I've been reading David Rosenberg's "Dreams of Being Eaten Alive" (thanks kittymel), and he spends a fair amount of time exploring the sexual metaphors of the Kabbalah. One of my favorite aspects of the worlds within worlds concept is the way sex is a symbol for so many other principles, and those same things serve as a symbol for sex :-)
Rereading the web site, it's easy to rephrase any of the Temple Priapus tenets in kabbalistic terms. For instance, #1 talks about worshipping my cock, “the center of my body, of my life, my sexuality, my spirituality. It is for you and about you that the world is united.” That’s a pretty succinct description of Yesod.
#2 can be seen as illuminating the desire for the Shekinah (“I believe in You, beautiful Phallus, in your strength and your power, in your ability to bring ecstasy, when being sucked, licked, suckled or masturbated, all together. You offer me the stiffness, beauty, the energy and your immaculate cum.”), and it makes even more sense when seen as the stimulus of the male creative force. And before anyone jumps on me, yes, there is a female creative force as well. One of the most important ideals in the Kabbalah is the (re)uniting of these two forces within ourselves, within humanity, and within all creation.
And so on
Or is it that I'm just waking up, still under the effects of last night's Thrill Kill show?
Have you, by chance, read Eliahu Klein's Kabbalah of Creation (Isaac Luria's earlier mysticism)? It's his translation & commentary on Hayyim ben Yosuf Vital's sha`ar hakelalim, a treatise on Lurianic kabbalah by one of the Ari's best known students. While there's a great deal of it I can't say I agree with (given that it's fairly orthodox Judaism, while I'm neither orthodox nor Jewish), I find it an interesting work in that it is one of the few original kabbalistic documents I have encountered which explicitly tackles the topic of sexuality in relation to kabbalah, the tree, etc. It covers numerous topics, but includes considerations on the relationships between the male & female Trees, their offspring & gestation, the reflection between earthly & divine or cosmic kissing, sexuality, and so forth. It's a little complex in places (keeping up with Luria's conception of a plenitude of interlocking Trees, etc.), but an interesting read. If you're interested, the ISBN is 0765761300.
Rereading the web site, it's easy to rephrase any of the Temple Priapus tenets in kabbalistic terms. For instance, #1 talks about worshipping my cock, “the center of my body, of my life, my sexuality, my spirituality. It is for you and about you that the world is united.” That’s a pretty succinct description of Yesod.
Indeed it is. It is also an apt reflection of the attitude cultivated in Crowley's system toward the phallus as the physical reflection of or vehicle for the divine Self. Even his public text of the Star Ruby (his pentagram ritual alternative) replaces the G.'.D.'.-style "To Thee" of the "qabalistic cross" with "To you, o phallus!"; the theme swells to an even greater prominence in de Natura Deorum, his instruction for the VII° O.T.O. (particularly in chapts. 5 & 6 which define a form of worship for the same), etc. The symbolism can be traced troughout his trump descriptions, as well, in The Book of Thoth.
I agree with your other points wrt the site being subject to or capable of kabbalistic interpretation, also; but, then again, that's one of the "features" of kabbalah: after you're fluent with its tools, everything is subject to a kabbalistic interpretation. :)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 03:37 pm (UTC)It'll take only one cut, I'm sure.
Re:
Date: 2003-03-26 07:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-28 01:04 am (UTC)Reminds me of aspects of the VII & VIII degrees of the O.T.O. system via Crowley's instructions for the same.
no subject
Date: 2003-03-28 07:12 am (UTC)Rereading the web site, it's easy to rephrase any of the Temple Priapus tenets in kabbalistic terms. For instance, #1 talks about worshipping my cock, “the center of my body, of my life, my sexuality, my spirituality. It is for you and about you that the world is united.” That’s a pretty succinct description of Yesod.
#2 can be seen as illuminating the desire for the Shekinah (“I believe in You, beautiful Phallus, in your strength and your power, in your ability to bring ecstasy, when being sucked, licked, suckled or masturbated, all together. You offer me the stiffness, beauty, the energy and your immaculate cum.”), and it makes even more sense when seen as the stimulus of the male creative force. And before anyone jumps on me, yes, there is a female creative force as well. One of the most important ideals in the Kabbalah is the (re)uniting of these two forces within ourselves, within humanity, and within all creation.
And so on
Or is it that I'm just waking up, still under the effects of last night's Thrill Kill show?
no subject
Date: 2003-03-28 10:02 am (UTC)Have you, by chance, read Eliahu Klein's Kabbalah of Creation (Isaac Luria's earlier mysticism)? It's his translation & commentary on Hayyim ben Yosuf Vital's sha`ar hakelalim, a treatise on Lurianic kabbalah by one of the Ari's best known students. While there's a great deal of it I can't say I agree with (given that it's fairly orthodox Judaism, while I'm neither orthodox nor Jewish), I find it an interesting work in that it is one of the few original kabbalistic documents I have encountered which explicitly tackles the topic of sexuality in relation to kabbalah, the tree, etc. It covers numerous topics, but includes considerations on the relationships between the male & female Trees, their offspring & gestation, the reflection between earthly & divine or cosmic kissing, sexuality, and so forth. It's a little complex in places (keeping up with Luria's conception of a plenitude of interlocking Trees, etc.), but an interesting read. If you're interested, the ISBN is 0765761300.
Rereading the web site, it's easy to rephrase any of the Temple Priapus tenets in kabbalistic terms. For instance, #1 talks about worshipping my cock, “the center of my body, of my life, my sexuality, my spirituality. It is for you and about you that the world is united.” That’s a pretty succinct description of Yesod.
Indeed it is. It is also an apt reflection of the attitude cultivated in Crowley's system toward the phallus as the physical reflection of or vehicle for the divine Self. Even his public text of the Star Ruby (his pentagram ritual alternative) replaces the G.'.D.'.-style "To Thee" of the "qabalistic cross" with "To you, o phallus!"; the theme swells to an even greater prominence in de Natura Deorum, his instruction for the VII° O.T.O. (particularly in chapts. 5 & 6 which define a form of worship for the same), etc. The symbolism can be traced troughout his trump descriptions, as well, in The Book of Thoth.
I agree with your other points wrt the site being subject to or capable of kabbalistic interpretation, also; but, then again, that's one of the "features" of kabbalah: after you're fluent with its tools, everything is subject to a kabbalistic interpretation. :)