Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Following the Installation of Frater Spiritus, the first Master of AMeTh Lodge, one of his first requests of the membership was that they each design a symbol to represent the Lodge. Fr. Al Khadir’s image was the one chosen to best represent the Lodge and what follows is his lightly edited interpretation of the symbolism contained within it.

The AMeTh Lamen Explained by Frater Al Khadir

The symbolism of the Lamen of AMeTh Lodge was formulated and constructed to exemplify the Lodge’s exoteric and esoteric ideals. “AMeTh” means “Truth” in Hebrew, and all that this notion entails. It is certainly worth reflecting upon this, regardless of what Degree one holds; after all, Truth should be the foundation of any organisation that considers itself Fraternal.
Originally, my main creative inspiration and theme came from Atu VIII of The Book of Thoth, The Chariot. I have realised since then that Frater Achad’s personal Lamen bears a very striking similarity to the AMeTh Lodge Lamen, although certain aspects appear reversed within my version! Basically, the original AMeTh Lamen can be stripped-down into five component parts, each discussed in turn below. Erstwhile magicians should, informed by their own experience, explore and study them.

The Vesica

The structure and inherent power of the ‘Vesica’ is fascinating and immense. The Vesica symbol has been a mainstay of Catholicism over the centuries, as well as other forms of Christianity, but it has generally not been understood in the same terms that we, as occultists, understand it.
Initially, the Vesica was explored by the Gnostics as a cipher for Christ (ΙΧΘΥC – IchThUS) during the Aeon of the Father. The majority of religions then were incorporating the ‘cross’ in some fashion or other. Sol Invictus, the Svastika, the Celtic sun wheel, etc. Exemplifying the Female within the paternal Aeon was quite a radical and dangerous thing to do at the time but, through its shape and suggestibility, the Vesica would remain a secret symbol of the feminine ‘enclosure’: Mary or Sophia; the womb; the Chalice or Grail from which the seed or the ‘Yod’ would issue forth as new life. Have a glance at the O.T.O. Lamen as an example of this.
Within the AMeTh Lodge Lamen, it becomes ‘Shekinah’, the Female counterpart to ‘YHVH’, the sacred Yoni that contains the strain of all possibilities. All manner of individual and sacred existence must issue forth within this force-field of the Feminine Divine. Herein lieth ‘Truth’, or AMeTh.

The Sword

The Sword strikes a downward path within the AMeTh Lamen. All forms of thought and inspiration must inevitably die.
 At this stage, the Sword pierces the Rose through its centre and into the cup, Kether to Yesod, through all aspects of The Tree of Life that can achieve understanding short of having material form. It is also the intellect’s power to overcome obstacles if directed via the purest of Will; an enactment of pure divine inspiration, the fullest potential prior to actual manifestation.
The Sword, the cross in another form, is here presented in this obtuse manner. It acts towards, or is aroused by, the ‘desire’ of the Rose, represented by the circle and acting as a magnet. The symbolism of the Yoni and the Lingham, the Kietis and the Phallus, need not be stressed further here.
The Sword is stultified and ‘overcome’, or intoxicated by its attraction within the universal construct of ‘making’. As the cross conjoins the circle, and with absolute and precise deliberation, so a new babe is born, metaphorically speaking. After a fashion, this is the ‘Great Work complete’.
Within the AMeTh Lamen, the Sword not only pierces the Rose but it also enters the Chalice. This is a symbol of Union with the Divine, just like the Yod released by the Dove in the O.T.O. Lamen. God’s phlegm hitting the Malkuthian bucket of existence, so to speak. It becomes a direct influence from above and beyond. A simple and base construct giving rise to existence.

The Rose

Here within the emblem of the Rose we have the Divine Cup through which all alchemical transferences occur. This is the female counterpart of the Sword. The Rose is a Yoni, a vagina and a cornucopia from which issues forth the birth of the universe. In the initial design I used thirty petals to construct this flower. This equates to the number of the Hebrew letter Lamed, which basically represents Libra: Scales of Justice, balance etc. Interestingly, the Hebrew word ChIIB, which means “a party to an action at law”, “defendant” or “plaintiff”, equals thirty also. So, again, we have more Atu VIII symbolism. This also connects with the twelve rays representing the Zodiac emanating from behind the Rose.
It may also be worth noting that I consider the Rose as resembling the element of Earth in this instance. It has literally grown in and from earth and flowers forth as a representation of the abundance of life on Earth. It decays and dies and returns to earth as fertiliser. The cycle then repeats itself.

The Scales

Here is the Balance. It is Equilibrium. It is Truth, AMeTh. We have discussed this earlier. Upon the Scales are the heart and the feather of the ancient Egyptians, which was used to weigh the souls of the dead as they journeyed forth to Amenta. Luckily for us, both are in perfect equilibrium- no being devoured by crocodiles for us!
As the Scales are a perfect and universally accepted logo of Law, we may also draw comparisons with The Book of the Law and, of course, the letters O.T.O. Here we also have Alpha and Omega represented, a beginning and an end. Nuit and Hadit, a circumference, a loop. It will always be around, and a round. So… IAO! Atu VIII or ‘8’ on its side, which equals infinity. The Scales within the Lamen are ALWAYS there to explore the balance between NOT and IS (NoTice). The beginning and the end, the here and now, the matter and anti-matter, white and black and love and hate.

The Chalice

This is the Holy Grail, the Lapis, the Stone of the Wise. The Cup here is the vessel within which is distilled the alchemical elixir par excellence. The final result of the Divine Union of the Cross and the Circle and the Divine potential within us all. The result of intellect mixed with physical action in its purest sense: “Love under will”. The phoenix engraved upon the Chalice declares this result of the alchemical marriage, as do the flames heating the vessel to burn off ‘impurities’. One can certainly draw parallels with the process of “The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel” too.

Afterwords

The Lamen is basically a magical device that symbolises the aspirations of the magician. I hope that this explanation has shed some light upon not only what the AMeTh Lamen symbolises but also how it was constructed. In a way, it may also serve as a pentacle as it is, at least to me, a map of the Universe. It contains all of the Elements in one form or another after all!

Love is the law, love under will.