The Contract Tarot 5: The Hierophant

“Hear the wisdom Of the Hierophant! He offers advice And ancient grace. Bring your problems In your search For truth and understanding He brings harmony and peace. Your desire for knowledge Will be answered here Sit at the feet Of the teacher Aspire to being Life!”

So, let’s dive into this card and see what we can see.

The most noticeable thing is the background with sun, moon and mountain and colour. Then the eye focuses on the two pillars, the stone throne, the crown, the borromean rings, the open book, the keys, the lilies, the red roses and the kerubim.

Okay… one at a time.

The background colour is red-orange and is the colour of the Hierophant’s robes.
The light from the sun becomes the oriel representing macrocosmic knowledge and is characteristic of the enlightened.
The moon is the crescent moon that links this card’s energy with The Priestess.
The mountain represents the self-imposed limitations an initiate must overcome on their journey of self-discovery to obtain esoteric/divine knowledge.
The two pillars/columns are Law (right one) and Liberty (left one).
The stone throne is the grey and cold colour representing the earth – this card’s element.
The crown is the papal three-tiered crown.
The borromean rings replace the triple cross scepter and represent the 3 Thelemic Aeons of Isis, Osiris and Horus.
The open book is the Book of Mysteries now open to reveal knowledge.
The keys open the door (of your mind and spirit) to receive divine knowledge.
The lilies represent knowledge.
The roses represent desire and Venus (rules Taurus).
The kerubim are the lion (Leo), the bull (Taurus), the angel (Aquarius) and the eagle (Scorpio) and also the 4 powers of the Sphinx: to Know, to Will, to Dare and to Keep Silent.

On the bottom of the scroll (left to right): the Hebrew letter Vav (nail), the symbol for the element of earth and the zodiac symbol for Taurus. Below the scroll the path between Chokmah (wisdom) and Chesed (mercy) is revealed.

This card is all about finding the wisdom of your soul, looking for divine/esoteric answers and self-discovery. You already know what you need to know. You will find it inside yourself. The path, the truth and the mystery are in yourself.

What do you see? How do you interpret this card?

Until Monday… have a blessed weekend! Love, light and blessings!

 

 

Tarot Symbolism: The Thoth Tarot – the 3 Magi

In this post, I am exploring the symbolism of the 3 Magi. Did you know there were 3 Magi in the Thoth Tarot?

They are: I – The Magus, also known as The Magus of Power; V – The Hierophant, also known as The Magus of the Eternal; and IX – The Hermit, also known as The Magus of the Voice of Power.

Let’s look at the common definition of Magus. From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magus we find:

Definition of MAGUS

1a: a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians
1b: often capitalized: one of the traditionally three wise men from the East paying homage to the infant Jesus

2: magician, sorcerer

of Magician we find:

Definition of MAGICIAN

1: one skilled in magic; especially: sorcerer

2: one who performs tricks of illusion and sleight of hand

and, of sorcerer, we find:

Definition of SORCERER

a person who practices sorcery: wizard

and finally, of sorcery, we find:

Definition of SORCERY

1: the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining: necromancy

2: magic 2a

So, we have come full circle and can find the common theme to be: one skilled in magic.

The three magi in the Thoth Tarot are all quite powerful. They are in control of their skill and they each demonstrate mastery in their own unique ways. Let’s look a little more closely at them.

I – The Magus (The Magus of Power): This  young androgynous figure is the only one identified openly as Magus. He is so into himself isn’t he… all glorious and golden! On the Tree of Life, he joins Kether – the Crown to Understanding – Binah. His planetary trump is Mercury and he displays Mercurial properties magnificently! He looks like Mercury with wings on his feet. He is yellow and gray, Mercury in Atzilut (Emanation) and Yetzirah (Formation). He juggles eight tools which he uses to bring about his will. These eight tools are: the disk, censer, Wand of Double Power, the stylus/pen, the scroll, the Winged Egg, the cup and the dagger. Four of these represent the elemental weapons of the Magus. They are the disk, censer, cup and dagger. The Winged Egg represents Spirit. The Wand of Double Power is the symbol of energy and its function is to unite opposites under one will. The stylus/pen and scroll are instruments of Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing, wisdom and magick. His magick can be seen in the tools, the caduceus, the serpents, the infinity symbol, the blue dove, the winged sandals and the ape. Interpretation in a reading is around creative force of directed will, education, communication, change, messages, travel, commerce and business.

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V – The Hierophant (The Magus of the Eternal): For a bearded old guy, he really looks rather smug and a know-it-all! He connects Chokmah – wisdom with mercy – Chesed. He wears the Crown of Osiris and radiates maturity and fatherly power. He is rather bullish and this is Taurus in Atzilut (Emanation). His tools are the three-ringed wand symbolising the Thelemic (will) Aeons – Horus, Osiris and Isis. His magick can be seen in this card as the woman with the sword, the child Horus, the unification in the hexagram-pentagram symbol, the sandal strap, the oriel and Kerubim. Interpretation in a reading is around instruction, learning new things (like a child), intuitive understanding, esoteric knowledge, endurance, patience and physical labor.

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IX – The Hermit (The Magus of the Voice of Power): He reminds me of a homeless figure being followed by his dog and, creepily, just a bit voyeuristic. Who knew? On the Tree of Life, he connects Chesed – mercy with beauty – Tipareth. He carries the Sun in his lamp and wears the white hair and beard of the Ancient of Days and the head of the ibis of Thoth/Mercury. His magick can be seen everywhere in this card from the Sun lamp to Cerberus to the Serpent Wand and finally, to the Orphic Egg. Interpretation in a reading is around illumination and isolation.

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I hope this has given you a beginning to understanding the symbolism of the 3 Magi in the Thoth Tarot. I have been studying using Lon Milo DuQuette’s book, Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, Michael Osiris Snuffin’s book, The Thoth Companion and various resources from the internet. I would encourage you to look into these texts as well as The Book of Thoth, The Book of Law and the Liber 777, all atributed to Aleister Crowley, which can be found on the internet as free pdf downloads.

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

15: Pathfinding… managing molasses

It’s been a molasses morning and the day seems to be heading in the same direction. I don’t know if it’s a sign of old age, but there are times I do things and then a few days later I can’t seem to remember what I did with what I did!!! 🙂

It feels as if I am trapped in a bit of mire today. Every time I try to move forward, I seem to be stuck in the muck and dragged two steps back. So… as fighting this takes soooo much energy and time, I’ve decided to do what I can from where I am. I am managing the day stuck in molasses. <sticky stuff this is>

Today, I have drawn The Universe, XXI. I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

It is no wonder I am feeling stuck in molasses! This card is so full of symbols and hidden meanings that it is easy to get stuck here until you ‘get’ what this is trying to tell you.

This card seems to confound most. I have looked at DuQuette’s, Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, and have trawled the internet. Most of what I find alludes to The Vision and the Voice, another Aleister Crowley text.

I will tell you what I see. I see a woman in the centre of a large circle. Behind her is a glyph which is difficult to fully see. Under her head is a tablet, a paper? She is standing on the head of the serpent and she is using a tool (a scythe, a harp) to release the energy from the black sun in the middle of a golden eye. The serpent appears to be part of this energy. There appear to be nine rays emanating from this eye and this ties to the nine rays (what I now know to be nails) emanating from the rose behind the head of the priest in The Hierophant. You will notice the four animal/beings in the corners of this card, The Universe, correspond to the same creatures in the four corners of The Hierophant card. They are the four fixed signs of the zodiac: Leo (lion), Taurus (bull), Aquarius (eagle) and Scorpio (man/angel). In The Universe, these creatures are spewing forth energy of their own. The other item I note is the architectural temple which, for some, will denote the periodic table of elements.

The Universe is the 21st Major Arcana card. It is the end of The Fool’s journey and the beginning of a new one. With this, there is reluctance to leave what we know to start something anew. We grow complacent in our comfort. However, this card suggests that we will begin a new journey as the energy has already been released and cannot be contained. We are forced to coalesce our knowledge, to crystallise it and use it as a foundation and a philosopher’s stone as we undertake a new adventure. We have the serpent at our feet and we reach for the stars. Time is running out as we strengthen our grip on the known and remain reluctant to, once again, be the new initiate. A new job, a new relationship, a new project, a new home, a new journey, a new… What is it that you are reluctant to undertake? The Universe reminds us that it is the normal cycle of life… we must let go and embrace our future or we are dragged down in the mire of our own making.

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

14: Pathfinding… reshaping

It is, as always, an exercise in doing, reshaping, rejigging, doing more, morphing, moulding, doing even more, finessing, touching up and finalising until a piece is finished. In writing it is 1st draft, 1st edit, 2nd draft, 2nd edit, 3rd draft, 3rd edit, etc. until there comes a point of saying that the final draft and edit is good enough. Writing is never a perfect exercise… it is an exercise in good enough.

So, today is a day of reshaping, rejigging and rethinking how I will proceed as I go forward with my project. It is when I think I have things good enough that something else comes to light and I know I have yet to even get started.

Today, I have drawn The Hierophant, V. I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

Let’s start with a reminder: I am learning this information as I go and am still quite an infant. I will share with you what I see in this card but it is so full of information, I’m sure to miss quite a bit.

Beyond the apparent sacred geometry that is seen here, I see what appears to be a priest holding a key in one hand and extending two fingers in the other. He has a star on his chest and the figure of a child within this star. A priestess stands in front of him. She holds a sword in one hand, light seeming to emanate from this, and a crescent moon in the other.  A bull wraps himself around the priest and two elephant heads appear on either side of the priest above the bull. There are four faces, one at each corner of the picture, denoting various animals/masks. Behind the head of the priest is what looks like a simple rose (Rosy Cross) halo with a serpent draped across the top of this and a bird emerging at the serpent’s tail. Nine rays of ??? emerge from the top of the halo. There is so much here to fathom.

This card is the card of the initiator (the priest). The initiator is supported by bullish determination and guarded by the fixed signs of the zodiac – Leo (lion), Taurus (bull), Scorpio (eagle) and Aquarius (man/angel). The ‘key’ held by the priest is the ‘key’ to the new age: the age of the child. The three rings on the scepter refer to the Aeon of the new age. The the ‘key’ is really a scepter.

Lon Milo DuQuette’s, Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, gives a much more full explanation of this card and the details of it. (You can find a link in my Blog Roll to the right.) He also explains why Aquarius is the eagle and Scorpio is the man/angel.

This card is about determination, strength, peace, spiritual development and growth, belief, seeking clarity, finding support, and, while embracing conventional wisdom, this card suggests being open to new truths in a new age. This card also suggests that seeking the wisdom of the inner child is imperative to continued growth. Rest assured and believe that you will be supported in your vulnerability and it will free you from the constraints of insecurity and allow your growth to blossom in the light of clarity.

With this, dear friends, it is time that I return to my project with determination and in the simplicity of childlike wisdom to make progress. Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!