You are on page 1of 4

Philosophical Qabala

The Hebrew alphabet can be divided into nine groups of


three letter-numbers each. Each group starts with one of
the nine archetypes (numbers 1-9), followed by
extensions of that archetype represented as the number
times 10, then 100:

Ghimel (3) /
Aleph (1) / Yod (10) / Qof (100) Bayt (2) / Khaf (20) / Raysh (200) Lammed (30) /
Sheen (300)

Vav (6) /
Hay (5) / Noun (50) / final Khaf Sammekh
Dallet (4) / Mem (40) / Tav (400)
(500) (60) / final
Mem (600)

Tayt (9) /
Zayn (7) / Ayn (70) / final Noun Hayt (8) / Phay (80) / final Phay Tsadde (90) /
(700) (800) final Tsadde
(900)

Philosophical Qabala consists of nine basic archetypes,


represented by the first nine numbers. These archetypes
are the building blocks of the Qabalistic cosmology, or
concepts of creation and the Universe. They serve to
represent symbolically much greater philosophies, thus
the reading of them can be difficult. This primer will serve
only to scratch the surface of the Infinity contained within
the letter-numbers.

Within each grouping, each letter progresses from


one to the next, each letter building on or further
explaining the letter before it. Each letter's place in its
group must be taken into account when rendering
philosophical readings. Also, in this way, does each
group progress from one to the next.

Aleph/Yod/Qof describes Infinity as the life-death


cycle. Aleph is the abstract concept of all that is and is
not; God exists and does not exist at one and the same
time. Yod is the projection of this concept into continuity;
the cycle itself; a circle in the sacred sense. Qof is the
concept of Aleph grounded in reality: It is the life-death
cycle in practice; the seasons; generations.

Bayt/Khaf/Raysh is the concept of containers -- the


physical supports for the projection of Aleph onto reality.
Bayt is the archetype (or concept) of containers, while
Khaf symbolizes the receiver that can hold all that will
come. Raysh is this archetype in reality: the Universe.

Ghimel/Lammed/Sheen is perhaps the heart of


qabala. These three letter-numbers describe the process
which we all must undertake, from base creature to god.
Ghimel is a root, uncontrolled action
(subconscious/instinct) to which Lammed acts as a
controlling agent (conscious), allowing Ghimel -- the base
creature -- to achieve Sheen, the "spirit" or "breath" of
God. Sheen, as the ideal, is often depicted as three
flames, which is reminiscent of the Hebrew character for
the letter.

Dallet/Mem/Tav is the life cycle. Dallet is the potential


for physical existence, Mem the maternal waters where
all life originates, and Tav is physical existence (in the
sense of the entire cosmos).

At this point, we have created the Universe. From the


Infinity of Aleph we built containers from Bayt which could
hold the action of Ghimel and allow for the physical
existence of Dallet. This is all still rather abstract,
however, and we will need the rest of the letter-numbers
to create life as we know it.

Hay/Noun/final Khaf is the cycle of the spirit.


Universal existence (Hay) is channeled into individual
existence (Noun), where it is then exalted back into the
cosmos (Kaf). This is the journey of Ghimel to Sheen, but
within individual lives, not the abstract Universe.
Vav/Sammekh/final Mem is the birth cycle. Vav is
male fertility, while Sammekh is female. Mem becomes
both the material and spiritual result of this fruitfulness: A
new life.

Zayn/Ayn/final Noun is the potentional of each


individual born of the last grouping. Zayn is an open
doorway to all possibility, while Ayn (literally "eye") is the
vision with which we must recognize our potential in
order to exalt it individually (Noun) and overcome the
indetermination of the life-death cycle in favor of life
(freedom).

Hayt/Phay/final Phay describes the unresolved


energy of a wasted existence. This is energy without form
(Hayt) and thus without potential (Phay), but it serves as
a pool for future potential (Phay) in new lives.

Tayt/Tsadde/final Tsadde is the pool of Phay in


existence: The primitive cell of female energy (Tayt) that
will grow into womanhood (Tsadde) and thus continue the
life-death Infinity of Aleph through birth (final Tsadde).

Producing readings based on philosophical qabala is


more difficult than in literal qabala. It requires a more
carefully attuned belief system and a decent
understanding of qabalistic cosmology, neither of which
these primers can honestly produce.

As a quick example of how readings can be rendered,


however, take the name of King David: DVD.

This is Dallet-Vav-Dallet. Dallet is the potential for


physical existence and Vav is the male fertilizing agent.
By philosophical qabala, DVD is the archetypes of both
the life and birth cycles -- not only the potential for
existence, but the potential for the birth of a male in life
(or "that lives"). For a king seeking an heir, the "potential
for male births that survive" would indeed make a good
name.

But notice that Dallet surrounds the male fertilizing


agent: This is a reminder that potential is not existence --
"the potential for male births is only a potential."
Furthermore, for Dallet to become Tav it must first cross
the maternal waters -- man cannot propogate man alone.
That the birth lives is also re-enforced by this
arrangement, with the male agent surrounded by lfie, so
if nothing else, it describes a child that survives.

In this way, the name "David" is almost an amulet in


and of itself -- a talisman to ensure the survival of births,
while at the same time doing all it can to ensure that said
birth is a male, thus also ensuring the survival of the
dynasty.

In Hebrew, David means "beloved," which can be


seen to be related to the idea of an heir to the throne, or
just a child who survives (either would be beloved).

You might also like