Celestial spheres

Cosmology from a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle (fol. 5v) written by Hartmann Schedel (1493)

The 10 Sephirot, which emerge from the divine primordial light Ain Soph Aur after the Tzimtzum in ever-shrinking concentric spheres or bowls.

The celestial spheres or heavenly spheres (Hebrew: גַּלְגַּלים Galgalim, singular גַּלְגַּל Galgal "wheel") are, according to the occult view, cosmic domains of higher spiritual hierarchies. The geocentric world view of the Middle Ages, building on the worldview of antiquity, comprises a total of 9 respectively 10 spheres.

The seven planetary spheres, which are assigned to the seven planets visible to the naked eye, are surrounded by the fixed star sphere with the zodiac, the dominion of the Cherubim (zodiacal beings) and Seraphim. In the medieval worldview, the 9th sphere is the Crystal Heaven, which is also the Primum Mobile, first mentioned by Ptolemy. As "carriers" of the planets and stars, the subordinate spheres were also regarded as crystal spheres. In the Christian tradition, the concept of the Crystal Heaven or the Crystal Sphere was derived from Genesis, where on the second day of creation the firmament (Latin: firmamentum, Hebrew: רקיע raqía) is spoken of, by which the heavenly and earthly "waters" are separated from each other. The uppermost sphere of the world is the Empyrean (Latin: empyreus "in fire", from ancient Greek: ἔμπυρος émpyros), the heaven of fire, the abode of the supreme deity, in Hinduism called Trimurti, by the Kabbalists Ain Soph and in Christian terms the Trinity.

In a narrower sense, the Hebrew term Galgalim ("wheels") refers to the Thrones which rule in the Saturn sphere and are probably to be equated with the Ophanim (Hebrew אוֹפַנִּים "wheels") described by Ezekiel in his Throne Chariot vision. Above them rises the zodiac with the Cherubim.

In the question answer to a lecture given in Leipzig on 12 January 1908, Rudolf Steiner explains the meaning of the "wheels" and relates them to the ten Sephirot of the Kabbalah and the temporal development of the members of the human being:

„The wheels of the chariot, Merkabah, indicate the reversals through which man moves further ahead, and rounds are meant by them. The ten sephirot indicate periods of time, stages of development, which man has gone through. The physical body went through four stages of development: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth. Three stages of the etheric body: Sun, Moon, Earth. Two stages of the astral body: Moon, Earth. The I is on the first stage: together there are ten.“ (Lit.: Contributions 32, p. 31)

Similar views were also held by the Kabbalists. For example, Joseph Gikatilla (1248-1325), who lived in Spain around the time of Dante, distinguished the following 10 spheres, which correspond to the 10 Sephirot:

„The lunar sphere, the sphere of Mercury (Galgal ha-Kochav), the sphere of Venus (Gaggal Nogah), the solar sphere (Galgal Hamma), the sphere of Mars (Galgal Ma'adim), the sphere of Jupiter (Galgal Zedek), the sphere of Saturn ( Galgal Shabbtat), the sphere of the Zodiac (Galgal ha-Massalot), the sphere of the 'Aravot sky, the Tenth Intellect. These are the ten sefirot belima, to which the lower world, that is, the earth, does not belong.“

– Joseph Gikatilla: Sefer Ginnat 'Egos

The 'Aravot Heaven corresponds to the Primum Mobile: "Know that 'Aravot is the ninth sphere, above all spheres, and it moves them all with a steady motion."

Literature

• Karl Erich Grözinger: Jüdisches Denken. Theologie - Philosophie - Mystik: Band 2: Von der mittelalterlichen Kabbala zum Hasidismus, Campus Verlag, Frankfurt/New York 2006, ISBN 978-3593375137
• Rudolf Steiner: Theosophie. Einführung in die übersinnliche Welterkenntnis und Menschenbestimmung, GA 9 (1904), Kapitel Die Seelenwelt English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Das Leben zwischen dem Tode und der neuen Geburt im Verhältnis zu den kosmischen Tatsachen, GA 141 (1997), ISBN 3-7274-1410-3 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Beiträge zur Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe, Heft 32, Beiträge (Contributions) 32

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