The Six Pointed Sign of the Macrocosm

Eliphas Levi - The Six Pointed Sign of the Macrocosm, “La Clef des Grands Mystères” (The Key to the Great Mysteries), 1861.

The six pointed Sign of the Macrocosm, composed of the Macroprosopus (Arikh Anpin), made of six of the Sephiroth, and the Microprosopus (Zauir Anpin), which only shines from the reflextion of the Macroprosopus.

Macroprosopus is the first Sephira or Crown Kether; and it is composed of six of the Sephiroth. In Macroprosopus all is Light and brilliancy; but Microprosopus only shineth by the reflected splendour of Macroprosopus. The six days of Creation correspond to the six forms of Microprosopus. Therefore the symbol of the interlaced Triangles, forming the six-pointed Star, is called the Sign of the Macrocosm, or of the Creation of the greater world, and is consequently analogous to the two countenances of the Zohar.

The “Book of Concealed Mystery” fully discusses the symbolism of Macroprosopus and Microprosopus. The one is AHIH, Eheieh; the other is the V, Vau, of the Tetragrammaton. The first two letters, I and H, Yod and He, are the Father and Mother of Microprosopus, and the H final is his bride. But in these forms is expressed the Equilibrium of severity and mercy; severity being symbolized by the two Hs, Hes, the mother and the bride, but especially by the latter. But while the excess of Mercy is not an evil tendency, but rather conveys a certain idea of weakness and want of force, too great an excess of severity calls forth the executioner of judgment, the evil and oppressive force, which is symbolized by Leviathan. Wherefore it is said, “Behind the shoulders of the bride the Serpent rears his head” of the bride, but not of the mother, for she is the supernal H, and bruises his head. “But his head is broken by the waters of the great sea.” The sea is Binah, the supernal H, the Mother. The Serpent is the centripetal force, ever seeking to penetrate into Paradise (the Sephiroth), and to tempt the supernal Eve (the bride), so that in her turn she may tempt the supernal Adam (Microprosopus).