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Concerning The Holy Qabalah
CONCERNING
THE HOLY QABALAH
Issued by the
Thelemic Order and Temple
of the Golden Dawn
(Novus Ordo Aureae Aurora)
September, 1990 e.v.
In Association with
New Falcon Publications and
the Israel Regardie Foundation, Inc.
By Sir David Cherubim
(Frater Superior Chief)
Copyright (C) 1990 e.v.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The word Qabalah is derived from the root Qibel (QBL), which
means "to receive." This refers to the ancient custom of
transmitting Qabalistic knowledge by the method of oral
transmission. The Qabalah is the "received" doctrine, the
esoteric side of the scriptures, the "Chokmah Nistorah" or Secret
Wisdom of the Inner School, that is the inner truth as opposed to
the outer form.
The Qabalah is, in essence, an esoteric system of Self-
Initiation. It cannot be taught to anyone; it must be
experienced by every individual in their own unique way. The real
secrets and true mysteries of the Qabalah must be discovered for
and by oneself. This correspondence lesson is not designed to
teach you the Qabalah, but rather is it designed to demonstrate
to you its fundamental principles and traditions. It is simply a
skeleton of instruction; you make the body of experience.
The Qabalah is properly classed under four heads:
1. The Practical Qabalah (Talismanic and Ceremonial Magick).
2. The Literal Qabalah: Divided into three parts:
Gematria (Grk. "Geometria"), Notariqon (Ltn. "Notarius",
a short hand writer), and Temurah (Heb. "Permutation").
3. The Unwritten Qabalah (only communicated orally).
4. The Dogmatic Qabalah (the doctrinal portion).
It is with the Practical Qabalah and, in a certain manner, the
Unwritten Qabalah, that the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn is
most concerned. The Literal Qabalah and the Dogmatic Qabalah
are, more than not, independent studies for members to engage in
according to their own inclinations.
In Qabalistic philosophy there are Four Worlds which constitute
the Universe. After a certain manner they correspond with the
Four Magical Elements. The Four Elements of Fire, Water, Air,
and Earth are reflections of the Four Worlds of the Qabalah.
Thus is fulfilled the divine saying, "As above, so below."
The Four Worlds and the Four Elements correspond with the Four
Letters of the Tetragrammaton (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh or IHVH), which is
the so-called Incommunicable Name of God which, in occult
science, represents a magical formula of supreme universal
importance.
The Four Qabalistic Worlds are:
Olahm Ha-Atziluth (World of Emanations or Archetypal World).
Olahm Ha-Briah (World of Creation. Also called Khorsia,
Throne).
Olahm Ha-Yetzirah (World of Formation and of Angels).
Olahm Ha-Assiah (Material World. Also called Olahm
Ha-Qliphoth, the World of Shells).
Atziluth is the World of Emanations and corresponds with the
element of Fire and the letter Yod of the Tetragrammaton; Briah
is the World of Archangels and corresponds with the element of
Water and the letter Heh of the Tetragrammaton; Yetzirah is the
World of Angels and corresponds with the element of Air and the
letter Vav of the Tetragrammaton; Assiah is the World of Action
and corresponds with the element of Earth and the final letter
Heh of the Tetragrammaton.
In each of the Four Worlds there is contained a Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life is, after a certain fashion, a symbolic figure
of the Universe. It is made of Ten Spheres (Sephiroth) and
twenty-two Paths connecting them. Since there is a Tree of Life
in each of the Four Worlds, there are forty Spheres in all. Yet
in each Sphere there is contained its own Tree of Life and in
each Sphere of that Tree is contained yet another Tree, so that
there are an infinite amount of Trees and Spheres in Qabalistic
Philosophy.
The Tree of Life is, after a certain manner, a "western mandala".
It is a supreme magical symbol of all the forces which constitute
the operations of the Universe in its evolving scheme for
absolute freedom of expression. It is a perfect model of the
Universal Plan and it plays a great role in the esoteric
initiation and training of the Golden Dawn Magician. It
comprehends and synthesizes all forces, forms, and concepts of
the Universe, and it embraces all essential keys to attain true
union with the Divine.
There are, in the Qabalah, three essential parts of the Soul.
These are:
Neschamah (Soul, Intuition)
Ruach (Spirit, Mind)
Nephesch (Animal soul)
Neschamah is the Supernal Triad of Kether, Chokmah and Binah on
the Tree of Life, but most especially is it related to Binah.
Ruach is the next six Sephiroth (Chesed to Yesod). Nephesch is
Malkuth.
Eliphas Levi said the following concerning the three parts of the
Soul: "The body is the veil of Nephesch. Nephesch is the veil
of Ruach. Ruach is the veil of the shroud of Neschamah."
There are also two other parts of the Soul in Qabalistic
Philosophy. These are called the Yechidah and Chiah. The Yechidah
(Indivisible Self) is related to Kether; the Chiah (Life Force,
or True Will) is related to Chokmah. These two are contained in
the Immortal Neschamah.
The Neschamah is represented in Tarot by the Empress Atu (Card
III of the Major Arcana). The Empress is Isis in Nature, and
also the Queen of Heaven. She is the source and the fulfillment
of all sublime things terrestrial and celestial, material and
spiritual. She is Mother Venus, Goddess of all. The symbol of
Venus, which is also the symbol of Woman, is a Cross surmounted
by a Circle. It is a symbol which contains in itself the idea of
all the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life; it contains all of the
forces of Nature, just as the Holy Neschamah contains all.
In the Hebrew language there are twenty-two letters. These
correspond with the twenty-two Paths of the Tree of Life. The
Hebrew Alphabet has been properly called the Holy Alphabet of
the Gods and the Angelic Alphabet. The famous Sepher Yetzirah
divides the twenty-two Hebrew letters into three classes of
three, seven and twelve. These are:
The three Mother Letters (Aleph, Mem, Shin).
The seven Double Letters (Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh,
Resh, Tav).
The twelve Single Letters (Heh, Vav, Zain, Cheth, Teth, Yod,
Lamed, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Tzaddi, Qoph).
The three Mother Letters correspond with the three Philosophic
Elements of Air (Aleph), Water (Mem), and Fire (Shin). They also
correspond with the three Gunas of Samkhya Philosophy (Aleph =
Sattva, Mem = Tapas, Shin = Rajas) and also with the three
Principles of Alkhemi (Aleph = Mercury, Mem = Salt, Shin =
Sulphur). These three letters are reflections of the Supernal
Triad of Light, Wisdom and Understanding. The seven Double
Letters correspond with the Seven Ancient Planets, the Seven
Chakkras, the Seven Alkhemical Metals, the Seven Steps of
Initiation, the Seven Days of the Week, the Seven Elohim or
Spirits of God, the Seven Eyes of God, the Seven Archangels, the
Seven Masters, the Seven Steps of Solomon's Temple, the Seven
Colors, the Seven Senses, and the Seven Musical Tones. The
twelve Single Letters correspond with the Twelve Signs of the
Zodiac.
The twenty-two Paths also correspond with the twenty-two Atus of
Thoth, or the Major Arcana Cards of the Tarot numbers 0-21.
Aleph is The Fool, Beth is The Magician, Gimel is The High
Priestess, Daleth is The Empress, Heh is The Star (or The
Emperor), Vav is The Hierophant, Zayin is The Lovers, Cheth is
The Chariot, Teth is Strength (or Lust), Yod is The Hermit, Kaph
is The Wheel of Fortune, Lamed is Justice (or Adjustment), Mem is
The Hanged Man, Nun is Death, Samech is Temperance (or Art), Ayin
is The Devil, Peh is The Tower, Tzaddi is The Emperor (or The
Star), Qoph is The Moon, Resh is The Sun, Shin is Judgement (or
The Aeon), and Tav is The World (or The Universe).
The twenty-two Paths are microcosmic realities which concentrate
and equilibrate the macrocosmic forces represented by the
Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. They are subjective, whereas the
Sephiroth are objective. Each Path is a door to achieving union
with the divine forces of the Universe, and they inevitably lead
to the Secret Wisdom. The force of each Path is represented by
its corresponding Tarot Card related to its corresponding Hebrew
letter. Thus the eleventh Path of Aleph is The Fool on the Tree
of Life. This particular Path connects Kether and Chokmah, and
represents the spiritual consciousness related thereto.
The Sepher Yetzirah speaks of Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom.
Thirty-two is the numerical value of the word Laib (LB) which
means the Heart of Man. Thus the Thirty-two Paths are the occult
mysteries of the Doctrine of the Heart. These are the Ten
Sephiroth and their twenty-two connecting links on the Tree of
Life. Sephira is singular, Sephiroth is plural. It means
"numerical emanation."
The first Sephira is called the Crown or the Inscrutable Height;
the second is called Wisdom; the third is called Understanding;
the fourth is called Love, Mercy or Majesty; the fifth is called
Severity, Justice or Fear; the sixth is called Beauty; the
seventh is called Victory; the eighth is called Splendour or
Glory; the ninth is called Foundation; and the tenth is called
the Kingdom.
The Ten Sephiroth have a direct relationship with the Sun, Moon,
Planets and Elements. Pluto corresponds with Kether or the
Crown; Uranus corresponds with Chokmah or Wisdom; Saturn
corresponds with Binah or Understanding; Jupiter corresponds with
Chesed or Mercy; Mars corresponds with Geburah or Severity; the
Sun corresponds with Tiphareth or Beauty; Venus corresponds with
Netzach or Victory; Mercury corresponds with Hod or Glory; the
Moon corresponds with Yesod or the Foundation; and the Four
Elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth correspond with Malkuth
or the Kingdom. All the planets have been listed but Neptune.
Neptune corresponds with the so-called Invisible Sephira on the
Tree of Life. This hidden Sephira is called Daath or Knowledge
and is located in the Abyss below Chokmah and Binah on the Tree.
It was the original location of Malkuth before the so-called Fall
of Man.
The Ten Sephiroth correspond in Tarot with the Minor Arcana
cards. The four aces are Kether; the four twos are Chokmah; the
four threes are Binah; the four fours are Chesed; the four fives
are Geburah; the four sixes are Tiphareth; the four sevens are
Netzach; the four eights are Hod; the four nines are Yesod; and
the four tens are Malkuth. Each of these Minor Arcana cards
represent the operation of one of the Sephiroth in a particular
element. For instance, the Six of Wands represents the operation
of Tiphareth in the element of fire; for the Wand is a symbol of
fire. The Cup cards represent the operation of the Sephiroth in
the element of Water; the Sword cards represent the operation of
the Sephiroth in the element of Air; and the Coin or Pentacle
cards represent the operation of the Sephiroth in the element of
Earth.
In all, the Ten Sephiroth represent in Qabalistic Philosophy the
Archetypal Man, called Adam Qadmon in the Hebrew tongue. The
whole aim of the Secret Wisdom of the Qabalah is to regain
conscious union with Adam Qadmon, or the Inner Man. He is the
Primordial Being or Heavenly Man, also called Adam Auilah in the
Hebrew tongue.
The invisible connecting link of the Sephiroth is the Ruach, or
Spirit, from Mezlah or the Hidden Influence. Mezlah is the Holy
Spirit or Descending Divine Influence of Kether. Its numerical
value is 78, which is also the number of Aiwass (Solar-Phallic
Angel of the New Aeon). In Thelemic philosophy, Aiwass is Mezlah
or the descending divine influence of Horus, the Crowned God of
Kether, Lord of the New Aeon.
The Tree of Life contains three Triads. The first triad has been
called the Intellectual World or Olahm Mevshekal, the second is
called the Moral World or Olahm Morgash, and the third is called
the Material World or Olahm Ha-Mevetbau. These three triads have
been properly defined by Dion Fortune as the Supernal Triad, the
Ethical Triad and the Astral Triad.
The Tree of Life is, to all practical intents and purposes, an
occult system of classification. It should be committed to
memory by every member of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn
and it should become the automatic background of all their
thinking. For the Qabalistic Tree of Life plays a vital role in
the training and initiation of the Golden Dawn Magician. Every
idea and every experience should be classified in the Tree
according to the occult principle of analogy. By this means the
Golden Dawn Magician will organize his mind and strengthen his
magical knowledge, and he will inevitably be able to unify that
knowledge and transmute the Many into the One.
The principal Qabalistic Books are the Sepher Yetzirah (Book of
Formation), the Sepher Ha-Zohar (Book of Splendour), Sepher
Raziel (Book of Raziel), Sepher Sephiroth (Book of Emanations),
and Asch Metzareph (Purifying Fire, Hermetic and Alkhemical).
The Sepher Yetzirah was written down in Hebrew by a man named
Akibha ben Joseph, who was a Rabbi of the first century. It
first appeared in actual print in a Latin translation by a man
named William Postel, which was published in Paris in 1552, and
ten years later the original Hebrew appeared in print. Akibha
founded the first Qabalistic School. He was succeeded by his
pupil named Simeon ben Yochai. Akibha suffered persecution by
the Romans, and was finally martyred by them. Sepher Yetzirah
did not originate in the mind of Akibha; it was transmitted to
him orally; he was simply a scribe of the Ageless Wisdom. The
mythical Abraham, as tradition has it, was the true originator
or receiver of the Sepher Yetzirah. Traditionally, Abraham is
the author of the Qabalah, and it was to his son Isaac that he
transmitted its Sacred Wisdom, whereas to his other son Ishmael
he transmitted the sacred mysteries of Alchemy.
Sepher Ha-Zohar was said to be composed by Simeon ben Yochai, the
pupil of Akibha. But it was not written down until the year
1290, from the pen of Rabbi Moses ben Leon. It was written in
Aramaic by him under the pseudonym of Simeon ben Yochai. Moses
ben Leon was certainly the first to write it down, but its origin
is much older. Much of the Zohar goes back to Mishnic times,
around A.D. 70- 200. The Zohar first appeared in printed form in
the Hebrew language in Mantua in 1558. The Zohar is essentially
a commentary on the Torah (Pentateuch).
The Jewish Rabbis believe the Qabalah to be of Egyptian and
Chaldaic origin. But the Qabalah itself, being the expression of
Cosmic Truth, can have had no actual beginning but must be as
eternal as the Truth. It is the Ageless Wisdom of Man and it is
the vehicle of the Divine Knowledge which is eternal in the
heavens. Its true origins can only be found in the Infinite
where all divine mysteries are conceived by the Immortal Gods.
The Qabalah is as ancient as the eternal Wisdom which was
never born and will never die.
Love is the law, love under will.
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