Bowie and a mystic sign
QUESTION
The David Bowie song Station To Station contains the lyric: ‘One magical movement from Kether to Malkuth.’ Who are they? KetHeR and Malkuth are terms derived from the Jewish Kabbalah, a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an unchanging, eternal and mysterious force called Ein sof (infinity) and the mortal and finite universe (God’s creation).
Kabbalah is steeped in mysticism and layers of interpretation, but is accessible and comprehensible through its central symbol, the tree of Life. In this ten elements called sephirots ( Divine Attributes) are linked in a metaphysical configuration.
According to Kabbalah, the true essence of God is so transcendent that it cannot be described except with reference to what it is not. this true essence is known as Ein sof, which literally means ‘ without end’, encompassing the idea of his lack of boundaries in both time and space. the Ein sof interacts with the universe through the ten sephirots.
At the tree’s summit is the highest of the Divine Attributes, Kether ( the Crown), ‘the beginning’ ‘the source of all.’
Below the Crown are Hokhmah and Binah (Wisdom and Understanding, reading from right to left in the Hebraic tradition); Hesed (Mercy) and Gevurah (Judgment) form the upper outer pillars and represent ‘the emotional principles of fear and love,’ believed to be part of Adam’s heart (Adam being considered God’s first form on earth). Beneath and between
Hesed and Gevurah is tiferet (Beauty), symbolising the pivotal point at the centre of the Divine realm. Beneath this are Nezah and Hod, meaning Victory and Glory but also ‘repeat or cycle’ or ‘to shimmer and vibrate’ respectively. Midway below Nezah and
Hod is Yesod (Foundation) and below Yesod is Malkuth ( Kingdom). Unlike the other nine sephirot, it is an attribute of God which does not emanate f rom God directly, rather from God’s creation.
Although Malkuth is the l owest sephirot, i t also contains in it the potential to r each t he hi ghest, exemplified in the Hermetic maxim: ‘As above so below.’
Kether to Malkuth are sometimes compared to the Buddhist concept of Yin and Yang or the Western idea of cause and effect. there is great significance in the position of these various sephirots and their links within the tree.
those lucky enough to have seen David Bowie perform station to station in concert will have seen how he always accompanied the line on stage with a hand movement sliding from top to bottom. He clearly knew what he was singing about.
tracey ames, Glastonbury, somerset.
QUESTION
When England won the Rugby World Cup in Australia, they flew back home on a British Airways 747 renamed Sweet Chariot. Is the plane still in service with BA and flying under the new name? tHe Boeing 747-400 series is a wide-body, four- engine jet manufactured by U.s. aerospace company Boeing.
Its distinctive, bulbous, upper deck shape earned it the nickname ‘Jumbo Jet’. Designed for long-haul flights, it has a range of 8,537 miles, a maximum speed of 614mph and a capacity of 345 passengers. BA is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 747, with 42 in its fleet operating out of Heathrow. the aircraft in question was BA Boeing 747-436 G-CIVI.
BA took receipt of the aircraft in 1996, and it first flew in April of that year. the airline temporarily renamed the plane sweet Chariot in 2003, but this had been removed from the livery by 2005.
In a similar scheme, BA named the A321 that carried the team to the 2007 World Cup in Paris Hope and Glory.
In 2009, G-CIVI was repainted with BA’s ‘oneworld’ livery. It is still in service and over the past few weeks has flown to New York and Kuwait City.
J. B. Moores, staines, Middx.
QUESTION
Roots, by the folk band Show Of Hands, contains the lyric: ‘And a minister said his vision of hell / Is three folk singers in a pub near Wells.’ To whom were they referring? FURtHeR to the earlier answer, in 2011 show of Hands treated me to one of my f avourite tV moments when t hey performed live on the Andrew Marr show.
Inspired by the banking crisis and the MPs’ expenses scandal, they had written the song Arrogance Ignorance And Greed. this included the lyric: ‘I never was a cautious man I spend more than I’m paid But those with something put aside are the ones that you betrayed With your bonuses and expenses You shovelled down your throat Now you bit the hand that fed you Dear God I hope you choke.’
that same week four Labour MPs and one tory peer were jailed for fiddling their expenses. As the band’s steve Knightley pointed out: ‘It seems to be a song that is constantly refreshing itself.’ Watching the performance from the interview chair was William Hague and seeing him squirm in his seat was a delight.
Peter Worrall, Liverpool.
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