An Introduction to Qliphothic Sorcery

Originally published 23 May 2012. Torey B.

Scott Understanding The Qliphoth Most
practitioners familiar with Left-Hand Paths will
most assuredly have been exposed to the concept
of the Qliphoth. Like Kabbalah itself, the Qliphoth
have often played a central role in many of the
practices of Occultists and Ceremonial Magicians.
The Qliphoth Itself, if it can even be justly referred
to as one thing, can be a confounding topic and
for this reason many new to Ceremonial practices
are rather keen to avoid It altogether. However it
must be understood that the Qliphoth can mean
many different things depending upon context and
the inclinations of the Magician. It would be
impossible to discuss the Qliphoth without also
including Kabbalah as a whole. If you are not
familiar with the basic concepts behind Kabbalah,
I suggest that you consider undertaking Magicka
Schools exceptional course, Introduction to the
Magicians Kabbalah by Marcus Katz.
Additionally, there are specialised forums within
the boards which deal exclusively with discussions
pertaining to the Kabbalah. Further information
can be sought online or through books such as my
personal favourite, David Ariels Kabbalah: The
Mystic Quest in Judaism. To understand the
Qliphoth is to first understand the Kabbalah. The
problem with this arises due to the numerous
interpretations of what the Kabbalah and the Tree
of Life actually are. There are many variations of
Kabbalistic studyone of the most popular within
the magickal community is commonly referred to
as the Esoteric Kabbalah. Within some magickal
circles, the Esoteric Kabbalah is less favoured in
comparison with the other traditional
interpretations of the Kabbalah and aspects of
Jewish mysticism such as Merkabah. Because of
these differences in interpretations, there is rarely
little consensus within Occultism as to exactly
what the Qliphoth is, how It originated and what It
means to the magician. There are several accounts
of how the Qliphoth originated. Some portray the
Qliphoth as the shells or husks of Gods first
aborted attempt at creation. In this account, the
Qliphoth is the realm of dark energies which some
consider to be evil or demonic in nature. In other
accounts, the Qliphoth are the reflection of the
Sephiroth upon the waters of the Abyss. Still
others consider the Qliphoth to be the nightime or
reverse side of the Tree of Life, opposite but still
connected to the realm of Light by Daath. In most
of these accounts however a common theme is
presentthe Qliphoth is essentially the dark half
of the Tree of Life, sometimes referred to as the
Tree of Death. While such a generalisation is by far
an inaccurate and unjust summation of the
Qliphoth, it is a viable introduction to the concept
of the polarity which exists between the Qliphoth
and the Sephiroth. The Tree of Life consists of ten
emanations or numerations which are known as
Sephiroth (Sephirah in the singular). Each of these
numerations essentially represents a different
aspect of Gods creative process. Many magicians
view the Sephiroth as literal realms while others
consider Them to be allegorical, comparable to
states of mind. Whatever the case may be, most
practitioners who choose to work with the
Qliphoth regard It as a collection of the flawed or
severe expressions of creation. The word Qliphoth,
like the word Sephiroth, is plural. In the Hebrew
language, Sephiroth roughly translates as
numerations whereas Qliphoth (Qliphah in the
singular) translates as peels or husks. Generally
the Qliphoth is referred to as a single entity, an
area of studyhowever the Qliphoth in the truest
sense consists of ten essential husks which mirror
the ten numerations of the Tree of Life. Within
some practices, magicians imply that the
Sephiroth are present in all things and yet are
removed from the earthly realm of Man. Because
of the seemingly contradictory nature of
Kabbalistic theory, many students are intimidated
and resistant to undertaking the study of the Tree
of Life. While it is visible from the aforementioned
example that Kabbalistic theory can be quite
complex, it is again dependent upon the individual
interpretations and convictions of the individual as
to what the Sephiroth, and Qliphoth, mean to that
individual. In revisiting the concept of the
Sephiroths presence within the world, while
aspects of the Sephiroth exist within all things, all
but one of the numerations are said to wholly exist
beyond the realm of Man. The tenth Sephirah,
Malkuth, is also known as the Shekinahthe
fundamental feminine aspect of God which is
alone accessible to and knowable by humanity.
Malkuth is sometimes equated with the tangible
world and Universe - many adherents of modern
Goddess-dominated religions have equated the
Shekinah with the great Goddess archetypes such
as Diana, Gaia or Isis. But deeper still than the
Shekinah reside the Qliphoth. As with the diversity
found within the accounts of the creation of the
Qliphoth, there is much debate pertaining to other
fundamental questions surrounding Their very
nature, limitations and location. Second only to
the question of what the Qliphoth are is the
question of where They reside. In some depictions,
the Qliphoth are said to reside behind the Tree of
Life, directly below it or below and behind it.
Regardless, many accounts of the Qliphoth depict
Them as residing amongst us, within the world of
Assiyah, the earthly realm itself and, in some ways,
within the Shekinah. Within a polarised
perspective, the Qliphoth may then be assumed to
encompass all of the negativity and evildoing of
this world. While this may be a very appealing and
simple explanation of the Qliphoth for some, it is
not entirely accurate. The Sephirah of Geburah
would in fact better fit such a description as It, not
the Qliphoth, is the unrestrained element of Gods
severity. What then, one may ask, is the Qliphoth
and how would understanding such forces
contribute to magickal practice? Depending upon
what ones personal interpretation of the Qliphoth
is, there is great potential in working with
Qliphothic forces within the context of magick.
Generally, many practitioners of Left-Hand Paths
consider the Qliphoth to be something comparable
to the Satanists Tree of Life. This is a very
inaccurate description of the Qliphoth as it is not
simply a Tree of Life for Satanists, but a container
of forces which encapsulate the potential for
destruction on many levels. However, Qliphothic
sorcery - like aspects of any powerful magickal
system, path or practice is not intended for the
casual dabbler. Why would anyone endeavour to
work with such destructive forces? Like anything
within the Universe, the Qliphoth not only has the
potential to destroy but also to create. While the
emanative process of the Sephiroth does not
function in the same manner, the Qliphoth have
been employed by practitioners of many different
magickal systems with favourable results. For
some practitioners who are inclined towards
psychological allegory within magick, the Qliphoth
represent the negative states of existence. Some
view the Qliphoth in a similar manner as one
would view an astronomical Black Hole
perpetually drawing into Itself the Universe
surrounding It. If we were to indeed view the
Qliphoth as the anti-Sephiroth, it would be
marginally feasible that this drawing into aspect
of Its Nature could be utilised for constructive
ends. An example would be to examine each
Qliphah and Its unique signature in order to
harness the particular artery in concordance
with the task at hand for example, if one wished
to counter his or her feelings of inner conflict over
a decision, the artery of Thaumiel could be focused
upon the aspect of his or her life in need of
reparation. In this context, the individual arteries
of the Qliphoth could be analogised as vacuums,
drawing out accumulated energies which are no
longer beneficial to the individual. This use of
Qliphothic magick, however, is less akin to sorcery
than it is to self-examination and self-cleansing.
The Qliphoth can also be utilised for projective
magick. Some practitioners of Qliphothic Sorcery
ascertain that the Qliphoth Themselves are
inherently receptive that is, as aforementioned,
it is believed that the Tree of Death only draws
Into Itself and therefore does not project Itself into
the Universe. However, within the context of
Judaic Kabbalism, this is not the case as it is
believed that the Qliphoth are ever-influencing the
world of Man that it is Man, not the Qliphoth,
which draws the Peels unto Himself. If this is the
case, then utilising Qliphothic energies for
projective magick can be rather straightforward
the invocation of a particular Qliphah may be
sufficient. However, many magicians who believe
that the Qliphoth are wholly receptive also believe
that the key to utilising Qliphothic energy within
the context of projective magick is not the
Qliphoth Themselves, but the entities who govern
Them. In the next article, we will explore some of
the entities aligned with the Qliphoth and Their
functions within.
T. B. Scott
Most practitioners familiar with Left-Hand Paths will most assuredly have
been exposed to the concept of the Qliphoth. Like Kabbalah itself, the
Qliphoth have often played a central role in many of the practices of
Occultists and Ceremonial Magicians. The Qliphoth Itself, if it can even be
justly referred to as one thing, can be a confounding topic and for this reason
many new to Ceremonial practices are rather keen to avoid It altogether.
However it must be understood that the Qliphoth can mean many different
things depending upon context and the inclinations of the Magician.

It would be impossible to discuss the Qliphoth without also including

Kabbalah as a whole. If you are not familiar with the basic concepts behind
Kabbalah, I suggest that you consider undertaking Magicka Schools
exceptional course, Introduction to the Magicians Kabbalah by Marcus
Katz. Additionally, there are specialised forums within the boards which deal
exclusively with discussions pertaining to the Kabbalah. Further information
can be sought online or through books such as my personal favourite, David
Ariels Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest in Judaism.

To understand the Qliphoth is to first understand the Kabbalah. The problem

with this arises due to the numerous interpretations of what the Kabbalah
and the Tree of Life actually are. There are many variations of Kabbalistic
studyone of the most popular within the magickal community is commonly
referred to as the Esoteric Kabbalah. Within some magickal circles, the
Esoteric Kabbalah is less favoured in comparison with the other traditional
interpretations of the Kabbalah and aspects of Jewish mysticism such as
Merkabah. Because of these differences in interpretations, there is rarely little
consensus within Occultism as to exactly what the Qliphoth is, how It
originated and what It means to the magician.

There are several accounts of how the Qliphoth originated. Some portray the
Qliphoth as the shells or husks of Gods first aborted attempt at creation. In
this account, the Qliphoth is the realm of dark energies which some consider
to be evil or demonic in nature. In other accounts, the Qliphoth are the
reflection of the Sephiroth upon the waters of the Abyss. Still others consider
the Qliphoth to be the nightime or reverse side of the Tree of Life, opposite
but still connected to the realm of Light by Daath. In most of these accounts
however a common theme is presentthe Qliphoth is essentially the dark
half of the Tree of Life, sometimes referred to as the Tree of Death.

While such a generalisation is by far an inaccurate and unjust summation of

the Qliphoth, it is a viable introduction to the concept of the polarity which
exists between the Qliphoth and the Sephiroth. The Tree of Life consists of
ten emanations or numerations which are known as Sephiroth (Sephirah in
the singular). Each of these numerations essentially represents a different
aspect of Gods creative process. Many magicians view the Sephiroth as literal
realms while others consider Them to be allegorical, comparable to states of
mind. Whatever the case may be, most practitioners who choose to work with
the Qliphoth regard It as a collection of the flawed or severe expressions of
creation.

The word Qliphoth, like the word Sephiroth, is plural. In the Hebrew
language, Sephiroth roughly translates as numerations whereas Qliphoth
(Qliphah in the singular) translates as peels or husks. Generally the
Qliphoth is referred to as a single entity, an area of studyhowever the
Qliphoth in the truest sense consists of ten essential husks which mirror the
ten numerations of the Tree of Life.

Within some practices, magicians imply that the Sephiroth are present in all
things and yet are removed from the earthly realm of Man. Because of the
seemingly contradictory nature of Kabbalistic theory, many students are
intimidated and resistant to undertaking the study of the Tree of Life. While it
is visible from the aforementioned example that Kabbalistic theory can be
quite complex, it is again dependent upon the individual interpretations and
convictions of the individual as to what the Sephiroth, and Qliphoth, mean to
that individual.

In revisiting the concept of the Sephiroths presence within the world, while
aspects of the Sephiroth exist within all things, all but one of the numerations
are said to wholly exist beyond the realm of Man. The tenth Sephirah,
Malkuth, is also known as the Shekinahthe fundamental feminine aspect of
God which is alone accessible to and knowable by humanity. Malkuth is
sometimes equated with the tangible world and Universe - many adherents of
modern Goddess-dominated religions have equated the Shekinah with the
great Goddess archetypes such as Diana, Gaia or Isis. But deeper still than the
Shekinah reside the Qliphoth.

As with the diversity found within the accounts of the creation of the
Qliphoth, there is much debate pertaining to other fundamental questions
surrounding Their very nature, limitations and location. Second only to the
question of what the Qliphoth are is the question of where They reside. In
some depictions, the Qliphoth are said to reside behind the Tree of Life,
directly below it or below and behind it. Regardless, many accounts of the
Qliphoth depict Them as residing amongst us, within the world of Assiyah,
the earthly realm itself and, in some ways, within the Shekinah.
Within a polarised perspective, the Qliphoth may then be assumed to
encompass all of the negativity and evildoing of this world. While this may be
a very appealing and simple explanation of the Qliphoth for some, it is not
entirely accurate. The Sephirah of Geburah would in fact better fit such a
description as It, not the Qliphoth, is the unrestrained element of Gods
severity.

What then, one may ask, is the Qliphoth and how would understanding such
forces contribute to magickal practice? Depending upon what ones personal
interpretation of the Qliphoth is, there is great potential in working with
Qliphothic forces within the context of magick. Generally, many practitioners
of Left-Hand Paths consider the Qliphoth to be something comparable to the
Satanists Tree of Life. This is a very inaccurate description of the Qliphoth
as it is not simply a Tree of Life for Satanists, but a container of forces which
encapsulate the potential for destruction on many levels. However,
Qliphothic sorcery - like aspects of any powerful magickal system, path or
practice is not intended for the casual dabbler.

Why would anyone endeavour to work with such destructive forces? Like
anything within the Universe, the Qliphoth not only has the potential to
destroy but also to create. While the emanative process of the Sephiroth does
not function in the same manner, the Qliphoth have been employed by
practitioners of many different magickal systems with favourable results. For
some practitioners who are inclined towards psychological allegory within
magick, the Qliphoth represent the negative states of existence. Some view
the Qliphoth in a similar manner as one would view an astronomical Black
Hole perpetually drawing into Itself the Universe surrounding It.

If we were to indeed view the Qliphoth as the anti-Sephiroth, it would be

marginally feasible that this drawing into aspect of Its Nature could be
utilised for constructive ends. An example would be to examine each Qliphah
and Its unique signature in order to harness the particular artery in
concordance with the task at hand for example, if one wished to counter his
or her feelings of inner conflict over a decision, the artery of Thaumiel could
be focused upon the aspect of his or her life in need of reparation. In this
context, the individual arteries of the Qliphoth could be analogised as
vacuums, drawing out accumulated energies which are no longer beneficial to
the individual. This use of Qliphothic magick, however, is less akin to sorcery
than it is to self-examination and self-cleansing. The Qliphoth can also be
utilised for projective magick.

Some practitioners of Qliphothic Sorcery ascertain that the Qliphoth

Themselves are inherently receptive that is, as aforementioned, it is
believed that the Tree of Death only draws Into Itself and therefore does not
project Itself into the Universe. However, within the context of Judaic
Kabbalism, this is not the case as it is believed that the Qliphoth are ever-
influencing the world of Man that it is Man, not the Qliphoth, which draws
the Peels unto Himself. If this is the case, then utilising Qliphothic energies
for projective magick can be rather straightforward the invocation of a
particular Qliphah may be sufficient. However, many magicians who believe
that the Qliphoth are wholly receptive also believe that the key to utilising
Qliphothic energy within the context of projective magick is not the Qliphoth
Themselves, but the entities who govern Them. In the next article, we will
explore some of the entities aligned with the Qliphoth and Their functions
within.