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flexibeastAs a result of my ongoing study of Kabbalah, i'm developing my own (perhaps highly idiosyncratic) interpretations of various Kabbalistic concepts.
An example of this is how i regard the sephirah Netzach. To me, Netzach represents life's basic tendencies, rhythms and desires. It's about survival and reproductive instincts.
People with a surplus of Netzach can be regarded as having a deficit of Hod. Hod seems to me to be a sephirah of systemisation: it represents rationality and human law, both formal (in the form of the legal system) and informal (in the form of customs). Consequently, when Netzach says "I feel like this, and I want to do this!", it's Hod that represents making assessments about the appropriateness, risks and consequences of carrying out Netzach's desires. In fact, from my perspective, developing Hod is a significant part of maturing into adulthood. As a child, we think we're the centre of the universe, that our desires must be gratified, regardless of the cost to anyone else. Maturing requires that we take a broader perspective, that we think of how our desires and actions affect others, from those closest to us to society in general. In other words, maturing is about developing our ability to place Netzach in the context of Hod.
In this light, it makes sense that Netzach-dominated people often create chaos around them, as they pursue their personal objectives without considering the possible broader impacts that their behaviour may have on both themselves and/or others. We all have our own objectives - whether we're consciously aware of some or all of them or not - and acting as though this is not the case is inevitably going to bring us into conflict with others.
(Having said that, a surplus of Hod and a deficit of Netzach can bring about a similar situation, as those with the Hod surplus, lacking enthusiasm for, or actively fearing, spontenaity, come into conflict with people who won't neatly fit their systemisations. Just because a systemisation is appropriate for one person, or even a group of people, doesn't mean it's appropriate for everyone. i myself feel i have a surplus of Hod and a deficit of Netzach - but that's an issue for another post.)
The trick, then, lies in balancing Netzach with Hod: balancing our deeply-felt desires with a recognition that it's not always the best idea to attempt to act on those desires, or to attempt to manifest the object of those desires. In doing so, we reduce the likelihood of conflict and chaos will dominate and control our lives. This, in turn, can actually increase the amount of energy we can allocate towards actually achieving our objectives. 'Balance' in this context is the wisdom to know when to make certain concessions on short-term issues in order to reach our long-term goals.
'Netzach' means 'victory'. When Netzach is in balance, we head towards Victory.
An example of this is how i regard the sephirah Netzach. To me, Netzach represents life's basic tendencies, rhythms and desires. It's about survival and reproductive instincts.
People with a surplus of Netzach can be regarded as having a deficit of Hod. Hod seems to me to be a sephirah of systemisation: it represents rationality and human law, both formal (in the form of the legal system) and informal (in the form of customs). Consequently, when Netzach says "I feel like this, and I want to do this!", it's Hod that represents making assessments about the appropriateness, risks and consequences of carrying out Netzach's desires. In fact, from my perspective, developing Hod is a significant part of maturing into adulthood. As a child, we think we're the centre of the universe, that our desires must be gratified, regardless of the cost to anyone else. Maturing requires that we take a broader perspective, that we think of how our desires and actions affect others, from those closest to us to society in general. In other words, maturing is about developing our ability to place Netzach in the context of Hod.
In this light, it makes sense that Netzach-dominated people often create chaos around them, as they pursue their personal objectives without considering the possible broader impacts that their behaviour may have on both themselves and/or others. We all have our own objectives - whether we're consciously aware of some or all of them or not - and acting as though this is not the case is inevitably going to bring us into conflict with others.
(Having said that, a surplus of Hod and a deficit of Netzach can bring about a similar situation, as those with the Hod surplus, lacking enthusiasm for, or actively fearing, spontenaity, come into conflict with people who won't neatly fit their systemisations. Just because a systemisation is appropriate for one person, or even a group of people, doesn't mean it's appropriate for everyone. i myself feel i have a surplus of Hod and a deficit of Netzach - but that's an issue for another post.)
The trick, then, lies in balancing Netzach with Hod: balancing our deeply-felt desires with a recognition that it's not always the best idea to attempt to act on those desires, or to attempt to manifest the object of those desires. In doing so, we reduce the likelihood of conflict and chaos will dominate and control our lives. This, in turn, can actually increase the amount of energy we can allocate towards actually achieving our objectives. 'Balance' in this context is the wisdom to know when to make certain concessions on short-term issues in order to reach our long-term goals.
'Netzach' means 'victory'. When Netzach is in balance, we head towards Victory.
