Paul A. Clark - The Hermetic Qabalah

To them I speak in parables. But unto you it is given to know the truth.

Jesus the Nazarene

There has always existed a system of teaching that has its origin in the direct, personal experience of human beings dedicated to discovering the meaning of Life. These Adepts, or men and women of exceptional quality, have been labeled the esoteric teachers. They, through the Ages, have passed on their wisdom by conveying detailed explanations of the meaning of their realizations. Throughout the centuries, these Adepts have codified and adopted the methods of this transmission for each succeeding generation, thus making it suitable for the aspirants of the day. This is for the present age of seekers the purpose of this work. These teachings did not originate with the author. He is merely the scribe. The source of this doctrine, the real author, is sometimes known as the Inner School.

In the West, one of the greatest vehicles for this transmission is the Qabalistic Tree of Life. It is much more than a diagram. As W.E. Butler, the late, great teacher of the Western Mysteries once wrote:

it is the result of many centuries of training and experience gathered into pictorial form, it is also an instrument through which certain energies and forces may be contacted by successive generations of students. [Magic and the Qabalah, p. 18]

The Tree is more than a manual. It embodies a system of training that instructs us to think in a specific way. The Tree is designed to train individuals in mental discipline so that they may develop a system of relational thinking. This system teaches the student to use the mind in a practical way, which will then enlighten his or her awareness, and enable the seeker to answer the ultimate questions concerning the nature of God, the Universe, and the soul of Man.

The Qabalah is thought to have been introduced into Hebrew theology just after the conclusion of the Babylonian captivity. At that time, the Scribes, who were tasked with civilizing the Israelite Nation following their return to the Holy Land, codified the Hebrew religious doctrines using the methods taught to them by the Babylonian wise men. Together, they integrated the scriptures, the secret teachings, and the consciousness training methods of the esoteric tradition.

This enfolding was modified and strengthened over the centuries by the contributions of the mystical traditions of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Greeks. These teachings provided a system that trained the mind of the Initiate to be used so that it integrated its various levels and established direct contact with the dynamic forces of the Archetypes, and through them, to the creative power of God.

This goal is attained by regular and persistent meditation on the Tree of Life.

What exactly is the Qabalah? It is generally defined as the secret, mystical, magical, philosophical, and religious doctrines developed by ancient and medieval Jewish scholars as a key to the interpretation of the spiritual teachings of the scriptures. The Hermetic Qabalah is a term used to designate that core system as it has been enriched by neo-Platonic, Sufi, Hermetic and Christian mystical sources.

The word Qabalah means tradition and refers to the Esoteric Tradition. It comes from a Hebrew verb-root QBL, Qebel which means to receive. Therefore, it carries the meaning of a received tradition.

As we have previously pointed out, while the ancient teachings were brought out of Egypt when the Hebrews emigrated from that land, it was codified, enriched, and given rebirth during the period following the release of the Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity.

It is believed that at this time the Flame Alphabet was introduced, as well as the systems of the Literal Qabalah (Gematria, Notariqon, and Temurah.)

The Flame Alphabet is important because with it, originated the systems of correspondence as well as the hieroglyphic nature of the figures. The alphabet could then be used as a series of objects or as the basis for meditational practices, etc.