The Qabalah

By Sapphire Ravensong

 

The Qabalah is one of the most important and revered doctrines of Western occultism and is the expression of the esoteric philosophies of the Hebrews. Most modern scholars place the origins of the Qabalah somewhere near the Middle Ages, but many believe it is far older. It most likely finds its roots in Egypt and Babylon. Moses was an Egyptian initiate, and Daniel, called, Beltheshazzar, was known as ‘the Great Magician of Babylon." According to some rabbis Abraham was its founder and the books which contain its mysteries are those of Moses. Legend asserts that the Priest Noah brought the "Emerald Tablet" which contained all the mysteries of the universe in mathematical formulae, to Israel. Noah bequeathed the Tablet to Hermes of Trismegistius who was able to translate it. This tablet was what was called the "Ark of the Covenant" and was preserved as the Qabalah. The Qabalah is "emanationist like the Egyptian religion, is pantheistic like Chinese doctrines, and like the Pythagorian system it knows the power of letters and numbers. It teaches psychurgic arts like the Hindu Yogis, and it works with the secret properties of herbs, stones, and plants, like the Chaldean astronomers and European alchemists." It also resembles the Zend Avesta of Zoroastrianism, and was very possibly influenced by this movement. When Solomon built his Temple he used Dionysian Artificers who possessed knowledge of the sacred mathematics upon which the cosmos is based. The Temple consists of two pillars. One pillar is white and is called Jachin; the other is black and is called Boaz. As we will see the Qabalah is also divided into opposing pillars, with a third in the center representing the Middle Way.

In Hebrew Qabalah is spelled QBL and means "to receive". Therefore the Qabalah is "that which has been received". It is the Tree of Life (Otz Chim in Hebrew) and consists of 10 divine emanations and 22 paths connecting the emanations. Together the 10 emanations and 22 pathways make up the "32 Paths of Glory". The tree is a relative idea and represents 10 basic states of being and the relationships between them. Each sephiroth is attributed to a name of God, angels, planets, and gods, and goddesses. Each path is one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which also operate as numbers, zodiacal signs, directions in space and so forth. It is a very valuable tool when working with any religious system. The principal doctrines of the Qabalah were designed to shed light on the nature of the Supreme Being and of creation. It delineates the nature of the soul and reveals the transcendental symbolism of the Hebrew letters and numbers. There are several variations of the Qabalah including the Jewish Qabalah, the Christian Qabalah, and the Hermetic Qabalah. The details I have presented are mainly western derivations stemming from nineteenth century occult writings.

 

The Soul

The Qabalah divides life into six parts: Hayyah, Yehidah, Neshammah, Ruach, Nephesh, and Guf. Hayyah and Yehidah are considered the sublimest levels of intuitive thought and are only within the grasp of a very few individuals. The highest soul of Yehidah is attributed to Kether and was believed to be that of the Messiah. Neshammah, Ruach, and Nephesh are collectively called the naran. Neshammah is the internal world of mind and spirit. Ruach is the intermediary or the soul. Nephesh is the exterior or revealed. It is the body of creation. Nephesh in effect embraces all three forces of the psychophysical human, whereas neshammah is concerned exclusively with mystical cognition. The Ruach represents an intermediate stage and is able to distinguish good from evil. The Neshammah, however, because of its highly spiritual nature, is only able to perform good. All human souls consist of the naran and through the zelem (the principle of individuality) are connected to the body, Guf. In conformity to the law of creation as expressed on the Tree of Life, each of these parts is a reflection of the others and thus contains an image of the other two. All parts are in a continual state of interchange with both the corresponding parts in the macrocosm (the Universe itself) as well as with the other parts of himself. These parts are not completely separate from each other, quite the contrary; they gradually fade into each other like a watercolor rainbow, each color becoming stronger and then growing into the next. Man emanates from God and is destined to return there. Man was originally pure spirit made in the image of God (force and intelligence, Chokmah and Binah) and is both male and female. Adam and Eve were originally, not two beings, but one single being. As a result of their "fall" two events occurred. The first event was the decomposition of a single being in a series of androgynous beings, Adam-Eves. The second event was the materialization and subdivision of each of these androgynous beings into material beings of different sexes, a man and a woman. While in the material world men and women are separate, each man and woman has within himself or herself ‘an image of their primitive unity’. The Brain is Adam and the Heart is Eve. Material man must freely and voluntarily recover his primitive state. He does this through reincarnating as many times as necessary in order to redeem himself through the universal force of love. The Qabalah, like the Gnostic and Hindu sources, teaches not only reincarnation, but by extension, pre-existence. Finally man must reconstitute himself to his androgynous state. The androgynous man must then synthesize himself so thoroughly that he identifies with his original source, God. Thus through involution man achieves immortality.

The Sephiroth

 

The emanation of God from the depths of himself into creation makes up the doctrine of the sephiroth. This process of emanation was not always understood as a single, straightforward process, however, according to midrashic legend the worlds were created and destroyed many times before the manifestation of our present world. Ein-Sopf is the name given to the concept of God as infinite perfection. Ein-Sopf is perfect silence and perfect stillness, and thus, by its very nature must be separate from Divine Will. Primal Will and never-ending thought, or "pure thought" then are the first emanations. The emanations are called sephiroth, which have many synonyms including: "lights", "crowns", "names", "sayings", "mirrors", "shoots", and "sources".

At the top of the tree we find the first emanation (the birth of energy) called Kether, which forms all things. Kether is a single point, which comes forth from the Limitless and the Limitless Light. It represents Unity, and all creator gods can be assigned to this emanation. It represents the goal of all things. Kether is, for us, unknowable. It exists outside of time, and we in our physical states are confined by the illusion of time. Kether is depicted as an ancient, bearded king seen in profile. From Kether we have the birth of two other emanations on either side. The right side of the Tree is the Pillar ofMercy, and the left side of the Tree the Pillar of Severity. The Middle, of course, is the Middle Pillar. On the right we have Chokmah (wisdom) Chokmah is the male aspect of Kether and represents raw power in action or primordial dynamism. It is the outpouring of unorganized, boundless energy. Dion Fortune calls it the "Great Stimulator of the Universe". Chokmah is depicted as a bearded male and is attributed to the zodiac. On the left is Binah, the Great Mother or Holy Spirit, and is the form-building force. Binah is the great organizer. This sephiroth takes the raw force of Chokmah and stabilizes it. This is the sephiroth (emanation) of Understanding. Binah is attributed to Saturn. Thus we have the first triad in the Tree: Kether, Chokmah, and Binah. Unity becomes duality. The dimensionless Kether sends forth an emanation of a straight line which became the two dimensional circle of Binah. From Chaos light was born, and from light the male force is born, and then form manifests. This triad marks the first stages of creation and the last stages of an initiate’s spiritual journey (to return to return to Kether and become part of All that Is).

In between the first and second triad there is a hidden sephiroth called Daath (Knowledge). To obtain knowledge or experience of Daath means to cross the great Abyss. This is a very dangerous time for the occult adept and many fail to return. Intellectual knowledge can be a dangerous trap because logic and reason dissipate into nothing when looked at too closely, as any student of philosophy can attest to. True knowledge, wisdom, must also come from the Spirit. Underneath Chokmah we find Chesed (Mercy) who is likened to Jupiter and represents Law, Truth, Righteousness, and Generosity. Chesed signifies a loving father who preserves and protects his family and is depicted as a mighty crowned and throned king. On the left side we find Geburah (Severity). Geburah is Mars. It represents power, energy, and war. All war gods are likened to Geburah. This sephiroth is depicted as a mighty warrior in his chariot. Chesed and Geburah are reconciled through the third member of this triad, Tipareth. Tipareth is the Sun and represents Harmony, Equilibrium, Beauty, and Balance. Tipareth is depicted as a majestic king, a child, and a sacrificed god. These are the three stages in the making of an adept. In the first triad duality came from unity. In the second triad the elements of duality join and form a new Unity. Notice that in this second triad the pillars are reversed in nature. This is because the second triad is a reflection of the first, and thus inverted.

This process in repeated forming a third triad. The polarities reverse once again since the third triad is a reflection of the second. On the Pillar of Mercy beneath Chesed, stems Netzach (Victory). Netzach is the dynamic partner in this triad and represents perfect relationships and is attributed to Venus. It is the experience of emotions and instincts and is pictured as a beautiful, naked woman. It represents the right brain, the artistic and emotional side, while Hod (Glory), on the opposite side, represents the left side of the brain. Hod is attributed to mercury and is depicted as a hermaphrodite. From this interaction springs the next emanation, Yesod. Yesod is like Tipareth, but on a lower level. It is, in fact, the resulting condition of the entire Tree, and bears the title "house of images" and "machinery of the universe". It is the moon and is a reflection of Malkuth (the earth). Yesod is the world of dreams and visions and also the world of illusion. Yesod is depicted as a strong young man. Finally we come to the end of the tree to Malkuth, the physical world, which is depicted as a crowned and throned young woman. The process of creation is diagrammed on the tree as a lightening bolt beginning at Kether and zigzagging in the order of succession down to Malkuth.

All life is governed by cycles, so after the process of evolution there must come the process of involution. Creation implodes to the single point of unity by the path of the serpent, which entwines each pathway in reverse order. Qabalists assert that as we withdraw to subtler planes, as we master the lessons of the material world, so ultimately willcreation itself. The 7 lower sephiroth form three patterns of reflection: Aleph, Mem and Shin. Aleph, which is Kether, is the root of the powers of the air. Mem, which is Binah, is the root of the powers of water, and Shin, or Chokmah, is the root of the powers of fire. With Tipareth as the central point the surrounding six sephiroth (Daath as the focal point as the phantom sephiroth of the first triad) form as a Hexagram. The Hexagram is made by the union of the fire triangle with the water triangle (masculine and feminine) and thus represents Father, Mother, Child on the Spiritual plane, and inverted over top Father, Mother, Child on the earthly plane. Therefore the hexagram is a glyph of the macrocosm united with the microcosm with the Sun (Tipareth) as the center or unifying force.

 

The 22 Paths and the Tarot

 

A path connects each of the sephiroth to another. Some are connected to only one other sephiroth, and some are connected to several. The paths represent the relationships between the different forces of nature and the states of being associated with each force. The paths offer the opportunity to explore different facets of the psyche and purify and strengthen them. Many meditations on the different paths are available to the aspirant to aid him on his spiritual quest. Israel Regardie’s book The Garden of Pomegranates is very good. Crowley also offers a book dedicated exclusively to the twenty-two paths called The Pathworkings of Aleister Crowley. The twenty-two paths correspond with the twenty-two trumps of the Tarot deck and the twenty-two Hebrew letters. They also correspond with various colors, animals, plants, gemstones etc. Crowley’s book 777 offers numerous charts of correspondences. The paths start with the number eleven because numbers 1-10 correspond to the ten sephiroth.

 

Path Eleven

The 11th Path is called the "Fiery Intelligence" and corresponds to the Hebrew letter Aleph. Path 11 corresponds to the element of Air.

The Tarot: The unnumbered card, "The Fool."

The fool signifies new beginnings, jumping into things heedless of danger, steps on a spiritual journey. The fool’s recklessness is a result of his innocent faith and not of bravado, which may lead him to wisdom and transcendence or to ruin. The fool represents the willingness to accept experience as a remedy for despair and failure.

 

Path Twelve

The 12th Path is called the "Intelligence of Transparency or Light". It is the source of magnificence, and is said to be the source of vision in those who see apparitions. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Beth and governs Fruitfulness. Path 12 corresponds to Mercury.

The Greater Tarot: Card one, the "Magician."

The Magician causes change to occur in conformity with Will. Having accepted the Fool’s willingness to fail and try new things, the magician learns what he truly wants. The magician is power and his challenge lies in learning to balance the individual will with that of the Universe.

 

Path Thirteen

The 13th Path is called the "Inductive Intelligence" of Unity, the substance of glory, which manifests truth to every spirit. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Gimel and governs Life. Path 13 corresponds with the Moon.

The Tarot: Card two, the "High Priestess."

The High Priestess is more concerned with being than doing. Her focus is on the richness of the inner life. She is a woman of silence, learning, and solitude. She is Sophia, goddess of Wisdom. The High Priestess is the source of dreams; the magician is the force that turns dreams into reality. It is the balance of these two forces, which makes self-actualization possible.

 

Path Fourteen

The 14th Path is called the "Luminous or Illuminating Intelligence" and is the instigator of mysteries, and foundation of holiness. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Daleth and governs Dominion. Path 14 corresponds to Venus.

The Tarot: Card three, the "Empress."

The Empress is a woman in the fullness of her power. Her power is not limited to fertility, but fertility does guide her actions. She is creative, nurturing, and embodies responsible love. The Empress is the force, which leads to a life lived in harmony with others and with the Earth. In her negative aspect she is the devouring mother.

 

Path Fifteen

The 15th Path is called the "Constituting Intelligence". It constitutes creation in the darkness of the world. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter He and governs Peace. It is Aries in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card four, the "Emperor."

The Emperor signifies the self-respect that comes from the mastery over the self. He is his own master and is just and generous with others. He is ambitious and strong. In his negative aspect he can be cold, violent, the stirrer of strife.

 

Path Sixteen

The 16th Path is called the Eternal Intelligence, the delight of glory, the heart of paradise prepared for the just. It corresponds to the letter Vau and governs Beauty. It is Taurus in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card five, The Hierophant.

The Hierophant is a spiritual teacher. He initiates the neophyte into the inner mysteries and teaches the necessary rituals. He signifies occult power and divine wisdom.

 

Path Seventeen

The 17th Path is called the "Sensible or Disposing Intelligence". It disposes the devout to perseverance and prepares them to receive the Holy Spirit. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Zain and governs Sight. It is Gemini in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card six, The Lovers.

The Lovers obviously signifies falling in love and harmonious relationships. It also signifies inspiration of the passive kind.

 

Path Eighteen

The 18th Path is called the "Emanative Intelligence" or "House of Influence". It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Cheth and governs Hearing. It is Cancer in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card seven, the "Chariot."

The Chariot is Eternal justice, Strength and force, but arrested as in act of judgment. It signifies the law or a trial; it also signifies discipline and control.

  

 

Path Nineteen

The 19th Path is called the "Intelligence of the Secret of Spiritual Activities". The fullness, which it receives, comes from the highest benediction and the Supreme Glory. It corresponds to the letter Teth governs Smell.

The Tarot: Card eight, "Strength."

Strength is a symbol of internal balance between the physical and the spiritual as well as between the individual and the world. Strength is the poised and balanced self that has already defined its priorities; it will neither impose itself on others, nor submit itself to them.

 

Path Twenty

The 20th Path is called the "Intelligence of Will". It prepares all created beings, each individually, for the demonstration of the primordial glory. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Yod and governs Speech.

The Tarot: Card nine, the "Hermit."

The Hermit signifies a withdrawal from the world, not out of selfishness, but out of love for the Spirit. He is the embodiment of intelligence and wisdom and acts as a guardian to others.

 

Path Twenty-One

The 21st Path is called the "Intelligence of Desire or the Rewarding Intelligence". It receives the divine influence, and so influences all living things. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Kaph and governs Eating.

The Tarot: Card ten, the "Wheel."

The Wheel of Fortune signifies the perpetually spinning wheel of change. It represents luck, both good and bad, as well as the inner need for change that comes upon us all from time to time.

 

Path Twenty-Two

The 22nd Path is called the "Faithful Intelligence". It is where spiritual virtues are deposited and grow, bestowing their benefits to those below. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Lamed governs in Coition. It is Virgo in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card eleven, "Justice."

Justice signifies balance. It is integrity, equal opportunity, and respect for honest labor. It is the absence of prejudice and discrimination.

 

Path Twenty-Three

The 23rd Path is called the "Stable Intelligence". It is the source of consistency in all the numerations. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Mem and governs Work. The 23^rd path corresponds to the element of water.

The Tarot: Card twelve, the "Hanged Man."

The Hanged Man is the dying god suffering for the sake of wisdom. It is the card of Christ and of Odin who hung himself on the World Tree for nine days and nine nights to gain knowledge of the runes. It is the principal of voluntary self-sacrifice to gain something higher. It is the willingness to give everything for a cause greater than the individual.

 

Path Twenty-Four

The 24th Path is called the "Imaginative Intelligence". It is the ground of similarity in the likeness of beings that are created to its agreement, after its aspects. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Nun and governs Movement. It is Scorpio in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card thirteen, "Death."

Death signifies the end of the old for the birth of the new. It is the result of the Hanged Man. Without death, new life would not be possible. The refusal to change results in stagnation and bitterness.

 

Path Twenty-Five

The 25th Path is called the "Intelligence of Temptation or Trial" because it is the first temptation by which God tests the devout. It corresponds to the letter Samekh and governs Anger. It is Sagittarius in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card fourteen, "Temperance".

Temperance is the ability to live in harmony with the Universe. It is the ability to see oneself and others in the proper light. It is the ability to balance the needs of the self with those of others.

 

Path Twenty-Six

The 26th Path is called the "Renewing Intelligence". It is by this path that God renews all that is capable of renovation in the creation of the world. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Ayin and governs Laughter. It is Capricorn in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card fifteen, the "Devil."

The Devil is the symbol of our weaknesses, temptations, fears, and guilt which keep us chained in bondage. It is the culmination of all wrongs you have done to others and they have done to you. Shame is the destroyer of self-esteem.

 

 

Path Twenty-Seven

The 27th Path is called the "Natural Intelligence". It is through this intelligence that the natures of all things orbiting the sun are perfected. It is the Hebrew letter Pe and governs Thought. Path 27 corresponds with Mars.

The Tarot: Card Sixteen, the "Tower."

The Tower is sudden disruption and can be quite frightening. It is the unpredictable force of nature, which wreaks destruction. Yet it is through this destruction that new life is found. It clears out the outmoded and stagnant clearing the way for the new, more appropriate structures.

 

Path Twenty-Eight

The 28th Path is called the "Active Intelligence". It is the dynamic force of creation and the activity and the motion to which all beings are subject. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Tzaddi and governs Sleep. It is Aquarius in the zodiac.

The Tarot: Card seventeen, the "Star."

The Star signifies strong attachments between people who are not related. It is love based on mutual respect and communication, balance, and freedom to express oneself.

  

Path Twenty-Nine

The 29th Path is called the "Corporeal Intelligence". It communicates through instinct. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Qoph and to Pisces in the zodiac.

Tarot: Card eighteen, the "Moon."

The Moon signifies illusion, mystery, memories, instinct, and intuition. It is the Moon that gives dreams and visions. It is the unconscious mind

 

Path Thirty

The 30th Path is called the "Collective Intelligence". It is through this intelligence that astrologers speculate the meanings of the heavenly signs and perfect their science according to the motion of the stars. It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Resh.

The Tarot: Card nineteen, the "Sun."

The Sun signifies divine love and power radiating outward from heaven. It represents the harmony and balance of Tipareth and is both the source and the result of spiritual strength.

 

Path Thirty-One

The 31st Path is called the "Perpetual Intelligence". It rules the movement of the sun and moon according to their constitution and causes each to gravitate in its respective orb. Path 31 corresponds the Hebrew letter Shin and with the element of fire and to the Spirit.

The Tarot: Card twenty, "Judgement."

Judgement signifies the end result of all that one has done. It is "karma", the rewards of what one has sown. It implies the time one takes to reflect back on what one has done, to take stock, and move forward.

 

Path Thirty-Two

The 32nd Path is called the "Assisting Intelligence". It directs the operation of the seven planets, with their divisions, and concurs therein. Path 32 corresponds with the Hebrew letter Tau and with both Saturn and the Earth.

The Tarot: Card twenty-one, the "World."

The world symbolizes the reconciliation of opposites. It is the balance of opposing forces in fluid equilibrium. It is the ultimate achievement.

 

 

The Four Worlds

There are four worlds in the Qabalah:

Atziluth - the Archetypal World - An Idea (Fire)
Briah - the Creative World - The Plan (Water)
Yetzirah - the Formative World - Execution of the Plan (Air)
Assiah - The Material World - The Result (Earth)

 

There are two ways to use this concept in examining the Tree. The first way is to divide the Tree vertically. Kether is then the world of Atziluth while Chokmah and Binah represent the world of Briah. The next six sephiroth then represent the world of Yetzirah, with Malkuth, of course, Assiah, as the material world. The second way is to view the Tree in a fourfold manner so that each of the sephiroth can be thought of in each of the four ways: the idea, the plan, the execution, and the result. The four worlds correspond to the four suits of the Tarot: wands, cups, swords, and discs in that order.

 

Jacob’s Ladder

 

The Return Path of the Soul is called "Jacob’s Ladder" and can be divided into three triads, like the Tree itself, and consists of nine steps, seven of which are attainable while still on the physical plane. This appellation traces back to Hermes who believed that the seven planets formed a ladder, connecting heaven and earth. The eighth and the ninth steps are considered to be inaccessible to us during life. The first step is centered on Yesod. The first three steps are steps of personality, as are stages one to ten. The remaining steps are steps of Self and Self-awareness. The first stages in step one are taken once the Awakening has begun. In the beginning stages up to Stage Ten we are attempting to build personality into a stable foundation upon which the greater awakening to Self and Self-awareness may be begun. The first step is the beginning of a Foundation upon which we build our understanding on the journey towards Self-awareness, Knowledge and true Being. As a result of a certain amount of preparation in life, the desire is stimulated towards Spirit.

This first step opens the path towards freedom, independence and self-expression. Yesod is the ninth Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Its virtue is independence; its vice, idleness. In astrology the Moon represents Yesod. At the first step our level of being is governed by and related to the anterior pelvic plexus, governing the organs of generation. (The posterior pelvic plexus, governing the organs of evacuation, may be referred to Malkuth, the earth). These are represented by the svaddisthana and muladhara chakras respectively. At this level, our minds tend to be dominated by sex and materialistic considerations. In the quest for realization this step is the arising of the right desire, or right impulse, the starting point which leads on to the second step by means of good intention.

Step two is centered on Hod. With the second step we come to the decision, through reason, and find the desire to pursue true freedom. Here we apply the intellect towards spiritual growth, and we adopt or discover a system to follow. Hod is the eighth Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Its virtue is truthfulness. Its vices are falsehood and dishonesty. In astrology the planet Mercury represents Hod. At this point we have no doubt about the spiritual path and realize that we can go further. In the second three stages during step two, we are strongly affected by the "vital" or "vitality" energies of nature, sometimes considered to be analogous to the prana of Eastern schools. It is represented by the solar plexus and is called the manipura chakra. The level of being in step two is basically the same as that of step one, except that we are now have a more in depth understanding and appreciation of the nature of the personality.

Step three is centered on Netzach. During this stage, continual help is being received from outside influences. Here we begin to develop a permanent center or foundation from which the Self may become manifest in us. The glamour of, and attachment to possessions is very strong. In this stage we need to cultivate humanity and humility. Netzach is the seventh Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Its virtue is unselfishness; its vices are selfishness and lust. At this point, we must make a definite effort to realize the nature of love, represented by the planet Venus. The level of being at step three is basically what it has been since step one, except now we begin to develop a conscious desire to raise our level of being to a more permanent state, developing the heart center or anahata chakra.

The fourth step is centered on Tiphareth, which is founded on Yesod. It is the awakening of Self and is the highest level of the initiation of the personality. Before this awakening of the Self can become permanent, there is a time of preparation and testing. The voice of Self is heard, the impulses of Self become known, and we are gradually given the opportunity to see ourselves as we really are. The rest of the journey will require all the qualities developed in the first three steps. At the end of the fourth step we can be united with our higher Selves, though the process is difficult to describe. At this point we have now developed permanent centers which are linked in Eternity, and we are truly "members, one of another." Tiphareth is the sixth path on the Tree of Life. Its virtue is devotion; its vice is pride. In stage ten, we have our being in the region of the solar plexus in the body, there being continual interplay between this center and the lower plexi. At the same time, we begin to consciously receive impressions from the heart center and respond. In step four our center of being is transferred to the heart center. We get the first real glimpses of spiritual awareness and the warmth of spiritual love. This has been described as a change in our center of gravity, and is a permanent change.

Step five is centered on Geburah. Here we begin to see the activity of Spirit in every manifest thing and see that they are not separate things, but one thing; not many lives, but one life. Though we now see this, we have yet to truly know it. Here lies the strength of Spirit, and the weakness of humanity, shown by the cruelty of pride. This pride is generated by attachment to the things of Self, by identification with that center in us which is necessary for us to be able to continue. Its virtues are energy and courage. Its vices are cruelty and destruction. At this stage we still have our being in the heart center, and we develop insight. We begin to see others and ourselves as they really are, and to consciously become aware of the attraction of Spirit. Geburah is the fifth Sephiroth on the Tree of Life.

The sixth step centers on Chesed and completes the balanced triad of Tiphareth, Geburah and Chesed (in ascending order). Our center of being becomes more firmly rooted in the heart center, and a deep awareness of spiritual love begins to manifest in us. Chesed is the fourth Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Its virtue is obedience (to spiritual law); its vices are hypocrisy, bigotry, gluttony, and tyranny (thinking we know better).

With the seventh Step we may begin to manifest Spirit directly, for we are one with Spirit, and we are Spirit. This is the fourth state of awareness beyond which lies, on the other side of the Abyss, the worlds of Spirit. Those who have progressed this far may, in this life, take the position of Knowledge (Daath) from time to time, and in Knowledge of Creation they may pass this knowledge to others on the path. Two centers in the subtle body are affected by this step. The first center affected is the throat center, governing the organs of speech. The other is the center in the region at the back of the head, sometimes associated with that part of the body where the nerves from the left and right hemispheres cross over as they move downwards through the body. Through this center we may, under certain circumstances, receive instruction from "higher" or "inner" planes and intelligences. These intelligences are described in modern theosophical writings as "Masters." In the Hebrew mystery tradition they are known as Maggidim and in biblical literature as angels. Other systems have other names for them, but all systems refer to them in some way or another.

At this juncture we must cross the Abyss. That is, at the time of physical "death" we will enter another world ready to embark upon another path to a higher destiny, which is our true inheritance. This next world is the world of Briah or Creation, the "Third Heaven" of the apostle Paul, the "Paradise" or "Garden of Eden" which Jesus is reported as having told the thief on the cross they would soon be sharing. We may have brief excursions into this region while in this life, and experience what Paul describes as seeing, "as in a mirror, darkly."

"Spiritual friend in God, thou shalt well understand that I find, in my boisterous beholding, four degrees and forms of Christian living: and they be these, Common, Special, Singular, and Perfect. Three of these may be begun and ended in this life, and the fourth may by grace be begun here, but it shall ever last without end in the bliss of Heaven."

According to the Qabalah the death of a man is only the passage from one form of existence to another. Ultimately it is the will of the spirit to unite with God, but this is not possible until the spiritual side of man is sufficiently purified through the lessons learned in the temporal realm. The Hebrew word for transmigration is gilgul. There is no definite proof of the doctrine of reincarnation in early Judaism though allusions are made to it in the statements of Talmudic rabbis. The doctrine became prevalent in the second century onward in Gnostic sects and may have influenced some Jewish circles. It was primarily after the first literary exposition of Qabalistic doctrine in the late twelfth century, Sepher ha-Behir, that the doctrine of transmigration developed definite expression. It is possible that the doctrine developed from the influence of the Cathars since both appeared in southern France around the same time. From that point in time onward the doctrine of transmigration developed in several directions, and by the fourteenth century many explicit writings on the subject appeared.

According to the Qabalah it is only the Nephesh and Ruach, which must suffer the tests of transmigration. The Neshammah proceeds directly to its native source. There are two causes of death according to the Qabalah. The first occurs when the divine gradually diminishes or suddenly suppresses its continual influence upon Neshammah and Ruah, so that Nephesh loses the force, which animates the physical body. The second cause is called the "death from below" or "from without to within". Here the body enters into a state of disorganization through some kind of injury or illness and loses the dual property of receiving necessary influence from above and of stimulating Nephesh, Ruah, and Neshammah enough to call them down to it. The period of death is much longer than commonly believed. In fact the Qabalah teaches that the makifim (two enveloping lights which with an interior spiritual light make up the Zelem, or envelop each of the parts of a human being) withdraw thirty days prior to the death of a person. They withdraw first from from the Neshammah, then from the Ruah, and finally from the Nephesh.

Neshammah, whose seat is the brain, and who is the principal of the spirit, is the last to unite with the body, and thus, is the first to leave. It leaves right before the moment of actual death when man’s essence is heightened by a more elevated Ruah. This heightened awareness results in the ability to see into the hidden realms and his vision is often able to penetrate space. The Ruah spreads through the body and then takes its leave. This is described as an agonizing experience because the living soul floats and moves between the higher and lower realms. The Ruah is the personality and is seated in the heart. According to the Talmud it escapes through the mouth in the final breath. Once the Ruah has departed, the man appears to be dead, however the Nephesh still remains. Nephesh is the corporeal life and is strongly attracted to the flesh. It is the first to unite with the body and the last to depart. Only the invasion of the masikim (evil spirits) and decomposition of the body forces the Nephesh to depart. Even then, however, the Nephesh hovers nearby, only withdrawing at the time of total putrefaction. The Qabalah calls the Nephesh the "breath of the bones" or the "spirit of the bones". There can never be a total separation between the parts of a life, however. What once existed as a single unit can never be entirely disunited. After death, once of the parts of a person have separated, each part then travels to the sphere to which, by its nature and constitution, it is most attracted, accompanied by similar beings, which surrounded the death-bed.

  

The Divine Names

 

Each of the ten sephiroth corresponds to one of the names of god and one of the archangels or angels. Each name expresses a particular attribute of God or an active law of nature. The Qabalah is so well constructed that each name or term is really a facet of the others. The names of God belong to the world of Atziluth, the Archangels to Briah, and the Angels to Yetzirah.

The first Divine Name is Eheieh (I AM) and signifies precisely ‘The Always’. It is signified by the Hebrew letter Yod. It is the Alpha and the Omega. The second name is Yah (The Word) signifies divinity filled with ideas or the first born. The third name is Jehovah Elohim (The Creator) and is written YHVH (Yod-He-Vau-He). It signifies the key to all divine mysteries. It is the Father-Mother-Son-Daugher or the Father-Mother-Child, the basis of all of creation. The fourth name is El (The Lord) and signifies grace, mercy, piety, magnificence, sceptre, and the right hand. He fifth name is Elohim Gibor (The God of Battles) and signifies power, gravity, force, purity, judgement, inflicting punishment through war, and catastrophe. It is associated with the Judgement Seat of God, the girdle, the sword, and the left hand. The sixth name is Aloah Ve Daath (God Manifesting in the Higher Mind) and signifies ornament, beauty, glory, and pleasure. The seventh name is Jehovah Tzabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) and signifies triumph and victory. The eighth name is Elohim Tzabaoth (The God of Hosts) and signifies a God of armies, but not of war, armies of piety and peace. The ninth name is Shaddai el Chai (The Almighty Living God) and signifies accord, alliance, redemption, and rest. El Shaddai is correctly translated to mean Lord of the Mountain because Abraham did not know the divine name YHWH, ‘I am that I am’. Finally the tenth name, Adonai Melekh (Lord and King) or Adonai Ha Aretz (The Lord of Earth), is the kingdom. It signifies the Temple of God and the Gate.

 

Archangels and Angels Associated with the Tree

Sephiroth	Archangels	Angel
1	Metatron	Chaioth ha Qadesh – Holy Living Creatures
2	Ratziel	Auphanium – Wheels
3	Tzaphkiel	Aralim – Thrones
4	Tzadkiel	Chasmalim - Brilliant Ones
5	Khamael	Seraphim - Fiery Serpents
6	Raphael	Malachim - Kings
7	Haniel	Elohim – Gods
8	Michael	Beni Elohim -Sons of the Gods
9	Gabriel	Kerubim - The Strong Ones
10	Sandalphon	Aschim - The Souls of Fire