Have you ever seen a tree growing downward? If you’re familiar with Kabbalism then you have. This is probably common knowledge but yes, it’s the Tree of Life. It grows downward from The Source toward matter with the brain as it’s’ roots and the spine as the tree. Of course the opposite of this is that same tree growing up from matter toward The Source with the brain now being the branches/leaves. But the leaves haven’t blossomed – yet.
This is the meaning of the Creation of Adam painting with Adam and God reaching out to one another. It is also the bands of the Zodiac. The outer band, called the Great Platonic Year, is our Solar Systems’ orbit with the Sirius Star System. It is also the Precession of the Equinoxes. We are locked in a binary system with Sirius and the orbit takes 25,920 years. We’re in each age then for 2,160 years, quite a long time. Think of this orbit as us – conscious mind/sleeping soul/locked Spirit vibrating at a very low frequency – the first, natural Adam and moving backward through the Zodiac.
Closer to home we have the Earth/Moon orbit around the Sun. Paracelsus and others tell us there is a 3-Sun structure in each solar system. The true center is the Spirit, the northern portion is the psychic/soul sun and the southern portion is the material Sun we see in the sky every day. The soul/Spirit Suns are self-explanatory but the material Sun corresponds to the human heart. Or, more specifically, what’s in our heart. We’ll see why later. The Earth represents our brain – it is physical like the Earth and it and the Earth at the Equator both vibrate at 7.83 Hertz. The Moon represents illusion. Notice how quickly the Moon orbits the Earth. That’s illusion always right in front of our brains, blocking, so to speak, access to higher mind (the Sun). That’s why illusion is the first and most important vestment to clear and why it is the first Chakra/Seal to open. Nothing good can happen while we’re under illusion. Also notice what else is blocking us – Mercury (generative) and Venus (Solar Plexus), the next 2 Chakras/Seals to open in front of the heart Chakra/Seal.
Even though it’s the Earth orbiting the Sun it’s the Sun that is considered moving through the year-long inner Zodiacal band. You’ll notice that the orbits (solar system (mind), Sun (Divine mind) spin in opposite directions. So we have the Sun (Divine Mind) journeying through the inner Zodiacal band forward and faster than the solar system representing a much higher vibrational frequency. Consciousness is measured in this frequency.
Now, when we take this inside the human body (As Above, So Below) we have, at first, what you might expect. Aries in the head and Pisces at the feet. But only for the body itself, extending up from matter. We, extending downward from above, are traveling in the opposite direction (Sun vs solar system) so we will encounter Pisces first in the head and Aries at the feet. That’s how we get the Septenary extending from the root Chakra/Seal ( Cancer, Moon ) at the base of the spine upward to the Pineal Gland ( Capricorn, Saturn ) in the head. That’s going forward but from the middle of the body upward. Our Zodiac is upside down when viewing the human body’s’ Zodiac.
Since matter/body is always considered water in ancient scripture and with Pisces at the head for us we have 2 Baptisms going on here. Our immersion into both Pisces (water symbol) and the water of the body. Also, since our souls’ journey begins at the Claustrum in the brain and the Claustrum is the beginning for the 4 spinal fluids we can be sure of the order in which we (soul/Spirit because we haven’t yet descended onto the Mental Plane to be enclosed within conscious mind) are traveling. I realize that modern science puts the start of these fluids in the Choroid Plexus but these same scientists admit knowing nothing significant about the Claustrum and almost nothing about the Pineal Gland so I’m sticking with the Ancients and if I’m wrong, well STRIKE ONE!
2 of the 4 spinal fluids end up in the Solar Plexus for energy (electricity). The other 2 (magnetism) end up at the base of the spine where certain salts and oils are created. I believe that is why the 12 Cell Salts of the body are so important for this reason as well as for maintaining good health. Both of these Chakras/Seals (Solar Plexus/Virgo and the base of the spine/Cancer) represent the Virgin Mother, Isis, Hannah, Anna, etc. We can look at all of these fluids as nourishing/ energizing the 1st mother for the conception of the Christ-minded human. So these fluids are always descending, but there is only 1 ascent once we start turning the Chakras/Seals around. In the beautiful Hymn of the Pearl we see that one soul gets lost and another ventures out to find it, then gets lost in turn, etc. Multiple descents, 1 ascent. This 1st mother conceives in Virgo, the 2nd mother (Nephtys, Mary M.) brings forth in Pisces. John the Baptist (Virgo, natural human) states that he must decrease so that Jesus (Pisces, Christ-minded human) may increase. This means the lower mind/thoughts/emotions along with animal nature must decrease so that higher mind/thoughts/emotions can increase along with the taming of the animal within us. Notice how, in the Bible, they are born 6 months apart. Since we’re now at the base of the spine, ruled by the moon this will be our first hurdle. Once we have broken through illusion it is time for the beginning of judgment on the ascent. We have entered the womb of Cancer, the root Chakra/Seal, ascending. This is the entrance to the Halls of Amenti ruled over by Osiris. Osiris is, among many, the symbol of the material Sun in the Septenary. The Sun corresponds directly to the heart Chakra/Seal – “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he”. Not being sexist here, man meaning all of humanity. This, on the upswing, is the Scales of Libra. Our souls are weighed on the scales against a feather. Perhaps a peacocks’ bright, luminous feather? Our souls need to be as Light as a feather. In other words, if this heart Chakra/Seal isn’t opened yet, we’ll have to try again next time (multiple descents). This means we haven’t moved from individuality back into universality and we haven’t overcome the lower self/ego. Individuality is the root of lower self/ego. What did St. George of Cappadocia use to slay the dragon of his lower self/ego? The Light of Truth. Osiris also means open (Os) eye (Iris). There’s that single eye thing again…with good reason. But before we get to Osiris there are the other 2 Chakras/Seals to open. The Moon, Mercury and Venus represent the lower world. Above the Sun, which lies directly in the middle, is the superior world. Ascending – Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. That’s the Septenary.
What destroys illusion? Truth. How does truth reverse the spin of the Chakras/ Seals? Remember the Chakras/Seals are mental in nature. Not only are they energy centers but levels of consciousness as well. Just as the soul can manifest problems if its’ progress is blocked, it can also reverse the spin of these wheels as it grows. Truth leads to awareness and awareness leads to remembrance. The soul/Divine Mind hasn’t forgotten its’ positive aspects, they were just concealed. It seems like forgetfulness but it’s really just a concealment. We drank the waters of Lethe which simply means incarnation and we can’t remember who we are, where we’re from and what we’re supposed to be doing. The soul hasn’t forgotten any of this. But the conscious mind has no clue of this. So it is left to slug it out with ignorance the old fashioned way, by brute force, so to speak. Trial and error, catastrophe, mistakes, bad decisions, suffering etc. Slowly but surely it begins to win some of these battles with ignorance. With each victory, no matter how small, the soul/Divine Mind is unveiled more and more. The more unveiling, the more the soul can help the conscious mind. This is the conscious mind turning the 7 negative powers of the mind into positive potencies as best it can. This will continue until both are back at the Mental Action Plane where the soul was first encapsulated within conscious mind. But now the conscious mind has made the effort and is ready to blend with the higher mind. Guess who’s waiting for us on this Plane? The Single-Eyed Archer, Sagittarius. Once we have made it past the judgment of Osiris the Archer is telling us we’re ready to experience the open Single Eye and that the cycle of birth/rebirth is over. On the descent Capricorn (the tomb) meant “death” for the soul. Through all of ancient scripture death only means to incarnate so the Egyptian Book of the Dead can easily be renamed The Book of the Incarnating/Sleeping Soul. Now that the conscious mind is ready the Spirit Action Plane pulls both minds (still one within the other) up. With the opening of the Pineal Gland and the unlocking of the Spirits’ consciousness this now unified/spiritualized mind is pulled up again to the Christ Consciousness Plane which blends the 2 minds together. Capricorn/Saturn mark the beginning of death/time on the descent and the ending of death/time on the ascent because everything born in time must die in time. Once past Osiris – immortality.
When the blending takes place the redeemed Mind is positive but with one big difference. There is awareness of the negatives. The soul didn’t have that awareness before incarnation so it had to go through all of this to learn about them. With this awareness of the negatives and how to recognize/deal with them the unified mind can locate causation and end effects immediately. No dwelling in the world of effects with its pain, anguish, stress, etc. There is now understanding. With understanding we can do so much more. We know why we and others behave the way we/they do. We know how to help ourselves and others without harm. We can be of service.
As for the human side of the Tree of Life the leaves have now blossomed in the brain and that is, physically speaking, why we’re going to be so much more conscious than before. The problems won’t completely disappear but they can be dealt with much more easily. We will still need to complete the 12 Labors of the Zodiac like Hercules, Sinbad, Homer ( Odyssey ), Siegfried and other Solar Heroes but now we’re set up to do just that.
Truth can be very hard to accept sometimes and I think a very good Gnostic verse sums this up well – “Seek the truth and keep seeking it until you find it. When you find it you will be disturbed and when you are disturbed you will be astonished and rule over the All”. The All is Spiritual Knowledge. So yes, you will be disturbed but that is how you will know you’re on the right path. The Astonishment the verse speaks of is the Gnosis (Spiritual Transformation). The Ancient mind which developed all of this was, in my view, more than genius. Enlightened beyond anything we see today. It is said that the Chaldeans charted the stars for 26,000 years to put the Zodiac together. They would pass findings, questions, research etc. down from generation to generation with patience, determination and perseverance that would be very difficult to find today. The Chinese, Hindu/Buddhists and others were at work with this as well so it was a worldwide endeavor.
So the human body is really just more symbolism. It’s the effect, we (mind) are the cause. When any mind descends on the physical being it links in to the central nervous system to animate the being. Our symbol in the body, the 4 spinal fluids, split into polarities just like the universe around us. The descent/ascent of these fluids take many incarnations so each time we incarnate we simply pick up where we left off before, like saving your place in a video game and starting from that point the next time you play. So in essence this is a Divine Virtual Reality Game. A really hard one.
Wow, Mike! One of the best articles I have seen the puts the human body into the proper perspective of astrology and ancient myth.
Hello again Mike. Commendably instructive article. Out of curiosity I’d like to know how you would interpret Rev. 2, verse 7, on eating from the tree of life? In what way will we (those who overcome) eat from the tree of life? We know it’s not a literal tree growing with natural fruit like pineapples or coconuts.
Thanks Vernon, that is really nice of you to say. One aspect of the Tree is the Zodiac. There are the 12 Labors for all of us to perform. In my next article which I just finished I spell out what those Labors are. So when we undertake those Labors and are successful we “eat” from the Zodiac – Tree of Life. But there’s more. In the Book of Revelations I think Chapter 22 talks about the 12 Lights and the fruit that will come once a month. Those Lights correspond to the Hebrew Sephiroth even though we have 12 vs 10. This has to be the Zodiac again and the fruit are the Labors. In my view that’s also the 12 Days of Christmas but I haven’t put it all together yet. For instance each Day represents the number of the sign so the 5 Golden Rings align with Leo where we have the golden ring ( mane ) of the lion. Next is Virgo, the Virgin Mother, Geese-a-Laying so we get Mother Goose , the world egg, Ptah working on his potters’ wheel creating that world egg, etc. I’m submitting that article today so it should be out fairly soon. If I didn’t answer your question or if you have more feel free to write. Thanks again Vernon!
Thank you very much. You most definitely answered the question, and I learned a few new things from it. All I could say about it was “I don’t know.” And you’re right, that word “eat” can throw us off if we’re not in tune with both the macrocosmic and the microcosmic significance of the tree. Jesus Christ decreed this kind of obscure symbolism through John in order to protect His New Testament church from certain worldly elements who were capable of destroying it. Right now I’m busy reading through Frater Achad’s “Anatomy of the body of God” to glean some light on the Kabbalah in the Hermetic view, hoping to find something else new. Thanks again Mike. Have a beautiful summer.
Hi Mike and Everyone,
This is fascinating material, though as someone unfamiliar I’m having trouble digesting it all. I’d like to offer a Christian Gnostic perspective. This is not meant to be condescending or dismissive. The occult sciences do a good job describing the invisible forces influencing our human nature and psyche. The Kabbalah Tree of Life, I feel, is the best system for describing our human nature as it relates to the psyche and invisible forces.
There is something beyond, above and behind, which cannot be described or put into a system, even one as well imagined as Kabbalah. Even our higher mind is incapable. We can only inadequately describe it with abstract words such as Love, Light, Divinity, and so on.
The Ineffable God established a Limit between the earth plain and the spiritual plain. All below the Limit on the earth plain are subject to invisible forces such as astrological influences, magnetism, vibrational frequencies, geometry, and so forth. This is not to suggest these are intrinsically negative forces. They serve a purpose.
A lesser god called the Architect, Demiurge, and other names is responsible for these forces. This lesser god designed and formed everything that is ‘below’ the Limit in his own image. These invisible forces are the Demiurges’ psychic energies.
The Demiurge is not aware of the Ineffable God or a divine spark in the heart of humans he created in his image. This spark is a small remnant of Divinity. This spark carries with it a yearning that we become aware of at some point in our lives. This yearning leads to seeking, and seeking can lead to our awakening to the Light or Christ within. This experience is Gnosis.
As we cultivate the Light through many mystical experiences of Gnosis, the Light takes over more and more of our human nature. In psychic terms the ego recedes more and more. Because we are still in our human bodies, the Demiurge’s psychic forces still have influence. The pushing and pulling of these forces provide the necessary resistance for the Light to grow stronger, for us to grow closer and closer to Divinity.
This is how God planned it. Those who grow in the Light are no longer bound to the wheel of life and death. This is immortality, the point of it all.
Peace be with you,
Tommy
Beautiful Christian view, Tommy. And another wonderful thing about Gnosis is that we all have our own individual pathway to it and our own way of cultivating it. The spirit isn’t bound to any particular way. We participate personally in the receiving. I like how Francis Von Baader used (and supposedly innovated) the term “con-scientia” symbolizing mankinds participation with the knowledge of God. We are all born with the grain of light, awakened to it or not, within us. And when it grows bright enough to the reception of the highest God, like you say, we escape the wheel of life & death. Beautiful sentiments.
Can someone explain “hive mind” and how to avoid it?