Second Sight: A Study of Natural and Induced Clairvoyance by Sepharial

Author:Sepharial [Sepharial]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781006338519
Barnesnoble:
Published: 2008-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

signal themselves to our minds, and the most exalted vision is, as an expression of intelligence, only intelligible by reason of its symbolism. Something more may be said in regard to the interpretation of symbols which may possibly be of use to those who have made no special study of the subject, and this may conveniently form the material of another chapter.

CHAPTER VII.

SYMBOLISM

Symbols formed the primitive language of the human race, they spoke and wrote

in symbols. The hieroglyphic writings of the aborigines of Central America, of the ancient Peruvians, of the Mongolians, and of the ancient Copts and Hebrews all point to the universal use of the ideograph for the purpose of recording and conveying ideas.

If we study the alphabets of the various peoples, we shall find in them clear indications of the physical and social conditions under which they evolved. Thus the Hebrew alphabet carries with it unmistakable evidence of the nomadic and simple life of those “dwellers in tents.” The forms of the letters are derived from the shapes of the constellations, of which twelve are zodiacal, six northern and six southern. This implies a superficial intimacy with the heavens such as would result from a life spent in hot countries with little or no superstructure to shut out the view. The wise among them would sit beneath the stars in the cool night air and figure out the language of the heavens.

It was God’s message to mankind, and they sought not only to understand it but to make imitation of it. So they built an alphabet of forms after the pattern of things in the heavens. But when we come to the names of these forms or letters we come at once into touch with the life of the people. Thus aleph, an ox; beth, a tent; daleth, a tent-door; lamed, an ox-goad; mem, water; tzadde, a fish-hook; quoph, a coil of rope; gimel, a camel; yod, a hand; oin, an eye; vau, a hook or link; heth, a basket; caph, a head; nun, a fish; phe, a mouth; shin, a tooth; resh, a head; etc., all speaking to us of the ordinary things of a simple, wandering life.

These symbols were compounded to form ideographs, as aleph = a, and lamed =

l, being the first and last of the zodiacal circle, were employed for the name of

the Creator, the reverse of these, la, signifying non-existence, negation, privation. In course of time a language and a literature would be evolved, but from the simple elements of a nomadic life. Knowledge came to them by action

and the use of the physical sense. They had no other or more appropriate confession of this than is seen in the root עד yedo—knowledge, compounded of

the three symbols yod, daleth, oin—a hand, a door, an eye. The hand is a symbol of action, power, ability; the door, of entering, initiation; the eye, of seeing, vision, evidence, illumination.

Hence the ideograph formed by the collation of these symbols signifies, opening the door to see, i.e. enquiry.

The Chinese alphabet of forms is entirely hieroglyphic and symbolical in its origin, though it has long assumed a typal regularity. What were once curved and crude figures have become squared and uniform letterpress. But the names of these forms bring us into touch at once with the early life of the Mongolian race.

We have, however, indications of a wider scope than was enjoyed by the primitive Semites, for whereas we find practically all the symbols of the Hebrews employed as alphabetical forms, we also have others which indicate artifice, such as hsi, box; chieh, a seal or stamp; mien, a roof; chin, a napkin; kung, a bow; mi, silk; lei, a plough, and many others, such as the names of metals, wine, vehicles, leather in distinction from hides, etc. But further, we have a mythology as part of the furniture of the primitive mind, the dragon and the spirit or demon being employed as radical symbols.

Considered in regard to their origin, symbols may be defined as thought-forms which embody, by the association of ideas, definite meanings in the mind that generates them. They wholly depend for their significance upon the laws of thought and the correspondence that exists between the spiritual and material worlds, between the subject and object of our consciousness, the noumenon and

phenomenon.

All symbols therefore may be translated by reference to the known nature, quality, properties and uses of the objects they represent. A few interpretations of symbols actually seen in the mirror may serve to illustrate the method of interpretation.

A foot signifies a journey, and also understanding. A mouth denotes speech, revelation, a message. An ear signifies news, information; if ugly and distorted,

scandal and abuse.

The sun, if shining brightly, denotes prosperity, honours, good health, favours.

The moon when crescent denotes success, public recognition, increase and improvement; when gibbous, sickness, decadence, loss and trouble.

The sun being rayless or seen through a haze denotes sickness to a man, some misfortune, danger of discredit. When eclipsed it denotes the ruin or death of a man. The moon similarly affected denotes equal danger to a woman. These are

all natural interpretations and probably would be immediately appreciated.

But every symbol has a threefold or fourfold interpretation and the nature of the enquiry or purpose for which the vision is sought will indicate the particular meaning conveyed. For if the enquiry be concerning things of the spiritual world the interpretation of the answering vision must be in terms of that world, and similarly if the question has relation to the intellectual or the physical worlds.

Thus a pain of scales would denote in the spiritual sense, absolute justice; in the intellectual, judgment, proportion, comparison, reason; in the social, debt or obligation, levy, rate, or tax; and in the material, balance of forces, equilibrium, action and reaction. If the scales are evenly balanced the augury will be good and favourable to the purport of the quest, but if weighted unevenly it is a case of mene, tekel, upharsin; for it shows an erring judgment, an unbalanced mind, failure in one’s obligations, injustice. A sword seen in connection with the scales denotes speedy judgment and retribution. This is an illustration of an artificial symbol.

A ship is a symbol of trading, of voyaging, and is frequently used in the symbolical vision.

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