Mar 4, 2022 9:31 pm
There is much beyond what we know as the physical universe. In Armageddon, reality consists of a number of different "levels"; dimensions that are connected and yet separate from one another. The world of the Mundanes is known as Malkuth -- the place where Essence becomes flesh. Yet beyond Malkuth lie many other planes of existence; each a vast universe in itself. Most magical practitioners, and the few Mundanes who know of them, call these dimensions "Otherworlds".
An enormous body of myth and legend has been passed down through the ages about the Otherworlds. To avoid ambiguities and to standardize terms, many scholars and cosmologists who specialize in the Otherworlds have adopted the more precise terms Sephiroth or Sphere, named after the elements of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Some Sephiroths have counterparts in Norse and Germanic mythology, which recognizes a universal "tree" (called Ygdrassil) and several separate domains. Other Sephiroths are reflected in tales from other mythologies.
It is said that there are ten Sephiroths, each with its own natural laws, all connected to the others through gates and roads that can be found by the wise and the powerful. Each Sephiroth is, in turn, home to several (in some cases hundreds of) "Realms" - pocket dimensions with their own characteristics. The Sephiroth of Geburah, for example, holds dozens of Realms (the so-called "Death Realms"), all dealing with an aspect of Death. Some Realms are small, barely enough to accommodate a handful of people; others stretch across galaxies. All these places have their own physical laws. In some, the laws are different from Malkuth but stable. In others, they are erratic and ever-changing.
The Sephiroths are typically visualized as being stacked not unlike the layers of an onion. At the bottom is Malkuth, the physical world of humanity. At the other extreme lies the nearly unreachable Kether, where the Creator is said to reside. Some kabbalists and gnostics argue that each Sephiroth is an emanation of the Creator, and that the farther one gets from Kether, the "denser" and more spiritually polluted the emanation becomes. As such, Malkuth is the most tangible of all the sephiroths.
The better known Sephiroths are as follows:
Malkuth: The material universe. Humanity resides in Malkuth. In some ways, Malkuth is a place of stability, where a set of physical laws imposed by the Creator holds sway over most things and where only the powers and the will of the strongest humans (the Gifted) can hope to exert fundamental changes. The existence of all living beings revolves around Malkuth most of the time. This is where we are born, experience life, and die. This is where many, perhaps most, souls come back to continue their cycle of reincarnation.
Kether: Little is known about this purported highest level of reality, except that none who venture there even return. The most powerful and wise entities in other realities believe that this is the region where the Creator dwells, a place of perfect happiness and balance. Some spirits of the dead feel irresistibly attracted to the lighted gateways leading to Kether. Those that pass through disappear. Theories about their fates abound among cosmologists. Is Kether Heaven? A place where the spirits of the dead make contact with -- and perhaps become part of -- God? Is it a world of pure potentiality where those who enter cease to exist altogether? Nobody seems to know.
Binah: Binah is a universe of raw energies and potentiality. The Realm of Elysium, the abode of angels, can be found here. Some occultists have identified this Sephiroth as Eden, the paradise humans were expelled from by the angels, while others claim that this is a higher plane of existence to which we will all eventually ascend. Binah also holds the Elemental Realms, where spirits embodying the primal forces of creation dwell. Outsiders reach this Sephiroth only with the utmost difficulty. Unprotected humans who find themselves in Binah die in minutes unless protected by magic or the good will of one of the inhabitants. It is believed that a few worthy humans are granted access to Binah after their deaths, and that they join the ranks of the Heavenly Host in Elysium.
Geburah: Also known as Hades, and Hel, this is the Land of the Dead. Here dwell the ghosts and phantasms who cannot or will not return to Malkuth to be reincarnated, or reach Kether to become one with the Creator. Some of the Realms of Geburah are dark, shadowy dimensions where ghosts have banded together to create their own kingdoms and nations, often distorted shadows of the lands of their past. Others are ruled by god-like entities that enslave or awe spirits into doing their bidding. Yet others are controlled by the Fallen Angels, who take out their anger on the luckless, sinful souls they snag for torment in the Pits of Gehenna.
Netzach: This is the abode of the gods, called Asgard, Olympus, and many other names. Netzach is where the many Old Gods and their servants, particularly those who seek the adoration of mortals, make their home. The Sephiroth is divided into countless Realms where many so-called deities live in a mythical reality that reflects the beliefs of their human worshippers.
Yesod: This area has many names: Alfheim, Tir Na Nog, the Realm of Youth, the Moon-Realm, Avalon, Agharti. These are the Realms of the Fey, of mythical utopias and strange worlds. The Seleighe and Unseleighe Courts can be found here along with dozens of other Realms. This Sphere is also said to contain the homes of some of the ancient Dragons, beings of immense power believed to be among the oldest living creatures anywhere
Hod: This is the Sephiroth of dreams. Everyone travels to Hod while they sleep. The Dream World is a place of beauty, imagination, and impossibility, where your thoughts can shape the surroundings. People's dreams are represented by personal dreamscapes called "panoramas."
An enormous body of myth and legend has been passed down through the ages about the Otherworlds. To avoid ambiguities and to standardize terms, many scholars and cosmologists who specialize in the Otherworlds have adopted the more precise terms Sephiroth or Sphere, named after the elements of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Some Sephiroths have counterparts in Norse and Germanic mythology, which recognizes a universal "tree" (called Ygdrassil) and several separate domains. Other Sephiroths are reflected in tales from other mythologies.
It is said that there are ten Sephiroths, each with its own natural laws, all connected to the others through gates and roads that can be found by the wise and the powerful. Each Sephiroth is, in turn, home to several (in some cases hundreds of) "Realms" - pocket dimensions with their own characteristics. The Sephiroth of Geburah, for example, holds dozens of Realms (the so-called "Death Realms"), all dealing with an aspect of Death. Some Realms are small, barely enough to accommodate a handful of people; others stretch across galaxies. All these places have their own physical laws. In some, the laws are different from Malkuth but stable. In others, they are erratic and ever-changing.
The Sephiroths are typically visualized as being stacked not unlike the layers of an onion. At the bottom is Malkuth, the physical world of humanity. At the other extreme lies the nearly unreachable Kether, where the Creator is said to reside. Some kabbalists and gnostics argue that each Sephiroth is an emanation of the Creator, and that the farther one gets from Kether, the "denser" and more spiritually polluted the emanation becomes. As such, Malkuth is the most tangible of all the sephiroths.
The better known Sephiroths are as follows:
Malkuth: The material universe. Humanity resides in Malkuth. In some ways, Malkuth is a place of stability, where a set of physical laws imposed by the Creator holds sway over most things and where only the powers and the will of the strongest humans (the Gifted) can hope to exert fundamental changes. The existence of all living beings revolves around Malkuth most of the time. This is where we are born, experience life, and die. This is where many, perhaps most, souls come back to continue their cycle of reincarnation.
Kether: Little is known about this purported highest level of reality, except that none who venture there even return. The most powerful and wise entities in other realities believe that this is the region where the Creator dwells, a place of perfect happiness and balance. Some spirits of the dead feel irresistibly attracted to the lighted gateways leading to Kether. Those that pass through disappear. Theories about their fates abound among cosmologists. Is Kether Heaven? A place where the spirits of the dead make contact with -- and perhaps become part of -- God? Is it a world of pure potentiality where those who enter cease to exist altogether? Nobody seems to know.
Binah: Binah is a universe of raw energies and potentiality. The Realm of Elysium, the abode of angels, can be found here. Some occultists have identified this Sephiroth as Eden, the paradise humans were expelled from by the angels, while others claim that this is a higher plane of existence to which we will all eventually ascend. Binah also holds the Elemental Realms, where spirits embodying the primal forces of creation dwell. Outsiders reach this Sephiroth only with the utmost difficulty. Unprotected humans who find themselves in Binah die in minutes unless protected by magic or the good will of one of the inhabitants. It is believed that a few worthy humans are granted access to Binah after their deaths, and that they join the ranks of the Heavenly Host in Elysium.
Geburah: Also known as Hades, and Hel, this is the Land of the Dead. Here dwell the ghosts and phantasms who cannot or will not return to Malkuth to be reincarnated, or reach Kether to become one with the Creator. Some of the Realms of Geburah are dark, shadowy dimensions where ghosts have banded together to create their own kingdoms and nations, often distorted shadows of the lands of their past. Others are ruled by god-like entities that enslave or awe spirits into doing their bidding. Yet others are controlled by the Fallen Angels, who take out their anger on the luckless, sinful souls they snag for torment in the Pits of Gehenna.
Netzach: This is the abode of the gods, called Asgard, Olympus, and many other names. Netzach is where the many Old Gods and their servants, particularly those who seek the adoration of mortals, make their home. The Sephiroth is divided into countless Realms where many so-called deities live in a mythical reality that reflects the beliefs of their human worshippers.
Yesod: This area has many names: Alfheim, Tir Na Nog, the Realm of Youth, the Moon-Realm, Avalon, Agharti. These are the Realms of the Fey, of mythical utopias and strange worlds. The Seleighe and Unseleighe Courts can be found here along with dozens of other Realms. This Sphere is also said to contain the homes of some of the ancient Dragons, beings of immense power believed to be among the oldest living creatures anywhere
Hod: This is the Sephiroth of dreams. Everyone travels to Hod while they sleep. The Dream World is a place of beauty, imagination, and impossibility, where your thoughts can shape the surroundings. People's dreams are represented by personal dreamscapes called "panoramas."