Tree of Death

The Tree of Death (sometimes called Tree of Knowledge) is a Kabbalistic diagram depicting the schema of the qlippoth, which are the shadow opposites of the sefirot found on the Tree of Life, representing traces of a distant cosmic past which sometimes influence our present world.

The Tree of Death

In general, the Tree of Death is viewed as evil or demonic and is generally not utilized for ritual magic by Kabbalists or ceremonial magicians in the Hermetic magical traditions. However, the Tree of Death is considered a crucial element in Left-hand paths of magic, especially various practices connected with Lucifer and Satan.

Structure of the Tree

Each sphere on the tree represents one qlippoth and exists in a 1:1 ratio with a corresponding sefirot. They are not explicitly opposites, but rather a shadow, or simply an evil aspect of the sefirot.

Some occultists view the Tree of Death as an inversion of the Tree of Life, and the diagram sometimes reflects this belief by being oriented upside down so the last sefirot (Malkuth) is touching the last qlippoth (Lilith‎), although not all scholars agree with this orientation. However, the Zohar affirms that the two trees do touch one another, saying: "The place where holiness ends, there the qlippoth begin."

The sections of the tree are divided into three sections, reflecting the nature of the qlippoth found in each part. This division only includes the ten primary qlippoth and not Belial which, like Da'at, is technically outside the schema.

• Realm of Darkness
• Realm of Evil
• Realm of Mud and Clay

The qlippoth on the tree

• Thaumiel ("Twins of God")
• Ghogiel ("The Hinderers")
• Satariel ("Concealers")
• Gha’ag Sheklah ("Smiters")
• Golachab ("Burners")
• Thagiriron ("The Disputers")
• A’arab Zaraq ("Corrosive Ones")
• Samael ("Poison of God")
• Gamaliel ("Obscene Ones")
• Lilith ("Queen of Night")
• Belial ("Worthless")

In the Zohar

The foundational text of Kabbalah, the Zohar describes the qlippoth as inhabiting a unique tree ("which does indeed have strange qlipah") in the Garden of Eden called the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." It compares this tree to the archangel Metatron, who is unique among the angelic beings because he was originally a mortal man (the Biblical patriarch Enoch, father of Methuselah) who was transformed into an angel by God. Thus, Enoch/Metatron has "knowledge of good and evil" because he was capable of sin as a mortal, but became a divine being after death. This tree, symbolized by Metatron, contains elements of life and death, representing both the forbidden and the permissible.

Because qlippoth are connected with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they are responsible for introducing death to humanity and making us mortal, thus, this tree may be also called the Tree of Death. Despite this, there are still lessons to be learned in the knowledge found within the tree, but it must be separated from the refuse, like wheat from chaff.

River of fire

The Sefer Raziel HaMalakh states that the Tree of Death contains a path to the river of fire, which may be interpreted as Hell, although this is not explicitly stated in the text.