more rave from rave on est
Yep, I keep getting references mixed up, so feel free to kick my butt when I do.
The Marseilles deck had a numerical sequential order for the trumps. Levi (or someone) corresponded this to the paths on the Tree of Life and their Hebrew letters and this was adopted by the G.D. But in analysis there seemed to be a mistake (or misinformation) in this attribution according to the energy of Astrological houses and the images on the card in relation to Lust/Strength and Justice/Adjustment. It seemed out of sync with the natural order of the zodiac. Following the numbers and imagery of the card they seem to be going; 6,7,8,9,10,11,12. And Gemini, Cancer Libra, Virgo, Leo, Scorpio. So they changed it to Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio but retained the numerical sequence 6,7,11,10,8,12. Why didn’t they change the number to correspond to the Zodiac. A.C. says they were too busy rebelling, and trying to make their own link with the Secret Masters (Book of Thoth p.8) So he fixed it for them by putting the numbers right (see his double loop diagram – right hand side Thoth p.11- the numbers go around the zodiac circle and force the zodiacal progression to loop) .Why not change the numbers and houses so they both follow a logical and circular progression? (because it makes a nice loop on one side so we can balance it with another loop opposite it to prove the Tzaddi / Star thing?) Seems like fudging it a bit? I feel like I am watching a magic trick, I cant figure out exactly what’s going on, but it feels a bit sus’ to me.
So why else might he have done it? Some hidden numerology to do with why Lust has to be numbered 11 - Lust; physical sacrament of the Aeon, 11, number of the Word of the Aeon. Some counter-change between 8 (magic / mercury) and 11 number of magick and Nuit? Or did he do this at the time he was trying to fit the Tzaddi not being the Star communication into the system?
It looks like a dodgy balance because although the double loop diagram looks good and balanced there is an obvious imbalance when we add it to the tree, and it is this: The Zodiac can be a circular form (as it is in nature) but also a table with a beginning and end. One (world or level) Tree of Life is not circular and is only linear. I mean that the changes or switches look balanced at either end of the circle by a double loop, but when we tabulate it, one change is in the middle (around Virgo) and the other is at the end around Pisces. When this is placed on the tree its difficult to notice the middle change as the paths do not move far, yet the change I feel is VERY relevant (Well spotted Aeon!). But the other change is very big and sticks out like dogs ***** The EMPEROR is way down there amongst the celestial bodies (Moon, Sun, World/Universe) and the STAR is way up there with all the people. Maybe we need to swap them all back? So If Tzaddi is NOT the Star, lets try swapping the letters around on the Tree and change their value … imagine the mess that would make (all the centuries of Gematria down the drain (yahoo ).Now the Rabbis will really be LoL at us! So we have to keep that the same. This is why I love the chart in Book of Thoth (p.278) It shows the mess that that Levi, G.D and A.C. made of the Qabalistic Tarot (go down the columns and check the numerical values and the Astrological house progression). The chart isn't wrong, every column that comes after the Hebrew letter describes the traditional values of the letters – not the cards (cause they don’t have a traditional qabalistic value – only an Hermetic Qabalistic value, and I believe we are still working that out).
It’s the card progression that is wrong. We are either going to have to have to disrupt the Tree, or the chart (Traditional qabalah) or get rid of this Tzaddi thing and balance it back out in the Lust Adjustment area.
But Tzaddi must be justified to justify Liber AL and the prophet (and the Thoth deck).
[‘scuse me while I get a bit sarcastic]:
(Thinks) Bugger it! I gotta justify this Tzaddi, Star thing, and the book and me as the prophet … I like my loop diagram, it’s the only solution I can come up with, Star cant be Aries and the Emperor cant be Aquarius, so I wont change the letter positions on the Tree cause that could change the numeric values but I can change the Astrological values, cause they haven’t been around as long … and whose gonna know anyway? Hmmm ….
(Out loud) “ Frieda! I’ve changed it again. Leave everything the same but now just paint an Aries on the Emperor and an Aquarius on the Star!”
(Frieda) “Silly old bugger, he’s got it wrong again, I aint having another argument, I’ll just do what he says and paint the Star like a big Tzaddi (someone will eventually get that) and the Emperor … hmmm … well he is a he, and not a she, …he he, that’s so obvious no occultists will ever get that one!”
I think what Aeon has done is look at the natural numbering of the paths, as emanations of progressive sephira and attributed the Hebrew letters accordingly in order and value and then see if the traditional hermetic qabalistic correspondences fit there with cards (I think they do except for Emperor Star switch). So why cant we work it out in a balanced and correct system, since the G.D. were too busy bickering and Crowley’s changes are clearly from someone who has only the half of it (see Liber AL).
I like the system of numbers being changed to suit astrological order and just doing it like that Emperor is Aries and he is He and Star is Aquarius and she is Tzaddi. Since I cant follow clearly or justify Crowley’s swaps I am not accepting it and as a Thelemite I’ll NEVER accept something as dogma just because it explains other dogma, nor will I arrange my deck to suit any uncomprehended dogma.
There is always development and progression in the Hermetic Qabalah and Tarot attribution’s. Crowley / Thoth is the current penultimate interpretation, but in any case of new development will always be the penultimate one as the final interpretation and development lies within your own self and your own personal gnosis with the Tarot.
If there is a better solution why didn’t A.C. reveal it? Liber AL says he only has the half of it. So who has the other half? …. Us? Some other dude? Me? … I like the Us one best. And perhaps that what we are working out?
One way I like to look at it is (being an ancient Egyptophile) is that in ancient Egypt, Maat ( the Egyptian concept / Neter of natural order, harmony and divine justice) ruled supreme, in that she held the whole of all human concepts in check. This justice was balanced (back then in human consciousness, priority and social application) like Aeon has balanced it on the Tree, positioning justice between mercy and severity. I’m reminded of Liber Librae; Severity without mercy is but cruelty and mercy without severity is but weakness that allows and abets evil (isn’t this a definition of true justice and the application of adjustment? Isn’t this a reflection of our current lack of perception with justice where “Zero tolerance” fights “bleeding-heart liberalism?).
But now, in modern times, we have lost Maat’s overall significance and justice has fallen down the tree to be influenced by Glory (Tiphareth, heart of the matter, fire, Sol, ego) as opposed to Mercy ( Chesed, benevolence, Jupiter, expansion). It has become attached to the centre, Sol and mans ego. Egyptians understood it significance as above the realm of man. Justice was not created by man, but by Maat. It came THROUGH man from Maat, in man as the Supreme Man - as represented by the Divine King, who, to be a divine king must have all the qualities of the sephira, he must have a dominion or empire (a nation or even his own psyche), a foundation, he must develop and exhibit splendour, beauty & glory. He must show severity and mercy. He must have knowledge, understanding and wisdom, then he can put on his divine crown and rule justly his empire. (We can include the qualities of the paths as well.)
Perhaps this disruption in the Tree (justice fallen) is a symbol of relevance to modern society and our selves?
Any way it IS the Book of THOTH, EGYPTIAN Tarot, and A.C. did start this whole Tzaddi thing off after a wild night in the Kings Chamber of The Great Pyramid in EGYPT.
Let’s get rad’ then. If Tzaddi isn’t the Star what are we gonna put Tzaddi to? Lets not repeat above confusions and loop things. The Solar system isn’t looped so we wont do it.
Looking at the Star, what makes it special from the others? It does not have any animal or anthropomorphic figures shown on it, Trumps nearly all have one or the other or both. Any other card like that? Only Adjustment. So we have 2 cards with a distinct similarity yet both are different from any other card in the deck. They are purely human and seem to relate to purely human process, by symbol. And Justice by concept, although Adjustment is a natural process.
What happens when we say, okay, Tzaddi is not the Star so lets make Tzaddi Adjustment AND whack it in between Chesed and geburah? Or leave it where it is. And change the Star to Lamed, now what’s happening in your Tree?
How will we know if it fits? We cant go back (at first) and compare with cards as our first reference was qabalistic and our reference grid is the Tree of Life, so we will start there. We must see if our qabalistic knowledge confirms and justifies this switch (without, hopefully, pages of confusing self-referential gematria!). WE can use common sense to start (and that is a tool of the initiate because as most of history and experience confirm, common sense is the least common human possession), logic and esoteric knowledge. So we have to think first, not “What does Star, or Justice or adjustment mean to me” but “what does the path between Chesed and Geburah mean to me, what does fish-hook, the value 90, etc, etc, mean to me.” We cant think fish hook means Star or Emperor we need to work our correspondences and positioning qabalistically, then put the cards in.
The trouble is, ideas associated with Hermetic Qabalah are influenced by Tarot and astrological attribution’s and permeate the concepts. So we would have to go back to traditional Jewish Qabalah (which does not include Tarot cards), in short, you’d have to get good at Traditional Qabalah and then navigate your way through into an Hermetic Qabalah and create a new balanced and sensible New Aeonic Hermetic Qabalah. I don’t believe Crowley did that, he mussed with it a bit but didn’t work it all fully out (but maybe half of it).
See Atu XI Book of Thoth p.95.; “Behind the figure of the Beast and his Bride are 10 luminous rayed circles; they are the Sephiroth latent and not yet in order for every Aeon demands a new system of classification of the Universe”
Any takers?