Qabala is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought of Jewish mysticism. Many materials have been written on this subject in the light of different traditions which, each in turn, have left their mark, each more or less in a constructive way. We recommend these titles for introductory study of Qabalah in the Thelemic tradition.
Qabalah: Secret Tradition of the West
Papus
Papus (Dr. Ge’rard Encausse) was one of the great occultists of France, and was instrumental in developing and popularizing Eliphas Levi’s earlier suggestions of a link between the Hebrew alphabet and the twentytwo trumps of the tarot. The Qabalah, first published in 1892, is particularly valuable because, along with his original theoretical explorations of the Qabalah, it also contains his complete translation of the Sepher Yetzirah, Eliphas Le’vi’s famous Ten Lessons on the Qabalah, Rabbi Drach’s important and rare treatise, The Qabalah of the Hebrews, and an extensive Qabalistic bibliography.
Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford
Lon Milo DuQuette
A unique and humorous and also practical approach to the increasingly popular study of Qabalah. This is a seriously funny book! Traditional Qabalistic sources tend to be a bit, er, dry. DuQuette spices up the Qabalah and makes it come alive, restoring the joy of learning the fundamentals of this admittedly arcane system by using simple, amusing anecdotes and metaphors. This account, written psuedepigraphically (fictitiously attributed to a supposed authority), allows DuQuette as Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford to soar to outrageous heights and, when necessary, stand apart from the silliness to highlight the golden eggs of Qabalistic wisdom nested therein. Sure to be a revelation to those who think that learning about the Qabalah needs to be tedious and serious, DuQuette shows that great truths can be transmitted through the medium of laughter. It’s a Dilettante’s Guide to What You Do and Do Not Need to Know to Become a Qabalist.
Son of Chicken Qabalah: Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford’s (Mostly Painless) Practical Qabalah Course
Lon Milo DuQuette
This simultaneously funny and serious book provides the easiest, fastest way for readers to painlessly attune themselves to the mysteries of the Hebrew alphabet and immerse themselves in the fundamentals of practical Qabalah. It is a road map from the Godhead to your head, a clear and lucid guide to an extremely complex, mystical topic. By performing the exercises and rituals in the book, the reader can complete the self-initiatory process comprising the three main degrees of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford’s Practical Qabalah course.
Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism
Gareth Knight
In this groundbreaking book, Knight shows how the Qabalah and its basic diagram, the Tree of Life, is a system of relationships among mystical symbols that can be used to gain access to the hidden reaches of the mind. He also demonstrates how the Qabalah is applicable to all mystical traditions and religious beliefs, including Christian mysticism, Greek, Egyptian and Celtic mythologies, and even Native American beliefs. It is indeed symbolic of our universal search for the Divine. Included here are two books in one. The first compares the Western Mystery Tradition with the Eastern system of yoga, analyzes the Tree of Life in full detail, and describes the practical application and theories of Qabalistic symbolism. The second gives the most comprehensive analysis ever published of the twentytwo ‘Paths of Concealed Glory’ that join the Spheres of the Tree of Life taking into account the Hebrew alphabet, astrological signs, and tarot trumps. A large section explores the history of tarot design and the varying systems of correspondence with the Tree of Life.