Zephyros
The Nature of the Evidence
4.The Nature of the Evidence
These historical digressions have been essential to the understanding of the conditions of this enquiry. It is now proper to consider the peculiar numbering of the Trumps. It appears natural to a mathematician to begin the series of natural numbers with Zero; but it is very disturbing to the non-mathematically trained mind. In the traditional essays and books on the Tarot, the card numbered “0” was supposed to lie between the cards XX and XXI. The secret of the initiated interpretation, which makes the whole meaning of the Trumps luminous, is simply to put this card marked “0” in its natural place, where any mathematician would have put it, in front of the number One. But there is still one peculiarity, one disturbance in the natural sequence. This is that the cards VIII and XI have to be counterchanged, in order to preserve the attribution. For the card XI is called “Strength”; on it appears a Lion, and it quite evidently refers to the zodiacal sign Leo, whereas the card VIII is called “Justice”, and represents the conventional symbolic figure, throned, with sword and balances, thus obviously referring to tile zodiacal sign of Libra, the Balance.
Frater Perdurabo had made a very profound study of the Tarot since his initiation to the Order on 18 th November, 1898; for, three months later, he had attained the grade of Practicus; as such, he became entitled to know the Secret Attribution. He constantly studied this and the accompanying explanatory manuscripts. He checked up on all these attributes of the numbers to the forms of nature, and found nothing incongruous. But when (8 th April, 1904 e.v.) he was writing down the Book of the Law from the dictation of the messenger of the Secret Chiefs, he seems to have put a mental question, suggested by the words in Chapter I, verse 57:
“the law of the Fortress, and the great mystery of the House of God” (“The House of God” is one name of the Tarot Trump numbered XVI) to this effect: “Have I got these attributions right?”
For there came an interpolated answer,
“All these old letters of my book are aright; but j is not the Star. This also is secret; my prophet shall reveal it to the wise”.
This was exceedingly annoying. If Tzaddi was not “the Star”, what was? And what was Tzaddi? He tried for years to counter-change this card, “The Star”, which is numbered XVII, with some other. He had no success. It was many years later that the solution came to him. Tzaddi is “The Emperor”; and therefore the positions of XVII and IV must be counterchanged. This attribution is very satisfactory.
Yes, but it is something a great deal more than satisfactory; it is, to clear thought, the most convincing evidence possible that the Book of ‘he Law is a genuine message from the Secret Chiefs.
For “The Star” is referred to Aquarius in the Zodiac, and “The Emperor’ to Aries. Now Aries and Aquarius are on each side of Pisces, just as Leo and Libra are on each side of Virgo; that is to say, the correction in the Book of the Law gives a perfect symmetry in the zodiacal attribution, just as if a loop were formed at one end of the ellipse to correspond exactly with the existing loop at the other end. These matters sound rather technical; in fact, they are; but the more one studies the Tarot, the more one perceives the admirable symmetry and perfection of the symbolism. Yet, even to the layman, it ought to be evident that balance and fitness are essential to any perfection, and the elucidation of these two tangles in the last 150 years is undoubtedly a very remarkable phenomenon.