Arbatel and the Archons
As we have already mentioned, one of the most important symbols of realization, having a unique significance yet often underestimated, is the so-called Talisman of Arbatel, given in the German edition of the grimoire of the same name. It is believed that this sign was created by the publisher of “Arbatel,” A. Luppius (the 1686 edition), who also printed it in a book containing the works and biography of Paracelsus with the following explanation:
«Saturiel portends a long life and great old age, a delayed death; also portends great troubles and misfortune. Joviel portends the attainment of glory, luxury, and wealth. Gabriel portends enslavement, etc. Oriel bestows the strength proper to youth, courage, audacity, and cheerfulness. Pomiel bestows offensiveness in actions, importunity».
Although this symbol is not found in other editions, there is every reason to believe that it is inspired precisely by Planetary Magic, to which the “Magical Arbatel” is devoted. At the same time, many practitioners called this symbol the “Great pentacle” of Arbatel — by analogy with the Pentacle of Solomon that precedes the “Lesser Key.”
As the Grimoire itself explains,
«The highest doctrine of magic consists in understanding which suggestions from alien spirits ought to be accepted, and which ought to be rejected»,
and therefore it is logical to assume that the symbols and signs given in it serve this purpose. Proceeding from such an assumption, the Magi repeatedly tested both the planetary signs of the “Olympian spirits” given in the “Arbatel,” and the Pentacle preceding it, for the ability to “filter” messages from spirits and found that they indeed possess the power of a “lie detector,” blocking false and illusory manifestations of the Rulers. Studies conducted by lucid-dreaming practitioners showed that the Pentacle cannot be depicted in the Interworld, which also confirms its connection with “anti-archonic” Magic.
In fact, the Pentacle’s symbolism concerns reconciling dualities; the idea of reconciling dualities, the object and its reflection, is the real and virtual worlds, the Prolongation and Interstice.
The triple cross at the top of the Pentacle symbolizes the active existence of the three worlds — ideas, potencies, and objects. The double distorted “St. Andrew’s” cross at the bottom reflects reality in the world of the Interstice.
Two side crescents represent ways of neutralizing binaries — in reality and in possibility, and the central rectangle is the manifested world itself. The two letters E stand for Essentia and Existentia — Essence and Existence, the deep and surface levels of being, reflections of each other and summed up in the concept of “Ens,” “being.”
Thus, the “Great pentacle of Arbatel” affirms the interrelation and interdependence of the world of reality and the realm of potentials, and brings elements of each into the other. Therefore, in the spaces of the Interstice, with their multiple potentialities and uncertainty, this Pentacle cannot exist: it speaks of an “accomplished” reality, whereas from the standpoint of the Interstice all variants of reality are equally probable.
In the world of reality, however, the Pentacle significantly limits archons’ influence, and therefore can be used for “taming” heimarmene.
This is the application the Grimoire prescribes that the Grimoire has in mind, prescribing:
«Make it your rule to test the spirits, as Holy Scripture teaches, for “one does not gather grapes from thornbushes.” Everything must be tested, so as to accept what is good and praiseworthy and to avoid that which is incompatible with the will of the Lord».
Thus, regardless of its origin and author, the Pentacle of Arbatel is an effective symbol of realization, not only tames planetary influences, but also makes it possible to distinguish false perception from causally formed perceptions.
Thank you! Tell me, master, what type of space do visions that exceed reality in intensity, saturation, and stability belong to?
The intensity and saturation in the Interspace are quite significant: remember that emotions in dreams, for example, are usually significantly brighter than in reality. As for stability, that’s where the distinction lies. Everything that is stable is reality. Accordingly, it’s unlikely that one can say there exists some ‘especially stable’ or ‘super-reality’. When it comes to transcendental stability, it is indeed more present in Enlightened levels, but that is not the same as the stability of reality. The stability of the Pleroma or the inviolability of the Vajra bodies is not just ‘stability’; it is a different level of existence where contradictions or obscurations are fewer (or absent), and therefore, there are no instability factors.
By the way, it’s interesting that Consciousness itself constantly demands movement, striving for ‘awareness’, interacting with energies of different spectra, i.e., nourishment. To clarify – we cannot stop thinking. Even if we are locked in a space, we will create our own reality and exist in it. Can Consciousness be called a predator by its very nature?
Consciousness itself is not psychology; it is the space in which psychic processes unfold. And like space, consciousness is merely a possibility, an ability to realize awareness – reflection, recognition, imprinting. It does not ‘require’ interactions but provides such an opportunity.
Yes, emotions, especially at first, when you fall into the interval on pure curiosity overcoming the horror of the fear of death. By stability, I meant that the observed space does not pull, does not disperse energy, does not require focus; it somehow radiates it, like a living being. Living sky, living stars, seas, etc.
If dreaming is an unregulated space of the interworld – and as it essentially is – a state of ‘floating consciousness (the state of drowsiness)’. Then how to understand the expression that our world (reality) is a dream and the Archons (the rulers of the world) form our dense reality or the common illusion of a dream (matrix). Is there a discussion about different things here, or is there a logical contradiction? Then, what is the state of consciousness in the higher – say, nirvanic worlds – where Buddhas live?
As I have said in many posts, ‘reality’ differs from ‘dream’ only by the number of dreamers, or, to put it more physically, by the number of observers making measurements and collapsing the wave function. The Archons try to direct this ‘collapse’ in the most advantageous way for themselves: it’s important for them that reality arises (as only after the ‘collapse’ does the possibility of generating energy appear), but at the same time, that the degree of freedom of consciousness in this reality is minimal. As for the Enlightened forms of consciousness – it is unlikely to be adequately possible to talk about them while being in the worlds of obscured.
I apologize if I am writing off-topic. During my not so extensive ‘gnostic investigation’, I got a bit confused and as folk wisdom says, ‘ask someone who knows’. I found an article where it says quote: ‘The Gnostics regarded the god of the Old Testament, Jehovah, the god of Christians and Jews, as a dark force. For them, he was an evil demiurge.’ Next quote ‘Because the Archons, or geniuses, number only seven. Here are their names: Gabriel, genius of the Moon. Michael, genius of the Sun. Raphael, genius of Mercury. Anael, genius of Venus. Raguel, genius of Mars. Remiel, genius of Jupiter. Azrael, genius of Saturn.’ This means that if we take the Western magical tradition, it works with Archons, right? So when performing the same MRP ritual, are we summoning ‘Archon’ angels? Or how? Please enlighten me.
The Gnostics tried to find correspondences with the Archons in the mythologies that were already widespread at that time. One could say that they understood and interpreted the books of the Bible ‘too literally’, which, under such straightforward understanding, can certainly lead to the idea of the ‘Evil God’. At the same time, they picked up quite a few variants of names for the Archons, among which there are also identifications with planetary angels. However, one must understand that such identification relates the Archons to certain planetary functions, not to the spirits controlling them. The Gnostics were generally not very interested in the structure of the material cosmos, which they considered evil and a prison, and were more focused on methods of liberation from it. Hence the vagueness of the terminology.
Hello, Enmerkar. The Arbatel talisman serves to bind the negative influence of planets when using planetary magic, did I understand correctly?
Hello.
Well, one could say so)