Edogawa's Ramblings on Magic
written by Samael
A transcription of Mr. Edogawa's lectures on various topics like alchemy, tarot, history, and meditation.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
19
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1,428
Part 8: Kabbalah
Chapter 8
Now, let’s continue with the next topic – The Truth Behind Magic.
I’ll be talking about “Kabbalah”. I assume you have at least heard of
Kabbalah, yes? It is known as the mystical study of the Hebrew
scriptures, but… as I have mentioned before, it has had a great impact
on western sorcery. It has been said that to learn the secrets of magic,
first you must truly understand Kabbalah.
So, who was the person who formed this incredible ideology known as
Kabbalah? Well, according to legend, it was Moses. Yes, THAT Moses.
The Moses who gave us the Ten Commandments and split the Red
Sea.
But in reality, it was formulated by a group of rabbis long, long ago.
However, because it consists of such a complicated code system…
Kabbalah did not become known to the western world until much later.
Now, it is important to note that there are many different ancient
methods of deciphering Kabbalah.
For example, there is “Gematria”, the interpretation of text by
replacing letters with the numbers they represent.
There is “Notarikon”, where you take a letter from each word to form
another sentence or thought.
There is also “Temurah”, a method where letters of words are
replaced, thereby giving the sentence a new meaning.
All these different methods make it difficult to fully comprehend
Kabbalah. Now, one of the most important ideas of Kabbalah is the
Tree of Life, formed of the ten Sefirot.
Most illustrations depict it as a chart shaped like a tree. The 10 stages
represented by the Sefirot… and the 22 paths connecting them
represent the stages of Creation God formed from his own self, as well
as the direction in which humanity should evolve.
Where did we come from? Where are we going? These answers lie in
the Sefirot.
When training your magic, it’s very important to picture the Sefirot
every so often. And when you are meditating, you should focus on the
Sefirot as well. If life was a test, the Sefirot would be the basic
questions. All aspiring magicians should know them.
So, if you’re looking for inspiration try your hand at the Sefirot.
By the way, did you notice that I mentioned there were 22 paths? Yes
that’s right, the same number as the Major Arcana I spoke about
earlier.
I’ll be talking about “Kabbalah”. I assume you have at least heard of
Kabbalah, yes? It is known as the mystical study of the Hebrew
scriptures, but… as I have mentioned before, it has had a great impact
on western sorcery. It has been said that to learn the secrets of magic,
first you must truly understand Kabbalah.
So, who was the person who formed this incredible ideology known as
Kabbalah? Well, according to legend, it was Moses. Yes, THAT Moses.
The Moses who gave us the Ten Commandments and split the Red
Sea.
But in reality, it was formulated by a group of rabbis long, long ago.
However, because it consists of such a complicated code system…
Kabbalah did not become known to the western world until much later.
Now, it is important to note that there are many different ancient
methods of deciphering Kabbalah.
For example, there is “Gematria”, the interpretation of text by
replacing letters with the numbers they represent.
There is “Notarikon”, where you take a letter from each word to form
another sentence or thought.
There is also “Temurah”, a method where letters of words are
replaced, thereby giving the sentence a new meaning.
All these different methods make it difficult to fully comprehend
Kabbalah. Now, one of the most important ideas of Kabbalah is the
Tree of Life, formed of the ten Sefirot.
Most illustrations depict it as a chart shaped like a tree. The 10 stages
represented by the Sefirot… and the 22 paths connecting them
represent the stages of Creation God formed from his own self, as well
as the direction in which humanity should evolve.
Where did we come from? Where are we going? These answers lie in
the Sefirot.
When training your magic, it’s very important to picture the Sefirot
every so often. And when you are meditating, you should focus on the
Sefirot as well. If life was a test, the Sefirot would be the basic
questions. All aspiring magicians should know them.
So, if you’re looking for inspiration try your hand at the Sefirot.
By the way, did you notice that I mentioned there were 22 paths? Yes
that’s right, the same number as the Major Arcana I spoke about
earlier.
