Simplified Qabala Magic

CHAPTER 1\ THE KEY\ The Qabala opens up access to the occult, to the mysteries. It enables us to read sealed epistles and books and likewise the inner nature of man.\ -Paracelsus\ (Medieval philosopher,\ physician, and mystic)\ Once upon a time, in the earliest eons of rational humanity,\ there was a young man who was most discontent. Living to work, raise a family, and then die did not seem fair to him. In a village that prided itself on its rational and civilized manners,\ this was quite irrational.\ After all, of what use was it to work hard and build a good life for one’s family and never see the fruits of the labor? Once death arrived, all the work on the physical plane would certainly be for nothing.\ There had to be more to life. There had to be more to the universe than what abided in his village. But no one would help him find the answers. No one wanted to help him search for the answers. It was wrong they said. It was not for humans to know the will of God. It was wrong to question. It was wrong to look beyond.\ “Why?” he would ask. “Why is it wrong to search? Why was it wrong to question?” After all, he did not want to know the will of God. He merely wanted to know why his life had to be limited by the village and the beliefs that he had inherited from it. Certainly, there had to be more. Why did humans have to struggle? Why weren’t humans allowed to find joy and enthusiasm for life and in the adventures of life? Why?\ But no one answered. No one helped. They were content.\ Their lives ran smoothly—no matter how boring or limited they might be. They were content, and there was no need to go looking for things that may not exist. There would be no shadow chasing for them. Oh, there might be some wonderful things out there in the universe somewhere, but there could also be some not-so-wonderful things as well. Best to leave well enough alone. Best to be content with what was at hand.\ Curiosity and the promise of dreams were strong within the young man, and he set out in search of answers. He learned of a wise old man who inhabited a cave at the crest of a distant mountain. The man was a rumor and a legend, but as with all myths, the boy knew there were elements of truth within it.\ After many days of long climbs he reached the crest of the mountain, and from this point he could see the towns and villages and valleys and farms of what looked to be the whole world, and he smiled. Surely, this is the place a man of wisdom would choose to live!\ As he turned from his view to seek out his teacher, he spied a small cottage in the distance. Beside the cottage was a small garden being tended by an old man. As the boy approached,\ his spirits fell and his heart again ached. Before him was an old man, but the old man was just that. There was no light about him. There was no glow, no power that surely would emanate from a true man of wisdom. There was none of this about the old man. He was worn and wrinkled and looked like nothing but a farmer.\ The old man smiled and nodded in warm greeting and the boy couldn’t help but return the smile. At least he could refresh himself here. The old man lay down his hoe and sat himself upon a tree stump across from the boy.\ “What is it you seek, lad?”\ The boy sighed. “I had hoped to find an answer.”\ “I am not without a little bit of knowledge, perhaps I can help you.”\ “I don’t think so. I don’t need to know of farming or tending gardens. The answers I seek are more. I seek to know the answer to the universe. I want to know why humans must struggle. I want to know why a person cannot have what he dreams of. I want to know why birds can fly and humans can’t. After all, are we not so much better than the beasts of the air? I want to know. . . .”\ The boy rattled on, citing question after question. He didn’t know why he told all to this man, but he did. And the grizzled old man sat and listened patiently, nodding now and again, but saying nothing.\ The boy’s words became interspersed with yawns as the weariness of his journey and climb began to catch up with him. He did not know when exactly, but sometime during his talking, he drifted off to sleep. It was deep and long, and when he awoke, he was refreshed.\ He stretched and stood and then stopped in surprise. The old man was gone! And so were the cottage and the garden! He spun around, looking in all directions, confused and bewildered.\ Had he dreamed it all? Had he imagined it all?\ All that remained was the tree stump. Upon the stump were two scrolls. The boy picked them up gently and glanced about him as if someone were watching from behind a bush.\ There was no one. He unrolled a scroll and read:\ Son,\ There is much to learn and an eternity to learn it, but before we can learn the new, we must unlearn the old. Hold on to your questions, for with the asking of the question we have the beginning of the answer.\ To you I bequeath this second scroll. It is a map of the universe and all that resides within and without it. You may notice that it appears quite simple, but this is the first that must be unlearned. It is in the simple that the great can be found. Intricacies complicate and confuse.\ Build your universe from a simple and yet strong foundation.\ You are surprised that I say “build.” But that is what you will be doing, for as you discover the universe, you will recreate your own.\ You will notice that the directions are simple and rational,\ a term you disfavor, but it must be. As much as you disfavor the rational, it is a part of your makeup. It is a tool with which you will be able to grow and understand. Remember that it is only in its unbalanced state that the world becomes barren.\ Be true to yourself and to the knowledge contained herein.\ Herein lies the foundation to live in light, grow in wisdom and express with love. It is for you as it is for all humankind who wish to remove their self-imposed blinders and discover the Hidden Light behind all lights.\ In Love and wisdom,\ Your First Answer\ Overwhelmed, the boy sat down and began to read the second scroll. He savored it; he studied it and time lost all meaning. He now stood upon the brink of a new world. He had found what had been hidden . . .\ (To be continued)\ Mention the word “occult” and people call to mind images of spell casting, devil worship, Halloween, evil witchcraft, and bizarre happenings behind closed doors. To mention that you are a student of the occult is to invite an often rude awakening as to whom your true friends are. In reality, it is merely a sixletter word, derived from the Greek language, meaning “hidden.”\ It refers to the hidden knowledge, mysteries, and truths of God and life. It is neither sinful nor demonic in itself. It is simply veiled knowledge, so as to allow man the opportunity to seek and grow and mature enough to use it responsibly in its highest capacity.\ There are those who argue that such knowledge is hidden and obscured because God does not want humans to discover it. If that were the case, the alphabet, algebra, and electricity would be just as “demonic” as other so-called “occult” ideas and truths. They were understood by relatively few, but no one today would deny their usefulness. The Master Jesus stated, “Things are hidden only to be revealed at a later time”\ (Mark 4:22). The knowledge is obscure because the majority refuses the discipline and dedication necessary to seek it out,\ much less to attempt an understanding of it.\ It is unfortunate that the term has acquired such a strong,\ negative connotation. There are now those who attribute any outbreak of trouble to that unknown nemesis known as the\ “occult.” When there is disruption or disintegration in the ranks of religious groups, it must either be an occult attack from outside the group or the retaliation of some “occult”\ forces of evil with which they have been waging daring battles.\ It is the stuff of fiction!\ Humankind has made great progress technologically. Physically,\ we are stronger and healthier. Mentally, we are sharper and expanding, but spiritually, as a whole, we are stagnant. Our knowledge has outstripped our spiritual teachings. They are growing incompatible. Without the expansion of our spiritual understanding, the gap can only widen. Simple conformity with approved theological institutions no longer satisfies. There is an increasing need for a more personal and complete, spiritual experience.\ All major religions teach that we are to return to some “primal point” from which we came. Some call this heaven, some nirvana. This ultimate of experiences is called Divine Union,\ but other than teaching church doctrines and moral codes, the major religions are not teaching the extent to which we can manifest this link while in the physical. They do not teach the extent to which we progress through a natural course of evolvement—as if progressing through a school—accumulating greater skills, abilities, and knowledge to assist us in our life.\ They do not teach the practical means to enhance and accelerate this natural course of evolvement, of expanding our spiritual knowledge and applying it to all aspects of life. They do not teach how to make use of the so-called metaphysical gifts as a working aspect of our daily life.\ In every person, the qualities essential for accelerating this spiritual evolution are innate. Within each of us are gifts and potentials that we can use to enhance our lives. Whether we call these psychic gifts, metaphysical powers, miracles of life,\ or spiritual wonders does not matter. They exist within each of us, but even people who recognize these potentials need an effective means of unfolding them. There needs to be a system that allows us to recognize and then utilize all of the spiritual potential within us.\ For any such system to be of true benefit to all, it must be easily understood—at least in its most basic form and conception.\ It must be a living and growing system that allows itself to be adapted to each individual and his or her particular stage of unfoldment while holding its basic, primary form and content.\ It should awaken our inherent abilities and open the doors to our higher conscious. It should enable us to feel and experience increasingly the universal forces operating within it. The practices, energies and forces within the system should be such that they can be experienced in a manner that encourages continued pursuit, inspiration and exploration throughout its use.\ The mystical Qabala is just such a system. It is one of the most esoteric, occult, and yet practical systems for expanding our consciousness and unfolding our spiritual gifts and awareness.\ It has been called the Western Tradition of Occultism,\ and within it lies the wisdom of the ancients and all of the powers of the universe. Within it lies the means to contact those divine powers and be touched by them. Through it, one can go as far and as deeply into the mysteries of life as one desires. It is especially suited to the rational Western mind because it is a system that allows us to see some organization of the powers and energies of the universe and how they play upon each of us as individuals and as a group.\ Qabala comes from the ancient word qibel which means\ “to receive” or “that which is received.” In the ancient world it had a more general meaning of “the law.” It is the earliest form of Jewish mysticism. There are many stories of how it came to be. Most claim that it was the knowledge given to Moses on Mount Sinai during the episode of the burning bush. Another version says that it was taught by God to the Angels who formed a school based upon it in paradise. After man’s fall, the Angels passed it on to the children of the earth so that they may again overcome the earth plane and ascend to the heavens.\ It is told that the Archangel Metatron gave the Qabala to Adam, who in turn passed it on down to Noah and then to Abraham.\ When Abraham emigrated to Egypt, a portion of it leaked out. Thus the Egyptians obtained greater spiritual and mystical knowledge (along with other Eastern nations) that assisted them in establishing one of the greatest civilizations in the history of humankind.\ In this version, Moses, who was first initiated into its uses by the Egyptians, became quite proficient in it during his forty years in the desert. Tradition states that during this time he received more instruction in it from the Angels and used it to overcome many of the difficulties in the desert. The “mannah from heaven” is attributed to his knowledge of the Qabala. He passed it on to the elders who in turn passed it on from generation to generation by word of mouth. David and Solomon were probably the most deeply initiated into its wisdom and mysteries.\ The modern Qabala is a mixture of the Jewish Qabala and the core ideas of the most ancient Egyptian religion that led to illumination. It has been found in the Chaldean religion. It was a part of the teachings of Pythagoras, and Jesus made numerous references to it. The phrasing of the Lord’s Prayer is very Qabalistic in itself.\ Even with its ancient origins it is still a very living system of evolvement. Its uses and interpretations vary, expand and adapt from generation to generation. Its foundations are firm,\ but its uses involve changes that meet and coordinate with the outside world. It is a changing system, but changing only in that it grows and expands. Since there can be no growth without change, this is quite appropriate. It is studied and used to initiate change within ourselves and thus also within our environment.\ Change does not come from life itself, but from living that life and by acting upon and within it. The Qabala assists in this.\ Today’s student of the Qabala must reinterpret the doctrines and reformulate methods in the light of modern knowledge if it is to be of use. The purity of a tradition or idea must be tested if it is to have any life in it. Dead doctrines and faith never ensure belief. Tradition is fine, but to let it rule to the exclusion of new growth is a denial of the basic tenets of a living system. Any tree is a living, growing thing, and if alive,\ implied within it is change. All tools and teachings are capable of being changed and extended beyond their first applications.\ The Qabala is a plan for a flower garden. Provided are the tools, the tasks, the sunshine, the water, the fertilizer, and seed enough for infinite plant life. Provided are the instructions and procedures for the planting, hoeing, and harvesting. But with all this, the actual work is up to the individual. No other system is as complete in providing the energy, inspiration, confirmation,\ and greater realization of mystical experience. It will even go so far as to point out where the weeds are, but the task of pulling them is still ours. That choice is always ours.\ “We are the masters of our own destiny.” Working with the Qabala makes this absolutely dear. When working with the Qabala, you must be careful what you ask, for you will get it! It demonstrates on all levels of our life that we are the authors of all our experiences, from the nonaccident of birth,\ to the parents we chose, the environment in which we now live, and the time and circumstances of our own death. We write the scripts. This is not an easy concept to accept for it lays the responsibility for everything that occurs in our lives on us—and only us! If you are not ready to accept the responsibility for where you are now and where you want to be, the Qabala will make it quite evident. It will open new worlds and new wonders. It will show you your greatest dreams and potentials. It will make you face your greatest fears and darkest secrets.\ As children, we had very few limitations in our life. We experienced realities that we closed down as we got older. The openness of that child is still within us. It’s what makes us dream of that magic wand that will make all our troubles disappear and create new wonders and beauty within our world. That wand is out there, but we have to search it out. The Qabala shows us where to look.\ “Know what it is to be a child? . . . it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear. It is to turn pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses . . . for each child has his fairy Godmother within his own soul.”\ —Fr. Francis Thompson

CONTENTS Introduction xiii Chapter 1 The Key 1 The Qabala is a system of spiritual evolvement and consciousness unfoldment. Brief history of Qabala. Aspects of the Qabala that can be used by all. The magic and power that exists within the system of the Qabala and thus within each individual. Chapter 2 The Tree of Life 11 A simple understanding of how the universe manifested and evolved. An understandable explanation of how humans fit within the universe. The energies and powers operating within the universe and within humans. Using the Qabala to release the treasures within the universe to enhance our own lives. Chapter 3 The Powers that Be 19 An examination of the sephiroth in the Qabala as levels of consciousness within us. A look at how touching each of the levels opens up potentials that exist there. An examination of the types of energies that can be touched and utilized by each of us, simply by understanding how to touch each successive level of consciousness. Chapter 4 Destination’s End 31 A detailed look at each level of consciousness, each sephiroth within the Tree of Life. The forces and energies available to us at each level. The aspect of God that can influence our lives at each level. The Archangels and Angels that will assist us in awakening our own innate powers and abilities at each level of consciousness. The qualities that we awaken and begin to utilize within our daily lives by touching each level. Chapter 5 The Power of Sound, Symbolism,and Invocation 49 How to touch the various levels of consciousness that make up the Qabala. How the principles of visualization, sound, resonance, and thought-forms open doors to these levels and enable us to bring forth to our everday level of consciousness the abilities and energies that lie hidden within. Chapter 6 Touching the Powers 65 Methods and meditations for touching and understanding each level of consciousness. Techniques for understanding the various forces and beings and worlds that exist within each level. How to apply the energies at each level to our daily lives—whether to improve and utilize greater clairvoyance or to achieve greater balance in life situations. Chapter 7 Strengthening and Protecting Techniques 101 The need for techniques upon the path of evolvement and selfinitiation. Balancing the aura and the individual energy field with the Qabalistic cross. Building and balancing the energies we draw forth by building a Tree of Life within our auric field. The Middle Pillar Exercise for protection and balance. Chapter 8 Pathworking 135 What is pathworking and how it can be used to initiate ourselves into higher mysteries. Precautions and dangers of pathworking. The basics of the process. The need for more than just a beginner’s understanding of the Qabala. How paths and sephiroth within the Qabala adapt themselves to each individual. Chapter 9 Creation 149 The Qabala as a method of creating greater and more fulfilling realities. The Qabala as a means of recreating our past, as well as creating our future. The importance of perseverence and practice. Balance and imbalance within the Qabala. Precautions and reminders for those starting their path of evolution. Bibliography 155 Index 159