In order to explain the religious beliefs I have developed over years of mysticism heavily influenced by the Western Mystery Tradition I thought I’d share this diagram:
Notice that unlike the many spurious attributions out there, I do not include the chakra system as equivalent to the tree of life. The chakras are part of the internal system and the crown chakra Sahasrara is not equivalent with the crown Sephira Kether. The system of yoga is a necessary prerequisite for traveling up the tree not a substitute for it. This can be seen in the attribution of the World trump, which symbolizes Kundalini awakening, to the first path leading from the terrestrial realm to the astral Sephiroth Yesod. Yoga is the practice that gives entrance to the tree, it does not subsume it. This is how religion should be practiced. Master yoga, and use the Tarot trumps to learn the riddles that are posed by the guardians of the paths. While astral projection can be learned and practiced to get some limited access to the astral Sephira; Yesod, Hod, and Netzach, this is essentially a dead end to further work, because astral projection occurs in a semi-conscious state and is over-shadowed by interference from the dream world as well as unprocessed impressions from daily life in Malkuth. In order to travel the tree with full consciousness, one must raise the Kundalini Serpent all the way up the spine and sustain it. This is not a small feat, and it is where many schools of yoga end. I would argue that it is the end of heaven-blindness and ignorance of the Source, but merely a beginning in the practice of mysticism. As such the diagram above is the only map one needs to explore higher dimensions through rigorous practice and devotion to Union with God.