The term "Path" signals that they are not only passive links but also roads to spiritual enlightenment: "The Paths represent the successive stages of the unfolding of cosmic realisation in human consciousness" (Fortune;25). Paths are "stages of personal development (...) what is required to pass on from one Sephiroth to the next" (Wang;35).*
Paths are
superior ways of climbing the cosmic Tree because they have been
travelled by magicians before. Like the Sephiroth, the 22 Paths
can be accessed through corresponding symbols. Again, "It
is the agreement over time on the meaning of a set of symbols
which makes a system a Path" (Wang;xvii). Three sets of
symbols are traditionally regarded the most important: The 22 Hebrew letters,
the 22 Tarot trumps, and their corresponding astrological signs. Each path has a
number illustrated on the image above by the serpent Nechushtan which "cross
each of the Paths in succession and serve to indicate the order
in which they should be numbered" (Fortune;25):*The Sepher Yetzirah, 'the book of formation', dating from somewhere between year 200 and 600 A.D., is perhaps THE most important qabalistic text. It describes how the world is being created in terms of the 10 Sephiroth and 22 Hebrew letters. It divides the Hebrew letters into three groupings: Three 'mother' letters corresponding to three elements Air, Water and Fire (the magician being Earth), seven 'double' letters correspinding to the 'old' planets, and finally twelve 'simple' letters corresponding to the signs of the Zodiac.
The three mother letters, Aleph (Air), Mem (Water) and Shin (Fire) form the basic coordinates of the created universe. Each of the mother letters preside over a triad of Sephiroth related to the element (Fortune;61). The seven double letters related to the planets all have two pronounciations, one hard and one soft. They represent opposing factors affecting us in incarnation, like the planets. According to Sepher Yetzirah "each letter represents a contrast or permutation". The simple letters symbolically correspond to the Signs of the Zodiac, our organs and everyday activities.*
To each hebrew letter corresponds also a specific tarot trump. The 22 trumps are "subjective symbols of that which is experienced on the Paths between the Sephiroth" (...) "One feels affiliations or antagonisms towards certain Tarot cards, depending upon the extent to which their lessons have already been learned" (Wang;35). The colorful tarot trumps are well suited for enflaming the subconscious through pathworking or meditation. The other 56 cards of the tarot pack relate to the Sephiroth.*
| Path Letter (meaning) | Tarot Trump | Astrolocal Sign | Qualities | Summary |
| 11th Aleph (ox) | 0. Fool | Air | Presides over airy triad: Kether-Tiphareth-Yesod (Mother) | A fertile condition of divine madness. Like a silent moment at dawn |
| 12th Beth (house) | 1. Magician | Mercury | Life-Death (Double) | The vibratory process of the Word, the will of God. Everything we see, we create |
| 13th Gimel (camel) | 2. High Priestess | Moon | Wisdom-Folly (D) | The watery material of consciousness containing the memory of cosmos. |
| 14th Daleth (door) | 3. Empress | Venus | Peace-War (D) | Love and fertility as such, the most exalted creative imagination and inspiration |
| 15th Heh (window) | 4. Emperor | Aries | Sight (Simple) | Discovery in-action of divine principles, peaceful creative leadership |
| 16th Vau (nail) | 5. Hierophant | Taurus | Hearing (S) | The learning and teaching of cosmic law, a listening attention towards the word |
| 17th Zain (sword) | 6. Lovers | Gemini | Smell (S) | We are twins, one and individual souls at the same time, (sub)conscious unity |
| 18th Cheth (fence) | 7. Chariot | Cancer | Speech (S) | The reception of the will to fulfill our destiny, path of the heroic warrior |
| 19th Teth (serpent) | 8. Lust/Strength | Leo | Taste (S) | Fuels the soul's journey into self-consciousness with a loving determination, a lust for life |
| 20th Yod (hand) | 9. Hermit | Virgo | Sexual Love (S) | Regulates each incarnation of the soul, guiding light within, integrety, truly helping |
| 21st Kaph (fist) | 10. Wheel of Fortune | Jupiter | Riches-Poverty (D) | Life-cycles that move us forward, the choice whether to feel lucky or lost |
| 22nd Lamed (oxgoad) | 11. Adjustment/Justice | Libra | Work (S) | Teaches balance and honesty, a price for deviations from divine law |
| 23rd Mem (water) | 12. Hanged Man | Water | Presides over watery triad: Binah-Chesed-Hod (M) | Guidance by divine will, not ideas, limitations of knowing are sacrificed |
| 24th Nun (fish) | 13. Death | Scorpio | Movement (S) | Leaving the desire for life itself behind for the freedom to change and live |
| 25th Samekh (support) | 14. Art/Temperance | Sagittarius | Anger (S) | Testing of creativity, circulation of energy by reconciliation of astral opposites |
| 26th Ayin (eye) | 15. Devil | Capricorn | Mirth (S) | Accepting and therefore seeing all there is, bridging intuition and human mind-forms |
| 27th Peh (mouth) | 16. Tower | Mars | Grace-Indignation (D) | Constitutes the personality through language, a vibration of mind and emotions |
| 28th Tzaddi (fish-hook) | 17. Star | Aquarius | Imagination (S) | The soul's effort to inspire the ego with higher collective forces, true stardom |
| 29th Qoph (back of head) | 18. Moon | Pisces | Sleep (S) | Automatisms of the body are changeable, intelligent gateways to the divine |
| 30th Resh (head) | 19. Sun | Sun | Fertility-Barrenness (D) | Enlighted creation of life through the shining of bright ideas on the Astral Light |
| 31st Shin (tooth) | 20. Aeon/Judgment | Fire | Presides over fiery triad: Chokmah-Geburah-Netzach (M) | The truly human ability to change and be changed by the past, present and future |
| 32nd Tau (cross) | 21. Universe | Saturn | Power-Servitude (D) | Perfectly balanced manifestation of all divine forces combined, do you realize? |
These are the central correspondances neccesary for healing magic, pathworking etc. A printable A4 is avalable here. Like the Sephiroth, the Paths can be accessed through an infinite number of symbols, like gods and myths from various pantheons (gods typically relate to more than one Sephirah as each god tends to represent a number of qualities in mythology) - animals, plants and precious stones related to the gods - a selection of colours - spiritual texts on the Paths, e.g. extracts of the "Sepher Yetzirah" or "The 32 Paths of Wisdom". Always consider a path's position on the Tree, between a pair of Sephiroth and related to other paths on the Tree (opposites and polarities).*
back to * copenhagen qabalah