There is Mystical (Hermetic) Qabalah, and there is Authentic Kabbalah.
While Mystical Qabalah is a mix of pretty much anything a human mind could come up with over the centuries, the authentic Kabbalah has nothing whatsoever to do with anything within a human mind.
I like the Mystical Qabalah, its colourful symbolism, planet influences, chakras, and the imputed meaning of the sephirot on the Tree of Life, mainly because I like to play around with my mind.
Over a decade ago, in 2011, I came across a video on YouTube titled Kabbalah Revealed. Tony, the presenter, caught my attention in an instant. I intuitively knew he was for real, not some wannabe mystic or magician, but something much more profound.
Fast-forward to the present day: I dropped the Mystical Qabalah as it is only mind-blowing (meaning, blowing around concepts in my mind—not enough anymore). Nowadays, I use it with students who (currently) lack the vast cognitive capacities to delve into the actual teachings of the Authentic Kabbalah.
The Lineage of the Authentic Kabbalah I refer to here (there is only one Lineage, actually) is the group of non-mystics and non-magicians dating back 5000 years. Their teachings (predominantly for free) are so profound that they put the Mystic or hermetic qabalah to shame.
After more than a decade of careful study (slow and gradual, as it can get really challenging) of the Authentic Jewish Kabbalah teachings, all I can say is that the Mystic Qabalah is to Authentic Kabbalah what amnesia is to a real-life experience. And I say that with all kindness and no menace.
I started employing the instructions from the book Shamati (I have heard), article #1, ‘There is none else besides him,’ right after I first heard it. It took a few weeks to get used to the new method.
My bodies (nervous systems, glands, cognitive maps in the brain, cell memory, astral and mental bodies, etc.) needed time to adjust to the inflow of pure Light into the central line above reason.
I am confident that diligently practising this one teaching not only speeded up the stabilizing of the Adeptus Minor grade (as per A.’.A.’.), secured safe passing through Adeptus Major grade and graced me with enough mercy to relax at the Adeptus Exemptus grade, but years later, it also contributed to the painless, smooth, and permanent crossing of the Abyss.
The Authentic Kabbalah is the fundamental blueprint of Reality above reason, and its premises can be employed in any system of spiritual awakening (Vajrayana and Thelema, in my case).
– Frater 418.’.