Just as Dance is made up of Stillness and Action, Music is made up of Silence and Sound, in effect, Hacah and Naba'. Dance is our reaction to Music. It is hard to dance without some form of Music. Stillness corrisponds to Silence, and Action corrisponds to Sound. Our lives are a Dance to the pattern of Hacah and Naba'.

Talking doesn't include Silence. When you aren't talking, there's Silence. You can talk Silence, only Words. When you are Silent, you aren't talking. Not so with Music. The points of Silence are as important as the points of Sound. This is Music.

The life of the Prophet can be seen as Music. Sometimes he's listening to the Silence. Other times, she's speaking Prophecy. Prophecy is about the closeness to G-d more than the Words spoken. It is Music and Dance with the Divine.

~Muninn's Kiss

Chokmah is spelled Chet (Fence), Kaph (Palm of the Hand), Mem (Water), Heh (Window).  The interactions with Kether are interesting.  If we drop the Resh off Kether, we have Kaph Chet, the reverse of Chet Kaph.  The order retains the same meaning in Kabbalah, so Resh splits into Mem and Heh, the Water and the first Breathe.  Now, Heh connects Kether and Chokmah.  Chokmah is Breathe from Breathe.  One of the secrets of Kabbalah is that of the Breathe, for Breathe is Fire (Heat), Air, and Water.  The Fire rises and the Water settles, leaving Air in between.  Here, we see Water settle out, leaving Fire and Air in the Breathe.

Chet, mystically, means the unity of Shekhinah and Moshiach (Messiah), of husband and wife, of Vev and Zayin.  Here, it shows Chokmah as Self without Other.  At Chokmah, Self is known, but Other is not.  There is still unity, even in the individuality.  Kaph, mystically is a Crown bowing.  Kether is the Crown.  Chokmah is almost the same as Kether, but bows to it.  Mem, Water, is the Womb of Wisdom.  Chokmah is seen as thirteen Mems of Mercy, floating in the Air of creation.  This is Mem in the Breathe, Heh.  Heh is the first Breathe.  Kether is Breathe and Chokmah is Breathe from Breathe.  Heh is also the Window.  Through that Window, we get Wisdom.  It doesn't come through study, like Binah, but in sudden revelation, Light through the Window.

In gematria, Chokmah equals 8 (Chet) + 20 (Kaph) + 40 (Mem) + 5 (Heh) = 73.  73 is also the spelling of Gimel, the Camel.  Gimel is the rich man, chasing after the poor man to give to him.  Wisdom is meaningless if we don't give to others from it.  73 is also "to trust in, to shelter in".  Wisdom is about Trust.  Not trusting true Wisdom is trusting yourself, which is Folly.  73 reduces to 10, which reduces to 1.  10 is Yod, the Seed from which all things, including Wisdom, come.  1 is Aleph, Strength and the first emanation.  Chokmah, Wisdom, gives us strength.  Chokmah is also the first Sephirah to come out of Kether.

The Qlipoth of Chokmah is either Foolishness or Folly.  These seem the same at first glance, but Foolishness is a lack of Wisdom.  Folly is trusting in yourself as Wisdom.  Foolishness is the opposite of Wisdom.  Folly is the dark reflection.

A word for Folly is Nebalah (נבלה).  In addition to Folly, it has a sense of disgrace, for this is where Folly leads.  When we trust in ourselves, it seems like Wisdom to us, but it leads to disgrace, which true Wisdom does not.  The gematria for Nebalah is 86, which reduces to 5, Heh.  Folly is just a Breathe with nothing else.  A Breathe brings life, but doesn't sustain it.  Another Breathe is always needed.  Folly must constantly be maintained to create the illusion of life, but Wisdom sustains itself.  Another word with the gematria of 86 is "to divide".  Folly brings division, while Wisdom brings unity.

To overcome Folly, we have to first identify that it is us, not Wisdom.  The Tanakh says that the fear of G-d is the beginning of Wisdom.  Wisdom exists in Shilfut, Lowliness.  This is why it bows to Kether.  If it makes us feel self-important and doesn't point back to the Divine, it is Folly.  Remember that Soloman's Wisdom came from the Divine, not from himself.  Wisdom is the voice in Hacah, Silence, Elijah's still, small voice.  We must seek that Silence if we want Wisdom.  It is the Window through which the Divine Light shines.

Do you want Wisdom?  Seek Lowliness and Silence first.  Are you Wise, or is it Folly?  Does it glorify you or the Divine?  To defeat Folly, seek the Divine.  This is where Wisdom is found.

~Muninn's Kiss

'Asah is the Hebrew word for "to do, fashion, accomplish, make" and can mean "to do", "to work", "to make", "to produce", "to deal (with)", "to act", "to effect", "to prepare", "to make (an offering)", "to attend to", "to put in order", "to observe", "to celebrate", "to aquire (property)", "to appoint", "to ordain", "to institute", "to bring about", "to use", "to spend", "to pass", "to be done", "to be made", "to be produced", "to be offered", "to be observed", "to be used", "to press", or "to squeeze".  Basically, if it's an action, it's 'Asah.  A Ritual is an Action done as an act of worship.  Ritual comes out of Stillness, out of Damam, and leads to Kavanah, Intention.

'Asah is spelled Ayin, Shin, Heh.  Ayin is the eye, and represents Kether, and the Ain, the Non-existant.  It represents G-d as that which we can't see or understand.  Shin is Fire and the Tooth, and is the Mother connecting Chokmah, Wisdom with Binah, Understanding.  Heh is the first Breathe, from which Chokmah comes, and connects Kether to Chokmah.  'Asah represents the Supernal Triad, Kether, Chokmah, and Binah.  It is out of these three that Action that changes things comes.  The word for Hour is spelled the same way, for Action occurs in Time, not in the Stillness of Now that it comes out of.

'Asah is equal to 70 (Ayin) + 300 (Shin) + 5 (Heh) = 375.  The phrase "Generally and Specifically" has the same value, alluding to the effect Action has on the world:  first it has direct effect, but indirectly affects all else.  375 reduces to 6, Vev, implying the effect of both Self and Other, and the ability of Action to bring together and separate.

Ritual is defined as:

Ritual - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A ritual is a set of actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community by religious or political laws because of the perceived efficacy of those actions

'Asah becomes Ritual when it is done with intent, and comes out of the Stillness of Damam and the Silence of Hacah.  And action can be ritual, can take on symbolic meaning.  If we live our lives as Ritual, each action has meaning, and so makes a difference.  Without Ritual, we just go through the motion, never having Kavanah in our Actions.

Each Action changes the world, for Good (Tov) or for Bad (Ra').  We start in Kavanah, Intention, and Shiflut, Lowliness.  These lead us to Damam and Hacah.  From the Stillness and Silence, we see clearly what needs to be done, and we choose to do it, 'Asah.  This choice creates change in the world.  Actions coming from Damam and Hacah are Actions of Destiny, not Fate.  Actions of Fate are Actions not done as Ritual, Actions that just follow what is expected, instead of choosing.  When we choose, it becomes Destiny.  It's not the Action that is important to create change and Destiny, it's the Intention behind that Action, it's the choice and the Act of choosing.

~Muninn's Kiss

Just as Intention and Lowliness, Kavanah and Shiflut, lead to Stillness and Silence, Damam and Hacah, Damam and Hacah lead to Action and Words.  Action is Ritual, and the Hebrew word 'Asah best describes it.  Words are to Prophesy, Naba'.

'Asah is the Hebrew word for "to do, fashion, accomplish, make" and can mean "to do", "to work", "to make", "to produce", "to deal (with)", "to act", "to effect", "to prepare", "to make (an offering)", "to attend to", "to put in order", "to observe", "to celebrate", "to aquire (property)", "to appoint", "to ordain", "to institute", "to bring about", "to use", "to spend", "to pass", "to be done", "to be made", "to be produced", "to be offered", "to be observed", "to be used", "to press", or "to squeeze".  Basically, if it's an action, it's 'Asah.  A Ritual is an Action done as an act of worship.  Ritual comes out of Stillness, out of Damam, and leads to Kavanah, Intention.

Naba' is the Hebrew word for "to prophesy" or "to be under the influence of divine spirit".  Words spoken out of Silence are Naba'.  Naba' are the words of the Divine spoken through man.  This leads back to Shilflut, Lowliness.

~Muninn's Kiss

Genesis 1 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre:

ב וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם
ג וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי-אוֹר
ד וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאוֹר כִּי-טוֹב; וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ
ה וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָ; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם אֶחָד

2 Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

We saw that Hacah is equal to Night.  Night, Darkness, came first.  G-d caused Light, and it became morning.  The Jewish people always use dusk as the beginning of the day, not dawn, for Night came first.  Night is what it was like when it was only G-d.  He created Day for us.  A return to Silence is a return to G-d.



~Muninn's Kiss

Craft of the Wise:

It can only be fulfilled by service, some labours taking many years to complete. The Faith tolerates no nonsense, and those who would come to it, must come empty-handed saying "I know nothing, I seek everything," since within the structure of the Faith, all things may be contained and are contained. It has survived, in secrecy and silence, the attacks of persecution, indifference and misrepresentation. It is secret because those only who are best suited may enter the awful silences of the Places of the Gods. It is silent because in silence there is strength, protection and a future. It is also silent today, because as the Greeks said "Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad." It is nearly impossible to enter unless the supplicant shows unmistakable signs of past memory and a genuine mystical drive, and is willing to undertake tests that will force him finally to disclose that matter which is most secret to himself. The Faith has no secrets in the sense that there are formulas which can be readily understood and taught. It is finally and utterly the True Faith., standing immovable beyond space, time and all human matters. Therefore it can be shown that the Faith is a complex philosophy, dealing finally with the nature of Truth, Experience and Devotion. It requires discipline and work; plus utter and complete devotion to the common aim.

A Witch's Esbat:

IT IS COLD, the damp grass steaming mist upwards to the moon as we walk across the fields to the caves. Across the hills, somewhere towards the west, a dog fox barks defiance at we intruders of the night world. In the silent world of Hecate, a billion insects spin their small webs of destiny. We feel like invaders from a more brilliant age, treading carefully, threading our way in silence past the still hedge rows. The cauldron in Peter's haversack rings faintly as one of the knives strike against it. He stops and shifts the weight slightly, then points upwards towards the looming hill. The wind clatters a few leaves upon the trees as we begin the ascent to the caves. Seven of us, six men, one woman, feet slipping upon grass that feels slimy with night dew and unmentionable insects, sinking in the sodden ground under our own weight. Down below in the valley, the representatives of the twentieth century shoot along dark roads, headlights slicing the night for a brief minute, then vanishing with a flutter of mechanical life. Standing bleakly against the moonlight we can see the tumbled rocks that hide the caves. Our lead man stops then turns round and comes to us. "Be careful here, the hillside falls away pretty rapidly". His face is anonymous in the moonlight. Joan reaches out and takes my hand, and we walk forward carefully in the gloom. Gusts of wind buffet us, a sensation of space to our left side grows more definite; then we are out of the wind and into the lee of the rocks. Arthur, the lead man, seems to vanish suddenly from sight in a flurry of white torch light, then his voice comes from beneath the ground muffled and faint. "It's all right, come on down". One by one my companions slide through the entrance of the cave, slipping on the wet chalk. Joan sits down prettily upon her heals and follows them, still holding my hand to give balance to her impetus. I slide down after her and into the cave. We straighten ourselves out and stand up, torches on for the first time in the hour long walk, the light gleams from the wet sides of the caves reflecting into the lime water pools on the floor. Out of the wind and underground the silence is suddenly oppressive, then everybody begins to talk at once, unloading themselves from the tension of the walk and the fear of discovery.

A Witch's Esbat:

The others all go about their appointed tasks in silence.

A Witch's Esbat:

Round and round in absolute silence, fingers following the pattern that the seven knots make in the cord.

Third Letter:

With a group one works in absolute silence, but by yourself it is easier to utter your prayer and meditation aloud until you begin to speak as one possessed'.

Fourth Letter:

Mayhap the true pursuit of man is in capturing stillness - since when the moment of silence is created magically man becomes as God.

Silence is very important in Witchcraft.  Silence is when the gods speak.  It is a bit of madness, for what we consider sane is the insane constant movement and sound of every day life.  To seek Stillness and Silence is to step out of that, into the sane world others see as insane.  Silence changes things, both us and the world around us.  If we are to change things, we need utter devotion to Silence.

~Muninn's Kiss

Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle (Page 4):

When you become aware of silence, immediately there is that state of inner still alertness.  You are present.  You have stepped out of thousands of years of collective human conditioning.

Being aware of silence is Kavanah of Hacah again.  This leads to Stillness, Damam.  The only road to being in the Now is the road of Kavanah of Hacah.  Damam is the Now.

~Muninn's Kiss

The Germanic peoples (German, Teutonic, Scandinavian) also have a story of Night.  Nott (Night) was the daughter of Mimir.  She's also listed as the daughter of Narfi, whose intestines were used to tie Loki.  One solution is that Narfi was a giantess instead of a giant.  Another is Narfi and Mimir being the same.  This doesn't work in legend.  Either Narfi is female or there are two separate stories.

Nott has three children: Audr the Rich (whose daughter married Visbur, king of Sweden; Audr means Wealth), Jord (Earth; Mother of Thor), and Dagr (Day).  So, like in Greek myth, Night comes first, then Day is born to her.  Jord is the personification of the Earth, so to the Germanic people, the Earth comes from Night as well.  And the Swedish line of kings is traced back to Night as well.

It's said that Nott brings inspiration, peace, and rest to Man.  Inspiration relates back to prophecy coming from Night, Silence, Hacah.  Nott and her horse travel across the dome (Ymer's skull) of heaven at night, and Dagr does during the day.


Third Letter to Norman Giles:

n the beginning there was only Night, and She was alone. Being was absolute, movement was there none. Being force without form, She desired form, and since She desired, that form was created .. Woman. Being Woman, She desired union, and created Man from Her North side.

Having created Man, She discovered love, and so all things began. Here was the first of all sins, Desire. From desire sprang all movement, all Life, all Time, all Death, joy and sorrow alike.

From the Gods came seven children, who created seven worlds to rule over, and they formed a halo about the Great Gods as seven stars. They also created Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and gave these lands to four of the seven Gods. These Gods each live in a separate land bounded by the great Gulf of Annwn, which is the land of Chaos, and unredeemed souls.

Third Letter to Norman Giles:

He guards, as a rider upon an eight-legged horse, the approaches to the Castle of Night.

Night holds an important place in Cochrane's beliefs.  Night was the first being, Feri's Star Goddess, from whom all things came.  There was no movement, so Night sat in Stillness, Hacah in Damam.  From Desire comes the Cauldron, all movement.  Interestingly, Odin guards the approach to her castle.


On Hereditary Italian Witchcraft (The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum):

EPODE 5 : "...Night and Diana, who command silence when secret mysteries are performed, now aid me: now turn your vengeance and influence against my enemies' house..."

On Hereditary Italian Witchcraft (The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum):

1390 AD: A woman was tried by the Milanese Inquisition for belonging to the "Society of Diana", she confessed to worshipping the "goddess of Night" and stated that "Diana" bestowed blessings on her

On Hereditary Italian Witchcraft (The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum):

The Goddess rules the Night, and the Moon is Her sacred symbol. All women are linked to Her through the Moon, which influences the flow of blood. The night is the essence of the mystery which all women possess. This is the elusive quality which all women bear, but can never be known, or touched upon. The desire of men for women, is the desire of God for Goddess. It is the attraction of the Life Force.

On Hereditary Italian Witchcraft (The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum):

NOX: Goddess of the Night. Nox rules the Darkness which falls upon the Earth, and all within it. She is the sister of Umbria, and shares her associations (except for the Underworld connection). Nox can be a bit on the sinister side if care is not taken.

Night, personified by Nox, the Italian (and Roman) version of Nyx, and ruled by Diana also takes a central place in Italian Witchcraft.  And the first verse links both to Hacah as Secret, as well.

~Muninn's Kiss

As I mentioned, Hacah is Night, both from gematria and as Silence of Sight.  Greek myth includes a unique perspective on Night.

Most Greek myths agree that Chaos was the first god.  Chaos means gaping void, and it was only later that it came to be seen as a chaotic mixture of the four elements.  Chaos isn't clearly male or female, but seems more female than male.  Chaos is Air, the Atmosphere existing today between the Heavens (Uranus) and the Earth (Gaia).

Most stories show Gaia as the next god(dess).  Gaia is the Earth itself.  Some say the Mother of All came out of Chaos, others that she formed below Chaos.  The former is the most accepted version.  Chaos also gives birth to Tartarus (the Underworld), Uranus (the heavens above Gaia), and Eros (Erotic Love) in these stories.  Eros gets Uranus to give his seed (rain) to Gaia, and creation begins in earnest.

The next four gods were Nyx (Night), Erebus (Darkness), Aether (Light), and Hemera (Day).  Erebus is the Darkness that fills the space between Gaia and Tartarus.  It is said that an anvil dropped from Uranus would fall for nine days through Chaos to Gaia, and one dropped from Gaia would fall for nine days through Erebus to Tartarus.  Each dusk, Nyx draws Erebus out to cover Aether and Hemera.  Some versions say Chaos gave birth to all four.  Others say she gave birth to Nyx and Erebus, who gave birth to Aether and Hemera.  Nyx and Erebus always come first, however.

There is another version of the story, the Orphic myth.  In it, Chaos, Nyx, Erebus, and Tartarus are the first, the children of Phanes, who was freed from an egg by Kronos (Time) and Ananke (Inevitability).  Nyx lays an egg in Erebus.  From it comes Eros.  One half of the shell became Uranus and the other became Gaia.  Eros made them fall in love, and the rest is history.

Nyx is an interesting goddess, shadowy and illusive.  Not a lot is known about her.  It's generally accepted that she has black wings like a raven, and black hair.  She has tremendous power.  Her children include Momus (Blame), Ponos (Toil), Moros (Fate or Doom), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Charon (the boatman to Tartarus), the Oneiroi (the tribe of dreams), the Hesperides (nymphs), the Keres (Fates of Death) and Fates, Nemesis (Retribution), Apate (Deception), Philotes (Friendship), Geras (Old Age), and Eris (Strife).  Other sources include Styx (one of the rivers surrounding Tartaus), Epiphron (Prudence or Care), Lyssa (Madness), and Phanes.  Each day, she and Erebus return to Tartarus while Hemera takes Aether up into Chaos.

Nyx, both by bringing the Darkness and Night, and by her children, has a great impact on the world.  So, too, with Silence.  Silence, like Nyx, is very powerful, having the power to change the world.  It can lead to Madness or Friendship, Sleep or Old Age.  With Silence, we begin to control our own Fate and make it into Destiny.  Embracing the Night, Nyx, is embracing Silence.  Embracing Silence brings the whole power of Nyx into our lives.

~Muninn's Kiss

Silence isn't only something you manifest.  It is also something you experience.  Silence is the lack of stimulation from outside, or from inside.  The lack of stimulation from inside is Stillness, and results in you manifesting Silence.  The lack of external stimulation is the Silence you experience.

When you experience Silence, your mind tries to compensate, since it is so used to getting input.  The "sound of silence" is the sounds your mind creates to help you cope with the lack.  Stillness and Silence occur when you match the external Silence with an internal Silence.  The Illusionary sounds then fade and vanish, leaving you with true Silence.

Silence isn't just about hearing.  Silence of sight is Night and Darkness.  We see things in the dark the same way we hear things in the Silence.  Part of practising Stillness and Silence is blocking out these images as well.  The same things can be said for a lack of smells, a lack of tastes, a lack of feeling.  We need to learn to see the lack as as important as the sensations, to embrace the lack, for in the lack comes the abundance of the Divine.

~Muninn's Kiss

Hacah is pronounced hä·sä', and is spelled Heh, Samech, Heh (הסה).  It means "to hush, to command to be silent, hush, keep silence, be silent, hold peace, hold tongue, still".

In gematria, Hacah is 5 (Heh) + 60 (Samech) + 5 (Heh) = 70.  70 is also ליל, Night, and סוד, Secret.  Both of these involve Silence.  The most Silent time is just before dawn, while Night still reins.  A Secret is only kept with Silence.  70 reduces to 7, which is is Zayin, the Weapon or the Arm.  Zayin is active, so this implies Silence being active.  You choose to be Silent, you become Silent.  Silence doesn't just happen.  Zayin is also about Will and Desire, Kavanah.  Silence isn't just active, it's Intentional.  You have to Desire Silence, and Intentionally seek it.  Zayin is crowned.  It is the Husband crowned by the Wife.  Hacah is Shiflut crowned by Kavanah.  It is Kavanah of Shiftlut, Awareness of Lowliness.  For out of that Awareness, we realize we have nothing to say, so we are Silent and wait for the Divine to give us Words.

Hacah is spelled Heh, Samech, Heh.  Heh is the Breathe, and the Window.  Samech is the Support, and the Circle, the Cycle.  Both meanings of each letter reveals something about Silence.  Hacah is Breathe Supporting Breathe.  It's two Breathes, one coming in, one going out, in perfect balance.  This balance of breathing out and breathing in result in Silence.  It is a Window Supporting a Window.  It is through the dual vision, two Windows, that true Prophecy comes.  One Window is Shiflut, and the other is Kavanah.  Kavanah Supports Shiflut.  These result in Silence, from which Prophecy comes.  Breathe Cycles through Breathe.  Each Breathe leads to the next.  Awareness, Kavanah, of this Breathe is Silence.  Slow Breathe after slow Breathe is Silence, Supported by Stillness, Damam.  Windows all in a row, as a Cycle, though each reveals what is behind it, the whole Cycle hides, keeping the Secret, keeping Silence.

If Damam is internal, Hacah is external.  Silence is outward Stillness.  People can see Stillness only by it's effects, but Silence is obvious to the outside world.  The world is noisy.  Silence is not.  Silence is hard to find in the outside world, so, when we are Silent, that Silence is louder than the noise.  Silence shouts against the contrast of noise.

If Damam is the root of visions and dreams, and of actions, Hacah is the root of Prophecy and of True Words.  Words that don't come from Silence are just noise, but out of Silence comes True Words, which are living Truth, Prophecy.  Prophecy is the Words of the Divine, power put into Words.  Prophecy spoke the world onto being, out of the Silence that come before.  Silence became Prophecy, and that Prophecy caused Stillness to become Action.  Prophecy is necessary to bring Action out of Stillness, just as Kavanah is necessary to bring Silence out of Shiflut.  Kavanah impregnates Shiflut, and Silence comes.  Kavanah impregnates Silence and Prophecy comes.  Prophecy impregnates Damam and Action comes.

If Damam is related to the Dance, Stillness and Action, Action and Stillness, Hacah can be seen in the Song.  With normal talking, Silence is the lack of Words.  It isn't part of the whole, but a break.  But in Song, the Silences between notes are as important as the notes themselves.  Song is a Dance in sound.  Silence is the sound of Stillness, and Prophecy is the sound of Action.  As in the Dance, both the Silence and the notes are needed to make the Song.

If Damam is Waiting and Expectation, Silence is Listening to the Divine.  We can't hear if we don't Listen.  Silence is the outward response to the inner Waiting.  We sit Waiting and Listening in the presence of the Divine.  Sometime the Divine speaks and we respond.  This is Prophecy and Action.  But sometimes we continue Waiting, continue Listening, because the time isn't right yet.

Hacah cannot be achieved without Shilfut, Kavanah, and Damam.  To find Silence, first think about Shiflut.  Think of yourself in relation to the Divine.  Compared to the Infinite, what are you?  With Awareness of this, Silence comes.  But Silence can't be maintained without Stillness.  Silence must lead to Stillness, or our minds wander and Silence breaks down into simply not talking.  External Silence must become internal Stillness.  When it does, Silence continues.  So, to find and maintain Silence, first seek an Awareness of Lowliness, then follow the exercise to find Stillness.  Wait in this place.  With practice, all four elements become one.  Shiflut, Kavanah, Hacah, and Damam occur simultaneously.  This is the goal.

~Muninn's Kiss

Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle (Page 4):

The equivalent of external noise is the inner noise of thinking.   The equivalent of external silence is inner stillness.

Whenever there is some silence around you -- listen to it.  That means just notice it.  Pay attention to it.  Listening to silence awakens the dimension of stillness within yourself, because it is only through stillness that you can be aware of silence.

See that in the moment of noticing the silence around you, you are not thinking.  You are aware, but not thinking.

When I started looking as Shiflut and Kavanah, Hacah and Damam, I thought of Kavanah and Damam as external, leading to external actions, and Shiflut and Hacah as internal, leading to internal words.  When I first read this entry, I wasn't sure what to think.  Digging deeper, I realized I had it backwards.  Lowliness and Silence, along with words, are external, because they relate to things external.  Intention and Stillness, along with actions, are internal, because they relate to things internal.

Awareness is Kavanah.  Awareness of Silence, Kavanah of Hacah, brings us to Damam.  Kavanah of Hacah is not Damam, but it leads us to Damam.

Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle (Page 6):

Silence is helpful, but you don't need it in order to find stillness.  Even when there is noise, you can be aware of the stillness underneath the noise, of the space in which the noise arises.  That is the inner space of pure awareness, consciousness itself.

You can be aware of awareness as the background to all your sense perceptions, all your thinking.  Becoming aware of awareness is the arising of inner stillness.

Awareness of Awareness is Kavanah of Kavanah.  Kavanah of Kavanah is Stillness, Damam.  As we become Intentional, we become aware that we are Intentional.  This brings us to Damam, Stillness.

Kavanah of Shiflut, Awareness of Lowliness, is Hacah, Silence, for when we are Aware of and Intentional in remembering we are Lowly, we know our own words will never be enough, so we step into Hacah, and are Silent, waiting for words that are not our own.  This is the essence of Prophecy.

~Muninn's Kiss

There are several words in Hebrew for silence and stillness.  Most of the time, the words can be translated either.  Many have the connotation of stilling or silencing people by force.  Two, however, fit the concepts I am looking at well.  One is Damam and the other is Hacah.  I think Damam works well for the concept of Stillness I am searching for, and Hacah works well for Silence, though both can be translated either way.  Both are considered primitive roots.

Damam is pronounced dä·man' and is spelled with a Daleth and two Mems (דמם).  It means "to be silent or to be still", and is usually translated as "to be silent, be still, wait, be dumb, grow dumb".  In the Tanakh, it is used many times.  A few verses I'd like to look at are Joshua 10:13, Job 29:20, Psalm 4:4, and Psalm 62:5.

Hacah is pronounced hä·sä', and is spelled Heh, Samech, Heh (הסה).  It means "to hush, to command to be silent, hush, keep silence, be silent, hold peace, hold tongue, still".  This word is used eight times in the Tanahk.  I'd like to look at Habakkak 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7, and Zechariah 2:13.

I'll look at the verses in later posts, and look at these two words in more detail.

~Muninn's Kiss