This is just notes

The name of the 9th sphirah is Yesod which means foundation. Rabbi Azriel of Gerona refers to it as Tsaddiq Yesod ‘Olam (which means the Righteous one is foundation of the world). Many of the descriptions of Yesod fit neatly with descriptions of energy work but it is important in order to truly understand the nature of Kabbalah we must consider the texts in light of their own background.

Shaddai El Chai (and other names associated with Yesod)

The name associated with this sphirah is Shaddai El Chai (ShDI AL ChY). This name can be translated as the almighty living god, the almighty god lives and the almighty one of god lives.

The word Shaddai (ShDY) means Almighty but can aso be considered to be the words “she di” (Sh DY) which is to mean “that’s enough”. Gikatilla paints this as a words exausted on the lips of those into whom Shaddai El Chai’s power flows.

El means god. It has the same route as Elohim, Allah and Elohi. It appears frequently at the sames of angels such as Michael (which means “who is like god”), Raphael (“healing of god”), Gabriel (“strength of god”) and Auriel (“light of god”) and it appears in many other words too. Israel (“God-Wrestler”) and Immanuel (“With us, is God”). El is meant to represent god’s loving kindness.

Occassionally the name appears as El Chai which Gikatilla describes all life in the universe bound. El (AL) is also described as the most gracious living kindness of god. He describes El Chai has being the power of Adonai.

The relationship of this name with the concept of life then encourages classical kabbalists to consider the application of “let the earth bring forth all types of living creature”. Because this verse refers to “all types” it is believes to include Angels and various other beings including the soul of the Messiah (annointed one).

Gikatilla notes that El Chai is attached to Adonai which allows those who approach god through the name Adonai to ask of god’s loving kindness what they seek. This is a method of prayer that would get you what you want.

The complete withdrawal of all life from Adonai to El Chai is suggested by Gikatilla as having the power to bring life to all living creatures.

Elohim Chayyim

Gikatilla also gives the name Elohim Chayyim. It is worth noting that the “im” ending of Elohim indicates a plural just like how the “s” at the end of many English words makes them plural (“banana” / “bananas”) but Elohim is used like a singular word. “For example, it would say the Hebrew equivalent of “Elohim says” not “Elohim say”.)

This name is described in a very confusing way in Gikatilla’s writing (Gates of Light Shaare Aura) but from what I can interpret from the text, It describes the following mechanism for delivering life from the power of God to living creatures. it suggests that the life of god forms a pool (similar to the word for blessing) in the name Elohim, which is associated with the 5th Emanation. When this pool is “emptied” to fill El Chai, then through the channels out from the pool all creatures are filled with life.

Eternal Life

Gikatilla (who is believed to have died sometime after 1305 but when exactly is not known) said that immortal life is achieved by cleaving to El Chai and praying to El Chai through Adonai. Often it is difficult to understand what he means when he says Adonai. In many instances, he uses it as the name associated with Malkuth, but frequently I am brought to the conclusion that he just means God as a whole. In this instance I think he is saying stick closely to God praying to him with the name El Chai to achieve eternal life.

Eretz Chaiim (ARTz ChYYM)

Gikatilla notes in his Gates of Light that when life of all beings (El Chai) continues through ADNI then the Eretz Chaiim (or Land of Life / Land of Lives) manifests. This is the world in which all the life of the upper parts of the tree are manifested. For many astral projectors this is the Astral Plane, but I have not yet seen any classical kabbalist describe it in said terms.

The Astral Double of Malkuth

Yesod is often referred to as the astral double of the earth / Malkuth. For me, there’s a slight difference between the Etheric Plane which often acts like a double of the earth, which I would associate with Malkuth, and the Astral plane which I would associate with Yesod. This view is UPG and comes from practising the magic taught by Franz Bardon in his Initiation into Hermetics rather than a good source work of Thelema or Qabalah.

Yesod the Holy Spirit and the Sublimated Phallus

In her writing, Dion Fortune equates Kether, Tiphereth and Yesod to the holy trinity of Christianity: Kether being the father, Tiphereth being the son and Yesod being the Holy Spirit.

In the Fool section of the Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley refers to the Holy Spirit as the phallus of the YHVH in its most sublimated form. Although Crowley often refers to the Holy Spirit as Venus which would normally be associated with Netzach, he also refers to Yesod as the Holy Spirit as well. In his Book of Lies, he mentions the Tau path from Yesod to Malkuth as the manifestation of said phallus. (I think the phallus symbolises the creative, self-sacrificing and resurrecting spiritual power). I have drawn these triangles on the Tree of Life which for me symbolises the phallus, both erect and sublimated.