Kabbalah
and the Hermetic Tradition
by Mark Stavish, M.A.
The history of Kabbalah is filled with many personalities and events that
have shaped not only the development of Kabbalah over the centuries, but
Hermeticism as well. While often lost to antiquity, or only remembered by
the disciples of their particular schools, it is important to look at some
of these illustrious and influential individuals and their contributions
to esoteric thought if we are to have a broader and more complete picture
of Europe's spiritual development.
Kabbalah, as most readers know, comes from Hebrew and is generally translated
as "tradition" or "received oral tradition". It is the
unwritten mystical and magical aspects of Judaism that run parallel to the
written rules, laws, and rituals of exoteric Jewish thought and philosophy.
What is not generally know however, is that although it existed prior, the
word "kabbalah" didn't come into use until the 12th or 13th century
to designate the esoteric and mystical thoughts and practices of Jewish
philosophy. It was about this time, that Kabbalah, as we understand it,
with the Tree of Life and all the sepheroth, also came into being. Like
the word that denotes these studies, the Tree of Life also has roots in
older traditions and practices. While many schools of kabbalah were, and
some still are, exclusively Jewish in orientation, as time went on many
were adapted to the Christian world as well as influenced by other schools
of mystical and esoteric activity.
Isaac the Blind, a pivotal figure in the study of early 13th century kabbalistic
philosophy and ritual studied not only Jewish, but also early Greek, and
Christian Gnostic writings, as well as the writing of a Sufi sect at Basra,
the Brethren of Sincerity. Isaac the Blind was the leader of the influential
Provencal schools of his day. Another key figure in early kabbalistic development
was the 14th century Spanish scholar Abraham Abulafia of Saragossa. Said
to have been of messianic proportions, Abulafia traveled the Middle East
and North Africa and returned with certain yogic techniques of posture,
breathing, and rhythmic prayer, and introduced them to his disciples in
a new kabbalistic structure.
It is important to note that some of the most profound leaps in human consciousness
took place during this period when Europe was in the last death throws of
the Dark Ages. Yet despite the ignorance and intolerance that existed in
Europe north of the Pyrenees Mountains, in Spain a mystical revival was
taking place in a period of Arab ecumenical tolerance. While Christians
and Muslims were fighting wars for the political and spiritual control of
the Middle East and Spain, Jewish intellectuals rose to positions of power
and influence in the Arab empire.
This "Golden Age" of Medieval Judaism peaked in Arab occupied
Spain and contributed some of the most profound Jewish mystical philosophers
since the period of the Prophets in the Old Testament. Moses ben Maimon,
the preeminent commentator on classical Jewish writings, Solomon ben-Gabirol,
and Moses of Cordoba, the author, or more likely editor of the Sepher Zohar
come from this period. The Zohar, or Book of Illumination, along with the
Sepher Yetzirah (Book of Formation), forms the basis for all kabbalistic
speculation, meditation, and ritual. Its commentaries on Biblical lore are
a never ending storehouse of wisdom for students of Western mysticism. It
is because of these activities in Spain, in the region of Catalonia in particular,
and Provencal in Southern France, that Kabbalah grew into one of the most
powerful and influential mystical philosophies in Western history.
This is also important to mystical students because it is from Arab Spain
that the West gets much of its knowledge of Alchemy, and Ritual Magic, the
sisters of Kabbalah. Together, these three schools formed the basis for
Hermetic philosophy and practices as mentioned in the early Rosicrucian
manifestoes: the Fama Fraternitatis, the Confessio Fraternitatis, and The
Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz. For many students of mysticism,
the pilgrimage to these schools was as great and as dangerous as their forbearers
had made to the temples of Egypt and Persia. Raymond Lull, Arnold of Villanova,
and the famed French mystic, alchemist, and Rosicrucian Nicolas Flamel,
bookseller turned patron of cathedrals, all received their initiations into
the Hermetic sciences, of which Kabbalah is a part, in Spain and brought
it to the rest of Europe.
Thus, the idea of a pure unchanging stream of kabbalistic thought and technique
having been handed down to Adam and existing to this day, as perpetuated
by some Jewish and Hermetic schools, is mythology or foolishness. It is
even suggested by some scholars that while Kabbalah has its roots in earlier
Jewish mystical practices, particularly Mercavah, or Chariot mysticism,
its ideas were entirely novel to the period of the 12th and 13th centuries.
All things in nature change and adapt, kabbalah is one of these changing
and evolving creations.
A perfect example of this change is the Christianization of kabbalistic
ideas by mystics who sought to preserve the early Jewish writings when they
were in danger of being destroyed by the Inquisition, as well as find practical
uses for what was contained within them. For this reason a kind of Christian
Kabbalah (often spelled cabala) developed in the 15th century. It had as
its goal the harmonization of Kabbalah with Christian doctrines, and found
ripe justification for the Christian Doctrine of the Trinity in the Kabbalah's
first three sepheroth, or "Holy Upper Trinity".
The two primary sources for "Christianized Cabala" were the writings
of 'conversio' Jews in Spain (sometimes called "crypto-jews"),
or Jews who converted to Catholicism, and the Platonic Academy, supported
by the Medicis, in Florence.
Those writing from Jewish converts in Spain that most effected Kabbalah's
development began at the end of the 13th century and lasted until the Jewish
"Diasphora" from Spain in 1492. Writers such as Abner of Burgos
and, Paul de Heredia secretly wrote several Christian Cabalistic works in
the name of Judah ha-Nasi and other famous mystical authors. Two of their
most famous texts are, Iggeret ha-Sodot and Galei Rezaya. Other works were
put out in Spain until the end of the 15th century by Jewish converts, often
imitating the styles of other well known and respected works, such as the
Zohar. However, such imitation was common and accepted in that period, and
in itself is not enough to doubt the integrity of the author involved.
The Florentine schools had a greater impact than the writings of Jewish
writers in Spain. While the Spanish texts were often translated and to a
greater or lesser degree available, they won few if any converts from Judaism
to Christianity, or from Christianity to the effectiveness of the Kabbalah.
The Florentine school developed the belief that an indisputable source for
the validation of Christianity, and neo-Platonic, Pythagorean, and Orphic
thought was discovered in Kabbalah. Also, they believed that in Kabbalah,
the long, lost secrets of the Catholic, and possibly original Christian
faith, had been rediscovered. The principle founder of this Christian Cabalistic
school was Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94). This young genius began
his kabbalistic studies in 1486 at the age of 23, and had a large selection
of kabbalistic material translated into Latin by Samuel ben Nissim who was
himself a convert to Catholicism. Pico later had Raymond Moncada, known
as Flavius Mithridates, translate for him as well. Among his 900 theses
that he publicly displayed for debate in Rome included the statement, "no
science can better convince us of the divinity of Jesus Christ than magic
and the Kabbalah," thus bringing the Kabbalah to many in the Christian
world for the first time.
The Church's reaction was one of fierce opposition and rejection to this
and other propositions made by Pico. The public debate Pico wanted was guaranteed.
Kabbalah now became the principle discussion in the Christian intellectual
world, as it was seen as an otherwise unknown Jewish esoteric doctrine that
had been overlooked or lost completely. Christian Platonists in Germany,
Italy, and France quickly attached themselves to Pico's school of thought.
Pico's works also caused Johannes Reuchlin, the famed Christian Hebrew scholar,
to undertake kabbalistic studies, publishing two books on it as a result
- De Verbo Mirifico (On the Miracle-Working Name, 1494) and De Arte Cabalistica
(on the Science of the Kabbalah, 1517).
Between the publishing of Reuchlin's Verbo and Arte, a number of works appeared
from the pen of Paul Ricius. Ricius was himself a convert to Catholicism,
as well as the physician to Emperor Maximilian, and had a reputation for
being erudite. Ricius took the ideas of Pico and Reuchlin and added to them
his own conclusions based upon kabbalistic and Christian sources, forming
a doctrine of the "Divine Name" and its relationship to world
history.
According to Ricius, all of world history could be divided into three stages
based upon the names of God found in the Bible. The first period was the
natural period where God reveals himself through the three lettered Divine
Name Shaddai (The Strong). The second phase is the Torah period, were God
reveals to Moses the Divine Name of four letters, the Tetragrammaton, or
YHVH. The final period, or period of grace and redemption, God reveals the
Tetragrammaton plus the fifth letter shin, or the letter of the Logos (Christ),
spelling Yehoshua or the Cabalistic rendition of Jesus, name. Thus, the
name of Jesus, or the Miraculous Name, become the pronounceable name of
the previously unpronounceable YHVH. To support his argument, Ricius used
medieval manuscripts in which Jesus' name was abbreviated JHS, the Jewish-kabbalistic
doctrine of three world ages (Chaos, Torah, Messiah), and the similar doctrine
of Joachiam of Fiore, who proposed a reign, or age, of the Father, Son,
and finally, the Holy Spirit. Many of these concepts, particularly the significance
of shin in the Divine Name, and the Reign of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit)
would play a significant part in the development of 19th and early 20th
century French (Levi and his successors) occult schools and their philosophies.
What makes the writings of Pico and Reuchlin significant, is that they placed
for the first time the kabbalah in the broader cultural and theological
context of Christian (principally Catholic) Europe and its intelligentsia.
Their focus on "Divine Names," practical or magical kabbalah,
and the synthesis of Christian doctrine with kabalistic philosophy and speculation,
became the zeitgeist of the era.
During this period, the most influential of all magical-mystical kabbalistic
texts that came from the newly formed Christo-centric cabalistic tradition
that was forming, was Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim's De Occulta Philosophia
(1531) in four volumes. This series of works on practical kabbalah was an
encyclopedia of all the known occult and magical lore of the day. It is
from these works, that much of the Christian world received its information
regarding magical and numerological associations with kabbalah.
Other Christian thinkers sought to reconcile this lack of mastery of principle
kabbalistic source materials during the 16th century by returning to the
Hebrew and Latin originals. While the primary goal was to further prove
the connection between Christianity and mystical Judaism, the end result
was a broader intellectual understanding of Hebraic studies. Two of the
most prominent figures in this movement were Cardinal Egidio da Viterbo
(1465-1532) who was heavily influenced by the Zohar and Sefer ha-Temunah
in his writings Scechina and "On the Hebrew Letters", and Francesco
Giogio of Venice, (1460-1541) a Franciscan, the author of two large volumes
on kabbalah that were read extensively at their time, De Harmonia Mundi
(1525) and Problemata (1536). In both works the kabbalah was central to
the themes developed, and the Zohar, for the first time, was used en masse
in a work of Christian origin. Giogio's writings also elaborated extensively
on Pico's theses.
Among all of these scholars, the most influential, remembered, and closest
to the original Hebrew sources was Guillaume Postel (1510-1581). Postel,
a French mystic, translated into Latin the Zohar and Sefer Yetzirah before
they were publicly printed in Hebrew. His translations included mystical
annotations of his own theosophic philosophy as applied to kabbalah. His
publications also include a Latin commentary (1548) on the mystical symbolism
of the menorah, and eventually a Hebrew edition.
Throughout the 16th century Christian cabala focused its own internal theosophical
development, and not upon evangelizing among the Jewish populations of Europe.
However, such a cause could be justification enough for studies that might
otherwise get one arrested or killed. With the development of these increasingly
Christ-centric theosophical speculations, less and less time was spent with
original Hebrew sources or their Latin translations. One of the few exceptions
to this was Johann Albrecht Widmanstetter (1560-1557) who amassed a large
collection of kabbalistic source materials for his studies.
With the writings of Jacob Boehme and Knorr von Rosenroth in 17th century
Germany, Christian Cabala took a definite turn away from Hebrew source material,
a turn that would last for some time to come. While Rosenroth's Kabbalah
Denudata (1677-84) made much of the Zohar available to Christian readers
for the first time, his essay on the Adam Kadom and its relationship to
the 'primordial man Jesus' in Christian theology seemed to upstage the Zohar
in many respects. The essay appearing at the end of Denudata by the Dutch
theosophical speculator, Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont, is particularly
strong on this point. The essay is entitled "Adumbratio Kabbalae Christinae"
and is anonymously authored.
In England the 'Cambridge Platonists,' led by Henry More and Ralph Cudworth,
to made use of kabbalah for their own speculations, and found a link in
van Helmont for further Christianization of cabalistic philosophy. In Germany,
and later elsewhere, kabbalah had taken on a strongly 'Boehmian' character
as it found a strong similarity between Jacob Boehme's writings and those
of the various schools of kabbalah. While there is no historical connection
between the writings (and visions) of Boehme, this definite link would only
further remove Christian Cabala from its earlier tenuous connections with
Jewish kabbalah. Boehme's impact would extend into the writings of Louis-Claude
de Saint-Martin, just prior to the French Revolution, thus helping to change
the face of Continental mysticism and the later "French Occult Revival".
Christian Cabala almost from the start developed into what we now call the
Hermetic, or Alchemical Kabbalah, for lack of better terms, which sprang
out of the Hermetic schools in the Renaissance period. The goals of Hermetic
philosophy were to synthesize all of humanity's previous learning, particularly
the wisdom or sophia of the ancients, and present it in a single universal
philosophy (pansophia). This philosophy was the synthesis of four major
stands of thought and practice under the general heading of a form of mystical
Christianity. These four schools were Jewish Kabbalah, Hermetic literature,
neo-Platonic (Pythagorean) philosophy, and Gnosticism. In fact, the addition
of alchemical symbols and motifs to Christian Cabala began as early as the
16th century. Among the chief exponents of this movement in Elizabethan
England were Sir Francis Bacon, Elias Ashmole, Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666)
and the Rosicrucian apologist Robert Fludd (1574-1637). On the continent,
Blaise de Vigenere, Traite du Feu (1617), Heinrich Khunrath, Ampitheatrum
Sapientiae Aeternae (1609) typified this kind of permanent departure from
traditional Jewish literature and the formation of a completely separate
system of theosophy. By the mid-18th century, this departure would be complete
with the writings of F.C. Oetinger (1702-1782), the Opus Mago-Cabbalisticum
(1735) by Georg von Welling, and the virtual explosion of Masonic, and psuedo-masonic,
grades, degrees, rites, and orders.
The creation of Masonic and masonic-style systems was nowhere more virulent
than in 18th century France. Here, like in Germany, the nobility had an
almost insatiable appetite and gullibility for things mysterious and magico-mystical.
While many of the rites created were for the purpose of perpetuating the
true and authentic mysteries of hermeticism, either on their own or as an
addition to Freemasonry through the 'High Grades' system, many were also
created to simply fill the pockets of their self-appointed Hierophant or
Grand Master. The majority of these systems had little known lasting influence
outside of the period, or even the rooms where their 'initiations' and 'conventicles'
were held. However, one of these systems, that of Don Martinez Pasquales,
was different, and its impact on Western mysticism would be felt for centuries
to come.
The appearance of Martinez Pasquales upon the scene of French "Initiation"
was like that of many of his contemporaries: mysterious, of unknown origin,
filled with claims of supernatural contacts, and filled with Cabalistic
signs and symbols. Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, Pasquales'
influence would be a lasting one, and his system of magic, restoration,
and angelic communications was unique. Nothing of its kind had been revealed
to the world since the writings of Dr. Dee and Edward Kelly, and while definitively
Christian-Cabalistic in nature, nothing equal to it has been delivered since.
This is not to say that all other systems are inferior to Pasquales (or
even Dee), only that such uniqueness in thought and form comes around only
rarely.
Born in Grenoble, of Spanish descent, Martines Pasquales received his authority
to transmit the ancient teachings from his father, who was granted a Masonic
charter from Charles Stuart, "King of Scotland, Ireland, and England,"
dated May, 20, 1738. The power and authority of this charter was transmissible
upon death of the holder. As a result, Martines created a movement of distinct
masonic character, open only to Master Masons, and named it: Order of Knight
Mason, Elect Priests of the Universe, or Elus Cohen (Elect Priests).
While Pasquales' spiritual mission' officially began around 1758, he did
create a masonic chapter in Montpellier four years earlier. It was a year
later, in 1755, that the Elect Priests were officially founded in Bordeaux.
Paris was the site of the ventual Sovereign Tribunal in 1766, which had
among its members several prominent masons of the period. Avignon, Montpellier,
Metz, La Rochelle, Versailles, and Lyon were all sites of future Lodges
of the Order of Elus Cohen.
What made the Elus Cohen distinct from the masonic organizations it drew
its membership from, was it emphasis on ceremonial magic, or theurqy, for
the 'Reintegration' of humanity. The Martinist doctrine of Pasquales focused
around the 'Fall of Man' and its rectification. It's fundamental tenants
were:
1. Archetypal Man, or Adam Kadom, was emanated from God, and originally
dwelt on a high spiritual plane.
2. Through abuse of his 'free will' Adam Kadom 'fell'.
3. This originally unified being shattered into the many individual souls
that now exist.
4. The goal of humanity is to reintegrate itself with the original archetype,
thus achieving unity.
The Order of Elect Priests was divided into three principle parts, completed
by the secret grade of "Reau+Croix". The first group was composed
of those who went through the first three degrees of Craft Masonry, with
a complementary degree following; the second group contained the 'Porch
Degrees" of Cohen-Apprentice, Fellow-Cohen, and Master Cohen; the third
group was the Temple Degrees of: Grand Master Elect Cohen, Grand Architect
of Chevalier (Knight) d'Orient, and Grand Elu de Zorobabel.
Through rituals, often lasting up to six or more hours in length, in individual
and group work, each member of the Order was given the opportunity to communicate
with angelic beings, overcome demonic forces in the universe, manifest the
power of God, and "Reintegrate himself with the original Primordial
Adam. The Ladder of Spiritual Entities that each member had to contact and
become initiated into began with the Minor in Privation (worldly man), Reconciled
Minor (one who has begun the spiritual path), the Regenerated Minor, a transition
phase exists with the Elect Minor, and followed by the Superior and Major
Spirits of the Celestial Hierarchy, ending with God.
While the rites and rituals of the Elus Cohen are still practiced much as
they were two-hundred years ago (a lodge is still active in Paris) it was
through two of his disciple, who would take radically different paths, that
the legacy of Pasquales would be perpetuated. Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin
and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz.
Saint-Martin received his initiation into the Elus Cohen in 1786 while serving
as an officer in the French garrison at Bordeaux. He was 25 at the time,
and would later write, "It is to Martines Pasquales that I owe my introduction
to higher truths." His appreciation of his earlier Master would serve
him well, for unlike many who break from the tradition that gave them spiritual
birth, Saint-Martin was entirely grateful to Pasquales despite his later
philosophical disagreements.
After leaving the army in 1770 to devote himself to his esoteric research,
Saint-Martin became Pasquales' personal secretary. By 1777, however, three
years after the death of his Master, Saint-Martin moved away from the theurigic
practices of the Elus Cohen, claiming personal lack of 'talent' for the
operations, and entered into the realm of pure, abstract mysticism.
Soon afterwards, he became connected with the 'Order of Unknown Philosophers'
and quickly became a teaching force within its ranks, traveling often to
establish contacts, study groups, and convey initiations throughout Europe.
Claiming connection with an ancient Order, dating back to 1643 of a 'Rosicrucian
character' and having Heinrich Khunrath, Alexander Sethon, Sendivogius,
and Boehme among its ranks, the Society of Unknown Philosophers also linked
itself to "Les Freres d Orient" created in Constantinople in 1090.
The teachings of this society were conveyed from teacher to disciple and
the their principle unifying form was the distinction of receiving "The
Initiation" which gave them the right to be known as "Unknown
Superiors" or "Superieurs Inconnus" or S.I. as it is written.
Saint-Martin's writings, under the pseudonym "The Unknown Philosopher,"
made him quite in demand among European aristocracy. Being of aristocratic
blood himself, it is often considered a miracle that he not only kept his
head during the 'Reign of Terror' but also managed to continue his work
relatively unimpeded.
Jean-Baptiste Willermoz however continued the teachings of the Elus Cohen,
and even took them into the masonic Order of Strict Observance, an order
claiming direct Knights Templar descendency. It was through these two principle
forces, the teachings of Willermoz through the Strict Observance, and Saint-Martin
through his 'free Initiation' that French esotericism in particular, and
European esotericism in general, continued until the period known as the
"European Occult Revival".
While the "European Occult Revival" has its origins in France
with the writings of Eliphas Levi, it is not until the 1880's that it becomes
a full fledged social force, similar to today's "New Age Movement"
complete with celebrities, art galleries, mystical compositions of all sorts,
the usual ego's, personality failings, and just plain old gossip.
The principle character in all of this was a young medical student by the
name of Gerard Encausse, better known by his pseudonym, "Papus"
after the Egyptian genii of the healing arts. With Augustine Chaboseau,
Stanislas de Guaita, Sedir (Yvon Leloup), Charles Bartlet, Josepin Peladan,
and virtually all of the moving forces in French occultism the Martinist
Order was founded, by Papus, to perpetuate the ideas and teachings of Saint-Martin,
Martinez Pasquales, in a new kabbalistic framework, complete with seven
degrees, which were later reduced to three. Soon afterwards the "Kabbalistic
Order of the Rosy+Cross" was created, and after several years, and
a few 'spitting matches', schisms among the founding members created about
a dozen off-shoots, most of which continue to this day in some form.
Yet, by 1914, what petty rivalry, egotism, and oneupsmanshipl had failed
to do to European mysticism and magical movements, world war would accomplish.
The world wide networks of initiates and lodges that were created out of
this period, along with similar movements in England (the Hermetic order
of the Golden Dawn, and the Societas Rosicruciana in particular), Russia,
and Germany (as well as the United States) were virtually eliminated by
two world wars and the totalitarian governments that controlled most of
Europe by the 19201 and 1930's.
Unfortunately, not all of the 'hermetic' 'kabbalistic or 'occult' movements
that were born at the turn of the century gave fruit to humanitarian offspring.
In Germany and Austria the Ariosophist movements gave not only 'spiritual'
inspiration, but also men and material support to what became the National
Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), or the Nazi movement. The Germanen
Ordnunq (Order), the Thule Society, and other less well known groups, gave
ideological justification for the racist, militant, and nationalistic beliefs
of the German Right Wing. In 1934 Hitler declared, "We shall form an
Order, the Brotherhood of the Templars around the Holy Grail of pure blood."
The Grand Master of this Order was Heinrich Himmler, its knights the Officer
Corps of the SS, and the Castle at Wewlsburg, with its Round Table, its
spiritual center.
While promoting its own form of occult madness, the Nazis systematically
shut down all forms of occult and esoteric activity. Psychics, astrologers,
faith healers, writers, publishers, and simply well known individuals in
the field, were rounded up under Berlin's "Witchcraft Laws" of
1934, all in a single night. Publishing houses were shut down, books burned
or carted off to Ahnenerbe (Racial Ancestry Department) research libraries,
people imprisoned or forced into 'domestic exile', and that was just the
beginning. Several waves of round ups would continue throughout the war,
particularly as the tide turned against German victory.
Viewed as part of the "Jewish Conspiracy" Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism,
Martinism, and other kabalistic-hermetic or esoteric organizations were
the special target of these crackdowns, led by "Einsatzgruppen Rosenburg"
and the Ahnenerbe. Not since the Inquisition had Western esoteric, initiatic,
and cabalistic-hermetic groups especially, been so violently suppressed
with such singleness of purpose. The role call of martyrs included many
of the leaders of the most prominent magical and mystical movements of the
period. The egotistical rivalries that separated them and kept the Light
from unifying, was skillfully and brutally used against them by Darkness.
The faggots burned again in Europe, this time with smoke stacks.
Despite its opponents, and in spite of some of its most ardent supporters.
kabbalah and hermeticism, the life blood of Western esotericism, continues
to survive and thrive. Never before has so much material, books, publications,
organizations, and students existed so openly and freely. As we head toward
the millennium, and pray for the "Reign of the Paraclete," let's
look back on history and learn its lessons. With Europe and Asia looking
more like 1914 than 1994, let our hearts unite in active prayer and meditation
to turn the world toward the Source of Light we all so earnestly seek when
we pray "Thy Kingdom come ... after all, that is what kabbalah is all
about.
Bibliography
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by Sarah Ibitson.
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Periodicals
"The F.U.D.O.S.I. - An International Journal of the Ancient and Honorable
Esoteric Orders" Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1946. Brussels, Belgium.
"Now It Can Be Told" part 1 through 8, Ralph M. Lewis, F.R.C.,
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