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Holy Kabbalah

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World renowned Masonic writer A.E. Waite and his book "The Holy Kabbalah" brings the science and art of the Kabbalah to the reader in a style suited to the esoteric enthusiast. The average researcher of Kabbalah will attest to the difficulty in deciphering and teaching it's concepts. The book is 672 pages so bring a lunch it is not a quick easy read. It would probably have to be read 3 times for it's full effect. If one was to read the old testament with this treatise, your understanding of the Pentateuch would only be enhanced.

There is a multitude of books on the subject of the Kabbalah but for the true traveler there isn't a treatise that comes remotely close to the quality of this work.

Book III The Mystery of Shekinah (The Principle of Divine Motherhood, the Feminine side of Divinity). Which tells of the mystical relationship between the sacred Feminine & Masculine principles is a must read, as well as book XI The Kabbalah and Alchemy, Astrology and Freemasonry but I must forewarn, you must be "duly prepared".

Waite writes from the standpoint of an Esoteric Christian and does a good job of reporting the known historical facts of the Kabbalah when it came into written tradition after centuries of oral tradition. From the standpoint of combining Kabbalah with mystical Christianity, a lot of connections are revealed that enable the student to value this mystical text in perhaps a way he was unable to do so in the past. Well worth reading!

"The Holy Kabalah" is a nice informative work on the history and literature of Kabalah from the ancient years until 19th century. It is together with Papus' Kabalah the two most informative works on the Jewish tradition from non-Jewish writers. The book has also a very helpfull appentix.

Much has been writen about the overloaded, artificial way of writing that A E Waite uses and also about his contempt for non-christian (and especially Catholic) way of thinking and beliefs. This maybe is true and I have nothing to add here.

But if one is willing to overcome this, "The Holy Kabalah" is a nice scholar work for the student of the occult, the mystic, the magician, the scholar.

During the 19th and early 20th century Kabbalism was seen by many as the only legitimate interpretation of the Old Testament. Kabbalism was thought to be ancient mysticism. Through the works of Gershom Scholem and others, we now know Kabbalism was a product of the rabbinic schools in France and Spain in the 11th and 12th century , written as if it dated to the earliest dates of Judaism. Mr. Waite attempts to explain how Kabbalism supports Christianity and Freemasonry. Both Gershom Scholem and Albert Pike attribute the ceremonies of Freemasonry to Kabbalism, but we now know that Freemasonry was a product of the 18th century rather than dating to the Temple of Solomon as was thought in the 19th century. If you are interested in 19th century thought concerning Kabbalism, it is a good reference. Waite takes pains to reference the most knowlegeable writers of his day, but this was long before scholars determined the actual age of the Zohar and Kabbalism. If you are interested in Kabbalah history, theory and practice, I would recommend books by Gershom Scholem.

The Holy Kabbalah, by A. E. Waite, is one of the more complete and concise summaries and explanations of a body of Jewish mystical texts by which thousands of rabbis live. It explains the four "worlds" and the ten "sephirot" of each that make up reality. There are more complete books - or sets of books - about this complex and esoteric topic, but this one should appeal to the beginner who wishes to know whether he or she wants to learn more.

p. xxvi: "This work has been written by a Christian mystic & chiefly for the use of mystics & p. 565: Intended, primarily at least, for the theosophical student." However, as Rexworth states in his Introduction-- p. xv: [Waite] "never loses...the true scientific scholar's skepticism...he strips away the nonsense, explores the facts, & leaves you to draw your own conclusions." This work is a scientific analysis by a highly respectful, skeptical, mystic. His annoying, though common, transliterations (i.e. p. 221 Barach for Baruch, continued use of "vau" though he mentions "vav," etc.), many untranslated (mostly unnecessary) French & Latin phrases, & occasional Christian theological interjections are hardly worth mentioning regarding the quality of this magisterial work. It is rare to experience such discriminating knowledge (per Tantric Buddhism) in a mystical or occult work. He also demonstrates incredible equanimity in treading on so many clay feet. His critical threshold is quite high, but his scholarly, well-documented, & well-argued presentation is virtually irresistible. He denies many others' assertions regarding authorship & antiquity of the Zohar, connections between Kabbalah & alchemists & other occultists, the validity of Practical Kabbalah, & Christian apologetics on Kabbalah. For example, he states that p. 351: "We must beware, however, of being misled by apparent correspondences with Christian Trinitarian doctrine, p. 9 note 2: "About the Magical Kabbalah, the antiquity must be left unsettled; regarding its folly & iniquity there is no question, & pp. 60-1: It is useless to reason with those whose confidence is not shaken in the face of impossibilities, whose imagination can bridge all gulfs in evidence by fantastic suppositions. On the other hand, there is the crass criticism which rules off a literature by a single stroke of a pen into the region of forgery & imposture, as it rules off all psychical phenomena...It proved Troy town to be a solar mythos till Troy town was excavated...An indiscriminate rejection is not much less superficial than an over-credulous acquiescence in a non-proven claim."

This book covers a broad spectrum but not much on pre-Zoharic Theosophy. Indeed, it tends to concentrate on the Zohar and considerable reference to the Sepher Yetzirah. He delineates both similarities & differences between Kabbalah & other mystical teachings, stating that, p. 601: "In Kabbalistic Theosophia Magna is a modality of soul attainment which is second to none in the whole of mystical testimony & p. 66: Ain Sof is that final concept of the Deity which is reached by all true metaphysics." He also makes it clear that he is a mystic and not an occultist-- p. 559: "There is usually, however, no person less really mystic than the occultist conventionally understood, while the mystic on the path of attainment in the life of sanctity is exploring the world of grace, not that of psychic power. The end of Mysticism is the recovery or attainment of consciousness of God." This is NOT an occult work; p. 557 note 1: "It {Kabbalah] is more especially a rationalized system of mystical thought." He convincingly argues that p. 250: "There is a clear system of reincarnation scattered throughout the Zohar, p. 565: The heterogeneous nature of the Zohar, which justified me in terming it a medley, & pp. 575-6: the Zohar...a work of various periods & multifarious authorships." Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to read the (later) works of Gershom Scholem or Moshe Idel. I think Waite would agree (see the final chapter) that his analysis of the Mystical Mystery of Sex is his most interesting & important contribution. The Zoharic presentation is comprehensive & central to Kabbalah (see also Kabbalah attributed to Isaac Luria by Hayim Vital). However, Waite notes that p. 596: "There are intimations of this state in eastern teaching by which I mean India...& Thomas Vaughn [alchemist] speaks of `the conjugal mystery of heaven and earth'" - comparable to Tantric Buddhist practices. Surprisingly, antithetical to much Western religious thought, he states that p. 193: "Optimism is a fundamental characteristic of Kabbalism." This is a wonderful work, well worth the time to read its 600+ pages with actual footnotes (not endnotes). While its style is dated, its material & techniques are not. However, it will not appeal to a p. 570: "posse of zanies" such as its author describes. The credulous are incredulous to me.

This is one of the better works of the author. A really in-depth study of the subject.