Tag Archives: Hebrew alphabet

Kitteh Goddess &The Overlooked Power of Napping

14 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in Kabbalah & Western Hermetic Tradition, Photography

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There was that meme recently: internet is like ancient Egypt – there is plenty of writing on the walls and cat admiring involved! Right, Moses lead us out of Egypt and (said tongue in cheek) we are now going back there to the metaphorical land of bondage – by our own choice…

That being said, yesterday, in Jewish tradition, was the first Day of Rest in the new year and the part of the Bible that was read was Beresheet/ In the Beginning.

Of course, there all got lost in translation, as usually, and Beresheet does not mean In the beginning but (from the root rosh ) – at the head of things.

For further mind-blowing insights into the mystical etymology of the Bible and its connection to Quantum Physics  i strongly advice reading the unabridged translation of Zohar into English – this section is covered on some 600 pages in the first two books and is well worth it.

As a side note, for my Tarot buddies  – i believe reading that portion is the only way to really get Tarot Sixes which are related to the Sfirat Yesod.

“This is an immense reservoir that resides just above our physical dimension. All the upper worlds , or Sfirot, fill Yesod with their unique spiritual forces, where they are blended and prepared for transfer; Like a cosmic pipeline Yesod then funnels all this Light into our world which is called Malchut. We can arouse great Lights in the Upper Worlds through our actions, but unless the floodgates of Yesod are opened, the Light can never reach our realm.” (The Zohar, Unabridged English translation with commentary, KC International Inc.; Baresheet A, page 193.)

In my experience – there are two main ways to get your Yesod disbalanced – by not sharing with others, or – the other way around – by giving way too much of oneself; both lead to the depletion which Pixie depicted on the Six of Pentacles:

I don’t know of some other way of fixing the Yesod and opening this pipeline from the Upper Worlds – except for working with the very Book.

It’s not by chance either that Hebrew letter Bet starts the Bible – but to understand the magnificence of the Biblical code, and just before one dismisses its first level of interpretation as a bunch of (among else) Babylonian myths – it is indeed necessary to spend couple of days studying dozens of pages on which its commentary, the Zohar, expands merely on the opening letter…

Here it suffices to mention that letter Bet starts Hebrew words for  bracha/blessing and bayit/house and that meditating on it helps experience the true homecoming whenever we feel unsettled and uprooted in any way.

Kabbalah Deck by rabbi Edward Hoffman, Letter Bet; photo – courtesy of Vuk Vukovic

I actually re-read the whole thing yesterday – in addition to reading the Biblical portion first in Hebrew, then in English and Serbian translations; i also listened to Shaul Youdkevitch’s audio classes on Live Kabbalah for couple of hours and read Kabbalistic prayers… Actually, that’s all i was doing for 25h or so – interrupted only by occasional napping.

Those of you who suffer from insomnia do know how awful it is – and i contributed to my own because all the stuff i am busy with usually requires sleep denial; the Zohar is preferably studied at night and that’s how i spent years after i first got into Kabbalah over a decade ago; also – for my work, for writing, there is no better time than the silence of the night… Combined with hours of pc work which further messes with one’s sleep – i ended up with sleeping patterns which are least to be said – unusual; normally,  i get some rest in the early evening , like from 6 pm to 8 pm and i nap for couple of hours at dawn, that’s about it.

I gave up on counting the sheep and melatonin as it turned out that the only way for me to be functional is to nap whenever i feel like, in addition to meditating a lot.

I didn’t give it too much thought until stumbling upon an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert where she cites napping as her preferable spiritual tool – that’s after months spent in an Indian ashram, studying palmistry in Bali & all that jazz.

If you are surprised by my choice of reading, in  Bugger off, Nietzsche i explain why i’ll choose a memoir  like “Eat, Prey, Love” over what’s traditionally considered highbrow prose – any day. Thanks, but – no thanks, i have too much neurosis and moral dilemmas of my own, so to dwell on someone else’s, especially if the author of the presumably ‘serious’ piece was an as*le and clinically insane too, like Nietzsche was.

And when it comes to napping – like with numerous other important things in life, there are hardly more important role models than one’s own cat;  in words of another author whom i do like, Echkart Tolle: I lived with many spiritual teachers, most of them were cats…

 

L.R.S.

Kabbalist’s Survival Kit for the Month of Virgo

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Kabbalah & Western Hermetic Tradition

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Solemn month of Elul is all about introspection, going through the last year’s events and getting ready for the new year ahead. There are as much as four New Years in Hebrew/Kabbalistic tradition and added the Western Calendar – all of it could just seem bit over the top… It is not so, there is enough room and it is indeed meaningful to be aware and prepare for all of them.

Personally, to me Civil NY by Western calendar is more like a mark of my work, what i do and where i am with my career, where as by Hebrew/Kabbalistic calendar i measure my inner, psychological time.

Rosh Hashana, accurately or not translated as a Jewish New Year, is a chance for all of us – regardless of the religious denomination, Jewish or not – to reset the movies of our lives, to write the new script if needed – and even to hire a new cast if the production so far wasn’t going as planned.

Do not forget that it is us who are the directors – the Light (kabbalist’s euphemism for Creator)  through outer circumstances provides us the movie studio so to say and the cast – but, at the end of things, it is us who direct the movies of our lives, so let’s get ready to make the next year’s movie – an Academy Award material!

The days of Elul are also known as the days of Teshuva or repentance, which etymologically comes from LaShuv לשוב – to return, meaning the return to our own selves and our own inner truth. There is nothing to lose on the way – except for suffering and pain which we hope to leave behind as we approach the new beginning.

It is said that at Rosh Hashanah planets align as they were in the moment of creation and that thus we are given the chance to start anew, from the scratch – it is here that we reboot our system and restart our lives.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was pointing out that Hebrew word for correction –  tikkun תיקון – has the same letters as  tinok תינוק – a baby; and that very state of innocence and purity is the one we are striving for on our journey through the Month of Elul… and that’s the purpose of creation itself, according to the Kabbalists.

As you probably know by now, in Kabbalah the 22 Hebrew letters are considered to be energies (angels) that created this world and letters.

Reish is linked to higher states of consciousness and it starts the word for Holy Spirit, ruach ha-kadosh; it also starts the word ruach, denoting wind and breath.

Rabbi Moses Luzzato pointed out that albeit it is ordained that one should naturally be able to teach himself, understand and reason with their intellect – there is another mean of gaining knowledge and that’s what we call ruach ha-kadosh – the way of gaining knowledge unattainable through logic alone.

Focusing on letter Reish and also setting aside some time every day to practice breath awareness will bring tremendous benefits during month of Elul and enable us to connect to these higher state states of consciousness where both prophetic abilities and spiritual bliss reside.

To study and practice kosher Kabbalah might seem demanding because it is a way of living, a way of eating, and – before all – it’s the very awareness, the consciousness one imbues into every single word that comes out of their mouth and, last but not the least – into every single thing they put into their mouth; it comes naturally though, usually – gradually, and for many it is the only way, because you feel it is the right way for you, personally.

That being said – not all will feel that urge and it simply means they don’t need it at this level of development or in this period of time, but there are still amazing benefits and advantages we can get from the Month of Virgo – even if we apply only some of the spiritual tools available in this month and even if we can’t really be bothered with somewhat complicated dietary laws and all that jazz.

There are two out of 72 Names of God – the sequence by which it is believed Moses had parted the Red Sea – that are recommended for this period (scanned from right to left):

1. Vav Hei Vav, Time Travel 2.Yud Lamed Yud, Recapturing the Sparks

An alternative way to practice Teshuva, as thought in tradition of the famed Kabbalist Isaac the Blind, which doesn’t involve the letters per se – is when you go to bed, to recall and remember every single event of the preceding day and all the things you said while – if possible, imagining that you are in the place of the person to whom you spoke, that you are them. Most of us go through life – better to say – schlep, in the perpetual state of dormita, asleep, not being aware of the effect of our own words and deeds; Teshuva is the way to reverse that and to become awaken.

I can’t recommend strongly enough the book by Catherine Shainberg PhD – Kabbalah and the Power of Dreaming; beside detailed instructions for the above mentioned practice of Teshuva, it also includes what’s probably the best available manual for lucid dreaming and many other techniques to reverse the unwanted events and developments in our lives.

It’s being said that the name of the month is the abbreviation of אני לדודי ודודי לי “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3), because it is during this very  month that we can connect to the love story between the soul and the Creator. In words of Shaul Youdkevitch: “Since we all get some of Virgo’s virtues during Elul, it is the time to review, cleanse and redecorate our thoughts and feelings. Let us use Virgo to return to ourselves and gain freedom from all emotions and thoughts that keep us away from perfection.”

further reading:

 

Elul/ Virgo, Live Kabbalah

Zohar Study Ki Tavo with Shaul Youdkevitch

The Kabbalah Deck

The Hidden Treasures of Dreaming; article by Catherine Shainberg, PhD

the 25th hour, going vegan and other adventures of mdr in the black mountains

08 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Kabbalah & Western Hermetic Tradition

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pic of meditation setting for the new moon of gemini

This month i celebrated 42nd birthday – and that number is big in all the traditions; according to Kabbalists the world was created by 42-letetrs name of God , the main kabbalist prayer is Ana B’Koach – built around the sequence of 42 letters, encoded within  first 42 letters of the book of Genesis etc.

The only two decks i use for kabbalistic connections are The Kabbalah deck and 72 Names meditation deck; among all the Kabbalah-inspired decks on the market and among numerous decks of a kind i own – these are the only two i find ‘glatt kosher’ and fit for the purpose.

The former was recommended to me by great Bonnie Cehovet – and i didn’t regret the effort and funds to acquire it in the distant land of Hong Kong; the 72 Names deck is published by Kabbalah Center, was gifted to me by a dear friend and fellow Kabbalist, Eliyahu – and i can not recommend it  strongly enough.

The Hebrew letters of the month of Gemini are Reish and Zayin (see the pic of meditation setting, from right to left).

Reish starts Hebrew word for holy spirit (ruach ha-kadosh) – the divine attributes of prophecy and wisdom – available to each and everyone of us depending on diligence and effort; Hebrew words for healing (rafooah) and healer (rofeh) also start with Reish and both are connected to ruach, breath.

Throughout history, the mystics of Kabbalah such as Abraham Abulafia, thought methods to achieve higher consciousness by combining Hebrew letters, breathing exercises and  body postures – and that’s one of the practices which i personally intend to commence.

The letter Zayin starts the word zachaer, to remember – the mystics contemplated on it so not to get overwhelmed by the mundane tasks and forget the soul’s real purpose on this earth; letter Zayin is also a reminder to slow down and introduce ‘spiritual time management’ into one’s daily life.

The Hebrew letters that correspond to my current birthday – and a meditation that is strongly advised on the occasion of it – are Mem (numerical value 40) and Bet (numerical value 2).

Bet starts Hebrew words for home and blessing (respectively: bayit and beracha) and Mem, among else, denotes the cycles and periods of time necessary for human efforts to reach fruition and manifest.

So, anyway you look at it – this year is big for me and there are several most important areas i need to focus on.

Those of you who are my facebook friends probably know i decided to go vegan; i don’t believe anymore in ritual slaughter (kosher/halal thing);  and, in full honesty, i believe that whomever buys into “certification” thingy after Rubashkin and alike cases – videos were taped at plants of cattle stumbling around, their throats cut, their windpipes pulled out – is naive (cruel?) by choice. And i do hate watching the fish dying in agony when it’s taken out of water. So… vegan it is.

I don’t like the taste of products of animal origin, and that’s not my concern the least – the only thing i need to find an answer to is the ritual foods and how to substitute them.

The thing is that many Kabbalist/ Jewish holidays and connections revolve around food and big part of it is meat – think of the inevitable lamb for Pasha and the red meat which we are commanded to eat on Shabbat; the story behind those ritual foods is amazingly profound, basically it is believed that human souls  might be (for this or that reason) trapped in an animal, the ritual slaughter presumably agrees beforehand with the animal that after being killed it will go to the higher planes of existence, it doesn’t suffer the least during the very brief procedure and, after it’s meat has been made fit for human consumption – the kabbalist by reciting the blessings and consuming the meat, frees and elevates the souls trapped in it .

It’s a nice theory – but after seeing in practice how those animals actually suffer, and knowing that many (most?) ritual slaughters do not have the needed level of consciousness, i refuse to be part of it.

It was a difficult decision for me to make, because i firmly believe in the tenets of the tradition to which i belong, but i feel i need to rely on my own judgement here.

As per per the time management – there the situation is way more complicated; basically i’ve never learned to manage time and the only way i found so far to juggle my numerous professional goals and hobbies is – to get OCD about one thing at the time; like for couple of months i’d write manically; then for some period i’d exclusively work on my thesis , then i’d focus on fitness – i can say it did give me good results so far and the possibility to pursue very different interests and careers; but i think i can do better than that – and less stressful too.

I presume becoming a minimalist of a kind is necessary for that – albeit i prefer the term ‘elitist’ – minimalist reminds me of medieval asceticism and that’s not my thing definitely; to me that means engaging into activities and being involved exclusively with people who  at the end of things contribute to my own ultimate fulfillment – as selfish as it might come across.

There are many philosophies both to support and to deny such choice – and, no, i do not think of Ayn Rand who’s odious to me, both as a person and as teachings.

I rather think of Crowley and his ‘will’ philosophy which i personally found true – only that which is shared from pure heart and of true desire – at the end does good both to the giver and the receiver.

I passed the external validation phase – mostly, i can’t be guilt-tripped that easily, if at all and, basically, in my 42 years i did realize i am best off when i think for myself.

Wish me luck.

Bonnie Cehovet’s review of the Kabbalah deck: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/kabbalah-deck/review.shtml

72 Names meditation deck : http://store.kabbalah.com/72_Names_Meditation_Cards_Deck_p/t-medc-72.htm

Abraham Abulafia: http://www.learnkabbalah.com/abraham_abulafi/

Ana b’Koach prayer: http://www.kabbalah.com/wisdom/anabkoach

Why number 42 matters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_(number)

42 according to Kabbalist http://www.inner.org/names/nameloka.htm

Politically Correct Journey of the Hero III

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Satire, Tarot

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Prior to proceeding with the further protocolar meetings – the hero was approached by numerous lobbyists groups and organizations attempting to influence his decision on whom to meet next – Strength or Justice.

Before the Hero ran for his life (that is – engaged in the  terrestrial locomotion allowing him to move rapidly and thus preserve self-sustaining processes that distinguished him from organisms in which such functions have ceased )   he got introduced to the history of magical orders active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and their ciphered founding documents with detailed outlines of the Grade Rituals;

the latter presumably were  based on some ancient qabalistic diagram to which they referred to as ‘Tree of Life‘ (whatever that was); he was also given introduction to the earliest esoteric Judaic texts as well as to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and their respective  correspondences to  ‘American Idol’ winners through the years,  global television viewership of the Super Bowl, the 158 verses of Greece’s national anthem and golf ball’s 336 dimples.

The Hero was breathless (which is – lacking involvement in the process that moves air in and out of the lungs ) when he ran into the protest expressing objection to the Tarot Trump switch.

Minors of the Suit of Swords, followed by the Suit of Cups and led by their respective Court representatives – Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages – marched around carrying slogans:

Birthright Sequence

Waite was clueless

Occupy VIII

Karma is a bitch

Simultaneously, Minors of the Wands and Pentacles Suits in a counter-protest chanted:

Libra comes after Leo

Old decks – no numbers

Crowley was clueless

And while the Pages were running around shouting loudly, the Twos held the silent vigil, the Fives educated the public and the Nines were handling disruptive behavior – Justice and Strength themselves could not be seen anywhere…

As the Hero stood flabbergasted at this ongoing historical cross-cultural confusion, which threatened to turn his journey into an epic  –  a genre foreign to his postmodern minimalist views – a mysterious figure wearing hooded cloak approached him and gave him a sign to follow them.

Without much hesitation, the Hero obeyed – at this point his animal companion, who justifiably felt rather neglected in the narrative, started suspecting that the Hero might be, so to say, one card short of a deck and considered expressing his respectful disagreement with the course of events by banging his head against the nearby brick wall.

Another issue which concerned the loyal animal companion –  and the main motive behind his joining the Hero on the journey –  was a rather urgent matter; it was brought to his attention that the overall use of animal metaphors in traditional Tarot artwork was disparagingly simplistic – and, in some cases, even discriminant.

In the case of the Trump called Strength – the lion was depicted as an uncivilized and  unrestrained creature whose nature needed to be tamed by his manipulative owner for some irrational and unacceptable reasons.

Sadly,  up to this point the Hero has not shown concern with the the worthy cause and the loyal animal companion was starting to despair when a billboard caught his attention: Pips for the Ethical Depiction of Animals.

Meanwhile, the Hero was following the cloaked character walking briskly in front of him…

Unexpectedly, his mysterious guide stopped, turned around and – facing the Hero – removed the hood with a sudden movement.

To Hero’s amazement, in front of him was standing an attractive brunette.

Hold on – the Hero said, while reaching for his Pocket Tarot Bible which he carried with him at all times; he sought for Trumps Index and soon was holding his finger at the section titled The Hermit – you are supposed to be an elderly gentleman with untrimmed beard, he continued.

The Hermitess laughed heartily and asked in a sarcastic tone: And you believed it?

*TO BE CONTINUED*

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