AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous essay on assigning tarot court cards to the Sun, Moon and Ascendant degrees of the natal horoscope, I promised to address how the multi-sign Princesses of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley can brought into the same model. Here goes! It is a traditional assumption that each King has mastered … Continue reading Personalizing the Princesses
Tarot Theory
The Thoth 9 of Wands: Strength in Opposition
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've never been entirely satisfied with the title "Strength" (or its precursor, the Golden Dawn's "Lord of Great Strength") for the Thoth 9 of Wands as signifying the Moon in Sagittarius. The Moon is not particularly forceful at the best of times and Sagittarius is the most muted of the Fire signs. Crowley … Continue reading The Thoth 9 of Wands: Strength in Opposition
The Ideal Consort: The Devil and the Queen of Disks
"Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste" (Jagger/Richards) AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book The Thoth Companion, Michael Snuffin expounds upon the "goat" symbolism on the Queen of Disks card by noting that "A goat stands on a second golden orb in the foreground, which represents the Sun in Capricorn, … Continue reading The Ideal Consort: The Devil and the Queen of Disks
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Distillation
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before I cover the technical definitions, I want to suggest another word for distillation: sublimation, as in refining or purifying something of an inferior quality to elevate it to a condition of surpassing excellence. In spiritual alchemy the mode of self-realization begins to evolve in a more rarefied direction. In traditional alchemy, distillation … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Distillation
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Fermentation
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In alchemy, fermentation is a euphemism for "putrefaction" or rotting, from which an impure elixir is generated. Spiritually speaking, the composite Self formed during the process of conjunction was assumed to be authentic but it had not yet achieved the pinnacle of perfection and must now be dissolved, digested and reformulated. The union … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Fermentation
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Conjunction
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Quoting Thomas Ellison in The Collector, "Conjunction refers to the process of combining the elements from the previous three stages." Another source (Credo Quia Absurdum) notes: "The separated elements demand a new combination to find the balance. The male and female principles are significant for every human being and its physical and spiritual … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Conjunction
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Separation
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In approaching the subject of alchemical separation as it relates to the third phase of my tarot "self-realization" model, I decided to quote my source material: "The separation of the elements allows us to observe them more clearly. Their true nature and shape are finally exposed to us." For the purpose of spiritual … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Separation
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Dissolution
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the second in my series of tarot spreads based on the principles of alchemy, this time addressing the process of dissolution. Once again I used a "prepared" deck with the pip and court cards separated into sub-packs and the rest of the trump cards set aside. The purpose of this alchemical … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Dissolution
Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Calcination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While reading about the seven stages of alchemy for another purpose, I hit upon the idea of doing a series of tarot spreads for individual self-development based on those principles. The first stage of personal growth is one of symbolic calcination, an act of depletion that chastens and corrects as it redeems. The … Continue reading Tarot Alchemy in Seven Stages: Calcination
A Loony on the Paths
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After re-reading the Sepher Yetzirah and some of its modern commentary for the first time in several decades, I decided to rework the correspondences for the trump cards on the paths of the Qabalistic Tree of Life to align them with my renewed (some will say "skewed") awareness. During a discussion on one … Continue reading A Loony on the Paths
