The Nature of Man

Almost the entire corpus of occult theory has been said to logically flow from two basic concepts, the Principle of Polarity and the Principle of the Planes or levels of existence. If the vertical columns of the Tree of Life illustrate polarity, then it is clear that the horizontal rows of spheres on the Tree illustrate planes or levels.

From an understanding of the planes, it is but a short step to see man as made of levels, usually described as interpenetrating subtle bodies. Like the concentric model of the Tree, the more dense levels lie within the less dense and are interpenetrated by them.

There are usually said to be seven levels and seven subtle bodies, although the list varies from authority to authority. That there are seven is suggested by the assignment of the tarot Chariot, which depicts the vehicles, to Key 7.