With Two He Was Flying

'With two he was flying' is a fragment from the prophet Isaiah's vision of the seraphim in the Temple (Isaiah 6:2). The full verse describes each seraph as having six wings: 'with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.' This phrase captures the third pair of wings, dedicated to flight, representing the seraph's active, mobile service in the divine presence.

Position on the Tree of Life

In the context of Liber 777, this phrase is assigned to the eighth Sephirah, Hod (Splendor), on the Tree of Life. Hod corresponds to the sphere of Mercury, intellect, and communication, where the angelic function of flight may symbolize the swift transmission of divine will or the dynamic interplay of ideas between the higher and lower worlds.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Hod is linked to the planet Mercury, which governs movement, speed, and communication. The image of a seraph flying with two wings aligns with Mercury's swift, winged messenger archetype, emphasizing the role of angels as intermediaries who traverse the spiritual and material realms.

Historical Context

The phrase originates in the Hebrew Bible, specifically the Book of Isaiah (6:1-3), a text dating to the 8th century BCE. The seraphim (from the Hebrew saraph, meaning 'to burn') are fiery, six-winged beings attending God's throne. In Jewish mysticism, particularly the Hekhalot literature and later Kabbalah, the seraphim are among the highest angelic orders, associated with divine fire and purity. The specific detail of 'with two he was flying' emphasizes their role as celestial servants, not merely static worshippers but active agents of God's presence. In Christian exegesis, this vision influenced angelology, with the six wings symbolizing the complete covering of human imperfection (face and feet) and the freedom of divine service (flight). In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, this verse was adapted into the angelic correspondences of the Yetziratic world, where each phrase of Isaiah 6:2-3 was assigned to a Sephirah, linking the seraphim's actions to specific spheres on the Tree of Life.

In Liber 777

In Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, the phrase 'with two he was flying' appears in Table XCII, column 'The Angelic Functions in the World of Yetzirah,' at step 8 (Hod). It represents the active, communicative aspect of the seraphim within the Yetziratic world, the formative plane of creation, where angels shape and transmit divine energy. This cell stands as a concise symbol of the seraph's dynamic role in the cosmic hierarchy.