•Lamed: “Horse Whip”. The 12th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 8th trump of Tarot, called Adjustment.
•Lamp: one of the “weapons” of the Western Magickal tradition. It symbolizes the 1st Sephira of the Tree of Life, called Kether, which represents Godhead and one's Higher Self.
•Light (aspect of a Tarot card): The more positive interpretation of a card. Not necessarily balanced, but usually received as good news.
•Lilith: The first wife of Adam before Eve. Also considered to be Eve's shadow self. Queen of demons.
•Lila: Sanskrit word meaning “play”. A reference to the manifest universe as a game played by God.
•Love: The urge of two opposite principles to unite and dissolve. Also a state of spiritual Grace.
•Lovers (The): The 6th trump of Tarot.
•Lucid Dreaming: The ability to be aware of and control one's dreams.
•Lust: Traditionally called “Strength”, Lust is the 11th trump of the Thoth Tarot deck.
(M)
•Malkuth: The 10th Sephira on the Tree of Life. The material World.
•Magus (The): The 1st trump of Tarot. Also a grade of attainment in the Western Magickal tradition.
•Mara: Hindu goddess of death.
•Maithuna: Tantric term for sexual union with a human partner as a personification of the divine.
•MAAT: The Vulture goddess of ancient Egypt, MAAT represents Karma and justice.
•Maya: Sanskrit word meaning “illusion”.
•Mem: “Water”. The 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 12th trump of Tarot, called The Hanged Man.
•Mermaid Awareness: The feminine equivalent of Centaur Awareness. (see “Centaur Awareness”).
•Moon (The): A symbol of the subconscious mind, dreams, visions, intoxication, nightmares, fears, and the mirror-like nature of the meditative mind.
(N)
•Necronomicon (The): A fictional work by HP Lovecraft.
•Nephilim: A group of fallen angels.
•Nephesh: A Hebrew word with myriad meanings. In this book, Nephesh refers to the Subconscious mind and the location of the Anima and Animus in an individual’s psyche. It's also the seat of Qi or Prana.
•Neschamah: The Kabbalistic term for “intuition”.
•Netzach: The 7th Sephira on the Tree of Life. The sphere of Venus.
•Nirvana: Sanskrit word meaning “to blow out”. A Buddhist term for the cessation of human suffering and the attainment of Buddhahood.
•Nirvikalpa Samadhi: Formless absorption in Yogic meditation practice. The cessation of all phenomena.
•Nuith: The Egyptian goddess of the sky. Also one of three divinities in the Thelemic religion.
•Nun: “Fish”. The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 13th trump of Tarot, called Death.
(O)
•Odin: A demigod of the early Germanic peoples.
•Om: A mantra said to contain the sonic formula for the creation and destruction of the universe.
•Om Mani Padme Hum: Sanskrit mantra meaning “Jewel in the Center of the Lotus”.
•Olive Branch: A symbol of hope.
•Oneironaut: A person who explores the dream plane.
•Ontology: The philosophical study of the nature of Being in relation to Reality.
•Orphic Egg: The “world egg”. The Orphic Egg was originally a symbol relating to the creation of the universe. In occult circles, it has come to symbolize the gestation period between the old and the new, or between the Will and the attaining of it.
•Ostara: A Pagan holiday. Known today as Easter.
(P)
•Panenhenic: Nature mysticism. Pantheism.
•Paroketh (the Veil of): The lower Abyss which separates the lower four Sephiroth from the rest of the Tree of Life.
•Parsifal: The “pure fool” of the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail. Attributed to the trump called The Fool.
•Peh: “Mouth”. The 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 16th trump of Tarot, called The Tower.
•Pellucid Dreaming: Mindfulness meditation carried into the dream state.
•Phobos: Greek for “fear”, Phobos represents the resistance of the part against the whole.
•Priestess (The): The 2nd trump of Tarot.
•Pingala: The Sun channel in Yogic anatomy, Pingala is an Etheric nerve said to reside on the right side of the spine.
•Pip Cards:
•Pluto: A Greco/Roman god of the Underworld. Associated with The Tower and The Devil in the Thoth Tarot deck.
•Proximate Self: The subjective self, the greater portion of the which tends to be unconscious. The psychological “shadow” is part of the Proximate Self.
(Q)
•Querant: The person consulting a Tarot card reader.
•Qlippoth: The shadow side of the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life, said to exist on the so-called Tree of Death.
•Qi: Chinese word for “energy”. The lifeforce within the Etheric Body.
•Question (The): A title of the 6th trump, called The Lovers. Another term for the so-called magickal Oath.
(R)
•Ra Hoor Khuith: An Egyptian solar deity. Also one of three divinities in the Thelemic religion.
•Rajas: The principle of fire and the motivating force of the created universe in the Hindu religion. One of the three “Gunas” of Hindu cosmology.
•Rajneesh: A controversial spiritual teacher of the 21st century, popularly known as “Osho”.
•Resh: “Head”. The 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 19th trump of Tarot, called The Sun.
•Rosy Cross: A symbol of the Rosicrucian society said to represent the unity of man with God, the microcosm with the macrocosm.
•Ruach: The Kabbalistic concept of Reason and logical thinking. It’s also the center of the human personality and ego.
•Rumi (Jalaludin): A famous Sufi mystic and poet.
(S)
•Samadhi: Sanskrit word meaning “Union with God”. A nondual state of consciousness.
•Samekh: “To Uphold”. The 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Attributed to the 14th trump of Tarot, called Art.
•Satori: The Zen term for spiritual enlightenment.
•Saturn: A Greco/Roman god of time and agriculture. Attributed to trump #15, The Devil.
•Serpent: Symbol of either wisdom or evil, depending upon context and culture. Also a symbol of sexuality, especially female sexuality, intoxication, and secret knowledge.
•Shadow: The repressed and unconscious aspect of the psyche. Disowned qualities of the personality typically projected onto other people.
•Shekinah: The Hebrew concept of “spirit trapped in matter”.
•Shen: Chinese word meaning “Spirit”. A reference to the very root of consciousness. It can also refer to one's morale or vitality. One of the “three treasures” in Taoist Qigong.
•Sushumna: An Etheric nerve in Yogic anatomy said to reside along the spinal cord.
•Solve Et Coagula: Latin phrase meaning “Dissolve and Bind”. An alchemical process by which two principles or substances are dissolved and combined, usually to create a third principle or substance.
•Soma: A mysterious substance mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures used to alter consciousness. Possibly a psychedelic plant.
•Soror: A female initiate in the Western Hermetic Tradition.
•Spectrum (of Consciousness):
•Sphinx: A symbol of paradox and higher knowledge.
•Star (The): The 17th trump of Tarot.
•Subtle Body: The Etheric, Mental, and Astral aspects of the bodymind.
•Succubus: Female demon said to attack sleeping men for sex. A female psychic vampire.
•Sun (The): A symbol of the Self, optimism, Will, and life.
•Sword: Also called a “Spade”, the Sword is one of four “weapons” of the ceremonial magickian. It's also one o
f four suits in the Minor Arcana of Tarot. It represents the element of Air.
(T)
•Talisman: A magickal device used to attract a desired object, divinity, or experience.
•Tamas: One of the three Gunas of Hindu cosmology. Tamas represents darkness, sloth, and decay.
•Tarot: A deck of 78 cards used for fortune-telling, divination, and spiritual contemplation.
•Teth: “Snake”.
•Thanatos: Greek word for the Will to Die.
•Thelema: The religion founded by Aleister Crowley in 1904.
•Thelemite: A follower of the religion of Thelema.
•Tiphareth: The 6th Sephira on the Tree of Life.
•Tree of Life: A popular map used to illustrate the concepts from the oral tradition of Jewish mysticism, called Kabbalah. The format of the 78 cards of Tarot are also based on the Tree of Life.
•True Will: Made famous by occultist Aleister Crowley, the True Will is the actual purpose and drive of a person's soul. It's often mistaken to be a synonym for strong desire, but it's nothing of the sort.
•Tower (The): The 16th trump of Tarot.
•Typhon: The son of Gaia and Tartarus, Typhon is an enormous serpent. In occult circles, Typhon represents primal destructive forces in the soul.
•Tzaddi: the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Tzaddi means “horsewhip”. Attributed to The Emperor in the Thoth Tarot deck.
(U)
•Uranus: A Greco/Roman sky god. Attributed to trump #0, The Fool.
•Uroboros: The symbol of the serpent biting its own tail. Its meanings are legion, but the primary interpretation used in this book pertains to the renewal of one's energies by recycling them. This process can be seen in meditative disciplines such as Microcosmic Orbit.
•Umbilical Cord: Seen in trump #0, The Fool, the umbilical cord represents the Three Veils of Negative Existence, called Ain, Ain Soph, Ain Soph Aur.
•Unio Mystica: “Mystical Marriage”. In Christian mysticism, the Unio Mystica is identical to Samadhi in the Bhakti Yoga of India. It is the experience of spiritual union with Christ. Similar, if not identical, to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.
•Universe (The): The 21st trump of Tarot.
(V)
•Vampire: A mythical being, usually an undead human, that feeds on the blood of the living. In occult circles, a vampire is a school of initiation that has Light and Shadow schools, the former being the most well-known. Often called “energy vampires” or “psychic vampires”, initiates of the Shadow school of vampirism learn how to drain people of their life force to feed their Etheric Bodies.
•Venus: Roman goddess of love. Also one of the stormiest planets in our solar system. Attributed to the 3rd trump of Tarot, called The Empress.
•Vau: “Nail”.
•Virgin: “Intact”. Virginity is often used in Occult symbolism to represent purity, sanctification, and the impenetrable nature of the Unconscious by methods like logic or tour de force.
•Vishnu: In the Hindu religion, Vishnu is the god responsible for keeping the universe in motion.
(W)
•Wand: A symbol of Will in the Western, and even some Eastern, magickal traditions. The Wand is one of four “weapons” of the ceremonial magickian. It's also one of four suits in the Minor Arcana of Tarot. It represents the element of Fire.
•Wheel: In Tarot, the Wheel often symbolizes change, habit, karma, and the cycles of nature. The Wheel takes center stage in trump #10 of Tarot, called Fortune.
•Will: (See: True Will)
•Window: A symbol that often refers to dreams, visions, and quixotic ideas.
(X)
(No reference found)
(Y)
•Yechidah: In Kabbalah, the Yechidah is the “Oversoul”. The enlightened mind of Nonduality.
•Yetzirah (Olam Ha): “World of Creation”. Olam Ha Yetzirah is the World situated below Olam Ha Brian and above Olam Ha Assiah on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
•Yod: The 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It means, “hand”. It’s attributed to The Hermit in Tarot.
•Yod Heh Vau Heh: The unspeakable name of god, erroneously called “Jehovah” or “Yahweh”.
•Yeheshua: Commonly spelled “Joshua”, Yeheshua is known as the Pentagrammaton, a title of The Holy Guardian Angel, the Jewish Messiah, and any other intermediary between God and Man (See: Pentagrammaton).
(Z)
•Zain: “Sword”.
•Zero: In Western esotericism, the concept of Zero is a paradoxical one, symbolizing both emptiness and fullness. It’s also often used to illustrate continuity, the spiral force of creation, and self-sustainability.
Diagram of Tree of Life with Crowley’s Tarot Attributes
‘
The Emperor and The Empress
(Attached Essay)
The Emperor and The Empress are the significators of the Major Arcana. They represent you as an individual—as you define yourself as a man or woman---you at your best or worst. Additionally, The Emperor and The Empress embody what Gary Zukav, in his wonderful book "Soul Stories", referred to as the "old" man and the "old” woman. That is, men and women as they’ve been hitherto defined by most societies. The old man and woman are defined by the well-known family structure in which the man pays the bills while the woman raises the children.
In modern times, we’re beginning to see the emergence of an altogether different type of man and woman. These folks aren’t a continuance of the “old ways” but a completely new phenomenon. This new man or woman is capable of just about everything the old models are capable of, with a few omissions and additions. For example, the new man will not only be a bread-winner---if that's his predicament---but will also be capable of being a single parent. He won't shut out his feelings; he's not trying to be an Alpha male. Although he may not be as physically strong as his Neanderthal counterpart, he’ll more than make up for this in ways beyond the caveman! Similarly, the new woman will also be capable of raising children, keeping a home, and being a faithful wife, but not at the expense of her dreams, inclinations, and overall sense of autonomy.
Looking at our Tarot deck, we see the emergence of the new man and woman in The Hierophant, appearing as Blue Isis and Harpocrates. Blue Isis embodies The Priestess, The Star, and Lust; Harpocrates embodies The Fool, The Magus, and The Hierophant. The new man and woman meet in the Art card. For those wishing to investigate this subject further, I highly recommend Gary's book. Also check out the seminal book, "In a Different Voice", by Carol Gilligan.
In this brief essay, you’re going to learn an alternative approach to the Major Arcana, one quite useful in clarifying whether you’re dealing with the light or shadow aspects of a card. This applies especially to what I call the ten "face" cards of the Major Arcana; i.e., The Fool, The Magus, The Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Chariot, The Hermit, The Hanged Man, and Art, respectively. *(This is my personal nomenclature; the reader may wish to come up with her own.)
The Universe represents your kingdom, that is to say, how you experience your world ---friends, family, co-workers, religious beliefs, and so forth. Of course, your experience is influenced by your conscious attitudes and unconscious tides, represented in the Major Arcana by The Sun and The Moon, respectively. These three cards: The Universe, The Sun, and The Moon, belong to what I call the twelve "non-face cards." These are: The Lovers, Adjustment, Fortune, Lust, Death, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, The Aeon, and The Universe, respectively. In this approach, The Emperor or The Empress imbibe the remaining nine "face cards" in much the same way as the Ace imbibes the remaining nine cards of its suit. A good way to apply this practically is to take ten pieces of paper upon which are written ten meaningful aspects of your life: work, play, intellectual interests, spiritual beliefs, romance, family, friends, health, self-esteem, communication, etc. You could then shuffle the ten "face cards" and lay them out one by one beneath their corr
esponding labels, left to right. For example: The Fool, appearing beneath any of these life-topics may indicate where it is you’re acting irresponsibly. The Magus, appearing beneath anyone of these may indicate refined skills in the area in question.
NOTE: (If you're a man, The Empress could represent any important female figure in your life, namely how you experience and perceive the latter—your mother, wife, girlfriend, etc.---or she could, simultaneously, represent your creative talents, feminine side, you in the role of listener, or quite simply your overall sense of psychosomatic harmony. If you're a woman, The Emperor could represent an important male figure in your life, such as your father or husband; or else he may represent your inner sense of security and safety---how "in control" you feel.)
After the "face cards" have been interpreted, shuffle the "non-face cards" and place them under their respective label/face card from left to right to see where these tendencies are leading. This will give you a good picture of how you might be operating in these various aspects of your life and what type of karma you may be generating as a result. The "non-face-card" beneath The Emperor (if male) or The Empress (if female) will reveal the general theme of the reading, or the environment in which it’s occurring. Pay extra attention to where The Sun, The Moon, and The Universe cards land. The Sun and The Moon will tell you where you are at this moment (and your attitude toward it), consciously and unconsciously. The Universe will show you where it is you need to get more of the big picture, the comprehension of which brings clarity to the intractable issues encountered in the reading. Finally, after you’ve laid out all of the "non-face" cards, there’ll be two cards remaining: these cards inform you where all of this is leading.
Predicting The Present Page 30
