History of Kabbalah Maasit
Talking about the origins of Practical Kabbalah (Maasit) is perhaps a bit less clear than the origins of Kabbalah itself. This is the case if analyzed through the lens of logic.
Therefore, to understand where, when, and how both Kabbalah and the highest practice within it emerged, it is necessary to place oneself within a framework that transcends conventional logic.
If there is one thing I wish to convey through this page, it is for people to see clearly the essence of things, rather than viewing them through the filter that society has transformed over the centuries regarding the perception of Divine Wisdom.
As I always say, Kabbalah is not of this physical world. Instead, it is information that comes from Higher Worlds, which we receive through various channels if we are worthy of having the proper vessel. With this information, we provoke events in the course of nature. Carrying out such events intentionally—not for selfishness, but for the elevation of creation—is precisely what the ancient sages called Kabbalah Maasit.
If you notice, I never refer to Kabbalah Maasit as "magic." First, because it is not. And second, because those who call it "magic" do so because they read it somewhere or heard it from others, without even bothering to investigate what it truly is by delving into the original sources.
These original sources, beyond religion and philosophy, come from a millennia-old tradition, from events through which human beings receive (kabel) information that is not of this earth.
When we refer to Kabbalah Maasit, we must certainly expand our understanding to Kabbalah at its deepest level—remote, secret, intimate, pure, and holy—through which human beings were given the opportunity to know, understand, and comprehend how the physical world operates based on the spiritual world.
In the Garden of Eden
In the earthly Garden of Eden, Adam and Chava (Eve) received profound knowledge of the most secret Kabbalah. This is known from the words in Genesis: "And they made belts [to cover themselves]" (Genesis 3:7). When they realized they were naked of the Superior Light, they attached themselves to another light and covered themselves with it. That light signifies: information. However, as the Zohar tells us, they never utilized that information. Nevertheless, after them, that information was preserved by their descendants. This is how it reached the time of Enoch (the antediluvian, later known as Metatron), where even young children possessed immense knowledge through which they manipulated nature.
Nature follows very perfect laws, established from Divine Thought, and is controlled by intelligences (agents of the Creator) to ensure everything follows the role for which it was made. These agents are commonly called angels. They bring about the various phenomena we perceive in nature. Therefore, one of the branches of Kabbalah Maasit involves making contact with the angels whose function is to preserve the order of nature—an order that, as inferred, is of Divine origin.
Adam and the Angel Raziel
The first to achieve this contact with the superior forces that oversee the development and balance of the created world was Adam. He managed to connect with the angel Raziel (who presides over the Sixth Sphere), who transmitted to him a series of knowledge that Adam lost when he ceased to have a body of Light. This knowledge is hidden in what has been called: The Book of the Angel Raziel. Today, we know it is more than a book, as it represents a consciousness. Happy is the one who manages to connect with that consciousness.
This knowledge that Adam received was passed down to Noah, who was his tenth generation. Noah inherited it to his son Shem (Sem in Spanish). Over time, Shem became the teacher of the patriarch Abraham, teaching him great Secrets of Heaven. Later, Shem also became the teacher of the patriarch Jacob.
In all of this, you should know that the name Shem is a code. Similarly, the names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are codes. They represent states of consciousness.
A person, if they infuse their actions with a desire to adhere to the Light of the Creator—depending on how they manifest that desire (in kindness, mercy, etc.)—becomes capable of embodying the consciousness of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. That is the code within them.
Regarding Shem, this word has a numerical value of 340. This is the same value obtained when adding two Divine Names: Shaday (שדי) and YHVH (יהוה). That is, 314 plus 26. This means that if a person knows how to unite these Names and, moreover, manifests a desire to adhere to this union with the consciousness that the Creator governs this world, then for that person, the Creator Himself becomes their teacher. This is why I personally call G-d: The Master of All Names. Because, in addition, the word Shem means: Name.
There is not a single thing named in this world of form that does not originate from Divine Thought.
Through Jacob, he passed down great wisdom to his sons, who are the Tribes of Israel. And through them, especially through Moses, this knowledge was delivered to certain individuals; primarily to the Sages who formed the Sanhedrin in its beginnings, and to Kings of Israel like David and Solomon.
Kabbalah Maasit in the Middle Ages
Kabbalah Maasit did not emerge in the Middle Ages, as many believe. Rather, it was during the Middle Ages that some of this knowledge, which had been hidden for many centuries, was recovered. Thus, during the Middle Ages, it began to spread; however, due to the immense ignorance of what some had access to, certain practices became mixed with pagan religions. Those who mixed these practices did not represent Judaism in any way. Judaism has been the guardian of this wisdom for over three millennia, and they would never mix the pure with the impure.
It was partly due to the desire of many (non-Jews) to obtain certain "special powers" that the knowledge of Kabbalah Maasit became distorted toward themes of sorcery and magic. At that point, the essence and substance of Kabbalah Maasit were lost, and what resulted from it began to be called "magic" or "magical ritual." Even today, this misunderstanding persists, especially among those who begin to study the esoteric, as when they touch on the topic of Practical Kabbalah, they do so from altered medieval sources. Hence the grave error of individuals who consider Kabbalah Maasit as magic or demonology. This error arises mainly from an incorrect interpretation of the Keys of Solomon. The true Keys of Practical Kabbalah are found in Hebrew texts, preserved as an inheritance by the sages of the Jewish people, and these texts have not been altered. To verify this, one only needs to look at the original Hebrew manuscripts of the Keys of Solomon (Mafteach Shlomo); today, this is easy thanks to virtual libraries, such as the National Library of Israel.
The True Practical Kabbalist
The true Practical Kabbalist is one who knows more about Torah than about demons. Because from the Torah comes Kedushá, or Holiness. And from the side of demons, one can only attach impurity.
Therefore, it is important to know that Kabbalah Maasit is something very pure, and whoever intends to practice it must have sufficient purity to deal with beings who, if they deem it necessary, can file a complaint before the Master of All Names, stating that so-and-so is trying to enter a realm where not everyone can enter.
If you want to know how to be fit to carry out Kabbalah Maasit, then begin by studying the lives of two great masters: King David and Rabbi Akiva. If you acquire the same vision they had, then you may be fit to enter the portals of Kabbalah Maasit.