At each of the stages in Kabbalah, God is considered to have reflected on that stage of it’s expression. I use the gender neutral term because God is seen as both male and female, and this step of considering what it discovered gives rise to lower intelligences we have come to know as angelic powers. These, and the order of beings stemming from them, are considered to govern that stage of development which is seen as a world, but one existing implicately in our world, sort of nested. I will go into this in more detail later.

As I said earlier, the planets are considered to be manifestations of Gods emanation out into the void. Although our physical planets follow a cycle through our solar system, the relationship between them in the Kabbalah is seen as enduring, virtually fixed for lack of a better term. The planetary order is not geographical as much as it is energetic. A system of connections structured in a web or polarity.

To continue with the web metaphor, the net has three extending strands. These are known as the three pillars. I will have to paraphrase much for the sake of simplicity and clarity, but I am confident it won’t create confusion. The three pillars are the pillar of mercy, the pillar of severity and the pillar of balance. The pillar of mercy could be said to have yin qualities. The pillar of severity to have yang qualities and the pillar of balance is neutral.

Would it be the balancing pillar in the middle then? Yes. Or more like a triangle? Well, the diagram is called the tree of life, because filled out it displays a branching pattern to it.

So it isn’t literally a tree, just the shape you imagine? No, nor are the pillars literal, but they are functional. The reason for examining these patterns in the tree of life is they reflect a tendency of how life events unfold. How people and things develop. They rarely if ever take a direct path. The most common path goes by a couple of names. The path of the lightning bolt or the path of the flaming sword are commonly used. What this means is, as we mature in our lives it tends to be by a process of going to extremes, mercy and tolerance, to severity and forcefulness and back again.

That’s common imagery in the Bible. The Kabbalah is considered the ultimate basis of the Bible to Kabbalists, but some Christians and Jews see its teachings as heretical rather than truly inspired. In my own experience, I have found things much clearer and easier to understand when interpreted from the point of view of the Kabbalah, but this is just my opinion.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~