KETHER
The first of the ten spheres or ‘Sephira’ (the plural being Sephiroth) is KETHER which means ‘Crown’. The three veils are placed directly Kether referring to the notion that this sphere is the simplest and least defined of all the realms of symbolic existence; the closest approach that symbols can make to the unknowable reality beyond. Kether is said to be above all opposites and dualities. It has no attributes or qualities beyond pure existence. As a state of consciousness it is awareness of unity with all things - the direct personal experience. This consciousness is the highest which human beings can achieve, and it represents the highest goal of all mystical practice.
CHOKMAH
The second Sephira is CHOKMAH which means Wisdom. This is the source of creative energy and of expansion. It is symbolically it is the Yang; ‘masculine’ in the sense of its ability to create by going outside of itself; it has the title of ABBA - the supernal father. In Chokmah the primal unity descends from its original self sufficiency into action, into creation. In doing this it changes from a unity to a duality; creator and creation; actor and that which is acted upon.
BINAH
The third Sephira is BINAH which means Understanding. This is the source of receptive energy and of contraction. Symbolically it is the Yin; ‘feminine’ in the sense it creates by bringing what is outside into itself; for this reason it is also known as AIMA - the supernal mother. Binah receives the creative energy which is emanated by Chokmah, embodies it in form and when its time is finished, absorbs it. As all rivers flow downward to the sea, so all things created are said to return to Binah - because of this Binah is given the additional of Marah - The Great Sea.
These three Sephiroth are known as the Supernal Triad and represent the three highest powers of the universe that human beings can know; and the three highest states of consciousness we are able to reach. Between these states and the remainder of human experience lies a barrier - which is known as the Abyss.
DAATH
In the midst of the Abyss is the quasi-sphere DAATH - which means Knowledge. Daath is not a level of being in its own right; instead it is the point of intersection between the forces of the Supernal triad and those of the seven spheres below the abyss - at once a gate and a barrier between the realm of unity and those of individual existence. Daath is a point of access to other dimensions and the reverse side of the tree.
CHESED
The fourth Sephira - the first level of existence below the abyss - is CHESED; which means Mercy. This sphere symbolises the outpouring of creative energy and is considered ‘masculine’ (like Chokmah). Chesed also has the quality of order, organisation, law. As a level of consciousness, Chesed is the deep awareness of inner structure, the ability to recognise the underlying patterns of the world humans experience. In human terms, Chesed represents Memory.
GEBURAH
The fifth Sephira is Geburah which means Severity. Geburah has some similarity to Binah; it symbolises a contracting and restricting force - and can be considered ‘feminine’. As the Sephira to balance Chesed’s ordered creativity, however, Geburah represents destruction, dissolution, chaos. It is the power that clears away everything which has outlived its usefulness; that tears down excessive structure into simpler and more flexible elements. As a level of consciousness, it is the awareness of inner freedom, the power to break through self-imposed limitations ad consciously choose one’s own path in life. In human terms, it represents Will.
Chesed & Geburah represent planes of Higher Beings or ‘Pure Beings’; they affect human kind more than human kind affect them - unless human kind identify with them or invoke them
TIPARETH
The sixth Sephira is Tipareth which means Harmony. Tipareth is in a way reflective of Kether below the abyss. It represents the truth that every individual thing or being in the universe is a small unity, mirroring the great unity of the universe itself. At the centre of The Tree Of Life, Tipareth functions as a balancing force, harmonising the power of Chesed and Geburah - the masculine and feminine energies and the higher and lower levels of the tree. As a level of consciousness it is the awareness of self, the state of absolute inner honesty free of pride or guilt. In human terms, it is imagination. Tipareth is the level of the Guardian Angel - one of which is assigned to every human being. A central purpose to human existence is to make contact with the Guardian Angel (Also known as the connection with the soul).
The Veil Of Sanctuary
Between these three Sephiroth and the four remaining ones lie a second barrier, reflecting the Abyss as the Sephiroth discussed reflect the Supernal Triad. It is known as the Veil Of Sanctuary - like a veil it partly conceals the things which lie beyond it, permitting only dim shapes and shadows to be seen. Thus the powers symbolised by Chesed, Geburah and Tipareth, and the levels of consciousness they represent, come only dimly into the worlds of our ordinary experience - unless they are deliberately brought through by a ‘rending of the veil’; an act of transformation in which the effects of this barrier are overcome.
NETZACH
Below the Veil Of Sanctuary is the seventh Sephira is Netzach, which means Victory. This Sephira is a source of outpouring, but Netzach is feminine rather than masculine in nature and its power has an attractive, in-drawing function. All forces which draw things together and bring them into interaction have their roots in Netzach. In human terms, Netzach represents emotion.
HOD
The eighth Sephira is Hod, which means Glory. Hod is a centre of limitation and form, and is a masculine energy rather than feminine, and the forms and divisions which arise from it pour forth as freely as the energies of Chokmah. Hod is the root of all those forces which divide and distinguish between things, and especially of every form of thought and perception. In human terms, Hod represents intellect, and in particular the thinking mind.
Higher Astral Plane
Sephiroth Hod and Netzach represent the Higher Astral Plane, which is the astral substance of group or collective consciousness which human kind affect and are affected by.
YESOD
The ninth Sephira is Yesod, which means Foundation. This is the great centre of solidification on the Tree Of Life; the Sephira in which the intangible energies of higher levels take shape as forces capable of affecting the material experience. Yesod harmonises the energies of Netzach and Hod, and unites within itself unbreakable stability and constant change. As the level of existence immediately beyond the physical, it is the world of visions, of dreams and of psychic phenomenon. In human terms, Yesod represents instinct and the subconscious mind. It is also representative of the Lower Astral Plane. A dream can originate in any of the Sephira but the ‘substance’ through which it is perceived is the Astral Light of Yesod.
MALKUTH
The tenth and last Sephira is Malkuth, which means Kingdom. This is the world of matter humans experience every day. Malkuth is as important as any of the other Sephiroth, with lessons to be learned and powers to be contacted that are as valuable as any on the Tree Of Life. It is the natural level of human beings, at least at this stage of their evolution, and any wisdom or power attained in any other Sephira must be in some way brought into action in Malkuth if it is to have any enduring value. In human terms, Malkuth represents the physical body and the five ordinary senses. Malkuth is the life force of existence.
