The Hierophant: Hand Position in RW & Thoth

[Centaur]

Quote:Originally posted by Rusty Neon
In _Handbook to the Cards_, Banzhaf gives his take. I don't have the book handy. Perhaps someone can volunteer.

That would be v cool. I don't have the book either, and I would be interested in hearing what he has to say.

 

[Emily]

Now that is interesting regarding the Hierophant's hand gesture.

Quote:-

Devil's horns (advocatus diaboli)
The concealed part of the doctrine is expressed in the left hand of the priest, who frightens those who are unworthy with his two fingers spread to form devil's horns. In doing so, he protects them from revelations for which they are not yet strong enough. This is why we can also recognize the 'advocatus diaboli' (devil's advocate) in the Hierophant, leading astray all those who search for knowledge and perception in letters and intellectualized symbols. For when religious knowledge, myths, and symbols are intellectually analyzed according to the method of " all means nothing other than...," life evades them and they become as sterile as the temples that have been degraded into museums' - Unquote.
Taken from the 'Handbook to the cards' by Banzhaf.

I couldn't really shorten it without losing the interpretations so its the whole passage from the book regarding the hand positions.

Thanks for pointing this out Rusty, its made for interesting reading.

 

[Imagemaker]

Quote: For when religious knowledge, myths, and symbols are intellectually analyzed according to the method of " all means nothing other than...," life evades them and they become as sterile

In other words, when the analyzers don't see the Spirit behind the knowledge . . . ve-ery interesting.

And wow, interesting that the Hierophant scares the unready away with the devil's horns. Perhaps the Tarot has been called the "devil's pack" for that reason.

Thos of us who aren't scared of that sign are here, learning Tarot's divine secrets! Cautiously ready to handle the power . . .

 

[Centaur]

This is very interesting. According to Duquette, Crowley changed some of the names in the Major arcana to fall in line with his idea of this era as what he called the New Aeon. The New Aeon, as far as I am aware, is characterised by a more accessible spiritual-approach... each and every one of us making our own spiritual-decisions in life. I think that the New Aeon definition as given in Duquette's book, fantastically describes many New Age or Pagan belief systems.

Anyway... Duquette states that a characteristic of the previous Aeon was such religions as Christianity, etc. Crowley changed some of the titles of the Major Arcana to move away from this, and to more better describe the 'New Aeon'. For instance, the Last Judgement card became the Aeon card in the Thoth, to better characterise the New Aeon.

OK... so I am thinking that perhaps this downward gesture of the hands might also be related to Crowley's emphasise on this era as the New Aeon. A downward gesture is in direct opposite to the more conventional upward gesture, and would appear from Banzhaf, that this might be indicative of spirituality becoming more 'accessible', without the rigid hierarchy of doctrine and ritual being an absolute.

 

[Dark Inquisitor]

Here is some interesting information from The Sexual Key to the Tarot by Theodor Lawrence , from 1971. Quite a surprising and dirty little book. (Sales will skyrocket now.)

In the introduction he says , " Bound by vows, sworn to secrecy, none have disclosed the Sexual Key to the Tarot . Being a fragment of Secret Tradition, the Sexual Key to the Tarot has not been heretofore publicized."

The deck he examines is the Rider Waite, and in the Hierophant chapter we find :

"....He is seated between two pillars. His right hand is raised in benediction..."

"The scepter phallic symbol is in his left hand, designating the Hierophant's negative attitude towards the penis and it's sexual function . Sex , then, is to the left , and "not right"....

"The pillars are not those of the High Priestess , symbollic of the highly desirable phalli..."

"While the Hierophant's right hand is raised in blessing, it is a blessing bestowed upon those away from sexuality. His hand points back at the phalli in a gesture condemnatory of sexuality and sensuality and bodily pleasure. The phallic symbols then receive the back of his blessing , the reverse of his blessing, i.e., a curse."

So in this view, the Hierophant is sort of making a gesture flicking the hand back in a dismissive way ,(away from the symbolic pillars), - not a true blessing. Quite an eye opening book , with much more to say about the Hierophant .

Tarotphelia

 

[Centaur]

Quote:Originally posted by Tarotphelia
Here is some interesting information from The Sexual Key to the Tarot by Theodor Lawrence , from 1971. Quite a surprising and dirty little book. (Sales will skyrocket now.)

Ha! I think you have mentioned this one to me before. It sounds very interesting!

Lawrence would seem to be suggesting that the Hierophant hand position in the RW might be indicative of repressed sexuality, and a general negative attitude towards sex. Sex is equated with the physical, where the Hierophant might be seen by some as in some way disconnected from the physical and 'elevated' to the spiritual. I think that sexual pleasure and wanton sexual abandoment are often viewed as negative in terms of some spiritual belief systems, for instance Christianity.

This is very interesting TP, because I have read in the past that Crowley was very much interested in sex magick, and the use of sex in magickal ritual. Perhaps we could then incorporate the downward gesture of the Thoth Hierophant as a full embrace of sexuality, and an acceptance and acknowledgement of sex as a factor to be married with spirituality?

Again, this would merge with Crowley's ideas of the New Aeon, and be seen as a progression and evolving of human consciousness.

 

[Dark Inquisitor]

Quote:Originally posted by Centaur


Perhaps we could then incorporate the downward gesture of the Thoth Hierophant as a full embrace of sexuality, and an acceptance and acknowledgement of sex as a factor to be married with spirituality?




I am sure Crowley was for the full embrace , and any embrace he could get his hands on- but whether it had anything to do with spirituality seemed doubtful to me after reading about his exploits. More like sex being used as a path to power and domination, as in the Devil card perhaps.

Now that I have taken a look at the Thoth Heirophant , perhaps the left hand blessing represents Crowley's blessing for the left hand path , and it's downward , palm up position is something of an invitation.


Tarotphelia

 

[ros]

After Gloria post of Hand of the Devil I looked these two cards over. They have lots in common.

What would be the hand sign for The Hierophant & how does it differs from The Devil to compare?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Dark Inquisitor]

Here is a similar thread :

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=23409

 

[WalesWoman]

I read the other thread and found it very interesting, but not quite what you were asking about. I think the Hierophant is offering a blessing, his arm upward pointing to the direction to seek enlightenment, aim high. Seek higher ground in the dealings of men, maybe. It is the same hand symbol for a benidiction or blessing, what ever name it has, while the Devil's fingers are doing the "Spock" Vulcan thing, sort of mocking the Hierophant in a way. I honestly don't know if it's some occult sign or what, or another reference for horns, i.e. the Goat in combination with the glyph for Saturn and referring to Capricorn.
Maybe it's another thing of balance, knowing it's bad for you and doing it anyway or recognizing what isn't good for you and doing something about it. The thumb is about free will, so maybe it's using your will to make choices.