31 bis is a supplementary Key Scale number in Liber 777, representing the Qliphothic or unbalanced counterpart of Path 31 (Shin). The Latin suffix bis (meaning “twice” or “second”) marks it as a secondary, inverted aspect of the 31st path—a shell rather than a luminous channel.

Position on the Tree of Life

The standard Key Scale enumerates the 32 Paths of Wisdom (1–10 for the Sephiroth, 11–32 for the connecting paths). 31 bis does not correspond to any of these original paths; it is an extra step inserted between 31 and 32. In the Qabalistic cosmology of Liber 777, such “bis” numbers designate the Qliphoth—the “husks” or unbalanced residues that form when a sephirah or path is severed from divine unity. Thus 31 bis occupies the same structural position as Path 31 but on the reverse, obstructive side of the Tree.

Historical context

The use of “bis” entries in the Key Scale originates with Aleister Crowley’s expansion of the traditional 32‑path system to include the Qliphothic correspondences. In Liber 777, each standard path (e.g., 31 = Shin, the element of Fire/Spirit) receives a corresponding shell (31 bis = the Qliphoth of Shin). This shell is associated with the demonic order, evil spirits, or unbalanced forces that oppose the path’s divine function. The practice of appending bis, ter, etc., to a number was borrowed from European scholastic notation (e.g., “31 bis” meaning “31 second”) and applied systematically to the Key Scale to create a complete table of both holy and unholy correspondences.

Crowley drew on earlier Qabalistic sources—particularly the Zohar and the works of Knorr von Rosenroth—which already described the Qliphoth as ten (or more) counter‑sephiroth. By assigning them specific numbers in the Key Scale, Liber 777 made it possible to cross‑reference the Qliphoth with the same columns (gods, plants, planets, etc.) used for the holy paths, but with inverted or destructive values. 31 bis thus appears in the same row as its corresponding shell, allowing the magician to quickly locate the demonic equivalent of any given path.

In Liber 777

In the Key Scale column of Table I, 31 bis is listed immediately after 31 and before 32. It carries no separate astrological or planetary attribution of its own; rather, it inherits the correspondences of Path 31 but in their Qliphothic form. The row tags are empty, indicating that 31 bis is a pure numerical placeholder for the shell of Shin. When consulting other columns of the same row, the practitioner finds the demon, evil spirit, or unbalanced force that corresponds to the 31st path’s shadow.