Comments on: The Habit of Behaving Like Who We Really Are http://dreaminghades.com/the-habit-of-behaving-like-3 Thoughts along The Path Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:06:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Mer-Amun http://dreaminghades.com/the-habit-of-behaving-like-3/comment-page-1#comment-138 Mer-Amun Sun, 03 May 2009 22:07:52 +0000 http://dreaminghades.com/?p=1172#comment-138 re: Ateh / Malkuth equated to the God and Goddess respectively: Thanks for such a stimulating question! I think from one perspective, that equation makes sense. When we try to understand this kind of polarity (Ateh / Malkuth) through a personification, we do usually attribute Consciousness to the God, and that which Consciousness is aware of to the Goddess. The only think I would add is that the most important lesson to learn from the polarity represented by the God and Godess is that they are really one and the same, the "Ancient Harmony." So your question brings up an important aspect of the Ateh / Malkuth polarity presented in the Ankh of Light. That being the fact that while Malkuth is a faint reflection of Ateh (or Kether), when looking at the two, you are looking at the same thing (the Ancient Harmony). This means that when looking at Malkuth, you are lookinng at one appearance of Consciousness itself. So, by extension, the world around you (Malkuth) is a reflection of your own mind. In other words, when you look at the world around you, you are looking at a veiled or masked apparition of Pure Consciousness itself. While this illusion of Consciousness all around you (Malkuth) seems objective, separate and varied it is actually all one Consciousness, the very same Consciousness that is the core of your Being. The Goddess (the world around you) is Conscious and aware (the God). The God (Kether) manifests all around you as seeming appearance (Malkuth, the Goddess). The two are One (the Ancient Harmony) and only seem distinct when you are aware of the great illusion. This is why, when you pray in earnest to any version or aspect of the God or Goddess that you might perceive around you, whether in your imagination or in an image before you, you will always get an answer. The world around you, imaginary or physical, is as perfectly aware of you as you are of it. It's as alive and feeling and responsive as you are, because it shares the very same consciousness, awareness and responsiveness that you have/are yourself. This experience of looking around yourself (at Malkuth), and seeing your own Mind and Consciousness (Ateh or Kether) reflected back at you like this, is an experience that we will examine in detail, both in ritual and in commentary, in the next part of this series of articles. re: thanks for providing a detailed explanation: I'm so happy you find it useful. Please keep in mind though, that these things have multitudes of meanings, and can be explained in a multitude of ways. In keeping with the theme of this website, I am deliberately focusing on one type of explanation: that of drawing the meaning and significance of the Mysteries into your own immediate and intimate experience. Hopefully, by thus being able to recognize this meaning and significance by yourself, from your own personal experience, you can move from this explanation to exploring the other meanings for yourself. re: Ateh / Malkuth equated to the God and Goddess respectively:
Thanks for such a stimulating question!
I think from one perspective, that equation makes sense. When we try to understand this kind of polarity (Ateh / Malkuth) through a personification, we do usually attribute Consciousness to the God, and that which Consciousness is aware of to the Goddess. The only think I would add is that the most important lesson to learn from the polarity represented by the God and Godess is that they are really one and the same, the “Ancient Harmony.” So your question brings up an important aspect of the Ateh / Malkuth polarity presented in the Ankh of Light. That being the fact that while Malkuth is a faint reflection of Ateh (or Kether), when looking at the two, you are looking at the same thing (the Ancient Harmony). This means that when looking at Malkuth, you are lookinng at one appearance of Consciousness itself. So, by extension, the world around you (Malkuth) is a reflection of your own mind. In other words, when you look at the world around you, you are looking at a veiled or masked apparition of Pure Consciousness itself. While this illusion of Consciousness all around you (Malkuth) seems objective, separate and varied it is actually all one Consciousness, the very same Consciousness that is the core of your Being. The Goddess (the world around you) is Conscious and aware (the God). The God (Kether) manifests all around you as seeming appearance (Malkuth, the Goddess). The two are One (the Ancient Harmony) and only seem distinct when you are aware of the great illusion. This is why, when you pray in earnest to any version or aspect of the God or Goddess that you might perceive around you, whether in your imagination or in an image before you, you will always get an answer. The world around you, imaginary or physical, is as perfectly aware of you as you are of it. It’s as alive and feeling and responsive as you are, because it shares the very same consciousness, awareness and responsiveness that you have/are yourself.

This experience of looking around yourself (at Malkuth), and seeing your own Mind and Consciousness (Ateh or Kether) reflected back at you like this, is an experience that we will examine in detail, both in ritual and in commentary, in the next part of this series of articles.

re: thanks for providing a detailed explanation:
I’m so happy you find it useful. Please keep in mind though, that these things have multitudes of meanings, and can be explained in a multitude of ways. In keeping with the theme of this website, I am deliberately focusing on one type of explanation: that of drawing the meaning and significance of the Mysteries into your own immediate and intimate experience. Hopefully, by thus being able to recognize this meaning and significance by yourself, from your own personal experience, you can move from this explanation to exploring the other meanings for yourself.

]]> By: Ea-Maat http://dreaminghades.com/the-habit-of-behaving-like-3/comment-page-1#comment-135 Ea-Maat Sat, 02 May 2009 23:04:03 +0000 http://dreaminghades.com/?p=1172#comment-135 Excellent! I particularly liked the analogy of the ash of the incense retaining its form to the World retaining its ordinary shape while having its illusory aspect revealed. Would it also be possible to equate Ahteh/Malkuth to the God and Goddess respectively? The point of awareness reminds me of the God and Malkuth the manifesting Goddess? Just a thought. Thank you so much for providing such a detailed explanation of each aspect of this ritual. Excellent! I particularly liked the analogy of the ash of the incense retaining its form to the World retaining its ordinary shape while having its illusory aspect revealed. Would it also be possible to equate Ahteh/Malkuth to the God and Goddess respectively? The point of awareness reminds me of the God and Malkuth the manifesting Goddess? Just a thought. Thank you so much for providing such a detailed explanation of each aspect of this ritual.

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