‫א‬

The 11th Path

The Scintillating (Fiery) Intelligence
Chokmah Kether
Atziluth YH, Yah Hebrew: Aleph ‫א‬, Ox AtziluthAHYH, Eheieh
Briah Ratziel “Secrets of God” Tarot: 0, The Fool Briah Archangel Metatron
Yetzirah Auphanim “Wheels” “The Spirit of Ether” YetzirahChayoth ha Qodesh
Assiah Zodiac, light of the Stars Color: Pale Yellow / Sound: E Assiah First Swirlings; (Pluto)
preceding form; Neptune Name of God: YHVH Tarot The four Aces
Tarot The Twos; the Knights Astrology: Elemental Air, Color: White
Color: Pearlescent Gray also Uranus ♅ Virtue Attainment of the
Virtue Devotion Great Work
Mythology: The Child of the
Vice None Vice None
The Phallus, Tower,
Primal Void
Symbols Symbols Swastika, Lamp, Crown
Rod, Standing Stone Meditation: Freedom from
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Limitation Spiritual Experience: Union with
God Face-to-Face. God
The eleventh path joins Kether and Chokmah, preceding all form. Since form and polarity don’t begin until
Chokmah, it’s difficult to find any way to talk about this path since it has no form in and of itself.
This path is associated with elemental Air and the planet Uranus, the planet of flashing insight and revolution.
The traditional role of “The Fool” to society is as the magician, the madman (and woman) who exists outside of
convention. “To be a magician is always, in some sense, to be outside the boundaries traced by society, and from
this comes both freedom and vulnerability” (Greer, p.346). Wang says we can recognize we have touched the 11th
path through thoughts that are “dangerous and disruptive.” This is an important way to understand the
principles of this path of initiation to the All-That-Is. The Fool, who exists outside of the norms of culture, who
sees and speaks truth unfiltered, is a threat to every aspect of status quo and every existing form.
Although it’s a paradox for those of us who live in the world of form to fully grasp the path that precedes form,
the personal experience of 11th Path can be explored through the concept of “pure potential.” The concept of
pure potential was taught by philosopher Alfred North Whitehead who said, “Our minds are finite, and yet even
in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite. The purpose of life is to
grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude.” The mythology of Aleph, The Child of the Primal Void, echoes
the mystery. This child appears at the beginning of creation, without parents, fully formed.
In the same way that the Fool in tarot holds the signature of every other card in the deck, so the path of Aleph
holds all potentials and can best be understood in relationship to other paths and experiences on the Tree. First
is the connection between Aleph and Lamed, Ox and Ox-goad, Fool and Adjustment, the primal forces of
creation and the container that guides creation. Second, Aleph is connected to Yesod through the quality of ether
and the process of magic in the astral realm. Finally, the relationships between the paths and tarot cards for
Aleph (Air), Mem (Water), and Shin (Fire) hold keys to the evolution of the elemental forces of creation.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ב‬
The 12th Path
Binah The Intelligence of Transparency Kether
Atziluth Elohim Hebrew: Beth ‫ב‬, House Atziluth Eheieh "I AM"
Briah Archangel Tzaphkiel Tarot: I, The Magician Briah Archangel Metatron
Yetzirah Arelim – “Thrones” “The Magus of Power” Yetzirah Chayyoth ha Qodesh
Assiah Saturn Color: Yellow / Sound: E Assiah First Swirlings; (Pluto)
Tarot The Threes; the Queens Name of God: Elohim Tzabaoth Tarot The four Aces
Color: Black Astrology: Mercury ☿ Color: White
Virtue Silence Mythology: Creation of the World Virtue Attainment of the
Vice Avarice Experience: Vision of creation; Great Work
Hoarding Wisdom Form emerging from no-form; Vice None
Symbols Chalice, Vesica Piscis, Visions of past, present & future Symbols Swastika, Lamp, Crown
the Veil, the Yoni Entities: Adam Cadmon;
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Spiritual Experience: Union with
Shape-changing beings
Beauty Triumphant. Experience of God
Meditation: To develop
perfection in physical form. concentration and memory.
The path of Beth joins Kether to Binah and is associated with all aspects of creation. The letter Beth means
“House” and speaks to the way that this path is a container or dwelling-place to deliver the potential for form
from Kether to Binah.
In Hebraic Kabbalah the letter Beth, being the first letter of the first word of Genesis, is associated with creation.
BRAShYTh, Berashith, “In the beginning” or “At first, in principle.” (Wang p.238) In this way the path of Beth
speaks to these first principles of creation. Transparent Intelligence refers to this transmission of life force from
above to below. Through transmission, the one who transmits is also the transmission itself. This is one of the
mysteries of this path and can help us understand the initiatory power of The Magician in tarot.
The principle of language as a primary force of creation is a key to understanding the path of Beth. The
association of Mercury with the deities of Thoth (Hermes) intrinsically connects the power of the force of
creation with the power of the Word. Thoth is known as the One who brought language to the world and
transmitted the wisdom teachings to the ancient scribes. The Cynocephalus, dog headed ape, was companion to
Hermes. He is shown in the tarot image at the feet of the Magus and represents the power of words as well as
their potential for misuse and misunderstanding.
The 12th path has several correspondences to other locations on the tree. First are the Name of God and planet
Mercury, which both connect the 12th path with Hod. This association with Hod speaks to the ways in which the
12th path (above Binah at the top of the Pillar of Form) comes to its fruition in Hod, at the base of that pillar.
There are also correspondences within the Supernals. First are the many ways in which the Magus and Fool
relate to each other as a complementary pair. This can best be understood through reflection and meditation. In
addition, the 12th Path is related to the Pillar of Force through Chokmah, the Sephirah associated with the
Magician. Chokmah descends to Chesed where the powers of the Magus into form. These correspondences
clearly show how the Sephirah and paths of the Supernals are interrelated and balanced as a unit of wholeness.
Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ג‬
The 13th Path
Tiphareth The Uniting Intelligence Kether
Atziluth Jehovah Aloah va Hebrew: ‫ ג‬Gimel, Camel Atziluth Ehyeh (Eheieh) “I
Daath Tarot: II, The Priestess AM”
Briah Archangel Raphael “Princess of the Silver Star” Briah Archangel Metatron
Yetzirah Malachim Color: Blue / Sound: G# Yetzirah Chayyoth ha Qodesh
Assiah The Sun Name of God: Shaddai El Chai Assiah First Swirlings, Zodiac
Tarot The four Sixes Tarot The four Aces
Astrology: Moon ☽
Color: Golden Yellow Color: White
Virtue Devotion to the Great Work Mythology: Descent of the Divine Virtue Attainment, Completion
Vice Pride Experience: Silence, empty of the Great Work
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross, spaces, still temples, crossing the Vice None
Truncated Pyramid, Cube desert, the Star in the East, angels, Symbols Swastika, Crown,
Spiritual Experience: Vision of silent priests and priestesses. Thousand-petaled Lotus
Beauty Triumphant. Experience Meditation: “To develop far Spiritual Experience: Union with
of perfection in physical form. memory.” God

The 13th path joins Tiphareth to Kether at the top of the middle pillar. This is the most direct route across the
Abyss and the only path that crosses Daath, the direct point of contact between the upper and lower worlds.
Known as “Lower Chokmah,” on this path we learn the essence of consciousness and light. The archetype of
High Priestess relates to the first receptive aspect of Life Force, the Prima Materia. She is the Mind that receives
the impulse that the Magician initiates, and carries forward what will be brought to form. She is our connection
to the inner mysteries, while the Hierophant is our experience of the mysteries in the world.
Gimel has many attributes related to the significance of the 13th path. On this path we are carried across the
Abyss by the camel, known as the “ship of the desert,” a reference to transportation, commerce, and movement
in the world. The prominent aspect of the visual glyph of Gimel is the vertical axis which represents the spinal
column in the body. It’s the camel’s spine which enables survival and travel across the desert. In the same way,
our spinal column is the throne of our spiritual body. Indeed, “all that power that you are using to penetrate into
the superior dimensions of nature is found in the spinal column.” –Glorian Publishing website. We must learn to
draw down the light, which is the yod at the top of the letter, and then anchor it in Yesod. The lower yod is the
foot, symbolizing action as well as sexual energy.
The astrological aspect of this path is the Moon, which relates to Mystery, to rhythm and also to the balance and
paradox of light and dark. This is the Moon in her highest aspects, the Mystery of consciousness descending as
Light. Because it originates above the Abyss, the 13th encompasses the entire spectrum from full dark to full
light. Here we learn the very nature of light. In Crowley’s words, “In high initiation it is important to regard
Light not as the perfect manifestation of the Eternal Spirit, but rather light is the veil which hides that Spirit.”
The name of God associated with this path is “Shaddai El Chai,” which is the same as for Yesod. This is another
expression of the way the two are connected, and can help us further understand how the Moon helps us to
connect to consciousness and draw down the light.
Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
In practical terms, balance is the key requirement of this path. We must navigate all three vertical paths in order
to connect to Yesod and Malkuth. The Name of God (Shaddai El Chai) as well as the astrology (Moon) are both
associated with Yesod, speaking to the necessity of balance above and below in order to navigate the journey of
incarnation. In crossing the desert alone we must use our tools and simultaneously release all that we know in
order to fully step into the unknown. The middle pillar is the path of the mystic. This is a hidden and internal
journey, not revealed on the exterior.“Things are not as they appear.” Pope Joan was the traditional version of
the Priestess, and she traveled in the word in disguise.

The name “Silver Star” refers to the Star of the East, a mystical visitation of light. On the path of return from
Tipharath to Kether we move from Separation to Oneness, from Individual to Source. Tiphareth is the only
sphere below the Abyss that makes direct contact with Kether. In this sense it is the individual self who reflects
the divine, and it is to the individual Self that the Divine makes its most direct descent into the world. Crowley
says that he path of the Sliver Star refers to one’s contact and ability to receive messages from the radiance of
one’s personal Angel (HGA).

On this path we come face-to-face with free will and the secrets of life and death. The experiences of the three
paths of Initiation (Chariot, Lust, and Hermit) can all be experienced on the 13th path which crosses the abyss
directly to Source. The experience is “Divine reconciliation through isolation.” (need citation here)

Case said that the card summarizes all seven principles of the Kabalian (Hermetic Law). “The Priestess is the
truth behind the Veil of Light.” As she unifies all polarities, the bow of Artemis is also a musical instrument. This
is the birth of all potential and the idea behind all form. - Crowley

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

 ‫ד‬
Binah The 14th Path Chokmah
Atziluth Elohim The Illuminating Intelligence Atziluth YH, Yah
Briah Archangel Tzaphkiel Hebrew: ‫ ד‬Daleth, Door Briah Ratziel “Secrets of God”
Yetzirah Arelim – “Thrones” Tarot: III, The Empress Yetzirah Auphanim “Wheels”
Assiah Saturn “Daughter of the Mighty Ones” Assiah the Zodiac; also
Tarot The four Threes; the Color: Emerald Green/Sound: F♯ Neptune
Queens Name of God: YHVH Tzabaoth Tarot The four Twos
Color: Black Astrology: Venus ♀ Color: Pearlescent Gray
Virtue Silence Mythology: Marriage of Heaven Virtue Devotion
Vice Avarice & Earth Vice None
Hoarding Wisdom Symbols The Phallus, Lingam,
Experience: The beauty of Tower, Uplifted Rod,
Symbols Chalice, Vesica Piscis, Nature, polarity and sexuality,
the Veil, the Yoni Standing Stone
the light of the stars and zodiac Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Entities: Goddesses and Gods
Sorrow God Face-to-Face.
Meditation: Imagination
The 14th Path of Daleth joins Binah, the Eternal Mother, with Chokmah, the Eternal Father. This is the top of the
three horizontal paths and the primary path of creation, anchoring the template for all forms of polarity that follow
below the Abyss. Daleth is also known as the path of Mother Earth, who gives birth to all life in our world. The
Empress unites the divine Father with the Mother, which why she is called the “Daughter of the Mighty Ones.” The
letter Daleth means Door. This Door is the threshold of travel and unification between the Dark of infinite Source
and the Light of manifest form, the non-physical and physical realms, the Macro and Micro worlds.
The “Illuminating (Luminous) Intelligence” refers to the light that radiates from within, the light of spirit and inner
force from which all form is born. This is the Light of the One Mother. The Luminous Intelligence unites all
polarities, and all seeming contradictions, father and mother, light and dark, body and spirit, life and death, beauty and
sorrow. This is because Love is the glue that binds the Universe together. There are several alchemical symbols that
illustrate this truth. The first is the symbol for Venus, which is the only planet that touches all Sephiroth (the glyph for
Venus covers all 10 realms). Another symbol is the triangle, the geometry of Binah, which is the strongest of all forms
and unites all polarities. The third symbol is the energy of Renewal, which unites the polarities of the left and right
pillar, the complementary forces of growth and decay All three processes are happening simultaneously, at all levels,
within all life forms. This mystery of the renewal of life is held within the 14th Path.
Imagination is the capacity of the realm of the Empress. It is Gaia, Mother Nature, who “builds all form around the
spirit of Life,” (Wang). She rules the subconscious, the realm of ideas, from which all form is born. She establishes
law in the Macroprosopus and gives birth to Microprosopus. It’s the power of Venus that associates Beauty with form.
One of the deepest mysteries of life is expressed in the complementary planetary associations of the Supernal (top)
and the Astral (bottom) triangles on the Tree. Mercury rules the 12th path (Magician) as well as Hod; Venus rules the
the 14th path (Empress) as well as Netzach; and the Moon rules the 13th path (Priestess) as well as Yesod. These
association of the lower Sephirah with the upper Paths reflects the maxim “As Above, So Below.” Whichever way one
travels on the Tree, the upper triad is reflected below and vice versa.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ה‬
The 15th Path
Tipareth The Constituting Intelligence Chokmah
Atziluth YHVH Aloah va Daath Hebrew: ‫ ה‬Heh, Window Atziluth YH, Yah
Briah Archangel Raphael Tarot: IV, The Emperor Briah Raziel “Secrets of God”
Yetzirah Malachim “Son of the Morning” Yetzirah Auphanim “Wheels”
Assiah The Sun Color: Scarlet / Sound C Assiah Zodiac, the light of the
Tarot The four 6’s Name of God: Elohim Stars that precedes form
Color: Golden Yellow Astrology: Aries ♈ Tarot The four 2’s
Virtue Devotion to the Great Mythology: Monarch of the Golden Age Color: Pearlescent Gray
Work Experience: Symbols of springtime and Virtue Devotion
Vice Pride new life, the Sun and the stars, creation Vice None
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross, of the world, endless space, Symbols The Phallus, Lingam,
Truncated Pyramid, Tower, Uplifted Rod,
Entities: images of royal figures, angels, Standing Stone
Cube
and enlightened leadership. Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Meditation: To improve sight.
Harmony God Face-to-Face.
The 15th Path, Heh, joins Tiphareth, Solar light and self-knowledge, with Chokmah, creative Wisdom. As the Sun is
exalted in the sign of Aries, so too on this path we are supported in the increase of light as we move from Tiphareth
to the darkness of the Supernals. Greer says that it is the solid anchoring in Tiphareth that ultimately enables us to
make this journey to higher consciousness. Further, the name of God, Elohim, speaks to the understanding of
existence as a cycle of transformation.
The letter Heh means Window. It refers to a structural element (form) that transmits light from the sun
(consciousness and spirit). Eakins says that Heh literally means “eye of the wind,” being the “transparent pane that
illuminates the structure of all form.” What’s significant is that the window (the initiate on the path) is NOT the
source of illumination, just the vessel through which it passes. This is one of the mysteries of the Constituting Intelligence,
which refers to bringing the world to order.
This is a path of power as well as order. As Cardinal Fire, Aries initiates the annual cycle of time with the pure force of
new potential. The archetype of Emperor can help us understand this interplay of power and order. Case calls the
Emperor the “Grand Architect” of the Universe, bringing order to the world through all forms of structure and
systems of organization and thought. Eakins says he is also an adventurer and pioneer, an artist of new thought. Greer
takes this to another level by saying that this is the path of the ritual Magician, who learns to connect with the Power
of the Universe (Chokmah) through the alignment and foundation of inner self (Tiphareth).
Because of the force of power and solar light, this path creates the strongest materialization of Chokmah on the tree.
The word “Emperor” represents this highest form of human leadership, which is to apply the laws of universal order
in the world. The Thoth image references magic by showing the Emperor’s upper body as a triangle and the lower as a
cross, a reference to the alchemical symbol of Sulfur, creating the alchemical triad of Magus (Mercury/Air), Empress
(Salt/Earth) and Emperor (Sulfur/Fire). The Emperor is also seen in profile. We see only his left eye, the traditional
(hidden) Qabalistic representation of the ‘Ancient of Days’ of Kether, another reference to power.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ו‬
The 16th Path
Chesed The Triumphal Intelligence Chokmah
Atziluth El, root for All (Allah) Hebrew: ‫ ו‬Vav, Nail or Hook Atziluth YH, Yah
Briah Archangel Tzadkiel, Tarot: V, The Hierophant Briah Ratziel “Secrets of God”
Righteousness of God “Magus of the Eternal Gods” Yetzirah Auphanim “Wheels”
Yetzirah Chasmalim Color: Red-Orange / Sound: C♯ Assiah Zodiac; Neptune
Assiah Jupiter Astrology: Taurus♉ Tarot The Twos; the Knights
Tarot The four Fours Name of God: Adonai Color: Pearlescent Gray
Color: Blue Mythology: The Keeper of Wisdom Virtue Devotion
Virtue Obedience Experience: Pilgrimages to temples & Vice None
Vice Bigotry, Tyranny Symbols The Phallus, Lingam,
mountain hermitages, communication of Tower, Inner Robe of
Symbols The Wand, Pyramid, wisdom teachings, priestly figures and
Cross, Orb Glory, Uplifted Rod,
wise beings, visions of all time. Standing Stone
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Meditation: To improve intuition and
Love Spiritual Experience: Vision of
connection to inner light (inner hearing). God Face-to-Face.
The 16th Path forms the top of the Pillar of mercy, and has a yang polarity that connects Chokmah with Chesed. This
is a path of primal force and balance, in which Chokmah crosses the abyss and enters the world of form. The letter
Vav, nail, holds the key teachings of this path. A nail or hook binds and holds things together. In Hebrew ‫ ו‬is used to
join other words, as we use the conjunction “and.” In the same way this path binds the spiritual and physical realms,
the macro and microcosm. Vav is a simple letter associated with hearing, which is the intuitive sense that enables us to
hear the inner voice of higher self.
A Hierophant is a mystical priest, the revealer of sacred things. The name of God, Adonai, expresses the entire cycle
of birth, death, and rebirth. He is the active counterpart to the High Priestess, representing our self as the embodied
Initiate, the one who receives and holds the binding force of the universe. As the Priestess connects us directly to the
mystery of what lies beyond the light, it is the Hierophant who teaches us how to bring the light into the world, into
our bodies as well as physical form. The elephants and bull that form the Hierophant’s throne signify the strength,
patience and grounding of Taurus. Although this is a male principle of action, it is Venus who rules Taurus with the
Moon exalted. These aspects of the Mother force are illustrated as the Priestess of Adjustment in the root chakra, as
well as the Flower of Venus behind the Priest’s head, and the dark blue starry sky of Nuit. There are nine nails at the
top of the card, signifying the connection through Moon to Yesod, and the ways that the Moon binds us to our world.
This path is a balanced down-rush of power. Paul Case called the Hierophant a bridge, providing the link between
outer experience and inner illumination. This path, like Cheth, enables us to personally anchor the primal powers of
creation. While ritual magic is an expression of the down-rush of Heh, inner alchemy is the expression of the force of
Vav. Creating this bridge to the world is “the core of all magickal work.” Thoth Tarot, p. 78. In this passage Crowley
says that the dancing male child of the new Aeon, shown within the central pentagram, is leaving behind the myth of
the dying God. The trefoil on the wand represents the union of Isis, Osiris and Horus. We are now in the dawn of this
new Age. Crowley says that the secrets held within this enigmatic archetype will only be revealed over time, and that it
is the Hierophant who initiates these new cycles of evolution, to be fully expressed in the Aeon and Universe cards.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ז‬
The 17th Path
Tipareth The Separating (Disposing) Intelligence Binah
Hebrew: ‫ ז‬Zayin, Sword
Atziluth YHVH Aloah va Daath Tarot: VI, The Lovers Atziluth YHVH Elohim
Briah Archangel Raphael “Children of the Voice Divine ” Briah Archangel Tzaphkiel
Yetzirah Malachim Color: Orange / Sound: D♮ Yetzirah Arelim – “Thrones”
Assiah The Sun Name of God: YHVH Assiah Saturn
Tarot The four 6’s Astrology: Gemini ♊, Mutable Air Tarot The four 3’s
Color: Golden Yellow Color: Black
Mythology: Love between human
Virtue Devotion to the Great Virtue Silence
and the divine.
Work Vice Avarice, hoarding
Experiences: Symbols of duality
Vice Pride wisdom
and unity; images of sexual love;
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross, Symbols Chalice, Vesica Piscis,
symbols of crossing the abyss.
Truncated Pyramid, Meditation: The release of the Veil, the Yoni
Cube Spiritual Experience: Vision of
negative mental and emotional
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Sorrow
patterns.
Harmony
The Path of Zayin connects Tiphareth and self-realization, with the eternal Mother of Binah. On this path we
experience the deep Mystery of oneness and separateness. This polarity can be understood by the name
“Disposing Intelligence,” which refers to the separation of incarnation, in contrast to “Children of the Voice
Divine” which refers to the return to Oneness.
Another way to experience the polarity of this path is through Zayin, which means “sword” and is associated
with the Zodiac sign of Gemini. This is the sword of Mind that separates universal Source into individual sparks
of Essence. The sword is also expressed in the clear mental qualities of awareness and communication which are
associated with Gemini. Zayin is also associated with the sense of smell, which is our most ancestral physical
sense, linking us with deep awareness and a visceral connection to inner truth.
On this path we explore high-level secrets of the Great Work. Crowley said that this is one of the two most
difficult paths to master. We must practice inner Alchemy as we re-connect with Binah, Oneness, and the birth
of all form, while at the same time maintaining our connection to Tipareth, which requires the experience of
individual identity and the central point of all manifestation. (The other “most difficult” path is Temperance/Art.
Note the parallel symbology of alchemy within both cards.) The Lovers card represents much more than finding
one’s “true love.” The archetype of the Gemini twins holds the secret to who the Lovers really are: our own
inner “split self.” The Gemini Twins represent our inner world and the work required to rectify and balance our
experiences of separation and duality. The Garden of Eden resides in Binah. This is our path of return. The
Great Work of Tiphareth can be understood as the Initiate’s inner path of return to Paradise, Oneness and
healing. Wang says that of all the representations of The Lovers card, Crowley’s is “daringly explicit” in the
clarity with which he communicates the secrets held within this Path.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ח‬
Geburah The 18th Path Binah
Atziluth Elohim Gebor The Intelligence of the House of Influence Atziluth YHVH Elohim
Briah Archangel Khamael Hebrew: ‫ ח‬Cheth, Fence/Enclosure Briah Archangel Tzaphkiel
Yetzirah Seraphim, Fiery Tarot: VII, The Chariot Yetzirah Arelim – “Thrones”
Serpents “Child of the Power of the Waters” Assiah Saturn
Assiah Mars “Lord of the Triumph of Light” Tarot The four Threes
Tarot The four Fives Color: Amber / Sound C♯ Color: Black
Color: Red Name of God: AL, El Virtue Silence
Virtue Courage Astrology: ♋Cancer, Cardinal Water Vice Avarice, hoarding
Vice Cruelty Mythology: The Once and Future Monarch wisdom
Symbols The Sword, the Experiences: Boundaries, borders, journeys Symbols Chalice, Vesica Piscis,
Pentagram between worlds and times, relics of the distant the Veil, the Yoni
Spiritual Experience: Vision of past, an intense or brooding sense of waiting. Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Courage Entities: A sleeping queen or king who will return. Sorrow
Meditation: Experiencing form as protection
rather than limitation.
The 18th Path of Cheth forms the upper Pillar of Severity, connecting Geburah, the realm of limitation and
destruction, with Binah, the eternal Mother of form. This is a path of intense containment and restriction, the
most extreme expression of the Pillar of Severity. The restriction of this path, however, produces immense
power of motion, because of the alchemy created through the container of Binah and the fire of Geburah. The
titles here (powers of waters and triumph of light) refer to Cancer’s water and the light of Summer Solstice.
The Hebrew word Cheth means fence or enclosure. This speaks to the significance of form as an enclosure for
carrying the Self through the manifest world, as well as the protection and safety it offers. Cheth both protects
us as we travel, and also destroys fences or barriers that obstruct our path.
Many of the mysteries of this path can be explored through the imagery of The Chariot. Pulled by four sphinxes,
symbolizing the four Kerubim, the four tattvas, and the four elements of the pentagram of the Sphinx which is
crowned by the fifth element of spirit. Significantly, there are no reins. Rather, the warrior holds a spinning
vortex. It’s the spiritual Self that directs the chariot, while the Will, symbolized by the red wheels, provides
support and form. The four pillars are the four elements and the tetragrammaton that orient us to the world of
form. Written across the top of the canopy is “Abrahadabra,” a magical incantation with the same gematria as
Cheth (418), implying the mysteries of transcendence expressed here.
On this path we learn to use our will to navigate the journey. Greer says that the magic on this path is the use of
talismans, forms through which we transmit our will. On the return to Binah (Perception) this the path of the
Visionary, as opposed to the path of Divination associated with Zayin. Both are forms of communication that
help us develop inner vision and refine our inner senses. The connection to Geburah is key. “All magic lies in the
will.” Eliphas Levi.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ט‬
Geburah The 19th Path Chesed
The Faithful Intelligence
Atziluth Elohim Gebor Hebrew: ‫ ט‬Teth, Snake Atziluth El, root for All (Allah)
Briah Archangel Khamael Tarot: XI, Lust Briah Archangel Tzadkiel,
Yetzirah Seraphim, Fiery “The Daughter of the Flaming Sword” Righteousness of God
Serpents Color: Yellow-Green / Sound: E Yetzirah Chasmalim,
Assiah Mars Name of God: ALHIM, Elohim Assiah Jupiter
Tarot The four Five’s Tarot The four Four’s
Color: Red Astrology: Leo ♌, ☉ Color: Blue
Virtue Courage Mythology: Meeting the “animal” Self Virtue Obedience
Vice Cruelty Experience: Solar images, fire and Vice Bigotry, Tyranny
Symbols The Sword, the sunlight, initiation rituals, tests of will, Symbols The Wand, Pyramid,
Pentagram struggles with animals and animal Orb, Equal-armed Cross
Spiritual Experience: Vision of nature Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Courage Meditation: Befriending the shadow Love.
within – connecting with inner power.
The 19th Path of Teth connects Chesed, the realm of creative production, with Geburah, the realm of the
universal force of destruction. Chesed manifests the world by pouring its light into Geburah. The path of Teth
constantly mediates between the forces of Love and Will, creation and destruction, life and death. This the
“Path of the Higher Self.” It is here, midway between Kether and Tiphareth, that we learn to engage with the
forces of love and will in our daily lives. As such, it is the “Path of the Higher Self” where we learn to directly
connect with the energies of Tiphareth.
The Hebrew letter Teth means Snake or Serpent, which is a common representation of the fire of kundalini that
spirals upward through the body from the depths of the earth. Both the lion of Leo and the snake of kundalini
embody pure fire and the pure power of essence. The teachings of Teth are about true goodness that is hidden
within true power. The letter itself is coiled within, representing that the good is hidden. Teth is also associated
with brilliant light, which is the light that emanates from within. Wang says that “On this path fire becomes
light.” The dance of light and fire between Geburah and Chesed holds the key secrets to true magic and the
consciousness behind all form. This is why the Bota image of Strength bears the Magician’s figure 8 above her
head. It’s here that we truly become our full essence and truly learn the hidden secrets of the power and magic of
material form.
The most powerful sign of the Zodiac, Leo is ruled by the Sun. Teth holds the strength of solar fire and solar
illumination. This is the strength that forms the sword of Geburah. It is of process and of being; it cannot be
understood with the intellect. Through this path that mediates between Love and the Sword we discover the
truth within, our inner Strength, which uncoils and rises to the surface. On this path we learn to express Spirit in
our life.

In a practical way this happens through the activation of our chakras by the rising of kundalini. This
understanding returns to the power of the Snake, as the force of the path as well as the inner fire of the Earth.
Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
On the 19th Path we truly learn what it means to engage with co-creation in the material world through our inner
power. Two images that express the unifying power of this path – Snake – rising kundalini and the path of
return. Daughter of the Flaming Sword – Princess of Swords – The point on the tree where we fully engage with
the entire force of the Lightening Path. In the practices of this path, we learn to fully navigate the subtle forces
of equilibrium and the sword. between the universal forces of love and will, we become masters of our own
power.

We can understand the significance of Power on this path by realizing that each horizontal path represents a
form of Power. The 14th is the Power of Love (Chesed), the 27th is the Power of Conflict (Geburah). On the 19th
path we can bridge the two by fully experiencing the Power of Choice. As our deepest essence is expressed we
radiate ourexperience “the jubilation that emerges from allowing the creative force to flow freely.

Additional Notes: Kundalini, Divine Feminine, and the significance of Earth and Animal Medicine in fully
experiencing our own power and Sovereignty in this world. (DAUGHTER of the Flaming Sword – Princesses –
Earth realm hold the power of incarnation and true magic)

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

 ‫י‬
Tiphareth The 20th Path Chesed
The Intelligence of Will
Atziluth JHVH Aloah va Daath Hebrew: ‫ י‬Yod, Creative Hand Atziluth El, root for All (Allah)
Briah Archangel Raphael Tarot: IX, The Hermit Briah Archangel Tzadkiel,
Yetzirah Malachim “The Magus of the Voice of Light” Righteousness of God
Assiah The Sun Yetzirah Chasmalim,
Color: Yellow Green / Sound: B♭
Tarot The four 6’s; The Assiah Jupiter
Name of God: ADNI, Adonai
Princes Tarot The four 4’s
Color: Golden Yellow Astrology: Virgo ♍, Mercury ☿ Color: Blue
Virtue Devotion to the Great Work Mythology: The Wilderness Journey Virtue Obedience
Vice Pride Experiences: Solitude, travel in the Vice Bigotry, Tyranny
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross, desert and wild places, visions of Symbols The Wand, Pyramid,
Truncated Pyramid, Cube creation of the world, temptation by Orb, Equal-armed Cross
Spiritual Experience: Vision of hostile entities. Birds. Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Beauty Triumphant. Experience Meditation: To achieve mystical states. Love.
of perfection in physical form. The deepest marriage of unity within.
The 20th Path connects Tiphareth (Christ consciousness) with Chesed (Architect of Manifestation). This is the
path of the beginnings of focused manifestation as the energies of light cross the abyss and enter Rauch, the
manifest world. The Intelligence of Will refers to the knowledge that we create the world with our own hands.
Yod is a simple letter meaning “Creative Hand” and associated with sexual energy. It is the only letter suspended
in mid-air, signifying how the force of Yod overcomes stagnation and initiates all forms of change. In addition,
Yod is the seed form that creates all of the other letters. It’s also the 10th path, and the template that gives birth
to all of the other paths. This holds the teaching that it’s the creative hand of the divine, also our own hand, that
transforms and manifests the world. As the first letter in the Tetragrammaton, Yod represents the element of
Fire and the spark that initiates creation. Many prophets’ names begin with Yod, as does the word for Exodus.
On the journey of return, this is the first of the three Paths of Initiation. (The others are Path 19, Lust , and Path
18, The Chariot.) The 20th Path carries some of the qualities of Daath, represented by the imagery of the desert
and the mystic holding his own source of light. Virgo, too, traditionally represents an introspective figure
embodying purity, healing, and wisdom. Although the Hermit as mystic can be seen as solitary, the 20th Path is
ultimately a path of relationship. This is seen in how it connects the Higher Self (Tipareth) with the Divine Self
(Chesed and above). This is another way to understand why the letter Yod is associated with Sexual Love, as this
is the Path of ultimate union, the marriage within.
The meditation of this path is the marriage within, which is the experience of union and bliss when we
experience the inner light and personal power that resides within the heart. Thus the Hermit presides over the
marriage of the Lovers on Trump XI. Ultimately the wisdom and knowledge of the Hermit’s Path empowers us
to create the world with our own hand. We are not alone, but carry within the light and love of Creation.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫כ‬
Netzach The 21st Path Chesed
Atziluth Jehovah Tzabaoth The Intelligence of Conciliation Atziluth
El, root for All (Allah)
Briah Archangel Haniel Hebrew: ‫ כ‬Kaph, Fist Briah
Tzadkiel,
Yetzirah Elohim Tarot: X, Fortune Righteousness of God
Assiah Venus “Lord of the Forces of Life” Yetzirah Chasmalim,
Tarot The four 7’s Color: Violet / Sound: B♭ Assiah Jupiter
Color: Emerald Green Name of God: AL, El Tarot The four 4’s
Virtue Unselfishness/altruism Color: Blue
Astrology: Jupiter ♃
Vice Lust Virtue Obedience
Mythology: Aspiration (Achievement) Vice Bigotry, Tyranny
Symbols Lamp, Girdle, Rose Experiences: Flight, journeys in
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Symbols The Wand, Pyramid,
mountains, views from a high place, Orb, Equal-armed Cross
Beauty Triumphant. Experience emotional exhilaration, rainbow light
of perfection in physical form. Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Meditation: The Law of Periodicity. Love
The 21st path of Kaph and Fortune connects the personality self of Netzach with the higher self in Chesed.
Kaph means fist. It implies intentionality and willpower. It speaks to the ability to grasp, as in completion and
closure of activity. Kaph is a double letter, a gateway of the soul, associated with the qualities of riches and
poverty. The planet Jupiter helps to regulate these qualities in the physical plane. In this way Kaph is associated
with both abundance and the creative desire for change.
The Wheel associated with Fortune is not about chance, it is about cycles and duality and the interchange of
energies. We live within the paradox of fate and freedom, learning how to spin with perfect balance. The
‘intelligence of conciliation’ refers to the balance of emotions and interactive mediation of action and activity. At
the outer rim of the wheel we experience cause and effect, and react to circumstances. At the inner calm center
we experience surrender and prayer. Wang uses the image of a gyroscope to illustrate the equilibrium of this
path, with dual rotating wheels, cycles of opposites that fluctuate and rotate in rhythms.
The image of the Sphinx holds a great deal of symbolism for the path of Fortune. It is the holder of wisdom and
mysteries and the altar of the Earth, at once the gate keeper and the gate to our higher self. It represents all the
secrets of manifestation. It is also known as the “synthesis of the Elementals,” representing the element of Spirit
that integrates and activates all four other elements into wholeness and life. It is said in the Enochian mysteries
that when the Sphinx and Pyramid (Chesed) are united they hold the magic of nature and the wisdom of all time.
The other two figures, Hermanubis and Typhon represent Horus/Anubis and Set, the Egyptian deities who are
the forces of light and dark and the balances of nature. The three together represent Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt,
the three gunas: rajas (brilliance), sattva (balance, calm), and tamas (darkness). These forces make the wheel spin.
“By balancing opposites with exactitude unfailing I bring mastery of all conditions and circumstances. Such a one will master days
and seas and times. Ever by balance do the wise attain.” ~Paul Case, The Book of Tokens.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ל‬
Tiphareth The 22nd Path Geburah
The Faithful Intelligence
Atziluth Jehovah Aloah va Daath Hebrew: ‫ ל‬Lamed (Ox-goad) Atziluth Elohim Gebor
Briah Archangel Raphael Tarot: VIII, Adjustment Briah Archangel Khamael
Yetzirah Malachim “The Spirit of Inner Truth” Yetzirah Seraphim, Fiery
Assiah The Sun Color: Emerald Green Serpents
Tarot The four 6’s Sound: F# Assiah Mars
Color: Golden Yellow Name of God: YHVH, Yehowa Tarot The four 5’s
Virtue Devotion to the Great Astrology: Libra ♎, Venus ♀ Color: Red
Work Mythology: Justice of Heaven Virtue Courage
Vice Pride Experiences: Narrow paths and Vice Cruelty
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross, bridges, gates and barriers, Symbols Sword, Spear, Scourge,
Truncated Pyramid visions of past lives. Angels, Chain, the Pentagram
Spiritual Experience: Vision of gate guardians. Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Harmony. Meditation: To abreact karma. Courage

The 22nd path of Lamed connects Tiphareth with Geburah. On this path Justice mediates the banishing sword of
Geburah with the illuminated consciousness of Tiphareth. Lamed means Ox-goad, which is a sharp-pointed
stick used to drive oxen on a straight path and guide them forward. One of the 12 elemental letters, Lamed is
associated with the Zodiac sign of Libra and the activity of education (ox-goad) through Work or Action.
This path is connected with karma, which means ‘action’ in Sanskrit. The universal force of karma is created by
the principles of balance (Libra) coming into alignment with the “One Will.” (Lamed). Karma as the action of
“Adjustment” (Justice) requires us to come into balance with all circumstances in life, including our past and
future actions. The meditation to ‘abreact karma’ means to release it through the actions of Tiparath and
Geburah. (Abreaction is defined as the release of repressed emotion by bringing it to the surface.)
There is a hidden mystery in this path, revealed in the relationship of Paths 22 Lamed (Ox-goad) and 11 Aleph
(Ox). In the same way that the Ox-goad keeps the oxen on track, it is the the internal and dynamic equilibrium of
Lamed that harnesses and guides the active principle of creative will on Path 11, Aleph. The divine feminine
principle of Adjustment provides the container for the divine masculine principle of The Fool. This is what is
meant by “Faithful Intelligence:” being faithful to the creative intelligence of Aleph. Lamed is our “Inner Guide.”
In Case’s words this is “The inward capacity for Self Direction.” Wang says that Lamed is the “regulator…of
Divine Life Force,” and that “Aleph could not function as it does without Lamed.” In another expression of the
foundational aspect of Lamed, the number of this path (22) represents the sum total of all paths on the tree.
The Egyptian goddess Ma’at embodies the principle of Justice. She is an archetype and Guide to help us learn to
embody the qualities of balanced equilibrium, including kindness, fairness and truth. When developed through
the sword of Justice, these qualities balance karmic debt, both internally and in relationship with others.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫מ‬
Hod The 23rd Path Geburah
Atziluth Elohim Tzabaot The Sustaining Consciousness Atziluth Elohim Gebor
Briah Archangel Michael The Stable Intelligence Briah Archangel Khamael
Yetzirah Benin Elohim, Sons of Hebrew: ‫ מ‬Mem, Water Yetzirah Seraphim, Fiery
God Tarot: XII, The Hanged Man Serpents
Assiah Mercury “Spirit of the Mighty Waters” Assiah Mars
Tarot The four 8’s Color: Deep Blue / Sound: G# Tarot The four 5’s
Color: Orange Astrology: Element of Water ∇ Color: Red
Virtue Truthfulness Name of God: AL, El Virtue Courage
Vice Lies/Falsehood Mythology: Self-Sacrifice (Surrender) Vice Cruelty
Symbols Names (sound), Experiences: Images of water, travel in Symbols The Sword, the
Versicles (mantra), water, underground cities, drowning, Pentagram
Apron (tool) sunken ships, underground caves Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Meditation: To attain Samadhi Courage
Splendour – The beauty of the Mystery: Lose yourself to find yourself.
manifest world.

The 23rd path of Mem connects the mental world of Hod with Geburah, the great destroyer. On the 23rd path
the intellect of Hod releases limitations by developing discipline through relationship with the will. Mem is also
one of the four paths that crosses the veil, connecting the personality with Higher Self, and as such is a path of
initiation. Each path crossing the veil (Nun, Samech, and Ayin) develops a particular ability. The significance of
the 23rd path can be understood by working with the alchemical properties of the letter Mem.
Mem is one of the three Mother letters and means Water, which represents consciousness. This is the same
elemental water as that of Chesed. As the middle path on the Pillar of Form, Mem holds a kind of stability. It
doesn’t interact with polarity as the horizontal paths do, and it doesn’t connect with the rest of the tree as do the
paths that join with Tiphareth. There is a kind of neutral stabilizing form in Mem, shown in the consistency of
the element of water throughout its correspondences.
The journey from Hod (the mind) across the veil can take two directions: The seeking mind can choose action or
inaction. The path of Ayin to Tiphareth is a path of action, and uses the creative power of the imagination to
expand the mind, while the path of Mem is a path of non-action, using will to discipline the mind. These paths
are challenging for the novice and unless the veil has already been pierced by Samech, both paths rising from
Hod can be dead ends. Ayin can lead to sorcery and Mem to passivity. Once the veil is pierced, however, the
initiate is able to travel these paths from Hod without getting lost or stuck.
The meditation of this path is the experience of attaining Samadhi, which is the Hindu term for the experience of
union. This is the union achieved through the meditative state when a person becomes suspended in trance and
the perception of the individual becomes merged with the divine.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Mem shares the symbology of sacrifice with Nun, which are the two paths crossing the veil that move toward
form. The self-sacrifice on this path is embodied in the Hanged Man. The outdated myth of martyrdom is not
the ultimate sacrifice called for. What is sacrificed on this path are the limiting beliefs and securities of the
personal self in order to expand more fully into relationship with the larger Self. Ultimately successful work with
Mem requires complementary work with Kaph and Samech, otherwise it can easily become unbalanced or static.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

 ‫נ‬
Netzach The 24th Path Tiphareth
Atziluth Jehovah Tzabaoth The Imaginative Intelligence Atziluth Jehovah Aloah va Daath
Briah Archangel Haniel Briah Archangel Raphael
Yetzirah Elohim Hebrew: ‫ נ‬Nun (Fish) Yetzirah Malachim
Assiah Venus Tarot: XIII, Death Assiah The Sun
Tarot The four Sevens “Lord of the Gates of Death” Tarot The four Sixes
Color: Emerald Green Color: Blue-Green / Sound: G Color: Golden Yellow
Virtue Unselfishness/Altruism Name of God: ‫אל‬, El Virtue Devotion to the Great
Vice Lust Astrology: Scorpio ♏; Mars ♂ Work
Symbols Lamp, Girdle, Rose Mythology: Meetings with Death Vice Pride
Experiences: Images of death, Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross,
Spiritual Experience: Vision of burial, decay, travel through deep Truncated Pyramid, Cube
Beauty Triumphant. Experience water or blood, skeletons, visions Spiritual Experience: Vision of
of perfection in physical form. of the dead or the future, Harmony. The perfection of the
cold blooded fish. unfolding of the Universe.
Meditation: Transformation.
The 24th path connects the emotional world of Netzach (Victory) with Tiphareth(Beauty) at the center of the
tree, the realm of healing and re-connection of the personal Self with the Higher Self. Nun is a path of
transformation. This can be understood by meditating on transformation from both directions. On the
lightening path (Tipareth down) it is the point at which the Higher Self first enters the realm of matter. On the
path of the Initiate (Netzach up) it represents the release of form, and transcendence into new form.
The letter Nun means Fish. There are many alchemical secrets and principles associated with the symbolism of
the fish, including that of life and form emerging from the Sea, the Great Mother, Binah. Since ancient times fish
have been a symbol of mystery. Since they can breathe underwater, which we cannot, they represent travel to the
underworld. In many cultures the depths are associated with the ancestors and the realm of death. Likewise, the
symbol of Scorpio is also associated with travel to the depths of our being.

We can understand the Mysteries by meditating on their appearance in the physical, visible world. It is said that
meditation on the symbol of the fish reveals the entire “Secret Doctrine.” The term “Secret Doctrine” refers to
the hidden teachings of transcendence, such as those summarized in Hermetic Law. Two of these
understandings are fundamental: First is the principle of consciousness: “All is Mind,” which allows us to
understand that creation emerges from within (and/or above). Second, “As above, so below,” which is the
principle of equilibrium, balance, and universality of the patterns in the physical and non-physical realms.
As a verb, Nun means to sprout or grow. The symbol of the skeleton as central framework for outer growth can
be understood through the teaching of the seed, which survives through the winter when the plant dies and
reproduces a new form in the spring. The cycle of seed, plant, seed perpetuates. Meditation on this mystery is
said to be another way to understand the Mystery of the Secret Doctrine.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ס‬
Yesod The 25th Path Tiphareth
Atziluth Shaddai El Chai The Testing Consciousness Atziluth Jehovah Aloah va Daath
Briah Archangel Gabriel The Intelligence of Probation Briah Archangel Raphael
Yetzirah Kerubim, the Strong Hebrew: ‫ ס‬Samekh, (Prop, Support) Yetzirah Malachim
Assiah Moon Tarot: XIV, Art/Temperance Assiah The Sun
Tarot The four Nine’s “Daughter of the Reconcilers, the Tarot The four Six’s
Color: Violet Bringer Forth of Light” Color: Golden Yellow
Virtue Independence Color: Blue / Sound: G♯ Virtue Devotion to the Great
Vice Idleness Name of God: ALHIM, Elohim Work
Symbols Perfumes, Sandals Astrology: Sagittarius ♐, Jupiter ♃ Vice Pride
Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross,
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Mythology: Ascending to Heaven.
Truncated Pyramid, Cube
the Machinery of the Universe – Experiences: Upward flight; climbing
Spiritual Experience: Vision of
experiencing the natural order stairs or a ladder, meeting the Self;
Harmony. The perfection of the
and one’s part in the whole. facing a series of barriers or tests.
unfolding of the Universe.
Meditation: To Temper (modify) the
Self; Contact with the HGA.
The 25thth path of Samekh connects Yesod (Moon) with Tiphareth (Sun) and is one of the most difficult on the
Tree. To ascend requires that we cross the transformative 27th Path (Peh/Tower) as well as the Veil that
separates the personality from the expanded awareness of the middle triad and connection to Higher Self.
The journey on this path requires an alchemical process of integrating the personality in order to hold higher
frequencies of light. The title of this path (“The Testing Consciousness”) shows that growth on this path is a
process of practice through personal experience. The traditional tarot name of Temperance refers to this
alchemical process. Crowley calls this Art and says this path is a consummation of the alchemical marriage in the
Lovers card. This is a trial by fire. In Hebrew the word BChN, “tried by fire,” adds to 60, which is the same value
as Samech. It’s the energy of the arrow (Sagittarius and Fire) unleashed that propels us upward. The personal
work of the lower paths prepares us for the journey. This is expressed in the alchemy of Qoph (water), Shin
(fire), and Tav (earth). Together these letters spell “Bow” (Qesheth); their complementary spiritual practices
work together to form the bow that propels the arrow upward.
The path of Samech is the same blue as Chesed, signifying the importance of this path in receiving the light.
Chesed receives the consciousness of form from Binah. Here is the alchemy of fire and water, as the Great
Mother, the Sea, is also the YHVH Elohim.“YHVH Elohim is a devouring fire.” and “When thou hast been tried
by fire the gold of thy beauty shall be purged of all dross.” (Case)
The word Samekh means prop, or support. Case says this refers to a tent stake, that which anchors the house (i.e.
the foundation). The emotional quality of Samekh is Anger. On the surface this signifies the frequency of anger
as fire unleashed. Case explains this is a hidden message. The original meaning is “vibration,” the fire that is our
source of strength and power and the basis of manifestation (p 154). Above all, traveling the path of Samech
signifies our connection to the light through the guidance and support of the higher self (HGA).

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ע‬
Hod The 26th Path Tiphareth
Atziluth Elohim Tzabaot The Renovating Intelligence Atziluth Jehovah Aloah va Daath
Briah Archangel Michael Briah Archangel Raphael
Yetzirah Benin Elohim, Sons of Hebrew: ‫ ע‬Ayin (Eye) Yetzirah Malachim
God Tarot: XV, The Devil Assiah The Sun
Assiah Mercury “Lord of the Gates of Matter” Tarot The four Sixes
Tarot The four Eights Color: Indigo / Sound: A Color: Golden Yellow
Color: Orange Name of God: ADNI, Adonai Virtue Devotion to the Great
Virtue Truthfulness Astrology: Capricorn ♑, Saturn ♄ Work
Vice Lies/Falsehood Mythology: Meeting the Powers of Vice Pride
Symbols Names (sound), Life Symbols Lamen, Rose Cross,
Versicles (mantra), Experiences: Desolate landscapes, Truncated Pyramid, Cube
Apron (tool) storms, human self trapped in animal, Spiritual Experience: Vision of
wild animals, feral or half human Harmony. The perfection of the
Spiritual Experience:
creatures, wilderness spirits. unfolding of the Universe.
Vision of Splendour – The
Meditation: The Mystery of Iniquity.
beauty of the manifest world.
The 26thth path connects the mental world of Hod, Splendor, with Tiphareth, Beauty. Tiphareth at the center of
the tree is the realm of healing and the point of connection of the personal Self with the Higher Self. The 26th
Path of Ayin is formative and challenging, requiring us to move from the known world of form and the
personality at Hod across the Veil to more expanded awareness and understanding. The challenges of this path
are related to our experiences of manifest form, including our relationship to history and time.
The letter Ayin means Eye. This is a simple letter associated with the quality of Mirth. It involves seeing the
totality of experience, which includes releasing fear of the dark. The archetype of “Eye” symbolizes both light
and consciousness as well as the “evil eye” of control and sorcery. The teaching is about embracing both light
and dark. On the tree, this is represented by the light and dark pillars. Interestingly, the gematria of Ayin is 130,
which is also the gematria for the word ‘pillars.’ The letter Ayin also means look, face, appearance, color.
The Devil in tarot expresses the ways in which this is a path of equal potential for shadow and light. The Devil
archetype expresses unrestricted Yang energy, the full vitality and ‘animal’ force of nature. DuQuette says, “This
is the Devil that the world has been taught to fear. He is life itself, unrestrained, in mad love and seeking to grow
and unite with absolutely everything.” This life force requires us to deal with our fears of density (the word “evil”
has the same root as devil), including the density of the past . The “Lord of the Gates of Matter” refers to the
capacity to embrace all circumstances, including the dark and what we don’t understand. The shadow side of this
path is the practice of sorcery, in which the initiate as Magician chooses to control the forces of nature for
personal gain. Ultimately this of course is a dead end because those who choose the route of dark magic can go
no farther on the tree. The work of this path includes the ability to hold complete appreciation for everything
that exists. The meditation on the “Mystery of Iniquity” refers to the ability to fully embrace all circumstances,
which leads us to the capacity to be fully alive.
Additional Notes:

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Capricorn, which rules Nun, is Cardinal Earth. This holds important keys to the significance and potentials held
within the potential density of physical form. It is Capricorn, of all twelve zodiac signs, that occupies the zenith
of a chart, and in the annual calendar(highest point) at Winter Solstice. This illustrates the ways in which the
element of earth and its physicality and density occurs at the pinnacle and most exalted location of all the twelve
signs

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

 ‫פ‬
Hod The 27th Path Netzach
The Exciting Intelligence
Atziluth Elohim Tzabaot Hebrew: ‫ פ‬Peh (Mouth) Atziluth Jehovah Tzabaoth
Briah Archangel Michael Tarot: XVI, The Tower Briah Archangel Haniel
Yetzirah Benin Elohim Color: Red Yetzirah Elohim
Assiah Mercury Astrology: Mars Assiah Venus
Tarot The 4 Eights Sound: C Tarot The 4 Sevens
Color: Orange Color: Emerald Green
Symbols: ♂ △
Virtue Truthfulness Virtue Unselfishness/Altruism
Vice Lies/Falsehood Experiences: Images of struggle, scenes Vice Lust/Unchastity
Symbols Names , Versicles of mass destruction, conflict between Symbols Lamp, Girdle, Rose
Apron fire and water, sudden change in scene
Entities: Warriors, Gatherers of the Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Slain, Carrion such as Vultures & Crows
Splendor – the Beauty of the Beauty Triumphant – Experience
Meditation: “To Overcome Spiritual of perfection in physical form.
manifest world. Obstacles.” .
The 27 Path resides directly below the Veil that separates the personality from our connection to higher self.
th

This is one of three bridge paths on the tree, directly linking the polarities of Force and Form. It connects Hod,
the mental world of the intellect and mind, with Netzach, the emotional world of feelings and senses.
This is a path of manifestation, called the “Exciting Intelligence” because it’s here that “every existent being receives its
spirit and motion.” Mars represents the quality of Will required to integrate the dualistic forces of our mind and
emotions. The balance of the polarities results in higher level capacities of intuition and inspiration.
This path is a cleansing force. Transcending ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ we learn to fully embrace all of life
experience. The fire of Mars is Geburah. It is here in the Tower that Geburah tears away the parts of the
personality that are no longer necessary, burning away those aspects of self that are outworn. The dismantling
tower also represents the active destruction of the old world (old self) in preparation for the new.
The letter Pei means mouth. This speaks to the active nature of this path in two ways: it represents our ability to
take in nourishment, and also the capacity for speech. We grow by digesting our life experience, and our words
directly connect to our power. The 27th path is above all a spiritual journey. The tarot archetype of the Tower
tells us that this aspect of spiritual development, the meeting of the mind and the heart, is not an easy process. It
requires hard work and deep transformation. By committing to this path we allow for the inner process of
dismantling that growth requires. It’s here that we integrate the personality in order to intentionally cross the Veil
and begin to work on a conscious level with the higher frequencies on the Tree. The lightening flash of the
Tower represents the sudden flash of insight that we are not alone. This is the same lightening flash of
illumination that connects the Sephiroth and fuels the birth of the entire tree of life.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫צ‬
Yesod The 28th Path Netzach
The Natural Intelligence
Atziluth Shaddai El Chai “The Raw Forces of Nature” Atziluth Jehovah Tzabaoth
Briah Archangel Gabriel Hebrew: ‫ צ‬Tzaddi (Fish Hook) Briah Archangel Haniel
Yetzirah Kerubim, the Strong Tarot: XVII, The Star Yetzirah Elohim
Assiah Moon Color: Violet / Sound: A# Assiah Venus
Tarot The four Nines Astrology: Aquarius  (Fixed Air) Tarot The four Sevens
Color: Violet Meditation: Imagination. Color: Emerald Green
Virtue Independence Myth: Awakening the Heart Virtue Unselfishness/altruism
Vice Idleness Images: Forest, gardens & meadows at Vice Lust
Symbols Perfumes, Sandals night; starlight; mist; boundaries Symbols Lamp, Girdle, Rose
between worlds.
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Entities: Nature spirits, animals & birds
the Machinery of the Universe. Beauty Triumphant. Experience
of the night
Experiencing the natural order of perfection in physical form.
Mystery: “The Star is the means and
and one’s part in the whole. .
method of perfection.”
The 28thth path connects Yesod, the world of the subconscious, with Netzach, the world of feelings
and senses. The 28th Path is called Natural Intelligence and the purpose of this path is to ‘complete and
perfect everything that is under the Sun, meaning access to the forces of the natural world that exist
beneath Tiphareth. On a personal level this path is about fully inhabiting the natural world.
The letter Tzaddi (Fish Hook) implies a tool applied to the direction of growth. In one sense, the
Higher Self is “hooking” the lower personality and pulling us up from the depths. The text states that
the Tzaddi looks to the future and makes new creation possible. Processes on this path include
meditation and imagination. The zodiac sign of Aquarius is associated with the qualities of clear mind
including peace, freedom, and inspiration.
Tzaddi and Qoph are both connected to growth in the physical world by transmitting the Pillar of
Force. Qoph transmits through established processes and patterns (biology), while Tzaddi transmits
through the interface of relationships between living things (ecology). Both are impacted by time, but
Qoph growth occurs through established patterns of evolution, while in Tzaddi growth occurs through
individual expansions and innovations. Tzaddi and Resh are related as they connect their respective
pillars to the subconscious in Yesod. Tzaddi connection intuition (Netzach) and Resh connects intellect
(Hod). On the return path, Tzaddi represents the personality’s highest access to intuition, as the Sun is
the highest level of the personality’s access to intellect. Bringing balance to the contrasting polarities of
Tzaddi and Resh is part of the preparation to travel to Tipareth.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ק‬
Malkuth The 29th Path Netzach
The Corporeal Intelligence
Atziluth Adonai ha-Aretz Hebrew: ‫ ק‬Qoph (Back of the Head) Atziluth Jehovah Tzabaoth
Briah Archangel Sandalphon Tarot: XVIII, The Moon Briah Archangel Haniel
Yetzirah Eschim, Souls of Fire Color: Crimson Yetzirah Elohim
Assiah Sphere of the Elements Name of God: El (Al) Assiah Venus
Tarot The Four Tens Astrology: Pisces (Mutable Water) Tarot The Four Sevens
The Princesses Sound: B natural Color: Emerald Green
Color: Citrine, Olive, Russet, Symbols: , ☽ Virtue Unselfishness/altruism
Black Vice Lust
Experiences: Journeying over or through
Virtue Discrimination Symbols Lamp, Girdle, Rose
water, darkness, intense odors and
Vice Lethargy/Avarice
textures, visions of prehuman past.
Symbols Equal-armed Cross Spiritual Experience:
Dreamwork
The Magic Circle Vision of Beauty Triumphant.
Meditation: “To Change the Body”
Spiritual Experience: Vision of The experience of perfection in
the Holy Guardian Angel - physical form.
Awareness of one’s higher self.

The 29th path connects the physical world (Malkuth) with the world of feelings and emotions (Netzach
- Victory).

Notes:

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ר‬
Yesod The 30th Path Hod
The Collecting Intelligence
Atziluth Shaddai El Chai “Divine consciousness, the inner light of Atziluth Elohim Tzabaot
Briah Archangel Gabriel the world perfected.” Briah Archangel Michael
Yetzirah Kerubim, the Strong Hebrew: ‫ ר‬Resh (Head) Yetzirah Benin Elohim, Sons of
Assiah Moon Tarot: The Sun / Color: Orange God
Tarot The four Nines Astrology: Sol (Sun) Assiah Mercury
Color: Violet Sound: D / Symbol: Hexagram Tarot The four Eights
Virtue Independence Myth: Awakening the Mind Color: Orange
Vice Idleness Experiences: Meadows and forests, rich Virtue Truthfulness
Symbols Perfumes, Sandals vegetation; a school or observatory; Vice Lies/Falsehood
a temple; flight or ascent; instruction by Symbols Names (sound),
Spiritual Experience: Vision of non-physical beings. Versicles (mantra),
the Machinery of the Universe – Entities: Lions & solar animals, sages & Apron (tool)
experiencing the natural order teachers. Spiritual Experience:
and one’s part in the whole. Meditation: “To transmute erroneous Vision of Splendour – Beauty of
thoughts and emotions.” the manifest world.
Mystery: Initiation of inner light.

The 30th path connects the subconscious world of Yesod with Hod, the world of the Mind. This is the path of
human intellect and conscious awareness, including the ability to perceive and focus our attention.

The word Resh means Head, referring to the conscious and intellectual aspect of our nature. This includes the
brain and the other organs of perception. Other qualities include leadership and organization. Astrological
qualities associated with the Sun, which rules this path, are similar. The Sun is the leader of our Solar System,
organizing consciousness and directing our lives.

The term Collecting Intelligence can be understood in terms of the functions of the conscious mind to observe,
gather, sort, and discern the world. References to astrologers in the text are implying the entire realm of scientific
inquiry and the ways we use our mind to gather data, observe patterns, and understand the Universe. The symbol
of the Hexagram is a reflection of the Hexagram of Yesod and represents the integration of personality and
higher self. Interestingly, the path of the Sun from Yesod leads to Hod, not to Tipareth. A different quality of
awareness is required to cross the Veil.

The tarot image of The Sun communicates the ways that solar illumination interfaces with the physical world,
including polarity, boundaries, and symbols from the past. The circling zodiac, the “12 rays of the Sun,” implies
the overarching guidance of Nuit and higher consciousness to which the Sun gives us access.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
 ‫ש‬
The 31st Path
Malkuth The Perpetual Intelligence Hod
Atziluth Adonai ha-Aretz Hebrew: ‫ ש‬Shin (Tooth or Fang) Atziluth Elohim Tzabaot
Briah Archangel Sandalphon Tarot: XX The Aeon (Judgment) Briah Archangel Michael
Yetzirah Eschim, Souls of Fire “The flame of the one life is eternal.” Yetzirah Benin Elohim, Sons of
Assiah Sphere of the Color: Glowing Orange-Scarlet God
Elements Astrology: Element of Fire Assiah Mercury
Tarot The 4-10’s Sound: C Tarot The 4-8’s
The Princesses Symbols: Pentacle. Salt, Tav Cross Color: Orange
Color: Citrine, Olive, Russet, Mythology: Virtue Truthfulness
Black Experiences: Vice Lies/Falsehood
Virtue Discrimination Entities: Symbols Names (sound),
Vice Lethargy/Avarice Mystery: Resurrection Versicles (mantra),
Symbols Equal-armed Cross Meditation: “Cosmic Consciousness” Apron (tool)
The Magic Circle Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Splendour – the Beauty of the
the Holy Guardian Angel – manifest world.
Awareness of one’s higher self.

The 31st path connects the physical world (Malkuth) with the world of the mind (Hod).

Archangel Michael helps us move up this path, using sword and fire to help us expand our consciousness. He
helps us burn through whatever aspects of the personality (ego) hold us back from transcending limiting
perspectives.

The word Shin means tooth.

The work of this path helps us release attachment to outcome. By surrendering limiting perspective we are able
to more consciously participate in the infinite potentials of co-creation, which is one of the acquisitions of Hod.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017
Atziluth
Malkuth
Adonai ha-Aretz
‫ת‬ Atziluth
Yesod
Shaddai El Chai
The 32nd Path
Briah Archangel Sandalphon Briah Archangel Gabriel
The Administrative Intelligence
Yetzirah Eschim, Souls of Fire Yetzirah Kerubim, the Strong
Assiah Sphere of the Elements Hebrew: ‫ ת‬Tav (Cross) Assiah Moon
Tarot The 4-10’s Tarot: XXI, The Universe Tarot The 4-9’s
The Princesses Meditation Color: Indigo Color: Violet
Color: Citrine, Olive, Russet, Astrology: Saturn Virtue Independence
Black Sound:A Vice Idleness
Virtue Discrimination Magical Image: An indigo arch bearing Symbols Perfumes, Sandals,
Vice Lethargy/Avarice the letter ‫ ת‬in white. The door bears Altar
Symbols Equal-armed Cross the image of Trump XXI.
The Magic Circle Name of God: YHVH ALHIM Spiritual Experience: Vision of
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Meditation: “Cosmic Consciousness” the Machinery of the Universe –
the Holy Guardian Angel, Esoteric Title: Great One of the Night Experiencing the natural order
awareness of one’s higher self. of Time and one’s part in the whole.
Mystery: As Above, So Below
The 32nd path connects the physical world of form, Malkuth, with Yesod, the nonphysical world of energetic
matrices that predate form. It is “all that there is.” Yesod is the realm of integration of all the previous worlds,
the funnel that brings energy into form. Malkuth is the realm of physical experience and manifestation in space
and time. In this way, through Yesod, the 32nd path connects the entire tree with the physical realm and body of
Earth.
The 32nd path mediates between these two worlds. It is called the Administrative Intelligence because it directs the actions of
the seven planets in all their operations. Moving upward on the path of the initiate, it represents leaving the known
(physical) world and expanding into new realms and realities. Moving down it is the final descent of light into
material form. In imagery the 32nd path is often associated with travel to the underworld, such as journeying to
inner rivers, caverns and caves; crossing a narrow bridge; the starlit night sky. The Egyptian crocodile deity
Sobek is a helper here who teaches us how to navigate the darkness, as is Anubis who assists in all forms of
travel including to the underworld. The myth of Persephone and Hades is another archetype of the journey on
this path.
One of the mysteries of Tav and the cross is that we are both Kether and Malkuth, both pure light and dense
form. We fulfill our highest purpose by recognizing and drawing down our inner light, as well as by recognizing
and drawing up the light in all that is. In this way we call forth and evoke the divine in the manifest world. By
exploring the mystery of this path, “As Above, So Below,” we discover the light within.

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017

Elizabeth Schermer The Alchemy Mystery School November 2017