The Age of Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mehrdad	28 Jul 2002
Recently, I happened to see a note by an esoteric writer, “Harald Schulze”, that concludes that there are two invisible Tarot cards in existence. He says that we only perceive 90 percent of the reality and 10 percent of this reality is invisible. Therefore, in reality we have 80 Tarot cards. According to him, every era or age is 2400 and not 2160 years (2400 – 240% of 2400 = 2160 years.) he emphasizes that by every passing Age, the 10 percent invisible part of the previous Age enters into the new Age. My Crowley Tarot decks (I have both, large and normal versions) also have 24 major Arcana cards. In another book, I found out that Lady Frieda Harris had painted three designs of the Magus card, and finally it was decided by people involved in design and production to include all three “The magician” cards leaving the choice to the buyer to pick. Then I started to look at another book and other references to find out what an Age is. According to The Astrological sites on the Internet, as far back as about 7000 years ago, the ancient man divided the circle of sky above us to 12 Astrological signs (Virgo, Leo, Aquarius…). This is like a clock that has 12 divisions of 5 minutes (30 degree) each. So every Age is 30 degrees each (360/12 = 30). Earth shifts position with respect to the Sun, 1 degree every 72 years, so 72 * 30 degree = 2160 years. In another word, every 2160 years, the Earth changes sign, for example from Pisces to Aquarius, in a counter clockwise direction. Later, I found out that Earth just recently entered to the Age of Aquarius. The fact is that Earth went back to the same point that started to wobble, 2160 * 12 = 25920 years ago. Afterward, I found out that at that time (25920 years ago), when Earth entered to the Age of Aquarius, the modern man suddenly appeared on Earth and Neanderthal man disappeared during the same Age. Shortly after, I remembered that “The Star” (the card of renewal, birth) the card 17 has sign of Aquarius. As it is customary, I added horizontally, the two numbers of 1+ 7 = 8. 8, is Adjustment, which is Libra, it means taking responsibility for oneself, justice and order. Having this natural tendency to philosophize about the facts, I figured that Earth, once more might be going into a renewal process but of course in a different level. Nature upon entering to the Aquarius age about 26000 years ago, made an adjustment in its creation, upgrading from Neanderthal man to the modern man, and renewed its responsibility to life by the birth of the new man with a different stage of thought and intelligence. Looking at the current events, I think our societies are also making great adjustment to self-realization and rebirth on entering to the Aquarius age. The whole world has a sense of “Reform”, restructuring, and reorganization. For many years, Olympic selection was marked with corruption and favoritism, and only recently people started to take notice. “The holy man” of most religions, was abusing young boys and girls for ages, and only recently, and miraculously, people started to realize it. CEOs and corporations were corrupt from the time they were invented, and unexpectedly just now people have started to see it. Are governments, corporations, large companies, Priests and mullahs are suddenly becoming crooked? My view is that these people and entities were corrupt since the beginning of history, and they are not any worse than they were before. However, our views, judgment, sentiment, and actions are changing. We are turning to a different people and since we are changing, our perception about the world around us is changing big time. We are inflowing to the age of Tarot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Do not think about yourself, but be aware of the thought, emotion, or action that makes you think of yourself."

jmd	28 Jul 2002
Wonderful reflections, mehrdad. I find that at times, reflecting on possible numerical correlations, various unfoldments within the mind arises. The difficulty lies in determining whether these are true correlations, reflecting reality, or wonderful suggestions for leading to further and deeper research. I have not read Harald Schulze, and so only comment on your statement that he makes regarding our presumed non-perception of only 10% of reality. Personally, I just cannot see how this can be the case - the amount we perceive and understand at any one time is, in my opinion, far lower than the mentioned 90%. With regards to the age of Aquarius, you may be interested in reading this thread. There, I mention Powell, who, amongst others, has argued that we certainly have not, as yet, entered the Age of Aquarius. Nonetheless, it is also true that some have deemed that we have. Determining this astronomically depends on considerations which properly lie outside of Astronomy - namely considerations of where the asterism (or sign) begins and ends outside of its main and visible stars. With regards to modern wo/man, and though various dates have been given for Neanderthal, I find myself striving for proper answers as to when and how humanity truly evolved - and I suppose that the presumptions I make are not physicalist ones, and so my question needs to take into account the evolving spiritual incarnational processes of humanity. ----- The comments you make raise, for me, very important questions, and lead into many wonderful directions.

mehrdad	28 Jul 2002
jmd, I really enjoyed your commentaries. Harald Schulze present his theory in his book,” Judas and sein Sohn Ger” (Judas and His Son Ger). He goes very deep into the esoteric symbolism, and he concludes that two additional tarot cards must exist and they would be discovered as the invisible part of reality becomes visible by the passing time. I think what made me interested about his hypothesis is the fact that in a way what he predicted came true when the two additional Crowley Tarot cards were discovered. According to what I have read, these two cards were never included in the original deck. Also based on the information given by the card manufacturer, these two cards were suddenly discovered where before no one saw any additional cards. All the original drawings were kept at the Warburg Institute in London and for years after both Crowley and Lady Frieda were dead, the number of drawing were always observed to be only 78. However, suddenly someone (Werner Ganser) one day while looking at the original drawings at the Warburg Institute discovered that there are 80 cards on display. About when humanity evolved spiritually, I agree with you that humanity is still evolving through some complex process that according to many has astrological correlation. We are small creatures with big ego living on a moving planet under the mercy of astronomically large objects swirling around it. It is quite known that what happened above had a big hand in shaping life on this puny planet, so it might not be too far out to suppose that these objects, no matter how far they are, still are shaping us physically and mentally. For example, according to the police departments all around the world, the rate of crimes goes up when there is full moon. It is also believed that a meteoroid destroyed the dinosaurs, therefore, creating a condition for man to evolve. I can go on and give you numerous examples of how our body, which is mostly made of water and hormones, takes its quos from stars, but I think this is not a good place to go into that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Although science stops at the bordrs of logic, nature does not. it blossoms even where no theories have as yet pnetrated."

Ravenswing	29 Jul 2002
for the last twenty years, i've been working on bringing tarot and the kabbalah into closer proximity. i have done this with the addition of three cards representing the negative veils. this brings the total cards to 81. if we look at the numerical series of the three most 'popular' oracles we have: runes-- 25 = 5^2 i ching-- 64 = 8^2 modified tarot-- 81 = 9^2 if we consider the sum total of the cards in a standard tarot deck, they may be represented by an ovoid. ain sof aur may then be represented by a paraboloid (the ovoid will nest nicely inside this). ain sof represented by a hyperboloid (ain sof aur nests inside this one). ain is represented by the entirety of the x-y-z space wherein ain sof resides. a rather nice 3D parallel that we can at least model. i have been working on an english based gematria as the foundation for all my workings. many of these suppositions are supported by it. ( there's much to be written about a twenty year path ) if you're interested in any of the findings about what i term the 'gematric metaverse', drop me a line. there's much material that needs ordering, so it may seem a bit scattered.... ravenswing

Liliana	29 Jul 2002
Are the additional 2 cards being talked about in Thoth the 2 other Magus cards? :THP

Laurel	30 Jul 2002
I commented recently in another thread that I interpret the three magus paintings to be homage to Hermes Trimestigus, the "thrice-great Hermes", who Crowley associated with both himself and Thoth more than once in his writing. Its interesting to note that Crowley himself didn't believe in the traditional zodiacal Ages, but instead pronounced that his transcription of "The Book of Law" in 1904 ushered in the Age of Horus, bringing the 'death' of the Age of Osiris and the white slave gods (Jesus, Mohammed, etc). Crowley predicted that the Aeon of Horus would be characterized by bloodshed and blind force, the tearing down of the established paradigms to make way for the new. Crowley's belief in the Aeon of Horus is found all throughout the cards, which he and Lady Frieda started in 1938. I'll say right now that I love the Thoth tarot without necessarily loving Crowley himself, or rather, take what I need from his works and leave the rest. :) Laurel

The The Age of Tarot thread was originally posted on 28 Jul 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.