Ayamanatara: A Lesson in Kabbalah
One of the joys of having an independent website is showcasing my wonderful students. Meet Ayamanatara, who has studied with me for a number of years.
An ardent seeker, Ayamanatara has studied with determination and respect numerous Shamanistic practices, folk magic from around the globe, Kabbalah and the Western Mystery Tradition, and major Western religions. Her practice is a synthesis of everything she has studied, from a Shamanic viewpoint that honors the masculine and the feminine, with a focus on Empowerment, Community, and Equality. It is from this place that she designs her courses, creates custom ceremonies, writes books, and works one-on-one with clients.
I asked Ayamanatara to write an article about Kabbalah. Here it is:
Kabbalah
I’ve been teaching Kabbalah for probably 15 years. I will always be a student of Kabbalah, because it’s one of those subjects that always has new discoveries for me. It’s full of endless epiphanies.
There are different ways of coming at Kabbalah. It is a form of Jewish mysticism kept sacred by the Hassidim; anyone who studies Kabbalah owes them an enormous debt for keeping the main body of work safe for centuries. Did you know that there are also forms of Kabbalah in mystical Christianity (specifically Rosicrucian) and in mystical Islam (amongst the Sufi)? I think the most common path outside of those would be Ceremonial Magic, which can be part of any number of traditions. This is the form of Kabbalah we see most of the books about, unless it belongs to a specifically religious path.
What is Kabbalah?
If you have 5 kabbalists in a room, you’ll get at least 6 opinions about what Kabbalah is. But I can tell you what Kabbalah is to me. It’s a study of everything. Using the Tree of Life as a glyph or a diagram, a person can discover the energies of creation, the aspects of themselves, and the facets of the Divine and how those relate to titanic and mythical beings and to physics itself, and a person can also use the energy of the Tree of Life to create real, measurable change in their life. Everything is interconnected, and the study of Kabbalah can help us see that. And when we can see the flow of energy, it’s empowering.
It’s also a mystical philosophy, like Buddhism. I don’t feel like it contradicts belief systems; rather it works in concert with them, which may be why each of the People of the Book religions has a thread of Kabbalah in their mystical tradition. I also see parallels with Buddhism (especially in the idea of The Middle Way) and Hinduism (within the energy centers known as Chakras). As a mystical philosophy, the teachings are designed to help the seeker have an experience of the Divine. That experience cannot be handed to you, it’s personal for each person (which is the definition of mysticism). I (or any skilled teacher) can give you the tools to get there, though.
My Own Path of Kabbalah
I come to the broad table of Kabbalah via both Ceremonial Magic and Shamanism, with some religious scholar flavorings. I realize that the Tree of Life, which to me is a blueprint of everything, is going to relate to a lot of different things, especially magical practices. And, conversely, Kabbalah helps me organize information into manageable parts, so it helps me relate to the world as a whole.
Because of who I am and the path that my life has taken, my connection with Kabbalah is also very much flavored with my keynotes of Empowerment, Equality, and Community. That means that my mysticism seeks to create a level playing field. I try to avoid gendered terms – I do talk about the Feminine and Masculine Divine, and about Gods and Goddesses, because those are real and gendered. When it comes to energies, I am more gender neutral. For example, instead of referring to the outer pillars as masculine and feminine, which is a pretty common practice, I talk more about push and pull, or active and passive/receptive, or as being boundaried vs chaotic. Just like humans have a spectrum to who they are, so does energy. Pigeonholing an active force is dissonant to me, whether it’s the mechanism of energy or a human being. Gender is a social construct anyway, so I try to step out of that, to give my students a more precise understanding of the polarities without preconceived notions.
How to Find Your Own Path of Kabbalah
There are books you can read about Kabbalah, although I have found that they’re frequently dense and hard to get into if you haven’t studied any of it yet (and sometimes even if you have). Some of the ones that aren’t overly esoteric are too simplistic to help you have a mystical experience. There’s a group here in Los Angeles which holds regular meetings or services, and some people really groove on them; I find them very heady. Having an in-person teacher does give you an experience the written word cannot (in-person, of course, means something different than it used to). Finding a teacher with whom you resonate is equally as important. There are an infinite ways of imparting the information – you want to find the technique and the teacher that make the lightbulb in your head light up. Put the energy out there, if you are interested in pursuing Kabbalah teachings more, and the Universe will likely put the right tools and teacher in front of you.
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Francesca here:
A while back, Ayamanatara told me, “I have the same reaction when I’m sitting with you as when I’m sitting with anyone who teaches Kabbalah. I have frequent moments of inspiration about how your teachings weave with Kabbalah.”
And she has mentioned parallels between Kabbalah and the Fairy Shamanism I teach her.
This post was going to be a conversation about these similarities.
Ayamanatara’s comments about the parallels interested me. I never studied Kabbalah. I channel a lot of my lessons. It amazes me that we seekers find the same universal truths when we search.
The creative process wanders as it will. We put aside the idea of comparisons in favor of an article by Ayamanatara.
The creative process did its thing again. I realized that I could add a few parallels at the bottom of her article:
1) Ayamanatara wrote, “The Tree of Life … is a blueprint of everything.” That is similar to what I teach:
I see the Tree of Life as the Magna Mater—Great Mother Goddess. Why? Because I experience Her as all things and all powers, magical and worldly. She has also revealed Herself to me as all lessons and the path to all knowledge. Her endless power and wisdom help create miracles for my students and me.
2) Ayamanatara wrote that everything is interconnected, and the study of Kabbalah can help you see this.
Yes! I teach that my Gods are the connections between all things, every atom and empty space of the universe woven together to hold me, sustain me, and carry me toward my dearest goals. I give Shamanic tools to students that help them experience this firsthand.
3) Ayamanatara has diligently pursued her mystical education. This helps her be a good teacher. An ardent student makes an ardent teacher.
Power and truth cannot be contained in any single tradition. So I’ve spent my lifetime studying magic, spirituality, and Shamanism.
4) Ayamanatara leads her students to their own experiences.
I teach experientially. A direct experience with the Tree of Life is more transformative than mere lectures. Walking next to Gods provides more bounty and other blessings than anything else might.
My divine Mother and Father pour Their love into every plant, rock, and moment. I give lessons about how to interact with any situation to receive this love. It will come as bounty, peace, and all other blessings, including Their awe-inspiring companionship.
5) There are other similarities:
* power and complex issues presented in an accessible manner
* a focus on equality
* understanding gender fluidity, yet still using terms like Goddess
and Divine Father for Deities who are gendered.
* Most importantly, Ayamanatara is down-to-earth. If teachers who are mystics are not practical, they can be harmful. Too often, mysticism glosses over real life, offers “wisdom” that is oppressive instead of helpful, and misuses spiritual tools so that they squelch students instead of lift them up.
Mysticism needs to include an understanding of oppression and daily human needs. So mote it be!
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