The Adepts who came before us testify that the power which enables us to raise our consciousness comes from within and above. All our progress upward is a reaction or response to the downward and outward impulse in the path we ascend. We go upward in consciousness (or inward) because of the influence flowing down from a higher and more interior level.
Key 15, The Devil, represents Path 26 leading upward from the seat of Intellect, Hod, to the Ego's abode, Tiphereth. The descending influence from Tiphereth is symbol of what is behind our plans to make something better than it is now. This descending influence is behind all our efforts to effect improvements, behind all our projects to build mansions for our souls.
Key 15, The Devil, is symbol for the aspect of the Higher Soul presented to our minds when our minds are untrained and mistake superficial appearances for realities. This is the very beginning of the Path of Liberation and also provides incentive for living.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." - Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." - Proverbs 1:7
The devil is a mental image in the mind of man. Satan is called the "father of lies" because the primary misconception about man and his relation to the Higher Soul (The One Ego), other human beings, and the environment. This misconception is a false notion that every human has their own ego, a self not related to the whole of life, where our interest are in conflict with other human beings and their interest and welfare. The brood of lies that spring from this one source and creates misconceptions with people along with environmental forces as adversaries creates innumerable fears. Paradoxically, fear liberates us.
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