Brief and Late...

...on the Four Powers of the Sphynx thread.

Jasons thoughts on the different depths of reading those powers was very familiar. Last night at our (non-Facebook) Seder it occured to me why. In the Seder there is a part about the 4 Sons, how they ask questions and how those questions should be answered. This also relates to what is known as PARDES, which is an acronym for the different types of interpretation. They are: Pashat, which is the authoritative method, the outward and obvious meaning; Remez, the allegorical or philosophic method; Drash, which is homiletic or Midrashic (story telling to illustrate the point) and finally Sod, the esoteric or mystical method.

And, finally, regarding the Power of Silence; it has been noted by several bloggers that either they have trouble with this one, or that they don't always see the point. Silence is something that I do not have any trouble with. In fact, for me this is the easiest of the four. But, as is the case with so many things that are naturally easy, without care and attention, instead of being a power and a strength, it can become a prison. Discretion and the balancing of strengths, on all levels of reading is of upmost importance to the magician or mystic.