The Visconti-Sforza Tarot: 1A Sacred Open Secret

By Gary Lee

Ka alah is a atte of di i e e elatio ha ded do to fu the the o te platio of

distinct Forms and of God, contemplation being salvation; the receiving of this through s ols.

Johann Reuchlin, De Arte Cabalistica

Contained within the twenty-two picture cards of the Visconti-Sforza Tarot is a sacred open secret.2 The
Major Arcana is a visual representation of an ancient mnemonic system the formation of which is the
central operation of the seminal Kabbalistic text the Sefer Yetzirah.

The art of memory is believed to go as far back as the times of the Egyptian Hermes. During the ancient
and classical periods different types of mnemonic systems arose most common of which dealt with
mundane matters such as memorizing orations or details of a legal nature. The Visconti-Sforza Tarot is a
P thago ea memory system centered on the concept of Anamnesis and the soul s interweaving with
the Cosmos.

Regardless of type, all mnemonic systems operate according to certain principles. They are internal
processes of the imagination which require strong powers of visualization. An efficient memory system
needs numerous places that can also be different rooms or sections in a single structure such as
Ca illo s Theatre of Ideas. The numerous places had to adhere to a strict order and each was to be
distinguished by its own unique image which was to be noteworthy: such as of royalty,

1
The invention of the Tarot was as simple as the insertion of twenty-two picture cards into an ordinary deck of
court and numbered cards circa the late s, ea l s. The i itial written account of their existence was
1443 in Ferrara, Italy. For the Ta ot s first one hundred years it remained exclusive to the north central regions of
Italy forming a quadrilateral area bordered by Venice, Milan, Florence, and Urbino. The Visconti-Sforza Tarot is the
earliest, ost o plete de k i e iste e. It falls ithi the se o d o thi d de ade of the Ta ot s ad e t. The de k
was commissioned sometime between 1450 and 1468 by Francesco Sforza, the first Sforza Duke of Milan.
Dummett, Michael; The Visconti-Sforza Cards; George Braziller, Inc.; New York, New York; c. 1986; pg. 5
2
Kerenyi, Carl; The Mysteries of the Kabeirol; from The Mysteries, Papers from the Eranos Yearbooks, Volume Two,
ed. Joseph Campbell; c. 1955; pg. 37 A sacred open secret is unutterable as is the Tetragrammaton.
3
Kabbalistic symbolism represents the components of the human soul with images of both genders at various
stages of life. See Idel, Moshe; Kabbalah in Italy, 1280 – 1510; Yale University Press; New Haven and London; c.
2011, pg. 27 Also, see Francis Yates Art of Memory pgs. 10 and 23

1
of a peculiar or disturbing nature,

and in the Renaissance period the personification of the cardinal virtues joined the mix.

P opheti Ka alah is a sti is ased o the sa ed He e alpha et. Its o ki gs deal ith lette
combinations, permutations and Divine Names. These meditative techniques are desig ed to u if the
rectified human intellect with the Active Intellect of the Cosmos, i.e. the Tetragrammaton and are
referred to as Ma aseh Me ka ah o Wo ki gs of the Cha iot hi h deal ith Ezekiel s isio of the
likeness of the appearance of Man sitting on the Throne of God.5

The Sefer Yetzirah6 or Book of Formation is the central text in Prophetic Kabbalah. It is considered to be
strongly influenced by Pythagorean thought7 and therefore its teachings approach from the perspective
of Anamnesis.8 This process of reawakening the soul by means of contact with the sensible world
operates through symbols which function as mnemonic prods to lead one back to the source of
Wisdom.9 The twenty-two picture cards of the Visconti-Sforza Tarot act as just such memory goads,
referred to as i p ese, which are images of the soul,10 each card corresponding to a Hebrew letter.

The Sefer Yetzirah is best known for its description of the Etz Chaim or Tree of Life which is the
essential glyph in Kabbalah.

4
Left to right: Justice, Strength, Wisdom, Temperance
5
Ma s like ess to God is his i telle t a d his appea a e is that of the Cherub.
6
It is also known as The Book of the Letters of Abraham who is its supposed author. It is also associated with the
order of Malchizedek.
7
It was a commonly held belief among the Medieval and Renaissance Kabbalists that Pythagoras was a student of
the prophet Jeremiah who was a master of the Sefer Yetzirah. So, to the Kabbalists it was Pythagoras who was
influenced by the Sefer Yetzirah and not the other way around.
8
Rabbi Gikatilla described Anamnesis as an architectural structure with many rooms; see footnote #9, pg. 294.
The Ka alisti p i iple of se ioti s is fi l ased o the P thago ea p i iples of u e a d Cos os. (Ibid;
pg. 132)
9
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 150
10
Kerenyi also held images of the Soul to be sacred open secrets.

2
 (see pg. 19)

The T ee o sists of the te “efi oth nine of which are considered divine creative forces and the
tenth Malkuth / The Kingdom is receptive and reflective of the others above.11 These ten divine
energies are connected together by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which are known
collectively as the Thi t -two Paths of Wisdom or the Thirty-two Paths of Consciousness. 12

The top three Sefiroth, Kether/Crown, Chokmah/Wisdom, and Binah/Intuitive Understanding are
referred to as the Me talities hi h o stitute the Holy Trinity. The lo e se e a e k o as the
Att i utes a d ep ese t the o ld of C eatio . As oth the Cos os a d Ma e e eated th ough
the agencies of the He e lette s, the lo e se e “efi oth also ep ese t the “upe al A th opos,
a d his B ide, Malkuth/ Kingdom.

The fourth and fifth Sefiroth, Chesed/ Love, and Gevurah/ Judgment are the arms of the Divine Man. The
sixth Sefirah, Tiferet/ Beauty is his torso; Netzach/Victory and Hod/ Splendor are his legs and Yesod/
Foundation is his genitals. What the Divine Man is missing though is his head wherein the intellect
resides. This is the purpose of the Sefer Yetzirah, to restore the light of the intellect of the Divine Man,
male and female, into a reflection of the original design in the Mind of the Creator.13 This restoration of
the intellect of the Supernal Anthropos is known as Tikkun which has as its objective the proper
pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton.14 It is the linguistic mnemonic system that brings about just such
restoration.

Chapter 4:6 of the Sefer Yetzirah relates how the seven Hebrew letters with dual pronunciations were
transformed into the three Kabbalistic dimensio s of eatio ep ese ted o the gl ph of the T ee
the three vertical columns.15 It eads, Seven planets in the Universe, Seven days in the Year, and Seven

11
The P thago ea Tet akt s
12
Like a ook ea h “efi ah a sto e i fo atio se i g as a e o a k. “ee Kapla s Sefer Yetzirah, pg. 21
13
Scholem, Gershom G.; Kabbalah; Meridian Books; New York and Scarborough, Ontario; c. 1974; pg. 140
14
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 82 Rabbi
Yitzchak Luria regarded tikkun as the main goal of Kabbalistic activit . “ee Moshe Idel s Kabbalah pg. 57
15
The e a e fi e Ka alisti di e sio s of C eatio ut th ee of the o stitute “pa e. These th ee e ti al
olu s o tai all te “efi oth a d o i ed ith the lette s ake up the e ti et of the T ee of Life. “oul is
the Middle Pillar, Time on the right and Space on the left. It is in this left hand realm of the Universe that free will
e te s i to pla as does e il. These se e dou le lette s ake up the Fa e of the Di i e Ma . Sefer Yetzirah 4:7

3
gates i the “oul, ale a d fe ale. 16 Herein is the secret of the linguistic construct which reflects that
original design in the Mind of the Creator at the moment of creation. It is assembled in a Trinitarian
hierarchy, representing these three dimensions, each containing seven letters beginning with the letter
Bet in the dimension of Soul and ending with the letter tau in the dimension of Space; all letters
alphabetized according to their order in the act of creation.17 This is Daat, the head of the Divine Man.

The Pattern of the Throne of the Chariot 18

Alphabet of Foundation, 1-3-7 horizontal array

The Spiritual Dimension: “eve Gates i the “oul, ale a d fe ale Purity/ Tikkun

Bet Gimel Daleth Heh Vau Zayin Cheth

The Dimension of Time: “eve Days i the Year Enlightenment/ Kavod

Teth Yod Kaph Lamed Mem Nun Samekh

The Three Dimensions of Space: “eve Pla ets i the U iverse Perfection/ Devequt

Ayin Peh Tzsede Qoph Resh Shin Tau

Alef

16
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 167
17
Sefer Zohar; Volume I; Prologue; The Soncino Press; London, Jerusalem, New York; c. 1934; pgs. 9 - 13 Twenty-
one of the twenty-two letters took part in the act of creation, twenty-one of the twenty-two cards of the Major
Arcana are trumps. Both the first letter alef and il Matto, the Mad a e e left out of thei espe ti e g oups
operations. So herein is the first letter, card assignment.
18
This pattern title comes from the Qum Ran community and was in use at the advent of the Common Era if not
earlier. Also, I apologize for the incorrect reading order of the letters and cards. They should, of course, read right
to left as in Hebrew, but for the sake of the English reading audience I ordered it left to right. Sorry.

4
The hermeneutics of this linguistic construct is o ate atio . 19 It is unique to Prophetic Kabbalah and
considered the e se et of Merkavah, the Workings of the Cha iot. 20 This process moves from the
horizontal, linguistic composition of the text which in this case would be the letters21, to a vertical,
esoteric understanding of their concepts.22 Because of this lateral and vertical movement concatenation
is thought of as a means of interweaving the linguistic fabric together with the intellect of the reader
fashio i g a tapest i the sphe e of the di i e.23

The ho izo tal eadi g should e u de stood as the formation of a ‘oad Map , a mappa mundi as
Dr. Morlok describes it.24 Vertical concatenation is the aki g of that T a sfo atio al Jou e .

The Sefer Yetzirah advises, When a person enters into the mysteries, he must parallel the sequence of
creation. 25 This instruction calls for the horizontal reading of the letters k o as the Alpha et of
Fou datio hi h a ts as a Pe iodi Ta le of the linguistic atoms that form both the Cosmos and Man
in the likeness of God.26

It also establishes the mnemonic order for the house of lette s follo i g the alpha eti se ue e of
the Ka alisti Big Ba g. This divine directive represents the Ma aseh Be eshith o Wo ki gs of
C eatio . These Wo ki gs a e contained within this Foundation Alphabet which parallels that original
Primordial Design of Creation.27

… Pa allel the se ue e of eatio is a fu the i st u tio to eate o e s o e o ic system

based on this pattern. One does so by imitating the Creative Will of God. Sefer Yetzirah 1:1 reads,
C eate this u i e se ith th ee ooks. With te t, ith u e a d ith o u i atio . 28

Te t is i efe e e to the He e lette s hi h a e assig ed u e s. K o the lette , k o the

u e . Co u i atio ope ates th ough s ols which, in this case, represent the unique esoteric
nature of each sacred Hebrew letter.29 The number is concealed within the letter which is concealed
within the communication. This is exactly what is seen in the Major Arcana. They are picture cards with

19
Shalshelet; see footnote #20 below, pg. 201
20
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 215
21
Horizontally according to the dimension assigned to the letter in the act of creation.
22
Ibid; To the Kabbalists hermeneutics and experience are fully united. “ee pg. of “eth B od s hapte o ho to
read Kabbalistic texts from the works of Rabbi Ezra ben Solomon of Gerona. Eliot Wolfson has also expressed this
idea.
23
Ibid; pg. 129, 143 The Torah was also regarded as a woven garment. As we shall see in this case, it is the psyche
that is interwoven with Time and Space symbolized by the interlocking triad of Borromean rings: thesis, antithesis,
synthesis.
24
Ibid; pg. The Kabbalists, despite their partial acceptance of philosophical patterns, intended to rebuild
p e isel a a alogi al appa u di , connecting textual details and secret meaning, lower entities and supernal
realms, human shapes and divine forms, historical precepts and celestial forces.
25
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 141
26
Ibid; pg. , Book : , T e t -t o fou datio lette s… See my article The Vis o ti-Sforza Tarot as a Periodic
Ta le of C eatio a d a Path to the “oul s ‘ede ptio that is posted online at Luvah.org Volume 6 and under my
name at Academia.edu for a more in depth discussion of this topic.
27
Scholem, Gershom G.; Kabbalah; Meridian Books; New York and Scarborough, Ontario; c. 1974; pg. 132
28
Ibid; pg. 5; this passage can be translated in the imperative form as above.
29
This is the P thago ea o ept of o u i atio th ough s ol. A eh Kapla held it to ea
pronunciation of the letters.

5
no letter, number or title assignments.30 All is hidde ithi the pai ted ga e t of the a ds i ages;
i ages as i e o i imagines agentes.31

This passage directs the initiate to create a Universe in like a e to God s eatio , doi g so with the
three essential ingredients of a memory system: te t is asso iated ith the di e sio s of the “pa e
a d ep ese ts pla es i e o i s. Nu e alig s ith the di e sio of Time and represents
o de a d as oted ea lie Co u i atio s is i age of the “e e Gates i the Soul, Male and
Fe ale. The personalities, personifications, and actions portrayed on the twenty-two picture cards
32

alo g ith thei su ou di gs a d a out e e ts o u i ate th ough s ol33 the letters they
ep ese t. K o the o u i atio , k o the lette hi h ill gi e the o de a d u e .

The chapters of the Sefer Yetzirah instruct one on how to create the sacred space within the
imagination, how to form the Sefiroth and then how to construct the Alphabet of Foundation, engraving,
carving, permuting, weighing and transforming the letters to parallel the act of creation.34 These
ope atio s a e desig ed to i o po ate the e ti et of the T ee of Life ithi o e s od , mind, and
soul.35

This 1 – 3 – 7 arrangement36 reflects mnemonic associations37 according to dimensions, each relating to

a specific spiritual objective.

The upper tier that represents the middle vertical pillar is the Spiritual realm in which the first six cards
deal with the operations of purifying the soul, i.e. tikkun, the proper pronunciation of the ineffable
Tetragrammaton. The letters associated with the first four cards, The Mountebank, the Empress, the
Popess, and the Emperor by the method known as Temurah, are substituted for the four letters of the
Divine Name. These four images represent the Royal Family of King, Queen, Son and Daughter.

30
The titles offered are those listed by the sixteenth century Italian poet Giovanni Susio in one of his poems. See
Dummett, Michael; The Visconti-Sforza Cards; George Braziller, Inc.; New York, New York; c. 1986; pg. 9
31
Yates, Francis A.; The Art of Memory; University of Chicago Press; Chicago, Ill.; c. 1966; pg. 66 Now the imagines
agentes make their appearance in Tullius being remarkably beautiful or hideous, dressed in crowns and purple
garments, deformed or disfigured with blood or mud, smeared with red paint, comic or ridiculous, they stroll
mysteriously like players, out of antiquity into the scholastic treatise on memory as a part of Prudence/ Wisdom.
32
Ibid; 19, 20
33
Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla held there to be an organic link between symbol and its source. See footnote below, pg.
211
34
Ibid; pg. 100 Rabbi Gikatilla advised his students to learn the letters as a doctor would know the nature of all
kinds of medicines, see Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, Germany; c.
2011; pg. 102
35
The hu a od is a i o os of the “upe al Ma . Kaplan; Sefer Yetzirah; pg. 150, commentary on 3:6
36
Pythagorean Conclusion 25:5, I o e, th ee a d se e e e og ize i Pallas the u ifi atio of di ided thi gs,
a d the ausati e a d eautif i g po e of the i telle t. Pi o della Mi a dola s 900 Theses; S.A. Farmer; Medieval
and Renaissance Text and Studies, Vol. 167; Tempe, Arizona; c. 1998; pg. 335

A istotle held that the p i iple of Asso iatio s

37
as losel o e ted to the p i iple of O de . “ee Art of
Memory, pg. 34

6
 38

The fifth card, The Pope is assigned the letter vau, numbering six that of the Divine Man who is seen
here in his role as Tzadik or Righteous One.39 It is The Pope s role, as Priest, to unify the
Tetragrammaton, cards 1 – 4 above and to join the King with His Matrona.40

This marriage is pictured in the sixth card entitled Love. Zayin is its letter assignment. The Sefer Bahir
reads, I a ti e of o u io , he the Male a d Fe ale a e ou d together, the Vau becomes a
Za i . 41

Notice the background tapestry is painted red, not gold as are all the other twenty-one cards. This
mnemonic technique of splashing red coloring on an image was mentioned by Cicero as being designed
to leave a lasting i p essio o o e s e o .42

38
From left to right: Mountebank – Son, Empress – Queen, Popess – Daughter, Emperor - King
39
The Angel of Righteousness.
40
Sefer Zohar; volume V; Book of Ahare Moth; pg. 59, [66b]
41
The Sefer Bahir; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser, Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1979;
pg. 146, #82
42
Yates, Francis A.; The Art of Memory; University of Chicago Press; Chicago, Ill.; c. 1966; pg. 66 Cicero did not
write the rules of mnemonics, he just recorded them.

7
In many ways, Love is the most significant card of the twenty-two as it symbolizes the marriage of the
King and his Matrona which is none other than the proper pronunciation of the four letter Name of God
portrayed by the holding of hands with Hoodwinked Cupid as symbol of the union of Bride and Groom,
Above and Below.

The seventh card and endpoint of the Dimension of Soul is the Chariot which pictures Malkuth, the
newly wedded bride,43 crowned with the Diadem of the Shekinah and in royal garb holding a golden44
sphere, symbol of: the center point, the unified soul, the a ake ed Me o .45

She is the pe so ifi atio of the Contemplative Vision of the Merkavah as she sits upo a golde
throne that stands atop an hexagonal base46 which is positioned on a chariot pulled by two pure white
horses with golden wings. The Merkavah is known as Throne-Chariot mysticism.

43
Nukba
44
Gold is associated with the Sefirah Binah, the Shekinah.
45
Sefer Zohar; Jethro 87a
46
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 42, 43

8
The dimension of Ti e, the middle horizontal tier of the linguistic construct, is also the right vertical
pillar on the Tree of Life. Its spiritual operation is that of enlightenment, the Kabbalistic Kavod. Cards
eight, and nine: Justice and Strength along with the eleventh and fourteenth trumps Wisdom and
Temperance make up the four cardinal virtues (see pg. 2).47 Note that Wisdom is in the center position
of not only this seven card horizontal row, but of the entire twenty-one card spread (see pg. 4).
Wisdo is Anamnesis.48

Notice too, that Wisdom carries an hour glass that is half full, half e pt , ei g the o e t, the
center point.

The tenth card, Wheel of Fortune ep ese ts the C le of Ti e, the Ka alisti Galgal that rules the
domain of Ti e. 49

47
These four Cardinal Virtues compose the four supporting legs of the Throne of Glory.
48
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 21
49
Ibid; 244

9
The last three trumps, The Hanged Man, Death and Temperance all deal ith the p opheti
e pe ie e i.e. e lighte e t.

The Hanged Man ep ese ts the Co e a t of Ci u isio , he the fo eski is e o ed a d the

o o a appea s.50 Notice that his head is suspended upside down above the earth (symbol of Malkuth)
at the level of Yesod, Fou datio i.e. the Fou datio Alpha et. The Sefer Bahir mentions that when
the Divine Man51 is readied for union with his Bride, Nukba, i.e. Malkuth, his head is suspended just as
the Hanged Man.52

The thirteenth card, Death, is the state of e stas i its o igi al ea i g, out of od . 53 Temperance
pi tu es the gi i g a d e ei i g of God s Glo , Mi a dola s Che u i e lighte e t. 54

This tier k o as the House of Ti e Wisdo uilt is best expressed in the Zoharic book of Vayeze,
From that charity He causes blessings to flow in abundance to all the lower beings and to all the

50
This ha ged positio is the fi st appea a e of the Head of the Di i e Ma hi h agai ties i ith the
Covenant of Circumcision.
51
He is referred to as Zer Anpin in Kabbalistic teachings.
52
Sefer Bahir; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1979;
#155; pg. 175
53
Notice the prominence of the spinal cord in this image. It symbolizes the Middle Vertical Pillar
54
On the Dignity of Man; Count Giovanni Pico della Mirandola; translated by Charles Glenn Wallis; Hackett
Publishing Company, Inc.; Indianapolis and Cambridge; c. 1965; pg. 8

10
chariots and hosts, All these are blessed and increase in illumination for they all are comprehended
ithi the te eth, Ti e. 55

The bottom array represents the three dimensions of Space and is the left vertical pillar o the T ee.
The spi itual o ki gs of this di e sio deal ith the o ept of Pe fe tio , i.e. the a ui ed i telle t
unified with its divine counterpoint, the Active Intellect whose symbol is the Countenance of the Sun.
This is the Kabbalistic devequt, the lea i g of the hu a soul to the Di i e hi h a o l e
perfected in this World.

The progression of the first six cards pictures light emerging out of darkness o e il as it moves from
the fifteenth card, Diablos,56 to the penultimate, Salvation.

The endpoint of the dimension of Space is The World which epitomizes the beauty of the unifying power
of the intellect that is mentioned in Pythagorean conclusion 25:5 (see footnote #31).

55
Vayeze, [153a]
56
Rabbi Abulafia held the number fifteen to be that of the Devil.

11
With this final card goes the letter tau which completes the Alphabet of Foundation. At this stage the
i itiate ould ha e studied the lette s fo thei te tual ea i g, ho this ea i g is o u i ated
through symbol and how the number assigned compliments text and symbol. One would know each
letter with respect to the differences in their natures, qualities, forms, characteristics, potencies, and
activities.57 Knowledge of letter to Sefiroth correspondence would be included as part of their
Wo ki gs.

It is also during this stage that one formulates the Sefiroth and letters within. Using the directed
imagination and strong powers of visualization the initiate reconstructs their own inner being according
to the desig of the T ee of Life hi h is fashio ed i the Like ess of the Divine Man, especially his
Head as that is he e his ese la e to the Di i e d ells.58

This 3 – 7 Cosmological construct of the twenty-one Foundation letters forms Daat, the Head of the
Divine Man that now holds the knowledge of these Wo ki gs of C eatio .

The vertical reading in concatenation progresses from the exoteric to the esoteric understanding,
entering the supernal domain59 alo g hat is k o as The Wa of T uth. 60 A shift in emphasis to the
eade s i teg atio ith the te t, i.e. the letters, takes place wherein, Mea i g is o lo ge a o je t
to e defi ed, ut it is a effe t to e e pe ie ed. 61

Co espo di g to the Fou datio Alpha et of the os ologi al linguistic construct there is the
Alpha et of Bei g hi h o stitutes the o tologi al linguistic construct that formulates the vertical
reading.62 The twenty-one card design is identical to the cosmological 1 – 3 – 7 array, but is read as 1 – 7
– 3 (see pg. 14). This gives seven vertical columns63 of three letters each that are to be read as a single
syllable.64 “u h a t iad of lette s spa s all th ee di e sio s, efle ti g a ki d s ole in bringing the
o ept of elatio ship to God s eatio .65 It also reflects the central operating principle of the Sefer
Yetzirah, thesis-antithesis-synthesis.

The Alpha et of Bei g constitutes the fourth tier which includes all the worlds of the first three tiers.

These e ti al ope atio s a e k o as Ma aseh Me ka ah o the Wo ki gs of the Cha iot hi h is

the p a ti al, o te plati e dis ipli e desig ed to as e d to the Visio of the Th o e-Cha iot. 66 The

57
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck; Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 102
58
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 150
59
Ibid; pg.133, 143
60
Ibid ;pg. 291; also see ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s by Elke Morlok, pg. 291, 292
61
Wolfgang Iser; Again, Kabbalists hold hermeneutics and experience to be fully united. See footnote #20
62
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck; Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 194 The
o tologi al p a id is efle ted the li guisti o e, he e e tai sig s guide the sti o his a th ough the
pa allel u i e ses. (Instead of a four tiered array, Rabbi Gikatilla had his students create a four sided equilateral
triangular pyramid.)
63
The fa e of the Di i e Ma is ade up of the se e dou le lette s.
64
Morlok, Elke; ‘a i Joseph Gikatilla s He e euti s; Mohr Siebeck; Tubingen, Germany; c. 2011; pg. 141; The
Alpha et of Bei g is disti guished by its complicated syllables.
65
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 105
66
Sefer Bahir; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1979;
# ; pg. Me ka ah sti s e e efe ed to as those ho des e d i the Cha iot.

12
fi st si olu s a e k o as the “i “teps to the Th o e hi h ests upo the se e th step.67 What
this asce sio ep ese ts is the adhe e e of the a ui ed hu a i telle t to the A ti e I telle t
efe ed to as the Tet ag a ato thus the like ess of the appea a e of Ma sitti g o the Th o e.

To as e d to this Th o e of Glo i Ezekiel s isio the ke o d is like ess. As God eated the
Cos os a d Ma ith a si gle thought, that like ess spoke of takes pla e i the ps he a d
incorporates the Etz Chaim s thirty-two paths of Consciousness.

As the e is o spa e o ti e i the spi itual eal , o e e t o as e t a o l e

ese la e; the lose o e s like ess is to that spi itual o ept, p i iple, o pe so alit the lose
the two become in proximity to each other with the ultimate goal of becoming one.68

The Sefer Yetzirah asse les o e i to that like ess i o po ati g this efle tio of the Cha iot s
di i e patte that o stitutes oth the alpha ets of Fou datio a d Being i to o e s o e tified
soul.69

The Foundation Alphabet formulates the linguistic construct but it is the Alphabet of Being that makes it
eal a d fo this the e ti al ea i g come into play.

Section 1:8 of the Sefer Yetzirah i st u ts o e to egi ith a sile t hea t hi h is a efe e e to egi
ith the uppe tie of the “oul a d u the th ee lette s lla le do a d,70 the etu to the
pla e hi h is a up a d as e t of o s ious ess. Within the hermeneutics of concatenation the
ope atio of u i g a d etu i g esta lishes the etapho of te tual ea i g which is symbolized
by the golden tapestry in the background of each card.71 Upon completion of this woven garment by the
intellect, symbolized in the lone card, il Matto - The Madman who acts as the shuttle, all letters/ cards
are interconnected to ea h othe fo i g the Gates of Wisdo . This is the unified mind of the
Divine Man.

67
Chronicles XI, 18; Vayaqhel [206a]
68
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 247
69
As the initiate follows the instructs of the Sefer Yetzirah to reconstruct their being according to the glyph of the
T ee sto i g the i fo atio gi e i to the app op iate desig ated lette o “efi ah, the te t a e u de stood
as being designed to memorize itself.
70
Sefer Bahir; pg. 179
71
Except the eight card Justice which initiates the dimension of Time. The tapestry is lowered to form a trifold
pa titio that s olizes the T ee of Life i di ati g the o ki gs of the Thi t -two Paths of Wisdom.

13
The first three vertical columns deal with the necessary conditions for the return of the Shekinah, i.e.
the Imagination to the level of the Intellect. Colu o e is the ‘e uke of Ad o itio hi h deals ith
perfection out of imperfection, and the se o d o is Fea of the Lo d hi h ea s o e egi s to
understand how God thinks. This signals the implementation of this mnemonic system which resembles
God s fi st thought a d o stitutes the 231 Gates of Wisdom. The Star array is the meditations to
actualize this system and is k o as The ‘etu of the Uppe Lights. The Moon is The Return of the
Shekinah hi h ea s that the Imagination has been raised to the level of the intellect.72 The Sun is the
Di i e Ma s e t a e i to this o ld. Noti e his fo is that of the Cherub who is pictured as the
A gel of the Di i e Cou te a e holdi g the “u that has a fa e. The marriage of the Sun and the
Moon follows representing the unification of the human soul with the Divine Active Intellect.73

The Pattern of the Throne of the Chariot Alphabet of Being, 1-7-3 vertical array

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

72
Maimonides referred to this coupling as the rectified intellect. Albertus Magnus considered mnemonics to be an
art that forced the lower powers of the imagination to reach the higher rational parts of the soul. See Francis
Yates, The Art of Memory pg. 64
73
This u io is the e t al o ept of Mai o ides theory of prophecy which is represented by the middle card
of the sixth column, Death that is associated with the dimension of illumination.

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The last vertical t iad of t u ps pi tu es Mi a dola s T iple Me hia a often referred to as the Three
Crowns of Solomon and the Three Meals of the Sabbath.74 They also represent the three Mother letters,
alef, mem, and shin, that were fashio ed i to the th ee ho izo tal paths of the T ee hi h joi
together the three vertical pillars in a very important way.75 The fo Ja o s Ladde hi h leads
upward to the Throne of Glory.

The otto u g is k o as the ‘e tifi atio of Yesod 76 in which the Imagination (Malkuth) ascends
to the level of the Intellect (Yesod) and is referred to as the Crown of the Priest (see pg. 17). This is
Pu it th ough hi h the head of the Di i e Ma e e ges afte the fo eski of si is cut away.77
Mem is the Wate ele e tal oss a . Wate is asso iated ith Wisdo , i d, a d e o . This
indicates that the Divine Pattern is in place allowing one access to all knowledge by way of the
primordial pattern which arrays the letters of creation. Therefore the Pea l o Co o a of the Di i e
Man is the semi-Sefirah Daat/ Knowledge and with knowledge comes erection, i.e. ascent.78The Chariot
is a reflection of these spiritual workings.

74
Chaim Wirszubski; Pi o della Mi a dola s E ou te ith Je ish Mysticism; Harvard University Press; Cambridge,
Mass. and London, England; c. 1989; pg. 139, 140, 143, 193
75
Sefer Yetzirah; translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990;
pg. 139
76
The circumcision and the uncovering of the corona cause the Spheres Yesod and Malkuth to become unified in
the o se a e of Za ho (to remember) a d “ha o (to keep) of Sabbath. Gates of Light; Rabbi Joseph ben
Abraham Gikatilla; translated by Avi Weinstein; Harper-Collins Publishers San Francisco, Ca.; c.1994; pg. 80
77
A o eeds a Head upo hi h to e pla ed.
78
Yevamot 53b

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The middle rung that intersects the middle vertical pillar at Tiferet (Beauty) is attributed to the mother
letter alef a d the ele e t Ai . Temperance79 rep ese ts the o ept of e lighte e t, o e s e a d
as one progresses along the path of Truth day by day. She is the Holy Spirit giving drink of the Heavenly
Everflow to those who thirst (notice the Everflow is invisible like Air or Spirit). This station represents the
C o of the Ki g ho rules with complete knowledge and the Covent of Adonai, which is the Covent
of Peace.80

The top rung is where the Middle Pillar intersects the path of the letter shin that connects the Father/
Wisdom to the Mother/ Intuitive Understanding. Here is where the Head, Daat belongs. Once the
mystic s o s ious ess ele ates a d u ites ith these highe spi itual fo es the soul becomes a perfect
efle tio of God s Thought a d Will. It is shin, the element of Fire that perfects the union of the Divine
Intellect to his bride, the human soul; the marriage of the Sun and the Moon. This is the third and
sup e e C o of the P i o dial To ah hi h is des i ed as a o e li guisti fa i hose length is
made up of the alphabets81 of the Sefer Yetzirah and the 231 Gates of Wisdom82 while its breathe is
composed of certain letter combinations and permutations dealing with the Tetragrammaton.83

79
Sefer Yetzirah : , Air in the Universe, Temperate in the Year, and the chest in the Soul. Sefer Yetzirah;
translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan; Samuel Weiser Inc.; York Beach, Maine; c. 1990; pg. 152
80
Gates of Light; Rabbi Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla; translated by Avi Weinstein; Harper-Collins Publishers San
Francisco, Ca.; c.1994; pg. 79 Also known as the Covent of the Oral Torah.
81
Plural: the alphabets of Foundation and Being, the cosmological and ontological constructs.
82
Scholem, Gershom G.; Kabbalah; New American Library; New York and Scarborough, Ontario; c. 1974; pg. 132
83
According to many Kabbalists, this Primordial Torah in itself is identified with Zer Anpin. Aryeh Kaplan; Sefer
Yetzirah; 6:1; pg. 238

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When the human soul, male and female, is restored to its proper angelic state then the Covenant of the
Tongue84 is possible as the Divine man now has a Mouth with which to speak. As the to gue is the
physical instrument of speech,85 the proper pronunciation of the effable Tetragrammaton is best
captured by a passage from the Zoharic work, Vayehi,86 Thought (the single point), Understanding,
Voice and Utterance are all one and the same, and that there is no separation between them, and this is
what is meant the o ds, The Lo d is O e a d His Na e is O e.

This is Tikkun-Nefesh87 whose perfection is mirrored in the Supernal Tikkun-Olam.

This is the I AM that I AM, the flesh ade Wo d, the proper pronunciation of the Divine Name.
What that may ea , o e a ot sa , thus a “a ed Ope “e et.

As ‘a i ‘e a ati ote, Ma o p ises all supe al e tities….This is the easo h a is a

microcosm, as he comprises everything. All his limbs are the likeness and sign for the Supernal Entities, as
it is said: F o flesh I shall see God . 88 (Job, XIX, 20)

84
The Covenant of the Tongue is in the Head. Aryeh Kaplan; Sefer Yetzirah; 3:6, pg. 150
85
The mysteries of AMSH relate to the root of speech. Ibid; 3:2, pg. 143
86
Sefer Zohar, Volume II; Soncino Press; London, Jerusalem, and New York; c. 1934; Vayehi [246b] pg. 382
87
Tikkun is the restoration of the universe to its original design in the Mind of the Creator. It is the light that issued
forth from the forehead of Adam Kadmon to eo ga ize the diso de l o fusio that esulted f o the eaki g
of the essels. Gershom G. Scholem; Kabbalah; pg. 140. This is the marriage of Vau and the second Heh which
results in the equivalent on high, the Tikkun-Olam of Yod and first Heh, the marriage of the King and His Matrona
whose coition brings forth, Daat, the offsp i g “o of thei like ess. c.f. Daat is the confluence between
Chokmah and Binah. See Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah, FN. #188, pg. 359 He is the anointed, the Son of the Holy One.
88
Ta a ei ha-Mitzwot, Fol. 4c

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Francis Yates ote, If the basic images used in such a memory system had talismanic power, power to
draw down the celestial influences and spiritus within the memory, such a memory would become that of
the di i e a i i ti ate asso iatio ith di i e po e s of the os os. 89

Fu the she oted, The i d a d e o of a is o di i e ha i g po e s of g aspi g the highest

reality through the magically activated imagination. 90

Indeed, the Florentine Renaissance witnessed the transformation of the classic mnemonic system into
an Occult memory wherein the images, orders and places were held to be a reflection of that Primordial
Pa adig of C eatio , a like ess of the T uth, the ealit of Being.

The Visconti-“fo za Majo A a a is a isual p ese tatio of ot a O ult e o i s ste , ut The

Occult Mnemonics. Yates held that such a memory device would have the power of unifying the
contents of creation as such a system is based on the images of the celestial world91 and would also
enable this Divine Man to ead off at o e gla e, th ough i spe ti g the i ages, the hole o te ts of
C eatio . 92

Rabbi Gikatilla reiterates Yates, If ou o te plate o the th ee kinds of forms and within the secret of
the twenty-two letters you will find the entire creation of the world, its structure and all of its species. All
is depe d o the lette s. O e ho u de sta ds thei hidde ste ies as e plai ed i the Sefer Yetzirah
ill o te plate the depths of the lette s. 93

Il Matto, The Mad a is the very embodiment of these “a ed Ope “e ets that a e o ealed
within the twenty-two picture cards of the Visconti-Sforza Tarot.94 He cannot say the secret, he can only
show you.

From the Sefer Yetzirah, 2:6: Fo esee, t a sfo a d ake all that is formed and all that is spoken: One
Name. A sign for this thing: twenty-t o o je ts i a si gle od .

89
Yates, Francis A.; The Art of Memory; University of Chicago Press; Chicago, Ill.; c. 1966; pg. 155
90
Ibid; pg. 157
91
Ibid; pg. 155; see Pythagorean Conclusion 25:5, FN. #36, pg. 6
92
Ibid; this defi es the Gates of Wisdo .
93
Rabbi Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla; Sefer haNiqqud, 39b, printed i Arzei Levanon, Ve i e . See Elke
Morlok, The Hermeneutics of Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla; pg. 102
94
See thou the sign, the hint which I gave thee at first, ho a Majo A a a it o tai s? [From the Zoharic
work, Mishpatim, 99b]

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I would like to acknowledge the U.S. Games, Inc. copyright on the reproduction of the Visconti-Sforza
Tarot.

Below is an enlarged glyph of the Etz Chaim and the Mnemonic system which unifies the mind of the
Divine Man. These can be printed off for a quick reference.

Etz Chaim: Tree of Life

19
The House of God: The Pattern of the Throne – Chariot/ Daat/ The Head

20