Hod (Kabbalah)
Hod is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The meaning of its Hebrew name is "Splendour" or "submission", and it is connected to Malkuth by path 31, Yesod by path 30, Tiphereth by path 26 and Gevurah by path 23. The Chassidic view of "Hod" is connected with prayer. Prayer is seen as form of submission; Hod is explained as an analogy: instead of conquering an obstacle (which is the idea of Netzach), subduing oneself to that "obstacle" is related to the quality of Hod. Hod is usually considered by modern magic the "magical sphere", related to the Egyptian god Thoth, greek Hermes and Roman Mercury. It is related too with the odour of Storax. In a mystical sense, in which the Tree of Life is supposed to be a roadmap to consciousness, Hod is where form is given by language in its widest sense, being the key to the mystery of form. Adopting a point of view near to Lacan, our unconscious desires come from Netzach, and are given form in the Symbolic realm by Hod, manifesting unconsciously through Yesod to Malkuth.
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