Hermetic Qabalah - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

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Hermetic Qabalah From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Main page This article is about traditional Hermetic Qabalah. For other Kabbalistic traditions see Kabbalah, Contents Christian Cabala, and Hurufism, Practical Kabbalah Featured content From the Hebrew ָ ָ ַ "reception" or) Part of a series of articles on קבּלה Current events Hermetic Qabalah "accounting") is a Western esoteric, occult and mystical Random article Hermeticism tradition. It is the underlying philosophy and framework Donate to Wikipedia for magical societies such as the Golden Dawn, Thelemic Interaction orders, mystical-religious societies such as the Builders Help of the Adytum and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and About Wikipedia is a precursor to the Neopagan, Wiccan and New Age Community portal movements.[1] The Hermetic Qabalah is the basis for Recent changes Qliphothic Qabala as studied by left hand path orders, Contact Wikipedia such as the Typhonian Order.

Toolbox Occult Hermetic Qabalah arose alongside and united Hermetic Religion with the Christian Cabalistic involvement in the European Hermeticism · Print/export Renaissance, becoming variously Esoteric Christian, Mythology Hermes Trismegistus · Thoth · Poimandres · Languages non-Christian, or anti-Christian across its different Hermetica Cymraeg schools in the modern era. It draws on a great many Corpus Hermeticum · Kybalion · Deutsch influences, most notably: Jewish Kabbalah, Western astrology, Alchemy, pagan religions, especially Egyptian Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Italiano Universe and Greco-Roman (the latter being from which the term Nederlands Alchemy · Astrology · Theurgy · "Hermetic" is derived), neoplatonism, gnosticism, the 中文 Influence and Influences Enochian system of angelic magic of John Dee and Edit links Hermetic Movements Edward Kelley, hermeticism, rosicrucianism, Rosicrucianism · Freemasonry, tantra and the symbolism of the tarot. Orders Hermetic Qabalah differs from the Jewish form in being a Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn · more admittedly syncretic system, however it shares Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor · many concepts with Jewish Kabbalah. Hermetic Brotherhood of Light · Ordo Templi Orientis · Contents [hide] Topics in Hermetism 1 Teachings Qabalah · Occult and divinatory tarot · 1.1 Conception of Divinity Hermetists and Hermeticists 1.2 The Sephiroth in Hermetic Qabalah John Dee · Aleister Crowley · Israel Regardie · Thābit ibn Qurra · Paracelsus · 1.3 Tarot and the Tree of Life Giordano Bruno · Ahmad al-Būni · 1.4 Relation to Western Magic, Alchemy and Astrology Samuel MacGregor Mathers · 2 History William Westcott · 2.1 Hermetic views of Qabalah origins Franz Bardon · Jakob Böhme ·

2.2 Renaissance occultism V · t · E · 2.3 Enlightenment era esoteric societies 2.4 Nineteenth century magical revival 2.5 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn 2.6 After the Golden Dawn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Qabalah[5/3/2013 1:40:16 AM] Hermetic Qabalah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Teachings [edit]

Conception of Divinity [edit] A primary concern of Hermetic Qabalah is the nature of divinity, its conception of which is quite markedly different from that presented in monotheistic religions; in particular there is not the strict separation between divinity and man which is seen in monotheisms.[2] Hermetic Qabalah holds to the neoplatonic conception that the manifest universe, of which material creation is a part, arose as a series of emanations from the godhead.[3] These emanations arise out of three preliminary states that are considered to precede manifestation. nothing"); the second state, considered a" אין) The first is a state of complete nullity, known as Ain without limit, infinite"); the third state, caused by a" אין סוף) concentration" of Ain, is Ain Suph" limitless light"), and it is from this initial" אין סוף אור) movement" of Ain Suph, is Ain Suph Aur" brilliance that the first emanation of creation originates.[4]

The Sephiroth in Hermetic Qabalah [edit] Main article: Tree of life (Kabbalah) The emanations of creation arising from Ain Suph Aur are ten in , ְס ִפ ָירה singular Sephirah , ְס ִפירֹת) number, and are called Sephiroth "enumeration"). These are conceptualised somewhat differently in Hermetic Qabalah to the way they are in Jewish Kabbalah.[5] See Tree of life (Kabbalah) for the Hermetic conceptualisation, and Sephirot for the Jewish conceptualisation. From Ain Suph Aur crystallises Kether, the first sephirah of the Hermetic Qabalistic tree of life. From Kether emanate the rest of the sephirot in turn, viz. Kether (1), Chokhmah (2), Binah (3), Daath, Chesed (4), Geburah (5), Tiphareth (6), Netzach (7), Hod (8), Yesod (9), Malkuth (10). Daath is not assigned a number as it is considered part of Binah or a hidden sephirah.[6] Each sephirah is considered to be an emanation of the divine energy (often described as 'the divine light') which ever flows from the unmanifest, through Kether into manifestation.[7] This flow of light is indicated by the lightning flash shown on diagrams of the sephirotic tree which passes through each sephirah in turn The Sephirothic tree showing the lightning flash and the paths according to their enumerations. Each sephirah is a nexus of divine energy and each has a number of attributions. These attributions enable the Qabalist to form a comprehension of each particular sephirah's characteristics. This manner of applying many attributions to each sephirah is an exemplar of the diverse nature of Hermetic Qabalah. For example the sephirah Hod has the attributions of; Glory, perfect intelligence, the eights of the tarot deck, the planet Mercury, the Egyptian god Thoth, the archangel Michael, the Roman god Mercury and the alchemical element Mercury.[8][9] The general principle involved is that the Qabalist will meditate on all these attributions and by this

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means acquire an understanding of the character of the sephirah.

Tarot and the Tree of Life [edit] Main article: Divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot The Qabalistic Tree of Life in Hermetic Qabalists see the cards of the tarot as keys to the Tree of the Servants of the Light Life. The twenty-one trumps and the fool are often called the "Major organisation's Hermetic theory Arcana" or "Greater Mysteries" and are seen as corresponding to the twenty-two Hebrew letters and the twenty-two paths of the Tree; the ace to ten in each suit correspond to the ten Sephiroth in the four Qabalistic worlds; and the sixteen court cards relate to the classical elements in the four worlds.[10][11][12] While the sephiroth describe the nature of God, the paths between them describe ways of knowing God.[13]

Relation to Western Magic, Alchemy and Astrology [edit]

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History [edit]

Hermetic views of Qabalah origins [edit] See also: Gnosticism Traditionalist Judaic views of Kabbalah's origins view it as an inherent development from within the Jewish religion, perhaps expressed Syncretism of Cabala, Alchemy, Astrology and through syncretic terminology from Medieval Jewish Neoplatonism. other esoteric Hermetic Contemporary academics of Jewish mysticism have reassessed disciplines in a 1654 German Gershom Scholem's theory that the new doctrine of Medieval Kabbalah depiction assimilated an earlier Jewish version of Gnosticism;[14] Moshe Idel instead has posited a historical continuity of development from early Jewish mysticism.[15] In contrast, Hermeticists have taken different views of Qabalah's origins. Some authors see the origins of Qabalah not in Semitic/Jewish mysticism, or ancient Egyptian Gnosticism, but in a western tradition originating in classical Greece with Indo-European cultural roots, later adopted by Jewish mystics.[16] According to this view, "Hermetic Qabalah" would be the original Qabalah, even though the word itself is Judaic Hebrew, over the Christian Cabalah or the Jewish Kabbalah: Alongside the Christian conversion from paganism, Jewish mystical circles would have been able to incorporate gematria and the Tree of life to their own concepts and fully monotheistic framework, without being suspect. Christians, in contrast, would have been persecuted for the same process, as it would have been similar to their pre-Christian polytheistic panentheism. With the Renaissance, this wisdom would have been relearned by Christianity from Judaism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Qabalah[5/3/2013 1:40:16 AM] Hermetic Qabalah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Renaissance occultism [edit] See also: Christian Kabbalah and Hermeticism Jewish Kabbalah was absorbed into the Hermetic tradition at least as early as the 15th century when Giovanni Pico della Mirandola promoted a syncretic world view combining Platonism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, Hermeticism and Kabbalah.[17] Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535), a German magician, occult writer, theologian, astrologer, and alchemist, wrote the influential Three Books of Occult Philosophy, incorporating Kabbalah in its theory and practice of Western magic. It contributing to the Renaissance view of ritual magic's relationship with Christianity. Pico's Hermetic syncretism was further developed by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest, hermeticist and polymath, who wrote extensively on the subject in 1652, bringing further elements such as Orphism and Egyptian mythology to the mix.[18]

Enlightenment era esoteric societies [edit] Once Hermeticism was no longer endorsed by the Christian Church it was driven underground and a number of Hermetic brotherhoods were formed. With the Enlightenment Age of Reason and skepticism of mainstream religion, the tradition of exoteric- theological Christian Cabala declined, while esoteric-occult Hermetic Qabalah flourished in the Western mystery tradition. Non- Jewish Cabala, unlike in Judaic Kabbalah's mainstream censure of its magical side, became a central component of Western occult, magic and divination. Rosicrucianism and esoteric branches of Freemasonry taught religious philosophies, Qabalah, and divine magic in progressive steps of initiation. Their esoteric teachings, and secret society structure of an outer body governed by a restricted inner level of The "Kircher Tree": Athanasius Kircher's 1652 adepts, laid the format for modern esoteric organisations. depiction of the Tree of Life, based on a 1625 version by Nineteenth century magical revival [edit] Philippe d'Aquin. This is still the most common arrangement of Post-Enlightenment Romanticism encouraged societal interest in the Sephiroth and paths on the occultism, of which Hermetic Qabalistic writing was a feature. tree in Hermetic Qabalah Francis Barrett's The Magus (1801) handbook of ceremonial magic gained little notice until it influenced the French magical enthusiast Eliphas Levi (1810-1875). His fanciful literary embellishments of magical invocations presented Qabalism as synonymous with both White and Black magic. Levi incorporated the Tarot cards into his magical system, and as a result the Tarot has been an important part of the paraphernalia of Western magicians. He had a deep impact on the magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Through the occultists inspired by him, Levi is remembered as one of the key founders of the 20th century revival of magic.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn [edit] Hermetic Qabalah reached its peak in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn,[19] a 19th century organization that was arguably the pinnacle of ceremonial magic in the west. Within the Golden Dawn the fusing of Qabalistic principles such as the ten Sephiroth with Greek and Egyptian deities was made more cohesive and was extended to encompass other systems such as the Enochian system of angelic magic of John Dee and certain Eastern (particularly Hindu and Buddhist) concepts, all within the structure of a Masonic or Rosicrucian style esoteric order. Aleister Crowley, a member of the Golden Dawn, is the most widely known exponent of Hermetic Magic[20] or Magick as he preferred to spell it. Crowley's book Liber 777 is a good illustration of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Qabalah[5/3/2013 1:40:16 AM] Hermetic Qabalah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

wider Hermetic approach. It is a set of tables of correspondences relating various parts of ceremonial magic and Eastern and Western religion to the thirty-two numbers representing the ten spheres plus the twenty-two paths of the qabalistic Tree of Life. The panentheistic nature of Hermetic Qabalists is ("Mercy" חסד) plainly evident here, as one may simply check the table to see that Chesed corresponds to Jupiter, Isis, the colour blue (on the Queen Scale), Poseidon, Brahma, and amethyst.

After the Golden Dawn [edit] Many of the Golden Dawn's rituals were published by Crowley, altered in various ways to align them with his own New Aeon magickal approach. Israel Regardie eventually compiled the more traditional forms of these rituals and published them in book form.[21] Dion Fortune, an initiate of Alpha et Omega, who went on to found the Fraternity of the Inner Light wrote the seminal book The Mystical Qabalah, widely considered one of the best general introductions to modern Hermetic Qabalah.[22][23] Pat Zalewski is a student of Jack Taylor, who was in turn a student of Robert Felkin's school, as taught in New Zealand after Felkin emigrated there. Samael Aun Weor has written many significant works that discuss Kabbalah within many religions, such as the Egyptian, Pagan, and Central American religions, which is summarized in his work The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah. Paul Foster Case (1884–1954) was an American occultist and author of influential books on occult tarot and Qabalah. He founded the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A) mystery school, rooted in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Masonic blue lodge system, later extended by Ann Davies. B.O.T.A. teaches esoteric psychology, occult tarot, Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, and meditation.