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40th out of 190 books
—
79 voters
The Mystical Qabalah
by
Dion Fortune
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.
Paperback, 360 pages
Published
September 1st 2000
by Weiser Books
(first published January 1st 200)
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My favorite basic book on the 17th century Kabbalistic tree of Life. Good explanation of how the sephiroth and paths work together. Great primer for building the proper correspondences to each part of otz chiim, which then leads to the phenomenological understanding of the inner workings of the tree.
I've read this one several times, riveted all the more with every read as the concepts resonate and form a whole infrastructure.
I've read this one several times, riveted all the more with every read as the concepts resonate and form a whole infrastructure.
Very clear introduction to the Qabalah - for NON-Jewish mystics. It is important to note that the Qabalah is used differently in a lot of non-Jewish mysticism than it is in Jewish circles. Very good book. Focuses primarily on the Sephiroth rather than the paths. Fantastic introduction to the topic.
Forget the Qabalah you hear about from Hollywood and Madonna. This is an excellent book devoting a chapter to each of the sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Philosophically interesting regardless of your beliefs.
Dec 06, 2007
Fredstrong
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in the Western Qabalah
Shelves:
all-time-favorites,
hermetic
The Qabalah is a very complex system, and one can spend liftimes studying it. This is the best introduction to what can seem overwhelming at the start.
A great book for those who want to delve more deeply into Tarot. Fortune's writing style is more accessible and practically oriented than is offered by most occult writers. Her work is as researched and as complex--focusing on good/evil-- as that of her male contemporaries (Crowley, eg.) She is not as hip amongst neo-occult, post-wicca circles--probably due to a cultural bias which elevates the contributions of male writers to high art (when men cook they are chefs, when they make crafts they ar...more
A clear explanation of the philosophical structure of the Hermetic Kabbalah, filled with easily-understandable but profound analogies and metaphors to point the way towards true understanding.
Dion Fortune, being a magician and psychic in the early 20th Century, clothed her discourse with much discussion of the practicum of magic. My interest being primarily to use the Kabbalah as a vehicle to aid thought, I skipped through all the discussion of invocations and ether and psychic emanations.
What i...more
Dion Fortune, being a magician and psychic in the early 20th Century, clothed her discourse with much discussion of the practicum of magic. My interest being primarily to use the Kabbalah as a vehicle to aid thought, I skipped through all the discussion of invocations and ether and psychic emanations.
What i...more
This is actually the first book I've read on the Qabalah of the Western Mystery Tradition, and I'm very much glad that I began here instead of somewhere else, such as Crowley. Like most of the glowing reviews before this one, I can't recommend this book enough to the curious occultist, and especially beginners. I've been practicing Qabalistic magic for about 3 months now, and this book more than any other (besides Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig) has facilitated more wisdom and understandi...more
I read this book many years ago when I was first being introduced to Qabalah. There seemed just enough detail to make it interesting (on re-reading it, actually there is a whole lot more that I didn't grasp at first), but not enough to confuse me, and the writing style is clear and concise. It amalgamated my lessons, brought them into perspective, really helped me to understand and whetted my appetite for more. I would recommend this to anyone getting into these teachings as a sound basis.
The Mystical Qabalah espouses a very practical approach to the Kabbalah. This really works for me. Dion Fortune keeps the information in a nice concise format. When I need even more detail I usually go to A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolismby Gareth Knight. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to delve deeper into the Kabbalah without being overwhelmed.
Aug 10, 2011
Parker East
added it
The Mystical Qabalah is far and away the best introduction to the esoteric tradition of the Kaballah available. The only exception I take is to the section on Yesod that needs updating due to out of date scientific analogies. This is a supreme reference to the West's body of mystical heritage that makes other books in the field look decidedly substandard.
Nov 30, 2009
Christina Croft
added it
I love Dion Fortune but I found this book quite difficult to fully absorb and understand. Perhaps it is a life's work to understand it and I have been told this is one of the most staight forward and simple books on the subject. It is something to which I shall return, I am sure, but it is certainly not an 'easy' read, I think!!
Some complain that this book is written in "the old-fashioned-style English." Well, thank the gods for that! What a breath of fresh air is Dion Fortune's ability to clothe the formlessness of Kabbalah in her readily understandible and Romantic imagination.
The Starting Point. In some cases the end point. I finally understood the forces that act upon us all. The male and female, the being and nothingness and the forces that move between them that spin the universe along its way and move us. Ad Lucem.
Thankful to have had this as my introduction to hermetic qabalah. Just the right mix of depth and simplicity to allow one to move onto more complex readings and learning the relationships between sephiroth, path-working, etc.
This book is a Kabbalistic masterpiece, which I find myself frequently referring to in order to understand the characteristics of the Spherioth I am working with at any particular time.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Dion Fortune's writing style. It was a rather complex read, though, and not really for someone without a prior knowlege of Qabalah.
Thought provoking insights into a tradition that has since become a bit of a fad. I couldn't but feel that I had selected the right book on the subject.
Dion Fortune is a wealth of occult knowledge. This is one of my favorite books on Qabalistic thought. A little more advanced than some on the subject.
Jun 30, 2009
Ryan
is currently reading it
I am always "currently reading" this book as it is not the kind of book that one can "finish".
The absolute best book on the Qabalah - and I have read more than a few!
A great, graphycal and simple explanation of the Qabalah knowledges.
if you really want to know about the Q abalah, read it.
Dec 24, 2008
Barry
marked it as to-read
A perfect compliment to "The Essence of Kabbalah", a smaller volume that includes almost daily devotionals of the Kabbalistic belief system. This book, on the other hand, delves deeper into the meanings and practical uses of the kabbalistic Tree of Life and its sefirophs. Sometimes difficult (in a good way) to wrap your mind around the philosphies and ideas pertaining to this belief system, it turns out to be exactly what I've been looking for in my quest to understand this mystical system. (It...more
Took what I like and left the rest.
I borrowed this book for reading, but I must buy a copy for reference.
Reading this one in bits and pieces. It's a great resource! Fantastic for delving into deeper pathworking. That said, it feels more helpful when read after or in conjunction with other, more simplified texts on the qabala.
Maybe I need to grow a little bit more to really understand this book! I will read it again soon!
Es un libro complejo o tal vez debo madurar un poco mas para entender este libro. Lo retomare muy pronto.
Es un libro complejo o tal vez debo madurar un poco mas para entender este libro. Lo retomare muy pronto.
Jan 30, 2008
Terese Matheson
added it
The Qabalah is a very complex system, and one can spend liftimes studying it. This is the best introduction to what can seem overwhelming at the start.
Highly informative but very dry (aka boring) read. This is a must read classic for anyone interested in ceremonial magick or Hermetic Kabbalah.
Best intro to Hermetic Qabalah.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Black Maven: The Mystical Qabala | 1 | 1 | Aug 17, 2011 11:08am |
Violet Mary Firth Evans (better known as Dion Fortune), was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" (Latin for "by God, not fate").
From 1919 she began writing a number of novels and short stories that explored various aspects of magic and mysticism, including The Demon Lover, The Winged Bull, The Goat-Foot God, and The Secrets of Dr. Tavern...more
More about Dion Fortune...
From 1919 she began writing a number of novels and short stories that explored various aspects of magic and mysticism, including The Demon Lover, The Winged Bull, The Goat-Foot God, and The Secrets of Dr. Tavern...more
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