From Dust to Symbol

Important Note: to better understand the contents of this page, I recommend you to read first the page about Sepher Yetzirah and watch its video.

The relationship with the external world begins in Libra, where the personality starts to develop the objective perception.

Usually, when studying the Book of Formation, Kabbalists start from this sign. The reason is connected to Tishrei (תשרי), the 7^th month of the Hebrew calendar, when Jewish celebrate the New Year, Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה). As many of you may know, the Hebrew calendar begins with Nisan but the Hebrew years’ count start in Tishrei. I do not want to commence a digression, therefore think the easy way: in Tishrei, the creation of the world was conceived and in Nisan, the world was physically created. Farmers seed in Autumn to see the shoots in Spring.

Sepher Yetzirah’s description of Libra is: “He made the letter Lamed king over touch, and He bound a crown to it, and He combined one with another, and with them He formed Libra in the Universe, Tishrei in the Year, and the gallbladder in the Soul male and female.”.

The ל is the only letter of the Hebrew Alphabet which goes up. The Zohar says that “The letter Lamed has the form of a tower rising up in the air.”. This is Libra, isn’t it? Up in the air, projected from the Earth, looses balance and stability.

Being at the beginning of the relation with the external world makes Libra an aesthete with an obsession for harmony. The need for harmony is a common trait of Libra’s personalities.

Libra’s 3 levels, the meanings of its connections with Lamed and the body part are explained in the video.