Tree of Life Pathworking Series. PATH #2: BETH

Pathworking Meditations in the Tree of Life Series.

22 Paths of The Tree of Life

This is a short meditation on the second path, from Kether to Binah, BETH.

****COMMENT ON BETH * * * *

BETH, pronounced bayth.
Transcribed as " B ".
The number 2.
Meaning: House.
The Transparent Intelligence.

The ten "lights" are the ten Sephiroth, represented by the circles on the diagram of the Tree of Life used as a frontispiece in this volume.
Their names are;
1. KETHER, the Crown, or Primal Will;
2. CHOKMAH, Wisdom;
3. BINAH, Understanding;
4. CHESED, Mercy;
5. GEBURAH, Strength, or Severity;
6. TIPHARETH, Beauty;
7. NETZACH, Victory;
8. HOD, Splendor;
9. YESOD, Foundation;
10. MALKUTH, Kingdom.

The second, fourth and seventh Sephiroth form the Pillar of Mercy, named after the fourth Sephirah. Opposed to them, yet their complements, are the third, fifth and eighth Sephiroth, which form the Pillar of Severity, named after the fifth Sephirah. The middle pillar, composed of the first, sixth, ninth and tenth Sephiroth, is named the Pillar of Mildness.

The ten Sephiroth are also divided into a Supernal Triad, which includes the first three, and a Heptad, which includes the Sephiroth from CHESED to MALKUTH. This Heptad is the basis for many septenary schemes to be found in the literature of occultism. Yet always behind the Seven, and beyond it, is the Supernal Triad, for, as the Book of Formation tells us, the Lights of Emanation are "Ten and not Nine, Ten and not Eleven"; that is, neither more nor less than Ten. 4 "I am the eternal longing". This is an example of the author's use of Gematria, the Qabalistic method of establishing identities of meaning between words of the same number. Each Hebrew letter is also a number. ' the number of a word is the sum of the numeral values of its letters. The Hebrew for "longing" is Tahavaw, Th A V H, and the number of this word is 412, equivalent to that of the letter-name BETH, B I Th. The "inmost essence" mentioned in this paragraph is En Soph Aur, AIN SVP AVR, the Limitless Light. In the philosophy of the Qabalah, En Soph Aur is held to subsist throughout eternity, and is regarded as being THAT which precedes all manifestation. Hence, although KETHER, the Crown, or Primal Will, is the first among the Lights of Emanation, it is secondary in the order of thought to the Limitless Light. Therefore KETHER is here compared to a HOUSE for that Light, and as HOUSE is the name of the second letter, which also has the value of 2, the Qabalistic ideas just explained are truly represented by that letter and its number. 5 and 6 These two paragraphs of the meditation should be compared with the symbolism of the first Tarot Key. The Magician is obviously the On-looker, and he corresponds to the "superior nature". The four subtle principles mentioned in the sixth section are also shown in the symbolism of this Key, as the implements on the table. The Wand is the element of FIRE. The Cup stands for the element of WATER. The Sword is a symbol of AIR. The Coin or Pentacle represents the element of EARTH. Note well that the text says "the wise conceal" the true "principles" under the names of the elements of ancient physics.

If you follow the series through you will gain an incredible understanding of yourself and the reality around you. Proceed at your own risk!