Mystical Qabalah (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: three supernals, middle pillar, ten sephiroth, Mystical Qabala Page, Tree of Life, Pillar of Mercy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Dion Fortune's classic, The Mystical Qabalah, explores all aspects of the Qabalah, including the esoteric sciences of astrology and tarot, which form the basis of the Western Mystery Traditions. It provides a key to the practical working of this mystical system for both novice and initiate alike. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Dion Fortune (1891?1946), founder of The Society of the Inner Light, was a prolific writer, pioneer psychologist, and powerful psychic. Author of the highly acclaimed Psychic Self-Defense, her novels include The Goat Foot God, The Demon Lover, The Winged Bull. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser (May 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877285969
• ISBN-13: 978-0877285960
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,250,250 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible guide to Qabalah in Western Occultism, April 19, 2003

By	Kenaz Filan (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mystical Qabalah (Paperback)

First: you need to know that the Qabalah as it is used by Western Occultists bears little resemblance to Qabalah as it is practiced by Chasidic and Orthodox Jews. (Dion Fortune says as much in this book, but many miss this distinction). The Qabalah of the Occultists should be judged as a thing in itself, not as an outgrowth of Judaism... in fact, you'll find that efforts to link the two will only get you confused.

As a thing in itself, the Western Qabalah is a fine system for organizing the mind; it can provide a wonderful framework for structuring rituals, and it is a powerful mandala for meditation. And Dion Fortune's book is unquestionably the best introduction to the Qabalah of the Occultists. Her writing is clear and concise and her examples are easy to grasp. In connection with Crowley's *777*, this provides you with everything you need to create your own rituals in the Western Ceremonial tradition. (If you're going to do this, you should also [a] read Fortune's *Psychic Self-Defense* and [b] avoid slavishly following Crowley's suggestions: remember, the Qabalah is essentially an empty filing cabinet, to be organized in the way which suits your needs best... although some will hop up and down and scream "blasphemy" because I dared to say that).

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars New Edition is badly flawed., February 5, 2003

By	Greg Wotton (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystical Qabalah (Paperback)

When examining this new edition in order to consider it as a course text I found several problems within the edition itself. At first I thought that, maybe, it had been a very long time since I'd read it as some things didn't seem as clear as I'd remembered them. Upon comparison to the '84-'89 edition I found the source of the problem, the text has not been faithfully reproduced. For example the following two quotes are from the end of Chapter 2, Paragraph 4.

2001 Edition: "Nor am I impressed by a dedication to the higher life which by peculiarities of clothing and bearing and by the manner of cutting, or omitting to cut, the hair."

1984 Edition: "Nor am I impressed by a dedication to the higher life which manifests itself by peculiarities of clothing and bearing and by the manner of cutting, or omitting to cut, the hair."

This is only a single example and I have yet to find an entire chapter devoid of such mistakes, some of them leaving out entire sentences.

The Mystical Qabalah is, without a doubt, one of the best books on Qabalah ever written. It is a shame that Weiser, a formally respected publisher, could make such a mess of it.

-Greg Wotton

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature's deepest science written by an Expert, August 19, 2003

By	Isabel Waterstone (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystical Qabalah (Paperback)

When I read this book, I was amazed with its precision, clarity and completeness. For me, new doors of understanding the science of Qabalah opened up as I read through the chapters that touch upon all of the basic aspects of this occult science.
I have studied Qabalah for some time, under various schools and sects, but I feel that this book is one of the greatest to come out of the early part of the 20th century.
Qabalah is an in depth science, that maps the relationship of the various hidden, unseen dimensions of the universe--in relation to one's psyche (soul), mind, and divinity...
This science truley unveils the occult, the mysteries of life and death, magick, etc. Qabalah synthesizes the use of words (etymology), numbers (numerology), celestial bodies (astrology), symbols, mystical practices and many other key occult applications. Verily, Qabalah ties together the hidden, unseen mystery that awaits the true seeker.
I recommend that one should read the book: Tarot and Kabalah by Samael Aun Weor. This book will shed much more light on the topic. I was even more impressed with the said work. Also, read Eliphas Levi. gnosis-usa.com or go through amazon.