Good beginner book on Qabalah?

[alysa]

Yes, I definitely think it's a book for (far) more advanced Magicians.

[Frater 639]

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

I've found that Achad's book (QBL or the Bride's Reception) on the subject is very concise and colloquial. The appendix has to do with attributions that were, to my knowledge, never accepted by Crowley. However, the work as a whole shouldn't be discounted in the slightest.

Fortune's book is also very helpful. Lots of great insight.

It's nice to see the different subjective interpretations of the Qabalah, how they relate to each author individually, and how that relates to the collective "ideas" of the Spheres and Paths.

In any event, the information found in both books hold many Keys, IMHO.

Love is the law, love under will.

[RvCH]

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,

A worthy read in my opinion.

A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight.

Love is the law, love under will.

RvCH

[Laertes]

Be careful using his charts of Kabbalistic correspondences, but otherwise Donald Kraig's Modern Magick has very lucid explanations of Kabbalah in between his practical lessons on magick.

[Atzilut]

I would add that any work of Rabbi Yahudah Ashlag on the nature of the Sephirot is very useful.
Trying to understand hermetic quabbalah without a good grounding in Traditional, in this case,
Lurianic kabbalah,is liable to overlook some important aspects in the understanding of this
applied to what is termed 'magic'.
Many would disagree with me however

[alysa]

Of course, Atzilut, I wholeheartedly tend to agree, I personally must admit that I never heard of Rabbi Yahuda Ashlag, and so I thank you also, for letting me known about him, I am indebted towards Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, but of course I tend to agree with you that also Rabbi Yahuda Ashlag might be for me in my further life also a source of great Insight.

[Atzilut]

There are a number of sources which may be useful to you regarding
the works of Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag and his son Rabbi Shalom Alevi Ashlag.

'In the Shadow of the Ladder' translated from the Hebrew by Mark and Yedidah Cohen.
Its contains two of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's most important introductions to Kabbalah:

Introduction to the Zohar
Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sephirot

I would also recommend as a resource centre the website
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.kabbalah.info/">www.kabbalah.info/</a><!-- w --> Go to the library to find all the articles
which are free to download as are the books that the website
produces in PDF format. The translations are equally reliable
with those found elsewhere, though Dr Laitman's interpretation
of the teachings (he was a student of Rabbi Shalom Ashag) may
or may not be useful.

Like yourself, I am an admirer of Rabbi Kaplan. I have also found
Daniel C Matt's translation of The Zohar very useful to get a more
in-depth understanding from an academic perspective and in terms
of the language itself.

Ultimately, the goal of Kabbalah is the recognition that you and I and
everyone else comes from the common soul, Adam HaRishon. To this
end Rabbi Ashlag's work is the foremost interpretation of The Zohar,
and whose central teaching is the humble dictum 'love the other as you
love yourself'. Not what many would regard as inspiring magical work,
yet is, in my experience, at the very heart of the darkest grimoires.

Hope this is of some help
Best Wishes

Atzilut

[alysa]

Al right, Atzilut, I saw the Kabbalah-site and say immediately: this is amazing, they also seem to sell many more than interesting books regarding of course the real (Jewish) Kabbalah, I also have and read one book by Daniel C. Matt: "The Essential Kabbalah" and its of course a very interesting book of Reflections and Meditations regarding Life, thanks for letting me known of this wonderfull site, and best wishes!

[Atzilut]

You're welcome

[alysa]

Thank you!