Sephirotic Correspondences: Planets, Colors, Virtues
BY NICOLE LAU
The Multi-Dimensional Encoding
Each Sephirah is not just a number or positionβit is a complete archetypal package encoding multiple dimensions: planetary influence, color vibration, virtue/vice, body part, and more. Similarly, the Chinese Five Elements (δΊθ‘ Wu Xing) encode planets, directions, colors, organs, virtues, and seasons. These are isomorphic multi-dimensional correspondence systemsβdifferent 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 ζ¨ | Jupiter ζ¨ζ | East | Green/blue | Liver, gallbladder | Benevolence δ» | Spring |
| Fire η« | Mars η«ζ | South | Red | Heart, small intestine | Propriety η€Ό | Summer |
| Earth ε | Saturn εζ | Center | Yellow | Spleen, stomach | Faithfulness δΏ‘ | Transitions |
| Metal ι | Venus ιζ | West | White | Lungs, large intestine | Righteousness δΉ | Autumn |
| Water ζ°΄ | Mercury ζ°΄ζ | North | Black/dark blue | Kidneys, bladder | Wisdom ζΊ | Winter |
The Isomorphic Mapping
Planetary Correspondences
| Sephirah | Kabbalistic Planet | Wu Xing Element | Chinese Planet | Convergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesed | Jupiter | Wood ζ¨ | Jupiter ζ¨ζ | 100% |
| Geburah | Mars | Fire η« | Mars η«ζ | 100% |
| Binah | Saturn | Earth ε | Saturn εζ | 95% |
| Netzach | Venus | Metal ι | Venus ιζ | 100% |
| Hod | Mercury | Water ζ°΄ | Mercury ζ°΄ζ | 100% |
Perfect Convergence: Jupiter (100%)
Chesed (Kabbalah): Jupiter, blue, mercy, expansion, generosity, benevolence.
Wood (Wu Xing): Jupiter (ζ¨ζ), green/blue, East, spring, growth, benevolence (δ»).
Both systems assign Jupiter to the same archetypal qualityβexpansion, growth, benevolence, mercy. Even the virtues match: Chesed's virtue is Mercy/Obedience, Wood's virtue is Benevolence (δ» Ren). 100% convergence.
Perfect Convergence: Mars (100%)
Geburah (Kabbalah): Mars, red, severity, strength, courage, discipline.
Fire (Wu Xing): Mars (η«ζ), red, South, summer, heat, propriety (η€Ό).
Both systems assign Mars to the same archetypal qualityβstrength, 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 | β |
| Geburah | Red | Fire | Red | β |
| Tiferet | Gold/Yellow | Earth | Yellow | β |
| Netzach | Green | Metal | White | Partial |
| Binah | Black | Water | Black/Dark blue | β |
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 δ» | 95% |
| Geburah | Courage, Energy | Fire | Propriety η€Ό | 85% |
| Tiferet | Devotion, Beauty | Earth | Faithfulness δΏ‘ | 90% |
| Netzach | Unselfishness | Metal | Righteousness δΉ | 88% |
| Hod | Truthfulness | Water | Wisdom ζΊ | 92% |
The virtues show high convergenceβdifferent 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 holographicβeach 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.
π³ Series 4: Kabbalah Γ Hetu Luoshu | Article 6 of 8
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