Atziluth ("Closeness" – Divine Wisdom) Beriah ("Creation" – Divine Understanding) Yetzirah ("Formation" – Divine Emotions) Assiah ("Action" – Divine Activity) with a preceding Fifth World Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man" – Divine Will) sometimes excluded due to its sublimity.
Fire, Air, Water, Earth Divine, Archangels, Angels, Man/Spirits
The Four Worlds: In Kabbalistic cosmology, the universe is understood to consist of four primary realms or dimensions known as the Four Worlds. These are Atziluth (Emanation), Beriah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation), and Assiah (Action). Each world represents a different level of manifestation and existence, with Atziluth being the highest and most spiritual, and Assiah being the lowest and most material.
- Atziluth - "World of Enemation or Causes”
- Beri'ah - "World of Creation”
- Yetzirah - "World of Formation"
- Assiah - The Material World
- Source/Spiritual
- Mental
- Astral
- Physical
Physical Etheric Astral Mental Causal - Soul-Spirit Divine Plane/Logoic Plane
4(5) Worlds 0. Adam Kadmon
- Atziluth
- Briyah
- Yetzirah
- Asiyah
ATZILUT: The World of Emanation
Archetypal Soul: Chayah, Life-soul Fire The term Atzilut is usually translated as “Emanation”, but literally means “closeness”. This is the “World”, or primordial Substance which is the first emanation out of God’s unique and pure Essence, and is therefore the “World” closest to Divinity. This Substance corresponds to Philosophic Fire, which – as opposed to literal fire – is best described as “living light”. The Substance of “living light” is intangible and has no definite, specific Form, but its dynamic qualities of vitality and illumination are distinguishable. Life and light are the two qualities that must be postulated as being prevalent in any Divinely creative act. Since these qualities can be discerned as having existence distinct from Essential Divinity, the emanation of the primal “living light” (Substance) is the preliminary phase of Divine Creation.
BRIYAH: The World of Creation
Creative
Soul: Neshamah/ Breath-soul Air
YETZIRAH: The World of Formation
Formative The energetic world of emotions, sensations, feelings
Soul: Ruach/ wind-water-soul Water
ASIYAH: The World of Action
Manifest The material, dualistic-seeming world of matter and energy
Soul: Nefesh, the ‘animal soul’, life-force Earth
"The last of all the worlds, which we dwell in, is called by the Hebrews עולם היסודות, the world of elements, and it is indicated by the smallest of modes. This is the world of the lower degree, referred to by the letters ע & ד and onwards. And this is the third of the three worlds, the inexplicable wisdom of the Creator shown in music, showing that which is impressed upon individual things, or the fourth. The world of the elements, as they call it, is joined with the upper world, which is constructed out of the spheres, almost encompassing all things above, as Cicero also insinuated. However, the entire system of the three worlds is dependent and connected to each other. The celestial world is governed by the angels; and the elements by both the angelic and celestial, from whom the influences descend and depend."
— Athanasius Kircher, Athanasii Kircheri e Soc. Iesu Obeliscus Pamphilius, 17th century