The Seventh Day
by Jack Courtis
This is the final day of "rest" because there is no more work to be done. The Great Work was completed on the 6th Day. That is consistent with the reconciliation of the lower 6 psychic centres in the Brow centre. The 7th centre, the 1000 Petalled Lotus, functions in a different manner. The 6 Days of the Marriage, correlate with the first 6 Days of Creation in Genesis ch 1.
After eight of the clock I awakened, and quickly made ready, being desirous to return again into the Tower, but the dark passages in the wall were so many and various, that I wandered a good while before I could find the way out. The same happened to the rest too, until at last we all met again in the nether most vault, and habits entirely yellow were given us, together with our golden fleeces. At that time the Virgin declared to us that we were Knights of the Golden Stone, of which we were before ignorant. After we had now thus made ourselves ready, and taken our breakfast, the old man presented each of us with a medal of gold; on the one side stood these words:
After wandering in the dark labyrinth of the mysteries, CRC discovers his true status and is presented with his insignia. Freemasons will be familiar with them.
AR.NAT.MI. {Art is the priestess of Nature}
On the other side, these words were found:
TEM.NA.F. {Nature is the daughter of Time}
Through the polarity of the gold medal, we see that Art (Alchemy) is linked through Nature, to Time. Alchemy is the method by which we can act upon Nature in order to change her according to our will. Genetic engineering is one example, nuclear physics is another. At this level, we are acting upon Nature in a very deep manner. We are dealing with matters so fundamental, that we are playing God. Hence the reason for secrecy and the reason for the bewildering complexity of the alchemical process of personal transformation. And what of Time? This is a great mystery. Quantum physics tells us that before the "beginning", that is before the Big Bang, there was neither time nor space, neither matter nor energy, nor life or consciousness. Time is therefore the product of a process whose origin is beyond our comprehension. We can infer that the mysteries of alchemy are at least as fundamental as quantum physics.
These words exhorted us moreover we should value nothing beyond and against this token of remembrance. Herewith we went forth to the sea, where our ships lay so richly equipped, that it was not well possible but such brave things must first have been brought thither. The ships were twelve in number, six of ours, and six of the old lord’s, who caused his ships to be freighted with well appointed soldiers. But he went with us into our ship, where we all were together. In the first the musicians seated themselves, of which the old lord had also a great number; they sailed before us to shorten the time. Our flags were the twelve celestial signs and we sat in Libra. Our ship had also a noble and curious clock, which showed us all the minutes. The sea was so calm that it was a singular pleasure to sail.
There are 12 ships, though polarised as 6 and 6; together with the 12 musicians and the 12 flags of the zodiac. We can never avoid the necessity of the 12 Disciplines. CRC is in Libra which holds the balance between Scorpio and Virgo. This point requires deep meditation, as does the comment about the clock.
But that which surpassed all the rest, was the old man’s discourse, who so well knew how to pass away our time with wonderful histories, that I could have been content to sail with him all my life long. Meantime the ships passed on amain, for before we had sailed two hours the mariner told us that he already noted the whole lake almost covered with ships, by which we could conjecture they had come out to meet us, which also proved true. For as soon as we had left the sea and entered the lake by the aforementioned river, there presently stood before us five hundred ships, one of which sparkled with gold and precious stones, in which sat the King and Queen, together with other lords, ladies, and virgins of high birth.
There are 500 ships; 5 x 10 x 10. The middle pillar of the Tree has 5 sefirot and the whole Tree has 10 sefirot. These ships are vehicles in consciousness and the lake is consciousness itself. One of these is the vehicle for the great polarity of king and queen.
As soon as they were well in ken of us the pieces were discharged on both sides, and there was such a din of trumpets, cymbals, and kettle drums that all the ships upon the sea capered again. Finally, as soon as we came near they brought about our ships together, and so made a stand. Immediately the old Atlas stepped forth on the King’s behalf, making a short, but handsome oration, wherein he welcomed us, and demanded whether the Royal Presents were in readiness. The rest of my companions were greatly amazed, whence this King should arise, for they imagined no other but that they must again waken him. We suffered them to continue in their wonderment, and carried ourselves as if it seemed strange to us too. After Atlas’ oration out steps our old man, making somewhat a larger reply, wherein he wished the King and Queen all happiness and increase, after which he delivered up a curious small casket, but what was in it, I know not, only it was committed to Cupid, who hovered between them both, for keeping. After the oration was finished, they again let off a joyful volley of shot, and so we sailed on a good ways together, until at length we arrived at another shore. This was near the first gate at which I first entered. At this place, there attended a great multitude of the King’s family together with some hundreds of horses.
There are speeches by Atlas (guardian of heaven) and the old man (guardian of the mysteries), whereupon the casket (itself mysterious) is given to Cupid who is the personification of a hidden kosmic principle. We should note that with all the emphasis on virgins and the feminine principle, Cupid is masculine. There is a deep masculinity involved, that is even more mysterious than all the femininity we have seen. CRC has returned to the first gate of the initiatory process. We will see the significance shortly.
Now as soon as we were come to shore, and disembarked, the King and Queen presented their hands to all of us one with another with singular kindness; and so we were to get up on horseback. Here I desire to have the reader friendly entreated not to interpret the following narration to any vain glory or pride of mine, but to credit me thus far, that if there had not been a special necessity in it, I would very well have utterly concealed this honour which was showed me. We were all one after another distributed among the lords. But our old lord, and I most unworthy, were to ride even with the King, each of us bearing a snow white ensign with a red cross. I indeed was made use of because of my age, for we both had long gray beards and hair.
CRC is greatly honoured to ride with the old guardian and the young king. There are 3 of them on the 3 orientations to God: knowledge, love and sacrificial action. They carry flags of white and red which remind us of CRC’s preparation at the end of Day 1, for the Hermetic redescent of the Emerald Tablet. Note also that CRC and the old guardian are similar in appearance.
I had besides fastened my token upon my hat, of which the young King soon took notice, and demanded if I were he, who could at the gate redeem these tokens? I answered in most humble manner, Yea! But he laughed at me, saying, henceforth there was no need for formality; I was HIS father. Then he asked me wherewith I had redeemed them? I replied, "With Water and Salt," whereupon he wondered who had made me so wise. I grew somewhat more confident, and recounted unto him how it had happened to me with my bread, the Dove and the Raven, and he was pleased with it and said expressly that it must have been a blessing bestowed by God for my singular happiness.
The tokens on CRC’s hat (4) and the bread, dove and raven (3) together with the red and white (1), give us the 8 steps in 3 processes of the Tablet of Hermes and the 8 paths to Tiferet on the Tree. CRC has ended what he has begun. Can we say the same of ourselves? Why is CRC the father of the King? A small point easily missed is that the tokens are redeemed with water and salt. When transmuted, they are wine and bread and transmuted once more, they are the blood and body of Christ. There are 3 transmutations involved. What are the tokens being redeemed?