Book Summary: The Book of Wisdom Volume Two by Harry B. Joseph
- Christine Knight
- Nov 16
- 4 min read
Here is a comprehensive, expert summary and analysis of:
The Book of Wisdom
Volume Two by Harry B. Joseph.
Executive Summary: Core Contribution
If Volume One was the "anatomy" of the "Holy Science," Volume Two is the "cosmic blueprint." It does not replace the "Christ Oil" framework but dramatically expands it, revealing its macrocosmic counterpart through the lens of Kabbalah.
The central argument of Volume Two is that the Kabbalistic Tree of Life is the definitive "map" for the psycho-spiritual journey of enlightenment. This "Tree" is not just a mystical symbol; it is another syncretic allegory for the same physiological process detailed in Volume One.
Joseph's core synthesis in this volume is the mapping of:
* The 10 Sephirot (divine emanations) of the Tree of Life
* ...onto the 7 Chakras (internal energy centers)
* ...which are all activated by the "Ascension of the Christ Oil" up the 33 vertebrae of the spinal cord.
The book is, therefore, a more advanced "user's manual" for the human body, using the Kabbalah as the "master key" to understand the journey from the "Kingdom" (physical reality) to the "Crown" (divine consciousness).
Part I: The New Framework –
The Kabbalistic Tree of Life
This section details the book's primary new framework, which serves as the "blueprint" for the "Holy Science" introduced in Volume One.
* The Tree as a Universal Map: The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is presented as the ultimate syncretic symbol. It is the "blueprint" of both the universe (the macrocosm) and the human body (the microcosm).
* The 10 Sephirot (The "Emanations"): The Tree is composed of 10 "spheres," or Sephirot, which are the 10 attributes or emanations of God. They represent the path of creation "descending" from the divine source into matter.
* The 22 Pathways: These are the "paths" that connect the 10 spheres, which are often allegorized in esoteric traditions.
* The Goal (The Ascent): The purpose of the initiate is to ascend this Tree. This journey is a metaphor for "dismantling the ego" and "reuniting with the divine essence" by moving from the lowest sphere to the highest.
* The journey begins at Malkuth (The Kingdom), which represents the physical plane, the material world, and the human body.
* The journey ends at Keter (The Crown), which represents pure divine consciousness, oneness with God, and the "activated" Pineal Gland.
Part II: The "As Above, So Below" Syncretism
This is the core of the book's "holy science," where Joseph maps the new framework (Kabbalah) onto the existing frameworks from Volume One (Physiology, Chakras, and Astrology).
Framework 1: Tree of Life ➔ Chakras ➔ Spinal Cord
This is the most critical link. The book argues that the 10 Sephirot and the 7 Chakras are two systems describing the same internal energy "ladder."
* The "Trunk" of the Tree: The spinal cord ("Jacob's Ladder") is the central trunk or "middle pillar" of the Tree of Life.
* The Mapping: The 7 Chakras are the internal physiological energy centers that line the spine. The 10 Sephirot are the cosmic, archetypal spheres that correspond to them.
* The "Holy Science" Unified: Therefore, the "Ascension of the Christ Oil" up the 33 vertebrae is the same event as the "Awakening of Kundalini" through the 7 Chakras, which is also the symbolic "Ascent of the Tree of Life" from Malkuth to Keter.
Framework 2: Tree of Life ➔ Planetary Allegory
The book expands on the astrological elements from Volume One, mapping the 10 Sephirot to the celestial bodies of classical cosmology.
* Each Sefirah (e.g., Chesed/Mercy, Gevurah/Severity) is associated with a specific planet (e.g., Jupiter, Mars).
* This reinforces the Hermetic principle of "As above, so below." The "forces" of the planets are not just external but are internal spiritual and psychological forces, mapped on the Tree of Life within us.
Framework 3: The Tree of Life & The Tree of Knowledge
The book uses this classic allegory to differentiate the systems within the human body.
* The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: This is the Nervous System. It gives us knowledge of the "dual" world (good/evil, pleasure/pain, left/right brain). It is the system that the "Christ Oil" (Kundalini) uses to travel.
* The Tree of Life: This is the Cardiovascular System (the heart and blood vessels). It is the "river" that "flows in the midst of the Garden" (the body) and gives life to the physical form.
The goal of the "Holy Science" is to use the "Tree of Knowledge" (the nervous system) to activate and ascend to the "Tree of Life" (divine, immortal consciousness).
Summary of Key Concepts (Bullet-Point List)
* The Kabbalistic Tree of Life: The central framework of Volume Two. A "blueprint" of 10
spheres (Sephirot) and 22 paths that maps the journey from the physical world (Malkuth) to
the divine crown (Keter).
* The Ultimate Syncretism: The book's core argument is that the 10 Sephirot (Kabbalah), the
7 Chakras (Hinduism), the Planetary Spheres (Astrology), and the Biblical Allegories
(Volume 1) are all different maps for the same internal process.
* The Ascent: The goal of the "Holy Science" is reframed as the "Ascent of the Tree." This is a symbolic act of "dismantling the ego" to achieve "reunion with the divine."
* Physiological Mapping:
* The Tree's "Trunk" = The Spinal Cord ("Jacob's Ladder").
* The Sephirot/Spheres = The 7 Chakras (internal energy centers).
* The "Christ Oil" Connection: The "Ascension of the Christ Oil" (Kundalini) up the 33
vertebrae is the engine that "climbs" this Tree and "activates" each Sefirah/Chakra one by
one.
* Two Trees, One Body:
* Tree of Knowledge = The Nervous System (the path of the oil).
* Tree of Life = The Cardiovascular System (the sustainer of life).
* Malkuth to Keter: The journey of the Oil from the "Sacrum" (Malkuth/The Kingdom) to the "Pineal Gland" (Keter/The Crown) is the literal, physiological fulfillment of the Kabbalistic
quest.
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