Unanswered Questions, Part 17...
I skipped the Ladder of Eight Rungs, when I discussed the Sword. This wasn't intentional, but I think it's a good symbol to finish up with.
When I discussed the first Ladder Cochrane mentioned, I identified it as the Cord. I'm pretty sure the symbolic item would once more be a Cord, this time with eight knots.
On Cords:A witch also possesses a devotional ladder, by which she may climb to meditational heights, knotted to similar pattern as the Catholic rosary.
Now, Cochrane talks about seven worlds beyond ours.
Third Letter to Norman Giles:In the beginning there was only Night, and She was alone. Being was absolute, movement was there none. Being force without form, She desired form, and since She desired, that form was created .. Woman. Being Woman, She desired union, and created Man from Her North side.
Having created Man, She discovered love, and so all things began. Here was the first of all sins, Desire. From desire sprang all movement, all Life, all Time, all Death, joy and sorrow alike.
From the Gods came seven children, who created seven worlds to rule over, and they formed a halo about the Great Gods as seven stars. They also created Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and gave these lands to four of the seven Gods. These Gods each live in a separate land bounded by the great Gulf of Annwn, which is the land of Chaos, and unredeemed souls.
The lands of the Gods are then:
A Castle surrounded by Fire that lies upon the East, ruled over by Lucet (The divine Child). The Supreme Goddess comes from here.
A Castle under the depths of the Sea, laying towards the West, ruled over by Node.
A Castle in the Clouds laying towards the North, ruled over by Tettens.
A Castle builded upon the Earth and surrounded by trees, laying towards the South, ruled over by Carenos.
To each of these rulers was given a wife, that sprang also from the love of the Gods. Each of these lands had power over human endeavour.
Now, he goes on to call Tettens' Castle the Castle of Weeping and Carenos' Castle the Castle of Life. I think it's interesting that he talks of seven children and seven worlds, then talks about four of the lands being the four elements, which are the only ones he goes on to talk about.
The Kabbalah has four worlds, which are sometimes refered to as four rungs of a ladder, the ladder being Jacob's ladder, which connects Heaven and Earth. The Talmud discusses seven heavens, just as does.
First Letter to Norman Gills:This practiced every day is the path way to the Seven Gates of perception
Second Letter:Graves' "White Goddess" contains the Predui Annwn - this will answer many questions if meditated upon - not only does it speak of the seven worlds, but it also tells you how to get there. "Where the evening star and the dark of night meet" is one way.
Part of the goal seems to be getting to these seven worlds, through the Seven Gates. Just as he says the devotional ladder is used to climb to meditational heights, this a Ladder through the worlds likened to Jacob's Ladder. If we count our world as the eighth world, a ladder with eight rungs would fit. Interestingly, there are seven spaces between the rungs or knots, and, if you count the ends, nine spaces in all. Both these numbers are important.
Fourth Letter:Your whole length should be measured in this, then seven knots tied in the plait - and then you have the beginnings of a cord which is worn about the waist or neck and used as a meditational device, a la 1734.
A Witch's Esbat:Joan laughs as she ties the girdle around her waist and arranges her shift, placing the seven knots carefully.
A Witch's Esbat:Round and round in absolute silence, fingers following the pattern that the seven knots make in the cord.
Here, it appears there are only seven knots. Maybe the rungs are the spaces instead of the knots. Seven knots mean, counting the ends, eight spaces.
Now, in discussing the Castles, Cochrane refered to the poem Preiddeu Annwm a number of times. The seven worlds are separated by the Gulf of Annwm. In the poem, they visit seven Castles, Caer Sidi (Revolving Castle), Caer Pedryvan (Four-Cornered Castle), Caer Vediwid (Castle of the Perfect Ones), Caer Rigor (Royal Castle), Caer Colur (Gloomy Castle), Caer Vandwy (Castle on High), and Caer Ochren (Castle of the Shelved Side). This poem and these Castles deserve more in depth study, and it needs to be determined which of these is the Castle of Life and which the Castle of Weeping, and to align them with the elements and directs they represent. But I think that's beyond this discussion. The point is, these seven Castles are the seven worlds besides our own that the rungs of the Ladder represent. There are seven plus one rungs, knots, and worlds.
But the pattern of seven and one is more common than this in Cochrane's writings.
First Letter:I have seen One become Seven, and Seven One
Second Letter:It is at such places that one may see the Goddess become Seven, and then return to One. The Seven are hinted at in the days of the week -- but consider those days as feminine not masculine.
Second Letter:One that becomes Seven states of wisdom - the Goddess of the Cauldron.
The Seven and One are also the Goddess. The Seven seem to be the wives given to the seven children.
Fifth Letter:'I am a Hill' is a reference to Wisdom, since in vision you will see the Castle of the Seven Gates or Winds, standing upon a gloomy hill, turning four times to the Elements. The Hill is Life - the steady climb with its triumphs and disasters to Illumination or Wisdom. It is the Dark Tower that Roland fell in front of, it is the Castle Dolor of the legend of the Grail, the Caer Ochran of 'Predui Annwm'. The abode of the High Goddess - the One in Seven Wisdom, the destroyer and creator of men. You will die many times to be reborn in this religion, and each little death is the resurrection of new hope and spirit. Whatever Madame la Guiden has in store - the law is that you will overcome - and in the overcoming find spiritual strength. Never be like I was for a short while, arrogant in the knowledge of power, for She soon tripped me up, and brought me home across my black horse, and I like the knights of old lie wounded, and at this moment without hope.
Here we have one Castle with Seven Gates, instead of Seven Castles. These would be the same Seven Gates of perception he discussed elsewhere. Once more, we see the One and Seven in the Goddess.
Third Letter to Norman Giles:We have been pretty busy recently, organizing a magical group along the Seven and One basis, as opposed to the old rural Twelve and One.
A Witch's Esbat:Seven of us, six men, one woman, feet slipping upon grass that feels slimy with night dew and unmentionable insects, sinking in the sodden ground under our own weight.
We talked about the feminine cuveen being twelve and one. Here we have a cuveen of seven and one, seven men and seven women, the cuveen of the masculine Mysteries.
~Muninn's Kiss
When I discussed the first Ladder Cochrane mentioned, I identified it as the Cord. I'm pretty sure the symbolic item would once more be a Cord, this time with eight knots.
On Cords:A witch also possesses a devotional ladder, by which she may climb to meditational heights, knotted to similar pattern as the Catholic rosary.
Now, Cochrane talks about seven worlds beyond ours.
Third Letter to Norman Giles:In the beginning there was only Night, and She was alone. Being was absolute, movement was there none. Being force without form, She desired form, and since She desired, that form was created .. Woman. Being Woman, She desired union, and created Man from Her North side.
Having created Man, She discovered love, and so all things began. Here was the first of all sins, Desire. From desire sprang all movement, all Life, all Time, all Death, joy and sorrow alike.
From the Gods came seven children, who created seven worlds to rule over, and they formed a halo about the Great Gods as seven stars. They also created Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and gave these lands to four of the seven Gods. These Gods each live in a separate land bounded by the great Gulf of Annwn, which is the land of Chaos, and unredeemed souls.
The lands of the Gods are then:
A Castle surrounded by Fire that lies upon the East, ruled over by Lucet (The divine Child). The Supreme Goddess comes from here.
A Castle under the depths of the Sea, laying towards the West, ruled over by Node.
A Castle in the Clouds laying towards the North, ruled over by Tettens.
A Castle builded upon the Earth and surrounded by trees, laying towards the South, ruled over by Carenos.
To each of these rulers was given a wife, that sprang also from the love of the Gods. Each of these lands had power over human endeavour.
Now, he goes on to call Tettens' Castle the Castle of Weeping and Carenos' Castle the Castle of Life. I think it's interesting that he talks of seven children and seven worlds, then talks about four of the lands being the four elements, which are the only ones he goes on to talk about.
The Kabbalah has four worlds, which are sometimes refered to as four rungs of a ladder, the ladder being Jacob's ladder, which connects Heaven and Earth. The Talmud discusses seven heavens, just as does.
First Letter to Norman Gills:This practiced every day is the path way to the Seven Gates of perception
Second Letter:Graves' "White Goddess" contains the Predui Annwn - this will answer many questions if meditated upon - not only does it speak of the seven worlds, but it also tells you how to get there. "Where the evening star and the dark of night meet" is one way.
Part of the goal seems to be getting to these seven worlds, through the Seven Gates. Just as he says the devotional ladder is used to climb to meditational heights, this a Ladder through the worlds likened to Jacob's Ladder. If we count our world as the eighth world, a ladder with eight rungs would fit. Interestingly, there are seven spaces between the rungs or knots, and, if you count the ends, nine spaces in all. Both these numbers are important.
Fourth Letter:Your whole length should be measured in this, then seven knots tied in the plait - and then you have the beginnings of a cord which is worn about the waist or neck and used as a meditational device, a la 1734.
A Witch's Esbat:Joan laughs as she ties the girdle around her waist and arranges her shift, placing the seven knots carefully.
A Witch's Esbat:Round and round in absolute silence, fingers following the pattern that the seven knots make in the cord.
Here, it appears there are only seven knots. Maybe the rungs are the spaces instead of the knots. Seven knots mean, counting the ends, eight spaces.
Now, in discussing the Castles, Cochrane refered to the poem Preiddeu Annwm a number of times. The seven worlds are separated by the Gulf of Annwm. In the poem, they visit seven Castles, Caer Sidi (Revolving Castle), Caer Pedryvan (Four-Cornered Castle), Caer Vediwid (Castle of the Perfect Ones), Caer Rigor (Royal Castle), Caer Colur (Gloomy Castle), Caer Vandwy (Castle on High), and Caer Ochren (Castle of the Shelved Side). This poem and these Castles deserve more in depth study, and it needs to be determined which of these is the Castle of Life and which the Castle of Weeping, and to align them with the elements and directs they represent. But I think that's beyond this discussion. The point is, these seven Castles are the seven worlds besides our own that the rungs of the Ladder represent. There are seven plus one rungs, knots, and worlds.
But the pattern of seven and one is more common than this in Cochrane's writings.
First Letter:I have seen One become Seven, and Seven One
Second Letter:It is at such places that one may see the Goddess become Seven, and then return to One. The Seven are hinted at in the days of the week -- but consider those days as feminine not masculine.
Second Letter:One that becomes Seven states of wisdom - the Goddess of the Cauldron.
The Seven and One are also the Goddess. The Seven seem to be the wives given to the seven children.
Fifth Letter:'I am a Hill' is a reference to Wisdom, since in vision you will see the Castle of the Seven Gates or Winds, standing upon a gloomy hill, turning four times to the Elements. The Hill is Life - the steady climb with its triumphs and disasters to Illumination or Wisdom. It is the Dark Tower that Roland fell in front of, it is the Castle Dolor of the legend of the Grail, the Caer Ochran of 'Predui Annwm'. The abode of the High Goddess - the One in Seven Wisdom, the destroyer and creator of men. You will die many times to be reborn in this religion, and each little death is the resurrection of new hope and spirit. Whatever Madame la Guiden has in store - the law is that you will overcome - and in the overcoming find spiritual strength. Never be like I was for a short while, arrogant in the knowledge of power, for She soon tripped me up, and brought me home across my black horse, and I like the knights of old lie wounded, and at this moment without hope.
Here we have one Castle with Seven Gates, instead of Seven Castles. These would be the same Seven Gates of perception he discussed elsewhere. Once more, we see the One and Seven in the Goddess.
Third Letter to Norman Giles:We have been pretty busy recently, organizing a magical group along the Seven and One basis, as opposed to the old rural Twelve and One.
A Witch's Esbat:Seven of us, six men, one woman, feet slipping upon grass that feels slimy with night dew and unmentionable insects, sinking in the sodden ground under our own weight.
We talked about the feminine cuveen being twelve and one. Here we have a cuveen of seven and one, seven men and seven women, the cuveen of the masculine Mysteries.
~Muninn's Kiss