Malkhuth (Kabbalah)
Encyclopedia
Malkuth or Shekhinah
is the tenth of the sephirot in the Kabbalistic
Tree of Life
. It sits at the bottom of the Tree, below Yesod. This sephirah has as a symbol the Bride which relates to the sphere of Tipheret, symbolized by the Bridegroom.
Unlike the other nine sephirot, it is an attribute of God which does not emanate from God directly. Rather it emanates from God's creation—when that creation reflects and evinces God's glory from within itself.
Some occultists have also likened Malkuth to a cosmic filter, which lies above the world of the Qliphoth
, or the Tree of Death, the world of chaos which is constructed from the imbalance of the original sephirot in the Tree of Life. For this reason it is associated with the feet and anus of the human body, the feet connecting the body to Earth, and the anus being the body's "filter" through which waste is excreted, just as Malkuth excretes unbalanced energy into the Qliphoth.
The archangel of this sphere is Sandalphon
, and the Ishim (souls of fire) is the Angelic order. The name of God is Adonai Melekh or Adon ha-Arets. There is also a connection to the tenth card of each suit in Tarot
.
Symbols associated with this sphere are a Bride (a young woman on a throne with a veil over her face) and a double cubed altar. Where Binah is known as the Superior Mother, this sphere is referred to as the Inferior Mother. It is also referred to as the bride of Macroprosopos, where Macroprosops is Kether.
From a Christian viewpoint this sphere is important since Jesus preached that we should "seek first the Kingdom of God".
In some systems, it is equated with Daat, knowledge, the invisible sephirah.
In comparing with Eastern systems, Malkuth is a very similar archetypal idea to that of the Muladhara
chakra, in Shakta tantra, which is also associated with the Earth, the plane in which karma
is expressed.
Although Malkuth is seen as the lowest Sefirah on the tree of life, it also contains within it the potential to reach the highest. This is exemplified in the Hermetic maxim 'As above so below'.
's game Tales of the Abyss
, Malkuth is one of two kingdoms that fought over the fragments of thing known as Score, which could be used to read the future.
In Atlus's game Baroque
, the Order of Malkuth is a group of False Angels who believe rather than God saving us, We must save God.
The song "Station to Station
" by David Bowie
includes the line "Here are we, one magical movement from Kether to Malkuth".
Swiss metal band Samael
has a song titled "From Malkuth to Kether" on their EP Exodus
.
Malkuth appears as one of the many forms of Zina Pallas in PK Dick's The Divine Invasion
.
In CCP Games' EVE Online
, the title 'Malkuth' appears in the names of several types of missile launchers.
Shekhinah
Shekinah is the English spelling of a grammatically feminine Hebrew word that means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:Shekinah is derived...
is the tenth of the sephirot in the Kabbalistic
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
Tree of Life
Tree of life (Kabbalah)
The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...
. It sits at the bottom of the Tree, below Yesod. This sephirah has as a symbol the Bride which relates to the sphere of Tipheret, symbolized by the Bridegroom.
Unlike the other nine sephirot, it is an attribute of God which does not emanate from God directly. Rather it emanates from God's creation—when that creation reflects and evinces God's glory from within itself.
Hermetic & Christian Kabbalah
Malkuth means Kingdom. It is associated with the realm of matter/earth and relates to the physical world, the planets and the solar system. It is important not to think of this sephirah as merely "unspiritual," for even though it is the emanation furthest from the divine source, it is still on the Tree of Life. As the receiving sphere of all the other sephirot above it, Malkuth gives tangible form to the other emanations. It is like the negative node of an electrical circuit. The divine energy comes down and finds its expression in this plane, and our purpose as human beings is to bring that energy back around the circuit again and up the Tree.Some occultists have also likened Malkuth to a cosmic filter, which lies above the world of the Qliphoth
Qliphoth
Qliphoth/Qelippot, alternatively Klippot/Kellipot etc. refers to the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism.In the Kabbalistic spiritual cosmology, the Kelipot are metaphorical "shells" surrounding holiness...
, or the Tree of Death, the world of chaos which is constructed from the imbalance of the original sephirot in the Tree of Life. For this reason it is associated with the feet and anus of the human body, the feet connecting the body to Earth, and the anus being the body's "filter" through which waste is excreted, just as Malkuth excretes unbalanced energy into the Qliphoth.
The archangel of this sphere is Sandalphon
Sandalphon
Sandalphon is an archangel in Jewish and Christian writings. Sandalphon figures prominently in the mystical literary traditions of Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity, notably in the Midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalah.-Origin:...
, and the Ishim (souls of fire) is the Angelic order. The name of God is Adonai Melekh or Adon ha-Arets. There is also a connection to the tenth card of each suit in Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
.
Symbols associated with this sphere are a Bride (a young woman on a throne with a veil over her face) and a double cubed altar. Where Binah is known as the Superior Mother, this sphere is referred to as the Inferior Mother. It is also referred to as the bride of Macroprosopos, where Macroprosops is Kether.
From a Christian viewpoint this sphere is important since Jesus preached that we should "seek first the Kingdom of God".
In some systems, it is equated with Daat, knowledge, the invisible sephirah.
In comparing with Eastern systems, Malkuth is a very similar archetypal idea to that of the Muladhara
Muladhara
Muladhara is one of the seven primary chakras according to Hindu tantrism. It may be represented by the color red, although its root square form is usually yellow.-Location:...
chakra, in Shakta tantra, which is also associated with the Earth, the plane in which karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
is expressed.
Although Malkuth is seen as the lowest Sefirah on the tree of life, it also contains within it the potential to reach the highest. This is exemplified in the Hermetic maxim 'As above so below'.
Popular Culture
In NamcoNamco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
's game Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss
is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
, Malkuth is one of two kingdoms that fought over the fragments of thing known as Score, which could be used to read the future.
In Atlus's game Baroque
Baroque (video game)
Baroque is a console role-playing game developed by Sting Entertainment and published by Atlus in the United States, originally developed for the Sega Saturn and later ported to the PlayStation. It was later remade by Sting, where it was to be a planned exclusive for Japan...
, the Order of Malkuth is a group of False Angels who believe rather than God saving us, We must save God.
The song "Station to Station
Station to Station (song)
"Station to Station" is a song written by David Bowie in 1975 and released in 1976. It is the title track and opener for the album of the same name. The song is Bowie's longest studio recording, clocking in just above 10 minutes...
" by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
includes the line "Here are we, one magical movement from Kether to Malkuth".
Swiss metal band Samael
Samael (band)
Samael is a industrial black metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Switzerland.-Biography:Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are an early 2nd Wave black metal band and an innovator for...
has a song titled "From Malkuth to Kether" on their EP Exodus
Exodus (Samael album)
Exodus is an EP by Swiss heavy metal band, Samael. The contents of the release were later included as bonus tracks on the 2007 re-release of Passage.-Track listing:# "Exodus"# "Tribes of Cain"# "Son of Earth"# "Winter Solstice"...
.
Malkuth appears as one of the many forms of Zina Pallas in PK Dick's The Divine Invasion
The Divine Invasion
The Divine Invasion is a BSFA Award nominated 1981 science fiction book by Philip K. Dick. It is the second book in the gnostic VALIS trilogy, and takes place in the indeterminate future, perhaps a century or more after VALIS...
.
In CCP Games' EVE Online
EVE Online
Eve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
, the title 'Malkuth' appears in the names of several types of missile launchers.