The Tree of Life

The sephirot form the central image of Kabbalistic meditation, the Tree of Life, a ladder map that depicts the descent of the divine into the material world, and the path by which a person can ascend to the divine while still in the flesh. The sephirot channel streams of divine light become denser and coarser as they near the material plane. The divine light flows both down to the material world and up to God along these paths.

Organization of the Tree

Each sephirah is a state of consciousness and a level of attainment in knowledge: mystical steps to unity with God. The 10 sephirot are arranged in different groups that facilitate the understanding of their meanings. The first sephirah, Kether (Crown), is the closest to Ain Soph and is the source of all life and the highest object of prayer. Malkuth (Kingdom) penetrates the physical realm and is the only sephirah in direct contact with it. The lower seven sephirot are associated with the seven days of creation. Another division splits them into two groups of five, the upper ones representing hidden powers and the lower five representing manifest powers. In another division, the top threeKether, Chockmah (Wisdom), and Binah (Intelligence)are associated with the intellect; the middle threeChesed (Love), Geburah (Strength), and Tipareth (Beauty)are associated with the soul; and the lower threeNetzach (Victory), Hod (Splendor), and Yesod (Foundation)are associated with nature. The sephirot are ineffable and descriptions of them cannot begin to approach their true essence. They can be reached only through the second sephirah, Chockmah (Wisdom), which is nonverbal consciousness. Binah (Intelligence) is verbal consciousness. One must learn to oscillate between Chockmah and Binah states of consciousness to grasp the sephirot. The Tree is split into three pillars. The Right Pillar, masculine, represents Mercy and includes the sephirot Chockmah, Chesed, and Netzach. The Left Pillar, feminine, represents Severity and includes Binah, Geburah, and Hod. The Middle represents Mildness or Moderation and includes Kether, Tipareth, Yesod, and Malkuth. The Middle Pillar alone also is called the Tree of Knowledge. Sometimes an 11th sephirah is included, Daath (Knowledge), located on the Middle Pillar below Chockmah and Binah, and mediates the influences of the two; it is also considered to be an external aspect of Kether. Daath made its appearance in the 13th century. When represented on the Tree, it is depicted as a sort of shadow sphere. Daath cannot be a true sephirah, for the Sefer Yetzirah, the key text of kabbalistic philosophy, states that there can be only 10 sephirot, no more, no less. The pathways linking the sephirot have become more complex over time. Illustrations in the early 16th century, for example, depict only 16 pathways. By the 17th century, there were 22 pathways, each of which was assigned a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, God s creation is made through the essences of numbers and letters. Together the sephiroth of the Tree of Life comprise a unity and create a five-dimensional continuum: the three dimensions of the physical world, plus time, plus the spiritual realm. Like the Akashic Records, they serve as a permanent record of everything that has ever taken place and ever will take placethe memory of God. The sephirot also serve as a means of communication with the unknowable God. The totality of the sephirot is expressed in the Tetragrammaton. Following are the names and associations of the sephirot, as given in Agrippas Occult Philosophy: Kether

Angelic

Order:

Hayyoth

(The

Holy

Living

Creatures)

Number: One Titles: The Crown; The Ancient One; The Aged;
The Most Holy Ancient One; The Ancient of the Ancient Ones; The Ancient of Days; The Concealed of the Concealed; The Primordial Point; The Smooth Point; The White Head; The Inscrutable Height; The Vast Countenance (Macroprosopus); The Heavenly Man Divine Name: Eheieh (I Am) Archangel: Metatron

Archdemons: Satan, Moloch Demonic Order: Thamiel (The Two Contenders) Heavenly Sphere: Primum Mobile Part of Man: Head
Chockmah

Number: Two Titles: Wisdom; Divine Father; The Supernal

Father

Divine Names: Jah; Jehovah (The Lord); Yod

Jehovah (given by Agrippa) Archangel: Raziel Angelic Order: Ophanim (The Wheels) Archdemon: Beelzebub Demonic Order: Ghogiel (The Hinderers) Heavenly Sphere: Zodiac Part of Man: Brain Binah

Tiphareth

Number: Six Titles: Beauty; Compassion; The King; The Lesser

Countenance (Microprosopus) Divine Names: Eloah Va-Daath (God Manifest); Elohim (God) Archangel: Raphael Angelic Order: Malachim (Kings or Multitudes) Archdemon: Belphegor Demonic Order: Tagiriron (The Disputers) Heavenly Sphere: Sun Part of Man: Chest Netzach

Number: Three Titles: Intelligence; The Mother; The Great

Productive Mother

Divine Names: Elohim (Lord); Jehovah Elohim

(The Lord God)

Archangel: Tzaphkiel Angelic Order: Aralim (The Thrones) Archdemon: Lucifuge Demonic Order: Ghogiel (The Concealers) Heavenly Sphere: Saturn Part of Man: Heart
Chesed

Number: Seven Titles: Firmness; Victory Divine Name: Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts) Archangel: Haniel Angelic Order: Elohim (Gods) Archdemon: Baal Demonic Order: Nogah (The Raveners) Heavenly Sphere: Venus Part of Man: Right leg
Hod

Number: Four Titles: Love; Greatness Divine Name: El (The Mighty One) Archangel: Tzadkiel Angelic Order: Hasmallim (The Shining Ones) Archdemon: Ashtaroth Demonic Order: Agshekeloh (The Smiters or
Breakers)

Heavenly Sphere: Jupiter Part of Man: Right arm

Geburah

Number: Eight Titles: Splendor Divine Name: Elohim Sabaoth (God of Hosts) Archangel: Michael Angelic Order: Bene Elohim (Sons of Gods) Archdemon: Adrammelech Demonic Order: Samael (The False Accusers) Heavenly Sphere: Mercury Part of Man: Left leg
Yesod

Number: Five Titles: Strength; Judgment or Severity; Fear Divine Names: Eloh (The Almighty); Elohim Gabor
(God of Battles) Archangel: Camael Angelic Order: Seraphim (The Fiery Serpents) Archdemon: Asmodeus Demonic Order: Golohab (The Burners or Flaming Ones) Heavenly Sphere: Mars Part of Man: Left arm

Number: Nine Titles: The Foundation; Eternal Foundation of the

World

Divine Names: Shaddai (The Almighty); El Chai

(Mighty Living One) Archangel: Gabriel Angelic Order: Cherubim (The Strong) Archdemon: Lilith (The Seducer) Demonic Order: Gamaliel (The Obsecene Ones) Heavenly Sphere: Moon Part of Man: Genitals

Malkuth

Number: Ten Titles: The Kingdom; The Diadem; The Manifest

Glory of God; The Bride (of Microposopus); The Queen Divine Names: Adonai (Lord); Adonai Malekh (Lord)

and King); Adonai he-Aretz (Lord of Earth) Archangel: Metatron in manifest aspect; also Sandalphon Angelic Order: Issim (Souls of Flame) Archdemon: Nahema (The Strangler of Children) Demonic Order: Nahemoth (The Dolorous Ones) Heavenly Sphere: Elements Part of Man: Whole body

Magical Work with the Tree of Life

DION FORTUNE,

a Golden Dawn initiate, called the kabbalah the Yoga of the West. In spiritual and magical study, the Tree of Life is used to achieve union with God. The pathways between the sephirot are avenues of navigation on the ASTRAL PLANE. WILLIAM G. GRAY described the Tree of life as a living entity that changes in accordance to use. The Tree is an alphabet of symbols for constructing a spiritual language that can be understood on both sides of the veil, by humans, gods and angels alike. In magical training, the occultist must learn the associations of each sephirah and path, such as magical tools, colors, planets, chakras, virtues, vices, sounds, perfumes, and tarot cards, in addition to the associations given above. Symbols are used as magical images for constructing specific visions. The symbols are not understood consciously but are used to evoke images from the subconscious. Communication with the Tree is accomplished through prayer, meditation, contemplation, and ritual magic. Some traditional meditations of arrays of numbers and Hebrew letters take days to complete. The sephirot are contemplated by visualizing them vibrating with color (which represent various qualities), together with images of their corresponding Hebrew letters of the divine names of God, and the planets, angels, metals, parts of the body, and energy centers. Breath and sound also are utilized to raise consciousness. Mantras of arrays of Hebrew letters, having specific numerical properties, are employed. Bardons unique hermetic approach to bring the kabbalah and magic together involves the keys, or meanings, and the sounds of each letter of the alphabet, and the couplings of two, three, and four letters. These combinations have associated affects in the four planes of akasha, mental, astral, and matter, and the four elements, fire, water, air, and earth. According to Bardon, this system has been in existence for thousands of years as an oral teaching. The actual power and might of esoteric societies, including freemasonry, stemmed from their knowledge of how to use the key of the Tetragrammaton.