Revelations at Night

 

June 9, 2006

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/june9.html

 

Dear Eric

 

On your Beltane article, on the fifth of May, you mentioned something about the advice of Kabbalah teachers saying you shouldn't read Revelations at night... WHY shouldn't you??

 

I'm asking because I'm a Born Again Christian, and I'm wondering if this caution ties in with the militaristic history the Christians have been saddled with for centuries. TECHNICALLY, mind you, if in the LETTER of the Law, I should NOT even BE consorting with horoscopes, or anyone who has anything to DO with them. Do please remember to whip us both SOUNDLY with a willow stick!!

 

Yours, tongue in cheekily,

The Curiously Irreverent Christian

 

 

Dear Curious Christian:

 

I am aware of a tradition of some who study Kabbalah, only doing so during the day. Kabbalah is an ancient system of mysticism and symbol study that is at the base of the Hebrew tradition. I don't know the source of the tradition of not studying at night, but I know it exists. And I can offer some personal observations about why this might be. One is that at night, we begin to move more deeply into the unconscious world and lose the protection and discernment of daylight and the strength of full consciousness.

 

I linked this to the Book of Revelation because it's well known to be a masterpiece of occult symbolism. By "occult" I mean that it speaks in symbols, which have meaning that is veiled under the surface. Here is an example, from chapter 17:

 

"Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters...'"

 

Now, that would appear to be a reference to she whom we refer to today as the Goddess. But it's clear enough that this is veiled language, and resembles dream imagery. This goes on and on through the Book of Revelation and as anyone who's read it knows, it gets pretty intense.

 

The reason you would not want to study the Book of Revelation at night is the same reason you would want to tell ghost stories at night: It's scarier.

 

It's worth reading, to see what's there and to get a sense of what the author or authors are getting at. As Hunter S. Thompson pointed out, it's as rich as anything you'll ever read -- but you can find it for free in any hotel room.

 

Here is a bit more on Kaballah.