Malkuth (Hebrew מלכות “kingdom” or “presence”) sometimes called Malchus is the tenth (or first according to the interpretation side) of the sephirot in the Kabalistic Tree of Life, and is located at the foot of the Tree, under Yesod.
Malkuth is the final (or initial point of the ascent) of all the activities of the Tree of Life, the last station of the descent of the flow of Infinite Light through the Sefiroth undergoing countless restrictions and condensations, to the Kingdom of Matter. At the level of Malkuth, Light, also understood as energy and awareness, begins to rise. The order of distinction between high and low is offered to us by the same etymological root of the word Malkhut, which derives from the letters Mem, Lamed and Kaf that form the word “melekh”, which means “king”, or “malakh” which has the meaning of “reign”. These three letters are the initials of the three words: moach (brain,) lev (heart) and caved (liver). The brain represents the seat not only of logical and rational, cold and analytical thinking, but also of intuition. The heart is the seat of the most noble and intense emotions: love and fear, emotion and hope, creative inspiration and sensitivity. The liver is the place where unconscious emotionality, the desire for power, physical vitality, instincts, the most egocentric needs, the tendency to anger and negative emotions reside.
The order of succession of these three letters has been interpreted by Kabbalists as the symbol of the right hierarchical scale to be established within the human being: “moach shalit al ha-lev, shalit al ha-caved” = “the brain controls the heart, which controls the liver”. So the difference between high and low is explained to us by the same physiological structure of the body.
Malkuth, the Kingdom/Presence is associated with the realm of matter/earth and refers to the physical world, but one should not think of this Sephirah as a “non-spiritual”, because although it is the “farthest” emanation from the Divine Source, it is still at the feet, and therefore part of the Tree of Life. It is often said that Kether (the highest Sephira) is at Malkuth, and Malkuth is at Kether, as a beginning and an end connected in a circle that allows the two opposites to be in close contact anyway. As the receiving sphere of all other Sephirots, Malkuth gives tangible form to the other emanations, the Divine energy descends and finds its expression on this level, and our purpose as human beings is precisely to bring that energy back into the circuit and up the Tree.
Malkuth is associated with our feet, firmly planted on Mother Earth, our roots to remind us that we need to be well rooted in the body, aware of our own origins, to be able to rise again to heaven, the home of the CREATOR.
- Attribute:
PRESENCE – One should demonstrate to be “present” in the “realm”, that is, interested in the things of the world and not indifferent to what surrounds us. One may not belong to any philosophy or religion, but still can be a master of the tenth sephira of Malkut simply by proving to be averse to apathy and inclined to the growth of one’s own person. - Biblical characters:
•RACHEL – Jacob’s favorite wife has to suffer much tribulation and humiliation before receiving the “inheritance” she desired, and humility is a fundamental requirement to begin an ascent.
•KING DAVID – He begins as a humble shepherd of his father’s flock, but then ambition leads him to be considered more important than King Saul, who becomes jealous and hunts him down to kill him. Only after years of struggle and great patience does he succeed in obtaining the throne, an eternal place among kings. - Body part:
FEET – The element associated with this sephira are the feet or the base of our body. Only if they are firm on the ground will the soul be granted the necessary stability to begin the “journey”.
The purpose of human life is to evolve to become better human beings. Achieving these human qualities will allow one to “conquer” Malkuth and be able to move toward the next sephira.
- Passion:
To be passionate people, that is, to maintain an intense desire or enthusiasm for something, whatever it is, as long as it enhances our soul or that of someone close to us. - Faith:
You must have faith to possess the state of Malkuth. Faith in ourselves and all that we are, faith in our own abilities, in life and faith in the infinite potential we all have.