Greetings and welcome to Meditations on the Tarot.
For these readings I'll be using the Thoth Tarot as developed by Alistair Crowley.
The images used in this deck are particularly powerful and link closely to the teachings of the Mystical Kabbalah.
In many cases,
As we shall see,
We can also make pertinent links to the I Ching and thus incorporate a different perspective from ancient eyes.
For each of these readings I will draw four cards,
The first card representing the past,
The second the present time,
And the third to represent the future as it may unfold.
The fourth card will reveal the underlying energies underpinning the reading.
These readings are timeless.
If you are drawn to this reading you may find it particularly pertinent to you in the here and now.
If not,
Then take what applies to you and leave what does not.
These readings are for self-elimination only and do not constitute advice.
So let's begin.
The first card I draw,
Representing the past,
Is the Devil.
The second,
Representing the present,
Is the Chariot.
The third card,
Representing the future,
Is the Nine of Wands.
And the fourth card,
Underlying the reading,
Is the Ten of Cups.
So when we take the first card,
The Devil in hand,
It's a mystery straight off.
In the background there is a pillar thrusting up into the ceiling of the painting and that pillar is supported by two orbs at the bottom.
The goat in the center is the Goat of Mendes and he has a rather whimsical and comical expression on his face.
There's an element of playfulness here in this card.
It's a vibrant emblem of creative energy,
Raw material force and the mirth of the universe.
There is a suggested playfulness that we see before us and in fact it's to do with the manifestation of the thought into the physical world,
Into the physical realm.
So the card's symbolism further reinforces this theme of manifestation and in the orbs at the bottom of the picture we have these rather playful characters about to be born into the physical world.
There's an element of potency here,
Something about to manifest.
We have other symbols of manifestation here.
In the center,
Underneath the smiling mirth-filled goat-like character,
Is a caduceus staff which borrows the transformative power of Hermes to portray the devil as a master of physical wisdom.
The staff is crowned with the winged disc of Horus which serves as a bridge between the spiritual life force and the physical matter in the common plane.
Overall,
This card is a symbol that signals creation in the physical realm as an unrestricted flow of the divine creative will.
Not a trap to be escaped,
But something to play with and kind of enjoy.
At the bottom,
Looking again at these two spheres,
I can see the cells dividing,
The DNA splitting and reforming.
In the back is a network of webs or roots,
Perhaps symbolizing the material world and how it can act as a trap if we're not careful.
Perhaps through a creative obsession,
A drive for financial security and mastery,
Or an exploration of the shadow side of life.
This card points to a phase when learning to navigate the density of life was actually necessary for overall growth.
Having experienced the weight of desires,
And ideally having begun to see through the joke of material limitation,
We are now moving forward with wisdom.
Moving on now to the second card that was drawn today,
The chariot.
The card emphasizes the creation of a protective enclosure for the soul.
In the Thoth Tarot,
The charioteer is clad in amber armor and seated in a lotus position.
He acts as a stationary center of power,
Holding the Holy Grail as a vessel for divine inspiration.
If you look closely,
You can see his armor is adorned with the ten crystals of the Sephiroth,
And suggests that his authority is derived from the very structure of the Qabbalistic tree of life.
This divine protection is further mirrored by the blue crab upon his helmet,
And the canopy above,
On which is ascribed the word Abracadabra,
Signifying the great work of uniting the human with the divine in an act of alchemy.
In the foreground,
Rather than pulling the chariot through brute force,
Are the four cherubic beasts that symbolize perfect balance of the psyche.
Ultimately the Thoth Chariot card teaches that true victory is an internal achievement.
It is the discipline of the magical fence that allows the seeker to carry the light of the Grail through the material world without being scattered by its chaos.
When drawn to signify the present position,
The chariot signifies existence within a magical enclosure,
A period of intense focus,
Self-discipline,
And mastery.
There is a call to act as a container for powerful forces,
Balancing the cherubic beasts of shifting emotions and intellect to maintain a steady course.
So this present moment is not a time for aggressive outward struggle,
But for the quiet,
Amber-armored resolve of the knight who holds the Grail steady amidst the motion of the world.
The presence of this card suggests that success is within grasp,
Provided that purpose is maintained and focus is not allowed to scatter.
The charioteer is currently the master of their own vehicle,
And the primary task is to ensure that external actions remain perfectly aligned with internal spiritual truth.
Let's move on now to the Nine of Wands,
Which was drawn to represent the future possibilities.
In the Thoth Tarot,
This card,
The Nine of Wands,
Is entitled Strength and serves as a powerful depiction of energy that has been tempered and consolidated into an unshakable foundation.
The imagery centers on a massive vertical wand,
A conduit of the master path,
Crowned by the sun and anchored by the moon,
Symbolizing the perfect alignment of conscious will and subconscious instinct.
Behind this central pillar,
Eight wands depicted as arrows cross in a precise symmetrical grid,
Suggesting a state of dynamic stability,
Where the chaos of previous times has been mastered and balanced.
This card reflects a peak of resilient power rather than exhaustion.
The glowing furnace-like oranges and reds emphasize that this is tempered fire,
Spiritual energy that has become durable and reliable.
Ultimately,
The Nine of Wands represents the maximum development of the element of fire,
Portraying a state of immovable force where the individual's vision is so well supported by internal harmony that they remain virtually invincible against any external challenge.
In the future position,
The Nine of Wands promises a state of unassailable resilience and the final consolidation of power.
It indicates that the challenges that are currently being navigated will eventually crystallize into a foundation of strength that cannot be easily moved or shaken.
This card suggests that a period where conscious goals and subconscious instincts will finally align,
Creating a tempered resolve that is durable enough to withstand any external pressure.
Unlike cards that predict a simple victory,
The Nine of Wands in the future position signals the achievement of immovable stability.
You will find yourself standing at the center of your own life,
Fully supported by a disciplined mesh of past experiences and mastered energies.
It is a reassuring sign that the master path you are walking leads to a position of peak spiritual and material readiness,
Where you no longer have to fight for your place because your strength has become an inherent part of your being.
The card representing the underlying energies of this reading is the Ten of Cups entitled Satiety and represents the absolute zenith of emotional manifestation and the inevitable transition that follows such fulfillment.
The card depicts ten golden cups arranged in the pattern of the Tree of Life,
Signifying that emotional energy has achieved its most organized and solar form.
Unlike the stability of the preceding cards,
These cups are tilting and overflowing of the water channeled from large lotus blossoms,
Visually manifesting the concept of being full to excess.
This imagery reflects the tension of Mars,
The planet of drive,
Dissipating its force into the vast spiritual waters of Pisces,
Resulting in a state of passive luxury and quiescence.
The visual atmosphere characterized by sunset violets and golden yellows lends the card a dreamy,
Almost hallucinogenic quality that celebrates domestic harmony while hinting at the lethargy of completion.
Ultimately,
Satiety portrays a moment of perfect emotional success that has reached its breaking point.
It is the peak of the wave where the water is most beautiful just before it must break and return to the sea.
In this specific progression,
The Ten of Cups,
Satiety acting as the underlying foundation reveals that the entire journey is anchored in a deep spiritual quest for emotional wholeness.
While the visible cards,
The Devil,
The Chariot,
And the Nine of Wands describe a narrative of intense discipline,
Material mastery,
And the hardening of the will,
The Ten of Cups suggests that the silent engine driving this ambition is a desire for total peace and domestic harmony.
It indicates that the past descent into the material world,
Representing by the Devil,
And the current disciplined self-enclosure,
The Chariot,
Are not ends in themselves,
But are the necessary structures being built to contain the vast,
Overflowing satiety of emotional life.
The Ten of Cups provides the why behind future strength,
The Nine of Wands.
It shows that the solidifying of power was not out of a need for conflict,
But to protect a state of profound inner fulfillment that has finally reached its peak.
Ultimately,
This foundation ensures that hard-won success will be more than just a cold victory.
It will be a saturated,
Golden experience of life lived at its fullest emotional capacity.
That is certainly one powerful reading,
Wasn't it?
Let's now take a different track and link a reading from the I Ching to the Tarot.
And we find when we look at our last card,
Satiety,
As an underlying reading of the Tarot section,
The one which most closely connects to their reading from the I Ching is number 63,
Chi Chi,
After Completion.
Good fortune unfolds for those who remain on guard against inferior influences.
This hexagram indicates that the movement from chaos to order is complete.
The time is extremely favorable,
And you are likely to enjoy much success as long as you heed the warning of Chi Chi,
Remain on guard against incorrect thoughts,
Attitudes,
And actions,
Both in yourself and in others.
We arrive in beneficial situations by following the path of correct conduct.
When we have achieved success or are close to it,
It is in our nature to want to relax and allow the ego to bask in glory.
If you revert to this sort of carelessness now,
You will undo all that you have worked to build.
It is important not to become indifferent to spiritual details at this time.
If a thought or action even borders on incorrectness,
Discard it and return to the path of the sage immediately.
One minute we dip our toe in incorrectness,
The next minute we are swimming in it,
And the next we drown.
Therefore,
It is wiser to simply keep your toes dry in the first place.
You are also counseled to remain alert to inferior influences and others.
You can only prevent misfortunes by anticipating them in advance,
And this is achieved through watchfulness.
The image of Chi Chi is that of a kettle of water boiling over a fire.
There is great power here,
But it is lost if one allows the water to boil over or evaporate through carelessness and indifference.
Alertness and conscientious adherence to what is correct are called for if you wish to prolong your good fortune now.
