Lilith (qlippoth)
- This article is about the qlippoth, for the deity of the same name, see Lilith
Lilith ("Poison of God") is the tenth qlippoth on the Kabbalistic Tree of Death. It is the shadow opposite sphere of Malkuth, its opposing sefirot on the Tree of Life. Lilith is at the very bottom of the tree, directly below Gamaliel.
Etymology
The name Lilith (לילית) is translated as "Queen of Night" in Hebrew. Other translations include "the Evil Woman" or "the Woman."
This sphere may also be called Nahemoth.
It is possible that there is a connection between the Biblical deity Lilith and this qlippoth as there is with the qlippoth representing both Samael and Belial, but the exact nature of this is ill-defined. This is made even more confusing considering the demon Lilith is ruler over the qlippoth above this one, Gamaliel.
Description
Lilith is the opposite of Malkuth, which is the kingdom sphere; but this qlippoth represents all the combined evils of the spheres above it. Its position as the last qlippoth is like the bottom of a dark pit leading deep beneath the earth. It has no access to the divine light coming from far above.
On the Tree of Death, Lilith is the last sphere in the Realm of Mud and Clay. This region, located at the very bottom of the Tree of Death, is described in the Zohar as a place where prayers of the unrighteous settle into the muck instead of rising to heaven.
In the Zohar
The Zohar contains numerous passages relating to Lilith as the first wife of Adam and as a demon which travels the earth looking for children to devour. However, it also describes Lilith as part of the qlippoth; therefore, it is difficult to ascertain how the non-corporeal sphere and the deity are related to one another.
Lilith may represent temptation and seduction as well as the overall seductive qualities of the powers of the qlippoth. As a demon, Lilith is considered the ultimate seducer of men, capitalizing on their lustful desires.
Occult correspondences
In astrology, Lilith corresponds to Earth. In his book, Liber 777, Aleister Crowley calls this the "sphere of the elements" as a reference to the planet earth being the home of all four elements.
Its demon ruler is Naamah, who is regarded as either a sister or daughter of the entity Lilith.