Tree of Life - Invocation of The Orchard

Kabbalah Tree of Life

 I thought I'd take a break from the discussion of the Major Arcana cards today and share a bit about when I first became interested in the Tarot. I learned how directly related Kabbalah was to understanding the cards. I found the explanation of Kabbalah  to be very complex and full of deep meaning that can be very overwhelming, because there is so much information to be learned. I have been very drawn to Judaism and Mysticism from a young age, and so I was keen to find out as much as I could. I do not pretend to begin to understand the Kabbalah, as it is a life long study. It has been described as being a system of thought, and the Tree of Life is a map of personal energies and thought. It is a way to describe or a way of describing God.

It has been long held, and believed, that the Tarot has it's origins in Kabbalah. I take what I have learned, and adapt this information when I am doing readings or studying the Tarot cards.

A particular invocation and prayer I like to say prior to my readings is the Invocation of The Orchard. It makes me feel grounded and connected to the earth and connected in ancient tradition.

INVOCATION OF THE ORCHARD

"I pass through this orchard remembering that what I may learn, and what may pass before my eyes will be for the purpose of healing the world, and bringing Unity into this dimension, into the plane of human awareness. This orchard is the transition point between the transcendent and the imminent - the abstract and the concrete.
My personal path can adapt and absorb this forest slowly, and as it sees fit. My basic person hood remains intact, while sampling the myriad forms and concepts in the grove. Drinking from the river of delights of the Creator's house, my own specific root into the infinite is a path of emanation along which I can safely and respectfully traverse.

"All the world is a very narrow bridge - but the point is to be fearless."

"Sepher Malchus is also called "Kingdom," and is the realm of the earth, of the body, and immediate physical sensations."

Sepher Malchus is the grounding point, where I am centered, and where I will return after contemplating the trees, springs, fragrances, and many-faceted gems in the enclosure. Sepher Malchus is the point of connection and return to my personal concrete reality and viewpoint, to my ideal stability."

The Kabbalah Tree of Life