Gonna learn Thoth if it kills me - Minors

[nicky]

Works . We have exulted Mars energy in a suit which is all about being productive. The wheels on the card appear spinning....this looks like a pyramid is being propelled downward unto a calming sea... power coming from the alchemical energy of the wheels. The force looks as though it is blowing the sand in waves from the landing area. Associating this numerically with the Empress is a good fit with the idea of manifestation, which is what work does... it creates something. This is high up on the tree, but it is the base for the future projects, goals ..etc...

[Scion]

This is one of my favorite cards and one that tends to haunt me for long stretches around my professional life. Unlike the more cautious, diligent 8 of Disks (Lord of Prudence) I feel like this decan/card speaks to the eternal striving that underlies all human effort. This isn't a card of stonecutters but of cathedral builders (cf the RWS interp!).

Antiochus says of this decan: "it makes those who are useful and those who are helped by the things of others." The Picatrix says: "This phase delineates seeking what is known but unobtainable." Engel says: "It is the face of aiming at things which cannot be understood, and demanding those that are impossible to reach." Notice a theme here?

Mars is exalted in Capricorn. Again, this is like Mars being invited as guest of honor at a friend’s house while they're throwing a big congratulatory shindig for him: Mars' trophies on the mantle and big tacky posters from past successes plastered everywhere... While visiting Capricorn, Mars always gets his way all the way, possibly more than he would with family; everything is compliments and champagne, no one would dare criticize or even offer advice to a guest of honor, right?

The raw potency of Mars (hot/dry) situated in the solid turf of Capricorn (cold/dry) indicates that dryness is the predominant quality, which in Empedoclean terms is something which divides and defines. So I'd generally interpret this as an ability to detach and perservere, a fundamental separation that needs no "support" to strive or collaboration to create.

Or to put it another way, as the Liber Hermetis says, "the face of a bull on the body of a man dressed with the skin of a scarab." Forging ahead and impervious to attack or criticism. People who say somethign can't be done can get the hell out of the way of people doing it... i.e. making it happen and everyone else can f%@k off. Incredibly powerful as a force for productivity, but like a massive, powerful machine, VERY difficult to switch off. This decan never powers down and it doesn't really understand the idea of rest or compromise.

So depending on the context (and the landscape of time involved) it can be a blessing or a curse... like every Decan.

[nicky]

Originally Posted by Scion

Forging ahead and impervious to attack or criticism. People who say somethign can't be done can get the hell out of the way of people doing it... i.e. making it happen and everyone else can f%@k off. Incredibly powerful as a force for productivity, but like a massive, powerful machine, VERY difficult to switch off. This decan never powers down and it doesn't really understand the idea of rest or compromise.

That is wonderful - it adds so much to my astrological concept for this card.

Thanks Scion

[nicky]

Power. Not a bad thing to have. The card is illustrated with a fort, comprised of stable pillars decorated with the elements. So we are in balance and all the base pieces are in place. The view is from above. This card gives me pause... it looks like a safe solid fort, but it could easily turn into a prison. The same structured energy we find in the Emperor, ill dignified, can be oppressive. In the positive sense of this card, we are below the abyss, and the real gritty earth under our fingernails means we are on a roll... we are productive and balanced. The Sun in Capricorn is working happily at making his fort into his castle.

[nicky]

5 Disks. Lately I have been looking at the cards with their numerological associations to the major arcana ... and with the Hierophant in mind, I am struck with how uncomfortable he would be in the quick changing energy of the Mercury in this card. The disks are arranged in an inverted pentagram... matter over spirit. This is not all bad in a suit of earth, but it causes me to think of that ostrich with its head in the sand.. all mucked down and no idea of the bigger picture. The colors on this card are vile.

[nicky]

As any budding astronomer can tell you, the Moon does not give off light.. This is always good to stick in your bag of tricks when reading the tarot... those moon cards can be tricky. In the case of the 6 of disks, we get lucky. The Moon is exalted in Taurus and the source of his light is from Tiphareth, which is ruled by the sun. Gotta love those 6's. So we have the earthiest of earth illuminated by the Moon (by way of the Sun) - the moon moves very quickly through the signs ... but in this case actually produces... that earth slows the lunar movement enough in this card to manifest things in the material realm.

The design of the card reminds me somehow of an eclipse ... with all the sky shown on the petals with the glyphs, along with the moon above fixed earth. As some witches believe, the eclipse is a time of strong energy and a good time to do spellwork ... this card feels like a good time to achieve.

[nicky]

Saturn is limiting...Taureans love the fine things in life ... not a happy pairing. The colors on this card look gloomy and the card is cluttered.. maybe the accumulation of those fine things need some sweeping out. Even the Bull's face appears angry on the coins. The spines from the leaves look almost haunted.. perhaps it is October and I am seeing things, but it looks unwelcoming and eerie. I don't generally like keywords and use a trimmed card with this deck, but tried to work out the word associated with this card. Normally I would think sitting on the tree at Victory is a good thing, but per AC "The position is doubly unbalanced; off the middle pillar, and very low down on the Tree. " I assume that is the reason this card merits being "Failure" and it feels like this card would be indicative of a failure due to lack of realistic goals.

[ravenest]

Nearly there! How are yougoing to amuse yourself after you've done the last card?

[nicky]

Originally Posted by ravenest

Nearly there! How are yougoing to amuse yourself after you've done the last card?

Yanno, normally nearing the end of a long process I feel a sense of accomplishment... in this case I have a nagging feeling . I know I have just barely scraped the top of this iceberg.

No regrets...just wish this had been my 'first' deck... so much to unlearn or put aside before even trying to plumb the depths...


still I am carrying on as it were two steps forward one step back

[merissa_88]

nicky, thank you so much for this! This is fantastic.



I had forgotten so much of this deck. I had it many years ago and I never really learned all the stuff about the Kabbalah that goes with it. Thanks for explaining that along with the astrology.



I used to love that card " Works". I think it's partially because I have Mars in Capricorn in my birth chart.