Qabalah: Discover Powerful Tools to Explore Practical Magic and the Tree of Life (Hay House Basics) - David Wells 2017
Working with the paths
The 22 Paths
The hardest part of writing this book hasn’t been what to put in, it’s been what to leave out. This is a book about the basics of Qabalah and my intention in writing it has been to spark your interest, to encourage you to look more closely at what Qabalah has to offer. If you would like to do that, perhaps find a local group or maybe an online course you feel safe and happy with and then make it yours and work with it the way you want to do it.
By now you will have seen the system, the way that it works, and the intellectual side of you will be getting to grips with the words and concepts. It will then enter your life and you’ll see it physically, and then there’s the magical part, where meditation illuminates the details and you form bonds with the esoteric worlds that begin to walk alongside you, helping, encouraging. Your world changes. Your worlds change.
The paths work the same way, but they do require some strong boots and the appropriate clothing. I am including them as a reference only. They will help you understand the major arcana of the Tarot more — help you to see where that fits into the structure of the Tree of Life — but there will be no pathworking meditations or experiences, as those may be a little more than basic.
Leaving the paths out is leaving a very large part of the map out. They all have their own symbols and correspondences, just like the Sephiroth, for they are all part of the Tree. When you’re ready, and under further instruction, they will provide you with some incredible experiences. But I must reiterate, they must be trodden with expert guidance and at a level suitable to your knowledge. This is but a tiny, tiny, peek.
The paths
So, let’s begin back at the bottom, with the path from Malkuth to Yesod. But remember these paths can trodden from Kether to Malkuth, too.
Path 32: The Universe
Malkuth to Yesod
The world, the universe — it’s where you incarnate and where you rise through the planes. The first and last path is an ascent into the realms of your higher self, but also of descent into your subconscious and all that it holds. Remember your subconscious forgets nothing. No-thing. This is Malkuth to Yesod, that shift in your perception as you see the great machinery of the universe and the magic that really makes the world go round. It is completion, but also the beginning. Here Persephone moves into the underworld to join her lover, Hades, and leaves her mother, Demeter, weeping by the lake. But she will be back, born again.
Path 31: judgement/The Aeon
Malkuth to Hod
Who? Why? When? All these questions and just who is going to provide the answers? The fire in your belly, the desire to learn and find things out, and as this path runs from Malkuth to Hod, it’s fitting that the myths are those of fire-bringers like Prometheus, whose curiosity delivered fire to humanity, but at a price. It’s about bringing those higher spiritual principles into being rather than leaving them in the realms of the mind. Walking your talk perhaps? And as it links the Akashic Records, in Hod, to Malkuth, it can bring memories of past lives — with the Fire of karmic conditions attached, no doubt!
Path 30: The Sun
Yesod to Hod
The path of enlightenment, Yesod to Hod, connecting the vision of the machinery of the universe to Splendour. As you have seen, the worlds of astral magic and word ’magic’ combine, perhaps reminding us of the effectiveness of getting it right above to get it right below?
This path may not flatter you — it may bring all those things you’re not so happy about into full view — but it will offer an opportunity to work with them and perhaps to change what you bring back down the Tree. As you move up the path, the gaining of wisdom may not be comfortable, but by the time you are coming down, you will have realized why and will wish to bring that new knowledge to Earth.
Path 29: The Moon
Malkuth to Netzach
From Earthly realms to the world of instincts. So what do you think that might be like? When you pause and link into all that you are, you can see your way through, but how often do you pause?
Your primitive nature is inherent within you, it’s always there, and this path reminds you of nature and your place within it. This is the path of the Moon, of ebb and flow, of cycles such as the tides, plants and menstruation. In Tarot, The Moon is a divinely feminine card and often signals a need to listen to your inner wisdom, your intuition.
Path 28: The Star
(Sometimes shown as The Emperor and you may use that title if you wish, but this is the path/card I was shown and trained in using.)
Yesod to Netzach
Yesod to Netzach and the sign of Aquarius, the water-bearer, a distinctly feminine card, as you can imagine with Venus and the Moon at its heart. Here you must be aware of glamour and the danger of seeing just the glamour. We would all like our wishes to be fulfilled one day, but pause for a moment to consider the influences here. You already know Yesod is a hall of mirrors and Netzach a world of beauty. As you move up this path, the fay worlds of magic will enchant you, but you must keep your head. Coming down, remember the magic of abundance you can bring into your life.
Path 27: The Tower
Hod to Netzach
Any Tarot reader will tell you the reaction they get when clients see this card. It can often be sharp intake of breath. Why? Because it usually depicts the destruction of a tower, with those building it or inhabiting it being cast to the ground.
Ruled by Mars and running from Hod to Netzach, this path is where we meet the opposing forces of thoughts and feelings. On your Tree of Life you will also see it runs across the point before you make the move into the soul triangle. It’s in the personality triangle, the lightning flash runs along it, and if you’re not balanced as a personality — able to balance your thoughts and feelings, that is — it will find the weakness, find the blockages and push through. Not always a comfortable experience!
Path 26: The Devil
Hod to Tiphareth
Clearly this is another of those cards people aren’t too happy to see. But nothing is as it seems, and that’s the lesson of The Devil card. It’s about illusion, and illusion may be the result of being ill-informed or choosing to be ignorant of the truth.
Here the goat, a symbol of the card, moves from personality consciousness to soul consciousness. Sometimes this is a dark night of the soul. It was for me.
Wondering what way is up, what is real and what is not? Know your own truths and move slowly, carefully, through the illusions not only of your own personality but also the words of others.
Path 25: Temperance/Art
Yesod to Tiphareth
Standing on the Moon, looking at the Sun, again you don’t take this path lightly. Sometimes called the dark night of the soul, it can be one, and it’s not one night. This is the moment when your faith is tested, when you must push forward or turn back. The choice is and always will be yours.
As you move up this path, it may feel desolate. You may feel unsupported, and that will be as far from the truth than it’s ever been, but you may feel that way. It’s your own resources that will see you through, and as you come down the Tree from Tiphareth to Yesod, you will feel your soul shining with love to reflect into this world of Malkuth with all its nonsense.
Path 24: Death
Netzach to Tiphareth
Here’s another one of those cards, but as any Tarot reader will tell you, Death is about letting go. It is, in fact, a good thing.
Spiritually speaking, there are seven deaths:
· The first is the union of two forces. No longer self-governing, two become one. Consider that on the Tree for a moment.
· The second death is that of evolution. The rise and fall of nations and species perhaps?
· The third is that of the physical body. Well, that’s death and rebirth of course. As you leave one form, you become another; your physical body gives way to release the soul.
· The fourth death is sleep, a release into the astral worlds that’s not as severe as number three, you might say.
· The fifth is the death of the personality. When you shake off this mortal coil, you will leave your personality behind and emerge as the soul you are.
· The sixth is trance.
· The seventh is illumination.
So many doing this work walk this path so often, through the work, through their dreams, through the most intense meditations and mini-deaths of the personality where what once seemed so important is no longer so. It’s an old friend, Netzach to Tiphareth and the astrological sign of Scorpio.
Path 23: The Hanged Man
Hod to Geburah
Yes, yet another one of those cards and again misunderstood. It shows a man hanging upside down. Encouraging him to look at things from a different perspective perhaps? You would, wouldn’t you?!
This is a path that looks at the personality and the soul in unison. It links both triangles, so perhaps, and this is only my opinion, it highlights the comparison between what we think we could do and what we actually do. You may think getting involved in a cause is the right thing to do, but in reality you eat crisps and watch television. Look at things from a different perspective. What can you really do and why aren’t you doing it?
Coming back down the Tree, of course that could be karma nagging you to change your mind and change your world.
Path 22: justice/Adjustment
Tiphareth to Geburah
The scales of justice are waiting for you on this path from Tiphareth to Geburah, waiting to weigh the good and the bad and to see you face the consequences of your actions. The Tarot card shows those scales, and its symbolism reminds you that this moment will come. It comes to all of us.
Path 21: The Wheel of Fortune
Netzach to Chesed
Is it time to set out on a quest? What are you searching for that’s intangible but you’ll know it when you see it?
The fragrant dreams of Netzach may have you yearning to reach the heights of soul contentment by setting up your retreat somewhere warm where milk (almond milk also available) and honey flow, and if you work with the Tree of Life it’s all possible. Yours is an ever-evolving destiny, and when you keep moving and working with The Wheel of Fortune, you’ll know when to move forward and when to cling on!
Path 20: The Hermit
Tiphareth to Chesed
How I love this path. What does it mean? Just pause for a moment and consider this: you know what it means, you know what Tiphareth to Chesed means! How great that words you may never have heard of suddenly hold all that power, all those lessons, all those experiences. I love that.
Back to the path. The card shows the Hermit with a lamp, lighting the way, and here the light of Tiphareth lights your way to the mountains of Chesed and the Lords of Peace. The truth is the quest is not done in Chesed, it’s a resting place only, but what a resting place!
Path 19: Strength/Lust
Geburah to Chesed
A path that forms not only a major band of energy on the lightning flash but also the top of the soul triangle. Leo the lion shows up in the card, tamed by a young female who has the measure of him, not through brute strength, as you might think, but by the strength of her spirit and how she lives. This is taking your courage and holding it in front of you, for this is the moment when you must have faith and tame your own lion. This is where you show up.
Path 18: The Chariot
Geburah to Binah
The Chariot isn’t a quiet mode of transport. It doesn’t arrive unannounced, but with a shout. It doesn’t hide its light and it shows openly the hard work it’s taken to get this far.
Having confidence in who you are, the light you bear and, most importantly, why you bear it and taking full responsibility for it is what this path’s all about. Moving from soul to spirit — truly moving from soul to spirit.
When the card is reversed, it’s about knowing what destiny you have chosen and accepting your role as the only one who can make it happen.
Path 17: The Lovers
Tiphareth to Binah
Talking of destiny, here’s the path from the soul to the spiritual. The Lovers card shows you with your divine holy guardian angel — not another being, but a part of you, the part of you that knows your purpose, your part in the great plan.
Astrologically, it is the sign of Gemini, a sign often accused of having two faces. Not true, but moving on, it’s symbolic perhaps of the dual nature of humanity, with the incarnate personality being reflecting the holy guardian angel above. Some people do this very well, others not so, but even if it’s not so much, that angel’s still there.
Path 16: The Hierophant
Chesed to Chokmah
Parallel to the 18th path, the Chariot path, this path runs from Chesed to Chokmah, and is represented by the astrological sign of Taurus. The card shows a hierophant, a priest and teacher, passing on higher wisdom to two individuals in sacred union. When all of us hold this sacred information, we can properly sit at a round table as equals. This path reminds you to find good teachers, not all Earthly, and to listen to them and work with wisdom in a merciful way, like a good king. Or queen!
Path 15: The Emperor
(For some this is The Star, but, as previously described, I will be using The Emperor, as that is how I was taught!)
Tiphareth to Chokmah
The Emperor is resplendent in his robes and the fiery colours of the card show his association with the sign of Aries and its go-getting energy. The path takes you towards the great wheel of the zodiac and knowing your chart provides your soul with deeper information. Here you take charge of your kingdom with the spark of divine wisdom within you, not only knowing it’s there, but knowing how to use it effectively.
Path 14: The Empress
Binah to Chokmah
Another path on the lightning flash linking Binah to Chokmah, the Divine Mother to the Divine Father, at the base of the spiritual triangle. The card usually shows a young woman who is pregnant and it reflects the seed of that first flash of light from Chokmah that takes form in Binah.
Path 13: The High Priestess
Tiphareth to Kether
Across the Abyss, a path walked only when you are ready — and then stop, because you’re probably not. Think again, seek again and be truly ready. The way of the Abyss is knowing you are supported. Not hoping, knowing.
Path 12: The Magician
Binah to Kether
A path that asks you to see the reality of the world you’re living in from a higher spiritual perspective. Mercury and the symbol of the Magician show an ability to bring down this perspective, but look how high up the Tree it is! Of course people are drawn to this image (thank you, Harry Potter), but the truth is that a real magician is years and years in training and sometimes gets it wrong before getting it right.
Path 11: The Fool
Chokmah to Kether
The final path and the first. As you have seen, the higher paths are more abstract, not so easy to put into words, if I am being honest. But I can say that this is a path of endings and beginnings, like the Universe. The Fool has what he needs for the journey ahead (we all do), but it’s knowing what to use and when to use it that makes the difference.
