KABBALAH AND KABBALAHS

Why take an interest in the Kabbalah?

As you will have read in the introduction to this book, our aim is to give you a clear picture of what Kabbalah is today in Western esoteric circles. We will also give you a set of practical elements that you can put to immediate use.

It is true that there are many kinds of Kabbalah, each with its own content, purpose, and practices. As in all eras, religious figures, mystics, hermeticists and occultists have appropriated this tradition as a tool for transmitting their conceptions and ways of understanding the world.

For beginners and advanced readers alike, understanding the nature of Kabbalah is a daunting task. Where to begin, and at the same time, why begin at all? If you are interested in the Western initiatory and spiritual tradition, you might well ask whether studying the Kabbalah is compulsory. Wouldn't it be possible to ignore it altogether, considering it to be something religious or at least peculiar to monotheistic religions? Indeed, the Hermeticist has no desire to limit himself to these religions. His approach is all-encompassing and cannot be satisfied with any dogma whatsoever.

Yet we can see that for several hundred years, any study of the western tradition has taken for granted the need for a knowledge of the fundamental basics of Kabbalah. Even theurgic initiatory organizations such as the Aurum Solis, have associated kabbalah to their studies. This may be difficult to understand, given that the philosophy of these Orders is essentially pre-Christian. What is more, some “authorities” on the history of the Kabbalah, such as Gershom Scholem, claim that occultists like Eliphas Levi, Papus and others were nothing more than charlatans who used the Kabbalah seal to give free rein to their unbridled imagination. According to them, their writings had nothing to do with the real Kabbalah. Other authors steeped in Hebrew Kabbalah have moved unhesitatingly in the same direction, with equally strong prejudices.

But it must be admitted that, in these areas as in others, the world is made up of men who act, who create, and historians who try to explain a posteriori how the world came to be. The temptation for historians of religion to pass definitive judgment on what is valid or not, right or wrong, must be great. But a tradition is a living thing that eludes the doctors of the law, whoever they may be. It is a living entity that takes its own paths, dies and is reborn, until it gives rise to completely original forms of thought and practice. This was the case in antiquity for the Gnostic tradition, with its various circles and cenacles. Their ideologies and practices were sometimes diametrically opposed. The same applies to Kabbalah. What we today call kabbalah in the Western spiritual and esoteric tradition varies according to who uses the term. The generic term is the same, but its content is very different depending on the point of view and the tradition from which it is expressed. In the same way as with gnosis in antiquity, there is no single point of view, and visions are sometimes diametrically opposed.

From the simple observation we've just made, we need to be honest enough to say at what point we're expressing ourselves, and for what purpose. It goes without saying that this point of view will modify the way we talk about and consider the subject we're dealing with. As we said in the introduction, our subject is “kabbalah,” “Christian Kabbalah,” or more specifically what we call “Hermetic Christian Kabbalah.”

Our point of view will be that of the initiatory tradition of the West, which reappeared during the Renaissance in Italy in the Neoplatonist movement and was passed on by Christian kabbalists between the 15th and 20th centuries to contemporary philosophers, esotericists and occultists. This traditional current of Kabbalah went by many names, including magical Kabbalah, practical Kabbalah, mystical Kabbalah and, more generally, Hermetic Kabbalah. One of the characteristics of the latter is that it does not cultivate a discriminatory attitude towards other currents of kabbalah. By definition, its vision is integrative, and sees differences only as facets of the same truth that everyone is striving to attain.

So now we need to answer the question we posed above: is the study of Kabbalah indispensable to our inner work and to the journey of Western initiation? The answer is clearly no. It would be entirely possible to approach and deepen the Western tradition without Kabbalah. Let us not forget that the Mystery Schools that formed the basis of initiation systems predated Christianity and were alien to most Hebraic conceptions. The greatest ancient philosophers, adepts and sages developed systems of great value and depth without them. Why, then, should we be interested in it and make it an almost inescapable element? Judeo-Christianity has triumphed over all previous Mediterranean religions, either eradicating them or integrating them with varying degrees of success. Monotheistic religions have become the basis of our culture and moral values, and over the centuries, for better or worse, they have formed the civilization and subconscious of the West. We are the heirs of this history. There is no point in denying this historical and psychological reality and trying to suppress it from our consciousness. We must accept it and live with it. The followers of the West did the same. The first obstacle on the path to awakening would be to allow oneself to be locked into a dogma or ideology that would break the inner freedom necessary to the search for the divine. The adepts therefore considered it fundamental to understand the religious and moral structures that had constituted us. To do this, however, we must go behind the veil of dogma, abandon our reassuring certainties and venture onto the path of initiation. It is not a question of denying the doctrines that make up religion, but of crossing them. To this end, there is a theoretical part and a practical part, which we must call magical, or more precisely, theurgic. Kabbalah is this instrument, this map capable of helping us progress once the curtain of the temple has been torn. But as you may have gathered from the preceding sentences, Kabbalah itself can be an obstacle to our development. The many books on the subject are there to show us how such a system can in turn become dogmatic. It is a natural inclination that a study of this kind of system for explaining the world is likely to lead to a strong adhesion that can become an end in itself.[[1]] In this case, the student would have failed to make proper use of the tool and become a prisoner of the grid that was supposed to help him. Yet this is precisely how Kabbalist Hermetists view the Kabbalah: as a reference system capable of helping them understand how monotheism views the world and being, and how it has structured and established it. We are in a veritable game of mirrors here. We are not talking about reality, but about the reference points that people use to try to perceive and understand it. By analyzing and using them, we can free ourselves from them and discover other planes of consciousness. These are the realities that will lead us ever closer to self-knowledge and the divine. This willingness to use the Kabbalah, its system, and its characteristics for one's own ends has been apparent ever since non-Jews became interested in it and saw its value. Christian Kabbalists played this role. But before describing some of the practical aspects of this tradition, and although I'm not going to be a historian, I'd like to say a few words about its origins. We will then be able to draw out some of the principles constantly used by later esotericists. This will enable us to see what has become of the tradition that historians have called “Christian Kabbalah.”

Historical landmarks

Etymologically, the word Kabbalah simply means “tradition,” and its Hebrew root means “to receive.” This indicates that various traditions received what could be described as oral and written revelation. This was the case for the Hebrew people.

This religious tradition was handed down from Moses to Joshua, followed by the Judges and then the Kings. (We can follow this tradition in the Bible itself). The Temple priesthood held this religious tradition in trust, but sometimes needed the help of the judges and prophets to overcome transmission difficulties. Of course, the text was perfectly and faithfully transmitted, albeit too often according to the letter. The breath of the spirit was nevertheless necessary to preserve the heritage of this revelation through a kind of continuity of contact with God. The Prophets fulfilled this function in the same way as the oracles of antiquity received the divine message that testified to this transcendent reality. But even in this case, the commentaries or authorities had difficulty moving beyond the literal text to a mystical or spiritual commentary on the original text. Yet mysticism has always been an essential part of Jewish spiritual life. Tradition strongly suggests that the source was Abraham himself.

Today, it is customary to assert that Kabbalah applies exclusively to a body of esoteric literature that emerged in medieval Spain and southeastern France, in Provence. From there, it continued to flourish.

It is true that two thousand years earlier, the rabbis of the Talmud had not used this word, but rather spoke of “nistar,” which corresponds to the secret world of Torah, this being paralleled by “niglah,” i.e. that which is revealed. Nevertheless, the roots of this tradition unequivocally go back much further, most certainly to the pagan religions of Babylonia. Jewish tradition appropriated part of this heritage, adapting it to its own sacred texts. The founding myth mentioned in the Talmud attributes the reception of this mystical tradition, then known as “Fire,” to the prophet Elijah. As the Book of Kings recounts, Elijah drew fire from heaven (God's fire) to Mount Carmel to win victory over the prophet of Baal.[[2]] He was also taken up to heaven in a “chariot of fire” when he died in a tornado.[[3]] Of course, this is to be understood symbolically...

Three hundred years later, the prophet Ezekiel, writing in Babylon, used almost similar symbols to represent this contact with God.[[4]] (These fantastic images were also at the origin of the so-called “ancient astronaut theory.” These visions were interpreted as representations of real events, evidence of space technology before its time, which could have come from extraterrestrials. Erich Von Däniken is one of the leading exponents of this theory, and it is worth looking at his explanations. However, this book does not approach the subject from that angle, but from a mystical and occult standpoint).

Many of the essential ideas of later mystical currents would draw on these stories and develop these images, commenting on them and drawing out a whole range of rich symbols. Later, these two visions of Elijah and Ezekiel would give rise to the mysticism of the Merkava or “knowledge of the Chariot.”

These periods in the history of the Jewish religion were times of sectarian conflict. Like all such periods, they were also rich in theological reflection from various groups and sects. For their part, the rabbis who wrote the Talmud sought to maintain a certain orthodoxy and were obviously wary of any excessively sectarian drift. They therefore referred to this mysticism under the generic name of Ma'aseh Merkava. The Talmud insists that this knowledge should not be taught to the masses, but only to those who have the necessary maturity. This can be said to be the source of what would later be called Kabbalah.

Several mystical experiences are mentioned in the Talmud, such as that of Rabbi Simon Bar Yochai, but there is no mention of a book he wrote.

It was at this point that the “Sefer Yetzirah,” the first explicitly Kabbalistic book, entered history. It appeared between the third and fourth centuries. Not all scholars agree that the one we have today is the one mentioned in the Talmud, but there is nothing to suggest otherwise.

This work shows us for the first time a different way of looking at God and his relationship with mankind and the world. The Hebrew alphabet is evoked here as an aid to creation (as we also see in the Zohar). Correspondences between body parts, stars, months of the year, metals, etc. are of prime importance. This tradition developed some very interesting practices and rites. Going beyond the Hebraic current, initiatory rites stemming from this stage are to be found, for example, in the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose Cross, after having been transmitted by Christian Kabbalists and the Hermetic currents of the Rose-Cross. As We will see later, this knowledge is itself heir to the ancient Hellenistic, Pythagorean and Neoplatonic tradition. The Christian Kabbalists explained this abundantly and brilliantly.

The next most significant writings were the Sefer Raziel or “Book of the Angel Raziel,” the Sefer ha Bahir or “Book of Illumination,” and the Zohar or “Book of the Radiant Light.” In a way, they were the pillars of this occult tradition. According to some sources, the Zohar was discovered by Moses De Leon, who lived in Spain around 1290. But it is attributed to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the Rashbi, a pupil of Rabbi Akiva, who is said to have written this collection of texts as early as the third century. It was after Rabbi Akiva's capture and imprisonment that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai lived in a cave with his son for thirteen years. He emerged from this retreat having written the Book of Splendor, which was lost for ten centuries. Moses de Leon rediscovered it and published it. The Zohar is a multi-volume set of commentaries on the Torah (the first five texts of the Bible). Its style contrasts sharply with the usual rationalistic commentaries. From then on, it became the standard text for developing the wisdom of kabbalah.

At the end of the thirteenth century, Jews lived through a period of instability and danger in Spain. This did not prevent great mystics such as Abulafia from preaching tolerance and open-mindedness, writing works of great depth. Then the Jews were expelled from Spain, and a number took refuge in Safed in Galilee. It was here that a new school of kabbalists emerged.

During this period, Kabbalah developed in a place where Christians and Jews still lived in harmony: Provence. This extraordinary civilization had not yet experienced the Crusades that were to destroy it once and for all. In those days, courses were taught freely in the various universities of the Languedoc, irrespective of the teachers' denominations. Philosophical works from various spiritual and philosophical currents, including Islam, were translated. Avicenna, Averroes and Maimonides were published and studied for the greater glory of the human spirit. We should point out that it was also in the Languedoc region (South of France) that a Rose-Cross movement emerged a few centuries later, which was to play a major role in the tradition we're talking about.

In Safed in the 16th century, Rabbi Isaac Luria and several other kabbalists continued to work on the earlier books. They developed practices and techniques to help them perform the experiences described in the books they studied. Kabbalah thus became better known and understood. It became the means to go beyond the letter of the text, making use of its richness and power. It is worth mentioning that these traditions were both oral and written. They were oral, in the sense that techniques and teachings were passed on from master to disciple; and written, in the sense that several texts and advice were drafted. But it was not uncommon for Masters to die, leaving a third of their writings to their disciples, burning another third and being buried with the final third. It was important to them that essential techniques should be the result of inner work and not simply the reception of a text outside individual experience. Traces of this custom can be found in the Christian Kabbalah and Rose-Cross traditions. According to legend, when the grave of the founder of this tradition, Christian Rosencreuz, was found, he was holding a book in his arms, Book T.. Interesting symbolic kinship!...

Kabbalists developed their practices and studies on the margins of academic authority. This often led to opposition from the rabbinates. What is more, it was difficult to identify a precise authority in the kabbalistic movement, as this knowledge was used by various groups interested in mysticism, magic, esotericism and so on. All this often contributed to the suspicious nature of Kabbalah.

Nevertheless, it continued to develop in both North African (Sephardic) and Central European (Ashkenazi) Jewish circles. This has been the case right up to the present day when several Jewish masters are heirs to this ancient movement. However, it is important to remember what we said above, namely that this current of Judaism continues above all to help individuals of the Jewish faith to deepen the mysticism and spirituality of their tradition.

This is why, as early as the 15th century, Christians began to investigate this tradition and how it could be of use to them.

Christian Kabbalah

The humanist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola who lived in the 15th century, claimed to be the first Latin student and born Christian to study Kabbalah. As early as the 13th century, it was recognized that the Talmud and Midrash had Christian influences, and that this could help the conversion of Jews. It was for this reason that some Christians began to study the Hebrew tradition and the Kabbalah. This justification can be found, for example, in the letters dedicating the works of Christian Kabbalists to popes. In this way, the author could hope to avoid the suspicion weighing on any Christian studying kabbalah. This was even more important when it came to addressing the question of practices.

The first Jew to truly convert to Christianity was Abner de Burgos (1270-1348), who took the name Alfonso de Valladolid in 1320. Like Abulafia, he had visions of letter permutation techniques (see paragraph on the Hebrew language).

When Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was born, the Jews were experiencing the peaceful period we mentioned earlier. This was the case both under Muslim rule in Spain and in the Christian lands of the Languedoc and Provence. This was the first period of encounter between these different schools of thought. This mutual enrichment lasted until the Reconquista. It was from this point onwards that hatred of the Jews grew, leading much later to the atrocities we know about. Jews were displaced as early as 1477 and underwent a mass deportation from Spain in 1492. However, the Christians left the choice between forced departure and conversion. Although the latter was a very precarious situation, many chose it. This enabled them to continue for some time to study what had become the “Old Testament” and, in a much more discreet way, the Kabbalistic tradition.

Despite this rejection of the Jewish people, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church itself accepted the value of these studies. But we know that this was not just for the sake of instruction.

Translations of Jewish and Kabbalistic texts were carried out by several Jewish converts. One example is Samuel ben Nissim Abulfarash (1226-1286), better known after his conversion as Flavius Mithridates. He translated over 3,000 pages of Hebrew works and trained Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. Mithridates, like later Christian kabbalists, sought to convince the Pope that he could prove Christian truths through kabbalah. No doubt it was also he who translated more specialized works for Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's teaching. Despite this, some scholars acknowledge that Pico's kabbalistic knowledge was quite limited.

Mithridates introduced the book of Sepher ha-Bahir to Pico, who studied it in its original language. It is interesting to note that this work appeared in the Languedoc around 1150, and it was already a fusion of Jewish kabbalistic, Neoplatonic and Gnostic traditions.

Another influence on the young Pico was Pedro de Heredia (1408-1486), as well as the mysterious Professor Dattilo or Dattylus, who wrote extensively on magic. Some of Pico della Mirandola's ideas clearly reflect his influence.

Christian Kabbalists took a completely new approach to Judaism. Naturally, they recognized the interest and quality of this religious tradition. For some of them, previous religions, including this one, formed the basis of the universal religion to which they belonged, Christianity. Today, it is hard to know what they had in mind when they formulated this idea. We have two things to judge. The first is their writings, and the second is the occult traditions they built and passed on. As we've already said, it is important to remember that these writings were published[[5]] under the scrutiny and judgment of the Church. Their texts should therefore not always be taken literally. As for the traditions that flowed from them, their successors, such as Agrippa, give a more precise idea of the original intention. What we can say is that the foundation of their thought lies in the spiritual religions that preceded them, whether Sumer, Egypt, Greece, or Judaism. They have all contributed to the foundation of a kind of universal esoteric religion. Exoterically, Christian Kabbalists had no problem calling this religion Catholic, since the word etymologically means universal. However, a reading of their texts shows that their conception of this universal religion is in no way identical to that of the Orthodox Church or the Church of Rome. The universal religion they developed, based on the esoteric principles of the Kabbalah, was nothing other than Neoplatonic Hermeticism. Indeed, it was a form of spirituality that harmoniously and tolerantly integrated the various religious forms of the Western tradition. As for the priests, they had to become, as far as possible, adepts initiated into the true science of Kabbalah. Kabbalah was seen as a generic term covering the knowledge of the initiate of these mysteries. Far from being simply a new reading of Christianity, it was rather a new religious form that would have repercussions throughout the West and give rise, in addition to the Neoplatonic theurgical currents themselves, to the Masonic, Rose-Cross and occult currents.

It is interesting to revisit this genesis in Reuchlin's preface letter to Pope Leo XIII. One cannot help but be struck, either by his disconcerting naiveté, or by the boldness of his remarks. He begins his letter with a clear explanation of the circumstances surrounding the revival of Neoplatonism and the new Platonic academy in Florence. He is well aware not only of the academy's appearance, but also of the fact that it was founded on the initiative of Cosimo de' Medici and on the teachings of the last descendant of the Hellenistic pagan tradition, Georgios Gemistos Plethon. It introduced into the Christian West an invigorating sap that could break through the bark of dogma, revealing the consciences of these exceptional individuals. If this renewal of classical philosophy had been limited to this aspect, it would already have been extraordinary. It was, of course, but it also gave rise to a great current that literally transformed literature and the arts. The seed of freedom had germinated and could now blossom throughout Europe. But the transmission was not limited to letters. It is clear today that behind the Platonic Academy lay the occult and initiatory tradition of Hermeticism. We are talking about real teachings, both symbolic and ritualistic, involving a whole range of practices. Presumably following an initiation, the brothers received what might be called an esoteric teaching and were united in a veritable spiritual family. This Hermetic tradition dated back to pre-Christian times, when the Bible had not yet been invented. Hermes Thrice Great, Thoth Hermes was already the God who had brought science and magic to mankind through sacred hieroglyphic writing. The Hebrews were still a polytheistic people. At the end of the Egyptian Empire, Alexandria was the extraordinary meeting place of all the wise men who perpetuated this marvelous tradition in the garb of the Mystery cults and the science of theurgy. It was this tradition that was passed on through what came to be known as the golden chain of adepts. It traversed history and was fully revealed during this exceptional period.

Reuchlin wrote:

“For this mission “the way to find the secrets which until then had remained hidden in the literary monuments of the Ancients.”] he [the illustrious Lorenzo de' Medici, father of the Pope] applied himself to bringing from everywhere the most learned and erudite men in ancient literature, who combined science with eloquence, Demetrios Chalcondyle, Marsile Ficin, Georges Vespucci, Christophe Landino, Valori, Ange Politien, Jean Pic, Comte de la Mirandole, and all the world's greatest scholars, who brought back to light the inventions of the Ancients and the mysterious antiquity that had been forgotten by the misfortunes of the times. The greatest minds competed. One taught, another commented; one compiled collection, another interpreted and translated from one language into another. Marsilio brought Greece to Latium. Politian brought the Romans back to Greece. All gave themselves to the work, but not without bringing down much glory on the Medici.”[[6]] [...]

“Also, in the thought that scholars had only missed the Pythagorean doctrines, fragments of which are nevertheless hidden scattered in the Laurentian Academy, I thought it would not displease you if I exposed to the public what, it is said, Pythagoras and the great Pythagoreans thought. With your approval, the Latins will be able to read what they have hitherto ignored. For Italy, Marsilio published Plato. For the French, Jacques Lefèvre d'Etaples renewed Aristotle, I will complete the account, and I, Capnion, will show the Germans a Pythagoras, whose rebirth by my care is dedicated to you. The work could not have been completed without the Hebrew Cabala. Pythagoras' philosophy began with the precepts of the “Cabalaei,” and the memory of the Patriarchs leaving Magna Graecia returned to hide in the works of the Cabalists. Almost everything had to be taken from them. That's why I've written about the cabalistic art, which is a symbolic philosophy, to make the teachings of the “Pythagoraei” known to scholars.”[[7]]

We will come back to this work a little later, but It is already worth noting that the translation of numerous works from the Judaic religion are clearly associated with those of the Hellenistic tradition. They constituted the extraordinary source from which all later followers of this current drew.

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth's Kabbala Denundata, a major compilation of Kabbalistic texts, was published towards the end of the Renaissance.

We won't go into a list of Kabbalist authors and all the works they translated or published. Historians have done brilliant work in this field and continue to do so. Our aim in this book is to help you understand the sources of this tradition, to measure its interest and real value, and to understand its descendants. As is often the case, historians are relatively objective when it comes to ancient history, but much more biased when it comes to modern descendants. In addition to these historical aspects, it is important to give you the elements you need to understand the practices of this trend, which we've brought together in the second part of this book. It is not always easy to see that one of the characteristics of a traditional, spiritual, and initiatory path is to combine practice with theoretical study. We realize that the latter is fundamental, but it must not replace a practical approach, which alone is capable of inspiring and validating kabbalistic exercises. Without this, they could remain a pure abstraction cut off from the sacred. Let us not forget that the goal of the practitioner is to ascend towards divinity, or in more contemporary language, to reach levels of consciousness capable of revealing the divine within us. Let us not forget that even in Christianity, God made man in His own image. Of course, we could argue about the term “image,” which does not actually reflect a reality, but rather its degraded image. However, we prefer to follow the ancient Platonic authors who recognized the incarnate being the presence of the divine. This concealment of the soul by the body justified spiritual exercises and initiations capable of gradually liberating it. In the Hermetic kabbalistic tradition, there is nothing to contradict this - quite the contrary. Let us not forget that it was the Platonic academy of Florence, under the aegis and impetus of Ficino and Pico, that created the current we're talking about. Johann Reuchlin, whom We will mention here in particular, went to Florence to meet the brothers of the Academy. As we shall see from his writings, his kinship in thought is obvious.

We are now going to give you some of the elements you will need to understand the practices described later in the book. We will be drawing on elements of Renaissance Christian Kabbalah, as well as on the current that we feel legitimately follows in the footsteps of these Platonic initiates: modern magical kabbalah, itself an offshoot of the Rose-Cross and Occult currents. We are aware of what certain historians of the Kabbalah (whether Judaic or Christian) think of this descent. But We will have a chance to show that, for us, they are the closest heirs to the founding fathers of the Renaissance. Admittedly, not all of them had the necessary culture and competence. But their predecessors combined encyclopedic knowledge with intellectual daring and an undeniable occult spiritual practice. (But what was true at the time has not remained true, and very few of today's pontificators are themselves practitioners of this extraordinary path). We won't bother to list all the enormities that historians' prejudices make them commit. It is enough to know that history is not immobile and that it evolves, without respecting all orthodoxies... This is why we insist that today's descendants, whether occultists or Hermeticists, must be proud of this heritage. They must always strive for the ideal that their former masters embodied, combining knowledge of texts and languages, supported by constant inner practice.

The nature of Kabbalah

Without wishing to repeat what we have just said about the origins and nature of the Kabbalah, we thought it would be interesting to draw your attention to several remarks in Reuchlin's text. They are not always easy to interpret, but they highlight the origin, kinship, if not the similarity of Kabbalah and Pythagoreanism, which we would call “Italic philosophy.” There are numerous allusions in the text to various Neoplatonic and Gnostic notions. Thus, Reuchlin considers that “of all the doctrines [the Kabbalah] is the one most closely related to Pythagorean philosophy. There is none more similar. Indeed, it is said that Pythagoras drew almost all his dogmas from it. This Jew is given the name Simon, son of Eleazar, of the ancient line of the Jochai.”[[8]] Here we note a version that might seem surprising when one is familiar with the history of modern philosophy. According to Reuchlin, the Judaic tradition of Kabbalah was the source of Pythagoreanism. The best way to understand the Kabbalah, then, is to study Pythagoreanism, which has preserved its imprint. It is hard to know whether this is what he really thought, or whether this version of history is an artifice designed to conceal itself from the eyes of the Church, thus validating the universality of the Christian message and its sources. Let us not forget that part of the justification for these Kabbalistic studies was the demonstration of Christian revelation and the possible conversion of Jews using Kabbalistic art.

Just as in Platonic philosophy, Kabbalah is defined as an art of contemplation. When Plato spoke of the ascent to the Beautiful (equated with the Good and the True), he was saying that the final stage was that of contemplation. This is also the goal of Kabbalah.

“However there has never been for the species of men who live here below, and who out of all other species are specially endowed with intelligence and Mens, a more desirable gift from God than this art of Contemplation, nothing more appropriate to the salvation of souls nothing more suitable to obtain immortality, and which, better allows the soul, in correspondence with nature to ascend closer to deification.”[[9]]

There can hardly be a more heretical statement than this. Let us not forget that, in the Christian context, man marked by original sin can never redeem himself. He essentially needs Christ's sacrifice. But here, as in Platonism, Reuchlin asserts that the practice of Kabbalah can help save our souls, lead us to immortality and deify us. It is a question of “becoming like gods,” which is certainly a goal of the Neoplatonist tradition, but not of the Christian tradition. The rest of the sentence confirms this statement:

“This is the supreme object of beatitude, which the Greeks call Telos, or, as you will please to call it, the extreme term, the last object or the end, which can enable us to live without lack of anything in tranquil bliss, absolutely always happily without obstacle. By means of a few symbols, with great art, after having rejected all that is earthly, we shall gather the form from the form, until we have ascended to the first form, which is all form and without form.”[[10]]

Practical Kabbalah uses symbols in its study and rituals. According to Neoplatonic doctrine, the material world is the distorted image of the divine or intelligible world. The symbol is the purified image of this divine reality, acting as an intermediary between our sphere and the goal of contemplation. By its abstract nature, the symbol is connected to the realities of the spiritual world. Any work we do on it therefore leads to a kind of magnetization towards the desired goal. This explains one of the most important foundations of spiritual and magical techniques as conceived by the Christian Kabbalists.

As we all know, God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. Kabbalah therefore also means “the action of receiving by hearing. We must notice it and entrust it, I think, to our memory.” [[11]]

Summarizing the various points, we've just mentioned, the author goes on to define the categories of Kabbalah adherents: “It is called Cabala in Hebrew. The Kabbalah is in fact the symbolic reception of divine revelation, transmitted to enable the contemplation of God and separate forms, which ensures salvation. Those who share it by inspiration from heaven are properly called Cabalists (Cabalici). Those who strive to imitate them must be called Cabalists (Cabalistae), as must those who labor daily over the words they have spoken.” [[12]]

To conclude, the doctrine of Hermeticism is explicitly laid down as the foundation of this path of Kabbalah: “This good, which is called God, we can only attain, because of the fragility of our condition, by degrees and steps.” Here again, we see the possibility attributed to man of raising himself to God, using the various degrees of emanation. Parallels could rightly be drawn between Neoplatonic philosophies and emanation according to the Sefirotic Tree. But going further, our author appeals to the essential reference of every Hermetist, i.e. the chain of the living Past Masters of tradition: “According to your expression, it is Homer's chain: For us Jews, who speak according to the word of God, it is the ladder of our father Jacob. It stretches from the supernal places to the earth. It is like some rope or cable of gold directed from heaven to us, it is like the visual ray that passes through various natures.[[13]] The golden chain of adepts is a rich image that indeed goes back to Homer and represents for Hermetists of all eras the unbreakable bond that unites them to one another, through their studies and the initiations they have passed through.

The Hebrew language

General principles

Hebrew consists of an alphabet of 22 consonants, divided into mother, single and double letters. The vowels were traditionally not written and were later added in the form of dots and dashes called nikoudot. The original text of the Bible obviously predates the addition of vowels and was written without separating words. The text thus appeared continuously and had to be recognized and vocalized after direct, oral learning. If we were to transpose this into our alphabet, it would read: “InthebeginningGodcreatedheavenandearth.” If we returned to the consonantal text, we'd find the following sentence: “NthbgnnngGdcrtdhvnndrth.” Note that Hebrew is read from right to left. Each letter, and this is one of the most important features, also represents a number. To explain this, we've indicated the letter followed by its pronunciation and numerical value. Last but not least, each letter has a name, which itself carries meaning. In French, or in Latin languages in general, the letter represents nothing more than itself. In Hebrew, the equivalent of A, called Alef. This word Alef is composed of three letters (אלף) and can therefore be the subject of etymological research. It carries a particular meaning that sheds light on the letter itself, and beyond that, on words by combining the meaning of each of the letters that make it up. In a text such as the Torah, none of these combinations is considered fortuitous. It is easy to imagine the depth of meditation that is possible.

The Hebrew alphabet

Letters: Alef (1) – Bet (2) – Gimel (3) – Dalet (4) – He (5) – Vav (6) – Zayin (7) – Chet (8) – Tet (9) – Yod (10) – Kaf (20) – Lamed (30) – Mem (40) – Nun (50) – Samech (60) – Ayin (70) – Pe (80) – Tsadi (90) – Qof (100) – Resh (200) – Shin (300) – Tav (400)

Final letters: Kaf (500) – Samech (600) – Noun (700) – Pe (800) – Tsadi (900)

Let us now classify the letters according to their characteristics, as set out in one of the most ancient texts of Hebrew Kabbalah, the Sepher Yetzirah.

Three mother letters: Alef (1) – Mem (40) –Shin (300)

Seven double letters: Bet (2) – Gimel (3) – Dalet (4) – Kaf (20) – Pe (80) – Resh (200) – Tav (400)

Twelve simple letters: Yod (10) – Qof (100) – Lamed (30) – He (5) – Nun (50) – Samech (60) – Ayin (70) – Vav (6) – Tsadi (90) – Zayin (7) – Chet (8) – Tet (9)

It is important to notice that you are reading a Kindle edition of this book. As it is extremely complicated to mix Hebrew characters in a text using Latin characters for a Kindle edition, we didn’t use the Hebrew letters. However, if you are eager to follow the Hebrew spellings in this book, you will find the Hebrew characters used in the paperback and hardcover editions of this book.

Each letter therefore has a corresponding number, as well as a whole range of symbols and meanings derived from its shape, its use in the various words of the sacred text and in the meditations developed by the various Kabbalists. Reuchlin's book De Arte Cabalistica, on which we are particularly basing ourselves here, gives us some valuable pointers that We will be combining with those of magical kabbalah.

Alef

This letter “is the symbol of the highest and most elevated things, which subsist by the first influx of divine goodness, as for example the angels called Raioth ha qodech, Living Ones of the Sanctuary, or rather Lives without intermediary below God. By the power of God, these angels purify, illuminate and perfect those immediately below them. This is what a common word calls their influence.”[[14]]

“From Alef to Yod are the orders or choirs of angels, called Separate Intelligence, free forms, incorporeal and non-sensible, come and derived from the power of God. They have no form, no image, no similitude.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: The way or institution; Job (XXXIII, 33) “I will teach you, that is, I will institute wisdom.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: Ox - Air.

Bet

“The second letter signifies the second degree of angels from God Himself. They are called Ophanim, i.e. forms or wheels, secondarily derived from God's power by first intelligence. They also influence inferior beings from God. The sages also said that Beth symbolizes Wisdom.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: The house; Ps. (XXIII, 6) “I will dwell in the house of the Lord.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: House - Mercury.

Gimel

“This letter represents, from the higher essences the angels who are called Aralim, i.e. great, strong and robust angels. They descend in third place from the goodness of the divine Majesty. They are illuminated by God's virtue by means of the second intelligence, and they in turn influence lower beings.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Retribution; Ps (XVI, 7) “For the Lord has rewarded you.”

Meaning according to magical kabbalah: Camel - Moon.

Dalet

“This is the symbol of the fourth emanation among higher beings, those who are called Hasmalim. They receive the influx of God's virtue by means of the third intelligence, and they influence the inferiors by this virtue.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Gate, entrance; Genesis 19 (XIX, 9) “They went forward to break down the gate.”

Kabbalistic magical meaning: Gate - Venus.

He

“The He designates the superior beings of the fifth emanation from God himself. These are the Seraphim. They receive the influx of God's virtue by means of the fourth intelligence, and by the same virtue influence the inferiors.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Behold; Gen. 47 (XLVII, 23) “Behold seed for you.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Window - Aries.

Vav

“Vav symbolizes the essence of the higher beings of the sixth emanation, known as Malachim, angels. They receive the influx of God's virtue by means of the fifth intelligence, and they influence inferior beings by the same virtue.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Twisted hook; Exodus 26 (XXVI, 37) “Whose hooks shall be of gold.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Nail - Taurus.

Zayin

“Zayin is the seal of the superior blessed spirits of the seventh emanation, called Elohim, gods. They receive influx from the virtue of God through the angels of the sixth order, and they influence the inferiors by the same virtue.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Weapons; Kings 22 (1 Kings XXII, 38) “They washed the weapons according to the word of the Lord.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: Sword - Gemini.

Chet

“Chet is the symbol of the higher beings of the eighth emanation. These are the angels who are called Bene Elohim, sons of the gods, illuminated by the virtue of El, through the intermediary of the angels of the seventh order, and by the same virtue they spread the influx to the inferiors.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Terror; Job 7 (VII, 14) “You will terrify me with dreams.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Closure - Cancer.

Tet

“Tet is the symbol of the angels of the ninth emanation called Cherubim. They receive the influx of God's virtue by means of the eighth intelligence, and they influence the inferiors by the same virtue.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Declination, by metathesis Thet; Prov. 4 (IV, 27) “Turn neither to the right nor to the left.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Teth - Lion

Yod

“Yod means the essence of the Intelligences of the tenth emanation. They are called Issim, nobles and patricians and are inferior to all hierarchies. The virtue of God illuminates them by means of the ninth choir, and they spread to the sons of men the knowledge and science of things and miraculous activity. Also, those gifted with such a faculty called, “AIS.” [...] This is the source of prophetic visions, and of all great and holy things.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Confession of praise; Gen. 49 (XLIX, 8) “Your brothers will praise you.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Hand - Virgin.

Kaf

“This letter designates the first motive from El Saday itself, as immediately from the first cause, albeit through the intermediary of the spirit of rational life with communicative movement, who is the angel Metatron. He is called the of the sensible world, opening the way to all lower beings by means of the penetration of forms. By divine virtue, he thus influences everything that is mobile.

The final Kaf means the circle of fixed stars. Compared to us, it is the eighth sphere, but compared to the higher spheres, it is the second world divided into the 12 signs of the Zodiac that we call MaSaloth. It exerts its influence from the power of God by means of the intelligence of the Caph itself, and it influences the inferiors in the same way.”

The letters from Kaf to Tsadi are designated the orders of the heavens, governed by the influx of angels. This world is called the world of orbs or spheres.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Palms; Eccles. 4 (IV, 6) “Better is a hand full of rest.”

Kabbalah magic meaning: Palm of the hand - Jupiter.

Lamed

“Lamed is the sign of the first sphere of planets. They are called “Leket,” as in walkers. The Latins call them errant (errones) after the Greeks, who for this reason say that they are the planets. The seventh world is said to be attributed to Saturn, whom we call Sabbathai. He receives the influx and transmits it.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Doctrine; Ps. 143 (CXLIII, 10) “Teach me to do thy good pleasure.”

Kabbalah magic meaning: Whip - Balance.

Mem

“The open Mem denotes the sphere of Jupiter, which we call Zedeq. It receives the influx of God's virtue by means of the superior intelligence and influences the inferiors by the same virtue.

The closed Mem is the symbol of the sphere of Mars, which we call Madim, fifth orb; it receives the influx of the virtue of the Creator God through the angel immediately above, and by the same virtue influences the inferiors.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Waters; Is. 55 (LV, 1) “Ah, you who are thirsty, come to the waters.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Water - Water.

Nun

“This letter signifies the greatest luminary, says Semes, sun. Its sphere is called the Hamah orb. It receives the influx of God by means of the sixth intelligence, and it is through this that it influences the inferiors.

The final Nun indicates the Venus sphere, which we call Noga. It exists by the virtue of God and exerts its influence by means of the seventh intelligence.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Sonship; Is. 14 (XIV, 22) “Son and posterity.”

Significance according to magical kabbalah: Pisces - Scorpio.

Samech

“This is the symbol of the bailiff (cancellarius) known as Cocab, and in Latin as Mercury. He receives influx from the superiors by the virtue of God and influences the inferiors by the same virtue.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Application; Deut. 34 (XXXIV, 9) “For he applied, that is to say, Moses pressed his hands on him.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: Support - Sagittarius.

Ayin

“This is the symbol of the sphere of the moon, which we call Iareah. It appears as the left eye of the world. It is the last of the orbs among these star-bearers, and because of its whiteness is sometimes called Lebana. We leave it all to the art of the astrologers.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Eye; Ex. 21 (XX1, 24) “Eye for eye.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: Eye - Capricorn.

Pe

“This letter signifies the intellectual, particular and universal soul. It is directed by the separate intelligences through which God influences both the spheres and the stars, and all the higher and lower animate beings of the spheres and elements.

The final Pe denotes animal spirits, which are directed by higher intelligences as part of God's Power and Command.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Mouth; Ex. 4 (IV, 11) “Who gave man a mouth.”

Kabbalah magic meaning: Mouth - Mars.

Tsadi

“From Tsadi to Tav come the four elements with their forms, and together the living and non-living. They depend on the power of God, who gives them being and life. They are directed by the influx of angels and spheres. This is the World of the Elements in which man finds himself, which the Greeks call Microcosm (small world).”

“Tsadi symbolizes the matter both of the heavens, which is intelligible, and of the elements, which is sensible, and of all mixtures. They are directed by divine virtue through intelligences separated from their proper forms.

Tsadi final shows the forms of the elements, which are fire, air, water and earth. They are governed by divine virtue by means of the angels known as Issim, by the virtue of the heavens and by the virtue of prime matter, which is the source and origin of all the elements.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Sides; Ex. 25 (XXV, 32) “Six branches will come out of his sides.”

Significance according to magical kabbalah: Hook - Aquarius.

Qof

“It is the symbol of inanimate things, minerals and things said to be composed of elements and mixed. They are directed by divine virtue through the celestial spheres and the separate intelligences called Issim. And they influence inferiors in the region of the four elements.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Revolution, circuit; Ex. 34 (XXXIV, 22) “Returning the time of the year, that is, at the turn of the year.”

Meaning according to Kabbalah magic: Nape of the neck - Pisces.

Resh

“They mean all plants, fruits, products, and everything born of the earth. They receive the influx, of God's virtue from the heavenly bodies and the separate intelligences called Issim: so, it is with the complexes of elements.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Indigence; Prov. 10 (X, 15) “The fear of the wretched is their poverty. Others, however, translate it as inheritance.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Head - Sun.

Shin

“The Shin designates all things that have senses, both the reptiles of the earth, the beasts that move, and the fish of the waters, the birds of the air, and every being devoid of reason having vital motion. They are governed by the power of God from the heavenly bodies and intelligences we call Issim, and from the assemblages of elements.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Tooth; Job 4 (IV, 10) “And the teeth of the lion cubs are broken.”

Kabbalah magical meaning: Tooth - Fire.

Tav

“Tav is the symbol of man and human nature, which is the perfection and end of all creatures. It is directed from God by the assemblies and qualities of the elements according to the influxes of the heavens, and through the particular offices of the separate intelligences Issim who are of angelic condition. And just as these are in the world of angels the end and fulfillment, so man is the end and perfection of creatures in the world of the elements, rather in the world of all things.”

Meaning according to Reuchlin: Sign; Ezech. 9 (IV, 4) “Mark the foreheads of men with a Tau.”

Significance according to Kabbalah magic: Identification sign - Saturn.

 

 

 

 

Figure 1: Hebrew letters in space according to the Sepher Yetzirah.

 

 

Figure 2: The 22 Hebrew letters

 

 

The Hymn of Praise

Last but not least, it is important to provide here the text of the Hymn of Praise used in the theurgic tradition of the Aurum Solis[[15]]. It is a profound meditation on the Hebrew letters and the paths of the Tree of Life. It is sometimes used in certain ritual practices. It is given starting from the end of the alphabet, to respect the order of ascent of the Tree of Life from the sphere of existence in which we find ourselves.

Tav - 32 - Saturn

(The title of each letter indicates the Hebrew letter, the path of the Tree of Life and the planet, sign, or element)

“Thine is the Sign of the End, Being fulfilled, Sum of existences:

Thine is the ultimate Door opened on Night's, unuttered mystery:

Thine, the first hesitant step into the dark of those but latterly born to the Labyrinth!”

Shin - 31 - Fire

“Shining O Fire in thy strength, laughing in flames rushing to heavenward,

Sharp is thy tooth to devour all things of earth, all things transmutable,

Winning them into thine own force incorrupt, turning them hiddenly

Back to their principles!”

Qof - 29 - Pisces

“Quietly under the Moon vanishes Day's vaunted autonomy:

Softly the voices of Night sound at our gates, stir from oblivion

Calling for sacrifice! Lo, children are we all of one parentage:

Go we with thanksgiving!”

Resh - 30 - Sun

“Rise in thy splendor, O King!

Glorious brow, gaze on thy governance, gladdening all who behold!

Soaring as song, rule and illuminate:

Crysoleth gleaming thy crown, rise and inspire, Lion-gold, Falcon-flight, Joyous, ambrosial!”

Tsadi - 28 - Aquarius

“Tzaphqiel, Bright one beyond veils of the night! Envoy and countenance

Thou of the Mother, all hail! Thine is that far fortress of radiance

Lighting the drouth of our way: fountain of hope, water celestial

Deathless our thirst for it!”

Pe - 27 - Mars

“Play of the Breath and the Word, Life and the Law, counterchange intricate weaving the ground of our days: This is our strength, this is our jeopardy.

Spirit oracular, tell: knowledge and love, will they keep unity, or, opposed, shatter us?”

Ayin - 26 - Capricorn

“Out of the wellspring of forms filling the wide spheres with its fashionings

Myriad images rise, wild or serene, fleshly, ethereal:

Hail, O thou Eye that hast seen all things that are, Knowledge to gaze on them

Blessing their goodliness!”

Samer - 25 - Sagittarius

“Stone of the Patriarch's dream, pillow austere couching the wanderer

While between heaven and earth glorious Shapes came and went ceaselessly:

Hail to thee, Gate of the Worlds, column unhewn set for memorial

Pointing the Arrow-road!”

Nun - 24 - Scorpio

“Nearest the heart of the seas watches the Fish, shimmering, nacreous,

Moving with pulse of the tides, gliding far down under their turbulence,

Crossing the fathomless caves, threading the lost hulls of the argosies—

Shadow inscrutable!”

Mem - 23 - Water

“Mother of waters profound, dark are thy halls, bitter thy fragrances:

Voices of love and of awe call thee: arise, leave thou thy sorrowing!

Robe thee in web of thy waves, Mother of Life, robe thee in radiance,

Sing of thy Mysteries!”

Lamed - 22 - Libra

“Lash of the Winds be thou named, waking the storm, stirring the hurricane,

Flailing the forests, the plains, stripping the dead leafage of yesteryear,

Sweeping the summer's decay! Dance and exult, beauty invisible,

Terrible innocence!”

Kaf - 21 - Jupiter

“Cup that receives and bestows, generous palm garnering, scattering, thine are the bountiful rains, thine is the fount purpled and perilous:

Thine is the dominion to cast down to the pit, thine to give sanctuary, Yea, to give liberty!”

Yod - 20 - Virgo

“Youth everlasting art thou, timeless as light going forth silently,

Prince of the ripening grain, hand that creates, changes and fecundates,

Touching the stars that they blaze, touching the vast whorls of the nebulae,

Siring forth galaxies!”

Tet - 19 - Leo

“Twelve are the boundary-signs framing the bright dragon celestial,

Theli or Ouroboros, cycling the world, serpentine, leonine:

Thee whom the Thunderer strove vainly to move, mighty one, shining one:

Thine be all reverence!”

Ret - 18 - Cancer

“Chaos is close at our gates: sure be the wall, strong be the citadel!

Now by adversity's fire wrought to endure, be thou our champion:

Be thou our shield of defense till, at the last, Tumult shall comprehend

Harmony manifest!”

Zayin - 17 - Gemini

“Zephyr, or Boreas wild: which is thy breath, what is thy purposing?

Storm-flash or clear morning-rise, under what guise, hail we thy countenance?

Twain are the serpents of power, twain the august Thummim of prophecy:

Twofold thy praises be!”

Vav - 16 - Taurus

“Votary steadfast as stone, ardent as flame, stanchion of unity,

Kin to that spirit divine fixed in the sun, self-spending, bountiful

Life of the fosterling worlds! So standest thou, pontifex-sacrifice,

Changeless fidelity!”

He - 15 - Aries

“High and victorious, hail! Scarlet-bedraped, windows are thronged for thee,

Thee to behold, who behold'st but to achieve, victor who conquers

But to make whole, to fulfil judge who sees truth! Hail, thou whose gonfanon

Leads the year's pageantry!”

Dalet - 14 - Venus

“Doorway of vision fulfilled, bringer of dreams, forth to adventuring, sacred to thee are the red portals of dawn, sacred the emerald gates of the jubilant spring, Mother of deeds manifest, multiform: Mother of destiny!”

Gimel - 13 - Moon

“Grace of the glimmering night, beautiful pale camel thou journeyest, comely with bridle of pearl, cloth of most fair, silver caparisoned:

Tracing the trackless abodes, knowing all times, knowing the numberless, seeds of the firmament!”

Bet - 12 - Mercury

“Bearing thy truth in thy heart, opal-fire sealed deep and inviolate, over the seven-hued bridge pass to the worlds, share in their variance.

Hail to the voice of thy power, speaking all tongues, many in purposes, One in divinity!”

Alef - 11 - Air

“Ally of harbourless air, primrose-pale child, shadow-lord azurine,

Whirling the mill of the spheres, circling their course, tracing their vortices,

Bright as chalcedony, forth flashing then sped, fervid as galbanum,

Hail, breath of origin!”

Combinatorial uses

Let us look at the possibilities offered by such an alphabet.

As Reuchlin and other Christian Kabbalists have shown, there are a great many mental uses for Hebrew letters. These multiple permutations, correspondences and symbols enable extremely complex calculations to be made, based on an in-depth knowledge of the sacred texts. Most published works on the Kabbalah deal with and use these calculations. We will only mention the main methods used. They correspond to an application of Kabbalistic mysticism and do not represent the entire practice of this path. This dimension is less present in the magical use of these principles. Perfect knowledge of these systems is by no means essential for those who wish to have a general understanding of the system, or even for those who wish to use practices derived from it.

 

1- First of all, it is clear that the same word can have several meanings, since vowels don't exist. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.

The word “Adam” is written as follows: Alef, Dalet, Mem, (Genesis 1:27) and means “man” in the generic sense. The word “Adom” is and means “red.” The word “Adama” (Genesis 2:7) means “the earth, the womb.”

 

2- A word can also contain other words or roots. In our previous example, the word Adam contains blood hence the possible union of meaning between Adam, red and blood. Adam being the universal man, all men have red blood. By shedding the blood of one being, we are also shedding the blood of each and every one of us.

 

3- As mentioned above, each letter represents a number: a = aleph = 1, b = bet = 2, etc.

Kabbalah is divided into three parts: Gematria, Notaricon and Temurah.

a) Gematria: This consists in replacing the letters by their value and matching words with identical total values. Thus, the classic example of the following words:

“One” = Erad = eefv4+8+1=13

“Love” = Ahavah = 5+2+5+1=13: Love is therefore unity.

b) The Notaricon: Each letter forming a word is the initial of another word, thus forming a sentence. A famous example is the word “AGLA” (אגלא), which is built from the phrase “Ata Gibor Leolam Adonai,” “Thou art mighty forever, O Lord.”

c) Temurah: This is the technique of swapping Hebrew letters. In its simplest form, each letter can be replaced by the one preceding or following it in the alphabet.

 

4- A fourth point of this language is the shape of the letter itself. Thus the example below of the letter Alef.

 

 

 

 

 

The first part of the letter represents the inconceivable thought.

 

This part of the letter represents the symbol of the mystery of supreme thought and the six degrees.

 

This part of the letter represents the symbol of the upper firmament.

 

The bottom of the letter symbolizes the hidden Ayoths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3: Sefirot on the letter Alef

Figure 4: Other representation of the sefirot on the letter Alef

Letters and the human body

There are two other little-known aspects of magical kabbalah. Letters can be mentally superimposed on your body. Their visualization, combined with their pronunciation and corresponding divine names, enables the practitioner to feel the meaning and power of the letter within. This is a form of active meditation that is integrated into certain ritual aspects of this path.

Our body can also in some way deepen the practice by embodying the position of the letter. In this way, each letter corresponds to a body position. It is easy to imagine the effect on a word. The result is a choreography that expresses the character and sensitivity of the word or phrase. These elements have been developed in Tarot Energy, but We will give you an example below for the letter Alef:

“- In the starting position you stand with your back straight, legs together, arms relaxed at your sides, shoulders relaxed, face relaxed and eyes closed or half-closed.

- Focus on your breathing, then perform the gesture of the first arcana.

Move your right leg forward and, at the same time, your right arm, palm down, and left arm symmetrically back, palm up. During the same movement, raise your head so that you are looking upwards at 45° from the starting position.

- Kneel with your left knee on the floor. At the same time, bring your left arm in front of your left leg so that the fingertips of this hand touch the ground, the arm resting lightly on top of the thigh. Still in the same movement as you kneel, lower your head slightly. Place your right elbow on your right thigh and your right hand on the front of your head, palm level with the top of your forehead.

The gesture is held for a few moments before returning to the starting position.”

 

 

Figure 5: Hands divided into 28 sections, each containing a Hebrew letter (the number 28 in Hebrew corresponds to the word force). At the bottom of the hand, the two letters on each hand form the tetragrammaton, the unpronounceable name of God.

 

 

 

 

Figure 6: The letter Yod in energy work

 

Figure 7: The letter Vav in energy work

Energy work on the Hebrew letters Yod and Vav

Energy use

We've already explained the main meanings of the various letters of the alphabet. We know that each of them is a veritable hieroglyph relating to a particular energy of creation. As Reuchlin said, the use of symbols is a means of bringing us closer to the divine, as we climb the ladder of manifestation step- by- step. As quoted earlier, his text obviously refers primarily to the work of visualization and memorization. However, this means that form itself is the gateway to the reality it covers. What is true in the inner action of this letter is not merely an immaterial reality. This action is made possible by the letter's characteristics, starting with its form. Contemplation of the letter induces in us this connection with the divine. But according to what we've just said, the presence of the letter, disregarding even the direct vision of it, induces an effect on the place where they are found, as well as on the people who are brought into its presence. We can speak here of what moderns have called a waveform. This property has long been consciously used by adepts, notably in pentacles and rituals. What is true for letters is also true for words. Take, for example, a word like Ech (Alef, Shin), fire. Writing the characters that make it up, and placing them beside us, manifests the power of fire. The context in which this representation is used (sacred space, initiation rite, etc.) further specifies the fire involved. Precise knowledge of these techniques has been the preserve of Hermetic kabbalists and magicians for centuries. This has been and remains the case in authentic initiatory orders. This knowledge is extremely valuable and enables those who use it to achieve far greater results, which are perceptible to anyone taking part in such exercises or rites. This is true whether they have a knowledge and understanding of Hebrew or not. Indeed, in this field of action, it is clear that knowledge of the language doesn't add much, apart from avoiding errors of vocabulary or representation.

The Sefirotic Tree

The ten sefirot make up the Tree of Life. According to Reuchlin,

“many of our authors treat the ten numerations, called by the’Cabalaei' the 10 sefirot, in different ways. Some do so in the form of a tree, others in the form of a man. Root, trunk, branches and bark are often mentioned. Often also head, shoulders, thighs, feet, right and left sides. These are the ten divine names we mortals conceive of God. They are names of essence, of person, or they are called Keter - Crown, Hokma - Wisdom, Bina - Prudence or Intelligence, Hesed - Clemency or Goodness, Gebura - Gravity or Severity, Tiferet - Ornament, Nezah - Triumph, Hod - Confession of Praise, Iesod - Foundation, Malkuth - Kingdom. Above the crown is En Sof Infinitude and it is the abyss.”[[16]]

Each Sefira is a dynamic mode of being, whose character is expressed by its relationship, firstly, to the other Sefirot and, secondly, to other beings. The relationships of the Sefirot to one another are summed up by a certain structure that is permanent in the nature of things and immutable, whether we consider the Sefirot in their world of origin, Atziluth, or in other worlds. It is the exchange of energies between the spheres that gives them their distinctive appearance.

Each Sefira has a specific name and manifests itself to us through its particular qualities, or the symbols of those qualities, across the four worlds. The names of the Sefirot and their main ideas are listed below. As Reuchlin says, Jewish kabbalists “have written extensively on the tree of the ten numerations. They expound this complicated question and reduce almost the entire Old Testament to these ten sefirot, then by means of these ten numerations to the ten names of God, and to the one Name Tetragrammaton. They assert that Ensof is the Alpha and Omega, who said: I am the first, and I am the last.”[[17]]

This archetypal structure is a representation of the spheres that exist in the four worlds described by the Kabbalah, on both the macrocosmic and microcosmic levels.

We will now examine each of these spheres according to the meanings given by Reuchlin and the heritage of magical kabbalah. According to Hermetic tradition, the Sefirot emanate from one another in a definite order from their origin. As you will see later in the practical exercises, the adept's aim is to use the schema of this tree to progress as if on a ladder from the material world (Malkuth) to the highest sphere, the divine world (Kether).

Kether

The first sphere to manifest, and the highest of all, is called Kether. It is the original archetypal manifestation of divinity. It is a pure concentration of luminous energy, potentially containing all that is to come. It is perfect unity.

According to Reuchlin, “Keter, the crown of the kingdom of all worlds, is the bottomless spring. Several themes relate to it, such as the great Alef, the inaccessible light, and the days of eternity.”[[18]]

Strength: Unity - Cosmic symbol: Spiral nebula.

Archetypal image: Old bearded king seen in profile.

Chochmah

The second sphere Chochmah represents fatherhood, the place where energy increases and accelerates.

According to Reuchlin, among the attributes of Chochmah, Wisdom “are reported his primogeniture, Yesh, i.e. Being, Primitive Law, Yod, first letter of the Tetragrammaton, Land of the Living, the 32 paths, the 70 aspects of the Law, War, Judgment, Amen, Book, Holy, Will, Principle and other such things.”

Force: Expansion - Cosmic symbol: Sphere of fixed stars - Zodiac

Archetypal image: Bearded patriarch.

Binah

The third sphere Binah corresponds to feminine power and maternity. It gives form to all that exists and passes through it. It channels the energies that pass through it.

According to Reuchlin,

“by associating with the final letter Nun, Beth begets BEN, the son, who is the first production in deity, and the principle of otherness. [...] Thirdly, there remains the middle between Alef and Nun, which is Yod, symbol of the holy Name Yah. If you combine the two characters of Yah alternately with the name Ben, you get Bina [Beth-Yod-Nun-He], intelligence, prudence or providence, i.e. the third numeration in divinis, to which Adonai is attributed, the Spirit, the Soul, the Vow, the Mystery of faith, 1a Mother of sons, the King seated on the throne of mercies, the great Jubilee, the great Sabbath, the Foundation of spirits, the prodigious Light, the supreme day, Fifty Gates ; the Day of Propitiation, the Inner Voice, the River out of Paradise, the Second Letter of the Tetragrammaton [He] Penance, the Deep Waters, My Sister, My Father's Daughter, and others.”

Strength: Constriction - Cosmic symbol: Saturn - Archetypal meaning: Immutable stability - Modern color: Indigo.

Archetypal image: Celestial Queen.

Chesed

The fourth sphere, Chesed, has an expansive character that prepares a passage from the abstract to the concrete. It expresses an attenuated form of the paternity present in Chochmah. It holds the place of lawgiver and expresses kindness in a second form called Gedoulah.

According to Reuchlin, Chesed is Goodness, Clemency. Associated “with the divine name El, are these others: Grace, Mercy, Right Arm, Innocent, Third Day, White Fire, Lion's Face, First Foot, First Abraham, East, Upper Waters, Silver of God, Michael, Priest, Angel in the shape of Electrum, Hasmal, White Clothes, South Wind and others.”

Strength: Order - Cosmic symbol: Jupiter - Archetypal meaning: Majestic beneficence - Modern color: Blue

Archetypal image: Priest-king on his throne.

Gevurah

The fifth sphere Gevurah is an expression of divine justice and strength.

According to Reuchlin, Gevurah, “Severity, the divine name is Elohim and applies to him: fear, property of Rigor or Strength, Negative Precepts of the Law, Left Arm, Fire coming out of the waters, [...] Fourth Day, West, Gabriel, Isaac, the Ancient, Night, Courage, Golden Altar, Second Foot, Sanctification, Darkness, Metattron, Aquilon, Dark Appearance.”

Strength: Energy - Cosmic symbol: Mars - Archetypal meaning: Intrepid strength - Modern color: Red.

Archetypal image: Warrior-king with weapon.

Tiferet

The sixth sphere, Tiferet, expresses harmony, beauty and balance. It is the point of passage and exchange between the forces above and below. It brings together, in a more perceptible way, the qualities and energy of Kether.

According to Reuchlin, Eloha applies to Tiferet as well as “Tree of Life, Pleasure, Middle Line, Written Law, High Priest, Sunrise, Purple Appearance, [...] Peace, the Moon, the third letter of the Tetragrammaton, Our Father who is in Heaven, Higher Men or Heavenly Adam, Judgment, Sentence, Michael, Israel the Elder, God of Jacob.”

Strength: Balance - Cosmic symbol: Sun - Archetypal meaning: Fecundating splendor - Modern color: Yellow.

Archetypal image: Divine child; solar king; sacrificial god.

Netzach

The seventh sphere, Netzach, allows love and vitality to manifest in the world of form, in natural existence.

According to Reuchlin, to the “seventh sphere relate Adonai Sabaoth, Thigh, Foot, Right Column, Great Wheel, Vision of Prophecy, Moses, etc.”

Strength: Combination - Cosmic symbol: Venus - Archetypal meaning: Celestial love - Modern color: Green.

Archetypal image: naked Amazon.

Hod

The eighth sphere, Hod, divides and analyzes. It corresponds to the intellectual dimension.

According to Reuchlin, at the eighth Hod, “agree Elohe Sabaoth, Mystery of the Column and the Right Foot, Booz, and from here comes the Ancient Serpent, the Master's Teaching, Rameau, Aaron, Cherub, Son of the King, the Grindstones that Grind and others.”

Force: Separation - Cosmic symbol: Mercury - Archetypal meaning: Spirit of wisdom - Modern color: Orange.

Archetypal image: hermaphrodite.

Yesod

The ninth sphere, Yesod, expresses the divine force through the changing and multiple forms of this world. It is from here that effects on the physical plane can manifest themselves.

According to Reuchlin, Saday is appropriate to the ninth sphere. Also corresponding to it are the “Foundation of the World, Zion, the Source of the Pools, the Righteous One, Living God, Perfect Sabbath, Midway between Keep and Remember, Fiftieth Day from Leviathan Aries, Righteous Joseph, Solomon, Righteousness, Strength, Tree of the Science of Good and Evil, Covenant of the Lord, Ark of the Testimony, Glory of the Lord, Foundation of Prophecy, David, Redemption, World of Souls.”

Strength: Conception - Cosmic symbol: Moon - Archetypal meaning: Change and becoming - Modern color: Violet.

Archetypal image: ithyphallic young man.

Malkuth

The tenth sphere, Malkuth, expresses fulfillment and interaction between things. It is composed of the four elements.

According to Reuchlin, the tenth sphere refers to “Adonai, Reign, Life, Second Cherub, Unshining Mirror, Back, End, Church of Israel, Bride of the Song of Songs, Queen of Heaven, Virgin of Israel, Mystery of the Law given by mouth, Eagle, Fourth letter of the Tetragrammaton, Kingdom, House of David, Temple of the King, Gate of God, Ark of the Covenant and the two Tables therein, Lord of all the earth.

Strength: Resolution - Cosmic symbol: Earth - Modern color: 7-color spectrum.

Archetypal image: veiled girl.

 

As we can see from the Sefirotic Tree diagram, the spheres can be viewed in three vertical columns, each with a specific meaning in addition to the character already defined for each. In this way, you will be able to incorporate this useful determination into your analysis. They are summarized in the following table.

 

Figure 8: The three pillars of the Tree of Life

 

 

Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 8: The three pillars of the Tree of Life

Columns

Polarity

Position

Rigor

Female

Left

Mercy

Male

Right

Balance

Bisexual or neutral

Central

The four worlds

In Hebrew Kabbalah, the universe is divided into four worlds: Assiah (the material plane), Yetzirah (the astral plane), Briah (the mental plane) and Atziluth (the divine plane). We can relate these to the structure of our personality.

Let us briefly summarize the character of each of them.

Assiah - The material plane

It corresponds to the physical universe and is therefore the densest. It is the material manifestation of forces whose model can be found in the higher worlds. We may be surprised by the complexity and disorder of this world, which seems to have little structure on the ideal planes, but this is merely an appearance. In reality, orderly structure does exist for those who know how to perceive it behind the illusory veils of nature. We must try to become sensitive to the concepts and ideas that underpin the world we see. Then We will be able to relate to these divine planes.

In the human microcosm, Assiah refers to the physical organism, to subatomic, atomic, and molecular structures.

Yetzirah - The astral plane

It corresponds to the astral plane, distinct from the one we've just been talking about. In a way, it is the energy that sustains the physical world, the world of appearances in which we live. Everything that happens in the physical world first takes place in Yetzirah. But of course, the physical world is subject to change, and remains undulating and uncertain. It is teeming with images emanating from Assiah, which have been constituted by emotions, among other things. In the human microcosm, Yetzirah refers to the lower unconscious, the energy body known as the Nephesh.

Briah - The mental plane

It corresponds to the world of creation, which contains the archetypal images, not the archetypes themselves. It is the intellectual world containing the image of the realities that are perceived by those who manage to ascend to this plane. A distinction must be made between the images manifested here and those found in the world of Yetzirah. The latter were the shifting, multiple images arising for the most part from the emotions linked to Assiah. Here, in Briah, they are the descending reflection of Atziluth's archetypal realities. In the human microcosm, Briah refers to rational consciousness, to the energies of being, to the body called the Ruach (Rouar).

Atziluth - The divine plan

This is the divine world in which authentic archetypes reside. It is a world of pure abstraction that can only be perceived through archetypal expressions such as the ten forces of which the seven planets are a part. We find them again in the representation of the Sefirotic Tree. For the record, let us recall the archetypal meaning of each of them: Saturn: stability and immutability, Jupiter: majestic benevolence, Mars: intrepid strength, Sun: fecund splendor, Venus: celestial love, Mercury: spirit of wisdom, Moon: change and becoming. In the human microcosm, this refers to the spirit, the higher unconscious, the archetypal principles. It is called the Neshamah.

Above these four worlds lie what Kabbalists call the veils of negative existence: Eïn Soph Aor: infinite light, Eïn Soph: infinity, Eïn: nothing.

Pythagorean or Kabbalist virtue

As we've seen, the author we've quoted many times, Johann Reuchlin, confuses the Christian Kabbalah with the Neoplatonic tradition as it was passed down to the new Platonic Academy in Florence. The practice of virtue is therefore a fundamental element of the adept's life, and its place is just as important as the study itself. Plato said that the ascent to the Good must absolutely combine the practice of virtue with the study of the sciences. But what qualities must the “Pythagorean Kabbalist” possess? Reuchlin says that “[...] easily becomes a Pythagorean (pythagoraeus) he who readily believes in the word, who can keep silent according to circumstance, and who grasps with intelligence all the precepts.”[[19]]

“He [Pythagoras] thought that by a relentless study of philosophy, we would gather the fruit of this tree of happiness if after purifying ourselves, we set aside the vices, and diligently cultivated the virtues.” [[20]]

These virtues are developed in the classic books of the Greco-Roman tradition, such as Pythagoras, Porphyry and others. Of course, these teachings are given in a context quite different from the original, but the Kabbalah allows for this very special exercise in Hermeticism. It involves integrating ancient philosophy with a different religious context, modifying a limited number of things in both. This way of looking through the looking glass enables us to reach the esoteric part of nature and being, bringing together what might otherwise appear to be antagonistic.

According to Pythagoras, three things are necessary to “reach analogously the highest beatitude: the work of virtue, which consists in action; meditation, which is nourished by the study of the multiple sciences; and love, which binds us to God as by a necessary bond. Morality abundantly shows those who study it the first, the natural sciences with mathematics the second, and theology the third. One is not enough without the other; we need all three.” [[21]]

Let us not forget that we're in the world of symbols, and that our old master isn't necessarily asking us to become mathematicians or theologians. On the contrary, he reminds us that any initiatory or esoteric study must be accompanied by a daily practice of virtue (as we shall see in the Martinist traditions). This inner work goes hand in hand with the study of nature through the ceaseless exercise of our reason. This is one of the elements that will help us avoid sinking into madness or fantastical illusions. But the importance of reason must not make us lose sight of the goal of our quest, which must remain spiritual and divine. For this, the memory of the world we were in before we were born must give rise to a pure desire to return to this divine world and the status we once enjoyed.

 

 

 

[[1]] This is the basis of a system of practice that Easterners call Bakhti Yoga, or devotional yoga. For Westerners, it's called identification with divine forces. This practice requires a very precise framework to avoid the pitfalls of identification with the model, and therefore of illusion.

[[2]] See Appendix 1-a.

[[3]] See Appendix 1-b.

[[4]] See Appendix 1-c.

 

[[5]] Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and, in particular, Johanne (Johannes) Reuchlin (1455-1522).

[[6]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), Translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris, p.20.

[[7]] Ibid, p.22-23.

[[8]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), Translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris, p.25.

[[9]] Ibid. p.28.

[[10]] Ibid. p.28.

[[11]] Ibid. p.44.

[[12]] Ibid. p.45.

[[13]] See “ABC de la spiritualité maçonnique, » by Jean-Louis de Biasi, Ed. Grancher, Paris.

[[14]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), From the French translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris, p.276 ff. (All the following interpretations of the Hebrew letters are coming from the same book by J. Reuchlin.)

[[15]] www.aurumsolis.org

[[16]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), From the French translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris.

[[17]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), From the French translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris, p.247.

[[18]] Johann Reuchlin, La kabbale (De arte kabbalistica), From the French translation by François Secret, Aubier Montaigne, 1973, Paris, p.276.

[[19]] Ibid, p.26.

[[20]] Ibid, p.186.

[[21]] Ibid, p.200.