Fundamentals of Qabbalistic Cosmogonyg

According to the Qabbalists, the life of the Supreme Creator permeates all substance, all space, and all time, but for diagrammatic purposes the Supreme, All-Inclusive Life is limited by Circle 3, which may be called "the boundary line of Divine existence." The Divine Life permeating the area bounded by Circle 3 is focused at Point 1, which thus becomes the personification of the impersonal life and is termed "the First Crown." The creative forces pouring through Point 1 come into manifestation as the objective universe in the intermediate space, Circle 2. *** From D 1 came D 2, the fourth Wisdom; Masloth , the Zodiac, the Firmament of the Fixed Stars. From D 2 came D 3, the fourth Understanding; Shabbathai , the sphere of Saturn. From D 3 came D 4, the fourth Mercy; Tzedeg , the sphere of Jupiter. From D 4 came D 5, the fourth Severity; Madim , the sphere of Mars. From D 5 came D 6, the fourth Beauty; Shemesh , the sphere of the Sun. From D 6 came D 7, the fourth Victory; Nogah , the sphere of Venus. From D 7 came D 8, the fourth Glory; Kokab , the sphere of Mercury. From D 8 came D 9, the fourth Foundation; Levanah , the sphere of the Moon. From D 9 came D 10, the Fourth Kingdom; Cholom Yosodoth , the sphere of the Four Elements. By inserting a sphere (which he calls the Empyrean) before the Primum Mobile, Kircher moves each of the other spheres down one, resulting in the elimination of the sphere of the elements and making D 10 the sphere of the Moon. In the World of Assiah are to be found the demons and tempters. These are likewise reflections of the ten great globes of Atziluth , but because of the distortion of the images resulting from the base substances of the World of Assiah upon which they are reflected, they become evil creatures, called shells by the Qabbalists. There are ten hierarchies of these demons to correlate with the ten hierarchies of good spirits composing the Yetziratic World. There are also ten Archdemons, corresponding to the ten Archangels of Briah . The black magicians use these inverted spirits in their efforts to attain their nefarious ends, but in time the demon destroys those who bind themselves to it. THE QABBALISTIC SCHEME OF THE FOUR WORLDS. In the above chart the dark line between X 3 and A 1 constitutes the boundary of the original dot, while the concentric circles within this heavier line symbolize the emanations and the worlds which came forth from the dot. As this dot is contained within the outer rings X 1, X 2, and X 3, and represents the first establishment of an individualized existence, so the lower universe symbolized by the forty concentric circles within the dot represents the lower creation evolved out of and yet contained within the nature of the first Crown, which may be called God, within whom the divine powers, the celestial beings the sidereal worlds, and man, live and move and have their being. It is highly important that all the rings within A 1 be considered as being enclosed by the primitive dot, which is itself encircled by the great ring X 1, or the Auric Egg of AIN SOPH. Each ring includes with in its own nature all the rings within itself and is included within the natures of all the rings outside of itself.