The Cabalists

By Anders Sandberg

Version 2.0

The Cabalists are one of the oldest and most influential subgroups in the whole Order of
Hermes. Their symbolism and methods is the backbone of modern Western hermeticism.
For example, the Seal of Solomon is of Cabalistic origin, as is much of the symbols used
in the Circle.

Origin and History

The Cabala is of Jewish origin, and seems to have roots in the magick of the tribes of the
middle east, combined with Egyptian and chaldean magick. According to some Cabalists
the tradition was received by Moses on Sinai directly from God, but this is
unsubstantiated.

The oldest Cabala is known as the Merkabah mysticism, or Hechalot (Which means
"ascent"). The Merkabah was the name of the throne of God in Hebrew, and the aim of
the Merkabah Mystics was to be able to see God upon his Throne. Little is known about
this school outside the Order of Hermes and Celestial Chorus. The mystics contemplated
the early chapters of Genesis and the Vision of Ezekiel. To perform the ascent the mystic
had to pass through the seven palaces of heaven, giving the correct words, talismans and
signs to the guardians. The Merkabah mystics were quite obviously influenced by the
Celestial Chorus.

During the earliest centuries of the Common Era the Cabala used today began to evolve.
The books "Sepher Yetzirah" ("The Book of Formation") and "Bahir" were written. Greek
magick and philosophy influenced the Cabalists. They began to interact with the Order of
Hermes and the Gnostics, a group of mages in the Celestial Chorus. During the rise of
Christianity the Gnostics were purged by the Chorus and branded heretics. Many joined
the Order of Hermes and the Cabalists. This may have been one of the reasons the two
traditions fought each other later in the middle ages.

The Cabalists had become an integral part of the Order, but had little influence. They
were spread out across Europe, in isolated ethnic groups. Then the Order began the
experiment with the false Order of Hermes. Most subgroups in the Order joined forces
and began to work together on the great plan. But the Cabalists refused, explaining that
they thought the plan was doomed to fail. The rest ignored them and went along with
their fateful plan.

After the Failure the Order was on the brink of dissolution. Many of the subgroups, like
the Goetic mages, were discredited and dissolved. Many mages left the Order completely.
The Cabalists, who had persistently warned the others, suddenly appeared to the
disenchanted hermetics as the saviours of the Order. Many non- Jewish mages joined the
Cabalists. Suddenly the Cabalists were one of the most influential groups inside the order.
Many mages became Cabalists and retreated from the world into Cabalistic study.

This lead to a renaissance for Cabala. In the fourteenth century Moses de Leon wrote
Zohar ("The Radiance"), one of the central texts of Cabala. Other hermetic mages
developed their own ideas, using cabalistic symbolism and theories. Cabala became one
of the cornerstones of the Order, a position it still occupies. Cabala expanded and began
to dilute, and lost much of its Jewish origins. At the same time the Cabala was discredited
among many Jews after the appearance of a false messiah who actively supported the
Cabalists.

New groups emerged from the Order, like the Enochians and Rosicrucians, who based
much of their magick on the Cabala. The Order of Hermes continued forward, and the
Cabalists influence began to wane. It began to return to its roots, and became more
Jewish again. At the same time Cabalistic methods, ideas and symbols had become
mainstream in the Order. It is often required training for an initiate in the order to
understand some of the Cabala.

Today the Cabalists are an small subgroup, but held in great respect by most hermetics.
They still exert a noticeable influence on the theories of the Order. There are many types
of Cabalists, ranging form ultra orthodox Jews to secular mages happily mixing Cabala,
Enochiana and Goetia and performing Gematria on computers.

Links to Other Groups

Cabalists have often had ties to the Celestial Chorus, and have influenced their thought
too. In fact, some Cabalists think of themselves more as members of the Chorus than the
Order. The Cabalists are the strongest link between the Traditions, and often employed as
diplomats and envoys. There are however a small group inside the Chorus who actively
work against the Cabalists, perhaps due to their ethnic origin or even their old
involvement with the Gnostics (which now partly have returned to the Chorus to
complicate matters further).
The Cabalists are conservative hermetics, which mean they do not meddle in the affairs
of mortals. The point out that every time mages have done this, the end result have been
disaster. Instead mages should spend their time in study, and work to understand magick
before imposing their ideas on humanity. Most mages have only half an idea of what they
are going to accomplish, and tend to become corrupted when confronted with the
mundane world.

The Ahl-I-Batin and Cabalists have had many contacts, and share much of their basic
philosophy. There is no sharp dividing line between the Batin and the Cabalists, and
nobody tries to draw any. However, most Cabalists dislike the meddling in mortal affairs
of some Batin groups, pointing out what happened in Europe last time.

The Cabalists are not very interested in war with the Technomancers. They have a long
history of stoically surviving attacks from sleepers, mages and the technomancers.
Instead of fighting, they try to avoid the enemy and wait. Patience is their weapon, as
they know that whatever may happen, it will not last forever. This may be their greatest
mistake.

The Cabala
In the Cabalistic world view, everything is symbolic for something else, and the world is
filled with subtle connections. Even the most trivial text or thing hides deep secrets.
Using this knowledge the Cabalists hope to understand the universe fully.

God created the universe by allowing some of his quintessence to flow down,
transmutating into the materiel universe. The goal for many Cabalists is to understand
this process, the universe and the way back to God. The idea of God in Cabalism is quite
complex, and not necessarily religious in character. God has many names with different
powers ruling over hierarchies of angels, but is also a completely abstract entity. Many
Cabalists say that it is impossible to say anything about the nature of God, except
possibly what things God isn't.

The most important symbol in Cabala today is the Sephirothic Tree, a diagram consisting
of ten spheres ("Sephiroth") and 22 paths joining them. This is a kind of blueprint for the
universe, showing how the quintessence flows down into the material world through
different levels. Each sephiroth represents one type of existence. The lowest. Malkuth,
the Kingdom, represent the material world. The highest, Keter, the Crown, is the source
of the unmanifest quintessence. Between these there are sephiroth representing for
example Force, Form, Intelligence and Balance. Each sephiroth corresponds to a number,
a colour, different names of God and other symbols. The 22 paths correspond to the 22
letters in Hebrew and the Major Arcana of the Tarot. The system has many similarities to
the enochian theory.

The Tree does not only represent the creation, it also represents the human mind. Each
sephiroth correspond to a part of the mind or soul. Using this knowledge, a Cabalist may
use his magick to transfer energy from one sephiroth to another to change himself or the
world around him. For example, a mage wishes to temporarily increase his speed of
thought. He invokes Hod (Splendour, intellectual clarity), using the number 8, the colour
Orange, Mercury, Cinnamon and the names for the angels of Hod. If he had wished to
become stronger he would have invoked Geburah (mental strength) or Malkuth (physical
strength).

Another important part of Cabala is the esoteric study of holy texts. A text often contains
subtle secrets, which can be revealed by the mage. Gematria consists of calculating the
number of a word by giving each letter a value (for example A=1, B=2 and so on) and
adding this together. This number represents the word, and words that have the same
number have some connection. For example in Hebrew, AChD (Unity)=13=AHBH
(Love). And 13+13=26=YHVH, the unspeakable name of God.

Other ways of finding the secrets in a text is to read only the first letter in every word, or
every 50th letter. In Notarikon, the mage creates acronyms for sentences, or try to find the
sentences hidden in acronyms. Temura mixes the letters according to some rules, like A
becomes B, B C, and so on (Avgad) or Aiq Bekr, in which the letters are divided into nine
equivalence classes and exchanged inside these classes. This numerology and word
magick is often used in constructing talismans and words of power, and to hide secrets
inside seemingly innocuous texts.

Cabalistic Magick is often ceremonial like the Enochian system, and often more directed
toward enlightenment and the acquisition of knowledge than practical matters. Many
Cabalists spend more time studying than performing magick. Still, the Cabalists have
shown competence in creating useful talismans and defences against spirits and malign
forces.

Cabalistic talismans are often pieces of parchment inscribed with symbols, names and
ciphers. They are often worn as an amulet around the neck. They seldom have direct,
obvious effects like talismans of other traditions. Instead they often help the mage
perform his magick (for example by lowering target numbers) or protect him. The
Cabalists are well known for their talismans against evil spirits. Typical examples of
talismans are talismans of health, which help the bearer to recover, talismans of Hod,
which make the bearer quicker, more businessminded and more intellectual and talismans
of Michael, giving the bearer protection against evil forces.

Cabalists are very interested in spirits and their realms. Most common is simple scrying
into the Umbra, but some Cabalists actually travel through it. They are very interested in
the relation of the Celestines to each other and the world, and try to collect as much
information as possible about the geography of the Umbra. Another area of research are
evil or disharmonious spirits and realms known as the Qlippoth, or "shells". They are
thought to be leftovers or flawed parts of the creation, which have not yet been recycled.

Cabalists often use hierarchies of angels, somewhat like the Enochians. The holy names
of God are used to call upon angels and spirits of different levels. There are angels
associated with the sephiroth, the paths and different material phenomena. To accurately
understand and remember the angelic hierarchy is one of the most important steps in
learning Cabala.

Instead of using the common nine spheres, some Cabalists use the sephiroth as spheres
instead. This means that sephirothic magick concentrate on the desired result, not on the
exact way of achieve it. A normal mage will heal someone by using the sphere of life to
repair the patients damaged pattern. A Cabalist in the same situation would call upon the
forces of mercy and health (Chochma and Tiphareth) and allow them to heal the patient
in the best way. If the magick work correctly, both methods will lead to the same result.
Cabalists tend to excel at static magick in their daily lives, and use dynamic magick only
in their temples.

Philosophy
As above, so below. The universe is filled with connections, both subtle and obvious.
Everything, how small or trivial it may seem, has some hidden significance. The forces
which rule the Macrocosm are like the forces which rule the Microcosm of man. Study
these subtle secrets, which are revealed in the holy texts and the dance of the letters.

We will find out way upwards in the Tree, towards Keter and the divine brilliance behind
the Three Veils. But we will not follow the way of the Staff, the path of the Mystic.
Instead we will follow the way of the Serpent, the path of the Mage, balancing the forces
of the universe as we progresses. Along the way we must help other seekers to find their
paths, even if they are not parallel to ours. Beware the Qlippoth, for they will weight you
down and drag you down into the matter.

Mankind has its place in the world and a part in the great plan. But we mustn't interfere
with this, as our destiny is not the same as the destiny of humanity.

Organisation and Meetings

Very informal, if any at all. Cabalists are often solitary, and meet in informal ways to
discuss their latest theories and ideas. Many Cabalists communicate only by mail (or
using magick).

Initiation
The Cabalists seldom have one obvious initiation, mentors preferring to guide their
initiate slowly through several years of study. The mentor often begin by giving the
initiate texts to translate and analyse, then continues with more and more complex
problems in gematria and symbolism. The initiate slowly understand more and more,
until he suddenly gain insight in the interconnectedness of the universe. Often the initiate
swears an oath afterwards, affirming his determination to the study of magick.
Chantry
The Cabalists have few chantries, but the most important lies in Prague. This chantry
houses the second largest library in the whole Order (The largest is probably Cordoba).
This library contains many extremely rare tomes, in every conceivable language.
Especially books from the middle east are very well represented. Many mages from other
traditions visit the Library.

Acolytes
Pious Jews, Scholars, Artists

Sphere
Spirit or Forces. Many Cabalists study Mind and Prime with great zeal. Matter and
Entropy is regarded as a bit dangerous, and study is sometimes discouraged by other
Cabalists. Still, many Cabalists have had important insights in the structures of Matter
and the role of Entropy.

Foci
Cabalists almost always use the conventional foci of Order of Hermes, mostly because it
was they who defined them. When using sephirothic magick they prefer to have things
around them associated to the sephiroth used. A mage using Geburah would draw
pentagrams, wear red clothes, wield an iron sword and burn irritating incense. It is not
necessary, but many mages claim it makes the magick easier. Often only some symbol for
the sephiroth used is needed, like an iron knife for Geburah or a golden ring for
Tiphareth.

Language: Almost always Hebrew, but unorthodox Cabalists use Latin, enochian or
other languages.

Circle: Tend to be inscribed with Hebrew names of angels, powers and the secret names
of God. Often housed in a consecrated room or temple.

Seal of Solomon, Showstone: Conventional.

Concepts
Rabbi, Wise old Man, Surreal Author.

Quote
"Contemplate the secret meaning of the Seal of Solomon. The lower triangle is the
symbol of fire, and the upper triangle the symbol of water. Water and Fire. The Star of
David show two opposites balancing each other in perfect harmony, creating something
greater than its parts. It is a fitting symbol for the Macrocosm. Notice it has six rays,
showing that it represent Tiphareth. If you put it on the Tree, its rays will point at the
planets, with the Sun at its centre. It is a most powerful symbol of balance."

Stereotypes
Ahl-I-Batin
We are so alike, yet they do not realize the danger of overly meddling in mortal
affairs. Have they not learned at least from their own mistakes?
Akashic Brotherhood
They understand much, but unfortunately only on an intuitive level. Their
intuition serve them well, but they will not be able to go further until they
understand what they feel.
Celestial Chorus
Our brothers and sisters. They have indeed seen the light. We feel sorry for them
in their fall, but perhaps it was necessary for them to experience humility. We
sincerely hope that they will rise again. The world needs them.
Cult of Ecstasy
Spending their lives in the sphere of sensation, without any thought of tomorrow.
Pitiful, and ultimately doomed. If they do not rise above the lower planes, they
will fall prey to Qlippoth of their own creation.
Dreamspeakers
These mages worship Malkuth, the daughter of God. They seek to restore the
balance, to reunite her with her husband in Tiphareth. Unfortunately their magick
is primitive and too bound to the lower planes to be of any use.
Enochians
Strange mages. They have indeed found something, or is it something that has
found them?
Euthanatos
Perhaps this Tradition have understood the Abyss of Daath better than any others.
But they have not crossed it yet. If they manage to do that, they will become
something never seen before.
Hollow Ones
Strange children. We do not understand them.
Order of Hermes
Our brethren have taught us much, and they have learned much from us. But have
they really understood what we have said?
Rosicrucians
They haven't learned anything from the great Failure. They try to repeat it again,
this time using some of our magick too. They could be the downfall of the whole
Order.
Sons of Ether
 Whatever one may say about their "magick", they have at least understood the
need to avoid mundane society.
Verbena
Trapped in the lower worlds. Their blood- magick is obviously of Qlipphotic
origin. They represent the dark side of Malkuth, Lillith, the queen of flesh and
lust. They should be studied, but very carefully.
Virtual Adepts
They don't know it yet, but their computers are based upon the secret patterns of
letters and numbers we have seen. We have done the same things as they do now
for centuries, but by hand. Still, computers are very useful for some magick, but
you should know what you really are doing and treat the symbols with respect.
Their lack of respect for the powers they use will one day spell their doom.

Rotes
The Yetziratic Sealing Rite (Mind 3)

Originally from Sepher Yetzirach, this rote is widely used for protection. The mage draw
permutations of the letters Yud, Heh and Vav in the six directions with an incense stick
while praying. Now the mage is protected as long as the rote is active. People around the
mage will ignore him and will not remember him very well, if at all. They will not think
about the mage if he does not attract attention. This rote became very popular among the
Rosicrucians, who called their rote the Rose Cross Ritual (In which the mage draws
crosses instead of letters)

[ The rote will make people overlook the mage. Three successes are enough to be ignored
by all people in the vicinity of the mage. Each success will subtract one die from every
perception roll to spot the mage, as long as he does not attract attention. Since most
people ignore each other anyway, the mage will in effect be almost invisible]

The Middle Pillar Ritual (Prime 2)

This rote will strengthen the body, mind and soul of the mage. The mage stands and
visualises himself as the middle pillar of the Sephirothic Tree. Below him is the material
world, and above his head Keter, the source of prime. He feels the energy flowing
through him, into the world and from the world back to the source. The mage will feel
filled with power, in perfect balance of mind and body.

[ The mage will pump quintessence into his own pattern for a while. This will temporary
strengthen the mages own pattern and hopefully weaken intruding patterns. Each success
will remove one success of magick (Both helpful and harmful), like a countermagick roll.
The target number for the rote is the highest sphere involved in the effect + 3, or 5,
whichever is highest. It will not heal any damage already done nor stop any flaws in the
mages own pattern. Prolonged use of this rote have been shown to cause egocentricity, as
the mage unconsciously begin to believe he is the centre of the universe. ]
Bless the Faithful Servant (Prime 2 Spirit 2)

The mage blesses a spirit, pouring quintessence into its pattern. This is something most
spirits desire, as it will make them more powerful in the long run. Besides, at least to a
human, they seem to derive pleasure from it. This rote is often used to thank spirits who
have helped the mage.

The Invocation of the Four Archangels. (Spirit 2)

The mage stand with his arms straight out to the sides, so that his body forms a cross. He
invokes the four Archangels: "Before me Raphael. Behind me Gabriel. On my right hand,
Michael. On my left hand, Uriel. For around me flames the pentagram, and within me
shines the six-rayed star." By using this rote, the mage will scare away most spirits,
fearful for the powerful Archangels and the powerful mage. The Rosicrucians have
developed their own version, the Lesser Banishing of the Pentagram, which works in
almost the same way.

[ The Archangels will normally not appear in person, but will (if the mage is lucky) send
subordinates to the mage. They will not manifest physically, but their presence is often
felt. The subordinate angels will scare away lesser beings from the vicinity. After they are
done, they will report back to their superiors what happened. It is very unwise to misuse
this rote.]

Further Reading
Kabbalah FAQ by Coling Low.

Notes on Kabbalah by Colin Low. A very good modern guide to the Cabala. The parent
directory contains other interestinf information, including images of the Tree of Life.

Modern Magick by Donald Kraig. An easy to read introduction to Ceremonial Magick

and Cabala, although a bit "New Agey".

Liber Eureka sub figura DXXXIV, by Shawn Knight. A good example of how Cabalists
analyze words for esoteric meanings.

Back to the Traditions Page

Anders Main Page

Anders Sandberg / nv91-asa@nada.kth.se