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The Kabbalah Unveiled

By S.L. Macgregor Mathers

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Concerning the Feminine Portion of Microprosopus

945. THUS in this Adam androgyneity hath commenced to be disposed when it hath been formed in its disposition. It hath commenced from His back. (Otherwise, from His breast.)

946. Between the two arms, in that part whereunto the beard hangeth down, which is called Tiphereth, the Beauty.

947. And this Beauty is expanded and disposeth two breasts.

948. And it is separated from the back, and produceth the Head of a Woman completely covered on every side by Her hair as far as to (the limits of) the face of Her head.

949. Insomuch that through that Tiphereth, Beauty, Adam becometh in one body, Male and Female.

950. This is that which is written, Isa. xliv. 13: "According to the beauty of a man, KThPARTh ADM, Ke-Tiphereth Adam, that it may remain in the house."

951. When the countenance of the Female Head is created, one curled lock of hair at the back of Microprosopus hangeth over the head of the Woman.

952. And all hairs red gold are produced in Her head; yet so that other colours are intermixed therewith.

953. This is that which is written, Cant, vii. 5: "The hair of Thy head like ARGMN, Argaman, purple."

954. What is Argaman? Colours intermixed with other colours.

955. This Tiphereth, Beauty, hath been extended from the heart, and penetrateth it, and passeth through unto the other side, and instituteth the formations from the Countenance of the Woman even unto Her heart; so that from the parts about the heart it taketh its rise on this side, and in the parts about the heart it terminateth on that side.

956. Moreover, this Tiphereth is extended, And it formeth the internal parts of a Man.

957. And it entereth into and disposeth therein all mercies and aspects of mercies.

958. Also we have learned that in those internal parts are comprehended six hundred thousand Lords of Mercies, and that they are called the Lords of the Internal Parts.

959. Whence it is written, Jer. xxxi. 20: "Therefore My bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Tetragrammaton."

960. We have learned that this Tiphereth, Beauty, embraceth Mercies and Judgment, and that Mercy is extended in the Male.

961. And it passeth over and goeth through unto (otherwise, shineth on) the other side, and formeth the internal parts of a Woman on the side of Judgment; and thus also are Her internal parts disposed.

962. We have learned that the Male hath been conformed on His side (otherwise, from His heart), in 248  1 members; of which some are within, some without; some Mercies, some Judgments.

963. All which pertain unto Judgment, cohere in Judgment around the hinder part, where the Woman is extended; and they coalesce and are extended round about on that side.

964. Also we have learned that five nakednesses can be revealed on that side, which are the five judgments and these five judgments are extended into 248 paths. 1

965. And thus have we learned: the voice in the Woman is uncovered; the hair in the Woman is uncovered; the leg 2 in the Woman is uncovered; the hand in the Woman is uncovered; the foot in the Woman is uncovered.

966. And also, furthermore, concerning these two our companions have not inquired, yet them two have more nakedness.

967. Also, we have learned in the "Book of Concealed Mystery" that the Male is extended and conformed with His parts, and there is formed in Him forma partis tegandæ puræ, at illud est membrum purum.

968. Longitudo autem membri hujus est 248 mundorum, at omnes illi pendent in orificio membri hujus quad dicitur, I, Yod.

969. Et cum detegitur Yod, orificium membri; detegitur Benignitas superna. 3"

970. And this member is the Benignity, quo nomine tamen proprie vocatur orificium membri; neither is it called Benignity until I, Yod, orificii membri, is uncovered.

971. And come, behold, Abraham is not called perfect in that Benignity, until I, Yod, of the member is uncovered; but when that is uncovered he is called perfect. 1

972. This is that which is written: "Walk before Me and be thou perfect; really and truly perfect," Gen. xvii. i.

973. Also it is written, Ps. xviii. 24: "I will be upright before Him, and will keep myself from the sinner."

974. Who is he concerning whom the discourse is both in the first and second instance (in this passage)? Assuredly, he who uncovereth that Yod; et cavet, ne Yod istud introducat in potestatem adversam; so that he may have part in the world to come, and that he may be bound together in the sheaf of life.

975. What is this, "in potestatem adversam"? Even that which is written, Mal. ii. 11: "And hath married the daughter of a strange god."

976. And therefore is it written: "I will be upright before Him," because "he hath become perfect in the uncovering of Yod," and "I will keep myself from the sinner."

977. Et dum extenditur membrum hoc, etiam extenditur latus rigoris de illis rigoribus sinistræ in fæmina.

978. Et inseritur in fæminam, in loco quodam, et signatioram, facit in nuditate, seu parte maxime contegenda in toto corpore fæminino.

979. Et ille locus dicitur nuditas ab omnibus occultanda, locus scilicet pro membro illo, quod dicitur Benignitas, ut scilicet mitigetur rigor iste, qui continet quinque rigores.

980. And that Benignity comprehendeth in itself five Benignities (otherwise, and herein existeth the Benignity from the other Benignities). And Benignity is from those on the right, but Severity from those on the left.

981. And when the latter is mitigated by the former He is called man, consisting in both aspects.

982. And therefore in all the crowns (the former state of things) was not permanent, before that the conformations of the King 1 were prepared by the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, so that He might construct the worlds, and form (their) conformations, for the purpose of establishing that Woman, 2 so that She might be mitigated.

983. Until the supernal Benignity could descend, and then the conformations of the Woman became permanent, and were mitigated by this member (of Microprosopus), which is called the Benignity.

984. This is that which is written, Gen. xxxvi.: "And these are the kings which reigned in the land of Edom;" which is the place where all the judgments are found, and they are the constitutions of the Woman.

985. For it is not written, "Who were," but "Who reigned," because they were not mitigated until all were formed, and that Benignity went forth.

986. Therefore is it said, "And he died," because they were not permanent, neither was Judgment mitigated through Judgment 3

987. But, and if thou sayest: "That if it be thus that all are judgments, wherefore is it written, Gen. xxxvi. 37:  'And Saul of Rechoboth 1 by the waters reigned in his stead,' for this man truly doth not appear (to symbolize) a judgment? "

988. We have learned that all denote judgment, excepting one, which last remaineth.

989. But this Saul of Rechoboth by the waters is one order (otherwise, one side or aspect), an order which is expanded, and goeth forth from Rechoboth by the waters.

990. And this is Binah, wherefrom are opened the fifty gates 2 in the aspects of the world of lights and luminaries.

991. This is what is said concerning Rechoboth by the waters. And they were not all permanent. Thou shalt not say that they were abolished, but that they were not permanent in that kingdom which is from the side of the Woman.

992. Until there was excited and extended that Last One of them all concerning whom it is said: "And Hadar, HDR, reigned after him."

993. Who is Hadar? The Supernal Benignity. 3

994. "And the name of his city was POV, Paau (crying aloud)." What is Paau? Through this the man prayeth who is worthy of the Holy Spirit.

995. "And the name of his wife was Mechetabel, MChITBAL," herein are they mitigated together, and his (Hadar's) wife is named, which is not written concerning any other of them. MChITBAL, Mechetabel (which bears the signification of "as if were made better by the name of Benignity, AL, EL, MChI TB AL") mitigation of the one by the other.

996. "The daughter of MTRD, Matred," the elaborations, on the side of Severity: "the daughter of MIZHB, Mezahab;" that is they have been firmly contempered and intertwined together--namely MI, Me, Mercury, 1 and ZHB, Zahab, Gold, Mercy, and Judgment.

Footnotes
230:1 The number of 248 = RChM, Rechem = Mercy + 248; thus conveying this idea in the number.

231:1

For five is H, He, the number of the feminine letter in the Tetragrammaton, the number also of the Microcosm or Lesser World, the symbol or sign of which is the Pentagram. The 248 paths into which the five judgments are extended are the correlates of those of mercy.

231:2 This word is ShVQ, Shoq, in the original. Fuerst translates it Leg, especially the part from knee to ankle. So does Gesenius in his Lexicon; but in his large Hebrew and Chaldee Thesaurus it is, apparently by an oversight, omitted. Zanolini translates it "Armus, Crus," and adds: "In BRKVTh, Berachoth, fol. 24,, ShVQA BAShH ORVH, Crura in muliere res pudenda sunt, scilicet crura nuda. Hinc in more positum apud Judæos est, ut ipsorum mulieres, et puellæ demissis ad talos vestibus verecundiæ caussa utantur, ne viros ad libidinem excitent." ("Lexicon Chaldæo-Rabbinicum," art. ShVQ.)

231:3 I have thought it advisable to retain this piece in the Latin, as it will be equally intelligible in that language to the ordinary student; and it is not so well fitted for expression in English. It contains the symbolism of the genitalia.

232:1 This apparently refers to the qabalistical symbolism of the changing of the names of Abram and Sarai into Abraham and Sarah; ABRM and ShRI into ABRHM and ShRH; ABRM = 243 is made into ABRHM = 248 by addition of the number 5, the letter H, He; and ShRI = 510 is made ShRH = 505 by the subtraction of five from the final I, Yod; 248 is the number of the members of Microprosopus, and 5 is that of the five judgments. Hence the united numbers of Abram and Sarai, 243+510 = 753. which number is also obtained by the addition of Abraham and Sarah, 248+505 = 753; so that the total numeration of the two names remains unchanged.

233:1 Microprosopus.

233:2 Malkuth, the tenth Sephira, the Kingdom, the Queen, the Bride of Microprosopus; the Isis. Rhea, Ceridwen, Hertha, &c., of other religions; Nature, the Great Mother of us all.

233:3 Compare with this the meaning of the names of the two Pillars at the entrance to King Solomon's Temple.

234:1 It is not at first sight clear why Saul of Rechoboth should be taken exception to as symbolizing judgment. But if we examine the word RChVBVTh, Rechoboth, by Gematria, we shall find a reason. For R + Ch +V+ B + V + Th = 200 + 9 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 400 + 622 = BRKTh, Berachoth, Blessings, and also "pools of water," which is also "Rechoboth by the waters." And "the waters" are Binah, the third Sephira.

234:2 Vide ante in the "Book of Concealed Mystery."

234:3 For HDR = 213. which = ChSD OLAH DAL, Chesed Aulaeh Da-El, the Supernal Mercy of El = 213 also. And Chesed is the fourth Sephira, which succeeds Binah the third, as Hadar succeeds Saul of Rechoboth by the waters.