Crowley's Devil

smw

Some of Swedenborg's writings on 'Hierarchies of Spirits' (within the individual ) may be useful here; 'Man stands at the crossroads' , seems to indicate an intersection of directions .

I'll have a look at that thanks.
 

smw

Some of Swedenborg's writings on 'Hierarchies of Spirits' (within the individual ) may be useful here; 'Man stands at the crossroads' , seems to indicate an intersection of directions .

I have a few books outlining bad results ... really bad, from some cases of 'regression therapy' , they all seem to be done by 'healers', 'hypnotherapists' and fringies that want to mess with your psychology.

I am talking about properly qualified people doing "regression" , not some dangerous New Age therapist ... also as well as the 'psychological dynamic' involved, also valuable is the more external 'transactional approach with analysis . But I feel that is more indicative of a condition, rater than addressing its issue at 'the root'.

IMO Freud's system alone is problematical .... that is why I find the psychiatric (and magical ) work of Isreal Regardie interesting - yes, he was professionally qualified ;

" In 1937, at the age of 30, Regardie returned to the U.S., entering Chiropractic College in New York City. In addition, he studied psychoanalysis with Dr. E. Clegg and Dr. J. L. Bendit, and psychotherapy with Dr. Nandor Fodor. He opened a chiropractic office and taught psychiatry – Reichian, Freudian, and Jungian – retiring in 1981 at the age of 74, when he moved to Sedona, Arizona."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Regardie

No one likes Freud anymore, the grand master of psycho analysis :laugh: I do.... His book on dream interpretation is on my to read list.
 

foolMoon

Maybe like the Thoth Death too...Black Saturn represented with the Skeleton and scythe. Also, Chronos (father time) as Ravenest suggested. I am not that familiar with Alchemy though Blackness, nigredo seems to be the process of putrefaction, I guess changes (though formidable) before being transformed to something better. There seems to be hints of this too in the Moon card " she is the poisoned darkness which is the condition of the rebirth of light" (BOT). Maybe Binah the great Mother of the black waters and dad working together :laugh:

(Death is also attributed to the letter Nun - the fish - lots of associations here though getting further off topic).

Sometimes I see the Tarot reading as trying to find out about changes - The Death (sudden inevitable unavoidable irreversible change), Tower (sudden loss or destruction but recoverable), 2 of Disks (Harmonious changes), The Moon (unknown change) ... so forth.

The connections and associations are great source for meditating and going into the deeper sea of the knowledge.

I don't know much about alchemy at all, but find the alchemical images in the Hermetic Tarot appealing. I think one of the IR's book is about alchemy but cannot mind which one it is off hand.

I'm not keen with losses of people or good sweet parts either :( sometimes it seems like an inevitable price to pay for being able to have those attachments in the first place. Although it is amazing though when you think about how wonderful it is being alive and in matter... wind in your hair, nature and other beings that you can connect with and love. :)
Yes.


Thank you :):)
You are welcome :)
 

smw

Sometimes I see the Tarot reading as trying to find out about changes - The Death (sudden inevitable unavoidable irreversible change), Tower (sudden loss or destruction but recoverable), 2 of Disks (Harmonious changes), The Moon (unknown change) ... so forth.

The connections and associations are great source for meditating and going into the deeper sea of the knowledge.

I don't know much about alchemy at all, but find the alchemical images in the Hermetic Tarot appealing. I think one of the IR's book is about alchemy but cannot mind which one it is off hand.

I'm kind of heading that way too...it's very interesting changes and alchemy. I might have a look at Hermes Trismegistus

http://gnosis.org/hermes.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/woe/woe07.htm

I think it is starting to hook me. I don't know about IR's book... Jung apparently devoted a lot of time to alchemy as well. I have the Hermetic though haven't really looked at it properly yet, the Thoth is a hungry baby...:laugh:
 

foolMoon

I'm kind of heading that way too...it's very interesting changes and alchemy. I might have a look at Hermes Trismegistus

http://gnosis.org/hermes.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/woe/woe07.htm

I think it is starting to hook me. I don't know about IR's book... Jung apparently devoted a lot of time to alchemy as well. I have the Hermetic though haven't really looked at it properly yet, the Thoth is a hungry baby...:laugh:

I think this is the book by IR which deals with Alchemy, Cabala and the Hermetic stuff.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosopher...-1-spell&keywords=philosopher's+stone+rgardie

Jung is an interesting writer too. Happy reading :)
 

shatabishak

Does someone see Thoth devil as a blind addiction towards something where you completely lose your mind to that thing to the point of obsession, insanity. I get such a feeling when drawing this card. Is it correct to interpret it that way?

Hi. I am new in the forum but I would love to give my opinion.

I have an ambiguous relationship with this card. Every time it appears in a reading, no matter the question, the events develop in a very twisted way. When you think things are going to be really bad, they turn out to be fine. When you think everything is going to be okay, it turns out a completely disaster. I think the keyword for this card is unpredictability. We cannot know the real answer, except the Devil who laughs at us.

I also find interesting the colors of this card. In other decks, especially RWS o Marseille, the Devil is depicted in dark colors and the ambiance is really dense. But in Thoth version, the colors are vibrant and full of life. He also has the blue flowers crown and the phallus/mountain that reaches the sky. He is Pan and he expresses his love for life itself through the enjoyment of senses and a profound sexuality.

If you try for a moment to understand Crowley’s point of view, you will realize that the Devil is not the problem. We are the problem, or at least, the cause of our suffering denying our true feelings and desires. We can blame traditional religions but at the end, we choose to been trapped in fears and obsessions that harm our will and sense of worthiness in the world.

When I see the Devil’s smirk, I do think he’s laughing at me and my ignorance but at the same time, he is teaching me to see beyond the appearances and laugh even at the worst moment. Sometimes we think our problems are too complicated or beyond resolution but when we calm down, we can see them in their real dimension.

I know a card can be interpreted in many ways but that has been my experience so far.
 

smw

Hi. I am new in the forum but I would love to give my opinion.

I have an ambiguous relationship with this card. Every time it appears in a reading, no matter the question, the events develop in a very twisted way. When you think things are going to be really bad, they turn out to be fine. When you think everything is going to be okay, it turns out a completely disaster. I think the keyword for this card is unpredictability. We cannot know the real answer, except the Devil who laughs at us.

:laugh: the Hierophant also seems to have a smirk too. Some older threads mentions this (sorry I can't remember which ones)
 

shatabishak

:laugh: the Hierophant also seems to have a smirk too. Some older threads mentions this (sorry I can't remember which ones)

Yes. The Hierophant smiles like "I'm better that you". The Magus has a smirk too and if I'm honest, it petrifies me. The Fool smiles but his eyes are out of this world. I cannot remember other cards with this particular facial feature.
 

smw

Yes. The Hierophant smiles like "I'm better that you". The Magus has a smirk too and if I'm honest, it petrifies me. The Fool smiles but his eyes are out of this world. I cannot remember other cards with this particular facial feature.

Perhaps as smirks are not full open smiles there is a sense that something is being withheld and that gives more space for mystery and our own reflections. I'll have to take a closer look at the Fool's expression, nice description :)
 

Snaut

Nietzsche said:
The secret of realizing the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment of existence is: to live dangerously! Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius! Send your ships out into uncharted seas! Live in conflict with your equals and with yourselves! Be robbers and ravagers as soon as you cannot be rulers and owners, you men of knowledge! The time will soon past when you could be content to live concealed in the woods like timid deer!

This is one aspect of Pan/the Devil for me. The living expression of amor fati.
Though I myself am not sure where the difference to Lust is.