Majors / Minors

I was just writing to a friend and casually mentioned something and .... hmmmm.

This might seem basic and stupid ... but the thought just entered my head and I thought I would throw it out there to see what response I get.

On the ToL minors can be assigned to sephiroth and majors to paths. So in a way a, part of a major's energy is a combination of those two sephiroths / cards ... ort at least a pathway or relationship between those two.

With minors relating to numbers 1 - 10 there are the 22 paths between them, yet the minor deck relates on 4 levels or worlds ... so;

Do you see (on the tree) a major linking all four levels of paired sephiroth?

Does it seem unusual that there is a card for each number in each world but only 1 card for each path in all worlds?

Can majors be seen relating on multiple level / worlds ... do you see 4 levels within each major or only relate them to a tree with all 4 levels condensed into one level?

Not sure I understand the question, but if I do, the answer is yes. I see each Major as a four-in-one, and when analyzing them I try to imagine their significance in each of the four worlds. The essence is the same, but the thrust of each in every world is different. For an easy example, Empress of Wands, Empress of Cups, etc. The Empress of Cups is far more "empress-y," and is in her fecund element. The Empress of Wands is perhaps similar to Adjustment (a bad simile, as Adjustment herself is a four-in-one), birthing an action from the action that inseminated her. The Empress of Swords, is adjacent to Chesed and Binah, as Peace and Sorrow, which also play a part, one being contemplation of Keter, going through the door of Daled the Empress and achieving intellect and separation from the spiritual sun in Binah.

One could also argue that the Majors in Atziluth are the "true" Majors, and should be interpreted accordingly, while the ones in the lower worlds are affected by their respective places far more.

Too much to always fit in every contemplation, of course, but this provides almost unlimited depth to each card.

Marginally related, a passage from the BoT:

The Three of Discs belonging to the High Priestess or the Lovers might represent the establishment of an oracle like that of Delphi. The Hieophant's Three of Discs might point to the construction of a cathedral. The Tower's Three of Discs perhaps indicating the massing of a standing army. The ideas such pairings evoke can be an infinite source of mediation, and an invaluable exercise for anyone wishing to use the cards for divination.

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ETA: Sorry, this passage is even more marginally related than I thought, as it discusses something else.

ravenest said:

.......Can majors be seen relating on multiple level / worlds ... do you see 4 levels within each major or only relate them to a tree with all 4 levels condensed into one level?

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The majors not only operate in each individual World, but they also can be transitional between Worlds. For example, in the single tree model depicted in the attachment, Kether is in Atziluth, and Tiphareth is in Briah; so the High Priestess (the Gimel path) connects a Sephirah in Atziluth with another in Briah. I tend to think of the majors not only as containing the four Worlds, but also constituting a sort of synthesis of the four Worlds. I.e., the majors are both immanent and transcendent with respect to the Worlds.

Hmmm ... multi-dimensional merkaba ... something to ponder when my brain is working that way ... thanks guys.

ravenest said:

Do you see (on the tree) a major linking all four levels of paired sephiroth?

Does it seem unusual that there is a card for each number in each world but only 1 card for each path in all worlds?

Can majors be seen relating on multiple level / worlds ... do you see 4 levels within each major or only relate them to a tree with all 4 levels condensed into one level?

Click to expand...

Here's a counter question. Why do the Major Arcana feature the colour scales of their respective Path in all four worlds?

Aeon418 said:

Here's a counter question. Why do the Major Arcana feature the colour scales of their respective Path in all four worlds?

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I forgot all about that, and it is makes perfect sense. Sometimes I wonder though, why the deck doesn't have four sets of Majors. It would make a wicked thick deck, but would be very interesting to see the Empress of Cups, etc.

ETA: Sorry, LRichard already answered this, the Majors are both imminent and transcendent, both specific and omnipresent. The alternative would be too simplistic.

I thought I'd seen some type of table or diagram like this somewhere. I thought maybe Liber Theta but no. Hmmm. I will look around.

ETA
It was a poster.
http://endlessdesign.com/Tree-of-Life-Chart.html

AW