4 Ace's Comparison

UniversalSeeker

The 4 Aces -

I was studying the Aces (each card having a hand presenting us with a potential gift) and I noticed something of interest.

There are two of the Aces, the Swords and the Pentacles that are being presented from the left side of the card and two Aces, the Wands and the Cups from the right side of the card. I have read that around the time the Golden Dawn conceived this deck, that some felt that the right hand represented good and the left represented evil. This is interesting as many of the old teachings felt material gain was "of the devil" and the church certainly did not want their multitudes to "think" too much for themselves. So maybe this is what the cards are trying to represent. ??

Also notice the difference between the open palms of the Pentacles and the Cups, and the grasping hold of the Wands and the Swords. Also the thumb is turned up on the Wands, maybe acknowledging the heaven above, but the hand grasping the Sword has the thumb tucked inside his fingers (?). It makes me think that the Pentacles and the Cups are there for the taking, all we have to do is pluck it out of the extended hand, but that we will have to do battle to get the Sword or the Wands.

I would sure like to hear your thoughts on this.

UniversalSeeker
 

The_Star

yin and yang

UniversalSeeker said:
The 4 Aces -

I was studying the Aces (each card having a hand presenting us with a potential gift) and I noticed something of interest.

There are two of the Aces, the Swords and the Pentacles that are being presented from the left side of the card and two Aces, the Wands and the Cups from the right side of the card. I have read that around the time the Golden Dawn conceived this deck, that some felt that the right hand represented good and the left represented evil. This is interesting as many of the old teachings felt material gain was "of the devil" and the church certainly did not want their multitudes to "think" too much for themselves. So maybe this is what the cards are trying to represent. ??

Also notice the difference between the open palms of the Pentacles and the Cups, and the grasping hold of the Wands and the Swords. Also the thumb is turned up on the Wands, maybe acknowledging the heaven above, but the hand grasping the Sword has the thumb tucked inside his fingers (?). It makes me think that the Pentacles and the Cups are there for the taking, all we have to do is pluck it out of the extended hand, but that we will have to do battle to get the Sword or the Wands.

I would sure like to hear your thoughts on this.

UniversalSeeker

The Pentacles and Cups are more closely related to our feminine (yin) receptive nature (usually discovered corrupted and in need of cultivation).
The Swords and Wands are more closely related to our masculine (yang) dynamic nature (usually discovered corrupted as a result of a corrupted inner feminine/receptive).

Is you examine the minor arcana (RWS) of the Swords and Wands you will find (opinion) many problematic circumstances (e.g. 10 of Swords) that deal with conflict and struggle. Not so with the Pentacles and Cups.

In summary, I do not believe that the left/right distinction is related to 'good and evil'. It is more closely related to receptive (left) and dynamic (right) which together should work in harmony (like rowing a boat).

Also, rather than the Aces 'presenting a gift' I believe (opinion) that they represent 'opportunity' for transformation in the areas related to the suit. For instance, the Ace of Swords indicates an opportunity to change a thought pattern or belief in favor of a better one.
 

Fulgour

Hello :) UniversalSeeker! All 4 Aces show the "Right Hand"
and one way to consider the significance is to imagine you
are standing in the middle of them~ they'd form a circle...

PS: The "Rider" Tarot by Pamela Colman Smith
is NOT a Golden Dawn deck. See Robert Wang
if you want to know what one looks like: *:p*
 

firecatpickles

I would like to all the insightful comments above:

Our word "sinister" comes from the Latin for "left," "sinistre that is still in use in most Romance languages today.

Furthermore, the word "right" is a homonym between "correct" and "handedness" in the Romance languages as well (i.e. Fr. droit and adroit).

K:spade:K
 

UniversalSeeker

Golden Dawn

Fulgour, I should have said "influenced", not "concevied" this deck, I do have the "Golden Dawn Tarot Deck" Illustrated by Robert Wang, and the box says "Based upon the Esoteric Designs of the Secret Order of the Golden Dawn. Based upon the interpretations of S.L. MacGregor Mathers for exclusive use by the Initiates." The deck was copyrighted in 1978.

In the Encyclopedia of Tarot, Stuart R. Kaplan gives us this information:
"In England MacGregor Mathers, whose real name was Samuel Liddell Mathers, published in 1888 a small book on tarot fortune-telling, The Tarot, Its Occult Significations Use in Fortune-Telling, and Method of Play. Mathers was connected with the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, known as Soc. Rosl, and in 1888 he helped to found the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , which counted among its members Aleister Crowley, Arthur Ecdward Waite and the poet William Butler Yeats. Working with Pamela Colman Smith in 1910, Waite created a "rectified" tarot pack know as the Rider-Waite deck, which was first Published by Rider and company.

So I have always felt the Golden Dawn influenced the Rider-Waite deck more directly as Waite was a member where as Robert Wang was using Mathers book as a basis for the Golden Dawn Tarot deck and was removed from the actual order, so hence my reference to the Golden Dawn.

If there is more to the story, let me know as I am fairly new to the whole Tarot arena.

Also, thank you for the comments on the Aces.

Thanks.

US
 

UniversalSeeker

4 Aces

I appreciate your comments. Thanks a million.

US
 

Fulgour

An Original Graphic Presentation

The Four Aces as a Circle

Aces => to the right
Aces <= to the left
and
Fulgour in the Middle!


Clockwise YANG (future) Version:
=> =>
:royal:
<= <=​


Anti-Clockwise YIN (past) Version:
<= <=
:royal:
=> =>​


Aces Orientation:

<= CUPS <=
<= WANDS <=

=> SWORDS =>
=> PENTS =>
 

rcb30872

I agree with Fulgour's system of left/right, yin/yang, past/future.

Another thing that I wanted to comment on, since no one has commented on it, is the way the hands are. For the Ace of Cups and Ace of Pentacles, is to reflect the receptivity, the hands are open so it can receive something, Also, another thing the way the hands are follow an almost natural way that you would be holding the sword, wand, pentacle (coin), although not necessary the cup, as I would be wanting to hold it, instead of having it balanced on my hand, but I think it is the way it is, is to reflect the receptive nature.

The way the hand is around the sword hilt/handle is the way you would hold it. The way the hand is around the wand, well, that reminds me of how you would hold a golf club, LOL. But the way the thumb is up on the side of the wand is to give it extra support/balance, I would imagine.