The next few Sephiroth and paths represent the astral foundation of the universe. Anything manifest actually has its origins here. The astral plane is where the magician does their work in order to effect change in the material world. When the astral plane is mastered, so then is reality. Even though the goal of shamanic Qabalah is to attain a mystic connection with God, rather than trying to manipulate change, one still has to learn of all levels of manifestation in order to gain proper footing in the unseen realms.
Malkuth: Path 10
God Names: Adonai Malekh, Adonai ha Aretz (Lord of the Earth)
Archangel: Sandalphon
Order of Angels: Ashim, Souls of Fire
Animal Totems: Snake, dolphin/whale, eagle/condor, puma/jaguar, and llama
Colors: Citrine, olive, russet, and black; shamanic colors: white, yellow, red, and black
Virtue: Discrimination
Vices: Avarice, Inertia
Tarot Attributions: Ten of Pentacles, Ten of Cups, Ten of Swords, Ten of Wands, Page/Princess of Pentacles, Page/Princess of Cups, Page/Princess of Swords, Page/Princess of Wands
Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel
Titles: The Gate, the Gate of Death, the Bride, the Virgin
Symbols: Equal-armed cross
Yetziratic Text: “The Tenth Path is the Resplendent Intelligence, because it is exalted above every head, and sits on the throne of Binah (the Intelligence spoke of in the Third Path). It illuminates the splendour of all lights, and causes a supply of influence to emanate from the Prince of countenances.” 103
So much has already been written about Malkuth in previous chapters, but not even an entire book can cover all there is to know. Many people, while undergoing spiritual work, wish to be floating in the heavens and realms, though they often forget that Malkuth is the only true place where spiritual work begins and ends. As stated earlier, the tenth Sephirah is Malkuth (mahl-KOOT) which means “kingdom” in Hebrew. It resides at the bottom of the tree and is the output of all manifestation, the end result of creation. It is here, this world, this manifest reality all around us in which we participate via our immediate experience of consciousness. It is because of this that Malkuth, unlike any of the other Sephiroth, is broken out into the four primary elements: earth, water, air, and fire. These elements are traditionally depicted in many originating mystical traditions as an equal-armed cross, the symbol of Malkuth.
It is best to try to understand the elements in terms of Malkuth’s relationship with the Sephirah Yesod, the astral realm that ensouls the world of matter. Studying the elements in terms of the physical sciences can be helpful, but studying them in terms of the esoteric sciences is a more accurate approach.
Keeping us in contact with the tangible world around us, Malkuth is not typically associated with the spiritual life by one who is not versed in the Mysteries. One that is versed, however, knows that mastering the material world is the essential ingredient in living a true spiritual life. Gareth Knight labels Malkuth as “one of the most important of the whole Tree for it is the Gateway to all further spiritual development, and until the lessons of Malkuth are well and truly learnt, the paths of the higher spheres must be closed to us.” 104 I could not agree more. The fact that Malkuth deals with the world of matter does not make it an unspiritual Sephirah—in fact, it may very well be the most spiritual.
Malkuth is the end result of the evolution of all life. It is the product of God’s creation; therefore, how could it be unholy, unspiritual? The Gnostics saw matter as evil, and it seems many hold this material existence to be a prison for their spiritual bodies. However, Malkuth is the place in which the soul finds expression. There is, in fact, no other place to be. If we try to escape the hold of matter, we will not be able to achieve the attainment of spiritual mastery. This is the foundation of the Great Work.
As designated by the Sepher Yetzirah, Malkuth (the Bride, the Virgin) has a distinct relationship with Binah (the Supreme Mother). Since Binah is the Sephirah where Form first comes into being in the Supernal sense, and Malkuth is the end result of Form, we can then learn a lot about Malkuth by meditating upon Binah. These are the two feminine designations in the Chemical Marriage, the two Hehs of the Tetragrammaton: Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh.
However, Malkuth has a more prominent relationship with another Sephirah: Kether, the fount of all creation. MacGrethor Mathers, former head of the Order of the Golden Dawn, has stated that “Kether is the Malkuth of the Unmanifest,” and much can be revealed by meditating upon this maxim as a mantra to ingrain in one’s consciousness. It carries the same tenet as “as above, so below” and teaches that matter and spirit are the positive and negative within the battery of the cosmos. It is a current, working together in its polarity, to generate what we know of as creation.
Among its titles is the “Gate,” and for good reason. Malkuth is the closest Sephirah of the tree to waking consciousness; therefore, it is our entryway into the rest of the tree. It is the base; from here we can then ascend to the higher spheres. It is the gate one must always enter before treading the higher paths and Sephiroth. Hence, ensuring one’s altar and sacred space replicates the energetic and symbolic paradigms of Malkuth creates a better gate. As per the example in chapter 5, the Pachakuti mesa makes a fine altar for just such a portal (see Figure 13).
True entrance and exit in and out of Malkuth, outside of pathworking, only really comes at the behest of death, which is why it is also referred to as the Gate of Death. As enunciated by Kabbalist Viviane Crowley, “The knowledge of our own existence raises questions about our non-existence. If we can live, we can also cease to live. The created can be uncreated.” 105 She continues, “The self-awareness that we acquire at Malkhut remains with us when we shed our bodies with each incarnation. Each death is like a snake shedding its skin. We emerge renewed for another season of our life cycle.” 106
Practical Experience
All Sephiroth are experienced as a temple in which to implement the Great Work; the paths themselves act as experiences between the Sephiroth.
It is good to always begin your experience of pathworking in the Temple of Malkuth and set out on your journeying from there.
The Temple of Malkuth generally manifests as either a ten-sided or four-sided chamber. One enters from the west, facing the east. The flooring is tiled in black and white checkered squares. In the north of the chamber (to one’s left) is a stained-glass window with a winged bull. In the west (behind one) is a stained-glass window with an eagle. In the south (to one’s right) is a stained-glass window with a winged lion. These are three of the four holy living creatures, as described in Ezekiel’s vision from Nevi’im of the Holy Scriptures. In the center of the temple stands a double-cubed altar, with a bowl on top, glowing a blue hue of light. Each temple will have a similar altar—though changed slightly per the significance of that Sephirah—and it must be lit with such a light in order to initiate contact.
Although these are the “totemic” representations of the elemental powers of the world in the Western Mystery Tradition, you can integrate the animal totems of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition—or any lineage of your choosing—into the temple space as well. As discussed briefly in chapter 9, the animal totems representing Malkuth in the Pachakuti Mesa lineage are:
• South—Snake: In the elemental realm of earth, the snake (boa, anaconda, etc.) is the animal closest to Pachamama. The snake teaches us how to honor the physicality of material existence as it slithers limbless directly on the dirt of the world. At the same time, the snake grants the opportunity for transformation, that we can shed our old skins and be rebirthed anew. This is the foundation of physical life and a testament to the possibilities of physical healing in this work.
• West—Dolphin or Whale: In the elemental realm of water, the dolphin and whale teach us how to navigate the waters of the emotional realm. Directly connected to the moon, Mamakilla, the dolphin and whale use their abilities to flow within the depths and currents of that pull that emotion can have on us at times. Both highly intelligent species, the dolphin and whale frequently exhibit personalities of compassion in their family units (pods).
• North—Eagle or Condor: In the elemental realm of air, the eagle and the condor are the primary totemic allies representing spirit. These animal guides touch the Hanaqpacha daily, and legends say they bring messages to humankind directly from Creator. Additionally, by emulating the eagle or condor’s flight in our own lives, rising above the trivialities of the world, we will gain a broader perspective of consciousness.
• East—Puma or Jaguar: In the elemental realm of fire, the puma and jaguar represent the fire of consciousness in the realm of mind. As a frequent guide to other worlds in many shamanic traditions, the puma and jaguar illuminate the dark paths of the inner world one must travail when engaging in shamanic journeywork. As the puma and jaguar can saunter easily on tree limbs and see in the dark, so too can we learn their precision of balance and sight within the darkness of our own lives.
• Center—Llama: In the Andean tradition, the llama is in many ways much like the buffalo of the Native North American traditions (see chapter 11); it is an animal vital to the survival of the community. Being the center of all the elements—thus representing the center of ourselves, our very awakening soul—the llama is the representation of the four directions unified. In Andean society, the llama is a grazer and pack animal, carrying the load of the farmer. It sacrifices its whole life to service, and even in death the llama’s remains are used for clothing, its bones for tools, its fat for offerings to the spirits. In life and death, the llama is a symbol of service, which is the goal of existence itself.
Back to the temple layout, one should imagine two columns directly across from where they have entered, the one on the left made of ebony, the one on the right made of silver. Carved on the tops are gilded pomegranate. Between the two columns stand three oaken doors: the one on the left bearing the Hebrew letter Shin for the 31st Path, the one in the center bearing the Hebrew letter Tau for the 32nd Path, and the one on the right bearing the Hebrew letter Qoph for the 29th Path. These are the three primary entrances into the tree via the Temple of Malkuth.
In Malkuth, one needs to cultivate a relationship with the archangel and order of angels before traversing the rest of the tree.
The archangel for Malkuth is Sandalphon, who is considered the twin of Metatron, the archangel of Kether (again, Kether is the Malkuth of the Unmanifest). In one of the most notable magical tomes in the mystery tradition canon, The Greater Key of Solomon, Sandalphon is designated as a feminine presence, but really all angelic intelligences are androgynous at root. Sandalphon is said to be the one responsible for watching over earth directly, and she assists in the growth of crops (metaphorical or otherwise), as well as brings about the differentiation of gender within the embryo of all mothers. Sandalphon, when called upon, will assist in preparing one for the journey throughout the rest of the tree; she is in charge of keeping the Gate ready and clear for one’s travels in and out of the temple.
The Ashim are the order of angels known as the Souls of Fire, who normally appear as sparks or flames generally in the shape of the Hebrew letter Yod. They are the embodiment of the sacred flame, found in every temple upon the Tree of Life, lighting the way in their ember dance. They are the souls of human beings dedicated to service of the divine light.
The experience of Malkuth is a reflection on the Great Work here in this world, to garner a relationship with the elementals and ready oneself in piety for further journeys on the Tree of Life. The goal of pathworking in Malkuth is to understand that there is no such thing as a “spiritual experience” outside of what is real, what is practical, right here in front of you. Only what is relevant to the real world is what counts, otherwise all else on the mystic path is pointless.
Rabbi Gershon Winkler resolves that the universe “is not secondary to the spiritual, is not dispensable to our soul journey. It is essential. It is a requisite. It is the mean by which we germinate.” 107 From here on out, no matter where you travel within the Tree of Life, Malkuth shall be your launching pad. It is the responsibility of the initiate to cultivate a relationship with the Temple of Malkuth, as well as the archangel and order of angels within that Sephirah, before undergoing any further work.
Tau: Path 32
Path: Path 32, Malkuth to Yesod
Hebrew Letter: Tau
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Cross
Tarot Attribution: XXI, the World
Astrological Sign: Saturn
Yetziratic Text: “The Thirty-second Path is the Administrative Intelligence, and it is so called because it directs and associates, in all their operations, the seven planets, even all of them in their own due courses.” 108
If Malkuth is the Gate, then Path 32 is the first (and last) opening. Knowing the path of initiation as both a beginning and an end lends to the ouroboric nature of all things. Comforting and terrifying all at the same time.
This is the first path on any initiatory pathworking with the Tree of Life. It is the path between Malkuth (the Kingdom) and Yesod (the Foundation). As Malkuth is the earth, Yesod is symbolized by the moon, so this path corresponds to the relationship between the two as the basis for initiation: before exploring the rest of the universe, we must first spring from the earth to the moon. This is not just an outer (exoteric) experience but also an inner (esoteric) one. This path is the primary passageway to the inner world, which is the true key to the Great Work.
The tarot key representing this path is the World card. In a way, the figure in the tarot card is a more cosmic vision of Alice in Wonderland, as she is surrounded by the four holy living creatures at the corners of the card, which symbolize the four elemental attributes of the earth (Malkuth). Originally described as cherub-like beings in the book of Ezekiel, the four holy living creatures are also noted in Judaism as being attributes of each of the four winds. Rabbi Gershon Winkler describes the four holy living creatures in regard to the Four Winds of shamanic Judaism: “All of the four winds join together to form the singular spirit that animates all of creation. The ancient rabbis taught that the human is created from the spirit of the four winds and from the earth taken from all four corners of the planet.” 109
The four holy living creatures are described by Rabbi Winkler as:
• The Eagle: Representing the north wind, the eagle signifies the human being’s connection to spirit, to God.
• The Lion: Representing the east wind, the lion signifies the divine spark within us that stimulates creativity, individuality, and warriorship.
• The Human: Representing the south wind, the human signifies us in our most basic and banal form, the opposite of the eagle.
• The Bull: Representing the west wind, the bull is a herd animal that signifies our merging into family, community, and even death (the greater herd of the unseen).110
So the woman in the card is in descent from spirit, surrounded by four attributes of the earth. The woman (in actuality a hermaphrodite, the genitalia traditionally covered by a floating sash) further signifies spirit entering Malkuth as shown through the two rods she holds in her hands: the positive and negative attributes of spirit joining to descend into material form. The fact that she is hermaphroditic is another signal of the conjoining of positive and negative, male and female, in order to create the unity of form, of matter. She is surrounded by a wreath, another symbol of her enclosure by the World around her. It’s meaning: material reality is always dual in nature and exists by the harmonization of the two opposing forces.
This is further illustrated through the Hebrew letter Tau (pronounced TAHV). Its primary attribute stems from the way in which the letter was originally written: a three-armed cross, a cross without the upper vertical bar. Like the World card, it signifies two forces interacting on a higher level, their impact producing a form on a denser level below. This is illustrated by the two high bars of the Tau cross intersecting in the middle and a chute of their interaction descending below them. This is another representation of how the Unmanifest influences the Manifest, which is the prime lesson of the Mysteries.
To work this path, it is vital to understand the two-way nature of it: spirit ascending and matter descending. If we are to engage with Path 32 ascending the Tree of Life, we can see that all things from the material world do indeed come from the immaterial; matter is caused by the astral realm’s influence upon it. To descend the tree, the route of creation into the Manifest, it is apparent that the spirit becomes limited—compacted and dense—into Form. The cyclic nature of these two actions is again apparent in the World card of the tarot: the woman represents the essence of spirit itself, but she is bound by a wreath circling her form, bound by matter.
To accept this truth in body, heart, and mind is the first step in devotional mysticism. To be an initiate in the Mysteries, acceptance of all that is (both positive and negative) has to not only be just a posture of the intellect, but the attitude of one’s whole being.
Practical Experience
One of the prime methodologies for experiencing a path on the Tree of Life is to dive into the stories and characters of the mythologies associated with each path. The Greek myths especially were designed for this task. These myths are in actuality archetypes of our own consciousness and help us understand the relationship between the Sephiroth that they link to.
The myth associated with this path is the Greek myth of Persephone. This myth was the foundational teaching of initiation for the Eleusinian Mysteries (and still is for modern mystery schools). Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, who is the goddess of harvest and agriculture. In essence, Persephone is the mascot for Path 32. Her story revolves around being kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and he whisks her away to the lower realms to marry her. Demeter (being a goddess of the earth, she represents Malkuth) is heartbroken at the loss and journeys to find and reclaim her daughter. During her quest, she encounters Hecate, goddess of the moon and magic (which is an obvious symbol of Yesod). Hecate guides Demeter with her lamp (moonlight) into the depths of the underworld, and then Persephone is discovered. Demeter and Persephone return to the surface world. Persephone then becomes the deity of vegetation, for it is said she returns to the underworld after every harvest and returns again in the spring.
The key here is that Path 32 is twofold: a descent to the interior realms and then a return (resurrection). The Great Work is performed and then the initiate returns to Malkuth, where the results of the Work can be put to action. It is important to understand that any descent into the Lower Realms, the Ukhupacha, is an opportunity to look into the mirror at one’s true nature. This is the medicine of Hades—he pulls us down into the depths of our own darkness so that we may come to terms with who and what we really are to ourselves, as well as to others. It is only through Hecate’s light (the light of the moon, itself a reflection of the sun) that the darkness is pierced and we can see in the dark and find our way back to Malkuth to plant our own seeds so that the fruit we bear into the world will grow aplenty.
Yesod: Path 9
God Name: Shaddai El Chai
Archangel: Gabriel
Order of Angels: Cherubim
Animal Totem: Raven
Colors: Indigo, violet
Virtue: Independence
Vice: Idleness
Tarot Attributions: Nine of Pentacles, Nine of Cups, Nine of Swords, Nine of Wands
Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe
Title: Storehouse of Images
Symbols: Perfumes, sandals
Yetziratic Text: “The Ninth Path is the Pure Intelligence so called because it purifies the Numerations, it proves and corrects the designing of their representation, and disposes their unity with which they are combined without diminution or division.” 111
Known as the Storehouse of Images, Yesod in Hebrew means “foundation,” and by this it is meant the “astral foundation or matrix on which all manifested forms in the physical universe are based and built on.” 112 As all matter, all Form is manifest fully into Malkuth, it must first come via the Sephirah Yesod. Any idea, Force or Form, that has spilled down from all preceding Sephiroth must pass through Yesod in order to materialize into corporeality. This is why the Yeztiratic text calls Yesod the Pure Intelligence, because it “purifies the Numerations.”
Thus, Yesod operates as a filter for creation. When the power of creation descends from above, Yesod is the emanation which dilutes that power so as not to overwhelm physical reality. A direct encounter of the Supernal and Ethical Triads is too much for material reality and can only truly be experienced in death. For those who have sought to bypass the filtration offered by Yesod and ascend directly to the higher spheres, a breakdown occurs in the mind … it is too intense. Yesod absorbs the full power of the Supernal Light before material reality fully manifests in Malkuth.
Yesod is the lower point of the inverted triangle that makes up the Astral Triad on the Tree, of which Hod and Netzach are a part. It is the seat of the astral/etheric plane of existence. This is most important to those who are interested in magic and in causing change within Malkuth, because it is the astral/etheric plane where every form in Malkuth originates. Thus, in order to cause change in the Manifest, one has to go to Yesod, where the images of the Manifest are stored.
In the mythology of the Star Wars franchise, the Force is an invisible energy field connected to all living things. With it, those sensitive to the Force (the Jedi) can tap into it and manipulate the living world, for good or ill. The astral field is very similar, as it integrates and coordinates the molecules in the physical world. Without the astral organization of Yesod, cells would not be able to arrange themselves into fully functioning organisms such as the human body. It is a network, like the internet in computer technology, in which the disparate parts of material reality can communicate and organize into a singular purpose.
As Yesod is titled the Storehouse of Images, sages throughout time have practiced the art of interacting with the images within the astral—where all material forms are rooted—to change physical reality. This is the infrastructure of the healing arts, including shamanic healing: to change the image from the storehouse itself, rather than treating the symptom in Malkuth.
The moon is the primary planetary body of Yesod, and the dreamtime is its primary location within human consciousness. The moon is a crucial factor in all magical workings, its light waxing and waning, its pull on the oceans ebbing and flowing. Dreams are equally fluid and in flux, which is a significant quality of Yesod, and it is in the dreamtime that we have some of our greatest connections with the astral plane. Although, one would be wise to be highly discerning of any experience with dreams as being a definitive message from Yesod or the astral plane, as confirmed by esoteric scholar Tau Malachi: “Schools of thought are mistaken that propose that all dreams inherently convey deeper wisdom or that all dreams represent the communication of the inner light or higher self. Rather, dreams reflect the state of the soul or the state of consciousness.” 113
Not all dreams are visions; not all visions are dreams. The oceans of dreamtime are like the oceans of reality: they are illusory and not always trustworthy. Part of the accumulation of wisdom comes with learning what is indeed coming from higher spheres and what is just imaginary fancy.
Because Malkuth is a reflection of Yesod, we can then see the mirroring of that relationship with the other Sephiroth on the middle pillar of the Tree of Life. Remember, in the mystery traditions everything resides within a duality. Specifically, the earth (Malkuth) is the negative circuit to the positive circuit of the moon (Yesod). The earth is a receptor of universal creative energy coming from the moon. Likewise, the moon reflects the light of the sun, which is symbolized by Tiphareth on the Tree of Life. In turn, Tiphareth receives its light only through Kether.
As Kether is the apex of the Supernal Triad, so Tiphareth is the reflected apex of the Ethical Triad, and Yesod the re-reflected one of the Astral Triad. This shows how manifest reality is driven by the forces above it. If we can, according to Fortune, “liken the kingdom of earth to a great ship, then Yesod would be the engine-room.” 114
Practical Experience
The Temple of Yesod is, like all the other temples within the Sephiroth of the tree, a mere reflection of the Temple of Malkuth. There are variations to how the temples of the other Sephiroth manifest (minus Malkuth). Studying the attributes of the Sephiroth, one should be able to build one’s own perspective of the temples of the individual Sephirah. Take for instance that the Temple of Yesod would indeed be a moon temple, since its astrological attribution is the moon, so it may be round instead of being square like the Temple of Malkuth. The walls may be silver, and the phases of the moon depicted visually on the floor instead of black-and-white checkered tile. Regardless, every temple should have the altar in the middle, with a flame rising from its bowl. This attribute will provide a continuity throughout the spheres that will anchor one’s theurgic experiences. Further, ensure that the doorways to the other paths are visible, in this case Paths 30, 28, and 25, as well as Path 32, of course.
The archangel for Yesod is Gabriel. Gabriel is known as the archangel of the Annunciation, the messenger who provides the power of visions, one of the highest ranking angels in the heavenly lore. In Islam, his importance is considerable: “Mohammed claimed it was Gabriel (Jibril in Islamic) of the ‘140 pairs of wings’ who dictated to him the Koran, sura by sura.” 115
It is befitting to imagine Gabriel in terms of the colors associated with the moon and the sea: blues, greens, silvers. As with most angels and archangels, his true form is not anthropomorphic. Our minds cannot conceive of these intelligences as they actually are. It is encouraged to cultivate a truer form of Gabriel over time, such as a magnificent pillar of silver light. In developing a relationship with Gabriel, learning about the designated symbols of Yesod is vital to initiation: perfumes contain an understanding of the ethereal vibratory quality inherent in the material world, and their aroma can emit a change in consciousness; sandals are a symbol that allows one to walk easily within the Storehouse of the astral realms.
The Cherubim (or Kerubim) are the order of angels known as the Strong. They are depicted as huge winged beings. In Genesis, they guarded the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden with the Flaming Sword, the symbology of which can be easily deciphered. The benefit of interacting with the Cherubim centers on harnessing astral force, specifically through the use of symbols. As discussed before, this is integral to understanding the depths of the subconscious mind, which is the gateway to the astral fabric.
The Cherubim assist one in learning to use the Storehouse (or Treasurehouse) of Images in order to affect the material world. This is the basis of all magical, as well as mystical, aspirations. All engagement with Yesod should center on building a relationship with the moon, the astral realm, and the framework (foundation) behind magical imagery.
Finally, facilitating connection with the animal totem of the raven is a beneficial endeavor in Yesod. In many cultures the raven is a symbol for magic, divination, and psychic power—prime attributes of Yesod. In Norse belief, there were two ravens that acted as messengers for Odin: one’s name was Hugin, which means thought (Hod), and the other’s name was Munin, which means memory (Netzach). Through the ages, the raven has frequently been noted as a messenger of the unseen realm, especially associated with omens. Yesod being the primary entry point into the Astral Foundation, into the unseen itself, the raven can teach us to become empowered with our own magical abilities. It is our divine right to be in relationship with the sacred, and the raven is our reminder that we are our own best tools to achieve that right.
Shin: Path 31
Path: Path 31, Malkuth to Hod
Hebrew Letter: Shin
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Tooth
Tarot Attribution: XX, Judgment
Elemental Sign: Fire
Yetziratic Text: “The Thirty-first Path is the Perpetual Intelligence; but why is it so-called? Because it regulates the motions of the Sun and Moon in their proper order, each in an orbit convenient for it.” 116
Delving into the underworld—via Path 32—can dredge up a lot of surly stuff from the murk of one’s subconscious. This is not meant to make you suffer but merely to recognize those things in your life walk (whether they be habits, addictions, situations, or even people) that do not serve you. It is now time to begin to formulate how you want your religion, your relationship with God, your psychonautica to be implemented here on Malkuth. This is a difficult task. Formulating your spirit walk is not as easy as it first may seem, because many of us think we are walking our true spiritual walk, but the Path of Judgment will reveal to you how that walk really looks. Path 31 will show you whether or not you truly walk the talk, as it were.
Path 32 is definitely compelling and an excellent start to pathworking for any proper initiation into the Mysteries. Path 31 also launches from Malkuth, another reminder that all true esoteric work takes place here on earth, not elsewhere. But now this path leads to Hod, the more intellectual, numbers-based Sephirah of the Tree of Life.
With Hod’s planetary body being that of Mercury, the primary element for this path then is fire. But, it is not wild fire for the purging of things; it is a controlled fire, a flame of the Perpetual Intelligence. To understand Path 31 is to understand the origins of man. The discovery of fire led to man’s evolutionary leap from being at the mercy of the elements to controlling one’s environment. Fire stimulated the intellect, inspired the pursuit of knowledge. Fire domesticated the wild mind of the primitive human. With fire came focus in our evolutionary heritage. As we were able to focus our thoughts, so too were we able to better fashion our ideas into physical form.
The Greek Goddess Hestia (whose name means “hearth”) is a perfect symbol for this experience, as she presided over the fires of domestication that sat in every home of the family unit as well as the community. Therefore, she is the hub of the wheel of civilization, and the Mystery traditions have titled this path the Path of the Hearth Fire. Its purpose is to domesticate the wild inclinations of man through the aegis of home and family, all in accordance with spiritual principle.
Another myth associated with this path is that of Prometheus, whose name means “foresight.” Prometheus is most famous for defying the Gods by bringing the secret of fire to mankind. Again, fire denotes the higher, spiritual Will of consciousness, the awakening of true identity and individuality. Fire not only protected man from the elements but is also the element of the blacksmith, leading to the development and forging of tools and weapons. This suggests the honing of our spiritual Will applied in real life: the path ascends from Malkuth to Hod, but let us not forget it also descends from Hod to Malkuth. Therefore, how can we best apply our spiritual principles in this world? Again, we look to Ashcroft-Nowicki for an answer to this question: “This path is one of learning passed from a higher level. Fire was man’s liberator from the inertia that grips when one is hungry and cold. Inertia is also the vice of Malkuth our starting point.” 117
The Hebrew Letter for this path is Shin, which means “tooth,” its own shape very much resembling the flames of a flickering fire. The tooth is a symbol for creativity or cutting and grinding one’s way through any endeavor in order achieve one’s desired result. Goals are not attained by wish alone; it takes hard work and self-mastery. The discipline of experience is what assists a soul in its growth to individuality.
Practical Experience
The tarot trump is the Judgment card. Judgment in esoteric work is not associated with the negative connotations of condemnation but rather is associated with the wisdom of Solomon. True judgment denotes discernment or adjustment. This again implies the ability to refine one’s works, communications, and actions to conform to the spiritual Will of one’s higher self/individuality/Neschamah.
The illustration of the Judgment card depicts three figures rising from the ground: a man, a woman, and a child. In some older decks the child is the only one rising from what appears to be a sarcophagus; in more recent decks all three may be rising from their own. Above them is a glorious angel in the skies—in some cases descending from a great mountain—blowing a trumpet. It is generally agreed that the angel is a symbol for the Neschamah, the higher self. Jungian scholar Dr. Irene Gad elucidates the meaning of the angel’s bearing and blowing of the trumpet at the three figures below: “The horn means vibration, movement, penetration into interstitial spaces. It evokes the experience of being immersed in music and in deeply felt emotion; it evokes consonance of existence and time, of development and regression. The spiritual strength of human beings helps them to escape the grave of the ego complex, to come to terms with evil, and to integrate the shadow.” 118
The horn is the spiritual strength, as emitted from the individuality. The three figures are us in our three parts: the feminine on the left, the masculine on the right, and the child as the potential for the equilibrated middle. The child is the birthing of the two sides and, again, it is the potential for spiritual growth. The Great Work is a task that must be cultivated with discipline and tenacity but overall must be a balancing act of duality, between the positive and negative forces of nature.
Hod: Path 8
God Name: Elohim Tseva’oth
Archangel: Michael
Order of Angels: Bene Elohim
Animal Totem: Bee
Colors: Orange, yellowish-black
Virtue: Truthfulness
Vices: Falsehood, dishonesty
Tarot Attributions: Eight of Pentacles, Eight of Cups, Eight of Swords, Eight of Wands
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Splendor
Title: N/A
Symbol: Apron
Yetziratic Text: “The Eighth Path is called Absolute or Perfect, because it is the means of the primordial, which has no root by which it can cleave, nor rest, except in the hidden places of Gedulah, Magnificence, which emanates from its own proper essence.” 119
As stated many times before, to understand one Sephirah is to understand its relationship with the paths and Sephiroth around it. Hod is the receiving pole of the Astral Triad, of which Netzach is its active opposite. Yesod is the true center of this triad, representing the astral plane of existence; Hod and Netzach are the representations of Form and Force respectively that comprise the emanation of Yesod.
When the power of creation flows down through the tree and passes through Netzach (the lowest Sephirah of the Pillar of Mercy and Force), it then enters Hod (the lowest Sephirah on the Pillar of Severity and Form) before moving to Yesod and thus manifesting into material reality. Being the Lightning Flash’s last interaction with the Pillar of Severity, it is in Hod where the last vestiges of creation are constrained into Form—into images—before they are brought into being. Where Netzach concerns itself with the emotional aspects of being, it is in Hod where those forces are tempered, so that the astral body of Yesod may be balanced. It is important to understand that this is a pole of the dualistic nature of the astral realm (Yesod). Netzach tends to be the more emotional and intuitive aspect of astral consciousness, whereas Hod is the more logical component.
Hod is, then, the waking consciousness of the logical mind. Logic exists so that we may communicate with thoughts and ideas in a clear, rational way. Writer and magician Alan Moore’s comic book epic Promethea (a pristine treatise on magic and esotericism) relays why Hod means “splendor” and how that impacts being a sphere of the logical mind through the titular character, Promethea: “I suppose communication is how minds reveal themselves. Language gives a shape to the splendours of the intellect.… Language, it shapes our whole consciousness, how we put ideas together. Even our concepts of time. Before we had command of language, we couldn’t record events in the past.” 120
Therefore, written language and mathematics are the primary achievements of Hod. Hod is a realm of intellect, its planet Mercury; thus, it is associated with the Greek Hermes. Hermes was the messenger of the gods, therefore the deity of communication and language. His name was also inherited by the arcane figure—and some say originator—of the Western Mystery Tradition, Hermes Trismegistus. The purported author of the influential Corpus Hermeticum, the Thrice-Great Hermes is known to be the founder of the Hermetic tradition, responsible for the prime occult axiom “as above, so below.” He was a great esoteric philosopher and alchemist as well as the master of all magic.
Hod, then, is the Sephirah of the magician. It is in Hod where the constructions of Form are fashioned to manifest in Malkuth, such as language and mathematics. Therefore, it is Hod where these Forms are retrieved for magical work … for if magic is the modification of reality, are language and math not the building blocks of reality itself?
Through the mental Sephirah of Hod, the astral energies of Yesod can be refined, polished into clarity. It will be noted that the symbol of Hod is the Masonic Apron, which is typically imagined as the apron of a blacksmith forging his weapon; this echoes the idea of God as architect, building and formulating reality. When worn, the apron conceals the area of the body in which Yesod is located (the gut). Therefore, Hod’s forms are best worked when the astral realm is veiled. The daimonic realm cannot ever be fully understood. That being said, considering that logic and intellect are the center of Hod’s attributes and Truthfulness is its highest virtue, it is something to meditate upon regarding the concealment of Truth’s expression.
Practical Experience
It is prudent to first interact with Hod before Netzach because it is in Hod that the emotive inhibitions of Netzach are tempered by the rational mind. Emotion is a good thing, but not when it is out of control. Esoteric initiation with the Tree of Life can often lead one down emotional labyrinths in which one can get lost; emotional upheavals will prevent ascension of the paths by knocking one down completely from the Tower (Path 27). One of the things we can learn most from Hod is the usage of symbols, where the chaotic nature of emotion can be constrained and focused in accordance with one’s Will.
The Temple of Hod will, of course, be logical and numerical, as the Sephirah designates. It is not just the planet but also the chemical element of mercury that pervades over the structure of this sphere. Therefore, it is likely that various themes in the environment of Hod will be mercurial. This is an excellent opportunity to begin to astrally experiment with mercury as a builder of forms. Further, because this is a Sephirah whose primary element is fire does not mean to take that literally, necessarily. Remember, these are all symbols. Some depictions of the Temple of Hod manifest as structures made of ice (that the Sephirah of fire could be constructed of frozen water is evidence of a pristine alchemical meditation). Again, the doorways to the other paths, Paths 31, 30, 26, and 23, should be visible.
The archangel for Hod, Michael, is known in biblical lore as being one of the more powerful angels in the celestial hierarchy, along with Gabriel. The Chaldeans worshipped him as a god. Being chief of the order of virtues, Truth is his magnate (which is the primary virtue of Hod). In most depictions, Michael sports wings and brandishes an unsheathed sword. The sword is an important aspect for this Sephirah—especially as the base Sephirah of the Pillar of Severity—in the symbolism of discipline pertaining to esoteric craft. This is the Sephirah of magic, and the exercise thereof must not be treaded lightly or carelessly; magic is less about muttering spells and gestures than it is about having a precise understanding of how things are constructed.
In this, the sword compels us to slice through illusion by refining our intellectual capacities. Science, mathematics, and philosophy are the tools of the trade for the ancient occultists; they were in fact the first scientists, and it is only in the last couple of centuries that the logical competencies of the mind have become secularized. Mysticism should go hand in hand with reason and critical analysis.
The order of angels is the Bene Elohim, who will assist in the mercurial arrangement and manipulation of forms. Bene Elohim is translated sometimes as “sons of God” or “sons of man,” of which there is considerable debate in rabbinical academia. Much knowledge can be gained by meditating on either translation.
The bee is the animal totem of Hod. As Hod is the “Perfect Intelligence,” it is no surprise that the bee—in its highly structured society—would represent this Sephirah. The bee colony is one of the most well-organized systems in nature, with a distinct role for every member in order to attain the most effective means of production. Much can be learned from observing the bee’s example in order to produce our own manifestations in the world. Although the bee has a sting, it is good to remember that this rigidly mechanical lifestyle does indeed produce sweetness into the world that can be enjoyed by all. Through its perfect system, the bee’s life is integral to the entire ecosystem of the planet. Likewise, it would be good for us to remember our own impact.
Resh: Path 30
Path: Yesod to Hod
Hebrew Letter: Resh
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Head
Tarot Card: XIX, the Sun
Astrological Sign: The sun
Yetziratic Text: “The Thirtieth Path is the Collecting Intelligence, and is so-called because Astrologers deduce from it the judgment of the Stars, and of the celestial signs, and the perfections of their science, according to the rules of their resolutions.” 121
After working Paths 32 and 31, you should have a distinct realization of what no longer serves you, and thus it has been revealed how you want to truly walk the talk of the Great Work. Path 30 is the path where the opportunity to give it a shot comes from. This is a good path to concretize one’s daily spiritual regimen, if so inclined. A spiritual ethic should be outlined, a craft formulized and ready to execute: Will it be used wisely for humankind? Or will your gift become the next A-bomb? Will you abuse the knowledge of the sacred arts? Although this path has its highs—a great lesson in the tarot card is that you will dance in the Sun—be ready to fall and land back on the earth with a thud at any time. Pick up and move on.
Path 30 completes a triad of pathworking among Malkuth, Yesod, and Hod. The primary symbol of this path, as denoted by the tarot trump, is the sun. In Path 32 one has delved into the underworld of the subconscious. In Path 31 those unconscious aspects found in the underworld were called to be regarded and integrated into conscious awareness. Now, in Path 30, we are tasked to fully realize the spiritual with the material. The sun, of course, represents our highest attribute of spirit in this path.
The Sefer Yetzirah refers to this path as the Collective Intelligence, and in its description it is indeed heralding true enlightenment. Not the “enlightenment” most assume comes from yogic meditations or Buddhist transcendentalism, but one more closely associated with the Age of Enlightenment beginning in the late seventeenth century, which signaled an age of science and reason, pulling us out of the depths of the dark ages and into a time of philosophy, comfort, and technological progress. As with every aspect of being on the tree (and thus life), there is a virtue to these attributes as well as a vice. The sun’s light brings life, but too much sunlight can cause withering death. Reason is no different when out of balance.
The Hebrew letter Resh is the “head.” This is the seat of the mind, of intelligence. Through this symbolism, it becomes apparent that this path consists of improving the relationship between Hod (the sun, mind) and Yesod (the moon, dream). The aim of pathworking the Tree of Life is to balance these two opposing forces, to harmonize the rational and intuitive minds with us.
Practical Experience
The most informative teaching of this path comes from its tarot card, the Sun. A common image is of two children dancing in a garden under the sun, enclosed by a garden wall. Another is a single child on a horse, the garden wall in the background. The card normally signifies illumination, inspiration, the sun outpouring the forces of light and love upon humankind below (by “below” it is meant the manifest world).
The card also represents the popular meaning of spiritual liberation. However, unlike what it may seem, spiritual liberation is not about unhindered freedom, left unchecked. The wall, as articulated by Gareth Knight, represents restriction and discernment; it is “an enclosure, the limitation which is a protection, the cultivated growth within a garden which is sealed off from wild nature. This has its higher implications on a Cosmic level, for it is by limitation only that growth can be attained.” 122
This stems directly from the Judgment trump, from which we learned discernment, what needs disciplining in our lives; and now the Sun is a refinement of this discipline to allow our Great Work to continue pristine.
There is an infectious tendency in our modern spiritual culture to believe that one’s belief is all that is required for self-liberation—a common goal in modern spiritual movements. There is a yearning for the spiritualist to be free from limitation, most particularly in their yearnings to liberate themselves from traditional upbringings. But that is all hubris.
It is only by limitation—by the concrescence of boundaries—that we understand our place in the world and develop our understanding of it. It is by understanding that “spiritual attainment” (whatever that means) is only reached through discipline and hard work, not just by “feeling” and “intuition” alone. A thorough study of the tarot illumines this, as the traditional Sun card, as well as every card in the major arcana, is a replication of the balance between male and female—the masculine and the feminine—to portray the path to knowledge. These depictions of the masculine (mind) and feminine (emotion) represent the two Pillars of Manifestation in the Mysteries, as seen in the Temple of Apollo and in the Judaic traditions of Qabalah. These two pillars stem from the highest supremacy of the feminine and the masculine principles of the universe. It is within the uniting of these dualities that we experience the limitations of form, but also the harmony of true singularity. This unity is likened to Nirvana in Buddhism as well as Moksha in the Hindu traditions. It is the closest attainment one can have to union with the Source of All Being, with God, or with what we in the shamanic circles often call the Great Originating Mystery.
The universe isn’t limitless. It has rules, boundaries, limitations. And tarot, among other methodologies such as Qabalah, shamanism, and Hermeticism, help us understand those rules and learn how to utilize them for our own potential growth.
Qoph: Path 29
Path: Malkuth to Netzach
Hebrew Letter: Qoph
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Back of head
Tarot Card: XVIII, the Moon
Astrological Sign: Pisces
Yetziratic Text: “The Twenty-ninth Path is the Corporeal Intelligence, so-called because it forms every body which is formed beneath the whole set of worlds and the increment of them.” 123
In the same way that the farmer plants a seed and allows it to germinate in the soil, so Path 29 germinates our spiritual ethic before it fully comes into fruition. Path 29 is all about subtlety and letting data settle underneath the surface of the waters; it will take effect over time. As the phases of the moon wax and wane, we can watch the effects of time and its attenuated pulls on us. This path is so subtle that in fact it is very hard to register the conscious outlines of it. The common image of the iceberg comes to mind: 90 percent of it is under the surface of the water, and that 90 percent is actually what’s driving the direction of the 10 percent that we are aware of above the surface. This is exactly how the astral realm affects the Manifest, and this is the prime teaching of this path.
“If any of the Paths should have a sign marked ‘CAUTION,’” says Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, “the twenty-ninth is the one I would choose.” 124
This is one of those paths that are difficult to describe. It can now be seen that this is the final exit from Malkuth in the pathworking, as the other two have led to Hod and Yesod, and now a connection with Netzach is made. While we have been working with the calculation and exactitude of Hod—the logical side of the astral fabric—we now dive into the Venusian waters of Netzach—the emotional side. This is most definitely a path of intuition. It is a path of flux and reflux, like the tides of the waters being drawn by the moon.
In the previous path, 30, the Hebrew letter acting as the gate was Resh, the head, where one can travel into the intellectual auspices of consciousness. Now, in Path 29, the gate is Qoph, “the back of the head.” The visual portrayal of the letter itself resembles the cerebellum, which links to the spinal column, the wilder, more primal part of the brain. The initiate understands that no matter how much of a path of reason we may tread, we can never escape the primitive. The astrological sign is Pisces, the two interlocking fish, and we again acquire this connection with water as well as seeing the male-female duality inherent in all symbols upon this path (see info below on the next page on the tarot trump). Indeed, this path is primarily about sex; not necessarily in terms of reproduction, but in the utter primal connection between Self and Other, man and woman, human and nature.
“Nature is red in tooth and claw” is the primary axiom for Path 29. The raw, unbridled brutality of nature in this path is what one must encounter. This is not an experience of frolicking in a field of flowers, prancing with the fluttery butterflies. This is an experience of watching a lioness tear the flesh off her own children due to starvation. The Black Isis, in her ugliest and most grotesque form, must be accepted before the White Isis, in her glorious beauty, can be experienced.
Nature is not only a thing of refined beauty; she is also terrible. To love nature is not only to appreciate her glorious qualities, but also to confront her and accept the harsh and brutal realities she has to offer us.
Practical Experience
The tarot trump is the Moon. It is normally illustrated as two towers on either side of a body of water, the moon in the sky between them. The towers of course stand for the Pillars of Manifestation (this symbolism should actually be inherent, in one way or another, in every card of the major arcana). An animal resides at the base of each tower: a wolf on one side and a dog on the other. A very distinct dialectic of duality can be noted here, as both are the same type of animal, but one domesticated and one wild. Through this, we can begin to gain an understanding between our civilized selves and primal selves. A crustacean crawls out of the primordial waters, like we once did hundreds of millions of years ago in our evolutionary cycle. Thus, this card is like a beeline into our evolutionary origins. “Knowing thyself” goes as deep as knowing our biological ancestry as just another organism on this great planet.
In the card, we can see how the moon is the primary deity that moves us, like the tides, even pulling on the blood in our very own bodies. It is well known to science how much the moon phases affect our mood and behavior. However subtle the moon’s impact may be, the effects can be extreme.
Connecting with the Egyptian deity Anubis can be beneficial in this path. Anubis is commonly known as the jackal-headed god of mummification and the afterlife, and sometimes the dog and wolf are depicted as Egyptian-style jackals in the tarot trump. My own teacher in the Western Mystery Tradition, John Nichols, is quite the Egyptologist himself and once explained that Anubis (in reality the hieroglyph should be transliterated as Anpu) is actually referred to as the “Neter of the Horizon.” The horizon is the place between worlds; the horizon is not really there because you cannot ever actually get to it or touch it … However, it seemingly still separates two realms: the above and the below. This idea is a worthy meditation for Path 29.
Netzach: Path 7
God Name: Jehovah Tzabaoth, “The Lord of Hosts”
Archangel: Haneal
Order of Angels: Elohim
Animal Totem: Dragonfly
Colors: Emerald, olive
Virtue: Unselfishness
Vices: Unchastity, lust
Tarot Attributions: Seven of Pentacles, Seven of Cups, Seven of Swords, Seven of Wands
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Beauty Triumphant
Titles: Firmness, Valor
Symbols: Lamp and girdle, rose
Yetziratic Text: “The Seventh Path is the Occult Intelligence, because it is the Refulgent Splendour of all the Intellectual virtues which are perceived by the eyes of intellect, and by the contemplation of faith.” 125
The seventh Sephirah on the Tree of Life, Netzach, means “victory.” This victory is the victory of achievement, and one can trace the seven days it took God to create the world in Genesis to Netzach as the seventh Sephirah. Netzach is God’s victory in creation’s achievement, the victory of life to overcome inertia and blossom into being.
Of course, like all other Sephiroth, Netzach cannot accurately be understood without its relationship to the Sephiroth surrounding it, specifically Hod. Again, Netzach sits at the base of the Pillar of Mercy (Force) and Hod sits and the base of the Pillar of Severity (Form). We must understand its function within the Astral Triad, the lowest level of manifestation in creation, as described by Tau Malachi: “Netzach represents the imagination, feelings, and emotions of the mind; Hod represents the thoughts of the mind. Yesod, which is the union of Netzach and Hod, represents desires that come into being by way of the activity of the mind.” 126 Therefore, from Yesod the activities of the mind become manifest in Malkuth.
Aphrodite or Venus, the goddess of love from the Greek and Roman mythologies, is the main deity of Netzach. But, of course, in Greek life love was so much more than the idea of romance between the sexes. Aphrodite’s reign held sway over the love and kinship among friends and pupils and even facilitated the comradeship between fighting men (remember, one of Aphrodite’s lovers in the myths is Ares, god of war). Aphrodite’s presence within Netzach is a reminder that the Sephirah provides a reflection on the magnetism of human exchange and how the needs of the soul may be met.
This was the job of the mystery school Cult of Aphrodite in ancient Greece: the management of polarities. It is through this management that that achievement of victory is experienced, in the harmony of both force and form. Netzach facilitates unity, a perfected state of interrelationship; in essence, the Quechua term huñuy as used in the Pachakuti Mesa version of the Qabalistic Cross in chapter 9.
Netzach’s victory is the full potential of beauty inherent in all manifest things. It is the Creator’s achievement in ensuring the Divine exists within all of creation. This realization of divinity within all things is the signature pallette of the poet. Where connection with Hod is sought through philosophy and mathematics, connection with Netzach can be attained through the arts: painting, music, dance, poetry, or any activity that taps one into the instinctual aspects of creative and passionate expression. The realm of inspiration is where Netzach bears its fruit.
In this light, the victory of Netzach is also revealed as the valor and resolve needed in the battle every great artist must fight in order to breach the threshold of new ideas on the mass culture. All pioneers are at first rejected and sometimes resented. But the greatest among them will eventually have their works accepted and embraced into the fold of the mainstream. After that, it is up to the next generation to break that mold. The victory of Netzach is theirs if they persist.
Practical Experience
To make the most effective use of Netzach is to spend an abundant amount of time in communion with nature but also to utilize one’s creative faculties. Indeed, Netzach is the place in consciousness where our creativity is derived. Painting, music, poetry, dance, pottery—whatever it is that stimulates the imagination fully into the creative flow is Netzach’s playground. This is the Sephiroth of the muses, where we receive our inspiration for things which eventually become formed in Hod.
In connecting with nature, the symbol of Netzach—the rose—and the shamanic animal totem—the dragonfly—are suggested items of focus.
The rose as an esoteric symbol gets its roots from the Rosicrucian movement of Christian mysticism, dating back to as early as the thirteenth century. Normally in conjunction with a cross, the Rose Cross represented the evolution of man’s spiritual climb to connect to God, the rose being that blossoming moment of enlightenment. A primarily feminine symbol, the rose is the perfected representation of the spiritual experience. Rose water, rose petals, and incense reflect Netzach’s characteristics of purity, passion, and perfection.
Likewise, the dragonfly is often found around water, a feminine element that embodies the chaotic waters of emotion, a prime attribute of Netzach. Starting off early life within water itself, the dragonfly undergoes metamorphosis—mastering the waters—and then inhabits the air. The dragonfly’s movement is precise and dazzling with its aerial stunts, becoming a master of the air. The medicine offered by the dragonfly within Netzach is harnessing the creative and emotional waters, mastering them so that they can become focused intentions to carry out in honor of spirit.
Tzaddi: Path 28
Path: Yesod to Netzach
Hebrew Letter: Tzaddi
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Fishhook
Tarot Card: XVII, the Star
Astrological Sign: Aquarius
Yetziratic Text: “The Twenty-eighth Path is called the Natural Intelligence; by it is completed and perfected the nature of all that exists beneath the Sun.” 127
Path 28 ignites the implementation of one’s spiritual path fully by their own hands. This path is about manifesting the dreams created on the previous paths; they are all working consecutively in perfect alignment.
To support this execution of manifestation, this path highly distinguishes the importance of knowledge regarding the individuality and personality, which have specific definitions in occult philosophy that we discussed earlier. The correlations of individuality and personality have also been made to Neschamah and Ruach, respectively. It is important to note that the Sephiroth within the triad of the Astral relate to the personality, the Ethical to the individuality, and the Supernal to the Source of All Creation.
The point of this path, and of course all initiation, is to get in touch with the individuality, recognizing the mirroring quality of the personality on the lower planes, as represented by the astrological symbol for this path, Aquarius. The zigzags reflect one another, as the surface of the water reflecting one’s image. This is an important image to consider when engaging with Path 28.
We are not to fall short and succumb to the personality. The lower self should be the reflection—a simulacrum—of the higher self, not the other way around. This path takes everything we have learned so far and seeks to implement it into action with balance. As above, so below; but also as below, so above.
As a follow-up to Path 29 (which was primarily about sexual union), this path yearns to integrate the symbols of the Holy Naked Man of Yesod and the Holy Naked Woman of Netzach into a union that is less about the horizontal (physically sexual) conjunction of bodies and more about the vertical (God-centered) synchronization of harmony between two poles: positive and negative, like a battery. Tzaddi is a fitting Hebrew letter for this path, as it is the fishhook: the dancing between these poles for balance is much like a fisherman teasing the fish along with his hook skipping along the water, being reeled in to the Source. And so is our yearning for the Divine.
This is done under the sun, as the Yetzirah suggests. It may seem like this would be referring to Path 30 of the Sun tarot trump, but in this case the sun being referred to is the Sephirah of Tiphareth as the guiding principle. There is a great risk of falling into vice regarding sexual work on this path, so be prepared for tests to your commitment to Truth, to Beauty, and to the Great Work. Do not mistake the symbols of sexuality as literal interpretations of male-female copulation. Further, do not fall into the guise of believing you can produce supernatural effects to change the natural laws of the universe. As Gareth Knight has stated, there is truly is no such thing as the “supernatural.” For instance, per Gareth’s example, if one is falling off a cliff, a magic wand will do you no good. The magical tool for this issue is a parachute. Be practical and utilize the established laws of the universe.
Being tested is a primary component of this path, which is why Lucifer, the Light-Bringer, is an excellent angelic source to tap into. His role exemplifies the testing of one’s spiritual identity, for one cannot truly grow and evolve without the temptation of glamour, power, and perfection, such as the fall from Eden. Only through mistakes can growth be allowed to occur.
Practical Experience
There can be confusion regarding the major arcana to be used for Path 28. As we have been following the sequence of the tarot trumps in reverse order, it would naturally seem to befall the trump of the Star, being the twenty-seventh card of the major arcana. However, many mystery schools switch this trump for the fourth card, the Emperor. Each magical system has its purposes for this switch, but it is up to the initiate to do the work in figuring out which card works for them on this path and why. I have chosen to keep in natural sequence of the major arcana in reverse, aligning with the paths on the Tree of Life.
The tarot trump of the Star depicts a naked woman pouring two jars of water, one on the ground, and one in a body of water, each symbolizing the balancing of polarities. Stars reign in the heavens above, along with at least one major one that normally stands out among the others. This can usually be seen as a representation of Tiphareth, which sits above this path on the Tree of Life. According to Dr. Gad, “The Star(s) represents the beginning of true initiation. The light of the Star(s) gives direction in the night as do position lights, beacons, milestones, and timers. This card expresses a yearning for that world that goes beyond recognition, conflict, and separation.… The mystic’s soul is guided by the stars; inspired by the heart, he or she surrenders to their heavenly influences, which leads to mystical enlightenment.” 128
The Star signifies the capacity of the higher self, the individuality, to awaken the sleeper, to come alive within the human personality. Aleister Crowley calls the Star the “the goddess … shown in manifestation.… personified as a human-seeming figure.” 129 The Star awakens these sleeping energies within us as the goddess pours that which is above into the waters of the subconscious below.
Peh: Path 27
Path: Netzach to Hod
Hebrew Letter: Peh
Hebrew Letter Meaning: Mouth
Tarot Card: XVI, the Tower
Astrological Sign: Mars
Yetziratic Text: “The Twenty-seventh Path is the Exciting Intelligence, and it is so called because through it is consummated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.” 130
Path 27 completes the bottom inverted triangle on the Tree of Life: the Astral Triad, what I call the Astral Fabric. This triad is the etheric framework that is the foundation of physical matter, where the Lady of Nature (Netzach) and the Lord of Books (Hod) have been equilibrated by the Mistress of Witchcraft (Yesod). Path 27 seals our work on this triad, and through it, as initiates, we must be tested for purity in order to continue on to the higher aspects of the tree. It must be ensured one’s character and intentions are pristine. This is a huge accomplishment, and anyone who has committed to the Work thus far should be proud of themselves—but not too proud, for hubris is one of the prime vices that will make us crash, and failure will ensue.
There is something to be said for this path being the first horizontal path encountered on the Tree of Life, directly connecting the two Pillars of Manifestation. It is the first of only three paths that do this, so the energies produced can be extremely powerful, potent, and jarring for the unprepared. The lateral paths are the extreme polarities of the tree, so if one is not ready for these extremities, then the effects can be likened to being bounced around inside a pinball machine. A call to being grounded—rooted with the principles of reason—is essential for experiencing this path in balance and not chaos.
As it is important to understand a Sephirah based upon its relations to another, it is also imperative to study a triad based upon the other triads on the tree. The Ethical Triad (in the next chapter, “the Ethical Machine”) is the place where the individuality resides, and the Astral Triad is home to the personality. Path 27 creates the division between the two and offers an opportunity to sever aspects of the personality that no longer serve the Great Work. This path, according to mystic Ted Andrews, “brings to life circumstances that offer the chance to survey our entire personality.” 131
What is experienced throughout the Astral Triad, if the pathworking is authentic and true, is an alchemical change that transmutes the personality in preparation for the individuality (higher self) to become the driving force in one’s life. The personality does not go away, but its interests become sidelined. Investment in the higher self, the Will of the Divine, becomes more and more paramount in a person’s life. Within the Astral Triad, this initiatory process acts more as a seed, which will be nurtured into growth further along the pathworking process as one climbs the higher spheres of the Tree of Life. Over time, a person’s motivations transmute into being less about the Self and more about the Other, the greater whole of all being.
This is alchemy in its purest form. Prime examples to more deeply understand this “distillation” process can be read in the fifteenth-century text The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz or seen in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s surrealist film The Holy Mountain.
We can then begin to understand the Hebrew letter for this path, Peh, the “mouth.” The mouth both gives and receives, a perfect gateway between the Astral and Ethical Triads. The mouth takes in nourishment and utters speech. In terms of the personality, and the rightful utilization thereof in the Great Work, the mouth teaches us that incarnation into life truly is like entering a buffet. Life experiences represent the varieties of food, and so we partake of these blessings given to us. Conversely, we also use these mouths in which we have received nourishment to also give, to express into the manifest world the Divine Word of the Creator. It is through the physical mouth that the Word of God can be expressed into the densest level of creation, Malkuth.
In the history of mystery school training, pathworking is like building a relationship with these various levels and intelligences of consciousness. It is well advised to take a break from the pathworking after mastering the paths and Sephiroth from Malkuth to Path 27 and allow time to integrate the experiences thus far. This is where self-discipline as an initiate can be practiced, for there are those who would love to charge on through the paths in anticipation of ascending the tree. However, caution is advised.
Esoteric practices facilitate intimate touchpoints with the human psyche; therefore, time and patience are allies in processing information. The genuine initiate will take the respite—for a recommended lunar month—and take the pathworking back up again. One may even want to revisit the entirety of the Astral Foundation before moving onward to the other levels of the Tree of Life. Mastery over one’s foundation is essential before exploring the ethical and supernal faculties of the universe.
Pushing onward without ample time to rest and assimilate all the work done thus far will cause one to collapse, like the builders of the Tower of Babel experiencing hubris, which brings us to the practical experience …
Practical Experience
The tarot trump for Path 27 is the Tower. Though the biblical story of the Tower of Babel was just referenced as a sign of hubris, the primary significance of this tarot image it is not the traditional fundamental notions that cause man’s Tower (personality) to collapse and shatter from the lightning (the Lightning Flash/Flaming Sword/Initiation), which is what man seeks to become godlike or one with God. To become the gods we are is our birthright; that is Creator’s design. As Yeshua (Jesus) said in the book of John, “I have said ‘Ye are gods.’ ” 132
In truth, it is man’s personality retaining its separation from divinity, building the Tower prematurely, or wrongly, that causes its collapse (its rise denoting our rise from the Astral Triad to the Ethical, and then eventually the Supernal). We are reminded of the story of the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis: hubris will be one’s downfall if our foundations are not sound. This is an indication that not only should our worldly endeavors be secured before embarking upon spiritual work, but we should also be fit in faith and humility to ready ourselves for the Ethical, and thus Supernal, expressions of universal experience. If we are not ready, the universe will certainly knock down our towers of ascent in order to teach a vital lesson.
In the card, a bolt of lightning—the Lightning Flash of Initiation coming from the highest Source—strikes the Tower toward the upper half, causing it to crumble. People fall from the blast, flailing to their deaths. It may seem gruesome, but this Path is designed to compel one toward success. Our desire to receive the Lightning Flash of Initiation will surely knock us on our asses, but will our individuality (higher self) reign supreme and continue onward?
Lightning is truly a symbol of true initiation. In the Quechua tradition, to be struck by lightning—called the hanaqpachaqaqyarayu—is the highest form of initiation possible, likened to being touched by God. It is a cleanser, burning out the aspects of our personalities that no longer serve our higher good. This sort of cleansing only hurts if one resists the current.
However, if one accepts the bolt of initiation, ready to learn its lessons, then one is touched by the finger of creation. The source of the lightning bolt is Kether, the divine spark of all that is. To accept that level of download fully and without reserve is akin to what the Quechua refer to as an altomesayaoq, a high priesthood. This is the goal of the mystic path and the purpose of what Path 27—and, in fact, the entirety of the Astral Foundation—has to teach us all.
103. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 29.
104. Knight, Qabalistic Symbolism, vol. 1, 203.
105. Vivianne Crowley, A Woman’s Kabbalah: Kabbalah for the 21st Century (London: Thorsons, 2000), 193.
106. Vivianne Crowley, A Woman’s Kabbalah, 193–94.
107. Winkler, Magic of the Ordinary, 20.
108. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 31.
109. Winkler, Magic of the Ordinary, 42.
110. Winkler, Magic of the Ordinary, 44.
111. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 29.
112. Regardie, Garden of Pomegranates, 241.
113. Tau Malachi, Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ: A Gnostic Christian Kabbalah (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2005), 290.
114. Fortune, Mystical Qabalah, 236.
115. Gustav Davidson, A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels (New York: The Free Press, 1967), 117.
116. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 31.
117. Ashcroft-Nowicki, Shining Paths, 30.
118. Irene Gad, Tarot and Individuation: Correspondences with Cabala and Alchemy (York Beach, Maine: Nicolas-Hays, 1994), 300.
119. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 29.
120. Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III, Mick Gray, and Jeromy Cox, Promethea, collected edition, bk. 3, issue 15 (La Jolla, CA: Wildstorm, 2013), 4–5.
121. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 31.
122. Knight, Qabalistic Symbolism, vol. 2, 52.
123. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 31.
124. Ashcroft-Nowicki, Shining Paths, 45.
125. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 29.
126. Malachi, Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ, 238.
127. William Wynn Wescott, trans., Sepher Yetzirah, 3rd ed. (London: J. M. Watkins, 1911), electronic reproduction by John B. Hare for the Internet Sacred Text Archive, http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/sephir.htm.
128. Gad, Tarot and Individuation, 271.
129. Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians (Boston: Red Wheel/Weiser, 1969), 109.
130. Westcott, Sepher Yetzirah, 2nd ed., 31.
131. Ted Andrews, Pathworking: A Qabala Guide to Empowerment and Initiation (Jackson, TN: Dragonhawk Publishing, 2009), 153.
132. Psalm 82:6.