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SCURIEL or SAHRIEL communicated The Symbols of the Moon.

From the observed influences of the Sun and Moon the old scholars were enabled to classify the influence of these orbs in the various parts of the heavens and to formulate special rules, which extended observation rendered more convincing and complete. The simple consideration of the lunar phases brought grains of knowledge, which included the calculation of tidal action, eclipses, etc. The unity of the forces of Nature was then demonstrated in the actions and influences of the planets and stars, and the blending of such influences with their zodiacal positions and aspects. Universal unity was insisted on and the statements of the ancient scholars have not been discredited by the revelations of modern scientific discoveries. The Talmud calls the planets "moving stars" and sets down that Alexander of Macedon was pictured with a ball in his hand to symbolize the spherical shape of the Earth. The planets were indicated as follows:

Comets are represented as arrows of flame bearing messages to mankind.

The various colours ascribed to the planets are:

Sun Yellow, Golden, Orange Moon White, Silvery, pale opalescent Green Mercury Dove Grey Venus Delicate Colour Tints, Shades of Green, pale Blue, etc. Mars Red Jupiter Purple Saturn Black Uranus Mixed Colours Neptune Doubtful

The colours ascribed to the 12 Signs of the Zodiac and the planets associated with them are:

Aries White and Red Mixed Mars Taurus White and Lemon Mixed Venus Gemini White and Red Mixed Mercury Cancer Green or Russet Moon Leo Red and Green Sun Virgo Black and Blue Mercury Libra Dark Crimson Venus Scorpio Dark Brown Mars Sagittarius Sanguine Green Jupiter Capricorn Black Saturn Aquarius Sky Blue Uranus Pisces Glistening White Neptune

The approximate date of the Sun's entry into the various zodiacal signs enabled astrologers to select the Solar Talismanic Gem.

The Sun enters Aries about March 21 The Sun enters Taurus about April 21 The Sun enters Gemini about May 22 The Sun enters Cancer about June 22 The Sun enters Leo about July 23 The Sun enters Virgo about August 24 The Sun enters Libra about September 24 The Sun enters Scorpio about October 24 The Sun enters Sagittarius about November 23 The Sun enters Capricorn about December 20 The Sun enters Aquarius about January 20 The Sun enters Pisces about February 19

This brief statement of the most ancient science must suffice. It will enable the reader to understand the philosophy on which the wearing of talismanic jewels rests and may induce him to delve a little into the "wisdom of the fathers."

THE EPHOD OF THE HIGH PRIEST: THE HEAVENS, THE GATES, THE CAVES: THE FOUR WORLDS.

In the 28th chapter of Exodus we learn that those that are "wise hearted" and "filled with the spirit of wisdom" were selected to make for Aaron consecrated garments--a breastplate and an ephod, a broidered coat, a mitre and a girdle. On the shoulders of the Ephod which was to be made "of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet"--these being the colours of divinity--"and fine twined linen, with cunning work" were to be placed two stones, each to be engraved after the manner of a signet, with six names of the children of Israel. Authorities generally agree with the translations in classifying these two stones as Onyx, and there are very important reasons from an occult point of view why they should be so identified even though Josephus accounts them Sardonyx which, he says, represents the sun and the moon. These onyx stones were to be worn "for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel." The ephod was similar to an upper body-garment of the Greeks and may be described as a kind of waistcoat held by straps which passed over the shoulders and were twined round the waist with the cunningly woven band. The two large onyx stones were set on the shoulder-straps, and on each stone were engraved the names of the children of Israel--"Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth." In astrology, to which science perhaps on its more esoteric side we are impelled, we can quickly recognize the twelve signs of the Zodiac--six Northern and six Southern--in the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, more distinctly emphasized on the breastplate of the High Priest. The engraving on the two onyx stones, one of which would necessarily be somewhat lighter in colour than the other, can never be explained in our prosaic terms for they were attuned to the whisperings of the Heavenly Hosts and typified the eternal wanderings of the Soul.

In my later remarks on the Onyx I have noted the ancient philosophy regarding the descent of the Soul through the Gate of Cancer and its ascent through the Gate of Capricorn. Peter symbolically represented at the Gate of Heaven, is a veiled allusion to the stone gateway through which the departing spirits of Earth pass on their everlasting pilgrimage in search of the pearl above price--the hidden knowledge of perfect truth--a stone so gloriously brilliant that mortal eyes can never gaze on it.

In earlier Egyptian symbolic lore it is assumed that the Heavens were of stone, the goddess Hathor being the Lady of the Turquoise Stones and other deities being represented by stones cut to forms and in their natural state. In rabbinical allegory the Creator, vibrating through the rays of sunrise, is reverenced as "The Opener of the Gates," and frequent allusions are made to the gates of tears, of prayer, of praise, and of repentance. There is an old Hebrew tradition that one Messiah will come through the Gate of Capricorn and another through the Gate of Cancer. Plato writes of the two gateways--one through which the Soul descends, the other through which the soul ascends, and Porphyry says that on this account the Egyptians did not begin the year like the Romans with Aquarius but with the Moon Sign Cancer.

The Quabalistic Books say that the soul of man passed through the four celestial worlds in its descent, receiving from Aziluth, the Chaiah, spiritual animation: from Briah, Neshamah, understanding: from Jezirah, Ruach, the passions: from Nephesch, material desires. He enters the world by the Gate of Generation , the watery sign, the colour of which is indicated as green, and he leaves the world of Matter for the land of the Immortals by the Gate of Material Death , the Earth sign Capricorn, the colour of which is black. The Su'n passage through the tribal signs expressed on the onyx stones of the Ephod symbolizes eternally the descent and ascent of immortal man.

ATTACHED to the Ephod was the famous HOSHEN-HA-MISHPAT or Breastplate of Judgment which was of "cunning work," fashioned like the Ephod "of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen." It was a square pouch when doubled, a span in length and a span in breadth. Josephus writes that there were "twelve stones upon the Breastplate, extraordinary in largeness and beauty: and they were an ornament not to be purchased by men because of their immense value. The names of all those sons of Jacob were engraven in these stones, whom we esteem the heads of our tribes, each in the order according to which they were born."

We are told in the 28th chapter of the Book of Exodus that the Urim and Thummim were put into the Breastplate. Dummelow believes that these were two jewels or images engraved with distinctive characters employed in casting lots. Josephus and the Septuagint imply that the gems on the Breastplate constituted the Urim and Thummim. Gensenius says that the Urim and Thummim were two little images which were placed between the folds of the Breastplate. Dr. Chambers indicates the Urim and Thummim as a mysterious contrivance consisting either of the four rows of precious stones bearing the tribal signets, or of two images. It is pointed out that the images of Isis and Osiris, worked in precious stones, hung on the breast of the Egyptian High Priest to symbolize truth and justice. The Urim and Thummim may be identical with the Babylonian "Tablets of Destiny" which were the instruments by which the seers of Babylon conveyed the "urtu" or answer of the gods to the people. In Babylon the "Tablets of Destiny" were only effective when on the breast of the god, while amongst the children of Israel the Urim and Thummim were only potent when on the breast of the High Priest. Josephus says that the answer of the Urim and Thummim was revealed by rays of light, and the Talmudic account is in harmony with this statement.

It was necessary for accuracy that the oracle should only be approached by one on whom the Shekinah or Radiance rested: one filled with the splendour of inspiration, naturally gifted in the art of prophecy, and fitted by the beauty of his thoughts and his life to draw unto himself the divine Shekinah: he must be "covered with the robe of virtue as the bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." The Rabbis identified Urim and Thummim as the "grand and sacred name of God," Urim indicating "Those whose words communicate light" and Thummin, "Those whose words are realised," while the Septuagint renders them as "Revelation" and "Truth." The generally accepted meaning of Urim and Thummim is "Lights and Perfections."

The connection of the twelve zodiacal signs with the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve stones of the Breastplate is remarked by Josephus, and the Targum upon Canticles also links them together. Wilson in "Lights and Shadows of Northern Mythology" draws attention to the life-sized white marble figure of Aaron robed, wearing the Breastplate showing a sign of the Zodiac sculptured on each of the twelve precious stones, which figure is placed on the right side of the High Altar in S. Pietro, Piazza Bianchi, Genoa.

The Matsebah of Babylon are black pillar stones on which in three elemental divisions are sculptured the twelve zodiacal signs by which the twelve Assyrian gods are symbolized, and the twelve lions on either side of the steps leading to Solomon's throne represent the Sun in its progress through the signs of Heaven. Josephus mentions that he had seen the remains of an ancient pillar of stone on which Seth, foreseeing the great Flood, had engraved the elements of Astrology which "Adam had received from the Creator."

"Moses was willing," writes Josephus, "that the power of the Breastplate should be known not only to the Hebrews but to all the world. When God was present the stone on the right shoulder of the High Priest shone with a brilliancy not natural to it. This has appeared a wonderful thing to such as have not so far indulged themselves in philosophy as to despise Divine Revelation. Yet will I mention what is more wonderful than this: for God declared beforehand by those twelve stones which the High Priest bare on his breast and which were inserted into his Breastplate, when they should be victorious in battle: for so great a splendour shone forth from them before the army began to march that all the people were sensible of God's being present for their assistance. Whence it came to pass that those Greeks who had a veneration for our laws, because they could not possibly contradict this called the Breastplate 'the Oracle.' Now this Breastplate left off shining 200 years before I composed this book, God having been displeased at the transgression of the laws."

Father Kircher in "Oedipus Egyptianus" gives an engraving of the Tabernacle with the Sun, Moon, and Planets in the centre and Ephraim with a bull, Menasses with two infants, Benjamin with a Centaur, Dan with a scorpion, Gad with a ram, Assehr with scales, Simeon with fishes, Reuben with a water-bearer, Zebulon with a fish-goat, Issachar with a lobster, and Judah with a lion.

The standards of the twelve tribes were given in the middle ages as follows:

Issachar Sun or Full Moon Reuben Man's Head or Bust Judah A Lion Gad An Army of Men Zebulon A Ship Simeon A Citadel Manassah A Unicorn Dan An Eagle Napthali Deer Benjamin A Horse Assher A Tree

The Rabbinical writers generally favour the following tribal order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Assher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin. Tobias ben Eliezer quotes an old Baraita which said that Zebulon was followed by Dan. Marbodus places them as follows:

Another old list gives the order as follows:

Reuben, Dan, Judah, Levi, Issachar, Zebulon, Assher, Napthali, Gad, Simeon, Joseph, Benjamin.

Swedenborg groups the tribes thus:

Judah, Reuben and Gad; Assher, Napthali and Manasseh; Simeon, Levi and Issachar; Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin.

It is unnecessary to quote further lists as I believe that the one I am now producing will be sufficient to redeem the confusion. It is in complete harmony with the order of Jacob's blessings and the signs of the Zodiac. It will be noted that Taurus with the tribe of Reuben leads the Zodiac, and it is related that under this sign the human race came to earth. On ancient zodiacs the Bull as a solar conception is shown wending his way through the stars.

The sign Cancer is that of the tribe of Levi as servants and guardians of the Tabernacle, the name indicating "held to," i. e., held to the altar.

To quote from Dr. Deane: "The variation in the order of the stones prompts the enquiry whether the Breastplate which Josephus repeatedly saw and which Jerome might have seen in the Temple of Concord was identical with that of ancient times. If the whole of the original stones were preserved, the order must have been kept in consequence of the names engraved upon them. But it is not by any means unlikely that in the great vicissitudes of the Hebrew nation some of the original stones may have been lost and have been replaced by others." More evidences of this kind would be superfluous.

Now, the first stone of the Breastplate is a Red stone. According to astrology the Red stone vibrates to the planet Mars and the zodiacal Aries, therefore its position as the first stone of the Breastplate is natural. In the mystic philosophy of the Hebrews the Ram "caught in a thicket by his horns," the blood of the lamb upon the lintel and side-posts, etc., and in mystic Christian philosophy the blood of the Lamb which redeems from worldly sin are expressed symbolically by the sign Aries, into which the Sun enters in the month of Nisan, approximately 21st March, the time of the Passover and of Easter. Not only then must the stone be a red one, it must be red of the colour of blood. But again one must not lose sight of the fact that the first stone on the Plate was engraved not with the name of the tribe of Benjamin, the true Aries tribe, but with the name Reuben, a tribe under the lordship of the second sign of the Zodiac, Taurus. This may be explained by the fact that the earlier Breastplate of the two began with the sign Taurus. Agnes Mary Clerke, writing on the Old Zodiac, says: "So far as positive records go Aries was always the first sign. But the arrangement is, on the face of it, a comparatively modern one. None of the brighter stars of the constellation could be said even roughly to mark the Equinox much before 1800 B.C.; therefore during a long stretch of previous time the leading position belongs to the stars of Taurus. Numerous indications accordingly point to a corresponding primate zodiac. Setting aside as doubtful, evidence derived from interpretation of cuniform inscriptions we meet in connection with Mithraic and Mylittic legends reminiscences of a Zodiac and religious calendar in which the Bull led the way. Virgil's "Candidus auratis aperit cum cornibus anum Taurus" perpetuates the tradition, and the Pleiades continued within historical memory to be the first asterism of the lunar zodiac."

The Egyptian worship of Serapis who is frequently symbolized by the head of a bull surmounted by a uraeus and disc, and whose colour was of a blood red, may be noted. The worship of this god was introduced into Egypt by the Ptolemies, but his name is derived from Ausar-Hapi and he represents a blending of the older worship of Osiris with the Bull Apis which, says Herodotus, is a fair and sublime reflection of the soul of Osiris. In this connection Diodorus says that the soul of Osiris migrated into Apis and thus revealed himself to men through the ages. Attention is drawn to this worship to show that in Egypt a bull god was associated with the colour red, and the "holding a red rag to a bull" may have its origin in the bull-fights of old, in which case however it is clear that the Martial Red is the colour of irritation.

We can see in the placing of Taurus, the Bull--or the tribal name Reuben--in the first section of the Breastplate a desire to harmonize it as far as possible with an older one, whilst the gem and its colour represented the sign Aries--the sign of the Ram--symbolically the tribe of Benjamin, engraved as of old in the last division of the Plate.

The Hebrew word ODEM, signifying redness, is connected with the Hebrew word DOM, blood, and the stone to meet these requirements is the Red Haematite, the true bloodstone of antiquity, which is further described in the section of this book dealing more generally with the scientific and romantic aspects of precious stones.

The Haematite is a true iron stone and in old astrology Iron is a metal placed directly under the rulership of the planet Mars and the sign Aries. We have direct evidence of the use of this stone by the ancient Babylonians, who wore it as an engraved signet cut in cylinder form. We therefore identify the first stone of the Breastplate as the Red Haematite on which was engraved the name of the first tribe, Reuben.

The second stone of the Breastplate is given as PITDAH, variously interpreted as a Topaz, Peridot, Yellowish-green Serpentine, Diamond and Chrysolite. The Targums agree that a green stone is implied and some authorities seek to clear the mystery by advancing that the stone was of a yellowish-green.

The topaz of the ancients is not the topaz of today, but is identified with the stone known to us as the chrysolite or peridot. Traditionally the emerald is associated with the second sign of the zodiac, and Apion who wrote much concerning ancient Egypt and whose story of Androclus and the Lion echoes through the ages, tells of a gigantic figure of Serapis seen at Alexandra; this figure, the height of which was about fifteen feet, was probably composed of glass resembling emerald. The emerald was sacred to Serapis who--as indicated in the previous chapter--was a Bull god associated naturally with the zodiacal Taurus. This sign and the colour green blend truly for green is the symbol of life, of agriculture and of abundant nature, and amongst nations of antiquity holy festivals heralded the return of Spring whose praises are sung by the poets in the magical language of mythology. The many references to "green trees" in the Bible need only be noticed in passing.

The Veneralia of old was held once a year amidst budding plants and flowers, in gardens and on green lawns in honour of Venus to welcome Adonis returning in radiant beauty from the under-world. The ceremony took place towards the end of April, when the Sun had entered the Earth sign of Venus, Taurus, and it survives in the later May Day rejoicings.

The gem needed is therefore a green one, and this is traditionally the correct one for the sign Shor or Taurus in which Nogah or Venus delights and in which Lavanah or the Moon exalts. The emerald was sacred to this period of the year. This gem was well-known amongst ancient nations, especially those of Egypt and Ethiopia where the chief emerald mines were. The children of Israel must certainly have known of the existence of the emerald which is mentioned in the Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep who lived ages before the time of Solomon and more than 1000 years before Hammurabi, the Wise, of Babylon. "Courtesy in Speech," says this sage, "is rarer than the emeralds which slave girls find in the stones."

It is recorded that the Egyptians employed many women at the emerald mines on account of the keenness of their vision, and it is highly probable that Israelitish women were selected for this work with captives of other nations. Specimens of emeralds collected by Sir G. Wilkinson from Mount Zabarah in Upper Egypt now lie in the British Museum. Evidence is not wanting to prove that the ancients knew well how to engrave on an emerald, Pliny states that Ptolemy offered Lucullus at Alexandra an emerald with his portrait engraved on it.

The tribe Simeon corresponding to the zodiacal Gemini was engraved on the second gem of the Breastplate--although it has no connection with it--for the reason before noted.

It should be understood that by "emerald" is meant the precious emerald as we know it or its varieties Beryl and Aquamarine. It may be noted that the Topaz, a gem most generally favoured as the second stone on the Breastplate, is traditionally assigned to the opposite sign of the Zodiac, Scorpio.

The hero Gilgames in Babylonian story sees by the gates of the Ocean a wondrous magical tree which bore as fruit most precious emeralds. The emerald as a love stone was closely identified with Venus and was regarded as particularly fortunate for women, bringing happiness in love, comfort in domestic affairs, and safety in childbirth. The evil effects of the luminaries afflicted or of malefic planets in the sign Taurus, the latter degrees especially, have been shown to affect the sight; hence the employment of the emerald as an eye charm.

Hathor, the Egyptian Venus, who carries in her left hand the potent Crux Ansata was saluted as "The Lady of the Southern Sycamore," a tree which stood for the living body of Hathor on earth and which was called the Sycamore of the Emerald.

The Rosicrucian John Heydon of the 17th Century describes his meeting with the spirit Euterpe on the plains of Bulverton Hill one sweet summer evening. He describes her as "a most exquisite divine beauty of decent stature; attired, she was in thin loose silks, but so green that I never saw the like for the colour was not earthly.... Her rings were pure entire emeralds for she valued no metal."

Similar legends of green fairies, green fields, and green lights are connected with the sign of Venus terrestrial, Taurus.

The emerald, then, is the second stone of the Breastplate, and on it was engraved the name of the tribe of Simeon.

The third stone of the Breastplate is simply expressed by the word BAREKETH which has been variously rendered as Emerald, Ruby, Carbuncle, Amethyst, Rock Crystal, Green Olivine, Green Feldspar. Its true meaning is "flashing," which the Targumic translators express as "brilliant." The Hebrew BARUK corresponds to an Arabic word meaning "to gleam, to flash;" the Assyrian word BARAKU and the Aramic BURUK have the same meaning, with which may be identified the Punic BARCAR, surname of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar; the Syriac BORKO and the Chaldean BARKAN can only be rendered "brilliant." There is a Sanskrit word MARKATA, meaning "flashing, sparkling," which corresponds to our word "marble," literally, "the sparkling stone," Latin MARMOR, cognate with the Greek MARMAROS from MARMAIRO to flash, shine, sparkle. Hence the Flashing Stone may be identified as marble, and this traditionally answers the required conditions. In astro-philosophy marble is connected with the sign of the columns, Gemini--Simeon in association with Levi--and is known as the Day House of the planet Mercury. The Midrash Bemidbah gives the colour of this sign as white, and Francis Barrett expresses it as "glittering."

The author remembers long ago taking some really glittering specimens of white marble, unstained by the hand of time, from an Egyptian mummy-case. Even at the present day pieces of white marble are buried with the dead body in some countries of the world, and the marble tombstone is universally used as a monument over the buried ashes which the ascending man has thrown aside as the serpent throws his old skin.

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