noonespecial

Imperfection NOT unique to Judaic Kabalah. Unless, there is some sort of miscommunication here? Or perhaps you are misinterpreting Kaplan, what he wrote in one swift verse took Dion Fortune a couple hundred pages in Circuit of Force.

Yes, that's what I wrote. I get what you are saying though, that resistance is built into the binary system so it does not unify but continues evolving.

I would think an experience of the One would default to void from our current perspective. Glimpses can be caught here and there... Anyhew, here is a solid explanation of the One splitting itself: "Now, the problem with this unified-field is that because everything contained in it exists in a state of balance, where each of its parts is in harmony with the others, no growth or evolution can happen in that state. In order to have growth we must have a condition where one thing can relate to another thing. In other words, we must have a 'two-thing' condition, which does not exist at the core of the Anima Mundi. So the Anima Mundi is simply a store-house. It is not a place where things grow and develop. Because of this, if we want to grow and develop ... to 'express' all that is 'potential' in the Anima Mundi, we must create another condition where that can be possible. In the more religious descriptions of Hermetic theory this situation is sometimes explained as ... God (the Sole existent One Creator), decided to extend out from Itself, and by doing-so, divide Itself in to two parts, or in two. Note, It does not create a new second part, it divides Itself." - Rubaphilos http://www.rubaphilos.com/texts/The%20Yahoo%20Lectures%20vol%20I%20v2.pdf

As far as the Hermetic QBL being superior as a system I completley agree. But we must ask ourselves what is a Sefirot, who is the authority on defining what that is, what is the difference between a Sefirot in our system and the Judaic system, how can one move something that per the Sefer Yetzirah, is not a thing at all, Ten Sefirah of Nothingness it reads (I'm big on the SY much like PFC and Westcott were, Zohar and the more religious stuff...not so much, again agreed). But this notion of imperfection, of a fallen creaton, is not unique to Judaic Kabalah, it's inherent in the GD as well, is it not - edit: for insance in the 5=6 ritual I believe the Aspirant states, "I am the rescuer of matter," Spirit is something that must be liberated from dense matter, again Key 6. Also: WE Butler's take on what it means to 'rescue matter.'

Polarity. Equilibrium, the interplay between the two. UFA's post brought this to mind, "When the Sefirot are in their normal state, arrayed in three columns, they are in a state of equilibrium. But when the Sefirot of the central column are moved to the right and left, so as to divide the Sefirot in two arrays, a powerful tension is produced. When they are in such a mode, powerful spiritual forces can be directed and channeled." - Aryeh Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah Pg.33

As the bruhs would say, "you salty bruh?"

Ah yes, the constant thrust of infinite mind into the infinite waters, forever and ever, sustaining creation. In QBL it's interesting to note, that once the practioner shifts {edit - not fully, see Halevi's work} his being to a ruach level, his head is now tiferet and tiferet is yesod, the foundation of righteousness, the genitals, all the way up through da'at, into keter.

PFC from Highlights of the Tarot writes, "The ancients declared that the devil was God inverted. This refers to the conception of matter as opposed to Spirit, though the truth is that they are aspects of ONE THING." More or less exactly what we are discussing here, the dual aspect of the astral light - likewise the salt water and fresh water of Tiamat. I think the GD version of the Lovers (1+5=6) is related as well. One of my fav cards.

This is such a good post, the Sleeps, the fuck indeed...thank you for contriubuting. The two aspects of the primal water, or the fiery waters brings to mind the nature of the Secret Fire, sulphur, salt. Much food for thought.

Absolutely, peace to you.

Well...Ain Sof is 'above' the four worlds for starters, likewise within Ain Sof lay the hidden nature of the Three Mother letters somehow arousing emanation, anyhow, if we are depending upon authority in the issue, Aryeh Kaplan says as much in Inner Space, the world of AK is the upper tip of the Yod, the hidden 5th world, God's Will as the interface between the Sefirot and Ain Sof, Ha-Rishon, the first garment, which parellels the Yechidah portion of the human soul and he also provides many variations of the theme from numerous sages. FYI - you can believe whatever you want, it's no skin off my back, I'm just relaying the consensus view, of course different schools use different systems of classification. I myself hold my own interpretation.

To add - I was recently at a Baptism at Roman Catholic church, and it really is a grandiose invocation, the Angels, the Saints, in addition to the Trinity, etc are all invited. And indeed for those with eyes to see, the whisps of light were present.

Yes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Worlds Adam Kadmon (A"K, אָדָם קַדְמוֹן) meaning Primordial Man. The anthropomorphic metaphor "Adam" denotes the Yosher (Upright) configuration of the sephirot in the form of Man, though not yet manifest. "Kadmon" signifies "primary of all primaries", the first pristine emanation, still united with the Ein Sof. Adam Kadmon is the realm of Keter Elyon (Supernal Crown of Will), "the lucid and luminous light" (Tzachtzachot), "the pure lucid sephirot which are concealed and hidden" in potential. Containing the future emergence of Creation, it is Divine light with no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for Existence, within Creation (after the Tzimtzum in Lurianic Kabbalah). In Lurianism, the lights from A"K precipitate Tohu and Tikun. As Keter is elevated above the sephirot, so Adam Kadmon is supreme above the Worlds, and generally only Four Worlds are referred to.

Isn't transmission received with the scaraments, like Baptism and Holy Communion? Other than that through Grace via prayer, faith and devotion. According to Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." There's gotta be transmission there too? Based on occult principles it would probably depend on who gives the Baptism and prepares the Communion? Or likewise on the person receiving? Maybe Jeff can add? As far as Grace, I absolutly agree with you, in fact I am here now on this forum, on this path because of Grace (I asked and knocked and was answered). IMHO it's the key element that is missing in the western tradition post Regardie/Crowley, who for a lack of a better term walked the path of strength, strong arming the divine through formula and barborous words - take one look at the modern occult groups then read the Fama Fratenitatis or even the Corpus Hermeticum and the discerning mind will quickly notice a vast discrepency.

Interestingly enough, I pulled the Trump 15 <Devil> this morning.

Dont forget the light required for a light transmission.

I thought AK was considered it's own world above the other 4, the 5 world system?

Great thread guys! Properly understood, practiced, and interated the Qabalah should lead to equilibrium in the body and psyche of the practioner, a type of wu wei is the desired result. The Tree of Life diagram helps chart what is taking place, it really is quite brilliant, but it should be remebered, the Tree of Life IS NOT the Qabalah, Qabalah means to receive, so the question remains, receive what from who...that is for the practioner to discover, the Rabbis call it Mezla, the Hermeticists call it Lux, the Daoists call it Qi There are a couple of chapters on Abulafia, including practical meditations (vowel permutations/head movements) in Kaplan's other book. http://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Kabbalah-Aryeh-Kaplan/dp/0877286167 I believe his SY also has some of Abulafia's permutations, but I'm too lazy to go to the bookshelf right now.

I never thought of that, perhaps my maleness blinded me to that aspect, 1 is a phallic symbol, but then there is no 1 without a 2. It's also interesting that while not necesarily a feminine principle, this primordial womb, this chaos took on the feminine role, Tiamat needs to be tamed, conquered, divided by Marduk, etc.

In retrosepct, I could have made the thread much simpler lol. And it does come down to the 'next further back' question, or the infamous 'who created god' question - through practice I no longer care about that issue, being just is as far as I am concerened, we are here and that's it. But what has been dancing through my mind, is why does everything 'have to be a unity' - new agers, occultists, religionists all posit this as if it is a necessary truth, return to the one, achad, we are one, etc, etc....but why, things could just as easily be two, two at the ring pass not, not one, not zero. One of the first things, my small silent voice told me repeatedly, was push up and out, there is nothing to 'return' to (in regards to the Path of Return of GOlden Dawn derived occultism I would suppsoe).

From Rubaphilos, The Hermes Paradigm, Book Two: pg.40-41 "Hermetic philosophy tells us that behind physical reality exists a condition that alchemists call the universal spirit. This spirit is the most remote condition of matter from physical matter itself. It is considered a form of Fire by Hermeticists, but it is cold, dark, completely non-physical and omnipresent... Then something stirs this chaos (1) into motion. Exactly how this happens is not known, but a number of ancient cultures imagined that God agitated the chaos by a verbal command. This sound, or vibration, causes light (2) to be generated in the chaos...as the agitation was increased that cold, dark light became heat and then visible Fire." great book btw - highly recommended.

Yes, the hyle...it's all amusing, I came by this earlier, from the Zohar - "In the beginning Ein Sof emanated ten sefirot, which are of it's essence, united with it. It and they are entirely one. There is no change or division in the emanator that would justify saying it is divided into parts in these various sefirot. Division and change do not apply to it, only to the external sefirot." edit- and yet we have three mother letters 'in' Ein Sof which presuppose creation, likewise we have theories of quantum fluctations in a mathematical void that presuppose the big bang. AE Waite - "They have compared the "prima materia" to everything, to male and female, to the hermaphroditic monster, to heaven and earth, to body and spirit, chaos, microcosm, and the confused mass; it contains in itself all colors and potentially all metals; there is nothing more wonderful in the world, for it begets itself, conceives itself, and gives birth to itself."

No.

Amen brother.

For the record, I have no answers. lol.