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The Ten Sephirah
The 10 Sephirah of the Tree of Life may be considered as the intermediate stages or states of being between the Prime Emanation of the Creator to the manifest existence of all things.  Each has a broad conception attached to it, a roadmark of evolution from abstract thought to manifest reality.  As such, they can serve equally well as a model of understanding the Divine Symphony of Creation or the evolution of thought and emotion or the development of a personal or business relationship.
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The progression of the Sephirah along the flow is specific, following a pattern referred to as the "Lightning Bolt" by many Kabbalistic scholars.  This path of emanation provides a clear progression through the stages of manifestation.

The names of the Sephirah along the progression is:
Kether - Chokmah - Binah - Chesed - Geburah - Tiphareth - Netzach - Hod - Yesod - Malkuth

The same progression can be expressed using the archetypal equivalents for each Sephirah:
Crown - Wisdom - Understanding - Mercy - Strength (or Severity) - Beauty - Victory - Splendor (or Glory) - Foundation - Kingdom

 

When considering each of the Sephirah, keep in mind that they do not exist in isolation... they are in fact intimately connected. Each requires the emanation of the previous Sephirah and likewise, its emanations engender the next.   In attempting to grasp the expression of the one, it helps to keep in mind the source of its content and its contribution to those elements further along the path.   In this manner, the Tree reinforces the cyclic flow of life and discourages any attempt to impose isolation or separatism upon its interpretation.

You may have noticed that there are 11 circles on the Tree diagrams being presented, and yet we have referenced only 10 Sephirah.  The 11th - Daath - is referred to as the Hidden or Invisible Sephirah.  The earliest teachings of the Kabbalah did not include Daath, referring only to the Great Abyss between the lower 7 Sephirah and the abstract and subliminal upper 3.  In the evolution of Kabbalistic experience, Daath has manifested as the Awakening Sephirah, the Hidden Temple of Knowledge that unlocks the deepest levels of connection between our experience and the great unity of the All.