the Kabbalah

The Lightning Flash

The Tree of Life is a three-dimensional living universe showing God as the entire consciousness of existence. Each of the sephiroth has a name as well as a number. The sephiroth are arranged on the Tree of Life in descending order from one to ten. This pattern is often referred to as the Lightning Flash.

This arrangement illustrates the continual descent of divine forces through the Tree of Life in a zigzag pattern like Lightning. The Tree of Life uses the analogy of Light to illustrate the living universe. "God's will realizes itself through rays from His light, which break out of their concealment and are arrayed in the order of the ten sephiroth."

Structure and the Triads

The first three sephiroth are called the Three Supernals and are cosmic in nature. The next six sephiroth are called the Lesser Countenance. It is here that we find the forces of growth and abundance. The tenth sephirah is the point where spiritual and physical forces meet. It represents the physical universe.

The Ten Sephiroth
1	Kether	*Crown*	Without form & not yet manifest, that which is above all else. The catalyst of all being. Unity & perfection.
2	Chokmah	*Wisdom*	Masculine & active. The virile force & great stimulator of the universe. Intuitive awareness & truth.
3	Binah	*Understanding*	Feminine & receptive. Holds in check the expansive nature of Chokmah. Insight & discernment.
4	Chesed	*Mercy*	The protector & preserver. The love that rules our lives when we act most in harmony with our emotions.
5	Geburah	*Judgment*	The breaking–down force necessary for balance. The ability to hold things back, to make hard decisions.
6	Tiphereth	*Beauty*	Harmonizes the extremes of Mercy & Judgment. The center of the Tree, holding all the other qualities together.
7	Netzach	*Victory*	Great strength & force of personality. The sphere of the artist. The victory of achievement.
8	Hod	*Splendor*	Brings the force from Netzach into form. The sphere of the scientist. Working in the mental realm.
9	Yesod	*Foundation*	Reaches down into the unconscious & transmits to the physical plane. The source of subconscious images.
10	Malkuth	*Kingdom*	The link where spiritual & physical forces meet. The reality of physical existence & the entire physical world.

To gain greater understanding of the Tree of Life, one can view its energy as three distinct triangles of power. The first three sephiroth on the Tree of Life form a triangle pointing upward. This first Triad is spiritual and represents the realm of the intellect.

The next three sephiroth form a triangle pointing downward. This is the Triad of individuality and is the realm of the soul. The third triangle also points downward and is where we find manifestation and personality. This last Triad is the realm of nature.

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