Hod (Kabbalah)

Hod (Hebrew הוֹד Hōḏ, lit. 'majesty, splendour, glory') is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.

Hod sits below Gevurah and across from Netzach in the tree of life; Yesod is to the south-east of Hod. It has four paths, which lead to Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, and Yesod.

All the sephirot are likened to different parts of the body and the tree itself to a homunculus. Netzach and Hod are likened to the two feet of a person, the left and right. The feet not only bring a person to their place of intention; integrity here at the base of the pillar is foundational to all that stands above.

Hasidic Judaism's view of Hod is that it is connected with Jewish prayer. Prayer is seen as form of "submission"; Hod is explained as an analogy - that instead of "conquering" an obstacle in one's way, (which is the idea of Netzach), subduing oneself to that "obstacle" is related to the quality of Hod.

Hod is where form is given by language in its widest sense, being the key to the "mystery of form" (this may be an adoption of a point of view of Jacques Lacan). Our unconscious desires come from Netzach, and are given form in the symbolic realm by Hod, manifesting unconsciously through Yesod to Malkuth.