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A question about the Tree of Life

To: alt.magick
From: Odysseus 
Subject: Re: A question about the Tree of Life
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 00:34:04 GMT

Nix wrote:
> 
> I have been studying the Qabalah for some years now, but I have some
> confusion about the tree of life.
> 
> 1. All the books and documents I have read indicate that progress
> throught the tree should be directed downward. (ie. that the spiritual
> journey starts at the Crown (Kether) and should be directed toward
> Kingdom (Malkuth) through the various seriphoth on the left or right
> pillars, depending upon gender.)
> 
Your reading list would seem to be peculiar indeed; the reverse is
much more usual. In some qabalistic traditions two complementary
processes are described, under the general headings of _Berashith_,
"in the beginning", and _Merkabah_ "chariot". The former symbolizes
the process of creation -- or the hierarchy of ideas from abstract to
concrete -- as following the "Lightning Flash" from sphere to sphere,
beginning with Kether, and is primarily contemplative or 'mystical'.
The latter traces spiritual progress or initiation up the paths
forming the "Serpent of Wisdom", beginning with Tau, and is more
experiential or 'magickal'. In either process both pillars are
included, else there would be imbalance. Incidentally, by gematria
the "Serpent" comprises 400 + 200 + 80 + 50 + 30 + 9 + 3 + 4 + 1 =
777, hence the title of Crowley's table of correspondences.

-- 
Odysseus

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