Malkuth
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I was doing some internet searching to review my Karl Popper because that's some pretty deep stuff you guys are throwing out there. I found this quote, and I thought it was just too perfect:
""What is the object of knowledge?" asks young Grasshopper. "There is no object of knowledge," replies the old Shaman, "To know is to be able to operate adequately in an individual or cooperative situation." "So which is more important, to know or to do?" asks young Grasshopper. "All doing is knowing, and all knowing is doing," replies the Sage, and then continues, "Knowing is an effective action, that is, knowledge operates effectively in the domain of existence of all living creatures." (paraphrased from Maturana & Varela, 1992)."
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@Jim Eshelman said
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Less than this is usually called mastery of the 'bation."
Now that's funny, yet surprisingly insightful."First, Malkuth is not "the planet Earth". As I stated eslewhere, Neil Armstrong did not land on Yesod. Maluth is the supernal sephirah that corresponds to the material actuality of reality, as opposed to our interpretation of what is served up to us by our senses and translated before we have time to consciously do so - in the way that if you see a type of motor car that you have never seen before, you still know it's a car without having to do so consciously"
.My initial instinct is to disagree, whatever that is due to[lack of enlightenment or otherwise]. Or maybe the phrasing of my question was flawed, or a bit of both; however "the supernal sephirah that corresponds to material actuality" is an entirely abstract concept rendering it completely subjective. For me there must be some relation between the Planet Earth and Malkuth even if it is just the simple fact that Planet Earth is for almost all intents and purposes is the only "material actuality" that we have access to. Yet the comparison runs deeper still, geometrically both Earth and Malkuth take the form of a sphere, both may be considered in relation to other spheres, * to form a larger structure or organization * as such I cannot within my mind divorce the solar system from the TOL, it actually seems retarded to IMO since historically it was it's inspiration[seven planets etc], this does not however limit my conception of the TOL to that concept alone.
I have different question though...and this is vaguely reminiscent of the thread "The Solar Phallic King" . are the lower sephirahs considered feminine in respect to the higher spheres? this is interesting to me not in least because women have less freedom to be dreamers and idealists, [as Veronica also pointed out somewhere] by being the child bearers ..the gateway for unborn souls into Malkuth.
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I think what's trying to be said here is that Malkuth isn't the physical rock we're walking around on, it's not physical matter, but the spiritual representation of that matter and our relationship with it, in the same way that Yesod isn't the actual moon travelling around our planet that regulates tides and seasons, etc.
To "master" Malkuth is to have a true and full awareness of one's physical existence - and that in terms of ecology, economy, politics, and even the day to day stuff like cooking, cleaning, the ability to organise one's resources to earn, rear or grow food, care for one's offspring, maintain a dwelling-place, and so on. And doing all of this with the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel all at once ~ to live a physical life according to higher spiritual principles.
It has a deeply spiritual aspect and there are spirits of Malkuth - the Ashim are kinda like the motivating life-force of all living things; Elementals aren't directly represented on the tree.
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@_aLL_seEing_eYe_ said
"I have different question though...and this is vaguely reminiscent of the thread "The Solar Phallic King" . are the lower sephirahs considered feminine in respect to the higher spheres? this is interesting to me not in least because women have less freedom to be dreamers and idealists, [as Veronica also pointed out somewhere] by being the child bearers ..the gateway for unborn souls into Malkuth."
All Sephirah are considered Feminine to the ones preceding it.
(Grammatical niggle: "Sephirah" is the plural form. The additional "s" doesn't make sense)
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@Seraph said
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(Grammatical niggle: "Sephirah" is the plural form. The additional "s" doesn't make sense)"Niggling your niggle: 'Sephirah' is the singular, 'Sephiroth' is the plural
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@PatchworkSerpen said
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@Seraph said
" (Grammatical niggle: "Sephirah" is the plural form. The additional "s" doesn't make sense)"Niggling your niggle: 'Sephirah' is the singular, 'Sephiroth' is the plural
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O_o, didnt know that one:D -
@PatchworkSerpen said
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@Seraph said
" (Grammatical niggle: "Sephirah" is the plural form. The additional "s" doesn't make sense)"Niggling your niggle: 'Sephirah' is the singular, 'Sephiroth' is the plural
"Damn. Brain fart. You're right. X)
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@Seraph said
"I think what's trying to be said here is that Malkuth isn't the physical rock we're walking around on, it's not physical matter, but the spiritual representation of that matter and our relationship with it, in the same way that Yesod isn't the actual moon travelling around our planet that regulates tides and seasons, etc."
Excuse me if I'm slow but that just doesn't make sense to me, what is the spiritual representation of physical matter aside from matter itself? yes I understand that it is a "symbolic" representation but a symbolic representation of a spiritual representation of physical matter becomes too convoluted to actually make sense as opposed to a symbolic representation of matter itself. futher Malkuth on its own doesn't represent any relationship whatsoever until it is considered in relation to other sephira. So it would make sense to understand malkuth in relation to other sephira e.g. yesod, as physical matter in relation to the astral plane, by the same token although Yesod may not be limited to the physical moon, yet the moon does have influence of Earth that are more subtle than direct physical contact, like you mention; regulating tides and seasons, women's menstrual cycles etc.
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I think your key question to answer is: what is the difference between Malkuth and Assiah?
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"I think your key question to answer is: what is the difference between Malkuth and Assiah?"
Agreed!
Want to see a great representation of Malkuth in Briah? Read the Cry of the 20th Aethyr in The Vision & the Voice.
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"I think your key question to answer is: what is the difference between Malkuth and Assiah?"
would you care to elaborate and/or express your opinion on the matter? it would be appreciated.
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It's a thing that many of us get confused about, and it can be hard to separate the two concepts. I've confused them a lot.
A lot of introductory qabbalah articles (incorrectly) describe Malkuth using Assiah's definition, and this adds to the confusion. A good exercise is to take a complex, creative activity, and break down the portions into their categories in the worlds and the sephiroth.
Let me try an example, and if Jim or someone with similar expertise can correct me if I goof up:
I have a flash of inspiration about inventing and building a new musical instrument. I then come up with some plans for how to make it a physical reality. I then gather the tools and materials, and build the instrument according to plans.
The act of inspiration was Briatic. The abstract thinking about making plans was Yetziratic. Physically building the instrument was Assiah. (This, by the way, is the same pattern as in the old testament, when it says that God creates, makes, and forms something, in that order...)
And yet, from the very beginning, this instrument, from inspiration, to physical manifestation, was always about a 'real world' instrument. So all 3 steps were mostly 'in Malkuth', so to speak.
And a second example:
I have a flash of inspiration about creating a classification method and system for musical instruments. I then come up with all the details about the classification method, and how it will work. I obtain a file cabinet and fill out cards with all the classification details.Same Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. But the 3 steps were mostly 'in Hod'.
Of course, there is overlap, and no project or activity is entirely in one sphere.
Corrections?
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Want to see a great representation of Malkuth in Briah? Read the Cry of the 20th Aethyr in The Vision & the Voice."
This was interesting. It seems to give Malkuth in Briah a Jovian feel, am I right? Why this is I can't imagine (and I'm sure the answer would be paragraphs long!
)I find the best definition of Malkuth across all four Worlds for me is almost synonymous with Héh - the Daughter or 'Princess' in the IHVH formula, who is both Earth and the 'Throne of Spirit'.
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
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Let me try an example, and if Jim or someone with similar expertise can correct me if I goof up:I have a flash of inspiration about inventing and building a new musical instrument. I then come up with some plans for how to make it a physical reality. I then gather the tools and materials, and build the instrument according to plans.
The act of inspiration was Briatic. The abstract thinking about making plans was Yetziratic. Physically building the instrument was Assiah. (This, by the way, is the same pattern as in the old testament, when it says that God creates, makes, and forms something, in that order...)
And yet, from the very beginning, this instrument, from inspiration, to physical manifestation, was always about a 'real world' instrument. So all 3 steps were mostly 'in Malkuth', so to speak.
Same Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. But the 3 steps were mostly 'in Hod'.
Of course, there is overlap, and no project or activity is entirely in one sphere.
Corrections?"
I'd agree, and add that there's an Atziluthic level preceding those of the impulse to "make music"
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@PatchworkSerpen said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Want to see a great representation of Malkuth in Briah? Read the Cry of the 20th Aethyr in The Vision & the Voice."This was interesting. It seems to give Malkuth in Briah a Jovian feel, am I right? Why this is I can't imagine (and I'm sure the answer would be paragraphs long!
) "Actually, the answer to that part is fairly short. You very insightfully detected the "Jovian feel." The main cause for that, in this case, is that, at the time Crowley started that particular astral skrying (November 30, 1909, 9:15 am, Bou-Saada, Algeria), Jupiter was exactly on the Zenith. It colored the whole vision (as these things usually do).
But, additionally, some like to say that there is a relationship between Atu X and Sephirah 10, and a general sense that the manifest world is a place of bounty.
But what a vision of Malkuth in Briah this is! In contrast to Malkuth in Assiah (the sensory, physical world of most people's day-to-day experience) or Malkuth in Yetzirah (a psychological representation of the field of the Four
Elements, such as we saw in the Vision of the 30th Aethyr), Malkuth in Briah discloses the Kingdom, the fully manifest world, as a pattern of interlocking, inter-relating wheels. We are given a glimpse of the reality behind the life and events in world as we know it.I just think it's pretty cool
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"It's a thing that many of us get confused about, and it can be hard to separate the two concepts. I've confused them a lot.
A lot of introductory qabbalah articles (incorrectly) describe Malkuth using Assiah's definition, and this adds to the confusion. A good exercise is to take a complex, creative activity, and break down the portions into their categories in the worlds and the sephiroth.
Let me try an example, and if Jim or someone with similar expertise can correct me if I goof up:
I have a flash of inspiration about inventing and building a new musical instrument. I then come up with some plans for how to make it a physical reality. I then gather the tools and materials, and build the instrument according to plans.
The act of inspiration was Briatic. The abstract thinking about making plans was Yetziratic. Physically building the instrument was Assiah. (This, by the way, is the same pattern as in the old testament, when it says that God creates, makes, and forms something, in that order...)
And yet, from the very beginning, this instrument, from inspiration, to physical manifestation, was always about a 'real world' instrument. So all 3 steps were mostly 'in Malkuth', so to speak.
And a second example:
I have a flash of inspiration about creating a classification method and system for musical instruments. I then come up with all the details about the classification method, and how it will work. I obtain a file cabinet and fill out cards with all the classification details.Same Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. But the 3 steps were mostly 'in Hod'.
Of course, there is overlap, and no project or activity is entirely in one sphere.
Corrections?"
thanks av, your examples demonstrate the concepts more clearly than in previous replies, however it is different than my preconceptions
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@Jim Eshelman said
"But what a vision of Malkuth in Briah this is! In contrast to Malkuth in Assiah (the sensory, physical world of most people's day-to-day experience) or Malkuth in Yetzirah (a psychological representation of the field of the Four
Elements, such as we saw in the Vision of the 30th Aethyr), Malkuth in Briah discloses the Kingdom, the fully manifest world, as a pattern of interlocking, inter-relating wheels. We are given a glimpse of the reality behind the life and events in world as we know it.I just think it's pretty cool
"On a sort of related note, what do you make of the depiction of the Four Worlds like this?
http://www.cliverichardweeks.com/esoteric/articles/jacobs_ladder.jpg
[source: www.cliverichardweeks.com/esoteric/articles/jacobs_ladder.jpg]I believe some people call it "Jacob's Ladder". I think its an interesting representation of the differences between the Sephiroth operating across the Four Worlds, and their (possible, supposed) interaction.
Could the parallels drawn between Sephiroth in one World with those in another explain the differences in Malkuth's behaviour across the Worlds? (ie. how it might partake of one planet more than another, etc) -
I've never found the slightest use for that particular form.
There's a similar one, though, that I do find useful - which links the Kether of each world to the Malkuth of the one beyond it. One moves from Kether in Assiah to Malkuth in Yetzirah, for example.
In all cases, it's just modelling, and modelling is valuable according to its actual usability. The one solid underlying principle is that the entire Tree of Life exists concurrently in all Four Worlds. How one structures the data arising from that one principle, how one uses it, etc., is another matter.
I'm not pleased with the arrangement you showed because it infers relationships that I don't think exist, and I usually see people trying to leverage those IMHO fictional relationships - for example, equating the Tiphereth (rather than Kether) of one world with the Malkuth of the one beyond it. I could make an argument for shoving it one direction or the other - shove the Malkuth of the higher down to Yesod of the lower, or up to Kether of the lower - but not this particular one.
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That's exactly the one I was thinking of (the one you mentioned) and the one I meant to post. I just couldn't for the life of me remember where I saw it, so (rather lazily) I posted something in the same vein.
I like that particular one (in which Malkuth in Atziluth is Kether in Briah, Malkuth in Briah is Kether in Yetzirah, etc) because it also reflects the idea that Kether itself can be considered the 'Malkuth' of the Three Negative Veils.
Would you consider this configuration useful in understanding the 'formation' of the Sephiroth via the path of the Flaming Sword? Is it better to imagine that the Sephiroth AND the Worlds were formed successively, or the Sephiroth successively but the Worlds concurrently?
[please feel free to post a link to a correct representation if you find one]
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@PatchworkSerpen said
"That's exactly the one I was thinking of (the one you mentioned), and the one I meant to post. I just couldn't for the life of me remember where I saw it, so (rather lazily) I posted something in the same vein.
I like that particular one (in which Malkuth in Atziluth is Kether in Briah, Malkuth in Briah is Kether in Yetzirah, etc) because it also reflects the idea that Kether itself can be considered the 'Malkuth' of the Three Negative Veils."
Most people, despite familiarity with The Vision & the Voice, don't know that this model is the key to unlocking what's happening in V&V step-by-step. (I published a serialized study of that from 1997-2001 in Black Pearl.)
"Would you consider this configuration useful in understanding the 'formation' of the Sephiroth via the path of the Flaming Sword?"
No. By definition (at least, traditionally through the transmitted mystery schools), the lightning flash is the instantaneous manifestation of all 10 Sephiroth in Atziluth. One of the most important things about the Lightning Flash diagram is that it is portraying the Atziluthic expression of the Tree.
"Is it better to imagine that the Sephiroth AND the Worlds were formed successively, or the Sephiroth successively but the Worlds concurrently?"
That's a trick question because "successively" requires time, and time doesn't exist above Yetzirah (and is much more elastic in Yetzirah than in Assiah, where it's actually more elastic than is usually thought).
As for useful, I think that depends on the story being told. For example, "worlds formed successively" makes sense if we're telling a story from the perspective of our own incarnation. It may, though, not reflect the natural world quite so clearly, especially for the time-related reasons mentioned above. - If i had to choose, you actually left out the most interesting one to me, which is that the sephiroth form instantaneously (as they do in Atziluth and, technically, in Briah since there is no time-separation), and then the Worlds for successively.