The Golden Dawn
Page 48
Stolistes:
Aur-a-mo-ooth
Dadouchos:
Thaum-aesch-niaeth
Sentinel:
Ano-oobi em-Pementte (Of the West)
Invisible Stations
Children of Horus:
Northeast:
Ameshett or Amesheth
Southeast:
Too-oumathph or Too-oumathv 14
Northwest:
Kabexnuv or
Kabexnjemouv 15
Southwest:
Ahephi or Ahaphix
Kerubim:
Kerub
Sign
Ahathoor
Phritithi
Tharpesh
Labo-ae
Tho-oom Mo-oo
Szlae-ee
Ahapshi
Ta-aur
Tharpesh can also be spelled Tharpeshest
Invisible Stations (continued)
Cardinal Points:
North: Anmehitt
South: Phraestt
East: E-eebtt
West: Emantt
Harpocrates: Ho-or-Po-Kratt-I St
Evil Persona:
Apophra-i Ssz
Stooping dragon
Szathan-Toophon
Slayer of Osiris
Bessz
Brutal power of demonic force
Ommoo Szathan
The Mouth of the Power of Destruction 16
Editorial Note by John Michael Greer
The Coptic language, which is still used as a liturgical language by Christians in Egypt, is descended from ancient Egyptian but written in a script largely based on ancient Greek. None of the founders and adepts of the Golden Dawn were fluent in it, or even as familiar with it as they were with Hebrew; their Coptic lore was based on the limited resources available to them, and seems to have been modified further based on an alphabetic symbolism unique to the Golden Dawn. The Coptic names given here and in the Golden Dawn manuscripts that Regardie used thus do not correspond to standard Coptic usage. I have nonetheless left the names unchanged, except for typographical corrections in the English transliterations, because the spellings had specific symbolic meanings within the Golden Dawn tradition. The following table, derived from the Golden Dawn flying rolls, may be of help to students of the tradition who wish to explore these names and their meanings.
Symbolism of the Coptic Alphabet
Letter
Name
Sound Value
Symbolism
Alpha
A
Air
Veeta
B
Mercury
Ghamma
G
Moon
Delta
D
Venus
Ei
E
Aries
Epsilon
V
Taurus
Zeeta
Z
Gemini
Khai
Ch
Cancer
Tav
T
Leo
Iota
I
Virgo
Kappa
K
Jupiter
Lamda
L
Libra
Mei
M
Water
Nei
N
Scorpio
Eksi
X
Sagittarius
O
O
Capricorn
Pee
P
Mars
Epsi
Ps
Aquarius
Kai
Ch
Pisces
Ro
R
Sun
Shai
Sh
Fire
Theeta
Th
Saturn
Soo
(St – see note)
Kether
Cheema
Sz
Chokmah
Tee
Tt
Binah
Eeta
Ae
Chesed
Fei
Ph
Geburah
O
Oo
Tiphareth
Hori
H
Netzach
Fai
F
Hod
Janja
Dj
Yesod
Seema
S
Malkuth
Note: the letter , Soo, is not pronounced in Coptic, and is used only as a symbol for the number 6; the Golden Dawn assignment of the sound value “St” to this letter is unique to the order. Several other letters have different sounds in ordinary Coptic than those used by the order.
[contents]
11. Note by JMG: The word “aspire” comes from the Latin ad-spiro, “to breathe to or towards.”
12. Note by JMG: Ezekiel 1:15.
13. Note by Regardie: In this connection read very carefully the section on page 743–778 concerning the four serpent formulae of the four aces of the tarot. Some hint may be there gleaned of the relation of the breath to the macrocosmic forces.
14. Note by JMG: Misspelled “Tto-oumathfph or Tmo-oumathv” in the original. Compare the Coptic, in which the second letter is the Coptic letter , O, pronounced “oo.”
15. Note by JMG: The second version is misspelled “Dabexnjemouv” in the original. Compare the Coptic, where the first letter is K.
16. Note by JMG: Given as “Power of the Mouth of the Power of Destruction” in the original text at this point; this less repetitive form, however, is given in the lecture on the invisible stations (page 431), and appears to be correct.
THE EGYPTIAN GODFORMS
OF THE NEOPHYTE GRADE
The stations of the godforms used in our symbolism come under two heads:
1. Visible Stations.
2. Invisible Stations.
The visible stations are the places of the officers, each of whom has a special astral shape suitable to the forces he represents.
On the dais are places for the three chiefs, the past Hierophant, and the Hierophant. The order in which they sit (as you face east) is:
Imperator
Cancellarius
Hierophant
Past Hiero
Praemonstrator
Nephthys
Thoth
Osiris
Aroueris
Isis
The names below are those of the godforms they represent. The following are the descriptions of the godforms of the seven officers of the Neophyte grade.
Osiris
Hierophant: Osiris in the netherland. Expounder of the mysteries in the Hall of the Dual Manifestation of the Goddess of Truth.
Hierophant is represented by two godforms, the passive and active aspects of Osiris. Seated on the dais as Hierophant, he is clothed in the godform of Osiris. He wears the tall white crown of the south flanked by feathers striped white and blue. His face is green, the eyes blue, and from his chin hangs the royal beard of authority and judgment, blue in colour and gold tipped. He wears a collar in bands of red, blue, yellow, and black—and on his back is a bundle strapped across his chest by scarlet bands. He is in mummy wrappings to the feet, but his hands are free to hold a golden phoenix wand, a blue crook, and a red scourge. The hands are green. His feet rest on a pavement of black and white.
The godform of Osiris never moves from the dais. When the Hierophant has to move from the dais, he is covered by the form of Osiris in action—Aroueris, which is built up by the past Hierophant, seated on Hierophant’s left. If no one is seated as past Hierophant, then inner members help the Hierophant to formulate the second godform.
Aroueris, Horus the Elder, is very lively to look upon—like pure flames. He wears the double crown of Egypt, the cone shaped crown in red inside the white crown of the north, with a white plume. His nemyss is purple banded with gold at the edges
. His face and body are translucent scarlet. He has green eyes and wears a purple beard of authority. He wears a yellow tunic with a waist cloth of yellow striped with purple, from which depends a lion’s tail. In common with all Egyptian gods, he has a white linen kilt showing like an apron under the coloured waist cloth. His armlets and anklets are of gold. He carries in his right hand a blue phoenix wand, and in his left a blue ankh. He stands on a pavement of purple and gold.
Horus
Hiereus: Horus in the abode of blindness unto and ignorance of the higher. Avenger of the gods.
He wears the double crown of the south and north, red and white, over a nemyss of scarlet banded with emerald green. His face is that of a lively hawk—tawny and black with bright piercing eyes, his throat is white. His body, like that of Aroueris, is entirely scarlet. He wears collar, armlets, and anklets of emerald; a waist cloth of emerald striped red from which depends a lion’s tail; and he carries in his right hand an emerald phoenix wand and in his left a blue ankh. He stands on a pavement of emerald and scarlet.
Thmaa-Est
Hegemon: Thmaa-Est. “Before the face of the gods in the place of the threshold.”
Thmaa-Est wears a black nemyss bound at the brow with a purple band from which rises, in front, a tall ostrich feather of green striped with red in equal bands. She wears a banded collar of red, yellow, blue, and black. Her tunic is emerald green reaching to the feet where it is banded to match the collar. She has purple and green shoulder straps and a purple girdle also bordered in the colours mentioned above. Her face and body are natural colour—i.e., a light Egyptian red-brown. She wears armlets of emerald and red, and she carries a combined form of lotus and phoenix wand. It has an orange flower, a blue stem, and ends in an orange sign of the binary. In her left hand she carries a blue ankh, and she stands on a pavement of yellow and purple, bordered with blocks of red, blue, yellow, black, in succession.
Anubis of the East
Kerux: Anubis of the east. Watcher of the gods.
Anubis has the head of a black jackal, very alert, pointed ears well pricked up. His nemyss is purple banded with white; he wears a collar of yellow and purple bands and a tunic of yellow flecked with tufts of black hair. His body is red. His waist cloth is yellow striped with purple and from it hangs a lion’s tail. His ornaments are purple and gold; his phoenix wand and ankh, blue. He stands on a pavement of purple and yellow.
Auramo-ooth
Stolistes: Auramo-ooth. “The light shining through the waters upon earth.” “Goddess of the scales of the balance at the black pillar.”
Auramo-ooth is mainly in blue. Her face and body are natural. She wears a blue crown of the north from which springs a delicate gold plume, over a vulture headdress of orange and blue. Her collar is orange and blue, she carries a blue ankh and a lotus wand, having an orange lotus on a green stem. Her plain blue tunic reaches to the feet. She stands on black.
Thaum-Aesch-Niaeth
Dadouchos: Thaum-Aesch-Niaeth. “Perfection through fire manifesting on earth.” “Goddess of the scales of the balance at the white pillar.”
Thaum-aesch is mainly in red. Her face and body are natural. She wears a red crown of the south, flanked by two feathers in green barred black, over a vulture headdress in red and green. Her collar is red and green and she carries a green ankh and a lotus wand with a red flower and a green stem. Her simple red tunic reaches to the feet and she stands on black.
Anubis of the West
Sentinel: Anubis of the west.
His form is the same as that of Kerux but his nemyss, ornaments, and dress are black and white. He has a lion’s tail and carries a black phoenix wand and ankh. He stands on black.17
The Three Chiefs
Nephthys
Imperator: Nephthys.
Nephthys has a face and body of translucent gold. She is crowned with a cap over a vulture headdress of black and white, the vulture head being red. Her collar and ornaments are black and white, and she wears a black robe to the feet. It is bordered in black and white. She carries a blue ankh and a lotus wand with a green flower and a blue stem. She stands on black and white pavement.
Isis
Praemonstrator: Isis.
Isis has a face and body of translucent gold. She is crowned with a throne over a vulture headdress of blue and orange. The vulture head is red. Her robe is of blue bordered with gold. Her ornaments are blue and orange, and she carries a blue ankh and a lotus wand with a green flower and a blue stem. She stands on blue and orange.
Thoth
Cancellarius: Tho-oth.
The godform of Thoth is built up by the Cancellarius or the officer seated on the right of Hierophant. This is his visible station, but during the Neophyte grade, he also has an invisible station in the east while the obligation takes place.
He has an Ibis head, black beak, and white throat. His nemyss is yellow bordered with mauve. His collar is yellow with a middle band of squares in mauve and green. His tunic is mauve with yellow stripes, and he has a lion’s tail. His limbs are natural colour, his ornaments are red and green. He carries a blue ankh, and a stylus and writing tablet. He stands on mauve and yellow.
The Invisible Stations
These fall naturally into four groups given below in order of their importance.
1. Stations in the Path of Samekh in the Middle Pillar: Hathor—Harparkrat—Evil Persona.
2. Kerubim.
3. Children of Horus.
4. The Forty-Two Assessors.
Hathor
1. Hathor:
This great goddess formulates behind Hierophant in the east. Her face and limbs are of translucent gold. She wears a scarlet sun disc, resting between black horns from the back of which rise two feathers in white, barred blue. She has a black nemyss; a collar of blue, red, blue; and blue bands which support her robe of orange, bordered with blue and red. Her ornaments are blue and orange. She carries a blue ankh and a lotus wand with a green flower and a blue stem. She stands on black bordered with blue.
Harparkrat
Harparkrat:
He formulates in the centre of the hall between Hegemon and the altar, where he sits or stands on a lotus, facing east. His face and body are translucent emerald green. He has blue eyes, and a curl of blue hair, denoting youth, comes round his face on the right side. He wears the double crown, red and white. His collar is yellow and blue; his waist cloth is yellow and blue with a mauve girdle, whence depends a lion’s tail. His lotus has leaves alternately blue and yellow, and rests on a pavement of mauve and orange. He has no insignia. His left forefinger is on his lips.
Omoo-Szathan, Typhon, Apophis, Set:
The evil persona is a composite figure of the powers arising from the Qlippoth. It rises from the base of the altar standing east of the altar facing west, in the sign of Typhon. He is black, and has an animal, somewhat lizardlike head, a black body, and tail, and he stands on black. His nemyss is of olive green decorated with russet, his collar of russet and citrine. He has a white apron and a waist cloth of dull red striped with russet. He has no ornaments.
2. The Kerubim:
The Kerub of Air is formed behind Hathor, and she is a power of Hathor and has the same general colouring. She has a young girl’s countenance and behind her are spread large and shadowing wings.
The Kerub of Fire is in the south beyond the seat of Dadouchos. It is a power of the great goddess Tharpesh, and has the face and form of a lion with large and clashing wings. The colouring is very lively and flashing Leo green with ruby and flame-blue and emerald green.
The Kerub of Water is formed behind Hiereus and is a power of the great god Toum or Tmu. It has the face and form of a great eagle with large and glistening wings. The colours are mostly blue and orange with some green.
The Kerub of Earth is in the north behind the seat of Stolistes. It is a power of the great god Ahapshi and has the face and form of a bull with heavy darkening wings, and the colours are black, green, red, with some white.
/> These forms are not described in detail. We are to imagine them there as great stabilizing forces whose forms vary according to circumstances.