The Riddle Solved

Very recently, I received an email from John Farthing II[1], an affiliate of the A.M.H.R., presenting Frater A.M.O.'s addition to the many attempts at solving the riddle of the numbers and the words in AL. On that same late afternoon, early evening, I respond with some excited prolificacy. There’s just no better way to present this than to present the actual emails with but some minor editing. This is what follows:

What follows is not proposed as a solution to the riddle of AL II:76, but an exploration of a means of applying known methods of Qabalistic exegesis to it.

We are told in II:75 to "listen to the numbers & the words": the Hebrew for "numbers", SPRVTh, suggests that the numbers of the puzzle relate to the Sephiroth. Therefore, we take the first four numbers as indicating the Sephiroth: ChSD, ThPARTh, BINH, and HVD.

Taking the initials (that is, forming a notariqon), we have Ch+Th+B+H = 415. The closeness to the "magick" number 418 makes it inevitable to add the Hebrew values of the next two letters, AB. Thus, the first six symbols can be made to give the value 418.

Now we take the next eight symbols: K 2 4 A L G M O, and attempt a similar derivation. Take K in full as KP = 100. The numbers 2 and 4 are again read as Sephiroth: ChKMH = 73 and ChSD = 72. "A" is read as an Atu number, and is thus Zero. L is read in full as LMD = 74. G is 3. M is MIM = 90. And the "O" is read as a Vau = 6. Hence, 100 + 73 + 72 + 0 + 74 + 3 + 90 + 6 = 418.

Repeating the pattern of six symbols and then eight: we take R 3 Y X 24 89. R is 200. Reading "3" as BINH, the initial gives us 2. Taking "Y" as Yod yields 10. The "X" presents difficulties, as it is not clear how to treat it as a Hebrew letter: instead, the sign in the manuscript is treated as a skewed "+" sign. "24" and "89" cannot be treated as Sephirotic numbers, being too large: instead, they are treated as Paths between the relevant Sephiroth. Thus "24" is the Path between Chokmah And Chesed, which is Vau = 6. And "89" is the Path between Hod and Yesod, which is Resh = 200. This gives: 200 + 2 + 10 "plus" 6 + 200 = 418.

Of course, the remaining eight symbols have a known solution provided by Crowley: reading Shin and Teth as Atu numbers gives us the familiar RPShTOVAL = 418.

Thus the puzzle yields a fourfold repetition of the number 418. Is there any textual warrant for such a pattern? Perhaps. AL I:51 tells us "There are four gates to one palace ...", and we find in Liber DCCCXIII 2:11 "For mine was the keyword to the Closed Palace 418 ...". Taken together, these suggest a fourfold use of the word/number 418, which the above derivation shows to be potentially implicit in the Puzzle of the numbers & the words.

Of course, this derivation, with its arbitrary use of qabalistic mechanisms, lacks the clarity to be expected of a true solution: but it is an interesting exercise (I hope) in seeing how a meaningful pattern can be abstracted from the semantic "noise" of the perennial enigma of II:76.

This is wonderful! I really enjoyed reading this. And I'm glad that he recognized the seeming flaw in the arbitrariness of attribution. So let's speculate on this a bit. First, we know that the solution should be something as simple as it is beautiful. This was the hint Crowley gave us to help us to recognize the solution when it does come along. (Keep in mind Achad's 31 as the Key to AL) And so what is particularly brilliant here is the use of the 4 and the four gates...four Qabalistic worlds, et al. And then we have embedded recursion: 418.

Kind of as an aside...418 x 4 = 1672, which reduces to 16; the Tower Atu. The Tower is tied in with the Qesheth/Paroketh (Bow and Arrow) veil technology on the tree. 4 x 4 = 16 (16 being 4²); as the operative numbers for the veils are 8, 80 & 418: 4 x 2(bow & arrow) = 8; multiply 8 by 10 (Tree-of-Life) for 80. And 80 of course, is the value of Peh, attributed to the Tower Atu. (For more on this, Cf. my article: The Veil of Qesheth).

Back to my comment on Frater A.O.M.'s work: This flaw is nagging, but I suspect that it may not be debilitating. I'm reminded of Crowley's struggle with Tzaddi not being the Star Atu. And I really suspect that he is on to something here. Certainly, he's come as close as anyone ever has to solving this riddle...and though he hasn't perfected it...he actually may have solved it.

Certainly, look what this has already opened up for me in my little aside, above. And I'd like to note how interesting it is that he looked away from the obvious...that the numbers and the letters were each separate...and he broke up this distinction. This is really thinking 'outside the box' and an indicator for me that he's truly onto something here.

A.M.O. should go at the nagging situation...he may come up with a resolution soon...or later on (as Crowley did). I'll be taking a look at this myself from time to time...to see if anything hits me. But I've never been a good riddle solver...so don't hold out for anything from me.

pj: Chesed is Jupiter, the King; the highest attainment that one can hope for and still remain human. Also, on the linear scale, Jupiter is the Sephirah before the Abyss (418), the Adeptus Exemptus Grade in the A.'.A.'. Tiphareth of course, is Paroketh; and in a sense, one really goes from Tiphareth to Binah (of course, by way of the Abyss). The Neophyte of the A.'.A.'. receives a certain hint connected with this. And this then brings us to Binah, that which is just beyond the Abyss. And finally, Hod represents the first full step into Qesheth (Cf. again, Veil of Qesheth on the A.'.A.'. page of the A.M.H.R. site).

Taking the initials (that is, forming a notariqon), we have Ch+Th+B+H = 415. The closeness to the "magick" number 418 makes it inevitable to add the Hebrew values of the next two letters, AB.

pj: In my article: The Fire Opal, I've put together a ritual to replace the Christist Golden Dawn Hexagram ritual, and to reflect the Thelemic nature of the College of the Rosy Cross. Note in the ritual that the Grand Heirophant is named ABMN. These are also the initials of the notariquon sentence of the OTO's third degree and most secret word (Cf. my article: Words of Power...on the A.'.A.'. page).

AB is recognized in the Fire Opal as the 'force of attraction invoking Isis; Gate of Initiation,' which the veils themselves represent. To have this separated out from the rest of the combination of letters and numbers you present at the outset of your theory has a synchronistic feeling for me.

pj: Kaph is attributed to the Fortune Atu, which also has Jupiter attributed to it. So we have the reappearance of Chesed on a different plane. (Kaph's number is also equal to the most important number and secret of Crowley's OTO. Liber C [Latin for 100] was the ninth degree instruction) Chokmah sits above Chesed on the Tree and in the A.'.A.'. is associated with the Grade of Magus; one who is supposed to found his or her own order. So then of course the Magus sits at the head of this order, not too dissimilar from being the King, but on a different plane again. The path of the Heirophant (spiritual king...also, Cf. my Personal Note at the bottom of this article) connects these two sephiroth. And just as profoundly interesting: Heh, involved in Crowley's solving of the riddle in AL about Tzaddi not being the Star is the connecting path between Chokmah and Tiphareth, Chesed is linked to Tiphareth as discussed in my analysis above.

pj: In Crowley's OTO, the Minerval Initiation teaches that Crosses and Circles are the symbols of our order. Six is certainly linked to the Cross as the central symbol of Tiphareth (the Holy Guardian Angel). And as Veils are generally attributed to the woman's vagina, we have the circle well represented with 8 [80, 418].

R is 200. Reading "3" as BINH, the initial gives us 2. Taking "Y" as Yod yields 10. The "X" presents difficulties, as it is not clear how to treat it as a Hebrew letter: instead, the sign in the manuscript is treated as a skewed "+" sign. "24" and "89" cannot be treated as Sephirotic numbers, being too large: instead, they are treated as Paths between the relevant Sephiroth. Thus "24" is the Path between Chokmah And Chesed, which is Vau = 6. And "89" is the Path between Hod and Yesod, which is Resh = 200. This gives: 200 + 2 + 10 "plus" 6 + 200 = 418.

pj: I'm beginning to think that there are levels and planes involved in this seeming arbitrary derivation. Perhaps it is not so arbitrary after all. Perhaps we simply need people more experienced at having pierced the three veils to elaborate on the possible plane of function that the seeming arbitrary choice indicates[2].

R is Resh, the Sun on another plane and Tiphareth on the Sephirotic plane. X is the Cross, again, Tiphareth; recursion after recursion. Note also that the path of Sagittarius leads to Tiphareth. The galactic center is in Sagittarius (as it is also the present Manifestation in time...cf. my article: Gnostic Cycles/A.'.A.'. page). Also my article: The Enneagram may bring out some interesting synchronicities with this solution to the riddle of AL.

The Galactic center is connected to two crosses, on being the lesser constellation called the Thieves Cross and the other being Aquila, the Eagle. And the Dark Rift that is the center forms a cross with the ecliptic...three crosses, three veils! (Cf. my article: Sacred Space).

And again we find recursion with 24 (but how are you getting 24?...Chokmah 2 plus Chesed 4 = 6; are you multiplying this by 4 for the 4 418s in this solution? Vau spelled in full is 16, which is of no use and the combined values of the mystic numbers of the two sephiroth equal 13...oh, you're just laying two and four next to other as if surrounding the connecting path and as your doing with 8 and 9...gotcha!...outside the box again...great!) and 89; 24 Chokmah and Chesed as discussed above and 89 by giving us Resh, a recursion to the Sun and Tiphareth. Also, it is interesting that 8 is one of the veils and 9 gives us Yesod, one of the connecting links to the nightside of the Tree with the other end being at Da'ath, the Abyss...another veil.

Note: In formatting this article for posting on the A.M.H.R. site, I noticed that 24 and 89 are the only numbers paired together in the riddle. It becomes very interesting to note that they are handled in this solution, quite differently from the other numbers and from the obvious reading of paired numbers (as one whole number, rather than two separate whole numbers).

Of course, this derivation, with its arbitrary use of qabalistic mechanisms, lacks the clarity to be expected of a true solution:

pj: Does it lack this clarity?! Not for me...I'm beginning to see a lot in this...and pretty clearly, I might add.

I'm noticing that in my last post, I'm combining the 4 (worlds of the Qabalah) and the 3 (veils) almost seamlessly. This has been for some time, one of the things I've found so ingenious in the layout of the Tree-of-Life. Your solution also addresses this. And of course, 4 + 3 = 7 (the original seven sacred planets...note, Crowley got the other three newer planets onto the Tree: cf. the Book of Thoth or is it 777?).

A.M.O.:
We are told in II:75 to "listen to the numbers & the words": the Hebrew for "numbers", SPRVTh, suggests that the numbers of the puzzle relate to the Sephiroth. Therefore, we take the first four numbers as indicating the Sephiroth: ChSD, ThPARTh, BINH, and HVD.

Hmmm…interesting But did you also notice that rendered as Roman Letters the Name SephvTh is akin to the Roman Block letters for spirit? If the the H were separated in writing you would have Spiritus. Given that the Hebrew is A language without vowels…actually and only within say the last 1000 Years or Less, the actual vowel points were all assigned. It make you wonder...eh? How many interpretations of One word might there be without the vowels?

A very interesting insight...thanks. And of course, Neophytes of the A.'.A.'. are given a certain insight into the letter H[3]. So this also moves me profoundly...just so much synchronicity popping up with a seeming veracity at the moment.

In my article: Pretenders to Prophecy, I present thirteen points for the validation of prophecy as I also discuss the importance of an on-going theurgic tradition. Now, I'm not calling Frater A.M.O. a prophet. But like Achad (who also was not a prophet), we can find a certain meaning in his motto. Certainly, there is an allusion to Love. But also, there is an allusion to Akhenaten, Melchizadek and Oedipus as speculated by some to be one and the same person (One, Unity, Achad: Remember the prophecy; "4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L. What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it. But remember, o chosen one, to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word." AL II.76 Frater Achad was very interested in the synchronicity of "one to follow thee" and the Motto of Frater A.M.O. lends itself to the same synchronicity.), also known as Moses to the Jews. For us in the A.M.H.R., the lodge work of the A.O.M. gives us a certain synchronicity as well.

In the same article on prophecy, I point out that community acceptance of a work is also significant. Obviously, John Farthing II found enough value in this to send it to me and I have now signed on. Let's watch to see that more people also come to recognize this. And as an aside, I'm hoping that more will begin to see the virtue in Runar's prophetic work, the DOzmt Index. Besides my own commentary to it, it's connections to recent scientific discoveries (discussed in my article: Testing the Night of Pan) that even remain outside the understanding of Runar (he has no interest in cosmological physics) point to my postulate about comparing the prophecy to the mundane writing of the Prophet (Cf. my article: Pretenders to Prophecy). And also, it conforms to my postulate about containing correspondences on several qabalistic planes, both simultaneously and recursively.

My article was originally designed to filter out a lot of false prophecy that has been visited on the Thelemic community and that threatens its veracity. These forces still threaten the authenticity of our Art and Science. And for this, many have found the article to be more than confrontational, but quite arrogant. Now, I hope that some will begin to see that the article has another intent...and some have seen this all along. I also intended the article to begin a dialogue on the methodology that should be incorporated into recognizing in incorporating prophecy into the Thelemic canon that this Art and Science might remain and continue on as a living tradition.

Final Note:

418 is the key to Initiation on all planes; that's what this riddle has taught. This is the simple and beautiful answer that proves itself the solution to the riddle. "Lift up thyself! for there is none like unto thee among men or among Gods! Lift up thyself, o my prophet, thy stature shall surpass the stars. They shall worship thy name, foursquare, mystic, wonderful, the number of the man; and the name of thy house 418." AL II.78 In this verse, is the 4 and 418. Notice even the verse is number 78, the number of cards in the Holy Tarot that is itself an expansion of the Tree-of-Life. And of course, Liber 418 contains the whole of Thelemic doctrine. On the opening page of Liber AL, Crowley puts this mark: As delivered by 93=418. This solution thoroughly connects the Great Work with Liber AL. It expands our knowledge of the Qabalah and directly demonstrates the interpenetration of the four worlds with the three veils of the Qabalah.

So that overall, 418 is as much a key as 31, and as a matter of fact, 418 reduces to 13, which is both a thrashraq of 31 and subsequently, a complement to Achad's Key to AL. Further, it is interesting to note that as Achad used his motto as a proof to being 'one,' so we can say the same of Frater A.M.O in light of these letters being attributed to Akhenaten, the first monotheist. And though we've already come to understand through Crowley's teaching, to see 418 with Cheth and the work of the Chariot on the left side of the Tree-of-Life, we now have brought balance and equivocation to this as this formula is on the right operating from Chokmah and Chesed in contrast with Binah and Geburah for Cheth. And even notice that 156 as the complementary and balancing formula in the formula of ON (Cf. Liber Laiad) has its own direct relation with 418. Additionally, we can add 418 and 31, giving us 449, which reduces to 89 (per above...and interesting to see the 8 broken into two 4's for the part 4 plays in this solution) and again to 17, the Star Atu (the path of Heh as discussed above and in the third footnote); and then yet again to 8, as discussed above. 449 also gives us the Hebrew words for 'Lux Fulgentissima" (the expanding light) and "cloak," which could be rendered as a veil (excuse the pun). And in our English Qabalah (Cf. Liber 805), we get the following associations for 418 (as we prove our EQ in light of 31):

Khabs house, ‘Lord of Creation’, Baphomet, ‘Shall Be’, ‘Two and Fifty-Five’, Name of Dome Genii (Art Atu) Liber 231

From Sacred Geometry in Liber AL:

Perdurabo as the name to be worshipped even figures in well here (Cf. my article: The Fire Opal and the work of Runar): In Hebrew Qabalah (the Jews have the half, so it is only natural that any analysis of AL be based on the Hebrew), P is 80, the lower line of a rectangular box box that can be traced into the Tree-of-Life. the R's are Resh; the Sun in the center of this box as if the Circle is Squared, which is a key also, according to Liber AL. The Daleth is the top line of the rectangle that can be traced onto the Tree. And that is followed by AB the force of attraction; the father...and O; Ayin, the Devil and the path that leads to Tiphareth; the Son as much as the Sun, but also by the shape of this letter in English suggests the vagina of the daughter. And in our English Qabalah, Perdurabo equals 640, which readily reduces to 10, the number of the Tree-of-Life.

[1] John Farthing’s work can be found at his website, called: Exegesis 1: Toavotea Key

http://quaarts.freeyellow.com/exegesis1toavoteakey.html

[2] While preparing this article for the website, I note my own recent experience with piercing the Veil of Qesheth. The argument I make here is that the entrance into the Bow is between Yesod (Zelator) and Hod (Practicus). This is a deviation from the traditional system that I hint at by giving a link to a website that holds to the traditional system. So I can validate this part of Frater A.M.O.’s work and see the rationale for this particular valuation.

[3] This is tied into the Starry Gnosis, though the significance of this will only reach Motta influenced lineages of Our Order. And even they for the most part, do not present this relation, though they give correct information here. The College & Temple of Thelema insists that this letter represents the first of the three visualizations in Liber HHH as part of the Neophyte Task. This is apparently erroneous as the Zelator Task specifically calls for the first two visualizations. For a further hint on this, we append this comment that Motta appends to the cover page of Liber AL:

With regard to the above note by A.C., serious students should consult Liber V vel RegulI. the Ritual of the Mark of the Beast, for a more thorough analysis of the Word AL.

Personal Note: I was originally trained in Tarot (1984 ev) by a High Priest in an African VooDoo clan, having originally met him in a workshop at Herman Slater's shop, the Magickal Childe. While in the U.S., he was staying in a housing complex over the George Washington Bridge, in Harlem (Uptown Manhattan), very close to where I lived. He originally presented the program with the Rider-Waite deck. Two years later, I began using the Thoth deck by Crowley. And my first real encounter with this deck was with the Heirophant Atu. I was moved by a profound vision, which was quite confusing (yet exhilarating) for me. So I contacted my benefactor who saw something in this and he immediately invited me to his home to spend a day on this. He informed me that this vision had instilled in me a creative power that was a personal key for me. And since then, the Hierophant Atu turns up in a large percentage of readings I have done for myself. It figures into my understanding of Liber H (being of course, the initial letter of the word, but also, there is an A.'.A.'. instruction that connects this with the Hebrew letter Heh). Now this and the letter Heh figure into a part of this solution of the Riddle. This is a numinous experience for me. For more on this, cf. the Theosophical discussion entitled Qabalistic Exegesis in the A.M.H.R. egroup archives.

And now, towards a conclusion: The answer is simple and sublime. And it is written right on the cover of the original manuscript. 93=418 as the motto of Aiwass leads one to immediately that 418 as the name of the house of the Prophet and which is also the Khabs that is the name of the house of Hadit has a direct relation to the current of the ‘Will’ (93 and both the numeration of the words, Thelema and Agape). This gives us the idea that Hadit and the Prophet are directly linked together. We can glean this from the following quotes in AL:

AL II.78: "Lift up thyself! for there is none like unto thee among men or among Gods! Lift up thyself, o my prophet, thy stature shall surpass the stars. They shall worship thy name, foursquare, mystic, wonderful, the number of the man; and the name of thy house 418."

AL II.2: "Come! all ye, and learn the secret that hath not yet been revealed. I, Hadit, am the complement of Nu, my bride. I am not extended, and Khabs is the name of my House."

Next, let’s consider that fact that 31 is the Key to AL and 31 is ‘Not.’ We will then find further evidence connecting Hadit to the Prophet in the following verses of this same second chapter of Liber AL:

AL II.76: "4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L. What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it. But remember, o chosen one, to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word."

We then find Aiwass to be the Avatar of the Aeon, the archetypal Holy Guardian Angel. And Aiwass is also Hadit, as intimately Aleister Crowley as he was something much larger than Aleister Crowley; it says so, clearly in AL II.12-13. A set of gematric correspondences then immediately open up from 93=418. 418=13, a thrashraq of 31 and as it occurs four times in the riddle, and as four suggests the trinity, so 31 threefold equals 93, which is the expression of that trinity. 13 in threefold is 39, which is a thrashraq of 93. So either way you look at it, it gives us something. Even in considering it as the Death Atu (XIII), we are led to the three veils and to ‘Not.’