Kabbalah Discussion

[Haelos]

Hello there, everyone (who reads this thread)
Today, I'd like to see if anyone on the forums would be interested in having an open discussion about all things Kabbalah.
I'm only going to continue this thread and start up offering topics if at least a couple people post saying they are interested, because this conversation could last a very long time, and I don't want to spend every other day just hoping people are still going to respond, expecting it to die any time. I need to know that you're willing to take part in the discussion until you either learn everything you want to know, pass on all of your knowledge, or at the very least, you allow a way for the conversation to continue further after you're gone.
I'm not saying you need to post a response to every person, or that you even need to be all deep with what you have to say. I just want you know this is only going to happen with interested people who are willing to teach and learn.

If you're interested, just leave a quick response saying whatever you'd like, and after a predetermined number of people have posted, I will offer up several questions and ideas to start the thread off. If you have some questions you'd like to remember now, you're free to write them in your initial post. Just remember to check back on this thread at least once weekly, once/if it takes off. And leave a post now and again.

This topic will consist of literally anything having to do with Kabbalah (whatever your spelling may be), whether it be theory, practice, spells. Even things that may belong in other boards may be posted here, as long as it stays relevant.
If you want to jump in with a new topic, do so at any time you wish. Just be sure to quote or @mention the people you're directing your comments to (or no one, if that is the case.)
After two weeks, starting today April 15th, if the predetermined number of people have not posted claiming interest, I will not be posting nor responding on the thread from that point onwards, and may even request an admin take it down. If the number is reached before then, I will simply start posting. You may also start off the thread, but don't get too out of hand with the discussions until more people have joined in claiming interest.

I hope you show interest in this idea. I'm trying to do something new. This is the means I'd like to use to both learn and teach at the same time, and I need the help of you wonderful people to actually go anywhere with this.
I'm actually writing up a short syllabus to start us off, so hopefully it won't go to waste. I know this is an unusual kind of request, so I only hope my good will is received properly, and that I spark the interest of others.
Thank you for taking the time to read this today, and whether you participate or not, I wish nothing but the highest knowledge for you.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

I'll be glad to pitch in what little I can. Be aware however that what I can offer is mostly book-knowledge rather than experienced results. I'm quite convinced of the validity and effectiveness of Kabbalah/Qabalah as a map of consciousness and hoping in due course that I can bring it to be more than simply a body of knowledge in my life.

[Yex]

I probably don't have much to contribute to this conversation, but I'm fascinated to hear what others have to say on this topic.

[Hadit]

The problem here is how subjective the interpretations of Kabbalah are, especially surrounding the tree of life.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

Should we focus perhaps more on the features of the spheres and the meanings of the 32 paths of wisdom? I wouldn't doubt that tarot and astrological attributions could be problematic but so long as we might find agreement to proceed on the Kirscher tree with the conventional letter placement we may be okay.


One comment out front - I'm really starting to see evidence of what I'm thinking is a case to be made for simply circumscribing the Ptolemaic astrology and leaving the tree alone with respect to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. There's a particularly loud author on Amazon who tends to like trashing GD-line Qabalistic authors and their work (if you've been around there you probably know exactly who I'm talking about) and he seems to be like a lot of people a big proponent of squeezing those planets into Chokmah, Kether, and Daath. It makes me wonder whether we should take the advice of MP Hall to just look at the eight spheres of Ptolemaic astrology as purely philosophic spheres rather than anything necessarily astronomical and leave it at that. Otherwise I really have a feeling that astrology's constant apology to astronomy will eventually ruin Kabbalah/Qabalah beyond use as people dutifully paste things into supernal and even non-spheres purely because its orbiting our sun out past Saturn and in doing so completely ignore the original meaning of the upper spheres. If we want to be crazy-accurate we can tally up the total planets, moons, and dwarves in our solar system that we know of right now and come up with over 150 bodies. Seems to completely miss the point.

I hope I'm not bringing that up to early but I suppose we may also want to hash out - are we going to conform to original astrological attributions or go with the innovated ToL? As far as that particular metric is concerned that's my two cents.

[Parvati]

This thread will not die in any shape or form because plenty do have an interest with Kaballah, and for a personal persepective, I have found it to be very effective for me in every way. The daily rituals of the LBRP and the MPR have worked wonders for me, and this all stems from the Kaballah.
Hey is there any good books or links about Kaballah that you can share with us please, and I am interested in learning about the Tree of Life.

[Haelos]

The number of people was not reached (6), but instead of letting the thread die, I will simply offer this;

I truly don't understand how or why people argue to profusely about the correspondences of the Tree.
There has never been a copy that I've come across that I could not come too see the reasoning for the placement of their correspondences.
The reason isn't subjectivity, it's the fact that some things actually do belong on multiple branches. No thing is separate of itself, and learning Kabbalah, that's one of the first things you should realize (and honestly a long time before you start the path of Kabbalah.)
You should be able to look at the two branches of the tree and see the exact same correspondences, under different circumstances. If you can't get that, and you want to argue subjectivity for your lack of understanding, Kabbalah isn't for you.

I have a personal copy of the tree I may have share some time. It consists of literally every version on google images for 200 pages, all on one chart.
You may be surprised how incorrect you are at the subjectivity of things.
The only matter is of how far your mind can open to perceive.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

I think the only things that are really fixed are the functions of the ten sephira and the ancient planets and supernal concepts they're meant to represent.

On the other hand one of the most fluid things, for example, was trying to place gods/goddesses in the sephira - because as you said most deities have more than one personality trait their known for and since they might be Geburah walking in one situation, Hod walking in another, and showing strong Chesed or Netzach behaviors in another, one almost feels like they're straight-jacketing them to pin them to any sphere. I think at that point when we put deities in our spheres we're not defining what that deity is or isn't to us but we're defining in what area or aspect He/She will be helping us.

To the above paragraph we did have a thread, asking people what deities they had in what spheres, and it was kind of neat. We kept it away from being a who's right type of thing and more toward a show and tell, almost like "What albums have you been listening to over the last three months?"; when you think of it that sort of decision does fall more into that category.