THE KEY OF DESTINY

CHAPTER I.

The Number II. A NEW BEGINNING

"The compound numbers having ten as their foundation must be considered not as fundamental principles, but as the working out of these principles, each repetition of the ten marking a new phase of the principle represented by its unit number."-Numbers and Letters, PEEKE.

"When, therefore, we ascribe certain qualities or properties to a number, it is on account of a particular connotation or association of ideas impressed upon us by reference to universal standards, principles and laws."-The Kabala of Numbers, SEPHARIAL, 19.

Having described in The Key to the Universe the spiritual principles, laws and symbology indicated by the numbers from one to ten, we herein take up the symbology of the numbers above ten. These refer to higher cycles of unfoldment and evolution than the earlier numbers, yet they include the fundamental significance of the single numbers. For instance, as man starts out upon his first Cycle of Manifestation with the number one, so in number 11 he starts out upon another new and more advanced Cycle of Manifestation, but with all the experience gained during the previous cycle stored up as potencies and built into his consciousness as inherent faculties.

The first and fundamental meaning of number 11 must therefore be a New Beginning, but one which depends for its accomplishment upon the widsom and efficiency acquired during the past cycle from one to ten already described.1 It may be compared to the graduate of a professional school who, when he puts out his "shingle," starts out upon and eagerly looks forward to a new life of active accomplishment,

1 The Key to the Universe, Curtiss.

a New Beginning. But his accomplishment will depend upon how much of his professional training he has already absorbed and how much of the wisdom he has built into his consciousness and made his own. Or it may be likened to an apprentice taking his first position as a journeyman, earning a man's wage and looking forward to building up a business of his own: his success will depend upon how much skill and business training he has attained during his cycle of apprenticeship (one to ten). Number 11 in this sense may be called the Number of Reincarnation; a reincarnation in consciousness if not in body; for we pass through many deaths of ideas and many births into new consciousness in one physical life-period. Kabalistically number 11 is called "the beginning of whirling motion," i.e., the turning of the Wheel of Time beginning a new cycle; again the Number of Reincarnation.

Another way in which to consider number 11 is that, just as number one is the downpouring of the One Life into the chaotic conditions of the undifferentiated Chaos composed of the substances cast off during a previous world period,2 so here in 11 we have another outpouring of the same One Life; but instead of it being into the circle of an unorganized Chaos it is now poured into the circle of man's own inherent although unmanifested powers, for this new circle-which is the O we saw standing beside him in number 10-contains not only his unconquered and undeveloped conditions and emanations, but also the powers and possibilities gained in the past into which the One Life is now pouring, splitting the darkness and separating in his mental world the good from the evil, the true from the false, the essential from the non-essential. Hence, 11 is the link between the macrocosm and man, the microcosm. In reality it is a reflex current of vital life-force making man one with all that is: a responsible agent; God's ambassador. Here it is that the Spirit of man becomes one

2 See The Voice of Isis, Curtiss, 181.

with the universal Spirit of All Life. Here a new outpouring of this Spirit can be felt hovering over the waters-the unstable conditions-of his own life. And here by the power and might of the Christ Within he can say, as did the Elohim to the dark cosmic Chaos in the beginning, "Let there be Light."

If one who has passed the cycle of ten and is ready to make a New Beginning and start out on his real life-work seems to be standing alone and another with like development should become vitally associated with him through similar attainments, aims and ideals, instead of having the strength and force of two individuals, they would have the power of 11, for between them is the experience of the intervening digits or the strength of ten. But to attain this there must be a vital inner union and not a mere intellectual association. Standing thus shoulder to shoulder they can start out on a New Beginning in a higher cycle than either could have attained alone. Thus it was said of Sir Galahad: "His sword is as the sword of ten because his heart is true."

In a deeper sense, at the point of unfoldment symbolized by number 11 the true Knight, or the purified and disciplined personality, has laid hold of the One Life which he now recognizes as standing beside him (10+ 1.) And it is the Divine One that becomes his Rod of Power, his mighty invincible Sword "Excalibur," also the spear of Parsifal, with which he is to fight his way to victory in a new cycle. But it must be remembered that although the Disciple, like Sir Galahad, has won his sword, he has not yet learned to use it. In the cycle of ten which he has just completed he has gained the strength and courage to wrench the sword from the rock of materiality in which it was embedded in the midst of the lake or waters of illusion, i.e., he must wrest the Sword of the Spirit from the Foundation Stone of Truth where it rests surrounded by the illusions of the outer world. For only when

3 On account of the reflections around its shores a lake is used to symbolize illusion, while a sea is generally used to symbolize humanity, also the astral world.

he knows its value and by the power of righteousness grasps and draws it out does he open a channel through which the One Life can pour forth for him to use in his new cycle.

This sword represents the same thing as the Spear of Amfortas which in the hands of a pure knight is invincible. But if through yielding to temptation its possessor allows it to be seized by Klingsor, the resulting wound will be incurable until the spear has been recovered by a pure Knight (Parsifal) and has been touched to the wound after the knight has entered the Castle of the Grail, for the spear is the second 1 of number 11. Thus, although both Parsifal and Galahad had completed their cycle of ten, they could not manifest it until they had begun to utilize the new 1 thus attained to heal, bless and overcome evil in their cycle of 11.

Number 11 is considered by some as an unlucky or evil number and is called by them the Number of Separation, Differentiation, the Parting of the Ways, also the Number of Sin and Repentance. Since it is at this number that the Disciple must start out upon a new and untried life-cycle and put his past experience to the test, it may well be called Differentiation and Separation, for it is here that he must answer the call of the Christ, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate," i.e., step out of the cycle of the first nine digits in which the mass of humanity is still evolving and prove by his life that he has built in the experiences of the past cycle, hence is now a Disciple and can separate himself from it.

Again, since sin is the misapplication or perversion of the Law, at this step the untried Disciple, unless very true, wise and valiant, may be wounded with his own magic Spear; yet because he has entered upon the cycle of number 11 his repentance will be sincere and enduring. Once having entered the Path at number 11 there is no going back. Even though the wound may bleed for many years, true repentance will surely bring healing and renewed strength. Repentance is not merely sorrow for mistakes, but turning around and facing the other way, turning our backs upon the mistakes of the