Tarot and Kabbalah: Arcanum 17

Arcanum 17

The star of eight points of the Seventeenth Arcanum represents Venus, the Star of Dawn. The work with gold and with silver, the work with the Sun and the Moon, is found represented in this arcanum. The ancient alchemists stated that the transformation of the Moon into the Sun must be performed. To understand this is necessary. What they meant was, “We must abandon the lunar path and enter the solar path.”

All people are lunar. The Moon brings them into existence and the Moon takes them away. Let us analyze this in detail: the first seven years of childhood are lunar, so the Moon brings them.

The second septenary from seven to fourteen is Mercurian. The child moves from one place to another, the child goes to school, the child needs to move.

The third septenary is from fourteen to twenty-one years; it is Venusian. People feel flutters in their heart and they start falling in love. It is obvious that at the age of fourteen the sexual glands enter into action and their influence is manifested in the human being.

From twenty-one to forty-two there are three septenaries (4th, 5th, 6th) or three solar stages. This is the epoch for the fight in order to conquer our place in life. This epoch (21-42) manifests itself as it must be.

The seventh septenary is from forty-two to forty-nine years; this is Martian. There are struggles in this epoch; this is a decisive epoch for everyone.

The eighth septenary is from ages forty-nine to fifty-six. This is the epoch in which Jupiter influences the human being. Those who have good karma thrive economically during this epoch; those who do not, suffer.

The ninth septenary from fifty-six to sixty-three brings old Saturn. Then the elderly stage enters into the human being. This is a Saturnine epoch governed by the elder of the Heavens. The person can boast about anything that he wants. After sixty-three years of age, we enter into the elderly stage. Then the lunar influence returns again. So then, the Moon brings them and the Moon takes them away.

If the life of a human being is examined, it will be verified that everything is ruled by the Moon. When one enters into the internal worlds, one enters through the doors of the Moon. What is important is to transform the Moon into the Sun. In order to perform this, one must work with gold and with silver. This arcanum would be impossible to understand without Alchemy. The most important matter is to transmute the lead into gold. This work must be performed in the forge of the Cyclops.

The vital point of the Seventeenth Arcanum is the Venustic Initiation, which is the higher part of this arcanum. This is represented by the star of eight points, by Venus. If we carefully examine the symbol of Venus, we find:

venus

The inverted symbol represents that the Spirit is dominated by sex.

This is what has happened on the Earth: sex has dominated the Spirit.

Venus, the Star of Dawn, is very great in its positive aspect. It is marvellous; it is the Venustic Initiation. But in its negative aspect, we find the Luciferic aspect.

The ideal hour for astral travel is the hour of dawn, the hour of Venus, but if one is not in a pure state, the Luciferic currents pull them. Let us remember Venus-Lucifer, which has two aspects. Thus, as the sacred ascending fire of Kundalini exists, the descending fire of Kundabuffer also exists.

The whole work with Alchemy is in order to attain the Venustic Initiation. Indeed, this is very difficult. We have the case of Madame Blavatsky who married the Count Blavatsky, and precisely two months later, she separated from him without having had a sexual relationship. Then she travelled through India, and was in Shangri-La. Her mission was grandiose; she wrote The Secret Doctrine. In the sixth volume of The Secret Doctrine, she ends by inviting those who have read it to practice Alchemy. Without Alchemy, the attainment of the realization of the Self is impossible. Madame Blavatsky married Colonel Olcott when she was already elderly; she married him not because of passion. The answer about her marriage is found in the internal worlds: she built the solar bodies.

Madame Blavatsky is a great adept who accomplished a great work. Nevertheless, she did not reach the Venustic Initiation, because she sought to have a male body for it; thus, this unique incarnation of Christ will be in her new male body. So, she is preparing herself in order to reincarnate with a male body. She is going to be born in the U.S.A. Courage has been given to her in order that she not dismay, because to renounce the great Nirvana and to have to come back into this world is not pleasant.

Sex is needed in order to attain the Venustic Initiation. Sex is needed because there are seven serpents of fire which correspond to the seven bodies: physical, vital, astral, mental, causal, buddhic, and atmic, or Innermost bodies. One serpent corresponds to each one of them. There are seven serpents in total, two groups of three with the sublime coronation of the seventh one which unites us with the Father, with the Law.

Whosoever wants to reach the Venustic Initiation has to raise the seven Serpents of Light. The serpent which belongs to the physical body must first be raised in order to receive the first Venustic Initiation. Afterwards, the serpent which belongs to the vital body must be raised in order to receive the second Venustic Initiation and likewise successively.

The incarnation of the Christ starts with the Venustic Initiation, and it is lived in two forms: firstly, in a symbolic way; afterwards, it is necessary to live it by developing all of that which was granted in the initiations. This must be lived, this is the crude reality; we must practice what we preach. This is an arduous work.

Christ is the Master of Masters. To believe that Jesus is the only Christ is a mistake people make. Hermes, Quetzalcoatl, Fu Xi, Krishna, etc. also incarnated the Christ. The incarnated Christ has to perform what He preaches, and this is what He practices. He, being God, becomes a human being, and has to fight against His own passions, against everything. Gold is always tested in fire, and He always emerges victorious. He incarnates and becomes a human being at any time that He considers it to be necessary. He does it with the objective of changing the world. He is the Being of our Being. All of us are One within Him. He, He, He submerges within the Father, and likewise the Father within Him.

Whosoever incarnates the Christ passes the test. Then, this one goes far beyond Nirvana, into worlds of super-happiness and joy.

Only courageous ones enter onto this path. If one does not know how to grasp onto our Father and Mother with soul, life, and heart, one does not arrive, one fails.

One must grasp oneself onto our Father and Mother by developing love. How is one going to take refuge in our Father and Mother if one does not have love?

At this present time there is not a Rosicrucian school in this physical world. The only and unique Rosicrucian Order is in the internal worlds. In this Rosicrucian monastery, I was submitted to one ordeal, the ordeal of patience. The ordeal of patience is intentionally imposed upon ourselves.

Synthesis

- The highest objective is to reach the Venustic Initiation. This initiation relates to the First Arcanum, the incarnation of Christ.

- Christ has no individuality, personality, or “I.” He is the true instructor, the “Supreme Great Master,” the Master of Masters.

- Christ is the Lamb of God who washes the sins of the world, but for this one must work.

- He is the true instructor of the world.

- Christ was Osiris in ancient Egypt. Whosoever incarnated Him was another Osirified one. This one had to sacrifice the self for humanity.

- We have to know how to be patient.

- We have to know how to be serene.