Welcome. This site attempts to be the broadest, least partisan, and most informed source about Kabbalah available on the WWW.
Not gonna lie, this makes me deeply uncomfortable. Kabbalah is just a word for Jewish mysticism. It is closed practice and non-Jews aren’t supposed to delve deep into it, not because Jews have this weird sinister desire to hide this hidden knowledge but because it has gotten us murdered in the past. The word cabal is specifically in reference to Kabbalah. Alongside that, most resources on Kabbalah you find online is deeply inaccurate or completely misinterpreted outside of the specific Jewish context. Within the religious context of Judaism though, there is a commonly held opinion that non-Jews who attempt to study Kabbalah will be driven to madness by it.
Kabbalah makes any sense only if you buy into the whole Judaism to begin with since it’s basically the same concepts from Torah just more granular and spooky-sounding words written probably by less than completely sane Jewish minds in various books (like Sohar). Studying it while not having any investment in Judaism makes the same amount of sense as studying tantric practices without being an actual devout Vajrayana monk. That is to say you’ll get misled completely by questionable sources and as a result make a trashcan out of your brain. I mean that’s the whole point of popular occultism I guess and who are we to really judge.
How does this even make any sense. Kabbalah isn’t actually mystical or magical like you make it seem. It seems more like a look into how the world is. Idk why it would make any difference who studies it and whether or not they’re Jewish lol
The Wikipedia page literally says “Kabbalah is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism”. So yes, it is mystical, it’s often otherwise just known as “Jewish mysticism”.
Yeah but if you actually study Kabbalah there’s nothing “magic” or “mystic” about it.
The madness of Kabbalah may explain some of Madonna, but I’d bet more on societal pressure, her being a successful woman and all.
Still, you’re right, in a time where powerful elected officials are fearmongering about magical jewish space lasers, the spread of misinformation can be costly.
Eh, Hermetic Qabbalah has been a part of Western Esotericism since the 17th century, and one of its foundations. I would say its a spiritual practice inspired by the Jewish Kabbalah, but wholly separate from it.
Yeah, if I remembered it right, there’s some source on that site about difference between Jewish Kabbalah & Hermetic Kabbalah.
Oh yeah, if you click on “historical background” in the sidebar, it shows the split and the syncretic influences.
Honestly, good luck. (Parts of) western occultism is steeped in antisemitism and built on demonization of jews and appropriation of judaism & jewish culture. Its super disheartening to see what basically amounts to ‘lies that got us killed’ revered as great and amazing works. Especially the “jewish magician” bullshit.
To quote Gershom Scholem on hermetic qabalah (via Ezra Rose): “[…] the activities of the French and English occultists contributed nothing and only served to create considerable confusion between the teachings of the Kabbalah and own totally unrelated inventions, such as the alleged kabbalistic origins of the Tarot-cards. To this category of supreme charlatanism belong the many and widely read books of Eliphas Levi (actually Alphonse Louis Constant; 1810-1875), Papus (Gérard Encausse; 1868-1916), and Frater Perdurabo (Aleister Crowley; 1875-1946), all of whom had an infinitesimal knowledge of Kabbalah that did not prevent them from drawing freely on their imaginations instead.”
Western Esotericism has probably been the most pro-Jewish religion there is. There is no end to authors that praise Kabbalah as signifying the Jews having figured out the divine mysteries, from Johannes Reuchlin, to Agrippa, to Pico Mirandola. Scholem is talking about English Occultists twisting Kabbalah, like John Dee, and most likely Christian Kabbalists. Have you read the whole book?
Well now I just wanna read it more…
Although I can’t say I empathize with you, in my experience the phenomenon is prevalent. I was in some kind of Jungian community back in reddit, and there’re different branches dismissing each other. Yet, it’s not that useful to tell others “stop doing your system”. “Here’s why my system is better” works better, but it’s not available in this situation.
Your comment is nice to be here, for those concerned about the issue would stop now. For those still want to know Hermetic Kabbalah, that site is cool.
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Lol, are you implying kabbalah is some “trendy satanic shit”. It may be weird for them to participate in it for the reason gabuwu stated, not this.
Also funny you mention going back to reddit, since the reason I left was because the official app kept shoving the “he gets us” jesus ads down my Jewish throat 24/7.
Edit: phrasing
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Oh cool! I didn’t know there was evidence.
Please do share your evidence that Jesus was the son of God and savior to all people.
Go on. Convert me.
You out here leading your own little inquisition. Keep coping.
Evidence?
lol
Cool site. Really dig the 90s aesthetic.
TLDR?
