To understand the essence of the minor arcana of the tarot, every novice tarot reader needs to explore the Tree of Life. The Kabbalistic tree of Sephiroth seeks to describe them all, so it is not surprising that the Sephiroth are, in particular, the Sun, the Moon and the eight planets of the solar system: it would be more strange if sacred concepts that claim to be universal were unable to fulfill this task. Sephiroth is not only a number and the corresponding idea, but an entire archetypal image, universal both for man and from the point of view of the Cosmos. There are different levels of manifestation of the One, one of them is the Solar system, another is life on Earth, the third is the structure of the human mind, the fourth is the laws of movement of the spirit. “Ten numbers, immaterial sephiroth: five against five, but a covenant of unity between them” (Sepher Yetzirah).

MINOR ARCANA AND SEPHIROTES OF THE TREE OF LIFE. The weakness or strength inherent in each of the ten sephira is determined by the number series from one to ten (or from Ace to Ten in the Minor Arcana cards). The reference values ​​are Top, Middle and Bottom. The top symbolizes the first sephira, the Middle - the sixth and the Bottom - the tenth. The Top is seen as limitless energy, the Bottom as depleted energy, which is renewed with the beginning of a new cycle, and the Middle as a point of balance between expansion (1) and limitation (10).

Accordingly, all forty cards of the Minor Arcana, from Ace to Ten, can be evaluated in this way. Thus, four Aces are always symbols of primordial and free energy, while four Tens symbolize the end, the depletion of energy. The Four Sixes, located in the center of the Tree of Life, symbolize balance and harmony between Above and Below.

The ten main circles (sephiroths) forming the TREE OF LIFE and numbered from 1 to 10 correspond to the cards of each suit of the Minor Arcana. The ace corresponds to the first sephiroth, the two to the second, and so on. The four suits - Wands, Cups, Swords and Disks (from one to ten) - correspond to the four cabalistic worlds of Jewish cosmology, formed by 10 circles (ten sephiroth of the SEPHIROTH tree). Balance of power on the Tree of Life.

PARAMETERS OF THE TEN NUMBERS OF THE TREE OF LIFE. The balance of power on the Tree of Life is also determined according to the scheme: Right, Left positions and Center. Sephira 2, 4 and 7 belong to the Right Side; 3, 5 and 8 – Left. 1, 6,9 and 10 – Middle or Center. The Center is the point of balance, while the Right and Left Positions are unbalanced and have a polar essence (male and female). In addition, the sephiras located in the upper triangle of the Tree of Life have more stable characteristics than the lower positions.

The numbers of the TREE sephira, which have their own strengths and weaknesses, transfer their meaning to the Minor Arcana:

• ACE - Balanced and strong because it occupies the Top-Center position. Pure energy, lack of attraction to the Right or Left Positions (Kether as a unit on the Tree of Life).
• TWO - Strong, tends to deviate to the Right, but, since it belongs to the top of the Tree of Life, does not lose its energy (Chokmah as Two).
• THREE - Strong, tends to be imbalanced on the Left, but since, just like the Two, it is located at the top of the Tree, it does not lose balance.
• FOUR – Just like the Two, it tends to the Right in an attempt to balance the Three. Thus, the Four carries a positive load, but becomes the first card to reveal the weakness of the Right position on the Tree of Life. The four, which reveals a certain loss of energy, symbolizes a kind of compromise. In addition, the Four represents on the Tree of Life the first esoteric transition to matter, that is, the completed form (Chesed on the Tree of Life).
• FIVE - Starting with Five, the energy present in the three columns (Right, Left and Middle) again rushes to the Left in order to achieve balance. But, instead of finding balance in the central position, its flow is again transferred to the extreme Left point. Thus, the Fifth Sephira is the first point of real outflow of energy. In other words, the balance of power and the very existence of energy is being challenged. According to cabalistic teachings, the number five gravitates towards Mars, symbolizing strength and fear of loss of energy at the same time. In the light of these ideas, the four Fives of the Minor Arcana carry a negative load during fortune telling.
• SIX – The position of the Six finally establishes the balance of power on the Tree of Life. This sephira is not only the Middle between the Right and Left columns, but also the Center in relation to the Top and Bottom (the First and Tenth Sephira). Thus, in fortune telling, the four Sixes embody harmony, balance and beauty, being the Center of the Tree of Life (Tiferet).
• SEVEN – The position of the Seven shows the last deviation of energy to the Right. The Seven occupies the lower quadrant of the Tree of Life and thus combines the positive qualities of the Right position with the negative characteristics inherent in the Bottom, thereby establishing a balance of power. In divination, the four Sevens represent a "bound" energy that is neither entirely positive nor negative (Netzach on the Tree of Life).
• EIGHT – The Eight represents the final dodge to the Left. Her position is located in the Bottom quadrant and symbolizes the last attempt to return to the Center, using the forces of opposition to the Right position (Seven). Fortune telling by the Eight is more diverse than by the Seven (Move on the Tree of Life).
• NINE – The Nine complements the central column, where the Six and Ace are already present. Deviations and distortions are done away with and the energy is directed strictly towards the center to achieve embodiment in the tenth position. In fortune telling, nines generally have positive characteristics; however, the Nine of Swords often indicates unfavorable moments, since, despite the central position of the Nine, the Bottom quadrant in which it is located indicates a weakening of energy (Yesod on the Tree of Life).
• TEN – The energy on its way from the First to the Ninth position has weakened significantly. The throwing from side to side, caused by an excess of energy, is completed, and the forces embodied in matter come to a state of rest. In fortune telling, four Tens symbolize the beginning of a new cycle of energy movement, personifying the result and embodiment of the meaning originally inherent in the four Aces.

The first sephira on the Tree of Life diagram corresponds to pure energy, the creative impulse; the tenth represents embodied matter. As we move along the Tree of Life from the first to the tenth sephira, the direction of movement of energy shifts to the right, then to the left, and finally to the center. The number series from 1 to 10 symbolizes the ten sephira, which are the stages of transformation of pure energy into embodied matter, forming a vicious circle of creation.

SPHERES OF THE DIVINE MIND (Sephirot) and NUMERICAL MINOR ARCANA

The Tree of Life consists of 10 sephira or sefirot, each of which corresponds to the Divine name, the Angelic rank, the Archangel and a host of other subordinate spirits (a host is a pantheon, a group of gods).

The numerical cards of the Minor Arcana, from 1 (Ace) to 10, correspond to the 10 sefirot of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, and the direct or other favorable position of the card means the sefira as such, and the unfavorable (inverted) one means its shadow, dark side, designated in Kabbalah as the qlipot . Outside the tree of the Sefirot, meaning the existing world, Kabbalah places Nothing, the void that surrounds everything and everyone and is called, in particular, En-Soph.

0. Preceding Sefirot: Ein Sof Or, which means "Endless Light" Ein-Sof-Or
1. First Sephira: Keter, KThR, which means “Crown” Ke-ter, emphasis on the first syllable
2. Second Sephira: Chokmah, ChKMH, which means “Wisdom” Chokmah, stress on the last syllable.
3. Third Sephira: Binah, BYNH, which means “Mind” of Bi-na, emphasis on the last syllable.

Hidden Sefira: Daath, DOTh, which means "Knowledge" Da-at, should be pronounced with a double "a". These two "a's" are separated by a "hard attack", a sudden interruption of breathing produced by very briefly closing the epiglottis. This unique sound is not used in English, but was once used in German and many other languages. When the letter Ain appears in the middle of a word, it should almost always be pronounced this way. The emphasis is on the last syllable.

4. Fourth Sephira: Chesed, ChSD, which means "Mercy", He-sed, emphasis on the first syllable.
5. Fifth Sephira: Geburah, GBVRH, which means "Severity", Ge-bu-ra, emphasis on the last syllable.
6. Sixth Sephira: Tifferet, ThPARTh, which means “Beauty”, Ti-fer-ret, emphasis on the middle syllable. Option – Tiphareth.
7. Seventh Sephira: Netzach, NTzCh, which means “Victory”, Ne-tzach, emphasis on the first syllable.
8. Eighth Sephira: Hod, HVD, which means "Glory" - Hod.
9. Ninth Sephira: Yesod, YSVD, which means "Foundation" Ye-sod, emphasis on the last syllable.
10. Tenth Sephira: Malkuth, MLKVTh, which means "Kingdom" of Mal-kut, stress on the last syllable.

To determine the time/date, see section "

It is interesting that the occultists of Medieval Europe, even before direct contact with Eastern practitioners, guessed about the chakra system. Proof of this is the book “Practical Theosophy” (Theosophia Practica) by the famous German mystic Johann Georg Gichtel. Charles Leadbeater writes about it in detail in his book “Chakras”. Gichtel belonged to the secret society of the Rosicrucians. The following picture is taken from his book. It was first published in 1696. The book is dedicated to mystical rebirth, which is the most important principle of the Rosicrucian Order.

For years, illustrations to Practical Theosophy were transmitted only within a small circle of Gichtel's followers. He said that these drawings were the result of some inner insight, that the book was “a brief explanation of the three principles of the three worlds in man, represented by drawings showing how and where the corresponding Centers are located in the inner man; the drawings are made according to what the author discovered within himself during divine contemplation, what he felt, tasted and comprehended.” Obviously, he developed clairvoyance to such an extent that he saw the chakras, but could not understand their true nature and capabilities, because he explained their meaning within the framework of the mystical school to which he belonged. He passes the coccygeal (Muladhara) and sixth (Svadhisthana) chakras, marks the solar plexus as the abode of anger. He sees the heart center filled with pride, the throat with envy and stinginess, and the highest centers of the head, in his opinion, do not emit anything better than pride. In fact, he took on the negative aspects of undeveloped chakras.

It connects the chakras with the planets: the Moon with the coccygeal chakra, Mercury with the spleen chakra, Venus with the umbilical chakra, the Sun with the heart chakra, Mars with the laryngeal chakra, Jupiter with the frontal chakra and Saturn with the coronary chakra. He further writes that fire lives in the heart, water in the liver, earth in the lungs, air in the gall bladder.

It is noteworthy that he draws a spiral that originates from a snake coiled around the heart and passes through all the centers in succession. Obviously, he saw the kundalini energy, which will be discussed later. But he does not have a clear explanation of the order in which the spiral goes around the chakras. The symbolism of the running dog is not explained at all.

This story proves that already in the 17th century, some mystics knew about the existence and location of the seven centers of the human body. It is most likely that advanced seers in Europe could detect these centers in the past.

Although, if we take classical paganism, it contains the so-called chakras, but there are 9 of them. And the system of sephiroth corresponds Yggdrasil (World Tree).

According to the construction system, the World Tree Yggdrasil is very similar, almost identical, to the Sephiroth system in Kabbalism. And the system of human energy structure in northern magic is very similar to the scheme described by Don Juan in the book of Carlos Castaneda and is an egg-shaped form. But in comparison with the scheme according to Don Juan, the Scandinavian system of human energy structure is more developed, and is very precisely divided into zones of influence. Moreover, the Scandinavian system indicates which specific part of the energy body is called what and what it is responsible for in human life. If we consider it from the point of view of the Slavic Zhiva, then everything is simplified and at the same time more detailed, but requires consideration in a separate article.

Let's return to the Kabbalistic system of sephira.

It turns out that even in the Order of the Golden Dawn they made an attempt to align the Sephira of the Tree of Life with human chakras. Sephira Kether corresponds to the head chakra, Bina and Chokmah to the third eye, etc. It turns out just one chakra for each level of the Tree of Life. This formulation of the question opens up great opportunities for meditative practices associated with both eastern techniques and the Tarot.

And here is an illustration from the book “The Tree of Life” by Israel Regardier (member of the Order of the Golden Dawn). It is clear that the Order, of which Gardner, the founder of Wicca, was a member, was well aware of the correspondence between the chakras and the Sephirotic system of the Kabbalah. The left snake is the Pingala channel (male), the right one is Ida (female).

What does the Tree of Life mean in the classical Western (Kabalistic) magical tradition? These are manifestations of a higher power, united into one structure and connected in a certain way with each other. This Tree of Life is no better or worse than the others (Scandinavian, shamanic, etc.). For me, it is of interest because both the planets and the Tarot cards, and, consequently, the Zodiac, and all the systems of correspondence associated with them, are quite clearly laid out along the Tree, and the Major Arcana symbolize the paths between the forces (sephiras) on the Tree, and The younger ones are these forces themselves. See more about

Keter

The first of the sephira is Kether, the “crown.” Its number is one; it cannot be divided, but it can be designated. One gives birth to all other numbers. Kether is the starting point, the moment of the birth of the universe. Kether is perfect calm and serenity, the original spark of the Creator, the impulse for creation.

Chokmah

The second of the sephira is called Chokmah, meaning “wisdom.” The energy of Chokmah is active, dynamic and limitless. Chokmah is the driving force of the universe, setting in motion everything that is in it. Chokmah is a positive, masculine energy similar to the creation energy of the Horned God in Wicca. The symbol of this sephira is the circle of the Zodiac, through which, by the way, the Sun passes in the annual cycle.

Bina

Chokmah's feminine counterpart, the third sephira, Binah, means "understanding." She is symbolized by the Great Goddess, who gave life to everything that is in the universe. Together Chokmah and Binah are the Dual powers of manifestation. They are the 2 cornerstones of life that began the process of creation. Bina corresponds to the planet Saturn, and in astrology the Moon is considered a secondary manifestation of Saturn, closest to the world of people.

Hesed

The fourth sephira is Hesed, or “mercy.” Chesed is the support of everything that has manifestation. This is the center where abstract energies poured out by higher forces materialize and take shape. Chesed, like Chokmah, also symbolizes positive, masculine energy, but on a more manifest and material level. All manifestations of parental love and mercy towards humanity are associated with Chesed. True, Hesed makes absolutely no difference to whom one shows mercy and gives energy, because this sephira gives the life-giving beginning of life in any of its forms. Planet – Jupiter.

Geburah

The fifth sephira, Geburah, means "power" or "severity." Geburah distributes the energy emanating from Chesed and imposes restrictions in the form of purifying fire. The energy coming from the higher world to the world of matter must be filtered and shaped by opposing forces - Mercy and Severity. Geburah is also called the “Strong Hand of the Creator,” burning out everything that is useless and unnecessary. It clears the way for further growth and evolution. Geburah corresponds to the planet Mars.

Tiphareth.

The sixth sephira, Tiphareth, means "beauty." She receives powers from all the other sephira and is connected to all except Malkuth. Tiphareth is in many ways similar to Kether, but passes through a level closer to the material world. Like Kether, she radiates the energy of light, calmness, and perfection. Tiphareth is the connecting link between the Highest manifestation of the divine and its reflection in man. This sephira is often symbolized by the sacrificial God, who gives himself to death for the sake of the emergence of new sprouts of the spiritual in man. Tiphareth is associated with all manifestations of mysticism and human love for the Gods. Planet – Sun.

Netzach

Netzach, or “victory,” is the realm of human instincts, emotions and passions. It is considered a masculine, fiery sephira, a driving force that encourages decisive and desperate actions. Netzach is a reflection of Geburah on the human level of perception. Human creativity in artistic, emotional form, music, dance, art - belong to the influence of Netzach. Planet - Venus.

Hod, or "glory", is the intellectual, logical and rational part of the human mind. This sephira organizes, subjects to logical analysis and classifies all phenomena in us and around us. All manifestations of speech and writing, communication, science belong to this sephira. The eighth sephira has energy from Chesed that passed through Tiphareth. Planet – Mercury.

Yesod

Yesod or “foundation” is the Sephira of the astral plane, akasha. Yesod is the astral matrix on which the physical universe is built, and at the same time the mirror in which the universe is reflected. Energies from all the overlying sephira come to Yesod, and in it they are combined into a pattern according to which our world is built. Therefore, human intuition, dreams and visions are associated with Yesod. Planet – Moon.

Malkuth.

The tenth Sephira, Malkuth, or "kingdom", the Sephira of material creation, finite form, is the universe that we know and exist in. Malkuth is the sephira of the Earth as a physical body, a planet, and the people living on it. Unlike other sephiroth, which are in a state of continuous activity and change, this sephira is relatively stable in essence and form. It absorbs all the energies of the Tree and transmits it into matter. It is symbolized, naturally, by the Earth.

The correspondence between the chakras and the sephira system could not but go unnoticed by both medieval and modern esotericists. In particular, the famous Russian astrologers Semira and V. Vetash, Het Monster, A. Podvodny at the end of the 20th century wrote articles (published in samizdat) about the correspondence of the chakra system to the planets and sephiras, however, without even briefly touching on the paths along the Tree and possible pumping in a meditative and energetic manner along these paths. They were interested exclusively in the astrological application of this fact. As for the traditions of ritual magic, in it (in those sources that I was able to raise), with regard to pumping through the chakras and their corresponding sephiras, everything is in chaos. For example, the ritual of the middle pillar from ritual magic is an attempt to pump up the middle pillar of the Tree, but it is quite illiterate from both the standpoint of the chakra and sephirotic systems.

As for the colors of the sephiras, different sources have different interpretations, and there is no coincidence with the colors of the chakras, including because some chakras correspond to 2 sephiras. The planetary colors are as follows:

In my deep opinion, it is more correct to associate the second sephiroth with a planet instead of the zodiac Phaeton, which ceased to exist 30,000 years ago and caused an apocalypse on Earth and Mars (This is what caused the dinosaurs to die, and not these modern pseudoscientific theories), now in its place is an asteroid belt. In the summer in July, when the earth enters the Perseid meteor shower, we can observe how meteors - particles of this planet burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the surface. Numerous ancient myths recorded this event as the death of human civilization.

The colors of the sephira and their corresponding chakras are:

Keter - white = Sahasrara - rainbow + white

Chokmah + Binah - black + rainbow (maybe blue) = Ajna - blue

Geburah + Chesed - red + blue = Vishuddha - blue (purple)

Tiphareth - yellow = Anahata - green

Hod+Netzach - orange+green (yellow) = Manipura - yellow

Yesod - blue = Svadhisthana - orange

Malkut - brown = Muladhara - red

I think that when meditating, you need to start from the system that seems most correct and intuitively close in perception. If you see that the chakra is orange, it means orange. If a sephira appears blue, it means it is blue.

And the last picture is how the chakras relate to the sephiroth.

During the classical pumping of the chakras, energy is released from the Highest Source (it can be the One, the Sun, the Moon, the Sun + Moon) through all the chakras from the head to the tailbone, cleaning out with high energies all the dirt accumulated in them. If you look at the Tree, or more precisely, at the middle pillar from top to bottom (Kether the One, Tiphareth the Sun, Yesod the Moon, Malkuth the Earth), it turns out that when you undergo meditation according to this scheme, you practically connect with the energies of God and Goddess. And if you pay attention to which Major Arcana you need to go through in order to upgrade according to this scheme, then we have successively Peace, Temperance and the High Priestess. This means the following. The first step of a person to understand the world of magic is to understand this World and accept it and oneself in it as we and our World are in reality. The second step will be a strict balance of forces on the path to the world of magic, which coincides with the basic laws of Wicca. And finally, the third step lies through the card of the High Priestess, whose symbol is the Moon in its highest and strongest form - this is the Great Goddess, revealing the secrets of the universe and magic only to those who can rise to it. Personally, I believe that this is the path of Wicca in relation to the chakra-sephirotic system.

The correspondence of chakras with the division of the World Tree into layers does not contradict the fact that sometimes a chakra corresponds to 2 sephira. The fact is that in each chakra there are 2 aspects, solar and lunar (and in relation to Wicca - God and Goddess). For example, for Chokmah (the sephira of the energy of the primary manifested idea of ​​the creation of the world and all things) the pair is Binah (the sephira that restrains and shapes the endless and aimless energy of Chokmah into a space-time framework). These 2 sephiras correspond to Ajna - the 3rd eye. What happens when Ajna is active? In this case, one can see both the pure cause-and-effect flow of the entire fabric of existence (the Chokmah aspect), for example, both revelations and visions of specific events of a given layer (the Binah aspect) clothed in forms and spatio-temporal frameworks (as prophecies and predictions).

A lot of interesting information about working with the Tree of Life can be gleaned from Dion Fortune’s book “Mystical Kabbalah”, which also contains information about the use of chakra connections with the Tree and Tarot and the work in this area of ​​the Order of the Golden Dawn, of which she was a member. The basic principles of working with sephira, according to Fortune, are as follows.

Pagan systems and later magical techniques can be connected using the Tree into one structure. Ancient symbols penetrate well into the subconscious and work with it, and the system of sephira and connections within it works with consciousness.
To compare the ancient Gods with the Spheres, it is necessary to distribute the various gods and goddesses of any mythology according to their main functions, mythological history and attributes according to Sephira close in meaning and symbolism. Then it will be possible to consider this or that mythological system of Gods in the light of the Tree, and consider the Sephira, adding to them the attributes and functions of ancient deities.

Ancient priests, performing ritual rites, could have a colossal impact on the subconscious of people. This is not least due to those capacious archetypal images that are known to us from any mythological system of the Gods. Tarot fortune telling takes on a deep meaning when we understand the meaning of Magical Images, their background and perceive them as a psychological mechanism for penetrating the subconscious.

When placing the Gods and Goddesses of any pagan pantheons according to the ten Sephira, one can be guided by their astrological correspondences. Astrology is a single universal language - all people see the same planets, and compared with them planets with similar functions from different pantheons. The Cosmos refers to Kether, the Zodiac to Chokmah, the seven planets to the next seven Sephira, and the Earth to Malkuth. Consequently, any God close in function to Saturn will be classified as Binah, as well as any goddess who can be called the Heavenly Mother, in contrast to the Earthly Mother, Malkuth. The supreme triangle of Kether, Chokmah and Binah is always associated with the Old Gods, who in every mythology play the role of the predecessors of those forms of deity that are now worshiped. Thus Rhea and Kronos should be associated with Binah and Chokmah, and Jupiter with Hesed. The Goddesses and Gods of Fertility belong to Malkuth, and the Moon Goddesses belong to Yesod. The Gods and Goddesses of war and destruction belong to Geburah, and the Goddesses of Love belong to Netzach. The gods who give knowledge and wisdom belong to Hod, and those who are sacrificed and saviors belong to Tiphareth.

To effectively use magical symbols, a person must come into contact with each specific symbol. You need to learn how to create magical images in your vision and come into energetic contact with them before working with them.

When working with the Tree, they use sets of symbols associated with each of the 22 paths in order to build magical images. You need to be familiar with these symbols not only theoretically, but also in practice, that is, not only remember them well, but also meditate on each of them separately until you understand their meaning and really feel the power that they represent. It is necessary to study the key symbols of each Path as an important preliminary step.
The vision that arises thanks to the Tree is a kind of deliberate waking dream with a specific plot tied to the symbolism of the sephira and the Paths. It is this special ability to give free rein to the mind within certain limits that is the basis of the technique of occult meditation, which can only be mastered through persistent repeated training.
When working with the Tree and its Paths, images are used that associate a primary symbol with each Sephira - the so-called magical image. Then a geometric symbol is attached to it, reflecting its characteristics, and any images associated with this sephira use this geometric symbol as the main one. For example, Geburah, the Fifth Sephira, is assigned a pentacle. Any symbol of Geburah - be it a talisman, an altar of Mars or an image of her - should be in the form of a pentacle, painted red.

Each Sephira corresponds to a certain ideal (virtue) and negative (vice) aspects. For example, the virtues of Geburah - Mars are energy and courage, and the vices are cruelty and destructiveness. By analogy with astrology, it is clear that the virtues and vices assigned to the various Sephira are derived from the characteristics of the planets associated with them.

Knowing the symbolism, it is possible to correlate the gods of other systems with various Sephira and, guided by the symbols, functions, cosmic concepts and methods of worship of the latter, discover fundamentally new things about them in connection with the system of the Tree and Sephira.

The association of plants with various Sephira is characterized by duality. Firstly, there are plants traditionally associated in legends with the gods, for example: cereals with Ceres, wine with Dionysus. Such plants are assigned to those Sephira with which the functions of the corresponding gods are associated: grains - with Malkuth, wine - with Tiphareth (Christ), the center of all sacrificial Gods who bestow enlightenment.

There is another way of correlating plants with Sephira - in accordance with the old doctrine of signs, which in a somewhat disorderly manner connects various plants with certain planets. In some cases these associations were correct, in others they were arbitrary and based on superstition.

Precious stones and metals are associated with Sephira in the astrological and alchemical planes. Crystalline structures, metals, and certain liquids can be used to transmit or store energies. For the manufacture of a specific talisman, the best material is often a crystal of the appropriate color and properties, for example: ruby ​​for Geburah, emerald for Netzach.

Smells are also associated with Sephira. Each Sphere on the Tree is assigned certain spiritual experiences and states of consciousness. It is known that nothing can compare with smells in terms of the power of influence on the psyche and stimulation of perception; the experience of practical occultism confirms this. Certain aromatic substances are traditionally associated with various gods and goddesses and are most effective in creating a mood in harmony with the function of the respective deity.

Magical weapons are included in long lists of symbols and means associated with each Path. Magic weapons corresponding to the Paths reveal a lot about the nature of the Paths, because they allow one to determine the type of force operating in the particular Sphere in question.

An interesting and important aspect of practical work with the Tree is the way of using ritual and talismanic magic. Each symbol of astrology, each Tarot card corresponds to a specific place on the Paths of the Tree, and a magician with the necessary knowledge can develop a ritual or construct a talisman in order to correct or enhance the influence of any of these symbols.

Dion Fortune « Mystical Kabbalah»

Of course, the Order of the Golden Dawn, like any other direction in ritual magic, greatly complicates the magical-ritual system, but I think that this can be simplified without compromising the basic concept. But it becomes clear where, for example, such phrases in literature came from: “belladonna is the herb of Mars,” or “obsidian corresponds to Saturn.” In this method and article, I did not even raise such symbols and aspects of sephira as the letters of Kabbalah, the corresponding archangels and the division of the Tree into 4 worlds of manifested and unmanifested Creation. However, everyone can use a simplified or more rich system of symbols in the system of sephira and chakras, it is a matter of taste. It is absolutely not necessary to track all the symbols, smells, stones and other aspects of the planets when meditating on the chakra-sephirotic system. It is enough to simply know and imagine, including at the energetic or meditative level, what functions and properties a given chakra and the corresponding sephira have. The rest is a matter of meditative practice. An example of 2 pumping meditations (channel and chakra cleansing and activation of individual chakras) and one meditation of working with the Earth and the One.

Bibliography:
D. Fortune “Mystical Kabbalah”
Ch. Leadbeater “Chakras”
I. Regardier “Tree of Life”
S.T. Cicero and C. Cicero “Magical Tarot of the Golden Dawn”
S.T. Cicero and C. Cicero “Skrying on the Tree of Life”
Lehnen "Kabbalistic Science"
Materials of the Russian Astrological Congress 1998
D.M. Craig "Modern Magic"
Het Monster “ABC Tarot”

Kabbalah, one of the oldest religious and philosophical systems, tells about the creation of the world. It included earlier esoteric knowledge that existed in the Akkadian, Zoroastrian and Egyptian religions.

The Tree of Life or the Tree of Sephiroth is one of the basic concepts in Kabbalah. The first mention of the Sephiroth appears in the Book of Yetzirah and is developed in the books Bahir (Baghir) and Zohar (Zohar). The Kabbalah, which was transmitted orally for centuries, these books are a later recording of the Kabbalistic traditions and various sources mention different authors, up to Abraham.

Kabbalistic teaching actively developed in the Middle Ages, and the Jewish theologian Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, who created a new direction in the mystical teaching of Kabbalah, became especially famous. He founded the Lurianic Kabbalah, which is the basis of both the Sephardic Kabbalah from the 16th century and the Hasidic Kabbalah that emerged in the 18th century. Knowledge of the basic concepts of the Kabbalah is the key to Masonic esotericism, Hermetic magic, alchemy and modern New Age.
The diagram of the Tree of Sephiroth has its value in that it turned out to be the most convenient system for classifying the phenomena of the universe and recording their interactions, providing unlimited possibilities for analytical and synthetic thinking. This teaching tells not only about cosmogony (the origin of the world), but also deals with spiritual practices of the ascent of the soul to the Creator. This teaching is not dead, not ossified in postulates, like many branches of Christianity and Judaism. It is alive, developing and introducing new ideas into its body. On its basis, many scientists, both ancient and modern, drew their conclusions.
The structure of the Tree of Life (the universe) or the Tree of Sephiroth is the result of the emanations of Divine light from the Unknown (Ein Soft), which creates the vessels of the Sephiroth, certain expressions of the divine essence, passing along 22 paths (22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet). This light, passing from the first sephira to the tenth, gradually becomes denser until the creation of the material world. A person cannot accept the spiritual light as it comes from the Creator and it must “shrink”, passing through the layers of sephiroth. The sephiroth themselves unfold before us a picture of the origin and laws of existence of the world, bringing certain archetypal images into our Universe.
Concept Ein Soft, The infinite, unknowable God is very close to the concept of the Absolute in Hinduism. Light and vibrations begin to appear only in Kether, in the first sephira. Each Sephira has its own name, also the name of the Creator, which changes from Sephira to Sephira along with its quality. The archangels who have power in the sphere of these vibrations, with whose hands the Divine creates new ideas and forms, also change.

Ein Soft

There is absolutely no way to comprehend it, neither by thought nor by contemplation, because it is absolutely unimaginable and infinitely far from any kind of thought. When God decided to create the worlds (to descend), and at that moment he filled all the space, both outside and inside of which nothing could exist.

Sephiroth

The three upper Sephiroth are called "Sephiroth of the Mind":

• Keter– crown, crown, root cause, spiritual forms, world of Archetypes. The beam is projected to a point.
• Chokmah– wisdom, the source that gives birth to an idea-embryo, which includes as yet unknown possibilities. Contains the general plan of creation. Here the point turns into a line
• Bina- understanding, intelligence, knowledge, reveals the Divine in its feminine form. Possibility of creating original forms. Great Mother or Mountain Shekinah. The line becomes a plane.
• Daat- The key to the knowledge of the six sephiroth that make up the “Small Face of the Creator”

The seven lower sephiroth are called "Sephiroth of Feelings":

• Hesed- mercy, mercy, embodies the principle of unlimited expansion, symbolizes the boundless power of the Lord's love. Emanation is righteousness. This aspect of God showers mercy on all worlds. Here a volume appears for creative energy.
• Gevurah- severity, heroism, power, limits the outflow of mercy, which could flood the entire universe. Emanation is discipline.
• Tiphareth– splendor, beauty, tries on the opposites of Chesed and Geburah and appears as the “son” of two sephiroth. Tithyreth is the stable center of the world Tree.
• Netzach- victory. Emanation – control. Mediator between the spiritual and physical world.
• Move- glory, greatness. Emanation is listening, this is where understanding the word of God begins.
• Yesod– the basis, this is the lower transmitter of energy, pouring out from the hidden sephira Daath.
• Malchut– kingdom, material world

Sephir and Daath, not included in the standard numbering, is located on the shadow side of the tree.
In accordance with the Book of Zohar, each sephira contains ten more sephira, and so on ad infinitum.
Infinite light passes freely through the Sephira Kether, Chokmah and Binah. At this level there is eternal, unclouded perfection, the level of the Ideal. They are not knowable on any intellectual level and can only be comprehended through special meditations. Between them and the next seven Sephira is located Abyss. The Light from Bina passes down in a narrow stream, which, having contracted many times, reaches the lower Seferah - Malkuth. The lowest part of Malkuth is our material world. As the soul rises, it can reach the Abyss, but it will be possible to go beyond this level only after complete correction and restoration of the World.

Pillars of Manifestation

The Tree diagram consists of several triangles and three verticals, three pillars. The pillars play an extremely important role in the structure of the Tree.

Before moving on to the consideration of the pillars, let us clear up the confusion in some of the images of the Tree encountered. In the scheme Macrocosmic Tree the positive or masculine pillar is located to the right of the viewer, and the negative or feminine pillar is to the left. This is the macrocosmic Tree. Microcosmic Tree oriented differently, the pillars change places. This happens because when applying the Tree to a human body, according to tradition, it is imagined that the person enters the image backwards, as if placing it on his shoulders. As a result, the male pillar is placed on the left side of the person’s body, and the female pillar on the right. This should not be forgotten when meditating.
Everything that has ever existed, exists and will exist is born from the union of the male and female principles. They, connecting with each other, produce a certain new state - a state of balance. The principles of the creative act and the form, of which these two principles are symbols, find harmony in the “child” born from their union. Therefore, the three pillars symbolize the positive principle, the negative principle and the state of balance between them. But here we must understand that these two opposite states, like the names of the poles in an electrical circuit, do not carry any semantic nuances.
Positive, or male, pillar is called Pillar of Mercy. He carries the vital creative energy pouring out from Kether. In Chokmah he takes the first step towards manifestation, in Chesed it is already more balanced, and in Netzach it has a Venusian tint and strives for unity.
Negative, or female, pillar is called Pillar of Severity. It symbolizes restriction and restraint. He “captures” the mobile energy of the male pillar, thereby dooming it to “imprisonment” in the bonds of form. This is what is meant by “severity” in Kabbalah: the structuring of unbridled force and its subordination to discipline and order. Bina creates intangible archetypal forms in the form of emotions, intellectual and spiritual ideas, she is called " Great High Mother" or "Mountain Shekinah". Geburah, subjects to strict discipline the abundant flow of Chesed energy and adapts them to the subsequent stage of emanation. Hod is the place of creation of thought patterns embodied in Malkuth.
Median –Pillar of Balance or the Pillar of Consciousness can be considered, on the one hand, as the fruit of the interaction of two side pillars, and on the other, as a direct channel of energy going down. Harmony and balance are found here. Kether – “union with God.” The mysterious Daath resides in the great Abyss and gives “conscious understanding.” Tiphareth is a symbol of the human heart and a symbol of the Sun, and “enlightened consciousness.” In Yesod all the energies of the Tree unite for final manifestation, it gives “astral psychism”. In the Sephira Malkuth no more qualities are added and it gives only “sensual consciousness”.

The process of creation.

Tzimtzum. The initial act of Creation. God, who wanted to create worlds and fill them with his Love, could not do this, since he occupied all the space. During the act of Creation, the infinite God was compressed into a central point, which was the core of His light. God contracted himself at this point and then released it to the sides, surrounding her with himself. A void or ether formed inside. After his appearance Emptiness becomes a metaphysical space in which an infinite number of worlds are formed, embodied through positive emanation (All this is very reminiscent of the Big Bang theory).

Adam Kadmon

Adam Kadmon– this is the world that precedes man, the “First Man”. A plan through the implementation of which a person can become like the Creator. Adam Kadmon is the first Creation of infinite Divinity and occupies the entire Cosmos. It is created from the core of the Sephiroth that make up the body of Adam Kadmon. He is the Universal Soul, the soul of all humanity. Since the sephiroth can change from the rays emanating from Adam Kadmon, it means that it can be transformed. Sephiras have a strict layout on the body of Adam Kadmon, which is why Kabbalists meditate on a specific part of the body during their meditations.

Paths or Tsinaroty

All sephiras are connected by lines called paths. Sephiroth - ten. Paths, tzinarot, 22 according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. From the Bible we know about the creation of the world that: “In the beginning there was the word... and the word was with God...” It is believed that: “twenty-two basic letters. He drew, carved, weighed, rearranged them and with their help created the universe and everything that should be created later” (Sephira Yetzirah). Each letter has many meanings and also correlates with certain numbers. Twenty-two sets of ideas are considered to be the basic forms and essences that constitute the manifest universe and give twenty two paths of wisdom, understanding it. The system combining the Cynarots with the Sephiroths describes 32" doors of light" covering 10 sephiroth and 22 letters as specific types of intelligence, each of which corresponds to its own concept or channel, and thus also helps to understand the logic of the system.

Spiritual worlds in Kabbalah

In Kabbalah, everything that exists is divided into four worlds, implying four stages of manifestation. The worlds are called Atzilut (the world of Types), Beria (the world of Creation), Yetzirah (the world of Formation) and Assiya (the world of Action or Forms).
The four worlds represent the consistent development of the original creative impulse. This sequence describes the acts of Divine creation. First the desire to do something arose; then an idea appeared of what it should be; then creation began and, finally, at the fourth stage, the idea manifested itself in matter. Each world symbolizes one of the stages of the process of manifestation of God, and in each of the worlds he fulfills his plan in a special way. God independently performs work only in the world of Atzilut, and in the rest he works through intermediaries. But, despite this, the world of Atzelut cannot be considered more important than the other three, since it is present simultaneously in all worlds. This fourfold classification can be seen as a reflection of the Divine Name Yod-He-Vav-He.

World – Atzilut

The world of Atzelut, translated as “closeness,” is the world of prototypes or Archetypes, the “world of Emanations,” because it was in Atzelut that all the sephiroth originated. Of all the levels of existence, it is the closest to the state of unmanifestation, which Kabbalists call “Ein” and is the first emanation of the Void. The sephira Kether belongs to the world of Atzilut. This world contains ten forms of the Divine Name.

World – Briya

Beria – “world of Creation”. At this level, the process of creation begins in the form in which it is understandable from the lower sephira located below the Abyss. The act of creation here is limited to purely spiritual vibrations. Here ideal forms, models, “plans” appear at the level of forces and principles. There are two sephira here: Chokmah and Binah, personifying the masculine and feminine principles in their highest manifestations. The union of these two principles gives rise to everything that exists. In this world there are archangels, as the main servants of God, the abode of the angel Metatron.

Peace – Yetzirah

The world of Yetzirah - "the world of Formation", in which the creative process moves to the stage of creation. It includes the sephiras: Hesed, Geburah, Tiphiret, Netzach, Hod and Yesod and are called the “Sephiroth of Creation.” These are the six stages of preparatory work necessary for subsequent material manifestation. Six days of creation.
The world of Yetzirah is quite complex. Here, simple ideal plans formed in the world of Briy are subject to various changes, and each of them hopes to be realized. Yetzirah is the world of angels who work in the name of God to realize the potential of the world of Beria. Angels work under the guidance of archangels and are responsible for specific manifestations in the material world.

World - Asia

Asia – “the world of Materialization”. The creative forces released in the world of Atzelut reach their final maturity here, since this is the world of Actions. The kinetic energy of the world of Yetzirah is absorbed by the dense forms of the manifested world. The sephira Malkuth belongs to this world.

World - Qliphoth

Below the world of Malkuth there is another world, “suspended” to this sephira and growing from it. This world is outside the original scheme of creation, but is still subordinate to it. Kabbalists call it "Olam ha-Qliphoth" - peace "shells "or "harlots", the world of Kabbalistic demons. The role of Kether for its inhabitants is played by Malkuth. There are several theories about the origin of the Klipot, but we will not delve into them in this article.

Vessel breaking

The divine vessels of the Sephiroth exist in order for the world to be perfect. Kabbalah describes the cosmic catastrophe preceding the emergence of the world, when the seven lower sephiroth burst, unable to withstand the divine light, and were destroyed. The shards from these vessels fell into the metaphysical Void, attracting sparks of divine light with them and became elements of the “Other Side” of our world. They formed the “qlipot” - the sources of world evil. As a result of this catastrophe, Chokmah and Binah lost their balance and turned, with their backs to each other, which created disharmony between male and female, Mother and Father.
The task of humanity is not only to strive for union with the Creator, but also to help return divine sparks. Then the Sephiroth will be restored to their originality, and divine order and the kingdom of law will be restored in the world.

The Tree of Sephiroth or the Tree of Life is an ancient esoteric system that reflects the principle of development of the entire Universe. It consists of 10 Sephiroth, which emanate from each other in succession, just as the bowls of a fountain are filled.

These 10 Sephiroth reflect 10 universal forces, 10 spheres of existence, or 10 hypostases of God, as they are also called. They are connected to each other by connections called “paths.”

10 Sephiroth of the Tree of Life:

1. Kether “Crown” - the ocean of existence, God the Father, the Great Brahman;
2. Chokmah “Wisdom” - the masculine principle, the Creator god;
3. Bina “Wisdom” - the feminine principle, the Great Mother;
4. Chesed “Mercy” - guardian god, emperor, gracious sovereign;
5. Geburah "Severity" - the conquering god, expanding borders through destruction and war;
6. Tiphareth “Beauty” - God the Son, divine child, harmony, love, peace, spiritual world;
7. Netzach “Victory” - aesthetics and beauty, the sphere of emotions;
8. Move “Glory” - mental sphere, intellect;
9. Yesod “Form” - the astral world, including the mental and astral spheres;
10. Malkuth "Kingdom" - Earth, matter, nature.

The right side of the Tree is masculine. It is called the Column of Mercy. The left side is female. It is called the Column of Justice. In the center of the Tree, where the interaction of these opposites occurs, there is a column of Balance.

The Sephiroth tree is built on the principle of hierarchy: at the top are the most subtle and primary forces, at the bottom are the coarsest and densest. The entire Tree system is conventionally divided into 4 worlds (from top to bottom): the Divine world, the world of Thrones, the world of Angels and the world of Matter.

Start

The source of the Tree of Sephiroth is at the top. First Sephira - Kether translated means "Crown". It reflects the First Cause from which the world is born. This sphere of existence corresponds to what spiritual teachings call the Creator, the Absolute or the Creator. In mythology, this is the Supreme God, who gave birth to light and the rest of the pantheon of gods.

But the scientific world, in particular adherents of the Big Bang Theory, call this state of the Universe “singularity”. The Singularity is the Point at which the entire future Universe is concentrated. All its particles are connected at this point to each other by super-dense bonds. These connections are so dense that it is wrong to even talk about particles as particulars. At this moment, everything that can be is in Absolute Unity, beyond time and space.

Depiction of the singularity point in the concept of the Big Bang Theory

The Last Sephira of the Tree – Malkuth- is located at the very base of the Tree of Sephiroth and denotes the material world. Malkuth is a realization at the level of physics. In the esoteric system of the Tree of Sephiroth, Malkuth corresponds to our planet – Earth. In the everyday sense, this Sephira means achieving a result or goal.

The idea that invisibly originated in the consciousness of the Creator “Kether”, at the final stage turns into the materialized form of “Malkuth” - the natural world. It is from here that the human soul begins its path of ascent to the Creator. If the path from Kether to Malkuth was the path of the creation of all things, then the path from Malkuth to Kether is the path of the evolution of consciousness: from man to God.

In general, the esoteric meaning of the Tree of Sephiroth is found in many areas of human activity. Built on the Universal Laws of the World, the Tree works by analogy. Both on the scale of the Universe and on the scale of the human soul. Both in the material world and in the spiritual.

The principle of creativity between God and man is the same: the idea is primary. But an idea without implementation can remain an idea, invisible and unmanifested. To realize the idea, two more elements are needed: matter and applied action. For example, the plot of a story may appear in your mind. But while this story is only in your consciousness, it does not exist on the material level. And only you yourself are a witness to its existence. The author of the story will be considered the one who not only invented, but also displayed the plot in symbols, giving the idea form in the form of a clear sequence of letters.

The Tree of Sephiroth and the Indivisible Trinity

Idea, energy and matter in the form of the first three Sephiroth constitute the divine indivisible Trinity in the Tree. The idea arises in Sephira Kether as a plan. Action as an active male force is reflected in Sephira Chochma in the image of the Great Father. Accordingly, matter in the image of the Great Mother symbolizes Bina - female passive power, the opposite of masculine and active force.

Returning to the Big Bang Theory, according to scientists, at the aforementioned singularity point, both matter and energy already exist in incredible density. Therefore, this point has infinite mass, and its temperature also tends to infinity. The Big Bang itself, as a result of which, according to this theory, everything in the world appeared, is the result captured in form.

The ancients saw an analogy for the creation of the Universe in the sacred principle of the conception of life: the Great Father puts his seed (idea) into the body of the Great Mother (matter). Conception occurs through the Holy Spirit (action). And soon a divine child is born (result).

The image of the divine child on the Tree of Sephiroth is located in Tiphareth, which means “Beauty”. This Sephira is the center of the entire system. She represents harmony and love. And the mission of Christ the Savior corresponds to it. And if in the Indivisible Trinity “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” Kether is the image of God the Father, then Tiphareth is the image of God the Son.

Image of the Divine Child and the Blessed Virgin Mary

Correspondence of the worlds of the Tree in the energy structure of the soul

As I wrote in other articles, the energy structure of the soul is multidimensional, and on the human body, each layer of it has a projection called a chakra. In turn, each chakra can be correlated with a level on the Sephiroth Tree.

Thus Malkuth as Sephira of the material world relates to the physical body of a person. The projection of Malkuth in the energy structure is the Muladhara chakra, located at the base of the spine.

Further on the Tree we see three Sephira: Yesod, Netzach and Hod, relating to the world of Angels or Forms. Central Yesod - astral world. There is an interaction between two opposing forces: Netzach – feelings and Hod – intellect. The projection of the astral world on the human body is the “Svadhisthana” chakra, located in the area of ​​the gonads and responsible for desires, emotions and pleasures.

Center of the Tree – Sephira Tiphareth. In the energy structure of the human soul, its projection also plays a central role. Tiphareth is located in the world of Creation and denotes spiritual beauty. The projection on the human body of this world is located in the solar plexus area and immediately corresponds to 2 mind chakras: Manipura and Anahata, which are the source of vital energy and unconditional love.

The structure of the Tree of Life in the structure of the human soul. Macro- and Microcosm.

Hidden Sephira Daath, which means “Knowledge” corresponds to “Ajna”, whose projection on the body is located in the area between the eyebrows. This energy center is responsible for intuitive insights and inspirations. On the Tree of Sephiroth, this center is located on the border of two worlds. This boundary is called the "Abyss". The Abyss separates the mortal worlds from the immortal ones. Thus, it is here that the meeting of the eternal and the perishable takes place.

The highest Sephira is Keter., corresponds to the Sahasrara chakra, which opens the mind to the connection with the cosmos. The level of Sahasrara is the level of reunification with the Creator, a return to the original state of Unity.

In conclusion, it is worth saying that the Sephiroth Tree system contains much more information than could be presented in one article. Here are the answers to many questions of the universe, the algorithms of evolution of both society and an individual, both the whole world and an individual state, are displayed. Along the paths of the Tree, seekers rise with their consciousness to the Truth. And an ordinary person follows the same paths, living his life and making everyday choices. The tree is an ancient universal formula of the Universe, which they are trying so unsuccessfully to find in the world of science, and has long been found in the world of esotericism.

The Tree of Life, considered from top to bottom, is the path of creation of the world. The circles in the diagram are Sephiroth (or Sephiroth), stages of creation corresponding to the 10 numbers with which the world was created, they are called Sephiroth. The lines connecting the Sephira with each other are essentially the embodiment of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, they are also the paths of creation of the universe.

The Tree of Sephiroth is based on three vertical columns. In the center is the column of Balance, on the left is the column of Mercy, and on the right is Severity.

The Central Column is usually associated with the element of Fire and the present time. The left column - with the future and the element of Air. The Right Column - with the past tense and the element of Water. The element of Earth is correlated with the structure of the entire Sephiroth Tree.

1 Sephira Keter

The Upper Sephira of the Column of Balance - Keter - is the purest spiritual foundation of the world, the original unity of the Universe, not divided into opposites.

2 Sephira Chokmah

The second is Chokmah, the upper Sephira of the column of Mercy - the first impulse of creation, the driving force, not yet applied to anything, pure activity as such.

4 Sephira Chesed

Chesed, the middle Sephira of the pillar of Mercy, is a merciful king who rules with carrots and not with sticks. This is the area of ​​mercy, greatness and honor, the establishment of laws and rules that are binding on everyone. If everything is done correctly, then everyone will gain a lot by giving up a little. Everyone must accept small restrictions and clear rules so that everyone achieves the greatest possible well-being.

5 Sephira Geburah

Geburah, the gray Sephira of the column of Severity, the king is a warrior, frantic and understanding only the law of force. It is better to let one die than many. It is better to kill the weak so that the strong can live. This is not anger, not hatred - this is severity and a complete understanding of necessity. Geburah is a king who decides how everyone else around him should live, and tends to force his people into happiness with an iron fist.

6 Sephira Tiphareth

Tiphareth is the middle of the Tree of Life of the column of Balance, the point of ideal balance and harmony. This is an area of ​​maximum well-being, which also means gaining complete integrity of the individual.

8 Sephira Hod

Lower Sephira of the Column of Severity - Hod. The area of ​​intelligence and calculation. Hod is an intellectual who explores the world and lives as he sees fit.

9 Sephira Yesod

Yesod, the lower sephira of the column of Balance, the world of the Moon, the astral plane, subtle images, visions, hallucinations and dreams. When you sleep, your consciousness does not perceive the material world perceived by the senses, but some elusive and fleeting images coming from the depths of your mind.

From top to bottom, horizontally, the Sephiroth tree is divided into four worlds, also associated with the already familiar Elements:

Atzilut is a world consisting of Sephira Kether, the world of Fire, the letter Yod.

Beria - Sephiroth above the Abyss, Chokmah and Binah, the world of Water, the letter Ha.

Assiya - consists of one Sephira Malkuth, Earth, Ha final.

The other Sephiroth form the world of Yetzirah, the world of creation, everything below the Abyss except Malkuth, and this is Air and the letter Vav.

4 worlds, 10 Sephiroth, 22 paths - all this should remind you of the Tarot deck. 4 suits, 10 ranks, 22 Major Arcana.

The numerical cards consist of 10 ranks and represent the ten Sephiroth - the Aces, the first rank, correspond to the first Sephira, Kether, Twos - Bina, and so on until the Tens, which reside in Malkuth. Each rank contains cards of four suits. Therefore, the Kabbalistic meaning of the Number Cards will correspond to the manifestation of the Element in the corresponding Sephira. That is, the Two of Cups is the second Sephira and the Element of Water, Water in Chokmah. The Three of Swords is Air in Binah, the Ten of Wands is the Fire of Malkuth, the Ten of Disks is the Earth of Malkuth. On the Tree of Life, the Sephiroth are the most important, the objective states of being and man. Paths are only transitions from one to another, they are not as important in Kabbalah as the Sephiroth. In the Tarot, on the contrary, the Major Arcana characterize the most sublime influences that are beyond the direct control of a person, and the number cards are daily, everyday events and actions.

The 22 Major Arcana correspond to the 22 letters of Hebrew and the 22 Paths of the Tree of Life.

Tree of Sephiroth

"Tree of Sephiroth"

10 circles and 22 lines on the Tree of Life form a map of the entire Universe, in all its manifestations, describe the history of the creation of the world and the path along which the adept rises from the material world to the spiritual. This scheme is the basis for everything, and without a complete and clear understanding of it, serious study of the magic of the Western tradition is impossible.

The paths connecting the Sephiroth are literally paths, certain transitions from one state to another. Sephiroth are objective states, paths are subjective experience, experiences of a person moving from the state of one Sephira to the state of another. There are 22 paths, like letters in Hebrew, so each path is named by one of the letters, for example, the path of Tau is the path from Malkuth to Yesod. Look at the diagram - from Malkuth you can go up to Hod or to Netzach (this is not entirely accurate, but for now you can simplify the picture). The path to Hod is the path from the material, purely physical and even animal state, to the mind. This is the way of understanding the world with a cold scientific intellect. The path to Netzach is the path of aesthetic comprehension of the world. Having a terrible dream and crying is the path from Malkuth to Yesod and further to Netzach. But to analyze this dream scientifically and draw conclusions is already the path from Yesod to the mind of Hod.