Table Of ContentFrater Acher
On the Dweller
on the Threshold
Preface
“Let%the%disciple%seize%hold%of%the%tail%of%the%serpent%of%wisdom,%and%having%with%
firmness%grasped%it,%let%him%follow%into%the%deepest%centre%of%the%Hall%of%Wisdom.”
%(Gareth%Knight,%A%Practical%Guide%to%Qabalistic%Symbolism,%Vol2,%Helios%Books%1976)
This%article%explores%the%archetypical%experience%and%nature%of%the%term%Dweller%of%the%Threshold%also%known%
as%the%Guardian%of%the%Threshold%or%the%Veil%of%Paroketh.%Most%of%the%resources%used%come%from%a%perspective%
of%Hermetic%Kabbalah.%In%addition%I%will%expand%some%thoughts%first%presented%by%Will%Parfitt%in%his%books%on%
Kabbalah%which%helped%bringing%together%hermetic%kabbalistic%and%psychological%concepts%in%one%language%
and%approach.%
The%goal%of%this%article%is%to%explain%the%nature%of%the%experience%of%encountering%your%Guardian%of%the%
Threshold%to%any%interested%reader%E%irrespective%of%your%existing%knowledge%of%psychology,%Hermetic%
Kabbalah%or%Western%Occultism%in%general.%That%is%why%I%tried%to%avoid%reduction%and%truncation%of%such%a%
complex%topic%which%became%typically%for%many%occult%text%on%the%internet%unfortunately.%Obviously%this%isn’t%
a%full%blown%book%E%even%though%the%topic%deserved%for%many%to%be%written%about%it%E%but%maybe%it%can%be%a%
good%first%chapter.%
LVX,
%Frater%Acher
%May%the%serpent%bite%its%tail.
i
Chapter(1
On)the)
Dweller)
on)the)
Threshold
Section(1
1.)1.)Introduction
Most%famously%the%term%‘dweller%of%the%threshold’%was%introduced%to%
public%by%Edward%Bulwer%Lytton%in%his%occult;romantic%novel%Zanoni%
(1842).%Book%IV%of%the%novel%is%actually%called%‘The%Dweller%on%the%
Threshold’%and%starts%with%the%quote:%“Be%behind%what%there%may%;%I%
raise%the%veil.”
The%dweller%on%the%threshold%thus%marks%a%crossing%of%borders%and%
discovery%of%a%secret%and%potentially%even%sacred%space%behind%a%veil.%
To%lift%this%veil,%however,%the%aspirant%needs%to%face%the%dweller%or%lord%
who%guards%the%threshold.%This%explains%the%latin%term%‘Dominus%
Liminis’.%It%must%be%translated%as%‘Lord%of%the%Threshold’%and%is%used%in%
several%Western%magical%societies%and%orders%to%mark%a%liminal%
experience%of%transition%as%the%aspirant%strives%to%progress%into%the%
deeper%mysteries%of%occult%lore.%
To%provide%two%brief%examples%of%such%orders%let%me%point%to%the%
Argentum%Astrum%and%Golden%Dawn:%In%the%Argentum%Astrum%the%
grade%of%Dominus%Liminis%is%described%as%a%transitional%grade%from%
Philosophus%(4°=7□)%to%Adeptus%Minor%(5°=6□).%In%the%Golden%Dawn%
the%‘Lord%of%the%Portal’%marks%the%passing%from%the%lesser%mysteries%of%
the%outer%order%to%the%greater%mysteries%of%the%inner%order%;%as%
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On the Dweller of the Threshold
described%in%the%Ritual%of%the%Portal%of%the%Vault%of%the%Adepti%by%Israel%
Regardie.%Furthermore,%many%reputable%authors%reference%the%same%
occult%phenomena%and%initiatory%experience%in%their%publications,%such%
as%Aleister%Crowley,%Walter%Earnest%Butler,%Dion%Fortune%or%Chic%and%
Sandra%Cicero%and%Frater%V...D...%to%name%just%a%few.%
In%order%to%take%a%closer%look%at%the%nature%of%this%central%experience%in%
Western%Occultism%we%have%to%familiarize%ourselves%with%the%kabbalistic%
Etz%Chiim%(Tree%of%Life).%The%progress%of%personal%and%magical%
development%of%the%aspirant%is%mapped%onto%the%Tree%of%Life%and%
marked%by%ten%major%grades%as%symbolized%by%the%ten%Sephiroth%and%
referenced%in%the%two%examples%above.%The%following%diagram%shows%
the%Etz%Chiim%in%its%classical%form%as%used%in%Western%Occultism.
In%order%to%reflect%the%ascending%journey%of%the%Neophyte%on%this%tree%
more%graphically%the%following%diagram%is%used%frequently.%It%depicts%the%
the%Serpent%of%Wisdom%whose%coil%around%the%22%paths%the%aspirant%
firmly%follows%on%the%ascent.%
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Section(2
2.)The)Illusion)of)the)Ego
Before%we%move%on%to%explore%the%meaning%of%the%veil%of%
Paroketh,%let’s%pause%and%ensure%we%fully%understand%the%
Sephiroth%below%this%veil%and%what%they%can%teach%us%about%
everyday%experience%of%everyday%life.
One%of%the%specific%traits%of%the%four%Sephiroth%below%the%veil%is%
that%they%are%accessible%to%anyone%without%sublimation%of%
character%or%magical%training.%If%we%replace%the%Hebrew%names%of%
the%ten%emanations%of%the%divine%with%their%equivalents%in%the%
constitution%of%humans%;%following%Will%Parfitt’s%approach%on%a%
more%personal%Kabbalah%%;%this%becomes%obvious%(see%diagram%on%
the%left).
The%lower%four%Sephiroth%constitute%the%basic%elements%of%what%
we%became%acquainted%to%call%‘Ego’%or%personality%in%Western%
psychology:%the%sensory%impressions,%the%filters%of%our%
subconsciousness,%our%emotional%reactions%and%finally%our%
thoughts.%Looking%at%these%Sephiroth%from%a%perspective%of%
Tiphareth%it%becomes%obvious%that%this%is%the%(limited)%space%in%
which%most%human%beings%are%confined%in%during%their%entire%lives:%
We%are%born%into%a%physical%body%that%matures,%ages%and%dies.%Our%
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On the Dweller of the Threshold
consciousness%is%dominated%by%thoughts% Understanding%how%these%elements%of%our%
and%emotions%(or%instincts%or%desires)% personalities%develop%and%interact%is%an%essential%
and%our%subconsciousness%acts%as% step%in%approaching%the%dweller%on%the%
the%central%reservoir%of%all%our% threshold...
perceptions,%experiences%and%
Even%before%birth%this%process%starts%by%
memories%in%life.%
activating%the%functions%of%the%outer%
This%reservoir,%however,%isn’t% three%Sephiroth%;%sensory%impressions%
of%passive%nature%at%all.%As% (Malkuth),%emotions%(Netzach)%and%
indicated%by%the%central% thoughts%(Hod).%As%soon%as%these%are%
position%of%the%Sephira%Yesod% activated%they%start%submitting%
in%the%lower%triad%this%element% impressions%to%our%subconsciousness%
of%our%ego%constitutes%the%center% which%is%ready%and%available%for%input%long%
point%of%our%personalities%and%is%in% before%our%consciousness%is%fully%developed.%
direct%connection%with%Tiphareth.%The% Thus%the%%function%of%the%outer%three%Sephiroth%
subconsciousness%should%therefore%be% act%like%filters%in%front%of%the%lens%of%our%
understood%as%the%‘active%file%system’%of%all%our% subconsciousness:%All%light,%all%impressions%need%to%pass%
experiences%;%as%well%as%the%central%control%room%for% through%these%filters%first%before%they%can%be%caught%and%unified%in%
making%most%of%our%decisions.% the%centre%of%the%lens.%Within%the%lens%all%impressions%are%collected%and%;%
just%like%a%sun%collector%;%start%to%charge.%Once%they%have%reached%a%
Yet,%if%our%subconsciousness%is%central%to%our%decision%making%how%does%
critical%state%of%tension%or%energy%the%subconsciousness%reverse%
it%interact%with%and%influence%the%other%three%Sephiroth%surrounding%it?%
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On the Dweller of the Threshold
engineers%the%process%and%releases%them%through%to%one%or%several%of% into%a%single,%specific%state.%Thus%the%process%of%perception,%
the%three%filters.% subconscious%processing%and%(bodily,%emotional%or/and%mental)%
reaction%has%reached%a%certain%level%of%conformity.%At%this%point%the%
This%reverse%process%is%rarely%experienced%consciously%as%we%are%so%used%
consciousness%is%fully%able%to%realize%itself,%i.e.%its%reactions%as%‘typical’%or%
to%it.%Yet,%if%we%were%to%experience%it%we%would%recognize%these%impulses%
‘authentic’%for%its%personality%or%nature%of%ego.
as%emotions,%thoughts%or%bodily%impressions%which%weren’t%triggered%
from%around%but%from%within%us.%They%make%up%most%of%our%everyday% From%this%point%onwards%in%our%personal%development%it%takes%
life%experiences%as%over%time%the%charged%energy%in%our% significant%moments%of%crisis%to%unsettle%the%established%conformity%of%
subconsciousness%becomes%so%high%that%we%rarely%perceive%something% the%filters%and%to%allow%them%to%adjust%in%a%new%and%unexpected%way.%
new%through%our%filters%but%keep%ourselves%busy%with%projecting%things% Despite%all%fears,%pains%and%frustration%that%the%resistance%of%our%filters%
back%through%them%into%our%environment. to%change%can%create%for%us%;%most%people%spend%most%of%their%available%
energy%to%preserve%the%once%established%conformity%and%balance.%
The%interplay%of%charging%our%subconsciousness%with%external%
Simply%put:%they%spend%their%lives%protecting%their%egos.
impressions%and%releasing%the%energy%back%through%our%perceptive%
filters%starts%to%shape%the%nature%of%the%filters%over%time:%Think%of%an% The%magical%ascend%on%the%Etz%Chiim%is%taking%the%opposite%direction%to%
organic%filter%for%light%;%a%human%eye%;%that%becomes%better%in%seeing% this%natural%process:%it%represents%a%continual%journey%of%re;adjusting%
some%colors%than%others%if%only%trained;%think%of%a%consciousness%that% our%perceptional%filters%and%expanding%their%capabilities%to%allow%as%
becomes%more%accustomed%to%sensing%and%feeling%and%thinking%in%one% much%external%‘light’%to%come%through%as%possible%;%rather%than%being%
specific%way%;%almost%randomly%chosen%from%the%billion%of%possible% curbed%and%occluded%by%internal%projections.%Ascending%the%Etz%Chiim%
states%of%mind.%This%process%of%adjusting%the%filters%is%finished%for%most% thus%becomes%a%process%of%‘polishing%the%lens’%of%our%subconscious%as%
humans%when%they%come%out%of%puberty.%By%that%time%the%filters%of%their% well%as%opening%the%senses%to%perceive%on%various%levels%and%with%better%
personalities%have%taken%full%shape,%they%are%stabilized%and%hardened% quality.%The%first%and%foremost%sacrifice,%therefore,%on%this%path%is%the%
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On the Dweller of the Threshold
illusionary%feeling%of%personal%ego;stability;%the%first%and%foremost%gain% period%of%initiation%is%marked%by%a%ritual%or%magical%retirement.%Thus%in%this%
is%continued%growth%of%personality. context,%an%Initiate%is%someone%who%is%intensely%aware%of%his%or%her%
condition,%and%is%surfing%the%crest%of%the%wave,%rather%than%struggling%to%
Most%of%the%rituals%of%the%elementary%grades%aim%precisely%at%this%
hold%it%back.%Initiation%is%a%time%of%letting%go.%It%is%a%time%of%'loosening%up'%E%
process:%they%are%designed%to%re;adjust%the%filters%of%our%perception%and%
when%habits,%beliefs,%attitudes%and%selfEidentifications%suddenly%(or%
to%de;stabilize%the%personality%in%a%controlled%and%responsible%manner.%
gradually)%seem%to%be%less%concrete%than%they%were%previously.%One's%grip%
They%tear%open%the%filters%that%used%to%be%blocked%by%projections%of%the%
on%'normality'%may%be%temporarily%lost,%only%to%be%eventually%(one%hopes)%
ego%and%allow%the%student%to%get%in%contact%with%energies%that%used%to%
regained,%but%not%quite%the%same%as%it%what%before.%Dealing%with%this%loss%
be%completely%remote%and%occult%to%his%previous%state%of%being.%For%
of%certainty,%and%the%necessary%confrontation%with%self,%can%be%difficult%at%
many%practitioners%this%experience%is%highly%unsettling%at%first%;%as%by%the%
times.%Some%never%manage%to%go%the%distance,%and%instead%opt%for%
time%they%perform%these%rituals%they%aren’t%used%to%experiencing%any%
fantasies%wherein%they%are%mighty%adepts%rather%than%simply%accepting%
direct%or%unfiltered%stimuli%from%outside%their%personalities%anymore.%
their%own%humanity,%which%necessitates%a%degree%of%humility,%to%say%the%
Thus%cognitive%dissonance%is%inflicted%on%the%students%and%allows%them%;%
least.”%(Phil%Hine,%Prime%Chaos:%Adventures%in%Chaos%Magic,%Original%
as%they%become%acquainted%with%this%new%way%of%perceiving%;%to%achieve%
Falcon%Press%2010)%
a%less%distorted%quality%of%contact%with%the%inner%and%outer%
environment. At%his%point%we%return%to%the%dweller%on%the%threshold.%The%natural%
interaction%between%the%lower%four%Sephiroth%provide%us%with%a%precise%
“To%be%initiated,%in%the%magical%sense%of%the%word%is%to%recognize%that%you%
explanation%of%how%the%dweller%on%the%threshold%comes%to%life:%This%
are%moving%through%a%threshold%of%change%E%that%you%are%in%a%period%of%
entity%represents%all%our%emotions,%all%our%thoughts,%all%our%bodily%
transition.%The%key%to%understanding%initiation%is%recognizing%consciously%
functions%that%help%avoiding%any%change%in%our%personalities.%The%
what%is%happening,%rather%than%simply%wondering%what%the%hell's%going%
dweller%on%the%threshold%is%the%demon’s%mask%;%a%shell%similar%to%the%
on.%For%many%magicians%and%pagans,%the%recognition%of%moving%into%a%
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On the Dweller of the Threshold
nature%of%the%Qliphoth,%yet%much%less%powerful%;%which%is%brought%to%life%
by%our%self;inflicted%fears,%pains%and%angsts%to%let%go%of%the%illusion%of%our%
ego.%Thus%by%locking%ourselves%into%the%confined%space%of%our%egos%
below%the%veil%of%Paroketh,%it%is%us%who%bring%forth%the%dweller%on%the%
threshold.
“All%the%problems%of%material,%emotional%and%intellectual%nature%that%the%
soul%couldn’t%handle%on%the%material%plane,%from%which%it%shrank%or%which%
it%fell%victim%to,%are%synthesized%in%the%guardian%of%the%threshold%E%that%is,%
on%the%astral%plane%they%become%a%Cerberus,%a%hellhound%that%guards%the%
road%leading%to%the%higher%levels%of%development%and%growth.%[...]%
Accordingly,%the%guardian%of%the%threshold%always%is%a%subjectively%
charged%phantom,%in%essence%and%appearance%depending%on%which%longE
lasting%imagination,%by%what%kind%of%weakness,%emotion%or%passion,%it%was%
produced.%His%substance%is%the%power%of%thought%E%and%he%whom%he%is%
breathing%down%his%neck,%whom%he%clings%onto%like%a%parasite,%is%
vampirized.%The%secret%of%his%arms%and%nature%is%fear.”%(Maria%Szepes,%
Academia%Occulta%–%Die%geheimen%Lehren%des%Abendlandes,%Orbis%Verlag%
2001)
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