A Garden of Pomegranates: Skrying on the Tree of Life [Paperback]

Israel Regardie (Author), Chic Cicero (Commentary)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 1995

Long considered the best single introduction to the Qabalah for magicians, the third edition of Israel Regardie's A Garden of Pomegranates is now better than ever, thanks to the extensive annotations and new material by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero. Their work has made A Garden of Pomegranates easier to understand, more complete, and up to date. It now includes over 300 pages of never-before-published information from two Senior Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

—Expands Regardie's definitive text into a practical manual for
    Qabalistic magic 
—Includes pathworkings and guided visualizations for the 32 Paths of Wisdom 
—Suggests a course of study for learning the Qabalah and incorporating its teachings into daily life 
—Shows how to create your own personal Qabalistic mantra using gematria or Hebrew numerology 
—Includes a technique for Rising on the Planes, so you can explore different Qabalistic worlds 
—Features a Middle Pillar-style exercise for exploring and activating different parts of the soul 
—Written by one of the most influential magical teachers of modern times and two of his 
    personal students 

The Qabalah is the ancient system of Hebrew mysticism that is the foundation of Western magical and esoteric studies. Its primary symbol is the Tree of Life, a diagram that can aid in the study of the nature of the Universe, the essence of God, and the human mind, spirit, and soul. A Garden of Pomegranates is the clearest introductory guide on this subject.

When Israel Regardie wrote A Garden of Pomegranates in 1932, he designed it to be a simple yet comprehensive guidebook outlining the complex system of the Qabalah and providing a key to its symbolism. Since then, it has achieved the status of a classic among texts on the Qabalah. The full annotations, critical commentary, and explanatory notes now make this book the ultimate single resource on the subject. The new material, including pathworkings, exercises, daily affirmations, rituals, meditations, and more, not only complement the original, full text included in this edition, but also make A Garden of Pomegranates indispensable for modern magicians.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Is it possible to make a classic better? Most authors think so. That's why they often produce new editions of their works. A Garden of Pomegranates by Israel Regardie went into its second edition over 30 years ago. For it, Regardie gave a new introduction, explaining some of the comments he had made in the first edition some 40 years earlier.

Regardie is no longer with us, and we felt that A Garden of Pomegranates needed an updating. Books written for an audience of 70 years ago don't always meet the needs of people today. Luckily, Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, Senior Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and students of Regardie, were more than up to the task—and what an incredible job they have done.

A Garden of Pomegranates is the classic introduction to the magical Qabalah. The Ciceros have redrawn all of the original diagrams and added a score of notes, as well as a glossary, a bibliography, and an index to make finding information easier than ever. Plus, they have added more than 300 pages of additional material on working with the Tree of Life that can be put into use no matter what your level of experience.

Previously, A Garden of Pomegranates was one of the most important Qabalistic guides for the twentieth century. With the new edition, it is now the classic you must get for the new millennium.

About the Author

Francis I. Regardie, born in London, England, November 17, 1907; died in Sedona, Arizona, March 10, 1985.  Came to the United States in August 1921, educated in Washington D.C. and studied art in school in Washington and Philadelphia.  Returned to Europe in 1928 at the invitation of Aleister Crowley to work as his secretary and study with him.  Returned to London as secretary to Thomas Burke 1932-34, and during that time wrote A Garden of Pomegranates and The Tree of Life.

In 1934 he was invited to join the Order of the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina Temple, during which time he wrote The Middle Pillar and The Art of True Healing, and did the basic work for The Philosopher's Stone.

Returning to the United States in 1937 he entered Chiropractic College in New York, Graduating in 1941, and published The Golden Dawn.  Served in the U.S. Army 1942-1945, and then moved to Los Angeles where he opened a chiropractic practice and taught psychiatry.  Upon retirement in 1981, he moved to Sedona.

During his lifetime, he studied psychoanalysis with Dr. E. Clegg and Dr. J. L. Bendit, and later studied psychotherapy under Dr. Nandor Fodor.  His training encompassed Freudian, Jungian and Reichian methods.


Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero are Senior Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.  They share an enthusiasm for the esoteric arts.  They live in Florida with their cat, Lealah, where they work and practice magic.



Sandra Tabatha Cicero is a Senior Adept of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.  

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; Rev Sub edition (October 8, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567181414
• ISBN-13: 978-1567181418
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Jewish Texts > Kabbalah
  • #75 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Mythology & Folklore
  • #93 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable sourcework, December 24, 2000

By 

J. French "93 93/93" (Oakland, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Garden of Pomegranates: Skrying on the Tree of Life (Paperback)

This book is totally indespensable for anyone interested in the Practical Kabbalah. I only regret that I purchased three books which covered different aspects of the material contained in this volume without checking out the "Garden" first. Don't make the same mistake. Most modern texts are versions of bits and pieces of this one. The editors' contribution, which constitutes half of the edition, contains practical meditations that illuminate the different paths beautifully. There are also instructions for Scrying in the Sprit Vision and actual pathworking. I only wish all modern writers on the Kabbalah took the approach the Ciceros do. That is, taking an existing classic, adding footnotes to clear up confusion, then giving practical suggestions for its usage. This is much better than the typical proccedure of throwing together a cribbed version of ohter's work and passing it off as your own. Highly, highly reccomended.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking the Qabalah, September 3, 2002

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Garden of Pomegranates: Skrying on the Tree of Life (Paperback)

Symbols have always been used in the mystical tradition to express spiritual truths that cannot be properly expressed in words. The founders of the Qabalah created a particularly elegant system of symbols, numbers and the figure of the Tree of Life to convey their insights.

The word "skrying" means "to see" or "observe" and refers to the type of clairvoyance where use is made of mirrors, crystals, water in a bowl (like Galadriël in Lord of the Rings) or the tarot, to concentrate and focus psychic abilities in order to receive and interpret visions in the normal state of waking consciousness.

Regardie published this work in 1932 as an easy albeit comprehensive guide to the complex system of the Qabalah and to serve as a key to its symbolism. The primary symbol of this ancient Hebrew system is the tree of life that has been used for centuries as a means to study the nature of the cosmos and the qualities of the psyche.

With its emphasis on direct experience by meditating on the paths of wisdom, this is a most understandable introduction to the Qabalah. The editors have enhanced this classic work with their commentary, notes and a system of reference and have added practical material in the form of meditations, exercises, rituals and mantras.

Garden of Pomegranates is an excellent book for those interested in the working of the mind, in psychology, parapsychology and for practicians of the magical arts. This edition contains a glossary, bibliography and index. The text is enhanced by 52 beautiful illustrations and figures.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Underdeveloped, July 12, 2003

By A Customer

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This review is from: A Garden of Pomegranates: Skrying on the Tree of Life (Paperback)

A Garden of Pomegranates is a book that delivers far less than it promises. This book is split into two parts: a short work by Mr. Regardie, followed by a much longer commentary written by the Ciceros. While most of what is contained in this book is good, most of what is contained in this book can be found in better sources.

Mr. Regardie's section briefly summarizes the themes and ideas of the Hermetic Qabalah. He explains the basic ideas behind the Tree of life, describes the Sefiroth and the 22 paths connecting them, and touches momentarily on Qabalistic practices. He also spends some time tying the ideas of the Qabalah to the theories of his day, especially Freudian psychology.

Unfortunately, the authorship of this book as a whole is loose and unfocused. It is clear that Mr. Regardie had many great ideas on this subject, but he just does not seem capable of expressing his ideas clearly. He touches on many topics, but doesn't stop long enough to develop any one of them. Reading this book is more like watching Mr. Regardie organizing his thoughts on this subject than good presentation of those thoughts to a reading audience.

The second section contains commentary by the Ciceros. The Ciceros briefly explain a few Qabalistic rituals and meditations, and then spend most of their work describing incredibly detailed "guided visualizations." Most of what they write here (e.g. how to do the Middle Pillar Exercise) is described in better detail in other books dealing with ritual or ceremonial magic. For those interested in well-written "guided visualizations," this section might be worthwhile.

Overall, this book promises much, but only delivers some of what it promises. There are good ideas in this book, but the organization is too sloppy and confused to be of much value as an introduction to the Qabalah. For a good introduction to the Hermetic Qabalah, I would recommend the much better written The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune. Ms. Fortune deals with the same material as Mr. Regardie, but presents it in a coherent and organized manner.