The Path of Kaph

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...read more>>>...