Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Files

Previews only

Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism - 7b of X - The Map is Not Territory

Welcome to our Summer seminar on Merkavah Mysticism Hundreds of years prior to the rise of the Kabbalah, shaman-like rabbinic mystics were described as having made the terrifying and awe-inspiring descent into the Divine Palaces. There they met with and bypassed fearsome angels with magical codes, gained control over angelic powers, became transformed into beings of fire, gained vast wisdom and mounted the very throne of G!d to carefully measure the vast dimensions of the divine body. These experiences and their praxes are recorded in about 50 manuscripts now known as the Hekhalot (lit. palaces) literature. Outside of specialists this late-classical form of (a)(de)scent mysticism is poorly understood and little appreciated. In this course, we will explore the foundations, social origins, myth-world, praxes and the afterlife of Merkavah Mysticism. Consider Supporting Esoterica! Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannel One Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannel Merch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/store New to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharing Rare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Course Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URUIb_AkZGM3hXzTnPFAwQYkZf_WgL0Q9wWWqSr2ug0/edit?usp=sharing Course Materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-93Z0g92p4xMTFRjk5KznFvh65oRjFAo

Comments

Rik Murrietta

I love this series, thank you so much.

Max Kornfield

I’m so ooking forward to the next sessions. See you all there!

Holly Mckenzie

7 Already I feel so behind with the reading. Loving this whole series very inspirational. Might catch up over winter

Keryl Kris

Well, what was the social status of Saul of Tarsus? If indeed he had performed this praxis.

Bill

Hi, and again thanks for all your work. A question for you or commenters who know more than I do regarding the "one who is above the seraphim": If I read that, given that the seraphim are the last set of entities before one reaches God in many constructs, I'd assume the author is talking about God. Is there a reason scholars assume it is something else? Thanks.

Groobus Grimes

So we are in agreement then, magic is cheating. Good, good. Of course, no one ever said cheating is against the rules. It's always sort of funny to see how nothing ever changes. We might refine and redefine but the roots always stay the same. For instance. I'm pretty sure Golems are just early servitors. Unless someone knows how to build a literal man out of clay. I'm all ears, in that case. If I know my legends the Golems also have a habit of turning on their creators, though.

Groobus Grimes

I try not to overthink the 'thrones of heaven' so to speak. Simply because there are countless entities doing countless tasks. If you imagine a living beuracracy? Titles and duties change. Positions are added and removed. Beings of like ability share workloads and change thrones. So that it all works together like choreography. I like to keep track of my favorite actors but in the big picture there is no way to know all the names and ranks. Or to say, God is a inclined to creation and rest so he tends to delegate authority to his creation in order to focus on his hobbies.

Avi Turetsky

Thank you, Dr. Sledge! Coming off of two days in shul for Rosh Hashanah, I can say that this series gave me a much deeper understanding of the liturgy. From Metatron making a cameo in the prayers between Shofar blowing, to someone asking me where Aleinu comes from (I said, I think Heichalot Zurarti is the oldest reference) to understanding the fear in many of the prayers. This has been a lot of fun. Looking forward to continuing! (And if anything I said above is incorrect, please correct me).