The number 1 is the first integer, representing unity, the point of origin, and the indivisible essence of all things. In the Qabalah, it is the number of Kether, the Crown, the first Sephirah, and thus the primal emanation of the divine. Its etymology in Hebrew is not directly applicable, but its symbolic import is absolute: unity before duality, the monad that contains all potentiality.

Position on the Tree of Life

The number 1 corresponds to Path 11, which is the path of Aleph, the Fool in the Tarot. This path connects Kether (1) to Chokmah (2), linking the head of the Tree (pure consciousness) to the first outflow of wisdom. As the first numeral on the Paths of the Tree, it occupies the summit of numerical symbolism, serving as the root and measure of all subsequent values.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the correspondences of Liber 777, the number 1 on Path 11 is attributed to the element of Air when associated with the Trump of the Fool. The Tarot key of Aleph is linked to the element of Air, with the number 1 expressing the pure, formless spirit infused within that element.

Historical context

The Qabalistic tradition, from the Sepher Yetzirah onward, assigns the number 1 to the first Sephirah, Kether. The Sepher Yetzirah describes the ten Sephiroth as "ten and not nine; ten and not eleven" and begins its enumeration of paths with the number 1, representing the spirit of the living God. In the Zohar, Kether is called the "Most High" or "Concealed of the Concealed," and it is from this unity that the subsequent nine Sephiroth proceed. The number 1 thus holds a unique position as the source of all manifestation, yet remains transcendent and unknowable. In the Christian Kabbalah, this unity is often read as the Father, the single source of the Trinity. For Jewish Kabbalists, the number 1 is often associated with the Divine Name Eheieh (I Am), reflecting the infinite, self-existent nature of God before creation.

In the Tarot, the Fool (Aleph) is depicted as a wandering figure about to step off a cliff, symbolizing the pure potential of the number 1—the point of unmanifested spirit entering the world of form. The Hebrew letter Aleph, assigned to Path 11, is said to contain the four elements within its form, but as number 1, it signifies the singular divine spirit that precedes and conditions those elements.

In table 777, the value for Path 11 appears in the column for 'Numerical Value of Col. CLXXV.' as the number 1, consistent with the scale of the Tree of Life where Kether and its associated path are assigned this prime integer.