The Qabalah originated as a
form of Jewish mysticism. It consists of ten spheres and twenty-two
paths (that connect the ten spheres together). Each of the ten
spheres has a different name of God and a different aspect of God
associated with it. The Qabalah is a system of studying these
different aspects of God in an effort to gain a deeper understanding
of Him as you work out your salvation. The Qabalah can be traced
back to the 1st century A.D., though some claim it was passed down
through the oral tradition since the time of Moses.
The Qabalah regained its popularity in the 15th century and was
adopted into different Hermetic orders, which still practice the
principles of the Qabalah to this day. The word ‘Qabalah’
(Hermetic), also spelt Kabbalah (Jewish), Cabala (Christian), and
several other various forms means ‘To Receive.’ It is alleged that
Moses received an early form of the Qabalah as a spoken tradition
when he received the Torah (the five books of Moses in the Old
Testament) on Mount Sinai, along with the Ten Commandments (Exodus
34:29). The Qabalah is also referred to as the Tree of Life. It is
used symbolically to represent the Tree of Life in the Garden of
Eden, which has the ability to give those who eat its fruit eternal
life.
Genesis 3:22-23 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as
one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his
hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
And the Lord God sent him out of the paradise of pleasure, to till
the earth from which he was taken.
The Tree of Life is also referenced in Revelations as a reward for
those who keep God’s commandments.
Revelations 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that
they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city.
The Qabalah is thought by some to be a map of the different planes
of existence. There are four different planes of existence
associated with the Qabalah. Atziloot (Spiritual Plane), Briyah
(Astral Plane), Yetzirah (Mental Plane), and Ahssiah (Physical
Plane). Some Qabalists and magicians believe that these are the four
planes of existence utilized to manifest changes in this world. They
believe that God created the world using these four planes or phases
of existence/creation, and that by emulating God they can effect
changes on the earth utilizing the same process.
The idea is that the desired outcome begins as an idea in the
Spiritual Plane (Atziloot). The idea then passes through the Astral
plane (Briyah), and then through the mental plane (Yetzirah), and is
then manifested on the Earth (Physical Plane, Ahssiah). They believe
this is the process that God used to create the universe, and that
by immitating Him they can affect changes on the earth.
The magician attempts to affect changes of the Astral Plane, which
he believes would bring about changes in the physical plane. For
example, if the magician were seeking a pay raise, he would place
the concept on the Astral Plane (that he is deserving of one), and
in theory, the idea would be realized on the Mental plane to bring
about changes in the Physical world. The magician would place the
idea in the Astral plane, his boss could then realize the idea in
the Mental plane (in his mind), and give the magician a raise in the
Physical plane. Though simply asking for a raise would be far more
direct, and a lot less sneaky.
This study is not intended to teach you how to use the Qabalah in the
performance of magic, but was written to be used as a system of
studying the different aspects of God as you work out your salvation
and seek to purify your soul. The Qabalah can be used as a map, to
provide you with direction, and to assist you in your spiritual
growth. The Qabalah does not contain any power in itself. It is only
a system of studying ten different names and aspects of God, and the
attributes associated with them. You can use the Qabalah in the same
way a businessman would use a chart to make a difficult subject more
understandable when giving a presentation.
The purpose of studying the Qabalah is to embark on the same quest
that man has been on since the beginning of time; the Magnum Opus
(Great Work), the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, or the quest
for the Holy Grail. It is the Tree of Life that people climb as they
work out their own salvations in an effort to obtain eternal life
and be accepted into Heaven.
The Philosopher’s Stone is the commonly known pursuit where an
alchemist seeks to transform base metal into gold. It is a
metaphoric pursuit representing the quest to turn ones soul into
gold (purify it), as they are seeking divinity. It is spiritual
alchemy. The Quest for the Holy Grail is the quest for eternal life,
which can only be achieved by the blood of Christ. All of these
quests involve the same underlining principles; the purifying of
one’s soul in order to receive the Crown of Life.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and
will refine them as silver is refined: and I will try them as gold
is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will
say: Thou art my people: and they shall say: The Lord is my God.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith (much more precious than
gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory
and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he
is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath
promised to them that love him.
Revelations 2:12 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be
tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto
death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The Qabalah originated as Jewish mysticism, but it was not complete.
It existed in the same state that the Old Testament of the Bible did
for thousands of years. Not all of the pieces of the Qabalistic
system seemed to fit together without the addition of Jesus Christ
into it. In the same way the Old Testament of the Bible existed as a
set of rules, laws, and unfulfilled prophecies before Christ. Christ
completed the Old Testament by fulfilling those prophecies, and
making the laws and principles more understandable. He also provided
a means of giving every individual the same opportunity at
salvation. The Qabalah is not a complete system without Christ
included in it. The Sphere of Tiphareth represents a sacrificed
king/god, and without the addition of Jesus Christ into the Qabalah,
the system would be severely lacking.
The Qabalah A.D. seeks to complete the Qabalistic system by looking
at the Qabalah from a view point Anno Domini, in the year of our
Lord. Adding Jesus Christ to the Qabalah makes the Qabalah a
complete system that you can use as you pursue the Great Work of
purifying your soul and seeking the Crown of Life. Though the first
appearance of the Qabalah can be traced back to the 1st century
A.D., Jesus Christ was not associated with it until the 15th century
A.D., and at that time it was used only by magical sects and the
hermetic orders.
The Qabalah A.D. seeks to give the reader the opportunity to utilize
the Qabalah for spiritual growth, without the need to swear an
allegiance to a secret order or to accept the doctrine of a
religious sect. This study consists of the different attributes of
God associated with the different areas of the Qabalah, and relevant
Bible studies associated with each section of the Qabalah.
Commentaries are included with the Bible studies, but the Bible is
the sole source of the doctrine.
This website is divided into different sections, each covering either one of the
10 different spheres of the Qabalah, or one of the different paths
connecting them. Included with each of the paths connecting the
different spheres is an associated tarot card from the 22 Major
Arcana of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, which contains symbolism
relevant to each particular path. The associated tarot cards to each
path were added to the Qabalah in the 15th century A.D. by the
hermitic orders.
The objective of this study is to combine the efforts of the Jewish
Mystics, Hermetic Magicians, and New Testament Christians in order
to transform the Qabalah into a complete system that can be used to
study the nature of God, the mysteries of the Bible, and the path of
salvation. Each section lists the name and attributes of God
associated with that particular sphere or the attitbutes associated
with that path of the Qabalah.
Once you become familiar with the Qabalah, you will be able to use
it as a map for your spiritual growth, to get an idea of what aspect
of God you are interested in learning about, or what areas in
yourself you need to improve. Reading the Bible studies will help
you understand the different aspects of God, and you can apply the
information you learn to your own life.
The objective is to study the different attributes of God to see
what areas in your own life need improvement in order for you to
purify your soul. You have started your quest for the Holy Grail and
have begun climbing the Tree of Life. If you are successful in your
quest a Crown of Righteousness awaits you.
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing.
Some Qabalists believe that the 10 spheres of the Qabalah line up
with 10 different energy centers in or around the body (as depicted
on the next page), similar to the Chakra system in Kundalini Yoga.
For example, the sphere of Tiphareth is located over the energy
center around the heart. Tiphareth is a sphere that is associated
with Jesus. You can take this information and study Bible verses
that have to do with Jesus dwelling in your heart (Romans 2:15,
Galatians 4:6, or Ephesians 3:17). The image of Tiphareth is of a
sacrificed god/king, from there you can study the passages of the
Bible that have to do with Christ’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:35), or
the sacrificed lamb in the Book of Revelations (Revelations 5:6).
You can apply this principle
to any of the spheres. Fore-instance, the sphere of Geburah has to
do with judgment, you can study Bible verses that have to do with
judgment (Revelations 20:11-15), and then meditate on the
information to gain a better understanding of judgment or justice.
You can then apply the information to your life and contemplate how
you use your own judgment, or you can ponder how God will judge you
at your present state of spiritual development.
This study contains Bible studies that will familiarize you with each
associated attribute of God listed in the Qabalah, but a detailed
study of every aspect of God is out of the range of this study. The
objective of studying the Qabalah is to give you a starting point or
road map on what areas of spiritual growth you might want to begin
with, but it is only the beginning.
Once you are familiar with the Qabalah you can use it as a topical
reference tool to help you improve the different areas of your own
life. If for example you have trouble controlling your emotions, you
can meditate on the sphere of Netzach, seeking victory over your
emotions. You can use the Qabalah like a brainstorming chart – to
put several different ideas together, and help you see the big
picture.
The Qabalah contains different attributes that all humans share. By
improving in these different attributes, we can become a more
complete people, and more importantly, better servants of God. In
the image on the previous page, you can see how the Qabalah lines up
with the different areas of the body. If you are lacking in one area
of the Qabalah, then the whole body is lacking. You want to improve
in any areas that are lacking, so that you will be a complete
person.
You can also think of the Qabalah as a tree (The Tree of Life). You
want to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life so that you can have
eternal life (Genesis 3:22). Think of yourself and the Qabalah as a
tree. Are you baring good fruit or bad fruit on this tree? If your
tree is not baring good fruit, then you need to water it (study) in
the area that is lacking so that you will be producing fruit worthy
of eternal life.
Matthew 7:17-20 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them.
There are three different pillars in the Qabalah. The Middle Pillar
is the path in the center of the Qabalah, which includes Malkuth,
Yesod, Tiphareth, and Kether. The Middle Pillar (also called the
Pillar of Mildness) is where we will begin our study of the Qabalah,
and is the first sections of this study - starting at the
bottom and working our way straight to the top.
The Pillar of to the left of the Middle Pillar is the Pillar of
Severity. The Pillar of Severity has to do with Judgment,
discipline, and punishment. The pillar to the right of the Middle
Pillar is the Pillar of Mercy. The Pillar of Mercy has to do with
Love, Devotion, Forgiveness, and Mercy. The Pillar of Mildness
contains aspects of the other two pillars, and is associated with
the Great Work. The Middle Piller outlines the basic path of
salvation. However, it is connected to the other two pillars,
because the concepts contained in them are also integral to your
salvation. In this study we will study the Middle Pillar, the Pillar
of Mercy, the Pillar of Severity, and then the other connecting
paths.