Kether, Hebrew KThR, "crown,"is the first and highest Sephirah of the Kabbalah Tree of Life and the highest Sephirah of the Middle Pillar. The Kether is the first manifestation, the original unity from which all else unfolds, and the goal of the spititual guest as understood by the Kabbalist.
Universal symbolism:
Name of God: AHIH, Eheiehh (I Am)
Archandel: MITTRVN, Metatron, the Prince of the Countenances
Angelic Host: ChIVTH, HQDSh,Chaioth ha-Qodesh (Holy Living Creatures)
Astrological Correspondence: RAShITh, HGLGLIM, Rashith ha-Gilgalim (Beginnings of Turnings or Primum Mobile)
Tarot Correspondence: The four Aces of the pack
Elemental Correspondence: Air
Magical Image: A human face looking toward the viewer's right, seen through brilliant light. Some versions portray the face as male, others androgynous.
Additional Symbols: The point, the crown
Additional Title: Marcroprosus, the Greater Countenance; Amen; the Primordial Point; the Head Which Is Not; Ancient of Days
Colors:
in Atziluth - pure brilliance,
in Briah - brilliant white,
in Yetzirah - brilliant white,
in Assiah -white flecked with gold
Corrospondence in the Microcosm: Yechidah, the spiritual essence of the self
Correspondence in the Body: Above the crown of the head
Grade of Initiation: 10=1, Ipsissimus
Qlippoth: ThAVMIAL, Thaumiel, the Divided Ones
Text from the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom corresponding to this Sephirah: "The First Path is called the Admirable and Hidden Intelligence; it is the Light giving power of comprehension of that First Principle which has no beginning; and it is the Primal Glory, for no created being can attain to its essence."
Since Kether represents the unity of God it is the supreme Sephirah and therefore identical with en sof, infinity. It therefore contains everything that exists throughout the entire Sephiroth; thus making it possible for God's unity to be illustrated throughout the Sephiroth through the emanation of each Sephirah.
To better comprehend the perception the Sephiroth may be pictured as ten concentric circles instead of the Tree of Life. Using this concentric-circle depiction, God's divine power, will, can be viewed as concentrated or expanded. When viewed as concentrated Kether is positioned in the outermost circle and Malkuth in the innermost one. In this relationship, the Supreme Will, Kether, is a concentrated thought that brings about or creates the universe, Malkuth. Now when the stationing of the Sephirahs is reverse, Kether in the inner circle and Malkuth in the outer one, the Supreme Will, Kether, is said to be expanding to create the universe, Malkuth. From these situations one sees that God may be viewed inwardly or outwardly. Inwardly, the first situation, God creates the universe by the "contraction" or "concentration" of his ontological possibilities; and when viewing outwardly, the second situation, God created the universe by "expansion," "radiation," or "emanation," the way most view the Tree of Life. A.G.H.
Malkuth Hebrew MLKVTh, "kingdom," is the ninth Sephirah of the Kabbalah Tree of Life, representing the world of ordinary life.
Universal symbolism:
Name of God: ADNI, Adonai (Lord)
Archangel: MThThRVN, Metatron, Prince of Countenances; SNDLPVN, Sandalphon (Twin Brothers)
Angelic Host: AIShIM, Ishim (Humanity)
Astrological Correspondence: AaVLM VSWDWTh, Olam Yesodoth (Sphere of the Elements)
Tarot Correspondence: The four Tens and four Pages or Princes of the pack
Elemental Correspondence: Earth
Magical Image: A young woman sitting on a throne
Additional Symbols: The altar, the equal-armed cross, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Colors:
in Atziluth - clear yellow,
in Briah - citrinr, olive, russet, and black;
in Yetzirah - as Briah, but flecked with gold;
in Assiah - black rayed with yellow
Correspondence in the Microcosm: GVP, Guph, the physical body
Correspondence in the Body: The feet
Grade of Initiation: 1=10, Zelator
Qlippoth: LILITH, Lilith, the Woman of Night
Text from the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom corresponding to this Sephirah: "The Tenth Path is called the Resplendent Intelligence because it is exalted above every head, and sits on the throne of Binah. It illuminates the splendor of all the Lights, and causes an influence to descend from the Prince of Countenances."
Malkuth is the "kingdom of God,' the final depository of the divine attributes within the Sephiroth. Not by accident is it the lower extremity of the middle Sephiroth pillar for it is the recipient of the luminous or intelligent emanations of the "right side" Sephirahs, and of the dark or unintelligible emanations from the "left side" Sephirahs, but also of the of the central Sephirah, the highest which is Kether, the super-intelligible principle. In other words, Malkuth contains both omnipresence of the supreme, which is the universal spirit, and the unintelligible emanations, the darkest of which becomes concrete in creative substance.
Just as Binah is sometimes referred to as the "upper mother," making the knowledge of the unity and wisdom--Kether and Chokmah--more accessible so is Malkuth frequently called the "lower mother" because she receives all of God's attributes. In other words, that which is pure receptive in Binah and creative contraction in Geburah becomes cosmic emptiness in Hod and finally undifferentiated and causal substance in Malkuth. The "life of the worlds" is manifested in Netzach and communicated by Yesod to Malkuth, the substance.
Again, this tracing of the series of manifestations only exist in the concept of time; this is both theoretical and theological because God's emanations always existed
