Prop (, Heb. שמך, šāmek, meaning "support" or "prop") is the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, corresponding to the number 60. As a glyph, it represents a hand leaning on a staff or a tent peg — an image of firm, upright structure. In the context of the Hebrew alphabet and the qabalistic tradition, Samekh is a symbol of cosmic support, the central pillar, and the sustaining force that holds creation upright.

Position on the Tree of Life

Samekh is the path that connects Tiphareth (Beauty, the central sun of the tree) to Yesod (Foundation, the lunar sphere of form and generation). On the Tree of Life, this is Path 25, the twenty-fifth path of wisdom. This path runs down the middle pillar, the line of balance and direct divine influx, and is called the "Supporting Path" because it props up the supernal lights above the abyss, channeling them into the lower worlds. It is said to be a path of testing and trial, where the aspirant must stand firm beneath the weight of higher illumination.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the traditional Sepher Yetzirah and in Crowleyan correspondences, Samekh is attributed to the zodiac sign Sagittarius (the Archer). Sagittarius is the centaur drawing his bow, a symbol of focused will, aspiration, and the fiery arrow aimed at the divine. The archer's bow itself is a prop — a tense, supporting backbone from which the arrow is released. The planetary ruler of Sagittarius is Jupiter (expansion, wisdom, benevolence), reinforcing the idea of beneficent support and upward striving.

Historical context

The letter Samekh has a long history in mystical Judaism. In the Sepher Yetzirah (Book of Creation), it is one of the twelve simple letters assigned to the direction of north (along with the letter Mem, see Path 23), and to the sense of hearing or the sense of anger, depending on the recension. The Zohar describes Samekh as representing the divine attribute of Yesod (foundation) because it "props up" the edifice of creation. Early kabbalists saw a direct link between the shape of the letter (a closed circle or coiled serpent) and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. In the Western esoteric tradition, Eliphas Levi interpreted Samekh as the serpent of wisdom coiled around the staff of life, later adapted in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as a symbol of the spinal column and the fiery kundalini energy. Its number 60 corresponds to the celestial cycle of sixty-year jubilees and to the measure of the human pulse as a support of life.

In Liber 777 table at this step

In Crowley’s Liber 777, the entry for Path 25 (the Prop / Samekh) appears in Column II (English of Col. II) as "Prop". The full correspondence set includes: the number 60, the Hebrew letter Samekh, the zodiac sign Sagittarius, the divine name associated with the path, the astrological symbol, the colors of the four worlds (emerald green, blue, deep indigo, and bright yellow), and various magical implements. The entry ties this path to the Tarot card Atu XIV (Art / Temperance), representing the alchemical integration of opposites supported by the central pillar of the Tree.