There is an apparently mystical phrase mentioned in one of the Order’s Ceremonies relating to the 7 double letters:
“The Archetypal Creator designed, produced, combined and formed with them the Planets of the Universe, the days of the Week, and in Man, the Gates of the Soul.”
“And in Man, the Gates of the Soul”. How many of you have wondered about this phrase? Here are some suggestions to consider.
The seven gates can be seen to equate to the seven entrances to the head – the two ears, eyes and nostrils, plus the mouth. As Gateways to the Soul, we should consider how to open them in Ritual. Indeed, without opening them, we are not actually performing ceremonial as such, but simply going through the motion. This is partly why the arts are related to the Mysteries, but are not of their own nature capable of producing the full impact experienced in ceremonial – they rarely open all the gates at once.
Our Ceremonies commence with knocks on which we open the first gates. We use sonorous speeches with which, like the sirens of mythology, we lure the intellect into a sense of wonder and awe.
Of the eyes, we use light and darkness, regalia, diagrams and colour in which to nurture the soul out of slumber.
The Temple is full of incense to fill the nostrils with a scent only encountered in ceremonial, and a Rose to remind us of the beauty that awaits us if we keep silent.
And lastly, we have Obligations and challenges with which we allure the recipient into action.
It is worth contemplating the seven double letters as they relate to these gates, in their double meanings, and to also consider the root words that are formed with their natural pairings, and why Peh alone relates to the mouth.
Kasmillos.
