ReviewoftheDivineArcanaoftheAurumSolis byFraterTheta JeanLouisdeBiasisDivineArcanaoftheAurumSolisisanutterdisappointment,fraughtwithsevere gapsinunderstandingoftheOgdoadicTraditionasoutlinedbyMelitaDenningandOsbornePhillips. NordoesashoddyeditingjobbyLlewellyndothisbookanyfavors.DeBiasidabbleswith correspondencesinordertofixsomeperceivederrorintheTarot,whichhethenpresentsasthetrue andoriginalversionofthecards.LlewellynwouldhavedonemuchbettertoreprintDenning&Phillips TheMagickoftheTarotthantoreleasethisbook.Butperhapsallofthisshouldhavebeenexpected whenmonthsagothecoverdesignwasunveiledwithitshybridGreekandEnglishletters,likesomesort ofbadgyroandfalafelstand:THEDIVINRCANOFTHEURUMSLIS("THEDIVINSDRCANDOFTHE DURUMSThLIS). IntheforewordbyCarlWeschckewearepromisedthatJeanLouiswillelucidatethereasonwhymost Tarotdecksareineffectualinconnectinguswiththedivinepowersoftheuniverse.Thisisofcoursea majorannouncement,aspresumablyLlewellynwillbeupdatingalloftheirTarotdeckstoadoptthe extra2cardsthatmakethisAurumSolisdecksopowerful.

ul.Wewillreturntotheseextracardsshortly, sufficetosaythatJeanLouisallegesthemtohavebeenkeptsecretallthistimebytheAurumSolisso secret,infact,thatitappearspreviousGrandMastersMelitaDenningandOsbornePhillipswere unawareofthem. Thatthebookreadslikeabadhighschoolessaywouldperhapsbeunderstandableasaconsequenceof EnglishnotbeingdeBiasisprimarylanguage,butthecompletelackofcopyeditingbyLlewellynis inexcusable.Thereadermustendureabarrageofbizarre,boldfacedfactualerrorssuchasTheGreeks usedconsonantsexclusively(p.40),theTreeofLifethatistraditionallyuseddoesnthavepaths thirtyoneandthirtytwo(p.44),TheGreekalphabetiscomposedof27letters(p.312),astepofthe planetarygestureKoraxthatshouldbecalledTaurusisinsteadinexplicablygivenasFaicrus(p.126), etc.Anotheroddityintheplanetarygesturesisonp.148,wherethereaderistoldsimplyMakethe Orantegesturewithoutanyinstructiononhowtodoso. PerhapsthemostaudaciouserrorsindeBiasisbookareintheactualcardsandcorrespondences themselves,particularlywhenJeanLouisrepeatedlyemphasizesthat,Themostimportantaspectof thisexperience[meditationonthedivinitiesofthecards]ishisorherpresenceandtheemanations fromthesacrednamessurroundinghimorher(p.221).Certainlythen,thisgreatHermeticphilosopher wouldgotogreatpainstoensureabsoluteaccuracyinprintingthesenames?Andyet,itappearsthat theextentofhisknowledgeofHellenicorthographyislimitedtothepainfulconventionsofthe Symbolfont.Infact,hisGreekerrorsareworsethanthoseinKraftsOgdoadicMagick: insteadof(pp.133,135),insteadof(pp.138139), insteadof(p.192),insteadofandZinsteadof Z(ibid.).ItseemsJeanLouisparticularlystruggledwiththeproperspellingoftheElemental names,givinginsteadof(p.195196),insteadof (ibid.),insteadof(ibid.),insteadof(ibid.), insteadof(pp.198199),insteadof(ibid.), insteadof(ibid.).Then,ratherthanjustgettingtheletterswrong,hegives(the IntelligenceofVenus)insteadofthecorrectname,theIntelligenceofAir,andinsteadofthe SpiritofAir,,hegivestheSpiritofVenus,Z(p.199).Nordotheyendthere:thecard forApolloonp.159showstheAssiaticnameaswhileonthenextpageitisgivenas

.Thecardgivenonp.159issupposedtocorrespondwithGemini,butthesymbolgivenisof Cancer.Thepronunciationgivenonp.167forisincorrectlyindicatedasUpatiosbuthere again,perhapsweshouldhaveseenthiscominggivendeBiasiscompleteomissionofthe throughoutthiswork.Bynomeansconcludingthislitanyoferrors,Iwillatleastendthisshortsurveyby callingattentiontothedownrightwrongtransliterationsofthenamesoftheintelligencesandspirits givenonpages182and188. AmorepatientpersonthanmewillhavetotackledeBiasisclaimsthatthissecretTarotsystemofhis descendsfromtheItalianHermeticists.Thattaskwouldrequiresortingthroughhisincomprehensible mishmashofidealistichistory,histenuousattemptsatDanBrownesquearchitecturalanalysis,andhis strangelypronouncedantiCatholicbias(e.g.,pp.9,12,16,18,20).Butthereisoneitemthatdeserves ourattention,foraslongaswecanbearit:JeanLouisinexplicableobsessionwithGemisthusPletho. Whileinfluential,theroleplayedbyPlethoindirectlyinspiringandinfluencingtheOgdoadicTradition wasminimalwhencomparedto,e.g.,Ficino.TheHistoryLecturefromtheSecondHallRiteof IntegrationisquiteclearthatthechainoftransmissionproceededfromtheFedelidAmoreviathe CavalcanticonnectiontotheCareggiCircle.PlethoinspiredtherevivalofthePlatonicAcademy,butthe CareggiCirclewasasubsetofthatAcademyand,wearetoldbyDenningandPhillips,farmorethan justagroupofsiblingsphilosophizing. WeturnnowtothekeyassertionofJeanLouisbook:theTarotandtheTreeofLifeaspreviously employedbythemajorWesternEsotericTradition(andindeed,aslucidlydescribedbyhisownOrder AurumSolispriortohistakingthereins)iswrong.AsIhavealludedto,deBiasisgreatsecretwhichhe unveilsisthatthereshouldbe24pathsontheTreeofLife:twoextraPathsassociatedwithEarthand Spirit.Additionally,thetraditionalorderingofthePathsontheTreeisincorrect.Whatwouldleadthe GrandMasteroftheAurumSolistopullanAchad?HisprimaryreasonistoretrofittheGreekalphabet ontotheTreeofLifeinanattempttoreconciletheuseofboththeGreeklanguageandtheHebrew basedTreebuttherationalethatJeanLouisprovidesisludicrousand,frankly,offensive: ItissurprisingtonotethattheHebrewQabalahisdisconnectedfromthetraditionalsystems, omittingthetwoprinciplesofSpiritandEarth.Perhapstheexplanationforthisomissionliesin thefactthattheHebrewalphabetislimitedtotwentytwoletters.Ofcourse,thislimitationis reflectedinmorethantheomissionoftheSpiritandEarthprinciples.Still,itisobviousthatthe principlesofnatureandthebodyweregenerallyrejected(orweretreatedasobstacles)in JudaismandCatholicism.(p.42) Illletthatsinkin.JeanLouispositsthattheforcesofSpiritandEarthdidnotreceivetheirownseparate pathsontheTreeofLifebecauseJudaismandCatholicismrejectedthem.Judaismacknowledgesthe bodilymanifestationofMan(Earth)asatruetempleandthespiritualconceptoftheShekinah(Spirit)as theverypresenceofGod.Catholicworshippersdailycelebratethetransubstantiationofphysicalmatter intotheBlood(Spirit)andBody(Earth)oftheirdeity.Thesestatements,coupledwithhisaversionto Catholicism,arequitetroubling;thewritingsofDenningandPhillipscontainagreatdealofrespectfor esotericChristianityandJudaism.

DeBiasitriestolaythegroundworkforhisproposedadditionstotheTreebyerroneouslyreferencing the31bisand32bislinesfromwellknowntablesofQabalisticcorrespondences: Therehaveonlybeenafewmodernmagicianswhorecognizedthatomissionandattemptedto solvetheproblembyaddingthetwomissingprinciples.Youseeevidenceofanattempted solutioninthebook777byAleisterCrowley,aswellasinthechartsofthemagicaltraditionat thetimeoftheGoldenDawn.TheOrdoAurumSolishasalsomadethiscorrection.Thereisa pathnumberedthirtytwo,correspondingtoEarth,andanotherpathnumberedthirtyone, correspondingtoSpirit(Ether).Asyouknow,theTreeofLifepatternthatistraditionallyused doesn'thavepathsthirtyoneandthirtytwo.Inotherwords,thecorrespondencesoftheMajor ArcanaoftheTarotinrelationtothetwentytwoHebrewlettersdidnotincludethesetwo principles.Itissurprisingthatmodernoccultistshavenotadvancedanyfurtherthanthisone correction,especiallyregardingaquestionofthisimportance.However,itoftenseemsthat thereisacertaininertiaonceastructurebecomesformalized,andthatintuitionmaybetoo weaktoovercomeit.(p.44) EvenignoringthebizarrelyincorrectstatementaboutthetraditionalTreenotincludingPaths31or32, JeanLouisreallydoesntseemtounderstandthedualfunctionofthosepaths.Unfortunatelyhedoesnt appeartobefamiliarwithDenningandPhillipswritingsonthisverytopic,astheyexplainitasclearlyas possible:Thelines32bisand31biswhichappearonourTablearemerelyusefulconventions,not representingfurtheractualPaths,butgivingspaceforotheraspectsofthe32ndand31stPaths.(The Sword&theSerpent,p.116).Again,hispredecessorsmostlucidlyexplainedthefunctionofEarthin relationtothePaths:Malkuthisrepresentedentirelyasreceivinginfluences,notasemanatingforce, andthereforethereisnoPathreflectinganyinfluenceoftheEarthsphere.(ibid.) DeBiasiarguesthatnotonlyareSpiritandEarthomitted,butallofthetraditionalcorrespondencesare invalidandarbitrarilyassigned:ThepositionofthepathsontheQabalisticTreewasjustasarbitraryas Kirchersattributions.Youseethesamepatternintheattributionsoftheotherletters,theelements, theplanets,andthesigns.WhenyoulookattheTreeofLifediagramwiththisinmind,itisclearthatits useasarepresentationoftheorderoftheuniverseiscompletelylost.(p.50).JeanLouisprimarily reliesontheattributionsofthePathsfromtheSepherYetzirahtosupporthisstatements,buthe convenientlyneglectstomentionthatamongtheseveralversionsofthattext(Saadia,Gra,etc.)those correspondencesalsodiffer.AlsoabsentfromthisbookareanyacknowledgmentstoKierenBarrys excellentwork,TheGreekQabalah,uponwhichJeanLouisclearlyrelied. Conversely,DenningandPhillipswrite:Theplanetaryinfluence,zodiacalsignorElementattributedtoa Pathisoftentheprincipalfactorexperiencedbytheparticipant[inPathworkings].Theseattributions canbeatfirstsightsurprising,buttheyareneverirrationalorarbitrary.(MagicalStatesof Consciousness,p.11).Furthermore,TheattributionsofthePathscanalsobeusefullycomparedwith oneanotherinrelationtothepatternoftheTree.Theirpositionsinrelationtoeachotherarenot random,buttheyformthebalancedpatternofalivingorganismratherthananymechanicalsymmetry ofhumandevising.ThemakersoftheTreehaveexploredwhatis,notsetforthasimplisticschemeof whatbyhumanstandardsshouldbe.(Ibid.,p.13).

Butlestwebeaccusedofgettingcaughtupintheory,letsexaminethepracticalsideofdeBiasis revisionism.Essentially,deBiasipresentsaframeworkforusingtheTarotcardswhichconsistsoflittle morethanmeditation,recitation(mostlyofmaterialcomposedbyDenningandPhillipswithno acknowledgmentoftheirauthorship),andcolorvisualization.Thisbyitselfwouldbefine,butthe problemscreepinoncedeBiasistartstoimposehisbizarredefinitionsonthewellestablished terminologyofArtMagick.Complicatingthings,heattemptstoemployvaluedandpotentmaterialfrom theOgdoadicsystemwithlittleregardfortheirsource,intention,oreffect.Theendresultisasoupy messoftechniques,whichcoupledwiththeshakyattributionsthatformhisunstablefoundational premiseareatbestineffectual,andatworstdangerousforthenovice. Forexample,JeanLouiswrites,Itisimportanttoclearlydistinguishwhatismeantbytheterms evocationandinvocation.Invocationismakingcontactwithadimensionthatisnormallynotapart ofyourconsciousnessorreality.Evocationisamentalprocessarisingfromyourimagination,and evocationhasnodirectlinkwithmanifestreality.(p.84)Andagain,Evocation,byitself,islimitedto thementalplane.Invocationisnotlimitedinthisway.(p.87)PerhapstheGrandMasteroftheAurum Solishasnotheardofevocationtovisibleappearance,forwhichoperationhisownOrderhasvery specificmaterial/AssiaticconsiderationssetforthinTheMagicalPhilosophy. ButthisconfusiondeBiasiexhibitsovertheFourWorldsoftheQabalahrunsrampantthroughthebook particularlywhenitcomestopracticalapplicationofmagicaltheory.Witnesshis(mis)useofthecolor scalessometiculouslydevelopedbytheAurumSolisinthe1970s.InseveralofhisTarotrituals,deBiasi wouldhavethebeginningpractitionerutilizetheIconic(orAssiah)colorscales.DenningandPhillips write,TheScaleofAssiahisusedinveryadvancedoperationsconcernedwithmanipulationofthe forceswhichdirectlyactuponthephysicallevel.(TheSword&theSerpent,pp.194195)Indeed,not eveninthewiderangeofpracticalmagicalritualsinDenningandPhillipsPlanetaryMagickdoesthe Iconiccolorscaleappear,thoughitislistedinthebookstabulationofcorrespondences.InallofThe MagicalPhilosophyseriesthiscolorscaleappearsonlyintheRitualFormulaforEvocationtoVisible AppearanceandattheconclusionoftheRousingoftheCitadelswhereitsuseascorrespondingtothe compositeTreesMalkuthofAssiahisdiscussed.NotonlydoesdeBiasisuseofthispowerfultoolnot makesense,butcoupledwiththeinvocationsofhisconfusedconceptionoftheegregores,whoknows whatwouldmanifest. JeanLouisalsoexhibitsthisconfusionoftheproperuseoftheFourWorldsinritualwithhisSettingof theWardsonp.260andelsewhere,whichiscompletelyunrelatedtothefoundationalOgdoadicriteof thesamename.Here,theWardsinquestionareactuallynothingofthesortbasicallyhesimplygives amodifiedformoftheAurumSolisInvocationoftheElementals.TheseElementalsofcourseare Yetziraticspirits,andgonefromthisformulaarethevitallynecessaryinvocationsoffirstAtziluthicand thenBriaticforcesoftheelements.Asanymagicianworthhissaltcantellyou,itisfoolishtoconjurethe capriciouselementalswithoutfirstcallingforththePowerstowhichthosespiritsanswerandbywhich theyaredirectedaright.DeBiasisSettingoftheWardsisalsothefirstplaceweevenhearaboutthe MinorArcanaintheentirebookthepractitionerisinstructedtousethesecardstorepresentthe elementswithoutsomuchasabasicexplanationofhowtheyfitintothisFrankenstiniansystem.

Theprimaryinvocations(banishinghisdefinitionsforamomentifyouplease)thatJeanLouisusesare fromtheSongofPraisesaseriesof22stanzasusedintheAurumSolisinconnectionwiththePathsof theTreeofLife.Ofcourse,theironyhereishowdeeplyrootedtheSongofPraisesisinthesymbol systemthatJeanLouisistryingtorevise.DenningandPhillipsmakeitquiteclear:Theseversesonthe lettersoftheHebrewAlphabetaregiveninreverseordersoastofollowtheascentofthePaths.(The Sword&theSerpent,p.123)DenningandPhillipsthenproceedtoenumeratecountlessandbrilliant examplesofGematricallusionspresentintheSongofPraises,ultimatelydescribingindetailthe relationshipbetweentheseverses,thetraditionalassociationsofforcesontheTreeofLife,theWayof Return,theTarotTrumps,etc.Thefactthattheseversesareinfactconstructedtobeginwiththe transliteratedletterorsoundoftheparticularpathsassociatedHebrewletterappearstohavebeenlost ondeBiasi,whounhesitatinglyclaimstousethemnexttohisownspuriousGreekattributionsand Hebrewreassignments.Inadditiontothis,JeanLouishasblesseduswiththetwomissingstanzas correspondingtoSpiritandEarth.Iwillspareyoufromthemherebuttheintrepidwillfindthemon pages193and205. Lastly,alltechnicalandpracticalissuesaside,thesadtruthofthematteristhatJeanLouisdeBiasi exhibitsacompletemisunderstandingofthefunctionoftheTarotandPathsinthesystemofOgdoadic MagickexpoundedbyMelitaDenningandOsbornePhillips.DeBiasispositionthroughoutthisbookis thattheTarotisrepresentativeofthearchetypesoftheWorldofAtziluth:TheTarotwascreatedto invokespecificinvisibleforces,togenerateenergiespresentbothwithinyou(themicrocosm)andat universallevels(themacrocosm).(p.2).ButDenningandPhillipstakegreatcareintheirextensive writingstorepeatedlyemphasizethatthisisnotso: ThePaths,althoughtheyareshownonthesamediagramastheSephiroth,donotexistupon thesamelevelofreality.TheSephirothrepresentobjectiverealities,andthesequenceinwhich theyhavebeendescribedrepresentsthedescentofenergyintheformationoftheexistent universe;thePathshaveacompletelydifferentsignificance,representingthosestatesof consciousness,individualsubjectiveexperiences,bywhichthemagicianmaypassfromstepto step,fromgatetogate,uponthemysteriousWayofReturn.(FoundationsofHighMagick,p. 259). Again,deBiasiexhibitsaconfusionoflevelstoanextremedegree.TheMajorArcanaoftheTarotdonot representforcestobeinvokedandpraisedtheyrepresenttrueandpotentkeystoaccessingthose forcesonwhichHighMagickdepends.ToworshiptheArcanaasdeitiesasendswhentheyareonly themeansisagraveerror.DenningandPhillipseloquentlyarticulatethisrelationshipbycomparing theexperienceofthePathsandtheSpherestodreamingandwaking: IfwewouldleaveMalkuthandexperiencetheworldofYesodinitsobjectivereality,andlearn itstruelessons,thereisnopossiblewayaccessibletousbywhichwemayenteruponthat Sephirah,butthroughtheexperiencewhichiscalledtheThirtysecondPath.Andsowiththe rest.WhenwehaveattainedtheSephirah,theexperienceofthePathshallbeasadreamtous; but,whenweleavethatSephirahforthenext,theexperienceoftheappointedPathshall envelopusandtheSephirothbecomethedreamofouraspirations.(Ibid.,p.260).

AsJeanLouishasmanagedtoperceive,thegreatsignificanceoftheTarotistheirabilitytofunctionas vitalinitiatickeys.Yet,thisdelusorywarningofhiswouldbestbedirectedathisowntortuous conclusions: AsIhaverepeatedlystated,traditionalinitiaticprinciplesarealwayslogical,clear,andnot contradictory.Tointroduceunpredictableandcontradictorycorrespondenceswouldnotreally beanissueifthecardsareusedsolelyfordivination;however,suchcontradictionsposea seriousdisabilityforanymagicaluseoftheArcana.Obviously,theproblemismagnifiedwhen contradictoryforces(suchasnumericalandastrologicalattributionsthatareinopposition, numbersthataredifferentthantheiractualHebrewlettervalue,etc.)arewrittenonthesame Arcana.TheresultofthesesystemiccontradictionsisthatanymagicaluseoftheseArcana wouldbehazardousandunpredictable.(p.53). Fromaninitiaticperspective,JeanLouishasleftanumberoflooseends:theimportanceofthe Saturnianexperienceofthe32ndPathastouchedonaboveanddescribedindepthinDenningand Phillipsotherworkiscompletelyabsent.Additionally,theSecretArcanumofthe25thPathplaysa tremendousroleintheRiteofElevation,theinitiationritualoftheThirdHallaspublishedinAurum Solis:InitiationCeremoniesandInnerMagicalTechniquesbyOsbornePhillips.ThisArcanumpertainsto thethreefoldapproachtoTiphareth:thepathsofKing,God,andChild,whichrelatetothetraditional correspondencesofthePathsAyin,Nun,andSamekhandarediscussedinprofounddepthinThe TriumphofLight,part2oftheSwordandSerpentinthe3volumeeditionofTheMagicalPhilosophy. ImakenoapologiesforthetoneofthisreviewasdeBiaisihimselfsaysabove,toplaywiththese correspondencesishazardous.Ihopethatthisreviewservesasawarningtobeginnersandadeptsalike: thisbookisnotworththepaperitsprintedon.MostrelevantherearethethoughtsofAleisterCrowley onthesimilarimprovementsoncemadetotheTreeofLifebyhisstudent,FraterAchad: OnewhooughttohaveknownbettertriedtoimprovetheTreeofLifebyturningtheSerpent ofWisdomupsidedown!Yethecouldnotevenmakehisschemesymmetrical:hislittle remaininggoodsenserevoltedatthesupremeatrocities.Yethesucceededinreducingthe wholeMagicalAlphabettononsense,andshewingthathehadneverunderstooditsreal meaning.(MagickinTheoryandPractice,p.7). Tobeclear,theissuehereisnotwithexploringalternativeconfigurationsoftheTree:thatspiritof innovationwhichbuildsupontraditionwascoretothebrillianceofTheMagicalPhilosophywhenthe teachingsofAurumSoliswerefirstunveiled.ButdeBiasididnotdescribethisbookashisown innovations;instead,hechosetoparadethissystemofcontrivancesasahiddensecretoftheOgdoadic Traditionandindeed,thatthisisinfactthetrueformoftheTarotasdesignedbyancientinitiates.Itis difficulttodiscernJeanLouisintentthroughthisthickhazeoferrorandspeciosity:isthismerely anotherattempttomakeaprofit?Couldhepossiblybelievewhathewrites?Perhapsthetruthlies somewhereinbetweenrightalongsidedeBiasisEcclesiaOgdoadicaorhisHermeticChainGuild. Inanycase,TheDivineArcanaoftheAurumSolisisshamefullyembarrassingandcompletely disrespectfulofthemasterfulworkofMelitaDenningandOsbornePhillips.