Question re: Lo Shu #2

[imagenerator]

When I look at the Book of Mirrors, sometimes things are unclear, or I get hung up on technicalities and I feel the need to clarify things, so I will be taging these types of entries with [nitpik].

Concerning this from Lo Shu #2:
This formula is well known to those familiar with his work and is the formula VIAOV, which then runs I-A-O to vertical triangles (pronounced ee - ah - oh) with V-V at arms (pronounced oh - oh). Why is the V pronounced the same as the O. If they are being used with mantric intent, I would think they should be distinct in some way or another.

I am also interested in the reasoning behind the choice of these letters, but maybe that should be left up to my own investigation ...

[m1thr0s]

It happens that the V (vau) sometimes stands in for an O (a'ayin) both numerically and in terms of pronunciation. I am not entirely sure when or where that got started or why to tell you the truth...I would have to track it down. It may simply be that there is a very strong correlation to the Hebrew IAV and the Gnostic IAO, with not much more than that attached.

There is nothing etched in stone as regarding pronunciations of the V (vau)...at least not from a Hermetic standpont. I would suggest trying it both ways and see what works best for you.

Perhaps others will have other insights on this as well...

m1thr0s

[fr.novumorganum]

any any sense of the 'real' pronunciation of real ancient hebrew is pure speculation. its a matter of proper vibrations if you ask me, and they can vary from person to person.

[Anibis]

It's unnecessary to tag these things as 'nitpiks', Imagenerator. Technical questions are encouraged by this site. We don't consider this 'nitpicking'.
-Ibisis

[imagenerator]

I have found my preference to be using a sound that differentiates the V from the O. m1thr0s, thanks for reminding me of my responsability to suit my practice pragmatically. Ibisis, I see you point; thanks for the adjustment.

[m1thr0s]

I have found my preference to be using a sound that differentiates the V from the O. m1thr0s, thanks for reminding me of my responsability to suit my practice pragmatically. Ibisis, I see you point; thanks for the adjustment.ok, well, feel free to share your insights any time you like...I think that there are very few occasions left where I do not pronounce the Vau like an O, probably because I have very few occasions to speak in any kind of formal Hebrew verbalization anyway. Curiously, I still "think" the Vau as distinct from the O in application, particularly where both might appear in the same formula such as in VIAOV. I believe that this difference in "thinking" it differently also has a very slight impact in vocalization although it is so slight as to be barely audible at all to most people's ears...

The Chinese have something like 19 different ways of intoning the word "pi" (almost always actually pronounced pee), some of which would take a very trained ear to distinguish, yielding very different meanings. so it is something akin to this.

m1thr0s