C. The "Way of the Saint " and the "Way of the Wizard"
Like the Ways of the Angels of Elohim and the Angels of
Destruction, the Working Trees known as the “Way of the Saint”
and the “Way of the Wizard” are opposite in nature and intent. The
Way of the Saint involves an arduous progression up the Tree in
which all the Sefiroth of all three Columns are traversed one by
one through a specific sequence of letter-gates (see Diagram)
In
occult literature, this path is often confused with the Way of the
Wizard. The wizard moves up the Tree in the identical manner as
the saint, but in exactly opposite order and using different lettergates (see Diagram). The Wizard’s Path begins with ritual
purification to gain access to the Column of the Right through the
Gate of the Yod y. The Saint’s Path begins with trials by fire via the
Gate of the Samek c to bankrupt the ego and engender complete
surrender to the Will of the Divine.
)
The wizard seeks to acquire power out of selfish desire for
personal control, and the saint seeks to respond with righteous
intent to the dictates of the Divine Will. For this reason, a wall of
fire blocks the gate between the Sefiroth Power/Fire and
Wisdom/East on the Way of the Wizard, obstructing progress
into the three supernal Sefiroth. As with black magicians, the
Gate of the Ayin i between Sefiroth Understanding/North and
Crown/Above short-circuits wizards through the Abyss into the
negatively existent roots, thereby preventing very powerful
wizards from gaining access to Atziluth and disrupting the
Creation. There is no wall of fire in the gate linking Sefiroth Mercy/Water and Understanding/North on the Way of the Saint.
On this path, the Gate of the Heh h from Sefirah Wisdom/East
gives access to Sefirah Crown/Above, so movement into the
supernal Sefiroth and Atziluth is smoothly accomplished. The
Tree of the Saint is keyed to the Name hvhy; the Tree of the
Wizard is keyed to the Name Olam (,lvi).
