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THE SPEECH OF THE GODS
135 values in this order will correspond accurately to the order of the el ments in this Kabbalistic doctrine of emanations.
The first of these ethereal sounds A (pronounced like the a in atına is the first sound of the human voice formed farthest within the throat, and the breath necessary to form all other sounds must pass from the A, the value of A therefore is “God," the first “cause" or the “self.” The next sound of these series is R (ar, as in for), from its peculiar fulness and undefinable sound, its meaning is “wind," “ breath," “ movement” or “ spirit ;” it is the spirit which, in the words of Genesis, “ Brooded upon the face of the waters," and is the first emanation of the A or God; after R comes the sound of H (hay) the sound for “ heat," the five elements in one aspect. Next comes L (el) the spiritual value of which is “light." The other aspect of the fire emanation, Y (yea) the sound succeeding L, means "compression” or “the drawing together of things ; " the next sound of this peculiar class is W (way), the sound for "water"; marking the two linits of the circular space enclosed by the pronunciation of this sound are the two sounds of Ja and Ka, representing the quality of material solidity of the next emanation, the earth, which thus issues from the centre of the water element.
"Let the waters le gathered together
And let the dry land appear." says the cosmogony in Genesis. The ethereal or semi-vowels carry us down the earth element, whiɔh is,
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