870 In the “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. § 31, HVA and ALHIM are shown to be interchangeable, and they both are feminine. And now we come to the “Three Mothers,” of the “Sepher Yetzirah,” the Great Supernal Feminine Triad, which is even before the triune father. I may say no more here; in fact, I have almost revealed too much. Let the reader carefully meditate on § 651, for there the indicible Arcanum is shadowed. 871 That is the number 18 on the plane of Asiah. And 18 is the fourth part of 72. And 72 is the number of the Schemahamphorasch (see ante), and the number of the Quinaries or sets of five degrees in the 360 degrees of the Zodiac. And there are six such sets in the thirty degrees of each sign. And thus we return to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and these are operated on from the ten Sephiroth through the “seven paths of the Queen,” and these again depend from the first three Sephiroth, and these again from Kether, and Kether is Macroprosopus, from whom backward depend the Negative Existences in their Veils; and Macroprosopus is called HVA, Hoa, which = 12, and finds its expression in “Aima Elohim.” Thus rusheth through the Universe the Flux and Reflux of the Eternal Word. 872 I am doubtful as to whether this is the best translation of the last clause; Rosenroth has not translated it at all. The Chaldee is MMTHQIM VDAI MAI CHKV KDA VCHIK ITOVM LAKVL, Mamthaqim Vadeai Maai Chiko Kedea Vecheik Yitauom Leakol. 873 This whole section requires comment. I must first observe that Knorr de Rosenroth in his Latin version has supposed that in the word “MCHMDIM,” Machemadim, fire and water (ASH and MIM) are hidden as in a sort of anagram. Now while it is true that “MIM” can be thus extracted, “ASH” cannot, for the remaining letters, CHMD, will by no exegetical rule I know of form a word signifying fire. The following I take to be the real meaning of the passage. Chokmah is the fire, I, and Binah is the water, H, the Father and Mother Who, conjoined, produce the Son. Now the fire is symbolized by a triangle with the apex uppermost, and water by a triangle with the apex reversed; these two together united form the sign of the Macrocosm, the external symbol of Vau, V, Microprosopus. And He inherits the double qualities of the Father and the Mother, shown by the word “delights” (“Machemadim”) being written in the plural. 874 The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are usually classed in the following manner: Gutturals = A, H, Ch, O (R by some). Palatals = G, I, K, Q. Linguals = D, Th, T, L, N. Dentals = Z, S, Sh, Tz (R by others). Labials = B, V, M, P. The “Sepher Yetzirah” further classes them as— 3 Mothers (Primitives) = A, M, Sh. 7 Duplicated = B, G, D, K, P, R, Th.