WESTERN TAROT & JEWISH KABBALAH

In his book, *KABBALAH A Very Short Introduction*, Joseph Dan says, 

"The development of the Christian kabbalah began in the school of Marsilio Ficino

in Florence in the second half of the fifteenth century. It was the peak of the

Italian Renaissance, when Florence was governed by the Medici family, who supported

and encouraged philosophy, science and art. Florence was a gathering place for many

of the greatest minds of Europe, among them refugees from Constantinople,

which was conquered by the Turks in 1453. Ficino is best known for his translations of

old esoteric treatises that eventually became the Hermetica. These works that probably

originated in Egypt in late antiquity were attributed to Hermes Trismegestus, dealing

in magick, astrology and  esoteric theology. “The Thrice-Great Hermes centered on the

concept of magic as an ancient scientific doctrine and “source of all religious and natural

truth,” which deeply inspired Ficino and his followers. A great thinker that came out of this

group was a young scholar and theologian Count Giovani Pico dela Mirandola who died

in 1496 at the age of 33. He took a deep interest in Hebrew and was introduced to

Jewish Kabbalah through Flavius Mithredates, a Jewish convert to Christianity who

provided translations for him in both Hebrew and Latin." (65?)

This is where the deviation began, the product of which you saw yesterday.

But stripping away Christian and Hermetic affectations, look what happens!

First the tree is actually 3 trees stacked  on top of each other from 3 worlds +

1 not attached to the ADAM: Atsiluth - the World of emanations; Beriah the World of

Creation; Yetsirah the world of Formation; and Assiah, the World of activation. 

AND

There are 3 columns. The middle column is the "God" column which is made of

both sexes in one form or another (which is why the Gnostic hermaphrodite is so important). The column on our right is the masculine attributes, the left, the feminine attributes. 

Unchanged and at the top on the center pillar (of course) and above the columns is

KETER - The Ain Sof. 

*Interesting note here regarding Rabbinic Judaic aversion to myth.

The controversy around whether God came out from nothingness was a rabbinic

interpretation of the Zohar's description of Creation (Zohar 1, 15a) If He came from

nothingness then it was an act of Will (the Magician) - If He came from Chaos this is a

mythic reflection which to me is a continuation of Marduck coming through Tiamat (chaos)

after her death and beginning Genesis. This though would mean it was Fate or where

later you'll see the connection with the 10th Sefiroth - The Shekhinah. (re: Scholem.

Symbols p. 102)

So let's say God came out from the Chaos through his connection with the Shekhinah

(perhaps). 

ATSILUTH

World of Emanations

...................................................KETER (chaos)

BINAH (Intelligence) [III EMPRESS]...................................CHOKMAH (Wisdom) [I MAGUS]

..................................................DA'AT (Knowledge) (1300s) [II HPS]

The movement goes from KETER to CHOKMAH and then to upper mother BINAH in 1st world, Emanations and then splits down to "lower mother," GIVORAH in the feminine column making the World of Creation. (Note: as I said Da'at hermaphrodite added later so then came 2nd after Chokmah.)

GIVORAH is considered Lilith and severe judgment, queen of demons. She brings law and strength. The Christians felt these were male characteristics (privileges?) and made her an Emperor. But then they weren't using the columns. With Lilith in IV, that becomes the female JUSTICE with scales. (cool huh?) and on the masculine side, she's turned toward CHESOD for love/kindness. (what they smokin? lol) and move to TIFERET in the middle column and union of the 2 in the middle column.

BERIAH

World of Creation

GIVORAH (Severe Judgment) [IV JUSTICE]..........CHESOD (love/mercy) [V HEIROPHANT]

......................................................TIFERET (Beauty) [VI LOVERS]

This is where it gets REALLY fun! YETSIRAH, The World of Formation, where Angels reside (Scholem, Symbols p. 74) Masculine column is NETZACH (Victory) the Ezekiel's 

chariot moving up the Ladder. and then HOD is on the left and is 8 Splendor which I think might need some work.  Scholem says the 9th Sefirah "is the male potency, described with clearly phallic symbolism, the 'foundation' of all life, which guarantees and consummates the *Hieros Gamos*, the holy union of male and female powers" (Scholem, Symbols p. 104)

The 10th is not FATE, but the Shekhinah, separate but ready to be unified with her partner. 

Active:

Sefiroth:.......................After 1300s

KETER......CHOKMAH.....DA'AT........BINAH .....GIVORAH........CHESOD

0............... I ............... II ............ III ............ IV ................. V

Fool...........Magus.........High.........Empress....Emperor.........Hierophant

.....................................Priestess

Passive (Subtract the top from the XX or Judgment Card)

XX...............XIX.............XVIII..........XVII........ XVI.................XV

Judgment....Sun.............Moon........Star.........Tower............Devil

Active

TIFERET NETZACH HOD YESOD MALKHUT

VI.................VII ............. VIII ............IX ...............................X

Lovers..........Chariot........Justice.......Hermit.........................Fate

........................................................Foundation

Passive

XIV............... XIII..............XII.............XI............................... X

Temperence..Death..........Hanged.....Strength......................Fate

....................................... Man

XXI

Beyond Fate