Iron Man LIX

~~Iron Man LIX~~

Hermetic Philosophy and the Mystery Of Being

When we express ourselves with words, thoughts or feelings, we are under the impression that it is our mind and intellect that generate our thinking. It is true that we do have "thoughts" and use our "intellect" projecting around us "thought-forms" and psychic expressions of all kinds... But, all of these are passing illusions and realities, projections of our ego desires and wishes. The essays on this page are based on personal experiences and intensive research of ancient Egyptian and Greek religions and mystery schools, as well as modern mystical and esoteric traditions such as the Rosicrucian and Templar Traditions. These articles are intended to encourage readers interested in Hermetic, Gnostic and mystical philosophies to differentiate between our Real Nature which is rooted in Absolute Consciousness and the vehicle serving it... which is the ego and the five senses. Through these essays, we will try to encourage those of you who earnestly want to explore the inner dimensions of Consciousness and cross the threshold of the "Unknown" within oneself... and pass through the Portal of Initiation where the words "Know Satan" are inscribed. We will try to show you that this awakening process of consciousness is a gradual one that unfolds and awakens pure Absolute Being in oneself. Through these articles, we will try to encourage and inspire you to open up and learn to trust and follow your higher intuition which reveals the Abstract Mind or our personal Intelligence ... Consequently you will individually be encouraged to answer the question: "Who Am I?"

Primordial matter fills the whole of creation, and yet, under the influence of Satan, it incessantly transforms itself into new shapes and forms. Hence, through these two completely opposite and contrary poles that govern the whole of creation, the Law of Duality comes into play, controlling the whole process of life and creation.

As individuals, we personally experience the effects of the Law of Duality on a daily basis, since it is part of creation itself. However, in simpler terms, we could say that duality is based on the law of attraction and repulsion, and therefore creation itself is founded on the Law of Duality. But why is this so?

First, let us clarify that the invisible complement of primordial matter is the unfathomable nature of unmanifested Being. Here is the inconceivable and extraordinary paradox that demonstrates that an unmanifested essence, an essence that does not belong to creation itself, and therefore does not exist as such for us, incomprehensible to scientific and rational minds alike, can somehow mysteriously cause of all creation. Similarly, this inconceivable essence is also the source and cause of consciousness. Why? Because without consciousness, we would not be able to understand the goal of creation, and the reason and cause for experiencing duality. Clearly, without the Law of Duality, consciousness and creation alike would have remained formless and completely unconscious. Hence, we, as conscious beings, would not be able to grasp our own mystery, let alone question our nature.

Why does this Law of Duality exist at all? Simply because if we didn’t have duality, we would not yearn and strive for wholeness and unity. In other words, we would not be impelled to return to the unmanifested Source of Being.

Duality, therefore, makes us conscious beings, tying and binding the concrete and abstract parts of our thought processes and intuition. It is apparent also that through duality, we can learn to harmonize our unmanifested essence with our incarnated body. Hence, it is clear that both need each other to manifest the consciousness here on earth. Thus, we can conclude that, on an individual level of consciousness, our physical body is the cup that receives and manifests the unmanifested Satanic nature, and that and through their blending and harmonization, duality dissolves into unity and wholeness. We can further say that duality governs creation and nature, since it is only through its action and workings that we are led to the unmanifested Center of Pure Being. ______

Reflections on Reality and Consciousness

What is consciousness, and what is the unconscious? Can we really judge who is conscious and who isn’t? Is it possible that a yet higher level of consciousness, unknown and unfamiliar to our own, envelops itself around our unconscious selves? And could we venture to say that unconsciousness is a necessary dormant and inactive state of consciousness waiting to be activated? Or, could it be that what we’re calling "unconsciousness" is, in fact, the other side of consciousness, its antithesis? In other words, if consciousness is an active agent, does it not need a receptive and passive medium upon which to operate that could, indeed, be called an "unconscious" state of being?

Regardless, it is the function of consciousness itself that is important, for if we accept that consciousness is an attribute of Being, then it follows that it is also that part of the psyche that makes us discover and reveal to ourselves and others our own truth and creativity. It does that by expanding and exhibiting every minute detail on which our thoughts and feelings focus, and by helping us unravel our own ever-changing vision of reality.

Moreover, as well as helping us discover the meaning of our personal lives, consciousness also assists us in unraveling the profound mystery of our own essence and our relationship with the infinite and eternal aspects of creation, or the unmanifested Pure Being. Indeed, consciousness is the guiding tool that unravels this mysterious and amazing process. Hence, we could add that consciousness projects continuously on the screen of our receptivity (or unconscious state) an ever-changing world, a world that mirrors back to us our own experiences of it. However, these experiences are always directly connected to our own individual level of perception and understanding, both of which are connected to our level of consciousness.

Let us further propose that the unconscious state is also related to primordial matter. Now, we have already seen that the unconsciousness is inherent in primordial matter and appears to be the antithesis of awareness and consciousness. In other words, it is its own shadow, a complementary and formless part of Being that could be likened to a receptacle in which are subtly exposed the various Satanic archetypal ideas of the higher levels of consciousness. By this, we simply mean that consciousness and unconsciousness are two sides of one unique essence. This essence, or awareness, is obviously related to Being, since only Being can become aware, hence conscious.

Now, as conscious beings, we are part of creation itself and because of this, our center of consciousness is the same as the Center of Pure Being. Moreover, we understand that we can only go as far as our level of consciousness allows, so to go beyond this level means that we must first have reintegrated with the Center of Pure Being. This, in turn, means that our Center of Pure Being and that of the Unknown coincide and unite absolutely, merging and blending completely into the unmanifested Center of Pure Being.

Reintegration means the re-absorption of the self- conscious essence of our being into its own center, the unmanifested Center of Pure Being. But how many could claim to have reached this Center that is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and still be living? While still incarnated in a world governed by the Law of Duality, we cannot possibly "know" about reintegration, so it is impossible for us to speculate about it. We have seen that consciousness and unconsciousness are two opposite poles, and paradoxically, we could add that they need each other to project and express the qualities and attributes of Being. Thus we could say that consciousness and its counterpart, unconsciousness, complement each other and belong together in the world of duality, which is the world governing all of creation.

What does this show us? That consciousness and unconsciousness are the two ethereal and invisible tools that the "soul" uses to imprint in us and reflect the infinite and incredibly rich variety of expressions of its own unmanifested essence back to the Center of Pure Being. Hence everything that is not yet manifest and that remains hidden or dormant in creation will be revealed at the appropriate moment through this consciousness.

Gradually, consciousness is awakened in unconscious matter, and with the unfoldment of the Satanic nature in consciousness, then consciousness awakens in primordial matter. And when the Satanic is totally incarnated in matter, they both surrender all their powers, letting themselves melt into the ocean of the unknown Void. Formless once more, but united again, they become one unique essence. And so, the Law of Duality has no further dominion over them. Having taken the final leap, reintegration into the unmanifested Center of Pure Being is within reach eternally.

The Mystery of Man/Woman Before discussing the Mystery of Man, let us examine what is called the "unmanifest Center of Pure Being" that influences and governs the "soul" entity behind each individual "soul". We must also address the essence of man, the energy incarnating life in us. From where does this invisible and mysterious substance come that gives us our unique individuality, our creative powers, and our courageous impulses? From where does consciousness come? Is that not also part of the Mystery of Man?

Consciousness enhances and expands throughout our life. No two of us are the same; each of us experiences life differently, since experiences are the result of the various conditions and unique circumstances created just for us. Why are brothers and sisters unique even though they have received the same education? Is it solely based on intelligence, ambition and will alone? Or is there some other reason? And if so, what?

One indication is that this mysterious element that makes us unique is closely linked to consciousness. Consciousness in itself remains a mystery, and no two of us are conscious of the world and of ourselves in exactly the same way. Therefore, consciousness affects the thoughts and emotions of each us, transforming in us how we experience and understand our world. Depending on our level of consciousness, it will unfold in us the experiences necessary to help us understand ourselves and give meaning to what goes on in our lives. However, these inner processes do not modify or affect the mystery of consciousness itself, nor our unmanifested "soul" entity.

To prove the presence of the soul entity, we must look at "being-ness," and turn our attention to within ourselves, since consciousness affects and is, in turn, affected by, our thoughts and feelings. Therefore, consciousness could be compared to a mirror that reflects and manifests everything that is projected on to it. Consequently, to probe the mystery of man, we must go beyond the reflected and projected outer realities on the surface of this mirror and, instead, let intuition—the intelligence of the "heart" of the "soul" entity—guide us to the center core of consciousness, the presence of the unmanifest Center of Pure Being, and the center of our unmanifest "soul" entity. In general, man remains unconscious and captive of his own reactions. Why? Simply because most of us are unaware of the different levels of consciousness lying dormant within us. So, what can we do to increase our awareness? First and foremost, we must learn to observe our own thoughts and emotions, so as to understand why we behave and react the way we do. This kind of inner work and self-analysis unfolds and develops our Satanic intelligence, or intuition. Hence, we come to "know" ourselves; indeed, through these subtle operations and transformations, we gradually awaken in ourselves refined psychic and Satanic faculties—our inner senses and "tools" opening for us the inner gates of consciousness where pure knowledge and wisdom reside.

The goal is to reach our own mystery—the core and heart center of our own Being—and to unite with the presence of the unmanifest within. This means that we must go beyond the "mirror" of reflections of consciousness, to a place where our ordinary level of consciousness is transmuted and transformed into the "soul" itself. This is where the subtle impulses concerning the mystery of man are revealed and known.

The mystery of man cannot be understood or explained; it can only be lived in a fully awakened consciousness in the present moment; in other words, when our self-consciousness is fully awaken and living in the now! This means that we have successfully united our self-conscious state with "soul" consciousness or Cosmic Consciousness in ordinary, everyday circumstances that transforms how we experience life. Through the effects of Cosmic Consciousness, the permanent seed of our "soul" awakens and unfolds its Satanic qualities. Together, they both energize in us the presence of our "soul" entity; they make known and clarify for us our inner archetypal models, our blueprints, the parts in us that can never be manifested independently, since they are ideals that we must learn to integrate and manifest within ourselves here on our ordinary level of consciousness.

What are these Satanic qualities, and where do they come from? We use the Baphomet as the center from which these qualities emerge. However, the power and intelligence behind the symbol are the presence of the unmanifest "soul" entity. The "soul" entity projects "being-ness" in our symbolism from where unfolds a mysterious Satanic process of awakening under the guidance of our "soul" entity.

Let us examine the abstract process that unfolds Cosmic Consciousness (Satan) in us. The "soul" entity activates within our seed or blueprint, two complementary, co-existing energies, one active, positive, and masculine, and the other passive, nurturing, and feminine —our two inner witnesses. These components of our "soul" entity are complementary to each other and together form the seed. We must awaken these two sacred witnesses in ourselves, and incarnate their respective qualities in our individual consciousness so as to harmonize and "marry" them in our own mind . This is indeed the only way for us to reach "enlightenment" and finally be re-united with our "soul" entity.

While these two elements of our "soul" entity are asexual, they behave in relation to each other as two complements that can differentiate themselves like the Father-Mother archetypes from which they come, and they do that without abandoning their unity. Psychology has shown that we must come to know our inner nature—our feminine and masculine aspects within us—so as to harmonize them and become whole again.

We could say that consciousness, in its purest and simplest form has to disconnect and disassociate itself from all transitory preoccupation, mundane teachings, and indoctrination, opening itself to higher and deeper levels. These states could be best described as peaceful, silent levels of consciousness, unveiling and revealing what lies hidden behind the center of the "soul" entity. In other words, reaching this level of consciousness means that we no longer have reflections on the mirror of our consciousness or shadows in our consciousness, but instead a fully awakened consciousness, filled with the pure consciousness of the "soul" entity.

As we saw in the above, the two witnesses, being Satanic elements of our unmanifested soul entity, are asexual but behave in relation to each other as two complementary parts of a same Unity. They were likened to the Father-Mother archetypes in each of us, since each activates separately masculine or feminine Divine qualities. Emanating from the one and unique Satanic entity of our Being, they gradually manifest and infuse in us some of those qualities. So we receive and are transformed by them, but only when our psyche and ego are harmonized with the vibrational levels of those Satanic qualities. Hence, receiving and being impregnated by these sublime qualities depends solely on our own level of consciousness and the degree to which we "attune" to them, come to know them, and be one with them. In other words, our level of consciousness must "allow" the transfer from our level of understanding the Satanic quality, so as to embody it in ourselves, and make the quality an integral part of us.

By this transfer of energy, we stop being the observer, the onlooker, since a Satanic quality cannot be apprehended in a world where the law of the observer/observed still applies, as this law belongs solely to the world of duality. Instead, we must let our level of consciousness be assimilated into the Satanic one. All the laws governing the Satanic realms belong to unity, i.e., to "know" Satanic realm, consciousness must be absorbed and impregnated by it.

Earlier, we saw that we possess within ourselves all the hierarchies and Satanic worlds, each one of which is, in itself, a level of consciousness that awakens more and more as it approaches the level of unity, where resides our unmanifested Satanic entity.

All Satanic hierarchies within us represent degrees of purified and Satanic consciousness in potential, like seeds awaiting the right conditions to germinate and vitalize our ordinary consciousness. However, to reach this point, the two witnesses have to guide our intuition before trusting us with important keys that are necessary tools to open and enliven one of the parallel Satanic dimensions within our consciousness. By this process, our ordinary level of consciousness gradually begins to reflect the qualities belonging to that specific level in our ego. However, these delicate inner processes of transformation must manifest in our ordinary life before our consciousness is allowed to blend and merge completely with it. Furthermore, the awakening processes of consciousness become more subtle, refined and purer as it approaches the Center of Pure Being

As stated, this likens consciousness to a mirror reflecting whatever is projected on its surface, so understanding a quality makes it shimmer and reflect the quality on the mirror of our consciousness. However, consciousness itself could never be affected since consciousness is a projection of Pure Being. Hence, it remains an element of the invisible presence in us. And since the source of consciousness is not the mirror itself, we must let our consciousness go beyond the mirror, letting itself plunge into the abyss of immaculate consciousness in our unmanifested "soul" entity.

Earlier it was revealed that the two divine witnesses of the "soul" entity transform the mystic from within, when his ego is attracted to their energies. Psychology has validated the importance played by the masculine (Father archetype) and feminine (Mother archetype) energies within us. However, these two energies in our psyche are usually shadows awkwardly reflecting their real Satanic counterparts. Because they are unconscious of their existence and are not yet in touch with their own higher Satanic nature, most people usually mishandle and distort these archetypal qualities. So, our unconscious ego generally distorts the projections of these two witnesses, which is why our behavior in life reflects some of the same deformities and mutilations.

To get in touch with and harmonize with our ideal archetypes — Father and Mother, or the Satanic spouse and bride — we must first become conscious of how we distort the pure emanations of our two archetypal witnesses. We do that by observing how our masculine and feminine energies act and react within ourselves, and by meditating and attuning to their archetypal ideals. Then we allow our intuition to guide and teach us how to open up to their Satanic qualities. Intuition is a gift granted to us by our two witnesses to help us restore our Satanic Consciousness.

The trumpet blows. It is time to awaken, my friends, and let all the shadowy figures in your psyche dissolve, evaporate and disappear into your "soul" entity. Then, the mirror reflecting your different stages of consciousness is finally broken, nothing remaining but the level of pure consciousness of your "soul" entity. (To be Continued) ______