The Tree of Life

The world as an adult is normally a far duller place than it was as a child; you may visit places that fascinated you as a child that seem ordinary now. As a child you can invent a universe of your own design at a moment’s notice, everything has its own magic and wonder.

The reason for this may be residual memories of the Light still within us, perceived once again between incarnations. That joy we have as children, that memory of the Light, doesn’t have to go away; in fact, it never did go away. The ability to create as a child creates is within every one of us; our souls still create new universes and glorious sceneries for our dreams, tapping into forces beyond our normal vision.

The Kabalah is a kind of map or guide to the Light and this wondrous universe of invention and joy; the key to the map is in our minds, our dreams attempt to give us the clues as we evolve. How many times have you thought of a life changing yet small idea and thought, why didn’t I think of that before, it’s so obvious? The truth is we only need to follow the clues or signs that are practically screaming at us while we sleep, the trouble is we’ve become so bogged down with the illusion of physical reality that we dare not believe in something preternatural.

It’s easy to think of the metaphysical as being less real but it is a mistake to think so; which do you think hurts the most, being shot in the leg (arguably very painful) or losing a loved one? Love is the real essence of everything, Love and the Light are the same energy; everyone knows this without exception, yet we still find ourselves toiling away over the same mundane materiality and redundant woes.

The map we all hold is dual in nature, it is the map of how the universe became manifest and it is also the map of how the forces of the universe manifest themselves within each one of us. Though the Kabalah is a map of spirituality, it was written for us who dwell in the material zone. It is cleverly constructed to appeal to our modern rational minds while increasing our spiritual right-brain activity.

The Kabalah gives us a systematic and logical view of the universe, its evolution and the energies within it. Meditating on these thoughts can enhance our dreaming beyond the material and guide the ability within all of us to manifest greater creative capacity. The magical part about this map known as the Kabalistic Tree of Life is that it adapts itself for all of us. It only gets as complicated and involved as we allow it. We choose the routes to take, we can be as adventurous or as safe as we feel we are capable; no matter which way we go we are always taken to the treasure. The Tree of Life is deceptively simple. It is a living symbol in that all of the forces it represents are alive and acting upon us all the time.

Every action is connected to another action; the single action of raising your arm consists of contracting and expanding muscles, applying energy and electrical impulses from your brain. By using the map we can see how different causes and effects shape our lives and use the information to our advantage. The idea of the microcosm and macrocosm universe is represented here, where mankind is a collection of individual universes existing within an identical larger universe; the Tree of Life is a map of the universal forces and a map of the microcosm universe that exists within us all. By understanding how the universe runs and is affected by different forces we can understand the different levels of human consciousness. We can become, through contemplation and analysing our dreams, individual Trees of Life; with our feet rooted in the material while our heads dwell in the heavens.

In the beginning there was Nothingness. Kabalists refer to its various degrees as Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur (see Figure One). This is an area of divine spiritual matter that is entirely beyond our understanding as long as we are in physical form, this is the area from which we came and will eventually return. The Divine Spirit manifested through the stages, from spirit to solid, acquiring greater density. Everything is energy at some level or other, as different molecules compact together we have different forms and stages of manifested energy. The energy manifested itself through nine levels and ended up forming our physical world in the tenth level. Each level was created from Nothingness one at a time, each level retains something of the level preceding it and also contains the seeds to bring forth the level following it. Thus, there is a link from our tenth level all the way back up to the top or pure spiritual existence.

The Tree of Life consists of ten spheres called the Ten Holy Sephiroth, with twenty-two lines connecting the different spheres. The lines are called Paths and, together with the Sephiroth, they make up the Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom. These thirty-two paths are doorways to greater spiritual awareness and evolution. Remember that each sphere is a level of consciousness within us, holding our hidden abilities and potential. The paths are steps that we may choose to reach these levels of consciousness. They are the steps by which we unfold and reawaken a greater realization of the universe and our individual places within it. Just by reading this text you are already planting the seed that will grow and expand your mind, awakening the God-Spark. The different Sephiroth represent the divine manifestation in the universe and also the different levels of our consciousness. As each sphere was formed it overflowed to form the next denser Sephiroth, and so on down to the tenth (Malkuth); this sequence is called the Path of the Flaming Sword. Deep thought on this process should yield great positive results. Malkuth and mankind are the recipients of all the energies and forces of the Divine.

It is possible to reawaken these forces by work and deep thought on the different levels, each time we touch one of these spheres a new light and awareness awakens. As we climb up the Tree and touch more deeply the higher levels of consciousness, we become a brighter light in the world. This is what makes life fun!

Each Sephira is a level of consciousness that cradles certain capabilities, energies and potentials. Each of the levels has certain depths where the energies reside; the more we work with them, the more these depths are revealed. The different levels are recognized as separate forces and powers but one must always keep in mind that they are actually all part of the same thing; different aspects of the same distinct energies. Separating them merely makes them easier to work with but there must come a time when one realizes that there is within everyone the power equal to that of any in the universe.

Each level of consciousness within us has principal ideas or energies associated with them. They are given to us in the form of symbols. The symbols open the way to the various levels within us. Everyone has this map within him or her but everyone’s map is not identical, though they all do have fundamental similarities. They are all living and growing maps, adapting themselves to each person’s evolution and spiritual growth. As each individual uses the map they may find aspects that are not the same as another’s aspects; we all follow the map according to our own abilities and needs. We awaken the aspects most suitable to our growth. The Tree of Life represents universal forces operating on many different levels and is constantly in motion. It is a living, changing map. Each sephira has its own facets, there are many symbols associated with these energies. Meditation and deep thought on any one of them opens the way to that level of consciousness. This page only focuses on the major symbology, more in depth explanations can be read in various books on the Kabalah / Qabala or Tree of Life; available at Amazon.com or some specialist book stores.

The first is the title of the sephira that reveals the principal force each sephira contains. Next will be the God name: a name of enormous power representing the highest spiritual force within that sephira. Next will be the Archangels and Angels, the highest form of life encountered at each level. Then there are other important energies found in each sephira. Please note that although it seems like the sephira are described as a place it pays to remember that they are different levels of consciousness within us. Each sephira has a title, in the same way that some cities and places have a nickname that reflects the place’s character (see Figure Two).

Each sephira has a Divine Name, a God Name (see Figure Three). All of the God names are actually aspects of the One God, the one universal power that encompasses all powers. This is the ultimate Name of Power, ruling that level of consciousness, representing the most powerful spiritual force within us at that level. As they are such powerful names it may be wiser to begin meditations on some of the other aspects of the sephira so as not to jump straight in at the deep end. Having said this, one should always keep in mind the God Names while contemplating the other aspects. Simple prayers can be used for guidance and protection that are focused on a particular God Name; these are considered far more potent than a generic ‘Please God may it be…. Amen’

Each Sephira is assigned an Archangel and an Order of Angels (see Figure Four). They are there to guide and protect us within each level of consciousness. The Divine Spark burns much brighter within them than it does within ourselves, even the lowest angel is more highly evolved than any man or woman; they are capable of disseminating the Light of God to all religions and all lives created by God. They number almost in the infinite and serve almost every function imaginable. They form an important part in the Kabalah but are by no means limited to it or to those that use it. The angels, from their lofty viewpoint, can assists us with their willing and loving interplay along the paths to reaching a higher awareness and connecting with our divine origin more quickly. The angels form a link between the Divine and us. When trying to contact them, all we need to do is imagine them as they are, beautiful beings of light and majesty; a deep and protective presence.

The next level of energy found within the sephiroth is called the mundane chakra (see Figure Five). These represent the more physical aspects of the energies or the form of energy we feel most directly in the material world. These are the areas that are dealt with in astrology; they are associated with the planets that also affect us on this level. For most there is a vice and a virtue. They are not truly part of each sephiroth but represent how we may react to each corresponding level of consciousness. The virtue is the quality needed to work at each level; it also indicates the gift that these forces can bring to your growth. The vice is an imbalance of force in the sephiroth, caused by our individual weaknesses. The Tree of Life will show us our greatest dreams and potentials, but it will also make us face all our darkest fears and secrets.

There are many other associations with the sephiroth. To each are assigned incenses, precious stones, parts of the physical body, geometric figures, numbers, Hebrew letters, mythological gods and goddesses, astrological symbolism, tarot cards and colours. All of which help us to understand more of the energy and force and the various levels, to help us open our own worlds of treasure and Light.

Figure One

The Path of the Flaming Sword is the path the Divine Spirit took through nine stages (A) of manifestation before solidifying and manifesting into physical life as we know it (B).

Figure Two

The ten sephiroth (the ten levels of consciousness) within the map of the Tree of Life and the titles that reflect the character of the energy found at that level.

Figure Three

The God Names associated with each level. These are supreme powers that you may tap into while you sleep and the powers magic users work with; it is considered much more effective to use these more accurate titles than an all encompassing generic title, such as God.

Figure Four

These are the archangelic beings to which we have greater access and may meet and work with at each level of consciousness.

Figure Five

The virtues and the vices (in parentheses) and their relative energies that exist at each level; we may tap into these to overcome weaknesses and enhance growth.