Netzache is the eight
sphere, and the highest sphere associated with the Yetzirah, the world of formation; it is located immediately below the veil
of Parekh. It is known as the sphere of Victory.
Netzache is associated with the natural world
of flora and fauna. It is the lowest sphere on the Pillar of Mercy, and as such is the manifest form of the creative, expansive
‘Yang’ energy which issues downwards from Chokmah. This is the manifest realm of the ‘thing-in-itself’
of western philosophy (Kant, Schopenhauer etc.). Science approaches the study of a thing according to its relationships with
other things, thus revealing its exoteric, or external nature, but says nothing of its inner, or esoteric nature, which exists
as a ‘thing-in-itself’ independent of its relationships or interactions with other things. In Qabalistic philosophy this ‘thing-in-itself’ is the Will. This should not be confused with
free will or choice however; the inner nature of a rock or a flower, for example, is understood as Will, but that does not
mean that a rock can choose to anything other than a rock – the Will is fixed and stable. The elemental creatures such
as Sylphs or Undines which are associated with Netzache may be thought of as creatures of pure Will in this way – expressions
of a particular nature, without the freedom to do other than to express that nature. All nature magick, herbalism and such
like are associated with this sphere.
Netzache is associated with the faculties of
feeling and emotion, and along with the other spheres of Yetzirah is associated with the lower personality in man, the higher
personality being expressed in the spheres particular to the realm of Briah. Such feelings and emotions express the victory
or otherwise of the Will.
Netzache is also associated with reproduction
and sexual pleasure, the most material manifestation of the creative power of Yang, and the experiences associated with the
victory of this innate Will.
Being in many ways the polar opposite of rational
thought, science and written philosophy, Netzache can be rather difficult to write about, so I will leave it at that and just
leave you with a quote from Neitzche in his discussion of ‘natural morality’ which I think is somewhat relevant:
‘Let us consider finally what naivety it
is to say “man ought to be thus and thus!” Reality shows us an enchanting wealth of types, the luxuriance of a
prodigal play and change of forms: and does some pitiful journeyman moralist say at the sight of it “No! Man ought to
be different”?....But even when the moralist merely turns to the individual
and says to him: “You ought to be thus and thus” he does not cease
to manke himself ridiculous. The individual is, in his future and in his past, a piece of fate, one law more, one necessity
more for everything that is and everything that will be. To say to him “change yourself” means to demand that
everything should change, even in the past…. And there have indeed been consistent moralists who wanted man to be different,
namely virtuous, who wanted him in their own likeness, namely that of a bigot: to that end they denied the world! No mean madness! No modest presumption!… Insofar as morality condemns as morality and not with regard to the aims and objects of
life, it is a specific error with which one should show no sympathy, an idiosyncrasy
of the degenerate which has caused an unspeakable amount of harm!... We others, we immoralists, have on the contrary opened
wide our hearts to every kind of understanding, comprehension, approval. We do
not readily deny, we seek our honour in affirming.
