Art and Death

Zephyros

Still, truly, my question is answered, and it reads like a story. The putrefaction of Death leads to the mixing of the elements in Art, leading to the ejaculate creative qualities of the Devil.

Such a wonderful story.
 

Aeon418

closrapexa said:
Still, truly, my question is answered, and it reads like a story. The putrefaction of Death leads to the mixing of the elements in Art, leading to the ejaculate creative qualities of the Devil.

Such a wonderful story.
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Here's another angle. Art mediates between the forces of Life(Devil) and Death and leads to Tiphareth - the Sun - the distiled alchemical gold.

Oddly enough Ayin-Nun, ON, is the ancient Hebrew name for Heliopolis - the City of the Sun.
 

Aeon418

Also ON = 120 and that's value of the letter Samekh spelt in full - Semekh-Mem-Kaph.

120 is also meant to the symbolic age of the aspirant who has reached the threshold of the 5=6 grade at Tiphareth. The Golden's Dawn's Adeptus Minor ritual is based on the myth of Christian Rosenkreuz. According to the Rosicrusian legend the inscription above the door to the tomb read, "Post CXX annos patebo."
 

Aeon418

closrapexa said:
I did as you said, and it's far more explicit than I would care to admit, especially as the figure is transparent like... and it's pointing towards Nuit's midsection... well, no need to go on, I'm sure everyone got the point. :)
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If you look at the shape Nuit makes with her body it does seem to suggest the Womb. ;)
closrapexa said:
I always wondered why there was a Death Card, but no Life, and the Descent into Matter makes such perfect sense, I had a d'oh moment, how hadn't I seen it before!
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But can you also see why the Thoth Devil card is more positive than in some other decks? The descent into matter is usually presented as an estrangement from the divine or as a punishment for some sort of transgression. The Thelemic philosophy behind the Thoth deck rejects this idea and instead sees the descent into matter as a voluntary separation instigated by Spirit itself. It is the process whereby the infinite becomes finite in order to manifest and experience it's own latent possibilities.
I'm always a little surprised when Thoth readers trot out the typical RWS style interpretation, "obsession and addiction". Well that is a valid interpretation of a negatively aspected Devil, but where's the positive aspect? Where is the sublime creative urge, the sheer fun and devilish humour? And lets not forget IO PAN!! })
closrapexa said:
And there we have it, the sexual encounter of Art between unhindered Creation on the one hand, and Death on the other, from the beautiful Thought of Tiphareth to the matter of Yesod. That's perfect!
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The traditional quality associated with the Path of Samekh/Art card is, Wrath. Some people interpret this as oscilation or vibration. That fits in rather well with the sexual aspect. :)
closrapexa said:
On another note, the cobwebby things in the background of the Devil seem to look like DNA or mitochondria, further establishing the creative Life aspect of the Devil. I wonder if this is deliberate.
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It looks like some older pictures of the surface of the planet Mars. At one time the strange lines and shapes were thought to be roads or cannals. We know better now of course, but the old idea still fits in with Mars exalted in Capricorn meaning directed force, raw energy channeled into creativity, etc.
 

Zephyros

Aeon418 said:
The Thelemic philosophy behind the Thoth deck rejects this idea and instead sees the descent into matter as a voluntary separation instigated by Spirit itself. It is the process whereby the infinite becomes finite in order to manifest and experience it's own latent possibilities.
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Which perfectly fits the idea of Nuit, the infinite expanse, Hadit, the infinitely contracted point, and Horus as the mercurial energy animating them. Or am I off-track?

Aeon418 said:
I'm always a little surprised when Thoth readers trot out the typical RWS style interpretation, "obsession and addiction". Well that is a valid interpretation of a negatively aspected Devil, but where's the positive aspect? Where is the sublime creative urge, the sheer fun and devilish humour? And lets not forget IO PAN!! })
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I've never really like the negative Devil; too Christian, in a way, negating everything physical in favor of the spiritual. But then, what's the difference between him and Lust?
 

Aeon418

closrapexa said:
Which perfectly fits the idea of Nuit, the infinite expanse, Hadit, the infinitely contracted point, and Horus as the mercurial energy animating them. Or am I off-track?
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Horus is certainly the two-in-one mercurial child of Nuit and Hadit.
closrapexa said:
I've never really like the negative Devil; too Christian, in a way, negating everything physical in favor of the spiritual. But then, what's the difference between him and Lust?
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If the XV The Devil represents the Gun, then XI Lust is the ammunition. :laugh:
(In another sense XI Lust also represents the Will.)

A picture says a thousand words so get your cards out again. Place the Aeon above the Devil like last time. Now place the Hanged Man below the Devil.

Now consider this verse from the second chapter of Liber AL.
II:26 I am the secret Serpent coiled about to spring: in my coiling there is joy. If I lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one. If I droop down mine head, and shoot forth venom, then is rapture of the earth, and I and the earth are one.
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You'll notice that the verse number is 26. This is the Path on the Tree of Life that the Devil card occupies, the 26th Path of Ayin. There's a choice of two targets, up to Nuit down to earth. The thing that can be sent up or down is shown on the Lust card - Teth/Serpent. This Lust Force focused downwards we call sexual energy. Focused upward this exact same Force is called spiritual energy or Kundalini.
(There are also 50 words in this verse. 50 is Nun - Death.)

Here's the sticky point. Most people have no choice which target they shoot at because their focus (Ayin/Eye) is fixed on the Hanged Man, who represents spirit plunged head first into the four elements and manifestion. Just like with all other animals, this is natures way of getting us to propagate the species. But humanity is a little different from most animals because we have the potential ability to redirect this Lust Force for purposes of spiritual development. This is the whole point of initiation.

If you look at the Hanged Man you will notice that you can't see his mouth. It is meant to be resolutely shut. This represents the un-awakened person who's Will is shut up within them. For all practical purposes they are spiritually dead.
In ancient Egypt the deceased underwent a ceremony called the Opening of the Mouth. This was meant to release their spirit. Initiation uses the same symbolism. The candidate "is as one dead" and needs to be guided towards a Tower experience. The Tower card is Peh - the Mouth. ;) And as I'm sure you're aware the Tower card also represents the opening of the Eye. Now choice becomes possible.

Note that nothing moral is intended here. Both directions are lawful.
Shin(300) + Ayin(70) + Mem(40) = 410. QDVSh, Qadosh - Holy.
 

agata

Maskelyne said:
New Age, New Aeon, what difference? I don't think Crowley in any way contradicts the TdM sense of Atu 13, he just puts in in a more explicit perspective. Not having died that I can remember, anything I have to say on the subject is necessarily hypothetical, but I'd say that whether or not death equals transformation depends on one's point of view. For the one who is dying, death is indeed final, the end of one's unique viewpoint on creation. From a broader perspective, however, individual deaths are just a part of the cycle of nature. I think this is implicit in the original structure of the tarot, given that there are another 8 trumps that follow. I generally interpret the Death card as referring to one's awareness of mortality and finitude rather than actual death.

The pop spirituality usually indicated by "New Age" is as debased, simplistic, and delusional as the sort of Christianity that anticipates an after-life spent singing hymns with the angels and picnicking in the park with departed loved ones.

As for transformation, it implies that the essence remains but in a new form. Whether death is transformation or ending depends on what you perceive as essence. From the occult perspective, there is also the death of the self that must be undergone to cross the abyss, which is what Crowley is also referring to



. Again, I think you could read this into the TdM. Transcendence is probably a more apt word than transformation here.
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Thank you so much for this. You have almost brought me to tears.
 
I'm totally new to Thoth---three Magus cards? Adjustment