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Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) · 51 of 123 · tr. A.E. Waite

10. The Key Of Occultismc

His feet represent the equilibrium of BRIAH, or the world of forms; his legs are the two Pillars of the Masonic Temple, JAKIN and BOAZ; his body, veiled by clouds, from which issues a hand holding a book, is the sphere of YETZIRAH, or initiatory ordeals; his solar head, crowned with the radiant septenary, is the world of ATZILUTH, or perfect revelation; and we can only express our astonishment that Hebrew Kabalists have not recognized and explained this symbolism, which so closely and inseparably connects the Highest Mysteries of Christianity with the secret but invariable doctrine of all the masters in Israel. The beast with seven heads, in the symbolism of St. John, is the material and antagonistic negation of the luminous septenary; the Babylonian harlot corresponds after the same manner to the Woman clothed with the Sun; the four horsemen are analogous to the four allegorical living creatures; the seven angels with their seven trumpets, seven cups and seven swords characterize the absolute of the struggle of good against evil by speech, by religious association and by force. Thus are the seven seals of the occult book opened successively, and universal initiation is accomplished. The commentators who have sought anything else in this book of the transcendent Kabalah have lost their time and their trouble only to render themselves ridiculous. To discover Napoleon in the angel Apollyon, Luther in the star which falls from heaven, Voltaire or Rousseau in the grasshoppers armed like warriors, is merely high fantasy. It is the same with all the violence done to the names of celebrated persons so as to make them numerically equivalent to that fatal number 666, which we have already explained sufficiently. When we think that men like Bossuet and Newton amused themselves with such chimeras, we can understand that humanity is not so acute in its genius as might be supposed from the bearing of its vices.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

The divine or cosmic principle is described using human body parts (feet, legs, body, head).

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◆Correspondencecosmology

The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.

The passage explicitly connects Christian symbolism (Apocalypse) with Kabbalistic doctrine and maps body parts to cosmic worlds, embodying the 'as above, so below' principle.

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◆Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The passage describes an 'absolute of the struggle of good against evil' and contrasts luminous septenary with material negation.

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◆Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The text mentions a 'solar head' and the 'luminous septenary' as symbols of revelation.

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◆Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

The passage explicitly lists the Kabbalistic worlds (Briah, Yetzirah, Atziluth) as a descending or ascending structure of divine revelation.

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◆Evil As Privationtheology

Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.

The beast is described as the 'antagonistic negation' of the luminous septenary, implying evil as a lack or distortion of light.

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◆Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The text refers to a 'secret but invariable doctrine' and an 'occult book' reserved for masters.

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◆Microcosm Macrocosmcosmology

The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.

The human figure's body parts (feet, legs, body, head) are directly mapped to cosmic levels (Briah, Yetzirah, Atziluth), presenting the human as a mirror of the cosmos.

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◆Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

The text heavily emphasizes the number seven (septenary, heads, seals) and critiques the numerical equivalence of names to 666.

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Related passages · 3 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 3 (part 3)
“The seven spirits are in the centre of the Father—that is to say, in the power of the Word. The Word changes the wrathfulness into sweet joy and shapes it into a crystalline ocean; therein the seven spirits appear in a burning form, like s…”
Both passages discuss mystical concepts involving a septenary (sevenfold) structure and the interplay of opposing forces (light/darkness, good/evil). Passage A focuses on the Kabbalistic and Christian symbolism of the septenary, while Passage B describes the seven spirits and the duality of manifestation in a theosophical context. Both explore the deeper mystical meanings behind these symbolic structures.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 2)
“It ought to be kept in mind that "myths" are not "fables." Myths are representations of actualities clothed in a fabulous form. Their kernel is true, even if the shell in which it is clothed is an illusion. "There are seven principal qual…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a septenary (sevenfold) structure within a divine or mystical framework. Passage A describes seven principal qualities in the divine Power and corresponding angelic hierarchies, while Passage B refers to the luminous septenary and its symbolic representation in various mystical traditions. The shared theme of a sevenfold division in divine or cosmic order establishes a genuine conceptual parallel.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 3)
“105 "From all eternity the light of God was lovely, sweet, and clear; but when God moved to create, the matrix (the foundation), with its fiery, dark, acrid and bitter qualities, became manifest; for the angels have been created out of that…”
Both passages discuss the concept of multiple spiritual realms or worlds, each with distinct characteristics and hierarchies. Passage A describes the Kabbalistic worlds of BRIAH, YETZIRAH, and ATZILUTH, while Passage B discusses the celestial and terrestrial worlds, highlighting their differences and the nature of their inhabitants. Both texts emphasize the interconnectedness and symbolic nature of these realms.