The Kabbalah
10 This is a form of Jewish mysticism that has become popular outside of the Judaic community, and is seen in many other types of occult practices. 2The ideas of the Kabbalah go well beyond the Jewish faith and it can be considered a school of spiritual thought all on its own.
3There is a very strong connection between the Kabbalah and the Torah. 4Much of the terminology is Hebrew due to the origins of these ideas.
The Sephirot
5The connected tree of eleven spheres is a common symbol of the Kabbalah and is central to understanding the concepts, though this is by no means the entire nature of the Kabbalah. 6We will start here just because this is what most people first think of when it comes to this topic.
7Each sphere is called a sephirah (plural – sephirot) representing a distinct emanation of the Divine. 8The diagram below shows how each one is connected to the next, creating a bridge from the earthly Malkuth to the spiritual crown of Keter.
9The names and brief meanings of the spheres are as follows, starting from the top:
i. Kether (crown) – the highest state of Divine will and eternal spirit
ii. Chokmah (wisdom) – conscious intellect, creative power
iii. Binah (understanding) – ideas being manifest, realisation
iv. Daat (knowledge) – a reflection of Kether or seen as a void
v. Chesed (kindness) – love, the principle of action
vi. Geburah (severity) – strength, change and power
vii. Tipharet (beauty) – harmony, balance
viii. Netzach (eternity) – endurance, perseverance
ix. Hod (glory) – intellect, submission to the will of Kether
x. Yesod (foundation) – imagination, physical creation
xi. Malkuth (kingship) – our physical plane of existence
10The specifics of each sphere are difficult to pinpoint as it really depends on the nature of one s study, and you can find many different interpretations of these spheres.
11The diagram is often referred to as the Tree of Life , though it is usually called that when studied outside the Jewish religion. 12Aside from the spheres, there are 22 named paths between each of them, wi t h Tipharet being the most interconnected of them all. 13Not all versions of the tree include the sphere of Daat. 141t has been included in the list above so that all the spheres are represented. 15When it is, it sits between Kether and Tipharet in the Tree.
16The tree not only holds the sephirot themselves, but their positions are further defined by the three columns or pillars. 17The pillar on the left, containing Binah, Geburah and Hod, is known as the pillar of severity and collectively represents water and the female gender. 18Through the centre, headed by Kether, is the pillar of mildness, which is connected to air and is neutral in gender. 19And to the right is the pillar of mercy. 20That column of spheres is associated with fire and the male gender. 21This view of the tree is just another way of making connections between the emanations and seeing how the universal forces can work together within this pattern.
The Texts of the Kabbalah
22As mentioned, the Kabbalah is an entire realm of mystical knowledge that goes beyond just the Tree of Life. 23There are several texts that should be mentioned here. 24The Zohar was written in the 13th century, and is one of the main foundational works of this school of mystical thinking. 251t s a long three-volume text describing the complete spiritual pathway along which a soul will travel on its way to enlightenment. 261t s a very in-depth book and typically not understood except by those who already have a high degree of Kabbalah and Torah knowledge.
27The Sefer Yetzirah ( Book of Formation or Book of Creation ) is another key text, which describes the creation of the universe through 32 ways of wisdom. 28These correspond to the 10 spheres of the sephiroth along with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 29This text is filled with gnostic thinking that ties many aspects of numerology into the esoteric views of Judaism. 301t would take a great deal of studying to get to the heart of all this information.
How to Work with the Kabbalah
31These spiritual pathways can be used in many ways besides further study of the Torah, which is why the Kabbalah has gained popularity with non-Jewish people. 32Meditation on each sphere, as well as the pathways between them, can create a metaphysical framework for understanding the astral world or simply gaining a better appreciation of the nature of Divinity.
33You can also use the Tree of Life to relate to other studies. 34For example, there is a good connection between the Tree of Life and the Tarot. 35As mentioned, there are 22 paths between the spheres, and that corresponds to the 22 cards of the Major Arcana of a traditional Tarot deck. 36The connections are quite oblique at times, mainly because the concepts embodied in the spheres are so vague that seeing paths between them takes time. 370ne example is the path between Kether and Binah. 38The movement from the state of the Divine to the manifestation of creativity is represented by the Magician. 39And the card does indeed represent the creative force of the elements.
40Unfortunately there is not enough space in this book to do this topic justice. 41The Tree of Life is a unique mystical tool that can be used along with many other esoteric arts and is worth further study by any spiritual seeker.