Binah

(Revision as of 23:52, 30 Oct 2004)

Categories: Qabalah | Tree of Life | Sephiroth | Qabalistic terms

In the Qabalah, Binah is the third of the ten Sephiroth on the "Tree of Life." Its meaning is Understanding. The other Sephiroth are: Kether, Chokmah, Chesed, Geburah, Tiphareth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkuth.

Qabalistic Attributions

The following attributions are taken from 777, by Aleister Crowley. The small "#" links will show the full column of that attribution (i.e. all the names, planets, parts of the soul, etc.)

Key Scale: 3 (#)
Name: Binah (Understanding) (#)
Astrology: Saturn (#)

Godforms

Thelemic: Babalon (#)
Egyptian (selection): Maut, Isis, Nephthys (#)
Egyptian (practical): Nephthys (#)
Hindu: Bhavani (all forms of Sakti), Prana (as Force), Yoni (#)
Scandinavian: Frigga (#)
Greek: Cybele, Demeter, Rhea, Heré, [Psyché, Kronos] (#)
Roman: Juno, Cybele, Hecate (#)
Christian: The Virgin Mary (#)

Tarot

General Attribution: The 4 Threes, and Queens (#)
Titles & Attributions
- Wands: Virtue (Sol in Aries) (#)
- Cups: Abundance (Mercury in Cancer) (#)
- Swords: Sorrow (Saturn in Libra) (#)
- Discs: Works (Mars in Capricorn) (#)

Colors

King Scale: Crimson (#)
Queen Scale: Black (#)
Emperor Scale: Dark brown (#)
Empress Scale: Grey flecked pink (#)

Material Correspondances

Animals: Woman [Bee] (#)
Plant: Cypress, Opium Poppy [Lotus, Lily, Ivy] (#)
Precious Stone: Star Sapphire, Pearl (#)
Perfume: Myrrh, Civet (#)
Vegetable Drug: Belladonna, Soma (#)
Mineral Drug: Silver (#)
Alchemical Metal: Iron (#)

Magick & Mysticism

Element: Root of Water (#)
Magical Weapons: Yoni, the Outer Robe of Concealment [The Cup, the Shining Star] (#)
Magical Formula: BABALON (#)
Parts of the Soul: Neshama (The Intuition) (#)
Lineal Figures of the Planets, &c., and Geomany: The Plane, also the Diamond, Oval, Circle, and other Yoni Symbols (#)
Chakra: Visuddhi (Larynx) (#)
The Soul (Hindu): Higher Manas (#)
Quarter: — (#)
Order of Qliphoth: Satariel (Hiding) (#)
Forty Buddhist Meditations: Compassion (#)
Magical Power: The Vision of Sorrow [Vision of Wonder] (#)
System of Taoism: Kwan-se-on, The Yin and Khwan (#)
Figure related to Pure Number: The Triangle (#)

The Four Worlds

Heaven of Assiah: Shabbathai (Sphere of Saturn) (#)
God Name in Assiah: Jehovah Elohim (#)
Archangel of Assiah: Tzaphkiel (#)
Angels of Assiah: Aralim (Active ones, thrones) (#)
Divine Name of Briah: AL (#)
Angel of Briah: Kerubiel (#)
Choir of Angels in Briah: Kerubim (#)
Palace of Briah: Hekel Qadosh Qadeshim (Palace of the Holy of Holies) (#)

Quotes

The pure essence of Magick is a function of ultimate atomic consciousness, and its operations must be refined from all confusion and contamination. The truly magical operations of Love are therefore the Trances, more especially those of Understanding; as will readily have been appreciated by those who have made a careful Qabalistic study of the nature of Binah. For she is omniform as Love and as Death, the Great Sea whence all Life springs, and whose black womb reabsorbs all. She thus resumes in herself the duplex process of the Formula of Love under Will; for is not Pan the All-Begetter in the heart of the Groves at high noon, and is not Her "hair the trees of Eternity" the filaments of All-Devouring Godhead "under the Night of Pan?" (Little Esssays Towards Truth, "Love")

In short, Binah is the substantive vehicle of every possible phenomenon, physical or mental (Regardie, 1994)

References

Crowley, Aleister. (1982). 777 and Other Qabalistic Writings. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.
Crowley, Aleister. (1996). Little Essays Towards Truth. Tempe, AZ : New Falcon Pub.
Regardie, Israel. (1994). A Garden of Pomegranates. Saint Paul, Minn., Llewellyn Publications.

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