The Kabbalah is one of the most esoteric and yet practical systems for expanding our consciousness and unfolding our spiritual gifts and awareness. Within it lies the ability to unlock the remembrance of who we are and to allow that power to flow through us. Predating any religion or theology, the Kabbalah is like a map of the hidden treasures within us. It leads to buried lands within our consciousness where we can find treasures and wonders to enhance and fulfill our lives.

Kabbalah is the Hebrew word meaning “to receive” inner wisdom, from “mouth to ear,” an oral tradition. There are many books written about the Kabbalah and there are also two primary texts: The Sepher Yetzirah (The Book of Formation) and The Zohar (The Book of Splendor). Both are written with a great deal of depth, but for the needs and purpose of this article I will keep it very simple for all of us on this journey of personal evolution and spiritual growth.

The central teaching of the Kabbalah is that we once lived in total communion with God, but by some cosmic catastrophic event we were cast out of this marvelous state and now we yearn to return. The study and exercises of the Kabbalah have one single aim: to return to the paradise from whence we came. This birth into the physical world and our journey to return and to have a direct experience with God is illustrated by the “The Tree of Life.” The power of this symbol is in its flexibility and the many different levels it contains that provide us with insights into the world we live in and our psychological make-up. The Tree of Life can be likened to a map. It describes how our mind works and reveals a profound understanding of our essence and our spirit.

The basic building blocks of the Tree of Life are called the ten Sephiroths, spheres or enumerations that hold a distinct quality, vibration or essence to them. To further the study, there are 22 pathways which further explore our relationship to these spheres and how we perceive these relationships through our own life here in the physical world and our life as we conceive of it in the spiritual world. The Kabbalah is also represented by “The Three Pillars,” direct pathways to God either through the left pillar of severity, the right pillar of mercy or the middle pillar of love. Respectively, the left pillar is that of Religion, the right pillar is that of Philosophy, and the middle pillar is that of the Ritual Master. Through the study of these Sephiroths, pathways, and pillars we find our way back to the garden and once again stand only in the light of God.

But let us take a look at the process and how it works. When we are born, our spirit has chosen to incarnate in a physical body. In this process, according to the Kabbalah, our spirit enters in through the 1st Sephiroth, the Crown, KETHER, the ultimate source, the mind of God. From there we travel down the tree to the sphere of Wisdom, CHOKMAH (2), and then to Understanding, the world of BINAH (3). Further down the tree to Mercy, CHESED (4), then to Severity, GEBURAH (5), then we travel to Beauty, TIPARETH (6) and onto Victory, NETZACH (7), where then we go to Thought or our Mind represented by HOD (8). From there we establish a Foundation with YESOD (9) and finally we are born into the physical world of MALKUTH, the 10th Sephiroth.

As a spirit being, we are all knowing, completely connected to God. As we travel down the tree in a lightning bolt fashion of creation, the denser it becomes and we begin to lose our clear connection. So at birth coming into a physical body, just the mere density of it creates a disconnection. As children, we were perhaps our closest to God. But at the same time, we had to survive in this physical world and our perceptions slowly began to erode away with beliefs and misconceptions handed down to us by our parents and those around us. Soon the innocence is replaced with fear and the pain we experience in the physical world seems to be everywhere. But at some point in time, we “wake up” and the question is asked: “Who am I?” Thus begins our journey back up the tree and it will always start in Malkuth, because we are physical beings and we live in this physical world.

The first and most profound of all Kabbalistic teachings is that everything we need in order to return to the Garden is found right here in the physical. All we have to do is to live our life fully and completely. This sounds very straightforward, but in reality it is difficult because there are so many distractions that pull us away from being in the now. Often times, we are so busy that we lose ourselves in ourselves and forget the reality of life which is simplicity. This reflects the virtue of "Malkuth", discrimination: we need to be aware of the influences around us in order to discriminate between what is good and what is bad, but often this is too difficult or takes too much effort, so we just let it go and inertia sets in, the vice of Malkuth.

Next we travel up the Tree to "Yesod", represented by the ever changing Moon. It is the foundation for how we perceive and interpret the world. It is our sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touching; it is the Earth, Water, Air, and Fire of all our senses. It is our communication with the world around us and it is the emergence of our communication with God. It is to be impeccable with our words, for energy follows thought, and our words are an expression of our thoughts. It is to be independent and to stand strongly within yourself and not to be consumed by idleness.

This leads us to "Hod", our mind, the splendor of learning, and the demand upon ourselves to “Know Thyself.” It is about being truthful with yourself and not falling prey to dishonesty or mental rigidity. “Who are you and Why are you here?” Ask yourself those questions over and over and the keys will begin to turn and unlock the doors to your own consciousness, and all the answers are there—we have just forgotten the essential questions. All the memory is there; we just have to remember how to access it.

This is what the Kabbalah teaches—how to access all the knowledge that you already have and are entitled to. It is only through our birth into the physical that we have forgotten so much and it is only through living the physical and using our will that we remember what we are entitled to—and that is to be like God. We are created in the image of the Divine Union, the he/she creator of all things, the divine spark that triggers our own creative forces, for we have come from nothing and from everything, and we shall return to the garden with everything only to fully realize that we need nothing at all. What an honor and a privilege it is to experience this life—this is what the Kabbalah teaches. It is not without struggle, but it is getting through that struggle and knowing you can do it, just do it.

We continue up the tree through the other six spheres until we reach "Kether" the crown. A crown is not part of a king, but a king cannot rule without it. So it is with Kether, nothing can “be” without it, yet it is above and beyond all things. The experience of Kether is union with God. As such, it is our divine right to attain this union and return to the garden living in this physical world. It is what we yearn for, to return to the source.

The Mystical Kabbalah is just that; it is experiencing each Sephiroth and the different levels that pertain to each one through idea, thought, creativity, and manifestation. We can read a lot of material and think about the Kabbalah, but taking the path of the Mystical Kabbalah actually puts you in the Sephiroth to live it and experience it (which is done through an initiation into that sphere). The energies are called in and you begin to actually live the characteristics of that sphere. This is a very old and ancient way of learning. It progresses you on your path by direct experience and relating your own life experiences up to this point as well. The Kabbalah will help you eliminate mind clutter, change the way you think from negative to positive, and awaken spiritual aspects of yourself that have been your gifts from birth. In studying the Kabbalah, its primary goal is revelation of the profound mystery of the human purpose by knowing oneself.

Melody Laakso-Dickinson has been studying the Kabbalah for some time now and sponsors classes in studying the Mystical Kabbalah. She has been a practicing Reiki Master/Teacher for 10 years, is a 2nd level Ritual Master and 2nd level Teacher through the Mystery Schools within the lineage of King Solomon. Melody also does DNA activations along with the King Solomon Healing Modality which is a series of 10 sessions that goes through every aspect of your being for healing. You may reach Melody at (509) 869-7158 or e-mail her at:  melodyld@direcway.com for more information. There is currently a Mystical Kabbalah class that started May 7th and 8th, but for those who are interested, you may join the second session held in September.
 

Circa 2000 BCE, the G-d of the ancient Israelites established a divine covenant with Abraham, making him the patriarch of many nations. From his name, the term Abramic Religions is derived; these are the three religions which trace their roots back to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book of Genesis describes the events surrounding the lives of the four patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Moses was the next leader. He led his people out of captivity in Egypt, and received the Law from G-d. After decades of wandering through wilderness, Joshua led the tribes into the promised land, driving out the Canaanites through a series of military battles.

The original tribal organization was converted into a Kingdom by Samuel; its first king was Saul. The second king, David, established Jerusalem as the religious and political center. The third king, Solomon built the first temple there.

Division into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah occurred shortly after the death of Solomon in 922 BCE. Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BCE; Judah fell to the Babylonians in 587 BCE. The temple was destroyed. Some Jews returned from captivity under the Babylonians and started to restore the temple in 536 BCE. Alexander the Great invaded the area in 332 BCE. From circa 300 to 63 BCE, Greek became the language of commerce, and Greek culture had a major influence on Judaism. In 63 BCE, the Roman Empire took control of Palestine.

Three religious sects had formed by the 1st century AD: the Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes. Many anticipated the arrival of a Messiah who would drive the Roman invaders out and restore independence. Christianity was established initially as a Jewish sect, centered in Jerusalem. Paul broke with this tradition and spread the religion to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Many mini-revolts led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 CE. The Jewish Christians were wiped out or scattered at this time. The movement started by Paul flourished and quickly evolved into a separate religion. Jews were scattered throughout the known world. Their religion was no longer centered in Jerusalem; Jews were prohibited from setting foot there. Judaism became decentralized and stopped seeking converts. The local synagogue became the new center of Jewish life, and authority shifted from the centralized priesthood to local scholars and teachers, giving rise to Rabbinic Judaism.

The period from the destruction of the temple onward give rise to heavy persecution by Christians throughout Europe and Russia. The latter held the Jews continuously responsible for the execution of Jesus. In the 1930s and 1940s, Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi party drew on centuries of anti-Semitism (and upon their own psychotic beliefs in racial purity) when they organized the Holocaust, the attempted extermination of all Jews in Europe. About 6 million were killed in one of the world's greatest examples of religious and racial intolerance.

A Zionist movement was a response to persecution. Their initial goal was create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The state of Israel was formed on 1948-MAY-18.

There are currently about 18 million Jews throughout the world; about 7 million live in North America.

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Jewish Texts

The Tanakh corresponds to the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) in the Christian bible. It is composed of three groups of books:

   - the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
   - the Nevi'im: the Prophetic books of Isaiah, Amos, etc.
   - the Ketuvim: the "Writings" including Kings, Chronicles, etc.

The Talmud contains stories, laws, medical knowledge, debates about moral choices, etc. It is composed of material which mainly comes from two sources:

The Mishnah, 6 chapters containing a series of laws from the Hebrew Scriptures, arranged about 200 CE.

The Gemera (one Babylonian and one Palestinian) which is an assembly of comments from hundreds of Rabbis from 200 - 500 CE, along with a passage from the Mishnah.

Jewish Beliefs

- G-d is the creator and absolute ruler of the universe.

- Jewish belief is unlike the Christian concept of original sin (the belief that all people have   inherited Adam and Eve's sin when they disobeyed G-d's instructions in the Garden of Eden). Judaism affirms the inherent goodness of the world and its people as creations of G-d. Believers are able to sanctify their lives and draw closer to G-d by fulfilling mitzvot (divine commandments). No savior is needed as an intermediary.

- The Jews are G-d's chosen people.

- The Ten commandments, as delineated in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuterotomy 5:6-21, form the core of Jewish life.

- The need to follow the many dietary and other laws of the Torah.

- Boys reach the status of Bar Mitzvah (literally son of the commandment) on their 13th birthday; girls reach Bat Mitzvah (daughter of the commandment) on their 12th birthday. This means that they are recognized as adults and are personally responsible to follow the Jewish commandments and laws; they are allowed to lead a religious service; they are counted in a "minyan" (a quota necessary to perform certain parts of religious services); they can sign contracts; they can testify in religious courts; theoretically, they can marry, although the Talmud recommends 18 to 24 as the proper age for marriage.

Jewish Practices

They include:
-  Observation of the Sabbath (day of rest), starting at sundown on Friday evening.

-  Strict religious discipline governs almost all areas of life.

-  Regular attendance at Synagogue.

-  Celebration of the annual festivals including:
The Passover, which is held each Spring to recall their deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. A ritual Seder meal is eaten in each observing Jewish home at this time.

The 10 days from Rosh Hashanah (New Year) to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) which are days of fasting and penitence.

-  Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies are commonly held to recognize the coming-of-age of a Jewish youth. Shortly after their birthday, (13th for a male; 12th for a female), they recite a blessing during a Saturday Shabbat service. In most cases, they might handle additional functions, like reading the assigned text from the Torah, or leading the congregation in prayer. etc.. They often make a speech which, by tradition, starts with "Today I am a man." The youth's father often recites a blessing in appreciation for no longer being burdened with the responsibility of his child's sins. Within Orthodox and Chasidic practice, women are not allowed to take leadership roles in religious services. For them, a Bat Mitzvah celebration is basically a party.

- The local synagogue is governed by the congregation and led by a rabbi who has been chosen by the congregation. The Chief Rabbis in France and Great Britain have authority only by the agreement of those who accept it. Two Chief Rabbis in Israel have civil authority in areas of family law.

Jewish Sects

There are five main forms of Judaism in the world today:

Conservative* Judaism:
This began in the mid-nineteenth century as a reaction against the Reform movement. It is a main-line movement midway between Reform and Orthodox.

Humanistic Judaism:
This is a small group, mainly composed of atheists and agnostics, who regard mankind as the measure of all things.

Orthodox* Judaism:
This the oldest and most conservative form of Judaism. They attempt to observe their religion as close to its original forms as possible. They look upon every word in their sacred texts as being divinely inspired.

Reconstructist Judaism:
This is a new liberal movement started by Mordecai Kaplan as an attempt to unify and revitalize the religion. They reject the concept that Jews are a uniquely favored and chosen people. They have no connection at all with Christian Reconstructionism, which is an ultra-conservative form of Christianity.

Reform* Judaism:
They are a liberal group, who follow the ethical laws of Judaism, but leave up to the individual the decision whether to follow or ignore the dietary and other traditional laws. They use modern forms of worship.

* These are the largest forms of Judaism

Briefly:
Circa 1800 BCE -  Somewhere near this time, Terah and his son Abram (later named Abraham) move from the Sumerian city of Ur to the city of Haran. It is now that Abraham declares his belief in the One Lord God, which initiates the beginning of Judaism. Abraham marries Sarai (later named Sarah). Abraham sires a son with Sarah, Ytzchak (Issac), and a son with his handmaiden, Hagar, Ishmael. Later, Abraham and his extended clan move to the land of Canaan  (Israel).

There was a great deal of activity around Palestine during this period of history. The Egyptians and the Sumerians were building empires while the inhabitants of Palestine were building small city states. From one of the cities of the Chaldean empire, Ur, the people of Israel were to spring from their ancestor Abraham. Those who would later be known as Israelites began their history in the mists of ancient Chaldea. They would come to be known as Hebrews because they were nomads, "habiru," who wandered from their ancestral home to the land of the Canaanites.

It is to their ancestor, Abraham, that we now turn. He lived at the dawn of the second millennium and became the ancestor of a people who have outlived all of their Ancient Near Eastern contemporaries. There are Jews, but there are no more Edomites or Assyrians, or Babylonians or Hittites or Sumerians. Who was Abraham and how did he live? These are the questions on which we now must focus our attention as we move from the 3rd millennium to the second.

The story of Abraham brings us, in our progress through the history of the Old Testament, for the first time onto the stage of Biblical history. (Though, quite frankly, there is no archaeological evidence or extra-biblical evidence of any kind to corroborate this material). The first eleven chapters of Genesis have to do with the incursion and spread of sin; while the story of Abraham begins the historical account of God's solution to the problem of sin. Abraham is to be the father of many nations who will be blessed by him. He will, eventually, be the ancestor of the one who solved the sin problem ultimately and completely -- Jesus the Christ.

Who was this Abraham (whose name was Abram when we first meet him)?

Abraham began life in one of the more significant city states of the Sumerian empire. Ur (Tell el-Muqayyar), in south-Babylon, was the political and religious center of Sumeria and Akkadia. He migrated from there to Haran and eventually to Canaan. The archaeologist W.F. Albright believed that Abraham was one of the many "Donkey-caravaners" who traveled and traded along the route from the south of Sumeria to the borders of Egypt during the end of the 2nd millennium BC

Abram, or Abraham most likely means "the father is exalted." The situations which the Old Testament describe Abraham being involved in, were typical of the nomadic lifestyle. He lived in tents and not houses; he struggled for position in the territory he inhabited as a "stranger;" he conducted battles for possession of wells to supply his caravan with water; and he traveled a great deal.

His travels took him to places like Bethel, Shechem, Hebron, Beersheba, Gerar, Gilead, Penuel, and Succoth, among others in the land of Canaan. He worshipped at the sanctuaries of the Cannanites at Beersheba (where El-Olam was worshipped); and at Beerlacharoi (where El-Roi was worshipped) and at Shechem (where Ba'al Berith was worshipped). Abraham's life was thus a migratory one; wherein he was constantly moving from place to place. Beyond these facts, there is little that can be said about the historical Abraham,. Or indeed, that there was a historical Abraham at all (for, according to Lemche, the name is simply an eponym).