LASTAL · M....M is a cryptic magical formula, its name a deliberate obscuration of a word or phrase that points to the ultimate mystery of the unmanifest. The first part, "LASTAL," is likely a variant or anagram of "LASTAL" itself, a name sometimes associated with a demonic or chthonic force in certain grimoire traditions, but here it is elevated to a formula of the highest abstraction. The second part, "M....M," is a deliberate blanking, a sigil of omission that suggests a name too sacred or too formless to be fully written—a placeholder for the ineffable. Together, they represent a formula of absolute negation and potential, the silence before the Word.

Position on the Tree of Life

This formula corresponds to the 0 (Three Zeros) step, which is not a sephirah on the Tree of Life but the dimensionless point above Kether, the Ain Soph Aur (the Limitless Light) or even the Ain (Nothing). It is the state of pure, undifferentiated being before any emanation, the void from which all things arise. In this context, LASTAL · M....M is the formula of that pre-creative abyss, a name for the unnameable source.

Historical context

The formula LASTAL appears in various occult contexts, often as a name of a spirit or a power of the Qliphoth, the "shells" or unbalanced forces. In the system of the 777 correspondences, its placement at the 0 step elevates it from a mere demonic title to a symbol of the ultimate, unmanifest reality that precedes and underlies all creation. The obscuring of the second part with dots ("M....M") is a common magical technique to veil a name of power, preventing its misuse and acknowledging that the ultimate formula cannot be fully captured in language. This aligns with the Kabbalistic concept of the Ein Sof, which is beyond all attributes and names. The formula thus serves as a bridge between the silence of the absolute and the first stirrings of manifestation, a key to the mystery of how the One becomes the Many.

In the table of Liber 777, LASTAL · M....M stands at the zero step, a solitary and paradoxical entry. It is the formula of the unmanifest, the seed of all other formulas that follow on the Tree of Life. Its very obscurity is its power, reminding the magician that the highest truth is not spoken but known in silence.