Water:
Eastern Mediterranean Civilization (Greece, S.E. Italy (Magna Grecia),
Cyprus, Crete, Antola, & Levant) Mt Herman & Jordan River.
Winter Season: Pythagorean,
Plato, Neo-Platonists, Greece, Canaanite, Mandaean, Qabbalah...
The
Winter Season, ruled by the Water Element, concentrates on traditions from
the Eastern Mediterranean region, S.E. Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Antola and
the Levant. The focus is on Mandaean understandings, but also Pythagorean
and Kabbalistic musings. Purification, especially with water, is a major
theme. The deeper theme is internal purity.
Preface
The five divisions—Pythagorean/Elusian/Greek/Knossos, Yohon/Canaanite/Zadokite, Nazoreans/Yeshu/Miryai, Zazai/Shlama, and Qabbalah/Luria/Zohar—span ancient Greek, Semitic, Mandaean, and Jewish mystical traditions, each with three historical movements rooted in verifiable histories and practices. Evolving from Pythagorean mathematics to Kabbalistic cosmology, they emphasize innerouter unity through rituals like baptism, meditations like contemplation of light, and intellectual pursuits like gematria, reflecting a shared pursuit of transformation and awareness. Despite distinct paths, they converge on ordering chaos and seeking purity, though challenges like historical gaps, esoteric complexity, and cultural shifts persist.
|
Nephesh |
Ruh |
Nishimta |
| Enviromental order, cleanliness, physical cleanliness, oiled machinery, preserved wood, lubtricated skin, amputations. Dispelling ignorance, education, schooling, learning, reading, study. Excelling in school. Openness. Frankness. Not breaking letter of the rules. | Clean lubtricated thoughts, refreshed mind, excommunicating problematic members. Resolving problems with others. Good communication. True speech, keeping ones word, promises kept. Keeping the spirit of the rules and guiding principles of order and harmony. | Purity of thought, intent and focus, dedicated to truth, light, goodness. Unencumbered. Perfectly honest and forthright. Trustworthy. Purity of thought, intent and focus. Perfect keeping of vows. |
Lurianic Kabbalah (Isaac
Luria)
Isaac Luria (1534–1572), known as the Ari, developed Lurianic Kabbalah, a theosophical system centered in Safed, which reinterpreted the Zohar’s cosmology through concepts like Tzimtzum (divine contraction), Shevirat HaKelim (breaking of the vessels), and Tikkun (cosmic repair). Lurianic Kabbalah does not use formal initiatory grades like Western esoteric orders but describes a mystical progression through the Five Worlds, tied to the sephiroth, via contemplative practices, mitzvot (commandments), and yihudim (unifications). The goal is to restore divine sparks (nitzotzot) trapped in the material world, aligning the practitioner with the divine structure. Progression is individualized, guided by a master like Luria, who assessed disciples’ souls for readiness. (The associations of the Sephiroth below deviates slightly from Luria)
Progression Through the Tree of Life and Five Worlds (here associated with the five fortnights of the Season): Lurianic Kabbalah envisions the Tree of Life as a dynamic map of divine emanation and human redemption, with each sephirah existing in each of the Five Worlds. Spiritual ascent involves elevating one’s soul through these worlds, repairing the cosmos (Tikkun Olam). The process is not divided into formal grades but follows a mystical path: Lurianic Kabbalah envisions spiritual ascent as a process of elevating divine sparks and aligning the soul with the divine structure, moving from Assiah to Adam Kadmon. While there are no formal grades, the progression is mapped to the sephiroth and worlds, with Adam Kadmon as the ultimate, nearly unattainable state:
Assiah (Material World – Qlipoth, Malkuth,
Yesod):
The practitioner begins
in the physical world, performing mitzvot (commandments) and ethical acts
to purify the material self and redeem sparks trapped in qlippoth.
Practices: Observance of
Torah, ethical living, and basic prayer to align with Malkuth in Assiah.
Goal: Grounding the soul
in the material world as a foundation for ascent.
Yetzirah (Formative World – Hod, Netzach,
Tiphareth):
The soul engages emotional
and intellectual faculties through kavvanot (mystical intentions in prayer)
and meditation on the sephiroth. This elevates sparks to the astral plane.
Practices: Liturgical prayer
with Lurianic kavvanot, as taught by Vital, focusing on sephirothic attributes.
Goal: Refining the soul’s
emotional and intellectual connection to the divine.
Briah (Creative World – ,Geburah, Chesed,
Daath ):
Advanced contemplation and
yihudim (unifications of divine names) align the soul with divine intellect.
The practitioner becomes a microcosm of Adam Kadmon, aiding Tikkun.
Practices: Meditations on
partzufim (divine personas, e.g., Zeir Anpin, Imma), as outlined in Etz
Chayim.
Goal: Intellectual communion
with divine creation, preparing for higher states.
Atziluth (Archetypal World – Binah, Chokmah,
Kether):
The soul approaches divine
essence through mystical union (devekut), transcending personal identity.
This involves unifying partzufim and aligning with Ein Sof’s emanation.
Practices: Advanced yihudim
using divine names (e.g., Tetragrammaton permutations: 72, 63, 45, 52)
to elevate sparks to Atziluth.
Goal: Merging with divine
will, approaching the source of emanation.
Adam Kadmon (Primordial World – Ain Sof Aur,
Ain Sof, Ain):
The fifth phase, Adam Kadmon,
represents the soul’s ultimate alignment with the primordial divine archetype,
the first emanation from Ein Sof. It is the state of complete unity, where
the practitioner becomes a vessel for divine light, fully participating
in Tikkun Olam.
Practices: Rare, esoteric
meditations on Adam Kadmon’s structure (e.g., its “lights” and “vessels”),
guided by direct revelation or a master like Luria.
Goal: Transcending all duality
to embody the divine blueprint, a state reserved for the “just” (tzaddikim)
or potential messianic figures.
The 15 Ko of the Season can be a Ladder of Light. These fifteen expressions share strengths in unifying inner and outer worlds through transformative practices—baptisms, meditations, intellectual rigor—rooted in ordering chaos, offering paths to awareness via logic and purity. Pythagorean dating lacks precision; Canaanite syncretism blurs origins; Yeshu’s historicity sparks debate; Zazai’s obscurity limits evidence; Kabbalah’s esotericism restricts access. Yet, their diverse approaches—from Greek math to Jewish mysticism—collectively enrich the quest for truth and renewal.
Introductory Notes:
5 Element Study
77 chapters of the Qulasta
