TMO Miscellany
© 2003
>> The 3-fold speech in magic, as I understand it is one involving mental knowledge and concentration, strong emotion, and physical vibration/utterance. The meaning of the canticle seems to be something close to: "Truly, I am YHVH, The God/Lord, our master/creator of the universe, be blessed" (Anni, in Arabic is anna+I, which would stress the "i"="I", ribonno would be rabb+na=master/creator+our, and Amen would come from amn=protected/blessed.) The problem I have with the mental part of the speech, is that my understanding of this phrase seems incomplete. <<
Part of your difficulty is in your comparing it to Arabic. :) In Lesson One I give a clear definition of the Hebrew meaning of each word in the canticle.
Essentially you're saying "I am IHVH-ADNI, master of all the ages, this is truth!" The term "IHVH-ADNI" is a specific kabbalistic reference to the unification of all the levels of Self *within the temporal present moment*. This is why, during the IHVH phase, there is a descent of conscious awareness and energy/Light from the Kethric, down to the mundane self.
>> Could you please state why this specific sentence should be used, <<
Because that is what I was taught. :)
>> What its background and historical usage was, and if the words in this sentence have any significance besides being an affirmation of YHVH and maintaining the rhythm for the visualizations. <<
I'm not aware of any history of TMO specifically, however parts of the canticle have a well developed history. As I said above, the term "IHVH-ADNI" or "IAHDVNHI" is an ancient kabbalistic term. And the phrase "Ribonno Shel Olam" also has an extensive history as a meditation mantra in and of itself.
>> "Ribonno" in specific is vague to me, if YHVH is speaking through our individuality, why would we say "our creator/master" and not "rabbi" simply for "creator". (Or am I just taking the similarity between Arabic that I know, and Hebrew that I don't, too far?!). <<
Because the IHVH-ADNI is not the *creator* of the Universe. It exercises eternal "mastery" within all the "levels" of the Universe. "Ribbono", which is derived from the same root as "rabbi", means a master, not creator.
>> Besides knowing the meaning of what we are speaking, wouldn't it be required to have a clear conscious or even subconscious idea about the canticle while uttering it? <<
Yes, of course, and this is what I seek to provide with the audio Lessons.
>> Astral speech you said could be practiced as a whisper along with holding the thought of what we are saying in the mind. This I don't get! Is astral speech not the passion that speaks from the heart?! <<
The *astral* part of whispering (which symbolizes the inclusion of the philosophical "breath of life") IS the passion you bring to your utterance of the canticle. I explain this in Lesson One.
>> Or can that energy actually be sent out by whispering along with a specific thought. <<
No.
>> The canticle, if the problems stated above were resolved, seems a complete form of magical utterance. The visualizations on their own, contain fine magical symbols and meaning, and hence form a good practice. The link between the canticle, and the visualizations however is a weak one it seems. The meaning of each word we use for each part of the visualization seems not to coincide with the picture itself. Is the canticle simply there to keep up the pace of the visualization? Or does it in some way enhance the picture by some Quabalistic relation that I don't know of? What is the exact relationship between the word, and the picture in each part of the canticle? Does such one to one relationship even exist? <<
Okay. With the utterance of the "Ani", you are raising your awareness to your Kether.
With the utterance of the "Yod" you are drawing the Kethric Light down and over to Chokmah. The "Yod" of IHVH is said to represent Fire and this descent of the Unity/Kether into Chokmah. The image of the Letter itself depicts this descent. This descent corresponds to the realm or World of Atziluth (primordial archetypes).
With the utterance of the first "Heh", you are drawing the Light over to Binah. The first "Heh" of IHVH is said to represent Water and thus establishes the Primal Opposites. This descent into multiplicity corresponds to the realm or World of Briah (creation). This is where the Greater Self or eternal mental body resides.
With the utterance of "Vav", you are drawing the Light down to Tiphareth. The "Vav" of IHVH is said to represent Air, the merging of the Primal Opposites. This is the realm or World of Yetzirah (formation), which on the "composite" Tree of Life is represented by Tiphareth. This is where the Individual Self or temporal mental body resides.
With the utterance of the final "Heh", you are drawing the Light all the way down to Malkuth and the mundane level of self-awareness. The final "Heh" of IHVH is said to represent Earth, the combining of the three primary Elements. This is the realm or World of Assiah (making), represented by Malkuth on the composite Tree. This is where the mundane self which inhabits the physical body, resides.
This descent from "Ani" through the final "Heh", when done fully (Lesson Six), is the unification of these five levels of awareness, within the temporal moment. When this occurs, the Rainbow-hued Adonai Light naturally erupts. Therefore the utterance of "Adonai" celebrates this eruption of the Adonai Light and affirms it.
With the statement "Ribonno Shel Olam", the Adonai Light is sent out into the materia of the Universe over which the IHVH-ADNI is "master".
The utterance of "Amen" closes the ritual just as the Adonai Light, having touched the metaphorical edges of the infinite universe (i.e., received a Divine blessing) has returned to its point of origin and once again surrounds the cantor.
>> In this form of magic we seem to be incorporating some higher force (i.e. a force, besides that of our own individuality is called to action.) what is this force, is it that of the Quabalistic utterance of YHVH?! Is it that of the God of Israel, is it Kether, or the source thereof? (maybe its all of these, but which -thought system/frame of reference- would be better to use in performing this kind of magic along with the canticle?) <<
What we are ultimately calling upon is the force generated when all the levels of Self are consciously unified within the temporal moment of the personal, mundane self. With Lesson Eight, I go into this in minute detail.
More immediately, the energy the beginning practitioner draws upon is that of their own personal conceptualization of Kether. In other words, one is drawing upon levels of Self that one is not directly conscious of.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
03 Sept 2003