2008 International Order of Kabbalists

VENUS - MUNDANE CHAKRA TO NETZACH

Walter Allchin (1982)

Kabbalism is basically and centrally concerned with the art and mechanics of human spiritual
evolution. We are spirit, live through matter, but evolve through mind and soul. The divine spark
within us makes us what we are, and represents our spiritual nature, or the basic matrix and
building materials, but we can determine and mould this material into who we are, i.e. our
identity and characteristics. It is only through choice and will power that we will become more
like the image of God.
The ten Sephiroth are ideals or conceptual God images, as goals or states of being, and
experiencing, to which we strive and thus act as a motive for spiritual development. We become
what we believe in, and our kabbalistic beliefs can bring us that little nearer to god and
perfection. God images or ideals are only known through the Venusian function of feeling.
Netzach is concerned with the birth, growth and development of the human soul through
emotional experiences, both heaven and hell. Netzach outlines the conditions for soul growth,
i.e. love, sex and emotion.
The basic goal of Netzach is therefore the winning of the soul, which can be the greatest victory
of mankind, but needs to be simultaneously balanced and coupled with the evolution of mind
and the glory of mental achievement of Hod. Netzach is the last Sephirah on the positive pillar
and is known as the occult intelligence, representing not only the refulgent splendour of all
occult virtues, but also that occult knowledge and perception of the hidden. It is the strength of
triumph, victory, firmness and glittering splendour of the coloured rays. Venus, the mundane
chakra of Netzach, emanates the blue ray of love and wisdom against the sparkling green
emerald ray of Netzach itself.
The victory of Netzach is the victory of the achievement of gradual perfection towards God;
spiritually and on a more practical down to earth level the victory of achievement through
creativity and inspiration. In both cases the victory of overcoming inertia and resistance requires
both the firmness and valour both themselves Netzach titles.
The inspiration of Gedulah is transformed into the active imagination of Netzach, crystallised
through the four worlds into concrete ideas. Netzach can manifest itself in the spiritual
experience of the vision of beauty triumphant, which is the result of achieving perfect balance
and is sometimes reflected in the genius of art and science. Netzach is an energetic principle
and active Sephirah with its element as fire. This is quite evident in the basic urge towards
creativity as well as the passionate joys of sex, art, science, mental conceptualising and even
ritual magic.
Netzach represents the lower mental plane with a greater emphasis on the emotional, instinctive
and intuitional, one of its aspects is the appreciation of nature and the ability to merge into the
one life. It is interesting to note that the human chakra physiologically to Netzach is the solar
plexus, or Manipura, that nerve net around the abdominal area so often responsible for
butterflies in ones stomach, especially of emotionally oriented people.
Netzach is the sphere of the anima and often allows the masculine to find the feminine within
himself. This feminine aspect of Netzach is manifested at the higher levels as unity, love, and
the spiritual experience already mentioned of the vision of beauty triumphant. At the lower
levels, Netzach represents the senses and passions, reflecting a sheer thrill of living, e.g. living
for kicks and for the sheer sake of life. Animal sensuality leads to the enjoyment of instinctual
pleasures. Not surprisingly, the image of Venus, Netzachs mundane chakra, is a beautiful
naked woman who in mythology was goddess of Spring and later identified with the Greek
goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Incidentally, true to character, Venus people
have an excessive love of good, rich food.
The feminine Venus life principle of unity through sympathy, evaluation and feeling are
particularly important in the psychological sphere. Venus is therefore the realm of beauty,
conscious love, values and morality, and thus naturally the sphere of culture and art. The
highest quality of Venus is that of sharing. True love is the feeling that emerges from an
individuals sharing in objects of value, in ideals and in cultural group images. Pure feeling is the
foundation of relating, and deep meaningful relationships are a function of a persons capacity to
love.
It should never be forgotten that unity and love are deep human needs and immensely powerful
human drives. The central psychological process of the Venus trait emerges from the
mainspring of the important human instinct for survival, from which springs the desire for human
unity. Solidarity and coherence as a means of satisfying mans inner need for personal,
material, emotional and spiritual security. This search for security is essential in understanding
Netzach at the at the various levels.
Materially, at the lower levels of being and existence, the search for security leads to
possessiveness and materialism, while mentally a person will find serenity and refuge in rigid
conceptual dogma. Possessiveness can reflect in the collecting/hoarding habit, and represents
the need to collect things of beauty as a means of security, but also for the joy of appreciation. A
typical Venus trait is a love of the prosperous, bountiful and luxurious good life. An important
theme when examining the Venus chakra is the desire for the beautiful,

artistic, aesthetic and for
that which is priceless and highlights the importance of evaluation, particularly emotional
evaluation of the Venus character such as the signs of Taurus and Libra associated with the 2
nd

and 7
th
houses particularly and respectively.
The Venus character has a deep underlying need to appreciate and be appreciated and thus
has a strong desire or need for affection and love generally, thus he/she will try to achieve the
uniting of opposites through warmth, amenable co-operation and a willingness to compromise.
The Venus chakra of Netzach is therefore important for human relationships, especially
emotional relationships on the basis of mutual dependence and the maintenance of balance and
harmony centred around mutual respect and recognition.
The search for security, desire for human togetherness or unity and need to be appreciated and
desired all generate some of the more positive qualities of the Venus character, e.g.
cooperation, partnerships, harmony, balance, sympathy,

humanity, idealism, peaceableness,
artistry, an aesthetic sense and a feeling for beauty. The negative Venus qualities include such
characteristics as lack of readiness to cooperate, disorderliness, (mentally and worldly, due to a
lack of Netzach firmness) clumsiness, general lack of tact, immorality, excess vanity or self
effacement which is just as bad, and if the feeling that the individual is a failure, undesirable,
unattractive, unwanted and alone.
Physiologically Venus is associated with the lumbar region (note: good chance of Venus
characters having back trouble), with the venous circulation, parathyroids and, indirectly, throat
and kidneys. The parathyroids regulate calcium and phosphates, metabolism and thus the
firmness and basis of the skeletal system. The parathyroids are complementary to the thyroid
gland and if underdeveloped and malfunctioning, increasing thyroid secretion of thyroxin causes
the individual to become pathologically nervous, oversensitive, irritable, etc., while a deficiency
of calcium ions in the blood causes a lack of wholesome attitude towards life.

One can thus see
kabbalistically the connection between the emotional aspects of Netzach and human
physiology.
Venus-Aphrodite is therefore the central God Image which acts as ideal stepping stones
towards God or Divinity. Aphrodite has both a light and a dark side, the lighter side to be found
in the world of Atziluth and Briah, and the darker side to be found in Yetzirah and Assiah.
Venus-Aphrodite is sometimes called "The Awakener, sexually, mentally and emotionally,
because it brings zest, vitality and motivation into life often so badly needed to battle against
life's indifference, hostility, established academicism, etc. Here the Victory of Netzach is the
victory over all false ideals and illusions. However, this zest and vitality in Assiah is generated
by sexual energies. Sexual passion and expression is vital for and central to spiritual evolution.
Sexual energy is a mainspring of life, a web of energies requiring direction towards spiritual
goals. At Netzach, man and woman must achieve victory over, and through sex.
The symbols of the girdle and knot are the keys to the understanding of both Venus and
Netzach. Sexual love, the knot on Venuss girdle is a slip knot. Round our feet the noose halts
and trips us. Round our necks it strangles and kills us. Round our waist it supports and saves us
from falling into the abyss. As always, only the middle way of balance is safe.
In conclusion, the basic goal of Netzach is the birth, growth and maturity of a soul, which will act
as a vehicle to the union with fellow travellers and ultimately the great Ain force, our alpha and
omega; the solution to our search for self.
2008 International Order of Kabbalists