Maayan Hatum

"A locked up garden is my sister, my bride, a locked up spring, a FOUNTAIN SEALED. A garden spring, a well of living waters" (Song of Songs 4:12/15)

"Among my brothers is sweet wisdom and a cluster of valley roses. Arise to draw living waters from the well whose waters are sweetened. Enter living into the Garden of Eden, but be sure to safeguard the commandment and the statue; for in the garden is the Tree of Knowledge, of whose powers a great many are divided. Be wary lest the snake will come to mislead you with emptiness, and govern him lest he govern you, and flee from him a great distance. But cling to the Intellect and soar with it unto the heavens. Prepare your legs a time to walk to teach God's wisdom by chapter, for difficult is this wisdom, but a Tree of Life is she for them who hold her... Arise my brother, remove your earthly vestments and don clean garments of the Intellect. Be vigilant of materialism, but incline towards the Intellects. Beware of the Flame of the Sword that safeguards the Way of the Tree of Life."

(from The Book of Refinement - Anonymous student of Abulafia, possibly Rav Yosef Gikatalia, author of The Gates of Light)

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The Ecstatic Kabbalah is the meditative heritage of Jewish mysticism, and the spiritual progeny of the prophets of ancient Israel. The Ecstatic School of Kabbalah flourished during the Middle Ages with great luminaries such as Abraham Maimonides, son of the illustrious Moses Maimonides, Isaac of Acre, and most notably Abraham Abulafia. This school drew much of its inspiration from Maimonidean philosophy, and its methods from the Sefer Yetzirah, the oldest known Kabbalistic work. Following the Jewish exile from Spain in 1492, and the scholarly vacuum which ensued as a result of the destruction of its academies, the methods of the Ecstatic Kabbalah gained preeminence in the emerging mystical school of Safed, now the most widely recognisable incarnation of Jewish mysticism.

Maayan Hatum is intended to be a conference and forum for the discussion, development and progression of the ideas and practices of the Ecstatic Kabbalah, to generate consistency and relevance for the modern age, that it may be a light in the darkness, as is written: "For the upright in darkness He will shine a light" (Psalms 112:4)

The Ecstatic Kabbalah in the words of the Ecstatic Kabbalist:

"Abulafia's aim, as he himself has expressed it, is 'to unseal the soul, to untie the knots which bind it'. 'All the inner forces and the hidden souls in man are distributed and differentiated in the bodies. It is, however, in the nature of all of them that when their knots are untied they return to their origin, which is one without any duality and which comprises the multiplicity.' 'The 'untying' is, as it were, the return from multiplicity and separation towards the original unity'."

Abulafia's writings, taken from Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, page 131(Schocken Books, NY 1961) - ISBN 0-8052-1042-3

This process is described by Abulafia, in many places, as the Self-Actualisation of the human “Intellect”; that is to say, the process by which the innate potential, existent within man - which is, per se, the "image" of God - is brought into fruition.

The Ecstatic Kabbalah today:

To the modern student, the Ecstatic Kabbalah can be viewed as a system of meditative discipline and exploration of the human potential. It lies parallel to the eastern systems of meditation and self-discovery which has so captivated the hearts and minds of western audiences.

The buzz-word in this discipline is without a doubt “exploration”. A rich and complex practice, it aims to focus the methods of introspection and delve deep into the mythological recesses of consciousness; a reflection of the practices of the fabled “descenders of the Chariot”, for whom the “chambers of Heaven were opened”.

The future of the Ecstatic Kabbalah:

With ever freer access to information in all sectors of human culture, there is a growing need to clarify and define subjects which were once hidden in order to avoid error and misconception. The Ecstatic Kabbalah is no exception. On the contrary, it is a subject which is fraught with ambiguity and obscurity, and requires keen intellects and observational skills to comprehend.

In order for the Ecstatic Kabbalah to make a transition into the modern era an earnest effort is required on behalf of the student. An effort which will undoubtedly lead to a greater understanding of humanity and human perception.

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Maayan Hatum Publications:

28 Jewelled Crown – A comprehensive system of Jewish Meditation and Mysticism by Daniel Gigi

This work explores and reveals, for the first time in its entirety, the ancient system of meditation and mysticism of the Ecstatic School of Kabbalah. Adapted for the modern audience, the author guides the reader through the philosophical bases and biblical derivations of a mystical system which traces its origins right the way back to the era of prophecy and revelation, thousands of years ago. In doing so, the reader is invited to partake of the sublime delights of hidden dimensions of human consciousness.

Through erudite explanations and a step by step guide to the meditative method, the system of the Ecstatic School of Kabbalah is clarified and vivified; finally extricated from the obscurity which had clouded its genius over the centuries.

The techniques discussed in this work are accessible for all and tiered to cater for both the beginner and the advanced student. Although intended for the serious student – including textual extracts, some of which are published here for the first time in the English language – the curious should nevertheless find great inspiration within these pages.

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Product Details (hard copy only):

Paperback: 281 pages
Publisher: Maayan Hatum Publications
Language: English
ISBN: 9780956435200
Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 13.3 x 1.5 cm

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