187 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
187 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
C A B A L A
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This ia a simple discourse on some of the major facets of the Cabala.
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It is also spelled as Kabbalah and Qabalah.
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O R I G I N S
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Kabbalah: From the Hebrew word QBL meaning 'an oral tradition', the
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esoteric and mystical division of Judaism. The Kabbalah presents a
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symbolic explanation of the origin of the universe, the relationship
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of human beings to the Godhead, and an emanationist approach to
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creation whereby the Infinite Light (AIN SOPH AUR) manifests
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through different SEPHIROTH on the TREE OF LIFE. Although the central
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book of the Kabbalah, the ZOHAR, was not written down until around
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1280 -- probably by MOSES de LEON -- the Kabbalah has spiritual links
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with GNOSTICISM and other early mystical cosmologies.
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In the Kabbalah, all manifestations are said to have their origin
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in the AIN SOPH AUR and the successive emanations of the Godhead reveal
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aspects of his divine nature. The system is thus monotheistic in
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essence, but allows for the tenfold structure of the sephiroth
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upon the tree of life. The emanations as they proceed down from the
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Godhead to the manifested world, are:
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KETHER (The Crown);CHOKMAH(Wisdom); BINAH(Understanding);CHESED(Mercy)
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GEBURAH(Power);TIPHARETH(Beauty & Harmony);NETZACH(Victory);
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HOD(Splendor);YESOD(Foundation);MALKUTH(The Kingdom)
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Occultists in the HERMETIC ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DAWN use the Kabbalistic
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Tree of Life as a matrix or Grid for comparing the Archetypal images of
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different mythologies that could be adapted to Ceremonial Magic.
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For example, the merciful father (Chesed) has parallels in other
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pantheons, namely ODIN (Scandinavia); ZEUS(Greece);JUPITER(Rome);
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and RA(Egypt). This system of comparison became known as
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MYTHOLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCES. It has become common in the occult
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tradition to link the ten sephiroth of the Tree of Life with the
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22 cards of the MAJOR ARCANA of the TAROT.
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D E F I N I T I O N S
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QBL: Hebrew word meaning 'from mouth to ear', thereby signifying a
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secret oral tradition. It is the meaning of Kabbalah.
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Ain Soph Aur: Hebrew expression meaning 'the limitless light'.
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Sephiroth: The ten speres or emanations on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life,
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a symbol which depicts the divine energy of creation
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proceeding like a lighting flash through ten different stages,
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culminating in physical manifestation. The sephiroth represent
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levels of spiritual reality both in the cosmos and in people
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because the Tree, metaphorically, is the 'Body of God', and
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people are created in his image. The Tree is sometimes shown
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superimposed on the body of ADAM KADMON --the archetypal man.
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Tree of Life:The Tree consists of Ten spheres, or sephiroth, through
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which according to mystical tradition--the creation of the
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world came about. The sephiroth are aligned in three
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columns headed by the SUPERNALS (KETHER, CHOKMAH, BINAH)
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and together symbolize the process by which the infinite
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light (Ain Soph Aur) becomes manifest in the universe.
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Beneath the Supernals are the 'Seven days of Creation':
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CHESED,GEBURAH,TIPHARETH,NETZACH,HOD,YESOD,MALKUTH.
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Taken as a whole, the tree of life is also a symbol of the
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archetypal man -- ADAM KADMON, and the sephiroth have a
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role resembling that of the CHAKRAS in YOGA. The mystical
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path of self knowledge entails the rediscovery of all the
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levels of ones being, ranging from Malkuth (physical reality)
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to the infinite source. With this in mind, the medieval
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Kabbalists divided the Tree of Life into three sections of the
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soul: NEPHESCH (the animal soul) corresponding to the
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sephiroth YESOD: RUACH (the middle soul), corresponding to the
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sephiroth from HOD to CHESED: and NESCHAMAH ( the spiritual
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soul) corresponding to the Supernals --especially BINAH.
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Practitioners of WESTERN MAGIC, who use the Tree of Life
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as a glyph for the unconscious mind, sometimes distinguish
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the MAGICAL PATH (which embraces all ten sephiroth) from
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the MYSTICAL PATH of the MIDDLE PILLAR, which is an ascent
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from MALKUTH through YESOD and TIPHARETH to KETHER on the
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central pillar of the Tree.
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Zohar: 'The Book of Splendor'--the principal book of the Kabbalah. It is
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thought to have been written by Moses de Leon and was first
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circulated around 1280-1290, in Guadalajara. It included
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commentaries on the TORAH.
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Gnosticism: Gnosis is a Greek term for 'knowledge'. The term applies to
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(Gnosis) certain religous sects that emerged during the early formative
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years of early Christianity, and which belived in
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'Hidden Spiritual Knowledge'. The main factor that
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differentiated them from Chritianity was their emphasis on
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knowledge rather than faith.
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The Christian churche fathers considered the Gnostics
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Heretical, or Heretics.
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Kether:The first Emanation on the Tree of Life. Occultists indentify
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Kether as the state of consciousness where creaton merges with
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the veils of nonexistance. Kether lies on the MIDDLE PILLAR and
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trancends the duality of CHOKMAH (male) and BINAH (female), which
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lie immediately below on the Tree. It is therefore symbolized
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in mystical tradition by the heavenly ANDROGYNE (male and female
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united in one), and represents a state of mystical Transcendence
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and union with the Supreme. It is compared to SATORI and NIRVANA.
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Chokmah:The second emanation on the Tree of Life, following Kether.
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Occultists identify Chokmah with the Great Father, the giver of
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the seminal spark of life which is potent only until it enters
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the womb of the Great Mother, Binah. From the union of the
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Great Father and Great Mother come forth all the images of
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creation. Chokmah is associated with such deities as KRONOS,
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SATURN, THOTH, ATUM-RA,and PTAH, in other pantheons.
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Binah: The third emanation on the Tree of Life. Occultists identify
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Binah with the Great Mother in all her forms. She is the womb
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of forthcoming, the source of all the great images and forms
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that manifest in the universe as archetypes. She is also the
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Supreme female principal in the process of Creation and, via
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the process mythological correspondences, is associated with
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such deities as The VIRGIN MARY, RHEA, ISIS, and DEMETER.
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Chesed: The fourth emanation on the Tree of Life. Occultists
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identify Chesed as the ruler (but not Creator) of the manifested
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universe; and he is characterised as stable, wise, and
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merciful by contrast with his more dynamic opposite, GEBURAH.
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Chesed is asscociated with Gods ZEUS (Greek), and JUPITER(Roman).
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Geburah:The fifth emanation on the Tree of Life. Geburah is often
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associated with MARS, the Roman God of War, and represents
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severity and Justice. The destructive forces of the sphere of
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Geburah are intended to have a purging, cleansing effect on the
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universe. Geburah represents the Creator God, who applies
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discipline and presicion in governing the cosmos and removes
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unwanted or unnecessary elements after their usefullness has
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passed. Geburah is reflected in THE CHARIOTEER in the TAROT.
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Tiphareth:The sixth emanation on the Tree of Life.It is the sphere of
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beauty, harmonizing the forces of mercy(Chesed) and Judgement
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(Geburah), higher on the Tree. Occultists identify Tiphareth
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as the sphere of spiritual REBIRTH, and ascribe to it the
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Solar Deities such as RA,APOLLO, and MITHRA as well as OSIRIS
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and JESUS CHRIST. The TAROT card TEMPERANCE identifies the
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direct mystical ascent to Tipareth from Malkuth(the physical).
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Netzach:The seventh emanation on the Tree of Life. Netzach is regarded as
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the sphere of creativity, subjectivity, and the emotions -- a very
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clear contrast to the sphere of HOD, which represents intellect
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and rational thought. Netzach is the sphere of Love, and spiritual
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passion and is therefore associated with such deities as
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APHRODITE, VENUS, HATHOR, and others that personify these qualities.
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Hod:The eighth emanation on the Tree of Life. Hod is associated with the
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planet Mercury and represents intellect and rational thought. It also
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represents the structuring and measuring capacities of the mind as
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opposed to the emotion and intuitional aspects of Netzach. Hod has
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no exact parallel in the TAROT, but is closely linked to the card
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JUDGEMENT, ascribed to the path between Hod and Malkuth.
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Yesod:The ninth emanation on the Tree of Life. Yesod is associated with
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the Moon and the element Water. Regarded as a Female sphere, it is
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the seat of sexual instinct and corresponds to the Genitals Chakra
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on the archetypal man, ADAM KADMON. On the Tree of Life Yesod has
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the function of channelling the energies of the higher down to the
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earth below(Malkuth). Occultists associate Yesod with the
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ASTRAL PLANE, because if the sephiroth above Malkuth are regarded
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as a map of the unconscious psyche, Yesod is the most accesible
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area of the mind. Because Yesod is the sphere of Fertility and
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Lunar imagery, it is identified with Witchcraft and Goddess Worship.
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It also the so called 'animal soul' know by kabbalists as
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Nephesch.
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Malkuth:The tenth emanation of the Tree of Life. Malkuth is associated
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with the Goddesses of the Earth especially PERSEPHONE(Greece),
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PROSERPINA(Rome), and GEB(Egypt). Malkuth is the domain of the
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manifested universe, the immediate enviroment, the plane of
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physical reality. As a consequence, all 'inner journeys of
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consciousness' begin symbolically in Malkuth; it is particularly
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appropriate, for example, that the myth of the rape of PERSEPHONE
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confirms her both as queen of the UNDERWORLD and as a Lunar
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Goddess. From an occult point of view, the Underworld equates
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with the Lower unconscious mind, and the Moon, represented by the
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sphere of Yesod, is the first Sephirah reached on the inner
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mystic journey up the Tree of Life. Malkuth is closely linked
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with the TAROT card THE WORLD.
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d on the inner
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myst |