In earlier posts I mentioned that The Rites of Eleusis are particularly useful when employed as a study guide, and today I would like to delve a little deeper into that. As always, I invite your input.
To begin with, The Rites (when performed in the chronological order intended) follow the path of energy down the Qabalistic Tree of Life.
I am aware that the Rites are often presented “out of order” and I see no problem in doing so, provided that there is an awareness of the intended narrative.
The Tree of Life
Rather than try to explain The Tree of Life, I will direct you back to the Thelemapedia article. It is enough to note that the structure of these plays derives much from the study of this particular diagram, and that an understanding of The Tree will illuminate The Rites.
The events expressed in the narrative of The Rites of Eleusis often draw their characteristics from this “road map” of the human psyche. As an example, when Venus exclaims,”It is the ruin of the Temple” in The Rite of Venus, it can be seen as a dramatic enactment to the Path of Peh on The Tree of Life, depicted in the Tarot as The Tower, which forms the bridge from Netzach to Hod, the sphere of Venus to the sphere of Mercury.
Incidentally, I find it convenient to view the spheres or Sephiroth of The Tree of Life as stages (in the theatrical sense) or settings where the actors play out their roles, and the paths as the actions or actors, depending on the context.
For those who have studied or performed in these Rites, what other connections have you seen?
In future posts we will be discussing more about the relationship between astrology and the Tarot and The Rites of Eleusis.