Welcome Friends of the Mystery,
Oy, what a time we’re living in now! If ever we needed guidance and encouragement, now is the time. My hope is that A New Oracle of Kabbalah can be an ally and support to you during this period of upheaval and profound global transformation.
A New Oracle of Kabbalah is a revised version of the original 2001 edition and contains new content, including directions for how to use multiple letters to create oracular “spreads.” The brilliant artist, Shoshannah Brombacher, has created vibrant new art for the cover and the Hebrew letter cards that can be purchased separately or together with the book.
I feel that this version has a deeper and broader perspective than that of the original version.
In addition, I have been influenced by comments and feedback from users of the first edition. These responses, including stories of how Oracle of Kabbalah has changed and enriched their lives, encouraged me to write this new and expanded investigation into the marvelous character and personalities and powers embodied by each of the ancient Hebrew letters.
You can purchase the print book and/or cards directly from me and the ebook version at Amazon.com.
Oracle of Kabbalah is a practical guide through the secret paths of the ancient Hebrew letters. The book shows you how to follow these paths towards the heart of the matter, the heart of your own soul.
Kabbalah literally means “that which is received,” and is a broad term for Jewish mystical practices. Traditions regarding the magical energies of the Hebrew alphabet represent one important facet of Kabbalah.
This Oracle can be a source of guidance and perspective. It’s rooted in the past and time-tested tradition, but at the same time is attuned to the present. The book does not tell you what to do or prescribes a specific course of action for you, but rather gently opens up possibilities for you to explore on your own.
Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters has inspired thousands of people since it was first published in 2001. The book takes arcane teachings of Jewish mysticism and, with humor, clarity, and depth, makes them available to modern readers.
“You don’t have to be Jewish to love Oracle of Kabbalah.”
“You don’t have to be Jewish to love Oracle of Kabbalah. Richard Seidman has made the ancient wisdom and power of the Hebrew letters accessible to us all, so we can use it to help us better deal with the challenges of modern life.”
– Monte Farber and Amy Zerner, authors of The Enchanted Tarot
“It’s quite a different experience from other cards I’ve used, Tarot and Animal cards. I find them much gentler, much less able to be projected upon, which is a good thing. I make no assumptions about these cards, and they take me on a path. It’s like they’re pointing something out and then listening, instead of instructing.”
– A.M.W., Cambridge, MA
The Oracle of Kabbalah and You
What can you get from reading and consulting Oracle of Kabbalah?
- Perspective. New views on the issues or questions you are pondering.
- Insight. Increased understanding of yourself, your relationships with others, and the Mystery.
- Guidance. Greater clarity as you consider various actions or decisions.
- Reassurance. Your sorrows, your enjoyments, your griefs, your happiness, your confusion, your genius, your tears, your laughter, your songs, your offerings, all have a place here, and are all affirmed.
- Challenge. This book will provoke you and encourage you to look at life and yourself from a new, changed place.
- Laughter. At least three good laughs and ten chuckles.
- More intimate relationships with people, places, and the Holy. Feelings of separateness and aloneness might dissipate as you immerse yourself in this book.
- Connection. More connected through time and space to people, animals, trees, birds, ancestors, teachers, and the Divine.
- Deeper understanding of oneself. Knowing ourselves better.
- Greater appreciation for the Mystery. A greater appreciation for how much we don’t know.
- Deeper affinity for your ancestors, no matter their religious traditions or ethnicities. Oracle of Kabbalah is mysterious in that many readers find that it brings them closer to their ancestors, no matter where those ancestors are from.
- Change. You might not be the same after reading this book. The world may not seem the same to you, either.
“Doorways to the great mysterious.”
Here are comments from other readers:
“These cards, grounded in ancient mystical knowledge, offer many doorways to the great mysterious, and the power of our own personal truth. To experience them is to realize the infinite depth and exquisite beauty of creation.”
– David Carson, co-author of The Medicine Cards.
“I love your skillful weaving in the Zen and Mayan traditions with the teachings of the Kabbalah…There is a mutual illumination when the traditions are brought together as you do, and it is wonderful to see how you bring [Mayan teacher] Martín [Prechtel], and Zen, and Judaism together. You are a role model for me as I come to terms with my Protestant Christian (Puritan) ancestors.”
– J.P., West Newton, MA
“Jewish sages teach that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is an awesome universe. Richard Seidman gently guides readers to explore the use of these letters to open mysterious gates of wisdom hidden within each one of us. Oracle of Kabbalah is an excellent tool for discovering the teachings of our own souls and is highly recommended.”
– Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God is a Verb.
“Richard Seidman offers us a direct, clear, and practical approach to the Divine Mystery. His understanding of the Hebrew Aleph-Beit and his guidance in interpreting each letter ignites an inner lamp that can illumine the most shadowed corners of the soul.”
– Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro, author of The Way of Solomon.
In the thirteenth century, Abraham Abulafia wrote of the Aleph Beit, “Every letter represents a whole world to the mystic who abandons himself [or herself] to its contemplation.”
I hope that, like generations of people before us, as you abandon yourself, you find exploring these worlds to be helpful, inspiring, and joyful.
Blessings,
Richard Seidman
