Clarification of Subjects

AVE!
One of the things new students often have difficulties with is finding Occult subjects in a sea of information. I want to address a few of these subjects to help clarify our work from that of others.

Qabalah

One of the most difficult is the Qabalah. Notice how I've spelt it here. Qabalah. This is because, in Hebrew it is spelt ק ב ל ה Or Qoph, Beth, Lamed, Heh (the letters are read right to left). In Occultism each letter is important because of our work with a system called "Gematria" wherein differently spelled words have different numerical values (because Hebrew letters are also numbers) but I will leave this for another time. What is important is to understand that we spell it this way to clearly represent which letters are being used.

Qabalah, though, is not always spelt this way. In fact it is almost exclusively the Hermetic Qabalah which uses this spelling. There are three main branches which I call Kosher, Christian and Hermetic. Each uses different spellings to make it somewhat easier to identify.

The Kosher Kabbalah is a purely Jewish form of the tradition. It relies solely upon Jewish resources and writings and forms the Jewish Mysticism or Esoteric side of Judaism. This is the ROOT of our tradition and the basic formation of much of our work relies upon the Kosher Kabbalah. References such as the Sepher Yetzirah and the Zohar are Kosher Kabbalah resources.

The Christian Cabala is a variation of the Kosher Kabbalah in which Christian symbolism and doctrine have been placed upon the existing structure. Though a form of Christian Mysticism it does not define their entire mystical tradition. The inner, or esoteric side of Christianity is not always seen in Cabalistic terms. Yet it does appear as though the Christian Cabalist does see how the entirity of their esoteric religion fits into the Cabalistic system.

The Hermetic Qabalah is a culmination of all which has gone before. Using the Tree of Life as a classification system and Jewish Mysticism as a foundation the Hermeticist finds room for almost everything. Truly seeing the Tree as a map of the universe and a path to understanding the Infinite Divine, the Hermeticist uses Qabalah as a basis for everything from Astrology and Alchemy to Tarot, Ritual Magic and Za-Zen Meditation. Upon the tree he can see all religions as expressions of the ONE, all methods as inter-related and all paths leading to enlightenment (eventually).

Alchemy

Next, I want to discuss Alchemy. Now most people think Alchemy is all about getting rich and turning lead into gold. This is only partly true. Turning base metals (usually lead) into gold is a form of symbolic speech (although Nicholas Flemel is said to have physically turned mercury into gold). This goal takes on a whole new meaning when we consider that there are 7 energy centers in the human body which correspond to the 7 sacred planets and the 7 sacred metals. Lead, being at the base of the spine and Gold being at the center of our being, the point at which our "Divine Spark" is considered to reside gives a clue to the real purpose of Alchemy. It also includes healing and the use of physical medicines.

Tarot

The Tarot, used for centuries as a tool of divination, a use which has entered the mainstream, is a highly symbolic and very powerful set of archtypal images, all of which include complex teachings and a guide to the higher mysteries. Though many Occultists do use them for divination, their real power is in their use in meditation, magic, pathworking and education. Though any deck will work for "doing readings" which is based on intuition (in fact, almost anything will work to stimulate that faculty) I highly recommend the BOTA Deck for your occult work. Not only is it designed to eliminate the blinds of previous decks and works within the structures dictated by the Third Order, but it also requires you to colour the cards which helps to establish the symbolism and teaching internally.

Magic

Magic is a complex subject, and though there are hundreds of books on candle magic, spells, hexes, etc... the Occultist takes Magic very seriously. From complex and poweful visualisation to elaborate ceremonial, the Occultist uses this form of personal programming to shape the plastic universe, knowing all the while that there is such a thing as Karma and that working within its laws, one can go a long way.

I realise that this is very brief and there are so many other terms and subjects to cover. Hopefully this will give a fair idea of the differences in approach. Remember that the New-Age movement is not the same as serious Occultism any more than a Twinkie is a hearty, nutritious meal.

in LVX
Brother Greg