions of people who as yet do not even suspect what the universe is all about. There is also another Kabbalistic tradition that the Shekhinah is in exile, this goes back to the fall of Adam and Eve, who descended from a state of Grace in the Garden of Yetzirah and put on coats of flesh, which we aqquire when we are born. But that is another subject...
I ask you to consider this little article with the current thread on Spiritual Regeneration and note the similarites..
Gnostic Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run - there`s still time to change the road you are on....
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 23, 2005 14:11:42 GMT
"By means of a theological ladder which Jacob saw in a dream" ;D ;D ;D
"The erotic theme [...] appears throught the development of Kabbalah, so that the union between soul and Spirit is allegorically expressed in the sexual act [...]The relationship between Moses and the Shekhinah is described in the Zohar in terms that many conventional and literal-minded rabbis have never been able to accept."
Halevi, The Way of Kabbalah
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Post by Thegnostic on Mar 23, 2005 14:45:09 GMT
Dear Ruff, You quote the following, " By means of a theological ladder which Jacob saw in a dream" ;D ;D ;D " The erotic theme [...] appears throught the development of Kabbalah, so that the union between soul and Spirit is allegorically expressed in the sexual act [...] The relationship between Moses and the Shekhinah is described in the Zohar in terms that many conventional and literal-minded rabbis have never been able to accept." Halevi, The Way of KabbalahWell, I had a look in my version of the book and the passage you quote above is on page 200 and has nothing to do with the Holy Shekinah but is referring to the Song of Solomon. Do not get your link between the two? Gnostic "The truth in all religions is.......
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
Posts: 2,184
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 23, 2005 15:16:09 GMT
Well, it's got the words " The relationship between Moses and the Shekhinah " in it, for a start, which must indicate some connection to the matter under discussion. You may remember that in an earlier post I alluded to a claim that at one time the very ancient Hebrews worshipped a god and a goddess. This is referenced fully by Ilil Arbel at this site - www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/middle_east/judaic/articles.html- under the heading Shekhina listed in a sidebar (on my browser, anyway). The idea of the Shekhinah as the softer, more approachable aspect of the Divinity seems to survive in the way the Zohar (as Halevi sees it) depicts the lover-like bond between the Patriarch and this intangible presence. I must say, it does also remind me of what St Augustine of Hippo says about the love of God having its beginning in earthly love. Also the poems of St John of the Cross, written by the mystic to the Divine, which some mistakenly thought were love-ditties to St Teresa of Avila.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Jun 6, 2005 6:58:53 GMT
- Look at this, Robin: a bloodstained copy of the Zohar. You know what this means. - You can't mean -? -Yes! -Holy Shekinah, Batman!
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
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Post by ruffashlar on Aug 17, 2005 22:56:36 GMT
Well, I sure killed that topic, didn't I.
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Post by gipsyrose on Aug 18, 2005 14:03:04 GMT
I am curious as to whether any of you have found Masonry to be a way to experience the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, or the connection that many mystics have spoken of.
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Post by hollandr on Aug 19, 2005 4:08:26 GMT
Gipsyrose
While the Shekinah as an historical presence may not be preserved in Masonry, there is a higher female presence concealed within the WSW, the beehive, the censing and the plumbline. (I bet Ruff loves that statement)
And it is indeed true the spiritual nourishment associated with the Divine Mother can enter the lodges. We had it the other day at a passing. It was a subtly nourishing experience and the brethren were unusually reluctant to leave the supper table.
Cheers
Russell
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Aug 20, 2005 22:44:14 GMT
If that was intended as irony, Russell (quelle ironie!), let me say that I agree with you completely.
There is an implied gender in all of our Working Tools - and not all of them are masculine. The Mason's implements we employ, not to shape rock, but to shape ideas, moral concepts, and make of them projections of intention. In this we are even more subtly utilising energies of which most only become aware when using the more explicitly gendered Elemental Weapons of Ceremonial Magic.
As many forum-members and lurkers may know, Magical Ceremonial in the West has been heavily influenced by the Golden Dawn system which, though not literally Masonic, is clearly a product of Masonic thought and learning (transmitted through the lens of the SRIA, of course).
Furthermore, it obviously buys its conceptual groceries, so to speak, from the same aisle as Freemasonry: working in a Temple aligned to the compass points but above all the East, and in which the gender-specific Pillars still feature prominently.
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Post by hollandr on Aug 21, 2005 0:44:08 GMT
Ruff
I am impressed.
You are quite right. The use of elemental weapons or more generically, active relationship with elementals, certainly clarifies the gender-based energy balance implicit in lodge structure and workings. This is despite the male dominance of the craft.
The implication is that the current dominance of male-only lodges is a denial of the fundamental energy dynamics of lodge work
Cheers
Russell
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Post by maat on Aug 23, 2005 1:38:19 GMT
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Post by petertaylor on Oct 19, 2005 19:08:22 GMT
Was the Star of Bethlehem the Shekinah?
The Christmas Star has been a well-explored space. Ever since Kepler figured out the rules of planetary motion, astronomers and enthusiasts have eagerly wound back the celestial clock to see what wonders arose in the period around 1 - 7 BC. A quick Google will show you a myriad of possible Stars, none of which is fully convincing. And a whole lot of dispute over even basic facts - such as when the Star shone. (The Gospel of Matthew has Herod the Great still alive during the birth of the Christ. Most historians place his death at 4 BC, although there is an argument he died in 1 BC. The Gospel of Luke dates the birth from a census that most historians attribute to one conducted in 6 AD, based on the name of the governor of Syria mentioned in Luke. This puts it so outside the range that our earnest Star gazers ignore Luke, and indeed this inconsistency is cited as a major historical problem with the Gospels. The Bible, however, oft surprises. The named governor had also served an earlier term as a legate or military commander to Syria, and during his first tenure were two suitable censuses - one in 8 BC that would have gotten the family in Bethlehem in time for a birth in 7 BC, and the other in 3 BC.) The reason for the confusion over the Star is lack of context - we no longer know what would have been a convincing Star in that period. Indeed, this very mechanistic search for some stellar event, so symptomatic of our scientific times, is the wrong way to find the Star. The Star first and foremost had religious significance, and our search for the Star needs to start there - with Judaism, and the prophecies of a Messiah. The Star needs be compelling enough to have drawn the Magi on a long journey from (mostly likely) Persia to Bethlehem, yet not so obvious as to have risen to Herod's attention - he had to have the Star explained to him by the Magi. Once explained, he then took it so seriously he sought to kill all the newly born in Bethlehem. What would help make it so compelling is if it were predicted or prophesised? The premise that the Star was an unexpected, singular event that somehow the Magi figured out, like a puzzle in the sky, is ahistorical. Messiahs were in the water, so to speak. Daniel's prophesies had including timing and it was expected that the Messiah would come around the First Century. Perhaps the Star was similarly predictable? If so, its appearance would have signalled to the Magi that the prophesized events were coming to pass. It would also need to tie in Jewish history. The star-like object in Jewish history is the Shekinah, often described as the light of God. It is not today attributed to a star, but what if our interpretation has evolved, and in those days among the Jewish priesthood it was known to be a rare but recurring stellar event? This is the premise for a new candidate Star of Bethlehem. Historically, we know the Shekinah appeared at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon in 967 BC. It also provided the light at night during the Exodus, and shone at Moses's birth. In 967 BC, there was a conjunction of Venus and Mercury in the morning sky. Could this be the Shekinah? These planets come close off and on, but every 480 years they come very close, when both are very bright. They would appear as a brilliant dagger - or a cross - in the morning sky, pointing down. In 7 BC, this conjunction happened again. Could this be the Star of Bethlehem? The Shekinah is described as coming and going depending on God's will, not in a regular pattern. The conjunction happens more often than 480 years, with varying levels of brightness and closeness. Hence the Shekinah could sometimes appear bright, but often not, and without seeing the larger pattern, could appear a bit random. This period of 480 years is very long, much longer than the experience and astronomical knowledge of most societies. But if nothing else, the ancients were attentive astronomers, and a few 'Magi' may, (although it sounds farfetched), have noticed the 480 year pattern and kept it a tradition passed down to the priesthood over generations. It certainly corresponds to periods mentioned in the Bible. Jewish tradition has the Exodus as 480 years before the dedication of the Temple, and 960 years after the Flood. While we no longer believe these reflect the real periods of time between those events, the important point is for some unexplained reason, these periods are related to 480 years. If we call that 480 year period a Shekinah Period, we find that 7 BC is two Shekinah Periods from the dedication of the Temple, three Shekinah Periods from the Exodus and five Shekinah Periods from the Flood - a remarkable confluence of periods worthy of some great event, such as the birth of the Messiah. The Shekinah has not been noted in history since. It would have re-emerged in 472 AD, about the time of the end of the Roman Empire. But its influence lives on, at least within the heady world of Templars, Freemasons and students of exotic history. Rosslyn Chapel, the centre of speculation in The Da Vinci Code as the resting place for great secrets spirited out of the ruins of Solomon's Temple, was built beginning in 1441 AD - three Shekinah periods from the birth of the Christ, had He been born in 1 AD - which they had no reason not to believe back then. Perhaps a coincidence or perhaps the builders of Rosslyn were aware of the significance of the Shekinah period. We often wonder what ancient secrets were burned with the Library of Alexandria, or lost in the perishing of ancient religions and cultures. The Shekinah Period and the Star of Bethlehem may be one of those heretofore lost secrets!
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Post by hollandr on Oct 19, 2005 23:19:36 GMT
Peter
My understanding is the god of the jews had a female consort who remained in the tabernacle after the male god ceased to visit.
There are parallels with Adam and Lilith.
The literal history became symbolic and spiritual after the gods (elohim) ceased to visit and those keeping their household needed another mission.
That new mission was not entirely arbitrary as the servants of the god(s) had been instructed in some of the religious activities of the gods. These are preserved in somewhat garbled form in HRA and RC
Cheers
Russell
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Post by maat on Oct 19, 2005 23:55:21 GMT
Peter - your question just took my breath away - literally.
I had an experience just weeks before the birth of my daughter which was absolutely wonderful but puzzled me for many years. I had intuited an answer for the experience which was confirmed by a book I came across some 12 years later... but your question has just bought the whole matter to mind again.
I think I have told this story before on some thread but cannot locate it - so will relate it again.
I was 8+ months pregnant and woke in the middle of the night for the usual reason at that time in a pregnancy. Our house was in the country, no lights at all not even a moon, absolutely pitch black. As I felt my way to the bedroom door a little blue light appeared and twinkled about a metre in front of me. I remember nearly poking my own eye out just checking that I was awake. I was so stunned I could not think anything - just awe. Then it faded away after about 30-40 seconds (?) When I got back to bed and was still awe struck it appeared again this time for a slightly shorter period of time. I intuited some time after the happening that it was the soul/spirit of the baby I was about to give birth to.
Now if I was right in my explanation for the phenomenon - and an ordinary soul/spirit can appear as a tiny blue and shining star - can you imagine how a super advanced Soul/Spirit would/could manifest?
I had never made the connection between the two before … it's an interesting thought.
Maat
Thegnostic - just re-read your earlier piece on the thread - just great - thank you for posting it.
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Post by maat on Oct 20, 2005 0:02:24 GMT
Russell - are you talking space entities with your posting? If it was not a Spiritual Light - that would be my first bet. The Ark of the Covenant, to my mind, being a state of the art communication system run by some sort of energy which was lethal to man. But if the Light at Bethlehem was a space craft - why would it have a need to be at a human(?) birth? Was it full of midwives? ;D
Maat
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