STUDIER I DEN VÄSTERLÄNDSKA TRADITIONEN

Magazine Overview

Title: STUDIER I DEN VÄSTERLÄNDSKA TRADITIONEN
Issue: BREV NR 10
Volume: SERIE F
Date: FEMTE AVSNITTET (Fifth Section)
Publisher: BREVCIRKELN
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish

This issue, the fifth section of Serie F, Brev Nr 10, from Brevcirkeln, focuses on esoteric and mystical traditions. It presents a midday ritual and an in-depth exploration of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life within the context of Assiah, the material world.

Midday Ritual

The issue describes a third ritual, intended to be performed regularly for significant benefit. This midday ritual involves standing outdoors, facing the sun at the peak of the day. The practitioner is instructed to mentally greet the sun as the source of all life. The exercise encourages the expansion of consciousness to encompass the solar system, visualizing the planets in their rhythmic movement around the sun. The goal is to establish a connection with this solar system, perceived as one's universe, and to acknowledge the 'Masters' as teachers who transform raw solar energy into usable energy for Earth.

The Tree of Life in Assiah, The Material World

This section draws heavily from Dion Fortune's 'The Mystical Qabalah' and MacGregor Mathers' 'The Kabbalah Unveiled'. It posits that the universe is a thought-form projected from the divine spirit, the ultimate product of the Logos's mental activity. The Tree of Life is presented as the symbolic representation of this divine consciousness's raw material and the process through which the universe is created.

Each symbol on the Tree of Life represents a cosmic force or factor. Concentrating on these symbols creates a channel between the individual's consciousness and a specific part of the world's soul. The Tree thus illustrates the connection between the human soul and the universe, with its associated legends detailing the soul's development and the path to initiation.

The Four Worlds of Kabbalah

The text outlines the four Kabbalistic worlds, emphasizing that the paths on the Tree must be understood in relation to the two Sephiroth they connect. The full understanding of each Sephirah requires grasping its fourfold nature. There is, in essence, a Tree of Life in each of the four worlds, representing different aspects: 1. Spirit (Ande), 2. Soul (Själ), 3. Feeling/Emotion (Känsla), and 4. Matter (Materia).

1. Atziluth: This is the divine or archetypal world, where the ten holy Sephiroth manifest through the ten holy divine names, as described by Dion Fortune and MacGregor Mathers.
2. Beriah: This is the world of the ten mighty Archangels. The divine emanations are manifested through these great beings, whose names are crucial in ceremonial magic.
3. Yetzirah: This is the world of formation, where great organizations of angels give form to the divine emanations.
4. Assiah: The lowest of the four worlds, Assiah is described by Dion Fortune as more about action than matter when viewed from the Sephirotic standpoint. Assiah comprises the higher astral and ethereal planes, which together form the background of matter. The divine emanation manifests on the physical plane through ten worldly centers of power:
1. The Galaxy (the first vortex)
2. The Zodiac
3. Saturn
4. Jupiter
5. Mars
6. The Sun
7. Venus
8. Mercury
9. The Moon
10. The Earth and/or the elements.

The issue concludes with an instruction to write down these names next to their corresponding numbers and spheres on the following page, or better yet, to draw a Tree and add the names of the planets.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are ritual practice, cosmology, and the esoteric interpretation of ancient mystical systems, particularly Kabbalah. The editorial stance appears to be educational and instructional, aiming to guide readers in their study and practice of Western esoteric traditions, drawing authority from established figures in occult literature like Dion Fortune and MacGregor Mathers.