One of the "conundrums" I've run into over the past few years in the Qabalah is the confusion over the Three Veils of Negative Existence (Ain = Nothing; Ain Soph = Limitless; Ain Soph Aur = Limitless Light) and which one, Ain or Ain Soph Aur, is "closest" to Kether (as in, bordering it). To illustrate my point, here's the formation given by most Hermetic Qabalists:
The above makes "logical" sense (in as much as these abstract, negative concepts can make logical sense), in that the Ain, the Nothing, which is the most abstract and theologically furthest from creation, is furthest from Kether, the first expression of positive existence (albeit a highly abstract formation in its own right). The Ain Soph Aur, the Limitless Light, is then closest to Kether, the source of the Light that "feeds" and emanates the Sephiroth. Kether is sometimes paired with the passage "Let there be Light" from Genesis, which also suggests that this formation is accurate. Aaron Leitch made the excellent point on the above that each one "adds to" the other as they get closer to the level of existence in Kether and beyond (the Ain [1] becoming Ain Soph [2] becoming Ain Soph Aur [3] becoming Kether).
But let's have a look at the alternative, which tends to be used more in Jewish circles:
But let's have a look at the alternative, which tends to be used more in Jewish circles:
Here we have the complete reverse of the above, with the Ain closest to Kether and the Ain Soph Aur furthest away. It doesn't make sense on the surface, although from a graphical point of view the larger name corresponds to the larger "arc" around Kether. Is this enough, however? Well, firstly we have the fact that Kether and Ain are sometimes used interchangeably, and Kether is often seen as unknowable, just as the Ain is (although technically this applies to all the Three Veils).
Secondly we have the image of the "Cloud-Veils", where the Ain Soph Aur (AIN SVP AVR) becomes more concentrated as Ain Soph (AIN SVP), which becomes more concentrated as Ain (AIN), and they give birth to Kether in the centre. There is no real way of reversing this, as this image is dependent on the larger name forming the larger outer ring of cloud "petals", with the smaller name of three letters closest to the centre.
Personally speaking I lean towards the more logical option of the first (Ain Soph Aur closest to Kether), but I have a hard time reconciling it with the above, particularly the Cloud-Veils diagram, which is beautiful and concise, yet completely contradictory. If any of you find more information on this matter, from Qabalistic treatises or your own musings and thoughts, please share them here, as this is an issue I would love to see addressed.
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7 comments:
Heres an idea, forgive my n00bishness, but say ain is the dark side, the negative or the alternate inverted reality version of kether, as the 9 sephira are aspects of kether, what if ain soph and ain soph air are aspects of ain, which is the negakether in a parralel reality?
In a sense they are aspects of each other (although Ain isn't really the inverse of Kether, particularly since the terms are used synonymously in many Qabalistic texts). They would also not be a parralel reality, as they precede the Sephiroth. They are negative existence before the positive existence of the Sephiroth, the ultimate source of all being.
But see, all this is beside the point. The nature of these Veils is beyond our understanding, so I'm not really trying to find out what they are, but which one, Ain or Ain Soph Aur is closest to Kether. Them being aspects of each other or the "negakether" or anything else like that doesn't really solve the riddle, unfortunately. Thank you, however, for the input and the comment :)
LVX,
Dean.
First, thank you for the response and youre welcome for the response
Second, I refuse to accept anything is beyond comprehension.
Third, judging from the diagram, and logically speaking, it isn't closer to anything, it is a part of ain soph air which is a part of ain soph which is a part of ain, which makes sense, at least to me, and if these are the viels that precede the sephiroth, then either they don't exist anymore or the last one created, ain soph air would be the closest.
ain is the no-thing and kether is the all there is right? those don't seem like polar opposite concepts and not interchangeable to you? I've always heard of a negaverse, so that is why I thought that.
LVX et veritas,
-Dan
Ave,
You are welcome, Brother :)
If you refuse to accept that anything is beyond comprehension, then I have to be blunt with you: you'll never really understand the Three Veils. Their entire purpose is to be beyond comprehension. After all, how can we comprehend something that doesn't "exist" (that is, positively)? You can try to bend them to your own understanding, but they will no longer be what they were intended for, which is the entire point.
Anyhow, you're completely missing my point. I gave two diagrams, one with Ain in the outer ring and the other with Ain Soph Aur in the outer ring. The only thing I'm asking in this post is "which is closest [graphically] to Kether?" If you don't understand this question, then you're not going to be able to help me or my other readers here.
Kether is not all there is. Kether is potential. Kether is the smallest possible moment of existence, so small that it almost doesn't exist. Some old Qabalists called Kether Ain. So, they're not exactly opposites. The Qabalah isn't as clear-cut as that, I'm afraid, least of all when it comes to these Veils.
By the way, the Cloud Veils diagram only supports the second diagram I gave, not the first. However, the first makes more logical sense.
LVX,
Dean.
Just catching up with your blog. I had been troubled by this exact question over the last few days myself.
I think Ain is closest to Kether, because Ain is (relatively speaking) comprehensible. The other two are understandable only in relation to Ain, so they are, in that sense, "farther out."
That's how I see it, but tomorrow I might change my mind.
Ave TGC,
I'm not so sure I agree that Ain is more comprehensible. It is "Nothing" after all. I think "the Limitless Light" is easier to comprehend (think of the "limitless dark" of Space, for example, which we can just about comprehend) as opposed to pure nothingness.
I do get what you mean though about the other two only being understandable in context of Ain, since Ain is included in them all. I think, however, perhaps we can only understand Ain through these other forms, which gradually reveal the true nature of Ain, like peeling layers back to reveal it at its centre.
The problem with this is that, in truth, all of the Veils are fairly incomprehensible. We can never really be "sure" about these, so the best we can do is content ourselves with "that might be right". For now I'm going to stick with traditional Hermetic Qabalah teaching, which suggests Ain Soph Aur is closest to Kether.
Thanks for the comment and insight :)
LVX,
Dean.
I don't study Qabalah, so this comment is from one of the uninitiated. What if the diagram were analyzed 3 dimensionally, instead of on a plane? Could Kether, as crown, or source, be a union of limitless nothingness and limitless light? Kether could then be perceived as 'springing' from the union of Ain and Ain Soph Aur? That is more in line with the cloud-veils image. What if the 2 plane images you present were overlaid one over the other so that at one and the same moment both Ain and Ain Soph Aur were both in motion within Kether without distinction?
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