Answering Tisha B'Av With Purpose

ט' אב התשס"ח
Lughnasadh 10
Tisha B'Av

My handmade casting cloth looks like the one shown. Of very soft brown suede, the seams are hand sewn, the symbols and lines drawn with very dark dragon's blood ink, and the diagonals made using the straight edge of a broomstick.

The Unified Power Of The Divine Feminine Lifeforce

To craft my casting cloth, an 18" by 36" rectangle of material was folded into an 18" by 18" square. Eighteen is the gematria of חי (chai, a word symbolic of the Divine Lifeforce).

Thirty-six is the gematria of בכוח (be'koach, meaning "with energy, power, strength, ability, resource, authority"). Thus, the three measurements of 18 and the one measurment of 36 symbolize the unified three-fold (Maiden, Mother and Crone) Power of the Divine Feminine Lifeforce.

From Within The Land

The "square" turned inside out and completed of seams measured 16.75" by 17.5" for a total area of 293.125 square inches. The value of 293 is the gematria of בארץ (ba'aretz, meaning "within the Land").

Responds

The value of 125 is the gematria of ענה (anah, meaning "to answer, reply, respond"). From the root ענה is also derived a word for 'fasting' (see Vayikra 16:29).

To Answer With Purpose Upon My Casting Cloth

The square of the cloth symbolizes the Middle World (also see my recent shabbat entry Endless Legion From The Elementary Sea, where I dreamt I was sitting in the middle of the stairs). The Middle in Hebrew is ha'emtza (האמצע).

The inner square (Midhe) symbolizes Focus, and the powers of concentration, memory, recognition, and sensitivity to meaning.

The two superimposed X's (Cath) in the northern position symbolize friction or resistance (left pillar).

The western spiral curl (Fis) symbolizes enlightenment or expansion (right pillar).

The eastern grid (Blath) symbolizes harvest (ingathering).

The southern base to base triangles (Seis) symbolize balance (synthesis, the creation of purposeful meaning).

Gam Zu LeTovah

כ"א בטבת תשס"ח
Grael 22

The seams which construct my Wisdom Casting Cloth tell more. The cloth inside-out initially (as shown in the graphic) consisted of a seamless folded side and 2 3/4 internally seamed sides, forming the Hebrew letter beit (ב). The small area left open at the top of the cloth (to turn the square outside-in) during the initial sewing represents the "foot also" (גם) behind the beit (in the opposite "dimension").

The material turned outside-in to complete the seam forms a mem-sofit (ם), thereby closing the "open side" of the beit seamlessly (see Shalshelet HaKabbalah) with a fold.

Taken together, my Wisdom Casting Cloth fully symbolizes "closing of the north side of the letter beit and it's transformation into a final closed mem", complete rectification of free will, unification of free will with Divine Will, and the arrival of messianic consciousness.

Forming the word בם, my Wisdom Casting Cloth "also" symbolizes the entire Torah, from the beginning (ב) of the Written Torah to the end (ם) of the Oral Torah.

With a gematria of 42 (בם), my Wisdom Casting Cloth "also" symbolizes the 42-letter Divine name known as Ana BeKoach.

The actions of turning the cloth "outside-in" and "inside-out" "also" symbolize nun hafucha.

Wisdom Casting Cloth

כ"א בטבת תשס"ח
Grael 22

Today is my Hebrew birthday. For my special day, beginning during the planetary hour of Saturn and completing during the planetary hour of Jupiter, with the waning (descending) gibbous moon 62% (ווים) full, I made my Wisdom Casting Cloth upon which I will make magic with my Ogham staves. When not in use, my staves will rest within the cloth, tied up like a bag with a 20" brown satin ribbon.

My own handmade cloth looks like the one shown. Of very soft brown suede, the seams are hand sewn, the symbols and lines drawn with dragon's blood ink, and the diagonals made using the straight edge of a broomstick.

An 18" by 36" rectangle was folded into an 18" by 18" square. The "square" turned inside out and completed of seams measured 16.75" by 17.5" for a total area of 293.125 square inches. The value of 293 is the gematria of בארץ, "in the land", and pertains to Keter-Malchut. The value of 125 is the gematria of יפלה, "differentiates", and pertains to the ability to distinguish between different states of reality.

The square of the cloth symbolizes the Middle World, ha'Emtsa.

The inner square (Midhe) is comprised of 7-7.2" lines and symbolizes focus or the powers of concentration, memory, recognition, and sensitivity to meaning.

The two superimposed X's (Cath) in the northern position symbolize friction or resistance (left pillar).

The western spiral curl (Fis) symbolizes enlightenment or expansion (right pillar).

The eastern grid (Blath) symbolizes harvest or synthesis (middle pillar).

The southern base to base triangles (Seis) symbolize balance or perfected will (keter-malchut).

More.