8. Hod - intellect and logic, structure
The counterbalance of the anarchic Netzach on the Astral Plane in the Tree of Life is Hod, the eigth Sephirah. While Netzach is the Force, Hod is the Form, providing organization and structure to the uncontrolled power of its counterpart from which it emanates. As a couple, Netzach and Hod are often referred to as 'time' and 'place'.
Like Netzach was reflected from Geburah through Tiphareth, Hod is reflected from Chesed through Tiphareth, representing its coagulating principle. Hod is also called the Sphere of Magic(k) since it is the sphere of the formulation of form, change imposed by will and intellect. Quite naturally it is also restriction and discrimination or - as Crowley's Eight of Swords so aptly put it - interference. You cannot form anything without restricting it in one way or the other, once you tame a wild thing its freedom is limited. This is the primary effect of any Sephirah on the Pillar of Severity hence its name.
Hod is ruled by Mercury and thus associated with Hermes aka Mercury aka Thoth, the god of wisdom and scripture. The Tarot as 'Book of Thoth' is referred to Hod as well as all language since both can be considered as carriers of messages and meanings. Hod is the conscious thinking, the intellectual logic and the rationality of mind. It is the explorer and scientist, the magician and researcher, but also the god of trickery and deceit. Just remember that Netzach is the Sphere of Illusion - what becomes of an illusion once it is rendered into servable portions?
Hod is quite often not much appreciated by people enthusiastically throwing themselfes into the 'mysteries of occultism' when its rather unmysterious rationalism seems so much less attractive than the iridescent fluidity of Netzach, yet without Hod one would be hopelessly lost in what is actually nothing but an unsorted mess of primeval instincts.
See below the Tarot cards corresponding to Hod - the Eights:
