Here's another question.

[Nikepallas]

I'm going to the book store to get a bunch of books to enhance my understanding and I was wondering if I should get a book on Kabbalah.

I've heard some people say I should not and I have heard others say it is an important philosophy and I was wondering what everyone's ideas on the subject.

[Chovexani]

1. Check out Israel Regardie's stuff.

Specifically "The Middle Pillar" and "The Tree of Life". Those will give you a pretty decent introduction to the underlying philosophy, from the perspective of western ceremonial magick.

[Nikepallas]

2. Thank you.

Is it worth the study or should I focus on another philosophy?

[LibertyLover]

3. Kabbalah

A good friend of mine, who is Wiccan now, converted to Judaism during his first marriage "for the sake of the children". During that period he became very interested in Kabbalah and found an excellent teacher with whom he studied for several years. When the marriage went bust and the kids told him to kiss off and die, his attachment to Judaism was all but severed, however he continued his Kabbalah studies. It is indeed an important philosophy. But, one thing that his teacher told my friend was that it is a life-long pursuit of knowledge. Certainly get a book or two (Regardie is good if a bit dry) in order to acquiant yourself with the bare rudiments of Kabbalah, but if you should become interested in studying it, it is not something that you will be able to master in a year or two. Learning is easy, mastering takes a life-time.

[Is It Fascism Yet]

4. Oh, yes, Cabala is very worthwhile, but it is a serious study

the study of a lifetime, you never finish studying cabala, nor ever finish finding ways in which it helps you either. But it is a wonderful schematic of the universe, very powerful magick, and certainly worth your time. It is a system by which we can come to an understanding the universe, the nature of reality, the manifestation of divinity and the material world. Cabbalistic rituals are so strong, I don't mess with it except for the protection rituals, which, I think, are the only thing that has saved me so far from getting repatriated with a flourescent lightbulb in Gitmo by John Asscraft.

[toddaa]

5. Kabbalah dabbling

The recent high profile case of the artist formerly known as Madonna has triggered interest in one of the worlds knottiest mystical traditions, but I suspect that like much of pop new age fads, you won't get much out of any of the watered down Philip Berg Kabbalah Center crap that is dominating the entertainment news channels. Like everything else on the "alternative religion" landscape, you have to be very selective in what you seek out as material. A real understanding of Kabbalah requires years of quiet study after having mastered the Torah and Talmud. Respecting another person's culture means playing by their rules, not yours. It's certainly possible to garner a very good layman's understanding of Kabbalah, but you are still just a layman.

That warning aside, look for Gershom Scholem's book On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead: Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah. As a huge fan of John Zorn's music, it helped me immensely in appreciating his Masada compositions.