| CHAPTER II THE COSMOGONY OF THE QABALAH The Primal Cause |
| The Sephirotic Scheme |
According to the Zohar the act of creation took place as follows:
When the most Mysterious wished to reveal Himself, He first produced a single point which was transmuted
into a thought, and in this He executed innumerahle designs, and engraved innumerable gravings. He further
graved within the sacred and mystic lamp a mystic and most holy design, which was a wonderous edifice
issuing from the midst of thought.
This edifice is Elohim, the conjunction of the “Who” and the “These”, as already explained.
Again we read:
Before God created the world, His name was enclosed within Him, and therefore He and His name enclosed
within Him were not one. Nor could this unity be effected until He created the world. Having, therefore, decided
to do so, He traced and built, but the aim was not attained until He enfolded Himself in a covering of a supernal
radiance of thought and created therefrom a world. He produced from the light of that supernal radiance mighty
cedars [six days of creation] of the Upper World, and placed His chariot on twenty-two graven letters which
were carved in ten utterances [the numerals or Sephiroth] and infixed there.
As long as God's name was enclosed within Him, No-Thingness persisted; for unity can only
become perceptible through a difference. This difference was thought, out of which the world was
created. Thoughts are expressed in words formed from the alphabet of 22 letters and the numerals 0 to
9.
In thirty-two mysterious paths of Wisdom did the Lord write. . . He created His Universe by the three forms
of expression: Numbers, Letters, and Words. Ten ineffable Sephiroth and twenty-two basal letters: three
mothers [a (A), Aleph, air; m (M), Mem, water; W (Sh), Shin, fire], seven double [B G D K P R Th], and twelve
simple [letters] [H V Z Ch T I L N S O Tz Q.]
The “single point which was transmuted into a thought” is the first Sephirah,7 Kether or Crown. “It
is the Principle of all the Principles, the Mysterious Wisdom, the Crown of all that which there is of
the Most High, the Diadem of the Diadems.”8 The divine name in Kether is Ehyeh, “I am.
The Sephirotic Scheme (see Plate II on page 25) may be condensed as follows: Kether is also
called Abbah, the Father; it is the Will or Ego from which the remaining nine Sephiroth emanate. The
second Sephirah is Binah, the Universal Intellect or Understanding, also called Immah or Mother.
Whilst Kether is positive, form (male), Binah is negative and plastic, the receiver of form and,
therefore, matter (female), because “Everything existing can only be the work of the male and female”
principles.
When the most Mysterious wished to reveal Himself, He first produced a single point which was transmuted
into a thought, and in this He executed innumerahle designs, and engraved innumerable gravings. He further
graved within the sacred and mystic lamp a mystic and most holy design, which was a wonderous edifice
issuing from the midst of thought.
This edifice is Elohim, the conjunction of the “Who” and the “These”, as already explained.
Again we read:
Before God created the world, His name was enclosed within Him, and therefore He and His name enclosed
within Him were not one. Nor could this unity be effected until He created the world. Having, therefore, decided
to do so, He traced and built, but the aim was not attained until He enfolded Himself in a covering of a supernal
radiance of thought and created therefrom a world. He produced from the light of that supernal radiance mighty
cedars [six days of creation] of the Upper World, and placed His chariot on twenty-two graven letters which
were carved in ten utterances [the numerals or Sephiroth] and infixed there.
As long as God's name was enclosed within Him, No-Thingness persisted; for unity can only
become perceptible through a difference. This difference was thought, out of which the world was
created. Thoughts are expressed in words formed from the alphabet of 22 letters and the numerals 0 to
9.
In thirty-two mysterious paths of Wisdom did the Lord write. . . He created His Universe by the three forms
of expression: Numbers, Letters, and Words. Ten ineffable Sephiroth and twenty-two basal letters: three
mothers [a (A), Aleph, air; m (M), Mem, water; W (Sh), Shin, fire], seven double [B G D K P R Th], and twelve
simple [letters] [H V Z Ch T I L N S O Tz Q.]
The “single point which was transmuted into a thought” is the first Sephirah,7 Kether or Crown. “It
is the Principle of all the Principles, the Mysterious Wisdom, the Crown of all that which there is of
the Most High, the Diadem of the Diadems.”8 The divine name in Kether is Ehyeh, “I am.
The Sephirotic Scheme (see Plate II on page 25) may be condensed as follows: Kether is also
called Abbah, the Father; it is the Will or Ego from which the remaining nine Sephiroth emanate. The
second Sephirah is Binah, the Universal Intellect or Understanding, also called Immah or Mother.
Whilst Kether is positive, form (male), Binah is negative and plastic, the receiver of form and,
therefore, matter (female), because “Everything existing can only be the work of the male and female”
principles.
| Plate 2: The Tree of Life |
The second emanation from Kether is called 'Hokmah, Wisdom, the Word, Logos, or Son; it is the
male principle in activity, for through it all things are generated. “By means of the thirty-two paths . . .
it gives everything, existing, shape and size.” This Sephirah is the Spiritus Mundi. From 'Hokmah is
derived the balance of the Sephiroth, the next six of which refer to the dimensions of the universe -
length, breadth, and depth moving as it were outwardly towards the positive and the negative, the
male and the female principles each, therefore, in two directions. Together they form the six faces of a
perfect cube (the Stone of the Wise): the tenth Sephirah, Malkuth, the Kingdom or Sabbath represents
rest, poise, and completion.
These first three Sephiroth - Kether, Binah, and 'Hokmah (Father, Mother, and Son) - the Supernal
Triad - constitute the Intelligible or Intellectual World.
And since the Holy Ancient is expressed and impressed by three [i.e. Ayin, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur the
expression; and Kether, Binah, 'Hokmah the impression], so also all the lamps that receive their light from the
Holy Ancient are triadic.
The second triad is called the Moral or Sensuous World; it is the World Soul which emanates from
the World Spirit (Spiritus Mundi). It consists of the positive or male principle 'Hesed, which means
Grace or Mercy, also called Gedulah (Magnificence); and the negative or female principle Pahad
(Punishment), also called Geburah (Severity) and Din (Judgment). These two unite in the sixth
Sephirah, Tiphereth (Beauty), the highest manifestation of ethical life - the Ideal.
The third triad is called the Physical or Material World and consists of the male or positive
Sephirah Netzah (Triumph or Victory), and the female or negative Hod (Glory or Splendour). They
constitute the “arms of God” and represent the centripetal and centrifugal energies of the universe, for
“All the energies, forces, and increase in the universe proceed through them”. In turn they unite in
the Sephirah Yesod (Foundation), the principle of all generation. They represent the Deity “as the
universal power, creator, and generator of all the existences”.
As this third triad is the natura naturans, so is the tenth and last Sephirah the natura naturata - the
material world, namely Malkuth, tbe Kingdom.
This Sephirah represents the feet of the Heavenly Adam (about whom more anon), his head resting
in Kether, and in it the name of the Deity is Adonai, the Lord - that is the ineffable YHVH. Malkuth is
also called the queen, the Matrona, the Matron, the Daughter, Bride, the Shekinah (the Real Presence
of the Deity), and Harmony.
Finally we obtain a fourth triad, a synthetic one formed out of Kether, Tiphereth, and Malkuth. The
first influences the Neshamah, the spirit and moral consciousness; the second influences the Rua'h, the
reason and intellectual faculty; and the third the Nephesh, the instincts, sentiments, and emotions, the
animal life in man.
Thus from the Ain Soph Aur flow out the ten Sephiroth or Principles; hence the decade is
considered the perfect number by the Qabalah, the all-embracing unit emerging from the No-Thing (0
- I), and the unity which ultimately is to be radiated back into NoThingness (I - 0)
male principle in activity, for through it all things are generated. “By means of the thirty-two paths . . .
it gives everything, existing, shape and size.” This Sephirah is the Spiritus Mundi. From 'Hokmah is
derived the balance of the Sephiroth, the next six of which refer to the dimensions of the universe -
length, breadth, and depth moving as it were outwardly towards the positive and the negative, the
male and the female principles each, therefore, in two directions. Together they form the six faces of a
perfect cube (the Stone of the Wise): the tenth Sephirah, Malkuth, the Kingdom or Sabbath represents
rest, poise, and completion.
These first three Sephiroth - Kether, Binah, and 'Hokmah (Father, Mother, and Son) - the Supernal
Triad - constitute the Intelligible or Intellectual World.
And since the Holy Ancient is expressed and impressed by three [i.e. Ayin, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur the
expression; and Kether, Binah, 'Hokmah the impression], so also all the lamps that receive their light from the
Holy Ancient are triadic.
The second triad is called the Moral or Sensuous World; it is the World Soul which emanates from
the World Spirit (Spiritus Mundi). It consists of the positive or male principle 'Hesed, which means
Grace or Mercy, also called Gedulah (Magnificence); and the negative or female principle Pahad
(Punishment), also called Geburah (Severity) and Din (Judgment). These two unite in the sixth
Sephirah, Tiphereth (Beauty), the highest manifestation of ethical life - the Ideal.
The third triad is called the Physical or Material World and consists of the male or positive
Sephirah Netzah (Triumph or Victory), and the female or negative Hod (Glory or Splendour). They
constitute the “arms of God” and represent the centripetal and centrifugal energies of the universe, for
“All the energies, forces, and increase in the universe proceed through them”. In turn they unite in
the Sephirah Yesod (Foundation), the principle of all generation. They represent the Deity “as the
universal power, creator, and generator of all the existences”.
As this third triad is the natura naturans, so is the tenth and last Sephirah the natura naturata - the
material world, namely Malkuth, tbe Kingdom.
This Sephirah represents the feet of the Heavenly Adam (about whom more anon), his head resting
in Kether, and in it the name of the Deity is Adonai, the Lord - that is the ineffable YHVH. Malkuth is
also called the queen, the Matrona, the Matron, the Daughter, Bride, the Shekinah (the Real Presence
of the Deity), and Harmony.
Finally we obtain a fourth triad, a synthetic one formed out of Kether, Tiphereth, and Malkuth. The
first influences the Neshamah, the spirit and moral consciousness; the second influences the Rua'h, the
reason and intellectual faculty; and the third the Nephesh, the instincts, sentiments, and emotions, the
animal life in man.
Thus from the Ain Soph Aur flow out the ten Sephiroth or Principles; hence the decade is
considered the perfect number by the Qabalah, the all-embracing unit emerging from the No-Thing (0
- I), and the unity which ultimately is to be radiated back into NoThingness (I - 0)
| Origin of the Sephiroth |
Before we examine each Sephirah in turn, it may be of some interest to the reader to enquire into
the origins of this philosophical system. Though pre-eminently Jewish, it is nevertheless eminently
universal. The word is probably derived from rps Sapheir, which means “to number” or “to count”,
and the ten Sephiroth are frequently abbreviated as s”y and Samekh + ∞od equal 70, the numerical
value of dvs Sod, Secret; they are consequently occult numbers.
the origins of this philosophical system. Though pre-eminently Jewish, it is nevertheless eminently
universal. The word is probably derived from rps Sapheir, which means “to number” or “to count”,
and the ten Sephiroth are frequently abbreviated as s”y and Samekh + ∞od equal 70, the numerical
value of dvs Sod, Secret; they are consequently occult numbers.
This diagram represents a half-section, divided perpendicularly, of the inverted bowlshaped
universe. AB, BC, CE, and EG are the four worlds. AB is the Father, Anu or
Kether; BC the Sun, Bel or ‘Hokmah; CE the Mother, Ea or Binah. Above all is Ao or El –
the Ayin. a is the Zodiac, the Great Ocean called the Deep and the Abyss; B is the zone of
the fixed stars; A to c is the upper firmament; and C to E the lower firmament. A to B is the
zone of the spirits of heaven and B to c the zone of the planets. C to E is the zone of winds,
storms, and clouds; E is the convex hollow earth shell; FF is the concave hollow
underworld of seven zones; realm of the ghost world; and G is the Nadir or Root – in it are
the Waters of Life and the Throne of Chaos and below it are 21 hells.
universe. AB, BC, CE, and EG are the four worlds. AB is the Father, Anu or
Kether; BC the Sun, Bel or ‘Hokmah; CE the Mother, Ea or Binah. Above all is Ao or El –
the Ayin. a is the Zodiac, the Great Ocean called the Deep and the Abyss; B is the zone of
the fixed stars; A to c is the upper firmament; and C to E the lower firmament. A to B is the
zone of the spirits of heaven and B to c the zone of the planets. C to E is the zone of winds,
storms, and clouds; E is the convex hollow earth shell; FF is the concave hollow
underworld of seven zones; realm of the ghost world; and G is the Nadir or Root – in it are
the Waters of Life and the Throne of Chaos and below it are 21 hells.
Isaac Myer finds a remarkable similarity between the cosmos of the Zohar and that of the ancient
Chaldeans. He writes:
In AB, BC, CE, and EG [see Plate III on page 27], we have similarities to the Four Worlds. The
three great heavens answer to the Upper Three Sephiroth. I. That of the Father Abbah, or Kether, the
Crown, to Anu, afterwards Ana; the place of the aether or highest sublimated air or atmosphere. II.
The Son, Bel, El or Baal, the sublimated fire, answering to 'Hokhmah, Wisdom. III. The Mother,
Immah, to Ea, the sublimated water, to Binah, the comprehending Intellect. Above all these is Ao, llu
or El, the unknown ideal deity; which parallels the Ain Soph, Endless, to man's comprehension No-
Thing. This unknown ideal deity held the highest place in the Chaldean Mythology. Under these were
the seven planets in their seven orbits, or spheres; the probable germ of the idea of the Sephiroth, or
media between the Highest and Lowest worlds.
Historically interesting as these general origins are, philosophically the most important
correspondences are those connected with the Sephirah 'Hokmah; for in many places in the Old
Testament and in the New, especially in the works of St. Paul and St. John, is Wisdom described as
the creative power. The Book of Genesis opens with the words “In the beginning”, which in Hebrew
are rendered by the word B'raishith, which by many Qabalists is spelt Be'Raishith, which means
“through Wisdom”, or through the Word or principle which expresses Wisdom - namely the Logos of
Philo and St. John. A similar idea is found in the Chaldaic word Memrah, in the Vach of the Rig
Veda, Honover of the Zend Avesta, and in the Boundless Light of latter-day Buddhists.
Nebo was the Babylonian god of Wisdom, and his planet was Mercury. Moses, the supposed
originator of the Qabalah, was buried on Mount Nebo. Bo, Bod, Boden, and in China Fo, are all gods
of Wisdom. Amongst the Buddhists and Brahmins the day of Wisdom is Wednesday. Amongst the
Scandinavians we have Wo, Wod, and Woden; in Egypt, Thoth; in Classical Greece, Hermes; and
among the Romans, Mercury - all gods of Wisdom, whose day is the fourth day of the week,
Wednesday, upon which God created “lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from
the night”.
Wisdom is not only the creator of the Universe but also the Mediator between the Uncreated and
the Created - God and Man. In the form of 'Hokmah, the son of Kether, Wisdom renders
comprehensive the abstract thought in an association of ideas. Philo names it Messiah, and St. John
Christ. St. Paul says:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
Referring to Christ as the Sun, this same Apostle says:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist [exist ?].
Many other comparisons could be given, but the above must suffice to show how deep-rooted are
the origins of the Sephirotic Scheme, and how surely they have branched upwards into the mystical
foundations of Christianit.
Chaldeans. He writes:
In AB, BC, CE, and EG [see Plate III on page 27], we have similarities to the Four Worlds. The
three great heavens answer to the Upper Three Sephiroth. I. That of the Father Abbah, or Kether, the
Crown, to Anu, afterwards Ana; the place of the aether or highest sublimated air or atmosphere. II.
The Son, Bel, El or Baal, the sublimated fire, answering to 'Hokhmah, Wisdom. III. The Mother,
Immah, to Ea, the sublimated water, to Binah, the comprehending Intellect. Above all these is Ao, llu
or El, the unknown ideal deity; which parallels the Ain Soph, Endless, to man's comprehension No-
Thing. This unknown ideal deity held the highest place in the Chaldean Mythology. Under these were
the seven planets in their seven orbits, or spheres; the probable germ of the idea of the Sephiroth, or
media between the Highest and Lowest worlds.
Historically interesting as these general origins are, philosophically the most important
correspondences are those connected with the Sephirah 'Hokmah; for in many places in the Old
Testament and in the New, especially in the works of St. Paul and St. John, is Wisdom described as
the creative power. The Book of Genesis opens with the words “In the beginning”, which in Hebrew
are rendered by the word B'raishith, which by many Qabalists is spelt Be'Raishith, which means
“through Wisdom”, or through the Word or principle which expresses Wisdom - namely the Logos of
Philo and St. John. A similar idea is found in the Chaldaic word Memrah, in the Vach of the Rig
Veda, Honover of the Zend Avesta, and in the Boundless Light of latter-day Buddhists.
Nebo was the Babylonian god of Wisdom, and his planet was Mercury. Moses, the supposed
originator of the Qabalah, was buried on Mount Nebo. Bo, Bod, Boden, and in China Fo, are all gods
of Wisdom. Amongst the Buddhists and Brahmins the day of Wisdom is Wednesday. Amongst the
Scandinavians we have Wo, Wod, and Woden; in Egypt, Thoth; in Classical Greece, Hermes; and
among the Romans, Mercury - all gods of Wisdom, whose day is the fourth day of the week,
Wednesday, upon which God created “lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from
the night”.
Wisdom is not only the creator of the Universe but also the Mediator between the Uncreated and
the Created - God and Man. In the form of 'Hokmah, the son of Kether, Wisdom renders
comprehensive the abstract thought in an association of ideas. Philo names it Messiah, and St. John
Christ. St. Paul says:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
Referring to Christ as the Sun, this same Apostle says:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist [exist ?].
Many other comparisons could be given, but the above must suffice to show how deep-rooted are
the origins of the Sephirotic Scheme, and how surely they have branched upwards into the mystical
foundations of Christianit.
| The Ten Sephiroth |
(1) rUk Kether, the Crown. As we have explained, this first Sephirah represents “I am” as being,
that is as pure existence. It is neither positive nor negative, but ±, and though sexless it is
androgenous. Though the primordial point of light, it is nevertheless the circumference of all things,
the centre of which is nowhere because it is in No-Thing; containing all the potency of
Tetragrammaton (YHVH), it is simultaneously past, present, and future. In the letter ∞od, which
corresponds to it, is enclosed the imminence of the ten Sephiroth. Frequently it is called the Ancient
of the Ancients, the Ancient, or the Ancient of Days. For instance, in the Book of Daniel we read:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 16
Kether is also called the White Head, the Long Face, Macroprosopos, and Adam Qadmon or Adam
Illaah - the Supernal or Primordial or Heavenly Adam. The remaining Sephiroth are the Short Face.
In the angelic order, Kether is represented by the Beasts of Ezekiel, the Holy Living Creatures of
the Chariot-Throne, namely the four Kerubim - the Eagle, Man, Lion, and Bull - which represent the
four elements Air (Smell), Water (Taste), Fire (Sight), and Earth (Touch). Also it includes in its
mysterious nature the four letters of Tetragrammaton as follows: y (Lion), h (Man), v (Eagle), and h
(Bull). But as in itself Kether is also the Shekinah (the Glory of God), in it is hidden the Shin (w),
which symbolizes Spirit.
As the Ain Soph is represented by the closed eye, so is Kether represented by the open eye.
(Compare the eye of Shiva in Hindu mythology.) As long as this eye remains open the universe is
maintained in being, but when it shuts it vanishes into Non-being, that is No-Thingness. In the
threefold division of man's nature, Kether represents the Neshamah or spirit.
(2) rnyb Binah, Mind. This Sephirah is sometimes placed second and sometimes third, and it is
generally called the Understanding. It is feminine and negative - the matter, as it were, in which
Kether can take form and propagates itself. Binah is often called the Heavenly Mother or Holy Spirit.
Her letter is h (Heh), the numerical value of which is 5. Binah possesses 50 gates, which is
symbolical of the Heh multiplied by the ∞od; her symbol is the dove; her dimension is depth, whilst
Kether's is length (compare the lingam and yoni in Hindu mythology); and her colour is sky blue, the
colour of the Virgin Mary. From the union between Kether and Binah emanates 'Hokmah.
(3) hmkC 'Hokmah, Wisdom. The third Sephirah is the Son or Logos and the Firstborn. It
represents abstract ideas, the fruit of the “I am” forming in the mind. In the Qabalah it is often called
“The Only Begotten Son”. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God” Here we have presented to us the Logos nature of 'Hokmah. Its colour is yellow or
red-orange, the colour of Christ; it is positive and male, and its letter is v (Vau = 6), which multiplied
by the 50 Gates of Binah reveals w (Shin = 300), the Glory of God. The final h (Heh) of
Tetragrammaton represents the remaining seven Sephiroth.
This revelation of the Shin shows the triadic nature of the first three Sephiroth which constitute the
Intellectual World, and it closely relates it to many mysteries. Thus, in ydw Shaddai (Almighty), the
name of the Deity before he revealed himself as YHVH, the Shin comes first; in Messiah (hywm) and
the exoteric Jesus (ovwy) it comes second; in the esoteric Yeheshuah (hvwhy) it comes in the middle;
and in Serpent (whk) it comes last. In Yeheshuah it is the letter of Mercy, for it is the central
equilibrating fire; in all the others it is the letter of wrath, for it is out of equilibrium, and particularly
so in Shaddai and the Serpent.
In actual conception these three Sephiroth form a trinity in unity of knowledge, that which knows
and that by which it is known; they unite in themselves everything and are themselves united to the
No-Thing.
(4) dsc, 'Hesed, Grace, Love, Mercy, or Compassion. From 'Hokmah emanate six Sephiroth,
which, as we have explained, symbolize the dimensions of matter. 'Hesed is the Right Arm of
Macrocosmos; it endows the world with feeling and sentiment.
(5) dhp, Pahad, Rigour, Punishment, Fear, or Severity. This Sephirah is the Left Arm of
Macrocosmos. It is feminine and passive, as 'Hesed is masculine and active. As 'Hesed symbolizes
life, so does Pahad symbolize death.
(6) urapu Tiphereth, Beauty. This Sephirah is the common centre or harmony of 'Hesed and
Pahad, of life and death, the active and passive in the Moral World. Its symbol is the Sun, the heart of
the universe and also the heart of Adam Qadmon - the Supernal Adam. Tiphereth is the seat of
sentiment and the ethical qualities; it is inhabited by the Rua'h - the Reasoning Soul.
(7) cxn Netzah, Triumph, Firmness, or Victory. This is the first of the three energetic principles.
It represents the right leg and thigh of Macrocosmos.
(8) dvh Hod, Splendour, or Glory. This is the left leg and thigh of Macrocosmos.
By Triumph and Glory, we comprehend extension, multiplication and force; because all the forces which
were born into the universe went out of their bosom, and it is for this reason, that these two Sephiroth are called:
the armies of YHVH.
(9) dvsy Yesod, Foundation. This Sephirah is the seat of the generative principle.
Everything shall return to its Foundation, from which it has proceeded. All marrow, seed and energy are
gathered in this place.
(10) uvklm Malkuth, Kingdom, or Dominion. As Kether is the harmony at the beginning, so is
Malkuth the harmony at the end; the first the head and the last the feet of Adam Qadmon. The divine
name attached to this Sephirah is Adonai - the Tetragrammaton. Malkuth is also called the Queen,
Shekinah, and Havah - Eve. It is the seat of the Nephesh, the instincts, and its angel is Metatron, the
Angel of the Covenant, the letters of whose name equal in numerical value those of Shaddai, namely
314.
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions: for
my name is in him.
that is as pure existence. It is neither positive nor negative, but ±, and though sexless it is
androgenous. Though the primordial point of light, it is nevertheless the circumference of all things,
the centre of which is nowhere because it is in No-Thing; containing all the potency of
Tetragrammaton (YHVH), it is simultaneously past, present, and future. In the letter ∞od, which
corresponds to it, is enclosed the imminence of the ten Sephiroth. Frequently it is called the Ancient
of the Ancients, the Ancient, or the Ancient of Days. For instance, in the Book of Daniel we read:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 16
Kether is also called the White Head, the Long Face, Macroprosopos, and Adam Qadmon or Adam
Illaah - the Supernal or Primordial or Heavenly Adam. The remaining Sephiroth are the Short Face.
In the angelic order, Kether is represented by the Beasts of Ezekiel, the Holy Living Creatures of
the Chariot-Throne, namely the four Kerubim - the Eagle, Man, Lion, and Bull - which represent the
four elements Air (Smell), Water (Taste), Fire (Sight), and Earth (Touch). Also it includes in its
mysterious nature the four letters of Tetragrammaton as follows: y (Lion), h (Man), v (Eagle), and h
(Bull). But as in itself Kether is also the Shekinah (the Glory of God), in it is hidden the Shin (w),
which symbolizes Spirit.
As the Ain Soph is represented by the closed eye, so is Kether represented by the open eye.
(Compare the eye of Shiva in Hindu mythology.) As long as this eye remains open the universe is
maintained in being, but when it shuts it vanishes into Non-being, that is No-Thingness. In the
threefold division of man's nature, Kether represents the Neshamah or spirit.
(2) rnyb Binah, Mind. This Sephirah is sometimes placed second and sometimes third, and it is
generally called the Understanding. It is feminine and negative - the matter, as it were, in which
Kether can take form and propagates itself. Binah is often called the Heavenly Mother or Holy Spirit.
Her letter is h (Heh), the numerical value of which is 5. Binah possesses 50 gates, which is
symbolical of the Heh multiplied by the ∞od; her symbol is the dove; her dimension is depth, whilst
Kether's is length (compare the lingam and yoni in Hindu mythology); and her colour is sky blue, the
colour of the Virgin Mary. From the union between Kether and Binah emanates 'Hokmah.
(3) hmkC 'Hokmah, Wisdom. The third Sephirah is the Son or Logos and the Firstborn. It
represents abstract ideas, the fruit of the “I am” forming in the mind. In the Qabalah it is often called
“The Only Begotten Son”. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God” Here we have presented to us the Logos nature of 'Hokmah. Its colour is yellow or
red-orange, the colour of Christ; it is positive and male, and its letter is v (Vau = 6), which multiplied
by the 50 Gates of Binah reveals w (Shin = 300), the Glory of God. The final h (Heh) of
Tetragrammaton represents the remaining seven Sephiroth.
This revelation of the Shin shows the triadic nature of the first three Sephiroth which constitute the
Intellectual World, and it closely relates it to many mysteries. Thus, in ydw Shaddai (Almighty), the
name of the Deity before he revealed himself as YHVH, the Shin comes first; in Messiah (hywm) and
the exoteric Jesus (ovwy) it comes second; in the esoteric Yeheshuah (hvwhy) it comes in the middle;
and in Serpent (whk) it comes last. In Yeheshuah it is the letter of Mercy, for it is the central
equilibrating fire; in all the others it is the letter of wrath, for it is out of equilibrium, and particularly
so in Shaddai and the Serpent.
In actual conception these three Sephiroth form a trinity in unity of knowledge, that which knows
and that by which it is known; they unite in themselves everything and are themselves united to the
No-Thing.
(4) dsc, 'Hesed, Grace, Love, Mercy, or Compassion. From 'Hokmah emanate six Sephiroth,
which, as we have explained, symbolize the dimensions of matter. 'Hesed is the Right Arm of
Macrocosmos; it endows the world with feeling and sentiment.
(5) dhp, Pahad, Rigour, Punishment, Fear, or Severity. This Sephirah is the Left Arm of
Macrocosmos. It is feminine and passive, as 'Hesed is masculine and active. As 'Hesed symbolizes
life, so does Pahad symbolize death.
(6) urapu Tiphereth, Beauty. This Sephirah is the common centre or harmony of 'Hesed and
Pahad, of life and death, the active and passive in the Moral World. Its symbol is the Sun, the heart of
the universe and also the heart of Adam Qadmon - the Supernal Adam. Tiphereth is the seat of
sentiment and the ethical qualities; it is inhabited by the Rua'h - the Reasoning Soul.
(7) cxn Netzah, Triumph, Firmness, or Victory. This is the first of the three energetic principles.
It represents the right leg and thigh of Macrocosmos.
(8) dvh Hod, Splendour, or Glory. This is the left leg and thigh of Macrocosmos.
By Triumph and Glory, we comprehend extension, multiplication and force; because all the forces which
were born into the universe went out of their bosom, and it is for this reason, that these two Sephiroth are called:
the armies of YHVH.
(9) dvsy Yesod, Foundation. This Sephirah is the seat of the generative principle.
Everything shall return to its Foundation, from which it has proceeded. All marrow, seed and energy are
gathered in this place.
(10) uvklm Malkuth, Kingdom, or Dominion. As Kether is the harmony at the beginning, so is
Malkuth the harmony at the end; the first the head and the last the feet of Adam Qadmon. The divine
name attached to this Sephirah is Adonai - the Tetragrammaton. Malkuth is also called the Queen,
Shekinah, and Havah - Eve. It is the seat of the Nephesh, the instincts, and its angel is Metatron, the
Angel of the Covenant, the letters of whose name equal in numerical value those of Shaddai, namely
314.
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions: for
my name is in him.
| The Tree of Life |
The ten Sephiroth when combined with the twenty-two letters form what is known as the Tree of
Life, which constitutes the framework of Adam Qadmon, the Heavenly Adam, similar in anatomy to
his human counterpart - the Earthly Adam. Man is a combination of three spheres of force, the
intellectual, the moral, and the physical, which are related to the Neshamah, Rua'h, and Nephesh.
These forces, or qualities, find their activity in the outer or material world, which is alone cognizable
and, therefore, existent to man because of his three-fold constitution.
Like the body of man, the Tree of Life is itself divided horizontally into four planes (see Plate IV
on page 31) and vertically by three trunks or pillars (see Plate IV on page 32). The central pillar -
known as Harmony, or Mildness, or sometimes as the Perfect Pillar, consisting of Kether, Tiphereth,
Yesod, and Malkuth - is the Tree of Life as mentioned in the Book of Genesis. The right-hand pillar -
that of 'Hokmah, 'Hesed, and Netza'h - is active, male, and positive, and is called the pillar of Mercy,
whilst that of Binah, Pahad, and Hod is passive, female, and negative, and is called the pillar of
Justice. These two pillars constitute the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because they are
made up of unbalanced forces which can only find equilibrium in the central trunk or pillar.
Life, which constitutes the framework of Adam Qadmon, the Heavenly Adam, similar in anatomy to
his human counterpart - the Earthly Adam. Man is a combination of three spheres of force, the
intellectual, the moral, and the physical, which are related to the Neshamah, Rua'h, and Nephesh.
These forces, or qualities, find their activity in the outer or material world, which is alone cognizable
and, therefore, existent to man because of his three-fold constitution.
Like the body of man, the Tree of Life is itself divided horizontally into four planes (see Plate IV
on page 31) and vertically by three trunks or pillars (see Plate IV on page 32). The central pillar -
known as Harmony, or Mildness, or sometimes as the Perfect Pillar, consisting of Kether, Tiphereth,
Yesod, and Malkuth - is the Tree of Life as mentioned in the Book of Genesis. The right-hand pillar -
that of 'Hokmah, 'Hesed, and Netza'h - is active, male, and positive, and is called the pillar of Mercy,
whilst that of Binah, Pahad, and Hod is passive, female, and negative, and is called the pillar of
Justice. These two pillars constitute the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because they are
made up of unbalanced forces which can only find equilibrium in the central trunk or pillar.
| Plate 3: The Four Planes of the Tree of Life |
| Plate 4: The Three Pillars of the Tree of Life |
The active mood of the Divine Light enters the right-hand pillar through 'Hokmah, and the passive
mood enters through Binah, the union of these two lights creating the central pillar, the Word or
Logos. The formulation of this Word, by balancing the moods of Light, constitutes the Great Magical
Work of the Qabalah.
To the student of the occult it will be apparent that these two trees closely resemble the letter Shin,
also the caduceus of Hermes with its central rod and its two entwined serpents, and also the Ida,
Pingala, and central Shushumna of Hindu Yoga. The whole scheme is symbolized in the Temple of
Solomon, the temple itself being the central pillar, whilst its two pylons, Yakhin and Boaz, the white
and the black, the right and the left, represent the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil - the
eternal complementary forces in life without which nothing can be. This symbolism is an excessively
ancient one thus, in the Norse Mythology we find the mystic tree Yggdrasil, the roots of which are in
the material world and the branches of which reach up to Asgard, the happy dwelling of the gods.
Again, amongst the Akkadians, Chaldeans, and Babylonians we find the World Tree, or Tree of Life,
which “stood mid-way between the Deep and Zikum” - the primordial heaven above. In Hindu
mythology there is also a World Tree - the Lingam-and in Buddhist the Bodhi Tree, or Tree of
Wisdom under which Buddha sat in meditation. Finally, that masterpiece of Gothic architecture the
cathedral probably finds its origin in the tree-trunks and overhanging branches of the forest glade.
mood enters through Binah, the union of these two lights creating the central pillar, the Word or
Logos. The formulation of this Word, by balancing the moods of Light, constitutes the Great Magical
Work of the Qabalah.
To the student of the occult it will be apparent that these two trees closely resemble the letter Shin,
also the caduceus of Hermes with its central rod and its two entwined serpents, and also the Ida,
Pingala, and central Shushumna of Hindu Yoga. The whole scheme is symbolized in the Temple of
Solomon, the temple itself being the central pillar, whilst its two pylons, Yakhin and Boaz, the white
and the black, the right and the left, represent the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil - the
eternal complementary forces in life without which nothing can be. This symbolism is an excessively
ancient one thus, in the Norse Mythology we find the mystic tree Yggdrasil, the roots of which are in
the material world and the branches of which reach up to Asgard, the happy dwelling of the gods.
Again, amongst the Akkadians, Chaldeans, and Babylonians we find the World Tree, or Tree of Life,
which “stood mid-way between the Deep and Zikum” - the primordial heaven above. In Hindu
mythology there is also a World Tree - the Lingam-and in Buddhist the Bodhi Tree, or Tree of
Wisdom under which Buddha sat in meditation. Finally, that masterpiece of Gothic architecture the
cathedral probably finds its origin in the tree-trunks and overhanging branches of the forest glade.
| The Four Worlds |
Thus far the Sephirotic Scheme may be considered as simple, but in its extended form it grows
complex; for not only is the Tree of Life divided into three planes which become four in Malkuth, but
it is projected from the Godhead through four worlds each containing a Tree of ten Sephiroth, and
each Sephirah containing within itself ten of these intelligences, each of which is threefold in nature
for as it is written: “Just as the Ancient is represented by the number three, so are all the other lights
of a threefold nature.” In all there are, therefore, 400 Sephiroth in the world scheme, and as 400 is
the numerical value of u, Tau,Th, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, 400 completes the cycle of
the creative Voice or Logos.
As the threefold order is intellectually important, so is the fourfold order physically important, the two
multiplied together making 12 and representing the Zodiac (see Plate V on page 34), the twelve months of
the Year, etc., and consequently the entire creative cycle symbolized by two interlaced six-pointed stars or
Seals of Solomon; the one being the Great Work below and the other the Great Work above.
There are four Manifestations - the No-Thing, the Intellectual World, the Sensuous World, and the
Physical World; also the four elements Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, the four Living Beasts of the
Chariot Throne, and the four letters in the name of Tetragrammaton. In the Zohar we read:
The firmament is imprinted, at the four corners of a square, with four figures, of a lion, an eagle,
an ox, and a man; and the face of a man is traced in all of them, so that the face of Lion is of Man, the
face of Eagle is of Man, and the face of Ox is of Man, all being comprehended in him.
Hence the four great Qabalistic Worlds together form a unit, a single Great Man, the Macrocosm
or Adam Illaah, the Archetypal Man - the Form of the Universe through which is manifested the
Divine Essence of the Ain Soph. Their names are:
(I) Atziluth or the Atziluthic World, the Archetypal World or World of Emanations - the ten
Sephiroth of which represent the operative qualities of the Divine Will. This world is also called the
Great Seal, for it stamps out in its own form the three inferior worlds. It is the abode of Adam
Qadmon.
(2) Briah or the Briatic World, the World of Creation - the ten Sephiroth of which represent the
abode of pure spirits; consequently it contains no matter. It is the dwelling of the Angel Metatron and
constitutes the World of Angels or Spirits. As Adam Qadmon is the form of the Ain Soph, Metatron is
his garment and under his command come the myriads of the angelic hosts of the next world.
complex; for not only is the Tree of Life divided into three planes which become four in Malkuth, but
it is projected from the Godhead through four worlds each containing a Tree of ten Sephiroth, and
each Sephirah containing within itself ten of these intelligences, each of which is threefold in nature
for as it is written: “Just as the Ancient is represented by the number three, so are all the other lights
of a threefold nature.” In all there are, therefore, 400 Sephiroth in the world scheme, and as 400 is
the numerical value of u, Tau,Th, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, 400 completes the cycle of
the creative Voice or Logos.
As the threefold order is intellectually important, so is the fourfold order physically important, the two
multiplied together making 12 and representing the Zodiac (see Plate V on page 34), the twelve months of
the Year, etc., and consequently the entire creative cycle symbolized by two interlaced six-pointed stars or
Seals of Solomon; the one being the Great Work below and the other the Great Work above.
There are four Manifestations - the No-Thing, the Intellectual World, the Sensuous World, and the
Physical World; also the four elements Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, the four Living Beasts of the
Chariot Throne, and the four letters in the name of Tetragrammaton. In the Zohar we read:
The firmament is imprinted, at the four corners of a square, with four figures, of a lion, an eagle,
an ox, and a man; and the face of a man is traced in all of them, so that the face of Lion is of Man, the
face of Eagle is of Man, and the face of Ox is of Man, all being comprehended in him.
Hence the four great Qabalistic Worlds together form a unit, a single Great Man, the Macrocosm
or Adam Illaah, the Archetypal Man - the Form of the Universe through which is manifested the
Divine Essence of the Ain Soph. Their names are:
(I) Atziluth or the Atziluthic World, the Archetypal World or World of Emanations - the ten
Sephiroth of which represent the operative qualities of the Divine Will. This world is also called the
Great Seal, for it stamps out in its own form the three inferior worlds. It is the abode of Adam
Qadmon.
(2) Briah or the Briatic World, the World of Creation - the ten Sephiroth of which represent the
abode of pure spirits; consequently it contains no matter. It is the dwelling of the Angel Metatron and
constitutes the World of Angels or Spirits. As Adam Qadmon is the form of the Ain Soph, Metatron is
his garment and under his command come the myriads of the angelic hosts of the next world.
| Plate 5: The Zodiacal |
(3) Yetzirah or the Yetziratic World, the World of Formation - the ten Sephiroth of which represent
the Angels or Intelligences of the stars and planets. The Zohar says:
For the Servants [Sephiroth] that serve the Holy, Blessed be He! It made the Throne [the Briatic World], and
four supports [Pillar of Mildness] and six steps [Pillars of Mercy and Justice] to the Throne, together ten. The
whole is like a cup of blessing. (See Diagram 2.)
the Angels or Intelligences of the stars and planets. The Zohar says:
For the Servants [Sephiroth] that serve the Holy, Blessed be He! It made the Throne [the Briatic World], and
four supports [Pillar of Mildness] and six steps [Pillars of Mercy and Justice] to the Throne, together ten. The
whole is like a cup of blessing. (See Diagram 2.)
| Diagram 2: The Qabalistic Chalice |
That which is in the ten words, like the Thorah which is given in ten words; and as the universe, which is the
Maaseh Beraishith, which has been created by ten sayings. The Holy, Blessed be He! affixed to the Throne
legions to serve it [the Ten Angelic Hosts of this World]. . . . And for the service of these, the Holy, Blessed be
He! made Sammael and his legions, who are as it were the clouds to be used to come down upon the earth. And
they are the horses: and above the cloud is the Merkabah, the Chariot Throne, therefore it is said [Isaiah xix, I]:
“Behold YHVH rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Mitsraim [Egypt].” And so the Holy, Blessed be
He! rules Mitsraim.
This world is seemingly the abode of Tetragrammaton.
Assiah or the Assiatic World, the World of Action, also called the World of Qliphoth, that is
the World of Shells or Demons. In its ten Sephiroth lives the actual material substance of the universe.
It is the abode of Sammael, the Prince of Darkness.
It is subject to change, birth, death, corruption and re-birth, yet not anything in it is considered as ever totally
annihilated or destroyed in essence or atom. It is the abode of the Evil Spirit and his demonical forces.
Such are the four worlds. In the simple Sephirotic Scheme the first is referred to Kether, 'Hokmah,
and Binah; the second to 'Hesed, Pahad, and Tiphereth; the third to Netzah, Hod, and Yesod; and the
fourth to affixed to the Throne legions to serve it [the Ten Angelic Hosts of this World]. . . And for
the service of these, the Holy, Blessed be He! made Sammael and his legions, who are as it were the
clouds to be used to come down upon the earth. And they are the horses: and above the cloud is the
Merkabah, the Chariot Throne, therefore it is said [Isaiah xix, i]: “Behold YHVH rideth upon a swift
cloud and shall come into Mitsraim [Egypt].” And so the Holy, Blessed be He! rules Mitsraim.
This world is seemingly the abode of Tetragrammaton.
Such are the four worlds. In the simple Sephirotic Scheme the first is referred to Kether, 'Hokmah,
and Binah; the second to 'Hesed, Pahad, and Tiphereth; the third to Netzah, Hod, and Yesod; and the
fourth to Malkuth. Also, in Genesis i, “Let there be Light” refers to the Atziluthic World; “Elohim
saw the light, that it was good” refers to the Briatic World; “Elohim divided the light from the
darkness” refers to the Yetziratic World; and “Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night” refers to the Assiatic World. Thus the whole process of creation is the evolution of Light: from
an absolute quality to a tangible quality; from what is incomprehensible to what is comprehensible;
from what is from God and beyond man to what is of God and within man; for all and everything is
Light in varying forms of density or purity. From Light we come and unto Light we go; the great
Qabalistic secret being the transmutation of Darkness, light in its material form into illuminism, that is
Light in its spiritual form. Such is the Grand Telesma of the World.
Maaseh Beraishith, which has been created by ten sayings. The Holy, Blessed be He! affixed to the Throne
legions to serve it [the Ten Angelic Hosts of this World]. . . . And for the service of these, the Holy, Blessed be
He! made Sammael and his legions, who are as it were the clouds to be used to come down upon the earth. And
they are the horses: and above the cloud is the Merkabah, the Chariot Throne, therefore it is said [Isaiah xix, I]:
“Behold YHVH rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Mitsraim [Egypt].” And so the Holy, Blessed be
He! rules Mitsraim.
This world is seemingly the abode of Tetragrammaton.
Assiah or the Assiatic World, the World of Action, also called the World of Qliphoth, that is
the World of Shells or Demons. In its ten Sephiroth lives the actual material substance of the universe.
It is the abode of Sammael, the Prince of Darkness.
It is subject to change, birth, death, corruption and re-birth, yet not anything in it is considered as ever totally
annihilated or destroyed in essence or atom. It is the abode of the Evil Spirit and his demonical forces.
Such are the four worlds. In the simple Sephirotic Scheme the first is referred to Kether, 'Hokmah,
and Binah; the second to 'Hesed, Pahad, and Tiphereth; the third to Netzah, Hod, and Yesod; and the
fourth to affixed to the Throne legions to serve it [the Ten Angelic Hosts of this World]. . . And for
the service of these, the Holy, Blessed be He! made Sammael and his legions, who are as it were the
clouds to be used to come down upon the earth. And they are the horses: and above the cloud is the
Merkabah, the Chariot Throne, therefore it is said [Isaiah xix, i]: “Behold YHVH rideth upon a swift
cloud and shall come into Mitsraim [Egypt].” And so the Holy, Blessed be He! rules Mitsraim.
This world is seemingly the abode of Tetragrammaton.
Such are the four worlds. In the simple Sephirotic Scheme the first is referred to Kether, 'Hokmah,
and Binah; the second to 'Hesed, Pahad, and Tiphereth; the third to Netzah, Hod, and Yesod; and the
fourth to Malkuth. Also, in Genesis i, “Let there be Light” refers to the Atziluthic World; “Elohim
saw the light, that it was good” refers to the Briatic World; “Elohim divided the light from the
darkness” refers to the Yetziratic World; and “Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night” refers to the Assiatic World. Thus the whole process of creation is the evolution of Light: from
an absolute quality to a tangible quality; from what is incomprehensible to what is comprehensible;
from what is from God and beyond man to what is of God and within man; for all and everything is
Light in varying forms of density or purity. From Light we come and unto Light we go; the great
Qabalistic secret being the transmutation of Darkness, light in its material form into illuminism, that is
Light in its spiritual form. Such is the Grand Telesma of the World.
In its most condensed form the cosmogony of the Qabalah may be defined as a process of world
emanation from No-Thing, through the form of man, back again to No-Thing; man being the
equilibrating centre. In idea it is little removed from the latest conception of science, which looks
upon the universe as something which has “condensed” out of the immaterial into the material, and
which in the course of time will be radiated back into immateriality. Further, that the material is only
cognizable through the mind of man.
The Primal Cause is called the Ayin (Oya) - the No-Thing; that is a Something which, transcending
the human intellect, can only be described negatively.
It is so named because we do not know, and it is impossible to know, that which there is in this Principle,
because it never descends as far as our ignorance and because it is above Wisdom itself.1
Out of this No-Thing emerges as it were the Ain Soph, the Endlessness, Boundlessness, and
Eternality of No-Thing - therefore, in a way, a qualified No-Thingness. In the Book of Job we read:
“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”2 It is also
called Attikah D'Attikin, the Ancient of all the Ancients, and Attikah Qadosha, the Sacred Ancient; it
is sexless and is sometimes described as the Non-Ego or Not-I, the Ayin being altogether beyond the
I.
In the Zohar we read
And there went forth, as a sealed secret, from the head of Ain Soph, a nebulous spark of matter without
shape or form, a centre of a circle, neither white nor black, neither red nor green, in fact without any colour. 3
This is the Ain Soph Aur - Light, not as a contradistinction to Darkness, but as a vibration. First, so
the symbolism describes, the Ain Soph withdrew Itself into Itself to form an infinite space - the
Abyss. In this space appeared a point of light, or life-giving energy, which filled it. The Ain Soph Aur
is, consequently, pictured as contraction and expansion, a sucking-in and throwing-out within itself; it
therefore symbolizes the centripetal and centrifugal energies of creation, which through their rhythm
constitute the Infinite Light out of which the universe is made; this Light has been called the Idealized
Blood of the Universe.
This trinity of Primal Causes - the Ayin, the Ain Soph, and the Ain Soph Aur - is concealed in the
first three verses of the Book of Genesis: the creation out of God, since everything in “the heavens and
the earth” comes from the No-Thing; the Spirit of God; and the Light which emanated from God's
Spiritual Voice (the totality of the 22 letters) or words - ”Let there be Light”. The graspable beginning
is Light; all before it or, so to say, behind or beyond it, is impenetrable mystery - an Absolute
Darkness to the mind.
From the Ain Soph Aur emanates Ehyeh (hyha), the”I” or “I Am” - abstract thought; then YHVH
(hvhy),“It who was, and is, and will be” - thought in time; and lastly Elohim (myhla),God in nature
and God in the Bible, in which YHVH (Jehovah or Yahweh) is translated as “Lord”, the equivalent of
the Hebrew Adonai, for the true name of Tetragrammaton (YHVH) may not be pronounced.
Thus, as the Ayin, Ain Soph, and Ain Sopb Aur form a group of three unthinkable principles, so
do Ehyeh, YHVH, and Elohim form a group of three intelligent principles - abstract thoughts, thought
in time and thought in everything; for the whole universe arose out of the Voice (the creative
instrument) which expressed the ineffable thought of Light in the words “Yehe Aur” - ”Let there be
Light”. Thus to the Qabalist the universe is a divine form reflected in a beam of light, a form which
will vanish utterly back into the Ayin when this beam is cut off. Existence, therefore, is Light; perhaps
that light which present-day science calls “radiation”.
emanation from No-Thing, through the form of man, back again to No-Thing; man being the
equilibrating centre. In idea it is little removed from the latest conception of science, which looks
upon the universe as something which has “condensed” out of the immaterial into the material, and
which in the course of time will be radiated back into immateriality. Further, that the material is only
cognizable through the mind of man.
The Primal Cause is called the Ayin (Oya) - the No-Thing; that is a Something which, transcending
the human intellect, can only be described negatively.
It is so named because we do not know, and it is impossible to know, that which there is in this Principle,
because it never descends as far as our ignorance and because it is above Wisdom itself.1
Out of this No-Thing emerges as it were the Ain Soph, the Endlessness, Boundlessness, and
Eternality of No-Thing - therefore, in a way, a qualified No-Thingness. In the Book of Job we read:
“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”2 It is also
called Attikah D'Attikin, the Ancient of all the Ancients, and Attikah Qadosha, the Sacred Ancient; it
is sexless and is sometimes described as the Non-Ego or Not-I, the Ayin being altogether beyond the
I.
In the Zohar we read
And there went forth, as a sealed secret, from the head of Ain Soph, a nebulous spark of matter without
shape or form, a centre of a circle, neither white nor black, neither red nor green, in fact without any colour. 3
This is the Ain Soph Aur - Light, not as a contradistinction to Darkness, but as a vibration. First, so
the symbolism describes, the Ain Soph withdrew Itself into Itself to form an infinite space - the
Abyss. In this space appeared a point of light, or life-giving energy, which filled it. The Ain Soph Aur
is, consequently, pictured as contraction and expansion, a sucking-in and throwing-out within itself; it
therefore symbolizes the centripetal and centrifugal energies of creation, which through their rhythm
constitute the Infinite Light out of which the universe is made; this Light has been called the Idealized
Blood of the Universe.
This trinity of Primal Causes - the Ayin, the Ain Soph, and the Ain Soph Aur - is concealed in the
first three verses of the Book of Genesis: the creation out of God, since everything in “the heavens and
the earth” comes from the No-Thing; the Spirit of God; and the Light which emanated from God's
Spiritual Voice (the totality of the 22 letters) or words - ”Let there be Light”. The graspable beginning
is Light; all before it or, so to say, behind or beyond it, is impenetrable mystery - an Absolute
Darkness to the mind.
From the Ain Soph Aur emanates Ehyeh (hyha), the”I” or “I Am” - abstract thought; then YHVH
(hvhy),“It who was, and is, and will be” - thought in time; and lastly Elohim (myhla),God in nature
and God in the Bible, in which YHVH (Jehovah or Yahweh) is translated as “Lord”, the equivalent of
the Hebrew Adonai, for the true name of Tetragrammaton (YHVH) may not be pronounced.
Thus, as the Ayin, Ain Soph, and Ain Sopb Aur form a group of three unthinkable principles, so
do Ehyeh, YHVH, and Elohim form a group of three intelligent principles - abstract thoughts, thought
in time and thought in everything; for the whole universe arose out of the Voice (the creative
instrument) which expressed the ineffable thought of Light in the words “Yehe Aur” - ”Let there be
Light”. Thus to the Qabalist the universe is a divine form reflected in a beam of light, a form which
will vanish utterly back into the Ayin when this beam is cut off. Existence, therefore, is Light; perhaps
that light which present-day science calls “radiation”.
| Plate 3: The Chaldean and Hebrew Cosmos |
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The Secret Wisdom Of The Qabalah: Chapter 2