Tiphareth

The Hebrew word Tiphareth (pronounced "tiff-uh-reth") is generally translated into English as "beauty".  As a hieroglyphic construct, the Hebrew word Tiphareth depicts a radiant, expressive thing, adorned on all sides with splendorous garments.  Implied here is an image of the Sun, clothed below by the inner planets of the personal-self (Earth, Moon, Mercury and Venus), and clothed above by the outer planets of the more universal self (Mars, Jupiter and Saturn).  The image of the Sun, thus adorned, is indeed one of precious beauty!

The Sun represents balance, but this balance is not a static thing.  Here, it is that very dynamic state called equilibrium, the achieving of which requires constant equilibration and micro-management.  Equilibration is the weaving together of many opposing forces, an act which requires a constancy of attention. 

The Solar-self, or Individual-self, is the part of us that has this constancy of attention.  It is the Individual-self who incarnates, manifesting the personalities and physical bodies necessary to material life.  Over and over, throughout eons of time, the essentially mental Individual-self projects itself downward into the astral and physical levels, shining through each incarnated personality as the link of consistency tying them all together.  Through successive incarnations, it learns and evolves, and eventually it fully self-realizes.

The upper garment of the Individual-self is the universal influx of light in which we all partake.  This is symbolized by the spheres numbered 1, 2 and 3.  Only the lowest of which is given a planetary attribution (Saturn, #3).  By this we are to understand that only a small portion of this higher influx can be symbolized -- the rest remains forever incommunicable, forever incapable of symbolization.  In other words, the realm of Unitary consciousness hinted at by the uppermost spheres, can only be understood by direct experience.

As the Tree of Life illustrates, the Individual-self is the level at which we contact that higher influx directly.  If we seek it directly from the physical level, we look up and find that intermediary levels of self stand between it and ourselves.  Likewise, that higher influx must pass downward through these same intermediary levels of expression before it reaches the physical level. 

The practical consequence here is that our consciousness must rise from physical-self, to personal-self, and from there on up to Individual-self, if we wish to experience the higher influx directly.   

This fact of nature is used to advantage in a path of initiation (any course of intentional self-realization).  The initiate takes responsibility for the personality and consciously self-crafts a personality and life circumstance that more clearly reflects the Individual level of self.  In this way, the flow of light from Individual to personal levels of self occurs with less mediation. 

When that same process is carried out upon the Individual-self and the Individual consciously self-crafts an Individuality that more clearly expresses the influx of higher light, then the flow of light between the Greater and the Individual levels of self also occurs with less mediation.  The end result is that the connection between the higher influx and the physical manifestation becomes so clear as to be functionally a direct connection. 

Tiphareth has two basic faces.  The first is its inward and upward looking receipt of the higher light.  The second face is its downward and outward looking radiation of that light into personal and physical manifestation.  Our Tiphareth meditation will touch upon both these aspects. 

To reach Tiphareth, we will first pass from Malkuth to our familiar Yesod Temple, rising from physicality to personality.  Then from Yesod, we will rise to Tiphareth.  This is called "rising on the planes" and is a form of sphere-working which has very integrating effects upon the internal structure of the self.

Once we reach Tiphareth, we will explore the Individual perspective.  At first, the experience is one of looking down upon one's personality and physical life circumstance with a surprising degree of detachment.  From Tiphareth, the petty concerns of daily life are seen from a much broader perspective and one's relationship with the universe is fixed in a more inclusive context than the merely personal.

After examining our current radiation, we will then turn our attention upward and examine the influx of higher light. 

The Tiphareth Temple exists at the very center of a large city.  This city is none other than the fabled City of Gold, where the buildings are all built from bricks of solid gold and the streets are cobbled with more of the same.  Everything is decorated with the most precious jewels, but most especially, with perfect diamonds.  In full sunlight -- and the City of Gold always stands in the full sunlight -- it is a nearly blinding sight.

The City has 12 sides (though some say it has 16), each of which corresponds to one of the 12 signs of the zodiac.  This 12-ness is reflected throughout all the City's structures, including the central Temple. 

The Temple itself is the City's innermost chamber, its Holy of Holies.  It is the point of equilibrium and the place where equilibration is enacted.  At the center of the Temple, there floats an immense, radiant diamond, suspended in mid air over a six-sided pool of absorbent blackness. 

The diamond has 400 perfectly cut facets, each of which radiates a clear brilliance far brighter than a hundred suns. 

The six-sided pool is actually an opening in the floor through which the diamond radiates its light into the relative blackness of astral and material substance.  Through this hole, we will look down to our current personas (Yesod) and life circumstances (Malkuth).

The broadsword that lies upon the edge of the pool, represents the power that the Individual-self wields over the personal and physical aspects of self.  It is also a complex statement about the nature of time, referring to the only place where power is truly wielded -- the now. 

At the personal, physical level, we experience now only from a present-moment perspective.  Our present-moment is of immeasurably brief duration and seems to move ever forward.  It's that cutting-edge where what-has-been meets the ever-new face of what-will-be.  The present-moment is thus a dynamic state of constant change -- it is the only place where we can wield our power to self-craft. 

The Individual however, has a broader experience of now, one whose present-moment includes the whole portion of eternity that has thusfar transpired for it.  The Individual therefore wields power within a now that includes all of its "past" incarnations.  Its experience of now is of the same quality as our personal experience, except that the Individual's now is inclusive of a larger quantity of time.  For the Individual, what-has-been and what-is are intimately united in the experience of the present-moment.

Thus the broadsword represents: #1) the Individual's power to project its will (its light) down into the specificity of time-space and personal incarnation; and #2) the Personality's power within its present-moment now, to wield that higher light and self-craft. 

Each of the 12 walls of the Temple are marked with one of the signs of the zodiac.  Below each, there is a curtained archway, through which flashes the same sign.  This is meant to symbolize the two aspects of these archways. 

Their first aspect is that they lead outward into the City of Gold, each offering a different tour of the City.  Since the City symbolizes the Individual's entire body of incarnations, exploration of it opens the initiate to past memories and their attendant responsibilities.

Their second aspect, the aspect we'll be exploring in our meditation, is that they are also doorways that let in the 12 zodiacal influences.   The influx of these 12 universal influences combine to form the white brilliance radiated by the central diamond.

There is no ceiling to the Tiphareth Temple.  Instead, it opens onto the star-filled depths of outer space.  This is a paradox, considering that if you pass through one of the archways and step out into the City of Gold, the sky above is filled by the light of a single sun. 

This day-star symbolizes the constancy of the Individual's influence throughout the body of its incarnations.  The stars seen in the sky from within the Temple however, symbolize the Individual's context within the greater universe.  Each of those stars strewn across the infinite depths of outer space, is a similar City of Gold -- each one of which is equilibrated by a unique Individual-self.


MEDITATION #5: TIPHARETH

Begin as usual: pass through the Cave Entrance, along the Tunnel passage, up the ten steps, and into the Malkuth Temple where I stand awaiting your arrival.

When all the participants have arrived, I will gather us together and cast a ritual circle. 

Once our circle is cast, we will spend several moments together in the center of the Malkuth Temple, holding hands in a circle and bringing our awareness of the presences of the other participants into focus.  As you look around the circle, try to sense the unique presence of each participant. 

At the appropriate moment, I will bring our focus to the East quarter altar -- our gateway to Tiphareth.  Hovering over the altar, we see a large cut diamond which seems to shine with an inner light.  Behind this we see the same curtain and symbol we encounter at the Cave Entrance.

. . . There is a roll of distant thunder and we find ourselves standing at the center of the familiar Yesod Temple.  We rejoin into a circle and orient ourselves. 

At this point, please take a few moments to sense your separation from your physical body, and consciously align yourself with your personality-self.  Once again, briefly note the nine faces mirrored back at you, but don't tarry there.
At the appropriate moment, I will direct our attention upwards to the ceiling of the Yesod Temple.  At its center, we see a six-sided opening and through it streams a ray of sunlight.

Everywhere there are gold surfaces, flashing with the glint of diamond-light.  The Temple it seems, is composed solelyof light, molded into form by the force of the central diamond's gravity.

We take a few moments to orient ourselves and then we turn our attention to the six-sided pool.  We each kneel down at a separate side and gaze into the pool's inky blackness.  Look deep into the pool and with your mind, follow the ray of diamond-light down to Yesod, seeing there your personality-self.  Sense your separation from it.

Now follow that ray of light as it reaches further down to touch Malkuth.  See your physical body and your particular life circumstance, illumined below in Malkuth, and sense your separation from them.  Concentrate closely on this feeling of detachment from your personal and physical selves. 

When you succeed in achieving this detached perspective and are relatively comfortable with it, turn your attention to your connection with your personal and physical selves.  In your mind, again follow that ray of diamond-light downwards, but this time instead of focusing upon your separation from the bodies it illumines, focus upon the light's ability to connect these parts of yourself.  Feel now how your Tiphareth, Yesod and Malkuth are joined together by force of light and gravity.

Once you've experienced the light's downward permeation and connection of your Individual, Personal and physical selves, turn your attention upward and follow the diamond-light back to a detached perspective.

At the appropriate moment, when all have once again achieved detachment from their personal and physical selves, I will gather our attention upon the radiant Diamond, hovering over the pool.  We will then spend several minutes in private meditation upon this Diamond. 

I suggest you focus first upon the Diamond's radiation of light.  Bask in its glow and feel how it's light permeates you through and through. 

Second, focus upon becoming this light.  Feel yourself composed of this light, molded to your unique form by force of gravity.  Let the whole substance of your body be this light. 

Third, focus upon merging your light-body self with the radiant Diamond.  Your light-body passes easily into the Diamond and you look outwards from inside of it.

Finally, focus upon radiating the light of your conjoined light-body/Diamond self.  As you stand within the Diamond, looking out, consciously radiate your unique, Individual Diamond-light.  Gaze below you and willfully permeate your personal and physical selves, through and through, with your Diamond-light.

At the appropriate moment, I will call you each back from your meditations and we will again join hands in a circle.  I will then lead us in a brief tour of the 12 archways. 

At each archway, I speak the Name "IHVH Adonai".  This causes the zodiacal sign to appear, written in light upon the curtain.  As I pull aside the curtain, the influence of that sign enters the Temple, providing us the opportunity to sense its particularities of flavor.  In this way, we will gain a brief taste-sample of all 12 zodiacal influences -- these are the universal influences equilibrated by the Individual, Diamond-self, who essentially transforms influences, into radiant light.

We will end our time in the Tiphareth Temple, holding hands in a circle, basking in the Diamond's light, and joined together in a prayer of thanksgiving.  Our thankfulness is for this blessing of light which permeates each of our lives, through and through.

Together, as with a single voice, we speak the word "Malkuth".  With a gentle sense of falling, we descend through the floor, pass down through the Yesod Temple, and are deposited softly upon the floor of the Malkuth Temple.  The transit's feeling is one of gravity-powered descent, of re-integration and of re-attachment.

After a few moments of re-orientation, I will release the circle casting.  Participants will then exit as usual: down the stairs, along the tunnel, and out the Cave entrance, ultimately returning to normal physical awareness.


Follow-up Work --

As always, write down some notes summarizing your experience.

Return regularly to the Tiphareth Temple and examine both the personality you manifest, and the life circumstance you enact.  Look with an eye to see in what ways these reflect the Diamond-light of your Individual-self.  In what ways can you more clearly express that inner light?

Apply what you learn to the process of self-crafting your personality.  Strive to express the Diamond-light of your Individual-self with clarity and self-craft a personality that is a direct manifestation of that light.

When you have met with significant success in your efforts, broaden your perspective and begin exploring the 12 zodiacal archways.  First explore the zodiacal influences which enter the Temple through them and then, pass through the archways and explore the City of Gold.

Always apply what you learn to your efforts at self-crafting.  Constantly refine yourself.

Spend some time in Tiphareth meditating upon the subject of time.  Focus upon your experience of time: upon how we naturally sequentialize it into past-present-future, and upon the essential now-ness of the present-moment.  Examine the nature of your connection to the present-moment especially.  This meditation upon time will better prepare you for the upcoming Temple meditations.