Qliphoth

Aeon418

As far as I have understood the Qliphoth are already contained in the Sephiroth as their "evil twins" or their shadow side in a Jungian sense.
There's something about this definition of the Qliphoth as "evil twins" that doesn't sound right to me. It's ok up to a point, but it has the same misleading quality as Kenneth Grant's conception of the Night Side Tree. (Sure, you can diagram the Qliphoth on a separate Tree for presentation purposes, but it all still fits on the one Tree.)

I'm scratching my head right now, thinking how to explain it. (I'm terrible at explaining things. :rolleyes:)

Try this on for size.....

The Tree of Life exists in all four Worlds. Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. From Atziluth to Assiah the Force inherent in Atziluth finds expression in Form in the world of Assiah. But a sub category below Assiah is the Qliphoth. This can be viewed as yet another Qabalistic World of Form (not necessarily material) that contains cast off, out grown, husks of older Forms that are no longer useful as containers of the Divine Force. But they are still part of the ongoing creation process.

So what is the purpose behind the Qliphoth? One explanation is that they function as "tempters and testers" of mankind, both individually and collectively. (Satan in the Hebrew scriptures serves a similar function as an agent of God.) Humanities continual growth requires something to struggle with in order to prove it's fitness. Unfortunately this process can be rather tortuous and traumatic due to our individual and collective resistance to change. (Just switch on the daily news for evidence of Qliphotic tendencies in action around the world.)

Is this why we perceive "evil" in our world? I will leave that up to you to decide. But it does provide an explanation for evil. Is this situation fair? Is it just? Is it right that people around the world suffer every day? Philosophers and Theologians have wrestled with these sorts of questions for centuries. But I'm reminded of Aleister Crowley's reasons for changing the name of Justice to Adjustment.
Aleister Crowley said:
This card in the old pack was called Justice. This word has none but a purely human and therefore relative sense; so it is not to be considered as one of the facts of Nature. Nature is not just, according to any theological or ethical idea; but Nature is exact.
 

Zephyros

Also it is very subjective as to what kind of energy in being manifested. You could be doing something, blissfully thinking it furthers your Will, when it is actually falling prey to the deceits of the Qlippoth. It isn't always easy to make the balanced choice, and the "correct" one may seem to be the evil one at the time. For example too much compassion could be thought of as the qlippothic aspect of Chesed, and can ultimately be just as evil as too little compassion, especially when paired with pity.
 

Aeon418

For example too much compassion could be thought of as the qlippothic aspect of Chesed, and can ultimately be just as evil as too little compassion, especially when paired with pity.
The imbalance can swing in two directions. Since you picked Chesed I'll use it as an example. The Qliphoth of Chesed are the Smiters (Breakers or Disturbers). On the surface this doesn't sound like an excess of compassion. In fact it sounds more like an imbalance in the Sovereignty aspect of Chesed that has tipped beyond rulership into tyranny and oppression.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chesed can be so meek, mild, passive, and wishy-washy, that it allows the disturbance and discord suggested by the Qliphoth.
 

Michael Sternbach

The imbalance can swing in two directions. Since you picked Chesed I'll use it as an example. The Qliphoth of Chesed are the Smiters (Breakers or Disturbers). On the surface this doesn't sound like an excess of compassion. In fact it sounds more like an imbalance in the Sovereignty aspect of Chesed that has tipped beyond rulership into tyranny and oppression.

An excess of care and concern (forms of compassion) can indeed be a kind of tyranny and oppression - just think of a stifling partner or parent.