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Summary: Priceless Guide to The Cabalah--Like having a Teacher !
Review: For nearly ten years, I have flirted with the idea of studying Cabalah (Kabalah, Qabalah--however you want to spell it) and I have been a member of several Mystery Schools and Masonic organizations that espouse the need to study Cabalah.... However, until I found this book, I just was not sure where to begin (this decision was difficult, pre-Internet) !Previous to reading this book, I knew of Gematria, Notariquon, Temura and the basic layout of the Tree of Life --and I even tackled Crowley's "777," but I just was not sure what to start memorizing, or which school had it right.... This book cleared-up so many of the confusing aspects of The Cabalah and the Tree of Life--with clear, concise descriptions of the various aspects of the study (with helpful illustrations). This book is the equivalent of having a Teacher, who takes the time to explain The Cabalah, in detail --without all the usual egotistical, rambling, extraneous material found in many books on the subject (e.g., Crowley's dissertations on the subject). John Michael Greer takes you by the hand and says, "Let's start with the beginning...." --whereas Crowley just throws you into the Deep End and says, "Sink or Swim." Personally, I like Greer's method of Teaching Cabalah! Reading this book makes studying Cabalah interesting, fun and EASY (and you do not need to wade through numerous pages of extraneous ramblings to find the teachings--they are all laid-out and diagramed, concisely....unlike most pretentious works on the subject). I also highly recommend purchasing the following book in conjunction with (or because you cannot find/afford this one, due to the sad fact that it is ludicrously "out of print") :
"The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford: Dilettante's Guide to What You Do and Do Not Know to Become a Qabalist" by Lon Milo Duquette (ISBN # 1578632153). This book receives rave reviews from Kabalists. These two books, together, are perfect for the Beginner. Both of these men have a wonderful way of setting Personal Ego aside, and explaining Cabalah as a Friend and Teacher, instead of a Mystical "Know it All." Anyone who has ever been Intimidated by the study of The Cabalah, or by various well-known Cabalist's works, should acquire this book (if possible) and Duquette's book, as well. Also, obviously, you will need the famous "777" and other well-known Cabalistic Reference works (Sepher Yetzirah, etc.)....but, for the Beginner, "Paths of Wisdom" is the perfect starting point on the Journey up The Tree of Life.
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Summary: Useful Guide to the Hermetic/Christian Qabalah
Review: Qabalah is usually considered to be an extremely dense topic- mostly because of the fact that the standard guides to the topic (Dion Fortune's "The Mystical Qabalah", Crowley's "777", Mathers' and Westcott's books on the subject, etc) are written with more technical jargon and less style than a UNIX manual. Most of these (outdated) books assume that the reader has recieved initiation in a magical order and is pursuing study with a teacher already versed in the "mysteries". Being that this is seldom the case today, the modern student of Qabalah needs a guide tailored to their level of understanding. "Paths of Wisdom" provides such a guide. Presenting the reader with a step by step guide to the philosophy, metaphysics, and psychology of the Qabalah, the author (John Michael Greer) guides you through a tour of the tree of life, from bottom to top, all within a single book. With considerable erudition as well as an easy reading style, the book succeeds at presenting Qabalistic wisdom to a modern audience. Unfortunately, the book's strengths end there. There is a brief introduction and overview of the actual practice of Qabalistic mysticism, but Greer does not go into considerable depth in presenting the practice. He does, however, present enough material to get the beginner started in Qabalistic practice. I'd recommend D.M. Kraig's "Modern Magick" and Israel Regardie's "The Golden Dawn" to anyone looking for a book of practical work to go with the theory so clearly deliniated here.
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Summary: One of the Best Intros
Review: This book coupled with Dion Forutune's work , "The Mystical Cabalah", and the book ,"770", in order of difficulty would give you more than a working knowledge of the correspondences of the GD system of the Cabalah. Creer's companion book, "Circles of Power", provides more practical work that the previous one somewhat lacks. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can find it, I have no idea why the publisher has decided to stop producing this work. MY SUGGESTION IS TO GET THIS IF YOU CAN FIND IT....ITS WORTH THE PRICE. :-)770!!!
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Summary: another superior book from greer
Review: this book is very easy to read and understand. it brings many of the complex concepts of the qabala, (as understood in the golden dawn) to a level most students can understand. it's like a more interesting version of the golden dawn papers. i'd also recommend Dion Fortune's mystical qabala.
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Summary: A very good summary of the Cabala
Review: We chose this book on Kaballah to use in my study group and we have had excellent results. The group consists of many levels from a beginner to a person who has written her own interpretations of Kaballah. Greer is able to simplfy enough for the beginner to grasp difficult concepts, yet offers enough new information to keep the expert interested. His ideas are fresh and his perspective opens up a lot of new information to a group of people who have been studying Metaphysics for almost 30 years. It should be part of every Metaphysician's bookshelf.
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