Paths of Wisdom

by John Michael Greer

A comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of the magical Cabala, as practiced in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and most other contemporary Western occult traditions. Engaging and accessible, yet packed with material found in few other books, it illumines the Cabalist underpinnings of today's Hermetic magic as never before. From the fundamentals of Cabalistic philosophy, through a detailed examination of the Spheres and Paths of the Tree of Life, to the magical disciplines that bring the symbolism to life as a potent toolkit for self-knowledge and esoteric attainment, Paths of Wisdom is your guide to the principles and practices of the magical Cabala.

Genres: Occult, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Mysticism, Magic, Reference, Religion

328 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

John Michael Greer is an author of over thirty books and the blogger behind The Archdruid Report. He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His work addresses a range of subjects, including climate change, peak oil, the future of industrial society, and the occult. He also writes science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife.

Reviews

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greer's book is really excellent at explaining the Cabala used in Western Esotericism, though I would recommend reading his blog posts on Schopenhauer as I serendipitously did a couple of months ago. (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co... Seriously, start here and keep going.) Keeping those posts in mind helped put the Cabala in context, because there has always been this strong tendency of literalizing it in Esotericism.

This book does an excellent job at illustrating that the Cabala is a metaphor for the world, for reality, a map, and not "A 100% Accurate Description of Things In and of Themselves." The Four Worlds are four ways of describing the world, not four actual Sci-Fi Planes of Reality in and of themselves. The Sephiroth are organizing metaphors of the forces at work in the world and not objective forces in and of themselves. The Cabala is a tool one can use, but so are the maps provided in Tibetan Buddhism, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, etc. You can learn to appreciate it that way and use it when it's appropriate, rather than having the hammer and seeing everything as a nail.

[Edric Unsane · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a great wealth of information regarding the Magical Cabala in this book, but in my opinion, too much. This is a book for someone who beyond a doubt is either very interested in the Cabala, or already practices it. The information is useful, but I felt that the book was too drawn out and I didn't care for the layout of the chapters. It does do what the author intended it to, and may prove to some to be an invaluable resource.

[Ted Heitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to the cabbalah and spiritual mindsets.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful asset, library essential, for any practicing ritual or ceremonial magician. Strongly recommend and as with any book, make it yours.

[Katryn Lume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book every week in all of my lives here on Earth.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, alongside Greer's "Circles of Power" are the two books I wish I'd started with when getting into ceremonial magick. I can't recommend this highly enough.

It will continue to be a reference for me as I work through the paths and symbolism.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep, thorough, well-organized, well-written explanation of the theory and practice of engaging with the Cabalistic path of magical transformation of the self. The author, a longtime practitioner of the material, knows whereof he speaks, and is able to present complex and subtle teachings in accessible and logical terms. There's a huge amount to learn, but the material is set out clearly. If you're considering taking up magic in the Golden Dawn tradition, you should probably start here.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in conjunction with a year and a half ritual pathworking with my school. I think it would be difficult to read this book cold with limited prior knowledge of Hermetic Qabalah. For those with experience on this topic, it is a wonderful resource and I also found a lot of use in JM Greer's various techniques in the back of the book.
This will always be a reference book for me!