Kabbalists believe the manifestation of our material world was caused by the immanent activity of God on four different planes, or in four worlds, simultaneously.  The first world is called Atziluth, the world of emanation, and represents the Manifestation of Divine Thought.  It is in this world where God manifests himself in the form of the archetypes (Kether, Chokmah and Binah).  The union of God with his Shekhinah (his feminine counterpart) also takes place in this world, and the fruits of this union are the three worlds which follow.

The second world, the world of creation, is called Briah, and represents God's Moral Power.  It is here where the Merkabah takes form.  It is also in this world that the highest ranking angels and the pure spirits of all those who are truly pious reside.

The world of formation, Yetzirah, is the third of these worlds.  Yetzirah represents God's Reproductive or Creative Power.  Ten angelic hosts reside in this world, Arelim, Benei Elohim, Chajoth, Chashmalim, Elim, Elohim, Ishim, Malachim, Ophanim and Seraphim, presided over by Metraton, the 'Prince of the World'.

Another important arrangement showing the relationship between the Sephiroth is the three pillars of Mercy, Middle and Judgment, where they enter into a completely new relationship with each other.  The Pillar of Mercy, on the right, contains the three masculine Sephiroth, Chokmah, Chesed and Netzach.  The Pillar of Judgment, on the left, is composed of the three feminine Sephiroth, Binah, Geburah and Hod, while the Middle Pillar is composed of the four Sephiroth, Kether, Tiphareth, Yesod and Malkuth.  The pillars of Judgment and Mercy are balanced by the Middle pillar, which is also called the Shekhinah the feminine counterpart of God.

In this arrangement, the Sephiroth within each pillar are connected only to those others within the same pillar.  This is known as the theme of polarity, where the emphasis is placed on the distinction of the opposites (male/female, positive/negative, light/dark, etc.), as opposed to the triadic division of the Sephiroth where the opposites are present, but are always seen within the context of relationship.  The first triad comprising Kether, Chokmah and Binah shows the opposites separated out where they are thought of as existing in a permanent relationship with that which gave birth to them.  The second triad of Chesed, Geburah and Tiphareth is where Tiphareth is seen as a composite figure which mediates between its parent Sephiroth, Chesed and Geburah.  The third triad of Netzach, Hod and Yesod follows the pattern of the second.  In this triadic division the Sephiroth in the centre of the configuration are dependent upon those to their left and right for their existence or value, but in the arrangement of the pillars, all three pillars are completely independent of each other, the Middle pillar representing a unit of pure, unsupported divinity, and described in the Zohar as the Perfect Pillar.  It is a mediating factor between the pillars of Mercy and Judgment, but in no way dependent upon them for its existence.  In this arrangement of the three pillars we find the idea of three powers:

• The power of the left side - darkness
• The power of the right side - light
• The power of the soul - Shekhinah

The Pillar of Mercy is named from the centre Sephirah, Chesed (Mercy or Love), suggesting the quality of mercy must also contain the qualities of wisdom and endurance - The Sephiroth above and below.  The Pillar of Judgment is named in the same manner, i.e. from the centre Sephirah, Geburah (Judgment or Power), suggesting that judgment must also contain elements of understanding and glory.

As can be seen in the diagram, the Middle pillar is a direct line from the Divine world of Kether (Crown) to the material world of Malkuth (Kingdom), the two supreme opposites, separated by Beauty and Foundation.  Since the kingdom of the material world is founded on the creative principle, the generative principle of the opposites being through Yesod, Yesod must receive its beauty from the Light of Kether.

There are countless books on the subject of Kabbalah, far too many to list, the majority describing the Sephiroth in much more detail than you can read here should you wish to understand more.

The next consideration of the Sephiroth will be with the connecting links between them, known as the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom.  According to the Jewish tradition, the concept of the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom concept derives from the 32 times that the name Elohim is mentioned in the Torah, the first chapter of Genesis.  These are shown in the image below which also shows the number of each path together with the letter of the Hebrew alphabet assigned to it, and the two Sephiroth which it connects.  The only possible way that I can think of to explain this diagram is to cite the text of the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom itself from the Sefer Yetzirah (not the Zohar from which the concept is derived), but note that the text which follows is a compilation of several different translations by such experts as Waite, Westcott and Stenring.  This is mainly because of confusing or conflicting phrasing or ambiguous terminology used by each of these translators during translation.

The Text of the Thirty-two Paths

1. The first path is called the Admirable Intelligence or Concealed Intelligence, the Supreme Crown.  It is the Light which communicates or imparts understanding at the beginning which knows no beginning or is without beginning.  It is the First Glory or Splendour.  No created being can attain to its essence.
2. The second path is called the Illuminating Intelligence.  It is the Crown of Creation and the splendour of the Supreme Unity to which it is in closest proximity.  It is exalted above every head, and is referred to by Kabbalists as the Second Glory or Splendour.
3. The third path is called the Sanctifying Intelligence, the foundation of Primordial Wisdom, otherwise termed the Creation of Faith.  Its roots are Amen.  It is the mother of Faith, which emantes therefrom.
4. The fourth path is called the Arresting or Receiving Intelligence or That Intelligence Which Receives and Contains.  It is given this title because it arises like a boundary to receive the emanations of the higher intelligences which are sent down to it.  From here all spiritual virtues by way of subtlety, which itself emantes from the Supreme Crown.
5. The fifth path is called the Radical Intelligence.  It is called this because it is more akin to the Supreme Unity and emanates from the depths of Wisdom.
6. The sixth path is called the Intelligence of Mediating Influence, because therein the influx of the emanations is multiplied.  It sends forth or communicates this affluence to those blessed men who have united themselves with it.
7. The seventh path is called the Hidden Intelligence or Concealed Intelligence, because from it all intellectual virtues which are beheld with the eyes of the spiritual and by the ecstasy of faith receive the outpouring of its brilliant splendour.
8. The eighth path is called the Perfect and/or Absolute Intelligence.  It is from here that the ability to prepare principles emanates.  It attaches itself to the roots hidden in the depths of the Sphere Magnificence [Chesed], from the very substance of which it emanates.
9. The ninth path is called the Purified Intelligence.  It is called this because it purifies the numerations, qualifies and adjusts the manner in which they are represented, and unites them with itself so that they may not suffer division and destruction.
10. The tenth path is called the Resplendent Intelligence because it is exalted above every head from where it sits on the throne of Binah.  It enlightens the fire of all lights and emanates the power of the Prince of Countenances.
11. The eleventh path is called the Fiery Intelligence.  It is called this because it is the veil held up before the dispositions or formations, and the order of the superior and inferior causes.  Whoever possesses this path enjoys great dignity and comes face to face with the Cause of Causes.
12. The twelfth path is called the Intelligence of Light [Transparency in the French version] because it images Magnificence.  It is the source of visions in those who behold apparitions.
13. The thirteenth path is called the Uniting Intelligence or the Inductive Intelligence of Unity.  It is the essence or substance of Glory and it reveals or manifests truth to all spirits.
14. The fourteenth path is called the Illuminating Intelligence.  It is that which found concealed ideas, the basis of all holiness.
15. The fifteenth path is called the Constituting Intelligence because it fashions or constitutes creation in the world’s darkness.  It is the darkness mentioned in Job chapter 38, verse 9, "... cloud and the garment [envelope] thereof.
16. The sixteenth path is called the Triumphant & Eternal Intelligence.  It is the delight of glory and the paradise of pleasure prepared for the just.
17. The seventeenth path is called the Disposing Intelligence.  It provides perseverance to the righteous in preparation for their reception of the Holy Spirit.
18. The eighteenth path is called the Intelligence of the House of Wisdom or Intelligence or House of Influence.  From here are retrieved the arcana and concelaed meanings hidden in its shadow.
19. The nineteenth path is called the Intelligence of the Secret or Intelligence of all Spiritual Activities.  The fullness it receives derives from the highest benediction and the supreme glory.
20. The twentieth path is called the Intelligence of Will.  It is called this because it prepares all created beings for the reception or demonstration of the Primordial Glory’s existence.
21. The twenty-first path is the called Intelligence of Mediation or Rewarding Intelligence.  It receives the divine benediction from above and dispenses it below, thus influencing all in existence.
22. The twenty-second path is called the Faithful Intelligence because deposited in it are spiritual virtues, which are increased until they pass to those who dwell under the shadow thereof.
23. The twenty-third path is called the Stable Intelligence. It is the source of that which is consistent in all of the numerations.
24. The twenty-fourth path is called the Imaginative Intelligence.  It is called this because it is the ground of similarity in the likeness of beings who are created in a manner after its aspects.
25. The twenty-fifth path is called the Intelligence of Temptation or Trial.  It is called this because it represents the first temptation by which God tries the devout.
26. The twenty-sixth path is called the Intelligence of Renovation or Renewing Intelligence.  It is called this because it is by this Intelligence that God renews all that is capable of renewal or renovation in his creation.
27. The twenty-seventh path is called the Natural Intelligence, whereby everything in the orb of the sun is completed and perfected.
28. The twenty-eighth path is called the Active Intelligence.  It is called this because it is here that the spirit of every being of the supreme orb is created along with the energy or activity to which they are subject is created.
29. The twenty-ninth path is called the Corporeal Intelligence.  It informs all bodies existing beneath the orbs and is the force behind their growth.
30. The thirtieth path is called the Intelligence of the Collective or Collective Intelligence.  It is here that astrologers arrive at their speculations through judging the motion of the stars and heavenly signs.
31. The thirty-first path is called the Perpetual Intelligence.  It governs the movements of the sun and moon causing each to follow its respective orb.
32. The thirty-second path is called the Administrating Intelligence or Assisting Intelligence because it directs the movements of the seven planets with their divisions.

Very little has been written on the practical usage of these paths.  After what manner the paths correspond with their various offices, how they communicate the powers or graces within them, and for what reason they bear their distinctive titles remains open to question.  It can only be assumed that the paths outlined here are to be applied as vehicles for our own speculations, pathworking.

Each path is a form of Intelligence, which is a further differentiation of the original intelligence first displayed in Kether.  Charles Poncé suggests that the term 'Intelligence' used in the text might be better understood as a form of consciousness, and what the text of The Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom is putting forward is the observation that there are thirty-two specific forms of consciousness, but in what manner each path is to be 'followed' is a secret each traveller must work out for himself or herself.

The Tetragrammaton appears to have its origin in a phrase found in Exodus chapter 3, verse 14, "I am that I am”.  Prior to this it was known as the Shem ha-meforash, the 72-syllabled name of God, comprising 216 letters.  The source of the Shem ha-meforash, according to tradition, is Exodus chapter 14, verses 19-21, each of these three verses containing 72 Hebrew letters.  The letters of these verses were written down in separated form and in correct order.  Reading from above down, one can obtain 72 three-letter names, which combine to make one.  See Christian D. Ginsburg's Kabbalah: Its Doctrines, Development and Literature for further information.  AL or IH was added to these three-lettered names to form the names of the 72 angels of Jacob’s ladder.

Since the Hebrew language does not use vowels in its written form, the correct pronunciation of this unspeakable name of God was lost and not rediscovered until circa 300 AD by Kabbalists who gave it the title Tetragrammaton, 'the word of four letters', and 'the square name', or more simply, 'the square'.  At that time the Shem ha-meforash became represented by the simpler form YHVH.

General

The Tree of Life is an important symbol in most cultures.  Because its branches reach high into the sky, and its roots deep into the earth, it exists in three worlds, a link between heaven, earth, and the underworld, thus uniting above with below.  It is considered to be a feminine symbol, bearing fruit, while at the same time it is also masculine, being a visibly phallic symbol.

In Jewish and Christian mythology, a tree sits at the centre of both the heavenly and earthly Edens.  The Norse cosmic World Ash, Ygdrassil, has its roots in the underworld while its branches support the dwelling place of the Gods.  The Egyptian's Holy Sycamore stood on the threshold of life and death, connecting the worlds.  To the pre-Columbian Mayas, it is Yaxche, whose branches support the heavens.

The tree has other characteristics which lend themselves easily to symbolism.  Deciduous trees take on the appearance of death in the winter, losing their leaves, only to sprout new growth with the return of spring.  This aspect gives the tree a symbol of resurrection, and a stylised tree is the symbol of many resurrected Gods; Jesus, Attis, and Osirus all have crosses as their symbols.

A tree bears seeds or fruits, containing the ‘essence’ of the tree.  This continuous regeneration is a potent symbol of immortality.  It is the fruit of a tree that confers immortality in the Jewish creation story.  In Taoist tradition, it is a divine peach that gives the gift of immortality, while in ancient Persia (now Iran), the fruit of the haoma bears this essence.  The apples of Idun gave the Norse gods their powers.  This aspect of the tree as a ‘giver of gifts’ and ‘spiritual wisdom’ is also quite common.  It is while meditating under a Bodhi tree that Buddha received his enlightenment; the Norse God Odin received the gift of language while hanging upside down in the World Ash to obtain the wisdom of the runes (see ‘The Hanged Man’ in the Tarot deck).  In Judeo-Christian mythology, the Tree of Heaven is the source of the primordial rivers that water the earth.  This is similar to the Tooba Tree of the Koran, from whose roots spring milk, honey, and wine.

This tree and its gifts of immortality are not easy to discover.  It is historically difficult to find, and almost invariably guarded.  The Tree of Life in the Jewish bible is guarded by a Seraph (an angel in the form of a fiery serpent) bearing a flaming sword.  To steal the apples of knowledge, the Greek hero Hercules had to slay a many-headed dragon Ladon.  In Mayan legends, it is a serpent in the roots that one must contend with.  Similarly, the Naga, or divine serpent guards the Hindu Tree.  The Serpent Nidhog lives under Ygdrassil, and gnaws at the roots.

The tree as the dwelling place of the Gods is another feature common to many mythologies; in some, the tree itself is a God.  The ancient Sumerian God Dammuzi was personified as a tree, as is the Hindu Brahman.  The Byzantine World Tree represents the omnipotence of the Christian god.

Another form, the Inverted Tree, represents spiritual growth, as well as the human nervous system.  This tree, with its roots in heaven, and its branches growing downward, is often found in Kabbalistic imagery.  A similar tree is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, "The banyan tree with its roots above, and its branches below, is imperishable".  In Kabbalah, the Inverted Tree represents the nervous system as well, the 'root' in the cranial nerves, with the branches spreading throughout the body.  It also represents the cosmic tree rooted in heaven, the branches being all of manifest creation.

The Kabbalistic Tree of Life

The Tree of Life, the fruit of which is supposed to give ‘everlasting life’, is mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Bible.  In addition to the Tree of Life, we find the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The wisest creature on earth, the serpent, tempted Eve into eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil by suggesting to her that she would become as wise as God.  Eve succumbed to this temptation, after which she and Adam were banished from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life.

N. B. The Genesis narrative telling of Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden is balanced in the New Testament by the planting of the Tree of Life on mankind's side of the divide, see Book of Revelation chapter 2, verse 7, and chapter 22, verses 2 and 19.

The Tree of Life is represented in several examples of sacred geometry, and is a recurrent theme in many religions, especially the Assyrian religion and the most ancient form of the Greek Religion, where its worship is associated with Tree Cults.  In particular it is a central theme in the Kabbalah.  However, Kabbalah cannot be classed as a religion as such, despite the fact that it successfully encompasses the values of all of them.  Irrespective of this, it is referred to as a 'Mystical interpretation of the Old Testament', and many who study Kabbalah say it provides interpretations of biblical statements that have sometimes confused its readers.

The study of Kabbalah is personal examination and self-analysis on every level - from the mundane physical self to the higher spiritual entity.  But this is just one aspect of it, for it also encompasses a range of possibilities, including the concept of other worlds, along with the magical power of number and language, as well as universal ideas which move us ever closer to understanding our origin and destiny.

The principle tool of examination is what is known as the Tree of Life, a diagram featuring 10 spheres, known as the Sephiroth, linked together by lines (paths), which coincidentally make it resemble that of DNA.  It relates not only to the 10 aspects of the human psyche, but also, amongst many other things, to the 10 Cosmic Laws of Creation, and the 10 Faces of The Creator, of which we are but a reflection.

There are many arguments as to what comprises or what does not comprise Kabbalah, and indeed the right ways of accessing it.  However, one aspect of it, the Tree of Life, is so versatile as to encompass all things for all people, and therein lies its infinite value.  It is irrelevant whether we are of a particular religious persuasion, an atheist, agnostic, philosopher, psychologist, scientist, or simply just a querant, it opens new doorways to a perception that helps us to really know and fully understand where we come from, what we believe in, and more importantly, the reasons why we do so.

In simplistic terms, the Tree of Life can be likened to a 'reference map' of 10 ‘Temples of Light’, through which an aspirant may travel on the road to self-discovery, using the 22 paths which link one temple to another (see the 32 Paths of Wisdom).  Although based on Jewish Tradition, many of a non Jewish persuasion study Kabbalah, and in particular The Tree of Life.  Those who study it find themselves not only in a never-ending field of self discovery, but also of the world and universe in which they live, for no matter which way we look at it, it responds to our own personal 'level' of understanding, and is always open to challenge, holding many answers to questions that have previously defied explanation.

By studying the Tree of Life, we get in touch with just one aspect of Kabbalah, but this is possibly the most important area, being directly associated with ourselves in the personal sense, as well as part of the human evolution.  Thus, as previously stated, Kabbalah is arguably not a religion but more a philosophy, and, although it certainly does not claim to make life any easier for us, it does help to ensure that we can make it much more meaningful and worthwhile.  Its value is in using The Tree of Life as a psychological 'tool', for its study can be likened to taking an Honours Degree in The University of Life.

Aleister Crowley considered a complete understanding of the Tree of Life was essential for a magician:

"The Tree of Life has got to be learnt by heart; you must know it backwards, forwards, sideways, and upside down; it must become the automatic background of all your thinking.  You must keep on hanging everything that comes your way upon its proper bough."

Similar to Yoga, it is not so much magick as it is a way to ‘map out’ one's spiritual universe.  As such, a magician may use the Tree to choose which god(s) to invoke for what purpose(s) etc.  Within the Western Magical Tradition, the Tree of Life is used as a filing cabinet, and plays an important role in modelling the spiritual journey, where the adept begins in Malkuth, the everyday material world, with the ultimate goal being Kether, the Sphere of Unity with the All.

The following image shows The Sephirotic Tree of later Kabbalists, in which was condensed all the arcana previously scattered throughout Kabbalistic literature.