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C A B A L A
This ia a simple discourse on some of
the major facets of the Cabala. It is
also spelled as Kabbalah and Qabalah.
O R I G I N S
Kabbalah: From the Hebrew word QBL
meaning 'an oral tradition', the
esoteric and mystical division of
Judaism. The Kabbalah presents a
symbolic explanation of the origin of
the universe, the relationship of human
beings to the Godhead, and an
emanationist approach to creation
whereby the Infinite Light (AIN SOPH
AUR) manifests through different
SEPHIROTH on the TREE OF LIFE.
More: es or o? Although the central book of the
Kabbalah, the ZOHAR, was not written
down until around 1280 -- probably by
MOSES de LEON -- the Kabbalah has
spiritual links with GNOSTICISM and
other early mystical cosmologies.
In the Kabbalah, all manifestations are
said to have their origin in the AIN
SOPH AUR and the successive emanations
of the Godhead reveal aspects of his
divine nature. The system is thus
monotheistic in essence, but allows for
the tenfold structure of the sephiroth
upon the tree of life. The emanations
as they proceed down from the Godhead
to the manifested world, are: KETHER (
The Crown); CHOKMAH (Wisdom); BINAH (
Understanding); CHESED (Mercy); GEBURAH
(Power); TIPHARETH (Beauty & Harmony);
NETZACH (Victory); HOD (Splendor);
YESOD (Foundation); MALKUTH (The
Kingdom)
More: es or o?
Occultists in the HERMETIC ORDER OF THE
GOLDEN DAWN use the Kabbalistic Tree of
Life as a matrix or Grid for comparing
the Archetypal images of different
mythologies that could be adapted to
Ceremonial Magic. For example, the
merciful father (Chesed) has parallels
in other pantheons, namely ODIN (
Scandinavia); ZEUS (Greece); JUPITER (
Rome); and RA (Egypt). This system of
comparison became known as MYTHOLOGICAL
CORRESPONDENCES. It has become common
in the occult tradition to link the ten
sephiroth of the Tree of Life with the
22 cards of the MAJOR ARCANA of the
TAROT.
D E F I N I T I O N S
QBL: Hebrew word meaning 'from mouth
to ear', thereby signifying a secret
oral tradition. It is the meaning of
More: es or o? Kabbalah.
Ain Soph Aur: Hebrew expression
meaning 'the limitless light'.
Sephiroth: The ten speres or
emanations on the Kabbalistic Tree of
Life, a symbol which depicts the divine
energy of creation proceeding like a
lighting flash through ten different
stages, culminating in physical
manifestation. The sephiroth represent
levels of spiritual reality both in the
cosmos and in people because the Tree,
metaphorically, is the 'Body of God',
and people are created in his image.
The Tree is sometimes shown
superimposed on the body of ADAM KADMON
--the archetypal man.
Tree of Life: The Tree consists of Ten
spheres, or sephiroth, through which
according to mystical tradition--the
More: es or o? creation of the world came about. The
sephiroth are aligned in three columns
headed by the SUPERNALS (KETHER,
CHOKMAH, BINAH) and together symbolize
the process by which the infinite light
(Ain Soph Aur) becomes manifest in the
universe.
Beneath the Supernals are the 'Seven
days of Creation': CHESED, GEBURAH,
TIPHARETH, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD,
MALKUTH.
Taken as a whole, the tree of life is
also a symbol of the archetypal man --
ADAM KADMON, and the sephiroth have a
role resembling that of the CHAKRAS in
YOGA. The mystical path of self
knowledge entails the rediscovery of
all the levels of ones being, ranging
from Malkuth (physical reality) to the
infinite source. With this in mind,
the medieval Kabbalists divided the
Tree of Life into three sections of the
More: es or o? soul: NEPHESCH (the animal soul)
corresponding to the sephiroth YESOD:
RUACH (the middle soul), corresponding
to the sephiroth from HOD to CHESED:
and NESCHAMAH ( the spiritual soul)
corresponding to the Supernals --
especially BINAH. Practitioners of
WESTERN MAGIC, who use the Tree of Life
as a glyph for the unconscious mind,
sometimes distinguish the MAGICAL PATH
(which embraces all ten sephiroth) from
the MYSTICAL PATH of the MIDDLE PILLAR,
which is an ascent from MALKUTH
through YESOD and TIPHARETH to KETHER
on the central pillar of the Tree.
Zohar: 'The Book of Splendor'--the
principal book of the Kabbalah. It is
thought to have been written by Moses
de Leon and was first circulated around
1280-1290, in Guadalajara. It included
commentaries on the TORAH.
More: es or o? Gnosticism: Gnosis is a Greek term for
'knowledge'. The term applies to
(Gnosis) certain religous sects that
emerged during the early formative
years of early Christianity, and which
believed in 'Hidden Spiritual
Knowledge'. The main factor that
differentiated them from Chritianity
was their emphasis on knowledge rather
than faith. The Christian churche
fathers considered the Gnostics
Heretical, or Heretics.
Kether: The first Emanation on the
Tree of Life. Occultists indentify
Kether as the state of consciousness
where creaton merges with the veils of
nonexistance. Kether lies on the
MIDDLE PILLAR and trancends the duality
of CHOKMAH (male) and BINAH (female),
which lie immediately below on the
Tree. It is therefore symbolized in
mystical tradition by the heavenly
More: es or o? ANDROGYNE (male and female united in
one), and represents a state of
mystical Transcendence and union with
the Supreme. It is compared to SATORI
and NIRVANA.
Chokmah: The second emanation on the
Tree of Life, following Kether.
Occultists identify Chokmah with the
Great Father, the giver of the seminal
spark of life which is potent only
until it enters the womb of the Great
Mother, Binah. From the union of the
Great Father and Great Mother come
forth all the images of creation.
Chokmah is associated with such deities
as KRONOS, SATURN, THOTH, ATUM-RA, and
PTAH, in other pantheons.
Binah: The third emanation on the Tree
of Life. Occultists identify Binah
with the Great Mother in all her forms.
She is the womb of forthcoming, the
More: es or o? source of all the great images and
forms that manifest in the universe as
archetypes. She is also the Supreme
female principal in the process of
Creation and, via the process
mythological correspondences, is
associated with such deities as The
VIRGIN MARY, RHEA, ISIS, and DEMETER.
Chesed: The fourth emanation on the
Tree of Life. Occultists identify
Chesed as the ruler (but not Creator)
of the manifested universe; and he is
characterised as stable, wise, and
merciful by contrast with his more
dynamic opposite, GEBURAH. Chesed is
asscociated with Gods ZEUS (Greek), and
JUPITER (Roman).
Geburah: The fifth emanation on the
Tree of Life. Geburah is often
associated with MARS, the Roman God of
War, and represents severity and
More: es or o? Justice. The destructive forces of the
sphere of Geburah are intended to have
a purging, cleansing effect on the
universe. Geburah represents the
Creator God, who applies discipline and
presicion in governing the cosmos and
removes unwanted or unnecessary
elements after their usefullness has
passed. Geburah is reflected in THE
CHARIOTEER in the TAROT.
Tiphareth: The sixth emanation on the
Tree of Life.It is the sphere of
beauty, harmonizing the forces of mercy
(Chesed) and Judgement (Geburah),
higher on the Tree. Occultists
identify Tiphareth as the sphere of
spiritual REBIRTH, and ascribe to it
the Solar Deities such as RA, APOLLO,
and MITHRA as well as OSIRIS and JESUS
CHRIST. The TAROT card TEMPERANCE
identifies the direct mystical ascent
to Tipareth from Malkuth (the physical)
More: es or o? .
Netzach: The seventh emanation on the
Tree of Life. Netzach is regarded as
the sphere of creativity, subjectivity,
and the emotions -- a very clear
contrast to the sphere of HOD, which
represents intellect and rational
thought. Netzach is the sphere of
Love, and spiritual passion and is
therefore associated with such deities
as APHRODITE, VENUS, HATHOR, and others
that personify these qualities.
Hod: The eighth emanation on the Tree
of Life. Hod is associated with the
planet Mercury and represents intellect
and rational thought. It also
represents the structuring and
measuring capacities of the mind as
opposed to the emotion and intuitional
aspects of Netzach. Hod has no exact
parallel in the TAROT, but is closely
More: es or o? linked to the card JUDGEMENT, ascribed
to the path between Hod and Malkuth.
Yesod: The ninth emanation on the Tree
of Life. Yesod is associated with the
Moon and the element Water. Regarded
as a Female sphere, it is the seat of
sexual instinct and corresponds to the
Genitals Chakra on the archetypal man,
ADAM KADMON. On the Tree of Life Yesod
has the function of channelling the
energies of the higher down to the
earth below (Malkuth). Occultists
associate Yesod with the ASTRAL PLANE,
because if the sephiroth above Malkuth
are regarded as a map of the
unconscious psyche, Yesod is the most
accesible area of the mind. Because
Yesod is the sphere of Fertility and
Lunar imagery, it is identified with
Witchcraft and Goddess Worship. It also
the so called 'animal soul' know by
kabbalists as Nephesch.
More: es or o?
Malkuth: The tenth emanation of the
Tree of Life. Malkuth is associated
with the Goddesses of the Earth
especially PERSEPHONE (Greece),
PROSERPINA (Rome), and GEB (Egypt).
Malkuth is the domain of the manifested
universe, the immediate enviroment, the
plane of physical reality. As a
consequence, all 'inner journeys of
consciousness' begin symbolically in
Malkuth; it is particularly
appropriate, for example, that the myth
of the rape of PERSEPHONE confirms her
both as queen of the UNDERWORLD and as
a Lunar Goddess. From an occult point
of view, the Underworld equates with
the Lower unconscious mind, and the
Moon, represented by the sphere of
Yesod, is the first Sephirah reached on
the inner mystic journey up the Tree of
Life. Malkuth is closely linked with
the TAROT card THE WORLD.
More: es or o?
! P E A C E !
