Text
The Word was uttered: the One exploded into one thousand million worlds.
Each world contained a thousand million spheres.
Each sphere contained a thousand million planes.
Each plane contained a thousand million stars.
Each star contained a many thousand million things.
Of these the reasoner took six, and, preening, said: This is the One and the All.
These six the Adept harmonised, and said: This is the Heart of the One and the All.
These six were destroyed by the Master of the Temple; and he spake not.
The Ash thereof was burnt up by the Magus into The Word.
Of all this did the Ipsissimus know Nothing.
Each world contained a thousand million spheres.
Each sphere contained a thousand million planes.
Each plane contained a thousand million stars.
Each star contained a many thousand million things.
Of these the reasoner took six, and, preening, said: This is the One and the All.
These six the Adept harmonised, and said: This is the Heart of the One and the All.
These six were destroyed by the Master of the Temple; and he spake not.
The Ash thereof was burnt up by the Magus into The Word.
Of all this did the Ipsissimus know Nothing.
Author's Commentary
This chapter is presumably called Caviar because that substance is composed of many spheres. The account given of Creation is the same as that familiar to students of the Christian tradition, the Logos transforming the unity into the many. We then see what different classes of people do with the many. The Rationalist takes the six Sephiroth of Micro-prosopus in a crude state, and declares them to be the universe. This folly is due to the pride of reason. The Adept concentrates the Microcosm in Tiphareth, recognising an Unity, even in the microcosm, but, qua Adept, he can go no further. The Master of the Temple destroys all these illusions, but remains silent. See the description of his functions in the Equinox, Liber 418 and elsewhere. In the next grade, the Word is re-formulated, for the Magus in Chokmah, the Dyad, the Logos. The Ipsissimus, in the highest grade of the A.'.A.'., is totally unconscious of this process, or, it might be better to say, he recognises it as Nothing, in that positive sense of the word, which is only intelligible in Samasamadhi.
Interpretation
The Word was uttered: the One exploded into one thousand million worlds.
This is a play off of the Biblical story of Creation. Those familiar with the Bible will also be familiar with the idea of God speaking the Universe into existence. This, however, is more scientifically valid even if it is in far fewer words than the Biblical stories. This is a perfect description of The Big Bang. One super-heated, super dense singularity exploded into innumerable ‘worlds’.
Each world contained a thousand million spheres.
To this observer, this is indicative of a sort of multiverse theory. When the Word was uttered (The Big Bang), in not only created this ‘world’ (Universe) but many more each of which contains many ‘spheres’. These ‘spheres’ may not necessarily mean material objects alone, either.
Then again, maybe it is not indicative of a multiverse type idea. It could simply mean galaxy groups and clusters. ‘Spheres’ can be descriptive of essentially all things in outer space and thus essentially all things in galaxy groups and clusters.
Each sphere contained a thousand million planes.
If those spheres be other Universes, then these ‘planes’ might be the many Planes of Existence/Correspondence within each Universe. If the spheres are simply to be representative of galaxy groups and clusters, then these ‘planes’ seem harder to define. Most typical ideas about Planes of Existence state that these Planes are not bound by our Material Universe but transcend it and that the Material Universe is simply one of the Planes within the whole of the Universe. Under the idea that these ‘spheres’ are galaxy groups and clusters, this line would mean that the ‘planes’ are contained within the same. It is for this reason that I will now abandon the idea that the aforementioned ‘worlds’ are within this Material Universe and continue with the idea that these ‘worlds’ are different Universes and that the ‘spheres’ contained therein are the many, many things that exist within each of the Universes. That doesn’t necessarily mean material things either. ‘Spheres’ can be symbolic of spiritual things, incorporeal things, mental things, and material things alike. Just as there are large and small material things, there must be large and small things of other varieties it would seem when the Principle of Correspondence (as above, so below) is taken into account.
So then, let us simplify all of that to better understand. In essence, the ‘spheres’ must be very large or maybe even immaterial spheres that contain within them a great many things. These things may range from material objects to much higher forms existing on higher ‘planes’ as it is stated that these ‘planes’ are contained within the spheres. Again, we understand that the Planes of Correspondence transcend matter and therefore the ‘spheres’ that contain these ‘planes’ must be immaterial in nature. Immense, immaterial ‘spheres’ that contain within them a massive amount of Planes of Correspondence including the ‘plane’ upon which our Material Universe exists. That is the model we are moving forward with.
Each plane contained a thousand million stars.
Do not assume that ‘stars’ in this line are simply the stars you know to exist in the heavens. We are dealing with gigantic immaterial ‘spheres’ that contain a multitude of immaterial ‘planes’ within them. Now that we are on the level of these ‘planes’, we must keep in mind that we are still at a level that is immaterial thus the line cannot be focused upon the matter based stars we know on this ‘plane’. So then, what are the stars? The stars I find hard to describe. These ‘stars’ must exist in all ‘planes’ so it is possible that these ‘stars’ are simply supposed to symbolize a great number of varied things. This can be better understood in the next line.
Each star contained a many thousand million things.
Each ‘star’ being representative of such a variety of things both material and immaterial, it is clear that these ‘many thousand million things’ is supposed to convey the variety of things contained within the already extremely variable nature of these ‘stars’.
Of these the reasoner took six, and, preening, said: This is the One and the All.
Now we are past the description of the nature of what it is that was uttered, we can begin to get to the meat of this symbolic message. Who is this Reasoner and why did they take 6? 6 is the number of material things. 6 is the Number of Man. Despite popular opinion regarding the number due to Christian dogma, 6 is not evil. It is simply incomplete. It is focused upon material things alone. So, this Reasoner taking 6 would mean that the Reasoner took knowledge of the Material Universe. The Reasoner took a partial understand. The Reasoner took only human affairs into account. Then, foolishly I might add, The Reasoner declares that the 6 is, “the One and the All.” This is symbolic of the state of much of modern science. The Reasoner is obvious a symbol for the purely logical mindset; the mindset that requires material evidence for all things and rejects anything else. This mindset causes The Reasoner to declare that only the Material Universe is real and that everything else is not. The Reasoner believes that the Material Universe is all there is and all there will be.
These six the Adept harmonized, and said: this is the Heart of the One and the All.
The Adept, however, knows otherwise. The Adept accepts the 6 and understands it as indicated by the harmony of the same. The Adept understands the Material Universe and its laws. The Adept practices science and rationality yet recognizes that the 6 can only be representative of The All. The Adept proclaims that they understand that the Material Universe is a metaphor for the rest of The All rather than the totality of it.
These six were destroyed by the Master of the Temple; and he spake not.
Then, The Master destroys these 6 having recognized that the experience of knowledge is superior to the recognition of it. Thus, The Master no longer speaks about the 6 as they understand that it is no longer necessary for development. The 6 has been mastered and understood so the attention can be devoted to higher things. No longer will The Master dwell upon these 6.
The Ash thereof was burnt up by the Magus into The Word.
Higher still we climb and The Magus has completely burnt the 6 and the knowledge thereof as to transform it into raw material used to create. The Laws and Principles of the 6, or Material Universe, are not only understood in function but in nature so that The Magus can tinker with and alter. The Magus can use their knowledge to speak their own Word.
Of all this did the Ipsissimus know Nothing.
At the top of our climb or perhaps the bottom of the pit, we find the Ipsissimus. What is this word? It is difficult to directly translate into English but it is essentially the superlative of “self”; “His most Selfness” or perhaps “self-est”. This state we find to transcend the ‘worlds’, ‘spheres’, ‘planes’, and ‘stars’ or even the need for knowledge itself. The Ipsissimus has no knowledge of any of this because the Ipsissimus IS one with all of this. The Ipsissimus is in constant communion with all of these things, what need do they have for knowledge or for existence? The Ipsissimus has become The Word and thus need not be aware of each syllable of it. The Ipsissimus is not a state achievable while still in human form or while still dwelling upon the Material Plane. How could it be when the Ipsissimus has no knowledge of the 6 or even of the ashes thereof?
This is a play off of the Biblical story of Creation. Those familiar with the Bible will also be familiar with the idea of God speaking the Universe into existence. This, however, is more scientifically valid even if it is in far fewer words than the Biblical stories. This is a perfect description of The Big Bang. One super-heated, super dense singularity exploded into innumerable ‘worlds’.
Each world contained a thousand million spheres.
To this observer, this is indicative of a sort of multiverse theory. When the Word was uttered (The Big Bang), in not only created this ‘world’ (Universe) but many more each of which contains many ‘spheres’. These ‘spheres’ may not necessarily mean material objects alone, either.
Then again, maybe it is not indicative of a multiverse type idea. It could simply mean galaxy groups and clusters. ‘Spheres’ can be descriptive of essentially all things in outer space and thus essentially all things in galaxy groups and clusters.
Each sphere contained a thousand million planes.
If those spheres be other Universes, then these ‘planes’ might be the many Planes of Existence/Correspondence within each Universe. If the spheres are simply to be representative of galaxy groups and clusters, then these ‘planes’ seem harder to define. Most typical ideas about Planes of Existence state that these Planes are not bound by our Material Universe but transcend it and that the Material Universe is simply one of the Planes within the whole of the Universe. Under the idea that these ‘spheres’ are galaxy groups and clusters, this line would mean that the ‘planes’ are contained within the same. It is for this reason that I will now abandon the idea that the aforementioned ‘worlds’ are within this Material Universe and continue with the idea that these ‘worlds’ are different Universes and that the ‘spheres’ contained therein are the many, many things that exist within each of the Universes. That doesn’t necessarily mean material things either. ‘Spheres’ can be symbolic of spiritual things, incorporeal things, mental things, and material things alike. Just as there are large and small material things, there must be large and small things of other varieties it would seem when the Principle of Correspondence (as above, so below) is taken into account.
So then, let us simplify all of that to better understand. In essence, the ‘spheres’ must be very large or maybe even immaterial spheres that contain within them a great many things. These things may range from material objects to much higher forms existing on higher ‘planes’ as it is stated that these ‘planes’ are contained within the spheres. Again, we understand that the Planes of Correspondence transcend matter and therefore the ‘spheres’ that contain these ‘planes’ must be immaterial in nature. Immense, immaterial ‘spheres’ that contain within them a massive amount of Planes of Correspondence including the ‘plane’ upon which our Material Universe exists. That is the model we are moving forward with.
Each plane contained a thousand million stars.
Do not assume that ‘stars’ in this line are simply the stars you know to exist in the heavens. We are dealing with gigantic immaterial ‘spheres’ that contain a multitude of immaterial ‘planes’ within them. Now that we are on the level of these ‘planes’, we must keep in mind that we are still at a level that is immaterial thus the line cannot be focused upon the matter based stars we know on this ‘plane’. So then, what are the stars? The stars I find hard to describe. These ‘stars’ must exist in all ‘planes’ so it is possible that these ‘stars’ are simply supposed to symbolize a great number of varied things. This can be better understood in the next line.
Each star contained a many thousand million things.
Each ‘star’ being representative of such a variety of things both material and immaterial, it is clear that these ‘many thousand million things’ is supposed to convey the variety of things contained within the already extremely variable nature of these ‘stars’.
Of these the reasoner took six, and, preening, said: This is the One and the All.
Now we are past the description of the nature of what it is that was uttered, we can begin to get to the meat of this symbolic message. Who is this Reasoner and why did they take 6? 6 is the number of material things. 6 is the Number of Man. Despite popular opinion regarding the number due to Christian dogma, 6 is not evil. It is simply incomplete. It is focused upon material things alone. So, this Reasoner taking 6 would mean that the Reasoner took knowledge of the Material Universe. The Reasoner took a partial understand. The Reasoner took only human affairs into account. Then, foolishly I might add, The Reasoner declares that the 6 is, “the One and the All.” This is symbolic of the state of much of modern science. The Reasoner is obvious a symbol for the purely logical mindset; the mindset that requires material evidence for all things and rejects anything else. This mindset causes The Reasoner to declare that only the Material Universe is real and that everything else is not. The Reasoner believes that the Material Universe is all there is and all there will be.
These six the Adept harmonized, and said: this is the Heart of the One and the All.
The Adept, however, knows otherwise. The Adept accepts the 6 and understands it as indicated by the harmony of the same. The Adept understands the Material Universe and its laws. The Adept practices science and rationality yet recognizes that the 6 can only be representative of The All. The Adept proclaims that they understand that the Material Universe is a metaphor for the rest of The All rather than the totality of it.
These six were destroyed by the Master of the Temple; and he spake not.
Then, The Master destroys these 6 having recognized that the experience of knowledge is superior to the recognition of it. Thus, The Master no longer speaks about the 6 as they understand that it is no longer necessary for development. The 6 has been mastered and understood so the attention can be devoted to higher things. No longer will The Master dwell upon these 6.
The Ash thereof was burnt up by the Magus into The Word.
Higher still we climb and The Magus has completely burnt the 6 and the knowledge thereof as to transform it into raw material used to create. The Laws and Principles of the 6, or Material Universe, are not only understood in function but in nature so that The Magus can tinker with and alter. The Magus can use their knowledge to speak their own Word.
Of all this did the Ipsissimus know Nothing.
At the top of our climb or perhaps the bottom of the pit, we find the Ipsissimus. What is this word? It is difficult to directly translate into English but it is essentially the superlative of “self”; “His most Selfness” or perhaps “self-est”. This state we find to transcend the ‘worlds’, ‘spheres’, ‘planes’, and ‘stars’ or even the need for knowledge itself. The Ipsissimus has no knowledge of any of this because the Ipsissimus IS one with all of this. The Ipsissimus is in constant communion with all of these things, what need do they have for knowledge or for existence? The Ipsissimus has become The Word and thus need not be aware of each syllable of it. The Ipsissimus is not a state achievable while still in human form or while still dwelling upon the Material Plane. How could it be when the Ipsissimus has no knowledge of the 6 or even of the ashes thereof?