Practical Qabalah, Lesson 3: The Trickster

PrintPosted date: Mar 1, 2022
Edited
by: Dianna Padgett

Qabalistically speaking, this chapter focuses on Hod in Yesod or the Intellect in the Subconscious. The nature of the intellect is to analyze the mechanics of its environment. This is a very fulfilling enterprise. It gives a sense of purpose, innovation and accomplishment. Over time it produces a nice cozy feeling and eventually, complacency and stagnation. The Trickster is there to make sure that doesn’t happen. He throws a wrench into the works. He reminds the Subconscious that there are more environments to inhabit and to become fat and self-absorbed is counter productive. Most of the Tricksters in stories and myths are looked upon as villains; Lucifer, Set, Loci, Coyote, the Joker, et al . They all disrupt the status quo and are therefore ‘bad’. But the Tricksters are the ones that keep the Self progressing up the Tree. When something horrible happens in your life, grieve of course because grief has its purpose as well, then see it as an opportunity to move into a new path of growth.

Hopefully, it’s becoming evident that these lessons are not a ‘quick fix’. It takes a lot of work to get familiar with the workings of the subconscious. Currently there is no need to teach it in schools because it doesn’t augment the role of cogs in the machine of Capitalism. But the Subconscious is a major aspect of every life and, in order to fulfill our roles as Human Beings, its study should be encouraged on a personal level. Read the ancient writers, myths, fairy tales. Only in understanding your whole Self can you understand why you are here.

Why do we have intellect? Because the Universe, and life itself, is increasingly revealed as symmetric and mathematical. This symmetry begs to be understood. But an understanding of numbers includes a realization of increase and decrease and a tendency to forget the underlying concept of unity and One. The old Qabalistic saying, ‘all numbers are equal’ suddenly makes no sense. Logic suggests that more is better and biggest is best. Little greed monsters are born within the psyche that reflect this tendency, sometimes gremlins or leprechauns with their pots of gold or, in the extreme, great dragons that horde mountains of gold. Whatever form this Trickster takes, it plays on his victim's greed then vanishes, taking the gold with him. Western dragons are demons and killed by saints but Eastern dragons are Elemental Forces that are beneficial to humanity. In Eastern lore, monsters tend to bestow forgetfulness and apathy. The difference is the Oriental mind is more attuned to natural forces and the Western mind more attuned to logic. The Trickster, sometimes in a playful way but usually in a very mean way, brings realization of imbalance of these perspectives into the world of the conscious mind.

Despair – One of the more horrific tricks pulled by the Trickster is despair. It comes at you slowly at first but then punches full blast leaving you incapacitated. It’s similar to fairy tales of someone cursed falling into a deep sleep or turned into a frog or a beast or, like Osiris, killed, stuffed in a coffin and sent floating down the river. You can’t do anything and all you feel is pain or alienation. Finally, someone of the opposite sex overcomes some hardship and gives you a kiss and you wake. Same story over and over again. What is this story really about? Trickster has stripped you of your reality and disconnected you from any of the internal helpers in your subconscious. The only activity is the mind, going over the same hurtful things incessantly, until all seems futile. Who is in control? The writer of the story, the Self, the Child who has been left in charge. The Child needs to be unaffected by the turmoil. The cause of the despair doesn’t matter. That will be dealt with after the current state is dispelled. The Child can see in the Mirror the reason for the devastation happening in the Mind, all the little wounds that have happened over time and how its become infected and gone gangrene. But like a surgeon, she needs to calmly apply the necessary steps to put the mind back into balance. She sees the cause of the wounds or loss and the progression of the problem. She also sees the bigger picture, including the One fearing the possible loss of a wonderful mind to an oubliette. Then she can go to the Self, located in Sepheroth 6, and ask her to speak to Ego. Ego must understand that the pain related to the wounds must be let in and experienced. He will protest of course because prevention of pain is the whole reason he stands guard. Also he must welcome possibility of a reality beyond the individual. Next the Child journeys to the Hero to seek strength and tenacity. With these gifts she goes back to the Mind and sits patiently while the Mind applies the balms and heals. Without the Trickster the Mind would not have been forced to need this healing and the strength and broader understanding attained by the ordeal would not have been attained. There is an old story of how Solomon attained his wisdom. He had captured 72 demons to help him build his temple. The King of them was Asmodeus. Solomon, at the time was very rich, had a herd of wonderful horses and a harem of 100 wives. One evening they were talking and Solomon, vainly showed Asmodeus his ring. Asmodeus snatched it and put it on and immediately threw Solomon three countries away. Solomon got a job as a cook to the King of the country. He was given one horse and fell in love with one woman, the King’s daughter. He learned wisdom, hard work and humility. After learning this, he caught a fish for the King’s dinner. In its belly he found his ring so he put it on and transported himself and his new wife back to his own country. Solomon promptly imprisoned the 72 demons in a brass vessel and threw it in the lake.

The underlying theme of all the relevant stories and fairy tales is the union of the male and female to break the spell. In the subconscious it is the union of the individual perspective and the perspective of the Whole, the union of opposites.



Next lesson: The Mirror. To see all lessons go to https://dz-bz.com/bmt/bmt.html

Sign in to reply to this article.