...almost never amounts to getting there the best. I've heard it said numerous times that Eliphas Levi was the first to assign the 22 hebrew letters to the 22 manifest paths, and yet his alignment was overwhelmingly rejected by the Golden Dawn. The syncretic path demands routine overhaul as a matter of keeping pace with the worlds' store of knowledge itself. So while it is important that we sort out the originators of bold ideas insofar as this may be doable, it is not half so important as keeping pace with the greater body of related wisdom as a whole. We are getting very close to being able to accomplish things magickally that have only ever existed as a romantic wish-list in times gone by. To me, that is where the real excitement resides and skeptical syncretism is the path that takes us there.
The thing is, I dont see this as a bold idea at all . I still maintain that it is a fairly natural conclusion , for anyone with a smidge of curiosity or enquiry to look into the ToL, in their early stages, and observe some spheres are shown connected by lines and some are not and to wonder, ask or postulate why. I have see it come up in myself and students too much to discount that. And in our group, perhaps because we started some time back, before the 'computer age' and with some early editions of books, sometimes , with various editions of the same book, the potential of the these other paths being there was no big deal.
So, I think you are right in that it is really immaterial who first came up with the idea ... more like, whoever was first to get it down in 'popular' publication print. But that too is immaterial.
What is important, as you put it, is what one does with the information. I am all for updating and re-integrating the tradition with developments in current society.
'Keeping pace with the world's store of knowledge ' is an important principle for any group ... and for individuals - or ' adjusting the internal map ' - its one of the four principles of healthy psychology.
Its what you DO with the knowledge, and if it works, thats what counts. It looks like you guys realise that, from what I have read, and utilize your 'diamond' in your magical practices. But I dont think thats going to have much relevance to Tarot readers outside your group.
Sceptical syncretism -
PS . Did you mean to say levi was the first to assign the 22 letters to the 22 paths ... or did you mean he was the first to assign the 22 Trumps to the 22 paths and letters ?