The Path of Kaph

Path 21: the Path of Kaph

Letter of the Path: Kaph = Hand
Astrological Correspondence: Jupiter
Tarot Correspondence: the Wheel of Fortune
Esoteric Title: Lord of the Forces of Life
Path Text: 'The 21st path is the Intelligence of conciliation and is so called because it receives the divine influence which flows into it from its benediction upon all and each existence'
Mythological Principle: 'Aspiration'
Experiences of the Path: Flight, or a view from a high place; journeys among or up mountains; brilliant light; emotional exhilaration.
Entities of the Path: Pilgrims journeying.

The inevitability of change. Change is the one thing that is permanent. The cycles of Karma - the sequence of cause and effect.

The letter of the path is Kaph which has the meaning of 'open hand' or 'palm'. In physical terms, the human hand is amongst the most astonishing creations of nature, able to shape the physical level of experience in a remarkable variety of ways. The best example perhaps is that of the hands of a skilled craftsman able to shape raw materials into any number of practical & functional things. As a symbol, the hand has long been linked with ideas of mastery and creativity; power; structure and rulership.

The path text deals with the same power of creativity from a more exalted position. The path is called the intelligence of conciliation; basically this can be interpreted best by relating it to the specific nature of the path's effect. It works to conciliate, to bring conflicting forces into harmony.

The hand of Kaph is in the act of grasping, and this image shows comprehension, as well as a hand grasping a doorknob. It is also the "palm of the hand," so we can see this as the protective "nest," "vessel," or "cradle" in which the cycles of the wheel can transpire. Grasping a doorknob and opening a door, grasping an opportunity, this is the "hand" that influences fortune, the subject of this key. It shows the learning that comes from repeated cycles, and the influence we can have over what seems to be chance.

This is "In the Notch," "In the Groove," In the right place at the right time, in the Hand of God, Perfect Timing, Making all the Right Moves, Feeling at Home, Landing on Both Feet.

Kaph is a "Double Letter," with two sounds.

The wheel in the image of the corresponding tarot trump for the path, The Wheel of Fortune, also shows conciliation, with its cycling aspect, and even distribution of direction. The Wheel is the Round Table of King Arthur. The wheel also symbolizes progress, advancement, and the Great Work. This wheel is like the wheels in Key 7, The Chariot, seen from the side.

The centre, or pivot of the wheel is the archetypal or thought world: Atziluth. The inner circle is the creative world: Briah. The middle circle is the formative world: Yetzirah. The outer circle is the material world of manifestation: Assiah. The eight spokes are the same eight points in Key 17, The Star. This is the wheel that is repeated 10 times on the clothing of The Fool, Key 0.

On the spokes of the wheel, in the circle representing the formative world, are the alchemical symbols of mercury (top), sulphur (right), and salt (left). These respond to the three gunas of yoga philosophy: sattva (mercury), rajas (sulphur), and tamas (salt). The glyph at the bottom represents dissolution, and is also the Aquarius symbol.