words
“Words were originally magic and to this day words have retained much of their ancient magical power.” — Sigmund Freud
Certain sounds that we are using may be associated with ancient spiritual powers as they resonate with the millions of voices who have spoken, sung, or chanted through the millennia… even if our language is not the same, even if our words are not the same, the words and sounds can only point toward the essence of sacred experience.
Like a great tree… I think of the Tree of Life… words have both root and branch meanings. They are interwoven. Indeed, they form a network like a multi-dimensional web through time, like a great fabric of reality. Words are a series of sounds whose waves of vibration exert a particular, predictable resonance or synchronization effect on nearby waves in the fabric. In the magical incantations of the Egyptians not only the name but every spoken word had its supernatural effect. Nothing could come into being before its name had been uttered.
The exact rhythm and intonation of an ancient druidic incantation was never committed to paper because it was necessary to verbalize it orally in order to teach it to succeeding generations of druids. In biblical times, “mighty in words” means not only that Moses (an Egyptian) knew the words of power but also that he was able to utter them with the correct intonation, which is a supremely important detail essential to spoken spells.
To one who understands the sense of speech
The world unveils
Its image form.To one who listens to the soul of speech
The world unfolds
Its true being.To one who lives in the spirit depths of speech
The world gives freely
Wisdom’s strength.To one who lovingly can dwell on speech
Speech will accord
Its inner might.So I will turn my heart and mind
Toward the soul
And spirit of words.In love for them
I will then feel myself
Complete and whole.Rudolf Steiner, The Genius of Language (.pdf), 1919
[From a comment I made on one of R.W. Dean’s poems.]
