I tend to see number patterns
fairly frequently like 11:11, 4:44 and so on. But lately, I have also
started seeing 12:12, which is definitely a new one for me so it caught
my attention.
Number patterns carry their own unique meaning and while there are some classic interpretations, I also think that number patterns can be unique to the person and their own journey.
So, when I started seeing 12:12 I tried to tap into my own intuition
to see what this may mean for me. Perhaps it was a sign of something new
coming into my life? While this resonated with me, I also wanted to
investigate further.
The first bit of information I found came from the website Willow Soul–
“According to Merkabah mysticism, 12:12 is a code portal that,
when you enter in resonance with it, activates your Merkabic field. When
this happens, you are in alignment with the human heart connecting to
the Unity Consciousness.”
Now, this really caught my attention, so I did some further research.
Merkaba (also spelled Merkabah) is our “light spirit body” and is an
energetic field that surrounds us when we are tapped in to a higher
state of consciousness. This energetic field forms the shape of a star
tetrahedron and it is believed that this formation of energy allows our
light body to travel to higher dimensions.
The star tetrahedron is made from two pyramids,
one pointing up and one pointing down. The pyramid pointing up helps to
connect you to the heavens, whereas the pyramid pointing down helps you
to stay grounded in the physical. These pyramid shapes also vibrate and
move in opposite directions.
When this spinning Merkaba force field is observed around a person,
it is believed that they have activated the ability to travel across
different dimensions. This is why the shape of the Merkaba has been
referred to as a chariot or mode of transport for our light body.
1212 is believed to be the code that can help to activate this
energy, so if you are seeing 1212 it could very well be a sign that your
light body is developing and you are raising your level of
consciousness to a point where you can perceive outside of the physical
reality.
Even though 1212 has come into my consciousness I can’t say that I
feel any different! Maybe not yet anyway. But seeing this number pattern
has unlocked a lot of new insights.
Even though it appears we live in a 3D world, when we awaken, we actually begin to see that life is simply a reflection of the thought energy of every conscious being on the planet.
Collectively, all of our thoughts shape the world and reality that we
live in. But, we each have a responsibility over our own thoughts, for
it is our own thoughts that will shape our experience of what reality is.
If our thoughts are shaping our experience of reality, it also means
that we can use our thoughts to access other realities and unlock other
states of being.
It’s almost similar to dreaming. Every night when we are in a deep
state of sleep, part of us “travels” and visits certain people and
places and experiences certain things. While we are dreaming, everything
feels real.
In the same way that we travel in our dreams, our light bodies can
also travel to higher states of consciousness in order to see the world
differently and to experience a different type of reality.
The fact that our thoughts create reality is nothing new, however
there seems to be a lot of ego mixed up in this idea, which is why this
idea has lost some of its power.
It is not about wishing for a car and then seeing it manifest.
Instead, it is about aligning our thoughts with our inner self, our
higher self, our true self.
When we can align our thoughts with our own personal truth, that is
when we can raise our level of consciousness and feel on track with the
destiny of our soul.
This state of being can be accessed by those who have awakened, but
it can be tricky to stay in this state all the time. This is why the
Merkaba is made of up two pyramids pointing in opposite directions. Part
of our duty here on earth is to say grounded and connected, but of
course, we don’t want to get stuck here.
Because 1212 is believed to be the code that activates the Merkaba,
on 12/12 every year, it is believed that a portal opens to help
accelerate the formation of this energy field.
Once this energy field exists around you, it is able to lift your
light body to higher levels of consciousness, so you can align with
unity and oneness, and see that we are all connected.
I am sure there is a lot more to the Merkaba, and I am looking
forward to exploring and feeling into it a little more. If you have
found this article, there is a good chance your Merkaba is forming too.
Merkabah, also spelled Merkaba, is the divine light vehicle allegedly
used by ascended masters to connect with and reach those in tune with
the higher realms. "Mer" means Light. "Ka" means Spirit. "Ba" means
Body. Mer-Ka-Ba means the spirit/body surrounded by counter-rotating
fields of light, (wheels within wheels), spirals of energy as in DNA,
which transports spirit/body from one dimension to another.
The Merkabah is a UFO
Chariot of the Gods (See below)
Flower of Life
The Flower of Life
is a geometrical figure composed of multiple evenly-spaced, overlapping
circles, that are arranged so that they form a flower-like pattern with
a six-fold symmetry like a hexagon. In other words, the center of each
circle is on the circumference of six surrounding circles of the same
diameter. The Temple of Osiris at Abydos, Egypt contains the oldest to
date example. it is carved in granite and may possibly represent the Eye
of Ra a symbol of the authority of the pharaoh.
Other examples can be found in Phoenician, Assyrian, Indian, Asian,
Middle Eastern, and medieval art. A Flower of Life pattern can be
constructed with a pen, compass and paper, by creating multiple series
of interlinking circles. In some renditions, the rosette on the
unofficial flag of Padania is a partial version of the flower of life
pattern. The Flower of Life pattern contains the basis of Metatron's Cube. From this pattern, all five of the Platonic solids can be derived.
Mer-Ka-Ba Meditation
In modern esoteric teachings, it is taught that the MerKaBa is an
interdimensional vehicle consisting of two equally sized, interlocked
tetrahedra of light with a common center, where one tetrahedron points
up and the other down. This point symmetric form is called a stella
octangula or stellated octahedron which can also be obtained by
extending the faces of a regular octahedron until they intersect again.
In his books, researcher and physicist Drunvalo Melchizedek
describes this figure as a "Star Tetrahedron", since it can be viewed
as a three dimensional Star of David. By imagining two superimposed
"Star Tetrahedrons" as counterrotating, along with specific "prana"
breathing techniques, certain eye movements and mudras, it is taught
that one can activate a non-visible 'saucer' shaped energy field around
the human body that is anchored at the base of the spine.
Depending on the height of the person doing the exercise, this field is
about 55 feet across. Once activated, this 'saucer' shaped field is
capable of carrying ones consciousness directly to higher dimensions.
The Teaching Of Spherical Breathing: Using 18 Breaths
By Drunvalo Melchizedek
There are 17+1 breaths, where the first six are for balancing the
polarity, the next seven for proper pranic flow through the entire body.
The further breaths are for shifting the consciousness from 3rd to 4th
dimension and finally the last three breaths is for re-creating the
rotating Merkabah within and around the body. The last breath is not
taught. Once each day, enter into this meditation, until the time comes
when you are a conscious breather, remembering with each breath your
intimate connection with God.
FIRST BREATH: Inhale
HEART: Open your heart and feel love for all life. If you cannot do this, you must at least open to this love
as much as is possible for you. This is the most important instruction of all.
MIND: Become aware of the male tetrahedron (the apex facing up to the sun, the point facing to the front
for male, the point to the back for females) filled with the brilliant white light surrounding your body.
Visualize it the best you can. If you cannot visualize it, sense or feel it surrounding you.
BODY: At the same moment of inhalation, place your hands in the mudra of your thumb and first finger
touching. Remember, lightly touch your fingers, and do not allow your fingers to touch each other or any
other object. Keep your palms facing up.
BREATH: At this same moment, with empty lungs, begin to breath in a complete yogic manner. Breath
through your nostrils only, except at certain places which will be described. Simply put, breath from your
stomach first, then your diaphragm, and finally your chest. Do this in one movement, not three parts. The
exhale is completed either by holding the chest firm and relaxing the stomach, slowly releasing the air, or
by holding the stomach firm and relaxing the chest. The most important aspect is that this breathing must
be rhythmic. Begin by using seven seconds in and seven seconds out, but as you get familiar with this
meditation, find your own rhythm. The following instructions for a complete Yogic Breath are from "the
Hindu-Yogi Science of Breath" by Yogi Ramacharake. Perhaps this description will be helpful.
Breathing through the nostrils, inhale steadily, first filling the lower part of the lungs, which is accomplished
by bringing into play the diaphragm, which descending exerts a gentle pressure on the abdominal organs,
pushing forward the front walls of the abdomen. Then fill the middle part of the lungs, pushing out the lower
ribs, breastbone and chest. Then fill the higher portion of the lungs, protruding the upper chest, thus lifting
the chest, including the upper six or even pairs of ribs.
At first reading it may appear that this breath
consists of three distinct movements. This, however, is not the correct idea. The inhalation is continuous,
the entire chest cavity from the lowered diaphragm to the highest point of the chest in the region of the
collar bone, being expanded with a uniform movement. Avoid a jerky series of inhalations, and strive to
attain a steady continuous action. Practice will soon overcome the tendency to divide the inhalation into
three movements, and will result in a uniform continuous breath. You will be able to complete the inhalation
in a few seconds after a little practice.
Exhale quite slowly, holding the chest in a firm position, and drawing the abdomen in a little and lifting it
upward as the air leaves the lungs. When the air is entirely exhaled, relax the chest and abdomen. A little
practice will render this part of the exercise easy, and the movement once acquired will be afterward
performed almost automatically.
FIRST BREATH: Exhale
HEART: Love
MIND: Become aware of the female tetrahedron, (apex pointing to the earth, point facing to the back for
males, point facing to the front for females), also filled with the brilliant white light
BODY: Keep the same mudra.
BREATH: Do NOT hesitate at the top of the inhalation to begin the exhalation. Exhale quite slowly,
approximately seven seconds, in the Yogic manner. When the air is out of the lungs, without forcing, relax
the chest and abdomen and HOLD the breath. When you feel pressure to breathe again, after about five
seconds or so, then do the following:
MIND: Be aware of the flat equilateral triangle at the top of the female tetrahedron located in the
horizontal plane that passes through your chest at the sternum. In a flash, and with a pulse like energy,
send that triangular plane down through the female tetrahedron. It gets smaller as it goes down and pushes
out the tip or apex of the tetrahedron all the negative energy of the mudra or electrical circuit, a light will
shoot out of the apex toward the center of the Earth. The Mind exercise is performed along with the
following BODY movements.
BODY: Move your eyes slightly toward each other, or, in other words, slightly cross your eyes. Now bring
them up to the top of their sockets, or in other words, look up. Also, this looking up motion should not be
extreme. You will feel a tingling feeling between your eyes in the area of your third eye . You can now look
down to the lowest point you can, as fast as you can. You should feel an electrical sensation move down
your spine. The MIND and BODY must coordinate the above mental exercis e with the eye movements. The
eyes look down from their up position at the same time the mind sees the triangular horizontal plane of the
female tetrahedron move down to the apex of the female tetrahedron. This combined exercise will clean
out the negative thoughts and feelings that have entered into your electrical system. Specifically, it will
clean out the part of your electrical system that is associated with the particular mudra you are using.
Immediately upon pulsing the energy down your spine, you change mudras to the next one and begin the
entire cycle over again. The next five breaths are a repeat of the first breath with the following mudra
changes:
Second breath mudra: Thumb and second finger together
Third breath mudra: Thumb and third finger together
Fourth breath mudra: Thumb and little finger together
Fifth breath mudra: Thumb and first finger together (same as first breath)
Sixth breath mudra: Thumb and second finger together (same as second breath)
The first part, the first six breaths, the balancing of the polarities, and the cleansing of your electrical
system is now complete. You are now ready for the next part, the next seven breaths.
Here an entirely new breathing pattern begins. You do not need to visualize the star tetrahedron at this
time. Only the tube that runs through the star, from the apex of the male tetrahedron above your head to
the apex of the female tetrahedron below your feet, needs to be seen and worked with. This extends one
hand length above your head and one hand length below your feet. The diameter of YOUR tube will be the
size of the hole formed by YOUR thumb and forefinger touching.
BREATH NUMBER SEVEN: Inhale
HEART: Love. There is another refinement here that can be used after you have perfected this meditation.
MIND: Visualize or sense the tube running through your body. The instant you begin the seventh inhale,
see the brilliant white light of the prana moving down the tube from the top and up the tube from the
bottom at the same time. This movement is almost instantaneous. The point where these two light beams
meet within your body is controlled by the mind and is a vast science known throughout the universe. In
this teaching however, we will only be shown what is necessary , that which will take you from third to
fourth dimensional awareness. In this case you will direct the two beams of prana to meet at your navel, or
more correct, within your body at navel level, inside the tube. The moment the two beams of prana meet,
which is just as the inhale begins, a sphere of white light or prana is formed at the meeting point about the
size of a grapefruit centered on the tube. It all happens in an instant. As you continue to take the inhale of
the seventh breath, the sphere of prana begins to concentrate and grow slowly.
BODY: For the next seven breaths use the same mudra for both inhale and exhale, the thumb, first and
second touching together palms up.
BREATH: Deep rhythmic Yogic breathing, seven seconds in and seven seconds out. There is no holding of
the breath from now on. The flow of prana from the two poles will not stop or change in any way when you
go from inhale to exhale. It will be a continuous flow that will not stop for a long as you breath in this
manner, even after death.
SEVENTH BREATH: Exhale
MIND: The prana sphere centered at the navel continues to grow. By the time of the full exhale, the prana
sphere will be approximately eight or nine inches in diameter.
BREATH: Do not force the air out of your lungs. When your lungs are empty naturally, immediately begin the
next breath.
EIGHTH BREATH: Inhale
HEART: Love.
MIND: The prana sphere continues to concentrate life force energy and grow in size
EIGHT BREATH: Exhale
MIND: The prana sphere continues to grow in size and will reach maximum size at the end of this breath.
This maximum size is different for each person. If you put your longest finger in the center of your navel,
the line on your wrist defining your hand will show you the radius of the maximum size of this sphere for
YOU. This sphere of prana cannot grow larger.
NINTH BREATH: Inhale
MIND: The prana sphere cannot grow larger, so what happens is the prana begins to concentrate within
the sphere. The visual appearance is that the sphere grows BRIGHTER.
BREATH: Sphere grows brighter and brighter as you inhale.
NINTH BREATH: Exhale
BREATH: As you exhale, the sphere continues to grow brighter and brighter.
TENTH BREATH: Inhale
MIND: About half way through this inhale, as the sphere continues to brighter, the prana sphere reaches
critical mass. The sphere ignites into a sun, a brilliant blinding ball of white light. You are now ready for the
next step.
TENTH BREATH: Exhale
MIND: At the moment of exhale, the small sphere two hand lengths in diameter bulges to expand. In one
second, combined with the breath talked about below, the sphere expands quickly out to the sphere of
Leonardo, out at your finger tips of your extended arms. Your body is now completely enclosed within a
huge sphere of brilliant white light. You have returned to the ancient form of spherical breathing. However,
at this point, this sphere is not stable. You MUST breath three more times to keep the sphere stable.
BREATH: At the moment of exhale, make a small hole with your lips and blow out your air with pressure. As
you feel the sphere begin to bulge, all within the first second of this exhale, let all of your air out rapidly.
The sphere will expand at that moment.
ELEVENTH, TWELFTH and THIRTEENTH BREATH: Inhale and Exhale
MIND: Relax and just feel the flow of the prana flowing from the two poles and meeting at the navel and
then expanding out to the large sphere
BREATH: Breath rhythmically and deeply. At the end of the thirteenth breath you have stabilized the large
sphere and are ready for the important 14th breath.
THE FOURTEENTH BREATH
HEART: Love
MIND: On the inhale of the 14th breath, at the very beginning of the breath, move the point where the two
beams of prana meet from the navel to the sternum, the fourth dimensional chakra. The entire large sphere,
along with the original sphere, which is also still contained within the large sphere, moves up to the new
meeting point within the tube. Though this is very easy to do, it is an extremely powerful movement.
Breathing from this new point within the tube will inevitably change your awareness from third to fourth
dimensional consciousness, or from earth consciousness to Christ consciousness.
BODY: This mudra will be used for the rest of the meditation. Place the left palm on top of the right palm
for males and the right palm on top of the left palm for females. It is a mudra that relaxes.
BREATH: Rhythmic breath and deep. However, if you continue to breathe from your Christ center without
moving on to the MER-KA-BA, which is what is recommended until you have made contact with your Higher
Self, then shift to a shallow breath. In other words, breath rhythmically but in a comfortable manner where
your attention is more on the flow of energy moving up and down the tube meeting at the sternum and
expanding out to the large sphere. Just feel the flow. Use your feminine side to just be. At this point don't
think, just breath, feel and be. Feel your connection to All Life through the Christ Breath. Remember your
intimate connection with God.
The Mer-Ka-Ba, The Vehicle Of Ascension
The Last Three Breaths
You are asked not to attempt this FOURTH PART until you have made contact with your Higher Self, AND
your Higher Self has given you permission to proceed. This part is to be taken seriously. The energies that
will come into and around your body and spirit are of tremendous power. If you are not ready, you could
hurt yourself. If your Higher Self gives you permission to enter into the MER-KA-BA, then don t fear, for
you will be ready.
FIFTEENTH BREATH: Inhale:
HEART: Love
MIND: Be aware of the whole star tetrahedron. Realize that there are three whole star tetrahedrons
superimposed over each other. One is the body itself, and is locked in place and never, except under
certain conditions, moves. It is placed around the body according to maleness or femaleness. The second
whole star tetrahedron is male in nature, it is electrical, is literally the human mind and rotates
counter-clockwise relative to your body looking out, or to put it another way, it rotates toward your left
side. The third whole star tetrahedron is female in nature, is magnetic, is literally the human emotional body
and rotates clockwise relative to your body looking out, or to put it another way, it rotates toward your
right side.
To be clear, we are not telling you to rotate the male tetrahedron one way and the female the other way.
When we say rotate the whole star tetrahedron, we mean the whole thing.
On the inhale of the fifteenth breath, as you are inhaling, you will say to yourself, in your head, the code
words, EQUAL SPEED. This will tell your mind that you want the two rotatable whole star tetrahedrons to
begin spinning in opposite directions at equal speeds at the time of the exhale. Meaning that for every
complete rotation of the mind tetrahedrons, there will be a complete rotation of the emotional
tetrahedrons.
BODY: Continue the mudra of the folded hands from now on.
BREATH: Breath Yogic and rhythmically an deeply again, but only for the next three breaths, after that
return to the shallow breathing.
FIFTEENTH BREATH: Exhale
MIND: The two sets of tetrahedrons take off spinning. In an instant, they will be moving at exactly one third
the speed of light at their outer tips. You probably will not be able to see this because of their tremendous
speed, but you can feel it. What you have just done is to start the MOTOR of the MER-KA-BA. You will not
go anywhere, or have an experience. It is just like starting the motor of a car, but having the transmission
in neutral.
BREATH: Make a small hole with your lips just like you did for breath Number Ten. Blow out in the same
manner, and as you do, feel the two sets of tetrahedrons take off spinning.
SIXTEENTH BREATH: Inhale
MIND: As you let out the breathe, the two sets of tetrahedrons take off from their one third speed of light
setting to two third speed of light in an instant. As they approach two thirds speed of light speed a
phenomena takes place. A disk about 55 feet in diameter forms around the body at the level of the base of
the spine. And the sphere of energy that is centered around the two sets of tetrahedrons forms with the
disk to create a shape that looks like a FLYING SAUCER around the body. This energy matrix is called the
MER-KA-BA. However, it is not stable. If you see or sense the MER-KA-BA around you at this point, you
will know it to be unstable. It will be slowly wobbling. Therefore Breath Number Seventeen is necessary.
BREATH: Same as breath 16, make a small hole in your lips, and blow out with pressure. It is at this point
that the speeds increases. As you feel the speed increasing, let out all your breath with force. This action
will cause the higher speed to be fully obtained and the MER-KA-BA to be formed.
SEVENTEENTH BREATH: Inhale
HEART: Remember, unconditional love for all life must be felt through out all of this meditation or no results
will be realized.
MIND: As you breathe in, say to yourself, in your head, the code NINE TENTHS THE SPEED OF LIGHT. This
code will tell your mind to increase the speed of the MER-KA-BA to nine tenths the speed of light which will
stabilize the rotating field of energy. It will also do something else. This third dimensional universe that we
live in is tuned to 9/10 the speed of light. Every electron in your body is rotating around every atom in
your body at 9/10 the speed of light. This is the reason this particular speed is selected.
BREATH: Breathe rhythmically and in a Yogic manner.
SEVENTEENTH BREATH: Exhale
MIND: The speed increases to 9/10 the speed of light and stabilizes the MER-KA-BA.
BREATH: Same as breath 15 and 16, make a small hole in your lips, and blow out with pressure. As you feel
the speed take off, let all your breath out with force. You are now in your stable and Third dimensionally
tuned MER-KA-BA. With the help of your Higher Self, you will understand what this really means.
EIGHTEENTH BREATH:
This very special breath will not be taught here. You must receive it
from Your Higher Self. It is the breath that will take you through the
speed of light into the fourth dimension. You will disappear from this
world and reappear in another one that will be your new home for awhile.
This is not the end, but the beginning of an ever expanding
consciousness returning you HOME to your FATHER.
Merkaba
The word Merkaba or Merkava - Hebrew 'Chariot' or 'to ride an animal, in
a chariot' - is used in the Bible (Ezekiel 1:4-26) to refer to the
throne-chariot of God, the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four Cherubim,
each of which has four wings and four faces (of a man, lion, ox, and
eagle). Four means 'time' in alchemy.
In medieval Judaism, the beginning of the book of Ezekiel was regarded
as the most mystical passage in the Bible, and its study was
discouraged, except by mature individuals with an extensive grounding in
the study of traditional Jewish texts.
Jewish biblical commentaries emphasize that the imagery of the Merkaba
is not meant to be taken literally; rather the chariot and its
accompanying angels are analogies for the various ways that God reveals
Himself in this world.
Maimonides in his 13 principles of faith emphazies that God is not limited to any particular form, as this prophesy might seem to imply.
Chassidic philosophy and Kaballah explain at length what each aspect of
this vision represents in this world, and how they in no way imply that
God is made up of these forms. The danger of understanding these
passages as literal descriptions of God's image likely accounts for the
opposition among Torah scholars towards learning this topic without the
proper initiation. Jews customarily read the Biblical passages
concerning the Merkaba in their synagogues every year on the holiday of
Shavuot.
History
The earliest merkabah speculations were exegetical expositions of the
prophetic visions of God in the heavens, and the divine retinue of
angels, hosts, and heavenly creatures surrounding God. The earliest
evidence suggests that merkabah homiletics did not give rise to ascent
experiences - as one rabbinic sage states: "Many have expounded upon the
merkabah without ever seeing it" (Tosefta' Megillah 3[4]:28).
The Talmudic interdictions concerning merkabah speculation are numerous
and widely held. Discussions concerning the merkabah were limited to
only the most worthy sages, and admonitory legends are preserved about
the dangers of overzealous speculation concerning the merkabah. The
sages Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai (d. ca. 80 CE) and later, Rabbi Akiva
(d. 135) were deeply involved in merkabah speculation. Rabbi Akiva and
his contemporary Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha are most often the
protagonists of later merkabah ascent literature.
Beyond the rabbinic community, Jewish apocalyptists also engaged in
visionary speculations concerning the divine realm and the divine
creatures which are remarkably similar to the rabbinic material. A small
number of texts unearthed at Qumran indicate that the Dead Sea
community also engaged in merkabah speculation. Recently uncovered
Jewish mystical texts also evidence a deep affinity with the rabbinic
merkabah homilies. Recently, considerable scholarly attention has been
paid to the use of merkabah themes in early Jewish-Christian circles.
The merkabah homilies eventually consisted of detailed descriptions of
multiple layered heavens (usually seven in number), often guarded over
by angels, and encircled by flames and lightning. The highest heaven
contains seven palaces (hekhalot), and in the innermost palace resides a
supreme divine image (God's Glory or an angelic image) seated on a
throne, surrounded by awesome hosts who sing God's praise.
When these images were combined with an actual mystical experiential
motif of individual ascent (paradoxically called "descent" in most
texts) and union is not precisely known. By inference, contemporary
historians of Jewish mysticism usually date this development to the
third century CE. Again, there is a significant dispute amongst
historians over whether these ascent and unitive themes were the result
of some "foreign," usually Gnostic, influence, or a natural progression
of religious dynamics within rabbinic Judaism.
The Biblical Merkaba in Depth
According to the verses in Ezekiel and its attendant commentaries, the
analogy of the Merkaba image consists of a chariot made of many angels
being driven by the "Likeness of a Man." Four angels form the basic
structure of the chariot. These angels are called the "Chayot".
The bodies of the "Chayot" are like that of a human being, but each of
them had four faces, corresponding to the four directions the chariot
can go (north, east south and west). The faces are that of a man, a
lion, an ox (later changed to a child or cherub) and an eagle. Since
there are four angels and each has four faces, there are a total of 16
faces. Each Chayot angel also has four wings.
Two of these wings spread across the length of the chariot and connected with the wings of the angel on the other side.
This created a sort of 'box' of wings that formed the perimeter of the
chariot. With the remaining two wings, each angel covered its own body.
Below, but not attached to the feet of the "Chayot" angels are other
angels that are shaped like wheels. These wheel angels, which are
described as "a wheel inside of a wheel", are called "Ophannim" -
wheels, cycles or ways).
These wheels are not directly under the chariot, but are nearby and
along its perimeter much like the wheels of a car. The angel with the
face of the man is always on the east side and looks up at the "Likeness
of a Man" that drives the chariot. The "Likeness of a Man" sits on a
throne made of saphire.
The Bible later makes mention of a third type of angel found in the
Merkaba called "Seraphim" (lit. burning) angels. These angels appear
like flashes of fire continuously ascending and decending.
These "Seraphim" angels functioned somewhat like pistons in that they
powered the movement of the chariot. In the hierarchy of these angels,
"Seraphim" are the highest, that is, closest to God, followed by the
"Chayot", which are followed by the "Ophannim".
The chariot is in a constant state of motion, and the energy behind this
movement runs according to this heirarchy. The movement of the "Ofanim"
is controlled by the "Chayot" while the movement of the "Chayot" is
controlled by the "Serafim". The movement of all the angels of the
chariot are controlled by the "Likeness of a Man" on the Throne.
A Chassidic Explanation
Chassidic philosophy explains that Merkaba is a multi-layered analogy
that offers insight into the nature of man, the ecosystem, the world,
and teaches us how to become better people.
The four Chayot angels represent the basic archetypes that God used to
create the current nature of the world. Ofannim, which means ways, are
the ways these archetypes combine to create actual entities that exist
in the world. For instance, in the basic elements of the world, the lion
represents fire, the ox earth, the eagle wind, and the man water.
However, in practice, everything in the world is some combination of all
four, and the particular combination of each element that exist in each
thing are its particular Ofannim or ways. In another example, the four
Chayot represent spring, summer, winter and fall. These four types of
weather are the archetypal forms. The Ofannim would be the combination
of weather that exists on a particular day, which may be a winter-like
day within the summer or a summer like day within the winter or
whatever.
The Man on the throne represents God, who is controlling everything that
goes on in the world, and how all of the archetypes He set up should
interact.
The Man on the throne, however, can only drive when the four angels connect their wings.
This means that God will not be revealed to us by us looking at all four
elements (for instance) as separate and independent entities. However,
when one looks at the way that earth, wind, fire and water (for
instance) which all oppose each other are able to work together and
coexist in complete harmony in the world, this shows that there is
really a higher power (God) telling these elements how to act.
This very lesson carries over to explain how the four basic groups of
animals and the four basic archetypal philosophies and personalities
reveal a higher, godly source when one is able to read between the lines
and see how these opposing forces can and do interact in harmony. A
person should strive to be like a Merkaba, that is to say, he should
realize all the different qualities, talents and inclinations he has
(his angels).
They may seem to contradict, but when one directs his life to a higher
goal such as doing God's will (the man on the chair driving the chariot)
he will see how they all can work together and even complement
eachother.
Ultimately, we should strive to realize how all of the forces in the
world, though they may seem to conflict can unite when one knows how to
use them all to fulfill a higher purpose, namely to serve God.
Key Texts
The ascent texts are extant in four principal works, all redacted well
after the third but certainly before the ninth century CE.
They are: 1) Hekhalot Zutartey ("The Lesser Palaces"), which details an
ascent of Rabbi Akiva; 2) Hekhalot Rabbati ("The Greater Palaces"),
which details an ascent of Rabbi Ishmael; 3) Ma`aseh Merkabah ("Account
of the Chariot"), a collection of hymns recited by the "descenders" and
heard during their ascent; and 4) Sepher Hekhalot ("Book of Palaces,"
also known as 3 Enoch), which recounts an ascent and divine
transformation of the biblical figure Enoch into the archanel Metatron,
as related by Rabbi Ishmael.
A fifth work provides a detailed description of the Creator as seen by the "descenders" at the climax of their ascent.
This work, preserved in various forms, is called Shi`ur Qomah
("Measurement of the Body"), and is rooted in a mystical exegesis of the
Song of Songs, a book reputedly venerated by Rabbi Akiva.
The literal message of the work was repulsive to those who maintained
God's incorporeality; Maimonides (d. 1204) wrote that the book should be
erased and all mention of its existence deleted.While throughout the
era of merkabah mysticism the problem of creation was not of paramount
importance, the treatise Sefer Yetzirah ("Book of Creation") represents
an attempt at cosmogony from within a merkabah milieu.
This text was probably composed during the seventh century CE, and
evidences influence of Neoplatonism, Pythagoreanism, and Stoicism.
It features a linguistic theory of creation in which God creates the
universe by combining the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, along with
emanations represented by the ten numerals, or sefirot.
Merkabah Wikipedia
