The Qabalah and its Tree of Life Schematic is the most prolifically used Method for the Practice of Western Occultism and Magical or Spiritual development. It is often the methodology used by the Yoga of the West. The Tree of Life is comprised of ten spheres called Sephiroth, singular Sephirah, that collectively are a diagrammatic symbol array that lay out how the Unmanifest descends into motion and manifestation beginning in Kether and traversing all the way down into Malkuth the Tenth. Each Sephirah is a symbolic representation of the degrees and depths of densification and crystallization of the Infinite Unmanifest into descending levels of manifestation. The Cosmos is the conscious product of the mental activity of the Logos, and thus the Kabbalah is the emblematic illustration of the raw material essence of Divine Consciousness and process through which it forces reality to come into Being. The Sephiroth unfold into four distinct worlds in Kabbalah which are Atzliuth, Briah, Yetziroth, and Assiah. These four planes of existence each have a Tree of ten Spheres.
Kabbalistic studies are comprised of numerous multifaceted programs for holistic understanding, psychic involution & evolution, visualization techniques, meditative arts, correlative methodologies, multidisciplinary correspondence, and concentration exercises. Ascertaining a total conceptualization of the Kabbalistic Tree Of Life requires all of these studious activities to be harmonized into a single whole otherwise the aspiring student will be deficient in an area of necessity needed for the proper use of this diagrammatic glyph. Psychic ascent requires the initiate to at first evolve (evolution) his consciousness down either the Lightning Path upon the Tree or down the Path Of the Arrow.
The Lightning Path corresponds to traversing down each Sephirothic Sphere starting with Kether and moving to Chokmah and on down until reaching Malkuth at the bottom and then to progressively involve (involution) all the way back up to Kether completing the cycle of consciousness; the Path of The Arrow is the evolution down the Middle Pillar (Kether, Tiphareth, Yesod, Malkuth) beginning with Kether and traversing straight down through Tiphareth to Yesod to Malkuth and then involve (involution back up through pillar eventually reaching Kether again. This exhibits two different paths for raising consciousness along the planes of existence to garner divine understanding and higher levels of conscious awareness.
The Kabbalah begins above the Tree of Life with the three levels of the Unmanifest: AIN, AIN SOPH, and AIN SOPH AUR. AIN is Negativity or the Unmanifest the eternal quintessence. AIN SOPH is the Limitless. AIN SOPH AUR is the Limitless Light.
These are the negative veils of Existence and the three spheres of pre-Manifestation. They reside in different dimension than the rest of the manifested universe out of which it is emanated. Nothing can truly be known about their intrinsic nature except that they are the basis for existence and from which all proceeding manifestations flow from.
This is the Supernal Triangle and first level of the Tree. Here we see the Sephiroth Kether, Chokmah, and Binah which are the initial trinity of densification from the Unmanifest Limitless Light AIN SOPH AUR. The Light crystallizes into Kether descending into the first stage of Involution.
Kether overflows its manifestation into Chokmah and then overflows itself into Binah. This trinity of force and form completes the first equilibrium of emanations and is the source of all successive Sephirothic emanations. These Supernal Sephiroth are above the Abyss, the part of existence that separates the ACTUAL from the ARCHETYPAL, with the rest of the Sephiroth residing below the ABYSS in the realm of the tangible.
Kether is the First Sephirah In Kabbalah and is called the Crown. It is the initial crystallization of the condensed Unmanifest, Limitless Light, and the root of all substance. It is the basis of polarity and the duality of Chokmah and Binah issues from its manifestation into more complex substances.
It also represents microcosmically the divine consciousness of man and macrocosmically the divine consciousness of Deity. Kether is also purportedly not a manifestation and is undifferentiated until it bursts into Chokmah. It is also synonymous with the LOGOS, the dynamic imaginative and creative essence of the DIVINE MIND of the Originator.
The second Sephiroth is Chokmah, and it means Wisdom. It is the Male potency or positive principle of the densification of Kether into duality. This Sphere expresses this principle we see in the Involution of Kether into energies of force and complexity.
The Sphere of the Zodiac is assigned to Chokmah. It is referred to as Aman, the Supernal Father, and is the first expression of the Pillar of Mercy. Chokmah is also the first true manifestation of the Cosmos and is essentially a bursting forth of dynamic creative energy free flowing until bound up in form by Binah.
The third Sephiroth is Binah, and it translates into Understanding. This is the negative and female aspect or principle through which the Condensed Kether in Chokmah converts over to the energy of Form. The Planet of Saturn is assigned to Binah, and it is called the Great Mother and first expression of the Pillar of Severity. It is also called Ama the Supernal Mother. It is also the first emanation of form and thus the initial bringer of the end of duration or death, though this is a necessity for existence.
The hidden Sephiroth is Daath and it means Knowledge. This Sphere is the one which forms through the conjunction of Chokmah, Wisdom, and Binah, understanding you gain synthesized Knowledge and a harmony of opposites.
Daath is the veiled level of consciousness on the Pillar of Mildness right between Kether and Tiphareth. This Sephiroth is not existent in the dimension in which reside the other Sephirothic Spheres and more akin in Nature to the three veils of negative existence. It is the root of primordial knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of the divine.
The fourth Sephiroth is Chesed, or Gedulah, and it means Mercy or Greatness. It is the Sphere of expansion, construction, and solidification. It's ascribed to the planet Jupiter and the positive force of manifestation. Chesed begins the Formative Triangle which is the Second Trinity of Sephiroth.
It is the first manifestation of the ACTUAL and the tangible with a certain solidity to it, though more of a mental solidity than one concretized by form. Chesed is the stimulator of the Archetypal spiritual ideas which design the Cosmic superstructure and provide the basis for the astral formulations and forces which become ensouled into comprehendible images upon the planes of existence of the four lowest Sephiroth.
The Fifth Sephiroth in Kabbalah is Geburah and it means power, might, or greatness. It is the fiery destructive force which dissolves all forms, ideas, and manifestations which have lost their usefulness and their healthy life being expired. The Planet of Mars is assigned to Geburah. Symbolizes not so much a fixed state of things but an act, a further passage, or transition of potentiality into actuality.
Geburah is the destroyer of mentally and formative stagnation's which arise during evolutionary manifestation and is inherently necessary to retain vibrant manifestations after older ones have ceased to exhibit proper vitality and must be eliminated if further progress is to be generated. It is a necessary destruction, so new creation can be initiated.
The Sixth Sephiroth is Tiphareth and it translates to mean Beauty or Harmony. It is the Sphere of Reconciliation between Gedulah and Geburah representing the principle that creates the basis of equilibrium between the Creative force and Destructive Form. It is also assigned to the Sun and connects in direct pathways to all other Sephiroth save Malkuth.
It has been called the SON of the Supernal Father and Mother, being Kether on a less sublime plane and state of existence. Microcosmically it corresponds to our spiritual or higher consciousness and can be attained through subsequent involution or ascent up the lesser forms of consciousness such as Astral or Psychic mind and the more physical mind states.
The Seventh Sephiroth is Netzach and it means Victory. It is the Sphere of Venus and of Fire. It is the realm where the Elements of Nature begin to hold sway and beginning of the Astral Triangle and Plane. It is a classification of man's principles and the representation of his emotional world microcosmically.
This Sephirah is associated with nature mysticism and Elemental forces. It is also the region in Human Sphere typically associated with the Unconscious Mind. It is also the plane or mode of existence whereby the One Force becomes differentiated into many forces, the One becoming the Many.
Netzach is the mode of existence where the totality of the forces, elements, and energies reside in the Astral Plane as gods which represent the force or energy it is associated with; thus it is the plane of Mysticism, Druidism, and Paganism after a fashion.
The Eighth Sephiroth is Hod which translates to Glory or Majesty. It is the Sephirah of the Planet Mercury and the Aspect of Water. Hod is symbolic of the logical capacity of man, his reason and intellect, and it is also the repository of man's magical or nervous force which is akin to Prana in Tantra. It is considered by Occultists to be the Sephirah of Books being associated with Thoth, Lord of Magic.
This is Sphere of the Intellectual, psychic, and occult magical path as opposed to the Dionysian Mystical one in Netzach or devotional one in Tiphareth. Hod is the plane of existence and aspect of cosmic involution whereby the myriad of energetic forces residing within Netzach undergo their concretized ensoulment into a permanent form which becomes a symbolic image of the force residing in the image. This allows it to become comprehensible to human consciousness.
The Ninth Sephiroth is Yesod and it translates to The Foundation. This is the Sephiroth which is assigned to Luna, the Moon, and to the Alchemical Element of Air. It is representative of the fourth Dimension by Occultists and the Astral Plane. It is associated also with Astral Psychism. Here we find the subtle electromagnetic substance, the Aether, into which all higher forces become focused and concentrated for their constitution into their final form from which physical Universe Arises.
In all its fleeting forms and motions of Yesod, and all its implications, we find the assuredly and permanence of the Physical World. Yesod is further called the plane of Maya, the plane of Illusion, due to the fact that within this mode of existence the astral phenomena and phantasmagoria encountered are simply symbolic imagery of archetypal spiritual forces which have ensouled into a form, are not real in and of themselves.
The Tenth Sephiroth is Malkuth and is titled as the Kingdom. This is the realm of Earth and its material force of physicality. It is the bottom of the Middle Pillar of equilibrium an in that is analogous with man's state of everyday, wakeful self-consciousness. This Sephiroth has often been referred to the Pendant of the Sephirothic trinities.
In essence, Malkuth is the plane of concrescence, of the aggregation and synthesis of all the differentiated, rarefied forces previously emanated become materialized into gross forms upon the physical plane of existence. It is often called the Lesser Mother, or the Bride of Microprospus, Microprospus being six creative sephiroth. In malkuth, the involutionary arc peaks and the evolutionary one begins with all emanations reascending the Tree back to prime reality.
The Four Worlds of Kabbalah Are Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. The World of Atziluth is the world of emanations. It is the plane of Sephirothic archetypal emanation and cosmic prototypes. It is the realm of the Divine because the emanations here are least conditioned, nearer the state of Absolute.
The Realm of Briah is realm of primal Creation, in contrast to emanation, ruled by Archangels and of the Union through Chokmah and Binah, the realm of Yetzirah is the one of Formation comprised of the central Sephiroth ruled by the Divines Angelic hosts. Lastly, in Assiah you find the realm of Malkuth with man, matter, demons, and physical manifestation in the Zodiac, Planets, and Elements.
The Twenty-two Paths of the Kabbalah for the various intersecting lines of reconciliation and subjective manifestation connecting all the Spheres of the Sephiroth into a single composite glyph or symbol. The Paths are the subjective side of the Tree of Life Diagram and are the way and path for initiation.
In a sort of double-blind there are actually thirty-two paths due to the representation of the Sephirothic Nodes being the initial ten paths followed by the twenty-two typical paths. Also assigned to the Paths are the twenty-two trumps of the Tarot Deck, the twenty-two Hebrew Letters, and the twenty-two parts of the physical realm relating to the Seven Planets, the Twelve Zodiac Signs, and the four Elements with Malkuth assigned Earth alone.
The Three Pillars of the Tree in Kabbalah are a particular way of representing correlations and dimensions running through the Sephiroth vertically and aid in understanding certain affinities between Sephiroth from these connections. They are The Pillar of Mildness, Pillar of Mercy, and Pillar of Severity. Each of these Sephirothic alignments reflect a particular degree of consciousness from the divine Mind down to super-consciousness, the subconscious, and then base consciousness in Malkuth.
The Pillar of Mildness is the Pillar of Consciousness with it running vertically from Kether down over Daath and into Tiphareth, Yesod, and finally Malkuth.The Pillar of Mercy are the sequential aspects of the involutionary forces and energies emanating from Kether and becoming formulated in Chokmah, Chesed, and Netzach, but are also the human aspects of emotionality, instinct, and intuition. The Pillar of Severity is the sequential aspects of cosmic unfoldment of force becoming encased in Forms and are represented by Binah, Geburah, and Hod. It is also the rationale, intellectual, and philosophical aspect of the Tree.
The Placement of the Tarot Deck with the various suits and numerical cards is required to adequately apprehend the Kabbalah Schematic. The Cards must be properly attributed to both the path and the Sphere its assigned and associated with. Particular suits are assigned to the four worlds of the Tree with the Wands and Fire to Atziluth, the Cups and Water to Briah, the Swords and Air to Yetzirah, and lastly the Pentacles or Coines to the physical and Earthen Assiatic world.
Furthermore, the numeric base cards are assigned to the sephiroth in descending order of both card and Sphere such that aces are given to Kether, two's to Chokmah, threes to Binah, and on down to Malkuth with ten's given to The Kingdom. And thus, the Ace of Wands is assigned to Atzliuthic Kether, but the Ten of Pentacles would be given to the Malkuth of Assiah.
The attributions associated with aligning the Sephiroth with the Tarot Cards is to delineate and formulate additional conceptualized imagery, associations, and aspects to the Sephiroth they are placed upon for the purpose of expanding the Occultist's repertoire of symbolic images upon which to meditate upon and attain understanding of the Sephiroth through the mental associations he can then correlate through the depictions on the cards to the related aspects of the corresponding Sephiroth.
The Twenty-Two Sacred Hebrew Letters is the traditional language used in Kabbalah, just as the Sacred Letters of Sanskrit are used by the Yoga and Occultist of the East. The Letters in Hebrew are also used as numerical digits to form mathematically arranged words, ideas, divinities, and encodings of Forces. Every Letter is given a number, power, name, and meaning. They are quite multifaceted in their application. The are three Mother Letters which are Shin, Aleph, and Mem. Then there are the seven double letters Gimel, Koph, Peth, Beth, Dhaleth, Tau, Resh and then the twelve basic letters.
The power is the Letters alphabetical association for forming names of archangels and angels, etc. The name is such the A is Aleph, V is Vau, and T is Tau, etc. The meanings assigned are such that Aleph, A, is given to mean Ox, Lamed, or L, is given to mean Ox Goad, SHin, or Sh, is given to mean tooth, and Tau, or Th, is given to mean Cross, etc.
Furthermore, the Hebraic alphabet is utilized in placement upon the 22 paths of initiation connecting the Sephiroth on the tree and are also considered the subjective aspect of the Tree, with the Sephiroth being the objective aspect. There is also the Hebraic aspect of converting the letters into their numerical values for the use of creating additional associations between correlating values and is called Gematria.
In the Qabalah, archetypal forms have emanated by the triune expression issued by the Sephirothic Supernal Spheres Kether, Chokmah and Binah. This Supernal Triad is the primordial manifesting essence of the Cosmos and is the often referred to as the Triune Deity. These three Sephiroth emanate the synergistic, harmonious, and progressive forms & forces necessary to generate stable Cosmic archetypes that eventually, down the chain of matter, manifest into the increasingly refined, complex, and diverse forms of life comprising our Universe. This process is expressed as the Emanations of Superstructures and develops along planes of varied degrees of materialization or Spiritual densification if you will.
Thus, each stage away from the ABSOLUTE, or Causeless Cause, is becoming denser, less spiritual, more gross, and ultimately "shadowy" PHYSICAL MATTER, with our visible reality being the farthest from the Unmanifested Essence or Unknowable Nameless Deity. Essentially, these forms are conscious, mental, and Spiritual emanations of the Primordial Substance-Spirit principle, FIRST CAUSE or PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, which corresponds with the Sephirothic Kether, in the Tree of Life diagram. However, it is imperative one does not imagine this state of consciousness, or Primal Cosmic Intelligence, to be at all similar to man's conceptualization of his state of consciousness, it being profoundly removed existing on inconceivably pristine plane of reality.
It is almost incomprehensible as a state and unrelatable to our general understanding of the word "consciousness". This plane is the model upon which all the lower planes of emanations and manifestations acquire their schematic for type, attribute, qualities, and structure, an initial concept to be followed and improved upon by the worlds which succeed it physically, though deteriorating in purity of spiritual essence. However, this cosmological framework and understanding of such terminology and abstract concepts must be at least delineated for a lucid and understandable conceptualization of the process in its totality which cosmic unfoldment proceeds.
The second plane of evolution and activity is termed the Mental or Creative layer of existence. The Creative-Intellectual plane is the mode or state of evolutionary existence where the spiritual forces become subject to subsequent densification and specialization through ensoulment into more substantial and semi-permanent fluidic formations though these forces and structures are still of a super-etheric state and not material as we understand the term. The Sephiroth which correspond to this plane are the Speheres of Chesed and Geburah which are representations of the first substantial forces and their projection into denser aetheric structural forms.
Upon this creative plane the stimulative force emanating from the primordial essence becomes refracted and concentrated into a plethora of multitudinous cosmic aspects which become the creative forces that build up and evolve the denser structures and forms that will provide the proper progressive systems that allow for the manifestation of pre-materiality (astral blueprint) to arise upon the next phase or plane of existence.
The Creative or stimulative aspects arise in the Sephirothic Sphere of Chesed which is where the primordial stimulative force emanates a cosmic schematic resulting in the rise of complexity and activity propelled towards a more specific design. The destructive and form inducing Sephirothic sphere of Geburah encapsulates the stimulative aspects generated by Chesed and concentrates them into structures which are limiting and yet propelling the overall involutionary process into a more refined and qualitatively progressive cosmic system.
Geburah is the phase of emanative descent into structures designed to be destroyed and evolved into one's of higher vitality through the process of refinement of substance. These two Sephirohic spheres and their modalities of operation become equilibrated in the Sphere of Tiphareth which is the cosmic equalizer and sixth Sephiroth. It is upon this phase and mode of existence that the ultimate preparation for subsequent and true differentiation transpires so that it can manifest upon the lower astral planes the final formative structures required for material ensoulment and give rise to our plane of reality.
Once the states of existence within the Mental-Creative plane have furnished the schematic required for further involution of the Primordial Absolute Essence, the third phase manifests into the cosmos which is called the Formative-Astral plane and is the last bulwark of involution before the material plane. In the Kabbalistic delineation, this formative modality occurs in the Sephirothic Speheres of Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The force which has become equilibrated in Tiphareth is differentiated and separated by a cosmic prism whereby this stimulative ray of the Absolute essence becomes much more specialized, the force becomes forces, the form becomes forms, and each one presides over an operation within the cosmic superstructure and is also more substantial in its overall state of existence, though not material.
In Netzach, the celestial ray or essence splinters into a multitude of astral forces which exhibit a particular functionality and are in essence individuated. These forces do not possess individuality as we know it but do function individually in their operations upon the astral plane and could be likened to cosmic etheric thought-forms with a type of intelligence within in them. In the Sphere of Hod, these specialized forces finally become ensouled into a much more permanent form whereby they function now in a state of concrete etheric existence.
These two Sephirothic processes become equilibrated in the Sphere of Yesod which is the last mode of emanative existence before final manifestation into materiality in Malkuth. In Yesod all the preceding sequential Sephirothic emanations and their inherent processes fashion the astral foundation and material schematic that the physical world will be structured upon. Every force and its vehicular form become stabilized and imbued with its most permanent structure before ultimate densification and ensoulment into the plane of Malkuth.
The Final plane is the Physical one in which we reside as beings and corresponds entirely with the various levels of Malkuth the tenth Sephirothic Sphere. However, this densest of planes and most gross manifestation is still composed of layers or states of material existence not being only the visible or phenomenal world in which we perceive and reside. For the highest aspect of Malkuth is inherently semi-etheric in nature and invisible to the naked eyes of material beings, and yet at its lowest formation it is the rocky ground and rushing river of nature.
In Malkuth the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth exist in several states or modes of operation with some being visible and many still being outside our physical perception. The totality of this rendition is to relay to the reader and aspirant the ideas behind the cosmic superstructure because without this foundation the rest is unlikely to follow. For the process of unfolding our consciousness and rising above the visible plane of Malkuth requires understanding of the higher planes.
Furthermore, the Tree of Life Glyph is twofold one corresponding to the Cosmos and the second, more important for the work mentioned here, is the Sephirothic Glyph placed upon the body of Man with each Sephira corresponding to various aspects of human consciousness as well as being correlated with the Chakra system of India. There are Occult methodologies whereby the individual utilizes the Glyph, its correspondences, its related symbolism to other schools of thought, and its balancing structures to elevate consciousness up the Tree and through the planes to achieve unification with the Higher Self and what some call the Christ Consciousness in Tiphareth and the Crown Chakra in Eastern Esotericism. However, before the capacity to reach such advanced stages is unfolded, the individual must endeavor to elevate consciousness beyond its physicality and into the astral or psychic plane first being no small feat in and of itself.
The First Sephirah of the Ten Sephiroth is Kether. When one is attempting to comprehend or ascertain understanding of this initial Emanation from the Veils of Negative Existence, it must go without saying that true knowledge of it is exceedingly difficult to attain and only particular symbolic ideations of its primal nature can be postulated as well as denoting certain symbolism which generates the capacity for eventual understanding once meditated upon and visualized by the aspiring Qabbalist. The totality of our understanding of Kether must intrinsically be referred to in metaphysical delineations and extrapolations due to the fact of its existence being so completely removed from the nature of humanity's limited abilities in consciousness since it can only grasp concepts corresponding to ones encapsulated into a form or concretized formulation of a static idea, thus greatly truncating our capacity for comprehension of limitless conceptualizations.
However, when it comes to Kether there do exist certain methodologies for postulating its nature, albeit metaphysical ones, and extrapolating upon its causation and subsequent expansion into Chokmah. Lastly, before beginning any type of delineation upon the various Sephiroth and their modes of existence, which is essentially what they are, it must be explicitly stated that for one to comprehend a Sephirah it must be juxtaposed against the successive Sephirah which are connected to it.
Kether is the first crystallization of the Unmanifested Principle out of Negative Existence and is a in essence a concentrated point of Pure Being emanated out of non-existence, thus it is symbolized by the center-point within the Circle with the Circe itself representing, albeit inadequately though its the best, the limitless, eternal, timeless, boundless, and primordial Source of the Unmanifested Principle. Kether is a paradoxical state of existence of Pure-Being without form or activity which resides in stasis until the influx of further Unmanifested force causes it to overflow its state and burst into the activity that corresponds to the Sephirah Chokmah. Therefore, it is apt that Kether it called the First Swirling's and the Primordial Point because it is the initial crystallization of the Unmanifested Force residing behind the three Veils of Negative existence which are called Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur.
The secondary Sephirah within the diagrammatic glyph of the Tree of Life schematic is Chokmah. The emanation of Chokmah sequentially proceeds from Kether and is essentially a state of existence which corresponds to a channel by which the Divine dynamism of force that is Kether flows through once the bursting of spiritually stimulating energy is initiated into activity once the influx of Unmanifested force overflows the Primordial point that is Kether, thus resulting in the outburst of the dynamic stimulating energetic emanation that is Chokmah. The various symbols associated and representative of Chokmah are the straight line, the Tower, and the Lingam to name just a few. Each one of these symbolic concepts are conceived to be representative of this forth-flowing dynamic energy or stimulating force of creative spiritual power which is Chokmah's state of existence.
Chokmah is Kether once the influx of the ever-flowing force from the Unmanifest transcends its limitations and necessitates that new modes of developments must be initiated to create fresh correspondences and stresses for further progression to be actuated. Consequently, Chokmah is the bursting forth of Kether into an out-pouring of unformulated power and uncompensated force, an out-pouring of limitless, boundless dynamic energy. Chokmah is essentially Kether, Pure Being, becoming active and stimulative to the point of a concentrated outflow of this force which is formless, undirected, and dynamic.
Chokmah is also considered the initial Masculine and Positive aspect of polarity within the Tree of Life Schematic and is thus attributed symbols associated with such stimulative imagery as the Phallus which corresponds to the notion of dynamic outflowing life force or energy for growth and progress. However, it must be mentioned that to connote Chokmah's masculinity with the positive polarity does not constitute the concept of good as opposed to evil, but simply denotes its nature as a stimulative, dynamic, energetic, and formulating force in involution.
The third Sephirah emanated within the Glyph of the Tree of Life is Binah which is the primal and primordial instigator of capturing dynamic forces within forms though at this state of existence these forms would be exceedingly subtle in nature and should not in any way be imagined as physical or even ethereal but instead as archetypal and spiritual forming the initial, fundamental basis for the proceeding emanatory states of subsequent polarity and dualistic manifestations of the Cosmic superstructure which occurs in the 4th Sephirah Chesed.
Comprehension of Binah must intrinsically be extrapolated upon by correlation of it to the dynamic, stimulating, and flowing force of Chokmah. Chokmah, being dynamic power and force, is a life stimulating energy that exhibits itself by moving or flowing in a pattern more akin to a spiraling arch than a straight line with it inevitably circling back around to arrive on a higher arch than which it originated due to the nature of the evolving Cosmos; yet inherent to this cyclical progression of dynamic activity, which is Chokmah, there results the eventual burgeoning of stresses that interlock and subsequently begin to stabilize in some manner due to their intrinsic nature.
These interlocking forces of stress which result in a stabilization or equilibrium among them is referred to as Binah. Thus, Binah is that balancing act and fundamental stasis achieved by interaction between forces which have attained a sort of harmonious inter-relational standstill and represent the primal initiation of inducing dynamic forces into a static form of counterpoise.
Whenever there is manifested a balancing and maintenance of cosmic forces into a static equilibrium there is displayed the conceptualization of the Binah aspect of existence. Additionally, when any force or energetic principle of the Universe becomes encased into a limiting and constricting formation invariably the result is the beginning of degeneration of that form proceeding until its final dissolution or death. This is why Binah is posited as being the Bringer of Death, by means of constricting energies in forms that must degrade and expire by the very nature of being in a finite state of existence.
The fourth Sephiroth upon the glyph of the Tree of Life schematic is titled Chesed, also sometimes referred to as Gedulah, and it means Mercy or Majesty. The emanation of Chesed proceeds from Binah, bringer of form, and is essentially the reflection of Chokmah, the dynamic stimulating force, on a lower level of existence and manifestation. Chesed is the coalescence and cohesion of the Supernal Trinity of Sephirothic aspects of force and form into a less subtle and more dense emanation that represents the first true manifestation in the cosmos, though subtle, in the sense that it becomes actual and real.
This is in contrast to the entirely different states or modes of existence within the Three Supernal Sephiroth that are in essence potentials and divine first principles that formulate the primal model for subsequent involution of the Unmanifested force in Kether to become eventually actualized within the states corresponding to the denser Sephirothic spheres lower upon the Tree. Accordingly, Chesed is attributed the symbolism of the three-dimensional pyramid and the triangle, which are the first shapes in manifestation.
Chesed is the first concretion of the abstract principles manifest within the Supernal Sephiroth and is therefore the initiator of solidity within emanative manifestation, though this apparent solidity remains one of an exceedingly subtle nature and should not be imagined as corresponding to the types of solidity we are accustomed to thinking of with our limited level of consciousness in the densest physical sephirothic plane of existence. Chesed is an anabolic force, an up-building of archetypal forces and ideas which preserve the foundational sephirothic aspects represented within the Supernals. It is extending and stimulating the basic cosmic schematics of the Logoidal Consciousness of Kether, the primordial conduit of the Unmanifested force of Pure Being.
Chesed is the anabolic aspect of existence which sustains, preserves, and stimulates novel cosmic archetypal ideas or aspects for manifestation into the lower planes, thus it is the designer and architect of new manifestations that are dynamic and progressive. This is why the symbol attributed to Chesed is the wise and contemplative King sitting upon his throne presiding peacefully over his kingdom guiding them and organizing them into productivity and abundance.
The Fifth Sephirah within the Tree of Life schematic is Geburah, or Gevurah, and this is the secondary Sephiroth placed upon the Pillar of severity or left-sided pillar of negatively charged polarity in creative aspects. This Sephirah is attributed many symbols and representations which signify or epitomize its emanatory principle and operation within the framework of the unfolding schema being designed through the Tree of Life into manifested reality further on down the tree.
One such image is the Fiery, Mighty warrior king riding out into battle upon his chariot. Another symbol is Mars, representing the Destroyer and God of War. Both of these symbolic associations provide a key for ascertaining the nature of this Sephirah. Geburah is the opposing polarity to Chesed's preservative, stimulative, and anabolic archetypal emanation which sustains and progresses the Cosmos. Thus, Geburah represents the katabolic aspect of creative processes whereby necessary destruction of stagnant forms are effectuated and undertaken. This destructive Geburah process is an essential aspect of existence for efficacious emanations and manifestations to proceed without which would result in degraded, stale, and inhibitive forms remaining unchecked and therefore halting the vibrant progression of novel and vital forms of existence to manifest.
Thus, this katabolic Sephiroth is absolutely essential and necessary for originality to arise out of the ashes of decrepit degenerative forms which have outlived their cosmic usefulness and must be disintegrated for there to the manifest the revitalized, reconstituted, and vibrationally re-energized emanations of forms that progress the cosmic unfoldment of evolutionary processes further down the planes. Geburah breaks up the subtle forms and archetypal ideas emanated in Binah and Chesed so that then in Tiphareth the remaining cosmic aspects can become equilibrated into interacting wholes which work in tandem with each other as opposed to each other.
Consequently, Geburah is considered the Cosmic Destroyer of Form and is thus associated with the Fiery Mars symbol and a King riding into Battle against his adversaries. Geburah is the Celestial Surgeon that obliterates precisely and deliberately cosmic forms ensouled with latent spiritual forces which once extricated and released from a degenerative form can once again become dynamic, anabolic, and stimulative for additional utilization within the up-building creative processes in the overall framework of involution, the descent of Unmanifested force in Kether down to ensoulment into form in the lower states and modes of existence.
The sixth Sephirah in the glyph of the Tree of Life is the Central Sphere in the totality of the Tree schematic and the pivotal Sephirothic aspect acting as the intrinsic linking principle between the higher and lower portions of the Tree macrocosmically in terms of Cosmic structuring, but it also the pivotal link in the microcosmic aspects of consciousness and the fundamental function of attuning and raising consciousness up the planes into higher levels of spiritual awareness enabling a new perception of holistic unities and archetypal mental structures.
The Tipharethic nature in consciousness is the aspect of Christ-consciousness which constitutes an equilibrium between the material consciousness, the subconsciousness or unconscious, and the spiritual super-consciousness states becoming unified into harmonious rapport. Tiphareth is the intuitive state of higher consciousness where the experience is absent any astral or psychic imagery reflecting itself to our subconscious mind being instead one of pure knowing. To Tiphareth is attributed the symbolic image of the Sun astrologically and is also further considered to be a reflection of Kether upon a lower plane being titled the "Son of the Father", the Father being Kether.
Additionally, Tiphareth is given the symbolism of the Christ child and the King. The reasoning behind these two additional significant symbols is comprehendible when we observe its placement upon the Tree in relation to the other Sephiroth. The symbol of the child can be understood when we consider that, as previously stated, Tiphareth is Kether upon a lower arc and plane of manifestation, thus being a child in its relation to Kether the father of the entire Tree of Life Structure, yet also
In the Sphere of Tiphareth, the descending emanations of the prior Sephiroth become equilibrated and harmonized on the formative plane of cosmic manifestations. Tiphareth is the state of harmonization which the emanation undergoes after the Geburic state of distillation is completed. Furthermore, Tiphareth is the last Sephirothic Sphere of true fluidity and elasticity of substance, before the descending and densifying emanations reach a state of relative solidity of form and type. After, Tiphareth the emanations enter into a state more comprehendible to our consciousness and attain more distinctive stereotypical frameworks from which psychic consciousness can form concrete symbols.
The Seventh Sphere on the Tree of Life is Netzach, and it is within this sphere that the emanations begin to take on a relatively firm and structured type of forms. In Tiphareth, the One Ray of Light becomes broken up as by a prism whereby in Netzach the Force transforms into forces and the Form turns into forms, though of a tenuous nature. In Netzach the ray is broken up into the many hued rays of formative emanations with each ray becoming intensified and specialized into a more specific aspect or functionality in its manifestations. Every life or form of force generated in Netzach is a partial but specialized manifestation, therefore no being that has for its sphere of evolution the sphere of Netzach can be capable of exhibiting an all-around development.
Consequently, these beings can only ever be entities of one idea, a singular, simple, stereotyped mode of function in its essence. However, even in Netzach the forces are generally still free-moving, being bound into highly fluidic and ever-shifting shapes, with particular forms of force representing themselves as types of beings, flowing backwards ands forwards over the boundaries of manifestation in an exceedingly elusive manner. Such beings as those in Netzach are not individualized personalities being more akin to elastic hosts flowing in the wind of astral matter. This is in contrast to the Sphere of Hod where these forces take on more concretized forms and structures that are relatively solidified into distinctive types. It is also the sphere in which dwell the Nature Forces, elementals, and entities.
In the Microcosm, the Sphere of Netzach represents the emotions and the instincts of astral consciousness, in contrast to the intellect of Hod. Thus, the Sphere of Netzach becomes the initial state of manifestation in which the emanations have entered into the astral plane of thought-forms and can become molded into symbolic images by man's consciousness working upon their essence. The Sphere of Netzach is the one in which the occultist draws the natural energy of the Cosmos down into the focused forms that are generated in the Sphere of Hod, without which these forms will remain inert and non-functional unless ensouled by the Netzach energies.
This a pivotal point in the field of practical occultism and the effectual utilization of magic. The individual occultist must not become overly intellectual, theoretical, and mechanistic otherwise he/she will be incapable of contacting and drawing upon the fluidic natural energies within the Sphere of Netzach and become ineffectual in every magical endeavor embarked upon.
The Eighth Sphere on the Tree of Life is Hod, and it this solidifying Hod state of manifestation where the fluidic forces in Netzach become truly concretized into permanent astral forms. Hod is also the microcosmic sphere of an individual's pure intellect and reason. When the chain of emanations reaches the Sphere of Hod, after becoming tenuously stereotyped functionally in Netzach, the relatively fluidic, shifting forms of force become transformed into fully bound and specific forms of force exhibiting a concrete function.
The flowing forms are now solidified and specialized in their mode of functionality. The new concretized forms take on individualization into units representing the coagulating principle of Chokmah on another, lower plane of manifestation. Hod is the plane of manifestation in which the many forms of Netzach become definitively organized as forms ensouled by the nature forces emanating from Netzach, though these forms are still tenuous and astral in nature.
In considering the Sphere of Hod microcosmically, it is the intellectualizing, organizing, and rationalizing form of psychic consciousness. It is in the Sphere of Hod that the mind-stuff, astral matter, of the cosmos is capable of becoming molded, structured, and symbolized into appreciable images with which to depict to consciousness the spiritual principles these images represent. The plethora of astral images witnessed by our mind when interacting with the astral plane are ones that have been structured and generated by humanity's consciousness throughout history and are essentially human thought-forms.
The reasoning behind this stupendous statement is related to the very nature of this astral substance. This exceedingly ethereal astral substance is highly sensitive to the influences of consciousness and was easily organized by the Cosmic Mind, but as evolution progressed and beings arose which also exhibited consciousness, of a type, this elastic astral matter became influenced by man's thoughts as well. Thus, humanity became a generator of astral forms, thought forms, on this plane of manifestation. This paradigm forms the basic foundation of occult magical practice and occurs in the Sphere of Hod in conjunction with Netzach.
The Ninth Sphere on the Tree of Life is Yesod, and it is this sphere where the entirety of the descending Sephirothic emanations coalesce into a formulaic structural blueprint for final manifestation and materialization upon the physical planes of Malkuth. It is for this reason that Yesod is titled the Foundation. The Yesodic plane of manifestation is also referred to as the receptacle of prior Sephirothic emanations and exhibits this nature through formalizing, structuring, and finalizing the emanative forms built by all the previous Sephirothic Spheres.
Thus, Yesod truly signifies the Machinery of the Cosmos becoming the sphere that manifests the ethereal schematic that underlies the manifold phenomenon witnessed upon the physical planes of existence. However, the Yesodic Plane is also the plane of Illusion due to the fact that its myriad of astral entities, images, and machinery, seen by psychic consciousness, are merely outer shell-like coverings and astral representations of higher spiritual or mental principles. Thus, it has also been called the treasure house of images.
The Tenth Sphere on the Tree of Life is Malkuth, and it is in this sphere that the totality of the emanations built up by the preceding Sephiroth ultimately become materialized and fully expressed on the physical planes of existence. The Plane of Malkuth is the final repository of the energies, forms, and structural frameworks worked out in the higher spheres and aggregated in Yesod into a formulaic schematic.
The energies become actualized in Malkuth and acquire the experience necessary to then reascend up the planes in its evolution back to Kether. Though it is the material Sphere on the Tree, Malkuth is ultimately just as pivotal and important, if not even more so, as the higher spheres because it is the sphere where cosmic energies become objectively materialized into our plane of existence.
The drawing down of energies into our sphere of existence is the essence of occultism, therefore the comprehension of Malkuth and its function on the Tree of Life is absolutely essential to properly and safely handle the forces being drawn into manifestation. The occultist draws upon the absolute energy of Kether bringing it down the planes into the lower Sephirothic Spheres on the astral and then ensouls and organizes them in Netzach-Hod.
However, if the operation is not fully grounded into the Sphere of Malkuth, remaining in say Yesod, the energies brought into manifestation run a risk of becoming only partially brought to bear, leaving residual energy "lying around" so to speak. It is this residual energy that can become hazardous to the magician if left unequilibrated and unrealized materially in the plane of Malkuth.
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