Earthy Kabbalah

Summer roses in the Vicarage garden.

On 1st June 2011, we gathered for our third meeting of the Introduction to Kabbalah Course. Having previously looked at an overview of the Kabbalistic scheme and the journey of Creation, we now began to explore a conscious return to our Divine Source. Kabbalists sometimes call this the Work of the Chariot and in early Kabbalistic literature it was envisioned as a journey through seven Halls or Palaces.

I think this was one of my favourite sessions, as we focussed on the first Hall, sometimes equated with sefirah of Malkhut at the very base of the Tree of Life. For us this represented the sacred nature of the earth and of the physical and practical dimensions of daily life.

For meditation we settled into the body and brought awareness to the sensation of our breathing, which is a simple way to become more centered, calm and clear. Although it's not necessarily easy to stay gently focussed on body and breath as the endless play of thoughts and feelings draws our minds away. With practise however, we can learn to keep steadily returning to our chosen focus and thus build up concentration, which is helpful in everyday life as much as in meditation. Once grounded in an awareness of body and breath, we took a meditative walk into the garden. When the mind is quiet, it wonderful how we can realise that the natural world is full of Grace. The Holy One seems to speak to us in the rich colour of a leaf, the light on a flower or the delicacy of a feather in the grass. A curl of silver birch bark lies on the ground like a tiny Torah scroll, waiting to reveal its Mysteries. I think we all returned from this natural meditation feeling inspired and renewed. In the words of Josh, who joined us for the first time on that Wednesday evening...

"I thought I was coming to study, but instead rediscovered the beauty of the Garden of Kabbalah"