The Lungs are the paired organs of respiration, the physical seat of the breath that sustains life. Their name derives from the Old English lungen, related to the word 'light,' reflecting their air-filled, buoyant nature. In the esoteric anatomy of the Qabalah, they are the primary instruments for the reception and transmission of the Ruach—the spirit or air—which is the vital link between the divine and the material.

Position on the Tree of Life

The Lungs correspond to Path 17 on the Tree of Life, which connects the Sephirah of Hod (Splendor) to Netzach (Victory). This path is assigned the Hebrew letter Zayin (ז), meaning 'sword' or 'scepter.' The lungs, as a paired organ, mirror the dualistic nature of this path: the sword that divides and the scepter that unites. They are the physical mechanism through which the air of the macrocosm is drawn into the microcosm, and the waste air is expelled, a constant cycle of reception and return.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Path 17 is governed by the astrological sign Gemini (♊), the Twins. This correspondence is directly reflected in the lungs' bilateral structure—two lobes, two bronchi, two functions of inhalation and exhalation. Gemini's rulership over communication, duality, and the air element finds its physical expression in the lungs, which are the organs of the voice and the breath that carries speech. The planet Mercury, as the ruler of Gemini, further emphasizes the lungs' role in the transmission of thought and spirit through the air.

Historical Context

The association of the lungs with the divine breath is ancient and cross-cultural. In the Hebrew Bible, the Ruach Elohim (the Spirit of God) moves upon the waters, and God breathes the Nishmat Chayim (breath of life) into Adam's nostrils. The Qabalistic text Sefer Yetzirah describes the creation of the world through the 32 paths of wisdom, where the letter Zayin is the 'Directing Intelligence,' and the lungs, as its physical counterpart, direct the flow of the vital air. The Zohar elaborates on this, describing the lungs as the 'bellows of the heart,' fanning the flame of the vital fire that resides in the left ventricle. In the Hermetic tradition, the Corpus Hermeticum speaks of the Pneuma as the vehicle of the soul, and the lungs as its primary instrument in the body. Medieval alchemists, such as Paracelsus, saw the lungs as the 'alchemical furnace' where the prima materia of the air is transformed into the spiritus vitae. In the system of Liber 777, these traditions are synthesized into a single, precise correspondence.

In Liber 777

In the table of Liber 777, the Lungs are the specific anatomical assignment for the 17th Path, under the column 'The Human Body.' They are not merely a generic organ, but a precise key to the energies of Zayin and Gemini. This placement anchors the abstract forces of communication, duality, and the life-giving breath into a tangible, physical form, serving as a focal point for meditation and practical work on the Tree of Life.