i have a question that may shed light for those always wondering

[pseudonim]

do you guys agree with this statement?

the trumps represent forces out of our control, and we are uncontrollably influenced by them.

the lesser arcana represent forces within our control, and if conscious of these influences, we can alter or harness these forces depending on the given card and situation.

how's about it?

agree? disagree?

[Always Wondering]

From Liber Theta

http://www.thelema.org/publications/books/LiberT.pdf

Among the principle elements of the theoretical Qabalah, we especially find:
 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet
 10 sephiroth, or categories of manifestation, each existing in four Worlds
 The Divine Name spelled Hwhy1; its individual letters are attributed, inter alia, to ideas
of Father-Mother-Son-Daughter, and to the four elements
Against these, we may compare the three parts of the deck of Tarot cards.
 Major Arcana: 22 Trumps, Atus, or Keys2
 Minor Arcana: 10 numbered cards, each existing in four suits
 Court Cards: 16, consisting of a Knight (or King), a Queen, a Prince (or Knight), and
a Princess (or Page), in each of four suits

It has been my experience that the 22 Trumps/Letters are not also called Paths and Keys for nothing. This is where I find work to be done. This is the easy part for me.

It's those darn sephiroth that give me trouble. They seem to be something I just try and understand. Maybe awareness? Could be I don't understand at all, and that is my trouble. This is what has me always wondering. Because if I think of them astrologicaly, the do seem like outside influences. But not so Qabalisticly. (Is that a word?)

Don't even get me started on the courts. I've been having one of those "those darn courts" morning.

AW

[pseudonim]

those darn courts

BUT! how about the Prince of Swords???? cutting the ties to the drivers of his sleigh!? is he liberated or stuttered?

either way, thanks for the link

[Siochanai]

Originally Posted by Always Wondering

From Liber Theta

http://www.thelema.org/publications/books/LiberT.pdf



It has been my experience that the 22 Trumps/Letters are not also called Paths and Keys for nothing. This is where I find work to be done. This is the easy part for me.

It's those darn sephiroth that give me trouble. They seem to be something I just try and understand. Maybe awareness? Could be I don't understand at all, and that is my trouble. This is what has me always wondering. Because if I think of them astrologicaly, the do seem like outside influences. But not so Qabalisticly. (Is that a word?)

Don't even get me started on the courts. I've been having one of those "those darn courts" morning.

AW

Peronsally from what I have read so far I like DuQuette's explanation of the association of the Courts/Minor Arcana and how they represent the tree of life + the sephiroth. Numbered cards 2 - 10 are Echos of their sephiroth. Court cards are aspects of ourselves. Once united they become the Ace the supreme monad Kether. He was pretty clear on the representations , however, even with the great explanation it is hard to wrap your head around.

[pseudonim]

Originally Posted by Siochanai

Peronsally from what I have read so far I like DuQuette's explanation of the association of the Courts/Minor Arcana and how they represent the tree of life + the sephiroth. Numbered cards 2 - 10 are Echos of their sephiroth. Court cards are aspects of ourselves. Once united they become the Ace the supreme monad Kether. He was pretty clear on the representations , however, even with the great explanation it is hard to wrap your head around.

is it me or does DuQuette seem like a pithy opportunist? i dont disagree with his writings, but he made a "tarot cube" out of paper and charged people for it... he also jumped on the whole anti bush bandwagon a few years back for notoriety. i was called un-american and a terrorist in my hometown, all he did was sell a few more books...

sorry for the tirade,

pseudonim

[Always Wondering]

Originally Posted by pseudonim

BUT! how about the Prince of Swords???? cutting the ties to the drivers of his sleigh!? is he liberated or stuttered?

Exactly! And I thought it was me and my Libra moon.

[Always Wondering]

Originally Posted by Siochanai

Peronsally from what I have read so far I like DuQuette's explanation of the association of the Courts/Minor Arcana and how they represent the tree of life + the sephiroth. Numbered cards 2 - 10 are Echos of their sephiroth. Court cards are aspects of ourselves. Once united they become the Ace the supreme monad Kether. He was pretty clear on the representations , however, even with the great explanation it is hard to wrap your head around.

Echos of their sephiroth is nice, I like that. Maybe that will help with perspective.


AW

[pseudonim]

Originally Posted by Always Wondering

Exactly! And I thought it was me and my Libra moon.

either or, rarely balance.

scales tip toed either way produces mania.

its hard to be a libra.

[Siochanai]

Originally Posted by Always Wondering

Echos of their sephiroth is nice, I like that. Maybe that will help with perspective.


AW

Yea it is a nice way to think about it. The minor cards are not worthy enough to be considered sephiroth they are just the messengers to help the court aspects re unite and the paths to follow are dictated by the grand universal scheme of the major arcana.

I am new to all this Qabalisic stuff with the tree of life but this is the only way I could make sense of it without diving too deep into the endless abyss hindering my learning of the Thoth. I figure I will make the Thoth usable and then jump into the abyss after the fact and come out either totally mad or a damn genius but then again you can't have genius without being mad.

Sometimes I hate being a Gemini my brain can only hold so much information but yet it just keeps on diving deeper and deeper for more because it is never satisfied. Knowledge and Wisdom will forever be my burden.

[ravenest]

Originally Posted by pseudonim

those darn courts

BUT! how about the Prince of Swords???? cutting the ties to the drivers of his sleigh!? is he liberated or stuttered?

either way, thanks for the link

Cutting the ties? I see the 'drivers' as rep. of the three 'gunas', the sword of creation and the sword of destruction keep them in check (the way an ox goad would be used to tap an ox on the side that it is wandering to - there you go Librans ). Otherwise we slip more into a single guna other than a balanced combination of the three. The prince is (attaining to) C.I.C.T. (see Rite of Jupiter). Similar to the 4 cherubs that pull the Chariot, except in the Princes case they appear as somewhat undeveloped, children. I know one is a 3 formula and the other 4, but really a 4 system is (most often) a system of 3 with the 4th as an extension of the three coming together.