Showing posts with label Qabbalah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qabbalah. Show all posts

Friday, 1 January 2016

Post No. 803 - an update on the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

I've posted about this previously, including a so-called "Egyptian" version, and, in this post, some information on how to draw pentagrams (the diagram below, from that post, shows the banishing sequence: for invoking, I start at the top and keep working clockwise).


 I've subsequently added elements from my study via the Open Source Order of the (mystical) Golden Dawn (OSOGD) and of working with elements generally: you need to read what the OSOGD has to say about this ritual and the referenced signs (here, here and here) before trying to use them (and others as well - for instance, here, here, here, here, here, etc).

The ritual I now use has the following broad steps (for the Southern Hemisphere):

(1) BANISHING
1.1 Qabbalistic Cross
1.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
1.3 invoke Archangels

(2) INVOKING
2.1 Qabbalistic Cross
2.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
2.3 invoke Archangels


RITUAL PHASE (1) - BANISHING
based on the LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (see also here), and the QABBALISTIC CROSS

1.1 Qabbalistic Cross
1.1 (a) Touch forehead, vibrate "AH – TEY"
1.1 (b) Point downwards, vibrate "MAHL – KOOTH"
1.1 (c) Touch right shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’BOO – RAH"
1.1 (d) Touch left shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’DOO – LAH"
1.1 (e) Fold hands at chest, vibrate "LIH – OH – LAH – MEN"

1.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
1.2 (a) Go to or face east,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left and going clockwise - the first line is as if "throwing mucky stuff up to heaven to be got rid of"),
- then touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew AShRH, or Asherah), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):

- draw the sigil of the Lord of Air to seal the work in this Quarter:


1.2 (b) Carry line to or face north,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew ADNI, or Adonai), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):

- draw the sigil of the Lord of Fire to seal the work in this Quarter:


1.2 (c) Carry line to or face west,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew EHIH, or Eheih), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):

- draw the sigil of the Lord of Water to seal the work in this Quarter:


1.2 (d) Carry line to or face south,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew AGLA, which is an abbreviation for Ateh Gibor Leolahm Adonai, or, in English, To Thee be the Power unto the Ages, O my Lord), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):

- draw the sigil of the Lord of Earth to seal the work in this Quarter:


1.2 (e) Carry line to or face east completing circle and return to centre.
If I wish to be sure of the protection, I will then repeat the pentagram, thinking of this as "locking" the circle.

1.3 invoke Archangels
1.3 (a) Stand with arms outstretched,
- then visualise a great beam of bright light coming down from above, and passing through the vertical axis of your body, followed by a great beam of bright light from the side (I generally use the right side as the source) and passing through the heart, thus creating a great cross of light;

1.3 (b) Then say the following as do the visualisations of the Archangels, facing OUTWARDS:
  • "BEFORE ME RAPHAEL,"
    (visualise the Archangel as a young male, dressed in golden colours, and holding a sword up)
  • "ON MY LEFT MICHAEL,"
    (visualise the Archangel as a mature male, dressed in red colours, and holding a spear)
  • "BEHIND ME GABRAEL,"
    (visualise the Archangel as a young woman, dressed in autumnal colours [I use brown, yellow and red], and holding a cup)
  • "ON MY RIGHT AURIEL,"
    (visualise the archangel as a mature woman, dressed in earthy colours [I use green and brown], and holding a shield)
  • "FOR ABOUT ME ARE THE FLAMES OF HEAVEN,
    "AND ABOVE ME IS THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN."

RITUAL PHASE (2) - INVOKING
based on the LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (see also here), and the QABBALISTIC CROSS.

This is based on invoking the sphere "Kether". To invoke other Spheres, substitute the name with either the name of the Sphere you wish to invoke (in fact, I frequently do that, and say "Keth-her" rather than use the God name), or the relevant God name.

2.1 Qabbalistic Cross
2.1 (a) Touch forehead, vibrate "AH – TAH"
2.1 (b) Point downwards, vibrate "MAHL – KOOTH"
2.1 (c) Touch right shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’BOO – RAH"
2.1 (d) Touch left shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’DOO – LAH"1.1e Fold hands at chest, vibrate "LIH – OH – LAH – MEN"

2.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
2.2 (a) Go to or face east,
- draw pentagram (starting at top and going anticlockwise - the first line is as if "drawing the blessings of heaven downwards"),
- then touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE – AH" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew AShRH, or Asherah), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):
 - draw the sigil of the Lord of Air to seal the work in this Quarter:
2.2 (b) Carry line to or face north,
- draw pentagram (starting at top and going anticlockwise ),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE – AH" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew ADNI, or Adonai), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):
- draw the sigil of the Lord of Fire to seal the work in this Quarter:

2.2 (c) Carry line to or face west,
- draw pentagram (starting at top and going anticlockwise ),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE – AH" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew EHIH, or Eheih), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):
- draw the sigil of the Lord of Water to seal the work in this Quarter:

2.2 (d) Carry line to or face south,
- draw pentagram (starting at top and going anticlockwise ),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE – AH" to activate the pentagram
- visualise the following writing (Hebrew AGLA, which is an abbreviation for Ateh Gibor Leolahm Adonai, or, in English, To Thee be the Power unto the Ages, O my Lord), then make the "Sign of the Enterer", then the "Sign of Silence" (see here, about half way down):
- draw the sigil of the Lord of Earth to seal the work in this Quarter:

2.2 (e) Carry line to or face east completing circle and return to centre.
If I wish to be sure of the protection, I will then repeat the pentagram, thinking of this as "locking" the circle.

2.3 invoke Archangels
2.3 (a) Stand with arms outstretched,
- then visualise a great beam of bright light coming down from above, and passing through the vertical axis of your body, followed by a great beam of bright light from the side (i generally use the right side as the source) and passing through the heart, thus creating a great cross of light;

2.3 (b) Then say the following as do the visualisations of the Archangels, facing INWARDS:
  • "BEFORE ME RAPHAEL,"(visualise the Archangel as a young male, dressed in golden colours, and holding a sword up)
  • "ON MY LEFT MICHAEL,"(visualise the Archangel as a mature male, dressed in red colours, and holding a spear)
  • "BEHIND ME GABRAEL,"(visualise the Archangel as a young woman, dressed in autumnal colours [I use brown, yellow and red], and holding a cup)
  • "ON MY RIGHT AURIEL,"(visualise the archangel as a mature woman, dressed in earthy colours [I use green and brown], and holding a shield)
  • "FOR ABOUT ME ARE THE FLAMES OF HEAVEN,""AND ABOVE ME IS THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN."
I have a single diagram that I have summarised what are, at the present, the key aspects of this for me (from which some of the above diagrams came from):
(I use an ankh as the sigil for Aether.)


For the sake of completeness of this post, I am also going to add the revised (short version) daily protection prayer I use:
May the best in me, my Higher Self,
and those of the Clear Light who assist me,
help me to keep myself grounded, centred and shielded,
to be Balanced and a Fulcrum of Balance,
a centre of Balanced Positivity and Spiritual Maturity,
with my aura continuously cleansed, cleared and closed,
repelling all negative or unwanted energies,
whilst allowing positive, balancing and healing energies through.

and the opening and closing prayers I use:
May the Goddess guide, nurture, protect and heal all of us present here, whatever our form, existence or purpose for coming here may be.
We ask that the assistance be both within and without ourselves:

  • within, by increasing our spiritual strengths and our love, and by reducing our weaknesses;
  • without, through the assistance of our and other Balanced Positive Spiritual Force Guides and helpers, our Higher Selves, the Ancestors and by being connected to positive energy centres.
We ask that the protection without include a Pyramid of Light about this place, existing in all dimensions. We ask that our Pyramid be kept continuously clear of all negative or discordant units, and free of all outside negative influences.
May this prayer, and everything that is done, thought or said by anyone present or connected to here in any way, be only for the Highest Spiritual Good. As a sign of our commitment to this request, we ask that all that we intentionally do to others be done immediately to us, so that we may know no harm is being done.
So mote it be.
closing prayer:
We ask that our auras be cleansed, cleared and closed. We ask that we be assisted to close down and to centre ourselves, grounding and releasing all excess energy in doing so. We ask that the pyramid be cleansed and cleared in all times, dimensions, realities, levels and spaces. We ask that all positive links, skills outcomes and other things be strengthened. We ask that the circle be cleansed, cleared and closed, but that the protection, healing and guidance continue for the Highest Spiritual Good.
So mote it be.

and the following variations of the "Dharma Wrapper" and "Dedication of Merit" exercises of the OSOGD that I have posted about previously:
  • Asking for Help
    With your eyes open, visualize the rune Wunjo * (for its connection to spiritual ecstasy) at your heart, take a deep breath and sound the rune’s name, long and strong (mentally, if you cannot do so out aloud), letting the vibration centre on the image of the rune and radiating gold light in all directions, carrying your desire to be of service for this meditation. While sounding and visualising, imagine all beings that have vowed to help you, your Patron Deities, BPLF Guides, and your Higher Self, in the space all around you … and all those who are also doing this work. Imagine that they hear you, and turn to face you.
    Receiving Help
    Close your eyes and take another deep breath. Do another long chant of Wunjo and visualise yourself all the other beings present have a golden Wunjo light up at their heart chakras, as they join your chant and radiate golden light at you (and anyone you are working with). This light fills up your body with “all good things” and pushes out “all bad things”.
    Sharing Help
    Having been purified and empowered by the blessing of these beings take a deep breath and open your eyes. Do another long chant of Wunjo and visualise yourself all the other beings present have a golden Wunjo light up at their heart chakras, as they join your chant and radiate golden light outwards in all directions.
  • May the benefit of this act and all acts
    Be dedicated to the Spiritual Maturity, Balanced Positivity and Supreme Enlightenment
    Of all Beings everywhere, throughout Space and Time.

    May the benefits of practice, mine, ours and others,
    Come to fruition, Ultimately and Immediately,
    And we remain in the State of Presence.

    So Mote It Be.
May you find this useful, and may I find it in my future incarnations :)


[1] BPM = Balanced Positive (spiritually) Mature. See here and here for more on this.
[2]
Please see here, here, here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").
[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.

Love, light, hugs and blessings
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga ... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate-clear for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.

The real dividing line is not between Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
Tom Fletcher, Former UK Ambassador to Lebanon
  • If your “gut” (your instinct/intuition) is telling you something is wrong, but logic and the available evidence is saying otherwise, the proper conclusion to draw is that you need better, more personally credible evidence. Your “gut” could be wrong, right, or missing the nuances / “shades of grey” . So could the available evidence.
  • All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Tags: energy, energy work, LBRP, Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, OSOGD, pentagram, prayer, protection, Qabbalah, rituals,
First published: Fryrsdagr, 1stJanuary, 2016
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Friday, 1stJanuary, 2016

Saturday, 26 April 2014

Post No. 547: Workshop Notes on the Qabbalah



As I state in the beginning of these notes, I do not consider myself an expert on the Qabbalah - although I’ve been working with it since the late 70s/early 80s.

In terms of the workshop content, I found that I had cut the notes back a little too far, and if I repeat this workshop I’ll add more information. The information on numerology also led to lots of interest, so I may have to work that up into a workshop as well … perhaps with biorhythms, as I’m working on some spreadsheets for both of those.

One interesting thing that came out of the workshop –by means of an answer to a question - is that when we set up protection to the four quarters, we are not so much protecting a direction as protecting a characteristic of reality – so, when we ask for protection in the north and associate that with Fire (I’m in the Southern Hemisphere, remember), we’re really asking for protection of the attributes of Fire (manifestation, etc) wherever they are, not just in the North.

Introduction to the Qabbalah
Kayleen White, April, 2014
Please note that I do not consider myself an expert in this topic. I’d also like to apologise in advance, as my pronunciation is fairly dreadful.

There are a number of different branches of this topic. This started as a form of Jewish mysticism, but then was adapted by Hermeticism in the Middle Ages, and later by the New Age in the West. What most non-Jewish people think of as ‘the Qabbalah’, is the Hermetic/New Age version, which is what this workshop will cover.

Let’s begin with how to spell the word.

There are a wide range of spellings [1], partly arising because of the translation of the name of this system from Hebrew. In Hebrew characters, the spelling is (going from right to left):
ה ל ב ק
which literally means ‘receiving’ or ‘tradition’.
(That is the last bit of Hebrew writing I will use in this workshop.)

The characters are:
ק    Qof (or Qoph)
ב       Bet or Beth
ל       Lamed
ה     He
which is why I favour a spelling beginning with Q. I suspect others use K to be more sure of pronunciation - and the doubling of letters is tied up with rules associated with pronunciation.
Up to 24 versions of the spelling of this term exist, which reflects the difficulty of translating from Hebrew to English.

Keep that in mind when considering the concepts, many of which have also been translated!
There seems to be a spelling convention now that some people advocate around these different versions, which is:
spellings beginning with K             -             relate to the Jewish traditions
spellings beginning with Q            -             relate to the Hermitic versions
spellings beginning with C             -             relate to the Christian  versions

Very, very briefly, Jewish Kabbalah is generally considered to have begun somewhere around the 11th or 13th centuries, and was a development of earlier mystical systems such as ‘the Merkabah’ [2], which had books such as the Sefer Yetzirah [3]. The Kabbalah tradition includes references such as the fairly well known Zohar, and all of these are based on interpreting the Jewish holy book, the Torah (the Talmud is, effectively, a commentary on the Torah).

Interestingly, there is a branch of Jewish Kabbalah where the practitioners actually do what they consider to be ‘white magic’, despite the general prohibition against magic in that religion. (There is also a meditative branch, and a prophetic branch of Jewish Kabbalah.)

This, along with the entirety of Jewish Kabbalah, has had a fairly chequered history within broader Judaism.

I know very little on this, although I’ve had access to parts of the Zohar from a friend. For more on this, it would be best to refer to authoritative sources, or even http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabalah.

Hermeticism arose in around the 3rd century, and has had a major influence on Western esotericism - and, during the 14th and 15th centuries, is considered by some to have had a major influence on the early development of science. For more on Hermeticism, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism.

From around the 15th century, Kabbalistic thought began being absorbed into Hermeticism, leading to a series of books which probably peaked with Dion Fortune’s book The Mystical Qabalah, published in 1935 [4].

This tradition began in the 14th century, during the Renaissance, and declined in the late 17th and 18th century Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason).

To jump ahead a little, this tradition links the upper three Sephiroth to the Trinity, and the lower seven to the earthly world.

I know nothing of this particular interpretation system. If you’d like to know more, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Kabbalah.

There are other traditions linked to the Qabbalah, such as a heretical Jewish tradition called Sabbateanism [5], and ‘English Qabalah’ [6], which interprets the letters of the English alphabet as number and symbol.

The term ‘world view’ was first used by the German philosopher Albert Schweitzer, in a book called “The Decay and Restoration of Civilization”. The term basically means a plan of reality, and includes our view of what constitutes reality, and also how one should live, what one should try to do with one’s life. As an example of world view, someone may not accept the existence of anything non-physical, let alone life after death, and therefore base all their decisions on, perhaps. living for the moment. Other world views may accept the existence of the nonphysical, and have an ethical code based on caring. (Some people who do not accept the existence of the nonphysical may still have a strong belief in caring.)

The Qabbalah was rooted in the Jewish tradition, and thus is based on the existence of Creator God, and a life hereafter.

More specifically, the Qabalah refers to:
·         Ein, or ‘no-thingness’;
·         Ein Sof, ‘limitlessness’, or God prior to self-manifestation in the form of production of any realm, also referred to as ‘the nameless Being’; and
·         Ohr Ein Sof, from which our physical reality is manifested (incidentally, I was taught, back in the 70s or 80s, to pronounce this Ein Sof Ohr, and generally do so out of habit).

There is also a ‘stage of concealment’, the ‘tzimtzum’, which (according to Wikipedia) “ “allows space” for creations to perceive themselves as separate existences from their Creator.”

These are above the diagrams normally presented to explain the Qabbalah. So, all that is in the Qabbalah is manifested from God, and that manifestation process comprises the three levels referred to above, and then what is referred to as ‘the Lightning Flash’.

Before I can explain the Lightning Flash’, the Qabbalah is typically presented as ten ‘Spheres’, or ‘Sephirah’, each being a particular characteristic or part of reality. These are arranged into three columns:
·         the Left Pillar (Pillar of Mercy);
·         the Middle Pillar (Pillar of Mildness);
·         the Right Pillar (Pillar of Severity).

The ten Sephirah are arranged along the Pillars, three on the Left, four on the Middle, and three on the Right. The ‘Lightning Flash’ travels from God to the highest Sephirah on the Middle Pillar, then to the highest Sephirah on the Pillar of Mercy (Chokmah, or Wisdom), then across to Binah (Understanding), at the top of the Pillar of Severity, and so on down through the rest of the Qabbalistic arrangement of Sephirah - which is referred to as ‘the Tree of Life’. It represents the path of manifestation from God to the World.

Diagrams of the ‘Tree of Life’ are generally drawn as if one is looking at another person, so what is on the right hand side of the diagram is what I will refer to as the Left Pillar, and what is on the left side will be the Right Pillar.

In analysing the Tree of Life of the Qabbalah, the grouping of the Sephirah into threes, referred to as ‘triads’, is significant, as are the pathways linking the Sephirah.

Let’s begin with a diagram of the Qabbalah (my apologies for not giving the source of this diagram: I've had it for many years and didn't think I would use it, so never kept the source - the information is, however, widely available in various books and on the Internet)


Figure 1 - The Tree of Life
The triads are:
·         Ein, Ein Sof, Ohr Ein Sof;
·         Kether, Chokmah, Binah:
·         Chesed, Gevurah (or Geburah), Tiphereth (or Tiphareth);
·         Netzach, Hod, Yesod.

Let’s now look at the elements of the Qabbalah in more detail.

Jewish Kabbalists may take great pains to emphasise that the Sephirah are all contained within the Ein Sof, apparently to avoid any possibility of an interpretation of God as having  Dualist Nature (one part Divine, one part Reality).

In my work with the Qabbalah, I use an awareness of this higher triad, and the sequence of manifestation it represents, as background knowledge for my work. It is also a great tool to meditate on if you want to gain a deeper understanding of how reality works J - and particularly, how it came to be.

I don’t generally attempt to work with any part of this triad personally - it would be like an ant trying to direct an elephant. The sequence of names, however, can be chanted as a sequence to gradually bring Light and Love to a place - i.e., chant Ein several times, then Ein Sof, then Ohr Ein Sof.

Ein Sof emanates and creates Kether, which then splits into the Father (Chockmah), and Mother (Binah). Chockmah is the will to live, to expand, and chaos, which is accepted and modified by Binah such that life becomes possible. Without Chockmah, Binah would result in stasis.
This is described as the ‘intellectual’ triad.

This represents the separation between thought and action generally, or between our thoughts and the potential of the universe. This is the restraint that prevents us acting out every single thought.

This triad represents God’s moral or ethical power, reminds us that God judges us, and gives us these skills to be able to manifest them toward others.

This separates the second triad (the Moral Triad) from humanity as, although it is more human and approachable than the Supernal Triad, it is still too archetypal for humans to approach directly.

That’s the official position. Personally, I’ve not found any problems working with anything above the Veil of Parochet, but it is a useful reminder that one is moving into more generic, broad-based territory above the Veil.

This triad is formed of the most turbulent and human of the Sephirah, and represents the many forms of the universe.

The Crown represents the potential of creation (for instance, the fully grown oak exists within the acorn), including the necessary equilibrium between expansion and contraction. Is considered so sublime as to be incomprehensible to humans. In Western Qabbalah, is considered to be pure consciousness.
God Name – Eheieh
Archangel – Metatron, Angel of the Presence
Head of the Middle Pillar (Pillar of Mildness)
Astrological – the ‘Prime Mover’
Colours – pure brilliance, pure white, white flecked with gold

Wisdom. Represents the point at which the emanation from Ein Sof starts to move into our world, and thus is called the Father of the Tree of Life. The creative, active principle behind the universe - Force.
God Name – Jehovah
Archangel – Ratziel, Herald of Deity
Head of the Left Pillar (Pillar of Mercy)
Astrological – the Zodiac
Colours – soft blue, grey, iridescence, white flecked with red blue & yellow

Understanding. The Mother of the Tree of Life, and refers to analytical thought. Used the seed of Chockmah to conceive and give birth to the seven lower Sephirah. The Form that limits Force (Chockmah).
God Name – Jehovah Elohim
Archangel – Tzaphkiel, the Beholder of God
Head of the Right Pillar (Pillar of Severity)
Astrological – Saturn
Colours – crimson, black, dark brown, grey flecked with pink

Mercy or kindness / abundance / majesty. Created by the union of Binah and Chockmah, the life-giving force that manifests as love and generosity in humans.
God Name – El
Archangel – Tzadkiel, the Righteous of God
Centre of the Left Pillar (Pillar of Mercy)
Astrological – Jupiter
Colours – deep violet, blue, deep purple, deep azure flecked with yellow

Strength or severity. Limits the abundance of mercy by the power to punish or control. Justice, the correcting force.
God Name – Elohim Gebor
Archangel – Khamael, the Severity of God
Centre of the Right Pillar (Pillar of Severity)
Astrological – Mars
Colours – orange, scarlet, bright scarlet, red flecked with black

Beauty. Considered to be connected to all the other Sephirah, and balances Chesed (Mercy) and Geburah (Severity). Balance.
God Name – Aloah Va Daath
Archangel – Michael, the Perfect of God
Centre of the Middle Pillar (Pillar of Mildness)
Astrological – Sun
Colours – rose pink, golden yellow, salmon pink, golden amber

Victory. The passion and energy of creation, overcoming obstacles. Art, love and beauty, music and dancing.
God Name – Jehovah Tzabaoth
Archangel – Auriel, the Grace of God
Foot of the Left Pillar (Pillar of Mercy)
Astrological – Venus
Colours – amber, emerald green, bright yellow green, olive flecked with gold

Hod
Glory, splendour or awe. Truthful thought that limits Geburah with honesty and introspection. Magic.
God Name – Elohim Tzabaoth
Archangel – Raphael, the Heavenly Physician
Foot of the Right Pillar (Pillar of Severity)
Astrological – Mercury
Colours – violet, orange, russet red, yellowish black flecked with white

Foundation. The union of action, thought, passion and truthfulness. The subconscious.
God Name – Shaddai El Chai
Archangel – Gabriel
Lower Part of the Middle Pillar (Pillar of Mildness)
Astrological – Moon
Colours – indigo, purple, dark purple, citrine flecked with azure

Kingdom. The physical existence of God’s emanations, the presence of God in the physical world, or the physical world itself.
God Name – Adonai Ha Aretz
Archangel – Sandalphon
Foot of the Middle Pillar (Pillar of Mildness)
Astrological – The Elements
Colours – yellow, citrine olive russet and black, citrine olive russet and black flecked with gold, black rayed with yellow

Knowledge. Is located in ‘the abyss’ below the uppermost triad, and is an equal balance of wisdom and understanding. In spiritual development, can represent the need to give up ego.

I find this Sephirah helps when I’m doing spirit rescue.

The Path of Fiery Intelligence – Kether to Chesed
Tarot card - ; luminous golden-white; channelling od Divine creative energy
The Path of Transparent Intelligence – Kether to Binah
Tarot card The Magician; Mercury, purple; channelling od Divine creative energy
The Path of Uniting Intelligence –Kether to Tiphereth
Tarot Card The High Priestess; Moon; silver; the camel, which can care for itself when isolated
The Path of Illuminating Intelligence - Binah and Chokmah
Tarot card The Empress; Venus; blue; love and fertility
The Path of Natural Intelligence – Chokmah to Tiphereth
Tarot Card The Star; Mars; light blue; enables understanding of hidden truths outside the seeker’s sphere of reality
The Path of Triumphal Intelligence – Chokmah to Chesed
Tarot Card The Hierophant; Venus; indigo; unites the processes of learning and teaching
The Path of Disposing Intelligence – Binah to Tiphereth
Tarot Card The Lovers; Mercury; mauve; finding our beloved
The Path of Influencing Intelligence – Binah to Geburah
Tarot Card The Chariot; Moon; maroon; destiny and Divine journeys
The Path of Spiritual Intelligence – Chesed and Geburah
Tarot Card The Lovers; Mercury; mauve; finding our beloved
The Path of Wilful Intelligence – Chesed to Tiphereth
Tarot Card The Hermit; Mercury; grey; understanding our path to emotional maturity and inner depth
The Path of Conciliating Intelligence – Chesed to Netzach
Tarot Card The Wheel of Fortune; Jupiter; dark blue; appreciation of what one has
The Path of Faithful Intelligence – Geburah to Tiphereth
Tarot Card Strength / Justice; Venus; blue; change, and the growth that comes from reinventing ourselves
The Path of Stable Intelligence - Geburah to Hod
Tarot Card The Hanged Man; Neptune; sea green; acceptance of destiny
The Path of Imaginative Intelligence – Tiphereth to Netzach
Tarot Card Death; Mars; brown; change
The Path of Tentative Intelligence – Tiphereth to Yesod
Tarot Card Temperance; Jupiter; yellow; spiritual journeying
The Path of Renovating Intelligence – Tiphereth to Hod
Tarot Card The Devil; Saturn; black; understanding perception and intention
The Path of Exciting Intelligence – Hod and Netzach
Tarot Card The Tower; Mars; bright red; equilibrium through creative energy
The Path of Constituting Intelligence – Netzach to Yesod
Tarot Card The Emperor; Uranus/Saturn; red; mind over matter
The Path of Corporeal Intelligence – Netzach to Malkuth
Tarot Card The Moon; Moon; beige; physical heritage
The Path of Collecting Intelligence – Hod to Yesod
Tarot Card The Sun; Sun; golden yellow; enlightened existence
The Path of Perpetual Intelligence – Hod to Malkuth
Tarot Card Judgement; Pluto; vermillion; perpetual change – unlimited possibilities
The Path of Administrative Intelligence – Yesod to Malkuth
Tarot Card The World; Saturn; black; all the Divine forces making their mark upon the world

All of this information can be used as a starting point for a series of meditations - for instance, meditating once a day on a particular Sephirah, or spending a month or so meditating daily (or at whatever frequency is convenient) on each of the pathways, and so on.

This system is founded in mysticism, and it is the aim of such mysticism to know more.

Correspondences between the pathways and Tarot cards have been provided, and can be used as a source of greater insight.

This is not strictly part of the Qabbalah as understood in the West, but there is a system of numerology based on the Hebrew alphabet and assigned numeric values, which is a part of at least one of the Jewish mystical traditions. The following notes are from something else I am working on, but have not yet completed so is a little patchy. The source is "Numera", by Bernard Spencer Le Gette (Pub 1976 by Pan; ISBN 0 30 24613 5). The more recent book “Star Signs” by Linda Goodman also covers this.

This system of numerology is based on the Qabbalistic system. It does not follow the common Western system of allocating numeric values sequentially (and cyclically) from 1 to 9 through the alphabet. The numeric values assigned to letters are:
A             1                              B             2                              C             3
D             4                              E              5                              F              8
G             3                              H             5                              I               1
J              1                              K             2                              L              3
M            4                              N             5                              O             7
P             8                              Q             1                              R             2
S              3                              T              4                              U             6
V             6                              W            6                              X             5
Y              1                              Z              7
It is vital that ONLY the meanings given to numbers for the Qabbalistic system be used for Numera calculated using this system, as they are different to those in the common Western system. This system is based on the current name as used in everyday life - i.e., the "energies"/"vibes" that build up with frequent usage. (Other systems use, for instance, birth name - much as when constructing a natal astrological chart: this is more like a current chart.)

The meanings of each number are (very briefly):
1             A primal number. This is the number of initiative and leadership, but can be egocentric. Is a blind exuberance and an intimidating audacity. Reflect less than other numbers, and primaeval power, and weakness, is determination and grasping. Receive little luck as make their own. Not insensitive, but their effortless presence can make others  bar 4s - uneasy. Tend to have few enemies and fewer friends. Can be charming, positive and humorous, but if self absorbed can be pompous, deceitful and morose. Associated with the Sun.
2             An "interpretive" (collector, transmitter) number representing the principle of separation and, thus, awareness - can be insightful and creative. 2s see the world as fluid and to be changed, and this is the number of poets. However, can see too much, be passive or caught by duality - seeing both sides of an argument ("on the one hand ..., but on the other hand, ...). Need to cultivate "bend not break" attitude and discipline if to accomplish - don't retreat into fantasy, and avoid drink and drugs. When master themselves, can have prodigious abilities. Associated with the Moon.
3             A "modal" ("doer") number. This number is expansive and joyous. Associated with Jupiter, it relates well to 6 and 9.
4             A primal number. The number of writers.
5             An "interpretive" (collector, transmitter) number. Associated with good mental ability.
6             A "modal" ("doer") number. Worldly success. This number relates well to 3 and 9.
7             A primal number. 7s are intuitive and often elusive, with a strong sense of self. Tend to do without being able to explain why. May have paradoxes - meditative yet out of doors, solitary but performers. Mystical and artistic, and can be hardy. Love to sea and sailing, particularly the quick and rough camaraderie, flow of action and rearrangement of patterns, which are like music to 7s. Restless and love travel - even maps will do, but tend to have a quietening influence on others. Stoicism and luck lead to a certain amount of immunity to misfortune. Can be besieged by visions, need peace and quiet and should refrain from alcohol and drugs and try hard to further their own plans. Riding the range or going to sea combines peace and expenditure of energy, but intense pressures and confusion of schools or business can lead to world manipulating 7s: need to assert their individuality.  Associated with Neptune.
8             An "interpretive" (collector, transmitter) number. A strong number with concerns with justice. This number can clash with 9.
9             A "modal" ("doer") number. 9s are dynamic, strong, magnetic, and seem larger than life - lucky, capable and effective. Have magnetism as power rather than grinding strength. See life as a battle to be won, usually have a rough going until they find a direction for their energy. Like big schemes, but can be overbearing. Remembers being crossed for a long time, and can be expansive in sharing down moods and analysing their faults, but durable and hard to destroy: have to learn to tolerate dissension to achieve great things, which may be sense of life or leadership they bring to others rather than meeting their own ambitions. Socially idealistic, but practical and concrete. If meditate, thoughtful 9s may see Unity of life.
Whilst this system can be applied to the numera calculated from the whole (everyday) name, it is more correctly used in the following arrangement (diagram from the spreadsheet I'm working on slowly):





This is the protection ritual that I have most commonly used since I was a teenager, and I find it very effective. The following description is based on a blog post of mine.
This post is a slightly more formal version of what I normally do, although I have modified the wording to what I normally use.

There may be an argument for swapping south and north, given that we are in the Southern Hemisphere, but I’ve had this system so ingrained that I personally find that difficult. If you would prefer to do so, please try it and use whatever is most comfortable for you.

The ritual has the following broad steps:
(1) Banishing
1.1 Qabbalistic Cross
1.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
1.3 invoke Archangels
This is based on the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRT - see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_banishing_ritual_of_the_pentagram), and the Qabbalistic Cross.
1.1 Qabbalistic Cross
1.1 (a) Touch forehead, vibrate "AH – TEY"
1.1 (b) Point downwards, vibrate "MAHL – KOOTH"
1.1 (c) Touch right shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’BOO – RAH"
1.1 (d) Touch left shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’DOO – LAH"
1.1 (e) Fold hands at chest, vibrate "LIH – OH – LAH – MEN"
(all of which means “To Thee God be the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Amen”. I’ve been told this is Hebrew.)
1.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
1.2 (a) Go to or face east, and then
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left and going clockwise - the first line is as if "throwing mucky stuff up to heaven to be got rid of"; this diagram should help you to get the idea:
),
- then touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" (written Adonai) to activate the pentagram
1.2 (b) Carry line to or face north,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (c) Carry line to or face west,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
-  touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (d) Carry line to or face south,
- draw pentagram (starting at lower left leg and going clockwise),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "AH – DOH – NYE" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (e) Carry line to or face east completing circle and return to centre. If I wish to be sure of the protection, I will then repeat the pentagram, thinking of this as "locking" the circle.
1.3 invoke Archangels
1.3 (a) Stand with arms outstretched,
- then visualise a great beam of bright light coming down from above, and passing through the vertical axis of your body, followed by a great beam of bright light from the side (I generally use the right side as the source) and passing through the heart, thus creating a great cross of light;
1.3b Then say the following as do the visualisations of the Archangels, facing OUTWARDS:
"Before me Raphael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a young male, dressed in golden colours, holding a sword up and facing OUTWARDS)
"On my left Michael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a mature male, dressed in red colours, holding a spear and facing OUTWARDS)
"Behind me Gabrael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a young woman, dressed in autumnal colours [I use brown, yellow and red], holding a cup and facing OUTWARDS)
"On my right Auriel,"
(visualise the archangel as a mature woman, dressed in earthy colours [I use green and brown], holding a shield and facing OUTWARDS)
"For about me are the flames of Heaven,
and above me is the light of Heaven."

The ritual has the following broad steps:
2.1 Qabbalistic Cross
2.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
2.3 invoke Archangels 
This is based on the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRT - see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_banishing_ritual_of_the_pentagram), and the Qabbalistic Cross.
I’ve adapted it, however, for invoking energies, rather than simply banishing them. This particular example is based on invoking the sphere "Kether". To invoke other Spheres, substitute the name with either the name of the Sphere you wish to invoke (in fact, I frequently do that, and say "Keth-her" rather than use the God name), or the relevant God name.
1.1 Qabbalistic Cross
1.1 (a) Touch forehead, vibrate "AH – TEY"
1.1 (b) Point downwards, vibrate "MAHL – KOOTH"
1.1 (c) Touch right shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’BOO – RAH"
1.1 (d) Touch left shoulder, vibrate "VE – G’DOO – LAH"
1.1 (e) Fold hands at chest, vibrate "LIH – OH – LAH – MEN"
(all of which means “To Thee God be the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Amen”. I’ve been told this is Hebrew.)
1.2 pentagrams to the Quarters
1.2 (a) Go to or face east, and then
- draw pentagram (starting at top as if "drawing the blessings of heaven downwards"; many people use the opposite direction that was used for the banishing ritual, but I have got used to continuing to draw in a clockwise direction);
- then touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE - AH" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (b) Carry line to or face north,
- draw pentagram (starting at top),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE - AH" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (c) Carry line to or face west,
- draw pentagram (starting at top),
-  touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE - AH" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (d) Carry line to or face south,
- draw pentagram (starting at top),
- touch the centre of the pentagram, and simultaneously vibrate "EH – HEY – EE - AH" to activate the pentagram
1.2 (e) Carry line to or face east completing circle and return to centre.
1.3 invoke Archangels
1.3 (a) Stand with arms outstretched,
- then visualise a great beam of bright light coming down from above, and passing through the vertical axis of your body, followed by a great beam of bright light from the side (I generally use the right side as the source) and passing through the heart, thus creating a great cross of light;
1.3b Then say the following as do the visualisations of the Archangels, facing OUTWARDS:
"Before me Raphael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a young male, dressed in golden colours, holding a sword up and facing INWARDS)
"On my left Michael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a mature male, dressed in red colours, holding a spear and facing INWARDS)
"Behind me Gabrael,"
(visualise the Archangel as a young woman, dressed in autumnal colours [I use brown, yellow and red], holding a cup and facing INWARDS)
"On my right Auriel,"
(visualise the archangel as a mature woman, dressed in earthy colours [I use green and brown], holding a shield and facing IN    WARDS)
"For about me are the flames of Heaven,
and above me is the light of Heaven."

ALWAYS do the Banishing Ritual AFTER you have completed your meditation of whatever other work you wished to do when you performed the invocation, and close your chakras and aura, ground and centre, and shield yourself afterwards.

Begin with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. Then …
Standing, feet together, facing east,
Visualize a brilliant sphere above the head and vibrate
"EH – HEY – EE - AH".
Visualize light descending to form a sphere at the throat, and vibrate
YE-HOH-VOH  E-LOH-HEEM”.
Visualize light descending to form a sphere at the heart, and vibrate
YE-HOH-VOH EL-OAH-VE-DA-ATH”.
Visualize light descending to form a sphere at the genitals, and vibrate
SHAH-DAI EL CHAI”.
Visualize light descending to form a sphere at the feet, and vibrate
AH-DOH-NAI HA-AH-RETZ”.
Visualize and feel a current of light rising from the feet, entering the body at the base of the spine and continuing upwards to either flower out at the crown of the head to descend as a shower of light re-entering at the feet, or circulate down the left side and up the right, and then down the front and up the back (which is the more traditional way).
Continue to circulate the light at least four times.

To finish, repeat the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

This exercise is considered to be good for developing one’s psychic centres - a little like strengthening one’s chakras, but based on a different world view.

The four worlds (there are a range of sets of colours and of God names), additional significance to colours (sequences), symbols, more on balance between the Right and Left Pillars, other correspondences, etc, etc, etc.


[1] e.g., Cabala, Kabbala(h) or Qabala(h) – up to 24 possible combinations, with the inclusion of a final ‘h’ leading to a pronunciation that emphasises the final syllable, and it’s omission leading to emphasis of the middle syllable. My pronunciation tends to be Qabbala, but I am so used to the spelling Qabbalah that I cannot be bothered trying to change.
[4] Other books include, for instance, Elias Gewurz’s “Hidden Treasures of the Ancient Qabbalah“ (1918) and “Mysteries of the Qabbalah“ (1922), available from http://sacred-texts.com/.




Tags: numerology, Qabbalah, workshop notes,

First published: Laugardagr, 26th April, 2014

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Saturday, 26th April, 2014