The roads between the Sephiroth?

Grigori

I'm curious to learn more about the paths, as the journey between two Sephiroth. But don't see very much written about this anywhere. e.g. When studying the Fool, there is a lot about how Aleph and all that means can be applied to the Fool. But, what about what it means that the Fool connects Kether and Chokmah. How is the Fool affected for having these two energies meeting through him?

Anyone got any thoughts on that way of looking at the majors, or can you recommend somewhere I could learn more? Does the arrangment of the paths have some more meaning than just convenience? And how does that affect the meaning of the cards themselves?
 

Abrac

Hi similia, The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish has a chater on Cabala in which he discusses the 22 Paths. I mention it because I have just finished reading it, but I'm sure there are many others. The paths are a part of the Tree of Life regardless of whether Tarot cards are assigned to them or not. My personal feeling is the cards could be assigned in almost any order you want and you would still be able to find some relevance. There are others who feel they have to be in some particular order for one reason or another, but I'm not dogmatic about it.
 

Grigori

Thanks Abrac, I'll check the book out!

Abrac said:
My personal feeling is the cards could be assigned in almost any order you want and you would still be able to find some relevance.
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Yes I agree with you on that, which makes a lot of different systems valid, different cards to different paths and different letters to different paths also.

Within the GD system a lot it made of the middle pillar paths, and the assisgnments there make a lot of sense to me, in the context of the tarot cards, as well as other areas. Daleth/Empress running from Binah to Chokmah also seems really well suited to me. But this is only 4 paths out of 22. Add in Shin and Qoph to make Qesheth and you have 6 that I see a clear use for being in their specific locations. The remaining 16 I only see mentioned in context of pathworking, or balancing of elements as someone develops along the degrees of a magical order.

Maybe I'm asking the wrong questions, but I look at Teth, and I don't understand what the card Strength gains, from coming between Geburah and Chesed. Or come to think of it, what the heck it means for Mars to be acting on Jupiter via Leo. That whole middle section of the tree seems to me to be more arbitrary than it should.
 

kokab888

On the Tree of Life, there are 3 horizontal paths, 7 vertical paths, and 12 diagonal paths...the same number of elements, planets, and signs (as well as mother, single and double letters). I always wondered why the tarot cards weren't assigned to the tree in this manner.
 

mac22

similia said:
I'm curious to learn more about the paths, as the journey between two Sephiroth. But don't see very much written about this anywhere. e.g. When studying the Fool, there is a lot about how Aleph and all that means can be applied to the Fool. But, what about what it means that the Fool connects Kether and Chokmah. How is the Fool affected for having these two energies meeting through him?

Anyone got any thoughts on that way of looking at the majors, or can you recommend somewhere I could learn more? Does the arrangment of the paths have some more meaning than just convenience? And how does that affect the meaning of the cards themselves?
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Funny you should ask .....I'm in ToL path study mode atm.

Two things I found useful 1) _Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation_ By: Aryeh Kaplan Mac22: I like this book because of the commentary. 2) _The Supernal Triad: First Steps on the Tree of Life_ by Wald & R.A. Amberstone Mac22: This 12 CD audio course from the Amberstone's has some surprising insights on Tarot & the Qabala. I found it well worth the price.http://www.tarotschool.com/Audio.html

Now if & when you have mastered the ToL & its paths.....try Jacob's wheel :D http://members.optusnet.com.au/~astroqab/jw_basic_intro.htm More spinning wheels, different angels, deeper insights into the universe... .....OOOOOO.... :)

Good luck in your studies.

Mac22
 

Bernice

kokab888 said:
On the Tree of Life, there are 3 horizontal paths, 7 vertical paths, and 12 diagonal paths...the same number of elements, planets, and signs (as well as mother, single and double letters). I always wondered why the tarot cards weren't assigned to the tree in this manner.
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You don't have to go with the G.D. or Crowleys associations for the Paths. They assigned them according to their own understandings... Do your own thing, by all means :) (And let us know how you get on.... please?)

Bee
 

ZenMusic

The Shining Paths by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki

is the best book on the paths, it's very accurate descriptions are great for pathworking... when you explore the paths in meditation, you'll see the tarot relationships

there are many other books also
 
Thoth Princess of Cups as Obstacle / Theme Appearance in the Court Cards..