Chokmah (Wisdom)
Chokmah is the second sephirah—“Wisdom”—the primordial masculine force of creation, representing pure dynamic energy before form. It is the counterpart to Binah, which shapes and gives structure.
Sephiroth Details
Hebrew Name:
חָכְמָה
Sephiroth Number:
2
Position:
Upper-Right
Archangel:
Raziel
Angelic Order:
Ophanim
Overview / Defining This Sephiroth
Often described as “Abba” (the Father), Chokmah is the archetypal masculine principle. It projects the seed of creation, which Binah, the Mother, then shapes into form. This dynamic between Chokmah and Binah is foundational for the entire unfolding of the sefirotic structure.
In esoteric traditions, Chokmah is identified with the zodiacal sphere, representing limitless potential and the generative patterns that guide cosmic order. Its energy is explosive and unbounded, requiring Binah’s discipline to channel it.
In human psychology, Chokmah corresponds to flashes of intuition, inspiration, and visionary wisdom—moments of truth that precede rational thought or structured knowledge.
01.
Meaning of Sephiroth
Wisdom
02.
Divine Name
Yah (יה)
03.
Symbolism & Practical Meaning
Associated with the right side of the head or brain, symbolizing inspiration and intuition. Also symbolized by the zodiac, stars, or primal masculine energy. Represents wisdom as divine insight, raw inspiration, and the generative seed of creation. It governs vision, prophecy, and intuition beyond rational analysis.
04.
Paths
Receives directly from Keter; works in polarity with Binah; flows downward into Chesed.
05.
Opposite / Balance
Binah—the Great Mother, who receives and gives form to Chokmah’s unshaped energy.
06.
Associated Color
Grey, pure light tones
Learn More About The Tree of Life’s Sephiroth
Magic is the art of changing consciousness at will – Dion Fortune
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World: Assiah
Hebrew Name: מַלְכוּת (Malḵūṯ)
Sephiroth Number: 10
Divine Name: Adonai Melekh (“Lord who is King”) and Adonai ha‑Aretz (“Lord of the Earth”)
Malkuth (Kingdom)
Malkuth is the tenth sephirah—“Kingdom”—representing the physical world and the culmination of divine energy into material existence. It is the receptive sphere where spiritual energy manifests in tangible form. As the sephirah of Assiah, it corresponds to the densest of the Four Worlds in Kabbalah and functions as the gateway between the divine and the mundane.
Path: Connected to Yesod directly above it. Also relates to the overall circuit from Kether
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World: Beriah
Hebrew Name: בִּינָה
Sephiroth Number: 3
Divine Name: Yahweh Elohim
Binah (Understanding)
Binah is the third sephirah—“Understanding”—the Great Mother who receives the dynamic energy of Chokmah and gives it form, structure, and meaning.
Path: Receives energy from Keter above; paired with Chokmah; flows downward into Gevurah.
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World: Atziluth
Hebrew Name: חָכְמָה
Sephiroth Number: 2
Divine Name: Yah (יה)
Chokmah (Wisdom)
Chokmah is the second sephirah—“Wisdom”—the primordial masculine force of creation, representing pure dynamic energy before form. It is the counterpart to Binah, which shapes and gives structure.
Path: Receives directly from Keter; works in polarity with Binah; flows downward into Chesed.
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World: Beriah
Hebrew Name: גְּבוּרָה
Sephiroth Number: 5
Divine Name: Elohim Gibor
Gevurah (Strength, Severity)
Gevurah is the fifth sephirah—“Strength”—embodying divine justice, discipline, and the necessary power of limitation. It balances Chesed’s expansive mercy with restraint and judgment.
Path: Receives energy from Binah above; balanced laterally with Chesed; flows downward into Tiphereth.
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World: Atziluth
Hebrew Name: חֶסֶד
Sephiroth Number: 4
Divine Name: El
Chesed (Mercy)
Chesed is the fourth sephirah—“Mercy”—embodying benevolence, expansive love, and divine kindness. It is the force of generosity that flows outward from the divine.
Path: Receives energy from Chokmah above; balanced laterally with Gevurah; flows downward into Tiphereth.
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World: Briah
Hebrew Name: תִּפְאֶרֶת
Sephiroth Number: 6
Divine Name: YHVH Eloah ve-Daath
Tiphereth (Beauty)
Tiphereth is the sixth sephirah—“Beauty”—and stands at the center of the Tree of Life. It harmonizes opposing forces and radiates balance, compassion, and the integrative power of the divine.
Path: Connects upward to Keter, Chokmah, and Binah through Daath; downward to Yesod; and laterally to Chesed (Mercy) and Gevurah (Severity).
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World: Assiah
Hebrew Name: הוֹד
Sephiroth Number: 8
Divine Name: Elohim Tzabaoth
Hod (Splendor)
Hod is the eighth sephirah—“Glory”—embodying intellect, communication, and structure. It balances the emotional force of Netzach with analytical clarity and disciplined thought.
Path: Balances Netzach (opposite) and channels into Yesod. Receives energy from Gevurah and Tiphereth above.
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World: Yetzirah
Hebrew Name: נצח (Netzach)
Sephiroth Number: 8
Divine Name: YHVH Tzivaot
Netzach (Victory)
Netzach is the seventh sephirah—Victory—embodying the power of endurance, motivation, and eternal persistence. Positioned on the right pillar, it represents the active drive to manifest spiritual inspiration through passion-filled action.
Path: Netzach receives influence from Tiphereth (beauty) and channels energy toward Yesod (foundation), balanced by Hod opposite.
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World: Assiah
Hebrew Name: יְסוֹד (Yesod)
Sephiroth Number: 9
Divine Name: Shaddai el Chai
Yesod (Foundation)
Yesod is the ninth sephirah, the Foundation that funnels and transmits divine energy into the material world. It balances and collects energies from above (Hod, Netzach, Tiphereth) and channels them onward into Malkuth, serving as the "engine room" of creation.
Path: Receives from Netzach (Victory) and Hod (Splendor), from Tiphereth (Beauty), and channels into Malkuth—the final sphere of manifestation.
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World: Atziluth
Hebrew Name: כֶּתֶר
Sephiroth Number: 1
Divine Name: Eheieh
Kether (Crown)
Keter is the first sephirah—“Crown”—the source of all creation, pure divine will and the root of emanation.
Path: Source of emanation into Chokmah and Binah.