The Sefirot (Sephiroth) are a fixture in almost the entire Western corpus of magickal practice, although most modern practicioners know only their names and perhaps their most common associations. However, they are an excellent map of the mind of mankind and can be a rich source of study. I am not here to proselytize for venturing on the 22 paths as much of the Western ceremonial tradition concentrates on, but rather to provide a treatment of the Sefirot in a easy to understand manner. Please note that my understanding of this topic is heavily informed by the Lurianic school of Kabbalah. Also note that these scribblings borrow heavily from other authors, as I consider this to be a “working document” as I continue to flesh out my thoughts. Consequently, this document will be altered periodically in ways large and small.
Before and surrounding the Sefirot themselves is the Ein-sof, the primal, all-encompassing "Infinite God". This God is the union of both Yesh (being) and Ayin (nothingness), as well as male and female and good and evil and all other basic oppositions. As such, it is the reconciliation of everything and it's moumenal opposite. It represents the primal unconscious that is completely beyond the individual’s conscious awareness. According to Jung:
There is little hope of our being able to reach even an approximate consciousness of the self, since however, much we make conscious there will always exist an indeterminate and undeterminable amount of unconscious material which belongs to the totality of the self.
Tzimtzum (Contraction/Concealment)
The doctrine of Tzimtzum explains the transition from an infinite, all-encompassing God to the existence of a pluralistic world. Luria held that in order to create an independent, finite world, Ein-sof (understood as the full plenum of being) must contract itself and, moreover, conceal an aspect of itself from itself. Tzimtzum creates a division within the divine essence. This division actually creates the possibility of knowledge, through a distinction between subject and object, knower and known. That which is concealed, that which Ein-sof no longer knows as part of itself, becomes the created, finite world, and can be known as distinct from God. From a psychological perspective it can be said that an act of Tzimtzum or concealment lies at the very core of the human psyche, for it is only through concealment and it's variants, i.e.: denial, repression, symbolization, displacement, condensation, etc. that a division is set up between subject and object, conscious and unconscious, and the human personality is born.
The Sefirot
The first of the Sefirot, the one closest to the infinite godhead (and, by extension, to the primal unconscious) is Keter (Crown), identified by the Kabbalists with ratzon (will, desire). In Hebrew the verb ratzon is used in the commonest expressions of desire (e.g. Ani ratzon = "I want"), suggesting that desire, a primal libido in all of its potential ramifications (sexual and otherwise) is the basic manifestation of the human psyche. One step removed from this "desire" is the Sefirah representing the intellect (Chochmah), suggesting that, as Freud held, intellect (i.e. cognition) only emerges as a superstructure built upon desire. The next Sefirah, Binah (Understanding) is according to the Kabbalists a blending of the first two. Binah is held to be the origin of all creativity and is thus referred to as the Celestial Mother. Through Understanding, will, directed by intellect gives birth to the lower worlds.
The next three Sefirot, represent a second triad which, in effect, repeats on a more concrete level the dialectic of the first three. Chesed (Love) is, according to the Kabbalists, fundamentally an expression of desire, whereas Din (Judgment) is an expression of intellect, for in judgment, distinctions that have been held in theory are actually made and implemented in reality. This implementation of the idea is perhaps the reason why this Sefirah is also referred to as Gevurah (strength or power), and serves as the foundation for aggression, and, ultimately, for the harsh, punitive judgments which the Jewish tradition identifies with evil. Love and Judgment are reconciled in the Sefirah Tiferet/Rachamin (Beauty/Compassion) which, according to the Kabbalists serves as a paradigm for all further reconciliations, both within the godhead and man.
The next two Sefirot, Netzach (Glory) and Hod (Splendor) can be interpreted as the further instantiation of man’s libido and intellect in the "glorious" and "splendorous" manifestations of human individual and collective cultural expression. These two Sefirot are reconciled by Yesod (foundation) which the Kabbalists equated with the phallus, and which in turn engages in a dynamic coupling with the final Sefirah (Malchut/ Shekhinah), representing the feminine aspect of the psyche. Indeed, it is the erotic coupling of male and female, and particularly, the masculine and feminine aspects of the psyche that serves as the most prominent Kabbalistic metaphor for the completion of God and creation. Jung, in his works on alchemy, discusses this theme as a symbol of the unification of the self (Jung, 1963).
The Instability of the Sefirot
There is an inherent weakness and disuniity in the Sefirot which results in their ultimate demise. The Sefirot "closest" to Adam Kadmon, Keter, Chochmah and Binah are comprised of more powerful vessels and they alone can withstand the impact of the lights emanating from the eyes of Adam Kadmon. Each of the others are shattered by the divine emanations.
Psychologically speaking we might say that man’s values and psychic structures as they are initially constituted cannot always serve him well as he matures. The strongest aspects of the ego, those most resistant to psychological decompensation in the face of a surge of libidinous energy, are the basic structures of cognition and perception. However, those aspects of the ego that bind, contain, and structure emotion (the seven lowest Sefirot which are spoken of in the Kabbalah as "emotional") are subject to a psychic shattering as a result of a surge of libidinal energy from the unconscious. Jung spoke of the intellectual and moral values keeping the archetypal images of the unconscious in check until the former are "weakened by age or criticism" (Jung, 1963, p. 473). Such weakened structures are subject to being overwhelmed by a flood of unconscious material.
Shevirat ha-Kelim, the Breaking of the Vessels
The seven lower Sefirot shatter. Even the highest Sefirot, which do not shatter, fall from a higher to a lower place.
The structures of the ego are insufficient for man to contain the energy and imagery of his unconscious mind. These structures must shatter, creating a chaotic, disjoint and dangerous but necessary state from which a new man and self can eventually emerge. Will and intellect have fallen in status. Reason can no longer resolve all difficulties in its path. The ego has been deflated. Kabbalistically, it is only when the "vessels break" that the individual can become truly human.
Tikkun Haolom, the Restoration of the World
The whole Sefirotic realm must be reconstituted and restored via Tikkun haolom (the Repair and Restoration of the world). The restored cosmos, however, will differ considerably from the world as it was originally created.
The restored Self is an achievement that transcends the spontaneous and automatic development of the ego in childhood. When the structures and values which served the nascent ego are shattered by personal crisis, e.g. in adolescence or mid-life, the relations between the primal unconscious, the ego and the personal unconscious must be restructured into a more unified, flexible (and hence more livable) arrangement. According to Jung, the archetype of the "Self" emerges after mid-life to perform this formidable task. Unlike the ego, the Self is not a bastion of consciousness which, like a rider on a horse, limits and controls the forces of the unconscious psyche. Just as the Kabbalist’s restored cosmos involves an integration rather than separation of its various levels, the Jungian Self involves an integration between "conscious", "pre-conscious" and "unconscious", and between anima, animus, persona and shadow. The Self manages desire through wisdom rather than repression and control, for its desire is already integrated with the higher elements of the soul. In Kabbalistic terms, the psyche after Tikkun is one in which each of the Sefirot are fully integrated with each of the others.
The psyche itself must be unified through a coincidence of opposites, especially between its masculine and feminine elements. Further, these inner unifications are reciprocally modeled from, and model, the significant relationships of human life, in such a manner that the inner dynamics of the human psyche reflect the structure and vicissitudes of man’s interpersonal existence. Eros plays a critical role in the psyche’s personal and interpersonal development. Man, even in the depths of his individual psyche, is essentially a social, interpersonal, being. The deeper one probes into one’s self, the surer one finds a representation of the "other". The formation of a Self is hardly a solitary enterprise but is, as the Kabbalists imply, conditioned upon relationships of passion, friendship, and mutual support. The individual, like God himself, cannot hope to be complete outside of such relationships.
The Reunification of Male and Female
The raising of the sparks has the effect of not only reunifying masculine and feminine aspects of the divine (and human) psyche but of harmonizing all other contradictions within the psyche as well. As we have see, for Jung, such unification is the most important psychotherapeutic principle. The fully individuated self is one which having seen the multiplicity, disharmony and conflict of an actual lived existence, comes to experience a harmony behind all of its manifold expressions and appearances.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Ritual Keys
A key is typically defined as a means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession or control of a location or process. A ritual key as it pertains to psychology, theurgy, mystery schools and magickal practice is a technique involving deliberate actions with appropriate intent, to provide additional meaning or potentials to various operations. The use of ritual keys can provide a number of advantages to an individual who understands proper usage.
A ritual key has similarities both to sigils and to programming by dint of the process of deciding how a given procedure will unfold. Many sigils are created by deciding what operation(s) are necessary for a given effect, such as “first, invoke my servitor, then have him find my target, and then have him attach him”. This is essentially a short program of three steps. Similarly, a ritual key may be constructed by use of a sigil or other method, but the core operation is deciding what sequence of steps will be taken and what method they employ”. Unlike a servitor which can be expected to manifest some degree of intelligence, a ritual key is a program in that it will activate according to the instructions given.
Advantages
One advantage of having a ritual key is a heightened degree of precision when creating an effect. By identifying what particular mechanism of operation will be employed, and process in which that principle will work, a specific operation can be programmed to operate consistently. An excellent illustration of this example are the ubiquitous icons that litter the desktops of computer users everywhere. When I click on a particular computer icon, the computer locates the operating files for Microsoft WordTM, loads them into memory along with any associated library files, and executes the program itself.
A similar but distinct advantage of the use of ritual keys is that common operations can be activated without having to engage in a ritual. Rituals can be very powerful, but consume materials and require time not only for the ritual but for setup and takedown. If we consider a banishing of a sacred space as an illustrative example, it is possible to use a ritual key to create this effect, rapidly and without use of a ritual, as the operator can essentially “shortcut” to the desired application. With a specific series of gestures, words or a combination, an operator may choose to immediately generate a specific effect provided that ritual key is invoked with intent. In this example, I have used a ritual key of a specific gesture and word (with intent) to banish and area and create a sacred space for other ritual use. This technique allows for “quick draw” utility both for attack and defense if the situation warrants it.
A final advantage when using a ritual key is that it can allow for greater emotional energy to be used in actual ritual for the actual ritual purpose and less for what are often considered preliminaries. A typical magickal worker maintains a certain amount of emotional and etheric energy at any given time, and magickal operations require this energy in order to maintain focus or power a specific effect. If we consider a ritual cleansing of a home or other building in this context with an estimated duration of 20 minutes, it allows one to spend more time on the ritual cleansing of the structure and less time on opening the ritual. By essentially preprogramming the preliminary or parallel elements of the ritual, more of this emotional and etheric energy can be directly expended on the task at hand. The ability to wring more “spell points” out of a given magickal operation can be a potent advantage, with group workings of workers with differing symbol sets being an obvious example.
Example
Steven wants to be able to generate a “spoiler” on an individual whom he suspects is attempting to leech his energy field. The method he has chosen is to generate a field of disruptive energies, a discordant cacophony of energetic noise that he feels will confuse and discourage his attacker, and make it difficult to create a link and which will tend to erode under the chaotic environment. Normally Steven requires a few minutes to “ramp up” for an operation, and he is concerned that by the time he is ready to activate this effect, the connections will already be made. Consequently, he designs a ritual key which is activated by a specific hand gesture and the word “no”, while concentrating with specific intent. Steven practices this for several days, consciously creating this aggressive intent while using the desired word and gestures until he feels he has assimilated the procedure and is ready to do so in the real world. When out in his daily life, he encounters his antagonist and with intent makes the gestures and pronounces the word “no”, and the effect materializes without the normal meditative time Steven requires.
A ritual key has similarities both to sigils and to programming by dint of the process of deciding how a given procedure will unfold. Many sigils are created by deciding what operation(s) are necessary for a given effect, such as “first, invoke my servitor, then have him find my target, and then have him attach him”. This is essentially a short program of three steps. Similarly, a ritual key may be constructed by use of a sigil or other method, but the core operation is deciding what sequence of steps will be taken and what method they employ”. Unlike a servitor which can be expected to manifest some degree of intelligence, a ritual key is a program in that it will activate according to the instructions given.
Advantages
One advantage of having a ritual key is a heightened degree of precision when creating an effect. By identifying what particular mechanism of operation will be employed, and process in which that principle will work, a specific operation can be programmed to operate consistently. An excellent illustration of this example are the ubiquitous icons that litter the desktops of computer users everywhere. When I click on a particular computer icon, the computer locates the operating files for Microsoft WordTM, loads them into memory along with any associated library files, and executes the program itself.
A similar but distinct advantage of the use of ritual keys is that common operations can be activated without having to engage in a ritual. Rituals can be very powerful, but consume materials and require time not only for the ritual but for setup and takedown. If we consider a banishing of a sacred space as an illustrative example, it is possible to use a ritual key to create this effect, rapidly and without use of a ritual, as the operator can essentially “shortcut” to the desired application. With a specific series of gestures, words or a combination, an operator may choose to immediately generate a specific effect provided that ritual key is invoked with intent. In this example, I have used a ritual key of a specific gesture and word (with intent) to banish and area and create a sacred space for other ritual use. This technique allows for “quick draw” utility both for attack and defense if the situation warrants it.
A final advantage when using a ritual key is that it can allow for greater emotional energy to be used in actual ritual for the actual ritual purpose and less for what are often considered preliminaries. A typical magickal worker maintains a certain amount of emotional and etheric energy at any given time, and magickal operations require this energy in order to maintain focus or power a specific effect. If we consider a ritual cleansing of a home or other building in this context with an estimated duration of 20 minutes, it allows one to spend more time on the ritual cleansing of the structure and less time on opening the ritual. By essentially preprogramming the preliminary or parallel elements of the ritual, more of this emotional and etheric energy can be directly expended on the task at hand. The ability to wring more “spell points” out of a given magickal operation can be a potent advantage, with group workings of workers with differing symbol sets being an obvious example.
Example
Steven wants to be able to generate a “spoiler” on an individual whom he suspects is attempting to leech his energy field. The method he has chosen is to generate a field of disruptive energies, a discordant cacophony of energetic noise that he feels will confuse and discourage his attacker, and make it difficult to create a link and which will tend to erode under the chaotic environment. Normally Steven requires a few minutes to “ramp up” for an operation, and he is concerned that by the time he is ready to activate this effect, the connections will already be made. Consequently, he designs a ritual key which is activated by a specific hand gesture and the word “no”, while concentrating with specific intent. Steven practices this for several days, consciously creating this aggressive intent while using the desired word and gestures until he feels he has assimilated the procedure and is ready to do so in the real world. When out in his daily life, he encounters his antagonist and with intent makes the gestures and pronounces the word “no”, and the effect materializes without the normal meditative time Steven requires.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Love Without Pity
“The difference between love and pity is the absence of perceived hope in the latter”
“Compassion is the vice of kings”
Love is a wonderful thing, and setting all arguments aside about the specific definition of love it is generally agreed that love is a desire to be with another, to miss them when they are gone, and to share experiences with them. However, love does have a dangerous variant, being pity. Pity is the destroyer of love and the destroyer of relationships. Pity implies two very grave errors.
The first error is an implicit assumption that something is wrong with the other. The second error is still greater since it involves the complex of the Ego. To pity another person implies that you are superior to them, and you fail to recognize their absolute right to exist as he or she is.
“... for there are love and love. There is the dove, and there is the serpent.”1 Sympathy, obviously, is the more correct frame of mind, for it is a pitiless love involving in reality an identification of oneself with the other; it is therefore an act of true love. “There is no bond that can unite the divided but love”2
Love for me does not involve taking care of someone. Taking care of someone makes me their father or guardian, not lover. Everyone needs help, but at what point does help or sacrifice for another become a crutch that stifles their self-sovereignty? That is the cruelest debasement, a theft of what matters most. It is a rape most vile.
Reference:
1.Liber AL I:57.
2.Liber AL I:41
“Compassion is the vice of kings”
Love is a wonderful thing, and setting all arguments aside about the specific definition of love it is generally agreed that love is a desire to be with another, to miss them when they are gone, and to share experiences with them. However, love does have a dangerous variant, being pity. Pity is the destroyer of love and the destroyer of relationships. Pity implies two very grave errors.
The first error is an implicit assumption that something is wrong with the other. The second error is still greater since it involves the complex of the Ego. To pity another person implies that you are superior to them, and you fail to recognize their absolute right to exist as he or she is.
“... for there are love and love. There is the dove, and there is the serpent.”1 Sympathy, obviously, is the more correct frame of mind, for it is a pitiless love involving in reality an identification of oneself with the other; it is therefore an act of true love. “There is no bond that can unite the divided but love”2
Love for me does not involve taking care of someone. Taking care of someone makes me their father or guardian, not lover. Everyone needs help, but at what point does help or sacrifice for another become a crutch that stifles their self-sovereignty? That is the cruelest debasement, a theft of what matters most. It is a rape most vile.
Reference:
1.Liber AL I:57.
2.Liber AL I:41
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