The Mutation Al Alchemy Tarot

Note:
This text is the master copy of the book, any edits or changes will show up
here first
Version 1.0 Last edit: November 6th 2015: Last card description fully completed
The Mutational Alchemy Tarot
O r
m 1 t h r 0 s T a r o t
COMPANION BOOK
written by m1thr0s and Izi Ningishzidda
illustrated by m1thr0s and Izi Ningishzidda
A Mutational Alchemy Thesis

Copyright 20082015 by The Abrahadabra Institute LLC, Olympia, W.A.
Published by The Abrahadabra Institute Press, Olympia, W.A.
Illustrations are a collaboration between m1thr0s and Izi Ningishzidda
Dedication
☵ ☲

For my friend the tetractys of the decad.
Acknowledgements
☵ ☲
All of these people contributed in some way, laying the foundation for ideas that made
their way into the deck: Kathryn Manzo, Bob “MythMath” Phillips, King Louis XIV,
William Bouguereau, Pierre Paul Prud’hon, Siva Six, Timothy Leary, Johann Braums,
Albert Hoffman, Richard Alpert, Richard Wilhelm, Cary Baynes, Aleister Crowley, Isaac
Luria, Israel Regardie, Humphrey Osmond, George Gurdjieff, Carl Jung, Yang Hsiang,
Confucius, Lao Tzu, Tony Smith, Gottfried Liebniz.
Also a special thanks to John Hu and Shenzhen Wangjing Printing Co.
Table of Contents
☵ ☲
List of Charts and Diagrams
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Major Arcana
ATU 0 The Fool ATU I The Magus ATU II The Priestess
ATU III The Empress ATU IV The Star ATU V The Hierophant
ATU VI The Lovers ATU VII The Chariot ATU VIII Strength
ATU IX The Hermit ATU X Fortune ATU XI Justice
ATU XII The Hanged Man ATU XIII Death ATU XIV Art
ATU XV The Devil ATU XVI The Tower ATU XVII The Emperor
ATU XVIII The Moon ATU XIX The Sun ATU XX The Aeon
ATU XXI The Universe
Court Cards
King of Staves Prince of Staves Princess of Staves Queen of Staves
King of Blades Prince of Blades Princess of Blades Queen of Blades
King of Pentacles Prince of Pentacles Princess of Pentacles Queen of Pentacles
King of Alembics Prince of Alembics Princess of Alembics Queen of Alembics
Small Cards
Ace of Staves Ace of Blades Ace of Pentacles Ace of Alembics
Two of Staves Two of Blades Two of Pentacles Two of Alembics
Three of Staves Three of Blades Three of Pentacles Three of Alembics
Four of Staves Four of Blades Four of Pentacles Four of Alembics
Five of Staves Five of Blades Five of Pentacles Five of Alembics
Six of Staves Six of Blades Six of Pentacles Six of Alembics
Seven of Staves Seven of Blades Seven of Pentacles Seven of Alembics
Eight of Staves Eight of Blades Eight of Pentacles Eight of Alembics
Nine of Staves Nine of Blades Nine of Pentacles Nine of Alembics
Ten of Staves Ten of Blades Ten of Pentacles Ten of Alembics
A List of Charts and Diagrams ☲
☵
The Word of Perfection

The Balanced Primordials with the I Ching by Number

The Proximity Principle on the Tree of Life

The Rational Ordering of the Hexagrams on the Tree of Life with Balanced Hexagrams
shown.

The Lightning Bolts

A table of correspondences.

The Hidden Diamond Sutra

Foreword
☵ ☲

Every man and every woman is a star.

Preface
☵ ☲
This deck was begun as a casual artistic project by me, Izi Ningishzidda at the end of
2008 on Abrahadabra Forums. When I say it was a casual project, it may be worthwhile
to note that both m1thr0s and I were and are very serious magicians, dedicated to the
work and as intensely wrapped up in occult studies as one can possibly get. Within two
days, m1thr0s had invited himself onto the project in a huge capacity, he wanted to direct
the project. I was motivated to encourage this desire in him, he would be bringing his
immense knowledge of Eastern and Western occultism to the project, expanding its scope
considerably.
We could not hide our thrilling excitement for each other. Our blossoming romance was
augmented by our nearly perfect zodiacal alignment: He is a Dragon/Aquarius and I am a
Monkey/Gemini. We constantly feed on each other's energy and have a natural artistic
and scholarly synergy. We also shared a strong desire to burn down the world together in
the Saivic Tandava, no earth fairy passivity for us, no.
Our sinister sides are driven
primarily by our will to defend the planet's fragile diversity, both of us are staunch
enviromentalists at heart, even though we both loathe Greenpeace immensely. Secondly,
in the face of crushing injustice we both sought to bring balance and order. In a world
fraught with the horrors of incredibly depressing abuses of power and rampant neglect of
mankind’s stellar destiny, we sought to change all of that, through our art and science.
It's a little hard for me to believe that it has taken seven years to complete and publish the
MAT. During that time, we wrestled with the many problems of the tarot, tying up the
loose ends left by Crowley, rectifying problems with the way tarot had been handled and
abused, and finally we crowned it with the best new and important knowledge both of us
had gathered in our personal Dragon’s hoards of wealth in Sofia and Da’ath, Wisdom and
Knowledge. A great many mysteries were uncovered that had to be resolved through
careful research. This was, after all, to be the heir and answer to a legacy of careful
research by many minds that had come before us not merely a picturetarot or Golden
Dawn clone.
I couldn't stop sketching and painting versions of m1thr0s of course. We were both
focused on each other, each a muse to one another. He hid his affection more cunningly
in his geometry, which would be released to Abrahadabra Forums after a romantic tete e
tete betwixt us over the significance of each new image. The love letters between us
were only hinted at in his minimalistic images themselves. An intensely private
individual, his subtle gestures were all but missed by the majority of AF'ers as we called
them the then denizens of Abrahadabra Forums, which were closed in 2013 due to lack
of funding for the overwhelming amount of visitors we were getting, and who were
adding nothing to our work. But his face in the paintings? I couldn't hide that. I must have
appeared obsessed by comparison. But at least we were obsessed together, secretly. Some
of the people in the deck are friends and family. A lot of them are me...we couldn't afford
models so I took nude shots of myself in the poses I needed to sketch!
I went to school at The Contemporary Realist Academy in Memphis, Tennessee, studying
for two years under Kathryn Manzon the CRA was her atelier in the European
Academic Tradition. This tradition is lineaged to Michelangelo so it is very classical, and
nudity was the cornerstone of my education. Nudes never frighten or offend me, not even
pornography. But the MAT was not a pornographic deck or even intentionally erotic,
although it can be that for anyone who would like it to be. They were made nude
intentionally for the symbology of what it means, and when they are clothed it means
something. We both agreed very early on there would be lots of nudes. As m1thr0s said
early on "They will be clothed in magick and mystery." He was completely self taught
out of necessity, his college education focused on philosophy. As he was the stockroom
manager at the famous Seattle Art Supply store he had daily access to a huge array of
graphing products which saw use in his continued experimentations with Abrahadabra,
Qabbalah and Hermeticism. The earliest versions of The Abrahadabra Grid which he
invented, the TwinStar and the Tree on the Abrahadabra Grid were all done meticulously
by hand on graph paper. Even though the tools have changed, the methodology is still by
hand each chart must be pixel perfect or it won't work any Mutational Alchemist
knows by now that if the geometry is off by even one pixel it throws the whole
meditation off, like an unbalanced engine.
The first year of the project saw the integration of the third generation of m1thr0s' Twin
Trees, (the Sephiroth and I Ching marriage) into Mutational Alchemy as well as the Tarot
itself. The Tarot was quite generative, it would produce many more such "babies" over
the course of its development including the Hidden Diamond Sutra which I will discuss a
little later on. We would often actually refer to it as a child, it was at times belligerent and
then surprising, taking on a life of its own. The first major union of Eastern and Western
magick was taking place in the formulas m1thr0s was laying out, and I was there to
witness it all. It all felt extraordinarily special, and not merely because I was in love with
the man. It was just fascinating watching all of the connections between wholly alien
systems come together so perfectly, without forcing things to fit arbitrarily. I am an
occultist first and foremost, and Mutational Alchemy was now my favorite branch of it.
The desire to see the great Eastern mysteries united harmoniously with the great Western
mysteries was quite pressing. Communist China had been trying to kill The Changes for
nearly a hundred years before then it had been fading into the backdrop and daytoday
drudgery. Western Mystery Schools fared little better they too had needed a renewal
and a period of vigor.
For me, and undoubtedly for m1thr0s, the greatest joy in life was witnessing the
unfolding of the characteristics of the Hexagrams, Trigrammaton and Tetragrammaton
within the beloved Tarot. It is an unprecedented marriage of Hexagrams to Sephiroth,
and all able to achieve mathematical perfection within the bounds of the Tarot!
The Twin Trees and the Twin Serpents mirrors were stunning in and of themselves, as
Mutational Alchemy tools and as art, but this deck gave a whole new dimension and
purpose to the work outside of alchemical projection, the prime vehicle for Mutational
Alchemy practice. Fortunetelling has often acted as the honeyed delivery system of major
Occult breakthroughs and secrets. I had been studying for eighteen years by the time I
came to The Abrahadabra Institute I was born into the occult, and my entire female line
was comprised of witches. In my opinion it is not possible, without some rare coin, to get
a finer education in the occult mysteries than I was offered by life: I knew I had struck
gold at Abrahadabra.com, like so many others tell m1thr0s and I today.
The deck's art, corners and the documentation on the corners was completed on time in
December 2013, but The Abrahadabra Institute did not have the means to publish it. Bob
Phillips, "MythMath" on Abrahadabra Forums, tired of waiting for the deck, offered to
publish it as a handmade item, having much experience doing so, and three published
decks were created. (These include the original purple mohawk Prince of Blades and
feature a grey swirl back) They were expensive, and printed on premium casino grade
poker paper. Furthermore the printer couldn’t handle centering the back image of the
card. m1thr0s didn’t want to go ahead with the printing at all if it couldn’t be done as he
envisioned it, but MythMath somehow convinced him to go ahead with it. I felt strongly
that people would need an affordable copy, I was not interested in creating an art
grimoire out of the reach of the people who might actually use it as it was meant to be
used.
Several publishers were contacted, but only one sent word back to us, and that was US
Games. They told us that their customers would be offended by the nudity, and that it
wouldn’t make any money. Llewellyn and others simply ignored our submission, which
we sent twice. I had to trust that there was a way forward. It must be self publishing, but
it was just too expensive. Finally in 2015 we were able to secure a loan for the business
and it was done.
Self publishing has many advantages The Abrahadabra Institute would own all the
copyrights and exclusive publishing rights, forever. And once I navigated the maze of the
publishing industry, I would know how to easily publish anything in the future, and I
could help guide others through the process as well. The Abrahadabra Institute would not
be required to give over its reins of sovereignty and command to anyone else, except in
adherence to The United States Government, which we love and cherish.
In many Tarot sets today the pictures chosen are chosen based on the artist's moods they
offer insight into the particular mind of an artist and perhaps an alternative view of the
classics. The Mutational Alchemy Tarot does something different in that it examines the
roots of the assumptions made within Tarot and changes them, based on knowledge, not
guesswork. Sometimes the knowledge is just someone else's guesswork, even though it
may have been passed down through quite a few generations. Just because it's old, doesn't
mean it's good or accurate.
this
Nothing in deck is chosen arbitrarily with one exception, that of certain
compositional choices and a few substitutes (ie a ladybug instead of another kind of
scarab, where any number of scarab species would have worked fine) and each element
was chosen based on tradition or some chart or color scale, drawn from m1thr0s's
immense storehouse of knowledge as well as presketch research through our library of
occult books. A few items in the thematic scenes which could go in many optional and
correct directions were finally decided based on the globallyathome standard we had set
for the final product. Both of m1thr0s and I have always been fundamentally global
syncretists and unapologetically treat the occult as a universal field with no regard for
national or genetic borders or purist and fundamentalist sensibilities that get in the way of
power and truth.
However, a standard has been adhered to with respect to authenticity, where we did seek
to stay close to the indigenous details, for example once an element was chosen, the color
scales of deities or their correct form was given much attention. Strong invocation
techniques were used during the painting, where ritual engaged a conversation with the
God before attempting union and then putting it down on the canvas, although much
discussion on a scholarly level took place and decisions about the best course of action
were already in place before attempting invocation.
Mutational Alchemy is at its heart a Tantric discipline. This means that it supports the
King King
. This is at the heart of all Tantric practice. It is not necessarily the same as a
was
worldly King or Queen with a court and all of that, although in antiquity it just that.
It means that there is a certain standard of rule that we adhere to and it is the rule of
higher intelligence, Abrasax (Abraxas) or the Adam Kadmon, the most primordial being.
Logos, Atman,
Tian
and
Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka all adequately infer this higher intelligence.
As the first Nu Aeon order to accept the Book of the Law, The Abrahadabra Institute and
Sinister Knowledge f
its members support the path of ully, and in fact it was born from
this current. Satanists are welcome here as well as other darker sects. The darkness is Yin
and TAI supports both male and female equally. The war was declared in 1904.
The
Abrahadabra Institute will make no apologies or concessions for anyone aligned to
organized religion who seeks to disrupt the higher conversation going on here or those
who will have nothing to do with Tantric practice as defined classically. Consensus
opinions have no place here, only reality and if that is not known, the traditional
knowledge. Revisionism is the bane of syncretism.
Izi Ningishzidda
Artist, The Mutational Alchemy Tarot
September 23rd 2015

Introduction
☵ ☲
RIGOROUS SPLENDOUR
The traditional charts of the Tarot against the Sephiroth, or, Tree of Life, were analyzed
at every step to make sure it agreed with the most current understanding in the occult. A
few major decisions had to be made in order to reconcile The Book of the Law with
AnkhefenKhonsu’s interpretation of the transmission.
Arrangements of the Hexagrams on the Tree of Life are precisely chosen according to a
strict rational ordering. Explanations for why this ordering has been devised can be
found all over
abrahadabra.com.
Traditional attributions have been used when appropriate and correct, and where those
things have changed or some items have been omitted, the reader may see exactly what
has changed. We did not change anything simply because we felt like it, or to be
different, but rather where both of us felt it was important that new knowledge be
accorded its proper place in the ongoing conversation of Tarot which necessarily takes
place in the medium itself, as it crawls along the course of centuries.
5Line Structures are known as Pentagrams, which appear at the top of every card with
16 Court Cards
the exception of the . Those with a partial understanding of line structures
may think that an error has been made but there is no error. There are exacty
32
Pentagrammal Structures 32 Paths of Wisdom
corresponding to the Tree of Life
in the so
it is very important to include them even though so little is known about them generally.
They were discovered by myself initially but most of the work of examining them
correctly and identifying their unique properties was done by m1thr0s.
A decision was made at the completion of the deck to name the Pentagrammal Structures
after the Hebrew names of the steps of creation. These are the intelligences of Berashith.
m1thr0s and I are both at least half Hebrew and cannot escape our genes.All in all this
decision should also serve to please that percentage of our audience who feels a close
kinship with the Torah. It is the only reference to post Babylonian monotheism (As
opposed to Hebrew magick predating the fall of Jerusalem) you will find in this deck. A
global deck would in fact be remiss to include at least some of the socalled Abrahamic
religions of the world, considering “Judaism” is the font of monotheism which is the
essence of the Tetractys as well. (The monad.)
It is important to note, since we are utilizing it to understand the Tarot, the
order of
creation order of the tree
in Berashith is not considered the , at least in Western Magickal
tradition, similarly how the order of the building of a structure is not the same as the
order through which one progresses through the structure when it is complete.
Also
noteworthy is that despite being chosen only through the natural mathematical order of
the Tetragrams and how they correspond to the ordering of creation, the intelligence and
line are stunningly well paired with the Pentagrams and cards. For example, Fortune
"Fulfilled Desire"!
corresponds to the intelligence of creation called Or if the translated
Berashith
Hebrew does not seem to make sense, the line from is stunningly insightful, for
example, the Star, when placed in its proper position according to the suggestion from the
Book of the Law
and the Pentagram being placed according to the Proximity Principal,
"Elohim said let there be Luminaries"!
the text just happens to be This is a natural
consequence of building a system on a very strong mathematical and geometric
foundation and is the essence of Mutational Alchemy which differentiates it from every
other occult or religious discipline on earth. It serves to offer recognition to those systems
which are complete, inherently built on some kind of rational principle, and deserving of
attention from occultists. At the same time it also validates our underlying suspicion as
occultists that the ancients did their work very diligently and created a system (Tarot)
based on astute observations of the natural world, from observing animals, to forays into
mathematics or geometry, recording patterns of behavior in people and in analyzing the
stars.
My only hope with this deck is that it will pave a clearer path towards starhood for
budding Mutational Alchemists. This deck is not for everyone. There isn’t a single
element in it that was bent to appease consensus occultism. I wish any purehearted
seeker lots of luck and love in their life, and inevitable starhood.
Right is Yang, Left is Yin: The Twin Trees
Watch Towers
Following the convention of the , the system of hexagrams being used in
this deck allows for 64 binary hexagrams repeated once: The first stemming from the
Heaven Descending
chronological arrangement with its double appearing via the
Earth
Ascending
arrangement. This allows us to get a grand total of 128 hexagrams in all, or 32
x 4. No hexagram appears more or less than twice, but since they are adhering to different
chronological alignments they will not always pair together in the same place. In cases
Reciprocal Inverses
like this we may refer to Reciprocal Echoes
and sometimes . These
terms allude to those hexagrams which appear in different places, sometimes in the same
tree and sometimes in the opposite tree.
Here we're going to splay out the guts of the Mutational Alchemy Tarot Engine. You may
want to skip this part unless you are interested in how the system works or want proof
that it is actually a logically tight and perfect system.
The charts on the following few pages define the number and kinds of pairs throughout
the Twin Trees systems.
There is a word that needs reiteration regarding the notion of chronology, as the
Mutational Alchemy system relies upon accurate chronological ordering of hexagrams. It
was Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz that first observed the binary ordering of the oldest
known arrangement (called the Early Heaven arrangement) The hexagrams can be
ordered numerous ways but I have opted for chronological ordering as it best coordinates
with the qabbalistic Tree of Life. Two chronological orderings are especially important:
The Heaven Descending and the Earth Ascending orders. In the Heaven Descending
arrangement the first hexagram is made up of 6 Yang lines (numerating 000000) and
progresses towards 6 Yin lines at the end (numerating 111111). In the Earth Ascending
arrangement the opposite occurs where Yins are counted as 0’s and Yangs as 1’s. The
pairing of these two great chronological arrangements is what gives us the balanced pairs
throughout the entire system. Of these, it is the Heaven Descending arrangement that
most closely resembles the chronology of the Tree of Life. Similarly, it is referred to as
the dominant where the Earth Ascending is the subdominant arrangement. While it has
become habit to always assign odds to Yangs and evens to Yins, with chronologies no
such rule actually exists. With respect to the binaries, whatever comes out first counts as
0 (or 0’s) and whatever comes out last counts as 1 (or 1’s). All other combinations fall
logically somewhere between the two polar ends. The numbers assigned to Mutational
Alchemy hexagrams are from the King Wen system as these are universally the most
recognized by a clear majority of readers.

Figure 1: The Twin Trees: Imperial Edition (Primordials Arrangement, first release)
Primordials
The first chart above (Figure 1) is the Primordials
. The are the set that are
this
found on Tarot deck. So in the Twin Trees system and in the single tree system, what
the hexagrams provide us with is a balance of opposites along all 32 Paths of Wisdom
within the Tree of Life. These are called the P'an Ku (Yangs)and Nu Kua (Yins)
Heaven Descending
arrangements respectively, aka the and
Earth Ascending
arrangements chronologically. Not only do they tell us which hexagrams correspond to
any given paths but they also tell us how to construct these paths tantrically for those who
have reached a more advanced level of Tree of Life mastery. References to
“hexagrammal fields” allude to this more advanced level, where the adage “0=2” serves
to remind us of the “alchemical levity” principle at work in the tantric construction
process.
These are the two prevailing chronologies
.
Primordials
The chart (Figure 1) is based on the strict chronological ordering of Heaven
Descending and Earth Ascending orders.
There is another tree arrangement which I will explain below.
on the Tree of Life
The arrangement of the hexagrams (Figure 1)
was created originally
by myself after many years of trial and error. One prior attempt was made at doing this
using the eight binary trigrams by Aleister Crowley. It was arbitrary and lacked the
perfection of mathematics which is fundamental to creating a rigorous and useful system
of magick which will stand up to the most demanding of scrutiny..
Crowley did not associate Qian with Kether, in the highest, a terrible mistake based on a
lack of understanding of Abrahadabra (not elucidated until I applied the Tree of Life to
the Abrahadabra Grid in the 1970's, published online in 2001) and a terrible
misunderstanding of the nature of the light of Kether in respect to the higher form, Ain
mezla
Soph Aur. Kether is NOT the Tao, in other words, and the light of the or *diamond
light* is NOT emanating directly from Kether. Kether is merely the channel through
which it flows.
The chronology is based on the mathematical ordering of the binary hexagrams, which is
inherent in their form and intrinsic to their natures. There are 64 of them and they come
down to us via the mythical Fu Hsi, after which countless Chinese, Japanese and Korean
scholars analyzed them for thousands of years. This span of time is often overlooked
when examining the occult work of the East. It underlines their immense importance to
royalty, sages and scholars. It’s recorded that Emperors of Chung Kuo would have a
reading every morning before attending to the affairs of the country, the reliability of the
so
wisdom of the oracle was so revered. Japan or Nippon, was enamored with them, and
so caught up in nationalistic pride, that fierce arguments were put forward that the
Hexagrams MUST have originated in Nippon originally! (Which isn't true, by the way.)
Who can blame them. The binary hexagrams and the lesser known but equally important
trinary hexagrams are a major part of the crowning achievement of Eastern magick and
yes, science and mathematics. Today the I Ching lies face down in the dirt, forgotten and
derided under the communist regime. It is probably one of the holiest records of universal
truth regarded by The Abrahadabra Institute.
Sephiroth
The ordering of these hexagrams was applied to the of ancient Israeli,
Proximity Principle,
specifically Tribe of Judah Kabbalah according to the a system of
rational ordering identified in about 1996. Though the search continues, there has yet to
appear any mention of its property prior to this more recent discovery. The Proximity
Principle organizes paths according to their numerical proximity to Sepheroth staring
from 1 advancing systematically all the way to 10 with paths 1132 emanating logically
from lesser to greater numerical distances. While there is some indication that the paths
may have been organized this way at some unknown past, it is not until the emergence of
this deck that paths are meticulously adhering to this underlying principle from beginning
to end.
(Note: It is the opinion of The Abrahadabra Institute that the Sephiroth, or Tree of Life
had prototypes stretching back to Sumer, due to the archaeological evidence surrounding
it. No prototypes of the tree can be found in Egypt, so the claim that it came from
there
via the Hebrew people is probably a myth. It would be much more likely to have
after
originated from within the tribes they arrived in Israel, even though it is clear the
Egyptians and Sumerian immigrants, Abraham’s children, would have been trading ideas
final
in a friendlier political climes. Many interesting trees resembling the Sephiroth can
be found in Mesopotamia. This is part of an ongoing study my wife and I have
undertaken, in order to get to the bottom of baseless assertions people have brought to me
known fact
insisting the Tree originates from Egypt. I have seen people quoting this as a ,
but any actual evidence supporting the assertion is not found in any reputable book on
archaeology or anthropology, or religious study to date.)
In turn, the anatomical body parts of the Tarot were analyzed according to their
fundamental numerical and elemental properties. It was found that the 64 Hexagrams of
Ancient China, already a perfect marriage with Ancient Israel's Sephiroth or Tree of Life,
arranged excellently into the Tarot using the paths of the Sephiroth and Tetragrammaton
itself.
(Figure 2B)
The Temporals Arrangement in the second chart not
is present in this deck
but is included for academic reference. It applies the balanced hexagrams to the Sephiroth
and come out first. As a matter of divination a conscious choice towards the Primordials
Arrangement was opted for as opposing the Temporals Arrangement which is better
suited to the more advanced business of emulating the hexagrammal fields tantrically. In
any case the very serious student will want to consider BOTH arrangements. Even so,
experience has shown that divination is a very intuitive art that utilizes technical
information more as a general guidelines than an absolute or empirical credence.
Both arrangements are chronological, but in the Temporals the balanced pairs are
extrapolated first and applied to the Sephiroth in chronological order. (e.g 1112 are the
first balanced pairs and so, they are applied to the tree first in the Temporals
arrangement) A balanced hexagram always has three Yang and Three Yin lines in any
order. All other hexagrams are classified as imbalanced regardless of their importance.
The red highlighted hexagrams below (Figure 2A and Figure 2B) are paired against
eight
themselves. There are of these special pairs.
These are not to be confused with the "double" Hexagram graced ATU, of which there
six
are . (The Magus, The Priestess, Strength, Justice, The Devil and The Aeon all have
two pairs of duplicate hexagrammal structures in their elemental corners.) The corners
come from both sides of the tree on each ATU, depending on where that ATU resides on
the tree.
For example, The Hierophant is between Chokmah and Tiphareth on path 6. So it gets
two Hexagrams from the Yang or Right side of the Twin Trees off of path 6, and two
Hexagrams from the Yin or left side of the Twin Trees. The Yin Hexagrams are applied
to the Yin Elements, Earth and Water. The Yang Hexagrams are applied to the Yang
Elements. The Mother has given up her sons to the Father and the Father has given up his
daughters to the Mother.
The blue Hexagrams pair onto to the same side of the tree, for example, 1413 only
shows up on the Yang or Right side of the tree, but twice. It is not present on the Yin
side. There are 12 instances of this occurring, counting the duplications which swap
sides. (ie, 3231 will show up in the same tree as 3132.)
Hexagrams noted with an asterisk (in the charts below) signify balanced hexagrams. A
balanced hexagram ALWAYS has 3 Yin and 3 Yang lines in one of all possible
combinations. That there happens to be 20 of 64 balanced hexagrams (or 10 perfect pairs)
is a mathematical miracle of its own kind since there exists no better way of
distinguishing 10 of 32 “special” epicenters than according to this miraculous anomaly.

Figure 2A: The PRIMORDIAL arrangement used in The Mutational Alchemy Tarot

Figure 2B: The Temporals arrangement provided for reference. NOT used in The Mutational
Alchemy Deck. :)
Figure 3: The Tree of Life structure of The Mutational Alchemy Tarot (Not identical to the THOTH or
Golden Dawn)

Figure 4A: The Balanced Primordials Arrangement
You'll need a copy of the I Ching to utilize this chart as the numbers correspond to
Hexagrams 164.
You are looking at the TwinTrees method of connecting Hexagrams to the qabbalistic
Tree of Life. The blue boxes tell us the whereabouts of the Balanced hexagrammal pairs.
A Hexagram is considered to be balanced if it has the same number of yin lines and yang
lines always 3 of each in any order. It is a quirk of mathematics that we get exactly 20
of 64 hexagrams which are balanced. It is hard to convey what an amazing discovery that
is to a qabbalist as these 10 pairs CAN be aligned to the ten Sephiroth. This validates the
doctrine of the Sephiroth rendering them special in some way.
We have to break our chronology to achieve this and that's where the Temporals
arrangement comes into view. The Temporals allow for this *Division* where the
Primordials do not. In the Primordials, The Heaven Descending arrangement is married
to the Earth Ascending arrangement and the pairs just naturally unfold from there...no
special emphasis on the 10 sephiroth.
first
In the Temporals an allowance is made where the 10 Sephiroth are numerated and
then the 22 paths unfold. The 10 sephiroth are all balanced pairs and the 22 paths are all
unbalanced. We still have operational chronologies but they are staggered, not unlike
extrapolating Primes in chronological order. This staggering gives us a division between
balanced and unbalanced pairs or then Sephiroth and paths accordingly. This is a very
important discovery if perhaps a little technical.

Figure 4B: The Balanced Temporals Arrangement.
This image in 4B, The Twin Trees Temporals, is what we get when we extrapolate the
balanced pairs and align them to the 10 sephiroth. With respect to tantric applications I
am of the opinion that this is a much stronger way of approaching the Tree...that it is
*closer* to us in general proximity and thus more likely to produce the kinds of tantric
results we may be after. The Mutational Alchemy Tarot inspired the discovery of the
Temporals, but the art was modelled after the Primordials. Thus the Primordials will
undoubtedly have a more ethereal, lofty and ancient feel to them than any Temporals
deck that The Abrahadabra Institute might produce.
single
A handful of Tree arrangements, some handmade on graph paper from the 70’s
and some digital copies from the turn of the 21st century, with the full gamut of the 64
Hexagrams on them exist in the archive of The Abrahadabra Institute. We will not show
or discuss them here, in this particular book, so as not to confuse anyone further.
The Da'ath Hack: The Hidden Diamond Sutra
The Hidden Diamond features prominently in The Mutational Alchemy Tarot. Why? The
short answer, is that the sixteen hidden paths of the tree of life also known as The Hidden
Diamond Sutra, have a direct correlation to the sixteen court cards of the tarot. Also, the
sixteen binary tetragrams are represented in the sixteen hidden paths.
We were having an open discussion about the Tree of Life in general, in the Mutational
Alchemy Tarot building thread, on Abrahadabra Forums. Someone raised the question as
to the hidden path’s relevance to the discussion. As is the usual routine, the information
was brought to me and I analyzed it and recognized that the Hidden Paths in general was
an area that needed much deeper investigation. Kenneth Grant has his nightside tree,
which is quite different. Aleister Crowley has the inverse or reversed Tree of Life, which
is also quite different.
(
The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of
Thelema, Lon Duquette, 2003 page 90)So don’t mistake it for that. I was surprised no one

had looked into the Hidden Paths before and I still am. It’s been years since this
discussion went down in 2007 and I haven't heard a peep from anybody about the Hidden
Paths. There will be at least a chapter in the upcoming Book of Mirrors about the Hidden
Diamond Sutra for those who want to learn about it, although students who purchased the
Symposium series guidebook by me when it was still in print have the most complete
information on hand that there is so far. The data just hasn’t come in on it to say much
more than what one can do with it, although reports from various Abrahadabrites indicate
that it is preeminently sinister, a Satanic tree if there ever could be one. I named it The
Hidden Diamond because of the way it looks it has a diamond like appearance. I call it a
sutra because of its application. It’s a tantric visualization device. You’ll find it on each
of the aces, which is purely an intuitive call. I felt that their overall import matched the
concept of the aces.

Major Arcana (Aat/Atu)
☵ ☲
Atu 0: The Fool
Letter: ‫א‬ Aleph (A)
Number: 1, 1000
F
Proximity: Sephira #1 (Kether) to Sephira #2 (Chokmah)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #11 "Scintillating": 離
Air of (Li) The Clinging, Fire (Above/Below),
坎
Fire of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Without/Within)
Berashith: "Elohim called the Dry Land Earth"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right)Fire:
Hex #37: (Chia Jên) The Family / Clan
家人
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #38:
睽
(K’uei) Opposition
(Upper left) Water:
Hex #39:
蹇
(Chien) Obstruction
(Lower right) Earth: 解
Hex #40: (Hsieh) Deliverance
Keywords (Dignified):
Adventurous, Gayness, Beginnings, Fertility, Abundance,
Charisma, Energy, Synchronicity, Divine Madness, Youthful, Innocence, Joyousness,
Ecstasy, Optimistic, Lucky, Levity, Exhibitionism, Indiscretion, Reluctance to listen to
wisdom, Undisciplined
Keywords (IllDignified):
Bad decision, Impulsive, Naivety leading to destruction,
Unrealistic, Flighty, Maniacal, Impervious, Irresponsible, Oblivious, Disconnected,
Dismissive, Indecisive, Hesitant, Apathy, Failure to diligently proceed, ignoring
opportunities
Interpretations
Historical:
The physical positioning of the Fool card in the Tree of Life has been a
matter of much dispute, owing chiefly to the fact that the Fool was a *wild card* in the
original gaming decks as they spread across Europe. Only when it began being used as a
divination tool did the question of its placement become a question of some concern.
Some decks place it at the beginning, others at the end, and still others at one or another
places inbetween. Following its natural chronological value in the real numbers system,
it should always come at the beginning. This is the standard adopted by the Golden
Dawn, carried on in The Book of Thoth and confirmed in the Mutational Alchemy Tarot
Deck, where chronology is attended to with much greater precision than ever before.
Although quite a few of the ATU characters carry a staff, the Fool will traditionally be
using his to carry his belongings off to the right of the card towards the Future. An animal
is present behind the Fool. Cats, wolves, dogs and crocodiles are all popularly used.
Golden Dawn: The Spirit of Ether)
Called The Foolish Man ( , the Fool card corresponds
to elemental Air and the planetary Pluto and places between Sephira #1 (Kether) and
Sephira #2 (Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system. The emphasis is that of a young man
embarking on a journey, short on material resources but long on charisma, full of wonder
and innocence. It is typically linked to Idea, Thought, Spirituality and Energetic
Initiative.
A brilliant sun and flowers indicate Spring. Roses of no particular color figure
prominently. If depicted, the cliff is over a watery abyss, in which swims a crocodile. It
may not be depicted in some Golden Dawn decks. The wolf, representing Fool's
controlled baser animal nature. is also present behind the Fool. It is OK to substitute other
wild animals for the wolf, and some GD decks such as the RiderWaite, use a dog, and
sometimes the Fool is a baby. These symbols are consistently seen across the vast array
of Golden Dawn tarots that came out of the organization.
Thoth:
In Thoth we find a much more expansive definition of the Fool as a preeminent
force of Nature itself. Here the Fool is seen as the vehicle of manifestation stemming
from Crown in the Above and culminating in the Universe card Below. It is linked to the
Spirit of Springtime where everything is fresh and new – seemingly appearing as if from
nowhere and nothing at all – filling the great cauldron of Life with infinite possibilities.
Its archetype shifts from innocent vagabond to that of Dionysius, Bacchus, the Green
Man of Spring and similar archetypal forms. A tiger is used as the animal symbol which
bites into him. The crocodile is also present.
Mutational Alchemy:
Like Thoth, Mutational Alchemy is interested in the Fool as the
great Alpha of physical manifestation. There are very clear qabbalistic similarities to the
*Adam Kadmon* (the primordial *First Man*) stepping forward from the alchemical
*Prima Materia*, or *First Matter*, from which all other divisions, layers, and
dimensions unfold. In the Fool we find an embodied example of the possibilities of
existence – a state of Mind and Matter above the fray and unencumbered by the shackles
of Restriction. In the Fool life is a great adventure and existence is pure Joy and perfect
Freedom.
The Proximity Principle validates the Fool’s positioning between Sephiroth One (Kether,
Crown) and Two (Chokmah, Wisdom). Its elemental hexagrams tell an amazingly
complex story of Love and Danger – of Struggle and Victory against all worldly odds. It
is important to note that the Fool is alchemically linked to the Fortune card, which carries
the same hexagrams in Reciprocal Inverse order. Distilling its four hexagrams down to
their Bigrammal components reveals a preponderance of both Air and Earth elements,
numbering 4 of each in total. In the Four Bigrams, Air and Earth correspond to Son and
Daughter which positions them hierarchically in the relationship of Microcosm.
Microcosm’s overwhelming *aspiration* is to Macrocosm in the Above, so here we see a
very unexpected circumstance where the Fool (which is already at Apex in the Above) is
clothed in the inertia of profound Ascension.
It carries Pentagram #11 at helm, reading *Air of Li* in the Above/Below position and
*Fire of K’an* in the Without/Within position. Li and K’an traditionally correspond to
the elements of Fire and Water, respectively. It is perhaps most interesting in this case
that K’an (the Abysmal, Water) is carried internally as this may tell us something about
the nature of the Fool’s assorted struggles and conflicts, which would seem to have no
other apparent source so much as K’an within. K’an also appears twice in the corner
Hexagrams along the Yin (leftslant) diagonal axis.
We may assert with a degree of confidence that while the Fool is cloaked outwardly in an
abundance of Fire and Air, it is nevertheless internally preoccupied with Earth and Water,
and *troubled* waters in particular. Water typically links to Emotions, but is also the
province of Saturn wherein we come ‘round to the notion of Universal Law and laws.
The Fool, in that case, is in many respects a kind of standard of future Civilization itself.
His *journey* is ultimately no different than the journey that Humankind is on.
The Scene: no accident)
Possibly the most Homosexual card in the deck, ( , The Fool’s
journey throughout the Tree of Life is no minor walk in the park. A primordial superman
in his own right, he is like Enkidu (the heroic character from Sumerian mythology) not
yet having achieved perfect understanding, but powerful to action and perfectly joined
with Nature, the Queen of Infinite Space who is his secret protector, and parent, Lady
Luck. The Fool is at the brink of a cliff overlooking the Tree, symbolic of the Great
Division between the Supernals and Infernals within the Tree of Life itself. He is poised,
about to take the plunge into *life beneath the waters*, as the Infernals are often called.
Perfectly protected by his/her natural synergy. Note also however, as a serpent, he is
moving both left and right towards Past and Future but firmly grounded in the Present
with a strong descending action.
The iconography of the feathered serpent in mythology represents the deity who has
powers over heaven and the underworld – a marriage of the chthonic and sky gods in one.
Such representations of a serpent combined with the heavenly powers of birds were not
confined to Mesoamerican belief. The Sumerian deity Ningishzidda is also depicted in
combination with winged djinn.
The jaguar here is like the fool’s lion or dog (sometimes a crocodile) depicted biting the
ankle of the fool, traditional in older tarot and still present, but in the form of the jaguar.
In the jaguar’s land of origin it was admired simply for what it was, a great hunter and
fighter. Here it represents the yin principle whereas the feathered serpent represents the
yang. The crocodile is inferred by the mythology of the characters themselves. Cipactli
shows up later on The Hanged Man as well, where Tezcatlipoca is in his human form.
Kukulkan and Tezcatlipoca weave a colorful tapestry of creation, drama, magick and
mystery in the Fool card. Cocreators and rivals in the Aztec pantheon. Kukulkan is
typical of the horned and feathered serpent gods of the American continents, with his
primary function being that of the fertile male deity, Lord of Light, benevolent, with a
warmer character than his brother Tezcatlipoca (literally “smoking mirror”) who has grim
stories and gruesome ritual iconography associated with him. Tezcatlipoca is identified
with the jaguar, one of the denizens of the jungles of Central and South America.
Tezcatlipoca is known as “the sacrificed one” and he is depicted more than once in our
deck’s journey. The Egyptian stargoddess Nuit is also identified here as the purple
miasma with star substrate and in the spots of the leopard’s coat. An atypical fool (but a
fool nonetheless!), Kukulkan dives into creation with reckless abandon characteristic of a
fertile creator, Tezcatlipoca stands in as the aspect of nature nipping at his heel (or in this
case, tail) representing the love that creation itself bears the Fool through instinctual
urges.
Atu I: The Magus
Letter: ‫ב‬ Beth (B)
Number: 2
Proximity: Sephira #1 (Kether) to Sephira #3 (Binah)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #12 "Transparent": 艮
Air of (Kên) Keeping Still, Mountain (Above/Below),
坎
Air of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"And Elohim saw that it was good"
Corner Hexagrams:

(Upper right)Fire: 漸
Hex #53: (Chien) Development (Gradual Progress)
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #54: (Kuei Mei) The Marrying Maiden
歸妹
(Upper left) Water: 漸
Hex #53: (Chien) Development (Gradual Progress)

(Lower right) Earth:
Hex #54: (Kuei
歸妹
Mei) The Marrying Maiden
Adaptation, Attunement, Focused Intent, Lucidity, Distillation,
Synthesis, Universalism, Empathic, Conceptual, Transformative, Masterful,
Communicative, Responsible, Illuminating, Inspirational, Transmission, Messenger
Punitive, Puritanical, Stern, Impassionate, Aloof, Narcissistic,
Rash, Unrealistic, Flighty, Obstinate.
Interpretations
Historical:
The Magus carries all of the traditional emblems of magickal power on older
decks. Usually a man, he carries the wand, the cup, the disk, the athame or sword. These
are the symbols of the elements later found in the small cards or elemental suites. The
infinity symbol is also present in crown since the most venerable decks were first printed.
A scroll is sometimes placed in his upraised hand symbolizing the written word and
teachings. Sometimes bread is present. On occasion a crown especially of gold graces his
forehead.
Golden Dawn: (The Magus of Power)
Called The Magician , the Magician card
corresponds to the planetary Mercury and places between Sephira #1 (Kether) and
Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system. This card usually depicts a mature man
dressed in traditional western magickal garb surrounded with the implements of his craft:
the wand (fire), the sword (air), the cup (water), the disk (earth) as well as some symbol
representative of spirit, or aether (usually the lemniscate, or infinity symbol). About his
waist he carries the Ouroboros serpent as a belt, symbolic of the alchemical Great Work
attained. In a few decks we see him portrayed as *the juggler* but this portrayal has
mostly vanished from popular decks of today. It generally alludes to his capacity to
juggle Mind & Matter together in perfect equilibrium but derives from older playing
decks associated to stage magic.
Thoth:
The Book of Thoth focuses more on the alchemical association of Mercury and
the ways in which this plays out in the inner workings of the Magus. Mercury is all about
Energy as well as the idea of Focused Energy and therefore Will. Mercury is also a
highly volatile, but transmutable element commonly associated to exceptional receptivity
and adaptation to Change. It corresponds to the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet,
called Beth, the meaning of which is House, thus alluding to the *house of god* or (more
accurately) the Supernals within the Tree of Life taken together as one. It positions
between Kether (Crown) and Binah (Understanding), leaning towards the Mother, where
the Fool leans towards the Father.
Mutational Alchemy:
The Magus path is one of only 6 Atu paths whose Reciprocal
Inverse is itself, comprised of hexagrams 53 and 54 on both sides of the TwinTrees
chronological arrangement.
Only two other similar coordinates exist in the form of Sephiroth in the Tree of Life.
Hexagrams 53 (Development) and 54 (Marrying Maiden) both address the principle of
Marriage in the I Ching. While the I Ching confines itself to marriage within society, the
larger conversation of the marriage of similars and opposites across all of Nature is taken
up in the Magus.
As with the old books, the Magus is the standard bearer for the assimilation and
pragmatic application of esoteric principles of Unity leading to the Supreme Attainment
of the marriage between Lesser and Higher Self in perfect balance with Universe, and
Universal Nature. In the Magus we see a depiction of one who has not only achieved
these aims for himself, but is tirelessly committed to making that same attainment
possible for all Sentient Beings.
The development and dissemination of one’s own magickal *Word* or *Law* is
expressed here. People powerfully drawn to this card will tend to be seekers of truth,
regardless whether this may manifest through art or science or some other material
modality.
The idea of physical and spiritual *Perfection* is embedded in the Magus, alongside the
notion that everyone is ultimately capable of rising above their stations and achieving this
exalted status.
The Scene:
KhnumRa, called by the ancient Egyptians "Father of Fathers", is the third
aspect of Ra, his evening manifestation or his "BA" that part of a being that is entirely
spiritual and winged in symbology.
Although it may not be apparent why he was chosen by m1thr0s for this station,
considering the baser depictions of the Magus in prior decks as the "Carnival" Magician
or Juggler, there is an explanation. One of the things not readily apparent about the
is
Magus, him being overshadowed by the Emperor and the various Kings is that he like
Khnum, the Father of Fathers, in reality.
All masculine aspects, The Hermit, The Devil, The Emperor, The Kings and Princes, Sun
and Hanged Man are part of the Magus's immense being. As controller of the Nile, life
itself to the ancient Egyptians, he controlled the flux and flow of life and death. So it is
without a doubt that the great magician father god, Ra, in his aspect as the source of
eternal renewal of life makes for the most appropriate Magus.
Witness his green skin, traditional in the iconography, the essence of the verdant life
giving growth spawned by the Nile. With certainty and confidence he is asking his
children to ascend ever upwards towards Completion.
The infinity symbol, or moebius, has been omitted, considering that it would be a
redundant symbol of the fluid and giving waters of infinite life and creation that Khnum
has absolute authority over.
His consort, Satis, is equated to the Eye of Ra like a few other important goddesses. It is
through Satet and his daughter Anuket that the flood occurs each year, fertilizing the
plain.
The Magus represents the power and authority of God. As the life giving source of the
waters of the Nile, Khnum as well exemplifies the source of the Magus's divine powers.
The two royal cobras, or Wadjet, represent the perfect synthesis of male and female
energy at the disposal of Khnum as well as his divine potency. The celebration of Wadjet
the sacred cobra goddess was held at December 25th of every year, when the Sun was at
its farthest point. This pairs with the function of Khnum as the third aspect of Ra, that of
the setting sun. It is in the nighttime that magick becomes most potent and sundown is the
gateway to mystery.
Atu II: The Priestess
Letter: ‫ג‬ Ghimel (G)
Number: 3
Proximity: Sephira #1 (Kether) to Sephira #6 (Tiphareth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #13 "Unifying": 兌
Air of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake (Above/Below),
震
Fire of (Chen) The Arousing, Thunder (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Let the Earth be vegetated"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right)Fire:
Hex #61: (Chung Fu) Inner Truth
中孚
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #61: (Chung Fu) Inner Truth
中孚
(Upper left) Water:
Hex #62: (Hsiao Kuo) Preponderance of the Small
小過
Hex #62: (Hsiao Kuo) Preponderance of the Small
小過
Intuitive, Empathic, Psychic, Visionary, Devoted, Articulate,
Coordinated, Mystical, Unconventional, Adaptive, Psychic, InnerTruth, HigherSelf,
Gnosis, Sophia, Contemplative, Artistic, Sensual, Spiritual, Apparently Emotionless ,
Talkative, Teacher, Penetration
Ignorance, Intolerance, ShortSightedness, Lack of
Understanding, Lackadaisical, Unfocused, Selfishness, Improper Judgement,
Shallowness, Lack of understanding, Conceit
Interpretations
Historical:
The Priestess is a straightforward character. The first strictly feminine card in
the tarot, she is important. Receptivity is her main power. She also has the power of
casting the net across the entire universe which serves to collect all spirit back into
crown. The pillars are blatantly symbolic of the vaginal canal and no attempt has been
made to hide the labiaesque folds of her robes in most decks. Few attempts have been
made to point this out but it is there nonetheless. The peacock is occasionally assigned to
her, presumably due to its manifold allseeing eyes or simply for its haunting call and
often she is given a masculine face. She is called the Popess in older decks or the Papess,
and her connection to Pope Joan is often cited as the source of her status. Often a crescent
moon is depicted.
Golden Dawn: (The Priestess of the Silver Star)
Called The High Priestess , the High
Priestess card corresponds to the planetary Moon and places between Sephira #1 (Kether)
and Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system. She is depicted as a young
woman crowned and enthroned between two pillars, bathed in moonlight, reading a book
said to contain the great timeless secrets of feminine power and magick. Sometimes
called the Popess, other times depicted as Persephone, her power is generally defined as
Shekhinah
*lunar* and *chthonic*. She has been defined as a form of the (in Hebrew
Sophia
traditions) and the (in Hellenistic practice).
Thoth:
The Book of Thoth emphasizes her Lunar characteristics, defining her as
representing the Moon in its *highest aspects*. Attention is drawn to her positioning in
the Tree of Life, which is especially dynamic, linking 6 (Tiphareth, Sol, Beauty) and 1
(Kether, Crown) along the Middle Pillar as well as forming the vertical half of the *Cave
of the Ancients* along with the Empress whose horizontal path intersects hers at the base
of the Supernals – anatomically associated to the *Third Eye* region of the body, also
called the Pineal Eye or Pineal Body.
Mutational Alchemy:
As with the Magus, The Priestess’ Reciprocal Inverse path is
itself, making it especially *internal* and selfcontained. Its linkage with I Ching is
remarkably stunning, since it carries Hexagrams 61 (Inner Truth, or Chung/Kung Fu) and
62 (Preponderance of the Small), denoting its macrocosmic spirituality aimed devotedly
at microcosm. We have adapted a more shamanic imagery also more resembling the
Shakti principle in East Indian traditions. Her relationship to Sound and the Spiral energy
of Crown (loosely called Mezla) remain the same as indeed all her usual aspects remain
intact in the new. Instead of an enigmatic Book of Secrets, she carries a flaming TwinStar
that extends to all regions of time and space facilitating her work and influence with
greater vigor and force. Since she is taxed with the job of collecting all life below the
Abyss and returning it to source, her energetic netting has been upgraded to make that job
more doable. We have left off her more Eurocentric characteristics seeking instead to
capture her more universal qualities.
The Scene:
The Priestess is a dual character with two primary capacities – that of the
totality of the Yin (Receptive, Kun) principal, just as the Magus represents the totality of
Yang. They are consorts.
She is dangerous and receptive, splendid and horrific. She is second only to the Magician
and The Fool and the first manifest feminine archetype in the deck. She has the potential
of all the following feminine archetypes in the Major Arcana, including The Empress and
World/Universe.
The TwinStar is depicted in its visually unbridled form, with electrically charged lines
extending out into infinity.
The animal forms in the fire are representative of beastly and sentient elemental forms,
bison for earth, serpent for water, tiger for fire, raven for air, indicating her ability to
communicate with elementals as one human speaks to another. (And this can be said to
be a simple act for any priestess in the occult as well)
Even though Shakti is pure, raw power, with Siva, the masculine principle acting as a
kind of superintelligent conduit to route that power, The Priestess has traditionally been
assigned the station of guardian of arcane mysteries and knowledge. Here too, she is
exercising her force as Maya, who decides who will wake up, and when. This power
ensures that those who are serious about the occult had better be sure to pay respect to the
divine feminine and not just the divine masculine. He supports her fully in every way as
The Priestess represents the purest most elevated form of goddess.
Atu III: The Empress
Letter: ‫ד‬ Daleth (D)
Number: 4
Proximity: Sephira #2 (Chokmah) to Sephira #3 (Binah)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #14 "Luminous": 坎
Air of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Above/Below),
震
Air of (Chen) The Arousing, Thunder (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim saw that it was good"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 渙
Hex #59: (Huan) Dispersion / Dissolution

(Lower left) Air: 節
Hex #60: (Chieh) Limitation

(Upper left) Water: 旅
Hex #56: (Lü) The Wanderer
(Lower right) Earth: 豐
Hex #55: (Fêng) Abundance
Nurturing, Maternal, Educational, Domestic, Protective,
Managerial, Economical, Defiant, Aristocratic, Patient, Determined, Abundant,
Benevolent, Loyal, Sensuous, Militant, Fertile, Ecological, Loving
Lethargic, Disengaged, Vacillating, Controlling, Punitive,
Instigative, Venomous.
Interpretations
Historical:
Usually associated to Venus, we find various references to Demeter and/or
other goddesses of Abundance. Her importance seems to have been falsely deprecated by
those failing to grasp the ground she walks on, which is the very foundation of the
Supernals themselves within the Tree of Life. Thus she has been both maligned and
poorly defined, historically.
Golden Dawn: (Daughter of the Mighty Ones)
Called the Empress , the Empress card
corresponds to the planetary Venus and places between Sephira #2 (Chokmah) and
Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system. She is often referred to as *sister* to the
Priestess, dressed in fine apparel with very few adornments aside from those depicting
her royal stature.
Thoth:
Crowley persists with this passivepigeon interpretation linking her to the
alchemical element of Salt and extolling her as the *inactive principle in Nature* which
only speaks to his habitual misogyny and relative ignorance with respect to the actual
workings of Nature.
Mutational Alchemy:
Fortunately, the hexagrams have more to say regarding the
Empress. Indeed, we do get Hexagram #55 (Abundance) in the Earth corner but most
telling of all is Hexagram #59 (Dissolution, Dispersion) in the position of Fire! Balancing
this we get Hexagram #60 (Limitation) in Air…thus revealing a hidden
Lawgiver/Warrior aspect of the Empress roughly anticipated in the East but stupidly
denied her in the West.
Upon her royal shield she carries the emblem of the FirePhoenix which bears the
mathematical symmetry of the Tetractys TwinStar: begrudgingly acknowledged but
never clearly apprehended in Western Mystery traditions until Mutational Alchemy.
If we consider that her Reciprocal Inverse is the Hermit card, we may be able to better
appreciate that her true strengths have been mysteriously *cloaked* until such time as
these attributions might finally be revealed to the persistent.
Accordingly, we have dispensed with her *Queen Jane* façade and opted instead for an
image of Tiamat herself as is more befitting her actual positioning in the Tree of Life in
this immediate timeframe. In doing this we are retaining her *salt* principle intact, since
Tiamat is representative of *bitter waters* (e.g., saltwater) in Sumerian cosmology.
Stemming directly off of Binah, called *the Great Black Mother* in the East, we should
prefer to be among the very last of all conceivable buffoons to miscategorize her as a
*passive* anything!
Where the helpless wailing, bovine Isis may have played some essential role in bygone
eras, it is even more essential that we move on from that failed standard of corruptible
and inept nobility approaching future.
Where it is true that the Queen of Heaven nurtures all manifest sentiency, there is no
sustainable justification for regarding this as some sort of inherent docility on her part.
Our failure to apprehend the more proactive aspects of the Empress is equaled only by
our failure to apprehend the more proactive aspects of the Emperor, the combination of
which has left us with a broken standard of sovereignity both esoterically and
exoterically.
Finally the Hebrew phrase to the Intelligence of *Luminous* of this card's ruling
pentagram corresponds to a blessing, repeated several times through the steps of creation.
So it is assumed naturally that mothers and female rulers are a kind of blessing.
The Scene:
A bejeweled fusion of Tiamat, Venus and Parvati is depicted here in this
allegorical piece.
Eros nurses at her breast while the unnamed archetypal god of war and vengeance,
practices crushing universes in his fist as a child of darkness. The triune serpent (symbol
of the energized force of Ananta) glows above this child, indicating him as a Crown
Prince of the highest order. A normal human girl child is clutched in the Empress’s tail,
indicating the potential of macrocosmic nature to flow down to the lowest particle of
matter. She carries the alchemical twin phoenix standard that the Emperor also carries as
his shield crest. This is recognized in Mutational Alchemy as an organic representation of
the TwinStar principle. In some Tarot decks, the phoenix is treated as a messenger that
acts as a communication line between the Empress and the Emperor, as they conduct the
business of heaven and earth.
Mount Kailash, the abode of Maha Siva and Parvati (“Daughter of the Mountain”) is seen
in the background. Crowley misidentifies her as the “Daughter of Zeus”, yet the Empress
is as dissimilar to Zeus as the Titans would be. Turning to Sumerian mythology, we find
that “chaos monsters” like Tiamat can be “killed” repeatedly, but they can never actually
die. They are primordial fountains of life, even if dangerous and unpredictable to the
more murderous soldier/merchant classes who betray their own inherent royalty along
with hers. Tiamat is nurturing and capable, fiercely protective and warlike, when the
matter turns to the protection of her realm. As nurturant mother she is responsible for
saving the gods (her children) from Abzu’s wrath in the creation mythos, but is also the
instrument of their punishment when they plot to murder Abzu.
She also represents Bhuvaneshwari in eastIndian traditions, the fourth Mahavidya whose
bija is “Hrim”. She is the creator of good and the destroyer of evil. She is considered the
mother of Lakshmi, Kali, Saraswati and Gayatri. She embodies the physical cosmos
itself. The flowers at her feet carry a host of meanings. Flax, a very pretty blue flowering
plant used to produce linen, representing the domestic sphere; the orchid, a symbol of
many children, snapdragons, called “the gracious lady” also representing strength, moss,
representing charity, and lungwort, from the Victorian era equivalent to saying (in the
giving of it) “thou art my life”.
Atu IV: The Star
Letter: ‫ה‬ Hé (H, E)
Number: 5
Proximity: Sephira #2 (Chokmah) to Sephira #4 (Chesed)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #15 "Constituting": 震
Air of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder (Above/Below)
坤
Fire of (Kun) The Receptive, Earth (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim said let there be luminaries"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 益
Hex #42: (I) Increase

(Lower left) Air: 損
Hex #41: (Sun) Decrease
(Upper left) Water: 咸
Hex #31: (Hsien) Influence / Wooing
(Lower right) Earth: 恆
Hex #32: (Hêng) Duration
Illuminating, Beneficent, Inspirational, Beautiful, Charismatic,
Enduring, Optimistic, Clarifying, Ennobling, Empowering, Uplifting, Transplendent,
Nurturing, Aspiring, Harmonious, Conscious
Misfortune, Despair, Disappointment, Pessimism, Fatalism,
Broken Dreams.
Interpretations
Historical:
The Star card is one of several paths that have been positioned incorrectly
according to the Proximity Principle of Mutational Alchemy.
In the Golden Dawn system it is usually placed between Sephira #7 (Netzach) and
Sephira #9 (Yesod) and is assigned the Hebrew letter/number Tzaddi (90).
It gets moved several times. The Book of the Law, (Liber Al Vel Legis) stated in 1904,
"All these old letters of my Book are aright; but [Tzaddi] is not the Star. This also is
secret: my prophet shall reveal it to the wise."
Crowley responded by switching the Hebrew letters, but he didn't change the ATU
numeration. He also switched its positioning on the tree with the Star but again, didn't
change the ATU numeration.
The Star with the correct letter, He, should logically correspond to the 5 Proximity
th
Principal path between Sephira #2 (Chokmah) and Sephira #4 (Chesed). Since paths are
often numbered 11–32, its positional placement is path #15, the same as its corresponding
Pentagram. Inasmuch as Atu numerations should also adhere to the Proximity Principle,
the Star card acquires the additional value of Atu IV, previously assigned to the Emperor
card.
Golden Dawn: (The Daughter of the Firmament)
Called The Star , the Star card
corresponds to the zodiacal Aquarius and places between Sephira #7 (Netzach) and
Sephira #9 (Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system. This card is dominated by Venus
symbolism and includes an image of a young woman pouring water from a vessel
reminiscent of the zodiacal Aquarius sign as its default alchemical association. It is
generally defined as an auspicious card bringing good fortune and also signifying of lofty
aspirations in line with the Will of Heaven.
Thoth:
Crowley builds upon this card’s traditional Aquarian association and incorporates
various archetypes endemic to his own magickal philosophy. The essential imagery
remains about the same with somewhat less emphasis placed on Venus. Based upon his
interpretation of instructions found in the transmitted Liber Al vel Legis, Crowley swaps
The Star and The Emperor positions, placing The Star between Sephira #2 (Chokmah)
and Sephira #6 (Tiphareth), where it then acquires the Hebrew letter/number Hé (5).
Since the original Emperor positioning was incorrect, the newly planted Star card is also
incorrect. Liber Al vel Legis is silent with respect to path positions, addressing *Letters*
only in their popular correspondence to Tarot images at the time. Our own positional
corrections do not contradict it in any way, despite the fact that Crowley’s own
astrological rationalizations find no particular validation in Mutational Alchemy
principles. In general, if it isn’t *broken* with respect to Mutational Alchemy
chronological organization, no attempt has been made to *fix* it. Archetypes vary from
age to age and even alphabetical orders may do so as well. The Proximity Principle takes
all of this into account and only applies itself to rational numerical alignments.
Curiously Crowley describes the Emperor card as if it were still in the upper part of the
tree, receiving the light of Kether. He may have formed an emotional attachment to the
work of Eliphas Levi, who he claimed to be one and the same, reincarnated.
Mutational Alchemy Interpretation:
It doesn’t take much observational skill to
recognize that virtually all traditional Tarot systems up to this point in time have been
rooted in contemporary views of astrology, thus the Star immediately assumes the
conversation of Heavenly stars as we know and experience them.
Mutational Alchemy is not concerned with cataloging astrological ideas so much as it is
interested in the anatomics of the Body of Light as outlined in Tantricism and alluded to
time and time again through most of the great Mystery Traditions down through the ages.
Mutational Alchemy is fundamentally a transformational alchemical enginery that looks
to systems like the Tree of Life (among others) to tell us what *human stars* may be and
may also tell us something useful as to how we might simulate this kind of physical
Perfection for ourselves.
Thus the only star that very much concerns us here is the star of Consciousness itself.
That this type of Star may find certain parallels among Heavenly stars should come as no
great surprise as the laws of physics that govern the Without are very often echoed
seamlessly in the Within. Hermetic Alchemy has known this for a very long time and
Mutational Alchemy is a specialized extension of Hermetic Alchemy seeking to capture a
falsifiable physics of the *Star* that we (humans) ultimately are.
In application, most of the traditional meanings of this card as it surfaces in divination
will be more or less the same as in former decks, but the emphasis here is more on the
principle of *Higher Self* than it is on the estimated Will of Heaven.
We would expect this card to be representative of extraordinary insight, of breakthroughs
in understanding, of visionary expansion and abundant energetic infusion coming at us
more from Within than Without. Its technical construction here is rooted in the idea of
Wholeness and transmutational Completion. Its corresponding hexagrams speak of Ebb
& Flow, of Constancy in the midst of Change and Order in the face of Chaos.
Its Reciprocal Inverse is The Moon card, bearing the same hexagrams in opposite
organization. But this Moon is not the astrological moon so much as it is the Lunar side
of Consciousness itself. Every card in this deck is about Consciousness first and
foremost, while astrology or other arcane disciplines are viewed as complimentary but
not of paramount importance.
The Scene:
Rooted in the premise that “every man and every woman is a star”, the Star
image depicted here is built upon the balancing of both Manifest and Hidden paths within
the Tree of Life. The 22 Manifest Paths are better understood by most students of
qabbalah or modern western magickal disciplines and there are hundreds of books
available by this point in time illuminating various aspects of their system. Lesser known
are the 16 Hidden Paths. These are legitimate paths not included in the 22 Manifest Paths
system that, otherwise, operate exactly the same way. Together, they form a coherent
glyph in themselves, looking strikingly like some exotic Diamond. Thus it is typically
referred to in Mutational Alchemy as the *Hidden Diamond*. The Star as depicted here
is rooted in the premise that the alchemical marriage of these two great Pathworkings is
preeminently the Key to Body of Light Wholeness, and thus to Higher Self and finally
Completion. It is a visual mapping of these two great cosmological divisions coming
together in undivided balance and equilibrium. This is the meaning of the Great Work as
defined in Mutational Alchemy and is deemed the most viable road accessible to us
leading out of the darkness and on to the stars for every human being.

Atu V: The Hierophant
Letter: ‫ו‬ Vau (V, F, W)
Number: 6
Proximity: Sephira #2 (Chokmah) to Sephira #6 (Tiphareth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #16 "Eternal 坤
" – Air of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth (Above, Below)
坤
Air of (Kun) The Receptive, Earth (Without, Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim made two luminaries"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 觀
Hex #20: (Kuan) Contemplation/View
(Lower left) Air: 臨
Hex #19: (Lin) Approach
(Upper left) Water: 遯
Hex #33: (Tun) Retreat

(Lower right) Earth:Hex #34: (Ta Chuang) Power of the Great
大壯
Knowledge, Propriety, Wisdom, Strength, Marriage, Mastery,
Equilibrium, Mystery, Power, Demonstrative, Judicial, Advisory, Spirituality, Morality,
Instructional, Exemplary, Interpretive, Ancestral, Transitional
Gullibility, Arrogance, Pomposity, Complacency,
Dogmatism, Religious Extremism.
Interpretations
Historical:
The Hierophant card is one of several paths that have been positioned
incorrectly according to the Proximity Principle of Mutational Alchemy. In both the
Golden Dawn and Thoth systems it is usually placed between Sephira #3 (Binah) and
Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) and assigned the Hebrew letter/number Vau (6). Vau is the 6
th
letter in the Hebrew alphabet and should logically correspond to the 6 Proximity
th
Principal path between Sephira #2 (Chokmah) and Sephira #6 (Tiphareth). Since paths
are often numbered 11–32, its positional placement is path #16, the same as its
corresponding Pentagram.
Golden Dawn: (Magus of the Eternal Gods)
Called The Hierophant , the Hierophant card
corresponds to the zodiacal Taurus and places between Sephira #2 (Taurus) and Sephira
#4 (Chesed) in the Golden Dawn system. The Hierophant sits enthroned between two
pillars adorned with an eclectic assortment of symbols from numerous arcane sources,
lacking any certain continuity of purpose, making it one of the more obscure cards in the
entire deck. It appears as a chaotic fusion of esoteric icons in general, somehow
representing the union of macrocosm with microcosm with an underpinning emphasis on
syncretism as the median of all other spiritual paths and disciplines.
Thoth:
Crowley upgrades the symbolism of this card somewhat, apparently attempting to
preserve its *priestly* characteristics but still retaining its bewildering incontinuity. In a
fairly whimsical rewrite of its former properties, it is hailed as a Priest of Horus under the
guise of the New Aeon as Crowley envisioned it. Much of the problem here is that there
have been too many competing ideas over time as to what the Hierophant should be;
some tending towards a papal character, others a learned priest, still others some sort of
macrocosmic Holy Guardian Angel and so on down the line. Crowley changes the
Hierophant’s clothing and allegiances but does very little to resolve these underpinning
confusions.
The Hierophants of old is where we should turn to
sort out what the Hierophant of today should be. It is no wonder it seems impossible to
stabilize this archetype in the awkward tatters of Eurocentric rags and symbols as it is
coming down to us from a much older tradition than any of these things to begin with! To
make matters even worse, the ancient Hierophants wrote nothing down! Their traditions
were secretive and oracular. Despite the fact that they produced the Eleusinian Mysteries
over an unbroken span of nearly 3000 years (by some accounts) we have almost nothing
of their practices or philosophy left to us. Their most powerful records are embedded in
the images they worshipped and this is where we will find them, in the form of Mithras
(also Aion) itself. Its quaternary hexagrams speak of Coming and Going, of
Contemplation and of Power in the grandest sense of the term. That it continues the work
of uniting Macrocosm and Microcosm is consistent with its imagery, but we are better off
to consult that imagery as directly as possible and leave off the poor pretentious
middlemen, uncomfortable in their clothing as much as in their skins.
The Hierophant is unique in that its Reciprocal Inverse is the planet Jupiter itself, so we
have not lost our connection to Jupiter for having corrected its path from Sephiroth 24 to
the more defensible Sephiroth 26. Along with this upgrade it is high time we update its
imagery as well.
The Scene:
The Hierophant here is AION, a mysterious lion headed figure associated
with the Mithraic mystery school with roots going back into ancient Persia where he was
known as Zervan.
On his staff the word Abrahadabra is written, and the staff connects the tree and the
diamond together, symbolizing his unifying effect on mind and matter.
The brilliant diamond light of the mezla is his abode, and in the background the net of
consciousness unites and orders the universe. This also connects back to the Priestess
card, who is to be considered the intelligence and analyzer of the net.
The hierophant is holy beyond all petty grapplng with morality that is the foundation of
many humanfounded dogmas. The rules here are rooted only in universal law and
necessity. Called the God of Infinite Time, or Zervan Akanara by the NeoPersians, he
can easily be equated to the Roman Saturn.
The Hierophant had to be retrieved out of the dirt in which he was left for centuries and
this newly revised edition should always be viewed with an eye on whole universe and
completely unbound from the context of a human centric world view. Whole universe
and beyond is his charge to balance economically, and, nothing less than that.
Atu VI: The Lovers
Letter: ‫ז‬ Zayn (Z)
Number: 7
Proximity: Sephira #3 (Binah) to Sephira #5 (Geburah)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #17 "Disposition" 乾
– Earth of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven (Above/Below)
乾
Earth of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim placed them in the firmament"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire:
Hex #14: (Ta Yu) Possession in Great Measure
大有

(Lower left) Air:Hex #13: (T’ung Jên) Fellowship with Men
同人
(Upper left) Water: 師
Hex #7: (Shih) The Army
(Lower right) Earth: 比
Hex #8: (Pi) Holding Together / Union
Attraction, Passion, Union, Devotion, Sensuality, Love,
Companionship, Romance, Intimacy, Sharing, Accommodation, Communication,
Transformation, Mediation, Magnetism, Sacrifice, Discovery, Growth
Separation, Frustration, Quarrelling, Infidelity, Betrayal,
Discord, Communication Breakdown.
Interpretations
Historical:
The Lovers card is one of several paths that have been positioned incorrectly
according to the Proximity Principle of Mutational Alchemy. In both the Golden Dawn
and Thoth systems it is usually placed between Sephira #3 (Binah) and Sephira #6
(Tiphareth) and assigned the Hebrew letter/number Zayn (7). Zayn is the 7 letter in the
th
Hebrew alphabet and should logically correspond to the 7 Proximity Principal path
th
between Sephira #3 (Binah) and Sephira #5 (Geburah). Since paths are often numbered
11 –32, its positional placement is path #17, coincidentally same as its corresponding
Pentagram.
Golden Dawn: (Children of the Voice Divine)
Called The Lovers , the Lovers card
corresponds to the zodiacal sign Gemini and places between Sephira #3 (Binah) and
Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system. While some versions of this card
depict it as a Garden of Eden scene, others opt for a more combative imagery in which
the Lovers are engaged in a battle against the forces of Evil. These differences seem to
hinge upon slightly varying kinds of action, some perceiving the Lovers as a regenerative
force, others as a more defensive/preservative one. Yet another version of the Lovers card
emphasizes a third Oracular character (called “The Oracle of the Mighty Gods”)
depicting the Lovers as acting under the guidance of a prophetic figure steering them
through the thickets of Duality according to some grand cosmic plan. In this version we
seem to have a commentary on the principle of marriage and its role in separating the
gross from the fine in human affairs.
Thoth:
The Book of Thoth leans towards this latter (more obscure) interpretation and
draws to powerful symbols such as the Orphic Egg and the Hermit and the alchemical
Lion & Eagle (among others) to hyphenate the principle of *alchemical marriage* and tie
it to the Lovers card in some obtuse fashion. Still we find the symbolism of Cain and
Abel, Lillith and Eve tossed into the mix so that the entire scene is a curious admixture of
Christian, preChristian and Pagan iconography lumped together in a chaotic milieu of
uncertain import. In most cases it is viewed as a transitional scene thought to find
resolution through other cards still in the ahead.
Mutational Alchemy is more interested in the
Lovers themselves and is not especially concerned with all the biblical surrealism
bombarding them in other decks. As a Tarot practitioner of many years it has been my
experience that the Lovers card has a very potent intuitive resonance with most people
not requiring of all this convoluted backstory to make sense of things. What the
chronological ordering of Heaven Descending and Earth Ascending hexagrams bring to
the table is exquisitely clear and magickal in itself and serves to validate that intuitive
grasp of the card’s intended meaning. In the place of Fire we get hexagram #14
(Possession in Great Measure) which defines the heart of the matter, whereas the
remaining hexagrams speak to Unity and Strength born of the bond of Love itself. This
card is more about the magick of the heart than any cosmic consolidations: it is more
about the strength of relationships to shape (or reshape) destiny than it is about the
convergence of societal norms and protocols. The Lovers rise above all of that ruckus;
they are actually perfectly oblivious to its roar and unheeding of its demands and
expectations. They create perfected Universe from nothing and reduce it back to nothing
at their whim. They are a law unto themselves, and in the end, all other laws are grossly
inadequate by comparison. Certainly, the principle of marriage is defined here, but
marriage as it occurs in Nature, not the overwhelming oppressiveness of society and
dogma.
The Scene:
This card takes on shades of Beast and Babalon from Crowley’s Thelemic
mythotheological structure. The centaur motif is a distinctly masculine aspect. The
manticore tail is a reflection based upon Ningishzidda’s tail in Mushussu (Sumerian
chaos monster) form. The dragon is depicted with a scorpion tail in several artifacts from
the ancient near east, from the steatite cup in the Louvre dating back to the height of
Lagash in Sumer, to the Babylonian Ishtar gate. The Beast and Babalon motif is older
than Crowley’s Babalon – it conjures images of Lilith, Tiamat, Cipactli and Ammit: the
divine feminine who is allpowerful, terrifying and independent. The masculine beast is
the yang aspect of nature itself, paired with a feminine archetype. This exudes a Saivite
or Satanic sort of “deity” of primordial nature who will trump all other masculine
archetypes and therefore manages to survive the terror of ferocious and triumphant
feminine deities. It represents a marriage of female and male within ourselves – no
human is fully one or the other, as man is of the third part of cosm: Jen, neither Yin nor
Yang but an admixture of both and still submissive to the will of heaven that lives in our
spirit and consciousness. In China the auspicious dragon is that which is below the earth,
representing Heaven supporting Earth and uniting. Here the dragon is a centaur, but the
meaning is all the same. The Lovers have a unique and unbeatable synergistic potential
that leads neatly into the next ATU.
Atu VII: The Chariot
Letter: ‫ח‬ Cheth (Ch)
Number: 8
Proximity: Sephira #3 (Binah) to Sephira #6 (Tiphareth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #18 "Influence 巽
" – Earth of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind (Above/Below)
乾
Water of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven (Without/Within)
Berashith:
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 鼎
Hex #50: (Ting) The Caldron

(Lower left) Air: 革
Hex #49: (Ko) Revolution / Molting
(Upper left) Water: 蒙
Hex #4: (Mêng) Youthful Folly

(Lower right) Earth: 屯
Hex #3: (Chun) Difficulty at the Beginning
Mobility, Velocity, Energy, Purpose, Dedication, Determination,
Will, Ascension, SelfSovereignty, Balance, HighTechnology, Conductivity, Defense,
Advancement, Destiny. Entheogens
Stagnant, Disruptive, Reckless, Retreating, Withdrawing,
SelfDestructive.
Interpretations
Historical:
The Chariot card is one of several paths that have been positioned incorrectly
according to the Proximity Principle of Mutational Alchemy. In both the Golden Dawn
and Thoth systems it is usually placed between Sephira #3 (Binah) and Sephira #5
(Geburah) and assigned the Hebrew letter/number Cheth (8). Cheth is the 8 letter in the
th
Hebrew alphabet and should logically correspond to the 8 Proximity Principal path
th
between Sephira #3 (Binah) and Sephira #6 (Tiphareth). Since paths are often numbered
11–32, its positional placement is path #18, the same as its corresponding Pentagram.
Golden Dawn: (Lord of the Trumph of Light)
Called The Chariot , the Chariot card
corresponds to the zodiacal Cancer and places between Sephira #3 (Binah) and Sephira
#5 (Geburah) in the Golden Dawn system. Its symbolism is a fusion of Hermetic and
Arthurian legend with smatterings of Kabbalah tossed in. Facing the viewer stands a
golden chariot (pulled by two sphinxes) with 4 pillars and canopy carrying the charioteer
in full armor. The charioteer carries a great shield said to represent the Holy Grail. He is
accompanied by 10 stars called the stars of Assiah (the material world) and is purported
to be the crowned and conquering Hermes. The emphasis is not so much on movement as
it is meant to be a standard bearer of the Great Work giving us a physical glimpse of this
attainment.
Thoth:
Crowley changes very little with respect to the Chariot card. The two sphinxes
become four, representative of the Four Cherubim, Fire (Lion), Eagle (Air), Bull (Earth)
and Man (Water). Scrolled across the top of his canopy is inscribed the Word
Abracadabra, curious inasmuch as Crowley made much of the New Aeon spelling
(Abrahadabra) as the heirapparent *Word of the Aeon* extending across the Aeon of
Horus. In any case we still have an intended standardbearer more defining of strength
and balance than of energy and motion.
The Chariot is arguably the most important of the
22 Atu with respect to the alchemy of Perfection, set aside (as it is) specifically to clarify
and exemplify that standard.
Its reciprocal inverse is the Sun card at Atu XIX, revealing its special solar power and
interesting connection to the archetype of Apollo, Ra, Hrw/Horus, Aruna, Sol, Helios and
other fathersun deities who are paired with a magickal sky transport of some kind.
Mutational Alchemy cannot reconcile obtuse Arthurian legend with the Royal Science of
Alchemy as it stands today and evolves long into the future. It is well past time to turn
this crusty old page and press on. Accordingly, the outmoded model of the Chariot card
has been scuttled in lieu of a superior one.
Since the underlying essence of the Charioteer is Hermes, the twinheaded Hermes
Phoenix is especially well suited as his replacement and instead of a golden chariot we
have introduced a stylized form of the Tetractys itself embedded in the historical
Metatron’s Cube. The resulting construct is reminiscent of the Merkabah (Chariot of
Soul) in qabbalistic doctrine.
In place of the useless Holy Grail of bygone eras we have exalted the Heaven Descending
arrangement of the binary hexagrams flanked by an infinite binary loop of black and
white gems at outer edges, upholding the ternary Tridosha at center.
All accounted we have an extremely potent standard of New Aeon alchemy defined here
that will hold its ground and continue to instruct and inspire for centuries to come.
It is complete nonsense to imagine that the Chariot does not exemplify both inexhaustible
Energy as well as Balance in one as anyone with eyes can surely see!
Much of the problem with previous models has been its inappropriate positioning, linking
an obsolete vestige of War (that has not even been used in war since Alexander the
Great!) to Mars instead of connecting the Supernals to Tiphareth via Binah (the Mother)
as indicated in the Proximity Principle. The corrected positioning figures prominently in
levity
its newly energized character, upholding the alchemical principle of as it always
should have.
It is difficult to assess the amount of damage wrought by these erroneous adjustments
where the Chariot seems to have had no useful purpose other than being a kind of dime
store mannequin! It is important that we ultimately reject that entire premise as we have
important work ahead and need its strengths where they can do us the most possible
good.
The Chariot we have unveiled in this deck is a proactive force of Completion lending its
full force towards the immutable ascension of Tiphareth.
The Scene:
The doubleheaded fire phoenix (aka the Hermes Phoenix) is an established
standard of royalty throughout history – it is depicted on the shield of the Emperor and
Empress in Thoth and appears on crests and flags all over the world. This mythical
creature represents unquenchable magickal force and fire, speed and equilibrium,
intelligence and insight in one. Its alliance provides us with a steady true progress along
the road to liberation, enlightenment and wisdom. The mysteries embedded in its shield
are worthy of the Age of Hrw (Horus) where the Royal Art of Alchemy will rise from its
own ashes and reassume its proper place as the vindicated Lamp of Eternal Truth.
This doubleheaded fire phoenix represents the synthesis of female and male royal
intelligences. The Chariot is a vehicle of ascension created by the willpower of two
individuals bent on their wills. These are sexually joined forces, like Siva and Sakti, but
the sex is of not merely a physical nature, but intellectual, spiritual and social.

Atu VIII: Strength
Letter: ‫ט‬ Teth (T)
Number: 9
Proximity: Sephira #4 (Chesed) to Sephira #5 (Geburah)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #19
"Secret of All Spiritual Activity" 離
– Earth of (Li) The Clinging, Fire
(Above/Below)
巽
Earth of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim said, let the waters swarm"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 離
Hex #30: (Li) The Clinging

(Lower left) Air: 離
Hex #30: (Li) The Clinging

(Upper left) Water: 坎
Hex #29: (K’an) The Abysmal
(Lower right) Earth: 坎
Hex #29: (K’an) The Abysmal
Courageous, Health, Control, Defiance, Zeal, Matter over Mind
and Mind over matter, depending on the circumstance, Attainment through peril, Hidden
Forces, Virility, Confident, Gregarious, Proud, Triumphant, Seductive, Bold, Innovative,
Daring, Revolutionary, Progressive, Impenitent, Vigorous, Joyous, Ecstatic, Liberated,
Uninhibited, Unrestrained
Instability, Timidity, Illness, Weak, Vulnerable, Impulsive,
Addiction, Helplessness, Tyranny, Sickness, Pettiness, Impotency, Succumbing
Interpretations
Historical:
One of the things about the Strength card that is notable, is that it has not
changed very much over the course of centuries. It has almost invariably depicted a
woman or rarely a man with a lion, either effortlessly riding it or opening its mouth. One
major change historically was the swapping of Justice with Strength by the Golden
Dawn, due to astrological assignments. It is still popular to place Strength at 8 and Justice
at 11 to this day. Aleister Crowley decided to go with the older standard and changed the
name dramatically, but his imagery remained faithful to the old standard. It was
originally called Fortitude by the GD. The key elements are the woman and the lion. The
woman appears to have controlled the lion somehow, whether through gentleness or
some other means, she is sometimes said to represent the soul where the lion is the
anatomical body with its baser instincts. In older decks, the woman is also breaking a
pillar.
Golden Dawn: (Daughter of the Flaming Sword)
Called Fortitude , the Fortitude card
corresponds to the zodiacal Leo and places between Sephira #4 (Chesed) and Sephira #5
(Geburah) in the Golden Dawn system.
It was the Golden Dawn that originally popularized the placement of Fortitude at Leo and
Justice at Libra.
Thoth:
Crowley decided to name this card Lust, and augmented the maiden's triumphant
aspect. It has always had somewhat of a sexual undertone, so it's understandable why
Crowley wanted to name it something bolder.
He swapped its traditional numeration of Strength/Fortitude VIII with Justice XI and
named it Adjustment, but he did not change its position on the tree, which should be
considered sloppy. The reasoning for the renumeration is not given, but for the change of
the name itself he says "Technical analysis shows that the Path corresponding to the card
is not the Strength of Geburah, but the influence from Chesed upon Geburah".
This is overly simplified and incorrect in our opinion and we did not keep his change.
The Lion was also transformed into the Beast of Revelations with its seven heads.
That the beast she rides has a reptillian tail with a bulge at the end reminiscent of a
scorpion's stinger was a purely coincidental similarity between Lady Harris's artwork and
the Mushusshu who is well known for having the stinger of a scorpion at the end of its
tail.
This is one of many happy and auspicious coincidences shared between the MAT and the
THOTH tarots, so that the MAT tarot probably has more in common with the artistic
peculiarities of Lady Frieda Harris than the technical variations of Aleister Crowley.
The doubles hexagram phenomenon occurs eight
times in the Tree of Life/Yi Jing marriage in the Primordials arrangement.
Teth means serpent, and Crowley regarded the beast on his card as a serpentlion hybrid.
There is no better precise creature to represent a serpentlion hybrid than the composite
animal of the god Ninazu and his son Ningishzidda, so that is the creature we chose to
stand in for the lion.
We didn't want to see the Book of Revelations get anymore attention on our watch.
Crowley talks a lot about doves in his chapter on the card, and it seems he has a pigeon
fetish of some kind, as he never seems to tire of talking about this subject.
Flowers were included, in keeping with tradition. The flowers can be regarded as lusty
and promiscuous creatures of nature certainly, but they also have a peculiar kind of
strength in their innate abilities granted by evolution. Evolution is a grand kind of
strength, and they are very clever in their alluring way.
There was a discussion between us as to whether to keep the Golden Dawn placement of
eight or to keep them in their older stations.
correct
It was finally decided that the decision made by the Golden Dawn was and
progressive
.
So far as we could see, the ruling pentagram agreed with it, as did the hexagrams and the
Sephira proximity.
The Scene:
The girl in the card, Sumerian royalty, rides on a Mushushu, a particular type
of dragon from Sumerian mythology who represents unbridled chaos.
Infinitely regenerative (they can be killed but never destroyed, as they come back to life!)
and worshipped as protectors and the semidivine devils of the desert, the Mushussu has
strong links to the very ancient deities Tiamat and Abzu who predated much of the later
mythologies associated with them, (the Mardukian hogwash and so forth) by thousands
of years.
They also conjure up images of the more recent Djinn imported from the Arabic
Peninsula during the territorial wars, as well as Pazuzu, in their winged form, depicted on
the Ningishzidda Grail housed in the Louvre Museum.
Repeated here is the theme of Crowley’s Babalon, and the three worlds are illustrated:
An, or heaven, above, earth in the middle, and cthonic below, and here we find a black
cuneiform signpost reading "Irkalla". And indeed, the Mushussu seems inclined to take
his horny little passenger with her legs wide open down into the Palace of Ereshkigal.
(Also the gate to Irkalla represents the gate to Geburah from the serene blue of Chesed if
you didn't catch that.) For the moment he is just going to keep his paws in the stream
though.
The dragon icon of Ninazu and Ningishzidda was able to travel between Heaven, Earth
and The Underworld, whereas most creatures, even gods, were confined to one realm or
another lest they find themselves trapped or troubled.
These natural messengers of the Underworld were feared and admired, for they possessed
secrets of Death that were and are a Great Mystery.

Atu IX: The Hermit
Letter: ‫י‬ Yod (I, Y)
Number: 10
Proximity: Sephira #4 (Chesed) to Sephira #6 (Tiphareth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #20 "Will" 艮
– Earth of (Kên) Keeping Still, Mountain (Above/Below)
巽
Water of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim created great whales"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 旅
Hex #56: (Lü) The Wanderer

(Lower left) Air: 豐
Hex #55: (Fêng) Abundance

(Upper left) Water: 渙
Hex #59: (Huan) Dispersion/Dissolution
(Lower right) Earth: 節
Hex #60: (Chieh) Limitation
Mysterious, Memory, Creative, Obscure, Hidden, Stealthy,
Intense, Seclusion, Brilliant, Visionary, Unorthodox, Alchemical, Wholistic, Ignitive,
Inceptive, Innovative, Meticulous, Microcosmic, Intuitive, Analytical, Pregnancy esp.
LateTerm pregnancy, Sperm, Genetics
Melancholy, Nihilism, Depression, Alienation, Fear, Apathy,
Reclusive, Shutin, Coldness, Disgust, Nonviolent Sociopathy, Egomania, Evil Genius,
Infertility
Interpretations
Historical:
The "angel" wings of the Hermit have been with him in some decks, and you
see this in the shape of his cloak in the RiderWaite deck. Many decks both old and new
have done away with them, probably as a matter of form rather than function, as the
symbology is rather accurate, hinting at Mercury and Logos. His lamp is the most
important feature, as it carries the "Light of the World". Not to be confused with the
Christian idea, this light is peculiar to Spirit and can be seen by those with appropriate
mezla
sensitivities. Although it is the lamp of knowledge it is also an Israelite term to
describe the scintillating differentiated light subject to darkness coming down from the
undifferentiated light of Ain. Usually shown inside is a six pointed star. His staff is
obviously a representation of masculine fertile power. Here is the sexual iconography of
The Hermit, he is both the supersoul and that part of the discarnate soul about to be born
back into the world, called Atman. A soul that carries the Light of Ain Soph Aur with it
and is charged with giving that light to the world. So he is that part of the soul which is
eternal and also unborn. The Hermit never fully incarnates into the world, he is enthroned
in Binah.
As well as this, in the oldest Tarot the Hermit is depicted as being well off, with rich
clothing in royal colors of blue and gold. Notably on the 15thCentury Italian Pierpont
MorganBergamo Visconti Sforza Tarot pack he has the same shoes as the Magician and
carries an hourglass instead of a lamp.
Golden Dawn: Magus of the Voice of Light
Called The Hermit, , the Hermit card
corresponds to the zodiacal Virgo and places between Sephira #4 (Chesed) and Sephira
#6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system.
Thoth:
Crowley via Harris did a great job portraying the Hermit's abode and its"womb"
appearance, with a spermatozoa wriggling towards his lamp and hand. The child being
born into the world and carrying its light is integral to the Hermit's gift en gratis.
He says that the Hermit is the highest form of Mercury, Logos, the AllFather. As well,
he states that he is adoring the Orphic Egg or the universe.
Furthermore he states that Virgo represents the lowest most receptive form of Earth
both
which forms the crust of Hades, and he equates the Hermit to Mercury and Hades
himself, being nearly the same, and he infers that they are. This of course points to
Ningishzidda who is a Prince of Heaven and a Prince of the Underworld at once, and a
prototype of Hermes but Crowley could never go this far, he did not have the research
available to him.
It is the belief of The Abrahadabra Institute that Ningishzidda evolved into Hermes and
that this mercurial archetype has been with mankind as a great friend from the people of
the harsh Susiana plains in Iran and the temples of Sumer to the frontpiece of Grand
Central Station in New York City, The United States of America.
It is fortunate at least that Crowley liked men,
because we can get a better view of The Empress via the Hermit now that the puzzle of
the Changes and Sephiroth are resolved finally by m1thr0s.
The Hermit shares a *secret alliance* with The Empress. They carry the very same
hexagrams in different elemental positions. This is called a reciprocal inverse.
Dragons are of course very promiscuous so this is unsurprising, but it does not diminish
her relationship to the Emperor.
It is safe to say the Emperor and the Hermit are different facets of the same personage.
ATU IX is the number of the Lo Shu and so it can be said, The Lo Shu is The Hermit,
(And thus the Tetractys as his number is 10) and thus The Hermit is what brought about
all Life in the Universe. The union of the Lo Shu's 9 and the Tetracty's 10 is of utmost
importance and perhaps this can be said of The Hermit: He is entirely oppressed and
misunderstood in this world. But this will be corrected. It has to be, if anything is to go
right on Earth.
Elohim
"And created Great Whales" is a benevolent if also slightly amusing pairing with
the card. Whales are connected with memory and the Akashic records, but also Binah's
earthly representation, the ocean, so it is not disharmonious with the Hermit. The
intelligence of the step of creation is Will, and this is wholly perfect for the Hermit's
position.
The Scene:
The hermit gets a six pointed star, but this time, surprise, it's the TwinStar!
This unicursal sigil of the tetractys discovered by m1thr0s is at the heart of The
Abrahadabra Institute's logo, nestled in the star of Babalon.
The orphic egg is the symbol of transmutation, a universal representation of longevity
and prosperity. Orphic eggs come to us from the very ancient Orphic religion are to be
considered very auspicious.
The hermit himself oversees the endeavor of guarding the egg, carrying with him the
lamp representing eternal fire, and the staff representing masculine fertility, both very
important aspects of the Hermit's symbology. Behind him stands the forest primeval,
representing the unknown, verdant growth and the ancient and hoary female virginwhore
universe, or, The Empress!
In a reading, the egg may be regarded as carrying the universe, or a human being, (such
biological
as the questioner) really anything undergoing transformation. It is most
explicitly fractal in nature.
The specific girl in the egg, as a divine archetype, could be said to represent Virgo or
Persephone, guarded by HadesMercury in the forest primeval where hundreds more
dwell in their youth, guarded with light against the dark intricacies of complex variables
that would lead to their doom. This also represents the goddess in her child aspect that
leads to renewal and new growth.
In the Shakti cult the girl child is the penultimate supreme Goddess, allpowerful, all
pervading, immaterial and virtuous. The purplish clouds are Yin coloration of the Fire
element. She represents the virgin life of all the beings in the forest as well, as it was
originally intended in the highest heavens, with its infinite potential awaiting reunion
with the further divisions of the masculine aspect of universe, Logos.
Crowley likened the Hermit to the physical lifeform spermatazoa, and I do not dislike or
disagree with this, but DNA is perhaps an even more accurate avatar of The Hermit, the
discovery of which came after Crowley's time.
The Hermit is also equatable to the shepherd, intuition and the subconscious of our minds
that leads us through our own day to day jungles. The hermit is voice, "The Quiet Voice
of Logos".
The Hermit is fragile. It must be understood that like life itself which has its own strength
in varied forms it is most strong in the realm of intellect. In this Logos is infinitely
become
powerful in the realm of mind, and has a limitless potential to into our universe,
but that power is still waxing in our material world, so that the Hermit should be
considered a delicate balance against other cards in any spread.
It would not be inappropriate to regard this card as the very essence of the evolution of
life, not just DNA or spermatozoa as Crowley affiliated it with. However it is a strong
portender of pregnancy if it shows up in answer to such a question, especially of a sacred
child who is incarnating with the purpose of fulfilling the Will of Heaven.

Atu X: Fortune
Letter: ‫כ‬ Kaph (K), ‫ך‬ Kaph
Final
Number: 20, 500
F
Proximity: Sephira #4 (Chesed) to Sephira #7 (Netzach)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #21
"Fulfilled Desire" 兌
– Earth of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake (Above/Below)
離
Earth of (Li) The Clinging, Fire (Without/Within)
Berashith:
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 睽
Hex #38: (K’uei) Opposition
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #37: (Chia Jȇn) The Family / Clan
家人
(Upper left) Water: 解
Hex #40: (Hsieh) Deliverance
(Lower right) Earth: 蹇
Hex #39: (Chien) Obstruction
Change, Luck, Fate, Karma, Dharma, Cycles, Seasons,
Opportunity, Aspirations, Challenges, Conflict, Danger, Reciprocity, CauseandEffect,
Industry, Mechanism, Negotiation, Balance, Attachments
Stagnation, Misfortune, Gridlock, Blockades, Imbalance,
Despair, Loss, Hopelessness, Horror
Interpretations
Historical:
At some point in history the winged feminine form of Fortuna became a
sphinx in socalled Egyptian tarots. She is said to be the same female on the Lovers, the
Chariot and Justice in the oldest decks such as the ViscontiSforza pack. She is the one
who has unmade the most powerful, and she cares nothing for worship. Figures surround
the wheel indicating the cyclical nature of fortune summarized in the axiom "As the
wheel rises, so must it fall." More importantly the one at the top of the wheel is depicted
as a christlike child, a possible warning to Christianity, which is sharply declining today
in The United States of America. Indeed a hint to this is found in the work of Giulio
Ferrario who states that the fourth figure, about the rise in the place of the childlike
figure says in a monologue with Fortuna "I shall reign if Fortune pleases and the wheel
turns to the fourth place. I shall be above and rule all the world. How great my pleasure
then! Virtue moves me to speak such words, because I plan to do justice and punish those
who have maliciously robbed the men of good estate. What joy I shall have to be able to
punish them!"
(Giulio Ferrario, Poesie Pastorali e Rusticali: Alcune Poesie Inedite del
Saviozzo et di altri autori, 1808)
This curse against the status quo of the time echoes the
future culling doctrine of modern Satanism and the lefthand path.
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Forces of Life
Called the Wheel of Fortune , the the Wheel of
Fortune card corresponds to the planetary Jupiter and places between Sephira #4
(Chesed) and Sephira #7 (Netzach) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Golden Dawn grew up amidst a time when popular culture was fascinated with
Egyptian culture. It’s no surprise to find the sphinx on this and other cards, such as the
Chariot. The wheel itself is always present, but the four animals to the corners are not
universal. The name of Ezekiel is often present, in reference to Ezekiel’s role in
coordinating the fall of Jerusalem with Ha’shem.
Thoth:
Stating that it is believed to be ruled by Jupiter “Greater Fortune” Crowley
good
explains that Jupiter is not luck, but luck itself. The wheel itself is the Sephiroth in
spoked form, amidst an everchanging universe. He calls attention to the revolving nature
of the Indian Gunas, and compares them to the alchemical qualities of sulphur, salt and
mercury. The sphinx on top of the wheel in Fortune in Thoth represents sulphur, exalted.
Hermanubis is to the left and represents Mercury, while Typhon to the right represents
Salt. The lightning bolts in the scene are attributed to the destructive Siva (who was once
called Rudra and is associated with storms.)
The hexagrams on Fortune form a consecutive
fluke with #37, 38, 39, and 40. Starting with Opposition in the position of Fire, The
Family in the position of Air, Obstruction in the position of Earth, and (following the
East Asian chronology of the elemental hierarchy) Deliverance in the position of Water,
we get the image of sexual tension followed by success being tied to “the perseverance of
the woman” in The Family and pregnancy followed by birth. This equates Fortune to the
reproductive cycle, and pairs well with its classical alchemical traits. It also informs us
that the nature of Fortune’s fickleness is connected to Love and Life in general. Given
that #37 and #38 are out of order we also get the idea of a kind of back and forth motion
inferring the wheel isn’t bound to spinning one way. These mysteries are but a small
sampling of the hundreds of curious insights The Mutational Alchemy Tarot has to offer
for the intrepid occultist. We have not begun to scratch the surface of these mysteries.
The Pentagram’s Earth of Fire and Earth of Lake signifies the “Awakening of the Eld of
the AllFather” oft repeated by Aleister Crowley as a key to the mysteries of the cthonic
gods. In the Lo Shu we have a suitable AllMother, and in the binary Trigrams we have a
suitable AllFather to represent cosmic union. Here the sphinx are decorations, but
wholly reinforce all of these ideas and more they are the representatives of the Nu Aeon
moving to Hrumachis.
The Scene:
The Lo Shu square is used in Feng Shui geomantic occultism as the template
for arranging Earth in coordination with Heaven to increase fortune. The arrangement of
hexagrams in the “ba gua” style format is different from that which is usually used by
Feng Shui masters. It is the essence or shorthand version of the P’an Ku movement, or
descending heaven arrangement, which is also illustrated in more complex, yet
essentially identical 64hexagram format on the Hebrew Sephirothic Tree of Life.
The sphinx is present, the upper has a body of a cheetah, the lower the body of a lion.
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, demonstrating fortune as something that is
relative to the situation.

Atu XI: Justice
Letter: ‫ל‬ Lammed (L)
Number: 30
Proximity: Sephira #5 (Geburah) to Sephira #6 (Tiphareth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #22 "Faithful" 坎
– Earth of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Above/Below)
離
Water of (Li) The Clinging, Fire (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim blessed them, be fruitful and multiply"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire:
Hex #64: (Wei Chi) Before Completion
未濟

(Lower left) Air:Hex #63: (Chi Chi) After Completion
既濟

(Upper left) Water:Hex #64: (Wei Chi) Before Completion
未濟
Hex #63: (Chi Chi) After Completion
既濟
Balance, Consequence, Outcomes, Fulfillment, Sacrifice,
Atonement, Reparations, Redemption, Litigations, Formalization, Karma, Dharma,
Adjudication, Closure, Conclusion, Correction, Completion
Inequality, Embezzlement, Corrupt Laws, Falsehood paraded
as Truth, Dogma, Overburdened Law and Order system, Infanticide
Interpretations
Historical:
The traditional Lady Justice (IVSTITIA) that one finds in courthouses around
the world in Western influenced nations is the subject of this card on many antique decks.
A blindfolded or hooded woman, carrying a set of scales or a sword, sometimes both. It
lived at number ATU IX until the Golden Dawn under Waite placed it at ATU XI.
Golden Dawn: Daughter of the Lord of Truth
Called Justice , the Justice card
corresponds to the zodiacal Libra and places between Sephira #5 (Geburah) and Sephira
#6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system. Lesser associations are to the planetary
Saturn and Venus.
The Golden Dawn numbers Justice as ATU XI, adopting this change due to the position
of Libra in the Tarot. Magus Arthur Edward Waite believed that Justice should match the
astrological of Libra instead of being paired with Virgo or Leo, though many decks often
didn’t bother taking zodiacal stations into consideration prior to his change anyways. The
Golden Dawn, changed little else about the card, but inclusion of Taoist elements became
popular in the mid 20th century, such as the Yin and Yang elements of the binary Taijitu.
M. Waite left The Golden Dawn but left an indelible mark on it. He later went on to form
the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, an antiCatholic and mystical Christian Cabbalist
order.
Thoth:
ATU XI in the Thoth tarot is called Lust and is not the same as our Justice. So

we’ll talk here about ATU VIII in Thoth called Adjustment. “The equilibrium of all
things is hereby symbolized.” and “Every form of energy must be directed, must be
applied with integrity, to the full satisfaction of its destiny” The woman of Justice is
pointed out as the paramour or consort of The Fool. She is the mediator between Alpha
and Omega, and the results of the “Awakening of the Eld of the All Father” previously
discussed in our synopsis on the Mutational Alchemy attributions of Fortune! Ruled by
Venus and Saturn, the card of Adjustment as it is called in Thoth is said to perfectly
encapsulate the axiom “Love is the law, love under will”.
This is what happens when an occultist gets away from any kind of governing dynamic
the intuition of what was going on here was correct, but the placement in the numbering
was incorrect.
Crowley’s assesment of the card is congruous
with the determinations of Mutational Alchemy. The Alpha and Omega of the tarot,
Before and After Completion, are present here, and not only this but as reciprocal
inverses! Before Completion shows up auspiciously as Fire and Water while After
Completion shows up as their children Air and Earth. This could not be made to fit more
perfectly with classical Western Alchemical ideas, showing that East and West were
studying along the very same lines after all and are not very different in their essence. It
also is very agreeable with Aleister Crowley’s assessment of things, confirming his
ability to identify occult elements accurately and insightfully.
In the Temporals these Hexagrams sit squarely in Tiphareth whereas here she is moving
from Geburah to Tiphareth. This signifies a successful pregnancy. The father is
ostensibly The Fool, in this case this would be Siva. The foolish aspect of Siva should be
Siva Bhairav, and happily we find Chinnamastah is responsible for taking a direct part in
causing him to manifest as such in the Indian cosmology.
The Scene:
Chinnamasta is one of the ten great mahavidyas, although a gruesome image
to some, to the tantric adept it represents the immortality of the soul as well as the natural
effortlessness with which the universe or goddess provides us with sustenance.
Mahavidya means “Supreme Knowing” or “Great experience” in Sanskrit. In the
Svatantra, Siva describes her. He says he ejaculates and at that moment she appears fierce
and two saktis emerge from her and become her attendants. One day these attendants
become hungry and ask devi for food. The goddess cuts off her head and feeds them and
her self at the same time. She then places her head back on her body. When she returns
home to Siva she is pale and he describes that he imagined she had been attacked by
another which angers him and the aspect of Bhairav emerges, a terrible manifestation of
Siva associated with annihilation with a wolf as his vehicle who is known for destroying
empty conventions and perversion such as incest, dogma and emptyhanded threats.
Another version of the story describes Chinnamasta as an avenger that comes to the call
of the gods asking for help to defeat an evil, like other popular stories of Durga or Kali.
The iconography of Chinnamasta describes the illusionary and complex state of matter
and challenges conventional ideas of Divinity. She also embodies the entirety of the
sacrificial process, being the object of devotion, the sacrifice, and the receiver of the boon
of satisfying hunger.
She is described as *bright as a million suns*; hence the center of a large galaxy or the
universe is shown in the background. Over her chest is a small blue gem, representing her
traditional blue lotus. It represents the communicative action, where the blue color of the
throat chakra, Visshuddi, is overlaid on the solar plexus Manipura, the area from where
thought becomes action. That we show our words instead of just give voice to them is
important, particularly in matters of love.
Atu XII: The Hanged Man
Letter: ‫מ‬ Mem (M), ‫ם‬ Mem
Final
Number: 40, 600
F
Proximity: Sephira #5 (Geburah) to Sephira #8 (Hod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #23 "Stable" 震
– Earth of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder (Above/Below)
艮
Earth of (Kȇn) Keeping Still, Mountain (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim said, let the earth bring forth animals"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire:
Hex #21: (Shi Ho) Biting Through
噬嗑

(Lower left) Air: 賁
Hex #22: (Pi) Grace
(Upper left) Water: 困
Hex #47: (K’un) Oppression
(Lower right) Earth: 井
Hex #48: (Ching) The Well

Surrender, Submission, PassiveResistance, Conciliation,
Sacrifice, EgoDeath, Humility, Courage, Innocence, Oppression, Redemption,
Renunciation, Immolation, Resignation, Adversity, Retreat, Yielding, Pacifying
Resistance, Emotion, Selfishness, Pride, Terror, Indulgence,
Stubbornness, Inflammatory, Fighting
Interpretations
Historical:
Much of the traditional imagery of the Hanged Man is morbid and creepy in a
very special kind of Old Aeon way. The Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza deck
has a bored looking young man in a stylish white blouse and green tights. The “triangle”
of the crooked leg is present as is the rope to hang him by the ankle on the gallows. It
isn’t difficult to connect the white of the seed with the green of the verdant growth of
crops which this card and its commonly associated deity Osiris or Jesus represents. This
is especially apparent if he is carrying fish or has a halo as on many packs.
Golden Dawn: Spirit of the Mighty Waters
Called The Hanged Man , the Hanged Man
card corresponds to the planetary Neptune and places between Sephira #5 (Geburah) and
Sephira #8 (Hod).
The Golden Dawn changed little about the card’s old art, except for
some coloring variations, as in the RiderWaite with blue and red garb. The Hermetic
Tarot, based on the esoteric workings of the Golden Dawn, decides to make the card
infinitely more creepy than it already is by making the man faceless and tattooing a
naziesque Der Juden star on his buttcheeks, as if passive resistance ever did any Jew any
good. Perhaps worse it infers the Holocaust and the Rape of Nanking was somehow a
victory by passivity. It tries to make it all relevant by plastering a Rosy Cross AND an
Ankh on the scene.
Thoth:
The Hanged Man represents transcendence through passive resistance, because
the way his body is pinned is in the shape of the element of Air. It seems to be present in
the Thoth only as a shibboleth, Crowley says so himself, “It is the card of the Dying God;
its importance in the present pack is merely that of the Cenotaph. It says: “If ever things
get bad like that again, in the new Dark Ages which appear to threaten, this is the way to
put things right.” Is the Tarot universal or is it not? It seems inelegant to suppose one of
the ATU is a useless appendage. Of course the only way to prove it is to determine what
lies at the heart of The Hanged Man. This can’t be done using the usual tarot framework.
Crowley rejects both redemption and the idea of sacrifice being relevant at all, dispelling
his image as an evil warlock who took part in Satanic culling rituals. He calls
selfsacrifice insolence, echoing a time in the future when Ayn Rand would prosecute
altruism as evil.
Biting Through, Grace, Oppression and The Well
are fairly ominous and stunningly representative of The Hanged Man’s professional
attributes.
Since the card is ruled by Mem, Water, the first Hexagram we will examine is the water
Hex, #47, Oppression. Auspiciously for our scholarly efforts in the marriage of the tarot
with the I Ching, it reveals an internal order of Kan the Abyssmal in the below and Tui
Lake in the above. The Confucian lines say “
Success. Perseverance.The great man brings
about good fortune. No blame.When one has something to say, It is not believed.” Here
Crowley’s warning of another Dark Age is magnified. Visions of Galileo, Pythagoras and
other wise men through the ages proclaiming ideas and truth that are refused by the
masses appear. The sages tell us “There is not water in the lake: The image of
EXHAUSTION. Thus the superior man stakes his life On following his will.”. The
situation is bad, and they are echoing the axiom of The Great Work found in The Book of
the Law. “
Thou hast no right but to do thy will
.
Do that and no other shall say nay
.” But
these attitudes and events of unconscious ignorance raising its ugly head are not confined
to Dark Ages. In this we have to defer to reality rather than Crowley’s curious
proclamations. The Hanged Man isn’t obsolete, his iconography is merely painfully
outdated.
The Hanged Man is the personification of Air. The Air Hex is #22 Pi, Grace. The image
of the trigrams Fire under Mountain seems to hint at volcanic force, the fire of the
mountain erupting from below and beautifying the peak. When considering the native
position of the Hex it seems to infer the production of Air itself through the marriage of
Fire and Water. This seems to be the underlying nature of the station. But first, the
sacrifice must be made to the forces of darkness. Does this not also describe the process
of life creation?
In the Fire Hex we find #21 Biting Through. This is a harsh little hexagram that talks
about the consequences of wrong action and inaction in the face of Justice. We know that
Justice represents the goddess Ma’at and Chinnamastah from the astounding structure of
Justice at XI, so here too is Water, who is the Great Black Mother. Is she angry about
something, does she hunger for vengeance? If so we must proceed carefully. Here
Tezcatlipoca has carefully let her bite through her foot in exchange for the big catch of
the whole crocodile! This may be the overgrown reptile from the Fool card coming back
to haunt him.
Lastly the Water Hex The Well #48 tells us that it is all part of the balance, it makes no
difference. The sacrificed one is the great god Tezcatlipoca still, despite the deliverance
of his foot to Cipactli. The sacrifices of evolution are built into the most basic essence of
nature. She is red in tooth and claw and even though it may seem to be an attack she is
upholding the throne of her Lord. Nuit may be fanger, but she is still Nuit, and these acts
of lila are dramas of Maya that diminish nothing real.
The Pentagram seems to confirm this named “Stable” it talks about a point in creation
where the Earth is ready to be populated with lifeforms. This in turn reflects the state of
the Earth when Quetzelcoatl and his brother Tezcatlipoca find themselves ready to create
life, with the obstacle of Cipactli the devourer in their way. The path from Geburah to
Hod is frenetically energetic and busy, so that we get the idea of a feeding frenzy or a
firestorm.
All in all it is a complex and interesting card which should not be discarded or ignored
easily, although the identities of the card may be more interesting than going through the
ordeal by itself.
The Scene:
m1thr0s and I were displeased with the traditional imagery of the Hanged
Man, steeped in Catholic funk and misguided intentions as it were. After years of
discussion and months of watching films featuring “Hanged Man” characters, including
King Arthur, Moses and so forth, we settled on the Mexican supreme deity Catlipoca,
who is, in some regions in Mexico, still depicted as a black corpse on a cross, standing in
for Jesus just as his proselytizers of antiquity packaged him to the reluctant Aztecs. He is
known as “The Sacrificed One” and the reasons for this are never wholly clear, except
that a victim, reminiscent of a Saturnalia King, was chosen each year and lived a life of
luxury until his heart was removed at the temple. This sacrificial victim was the
personification of Tezcatlipoca. Parallels can be drawn between the obsession with the
setting and rising sun, the symbol of the patriarchal age. As the singular deity in Mexica
civilization, he has many stories, but the one depicted in this card is actually the Aztec
creation myth. The brothers Tezcatlipoca and Kukulkan (also known as Quetzelcoatl)
inhabit a world which is comprised of only the waters, themselves, and the crocodile
monster, Cipactli. Tezcatlipoca dangles his foot in the water and tempts Cipactli to him.
She bites off his foot, and the brothers tear her apart, creating the world, thus, his
sacrifice and resourcefulness causes an explosion of life. It is the moment of sacrifice that
we have focused on here.
Mexicolore provides an insightful commentary on Tezcatlipoca:
“The symposium opened with a presentation by the ‘grandfather’ of Aztec research,
Professor Henry B. Nicholson, setting the whole event in the broad context of our
knowledge of Aztec culture (as he pointed out, ‘Aztecs’ is a very inadequate term for the
style of the late postClassic period: the Aztecs themselves called themselves the
‘TenochcaTlatelolcaColhuaMexica’, or just ‘Mexica’ for short!). Professor Nicholson
reminded the audience of just some of the key features of Tezcatlipoca: omnipotent,
virile, art sorcerer, darkness, jaguar, ‘wereanimal’ par excellence, total power, Jupiter,
blended with Ometeotl in the supreme heaven, ‘every creature was powerless before
him...’”
Ian Mursell, Mexicolore
< July 25th 2011
http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/index.php?one=azt&two=aaa&id=222>
Where the hanged man is usually a victim, it is less apparent that in his victimhood he
achieves supreme success: Tezcatlipoca is a sacrifice to Cipactli, but he is, as the
Professor puts it: total power, a dangerous shapeshifter and the supreme deity.
Comparisons with Jesus are easy to make, though Tezcatlipoca does the beat with
extreme style and sexual panache, thus making him an ideal candidate for the “new”
Hanged Man. If we were bolder we could very well have renamed it “The Sacrificed
One”.
Images of Siva being subdued under Kali’s blood drunken demonkilling rampage were
disposed of, on account of them being overdone and much too common for what we were
trying to accomplish here, and not quite enough to redeem the Hanged Man from the
garbage he had been drowning in for over a century.
This is an individual who follows a dangerous path. If one draws this card, they may
already be inexorably tangled in the web of designs in which they are fated to follow or
aid this person. Whatever power he is servant to is omnipotent, like traditional ideas of
god, and also dark. Thus the person cannot be opposed, even if they appear to be in a
position of weakness. Their powers will manifest in unexpected and strange ways, not
always obviously connected to the person himself.
Atu XIII: Death
Letter: ‫נ‬ Nun (N), ‫ן‬ Nun
Final
Number: 50, 700
F
Proximity: Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) to Sephira #7 (Netzach)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #24 "Imaginative" 坤
– Earth of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth (Above/Below)
艮
Water of (Kên) Keeping Still, Mountain (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim made the beasts of the field"
Corner Hexagrams:

(Upper right) Fire: 晉
Hex #35: (Chin) Progress
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #36: (Ming I) Darkening of the Light
明夷
(Upper left) Water: 訟
Hex #6: (Sung) Conflict
(Lower right) Earth: 需
Hex #5: (Hsü) Waiting
Transformation, Finality, Mortality, Exhaustion, Rebirth,
Metamorphosis, Redirection, Chthonian, Underworld, Putrefaction, Decomposition,
Dissolution, Dispersion, Termination, Suspension, Redistribution
Stagnation, Pointlessness, Stasis, Entropy, Chaos, Hoarding,
Obsession, Clinging to the Past
Interpretations
Historical:
The personification of Death is known in modern times as The Grim Reaper.
This rustic and simple figure of an animated human skeleton carrying the ancient symbol
of Saturn and the harvest, the scythe, is shown riding on a horse, as if he was one of the
horsemen of the apocalypse, although this is the only such horseman ever to show up in
the tarot, a telltale clue of its pagan origins.
Golden Dawn: Child of the Great Transformers
Called Death, , the Death card
corresponds to the zodiacal Scorpio and places between Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) and
Sephira #7 (Netzach) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Golden Dawn uses the traditional imagery of the European Death, the Grim Reaper.
A snake, phoenix and a scorpion are used as symbols. Scorpions represent pain, the
snake, transformation, and the phoenix rebirth.
Thoth:
Crowley kept much of the same imagery, but granted Death the appearance of
Osiris’ crown. Lady Harris’ projective geometric netting adds a new dimension to the
piece.
With Death is the letter Nun, meaning fish; so the scene is built on the bottom of the
ocean floor curiously enough. The Thoth was and is one of the most innovative decks of
all time while also being correct.
Crowley states the card represents the step of putrefaction. Unfortunately he doesn't
bother to apply the other alchemical steps to their respective cards so it's difficult, or
rather, impossible to track his reasoning.
The scorpion is explained as an element that tends towards suicide in popular legend, and
the snake a sign of "masculine energy". The serpent was quite female in Egyptian magick
and mythology (the entire female half of the human race is represented as snakes, the
male as frogs, in the creation myth) so it is only through their vague resemblance to a
penis that Crowley seems to be getting this information. In India the serpent was almost
always female when connected to a divinity, with two exceptions, Balarama and Ananta
Deva Adi Sesa. He is correct in assessing its nature as Lord of Life and Death.
The Eagle is said to represent gas, and the skeleton Saturn. The skeletal figure is crowned
like Osiris and is dredging up bubbles which represent new forms. The fish and serpent
are compared to the cults of resurrection and reincarnation. Here he concretely states the
fish represents the cult of Christianity, where Jesus is the fish god, and moreover is a fish,
and then he vaguely glosses over any supposed Serpent cults, but perhaps we can infer it
is Sanatana Dharma.
Here in the fourfold Hexagrammal attributes of
Progress, Darkening of the Light, Conflict and Waiting is the image of Alchemical
process. The emphasis in the holistic sense is with the Fire Hex, Progress. The hexagram
reminds us we are here to brighten ourselves. Death ends those who are not living
according to their True Will or improving themselves in some way. If you refuse to
advance you will fall, and continue to fall until you determine to be a productive human
being. This is symbolized also by Fire in the above, Earth in the below. The still elements
will be purified. So it is that the fire element in the scene is the punishing and delivering
Chakkrath Azhwar, or circle of God.
In Hexagram #36 we have Darkening of the Light, a strong inference of what Death is to
humans. “The light has sunk into the earth; the image of the darkening of the light.”
Man is advised to guard his light, and this includes hiding it within and persevering.
Death is very mysterious, but the Tibetans have been studying Death closely for centuries
and seem to know something Westerners do not: the act of Death is only the beginning of
a long journey to failure or success. Like alchemy, it is most important that a Man be
aware of such things, lest he fail to apprehend the most important aspect of Life its
Death.
Hexagram #5 and #6, of Earth and Water respectively are of interest. Death is classically
associated with the bottom of the ocean as seen in the Thoth. So if we pay attention to the
symbolism here, in #5 we see that it is the chamber of Ma’at herself. The I Ching reminds
us that Death is fine and auspicious for the sincere, and those who persevere will be
furthered to cross the Great Water. A feast for Death is advised. But in #6 the symbolism
is more difficult to interpret. There is obstruction even if one is sincere, says the I Ching.
The passage may indicate the phenomenon of being pushed back from Death into the
world while in the same body, a neardeath experience. It could also represent stumbling
in the bardos and returning to the womb of the living. (which to a Tantricist is not all that
bad.) In all of these functions, events and phenomena, Maya is the goddess we are
examining, and so this is who is represented on our card, even though she is rarely ever
anthropomorphized.
It is through the hexagramsd that this new phenomena of Pentagrammal structures must
be analyzed, at least partly. “Imaginative” fits Maya very well. Earth of Earth signifies
the essence of the Daughter, and she is a creative and imaginative child. Called “The
Lord’s Maya in the East, she is both play companion and playground in the Lord’s lila.
Thus she is ever intimately connected with any change which occurs, so it is natural she
will be associated with the most dramatic change, that of Death and its inferred rebirth. In
the line from Berashith we also have the creatrix who lends diversity and inspiration to
the forms of life.
Lastly the number 50 is of Nuit, so it is she is connected to this card, a death goddess,
actually.
The Scene:
Maya, represented as the gatekeeper to the world above. She is black,
representing the eternal night into which all existence must coalesce into. Life ends at her
feet, colored red like the muladhara that leads to the bottomless pit where Ananta resides.
The mace represents the brutality of death’s influence on incarnated beings. She points
up, indicating that she will slay all who stand before her on this floor. Raising
consciousness was once the supreme goal of all kings and jivas (incarnated beings) and
that reason is Maya herself who will reclaim all that belongs to her. The only refuge is to
rise above the slaughter.
In life, there are many who will stand gawking at death, for fear or stupidity, not knowing
that they grow closer to annihilation with their inability to act in the right way. The
shamanic death, as it is called, is not like this. It is not a death at all but an active
meditation akin to a serpent shedding its skin. People are not serpents, but they can
master the art of the transmutative activity. Most perform this action at death anyways,
but it is more useful to be able to achieve it on a regular healthy basis in life.
Atu XIV: Art
Letter: ‫ס‬ Samekh (S, X)
Number: 60
Proximity: Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) to Sephira #8 (Hod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #25 "Trial" 乾
– Water of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven (Above/Below)
兌
Earth of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake (Without/Within)
Berashith:
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire:
Hex #26: (Ta Ch’u) Taming Power of the Great
大畜
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #25: (Wu Wang) Innocence
無妄
(Upper left) Water: 升
Hex #46: (Shêng) Pushing Upward
(Lower right) Earth: 萃
Hex #45: (Ts’ui) Gathering Together / Massing
Alchemy, Creativity, Synthesis, Projection, Distillation,
Perspective, Assimilation, Invocation, Imagination, Attunement, Invention, Intuition,
Communication, Simulation, Refinery, Skill, Mastery
Inefficiency, Waste, Ignorance, Difficulty, Dullness,
Disinterest, Disturbance
Interpretations
Historical:
Often shown as a winged lady, pouring liquid from one container into
another, this card has changed numbers. In earlier packs she was represented with an
ermine. The numeration of temperance tended to be mercurial, shifting from VII to XIV.
This may be the case because it was considered to be the result of the Lovers shown in
VI, the child. The mother womb is the master alchemist of life who creates the highest
material being. Thus a woman is shown.
Golden Dawn: Daughter of the Reconcilers
Called Temperance , the Temperance card
corresponds to the zodiacal Sagittarius, primarily and Capricon and Scorpio secondarily.
The planetaries Saturn and Mars are considered integral to the card's transmutative
process as well as ruling Capricorn and Scorpio. Art places between Sephira #6
(Tiphareth) and Sephira #9 (Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system.
Thoth:
Renamed Art, without offering much explanation for it. He was very concerned
with creating a complex scene that illustrated the full rich gamut of the Alchemical
Process, the understanding of which is complicated more by his obtuse writings on the
card. This is evidenced by continued confusion to this day as to why he changed the
name from Temperance to Art, and what the scene acually means. Most tarot hoarders are
too stupid to know what alchemy is, and even if they’ve bothered to hear about it they
won’t connect this card to it right off without a copy of The Tarot of the Egyptians by the
author.
Crowley reinforced the card’s visible alchemical traits significantly and explains its
properties in vivid detail. This is fortunate for us, as the card art itself is usually very
boring and his words serve to elucidate poorer versions of “Artemis”. Considering that it
explains how babies are made in the middle of the Dark Ages, (Which were anything but
Dark in certain parts of the world, outside of the tiny little continent of Europe. Even the
heathen and pagan Vikings were experiencing a Golden Age in contrast to their Christian
cousins. This is the eternal bane of the Tarot, it was hidden away for so long out of fear
of discovery by one’s neigbors, that, just as it could come out of the closet, scientific
effort banished it to the “occult” cupboard where it had to crawl out once again into the
light of the New Aeon) this is no surprise. The cauldron is added in which the red and
white animals of alchemy interact. The woman is manybreasted, like Artemis. He states
be
that the most primitive of the images on this card would simply Artemis, even though
she was degraded greatly by the Romans as Diana. He also states that the station
foreshadows the final stage of The Great Work, and points out that he’s added the highest
symbol of Mercury according to him, the arrow.
Much todo is made over Crowley’s decision, but he is correct. The card perfectly
encapsulates the Great Mother’s intellect. She is after all, a mathematician at heart. The
old Temperance before this elevated and exquisite vision is a foul card which should be
relegated to the Hell of the old Aeon as quickly and as permanently as possible. (Really
she is not that bad actually, but the ideas behind what has made her so boring and
uninspiring are unforgivable...there are many good ways to make Temperance elegant
and meaningful without sinking into angel wings and matrons)
Although the art of Lady Harris is effective, Crowley doesn't help very much with
illuminating the nature of the station beyond his text, and more could have been written
in order to help sustain her elevated status.. However, both m1thr0s and I agreed that it
was a dutiful renaming, considering that Temperance was rather Christianized and thus
contaminated by false religious ideology.
Our supreme arrow of Mercury is still present, it
surrounds our Goddess Ra’ath or Circe with its golden light, the glow of the pregnant
female. It has finally found its target, Sol. The Hexagrams proffer up an image of full and
waxing pregnancy in the rich fullness of its precision cellular activity. Balanced,
concentrated perception where the mother’s great experience and power over the egg and
sperm leads to life as told in the Fire Hex #26, Taming Power of the Great. This is the
place where the Hermit dwells. The Air Hex speaks to the child’s grace, Innocence. The
Water Hex #46, Pushing Upward, affirms the mother’s status as both nurturer and
destroyer, editing and making changes incomprehensible to onlookers. The change
wrought by encapsulating Life in the alembic of the womb is a destructive and awe
inspiring process. Yet like Temperance it is perfectly balanced and accorded the most
careful alchemical oversights evolution has to offer. This massing of cells into a cohesive
being is pointed to by the Earth Hex #45 Gathering Together/Massing. SO all in all we
get the image of the supreme act of creative force, a bit mysterious and chaotic looking,
but the results from this alchemical master act are in….Life is splendid. The process is to
repeat as the point of the TwinStar meets Sol, forever. The Star in all of this is the female
herself...so powerful, so precise, nothing males can ever do can come close. It is for this
reason the card is to be held up as art. There are many disciplinary forces to consider in
the card, not merely abstinence. All art is discipline and perseverance, temperance is not
enough of a word to describe all that goes along with that. It’s just too short. If the Magus
is the Master, then here is where Mastery is personified, in the union of female with
Logos.
The Scene:
Circe, with influences of Ra’ath, the daughter of Ra (like Anubis, Ra'ath is an
Anglicized word, the original form is Raet). There is little written of Ra'ath that is not
simply attributed to Mrs. Hathor, who is also a cow headed goddess. While Hathor is
Mother, Daughter and Wife to Ra, Ra'ath is specifically the wife and daughter aspect and
so close to Ra as to be virtually indistinguishable from his Will and Power. In the
language of the Vedas, Ra'ath would be the Shakti of Ra. Just as the goddess takes
different forms so too does her husband more specifically she is married to Mentu or
Montu, the fierce and deadly Lord of War and Vengeance who introduced himself to
Crowley vis a vis the Book of the Law, in the proof called the Stellae of Revealing. This
depicts Montu, not merely Ra and the distinction is of immense importance. It is not the
false "Horus" of Isis the deciever (A curse be upon her) nor is it simply the father god Ra.
Cobras were of great importance to Ra'ath as they flank the walkway to the temple at
Medamud. Her connection to Ma'at is secured in her vulture headdress. Ra and Ra'ath
are the Mother/Father deities of Stars, of course. Ra is specifically attributed to the largest
and closest star by the Egyptians they were ignorant of the true nature of more distant
stars, but in light of modern science we can extend his boundaries much further,
especially as the radioactive and warlike Ra Hoor Khut, whose sacred book speaks from
a place of stars which mankind has as of yet failed to attain. Circe tames men and turns
them into beasts according to their nature, this alchemy of revealing the true form by
artifice is the heart of the Art card. Art also has a way of subduing through beauty.
"Musick has charm to subdue a savage Breast" wrote William Congreve in The Mourning
Bride (1697) and, "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like
a Woman scorn'd"
.
It's important not to limit the boundaries of Art within traditional media such as music
and visual Art, or only within a certain style. (For example, the white chauvinist stating
blandly that "Rap music is just obnoxious talking") Art rides over preference, and at the
heart of it lies Mystery.
Atu XV: The Devil
Letter: ‫ע‬ Ayin (AA, O)
Number: 70
Proximity: Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) to Sephira #9 (Yesod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #26 "Renewing" 巽
– Water of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind (Above/Below)
兌
Water of (Tui) Joyous, Lake (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim said, let us make man"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire:
Hex #18:
蠱'
(Ku) Correcting / Decay

(Lower left) Air: 隨
Hex #17: (Sui) Following

(Upper left) Water:Hex #18:
蠱'
(Ku) Correcting / Decay

(Lower right) Earth: 隨
Hex #17: (Sui) Following
Sexuality, Creativity, Hedonism, Carnality, Ecstasy, Abundance,
Pleasure, Seduction, Naturalism, Dissent, Rebellion, Intemperance, Exploratory,
Unconventional, Uninhibited, Daring, Taboo, Reckless
Repression, Obsession, Restriction, Fear, Entropy, Pain,
Repulsion, Scarcity
Interpretations
Historical:
Bat wings and horns have been a part of The Devil card since the earliest
packs, such as in the 97120 piece Italian Minchiate packs from the late seventeenth
century. The Devil is often left out, and usually lost. He has been the most hated or
reviled card since the earliest European tarot decks, and even today many readers will
remove them from their packs either for themselves or their customers if they are a paid
fortuneteller. The hairylegged devil found in the midfifteenth century Pierpont
MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza deck packs published today was an imagined
replacement from 1975. No one knows what the original looks like as it was lost to the
ages. On a fragmented sheet from the fifteenth or sixteenth century located in The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Devil has his trident, and bird’s claws for
feet. His wings are batlike in appearance, and he has horns and a beard. He is not hairy,
he has scales on his legs inferring a possible connection to the Goat Fish of Capricorn
representing cautious and steady ascending and descending powers. A face governs over
his crotch in some old packs, probably as a more gruesome standin for a penis, an
inference to Chronos as the infanticidal cannibal of his own children, or as a indicator of
lust and consciousness centered on sexuality. This trend of hairless horned and winged
devils with clawed feet goes on well into the 1800’s. The hairy legs with goat hooves in
place of scaled and raptorclawed feet automatically infer Pan or a Satyr and were
possibly added as an attempt to appeal to popular opinion of GraecoRoman mythology,
which was experiencing a revival during the time the goat Devil began appearing. Eliphas
Levi is credited around the web with popularizing this hairy Devil in the Tarot and this is
probably correct considering he had the most influence at the time. This Devil’s
appearance was rumored to have been acquired by Levi from the tortured reports of
Templars imprisoned by the Catholic Church. If this is true it is an unacceptable,
incorrect and offensive image for both Satanists and Pagans as it stands today.
Golden Dawn: The Lord of the Gates of Matter
Called The Devil, , the Devil card
corresponds to the zodiacal Capricorn the planetary Saturn and Mars, and places between
Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) and Sephira #8 (Hod) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Golden Dawn’s imagery of the Devil fluxed around the central theme of the horned
God, sometimes depicted as a figure of transformation and other times as a slave driver.
The appearance of The Devil never wholly returns to the classic youth with horns and bat
wings during the reign of The Golden Dawn. At this point the image of Levi’s was the
standard.
Thoth:
Aleister Crowley who was very biased towards Eliphas Levi keeps all of the
imagery as it is save that he places the goat on all fours and gives it a third eye. Then he
does something very wild and very Crowley. He puts a huge cosmic dick and balls
penetrating a vagina in the background. The testicles are full of tiny people. He veils it all
in the flowery words of Nuith and Pillars extending into the Earth’s core, but it plainly
depicts the sex act between God and goddess. (If the goddess is Nuit then the God would
be Geb in traditional Kemetic religion.) The card is made successful by this bold move
and so all is well.
This is one of the ATU with a reciprocal inverse.
Hex #18 Correcting/Decay and Hex #17 Following are present. The image of #17,
Following, which is in the position of Earth and Air, has the trigrams Chen, Thunder, the
Arousing below Tui, The Joyous, Lake. It tells us that a younger girl (Tui) is being
deferred to by an older man (Chen) and this causes her to follow him. The hexagram also
advises wise men to go indoors and rest when the thunderstorm moves in over the lake.
Compare this to the image of Balarama and Yamuna. He is the thunderstorm and she is
the lake. She has been properly punished for her crime, and the balance is about to be set
right. In showing her consideration by not hacking the rest of her into pieces, she comes
into line with the rest of harmonious universe, there is no need to press the issue further.
In this scene she is the one who has been spoiled, and the work is to put things right. In
everyday life this will be the most common pattern. If something is decayed, its only
purpose is to be strictly cleaned out and remade. The harshness of The Devil is necessary
for perfection. The Devil is the Lord of the world only because the Earth is so terrible, in
its human consciousness which rules everything here. As the Lord of all Nature it is the
duty of the Devil to correct this error and put humanity back on a straight and narrow
path. I think we will find that Tolkien’s elves are more akin to how modern humans
should behave. Instead they are orcs, dependent on everything else for their existence,
fouling all in their wake.
So with the Pentagram “Renewing” we have the ominous text “
Elohim said, let us make
man”
The lines connection to The Devil of all cards gives us an interesting insight into
the nature of Elohim, Man and The Devil. Man is meant to be culled and and the sinister
lines of the book of the law summarize it perfectly. Only in Completion can there be a
return to the solace of Eden, and this Completion is attainable only through much
unnecessary bloodshed and suffering. This is brought upon ourselves through misdeeds.
If a man carefully follows the edicts of scripture, whether it is through the Vedas or the I
Ching, there is a chance of holding together enough to achieve ignition. It is described by
the penetrant Wind above the Water, which is our crown lotus. This is the descending
serpent. This being the first step on the path to Completion, it is often sought but hardly
ever attained. It must be pursued vengefully for decades or more before it will come to
pass. Hard won, we can look back on our achievements with a certainty the rest of the
way will be much easier, but long still.
The Scene: hairy
The Devil has long been dreaded and in the Tarot, and we wanted to go
with a more beautiful, Indian devil. Krsna’s brother, Lord Balarama, the original Vishnu.
This very significant form of god is primordial, dark and perfectly suited to be our
handsome devil for The Mutational Alchemy Tarot. Balarama’s form is Ananta Sesa, the
primordial serpent who supports the entire universe on just one of his scales. He is
absolute truth and infinite illusion. In this scene, we are seeing him pull the river goddess
Yamuna to him with his plow, and is about to scatter her into hundreds of streams for her
disobedience. Yamuna realizes her mistake, and beseeches him "My dear Balarama, You
are the most powerful personality, and You are pleasing to everyone. Unfortunately, I
forgot Your glorious, exalted position, but now I have come to my senses, and I
remember that You hold all the planetary systems on Your head merely by Your partial
expansion of Sesa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe. My dear Supreme
Personality of Godhead, You are full of six opulences. Because I forgot Your
omnipotence, I have mistakenly disobeyed Your order, and thus I have become a great
offender. But, my dear Lord, please know that I am a surrendered soul unto You. You are
very much affectionate to Your devotees. Therefore please excuse my impudence and
mistakes and, by Your causeless mercy, may You now release me."
Now, the Devil should be scary, but Balarama is a far more terrifying figure of
omnipotent and sinister energy than a mere Satyr sitting in some kind of rape dungeon. It
is the position of The Abrahadabra Institute that ho should in no way be
Pan himself, w
equated to these silly looking goat men on most Tarot cards, is in every way equivalent to
Krsna, and in some ways the figure was not retarded in its development in Bharat by
iconoclastic disruption and destruction of cultural heritage as it was in Greece.

Atu XVI: The Blasted Tower
Letter: ‫פ‬ Pé (P), ‫ף‬ Pé
Final
Number: 80, 800
F
Proximity: Sephira #7 (Netzach) to Sephira #8 (Hod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #27 "Exciting" 離
– Water of (Li) The Clinging, Fire (Above/Below)
坎
Earth of (K’an) Abysmal, Water (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim created man"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 賁
Hex #22: (Pi) Grace
(Lower left) Air:
Hex #21: (Shi Ho) Biting Through
噬嗑
(Upper left) Water: 井
Hex #48: (Ching) The Well

(Lower right) Earth: 困
Hex #47: (K’un) Oppression

Perilous, Collapse, Upheaval, Danger, Catastrophe, Deluge,
Disaster, HouseofCards, Frantic Shuffle, Shattered, Crashed, Sudden, Alarming,
Unexpected, Titanic, Volcanic, Rupture, Breach, Calamitous, Chaotic, Abrupt
Misdirection, Calm Before the Storm, Averted Disaster,
Shortsightedness, Blindness, Recklessness, Evil, Theft, Armageddon
Interpretations
Historical:
Like the Devil, the Tower card is feared and shunned. It along with the Devil,
was lost from the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack and recreated in the
20th century for inclusion in a reprint. One may argue that this is mere coincidence, but
we think it is not. Tarot has a strange effect on the mind, and neither reason nor feeling
are immune to the weird ways the occult challenges the human mind. In the dark days of
Christianity in Europe the sinister was viewed with suspicion for all kinds of absurd and
moronic reasons. The colorful House of Visconti of Milan, a liberal artloving family
(like the Medicis in Florence, and still to this day they continue to produce artists and
cultural creatives of all kinds such as Luchino Visconti) produced Filippo Maria Visconti,
who became Duke of Milan and commissioned the deck. The crest of the house is a blue
goldcrowned and horned serpent devouring a Muslim, and this crest is included in the
pack. Sometimes especially in the version associated with Milan the child is emerging
from the serpent’s mouth and is crowned, inferring The Crowned and Conquering Child.
Whomever the cards passed to after Filippo Maria Visconti was probably more
influenced by Christian Fascism than by Satanic Liberty if they felt the need to destroy
the Tower and Devil. Today the crowned serpent is still a universal symbol for the
Enlightenment (Although in Jerusalem, where one often finds them in jewelry, it
represents the old Nachash, worshipped as a symbol of God’s protective force and
wisdom, as in the old saying, “Be thou as wise as serpents” I own one made in Jerusalem
inset with a green peridot for its volcanic properties.)
The Tower Card is possibly a reference to Proverbs 18:10 “The name YodHeVauHe is
a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” and the people falling out of the
Tarot Tower are not righteous. So the card is a warning of sorts, but also an image of
security for those that are moral and good. The symbol of angelic force, a glowing disc
from heaven, common in Renaissance art, is depicted in 17th century decks as shooting at
the tower with lightning. The unrighteous, male and female, are pictured falling to their
death. Often the figures will be crowned, indicating an abuse of power.
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty,
Called The Blasted Tower, the Blasted
Tower card corresponds to the planetary Mars and places between Sephira #7 (Netzach)
and Sephira #8 (Hod) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Golden Dawn keeps to the theme of a bright disc shooting lightning at a tower which
is broken in half. This calls to mind, if one remembers, the old image of Strength as a
woman breaking a pillar. Two Sephiroth, one dark and one light, flank the Tower in
Godfrey Dowson’s The Hermetic Tarot, a progressive Golden Dawn imagery deck (based
on Book T) from the mid20th century.
Thoth:
The Thoth portrays the tower being destroyed by some kind of bizarre and
horrific worm representing the mouth of hell or lake of fire. This is the fiend of God
represented in Heaven by the blazing allseeing eye, called Dis by Crowley. It’s such a
great image that it’s hard not to get chills for some occultists when pulling it in a spread.
Strange little polygonal people are falling from the tower. The rays number 27 whereas in
the MAT they number 22+5 lightning bolts. Equivalence to Siva is revealed by Crowley
and what he calls “a direct reference” in the Book of the Law. “Invoke me under my
stars! Love is the law, love under will. Nor let the fools mistake love; for there are love
and love. There is the dove, and there is the serpent. Choose ye well! He, my prophet,
hath chosen, knowing the law of the fortress and the great mystery of the House of God.”
(Book of the Law, Crowley 1904) He names the eye of God itself as the Eye of Horus
and the Eye of Siva. The Lionserpent is revealed as Abrasax or Xnoubis, “what
Schopenhauer would have called the Will to Live and the Will to Die.”
The picture painted by the Hexagrams is fierce,
cleansing, and dismal. Pi, Grace, in the position of Fire certainly indicates a kind of inner
purity and innocence being protected by a much larger force. It is the image of fire on a
mountain. It also indicates physical lava on a volcanic slope. It is a beautiful sight but
also dangerous. Once again Aleister Crowley has given us an image very much in tune
with the true core of the original and most authentic tarot. But here the tower is the fire
on the mountain of technology.
Besides being attractive and beautiful, this Hexagram also indicates the process of
working on some affairs. “
But he dare not decide controversial issues in this way.” In the
Wilhelm/Baynes edition of the I Ching the Sun is compared to the useful thing, and the
stars and moon the beautiful, or graceful thing that is not practical. By balancing beauty
with practicality there is success. So the Tarot is talking about an event where man is
being punished for not keeping these two things in balance. It doesn’t take a genius to
automatically consider the unnecessary and stark pursuit of profit for the sake of profit
alone, practiced in crony capitalism and immoral, injust profiteering that does harm to
people. This is not an indictment on business itself, no more than we would condemn the
Sun itself for performing its duty. But it is clear that without a balance of beauty and
practicality, the universe has no choice but to lay the fiends low by using their own
brutality against them.
The Air Hex naturally follows and supports the Fire element as it should be expected to
do when Fire is rampant, and the sages tell us #21 “BITING THROUGH has success.
It is favorable to let justice be administered.” The awful justice of a righteous war is to be
administered.
The female elements of Water Hex #48 and Earth Hex #47 speak of difficult times for the
just and upright individuals. Things are difficult and the people are suffering. It is advised
to help one another and to follow the intimations from fate. Necessity rules. Times like
this cannot last forever, as the rest of the I Ching teaches us, as the wheel rises so it must
fall, and in this case the fall is very hard indeed for those at the top of the wheel. In the
beginning of the Age of Hrw or Ra Hoor Khut the plight of the life and women are the
most crucial issues that need to be address. Diversity is an important aspect of the Grace
referred to in the Fire Hex and must be respected. Ra Hoor Khut and the male principle of
God the Father is the only law that matters, no matter what laws that humans make for
themselves, and the punishment for breaking those laws is much more severe. As for
women, since they are the body of Nuit and one half of entire universe and the only thing
the Fire element cares about, they have to be not only protected, elevated and given their
proper place as warriors of the Nu Aeon, but also avenged. The souls of millions of of
tormented souls cry out to be avenged and there will be an answer to it. There is not
saying how the vengeance will come, but it is here. Ra Hoor Khut is first a god of War
and of Vengeance, so this card is especially important to him and may be addressed as
such.
In the Pentagram we have the result of the statement in The Devil, where Elohim creates
Man. This underlines Man as an act of War. Against what exactly that is may have hints
in Entropy and Choronzon but it is up to the adept to find out what that is for him or
herself. The two cards of The Tower/War and The Devil may be considered two sides of
one thought and action.
The Scene:
This card began as a dream of a tall black tower in the middle of the ocean.
When I encountered m1thr0s and the Abrahadabra formula, as a Bhakti practitioner I had
been coming to what one would presume was the very first stages of Bhakti, that of being
in tune with nature everywhere one went – without having to actually enter wilderness. A
before unimaginable peace permeated my existence. Then the thought dawned on me to
destroy whatever was disrupting this world. There was a man at the top of the tower that
was not my proper ruler. I received a vision of the earth and came to the conclusion that
whoever ruled this world was driving it towards ruin, and I needed it gone.
In my dream, at the top of my tower there was a light, and I swam towards it – I was a
black serpent – Shakti. I crept up the side of this slick black tower of rock in the middle
of a vast stormy ocean, and I found the man at the top – I knew he needed to go. And I
decided then he was going to go, I knew it was my world and my time to rule as I
pleased. I crushed the tower beneath my coils and the man fell into the ocean, screaming,
and the rock slipped away to reveal a lovely, white, gleaming radiance. I gazed on the
remains of the top of the tower and found my love there, The Emperor. Years later, I
spoke with m1thr0s about the Emperor and we both agreed that the proper place of the
archetype in the Tarot was properly 17 and the Star, 4. Tzaddi is not the star.
Atu XVII: The Emperor
Letter: ‫צ‬ Tzaddi (Tz), ‫ץ‬ Tzaddi
Final
Number: 90, 900
F
Proximity: Sephira #7 (Netzach) to Sephira #9 (Yesod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #28 "Natural" 艮
– Water of (Kên) Keeping Still, Mountain (Above/Below)
坎
Water of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"In the form of Elohim he created him"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 艮
Hex #52: (Kên) Keeping Still / Mountain
(Lower left) Air: 震
Hex #51: (Chên) The Arousing / Thunder

(Upper left) Water: 巽
Hex #57: (Sun) The Penetrating / Wind
(Lower right) Earth: 兌
Hex #58: (Tui) The Joyous / Lake
Imperious, Regal, Paternal, Disciplinary, Strong, Protective,
Worldly, Assertive, Resolute, Intent, Focused, Penetrating, Principled, Realistic,
Practical, Unstoppable, Authoritative, Indisputable, Foundational
Danger, Tyranny, Evil, Domination, Oppression, Bad, Anger,
Harshness, Petulance, Weakwilled
Interpretations
Historical:
The Emperor is often presented as a historical King or Emperor. The Visconti
Emperor is covered in a lush gilt robe over royal blue with red shoes. He wears a serene
expression on his ages and bearded face and holds a golden globe covered in reptillian
scales and scepter. The crown has a dark blue or black phoenix rising from it. The Lo Shu
covers the background in its flower form. (At TAI we sometimes call this the “tentacle
Lo Shu”) Three linked rings on his robe represent the three worlds, and a curved sword
between his legs represents his power of diplomacy and war. It is one of the most elegant
forms of the Emperor. After this initial flowering of nearly imagery, the Emperor cards
hereafter become very degraded.
Golden Dawn: The Son of the Morning
Called The Emperor, , The Emperor card
corresponds to the zodiacal Aries and places between Sephira #3 (Chokmah) and Sephira
or
#6 (Tiphareth) Sephira #7 (Netzach) and Sephira #9 (Yesod) and is assigned the
Hebrew letter/number Tzaddi (90)
As the Emperor has such potential for power, it is a little terrifying to see how awfully it
is prepared in most Golden Dawn versions. He fairs a little better well into the 20th
century. The eagle or phoenix is always present, and the head of Aries. His scepter and
globus cruciger are shown. And he is always dressed in royal clothes, with a cape and
crown or phrygian cap. The progressive Hermetic Tarot by Godfrey Dowson puts a little
life in his step. He’s getting up out of the silly throne and doing something excitedly, and
the Eagle, if not the Phoenix is present at least. All in all the Golden Dawn failed
miserably to achieve a decent picture of the Emperor, this is one of the ATU which
worse
actually became after the Golden Dawn took over things from the powerful forces
of The Enlightenment. The role of the Emperor has been polluted in this world and so we
can’t fault them for it. But it barely stands as an ATU let alone a standard of royalty. (The
worst looking Emperor is probably the diseased looking man in the RiderWaite.
Crowley rightly calls the deck a ‘
grotesque and falsified parody’.)
Thoth:
The Book of the Law, (Liber Al Vel Legis) stated in 1904, "All these old letters
of my Book are aright; but [Tzaddi] is not the Star. This also is secret: my prophet shall
reveal it to the wise."
Crowley responded by switching the Hebrew letter of the Star with the Emperor, but he
didn't change the ATU numeration. He also switched its positioning on the tree with the
Star but again, didn't change the ATU numeration.
The imagery is quite frankly, awful. The image appears overworked and as many were
reworked “up to eight times” according to the correspondence letters between Crowley
and Harris, this would hardly be surprising.
The two argued about everything and were
illmatched. Crowley had difficulty with women so it’s incredible they were able to finish
it at all, and much of this is owed to Harris’s ladylike patience and tolerance. The work
came out decent enough owing to both of them having the heart for the work. The only
redeeming element is the phoenix on the shield. The rams overlooking the scene are
wondering just what they are doing there, and the lamb of God of Christianity is sitting in
the corner, a bastion of everything the champions of Tarot were fighting against during
the Enlightenment.
The Emperor card is one of several paths that
have been positioned incorrectly according to the Proximity Principle of Mutational
Alchemy, and The Book of the Law.
The Emperor with the correct letter, Tzaddi, should logically correspond to the 28
th
Proximity Principal
path between Sephira #7 (Netzach) and Sephira #9 (Yesod). The
Emperor card acquires the additional value of Atu XVII, previously assigned to the Star
card.
The double mountain Hex of Ken, Keeping Still, the Mountain underlines the nature of
The Emperor as someone with excellent timing and the ability to hold the reigns of
immense kingdoms, a King of Kings. This is the Lord of the natural world beyond mere
forests and pantheons. The hexagram is also said to represent yoga by Richard Wilhelm.
It also indicates someone who is completely cloaked and very difficult to find or detect if
he does not feel the time is right to unveil himself. (Notice that the Empress shares a
secret relationship with the Hermit in this case in their descriptions) Wilhelm goes on to
explain to us in #51 Chen, that it is a sign of the eldest son seizing power. The
representation is of Heaven or God moving below the earth as an earthquake. It is a
terrifying but wonderful thing, full of surprise and delight. The phenomenon of initiation
is similar. It only comes at the allowance of godhead and cannot be attained through mere
want, but when it is active it can inspire and set man into action like no other force. It is
said that when the dragon bites you, one is already on the path of magick and there is no
longer any danger of being lost or blinded. This person will not be afraid of anything
after being visited by The Emperor in such a way. The sages tell us “
Thunder repeated:
the image of SHOCK. Thus in fear and trembling The superior man sets his life in order
And examines himself.
” This not punishment or the threat of punishment, it is a
revelation to prepare a warrior to be a soldier in the war of Heaven and Earth.
Another double trigram in the postion of Water, Hex #57 shows Wind above Wind. The
attribute of the trigram called Sun is gentleness. It is also enduring and persistent, it does
not force itself on anyone or anything but it never stops. It encapsulates the sacred axiom
“Perseverance Furthers”.
The next hex of Earth is #58, the double trigram of Tui the Joyous, Lake. It is an image of
friendship and good vibes, the image of the holy court of Master Ra. It also describes the
nature of the dojo where learning becomes multifaceted instead of onesided in those
selftaught. This cannot ever be as efficient and useful as learning amongst others in
person. Therefore the power of the Emperor is especially manifest amongst the scene of
scholars learning and discussing amongst each other, whether it is in academic studies or
martial arts.
Finally the Pentagram reminds us in the paired line from Berashith that the Emperor has a
responsibility to us and this is why he treats us with special deference. Men and women
are stars and part of his court. They hold a shared responsibility as his creations for his
work, which entails taking care of his vast kingdom.
The Scene:
The Emperor was one of our favorite cards. We both agreed that we were
sick to death of the pompous fancypants decked out in tragically materialistic trappings,
all too caught up in his silk panties and booties and not at all very good at ruling so much
as sitting in his highchair. We fought especially hard with the Thoth imagery, where we
felt it should be more indicative of an active ruler at least, and not a disinterested buffoon.
The lightning worlds, the sun worlds and the moon worlds are from Hermetic Kabbalah
tradition, relating to the tree of life. (this is the linked three worlds on the Visconti
Emperor’s robe as well) The Sephirothic triangle of the lightning world is centered in
Da’ath, the uppermost triangle, and its corners are in Binah, Chokmah and Tiphareth. The
only way to express the top triangle cosmologically, according to Hermetic Kabbalah is
with lightning. The sun worlds are anchored in Geburah, Chesed and Yesod. Here is
where the Phoenix of Hermes resides, within the center of the tree. (Note this is where the
crucial 6364 reside in the Temporals arrangement. This is very important.) Hermes, the
infant and criminal, who always does good through his works, not matter how pestilant
he seems. The Lunar worlds are anchored in Hod, Netzach and Malkuth. This is not
*our* moon, it is not in *our* solar system. The crescent is a fine symbol and this
represents the gamut of a moon’s relatively common phases.
Here we have the aftermath of the Devil who is also the hidden Emperor and his work:
The Tower – the power issue has been resolved and the true ruler descends through the
three worlds to claim what is his by omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence.
There is a paradigm shift in his numeration. New tarot users will not be aware of it, but
for experienced occultists the change may be exhilarating or horrifying, depending on
one’s point of view. An educated decision is best.
The Book of the Law through “Hadit” tells us "All these old letters of my Book are
aright; but tzaddi is not the Star". Crowley took the advice to heart and switched the
Hebrew letters Tzaddi which was associated to The Star, and He associated with The
Emperor, with each other, but not did not switch the Star and the Emperor’s ordering in
the ATU. m1thr0s has issued this correction and I feel very pleased with due to the
secrets it reveals. Appropriately the Emperor and Empress are no longer side by side.
Even more wonderfully, the Emperor’s path now runs between Netzach and Yesod, and
in the ATU he is now before the Moon. The ordering of the ATU reflects his physical
position on the tree. It is appropriate that the Emperor be “down in the fray” as it were,
commanding his kingdom – even though his authority derives from his association with
the supreme feminine, the Empress, and from Kether itself. His physical manifestation is
the “hand of god”. Thus in the card, he is given the form of Apsu or alternately,
Kolowisi, the allfather water serpent from Sumerian and Zuni mythology. Apsu is called
“Lord of the Sweet Waters” and is the consort of Tiamat, “Lady of the Bitter Waters”.
He is a black bashumu, or horned serpent, also a symbol of the Indian idea of primordial
universe, the seaserpent Shesha Ananta, a black endless serpent outside time and
universe, often depicted supporting one of the supreme triumvirate, Vishnu, who is like
his child or emanation.
Shesha Ananta only incarnates a small part of himself ever as Balarama, always the older
brother of Lord Vishnu’s avatar. He has pure white skin and a commanding disposition of
the Lord engaged in Lila appropriate to the Emperor’s path connecting Netzach and
Yesod, or Venus and Luna.
Students of Mutational Alchemy will note the appearance of his horns reflect the
anatomy of the TwinStar and this was intentional from the start.
Atu XVIII: The Moon
Letter: ‫ק‬ Qoph (Q)
Number: 100
Proximity: Sephira #7 (Netzach) to Sephira #10 (Malkuth)
Ruling Pentagram
:
Pent #29 "Corporealizing" 兌
– Water of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake (Above/Below)
震
Earth of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim blessed them"
Corner Hexagrams:

(Upper right) Fire: 損
Hex #41: (Sun) Decrease

(Lower left) Air: 益
Hex #42: (I) Increase
(Upper left) Water: 恆
Hex #32: (Hêng) Duration

(Lower right) Earth: 咸
Hex #31: (Hsien) Influence/Wooing
Lunar, Miasmic, Murky, Eerie, Dreamy, Hypnagogic, Astral,
Sensual, Mystical, Foreboding, Shadowy, Transmutable, Reflective, Reverberative,
Illusory, Secretive, Ominous, Visionary, Disorienting, Psychological, Drugs, esp.
Hallucinogens
Cold Reality, Terror, Misery, Psychopathy, Lunacy,
Selfdestruction, Danger, Poison, Entrapment, Insanity
Interpretations
Historical:
Rather than confine the deck to earth, the literal terran moon is absent. The
texture on the crescent is from a photograph taken by Nasa of the surface of Phobos, one
of the two moons of Mars. This speaks for the eerier side of the moon card symbology
where fear surrounds the subconscious and manifests as paranoia and irrational fears
(phobias). Gravity exerts a vast degree of control on the internal workings of lifeforms,
weather and other matter here on our planet, which lends the moon potency in the
religions of man across the ages. One cannot deny one’s own internal nature just as the
dog cannot wholly escape its genetic heritage derived from wolves, as the card is
displayed on most other versions of tarot. Instinct is ultimately king, whether or not we
admit it to ourselves, choices may barely be ours, instead based on irrational fears and
primal instinct.
Instead of depicting a defeated Diana, it depicts a triumphant Hermes. Dionysus, often
depicted as an infant in the arms of Hermes, is an alternate association with the moon and
his animal is the leopard, hunted to extinction in Europe long ago. (As Hermeticists, we
of course don't like Diana or her cult of the primitive, so we didn't want her on the card at
all Crowley agrees she was greatly degraded from her original form as Artemis Cynthia
in Greece.)
The Hexagrams themselves have a dreamy quality, combined with the hexagrams for
Increasing and Decreasing, the lunar symbology is clear.
Mushrooms under the feet of the composite beasts are a nod to the hallucinogenic herbs
that formed the backbone of human civilization’s forays into science, occult insight even
into the modern age and beyond, simply for as long as the human brain responds
positively to hallucinogenic substances.
Purple and green, artistically the colors of poison, absinthe and nightshade were chosen
for the card, as well as the gold and blueblack of the composite chimeric creatures,
representing mystery. This is the traditional symbol of the god Ningishzidda, adapted
from an ancient Sumerian beaker created under the rule of King Gudea of Lagash by an
unknown artist. His patron god was Ningishzidda in the ancient city of Lagash, a location
renowned for its stunning visual artifacts produced by very advanced artisans.
On the original beaker the chimeric creatures are mushussu, chaos monsters, here they
are leopards. In the various Sumerian studies I had performed in order to accurately
interpret the beaker’s symbology I came across some opinion that they were griffins or
cats, which isn’t actually true, although the leopard lends itself well to the symbol.
Ningishzidda is referred to as “impetuous leopard” in one translation of a Sumerian
balbale dedicated to him.
Golden Dawn: Ruler of Flux and Reflux
Called The Moon, , The Moon card corresponds
to the zodiacal Pisces and places between Sephira #7 (Netzach) and Sephira #10
(Malkuth) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Waite deck does little to lift the Christianity from the card, Artemis the Virgin, a
standin for Mary the Virgin, is still triumphant, her hounds and crustacean pointing at
the Moon. In the mid 20th century decks the imagery was uplifted somewhat to include a
winged scarab, an alternate attribution for Cancer, and the twin canine gods Anubis
(Kemetic: Anpu) and ApuatSebek but still it never regained its focus onto the Method of
Science.
Thoth:
The Moon is a strange scene in Crowley's tarot, with waveforms and a creepy
looking cockroach carrying the solar disk (I suppose it is meant to be a scarab) and two
large tower sized statues of Anpu and Apuat. It is quite effective at illustrating the
Moon’s weird qualities. The ocean rises up to support the scarab holding the solar disk
that appears about to enter the vaginal canal where the moon is seated between the towers
of the Duat.
The strange name of the ruling Pentagram
“Corporealizing” hints at some kind of phantom, unfinished form coming into being. It
calls to mind ghosts and spirits, the unborn and the undead. This spooky energy is what
the Moon is all about. Water of Tui and Earth of Chen signifies an auspicious feminine
energy at play, and its nature as something good is affirmed in the line from Berashith
“Elohim blessed them.”. This reflects on the Fire Hex of the previous ATU, Grace, in
which beauty is essential even though it seems impractical.
The hexagrams could not be more appropriate. We have Decrease and Increase,
Influence/Wooing and Duration. These are very similar to the traditional lunar attributes.
Or rather, it is the cycling nature, the increase and decrease of the moon and the romantic
attributes of its eternal light that have caused it to be associated with these universal signs
and symbols. It was one of the ATU early on that caused us to stop and wonder exactly
how this could be possible. How could a modern system, Mutational Alchemy, be so
coincidentally perfect with the ancient Tarot, without making any adjustments to suit it?
These are questions which may never have an answer, but to assume the tarot is coming
to us from scholars who had access to deeply mathematical and logical systems of
magick. It certainly lends its credence to the Kemetic origin theory of the tarot, and the
idea that modern day Israelite ideas came from a wellspring of Sumerian and Kemetic
syncreticism.
Decrease, the Fire hex informs us that if one is transitioning through a time of scarcity,
they should not become desperate or bewildered, they should make adjustments until the
time has come when things are more prosperous. Increase, the Air hex, tells us exactly
how we might go about creating prosperity. Through careful activity and perseverence,
paying utmost attention to *right action* and *right thinking* we can begin to turn things
towards good fortune.
Duration at Earth seems to reinforce this idea, but adds the doctrine of True Will to the
mix. One should stand firmly in one’s own moral code and ethics, not giving in for fear
of anything. “Thou hast no right but to do thy will, do that and no other shall say nay” it
tells us to continue on our path no matter the cost, no matter the threats from outside our
immediate area of focus. Hexagram Influence in Water reveals that the *unexpected* is
lurking, waiting to shower us with new oppurtunities if we would only make room for
them. Being open to new people and perhaps even a new partner or wife, is important.
The card may actually indicate marriage but will point to the wife specifically, so that if
drawn for a man she may be unknown or known, if drawn for a female it will be a
female.
Sexuality is always connected to the Moon card, and we find this reinforced in the hex
Influence. It does not warn against sexual contact it only warns against being careful
about one’s behavior. “Exceed by delicacy.” The same can be said of drugs which can be
considered “the maiden” in some instances.
The Scene:
Rather than confine the deck to earth, the literal terran moon is absent. The
texture on the crescent is from a photograph taken by Nasa of the surface of Phobos, one
of the two moons of Mars. This speaks for the eerier side of the moon card symbology
where fear surrounds the subconscious and manifests as paranoia and irrational fears
(phobias). Gravity exerts a vast degree of control on the internal workings of lifeforms,
weather and other matter here on our planet, which lends the moon potency in the
religions of man across the ages. One cannot deny one’s own internal nature just as the
dog cannot wholly escape its genetic heritage derived from wolves, as the card is
displayed on most other versions of tarot. Instinct is ultimately king, whether or not we
admit it to ourselves, choices may barely be ours, instead based on irrational fears and
primal instinct.
Rather than depicting a defeated Diana, it depicts a triumphant Hermes. Dionysus, often
depicted as an infant in the arms of Hermes, because of the special relationship between
entheogens (Dionysus) and inspiration (Hermes). Dionysus is an alternate archetypal
association with the moon and his animal is the nocturnal leopard, hunted to extinction in
Europe long ago. (As Hermeticists, we of course don't like Diana very much, or her cult
of the primitive, the cult of the chaste woman, so we didn't want her on the card at all
Crowley agrees she was greatly degraded from her original form as Artemis Cynthia in
Greece, and I see no point in trying to rescue her from the hole she has been put in with
Masonry and Catholicism or its ilk.)
The Hexagrams themselves have a dreamy quality, combined with the hexagrams for
Increasing and Decreasing, the lunar symbology is clear.
Mushrooms under the feet of the composite beasts are a nod to the hallucinogenic herbs
that formed the backbone of human civilization’s forays into science, occult insight even
into the modern age and beyond, simply for as long as the human brain responds
positively to hallucinogenic substances.
Purple and green, artistically the colors of poison, (drugs) absinthe and nightshade were
chosen for the card, as well as the gold and blueblack of the composite chimeric
creatures, representing mystery. This is the traditional symbol of the god Ningishzidda,
adapted from an ancient Sumerian beaker created under the rule of King Gudea of Lagash
by an unknown artist. His patron god was Ningishzidda in the ancient city of Lagash, a
location renowned for its stunning visual artifacts produced by very advanced artisans.
On the original beaker the chimeric creatures are mushussu, chaos monsters, here they
are leopards. In the various Sumerian studies I had performed in order to accurately
interpret the beaker’s symbology I came across some opinion that they were griffins or
cats, which isn’t actually true, although the leopard lends itself well to the symbol.
Ningishzidda is referred to as “impetuous leopard” in one translation of a Sumerian
balbale dedicated to him. These animals did exist in the Middle East, but like most of the
interesting animals in modern day Iraq and Iran, they have been hunted into extinction.

Atu XIX: The Sun
Letter: ‫ר‬ Resh (R)
Number: 200
Proximity: Sephira #8 (Hod) to Sephira #9 (Yesod)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #30 "Universal" 坎
– Water of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water (Above/Below)
震
Water of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim said be fruitful and multiply"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 蒙
Hex #4: (Mêng) Youthful Folly

(Lower left) Air: 屯
Hex #3: (Chun) Difficulty at the Beginning
(Upper left) Water: 鼎
Hex #50: (Ting) The Caldron
(Lower right) Earth: 革
Hex #49: (Ko) Revolution/Molting
Solar, Radiant, Clarifying, Penetrating, Illumination,
Nourishment, Agitation, Restlessness, Inspiration, Power, Drive, Motivation,
Enthusiasm, Vitality, Strength, Beauty, Illumination, Banishing, Triumph, Awakening
Irrationality, Pessimism, Ingratitude, Delay, Arrogance,
Loneliness, Solitude, Worries
I
Interpretations
Historical:
The Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza card depicts a triumphant
looking putto on a dark cloud carrying a disembodied red glowing head. He flies high
over a walled city and mountains. This head is supposed to be the sun but it has
connotations to the soultransmigration cult of Orpheus, father of songs. The deep purple
scarf around the putto's neck is shaped like a lyre, the sacred musical instrument of
Hermes' invention (made from the shell of his beloved pet turtle!).
Orpheus used this instrument it to charm all living things including stones, and is said to
have completely mastered it, along with poetry and song. The founding of the cult of
Dionysus was attributed to him. Orpheus is often depicted with a phrygian cap, like
Mithras, and like Mithras, surrounded by a circle. In Orpheus's pictures there are twenty
animals of different types around him, and this parallels the doctrine of the tetractys
(2x10).
Considering the evidence it is difficult not to associate the Visconti Sun with the Cult of
Orpheus, which is very ancient and dated to at least the 5th century B.C.. Elements
parallel Pythagorean belief structures.
Most importantly Orpheus was a sunworshipper, towards the end of his life, having
abandoned the cult of Dionysus. The development of Mithraism and the Sol Invictus cult
was deeply entwined with Orphic mysteries. He was killed by Maenads for not
worshipping Dionysus, and this has caused speculation that he was an avatar of Dionysus
himself, due to the nature of the Dionysus cult.
In later decks the Sun is treated as merely the Sun, and these ancient mystery cults of the
Greeks and Romans are largely shelved, unfortunately.
Golden Dawn:
Called The Sun, Lord of the Fires of the World, The Sun card
corresponds to the planetary Sol and places between Sephira #8 (Hod) and Sephira #9
(Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system.
Two putti or youth are the subject of the card in many Golden Dawn tarot packs. The
mid20th century Golden Dawn pack The Hermetic Tarot associated the sun with
HeruRaHa. Flowers are often present, responding with photosynthesis. The Rose is in
the center of the sun. This rose appears all over the place in the Golden Dawn cards. I’ll
explain what I think about it just this once and then leave it alone. It isn’t a remarkable
symbol, but it is prevalent. So prevalent that one could waste a lot of time wondering just
what all of the emphasis on the silly thing is. It’s not as important as it’s made out to be,
and is just a device that became popular to symbolize certain ideas about the pure essence
of Vitriol and subjects pertaining to Cabbala (the Christianized Jewish Kabbala as
opposed to Hermetic Qabbala). One can also see a poor facsimile between its more
contrived forms and Eastern magickal symbols, such as Tibetan Thangkas (the cosmos on
Mahakala’s belly or the cosmic tortoise’s back for example) We’ve dispensed entirely
with it in this deck because it is too stupid to continue to be used by serious students of
the occult today, and because it was never necessary before the 17th century. Far too
much emphasis is placed on it, and the Rosicrucians and Golden Dawn alike are
apologists without ever actually explaining plainly what it is, so that we’re left to assume
it’s a vagina or something. If in the unlikely case it is supposed to be the blood red head
of OrpheusApolloDionysus, then one is left to wonder why they can’t explain that by
now to everyone in the 20th21st centuries.
Thoth:
Surprisingly perhaps, Crowley changed very little about The Sun, it reflects the
same imagery hundreds of other packs over the centuries have used in The Golden Dawn.
The scallops of the rose are there in the center of the sun, and the kids are still butt naked,
symbolizing pure innocence. Crowley waxes melancholy over the state of the world in
the text, and given the fact he was bisexual this is unsurprising given Lady Harris’s unfair
reproach of homosexuals and Modern Art in the correspondence letters of the Thoth
pack. Perhaps he was trying to teach her a lesson.
At first glance the hexagrams seem tumultuous. Difficulty at the Beginning in Air
signifies new growth, birth and new ventures. Youthful Folly in Fire reinforces the idea
of a toddler or child. In Water and Earth we have the idea of a young nation or a teenager.
So the general idea of The Sun is of youth. This is closely aligned with the force and
energy of Hermes. It could not be more in tune with the old imagery. The bright spring
growth and children are a perfect match. Again Mutational Alchemy is validated as a
behemoth in the occult that will continue to batter down old stereotypes and build new
and lasting connections with all of the old authentic systems of the occult.
In Youthful Folly we have a description from Confucius that indicates the annoyance an
old sage has with a young and inexperienced neophyte with no discipline. The young
thing has not learned the value of “Perseverence Furthers”. In this we are reminded that
the Sun is like a Father, very ancient and strong. It does not deign to talk to the young or
foolish, but only speaks to people when it is very important that they listen to what it has
to say. One needs to be modest and receptive to it when it talks. The Sun can represent
any kind of teacher, from a parent or grandparent, or even the star Sol itself which does
have a high intelligence as one can find out for themselves. Even more than these
attributes, Youthful Folly tells us to be thoughtful, and thorough. “If you are not going to
do something right, don’t do it at all” as the old saying goes. While this is not true at the
best of times, in this case it is really sound advice, except it would be better if it said “If
you are not doing something right, persevere until you get it right.”
Difficulty at the Beginning seems to only serve to reinforce the advice from Youthful
Folly, without the young ones. It tells us again to persevere and do things in the right
way, but acknowledges especially difficult situations, and tells us to get helpers.
In the Water Hex #50, The Cauldron, we have the enticing promise of a reward. There is
something worth having at the end of the labor and the frustration. It also tells us that the
work itself is the good fortune, like The Great Work. Furthermore 50 is the number of
Nuit and has a connection to the star nature of Man. Here to is a warning to be
correct.“
Thus the superior man consolidates his fate; By making his position correct.”
(Richard Wilhelm, Cary Baynes, The I Ching Princeton University Press)
The image is of
a fire over wood. One can learn more about the nature of this image by building, tending
and watching an actual fire.
The combative Hex #49 Revolution is the image of Fire below Lake, it’s a steamy and
tumultuous mess. But here is the alchemical process, and the work being fulfilled. It has a
special connection to actual political upheaval. The pentagram is supremely
lifeaffirming, and may be a clue to the nature of the revolution. it is for life, fighting
entropy, like the sun blazing in the darkness.
The Scene:
The sun is the symbol of the brightest natural object in the human world. The
splendor of universal form is expressed here. The Sun was considered to be the giver of
life in temperate climes, and the bringer of death in the desert, so that the archetypes of
the sun historically seem to gravitate towards local opinion. In Egypt however, the Sun
was universally regarded as good, and no sinister qualities were ever attached to it, unless
it was with one of his two eyes, the Goddess Sekhmet and consort of Ptah.
The sun bears down at a noon position, over the black abyss, filling the receptive with life
and light. The scarab is an ancient symbol of the sun, bearing it across the sky in
Egyptian mythology. A particular kind of scarab, the dung beetle, of which there are
several species, rolls a ball of dung across the ground for food storage or for a brooding
ball. To this day the scarab is one of the most helpful creatures in agriculture. This act of
rolling a ball across the desert is repeated in Egyptian art, with the ball representing the
sun. The hieroglyphic image of the scarab is also important in Egyptian culture. It has
various meanings, generally interpreted as “transformation” although this is not the full
extent of the word’s meaning. The scarab was also represented as the head of Kheper.
During the creation of the painting I accidently invoked Kheper while researching scarabs
on Wikipedia.. The energy was very good, ancient and fiery. It primarily centered on the
left side of my cranium which indicated a masculine energy typical of the sun. Easy,
vivid and accurate invocations stumbled upon by happy accident are hallmarks of the star
language we are pioneering here. The spontaneity of the encounter can be totally natural
yet as delightful as encountering a wolf in the forest on a hike or a butterfly landing on
one’s hand.
Atu XX: The Aeon
Letter: ‫ש‬ Shin (Sh)
Number: 300
Proximity: Sephira #8 (Hod) to Sephira #10 (Malkuth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #31 "Perpetual" 震
– Water of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder (Above/Below)
坤
Earth of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth (Without/Within)
Elohim
Berashith: " said behold I have given you"
Corner Hexagrams:

(Upper right) Fire: 頤
Hex #27: (I) Corners of the Mouth / Providing Nourishment
(Lower left) Air: 頤
Hex #27: (I) Corners of the Mouth / Providing Nourishment
(Upper left) Water:
Hex #28: (Ta Kuo) Preponderance of the Great
大過

(Lower right) Earth:Hex #28: (Ta Kuo) Preponderance of the Great
大過
Era, Time, Epoch, Age, Procession, Continuity, Mechanism,
Adjudication, Adjustment, Judgment, Recurrence, Revolution, Reincarnation, Scrutiny,
Accountability, Current, Tenor, Spirit, Collective Consciousness
Outdatedness, Ignorance, Karmic Issues, Reparations,
Consequences
Interpretations
Historical:
Traditionally referred to as The Last Judgement, the old decks show the dead
rising from their graves to answer the call of God in Heaven. Some decks show an angel
instead of God. Because of its overt Christian connotations, a lot of weird meanings have
been attached to the card over the years, including the idea that there is a council of elders
waiting in the sky to judge all of us after death, or that it represents a guardian angel or
something. The whole thing is creepy and must be discarded.
Golden Dawn: The Spirit of the Primal Fire
Called The Last Judgement, , The Last
Judgement card corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacals Taurus, Leo,
Aquarius and Scorpio and places between Sephira #9 (Yesod) and Sephira #10 (Malkuth)
in the Golden Dawn system.
Thoth:
Crowley names the card the Aeon, and this is the standard we have adopted as
well. He himself states that it “has been necessary to depart completely from the tradition
of the cards, in order to carry on that tradition.” He explains the shape of the elbows of
the messengers as forming the letter Shin, meaning apocalypse by fire. It is interesting
what he says next: “This (apocalypse by fire) was accomplished in the year of the vulgar
era 1904, when the fiery god Horus took the place of the airy god Osiris in the East as
Hierophant.” Nuit as the vault of heaven, Hadit as a fiery globe, and Heruraha the
introverted form of Ra Hoor Khut is shown. He advises us to study the events around the
world 2,100 years ago, the onset of the Age of Osiris.
It did not seem necessary to stay bound to any
earth centric ideology, so the Aeon is represented in a more universal form, that of
Abrahadabra with the Secret Chiefs highlighted, and Ptah, the grand architect standing
behind it all, smiling. Here is also Ra Hoor Khut and Heru Ra Ha. But it is free from all
earthly conflict and stripped of any connection to Christian ideology.
We have a set of reciprocal inverse hexagrams on this card, #27 Corners of the Mouth
with the male elements, and #28 Preponderence of the Great with the female Elements.
The first hexagram warns against one’s misuse of words. It is perhaps a commentary on
the fickleness and treachery of words themselves, which in mankind rarely transcend
human boundaries to reach unversal truth. Instead we are best off using genuine feeling
and geometry than to try to repair a conflict or problem with mere words.
Preponderance of the Great shows us a scenario where things have passed their breaking
point, in the lines attributed to Confucius. The sages (the older text) are more concerned
with showing us an example of a superior man who is unconcerned with standing alone
or renouncing the world. He is like Ptah, in the sense that he can find a place in his or her
being where no ties, attachments and worldly distractions can influence him enough so
that he forsakes his True Will.
The Aeons are all about the Will of Heaven as it pertains to the economics of Life in
general. This is a priority to superior people, for inferior people they don’t care about it.
This is injustice, or I should say, it is the source of injustice.
The Scene:
The Aeon is thought of in terms of a set amount of years, anywhere from
1,000 to 2,000 as with the astrological ages. This concept may be incorrect taken at face
value. While stronger currents of one aeon or another may indeed exist, time at the level
of the tree of life may be more of a Euclidean concept. While we may be living in say the
year 1997 with another human, we are actually “looking back at them” in time from the
Aeon of Ra Hoor Khut into the Aeon of some other ruler. We see hints of this all the time
in stories and cultural phenomenon. Avalon was one such example, said to be a place of
timelessness dedicated to the mother goddess of what is now Western Europe, destroyed
by the shadow of Christianity – a manifestation of the Aeon of Pisces or Osiris as
Crowley refers to it.
As an individual can learn to navigate the tree, so too can one participate in future or
prior aeons. The idea that the aeon is a genetic timeline is also feasible – where one
unlocks certain doors only with the right genetic markers in place. Everything that makes
us who we are is affected by DNA structure so it is not difficult to imagine this also being
affected by the Aeonic trends.
In many cultures, the idea of the divine “culling” certain humans while leaving others
behind to live (or die, alternately) is a religious theme, complete with its own art, rituals,
dogma and stories.
The journey of the shamanic involves casting off old shells as frequently as needed –
failure to let go of attachments can lead to distorted and stunted growth. Movement
through the aeons may be indicated by a child not being able to comply with its parent’s
wishes. The parents may see it as defiance, the child may see it as rejection, when it is
only really an example of aeonic divergence.
Atu XXI: The Universe
Letter: ‫ת‬ Tau (Th)
Number: 400
Proximity: Sephira #9 (Yesod) to Sephira #10 (Malkuth)
Ruling Pentagram:
Pent #32 "Serving" 坤
– Water of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth (Above/Below)
坤
Water of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth (Without/Within)
Berashith:
"Elohim saw all that He had made"
Corner Hexagrams:
(Upper right) Fire: 剝
Hex #23: (Po) Splitting Apart

(Lower left) Air: 復
Hex #24: (Fu) Return / The Turning Point

(Upper left) Water: 姤
Hex #44: (Kou) Coming to Meet
(Lower right) Earth: 夬
Hex #43: (Kuai) Resoluteness / Breakthrough
Culmination, Completion, Destination, Closure, Kingdom,
Finalization, Accomplishments, Recognition, Coordination, Synergy, Wholism,
Solidification, Materialization, Unification, Perfection, Liberation, Kundalini
Antisocialism, Shortsightedness, Shallowness, Vanity,
Ungrounded, Lost, Petty
Interpretations
Historical:
Called The World in the older decks, the ATU represents the physical world
we live in and all of its glorious variety. The ATU is the culmination of all previous ATU
and the final destination of the Fool. The four corners are filled with the beasts of
revelation that surround the throne of God. It is supposed that the nearly naked figure is a
hermaphrodite, though the groin is usually covered so one cannot tell. There is a wreath
or ouroboros surrounding everything. The wreath often represents a serpent, where
serpent symbology is viewed with suspicion by the vulgar, especially Christians. It
represents desire fulfilled or one’s true desire.
Golden Dawn: The Great One of the Night of Time,
Called The Universe, The Universe
card corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacals Taurus, Leo, Aquarius and
Scorpio and places between Sephira #9 (Yesod) and Sephira #10 (Malkuth) in the Golden
Dawn system.
Thoth:
Also called The Universe in the Thoth, the card is a depiction of a hermaphrodite
or shemale dancing with a serpent which is capturing the light from the allseeing eye of
God.
Our Universe is decidedly female, and the serpent
is male. There is no need to divide the serpent from God since it is *our* God, or as
similar a being to God as we will ever permit in Mutational Alchemy this is not to say
there are others, but the format of Gods is a transmutable thing, not some single person
that drifts about in the heavens managing things microscopically. The silly corner
animals have been dispensed with entirely, they are already there in the hexagrams if you
like. This card has always been a victim of stupid and illwrought scenes, with the
exception of the Thoth tarot and the very old Visconti packs, where it is properly shewn
as being the alembic of Godhead, a centrifuge or mere plaything.
剝
In Hex #23: (Po) Splitting Apart we have the centrifuge. This is the number of
Discord and Eris for the Chaotes and Discordians among us. The hexagram is about
major and unavoidable upheaval. It is perhaps the nature of the world to be in turmoil.
復
Hex #24: (Fu) Return / The Turning Point follows Splitting Apart, here we have a
reticent student returning to a teacher, or a wayward lover returning to her paramour, or
someone who has lost their True Will’s path returning to it. In #44 the element of Water
is shown as a powerful maiden who is not beneficial to the advancement of a person. It
may be she has her own agenda. This comes back to the idea of a universal alembic
where the two male and female parts are sorting out issues and kinks. Finally in Hex #43:
(Kuai) Resoluteness / Breakthrough warns against trying to hold on to anything. It is
夬
an image of death here. The man must dispense of all he owns as he passes to the other
side. There is no material objects in the other world. This is terrifying to some people, as
it should be. Most people squander their lives and rest on their laurels. The universe
therefore has an ominous aspect. True desire, it seems, is well hidden from our lower
animal base natures.
The Scene:
The Universe is depicted seated in the Tree of Life surrounded by the
Oroboros. Like Devi, who is said to manifest in and as young girls (one of the
foundational precepts of the Shakti cult) the Universe is depicted as a young
prepubescent girl. This attribution is not only Vedic the Coast Salish peoples with
whom the artist and author has relations with also regard young pure girls as sacred and
use their hair to decorate their most sacred magickal instruments. Similar rites are
certainly to be found elsewhere on the planet. Shakti is a serpent, but here the masculine
force is both the tree and the serpent as the Oroboros. The species is modelled after the
Woma, an Australian species equated to the Rainbow Serpent. Serpents have a long
history in religious iconography, such as in Judaism, where they were venerated for a
very long time as the Nachash, or in Hinduism where the Lord of the Ego, Ananta,
supports entire universe, to Zuni beliefs where the Serpent is the fertile father protector of
the people and the waters. The Oroboros symbolizes the constant renewal and self
sustaining nature of Universe. The Universe is sufficient first cause unto itself, requiring
no other creator. This form of the creation is similar to the model in Kabbalah, where an
infinite, never beginning and never ending light, Ain Soph Aur, self creates the vast
pocket of space that contains the physical universe in its entirety. It is here that the light
develops into the Supreme Personality of Godhead, called Elohim by the Jews, Krsna by
the Indians and so on and so forth. This masculine god has a counterpart in the emptiness
created through this action, the container herself. Devi is said to be most accurately
portrayed as a "jar", as a young girl, or as clay especially a clay idol. It is the jar, or
alembic form that summarizes the nature of The Universe in the context of totality that
is what is outside Universe as well as within Ain Soph Aur, the Boundless Light and the
Boundless.
The card is highly auspicious but like all of the cards, it carries with it the hint of
boundaries. Knowing the boundaries of a space or situation allows one to break out of
and into different worlds and universes.
The Court Cards
☵ ☲
King of Staves
Planetary:
Neptune (Above) / Jupiter (Below)
Diamond Path:
Kether, Crown (Above) / Chesed, MercifulBenevolence (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Via
Tetragram:
Fire (Above) / Fire (Below)

Pathfinder, Inspiring, Warmth, Boldness, Newness, Masculinity,
Adventuresome, Forceful, Warlord, Charismatic, Motivational, Leader, Strong Sexuality
Tyrannical, Demanding, Destructive, Impatience, Violent,
Controlling, Raging, Rapist
Interpretations
Historical:
Classically the King of Clubs, (for that is what the suite's original symbol
was) was assigned to the historical figure of the ruler Alexander. (The Encyclopedia of
Tarot by Stuart R. Kaplan, via
Memoire sur l' origine du jeu de piquet trouve dans
l'histoire sous le regne de Charles VII, by Pere Gabriel Daniel.
) Indeed his relentless
conquering streak suits the figure of the King of the suite of Fire well. Alexander's love
for the new and exotic culture of the foreign lands he conquered, and his desire to
practice eugenics by breeding his soldiers with foreigners, (which his soldiers really
resented!) also speaks to the King of Club's special relationship with life, warmth and
enlightenment, even though he tends to be tyrannical with his dreams to rule all the seas
and lands, even the universe itself by becoming a living God.
On the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza version he is a young man riding a
white horse, charging into battle. His long staff is suited for war. The elegant device of
the rayed Visconti sun is emblazoned on his war horse.
Golden Dawn: Lord of Flame and Lightning,
Called The Knight of Wands the Knight of
Wands card corresponds to the zodiacals Scorpio and Sagittarius and the constellation
Hercules. It places at Chokmah in the Golden Dawn system.
The GD likes to use a black steed instead of a white one. He carries a flamelike wand
and like the ancient original Visconti he is fully armored. Hellish flames emerge from the
ground.
Thoth:
Crowley changes little from the Golden Dawn traditions. Mostly he does an
effective job at adding more fire via Harris. He associates it with the 51st hexagram of
the I Ching, K’an (Chen) for no reason that he is willing or able to explain he tells us to
go find S.B.E vol. XVI. and study all of the attributions that connect to the cards. This is
the James Legge version of the I Ching assigned as reading material for the A.’.A.’. Even
though he is inferring that he has a list of hexagrams associated with the tarot, no such
chart exists. Well, neither of us had found one anyways. Whatever system of
correspondence he was using to assign the tarot to the hexagrams he never explains! He
only uses one quarter of the hexagrams. This in itself is odd, but what's even more
peculiar is he places them according to their inherent trigrams as they pertain to his own
stylized trigrammal Tree of Life chart. It's sloppy and stupid and his attributions should
be discarded. He was a fool and has no idea what he was doing.
The proper hexagrammal association, if we were
to give the sixteen court cards ones, would start with Qian, the pure Yang hexagram.
We're using the sixteen tetragrams instead, as they are perfectly balanced mathematically.
The light of Kether moves to the right down to Chesed, MercifulBenevolence. This is a
lofty, strong, strategic force seeking to improve things in the world, from a position of
immense power. Ouranos (Uranus or Georgium Sidus) paired with Jupiter betrays the
presence of a storehouse of great wealth in ideas and benevolence, and big events, large
armies moving across the land, huge palaces, great cities and the individual behind all of
that is the King of Staves.
The powerful yang heavy structures signified by the European and Asian figures for Fire
of Fire are the penultimate symbols of the masculine. Very fiery and very hot, although
as we shall see, not as hot as his son, the Prince of Staves, and much less sinister than his
wife, the Queen of Staves
The King of Staves starts a whole new chapter in analyzing Eastern/Western attributions.
Why is that? The 16 binary tetragrams have never been applied to the 16 court cards
before, which is a tragic miss, because the 16 binary tetragrams are the Eastern equivalent
of tetragrammaton. The geomantic sigils are the same thing, but no one else has made
that connection except for me. Furthermore the names corresponding to the 16 geodot
characters bear no conscious resemblance to the 16 court cards whatsoever. The most
befitting names are the court card names. The old names were included so as not to
confuse people and because it already exists historically
.
The Scene:
Fire of Fire, in the elemental assignments of the royal or court cards
,
Ravana,
(literally “Risen Sun”) King of the Rakshasas, (demons in control of one half of Samsaric
universe) is widely regarded as the enemy of Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu. The
importance of Vishnu in Indian religious beliefs cannot be overstated – he represents one
third of the entire universe, as The Preserver in the balance between The Destroyer and
The Creator, or Siva and Brahma respectively. Those Vaishnavites who follow Krsna or
Vishnu know that in his meditation, Siva is concentrating on Vishnu, and vice versa. The
story of Ravana and Rama, when analyzed correctly and intelligently, reveals the way in
which preservation takes place. Ravana is an incarnation of one of the two gatekeepers to
Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu. When the gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya arrogantly refuse
to allow two very great sages into the realm, because of their humble appearance as
children, a result of their very highly developed consciousness, the sages cursed them
both in anger. Vishnu attends to the drama, allowing the sages in himself, but is unable to
remove the curse, only redirect it. He gives the gatekeepers the choice of being reborn as
his greatest devotees one hundred times, or as his greatest enemy only three times. They
choose the latter, probably to serve a shorter sentence – the trick in this being that in one
of Jaya’s lives he becomes immortal, and is born as longlived and powerful halfman
halfRakshasa.
In his second life, born into ignorance of all of this as Ravana, he begins austerity
dedicated to The Creator, Brahma, and after achieving a boon he asks to become
invincible to celestial beings, rakshasas, nagas and so forth, but chooses to leave out
mortal men whom he regards as too pathetic to be a threat. Vishnu incarnate as a human
Rama. After Ravana conquers Lanka, he governs it intelligently and wisely. There is no
poverty or hunger in the city. In the process of his war campaigns, he attains the
achievement of being Siva’s greatest devotee by accidentally angering and subsequently
attaining the admiration of The Destroyer. In the story he tries to get access to Siva’s
abode on the holy Mt. Kailash. Nandi, Siva’s gatekeeper won’t let him pass. To try to
impress or annoy Nandi he lifts up Mt. Kailash and disturbs Siva and Parvati. Siva
crushes him under the mountain using his little toe. Ravana is trapped under the mountain
for years. He composes the famous Siva Tandav Stotram which is a devotional song to
Siva and his wife Parvati. Siva is pleased with his severe penance (tapyasa) and awards
him with the holy blade Chandrahas “Laughter of the Moon”, warning him that if it is
used injustly, it will bring about his doom. Ravana goes on to conquer both human and
immortals – both asura and rakshasa over the course of hundreds of years. He commands
the rising and setting of the sun and is lord over the three worlds at the time Rama and
Sita are born into the world.
The curse of the sages begins to be fulfilled when Ravana attempts to seduce Vedavati, a
beautiful ascetic he finds in a forest performing bhakti yoga to Vishnu in an attempt to
win him as a husband. She refuses his advances, and he pulls her hair. She sets herself on
fire, promising to return to destroy him as she dies. An important part of this tale is that
she does not recognize Ravana as an aspect of Vishnu. She is reborn as Sita and marries
Rama, attaining her goal. However, Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, as the darker aspect of
consciousness is not willing to let go of its unfulfilled desires. Rama, as the avatar of
Vishnu must reclaim her. He kills Ravana, and Jaya’s second incarnation as an enemy of
Vishnu is done. The curse has not yet run its course, however. Sita in turn, is refused by
Rama, just as she refused Ravana. She is cast out by Rama into the forest, pregnant and
alone, abandoned due public opinion against her that she had been raped by Ravana or
the Rakshasa guards and was unworthy of being a queen. Later, filled with regret, he
welcomes her back to the palace, after learning she has given birth to two boys and has
survived the trial. Instead of just recognizing the error of his ways, and leaving her be, he
forces her to undergo trial by fire to test her purity. She does so, and Rama opens his
arms to embrace her, but she does not go to him, Instead the earth mother cracks open the
floor of the palace and takes Sita back into the earth telling Rama he does not deserve
her. Neither Ravana nor Rama have the ability to win what they desire.
Ravana represents the reckless darkness in us all, and the danger such volatile
subconscious powers can pose to our lives. The subconscious is a source of great power
and knowledge, but it is also capable of destroying us if wielded carelessly. Rama
represents justice and karmic repercussions – both for Ravana and for Vedavati/Sita. In
the Ramayana, Ravana and Rama are the same consciousness, split by internal
contradictions. Neither are allowed to reside in Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu, The
Preserver, which signifies the lesson this ancient tale is attempting to convey about the
nature of metaphysical preservation and how the flaws in the characters do not belong in
the heavenly abode, although liberation is promised to all eventually. It warns us not to
make the same mistakes the divine characters are making, but it shows us also the path to
achieving happiness at the same time. Ravana and Rama represent two parts of kingdom
divided in the self.
Ravana is a most appropriate character to fulfill the station of Fire of Fire. Like the
Rakshasas, the King of Staves is a workaholic, and creates prosperity and security for his
people. However this is not what drives the military minded King, he is driven by the
force of the element of Fire itself. The King of Staves can be represented by any
AllFather deity such as Zeus, Hades, Pan'Ku, Cernunnos, Siva, Ra or Izanagi, and if one
will look into the myths of each of these they will find that they all share the common
traits of honor and recklessness together, warmth and love with active force and the
pursuit of dominion.
Geomantic:
Called
Via
(Latin for *the Way*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
elemental association should define it as a (Mature) Masculine/Creative character
corresponding to the qabbalistic Atziluth (Emanation) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds. Since the geomantic figure should more properly denote an elemental
character, the term Explorator Viae (*Pathfinder*) is an alternative Mutational Alchemy
name for it here.
Jungian Type: /
Guardian Class ESTJ (Supervisor) Type
Supervisor types are responsible and orderly; capable of ruling their world according to
the “law of the land” however that may be defined or accepted by them. They are adept at
moving an organization forward using concrete facts and logic to make decisions that
facilitate a smooth and efficient operation.

King of Blades
Planetary:
Uranus (Above) / Mercury (Below)
Diamond Path:
Chokmah, Wisdom (Above) / Hod, Splendor (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Cauda Draconis
Tetragram:
Fire (Above) / Air (Below)
Debonaire, Eloquent, Intelligence, Language, Graceful, Cunning,
Meticulous, Seductive, Genius, Secretive, Dangerous
Arrogant, Slanderous, Obsessive, Liar, Sharp, Bureaucratic,
Cruel, Evil Genius, Reclusive, Deceptive, Bitter
Interpretations

Historical: In the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack this is the only King
with a shield, and the figure and shield look very similar to the image of Ra Hoor Khut
on our Ten of Blades card. It is emblazoned with the Sforza or Venetian lion who has a
halo and is holding a book. Elegantly clad in dark armor he sits outside upon a white
hexagonnal marble bench with quatrefoil latticework. His sword points up, like a flame,
and a pointed crown sits in his golden hair.
King David, the founder of the Judean royal dynasty called The House of David, is the
traditional historical figure associated with the King of Swords. An eloquent and
righteous king David was also a poet and musician. He is credited with the creation of
The Book of Psalms. He was highly effective in battle and famously won the battle
against the Philistines by killing their champion Goliath. Later he won his bride by
providing 200 Philistine foreskins to his fatherinlaw to be, double the amount requested.
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Winds and Breezes
Called The Knight of Swords , The Knight
of Swords card corresponds to the zodiacals Taurus and Gemini and the Sephira #2
(Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Depicted as a winged man on a golden steed, the Knight of Swords raises his sword
triumphantly and his mount appears lively and graceful in all Golden Dawn packs. Light
or bright and airy colors are used.
Thoth:
A man with dragonfly wings is Crowley's Knight of Air. At first it looks as if the
wings are coming from his back, but instead they are some kind of weird beanie hat. The
Thoth Knight of Swords is a helicopter man. And this suits him, violent motion and levity
are part of his station.
Fire of Air in the below,Neptune in the above,
Mars in the below make for a stormy and powerful mix. This is the Lord of Heavenly
Fire. Deep machinations of war brewing behind secrecy and lies bode ill for anyone
whom he calls enemy. The purpose for this war will be noble and enlightened. It is to be
fought mercilessly however and with unnecessary bloodshed of the stupid and stubborn.
Here the supreme royal light of the eye of Kether is forced through the sieve of Geburah
on the female pillar. Reconciliation will arrive through divine wrath, and like his
reciprocal inverse the Prince of Staves, the volatile combination of Fire and Air burns
hotter than anything purely from the realm of fire. This is a very dangerous character and
a deadly adversary. He is lightning in a bottle and an infinite well of intellectual potency
But there is nothing brutelike about him. He is a brilliant strategist with more control of
his fierce power than the Prince of Staves.(Air of Fire) In peacetime he is a witty and
stunningly intelligent persona. He will have at his disposal the ability to impress anyone
with his logic and intuition. He will always carry with him an air of superiority, he is
after all very lofty on the Hidden Diamond’s architecture and descends only to punish.
Those who wish to follow this *Hermes* character had better be able to pull their own
weight intellectually for he has little patience to sit amongst the dumb, deaf or blind.
The Scene: d
Ningishzidda (sum: ningišzidda) is a
Mesopotamian deity
, a member of
the group referred to as the transtigridian snake gods. These deities are defined by their
attachment to people of the ancient world near the Eastern bank of the Tigris river, and
their subsequent migration into Sumerian (Modern day Iranian) territory, as well as by
their ophidian attributes. He is also classified as a death god by the canonical god list
AnAnum. The princeking of Lagash, Gudea, refers to his deity by the name
dingirnumunzizida
which translates as "god of much good progeny" a reference to his
Gišbanda
strong fertility connotations; and he is called "Young Tree" in Nippur.
The Ningishzidda symbol is one of the earliest known representations of the
caduceus
.
We know Ningishzidda from a scarce handful of artifacts. Two of them have a caduceus
present. One of the caduceus type symbols was unearthed at the
Chogha Mish
dig site in
Iran, near the Elamite city of Susa, and is dated to approximately 2500 B.C. It has no
identifiable
cuneiform
writing to link it to Ningishzidda. Chogha Mish was the epicenter
for the invention of cuneiform, the earliest form of writing.
The other caduceus symbol does have cuneiform telling us about Ningishzidda: it is a
steatite
carving designed to hold liquid, now housed in the
Louvre
and unearthed at the
Lagash dig site. The grail is engraved with crowned and winged Bašmu, dangerous
mystical serpents who are messengers of Irkalla, the land of the dead who is ruled by
Ningishzidda’s grandmother
Eres
kigal. They hold up staves with a loop of leather or rope
on the end a peculiar and mysterious symbol unique to Sumerian holy iconography.
Between the two chimerical creatures is the caduceus itself a doubleheaded snake
twining about the spherecapped pole. The inscription reads "Dedicated by Gudea, ruler
of Lagash, to his god Ningishzidda, for the prolongation of his life."
“ Its decoration is wholly symbolic, two snakes, twined round a pole, rise up to ”
the lip of the vase, as if to drink the liquid poured from it, while two winged
dragons stand guard behind them, holding in their front paws a staff with a
loop at the top. These monsters must have inspired the most salutary awe, for
they combine several dangerous animals in one; the eagle contributes its
wings and talons, the snake its head, the panther its body, and the scorpion its
poisoncharged tail. This composite beast has the divine prerogatives:
witness its horned crown. There can be no room for doubt: this is the animal
attribute of the god Ningizzida, and as such protects Gudea, while ensuring
the fertility of his dominions through the twining snake accompanying it. Here
we have the origin of the caduceus, which through the ages has retained its
virtue as a beneficent emblem.
Andre Parrot, Sumer: The Dawn of Art 1961
His name in
Sumerian
is usually translated as "lord of the good tree".
Thorkild Jacobsen
agrees with this and interprets the meaning as "the power of the tree to draw substance
through its roots". Three economic groups are identified in the region spanning from
Uruk to Ur. First, there are the marshland people who worshipped deities descending
from Enki in the cities of Eridu, Ku'ar and Nina. Second the herdsmen who worshipped
Nanna and his descendents in Ur and northward. Lastly a group of people who held
sacred the chthonic deities descending from
Ninazu
, associated with trees and vegetation.
He correlates the name "Lord of the Good Tree" as significant to the orchard tenders who
observed the power of the rising sap, and of the roots which resemble divine serpents
creeping up from the ground, emanating from the source of fruit and life. Jacobsen
suggests they saw the serpentine roots as "embodiments of living supernatural power".
In the balbale to Ningishzidda, he is referred to by some powerful and unruly titles. He is
called "murderous howling Mušhuš" as well as: Lord with Holy Dignity, Falcon Preying
on the Gods, Impetuous Leopard, Loftyheaded Prince, Serpent with a Great Tongue,
Lion of the Distant Mountains, and many others.
Ningishzidda is the son of Ninazu and Ningirida. His consort is
Ngeshtinana
("heavenly
grape vine"), who is a daughter of Enki and Ninhursag, as well as sister of Tammuz and
Azimua ("productive branch') another daughter of Enki and Ninhursag born under
unusual circumstances.
Early scholars at the beginning of the 20th century, following an inscription found at
Lagash, determined he was the son of Heaven (Anu) and Earth (Uras).
According to Franz Wiggermann it is Istaran, another ophidian member of the Ninazu
clan, and Elamite god of the land called Der bordering Sumer who is the son of Anu and
Uras. Since this relationship is also attributed to Ningishzidda by Price, it is unclear
whether an error was made in translation or if the two gods were merged. Ningishzidda is
said to reside in high mountains, even though he has the authority to command in the
underworld, apparently considered to have no equal and able to control anyone who has a
personal god.
"Foremost one, leader of the assembly, glory of ……, king endowed with
“ awesomeness, sun of the masses, advancing in front of them! Who can rival ”
you in the highest heaven? What can equal you?" Hero who, after surveying
the battle, goes up to the high mountains! Ninĝišzida, who, after surveying the
battle, goes up to the high mountains! King, you who carry out commands in
the great underworld, you who carry out the underworld's business! Any
youth who has a personal god is at your disposal, there where your
commands are issued. O king, honeyed mouth of the gods! Praise be to Enki.
Ninĝišzida, son of Ninazu!
A balbale of Ninĝišzida, Sumer
Istaran had an alcove at the temple of Ningishzidda, so this could be an example of the
common practice of merging two gods with similar characteristics. Istaran has clear
ophidian characteristics, as his son Nirah is depicted as a serpent. However, Istaran is
also a sky god, his name AnGal means literally "Great Sky", and he is married to
Manzat, the rainbow. Ningishzidda’s vizier is called Ippu in the AnAnum.
The Mušhuš, (Literally "Dragon") also called mušhuššu in Akkadian, is a particular type
of creature from Mesopotamian mythology. It identifying markers are a long neck, an
elongated horselike torso covered in scales, a long tail ending in a scorpion stinger, two
pronged horns (often mistaken for one horn in 2D reliefs) and clawed feet. In Babylon
these clawed feet were depicted in the rear as birdlike, while in earlier depictions from
Sumer they were leonine. The dragon on the Ishtar gate at Babylon is a Mušhuš and
retains the ophidian qualities of the transtigridian snake gods. In prayers to Ningishzidda,
the god is referred to as a "murderous, howling Mušhuš". Bašmu and Ušumgal are other
magickal snakes. Ušumgal translates as "Great venomous snake". Incantations have been
recorded invoking the name of Ningishzidda’s father, Ninazu to control the Ušumgal.
The Ušumgal is a chaos monster like the Mušhuš in a serpent form. They bring illness
and poison and are very dangerous. The name Bašmu refers to the horned serpents rising
from Ningishzidda’s shoulders in his human shape. Mušmahhu is the last beast associated
to Ningishzidda and it refers to the sevenheaded dragon that rarely appears in surviving
Mesopotamian artifacts. In Ninurta's return to Nibru, the storm god describes one of his
weapons as "the sevenmouthed Mušmahhu serpent". Astrologically Ningishzidda was
associated with the constellation we know as Hydra in Western astronomy.
Much of the ritual practices from the ancient near east are lost; however we do have a
few pieces of information about the day to day religious activity of these ancient people.
Each god was provided with what was called an "En" a male or female priest, depending
on the sex of the divinity, who acted as a mortal spouse. Ningishzidda’s temple is said to
have been on the outskirts, that is, rural, and not within the city limits itself.
Chthonic deities fill the role of intercessors to the dead. Ancestral worship was important
to ancient Sumerians, and the role of Ninazu and his son Ningishzidda was vital to
ensuring favorable relationships between the land of the living and the land of Queen
Ereskigal, Ningishzidda’s grandmother. Libation pipes would be inserted into the ground
above a dead person and liquid would be poured into the tube to feed the ancestral spirit.
Remnants of festival plans record the supplies needed to satisfy the temple of
Ningishzidda, it says "32 gur and 76 liters of barley for the festival of Ningishzidda" An
Ur tablet calls for cheese, butter and dates to be provided to Ningishzidda, as well as a
grain fed sheep.
Descriptions of the items found at the temple of Ningishzidda in Girsu include references
to the cup now housed in the Louvre, also clay boxes and covers decorated with serpent
reliefs including one with four drinking from a bowl. An inscribed mace head along with
three statues of Gudea were also found.
It was Gudea who is responsible for many of the surviving artifacts and documents we
have involving Ningishzidda. Gudea was a political figure in Lagash, much like a prince
he referred to the city patron, Ninazu, "the great physician", as his king. His personal
patron deity was Ninazu's son, Ningishzidda, to whom he lavished devotion through
artistic and economic generosity.
Gudea was not the only worshipper although he was archaeologically and artistically
vocal King Urnammu of Ur also made rich offerings to Ningishzidda and calls him
"valiant Ningishzidda" in a prayer.
300 years after Gudea, Ningishzidda’s religion was still on the books. Receipts for herbs,
dates, cheese, goats and milk are recorded upon the delivery of goods to the temple.
Records have been found in Lagash, Ur and Babylon documenting delivery to the temple.
Ninazu and his family, including Ningishzidda, lost their significance during the first half
of the second millennium. Beyond this the connection to Babylon is murky at best:
Ninazu is replaced by a very similar deity called Tispak in Esnunna, and it is through
Tispak that Babylon partly assimilates the chthonic current. Far to the east, the Elamite
city of Sus, after which the Susiana plain is named, is where the caduceus of Choga Mish
was unearthed. Wiggermann's paper titled Transtigridian Snake Gods proposes that the
Ninazu family: that is, gods that share ophidian and chthonic characteristics in Sumer
were imported from the east of Sumer and were not native to the area. He describes the
loss of interest in the snake gods over time and the decline of their importance in city
affairs as well as the loss of ritual tradition. By the time Babylon had assimilated Tispak's
iconography, very little of the traditional deity of Ninazu was left. Though he also states
there is very little difference between Tispak and Ninazu, so it probably means a
statewide decline in the chthonic and ophidian aspects of religion. Babylon's religious
sensibilities made the priests there incorporate many outlying regional gods and
goddesses into the state religion which focused on their city god, Marduk. A better
known example of this can be found in Biblical text where Babylonian forces ransack the
temple at Jerusalem and seek to take the idol of the god from the Israelites. Babylon
housed a temple to Ningishzidda according to A.R. George, and artists adopted and
depicted the Mušhuššu to serve as a mount and guardian for Marduk. These Mušhuššu
we find on the socalled Ishtar gate from the walls of ancient Babylon.
Note:
In Mutational Alchemy the spelling Ningishzidda using an extra D rather than the
encyclopedic Ningishzida or
ning̃
išzidda is used because of its special numerical
relation ship to Abrahadabra. In Hebrew Gematria, both Abrahadabra and Ningishzidda
add to 418, the number of manifestation. Both of them also have 11 letters each. When
referring to the deity within the context of Mutational Alchemy studies where he has
immense importance as a standard, is both appropriate and proper to use this extra d so as
not to confuse the two subjects of Ancient Near East studies and Mutational Alchemy.
Here artistic liberty has been taken. The long bearded human form of Ningishzidda,
recorded as a man in a robe, with two horned serpents rising from his shoulders, and a
horned crown is depicted as an armored cyber knight. The background is a map of the
internet, a decision made by m1thr0s. The two curving devices he holds in an ‘X’ pattern
are nagakeris blades, an elegant serpentine weapon from Indonesia.
The distinctive crown of the Mesopotamian states is stylized on his brow. His armor is
futuristic and the TwinStar, the penultimate symbol of Logos incarnate protects his
abdomen. His black armor covering most of his body and black war paint is a symbol of
the King of Blade’s secretive nature, as well as the cthonic properties of Ningishzidda.
Geomantic:
Called
Cauda Draconis
(Latin for *the Tail of the Dragon*) in its medieval
interpretation, the correct elemental association should define it as a (Mature)
Masculine/Analytical character corresponding to the qabbalistic Yetzirah (Formation) in
the Four Celestial (or Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Artisans Class
/
ESTP (Promoter) Type
The ESTP is a master of social subterfuge and influence, exuding majesty and harnessing
an impressive grasp of social maneuvering supported by their accurate assessment of
individuals and groups. The ESTP understands how to control people, by understanding
their wants and needs.

King of Pentacles
Planetary:
Uranus (Above) / Luna (Below)
Diamond Path:
Chokmah, Wisdom (Above) / Yesod, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Puer
Tetragram:
Fire (Above) / Earth (Below)
Powerful, Industry, Wealth, Reliable, Stable, Enduring,
Effective, Foundational, Prudent, Steady, Fertile, Luck, Tradition, Appreciation, Family
Stubborn, Tired, Closeminded, Stupid, Miserly, Uncaring,
Insufficient, Pollution,
Interpretations
Historical:
Called the Knight of Coins, The traditional historical king on this card is
Julius Caesar. An ambitious relentless general and politician, Caesar embodies the
steadfastness of the King of Pentacles well.
This court card is lost from the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza deck.
Reproduction packs include a recreation made by guesswork.
The BreraBrambilla ViscontiSforza pack has a Knight of Coins on a white horse,
wearing a very ornate head dress. His whole cloak appears to be made of peacock or
pheasant feathers. The horse is rearing up slightly. The hat resembles the bow of Diana,
with a flower bud in the center. The horse is decorated with the ducal crown of Milan,
showing two fronds or branches.
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Wild and Fertile Land
Called The Knight of Pentacles , The
Knight of Pentacles card corresponds to the zodiacals Leo and Virgo and places at
Sephira #2 (Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Golden Dawn kept the old plume and pentacle held in his hands, but like all of the
knights in the GD he is mounted on a horse, and wears armor, and the horse is slowly
walking or not moving at all, symbolizing his steadfastness and earthbound nature.
Thoth:
Crowley deviates very little from the GD, his knight does hold a large shield that
is pointed towards a rising or setting sun. He does not have anything nice to say about
him, but like many of the court cards in his Thoth, one certainly gets used to that or gives
up the pack altogether.
The King of Pentacles has been so much maligned
over the years by various authors and artists, it was difficult to imagine redeeming him
from the ditch he had been put in for so long. The decision to use VulcanHephaestus was
an “Aha!” moment for my wife and I. Crowley puts him to work growing crops, and
gives him a staghat, citing the need for evil profaners of the sacred fire to turn to Mother
Earth. This is the station of volcanoes personified, so the humble garden gnome is
illfitted for the royal station. It’s one thing to whine about the state of the Earth, quite
another to drag an elemental force of nature down into the dirt to fit in with it. So I did
not agree with Crowley’s position.
The Hidden Diamond Sutra path from Kether to Netzach is ineffably romantic. It speaks
to a kind of unknown, hidden rescue mission of some kind. This deep descent into the
lower spheres from on high is fits the darkly brooding figure of Hephaestus quite well.
Cast out of Olympus for being too ugly and lame, he was a genius of artifice.
Neptune and Venus speak of dreamy romance, a relationship built on more than just
sexual attraction or kind words, but a kind of creative camaraderie. It is a pleasant place
to be, with warmth and security, but intense passion. Fire above, Earth in the below in the
tetragram and geomantic Puer indicate the forces of creation.
The Star of Pythagoras is depicted here. Pythagoreans called this star Hugieia meaning
health or sound wholeness.This word was also their greeting and password. (
The
Pythagorean Pentacle by Apollonios Sophistes 1999)
Pronunciation is “Eeeyeeuh”
Because the word had six letters in Greek, it was written as (UGEEIA)
on
the pentacle. This also has a special meaning to the letter Y, which was used as a parable
of man’s path where a series of choices either cause man to ascend to the heavens to be
with the stars, or to descend and become like a beast.
Each letter has a special association to titans and to elements. U water, G is for earth, I is
for form and spirit, EI is for the sun’s warmth and fire, A is for Air.
The Scene:
Fire of Earth, King and God of the forge, is represented on this card, with
golden olive skin and dark hair of the Africa origin Mediterranean bloodlines. Known to
the Romans as the fiery Vulcan, this ancient Greek god of fire and artifice was born to a
tragic tale of betrayal, misfortune, and disappointment. Born to Hera, she rejected him
because he was born malformed, lame. After throwing him into the ocean from Mt.
Olympus he was found by the water nymph Thetys and her daughter Eurynome. He grew
up to be the finest smith in cosmos, and fashioned his revenge in the form of a golden
throne that trapped whoever sat in it inside. This he sent to his mother, causing panic on
Mt. Olympus. Through circumstance, Aphrodite, an arranged and faithless marriage.
Later he married Aglaea (“splendor”) one of Eurynome’s daughters, after a divorce from
Aphrodite. Dionysus, student of Hermes is his friend and ally in his struggle to reclaim
his birthright as an Olympian. Greek pottery often depicted him being lead home by
Dionysus and an entourage of Satyrs.
In the Greek mythos, Hephaestus is weak and fragile, like a flame that has just kindled.
He represents the power of fire, and the fire of intellect to harness the earth and create
beautiful and useful things with it. As a god of craftsmen and smiths, he was often
depicted with a hammer and tongs, the tools of the forge. Modern industry, including
high tech industry is also his domain, anywhere artifice is at play, from cybernetics to
rockets.
Elements of the “maimed king”, run strong throughout Hephaestus’s myth, in the British
story, this character is known as the Fisher King – he is supposed to be healed by a
divinely chosen knight so that he can restore the land with his powers of fertility. In the
story of Hephaestus we are presented with an archetype of creative drive that overwhelms
the odds the physical world throws at us. There is a great amount of heaviness and
sadness that surrounds the brooding Hephaestus. He is tormented by his mother’s
abandonment and his first wife Aphrodites’s fickle spirit, finding solace only in the sea,
by his adopted two mothers, Thetys and Eurynome, the ocean nymphs. The tale evokes
the archetype of the artist, often tragic and drawing on the potent and dangerous waters of
the subconscious to extract that primal fire. In many cultural myths all life begins with
the sea, and the divine begins with fire. Hephaestus can therefore be seen as an archetype
of the primeval, with similarities to Apsu, who mingles his masculine waters with the
waters of the mother Tiamat, or YHVH, who breaths on the face of the waters to create
everything. It is also worth mentioning Tezcatlipoca, or Hurakan, who is also depicted as
a lame God, (with a foot made of volcanic glass, no less!) although Tezcatlipoca's fairly
lofty orgins are connected directly to creation of the World. Tezcatlipoca features on the
Hanged Man ATU but can equally be identified with the King of Pentacles. The leopard
symbology of Tezcatlipoca is shared with Hephaestus's ally, Dionysus.
The painting itself includes golden horses, symbols of wealth in the ancient world and
specifically sacred to Vulcan. The hammer is the tool of the smith, while the fields of
wheat represent the fertility of volcanic ash and the Lord of the Forge. His limbs are
misshapen but he has devised for himself a sophisticated cybernetic arm. He is crowned
with golden laurel leaves symbolizing his royalty and kingship.
The King of Pentacles is a dark brooding person, but also pleasant, sensitive and caring.
Geomantic:
Called
Puer
(Latin for *the Boy*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
elemental association should define it as a (Mature) Masculine/Physical character
corresponding to the qabbalistic Assiah (Action) in the Four Celestial (or Elemental)
Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Guardians Class
/
ESFJ (Provider) Type
The ESFJ loves to provide and nurture society and people. They value rules and
established traditions, and are adept at reading people, providing support and love where
it is needed. They derive a great satisfaction from being well loved and appreciated.
Happy relationships are more important to them than science or knowledge unless it
affects their social balance directly.

King of Alembics
Planetary:
Uranus (Above) / Earth (Below)
Diamond Path:
Chokmah, Wisdom (Above) / Malkuth, Kingdom (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Fortuna Minor
Tetragram:
Fire (Above) / Water (Below)
Keywords:
Wisdom, Caution, Balance, Lifeforms, Understanding, Detachment, Change,
Warmth, Rhythm, Serenity, Healing, Nurturing
Weak, Fading, Corrosive, Decaying, Depression, Reckless,
Emotional
Interpretations
Historical:
Called the King of Cups or King of Hearts in the old packs, he’s shown in the
Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza in profile, on a square seat with lozenge in
diamond patterns, reminiscent of the patterns on the European Adder. The short draping
poncho he is wearing is trimmed in fur and he holds an urn with a pointed lid.
The historical association is to King and Emperor Charlemagne, who ruled over France
and later Italy. He removed the Lombards from power in the North of Italy and repelled
the Muslims from Spain. His rule began the first of three enlightenments in Medieval
Europe and is known today as the Father of Europe.
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Waves and Waters
Called The Knight of Cups , The Knight of
Cups card corresponds to the zodiacals Aquarius and Pisces and places at Sephira #2
(Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system.
A crowned man with a swan or albatross is depicted, and the Knight himself is winged,
holding a lotus and a cup. A serpent is always present, sometimes in the cup itself. A
black scorpion is present on some decks.The Waite deck reduces most of the imagery, it’s
just a knight with a winged helm and fish on his armor.
Thoth:
Crowley removes the serpent entirely and places him in green armor. There is no
explanation for the removal of the serpent and lotus, instead his other hand grasps the
horse’s reigns. He then adds a crab to the cup, and a peacock to the background amongst
the waves. His excuse for the peacock is that it represents the stigmata of brilliance in
water, and fluorescence.
His excuse for the peacock, which is fairly unusual, is that it
represents the stigmata of brilliance in water, and fluorescence. But we know where the
peacock came from it's from the BreraBrambilla ViscontiSforza pack, which features
a Knight of Cups with a pair of peacock plumes in his cap.
Moving from Kether to Geburah, the King of
Alembics is really alot more aggressive than his previous witnesses have presumed and
tried to pass off on us. To his credit Crowley recognizes this, but he gives him a crab as a
symbol for this agression. We chose sharks. Things have really become completely
degraded over time. His elemental nature is Fire of Water, illuminating his true nature as
The Lord of Life. In any situation his powers will be used to guard life everywhere. The
tetragram and geomantic character reveal the image of water being dumped out Fortuna
Minor looks like an upset chalice, and the tetragram Heaven over Earth is also dangerous
and sinister. This is a wealthy and generous King, overflowing with riches, especially in
knowledge and wisdom. He is very serious when it comes to attending to his economic
duties and the needs of the land and enviroment.
Neptune and Mercury together are lightning quick and quite abstract. The shark makes
for a suitable symbol of this kind of intellect.
The Scene:
Fire of Water,Kauhuhu, the powerful and fearsome shark god of the island
of Molokai, and one of his consorts Lanilani beside an underwater volcanic vent denoting
the essence of life on earth. Kauhuhu commands all of the sharks in the ocean and the
weather, his underwater abode is guarded by two sea serpents or dragons. He is pictured
with Lanilani a former mortal who was turned into an immortal shark and taken as a wife
by Kauhuhu as a payment for demolishing an entire village with his hurricane. Lanilani is
the daughter of a kahuna (priest) with a tragic story. All three of his sons are executed by
the village chief for the frivolous yet innocenty childlike act of playing on the chief’s
sacred drums covered in tiger shark skin. He goes to all of the gods and asks them for
revenge, but they are all afraid of the chieftain, Kupa. He finally resorts to the shrine of
the shark god, Kauhuhu, and asks either for death or revenge. The gatekeepers of the
realm take pity on him, promising him an audience with Kauhuhu, who nearly devours
him on sight when he returns to his home, but for a hasty prayer to him by the kahuna.
Sharks have evolved to be very powerful and efficient animals, yet they rely on the ocean
for their strength. Water is often associated to emotions but sharks show us none of that
externally, save for lust, hunger and impatience. The story of Kauhuhu shows the god as
being moved by the tragedy of the kahuna’s plight because it is a just cause. We might
quickly assume Kauhuhu in his ferocity and dangerous aspects is a threatening and
isolated character, but this is not true. From a human perspective this may be true, yet
Kauhuhu has far more responsibilities than taking care of humans – there is the ocean and
the balance of life to watch over. He is the king of all of the sharks and keeps many
wives. Kauhuhu is moved by a human, only by the unjust murder of the kahuna’s three
healthy young boys. He is the enemy against all oppressors and tyrants, the unpredictable
wildness and supreme authority and justice of the natural world. This connection between
survival and justice recognizes the supreme economical mastery nature exhibits, in not
wasting resources. Yet all of this efficiency evokes beauty and terrible splendor, unlike
the often ugly business “efficiency” of humans, which often also destroys the natural
world upon which all humans are a part of and come from. Kauhuhu remarks to us by
way of example to value life, not empty rituals and objects, and not to shed blood
needlessly.
Symbolism:
Significant Revisions/Additions:
Geomantic:
Called
Fortuna Minor
(Latin for *the Lesser Fortune*) in its medieval
interpretation, the correct elemental association should define it as a (Mature)
Masculine/Emotional character corresponding to the qabbalistic
Briah
(Creation) in the
Four Celestial (or Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Artisans Class / ESFP (Performer) Type
Performer
The enjoys crowds and values people. Optimistic and nurturing in a crisis by
Performer
being warm and peacemaking, the takes a handson approach to solving
Performer
problems. Adaptive and socially intuitive, the is a master of leading people
through charisma and spontaneous action. This type is generally very likeable by others,
since a huge amount of its energy is expended pleasing as many people at once as it can.

Prince of Staves
Planetary:
Neptune (Above) / Jupiter (Below)
Diamond Path:
Kether, Crown (Above) / Chesed, Benevolence (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Puella
Tetragram:
Air (Above) / Fire (Below)

Keywords:
Hottempered, Passion, War, Bravery, Aggressive, Assertive, Bold,
Masculine, Macho, Quickness, Rising, Protection, Military Technology, Uncontrollable,
Individualist
Peril, Hostility, Tyranny, Torture, Rage, Injust Rule
Interpretations
Historical:
Lancelot is the traditional historical Page or Knave associated with staves. He
was a knight at the Court of King Arthur and famously his most valiant champion, until it
was discovered he was having sexual relations with the Queen, Guinevere. This leads to
the downfall of the Round Table.
In the Marzoli ViscontiSforza pack, the Page of Staves holds a scepter topped with an
ornate club. An intricate solar disc is in the background. The land is barren.

Golden Dawn: Prince of the Chariot of Fire
Called The King of Wands, , The King of
Wands card corresponds to the zodiacals Cancer and Leo and places at Sephira #6
(Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system.
A charging horse carries the King of Wands and his torch into battle on The Hermetic
Tarot by Godfrey Downson. A horse’s head is in the sky above the scene. In other decks
such as The Golden Dawn tarot he is winged and his chariot is drawn by a lion. His bare
arms represent his speed and youth.
Thoth:
Called the Prince of Wands,Crowley keeps the same essential imagery from the
Golden Dawn. The Prince is a nude warrior in a chariot drawn by a lion. The winged disc
crowns him and the disc has a lion’s face. The symbol of the beast, a solar symbol of the
key 666 is on his chest. The staff he carries is topped with the head of the Set animal.
The Prince of Staves burns hot, much hotter than
his father, the King of Staves. This can be both an advantage and a curse. The nature of
his personality is revealed in his elemental alignment, fire below, air above, with the
descending action of The Hidden Diamond path constantly fanning this fire into an
inferno. This is different than the air below, fire above of the King of Blades, where the
fire acts as a scintillating inspiration into the air below, acting in the realm of mind,
thought and consciousness. The image of embers of consciousness dropping into
consciousness, into the divine Logos is appropriate. Sparks flying off of the violent
adventures of the tarot’s wildest and most energetic prince lead to great ideas.
In the tetragram we have the discordian yin line pushing up on the single yang at the top,
creating the nuclear for li, fire, and the bigram for air and earth, while two more yin come
in to follow creating the bigram for fire. So we get this image of fire cycling all of the
elements violently.
The European geomantic character resembles the tip of a spear.
The Scene:
Air of Fire, a raging inferno.The old image of a solar disc was included, and
the lions are present in the Imdugud.

This is a depiction of the Sumerian Ninurta slaying
the Imdugud
.
The Imdugud (or Anzu in Akkadian) is a mythical lionheaded bird that
steals the tablets of destiny from Enki (later Enlil in the Babylonian version). Ninurta is a
benevolent god of war, adopted by the Akkadians as well as Sumerians, and was
associated with the planet Saturn. He carries a mace called Sharur, that carries the power
of speech and can transform into a winged lion. This is also said to be the origin of the
masculine faced winged creatures known as Lamassu. In the later Babylonian period,
thousands of years after he originally appeared in the earliest records of humankind, he
was fused with Nergal, the terrifying lord of the underworld, pestilence and the deadly
noonday sun who was also ascribed parentage to Enlil and Ninlil, although the two were
fused later on. Ninurta, unlike Nergal, was a farmer’s god and a healer as well as an
exorcist. As the son of Enlil, the god inherited his mother Ninlil’s place as ruler of the
South wind. He is the brother of Ninazu, and thus is Ningishzidda’s uncle. Ninurta was
mes
mentored by Enki, Enlil’s brother, who entrusted him with some important , or divine
edicts, such as the one for the flood. The tablets of destiny encompassed the entirety of
mes
the , whoever held them could control the entire universe, thus they were of great
importance. The Imdugud are fearsome creatures the size of rocs in various depictions
over doorways, holding an deer in each claw. They were regarded as excellent mothers,
violently protective of their offspring. The sigil of Mars is chosen as the crown of his
staff, and the solar power upholds his royal station.
Geomantic:
Called
Puella
(Latin for *the Girl*) in its medieval interpretation, the
correct elemental association should define it as a (Youthful) Masculine/Creative
character corresponding to the qabbalistic
Atziluth
(Emanation) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Rationals Class
/
ENTJ (Field Marshal) Type
Efficient at prioritizing and mobilizing resources towards fulfillment of their goals, the
ENTJ is a creative planner, using their analytical abilities to bring order to the world.
Excelling in business and war, the ENTJ is not attached to emotion, but they do value
people for their innovations and ideas, even though they are often awkward in social
situations due to their intense drive and ambition which can come across as abrasive.

Prince of Blades
Planetary:
Neptune (Above) / Mars (Below)
Diamond Path:
Kether, Crown (Above) / Gevurah, Severity (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Amissio
Tetragram:
Air (Above) / Air (Below)
Keywords:
LOGOS, Ideas, Sinister Knowledge, Intensity, Sentience, Warrior, Precision,
Control. Divine Inspiration, Symbology, Scrying, Military Success, Strategy esp. War
Sadistic, Obstinancy, Harsh, Devilish, Poison, esp. as a
weapon of Murder
Interpretations
Historical:
Ogier the Dane or Hogier Son of King Geoffrey of Denmark, is the
traditional historical Knave of this card, a Knight of Charlemagne, (King of Cups) one of
the socalled twelve Paladins who represent Christian valor, he is popularized in the
Chevalerie d'Ogier de Danemarch Chans de Rolande
and the , or
The Song of Roland
(1040 AD). These stories are set in the Carolingean era, where Charlemagne is fighting
Muslims in Spain. Hogier is an enemy of Charlemagne who becomes his friend and
unites with him against the Muslims. It is the oldest surviving piece of French literature.
(Contrast this with the oldest literature in the world, from Babylon, the Enum Elish, dated
to the 7th century B.C.E and this reveals that much of French history is sadly lost.) Ogier
leads the third column of Charlemagnes army into battle against the Muslims.
In the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza, he is riding a white horse. He is a
gayly clad knight in a pink cape trimmed with white fur. A whole tail's worth of peacock
feathers decorate his hat, and he is the only knight who has a hat. This could indicate the
flowering splendor of a sparkling mind, and given the intelligent occult symbolism in the
Visconti this is highly likely. He holds a shield, and this was believed to have originally
displayed the Visconti lion or serpent.
Golden Dawn: Prince of the Chariots of the Winds
Called The Knight of Swords , the
King of Swords card corresponds to the zodiacals Capricorn and Aquarius and places at
Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system.
Almost invariably shown travelling or moving in some way, this Knight will be up in the
clouds or sky, in a lofty position. He has a sword of course, and may carry a sickle. Two
crowned, naked, and winged children may draw him in a chariot instead of him being
mounted, and they will carry a wand in their hands.
Thoth:
Crowley included the children of the GD, but increased their number to three. He
uses the Prince title instead of Knight. The geometry of the card is excited and bright, and
he is on the attack with a sword and poniard. The Pythagorean triangle and the equilateral
triangle are shown. In the center of his chariot is an octahedron, which represents the
element of air.

The Prince of Blades takes a steep LeftHand
path dive on The Hidden Diamond Sutra from Chokmah, the Father, to Hod, traditional
sphere of Hermes or Mercury, a vibrant and electric Sephiroth on the female pillar . The
the archetype of Abraxas was seen as ultimately the best choice for the Prince of Blades.
The turbulent lifting action of Yin balanced with Yang is seen in the tetragram’s
arrangement, Air on top of Air in the bigrammal summary. The nuclears reveal Li and
K’an the Abyssmal, hinting at perfect primordial symmetry. This is the heir apparent first
son to the Mother and Father, to be punny…
The European Geomantic character resembles a fish, and while almost all of the names of
the old sixteen signs are terrible and degraded from the work of earlier and better
occultists who were swept into the disaster of the Dark Ages of Christianity, the old name
will have to do as renaming them to something more noble and suited to their lofty
elemental stature will only serve to confuse. Revisionism is the bane of syncreticism.
Here in this tarot it was our hope merely to draw attention to their interesting parallel
with Eastern magick in the sixteen Tetragrams.
Ouranos in the above and Mercury in the below lead to the conclusion that this character
is going to be smart, and excel in strategic warfare, business and solving problems.
Scene:
ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ (Abrasax, Abraxas) is a very important occult symbol and archetype,
who dates back to Ancient Greece and Ancient Israel in his most commonly recognized
form, and to Sumer in his proto form as the minor deities Istaran and Nirah one or the
other (father and son) who take the same form as a man with serpent's legs who were
subsumed into the NinazuNingishzidda cult, lending more credence to his legitimacy as
a the presiding deity of the Hebrew people, even though the origin point is often given as
being much later than Abraham, in Alexandria. The cock's head, man's body and two
serpents connected to his body which holds a whip and a shield represents the concept of
true monotheism where opposites are joined into one Godhead, with Devil unopposed to
God like it is in Judaism, the only true monotheism in the world today.
He is known as a god of war and a All FatherProgenitor. The Cock's head is derived
Gibor,
from the Hebrew word for "Experienced Warrior" which also means Man and
Cock in the Hebrew language. The numerical value of the Greek word is 365,
(1+2+100+1+200+1+60=365) making him a Solar or Stellar God connected to the Sol
rotation of Terra.
Occasionally the God is equated to the lion headed AEON, who is present on our
Hierophant card and also often ends in a serpent.
I didn't know about any of this when I received my first major initiation experience but
there were serpent, lion, scorpion and phoenix all presented by the vision so it does seem
like the way it likes to manifest. I don't rely on the accounts of others when dealing with
such important issues, however the ancients do have the most experience when it comes
to identifying certain currents. That Budge presumed that Abrasax was the Adam
Kadmon itself is not insignificant. It would be appropriate to call him the King of the
Stars and He Who Orders the Stars in their Place.
It appears to me that the Abrasax symbology is perfectly synchronized with the Ra Hoor
Khut phenomenon, who is obviously an Experienced Warrior par excellence.
Abrasax is connected with LOGOS and manifestation and dissemination of information
is his calling card, in everything from the Muses to libraries, radio, television, internet
and so forth. The information itself is not as peculiar to him as the media of
communication and its backbone, that is code, language and written word.
The card had another painting for it altogether, which is present in the three packs
produced by Robert Phillips of MythMath Studios, and this features a cool green man
with a purple mohawk and his two dragonfly companions.

As with all of the Prince cards he has his two companions, the serpents, but one of the
dragonflies was left in as it is a suitable symbol for air. One snake is quite hostile and
evil, while the other merely watches, and flicks out its tongue curiously, these are the
serpents of duality Abrasax is so famous for uniting. The dragonfly is also the King of the
Insects.
In his right hand, the rest of its black leather length just out of sight, is his infamous whip,
a catonine tails. Around him swirl ideas, and these are the very seeds of consciousness
in their loftiness. From left to right, clockwise: all of the binary trigrams, the Sephiroth,
the Lo Shu with its nine ternary bigrams, the Taijitu or “YinYang”, a crop circle design,
and on his shoulder, the Sigil of Saturn from the Lo Shu, on his chest, the TwinStar, and
finally the Hidden Diamond Sutra. Below is the Merkabah, a link to The Chariot.
The dark planet behind him represents the material plane. Here is a link to the purity of
the Ace of Blades as well.

Geomantic:
Called
Amissio
(Latin for *Loss*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
elemental association should define it as a youthful Masculine/Analytical character
corresponding to the qabbalistic
Yetzirah
(Formation) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Rationals Class / ENTP (Inventor) Type
Clever and witty, the ENTP is a master of improvisation and innovation in creatively
attacking problems. They are not as interested in solving a problem so much as the
process of solving it. They are adept at debate, thinking and speaking quickly. They are
motivated by the desire to change the world for the better. Their ideas tend to focus on
harnessing resources to an end goal.

Prince of Pentacles
Planetary:
Neptune (Above) / Venus (Below)
Diamond Path:
Kether, Crown (Above) / Yesod, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Carcer
Tetragram:
Air (Above) / Earth (Below)

Keywords:
Planning Ahead, Methodical, Driven, Variance, Wealthy Personage, Good
Business Practices, Captain of Industry, CEO, Increase
Stubborn, Boorishness, Stuck in a Rut, Overwhelmed by
Material Obsession, Corruption, Animalistic, Avarice
Interpretations
Historical:
Called the Knight of Coins, or Knave of Coins, the Knight in the Pierpont
MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack is covered in hexagonnal ribbons and suns. One
stocking is blue, the other red. His hat is plumed. The coin he offers up is large, the size
of a dinner plate. It’s etched with the Visconti heraldi sun, a solar disc surrounded by
spiral arms. A forest is in the distance.
This knave is associated with the historical figure Hector, a Trojan Prince, and one of the
greatest fighters Troy ever produced. His name is an epithet for Zeus and it means “to
hold or to have”. He is slain by Achilles outside the gates of Troy.
He is later called the Prince of Coins or Pentacles, as well as the Knight of Pentacles in
later packs.
Golden Dawn: Prince of the Chariot of Earth
Called The King of Pentacles, , The King
of Pentacles card corresponds to the zodiacals Aries and Taurus and places at Sephira #6
(Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system.
The main figure, the a nude and darkly tanned Knight, carries two shields and a wand or
scepter topped with a holy symbol, sometimes the Magen star or Star of David. He
carries a shield and a winged deer head crowns him. Wheat and other fruit of the land is
present.
Thoth:
Crowley names the station The Prince of Pentacles. The Prince’s chariot is drawn
by a bull, and he carries an armillary sphere with a scepter topped with a Maltese cross
crowned orb which he calls “the symbol of the Great Work accomplished”. Behind him is
a circle filled with spheres on a background of fruit and flowers, representing fecundity.
The Prince himself is tanned and naked.
The Prince of Pentacles’ station is very lofty, high
up in the Supernals. His descending path on the Hidden Diamond takes him down to
Yesod, Foundation, signifying that his plans are being processed on high. He is also
above Kingdom, above the fray, affecting the fresh foundation of Man virtually forever.
This makes him unstoppable!
The planetary of Ouranos over Luna is very important, as it is a clue to his ultimate
nature, that of one interested in raising up the foundation of man. (Luna=Yesod). This
will give him a unique perspective on the world, one that doesn’t invite any deviation
from a higher purpose.
In the tetragram we find Air in the above, Earth in the below, confirmed on the Hidden
Diamond path. The geomantic somewhat resembles a crystal or a dorje.
The Scene:
Air of Earth,The ultimate captain of industry, the Prince of Pentacles is an
unstoppable force. Crowley damned him to the pedantic and unsexy attributions of being
plodding, dull and methodical. With Ouranos in the above and Luna in the below I find it
very difficult to agree with this assessment. Considering the effect that living and
breathing figures aligned with the Prince of Pentacles energy have on the world, (People
like Bill Gates, J.D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt), his opinion was
shortsighted at the very least.
The drawing this god is copied from is by the master artist William Bouguereau, of Mars.
The bulls of course, belong to Nergal, Lord of the Necropolis at Cutha. They represent
Gugalanna, the great Bull of Heaven and his unnameable consort, who were absorbed
into the Akkadian/Assyrian war god Nergal's attributes in later history. War and Industry
are matched very well. Everything technological in a modernizing society is brought in
through the actions of such captains of industry as the Prince of Pentacles.
He is at times cruel and ruthless, but also ingenious and industrious. Unusual and
technologically advanced creativity is the sign of the station, and that, Nergal most
assuredly is. He is not, however, stupid, nor intentionally sadistic. He has a plan and that
plan is to be effected, by hell or heaven. Slow and steady wins the race, through sheer
might and force of Earth. The Prince is at the helm of an unstoppable juggernaut of
might, power and effectiveness with staying power I will add that through discipline,
hard work and countering any unstable emotions, can bring one through to victory.

Geomantic:
Called
Carcer
(Latin for *the Prison*) in its medieval interpretation, the
correct elemental association should define it as a (Youthful) Masculine/Physical
Assiah
(Action) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Idealists Class
/
ENFJ (Teacher) Type
Excelling in all manner of conversation and social situations, the ENFJ is adept at fine
tuning relationships, they excel and diplomacy. They care about people, and depend on
the wellbeing of all of the people around them to find satisfaction.

Prince of Alembics
Planetary: Neptune (Above) / Mercury (Below)
Diamond Path: Kether, Crown (Above) /Yesod, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure: Laetitia
Tetragram: Air (Above) / Water (Below)
Keywords:
Introspection, Subtlety, Violent, Artistic, Sly, Scientific, Power, Weaponry
Merciless, Depression, Deranged, Sketchy or Shady Person,
Untrustworthiness
Interpretations
Historical:
Called the Knight of Cups in the old packs. la Hire, a top commander in the
100 year war waged between the Plantagenets of England and House Valois of France, is
the historical association to this card. He was a close friend of Joan of Arc and fought
with her at Orleans. His name means “wrath of God”. He was well known for his cranky
disposition, aside from his storied military history.
The Knight of Cups is depicted in the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack as
having a golden coat trimmed in grey frill and is riding a white horse. He carries a cup
aloft from the bottom by his right palm.
Classically this has been the most manicdepressive personality of the court cards,
tending towards a poetic and artistic disposition. His strong descending nature has been a
prominent part of the overall makeup, and this is confirmed in the Hidden Diamond path
revelation in The Mutational Alchemy tarot.
Golden Dawn: Prince of the Chariot of the Waters
Called The King of Cups, , the The
King of Cups card corresponds to the zodiacals Libra and Scorpio and places at Sephira
#6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system.
The serpent and the eagle are his prime signifiers. The serpent will sometimes be in the
cup itself. The eagle will be drawing his chariot or present in some way at the least. There
should be a strong descending action in the movement of the card. The scorpion may be
present for Scorpio.
Thoth:
Crowley sticks closely to the Golden Dawn attributions but his Prince is pointing
down. A large sparrow draws his chariot and he is blue all over indicating the water
element of course. Like the other Princes, he is wearing an ornate hat indicating the
mental powers of Air. The sparrow represents flightiness and a distracted nature, as well
as physical, emotional and mental fragility.However this may be, he will be quick,
attractive, wellliked and agile
The strong descending action in The Hidden
Diamond path dominates the mood of the Prince of Alembics, the high point of Ouranos
creating divine inspiration and a kind of heavenly authority. His tetragram, Air in the
above, Water in the below, calls to mind the a sea breeze flirting with the waves, lifting
up the ocean birds, or the violent winds which whip over the world’s oceans, turning their
deceptive calm into a terrifying display of natural force. Witness the Prince of Alembic’s
power, hidden, unpredictable, dangerous yet capable of scintillating beauty and delicate
artful gestures.
The Scene:
Air of Water,moody, brooding, but also uplifting to the soul, the Poet Prince
is the descending force of the masculine. The gravitational pull of the gaseous planet
below is acting on the technological and alien ingenuity of the Prince, as inferred by
Ouranos over Luna. This is a perfectly natural arrangement and the Prince is happy to
take the fall, so to speak. However, it does reflect a certain tendency to repeatedly enter
downward spirals, and this can be his doom. Prince of Alembics is the classical
tormented artist or eccentric writer. He can certainly be equated to Lucifer or any other
masculine deity which descends to earth from the holier place, as one fancies, whether by
choice or through some occult hand. Werewolves, vampires, mad scientists, romantic
thieves like Aladdin and mysterious assassins are also connected to him. The latter due to
his association with all kinds of poisons from wine to literal poison. In his descent there
is a sort of madness and joy of union with the terrestrial, that mirrors humanity's
fascination with the alien. His serpents, poisonous of course, are a traditional attribution
of the Prince of Alembics, and represent his hidden and secretive wisdom and cunning.
The alembic he holds is a test tube filled with radioluminescence, a nod to Marie Curie.
This was the first figure draft to be drawn for the MAT, but not the first card to be
completed, that honor belongs to The King of Staves.. He was originally intended to be
The Prince of Staves or Wands, and at that point we had not figured out what the suite
would be called. He was demure and pensive, with a peacock feather in his hair, with
most other things about him the same as the Prud’hon master work I had copied the pose
from, and he held a staff. m1thr0s pointed out he was more of a Prince of Cups than a
Prince of Staves, and he was right of course. We set him aside for later, and began work
on The King of Staves. Paul Pierre Prud’hon featured prominently in the textbook used at
The Contemporary Realist academy of Kathryn Manzon, the Americanbased European
Academic traditional art atelier I attended over two years in Memphis, Tennessee. I love
the soft not overlymuscled male bodies in Prud’hon’s sketches. Having no means to
afford live models myself and having an aversion to the steroidculture nudes in most
nude photos available at the time, I vouched to use master artist sketches for reference for
my own drawings. This has been the way of it since the time of Michelangelo. Indeed the
very school I went to could trace its lineage back through the Ecole De Beaux De artes in
France to beautiful Florence, the city of Michelangelo and his patrons, the Medicis.

Geomantic:
Called
Laetitia
(Latin for *Joy*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
elemental association should define it as a (Youthful) Masculine/Emotional character
Briah
(Creation) in the Four Celestial (or Elemental)
Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Idealists Class
/
ENFP (Champion) Type
ENFP types are enthusiastic and optimistic, full of creativity, fun and adept at charging
forward into new territory and sparking change in others. They are extraordinarily
spontaneous, reckless and charismatic, all of which lend to their ability to be great
visionary leaders.

Princess of Staves
Planetary:
Saturn (Above) / Jupiter (Below)
Diamond Path:
Chesed, Benevolence (Above) / Yesod, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Caput Draconis
Tetragram:
Earth (Above) / Fire (Below)

Keywords:
Devotion, Zealous Loyalist, Enthusiasm, Volatility, Openminded, Honor,
New Possibilities, Justice, Daring, Vigor, Spring, Lust, Desire, Loyalty, Vengeance
Impatience, Drama, Gossip, Domineering, Cruel, Unstable
Interpretations
Historical:
The Pages represent the accompaniment to the Knights in the oldest packs.
Their dress and mannerism is usually a reflection of the Knight in the suite they are a part
of. Therefore in the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza this page is shown
wearing blue and gold and luxurious stockings. His or her green gloved hand is holding
the same ornately doublecapped staff as the Knight of Staves. The green glove
represents fertility and his or her acts are creative acts.
Golden Dawn: Princess of the Shining Flame
Called The Princess of Wands , The
Princess of Wands card corresponds to one fourth of the North Pole and places at Sephira
#10 (Malkuth) in the Golden Dawn system.
Thoth:
The wild and fiery imagery of the Princess of Wands in Aleister Crowley's
THOTH features the imagery of a pyre on a pillar, reminiscent of the GraecoRoman
Vestalea. The book does not state it but the tiger appears to be either giving birth to the
Princess, in a sexual position with her, or is a reflection of her. We may never know
exactly how Aleister Crowley may have envisioned his tarot in its pure form, as the
pinched Victorian social scene and government made every effort to hound and suppress
him as with most European occultists at even the slightest hint of "impropriety".
The first thing the new attributions of the MAT
tell us is that she likes to stay above the fray. The path on the Hidden Diamond Sutra
moves from Binah the Mother down to the male pillar at Chesed. She is unique in this,
the Princesses of the other elements descend much lower. She is the servant of Fire, the
aspect of the Great Mother which is the fiery wrath of war paired with the righteousness
of Chesed. She is Nike, Bia and Kratos, (Victory, Force and Strength) the three sisters of
Nyx who were the first to declare their support for Zeus. The combination of Saturn and
Jupiter is a dynamic and powerful combination.
In the tetragrams we find a strong Yang force overcoming the single Yin line at the top,
supporting it. The FatherMotherDaughter dynamism is reinforced in the nuclears of
Heaven the Father below and Lake the Daughter above, signifying a most auspicious
state of nature, but also a hidden nature. The Princess of Staves appears to be a kind of
sleeper cell or agent of subterfuge in at least some scenarios.
The Scene:
Earth of Fire, the human form of Ammit kneels before the sacred flame.
Ammit is called by the ancient Kemetic people who properly identified her as Greatness
of Death, Bone Eater, and Devourer of Millions or Eater of Eternity, a title which she
shares with the huntingdog headed male god Amheh. It was Ammit who guarded the
ancient and mystical lake of fire, within which Amheh resided. Ammit did take human
form and due to the shared epithet, it is possible Amheh and Ammit are siblings.
Because they were so feared there is much less written of them. It is known that Ammit
shared characteristics of both Sekhmet and Tawaret, which are an important part of her
nature. The crocodile's head may be a nod to Sobek, essentially the God of War, or
Kemetic Ares for all intents and purposes. In India she would be equated to the dark
aspect of Karma which acts against the offender. However, India applies no special
personality of Godhead to Karma, where the Kemetic people (not to be confused with the
immigrant Egyptians of today) assigned a whole divine chamber to the process, located in
Duat, the underworld, which included as its ruling council, the Goddess Ma'at, Djehuti,
Anpu (Anubis), Renenutet, Meshkenet, Shay, Hu, Sia, Khnum, Hathor, Nut, Geb,
Tefnut, Shu, Atum, and RaHorakhty. and Hapi. The transition from life through death
was an important cosmic affair. Ammit was supposedly feared amongst the ancients, but
to what extent may have been greatly exaggerated. The reasons for her existence is
simple to cause people to try to be better through psychology. Saturn above Jupiter
matches Ammit's attributes as the female personification of death and justice. With her
volatile and passionate brother, the Prince of Staves, she is the only Court personality to
cross Da'ath, the Seat of Knowledge. The combination of Earth and Fire in her chart
signifies sacred fire of the below, and so Ammit's relationship to the Lake of Fire makes
her the most apt and correct personality for this station.
Geomantic:
Called
Caput Draconis
(Latin for *the Head of the Dragon*) in its
medieval interpretation, the correct elemental association should define it as a (Youthful)
Feminine/Creative character corresponding to the qabbalistic
Atziluth
(Emanation) in the
Jungian Type:
Guardians Class
/
ISTJ (Inspector) Type
ESTP types are dutiful and conservative. They lean towards a reliance on practicality,
and focus intently on following through on personal endeavors, while maintaining loyalty
to established traditions. Although they do not readily embrace abstract theory, they can
be persuaded to accept it if the practicality can be demonstrated.

Princess of Blades
Planetary:
Jupiter (Above) / Venus (Below)
Diamond Path:
Chesed, Benevolence (Above) / Netzach, Victory (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Conjunctio
Tetragram:
Earth (Above) / Air (Below)

Keywords:
Judicious, Seriousness, Courage, Spitefulness, Egotism, Aggressiveness,
Vengeance, Change
Trouble, Anxiety, Incoherency
Interpretations
Historical:
The Page of Swords in the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack
depicts an adolescent, in contrast to the other pages in the pack. He is armored and his
sword acts as a walking stick. His hat is a large wide brimmed monstrosity covered in
peacock feathers. The rising solar disc with spiral arms, the Visconti heraldic device, is
etched on his silver armor. He stands on the edge of a cliff and green and blue mountains
are in the background.
Golden Dawn: Princess of the Rushing Winds
Called The Princess of Swords, , The
Princess of Swords card corresponds to the North Pole and places at Sephira #10
She is topless and is standing next to a brazier. She has a yellow cape and wears the
heraldic device of the Gorgon somewhere.
Thoth:
Crowley diverges from historical pretenses drastically, only including the Gorgon
as the Medusa on her helm. She is fully clothed and some kind of pillar is next to her.
Crowley doesn’t explain what it is. The geometry is strange and the cape may be inferred
by the lines of her pinwheel like wings. His opinion of her is quite low, as with all of the
other Princesses and Queens. She is fighting upwards and is angry. Thankfully he at least
acknowledges her valkyrie character early on in the text.
The Princess of Blades has been given the short
straw with regards to many Golden Dawn attributions. While she is a adolescent warrior
in the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza, the rest of the ages leaves her looking
a lot like a topless dancer with sword and snake as her gimmick, all in a yellow cape no
less.
Her Hidden Diamond path reveals a warrior personality, its strong descending action
towards Netzach emerging from Binah crosses Tiphareth to arrive with a powerful force
upon landing in Victory. She is very feminine but not in the traditional ways, much like
the Valkyrie. The Hidden Diamond path confirms Crowley’s insight many times over.
Earth above and Air below in the tetragram bespeaks suppression and it may be she is
there to relieve tension via conflict in some way. The geomantic character, reminiscent of
a double lotus blossom or the double wand of power is notable.
Since she has the backing of the supernals behind her we tried to infer this hidden
alliance with great and old unstoppable forces behind her in the figure of the Great
Blackness, Mahakala.
The Scene:
Earth of Air,the Princess of Blades stands supported by the dark masculine

aspect Mahakala.Mahakala is called by Tibetan scholars “He who saves even the most
horrible”. Mahakala is a very dark savior. He is depicted in paintings by the Tibetans as a
fierce and awesome spectacle, and even this is said to be only a shadow or pale imitation
of his true form as the lord of the void. Depictions of sacred objects dedicated to
Mahakala invoke the gruesome aspects of the psyche which we are all connected to –
even if some deny it. The bat is a symbol of his, probably due to their connection with
good fortune and the night as well as being the color of Mahakala. They match the Air in
Earth aspect of the Princess. The Princess of Blades has come to terms with her psyche
and is a bit of a brat because of it. She may be rude or abrasive but is usually truthful,
unless she is decieving in order to attain her goals which are not always kind if she is
illdignified. In this image the princess herself represents Angwusnasomtaqwa, “Crow
Mother” from Hopi mythology, who can be considered synonymous with the archetype
of Maha Kali. Crow medicine is appropriate symbology for Mahakala and the Princess of
Blades/Swords traditional attributions. Crows medicine is death energy, associated with
rebirth of the soul through the burning of karmic debt. As a carrion bird they are linked to
the 64 dakinis who are the consort of the supreme personality of Godhead. It is worth
noting that the keyword Judicious was chosen over the more common "Impulsive"
because while the Princess may seem impulsive, this impulsiveness is merely her quick
wit, intellect and tongue acting invisibly to those unable to follow her. She is a problem
solver and a master escapist. When crows show up in your life it means that you or
someone in your physical vicinity has called down the wrath or protection of the dharma
guardians. The Japanese can be credited with identifying the proper nature of the crow
spirit as essentially the spirit of the martial arts in the Tengu, so it is the Princess of
Blades takes a martial pose with her blade readied to cut down criminals out of cruel
necessity to maintain the balance of whole universe.
Geomantic:
Called
Conjunctio
(Latin for *the Conjunction*) in its medieval
interpretation, the correct elemental association should define it as a (Youthful)
Feminine/Analytical character corresponding to the qabbalistic
Yetzirah
(Formation) in
the Four Celestial (or Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Artisans Class
/
ISTP (Crafter) Type
They are highly analytical, capable of understanding how a system operates, from a large
machine to high volume traffic. Engineering is one of the roles the logical ISTP is well
suited to. They store knowledge and utilize it adroitly and daringly. They do not have
very much regard for rules, as they consider them unnecessary hindrances to their work.

Princess of Pentacles
Planetary:
Mars (Above) / Luna (Below)
Diamond Path:
Gevurah, Severity (Above) / Yesod, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Acquisito
Tetragram:
Earth (Above) / Earth (Below)
Keywords:
Steadiness, Directness, Protected, Fertility, Determination, Stability,
Nourishment, Home, hearth, Care, Benevolence, Sex
Putrid, Hoarder, Trying but Failing, Insufficient Funds,
Emotional Manipulation
Interpretations
Historical:
Draped in a blue cape with a Magen star pattern in blue and gold on the
Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza, the Page of Coins as it was called carries a
large coin. He has one red right stocking and a blue left stocking. His large red hat is
decorated with gold coin emblems. He faces to the left of the card, looking into the past, a
conservative traditionalist like the other old Visconti Royal Coin bearers.
Other decks later portray her as a rather frank and straightforward wealthy young lady.
She will have sumptuous clothing and will often be facing the viewer directly.
Golden Dawn: Princess of the Echoing Hills
Called The Princess of Pentacles , The
Princess of Pentacles card corresponds to the terrestrial North Pole and places at Sephira
#10 (Malkuth) in the Golden Dawn system.
The Princess will be holding a disc depicting the balance of dualities in some way, in
Thoth this is the Taijitu, in the Hermetic Tarot of the Golden Dawn it is a checkered and
striped black and white disk. She will be standing firmly and looking straight ahead, not
lollygagging or daydreaming. She is focused on her task and will feature horns or a ram's
head somewhere, signifying her connection to the Great Beast, the Emperor.
Thoth:
Aleister Crowley persists with a warrioress, and starts out in his description of
her very favorable. This of course completely evaporates soon enough and he distracts
himself with Thelema and her inconsistency, while being quite inconsistent himself in his
rambling. The feminine is ever a sideshow in any of his diatribes, but at least the picture
is pretty.
Draped in plush grey fur and a silk dress, she carries a long spear and a shieldlike coin
etched with the Taijitu. She wears an impressive crown of kudu horns, the same exact
type used in the Israelite shofar horn.
The Great Black Mother, Saturn or Ma'at in the
above, and Luna, Foundation in the below signifies that Crowley was correct in
presuming she represented "Womanhood in its ultimate projection" but here it is more
appropriate to say that she is the feminine in all of its projections, for man ill carries all of
Godhead as of yet. But in the beasts and flora of the earth, and the potential of the
universe itself, we might get some hint of The Princess of Pentacle's infinite potential,
which she carries in the scifi Pentacle in her left hand. "For I have crushed an universe,
and naught remains"
The tetragram Earth below and above reveals the nuclear of K'an the abyssmal, reflecting
back on Binah the infinite ocean of sorrow, and Li, Fire, the Clinging. In this we have the
seed of the MotherFather thangka and so Crowley is completely vindicated and as usual,
proves himself as the consummate occulttruffle pig.
The Hidden Diamond path is a steep and long descent, directly hitting Tiphareth from
Binah. She is a nononsense character with a flair for style and the dramatic acting in a
way only the divine feminine and the young yin energy of the princesses can. Her
cunning manticore is the most developed and intelligent of all of the lifeforms present on
the princess cards. She will get things done and will have many hidden and powerful
allies in her work. His tail circles around so that his stinger touches her mons Venus,
signifying that he merges from her as her creation and he protects her.
The Scene:
Earth of Earth, the Princess of Spring, she stands in a barren landscape,
symbolizing her power over the most infertile fields. She relies upon her brothers heavily

for this. TheGorgon is the sacred fierce feminine protector of the Titans, the second
generation of gods who were usurped by the Olympians. As a protector of the primordials
she carries with her a great power and influence. This is why she graced the doorways of
temples and the shields of soldiers in the ancient world. The minor gorgon Medusa, a
mortal maid under the influence of an spell gets much attention but she does not
constitute the core or the birth of this archetype. The Manticore is thought now to
originate from the ancient world's perception of the tiger. It represents the fierce and
untamed natural world which this princess has complete dominion over. Earth of Earth,
the land is scorched and dry but holds limitless potential for life. Her blue cloak
symbolizes this alignment with freedom, as she must be leftto her own devices and
choices for anything to occur in the right way. She is perfectly attuned to the alchemy of
the seasons and ebb and flow of life. In the mundane sense this means also someone in
tune with their body and knowing of the old saying "Health is one's greatest wealth."
Geomantic:
Called
Acquisito
(Latin for *Gain*) in its medieval interpretation, the
correct Elemental association should define it as a (Youthful) Feminine/Physical
Assiah
(Action) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Guardians Class
/
ISFJ (Protector) Type
The ISFJ focuses their effort on maintaining balance in their sphere, by honoring the
needs of the beings and environment around them, to which they are keenly aware of.
They are softspoken, meticulous and dedicated. Sympathetic and kind, they derive
satisfaction from serving others.
Princess of Alembics
Planetary: Mars (Above) / Earth (Below)
Diamond Path: Gevurah, Severity (Above) / Malkuth, Kingdom (Below)
Geomantic Figure: Rubeus
Tetragram: Earth (Above) / Water (Below)
Keywords:
A Dreamy Person, Sensuality, Renewal, Rain, Inspiration, Strange Thoughts,
Subconscious, Intuition, Dreams Becoming Reality, Emotional Magic
Listlessness, Scattered, Unfinished Work, Lack of Discipline,
Hoarder, Irrationality leading to darkness and pain
Interpretations
Historical:
With one red and one white stocking, the Pierpont MorganBergamo
ViscontiSforza Page of Cups alludes to the Knight of Swords and Staves as well as the
Ace of Coins in that pack. He wears no hat, and is in a sumptuous fur trimmed coat.
Mountains are in the background and he faces left, into the past. The large ornately gilt
cup is held from beneath.
The white color continues to be important later one, many Pages and Princesses of Cups
alike are wearing white.
Golden Dawn: Princess of the Palace of the Floods
Called The Princess of Cups, , The
Princess of Cups card corresponds to the terrestrial North Pole and places at Sephira #10
She is accompanied by a turtle, a swan and a dolphin, the symbols of wisdom, grace and
love, and she is often surrounded by water and lotuses. In many packs she is a mermaid,
such as in The Hermetic Tarot of the Golden Dawn by Godfrey Dowson, who features all
of the traditional animals and the princess is bare breasted also.
That farce of The Golden Dawn the RiderWaite, has a boy looking into a cup in which
a fish is poking his head out. Then there is the Wang Golden Dawn tarot where a turtle is
poking out of the cup. This is all very obvious symbology that is constantly overlooked.
Here we have a girl contemplating the act of coitus. It represents sexual union with the
AllFather,, as in the story of Leto and the Swan among countless others. (Another that
comes to mind is the neverused God as the Serpent in the Garden of Eden which leads to
Eve bearing the socalled "Serpent Seed" which transmutes Man into another step of the
Alchemical Process.) These symbologies are all wadded up so tightly it's astonishing any
sense can be made of them at all. The Golden Dawn was in its decline when we hear
most of a "revival" being made of them, and so it's best to look to the elements
themselves when resolving disparaged cards like this one.

Thoth:
Another passive pigeon of a Princess, no surprise here, the fully clothed
zombielike creature is holding onto a turtle and giant cup so large that it would appear
that she is a woman of gargantuan proportions and muscle. The scene does nothing to
hide the sexual undertones but presents it all in the most grotesque and selfloathing way
possible. There is no delicacy here, save for the neatly scalloped edges of the troll's
semenlike dress. Overall the attempt at creating a heavenly sexual scene du jour fails
even more utterly than the boys diddling with the fish in their cups.
Make no mistake, the Princess of Alembics is all
about sensuality and sexuality. She is primed for sex and this in no earthly terms. She is
having a love affair with God, the divine father and will bring forth the fruits of her
labors as the creation of great ideas. This as well as any other royal Court Card illustrates
why the Cups were renamed to Alembics. The vessel of creation in Alchemy symbolizes
the womb either physical or mental, with much great accuity.
First off we have the very important descent of Binah to Malkuth, the longest descent
seen in the tarot. hence the reason she seems to get lost in her dreams and visions. The
way down is dark at times and unknown. One may see in the tetragram that she carries
Earth above Water: here we have the Goddess born into the earthly realm for the
salvation of man. She has divided herself to become woman,, and it is a painful rebirth.
But all is not lost, for Logos is there with her, ever watchful and personified in the
masculine principle. Her eggs represent the seed of ideas, the only thing real in this
universe at all.
Her enormous collection of grails, goblets, chalices and cups represents old universes, old
ideas, some which may bubble up to the surface to become new again if the time is right.
She is a collector of sorts, of dreams and wishes.
The cityscape is full of phallic objects, a nod to the traditional iconography that doesn’t
include old aeon fish or swans or turtles. She is fully acclimated with these things and has
moved on to better and brighter things.
The nuclears in the tetragram are K’an the Abyssmal and Ken the Mountain. This
indicates a deep and abiding strength and a kind of prosperity which forms ideas, but she
won’t chase money nor will Logos. She will be dedicated however, and hard working in
her own worlds and wisdomways. This will lead to beauty. She is hypersexual but only
for the right person they will be intellectual and logical. Others will try in vain to win
her hand and they’ll fail utterly. To take her by force will only cause her to drift away
silently and her spirit may never return.
The Scene:
Earth of Water,The Water Faerie Melusine is a lady who embodies the
primal feminine nature of water in a mortal, the goddess made flesh, It is an appropriate
image for the union of earth and water, in this case, The Princess of Alembics.
Sometimes she is depicted winged, a nod to the very ancient Greek titan Tethys. Dreamy,
mysterious and capable of manifesting her dreams fully into reality, she is a powerful, but
often overlooked royal personage. She is not one to stand out from the crowd deliberately
and half of the time, she may not be able to convince others of her potential. It's her loss,
and theirs, but she makes friends easily, with lucky others who would give her a chance.
Her ability to manifest dreams from the world of ideas into the world of manifestation
and physical matter is drawn from her perfect alignment with the laws of Karma on earth.
Break a universal law, and you'll be sure to drive her away. This is exactly what
happened in the story of Melusine from Medieval France.
The story dates back to at least the 1300's. Melusine was a Faerie Queen of a forest in
france called Colombiers in the Poitou region. There was a sacred fountain she and her
companions guarded. A young man approached the fountain one day and found Melusine
there. They fell in love and agreed to marry on the condition that she must never be
observed on a Saturday. She brought him luck and incredible power and strength
bringing prosperity to the kingdom and building magnificient architectural marvels such
as the fortress of Lusignan. Her husband broke her rule of course, and did not mention to
her when he caught her bathing on a Saturday displaying her serpentine form. When
their son attacked a monastery he accused her of cursing the family line with her serpent
blood. She left immediately after learning of the broken promise and only returned to
visit her children.
The tale is significiant in that the archetype was merged with Christian symbology of the
time. The Jewish belief in the doctrine of the Serpent Seed is possibly at play here,
though the tale is shrouded in the mists of time and not much more is known of its
origins. As mentioned before she does share a striking resemblance to Tethys, who is
both a serpent and depicted with wings, generally a benevolent major goddess.

Geomantic:
Called
Rubeus
(Latin for *Red*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
Elemental association should define it as a (Youthful) Feminine/Emotional character
Briah
(Creation) in the Four Celestial (or Elemental)
Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Artisans Class / ISFP (Composer) Type
The ISFJ focuses their effort on maintaining balance in their sphere, by honoring the
needs of the beings and environment around them, to which they are keenly aware of.
They are softspoken, meticulous and dedicated. Sympathetic and kind, they derive
satisfaction from serving others.
Queen of Staves
Planetary:
Saturn (Above) / Jupiter (Below)
Diamond Path:
Binah, Understanding (Above) / Chesed, Benevolence (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Fortuna Major
Tetragram:
Water (Above) / Fire (Below)
Keywords:
Bitchiness, Material Power, Enlightenment, Vanity, Trust, Lucid Conception,
Order
Melancholoy, Debauch, Rage, Blind Vengeance
Interpretations
Historical:
Usually depicted as a strong and well dressed, even armored woman with a
crown on her head. She is enthroned and may be accompanied by a cat. She will have a
rod or scepter.
In the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack she is wearing a gown with the
Visconti heraldry of a bird emanating a blaze of rays and a bird's nest.
Passion des Richesses
In the Etteila she is referred to as , (reversed Obstacles), the
Queen of Batons.
The French born Mary of Anjou aka Argine (Regina) is the historical Queen of Clubs,
powerful, strong willed, intelligent, ambitious, aggressive, ruthless and charismatic. She
was the wife of the English King Henry VI and is depicted in the Shakespearean play of
the same name as carrying around a severed head of one of her lovers, the Duke of
Suffolk in mourning after his death. She may be called the Queen of Staves in old decks,
and in newer decks it is popular to call her the Queen of Wands.
Golden Dawn: Queen of the Thrones of Flame
Called The Queen of Wands, , The Queen
of Wands card corresponds to the zodiacals Pisces and Aries along with the constellation
Andromeda and places at Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Dressed in a red cloak and armor, the Queen of Wands will be accompanied by a feline of
some kind. She is meant to appear strong and authoritative, and flames should be present
near her in any traditional Golden Dawn pack.
Thoth:
In the THOTH pack the queen appears assuming and regal, but her face is
complacent. Crowned with the winged disk and the vesica she is accompanied by the
leopard, symbol of the dark lord and wild feminine. The staff she carries is the same
found in many Roman mystery cults, topped with an acorn. Flames are everywhere and
the background features projective geometry.
Despite the fair imagery, Crowley cannot stop criticizing her of course. In his words he
vastly underestimates her power and covers it with all sorts of petty remarks so that we
get a very unfair and incorrect picture of her. It's almost inevitable in his book, called The
Tarot of the Egyptians.
Crowley will begin by throwing out some general attributions for the girls, and then a
barrage of criticism begins. She doesn't take a shower, she smells like poop, and she is a
bitch, and she is this and that. Since one cannot do anything about Crowley's terrible
upbringing under his horrible mother it just needs to be tolerated, but it does get
oppressive after a while.
Moving from Chesed to Yesod on the Hidden
Diamond, the Queen of Staves’ path notably blocks access to Netzach, Victory. This is a
hallmark of Venus who rules Victory in War. Jupiter in the above and Luna in the below
signifies the power of expansion, especially of the technological kind. Advanced societies
such as spacefarers or ones which create new kinds of life in harmony with Ain Soph Aur
or the Paramatman are where this Queen will be most at home. In all other more
primitive societies she will be at war. She is resourceful and a great leader. As a general
she has no superior. She will utilize many different styles of attack depending on the
battle, and she has many allies, both hidden and known.
She will not be seen at rest very often, as her tetragram signifies. The auspicious Heaven
in the below, Earth above, is constantly churning and generating creative energy and
luck. The geomantic figure resembles a goblet, reminiscent of a graal, a magickal cup
which grants the bearer strength and immortality. Perfectly suited to the magickal
psychosexual legend cycle of AnahitaMithra, where the goddess is eternally renewing
the god.
The Scene:
Water of Fire,Anahita is a major figure in the ancient Achaemenidean
(Persian) state religion. This comprised modern day Iraq, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Turkey, the Balkans, Pakistan and Afghanistan. She serves a very similar in
function to that of Ishtar, a Sumerian and Semitic war goddess of the fertile crescent.
Anahita is depicted as bringing together two lions, just like Ishtar/Inanna. Zoroaster, the
founder of Zoroastrianism, was struck by a vision of Anahita rising from the waters,
flanked by two red lions with blazing blue eyes. As the standard setter by which royalty
and empire was built, Anahita’s importance to kings and generals, especially in the might
Persian empire, could not be overstated. Like the Morrigan she decides the fate of armies,
but she was also equated with Aesclepius, and was a healer. Her consort was Mithra, the
god of contracts, who was also self created from her. She is considered to be a virgin
goddess, second to Ahura Mazda and first before Mithra. Israel also adopted her worship
as Anath, and the Sumerian Nanna, goddess of fresh waters could also be equated with
her iconography. She influenced the iconography of the Virgin Mary of the Romans and
one of her epithets is “Anahita, the Immaculate Virgin Mother of the Lord Mithras”.
Mithraism, of the Roman Empire, certainly was consumed by the Catholic Church, ritual
and all, with an untidy attempt to cover up this cannibalism.
The parallels to Crowley's Thelemic Goddess, Babalon, are accidental on the part of the
artist, but they are still parallel. Even the geomantic figure modernized in its form by
m1thr0s resembles the Graal. Her pale vampiric skin blushed with purple and the blood
red elements of the incense, lion, carpet and rippled texture of the columns of the ruins of
the great Anahita temple, resembling the vaginal canal with its full moon egg are all in
perfect harmony with virginwhore Babalon's attributions.
In Nippon, purple and red have been identified as the most sacred and auspicious set of
colors to attire females in and in the traditional Budo schools such as the Bujinkan Budo
Taijutsu tradition the female ninja is supposed to attire herself in a purple gi with a red
belt.
Geomantic:
Called
Fortuna Major
(Latin for *the Greater Fortune*) in its medieval
interpretation, the correct Elemental association should define it as a (Mature)
Feminine/Creative character corresponding to the qabbalistic
Atziluth
(Emanation) in the
Jungian Type:
Rationals Class
/
INTJ (Mastermind) Type
Efficiency and independent thought are qualities the INTJ strongly value. They prefer the
company of intelligent people who share their views of theoretical models. They are calm
and reserved, but care deeply about their close relationships and have a need for a
harmonious environment. They are adept at creatively formulating complex theory and
analyzing data, and have a need to share this ability and their discoveries with the world.
Queen of Blades
Planetary:
Saturn (Above) / Venus (Below)
Diamond Path:
Binah, Understanding (Above) / Netzach, Victory (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Albus
Tetragram:
Water (Above) / Air (Below)

Keywords:
Terror, Battle, Gracefulness, Strife, Trickery, Undoing, Protection, Land
Wealth, Military Leaders, Poison, Fate, Attack, Hostility, Fear, Confusion, Death Omen,
Suicide, Rivers, Lakes and Fresh Water, Battle Magick, Necromancy
Cruel, Flaky, Bearing False Witness, Narrowminded,
Interpretations
Historical:
This Queen is associated with the old Queen Pallas Athena of Greece. Born
from the thoughts of the sky father Zeus, it is a fitting model for the Queen of Swords.
She is a strong, active military woman fighting for justice and humanity. She was also
considered Goddess of Truth and was a prophetess. She protected cities, supported
mathematics, arts, crafts and law and so can be seen as a force for technology and
civilization, man’s higher callings. Serpent symbology is strongly associated with her, as
is the head of a putti or man on her armor, probably symbolizing her strong association
with mankind itself. Her Egyptian counterpart is Neith.
Her animal form in prehistory was of the bird and the serpent, especially sea eagles and
owls. More important to the card itself, her name is etymologically rooted in aether, air,
earth and moon.

In France on the old packs the card is called Reyne De L’epee. Sometimes she will be
called the Queen of Daggers and the old Queen of Spades.
The Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack shows a beautiful queen with large
eyes and blushed cheeks in a gown holding a longsword casually over her right shoulder
and arm which is encased in a heavily armor plate gauntlet. The Sforza lions’ face is
present over her pauldrons. She holds her armored left hand up in a sign of blessing or
benediction, and the mount of Venus is graced with a tiny triangle. A sinuous red silk
scarf that resembles a serpent is tied about her right arm. This is much like the
Kabbalistic practice of tying a red thread for blessing. There is a single green tree in the
background. A border of pinstripes and florets are on the edge of her white gown. Her
halo of golden hair adds to her loveliness. This is the Kingmaker.
Golden Dawn: Queen of the Thrones of Air
Called The Queen of Swords, , the Queen of
Swords card corresponds to the zodiacals Virgo and Libra and places at Sephira #3
(Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
In the Golden Dawn, the Queen of Swords is carrying a severed head, like the biblical
figure Judith, but this is strange considering Judith is historically associated with the suite
of Hearts, not Spades. A cherub’s face is also present, probably a degradation of the
ViscontiSforza lion from the Queen of Cups (Hearts). Clouds will be everywhere on a
Golden Dawn Queen of Swords card, and she will be carrying a sword, pointed in any
direction.
Godfrey Dowson has her carrying a severed head also, but also adds the appearance of
snakes in her hair, perhaps a nod to the Greek attribution of the older decks.
Thoth:
Aleister Crowley makes no mention of Athena in the description found in his The
Tarot of the Egyptians, but he infers it. He of course makes a point of putting her down
more than he praises her, excusing his drivel by saying before "if she is illdignified" but
make no mistake just read the descriptions to the princes and you'll see what team he is
batting for, but he at least explains the head she is the liberator of the mind.
Air of Water, the Queen of Blades descends from
Jupiter, or Chesed (Merciful Benevolence) to Earth, or Malkuth (Kingdom). One can see
immediately from this she is a bringer of wealth and prosperity. She will do this in a
sinister way, and use masculine means of doing it, whether through war or through
intricate plotting.
Her tetragram tells of a son following the mother, supported by the feminine and
benefitting from her influence, in Earth in the Above and Air in the below. There will be
oppression and control of the low, small minded people. Her geomantic character
resembles a chalice with a wide base, like the Queen of Staves thinner stemmed grail.
Her power is one of surprise, and control of time itself. This is the meaning of the wheel
of the Twin Serpents below her leap of misdirection and diversion. The hexagrams follow
a stringent lightdark cycle on the Twin Serpents, and they can be used to calculate
astrological signs in other solar systems, even ones with twin stars.
The Scene:
Water of Air, mistress of weather,The Irish Morrigan, like Venus, rules
Victory in War. It would be appropriate to call her the King Maker and the King Slayer.
She wields tremendous authority over the fates of battles and like the Dakinis of Asia,
appears as a carrion bird. The root of her name essentially means “The Terror Queen”
“The Phantom Queen” or “The Nightmare Queen”. She is a triune goddess represented
by three parts, Badb, the War Crow, Macha the Queen of Horses and Plains, and Anand
or Nemain, Vengeance. The ravenheaded hippogryph in the background symbolizes
this trio, while she herself is shown descending swiftly to deliver death from above, an
homage to her path from Binah to Malkuth. The position on the Hidden Diamond paths is
important, as she never descends into Yesod, Foundation nor Malkuth, as with the other
queens. Her power lies in the machinations of men, intellect, cunning, inspiration and
military strategy are her special abilities that gives her the power to fortify or overthrow
dynasties. The powers of terror and confusion are ones which she wields with a master’s
touch. Having her on your side ensures victory against the unworthy.
In the mythology she would hover over the battlefield, deciding who the Victor would be.
She could summon the dead back to life and was granted the honor after the battle of
gathering the heads of the fallen as her “acorn crop”. In the form of a washer woman, she
would appear at a river, ominously washing clothes of the soldiers who were about to go
to battle and die, thus predicting or deciding their fate. Morrigan offers one god,
Cuchulainn, her love, and he refuses, ignorant that she is in fact offering him what he
wants. She becomes his doom in his effort to secure victory. The moral of this tale is that
the King and the Land are one, and the Morrigan represents the land itself. In refusing her
he was refusing to be King.. She is closely tied to rivers, like the washerwomen who she
disguises herself as. The Airy Water of the Queen of Blades is best represented by river
rapids, which can be treacherous and deceptive, just like the Morrigan.

Geomantic:
Called
Albus
(Latin for *White*) in its medieval interpretation, the correct
Elemental association should define it as a (Mature) Feminine/Analytical character
Yetzirah
(Formation) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Rationals Class / INTP (Architect) Type
Freedom to pursue knowledge is of great importance to the INTP, and they do not place
limitations on themselves. They are loners by nature, frowning upon social hierarchy and
do not like to be lead or ordered around. They dislike those who hold strictly to traditions
for the sake of social norms. Masters of theory and systems analysis, they refrain from
letting emotion interfere with their theories. Even though this makes them seem reserved,
they are quite capable of wit and humor, given that their analytical minds have a firm
grasp of knowledge.

Queen of Pentacles (Disks)
Planetary:
Uranus (Above) / Earth (Below)
Diamond Path:
Saturn, Understanding (Above) / Luna, Foundation (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Tristitia

Tetragram:
Water (Above) / Earth (Below)
Keywords:
Pregnancy, Nurturing, Motherhood, Independence, Prosperity, Nesting,
Abstract Creativity, Trickster, a Physically Beautiful Person
Debauch, Stale, Mindless Gossip or Chattering, an
Uneducated Person
Interpretations
Historical:
Rachel, the beauty of the Hebrew scripture and mother of two of the tribe’s
patriarchs, Joseph and Benjamin. In the Midrash she is famous for saying, during the
exile after the Assyrian conflict
"If I, a mere mortal, was prepared not to humiliate my
sister and was willing to take a rival into my home, how could You, the eternal,
compassionate Elohim, be jealous of idols, which have no true existence, that were
brought into Your home? Will You cause my children to be exiled on this account?"
According to the Midrash he hears her plea and promises to allow the return to Jerusalem
for the Israelites.
In the Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack the Queen of Coins is dressed in a
dress and cape with the same sumptuous fabric as is found on the King of Coins. She
placidly holds a coin on her lap with one hand while the other hand rests on her lap. She
is calm and stable.
Golden Dawn: Queen of the Thrones of Earth
Called The Queen of Pentacles, , The
Queen of Pentacles card corresponds to the zodiacals Sagittarius and Capricorn and
places at Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
A lush and elaborate card in any Golden Dawn pack, the Queen of Pentacles wilpl be
accompanied by a ram or goat, and the sphere representing the world is important
symbology for her. Vegetation should also be depicted and sand or a desert is an
appropriate theme. She may be armored for war and the crest of the Emperor, the ram, is
quite important.
Thoth:
The Queen of Pentacles in the THOTH pack is well executed. Crowley states in
The Tarot of the Egyptians that she represents passivity. Although we could not disagree
more, he does at least acknowledge the dogma represented of The Great Work as fertility.
Her headdress and staff is epic decades before fantasy art was popular. She is shown
looking over a vast white desert filled with oases and a river. Once you’ve seen the
dragon she is riding, you cannot unsee it, even though Crowley makes no mention of it.
The Queen’s path from Geburah (Severity) to
Yesod (Foundation) indicates a much more active force at work in the world than has
been previously assigned to her in all other tarot. The passive thing simply doesn’t work
when you apply the nature of Shakti to the feminine instead of this silly passive pigeon
personality the West and every Western occultist insists upon. Nature herself as simply
earth and water is incredibly active, engaging in every moment with the masculine
principle in the dance of the changes.
Mars and Luna together make for a strange pairing but it is one that brings out the kinder
and more beneficial properties in Mars and the more self preserving, individualistic
properties of Luna.
With her tetragram we see Water above and Earth below, the symbol of the island. The
single Yin line pushes upwards towards the receptive lines above. Sexuality is inferred.
Her geomantic character looks like a seed pointed down at the earth and is a good
signifier for fertility.
The Scene:
Water of Earth
,
The Queen of underground aquifiers andSina and the Eel is
a folktale from the Samoan people. The original tale is more elaborate, with the eel being
none other than a shapeshifting King Tui Fiti, who has come to seduce the most beautiful
maiden in the islands, Sina. Sina finds the eel in the lagoon and takes it home as a pet.
She takes excellent care of it and it outgrows every container she puts it in until finally
she has to put it in the community bathing pool where it hides under a ledge. By this time
it has become quite large and she is afraid of it so avoids the pool, instead seeking out
pools further from home in hopes of avoiding the eel she raised, but at every new pool
she goes to the eel magickally appears again. Eventually the King runs out of magickal
power from all of this apparent teleportation, and loses his ability to shapeshift back into
a man. He catches up with Sina, and admitting to his love for her, tells her he’s about to
die. He instructs her to bury his head in the ground and this creates the first coconut tree,
which gives the lifegiving coconut which has a face that looks like an eel. It’s not told
what Sina’s reaction is to all of this. My interpretation would be that there would be
regret and I merged the story with that of Halia of Greece, another serpent lover from an
ancient tale. Thoth users may recognize the black scaled serpent as none other than an
incarnation of the Thoth Queen’s mount. I didn’t notice this until after I had already
completed this card. I chose the story and the image after randomly rolling the dice to
determine which world culture would contribute its image to the card, as I did with many
of the others in the deck. It’s not the first synchronicity with the Thoth that had occurred,
although it is always
This tale is suitable for the Queen of Pentacles because although she is a caring and
nurturing archetype, and has a way with animals and children, there is also an element of
bittersweet sorrow and deception underscoring her, with Saturn in the above and Luna in
the below. Binah is sometimes called the Sorrowful Mother. This Queen, like Sina has a
tendency to isolate herself and give in to irrational fears, particularily ones involving
incoming relationships. This is due to the influence of her path from Binah to Yesod.
Although sometimes thought of as an “earthy” queen, she never actually touches ground
to Malkuth, and instead remains planted in Luna, which makes her more enchanting and
helpful, actually. It helps her to remain stable and sane in a world like Earth that is insane
and violent most of the time.
Geomantic:
Called
Tristitia
(Latin for *Sorrow*) in its medieval interpretation, the
correct Elemental association should define it as a (Mature) Feminine/Physical
Assiah
(Action) in the Four Celestial (or Elemental)
Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Idealists Class
/
INFJ (Counselor) Type
The rich tapestry of the INFJ mind is veiled by secrecy. They are highly intuitive and
sensitive with highly abstract creativity. Living in a world of rich symbolism, they use
their interpretation of these patterns to lead and help people.

Queen of Alembics (Cups)
Planetary:
Saturn (Above) / Earth (Below)
Diamond Path:
Binah, Understanding (Above) / Malkuth, Kingdom (Below)
Geomantic Figure:
Populus
Tetragram:
Water (Above) / Water (Below)

Keywords:
Love in Action, Deep Introspection, Higher Standards, Dangerous,
Creativity, Memory, Stillness, Calm Before the Storm, Floods, Culling, Evolution, Lady
of the Lake, Ecowarrior, Nature Red in Tooth and Claw
Overwhelmed, Weak Will, Failing to Follow the Will of
Heaven, Getting Lost, Shut Up, Misandry
Interpretations
Historical:
The Queen of Alembics is a very dangerous monarch, and gets
underestimated in nearly every accounting that is done on her. Some accountings are
practically insulting, pigeonholing her as an emotionally fragile simpleton.
The Pierpont MorganBergamo ViscontiSforza pack has a Queen facing the viewer,
looking askance. She is wearing a lapis blue cloak and an ornately decorated golden dress
with a Visconti solar disc with spiral arms all over it. Standing on a hexagon, her
greengloved hands hold a huge ornate goblet and the other hand is raised in blessing.
Golden Dawn: Queen of the Thrones of the Waters
Called The Queen of Cups, , The
Queen of Cups card corresponds to the zodiacals Gemini and Cancer and places at
Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
A dopey looking (supposedly dreamy) looking girl is flanked by flowing ribbons of
water. A lobster in a cup and an ibis are shown. A halo surrounds her crowned head and
she is wearing a scaled breastplate and a flowing dress. The water is flowing out of her
dress.
Thoth:
Attraction, reflection and mimicry are the powers assigned to her. Although he
does properly identify her powers, Crowley fails to understand or to explain how
intentional she can be when performing her sorcery, or how deadly, and the imagery is
milquetoast at best. At worst it has the corpselike appearance of the worst Golden Dawn
figures, although it isn’t as bad as the zombie we find on the Princess. A redeeming
quality is the looping geometry signifying illusion.
Deadly mysterious and utterly enchanting, the
Queen of Alembics has for too long been heaped upon with all of the effectiveness of a
anchovy or a sieve since her former days of glory on the ViscontiSforza tarot. In the
signs however we find she is actually a very efficient and ruthless tactician. Her path is a
no nonsense straight arrow from Geburah to Malkuth, meaning she is one who changes
circumstances at a fundamental level, and she carries the tetragram of double Yin, Water
over Water this is the dark side. It makes her an especial ally of Yang and Heaven so
this may be where her rumored ethereal beauty comes from. She should never have been
assigned the passive pigeon role anywhere at any time. Even though Yin is classically
called *The Receptive* this in no way makes her passive, she is quite volatile, in fact one
might be better off attributing oil to Yin than water, or anything that is flammable. She
will also share the nature of Yin to follow loyally, like a mare, and The Valley Spirit is
tireless. Depending on the circumstances she will be a fiercely loyal and tireless sorceress
or one's worst and most slippery enemy, dauntless and full of capability and of course,
many powerful allies.
The Scene:
Thalassa or Tethys is the personification of the lonely ocean, called The Fish
Mother, daughter of Air and Daytime. Not very much remains of the old Titan’s lore.
We know that she was identified at least part of the time in history as the mother of the
nine Telchines, excellent metallurgists who carried snow, hail and rain and eventually
became hateful towards humans and poisoned their water supply. Along with the ocean,
father
she governed over all major rivers. Her consort was Pontus, of the Old Man of the
Sea, Nereus. Pontus is therefore a kind of grandfather, and Tethys a grandmother. Pontus
is born of Gaia without a father, meeting the definition of a self created deity and thus
very lofty, like the self created godserpent, Atum of Egypt
“She [Gaia] bore also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet
union of love.”
Theogony
— Hesiod, (130)

With Pontus she gave birth to not only the Telchines, but Halia, mother of a hybrid race
of serpents and all of the living creatures in the sea. Tethys is literally the sea, wild and
unpredictable, with the pervading lifegiving bounty that supported the Greek people for
millennia. She was an associate of the Poseidon later on, as the temples of Poseidon
included statues of her, but her origins are PreOlympian. She was a nurse to Hera, and it
is through this story we learn that Tethys has the power to rearrange the stars in the sky
per her command, as Hera asks her “nurse” to do this for her.
She sometimes is depicted in mosaics as accompanied by a great sea serpent. She and her
husband’s horns, like crab’s arms, indicate their divine prerogative and echo the ram’s
horns of Khepri, counterpart to Atum, who is represented as a ramheaded scarab. In
some depictions only her husband has horns, and she has two grey bird’s wings like that
of Hermes on her forehead.
The power of Yin can best define this character, and as the Queen of Alembics moves
from Binah to Malkuth, she coming from a very high place, the residence of Tiamat, the
Sumerian oceanic creatrix. (Tiamat herself is depicted on the Major Arcana, The Empress
but more than encompasses all of the traits of the Queen of Alembics as well) Binah, the
Mother, is also referred to as the Sea of Binah. Some of the negative attributions that are
given to her as an illdignified interpretation properly belong to her dignified orientation.
Her cool and indifferent personality are a part of herself naturally, contrary to the warm
and loving prattle that is automatically applied to her in nearly every remashed Tarot
book. Saturn in the above and Earth in the below clearly illustrate this dangerous but
down to earth contradiction. like Tethys, or the ocean, she is faithful only to the Great
Sea itself, and the sea serpent that accompanies her represents the Great Beast, the
AllFather to whom Yin and Water cleaves alone. The sunken ship in the distance
underscores her treacherous nature to mere mortals. To impress her you need to hold to
universal law – she demands it, and does so herself. Contrary to being emotional, she is
about action based on emotions. She loves her consort, and will do anything for him
based on that alone, no matter the cost. This makes her treacherous and dangerous but
ultimately predictable, as he is the Lord of Life. Anything that threatens her Lord or Life
overall will be an affront to her personally, repaid with both vengeance and healing.
Evolution, with its horrible dramas of Life and Death are ultimately a machination that
serves to preserve Life overall. She is not a nice person in the traditional sense of the
word, she is the great Mother of all Life, not just humans. A strong modern interpretation
for this card is caring for ecosystems, but also the turbulent and violent energy of wild
nature.
Geomantic:
Called
Populus
(Latin for *the People*) in its medieval interpretation, the
correct Elemental association should define it as a (Mature) Feminine/Emotional
Briah
(Creation) in the Four Celestial (or
Elemental) Worlds.
Jungian Type:
Idealists Class
/
INFP (Healer) Type
Quiet yet sociable and pleasant, The INFP are passionate about their ethics and are
excellent diplomats when it comes to building bridges with others in order to share and
sway others to their view. They are helpful and artistic, caring primarily about the
wellbeing of people and the quality of their creative projects.
☵ Minor Arcana (Small Cards) ☲
Ace of Staves
Historical Title: Root of the Powers of Fire
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
Pent #1 – Fire of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven
Ruling Hexagram: 乾
Hex #1 ( qián), The Creative
Tiered Bigrams:
Fire (Above), Fire (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet:
Fire of Neptune (Kether, Crown)
Tantric Root/Aspiration:
Yang Descending / Deiseil

Keywords:
Primordial Fire, Creative Inspiration, Spiritual Cognition, Material Ignition
New ideas, Birth, Creativity, Virility, Power, Masculinity, Heat, Passion
Aborted, Repression, Stillness, Danger, Drudgery, Menace,
Indignation, Horror, Ending, Torture, Lack of Energy
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Root of the Power of Fire
Called The Ace of Wands , the Ace
of Wands card corresponds to Sephira #1 (Kether) in the Golden Dawn system.
A large phallic wand is on fire. The hand holding it emerges from a cloud of fire. Rays of
light descend from above.
Thoth:
Crowley sticks closely to the Golden Dawn tradition in all of his imagery, but
adds his own vital panache to the scenes. The Ace of wands is no exception. Here we find
ten fox tails emerging from a rod charged with red and green lightning. Green is the
universal alchemical symbol of life and red of fire. Gold represents the solar fire. Green
and Gold together are the traditional colors of Alchemy. The geometry of the torch itself
is distorted but interesting, almost inferring the shape of the Hidden Diamond! Alas, it
would be another hundred years at least before The Abrahadabra Institute gave it its due
recognition and so we’ll never know what Aleister might have thought of the similarity.
The colors of the Thoth Ace are here, but the
geometry is far less murky and actually has significant meaning in The Hidden Diamond
Sutra. Since life is most recognizable when it is presented in a representable way, at least
for humans, Izi and I have elected to use plants and animals.
Here in the small cards the hexagram signifiers have changed. This was done for two
reasons: chiefly to get people outside of the thought box that the hexagrams are always
signified by line stacks, which was never true even in ancient China, and secondly to
provide an quick way of analyzing a card to determine if it was a small or ATU, since
they are all illustrated with scenes instead of repetitive symbols. These sorts of packs are
terribly lazy, since even The Golden Dawn managed to give the dry stacks of numbered
suite elements signifying quirks and activities within their otherwise bland composition.
The ruling Hexagram of the Ace of Staves is Qian, Heaven, the first Hexagram. The
triangle and the circle, Man’s most primeval geometry, are found as the signifiers of the
Trigrams and Bigrams composing the Hexagram. The triangles point up represent the
bigram Fire or Li, while the circles of the Trigrams represent Heaven above and Heaven
below, as in the Taoist system.
Fire’s inclination is to descend, and so the lightning bolt of the Three Worlds is directed
down. The placement on the Tree of Life for the Aces is at Kether, thus this is Fire of
Neptune. In Qabbalah it may seem curious, but Zeus is not the ruler of the Gods, rather
he is more of an active Father principle at work in the world, where Neptune or Poseidon
is the Secret Emperor in Heaven above. This may take some getting used to but it is
accurate and often overlooked, and it doesn’t diminish ZeusJupiter in the slightest.
The Scene:
Life is the dominion of Fire, and often through its destructive characteristics,
its burning characteristics seem prominent, it is through life that Fire reveals its purest
and most intimate nature. So it is that the auspicious Aces reveal a depiction of fire as the
progenitor of life and the owner of the domain of the lightning worlds, the highest
heavens. Hardy and predatory species were chosen to outline Fire's special influence in
life. The red and black beetle is a symbol of Kephri the Morning Sun and the scorpion is
the feminine counterbalance, the goddess Ishhara. The great Hidden Diamond is the
underlying order of entire universe, its mysterious and sharp angles support the Da'ath
coordinate, to which many strange and unexplainable attributes have been pointed out by
countless mages over hundreds of years. It is most especially tuned to fire, as it is the
generating element of the entire physical universe including all three of the remaining
elements of Water, Air, and Earth. Therefore the serpent is assigned to the Ace of
Pentacles as there is traditionally always a serpent in the tree of life, who represents the
supreme ultimate godhead that permeates all universes and realities.
Ace of Blades
Historical Title: Root of the Powers of Air
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
Ruling Hexagram: 乾
Hex #1 ( qián), The Creative
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Fire (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet:
Air of Neptune (Kether, Crown)
Yang Ascending / Deiseil

Keywords:
New beginnings, Mental Acuity, Justice, Perseverance, Truth,
Understanding, Strength, Intelligence
Gossip, Stupidity, Fear, Escapism, Nervousness, Anger,
Insanity, Ineloquence
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Root of the Powers of Air
Called The Ace of Swords , The
Ace of Swords card corresponds to Sephira #1 (Kether) in the Golden Dawn system.
A single sword is shown piercing a crown. The hand holding it emerges from the clouds.
A feather and a fruitful branch flank the sword.
Thoth:
Correctly identified as the Vau of Tetragrammaton, Crowley goes on further to
insult it of course and underestimate it, but at least he acknowledges it as allembracing,
allwandering, allpenetrant and allconsuming afterwards. He notes “set in motion by its
Father and Mother, its power is manifestly terrific” and “Mercury, also most properly the
Breath of Life, the Word, the Logos itself.”
One might ask why the Hidden Diamond Sutra is
on every single Ace card, and the answer lies in the fact that the Aces are nothing less
than the doctrine of Tetragrammaton as mentioned by Crowley over a century ago. The
Hidden Diamond is comprised of 16 paths, the general number of Tetragrammaton with 4
cardinal elements of Heaven, multiplied by the 4 cardinal elements of Earth. The Hidden
Diamond constitutes the driving active force of the Tree of Life. With the triple 4:4 count
(see my article The Da’ath Hack) and its crossing of Da’ath it can effectively flood the
Seat of Knowledge with the full force of the ternary Tetragrammaton. This makes it
exceptionally good contender for the subject of all of the Aces, comprising the generating
seed of the entirety of their respective element.
Here on the Ace of Blades we find as one might expect, Pentagram #1 indicating its
authority as the Alpha of Vau. This is the same Hexagram and Pentagram found on all of
the Aces.
Air’s instinct and urge is to “Ascend” as the principle of Levity and so its lightning bolt is
ascending. The Planetary is Neptune of course, planet of Kether (Crown).
The Scene:
The Hidden Diamond sits amongst the newly forming universe, where Air is
coming into being through the union of Fire and Water. Here the element is represented
by the delicate black butterfly which symbolizes the frolicking and clever nature of mind
and thought which defines Air's special qualities. Levity is that special quality of Air that
makes it especially important to alchemy. The two interplaying mercurial elements of Air
and Earth sport the colors of Alchemy, green and gold, in this tarot. The planet represents
ideas and the formulation of Earth, its sister element, showing the special relationship
they have. In the above a white light is the hint of Fire, the Father from which the Son,
Air, emerges, while below the clouds represent the Mother or Water.
Ace of Pentacles
Historical Title: Root of the Powers of Earth
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
坤
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #2 ( kūn), The Receptive
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Water (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Neptune (Kether, Crown)
Tantric Root/Aspiration: Yin Ascending / Widdershins

Keywords:
Stability, Abundance, Prosperity, Practicality, Trust, Reliability, Safety,
Health, Wealth, Longevity, Consolidation
Frustration, Stagnation, Overwhelming Situation,
Stubbornness, Disaster, Enviromental danger
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Root of the Powers of Earth
Called The Ace of Pentacles, ,
The Ace of Pentacles card corresponds to Sephira #1 (Kether) in the Golden Dawn
system.
A single disk crowned with a winged disc with a cross in the center is surrounded by
flowers on branches held by a hand emerging from a cloud.
Thoth:
Crowley contradicts all of his degradation of Earth by proclaiming that "The old
conception of the Earth as a passive, immobile, even dead, even "evil" element, had to
go." But this is curious insasmuch as not only does he incorrectly assign passivity to
such active stations as The Empress and some of the Court cards, he then goes on to
compare spring to the dying god Osiris mythos, which was only ever popular in the much
degraded religion of Egypt and not in the original godforms of Kemet such as Ptah, the
true Ra and the original Hrw who had nothing to do with Isis or Osiris.
The sigil of the Prince Priest The Beast is at the center of this stunningly beautiful
painting, and the six wings surrounding it represent Sol and Terra conjoined, and
Crowley suggests you might understand this if you hermitage in the Sahara, where “Sun
and Earth can soon be instinctively recognized as living Beings, one’s constant
companions in a Universe of Pure Joy.”
Here the Hexagram is denoted by the downward
pointing triangle of Kun, Earth for the bigrams and the trigrams are squares, a traditional
Chinese attribution for Earth. Earth’s natural inclination is to ascend, so the lightning bolt
is travelling upwards. The upwards flowing energy is more unstable than the downward,
it is easier to assimilate downward flowing energy than Earth ascending. (Compare this
with the overblown horror stories of the Kundalini Shakti.)
In the element/planet we have Earth of Neptune. The card represents the union of high
and low, God and Man, or God and Goddess. Therefore a desert much like the Sahara is
shown with a lone obelisk etched with the TwinStar. It could be on any planet, it could be
on Mars.
The Scene:
Winds, her brother Air, blow over the sands, the element of Earth. The sea of
sand also echoes the elements origins in Water, the Mother. A mysterious obelisk hints at
the nature of Earth as the place where everything that is important in the manifest
universe happens and is made special. Earth is the ultimate goal that necessitates all the
other elements. Earth is all about hidden potential and what can be revealed, through the
sands of time, through literal material sand, and through the shifting of ideas and
perspectives. Always hard work and perseverance is necessary to attain any of the
promises Earth holds, but they are great rewards. The stars above represent the distant
Fire that created all.
Ace of Alembics
Historical Title: Root of the Powers of Water
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
Pent #1 – “Fire of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven
Ruling Hexagram: 坤
Hex #2 ( kūn), The Receptive
Tiered Bigrams:
Water (Above), Water (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet:
Water of Neptune (Kether, Crown)
Yin Descending / Widdershins

Keywords:
Love, The Abyss, Fertility, Change, Intimacy, Emotion, Creativity, Peace,
Calm, Receptivity
Loss, Sorrow, Despair, Hopelessness, Death, Entropy,
Fixation, Trapped
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of the Root of the Powers of Water,
Called The Ace of Cups, The
Ace of Cups card corresponds to Sephira #1 (Kether) in the Golden Dawn system. It does
not have any angelic correspondences, but could perhaps be associated to Godhead.
Water lilies and other flowers grow at the bottom of the card, and a single white angelic
hand holding an overflowing cup is depicted.
Thoth:
Crowley states that the card's painting represents "the element of Water in its
most secret and original form". Plainly we can see it's a uterus, or the "Holy Grail"
Around it is an elegant faux "French curl" marbled paper pattern. This seems to emit
from The Rose. Crowley would like us to think of wine or blood when we think of the
Ace of Cups. Then he ruins it all by telling us the Holy Ghost is diving into the mix, so
the whole idea is off putting.
Like the Ace of Pentacles, the Hexagram is Kun
instead of Qian, and its Trigrams and Tiered Bigrams reveal this in their descending
triangles and squares.
Water of Neptune signifies hominess, for the God of the planet is of course lord of the
Ocean. The descending nature of the lightning bolt betrays the Mother’s gentler nature,
and alludes to her Heavenly nature as well as Hydrogen and Nuit.
The Scene:
The element of Water holds and protects everything within it, like the Great
Mother. It also represents Memory and preserves the good while purifying the bad. The
cleansing nature of water is well known amongst Indian sages, as the water of the
Ganges, even though it is the most polluted river in the world, is considered sacred and
able to purify evil. The Ace of Alembics can do this, and more. It carries the power of
infinite possibility and brings out the best in all of the other elements. The ammonite and
the goldfish represent Air and Earth, the two children of Water and Fire, represented by
the Dragon on the grail. This symbolism reminds us that Water, the Mother is reborn
through Earth, the Daughter. As Nuit said, "I am divided for Love's sake for the chance of
Union."
Two of Staves: Dominion
Historical Title: Lord of Dominion
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
Pent #2 “Illuminating”– Fire of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind
Berashith: “and the ruach of Elohim”
Ruling Hexagram: 姤
Hex #44 ( gòu), Coming to Meet
Tiered Bigrams:
Fire (Above), Fire (Middle), Air (Below)
Element/Planet:
Fire of Uranus (Chokmah, Wisdom)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Mars in Aries
Keywords:
Achievement, Commitment, Potency, Endeavors, Confidence, Vision,
Personal Power, Initiative
Impotence, Blockades, Suppression, Newbie, Uncoordinated
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Dominion
Called Two of Wands , the Two of Wands card
corresponds to the angels Vehooel and Denyal, the zodiacal Aries and the planetary Aries
and places at Sephira #2 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
A hand amidst flames crushed two wands in its grip, they are topped with Ram’s heads.
four torches flank the corners.
Thoth:
“The Word and the Will” is what the two always represent, says Crowley in his
The Tarot of the Egyptians. Here he states that the dorje represents “the destructive”
rather than “creative” dorje, which is incorrect. His readership at the time possibly had no
way to fact check his proclamations, and one must be on guard with him at all times to
make sure he is not trying to fill in the blanks with assumptions. After a while, one gets
used to it, and I can even recognize when he is doing it. The dorje is a fascinating symbol
found in facsimiles on the prehistoric British Isles even, and in the petroglyphs of ancient
China of course. It has many layered and hidden meanings, but essentially represents the
universe itself in the Buddhist paradigm. Enlightenment hits us at any time like a
lightning bolt.
In Mutational Alchemy the dorje is shorthand for
bigrammaton and tetragrammaton, in its two and four fold forms. The trappings of
ceremonial Buddhism are unnecessary for Mutational Alchemy practice, they are
optional like all of the other religions on earth. Here we have the warrior Lord of Thebes,
Khensu, who is associated with the moon and war. The wands he carries represent human
life, the serpent for female and the frog for male.
In the tiered bigrams we have a Air sign following under two Fire signs. This is a child of
Fire who remains filial. The Logos or Vau principle is strong in him. In the trigrams there
is Qian, Heaven in the above and Sun the Penetrating in the below, #44, Coming to Meet.
The situation is dangerous and although Khensu is the right divinity for the job, many
others will fail to achieve synthesis and control. The situation is as dangerous as the
crocodiles infer. One might complain about your methods or attitude, but there will be no
regret in the end for denying those with ulterior motives and dishonest natures. People
addicted to socializing, frivolous talk, gaiety, impropriety of various sorts and those who
seek friends quickly when they hardly know a person are at great risk in the situation this
card infers. A Hermit, a wise man, a loner, a scholar, will do a little better. A warrior with
the mind of a commander will do best. Ambition is not a vice here if it is completely
selfish to universal ends. The center of the Dorje. The people will dislike, even despise or
hate one who has the proper authority of this card. It lays all of their insecurities bare and
invites none of the weaknesses they foster or fall prey to. So social awkwardness might
be indicated.
The essence of the card is of perfect cooperation with the creative will of Heaven as
shown by Fire of Ouranos. The Emperor is inferred by Mars of Aries, a strong militaristic
and ruthless force is nigh at hand.
" I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power; the
wand of the Force of Coph Niabut my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an
Universe; & nought remains." (LAVL 3:72)
The Scene:
The fierce warrior lord of Thebes is Khensu, the son of Amun Ra. this god
was chosen to be the face of the supreme ultimate reality or Godhead in this scene, with
the unbound force, fire and will that goes along with that personality. Shown with his
traditional iconography, the added wands represent male and female, the first primeval
forces, feminine serpents and masculine frogs.
Ra is the primeval will and force of Fire made manifest in a personality.
The disc centered in the crescent moon is the universal pagan symbol of the masculine
aspect of god, sometimes called the Horned God. Here it represents the moon god in his
aspect as the apex of lunar and solar power. The moon was considered to be the night
time sun by the ancient Kemetic people and symbolized the immense power of the eternal
solar god, Amun Ra.
In this god's name there are clues to be found that correlate with the Book of the Law, in
that Khensu also means "To move in various directions". The line "Come unto me" is a
foolish word: for it is I that go" by "Hadit".
The time of the middle of the lunar month was called by the Kemetic people the "The
uniting of the two bulls" and the dual nature of the lunar/solar masculine god of light is
certainly reflected in both The Winged Serpent of Light, consort of the star goddess, and
Ra Hoor Khut, the vengeful and warrior god who is also known as Montu and here,
Khensu. As a dual god he is more powerful and complete and represents the full mass of
his strength. The crocodiles he has complete and perfect control over, and who uphold his
rule represent the greatness of death and also the great primeval mother. Tiamat in the
Sumerian cosmology, Ammit in the Kemetic.
Two of Blades: Peace
Historical:
Lord of Peace Restored
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
Ruling Hexagram: 夬
Hex #43 ( guài), Breakthrough (Resoluteness)
Tiered Bigrams:
Earth (Above), Fire (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet:
Air of Uranus (Chokmah, Wisdom)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Moon in Libra
Keywords:
Truce, Caution, Analysis, Pause, Hesitation, Calm, Rationality, Peril
Indifference, Cowardice, Stagnation, Overwhelmed,
Insufficiency
Interpretations

Golden Dawn: Lord of Peace Restored
Called The Two of Swords , the Two of Swords
card corresponds to the planetary Luna and the zodiacal Libra, as well as the angels
Yezalel and Mebahel and places at Sephira #2 (Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Two hands emerge from clouds, each holding a sword, crossing beneath The Rose. Two
crescent moons are at the top and bottom. A double headed dagger is below. A bright
solar disc shines behind it all.
Thoth:
The opinion here as that the influence of Binah is somewhat sinister, representing
the abyss and the darkness of an eternal night. This may be due to the rule of Saturn in
Libra, where Binah is manifest powerfully in her aspect as a bringer of Justice. The
Sephiroth is, after all, the master of Geburah. He tells us to study the 14th Aethyr
carefully. “There come into the stone a white goat, a green dragon, and a tawny bull. But
they pass away immediately. There is a veil of such darkness before the Aethyr that it
seems impossible to pierce it. But there is a voice saying: Behold, the Great One of the
Night of Time stirreth, and with his tail he churneth up the slime, and of the foam thereof
shall he make stars. And in the battle of the Python and the Sphinx shall the glory be to
the Sphinx, but the victory to the Python.” (The Vision and the Voice, Crowley ch. 14)
The serpent could be Apophis as he suggests: “here is an allglorious Angel before me,
standing in the sign of Apophis and Typhon. On his Forehead is a star, but all about him
is darkness, and the crying of beasts. And there are lamps moving in the darkness.” but
just as easily it could signify the beneficent Ananta Adi Sesha.
The Two of Blades is a mix of interesting
symbols. There is the Hexagram itself which seems to signify the need for urgent action.
Something terrible is about the happen, and the military will not be of any use. The evil
cannot be pointed out or fought directly. This only empowers it and weakens us.
In the tiered bigrams we have two fire elements rising up to meet the lone Air element at
the top. The image is of being nurtured. Air has a sinister quality which is influenced
positively by Old Yang, that is, Fire. The source of the evil in this card may be the
progeny of the Mother, Vau itself, but it is immortal and cannot be dispelled only
transmuted, perhaps by evacuating from it and letting it play itself out.
The trigrams seem to indicate Heaven supporting Lake, and this confirms our suspicion
that the female principle is seeking assistence from the Male principle, but at the same
time this is the source of the problem, just as a pregnancy. Vau in and of itself has a
tendency to be monstrous and problematic, if by the sheer diversity of its possible forms
in matter. The Mother often gets blamed for its “evil” even by Crowley, but it is the
genius of Vau working through her from the Father that is the actual culprit. Contrast this
reality with the absurdities of the Christian churches in blaming Eve for everything and
clearly their dogma must be thrown on its head.
The Scene:
The King of Heaven and the Queen of Infinite Space are are found here in
the sanctuary of bliss and love which can be found when the Two of Blades vibrates
Logos. There is a perfect balance of feminine and masculine energy at play, symbolized
by the king and queen but also by the peacocks who are enjoying themselves and
displaying their natural plumage. These are a reflection of the double phoenix, or lord of
the horizon found in all of the "two" small cards.
Neither of them rest easy in the certainty that peace is unshakeable. Harmony requires
work and diligence to maintain the balance of energy. Any misstep could lead down the
long but deceptively easy path to complete ruin, the tenth aspect of Blades.
Chokmah's influence in th Air element is clearly present, with the masculine force, Yin,
or Heaven, enthroned amongst fluffy clouds rising out of the Great Ocean, The Great
Mother, Binah, pooled at his feet.
Two of Pentacles: Change
Historical: Lord of Harmonious Change
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
復
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #24 ( fù), Return (The Turning Point)
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Water (Middle), Earth (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Uranus (Chokmah, Wisdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Jupiter in Capricorn

Keywords:
Splendour, Beauty, The Chaos Principle, Variety, Fluidity, Motion, Balance
Illusion, Decay, Entropy, Rigidity, Fixation, Inflexibility,
Stodginess, Compression
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Harmonious Change
Called The Two of Pentacles, , the Two of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Jupiter, the zodiacal Capricorn, the angels
Lekabel and Veshiriah and places at Sephira #2 (Chokmah) in the Golden Dawn system.
An ouroboros in the shape of a figure eight is wrapped around two discs with a cross in
the center of each. Clouds fill the background.
Thoth:
Although the symbology of the card and the art is quite effective, Crowley tells
us little about the inner workings of the card itself. We are left to our own wits and
knowledge in interpreting it for ourselves. The art is elegant, a lemniscate made up of the
Ouroboros serpent who is crowned surrounds the symbols for Yin and Yang.
There is stability here, in the single Earth element
below two Water elements in the bigrams. One gets the idea of a fertile coral reef or deep
ocean vent. In the trigrams we see Chen, the Arousing, Thunder, under Kun, the
Receptive, Earth. This indicates a kind of restless movement protected by the Earth. The
hexagram is called Fu, Return or The Turning Point. The text talks about the earthquakes
that happen during certain seasons, where the rulers do not travel and the dangerous
mountain passes are closed. (This is an exciting coincidence considering Ouranos rules
earthquakes.) The idea of the Return comes with a warning, if one doesn’t catch the
moment at the right time (“Opportunity only knocks once!”) then decades can pass with
misfortune. Any kind of pass and return is relevant, including the Saturn return. The most
important thing to remember is to act as soon as the time comes to do so.
In Earth of Ouranos we have the idea of practical ideas, and planning for the future.
preparedness and steadiness are fruitful. The slow moving planet is made more concrete
with the element of Earth, compounding the consequences of not acting correctly.
Jupiter in Capricorn promises big payoffs in the material world with steady, even
handedness in all affairs.
An auspicious card which should benefit any person with good timing.
The Scene:
The twin phoenix appears again, this time in the mists of the current scene,
Ace of Pentacles. This small card has long been an omen of good fortune and
fundamental wealth. The goldfish, charmed creatures bred for ornamental reasons alone,
are chosen for their connection to aesthetic value, the height of wealth. This hints at the
shadow of fragility in wealth and its products, that it must be protected or it cannot
survive on its own. The orchid, in the meantime, is quite self sufficient without being
plain. The visual feast reveals the true nature of Earth, as concrete and real as it may
seem, it is only the master of illusion at play. There is balance in all of the aces, but here
the balance is described by a pair of perfect pentacles, conjoined, symbolizing eternal
rebirth. Gold, the color of luxury and wealth, is chosen as the color, a color of alchemy.
Two of Alembics: Love
Historical: Lord of Love
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
剝
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #23 ( bō), Splitting Apart
Tiered Bigrams: Air (Above), Water (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Uranus (Chokmah, Wisdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Venus in Cancer
Keywords:
Generosity, Charity, Surrender, Sharing, Harmony, Play, Affection
Danger, Confusion, Misfortune, Trials, Emotional Infidelity,
a Gold Digger
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: The Lord of Love
Called The Two of Cups, , the Two of Cups card
corresponds to the planetary Venus and the zodiacal Cancer as well as the angels Ayoel
and Chabooyah and places at Sephira #2 Chokmah in the Golden Dawn system.
Dolphins are iconic to this beloved card, and it is to the Golden Dawn that we owe their
popularization for it. Many decks feature dolphins on this card, even if the follow Golden
Dawn attributions nowhere else. A hand holding an open lotus is pictured near another
lotus sprouting streams of water, with the dolphins bathing in the streams.
Thoth:
“The Word and the Will” is what the two always represent, says Crowley in his
The Tarot of the Egyptians. The card is seen as receptive due to its connection to Cancer.
He urges us to study the symbology of the dolphin carefully as it is “very complicated”
an idea of the “Royal Art” “peculiarily sacred to Alchemy”. Perhaps he is referring to
their connection to Venus and Cupid, or perhaps he is talking about their outrageous
libidos, capacity for interspecies sexuality and ability to fend off sharks and rescue
humans. Perhaps we will never know.
This card has always been associated with love,
either with dolphins or without, and finding the dolphins perfectly suitable we paired
them with Ra in his phase as Lord of the Horizon. Air above with two Water bigrams
certainly infer the deep ocean and a pleasant sky and breeze above, as in our scene here.
The trigrams speak of stability and strength, just as in the relationship of The Lovers,
ATU XI.
Ken the mountain, easily recognizable as a curving hump (denoting two broken yins
below and a solid horizontal yang above) over Earth (denoted by the classical Chinese
symbol of Earth, the square) also reinforces this idea of immense strength and stability.
This is a highly auspicious card that talks about invincibility, that of strong lover.
In Water of Ouranos we find the upheaval and revolution of the chaotic planet in its
element, and so this accounts for the auspiciousness of the scene and title.
Venus in Cancer does indicate warmth, love, friendship and goodwill. Care, family and
domestic stability will be foremost on the agenda for persons or situations.
The Scene:
Dolphins, the symbol of Aphrodite and her son Eros, own the correct
symbology to match the planetary correlations in this card. The doublewanded one,
pictured in the previous three Aces as anthropomorphic, takes shape as the Lord of the
Two Horizons, as the setting sun. The gilded ornamentation on the two dolphins
symbolizes love and its gilded grace, that embraces Lovers in the harmony of civilization
and beauty. Civilization was founded upon the idea of marriage, as illustrated in
countless mythologies, from the tales of Aphrodite to Fu Hsi and Nu Kua of Chung Kuo.
(China)
Dolphins can be charmed with music, something the ancient Greeks knew of. It was
forbidden to kill a dolphin and anyone who did so was believed to have been cursed and
shunned by the Gods. It is also believed that one who kills a dolphin will curse anyone
Dolphins by Chris Canton, Halientica Bk 5
who shares the same roof with them. ( )
Three of Staves: Virtue
Historical: Lord of Established Strength
Ruling Pentagram:
離
Pent #3 "Sanctifying" Fire of (Li) The Clinging, Fire
Berashith: "And Elohim said "Let there be dawn."”
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #13 ( tóng rén), Fellowship with Men
同人
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Fire (Middle), Earth (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Saturn (Binah, Understanding)
Planet/Sun Sign: Sol in Aries

Keywords:
Stability, Mastery, Perseverance, Determination, Methodology, Honor,
Tradition, Patience, Kindliness
Difficulty, Pressure, Hindrance, Waiting, Foolishness, Sloth
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Established Strength
Called The Three of Wands, , the Three of
Wands card corresponds to the planetary Sol and the zodiacal Aries as well as the angels
Hechashiah and Aamamiah and places at Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
A hand grasps three crossed wands together. The clouds in the background are issuing
flames. A solar disc and a ram's head cap the central staff, while the flanking wands have
lotus heads and symbols of the planet and zodiac sign on them.
Thoth:
The scene is pleasant and bland, a set of three lotus wands is crossing a ten
pointed star, signifying harmony. The sigil of Sol is at the top and the sign of Aries at the
bottom. Although Crowley has little to say about the card, he tells us that in this station
the Sun has “enkindled the Great Mother.” (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Crowley 1944)
Once one gets into the small cards it can be
difficult for authors to find anything particularily interesting to say about the cards,
especially considering how complex the ATU can be. This is where Mutational Alchemy
has a huge leg up on things, as we can see from the hex there is a lot more to the card
than meets the eyes historically. The ruling hexagram is # 13 Fellowship with Men. “The
organization of the clans” as the sages put it so many thousands of years ago. This calls to
mind the intelligent organization of mankind, shifting into a less barbaric landscape and
into the mould of great civilizations. Perseverance furthers, but mainly for the “superior
man”. The tiger is a highly intelligent, meateating, predatory and beautiful animal, much
like Man. It is a good signifier for Fire in the below and Heaven in the above. This is the
earthly fire in flesh, immortalized in William Blake’s poem, “Tyger”. It is also the mount
of Durga. The is a destiny for the keen, the strong, and the lofty. This card is auspicious
only if the person receiving it has discovered within themselves an inner strength and
virtue by which to succeed in perseverance.
In the pentagram we have evidence of the purpose of all of this, in
"And Elohim said "Let
there be dawn."” (Usually translated as “God said let there be light”) This calls to mind
the birth of the sun, from the body of Nuit in the morning. Ra ascends into the sky and all
is well. This station refers to Nuit’s vagina. Fire of Saturn further confirms it. The process
of creation via The Great Black Mother has been accomplished.
The card also alludes to cloaked or underdeveloped potential, as in a gifted child. This is
the dawning sun.
The Scene:
A Durga Yantra is set on the wall in a cavern housing a mother tigress and her two cubs.
The tiger is the mount of Durga, and here the goddess is portrayed in a more mundane
sense. She is the penultimate goddessprotectress, similar in nature to the Gorgon of the
Ancient Roman Empire or Athena of Ancient Greece. Durga is created through the power
of the triumvirate: Siva, Brahma and Vishnu combine their potency and bring her forth to
defeat a previously invincible demon army. With Sol in Aries it is certainly most
appropriate that this family belongs to a species that is a carnivore and well known for its
dominance in the jungle. Furthermore the tigers are virtuous without folowing any
proscribed human rules. They kill and eat flesh, and don't follow any religious laws, but
they still retain purity and virtue. This is often grossly misunderstood by humans, who
proscribe attributes to the divine outside of Nature itself which is inappropriate and
heretical as far as The Abrahadabra Institute is concerned.
Durga's name means "invincible" and she is given other epithets outlining her
characteristics of protecting and removing the suffering of devotees.
Three of Blades: Sorrow
Historical: Lord of Sorrow
Ruling Pentagram:
離
Pent #3 “Sanctifying” Fire of (Li) The Clinging, Fire
Berashith: “And Elohim said let there be Dawn.”
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #14 ( dà yǒu), Possession in Great Measure
大有
Tiered Bigrams: Air (Above), Fire (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Saturn (Binah, Understanding)
Planet/Sun Sign: Saturn in Libra
Keywords:
Strength, Stoicity, Clarity, Culture, Grace, Control, Good, Sincerity, Dignity,
Sacrifice, The Balance
Evil, Arrogance, Waste, Pettiness, Envy, Insolence
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Sorrow
Called the Three of Swords , the Three of Swords card
corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacal Libra as well as the angels Harayel
and Hoqmiah and places at Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Two hands hold opposing curved swords which seem to draw back the curtain on a single
center sword with a lunar tsuba, tearing apart The Rose. The sword in the center is also
held by a hand emerging from a cloud.
Thoth:
Crowley advises us that the suite governs all intellectual manifestations, and that
the Mother in this station is not benevolent, she is the darkness of the Great Sea. So the
painting is dark and forboding, like a horror show. The sword is attacking a white rose,
and the ripples in the darkness are dotted with angular shards like glass. “Secrecy is here,
and Perversion” (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Aleister Crowley 1944)
The pent of the 3’s is “Sanctifying” and it
signifies the new dawn, or Nuit’s vagina giving birth to Ra as mentioned before. The
ruling hexagram # 14 “Posession in Great Measure” signifying the dawn of both good
and evil with the dawning of the sun. Lilith is the personification of feminine evil, which
is viewed as the process of evolution at The Abrahadabra Institute. It isn’t a bogeyman,
although it can be. Lilith is a fairly spooky character, no less Nuit than any other goddess,
but she is driven by a sinister force.
"God is one, but the Goddess, who is part of him, is
two: the Matronit and Lilith. She appears like the revolving flame of the Cherubim's
sword in the ancient myth: once she shows her Matronit face, once her Lilith visage. The
flame revolves so fast that it is impossible to hold in one's eye a separate picture of
either." (The Hebrew Goddess, Raphael Patai, 1967)
The world is in a terrible place and
she is rightfully indignant about it all. She is equitable to InannaIshtar, the dual goddess
who may be synonymous with Ereshkigal the Queen of the Dead, and of Irkalla. These
facts have been lost to history and we can only infer her attributes by speculating on
existing documents and symbols. Eris is a suitable archetype here, as the personification
womb of chaos
of Chaos, as the . But this aspect of goddess has little to do with our day to
day sorrows, instead she is the sum of all of the sorrow of Binah. Binah is also called
“Sorrow” and the goddess is the source of all emotions which serves a dual purpose: to
make life brighter (without sorrow we have no contrast) and to improve the conditions on
Earth and indeed all over this universe.
What could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing, and yet we have hysteria playing all
over the place over Lilith’s supposed deadly nature. She is equitable to Lamashtu the lion
headed winged goddess married to Pazuzu. Lamashtu is a daughter of An, Heaven, and
so she is very high ranking. There is no possible way to dismiss her easily without
fooling ourselves. She is an essential part of the picture and must be granted the stature
she deserves.
Enough defending of Lilith she can stand up for herself after all these centuries, but she
will deal harshly with those who reject her and the misery is endless for all who fail to
pay her proper respect.
Back to Fire in Heaven. The I Ching does little to explain the importance of the hex in
my opinion. Lamashtu was chosen for the card because she is a fiery daughter of An who
signifies the power of natural selection and chastisement of evil. The Lilith imagery is
more recognizable and more irritating to Christian onlookers, so it was used instead of
the purely Sumerian form. Strength, Culture and Clarity are all the powers of this
hexagram, so that one gets an image of a splendid civilization which must focus on
matters above and beyond mere survival. Here the doctrine of stars must be studied and
pursued. There is hell to pay without its graceful presence. As one should see.
Lilith is not a benevolent figure to all in this place, she is an enemy of those graceless,
and of enemies to life, and the promoters of suffering the Catholics and Muslims of the
world. “We have nothing with the outcast and the unfit let them die in their misery.”
says The Book of the Law. Here too, chaos reigns. she is loosed upon the unfit and
squealing masses like lions amongst lambs. There is sorrow paid in spades for her
sorrow. She is wrathful, Vengeance personified. The scion of Fire in Heaven, Sekhmet.
Here she is shown pacified in the rainforest with her weird owls.
The Scene:
Lilith, a latter day Hebrew term for the two part sister goddess
EreskigalaInanna of the ancient Sumerians, is known well by both her power, majesty
and terrible force as much as by her penchant for vengeance. She is depicted here as she
is on the socalled Burney relief, an artifact at rest in the British Museum, also known as
the Lady of the Night. Some may call her treacherous, others ingenious. What is true
about this card is that it is primarily concerned with balance and justice. The realm of
sorrow is of the mother, Binah, and this sorrow is born of emotional attachment, a
necessary input for life to survive. While any goddess could stand in for Binah, Lilith was
most appropriate due to her connection with all kinds of misery and torment, as well as
the tendency of other religions to malign her as the Father Sky God ideal rose in
humanity's consciousness. However, she was always closely associated to the
Underworld Father figures, Ereshkigal starts by marrying Nergal, etcetera. Then Lilith
into modern times has for at least a century been known as the wife of Satan. In the Tarot,
the Father god is both Emperor and Devil, as can be revealed in the progression of the
ATU, where the terrifying work of The Tower is at the behest of the Emperor in his
hidden underworld form, The Devil (in this Tarot depicted as Lord Balarama, the original
Krsna).
Either Victory or Defeat can be signified by this card, but as Saturn in Libra it is most
certainly a card of Justice. The ruling Hexagram signifies the close association with Fire,
the Father, obviously.
Three of Pentacles: Works
Historical: Lord of Material Works
Ruling Pentagram:
離
Pent #3 “Sanctifying” Fire of (Li) The Clinging, Fire
Berashith: “and Elohim said let there be dawn”
師
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #7 ( shī), The Army
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Water (Middle), Air (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Saturn (Binah, Understanding)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mars in Capricorn
Keywords:
Perseverance, Command, Generosity, Fairness, Order, Control
Disorder, Bureaucracy, Instability, Inexperience

Interpretations

Golden Dawn: Lord of Material Works
Called the Three of Pentacles , the Three of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Mars and zodiacal Capricorn and places
between Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Three disks with rays within are set amongst the branches of a thorny rosebush in spring.
The bush is held by a hand emerging froma cloud at the bottom. A winged disc crowns
the top pentacle.
Thoth:
The card shows a pyramid from above amidst a frozen sea. It is lit in red light
from the influence of Mars. This sounds a bit more exciting perhaps than the actual
execution of the card. Capricorn, Crowley informs us, is at his best in Mars, being exalted
there. It is the card of architects and engineers.
Hex # 7, The Army, one of my favorite
hexagrams. It pairs with 8, Holding Together. When I would get 7 in readings it almost
always pertained to success within the multitude. So success involving lots of people. But
also internally you can look at The Army as an internal thing as well, like the hosts of
heaven type of army. I had a personal fondness for it on that basis. It also shows up on
ATU VI The Lovers, connecting Binah to Mars, which is really an appropriate place for
it.
If someone recieved it in a spread, depending on the question it would generally mean
success in terms of action, particularily in the case of ambitious plans. If someone were to
launch a business for instance and recieved The Army, that would be a very good sign, of
supreme good fortune. There is a lot more that can be said when one gets into the analysis
of the lines, for example it only has one Yang line, the rest are Yin. But that Yang line is
in a strong ruling position.
Earth above and Water below is similar to the concept of the turbulent waters of the
Abzu.
The Scene:
The Oroboros is the symbol of life's self renewing process. The serpent sheds
and eats its skin, symbolizing many aspects of alchemy, this renewal is like the Phoenix
who builds a pyre to destroy itself and in doing so is born again. It is also symbolic of the
serpent which surrounds and supports the entire universe, akin to the Orphic Egg or
Ananta Adishesha, the great serpent of Vishnu who is Balarama, "Original Krsna" as Sri
Prabhupad put it.
Particles of information, thought and feeling are symbolized as the fragmented remains of
the dragon's tail. An orchid in the center represents the fragility of life within the many
petals of the Goddess Nuit, or Flower of Life. The TwinStar is perfectly aligned to the
Flower...one of its more remarkable properties. The marriage of Flower and Star, or The
Tetractys is a complete map of whole universe, the orchid and serpent symbology
amongst stars are only here as visual aids.

Three of Alembics: Abundance
Historical: Lord of Abundance
Ruling Pentagram:
離
Pent #3 “ Fire of (Li) The Clinging, Fire
比
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #8 ( bǐ), Holding Together (Union)
Tiered Bigrams: Earth (Above), Water (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Saturn (Binah, Understanding)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mercury in Cancer
Keywords:
Timeliness, Auspiciousness, Conservation, Purity, Subliminity, Constancy,
Perseverence, Fullness, Success, Good Luck, Gladness, Bounty, Problems Resolved
Hesitation, Tardiness, Irresponsibility, Uncertainty, Decline,
Waste, Excess Pleasure, Loss of Prestige
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Abundance
Called the Three of Cups , the Three of Cups card
corresponds to the planetary Mercury and the zodiacal Cancer, as well as the angels
Rahael and Yebomayah and places at Sephira #3 (Binah) in the Golden Dawn system.
Three cups with lotuses growing right out of them are pictures, with water coming out of
them into their own cups and dropping down into other empty cups, also with lotuses in
them. These in turn pour water out into the lower part of the card.
Thoth:
The card according to Crowley has an especial connection to the guide of the
souls of the dead, perhaps Anubis (anpu). Specifically he names it as Pluto or Hades,
whereby he uses the power of the pomegranate to hold Persephone in bondage. “The
lesson seems to be that the good things of life, although enjoyed, should be distrusted.”
This is perhaps best encapsulated in the poem 23 Skidoo in his Book of Lies. But the
influence in Binah is said to be of Mercury, the Will of the AllFather. He leaves us with
no more answers, only additional questions.
It’s fine to infer some kind of conspiracy at work
in the station, but for the primordials which represent a kind of perfect universe before
the onset of time, we were free to depict a more idealized scene of Mercury acting upon
the waters of The Great Black Ocean. Tiamat and Apsu are two of the most primordial
Gods given names by humans, still remembered.
The hexagram here is #8, called Pi, Holding Together. It is fascinating one that shares a
trait with The Army. It only has a single yang line that holds everything else together. It
is a friendly and auspicious image hinting at the beginnings of greatness. The founding of
The United States and the unification of Chung Kuo under The Dragon (whom they later
betrayed) are good examples of this hexagam’s power. There is also the hint of timing
here, and the parable of the little red hen, because the fortune is only bestowed upon
those who are there at the beginning. “Whoever comes too late meets with misfortune”
the sages say/ The endeavor must be a dangerous or risky one, for there are those who are
uncertain, but the prize is desireable, since they “gradually join” despite this.
It may be that there is some “trickery” involved, just as in the American Revolution and
in the unification of Chung Kuo. So enemies are inferred from the outsset. But the union
of Mercury and Binah is unbeatable. Like Tiamat and Apsu, they are eternal, without end,
and they play the long game. So any percieved opposition is an illusion and an annoyance
at worst.
Mercury in the sign of Cancer indicates great romantic and patriotic feeling. The
traditions held dear must be protected and upheld. It may indicate a special regard for
women and children, chivalry in the true sense and not the brutish excuse for domestic
slavery that passes for chivalry amongst the vulgar and terrestrial. There may be a love
for old arts, cooking from scratch, old martial arts traditions, falconry, sailing, the artisan
crafts that are bound to oral tradition.
The Scene:
The MotherFather water serpents, Abzu lord of the sweet waters,
underground, and Tiamat, lady of the bitter waters, the sea, join together to bask in their
creation. Filled with promise of a shining and wondrous future, no shadow of
forthcoming darkness is visible here, nor should it be. This is a highly auspicious station
and no shadow covers it. Water is in Binah, The Ocean of the Great Mother, and perfect
harmony abides. The brilliance of Mercury in Cancer is well suited to creativity and
invention of the best kind.
Male, Female, Quintessential One, is the formula of this station, and has a special
relationship to any ATU that signifies unity, such as The Lovers or Lust, but the pair also
make an appearance specially on the Two of Cups.
Tiamat is often associated with sea dragons or serpents, in modern times, but there is no
hard archaeological evidence for this in Sumer. It can be inferred from her association
with Thalassa of the Greeks, who were quite fond of syncreticism that she may indeed
have had serpentine features, as there are many ancient Greek depictions of her as a
serpentine lady.
Abzu is also obscured in the sands of time, but we do know that he embodied the
underground waters, the Abzu was also a place, which he ruled. This was not the
underworld, for there was another name for that Irkalla. We know that Ningishzidda,
The Magician and The Excorcist named in Sumerian religious texts, grows up in the
Abzu, but is also guardian of Irkalla.

Four of Staves: Completion
Historical: Lord of Perfected Work
Ruling Pentagram:
艮
Pent #4 “Overflowing” Fire of (Kên) Keeping Still, Mountain
Berashith: “and Elohim saw the Dawn.”
遯
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #33 ( dùn), Retreat
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Fire (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Jupiter (Chesed, Benevolence)
Planet/Sun Sign: Venus in Aries

Keywords:
Retiring, Withdrawal, Utopia, Firmness, Detachment, Clarity
Peril, Risk, Deadline, Blockades
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Perfected Works
Called the Four of Staves , the Four of Staves
card corresponds to the planetary Venus and the zodiacal Aries. The angelic associations
are Nanael and Nithal and places at Sephira #4 (Chesed) in the Golden Dawn system.
A pair of hands hold a glowing disc in the center of the card, overlaid on a set of four
wands. The wands are topped with ram’s heads and swans. The tails of the swan wands
are swallow’s tails. Two torches touch each other within the symbol for Venus.
Thoth:
The symbology of the wands is carefully chosen, Ram’s heads for Amun Ra the
father who resides in Chesed. The doves represent the Venusian current. It is curious AC
does not address Mars beyond the height of material manifest power in Chesed. The
influence of Venus may be calming but it does not make the Martian traits vanish.
The image in the Hexagram doesn’t seem to
match the scene of the card at first glance. #33 is a hexagram that talks about retreating
from the enemy and doing “small things” as a way to continue persevering. The power of
the darkness is ascending and is connected to the 6th moon of the year, when Midsummer
has passed.
A situation like this can be found in the story of Man. The species must leave the planet,
but will he do so at the last minute, in a dangerous circumstance? The attitude that brings
about this dire situation is that of the technophobe and the luddite. The other option
includes embracing our interstellar nature, ascending to the heavens, and becoming the
guardians of earth from afar, rather than sitting in it fouling the nest. So the image on
Completion is of an aeon past when Hrumachis reigns (Lady Ma’at) and mankind sits in
the heavens. An airship has been completed and the people gather to celebrate the small
victory. There may be other people not on board with this endeavor, but here those ones
do not matter. We have separated as a species. These are the ones who have partaken of
residency in valhalla, the low men denied their true destiny. So it is with humans since
the beginning of time. The scene has ominous undertones. The Vultures represent
goddess Ma’at. In the mosaic at the bottom of the reflecting pool there is a fourpoint or
double vajra symbol representing several things. One is the separate three worlds being
reuinited in Spirit. Another is the synergy of the four elements, Fire, Air, Earth and Water
around Akasha or Spirit. It is also the symbol of Bhutan, one of only two nations on earth
who have remained fiercely loyal to The Dragon.(the other one is Australia, but this only
counts for the indigenous population, and those who were cheerfully absorbed into it.)
It is highly amusing that the pentagram is named “Overflowing” alongside the imagery of
two waterfalls, since the painting was made long before Izi’s pentagrammal structures
were given names out of the Judaic progression of Berashith.
The Scene:
The Age of Ra Hoor Khut, the Sun god, will pass and so the Age of
Hrumachis will begin. Often assumed to be the goddess Ma'at, his sister. The card was
special to m1thr0s, he was being very particular and attentive about it and demanded
certain attributes from it. The vultures, overlooking a pool with a double vajra, and the
sense of being up in the sky, a floating city with futuristic architecture. I decided with a
neoKemetic influence. The water should be flowing down from the vultures symbolizing
an eternal wellspring of Truth and Justice. This is perhaps the end of the aeons. The cycle
comes to a halt in “the princess” Earth element that is, Ma’at, who is the representation of
the Goddess in all her might and splendor. Salmon, amber, clear pink rose, amber and
yellow are all present, with a multitude of all the color scales in the crowd of people
below, representing the synthesis of the scale of 6, or the TwinStar amongst the four
elements. (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Aleister Crowley 1944) the fireworks are meant to
indicate the highly celebratory nature of the scene. This is an entire aeon in the future,
and mankind has achieved Completion.

Four of Blades: Truce
Historical: Lord of Rest from Strife
Ruling Pentagram:
艮

Berashith: “And Elohim saw the dawn”
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #34 ( dà zhuàng), The Power of the Great
大壯
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Fire (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Jupiter (Chesed, Benevolence)
Planet/Sun Sign: Jupiter in Libra

Keywords:
Temporary Respite, Solutions, Engineering, Natural Forces, Good
Intentions, Calm
Turbulence, Illusion, Treachery, Secrecy, Gossip,
Backstabbin
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Rest from Strife
Called The Four of Swords, , the Four of Swords
card corresponds to the planetary Jupiter and the zodiacal Libra and places at Sephira #4
(Chesed) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Laviah and Kelial.
Four swords cross under The Rose. The scene is bright and exalted. Two raised fists rise
from clouds. A pair of daggers faces outwards at the bottom of the card.
Thoth:
The image on the Thoth depicts St. Andrew's cross, a figure of crucifixion and
the subject of the Flag of Scotland. Why it is on the scene is anyone's guess, as Crowley
does not explain it. He does identify many of the correct attributions in ways only he can.
Fixation, rigidity, compromise, a melting pot.
With the tiered bigrams we find a single element
of Water at the top being pushed upward against by two Fire elements. The image is one
of struggle and perhaps oppression. Chen the Arousing in the above, with Qian, Heaven
in the below in the Hexagram which is numbered 34, called Ta Chuang, The Power of the
Great.
In the image of the sages for Hex #34, it states “
the superior man does not tread upon
paths that do not accord with established order.” This is all in keeping with the title of the
card, Truce. The situation seems calm but it may disrupt into chaos at any moment.
Treachery is certainly a danger, as the inferior forces are waiting for the man to make a
foolish move. Entrapment is prevalent.
The old Han saying “People hate what is great and love what is small” is relevant. There
may be jealousy at work. But like The Book of the Law advises “Ye are against the
people, oh my chosen” and we may find solace in this at any time we find people
attempting to assail us or those friends who betray us. For the only true friend a Magus
may have is another Magus, or the Great itself, that is Heaven. There is a great amount of
antagonism towards people and the low Earth energies from Heaven at this point in time.
The planet is a fallen Kingdom and nowhere near the paradise possible for all life,
especially of higher intelligence such as man. We live in Hell and no amount of cover ups
or excuses will help. Those who do not remember other worlds may take comfort: we live
in a nuthouse and there ARE splendorous worlds out there which a free and pure soul
may attend in their other lives. Why are we here? So that Kingdom may be reclaimed.
There is no other purpose here and we must be careful in our indulgences, since there are
enemies herein. This is what is happening in the card. The wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes isn’t
really on board with the higher purpose of Kings and Queens, she cannot be trusted. The
card may signify treachery amongst friends, or a denial of one’s True Will.

The Scene:
The Mabinogion is a sophisticated medieval Welsh manuscript recorded in
Medieval times. It is at its core a collection of religious Celtic stories. The Truce card, or
Four of Blades, represents an uneasy peace, especially as it relates to lover relations. The
scene depicted is of Blodeuwedd, the maiden made of Oak, Meadowsweet and Broom,
through the influence of the magicians Math and Gwydion as a wife for the cursed Lleu
Llaw Gyffes, their nephew born by the embittered Arianrhod. The mother of Leu Llaw
Gyffes curses him to not only have no name but to never have a human wife. Math and
Gwydion solve the problem by creating a pseudo woman, like a dryad, out of special
plants. She later betrays him and becomes the lover of his enemy who plots to destroy
him. The tale is a warning never to trust things just because they seem small, pretty and
harmless.
Leu take the form of an eagle in the mythology, as he is also a magician like his uncles.
Blodeuwedd is a wild creature of nature, her fickleness is as inevitable as Fortune's favor,
signified by Jupiter in Libra. The Power of the Great is a good hexagram to represent this
card, as it warns us that fate is dictated by universal economics and is hardly something
which can be overriden by mere trickery. Blodeuwedd acts out the karmic potential of
Arianrhod's curse.
The implications are that we can escape karmic debt for a little while, but never forever.
That is why it is important to think carefully when trying to achieve any kind of uneasy
truce.

Four of Pentacles: Power
Historical:
Lord of Earthly Power
Ruling Pentagram:
艮
Berashith: "And Elohim saw the Dawn”
Ruling Hexagram: 臨
Hex #19 ( lín), Approach
Tiered Bigrams:
Water (Above), Water (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet:
Earth of Jupiter (Chesed, Benevolence)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Sol in Capricorn

Keywords:
Inexhaustible, Protection, Fortune, Wealth, Investment, Resources,
Consolidation, Stability, Focus
Evil, Miserliness, Pollution, Obsession, Greed
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Earthly Power
Called The Four of Pentacles, , the Four of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Sol and the zodiacal Jupiter. It places at
Sephira #4 (Chesed) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angelic correspondences are
Keveqiah and Mendial.
Symmetrically arranged pentacles, two emerging from a central rose or ordinary flower,
are capped with a winged disc with a solar cross in each. A magen star with a swastika
formed unicursally in the center is in the middle of each disc. A hand below emerges
from clouds, grasping the thorny stem upon which the flower grows.
Thoth:
The Four, he says, represents “the establishment of the Universe in three
dimensions, that is, below the Abyss. The generating idea is exhibited in its full material
sense.” The four towers of the fortress represent the four elements. It is inferred that the
castle is guarding something and has idle parts which can spring to life to defend at a
moment’s notice.
The Four of Pentacles has come out pretty well in
the long run, usually including authentic occult elements and avoiding a lot of dross. The
scene itself could have gone a lot of different ways but an epic space scene signifying real
earthly power of spacefaring human beings was important rather than the medieval
trappings of castles and old military banners.
This card carries Sol of Capricorn, and for those initiated it is known Capricorn
represents the highest possible apex of wealth, money and earthly power in the natural
course of Sol, as it is exalted by this planetary and also reigns during the Sun’s rebirth. So
what we are looking at is an establishment of Ra’s reign in the material plane, which is,
as always, glorious and enlightened.
The hexagram of the station, Approach, suggests that the power comes from good
management. “
The superior man is inexhaustible in his will to teach, and without limits
in his tolerance and protection of the people.” (The I Ching Wilhelm/Baynes translation).
In the tiered bigrams we find two water elements in the above with a strong fire bigram in
the below, progressing steadily. The element of work suggested by the Two and Three of
Pentacles is now well underway and virtually unstoppable now.
Here we have Earth of Jupiter, the bombastic King of the Planets.
An auspicious, stable and encouraging elemental card in any reading, it should be taken
as a gesture of support from universe. If reversed, beware heading down a path which
goes against Sol or Ra, or takes you away from one’s True Will.
The Scene:
I remember the circumstances surrounding this card’s creation well, as it was
during the first few weeks following my journey to Olympia to finally live with m1thr0s
permanently. The deck was a project we began when I was still living in Memphis,
Tennessee, and that was two years prior. I burned a lot of bridges and crossed many
fjords to get where I was and so it seemed the natural scene to paint next for both of us. I
had arrived on November 9th, after a nonstop drive across Arizona and up the California
coast from my tiny trailer in New Mexico where I had been living in order to raise funds
for my relocation. m1thr0s was staying with his friends who had moved back down from
Alaska. I stayed with them for a few weeks while I scouted out a job and an apartment.
This was the first opportunity that m1thr0s had to explain his concept to me in person and
we were both excited to see it come out so well, exceeding our hopes for what it should
look like.
It was the point at which we both became quite determined to finish the project if we
could, and it felt very good to complete it and see it in its fully embellished form with the
corners and pentagrams. These were slightly different looking than the corners on the
final product, but gave the same effect of course. It was glorious and most of all, right.
We did not feel like there was a deck for us yet in the world, not for Mutational Alchemy
at least, even though there were a few packs we both enjoyed, the Thoth of course,
m1thr0s liked the Dakini Oracle, and I was fond of The Manga Tarot. But these were all
picture decks, no more useful for full fledged professional occultists than a book of
photos of occultists doing rituals with no descriptions, or a book of text about geometry
with no illustrations. The Thoth was the only useful deck of its kind available. The
Visconti was also great, but very obscure and not widely available in print. The mysteries
in them are also more difficult to decipher and have no accompanying book.

Four of Alembics: Luxury
Historical:
Lord of Blended Pleasure
Ruling Pentagram:
艮
Berashith: “And Elohim saw the Dawn”
Element/Planet:
Water of Jupiter (Chesed, Benevolence)
Tiered Bigrams:
Fire (Above), Water (Middle), Water (Below)
Ruling Hexagram: 觀
Hex #20 ( guān) Contemplation (View)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Luna in Cancer
Keywords:
Teaching, Mild Pleasure, Some Relaxation, Society, Culture, Instruction,
Contemplation, Influence, Stationary happiness, Hunting, Games, Injustice, Occasional
WorldWeariness or Ennui
Ignorance, Paranoia, Gaudiness, Tackiness, Waste, New
Events, New Approaches, Noveau Riche
Interpretations

Golden Dawn: Lord of Blended Pleasure
Called The Four of Cups , the Four of Cups
card corresponds to the planetary Luna and the zodiacal Cancer and places at Sephira #4
(Chesed) in the Golden Dawn system. The angels Hayayel and Mevamayah are
associated.
A single lotus or other flower is filling two cups, which in turn fill the lower cups through
overflow, but these second cups are not overflowing. Leaves are present, depicting the
end of the flowering phase thus an end to the pleasure phase. A cross is depicted on this
card with the stems or leaves and an inverted quarter moon, probably associated with the
planetary Luna.
Thoth:
Crowley describes it as a station that is giving in to weak Cancerian tendencies of
decay and abandonment. As the “manifestation and consolidation of the Dyad” it
emphasizes individuality, but Crowley insists this is catastrophic, and he agrees with the
East in assessing Four as an unwholesome “dead” and “awkward” number. But he also
points out the Tetractys (1+2+3+4=10) then reasserts that it is bad, “Tetragrammaton in
his fatal aspect of finality as the Qabalists knew him before the discovery of the
Revolving Formula whereby the Daughter, seated upon the Throne of the Mother,
“Awakens the Eld of the AllFather”” Much ado is made about the Mother renewing the
Father, but not enough is to be said about the Father renewing the Mother, which is more
to what this card is actually about. After all it is on the masculine pillar, in the Sephiroth
of MercifulBenevolence or Chesed, across from Geburah.
A fiery triangle sets about two symbols for Water
in the tiered bigrams, emphasizing a pair of strong Yang lines being followed by four
apparently placid Yins, according to the I Ching in which Confucius states
“
Contemplation. The ablution has been made, But not yet the offering. Full of trust they
look up to him.” and the sages leave us with “The wind blows over the earth: The image
of CONTEMPLATION. Thus the kings of old visited the regions of the world,
Contemplated the people,And gave them instruction.”
Here we have a man representing Chesed and the two Yang lines who is being looked up
to for instruction and the offering rites of Thelema or whatever else you might like.
In the trigrams the top part depicts what looks like an arrow pushing up to a horizon line.
This is Li, the Clinging, Fire. The square of Kun, the Receptive, Earth, is below.
Everyone knows what happens to earth when it is set on fire it becomes fertile and
productive. From sunlight to wildfires, Fire as an element is beneficial to earth in a very
direct way, increasing productivity and wealth.
Water of Jupiter signifies a person that is not a miser. They are comfortably well off or
even rich as hell, and they enjoy it, spending their money on things they enjoy and maybe
sharing it with others. Mostly though, they’ll spend it on things directly connected to their
enjoyment. This can be a curse or a blessing they won’t spend money on stupid things,
but they will lavish their loved ones with gifts and perhaps donate heavily to charity or on
things which tug at them emotionally in some way. This is all perfectly fine, but it’s
hopeful they don’t become an alcoholic or smoker. Fire has its destructive qualities and
as we might infer from the hexagram there is a hidden fire very strong and present in this
card.
Luna in Cancer will lead to a definate looniness which should be enjoyed by all present
who happen to catch the benefactor of this card in a good mood. This should be
connected to the earlier levity principle of the male principle in acting upon the degraded
or weak female principle, renewing it. Levity is very important, and the card could have
easily been called that, too.
The Scene:
This is a picture of a friend's characters and girlfriend's characters from a
game I used to play. They are in a secret temple to a goddess of all things debauch,
indulgence, pleasure, sex and disease, who likes to manifest as a flame or a tentacled lady
with shark's teeth. She was very similar to TwoFaced Tlazoteotl from the Aztec
pantheon, also known as TwoFaced Woman in the Lakota pantheon. The painting has
had a lot of interest and it seemed like a natural pairing with the station. In the
background we find a tentacle legged man, a hint of the monotheistic divinity Abrasax,
four cups plainly shown, since the meaning is fairly apparent, and a very dark lady
representing the goddess herself. The man is either telling a joke or giving a lecture, he's
surrounded by hundreds of beautiful acolytes in this old abandoned temple in the middle
of the jungle. The party is well funded and attendees want for nothing. There is little to
fear here, and much to be desired.

Five of Staves: Strife
Historical: Lord of Strife
Ruling Pentagram:
兌
Pent #5 “Root” – Fire of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake
Berashith: “And Elohim separated the Dawn”

Element/Planet:
Fire of Mars (Gevurah, Severity)
Tiered Bigrams:
Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Fire (Below)
Ruling Hexagram: 履
Hex #10 ( lǚ) Treading (Conduct)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Saturn in Leo

Keywords:
Protection, Wrath, Ferocity, Discrimination, War, Offense, Unassailability,
Sageness
Waiting, Arrogance, Incompetance, Foolishness, Rage
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Strife
Called The Five of Wands, , the Five of Wands card
corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacal Leo. It places between Sephira #5
(Geburah) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Vahaviah and Yelayel.
A central wand topped with a winged disc and two serpent heads is crossed by four
wands. The first pair are sickles, and threaten to cut the heads off of the serpents. the two
other wands are topped with mutated and demented lions. The ends of these wands are
insect wings of some kind. Flames issue from the crosspoints. A disc with the symbols of
Saturn and Leo on it covers the junctions. Two small torches are at the bottom.
Thoth:
The Five of Wands as he calls it “is referred to Geburah of the suit of Fire.
Geburah itself being fiery, it is a purely active force. It is ruled also by Saturn and Leo.”
The heads of the phoenix on the wands indicate resurrection of energy from ashes, within
the “tameless irrational energy (of the Mother)”. Crowley indicates that the doctrine of
“Liongoddess Pasht” now known as Sekhmet, is identified with the station, fierce and
savage, sexually cruel, comparable to “The highest divine nature” (The Tarot of the
Egyptians, Aleister Crowley 1944)
The Hexagram ruling the card, #10, Treading,
includes a description of “
Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man.
Success.” which pairs well with the subject of this card Sekhmet. In the image we find
that the Hexagram is about discriminating between high and low. In the tiered bigrams
we find an Air element between two Fire elements, above and below. This is a heated and
fiery situation, with the Earthly Fire below being stirred up by Air and the Heavenly Fire
above inspiring and facilitating the growth of the Air element. In the trigrams we have the
circle for Heaven above and Lake below. The bigger picture is quite creative and
prosperous, so it is that this station indicates fruitful labor of Heaven, often in a cruel
scene.
Fire of Mars is as militaristic and violent a pairing of the elementals and planetaries as
one will get.
Saturn in Leo reminds us this is all for the forces of good and the light as
well.
This could be an auspicious card depending on the context of where it is placed,
especially if vengeance or justice is sought though military or force.
The Scene:
The unbridled ferocity of Sekhmet destroying humankind fills this card,
called Strife. Connected with Geburah, Severity, Fire makes for an unstoppable and
uncontrollable force when set to destruction.
It is not a nice card, and it is not meant to be, for the force and assurance of destruction is
its only silver lining, and only for those experiencing injustice.
Because it is a purifying fire, the symbol of the Egida, The Abrahadabra Institute’s house
of healing was used as the iconography for the tip of her electrified staff.
The scene was painted in December 2010 right before the Egyptian revolution that ended
the corrupt rule of Hosni Mubarak, and it was finished on the 24th of January.
It is up to the viewer to determine if the hands of the people are burning, already dead in
the lake of fire of the Duat, or people wronged, praising Sekhmet for her vengeance.
Five of Blades: Defeat
Historical:
Lord of Defeat
Ruling Pentagram:
兌
Berashith: “And Elohim separated the dawn”
Ruling Hexagram:
Hex #9 ( xiǎo chù), Taming Power of the Small
小畜
Tiered Bigrams:
Fire (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet:
Air of Mars (Gevurah, Severity)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Venus in Aquarius

Keywords:
Refreshment, Trickery, Perspective, Sincerity, Returning, Loyalty, Progress,
Transmutation
Bloodshed, Decay, Loss, Compromise, Misery
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Defeat,
Called The Five of Swords, The Five of Swords card
corresponds to the planetary Venus and the zodiacal Aquarius. It places at Sephira #5 in
the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Aniel and Chaamiah.
Five swords point up. The center sword is destroying The Rose which lies in tatters over
a degenerating solar disc. It has a face on its tsuba. The rest of the swords have winged
discs as hilts and one of four birds as the handle, a dove, a swan, an eagle and a pheasant.
Thoth:
Sentiment, treachery and pacifism are identified by Crowley as the disruptive
energy of Geburah in the card. The inverted pentagram is present. Here Crowley's
incessant racism and comedic Victorian snobbery are present in his ranting and raving,
and I cannot pay any more attention to him. He doesn't have the nature of the card right,
at all
. He always descends into bigotry whenever and wherever he is frustrated by a lack
of correct information. It's not much of an excuse for his behavior and writing, but it does
tell us something about his demons at least.
The image of a crucible is present in the tiered
bigrams, with Earth sandwiched between the two Fire elements. The pentagrammal
structure seems to suggest as much, being named “Root” referencing something which is
hidden, yet active and essential and slightly sinister, being of the cthonic. In the trigrams
we find Sun, Wind, in the above and Heaven in the below. Called the “Taming Power of
the Small” in the Changes, the image is of a small unassailable force, a son, taming an
aspect of heaven through friendly persuasion and trickery, but perhaps this trickery is
nothing more than misdirection or illusion. There is nothing to be done in this situation
except to work on one’s character, to “cultivate one’s person” as Confucius would
promote.
The influence of Heaven is under Wind and this is paired with the influence of Air of
Mars, signifying clever military strategy and subterfuge. Spy agencies like the CIA, the
Mossad, India’s IB and so forth are good representations of Air of Mars. Technological
research is also especial to the card however, and care must be taken not to confine the
nature of the card too readily into one sort of context or another it is not that simple.
To further mix it up we find Venus in Aquarius, indicating a bizarre love affair of some
kind. Aquarians are strange lovers who find themselves in stranger relationships as my
wife and I can attest (I am an Aquarius) and so we find that the attack on the girl is
probably born out of some kind of divine love.
The adventures of Raven are well known to the local Coast Salish tribes here in the
Pacific Northwest, and here he is shown in his shadowy spirit form, up to no good, or
good, as it were.
It should generally be regarded as a very suspicious card. There is a trap about to be
sprung for good or for worse, and divine guidance should be sought immediately if the
card is drawn in any context whatsoever. If one is not able to do so themselves they
should seek the aid and skill of a Hermit, Hierophant or knowledgeable Seer in this
very soon
matter to determine if action must be taken or not.
The Scene:
There was no reason not to put Raven on the card, but originally I had
thought of the old story about Raven turning into a pine needle and being swallowed by
the daughter of the chief who kept the sun in a box. Raven is born to the girl who is
prized as a grandchild by the chief, but soon the ruse is up and Lord Raven flies out of the
smokehouse with the sun in his beak.
m1thr0s did not agree that the story fit the card, and so we made up our own.
The girl is examining herself and destroying parts which are “not her” this is why the
figure on the ground whom she is about to slay with an arrow of Mercury is a
doppelganger. Raven, the lesson delivered, and his form free to go, disintegrates into his
true form with a signature Sumerian Mushussu at his heart. I am Coast Salish and grew
up amongst the tribes here in the Pacific Northwest. It may seem like there isn’t very
much American Indian imagery in this deck and the reason for that is it is perhaps too
familiar and it was supposed to be a global deck, first and foremost.
Five of Pentacles: Worry
Historical:
Lord of Material Trouble
Ruling Pentagram:
兌
Pent #5 “Root”– Fire of (Tui) The Joyous, Lake
Berashith: "and Elohim separated the dawn..."
Ruling Hexagram: 謙
Hex #15 ( qiān), Modesty
Tiered Bigrams:
Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet:
Earth of Mars (Gevurah, Severity)
Planet/Sun Sign:
Mercury in Taurus

Keywords:
Economy, Balancing, Rationing, Moderation, Humility, Austerity, Agape,
Charity, Obedience, Abstinence
Shortsightedness, Dullness, Despair, Stress, Sycophantic,
Crankiness, Ignorance
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Material Trouble
Called The Five of Pentacles, , The Five of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Mercury and the zodiacal Taurus. It places at
Sephira #5 (Geburah) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Mibahiah and Pooyal.
Horns grace the sides of the central disc. A plant is sprouting from its top and the center
bears a solar seal (it should probably be a swastika but this has been replaced with a more
celtic design to prevent confusion with the Nazi party’s symbol.) Wings are also at the
top of the center disc. The two top discs are graced with the astrological and planetary
symbols (Mercury and Taurus). The two bottom pentacles show a swallow descending
and have flowering plants sprouting from them. Clouds are at the bottom. The discs are
given the impression of spinning rapidly.
Thoth:
Five is most notable in Thoth for its disruptive nature. Here there is strain and
instability, and it may signify earthquakes according to Crowley. He also seems to think
that it signifies long term stagnation.
The image is perhaps slightly disturbing and it
should be. The Five of Pentacles is not an auspicious card, but even though it is difficult
it can be finessed to one’s advantage, and is not nearly as bad as some occultists make it
out to be.
Here we find in the tiered bigrams the symbol of Earth hugged between two Water
symbols, accounting for the water symbolism and the pregnant Devi. The resemblance is
of a fetus in a womb. Pregnancy has always been a worrisome thing but holds potential
for Life, the most important thing in the Universe. (No, it isn’t Love.) The Trigrams are
Earth in the Above and Mountain in the Below. A large thing is hidden below the Earth,
disguising its wealth and magnitude.
The Hexagram the lines represent is called Modesty, which is said by Confucius to
create success. The ancient sages on the other hand, leave us with the advice to weigh
things carefully and make things equal, reducing what is too much and augmenting what
has too little.
Earth of Mars seems to promote practicality, which is further underlines by Mercury in
Taurus. Plotting a careful and logical course should be a priority. With careful decision
making and planning, this card doesn’t have to bring ill tidings at all, on the contrary, it
promises a bright future if one can stick with it.
The Scene:
A Nantzin (Mother), here is Cihuacoatl, the angelic and holy mother of
Mixcoatl, the red aspect of the sacrificed Tezcatlipoca. She was also creatrix acting with
Quetzelcoatl to create humanity. She was a deity of pregnant women, midwives,
sweatbaths and the Cihuateteo, spirits of mothers who died in childbirth, who could cause
infertility and who stole children at the crossroads. A parallel is found in the Hispanic
legend of La Llorona, the weeping woman who is the spirit of a prolicidal and suicidal
female spirit, and she is considered to be an aspect of the death personification Santa
Muerte and a symbol of the great loss of culture incurred by the American Indians at the
hands of the Eastern invaders. (
Chicana Sexuality and Gender: Cultural Refiguring in
Literature, Oral History, and Art., Debra Blake 2009)
The temples dedicated to this powerful goddess were quite interesting. They were
completely dark, absent of windows, and the doorway to them was a crawlspace. This
was the womb.
Being born, being pregnant and going into labor, and having and raising children are all
very worrisome things, which humans have dealt with in many brilliant and horrifying
ways. So it is that Cihuacoatl is the patron found on the Five of Pentacles, Worry. Shown
at the edge of tropical Lake Xochimilco, an ancient endorheic basin, where the
endangered Axolotl used to live. It hasn’t been observed by scholars yet, but the
Axolotl’s fetus like, skullface appearance may have lent to the lake’s association with a
goddess of the human reproductive cycle. Axolotls are likely extinct in the wild, kept
alive only through the pet industry which protects them.
The strange creatures attending her are the Cihuateteo. Although powerful and somewhat
sinister, she is a benevolent goddess who warns humans and comforts the suffering of
women in childbirth, both during and after death.
Mammitu a goddess who decrees the fate of newborns is depicted as goatheaded, and
Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of fertility and motherhood has a cow’s head. So we added
these elements as well to form a new aeon image of her.
Five of Alembics: Disappointment
Historical: Lord of Loss in Pleasure
Ruling Pentagram:
兌
Berashith: “And Elohim separated the dawn…”
豫
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #16 ( yù), Enthusiasm
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Mars (Gevurah, Severity)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mars in Scorpio

Keywords:
Evolution, Experimentation, Putrefaction, Growth, Sexuality, Adolescence,
Trials, Treachery, Death, Sadness
Codependency, Clinging, Abuse, Narcissism, Charity, Hope,
New Alliances
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Loss in Pleasure
Called The Five of Cups , The Five of Cups card
corresponds to the planetary Mars and the zodiacal Scorpio and places at Sephira #5
(Geburah) in the Golden Dawn system. Livoyah and Pehilyah are its associated angels.
Lotuses are again present, and the cups are empty. Fallen petals are present, and no water
is flowing from the lotuses.
Thoth:
The natural antipathy of Water in Geburah is discussed, with emphasis placed on
the idea of disturbance when least expected. Crowley reminds us that the male principle
is still quite strong and active in this station despite Water and Geburah having a strong
influence. Crowley states that there is a discord between the element of the suite, Water
and the element of its Sephira, Geburah, which is fiery. Here is the image of a frustrated
male principle and (according to Crowley) the evil geomantic sign of Rubeus is
associated with its Mars in Scorpio. Rubeus in called “Red” and according to Mutational
Alchemy and the rational bigrammaton, is not evil, it is merely emotional and feminine,
and belongs to the Princess of Alembics. So we’re again left with the superstitious,
unsavory elements of the poisoned Christian well of Europe. He follows the Golden
Dawn imagery closely, a decaying Rose and five empty cups with no water flowing into
them are portrayed. “disturbance, just when least expected, in a time of ease” (The Tarot
of the Egyptians, Crowley 1944)
A lone Air symbol between two Water elements
in the tiered bigrams reveals the principle of levity in Water, suspended but oppressed at
the very same time. In the Trigrams we have the Arousing in the above and the Receptive
in the below. Poseidon was a a natural choice for the card’s scenery. No one wants to
stare at a pair of horses fucking all the time so we've opted instead for a more classical,
mysterious and symbolical interpretation of the myth. It is up to the viewer to decide
what it
means.
Water of Mars paired with Mars of Scorpio is deadly and somewhat poisonous, though
we might find some alchemical solace in tinctures, both modern pharmacy grade ones
and old herbalist remedies. There is some inference of old military tradition and naval
ships are particularly strong especially considering the bigrams.
Hex #16 was difficult with this card’s original title, as Enthusiasm and Dissapointment
were quite the opposite. Rather than change it we decided to try to incorporate the
Poseidon myth into the story of the card. Therefore we havea situation in which the
disapointment is on the part of the Lady Demeter and the Enthusiasm is Lord Poseidon’s.
The hexagram is the image of , Chen, Thunder, over Kun, Earth, and it is one of six
hexagrams which have a single yang line amidst all Yin lines. The position of the yang is
a ruling one, and so all of the other Yin lines follow it and obey.
The text includes the subject of a great sacrifice to heaven. In this case it is Demeter and
her ignorance. This reflects back on The Devil card and is the source of woe in the world.
The Scene:
A strange and dark scene to be sure, although Poseidon’s ways are dark and
strange in and of themselves. Shown with Demeter and the progeny of their union, Arion,
it isn’t meant to be clear what is going on here.
The invocation was smooth but remarkably quiet, most of the drawing was automatic and
minimalist. Mother and daughter carry two halves of one pomegranate. The obscure form
of a nameless mare goddess was confined to a tiny tribe on one of the Greek isles. In
Arcadia, the birthplace of Pan and Hermes, we find the mystery cult centered on this
myth, where one of two daughters is called “The Mistress” to the people there and her
name is secret. In the tale of Poseidon and Demeter, Demeter refuses Poseidon’s sexual
advances because she was in mourning for Persephone’s kidnapping. She is relentlessly
pursued, and so turns into a black mare to disguise herself in the herds of the wild horses
at Onkeion. He transforms himself into a black stallion (representing the blackness of the
abyss) or by some accounts, into a white stallion (representing the white crested waves of
the sunlit sea) and by scent recognizes her as she is in heat. The god mounts the goddess,
who, unable to resist because of her animal form which desires it and has no higher
intelligence to refuse, allows it.
This produces two progeny, the goddess Areion, a magickal talking horse, and the
goddess “Despoine” who has another name which it is forbidden to speak of. The name
Despoine means The Mistress, and she was worshipped with great sacrifices by the
Arcadians. The river Styx is one and the same as the river of Arcadia, and may be a clue
to her identity. It was said to have been created by the secretions of Demeter during her
mating with Poseidon. “
The water of the river of Arkadia known as the Styx cuts through
all vessels, even though they be made of iron . . . It was Demeter who caused this water
to well up in the neighbourhood of Pheneus” (Aelian, On Animals 10. 40 trans.
Schofield)
Is this one of the secret death cults of ancient Greece that is rumored of to this

day by Grecian occultists? The cave of The Mistress is spoken of today as being one in
which death rites were enacted, by inhalation or ingestion of various drugs which brought
the practitioner close to death.
Six of Staves: Victory
Historical: Lord of Victory
Ruling Pentagram:
坎
Pent #6 “Transparent”– Fire of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water
Berashith: “and Elohim called to the Dawn”
訟
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #6 ( sòng), Conflict
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Air (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Sol (Tiphareth, Beauty)
Planet/Sun Sign: Jupiter in Leo

Keywords:
Great Success, Breakthrough, Cooperation, Good News, Reward,
Recognition. A Royal Authority, Defense of the Realm
Infamy, Cost, Unease, disloyalty
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Victory
Called The Six of Wands, , the Six of Wands card
corresponds to the planetary Jupiter and the zodiacal Leo. It places at Sephira #6
(Tiphareth) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Saitel and Olmiah.
Two hands hold a shining disc in the center of the scene, over six crossed wands. One
pair has winged discs with lotus blossom ends, one pair has eagle heads with hooked
ends, and the last pair are lotuses with disced ends. Flames issue from clouds in the
background and from the center of the crossed wands themselves.
Thoth:
The card represents an earthquake at the foundations of matter itself signified by
the elemental disks, and the intense strain of intellect applied to labor resulting in no
progress. This is from the planet of Mercury in Taurus as well as the disruptive effects of
Geburah.
So many of the small cards have just been given
the attributes of being negative without much more of an explanation than summarized in
the idea “It’s farther from God and that’s not good, in fact it’s bad.” While this may be
slightly true in some cases, it is not helpful and it is not accurate. Earth is different, not
better than Heaven. In some ways Heaven can also be a terrible environment, but in other
ways. A more adequate explanation must be found, and Mutational Alchemy allows us to
do it.
The hexagram here could not be possibly more appropriate, it is #6 called Conflict, with
Heaven in the above and Water in the below. “
You are sincere And are being
obstructed.” it says. The time has come to stop doing anything and not continue further,
to do so will bring misfortune. This is the image of Victory for one, and a defeat or truce
for the other inferior element.
The card may indicate a breakup over a disagreement, especially romantic ones.
Continuing an endeavor related to this card will most certainly bring about misfortune.
The I Ching advises us to examine the beginning of the problem or endeavor. Perhaps
there is a fault or divergence somewhere that should not have been partaken of. Geburah,
Severity infers punishment.
The pentagram and the hexagram are numbered 6, as is the station, what are we to think
of this card other than to assume it is solar in nature? The zodiacal of Leo agrees. In the
tiered bigrams we have two Air elements rising up to meet a single Fire element. In the
elementals it is Fire of Sol. This will be the creator god par excellance, the Father of
Fathers, AmunRa himself, in his war aspect signified by the hexagram #6, Conflict. So
there is a special relationship to Ra Hoor Khut or Montu, and even Khensu the Lord of
Thebes depicted on the Two of Staves, Dominion.
Conflict warns us that the issue may need to be dropped. In this station we are dealing
with a strong primordial male force who owns absolute authority and the divine
prerogative. It means that while the danger is great, he is also a wise, ancient and just
ruler and not prone to petty actions or ugly behavior. Caution is advised in all directions,
except there is a chance of impressing him with boldness, even if it is a small chance. It is
ill advised to continue with this approach however.
The pentagram is named after the 6th line in Berashith, a command to Dawn. How
absolutely fitting for AmunRa.
The primary feel of this card is one of unbeatable victory, an opponent who cannot be
defeated or dismissed so easily. It is an image of The Lovers, quarreling, or of a King and
a peon, or the Will of Heaven against the Will of a Man or Earth. There can be ONE
outcome, and all parties know this. In some instances foolishness will persist and that one
will be cut down. In the end it will all be sorted out.
The Scene:
This card was one of those completed much later on and was fairly
straightforward. I just needed a strong masculine solar deity to represent the elemental
traits who was triumphant and wealthy. So we went with Nergal, the Akkadian Solar
deity who closely associated with the Sumerian state, via a marriage to their goddess
Ereshkigal. The tale of Nergal and Ereshkigal reveals implicitly the ancient priesthood’s
killer sense of humor and their adoration of fierce desert gods. It was these earliest
recorded deities who reflected the truth of survivalism inside the tough women and men
of the desert and fertile plain in those early days.
Nergal is a fascinating deity, a very respectable war god with connections to pestilence
and death who is the sun itself especially in its noon aspect. In some places he is
tigi to Nergal
associated with the setting sun. He destroys evil as told in a “When ……
you command the storm which flattens the hostile land, you devastate its evil; you pour it
over for as long as it disobeys.” (A Tigi to Nergal [B] The Electronic Text Corpus of
Sumerian Literature, Faculty of Oriental Studies, The University of Oxford, 2006)
Another Sumerian text states šamaš u nergal
d
istēn
(U.GUR) (1) Šamaš and Nergal are
en
one and he is equated to the West Semitic deity Rašap “Flame” who is a god of war and
pestilence. (Enenuru,
http://enenuru.proboards.com/thread/329/nergal#ixzz3pfm6zUIH
).
The attributes of the deity are fierce in at least one text he is referred to as a “dragon”
"Nergal, dragon covered with gore, drinking the blood of living creatures!" and his future
wife, then just a recent (and miffed) one night stand, Ereshkigal demands of the heavenly
host that Nergal be returned to her palace in Irkalla, lest "I shall raise up the dead, and
they shall eat the living. The dead shall outnumber the
(
living!"http://enenuru.proboards.com/thread/85/vampirethreadnergalgidimlilitu#ixzz
3pfpfi98c
Enenuru Forums, accessed October 25th 2015) So he is a solar deity, King of
the Underworld with a wife who can raise an army of the undead.
Erra, literally “The
scorched (earth/matter)” , who is an incredible warrior, a terrifying force of destruction,
and associated with pestilence and the sun is shown as giving obeisance to Nergal in the
following line: “Then Erra welcomed his king: "They have come! You surpass An! (The
King of Heaven) Perform the stewardship for An the king! In accordance with destiny
you determine fates with him, Nergal!" Ninšubur, the minister of the great place, the
underworld, greeted Nergal: "You are the lord who has made the bandits come forth (?)
from the mountains. As with Enlil ……, no part of a foreign land escapes your grasp.
Hero, for Enlil you piled up Enlil's enemies (?) in a single day. Hating ……, Nergal, ……
as fire, you rise up in the lands where the sun rises." The Anuna gods stepped forward:
"Like …… cracks ……, ……, you are Nergal!"
5057.5 lines fragmentary
…… son of
Enlil ……, Lugalera. Praising you is sweet. (A Tigi to Nergal [C], ETSCL, Faculty of
Oriental Studies, University of Oxford 2006)
There are no depictions of Ereshkigal surviving today the Burney plaque is considered
to have shaky provenance and is only the above ground or heavenly aspect Inanna or
Ishtar in the nebulous doctrine of the twin or dual goddess InannaEreshkigal. SO we
were left to fill in the blanks with someone...I used a photograph of myself for reference
and wrapped her in darkness then caught up in the flame of Nergal, reflecting back on
The Lovers card. And she has red hair, the color of flame, like Madame Pele, an
underworld goddess with very similar attributes. Nergal himself on the other hand is
depicted very simply. He carries a lionheaded mace, the same as an artifact excavated in
Ancient Mesopotamia and one of his sacred weapons. (this is unfortunately hidden
behind the hexagram) The circlet on his brow conveys his authority as a King and is set
with a lion’s face. He needed little in the way of trappings. Fire and Death suited him
best, and the love and adoration of his Queen Ereshkigal.
It is worth noting his name also means "Cock" or "DungHill Cock" and another epithet
means "fighting cock" Lugalbanda. This syncronicity takes a stronger turn towards
Abrasax when he is compared to Istaran as one who is a judge. (ETSCL, Oxford) The
deity Istaran and his son or herald Nirah was given an alcove in the Temple of
Ningishzidda at Lagash and was depicted with serpents for legs, making him the earliest
form of Abrasax.
Six of Blades: Science
Historical: Lord of Earned Success
Ruling Pentagram:
坎
Pent #6 “Transparent” – Fire of (K’an) The Abysmal, Water

需
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #5 ( xū), Waiting (Nourishment)
Tiered Bigrams: Earth (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Sol (Tiphareth, Beauty)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mercury in Aquarius

Keywords:
Messenger, Declaring One’s Will, Smoothness, Thermonuclear, Warrior,
Expediency, Elegance
Harshness, Recovery, Complications, Arrogance
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Earned Success
Called The Six of Swords, , The Six of Swords
card corresponds to the planetary Mercury and the zodiacal Aquarius it places at Sephira
#6 in the Golden Dawn system. It’s angels are Michael and Hahihel.
Two hands emerge from the sides of the card, each holding three swords, crossing over a
central sword in each hand with a face of a satyr on each. Two daggers are at the bottom
of the card. The Rose is in the center, surrounded by a solar glow.
Thoth:
Called “Science”The Thoth imagery is very robust, with intricate clean lines and
geometry everywhere. In the center is the rosy cross. The six of swords generally
represents moderation of the suite, after this point it supposedly becomes quite poor in
nature and misbehaved (Forward we have Futility, Interference, Cruelty and Ruin). This
isn’t true in the Mutational Alchemy deck, since the 10 is a hard won goal for the Nu
Aeon, and they are all broken down purely elementally, without, emotional dross, but it is
important to note that in most other decks all of the other sword cards after the six are
portrayed in a negative light. He tells us “Mercury, in Aquarius, represents the celestial
Energy influencing the Kerub of the Man, thus showing intelligence and humanity.” (The
Tarot of the Egyptians, Six of Swords, Aleister Crowley 1944)
The hexagram explains to us the very basic
fundamental principles of scientific research: waiting patiently with firm resoluteness,
and eliminating all selfdeception and illusion. Aleister Crowley was a prophet and
closer.
renamed the card perfectly in this case. I am not a prophet, I am a It is my job to
annihilate the miscreants and establish the rule of the tetractys. It may be agreed upon by
adepts that when the universe hears the word Abrahadabra, it translates as Science.
Universal science, balanced and connected to art and beauty and culture, freed from the
shackles of mankind’s biases, is in every way perfect. This science has a precious
enduring quality that uplifts and upholds virtue, pleasure, technology, amrita, knowledge,
wisdom, and peace. One can be strictly regulated and pure with science without resorting
to cynicism, cruelty, judgementalism, caustic attitudes and pedanticism. This world
exists, it is real, it is possible, but it is not Here. Not on the Earth. Someday it will be
though. This is the essence of Six of Blades: Science.
The Aeon of Ra Hoor Khut, called the Age of Horus by the vulgar, is wrapped in Science
and War. This scene has a natural connection to The Aeon, therefore, in our immediate
time, as well as to the Earth hex of ATU III: Death. Is it not true that scientific knowledge
brings with it a kind of death, to science itself, but also religion, culture, technology and
even philosophy? This is all well and as it should be. With customs and wrongdoing so
grossly mismanaged and misinterpreted as it is on Earth, things have gone far astray, so it
does not seem beautiful, but it has to be from a certain point of view. If humans would
but shake off the dross from their skin and unhinge the cold dead fingers of the horror
religions of the past from their souls, they could see it.
The careful planning and patience in Science must take place in both the act of discovery
in the laboratory or field, and also in the act of integrating with culture, religion, fools,
philosophy and education. We see this today in the patient explanations to the laymen
about how things work. We see it in programs designed to merge Science culture with
Religious culture in a peaceful and nonviolent way. It CAN be done. It is the only way.
Scientific culture is in every way the dominant force in our technology, but it HAS to
make inroads into religion and philosophy to succeed, for ABRAHADABRA to succeed.
The image of the hexagram is similar to the situation in science. Heaven is under Water,
everything is dark and it can be dangerous. However Heaven always prevails in the end
and is very strong, even, or especially, in the face of danger. The tiered bigrams reveal a
strong Fire element below two Air elements. It is like the image of a Father rearing his
two sons, or a superior man who is at the mercy of two cunning men, who may be
inferior in some way. This is like the time of the Inquisition for science. Theologians can
be dangerous adversaries because they have abandoned reason completely and
intellectuals like this can easily slip into cruelty, especially if they are inferior, poorly
educated or shallow thinkers. We see this amongst the scientific community, especially
the Atheists who behave quite foolishly. Only a decade ago, you would be attacked for
offering the idea that there were more than three dimensions, or that observation could
change the outcome of an experiment, even though these were hot and correct topics
amongst more well read atheists and science buffs. Caution must be used when dealing
with rogue Air elements. They are like djinn. They are intellectuals without a cause. This
is dangerous to anyone. There is no difference between a hateful atheist and a hateful
theologian, especially when their reason is faulty, skewed by false premises.
Air of Sol is bright and cheerful, exciting and sparkling. Despite the caution it is the
element of creation of the intellect. It is not only capable of building playgrounds for the
mind in the shape of games, movies, books, toys, but also of solving the direst of
problems facing Man. Aging, spacefaring, underwater breathing, flying, genetics,
boredom, limitation of sense and so on all are problems that have been solved or WILL
be solved by Air of Sol. It is the card and station of The Enlightenment. In Mercury in
Aquarius we have futurism, space travel, the synthesis of beauty, culture, science and
beyond. The limitless vision of Aquarius is set free to play on the infinite borders of
space via Logos, the Will of the AllFather unbound.
The Scene:
Below our thermonuclear warrior who is modelled after a friend from the
Enenuru forums called Sheshki, who I am not friends with now because the owner of the
forums betrayed me at a very deep and fundamental level, and they were friends first. He
is producing a white light above his head that represents the crown lotus, he is able to do
this through his superior genetic makeup. The large white birds are downy juvenile or
baby falcons, representing young peace that is vigilant and has fierce potential. In the
future they will grow up and become killers able to devour men! But these are friends of
their keeper, allies and who will defend one’s hearth and their keeper’s home and family.
This is the science and technology Man creates, it can be turned against us on accident.
We do not mess around with the dove symbology it is complete nonsense, one would be
better off with a pigeon. They are white to aid in the color recognition. This is also the
scale of 1, representing Kether, the untamed wildness of Logos made flesh in the element
of Air. Splendid!
In the symbol we have a 13 pointed consciousness star which is a layered fusion of
Saturn and Jupiter, part of the circuitry of universal mind, and the circuitboard pattern in
the background reinforces the computer like nature of universal mind at its best. This is
what the Air element is really about, the massive network of consciousness, talking to
itself, at the heart of every sentient lifeform and itself. The warrior is representative of
Science at the human level. The falcons are white because they are a product of the
science of the future. The old science card was all about the swords, here the emphasis is
all about the lifeform, the star, mutated animal forms, mutated human forms. Genetic
science.
Six of Pentacles: Success
Historical: Lord of Material Success
Ruling Pentagram:
坎
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #36 ( míng yí), Darkening of the Light
明夷
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Earth (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Sol (Tiphareth, Beauty)
Planet/Sun Sign: Moon in Taurus

Keywords:
Generosity, A Strong Woman in a Position of Power, a Superior Person at
the Mercy of the Inferior but Powerful, Status, Fairness, Equality, Justice, Authenticity,
Truth
Begging, Insecurity, Conditions, Measuring, Miserliness,
Being Stuck
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: The Lord of Material Success
Called The Seven of Wands, , The Seven of
Wands card corresponds to the planetary Mars and zodiacal Leo and places at Sephira #7
in the Golden Dawn system. Its angel correspondences are Mahashiah and Lelahel.
A central wand is a caduceus, or at least capped with the winged disc and two serpent
heads. It is crossed with six other wands, two have winged disc tops and lion tails at th
end, two have lotuses in bloom, and the last two in the center are topped with flames. The
bottom of the central staff has the symbol for Mars. Flames issue from the junctions.
Thoth:
Called the 6 of Disks, Failure.As you’ve probably noticed by now, both of the
authors find the Rosy Cross incredibly boring, so we don’t use it anywhere. There’s a few
circular schematics such as the back of the card, called the Kaos Star, that could be
equated to The Rose, but we never use the old Golden Dawn version. The cross is
especially meaningless to us. Crowley did like it, and here it is on the 6 of Disks again.
The diskes are blue surrounding a hexagon. (Crowley refers to it as a “hexagram” in his
Tarot of the Egyptians) The sun is irradiating the disks and being idolized as the Rose and
Cross. It has 49 petals “the interplay of the Seven with the Seven.” (The Tarot of the
Egyptians, Aleister Crowley 1944)
Darkening of the Light is the ruling hexagram,
representing a situation where darkness has a temporary advantage or the ability to
wound the bright in some way. The image is of the sun in the underworld, and of Hell. It
may share a connection with The Hermit. The text advises us not to be rude or abrasive,
in order to protect ourselves. The scene is of the throne of Ereshkigal. She is the
sovereign ruler of Irkalla, the underworld, and although her power is limited to Irkalla
and by proxy, Earth, she is omnipotent in her domain. The situation is very dangerous
and caution must be exercised. But the hexagram seems to conflict with the title of the
traditional card. It is called “Success”. There is no answer for the conflict, and the reader
must decide for themselves what it could mean.
In the tiered bigrams we have a curious image of two Earth elements under a single
Water element. This implies great strength and solidity under a body of water. Fire under
Earth is an image of the Father element changing the Earth from within. The fierce,
powerful and warm element is well suited for the dark, cold and yet, malleable Earth
element. Even though the situation is difficult it is not horrible. Earth of Sol is very close
in nature, if not identical to the hexagram, so this is auspicious at least for the discipline
of Mutational Alcemy. It seems to be a reversal of the warning to the light, here the Earth
element is in the Court of Ra, and must offer obeisance. The line from the Book of the
Law “
if thou love
,
exceed by delicacy
; and if thou do aught joyous, let there be subtlety
therein! But exceed! exceed! Strive ever to more!” (The Book of the Law, Had, rcvd. by
Aleister Crowley 1904) The image of a kind of love affair or relationship is pictured, and
perhaps the hexagram is more lovely if we imagine a kind of romantic relationship rather
than a political one. The text accompanying the Changes is not infallible only the
hexagrammal structures themselves are unfailingly accurate. These attributions were
written by humans who may have been divinely inspired, but we are not chained to the
old text alone. The reader is encouraged to examine everything about it from the trigrams
to the nuclears, and even the ideogram and number itself.
Luna of Taurus indicates a kind of stubborn attachment to the world of fantasy and
dreams. This may be the source of the problems if any arise. But if the fantasy is a
pleasant one then it is alright. Injustice may inspire extreme vengeance and insane
measures may be taken to set things right. (ie the tale of Ereshkigal and Nergal is quite
accurate.) It is worth noting that Luna, not Earth, is the correct Foundation of Man. The
planetary therefore carries with it the weight of evolutionary imperative and pressure to
exceed, just as the line from the Book of the Law commands. The foundation must be
raised up to meet the expectations of a dark force.
Finally the pentagram is called Transparent, indicating that the someone can see through
situations and people clearly. Fire of K’an, the Abyssmal is reflecting the attribution of
Earth in Sol again, reinforcing the idea of a relationship where one must show
appropriate respect beyond what is normally called for. Water and Fire may seem
contrary to each other but it is a mistake to assume so, it is also a mistake to always
believe what Aleister Crowley tells you, as I know he states that Water and Fire are
opposed to each other. In fact it is these two great elements which are called The Father
and The Mother, and they are the foundational elements of life. Instead of picturing a
small campfire being put out by water, it is better to imagine a lava vent under the ocean,
causing all life to explode on the planet, and the rays of the sun piercing the ocean. Fire
and Water produce Air and Earth and their relationship is complicated and delicately
balanced, but it is perfect.
Therefore it may be that the Success promised by this card is the outcome of careful and
dedicated alchemy. Gender roles need to be considered in the draw, as the meaning and
method of attack should change depending on this variable.
The Scene:
The parable of Inanna visiting her sister was the inspiration for the scene. and
behaving in a crass and rude manner she is tortured and killed by Ereshkigal’s guards.
In
the tale of Nergal and Ereshkigal we have an image of a situation where delicacy was not
used and things went awry, but after proper procedures and consideration, success is had.
Nergal is owner of the title Meslamtaea Nergal, or “Nergal who comes forth from the
mezla
temple”. Notably, in Hebrew and Jewish Kabbalah is the scintillating diamond
light of Ain Soph Aur, and in Hermetic Qabbalah can be associated with both White and
Black Akasha. The term Meslamtaea represented the left, while Lugalirra his brother
represented the right. So Nergal is a sinister God of the lefthand path, if that was not
clear enough by his associations with his wife the Queen of the Dead and his
blooddrinking draconic warrior aspect.
The person in the card is my daughter, Iriana. Ereshkigal must be depicted as a girl child,
as it is the most respectful imagery. Iriana exhibited a full manifestation of Ereshkigal in
2007. In Tantra the goddess, or Shakti, expresses herself as a prepubescent young child.
She represents the element of Earth manifest, the element in which the Mother Goddess
reinvents herself in response to new data. (As opposed to Fire reinventing itself in the
Son, Air) This is a concrete doctrine that is the cornerstone of any Tantric practice. For
whatever reason, Shakti watches through the eyes of young girl children and causes
changes in the world according to her judgements from this perspective. So it is that
young female children must be treated very carefully in case terrible curses befall the
offender. Such judgements can lay whole nations low and destroy dynasties. One should
always address young girl children with respect and not insult them. Shakti is wild,
untameable, chaotic and infinitely creative.
The story of how this card came to be has ties to a situation bound up in one of the curses
hinted at in The Book of the Law, and is a mirror of the hexagram. the success in this
case is one of very lofty success, the kind only gotten through extreme sacrifice and
hardship. In the right hand of the scene the large white monster is the Xiezhi, the Chinese
symbol for justice. This legendary creature has its roots in the unicorn goat owned by
magistrate Gao Yao, who used it to judge the guilty. The goat reputedly would try to butt
some people and the magistrate made decisions based on its behavior. In Japan it is
known as the Kai Tsi. The animal is engraved on gavels and embroidered on military
personnel patches in China. The image is thought to bestow law and order where it is
found. this one is modelled after the one found on the Ming tombs walkways in Beijing.
The statues along the Ming tombs walkway were restored by the French, after morons
and enemies of The Dragon from the “cultural” revolution tried to destroy them.
The creature on the left represents the hellhound, and he resembles Anpu (Anubis.) He
has a dead rabbit which is a burrowing creature that must stay hidden from predators
above ground, by necessity it must succumb to a “darkening of the light” as outlined in
the Changes.The hellhound is her pet, as shown by the diamond collar. This and the
crown and ebomy throne depict the great wealth of the palace of Ereshkigal. The
background is the color of earth, and furthermore it is a portal to the deeper hells, the cast
off skins of the ouroboros and the qlippoth.
Six of Alembics: Pleasure
Historical: Lord of Pleasure
Ruling Pentagram:
坎
晉
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #35 ( jìn), Progress
Tiered Bigrams: Air (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Sol (Tiphareth, Beauty)
Planet/Sun Sign: Sol in Scorpio
Keywords:
Delight, Childhood, Innocence, Love, Eroticism, Sensation, Relaxation,
Contention, Pleasure, Nostalgia, Gain
Drowning, Strife arising from vanity, Presumptuousness,
Ungratefulness, Sinking, Laziness, Trapped, Repression
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Pleasure
Called The Six of Cups, , the card corresponds to the
planetary Sol and zodiacal Scorpio and places at Sephira #6 (Tiphareth) in the Golden
Dawn system. It is associated with angels Nelokhiel and Yeyayel.
Lotuses are again a feature, each with its own cup, but with vines intertwining, as if to
infer many sexual partners, and the cups are partially filled
Thoth:
Long gilded vined and golden lotuses flow nectar into shining cups against a
bright blue sea. The card depicts the sun acting upon the element of Water due to
Tiphareth. “His fierce, but balanced power operates that type of putrefaction he is in the
Sign of Scorpio which is the basis of all fertility, all life.” (The Tarot of the Egyptians,
Aleister Crowley, 1944) This is followed by the incorrect position that the card is not
sexual, and that one must know and understand the true nature of the Eucharist to attain
the 9th degree in the OTO. What is this? The 9th degree supposedly involves interaction
with the vagina or menstrual fluid. I do not know anything about it personally, so we are
left to guess at it. Putrefaction in the female reproduction organs may represent the
postcoital state where the semen is left to its own devices in the vagina. The painting,
while lovely doesn’t make anything clearer and his words are rather thin.
In the hexagram we have #35 is said to represent
the rising sun, casting off mist and gaining strength through purification as it rises. It
represents an enlightened ruler who employs the services of a great man who is his
servant. The ruler is in the position of power, but lacks enough wisdom and knowledge to
manifest the world he envisions. He employs a superior man, a good man who is also a
sage and can aid the people and help advise on matters of the state. In the trigrams it is
the opposite elemental situation of the preceding card, Success. Here Fire is in the above,
and Earth is in the below. It may have gender specific correlations that should be
examined. In the bigrams a single Water element is below two Air elements.
Water of Sol indicates all of the fluid aspects of the Sun, such as magnetics, solar flares,
plasma, and light waves. Because Briah, or the Sun Worlds, is called Creation it
corresponds to Water, the basis for all life as we know it. It is in essence the sexual and
marital relationship of Fire and Water exalted. The tiered bigrams hint at progeny, as if
the single Water bigram was gestating twin Air. In the Twin Trees Temporals
arrangement the Father gives his daughters to the Mother and the Mother gives her sons
to the Father. This endless cycle is called the doctrine of the dying God and Goddess. It is
usually the God who is focused on as the renewed one but it takes place in all of the
elements.
Sol in Scorpio is focused and in control, and is intensely sexual, in correlation with the
Will of Heaven and the True Will. If representing a person they will be charismatic but
they must have things go their way with the goal being complete integration of all
elements within their world, and the world at large, although the tendency will be to
focus on immediate friends, family and work associates. This can actually lead to discord
if they are emotionally conflicted, for example if they covet another’s wife or husband, or
they hold onto old grudges.
The Scene:
I love m1thr0s, because to me he is my manifest divinity. God on Earth. To
say, there is no God above, that Man himself is God, invites us to experience God as
ourselves, as suitheists, as pagans without idols, only each other. This alone is The
Abrahadabra Institute’s only accounting of God that is appropriate or acceptable within
Logic or Reason. One may believe as they wish, but only this is true as clear as day, only
this is useful: “There is no God but Man”. This code, as incredible as it may actually
sound, advises us that, while spiritualism and traditional religions account for another
world beyond this, the truth is much more horrible, in that we’re residing in the only
world we’ll ever get. Horrible, because we’re ruining it. Some of us may never earn the
right to move beyond this planet, so that Earth is nicknamed “the rat trap” by us mages
who know about its slightly sinister qualities. Destroy them. This is our right, our divine
prerogative. The best way to do this is through sexual congress, in this sense we destroy
the evil intellect when the two become one, and they cannot retrieve their old self. This is
why prostitutes are sacred. This is why the French call orgasms “le petit morte” or, little
death. Real destruction happens at that moment. The whole chorus of chakras are
synchronizing and erasing bits of data. It’s hard to know what you’ll ever miss...you may
just change your whole personality overnight, with no one knowing the difference your
false self died! This happens quite often. I have heard stories that are quite drastic,
involving people who are complete assholes turning into normal human beings overnight.
The effects for a priestess are often quite the opposite pollution by males of the
incorrect current are to be avoided, and this pollution effect was the primary reason for
the sequestering of the Vestal virgins who were married to the Fire god. In many of the
priestess class temples of old around the world this same pattern developed. The
priestessshaman was held accountable for any mishaps involving the wrong sort of
interaction with males. Where multiple couplings with males was acceptable, what was
not was the coupling of a priestess with a strange male outside of the God’s sphere o f
influence. This is mainly found in the texts of Ancient Rome and Chung Kuo.
Each person is an individual and if one is upset or offended at my real occult talk then
they should check their premise. No one should force women to do anything, but as
individuals the quality of work of women priests is a concern.
As one might figure this image is of a female priestess engaging their God in sexual
intrercourse, the only truly authentic invocation that could possibly merit a response from
the God outside of innocence, death and sacrifice. In the world of symbols actions have
meaning and consequence despite all of the words and laws men may use to bind
themselves against these consequences. It is the most difficult and precarious operation
on Earth and the one that holds the most pleasure. There is no greater joy.
The fish are symbols of life, which is strong in the attributes of the corners. I didn't want
the deck to be pornographic, even though it features nudity, so the uncensored version
was edited with a strategically placed fish, and there are six of them for the six alembics.

This is a depiction of Kanaloa with modern archetypal underpinnings. The God is
depicted here with the Eye of Siva with the dark periwinkle blue skin of Vishnu, and he
has the cephalopod characteristics native to his holy symbol of the octupus. He is from a
class of Gods which were crassly disrupted and defamed by the totally evil and brainless
Christian missionaries. He was not originally cthonic but was demonized as such. They
stole our religion and our magic, our languages and way of life, but in turn it is we and
our God and Goddess who will destroy them. They will become on earth animals, and we
will eat their flesh, as the great God Ra Hoor Khut has promised us. Kanaloa is one half
of a dual God, the other aspect who shared his invocations being Kane, who is associated
with life, dawn and sun. One is light skinned, the other dark. it isn’t difficult to compare
them with the brothers black Krsna and white Balarama, who are two aspects of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. In their wandering and companionship, they are also
like Kukulkan and Tezcatlipoca, the Fool of the aTU in the MAT tarot. How auspicious
then that we have two Air elements in the tiered bigrams to represent the two brothers at
play above Maya (the ocean of illusion) The eyes of Kanaloa are like a bagua, but with
every side being the trigram of Heaven. This symbol is called the Eye of Kanaloa.
In the color palette you will find all of the colors leading up to 6, Tiphareth. The brilliant
yellow, salmon, gold and amber of Tiphareth is hidden within her. It is The Hermit
exalted.
The red head is considered the manifestation of Pele in Hawaii, but she is a normal
average human, symbolizing the indiscriminate Eld of the AllFather. Her hair is meant
to infer a connection to the goddess of volcanoes as “Every woman is Shakti, ever man is
Siva” as the old Tantric axiom goes.
Seven of Staves: Valor
Historical: Lord of Valour
Ruling Pentagram:
震
Pent #7 “Hidden” – Fire of (Chên) The Arousing, Thunder
Berashith: “and Elohim said “Let there be a raki’a””
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #25 ( wú wàng), Innocence (The Unexpected)
無妄
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Earth (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Venus (Netzach, Victory)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mars in Leo

Keywords:
Overcoming, Bracing, Movement, Courage, Passion, Brilliance, Dedication,
Enthusiasm, Innocence, Virtue, Harmony, Perseverence
Naivety, Harmlessness, Loss, Theft, Ineptitude
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Valour
Called The Seven of Swords, , The Seven of Swords card
corresponds to the planetary Mars and zodiacal Leo. It places at Sephira #7 (Netzach) in
the Golden Dawn system.
Four swords flank three swords that touch in the center of the card at their points. The
middle sword pierces The Rose. A hand is grasping it. There is a cloud in the
background.
Thoth:
The Seven a “weak, earthy, feminine number as regards the Tree of Life.”
summoning “the brutal energy of Mars”. This weird opinion of Seven explains why the
Chariot, numbered ATU 7 is so malformed and dorky in the Thoth and other decks.
Crowley’s repulsive attitude towards the Venus and the feminine is tiresome and
annoying. It is only in our understanding of his tortured psyche and our appreciation for
the rest of his work as an occultist that his opinions are not thrown out entirely. Seven
isn’t weak and all, it’s chaotic, unpredictable and mysterious, even to mathematicians.
The rest of his synopsis in The Tarot of the Egyptians is useless garbage, so he isn’t as
helpful as The Golden Dawn. The art itself is beautiful, but this is wholly due to Lady
Harris’s hand and certainly not Crowley’s gibberish.
Netzach is the place of Venus, the Goddess. Here
is where the masculine principle comes to meet the female in the three lower Sephiroth,
connecting to Tiphareth where the Sun and the child resides, Yesod the Foundation of
Man representing our inner potential and axiom “Male, Female Quintessential One”, the
center of the triangle of the Moon Worlds. Finally it connects to Malkuth, Kingdom.
Seven is a masculine number and is specially connected with the God the Father, as we
see revealed in the Proximity Principle that The Emperor chilling on the path from #7
weakness
Netzach to #9 Yesod. This is not a , it is his divine will and right. He is taking
care of his realm that’s his job. It is the mistake of the Gnostics to assume escaping and
transcending the world is somehow virtuous. God doesn’t run from the world, he seeks to
There is No God but Man
be down in it, to support it and engage with it. That is why . He
is here among us and in us. Those who wish to escape are mere cowards.
In the hexagram #25 we have the interesting Wu Wang, Innocence, also known as The
Unexpected. “
Under heaven thunder rolls: All things attain the natural state of innocence.
Thus the kings of old, Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time, Fostered and
nourished all beings.” (The I Ching, trans. Wilhelm/Baynes Princeton University Press
1967) What is innocence? It is the divine nature found in the young, the new, things,
people, animals that haven't been tainted by the world. The world has a decaying entropic
effect on things and new birth can reset everything. It is the very reason for death and
reincarnation. The shaman’s death which was discussed by Izi earlier in the Six of
Alembics can bring about this new birth and innocence. After a hard rainfall things
become new and fresh again. In the early shamanic practices of China storms were
utilized as a way to connect with the divine, so they were thought to carry the special
ability of Heaven to sanctify and purge evil, filling everything it touched with innocence,
a kind of young energy that carries the power to fulfill wishes in concord with divine law.
Storms can be scary though, and one has to be brave in order to withstand fleeing or
avoiding the energy.
The words seem to encourage us to be protective of life and the people the image of
legendary and mythical rulers like King Arthur, Fu Hsi, Robin Hood, Raven, Gudea,
Solomon and other benevolent male rulers are fitting to the hexagram. We are meant to
aspire to their example and protect innocence which goes hand in hand with the
unexpected. Bravery is important here, desires to be chivalrous and honorable mean
nothing if one flees at the first sight of danger or lacks the fortitude to carry through with
difficult tasks requiring courage. This is what is meant by the Innocence line found in the
Judgement “If one is not as one should be, nothing furthers” a coward and someone
lacking honor and inner strength of will cannot succeed here. Therefore the card’s
meaning will be different depending on the individual and its placement.
The tiered bigrams reveal a strong Fire principle in the above with Air and Earth in the
below, as if the Father has his two small children, a boy and a girl following him. Heaven
above Thunder indicates a dangerous situation which the power of Heaven is controlling.
One must be in concordance with the will of Heaven or nothing furthers. Heaven likes
good, forthright, honorable and innocent people who are good, creative or beneficial to
universe.
Fire of Venus hints at a surprising angle: the love and lust between Father Sky and
Mother Earth, or Fire and Earth, where he is doing her some favor, extricating her from a
bad situation, destroying those who would harm her, or some such scenario. The opposite
is not true from the other aspects: Fire of Venus is the consort of The Goddess.
Hephaestus and not Mars in this case. He is the intelligent and holistic Father God, not
the darkened Son Mars or airy Mercury. Mars of Leo confuses things a bit as it seems
contrary at first, but then we remember the nature of the male lion at war is always to
protect his females or his progeny and this extends to his seed as he will kill other cubs
upon taking over a pride with a few limited exceptions.
The pentagram in name “Hidden” reinforces the idea of the powers of the unexpected.
The thought of the secret powers known by occultists around the globe is terrifying to
most people, and absolutely real. In the case of the evil, their terror is justified. Father
Nature is much more intelligent than a lion and unforgiving, despite what all the
Christians yammer on about, as if there will be mercy for child rapists or serial murderers
who kill for sport. The card is dangerous in this case for the evil, again it will be entirely
situational depending on your spread and the persons involved.
In the scene itself we have an ordeal resembling a spirit wolf guarding an eternal flame.
The flame is Venusian and the wolf is Martian. IT may be a spoiler but let’s just say there
upright
is very little to fear at all here for the good
and . However, there a good amount of
people who are cowards. The card will mean little to them. The shaman’s death may
await the reciever it is difficult to say. The flame is Venus, in a form all knows and
loves the star splendour, her pussy which gives birth to the sun god, Ra.
The Scene:
“Something ominous, maybe a forest, and something primeval that
represents innocence and valour at the same time” m1thr0s had said to me. I didn’t know
what else could be appropriate but a wolf and and the forest. The hot pink purple of the
mysterious light, the spirit of the forest, was meant to call to mind the line in the Book of
the Law where Hadit reminds us that he is present even if we cannot see him purple
beyond purple, the light higher than eyesight. (A Comment on the Verses of the Book of
the Law, D.G. Mattichak JR.) I grew up with wolves, they crawled on me and slept with
me in bed, we ate next to each other on the floor, we raced and hunted together, and
shared a mother together. They do not scare me at all. I suppose that will be a problem for
some people.
Seven of Blades: Futility
Historical: Lord of Unstable Effort
Ruling Pentagram:
震
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #26 ( dà chù), The Taming Power of the Great
大畜
Tiered Bigrams: Air (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Venus (Netzach, Victory)
Planet/Sun Sign: Luna in Aquarius

Keywords:
Inaction, Desisting, Travelling, Public Office, Accumulating, Scrutiny
Blindness, Rashness, Bad Timing, Irresponsibility,
Forgetfulness, Lack of Foresight
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Unstable Effort,
Called The Seven of Swords, The Seven of
Swords card corresponds to the planetary Luna and the zodiacal Aquarius. It places at
Sephira #7 (Netzach) in the Golden Dawn system.
A hand holds a single large sword that pierces The Rose. The other swords surround it,
with two very large curved blades representing Aquarius and Luna on their hilts.
Thoth:
A pretty looking blue card, but not an auspicious one, this card depicts more of
those origami shuriken looking structures no one ever bothers to explain (probably
because they are quite meaningless) Crowley acknowledges the status of Venus as the
one who rules victory in war, despite his previous and unfair damnation of seven in the
prior suite. The description found in The Tarot of the Egyptians about the Seven of
Swords is of an impotent force vacillating and compromising, with appeasement and
feebleness reigning all around between one strong sword and a weak mob of others.
The hexagram follows on the heels of the
previous suite. It is #26, The Taming Power of the Great. The situation is one in which a
force is held back due to restraint. The tameness is due to a moral compass or respect for
the weak and innocent despite some wrongdoing. The strong line at the top of the
Hexagram is a sage line, honored by the other lines two Yin and three Yang. It
encourages the reader to circulate, improve one’s self and be engaged with society in
general. Society in this case is good and in concordance with the Will of Heaven, it
wouldn’t do to live the life of a Hermit as is necessary in evil times. This is a time of
prosperity and enlightenment, and this idea is reinforced by Air of Venus and Luna in
Aquarius. The people feel free to prosper because they are left alone to do as they like
within the constraints of justice, instead of that of societal expectations. There is no
inquisition of the Dark Ages of the Catholics, nor even a hint of this. It is a scenario in
which the passage of every star remains unmolested one is allowed to do their will
without harassment.
What does this mean for our suspicious looking man? He is the ruler and has access to
immense power given to him by the people, but he does not use it. Instead he leaves them
alone. The card’s meaning will generally involve letting something or someone be. This
is the wise choice. However, it does not mean that he has given up his power. In the
bigrams we have a situation in which he is only letting things be for now. In a weak or
afflicted placement, the meaning may be that he is a ruler who is not being strong or hard
enough on wrongdoers, but this is exceptionally rare. It may also warn caution in a
situation which seems like it may be treading on a serpent’s tail.
The Scene:
Perhaps by now you’ve realized my weird rambling isn’t meant to help you
read the cards, only to interpret their origins. Intuitively one may think this is helpful but
it is not, unless you share the Secret Psychic Omniscient Grid Connection. Just
™
kidding, of course. This card was begun midway, early on in the deck’s construction. It’s
another game portrait, from my selftaught days. It’s a weird one in a sense because I
didn’t much care about the player or character I did it for. However I was obsessed with
him and it in some way, inexplicably, mainly over his name Mekthros. What of it? Well
it was too similar to m1thr0s and I think it was my higher self’s drive interpreted wrongly
by my body (brain). It was made long before I knew m1thr0s, how in the actual fuck
could it look just like him? He even owns a long black wool cloak (as all Satanists and
lefthand pathers must). There are no answers. Later on in response to the revelation of
similarity and synchronicity I would add a naga to the scene representing myself. It was
originally a fiery background, the character Mekthros was some villain who set fire to a
town (I believe it was full of halflings, so it goes) This naga is found on the 8 of
Alembics. If you put the two together it forms a scene, and then perhaps it becomes clear:
he is the naga and his black coils are stretched along the two parts of the scene. Balarama
the white skinned brother of Krsna, the “original Krsna” as Sri Prahbupad liked to put it,
and the black Ananta, serpent outside of time. Shesha Ananta never incarnates, ever, so
he is especially holy. Balarama is only a tiny aspect of him. This is saying something
considering he is very powerful. By the elements he is of the Black Prince, the sinister
warrior son of the mother. This can cause some worrisome effects but his dedication and
chivalry are admirable. Morgrim and Lancelot are both opposite extremes of this
archetype. Another example is Darth Vader, still another, Satan, especially connected to
Lilith.

Seven of Pentacles: Failure
Historical: Lord of Success Unfulfilled
Ruling Pentagram:
震
升
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #46 ( shēng), Pushing Upward
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Air (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Venus (Netzach, Victory)
Planet/Sun Sign: Saturn in Taurus
Keywords:
Smallness, Humility, Sincerity, Repentance, Loyalty, Dedication
Sadness, Submission, Loneliness, Yearning, Longing
Interpretations

Golden Dawn: Lord of Success Unfulfilled,
Called The Seven of Pentacles, the The
Seven of Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacal Taurus and
places at Sephira #7 (Netzach) in the Golden Dawn system.
A hand in a cloud grasps the thorny stems of unopened blossoms.
Thoth:
Creeping mothlike antennae or palm fronds in a sick blue grey color embrace
purple and silver disks with a pink glow. Alternatively attractive and repulsive, they are
meant to represent bad money weakened by Venus and Netzach. Because womynkind are
bad, mmkay? Seriously though at this point if one hasn’t become entirely bored of the
Gnostic smacktalk permeating the Thoth, then one should probably favor it instead, as
there is nothing Gnostic whatsoever about The Mutational Alchemy tarot. Our perfected
universe requires economic elegance, and before we have even done it, dismissing the
feminine as unnecessary is wrong and an insult to Nature. Nothing at all is unnecessary,
although perhaps it is set against one thing or another in war. But this denial of Nature’s
perfection and economic brilliance is exactly what Crowley espouses, time and time
again, until the tantricists become quite sick to death of it if they bother with Western
magick at all (many of them do not, instead limiting themselves to Eastern magick and
metaphysics).
First of all the hexagram is #46, Pushing
Upwards, the image of wood pushing up through Earth. Here the feminine is
strengthening the life in its grasp, quite the opposite of tradition. There is danger here, if
the journey is too far or it is trampled on, the little plant will fail. This is the meaning of
the 7 of Pentacles, a dangerous journey or risky venture. In the end the payoffs are worth
it. The tiered bigrams reflect the previous 7 of Blades, with Water, the Mother being
follows by two children. Instead of the Black Prince we have the femme fatale or sinister
mistress of magick in the situation. Earth in the above and Wood in the below is also a
reference to the cthonic Gods whom she protects with her body: Hades, Ningishzidda,
Satan, Yama,
In the element of Earth of Venus we have the powerful sexuality of the planet expressed
in its most material form. Sensuality, lust and death, alongside Saturn in Taurus, a slow
plodding and torturously drawn out ordeal. It may not exactly be a Russian movie but it
will sure be close. The situation will arrive at perfect justice and perfect satisfaction
eventually. The key elements here are the symbol of the land and the feminine, a divine
queen of princess or something, a representative of Earth in Venus. Then there’s Saturn
in Taurus, a slow, longlived, stubborn, slightly cruel, sinister and perfectly just
intelligence of natural law the dragon was a perfect match.
Dragons are often shown in the most stupidest of circumstances, being ridden on by a
knight, or being attacked by a knight, generally things dragons really have no interest in
or business with. Dragons are symbols of Fire and Air, by their polarity they will be
interested in females of any kind Water and Earth the female elements, which is why
Dragons are shown as obsessed with Gold or in the ocean and then real females, which
is why they are shown being given unmarried girls as a way to pacify them.
The Scene:
The Dragon wins. The Dragon always wins because he or she knows how to
play the Long Game versus the short game. The Knight in Shining Armor winning the
battle is and always was a myth, born of the shortsighted fear of mortals. There are many
dead men on the floor of the cavern, victims to their own pride and prejudice. The maiden
represents the Venusian ideal, the righteousness of Man on earth is and always will be
focused on the Goddess, and so she plays a central part in this card, a warning to those
who would make Life something which it is not. Life is both the powerful and vengeful
Dragon and the gentle and completely beautiful maiden, they are the same being here. If
this is forgotten then all is lost in our lives.
The deity represented is DeityGreatOceanPossessor or Luminous Being Ryūjin. The
skulls are the dead men who dare to offend the Dragon. The woman is one of the ladies
he rescued from drowning who lives with him in the imperial city below the waves. She
is crowning him with a crown with all of the colors of the elements on it. It’s a symbolic
gesture, meant to signify his royal status, her ability to grant kingship as the
representative of the element of Earth, and of his dominion over the five elements as a
Magus.

Seven of Alembics: Debauch
Historical: Lord of Illusionary Success
Ruling Pentagram:
震
萃
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #45 ( cuì), Gathering Together (Massing)
Tiered Bigrams: Earth (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Venus (Netzach, Victory)
Planet/Sun Sign: Venus in Scorpio
Keywords:
Trickery, Subterfuge, Underworld, Manipulation, Temptation, War,
Femininity, Hypnotic, Seductive, Attraction, Choices, Fantasy, Drunken, Misogyny,
Squandered oppurtunities, Deception in Love and Friendship,
Submission, Trapped, Suffocating, Languishing, Desire, Lust,
Vanity
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Illusionary Success
Called The Seven of Cups , the Seven of Cups
card corresponds to the planetary Venus and zodiacal Scorpio and places at Sephira #7
(Netzach) in the Golden Dawn system. Its angelic rulers are Melchel and Chahaviah.
A hand holds the stems growing out of one of the lower cups. The lotuses are drooping
over the cups but no liquid flows from them into the empty cups.
Thoth:
Called the Seven of Cups, Crowley once again begins his emotional terrorism of
explaining how naughty Netzach is, how she gets more dick than he does, how she
doesn’t appreciate those dicks as much as he does, and la de da de da…he may as well be
the poster child for fag hag draaamaaa. He gets much more worked up about this one than
usual it is the element of Water, the Mother, after all aka Fire’s best and only true
consort and lover. From a Mutational Alchemy perspective Man is neither male nor
female elementally we’re an admixture of both, so there is no need for this jealous
hysteria. It’s unusual to see a normally intelligent person lose his shit so completely over
something like this. I have to wonder if he’s just subconsciously upset he didn’t catch the
Emperor problem, since it is so closely connected to Netzach’s station and behavior. He
admits the root of his psychological problems at the end of the short paragraph: “Lose
direct touch with Kether, the Highest; diverge never so little from the delicate balance of
the Middle Pillar; at once the holiest mysteries of Nature become the obscene and
shameful secrets of a guilty conscience.” Poor poor Victorian England Crowley.
The hexagram is #45, Gathering Together. The
dangers of the unexpected lurk during a time of calm or prosperity. A man is advised to
assemble and prepare his weapons. Perhaps this will be friends, family or money,
disguises, actual guns, swords, hatchets and vehicles, or psychological weapons:
meditation, neurolinguistic programming and information. The unexpected danger can
come from enemies but it is useful to remember one’s greatest enemy can be one’s own
mind. So it is the aspects that drive us away from the path of our True Will are
represented by vices. In moderation these things are alright, but over time and in certain
cases they can attend failure.
In the tiered bigrams we have a Water element below Air and Earth, as if a superior
female is being exhausted by immature elements (in a reading this may literally mean
children and a mother). In the trigrams, Earth below Lake. This is the image of the earth
collecting water. The lesser elements are drawn to the Earth like it is the mother. So it is
one has made a place for danger to nest in his own domain and being. (Water is
dangerous in traditional Chinese attributions).
Water of Venus amplifies the planet’s seductive characteristics. Hypnotic, alluring and
desperately attractive are few key words relevant to her. Venus in Scorpio adds “fatale”
to the femme character, and we find that not only may there be a stinger at the other end
of this delightful thing. At the very least one is cautioned to proceed carefully.
The Scene:
My trout mermaid, my trout mermaid! I asked m1thr0s what he thought was
a sort of ugly fish to use as a mermaid. When the mermaids show up in the deck they
always represent a personification of water relating to royalty, such as the Melusine. I
watched a video in which some Wiccan was complaining that mermaids shouldn’t go in
“witch” themed tarot packs because they were not witchy enough. I can’t think why not,
if the pentacle can. They are an ancient part of the human experience and should be
treated for what they are undine symbols of the ocean, Tiamat and Apsu, liquid and
Venus and so on. And little girls often love mermaids, who is to argue with the
personification of the goddess? It’s also a strange piece of lore that women make much
better fishermen, on account of fish being naturally attracted to young women.
This mermaid is quite sinister. m1thr0s thinks trouts are ugly and I don’t. Of all the river
fish the trout is actually the prettiest and the smartest. But he likes catfish and their fancy
relatives the Koi, so there is no accounting for taste. However the trout skin on her makes
this one look particularly ugly and her bald head and red eyes don’t help. Her herd of
undead zombies are the souls of those she has lured to their doom with her offerings of
Religion, Entertainment, Drama, Death, Murder, Food and Money.
Perhaps the city in the background is responsible for this escaped genetic experiment. It
is meant to represent the hexagram Massing Together.
Eight of Staves: Swiftness
Historical: Lord of Swiftness
Ruling Pentagram:
坤
Pent #8 “Perfect” – Fire of (K’un) The Receptive, Earth
Berashith: “and Elohim made the raki’a”
否
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #12 ( pǐ), Standstill (Stagnation)
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Mercury (Hod, Splendor)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mercury in Sagittarius
Keywords:
Velocity, Vibes, Superlight, Electromagnetics, True Will
Weak Signal,
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Swiftness
Called The Eight of Wands , the Eight of Wands card
corresponds to the planetary Mercury and zodiacal Sagittarius. It places at Sephira #8
(Hod) in the Golden Dawn system.
Four spirit hands grasping two flaming arrowheadtipped wands each issue from clouds.
Two separate wands are also pictured at the top and bottom of the card.
Thoth:
Called the Eight of Wands, Swiftness, the card is meant to represent the
vibrating, sustaining and electrical energy that constitutes matter itself. “The Vibe” as it
is called is attributed to the nature of this card. It is fast and furthermore, flameless,
unlike the Golden Dawn version.. There is a communicative property, as it carries the
original Will of Logos and manifests geometric form.
The hexagram is #12, Standstill or Stagnation, and
this doesn’t appear to fit with the title of the card. Heaven is in the above and Earth in the
below, the opposite of an auspicious union. Considering that the purpose of Swiftness as
described by Crowley is to bring “down from Chokmah the message of the original Will”
and it is a swift electromagnetic force that can pierce through matter and cover great
distances in a speed beyond that of light, then we may be looking at a situation which
describes light piercing the darkness to manifest Will even in situations that seem
hopeless or where our refuge seems far away. For the religious this can be God, for the
irreligious, Science or home. The text of the Image states: “
Heaven and earth do not
unite: “The image of STANDSTILL. Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner
worth In order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with
revenue.” This inner worth is the vibrating inner True Will of Mercury described in
Aleister Crowley’s The Tarot of the Egyptians.
Fire of Mercury is ethereal and fragile, but also quite potent. Mercury in Sagittarius
points to a precise and fast warrior energy that may not be present constantly but will
move as quick as lightning to respond to crisis. It is important to note it may only respond
to crisis and so once this is understood the language by which one may call it down is
legible.
The Pentagram reflects the Hexagram! This is unusual and exciting. it means the systems
are working together despite being separated by millenia and thousands of miles. Truly
there is no better evidence for LogosMercury than this. Furthermore the text from
Berashith indicates a distancing between Heaven and Earth in the creation of the ra’kia or
firmament.
The Scene:
The Raven and the Eagle are meant to represent power and wisdom or
intelligence, as well as the winged airy nature of Mercury. The auspicious knot is made
of serpents, because m1thr0s wanted both. He was very surprised when I made an
auspicious knot out of serpents and even got the weaving pattern correct. Each has one
foot drawn up, ready to take flight at a moment’s notice, and they are anchored in
Heaven. The nebulous background is meant to represent Heaven, which sends forth this
power.
Eight of Blades: Interference
Historical: Lord of Shortened Force
Ruling Pentagram:
坤
泰
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #11 ( tài), Peace (Harmony)
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Mercury (Hod, Splendor)
Planet/Sun Sign: Jupiter in Gemini
Keywords:
Change, Undisciplined Thinking, Future Benefit, Thwarted, Mishap
Success in Evil Matters, a Draw, Imperceptible Beginning of
Ascent
Interpretations
Golden Dawn
: Lord of Shortened Force
Called The Eight of Swords, , The Eight of
Swords card corresponds to the planetary Jupiter and the zodiacal Gemini. It places at
Sephira #8 (Hod) in the Golden Dawn system.
Swords all converge, crossing each other to touch The Rose without harming it. A banded
half circle is seen in the background.
Thoth:
Swords of different kinds cross over a background of orange static filled purple
and pink. The different swords represent certain cults. Sadly Crowley doesn’t bother to
reveal which cult belongs to what sword, he only tells us each has a country. Hod
represents the undisciplined to him, and Jupiter in Gemini salvages the weak thinking.
Hexagram #11, T’ai, or Peace is the opposite of
the next Hexagram which is applied to the previous Eight, the Eight of Staves. In this
hexagram we have a situation where Heaven is under the Earth, this implies that the
ra’kia extends all the way below the Earth (extending up and coming at us from behind)
and the universe is as suspected, toroidal in nature like the Ouroboros serpent and the
Taoist symbol for Tao.
In the bigrams we have a single Earth element sandwhiched between Water in the above
and Fire in the below, as if to say, “Yes, that’s it exactly!” to our theory. The trigrams
represent the (sexual) union of Heaven and Earth and are considered to be most
auspicious, it is also called The Dragon in the Field.
Air is exalted in Mercury, though few authors note it. The cleverness will have a focus on
economics and may seem cruel or even sadistic, but it has a good purpose somewhere. If
it is an event it will happen unexpectedly and suddenly, as if out of nowhere. This can be
annoying if one can’t see the reason for it, and one probably will not. In the example
shown here it is the dinosaurs who are demolished to make way for birds.
Jupiter in Gemini is auspicious, commonly considered the best aspect of our card, but not
the only one as we have seen. Generally speaking this is a good card, and may indicate
that an ill omen is actually good. Contrary to popular opinion, not all bad things have a
silver lining, but when Interference shows up, it means it does.
The Scene:
I was obsessed with dinosaurs from a young age, and I don’t know why.
Tyrannosaurus rex and Archaeopteryx lithographica are two species found in the late
Cretaceous strata, at the point of the Mesozoic extinction event.
The coloring of the feathers on the Archaeopteryx needed to be invented, and so the
plumage pattern of Alopochen aegyptiacus was used, the Nile Goose, who is the
symbolic bird of Geb, the consort of Nut and cthonic God of the earth.
The Tyrannosaurus is shown in skeletal silhouette, representing the extinction, while the
Archaeopteryx flies ahead, into the blood red miasma of future evolution. They are linked
together by the glowing green light symbolic of the Will of Heaven inferred to as an As
Above, So Below phenomenon in 8 of Staves, Swiftness.
The lady figure was added much much later as a symbol of Nature personified as a
woman which is a common belief even amongst the secular. She has the star filled body
of Nuit.

Eight of Pentacles: Prudence
Historical: Lord of Prudence
Ruling Pentagram:
坤
Element/Planet: Earth of Mercury, (Hod, Splendor)
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
泰
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #11 ( tài) Peace (Harmony)
Planet/Sun Sign: Sol in Virgo

Keywords:
Harmonizing, Caution, Economics, Balancing the Books, Anyalysis, Trying
for a Baby, Arranged Marriage or Marriage of Convenience, a Fertile Man or Woman,
Prime of Life, Wisdom
Uncertainty, Hesitation, Poor Timing, Miserliness,
Micromanaging
Interpretations
Golden Dawn:
Called The Eight of Pentacles, The Lord of Prudence, the Eight of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Sol and the zodiacal Virgo and places at
Sephira #8 (Hod) in the Golden Dawn system.

A hand holds the stem of a rose rising under a rayed disc set amidst pentacles.
Thoth:
Called the Eight of Disks, it represents the spiritual aspect of Mercury. To
Crowley it meant “the turn of the tide” and “the lowest fallen and therefore the highest
exalted” (There’s the theory of the Ouroboros universe again.) He suggests the card is
connected to the geomantic figure Populus. The gaudy tree is thick and leafy like
broccoli, and it owns enormous bright purple flowers with orange and yellow pistels with
a green center. The symbol for Sol is at the top.
The hexagram #11 is part of a set of reciprocal
inverses at Hod. These are all on a Sephiroth in the Temporals arrangement, but not on
the Primordials arrangement which is what The Mutational Alchemy Tarot is based on.
The Hexagram is one of the most auspicious symbols in the Changes, representing a time
in which the rich and powerful aid the poor and weak, and the lowly promote peace and
harmony in the whole society. It can be likened to the tilling of soil as well.
In the trigrams we have Heaven in the below and Earth in the above is likened to the
bright and powerful Yang force fucking Earth in their loveplay. It is sometimes called
Dragon in the Field. It should be noted that Aleister Crowley states “also the Virgin Earth
awaiting the Phallic Plough” (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Crowley, 1944)
In Earth of Mercury we have intellectual drive and ambition paired with fine logic and
high morals. Sol in Virgo indicates sexuality and repose that produces fruitful results.
Like all of the Eights it has the Pentagram called “Perfect” which is a strange coincidence
with the Hexagram on no less than two of the cards. Strange coincidences are all over this
pack.
The Scene:
This is a picture of a friend of mine who experienced an awakening in which
the God Ningishzidda talked to her. She contacted me out of nowhere as a stranger,
because the God told her to. I had the same experience a continent away. Sadly instead of
listening to what he told her she chose to deny the experience and went on about her life
and has experienced nothing but disappointment. I listened to him and have experienced a
lot of enjoyment and my wishes in life have been fulfilled. She is a very pretty woman
but I don’t keep in contact with her very much. I think that she is afraid of the occult and
facing that side of herself. I see people fail in their True Will all the time because of fear.
They think they can escape their destiny or True Will but they only put it off for another
lifetime. I did experience apprehension and wished that I had not been contacted by him a
few times in the months following my experience, but this soon passed with healthier
thinking and a change of my mental conditioning and bad behaviors.
I painted this card and a few years later she became what I had envisioned a student
with a business major! I don’t know anything about Ningishzidda’s plans for her, but I’m
sure they involved something great. We shouldn’t ignore our destinies even if they take
us into scary places.
The character in the card is the magistrate of a spaceport on a planet run by humans. The
spaceport is in a hostile enviroment and it requires smart and prudent management. She
keeps track of her kingdom on her data pad and with the help of her technology, in this
case droids. The sun is rising representing order controlling chaos of night, and the
buildings in the background protect the contents and inhabitants inside from an
inhospitable atmosphere. The window to the desert scene runs into the walls of the cliff,
signifying harmony with the enviroment. The clean and simple lines of her glass desk and
chair represent austerity and simplicity at the zen heart of prudence. Also in the shape of
the spider droid we have a reference to the weaver, and the patience of the spider which
results in profit.
Eight of Alembics: Indolence
Historical: Lord of Abandoned Success
Ruling Pentagram:
坤
否
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #12 ( pǐ), Standstill
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Mercury (Hod, Splendor)
Planet/Sun Sign: Saturn in Pisces
Keywords:
Poison, Disease, Addiction, Choices, Warning, Consequences, Bad Social
Influence, Ideology, Religion, Politics, Ideas, Miserable People, Sadness Brought On by
Chemicals, Imbalance, Judiciary Proceedings, Bad Medicine, Bad Science, Ill
Reputation, Sadness, Denial
Temptation, Ideas not Well Thought Out, Lack of Logic,
Horniness, Poor Hygiene, Bad Diet, Intestinal Problems, Dehydration, Enabling
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Abandoned Success
Called The Eight of Cups , the Eight of Cups
card corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacal Pisces. It is associated with the
angels Vavaliah and Yelahiah and places at Sephira #8 in the Golden Dawn system.
All of the cups are empty, save for two, which are only half filled by the nearly empty
lotuses.
Thoth:
Called the Eight of Cups, the scene is the badlands, but not just a normal
badlands, he tells us there is poison and disease here. Furthermore he calls it “the German
Measles of Christian Mysticism”. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds gross and
bad. The scene is grotesque. Black pools of water spread across the land, covered by a
black sky, and worse yet, the cups are a nauseating flesh color. The water appears clear,
and the lotuses have a terrifying black and hairy center. It’s all very unappealing. The
cups are “shallow, old and broken” (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Aleister Crowley, 1944)
The hexagram here is #12, part of the reciprocal
inverse pair that is seated at Hod. The lone Fire element at the top of the tiered bigrams is
approached by Air and Water. It is the image of a family here, in the trigrams we have
Heaven in the above, Earth in the below, an inauspicious sign generally speaking
representing a stationary Earth unable to easily reach the distant and departing Heaven.
The image is one of immoveable stagnation, absolutely appropriate to the traditional
attributes of the card called Indolence or Lord of Abandoned Success. Superior persons
must go into hiding, as if a great disaster has befallen humanity, such as a plague driven
apocalypse or an evil government ruled by small minded people. The bigrams hint at
finding solace in the family unit itself.
In Water of Mercury we have the Hermes planet’s more sinister intellectual qualities
taking wing. It may be that these will be necessary in the trying times of the 8 of
Alembics. Saturn in Pisces is deathly foreboding, and it indicates a time of purging and
trial for all. The card is quite deserving of its reputation and may also indicate physical
literal poison. This may be deliberate poisoning or ambient accidental poisoning, such as
pollution or lead poisoning. It may merely be alcohol or cigarettes. The sky reflects the
color scale of Queen 23, relating to Eris, seagreen.
Overall this is a bad card, when it shows up someone is being scolded for damaging one’s
self through indolence. They are thwarting their True Will and it can lead to death.
Sometimes it is better that one dies than to drag on through life refusing to fulfill the
reason for which they came here. This card is therefore a portent of Death if one falls too
far from the Way.
The Scene:
Like the Seven of Blades, Futility, this girl is part of an original painting
which featured a pair of individuals burning down a city. They are naughty nagas. The
serpent in the black liquid is part of her lover, who is a long black naga. The crystal cup
is meant to represent the pure cup from which one may redeem one’s self from all the
wretchedness of the poisonous substance, perhaps it is merely water or it is a choice to
leave a bad toxic situation. The interpretation is left for the read to decide. She holds two
purple flames in her hands, as if to indicate the volatility of the situation, at any minute it
could all go up in smoke, if that liquid is oil. Perhaps it isn’t, maybe it’s just blackberry
pancake syrup...Everything will kill you these days right?
Nine of Staves: Strength
Historical: Lord of Great Strength
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
Pent #9 “Pure” – Air of (Ch’ien) The Creative, Heaven
Berashith: “And Elohim called to the ra’kai”
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #9 ( xiǎo chù), The Taming Power of the Small
小畜
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Earth (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Luna (Yesod, Foundation)
Planet/Sun Sign: Luna in Sagittarius

Keywords:
Lofty, High Minded, Benevolence, Science, Strong Intelligence, Keen
Newbie, Mulling, Nihilism, Intellectual Depression, Stuck in
a Rut, a Poor Scholar, Lack of Education
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Great Strength,
Called The Nine of Wands The Nine of Wands
card corresponds to the planetary Luna and the zodiacal Sagittarius and places at Sephira
#9 (Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system.
Eight crossed wands over a single primary wand are decorated with bird skulls, suns,
flowers and arrow heads imply strength of life. the bottom of the wands are also
decorated, with feathers, serpents, discs and feathers.

Thoth:Rich red arrows cross over a doublewand capped with a crescent moon and a
solar disc. The card is called 9 of Staves, Strength. It has an almost tribal feel to it, like an
American Indian or Celtic design. The arrows are all capped with crescent moons for
points. The background is black. "The Nine may be considered as the best that can be
obtained from the type involved, regarded from a practical and material standpoint." (The
Tarot of the Egyptians, Aleister Crowley, 1944) He states the energy is directed
downwards.
In Mutational Alchemy, fiery energy directed
downwards is called Heaven Descending, or the *Descending Serpent*. The *Ascending
Serpent* is called Earth Ascending and relates to the doctrine of the Kundalini Shakti.
In the tiered bigrams we have two fire elements below and above the single Earth
element, indeed a fitting picture for *Earth Ascending*. In the trigrams of the hexagram,
which is #9 The Taming Power of the Small, we have Heaven in the below, Sun, The
Gentle, Wind in the above. The image is lofty, serene and good. It is an image of Heaven
being active and focused. Indeed the pictograms look like a face with a wizard or
thinking cap on.
In Fire of Luna we have lots of fiery lunar creative energy flowing, and Luna in
Sagittarius makes for an enlightened and futuristic philosopher with an eye towards
uplifting the people. If drawn in the case of a person it will often be a scholar of some
kind. They will follow a moral code and shun falsehood.
The pentagram is called Pure and relates to the communication between Elohim and the
ra’kai, )often translated as firmament). As Air of Heaven it certainly corresponds
perfectly to the hexagram which is Wind over Heaven. The Pentagram will have an airy
and intellectual stance, and also be the source of great strength.
Generally speaking it will always be a good omen, and represent internal strength of
mind primarily.
The Scene:
The great legendary Fu Hsi who may or may not be an individual or a pack
of sages, is shown here, gazing at a version of the famous Lo Shu tortoise as if
contemplating its meaning. This tortoise came out of the River Lo and inspired and
spawned the Changes, the trigrams and bigrams, the Lo Shu, and everything else
pertaining to ancient China’s amazing mathematical systems of binary and trinary
structures. The tortoise is standing on an astrolabe, a device used to chart stars found in
the Imperial court and in the houses of scholars all over Chung Kuo. He is wearing a
necklace representing wisdom and a red robe symbolizing his auspiciousness. He is
holding a map representing science in his left hand, and a staff representing occult
wisdom in the other. In the background is the similarly mythical Shangrila. It is up high
in the mountains like the airy and lofty hexagram. The dragon tortoise carries a golden
pearl in its mouth.

Nine of Blades: Cruelty
Historical: Lord of Despair & Cruelty
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
履
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #10 ( lǚ), Treading (Conduct)
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Air (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Luna (Yesod, Foundation)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mars in Gemini
Keywords:
Great Advantage Over an Enemy, Will Overcoming Lower Self, Fighting
With the Pen not the Sword, Truth is Heresy, Noncompliance, Internet, Internet Business,
Libel, A Hacker, a Phreaker
Gossip, Petty Namecalling, Slow Internet, Network Issues, a
Lousy Web Admin
Interpretations
Golden Dawn:
Called The Nine of Swords, Lord of Despair and Cruelty, the Nine of
Swords card corresponds to the planetary Mars and zodiacal Gemini and places at
Sephira #9 (Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system.
A large curved blade crisscrossed with the rest of the swords is piercing through or
across a flaming disc in the middle of the card.
Thoth:
Called the 9 of Swords, Cruelty,The Thoth deck rides along on the theory that
the Suite of Air is constantly degenerating on its descent, which is correct, but this is so
that it can rectify error. There is no mistake here, but Crowley insists that it is somehow
God’s mistake, revealing his persistent Gnostic background. We disagree on this, but it is
no matter, as the suite’s names and nature at least are fairly spot on even in Tantra.
Psychopaths, fanatics and the primitive he says are ruled by this card alone, and jagged
rusty swords drip poison and blood on the scene. He encourages us to give up and resist
passively or die like a martyr, as the only successful way to deal with the card’s energy.
Here the suite has degenerated into lacking
pleasantries
, but it is still all Logos and all Business. The male principles cannot be
diminished if they are real. If they can be weakened they are not a standard of
masculinity that we can uphold. Here Air is feminized in the form of Bhagalamukhi, the
Lady of Magick and Torture. Literally “She Who Stops the Tongue” the control over the
fleshly bits which control intellect and speech are hers, and this is perfectly a match for
the attributes of sinister Air. It is notable her name equals 11, like Abrahadabra and
Ningishzidda. The demon is also hers, a worshipper. In this scene we have a very lofty
and holy aspect of the goddess, as she is one of the ten Mahavidyas, and this is in
correspondence with the tetractys as well, because there are ten Mahavidyas. The holy
aspect paired with the sinister qualities of punishment and torture stand grossly in
contrast with more traditional religious systems which vilify all sinister aspects of the
divine and emphasize only the most sentimental of the good qualities. The loss of
liveliness in deity is tragic, and its loss in the tarot is felt doubly so. This is the enemy of
Tantra, and why Tantra has stood against the people now for hundreds and hundreds of
There is No God but Man
years. There is no conflict between the axiom and the view of
deity which accepts dark and light aspects as in Tantra. It is vehemently opposed to
Gnostic and the more aggressive Right Hand Path ideologies.
In the bigrams we have two Fire elements with an Air element in the center. This is an
frenetically active card underneath the veneer of the hexagram Lu, Treading #10. It is one
of the judgements which refers to treading on the tail of the tiger: “
TREADING.
Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man. Success.” The image calls us
to fortify the thinking of the people. Is this not the virtue of Air? In the trigrams is
Heaven over Lake. It describes a situation in which we should strive to ascend, but
Heaven is far away and the Lake provides no foothold. The power of levity must be
harnessed and mastered. This is the nature of Air. To let go of our petty concerns, our
bleeding heart mental illness, our wrongheaded desire to help everything and everywhere
in ways that actually make the situation in the universe worse these are underlined by
the virtues of the Air element. The Jen principle comes into play at the highest echelons
of Air and Earth. What appears cruel to one is deliverance for another more advanced
mind.
Air of Luna is eerie and alien. The powers of both are strange to the uninitiated when
taken to their extreme. There is no error in the ways of the elements however, and as
magicians we ought not to be satisfied with the people’s opinion of the ethereal. To be
more than human to be a star is our ultimate goal after all.
Mars of Gemini symbolizes war in words and of language, specifically coded language of
computers. This is the card relating to hackers and future cyber warriors. It has not yet
been understood or valued by humans. It will be. The other meaning is of a person who
know how to use words to hurt, and they may do this for good or evil the card is not one
or the other, as most of the Gnostic sects insist. It is important to remember the Nine’s are
all at Yesod, called Foundation. Foundation represents the future lofty goal of mankind.
The Scene:
Bhagalamukhi literally “She who stops the tongue” has the ability to disable
the speech centers and stun people. She is the primeval goddess and is said to reside
within every female. It is therefore important not to offend a woman thus risking
offending Bhagalamukhi. As the lady of black magick and torture she can be a
formidable opponent and is called upon for vengeance magick for this reason. However
her qualities also include transmutation of evil things into good things, for example
stupidity into genius, poor language skills into eloquence, defeat into victory, and she is
able to make the powerful impotent. The goddess represents change itself, and the power
of alchemy. It would not be inaccurate to call her the goddess of alchemy, and this
moreso as she shares the 11 letter name in English with Ningishzidda and Abrahadabra.
The very idea of turning Cruelty into an auspicious card is an act of evocation of this
tantric goddess, she is the blessing within sorrow, failure within success and death hidden
in life. All of the Mahavidyas have their influence shown throughout this pack, which is
not surprising considering both of its creators are tantric alchemists.

Nine of Pentacles: Gain
Historical: Lord of Material Gain
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
豫
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #16 ( yù), Enthusiasm
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Air (Middle), Water (Earth)
Element/Planet: Earth of Luna (Yesod, Foundation)
Planet/Sun Sign: Venus in Virgo
Keywords:
Female Energy, Art, Inspiration, Scientific Knowledge, Infrastructure, DNA,
Ritual
Bad Ritual, Lack of Judgement, Boastfulness, Stagnation,
Drudgery, Ugliness
Interpretations
Golden Dawn:
Called The Nine of Pentacles, The Lord of Material Gain, The Nine of
Pentacles card corresponds to the planetary Venus and the zodiacal Gemini. It places at
Sephira #9 (Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system.
A healthy rosebush is growing interspersed with pentacles. The scene is pleasant and
pretty.
Thoth:
Crowley doesn’t let go of his terror leg of causing hysteria wherever the numbers
descend below the supernals. I don’t know why he persists in this as it is melodramatic
even for him. The balancing aspect of Yesod is emphasized as well however, so there is
temperance here. And he notes it is good luck for “material affairs, favour and
popularity.” and signifies “good luck and good management”
I don’t know why being more complicated
automatically makes things *bad* but this is the view taken by the majority of 20th
century occultists. It may be the scene is complex but it is well ordered. The bigrams
show a single Air element centered between two Water elements. This may be considered
a time of debauch or darkness...but not definately. The hexagram’s trigrams show Earth
in the below and Thunder in the above, the image of Enthusiasm.
Thunder comes
resounding out of the earth: “The image of enthusiasm. Thus the ancient kings made
music In order to honor merit, and offered it with splendor To the Supreme Deity,
inviting their ancestors to be present.” This is an image of mankind attempting to
connect with the divine and attain harmony and relief from Heaven.
Earth of Luna indicates a kind of material celebration, a feast or sacrifice, perhaps even a
marriage. There is a glee and forgoing of everyday responsibilities and routine. It’s also
feminine energy, so that the situation will be receptive and perhaps slightly treacherous.
Venus in Virgo symbolizes innocence and further underlines the femininity of the card.
The virtue here is purity and beauty. This is a holy ritual and sacrament, so by the
heavenly standard it may be called gain, it is not mere gross profit or mere general good
luck, but divine luck.
The Scene:
The traditional garb of Chung Kuo this is not, but of a space faring futuristic
version living in a sky city similar to what we find on the four of staves. The dragon and
phoenix are in the auspicious position: yin in the above, yang in the below. The phoenix
is a strange one, and will befuddle many people unless they are a paleontologist. It is
Pteranodon sternbergi. Alot of the flying reptiles had strange upturned beaks like this. It
represents genetic science as it occurs in the future where mankind has a much deeper
understanding of genetics and ability to manipulate DNA is much better and smarter. As
well as this, mankind has also found time through technology to work on nothing else but
projects that uplift and improve all lifeforms, just as stars do. The palaces on the floating
platforms represent the mystical Shangrila, the symbol of a perfect harmony of the many
as a civilization and group.

Nine of Alembics: Happiness
Historical: Lord of Material Happiness
Ruling Pentagram:
乾
謙
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #15 ( qiān), Modesty
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Earth (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Luna (Yesod, Foundation)
Planet/Sun Sign: Jupiter in Pisces
Keywords:
Psychic, Engaging Work, Balanced Power, Creativity, Good Humor,
Omnipresent Beauty, A Snug and Cozy Home, Staying Busy Indoors, Going Home
Acting on Emotions, not Reality, Uncooperative, Denying
Reality, Chasing FirefliesInstead of Stars
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Material Happiness
Called The Nine of Cups , The Nine of Cups
card corresponds to the planetary Jupiter and the zodiacal Pisces. It places at Sephira #9
(Yesod) in the Golden Dawn system. The Angels Saliah and Ariel are paired with the
card.
Lotuses are a common motif, often with a disembodied hand pouring liquid out of the
lotuses into cups.
Thoth:
Yesod is viewed by Crowley with some benevolence, he tells us that it restores
stability, it is placid, beneficent and full of wisdom and happiness. The painting is quite
attractive, with lots of full pink lotuses spewing golden liquid into cups made of rosy
purple glass. This liquid he calls the “true nectar of the Gods”. (The Tarot of the
Egyptians, Aleister Crowley, 1944)
The hexagram for 9 of Alembics is #15 Modesty.
The image shows us a mountain that dispenses rain granted to it by Heaven and by this
act become beautiful. Furthermore it is an image of the creation of balance. Earth above a
Mountain also seems to imply a hidden strength.
In Water of Luna we have a ethereal and psychic kind of emotional vibe, everything is in
tune with the deepest and highest levels of consciousness. Jupiter in Pisces further
underscores the idea of a high and ethereal consciousness. It is easily Happiness as it is
also good luck and good vibes. Generally speaking the 9’s have more to do with
mankind’s future growth and development than any other card, so in spreads it will tend
to advise on selfimprovement. This card advises us to find our bliss, and this in turn will
lead to a more natural kind of prosperity than the artificial job where the work is unhappy
and the only purpose is money. The tetractys on the front of the spaceship is central as is
the Saturn sigils to the meaning of the 9 of Alembics. The basic idea is that of balance
and power. The card may have a lot of power behind it but it will be manageable and
steady.
The Scene:
The is a portrait of my son, David Chan. It was originally intended as The
Chariot in its sketch form, but was later shelved in favor of a special imagery. At the time
the m1thr0s had been hands off on the deck so I was working on the sketchwork myself.
The sketch was modified to suit the 9 of Alembics. It looks a bit like one of those 90’s
video game movies I suppose. It could certainly correlate to that, playing video games
indoors if that is what makes one happy. But the card will tend to be more about pursuing
one’s work in The Great Work, and the emotional satisfaction that naturally brings with
it.
In past ages this included creating children and colonizing the world no longer. Now
the children of that evil Aeon are to build the new Aeon of Ra Hoor Khut and it requires
great minds, not multitudes.

Ten of Staves: Oppression
Historical: Lord of Oppression
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
Pent #10 “Resplendent” – Air of (Sun) The Penetrating, Wind
Berashith: “And Elohim said, “Let Tiamat be collected in one place”
巽
Ruling Hexagram Hex #57 ( xùn), The Gentle (The Penetrating Wind)
Tiered Bigrams: Fire (Above), Earth (Middle), Air (Below)
Element/Planet: Fire of Earth (Malkuth, Kingdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Saturn in Sagittarius
Keywords:
An Overwhelming Force, Old, Ancient Power, Cthonic, Hell, Mastery,
Insurmountable Obstacles, Divine Punishment
Petty Aggression, Jealousy, Violence, Lack of Control,
Weakened Force, an Enemy With a Weak Point
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Oppression
Called The Ten of Wands , The Ten of wands card
corresponds to the planetary Saturn and the zodiacal Sagittarius and places at Sephira #10
(Malkuth) in the Golden Dawn system. The angels associated with the card are Reyayel
and Avamel.
Symmetrical crossed wands with sharp spear or arrowheads on their tips, with flames
issuing from their junctures are pictured, and the astrological or planetary symbols are on
fire if pictured.
Thoth:
Two strong wands with the heads of Indonesian deities he does not name are
present. One appears female the other male, but they are on the wrong sides according to
Mutational Alchemy (the female should be on the left). So it is an image of the natural
order overturned. The background shows cruelly clawed wands and the whole scene is an
inferno.
As the tens correspond to Malkuth, of course they are considered the naughtiest of all the
small cards. “Earth is bad, mmkay?” goes the old and crusty Gnostic bullshit. Aleister
Crowley may have had the spark of a Tantrika in his soul but he denies it instead opting
for the old order. At least he acknowledges the great power in the station. Then he says
“It is a stupid and obstinate cruelty from which there is no escape. It is a Will which has
not understood anything beyond its dull purpose, its “lust of result” and will devour itself
in the conflagrations it has evoked”. (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Aleister Crowley 1944)
This strikes at the heart of all of Crowley’s terrible problems.
Living in Victorian England was a horrible thing I can’t imagine why anyone is
obsessed with this disgusting period of time and space, although the Steampunk, Goth
and Historic Reenactment crowd are trying to redeem it, I must say I am not attracted to
it at all. Just as in the equally horrid modern Middle Eastern sociolegislative climate of
today, the only thing worthy of note was the interior decor and architecture. (And even in
this the Arabs surpass the Victorians by far) Perhaps the (doubleedged) machismo and
chivalry of the males and the overemphatic phallusworshipping femininity of the
females (forced, so usually inauthentic) is the appeal. Crowley is forgivable up to a
certain point for insisting on perpetuating these beefheaded ideas but as the Prophet of the
New Aeon, more was expected of him, and still is. No rest for the wicked Crowley!
You’ll have to sort and fix all of this alongside your brothers and sister! Irresponsible.
/End rant.
Malkuth is one of the most precious jewels in the
tree, we know this by the attention that is paid to it by Heaven and the Emperor (at least
in the corrected Liberalvellegis version found in The Mutational Alchemy Tarot) Most
other authors treat it is as a cosmic toilet bowl of some sort, but it is not. That special
attribute belongs to Da’ath alone. The 10’s represent the element taken to its maximum
strength.
As the father of the elements, Fire stands in a position of authority like no other. Neither
of us felt the names of the cards needed to be changed the 10 of Staves or Wands can be
exceedingly cruel, after all. This however may be somehow deserved, and if the card is
not illdignified, probably is. If it is not deserved then there is a complication somewhere
elsewhere in the spread. As a single card reading, when this one is pulled, it should
always be crossed I recommend this for any difficult card.
Saturn in Sagittarius is temperate justice in its purest form. Centaurs were considered for
the painting, (perhaps that will be on a future Mutational Alchemy Tarot II featuring the
Temporals arrangement instead of the Primordials) Fire of Earth as we have just stated
reveals the aftermath of Awakening the Eld of the AllFather. It’s interesting to note in
this story and this painting that Siva is not the AllFather. It is not the position of The
Abrahadabra Institute that he is, as a matter of fact. This is primarily the reason why he
cannot stop Kali outright, he has to die first and then make her realize her mistake in this
way. The alchemical formula I.’.I.’.I.’.I directly correlates to this card. This is the
magickal name I took while I was in the OTO, although I did not stay to take the third, as
it was only about the OTO not the Book of the Law past that point. I refused to swear
allegiance to an old order institution.
As with a few other small cards, the hexagram doesn’t seem to quite fit with the
traditional title. However, the description of the meaning attributed to Confucius and the
image attributed to the sages is helpful, as it indicate what one must do in a situation like
this. Confucius said “
The Gentle. Success through what is small. It furthers one to have
somewhere to go. It furthers one to see the great man.” and “Winds following one upon
the other: The image of the Gently Penetrating. Thus the superior man
Spreads his commands abroad, and carries out his undertakings.“ (The I Ching, translated
by Wilhelm/Baynes, Princeton University Press 1967) One may easily view the winds
following one upon the other as feeding the ferocious flames of the 10. The gentle nature
of the winds is what wins the day. In this hexagram is the silver lining of the card small
things can be achieved, and being gentle as well as finding a great man achieves success.
This great man may be the spirit of Fire itself, and it may be useful to work with some
Fire elementals if one is not equipped to deal with the Lord of all Fire himself. (A good
manual for this is The Practice of Magical Evocation by Franz Bardon, but all of the
names of the spirits and their attributions should perhaps be taken lightly the
methodology itself is interesting, and useful, especially considering the ease by which
one may obtain colored oil lamps today)
The tiered bigrams reveal a strong Fire element at the top line and an Earth element
standing between an Air element in the below. The image infers an obstacle of some
kind. The key to dealing with oppression once again in Earth, the Daughter. This is the
gentleness of Sun over Sun.
The Scene:
Siva and Kali are consorts, two sides of one universe. The supreme goddess
is the forbidden one, she who slays and who is considered a dangerous protective creatrix
who is also called the goddess of change, the black alchemist and. Siva is the partaker of
the forbidden, the omniscient one, patron of yoga and the arts. Both of them are complex
and mysterious and can often be attributed opposing traits at once. The summation of all
of this is that the universe is infinitely complex and difficult, but not impossible to
understand in its changes.
Oppression here is not the goddess. Instead she is the great liberator. When the soul is
bound by consternation, regret, anxiety and despair, the goddess Kali is considered to be
the greatest ally to the practitioner. However, she also brings terrible dread to the wicked.
She is the enveloping darkness of the end of time, the onset of the absolute night in which
she and Siva will sleep at the end of the world in perfect bliss.
Ten of Staves is a heavy card, representing the kind of desperate situation only the energy
of the dark mother can unbind. This is the moment where Siva himself is dead, killed
accidentally in Kali's blind fury after finishing off all of the demons. She is both the only
one who can slay him and the only one who can revive him. In this great mystery lies the
answer to whole universe.
The tale of Kali’s rampage across the cosmos against demon and man alike is strongly
reflected in the tale of Sekhmet, Ra’s avenger, who is found on the Five of Staves, Strife.
The oldest stories of Kali have probably been lost. Most of what we have left to us are
Vedic stories which only served to prop up imported Brahmanic Gods instead of really
explaining the native original gods and goddesses like Kali. She is more indigenous to
India than Siva or Vishnu. It is perhaps for this reason the modern stories never seem to
really touch upon what her devotees see in her or her professed attributes, Merely a
demonkiller she is not, and the stories fail to convey the idea of a mistress of all time and
space. Her yantra does, and the five koshas and TwinStar fit perfectly over her yantra,
revealing her as a mistress of the Body of Light.
Ten of Blades: Ruin
Historical: Lord of Ruin
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
兌
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #58 ( duì), The Joyous (Lake)
Tiered Bigrams: Earth (Above), Air (Middle), Fire (Below)
Element/Planet: Air of Earth (Malkuth, Kingdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Sol in Gemini
Keywords:
Silence hiding an Active Force, Hacking, Subterfuge, Brilliance,
Interdimensional Warfare, Technological Breakthrough, Uniting by Military Might,
Sneak Attack, Powerful Alliances, Unavoidable Destruction, High Orbital Space
Warfare, Black Sun Interstellar, New Military Technology
UndetectedBetrayal, Hidden Treason, Rebellion, Arrogance,
Abandoning Logic
Interpretations
Golden Dawn:
Called The Ten of Swords,Lord of Ruin,The Ten of Swords card
corresponds to the planetary Sol and the zodiacal Gemini. It places at Sephira 10
Two large perfect crossed swords lie behind other mangled and broken swords
demolishing a black splash reminiscent of blood that was once the already tattered
remains of The Rose.
Thoth:
The disruption of the solar energy by Gemini is revealed here. Sharp squiggles
are all over the background of the card and it has a lot of orange and yellow and red, the
color of the Fire element normally. As usual his I Ching correspondence is weak and
sloppy, so it can be ignored he doesn’t bother to take it into account himself. The
swords on the painting are arranged like the Sephiroth. He tells us it represents the ruin of
the Intellect. and the “logic of lunatics and (for the most part) philosophers. It is reason
divorced from reality” I could disagree more with his assessment.
The image of the hexagram’s two trigrams is of a
lake resting one on another, it’s the image of “The Joyous” #58. It signifies fun and
adventure, especially through discussion and learning. The line from Liber al Vel Legis
or The Book of the Law is applicable, where it states “But the keen and the proud, the
royal and the lofty; ye are brothers! As brothers fight ye!”. In the hexagram the image of
the lakes signify a resource of knowledge and intellect which must be constantly
refreshed with new material and new experiences. The image of a group of friends
discussing scholarly pursuits and leaving no room for frivolous or wrongheaded
discussion from outsiders is here, and this can be found upon reflection in the various
specialty internet forums that cropped up at the beginning of the 21st century.
In the tiered bigrams the single Air element stands above Fire and below Earth, the image
of the atmosphere of Hell. Hermes the Lord of Gemini is well known to travel in the
underworld with little difficulty and so it is also an image of Mercury or Hermes in the
Underworld.
Coincidently the planetary is Sol in Gemini, signifying playful, intelligent and creative
energy, therefore the card really should not be portrayed as such a serious mess. Even
here the deadly aspects of Ra hoor Khut have been somewhat tempered by an odd sense
of humor.
Air in Earth is connected to various gases trapped in the ground. Highly flammable or
toxic, or otherwise harmless, They represent a wealth that can only be had through
knowledge, science and technology, cornerstones of Air.
Therefore the rewards of the card are great, if one understands how to unlock them.
otherwise it may all appear just as the old aeon packs show, to those who cling to the
ways of the dead.

The Scene:
Ra Hoor Khut stands before a holographic representation of his fleet, ready
to do battle with enemies of his crown and reign. The presence of enemies in this card is
at its peak, it is where all the problems are. As the Lord of War and Vengeance, Ra as Ra
Hoor Khut or Montu's Aeonic presence is also called The Age of Science, and so a
scientist, an anthropomorphic bird man as depicted in Sumer or Egypt, stands beside him.
Ra Hoor Khut is a dangerous character and has made himself known in the modern era
through the reception of the famous Liber Al Vel Legis, or, Book of the Law. The
messages in the book are most dire about the state of the world and mankind's purpose in
it.
While there are highly militaristic technology and strategy inferred here, there is also
Silence and Strength, Vengeance, and Abrahadabra. For the legion of allies there is also
amusement, fun and games to be had.
It is true that Mutational Alchemy takes a completely different view of the marriage of
Malkuth and the Elements. The horror of Choronzon's demiurge rule has no real place in
a conversation about how the sacred elements should in fact interact with Kingdom. This
may not be the case now, here in the place we find ourselves, but it is the divine
imperative of Abrahadabra to restore the true state of things
Ten of Pentacles: Wealth
Historical: Lord of Wealth
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
震
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #51 ( zhèn), The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)
Tiered Bigrams: Water (Above), Air (Middle), Earth (Below)
Element/Planet: Earth of Earth (Malkuth, Kingdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mercury in Virgo
Keywords:
The Unexpected,
Warriorship,
Pleasure, Marriage,Fertility, Protection,
Stability, Play, Distraction, Fun, Tribe
Sterility, Scarcity, Poverty, Sadness, Loneliness,
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: Lord of Wealth
Called The Ten of Pentacles , The Ten of Pentacles card
corresponds to the planetary Mercury and the zodiacal Virgo and places at Sephira #10
(Malkuth) and in the Golden Dawn system. Its angels are Hihaayah and Laviah.
Ten discs are floating amidst pleasant looking open blossoms.
Thoth:
Crowley changes nothing, and keeps the same imagery of the Golden Dawn.
“Here is great and final solidification” (The Tarot of the Egyptians, Crowley 1944) He
does point out that the influence of Mars is undesirable, as usual. This possibly explains
all of his problems with The Book of the Law, since Mars is not that unloved amongst
occultists. He calls The Ten of Discs “a hieroglyph of the cycle of regeneration”. The
placement of the Geomantic figure Conjunction is done without any reason he is able to
give, and he concludes that this card represents the Great Work in completion. Maybe?
While a cat god with an enormous flaccid penis
may not be the very first image people call to mind when imagining the 10 of Pentacles,
there is a good reason Bes is present. Despite our issues with Aleister Crowley’s
assumptions, it is our opinion he was very on target with most of his intutive
assumptions, and so he inspired the subject of the card. (If one wants to know why they
should read the chapter on the Ten of Disks in The Tarot of the Egyptians book
accompaniment to the Thoth Tarot pack) This Bes representation is taken from a very
old representation of the God residing in the Altes Museum, Germany 650350 BCE.
In the tiered bigrams the two child elements Air and Earth stand below Water, and the
trigrams are the double Thunder hexagram # 51, Chen the Arousing. This is a scene
where a loud and powerful sound of thunder is heard. It may be literal thunder but it is an
analogy of a surprising revelation that can cause a paradigm shift. It also represents a fear
of Heaven itself, which can lead to Joy under the right circumstances.
Earth of Earth symbolizes stability in the face of almost any disturbance. Firmness,
gentleness, quiet, warm, perseverance, steadfastness, work, manifestation, wealth and
earthly riches like gems and precious metals are all the nature of the element of Earth.
The djed pillar and pyramid symbolize stability in the background, the discs and plant life
represent material riches in biodiversity and natural beauty.
Mercury in Virgo emphasizes perfectionism and especially so in craft professions, from
cooking to painting. There is an innate flexibility and a desire to work, but also
distraction can be a vice for this planet in this sign, it will always be something to do with
perfecting the work.
The Scene:
Bes, the Ancient cat god who is described visually as a sand cat or lion cub
with a large phallus, an upright stance wearing the a cat's skin and a crown, came from a
very ancient class of deity in Kemet, that is, Modern Day Egypt. A god of physical
pleasure, he also had the endearing characteristic of being extremely protective of women
and children the center of the family unit. The cat of course was a very valuable asset in
a desert country that was probably at the mercy of the local rodent population who could
decimate the graineries if mice and rats were not kept under control.
Lions have always been closely associated with the Great Beast, who is the Emperor of
all things and connects the Kings of the Earth together, and the Queens of the Earth
through his consort the Great Mother. While unnecessary to put a face or single name to
this The Beast, it is true that he can be equated to every single male deity in existence,
representing the totality of the divine divided from what becomes the Goddess or the
Scarlet Woman. This Goddess is merely an aspect of God. As the star goddess aspect
Nuit said, she is divided for Love's sake for the chance of union. That original
monotheism, founded by the Sumerian Avraham, revealed this in another way by the
command of his God to obey his wife in all things. Here, goddess is defined as the oracle,
the one who can scry the complexities of reality and map out the true path for her
masculine counterpart. Hints of this ultimate reality about the divine feminine can be
found everywhere, from the status of real human women as the best oracles, to the
feminine figureheads on ships, or the Judaic concept of God's visible shell, Shekinah, that
blinding bright light who is synonymous with the Indian concept of the Lord's Maya.
This fundamental difference between the original concept of Monotheism and the
derivative Monotheism of the Islamic and Christian cults is irreconcilable. They of course
place the authority and importance with the man, which is pointless as it denies that the
division is of no concievable purpose. The purpose, the Great Work, as it were is the
essence of all the true religions of the world, without which mankind's destiny and path
are ultimately lost.
When the conception of God as Male, Female, Quintessential one, as Alchemy defines it,
is grasped fully, life may be viewed as a great journey of learning and expansion by that
great being, who is both man and woman, whole universe, and ultimate reality: The
Ardhenarishvara.
The connection between Malkuth, the feminine (Earth+Earth= Daughter) is very
important in this case, as it is the place where everything happens. Malkuth translates as
"Kingdom". The importance of this Sephira cannot be overstated. It is here that the
Magus, or Kings and Queens of the Earth must exercise their royal and sacred magickal
authority.
Bes is the archetype of the evolving masculine aspect of God, the essential male product
of this alchemical division between God and Goddess. He is attributed leonine
characteristics, with beard, ears and as well as being, small, virile, fertile, protective and
entertainer of women and children, a warrior. Taking all of these important and preserved
duties into account, his universality, offering fertility to any women and protection to any
child, Bes makes the best representation of the allfather here on earth.
The importance of the ten of pentacles is in its status of the essence of God's Kingdom,
the place where all creation is at its apex and many important things are happening all at
once. Events and processes which we as humans cannot understand or fathom yet, but
which take place all the same, in our world and in the events that shape it.
All of the auspiciousness of the god Bes, the sacred Djed pillar behind him, and the
fertileness of the Nile Delta as well as the abilities of intelligence and knowledge in the
material world are present and active in this card, Ten of Pentacles.

Ten of Alembics: Satiety
Historical: Lord of Perfected Happiness
Ruling Pentagram:
巽
艮
Ruling Hexagram: Hex #52 ( gèn), Keeping Still (Mountain)
Tiered Bigrams: Air (Above), Earth (Middle), Water (Below)
Element/Planet: Water of Earth (Malkuth, Kingdom)
Planet/Sun Sign: Mars in Pisces

Keywords:
Vacation, Relaxation, Home, Pleasure, Generosity, Religious Clarity,
Security, Placid, Death After a Long Life
Lingering on before Death, Pity, Quietness, Waste, Backlog,
Old Emotional Pain, Quarreling based on Old Memories
Interpretations
Golden Dawn: The Lord of Perfected Success
Called The Ten of Cups , The Ten of Cups
card corresponds to the planetary Mars and the zodiacal Pisces and places at Sephira #10
(Malkuth) in the Golden Dawn system. It is associated with the Angels Aasliah and
Mihal.
Mostly tranquil imagery is depicted, lotuses are commonly shown, and the cups are
overflowing.
Thoth:
Oh here we go again, unstable cups spilling water all over. “Malkuth is bad, man,
it’s really really bad!” And Mars disrupts everything because Mars is “gross and violent”
contrasting with the “peaceful and spiritualized” Pisces. My question is why is the
prophet fawning over the socalled spirituality of the dead aeon and damning Mars, the
planet of War? Is this not the Age of War and Science? There is no answer for it, except
for Crowley’s plagued and divided mind which would haunt him his whole life over. He
writes nothing more on the card than this short paragraph. The card itself is orange and
red all over, just like the 10 of Swords. A weird looking tree of life stands behind
connecting to a cloud or rose up in Kether. It may be it is malformed due to Mars in
Pisces or whatever.
10 of Alembics shares one of eight double
hexagrams with 10 of Blades, 10 of Alembics and 10 of Staves. This one is Mountain
over Mountain, #52 and indicates great strength and stability. I cannot help but thing of
the Mountain Goddess Parvati who certainly is equitable to the personification of The
Mother this card represents, it is the element of Water taken to its maximum. She does
tend to be emotional in certain circumstances, but no one would ever accuse her of being
*unstable*.
The tiered bigrams reveal Water in the below, Earth in the mid region and Air in the
above, the perfect image of an island paradise. The card is a good omen generally. Water
of Earth can be connected with any water scene, seaside, waterfalls, lakeside, riverside.
Mars of Pisces actually helps fortify Pisces and is completely necessary to the sign in the
Nu Aeon. There is a connection to the Queen of Alembics as well. When the Water
element goes to war it tends to be for reasons of Great Justice.
In the Pentagram we have Air of Wind, indicating the Warfare will be of an intellectual
and communicative type. The card may indicate politics or intellectual debate or a
warfare of doctrines. This is especially so if both doctrines have two different views, both
of which have their own truths.
The Scene:
Connected with the waters of Malkuth, Kingdom, Satiety features Dôn, the
Welsh name of the Mother Goddess. She is the sister of Math fab Mathonwy, a sacred
King and later regarded even today as a god of Magick, Sorcery and Enchantment.
Married to Beli, God of Deth, she is not featured in the Mabinogian, that collection of
Welsh literature, even though she is an ancestor or relative of many of its actors. She is
the penultimate goddess of the concept of Courtly Love. As ladies beloved by the
chivalrous knight are extensions of the Queen, so too are Queens extensions of the
ultimate feminine goddess who is represented here by the mother of the children of light.
A "Wife of the Deep" like Melusine on The Princess of Alembics, Dôn is also a fully
realized Goddess.
The bright faeries who surround her are exactly that, the Children of Light, as opposed to
Lyr's Children of Darkness.

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