Foundations of Kabbalah
History, the Book of Formation, the Zohar, and the Western adaptation.
5 stagesIntroductionFoundationPrimary SourcesDevelopmentAdvanced Study
This path separates the Jewish mystical tradition from its later Christian and occult adaptations, so that you always know which Kabbalah you are reading.
Who This Path Is For
Readers new to Kabbalah who want a historically honest foundation before the occult Qabalah.
The Syllabus
1
Introduction
Introductory text
Ginsburg and Franck: the first scholarly accounts in English and French.
The Kabbalah: Its Doctrines, Development, and Literature
Christian D. Ginsburg
2
Foundation
Foundational text
The Book of Formation: letters, numbers and the structure of creation.
3
Primary Sources
Major development
Books of the Zohar, via Knorr von Rosenroth’s Latin and Mathers’ English.
4
Development
Later currents
Practical and numerical Kabbalah, closer to magic.
5
Advanced Study
Advanced and interpretive
Dion Fortune’s Hermetic Qabalah: a modern Western synthesis, best read last.
