Malkhuth and Mother Goddess

[AmbivalentMirage]

I have been reading the book "Kabbalah: Key To Your Inner Power", and in the book, they describe the lowest sephirot (Malkhuth) as the Divine Mother because it is closest to the earth, controls karma, and nurtures. Malkhuth is the "Shekhina" or feminine aspect of G-d that balences the masculine sephira with the feminine. Perhaps Malkhuth is the Kabbalistic understanding of the Mother Goddess?? What do you think? :)

[Mithrea]

Ambi, forgive me, but I'm not familiar enough with the Kabbalah to understand the question. Are you saying that the book is claiming that the Malkuth is the Mother Goddess and you want to know if we agree?

[AmbivalentMirage]

I suppose I could have better phrased my question. ;)

The book calls the Shekhinah (G-d's connection to humanity and female aspect) the Divine Mother. Not in the respect that they worship Shekhinah as a goddess, but as the title that it is the part of the divine personality that interacts with us etc.

My question is: Could the Divine Mother (Shekhinah) be another title/referece to the Mother Goddess?

[Mithrea]

Okay I did some reading up (as much as I could in just a few hours ;) ) and I think that yes the analogy can be made but that it's very simplistic because the Shekhina is so much more than just the feminine. If the Malkuth is the most mundane of the Sephirot and the most physical, then those are other ways it can be compared to the Mother Goddess. However, I would really like to hear from someone else who is more familiar with the Kabbalah though. :)

[amberlaine]

*puts on her Kabbalah hat*


Perhaps Malkhuth is the Kabbalistic understanding of the Mother Goddess?? What do you think?

Not exactly. Malkuth isn't actually the Shekinah. Binah is the home of Shekinah. Malkuth is a reflection of Binah--it is the place where Shekinah can manifest, but in a *flawed* form.

According to Hasidic theology, the Shekinah and G!D were once united. But each time the nation of Israel sinned against G!D, the Shekinah descended to a lower plane of Heaven, becoming seprated from G!D. This happened 7 times, until Shekina came to dwell among thenation of Israel here on Earth. But she is flawed here on Earth, beause the Shekinah can only be complete when she is one with G!D. Not only that, but the sephira of Malkuth is the most distorted, the most corrupt emanation of the Ein Soph, since its at the bottom of the tree. By the time the Divine Light has run its course down teh tree, it has accumulated much "black fire" that clouds the true face of the Divine from us.

Remember, too, tha tMalkuth is the only sephira that relates to anything physical. The Shekinah is *not* a physical being, so to speak, whereas one could argue that the Mother Goddess can be a physical being--she can be the earth, the universe, everything. Shekinah, however, is merely "G!D dwelling among us". It is the presence of the Divine without the Divine actually being physical. Does that make sense?


My question is: Could the Divine Mother (Shekhinah) be another title/referece to the Mother Goddess?

Well, like I said, Shekinah means "dwelling among us", but another title for Shekinah is Matronit. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to link the linguistics there.

[AmbivalentMirage]

Ooh, thanx for the info!! Being rather new to my path, I'm bound to have some things confused. ;)

Now that you mention it, I DID read about the Shekhinah being reflected from Binah into Malkhuth. Silly moi. ;)

[Journeyman]

Excellent elucidation, amberlaine!

:)