SerpentaAzothi
Hi, has anyone noticed the 5 skulls each below the horses at the top of the 2 of wands? Its also on the 10 of wands, but barely recognizable on the two spear like wands.
Anyone?
Serpenta
Anyone?
Serpenta
Two of Wands
The Hanged Man
In which deck?
SerpentaAzothi
In the Large Thoth,
Serpenta
Serpenta
Grigori
Nope, I never noticed them. Thanks Serpenta!
ravenest
Dont have my deck with me but from memory:
The wands, called dorges by some, are actually phurbas. My take is; dorge is like our wand and phurba is like our magical dagger. The phurba is a triangular bladed knife. The head on the top is a goddess (or demoness) .... sorry name escapes me, but she has interesting mythology .... her crown often has a horses head emblem on it, this is incorporated with other skulls; 2 possibilities.
1) Kali is depicted with a staff(trident) with 5 differing human severed heads, I had a satue of it, they were differening ages, one was a skull, one moustached, etc. A wild guess is that they represent 5 stages, types or conciousness of man.
2) There is a rite with 5 skulls (I was just writing about this elsewhere) and it could relate to this but they are 5 different animal skulls (including human).
Or it could be a 5 element thing, the Tibetans use that a lot.
The wands, called dorges by some, are actually phurbas. My take is; dorge is like our wand and phurba is like our magical dagger. The phurba is a triangular bladed knife. The head on the top is a goddess (or demoness) .... sorry name escapes me, but she has interesting mythology .... her crown often has a horses head emblem on it, this is incorporated with other skulls; 2 possibilities.
1) Kali is depicted with a staff(trident) with 5 differing human severed heads, I had a satue of it, they were differening ages, one was a skull, one moustached, etc. A wild guess is that they represent 5 stages, types or conciousness of man.
2) There is a rite with 5 skulls (I was just writing about this elsewhere) and it could relate to this but they are 5 different animal skulls (including human).
Or it could be a 5 element thing, the Tibetans use that a lot.
SerpentaAzothi
Hi Raven, wow thats interesting, thanks for the very insightful symbolism, I agree with you fully. Thanks. 
Serpenta
Serpenta
ravenest
I checked my brass phurba, 5 indistinct skulls (because repo cast , not v. accurate) on crown, then a smaller head on top with 5 smaller even more indistinct skulls on that. My friends electrum phurba has three heads in each direction each with a crown of 3 skulls.
So they are all different, different goddesses, and different aspects of the same goddess. I like the curley snakes on the other end of the 2 of wands phurbas.
The important thing here I feel (leaving Tibetan Buddhism aside) is that AC used the symbol of the phurba / dorje to illustrate the idea of 'Dominion'.
For me the card represents the True Will and the magical use of the purba is to pierce maya, it rends the veil of illusory matter so one can see beyond to the underlaying 'reality'.
So they are all different, different goddesses, and different aspects of the same goddess. I like the curley snakes on the other end of the 2 of wands phurbas.
The important thing here I feel (leaving Tibetan Buddhism aside) is that AC used the symbol of the phurba / dorje to illustrate the idea of 'Dominion'.
For me the card represents the True Will and the magical use of the purba is to pierce maya, it rends the veil of illusory matter so one can see beyond to the underlaying 'reality'.
SerpentaAzothi
Hi Raven, thanks for the update, I will note that in my studies, thanks.
Serpenta
Serpenta
Zephyros
So that's what a dorge is... never understood it until now...
ZenMusic
> are actually phurbas, phurba is like our magical dagger.
yes, this is correct (I'm a buddhist, once was a monk many years ago, studied in India, Japan.. all 3 traditions... including a couple of years in various branches of the Tibetan , have a Tibetan altar etc).
The dorges (vajra) are rounded (like two-double loops) at both ends.. represents a lightning bolt.. enlightenment, compassion, and the "diamond", used more like a wand
the phurba is a dagger (may have been a tent peg originally), has a blade (3 edged (representing the three poisens: desire, ignorance, & hatred), may be metal or wood) and always has head (on both sides) of a wrathful deity, Dorje Phurba, his name means 'thunderbolt nail'
The phurba has a couple of uses.. but means control, dominion
1. generally a spiritual tool.. symbolizes the "cutting through" of vices, ignorance, said to be the nail that obliterates aggression by plunging the self-existent dagger of non-duality into the heart of hatred
2. a tool of exorcism, the phurba can bind, restrain demons... or free lost ghosts
some times used to mark off a sacred space
Associated with Guru Padmasambhava around 817 C.E., and his taming of demons
yes, this is correct (I'm a buddhist, once was a monk many years ago, studied in India, Japan.. all 3 traditions... including a couple of years in various branches of the Tibetan , have a Tibetan altar etc).
The dorges (vajra) are rounded (like two-double loops) at both ends.. represents a lightning bolt.. enlightenment, compassion, and the "diamond", used more like a wand
the phurba is a dagger (may have been a tent peg originally), has a blade (3 edged (representing the three poisens: desire, ignorance, & hatred), may be metal or wood) and always has head (on both sides) of a wrathful deity, Dorje Phurba, his name means 'thunderbolt nail'
The phurba has a couple of uses.. but means control, dominion
1. generally a spiritual tool.. symbolizes the "cutting through" of vices, ignorance, said to be the nail that obliterates aggression by plunging the self-existent dagger of non-duality into the heart of hatred
2. a tool of exorcism, the phurba can bind, restrain demons... or free lost ghosts
some times used to mark off a sacred space
Associated with Guru Padmasambhava around 817 C.E., and his taming of demons
