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There are 32 paths on the Cabalistic Tree of Life, plus an invisible sphere, called "Da'ath", or "knowledge." The first 10 are the spheres themselves, the other paths link the spheres together. Firstly, I wanted this layout to work with the Heathen Golden Dawn system already in process, and specifically the main track (there are 3 tracks, Modern, Saxon and Norse, using the Elder Futharc, the OE Futhorc, and the Younger Futhark.) By the time the practitioner is ready to work with these paths, they will have already internalized one set of runes, probably the Elder. Now they will start working with the Old English runes with the Northumbrian expansion. This is very helpful for anybody who speaks English, as you can use these runes for any Rune working in modern English. It's best to use the Elder to write out Proto-Germanic, and the Younger to write out Old Norse, or one of the offspring of Old Norse. The Northumbrian Futhorc also fits the 32 + 1 paths perfectly. The other Rune sets fit other symbolic systems very well too, which we'll get into later. I have used the world associations laid out by Thomas Karlsson in his book Nightside of the Runes which he lays out on pages 116-119. Though I find his association elegant, I have not used his runic associations, and don't agree with him on everything. I have used translations of the Old English Rune Poems from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Rune_poems
The 1st Path is the 1st Sphere, called "Kether" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "crown." This is the sphere of unity. The World name in our system is 'Ginnungagap', the primal void. The divine name is ODIN, the one-eyed All Father. The rune placed here is Aesc, the Ash tree. The rune poem goes "The ash is exceedingly high and precious to men. / With its sturdy trunk it offers a stubborn resistance,/ though attacked by many a man." Here we have the high tree on which Odin hung himself. Ash wood is also mainly used to make spears, which is why it offers "stubborn resistance though attacked by many a man." The spear is Odin's instrument of war, with which he also sacrificed himself to himself. The Ash rune is the same form as the Elder Ansus, the rune of Odin, though in the OE Futhorc, Odin's rune is 'Os', 'God' or 'Mouth', which I have used for the 8th Sphere. But Aesc is also Odin's rune, and it's high and lofty nature fit it well to the first Sphere. The places associated with this sphere are Hlidskjalf and Gimle, the first being the high seat of Odin where he can see into all worlds, and the second being the highest heaven, untouched by the fires of Ragnarok.
The 2d Sphere is called "Chockmah" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "Wisdom." This is the first stirrings, the movement that happens in the void, and is symbolized by the phallus. For us, this is the sphere of Muspelheim, primal fire, and of the god Ingui-Frea/Yngvi-Freyr, the divine name of FREYR or ING. The rune for this is naturally 'Ing', his rune. He is the god of fertility, is symbolized with a large, erect phallus, and connected with the reign of the mythical king Frodi, whose name means "Wise."
The 3rd Sphere is called "Binah" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "Understanding." This is the first limits that the movement in the void runs into. If the first stirrings start moving, as Dion Fortune says in The Cosmic Doctrine, they eventually find themselves in a circle. This circle is the 3rd Sphere, the hard limits. For us, this world is Nifleheim, the world of ice and mist. The divine name associated with this Sphere is Freyr's sister, FREYA. Fortune says that this Sphere is associated with "Ama, the dark sterile Mother" and "Aima, the bright fertile Mother." There is an interesting connection here if one is to read the Lay of Hyndla where Freya and Hyndla, who Freya calls her "sister" vie over the fate of a devotee of Freya. In this poems, Freya is bright and shining, where Hyndla is dark and mean. They represent both sides of the 2d Sphere. The rune for this sphere is "Peorth" which has a rather misty meaning, but has associations with games of chance, and thus fate, as well as drinking, and thus can represent the primal Cup. Ann Sheffield, in Long Branches says that "the vessel represents the Well itself, the drink is its holy water, the words of the vow lay down the pattern that must be completed, and the act of drinking binds the speaker to realize the pattern in the physical world." (pg 212)
The 4th Sphere is called "Chesed" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "Mercy." This sphere is all about expansion and love. The planet associated with it is Jupiter, and while Thor is associated with Jupiter, the divine name of this sphere in the Heathen GD system is "NJORD" who represents the qualities of the 2d Sphere much better. The world associated with this sphere is Vanaheim. The rune associated with this sphere is Ac, the Oak. The Rune Poem says: "The oak fattens the flesh of pigs for the children of men." Acorns, the corns (grain) of the ac/oak, are generously dropped by the oak for our food to feed on. In these days where many folks are disconnected from their food, many might not understand the importance of this, but old timers used to let their pigs out into the oak forests to fatten up in the fall. Many cultures have also used acorns as a staple crop after leeching them of tannin. This generosity ties this rune in with the underlying pattern of the 2d sphere, as well as with the Vanir, the gods of Nature and Fertility, and, indeed, with Thor, as the Oak is Thor's tree, and Jupiter's tree!
The 5th Sphere is called "Geburah" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "Severity." This is the sphere of the planet Mars, which is linked with the god Tyr/Tiw. On page 173 of The Mystical Cabala, Fortune links this sphere with "Justice", "Fear", "Courage", and "the right arm." As Tyr is the god who lost his right hand in the jaws of Fenrir, the divine name of TYR or TIW for this sphere is apt. The rune, however, is not "Tiw" but "Nied." Nied is Necessity, and fits the underlying pattern of this sphere very well. Violence sometimes is necessary, and when it's necessary, it's honorable, but when it's not necessary, it's terrible and cruel. But sometimes we have to be severe. As the rune poem states: "Trouble is oppressive to the heart; / yet often it proves a source of help and salvation / to the children of men, to everyone who heeds it". The world associated with this sphere is Jotunheim. The place associated with this sphere is Vigrithr, where the battle between the Aesir and Surtr happens.
The 6th Sphere is called "Tiphareth" in the Hebrew Cabal, which means "Beauty." This sphere is associated with the Sun and with "a sacrificed god" (The Mystical Cabala, pg 188) Naturally, the divine name for us is BALDR, the beautiful god who was killed by his brother (and Loki)... the world associated with this sphere is Asgard, the realm of the Aesir. The rune associated with this sphere is Sigel, the rune of the Sun. The place associated with this sphere is Ithavoll, the field where the gods play in the sun, before and after Ragnarok.
The 7th Sphere is called "Netzach" in the Hebrew Cabala, which means "Victory." This is the sphere of the planet Venus, of love and emotions, what motivates all beings from a deep feeling level. The divine name associated with this sphere for us is FRIGGA, Odin's wife. Simek in Dictionary of Northern Mythology states that "Frigg may be understood to have been originally the goddess of women, of relationships and possibly of love." and that "Venus was so obviously identified as the Latin equivalent to Frigg that dies Veneris became... Friday". (pg 94) The rune for this sphere is Calc, the Northumbrian rune for "Chalice." This connects the 3rd Sphere and the 7th Sphere, both relating to cups. Cups often have a vaginal association, as well as an association with feelings and emotions. The world for this sphere is Svartalfheim, the realm of the Dark Elves. The hall is Fensalir, Frigga's moist hall.
The 8th Sphere is called "Hod" in the Hebrew Cabala, and has connotations of intellectual activity, language, poetry, ritual magic, and associations with the planet Mercury. The divine name associated with this sphere for us is BRAGI, the god of poetry and eloquence, considered by some to be a hypostasis of Odin. The rune for this sphere is Os, which is Odin's rune, and Odin is associated with the planet Mercury. "Os" means both "mouth" and "god", and the OE Rune Poem puns on this by stating: "Os is the source of all language, / a pillar of wisdom and a comfort to wise men, / a blessing and a joy to every knight." Quite fitting! The world associated with this sphere is Ljusalfheim, the realm of the Light Elves, and the hall is Hnitborg, where Odin stole the Mead of Poetry from Suttung.
The 10th Sphere is "Malkuth", "the Kingdom" in the Hebrew Cabala, and to us it is Midgard. This is the physical world, and the middle world. It is at the bottom of the tree from one perspective, but from the bottom you go back up, so it is actually in the middle. The divine name of this sphere is IDUN, the goddess who keeps the golden apples of eternal youth. The rune associated with this sphere is Beorc, the birch or poplar tree which " bears no fruit; yet without seed it brings forth suckers, / for it is generated from its leaves. / Splendid are its branches and gloriously adorned" - green green growth, but somehow sterile. Both poplars and birches actually do produce fruit, though poplars do have quite a suckering habit... maybe there is a hidden meaning here. As Fortune says, "Binah has its culmination in Malkuth." (The Mystical Qabalah, pg 285) Earth is the realm of life, but also of death.
