Theos-Talk Archives (November 2005 Message tt00005)

Thanks Frank,

But it appears to me that these are a different set of Keys pertaining to
the key points of Theosophical Doctrine, and not strictly to the
interpretation of myths and symbols. As I see it the keys to symbolism
represent not points of doctrine but different aspect of reality to which a
symbol is illustrative. This is an application of the law of
correspondences, in other words. For example, in talking about the symbolism
of the serpent and the egg, which HPB calls inseparable in Vol. 1, Book II -
on a physiological or developmental level it indicates the ferilization of
the ovum by the sperm, on a planetary level (astronomical?) it represents
the fertilazing of the earth by the comet, geometrically it is represented
by the point or line within a circle, expressed arithmetically as 1 and 0,
or the union of male and female, with its important correlation to the
Pythagorean Tetraktys, etc. These keys to symbolism illustrate the harmony
of cosmic processes on several different levels or spheres of existence. I
am simply having a hard time trying to identify all of them. The paragraph
that I copied in my former post seems to be the closest that she has come in
my reading to explaining the whole system.

I appreciate this suggestion, though, as I am very fond of the writing of de
Purucker. He seems to have been a very intelligent and inspiring orator and
I plan to read his lectures on the S.D. as soon as I finish the latter.

-Des.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Reitemeyer" <ringding@online.de>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: Theos-World The Seven Keys of Symbolism?


> Desmond,
> Gottfried de Purucker explains the 7 keys in
> his commentary to HPB's "The Secret
> Doctrine", his "Fundamentals of the Esoteric
> Philosophy," ch. 15:
>
> click here:
> http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/fund/fund-15.htm
>
> hope, this helps.
> Best
> Frank
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "desmontes" <desmontes@gmail.com>
> To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 6:49 AM
> Subject: Theos-World The Seven Keys of
> Symbolism?
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> I have been currently engaged in the study of
> the Secret Doctrine and
> I have encountered continual references by
> HPB to the "key that must
> be turned seven times" with regard to the
> seven systems of symbolic
> interpretation. In the following paragraph
> she made distinct
> reference to three of them, anthropologic,
> psychic, and astronomical,
> but it is unclear to me if she is identifying
> the remaining four. She
> writes,
>
> As truly stated by Ragon, "the ancient
> Hierophants have combined so
> cleverly the dogmas and symbols of their
> religious philosophies, that
> these symbols can be fully explained only by
> the combination and
> knowledge of all the keys." They can be only
> approximately
> interpreted, even if one finds out three out
> of these seven systems:
> the anthropological, the psychic, and the
> astronomical. The two chief
> interpretations, the highest and the lowest,
> the spiritual and the
> physiological, they preserved in the greatest
> secrecy until the
> latter fell into the dominion of the profane.
> Thus far, with regard
> only to the pre-historic Hierophants, with
> whom that which has now
> become purely (or impurely) phallic, was a
> science as profound and as
> mysterious as biology and physiology are now.
> This was their
> exclusive property, the fruit of their
> studies and discoveries. The
> other two were those which dealt with the
> creative gods (theogony),
> and with creative man, i.e., the ideal and
> the practical mysteries.
> These interpretations were so cleverly veiled
> and combined, that many
> were those who, while arriving at the
> discovery of one meaning, were
> baffled in understanding the significance of
> the others, and could
> never unriddle them sufficiently to commit
> dangerous indiscretions.
> The highest, the first and the fourth -- 
> theogony in relation to
> anthropogony -- were almost impossible to
> fathom. We find the proofs
> of this in the Jewish "Holy Writ." (I: 363)
>
> Does she give a concise listing and
> explanation of these seven keys
> in any of her other writings, or perhaps
> somewhere else in the Secret
> Doctrine? If not, can someone more learned in
> the subject explain it
> me? The distinctions in the above paragraph
> seem unclear.
>
> Thanks,
> Desmond
>
>
>
>
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