Binah

(Revision as of 11:40, 12 Oct 2004)

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 (#)

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) (#)

Colors

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

Godforms

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 (#)

Physical 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 (#)
Tarot: The 4 Threes, Queens (#)
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 (#)

Quotes

Now with regard to my magical work strictly speaking, its character was presumably determined by my Grade. The Magus corresponds to the Sephira Chokmah, whose manifestation in the universe is Masloth, the Sphere of the Fixed Stars. It was accordingly proper that I should receive a revelation of the universe in this aspect. I began my meditation with no special objective in view. (Confessions, p.809) [Crowley goes on to have the Vision of the Star-Sponge.]

The Grade of Magus is traditionally connected with the idea of the number 2; male creative energy, wisdom and the expression of a single idea in terms of duality. It transmits the idea of the divine unity to its feminine counterpart, the understanding, somewhat as a man transmits the essence of his racial character to his wife so that he perceives his inmost nature, itself unintelligible to him directly, by observing the flowering of that essence in his son. The Hebrew title of the idea embodying these characteristics is Chokmah, whose numerical value is 73. (Confessions, p.795)

Chokmah is the vital energizing element in existance...by which is implied the basic reality underlying all manifestations of consciousness (Regardie, 1994)

References

Crowley, Aleister. (1982). 777 and Other Qabalistic Writings. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.
Crowley, Aleister. (1979). The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. London;Boston : Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Regardie, Israel. (1994). A Garden of Pomegranates. Saint Paul, Minn., Llewellyn Publications.

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