9 Yesod
Foundation
Yesod is Foundation, the imaginal or astral layer through which the forces of the Tree are gathered before reaching physical expression. It stands on the middle pillar between Tiphareth and Malkuth and is associated with images, dreams and patterned processes.
8 sourced claims: 8 traditional
Names and titles
Divine names and Yetziratic titles from Sefer Yetzirah and Kabbalistic tradition.
The Pure or Purified Intelligence
Awaiting spot-check against Westcott's appendix.
Sources (1)
- Sefer Yetzirah , Westcott translation, 3rd edition, 1911 (first published 1887) — Appendix: The 32 Paths of Wisdom, Path 9
Shaddai El Chai (שדי אל חי)
'Almighty Living God'. Shaddai is biblical; the compound with El Chai ('Living God') is a Kabbalistic pairing specific to Yesod.
Sources (1)
- 777 , First edition, 1909 (anonymous) — Table VI, col. II · systematising, not originating
Angelic hierarchy
Archangels of the sephirah and the angelic choir it leads. Maimonides gives the ten choirs; the sephirothic pairings are later Kabbalistic tradition.
Gabriel is named in Daniel, though not there titled archangel. Agrippa directly assigns him to Yesod and the Moon.
Sources (2)
- Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book III, chapter 10
- 777 , First edition, 1909 (anonymous) — Table VI, col. VIII · systematising, not originating
Kerubim (Cherubim)
Ninth of Maimonides's ranks. In popular imagination the Cherubim are winged infant figures; in the biblical tradition they are throne-bearers and guardians (Genesis 3:24, the guardians of Eden).
Sources (2)
-
Mishneh Torah
, Original Hebrew, Maimonides c. 1180
— Yesodei HaTorah 2:7
“There are ten names given to the angels: Chayot HaKodesh, Ophanim, Erelim, Chashmalim, Seraphim, Malachim, Elohim, B'nei Elohim, Cherubim, and Ishim.”
Maimonides's ten angelic ranks. The pairing of each class with a specific sephirah is a later Kabbalistic development. Available on Sefaria.
- 777 , First edition, 1909 (anonymous) — Table VI, col. IX · systematising, not originating
Astrological
The classical planet or sphere associated with the sephirah.
The Moon (Levanah)
Sources (1)
- 777 , First edition, 1909 (anonymous) — Table VI, col. I / Table IV · systematising, not originating
Agrippa's Renaissance Christian-Cabalist table is explicit. It is not presented as a planetary scheme stated by Sefer Yetzirah or another ancient Jewish source.
Sources (2)
-
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
, English translation, J.F., London 1651
— Book II, chapter 13, Scale of the Number Ten
The table aligns the ten Sephiroth with the ten spheres in order.
Golden Dawn attributes
Correspondences established by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn between 1888 and 1912.
In the Nines, the suit's force gathers into a strong foundation. It can now sustain a substantial result, fortunate or difficult according to the suit and surrounding cards.
Book T classifies the Nines under Yesod. Their common strength is foundational rather than automatically fortunate.
Sources (1)
- Book T , Mathers, c. 1888 (Golden Dawn internal) — General meanings of the small cards under the Sephiroth, p. 27
Correspondences 8 sourced correspondences
| Relation | To | First attested |
|---|---|---|
| Planetary attribution | Moon | 1509 CE |
| Sephirah of | Nine of Cups | 1888 CE |
| Counts of | 10 | 100 CE |
| Channel of | Tiphareth | 1548 CE |
| Channel | Malkuth | 1548 CE |
| Archangel | Gabriel | 1509 CE |
| Divine name | Shaddai El Chai | 1907 CE |
| Angelic choir | Kerubim | 1170 CE |