Secret Teachings of All Ages: The Tree of the Sephiroth

The Sephirothic Tree consists of ten globes of luminous splendor arranged in three vertical columns and connected by 22 channels or paths. The ten globes are ... SacredTexts  Esoteric  Index  Previous  Next  p.121TheTreeoftheSephiroth THETreeoftheSephirothmaybeconsideredaninvaluablecompendiumofthesecretphilosophywhichoriginallywasthespiritandsoulofChasidism.TheQabbalahisthepricelessheritageofIsrael,buteachyearthosewhocomprehenditstrueprinciplesbecomefewerinnumber.TheJewoftoday,ifhelacksarealizationoftheprofundityofhispeople'sdoctrines,isusuallypermeatedwiththatmostdangerousformofignorance,modernism,andispronetoregardtheQabbalaheitherasaneviltobeshunnedliketheplagueorasaridiculoussuperstitionwhichhassurvivedtheblackmagicoftheDarkAges.YetwithoutthekeywhichtheQabbalahsupplies,thespiritualmysteriesofboththeOldandtheNewTestamentmustremainunsolvedbyJewandGentilealike. TheSephirothicTreeconsistsoftenglobesofluminoussplendorarrangedinthreeverticalcolumnsandconnectedby22channelsorpaths.ThetenglobesarecalledtheSephirothandtothemareassignedthenumbersito10.ThethreecolumnsarecalledMercy(ontheright),Severity(ontheleft),and,betweenthem,Mildness,asthereconcilingpower.ThecolumnsmayalsobesaidtorepresentWisdom,Strength,andBeauty,whichformthetriunesupportoftheuniverse,foritiswrittenthatthefoundationofallthingsistheThree.The22channelsarethelettersoftheHebrewalphabetandtothemareassignedthemajortrumpsoftheTarotdeckofsymboliccards. EliphasLevideclaredthatbyarrangingtheTarotcardsaccordingtoadefiniteordermancoulddiscoverallthatisknowableconcerninghisGod,hisuniverse,andhimself.Whenthetennumberswhichpertaintotheglobes(Sephiroth)arecombinedwiththe22lettersrelatingtothechannels,theresultantsumis32--thenumberpeculiartotheQabbalisticPathsofWisdom.ThesePaths,occasionallyreferredtoasthe32teethinthemouthoftheVastCountenanceorasthe32nervesthatbranchoutfromtheDivineBrain,areanalogoustothefirst32degreesofFreemasonry,whichelevatethecandidatetothedignityofaPrinceoftheRoyalSecret.QabbalistsalsoconsideritextremelysignificantthatintheoriginalHebrewScripturesthenameofGodshouldoccur32timesinthefirstchapterofGenesis.(IntheEnglishtranslationsoftheBiblethenameappears33times.)Inthemysticanalysisofthehumanbody,accordingtotheRabbins,32spinalsegmentsleadupwardtotheTempleofWisdom--theskull. ThefourQabbalisticTreesdescribedintheprecedingchapterwerecombinedbylaterJewishscholarsintooneall-inclusivediagramandtermedbythemnotonlytheSephirothicbutalsotheArchetypal,orHeavenly,Adam.Accordingtosomeauthorities,itisthisHeavenlyAdam,andnotaterrestrialman,whosecreationisdescribedintheopeningchaptersofGenesis.Outofthesubstancesofthisdivinemantheuniversewasformed;inhimitremainsandwillcontinueevenafterdissolutionshallresolvethespheresbackintotheirownprimitivesubstance.TheDeityisneverconceivedofasactuallycontainedintheSephiroth,whicharepurelyhypotheticalvesselsemployedtodefinethelimitsoftheCreativeEssence.AdolphFranckratherlikenstheSephirothtovaricoloredtransparentglassbowlsfilledwithpurelight,whichapparentlyassumesthecolorofitscontainersbutwhoseessentialnatureremainseverunchangedandunchangeable. ThetenSephirothcomposingthebodyoftheprototypicAdam,thenumbersrelatedtothem,andthepartsoftheuniversetowhichtheycorrespondareasfollows: No. THESEPHIROTH THEUNIVERSE ALTERNATIVE 1 Kether--theCrown PrimumMobile TheFieryHeavens 2 Chochmah--Wisdom TheZodiac TheFirstMotion 3 Binah--Understanding Saturn TheZodiac 4 Chesed--Mercy Jupiter Saturn 5 Geburah--Severity Mars Jupiter 6 Tiphereth--Beauty Sun Mars 7 Netsah--Victory Venus Sun 8 Hod--Glory Mercury Venus 9 Jesod--theFoundation Moon Mercury 10 Malchuth--theKingdom Elements Moon ItmustcontinuallybeemphasizedthattheSephirothandthepropertiesassignedtothem,likethetetractysofthePythagoreans,aremerelysymbolsofthecosmicsystemwithitsmultitudeofparts.Thetruerandfullermeaningoftheseemblemsmaynotberevealedbywritingorbywordofmouth,butmustbedivinedastheresultofstudyandmeditation.IntheSepherhaZoharitiswrittenthatthereisagarment--thewrittendoctrine-whicheverymanmaysee.Thosewithunderstandingdonotlookuponthegarmentbutatthebodybeneathit--theintellectualandphilosophicalcode.Thewisestofall,however,theservantsoftheHeavenlyKing,lookatnothingsavethesoul--thespiritualdoctrine--whichistheeternalandever-springingrootofthelaw.OfthisgreattruthEliphasLevialsowritesdeclaringthatnonecangainentrancetothesecretHouseofWisdomunlesshewearthevoluminouscapeofApolloniusofTyanaandcarryinhishandthelampofHermes.Thecapesignifiesthequalitiesofself-possessionandself-reliancewhichmustenvelopetheseekerasacloakofstrength,whiletheever-burninglampofthesagerepresentstheilluminedmindandperfectlybalancedintellectwithoutwhichthemysteryoftheagescanneverbesolved. TheSephirothicTreeissometimesdepictedasahumanbody,thusmoredefinitelyestablishingthetrueidentityofthefirst,orHeavenly,Man--AdamKadmon--theIdeaoftheUniverse.Thetendivineglobes(Sephiroth)arethenconsideredasanalogoustothetensacredmembersandorgansoftheProtogonos,accordingtothefollowingarrangement.KetheristhecrownofthePrototypicHeadandperhapsreferstothepinealgland;ChochmahandBinaharetherightandlefthemispheresrespectivelyoftheGreatBrain;ChesedandGeburah(Pechad)aretherightandleftarmsrespectively,signifyingtheactivecreativemembersoftheGrandMan;Tipherethistheheart,or,accordingtosome,theentireviscera;NetsahandHodaretherightandleftlegsrespectively,orthesupportsoftheworld;Jesodisthegenerativesystem,orthefoundationofform;andMalchuthrepresentsthetwofeet,orthebaseofbeing.OccasionallyJesodisconsideredasthemaleandMalchuthasthefemalegenerativepower.TheGrandManthusconceivedisthegiganticimageofNebuchadnezzar'sdream,withheadofgold,armsandchestofsilver,bodyofbrass,legsofiron,andfeetofclay.ThemediævalQabbalistsalsoassignedoneoftheTenCommandmentsandatenthpartoftheLord'sPrayerinsequentialordertoeachofthetenSephiroth. ConcerningtheemanationsfromKetherwhichestablishthemselvesasthreetriadsofCreativePowers--termedintheSepherhaZoharthreeheadseachwiththreefaces--H.P.Blavatskywrites:"This[Kether]wasthefirstSephiroth,containinginherselftheothernineספּירותSephiroth,orintelligences.Intheirtotalityandunitytheyrepresentthearchetypalman,AdamKadmon,theπρωτόγονος,whoinhisindividualityorunityisyetdual,orbisexual,theGreekDidumos,forheistheprototypeofallhumanity.Thusweobtainthreetrinities,eachcontainedina'head.'Inthefirsthead,orface(thethree-facedHinduTrimurti), ClicktoenlargeTHEFOURSEPHIROTHICTREES. Thefortyconcentriccirclesshowninthelargecircularcutintheprecedingchapterareherearrangedasfourtrees,eachconsistingoftencircles.Thesetreesdisclosetheorganizationofthehierarchiescontrollingthedestiniesofallcreation.Thetreesarethesameineachofthefourworldbutthepowersvestedintheglobesexpressthemselvesdifferentlythroughthesubstancesofeachworld,resultinginendlessdifferentiation. p.123 wefindSephira[Kether],thefirstandrogyne,attheapexoftheuppertriangle,emittingHachama[Chochmah],orWisdom,amasculineandactivepotency--alsocalledJah,יה--andBinah,בינה,orIntelligence,afemaleandpassivepotency,alsorepresentedbythenameJehovahיהוה.Thesethreeformthefirsttrinityor'face'oftheSephiroth.ThistriademanatedHesed,הסד,orMercy,amasculineactivepotency,alsocalledEl,fromwhichemanatedGeburahגבורה,orjustice,alsocalledEloha,afemininepassivepotency;fromtheunionofthesetwowasproducedTipherethטפּארת,Beauty,Clemency,theSpiritualSun,knownbythedivinenameElohim;andthesecondtriad,'face,'or'head,'wasformed.Theseemanating,intheirturn,themasculinepotencyNetzah,נצה,Firmness,orJehovahSabaoth,whoissuedthefemininepassivepotencyHod,הוד,Splendor,orElohimSabaoth;thetwoproducedJesod,יסוד,Foundation,whoisthemightylivingoneEl-Chai,thusyieldingthethirdtrinityor'head.'ThetenthSephirothisratheraduad,andisrepresentedonthediagramsasthelowestcircle.ItisMalchuthorKingdom,מלכות,andShekinah,שכינה,alsocalledAdonai,andCherubimamongtheangelichosts.Thefirst'Head'iscalledtheIntellectualworld;thesecond'Head'istheSensuous,ortheworldofPerception,andthethirdisthematerialorPhysicalworld."(SeeIsisUnveiled.) AmongthelaterQabbaliststhereisalsoadivisionoftheSephirothicTreeintofiveparts,inwhichthedistributionoftheglobesisaccordingtothefollowingorder: (1)Macroprosophus,ortheGreatFace,isthetermappliedtoKetherasthefirstandmostexaltedoftheSephirothandincludestheninepotenciesorSephirothissuingfromKether. (2)Abba,theGreatFather,isthetermgenerallyappliedtoChochmah--UniversalWisdom--thefirstemanationofKether,but,accordingtoIbnGebirol,ChochmahrepresentstheSon,theLogosortheWordbornfromtheunionofKetherandBinah. (3)Aima,theGreatMother,isthenamebywhichBinah,orthethirdSephira,isgenerallyknown.ThisistheHolyGhost,fromwhosebodythegenerationsissueforth.BeingthethirdpersonoftheCreativeTriad,itcorrespondstoJehovah,theDemiurgus. (4)Microprosophus,ortheLesserFace,iscomposedofthesixSephiroth--Chesed,Geburah,Tiphereth,Netsah,Hod,andJesod.TheMicroprosophusiscommonlycalledtheLesserAdam,orZauirAnpin,whereastheMacroprosophus,orSuperiorAdam,isArikhAnpin.TheLesserFaceisproperlysymbolizedbythesix-pointedstarorinterlacedtrianglesofZionandalsobythesixfacesofthecube.Itrepresentsthedirectionsnorth,east,south,west,up,anddown,andalsothefirstsixdaysofCreation.InhislistofthepartsoftheMicroprosophus,MacGregor-MathersincludesBinahasthefirstandsuperiorpartoftheLesserAdam,thusmakinghisconstitutionseptenary.IfMicroprosophusbeconsideredassexpartite,thenhisglobes(Sephiroth)areanalogoustothesixdaysofCreation,andthetenthglobe,Malchuth,totheSabbathofrest. (5)TheBrideofMicroprosophusisMalchuth--theepitomeoftheSephiroth,itsquaternaryconstitutionbeingcomposedofblendingsofthefourelements.ThisisthedivineEvethatistakenout ClicktoenlargeATABLEOFSEPHIROTHICCORRESPONDENCES. FromFludd'sCollectioOperum. TheabovediagramhasbeenspeciallytranslatedfromtheLatinasbeingofuniquevaluetostudentsofQabbalismandalsoasanexampleofRobertFludd'sunusualabilityinassemblingtablesofcorrespondences.RobertFluddranksamongthemosteminentRosicruciansandFreemasons;infact,hehasoftenbeencalled"thefirstEnglishRosicrucian."HehaswrittenseveralvaluabledocumentsdirectlybearingupontheRosicrucianenigma.ItissignificantthatthemostimportantofhisworksshouldbepublishedatthesametimeasthoseofBacon,Shakespeare,andthefirstRosicrucianauthors. p.123 ClicktoenlargeTHESEPHIROTHICTREEOFTHELATERQABBALISTS. TranslatedfromKircher'sŒdipusÆgyptiacus. HavingdemonstratedthattheQabbalistsdividedtheuniverseintofourworlds,eachconsistingoftenspheres,itisnecessarytoconsidernexthowthetenspheresofeachworldwerearrangedintowhatiscalledthe''SephirothicTree."ThisTreeiscomposedoftencircles,representingthenumbers1to20andconnectedtogetherbytwenty-twocanals--thetwenty-twolettersoftheHebrewalphabet.Thetennumbersplusthetwenty-twolettersresultintheoccultnumber32,which,accordingtotheMishna,signifiestheThirty-twoPathsofWisdom.Lettersandnumbers,accordingtotheQabbalists,arethekeystoallknowledge,forbyasecretsystemofarrangingthemthemysteriesofcreationarerevealed.Forthisreasontheyarecalled"thePathsofWisdom."Thisoccultfactiscarefullyconcealedinthe32nddegreeofFreemasonry. Therearefourtrees,oneineachofthefourworldsestablishedintheprecedingchapter.ThefirstisintheAtziluthicWorld,thetencirclesbeingthetenglobesoflightestablishedinthemidstofAINSOPH.ThepowersandattributesofthisTreearereflectedintoeachofthethreelowerworlds,theformoftheTreeremainingthesamebutitspowerdiminishingasitdescends.Tofurthercomplicatetheirdoctrine,theQabbalistscreatedanothertree,whichwasacompositeofallfouroftheworldtreesbutconsistedofonlytenglobes.InthissingletreewerecondensedallthearcanapreviouslyscatteredthroughthevoluminousarchivesofQabbalisticliterature. p.124 ofthesideofMicroprosophusandcombinesthepotenciesoftheentireQabbalisticTreeinonesphere,whichmaybetermedman. AccordingtothemysteriesoftheSephiroth,theorderoftheCreation,ortheDivineLightningFlashwhichzigzagsthroughthefourworldsaccordingtotheorderofthedivineemanations,isthusdescribed:FromAINSOPH,theNothingandAll,theEternalandUnconditionedPotency,issuesMacroprosophus,theLongFace,ofwhomitiswritten,"WithinHisskullexistdailythirteenthousandmyriadsofworldswhichdrawtheirexistencefromHimandbyHimareupheld."(SeeTheGreaterHolyAssembly.)Macroprosophus,thedirectionalizedwillofAINSOPH,correspondingtoKether,theCrownoftheSephiroth,givesbirthoutofHimselftotheninelesserspheresofwhichHeisthesumandtheoverbroodingcause.The22lettersoftheHebrewalphabet,bythevariouscombinationsofwhichthelawsoftheuniverseareestablished,constitutethescepterofMacroprosophuswhichHewieldsfromHisflamingthroneintheAtziluthicWorld. Fromthiseternalandancientandrogyne--Kether--comeforthChochmah,thegreatFather,andBinah,thegreatMother.ThesetwoareusuallyreferredtoasAbbaandAimarespectively--thefirstmaleandthefirstfemale,theprototypesofsex.Thesecorrespondtothefirsttwolettersofthesacredname,Jehovah,יהוה,IHVH.TheFatheristheי,orI,andtheMotheristheה,orH.AbbaandAimasymbolizethecreativeactivitiesoftheuniverse,andareestablishedinthecreativeworldofBriah.IntheSepherhaZoharitiswritten,"Andthereforeareallthingsestablishedintheequalityofmaleandfemale;forwereitnotso,howcouldtheysubsist?ThisbeginningistheFatherofallthings;theFatherofallFathers;andbotharemutuallyboundtogether,andtheonepathshinethintotheother--Chochmah,Wisdom,astheFather;Binah,Understanding,astheMother." Thereisadifferenceofopinionconcerningcertainoftherelationshipsofthepartsofthefirsttriad.SomeQabbalists,includingIbnGebirol,considerKetherastheFather,BinahastheMother,andChochmahastheSon.Inthislaterarrangement,Wisdom,whichistheattributeoftheSon,becomesthecreatorofthelowerspheres.ThesymbolofBinahisthedove,aproperemblemforthebroodingmaternalinstinctoftheUniversalMother. BecauseoftheclosesimilarityoftheircreativetriadtotheChristianTrinity,thelaterQabbalistsrearrangedthefirstthreeSephirothandaddedamysteriouspointcalledDaath--ahypotheticaleleventhSephira.ThisislocatedwherethehorizontallineconnectingChochmahandBinahcrossestheverticallinejoiningKetherandTiphereth.WhileDaathisnotmentionedbythefirstQabbalists,itisahighlyimportantelementanditsadditiontotheSephirothicTreewasnotmadewithoutfullrealizationofthesignificanceofsuchaction.IfChochmahbeconsideredtheactive,intelligentenergyofKether,andBinahthereceptivecapacityofKether,thenDaathbecomesthethoughtwhich,createdbyChochmah,flowsintoBinah.ThepostulationofDaathclarifiestheproblemoftheCreativeTrinity,forhereitisdiagrammaticallyrepresentedasconsistingofChochmah(theFather),Binah(theMother,orHolyGhost),andDaath,theWordbywhichtheworldswereestablished.IsaacMyerdiscountstheimportanceofDaath,declaringitasubterfugetoconcealthefactthatKether,andnotChochmah;isthetrueFatheroftheCreativeTriad.HemakesnoattempttogiveasatisfactoryexplanationforthesymbolismofthishypotheticalSephira. Accordingtotheoriginalconception,fromtheunionoftheDivineFatherandtheDivineMotherisproducedMicroprosophus--theShortFaceortheLesserCountenance,whichisestablishedintheYetziraticWorldofformationandcorrespondstotheletterו,orV,intheGreatName.ThesixpowersofMicroprosophusflowfromandarecontainedintheirownsource,whichisBinah,theMotheroftheLesserAdam.Theseconstitutethespheresofthesacredplanets;theirnameisElohim,andtheymoveuponthefaceofthedeep.ThetenthSephira--Malchuth,theKingdom--isdescribedastheBrideoftheLesserAdam,createdbacktobackwithherlord,andtoitisassignedthefinal,ה,orH,thelastletteroftheSacredName.ThedwellingplaceofMalchuthisinthefourthworld--Assiah--anditiscomposedofallthesuperiorpowersreflectedintotheelementsoftheterrestrialsphere.ThusitwillbeseenthattheQabbalisticTreeextendsthroughfourworlds,withitsbranchesinmatteranditsrootsintheAncientofAncients--Macroprosophus. ThreeverticalcolumnssupporttheuniversalsystemastypifiedbytheSephirothicTree.ThecentralpillarhasitsfoundationinKether,theEternalOne.ItpassesdownwardthroughthehypotheticalSephira,Daath,andthenthroughTipherethandJesod,withitslowerendrestinguponthefirmfoundationofMalchuth,thelastoftheglobes.Thetrueimportofthecentralpillarisequilibrium.ItdemonstrateshowtheDeityalwaysmanifestsbyemanatingpolesofexpressionfromthemidstofItselfbutremainingfreefromtheillusionofpolarity.IfthenumbersofthefourSephirothconnectedbythiscolumnbeaddedtogether(1+6+9+10),thesumis26,thenumberofJehovah.(SeechapteronPythagoreanMathematics.) Thecolumnontheright,whichiscalledJachin,hasitsfoundationonChochmah,theoutpouringWisdomofGod;thethreeglobessuspendedfromitareallmasculinepotencies.ThecolumnattheleftiscalledBoaz.Thethreeglobesuponitarefeminineandreceptivepotencies,foritisfoundedinUnderstanding,areceptiveandmaternalpotency.Wisdom,itwillbenoted,isconsideredasradiantoroutpouring,andUnderstandingasreceptive,orsomethingwhichisfilledbytheflowingofWisdom.ThethreepillarsareultimatelyunitedinMalchuth,inwhichallthepowersofthesuperiorworldsaremanifested. Thefourglobesuponthecentralcolumnrevealthefunctionofthecreativepowerinthevariousworlds.InthefirstworldthecreativepowerisWill--theoneDivineCause;inthesecondworld,thehypotheticalDaath--theWordcomingforthfromtheDivineThought;inthethirdworld,Tiphereth--theSun,orfocalpointbetweenGodandNature;inthefourthworlditistwofold,beingthepositiveandnegativepolesofthereproductivesystem,ofwhichJesodisthemaleandMalchuththefemale. InKircher'sSephirothicTreeitshouldbeespeciallynotedthattheornamentsoftheTabernacleappearinthevariouspartsofthediagram.TheseindicateadirectrelationshipbetweenthesacredHouseofGodandtheuniverse--arelationshipwhichmustalwaysbeconsideredasexistingbetweentheDeitythroughwhoseactivitytheworldisproducedandtheworlditself,whichmustbethehouseorvehicleofthatDeity.Couldthemodernscientificworldbutsensethetrueprofundityofthesephilosophicaldeductionsoftheancients,itwouldrealizethatthosewhofabricatedthestructureoftheQabbalahpossessedaknowledgeofthecelestialplancomparableineveryrespectwiththatofthemodernsavant. TheTetragrammaton,orthefour-letteredNameofGod,writtenthusיהוה,ispronounceJehovah.Thefirstletterisי,Yod,theGerm,theLife,theFlame,theCause,theOne,andthemostfundamentaloftheJewishphallicemblems.Itsnumericalvalueis10,anditistobeconsideredasthe1containingthe10.IntheQabbalahitisdeclaredthattheaYodisinrealitythreeYods,ofwhichthefirstisthebeginning,thesecondisthecenter,andthethirdistheend.ItsthroneistheSephiraChochmah(accordingtoIbnGebirol,Kether),fromwhichitgoesforthtoimpregnateBinah,whichisthefirstה,He.TheresultofthisunionisTiphereth,whichistheוVau,whosepoweris6andwhichsymbolizesthesixmembersoftheLesserAdam.Thefinalה,He,isMalchuth,theInferiorMother,partakinginpartofthepotenciesoftheDivineMother,thefirstHe.ByplacingthefourlettersoftheTetragrammatoninaverticalcolumn,afigurecloselyresemblingthehumanbodyisproduced,withYodforthehead,thefirstHeforthearmsandshoulders,Vauforthetrunkofthebody,andthefinalHeforthehipsandlegs.IftheHebrewlettersbeexchangedfortheirEnglishequivalents,theformisnotmateriallychangedortheanalogyaltered.Itisalsoextremelysignificantthatbyinsertingtheletterש,Shin,inthemiddleofthenameJehovah,thewordJehoshua,orJesus,isformedthus: יהשוה IntheQabbalisticMysteries,accordingtoEliphasLevi,thenameJehovahisoccasionallywrittenbyconnectingtogether24dots--the24powersbeforethethrone--anditisbelievedthatthenameofthePowerofEvilisthesignofJehovahreversedorinverted.(SeeTranscendentalMagic.)OftheGreatWord,AlbertPikewrites:"TheTrueWordofaMasonistobefoundintheconcealedandprofoundmeaningoftheIneffableNameofDeity,communicatedbyGodtoMoses;andwhichmeaningwaslonglostbytheveryprecautionstakentoconcealit.Thetruepronunciationofthatnamewasintruthasecret,inwhich,however,wasinvolvedthefarmoreprofoundsecretofitsmeaning.Inthatmeaningisincludedallthetruththatcanbeknownbyus,inregardtothenatureofGod."(SeeMoralsandDogma.) ClicktoenlargeTHESEPHIROTHINTHEFORMOFTHESOLARSYSTEM. FromMaurice'sIndianAntiquities. ThomasMauricereproducestheaboveengraving,whichismodificationoftheelaboratetreeontheprecedingpage.TheSephirothareheresuperimposed,decreasinginsizeastheydecreaseinpoweranddignity.Thus,theCrownisthegreatestandtheall-inclusive,andtheKingdom--whichrepresentsthephysicaluniverse--isthesmallestandofleastimportance. Next:QabbalisticKeystotheCreationofMan