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Underground > Temple >

The Qabalah

SteveF

16:40 / 07.02.02

Could anyone recommend a good, readily available guide to the Qabalah/Kaballa(sic)?
Thanks,
Steve.

Ierne

16:55 / 07.02.02

Israel Regardie's books are excellent. I'd go for the New Falcon or Weiser editions over Llewellyn Books, though. A Garden of Pomegranates is especially good. Regardie studied the Qabalah in both the Magickal and Jewish traditions, and brings his experiences with both traditions together nicely. He writes well too.

Suffocate

23:20 / 07.02.02

Also have a look at a copies of:

Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Creation.
Sepher Sephiroth (By Crowley)
The Secret Wisdom of the Qabalah (By JFC Fuller)

The first two should be really easy to find in any half-baked New Age book shop, so you can have a flick through and see if they're to your fancy.

The last one might be harder to get. It was the first "proper" book I read on the Qabalah, and so it holds a special place in my heart

[ 08-02-2002: Message edited by: Suffocate ]

Tamayyurt

05:17 / 08.02.02

I'm taking a Kaballa class now and even though it's really cool I'm annoyed at my Prof. refusal to get into the more practical areas of this tradition. Something about me not being grounded enough and either going nuts or unmaking reality for the lot of us. What a pussy.

Where can I get info on this?

PS. Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Formation is supposed to be the key for manipulating reality.

Ierne

11:40 / 08.02.02

In more tradtional forms of Qabalah, the practical aspects aren't touched upon until one is over 40 years of age, i.e. until one has lived and experienced a bit, and has a good idea of hir own strengths and weaknesses. So that's where your prof is coming from, impulsivelad.

MJ-12

11:46 / 08.02.02

a trad line of study would also call for fluency in Hebrew, and a good working knowledge of Talmud, membership and participation in the community etc, so you're probably getting a lot for your time.

cusm

13:46 / 08.02.02

If you want to study a culture's escoterica, you really have to be a part of that culture to get the most out of it. Failing that, there's the Golden Dawn...

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

17:22 / 08.02.02

I really enjoyed Kenneth Grant's Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism, which is pretty easy to find. Grant has a way of putting your head in a funny place.

Jenny Constantine

14:11 / 11.02.02

Hi Steve. I second the motion about Regardie's book. Very nice and clear. And maybe you'll find this downloadable PDF book pretty useful. The page's worth a look too.

Unmaking reality with the Sefer Yetzirah? Now that sounds like a good tagline says me, the unconscious newbie whose lifelong interest in all this stuff skyrocketed when she discovered Invisibles and then Promethea... But seriously is it easily available? And how about readability?

Tamayyurt

14:22 / 11.02.02

I think it's easily available. And I don't know about readability but if you can handle the Invisibles and Promethea you should be fine.

I wonder if any of you have tried working with it?

Ierne

15:05 / 11.02.02

Jenny: Welcome!

I've only seen the Sefer Yetzirah in libraries, try your local. My library has its Qabalistic texts (not too many, though!) in the Religion/Judaism section.

SteveF

16:14 / 11.02.02

Thanks to everyone for the suggested reading matter. I've picked up a copy of Regardie's "A Garden Of Pomegranates" and, after a cursory examination, it seems very readable and (more importantly for me) understandable.I'll see how I get on with it and no doubt have a look at some of the other texts people have recommended.
Thanks,
Steve.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

19:08 / 11.02.02

I found an english online version of Sepher Yetzirah here http://www.hermetic.com/texts/yetzirah.html

Tamayyurt

02:32 / 14.02.02

OOh thanks. My prof. says he really doubts I could unmake reality what with my not knowing any Hebrew and all that. HA! All I need is this link, a drawing on a little paper, and sperm... I'll unmake reality by Monday!

Thanks fenris23

Logos

22:50 / 14.02.02

Dammit, lad, stop that!

It's hard enough reknitting reality as it is!

Meanwhile, you might also check out Colin Low's Cabala site at Digital Brilliance, with lots of interesting articles about the Hermetic aspects, as well as a pretty easy to understand run-through of the Tree of Life and other aspects Cabala/Qabbalah/Kaballaa.

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