THE HOLISTIC QABALA:
A CONTEMPORARY GUIDE TO MAGICK
by Philo Stone (aka Richard and Iona Miller), ©1982,2002

BOOK I: SPHERE 10: MALKUTH, the Earth

2. PSYCHOLOGY

a. Psychological Model: The Path of Individuation(top)

The path of Individuation is the psychological equivalent of initiation. The goal of individuation is self-realization through increasing conscious relationship with the Self, archetype of wholeness. This Self includes both positive and negative traits of an individual which, in the beginning of analysis, are generally projected out, or attributed to, the environment. As the ego continues its heroic journey through the labyrinthine psyche, it comes into confrontation with personifications of various archetypal characters. During the maturing process, these characters emerge from the undifferentiated mass of unconscious contents. Though their presence in the psyche was implied from the beginning, they begin to unfold in unique patterns in the life of the individual.

One meets such intriguing archetypal figures (complexes) as the shadow, persona, hero, anima/animus, puer, wise old man, trickster, great mother, healer, divine child, self, etc. When these figures, and their behavior patterns, remain unconscious, they are projected onto other people, as "my enemy," "my great love," "my wise teacher," etc. In time the analysist learns to distinguish these recurrent patterns from the personalities of the people with whom he is involved. Another way these patterns lay claim to an individual and exert their influence is through the identification of the ego with the archetype. Then we have cases of "I am the great lover," "I am the great teacher of wisdom," or "I am especially gifted and prodigious."

Using Tree of Life pathworking techniques as a mode of creative imagination, personified forms are encountered as gods or goddesses, and the aspirant comes to a conscious relationship with them, both internal and external. He learns to recognize them when he sees them. Most importantly, he has a framework for experiencing these internal personalities as distinct from his individuality; they are, after all, collective patterns which can manifest in anyone under the proper circumstances. This attempt leads to self-realization through the transcendent function, which is a symbol of the union of opposites. In Magick, it is known as the Holy Guardian Angel.

We are not alone. We are not totally encased in our ego-selves. There is a companion, a comrade, a guardian angel, a greater self who is always with us. When looked at in this way, it is seen at once that individuation is more than behavior modifying oneself out of bad habits. Individuation is a religious endeavor. (5)

This is no way to finally dispose of undesirable qualities or weaknesses. Rather it is a method of coming to conscious knowledge of the gamut of motivations and possible behavior of which one is capable. It is a process of rebalancing psychic functioning, integrating the fragments of archetypal patterns which underlie human existence.

It is not the road for all. Frequently those who choose to pursue it are impelled by depression, illness, breakdown of current adaptation to reality, or stagnation. The unconscious manifestations demand attention in a form the ego cannot ignore indefinitely. One does not choose the path of individuation, but rather is chosen by it. If the ego can withstand the temptations, ordeals, and peril at the hands of the unknown, it is eventually rewarded with an expanded experience of self and a rejuvenation, or rebirth.

In his essay on the "Relationship between the Ego and the Unconscious," Jung has stated that:

It is impossible to achieve individuation by conscious intention, because conscious intention invariably leads to a typical attitude that excludes whatever does not fit in with it. This assimilation of the unconscious contents leads, on the contrary to a condition in which the conscious intention is excluded and supplanted by a process of development that seems irrational. This process alone signifies individuation, and its product is individuality as we have defined it; particular and universal at once....Only when the unconscious is assimilated does the individuality emerge more clearly, together with the psychological phenomenon which links the ego with the non-ego and is designated by the word attitude. But this time it is no longer a typical attitude but an individual one.

What the conscious ego can do in regard to individuation is make the commitment to attempt to work in harmony with the unfolding subconscious process, to give it his constant attention, and to place proper value on the experience. This creates the experience of "being in harmony with the cosmos," which is another variation on the Hermetic Axiom, "As Above, So Below."

There are definite parallels between the ancient arts of Hermetic philosophy, yoga, and alchemy and the modern concept of psychological individuation. Once there is some progress on the search for meaning, individuation becomes a way of life. It allows one to see through the mundane aspects of life to the divine patterns animating existence.

Stated in the broadest possible terms, individuation seems to be the innate urge of life to realized itself consciously. The transpersonal life energy, in the process of self-unfolding, using human consciousness, a product of itself, as an instrument for its own self-realization. (6)

The unconscious stores our entire history, both personal and collective, and also potentially has the ability of anticipating our future. It does not, however, function on the ego's linear time-line; in sacred time, there is a melding of past/present/future so that symbols produced at any given time may or may not indicate the current state of subconsciousness. Frequently, symbols of whole ness appear at the beginning of the work, and are strictly prognosticative. In Magick, the same occurs in the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel.

This is a far cry from the resulting maturity on the path which brings Knowledge and Conversation with one's Angel. Individuation arises out of the conflict between ego and unconscious. If you can't imagine a conflict with your Angel, just remember Jacob who wrestled with his angel. The conflict was an ordeal, but the conflict made him Jacob. Without it he would be among the nameless masses, not a paradigm for contemporary man.

[INSERT DRAWINGPSYCHOLOGICAL TREE OF LIFE]

Every disease, every calamity, every failure, every neurosis has its symbolic content. The symbolic content enters the soul through the locus of misfortune or the wound of the body, and then it becomes the task of the soul to make friends with this stranger in its midst. There may be a struggle, but ultimately it is not a struggle but an expansive process with a releasing effect as if one grows beyond one's former boundaries and the whole psychic system reaches toward infinity. The crisis actually made the process possible. It was the calamity that befell that gave us a glimpse of the void. It opened a slit to another world and we saw into that which lies beyond. The trauma weakens the boundaries between man and the archetypal world. As a result, when the healing finally takes place, he is not merely restored to his former self. He is recreated and is now a larger person than he was before. (7)

Inner life begins to open up: when one looks inside, there is no longer the opaque blackness, but a rich field of experience filled with entities who long for attention or worship. This does much to alleviate feelings of isolation and despair, providing that one has proper guidance in this realm. This guiding force also emerges from the unconscious:

The unconscious, through dreams and through its manifestations in everyday life, provides all the information we need to know. The unconscious, with its ingenious way of symbolizing, sets the picture before us: this is how it is, there are these and these obstacles, but there is a chance of breaking through to a new position with a wider perspective. Or the unconscious may place violent objections in the path, warning of disaster if the stirring up of archetypal material is encouraged to continue.(8)

Individuation requires the balancing, objective viewpoint of another who not only cares for your soul, but is intimately familiar with the recurrent themes of archetypal processes. This helps the ego to avoid becoming possessed by any given pattern. Both commitment and will are required in the process, for once begun, it must be followed through to its goal, lest one be lost forever in the abyss of the transcendent imagination. New discoveries must not only be made, but assimilated. As in Magic, there must be concurrent experience, and psychological insight concerning the meaning of the experience. The individual meaningfulness of an experience is what creates the unique personality of those with an awareness of the self. The instinctive feeling of significance is expanded upon by rooting experiences in their mythical patterns.

The ego must never presume to wield power over the unconscious lest it provoke a reactionary attack for this spiritual pride. This inflation disturbs the progress of the work by returning the ego to the unconscious state of identifying itself with the powers and potency of the unconscious. This control fantasy is the basis of many neuroses. Some might call it "black magic."

In his essay on the "Relationship between the Ego and the Unconscious", Jung has stated that:

It is impossible to achieve individuation by conscious intention, because conscious intention invariably leads to a typical attitude that excludes whatever does not fit in with it. The assimilation of the unconscious contents leads, on the contrary to a condition in which the conscious intention is excluded and supplanted by a process of development that seems irrational. This process alone signifies individuation, and its product is individuality as we have defined it; particular and universal at once...Only when the unconscious is assimilated does the individuality emerge more clearly, together with the psychological phenomenon which links the ego with the non-ego and is designated by the word attitude. But this time it is no longer a typical attitude but an individual one.

What the conscious ego can do in regard to individuation is make the commitment to attempt to work in harmony with the unfolding subconscious process, to give it his constant attention, and to place proper value on the experience. This creates the experience of "being in harmony with the cosmos," which is another variation on the Hermetic Axiom, "As Above, so Below."

There are definite parallels between the ancient arts of Hermetic philosophy, yoga, and alchemy and the modern concept of psychological individuation. Once there is some progress on the search for meaning, individuation becomes a way of life. It allows one to see through the mundane aspects of life to the divine patterns animating existence.

Stated in the broadest possible terms, individuation seems to be the innate urge of life to realize itself consciously. The transpersonal life energy, in the process of self-unfolding, uses human consciousness, a product of itself, as an instrument for its own self-realization.(8)

The unconscious stores our entire history, both personal and collective, and also potentially has the ability of anticipating our future. It does not, however, function on the ego's linear time-line; in sacred time, there is a melding of past/present/future so that symbols produced at any given time may or may not indicate the current state of consciousness. Frequently, symbols of wholeness appear at the beginning of the work, and are strictly prognosticative.

In Magick, the same occurs in the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel. This is a far cry from the resulting maturity on the path which brings Knowledge and Conversation with one's Angel. Individuation arises out of the conflict between ego and unconscious. If you can't imagine a conflict with your Angel, just remember Jacob who wrestled with his angel. The conflict was an ordeal, but the conflict made him Jacob. Without it he would be among the nameless masses, not a paradigm for contemporary man.

b. Archetypal Encounter(top)

(1). PERSONA: The persona is the outer personality presented to others by an individual. It could be pictured as a mask of conformity, which is a conscious adaptive mechanism. Choices in adaptation are made by the ego, which builds up the persona, or "front." It is a response to the demands of society for "normal" behavior. Most people have at least some desire to appear appropriate in their social milieu. Our obsessions for conformity are reflected in fashion, religion, education, and entertainment. We seek common experiences. We have a desire to "fit in," like a cog in a machine. Persona shows in special costumes or lifestyles; alternatively, our job may determine the type of appearance and behavior "expected" of an individual by society. For instance, who would expect a brain surgeon to be a sloppy, unorganized personality? This would hardly inspire confidence in his patients. So, the persona is the public image, which implies
certain constraints and limitations.

The persona lies very close to ego-consciousness, and it is therefore fairly easy to determine symbols of this persona in your personal life.

The symbols for the persona are cover-ups: they may appear in dreams as dress, hats, armor, veils, shields; or they may take on the characteristics of a profession or trade, as tools, equipment of various sorts, certain specific books; or they may be reflected in an automobile, or even in some instances a house or apartment. Or the persona may be expressed in awards, diplomas, or a variety of so-called "status symbols." Persona problems are common in all parts of society, for as people identify themselves as belonging to a certain category they begin to adopt behavior appropriate to that category and to discard what does not fit. Thus the "identity crisis" about which Erik Erikson has written so much, tends to find a partial solution, at least, in the assumption of a persona. It may not be the best solution but it often works, until something happens to break down the persona. While the persona is functioning well, many people identify with it. (9)

It is easily seen that no one can be merely a doctor, a teacher, or an artist. There are many other facets to psychic life which may be explored once the distinction between ego and persona has been made clear in the mind of the aspirant.

(2). THE SHADOW(top): Shadows are created on paintings by mixing a color with its opposite. Every painter knows that you cannot even create the illusion of depth without including shadows in the painting. The ego appears as a flat caricature without the shadow-aspects to round-out the form. The shadow includes those qualities of the individual which have been rejected, repressed, or unlived. In short, it represents the inferior side of life, which even though it is autonomous, may be judged as negative from the ego's point of view. As a rule of thumb, the stronger the persona, the more repressed the shadow side.

This can especially be true in religious persons who identify only with the good qualities of brightness and light. But in Physics, the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows which are cast. Jung even explored the premise that there is a shadowy aspect to the subconscious of God in ANSWER TO JOB. When the shadow and instinctual life are not differentiated, they form a contaminated state which urges the holder of this fantasy to experience "devilish" forms. This shapeshifter is considered the strongly polarized opposite of "absolute good", which is "the adversary." A conscious realization of the shadow produces an inner reconciliation which might open the door to manifestation of some of the unlived potential. "The sacrifice of innocent purity also implies the realization of the shadow which releases one from identification with the role of innocent victim and the tendency to project the evil executor on to God or neighbor." (10)

Let us take the shadow as an example. It is the image of all sides of personality that I could become. In my dreams he may be a brother, a schoolfriend I feared or even envied, an outcast or a success, or a professional colleague whose traits are those I most dislike--but which are closest to mine. Because of my identification with a personality I call "my ego", the shadow usually appears as inferior and as rejected by society. The development of one partial personality, the ego, builds a shadow at the same time. Ego development in our culture proceeds through choices between good and bad, right and wrong, like and dislike. The bad, the wrong, and disliked fall into shadow, becoming fearful. Soon the suppressed side becomes the repressed side; the shadow archetype which is a potential of destructive values, an "instinct to evil" or "destrudo", is activated by the cast-off impulses of daily life. The more right I become, the more the shadow is fed with contrary motives until the extremes of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can result. Because the shadow is an archetypal figure, and not merely a cover-name for the repressed, it is a living personality with intentions, feelings, and ideas.

By keeping innocent and self-righteous in ego-consciousness, I force the shadow into the dark where he archetypally belongs anyway as the devil is depicted in hell and the criminal fantasied in the night. So, in dreams, he will show in ghettos, as a welfare case, an invalid, crippled or diseased. He appears also in the images of power politician, fake guru, street gang, or person of darker skin...The shadow also determines the ulterior motives in plans, the schemes for professional advancement, the nasty gossip, the sellouts, all beyond and in spite of our honest intentions. Although I have described him mainly in terms of ethics, the shadow can as well carry any incompatible aspect--one's unlived sexuality or primitivity and one's unlived potential achievements and cultural sensitivity. Especially, the shadow presents images of one's pathology: sadism, hypochrondriachal complaining, or any of the various psychic syndromes that reflect in caricature one's overall personality structure. (11)

(3). THE DOUBLE(top): As the shadow is generally a negative projection of psychic contents onto a member of the same sex, the double manifests as a projection of positive traits to members of the same sex. It is an image of the magical self, operating on the principle of "likeness." Projections of the double may fall upon our "best friend", role models, mentors, etc. There are implications within this archetype which link it to homoerotic love, whether this tendency is lived out sexually, or not. The double carries both spiritual and erotic significance.

Its activation means we are coming to an awareness of our own androgynous tendencies, a form of wholeness. The double is conceived of as beautiful, with a youthful quality of near-perfection. Its aspects include aid, or support, and comfort, a fusion of the fate of the partners, a rapport and camaraderie. The partners share their feelings, needs, dreams, desires, and potential futures in a spirit of profound equality. The double can function as a soul-guide to inner depth and value. When there is an age discrepancy between the partners, the older generally stimulates the process of psychic maturity in the younger; the younger brings a sense of renewal to the older.

Darker aspects of the double include a tendency to remain in sort of perpetual adolescence, or a tendency toward homosexual expression may be repressed cutting off a vital avenue to the unconscious. The "other" may instead be conceived of as competition, or someone committed against your success.

...the double is a soul-mate of intense warmth and closeness. Love between men and love between women, as a psychic experience, is often rooted in projection of the double, just as anima/us is projected in love between the different sexes. And as with anima/us, such love may occur within or without the heroic quest. Furthermore, since the double is a soul figure, the sexual instinct may or may not become involved. That is, the double motif may include a tendency to homosexuality, but is not necessarily a homosexual archetype. Rather, the double embodies the spirit of love between those of the same sex. And the spirit of love in the double is what I see as the supportive ground of the ego. (12)

This spirit of love between those of the same sex is often misunderstood:

A psychology that wants to improve its reading of the archetypes can hardly accept a psychotherapy which is biased toward man-to-man relationships, tending to see them only in terms of illness to be cured or controlled. Such is to misplace illness; and moreover, there is then no possibility of seeing through to the Gods who are at the background of these relationships. What appears in the personal picture as 'messes '...are more likely expressions of the conflictive side of an archetype, or frictions brought about by the mixing of archetypes. Seen in this way, psychotherapy, by taking into account the archetype, could propitiate psychic movement following along with the dominant archetype in which erotica among men appears, and it would accept this dominant as the very vehicle for psychotherapeutic movement... (13)

Otto Rank attributed a high spiritual significance to this archetype, and considered it a fundamental of personality.

..a positive evaluation of the Double as the immortal soul leads to the buildup of the prototype of personality from the self; whereas the negative interpretation of the Double as a symbol of death is symptomatic of the disintegration of the modern personality type...Yet the double in its most primitive form, the shadow, represents both the living and the dead person.

In animate man there dwells as a strange guest a more feeble Double--his other Self in the form of his Psyche--whose kingdom is the world of dreams. When the conscious Self sleeps, the Double works and watches. Such an image, reflecting the visible Self and constituting a second Self, is, with the Romans, the Genius; with the Persians, the Fravauli; with the Egyptians, the Ka...Originally conceived of as a guardian angel, assuring immortal survival to the self, the double eventually appears as precisely the opposite, a reminder of the individual's immortality, indeed, the announcer of death itself. (14)

This is a curious admixture, where the double represents on the one hand a mutual fantasy between members of the same sex, and on the other the immortal self. It touches on deep areas of social taboo in either event. The androgynous being, whether literal or metaphorical has been traditionally tabooed and venerated, or feared and worshipped at the same time.

Mythologically, the hero is a fusion of two separate selves, the mortal and immortal aspects, in a single personality. He has reabsorbed his double, or twin. This yields a self-creative power wherein he works for his immortality by creating lasting achievements.

The unconscious union of "like" with "like" in the form of homosexual relationships may appear in dreams as a symbol of a stage in the primitive idea of self-fertilization. In this manner, the double unlocks creative processes.

INSERT PICTURE

GREEK GODS ON THE TREE OF LIFE

c. Mythic Correspondences(top):

In this book, the Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology are depicted as arrayed on both spheres and paths of the Tree of Life, but only the paths of the Middle Pillar are explained with mythic correspondences. For a complete attribution of Greek Gods to the Paths of the Tree of Life, see Pantheon: Archetypal Encounters in Daily Living, Philo Stone (1982). There each godform is described in much greater detail, including characteristic personalities.

There are many options for attributions to Malkuth. Each is included for a particular reason, although it might also be corresponded elsewhere on the Tree.

1. Hestia: Goddess of the Hearth(top). The first and last tribute at any rite was always offered to Hestia, so she leads off the list of correspondences. She is analogous to Malkuth through her functions as "locality" and the "focal point." Without internal focus or concentration, we can perceive no other psychic images.

2. The Kore: Archetypal Maiden(top). The Korae include the youthful forms of Hera, Artemis, Athena, Psyche, and especially Persephone. They represent the budlike quality of the naive, virginal psyche before its encounter and transformation in the underworld of the unconscious. The Neophyte's psychological condition mirrors that of this archetypal bride, Malka. The puella, or daughter, is doomed to die, and this is experienced as an inner act of surrender. Rape is the image here of initiation into the psychic realm. Rape transforms Persephone from Demeter's daughter to Hades' wife.

Persephone, as Queen of the Underworld, is quite different from the virgin Kore, or archetypal maiden. Her beauty is the resplendence of the most profound depths of the feminine psyche. She is a powerful ruler of the dark region of the subconscious.

3. Demeter: Earth Mother(top). Demeter/Persephone express the mother/daughter mystery, which is a union of sames. It is the experience of the innermost depths of the feminine Self. Their reunion after the process of seasonal change turns the process into a meaningful cyclic ritual which indicates that the individualized consciousness has assimilated the experience of man's common roots, but returns to the day world at the summons of the spirit. Demeter, herself, is the most nurturing mother of the entire pantheon. She represents the fertile soil of farm and garden. She endures her neurotic, depressive suffering for the sake of suffering. She mourns. Her self-denial may extend to self-indulgent regression away from connections with the divine, seeking refuge in everyday "reality," Malkuth. "...but entering into the figure of Demeter we realize the universal principle of life, which is to be pursued, raped, to fail to understand, to rage and grieve, but then to get everything back and be born again." (15)

4. Narcissus: the Self-Absorbed(top). The self-absorbed attitude reflects an alienated ego which is unrelated to itself. The frustrated yearning of this unrealized soul for self-possession, needs fulfillment not repression. As a union with the image in the depths of the subconscious, narcissism is a way into the unconscious in the quest for individuality. Narcissus is in love with his own soul, and may be drowned, or fail to find a suitable object for his affection in the external world.

5. Pan: the Nature God(top). Pan corresponds with Malkuth through the instinctual nature of man. He is seen as a devil by Christians who would confound this divine principle with the shadow, and seek to repress it in themselves. This is especially evident in relationship to the instinctual approach/avoidance paradox of masturbation. Pan invented masturbation. He was also conceived as the result of a shared fantasy between members of the same sex, a homosexual liason. Pan also corresponds with panic anxieties, and nightmare terrors. Instinct is a release of tension through movement. Fantasy (Pan's nymphs) is an accompaniment to masturbation. This activity makes us self-conscious. Pan links nature and psyche; he is an altogether imaginal form.

6. Gaia: the Earth(top). As the deep-breasted earth, Gaia is a personification of matter = matrix = mother of Uranos, the starry heavens. She was also the mother of the Titans. She supports all physical life; in fact, she is the material or physical body. She is the somatic base of all psychosomatic phenomena, such as disease. Gaia created the manifest universe, the first race of gods, and the first race of humans. She has the gift of foretelling the future. She is a prophetess. A major characteristic is that she is the guardian of the sanctity of oaths, including magickal oaths.

DEMETER & PERSEPHONE

And whenever the earth blossoms with all kinds of fragrant
Spring flowers, You will come back up again from the mist
darkness, to the great astonishment of gods and mortal man.

They spent the whole of that day with hearts united,
and they warmed each other's hearts
with many gestures of affection,
and her heart stopped grieving.
They gave and received joy
from each other.

(top)