Practical Kabbalah vs Black Magic: A Reprise [Corrected]

I find the ridiculous onslaught of a "faceless faction" against Practical Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism in general a little tiresome. As can be expected, the belligerence appears to be getting uglier as Jewish Magic is increasing in popularity. This also appears to be the case with this blog, however, I should make it clear that on this site all comments are "moderated." This is necessary firstly to avoid the bane of "spam"; secondly to eliminate the scourge of "anonymous" commentators, who believe they are untouchable behind walls of obscurity, whilst their personal identities are clearly displayed to the one who has to approve their comments on a blog; and thirdly to halt the incessant detractors who keep wrangling about nothing of the slightest importance, and doing so from the narrowest "exclusivist" perspectives. In fact, about all the latter seem to want is an opportunity to argue fruitlessly and pointlessly, especially since such activities divert attention, and keep one from getting on with the task under ones nose, so to speak.

Once again I am told that Practical Kabbalah and all Jewish magical activities amount to "Black Magic." In turn, I ask again whether we should then consider highly respected individuals like Joseph Karo, Moses Chaim Luzzatto, and all other "astute rabbis" who communicated with "Maggidim" (Spirit Mentors); Moses Chaim Zacutto; Israel ben Eleazar Baal Shem Tov and all other Baalei Shem; highly regarded Rabbis like Moshe Teitelbaum; Yeshayah Steiner, the founder of Kerestirer Chasidim; Eliyahu Guttmacher; David Chaim Azulai; Shalom Sharabi; Chaim Palagi; Yitzhak Kaduri and his teacher Yehuda Fatiyah; and all "astute rabbis" who wrote, and are yet writing, more texts on Jewish magic and Hebrew amulets, and offering these as "spiritual benefits" to their congregation.....to be "black magicians"? In fact, does Practical Kabbalah, and perforce all Jewish magical traditions, including the entirety of Jewish Mysticism according to some, equate with "Black Magic"? Shall we turn sacred texts like the Talmud, in which a variety of magical practices are shared like cake recipes, into works of "Black Magic"?

I am told that "Practical Kabbalah" is pure superstition with no validity whatsoever. Now, if what I believe in and practice is "phoney" and "illogical," why bother arguing about it? Don't tell me that it is against the "Will of God." In fact, I suspect it is the very success of "spiritual remedies," i.e. those which have successfully impacted and relieved the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual stress of numerous individuals around the globe, which elicit serious discomfort amongst those who are beginning to feel their loss of power and control over the masses. I have been informed again that what I am publishing is forbidden by the Divine One "Himself," and that I can expect repercussions of the worst kind from "heaven" for my actions. How long has this employment of "spiritual terrorism" to coerce our fellow humankind into obedience and submission been going on, and how long will it still continue? I simply do not trust the dictates of those who are informing us on "Divine Will" from very skewed personal agendas. Why would we be expected to continue buying into religions which would have us place our faith in a deity who determines our fate with the absolute authority of the worst human dictator? Why are we expected to continue believing in “Father Christmas” ideas of "God" dreamed up over the last two millennia of human existence on this planet, i.e. a totally benevolent and paternal deity who could be stern, yet demand unthinking obedience to "His" presumed dictates as translated by "His" faithful ministers on earth?

Two World Wars have stripped this insipid "creator" of his trimmings in tinsel, and brought us up against the more terrible truth that everything was not created specially for our benefit alone, and that we shall not be given everything free of charge if we flatter "God" enough. Oddly enough we are coming up against a "God" much more like our remote ancestors visualised. An enormous Power. Sheer ENERGY without emotions as we know them at all. Motivated, if one can call it that, by pure plus-minus-balance necessity with balance as the desideratum. The “swinging pendulum principle.” It is we who translate this into emotional terms such as Love-Hate, Like-Dislike, etc.

Be that as it may, our relationship with "God" should always be based on a continuous flow of energy, generated and projected by Divinity to us, which we have to focus and return for renewal and re-projection to us, to be refocused and returned to God, and so on. I believe that the Divine One and ourselves stand in a reciprocal relationship, each benefiting the other. This "interpersonal relationship" between the Divine One and ourselves, is fully affirmed when we recognise the "Oneness" of "All," i.e. spirit and matter. Matter is Materialised Spirit, and Spirit is Subtle Matter. Furthermore, we are all “Intentions of God” incarnate, each of us an individual agent. If we are not perfect, then neither is He/She/It. Whatever we are He/She/It is to the extent of our natures, but thank God, we are not, and never will be ALL of It, so we can only speak for our own share. What we have to rely on is the Intention of God to perfect Itself. The Will. The promise if you like. The Hope. A matter for our Faith, which is a reflection in us of this Intention.

As far as I am concerned, there is no real difference between "religious worship" and "ceremonial magic." In fact, correct rituals, prayers and worship is a kind of "magic" humans work upon both the Divine One and themselves. It is absolutely clear to me that we are creating our personal realities in accordance with what we "buy into" mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Now, if "all" are indeed "one," if the Divine One "manifests" in the many, and the many "unifies" in the One, then the "flow of force" between the "centre and circumference" is what successful existence in manifestation is all about. Thus the successful expression of the phrase "Y'hi razton milfanecha....." (May it be your will....) is dependent on the recognition that the Divine One and all manifestation are part of the "selfsameness" of one great "Beingness" called "I Am."

After all, how can a “God” hear us? Only through ourselves, and to the extent that we are in contact with Divinity. On this Earth we are the ears, eyes and agents whereby He/She/It knows man, and in this regard, both "Religious Worship" (passive "exoteric magic") and "Practical Kabbalah" (active "esoteric magic") are valid and extremely powerful in the process of our eternal "Self Creation"!

Tracing the Bet - Part 2

As mentioned previously regarding the attribution of the "Twelve Banners" to the Zodiac, in Lurianic Kabbalah the attributions of Elul and Adar are reversed, and the same applies to the associated verses, as shown in Sharabi’s “Or Levanah.” We should also remember that the twelve permutations are attributed to the central six sefirot on the Tree of Life, specifically:

Additionally, the “Four Banners,” comprising three permutations each, respectively corresponding to the four directions, i.e. the first three permutations starting with the letter Yod pertain to Mizrach (East); the second set starting with the first Heh corresponds to Darom (South); the third group starting with the letter Vav relates to Ma’arav (West); and the last three permutations starting with the final letter of the Tetragrammaton, Heh, pertain to Tzafon (North).

While Aryeh Kaplan lists these specific directional attributions in his “Sefer Yetzirah,” even here there are some differences of opinion. For example, Moses Cordovero offers a different set of attributions in “Pardes Rimmonim,” e.g. he assigns the first three to the South; the second set to the North; the third group of three to the East, and the last three to the West. What is perhaps strangest of all, is Cordovero’s version of the “Twelve Banners,” which is totally at odds with Gikatilla’s original version, as shown in the following table. The highlighted permutations indicate the differences between the two sets.

It is worth noting that the arrangement Aryeh Kaplan described in his “Sefer Yetzirah,” comfortably aligns with the exercises involving the application of these specific twelve permutations in the “Tracing the Bet” meditations.

Before we finally get to share a few practical applications, it is worth perusing the attribution of the twelve permutations to the hours of the day. In this tradition the daily cycle is marked from sunset to sunset, rather than from sunrise to sunrise. Hence the daily cycle comprises two sub-cycles of twelve hours each, the first from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.; the second from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The pattern of twelve permutations follow the two sets of twelve hours in exact order, e.g. the cycle is repeated in each twenty-four hour cycle. In related teachings, we are told that the twelve hours comprising the “night cycle,” pertain to the twenty-four permutations of ADONAI, while the twelve hours of the “day cycle” are associated with two sets of twelve permutations, respectively those of YHVH and EHYEH. For our purposes, the simple attribution of the twelve permutations of the Tetragrammaton to the hours of the day in two sub-cycles of twelve hours each, works perfectly well without any need for further complexities at present.

(More to follow)

Tracing the Bet - Part 1

In "The Book of Self Creation" I addressed certain practical workings based on the set of permutations of the Ineffable Name termed the “Twelve Banners” in Joseph Gikatilla’s “Gates of Light” as indicated in the following table:

These permutations have been attributed to the twelve months, the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and the twelve ancient Hebrew Tribes. They have also been divided into four groups, each attributed to an “Element,” “Direction,” etc. However, there is again no consensus to be found in primary Kabbalistic literature regarding these attributions. For example, Aryeh Kaplan noted that the permutations attributed to Elul and Adar are interchangeable. It would seem that Gikatilla’s delineation of the “Twelve Banners” was fairly standard amongst the older Kabbalists, and that the switching occurred specifically in Lurianic Kabbalah, i.e as shown in “Or Levanah” by Shalom Sharabi, Lurianic Siddurim (prayer books); etc. We might also note that much of the practical techniques of pre-Lurianic Kabbalah were dismissed out of hand as “bad” and even declared taboo by the Lurianic faction.

Having investigated the related sets of permutations in, amongst others, “Chayei ha-Olam ha-Ba,” “Mafteach ha-Shemot,” "Sefer Raziel," and "Shorshei ha-Shemot," all of which align with the “Sha’arei Orah,” I personally subscribe to Joseph Gikatilla’s attributions, as shown in the following illustration. It certainly offers the clearest sequence of attributes in terms of the practical workings we are addressing:

To facilitate a better understanding of the associated practical applications, we need to consider additional details, i.e. besides the alignment of the “Twelve Banners” with months, Zodiac signs and Hebrew Tribes, each permutation is respectively associated with a verse from the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), in which the initial letters or final letters of the component words spell the related permutation, like this:

(More to follow)