Sephiroth (Kabbalah)
Sephirah, also Sefirah (Enumeration; ספירה); pl. Sephiroth or Sefiroth ספירות.
In the Kabbalah, the Sephiroth (or Enumerations) are the ten emanations of God (or infinite light: Ain Soph Aur) into the universe. These emanations manifest not only in the physical part of the universe, but also in the metaphysical one. Kabbalah distinguish four different worlds or planes: Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת), or World of Emanations, where the Divine Archetypes live; Beri'ah (בְּרִיאָה) or World of Creations, where Highest Ranking Angels are; Yetzirah (יְצִירָה) or World of Formations is the astral world; and Asiyah (עֲשִׂיָּה) or World of Actions, is the physical plane and "low astral" plane. Each of these worlds are progressively grosser and denser, but the ten Sephiroth manifest in all of them.
The Sephiroth constitute the tree of life, and are aligned in three columns, each headed by a Kether (Crown; כתר)
- Chochmah (Wisdom; חכמה)
- Binah (Understanding; בינה)
- Chesed (Mercy; חסד)
- Gevurah (Severity; גבורה)
- Tiphareth (Redeemer; תיפארת)
- Netzach (Victory; נצח)
- Hod (Majesty; הוד)
- Yesod (Foundation; יסוד)
- Malkhuth (Kingdom; מלכות)
Occasionally another is enumerated:
- Aleph, "the breath", and the air element; Chokmah heads the right column of the tree, the "Pillar of Mercy", associated with Hebrew letter Shin, the fire element, and the male aspect; the left column is headed by Binah, it is called the "Pillar of Severity", and is asociated with Hebrew letter Mem (litterally meaning "water"), the water element and the female aspect. The "pillar of Mildness" is a neutral one, a balance between the two opposing forces of male and female (or Yang and Yin, if you want) tendencies.
See also: Qliphoth
