Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

The Zelator Grade
123
cakes of bread in two rows of six each, with frankincense between
each loaf. In addition to the Sabbath bread, there are golden bowls,
vessels of wine and two small censers of burning incense.
Thme brings your focus back to the diagram at hand. (See diagram page 196.)
Examining it you say:
To theNorthern side of theHoly Place stood the Table of Shew-bread. The
drawing before merepresents its occult meaning. On it twelve loaves were
laid asemblems oftheBread ofLife, andit isanimage oftheMystery ofthe
Rose ofCreation. The twelve circles are thetwelve Signs oftheZodiac, while
thelamp in theCenter issymbolic ofthe Sun,which isthesource ofheat and
life. The Four triangles whose twelve angles each touch one ofthe twelve circles
are those ofFire, Earth, Air,andWater, andallude tothefourTriplicities
oftheZodiacal Signs. The triangle inscribed within each ofthetwelve circles,
alludes to the three Decanates, orphases oftendegrees ofeach Sign. On one
side ofeach triangle is thepermutation of theDivine Name, Yod Heh Vav
Heh, which is referred tothatparticular Sign, while ontheopposite side ofit
is thename ofoneofthe Twelve Tribes which isalso attributed toit.
The twenty-two sounds andletters ofthe Hebrew alphabet are thefoundation
ofallthings. Three Mothers, Seven Double andTwelve Simples. The Twelve
Simple letters are allotted tothetwelve directions in space, andthose diverge
to Infinity, and are in the arms of the Eternal. These Twelve letters He
designed andcombined, andformed withthem theTwelve Celestial Constellations
of the Zodiac. Theyare over the Universe asa Kingtraversing his
dominions, andtheyare in the heart ofmanasaKing in warfare.
The Twelve loaves are theimages of those ideas, andare theOuterPetals
of the Rose, whilewithin are the Four Archangels ruling overthe Four
Quarters, andtheKerubic emblems oftheLion, Man, Bulland Eagle.
Aroundthegreat central lamp which isan image
of theSun, is theGreat Mother ofHeaven, symbolized
by theletter Heh, thefirst of the Simple
Letters, and by its number five, the Pentagram,
Malkah the Bride, ruling in her kingdom
Malkuth, crowned witha crown ofTwelve stars.
The twelve circles further represent the twelve
Foundations oftheHolyCityoftheApocalypse,
whilein Christian symbolism the Sun and the
twelve signs are referred to Christ and his
Twelve Apostles.
The Candlestick