What is Kabala then?

Pocari Sweat

I was down the pub last weekend, and a bloke was talking about Kabala, and I forgot most of what he was pointing out, but I remember something about aliens and the pyramids? Is that what it is, UFOs and egyptians, or is there something more to it?

Nevyn

Hello Pocari Sweat I see you have found this forum after being banned from christainy and athesit/agnostism.

If you want information about Khabala I suggest that you try google.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm
and wiki.

Do read the charter which contains the rules for posting in this forum.

Zillah

Kabbalah is essentially ancient Jewish mysticism. Its has a lot to do with mystic numbers and has some incredibly complex mathematics involved . Its has nothing to do with the pyramids or aliens to my knowledge.

Kernel

As much as I think this thread is a piss-take, maybe someone is genuinely interested. Kabalistic teachings revolve around meditation on 10 Sephiroth (spheres) arranged within a 'tree of life'. The spheres correspond to different levels within the universe and within our own consciousness, and can provide understanding of the different states. Describing them as 'levels' is probably a little misleading, as they are equally accessible, but the pathway between them is easier if followed according to the tree.

Each Sephiroth has a guiding Angel, colour, word, smell etc. which if invoked correctly through meditation can unlock the knowledge of the Sephiroth in the devotees mind (or cause manifestations in everyday life, which basically force us to learn to values/knowledge of the Sephiroth). Quite a complex system of spirituality, but a very interesting one.

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefstol.htm

I recommend Dion Fortune's book Mystical Kabalah for the beginner:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1578631505/202-9470388-0047847?v=glance&n=266239&s=gateway&v=glance

lostexpectation

the celebrity kabalah seems to be all the rage as it sorta harks back to the cross between judism and christianity(saving yourself the hassle of being one or the other in America), which means when talking current affairs on weeks like this you can be extra Right on!

Talliesin

Kernel wrote:

As much as I think this thread is a piss-take

Why I'm permanently cat-banning the OP.

Kernel wrote:

maybe someone is genuinely interested.

Why I'm not deleting the post or the thread.

joseph dawton

try this read this 15 years ago, ultimately I decided it was not for me.

Way of the Kabbalah - Ben Shimon Halevi

Written long before it became ultra fashionable. There is so much boll***s written on this subject some of which is purely numerology and magical and misses out the spiritual (most important) aspect of the original tradition.

Talliesin

I've recently read A Garden of Pomegranates and The Middle Pillar, both by Israel Regardie. Certainly interesting, but I haven't digested them enough to comment much yet. The second section in each in the Llewellyn editions (not by Regardie) doesn't seem much good though.

Gillo

lostexpectation wrote:

the celebrity kabalah seems to be all the rage as it sorta harks back to the cross between judism and christianity(saving yourself the hassle of being one or the other in America), which means when talking current affairs on weeks like this you can be extra Right on!

Appearently it has very little to do with the origional Kabala, and is very much a modern bastardisation of the origional, since I don't know a great deal about either I'll leave it at that.

Talliesin

Yeah, I've heard this stuff Madonna et al are talking about, and can't figure out what on earth it has to do with the Qaballah at all.

The red string bracelets that have been tied around Ruth's tomb aren't originally anything to do with Qaballah, but a superstition that arose amongst the Jewish community. The only text that mentions on them condemns their wearing. More to the point they're meant to symbolise modesty - now that they're fashionable and expensive they're quite opposite to their original significance.

Gillo

Talliesin wrote:

The red string bracelets that have been tied around Ruth's tomb aren't originally anything to do with Qaballah, but a superstition that arose amongst the Jewish community. The only text that mentions on them condemns their wearing. More to the point they're meant to symbolise modesty - now that they're fashionable and expensive they're quite opposite to their original significance.

Kinda a copy of "Livestrong" bands, I saw a documentary on it a while back and they said that the current fashionable kabala is more of a money making racket than anything else, it does provide a religious philophosy for life but the undercover reporter who went to one of their centre's was constantly hounded about buying bracelets, books and some special water not too mention spending a fortune on course's. Sounds kinda like scientology.

Yechidah

I have studied the Qabalah for a long time now (Qabalah is usually the Hermetic spelling, with Kabbalah being the more strictly Jewish form. Cabala tends to be taken by Christian Qabalists, but is much less common nowadays) and am willing to answer any questions on this subject should anyone have any.

The "Kabbalah Centre" and Madonna thing is pretty much a watered-down "self-help" system, and does not retain the depth and meaning of the original Jewish or Hermetic teachings. Avoid them if you don't want to waste your money, time, or spiritual energies.

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

Nevyn

Ah my eyes, really Yechidah are all the bold words needed ?
I find it makes your text even harder to read never mind take in.

Yechidah

My apologies - usually bolding the key-words actually helps people to read and take in a post. However, if you feel otherwise, I will cut it back

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

maitri

http://www.kabbalah.com/sk101/01.html

Yechidah

That's the Kabblah Centre - honestly, avoid them. Even on surface value, anyone who feels the need to put "spiritual" teachings in fancy flash boxes really puts a big question mark over the depth of the teachings.

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

Nevyn

Yechidah wrote:

My apologies - usually bolding the key-words actually helps people to read and take in a post. However, if you feel otherwise, I will cut it back

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

Thank you.

maitri

Yechidah wrote:

That's the Kabblah Centre - honestly, avoid them. Even on surface value, anyone who feels the need to put "spiritual" teachings in fancy flash boxes really puts a big question mark over the depth of the teachings.

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

Ha, ha, I actually had kind of a bad feeling for them, too. (They are trying to sell a course) But I find fancy flash boxes really amusing, though.