Will Parfitt's Articles Kabbalah - A Way of the Heart - Will Parfitt 'To those that understand themselves will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of paradise.' (adapted from Revelations 2:7) The Kabbalah is a system of self realisation and personal development based on the map called the Tree of Life Like many ways of working on and healing oneself, the Kabbalah could be described as a way of the heart, so let's start with an experiment to connect with heart energy. As you read this, make yourselves as comfortable as you can and let your attention turn inwards. Imagine you are standing in a beautiful garden, facing the setting sun which is gently warming your face. You can hear birds singing. In the distance you can hear the faint voices of children, happily playing. You feel your body relax. As the sun warms your face, it also warms your chest. As it does so, you become aware of your heart. A bird chirps nearby, sharing in your stillness... You take a deep breath - do it - and feel your heart open to the warmth of the sun. There is a tingling of pleasure in your legs as you feel yourself firmly rooting into the warm, nourishing earth. You turn your face up to the sun and you enter a deeper silence, a stillness in which your heart is bathed with light. Compare how you feel about yourself now, after having read this heart focusing exercise, with how you felt before. How did turning inwards in this way affect your awareness of yourself? If we are asked to describe ourselves, most of us begin in our heads and engage our thinking function. After focusing we re-tune our attention somewhere else - in the case of this exercise, into our hearts. It is a very different experience. After doing this or similar exercises, people often describe themselves as feeling 'more grounded', 'more in touch', 'soulful', 'calmer', 'energised'. Whatever words are used, many people assert that there was definitely a difference before and after tuning in to their heart energy. It is important to stress that there is no right or wrong way of doing this. It is more about trusting your own perceptions. You'll find it most powerful if you focus into your heart along with someone you trust. After such experiences in groups, people usually describe a greater level of contact, of 'moving from that intellectual way of speaking to something that was more heart.' Expressed more straight forwardly, I remember someone simply saying: 'we ended up both smiling at each other.' I notice that when I ask people to do an exercise of this sort during a course, when they speak after the heart focusing, there is a different kind of silence. It's an experience where words start becoming too much, or not relevant, or not adequate to describe the feelings, the sensations, the inspiration that comes to us when we are focused on our hearts. The Kabbalah aims to give us a context for such experiences, indeed, all our experiences. Central to the Kabbalah is a diagram or map called the tree of life. The purpose of this map is to help us sort out different aspects of our psyches, and more clearly be able to work with heart energy rather than just with intellectual knowledge. We have minds, feelings and bodies so we can be incarnated here on the planet earth to do our work, whatever that work might be. There are many ways of experiencing these aspect of ourselves, and all the work we do with these experiences is a form of healing. When you first look at the Tree of Life it looks very complicated, but it really is very simple, composed of just three triangles, one the right way up and two upside down directly underneath. The three triangles are the basis of the whole tree of life image and if you can imagine - and remember - this, then you have already learned one of the most important aspects of Kabbalah. Of course, the Tree of Life is little more complicated than that. At each of the corners of the triangles there is a sphere, or in Hebrew sephirah which means number. The Kabbalah teaches that numbers are more than just a way of counting but embody divine principles. These 'numbers' are usually drawn as circles, but are depicting something of more than two dimensions. The three spheres on the bottom triangle represent personality, what we have to experience life with and to express ourselves with, in the present moment. Here we are, here and now, with these three modes somehow or another activated within us and activating us. There is an extra sphere in the centre of these other three spheres that represents
the past, something which we all carry around within us, affecting how we experience the present. The other factor that affects us in the here and now is the future, our inner potential. Everything that is potential can happen in the future. This is represented by the top triangles on the Tree of Life. Most of the time, though, we are not aware of it. We might be so caught up with experiences from the past, or so busy in the present moment, we forget about our potential. It is still there, however, always manifesting. The Kabbalistic system, as well as being a way of the heart, is also a way of everyday life. The Kabbalah focuses on manifesting soul energy into everyday life. The danger for many 'spiritual seekers' is that they like it on the sun so much they never want to leave there. They become so involved being the sun, being a light source, that they forget the shadows they cast. In terms of the solar system, in terms of our heart energy, if we stay just there, there aren't any shadows. Absolutely, and that's a wonderful place to experience. But often it is the shadows, the dark places, that reveal to us more things about how we are going to manifest. If everybody existed in a place of no shadow, there'd be no need for relationship, for contact, for service. We need places with shadows to remind us of our mortality and our totality. Indeed, a core Kabbalistic teaching is that our task for being alive is to truly come to earth. It is through connecting to the heart that we are able to truly do so. Will Parfitt is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and an experienced and innovative group leader. Trained in Psychosynthesis, he has more than forty years experience of working with psychospiritual development, and travels internationally to run courses on a variety of subjects including kabbalah and psychosynthesis. Will is author of several books including 'The Complete Guide to Kabbalah', 'The Something and Nothing of Death', 'Kabbalah:The Tree of Life' and 'Psychosynthesis: the Elements and Beyond. The Relevance of Kabbalah to Modern Life - Will Parfitt In the midst of life there is the tree of life, which bares all manner of fruits, continuously: and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (adapted from Revelations, 22:2) That Kabbalah flourishes depends upon its relevance in the modern world to political and social issues as well as for individual development and healing. The central principle of the Kabbalah is respect for oneself and equal respect for others. This respect depends upon the acceptance of oneself and others for being as we are. We may intend change but we do not require it. From this ground of mutual respect a deep relationship can happen, a relationship of equals, rather than relationship built upon hierarchy (someone's better than you and someone's worse), or prejudice (you are the right colour and she is the wrong one). Deep relationships built on a ground of mutual respect are the basis of healing. The key to understanding ourselves is through the nature of relationship. The tree of life, built as it is upon correspondence and relationship, provides the structure for this key. The work we then do with the Tree is equivalent to putting the key in the lock and turning it. As souls with a personality, a body, thoughts, feelings, sensations, touch, and so on... all the things we have which enable us to relate to the world - we are the hands that turns the key. The relationships between us and the world, in all their different facets, are what provide restriction and freedom, peace and war, all the different manifestations of harmony and discord we experience in our world. This is equally true intrapersonally and interpersonally. It is not that we need to become more free, or more harmonious, What we need is to recognise our part in the interaction between polarities and take responsibility for our actions that move the balance one way or the other. This is the respect for which the Qabalah provides a framework - the tree of life. When we stop trying to be better (hierarchy) or believing we are better or worse (prejudice), and accept ourselves and others for what we all are - equally humble and equally powerful human beings - we free up our ability to interrelate, to understand others for their similarities and differences to us. For freedom to exist we have to include all the interplay between our different subpersonalities, all the different parts of us.
Through including them all, we can respond both to our inner and outer impulses better. This makes us more effective in our relationships in the world. To attempt to include all the different parts and aspects of ourselves is a tall order. Using the tree of life helps this process because it is a map both of connections and how we make those connections. As well as that, the structure and pattern of the basic Tree of Life diagram is an energetic replica of how such connections are made in the brain. When we connect with the tree of life, it is as if everything becomes brighter, warmer, stiller, because we are no longer confused, we are free. In this state we relate to others in a more appropriate way. That doesn't mean we all go round radiating love and harmony and light and 'isn't it wonderful' feelings. Sometimes we will feel awful, some days will be filled with conflict, boredom, distrust. There will be differences between us still, but we will glorify the differences between us because we are able to understand these differences also as part of ourselves. I'm not trying to 'sell' you the Kabbalah or persuade you to join up to a Tree of Life cult. I am sharing my experience because it seems worth sharing. Whether you find anything in it for yourself is your business not mine. I could have lived my life so far without the Kabbalah and I may well have been successful. Anyone can live without knowing about or using it. And using it does make a difference. The Kabbalah makes life easier and brings more meaning to it. This isn't because of a magical trick, spells or sorcery. The Kabbalah can improve our lives through attunement and correspondence. With all the correspondences to the tree of life, the more you know how to use them, how to relate everything you experience back to this central, core structure, the freer your consciousness becomes to hear the inner voice of soul and reconcile its manifestation through everyday events. The essence of the Kabbalah, however, is simply attuning oneself to the tree of life. We can easily get caught up with details, but if we step back, the correspondences come second. First and foremost is the shape of the tree and understanding what the different spheres represent. The key then is living with that image. You do not even have to think about it or imagine it every day. Some while after you start working with the tree of life, it `lights up' connections inside your brain in the pattern that matches the tree of life. Everything corresponds. Everything is clearer. It does not matter what we believe, what religion we belong or don't belong to, we can image the tree of life and make our own connections. That way we build up the tree of life in us, and then we become part of an overall pattern. A Buddhist who has connected with the tree of life and a South American shaman who has connected with and understood the tree of life are going to have a much better understanding of one anothers' ways. A politician who has learned and connected with the tree of life will similarly have a better understanding and ability to respond to differing political viewpoints. Perhaps the Kabbalistic vision is too radical to apply to politics. We could arrive at a time when the majority of people, or a large enough number of them were working with the tree of life. Perhaps it only needs ten per cent of people, or some such figure, as described in the 'hundredth monkey theory'. If enough people were holding the tree of life in consciousness, it would cause a relatively very large change to the political and social scene. Then it would not be relevant to talk in terms of what a right wing or left wing politician might do, because that would not be the way the system would be operating anymore. In that context, the shining image of the tree of life is really just one facet of a bigger plan, a bigger tree of life! There are so many different aspects to the changes that are happening so clearly to everyone on every level - political, geopolitical, physical, social, climatic, socio-political, social, and so on, and including the esoteric concepts of cyberspace, quantum physics and such like. All these changes at all these levels make up a tree of life that is part of a much bigger scheme that in Kabbalah we ascribe to the veils of containment. There are three of these veils and what happens behind or beyond them is probably amazingly interesting. Kabbalists say, however, let's concern ourselves with what we've got to deal with here, the work here and now on this side of the veils. In terms of healing, the tree of life helps to make us whole, to heal, to include more of ourselves in the whole picture of life. We need to be whole in ourselves to be able to combine with another 'whole being' to create a greater inclusion and synthesis. The more of us move towards wholeness in this way, with or without the tree of life, the more of us there are to work together in the common goal of planetary harmony. We do not even have to work together: knowing and understanding this togetherness exists in itself releases vast potential. Once we are healing ourselves, the best next step in this healing is healing others. The tree of life is an ideal agent for this change.
The Kabbalistic Cross - A Revision - Will Parfitt The practice of the cross as used in kabbalah is useful because it connects us with the Tree of Life through our physical form; it aligns our energies and balances our auras; and it acts as a barrier or protection device to stop unwanted intrusions into our space. The small effort required in becoming familiar with this procedure, which can then be used daily if required, is well worth the energy required. Following the instructions below, start to practice the Kabbalistic Cross on a daily basis. It need only take a few minutes once you are familiar with it. Re-read this even if you are already familiar with and using the Kabbalistic Cross. Note well not to rush such work - be clear with each stage before moving onto the next. It is better to go too slowly than to go too fast. Relax and centre yourself. Stand upright, attentive but not stiff. Pronounce each word slowly and with as much resonance as possible. Touch your forehead with the forefinger of your right hand and say: ateh ('for thine') Be aware of your innermost connection to deity. [you might prefer to say 'for mine' being conscious as you do so of aligning yourself with the Source so that the temporal distinction between 'thine' and 'mine' no longer exists] Move your finger down in a straight line to touch just above your genital area and say: Malkuth ('is the kingdom' [or 'is the earth'). Be aware of your whole body. [you might like to add in 'adonai' ñ 'my lord' in English ñ as you pass and lightly touch the area in the middle of your chest representing your heart energy] Visualise this straight line down the front of your body and all the subsequent lines you draw as bright, shining, silver-white light, which permeates your astral, etheric and physical bodies. Bring your finger straight back up to your chest then move it across to the right. Touch your right shoulder, and say: ve geburah ('the power' [or 'the courage']) Be aware of your power. Drawing a line across to touch your left shoulder, say: ve gedulah. ('and the glory' [or 'the compassion']) Be aware of your love energy. Clasping your hands together over your heart, visualise a shining white cross inscribed over your body. Say: le olahm. ('unto the ages') Be aware of exactly where you are (here), exactly at this moment (now). Extend your arms out so you are standing as a cross, and say: amen. Stay standing for a while, feeling the energy to which you've connected permeating your physical and psychic space. THE PATH OF THE NOSE AND MOUTH (The 14th Path on the Tree of Life) Will Parfitt On the Tree of Life, both the internal and external structures of the nose and mouth are attributed to the 14th path, which also corresponds with the Empress tarot card and the letter Daleth. The primary concern of both the nose and mouth are the act of breathing. Many (even most!) systems of spiritual development attest to the importance of learning to breath properly, or in a particular way. Often at the beginning of exercises, particularly in groups, I make a joke, telling the participants not to try breathing in any special yogic way but just allowing their own breath to enter and exit the body easily at its own rate. Of course, the hidden joke in this is that this is the most esoteric way to breathe! And, interestingly, it is the most difficult. For all breathing exercises, unless otherwise told to do something different, it is a good idea to keep your breathing connected: that means, as soon as all your breath is out, you breathe in, and as soon as it is all in, your breathe out. (That is, there are no gaps or stops between your in and out breaths.) Spend a few minutes now just breathing, letting the air enter your body, fill your lungs, then pass out again easily, without effort. As you do so, pay particular attention to any holding patterns that you become aware of in your body. Now place a hand on your belly and breathe in a way that causes your belly to expand and push your hand away; then as you breathe out, feel your belly contract and at the end of the breath use your hand to just lightly push your belly in (and, as it were, the
remainder of the air out). Then as you breathe in again feel your belly expand and push your hand outwards. Continue breathing like this for a few minutes. Now place your hand on your chest and do the same, feeling your in and out breath alternately push your hand away and fall under the (light!) pressure of your hand. Do you habitually breathe from your chest or belly? Dont judge one better than the other, but notice which is your habitual pattern. Whether you usually breath from your belly or chest, consider the other (i.e. if you tend to chest breathe, then consider your belly and vice versa). What might you be holding onto in this part of your body? Now breathe in the fullest way you can for a few minutes. As you breathe in, first feel your belly expand then your chest until you feel completely full of air in your whole body. Then effortlessly let the air out until you feel empty, and repeat the process. Do at least 20 of these full breaths and note any particular effects, immediately and for a short while afterwards. There are a series of breathing exercises that connect different patterns of breathing with the five elements of spirit, fire, water, air and earth. There are different versions of this, but try experimenting with the following: fire breath: nose out, mouth in water breath: nose in, mouth out air breath: nose in, nose out earth breath: mouth in, mouth out spirit breath: mouth/nose in, mouth/nose out After preparation, do a walking meditation in which you practice these different ways of breathing. Note any effects. Apart from breathing, the nose and mouth are also concerned with the senses of smell and taste. It is said that a dog has somewhere in the order of 30 times stronger an olfactory sense than humans, and some (rather surprising) creatures, such as for instance a moth, have 30 times greater olfactory sense than a dog. Salmon are said to find their way from the depths of the ocean back to a distant river, to their original spawning ground, through their sense of smell! Smell and taste are chemical senses, receptors in the nose and tongue responding to chemical stimuli. It is interesting to note that smells entering the right nostril and tastes affecting the right side of the tongue pass to the parietal lobe of the opposite, left side of the cerebrum, and vice versa. This tells us something of the functioning of the 14th path in the Yetziratic and Assiatic worlds. Another function of the mouth is for eating. Many of our psychological functions have a parallel with eating (and eating disorders are not just common, they are pretty well universal, to some degree or another, with all human beings.) Hes bitten off more than he can chew; she finds that hard to swallow; the idea of doing that stuck in my throat; chew on that for a while; come on, spit it out... these and other similar well known phrases apparently originate from eating analogies but are used to describe psychic functioning. The Mass of the Holy Ghost, or the sacramental supper, involves the imbibing of commingled male and female essences. To smell, taste, and ingest this elixir is said to confer magical powers and be the true meaning of the stone of the wise or elixir of life. The particular charge of the elixir is varied through the particular state of the emanations involved, for both the male and female. Kalas are described as the female emanations (or vaginal juices). Kala is a Sanskrit word meaning star and also perfume. At different times of the month (the cycle of existence) the kalas vary (after menopause as well as before.) This is true also for male scent and bodily fluids. The perfect elixir is said to be sweet smelling like the finest honey, and is the closest human equivalent to the emanations that pour from one sphere to the next on the Tree of Life in the creative process. This has particular relevance to the 14th Path which, joining as it does Chockmah and Binah, can be considered the primary holding force of the universe. Treat your breathing, smelling, and tasting with the same significance, and come to your senses!