The Ten Spheres of the Qliphoth

This article, which I will be updating as time and increases of knowledge permit and cause, describes the structure of the Qliphoth and the evolutions engendered by an active and long-term initiation calling on it. The Qliphothic Spheres are believed by the White Lodge to represent unbalanced and disorganized reflections of the initiatory forces which are entreated through the Sephiroth. In truth, the Qliphothic Sphere of Jupiter introduces the magickain to the same initiatory force as its corresponding Sephira. The path to enlightenment through demon magick is harder and far more powerful route. Our initiators are not imbalanced; this misconception stems from the manifold plights of those initiates who could not handle the darker path. We acknowledge that the praxis of the White Lodge engenders great awakening, and we await the day they awaken enough to see that we chose the right path for us.

If the witch is guided to do so, she may self-initiate through a Qliphothic Sphere or Path without having endured the initiations intended to come before it. The result is a significant and beneficial taste of the evolution which the working could have brought about if the witch had went in order. She will, of course, still evolve, and when she re-initiates through the Path or Sphere she skipped ahead to after completing the prior steps, she will find the trial of her initiation to have been appropriately attenuated.

A witch can conjure the energies of any given Qlipha for self-empowerment, the attainment of desired things, or to manifest any other need without self-initiating through the Sphere. You're not going to manage a planetary initiation on accident. My many rites to Qliphas of the Middle Column didn't initiate me through a single sphere (I wasn't familiar with the concept of initiatory Sphereworkings), but they made those Qliphas really fucking easy to self-initiate through once I got my head out of my ass.

The guideline is to perform one Sphereworking a month. That's a good guideline. Unfortunately, guidelines are useless here, but I think the attempt was good. You do this shit the way your gut, your divination, and your guiding spirits tell you. If they tell you to skip ahead, do it. If they tell you to do two Sphereworkings to different Qliphas on the same night like they told me to, you'll be happy you did, just like I was.

The goal of Sphereworkings is not to enter the Qlipha via meditation journeys, astral projection, or dream magick. I've done these things and I have found them beneficial, but the truth remains that the purpose of a Sphereworking is to bring the initiatory force of the Qlipha into your life and your consciousness. Your consciousness will undergo nearly instant refinement and the influence of the Qlipha will engender trials in your life tailored intentfully to "flesh out" your change in consciousness.

I have Sphereworkings for all 10 Qliphas, Non-Qliphothic Sphereworkings for 3 Planetary Spheres inaccessible through the Qliphoth, Pathworkings for all 22 Tunnels of Set, a Rite of Fourfold-Initiation through the Hidden Tunnels of Set, and rituals which serve to polish, increase, or correct the transformative effects of these rites. All of this is available freely and for the public in the Qliphothic Self-Initiation section of my website.

Above: This is a magickally charged depiction of a portal to the Qliphoth  by GAR. This image can be used in meditation journeys (most Occultists call meditation journeys pathworking exercises, but in the context of the Qliphothic Self-Initiation category of my website, the term 'pathworking' refers specifically to my rites of self-initiation through the Tunnels of Set, which do not incorporate meditation journeys (unless the witch wants to perform one). While this image is not as powerful as GAR's Goetic pieces, it can still be used to enter any given Qlipha via meditation journey. Here are two magickal chants useful in opening any Qlipha:

Drakosophia Liftoach (Name of Qlipha)!
"The Current of the Adversary Shall Open (Name of Qlipha)"

Io Sitra De-Smola, Drakosophia Liftoach (Name of Qlipha), Sitra Ahra Gloria!
"Hail the Sinsiter Left Side, the Current of the Adversary Shall Open (Name of Qlipha), Glory to the Infernal Plane!"

Nahemoth/Nehemoth/Nahemo/Lilith/Reschaim
Nahemoth is the first sphere and it corresponds to the Black Earth—the astral realm wherein fairies reside. Nahemoth overlaps with our planet, and any given gap between trees, moments between musical notes, or causal location can be or become a gateway to its mysteries. The name Nahemoth [the Whisperers] is also rendered Nehemoth and Nahemo and the Qlipha has the alternate names of Lilith [Night Spectre] and Reschaim [Elements]. It is ruled by Nahema/Na’amah, and to it are attributed new beginnings, curses or hexes, natural disasters, self-transformation, destruction and death, rebirth or redemption, revolution, psychic vampyrism, personal magnetism, witchcraft in general, sexual power, enchantment, rebellion, opulence, carnality, atavism, worldly power, death, ruthlessness or cruelty, and illusion or deception. Herein the magickian begins to acquire self-knowledge and learns to emulate & use the characteristics of the demonic masculine & demonic feminine alike.

Nahemoth is the womb-gate to Hell. While the Qliphothic spheres from Thaumiel [Neptune & Pluto; Moloch & Satan] to Gamaliel (Black Moon; Lilith) are all considered to be emanations of the Adversary or Devil, Nahemoth is not an emanation of the Devil-- it's a creation of the Devil: a manifestation of the Diabolic whereby the Adversarial Divinity achieves fulfillment. Nahemoth is the point of entry for the Black Light, the creation of which Black Light (Aur Chashakh/Xul/Or She-Ein Bo Mashavah) is completed in Gamaliel.

As the Sun is the center of the solar system, the Sphere of the Sun signifies, archetypally, the center of the universe-- the Logos, or the knowledge revealed. The Black Sun is the true and hidden center of the universe, the true acausal anchoring point and the Alogos-- the hidden gnosis. The Black Earth, similarly, is the underlying reality of our physical world that we tap into whenever we deny the illusory causal restrictions of our universe. The forces of Nahemoth control the material plane and can be called upon to bestow all manner of mundane acquisitions.

The difference between the Earth and the Black Earth is the difference between an object and an unmanifest ideal in the philosophy of Plato. Nahemoth functions like a master key to the universe: one can travel to Nahemoth and therefrom transport to any sphere or tunnel on either the Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge. White magickians struggle to enter the Tunnels of Set (i.e., the pathways between the Qliphothic spheres), usually resorting to an incredibly difficult and really inconvenient-sounding operation wherein they travel through Da'ath to get to a given tunnel. Nahemoth, however, is a wonderful portal to any given realm.

Nehemoth/Reschaim is the abode of Behemoth. Behemoth is the Apocalyptic Beast of the Earth, just as Ziz/Renanin is the Apocalyptic Beast of the Air. Mythological narratives differ as to whether there are one or two Apocalyptic Beasts of the Water-- namely Taninsam and Leviathan. It is the prerogative of the celebrant to determine, based on her own gnosis, whether these beasts truly symbolize the end of the world, or rather, signify the end of the world as we know it-- a simple cycle of aeons. The Goetic demon Phenex is attributed to Nahemoth. Shax's primary attribution is to Nahemoth as well.

If Na'amah shows up to attack you after you self-initiate through Nahemoth, just take it on the chin. She's only purifying your energy, and trust me, you'll be glad she did. I was never attacked by Nahema, but the secret portions of my tradition did bring about an experience of that kind with a few non-Qliphothic entities: Tiamat, Qingu, and Absu. Three visible black dragons. No explanation. Hours.

A lot of you won't get attacked by Na'amah and I honestly don't know how common it is, but if Na'amah shows up in the middle of the night, it is for the best, and I don't think I'm going to be feeling sorry for you.

Gamaliel/Gomaliel/Gamalielim
The realm of Gamaliel/Gamalielim corresponds to the black reflection of the Earth’s moon and is ruled by Lilith. Its attributes are sexual alchemy, matters relating to the LGBTQ, dream work, lunar and nocturnal magick, seduction, astral magick, death, psychic vampyrism, personal magnetism, malice, hidden wisdom, astral projection, protection, shapeshifting, necromancy, miscarriages and abortion, letting go of what is dead and past, night terrors, necromancy, self-deification, and sexual black-magickal practices. The witch is forced to face hidden and repressed aspects of her sexuality. Incubi and succubi dwell herein, and guide the witch to sabbatic orgies in the astral plane.

The Sephirothic Sphere of the Moon, known as Yesod, is considered to have been the Garden of Eden, which Sphere (Yesod/Eden) was held to be a perfect mirror of the Penultimate Sephira known as Kether. Ergo, Gamaliel is the Nightside of Eden, and therefore a perfect reflection of the Penultimate Qlipha called Thaumiel (Neptune & Pluto/ Moloch & Satan). The connection of Gamaliel to sabbatic orgies, then, is perfectly sensible: if Yesod was a Mirror of the Far-Removed Numinous wherein humans could frolick with God, then of course Gamaliel is where magickians can frolick with Devils.

As the Sun is the center of our solar system, the Sphere of the Sun archetypally plays a similar role as the Logos. It is, however, the Black Sun which is the hidden center of the universe, without a center and yet with a circumference encompassing all that is, of which every Higher Self is simply another ray. The Sphere of the Black Moon is then the underlying reality that we tap into whenever we manifest possibilities usually restricted by the pre-causal (not acausal) laws that govern Qamar [the Sphere of the Moon]. It's really all one tree.

Samael
Samael holds the key to the mystery of form. Herein the Satanist becomes an embodiment of Promethean-Darwinian principles as the Samm (venom) of the demonic awakens hidden aspects of her Black Flame and spirituality. Adamelech rules the realm which corresponds to Mercury, wherein dwell dragons and dragon-winged angels who bear chalices filled with venom and massive keys. Its energies can stimulate spells previously cast, and it is known as the domain of the pursuit of godhood. Herein the witch dies and becomes reborn once again after trials that force her to question her own self-value and sanity. The witch is tested with pride in illusory achievements.

Samael is where the metamorphosis truly begins. The influence of this sphere can reveal the deceptions employed against the witch and elucidate hidden enemies. Herein the witch can refine her being through darksome alchemies and forbidden metallurgies. This sphere signifies the beginning of the pursuit of self-deification through demon magick. The forces of Samael can teach the witch to master the evil eye.

Once initiated through the Qlipha of Mercury, one learns to see wisdom and insanity as she is forced to question every part of her worldview and purpose. The witch is often forced to confront failings of her behavior and admit herself to blame for fall-outs she'd always fancied herself innocent in-- it's a brutal epiphany, but she's better off for it. Booze and tears are common here.

The Sphere of the Earth is in the physical world, and the Sphere of the Moon is in the astral world. Samael is the first step into the mental world and the first Qlipha in the Pillar of Severity-- that analytic and dissolving principle of the Numinous upon which the foundation of the scholar's path to enlightenment is predicated. The second Qlipha in the mental plane is the first Qlipha on the Pillar of Mercy, A'areb Zaraq (Venus/Bael). It is within the Planetary Sphere of Venus that our subconscious desires are generated, and it is within the Planetary Sphere of Mercury that these abstract inclinations find form-- subconscious form-- which form crosses the bridge of the Lunar Sphere and be expressed within the Sphere of Causality and Consciousness. It is by the attainment of form that a thing can be identified.

The Planetary Sphere of Mercury, like all Planetary Spheres that don't lie in the tree's middle collumn, contains an infernal territory and demonic principality alongside a celestial territory and angelic principality, both of which territories are merely locations within the Sphere of Mercury, and neither of which principalities govern the Sphere of Mercury. It is within Samael, which is both the Infernal Principality of the Planetary Sphere of Mercury and the Dissolving-Mental-Mercurial Progression of the Infernal Divine, that many spirits of the dead reside and may be contacted and conjured forth from.

The Qliphas of Mercury and Venus, being both Spheres of the Mental Plane of the Qliphoth, are codependent to a large degree-- compared frequently to a matching pair of feet. Samael stripped away my arrogant delusion of virtue and forced me to see how awful I had been, and in doing so, made it possible for me to pursue virtue. A'areb Tzaraq imbued me with a depth of Platonic love and empathy-- a strong driving force which saw that virtue was pursued. Do not expect necessarily that you shall emulate this, but I suspect the development of your physis [spiritual essence & essence of character] will undergo a evolution which, while paralleling my own efflorescence, will unfold in the way that is applicable to you.

To comprehend the initiatory forces of A'areb Tzaraq and Samael alike, which opposite initiatory forces together comprise the evolution bestowed by the mental plane, is to understand not only forms, but also the underlying essence that forms express. Then, the witch acquires true agency over forms, for they can no longer manipulate her. This will come.

Gharab/A'areb Zaraq/Harab Serapel/Oreb Mavet
Oreb Zaraq means “Ravens of Dispersion.” It's the Qlipha which compliments perfectly that which is attained on the Qliphoth's opposite collumn-- the mental plane's preceding half. Its guide is Baal and it's attributed to Venus.

Magus Rob called Oreb Zaraq "the realm of creation and manifestation magick." The attributes of the Qlipha include art, love magick, violent crime, theft, the incitement of envy, astral projection, death, war and combat, rites involving ecstatic states of mind, turning organization to disorder and vice versa, alchemical rites of draconic witchcraft, all manner of conflict, stealth and espionage, and eroto-mysticism.

Initiation through Gharab causes the witch’s magickal powers skyrocket and teaches her exactly how to apply them. After all, Gharab is the first Qlipha on the Pillar of Mercy: the associative and connective impulse of infernality. Samael elevated the consciousness of the witch via her first planetary initiation into the repelling expression of the Numinous, and now, through Gharab, she's initiated through the attracting expression of the Numinous. As Samael was her first initiation into the scholar's path to attainment, Gharab initiates her into the artist's path to attainment. The perspective attained is priceless.

My star apprentice and I agreed that this Qlipha fixed us in ways we didn't know we were broken. We began to feel an all-new depth of empathy and Platonic love for the people that we cared about. If Samael forced me to see the flaws in myself, I suppose Gharab gave me the eyes to see the value in my friends.

The initiatory force of this Qlipha fills the witch with doubts regarding her spiritual path. She's made to question whether or not she was ever cut out for the alchemical endeavors of demon magick. The Qliphoth has heigthened her consciousness and coerced her into self-honesty, and now she really has to think, is this right for her? She's never been more capable of making the right judgment regarding the matter in her life. While none of my covenmates have left the Craft, the reader's decision is all her own.

Thagirion/Togarini/Tagaririm/Tagimiron
Thagirion is the realm of the Black Sun under the leadership of Belphegor. Among the attributes of Thagirion are death, concealment and stealth, awakening, vitality, aristocracy and offices of power, wealth, leadership, overcoming personal weakness, imagination, and the will to power. Its influence can be called upon to destroy or create energies of any kind and to engender the end of any given form of allegiance (marital, occupational, etc.).

The Qliphas of the mental plane have seen her elevated via both opposing principles of the Numinous and initiated through the alchemical paths of artists and scholars alike. This stage of attainment is the springboard for the self-deifying initiation which the Qlipha of the Black Sun impresses upon magickians.

It is through the Sphereworking of Thagirion that witches tend to acquire the competence she needs to acquire gnosis of her Higher Self. The Sphere of the Black Sun often sees the witch's everlasting part and precedent of self through the bestial called the Spirit Animal. As the circumference of the Black Sun is the reality which underlies our solar system's center of revolution (i.e., the Logos), the Spirit Animal is the hidden aspect of the Higher Self.

As the initiatory force of Thagirion impresses itself upon the witch, massive influxes of spiritual power stimulate her Kundalini and bedevil her with great concupiscence. The trials of this sphere will often force the witch to develop a greater awareness of her physical surroundings.

The element of the Numinous corresponding to the Planetary Sphere of the Sun is the prime mover of the Logos-- the center of the metaphorical universe. The Black Sun is the true and hidden center of the universe, a mass without a center, which contains the All within its limitless and unperceived circumference. Every Higher Self is a ray of the Black Sun, for while the Sun generates causal life, the Black Sun generates acausal life. The Sun is the Logos-- the revealed truth-- a necessary thing. The Black Sun is the Alogos, the gnosis yet concealed. The archetypes of the Planetary Sphere of the Sun are the gurus who teach the many-- Mohammed and his ilk-- who engender small elucidations en masse. The archetypes of Thagirion are those possessors of hidden knowledge which initiate the selected few into unprecedented attainment.

The Black Sun is held to be an apocalyptic force-- the prime mover behind an all-consuming desolation. The Black Sun, in truth, is concerned with the progression of aeons-- cyclic phases in humankind's spiritual development. The Alogos, once revealed, engenders another cycle of the development of the Logos. The Black Sun will only destroy the world as you know it.

The Black Sun has no relationship whatsoever with the mysteries of the Nazi spiritualists-- the Hitlerian symbol often called "the Black Sun" was, in truth, called the "Sun Wheel." The reference to their symbol as "the Black Sun" is an entirely modern misnomer for the icon; zero Nazis ever referred to that symbol as the Black Sun.

Golachab/Goloheb/Golab
Golachab corresponds to sadistic sexual urges, military power, courage and aggression, masculinity, and slaughter. The energies of Golachab can serve to provoke combat, lust, bloodshed, assassination, warfare, punishment, and conflict. Golachab is the Martian sphere and its guide is Asmodeus. Herein dwell the most violent and powerful variants of incubi and succubi. By the sphere of Goleb/Golachab, the witch is divest of unnecessary characteristics.

Self-initiation through this sphere is often accompanied by a trial of conflict-- but not necessarily combat. An apprentice of mine had to break up a dogfight by grabbing both participants by their mouths and swinging them away from one another. He fucked up his hand in the process-- not only was everyone shocked he'd just sent two dogs yelping off, I'm told the fellow wasn't the concerned in the least about the blood gushing out of his hand. One fellow I know spent hours in an armed stand-off he wound up in out of nowhere to defend a battered woman he'd befriended-- no one got hurt and no one got in legal trouble.

Self-initiation through Golachab imparts an illumination of the mind which allows the black magickian to truly fulfill the role of the left-handed adept. A sharpening of the analytical faculties ensues as a new vitality emerges. In short, the witch acquires the initiave and the depth of perception which will allow her to bear the full fruits of the things she has attained so far.

Gha’agsheblah/Gashkelah/Gamchicoth
The Jupiterian Qlipha of Ashtoreth corresponds to wisdom, initiation, limitations and restrictions, dynamic change, continual motion, bloodlust, opening or awakening anything, wealth, seeking allies, honour, suicide, and the revelation of truth.

The realm of Gha’agsheblah/Gashkalah imparts another distinct stage in the witch’s alchemical progression as her Black Flame is further illuminated. The Sphereworking of Gamchicoth completes the stage of incremental ascent comprised by the second triad of the Qlipha-- the downward-pointing triangle whose points are the Qliphas of the Black Sun, Mars, and Jupiter. These triangle formed by the Planetary Spheres of the Sun, Mars, and Jupiter is known as the Akashic Record-- a catalog that contains recordings of all thoughts, knowledge, and occurrences which have ever come to exist. The witch who has self-initiated through both the Qlipha of the Black Sun and the Planetary Sphere of the Sun will come to the Record bearing the Torch of Alogos.

Gashkelah/Gamchicoth (which name means Devourers) is the realm of intellectual development wherein philosophy is studied and erudition is pursued. Its energies are apt for manipulation, propaganda, deception, and the refinement of the evil eye. Herein the witch can be taught many workings of advanced demon magick.

Satariel/Harasiel/Sathariel/Satorial/Satoriel
Satariel/Sathariel is the Saturnian sphere of Lucifuge Rofocale wherein the mysteries of higher esotericisms are recorded and imparted unto the witch. Its energies correspond to concealment, the propagation of darkness, overcoming oppression, fear, death, the darkening of one’s soul, lethal execration, and the attainment of cold-heartedness. Herein the witch is tested and forced to look beyond the absurdity of what confronts her and see the truth that lies within it. It was after self-initiation through this sphere that my True Will was revealed to me-- the very self-initiation wherein Ereshkygal introduced herself to the other two celebrants and I as the Saturnian Manifestation of Mother Hecate. Within Sathariel sits the True Throne of Lilith, as hinted by her name Ama Lilith: Ama's a common title for Binah.

Ghagiel/Ghogiel/Chaigidel/Ogiel
Ghagiel/Ogiel/Chaigidel is Baelzebuth’s realm which corresponds to Uranus. Herein the witch breaks down the causal constraints which the Cosmos has forced upon her and seeks the experience of freedom and lawlessness through the dissolution of her ego. This is the realm of the True Will/Personal Wyrd and it corresponds to criminality and insurrection. This sphere rises in opposition to the demiurge and propagates what is wrathful and evil. This sphere can be called upon for the attainment of true wisdom and the domination of the masses. It's the sphere of the Magus. According to Evoking Eternity by E.A. Koetting, the power of Ghagiel can be called upon in baneful magick to induce "self-delusion, confusion, consternation, and stagnation."

Thaumiel/Thamiel
Thaumiel is the realm wherein the witch becomes androgynous and immortal. Under the dominion of Molock and Satan, its influence causes creation and destruction on a macrocosmic scale and its energies are suited to death and everything related to it. The witch awakens the most hidden aspects of the Black Flame by imbibing the Black Light from the source. The energies of Thaumiel are acausal, pandimensional (flowing in every direction), and unhindered by time. The causal/Cosmic restrictions are truly released by this sphere, and the will to power becomes completely unfettered by personal weaknesses. This sphere pertains to warfare against the Demiurge and it illuminates the subconscious of the celebrant. Its planetary correspondences are Neptune and Pluto.

Sources
Qliphoth Opus III from Black Tower Publishing
Tree of Shadow from Black Tower Publishing
Liber Sitra Achra from the 218 Current
Liber Azerate from the 218 Current
Evoking Eternity by E.A. Koetting