Different Views of the Tree

[Neshamah]

I thought it might be helpful if I shared some pictures with you. These are 5 different versions of the Tree of Life, as seen by different schools of thought at different times through history.

The first is the Greek version of the Tree. Many Jews who lived in the diaspora around 100 B.C. to 100 A.D. didn't speak Hebrew; most of them, even the scholars, spoke Greek. What this diagram depicts is what the Greek Tree of Life must have looked like during the time period listed. The Greek alphabet of that time had 24 letters, so 24 Paths are shown on the Tree.

The second is a picture of how the Egyptian Tree might have looked. Many have postulated an Egyptian origin for the Kabalah, and if that is the case, this must have been how that Tree was constructed.

The third is from Kircher and is quite famous. It may very well be the most well-known version of the Tree of Life. It was originally published in 1652 by Athanasius Kircher in his book Oedipus Aegypticus. It became the basis for most of the Trees published thereafter in the Western Hermetic Tradition.

The fourth is one of those Western Hermetic Qabalistic Trees with the Tarot cards atrributed to the 22 Paths. The cards are from the traditional Rider-Waite deck, and they are placed on the Path that the Qabalah (Western) associates them.

The last one is a Basic Modern version of the Tree of Life, stripped of all additional information, so that you can see how Occultism of today views the ToL.

If you wish to discuss any of these Trees, or you want to ask questions about them, please post in this thread.

Love, Life, and Peace Profound,

Neshamah

[m1thr0s]

interesting collection Neshamah...thanks for posting these!
the first one is a bit of a bafflement to me...just doesn't make too much sense intuitively. I'd be curious to know who actually authored that one if there is any way to know that... looks like 24 paths if my eyes are functioning correctly...

m1thr0s

[Frater Yechidah]

Ave m1thr0s,

In the account given above by Neshamah, he mentioned that this was the first Tree used, by Greek-speaking Jewish Kabbalists (Greek was the dominant language back then, with all the Gnostic texts being written originally in Greek and translated later to Coptic, etc.). Given this, and the fact that there are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, it's not too surprising to see why there'd be 24 paths.

Still, it's a bit of a "mind blow" to modern magicians, since the 22 Paths/Letters has become standard practice.

Excellent lecture, Neshamah. There are a few images here I've never seen before :)

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

[m1thr0s]

Thanks Frater Yechidah...I suppose I wasn't very clear. It isn't the 24 paths in themselves that I find confusing so much as the arrangement of paths surrounding Daath as well as the removal of paths from Tiphareth to Binah and Chokmah. One of the compelling things about the Tree of Life as it has evolved down to the present is its elegant simplicity of form. Regardless of its reasons, the first (or so-called Greek) Tree is artistically conjested in the entire Triad of Heaven. Things of this nature may seem very subtle but over time they take their toll, so it does not surprize me to find that this arrangement has not been more widely adopted, despite certain advantages with respect to numerology.

Even so, it is always good to see these kinds of variations and serves as an excellent reminder I think that the Tree of Life is constantly evolving...continuously on the move seeking out its own best possible equilibrium over time.

m1thr0s