In the moment of cosmic consciousness, I saw that good and evil are equally necessary. In the watery deeps, in night, cloaked in sleep and darkness and therefore unknown to the daylight world is our Mother-Self, from which we have sprung. She is above good and evil, standing astride these twin pillars of life on earth. The hidden unity of purpose which ties together the lightning bolt of pain and sorrow and the flower of sweet joy is the spark-star of inspiration. That is the heart of the Mother, and her headdress is the initiation of a new phase of life which such creativity makes possible. This is a card that could benefit from the touch of an artist. John Cooke has made her unnecessarily crude. For instance, the Nameless Cne does not describe her as nude, nor as pregnant looking. She should be made beautiful, indeed, warm and dazzling. The Mother is a woman standing on pillars, white on her right and black on her left. Her eyes are closed in modesty. She is the Yin side of the Hanging Man. Mighty birds pull back the black robes of ignorance to reveal... the Mother, in all her glory. A spark-star is her heart. if you've ever created sparks with a hammer, you have momentarily seen the spark-star of the Mother and the Way-Shower. Creativity is also a spontaneous response to repeated blows against a hard obstacle. The spark of inspiration and creativity arises both from the flower (left hand) and from the lightning bolt (right hand). She stands in the same T gesture as the Hanging Man. She wears the headdress of initiation (serpents forming a waxing moon crescent), for the crown of the Mother would be the initiation of an age when mankind truly understood the meaning of life. Over her head is a water symbol, a wave-like emblem. Open your arms to the joys and shocks, accept the lightning bolt and the flower, and the waters of life will flow. The shape of life is created by challenge and response. There is no cause and effect. That is why prophecy is always wrong, whether it is done by the Thinker in the name of science, or by occultists, or by religionists. It is always possible at any time to make a creative response to the challenge, thus confounding all prophecy (prediction). Creativity-spontaneity is the divine urge, the divine purpose, the meaning of life known to all who experience cosmic consciousness. From the Self's point of view, there is no death, and pain is merely a sensation. 'Evil' is the goad to prod us out of sloth and stagnation and into joy, spontaneity, LIFE. Just as there is no cause and effect, so there is no chance or coincidence. Those are names for patterns not understood by the ego. There are patterns in all things. Each entity chooses the experience it needs for growth and stimulation to creativity, though we do not always take advantage of these opportunities. This is the bridge between good and evil. Knowing this, the nightmare of the Thinker fades, and the world is warm and whole. It is our home, where things are arranged for us. It is this warm new attitude towards life and the universe which is symbolized by Mother. "The Self is ever active in creation and destruction." We have always been here. We have been the spirit of the galaxy and the solar system and primitive earth. We were part of their birth. All this can be remembered under LSD. There is no predicting the future. We may blow ourselves up with nuclear bombs or we may respond to this challenge with a new world civilization. Creative response to challenge is the meaning of life. Anything is possible to us, but only in the painful struggle with obstacles and error. Mother is home. Mother is love. You can always run home to Mother, and she will comfort you. This is an aspect of Self, and a symbol of a world-view. The universe is not a chance machine. It is our home, and we helped build it. |
"Children parentless seek the Mother. She is busy begetting the Sun. He is now with the world. His cord is severed. He will soon speak. He will speak of the Mother."