A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Hanged Man Crowley tells us that this Hanged Man symbolizes the descent of the light into the darkness in order to redeem it. A massive sacrifice that will create/sustain/destroy the Universe. Crowley also seems to feel that the Hanged Man as a whole doesn't really fit into the New Aeon tarot deck anymore. How we feel about what we are sacrificing has changed over the Aeons - In Isis (element of Water) and Osiris (element of Air) people believed differently than how we do in Horus. Horus is also the Element of Fire and the watery Hanged Man doesn't really work well with Fire. Crowley warns us that, the whole idea of sacrifice is a misconception of nature." It is counterproductive. But now, under a Fiery Lord of Aeon, the water element, so far as water is below the Abyss, is definitely hostile, unless the opposition is the right opposition implied in marriage. (BOT) This marriage is the annihilation of the self in the Beloved - a devotional ecstasy that dissolves all sense of separateness. This Hanged Man still represents the descent of light into darkness but not to redeem it as such. Redemption here is the duty of the enlightened to bring that enlightenment to the unenlightened.
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A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
Lust Mitigate Energy with Love, but let Love devour all things. This is such a powerful card. Lust (sometimes known as Strength,) is connected with the deities Demeter and Astarte (born by lions) Venus, Babylon and the Beast of Revelation. The Scarlet Woman is riding the Beast here while holding the Holy Grail - imagery that illustrates the ecstatic dissolution of all we are into the universal self of godhead. The message of Lust is this: At some point we are going to come to a level of consciousness so high that the only thing left is the universal consciousness of deity. Our dissolution into that consciousness is what we are trying to attain. Deity Lusts for that moment when we all return to it and we should also Lust for that moment as well. In the immortal words of Iggy Pop: I got a lust for life Lust for life A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
Fortune Follow thy Fortune, careless where it lead thee! The axle moveth not: attain thou that! This card thus represents the Universe in its aspect as continual change of state - Crowley. Change = stability. With that stability comes order. The Demiurge brings order to so-called creation. The Demiurge is the highest God below the Abyss - and thinks itself the creator or supreme deity because it is unaware of its own creation. Above the Abyss everything is reconciled - there is no need for the concepts of change or opposites or luck. It is when we are below the Abyss that those concepts appear. Fortune, is the wheel that keeps everything in perpetual motion. Riding it are Hermanubis, Typhon and the Sphinx (mercury, salt and sulfur) and they are going around and around constantly one-upping each other as they go up and then down. As we are still below the Abyss we will struggle with Fortune as we go around and around. The best place to do this is from the center. If we can stay balanced and not struggle against this wheel that constantly turns, we can find our own centers and not be crushed by change. Be open and prepared for anything and stay open to that energy flow - go with it and see what opportunities life brings you. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Hermit Wander alone; being the Light and thy Staff! And be the Light so bright that no man seeth thee! (BOT) We are working on what Crowley calls, The Mode of Fulfillment of The Great Work. There are three key players responsible for creating this mode: Earth, Mercury and the Sun. It is here in The Hermit that they all meet for the first time. He represents Virgo, the mutable sign of Earth and Virgo is ruled by Mercury. He carries the lamp of the Sun - that lights the world. The Hebrew letter for the Hermit and Virgo, is Yod, which also represents the hidden seed/fertilization - and the Hermit is eyeballing that Orphic Egg! Crowley says, "In this trump is shewn the entire mystery of Life in its most secret workings." Illumination from within. The Hermit walks alone as the lights the world. He guides us to the higher spiritual realms and teaches us to go within - to meditate, dream, ponder and study. He guides us to self knowledge and self mastery. Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
Adjustment Balance against each thought its exact Opposite! For the Marriage of these is the Annihilation of Illusion (BOT) Adjustment is perfect in balance, standing on tiptoe on the point of her sword. Suspended from her crown is a set of scales, with the left scale holding the alpha and the right scale holding the omega. Crowley calls Adjustment, "the feminine complement of the Fool." Justice, the act of adjustment, suspension of all action pending decision. The card, once called Justice has been updated to adjustment because that is what is needed for us to maintain our balance. We need to constantly assess where we are and what we are doing to see if we are still moving forward on the correct path. This keeps us open to learning new things and expanding into territory we might not have known existed. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Chariot Here we have the Chariot being drawn by the sphinxes, representing the blending of the Kerubic beasts. The Charioteer is in full armor, like the crab (this card represents the zodiac sign Cancer) and bears the Holy Grail (the carved amethyst) Written in the canopy is ABRAHADABRA, the magical expression of the formula of the marriage and microcosm with the macrocosm (or us to our Holy Guardian Angel). It is also indicative of the male and female uniting that we see in some of the other trump cards and the alchemical symbols of red and white lion and white and red eagle. The path of the Chariot crosses the Abyss, joining Geburah with Binah, dealing with the profound aspects of nature and consciousness. This is a time to really work on focusing our Will (willpower too) This is a card of awesome and powerful energy and we need to harness it wisely and let it drive us forward on our Great Work. It might not always be easy but if we stand strong we can triumph. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Lovers Things are starting to heat up alchemically here with the 4 alchemical trump card. This card represents the first part of solve et coagula - the solve or solution. (Coagula is found in the Art card) This is the story of a marriage and a pregnancy and the child of that union, represented by the Orphic Egg that shows up in the cards. Crowley says, "it represents the essence of all life that comes under the formula of male and female." Here in the Lovers is the marriage ceremony. Art has the honeymoon and the Hermit fertilizes that egg. Death keeps the card safe before it hatches. The Egg sits at the bottom of the card and is the latent seed of life. Notice it sits between the white eagle and the red lion (Empress and Emperor cards) and it Art we will see the next stages. The Hermit is the priest of the ceremony - he is making the sign of the Enterer over their heads. The Lovers represent the harmony and balance of opposites. No duality just wholeness as we were once upon a time before life got in the way with its views and prejudices. This is a time to learn to love without any bounds, no fears and no doubts. This also includes loving the self and accepting who you are and being 100% find with it. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Hierophant Offer thyself Virgin to the Knowledge and Conversation of thine Holy Guardian Angel! All else is a snare. This isn't the average hierophant, this one is The Hierophant of the Aeon of Horus and he packs a lot of Thelemic symbolism and knowledge on his card. He is confident and supported in his work by that sword-bearing woman in front of him, embodiment of Venus. Crowley says she represents Venus as she now is in this new Aeon; no longer a mere vehicle of her male counterpart, but armed and militant. He holds a wand with three rings symbolizing the Aeon of Horus and gives us a benediction with the other. He is the Vau of YHVH, our Holy Guardian Angel - while we are the dancing child in the pentagram on his chest. He carries the seeds that we can use to explore, learn and transform ourselves. He embraces the duality of the Empress/Emperor to become fully himself. When this energy comes to you, open yourself up to this wisdom from the Universe. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Emperor Third alchemical trump, Sulfur, The Emperor represents Aries - Mars rules and Sol is exulted. Crowley says that the sign is thus a combination of energy in its most material form with the idea of authority. Facing his Empress, the body of the Emperor creates the glyph of Sulfur - the male fiery energy of the Universe, the Rajas of Hindu philosophy. This is the swift creative energy, the initiative of all Being. On his red shield is the Eagle - symbolizing the red tincture. This symbolizes the fiery action and nature of the Sun and gold - remember the Empress was the Moon and Silver. Alchemically this recipe says we must first find the white tincture then the red tincture - then unite them to accomplish the Great Work. He is the masculine life force, dynamic, authoritative and full of strong leadership. He is less emotional than his Empress - this energy is perfect for standing strong when feeling vulnerable. Stand strong in your power and trust yourself. A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot
The Empress This is the Harmony of the Universe, that Love unites the WIll to create with the Understanding of that Creation: understand thou thine own Will! Love and let love. Rejoice in every shape of love, and get thy rapture and they nourishment thereof. (BOT) On the Tree of Life, The Empress is Daleth - door, and woman is the door to life as we are born. Her planet is Venus and she is the second alchemical trump card, salt. Crowley describes her as the inactive principal of Nature - Salt is matter which must be energized by Sulfur to maintain the equilibrium of the Universe. (sulfur is the Emperor/Aries, ruled by Mars and was the lover of Venus!) Her arms form a glyph of Salt and it looks as if she is already holding her child. The shield represents the alchemical white tincture whose nature is the Moon and silver. (The Emperor has the red tincture) The Empress holds a strong feminine power - the power to create and to love. This is a gentle and compassionate power but incredibly strong and enduring. For some reason it reminds of that saying that Moms are supposed to say to naughty kids, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out." And while that is a joke, it is that kind of power she wields. Embrace this creative energy with love and use it to renew and replenish. |
AuthorMy Tarot Card Practice. I have been studying Tarot for over 20 years now and am still learning new things daily. Archives
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