The Principles of Kadmon
Adam Kadmon is the First and Primordial Man in the mythos of the Torah. It's parallel in Norse mythology is Bald'r, the ruler of the post-Ragnarok world. In Persian mythology, they call it Adam Kasia. It represents what we are lacking; it is that which we have lost. Some describe this in terms of a fall from grace. Others describe it as a forgetting. Still others believe that we are broken, or missing a piece of our original make-up. Regardless, it is said that Kadmon is the most ancient spiritual form of man, and so I have picked that name to represent our form of regeneration. Just so, I have chosen a Greek scheme to name the Partzufim of Kadmon, as many great principles of philosophy and science have emerged from that culture and it makes for a more universal framework. Much of the underlying framework was also created using Norse seidhr, so there will be references to that system also. Where other systems have proven relevant, I will utilize their terminologies.
Earlier I tried to lay out what Kadmon is, and some of the basic practices. However, without the basic principles of Kadmon, these are fairly meaningless. Below I will detail out the Principles of Kadmon. These are the Faces of Kadmon which interact and make up it's "body". These are similar to the hypostases of Neoplatonism, in that they represent an ontological truth about reality as well as elements of practice that we must undertake. In addition, I classify them as passive and active faces, depending on how they affect the world around the individual.
I have created a diagram based on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and the Norse World Tree that depicts the relationship between the Partzufim.This is the Hyperbolic Tree, and like the Tree of Life, it serves as a model of the individual soul, as well as a model for universal dynamics. We find that all structures resolve themselves toward variants of these principles, and that they are applicable to many fields of study.
It retains the 22 path system of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, with one variance - 21 paths are internal, while one is external. It is the circle around the exterior, representing the manifest world, and the limitation of the soul (this resolves an issue in the Hermetic path attributions). Will is represented by all movement away from the Center, and Perception by all movement toward the Center. It is meant to represent paths traced on the outside of a half-sphere, and as such can be doubled as well for a more accurate picture (except the 22nd, of course).
In addition, there are five places where paths meet, but they do not form a junction that merits a Principle. These junctions have a very important function in regards to relating the essential structure of the Adam Kadmon glyph to the individual, universal and temporal levels. These 5 places correspond to the Eyes, Mouth, Nose, Ears, and the Forehead of Adam Kadmon. These locations also correspond to axes that pierce the sphere and create the various types of internal information processing that we percieve internally. These can also be influenced by invoking the Faces, or participating in a Net devoted to a certain Principle (especially a Binary Net) and we will cover this topic in much more detail at a later date.
In time, different persons may resonate more strongly with different Faces. This is an attempt to lay out the structure we have so far. Also remember that Kadmon is designed to work in small cells, wherein 2-3 people form a single unit. Each unit may define their own "Law" (see the Axon principle below) and each person may define their own role, although those delineated below are given for those who do not wish to create their own. Ultimately the goal of each Kadmon unit should be decided by their own vision; the musician should seek his music and the writer his inspiration. We all seek to change the world in some way, if only to leave our mark upon it.
Here I will give a description of the concept behind the principle, how they manifest when directly invoked, and then how they manifest when invoked into a relationship. These are potent tools, and I would once again warn against using them recklessly.
Suneleusis (soon-eh-loo-sis - Community - B)
- Community is simple in essence. If you can feel the pain you cause your fellow human beings, you will probably be less likely to want to hurt them. Similarly, if you can feel the joy you bring to your fellow human beings, you will probably be more likely to want to make them happy. Sounds simple, right? Not by any means. We are all connected at a certain level, but that connection is inaccessible to our conscious mind, where it might do some good. So you have two options, if you want to make people aware of that connection. You can break down the barriers that keep people from connecting or you can create a temporary connection to bypass the barriers, disable them through a process of self-development, and then merge the excess stream into the standard connection once you are done. I opted for the latter. So Community allows for Achdut, Unity, of minds, hearts, and souls. This isn't an assimilation process. It maintains individuality, while allowing for a free flow of exchange between people, much as one might pour liquid from one cup to another without merging the cups. The basic principle is that while our human interactions are currently governed by a competitive model and this has served us well, the good is the enemy of the great, which is in this case a cooperative model of human interaction. If we give people incentive to switch models, they will embrace it. There will still be problems, but it will be a step in the right direction.
- A working with Suneleusis will enhance your ability to connect to other people. Suneleusis is the principle that encourages mind-to-mind transfers of information. You may find yourself getting a lot more information about what is going on around you than you have gotten before. Sometimes there are skeletons in the closet that come out to be dealt with. This can be uncomfortable, but is an important step for increased honesty in communication.
- Community affects relationships by bringing them out into the open and giving others insight into what is going on with you. This can be a very useful thing or a very damaging thing depending on the people you are around, and on how well you accept criticism. It's effectiveness will depend on how similar your beliefs are to those of the people around you
Oudeis (ooh-dice - The Wanderer - F)
- Oudeis is a Greek word meaning "no one". On the front page I talk about processes ("mad gods") that rule our world. What I mean by this is the symbolic frameworks that we share with our neighbors, with our countrymen, and with our fellow humans. From a wider perspective, these operate like fugual processes, and seem to take on a life of their own. These are the real gods of our world; money needs no altar for it is almost universally worshipped to some degree or another without a single altar or priest. How can one break free of the hold that these powerful ideas seem to have over us? Let me give an anecdote: When I was younger, I was a very active and involved Christian with many friends and acquaintances who had very definite expectations for me. They weren't specific expectations, but they were expectations nonetheless. I could not bear the weight of these and so I dropped it all. Everything I was. Everything I wasn't yet. Everything people thought of me, I made null and void, but most importantly I let go of everything I believed in. The only process I subscribed to was being No One. I practiced being whatever identity I dreamed up. I never stayed the same, always changing and becoming comfortable with the nature of change. I rarely stayed in one place, and never kept the same friends from month to month. Always moving I learned how to move others. I learned how to become something to them. I learned how to change myself instead of being changed by others. Solve et coagula. In the end I found something I wished to become and proceeded to start becoming that thing. I'm still working on the becoming, but I am a person now. For five years I was Oudeis. I broke all connections to the past, and started over. This is a long and difficult process. However, as noted above in the description of Community, it only takes one (gateway) person to go through the Oudeis process, and then others can pull themselves through without the arduous and lengthy trials. The philosophy behind Oudeis is that everything in our personalities is transient; to utilize our full potential, we must learn to take advantage of this gift and harness it.
- A working with Oudeis seems to be a contradiction. It is possible that this would lead to an increased awareness of others who are wandering in your immediate environment. This would allow you to aid these wanderers as a way of healing your own Oudeis persona. This particular configuration allowed me to perceive the trigger for Lethe, which is called the Darkening of the Eyes, and is what allows people to cut themselves off from the groups they have previously participated in and become a generic wanderer. The addition of Lethe is what makes a Kadmon-style Oudeis different from a wanderer.
- Oudeis operates on relationships by causing people to have realizations about themselves, and therefore making them more independant. It doesn't necessary break a relationship, but it can. Used with caution, Oudeis can turn a smothering relationship into a healthy one.
Lethe (leeth [th as in the] - The Forgetting - G)
- Lethe is a fairly complex ambient program. I meditated and worked on Lethe longer than the previous Kadmon components all together. Lethe is remembering what may have happened. Lethe is forgetting 'reality' in favor of remembering potential. Lethe is un-manifesting that which is destructive and re-manifesting it as that which is creative (or vice-versa). Lethe is supposed to compare that which we are to that which we could be and re-align us to our True Will. First of all, Lethe required a targetting system, called the Darkness of the Eyes. It looks for those who have completely distorted their tzelem, their idealized image of themselves (the imago). It begins to break down previous symbolic webs that we've mirrored to create our self-image, through insertions of dream imagery into life (as an excretion process) as well as rapid-fire synchronicities (which realign the symbolic framework). These have the effect of shocking the person into forgetting their previous self-narrative and inducing a trance-like doubt-filled existence which can then be filled with the meanings that correspond to accurate recognitions of ability and value drawn from an external evaluation process. This evaluation is mostly harmless. It manifests situations and analyzes responses. The subsequent realignment is gentle and tends not to produce cognitive dissonance, but at the same time reorients the person's life towards fulfillment in whatever their activities may be. It's no panacea for all of life's problems, but it gives meaning to the suffering that most people take for granted as the norm. The way that this is done is actually a mixture of the two first Kadmon Principles. Oudeis allows us to disconnect from all processes. However, if used selectively Oudeis can disconnect a person from all temporal contexts that have overwhelmed them with suffering and attachments. Once detached, Community is then free to reorient them towards their higher purpose by giving them greater diversity of new input (from friends and family, even those who are not active agents of the Kadmon) to use in creating a new persona (or garment, as per the Omega Effect) that would resonate with the evaluation. The new data streams are then mapped back onto previous events and continuity is maintained. The person will then have the Oudeis and Community laws to utilize fully for themselves. This means that they could then turn around and break out of Lethe's suggested course and choose something else, or even break from Lethe from the start and find their own way. I believe that free will is an inviolable principle, and Lethe, Oudeis and Community all adhere to the same idea as well. Lethe is a tool of remembering & forgetting. The philosophy behind Lethe is that there are potentials within everyone that have been lost or forgotten. These potentials (holy sparks) can be retrieved by removing the husks of accreted values and allowing the inner light to shine through us.
- A working with Lethe will allow you to create a new equilibrium within your persona. We all have many different drives that push and pull us in various directions. To change these, normally the initial current of Lethe is enough. However, in some cases, severe trauma has made a deep impression, and there is a need to drink deeply from the waters of Lethe – the waters of forgetfulness. This will allow you to rework yourself to help heal the negative effects of severe trauma.
- Lethe is useful for when a relationship has gone very badly. It can be used to restart the relationship, in which case it reboots it and directs each individual's potential within the relationship into different avenues than before, or it can help you redirect the energy you spent in a failed relationship. It will not cause you to truly forget, as you would then lose the benefit of the experience, but it will allow you to lessen the pain without going into a denial phase.
Axon (axe-on - the Axis of Heaven - H)
Before creating the Kadmon, we needed a model of the cycle of human existance to absorb undue planetary influences and elemental tendencies which might negatively effect our experiments. It had to be able to continuously and evenly banish each of the planetary and elemental simultaneously. The question then became: how do we create such a thing? At the time we decided it should be fed by any ambient information streams in our area and all malformed information packets (the power of severe judgement) sent our way. So we started out by creating 12 stones, and attuned them to various essences. We planted them in a circle and then proceeded to link them (like a circular cat's cradle). The finishing touch was putting a large tree branch that we had engraved into the center. This worked very well, but in time we were forced to move. We took the stones and the proto-axon and uprooted them. We then distributed them to four different places and used the proto-axon as an "axle", around which would revolve the passive forms of Kadmon organization (Community and Oudeis - later Lethe, Mnemosyne, and Krisis also), hence the nickname "Staff of Law" (which is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Thomas Covenant series). The staff represents the sovereignty of every individual and their right to assert their symbolic framework upon the consensus. I would encourage every Kadmon cell to take a single talisman unto themselves to represent their union and their desired effect upon the world.
- A working with Axon will allow you to store information in an object, or create a web of correspondences. This is especially relevant for making memory palaces, which is where you use the properties of a building or structure to store difficult to remember lists or epiphanies (those difficult to remember magical ideas). I would note that especially vivid dreams are also good for storing these ideas. You can also create your own symbol sets using this principle.
- Axon is most effective when there is a symbol of the relationship that can be used, like a ring or a gift that was exchanged. It would establish the relationship in the way in which the symbol dictates. For instance, if you invoked Axon between yourself and a spouse using a ring, you would thereby establish the cyclic nature of the relationship. This would allow problems to be worked through in multiple passes, and might serve to ease tensions. That's just one example, as Axon mainly depends on the object.
Morpheus (mor-fee-us - The Shaper of Forms - D)
- Morpheus works at the symbolic level, creating a path of destiny by focusing on dreaming and imposing useful dream patterns upon waking life. The symbolic processor is the part of us that censors our internal verbal and symbolic streams from manifestation. The basic function of the symbolic processor is to interpret the nonlinear language of the senses. This keeps people from jolting forward into new and discontinuous realities every time they recieve new sensory input. However, it would seem that typically, our symbolic framework cannot distinguish between internal and external, making it possible to shatter some of these barriers between us and manifestation through a narrative interpretation of dreams. It allow you to change the 'story' of your life though, by placing it in a new context. If one were to dream of clowns that chased after lions, while seeking new employment, it might be possible to use the clown symbol as a fulcrum (placing yourself in this role) to seek after a job that perhaps you had previously been afraid to apply for (lions representing the spectrum of courage and cowardice). Basically Morpheus is a technique to start, but it evolves into a life principle or partzuf through time. Gradually the dreams that you once interpreted become sources of new reality, new branches on the path that open up to you. Dreaming is typically the result of the pre-interpretive parts of man attempting to grapple with anxieties and psychic tension. When there are many or very difficult choices for the future (a temporal node) then dreaming becomes easier to remember as it has more impact. Once this is understood and temporal nodes can be intuited, then you can begin to see how your choices will affect not only your life, but the lives of those around you.
- A working with Morpheus is not going to be as linear as the other workings I’ve described. Morpheus tends to work through the dreams and symbols you already subscribe to. Morpheus has always been the most personal of the Principles to me. He shows you how to change the aspects of your life that are preventing you from realizing your dreams. Because he works through dreams, he shows you where your internal censor is, and how you can bypass that. He lives in between the dreaming realm and ours, and will make direct visits during those times when you are neither all the way awake nor completely asleep. You may find that Morpheus chooses you, rather than the other way around.
- Calling on the principle of Morpheus allows you to inject flexibility into a relationship that's gotten too rigid. Especially in breaking down old preconceptions in familial relationships, Morpheus is well suited to altering long standing ideas that people have of one another. If you use Morpheus in this way, make sure to write down your dreams also.
Krisis (crihs-is - Judgement - A)
- Krisis means literally: "separating, distinguishing". It is a trial by fire, a judgment. It is a choice given to the one who undertakes to understand themselves and their world. A crisis gives us the opportunity to prove what we are. Not what we've been spoon fed as knowledge, nor what we think are our values. Literally Krisis measures the depth of your soul, your essence. Krisis is the gateway that leads to Kadmon. Only if we are willing to pass beyond judgement can we move into the world that was before the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Krisis entails many things for many people. It may bring sorrow and pain. It may bring more happiness than you can bear. It will measure and test you, as it has myself and others. If you do not succeed, it will not linger. It will let you go, and sooth the pains it brought to bear. This is the spine of Kadmon, and it cannot be avoided. During Krisis, you will need to also look toward the Morpheus partzuf for guidance, as it will show you the way through. Krisis will root out that which is diseased in your life, and expel it, if you allow it. As I said before, you can stop the process any time. If you are willing though, it will strengthen you, and heal that which is sick within you, in conjunction with the Lethe partzuf. The choice is yours.
- A working with Krisis should be undertaken only if necessary. It is the raw flow of Krisis that you will be ‘dancing’ with. Krisis is the feeling of terror that forces us to action. Living solely by Krisis is possible but not desirable. Situations will be constantly and consistently arranged to force action, to bring out the strongest person that they can. There is a way to ratchet the level down, but it requires a faith in the process that is difficult to use initially. Krisis is based on the principle that “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”
- This should be reserved for relationships in which boundaries are not being observed. When a person has become abusive, or is heading down a self-destructive path, it is entirely appropriate to call upon Krisis. Some might see this as harsh, but remember that we of the Kadmon Group have each bathed in Krisis to become an Oudeis. Krisis is a powerful force though, and therefore not to be used lightly.
Mnemosyne (nem-o-zeen - Memory - I)
- It is exceedingly difficult for most persons to remain in a hyper-aware state for very long. Typically, it is one of the easiest states of consciousness to disrupt. Many solutions have been suggested for this, such as isolation, techniques that allow for the senses to be ignored, and even self-flagellation that deadens the mind to sensation. Instead of these things, I think it best to continually train the mind by gently bringing it back to the desired state until, over time, this creates a portion of memory that can contain cathartic experience. This envelope remains connected to the mundane memory. Mnemosyne operates by continually shifting stimuli from one to another and directing attention toward catharsis, thereby quickly filling this envelope. As it goes on, beauty and epiphany begin to fill every aspect of your life, until you become a walking dream, a force of nature, and a symbol of your own highest ideal.
- A working with Mnemosyne will promote memory in all its forms. First and foremost, it will promote the ability of the person to remain focused on spiritual matters for extended periods of time. Secondarily, it will allow for the formation of natural structures that will help with remembering epiphanies. It also helps clear the mind so that inspiration will flow freely. Utilizing Lethe then Mnemosyne in sequence may help a person to develop oracular abilities.
- Mnemosyne is a good one for reviving a relationship that has gone dormant. You may have a friend that you haven't spoken to in awhile, or you may wish to rekindle something that you once had with a special individual. Mnemosyne will throw out reminders to them, left and right, and will bring your memory to mind. This is also good for increasing intimacy within an already existing relationship.
Kalypso (ka-lip-so - Obfuscation - J)
- As Mnemosyne modulates to put itself in the way of a person's attention, it leaves a group of potential modulations unused. Instead of acting as stimuli, these reminders fire forward into potential realities that did not come to pass. This creates a "shimmer" effect that then masks a person's intent from intuition used to guess the person's next move. It is said that one should be careful never to reveal their true practices because this will allow others to lie in wait for them. Kalypso preserves those who are not aware of the potential dangers of not remaining silent about these things. Nevertheless, we should not tempt fate. It is always best to remain silent concerning practices that you wish to continue using.
- A working with Kalypso will change your very make-up. Every person has an emanatory signature that others read and thereby “pre-judge” every person. Kalypso dampens that signal and can be specifically used to completely rewrite that signature. Also, this makes accurate divination on a person difficult. Others may have difficulty guessing your next move, and you will become “occulted”.
- Kalypso is good for making you unobtrusive to others, in almost every area. It's good at what it does, so use with caution, and only if you want someone to stop noticing you entirely. This will not break obsessions, but will hide you from various levels of casual attention.
Temenos (tay-men-os - Sanctity - C)
- Operating along similar lines as Mnemosyne, Temenos creates a sacred space. The effect of this is to nullify psychometric imprint and automatic reaction to environment in the subject. Like Lethe which allows for a tabula rasa of the personality, Temenos allows one to "cut off" a place and implant new meaning into it. This newly designated area can then be used as a substitute for memory which may falter, and can be used to store cathartic states. Often it is helpful to have an axon within an area that can store and emanate the proper state for long term storage and use. By continually storing epiphany in a single area, one may achieve a layered effect that will eventually give rise to an independant and awakened area of space. This may be experienced while waking as a sense linked to the area or during dreams where the location may take on special significance. An especially powerful location may replicate it's general feel, producing mirrored locations that appear similar and carry the same basic cathartic state. Now, if we continue to expound, we may see that our own aura extended outwards may be consecrated as well, creating a portable sacred space. Epiphany would need be fed into it continuously, but the results would be more than worth the effort, as eventually it would awaken and become a living part of the individual's senses.
- A working with Temenos is a great place to start working with the Principles. Temenos creates an aura of holiness around you by enhancing the undesirable side-effects of certain actions. For instance, eating certain foods may have a negative impact on your health, in which case Temenos will enhance the heaviness you feel after eating those foods. As you begin to eat better, your holiness will increase, and the world around you will respond by becoming healthier and stronger. This is only one example of the possibilities of Temenos.
- Holiness in relationships can increase both the intimacy and the sense of boundaries at the same time. Because of this, it promotes healthy disagreements (as opposed to out and out fighting) and rationality in the face of powerful emotions. Temenos tends to increase the health of a relationship overall, but can produce trials like Krisis that may seem difficult in the short term.
Arrepsia (ar-ep-see-ah - Equilibrium - E)
- Arrepsia allows a person to hold separate and divergent paradigms concurrently. Normally this is possible only through partial immersion, in which the ideas of each paradigm are only superficially held. Even more common are situations in which a person's paradigm is dictated by zeitgeist, and they then take on a superficially rebellious belief system. As information has become more available in our world, far more divergent views have emerged, making the aforementioned techniques obsolete, in that they lack the ability to deduce plans of action based on non-primary paradigms. This is a problem for mediators and others who wish to preserve diversity, as they must be immersed in one side or another, instead of being able to work from both. Arrepsia allows for this, and more. Through Arrepsia, you can maintain multiple paradigms and paths of manifestation for quick switching with no disabled intermediates. While you must still have the cathartic understanding of each model, you can still work through different systems without needing to resort to syncretism (unless you wish to use that as another model!). Arrepsia also allows for temporary associations, for times when you must understand others who are tainted by madness, who are dealing with tremendous amounts of pain, or even the dying. Delving deeply into the mindset of these people could have a very harmful effect upon a person, and so Arrepsia (in conjunction with Temenos) will automatically create a 'membrane' that separates the Oudeis from people who are suffering in these ways. All in all, Arrepsia is an extremely useful tool, and was pioneered in many ways by Aikeena.
- A working with Arrepsia is good for a person who has difficulty mastering their emotions or achieving a stoic mindset. Arrepsia takes the wind out of intense emotions and allows you to balance your response so that it’s more in line with reality. Literally Arrepsia is a self-imposed reality check. Arrepsia can also be used to talk to people who have a different paradigm that you do without provoking them. It helps you not feel too attached to any belief, which can be very handy when discussing ideas that you don’t want to put into practice also. Arrepsia fosters a healthy skepticism.
- This one is good for any relationship, and it does exactly what it says: it balances them. If there is an imbalance of power, love, or communication, the answer is Arrepsia. This is the safest of the workings, and perhaps the best to begin with.
