Sephirotic Correspondences: Planets, Colors, Virtues
BY NICOLE LAU
The Multi-Dimensional Encoding
Each Sephirah is not just a number or position—it is a complete archetypal package encoding multiple dimensions: planetary influence, color vibration, virtue/vice, body part, and more. Similarly, the Chinese Five Elements (五行 Wu Xing) encode planets, directions, colors, organs, virtues, and seasons. These are isomorphic multi-dimensional correspondence systems—different symbolic languages encoding the same archetypal qualities.
The Sephirotic Correspondences
Each Sephirah has traditional correspondences across multiple dimensions:
Complete Sephirotic Table
| Sephirah | Planet | Color | Virtue | Vice | Body Part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Keter | Primum Mobile | Brilliant white | Attainment, Union | - | Crown of head |
| 2. Chokmah | Zodiac/Uranus | Gray, soft blue | Devotion | - | Left brain |
| 3. Binah | Saturn | Black | Silence, Understanding | Avarice | Right brain |
| 4. Chesed | Jupiter | Blue | Obedience, Mercy | Bigotry, Hypocrisy | Left arm |
| 5. Geburah | Mars | Red | Courage, Energy | Cruelty, Destruction | Right arm |
| 6. Tiferet | Sun | Gold, yellow | Devotion to Great Work | Pride | Heart, chest |
| 7. Netzach | Venus | Green | Unselfishness | Lust, Unchastity | Left leg, hips |
| 8. Hod | Mercury | Orange | Truthfulness | Dishonesty, Falsehood | Right leg |
| 9. Yesod | Moon | Purple, violet | Independence | Idleness | Genitals |
| 10. Malkuth | Earth | Citrine, olive, russet, black | Discrimination | Inertia, Avarice | Feet, anus |
The Chinese Five Elements Correspondences
The Five Elements (Wu Xing) also encode multiple dimensions:
Complete Wu Xing Table
| Element | Planet | Direction | Color | Organ | Virtue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood 木 | Jupiter 木星 | East | Green/blue | Liver, gallbladder | Benevolence 仁 | Spring |
| Fire 火 | Mars 火星 | South | Red | Heart, small intestine | Propriety 礼 | Summer |
| Earth 土 | Saturn 土星 | Center | Yellow | Spleen, stomach | Faithfulness 信 | Transitions |
| Metal 金 | Venus 金星 | West | White | Lungs, large intestine | Righteousness 义 | Autumn |
| Water 水 | Mercury 水星 | North | Black/dark blue | Kidneys, bladder | Wisdom 智 | Winter |
The Isomorphic Mapping
Planetary Correspondences
| Sephirah | Kabbalistic Planet | Wu Xing Element | Chinese Planet | Convergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesed | Jupiter | Wood 木 | Jupiter 木星 | 100% |
| Geburah | Mars | Fire 火 | Mars 火星 | 100% |
| Binah | Saturn | Earth 土 | Saturn 土星 | 95% |
| Netzach | Venus | Metal 金 | Venus 金星 | 100% |
| Hod | Mercury | Water 水 | Mercury 水星 | 100% |
Perfect Convergence: Jupiter (100%)
Chesed (Kabbalah): Jupiter, blue, mercy, expansion, generosity, benevolence.
Wood (Wu Xing): Jupiter (木星), green/blue, East, spring, growth, benevolence (仁).
Both systems assign Jupiter to the same archetypal quality—expansion, growth, benevolence, mercy. Even the virtues match: Chesed's virtue is Mercy/Obedience, Wood's virtue is Benevolence (仁 Ren). 100% convergence.
Perfect Convergence: Mars (100%)
Geburah (Kabbalah): Mars, red, severity, strength, courage, discipline.
Fire (Wu Xing): Mars (火星), red, South, summer, heat, propriety (礼).
Both systems assign Mars to the same archetypal quality—strength, courage, active force, red color. The virtue differs slightly (Courage vs. Propriety), but the core energy is identical. 100% convergence.
Color Correspondences
| Sephirah | Kabbalistic Color | Wu Xing Element | Chinese Color | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesed | Blue | Wood | Green/Blue | ✓ |
| Geburah | Red | Fire | Red | ✓ |
| Tiferet | Gold/Yellow | Earth | Yellow | ✓ |
| Netzach | Green | Metal | White | Partial |
| Binah | Black | Water | Black/Dark blue | ✓ |
Most colors match or are closely related, encoding the same vibrational qualities.
Virtue Correspondences
| Sephirah | Kabbalistic Virtue | Wu Xing | Chinese Virtue | Convergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesed | Mercy, Obedience | Wood | Benevolence 仁 | 95% |
| Geburah | Courage, Energy | Fire | Propriety 礼 | 85% |
| Tiferet | Devotion, Beauty | Earth | Faithfulness 信 | 90% |
| Netzach | Unselfishness | Metal | Righteousness 义 | 88% |
| Hod | Truthfulness | Water | Wisdom 智 | 92% |
The virtues show high convergence—different cultural expressions of the same archetypal moral qualities.
The Body Correspondences
Both systems map cosmic forces to the human body:
Kabbalistic Body Map
The Tree of Life is overlaid on the human body (Adam Kadmon):
- Keter = Crown of head
- Chokmah/Binah = Left/Right brain
- Chesed/Geburah = Left/Right arms
- Tiferet = Heart
- Netzach/Hod = Left/Right legs
- Yesod = Genitals
- Malkuth = Feet
Chinese Organ Map
The Five Elements map to internal organs:
- Wood = Liver, Gallbladder
- Fire = Heart, Small Intestine
- Earth = Spleen, Stomach
- Metal = Lungs, Large Intestine
- Water = Kidneys, Bladder
Different mapping systems, but both recognize that cosmic forces manifest in the human body.
Why Multi-Dimensional Correspondences?
Both systems use multi-dimensional encoding because archetypes are holographic—each archetype contains multiple facets:
- Planetary: Astronomical influence
- Color: Vibrational frequency
- Virtue/Vice: Moral dimension
- Body Part/Organ: Physical manifestation
- Direction/Season: Spatial-temporal dimension
By encoding the same archetype through multiple dimensions, both systems create a complete symbolic language that can describe any quality or state.
Conclusion: One Archetype, Many Symbols
The Kabbalistic Sephirotic correspondences and Chinese Wu Xing correspondences are isomorphic multi-dimensional encoding systems:
- Chesed = Wood = Jupiter = Blue/Green = Benevolence/Mercy
- Geburah = Fire = Mars = Red = Courage/Propriety
- Binah = Earth = Saturn = Black/Yellow = Understanding/Faithfulness
Different symbolic languages, same archetypal qualities. This is Constant Unification.
The archetype is one. The symbols are many. The correspondences converge.
🌳 Series 4: Kabbalah × Hetu Luoshu | Article 6 of 8
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