Upside-down M solved [maybe]

Teheuti said:

Others have suggested Mary, although not specifically the Shekinah - more of a Grail mystery. Florence Farr wrote a GD teaching paper describing an astral journey to Mary and an experience with the Grail containing the blood of her son. It's in my book Women of the Golden Dawm. I've guided large groups through the journey. I found some interresting stuff that may be more or less related in Eckhartshausen's Cloud on the Sanctuary - a book that Waite refers to often and which contains some interesting stuff on the Order of Melchizedek.

BTW, the guy who came up with the M-Theory in physics has never revealed what M stands for but suggests it might have multiple referents including Magic and Mystery. Coincidence? What if there are no coincidences.

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In Volume II, Section IV, Part II of The Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism Gareth Knight talks about the Grail symbolism and relates the entire suit of Cups to the Celtic sea god Manannan. He doesn't mention the Shekinah as such, but does use the term "the Feminine-Side of God." He makes no connection between Manannan and the "upside-down M" on Waite's Ace of Cups, though.

Waite writes about the Shekinah manifesting in the Four Worlds. From "The Tarot and the Rosy Cross" in R.A. Gilbert's The Hermetic papers of A.E. Waite,

"If the Tree of the SEPHIROTH were delineated according to the true spirit of the Rosy Cross, it would appear as the Rose-Tree of SHEKINAH, she being the Rose of all the worlds. In MALKUTH, she is the Rose of manifested things; in the Supernals she is the Mystical Rose of Heaven; in TIPHERETH she is the Rose of Purified Life; and all the remaining SEPHIROTH are states or phases of the archetypal Rose, which is she who is the mystery of womanhood in all her grades and degrees. We shall recur to this intimation presently."

So I can see how Waite may have been talking about the Shekinah in the Four Worlds, and each suit of the minors corresponding to one of the worlds. But Katz and Goodwin's arguments are pretty full of holes so I personally don't rely on them very much.

They assume that the upside-down letter M links the card to the so-called Miraculous Medal. It's this assumption that leads to their next one that Waite's comment, "House of the true heart" is a reference to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. But House of the true heart is a pretty general statement and could just as easily refer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus or any number of other things. In his reversed meaning he says, "House of the false heart." So it seems more about contrasting truthfulness with falsehood than about some secret reference to Mary. And if you think about it, it's when the card is reversed that the letter M is right-side-up and any reference to Mary would become obvious, but this is when it would mean "House of the false heart."

They focus in on the Cup and use that to show that the whole thing is about "Mariology." But that's a pretty superficial viewpoint in my opinion. Overall I'd rate the book a C- and that's being generous.

Abrac said:

......They focus in on the Cup and use that to show that the whole thing is about "Mariology." But that's a pretty superficial viewpoint in my opinion. Overall I'd rate the book a C- and that's being generous.

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I don't have the book, but thanks for confirming the impression I got from the hype.

There are some great finds, especially in the area of photos and confirmation that PCS was in the area of Ellen Terry's home while illustrating the deck. However the majority of the "secrets" are suppositions based on analogous elements, where little recommends their supposition over others that could be made, although theirs is worth considering. Most of the "facts" are in the short timelines for PCS and AEW.

Getting back to the Ace, though I'm also very interested in hearing people's opinions of the "Secrets..." book.

Katz and Goodwin's book Abiding in the Sanctuary comments on Melchizedek in relation to Daath, but strangely they don't make the connection between the Ace and Melchizedek.

The following quote by Eckhartshausen in _Cloud Upon the Sanctuary_ (the book that probably had the greatest influence on Waite) really should be read in context. I mention it because it offers the possibility of M=Mystery and W=Wisdom as the interior and exterior perspective of the mystical vs outer religion, reversing and renewal. We see only the shadow, the W, not the M - like Eliphas Lèvi's Bahomet. The comment about the eagle could explain the eagle on the wallet of the Fool card. Like Waite, Eckhartshausen used the word Mystery/Mysteries as their main term for the way of the mystic.

" The absolute truth lying in the center of Mystery is like the sun, it blinds ordinary sight and man sees only the shadow. The eagle alone can gaze at the dazzling light, likewise only the prepared soul can bear its lustre. Nevertheless the great Something which is the inmost of the Holy Mysteries has never been hidden from the piercing gaze of him who can bear the light.

"God and nature have no mysteries for their children. They are caused by the weakness of our nature, unable to support light, because it is not yet organized to bear the chaste light of unveiled truth.

"This weakness is the Cloud that covers the Sanctuary; this is the curtain which veils the Holy of Holies.

"But in order that man may recover the veiled light, strength and dignity, Divinity bends to the weakness of its creatures, and writes the truth that is interior and eternal mystery on the outside of things, so that man can transport himself through this to their spirit.

"These letters are the ceremonies or the rituals of religion, which lead man to the interior life of union with God.

"Mystic hieroglyphs are these letters also; they are sketches and designs holding interior and holy truth.

"Religion and the Mysteries go hand in hand to lead our brethren to truth, both have for object the reversing and renewing of our natures, both have for the end the re-building of a temple inhabited by Wisdom and Love, or God with man."
. . .

"Thus religion can never be merely ceremony, but hidden and holy mysteries penetrate through symbol into the outer worship to prepare men properly for the worship of God in spirit and in truth."

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I've read some of Eckhartshausen. The parallels between him and Waite are quite interesting.

In The Hidden Church, where he's talking about the Graal Hallows in relation to the minors, I found this quote.

"And now, to move one step forward, being the last point to which I can take the subject: The place of the Cup in the extension of the symbolism under the light of all its analogies, corresponds to the place of spiritual life; to the rest of knowledge (Daath = Knowledge); to the receptacle of the graces which are above and to the channel of their communication to things which are below; but this is the equivalent ex hypothesi (in accordance with or following from the hypothesis stated) of the arch-natural Eucharist. In a word, it is the world not manifested, and this is the world of adeptship, attained by sanctity."

This sounds a lot like a description Daath, the portal between Atziluth and Briah. I'm starting to realize Waite may have had a different system of correspondences between the minors and the Four Worlds. In The Hidden Church, he lists them,

1. Cups

2. Wands

3. Swords

4. Pentacles

From his description, Cups should definitely be 1. In my way of thinking Wands would be 3 and Swords 2, but Waite may have something else in mind.

Abrac, you make an excellent case for Da'ath.

In his article, "The Tarot and the rosy Cross," he gives an unusual set of correspondences for YHVH in the Four Worlds (actually three of the four). It's a little much to quote it all but here's the most relevant part:

"YOD, HE, VAU, HE are KETHER, CHOKMAH, BINAH, the HE final abiding in DAATH, at the centre of the Path of GHIMEL. This is the Daughter of the Voice, who according to the symbolism, is begotten by the Eternal Mother from the Father Eternal and is nourished by the Begotten Son for the maintenance of the Eternal Covenant between all that is Divine and all that comes forth therefrom. Hereof is the world of the Supernals; and this Daughter is the High Priestess."

In doing this he's essentially including Daath with the Supernals.

Chokmah = Eternal Father
Binah = Eternal Mother
Daath = Begotten Son
Path 13 = High Priestess = Daughter of the Voice.

What I find interesting is "...nourished by the Begotten Son for the maintenance of the Eternal Covenant."

"Maintenance" sounds a lot like a reference to the Eucharist.

Abrac said:

......What I find interesting is "...nourished by the Begotten Son for the maintenance of the Eternal Covenant."

"Maintenance" sounds a lot like a reference to the Eucharist.

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It certainly seems so to me too. I wonder if Waite's Kabbalah book gets into any of this stuff.