A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Seven of Swords
Crowley says of this seven, "It is like a rheumatic boxer trying to come back after being out of the ring for years."   The sevens tend to be downer cards but this one tries to be "not so bad." This one has a planetary battle going on - each of the sword hilts have the symbols of: Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Saturn.  The bigger sword has the Sun atop it but it is outnumbered and kind of broken looking here. But! The card itself looks balanced and in order - again, like it is trying to not be so bad.

Partial success, Yielding up when victory is just within grasp. Not continuing the effort even though you are  close to success.   This is a time when we are maybe overwhelmed with a lot of stuff that needs to get done, or we don't feel up to doing something and we just fizzle out.  So, take things one step at a time. Make lists. Focus on what is right in front of you. Stay centered and you can get it all done - without getting overwhelmed.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

​Six of Swords
This card is really lovely. Balanced full of the harmony that Tiphareth brings to it. Whatever crisis we had with the five is now over.  We are back to full brain power and are ready for some deep thinking!

This cards formula makes it a perfect balance as well. Swords = Yetzirah and Yetzirah is the Ruach or intellect. On the Tree of Life, the Ruach radiates outward from Tiphareth! 

Success after anxiety and trouble - We worked through some heavy thinking and now we have added information and experience to help us when we need it. We can sort out what worked and what didn't and find greater clarity overall. 

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Five of Swords
Ugh, our swords have broken and bent and are atop a field of spikey looking asymmetric wings. The swords themselves form an averse pentagram, which for us, can be a problem.  Venus in Aquarius is a good thing as they are nice and peaceful but too polite to say anything while they sit in Geburah, home of Mars (martial and quarrelsome). 

We had a time of rest in the Four but now we are back at it, swords are too airy for structure or permanence.  Also, Venus is bringing a lot of emotion to this card and a sword is more aimed at logical thought. Add too much emotion and our distanced clear thinking can make us too sensitive to cope with disappointment. 

Disappointment will happen but we need to use our intellect and reason to focus on what happened. Did we have too high expectations? Did we take something on we weren't really suited for? Seeing clearly will help us realize setbacks happen and we can move on with more knowledge for next time.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Four of Swords
I love this card - look at all that concentrated energy just crackling with focus and clarity. The points of the swords meet over a 49 petal rose which Crowley says represents social harmony.  This card sits in Chesed which brings it equilibrium and a good spot for manifestation.   Our mental processes have stabilized and we have found a perfect balance in this airy element.

This card has a lot of balance and stability but for air that can become stagnant if we aren't careful. After using our perfectly balanced intellect for solving big issues, we need to use the time after to reflect on what we have learned and accomplished. A small and calming rest and recharge before zooming back into life again.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Three of Swords
Lady Harris wrote to Crowley about this card: "Please don't frighten me with the Sword suit. The 3 was a fair horror and great suffering."

Ok - first of all - the Aces/Two's and Three's all reside above the Abyss on the  Tree of Life, which usually makes them all very happy cards - but at first glance this three does not look happy. That is why we need to go deeper than the first glance. Above the Abyss, "sorrow," isn't like the type of sadness we find below the abyss, that material hurt that guts us. This is more of an abstract feeling because here, the actuality of things don't exist. 

Sorrow is really the closest word we can come to this feeling - this higher state of consciousness that is hard to understand where we sit below the abyss. Up here there is no form - this three represents the trace of sorrow that enlightened the Buddha!

This card helps us face the illusions that we surround ourselves with because they can be better than facing reality. But they are false and understanding that will help us understand what is happening and help us to make better decisions.  We need to engage with this hurt not hide from it.  Trust that you have the power to work through this - and will come out stronger for it.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Two of Swords
Two powerful swords sitting on top of what looks like static to me. Swords = mind/Ruach and used as an instrument of action. Always moving around (monkey mind)  We need to overcome this mind if we want to reach higher levels of consciousness! Mind doesn't want, this so we need to gather our will and use the swords to cut through this chatter.

The Two is where we take the ideas/seeds of the Ace and start to play. A time of creating and manifesting our goals and ideas and staying balanced with our emotions and perspectives.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords is the primordial Energy of Air, the Essence of the Vau of the Tetragrammaton, the integration of the Ruach (BOT)

The Ruach, again, is the intellect part of our mind. And to some mystics, that part is the enemy. The mind wants to be in control and resists identifying with any  higher levels of consciousness. So, we get all the anxiety and worry and sadness and conflict.   The Swords tend to look really nasty - stabby cards, but! Used correctly, that stabby blade and cut through all of those conflicts.

Upon the blade is written Thelema - Greek for Will. And that is what the swords take to use. This Ace is the seed of our intellectual power - the beginnings of ideas, or just a reminder that we need to use our intellects here and while it is always good to stay balanced with our emotions, right now we need to use rational thought more. Invoke this Ace to help you see clearly!

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Princess of Swords
Earth of Air, this Princess looks like she is flying out of the earth into the sky, leaving her dust behind. Her character is stern and revengeful. Her logic is destructive. She is firm and aggressive, with great practical wisdom and subtlety in material things.  She is a warrior princess who is here to help us battle the Ruach.

Swords = Ruach (intellect) and it can be a good thing in that we rise above our lower animal natures. BUT! When we identify with the Ruach we separate from our higher parts, higher consciousness - those the Ruach can't comprehend and it wants us to stay with it. So this Princess helps us remember that the mind can be an enemy if we aren't aware of what it is up to.

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Prince of Swords
Air of Air, this Prince has a lot of energy but it's going all over the place and in no discernable direction. The children pull the chariot of the Prince in several directions.  From the Book of Thoth: the chariot is being pulled irresponsibly in any direction that takes their fancy; they are not reined, but perfectly capricious. The chariot consequently is easy enough to move, but quite unable to progress in any definite direction except by accident. This is a perfect picture of the Mind!

With his sword he creates ideas but with his sickle he cuts them down as soon as they appear. Crowley says, "He is full of ideas and designs which tumble over each other. He is a mass of fine ideal unrelated to practical effort."

This energy is pure air with nothing to stabilize it so we need to be aware and counter that flightiness. There is so much mental agility here and if we can tame it and give it a focus and outlet, we can create great works!

A Walk Through the Thoth Tarot

Queen of Swords
Water of Air - The person symbolized by this card should be intensely perceptive, a keen observer, a subtle interpreter, and intense individualist. swift and accurate at recording ideas; in action confident, in spirit gracious and just  (BOT)

This Queen is a badass - her water gives the air sustaining rain - or a drowning cloudburst. She also has a severed head in her hand, which is actually a good thing here. Swords = Yetzirah, the formative world. This matches the Ruach or intellect which is in our head. The Sword of reason, the Queen has lopped the higher faculties of intellect from our lower animal natures. She has Liberated Our Mind. 

Water also gives the swords an emotional balance, sensitive and intelligent. This Queen is perceptive and observant of what is going on around her and brings us independence and confidence.