Qlippoth

In the Zohar, Lurianic Kabbalah, and Hermetic Qabalah, the qlippoth (Hebrew: קְלִיפּוֹת, romanized: qəlippoṯ, originally Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: קְלִיפִּין, romanized: qəlippin, plural of קְלִפָּה qəlippā; literally "peels", "shells", or "husks"), are the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the opposites of the Sefirot. The realm of evil is called Sitra Achra (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: סִטְרָא אַחְרָא, romanized: siṭrā ʾaḥrā, lit. 'The Other Side') in Kabbalistic texts.

In the Zohar

The qlippoth are first mentioned in the Zohar, where they are described as being created by God to function as a nutshell for holiness. The text subsequently relays an esoteric interpretation of the text of Genesis creation narrative in Genesis 1:14, which describes God creating the moon and sun to act as "luminaries" in the sky. The verse "Let there be luminaries (מְאֹרֹת)," uses a defective spelling of the Hebrew word for "luminaries", resulting in a written form identical to the Hebrew word for "curses". In the context of the Zohar, interpreting the verse as calling the moon and sun "curses" is given mystic significance, personified by a description of the moon descending into the realm of Beri'ah, where it began to belittle itself and dim its own light, both physically and spiritually. The resulting darkness gave birth to the qlippoth. Reflecting this, they are thenceforth generally synonymous with "darkness" itself.

Later, the Zohar gives specific names to some of the qlippot, relaying them as counterparts to certain sephirot: Mashchith (Hebrew: מַשְׁחִית, romanized: mašḥīṯ, lit. 'destroyer') to Chesed, Af (Hebrew: אַף, romanized: ʾap̄, lit. 'anger') to Gevurah, and Hema (Hebrew: חֵמָה, romanized: ḥēmā, lit. 'wrath') to Tiferet. It also names Avon (Hebrew: עָוֹן, romanized: ʿāvōn, lit. 'iniquity'), Tohu (Hebrew: תֹהוּ, romanized: tōhū, lit. 'formless'), Bohu (Hebrew: בֹהוּ, romanized: bōhū, lit. 'void'), Esh (Hebrew: אֵשׁ, romanized: ʿēš, lit. 'fire'), and Tehom (Hebrew: תְּהוֹם, romanized: təhōm, lit. 'deep'), but does not relate them to any corresponding sefira. Though the Zohar clarifies that each of the sefirot and qlippoth are 1:1, even down to having equivalent partzufim, it does not give all of their names.

In Hermetic Qabalah

Mathers' interpretation

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin Kabbala denudata (1684) (translated The Kabbalah Unveiled by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers) equates these forces with the Kings of Edom and also offers the suggestion they are the result of an imbalance towards Gedulah, the Pillar of Mercy or the merciful aspect of God, and have since been destroyed. In subsequent Hermetic teachings, the qlippoth have tended, much like the sefiroth, to be interpreted as mystical worlds or entities, and merged with ideas derived from demonology.

In most descriptions, there are seven divisions of Hell; Sheol or Tehom; Abaddon or Tzoah Rotachat; Be'er Shachat Hebrew: בְּאֵר שַׁחַת, lit. 'pit of corruption' or Mashchit; Bor Shaon (Hebrew: בּוֹר שָׁאוֹן, lit. 'cistern of sound') or Tit ha-Yaven (Hebrew: טִיט הַיָוֵן, lit. 'clinging mud'); Dumah or Sha'are Mavet (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת, lit. 'gates of death'); Neshiyyah (Hebrew: נְשִׁיָּה, lit. 'oblivion, "Limbo"') or Tzalmavet; and Eretz Tachtit (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית, lit. 'lowest earth, Gehenna'), twelve qlippothic orders of demons, three powers before Satan, and twenty-two demons which correspond to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Crowley and Regardie

According to Aleister Crowley, the three evil forms (before Samael), are said to be Qemetial, Belial, and Othiel.

Crowley (who calls them "Orders of Qliphoth") and Israel Regardie list the qlippoth and their associated sephiroth on the tree of life as:

1. Thaumiel, associated with Kether
2. Ghogiel, associated with Chokmah
3. Satariel, associated with Binah
4. Agshekeloh, associated with Chesed
5. Golohab, associated with Geburah
6. Tagiriron, associated with Tiphareth
7. Gharab Tzerek, associated with Netzach
8. Samael, associated with Hod
9. Gamaliel, associated with Yesod
10. Lilith, associated with Malkuth.

Kenneth Grant

Kenneth Grant suggested Lovecraft's description of Yog-Sothoth as a conglomeration of "malignant globes" may have been inspired by the qlippoth.

See also

• Fallen angel
• Sorcery (goetia)
• Tohu and Tikun
• Typhonian Order
• Yetzer hara

References

Works cited

Further reading

External links

• On the Nature of the Qlippoth