Qabalah
Much more to Follow!
The Kabbalah is a Jewish mystical system; the Qabalah
is the version of it adopted and interpreted within
the Western Mystery Tradition. There are many resemblances
between the two, but the Qabalah of which I write has
taken on many new traits of its own. The original system
has been altered and ‘outed’ by High Magickians
Eliphas Levi, Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune, to
name but a few, and then ‘processed’ by thousands
of initiates of the Golden Dawn, not to mention a vast
variety of independent aspirants and magickal Lodges.
Each and every one who has thought upon this system
has imbued it with something new; it provides a great
fund of experience in the issue of spiritual aspiration
and development.
The system of the Qabalah is quite graphical. That
is to say, there is an established ‘Tree of Life’
containing ten Sephiroth, or spheres, and established
routes between them. The map is established; the challenge
is to tread the Paths and experience the Sephiroth,
or states of Being. Basically, the Sephiroth are spiritual/mental
states, and the Paths processes. There is not room on
this Website for a detailed extrapolation of these processes,
but I will outline the Tree here. Further details may
be found in books such as Dion Fortune’s ‘Mystical
Qabalah’, William G. Gray’s ‘Ladder of
Lights’, or my own ‘Magic of Qabalah’,
to name but a few. I also recommend Lon DuQuette's highly
entertaining works on the subject.
Kether
A difficult one to describe, being the closest we can
conceive to Godhead. Intelligent white light is the
best analogy, accompanied by states of transcendent
knowledge and superb communion with the Source; the
Yogi’s Samadhi, the zenith of human consciousness
and certainly the crown of the Qabalistic Tree. Needless
to say, this is the spiritual warrior’s ultimate
aim; to achieve and maintain connection with the Creatrix/or.
In the meantime, we can but aspire…….
Chockmah
As forceful and thrusting as Binah is receptive, this
Sephirah represents the first impulse of the Creative
Intelligence to Create. Its symbols are distinctly phallic
in nature; the Tower, the Wand, and the fluid creativity
of spermatozoon itself. Its essence is, however, Wisdom
rather than brute force (the latter being more native
to Geburah), and thus the channelling Magickian’s
Wand seems the most appropriate symbol. The sphere is
represented in Yetzirah as grey.
Binah
As forceful and thrusting as Binah is receptive, this
Sephirah represents the first impulse of the Creative
Intelligence to Create. Its symbols are distinctly phallic
in nature; the Tower, the Wand, and the fluid creativity
of spermatozoon itself. Its essence is, however, Wisdom
rather than brute force (the latter being more native
to Geburah), and thus the channelling Magickian’s
Wand seems the most appropriate symbol. The sphere is
represented in Yetzirah as grey.
Chesed
Counterbalancing utilitarian Geburah is compassionate
Chokmah. Between them, of course, lies the Middle Pillar,
the epicentre of balance in the Tree. Thus is maintained
the balance between economy and abundance, and destructive
force and nurturing force.
Chesed is said to be the natural abode of the Masters,
a good sphere to meditate on when seeking guidance,
particularly on matters spiritual. Its dominant distinguishing
virtue is Mercy.
Geburah
Geburah encompasses the functions of dissolution, destruction
and disintegration which are necessary both physically
and metaphorically to allow growth to proceed. It frees
us from that which has become obsolete, as well as inspiring
the will to protect through affirmative action. Its
colour is red and its spirit martial.
Tiphareth
Tiphareth sits at the centre of the Tree, the solar
and mystical power-centre which fuels the lower Sephiroth.
The deities ascribed to it are messianic in nature;
Osiris, Christ, Prometheus, Baldur; all those who suffer
through no fault of their own, but rather as a symbol
of sacrifice for the Greater Good.
Netzach
In Netzach, force and energy are added to the equation.
Netzach is Elemental, physically sexual. It is concerned
with group minds and archetypes. The Gods and Goddesses
of every religion are particular to this Sephirah, a
‘place’ as green and powerful as Beltane.
Its symbols include the Girdle of Venus, seductive and
fertile.
Hod
Though the cynic will never acknowledge it, spirituality
is an intensely practical subject. After all, it characterises
our very existence, which is physical. The Creative
Source is well attuned to the realms of Matter. In Hod
we use our intellect to ask Why, to question and probe
the Scheme, and to make moves to change it practically.
It is the abode of the bluestocking and the Magickian
alike. It is characterised by processes of logic and
analysis. Here we integrate intuition with statistic
and gain a result compatible with the practical sphere
of Malkuth.
Yesod
The lunar sphere, place of dreams, intuition and subconscious
impulses. Characterised astrally by an arch of many
moons in differing stages, and by purple seas of intricacy
and purity unknown in Malkuth. The symbols of this Sephirah
are silver sandals and perfumes; ethereal impulses made
physical. With silver sandals we may ‘walk on the
moon’, or experience through Magick the astral
realm of Yesod. Likewise do the perfumes facilitate
an altered state of consciousness, incenses which set
us adrift from everyday concerns. In Yesod we rise the
lunar barque towards a higher mode of being.
Malkuth
Malkuth is the physical experience of the physical
plane. This does not, however, mean dead-head materialism;
there is much more to life than the obvious, and awareness
of this is incorporated into the experience of this
Sephirah. The magickal circle is amongst its symbols,
representing the ability of one in control of their
faculties/will power to carve an eternal mark on the
realm of Malkuth and to move beyond it into other spheres.
It is the foundation of the Magickian and of any who
aspire to something greater than the banal. It is also
the brief flash of interactive experience of those who
do not.
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