Malkuth and Foundation of Qabalistic Dogma

Any comprehensive system must be based on certain principles ruled by universal laws, independent from the Outer. Such a system, therefore, if it is based upon thinking of diamond clearness, could be misunderstood by people only due to imperfections of their intelligence and knowledge.

If the object of interest of a particular system is abstract, it would demand a simpler methodological basis. But it doesn’t mean that simple branches would develop from such a simple base-trunk. Systems got the nature of mathematical progression, where every next step is higher than the previous one. If the basis is already, in its beginning, founded on abstract model, how difficult it will be to follow its full development? If the object of a system is abstract, if the basis is abstract, then it is natural to assume that the ending of the system will be abstract abstractness. Therefore, the key to any system that strives to abstractness and adjustability is in the gradual empowerment of nonsense that it tends to integrate. If we aim to extend the time of inhaling to more than a minute, then we definitely must start by as moderate rhythm of breathing as possible, without force.

Qabalah, as a system that envelops Reality in a single universal glyph, and as a map of all possible and impossible possibilities, is one of shining examples of a great Foundation and a glorious Crown. Its universality lies in the exact condition of any certain progress, and that is the wisdom of defining mutual relationships. Qabalah defines the whole Universe not by descriptions, but by relations. It does not create new terms independent of itself, but creates one universal way in which the terms are integrated into a whole.

If by any chance you had been a misfortune to have stern literature teacher who wanted you to learn by memory obscure literary works, then you might understand what I am talking about. There are two ways in which to learn a poem. One is by automatic repetition, until exhaustion. The other way implies learning, or better to say searching for relations that might be applied to the whole of the poem, and that would be perceived as a simple mechanism upon which the whole of the poem is based. Such a search might often be imaginary, as the poem itself need not be actually constructed according to such a mechanism. But, a poem got something that enables us to create an artificial scheme, and that is the fact it ends at one point. To make it clearer, let us have a look at numbers. If we look at the sequence of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, we could see a sequence of odd numbers. But if after 9 there appears some unsuitable number it doesn’t mean that all of the scheme of linear movement is lost. If the next number, let us assume, is 133, then the whole of a sequence is divided into two groups. The first group is a sequence of numbers that follow natural odd scheme, and the last number is simply 133. But even for that number could be found a scheme that attaches it to the first group, making that way one scheme, and not two. So, there is no need to learn every single number by heart. Such a way of learning is significantly slower, not to mention the duration of such a learned data in the conscious mind.

Benefits of Qabalah are in its simple and natural way of defining the relations, which is applicable to all groups of items, regardless of the fact that some items might seem non-connectable. In other words, Qabalah got very clear content from which it is possible to deduce any context. In that way, there are no so abstract phenomena that could not be classified. According to Qabalah, the glyph of the Universe is of entirely tangible and pragmatic nature. To state once again, the perfection of the system is not in its complexity or its simplicity, but in crystal clear definition of relations.

Now we can move on to some more concrete things, finally having a look at the glyph of Qabalah as it is. In fact, it is necessary to ponder that glyph as it functions in the same reality it wants to define, and not as it “is” or it “is not”. We do not attempt here to define historic authenticity of a certain model of thought, nor are we trying to discuss its different variants. Let us try to catch on the essence of the glyph, an essence that could be modified endlessly, but would always remain the same essence. It is the only way to make a pragmatic system out of a dogma, a pure truth out of a theorem.

In order to succeed in this, you need time and eyes wide open. In fact, the most you need is to give it a decent try. And to try again. And again. Apply a scheme, this particular glyph, in all possible situations. As long as there is a single case where you cannot apply this scheme easily, it means you have to try harder. And again. Your tries cannot change the glyph but will change only your consciousness that becomes more flexible and sensitive to the glyph itself. Only then you will experience that logic of abstract thinking which is necessary to understand a map that describes Reality.

Let us return to the glyph. It is generally known as Tree of Life. Like any real tree, it got its growth process and certain morphology, and that implies roots, trunk, branches and fruits. In order to understand it, you must start from the roots, moving upwards. Take note that in this case, a perfect system must have perfect roots. We are not going to describe the structure of Tree of Life here, as it would take us too much time, and there are already dozens of books published that deal with that subject. They mostly focus on the visual description of the glyph and its essential points.

This work is focused on the basis of the Tree of Life, on examining the basis of this Universe. The basis of our Tree is called Malkuth, and in order to understand the glyph or Reality, you must understand the basis upon which the glyph is constructed. Once again, we are not to describe what is Malkuth or what is Tree of Life. Anybody can learn that by heart. Here we want not to discuss, but to ponder. Any average imbecile could dedicate a few days of his life to study basics of Qabalah and draw Tree of Life on paper. And after a few more days of dry mental acrobatic, a new, learned Qabalist is being born. I am not going to write about what Tree of Life is, but how and where it is around us, here and now. This exertion is dedicated to learning how to integrate the knowledge, and not how to acquire it. By the mere fact you can read these words it means you are intelligent enough to acquire the knowledge by mere persistence and willpower. But what we try to do here is to learn how to learn. Instead of studying the Tree of Life, we will learn how to water it and finally how to eat its sweet fruit. And, to do that here and now.

As of this point, I am going to assume that the glyph of the Tree of Life is both theoretically and morphologically perfectly clear to you. If it is, and there is no reason why it would not be, the only thing you need in order to proceed further will be to have a list of analogies that might be related, from the symbolical world of the glyph, to the world which is around you. In other words, it is necessary to create such a bridge between the world of the symbol and your own world, that you can walk upon it safely, there and back again.

One universal dictionary of that kind does not exist, as each one of us perceives the terms in different ways. However, there is an excellent attempt in a form of a book called “777 and Other Qabalistic Writings”. It should be important for you to understand under what conditions seemingly unrelated ideas could be joined together and that for one simple reason. So you could do it for yourself. In other words, we will study all the existing analogies in order for you to set up your own that really function. Are you going to accept the analogies from that book in their entirety, or only in parts, is totally irrelevant. It is important to develop a specific awareness which classifies ideas properly. In this lecture, we will deal with the basis of the Tree of Life, called Malkuth, what in translation from Hebrew term means “Kingdom”. It is quite necessary to perceive Malkuth around you Here and Now. Leave this lesson for a moment and have a look at Malkuth. There is a huge possibility you will not do that, as you absolutely and under no circumstances got an idea what does it mean. In other words, you miss the examples of practical attributes, or the translation of the language of symbols used by Qabalah. Here, I am going to list some analogies traditionally attributed to Malkuth:

What you can learn from all this? Many things, but it is unlikely for you to learn anything yet. Let us proceed slowly.

Malkuth is the basis, the support of the Tree of Life. It is the last emanation from the Absolute. The wisdom of magick is the wisdom of defining proper relations, therefore it is necessary to understand the idea of the basis. This principle is well presented in mathematics. If we come across the following equation with two unknowns, like 30x + 40y = 180, there is not much we can do to solve it. But if we come across another equation, where the same x and y are represented like 5x + 8y = 34, it will help us to find the solution, as we can compare relations.

In a similar fashion, you will seemingly replace Malkuth by its given synonyms, and through understanding the synonyms you will understand the Malkuth.

The basis as support must be stable and firm. If you look at line number 5 in the column above, you will definitely see that there is something important in the idea of firmness. The name MLKVTh means Kingdom, and every Kingdom must be firm and founded on the firmness of the King. Compare other items and find an essence which is common to them all. Although I will briefly comment on the analogies given in the table, I do not intend to obstruct your model of thinking.

I partly explained the first line, while the second one is sheer technical data on how to write the name itself in Hebrew, as you will need it later on if you adopt a Qabalistic method. After all, no harm comes from additional knowledge (MLKVTh is spelt by Hebrew letters Mem, Lamed, Ket, Vav and Tav).

Now we come to the third line. It is a Divine name of Malkuth. Some might wonder what it is for. If on the street you start yelling some name, there are chances that somebody having that name will turn around, although you didn’t mean on that particular person. It could even happen that several people turn around simultaneously. Try to do that at some glamorous reception, and as much as it is stupid, somehow I feel great enjoyment every time I do that. Therefore, if you call Malkuth by its Divine name, there is a possibility you might be taken for serious, and that it will turn towards you for few moments. It will give you enough time to mark it in your Mind. Divine name of Malkuth is Adonai Malek, what in translation means “my Lord the King”. Here we have full association on the Kingdom and everything related to that idea.

The fourth line is represented by number 55. Malkuth, as the last emanation of the Absolute, is manifested as the tenth Sephira (word Sephira implies singular, while Sephiroth relates to plural). Sum of all the numbers from 1 to 10 is number 55. It is an affirmation of that number as the wholeness of the sequence from 1 to 10. It is also good to remind that 5 +5 = 10, Malkuth. Both halves of that number are equal and well balanced. Good balance is the condition of firmness.

Fifth line is the attribution of an occult element, and in case of Malkuth, it is Earth. In fact, none of the others, “higher” spheres do not include earth. This fact emphasizes, even more, the idea of firmness and similar implications.

Lines 6 to 9 give scales of colour. Reasons for these colours were explained very nicely in the book “777”, and the reason why I do not go into that here is the simple fact that in order to understand that, you would need a broad experience that you do not possess yet, but will acquire it one day and will understand meaning behind it. For now, I think it is enough to notice the analogy between those colours and the colours of the earth. Later on, after we move through all the other spheres, we can return to this. As I mentioned earlier, you are here to learn how to deal with Malkuth practically, and not to discover reasons why exactly those analogies were used. In the beginning, it is enough to ponder on that. The reasons will reveal themselves to you in due course of time. Not to mention how many reasons and arguments simply do not apply for some people, taking into account their mental structure and nature. For the beginning, it is necessary to define basic outlines, to work on a draft, and not on the final product. Good draft work is the condition for the final outcome of every Genius.

Lines 10 to 15 show analogies with various divine principles, from different pantheons. There is not too much speculation, it is only necessary to study particular mythologies and understand the nature of particular deity. Thousands of books were written about it and you can find them in any library. Study those deities until they become really close to you. Book “777” has the following to say on that topic:

On Egyptian gods

Seb as the god of earth. Lower Isis and Nephthys as imperfect until fertilized. Sphinx, as it is comprised of four elements or cherubim.

On Greek gods

Persephone, virgin earth. See legends about her. She is Malkuth of Demeter and Binah. Adonis is a suspicious attribution, maybe the connection with Adonai as Lord of Earth. Psyche is the unredeemed soul.

On Roman gods

Ceres, goddess of earth.

Line 17 gives attributions of precious stones. Stone crystals are of earthly nature, as they embody the quality of firmness. There is more to say on this, but we will live it for until we review other parts of Tree of Life too.

On line 18, or herbs, the book “777” says the following:

Willow is a traditional tree of an abandoned virgin, unredeemed Malkuth. Lily implies the purity of the virgin, and ivy its adhering and slender nature.

The obvious presence of the Virgin asks for having some time studying astrology. Virgin or Virgo is a pure earthly sign of Zodiac. Of course, nobody forbids you to study this area further.

Line 20 mentions vision of Holy Guardian Angel as one of the magical powers. Holy Guardian Angel is your Adonai, or Lord (in translation). If you relate this to the Divine name of Malkuth, you could find interesting analogies: Adonai Malek, or My Lord the King. Malkuth as Kingdom.

Lines further mention sulfur, wheat etc. It is not hard to find relations to earth. Now, you can easily find that the surname of Malkuth would be Earth. It also has lovely nicknames like Firmness, Basis, Kingdom etc.

Line 24 mentions magickal weapons. In the case of Malkuth, those are the Circle and the Triangle. Triangle is the place in which the Spirit manifests itself, according to magician’s will, while the Circle, roughly speaking, represents magician’s protection. Manifestation is the final goal of creation, the densest form and representation of an idea in the solid, material form. Therefore, these weapons were attributed to Malkuth with a reason. We could say that protection, as an idea, finds its justification in it. Circle of protection must be concrete and firm, or otherwise, it won’t be a good protection.

Line 25 mentions scepticism. What is it about? Roughly speaking, scepticism is based on insistence upon the irrevocable proofs. Nature of such proofs must be concrete, firm and tangible, from the standpoint of a sceptic. Aren’t these the attributions of earth, that is Malkuth?

In a similar fashion try to solve the other “riddles”. The last one, sterility, refers to what Malkuth is not. And that is bareness, the impossibility of manifestation etc.

I hope that after all this it is clearer for you what Malkuth is. Now, we have a tremendous work in front of us, and that is to recognize places where we can find Malkuth. Only in that way Qabalah can demonstrate the certain purpose and you will turn a dogma into a true map that you can safely travel by, and experience what it refers to. Let us emphasize this: Qabalah in itself does not explain how, as much as it explains where. It directs human spirit into certain directions, but it doesn’t tell that much about exact methods of how to reach the goal. If the aspirant got crystal clear awareness of the destination, the object of his attention will determine the method itself. Therefore, you will hardly reach some island by foot. Under the condition that you know where the island is, and that you got will to travel there, a trip by boat becomes self-evident as a method.

There are two diametrically opposite ways in which you can find Malkuth. The first one is to find a concrete thing that represents it. That way asks for directness and resoluteness. There is an issue of intrusion of other associations, as it is difficult to find something that represents only one thing. The other way is to analyze one thing and recognize in it all those aspects that correspond to Malkuth. Generally speaking, anything could be Malkuth, just because it is a thing, but nevertheless look deeper into the essence of the idea that stands behind that thing and because of which it is what it is.

Let us take one object as an example. Let it be a teapot. Is it Malkuth? Try to bring it into relation with analogies described in the table, and with other analogies that could come to your mind and that you consider being Malkuth. If your answer is affirmative, then you must know with perfect certainty why it is so. Maybe you could discover the analogy of a teapot as an object that contains something. A solid object that contains liquid. It might be a connection with Malkuth. Or, for instance, its purpose to make tea. Tea is being made of dry plants. If that tea is being made of plants specifically attributed to Malkuth, then it could be Malkuth. I wonder what a tea made of willow tree leaves would be like?

Let us take some other object. For instance, a brick. First analogy that comes to our mind is that bricks are used to build houses. It definitely represents Malkuth. By its shape, it could be represented as a double cube, demonstrating firmness and durability.

Now, let us have a look at a tree. The tree as a living being that takes its energy from the Sun and gives us oxygen to breathe? Not so obvious. Tree swinging on the wind? The tree that delivers fruit? The tree that was cut? Peach, apple, cherry? It is not so clear, is it? But if we consider wood as construction material, maybe there should be some connection. For instance, a wooden house, a cottage. That is much better. A boat seems to be a decent connection, but as it is primarily related to the idea of water and not to earth in first place.

Have a look at knight’s armour. As a method of firm defense, it might represent Malkuth. Especially the armour that protects lower parts of body, legs. We could consider legs as the basis of the human body, what corresponds to the concept of Malkuth.

Now, try to find aspects of Malkuth in some things that do not seem to be Malkuth on the first sight. Let us try to develop the second method of searching.

What about a pillow, for instance? Could it be Malkuth, and in what aspect, if it cannot be Malkuth in its entirety? Pillow serves for sleeping, and sleep is something that does not represent Malkuth, but if we consider a pillow as a thing that supports something, analogies are not too far away. I just remembered those funny small pillows for feet, that you get for free when you buy a big social armchair. Yes, such a pillow could be Malkuth. A support to a grown, firm body. Then, there are legs which are placing on that pillow. All those are analogies that could be related to Malkuth.

And a stale tuna sandwich? Something is stale if that was not used for long. It became inert. It could be Malkuth in the sense of slow earth. Sandwiches are being made of bread, and bread is mostly made of wheat, so it could be Malkuth. Tuna fish is not a proper analogy, but as we definitely would not taste that stale sandwich, it doesn’t matter anyway.

Now, let us consider bicycle seat. The seat as a support for the buttocks is Malkuth. And now I remembered a story I heard from some sports fans, that banana bicycle seats are very unhealthy as they allegedly might cause sterility. This is ideal to find a connection with Malkuth, taking into consideration line 35 of our table.

Let us proceed further.

Find a domestic animal that represents Malkuth. Would it be a dog, a chicken, a sheep? In India, an elephant is a domestic animal. So robust, big and firm, it might be attributed to Malkuth somehow. Think of it.

Define what type of woman might be attributed to Malkuth. A businesswoman, an independent woman? I don’t think so. A teenage girl, an auntie, a grandma? Maybe a typical housewife would be most appropriate. She takes care of the household, cooks food, washes dishes, iron the shirts, does the work, complains a bit sometimes, in fact, she does all those things that have to do with a household. And house could be well described as being Malkuth. It is a starting point from which a man every day goes into action, and before anything, it should be firm and dry. Rooms are of the square shape. Yes, this could be one of the solutions.

What cosmetics would be appropriate for Malkuth? Pedicure tools, as well as toilet paper, although it is not related to cosmetics in a strict sense. Let us use the scale of colours. For instance, black nail polish tinged with gold. Or even better, black stockings embroidered with gold. Stockings are being related to legs, and legs to Malkuth. Talking about legs and feet, black dirt under nails is clearly Malkuth too.

It is interesting to mention what construction material is used in villages, being excellent for thermal and other isolation. It is cow shit. It is definitely a good Malkuth.

The subject at school? Geography, but also could be biology, physics, even sport class. It all depends on what aspects you find, and how much those aspects relate to attributions of Malkuth.

Cars? Maybe Volvo or Saab, definitely. Mercedes got a logo sign that points too much to symbolic of number three, so we will leave it for some other occasion.

Could a radiator represent Malkuth? Although it is there to produce heat and make life in the household easier, its essence is in heat and not in the home itself, so maybe it is not appropriate presentation.

What about drinks? Beer would surely come across your mind because of its Malkuth complexion, especially dark beer that got an appropriate corresponding colour.

All right, we dealt sufficiently with simple nouns. Now try the same with verbs. Also, analyze the sentences.

For instance, in the sentence: “Edward Famous lost over 30 pounds while he was writing his new book on human rights”, find a word or place where you can find Malkuth. On the first look, it might be a book as something which is the base and fruit of Edward’s labour. But, that could be pounds too. Something happened to Edward, he lost his pounds. It is heaviness, mass, firmness, in other words, Malkuth. You need not seek perfection, it is enough to follow the thoughts in this way and find an answer which is definitive, without additional speculation.

Have a look upon an object that you know the best – have a look upon yourself – and find where there is Malkuth. Maybe your legs were not developed enough, maybe Malkuth manifested more at some other part of your body? Find some talent you got that represents Malkuth, as well as some of your defects or drawbacks related to it.

This is a kind of magical puzzle. All you need to do is to go out and make an inventory of Malkuth. Qabalah, when used as a practical tool, is excellent for the mind and it will not be too long before you notice that you started to view things differently, and that you started to find deeper meanings in them. It is necessary to approach this with a certain subtle spirit of playing a game, as intuition and imagination express themselves in this wonderfully, and being too serious or stern would ruin your efforts. It is not necessary to create connections, just put the emphasis on defining the already existing ones. And when you do that, more than anything you will need childish enthusiasm and sense for a game.

Note: I wrote this article at the age of 20, it is a little bit naive and old-fashioned but it attracts to my being a pleasant and good energy. 

Frater Aureus 273∴

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