Nun

N
Nun final

F
Color your Nuns blue-green. The surrounding (opposite) color is red-orange.

Nun is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Nun is the number 50. Nun final has the
value of 700. Look at the letter Nun N. It looks like a seed putting up a first sprout. And
indeed, as a verb the meaning of the letter name Nun is “to grow, to sprout, to continue,
to increase, to propagate”. As a noun, Nun means “fish”. Fish are the most prolific
species. It is estimated that if all the eggs from one pair of cod were to grow into adult
fish, they would fill the Atlantic Ocean! As this example indicates, meanings of Nun
include reproduction, fertility, fecundity, productivity, increase, origin, basis, foundation
and source.

The letter name of Nun is FVN. It begins and ends with Nun. The letter in the middle,

Vav V, means “and”. So this letter name can be read, “Nun and more Nun” which means

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“fish and more fish” For a word that means “to propagate, to increase”, this meaning is
quite appropriate.

Nun is the eighth astrological sign, that of Scorpio h. Scorpio is ruled by Mars G and
also ruled by Pluto M(since its discovery). The planet Uranus J is exalted in Scorpio.
Scorpio governs the reproductive organs and functions, which correspond precisely with
the meanings of Nun. As you will recall, the Mars force rules both Aries a and Scorpio
h. In Aries, which governs the head and eyes, Mars is active as the power of sight, as
the mental faculty of reason, and is the electrical energy of the nerve impulses sent from
the brain to the body to contract the muscles. In Scorpio, the Mars force energizes the
reproductive organs. Uranus J which corresponds to Aleph A is exalted, which means

it finds its highest expression, in Scorpio h – Nun N. So Aleph, the life force, divinity
itself, has its highest expression in Nun, in the power to reproduce and increase.

The function attributed to Nun is motion, which in a larger sense means transformation –
change. Continuous transformation is the foundation, the basis of all manifestation.

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On the Tree of Life, Nun is the path connecting the 6th sphere, Tiphareth, Beauty to the
7th sphere, Netzach, Victory. When we look upward from the Netzach, the sphere of
Venus (our desires) toward the Higher Self in Tiphareth, we see Nun, the continuous
transformations of life that each end in death. When we consider the big picture, we are
confronted with the fact that we too will die. We will lose all the possessions we have
amassed and enjoyed during our life. When we look toward our higher reality from our
personal life, we become painfully aware that we are going to “lose it all”. This
challenges us to find the higher values that will survive the death or our physical bodies.
Death is the great teacher.

The Intelligence assigned to Nun is the Imaginative Intelligence. The One Self in Kether
is reflected in the Son in Tiphareth where images corresponding to all the senses are
generated. The One Self expresses itself in endless imaginative creativity, bringing forth
ever-new forms through the power of reproduction (Nun). The Imaginative Intelligence is
also called the Intelligence of Resemblance. As such, it refers to the resemblance
between progeny and parents via the process of genetic transfer from parents to
children in reproduction.

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On the Cube of Space, the pathway of Nun N is the South-West edge. This is the

interface between the South face – Resh R – the Sun A and the West face – Kaph K

– Jupiter H. The flow of energy is from Below to Above, from Gimel G – the Moon B to

Beth B – Mercury C. Recall that Nun means “to sprout”. A sprout begins as a seed wet
with water from below. It then becomes a baby emerging plant, reaching upward from
the seed below toward the Sun above. The process of reproduction always involves an
early stage in darkness and water (Gimel G – the Moon B) followed by an emergence

into the light (Beth B – Mercury C). It is a manifestation and an increase (West – Kaph

K– Jupiter H) and generates a new incarnate individual (Resh R – the Sun A).

The primal masculine (Mars G – Peh P) and feminine (Venus D – Daleth D) principles

unite in the path of Heh H, the edge between North and East faces of the Cube of
Space. Heh corresponds to Aries, the “day throne” of Mars. The energy of Heh goes
downwards, like couples usually do, from vertical to horizontal in the act of reproduction.
The flow of energy continues from East to West, from origin toward manifestation,
through the path of Yod I, the seed, the edge between North and Below. The energy

continues from North to South along the West-Below edge of Ayin O which we will
study very soon. Suffice to say for now that Ayin combines the manifesting power of
Jupiter H – Kaph K – West with the watery creative powers of the Moon – Gimel G –

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Below. Then the energy continues up through the path of Nun N. The couple (Mars G

and Venus D – Peh P and Daleth D) plant the seed (Yod I) in the watery manifesting

womb (Ayin O). The child is then born and arises via the reproductive powers of Nun N.

This is a good example of the understanding one may access by following the direction
of the flow of energy around the edges of the Cube of Space.

The fish of Nun N swims in the waters of the preceding letter of the alphabet, Mem M. It
is taught that creatures like fish that live in the water (subconsciousness) have no ego,
no self-consciousness.

In the Torah, Nun is often presented with the image of falling. Were it not for God’s hand
ever being there to save it, Nun would hit the ground hard and die. As long as the fish is
in the water, it is weightless and saved from disaster. However, when living beings
“emerge from the water” to live on land, they are subject to gravity and can fall. And they
develop self-consciousness. This ties in with the concept of the “fallen angel” whose
self-consciousness causes it to fall from Heaven to Earth. When Adam became self-
conscious about his nakedness, he was similarly kicked out of the Garden of Eden. So
the meanings of Nun include danger, expulsion, death, birth, and the rising up to self-
consciousness. Thus on the Cube of Space, Nun arises from Below to Above, from the
waters of Below – Gimel G – the Moon B – subconscious instinctual awareness to the

air of Above – Beth B – Mercury C – self-consciousness.

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Nun has two forms, a bent over common form N and an upright final form F that extends
below the bottom of most other letters. According to the Talmud, these two forms of Nun
correspond to the two types of faithfulness; the two types of servants of God. The
common Nun is the bent-over, humble faithful one. Nun final is the upright, unbounded
faithful one. While one is still in consciousness in the physical world or the world of
individual souls, one is the bent-over Nun. When one contacts divinity (or rather the
other way around), one “graduates” to being the final form of Nun which reaches up to
the Yod point of contact with divinity and descends straight down, bringing the divine
energy to the souls and the worlds below. The Hebrew word for faithful FMAN begins

and ends with Nun. It is the word amen FMA with a Nun added as the first letter. Amen

FMA means something like “so be it”. It is the word used to end each prayer. It is an
affirmation and confirmation of the divine presence in all things. When you reproduce N
that awareness in all your thoughts, words and actions, you are faithful.

The middle letters of faithful FMAN are the two first of the three Mother letters, Aleph

A and Mem M. If you put a Yod between the two middle letters of this word, you get
EIA, a Kabbalistic secret name of God that is connected to the coming of the
Messiah. Have a look at this name. The English letters for EIA Aleph, Yod and Mem
are A-U-M, a sacred word and mantra in many spiritual traditions.

In this light, let’s return to considering the letter name of Nun FVN. Nun contains both

“the bent-over faithful one N and the straight, unbounded faithful one F. This is similar in

concept to the three animals that symbolize the astrological sign associated with Nun N,
namely Scorpio h. Scorpio is first the scorpion, a stinging insect. This is the lowest
expression of Scorpio passion. A scorpion can, when excited, even sting itself. The
middle level is the snake with all its associations of temptation, cunning and sex. When
the Scorpion reaches divine contact, the symbol becomes the eagle. The eagle in
Qabalah is associated with Kether, the highest sphere on the Tree of Life.

In its lower expressions, the reproductive force can debase you. The passion it awakens
can express as hurtfulness, vindictiveness or desire for revenge. The tongue (Peh P –
Mars G – the ruler of Scorpio h) wrongly used, can be an instrument that delivers
long-lasting emotional pain and damage. It is well known in astrology that the angry

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person of the sign of Scorpio can use the tongue as a whip, inflicting sharp pain. And
sex, inflicted upon someone against his or her will, is a terrible injustice.

The pleasure that the act of reproduction generates can be a great temptation. It can
lead you to be very cunning in order to enjoy the pleasures of sex. Even when
expressed rather indiscriminately, this serves Mother Nature’s goal – the generation of
more vehicles for the divine’s self-expression in this physical world of name and form.

Note that the symbol for both Mars G and Scorpio h have an arrowhead. In one
sense, the arrow of Mars can be seen as upright, like the male generative organ,
aroused and ready for the reproductive act. In the reproductive act and especially in
orgasm, the energy naturally flows downward into the reproductive organs, ruled by
Scorpio h with its arrow pointing downward.

In its highest expression, the eagle of Scorpio flies upward, taking you into conscious
contact with the divine. This is an alternative interpretation of the flow of energy through
the path of Nun on the Cube of Space, from Below to Above.

This raising of the forces of Scorpio occurs mainly through two influences. One is the
influence of the testing and trials of the Higher Self which we shall study with the next
sign and letter, that of Saggitarius i – Samech S, the sign in which the arrow is
pointed upward. The other is through spiritual practices such as meditation (Aquarius
k – Tzaddi Z) which cause the generative fires of Scorpio to be raised to energize
the higher chakras and thereby open our spiritual awareness. This is why the
alchemists say that we cannot perceive with our spiritual eyes unless we “borrow energy
from the eagle”.

The transformation of the Nun – Scorpio h energies from scorpion through snake to
eagle requires a complete upgrading of our attitudes toward the reproductive function
and act. Errors in our attitudes about sex prevent us from completing the Great Work.
Sexuality is the way that the one life provides itself with new vehicles for its self-
expression in this physical world. The prevailing social orientation that sex is “naughty
but nice” falls far short of the belief and attitude needed for the spiritual aspirant.

The expression of sexuality is often twisted and perverted to serve the personality – for
sensual enjoyment alone or even for domination and causing pain to another. Although
these low expressions of the sex energies do exist, the energy itself remains ever pure
and undefiled. Perverted and degraded expressions of sexuality often cause spiritual
aspirant to have a bad attitude towards sex. But the simple truth is that until you can see
the reproductive function as healthy and even holy, you will not be able to make
significant spiritual progress. Until you can banish shame about your or others’ sex
organs and their expression in the sexual act, you will not be able to enter deeply into

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the mysteries. You don’t have to run around nude, but you should be able to be naked
without feeling any shame.

When you consider perverted and degrading sex acts, including those in which pain is
being inflicted willfully, do you really believe that the energy being expressed is
absolutely pure and holy? Especially if you have been either the instigator or the victim
of such abuse, you likely have some clearing work to do before the energy is free-
flowing and transformed into “eagle” energy for your spiritual unfoldment.

Here’s a real test for you: Go out into the garden and smell the flowers. See their radiant
beauty, their vivid colors. Inhale and become intoxicated with their wonderful fragrance.
Realize that their shape, color and odors serve the purpose of attracting the pollinating
bees and other bugs. Now, as you are getting high on that deep rose perfume, realize
that you are sticking your nose into the sex organs of the plant. After all, that’s what
flowers are. Now here’s the test: Can you view your own and the sex organs of other
people with that kind of natural and joyful appreciation of their shape, color, function and
odor? If this idea causes you any embarrassment or discomfort, you still have work to
do to clean up your attitudes about the energy with which God and Goddess create
living forms.

Make no mistake. It is the sublimation of the same force that is used to reproduce the
species that produces spiritual awakening. As long as you have any “hang ups” about
sex, your spiritual life will be inhibited as well. Some people, ones who have been
unable to establish satisfying sexual relations, give up altogether on personal relations
and “seek the spiritual life” instead. All too often, this is a recipe for psychological
disaster. The great forces of sexuality need to flow in their natural channels in a healthy
way before they can be correctly transformed for your spiritual unfoldment. You cannot
sublimate a pathology and expect healthy spiritual results.

The normal Nun N is the bent-over servant who is conscious of being poor and in need,

like an empty container. Thus of all the letters, Nun is the most basic vessel. Teth T,
you will recall, is also a vessel – one with an introverted lip. Teth contains light that is
turned in upon itself. Teth is, in a way, pregnant with light. By contrast, Nun N is an
empty vessel.

Although in this sense, Teth is considered as a vessel, there is a tradition that teaches
that the first thirteen letters are lights and the last nine are vessels. Vessels are
considered feminine and lights masculine. A little juggling with the letters demonstrates
this truth in a fascinating way: the middle letter of the first thirteen (the lights) is Zain,
which is the first letter of the word for male, RKY. The first letter of the nine vessel

letters is Nun, which is also the first letter of the word for female, HBWN. These two

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letters, Zain Y and Nun N combine with the first of the 13 light letters, Aleph A to form

FYA which means “ear, scales, balance”. This word refers to the inner ear labyrinthine
role of maintaining balance. When Male light Y and Female vessel N are together with

Aleph A, this generates the optimal condition for the perfectly balanced marriage, male
and female together with the divine.

The poor man is INO. We haven’t studied Ayin O yet. It’s basic letter name meaning is
“eye”. The sequence of the letters of the word “poor man” tell the story of the meaning of
the word. This is another excellent example of the self-defining character of so many of
these old Hebrew three letter word roots. INO is O – the eye of the poor man looking

in his N empty vessel and longing for just a spark I of light.

We have already considered ILK, vessel. In the Torah, another word is also used for

the vessel that carries the first fruits to the Temple; ANT. Here we have the two vessel

letters, Teth T and Nun N with Aleph A. The letters of this word add up to 60 as do the

letters of vessel as ILK. The Aleph A in ANT is the secret of the first fruit as the
thousand lights that fill the vessel. Note here that the letter name Aleph also means

“thousand” as does a wide letter Aleph . So Aleph is the light we seek to fill our
empty vessel.

On the Tree of Life, Nun N is the path connecting the 6th sphere, Tiphareth, Beauty to
the 7th sphere, Netzach, Victory. It connects the Higher Self, Adam, the Christ
consciousness in Tiphareth to the Venusian desire nature of Netzach. Viewed “upward”
from Netzach, from our personal desires, the truth of Tiphareth looks like death – the
time when we will lose all of our toys.

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We have already seen how the Yod of HVHI, Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh, the most holy name
of God the Father is placed upon the Tree of Life. Its upper tip begins in Kether and the
rest of the letter is in Chokmah. The pathway between Kether and Chokmah is the path
of Aleph. So here, we see an identity between these two letters, Aleph A and Yod I.
Aleph is the One Life, beginning its journey of manifestation. Yod is that same light after
its sojourn into form and its return to Source. Aleph is 1 and Yod is 10, that same 1 with
a zero added.

When the individual spiritually progresses from the lowest level, that of “worlds”, it
reaches the level of “souls”. In the world of souls, Nun as the poor man INO evolves

into VNO, the humble man. Contrast the subtle difference between these two words. In

the humble man, the Yod I has descended down forming a pillar – becoming Vav V.
The light of Yod has been drawn down into the vessel. Humility is the quality that calls
down the light into the vessel from above. Paradoxically, the experience of receiving the
light into the vessel makes one extremely humble “in trembling awe before the light” and
also extremely proud to discover the divine nature as the ground of one’s own being, a
vessel of light. You are agog, amazed and awed at the holy magnificence of your true “I
AM”.

When the individual is accepted into the highest state, that of divinity, it does not occur
through personal effort. Great humility is required, the humility of Moses who was said

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to be DAM VNO, very humble. And you must hunger for the divine JDAM LKB,
“with all your might”. Note that the word for “might” JDAM is “very” DAM plus Kaph

final J at the end. This is the same “veryness” that Moses had. In this divine state of

grace, JLM JLM DBO, “the servant of the king is (as) the king”. Our poor man

INO became the humble man VNO. Now the descending line that transformed Yod I
into Vav V continues below the line to be come Nun final F. The descending light has
penetrated further into the manifested world, even into the hidden divinity within all
things. In the revelation of this hidden light, our word has become FNO, the “cloud of
glory” which transforms darkness into light. This is our mission and destiny, to bring the
light of God so far down that the “lost sparks” in the physical world are found and
returned to divine awareness.

For Kabbalists, Nun as a noun means not only “fish” but also “kingdom”. The
appearance of the Nun final in the third stage wherein divinity makes its appearance is
“thy kingdom come”. With the coming of Nun final, God lives in his Kingdom of Earth.

The word “kingdom” XVKLM, Malkuth is the name of the 10th sphere at the bottom of
the Tree of Life. Malkuth “sits upon the throne of Binah” the 3rd sphere of the Tree, the
sphere of the divine Mother. Malkuth is the physical world and Binah is the principle of
form that makes manifestation possible. Binah is the ever pure, forever undefiled
highest level of soul, Neshamah, the source of intuition. Binah is that level of divine
Mother who ever loves you no matter what you do. Your worst personal deeds are little
more to her than one of her babies kicking inside her vast womb, the nighttime sky, the
womb of God(dess).

It is taught that when Goddess gives birth to the universe, she experiences the pang of
separation from her offspring that every mother does. That which was within and one
with the mother is now outside and separate. Out of her infinite love for her progeny,
Goddess goes into exile and voluntarily leaves Heaven to be with her children. This self-
imposed exile corresponds to the “wandering” that the Jewish people know so well,
reflected in the history of the race. Goddess divides Herself into as many parts as there
are individual souls born from her. She sends a bit of Herself with every one of her
babies on their long evolutionary journey, lifetime after lifetime, guiding them until they at
last come home again. This is the “little candle flame” in our hearts. This “divine
presence” within each of us is the Shekinah, HNIKW. Shekinah is also the divine
presence said to be visible around the arc of the covenant and also visible (at least to
some) around the head of enlightened beings – saints. Shekinah is related to “the word

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of God” and is the “lower mother” HAXX AMA, and the queen AXINVRTM.
She leaves the Heaven of Binah, voluntarily goes into exile, and resides in Malkuth, the
Kingdom, to be with us. Nun, which also means “kingdom” is the secret of the Shekinah.
As explained, Nun is the letter which is the most primal vessel. The last two letters of
Shekinah, HN are Nun N, the vessel of Shekinah and Heh H, the light of the Shekinah

that fills that vessel. Heh H, as the second letter of God’s most holy name, HVHI, is
associated with Binah.

Joshua, whose name is spelled with the same letters as that of Jesus, is the son of Nun
FVN, the fish. The “great fish” LVDG GD = 50, the number of Nun. The daughter of
Pharaoh “fished” Moses out of the water. Moses is sometimes referred to as the great
fish. The ultimate great fish, according to Kabbalah, is the Messiah.

Nun refers also to the famous fifty gates of Binah, of Understanding. As we have seen in
the color Tree of Life above, the first letter of HVHI, I = 10 and refers to Chokmah.

The second letter of HVHI, H = 5 and refers to Binah. When the dynamic Father seed
of Yod meets the reproductive power of Heh, 5 x 10 = 50. The result is manifestation via
the 50 gates of Binah. The gates of Binah are gates of understanding. First we seek to
understand natural phenomena (level of worlds). Then we attain understanding of the
“measure of man”, the human ability to estimate what must be from what is. This
exercise is both intellectual and meditative and results in stepping beyond worlds to the
level of souls. Through our efforts and God’s grace, we find that our “measure” is divine.

The final “fiftieth gate of understanding” is the revelation of the divine via the reception
of the Torah. This gives us the directive and the power to attain conscious (while alive)
entrance into the afterlife, the Olam haBa, ABH ELVO, the “world to come”
(associated with Binah) which most only arrive in after death. This has great
advantages. For one thing, you can get used to what it will be like after dying. And you
can “build a house” there, a house that you can move into when you do die. And, from
that level, while still alive, you are able to exercise your compassion to help those who
might otherwise not be helped. Your ability to serve increases dramatically.

The Peh P – Mars G force, ruler of Scorpio h – Nun N usually flows downwards
which leads to both reproduction and to death. Successful spiritual aspiration and
practices reverse this flow so the Mars force ascends and energizes higher centers
(chakras) leading to rebirth and conscious eternal life.

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Correspondences

Nun N, Nun final F

English equivalent: N
Letter Name: JVN, Nun-Vav-Nun final
Letter name meaning: Fish, to sprout, to rise up
Color: Blue-green
Note: G
Tarot Key: Number 13, Death
Astrology: Scorpio h ruled by Mars G and in modern astrology Pluto M. In Scorpio,
the planet Uranus J is exalted.
32 Paths of Wisdom: Nun is the 23rd path of wisdom.
Intelligence: Nun is the Imaginative Intelligence or the Intelligence of Resemblance.
Path on the Tree of Life: Nun connects the 6th sphere, Tiphareth, Beauty to the 7th
sphere, Netzach, Victory.
Cube of Space: Nun is the South-West edge of the Cube of Space. In the pathway of
Nun, the energy runs from Below to Above.
Mythology: The great fish that swallowed Joshua, the mysteries of death and rebirth
Psychology: Sublimation – the lifting up of libido to energize higher centers

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