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Part Two: Mysteries of RA-HOOR-KHUIT

*** The Creative Mechanism of the Tree of Life ***
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 I:8. The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs. (Liber AL, I:8)

This eighth verse refers particularly to the Hebrew letter heth - the eighth letter of the alephbet. (See below.)

An Egyptian word for 'star' and 'the starry sky' is KHABS. It is written like so...

This word does not appear on the Stele of Revealing, however the word for 'KHU' does appear on the stele and is transcribed thus:

KHU means 'spirit-soul' and my researches show that in the 'Egyptian Qabalah' of Liber AL the KHU most closely represents (on the Tree of Life diagram) the sefirah Hesed (in particular), and also the special relationship that exists between the sefiroth Tifareth and Hesed.

KHABS refers to the efflux that issues (or 'shines') from the supernal triad (i.e. Kether, Hockmah, and Binah) from Binah via the path of heth. This efflux streams into the human soul - the middle triad comprised of Hesed, Geburah, and Tiphareth - and formulates the mental sheath, or Geburah (also called Pachad).

The mental sheath is a sphere of fine matter in which the buddhic (or intuitional) faculty is embodied - in a similar manner to the way that the nucleus of an atom is centred within its own electron field, or a germ of wheat is encased in its own seed and husk.

So when NUIT says: " The KHABS is in the KHU, not the KHU in the KHABS ", She is addressing the paradox that involves the perception that our experience of the physical world is determined by external forces (i.e. including the 'stars', or astrological forces) whereas the reality is that our experience of the three dimensional world is subjectively determined. In other words, that the influence of the 'stars' emerges from within us and through us, not outside of us.

The qabalistic value of KHABS is 88, and KHU equates to 31...

KHABS = 20 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 60

= 88

 

KHU = 20 + 5 + 6

= 31

 (For more information concerning KHABS see verse nine quoted below.)

We can depict the basic relationship between the KHU and the KHABS in the following diagram…

As you can see, the KHU is equivalent to the composite term AL (i.e. Tifareth and Hesed of the soul triad) because they both share the value 31, while KHABS equals 'heth + P' - that is, the path of heth plus peh in the sefirah Pachad (of the soul triad). This is a simple explanation of a more complex relationship that will be revealed and explained further below.

One might say that KHABS enters into the spirit-soul (i.e. KHU = AL) as heth (subtle radiation issuing from the macrocosmic triad) and on passing through the KHU (i.e. AL) emerges in a modified and denser form as peh (i.e. 'P' identified in the sphere of Pachad). Thus…

And thus with the conversion of heth (8) into peh (80) through the medium and interface of the KHU the formula ALP is generated within the soul triad. It will be seen that this conversion process is described by the formula IT + AIN = P. The mechanism of this procedure will be examined in more detail later.

My feeling is that the KHU represents the creative essence and the stabilizing energy centre of a 'star' (or creative 'spirit-soul'). The KHABS then, in one respect would symbolise the transilient appearance of a soul's own microcosmic light (i.e. peh = 80) and in another aspect it would signify the invisible 'light' or radiations of the 'stars' that fuel its internal creative fires (i.e. as heth = 8, issuing from the macrocosm).

In other words, there are two basic dimensions of influence and expression of the formula KHABS with the KHU situated as a modifying interface between them. So, while it is true to say that the KHU is an internal force while the KHABS is the changing external expression of that force (i.e. in Pachad), it is also true to state that there is an aspect of the KHABS that is like an inner fire (i.e. heth) that is feeding the KHU. We will see below that these two aspects of the KHABS are described by the letters KS (external) and HAB (internal) of the formula KHABS.

HAD, being analogous microcosmically to the path of yod on the Tree of Life, is at the core of every KHU-KHABS, for as He states…

….and…

II:2. …I am not extended, and Khabs is the name of my House.

(see: Liber AL, verses II:2 and II:6)

The total value of verse eight is 633 which is the Grand Scale value of the Hebrew word 'aur' (meaning 'light'). The 'light' referred to is that which emerges from out of the 'Ocean of Limitlessness' (or 'Infinite Possibility') that is called AIN SOPh in Hebrew. And as we shall see, that 'light' is KHABS.

' The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs ' = 633 = AUR (207 / 633)

AUR = ALP + VV + RISh

= 111 + 12 + 510

= 633

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This verse applies primarily to the ninth letter of the Hebrew alephbet called teth, and secondarily to 'Yesod' - the ninth sephirah of the Tree of Life.

The path of teth on the Tree of Life is the path that links the KHU (i.e. Tifareth and Hesed) with the KHABS in Geburah (also called Pachad). As such, it is the pathway whereby the KHU 'gives worship' to the KHABS.

The KHABS is 'star-light' that issues from the supernal sefiroth (via Binah/Daath - representing the atmic plane). It flows down through the buddhic plane (i.e. Hesed) and eventually into the abstract levels of the mental plane (i.e. Pachad) where it conforms into an energy field surrounding the buddhic KHU. This will be explained in more detail below.

As I mentioned above, KHABS might refer particularly to astrological forces, and therefore to the influence of the zodiac(s), the various constellations, and the planetary bodies that effect our own planet and our collective and personal being. The close relationship of the Egyptian word khabs to the zodiac can be seen reflected in another Egyptian word that is based upon khabs - namely khabsu, which according to Budge, specifically refers to the 36 decanates of the zodiacal circle.

If NUIT is referring to astrological influences then it appears She is suggesting that these energies flow through us from within to without, in which case the 'stars' would be seen as inner forces manifesting and demonstrating externally in our physical environment - that is, outward reflections of internal energies and processes.

This notion sits very well with my own astrological researches and writings, and especially with my discovery of the qabalistic 'twelve-petalled lotus' (for an image of which see the frontispiece of my AstroQab web-site).

It is natural for our very physically oriented and rationally trained minds to see the astrological influences of the zodiac, the planets and the stars as seeming to originate outside of ourselves and to impinge upon us apparently from far away deep in the solar system and the Milky Way galaxy. However, this might be deceiving as it is possible that what we are seeing are merely external reflections, or our own collective projections of subjective internally-based functions and dynamics.

Master Djwal Khul speaks of the human soul (or 'causal body' = Tifareth) as being like a golden lotus of twelve 'petals' or 'streams of force', and I see this 'golden lotus' as constituting an inner zodiac that has its (somewhat limited) reflection in our own astrological birth chart.

Of course what this would mean is that the Universe, seen and unseen, is of the nature of a 'mobius strip' where the inside becomes the outside and the outside becomes the inside. Or, it might be compared to a fractal image, or a holographic image, where the whole is basically similar to each of the parts.

As you know this is not a new idea, but I feel it is rarely applied to our understanding of astrological causes and effects.

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Now let's examine the qabalistic structure of the formula KHABS...

Here are some significant numbers found within the word KHABS...

In the small scale...

a) KHABS = 88

b) KS = 80 = The Hebrew letter peh

c) HAB = 8 = The Hebrew letter heth

In the grand scale...

d) KS = 220 = The total number of verses in Liber AL

e) HB = 418 = The Grand scale value of the Hebrew letter heth.

f) HAB = 529 = The value of HOOR-PA-KRAAT (see below)

g) KHABS = 749 = (?)

 As you can see, this word KHABS appears to be naturally divided into two basic components - i.e. KS and HAB. The former (i.e. KS) is comprised of the first and last letters of the word and has the values 80 (small scale) and 220 (grand scale).

Because K and S establish the beginning and ending of the word KHABS it (i.e. KS) symbolises the external manifestation - the circumference of the circle - as distinct from HAB, which signifies the internal and central component.

Thus it would seem that the energy represented by KS and the Hebrew letter peh (= 80) defines the outward manifestation and external limit of the field of influence symbolised by KHABS. This idea is corroborated by the corresponding grand scale number 220, (which is the total number of verses in Liber AL ) - because the text of Liber AL symbolises the Universe in its entirety.

The number 220 also symbolises the 22 Hebrew letters (the 'aleph and the tav') combined with the ten sephiroth because 220 can be expressed as 22 x 10 = 220. This further emphasises the above idea.

Contained within the boundary or form that is signified by KS (= 80 / 220) is the construct 'HAB', which has the values eight and 529. This suggests that the energy represented by the Hebrew letter heth (= 8), as well as that personified by HOOR-PA-KRAAT (= 529), indwells the KS (or peh) energy-field. HOOR-PA-KRAAT (or 'Harpocrates') is the 'babe in the egg' where the 'egg' might be seen here to be KS (80 / 220).

It is interesting to recall that the KHU (= 31), or A+L (Tiphareth + Hesed) in our Tree diagram, forms the nucleus of the field of energy that is peh (= 80), and that heth (= 8) pouring into and through the KHU facilitates the materialisation of peh. 

The above diagram attempts to show how the KHU (= 31) is related to the KHABS (= 88) through the transmission of heth-energy (= 8) and its translation into peh (= 80). The mechanism of this process will be examined later in this commentary.

What is also interesting is that HB (= 7 / 418) also exhibits a number associated with heth in 418, which is heth's grand scale value. This theme will be elaborated upon below.

From all the above we can now surmise the true significance of the word 'behold' in this verse. The word 'behold' has the value 111. This number is most famous for being the grand scale value of the Hebrew letter aleph, spelled ALP - the first letter of the Hebrew alephbet.

Here is the verse again…

So a secret meaning attached to this verse is that the 'worshiping of the Khabs' actually occurs within the qabalistic formula ALP - where the Khu (as we already know) is associated with 'AL', and the Khabs (which is NUIT's 'light shed over you') corresponds with the term 'P'. The 'worshiping' and 'beholding' of Nuit's 'star-light' (or 'Khabs') occurs within the Path of teth (9 / 419) on the Tree of Life (as is suggested by the numeration of this ninth verse).

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 RA-HOOR-KHUIT

III:61. There is an end of the word of the God enthroned in Ra's seat, lightening the girders of the soul.

These verses from Liber AL, Chapter III, are informing us that there is a secret word - 'the blasphemy against all gods of men' - that pertains to Hoor, and that it is 'fourfold' in nature. Verse 61 also gives us a clue as to what this secret word actually is.

But first let's see how the name RA-HOOR-KHU fits numerologically on our Tree of Life diagram…

The above diagram and the one following demonstrate for us symbolically the distinction between RA-HOOR-KHU and HOOR-PA-KRAAT. The difference being that HOOR-PA-KRAAT includes in its numeration (or constitution) the additional 'P' (peh) of the sefirah Pachad.

This very obvious difference suggests that there is a mystery involved in the transformation of the name/formula RA-HOOR-KHU into the formula HOOR-PA-KRAAT, and that this mystery somehow revolves around the Hebrew letter peh and the sefirah Pachad.

What is the secret fourfold word? We know that Hoor's name RA-HOOR-KHUIT is threefold - that is, it contains three distinct but conjoined parts: RA, HOOR and KHUIT. Perhaps we are meant to add an additional term to that equation to make it fourfold, but what is the additional term?

We are told what the missing term is in verse 61 because it states 'There is an end of the word…', but where is the end of the fourfold word? Perhaps it is indicated by the verse number - that being the number 61.

We know of course that AIN has the value 61, so let's append the word AIN to Hoor's name to derive the fourfold construct RA-HOOR-KHUIT-AIN.

This appears to be significant. And note that this would mean that Ra-Hoor-Khu Himself is 'the blasphemy against all gods of men', which is true because in verses 50-55 (that follow Ra's declaration in verse 49) He proceeds to blaspheme the 'gods of men'.

With this new understanding then, verse 49 could be read with a different emphasis like so…

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What are the 'girders of the soul' and how does Hoor 'lighten' them? We shall see below.

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Here Nuit is hinting that (among other things) we can associate Her with the 11^th sephira called Daath - because in one sense Daath is an extension of the 'Great Mother' sephira Binah. It would seem that the red pentagram represents the 5^th sephira Pachad - which is normally associated with the colour red. The 'blue & gold' would then refer to the sephiroth Hesed and Tifareth, which in the standard Queen scale of colour, are blue and gold respectively. Nuit's 'secret glory' is described in the following verse…

I:61. But to love me is better than all things: if under the night stars in the desert thou presently burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all; but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour…Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!

Note that this is verse number 61. The 'desert' appears then to refer to the 'Abyss of Daath' which as we have seen is also associated with the number 61. The 'giving of all' also points to the number 61 because, as we know, ALL = 61 = AIN.

The sentence 'Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!' is very important in that it describes the process whereby we are able to unite ourselves with Nuit. The 'coiled splendour' suggests the Hebrew letter teth (meaning 'serpent') and the associated pathway on the Tree of Life. The 'wings' then, would refer to the KHU (or 'spirit-soul' - identified with the 'crested ibis' in Egyptian hieroglyphics) and the Hebrew letter and path of yod on the Tree diagram. Together these two pathways of the soul-triad constitute the IT formula, which when combined with AIN in the Abyss of Daath creates the Hebrew letter peh whose value is 80.

In these verses Nuit is describing the supreme magickal operation whereby NU and HAD become conjoined via the actively mediating formula IT. This process of divine union thus occurs as a special function of the human soul-triad and the KHU.

The above diagram illustrates the mechanism that facilitates the 'marriage' of NUIT and HADIT, and the 'worshiping' of the KHABS by the KHU.

As Hadit says...

II:26. I am the secret Serpent coiled about to spring: in my coiling there is joy. If I lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one...

The path of teth (meaning 'serpent') rises up to penetrate the sephira of Daath where it makes contact with the energy described by the formula AIN. My understanding is that AIN symbolises the 'infinite potential for manifestation of the Great Mother principle ', or in other words it is like an unfertilized ovum floating within the womb of Nuit.

Note. The use of the word 'one' in the above verse alludes to the formula ALP (aleph = one) in which the KHU (i.e. AL) unites with AIN (in Daath) through the medium of IT. In other words, AL + IT + AIN = ALP.

When the masculine creative energy of IT flows into Daath from the KHU (i.e. Tifareth-Hesed) or 'spirit-soul' of a human-being it has the effect of fertilizing the egg of Nuit which then affixes itself to the 'wall of the womb' or 'womb lining' as symbolised by the descent of the 'P' (i.e. peh) into the sephira of Pachad. The fertilized ovum is then nourished or fed by the Great Mother Nuit (in Binah) via the path of heth on the Tree of Life. Heth corresponds to the life-giving link between the fetus in the womb and the mother that is established via the mother's blood supply. It is through heth that the mother sustains the life of the fetus as it grows towards maturity.

The process being described above is what Ra-Hoor-Khuit calls His 'lightening of the girders of the soul' in verse III:61 - the 'girders of the soul' being the three sephiroth of the 'soul-triad' on the Tree of Life namely, Hesed, Pachad, and Tiphareth.

Some interesting gematria comes out of the above diagram. For instance…

This equation illustrates the idea that Pachad is a fertile extension of the Mother's womb (i.e. of Binah-Daath). Pachad resembles an incubation chamber that is compartmentalised within the womb of the Mother.

The above sephirothic equation corresponds with the similar path-based equation…

As you know, this equation demonstrates the process whereby the 'egg' (AIN) becomes fertilised by the 'spermatozoa' (IT). The 'fertilised egg' itself is signified by 'P'.

The above diagram demonstrates how, with the addition of AIN, RA-HOOR-KHUIT transforms into the divine personage of HOOR-PA-KRAAT.

RA-HOOR-KHUIT represents the human microcosm consciously and spiritually focussed towards creative union with the Great Mother principle. The active, empowered, masculine 'creative member' (or 'phallus') is symbolised by the combined pathways of yod and teth (IT) along which flows the creative fertilising energy towards the receptive womb of the Mother (AIN) as symbolised by the sephira Daath. The product of their divine creative union is 'P' (i.e. IT + AIN) - the fertilised ovum - which becomes anchored within the Mother's womb in the place of Pachad on the Tree of Life. The life of the fetus is sustained and nourished by its umbilical connection to the Mother (Binah) via the path of heth on the Tree.

HOOR-PA-KRAAT symbolises the human microcosm psychically or spiritually 'pregnant' with the child of Nuit and Hadit - the 'babe within the egg'.

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In Part Three we further investigate and explain the qabalistic mysteries of Liber AL.

Back to Part One

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Patrick (Mallukh AHI) - Updated: May, 2000