The Path of the Nose and Mouth^[credits]

(The 14th Path on the Tree of Life)

On the Tree of Life, both the internal and external structures of the nose and mouth are attributed to the 14th path, which also corresponds with the Empress tarot card and the letter Daleth. The primary concern of both the nose and mouth are the act of breathing. Many (even most!) systems of spiritual development attest to the importance of learning to breath properly, or in a particular way. Often at the beginning of exercises, particularly in groups, I make a joke, telling the participants not to try breathing in any special yogic way but just allowing their own breath to enter and exit the body easily at its own rate. Of course, the hidden joke in this is that this is the most esoteric way to breathe! And, interestingly, it is the most difficult.

For all breathing exercises, unless otherwise told to do something different, it is a good idea to keep your breathing connected: that means, as soon as all your breath is out, you breathe in, and as soon as it is all in, your breathe out. (That is, there are no gaps or stops between your in and out breaths.) Spend a few minutes now just breathing, letting the air enter your body, fill your lungs, then pass out again easily, without effort. As you do so, pay particular attention to any holding patterns that you become aware of in your body. Now place a hand on your belly and breathe in a way that causes your belly to expand and push your hand away; then as you breathe out, feel your belly contract and at the end of the breath use your hand to just lightly push your belly in (and, as it were, the remainder of the air out). Then as you breathe in again feel your belly expand and push your hand outwards. Continue breathing like this for a few minutes.

Now place your hand on your chest and do the same, feeling your in and out breath alternately push your hand away and fall under the (light!) pressure of your hand. Do you habitually breathe from your chest or belly? Dont judge one better than the other, but notice which is your habitual pattern. Whether you usually breath from your belly or chest, consider the other (i.e. if you tend to chest breathe, then consider your belly and vice versa). What might you be holding onto in this part of your body?

Now breathe in the fullest way you can for a few minutes. As you breathe in, first feel your belly expand then your chest until you feel completely full of air in your whole body. Then effortlessly let the air out until you feel empty, and repeat the process. Do at least 20 of these full breaths and note any particular effects, immediately and for a short while afterwards.

There are a series of breathing exercises that connect different patterns of breathing with the five elements of spirit, fire, water, air and earth. There are different versions of this, but try experimenting with the following:

After preparation, do a walking meditation in which you practice these different ways of breathing. Note any effects.

Apart from breathing, the nose and mouth are also concerned with the senses of smell and taste. It is said that a dog has somewhere in the order of 30 times stronger an olfactory sense than humans, and some (rather surprising) creatures, such as for instance a moth, have 30 times greater olfactory sense than a dog. Salmon are said to find their way from the depths of the ocean back to a distant river, to their original spawning ground, through their sense of smell! Smell and taste are chemical senses, receptors in the nose and tongue responding to chemical stimuli. It is interesting to note that smells entering the right nostril and tastes affecting the right side of the tongue pass to the parietal lobe of the opposite, left side of the cerebrum, and vice versa. This tells us something of the functioning of the 14th path in the Yetziratic and Assiatic worlds.

Another function of the mouth is for eating. Many of our psychological functions have a parallel with eating (and eating disorders are not just common, they are pretty well universal, to some degree or another, with all human beings.) Hes bitten off more than he can chew; she finds that hard to swallow; the idea of doing that stuck in my throat; chew on that for a while; come on, spit it out ... these and other similar well known phrases apparently originate from eating analogies but are used to describe psychic functioning.

The Mass of the Holy Ghost, or the sacramental supper, involves the imbibing of commingled male and female essences. To smell, taste, and ingest this elixir is said to confer magical powers and be the true meaning of the stone of the wise or elixir of life. The particular charge of the elixir is varied through the particular state of the emanations involved, for both the male and female. Kalas are described as the female emanations (or vaginal juices). Kala is a Sanskrit word meaning star and also perfume. At different times of the month (the cycle of existence) the kalas vary (after menopause as well as before.) This is true also for male scent and bodily fluids. The perfect elixir is said to be sweet smelling like the finest honey, and is the closest human equivalent to the emanations that pour from one sphere to the next on the Tree of Life in the creative process. This has particular relevance to the 14th Path which, joining as it does Chockmah and Binah, can be considered the primary holding force of the universe. Treat your breathing, smelling, and tasting with the same significance, and come to your senses!

Article first appeared in Phantasmagora Journal, 2000

Article by Will Parfitt

Will Parfitt trained in Psychosynthesis and has more than thirty years experience of working with personal and spiritual development. He is a registered psychotherapist with the UKCP and leads training courses in England and Europe. He has a private practice in Glastonbury, where he lives, offering psychotherapy, mentoring, coaching and professional supervision. Will is author of several books including 'Kabbalah for Life' and 'Psychosynthesis: The Elements and Beyond'.

For coaching, supervision, spiritual companionship, mentoring or psychotherapy with Will Parfitt contact: will@willparfitt.com

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