A fantastic Kabbalah site

[Chasidic hippy]

Tanakh does not say anything against astrology per se. There are numerous astrological customs and ideas in the Talmud, in the books of the Jewish religious law and definitely in Kabbalah. There is some astrological material in Saadya Gaon's commentary on Seyfer Yetsirah (the Book of Creation); Ibn Ezra wrote a whole book on astrology, sometimes giving references to the Arabic and Indian sources; rabbi Avrom Zacuto, the author of the historical book Seyfer haYukhsin, was a court astrologer by the Portuguese king Manuel I. There is some traditional Jewish material on chiromancy, geomancy, White Magic, mystical powers of crystals and herbs, spiritual healing, altered states of consciousness, communicating with animals and trees and other occult topics. It is true that the practical occultism is virtually unknown to the mainstream Orthodox Jews, but in every chasidic home you'll find a few occult books kept as protection amulets. People are afraid to use them not because they are "bad", but because some tecniques believed to be extremely dangerous and require a lot of mystical knowledge.

 

[Judge_not]

Wow... I have never encountered a non-Christian fundamentalist... odd experience.

Then you never met a gifted southern rootworker who's religous beliefs are Christian. I've meet alot of fundamentalist from alot of religions, Alot of "Pagans" even, believe it or not... I recently found a copy of the Zohar and I'm being careful in beginning to study it. Does seem to come with some caution :candle:

 

[NeedingGnosisNow]

thanks for the link. i've been looking for a good source of material. thats why i joined RF

 

[HerDotness]

The Golden Dawn was run by a certain Aleister Crowley wasn't it Master Hoomer ?

No, the Golden Dawn was never led by Aleister Crowley. He was initiated into its outer order but never led the organization at all.

You are very much mistaken.

Here's a source that proves you mistaken:

20. What connection did Aleister Crowley have with the Golden Dawn?
Aleister Crowley, the most renowned magic practitioner and theoretician of the twentieth century, was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1898, introduced by George Cecil Jones. He was befriended by Mathers, whom he eventually betrayed, nearly destroying the Golden Dawn by publishing its secret rituals and teachings. Having left the Golden Dawn, in 1907 Crowley founded his own order, the Argentum Astrum (AA; Silver Star). He later went on to become the head of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.).

Source (from the frequently asked questions on an accurate site)

So please do not tell people about Crowley, because as a Thelemite, I have very serious doubts that your information would be at all accurate.

 

[Caladan]

It's worth noting that this thread is from 2004. But for posterity's sake that's right Crowley did not run the Golden Dawn. I think much of the discord in this thread is rooted in a simple lack of empathy to terminology, namely not differentiating between Kabbalah with a K and Qabalah with a Q.

 

[HerDotness]

It's worth noting that this thread is from 2004. But for posterity's sake that's right Crowley did not run the Golden Dawn. I think much of the discord in this thread is rooted in a simple lack of empathy to terminology, namely not differentiating between Kabbalah with a K and Qabalah with a Q.

Good point. I hadn't noticed that someone had just revived an ancient thread and that I was reading one that old. Silly me!

As far as I know, only Reform Jews would say that it's okay for anyone to study Kabbalah. Conservative and certainly Orthodox Jews still believe that only very mature married males may do so because Kabbalah is so powerfully mystical.

 

[CMike]

Okay I read all the posts. I am still confused.

Kabbalah is part of judaism.

?