Key 21: The Universe

The Great One of the Night of Time

“The Thirty-second Path is the Administrative Intelligence, and it is so called because it directs and associates, in all their operations, the seven planets, even all of them in their own due courses.” (Sepher Yetzirah)

The 32^nd path of Tau lies between Malkuth and Yesod. The Theoricus grade is associated with the element of Air and the planet assigned to this grade is the Moon. The grade work is to balance the element of Air and work through the illusionary light of the Moon.

In this 2=9 grade, we step into the subconscious realms and come face to face with the four Kerubim, who, in my case, stood before me at first as an impenetrable wall. In the card they look out from the four corners within their astral realm. By their sides flash the Tetragrammaton showing their work within their elemental realms.

Hathor, as the Great Mother of the world, symbolises the Spirit underlining the evolving movement of Creation. She stands on the cube of Tau (which in turn symbolises matter), naked, apart from a golden nemyss and a green, Kaph-shaped veil which attempts to hide the hexagram on her stomach, representing nature’s veiling of Spirit. The Kaph links this card to key 10 (Wheel of Fortune) and thus represents cycles. Hathor holds two wands, symbolising the pillars in the Neophyte hall. The small red pyramids atop veil the essence of Sandalphon and Metatron. These angels were traditionally seated over the Ark of the Covenant.

Hathor is crowned by the moon above her with seven stars, linking her to Venus. As the Administrative Intelligence, she brings order to the Solar System. Her crossed legs represent the continual motion of a spiralling universe. Behind her is revealed the full potential of her creative source – an evolving galaxy, revealing Divinity manifesting through nature.

The Celtic knotwork Schemhamporesh denotes the end of the physical and the beginning of the astral, the point where time becomes a servant to its source. The Golden Dawn has traditionally put the Schemhamporesh (the 72 secret names of God) in the centre of the constellations but, in the Golden Dawn Temple Tarot, we have placed it at the outer edge of the constellations, showing the barrier between the physical and astral. Time is also strongly suggested by the Schemhamporesh and Saturn, ruler of this card (black background). Saturn is also associated with old age and it shows us the cycles of life and death.

Divination

Travel. Breaking through constraints. Completion of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, according to our karmic imprint, into a higher evolutionary pattern.