Kabbalistic astrology
Encyclopedia
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
based upon the Hebrew Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
. It is used to interpret and delineate a person's birth chart
Natal chart
In astrology, a natal chart is a stylized map of the universe with the "native" at the center. It is calculated for the exact time and location of the native's birth for the purposes of gaining insight into the native's personality and potential...
, seeking to understand it through a Kabbalistic lens. In Hebrew, astrology was called hokmat ha-nissayon ("the wisdom of prognostication") in distinction to hokmat ha-hizzayon (wisdom of star-seeing, or astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
). Although Kabbalah is part of the mystical Jewish tradition, its use of astrology does not represent the complete Jewish views of astrology
Jewish views of astrology
In Hebrew, astrology was called hokmat ha-nissayon, "the wisdom of prognostication", in distinction to hokmat ha-hizzayon...
, which have been both positive and negative, depending on the authority.
Most astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
s cast and use horoscope
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
s to depict planetary placements which are believed to influence daily activities. Kabbalistic astrologers tend to take a slightly different approach because they wish to observe the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s as they relate to each sephira
Sephira
Sephira is an Irish band comprising sisters Joyce and Ruth O'Leary, who both play the violin and provide vocals. They released their debut album Believe in 2006...
in the Tree of Life
Tree of life (Kabbalah)
The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...
. Therefore, the sign and house placement is written on the associated node of the trestleboard.
Each sephira points to a specific character trait which helps us to identify exactly where we are in our evolutionary path to enlightenment. Each sephira in the trestleboard corresponds with a specific planet and is therefore closely aligned with the celestial art of astrology. The meanings of the ten sephiroth, to include the eleventh imaginary one, are as follows:
See also
- Hebrew astronomyHebrew astronomyHebrew astronomy refers to any astronomy written in Hebrew or by Hebrew speakers, or translated into Hebrew. It also includes an unusual type of literature from the Middle Ages: works written in Arabic but transcribed in the Hebrew alphabet...
- MazzarothMazzarothMazzaroth is a hapax legomenon of the Hebrew Bible, found in .The similar word mazalot in may be related....
- MonenMonenMonen is a Kabalistic concept covering that branch of occultism which deals with the reading of the future by the computation of time and observation of planets and stars ....
- Philip BergPhilip BergPhilip S. Berg is an American rabbi and current Dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization.Having written a number of books on the subject of Kabbalah, Berg believes that the philosophy should not be taught exclusively to a select few Jewish scholars but become a shared wealth of practical...
- Sefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakh, , is a medieval Kabbalistic grimoire, primarily written in Hebrew and Aramaic, but surviving also in Latin translation, as Liber Razielis Archangeli, in a 13th century manuscript produced under Alfonso X.-Textual history:The book cannot be shown to predate the 13th century,...
- Sefer YetzirahSefer YetzirahSefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
Further reading
- Anderson, Carl. Astrology of the Old Testament, Or: The Lost Word Regained. Kessinger Publishing: USA, 1997. ISBN 1-56459-930-2.
- Berg, PhilipPhilip BergPhilip S. Berg is an American rabbi and current Dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization.Having written a number of books on the subject of Kabbalah, Berg believes that the philosophy should not be taught exclusively to a select few Jewish scholars but become a shared wealth of practical...
. Astrology, the Star Connection: The Science of Judaic Astrology. Research Centre of Kabbalah: USA, 1987. ISBN 0-943688-37-X. - Berg, Philip. Kabbalistic Astrology Made Easy. Research Centre of Kabbalah: USA, 1999. ISBN 1-57189-053-X.
- Berg, Rav P. S. Kabbalistic Astrology: And the Meaning of Our Lives. Kabbalah Publishing: USA, 2006. ISBN 1-57189-556-6.
- Dobin, Joel C. Kabbalistic Astrology: The Sacred Tradition of the Hebrew Sages. Inner Traditions: USA, 1999. ISBN 0-89281-763-1.
- Ezra, Abraham Ben Meir IbnAbraham ibn EzraRabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
. The Beginning of Wisdom (Reshith Hochma). ARHAT Publications: USA, 1998. ISBN 0-9662266-4-X. - Ezra, Abraham Ben Meir Ibn. The Book of Reasons (Sefer Ha'te'amim). The Golden Hind Press: USA, 1994.
- Glazerson, Matityahu. Above the Zodiac: Astrology in Jewish Thought. Aronson Publishers: USA, 1996. ISBN 1-56821-935-0.
- Levy, Raphael. The Astrological Works of Abraham Ibn Ezra. Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, 1927.
- Mashallah ibn Athari. On Reception. ARHAT Publications: USA, 1997. ISBN 0-9662266-2-3.
- Molnar, Michael. The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi. Rutgers University Press: USA. 1999.
- Wedel, Theodore Otto. Astrology in the Middle Ages. Dover Publications: Mineola, 2005. ISBN 0-486-43642-X.