![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Daily Reflection 6.15.21
Jun. 15th, 2021 08:15 amThe Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1, Verses 1-17
Although it isn't the most accurate, the King James Version of the Bible is the nicest sounding in English, and so we'll use that translation. We're going to open, unfortunately, with a genealogy; you can either read along with me, or skip to the end.
Who loves reading these lists of names? Not me, and in fact I'd rather skip this part-- and you probably would too. But if we did, we'd be missing out, because there's much more going on here than meets the eye.
First, notice that the author takes great pains to establish the number of generations from Abraham to Jesus. We have fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian captivity, and fourteen from the captivity to Jesus.
We could go into detail on the number symbolism here, but to my mind, it's far more important to establish that there is number symbolism.
Do you remember hearing about Pythagoras when you were younger? My high school math teacher had a picture of him in his room, and taught us that he was the first mathematician. And he was right about that, but Pythagoras was more than a mathematician-- and mathematics is more than mathematics. Pythagoras was a magician and a founder of one of the first great mystical schools of the ancient Greek world. The later Neoplatonist Iamblichus wrote a biography of Pythagoras, in which he described him as a Hero in the order of Apollo. Hero, in this context, doesn't mean a really great guy that we admire; it's a technical term for a kind of spirit that's intermediate between human beings and angels. All Heroes are subject to one of the Gods, and they sometimes incarnate as human beings in order to teach and guide us.
In any case-- If your experience of mathematics as a kid was anything like mine, you probably learned to hate math and find numbers unbearably sterile, dull, and boring, the very definition of disenchantment and the opposite of magic.
They are anything but.
Consider the Pythagorean Theorem. This is written A² + B² = C² . It tells us that for every right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square of the other two sides. Sound boring? Consider the following:
Every number and every mathematical formula has its own special properties, its own magic.
As a second example, consider the number 1.
Three things are true about it:
What do I mean?
The first is obvious. If we have any numbers at all, we start with 1. 1 is the beginning. What about the second? Well, if you count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... how many of each number are there?
Only one.
There is only one 1, but there is also only one 2, only one 3, only one 9,875,423, and so on.
And there is only one 0, and there is only one Infinity.
Therefore 1 is the beginning of numbers, but it is also the end of numbers, and it is also a quality which is present to all numbers and, therefore, to all things which can be numbered-- and so to all things which exist.
In Platonic thought, the One is the highest term, referring to the ineffable something by which all things are brought into being. (In Christian thought, the One is variously understood either as God the Father or as the ineffable Godhead which is shared by all 3 members of the Holy Trinity.) Notice that Jesus will eventually be called the Alpha and Omega-- the beginning and the end.
Every number has its own meaning and, in consequence, its own magic.
What is the meaning of 14, and of 3? What is the meaning of 42, their product? Of 7 and 6, its factors?
I leave these as exercises for the reader. The important thing to know for now is that they have meanings; having meanings, they have magic (power); and the author of the Gospel went out of his way to include them.
What of the genealogy itself?
The most interesting thing here-- to my mind-- is that Jesus is born into the House of David, and St. Joseph, his foster-father, is established as being a direct descendant of King David.
And that's important, because the House of David is a line of wizards.
Remember that these guys weren't just political leaders. They had direct contact with God. David wrote the majority of the Psalms-- well, the majority of Psalms for which the author is known-- and these have been used for magical purposes for centuries. Here is a 17th century book of Christian folk magic called The Book of Gold, which outlines the use of the psalms for magical purposes; here is a Greek Orthdox "book of needs," which uses the psalms in the same way. . Solomon, meanwhile, has often been regarded as the greatest magician of all time. The medieval grimoires called "The Keys of Solomon" are still in use to this day.
Thus we have established: Jesus is born into a house of wizards, and fostered by a man who comes from a long line of great wizards.
Join me tomorrow, when we'll look more closely at Jesus, his name, and his magician-parents!
Although it isn't the most accurate, the King James Version of the Bible is the nicest sounding in English, and so we'll use that translation. We're going to open, unfortunately, with a genealogy; you can either read along with me, or skip to the end.
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Who loves reading these lists of names? Not me, and in fact I'd rather skip this part-- and you probably would too. But if we did, we'd be missing out, because there's much more going on here than meets the eye.
First, notice that the author takes great pains to establish the number of generations from Abraham to Jesus. We have fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian captivity, and fourteen from the captivity to Jesus.
We could go into detail on the number symbolism here, but to my mind, it's far more important to establish that there is number symbolism.
Do you remember hearing about Pythagoras when you were younger? My high school math teacher had a picture of him in his room, and taught us that he was the first mathematician. And he was right about that, but Pythagoras was more than a mathematician-- and mathematics is more than mathematics. Pythagoras was a magician and a founder of one of the first great mystical schools of the ancient Greek world. The later Neoplatonist Iamblichus wrote a biography of Pythagoras, in which he described him as a Hero in the order of Apollo. Hero, in this context, doesn't mean a really great guy that we admire; it's a technical term for a kind of spirit that's intermediate between human beings and angels. All Heroes are subject to one of the Gods, and they sometimes incarnate as human beings in order to teach and guide us.
In any case-- If your experience of mathematics as a kid was anything like mine, you probably learned to hate math and find numbers unbearably sterile, dull, and boring, the very definition of disenchantment and the opposite of magic.
They are anything but.
Consider the Pythagorean Theorem. This is written A² + B² = C² . It tells us that for every right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square of the other two sides. Sound boring? Consider the following:
1. There is no perfect right triangle anywhere in the material world.
2. The Theorem therefore describes a perfect triangle which has no physical existence, and yet which
3. Determines the nature of every imperfect right triangle actually existing in the material world, and
4. Knowledge of this perfect, immaterial world, grants the whoever possesses it the power to understand and control objects in the material world.
Mathematics is magic. That's why the entrance to Plato's Academy read "Let know one enter here who does not know Geometry." 2. The Theorem therefore describes a perfect triangle which has no physical existence, and yet which
3. Determines the nature of every imperfect right triangle actually existing in the material world, and
4. Knowledge of this perfect, immaterial world, grants the whoever possesses it the power to understand and control objects in the material world.
Every number and every mathematical formula has its own special properties, its own magic.
As a second example, consider the number 1.
Three things are true about it:
1. It is the beginning of numbers.
2. It is in all numbers.
3. It is the end of numbers.
2. It is in all numbers.
3. It is the end of numbers.
What do I mean?
The first is obvious. If we have any numbers at all, we start with 1. 1 is the beginning. What about the second? Well, if you count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... how many of each number are there?
Only one.
There is only one 1, but there is also only one 2, only one 3, only one 9,875,423, and so on.
And there is only one 0, and there is only one Infinity.
Therefore 1 is the beginning of numbers, but it is also the end of numbers, and it is also a quality which is present to all numbers and, therefore, to all things which can be numbered-- and so to all things which exist.
In Platonic thought, the One is the highest term, referring to the ineffable something by which all things are brought into being. (In Christian thought, the One is variously understood either as God the Father or as the ineffable Godhead which is shared by all 3 members of the Holy Trinity.) Notice that Jesus will eventually be called the Alpha and Omega-- the beginning and the end.
Every number has its own meaning and, in consequence, its own magic.
What is the meaning of 14, and of 3? What is the meaning of 42, their product? Of 7 and 6, its factors?
I leave these as exercises for the reader. The important thing to know for now is that they have meanings; having meanings, they have magic (power); and the author of the Gospel went out of his way to include them.
What of the genealogy itself?
The most interesting thing here-- to my mind-- is that Jesus is born into the House of David, and St. Joseph, his foster-father, is established as being a direct descendant of King David.
And that's important, because the House of David is a line of wizards.
Remember that these guys weren't just political leaders. They had direct contact with God. David wrote the majority of the Psalms-- well, the majority of Psalms for which the author is known-- and these have been used for magical purposes for centuries. Here is a 17th century book of Christian folk magic called The Book of Gold, which outlines the use of the psalms for magical purposes; here is a Greek Orthdox "book of needs," which uses the psalms in the same way. . Solomon, meanwhile, has often been regarded as the greatest magician of all time. The medieval grimoires called "The Keys of Solomon" are still in use to this day.
Thus we have established: Jesus is born into a house of wizards, and fostered by a man who comes from a long line of great wizards.
Join me tomorrow, when we'll look more closely at Jesus, his name, and his magician-parents!
