Hello everyone, welcome back!
As we continue our conversation into the Tree of Life, it is important to note that this information can be viewed in many ways: a living system of spiritual development, a historical curiosity, an active esoteric tradition, any way that you choose. With that in mind, let me propose this thought: to understand Qabalah, to really understand it, it is not a matter of memorizing words or philosophies, but rather it is the practice of meditating upon a progression of symbols and ideas, which may enable you to develop your consciousness and climb beyond the realms of normal human thought. If this is something that you would like to do, check out "Qabalah 102: Meditating on the Tree of Life," which describes a meditation practice to do along with the information which you're about to learn in this video. I'm certain that we'll come back around and talk about this more as we go along, too. Now, as previously discussed, one of the fundamental aspects of the Tree of Life are the ten spheres called 'Sephiroth.' Today we're going to take a look at the ten Sephiroth, what they do, how they work, and how they all fit together.
Ready, steady, here we go!
Everyone of the Sephiroth represent a divine emanation, a primordial outpouring of pure energy which evolves and crystallizes as it descends into denser states of existence, continually oscillating between polarities and harmonizing with itself as it goes.
Each of the Sephiroth are contained by those that came before it. And so the topmost Sephiroth, titled Kether contains all the other Sephiroth in it. You might think of it like how those little wooden Russian nesting dolls each contain the collective inside of them.
However, the Sephiroth are not things, but rather, states. By which consciousness, or divine energy, moves and creates reality. By this understanding, you can disconnect from the idea that it has to appear as it is drawn. Although, this is the most conducive to comprehending the tree of life simply.
In the teachings of the Golden Dawn, who played a big part in the harmonization of Qabalah with hermeticism, they depict one particular representation of the tree where each layer is overlaid by each other, beginning with the singularity emanating outwards and returning back to the singularity at the bottom of the tree, yet all contained in a single sphere.
That said, we're still going to use this classical visualization as our principle diagram.
If you remember from our first video, there are three pillars within the tree. The Pillar of Severity, the Pillar of Mercy, and the Pillar of Equilibrium. As we observe these following Sephiroth, you will see that each opposing Sephiroth embodies the perfect balance of its neighbor. In every case, each individual Sephiroth can only truly be understood by comprehending it with its partner. And further understanding manifests when we take into account the complete triad in sequence.
So, let us take a brief look at the Sephiroth individually. Now this is going to be a very basic overview, because there is just so much information to cover at once. And further, please be aware that the flow through the Sephiroth moves both upwards and downwards. So while we will be looking at primarily at the sequence of manifestation from the highest plane from the lowest, know that it moves upwards as well. The more we go through it, and the more that you contemplate the meaning of the sequence, the more it will make sense.
At the very top we have Kether. Kether translates to "crown", indicating the supreme source in unity, the absolute divinity. This is the highest Sephiroth on the tree, and acts as a bridge between the limitless and boundless creative power of the cosmos, and the highest thing that can be perceived by our human consciousness. Kether describes the most supreme source of energy. The richest potential for anything to come into being. However, here nothing has actually become manifested. It is simply the pure and infinite potential for creation, doing nothing but existing. In the ancient Hebrew texts, it says that, "Kether is the light giving the power of comprehension of that First Principle which has no beginning. It is the Primal Glory because no created being can attain its essence." So basically there is no form here, only pure being.
The human mind generally has a hard time grasping no other mode of existence than form and activity. So when describing formless passivity, it's okay if this experience draws a big question mark in your mind. In fact, we can't even adequately draw it. So I hope these visuals might help you comprehend that ultimately we can not define Kether. We can only indicate towards it.
Moving on, the second Sephiroth is caled Chokmah. Chokmah translates to "wisdom", describing that wisdom itself is the first tangible thing that the human mind can grasp. It comes as a male energy, positive or "yang" energetic outpouring from Kether, its source. This is an uncompensated boundless energy, and to many spiritual traditions is often even described as the All-Father. This is where the energy of the entire universe comes into manifestation. It is the purest manifestation of energy possible. It is in Chokmah that we observe the manifestation of the creative word, "Let there be light." The impulse of dynamic creation.
Being that Kether was unmanifested potential creation, Chokmah is the first creation itself. It is the pure force of free flowing energy. Primary dynamism. A force which can give rise to literally every form in existence. The energetic basis of all created things. Much like Kether this is still very difficult for us to comprehend, save for these particle effects. Chokmah is not an organizing Sephiroth, but the great stimulator of the universe. However it is only in relationship to its neighbor, Binah, that we see how creation can truly come into being.
Binah is the third Sephiroth, the mirror of Chokmah on the left side of the tree, and represents the Womb of Creation. She is the Divine Mother, the female potency of the universe. Binah translates to "understanding". Because it is here that we find true understanding of what the purpose of this energy shall become. She is the one who receives the created disorganized energy from Chokmah, and applies the basis of form and stabilization to it. This is a very sacred space, because without Binah, there would be literally nothing in existence. Nothing could come to have form.
We can see by this analogy, the role that the Divine Father and Divine Mother play in the creation of all things. While many teachings classify God as a male figure, indicating Chokmah, we must too see that the Feminine is a requirement for life to come into being. And is just as important as the Divine Masculine. You might think of Binah as the engine that translates the raw energy of a burning fuel into usable power. In a more natural analogy, Chokmah could be likened to a seed which falls to the ground, and then the soil and earth which nurtures the seed and supports its growth into a tree would be likened to the power of Binah.
The fourth Sephiroth, Chesed, continues the development of this energy along the right side of the tree. Chesed translates to "mercy", and is also commonly translated as "loving kindness", because it describes the principle goodness from which all things come from and are based on. This is the place where the archetypal ideas of creation begin to form. What we might comprehend as truth, love and goodness. This means that where Binah made the space for form to happen, now the energy can move into an etheric foundation to form conceptual framework by which our manifested universe may operate by.
From here emanates all spiritual virtues with most exalted essence. You might also thing of this as the stage where cosmic law comes into being. The perfect ideals of peace, fairness and order, which uphold the structure of the universe. Chesed is a little more comprehensible than the higher Sephiroth. Meditating upon Chesed might relate to the leadership qualities by which we live our lives. What do we stand for? And how do we treat, act and respond towards others?
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Tree of Life: Sephiroth
Hello Everyone! Welcome back! As we continue our conversation into the Tree of Life, it is important to note that this information can be viewed in many ways: a living system of spiritual development, a historical curiosity, an active esoteric tradition. Any way that you choose. With that in mind, let me propose this thought…
To understand Kabbalah, to really understand it, it is not a matter of memorizing words or philosophies, but rather, it is the practice of meditating upon a progression of symbols and ideas, which may enable you to develop your consciousness and climb beyond the realms of normal human thought.
If this is something that you would like to do, check out “Qabalah 102 / Kabbalah 102: Meditating on the Tree of Life,” which describes a meditation practice to do along with the information which you're about to learn
Ref: https://daiviet21.medium.com/qabalah-102-meditating-on-the-tree-of-life-9d7a41d2d831
00:00:43
in this video. I'm certain that we'll come back around and talk about this more as we go along, too. Now as previously discussed, one of the fundamental aspects of the Tree of Life are the 10 spheres called Sephiroth. Today we're going to take a look at the 10 Sephiroth, what they do, how they work, and how they all fit together Ready? Steady? Here we go!
[Title Card]
Every one of the Sephiroth represents a divine emanation; a primordial outpouring of pure energy, which evolves and crystallizes as it descends into denser states of existence continually oscillating between polarities and harmonizing with itself as it goes. Each of the Sephiroth are contained by those that came before
it. And so the topmost Sephiroth titled Kether/Keter contains all of the other Sephiroth within it. You might think of it like how those little wooden Russian nesting dolls each contain the collective inside
Ref 1: https://ascensionglossary.com/index.php/Kabbalah_Tree_of_Life
Ref 2: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-ten-sefirot-of-the-kabbalah
=====
Reference: Sacred Geometry, Vortex Mathemathics (Randy Powell, Marko Rodin, Ken Wheeler), and Santos Bonacci’s YouTube Channel’s: Syncretism Society and Mr. Astrotheology
Randy Powell: https://www.youtube.com/c/theabhakingdom
Marko Rodin: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarkoRodin/featured
Ken Wheeler (Theoria Apophasis): https://www.youtube.com/user/kathodosdotcom/videos
Syncretism Society: https://www.syncretismsociety.com/
Syncretism Society YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpDrSOtQ552LXmdRVYvTLyQ/videos
Mr. Astrotheology: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrAstrotheology_Universal_Truth_School/videos
=====
00:01:43
of them.
However, the Sephiroth are not things, but rather “states” by which Consciousness or Divine Energy moves and creates reality. By this understanding, you could disconnect from the idea that it has to appear in the way that it is drawn. Although, this is the most conducive to comprehending the Tree of Life simply. In the teachings of the Golden Dawn, who played a big part in the harmonization of Kabbalah with Hermeticism, they depict one particular representation of the tree where each layer is overlaid upon each other beginning with the Singularity emanating outwards and returning back to the Singularity at the bottom of the tree. Yet all contained within a single sphere. That said, we're still going to use this classical visualization as our principle diagram. If you remember from our first video, there are three pillars within the tree: the Pillar of Severity, the Pillar of
Mercy, and the Pillar of Equilibrium.
00:02:31
As we observe these following Sephiroth, you will see that each opposing Sephiroth embodies the perfect balance of its neighbor. In every case each individual Sephiroth can only truly be understood by comprehending it with its partner and further understanding manifests when we take into account the complete triad in sequence.
So let us take a brief look at the Sephiroth individually. Now this is going to be a very basic overview because
there is just so much information to cover at once. And further, please be aware that the flow through the Sephiroth moves both upwards and downwards. So while we'll be looking primarily at the sequence of manifestation from the highest plane to the lowest, know that it moves upwards as well. The more we go through it and the more that you contemplate the meaning of this sequence, the more and more it will make sense. At the very top we have Kether. Kether translates to “Crown” indicating
00:03:20
the supreme source and unity, the absolute Divinity. This is the highest Sephiroth on the tree and acts as a bridge between the limitless and boundless creative power of the cosmos and the highest thing that can be perceived by our human consciousness.
Kether describes the most supreme source of energy– the richest potential for anything to come into being. However, here nothing has actually become manifested. It is simply the pure and infinite potential for creation, doing nothing but existing. In the ancient Hebrew texts, it says that “Kether is the light giving the power of comprehension of that first principle which has no beginning. It is the primal glory because no created being can attain its essence.” So basically there is no form here. Only pure being. The human mind generally has a hard time grasping no other mode of existence than form and activity. So when describing formless passivity it's okay
00:04:12
if this experience draws a big question mark in your mind. In fact, we can't even adequately draw it. So I hope these visuals might help you comprehend that ultimately we cannot define Kether. We can only indicate towards it. Moving on the second Sephiroth is called Chokmah. Chokmah translates to “Wisdom” describing that Wisdom itself is the first tangible thing that the human mind can grasp. It comes as a male energy, positive, or young energetic outpouring from Kether, its source. This is an uncompensated, boundless energy and to many spiritual traditions is often even described as “The All-Father.” This is where the energy of the entire Universe comes into manifestation. It is the purest manifestation of energy possible. It is in Chokmah that we observed the manifestation of the creative word “Let there be light,” the impulse of dynamic creation. Being that Kether was unmanifested potential
00:05:04
of creation, Chokmah is the first creation itself. It is the pure force of free flowing energy, Primary Dynamism
a force which can give rise to literally every form in existence; the energetic basis of all created things. Much like Kether this is still very difficult for us to comprehend, save for these particle effects. Chokmah is not an organizing Sephiroth, but the great stimulator of the Universe. However, it is only in relationship to its neighbor, Binah, that we see how creation can truly come into being. Binah is the third Sephiroth, the mirror of Chokmah on the left side of the tree and represents “the womb of creation.” She is the Divine Mother, the female potency of the Universe. Binah translates to “Understanding” because it is here that we find a true understanding of what the purpose of this energy shall become. She is the one who receives the creative disorganized energy from Chokmah and
00:05:58
applies the basis of form and stabilization to it. This is a very sacred space because without Binah there
would be literally nothing in existence. Nothing could come to have form. We can see by this analogy the role that the Divine Father and Divine Mother play in the creation of all things. While many teachings classify God as a male figure, indicating Chokmah, we must too see that the feminine is a requirement for life to come into being and is just as important as the Divine Masculine. You might think of Binah as the engine that translates the raw energy of a burning fuel into usable power. In a more natural analogy, Chokmah could be likened to a seed which falls to the ground and then the soil and Earth, which he nurtures the seed and supports its growth into a tree, would be likened to the power of Binah. The fourth Sephiroth Chesed continues the development of this energy along the right side of the tree. Chesed
00:06:53
translates to “Mercy” and is also commonly translated as “Loving kindness.” Because it describes the principle goodness from which all things come from and are based on. This is the place where the archetypal ideas of creation begin to form. What we might comprehend as Truth, Love, and Goodness. This means that where Binah made the space for form to happen, now the energy can move into an etheric foundation to form the conceptual framework by which our manifested Universe may operate by. From here emanates all spiritual virtues with the most exalted essence. You might also think of this as the stage where Cosmic Law comes into being. The perfect ideals of Peace, Fairness, and Order which uphold the structure of the Universe. Chesed is a little more comprehensible than the higher Sephiroth. Meditating upon Chesed might relate to the leadership qualities by which we live our lives. What do we stand for? And how do we treat
00:07:47
act and respond towards others? Geburah, the fifth Sephiroth, is located underneath the Binah and partners with Chesed. Geburah translates to “Strength” because it embodies the sharp and swift power required to carry out the cosmic order that was set out by Chesed before it. You might see this as the birth of Karma or Cosmic Justice. Anytime where there is an imbalance in the Universe, the energy flowing from this state will facilitate a corrective rebalancing by enforcing these cosmic principles. Geburah is a force which fights without malice, spares the weak and wounded, and does not destroy the law only seeking to see that it is properly fulfilled. In your personal meditation0,s you might experience the Sephiroth of Geburah as putting motion to the ideals that you stand for. If you stand for health, for example, you might find the principle of Geburah calling you to remove the unhealthier
00:08:39
activities from your life to make room for more healthier ones. But, of course, while Chokmah and Binah get their balance from Kether above, Chesed and Geburah are balanced by the next Sephiroth, Tiphareth. Tiphareth is the sixth Sephiroth and most centralized spirit in the Kabbalah, forming a harmonized bridge between literally every other spirit on the tree. Tiphareth translates to “Beauty” because this is a state of Divine Connectedness and unity with all things, yet individually aware of our own unique souls, too. In the awareness of the supreme oneness, we experience and realize that all things are so magnificently beautiful. And thus, it is here that we strive to reach in our human consciousness. If Chokmah and Binah represent the Divine Father and Mother, this is their beautiful child Christ Consciousness. Tiphareth is very unique and its meaning
00:09:33
is especially deep. This is the sphere of “Sacrifice” and not so often a “Passion of the Chris”' sense. It is the center of translation from force into form and form into force, where the formless energy or consciousness from above may translate through in order to become manifest as something real outside of simple thoughtform archetypes and ideas. Further, it is the same sacrifice moving in the other direction; the giving up of our physical and earthly limitations in order to embody a state of being which is higher. I believe the term for this is “Ascension.” Moving downward on the tree, we now enter into a realm where we can actually begin to comprehend, feel, and experience things. These lower Sephiroth are more related with the tangible human experience. And it begins with Netzach, the seventh emanation. Netzach translates to “Victory” and describes the principle of Victory found within the triumph over obstacles. Netzach is most commonly
00:10:31
described as the place where the light from Tiphareth is broken apart and scattered as if by a prism between many ray’ed manifestation, but still hasn't fully individualized. It represents extreme polarities of energy all possibilities of what can exist in the world or how you might experience perceive or feel something and then the subsequent awareness or balance between the individual and the collective. Thus we can see that Netzach ultimately represents the state of free moving thoughtforms, the flux of energy which move through our body of consciousness, and give rise to our intuition and our emotional feelings. It is best understood in relationship with its partner on the other side called Hod. Where Netzach is our intuition and emotions, Hod would be our thoughts and fixed mental formations the eighth Sephiroth, Hod, represents the place where all of these polarizing energies of Netzach all of
00:11:22
the feelings, intuitions, and subtle energies that move through a body of consciousness become tangible concepts in human mind. It is the realm of comprehensible mind forms. For example, if you felt something
it happened in Netzach. But when you attempted to understand or rationalize it, that's Hod. Together they might be seen as the force and form of the astral or thought form consciousness Hod translates to “Glory” and often “Splendor” because all of the creations of the cosmos are exalted in the mind for mankind to perceive and the glory of the light filled mind when mirroring the higher truths of creation. This Sephiroth forms the basis of our mental understanding of reality. In a nutshell, Hod plays a large role in the development of our personality and ego. The effort of Hod is to mold the creative energy from above into
00:12:12
comprehensible forms such as by philosophy systems, reason, literature, Science and our mental way of
interacting with the world around us. However the power of hoed is only made real when observed in relationship with Netzach. For example, if you were to give a speech filled with passion and enthusiasm, the words that you used will carry your meaning and it will be received by all. If you were just to talk without any sense of care just reciting words, the words become empty and the meaning is lost. As usual, Hod and Netzach are connected by another balancer on the central pillar like Tiphareth, but on a lower dimension which is called Yesod, the ninth Sephiroth. Yesod translates to “Foundation” because it is the actual foundation by which all of the Sephiroth culminate and engage with the physically manifested realm. This Sephiroth is the stage that completes the link between mind and
00:13:03
matter since, the tenth Sephiroth, Malkuth, below is where the four physical elements manifest, you might
think of Yesod as the ethereal realm itself. The vibrations which give movement to inert matter. In a more scientific approach, you might think about it like the electromagnetic substance that moves through our bodies and all of life. The dynamo that causes the physical world to be filled with motion and life. You see, in order for our bodies to move, it needs an energetic signal to charge the muscle. Yesod are (is) the strings that makes the puppet of Malkuth dance while spirit Tiphareth and the higher forces above Yesod would be “the Sacred Puppet Master”. Now the power of Yesod can be attributed to daily mundane tasks such as walking or making a salad. However, its power is significantly greater than that. But there is a warning here much like fire, it can be used for good or not so
00:13:55
good. The key here is keeping our hearts aligned with our higher selves when we begin connecting to the ethereal energies of these higher planes. Malkuth is the final manifestation, Matter: the physically created world. It is the outward visibility of all of the invisible etheric activity which brings motion to form. All matter would be inert and lifeless if not for the spirit that has ensouled (incarnated) it and made it come to be in the first place. Malkuth translates to “Kingdom” describing the existence of the Kingdom of God in the present moment, in magnificent splendor and revealing the great truth that the Kingdom of Heaven is actually here and now as Christ proclaimed. This is the place where physical things exist, where life happens. It's what's happening right now. It is the place where all of the energy flowing from above finds rest, where everything has been decided and put
00:14:44
together to form a permanent vehicle to be utilized by all Consciousness as it learns and grows. However, the great secret of Malkuth is that this is only the halfway point. Upon spirit being received in Malkuth, Life itself actually begins. The Fibonacci sequence finds its origins and begins striving and returning back towards its Source, reaching for the perfection that which it emerged from. It is the goal of Spirit to create this physical vessel, fill it with consciousness, and then have it returned to its Source in the light. In essence, this covers the basics of the ten Sephiroth. But the journey is still only just beginning. All of this information is really just to get you started on truly experiencing the tree because knowing it logically is only 1/10 (tenth) of the experience of the Kabbalah. In the next few episodes we'll cover exactly what this means, so that you can take your experience of the tree
00:15:37
of life to a level beyond just mental comprehension and use it as a powerful tool to connect with your higher self and evolve your consciousness. As we mentioned in the beginning, for those who want to get an early start at this practice, check out Kabbalah 102: Meditating on the tree of life you'll find links in the description. Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you next time.
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