Machinery of The Soul 08 The Elements of Ordeals

THE ELEMENTS OF ORDEALS
MACHINERY OF THE SOUL

PART 8
THE GUARDIAN OF THE THRESHOLD
The Being is pure, yet the human “I” is a horrible larva. The Being is transparent
like crystal, yet the human “I” is monstrous like Satan. The Being is never
offended by anything, yet the human “I” is offended by everything. The Being is
indifferent before pleasure and suffering, before praise and insult, before
victory and defeat, yet the human “I” is offended by everything; it suffers and
cries, enjoys and seeks pleasures.
The human “I” always seeks for security, yet the Being is never afraid, and this is
why he never seeks for securities. The human “I” is afraid of life, afraid of death,
afraid of hunger, afraid of misery, etc. The “I” of humans exploit each other
because of fear. They go to war because of fear. They steal and accumulate
because of fear. They kill because of fear. They arm themselves because of fear.
The Being is beyond desire, beyond attachment, beyond yearning and fears,
beyond death and the intellect, beyond human will, beyond intelligence. The
Being is the Tree of Life.
Samael Aun Weor, The Major Mysteries

2
THE FOUR ORDEALS
In the solitude of these mysterious sanctuaries, the
neophytes were submitted to the four Initiatic
ordeals. The ordeals of fire, air, water and earth
always defined the diverse purifications of the
neophytes. The neophytes are submitted to the four
Initiatic ordeals which are verified in the Internal
Worlds. The human being still is not a king or queen
of nature, but the human being is called to be a king
in accordance to Melchizedeck. Disciples must be
tested by the four elements in order to examine
them. They are submitted to ordeals in the forty-nine
regions of thought. These ordeals are for everyone,
man and woman. One can help oneself by having
pure thoughts, but this is not enough; Meditation is
necessary.
- Samael Aun Weor, Tarot and Kabbalah

3
ORDEAL OF FIRE
Fire is the temperature of the soul; the degree

of force, power, or clarity.
“The candidate is exposed to this ordeal in

order to examine his serenity and sweetness.
The wrathful and choleric inevitably fail this
ordeal. The candidate experiences being
persecuted, insulted, wronged etc. Many are
they who react violently and return to the
physical body having failed completely.
However, the victorious ones are received in
the Children’s Chamber and are welcomed
with delightful music, the music of the spheres.
The flames horrify the weak.”
– The Perfect Matrimony
4
THE ORDEAL OF AIR
Air is the mobility of the soul.

Attachments are tested.
Temptation to catastrophize.
“Those who despair because they

lose something or someone, those
who fear poverty, those who are
not willing to lose what they love
the most, fail in the ordeal of air.
The candidate is thrown into the
depths of a precipice. The weak
ones cry out and return terrified to
the physical body. However, the
victorious ones are received in the
Children’s Chamber with festivities
and greetings.”
- The Perfect Matrimony
5
THE ORDEAL OF
WATER
Water is the adaptability of the soul. Works

against the rigidity of the earth and mobility of
the air. We must shape the mind to fit the
circumstances. Tests our altruism and
philanthropy.
“The great ordeal of water is really terrible. The

candidate is thrown into the ocean and believes
himself to be drowning. Those who do not
know how to adapt themselves to the various
social conditions of life, those who do not know
how to live among the poor, those who after
being shipwrecked in the ocean of life reject the
struggle and prefer to die, they, the weak ones,
inevitably fail in the ordeal of water. However,
the victorious ones are received in the
Children’s Chamber with cosmic festivities.”
6
THE ORDEAL OF EARTH
Earth is the solidity and grounding of the soul. The air and
the water leave us. We have to work were we are at, and
become as hard as diamonds.
“We must learn how to take advantage of the worst

adversities. The worst adversities bring us the best
opportunities. We must learn to smile before all adversities.
This is the Law.
Those who succumb to pain before the adversities of
existence cannot victoriously pass the ordeal of Earth.
In the Superior Worlds the candidate finds himself between
two enormous mountains that menacingly close in upon
him. If the candidate screams with horror, he then returns
as a failure into his physical body. However, if he is serene,
he becomes victorious and is received in the Children’s
Chamber with great festivity and immense happiness.”
7
BALANCING THE ELEMENTS OF THE SOUL
Element Internalizing Balance Externalizing
Illuminating Void;
Space Cosmic Night Cosmic Day
Paramartha; Tality
Eternalism / Fatalism; choice is
Nihilism; choice is Useful concepts for the
meaningless; action is the
Air meaningless; all action Path of Liberation;
unfoldment of a predetermined,
lacks any agency. Objective Reasoning
immutable result.
Dullness in external
Clarity; love though Dullness in internal affairs; with
affairs, with a clarity of
Fire psychological death; clarity of the hatred-attachment
the hatred-attachment
Universal Compassion. of others.
of self.
Transmutation;
Mechanical repression Mechanical expression of desires;
adaptability without
of desires, rigidity, ethics lack of ethical discernment;
Water loss of ethics; ethics as
as a final goal; hedonism as ethically good; lack
a means for the birth of
fanaticism. of mental energy
a new state of mind.
Defeatist attitude, Accumulation of wealth, success,

Earth wasteful effort, laziness Consistency, Humility respect, prestige as a final goal;
& hyperactivity. mythomania.
8

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What are the four ordeals discussed in the text?

How is each element (fire, air, water, earth) related to the soul?

THE ELEMENTS OF ORDEALS

MACHINERY OF THE SOUL

Samael Aun Weor, The Major Mysteries

- Samael Aun Weor, Tarot and Kabbalah

Fire is the temperature of the soul; the degree

“The candidate is exposed to this ordeal in

Air is the mobility of the soul.

“Those who despair because they

Water is the adaptability of the soul. Works

“The great ordeal of water is really terrible. The

“We must learn how to take advantage of the worst

Defeatist attitude, Accumulation of wealth, success,

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