KABBALAH & THE TREE OF LIFE cont.
Some modern Pagan groups have also found it helpful to incorporate aspects of Kabbalah into their practices, though not all of them would see this as appropriate. Kabbalah in fact has become thoroughly embedded within Western esoteric teachings, albeit it in a somewhat different form to that still taught within orthodox Jewish circles.
The diagram opposite shows the Tree in what is referred to as the Queen Scale of colours. These relate to the colours used in pigment mixing, as opposed to light mixing. The silvery grey sphere should really be white and the centre one above it ‘Brilliance’ , but as this cannot really be depicted it has become usual to substitute white for brilliance and light grey for white. Thus, from the unity called Brilliance comes the duality of light and dark and thence the colours. As further attributes of each of the spheres or Sephiroth are learnt one begins to understand the relationship between otherwise seemingly disparate things.
In thirty-two paths of wisdom did God decree -- the God of Hosts, the Living God and King of the Universe, the Almighty God, Merciful and Gracious, High and Exalted, dwelling aloft eternally, Holy in His Name, He created His universe with three numerations, Number, Speech and Writing.
Ten Sephiroth alone and twenty two foundation letters; three mothers, seven doubles, and twelve simple letters.
From the Sephir Yetzirah, or Book of Creation