

## Naked Tarot

by Frater D

Copyright 2013 Smashwords Edition

Introduction

The Key to the Rest of this Book

0 - The Fool

1 - The Magus

2 - The High Priestess

3 - The Empress

4 - The Emperor

5 - The Hierophant

6 - The Lovers

7 – The Chariot

11 - Strength

9 - The Hermit

10 - Fortune

8 - Justice

12 - The Hanged Man

13 - Death

14 - Temperance

15 - The Devil

16 – The Blasted Tower

17 - The Star

18 - The Moon

19 - The Sun

20 - The Last Judgment

21 - The Universe

The Court Cards

The Minor Arcanum

Appendix I – The Traditional Emperor

Appendix II – Reading the Cards

Glossary

Bibliography

Introduction

By Frater D

The tarot has long been used as a tool for divination. As a tool of divination and magickal attainment, mastery is reached when the tool is no longer needed because natural divinatory powers have been developed. Then the magician is off to the next level of attainment. The tarot cards are like training wheels for the bike of magickal initiation. So if the tarot and divination are just steps along the path, then what is the goal? The great magician Crowley was always till his death, seeking the evocation to visible manifestation of the Holy Guardian Angel. The aspirant should know that the path towards such a high attainment begins through the practice of divination with the tarot, or else some other form that is not the subject of this book.

Different forms of divination employ different "spirits," which color the result of the reading. Geomantic spirits take on a different nature when compared with the pendulum, or Ouiji Board forms of divination. Through practice of these disciplines the aspirant becomes acquainted with, and interacts with these spiritual influences. Some might call them psychological influences, however that view fails to recognize the objective aspects that these influences seem to take on. It is a fundamental axiom of magick that these forces also reflect and function in relationship to the natural order observed in nature, as well as the cosmos itself.

The elements of the tarot express this order, and define its pattern of manifestation from the subtle to the gross. These elements are then reflected in relationship to the reader of the cards through the Trumps known as "keys," which represent the subjective experiences of those objective cosmic elements of reality. According to the tarot, reality expresses itself in terms of solidity, liquid, emptiness, and an active state of negation equated with fire. This makes up the fundamental four basic elements for the Tetragramaton of the Hebrews, (Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.) The inactive state of negation of Fire also implies the element of Spirit, much debated as a separate or higher element. Tetragramaton arranges these elements in the Hebrew letters as a formula for procreation. First Fire (the King,) copulates with Water (the Queen,) bringing forth Air (the Prince,) who subsequently traverses the material realm of experience in order to find Earth (the Princess,) and thus continue the cycle again. In the allegory of the Tetragramaton story is found a Kabalistic genesis account of creation, which establishes the Tree of Life.

Within the formula of Tetragramaton there exists the essence of the tarot deck, which re-iterates the formula throughout the deck to create a schematic of the macrocosmic and microcosmic perspectives for reality. Thus the tarot becomes an anatomy of God or Tetragramaton, and some traditions credit the tarot as being the means with which the Hebrews preserved their sacred mystical knowledge of God after the Roman dispensation of Israel around the year 70 AD. The study of the tarot becomes also a means to discover the divine in addition to becoming a tool of divination for the sake of magickal development. The four basic elements of the tarot are represented by the four basic suites of the deck; each diagramming one of the ten Kabalistic degrees of manifestation. These degrees of manifestation are represented by the 10 sephiroth of the Kabalistic Tree of Life, which also echoes throughout the tarot cards as an underlying theme. The 16 Court Cards are those elements of Tetragramaton as they are expressed through individual personalities. This also introduces astrological knowledge to the tarot deck, which some occult circles recognize by now as an esoteric secret of the Hebrew God. That esoteric secret was evidently brought out of Sumeria before there ever was an Israel, and was made into a monotheistic interpretation by the great patriarch Abraham.

From this knowledge embedded in the tarot, the concept of God is transformed from a vague authority figure embraced through loyalty oaths and religious creeds into a definite definition. "As above, so below," is a repeated proverb in the occult, and realization of the divine is found through contemplation of these universal concepts to the point of realizing that these concepts are also reflected through you. Then the anatomy of God becomes also a definition of the soul itself. The Tree of Life is reflected in the macrocosmic objective universe as well as emanating through our physical forms, which are a catalyst of the elements. We may find ourselves through contemplation of these tarot concepts grasping the interconnectedness of ourselves with the rest of the universe, which all the great sages have alluded to. It becomes silly to argue the existence of God when you can just point to a definition. The God of most religions is more vague and mysterious, demanding loyalty and a mind disciplined in lying to itself. In modern religion this devotion to a vague concept of God becomes distorted, deceptive, abused, and even reduced to serve as nothing more than a voting bloc to get certain politicians elected.

The tarot as a divinatory spirit seems in this writer's experience to be of a moral, parental nature, and personality. The deck can even at times be interpreted as reflecting a conservative philosophy. Others may disagree, and have experiences of a completely different spirit in their tarot decks. The spirit of the tarot does seem designed to assume a role like the conscience. The spirit of the tarot is known as the angel Hru, and he may sound authoritative not unlike many religions. In this tarot we can find an underlying science of which all religions are based upon. The tarot spirit is reliable for being frank and to the point when other spirits have been known to try to just tell the diviner what they want to hear. The tarot as a method of illumination is divine by nature, and should be handled with appropriate solemnity.

By practicing several forms of divinatory diciplines the aspirant becomes more acquainted with several different spirits. By continued interaction with these spirits, the aspirant becomes increasingly convinced of their existence. This helps the aspirant to ultimately attain the evoking of a spirit to visual manifestation. Such an attainment brings the aspirant close to the Holy Guardian Angel operation pursued by Crowley with such determination. This Naked Tarot has been designed with the intention of illuminating some of the less known truths and esoteric knowledge embedded in the tarot. The Naked Tarot attempts to strip the tarot naked, and expose its less understood lessons. It's also called "Naked" since the artist is mainly a figure artist who has trouble clothing a figure without a good reason. These truths have been accumulated from years of working with the tarot, as well as study, contemplation, and life. In these cards one may even find keys to the mystery of the one invisible God of the ancient Hebrews.

As this book consecutively explains each card of the tarot deck it ends up explaining everything. Therefore this book becomes an excellent introduction to the Kabala, and many aspects of the occult. Within this book is a complete system of magick with detailed instructions and diagrams. This book is also an excellent introduction to astrology and the creating of horoscopes. There are insights into alchemy, witchcraft, anthropology, ancient myths, and religions, as well as modern physics and quantum theories. There is information about medieval decks and early tarot history. This book will also be about two kinds of tarot deck arrangements. The first arrangement is from Crowley's Thoth deck, while the other arrangement is the traditional tarot deck embraced by many other schools of thought such as the Golden Dawn. This book is about two kinds of tarot decks so the appendix redesigns the Emperor card with some other changes to the arcana in numbers and letters transforming a Thoth deck into a traditional arrangement. As an afterthought in the second appendix this book also provides some basic card reading instructions, and there is a helpful glossary of over 200 words and obscure phrases. The book you now hold in your hand is a complete encyclopedia of the tarot, not to mention a Great Work of art.

The Key to the Rest of this Book

In addition to the previous short introduction, this book requires the following long introduction to review the obscure terminology and central themes of this book. The Kabalistic Tree of Life of Jewish mysticism is the key to understanding the Naked Tarot paintings as well as understanding the following chapters. The Tree of Life is the product of Jewish mysticism, so many Hebrew words are about to be thrown around that readers are expected to be familiar with. The beginnings of this form of mysticism goes back to the great patriarch Abraham who passed it on through oral tradition until it was written down in the Middle Ages most notably by Moses de Le'on who wrote the book "The Zohar." All questionable history lessons aside, in the Kabala we have a cosmological story of creation in terms of "enumerations." Enumeration's are the layers of existence that become more and more of a subtle nature as these layers of existence are peeled away like the skin of an onion, except we are not peeling this onion from the outside in with this story. With the Kabala we begin with the very first and most subtle layer of existence and proceed through ever more complex enumerations. When we reach the tenth enumeration we arrive at existence, like a fetus that began as a simple cell that divided till the end of what is each of our personal creation stories. The end results of this Jewish mystical endeavor were diagrams of these ten enumerations illustrating the path from nothingness to existence. These diagrams were refined until they led early Hebrew seekers of truth to the diagram known today as the Tree of Life. (Fig. 1.)

 Fig. 1

This Tree of Life stands as a signpost for the Kabalist who uses it to orient and categorize understanding and existence. The early writings such as "The Zohar" are similar to cosmologies of other religions such as Hinduism with some of the Upanishads, as well as Buddhist writings, not to mention the profound connection between the Kabala and the creation story from the first chapter of Genesis. Many religions give us stories to describe the nature of existence in the form of a story about the creation. Believing the tenets of the Kabala may be a matter of faith, and some might want to argue that the Tree of Life is a product of Kabalistic refinement, subject to further evolution in the future. For the student of the Kabala however, one is advised to regard this glyph of existence as something not really invented at all, but discovered. The Tree of Life was discovered not unlike the periodic table of the elements or some other similar unearthing of science. The Tree of Life diagrams the nature of reality; therefore the Jewish mystic asserts that the Tree of Life actually exists.

On the Tree of Life, the ten enumerations are more commonly referred to as the ten spheres, or ten Sephiroth. The place where Kabala so intimately becomes related to secret Hebrew oral traditions is with the 22 paths connecting these ten spheres of existence, each corresponding to one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. These paths represent our subjective experiences of the spheres of reality, along with illustrating how these ten spheres of existence interact with one another. Why ten enumeration's? Why not 12, or 13? To respond to these questions the Kabalist might point to your ten fingers and ten toes as a divine signature of the ten enumerations. The number ten has settled into our libraries in the form of the Dewey Decimal System, and the number ten updates archaic forms of measurement with the metric system also based on ten. Perhaps there is something "holy" about the number ten as the Kabalists claim, since it also is the foundation of all our number systems. The neurology of our mind is probably wired to this number ten, and the Tree of Life works on the brain like a software program would work on a computer. In the Kabala, numbers are very important, and the first ten become the foundation and core of everything else just like in actual mathematics. If any tradition of Kabala does go back to oral traditions from Abraham it would be the Kabalistic truth that our existence is based on these ten enumerations or spheres. Kabalists have always agreed that there are ten and only ten original enumerations at the core of all existence. Readers are about to become intimately acquainted with these ten spheres by name as follows; one-Kether, two-Chokmah, three-Binah, four-Chesed, five-Geburah, six-Tiphiroth, seven-Netzach, eight-Hod, nine-Yesod, and ten-Malkuth.

Be warned! Continuous study of Kabala will lead to the ability to verbally read and add Hebrew flawlessly and fluently, but still not know what it says. Since these ten spheres represent points of influence and gravity, naturally the planets are attributed to these spheres relative to distance. This asserts a claim of the Kabala that this tree diagrams the nature of the macrocosmic universe as well as the microcosmic, which we all carry within us. Number ten-Malkuth (Kingdom) is attributed logically to Earth where manifested existence is most known to occur. The next closest planet is the Moon nine-Yesod (Foundation.) Mercury eight-Hod (Splendor,) and Venus seven-Netzach (Victory) are both arranged further from Earth than the Moon. Next is the Sun six-Tiphiroth (Beauty) followed by the outer planets Mars five-Geburah (Strength,) Jupiter four-Chesed (Mercy,) and Saturn three-Binah (Understanding.) Beyond Saturn there are no more visible planets so number two-Chokmah (Wisdom) is attributed to the zodiac of stars existing even farther out. The zodiac happens to be a more or less subjective arranging of stars into groups, which can be used to identify our individual personality blueprints according to astrology, thus bringing us back to ourselves, and the number one-Kether (crown.) Kether has a special place here being the absolute highest enumeration representing a singularity or point of which it is said, "Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether, but in a different way." With attributing the six visible planets, the Sun, Earth, and Zodiac with nine of the ten enumeration's of existence (excluding Kether,) we also assert that our cosmological diagram accurately reflects the macrocosm as it is reflected in the microcosm. The Kabalistic rule for this that is repeated by mystics like a proverb is, "as above, so below." By attributing the visible planets this way we have also demonstrated the ability of this Tree of Life glyph to categorize our knowledge and experience. Thus the planetary attributions draw in their own associated ideas and astrological meanings as if by the gravity of the spheres themselves. These ten spheres are also referred to in this book as sephiroth, and there's no telling when this writer might use one term or the other; spheres, enumerations, or sephiroth.

We showed one way the Tree of Life illustrates the macrocosm, and through the wisdom of the zodiac the same macrocosmic attributions acquire microcosmic significance. The theme of this tarot deck is to illustrate a multifaceted elaboration of this simple Tree of Life diagram. The microcosmic significance of the ten sephiroth is where these ten degrees of manifestation each become a center for an aspect of the human soul. This is very similar to the chakra teachings of eastern religions. The 22 paths connecting these ten aspects of the soul represent our subjective experience of those sephiroth, and each path has a tarot Arcanum attributed to it. (Fig 2)

These ten sephiroth are arranged on the Tree of Life according to which elemental plain the sephiroth pertains to. The Tree of Life can be divided into four elemental worlds from top to bottom according to subtlety. The three higher elemental worlds each contain three sephiroth followed by the world of Earth that has only one sephiroth Malkuth. Malkuth is a catalyst of the other three higher worlds, known by the three mother elements of fire, air, and water. The first world at the bottom is Assiah, the manifested world where only the sphere of Malkuth really exists. This plain is the element earth. Our physical body is the part of us that exists in the world of Assiah (Earth.) The next element we come to as we peel back the physical enumeration is the less solid element water where the world is called Yetzirah. This is the world of emotions and astral experiences. The body we have that exists in this world of Yetzirah is called Nephesh. The Nephesh is the inner animal, similar to Freud's theory of the id. As we climb through the subconscious waters of that watery world that exists just below consciousness we eventually arrive at the airy world of mind and consciousness known as Briah. Our body that exists on the world of mind is made up of our thoughts, and is called Ruach in writings of the Kabala. Although this world of thought is even more subtle than water, being more like a vapor, we recognize through our Tree of Life perspective that thought is a very real substance, and a very real body made up of that thought traverses this world of Briah in our thought lives.

 Fig. 2

Above the world of mind is the world of the unconscious. This is the world of the highest element; fire. This world is called Atziluth, and there is no "body" to speak of on this plain of fire because we, in our lowly human forms, are more just influenced by this spiritual plain beyond us. We do not directly experience Atziluth through a body since to return to Atziluth is to leave one's body behind. Between the world of consciousness (Briah,) and the three highest sephiroth in the world of Atziluth, each too subtle to be directly reached, is an impassable abyss in which demons of the unconscious lurk in the flames. Expressed in Freudian terms, there is more to you than meets your 'I.' The egos we all covet in the world of Briah cannot cross the abyss to the world of Atziluth where the rest of our selves reside. The three sephiroth of the world of Atziluth are known as the supernal triad, and the true holy trinity that is peculiar to western religions. Only the truest form of idea can endure the flames of the unconscious abyss in this world of fire. The most dreaded of the demons lurking in this abyss is called Choronzon who is possibly a form of our babbling egos that is sure to confront us when we stand on the very precipice of our physical existence about to leap into the great unknown. Possibly this is to stop us from suicide as Choronzon chases us away from this dark journey of the soul across the abyss, back to the safety of our dualistic delusion. Otherwise Choronzon is the devourer of the ego, who assists the adept of magick on this perilous journey, when we cast this ego aside to feed the demon.

Having now become familiar with the basic concept and simple image of the Tree of Life glyph, it can now be cultivated like a seed to become a fully bloomed tree growing in a mind that becomes illuminated by this knowledge as life is experienced. Lots of magickal training out there such as that provided by the Golden Dawn, cultivates and elaborates this basic Tree of Life glyph on many levels through study, ceremony, and ritual magick. Recent breakthroughs in neural science have introduced the theory of brain plasticity. Brain plasticity devises ways in which to flip a switch in the brain that enables a state of mind to literally reorganize the brain itself. It has been applied to people paralyzed by brain damage with results of the brain actually assigning new areas to the duties previously controlled by the now damaged part of the brain. According to the theory of brain plasticity, the brain can regain use of limbs that are paralyzed by brain damage. This is revolutionizing therapy for brain damage victims, but it's the same phenomenon that happens when a blind person acquires superhuman hearing because his now-purposeless occipital lobe has taken new interest in the sensory input from the ears. The point is, reinforcing this Tree of Life glyph through the study and practice of ritual magick is another old and tested way of flipping this switch in the application of brain plasticity that is sure to reorganize the brain according to the Tree of Life glyph, and yield results. This seems like as good a place as any to point out that this book will be spelling magick with a 'ck' instead of just a 'c' to differentiate this system of truth described here, from the other system the word implies, which is based on trickery, and illusion. This spelling was actually coined by Aleister Crowley, who we may be referring to in the following chapters as the Master Therion. Master Therion is the name he was known by when he wrote his famous book on the tarot, "The Book of Thoth," which was frequently consulted during the writing of this book. Crowley wore many names in his long illustrious career as a master of magick, and he deserves credit as the source of most of the reference information compiled in this book. We also insist on a less popular spelling of Kabala with a 'K' as opposed to the more popular form Cabala, and there is another that starts with a 'Q.' This difference in spelling is a personal preference, and exists because of different European countries where the different schools of Kabala were cradled in their infancy.

Without getting into detail regarding the 22 paths since that is the subject of the next 22 chapters of this book, we shall explain these ten sephiroth in detail as they pertain to the nine non-manifested aspects of ourselves and the one manifested aspect Malkuth. Before we can do this we must first explain that before there was the Tree of Life there was nothing. The Kabala eludes to this nothing as Ain 0 (nothing,) beyond which is another veil of nothing called Ain Soph (the boundless,) and yet one more called Ain Soph Aur (the boundless light.) Of these three veils, we are describing the realm beyond time and space wherein resides the concepts of eternity, and the immortal spirit. When we speak of the soul we are not really speaking of spirit, and of the ten sephiroth only the first one, Kether, would be directly attributed to the idea of spirit. The words 'soul' and 'spirit' are incorrectly interchangeable for many people, even among those who are schooled in religion. The spirit/soul distinction pointed out here is critical to understanding this book, and should be used to refine what is really a less informed vocabulary. By spirit we refer to the part of us that was never born and shall never die. The non-provability of spirit's subtle nature makes this subject of spirit open for debate by the skeptical. As far as the number one pertains to spirit, it represents the initial impetus of spirit to exist. Within this one are all the other numbers becoming complete again with ten being the combination of 'one' with the concept of nothing zero '0.' In Kether, nothing becomes something by the initial intention of spirit. Perhaps spirit is actually a volition that exists on a mystical dimension beyond time and space that carries our incarnations through existence after existence to the end of time. Conceding the concept of spirit to this realm of speculation is just fine for this book. In the earliest religions there is no concept of spirit, and neither did early Hebrews embrace the concept until much later, when the letter shin for fire was also assigned to the element spirit in later Kabalistic writings. We have only briefly touched here on the similarities between the ideas of spirit and the element fire, which will be elaborated upon later in this book. There is no need to argue the existence of spirit when we are only trying to explain the soul.

Suffice it to say that the perfection of the singularity one-Kether, eventually divides to two-Chokmah as the first step in the process of creation and manifestation begins to occur. Dimensionally we are still too subtle here with a two-point universe. Like physicists we find ourselves constructing here a mathematical model of the universe not unlike modern day string theory. Modern string theorists must add dimensions to their models in order to get their equations to work, which explain the universe. We are doing something similar here with our 10 enumerations. What before could be no more than a point, in the concept of 'one', is now only capable of a one-dimensional line in the second linear dimension of two-Chokmah. This is not much improved by evolving our progression one more to three-Binah, now a concept capable of a shape in the form of a two dimensional triangle with three sides. These first three sephiroth exist in the two-dimensional world of Atziluth where symbol and ideal exist beyond the grosser worlds of thought and form. Here in the world of Atziluth individual ideas are transcended into their more absolute universal forms. With the establishment of another dimension through three-Binah, our one-dimensional line can now form into any symbol and thus idea. The formation of this supernal trinity establishes the world of Atziluth above the world of our mind where the gears of Atziluth drive our conscious selves. Although there is no body for us here in Atziluth, we do experience influence from those parts of us represented by the spheres of Atziluth. Many magickal ceremonial workings of invocation use a triangle to bring visions from Atziluth to visible manifestation because the triangle is an appropriate catalyst for those influences. Since from the world of Atziluth we all have been formed into manifestation we shall probably eventually return to this world with the death of our physical forms to face the mystery of spirit in Kether first hand. Or maybe we will just be lost in a transubstantial abyss after death until we realize another incarnation again in life's dance. As living physical entities we can only be influenced by the world of the unconscious. We should all be grateful for this influence of the unconscious since without it we would all forget to keep breathing. These influences begin to take form as the manifestation of the first three sephiroth.

Kether is the crown of purist inspiration glimpsed during those epiphanies in life when we are face to face with destiny. Chokmah means wisdom representing the focus and direction we continually refine through accumulated experience. There is a popular theory of the right and left-brain that is currently being challenged by newer scientific understanding. The sphere of Chokmah exists around the area of our heads near the left temple, and seems to draw the attributes of the left-brain to it. This is the analytical side of our highest world that thrives on numbers and math. Our experience and understanding of the world of this supernal triad is clouded by the paradox created because the left-brain controls the right side of the body, and vise versa. Modern math and physics have demonstrated time and time again that numbers are the highest ideals that produce the purest, most exact equations to describe the nature of reality. This makes Chokmah an appropriate schematic of our manifested existence as the rational and mathematical side of our brain. The third sephiroth, Binah, means "understanding," and encompasses the concept of the right creative side of the brain, which is often described in the Kabala as the vast deep sea of Binah (understanding.) These right/left brain sephiroth of Binah and Chokmah influence us from the unconscious in ways that are similar to the inner female and inner male concepts established by psychologist Carl Jung. The inner male is called "Animus" in the theories of Carl Jung, and the inner female is called "Anima." The Kabala has called this inner female "Neschamah" who rises from this sea of Binah like Aphrodite to look over us, as would a guardian angel. The influence of Chokmah is higher and more obscure because it is further removed from our consciousness than Binah. The inner male is called Chiah who embodies a higher subtler concept as the final obstacle to the ultimate attainment returning us to Kether, should we somehow manage to transcend this great and terrible inner male face of G-d, which we behold when we reach the attainment of Chokmah.

With the introduction of Chokmah as the inner male, and Binah as the inner female we are ready to give a brief explanation of Tetragramaton. Tetragramaton is a name given for the holiest divine name of the Hebrew G-d that was too holy to actually be pronounced. Because we speak here of such a forbidden name, the label Tetragramaton was given to refer to the divine name since to pronounce it is blasphemy. This divine name translates into modern English as Jehovah, but is spelled in Hebrew as Yod  , He   , Vau  , He   , from right to left (      )or with the English letters IHVH. These four letters represent the four elements that the tarot is based upon; Yod=fire, He(first)=water, Vau=air, and He(final)=Earth. This formula of Tetragramaton also is diagrammed by the tarot with the court cards that show the elemental personalities of the King=fire, Queen=water, Prince=air, and Princess=earth. These four personalities create a formula with Tetragramaton for Jehovah's institution of monogamous marriage, which is also interpreted as a formula for royal succession. The story that these characters perform in allegory, sure to be repeated in future chapters, is that the King copulates with the Queen to produce the Prince who then goes forth to find the Princess in order to repeat the cycle. This story is another version of the story of the soul that we are telling here. The inner male and inner female are the father and mother of the enlightened mind attained in Tiphiroth, which consequently becomes married to the physical form as the bride in Malkuth. Understanding Tetragramaton is as important to understanding the tarot as the Tree of Life that is being explained here. This Prince is born in the next world down on the Tree of Life with the establishment of Tiphiroth (the Sun/Son) in the world of Briah, and the Princess is represented by the sephiroth Malkuth. Although the orthodox western religions have been pitching a male Jehovah for millennia, the ancient formula of Tetragramaton shows us that the Hebrew G-d is both male and female.

Between the absolute dimension of the supernal triad, and the world of our consciousness called Briah, is the barrier between called the abyss. This abyss is made up of phantasms from our experiences, thoughts, dreams, and delusions. It is the stated intention of magickal training to prepare the adept to cross this abyss. Only the truest ideal can survive the purifying fires of the abyss, and only the purest heart can expect to emerge intact on the other side of this abyss. We are all deluded by the duality that is created by manifestation, and the abyss is a veil through which our view of truth becomes clouded. Within this stormy abyss of lies along the middle pillar between six-Tiphiroth and one-Kether is another false sephiroth called "Daath". Daath is said to be the false sephiroth, because it draws to it the concept of the false ego that we all entertain with a vanity that is sure to leave our aspirations lost to this abyss. Most forms of mysticism and meditation are ways to transcend this false ego construct, which is the product of another false construct called duality. It is the ego that the demon of the abyss is said to come to destroy. Daath is the vanity that keeps our perception of Kether obscure, and misleading, blocked by clouds of deluded religions and imperfect philosophies. Daath is actually the sphere of our accumulated knowledge, and it is not much described in this book of truth since that knowledge is really just a veil to obscure our view of absolute reality existing beyond knowledge. The fruit of knowledge only inadequately describes absolute reality. No tarot cards or numbers actually pertain to Daath because it is false, and maybe even created in the Middle Ages during later Kabalistic speculations. As we establish enumerations of existence it should be understood that each enumeration is the foundation or necessary condition in the establishment of the next enumeration. We cannot have two unless we first have one, etc. These enumerations are also chronologically ordered in a well-established sequence, which cannot be interchanged or re-ordered. The Kabala is a numerological description of existence, and each number embodies volumes of concepts similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs, or detailed Chinese characters. As was said before when the third enumeration Binah was established there still only existed a two-dimensional world of symbol. As three-Binah (understanding) proceeds naturally to four-Chesed (Mercy,) we then add a dimension thus establishing a third dimension giving three-dimensional form to what before was only two-dimensional symbols.

In our anatomy of the human soul described here, the untamable storms of the abyss have now become just the windy weather on the sphere of memory. As Binah astrologically applies to the lessons of life associated with the planet Saturn, Chesed-four astrologically applies to the principles of expansion attributed to Jupiter the planet of dominion. Chesed represents our memory in our anatomy of the soul, but this is still not yet manifestation. Chesed has established a new dimension that doesn't proceed on to manifestation, but instead regresses into the past as memory. This memory reflects and records the other direction we all travel, which is the future. It is this future direction that establishes the next sephiroth five-Geburah (strength.) The fifth enumeration is associated with the dimension of time and the sphere of Geburah draws to it attributes of energy and activity, also making Mars its appropriate astrological planet. Mars astrologically applies to our will, and will is the dimension of the human soul that is attributed to Geburah in the anatomy we describe. With the establishment of Chesed and Geburah on the side of the abyss that is coinciding with our consciousness, we now have the conditions to seat ourselves in a body of imagination atop the sphere of Tiphiroth (Beauty) where a new trinity of sephiroth has established the world of mind (Briah.) Here exists a world that we can navigate through a body the Kabala calls Ruach. Tiphiroth resides on the middle pillar of the Tree of Life, where these middle sephiroth represent seats or foundations of the soul with the exception of Kether, which is a crown, not a seat. In Tiphiroth the abyss has given birth to the vaporous beginning of form, and the mystical ideas of Son of G-d and Christ profoundly gravitate to Tiphiroth, which is astrologically attributed to the Sun. The Sun is our true inner self, described by natal horoscopes depending on what sign the Sun was in the day we were born. With the establishment of Tiphiroth, the Prince of Tetragramaton has been born destined to marry the Princess of Earth. Like Christ, the mind serves as the mediator between our lower animal natures and the higher divine ideas we already described as above Tiphiroth on the other side of this abyss. Our body in this world is made of the stuff of thought, which is vaporous like air or the Hindu concept of prana, and here we still have not yet established manifestation with this downward description of the Tree of Life. Like string theorists we must still add dimensions.

Our journey from nothing to manifestation is not yet complete in the world of Briah. The fires of a great abyss here have cooled into airy skies where thoughts dance around the warmth of our inner Sun, free like birds; however in every sky some rain must form, and fall to a grosser, less subtle level of existence. This less subtle level is the world of elemental water called Yetzirah. The exalted clouds of thought here experience further condensation, adding weight to more lofty ideals through the introduction of feelings. The world of mind cannot remain perched upon the being of imagination because concerns of experience now inevitably drag us further down. With the advent of experience, the exalted mind becomes distracted and must now wrestle with the seventh-sephiroth, Netzach (Victory,) and the eighth-sephiroth, Hod (Splendor,) as they emanate at the extremes of the elemental world of water. The mental world of fresh air is now submerged in an ocean of hormones and emotions. Venus is the planet of the seventh–Netzach enumeration attributed to our desires, which constantly plead with the mind for gratification. On the other extreme of this world of water, reality demands that our soul develop reason in order to keep the desires in check. This ability to reason is attributed astrologically to the planet Mercury, and the Kabalistic attribution is to eight-Hod. The body seated in this part of us existing in the watery world of Yetzirah is called Nephesh. This world of water is the realm of the subconscious just below our consciousness where metabolic processes and the chemistry of hormones are as much the orators of our thoughts through emotions as any inspiration from above can be. In this light the Freudian concepts of the id, the ego, and the super-ego seem downright Kabalistic. Freud's theory perhaps might exist today as a completely different theory had Freud not been born into a Jewish family heritage. The id can be interpreted as the Nephesh, our inner animal also related to the sexual Kundalini energy described in Hinduism. Awakening the dormant kundalini can make a reckless rodeo out of life's experiences if awoken through certain meditations without the adept being adequately prepared. That makes Freud's idea of the superego attributable to the higher influence of the Kabalistic Neschamah. Our ego is the mediator between the Nephesh and the Neschamah, ideally seated on the throne of the soul Tiphiroth. This throne of Tiphiroth however, marks the passage from the outer order in the magickal training of many secret societies to the inner order of the Adeptus Minor grade, and such thrones are not easily attained. The ego can also be a false throne in Daath, blocking the true throne of the Sun like the New Moon that is associated with the location of Daath on the tree, as Yesod is associated with the Full Moon. Yesod (foundation) is the foundation of the watery world of emotions, thus completing the trinity of sephiroth for this world. Yetzirah is the world traversed in dreams where we are not quite ourselves as well as vivid astral experiences where we would swear we were ourselves. Yesod is the Full Moon and astrologically corresponds to our emotions in this description of the soul. The three modes of existence known as being (Yesod,) thought (Hod,) and bliss (Netzach,) are established here with the state of being experienced in Yesod. Now that this sphere has established us on the Middle Pillar of our emotional world at last all the pieces are in place for the final world of manifestation itself. The number ten is the establishment of completion, where our original seed of the All in a number, '1' subsequently has the nothing '0' attached to it, and a new cycle can now continue the count by order of tens to infinity.

As it is said, "Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether, but in a different way." The ten-Malkuth (Kingdom) represents a catalyst that contains the other nine sephiroth as well as all the other elements. Kether is everywhere in Malkuth like the countless centers of every cell making our physical bodies. Kether is described by some writings of the Golden Dawn as the "center that is everywhere whose circumference extends to infinity." Malkuth is our physical body, and this body is the kingdom demanding wisdom of the prince who rules it, for our very lives depend on that. This kingdom of our physical bodies has inherited an economy, and wealth of minerals, as well as resources that are best not squandered. With the tenth enumeration we have completed our journey of the enumerations. The Tree of Life diagrams these ten enumeration's to show how these elements of the human soul interact with each other, and also how as the ten enumerations of existence, this arrangement orients the soul to reality and thus truth. This Tree of Life is the prism through which we can view reality and explain our observations. The human brain thrives on such a comprehensive cabinet for organization. There is reason to suspect that Kabala influenced Freud, who may have demonstrated in his theories how the Tree of Life's perspective explains reality. A similar Jewish heritage was inherited by Albert Einstein, and we'd best not here get into how the same Tree of Life may have colored the logic of his math and his famous theories explaining reality. Science is offended by the allegation, but it would probably make a good subject for another book.

The ten sephiroth are arranged according to the pillars of existence, which are often represented in magick temples of initiation by actual pillars for the adept to stand between. When standing between these pillars, the black pillar of Severity called Boaz is on our right side, and the white pillar of Mercy Jachin is on our left. When we look at diagrams of the tree these sides are reversed as if looking in a mirror, or through the paradox of right/left brain juxtapositions. These pillars are the black and white karmic extremes between which we live out our lives, which are broken down by the tree into the spectrum of colors through our orientation with the middle pillar where we stand in the balance of these extremes. Sephiroth three-Binah, five-Geburah, and eight-Hod are on the pillar of Severity, which we associated previously with the future. Severity represents the objective outside of us that we are constantly confronted by in life from the future. The pillar of the other extreme, Mercy, seems attributable to our inner subjective sides where we find two-Chokmah, four-Chesed, and seven-Netzach represented. The pillar Severity is considered the female pillar, and Mercy is considered male. There are many explanations of why the pillar of Severity is the female pillar and Mercy is the male. For the sake of this introduction we can point out that the sphere Binah corresponds to the female element of water, and the inner female Neschemach, who presides over this Pillar of Severity. Tetragramaton begins with the male element fire (Chokmah) and combines with water (Binah) to produce air (Tiphiroth.) It is agreed that men are the severe ones and women are more merciful by nature, but Severity describes the nature of the objective outside of us, which even faiths such as Wicca would associate with the female mother Earth. We experience severity with experience of the objective outside of us making Severity an appropriate name for the pillar. Mercy is the nature of our subjective sides that sink into the past through memories. We name these pillars Severity and Mercy to indicate their extremes that must be avoided in order to orient ourselves with the middle pillar of salvation. Severity is too active and destructive while Mercy is too passive and self-destructive. There are other schools of thought to mention regarding the male and female aspects of G-d. Some schools say that the only female sephiroth are three-Binah, and ten-Malkuth as in our description of Tetragramaton, while another school of thought identifies a sephiroth as male in reference to the sephiroth that it precedes and female in reference to the sephiroth it follows. With the tarot we identify male and female qualities by the elements. Chokmah is of the male element fire, and presides over the pillar of fire (Mercy) while Binah is the female element water presiding over the pillar of water (Severity.) These elements juxtapose between the extreme pillars from sephiroth to sephiroth while the sephiroth of the middle pillar correspond to the male element air with Malkuth on the middle pillar as the female exception. One testament of the profoundness of the Tree of Life glyph is how opposing concepts such as male and female fire and water, are juxtaposed within the Tree's symmetry. We are only presenting a very basic explanation here. This symmetry of juxtaposed elements both negates opposing concepts and balances them in this arrangement of the way things are. If Severity is the future and Mercy is the past then the Middle Pillar represents the ever elusive now. At this Middle Pillar we find balance, and equilibrium between the extremes when we are not drowning in the melancholy of nostalgia from the influence of the pillar of Mercy, or obsessing with influence from an overbearing pillar of Severity. The Sephiroth of ten-Malkuth, nine-Yesod, six-Tiphiroth, and one-Kether all exist on this Middle Pillar of Salvation. These Middle Pillar sephiroth anatomically correspond to the feet or base of spine with Malkuth, the reproductive organs with Yesod, the lungs and heart with Tiphiroth, and the cerebellum with Kether, very similar to the chakras of eastern philosophy. With regard to the sephiroth from one to ten we anatomically visualize the Tree of Life as if we were standing within it since each of us is a potential garden for this tree as well as an expression of its manifestation. (fig 3.)

From this glyph that we have just described we have given a comprehensive definition for the soul, and thus put to rest the debate about the soul's existence. Of course this argument is not over with some skeptics and atheists, but because we have here defined the subtle aspects of our nature as the elements of an inner soul we have reduced the argument to a definition. Any further arguing against our definition can just be dismissed as a lack of vocabulary or silly semantics. We are not arguing here for, or against an immortal soul that survives after death like the concept of spirit. In fact the main problem with the abyss seems to be that this ego that we all identify as our selves cannot cross the abyss. Knowledge of this Tree of Life diagram illuminates the practice of astrology, magick, as well as divination with the tarot, not to mention philosophy and life itself. We will in this book argue that this tarot is a pictorial preservation of this ancient occult wisdom, and a hieroglyphic book of cards that is elaborating this very image of the Kabalistic Tree of Life. Many students of the occult understand the tarot as a preservation of the truths and mysticism of esoteric Jewish faith following the historic destruction of Israel by Rome. Tarot decks surface around the 14th Century during the Middle Ages, and appear to be a blend of Jewish mysticism and Egyptian alchemy. The tarot diagrams this Tree of Life into 78 cards of the traditional tarot deck according to the four elements of Tetragramaton; fire – wands, water – cups, air – swords, and earth – disks. It has been shown that these elements of Tetragramaton describe the human soul in terms of the microcosm, and also form the most divine name of the Hebrew G-d in the macrocosmic sense, which makes this Tree of Life that has just been described also an anatomy of G-d. Having read this crash course in Kabalistic knowledge one can now hopefully grasp the lingo of the rest of this book, and unlock the meanings in these chapters of keys. In light of this key to the rest of this book the following paintings should bloom like leaves on the Tree of Life.

fig. 3

0 The Fool

This is the explanation for the first Tarot Arcana of the Naked Tarot, which is the painting called The Fool. The painting shows a youthful male figure expounding with his mouth wide open. From the Fool's mouth comes forth his eloquent articulations characteristic of this path of the madman. This figure is the inspired prophet or the impassioned poet. From this path on the Tree of Life, the Fool represents the functions of the right brain, which affects the pillar of Mercy on the left side of the body. In the previous introduction to the spheres, the second sephiroth Chokmah was equated to the physical left brain, however the path connecting Chokmah to Kether is equated to creative right brain experiences. This makes the path connecting Chokmah to Kether a reflection of the sphere of Binah between the other two supernal spheres just as the path of the Magus reflects Chokmah on the path between Binah and Kether. This is because the left side of the body is controlled by the right brain, and here juxtapositions are united above the duality that exists further down below the abyss. Above the abyss where this path resides contradictions unite with each other where below the abyss they would divide. This card is attributed to the Hebrew letter Aleph   , which means 'Ox' and is said to resemble a plowshare. Aleph is one of the three mother letters in the Hebrew alphabet representing tarot trinities such as father   , mother   , and son ; fire, water, air; sulfur, salt, mercury, etc. This card is the element air  , which takes on a more exalted significance as it pertains to this path.

Mentally, he is the direction of introspection with regard to this side of the tree, and thus the restrained libido symbolized on the card by the Fool's hand covering the genitals. Upon this hand is the symbol of the inner sun radiating the light of innocence, which is embraced on this path. This symbol for Sun also resembles the phallus, which summarizes a main theme of the painting. This inspired and profound ranting is a creative distraction from the fact that the source of his creativity and profound revelation happens to be a frustrated and restrained libido. This sun also implies an eye, which indicates that the nature of the Fool is to see the world in the light of restrained libido energies yet he constantly colors that vision with a less vulgar, subtler, non-sexual interpretation. This is a formula for inspiration by suppressing libido with innocence, which monks and priests of many faiths swear by. This has been a method for inspired writings throughout the ages. Directing sexual energies introspectively stimulates inspiration and consequently creativity is also stimulated. One doesn't have to read much of the Bible to find underlying sexual themes inspired by a repressed sexuality. From the phallic serpent of Genesis to the erotic visions in Revelations, biblical examples of this sexual frustration can be argued, and have been in other books. In two of these cards above the abyss that proceed from Kether, we represent our human forms on these cards as an ape character. This ape is the Egyptian god Hermanubis, but is meant to represent our human body as a kind of pet for the archetypal main figure of the card that is the real god here.

The Fool is the infantile unconscious on this spiritual plain. A kind of inner child is influencing his pet human through innocence, and holiness. That is why the symbol of Spirit is on the Fool's forehead, returning the viewer to the theme of the restrained genitals producing spirit. This Fool wears the phallic fool's cap mounted with Holy Scriptures because the Fool represents mystical concerns. Above this on the Card is the dove of the Holy Spirit descending on the Fool who sinks into waters that threaten to engulf him as he indulges his nature of being carefree. The Fool is the carefree troubadour, or harlequin of many a legend who bursts on the scene from nowhere.

This nothing is appropriately attributed to the first card of the tarot being the number zero. This zero is the negative from which the Tree of Life came from, and this sheds light on the nature of the air element that this path represents. This air is the nothing beyond the Tree, more describing a vacuum than the actual element of air. This highest path on the Tree being attributed to air seems to imply that manifestation proceeded from the element air, just as some Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies describe. The tarot however, is based on Tetragramaton, which describes creation as proceeding from fire not air. The elements of Tetragramaton correspond to this tarot deck and the sephiroth of the Tree as fire – 2 – Chokmah – the King uniting with water – 3 – Binah – the Queen to give birth to air – 6 – Tiphiroth – the Prince who then proceeds to unite with earth – 10 – Malkuth – the Princess. This perspective of the tree makes the air of this path like the air Prince of Tetragramaton as he existed before birth only as an intention above the King in Chokmah. The Prince on this path is still just a twinkle in daddy's eye. In this regard the air of this path is only air in the sense that it is nothing at all. It is an idea in the mind of the creator King to produce the Prince. This weaves a thread into the fable we refer to when describing Tetragramaton as a formula for procreation and succession. This air element of the path is also illustrated on the card by depicting the Fool as a windbag of eloquent rhetoric. The inspired speech proceeding on the air of his mouth is represented by a form of artistic glossolia called "drawing in tongues." This elaborates the theme of Fool since this form of drawing is intended to be nonsensical with the potential of revealing unanticipated messages from the unconscious.

The path of the Fool is the profound wisdom descending on a fool's drivel, which are echoes of a deeper intelligence. It is as if something higher, and from the beyond, controls and orchestrates the fool's silly antics. Drawing in tongues is a kind of automatic writing with the language of scribbling. For this reason, the symbols on the card outside the scribbling are elusive and obscure. The Fool represents the innocence from which we all proceed into existence. This innocence will eventually give way to experience and fulfillment. The Fool represents the first step of the initiate as he begins his leap of faith into the unknown. The nature of this type of beginner is that he is still immature, and naive, even still innocent. Such Neophytes have not yet been set upon by the trials ahead, and they tend to exhibit a kind of ego inflated by enthusiasm that may just be a pride before destruction. The path of the Fool represents the highest path of attainment equivalent to the grade of Ipsissimus in magick fraternities, but this path is merely the fantasies of attainment by the beginner as they embark on the path to realize truth. This path of the seeker of truth is known as the Great Work.

The Fool, like the right brain, transcends logic and reason that are characteristic of the left-brain, and he draws more from romantic notions and the memory then from the available stimuli of outer existence. This makes right brain activity more introspective by nature, which can lead to the detachment from reality peculiar to the madman. This kind of detachment is also exhibited by people born with autism, who are notorious for providing examples of an unexplainable genius through an obsessive focus on and remembrance of details peculiar to that type of mental retardation, which is also depicted by this path of the Fool. Because the Fool is incapable of reproduction by virtue of an abstaining innocence, he expresses increased productiveness of the fruits of inspiration. This is a very creative path, and the key to this whole path is to embrace the essential innocence from which we have all come.

The Fool ventures into the abyss beyond the world. Other versions of this card show the Fool being pounced upon by a tiger to symbolize the unforeseen dangers ahead for the Fool. Many traditional Fools of the tarot are depicted as either walking upon or being bitten by a crocodile. This crocodile may represent the demon of the abyss that devours the ego of the Fool who dares to cross. There is a courage that can also be derived through innocence, or by the ego inflated with enthusiasm. Many a medieval hero who represents a form of this archetype of the Fool exhibits this kind of courage. Tradition also equates the foolishness of the Fool to holiness. The Fool as a madman may be carried away by some kind of divine inspiration. The shamans of many primitive tribes are the unpredictable crazy ones who live this path of the Fool. Some of these wise men do exotic substances to induce a divine intoxication, and experience visions of this path of the Fool.

Euphoric substances have been equated with inspiration in this way for millennia. Although sociological drug studies these days say drugs don't contribute to inspiration and creativity, the jury remains out concerning the final judgment for posterity. The debate appears split between creative people who do drugs and swear by their value to induce a creative disposition, and those with near zero tolerance for any type of recreational drug use whatsoever. William Shakespeare who is now known to have smoked marijuana since the discovery of his pipes, depicts a type of this wise fool character who is a harlequin advisor to the King in the play "King Lear". It makes sense, in a world that fears you as a king, to find yourself someone who is too insane to fear you in order to acquire frank advice. The court jester who served only as entertainment was also able to hide frank advice in jest. The words of the jester became all the more humorous depending on how true they were since it was the nature of humor that we laugh at something because it's true. Whether this path is represented by an autistic savant with child-like innocence, or a raving madman, or even as a jester in a king's court, we point out that repressed sexuality is peculiar to this path. The Fool does represent the male libido that is gratified non-sexually through experiencing the bliss of existence where every event becomes an orgasm. This is also true with respect to the sexual nature of creativity, particularly notable in the biomorphic flowing nature of the artwork on this painting.

Finally the Fool is the simple innocence implied by his hand covering the phallus to restrain the sexuality from consummation, but also this hand is equally capable of gratifying the sexuality in the innocence of an orgasm. Religion has created many of these Fools who color the view of the world in terms of simplicity and mythical beliefs, thus to connect the aspirant with the subtler, more absolute, and higher aspects of the soul. While the experience of religion is enhanced by the childlike faith approach argued in this path of the Fool, one should be warned. The path of the Fool is the embarking onto the path of childlike faith with a kind of gullible innocence that is capable of believing in Santa Claus. Such a high quality of innocence is best captured at an early age before maturity closes the door to our childhood idealism, and ability to believe. This path is the original still-uncreated impulse to create. The path links 1 with 2 while 3 is not yet formed, which through Binah would give conception to the non-procreated impulse. The Fool is the babe still in the Akasha egg, or womb. The Fool is the all found in nothing. The innocence of the Fool can be manipulated through his love for romantic notions like a young man who loves the movie "Rambo," who then gets caught in the clutches of a fast-talking Army Recruiter. This Card alludes to foolish romantic notions because they are a fundamental essential component for any religion. This is one of the many secrets of the Fool. The path of the Fool encompasses a rich tapestry of fables from antiquity that were designed to elaborate this profound archetype. Many myths of the Fool are associated with the birth of spring such as "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and the giddiness that many relate with the first day of spring brings to mind April Fools. Percival of the Arthur legends is the classic depiction of the Fool myth on his quest for the Holy Grail. The Egyptian god Harpocrates is associated with this path of the Fool. For Greek mythology we see the Fool in Bacchus, the child of Zeus, with his drunken orgies of worship. This ancient religion of Bacchus seems to cast a familiar shadow into recent times through pioneers of rock and roll who along with sex and drugs have compiled the modern day equivalent of Bacchus worship profoundly expressed by music in large stadium temples. The idea of a lost cult of Bacchas being resurrected from mankind's collective unconsciousness by the drug and alcohol-soaked ravings of rock and roll stars is the kind of stumbling upon the profound where it is not expected that can be expected on this path of the Fool.

One more thing to add in order to make this explanation for the path of the Fool complete. We must mention how this path relates to the succession of royal bloodlines in the earliest kingdoms of civilization. As mentioned earlier, the formula of Tetragramaton weaves throughout the tarot in the form of a simple fable of King-Queen-Prince-and Princess. This serves as a formula for monogamous procreation that is well established in all civilizations through the worldwide institution of marriage. In early kingdoms, succession between old kings and new kings was officially established by a bloodline running through the daughter who was given to a stranger that manages to best the king in combat, thus assuring that the virility of leadership isn't corrupted by inbreeding. There is a good example of this form of succession in the ancient story of Beowulf, who is another example of our Fool/hero found in ancient legends. This tendency of snobby royal bloodlines to inbreed is a glaring flaw with the modern day royal family of Briton who are notorious for giving birth to hemophiliacs among other examples of a stagnant gene pool. The archetype represented by the Fool is a type of this outside stranger who brings down the old king to become the new. As previously described, this path of the not yet conceived Prince of the air element exists here as just the unformed intention that will eventually become the Prince, and subsequently succeed the King through the Princess to be crowned with the mantle represented by Kether (the Crown). Just keep in mind that when that King was just starting out himself, he was also just a Fool

Divinatory meanings include youthful exuberance that may be embarking on a long journey. This can mean blind faith in following one's bliss. The card means innocence, simplicity, and a new beginning. It can mean to trust intuition and take a leap of faith. It could mean new opportunities, and unlimited possibilities. It could be rashness, thoughtlessness and indecision. It may mean wisdom arrives from a strange and unexpected place.

I – The Magus

Now for the comment on the second painting of the Naked Tarot arcana called, "The Magus." The central image of this painting is split between outward and inward expressions using a dualistic image, because this path establishes duality as the second emanation of three emanations that proceed out of Kether. Here the third sephiroth Binah is united with Kether, and in turn produces two new paths to the subsequent sephiroth. Each sephiroth on the pillar of Severity, (Binah, Geburah, and Hod), produces two new paths after the preceding paths establish it. In contrast, the spheres of influence along the pillar of Mercy each produce three new paths when established. This path of the Magus unites understanding with spirit, and is represented by an archetype who is the begetter of manifested libido power, just as the Fool on the opposite pillar represented restrained libido. He represents the adult Fool of the first emanation who has now advanced from innocence to experience. Emanations from Kether and Chokmah here have established Binah, and also with it the objective pillar of Severity. Many early tarot decks from the Middle Ages title this card, "The Juggler," and a juggler happens to be an example of a skilled and talented fool. As the Fool represents restrained and naive libido, the Magus represents manifested and mastered libido. He is depicted in the painting with an inward expression as a master of meditation in the full lotus position of transcendental meditation, which the Magus uses to tame the tendencies and train the will. His outward expression shows him wielding the weapons of the four elements as a juggler.

This path of the Magus is attributed to the planet Mercury   and this archetype is the Logos or word by which the worlds were created. The letter for this path is Beth,   which means "house." Mercury also represents the ideal of Son of G-d who acts according to the G-d-father ideal in Kether like the mythological god Mercury in service to Jupiter. In this context, this path serves as a messenger from the gods upon the not yet formed understanding of the word. The nature of that word is perceived in the perfect meditative silence of the Magus while in his lotus posture with arms crossed inwards. With this silence, the Magus identifies with the essence of the universe from the silent ease of equilibrium. As the Magus becomes one with universal equilibrium, he then manifests this silence with creation. For Mercury is continuous creation, and the god is also known as "the trickster." Like the god Mercury, the Magus of this path is continuous creation without conscience since that is a function of consciousness below the supernal triad of the unconscious where we find this path residing. The end justifies the means here because this is a path of true will.

To follow is a brief explanation of these weapons of the Magus. To begin with they each represent appropriate symbols of the four worlds as wands=fire, cups=water, swords=air, and disks=earth. They also represent tools for manipulating these elements. In the tarot, they make appropriate symbols to epitomize the four elemental worlds described by the four suits of the tarot, which describe four sets of 10 sephiroth composing a different Tree of Life for each of the four worlds. Since these symbols also serve as actual objects, the adept of the magick arts can use them with ritual and ceremony to discipline his mind according to the idea of brain plasticity mentioned in the introduction. The brain becomes most engaged in reforming neural networks when actual objects and activities are involved with the concentration and learning necessary to change the brain. These four weapons have also translated through the centuries to the regular decks of playing cards, which the tarot evolved into as wands=clubs, cups=hearts, swords=spades, and disks=diamonds.

To briefly explain the elemental significance of wands to fire it seems necessary to mention that some forms of magick wands were made with magnetic cores to give them north and south polarity. This indicates that the fire we usually discuss here is more along the lines of the higher electromagnetic energies of the universe, as well as the unconscious abyss. Wands are instruments for focusing this life-energy that only comes from a magick wand as actual fire when used by the hands of a clever trickster, or magician. In addition to focusing the will, wands also provide balance and stability when used as a handy staff or cane, which further illuminates the wand as a metaphor of the will. The Magus is known as "the Bearer of the Wand," and represents phallic action on the womb of Binah. Mercury is shown on the painting with arms extended to create.

Next the cup serves as a receptive instrument for storing liquid. It is with the cup that the magician can focus on the more passive virtues he requires in order to achieve the goal of his work. Since the nature of water is synonymous with our emotions, it is also with the cup that we indulge elixirs and strong drink in order to alter our feelings.

The sword is a bit more obscure as a symbol for air, although a sword must traverse the air in some way in order to serve its purpose, which is to divide. The sword is a divisive instrument that is a metaphor of thought or reason, which tends to divide by nature. Our consciousness is constantly dividing things between what they are and what they are not. This division has created the illusion of duality, which is created by the mind while it makes sense of a universe where everything is actually one. To say the mind divides alludes to the illusion mind creates beginning with the obsession of 'I,' 'not I.' Mind separates us from the all, and cultivates an individual ego that is itself an illusion that might even die with the brain. If the mind (sword) didn't have the power to divide this message between the white background and black letters in the foreground then this communication wouldn't happen at all across the vast time and space existing between the writer and the reader of this book. It almost tempts one to create a tarot deck using the pen as an appropriate symbol for air in place of swords to represent this dividing instrument of mind. Although maybe not a bad idea, the traditional symbols for the tarot suits are intended to also provide knowledge through contemplating why each instrument corresponds to one of the 4 elements of the universe. There was such a thing in antiquity called the pen, but the designers of the tarot found swords to be more appropriate, although we live in an age today consisting of much less swordplay. The powers of the mind are quite impressive, making the sword the appropriate symbol for the challenges, skills, discipline, and training required for mastering such a weapon. Like swordplay, it is with the mind that we engage each other in duels of quarrels and debates to demonstrate our mental skills, and to best an ignorant foe. Also we contemplate the sword when thinking of mind to remind ourselves of the dangers that can result from an unskilled careless use of this weapon cutting both ways. It is truly a dangerous and powerful weapon that we have all been endowed with, which occupies the gray matter between our ears.

Finally the disks are appropriate symbols for earth because they first, like earth, can contain the other elements as with a plate of objects. The other characteristic of disks is that they are round, and the circle represents the rotational nature of Earth becoming more profound as scientists discover more and more the cyclical nature of reality where planets and stars are all round with circular, or more precisely elliptical orbits. The disk is also the circle upon which the Magus stands during rituals where he becomes the self-proclaimed center of the universe. The circle also alludes to the true nature of the Tree of Life where every approach to Malkuth brings about a new beginning in Kether, and with every approach to Kether a new Malkuth is arrived at. It is written of the Magus:

"with the wand, createth he,

with the cup, preserveth he,

with the dagger, destroyeth he,

with the coin, redeemeth he."

This is a good place to elaborate on this inward and outward duality depicted by the painting of the god Mercury, who is the Logos. We mentioned in the introduction that the spheres of influence along the middle pillar are similar to the chakras of eastern religions, but not exactly the same. This difference can be understood as going back to the earliest of days when mystical approaches were just taking root in ancient India and Egypt. It's easy to point out a profound difference between east and west religions. Eastern faiths appear more introspective in their approach to truth, as opposed to the western faiths that have championed a religious contest through the millennia in order to select the best tribal god who will wear the crown of monotheism.

What we see in this day and age divided between east and west are directions that perhaps started with differing meditation postures. The Hindu and subsequent eastern faiths adopt an introspective position of sitting with legs crossed so as to cut off circulation to the legs, thus increasing blood flow to the head. From this vantage point, eastern mystics mapped out the five chakras as concentrated along the spinal column from the base of the spine to the neck with transcendental chakras six and seven at the level of the head or above. The chakras are arranged as first the earth chakra at the base of the spine, followed by water around the reproductive/intestinal organs. The fire chakra is lined up with the stomach followed by the air chakra at the lungs, with the fifth chakra of spirit located at the throat.

There is much more to say about these five chakras in further chapters, but the point of this essay is that we are looking here at an eastern approach, and the western tradition adopts a different view. We've learned from Egyptologists that statues depict ancient Egyptians meditating in a seated position, and it even appears acceptable in Egyptian schools of mysticism to mediate standing straight up. Consequently these meditation positions don't produce the upper body circulation, and seem to have an immediate effect of centering the base chakra of earth away from the base of the spine to be located at the ends of the legs where the feet make contact with the ground. This cultivates a more extroverted and active style of meditation and religion. We see this today in the active forms of meditation known as Sufi, which some very western Muslim faiths practice enthusiastically, and even the Christian faiths provide active examples of prayer from the very still and silent all the way to downright athletic pleadings to G-d. This active/passive comparison between west/east that is pointed out here probably helped fuel the renaissance along with the industrial revolution, and various other revolutions that advanced western civilization faster than the more passive eastern world. The western world has been nurtured by a more extroverted approach to truth. With the Kabala, we are showing the universe in terms of the ten enumerations, and also how those ten enumerations are reflected within you.

The five chakras of eastern mysticism have their place in this system, but the form they take in the eastern approach locates all these chakras along the middle pillar with only water and air coinciding to actual sephiroth as Yesod and Tiphiroth around the digestive organs and the heart. The earth chakra is the center where we make contact with the earth, and we view ourselves in this Tree of Life as if standing within it, which locates this earth chakra at the feet instead of the base of the spine. The eastern approach is to denounce both outward pillars of the extremes and introspectively seek direct experience of Kether along the way of the middle pillar. This is the surest way to illumination, and why the middle pillar is sometimes called the Pillar of Salvation. This passive approach will work and is even recommended for periods of time, however the approach depicted by the Naked Tarot will include both outward pillars in this attempt to comprehensively explain the whole spectrum of life between black and white. It's as if the pillar of Severity is established in the west and the pillar of Mercy is established in the east, and it's our task as adepts to find the balance between west and east. Our Magus is more than just master of samadhi for he is also the master juggler of the elements. This typifies the western occult tradition of magick with its meddling in the nature of reality because that is all part of life. The eastern approach is more passive and more suited to prepare the aspirant for the mystery of death.

So the Magus in our painting is crowned with the wand of energy that takes the form of the Caduceus of Hermes where the active and passive serpents spiral around the central pillar of spirit. This is the hidden pattern of creation, not yet established in our understanding. This pattern is the message brought by the lips of Mercury that has been known to produce revelations of science, thus establishing the languages of modern physics, which serve as examples of this Logos manifested, which echoes the world's creation. The way the twin serpents have been depicted on the Caduceus of Hermes since ancient times all the way to the present symbol of the American Medical Association also bears a striking resemblance to the helix models describing the DNA of all living cells. This is another profound example of logos that echoes the world's creation, which is a symbol of the Tree of Life where these serpents also take on a spiraling helix nature. Ancients understood this symbol to echo our world's creation long before we could document the helix nature of the DNA using modern technology. This affirms that the truth of what we ponder here is an accurate reflection of the genetic word that becomes flesh residing within the holiest of holy found in each nucleus of every cell in our bodies.

On the left side of the symbol for spirit on the painting is the Sun in all his active glory, representing the will of the logos in Severity. The feminine and passive Moon symbol is the mind of the logos in Mercy. Crowned with the wand of the Caduceus, the Magus juggles the other weapons according to the nature of chaos. In his left hand is the element water " " where the Magus juggles the cup shown as a jar. The Magus chaotically pours this out since this cup is filled by the abundance of Mercy symbolized by the passive Moon where the Magus draws from a wealth of memories. Similarly in his right hand is the element air where he juggles a dagger or sword. There is no other way to skillfully juggle a dagger but with the utmost mental concentration. This sword is the thinking and reasoning faculties of the Magus that skillfully dissects the will of Severity shown on the painting as the active Sun. Since the planet Mercury is closest to the Sun, (and some magick texts say that beings on Mercury have airy natures,) this identifies Mercury as the extended Lingam to the lunar Yoni. This is an allusion to the path of the Priestess who is the third and final emanation from Kether, and a whole different chapter of this book. The Magus is also standing upon the element Earth, which is represented symbolically as an Akashic egg where he is centered on a magick circle or disk with a pentagram drawn upon it. The egg represents the universe as seen from the plain where this exalted path exists. The serpent Ananta who surrounds the universe, also surrounds this egg, representing the continuous creativity of this mercurial path.

Because this path is of such a supernal height, we again represent the human form as an ape chained to the leg that corresponds to Earth because our human forms are bound to Earth. This ape is the Hindu ape Hanuman. This ape can also be interpreted as the ape of Thoth, the Egyptian form of Hermes who is the messenger of the gods. The ape of Thoth was often depicted following the god around, and writing down the god's messages. Because monkeys write down the word of God, the message becomes distorted, and the truth is degraded by knowledge. In some decks this card shows a version of the god Mercury, to whom this path is attributed. Other decks show a classic magician of some sort. The version Crowley's Thoth tarot deck finally settled on was the god Mercury version, although some earlier printings of that deck included three versions of this card. The Waite tarot deck titles this card, "The Magician," and shows a young adept at a table with his magick weapons. Many wonder why the card depicts such an obviously young person as "The Magician," but this book's take on that was elaborated in the last chapter on the Fool. This form of magical training is best began at an early age when the capacity to believe in ritual is strongest, before an older age arrives to dispel youthful idealism.

The ancient Magi that are mentioned in the Bible, with the word "magic" that shares a root, were said to be followers of Zoroaster after gaining popularity in Persia, but in earlier times were said to have been the priests of the Medes who are known today as the Kurds. They were said to be skilled interpreters of dreams and they were disciplined by fire in some way. Perhaps this echoes in the current day and age with Hindu masters who show their mastery of Yoga by walking on fire. Taoist masters in our current time are said to master a bodily energy called Ch'i in order to exhibit documented Ch'i tricks such as pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, telepathy, and also interactions with different "spirits." Ch'i may be similar to the Hindu concept of prana, which are forms of "breath" within the body that cause all mobility from walking to heart beats, and even body cells releasing waste and receiving nutrition do this by the action of prana. Everything that animates our bodies is caused by prana, which Hindus also associate with thought itself to add illumination to why we consider air to be the element of thought and mind. Meditation is a method of relaxing tensions in the body that restrict the flow of prana. Where prana is restricted it builds up and leads to forms of disease and discomfort. Hindu teachings say that basically all diseases are caused this way, and good health can be achieved by cultivating an awareness of the levels of prana in the body contained in what is called sheaths or koshas. Many forms of meditation are used to cultivate an awareness of the koshas and maintain healthy flow of prana. These meditations would include diet, and exercises along with procedures such as enemas to correct restricted prana, which can manifest warnings signs for impending bad health in the form of rheumatism, high PH acid balance, or irritable bowels to name a few.

The young adept eventually becomes the master, and no longer needs the toys used to teach him. This is where the Magus becomes the god Mercury. As Mercury, he becomes the logos and thus the Christ. This event corresponds to the magickal attainment in fraternities synonymous with crossing the abyss and arriving on the shores of Binah on the other side. This is an exclusive degree of attainment from which one who is worthy is advanced from this grade of Magister Templi (8=3) to the grade of Magus (9=2). The Magus is a sage of such godlike virtue that really only one person per age is supposed to hold the title. Jesus was a type of this attainment. Crowley claimed the same attainment around 1907 when he proclaimed the dawning of a new Age of Horus to replace the previous Age of Osiris the dying god, which Jesus was a type of as the avatar and Christ of that closing age. Crowley had then written his "Book of the Law" for this current age, which he was the self-proclaimed Christ or Logos for. Since that time many other magickal orders have formed, and more than a couple adepts have assumed this presumptuous title after evidently making the difficult journey across the impassible abyss. There seems to be a need to weed out the inflated egos and sociopath crackpot cult leaders here. This book recognizes no further need for any new candidates to assume this role. Crowley's contributions to this new age are so profoundly all-encompassing (and ages are so long with approximately 2000 year intervals,) that they make any "Logos" concocted by some new crackpot cult look to this author like nothing more than contrived rip-offs of Crowley's work. Even this book must acknowledge itself as the product of much reading from this famous Frater of the Golden Dawn. This bit of egomania associated with the attainment of crossing the abyss has shown its face in our world in the form of many trickster cult leaders. We see their kind in antiquity as well where we will use Simon the Magus as a classic example. Simon Magus as he later became known is depicted in the Bible's Book of Acts as a sorcerer who admired the healing and casting out of demons demonstrated by the apostle Philip. The bible says Simon became a convert, but was later rebuked for trying to purchase the apostle's powers with money. Simon Magus is further rebuked by the early church even later on since he evidently continued on to lead a significant following of believers of his own. The magick of Simon Magus is today the stuff of legends, and at the height of his career as Savior he set himself up as a contemporary rival to Jesus for the title of "Son of G-d." Only one avatar for each age however, can command the recognition of posterity. Most candidates for the title just end up giving magick a bad name after the charismatic leader talks their gullible followers into the ultimate journey across the abyss when the cult collectively embraces mass suicide.

The Magus attains his mastery of the elements, and masters infinite space with an inexhaustible ability to create. This path reflects the calculated and logical left brain activity just as the path of the Fool demonstrates the eloquently illogical right brain. The Magus is a trickster however, which is also characteristic of Mercury, as well as the Celtic equivalent found in the god Loki.

This card can mean skill or deception according to dignity. This card can signify communication or eloquence. Swiftness and adroitness can also be read into the meaning of this card. The Magus is mastery of the illusion that happens to be the actual nature of duality and manifestation. The card means skill, wisdom, craft, cunning, or deceit.

2 The High Priestess

She represents the inspiration of creative enthusiasm that sends the artist to work, attempting to capture his glimpse behind the veil of her mystery. This card seems more endowed with meaning and symbolism than any other card in the deck. This chapter will scratch the surface of a couple of these meanings. She represents divine intervention and thus salvation by grace. As the High Priestess of the tarot she is the revealer of secrets. She is the female embodiment of all the forbidden knowledge that has been rejected by the orthodox faiths of the world who only allow women to rise to the level of nun at best, and the office of Priestess is unthinkable so forget about a High Priestess. She is the High Priestess of the esoteric church and the occult where much more pagan sympathies reminisce about wisdom from a more ancient world that preceded the current age of patriarchal religions. The path of the High Priestess is the only path that bridges the abyss between Kether and the seat of consciousness in Tiphiroth. This makes the High Priestess path the most special and exalted of the paths, and the goal of initiation into High Magick. Her path unites the microcosm to the macrocosm, and establishes the middle pillar of air. The pillar of Mercy is the male pillar of fire according to our ever-repeating theme of Tetragramaton, and the female pillar of water is the pillar of Severity. The elements fire, water, and air are known as the mother elements of which earth is the catalyst, and the corresponding Hebrew letters of Shin, Mem, and Aleph, ( ,  , ) are known as the mother letters. The middle pillar is the goal of the aspirant's equilibrium and balance. This path bridges the abyss directly from the singularity from which all manifestation proceeds to the shores of our consciousness. That makes this the path of salvation, and divine intervention on this pillar of air. Air is associated with thought, and consciousness where we can encounter the inspiration and illumination represented by this card. She represents the anointing of initiation, and the salvation of the Holy Ghost of G-d who is the female component of the Christian trinity. The Holy Ghost is represented on the card as a dove however, this dove on the card is sacrificed according to pre-Christian rituals because antiquity is where this priestess image comes from; before the priestess religions were shut down by the Christian Age of Osirus the dying god. Doves have always been regarded as good for navigation and used for sending messages. This makes doves a profound symbol for the function of the High Priestess as intervention from above. She represents the conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel sought by initiates of magick. The idea behind High Magick is that all of us possess, (or are capable of being possessed by,) a higher genius who connects us to the divine. It is the goal of initiation to unite the aspirant with this higher genius, and the path of the High Priestess represents success in that endeavor. This 'in-filling' of the Holy Ghost as a Christian might understand this is also an example of the inspiration found on this path. The High Priestess represents the breath of G-d establishing the pillar of air where we can find communion with the divine after the attainment of Tiphiroth. This divine breath from above along this middle pillar of air brings to mind from Hindu philosophy, the breath along the spine called sushumna that occurs when the two breaths of the extremes called Ida and Pingala are brought into balance. This is a method to produce the shakti force, or in other words, awaken the kundalini coiled at the base of the spine. This secret of Ida and Pingala comes from Hinduism, but can also be found in Volume I of "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic," from which the following will be revealed in paraphrase.

To begin with the ancient mystics noted an ebb and flow to the nature of the universe. They identified this natural fluctuation as the inhaling and exhaling breath of G-d. They called this breath "swara," and identified it as spirit, or the universe's soul. All life partakes of this inward and outward breath, which harmonizes our natural rhythms with the universe. This is the very foundation and central core of astrology that our personalities are actually harmonized with the universe. This breath begins in every human life as two centers that form in the developing fertilized egg, which eventually grow into the brain/nervous system, and the heart/blood system. This swara then manifests in the developed body as forces called "vayus." Vayus are types of breath in the body known as prana, or that force which animates our bodies. There are ten vayus manifesting in the body and they are:

Prana, in the breast. This is inspiring our breath itself. Hindus identify this air idea with thought just like our tarot deck. The prana vayu is the force that keeps us breathing whether we are conscious of it or not.

Apana, excretory organs. This is the downward force.

Samana, in the navel. This transmutes our food into blood.

Udana, in the middle of the throat. This is the ascending force.

Vyana, pervades the whole body. This is for diffusion of metabolic processes.

Kurmana, in the eyes. This causes our eyes to open and close.

Kirkala, in the stomach. This produces hunger and assists with digestion.

Nag causes vomiting and also hiccupping.

Devadatta causes yawning. And...

Dananjaya is that which does not leave the body after death. This is the space, or air, or prana that the body occupies.

We all as beings of swara have a natural connection to the universal swara through two main nerves called the Chandra Nadi, which produces a cooling Moon breath called Ida; and the Sura Nadi, which produces a hot Sun breath called Pingala. These breaths each center on a nostril with the left nostril corresponding to Ida, and the right nostril to Pingala. When the Moon is New, and just beginning to wax for 14 days toward the Full Moon we call this the bright fortnight. At the beginning of the bright fortnight for two hours after sunrise the breath favors the left nostril, or the Ida breath. After this it shifts focus to the Sun breath in the right nostril for two additional hours of Pingala breath. This alternates every two hours throughout the fortnight until during the dark fortnight of waning the first day at sunrise favors the Sun breath of Pingala. There also exists a 20-minute period between the shifts of Ida and Pingala where the breath is balanced, and that is called the Sushumna breath. It is the balanced Sushumna breath that would correspond to this middle pillar path. All these details of periods between one breath and the other called a 'ghari' are tedious to keep track of. To this the High Priestess offers the secret for benefiting from the occult knowledge without a lot of getting up at sunrise to figure out which nostril you're breathing with. The Ida and Pingala breaths are extremes to be mastered like our outer pillars, but salvation is attained on the narrow way of the middle pillar where we find this High Priestess path. Different diseases and health problems actually begin to manifest because either the gharis of the Ida and Pingala breaths are in reverse order, or the sinuses are favoring one nostril over the other to not allow the natural rhythm. Too much of the warming Sun breath will burn one out on many levels, as well as the adverse results assured by too much of the cooling Moon breath. A basic awareness of the breath in the nostrils is easy enough to cultivate, and can help the adept to maintain a balance of the breaths as evenly as possible between both nostrils at all times. Just continually try to keep the breath balanced between the two nostrils. That is the secret to generally maintaining good health throughout one's life; believe it or not.

She carries the bow of the virgin goddess Artemis, the Greek version of Isis who is the Priestess on traditional packs. Artemis was also the Greek virgin goddess version of the Roman Moon goddess Diana. This path represents the path of the Moon, and it is said that only later on was Artemis associated with the Moon. Artemis was however, the twin sister of the Sun god Apollo therefore the association with the Sun's sister luminary the Moon seems naturally profound. In addition to the silver bow and arrow used by Artemis for sport, she was also known to play the lyre to make her embody both the dangerously precarious, and also enchanting qualities for that nighttime realm of the Moon. Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, born of the union of Zeus with the mortal named Leto. In one myth Hera the wife of Zeus is enraged by him impregnating another mortal, and Leto is forced to hide away to give birth. There are many conflicting myths about the birth of Artemis, but according to this myth, Artemis is born first, and assists her mother Leto with the birth of Apollo. These Artemis birth myths provide beautiful allegories to her function of awakening, or giving birth to the enlightened man that attains the sphere of the Sun in Tiphiroth. This made her a goddess of fertility and childbirth, but she was most notable for being a virgin tomboy of a goddess who preferred the sport of hunting in the woods particularly when she could upstage men in the fine art of hunting. After one of many run-ins with her stepmother Hera she goes crying to her father Zeus who grants her six wishes. Among these wishes granted by Zeus she asks to remain chaste for eternity never to marry. She then goes on to become an enchantress of the woods, goddess of wild places, wild things, and herald of the Moon. Many hunters would fall prey to her in those moments that she found most unpleasant when they became proud and boastful. Ruin soon followed the man who dared to think that they were a better hunter than Artemis. In another myth two sons of Poseidon, Gigantos Otus and Ephialtes take over Olympus and demand that Hera and Artemis become their wives. All the other gods are no match for the Titans who stood their ground against the other gods on the holy mountain. It becomes up to Artemis to resolve the conflict by turning into a deer and running between Otus and Ephialtes. The two invaders of Olympus then become consumed with pride as hunters and each shoot an arrow at the deer only to miss Artemis, and so each slew the other brother. These are the kinds of stories about Artemis that seem to warn of the follies of being carried away by enthusiasm. This serves as an appropriate warning for the ill-dignified interpretation of this card. One may be led away by the enthusiasm of illumination unless careful balance is maintained. Sir James Frazer's anthropological masterpiece, "The Golden Bough" relates a story of men caught up in the enthusiastic festivities of Artemis worship. Sometimes they were led to the spontaneous (probably drunken) decision to castrate themselves and throw the separated flesh in a nearby house. The people of the house were then obligated to provide female clothing for the man who would have to wear them from then on, probably only to regret being carried away by that enthusiasm for the rest of his life.

Before the virgin goddess Artemis there were less chaste versions of this female archetype, which we must consider to delve deeper into the mystery of the High Priestess. To understand the High Priestess we must go back to the age ruled by the High Priestess, before the age of Osirus the dying god, back over 2,400 years before the time of Christ when the spring equinox was occurring with the Sun in the sign of Taurus. Many religions at this time worshiped the Bull of Heaven who has always been regarded as the sign Taurus. This was also the age of the Mother goddess religions that survive today as Wicca, also known as the old religion. The form she took in the ancient civilization of Sumer was the goddess Inanna, who according to myth was crucified and rose again three days later. The sacred bird of Inanna was the dove, from back where dove sacrifices like the one depicted in the painting were common. In modern terms this dove on the card represents the Holy Ghost form of the crucified one, a profound analogy of the meaning of this path. Another one of the Sumerian gods was Iahu the Exalted Dove daughter of Tiamat the ancient creature that the Earth was later made out of after being slain by the god Marduk according to Sumerian myth.

The legend of Gilgamesh has survived the subsequent ages to reveal to us today some clues of the achievements of mankind in the Age of Taurus. Gilgamesh was a great king who does many deeds that probably document the understanding of his times. The role of a priestess plays into this story when a savage of equal power to Gilgamesh named Enkidu becomes a problem. The ancient cuneiform written story says the priestess goes to the savage Enkidu, and "tames him." This story appears intended to shed light on the function of the priestess in ancient civilizations. Through the intervention of the priestess the savage becomes civilized. Enkidu and Gilgamesh become good friends after that, and further adventure ensues. This "civilizing" role sheds light on the type of intervention we are trying to understand here, and she is instrumental in the establishment of human civilization. These early priestesses were said to be prostitutes, but more than likely this had much more of a female touch to it then the pimp-driven businesses for the world's oldest profession that we see today. This was the women showing the men how to be "civilized" with the ladies, and don't underestimate the complexities of rules for men to learn once women became in charge of the curriculum. In that age women controlled religion and men were kings only by Sacred Marriage to the High Priestess. Succession came through women, and a king would loose his job with the death of a wife.

From this we can observe the introduction of corruption with time and the passage of civilizations, as well as ages. Legends of Isis and Osirus, as well as Hera and Zeus are of brothers who marry sisters. If the widowed king marries the queen's sister then he's back in business. A widowed king could have even further corrupted this idea if he could make marriage to his own daughter acceptable to the masses. The religion of Inanna grew into the Babylonian worship of the goddess Ishtar who was a very popular fertility goddess in the ancient world. The name Ishtar bears a phonetic resemblance to Easter, as well as the word uterus, and it should also be mentioned that the Greek word for Inanna's sacred bird the dove, "peristera" also means "womb." Temples of Ishtar were also presided over by priestesses, and many women in the ancient world had to serve as priestesses for a period of prostitution with proceeds going to the temple. This again is probably not fully understood by the modern mindset. These priestess/prostitutes were considered brides, or even daughters of G-d. It was considered appropriate for young women to participate in priestess duty as preparation for marriage. This of course was evidently never acceptable to the Hebrew priests, but most of the Asian world at the time had temples to Ishtar. Hebrews were probably not alone in disagreement with the practice, and again corruption ensues to support the disagreement. The practice of temple prostitutes probably got more and more of a man's touch added to the institution to better resemble modern prostitution. This may have contributed at the time to the popularity of the goddess Artemis who was a chaste virgin goddess whose priestesses were virgins and priests were castrated eunuchs.

The High Priestess represents the light of illumination that visits from above to breathe life into symbolism. She is the guardian of the veil of symbolism, and only through her can we see beyond that veil. With her bow she links the archetypal world where she resides to the world of manifestation. That is why she is with this bow piercing the veil on the painting that is covered with symbols. That veil covered with symbols represents the abyss beyond consciousness. This divine breath is the third and final emanation from Kether, and proceeds unbroken all the way through the abyss to Tiphiroth in the world of mind. This makes her the path of salvation, and the only female emanation of the three emanations from Kether. This also makes her the female emanation of G-d. She is the princess who becomes exalted to the rank of virgin High Priestess in order to become the Queen who is married to the Prince who then becomes the King. Some packs call this card just "The Priestess" however, we title this "The High Priestess" because it is only the High Priestess who can make a man a King when married to become the Queen according to the most ancient priestess traditions. The two male emanations from Kether, (The Fool, and The Magus,) do not reach manifestation, but remain only supernal influences from beyond. This female emanation however, connects directly to us, and is capable of manifestation. This goes back to the formula of Tetragramaton since the two female letters, which are the same letter Heh  , are necessary for manifestation. This is profoundly similar to the X and Y chromosomes that determine our sex at conception. Two identical X chromosomes result in a female like the two letter He's in Tetragramaton. For a baby to be born a male the X chromosome supplied by the woman's egg must combine with a different Y chromosome just like the birth of the letter Vau from Yod combining with the first Heh in order to bring forth the Prince of Air. There is only one female emanation from Kether, but unlike the male emanations it extends a much greater length making her more than equal to both the male paths combined. Her divinatory meaning is a gracious influence entering the matter. There is fluctuation and change. She can be the occurrence of a great idea, but with a warning that you can be led away by enthusiasm and must maintain careful balance. With the arrow from her bow she splits open the veil of symbol to reveal the reality behind it. The High Priestess of the Naked Tarot is splitting a veil of symbol because symbols are the doorway to the world of Atziluth, and she is the guardian of that door. Through the power of symbols the adept of magick connects with the forces of his unconscious to command them according to the adept's will. A sigil is a kind of symbol used to pierce the abyss in this way. They are formed with a line beginning at a circle and ending with a perpendicular line ' **O---------------|** '.

This line is drawn over graphs of numbers that also represent letters in magickal languages. These numbers are arranged on a talisman of some sort such as the planetary Kamea made from magick squares where the rows and columns are equal to the kabalistic number for the planet (see illustration.) Actually when a name has a value not found on the magick square for the sake of making a sigil or magick signature for the name, the Kabala of nine chambers known as Aiq Beker must be consulted. This arranges the letters into nine chambers so that when one value is not found on the Kamea then the next letter in the same chamber can be used. In this case the Shin = 300 can be replaced with Lemed = 30. This is the Kabala of nine chambers:

We might as well also provide here the Magick Squares of the other kabalistic planets known as Kameas taken from the book, "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic.":

Numbers are arranged on the squares so that all the sides add up equally both horizontally and vertically. With such a square it is said that the name of any spirit or ruler of that planet can be invoked by drawing the sigil over the letters of the name, or the numbers that corresponds to the letters. Some talismans used to make sigils also just use letters instead of numbers, such as the Rose and Cross talisman of the Golden Dawn, and the Enochian tablets of Dr. John Dee and Sir Edward Kelly, which are actually in the angelic language of Enochian. By drawing a sigil on such a talisman one invokes the psychological force behind that name to manifestation. For this reason it is recommended to incorporate a protective magick circle at a place of power for such operations. One should also work with divine names as much as possible to weed out and avoid the unconscious riff raff. Talismans and names associated with the magick language of Hebrew are recommended, and there is no symbol more holy than the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life provides hierarchies of divine names with archangelic and angelic titles to keep one within safe distance of the middle pillar truth, also known as the narrow way, where we can find communion with the High Priestess once we attain Tiphiroth. The sigils on the veil that this High Priestess splits with her arrow are more the spirits of an elemental quality made from magick squares. Some of these sigils on this veil come from grimoires, and probably represent Sumerian gods. Some of these sigils on the painting were actually copied from the spooky grimoire called the Necronomicon, allegedly written in antiquity by a character known only as the mad Arab. This tapestry of the abyss gets more and more obscure and foreboding as we go farther away towards the edges of this veil. This is why her arrow points to an area of the veil with a magick circle in which we see the Hebrew letter Gimel that is the Hebrew letter corresponding to this path. This is pointing the young adept toward the divine way of high magick with the High Priestess warning that the extremes we deviate towards are the ways we get ourselves lost in the abyss. In divination she represents inspiration and the enthusiasm of a new idea, but her dignity determines how much this card serves as a warning that you can be led astray by this enthusiasm.

The face of our Naked Tarot High Priestess can't be seen, and is also behind a veil. We generally do not see the faces of beings from Atziluth such as archangels. The Golden Dawn system provides instructions for creating talismanic images of archangels whose faces have to be represented by a symbol of some sort because we cannot behold them face to face as they are beings from a higher dimension. In place of a face on this High Priestess we see a symbol of the crown of Isis and Hathor. The High Priestess is also known as the Isis of the tarot. If there is a false sephiroth called Daath it exists on this path between Tiphiroth and Kether. Daath is false because it is knowledge instead of experience. Knowledge fogs up the abyss, but only experience can connect us with true reality beyond. This most high path represents attainment, and the goal of initiation. She represents samadhi sought by the meditation of the adept. It seems that this lesson is where the High Priestess differs with the Catholic Pope, or the Hierophant path of this deck. She represents the moment of realization when knowledge is directly experienced, and therefore is no longer knowledge, but experience. The problem with knowledge alone is that it requires belief and faith in order to be regarded as truth. This opens the door to all kinds of knowledge that must be believed even though it can't be proved. At best knowledge can only reflect truth because by nature it can only take the form of representative symbol. Because of the Pope's approach to only believe knowledge, disciples are forced to affirm the knowledge as truth whether it is or not. Actually we don't really even have knowledge with the Pope approach because it takes on the lesser form of belief. Therefore knowledge alone leaves us susceptible to delusion, and if belief in untrue knowledge is insisted upon then we only "know" lies, which is sure to leave us lost to the abyss in the end. Knowledge is the veil itself, which it is the function of the High Priestess to tear asunder at the moment of our enlightenment. Knowledge alone obscures the ineffable reality of truth. Only when knowledge is tested and directly experienced does it reveal truth to us. This is the basis behind the scientific method, which has increased our collective experience of knowledge for quite some time now. There is some current drama unfolding these days between the church's belief in a six-day creation of the Earth by G-d, and science, which has long defended the theory of evolution through natural selection that was originally written by Charles Darwin. Since it is theory scientists make predictions, and then test to see if the predictions are true. They recently have predicted that since evolution says all creatures evolved from common animals of the past then we should be sharing identical genetic markers in our DNA with animals who share common ancestors with us. As a result of this prediction scientists have been able to examine the genome of humans and animals to confirm that we do indeed share identical genetic markers with animal cousins from our past. This confirmation by experiment affirming the theory of genetic markers shared with our evolutionary cousins should provide compelling arguments for evolution in the ongoing debate of natural selection in schools. Once this transmutation of knowledge into truth by experience is done then it is not a belief, it is gnosis. Before it was only knowledge, and now it is something known. We may not all experience this path as the moment of samadhi through rigorous meditation, but we all walk this path when we transmute knowledge into experience as just described.

Many depictions of this card show the High Priestess with a flowing robe like water to represent the waters of the unconscious, but the Naked Tarot High Priestess is naked, and the whole design of the card flows with drama and energy like liquid. This is the path of Gimael,  , which means "camel." The camel is the beast of burden by which men traversed the wastelands just as the aspirant traverses the abyss of knowledge to the oasis of truth somewhere behind the symbols on this path. The idea of unconscious waters points out that her card represents the automatic knowledge coming from a problem-solving unconscious mind in order to solve a problem that is baffling the conscious mind. Her head resides in the supernal beyond our comprehension, and only veils of symbol can give us an idea of her appearance. With her other hand she carries the Moon for this is the path of the Moon   in its highest expression. Like the light that veils her face the Moon is a veil that reflects the light of the Sun. The nature of the Moon is represented on the card by the triangle surrounded by twelve points of light, which represent the Zodiac that the Moon travels through with every orbit around our planet. The triangle represents the cardinal, fixed, and mutable qualities of the zodiological signs, which affect the Moon's course through the Zodiac of our souls. Of all the gravitational bodies in astrology the Moon is the most dramatic since it is the closest, fastest, and has the strongest gravitational attraction with the Earth. The Moon is the astrological body that traverses the entire spectrum of the zodiac every month. The phases of the Moon each correspond to the other planetary spheres of the Tree of Life with the New Moon located on this High Priestess path, and not associated with any true sphere. The New Moon symbolizes the knowledge of the false sephiroth Daath because it is just dark mass with no reflected light from the inner Sun. As the Moon begins to wax toward the Full Moon in Yesod, which fully reflects this light of the Sun, the Moon passes through the spheres of the pillar of Mercy beginning with Chokmah. Then the Moon is half-full in Chesed, and three-quarters full by the time it reaches Netzach. That's when the waning Moon corresponds to the spheres of Severity in a similar way, being three-quarters full in Hod, half-full in Geburah, and almost new again in the sphere of Binah.

This reflected light of the Moon is also the female side of G-d; however, the idea of a female form of G-d is so anathema to western religions that the Christian trinity has replaced her with a dove to symbolize the elusive Holy Ghost or Spirit. Let's not even elaborate on the way the western religion of Islam regards women, lest our point morph into a whole different subject. In her High Priestess role of reflecting the ineffable light she represents the Shekinah glory of G-d that blessed the Hebrew priests of ancient Israel with the presence of G-d when they were bathed in her light. She is the spirit of G-d, or Holy Ghost because her body is a mystery to the church. We reveal here that her mysterious body is actually the Princess and the Queen of the tarot. The female elements of Tetragramaton are the more material elements of water and earth as opposed to fire and air; indeed there is nothing more material than earth. Like the mother of earth and air, water is capable of both those forms through heat and cold in addition to her natural liquid form. In a similar way we associate the female pillar of Severity with the objective as opposed to the subjective pillar of Mercy. Thus we identify the female pillar of Severity as the materialistic pillar where we meet the future that is arriving to confront us.

The pillars of the Tree of Life were formed by the singular true reality of G-d splitting into the false illusion of duality where we, the created, find ourselves. We interpret these two pillars of the extremes that hold up our universe in terms of duality like black/white, Sun/Moon, hot/cold etc. Since these pillar concepts are symbolic absolute ideas they can be dressed up by specific extremes interchangeably. We all enter this universe of duality, and form these outer pillars when the singularity from which we all came is interpreted by our egos as 'I' and 'not I.' When we identify ourselves in these terms, which cannot be avoided down here below the abyss, we find ourselves facing the pillar of Mercy when we look toward what we identify as 'I,' and when we face what we consider 'not I' we face the pillar of Severity. With one of her hands this High Priestess splits the veil of the abyss, and with the other hand she holds up the Moon over the triangle surrounded by the twelve lights of the zodiac. She sacrifices the dove symbol to reveal her female glory, which is the body of all of us on Earth.

A cross covers all of this with a dove sacrificed upon it. This was a sacrificial practice of ancient Sumeria where religion had been governed by High Priestesses. The dove is the spirit of inspiration captured on the symbol of the cross, which represents spirit redeeming the microcosm. This represents a veiled influence upon our mundane lives where if we delve deeper for the cause we find the Moon passing through the zodiac. She represents secret occult knowledge, and in addition to being endowed with symbolism she is also perhaps the most mysterious card in the deck. Some decks depict her as Mary Magdalene who was the wife of Christ in certain Gnostic traditions such as the Cathars who made a last stand against the Christian crusades in Southern France back around 1321 AD. According to this interpretation Herod Antipas had become ruler of Judea at the time of Christ by a Sacred Marriage to the priestess of a triune goddess of the time called Mari-Anna-Ishtar. Mary Magdalene was a priestess of this temple and evidently a princess of Bethany as the sister of Lazarus and Martha from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin. In addition to this it is said that a 'magdalla' is a type of three-towered temple like the one to Mari-Anna-Ishtar.

The fact that Mary Magdalene is also loosely associated with a prostitute by the church's interpretation of scripture is also pointed to for evidence that she was a priestess to Ishtar where prostitution was a sacred right. The seven demons that Jesus casts out of her are supposed to be representative of a ceremony to Inanna who descends into hell, and dies seven times before resurrection in the old myth. Also she anoints Jesus with oil in all 4 gospels, (Matt. 26:6-3, Mark 14:3-4, Luke 7:36-50, and John 12:1-8,) to symbolize that a Sacred Marriage is being performed by this woman who is a priestess. Mary Magdalene went on to inspire traditions of Gnostic Christianity well into the 2nd Century, and some decks called this card "The Popess," or female Pope, which Mary Magdalene had become for many believers during the establishment of Christianity. This Popess card could actually be a reference to Pope Joan who turned out to actually be a woman when she was found out after collapsing in childbirth during a religious ceremony some time around 855 AD. More than likely this card was called "The Popess" because she represents the female face of religion during this age of male dominated institutions.

This book is merely pointing out the many various traditions behind this card that contribute to an overall understanding of her meaning. Whether Jesus had kids in the South of France with Mary Magdalene, or was that guy (Issa) with crucifixion scars on his feet walking around Kashmir north of Pakistan at the time according to documentation, this book will only assert that it is unknown. She is the vision that people experience of the divine female who appears as the Virgin Mary for many believers. This Virgin Mary is also depicted by iconography as a thinly veiled Isis standing upon the crescent Moon since all our modern religions have evolved from previous religions. She is the goddess and Mother Earth, although these ideas border too closely with the meaning of a different path that crosses this path at the supernal triad called "The Empress," but that is a different chapter of this book. This difference between the High Priestess and the Empress is subtle, but represents the difference between a virgin Princess, and a Queen mother. In the same way the symbols on the veil represent her reality because she is the truth behind all symbol. As the aspirant perseveres across the abyss of language and symbol, eventually the light of her reality dawns in a moment of inspiration.

This moment of inspiration is represented on this Naked Tarot card as a glowing grail. In the other two paths that descend from the Supernal Kether an ape represented the human. This path however, is on the Middle Pillar, and therefore the human is the perfectly poised grail with the Sanskrit symbols for the Chakras arranged on it from top to bottom. This is the last part of this painting still waiting to be explained. Instead of flowing robes suggesting the fluidity of the unconscious this High Priestess herself is dissolving into fluid to fill the luminescent chalice in this painting. She represents the in-filling of the divine spirit that is celebrated by the modern Christian church sometimes to the point of looking ridiculous. She is the actual blood that fills the Eucharist, which Jesus inherited from the Mother as the Son or Prince. We do not represent the human form on this path as an ape because this path is arrived at through the discipline, perfection, and culmination of the path of Temperance existing on the middle pillar below between Yesod and Tiphiroth, which is also a different chapter.

Suffice it to say that through meditation, and the practice of the asana trance combined with rhythmic breathing, a point is reached when the sphere of Tiphiroth becomes the throne on which to sit one's consciousness. The emotions are stilled and mastered so that upon the throne of Tiphiroth the mind is poised clear of emotional distraction to receive the crown on this path above Tiphiroth emanating from Kether. This path is the reward of meditation, which in addition to improved health, produces illumination and enlightenment. This is why the High Priestess is filling the glowing aspirant poised to receive her blessing. Along this vision of the Grail are Sanskrit letters representing the seven chakras of Hinduism, which become illuminated by the in-filling of the spirit experienced on this path. Through meditation the adept becomes oriented with equilibrium in order to find the elusive paths of the middle pillar. The pillars of Mercy and Severity are easily found, for they are directions and orientations. One needs only to turn in one direction or the other. The outer pillars are not ways to find G-d as much as they are ways to deviate away from this middle pillar that connects to Kether. The Tree of Life is intended to assist the adept in finding the place of balance between the extremes of objective/subjective, light/darkness, Sun/Moon, good/evil, I/not I to name a few extremes attributable to the outer pillars of Severity/Mercy. If Severity and Mercy are the pillars of duality, which is the illusion, then this middle pillar is the pillar of singularity uniting us with true reality. When equilibrium is mastered the breath of the universe, which the aspirant has become tuned into, illuminates the chakras. The Sanskrit names of these seven chakras from the bottom to the top are:

1 – Muladhara is at the base of the spine. This chakra of earth is associated with the production of waste and the sense of smell.

2- Svadhisthana around the genitals and sex organs is the water chakra associated with reproduction and the sense of taste.

3- Manipura around the solar plexus and navel is the fire chakra associated with digestion and the sense of sight.

4- Anahata around the chest, lungs, and heart is the air chakra associated with breathing circulatory system and the sense of touch.

5- Vishuddha is in the throat region, which is the spirit chakra associated with speech and hearing.

6- Ajna is between the eyebrows and the pineal gland where the three gunas, or modes of existence known as being, thought, and bliss are experienced.

7- Sahasrara is at the top of the cranium at the aperture of Brahma where true reality of the empty void, nirvana, and samadhi are experienced.

There are other lesser chakras not mentioned here, and also there are better books out there that can be read for further study of the subject. The elusive sixth and seventh chakras are realized through control and mastery of the lower five chakras, which are each associated with one of the five senses.

As the path continues on beyond the disciplines, the games with symbols, and the transcending of knowledge with experience the adept draws closer to a realization of Kether and samadhi. Magickal orders leave new adepts in an outer order where they must first attain a level of Philosophus before being admitted to the inner order at the grade of Adeptus Minor. One prerequisite to admittance is to pass a rigorous test of meditation mastery by remaining perfectly still in an asana trance for 1 hour. Admittance to the inner order represents attaining Tiphiroth in the world of Briah, clear from the power of emotions in the world of Yetzirah. Here the adept is initiated to this path of the enlightened connection with Kether.

Eventually, after all that foreplay an orgasm occurs. This High Priestess is to assist you on your approach to Kether for your best interest. This approach to Kether reveals the other two emanations from Kether to be extremes that serve as warnings not to deviate from this treacherous and narrow middle pillar path. The High Priestess is there to guide you to the truth, and protect you from the madness of the Fool's path as well as the sociopathology inherent with the path of the Magus. This grail stands on the path of the High Priestess, steady in the Sun of Tiphiroth ready to receive the in-filling of inspiration by the High Priestess. Now that the aspirant is reduced to a grail symbol the aspirant is now ready for journeys upon this path of the High Priestess who is the intervention of the Holy Guardian Angel, the Holy Ghost, and that higher part of us beyond our conscious egos.

This card means alteration of gain or loss in a matter thus causing a change. It is the pure and gracious influence from above shining down on the matter. She is inspiration and new enthusiasm, which one may become carried away with unless they maintain a careful balance. This card indicates visions, creativity, insight, intuition, and psychic power, but be careful.

3 The Empress

The Empress is the number 3 trump, and the fourth trump when the zero trump, "the Fool," is included. This implies both the trinity and the 4 elements of the universe. Therefore she represents the trinity enthroned upon the world itself, which on this card has been reduced to a sphere by the symbolic nature of the exalted plain of this path existing in the world of ideal. This symbolic image of the world is supported in the plain of Malkuth by four pillars representing the idea similar to ancient cosmologies, which were so inclined to reduce the universe into such simple symbolism as this in their endeavors to grasp the majestic subtleties of the cosmos. She sits upon the world because she embodies the symbolism of woman in the microcosmic sense, and of Mother Earth in the macrocosmic. For this reason the four pillars of the manifested elements (fire, water, air, and earth,) upon which all Tarot symbolism is based, support the throne of the Empress, which encompasses the world. This all illustrates a magical property of this path of the III'rd trump, which is to encompass grand ideals of the universe within the simplest symbolism.

This trump corresponds to the Hebrew letter Daleth   ,which means 'a door.' This concept of a door is one of the themes of this card. The door is a metaphor of the aspirant entering into an enlightened grasp of the cosmos that directs our destinies. This door is navigated with the grasp of symbols that illustrate the Supernal plain of this path, and serve as veils of this exalted plain that is made up of ineffable light. The idea of door is further expanded to imply the female womb through which we all enter into this world. This brings up the point of this being the first of the reciprocal paths that connect spheres on the opposing pillars. The path of the Empress connects the supernal Father (Chokmah) with the supernal Mother (Binah). Reciprocal paths tend to represent a downward direction of the emanations. This forms a path through the Tree of Life from top to bottom that resembles a lightning bolt starting with Kether to Chokmah, then to Binah consecutively down to Malkuth representing a lightning flash of manifestation (see lightning sword diagram.)

The path of the Empress crosses this light at the New Moon on the path of the High Priestess also known as the invisible (false?) sephiroth called Daath. It is the High Priestess path along the middle pillar, which represents the path that goes in an upward direction. Actually the way upward on the Tree of Life is represented by the serpent slithering his way up the Tree, back and forth, touching on all the paths because the way to climb up this tree is to master all the paths (see serpent tree diagram.)

This kabalistic position of the New Moon on the path of the High Priestess is the actual light covering the ineffable of whom it is the function of the Empress to create a door opened to this light by the power of symbol itself. This light of the ineffable however, also serves as a dazzling veil of brilliance over true reality, which must also be looked beyond. This light of personal illumination through symbolism, like the New Moon, is an invisible light that may not brighten the physical world itself yet still makes our own vision much clearer.

The kabalistic ideal of an all encompassing symbol for this path of Daleth therefore is the symbol for the planet Venus . For this reason the woman of the painting wears a green halo and forms a cross with her arms creating the symbol of Venus. This is implying the green love affair between the light of the Sun that is reproducing photosynthetic life forms (plant life) all over the world of manifested existence to acknowledge one aspect of this path. The central meaning of Venus can be summed up with the single word, "love." Venus happens to be the only planetary symbol that in Kabala encompasses every sphere of the Tree of Life (see Venus illustration.)

This represents the higher macrocosmic spheres (1,2,3,4,5,) uniting with the lower microcosmic spheres of the cross (6, 7, 8, 9, and 10,) creating the circle and cross symbol of Venus, which is the overall shape of the Empress painting itself. Within this all encompassing symbol of the universe is illustrated the same dualistic nature of the cosmos where the goal of initiation is uniting the lower man with his higher genius because this path connects the Supernal Father of the sephiroth Chokmah with the Supernal Mother of Tetragramaton who is the sephiroth Binah. That makes Venus (Love) the secret key to the system combining the powerful symbol of the macrocosm as the circle with the microcosmic cross symbol. This also brings to mind a similar symbol, which is the Egyptian Ankh that has similar implications.

This is represented on the painting above her crown with the waning Moon of Binah, and the just waxing Moon of Chokmah united by the New Moon showing where this path corresponds in the Kabalistic cosmology of the Moon's orbit. There is also something else to see in this progression from the waning gibbous of Binah to the New Moon, and then the waxing gibbous in Chokmah. The light of the Moon resembles first a door closing, followed by a crack of waxing light that resembles the opening of a door. This is on the painting where her crown appears, symbolizing where this path occurs in the universe, which is in the supernal triad above manifested existence. Upon the crown is a cross to idealize mankind beholding her manifestation since she is manifestation itself; idealized on this higher plain as it exists above the abyss on the plain of ideal itself. Since this is the path uniting the supernal father (Chokmah) with the supernal mother (Binah,) it has the divinatory meaning of fertility, abundance, and productiveness because this represents the consummation of the divine marriage of Tetragramaton to make the Queen a mother. She represents the great Mother goddess of the oldest religions all the way to the present day Mary mother of G-d.

She makes up the base of the supernal triad from which the light of inspiration manifests. This supernal triad is represented on the painting as the triangle light of the spirit in Atziluth, which is the name of the kabalistic world of idea. Below this supernal triangle of light on the painting we see three more layers of darkening light that represent the three worlds below the Empress becoming more dense as they approach the realm of the earth element. Directly below the fiery triangle of Atziluth is the world of air where our thought lives dwell. This world of air is located on the painting on and above the topmost part of the sphere-like throne of the Empress to represent the world. Next down we see the female world of the motherly water element from which the children air and earth are born. This water world on the painting encompasses most of the central section of the world sphere just as the sphere of this planet is mostly covered with water. The lowest and darkest of these layers of light gradation is the world of the earth element where manifestation is observed. This world is shown at the lower side of the world where the four pillars of the elements exist to support and hold up the entire world. The other elements are pillars in the earthy world of Assiah because earth by its nature serves as a catalyst for the other elements.

In alchemical terms she is the corner of the alchemical trinity that corresponds to salt  , or the inactive matter which is energized by the card of the alchemical element sulfur   who is the 5th trump The Emperor. The Empress shares a special place in the pack along with II – The High Priestess, and XI Justice. These three female cards make up a trinity of female cards that comprise a female goddess ideal. In contrast the IV – Emperor, V – the Hierophant, and IX – the Hermit compose the trinity of the male idea of G-d. The other arcana represent these male and female ideas in different relationships and circumstances according to some interpretations of these archetypes. Concerning the other two seemingly male cards of the Fool and the Magus, they encompass both male and female ideas since these paths exist on the supernal plain above the abyss. They are considered to be actually androgynous characters who are both male and female. In a sense the Fool by virtue of innocence is neither male nor female, while the Magus is bisexual because he masters both in order to transcend them.

The role of the Empress in the female trinity is the formula for reproduction since she is the path that unites the Father with the mother returning again to Venus also symbolizing the fundamental formula of the universe as love. This path also acknowledges an underlying deeply psychological driving force in man to procreate with woman, which has always pioneered our amazing species. This love produces the child of the reproductive formula implied in Tetragramaton, which is represented as a cross on the crown who is the "son" that is also shown as a child at the woman's womb. This is illustrating the card's aspects that encompass the idea of reproduction for the Empress is the fertile womb of life that produces through the union of Father with Mother. As well as implying the natural course of reproduction and evolution, Tetragramaton also implies the formula of the Pentagram symbolizing the spirit energizing the four basic elements up an ever-climbing direction of evolution (see pentagram diagram.)

This is the Son of Tetragramaton who unites with the daughter of Malkuth represented in the final letter of the name He  . The Prince combined with the Princess then becomes the King, and rises on her power to the higher worlds, which return the adept to the supernal vision of this highest trinity of paths. The path of the Empress is the only female path that exists completely above the abyss beyond the next lower world (Briah) made up of mind where on the painting the rest of the body of the child of the Pentagram resides. She embodies the ideal of the fulfilled woman while the High Priestess path, which the Empress path crosses embodies the ideal of the female virgin. The head of this child of the pentagram is in the supernal triad, which on the painting sheds its light into the other Kabalistic worlds or plains below.

The next lower world is the world of air or mind known as Briah where the child of the Pentagram represents the adept who has idealized his entire body into the world of mind with the disciplines of magick. This is similar to what this book is doing by idealizing the entire universe into 22 paths of astrology, alchemical elements, and planetary influences. The adept uses magick weapons to idealize the body and soul. This is symbolized on the painting by the child's right leg which, according to the pentagram formula corresponds to earth. He is touching the magical weapon corresponding to the element earth known as the disk. This idealizing reality with symbol is the central theme of this path. This is a formula of communication without which the letters of this book would be just meaningless scribbles. Above the child's right leg we see his right shoulder that magically corresponds to air touching the weapon of air, which is the sword. His other left hand that corresponds to water is reaching for the cup of water. His left leg is the leg of fire and is reaching toward the wand since it is the weapon of fire representing the true will that he seeks. His right foot also touches the earth disk in the area of the lower right point of the Pentagram on the disk. This is the point corresponding to earth, thus fulfilling the meaning of this path by reducing into symbol the whole of manifested existence to an ideal represented here as a point on a pentagram.

This child of the pentagram doesn't touch the world below (Yetzirah the world of emotions) at all except symbolically by touching the cup with the appropriate hand. This child of Tetragramaton doesn't manifest any existence in the emotional world of Yetzirah where on the painting the entire world sphere that is represented on the card mainly exists. The adept of magick must rise above the emotions to rule them with divine will. This is not a rejection of emotions and feelings, but instead is to put them in perspective. It is not that the adept doesn't have emotions, but that they are aligned and guided to the higher ideal of love. "Love is the law. Love under will," as the saying by Crowley goes. The symbol of the world existing in Yetzirah represents the door to Yetzirah where manifested existence is experienced on a more emotional level. This is where in the world of Yetzirah we possess the ability to experience the entire world as a single simple symbol even though such a simple set of lines can't possibly physically encompass all the places and things that physically exist in the world. Lines and symbols can't physically recreate reality, but they can invoke feelings and emotions to accurately reflect that reality, and bring to life an experience of that reality that can be very real to the viewer. This once again echoes the painting's main theme, which is the power of the path of the Empress to idealize manifestation to its highest and simplest all encompassing symbol. Such power is fundamental to a functioning brain capable of the abstract activity known as thinking. So the seeker of initiation who is represented by the child of the Pentagram on the painting has had to transcend his emotional plain where the woman on the painting is enthroned. This is in order to be sanctified on the mental plain where he can gain a vantage point to view the light of the supernal, which is the body of this Empress. The child gains this vantage point with the help of his magical instruments on the painting because they also are symbols that encompass everything. He stands on the disk representative of earth in front of the dagger (air, thought,) holding the cup (water, emotions.) The wand of fire and his true will is just out of reach by his left foot, yet it extends upward like a phallus beyond the cup to the supernal triad above, again implying the theme of the Father and Mother joining. The ideas of father and mother join in copulation in order to create a river of blood that flows unbroken through the generations. The magical instruments repeat the Empress theme because they symbolize the highest spiritual ideals manifesting with material qualities.

This is the Empress as the initial perfection of nature and also the final perfection of art, by which the adept can gain a grasp of the ineffable light beyond the abyss. Because of the fact that the Empress is both the perfection of nature as well as nature's idealization in art we have represented the woman on the painting with 4 hands that hold the symbolic magical weapons. These 4 weapons also represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac (Leo-Fire, Scorpio-Water, Aquarius-Air, and Taurus-Earth.) The zodiac is symbolized, or idealized on the painting by a total of 12 arms for the Empress in the style of paintings that can be found in temples of India. The twelve hands represent the creative virtue of the signs, which encompass the entire cosmology same as the Venus symbol. The hands that represent the fixed signs are appropriately the hands that hold the four weapons of the fixed elements. For this reason the hands of the cardinal and mutable properties of the zodiac are juxtaposed for the sake of balance and symmetry. Cardinal and mutable Earth (Capricorn, Virgo) are her hands which cover her and reveal her body with her robe, again echoing the earth principle of manifestation since they are the only other hands besides the fixed hands that hold objects. The hands symbolizing the cardinal and mutable signs of air (Libra, Gemini) are releasing with fingers outstretched above the lotus of the wand. One hand (cardinal air) faces down and lets go and the other hand (mutable air) faces upwards and lets go. The cardinal and mutable hands of water (Cancer, Pisces) are shown outstretched and cupped as if to receive and release. This implies the watery quality of the cup as a passive container that receives and provides a container for liquid. Her cupped left hand of mutable water faces downward implying the mutable quality of release on the right side of the card. The cupped hand of cardinal water is her outstretched right hand facing upwards on the left side of the card, showing the cardinal quality of water receiving from above. Cardinal and mutable fire (Aries, Sagittarius) is also represented in the 12 arms by the actively outstretched hands, and both are identical except that they mirror each other. In the same way the spiritual fires of Atziluth reduce the dross of manifestation to simple symbols of absolutes, these two outstretched arms of cardinal and mutable fire also help form the Venus symbol. These two outstretched arms of the Empress form the cross of the Venus symbol, which is intended to be the whole underlying symbol depicted in this painting, and a key to the law of love that encompasses the whole of this system.

This card means productiveness, fertility, and abundance. She means beauty, pleasure, and happiness. She is motherly love, nurturing, assurance, and femininity. She is fertility and growth and indicates that you may finally be getting close to the reward in an endeavor. If reversed dignity then be warned that it's not nice to offend mother nature.

4 The Emperor

Now for the commentary on the Tarot painting of the 4th Arcanum entitled "The Emperor." Before the Master Therion changed the Hebrew attribution of this card from He   , to Tzaddi   , this card represented the divine wisdom of Chokmah acting upon the organized man in Tiphiroth. This was during a time of monarchs who were regarded as divinely ordained, and then ruled without question. This change of positions is an acknowledgement that we now live in a very different world for the most part. Because of this we regard this path as the desires of Netzach acting upon our emotional foundations in Yesod. We live in a time when power is attained not so much by inheritance or divine providence, but by ambition and deceit. As the 4th Trump, this path implies stability and a firm foundation such as the 4 seasons of the year and 4 corners to a well-built room. The number 4 represents the foundation of the tarot itself being the number of elements in Tetragramaton, or the 4 worlds of existence. This path represents parental or government authority, stability and power. This is a path of control and discipline with the role of command. In less dignified situations this can represent rigidity, inflexible conservative ways, and egocentrism. This is the organization of authority. Although the path is considered now to be between Netzech and Yesod, it is still attributed to the sign of Aries, and this remains appropriate.

The painting shows a serpent rising above turbulent waters with the body of a man who holds a slaughtered lamb with one arm while the other arm reaches up to grab a ram who is leaping above his head. His head has a horn destructively bursting from his skull, and on this horn is a crown wrapped in thorns. This particular symbolism of the Emperor originates in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation where an emperor-like beast is described as rising from the waters having a head that appears crushed and then is healed miraculously. The immediate meaning of this painting represents the political use of religion to consolidate power. This beast rises out of the waters on seven arches of his serpentine body that are rising out of the water like the seven hills where Rome was built. This all is to create an image to symbolize the power of government or sovereignty. The action of his arms to seize the free and wild rams and convert them to docile cowardly lambs is his main function. This illustrates a theory of government rule as an oppressor of the free. The Hebrew letter Tzaddi   is on the head of the lamb he holds in submission. This letter is attributed to this card, and means "fish hook" also alluding to the Emperor as one who fishes for the subjugation of those who are free. As a mark on the lamb's forehead the letter Tzaddi symbolizes a function of government to label and organize people into classes. He is a manifestation of the alchemical sulfur energy in nature. This is reflected in the violent and evidently sudden events in the card.

The figure is apparently springing out of the waters suddenly. The horn seems to have just grown out of his skull instantaneous. This all reflects the sudden, violent, but impermanent power of sulfur. If left to burn continuously it would consume everything. This occurs in nature however according to a natural order, which is the other meaning of the ram that appears on this painting. For this card is attributed to Aries   in the order of the zodiac, and represents the equinox of spring when the creative energies of nature are released to rejuvenate the year suddenly. With this yearly Sun energy, light begins to dominate the hours of the day more and more until the Summer solstice. The power of the Emperor in nature as the instigator of spring is symbolized on the card by the scepter rising up out of a vessel that floats in the water. This vessel has been broken into by a sudden and violent means not unlike the character of Aries. From the cracks made in the vessel come a royal scepter with the symbol for Aries on the top. Behind this natural manifestation of the energies of this card that occur when the sun is in Aries we see the Emperor in the form of a serpent illustrating the serpent-like energies in man. His act of bringing the wild animals into a domesticated state generalizes the parental role of his government.

As for the theme of biblical beasts from the prophetic Book of Revelations is concerned, we return to the letter Tzaddi, which means "fish-hook." The term "fish-hook" on a captured animal symbolizes the strategy of government in the new age. In the 20th Century a dramatic change was made to the Tarot by the Master Therion, which changed the order of the Hebrew alphabet in the tarot, and consequently changed the positions of the Emperor and the Star cards on the Tree of Life. This evidently coincides with switched cards in older packs between Leo and Libra where the Fall Equinox occurs. Many older packs included the order of cards 8-Justice (Libra) and 11-Strength (Leo). This seemed incorrect on the face and even left the order of Hebrew letters switched. Crowley's deck leaves these cards with Libra appearing before Leo contrary to the natural order of the zodiac because it balanced his change in letters between the Spring Equinox signs of Aries and Aquarius. Other decks such as the official Golden Dawn Tarot puts these cards in their natural order. This Naked Tarot book will present these two cards as 11-Justice and 8-Strength to correctly reflect the astrological order. That should make this deck a more natural reflection of nature and thus a more potent tool for divination.

These changes are technical and confusing so hopefully the following diagram that arranges these arcana in the natural order as a circle will explain this better to the reader. This shifting of the deck about the zodiological equinoxes of Spring and Fall also marks the ever shifting zodiac as it changes through the ages. The previous position of the Emperor path reflects the way man viewed sovereignty in the last age as being established by G-d himself. No doubt any Kabalist of the Middle Ages would quake with fear at the thought of looking at the path of the Emperor as anything less than the right hand of G-d. With the advent of a new age in the twentieth century however, the path of the Emperor has been cast down to the area of Netzech, which means victory shining down to the foundation in Yesod. This gives the Emperor or government a more devious and political nature after being cast down from a divine plain to the emotional waters of Yetzirah. We can take note of this by observing in detail the historical movements of fascism, and communism that occurred early in the 20th Century, as well as American democracy where election victories seem awarded to the best liar and thief who appears to win. Since these paths are changed, government must now secure its power by winning hearts and minds for control of the people because sovereignty is no longer seen as a creation, and extension of G-d. Now in this much more democratic world the path of government power begins in the emotional plain of Yesod, and rises to the sphere of desires in Netzech, which means Victory, (see illustration below.) This illustrates the new nature of the Emperor to exert will and gain desires by his fiery ambition. In this day and age politicians must seize their kingdoms with violence, and deception as opposed to just inheriting thrones, which marked the passage of power in the last age.

This new placement of the Emperor to the plain of Yetzirah also now exalts the path of "He`" to the plains of Briah and Atziluth to link wisdom (Chokmah) with the balanced sphere Tephiroth (beauty). This path is the path of the Star, and has been changed after the Master Therion was told by a preternatural intelligence named Awaiz that "Tzaddi is not the Star." This is because now the card of the Star, which represents help from superiors and friends, demonstrates this change of position since we now live in an age where the power of the people is able to exceed the power of government. We live in an age of booming populations that grossly outnumber the tyrants in the world, and these booming populations will have their way.

We see examples of these newly empowered populations around the world in recent events such as the Berlin wall coming down, and Tienaman Square revolts in China, which were instrumental in turning a communist country into capitalism by popular demand. We are living in an age where the simple growth of the population everywhere is fueling a democratic power in the masses who demand a comfortable middle class lifestyle. This gives government however, a deceptive nature of political correctness using all the emotional waters of the plain of Yetzirah to maintain control over the masses who are the new inheritors of sovereignty in this new age of democracy. This demonstrates the prophetic reasoning behind the switching of two letters in the tarot, and hopefully sheds some light on why such a change makes sense.

The Master Therion was also told by the preternatural intelligence Awaiz that "you are a star." In other words "Tzaddi is not the Star" because "you are." This is the ramification of the Emperor/Star switch of the last century. This change is verified in nature by the shift of the actual zodiac causing the equinox of spring to still be in Aries even though the sun has been in the actual constellation of Pisces for over two thousand years. This spring equinox will in the next three to four centuries be marked in the sky by the constellation of Aquarius, which is the sign for the path of the Star. Basically the Spring Equinox has been slowly shifting through the sign of Pisces in the sky toward the sign of Aquarius for approximately 2000 years. This progression takes about 2,400 years, and was traversing the sign of Aries at the beginning of recorded history. Recent calculations of this event put the real dawning of the Age of Aquarius around the year 2450.

This brings up the legitimate question regarding what sign we actually belong to since the Zodiac itself has been shifting throughout the ages. There is a form of astrology called Sidereal astrology that compensates for this change while Tropical astrology still defines the signs in relation to the solar months that coincide better with the seasons. Is Sidereal astrology more accurate than Tropical astrology? It is the position of this book that it is not, and that the zodiac is actually an arbitrary marker in the sky that was used to keep track of the phenomenon observed by astrology, which actually probably has its source closer to the Earth. Perhaps astrological personalities are imprinted into newly born people by subtle forces behind the shifting change of the seasons that are more consistent with the solar months. Maybe, way back when, in the age of Summeria or Atlantis the professions of people were given jobs and careers based not on class or the father's profession, but according to when a person was born. In such a situation warriors would be drawn from children born at the beginning of Spring etc. After several generations of this, people would eventually become conditioned through natural selection, and perhaps this early form of evolution still casts a shadow in the natal horoscopes of newly born children today. This is pure speculation, and according to the Kabala, astrology is the mark of the divine on our personalities.

There is no need to speculate as to why people born at a certain time of the year display similar characteristics. To endorse astrology as this book does is to assert that birth does determine basic characteristics of a person. This was something people noticed thousands of years ago, which still seems to be happening today. Natural selection could have instilled this within us during those ancient times lasting thousands of years when there was really nothing on television and the sky displayed the greatest show on earth. Back then only G-d had the TV's remote and the power to change the channel. Sidereal astrology would basically shift all our signs up one sign, however objective inquiry appears to verify the Tropical approach since we find that most Aries are temperamental fire signs with no resemblance to the more practical laid back Taurus sign. You seldom meet a worrisome Virgo character who demonstrates a Libra's fair mindedness. It's hard to find a fair-minded Libra with a Scorpio's morbid streak. On the other hand we do see this occurring when people are born on the cusp of a sign and exhibit characteristics of both signs, but this does not vindicate Sidereal astrology. This sheds a new light on the Shakespeare quote that, "the fault lies not in our stars, but in our selves."

The Master Therion announced the change of ages, but not according to astrological reasoning. He was defining the age according to Egyptian wisdom, which marks ages of Isis, Osirus, and Horus in 2000-year increments instead of the 2400-year astrological ages. He was marking the end of the Osirus age and the beginning of the age of Horus. This 400 or so year difference seems to be approximately the length of a Dark Age. Dark Ages are notorious for preceding these changes of the age. There is a quote from the Master Therion in "The Book of Thoth" regarding a possible Dark Age to precede the actual Aquarius age in our current day of technology and science, which is likely to be "a very bright dark age." When the Age of Aquarius actually does occur we will officially be out of the age of Pieces and into the much-fabled Age of Aquarius around the year 2450. This age is foretold to be a boon for understanding and brotherly cooperation that is well worth anticipating. This is why the path of Aquarius can now be switched with the path of Aries in the modern Tarot, announcing new ideas of authority and government. So the Emperor is the sulfur energy of the male principle that energizes life in procreation and calls life from the ground in spring with the song of the Sun's light. This Arcanum represents sudden, and violent, but impermanent power swiftly creating an established base of power from which to govern, just like the seven hills that were the base of power where the Emperor of Rome sat.

Meanings of the Emperor card would be authority and government, and may indicate an authority figure like a boss or head of an organization. The card indicates the energies of Aries, which initiate Spring. This card indicates rule through uncompromising law and order. The card can mean war, victory, strife, stability, power, and ambition. The card can also indicate too much pride, megalomania, and ill temper with reverse dignity.

5 The Hierophant

Some old tarot decks call the fifth Arcanum "the Pope," and the idea is of an old man with experience in the clergy. The Naked Tarot painting is called, "The Hierophant." which was the name given to the head priest of the Eleusinian Mystery religions in ancient Greece. These religions were the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis. The main myth revolving around this religion was that of Persephone, who was a daughter of Zeus, being kidnapped by the god of the underworld Hades. The Hierophants offered initiation into the mysteries of this religion that was mainly a festival of planting and harvesting around the myth of Persephone. According to the myth, Persephone after her rescue still had to spend 4 months out of the year in Hades with her husband from hell. This is a profound analogy of winter, and this religion pioneered doctrines of redemption and the after life with initiations that were intended to open one's mind to the divine. This religion met its demise in the 4th Century after the Roman emperor Theodosius closed the sanctuaries by decree in 392 AD to make way for a more favored Christian state religion. Like priests and clergymen this card represents moral traditions, and the Hierophant represents the interpreter of the sacred.

The sign of this path is Taurus,   which represents the conservative, steadfast, and traditional character of this path. Taurus is the bull of the Zodiac that can also represent a stubborn and rigid mindset, uncompromising when it comes to traditional wisdom. This path represents the wisdom of Chokmah influencing memory in Chesed like an insistent conscience. The Hebrew letter for this path is Vau,   which means 'nail', and is the third letter of Tetragramaton attributed to the element air, the son of Tetragramaton who also echoes from the cross in the nail theme of Christianity. This path represents the wisdom that results from the accumulation of knowledge through the influence by Chesed or memory. This also implies that we are pondering a path of both reading and writing, which directly affect the sphere of Chesed when practiced. This path had an additional dimension for Hebrew scribes who wrote sacred texts because the language also happened to be the number system. This is where the occult disciplines of Numerology and Gematria originated since the rational naturally sees a connection between one Hebrew word equal to something like the number 26 with other words also equal to 26 such as Tetragramaton, (Yod=10 + He = 5 + Vau = 6 + He = 5 = 26.) This probably happened naturally, if not automatically for writers of ancient Hebrew. It is said that the Old Testament is laced with numeric poetry in the original Hebrew. Recent studies of this by academic scholars have concluded that there really is nothing to this. Actually it is hard to imagine however, that ancient Hebrews with hundreds of years to edit texts didn't perfect the numerological dimension of the sacred texts. There was plenty of time for ancient scholars to change this word and that word for more numerological and appropriate synonyms. We are stepping on a matter of faith here, and students of the Kabala might want to disregard the academic scholarly skeptics and perform your own experiments with this numerological mystery. Most of the results by practitioners of Gematria appear like exercises in the mind's own ability to draw connections between things where no connection tangibly exists. The human mind is a glutton for this sort of activity. Where we might dabble and look up letter values in order to add up Hebrew words, the original writers of that language were probably able to write them and add them simultaneously with ease. Nevertheless this is considered the actual proof that the very hand of G-d wrote the Holy Bible while the writers were merely receptive vessels of that hand.

Returning to the painting, we see a steady portal to the ineffable reality of G-d that is surrounded by the impression of chaos. Imagery surrounds the pillared archway to almost overwhelm the foundation where the Hierophant stands. This imagery represents the general mood toward religion in this modern era, but also is a new direction of religion for the new aeon currently upon us. At the beginning of the last age of Osirus the dying god, there was a movement of literature across Asia Minor called Gnosticism. This movement during the time of Christianity's birth was a consequence of an improved literacy rate during the Roman Empire where even common fishermen were able to take up the pen and write books for the emerging New Testament. The Gnostics were free thinkers, especially considering how religious they were. They celebrated the newly acquired power of reading and writing by starting whole new religions and offshoots of other religions. It appears that most Gnostics were encouraged as converts to find their own inner truth and write it down as a scripture. This drove a nail into the dogmas of Hierophant-types of traditional orthodox religions that were homogenizing Christianity into a shared dogma, which Rome could find appealing. This new Christianity canonized the New Testament in Rome while the Gnostics considered them to be servants of a lesser version of G-d who they called "the demi-urge." It was early in the beginning of the last age when Gnosticism and all its writings were violently hunted down and blotted off the face of the Earth with only the victorious Christian writers of history to offer us any understanding of the lost Gnostics. It's as if freethinking has been fighting for freedom ever since.

This refers us to another function of religion in history, which is the gathering of nations. It seems that history has an inexhaustible supply of examples of people gathering around the like-mind of religion to form a nation state. The Protestant revolution of the Middle Ages appears to have a hidden agenda of just that, resulting in a different religion conveniently associated with each state in Europe. The Old Testament itself chronicles the gathering and creation of the state of Israel's original incarnation. In regard to nation building, the Gnostic religion seems like a different kind of creature since like-mindedness defies freethinking. The philosophies of Gnostics were able to interpret various religions and adapt to them in ways that were non-intimidating toward people with different beliefs. Yet this was still found to be heresy by Christians who are still obsessed to this day with only one truth, and only one interpretation of that truth. This epitomizes the stubbornness inherent with the Hierophant when the card's dignity is compromised. The Muslim religion seems to have more fluidly emerged from the Middle East Gnosticism to at least command tolerance for other neighbor religions.

Recently libraries of early Gnostic literature have been retrieved by modern archaeology. This appears in commemoration of a new age dawning all around us, which is fueled by the fires of literacy. Shelves are filling with books in this day and age on all imaginable subjects, and yes, even to start new religions. This is a new movement of freethinking that the religions of today can only offer a scowl of opposition to. This present age where Gnosticism is being rediscovered is a literate age where warehouses of literature exist to expand the boundaries of freethinking, and ultimately expanding the limitations of the church, along with expanding knowledge of the universe itself. Mankind has now evolved into this age of Gnosticism's revenge, and is currently more literate then ever before, and consequently less effected by the magickal languages of sacred books.

Today the universe is now at the mercy of mankind's imagination. Yet within all this chaos, the shrine of the Hierophant remains with the Hierophant himself materializing into view. This gateway is the gateway to the ineffable nature of G-d, which the Hierophant guards, holding up his hand to keep out all who would enter this gate and gaze upon the ineffable without first reading his book. The Hierophant's book explains the ineffable in a way proper to religious tradition. It should be noted that to "explain" the ineffable renders the ineffable as no longer ineffable since that which is unexplainable by nature becomes explained. Thus the elusive nature of the ineffable presents itself through religion yet the mystery remains insoluble. This gateway however, is made up of the faces of the cherubim who are the fixed zones of the zodiac (    ), as well as the guardians of the throne of G-d, and consequently every shrine built by holy men. EZEKIEL 1:5 "... and from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures...." EZEKIEL 1:10 "... As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front, the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle on the back." There are other references to these four Cherubim that surround the thrown of G-d, and the occult interpretation of this imagery is that they are the four fixed signs of the zodiac.

Although the Orthodox Church rejects astrology outright as heresy, there is a strong argument for astrological imagery in the Bible. This goes all the way back to the ancient Sumerian religion where the patriarch Abraham grew up. The ancient world in general became intimately acquainted with this zodiac through the ages before the modern world turned night into day, and made mechanical boxes of light much more interesting to watch. These original 12 gods of Sumeria stake a claim today in the 12 months of the year all the way down to 12 numbers on the clock. The discipline of astrology still exists today and many, (this author included,) are convinced that the twelve basic astrology types accurately ring true in people met throughout life as well as themselves. The idea that behavioral instructions are imprinted at birth has been demonstrated and documented with other animals, so it isn't too far fetched to suggest that there is something like that going on with humans at birth. Astrology had its origins back when the changes of the year were more dramatic and dreaded. Along with this, archaeology has uncovered proof of a unanimous obsession that ancient man had for calendars and the marking of the year. This could have had a profound effect on our imprinting, as well as the calibrating of our inner clocks. Astrology is a method of divination, however it uses exact formulas based on planetary positions that are taken from Ephemeris data, which draw precise conclusions particularly when it comes to drawing up a natal horoscope. This is a precise discipline that can even be programmed into a computer to produce analytical data that could be scientifically examined. Many people have done this experiment personally for themselves, and concluded that astrology rings true. It would be interesting to see science attempt a similar objective scientific study. Modern science is obstinately against the whole idea, and probably will not rise to this book's challenge any time soon. Science finds the premise that planets and stars have any affect on behavior to be ridiculous, but as suggested in the last chapter, the stars were probably just used early on to mark changes that had sources much closer to the home planet.

The Hierophant blocks this gate to the mysteries, which he then explains with the truth that is written in the book at his feet. With one hand he guards while the other hand holds the wand of his power. At the bottom of the wand is the sign of Taurus, which is the sign attributed to this card, and thus the influence of this Arcanum. This implies the power of manifestation since Earth is fixed in Taurus, and in its best position for manifestation as the flowers of spring replace the winter's barrenness. In a similar way the Hierophant manifests the mysteries. At the top of this wand is a symbol involving three circles interacting, which represents the powers of the three known historic aeons of Isis, Osirus, and Horus. We are currently in a transition from the Christian age of Osirus to the new age of the crowned and conquering child Horus. The Hierophant as the institution of religion is empowered to be the guardian of these 2000-year intervals of history. Religion was extremely instrumental in the writing, and collecting of historic data that the last age presented to the posterity of this present age. Hopefully we won't arrive at a time in the near future when all this freethinking literature currently around us is again divided between what can be canonized and what is anathema. These three circles are also the trinity, which the Hierophant meditates on, and are also the three modes of interpreting the universe as being, thought, or bliss. These 3 modes and the concept of trinity are repeated in the 3 triads of the Tree of Life corresponding to each of the 3 higher worlds. The Hierophant however is not just at this gateway to restrict seekers of truth. The Hierophant functions as the priest who unites the microcosm with the macrocosm in the Great Work, as well as manifesting the mysteries. His phallic Pope-like headdress implies this union of micro with macro where there is a symbol of a rose and a cross, represented in union of the spiritual with the physical.

Kabalistically, the microcosm meets and interacts with the macrocosm in Tiphiroth on the Tree of Life. Tiphiroth is the perfection of equilibrium in the natural man, which opens man up to the direct intervention of the macrocosm. That particular sphere of the Tree of Life is the center of eight paths that all connect at the sphere Tiphiroth. This explains the halo around the head of the Hierophant, which is the alchemical symbol for Spirit that appears as a wheel of eight spokes like the wheel of Buddhist philosophy as well as Tiphiroth in the western tradition, connecting eight paths like spokes of a wheel. None of these eight paths, I should add, is the path of the Hierophant who deviates from the direct experience of the divine in Tiphiroth to the pillar of Mercy where this is belief instead of experience. The path of the Hierophant is the path connecting Chokmah with Chesed or wisdom with mercy. He keeps the faith of the words in his book, regardless of any direct experience that is contradictory to what those words say. Naturalistically Chesed corresponds to memory and is central on the introspective Pillar of Mercy, as opposed to the opposite Pillar of Severity representing extroverted objective experiences. Chokmah's influence on this center of man known as memory in Chesed takes the form of the Zodiac acting upon the minds of humanity. This again shows the Hierophant's function of revealing the mysteries, thus manifesting the ineffable glory of the beyond into this world.

The entire world of the Hierophant is seen only through the eyes of spirit, and consequently he listens only to G-d. This is why the serpents of wisdom speak to the Hierophant, and he only hears their voice even if the result is madness itself. Thus it can not be expected that spiritual leaders such as the Pope, who is a type of this Arcanum, will be sympathetic to tendencies in mankind considered by the religious to be unnatural or unholy. For instance the voice of G-d says, "procreate," and therefore hindering this process, as in the situation of abortion, is considered unnatural or unholy. The Hierophant however, only exists as an obstacle on the path to understanding the mysteries. A popular Buddhist proverb states, "If you see the Buddha on the road kill him." The gist is to see beyond any teacher of wisdom, and try to see the wisdom they teach. So maybe for the sake of attaining wisdom, it's easier to just read the book at his feet, and be illuminated by it in order to see the light of the ineffable behind the Hierophant. Then maybe you can see beyond his book, and capture your own truth from the light of the gateway you now have passed through. Then you will be able to return from the throne room of G-d and contribute your own truth to the chaos surrounding its gateway.

This card means divine wisdom and inspiration. It can also mean stubborn strength, endurance, and toil that are characteristic of a Taurus personality. This card indicates teaching and help from those in authority. The card can mean goodness of heart, peace, or organization. The Hierophant card indicates voluntarily invoked forces of the occult.

6 – Lovers

There is very little dispute over the meaning of the sixth Arcanum titled "Lovers" in the Naked Tarot deck. Pretty much everyone can relate to being in love, and are nailing it right on the head when they read that meaning into the drawing of this card. When it comes to the nuances of this card's deeper meaning and history however, there is much more to say. These essays of the Naked Tarot paintings do not guarantee a concise divination meaning although it is intended that the meaning be implied from a synthesis of the entire essay. Quick divinatory meanings will be provided at the end of these chapters. Personal divination is encouraged however, the use of tarot divination for the sake of fortune telling for another can get dangerously close to a line best not crossed by the adept of High Magick. This concerns the doctrine of Thelema that was established by the Master Therion, which is briefly described as: "Love is the law. Love under will." According to this doctrine, "every man and every woman is a star." Each of us lives here on Earth as a star on an individual course directed by their will. The idea of love under will is that no two wills are to deliberately crash into each other. Of course mutual orbits of respect are acceptable, but the idea of interfering with another's will violates this law. Devotes of the Law of Thelema adhere to this even to the point of avoiding intervention into another's self-destructive behavior since that is blatantly interfering with another's will. Intervention to save another from themselves might be love, but arguably it is not Thelemic love. The distinction we are making here concerning fortune telling is the difference between white and black magick. White magick is done personally for the sake of self-discovery to lead ultimately to a higher love affair with true will. Black magick is toward much more selfish aims, which are almost always involving the interference with another's will. Black magick is a manipulative use of nature's forces that can lead to unwanted results such as the phenomenon of rebounding when the force you attack another with ends up returning to you because the karmic balance of nature was recklessly tipped. The most popular form of black magick may be the classic love potion, and many regard this card as the love potion of the deck. This is said as a warning, and not to be taken as forbidding the use of the Naked Tarot for fortune telling. For the sake of white magick some proficiency should be encouraged. As for getting intimately involved in telling someone else the path of their own future is concerned that borders dangerously close to mind control, which may be the secret agenda of every religion, but frankly it's rude. Many a charlatan is out there to play this black magick tarot game with you. Fortunately for the innocent prey the fortuneteller is mostly just concerned with acquiring your money.

This card is a most affective love potion, and usually indicates physical attraction. This is the path of being in love with its entire euphoric splendor. Being in love is probably the most exhilarating state of mind with a physical component either equally exhilarated, or else in an excruciating state of love sick misery. This path indicates a temptation of the heart leading to a decision to unite with another. This can also indicate maturity into adulthood. The traditional card depicts the story of Adam and Eve. Adam is the one who names things, and is standing next to the Tree of Life on the traditional card. He is the human intellect looking at Eve who is standing next to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil where there is also the serpent of the Genesis tale. She represents the unconsciousness through which the intellect (Adam) must become intimate with before finding true will, which is represented on the traditional card by the angel Raphael, archangel of Air who the character of Eve on the card is looking at. This traditional image also has a magickal title of "The Creation of the World," and represents the institution of marriage. Other cards also include images of Lilith the seductress "other woman" of alternate Adam and Eve legends, which again lends itself to the easy interpretation of the card as physical attraction. Other decks also include the baby god Cupid with this Arcanum, also known as Eros to the Greeks. Contrary to conflicting myths, Cupid is probably the child of Aphrodite and Hermes (also known as Mercury,) based on just a generally shared winged feet appearance as well as similar temperaments and humor. Cupid's arrow represents direction and will, and can allude to the interpretation of the card as a serious decision about to be made such as the decision to love another. This path is also the spiritual inner marriage between the intellect (Ruach,) and the higher will of our inner female known as Nechemah. The Naked Tarot image shows a uniting of opposites in synthesis, which in the secular world out there takes the form of traditional marriage. In our enlightened age the institution of marriage has become more loosely defined, but that is probably neither good nor bad. Ultimately the intention of which marriage was a crude attempt at is attainment through the reconciling of opposites, and the negation of the extremes, when the Princess of the Kingdom of Malkuth is united to the higher understanding to become the Queen of Binah. This is a personal inner divine marriage in terms of initiation that one must work out till death do you (part?), as an ongoing relationship between understanding (Binah) and the seat of imagination in Tiphiroth.

So this is the path of spiritual and external marriage, and this path is also regarded as the path of external religion, or truth revealed through ritual. This path reveals the truth that is shown by religion after the church has first obsessively shrouded that truth in obscure imagery and mysterious parables. Religion is the gathering of masses into like-mindedness collectively seeking with intense sincerity a loving union with the divine. This collective group work lends itself to ritual for the sake of a richer religious experience sure to be the benefit of a prayer that incorporates one's whole physical being in unison with the herd. Ancient Greeks took the drama of religious ritual to the point of creating some of the first theaters and plays; many of which are powerful magick rituals that were revered by the people with solemnity. Greek plays often depicted allegories of seasons and life as a relationship between the world at large and spirit in the form of the ongoing drama of the gods. Getting the mind to think in terms of allegorical archetypes is an underlying policy of the tarot. We are attempting here to cause the mind to think in terms of these archetypal pictures. Thinking in pictures is basic to all mental activity, and these paintings are like blooms of images sprouting from the Tree of Life like leaves or flowers. The Tree of Life is the ultimate glyph that sprouts in the unconscious like a seed into the complex system of mysticism called the Kabala. These arcana represent paths of experience where the relationships between parts of our soul overshadow the experience before us. In this case the inner unconscious understanding of Binah shines upon our intellect in Tiphiroth. We orient ourselves to different arcana paths at different times in our lives, and thinking in terms of these archetypes is fundamental to acquiring the mind of a magick master. The establishment of western religion in this age has inherited from the previous age the story of Adam and Eve as an archetype for the human condition. According to the legend, Eve and her children were required to shed blood in the covenant made with G-d after the fall of mankind into this created world.

This "Creation of the World", and the establishment of the covenant for procreation is the subject of the Naked Tarot card called "Lovers," which drops the traditional "the" from the title for a less exclusive connotation. The underlying narrative of this painting is the story of Tetragramaton with our Naked Tarot characters. This formula of procreation is based on the Hebrew name for G-d translated as Jehovah and spelt in Hebrew from right to left as  . These four letters each represent an element of the physical universe. They are: Yod   = fire, He   1st = water, Vau   = air, and He   final = earth. This returns the theme to the secret title "Creation of the World," which is the meaning of the formula of Tetragramaton. This painting is a less formal depiction of the sacred union where the King of fire and the Prince of air appear active and violent in the nature of the male elements they represent. Likewise, the female elements of the Queen of water and the Princess of earth are passive and receptive in the face of the more aggressive men. They appear on the card juxtaposed to each other in the four corners with a counter clockwise order when regarded as the order of creation, fire-water-air-and earth. This depicts the drama of the story we are sure to return to again in these essays of the Prince born of the King and Queen taking off on his quest for destiny in the form of the Princess of Malkuth who he must unite with to fulfill Tetragramaton. This King, Queen, Prince relationship has directly cast its shadow into today's world in the form of the King, Queen, and Jacks of modern card decks that are employed by vast casinos where people search for that elusive bride of good fortune to unite with. Most versions of this card depict a formal marriage ceremony that is missing from this card titled just "Lovers." A relationship interpreted with this card may or may not result in a formal marriage that then faces a greater than 50% divorce rate even if it does "tie the knot."

Another title for this card, which refers to the more spiritual love affair of this path is "Sex with G-d." This is a more naked version of something external religion would immediately want to disguise under a politically correct allegory such as the birds and the bees, if you know what I mean. The Golden Dawn tradition depicts this card as a woman chained to a rock in the process of being rescued from a terrible monster. This is the myth of Perseus freeing Andromeda, which represents the liberating effect of illumination when the understanding of Binah shines down upon the illuminated self in Tiphiroth. This is also described in the legend of Tetragramaton as the Princess being freed through the conception with the Prince because it promotes her to the title of Queen, and the creation of the world continues. That is the doctrine communicated through the legend of Tetragramaton. This repeated King, Queen, Prince, Princess theme profoundly underlies the entire tarot deck, and the court cards just go without saying here. The gist of the Adam and Eve symbolism is the law decreed in the Old Testament that the shedding of blood was required in order for G-d to bear the children of Eve. This meaning is profoundly discussed in Crowley's "Book of Thoth." The idea of external religion is demonstrated on the painting here with images of religious artifacts where the Princess holds the Holy Grail that has the sign of Gemini on it. This happens to be the path of Gemini , and the Grail is being pierced with the Lance of the Knight Perceval from the old King Arthur legend. Perceval used this lance to attain the Grail according to legend, if you know what I mean.

The church likes to clothe truth with legend, particularly when it comes to sex; to such an extreme that one might swear they don't even believe that sex exists. This Naked Tarot painting is intended to depict the covenant of sex and the law of procreation that has continued the perpetuation of the human race from age to age without a break in the original bloodline of shed blood. When it comes to the covenant of the shedding of blood, G-d could have very well meant just the menstrual blood involved with childbirth, but do we really want to take that chance? We are looking here at an alchemical card intended to illustrate the beginning of the Great Work when the organized Prince of Tiphiroth is now maintaining a marriage with his bride of unconsciousness. This card is symbolizing procreation conceived in the phallic fire of the Prince with vaginal waters from the Princess, which both merge together in the center of the card. This joining of opposites produces two arms on the card reaching out to the sides of Severity and Mercy. The hand reaching toward the pillar of Severity is the hand of Cain holding the Hammer of Thor with which he slew his brother Abel. The other hand reaching out is Abel's pierced with the arrow of will to illustrate the pillar of Mercy as well as a secret meaning that involves a related path of Sagittarius (the XIVth Trump,) which represents a formula for the fulfillment of will. It is said the sixth and fourteenth arcana of Gemini and Sagittarius can not be fully understood separately, and are treated in this deck as twin cards. These two cards are the Summer and Winter Solstice cards, and Sagittarius (Temperance) represents the preparation for the marriage. The inner marriage resulting from the path of Sagittarius is the subject of this path of Gemini. Since these two cards are twins the Hebrew letter of Temperance, Samekh, is on the vaginal waters with the sign of Sagittarius on the phallic flame. Samekh and Sagittarius combine at the inner subjective center while the signs of this path, Gemini  and Zain   combine on the outer objective edge. Cain and Abel were evidently the subject of the more ancient version of this card that was changed into the current traditional version by Alchemists at the beginning of the Age of Osirus. According to the Master Therion the version during the ancient Age of Isis is from a more ancient Adam and Eve legend that was inherited by the Hebrew scribes of the Old Testament. Crowley even considered making the title of this card "The Brothers," which was the older title. In the older myth, Cain is the child of Eve and the Serpent. Abel is a hunter and slays animals, which appeases the G-d of shedding blood. Cain acquires this appeasement by blood shed when he slays his brother Abel with the Hammer of Thor, or in other words through divine justification by religion. Cain is probably the Summer Solstice and Abel the Winter Solstice. Cain in older myths may also have represented the advent of agriculture, which superceded the hunter gatherer state at the beginning of the Age of Aries. Agriculture flourished on the summer side of the year, but the animals of the Abel herds were probably better for fresh nourishment during the cold Winter Solstice. The secret title of "The Brothers" card is "Children of the Voice, The Oracle of the Mighty Gods."

The interpretation of the merging of opposites produces the pillars of the world in the form of the two arms in this painting. This is also represented by the serpent Ananta proceeding from the mouth of fire to chase its tail into the eye of water, which represents the perpetuation of this formula for creation into the foreseeable future with cycles from start to finish. This serpent reaches back to the farthest reaches of recorded legend and remains a powerful symbol of the unconsciousness. With the serpent we link to a mythic reality that science is unable to fully explain, or explain away. The ancient Sumerian serpent of subterranean waters was called Zu or Ningizzida. Later we see the serpent Tiamat in Sumerian creation legends, and later even Leviathan rises from the waters of the Bible's Old Testament prose. This serpent of old swam in a cosmic ocean. In the Gilgamesh myth where he seeks immortality, Gilgamesh is instructed to swim the ocean to a great depth. The potion of immortality is then acquired from a plant however, as Gilgamesh swims to the surface with the plant a serpent takes it from him and is regarded as immortal from then on with the power to shed away the skin of old age. Gilgamesh, robbed of the prize of his quest, must then reconcile himself with the fact that he has to die. Where this serpent appears on the card we see the King and Queen of fire and water as just heads facing each other because they are the supernal male and female beyond this material plain. This is where the serpent head chases its tale to symbolize the perpetuation of this formula through the ages. This serpent path continues to the more material levels of existence symbolized by the Grail and lance of the Prince and Princess on the card who possess naked material bodies. The serpent Ananta continues on this level in the form of a serpent tattoo coiling up the arm of the Princess of Malkuth who holds the Grail with the sign of this path on it, which is Gemini. Gemini is the talkative social sign whose members are generally well read, fun loving air sign personalities. Gemini is the sign of the twins, which also implies the Brothers mentioned previously, as well as the point of this being a twin card with the fourteenth Arcanum. This secret relationship is also reflected in the fact that this is the first Arcanum traditionally represented with multiple figures, which is also an appropriate reference to the sign of the twins Gemini. The Summer Solstice of which this card is the path, has been depicted in civilizations for millennia as the time of festival, and celebration. This all too often leads ultimately to the celebration of two opposites desiring union with one another, which is sex. This is in contrast to the much more contemplative and introspective time of the Winter Solstice at the year's other colder extreme. This emphasizes one interpretation of the card as the simple joy of being in love with advice to just relax and follow your heart. With bad dignity there can be regret, and we should always be careful to not be carried away too easily by romantic notions. This path as our understanding working through the Summer Solstice upon the microcosm could be interpreted to mean that even the most dedicated seeker of truth on the path of Sagittarius should take some time out on the path of Gemini to just have fun and enjoy life.

The lance of the male phallus is filling this Grail of the female womb. This lance has the Hebrew letter Zain inscribed on it because this is the path of Zain   which means "sword." This implies the air suite of swords in the deck as well as Gemini ruled by Mercury and known as the sign of mutable air. Zain is equal to seven, the number for the spherical influence of Netzech that corresponds to Venus, which equals Love. Swords represent division and analysis, which is now getting down to the secret alchemical meaning mentioned previously. Symbols on the card are juxtaposed to each other to show that analysis is a juggling of contradictory ideas to arrive at the proper synthesis. The fire/air male characters are active with open mouths, juxtaposed with water/earth women having calm and reflective faces. Male and female symbols are scattered throughout the background that is made up of air with elemental effects. A Moon is in the corner of earth for the Moon represents earth of air. The Princess of Earth, or Malkuth is tattooed to represent material manifestation where ideas take the form of two-dimensional lines. This is a far cry from the King of fire and Queen of water who are only heads symbolized on the plain of ideal. Their mark is made upon the unconscious world of their children. Male and female parental archetypes are solidly embedded in our psychology from our earliest infant development as mammals. Human mammals desperately require this parental love to enamor us for years longer than any other animal in order for healthy and stable development towards maturity. Marriage is a form of this process of analysis and synthesis, which takes the form of childbirth through the generations with assurances of no certain future outcome or result. Our mingling of male and female has the potential of infinite possibilities in the future. The gist of this conception process is that for the individual on the intellectual world of Briah, it occurs instantaneously the second an idea is born. With every idea created in the mind, an equally opposite idea is simultaneously created to balance the duality of our existence while using the mind's ability of defining what something is in terms of what it isn't. The arms of Cain and Abel are simultaneously extended to the extremes the instant the phallic fire meets the vaginal water. The cascading effects of the ensuing cellular division that created all of us were predetermined the moment conception combined the opposing male and female chromosomes. Air and earth are also conflicting opposite elements confronting each other and synthesizing on the card where the lance stabs the Grail. This has to do with analysis and synthesis as a scientific process consisting of going from the question of what are things composed of to the question, "how can we use this knowledge to our advantage?" The ancient alchemists who have concealed their true methods from the world, because the profane would have persecuted them, have championed the method of science. Like children playing with chemistry sets before growing up to become scientists, it appears that humanity played with the mysteries of Alchemy in the infancy that grew up to be modern science. Many ancient alchemical practices of chemically synthesizing pure elements from dross matter are even useful to this day.

In the center where fire and water meet we see the future of nuclear power and the past of ancient legends simultaneously overlapping each other. The extremes are taking the form of the blazing Sun on the side of Severity, and the reflected colors of the rainbow of divided light on the side of Mercy. Thus G-d is represented by the very materially manifested atomic blast from which the hands of Cain and Abel extend. Besides being a profound symbol of the Old Testament consuming fire of G-d the Almighty, the nuclear blast also represents the "great and terrible" future potential of the original charge to go forth, be fruitful, and multiply. Our adherence to that charge, and our assurance of a continued covenant of procreation into the future relies on our collective mutual ability to avoid absolute nuclear destruction in this modern age. This is the new "Creation of the World" theme for this card. Along with the depiction of a naked Princess is an equal and opposite naked Prince with erect penis on this card of juxtaposed opposites. No apology should be necessary for this in a deck called "The Naked Tarot." Its unfortunate that the naked male figure has fallen into such ill regard in this day and age where no public statues left over from the Roman empire have survived anymore without the vandalized destruction of the penis area. There was once a time when images of the erect penis were more properly worshipped by public masses. The deck can parade all kinds of naked females with no offense from viewers, but put an erect penis on a figure in art today and you battle with the pornography censurers. Speaking of the depiction of sex in this new age there seems to be an increasing association between sex and violence with no thanks to our televisions. Violence and murder in the media get a green light from the same censurers who vandalize the dignity of the penis. The sex/violence association could just be a symptom of another problem with a society that has been dumbing down our vocabularies to the point that we are unable to make the more accurate association of sex as passionate. At least the most intimate and loving sex is passionate as opposed to the more aggressive whips and chains approach. The atomic explosion represents the outer manifestation of the nature of G-d in the most outward, and least subtle form imaginable. Divinatory meanings also include attraction, beauty, and struggle with sacred and profane love. It could mean openness to inspiration. Inner and outer harmony in life, intuition, attraction, love, childishness. The power of choice has its responsibilities. Ill dignified it could mean instability, parental interference, indecision, or a marriage in danger of breakup.

Divinatory meanings for the Lovers card can be external religion. The card means openness to inspiration. Intuition, childishness, beauty, attraction, and love. Ill-dignified the card can mean self-contradiction, superficiality, or a shallow union with others.

7 The Chariot

The key to understanding the card called "The Chariot" is to understand its reference to the body. Most cards appear to feature the Charioteer figure as more prominent than the chariot itself, which tends to appear built around the central figure driving as if the vehicle was an afterthought. That is probably because the body is really the main subject of this path, or at least the Naked Tarot version embraces this style by depicting a human figure standing on the sign of Cancer with a chariot built around him. This path has to do with viewing the body like a separate mechanism that drives on while we ride it like a passenger. This aspect of the path really refers to the health of the body that drives on while our consciousness remains oblivious as it sits looking out the windows of perception to be distracted by the world passing by. Good health is assured by proper diet and exercise, which also will orient one with the experience of this path. If our body is the chariot then our legs are wheels, and walking is one of the best ways to enjoy the path of The Chariot. Walking is a function of the body, never the less there is an abundance of brain activity involved with walking as motor function commands are issued through the nervous system, as well as the brain functions required for balance and orientation. There are also navigation functions at work in the brain involving the eyes, ears, as well as the rest of the body. With all that brain activity driving the chariot, the consciousness still seems to be just sitting back to enjoy the ride. Forcing the brain into so much activity through the simple exercise of going for a walk appears to also contribute to the inspiration of new thoughts and ideas, or even solutions to old problems. At least many creative people can be found to vouch for such a theory. The walking exercise can also be used for meditation with the simple introduction of rhythmic breathing, which is known as Pranayama. This breath can be coordinated with inhalations and exhalations that have periods of rest in between. A typical meditation would use a four count breath, counting footsteps four times as you inhale, then hold the breath four steps, and exhale for four steps followed by another four step period of rest, then repeat the Pranayama all the way home. This trains rhythmic breathing into the lungs, strengthens concentration, while the whole body benefits from the rhythm along with better lung capacity. The rest periods allow time for metabolic exchanges on the cellular level to occur. Taking up a class in Yoga can pursue this further. Yoga becomes a way of appreciating the activity of breath, or prana in the body while posturing in one of many stress positions, which could be viewed as torture if not for the fact that people are willingly paying money to endure Yoga classes in America with increasing popularity.

This path is attributed to the Hebrew letter Cheth   , which means "a fence" and is meant to imply an inner area, or armor of solitude into which one may retreat. For this reason the outside of the card surrounds the sides like an all encompassing fence made up of the veins of the body, which spread the pumping blood into the body of the night sky. The sky on the painting is made up of the goddess Nuit who embodies the infinite expanse of the universe. This represents the journey of the soul through the blood flow between the mind and the body. The mind fills the sky in the form of the hair of the goddess, which fills the sky like the great sea of Binah (understanding). The path of the Chariot represents the waters of Binah in the universal supernal triad acting through the Abyss in the form of blood on the energy of man. This also induces inspiration, which is how this phenomenon would be interpreted on the other introspective side of the Tree of Life where the path of the Hierophant represents the fire of Chokmah (wisdom) acting through Taurus, fixed earth (experience), upon the memory (Chessed). That is however, another path, and another chapter. On the path of the Chariot the influence of the supernal triad through Binah (Understanding) effects the sphere of Geburah (will) along the objective pillar of Severity in the form of the body's heartbeat or timing device, as well as the rhythm of our breathing. This is why the body's natural response to a sudden injury such as a burn from the stove will often be a sudden deep inhalation of air. This act of understanding upon the will of the body can even be as subtle as the body creating extra veins around an area to maintain blood flow while you, ignorant of the problem, continue to clog the old vein with saturated fat. The tide of this breathing and blood flow of life is the very tide of the great sea of Binah from the perspective of Geburah. The sea of Binah in the painting symbolizes the infinite expanse of the cerebral cortex to chariot us through the expanding universe of perception. The body of Nuit in the painting becomes the sky, which also symbolizes the very infinite expanse of the universe through which we journey. The sky is the limit. As part of this expanse in the sky of the card a twelve-rayed aura of light surrounds the head of the Charioteer. This symbolizes the twelve signs of the zodiac that surround the known universe also like a fence.

The Moon is also surrounding the head because this path is the path of Cancer   where the Moon is dignified. The Moon is by far the fastest most influential body of light that travels the zodiac. The Moon is also directly associated with blood flow in the case of the monthly tides of females, and probably less obviously in males too. Cancer is also the sign of cardinal water, which follows the Summer Solstice when the days begin to shorten again, and the subtle waters of seasonal change can begin to gather to effect the changing year. This Chariot is being drawn from the sign of Cancer on the painting by the power of the four pillars of the universe that are represented from left to right in the order of Tetragramaton as astrological fixed sign animal images pulling the Chariot. These animals pulling the chariot are the four Cherubim surrounding G-d. The first animal is a lion representing fire and the fixed sign of Leo. Next an Eagle is the esoteric symbol for the fixed water of Scorpio, which takes the form of a scorpion in the world of the mundane. The Eagle represents the subtle form of water evaporating into air, which also happens to be the third element in the form of a man who represents the fixed air of Aquarius. The last of these divine animals is the ox of the element earth. These four basic elements of the universe can be combined into the sixteen sub-elements represented in the sixteen court cards of the tarot. These sixteen court cards take the form of 12 signs plus the four basic elements represented by the four Princesses of the court cards. These 16 sub-elements have direct correspondences to oracles such as geomancy, and the binary combinations for the Chinese I-Ching system, as well as the formula used by DNA codons. DNA codons are eight different types of molecules used for communication through 64 possible combinations between a cell's nucleus and the functions of the outer cell. This is where the energies of the body recreate cells by communication between a cell's nucleus and a cell's mitochondria DNA, thus perpetuating life itself.

The driving of just this aspect of the human body chariot is why the driver of this chariot is not you, but that higher inner self who's face nobody can look upon and live. This now brings us to the wheels of the Chariot on the painting, which are colored red to represent the revolving motion caused by Geburah, and the circulating blood of the body. The wheels are also made to imply the shape of a heart because that is the central theme of this interpretation of the path. The heart is the Chariot upon which we ride, while taking passengers through the food we eat, and what we breathe; carrying us tirelessly through the life experience. These wheels each have eight spokes like the Buddhist wheel of the law and also because the numerical value of Cheth is eight. These wheels of eight spokes combine again into the number 16 referred to earlier. The Charioteer stands upright in perfect balance upon a yellow lotus representing the chakra of Maludhara or earth chakra. The chakras are the elemental plains of our inner universe centered on levels of the spine through which we ride this heart chariot. So all five chakras are shown on the body of the charioteer in the painting. The charioteer holds a grail about the area of the water chakra around the abdomen. This grail represents the house of the Moon for the sign of Cancer (cardinal water,) and implies again the sea of Binah. This grail is also the essence of life where the food digested at the next higher chakra of fire (around the stomach,) is then converted to water through the intestines in the form of blood to nourish the body.

These chakras are shown from the point of view of a standing position. The base chakra of earth is in the form of a yellow lotus where the charioteer stands upon the sign of this path, which is Cancer.   These chakras on the card appear energized with their respective colors. The adept of magick energizes these bodily centers with the middle pillar ritual as described in "The Golden Dawn System of Magic." This ritual begins with the Kabalistic Cross, which goes with the right hand touching the head, then chest, then right shoulder, and then left shoulder just like the Catholics. When doing this say in Hebrew, "Ateh Malkuth, ve Geburah, ve Gedulla le Olaham. Amen." That just means, "I am the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever Amen." Then the adept stands straight while visualizing a brilliant light filling his head around Kether. Adepts use divine names to connect with the highest supernal aspects of each center. While visualizing Kether, the adept vibrates the name "EHEIEH." After Kether, the throat charkra is visualized with the white light from above descending to the sphere Daath while vibrating the name "YHVH ELOHIM." Next comes Tiphiroth with the name "YHVH ELOAH ve-DAATH." Remember to visualize the previous chakras remaining energized and a white shaft of light should be visualized descending along the middle of the body. That shaft of light should be visualized descending from Tiphiroth to Yesod, and then vibrate the divine name of Yesod "SHADDAI EL CHAI." Complete this with the shaft of white light reaching the feet where Malkuth is energized using the divine name "ADONAI ha-ARETZ." Then the light can be manipulated to visualize the outer spheres of the pillars up the right side of Severity and down the left side of Mercy. Conclude with the Kabalistic Cross again as before and that completes the Middle Pillar Ritual. This is a simple exercise for the aspiring adept that can be done daily, or even just weekly. Above all this on the painting the face of the charioteer disappears into the colors of the rainbow where the subtle waters of mind separate the inner white light of consciousness into colors. This is similar to the way the Moon reflects the Sun's light into the infinite expanse of our Lady of the Stars whose body is known as the goddess Nuit.

We've mentioned already that the pillar of Severity where we find the path of the Chariot is the objective side of reality, and the paths of this pillar involve the physical form, which is the part of us that must confront the objective. This is the body side of the mind/body coin established when the pillars of Severity and Mercy first rose to hold up the universe of our experience. This path is also the path of the astrological sign of Cancer, which is known for its domesticated home body offspring who consider a well kept home life to be of major importance. This home theme of the sign of Cancer also corresponds to the idea of a temple where many ancient religions were centered about. An adept of magick is advised if at all possible to sanctify an area with room for a magick circle and an altar for the sake of magick workings. The most ancient temples were multileveled pyramid ziggurats that were constructed as stairways to heaven. The Egyptians have produced compelling evidence to contemporary anthropologists that suggests that the Great Pyramid, and its surrounding lesser pyramids were meticulously arranged to exactly reflect the stars of the constellation Orion. The Greek Parthenon was originally a temple to Athena Parthenos, which was made architecturally based on magick squares that reflect a ratio known as phi. Phi creates an expanding spiral pattern that has countless fractal examples demonstrated by nature from the shape of seashells to the angle that plants arrange leaves in order to maximize exposure to the sun. The argument can be made that the ancient Hebrews also applied a similar genius to reflect the truth of nature with the construction of a temple when we compare this temple to our microbiological reality. The Hebrew's temple to Jehovah was made by the most precise instructions from divine revelation. An example of this Hebrew temple being used as a chariot to find the divine would be Herod's Temple. G-d had meticulously instructed the ancient Hebrews to build every cubit of this temple precisely as detailed in the Old Testament Bible. The whole place is surrounded by an outer wall, which distinguishes the outside from the inner temple workings. This outer wall could be explained microbiologically as symbolic of the outer body, which houses all of us. This is the part, which faces the world outside. Within are the various inner functions of the temple such as sacrifices that broke down different foods similar to the body itself. As you proceed further within the temple grounds you eventually arrive at a large building that is the actual temple where the presence of G-d can be found. Temples of ancient man can be explained as testaments for the human need to "know thyself".

In nature animals survive by adapting to the environment such as growing warm fur in response to cold climate. Then along comes a highly intelligent animal like man who is able to see right to the roots of this genetic intelligence that is controlling all of nature's life. Perhaps ancient temples arose from this natural urge to reflect environment in order to adapt and survive. Perhaps other animals keep it simple and mutated in order to survive a hostile environment while humans express this same tendency by instead altering the environment. Humans expressed this through temple construction. Perhaps they were trying to express the absolute reality grasped by the newly evolved human mind. Temples were definitely intended as monolithic testaments to posterity for all ages, which is why many are tourist attractions today. In a microbiological sense the temple within the walls represents the human cells of the body found further within our physical reality. Perhaps the reality of our cellular centers directly inspired what the temples were intended to reflect for all to see. The energy and effort used by ancient man to make such monolithic proclamations is truly awe inspiring. Inside this temple is a vault deeper within called the Holiest of Holies, which was an inner chamber of the temple building that appears to microbiologically correspond to the nucleus of the cell where every cell "thinks". This holy place was restricted to a few priests and was where G-d's presence resided in the temple. Outside the Holiest of Holies was the Sanctuary corresponding to the cell outside the nucleus. Within the Holy of Holy nucleus of the temple was the location of the Arch of the Covenant. This was where information was kept in the form of Holy Scriptures for the Hebrews. Microbiologically, the Arch profoundly symbolizes the DNA housed by a cell's nucleus. The appearance of the Arch featured two angels facing each other reminiscent of the caduceus and the DNA helix. Ancient Hebrews through the Hebrew Torah perhaps heard the voice of our DNA reality. Perhaps the voice of G-d heard in the Old Testament was the Gnosis resulting from the direct realization of our universal DNA pattern at the center of every cell in one's personal universe. Much of the earliest books of the Bible consist of laws instructing people on things like hand washings, spouse rules, as well as dietary do's and don'ts. These laws are not unlike the sympathies important to a genetic pattern that is concerned with the precarious survival of its species.

If a voice can be heard from that genetic pattern then it would explain many things such as psychic phenomenon often experienced by genetic twins. Even the religious sympathies of millions against abortion would probably be shared by a DNA intelligence. In the microbiological sense orthodox religions are probably intended to champion the cause of a genetic code as universal as G-d him?self. This however, puts a highly intelligent animal like man at the mercy of a tiny cell. If ancient Hebrews had access to the scientific knowledge of this present age they would probably look directly to microbiology to find their Jehovah. This elaborates the theory that ancient man in his introspective quest for G-d came to a direct realization of the same knowledge that we realize in this day and age with the help of technology. And why not? The questions we are asking science today are the same questions we've asked for thousands of years. Why shouldn't the answers be similar when both scientist and sage are both concerned with truth? Many primitive traditions speak of ancestors who come to them in visions. Perhaps these mystics receive divine answers delivered by ancestors because their genetic data banks contain those same ancestors exactly in essence. Modern science on the other hand observes the absolute reality with the rational. Unlike other animals who adapt to the environment as a part of that environment humanity appears to manipulate the environment to the extreme of environment having to adapt to them. This marks a turning point in evolution when the environment begins to reflect humanity.

So we relate this path to the mechanism of the body and good health. It is the waters of Binah acting upon the will, which we relate to the blood of the body. The Chariot of the body, which is the heart, takes the oxygen of our lungs on the wheels of blood to all areas of the body that desperately rely on those oxygen molecules in order to receive nourishment and get rid of waste. Sometimes cellular tissues in the body become deprived of this vital oxygen exchange because of restriction in the veins, or else there just isn't enough oxygen to go around, perhaps because of inadequacy in the lungs. When cells become cut off from oxygen this way they do not necessarily die off. Usually cells are able to burn glucose for energy and nourishment, which is stored in fat cells for just such a situation. If the situation is temporary the oxygen returns with real food and the health of the body remains normal. If however, the situation is chronic, and the oxygen of the blood remains unable to reach a certain area of tissues then there could be a rebellion in the body as those cells mutate into cancer. There seems to also be information included with this oxygen exchange that instructs the cells on how to remain in unison with the greater organism. We have perhaps just presented a theory on the real cause of cancer, which researchers seem to work around as they nail down various causes of cancer that are really probably only reasons for this break in blood/oxygen communication with the rest of the body. If this speculation is true then a few hours every week of Pranayama while walking could be a very effective cancer therapy. The breath could even be altered to effect even more lung capacity, and discipline with something like a two count breath through the mouth while walking up a steep hillside, or something like that as an exercise.

These cells in the body are minions of a kingdom that are being taken along with our conscious ego on the multi-cellular chariot of the body to the journey that is life. We are however, just a passenger on this chariot who is acquiring wisdom in how to assist the charioteer with the journey.

The face of the charioteer on the painting disappears in the light of a rainbow because no man can look upon his face and live. The charioteer is the inner father, and the Yod of Tetragramaton. The inner father charioteer must drive this chariot because only he can master the intricacies of nourishing cells, orienting and balancing the body. There are meals to sort through for vitamins and minerals that are needed by certain organs flooding the nervous system with cellular demands. Aspiring to be better acquainted with the inner father can only make the Chariot run better. Our conscious egos have navigation and maintenance responsibilities on this vehicle, but to take the actual reins is to be pulled in opposing directions by the animals of will. It's very similar to the myth of Apollo and Phaethon who was one of the fraternizing god's many illegitimate offspring from the wombs of mortal females. The young half-god could not convince the other kids at school of his exalted birthright so he located his father Apollo in order to get proof of his half-god superiority. Apollo offered to grant him any wish, but unfortunately Phaethon wished to command the Sun god's famous chariot that carried the Sun across the sky every day. Apollo tried to talk him out of the task, which the boy was nowhere near worthy of, but Phaethon insisted, and Apollo was bound by his own promise. He gave Phaethon some important advice on how to control it, and then let the boy fly the Sun G-d's chariot across the sky for a day. The young half-mortal was over whelmed by the task, and the immortal horses that pulled it flew out of control. There were dangerous brushes with constellations, and enormous fires springing up all over the Earth. The situation would have become dire for all of humanity if not for Zeus who struck Phaethon dead in the chariot with a lightening bolt, and that's the tragic end of that myth.

Our mortal selves however, do have a navigation responsibility as Princes of the body's kingdom. We choose the diet and exercise for these animals that pull the chariot. The Naked Tarot card depicts these animals pulling the chariot as the zodiological animals of the fixed astrological signs, but most decks depict a white and a black animal pulling the chariot like the white and black pillars of the Tree of Life. These are the opposing forces that the charioteer must master. We assist the charioteer also by learning to balance the opposing extremes, which is the underlying lesson of the Tree of Life itself. As we learn to do this we become better at navigating the chariot. The Chariot then becomes a symbol of the fulfillment of the Great Work as we become the Prince enthroned on Tiphiroth. The card is attributed to the letter Cheth, which equals eight and is represented by the eight spoked wheels. This wheel is also the Dharmacakra, or the Buddhist eight spoked wheel of the Law. Each of these spokes represent one of the eight paths to enlightenment, which are 1. right view; 2. right aspiration; 3. right speech; 4. right bodily action; 5. right livelihood; 6. right endeavor; 7. right mindfulness; and 8. right concentration. The eight spoked wheel is also the western esoteric tradition's symbol for spirit   as well as the number of paths connected to the central sphere of Tiphiroth. This is also the seventh Arcanum, which is equal to the seven visible planets of the Tree of Life, which chariot their way through the zodiac as if also piloted by far away gods like Apollo. The meaning has to do with physical exertion, and a battle coming that may be won if forces are controlled. He is the hero of the epic quest.

Further divinatory meaning would be "Victory, a hopeful outcome. Good health, and faithfulness. It could mean success, but only if opposing forces are skillfully handled. One could interpret it literally as a vehicle ride on a journey somewhere. It could be, if ill dignified, lust for destruction, or violent defense of ideals."

8 Strength

Also known by the title "Fortitude," and even "Lust," the path of the eighth Arcanum is the reciprocal path that brings the energies of Geburah into balance with Chesed or Mercy. The reciprocal paths are the three horizontal paths linking the outer pillars to each other. They represent the plain of the three higher worlds where we interact with those worlds. This path represents, naturalistically, the influence of the memory on our will, which becomes refined by the proper accumulation of memory into divine will. On this path the fire of Geburah on the pillar of water becomes balanced by the watery element of Chesed on the pillar of fire. The basic interpretation of the card is the mastery of the lower nature by the higher inner female. On this path the passions are kept tame and in check by the mind. That is the discipline of this path. This particular tarot card has exhibited a variety of interpretations based on the narrative created between the woman and the lion on the countless decks of Tarot cards produced over the centuries. Sometimes she is closing the lion's mouth to demonstrate inner passions being tamed by inner understanding. Sometimes she is riding the lion because she represents inner understanding's mastery of the inner passions. This particular Naked Tarot interpretation embraces the side by side analogy where beauty and the beast are shown together in a courted relationship. She holds her hand confidently near the lion's mouth yet she doesn't close it. The lion bears his teeth creating a tension, which is tame yet capable of erupting any second into (hopefully playful) confrontation. She is the master of this beast, and sometimes she seizes control in spite of you to navigate you through a difficult situation, only to leave you afterwards wondering how you did that. There is documentation out there, which most of us are familiar with about some people who, during a matter of life and death, exhibit superhuman strength like a woman who lifts a car to save her trapped child. These are moments of this path of Strength when the higher inner female of this card has taken control and ridden the beast.

She is fertile nature from which universes are constructed. In the painting her hair flames in all directions with sun bleached tassels because she is the archetypal woman illuminated by the sun who is spoken of in biblical legend. In this sense she represents the Moon since the path of Gimel, the path of the Moon, intersects this path. This illumination caused by the intersection of the High Priestess path creates an inverted cross, and can sometimes represent the illumination of the adept by transcendence that results from "forbidden" indulgence in experience. This inverted cross is one of three formed by the Tree of Life glyph. The other two crosses are dignified. The first of the dignified crosses are formed where the path of Venus (The Empress) crosses the path attributed to the Moon (The High Priestess,) and represents visions of the supernal (spiritual) plain. The second dignified cross is actually dualistic compared with the other two higher crosses since it is made with an extra path linking it to Malkuth from Yesod, the sphere of the Moon.

The Path of Strength is the Inverted Cross.

This reciprocal path of strength however, has its inverted aspect because it implies sex, and love, but not yet marriage, as well as other taboo indulgences of the mind. In this sense she is the scarlet woman serving as an archetypal analogy of forbidden temptations that are hidden, and are mysteries sought out in the dark. From this perspective, Crowley's title "Lust" can be understood. This is a path of maturity and adulthood, which children must aspire toward in order to attain. Another point of this reverse cross of the world of Briah alludes to a complete reversal to one's paradigm following initiation from the outer order to the throne of Tiphiroth and the Adeptus Minor Grade.

From this we arrive at the Hebrew letter in the lower right corner, which is "Teth"  . Teth means "serpent," therefore the lion in the painting is actually the lion serpent of legend whose tail forms into a serpent, which also contributes to the tension by approaching the woman from behind. The shape of the serpent forms the sign Leo  . Although Leo means "lion," the symbol is shaped like a serpent with a circle for the head and a tail on the other end. This alludes to the northern and southern nodes of the Moon, which are the Caput Draconis, and Cauda Draconis symbols that are identical to Leo in astrology. The phenomenon has to do with the active/passive effects of the Sun where its orbit crosses with the ellipse of the Moon's orbit in the sky. There is much wisdom in understanding the effects of the Moon in the northern or southern nodes where the orbit of the Sun crosses the orbit of the Moon. It would be better to include that information with the XIXth Arcanum essay on the path of the Moon, which is a later chapter. In a similar sense the serpent represents the tempter of the Genesis sexual analogy. This serpent is also the sperm, which initiates life in the female. In the Hindu sense this serpent is Kundalini or the spirit fire of transmutation. In the Kundalini analogy the woman can also be understood as the goddess Shakti who, according to one legend, gives birth to seven sons who carve seven holes where the seven planets orbit in the sky, and the seven chakras in a similar way are formed in the human microcosm. She represents the union of all desires in the divine will of Geburah to whom the lion of subconscious force bows down. This does not imply the power of Geburah alone however, but the influence of Chesed (Mercy) upon Geburah (Will,) which creates strength; hence the title. These middle pillar intersections on the Tree of Life represent the point of balance between the extremes. This idea of balance is the goal, and an underlying theme for studying the Tree of Life and Kabala. When the will embraces mercy in life it does so from a position of strength.

Just as the woman on the card represents the female pillar of Severity, the lion represents the male pillar of Mercy as well as the sign Leo. The zealous sense of freedom characterized by the Leo temperament represents one obvious aspect of this path. The mysteries of Leo as they pertain to this path are many. To begin with Leo is the fire Kerub of Tetragramaton, being fixed fire in the prime of summer. As the Yod of Tetragramaton, Leo represents an initiated interpretation of the beginning of the year since the Decans of the zodiac are arranged in Kabalistic order beginning with Saturn in the first decon of Leo. The Decans are arranged all the way around from Leo to Cancer with three 10-degree decans in each 30-degree sign around the 360-degree zodiac. Actually there is one break in this arrangement where Mars is repeated from the last decan of Pisces to the first decan of Aries to commemorate the renewed energy of the Spring Equinox. The 36 Decans of the zodiac correspond to the 36 numbered cards of the tarot excluding the Aces. The Theosophist Madam H. P. Blavatsky was known to have prescribed to the theory that the initiated beginning of the zodiac was in Leo because this goes back to when the spring equinox occurred in Leo. Doing the math on the equinox shift takes us back to between 8,000 and 10,000 BC, which was the approximate anthropological estimation for the emergence of Homo Sapiens. This may be the mystery behind the Egyptian sphinx that is possibly dated to be much older than even the Egyptian pyramids. The Sphinx has a female head and a lion's body to possibly indicate the beginning and end of the zodiac between Virgo and Leo at the time the sphinx was made. Cards 2, 3, and 4 of the tarot suites correspond to decans of appropriate cardinal signs, 5's, 6's, and 7's make up the decans of fixed signs, and finally the 8's, 9's, and 10's correspond to the mutable signs according to the element of the suits. So Leo is the initiated beginning of the zodiac, and also the house of the Sun. A further initiated understanding of Leo has to do with the shift in the fall equinox between the constellations of the zodiac. In this current Piscean age the fall equinox occurs still in the constellation Virgo however, it is on the verge of shifting to the constellation Leo in the dawning Age of Aquarius. This implies that in the dawning age of Aquarian reasoning the virgin nature of Piscean sexuality is also going to shift to the passionate carefree nature of the Leo temperament. This event was viewed with horror by the prophets of the more innocent times in our ancient past. This brings up another interpretation of the snake tail on the lion. The snake is the serpent of the zodiac itself, which proceeds from the tail of Leo all the way around to the sign of Virgo represented by this woman. This relationship was significant to the architects of the Egyptian sphinx, which has the body of a lion (Leo,) and the head of a woman (Virgo.)

One characteristic of the more innocent times of the prophets, where this imagery comes from, was the notion implied in the card of the impregnation of divine nature by animals. I will limit the treasure trove of examples of this to the legend of Gautama Buddha's conception being carried out with the help of an elephant. We could also mention the impregnation of the Virgin Mary after a dove comes to her. This card's woman/lion couple may imply that the next age will be impregnated by a lion not unlike a lion described in Revelation who defeats the allegorical beast of the story with a flaming sword that proceeds from his mouth. That famous scripture may be a prophecy of our evolving collective reason (swords) finally cutting down to size the tyrannical powers that be. In this sense the strength of this path is the joy of exercising strength, even to the point of taking forbidden fruit offered by the serpent, and enjoying its euphoria. This path represents the original marriage as portrayed by nature unlike the form of marriage imposed through the VI Arcanum (Lovers,) which established marriage rules to our procreation according to Tetrogramaton. Essentially those Kabalistic rules are that the King unites in marriage with the Queen to consequently produce the Prince who ultimately unites with the Princess of unreconciled Malkuth. Obviously the frustration of these rules that is demonstrated by the currently inflated divorce rate, is a sign of these changing times, and changing values, not to mention a booming sexual confusion of male/female identities in this dawning age. This path leads to the point of illumination where the path of Leo is crossed by the path of the Moon (the High Priestess,) illuminating the understanding with direct experience like the moment when a drug understood to produce euphoria finally delivers the understood experience.

Another interpretation of this many faceted path views this woman as the house of the Moon in Cancer next to the house of the Sun in Leo. In one sense the forth sephirah (Chesed) represents the establishment of creation, which deviates from completion with the intervention of the phenomenon of time as the 5th Sephirah (Geburah) becomes established in our Kabalistic cosmology. For this reason Chesed is the influence of Jehovah, the Creator, or the G-d of this world who was understood by the ancient Gnostics to be the demi-urge. Every sephiroth of the Tree of Life has a corresponding Angelic, Archangelic, and Divine name associated with it, which adepts pronounce in order to establish a psychological connection to the sephiroth's influence on one of the three higher worlds. The divine name for Chesed used to establish this connection with the Chesed of the supernal world of Atziluth is Yahovah the divine name of Tetragramaton  . The beast of Revelations is a type of Gnostic demi-urge analogy, probably understood at the time as the deity being created by Rome to homogenize all the religions of Asia into the emerging Christianity. So another interpretation of this card can view the lion as the demi-urge of Gnostic myth, and she is the goddess Sophia who reasons with the demi-urge from above. The Gnostics often depicted the demi-urge Yaldabaoth as a lion with a serpent's tail in many Gnostic scriptures. This implies a correspondence of the woman to the scarlet woman in the "Apocalypse of St. John" who rides upon the beast. This allegory is interpreted by the initiated as the alchemical marriage of the feminine Neschamah, or Jung's Aima the inner female with the beast of carnal nature known as the Nephesh. That is probably an esoteric meaning behind the classic story of "Beauty and the Beast."

This Kabalistic marriage of Neschamah with Nephesh may one day represent a future ritual for a form of Christian liberation in the next age, much like the baptism ritual of the present watery Piscean age. In the religion's current plight, many followers of Christianity are cultivating beyond the point of obsession, an inner aggression towards the "flesh," and its tendency to sin. In addition to an unproductive frustrating and constant war against one's flesh, this also contributes to a collective Christian death wish that can at times be downright bloodthirsty in its collective yearning to bring about the glorious end of the world. This neurosis of a waning age may require the divine marriage of inner understanding to our grosser animal form with all its strengths, and appetites. At any rate a war against the flesh is likely to be a war that you cannot win, and the flesh has more than enough power to humiliate you with the unbearable disgrace of sin if that's how you want to play. This is not about winning a war; it's about taming a beast. Even to win such a war is to bare the reward of defeated flesh, which is the same as a broken spirit, as well as the manifested meaning of spineless. Perhaps Christianity as an institution can one day realize that the desires or the flesh are not unreasonable. There is even recent evidence being produced by the institute of celibate Catholic Priests that the war against the flesh can produce neurosis, and even advance into unthinkable perversions. There seems to be an element of dishonesty that worsens as one champions the religious banners of dogma and truth. Applying such a sound formula for hypocrisy is the wrong way to avoid hypocrisy. This initiated marriage occurs on the middle reciprocal path of the plain of Briah, or mind. Here mind is the mediator between the carnal, and the divine. Her level of consciousness involves the cultivation of awareness for the supernal nature of eternity, which "fortifies" one's mortal path against all obstacles and resistance coming from the world of the temporal and mundane. Such fortification leaves one courageous and unafraid.

This path is about the relationship with our multiplicity. Each of us can be divided into that part of us made up of animal desires and needs, and then there is the exalted aspect of our selves, recognized by the Naked Tarot as the higher inner female. When our conscious ego is included we have a personal trinity where we act as the moderator of our higher and lower natures. On the card we just see the Neschamah directly working with the Nephesh, which implies that sometimes the best way to moderate between these higher and lower natures is to just get out of the way. The nature of the path is about self-control, but can also imply the gratuitous indulgence in our own strength. The basic multiplicity on the card is this trinity, but we actually are made up of a much more complicated multiplicity. In fact we are multi-cellular organisms and there exists a certain individual intelligence in every one of our cells. As Princes that have been exalted to the throne of Tiphiroth we have a responsibility to this multiplicity. The ego construct of our multiplicity, which we consider our self is probably needed to drown out the reality of being so multifaceted that it would consume the ego with schizophrenia if we were not properly deluded. Now consider the reality of a single intelligent cell in the body at the moment when we speak. Our voice is definitely heard by this cell. The thundering vibration of our tissues by the voice in our throats renders any lack of ears in human cells beside the point. In fact on that level our voice probably roars from one horizon to the next like thunder in the mountains.

This provides a method for a Prince of Tiphiroth to handle the responsibility of moderating our multiplicity. We are humans made up of millions of animals and we've established that those animals can hear us. We should also understand that the animal listens to us. This leads to the logical advice that is not likely to be warmly appreciated by most people who fearfully avoid looking foolish, as if they were already unsure of their own sanity. The advice is to talk to yourself, which might not be something advisable in openly public places. There is however, a part of you that is not you, and that part of you is listening and appreciates your company. One may be surprised to find out that verbally asking the mind a question leads directly to the mind producing an answer where it wasn't before. Part of us may be an animal, but it's a well-trained animal that is eager for instruction, so get over this socially conditioned reluctance to talk to the rest of you. This may be advising a schizophrenic embrace here, but you may find it to be the best way to actually engage in an intelligent conversation with someone. Of course a book written for adepts of magick who use pronunciation of divine names to connect to, and work with forces from without and within, should not have much of a problem with the advise to talk to the rest of you. Also there are times when lack of attention by the ego can cause the body to be injured as in the instance of a stubbed toe. It may not be as crazy, or as pointless as conventional wisdom would assume, to apologize to the stubbed toe for your carelessness. It can be demonstrated that touching an injury brings instant relief to cellular tissues that are desperately repairing in the midst of a holocaust, so at least do that. Such comfort is not wasted on cellular tissues that loyally struggle on with your life, which to their existence is a great and terrible thundering voice like that of G-d.

This card represents courage, energy, and magikal power. This path is control of the life force, and resort to magick. The card could be interpreted as a great love affair. This path of the VIIIth Arcanum is the triumph of love over hate, or the influence of our higher natures on carnal desires. In order to maintain the symmetry of these cards with the Tree of Life, when the path of the Star was exchanged with the path of the Emperor this 8th Arcanum needed to change places in the deck with the 11th Arcanum "Justice" according to the Master Therion. The Naked Tarot book does not reflect this change, but instead presents the Arcanum in the context of a logically ordered zodiac. This is not the only change ever made to the order of these arcana, and the first arcana of history that were known as trumps were not numbered at all. Maintaining a chronological order to the zodiac in these cards may make the oracle a more accurate reflection of nature, and thus a better oracle.

Divinatory meanings would be joy in desire, lust and strength. The Strength card indicates energy and the use of magickal power. This card can mean a great love affair, resort to magick, or control of the life force.

9 The Hermit

The path of the Hermit represents the memory of Chesed acting upon the imagination of Tiphiroth. This is the direct experience of the subjective world of Briah, or mind. This card has undergone subtle changes that have morphed the title from "Old Man," to "Hunchback," to even the title "Time." Historically speaking, the tarot seems to have first emerged as a card game in Italy back in the 15th Century (1420-1440). The game was called Trumps, and is said to be similar to the game of Bridge, but it uses 22 Trump cards that can be played on any of the suites like wild cards. This game actually evolved from the deck of regular playing cards, and not the other way around. The regular card deck came to Europe from the Middle East around 1376 to 1378. That deck was known as the Islamic Mamluk cards. That's the historic data on the cards however, in the context of the hundreds of years since the facts the cards have evolved and refined themselves into the absolute ideal archetypes of the collective western consciousness with truths that reach much farther back in time. The original 22 Trumps of this game were not numbered although the fact that they are 22 in number does draw an association to the Hebrew alphabet in support of the argument that they preserve esoteric mystical truths of an exiled Hebrew faith. Historically speaking however, the Hebrew connection wasn't documented until 1781 with Cor de Ge`belin's "Le Mode Primitif." Later the famous 18th Century master of magick, Eliphaz Levi, more formally documented the attribution of these 22 Trumps to Hebrew. The cards of the game of Trumps have evolved into the modern tarot, and this book is written to point out how profoundly these 78 cards illustrate the Holy Kabala of the Hebrews as understood by the western esoteric tradition of magick. These earliest cards captured the imagination of 15th Century European upper class types, and were repainted and redesigned over the centuries probably with the help of Kabalistic secret societies such as Rosecrucians. The original Trumps of the game of Trumps do seem to have the same intention of representing symbolic archetypal truths of absolute reality.

The original Hermit card was called "Old Man," and its implication leaned more toward the idea of hazards from old age. The original card was an old man carrying an hourglass, and is where we get the New Years old man symbol of Father Time. When the card was titled "Time" this old man was characterized as the biblical Ancient of Days, and light of the world. The Ancient of Days was one of the Old Testament names of G-d, and is described as an old bearded man. The Book of Daniel Chapter 7 verse 9 says, "'The Ancient of Days did sit,' that is He remained in His place, and Him hath no man known. He sitteth, but He is not found." The character of the Ancient of Days encompasses the idea of Macroprosopus. Macroprosopus is known as the greater countenance of G-d who created man in His own image by making us Microprosopus, the reflection of the greater countenance. This original creator exists within us as the Ancient of Days. Old souls exist among us in this Age of Horus who are very much like the Ancient of Days even though they are youthful on the outside. As we study Kabala and identify with the Tree of Life glyph we become a reflection of this greater countenance, which makes us the Microprosopus, or lesser countenance. This is elaborated by the legend of Adam Kadman, the Microprosopus character of legend who was created by the Ancient of Days (Macroprosopus.) The Ancient of Days was known as the Ancient of the Ancient One's and the concealed of the concealed ones. In this sense, the Ancient of Days legend mirrors the Hermit character. The older meaning of the card as old age had an implied seed of the new meaning within it because with old age comes wisdom, and the illumination from within, which is the result of this path. This Ancient of Days idea evolved and became romanticized by characters of fiction like the hermit prophet, and wizards like Merlin. The hourglass became changed to a lantern to represent the illumination from within, which comes with the path of solitude and silence. Solitude and silence are the Hermit's main virtues.

Aside from the gloomy mood of the painting one might observe that it is a rather simple presentation of the card. The theme of darkness dominates this presentation, and the Naked Tarot Hermit has no lantern lighting his way. He just carries a staff for stability. The Hermit himself is the brightest part of the painting, being brightly concealed within his cloak. The Hermit seems to be standing on a great sea representative of the unconsciousness that he reflects upon from the sphere of Chesed (memory,) which this path connects to on the Tree of Life from the central sun of Tiphiroth. The imagery around him implies danger or some menace just beyond clear view that is lurking in the subjective abyss. In the upper right corner is an eagle-like eye, which has recurred in other paintings from this same corner. This seems to symbolize the mythical bird of prey that snatches the soul up in the moment of death. Another example of this bird appears on the Naked Tarot Death card. The overall theme of the background shows the perils of the abyss, which the Hermit, having taken a vow of solitude, must consequently face within the depths of that solitude. The disciplines of the Hermit are meditation and solitude, which are also means of simulating the death experience. He searches for the divine within, and is alone in his quest for the inner truth.

The Hebrew letter attributed to this card is Yod  , which means, "hand". In this sense the idea of hand is the foundation of our evolution since it is with the hand that man has aspired closest to the divine, and attained perfection. For this reason the Hermit's staff protrudes seemingly from the location of the letter Yod in the approximate place of the Hermit's phallus. This staff however, actually protrudes from the abyss below, and is a symbol of the spermatozoon manifesting the fetus. From here we return to the letter Yod as the first letter of Tetragramaton, and it is the divine fire from which existence shines into manifestation. The Yod of Tetragramaton also embodies the Logos, Father, and Creator concepts. Another meaning in the letter Yod is that the entire Hebrew alphabet is based on the shape of this letter. All other letters in the Hebrew alphabet are said to be made from this letter Yod. This is why Yod is the first letter of Tetragramaton, and is also probably why Yod means "hand" implying the divine hand, which created the language not to mention the fact that the human hand with opposable thumbs has revolutionized evolution itself for all time. The Yod as spermatozoon also represents a building block from which we are all made.

In addition to the letter Yod, the Hermit is also attributed to the astrological sign of Virgo,   or mutable earth. Mutable earth implies the doctrine that the climax of the decent into matter brings one back to spirit, but in another way. Virgo is the formula for potential fertility. This brings to mind the formula of the princess of Tetragramaton who, after descending into the qliphoth (Kabalistic sphere's of the negative demonic Tree of Life,) is redeemed by marriage to the prince. The later chapter of The Blasting Tower XVI seems more appropriate for an explanation of the qliphoth, but some elaboration will help here. The qliphoth are negative Tree of Life sephiroth that exist below the sphere of Malkuth, and are also known as shells. This is the sub-world of shells where the planetary energies exist dormant and unreleased from the palaces of Assiah. These energies are lesser spirits and intelligence's of the planetary forces that take the form of lesser demonic characters. The qliphoth can perhaps be explained as the negative effects of a previously unenlightened path in life before the path is corrected toward the ways of higher learning. Planetary influences and spirit energies have been influencing us long before we cultivated an interest in the secret truths of astrology and the occult. The qliphoth exist dormant in most of us for most of our lives like un-hatched eggs subtly influencing us without notice. Within these shells are repressed terrors, and the worse kinds of personal demons, and yes, true evil. This Kabalistic legend has similarities to the eastern idea of Kundalini with warnings about its reckless release. In the course of the natural initiation process of life, or maybe the lack of initiation, we do eventually reach a catalyzing event that breaks these shells wide open to release all the evil within like the opening of Pandora's box. The results are dramatic and awful, and the subjects of millions of different stories that many adults can tell. The Hermit has long since endured this event in life, and gone beyond it. The negative qliphoth of his world below Malkuth have been shattered into broken shells that are now only capable of casting shadows upon his character by the light of his inner illumination. There is a point in growing up when nothing worse can happen to you because nothing can be worse than the first time it happens. After the first time you can see past the mystique you can be more used to the experience, and you can be wiser so you can minimize the pain, or avoid the experience altogether. This is why suicide rates are never higher than amongst teenagers who are intimidated by experiences of the world that they have to face for the first time. These shadows of broken shells now only exist as hints of life's experience weathered into the Hermit's aged features like scars from battles with inner demons that now only enhance and compliment his inner beauty, which is the actual meaning of Tiphiroth, (Beauty.) For this reason the hourglass of Father Time evolved into the Hermit's lantern to symbolize inner truth, knowledge, and wisdom that lights the path ahead. Should this death-like qliphoth-shattering experience of initiation result in an initiated crowned Prince of Tiphiroth then the fallen Princess of Malkuth who was before lost among the qliphoth can be redeemed. This Kabalistic allegory of Prince meeting Princess has a biblical parallel in the Song of Solomon, as well as the Christian interpretation of the Church as the still unmarried fiancé of Christ. Thus the story of Tetragramaton serves also as a story of the fall and redemption of man, as well as the story of creation, and formula of a monogamous covenant for procreation.

Interpretation of the name of G-d embodies the whole of the Great Work. The painting has completely cloaked the Hermit in order to imply the sea of Binah (understanding) where the Hermit lurks within the greater ocean of the abyss. The Queen of the Tetragramaton formula is the sphere of Binah (understanding) who is joined with the King in Chokmah (wisdom,) illustrating a type of union best understood in the context of the Aima (inner female) and Animus (inner male) of Jungian Psychological theory. This sphere of understanding is the womb within which the Hermit develops to his inevitable potential once he has finally crossed the abyss to arrive on the shores of Binah. In summing up this essay, no summery would be better written then that of the Master Therion's conclusion for the Hermit, "In this Trump is shown the entire mystery of life in its most secret workings. Yod=phallus=spermatazoon=hand=logos=virgin. There is perfect identity with, not mere equivalence of the extremes, the manifestation, and the method." MASTER THERION, "The Book of Thoth." The path of The Hermit as hand/phallus/virgin does indeed provide an ideal formula for dealing with the boredom of solitude.

With the title change to "The Hermit," the meaning becomes drastically changed. It may still represent negative effects of old age in a bad dignity, but mostly this card means a time of withdrawal. As the 9th Trump, The Hermit precedes the 10th Trump, Fortune, and represents a time of withdrawal to get ready for the next turn of the wheel in life. The Hermit is usually depicted out walking about a wasteland, or sometimes overlooking a small town from afar like the old inside cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven album. The Naked Tarot Hermit is a wanderer of the wasteland abyss. He represents the restless wandering mind of a Virgo personality. This card can represent pursuit of religious enlightenment. The Hermit is most illuminated by religious truth, and is willing to share this light with the seeker, but he is a hermit, and not an evangelist like the Hierophant. The Hermit is not seeking converts, but is willing to help those who come to him. The Naked Tarot Hermit wears a cloak that covers him since reclusion is his protection, and this cloak is the brightest part of the dark painting. He epitomizes the famous charge of the Delphic Oracle to "know thyself." As much as The Hermit has changed in name and meaning, the essential old man archetype image remains mostly unchanged. This Ancient of Days image remains a powerful unchanged archetype in our collective unconsciousness for all time.

Divinatory meanings would are illumination from within. The Hermit card could mean Wisdom and divine inspiration. The card may mean circumspection or prudence. The Hermit represents retirement from participating in the secular world, or current events.

10 Fortune

The tenth Arcanum is significant when it comes to the Kabala because the anatomy of G-d consists of ten sephiroth. Therefore the tenth Arcanum titled "Fortune" should provide us an image that profoundly illustrates the entire nature of our existence in this Kabalistic cosmos. For that purpose this card provides a wheel with a trinity of three passengers fixed to the sides. This card in its historic past has also carried the title "Wheel of Life," giving acknowledgement to Hindu concepts that relate existence to a wheel such as Maya and Sangsara. Maya and Sangsara are wheels of existence, upon which we find ourselves glued upon by karma; reincarnation after reincarnation unable to realize transcendence. The wheel of this card however, refers more to phases of the present incarnation of existence, and illustrates more the nature of life itself as opposed to both life and death. The subjective path represented by this card connects the 4th sephiroth Chesed to the 7th sephiroth Netzach making this a path of memory (Chesed) influencing desire (Netzach.) Chesed is the sphere of Jupiter, which is the planet known by astrologers as the "greater benefic." Chesed is the water sephiroth on the fiery pillar of mercy that can be understood in terms of the human soul's anatomy as an expanding sea of memory extending into the history of an ever-deeper past. Astrologically, Jupiter is the planet of expansion, and its influence is in those areas of our lives that have to do with dominion and fortune. This Fortune card represents the path of Jupiter  . Our memory of the Jupiter sphere influences Netzach along this path on the Tree of Life. Netzach is desire whose astrological influence is Venus. Memory, like the head of the god named Jupiter by the Romans, provides a stabilizing influence on our desires through this path. Without this stabilizing influence the paths aspiring to Netzach (Victory) from below, (The Moon, The Emperor, and The Blasting Tower,) are in danger of over-reaching beyond the stable pillar of Mercy into instability, folly, and self-destruction.

The Fortune card is also attributed to the Hebrew letter Kaph, "   "which means "palm of the hand," and draws an obvious line toward the gypsy tradition of telling one's fortune by reading the lines on their hand. Let's avoid going into a long digression on the virtue or absurdity of our fortunes or failures being predetermined by lines on our hands. For the sake of documentation it should be written that palm reading refers mainly to three distinctive lines that are on all of our hands, which can even be observed on most five fingered primates. The first is known as the Life Line and is the most important of the lines on our hands. The Life Line extends from the bottom of the palm near the thumb, and extends up around circling the base of the thumb. From this line a palm reader can determine the length of your life and when certain significant events in life will occur. The other two lines run across the width of the hand from the pinky side to the thumb. They are the Head Line that determines your personality, and the Heart Line determining romance in life. Palm reading has emerged from the depths of antiquity long before the establishment of science, yet it implies a genetic inheritance and predestination that is scientifically an actual truth even if the whole school of palmistry is proved to be nothing but silly voodoo. This book isn't about palmistry, it is about the Tarot, yet this book encourages an open mind, and accusing palmistry of being "voodoo" doesn't happen to be a point this book intends to make.

Older versions of this card had the words "Rota Fortunae" written on the wheel with the Greek goddess Fortuna in the center holding the wheel. Fortuna was a daughter of Zeus known as Tyche to the Greeks. She is often depicted holding a wheel, and was known as the one who turns the wheel of the year. She is goddess of luck both good and bad, and was also often depicted blindfolded like the woman of the Justice card, however without the scales because it is justice that she is blind to. Unlike this card her wheel was said to contain four positions instead of three, which were titled "I rule," "I shall rule," "I have ruled," and "I have no kingdom." These were states of existence, and no matter what title one qualifies for the lesson of the wheel is that it shall not ever last for long. From the images of the goddess Fortuna comes uncountable neon images of Lady Luck who adorn many casino logos in this day and age. From the idea of luck comes the divinatory meaning of this card, which is "Change of fortune. Generally good. Destiny." Jupiter is the planet of luck and opportunities, as well as abundance and dominion. Luck can be good or bad depending on whether a mild or extreme deviation is required to return to the top of the wheel. Regardless of the deviation it is the center that remains unchanged by the wheel of karma held by the goddess. There is a mystical lesson in this truth of the center being the direction to aspire in order to escape the crushing sides of life's wheel. Another interpretation of this center is depicted as northern lights on Crowley's Thoth tarot version of this same card. The center of the wheel at the North Pole is the actual axial of the world we all spin on. This brings up another divinatory meaning for the card, which could be "a turning point, or reversal of fortune." To subjectively experience this path the desires resulting from victory must be stabilized by the fatherly influence of Jupiter.

In addition to the wheel, this card also is always depicted with three characters on the sides of the wheel, instead of the four mentioned in relation to the Fortuna myth. These characters universally represent the various trinities of religion and philosophy. They also specifically illustrate the lesson of this vision of existence as a wheel. That lesson is that in life nothing lasts forever; everything goes in cycles, and our victories give way to new quests or difficulties. This wisdom would also point out that the difficult times in life are also temporary and fleeting. Life spirals on between good times and bad times understood by the designers of the tarot to be three specific states of being that are always changing and never the same. These states are known as being, thought, and bliss. These three states of mind are depicted on previous tarot decks as the gods Typon, Anubis, and the Sphinx. Typhon represents gross matter falling away followed by Anubis aspiring upward on the other side of the wheel to represent thoughts and aspirations that lift us upward to overcome the downward direction of Typhon. This leads to the top of the wheel where the Sphinx sits relaxing on the upward vantage on the top of the wheel where we can find victory and success.

The images of the Naked Tarot version of the Fortune card are the three forms of energy governing all phenomena. These forms of energy are revolving on the spiral action of two serpents on the Naked Tarot card that represent ida, and pingala energies. These energies become harmonized in the opening of the third eye when sushumna is experienced because the air from both nostrils is equilibrated. These three images represent a number of trinities throughout all philosophy, and magick. Mainly they are subjectively experienced by individual consciousness as the state of being (the male face,) the state of thought (the female face,) and the state of bliss (the third eye.) These three states of energy are known in Hindu philosophy as the three Gunas, which are the essential three forms of energy, or states of existence. These three states of energy are first the calm, intelligent, and balanced energy represented as the female energy known as Sattvas. The next Guna is called Rajas, represented by the eye. This energy is excited and brilliant, and represents restlessness. Finally the third Guna, Tamas, is darkness, inertia, ignorance, sloth, and death. Since these images are spiraling around on the wheel of the serpents then nothing ever remains in only one of these three states for all time. Therefore the painting as a whole represents the universe as a continual state of constant change.

Another esoteric trinity that applies directly to the images of the painting is the alchemical elements of sulfur, salt, and mercury. The energy of sulfur would be represented by the eye to illustrate the active virtues overcoming the elements. These virtues that overcome the elements are; to will (overcomes fire,) to dare (overcomes water,) to know (overcomes air,) and to be silent (overcomes earth.) In this same alchemical interpretation of the card, salt would be the male face descending upside down into matter. Salt represents the material form of the elements fire, water, air, and earth from which virtues are extracted by the power of sulfur. The result of this combination of salt and sulfur is mercury, which is represented by the right side up female face aspiring upward toward the top of the wheel again like the energy of mercury rising up. This process of categorizing existence in terms of these three states leads ultimately to a comprehension of the unity of the universe within these three states, and consequently supreme attainment. The eye in the painting is the famous Eye of Shiva, and in the moment this eye opens the universe is annihilated in a legendary metaphor of enlightenment, and awakening from the illusion of objective reality. This moment is the goal of the emerald serpents, which whirl around from a scarlet hub in the center. This implies a true center from which the male and female energies of our being spiral outward. This center is the very pattern imprinted by Jupiter at our nativity, and it is to this very center at the beginning where all the paths of memory ultimately return. All of life's experiences gather around the gravity of this wheel, spinning around through the wheel's cardinal, fixed, and mutable states throughout our lives.

The influence of Chesed, whose divine name is the Hebrew letters of the holy Tetragramaton, takes the form of visions of G-d such as the wheel described by Ezekiel. This Naked Tarot version of the Fortune card is meant to be an example of this wheel vision. Desires of the sphere of Netzach reach upward toward Chesed in those desperate moments of life when crying out to G-d for help becomes as natural as sneezing. The divine name of Chesed as Tetragramaton also bares resemblance to the words tarot and rota, which imply a wheel. This reference to the circle resonates throughout the study of Kabala. We make magick circles in the practice of magick workings that are usually drawn in a clockwise direction. The year has been an observable circle for millennia that is made up of four seasons, each with a trinity of cardinal, fixed, and mutable months. The wheel of life on this card is often depicted in previous decks throughout history with 10 spokes to imply the ten sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The image of the Tree of Life comes from times of antiquity before a heliocentric solar system could be considered anything but blasphemy. Ten spokes on the Wheel of Fortune card however, could have implied this same blasphemy because the center of the Tree of Life is deliberately made Tiphiroth the Sun Sphere. To imply that this is a wheel is to say that all the other sephiroth to include Malkuth and Kether revolve around the Sun. Understanding the Tree of Life as a wheel revolving around the central Sun sheds an interesting light on the mystery of the three veils of the negative surrounding the Tree of Life. This is based on the point that it is the Sun that is the source of light here in the universe as we know it. These veils are called Ain=light or nothing, Ain Soph= limitless light, and Ain Soph Aur= limitless light in extension. Go ahead and pin that Tree of Life down at the central Sun of Tiphiroth to give it a spin. The veils outside the known universe are literally made up of photons, which are the particles of light extending in all directions from our Sun to infinity. Then again, to pin the Tree of Life at Malkuth in order to observe it spinning like a wheel also resembles reality. This returns us to the North Pole interpretation of the Tree of Life as a wheel. As above, so below.

Chesed is the first sephiroth to manifest below the abyss in the world of consciousness and thus represents the Gnostic demi-urgical form of G-d. According to legend, the demi-urge has created the wheel of material existence. Like the cult of Shiva who crush enlightened disciples beneath a wheel, we are all throughout our lifetimes, stuck on this wheel of cardinal, fixed, and mutable/ fire, water, and air/ father, mother, son/ sulfur, salt, and mercury/ Rajas, Sattvas, and Tamas. Instead of a wheel, the Naked Tarot card depicts the spiral affect of the wheel meaning that, as a wheel, it travels somewhere not actually returning to the same place with every revolution. The two serpents are the male and female energies revolving around the center at the beginning of memory. Life's experiences revolve around this wheel, which also relates to the earthy suite of Disks in the tarot deck. Disks are a form of both talisman, and magick circle rolled into one. Upon the magick circle an adept of magick exercises the magickal will with the power of representative symbol to attain victory and thus fortune. Disks become a form of circular focus for magick will, similar to a mandella used for meditation in eastern traditions.

In the final analysis of the trinity of this card the images are interpreted in the Egyptian tradition as the mourning of Isis in the form of the female face. Typhon is the upside down male face, the monster god of volcanoes, typhoons, and other forms of destruction. A bolt of lightning struck down Typhon in Greek mythology from Zeus (Jupiter) in order to thwart his conquest of supreme authority. Finally the eye at the top of the card is interpreted as the eye of the god Osiris slain and risen through this cycle. These images of Isis, Typhon, and Osiris make up the phases of a magical formula reflecting the cardinal, fixed, and mutable qualities of life, which can be interpreted as a formula for evolution itself. The original elated inspiration of Isis leads afterward to the perils of applied inspiration. This period of putting an idea to work is the phase of Typhon, which leads ultimately to the resurrection of Osiris when the original inspiration is realized after having followed up through struggle, and determination to a final fulfillment. This formula is known as LVX, which is Latin for "light" and describes one of the oldest religious trinities to rise from the ancient religion of Osiris in Egypt. It alludes to the resurrection of Osiris after being slain by his brother Set, and is a formula for extending the hidden light of our evolution. As a notaricon, the letters L.V.X. each stand for one of the gods of this formula. The first letter "L" stands for the morning of Isis from Egyptian legend. The body of Osiris was chopped up and scattered throughout the world by his evil brother Set who was the deity of an older religion from earlier Egyptian dynasties. Set is associated by the Greeks with the monster Typhon, god of volcanoes and strong winds. The "V" known as the sign of Typon and Apophis symbolizes this period of loss and suffering. Apophis was the Greek name of a serpent god from primeval times known as Apep to the Egyptians. Apophis, according to Egyptian legend, awaits the Sun god Ra in the underworld where the Sun was thought to travel at night. Apophis was an embodiment of the negative powers of darkness, destruction, and a form of non-existence that was much feared by the ancient Egyptians. In the legend, Isis travels the world to find the pieces of her dead brother and husband in order to "return them home". She finds all fourteen pieces with the exception of his phallus because that is eaten by fish. After acquiring the pieces she puts them together with the assistance of the dog-faced god Anubis who wraps the pieces of Osiris into the first Egyptian mummy. This brings us to the last letter in the notaricon, which is "X" the sign of Osiris risen. Osiris goes on from there to become the resurrected king of the underworld. This is a profound allegory of making a great legacy story out of a terrible misfortune, from which much of mythology, written history, and folk lore have sprung. The subsequent religious doctrine of resurrection has been very successful ever since then, and has survived to this very day currently in a Christian form. From this story we arrive at the magick formula of L.V.X., which is a hidden light always in extension because no matter what has happened, a brighter future can still always be established with a little work.

It is the evolutionary light in extension described by the formula of L.V.X. that steers this wheel. We now leave this tenth chapter of Naked Tarot with a poem describing this interpretation of the card Fortune.

L.V.X.

L. Of the mysteries, she is the secret mourning Isis. She is the

secret redemption of Typhon. She is the knowledge that no

matter how the energies of time destroy and wreck

chaos upon the world, the Earth will still continue.

V. He is the temperament of time. He is Typhon and

Apophis who destroy Osiris. He is time

that our essences must endure. This is the

dying sperm, which endures the winds of Typhon

in the form of destruction required before

resurrection can be achieved, and with resurrection...

X. Osiris, who is the central eye will ever

rise again through constant periods of

light and darkness, sorrow and joy.

The Fortune card means a change in fortune that is usually for the better, and destiny.

11 Justice

This particular interpretation of the card "Justice" is very simple, and doesn't include a lot of imagery to comment on. This chapter should elaborate on some of the card's subtleties, and bring out the richness of this card's simple imagery. On the right side of the card is the Hebrew letter Lamed.   This letter means "Ox Goad", which was a kind of cattle prod used to guide livestock that pulled plowshares. The implications of "Ox Goad" with this path explains the title "Justice" by illustrating nature in the form of an animal being harnessed by man's ingenuity to create bounty for a civilization that works justly with nature. There are lessons implied by "Ox Goad" because an ox is an extremely powerful beast that can also be destructive to the productivity mankind has gained through harnessing the animal's power. The ox is actually a metaphor of nature itself, which mankind must consider justly or else we incur the wrath of nature's less productive destructive side. This lesson extends beyond just the ox harnessed to till the soil in order to feed mankind. Nature is also the food that grows out of that ground, to include water required to encourage the growth of vegetation. In order to establish balance, and thus justice, mankind must consider the greater picture of nature so that irrigated water is provided and everyone receives a fair share. There is also a problem soon to rear its ugly head in the form of abusing nature's resources, thus causing the lesson of nature to be learned the hard way. Included with the idea of harnessing nature is the idea that over abuse of land and water resources, as well as over hunting and over fishing will result in the unproductive response from nature that takes the form of consequences such as famine. We have known from time immemorial that nature demands our respect in order for our civilization to exist in balance with a sustainable future, however history is strewn with testaments of failed civilizations and empires who ultimately had to learn the hard way. This sheds light on the controversy leading to this card being renamed "Adjustment" in the Thoth tarot deck. For the idea of "justice" is a purely human interpretation, while nature on the other hand, is not at all "just" in the sense of fairness. Justice is a purely human interpretation to the process of establishing balance. Nature establishes balance by totally different rules that look more like trial and error with no regard of an arbitrary "fairness" in the process of natural selection. This card in a reading could serve as a warning that abuse is occurring and that an adjustment is becoming necessary.

This particular tarot painting has adopted the traditional name of "Justice" since the meaning of Lamed implies the human interpretation of man working with nature's balance. For were mankind to act unjustly with a balance as essential as nature then the response of nature to correct that balance could possibly mean our own peril. Now we arrive in our discussion of the meaning of this arcana as the idea of karma, which has also been a title for this card in some more obscure recent decks. Karma is best appreciated as the law of cause and effect. For every action there is a reaction in nature, and for every act there is a consequence. This basic fact becomes elaborated by events of apparent poetic justice, and just deserts to be interpreted as an underlying intelligence judging our behavior. From there the idea of karma begins to be explained by the religious as possessing the intelligence of G-d's judgment, and that it determines the situation of our next life, and possibly even the species of our next life. This becomes arguably an unnecessary elaboration of the basically true idea of karma as cause and effect. Not to discredit the more fantastic interpretations of karma, but this interpretation is intended to point out that its basic meaning of cause and effect is too well established in reality and truth to be argued with. If we act a certain way the probability of certain consequences is assured because karma will occur. For example, there doesn't have to be any such thing as global warming in order for the idea of mankind minimizing our collective polluting of nature to be a good idea. The consequences of our rapid pollution and degradation of the environment can currently fill volumes with well-documented consequences that have nothing to do with climate effects, and which threaten the idea of a sustainable civilization existing into the distant future. The symbol for the idea of karma on this card is the balancing scales, which can not be tipped out of balance. Because of this should mankind for example work tirelessly in order to throw the balance of nature out of balance then karma (consequences) shall adjust in order to correct the balance. This correction occurs in the interest of nature, and not in the interest of those who abuse nature as our history of civilizations that rose and fell bears witness to.

This idea of Lamed however, and the human interaction with nature in the painting is illustrated in its ideal form as the woman spinning on tiptoe in perfect balance and equilibrium. One reason for this is because the human interaction with nature is a precision dance where one wrong move can mean the end of civilization. Her long hair is wrapped around her like the spiral formula of life's very essence that inspires the helix existence of DNA. This balance comes natural to the woman because formulas or laws as precise as mathematics determine her precision. She does not come out of balance because she is the very formula of balance itself. This has to do with the path's position on the Tree of Life that is connecting the true will of Geburah with the balanced mind centered on Tiphiroth. The sphere of Tiphiroth is the central Sun attained by disciplines of the mind to be discussed later with the chapter XIVth Arcanum titled "Temperance." That card represents the path of the middle pillar, which establishes equilibrium in the upward aspirations of life in order to rise up in consciousness eventually to the sphere of Tiphiroth. This path of Justice above Tiphiroth is an archetype of that balance having been attained. One path establishes the balance while this path is the experience of that balance. In a similar way the path of the Hermit above Tiphiroth linked with Chesed (memory) represents the illumination from within that results from the mental balance of Tiphiroth.

Since she acts in accordance to laws both natural and man made she is attributed to the legalistic astrological sign Libra.   Venus rules the cooperative, easy to get along with sign of Libra. As discussed in a previous chapter, the symbol of Venus is the only planetary symbol that encompasses all the sephiroth of the Tree of Life, and for that reason is an appropriate symbol for this balance of nature reflected by the painting. The card of the Empress is the chapter for the path attributed to Venus, and is also another one of a trinity of female arcana mentioned in a previous chapter. This female trinity comprises the female interpretation of G-d (Empress, Justice, High Priestess.) The sign of Libra is also the sign where Saturn is exalted, being also the sphere of Binah that establishes the pillar of Severity. This indicates the phenomenon of time itself. It is in the context of time where manifestation takes place, and this card illustrates the act of manifestation in true equilibrium. Libra is a diplomatic sign of fairness, as well as the concept of justice, to include fair honest judgment. Libra brings with it the idea of equilibrium in the sign's symbol, which resembles balancing scales. This is a good place to point out the places where this equilibrium can be found on the Tree of Life, and the redemption where the middle pillar paths manifest on the reciprocal paths that connect the pillar of Severity to Mercy making the crosses on the Tree of Life. These are the three crosses on the Tree of Life discussed in the Strength chapter VIII. The Strength card is a path that makes one of these crosses between Chesed and Geburah, and is often switched with the Justice card's place in many tarot decks. They are not switched in this particular Naked Tarot book however, because astrologically Leo comes before Libra. These Tree of Life crosses correspond to points of equilibrium within the subjective experiences of the very unbalancing extremes connected by reciprocal paths that cross the middle pillar. These crosses of redemption are when the narrow way of middle pillar salvation can be realized. This card elaborates that point by its meaning of "adjustment and fair balance as a way to equilibrium." Sometimes situations reach a point when adjustment is necessary. This card represents that voice of conscience speaking to you, and telling you what you know you must do. She is the initial equilibrium of manifestation that calls you back to the balance in life. Balance is the underlying moral to the Tree of Life glyph. This equilibrium corresponds to the last part of the formula of Tetragramaton when the daughter is wed to the son, and consequently the daughter is exalted to the throne of the previous Queen to once again enact the formula of manifestation known as Tetragramaton. Again, Tetragramaton is an established Judeo/Christian formula for monogamous procreation, which has almost universally been applied to humanity for thousands of years.

She swings a sword of justice effortlessly through time creating our manifested universe. The sword is styled into a version of symbol known as a monad   A monad was a symbol first created by the Pythagoreans to represent G-d, or the totality of all things. The Sun symbol we use in this book is also a monad called the Pythagorean monad. In one sense a monad is considered a glyph that represents the individual self, like that name the artist formally known as Prince went by until he finally prevailed in a dispute over a corporate music industry contract that went on for years. This particular monad shows the sun of the inner self (Tiphiroth) shining through the abyss in the form of redeeming hooks of light that reach into the planes of manifestation. Between the Sun's hooks of light is a crescent Moon representing the emotional sphere of (Yesod,) which demonstrates the phenomenon of manifestation by the creation of reflected light. Within this manifested universe of reflected light the woman holds the scales of this path's balance. The scale spins in perfect balance and equilibrium as the woman dances the dance of life itself never missing a beat. This effortless dancing is meant to imply a relation of this path to the path of the Fool, as well as eluding to other eastern concepts that describe life as a dance such as the Hindu dance of Shiva. The Master Theorion alludes to this Justice/Fool relationship as it has to do with the formula of Aleph, Lemed    , one of the names of G-d, as well as the Hebrew letters at the end of all angelic names such as Rafael and Michael. This formula has to do with the path of the Fool, which is equal to zero, linking wisdom to the one singularity of Kether. The Fool is the path that can bring one to the true realization of this natural balance making the woman of this card the Fool's true companion. Now with the introduction of the higher path of the Fool, the idea of a natural phenomenon of karma is exalted to a higher concept best described as the Tao of eastern mysticism. The idea of Tao is best described by the word's closest English translation, which means "the Way." In Taoism reality is understood to be in a natural flow with the Way, or Tao. Since everything is part of an overall flow and every act is a note for the symphony of that dance called "the Way" then dissonance and resistance to the Way become out of step, and it is best to succumb to the inevitable, and return to the Way. We present here a gross oversimplification of Taoism with apologies, and recommend a classic translation of the "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu as a better beginning for further study. We can return the eastern idea of karma and Tao to the west with a discussion of the Kabalistic idea of the Blessings of Abraham in the Bible. G-d gave a special blessing to Abraham, and his children so that those who bless him will be blest and those who curse him will be cursed. This is a Kabalistic consequence of a life in balance with karma, or in other words being one with Tao. That is because those who would bless such a person also become in rhythm with the Way, however those who pit themselves against someone like that have also made themselves at odds with the Tao, and have thus picked a fight with karma. The true master of the Tao is never out of synch and therefore lives a life that becomes a symphony of magikal synchronicity. The Fool's natural innocence brings him closest to that equilibrium of nature itself, thus making him the one who is liberated enough to perform this spontaneous dance with the Way or karma itself, because the Fool is not hindered by the intrusion of the over-thinking rationality.

The scales of this painting are the balance of the natural universe, and they are intended to drive home the point that nature will only exist within this balance. Any attempt to change this balance will result in nature's adjustment to bring back the original balance. Civilization does well to tread cautiously with the balance of nature. The scale in the corner is represented with the Greek letter Alpha as the beginning, further illustrating this unchanging balance of nature through time since the other scale represents the end of time with the Greek letter Omega. There is nothing gained and nothing lost in this relationship since the end is balanced by the beginning. On the Naked Tarot painting these scales are balanced on both sides by the symbol for the Sun of the true inner self, which also happens to be the Pythagorean monad  . Another interpretation of this is that beginnings and ends throughout history are between these Alpha and Omega times of balance. The whole scale represents the balance of opposites as the inevitable end balances the beginning. This self-correcting balance is the secret to the stability of the pillars of Severity and Mercy. This end also was expressed in the beginning by the original intention of destiny, first expressed in the beginning unobscured by the succeeding difficulties met, as the original volition proceeds toward Omega, or the end. Seeing the end in every beginning is an omnipotent perspective with which to view the universe. The idea of viewing the phenomenon of time from a vantage showing the end and the beginning at the same moment is the omnipotent vantage point of the divine.

This path of Justice on the Tree of Life however, is effected by time where the sephiroth Geburah shines upon the true inner self of Tiphiroth. The woman represents the essential balance of the manifestation that follows the moment when Geburah (Will) encounters the awakening of Tiphiroth (Imagination.) Most cards show the woman of this card as blindfolded to show justice as blind or impartial. This is true, and another reason for the blindfold is to illustrate that the woman of this path acts in accordance with unalterable laws and formulas that are the secret of her precision. For this reason her eyes on the Naked Tarot painting are closed, not to imply that she could just as well open them without a blindfold to blind her, but just as another way of illustrating the same point that justice is willingly blind to favoritism. This path represents the unbiased truth of manifestation in action. Another meaning of the card is to take action on truth. Many decks depict the woman of this card as the goddess Athena who was the embodiment of truth in action. She was the goddess not born of any woman, but right out of the head of Zeus to truly become a daddy's girl. One myth attributes her motherhood to the mortal Metis (prudence) who, as one of Zeus's adulterous liaisons, tells the head of the gods that if she mothers the son of Zeus the child will grow up to be greater than Zeus and overthrow the gods. Zeus, in one of those moments that give away his identification with the Gnostic demi-urge, can't allow Metis to have this child so he eats her. Here Zeus appears to symbolize the established order's tendency of refusing to surrender entrenched power to the next generation. It is soon after this act of cannibalism when an indigestive headache becomes a bump on the head of Zeus. From this bump is born Athena fully grown and wearing a warrior's armor. She becomes arguably the favorite of Zeus, which is sure to cause debate among mythology experts since Zeus's love for all his kids is legendary in spite of all the adulterous womanizing he is also famous for. Athena was allowed to wield the sword of Zeus, and also his famous thunderbolt, and was daddy's little go-getter throughout the Trojan Wars. Her association with this card becomes clear with the introduction to that special city dear to her heart, which was Athens the center of her worship. In many myths of Athens a hero or king demands to be brought to the leader of the city only to be met with the response that "we are all the leaders of Athens, and therefore you are in the presence of the leader." Indeed Athens was historically perhaps the world's first state democracy with a rich tapestry of national legends about freedom, human rights, fairness, and democracy that make the present American beacon resemble a weak imitation. Athena embodied the idea of truth in action, and mythology credits her for establishing the very first jury as well as inventing the flute. Dedication to truth is represented on this card by the sword. Swords are the representative symbol of mind. It is a most dangerous weapon that is responsible for dividing the true essential unity of reality into a perceptible duality. For this reason the sword of Justice is dedicated to truth, and demands responsible hands that are capable of using that weapon to honestly face reality.

Like so many other paintings in the Naked Tarot she is naked perhaps to draw another connection between her and the path of the Fool, but also to show her womb as perhaps pregnant. This illustrates another aspect attributed to this path of a woman satisfied. This is the kind of satisfaction that nature seeks in order to maintain balance. Her act of swinging this sword in sync with her spiral dance represents the satisfaction of destiny, not unlike the satisfaction a woman is inclined to crave when she reaches her late thirties without having given birth to any children. Pregnancy is actually a powerful metaphor of truth in action, and few other events in life are anywhere near as life changing. With pregnancy and childbirth comes the rude awakening of responsibilities and maturity. Even responsible fathers share this life changing experience as the outlooks and concerns of mind change from personal gratification and self-interest into an interest for a child, as well as the next generation. This is a higher way of thinking that is similar to the initiation of Tiphiroth, which is the sephiroth of the higher mind. The mindset of parents is not for everybody, and this doesn't mean to say in any way that you can't attain Tiphiroth unless you become a parent. The point is that after both experiences life is never the same again. The parental experience in life is very similar to the initiatory experience of attaining the higher mind of Tiphiroth. The parental experience is part of nature's karma. The woman of this painting demands satisfaction to every action, which takes the form of a reaction as the main formula of her justice. In this context she represents the Law of Karma. Therefore she demands satisfaction from every action in the universe to the point where the stir of a single hair on one's head causes a similar reaction in every star of the universe. Such a radical concept is well within the comprehension of modern formulas for quantum physics.

Finally as she represents manifestation, and creates manifestation with the swinging of her sword, she also represents karmic balance, as well as the balance of opposites, which resolve the duality of existence by causing opposites to cancel each other out, thus producing transcendence. The balance of the polarities of life is an underlying theme of the Tree of Life glyph. It helps to understand opposites as polarities to indicate an inseparable link between all the extremes and opposites in life. Part of attainment in eastern religions comes when the interactions between all things and events become understood as parts of a greater picture of an evolving dynamic universe. Once the disciple sees the underlying unity of all manifestation, and sees him or herself as part of all that, then they can transcend the individual self. That is what is known as attaining the mind of Brahman in Hinduism, or Dharmakaya in Buddhism, or Tao. This underlying unity is the balance we have been talking about. The illusion created by the sword of rationality is called 'Aridya.' When one realizes all opposites are polar and thus a unity then the union of male and female opposites within is experienced as the divine marriage depicted in the VIth Arcanum "Lovers." Eastern faiths express this female/male union in the Yin/Yang symbol, . The female energy called "Yin" is dark and of the Earth on the outside, and therefore sinking, while Yin is also light and of the heavens or sky on the inside. The male Yang energy is light, and of the sky and heaven on the outside thus rising while it is dark and of the Earth within. These two polarities are at odds, and eternally unreconcilable so therefore they continuously orbit in a dance of creation and destruction. Reality beyond the illusion called Aridya is described by eastern mystics in language identical to what quantum physicists have to resort to in their explanations of the true reality that they observe on the subatomic level. Reality becomes, at that miniscule level, a vast empty space with remote specs of mass that are best described as both waves and particles. The vast emptiness of reality is not empty however, but rather is a void with infinite potential to manifest spontaneously at any time into a variety of subatomic virtual particles that then return to non-existence. This subatomic activity of virtual particles appearing and disappearing is happening constantly as a condition of reality, and is in fact what holds subatomic particles together into what comes to be called atoms and molecules on a much larger scale. This sub-atomic creation/destruction activity ultimately also holds together our Euclidean reality. This is the void pondered by quantum physicists, which profoundly resembles what eastern mystics also ponder and describe as a void, and they have named that void Tao. Eastern mysticism aspires to this void, which is also known as the abyss in the Kabala. The sword is a symbol of the mind that creates manifestation in its wake by slicing the essential unity of true reality into duality. The destructive swing itself is the antithesis of true manifestation, and consequently cancels that manifestation out by explaining it to the brain in the terms of dualistic illusion. The negative existence maintained in that dance of cancelled manifestation is the ground upon which this archetype dances.

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This card in a reading indicates that karma is occurring, and may also mean a court case or legal verdict will occur. The card could also mean marriage problems. She has been depicted in other decks throughout history with a crown of authority on her head, and sitting on the throne of government to indicate the legality and court case meanings. The Justice card means balance, justice, and adjustment. It could mean suspension of action pending a decision. The card refers to treaties, marriages, or lawsuits.

12 The Hanged Man

Now let's attempt to strip away the mysteries of the XIIth Trump called "The Hanged Man," and this is a mysterious card indeed. It seems to embody both the esoteric and the mundane with an image usually showing a bound prisoner suspended by one leg over water. At face value it implies a medieval form of punishment by suspending the convict over water and dunking them. There exists stories of women accused of being witches who were dunked in water in this way in order to find out if they were witches or not. Unfortunately the only way to prove one's innocence was to actually drown since if they lived through the experience it proved them guilty of witchcraft. We are fortunate to live in a time when such forms of torment with water are properly understood as torture, which has no place in modern civilization. The idea of punishment, and suffering is the mundane interpretation of this card, which symbolizes the path where mind strives with the pillar of severity. Most depictions of the Hanged Man however, go out of the way to show the bound person on this card as being content with his predicament, and expressing joy or even bliss in the face of such a precarious circumstance. It dares the interpreter to look for something deeper in the meaning than just the suffering associated with a pillar called Severity.

The Hebrew letter attributed to this path on the Tree of Life that connects the true will of the sphere of Geburah with the reasoning sphere of Hod is the letter Mem  , which means "water". Water   is also attributed to this path according to Kabala. The path of Mem is also attributed to the element of water and Severity is the Pillar of Water where this path resides on the Tree of Life. This interprets the Hanged Man as someone bodily enduring a form of baptism or initiation into the waters of Severity. Baptism is a form of initiation, as well as a ritualistic metaphor of death and resurrection washing off the old self and rising back up a new person. The letter Mem is the Hebrew 'mmm' sound, which in the Hindu system is understood to be one of the three sacred sounds of the famous word "OM," or perhaps that should more appropriately be written as "AUM." That is the sacred sound before the meditation returns to silence in anticipation of repeating the mantra. This state of meditation is not completely unlike death when the self surrenders to the non-self. In a sense death is the surrender of the self to the absolute, and alludes to the self while still alive, attaining experience of the non-self through meditation. Experience of the non-self is a very high mystical attainment. This 'mmm' sound also describes death because closing the mouth and stopping the airflow through the mouth is how the sound is made. The mouth is closed yet a sound is still being made that is inner by definition. Hindus view the phenomenon with their knowledge of prana and associate the 'mmm' sound with the experience of dissolution into the all. The proverbial experience of "your whole life passing before your eyes," described by people who have had near death experiences leads to the speculation that the human mind may rewind at the moment of death when it is suddenly cut off from any more sensory input coming from the forward direction of time. This fast rewinding of the mind's experiences would lead all the way back to the birth experience and beyond, perhaps to a vivid transubstantial dream all the way back to where the first cell split and all this duality stuff began for us. The pre-birth intrauterine experience would indeed be a time in your life when the world was made up of water since we were submerged at the time in a watery mother's womb.

In this light it should be mentioned that Mem   is one of the three mother letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the only one of the three that is actually attributed to a female element, which is water. The other two letters Aleph  , and Shin  , are assigned to the male elements of air , and fire   respectively, which make up the three elements for the higher worlds of the Kabala, as well as the three elements of the water, air, and fire pillars on the Tree of Life. In other words, the three mother letters are the elements that brought forth, or gave birth to Malkuth, the element of Earth. Malkuth then becomes a catalyst of the other three elements as well as the physical catalyst of our whole existence. The 3 mother letters of the Hebrew alphabet are considered to contain all the other letters of the alphabet in their combined complexity. Therefore the Hebrew alphabet is divided by these arcana into 3 – mother letters representing the three pure elements, 7 – double letters each representing two sounds in the Hebrew language also each represent one of the seven sacred planets of the Sephiroth, and the 12 – single letters of the Hebrew language that each represent a sign of the zodiac. Thus these arcana are keys to the secrets of Tetragramaton, astrology, Hebrew Kabala, and probably even Egyptian Alchemy. The revealed secret is probably how all these seemingly unrelated ideas fit so profoundly together. Without getting too deep into King and Queen scales of color there are also color attributions to these elements, planets, and astrological signs where the entire spectrum is represented as vibrating between the extremes of white and black. The three primary colors of the spectrum are attributed to these 3 mother letters as   fire = red,  air = yellow, and   water = blue.

There is mystery to this Hanged Man card since it is one of the most peculiar cards of the traditional pack. It has been called "The Traitor" with an interpretation that the individual is being hung as a traitor, and it has also been interpreted as a symbol of martyrdom. In the Visconti Tarot, which is one of the oldest, the title is "Traitor" and the figure is Judus Iscariot who hung himself after betraying Jesus according to the Gospels. Many other decks that show this Hanged Man with a contented look on his face with no apparent worries about his predicament contradict that interpretation. The Visconti Tarot happens to be a very Catholic tarot in terms of which all the images are considered such as an Empress card that looks obviously like Mother Mary, and in some versions of Visconti tarot you find a Hierophant card titled "The Pope." There is another medieval pack depicting this Hanged Man standing upright on one foot with the title "Prudence".

The interpretation of this card as a "mystical experience" is associated with a formula for an adept's experience of surrender to the absolute. The Master Therion mentions in regard to this path something that is assumed to be a meditation posture called "The Sleep of Shiloam." The figure on the Thoth Tarot deck Hanged Man is demonstrating the meditation position for this Sleep of Shiloam. Not much more is known of this form of meditation except that it is a method of attaining spiritual vision, and a form of attaining a trance that can be an inner refuge from outside suffering. H. P. Blavatsky mentions the Sleep of Shiloam in the book "Isis Unveiled" saying that it originates in the East, but was also used in Asia and upper Egypt as a method for initiation by inducing a lucid trance possibly with drugs such as the legendary Hindu Soma. There also exist documents by Crowley describing this trance as a lucid state that one is surrendered to after sexual exhaustion that is induced by vigorously pursued orgasms. In Blavatsky's description of initiation the candidate was put in a chamber or hung on a cross in the Hanged Man position. Blavatsky writes, _"This way of obtaining oracles was practiced in the highest antiquity. In India, this sublime lethargy is called, "the sacred sleep of Siloam" It is an oblivion into which the subject is thrown by certain magical processes, supplemented by draughts of the juice of the soma. The body of the sleeper remains for several days in a condition resembling death, and by the power of the adept is purified of its earthiness and made fit to become the temporary receptacle of the brightness of the immortal Augoeides. In this state the torpid body is made to reflect the glory of the upper spheres, as a burnished mirror does the rays of the sun. What his lips utter he will never know; but as it is the spirit, which directs them they can pronounce nothing but divine truth. For the time being the poor helpless clod is made the shrine of the sacred presence, and converted into an oracle a thousand times more infallible than the asphyxiated Pythoness of Delphi."_ Isis Unveiled.

These descriptions sound similar to ancient ways of inducing astral projection and the candidate who is dreaming in the Sleep of Shiloam is said to come into contact with preternatural influences. This also sounds similar to the trance of Samadhi where the aspirant finds union with G-d. A seldom-pointed out connection to this Hanged Man is its similarity with the most famous Hanged Man of all, Jesus Christ. The baptism mentioned earlier is a metaphor of the resurrection of Jesus in the Christian faith. This introduces the theme of redemption to this path; reminding us that our rationales connect with the higher will here where Geburah influences Hod. In the Christian religion Jesus is G-d who becomes man to redeem mankind. Jesus to the Christian becomes a form of the higher genius intervening for the believer on behalf of G-d who is too great and mysterious to understand without a redeemer or savior. Kabalistically this path represents the higher divine nature intervening to redeem the lower animal, similar to how a Christian relates to his idea of Jesus. This god/man relationship also bears resemblance to the ultimate goal of the adept of magick who seeks the mystical Conversation with his Holy Guardian Angel.

The idea that the Hanged Man of traditional tarot cards is emulating a meditation posture is intriguing. It brings to mind the Blarney Stone in Ireland where pilgrims are suspended upside down over a cliff to be lowered to the place where the holy stone exists in order to plant a kiss on that sacred object. There are elusions in different occult books describing a stage of initiation where the adept is tied at the feet, and then suspended upside down into a dark vault. One theory is that meditation is a way of increasing blood flow to the head, and upper body. The traditional Lotus and Half Lotus positions for transcendental meditation never fail to leave the legs immobile from lack of circulation for a period of time after the meditation is complete. This post-meditation immobility of the legs remains until the legs are no longer asleep from lack of blood flow. If a meditation causes less blood to flow to the legs then it stands to reason that more blood will be flowing to the head. Now suppose the adepts of western magick used a short cut to the same Lotus position effect by meditating while suspended upside down. A meditation in an upside down position is sure to provide extra blood to the head area. Blood flowing upsides down will not only favor the upper body, but will flow mainly to the head area benefiting the brain. This essay is not suggesting we all start meditating upside down, but it should be mentioned that many degenerative diseases of this day and age are attributed to a lack of blood flow to the brain. This possibly contributes to the dreaded Alzheimer's disease. Lack of blood to the brain is partly a consequence of a lifetime of letting gravity constantly restrict blood flow from reaching the upper body.

In this version of the path of the Hanged Man the figure has his legs crossed and arms outstretched to make the form of a cross above a triangle   This symbol is to suggest the descent of light into darkness in order to redeem the darkness. This also happens to be similar to a sort of reversed alchemical sulfur symbol   The Emperor card is traditionally attributed to sulfur, and on many cards forms a similar cross triangle symbol with his arms and legs. This Naked Tarot Hanged Man figure makes the symbol of stigmata with his hands to suggest suffering and also the formula of Jesus the Dying G-d who the Hanged Man is a form of. As mentioned earlier, some medieval decks contradict this redemptive depicting of the Hanged Man by symbolizing the hanging of the traitor Judas Iscariot, as opposed to a symbol of the Christian Savior's sacrifice on the cross. The image on this card appears to be enduring a crucifixion of sorts for whatever reason it is occurring. In one interpretation this card depicts a divine sacrifice while in the other interpretation this card is a symbol of shame, and punishment for mischief found out. In the "savior" interpretation the Hanged Man is a type of redeemer who comes from above to correct things below. This is the path of sacrifice, and the moral of its meaning is that things desired may require sacrifice as well as concentrated effort in order to be acquired. The interpretation of the card as sacrifice also eludes to the power of altering history itself through the sacrifice of martyrdom, of which the supreme historic example is the work carried out by Jesus. The key to the upside down and right side up crosses depicted on this card and the Emperor is found in light of the three crosses of the Tree of Life. The Hanged Man is related to the upside down Kabalistic cross found in the world of Briah.

The formula for this card is a formula for putting things right, and the ultimate sacrifice required when things have gone so wrong past a certain point. The ancient story of the mourning of Isis who searched the world for the pieces of the slain Osiris reflects this idea of putting things right. This is the ancient formula of Osirus the Dying G-d who esoterically presided over the previous aeon, also known as the watery Piscean age, heralded by the Osiris-like work of Jesus. The implications of the death of one man causing drastic social change in the world caught on like wild fire at the time following the crucifixion all the way across Asia from Israel to the crumbling capital of Rome. The new belief in a Kingdom of Heaven that was worth dying for fueled the Roman empire's fall with the blood of thousands of dying Christian martyr complexes. The subtleties of this Osirian formula however, have evolved since the time of Christ into the works of other reformers such as Joan of Arch, as well as martyrs like her throughout history. The underlying theme of sacrifice for the age of Osiris continues through history like a domino effect from the French revolution, and the American Revolution all the way past civil rights leader Martin Luther King. The growing masses of humanity have steadily been gaining power over established authority through the ultimately Osirian formula of passive resistance.

The whole idea of a king in today's world has become dated and replaced with politicians that are at least pretending to serve the people. This should currently be recognized however, as a work in progress. It can be argued that The New Testament's "turn the other cheek" sermon by Jesus has since established a philosophy of passive resistance in the world that disarms the conscience of autocratic authorities that are guilty of abusing power. This was demonstrated in the last century with the liberation of India from British rule through the passive resistance teachings of the martyred Mahatma Ghandi, not to mention the strides made by the Civil Rights movement after that, further followed up in the wake of Martin Luther King's sacrifice. It doesn't appear difficult to trace these successes of passive resistance and sacrifice through history all the way back to the retold story of the death of Jesus in a country struggling for liberation against an oppressive Roman empire. Passive resistance from ancient Israel was probably affective, but not universally embraced, and so Rome eventually saw no option but to destroy the whole ancient Israeli country, and enslave its population. The path of the Hanged Man warns us that when times get too bad then it is time for a redeemer to arrive, and for the sacrifice to be made in order to bring about change for the better. There was an ancient custom embraced by ancient Israel, although not unique to that country, of the scapegoat. The scapegoat was a form of ancient sacrifice where the evil of a particular place was symbolically loaded onto the back of a goat who was then ran out of the city as a way of cleansing the place of its evil. This Osirian path of liberation through sacrifice empowers the common man, and has resulted in a world becoming more and more democratic with populations growing greater in strength and numbers to evidently demand the amenities of a middle class lifestyle.

Aside from sacrifice, this path also is a path of discipline. For this reason the figure on the painting is suspended from a pentagram, which represents the 5th sephiroth Geburah shining upon Hod the 8th sephiroth in the area of this path on the Tree of Life. This is to represent the true will of Geburah disciplining the mind of Hod. Our Hanged Man figure represents the training of will that is accomplished in meditation and ritual by the adept of magick. Therefore this Naked Tarot Hanged Man represents an adept practicing magickal disciplines in order to accomplish the Great Work for all of mankind. This path represents the mind of the adept struggling with the influences from Severity. He appears to stand on the toes of one leg on a Tau cross of ten squares, which represents the ten sephiroth of the Tree of Life. A magick circle, which has the symbol for water and the letter Mem inscribed upon it, surrounds this Tau cross. The Naked Tarot card appears to make sense whether the card is right side up or upside down to depict the phenomenon associated with this attainment where, from the exalted vantage point of enlightenment, the world below appears reversed or upside down. A seven-pointed star also surrounds him, which is the Kabalistic number for Venus to represent again the idea of grace or redemption from above. Green is the color of Venus, which explains the dominance of that color in this painting. The idea of green encompasses the color of light redeeming darkness, further demonstrated in nature with the green produced by multitudes of plant life on Earth. Plants absorb the light of the Sun; testifying to the phenomenon of life with further growth. Photosynthesis then becomes a profound example of light descending into the darkness below in order to redeem it. This green life descends upon the Naked Tarot Hanged Man of the painting in the form of the serpent Kundalini, which the aspiring adept seeks to awaken from its dormant state at the base of his spine. Here the serpent is awake, and the adept is annihilated in his devotion to this moment. In this moment he surely dies however, with the awakening of this serpent new life also stirs. The Hanged Man is here sacrificed, and all the implications of the doctrine of sacrifice are attributed to this Arcanum. In this sacrifice the Hanged Man descends into the waters of death from the fiery light of the sun above. This water and fire both then mingle in the sky behind the Naked Tarot Hanged Man where clouds rain water into the sea.

The name of Jesus has a Kabalistic meaning in Hebrew where the name translates into Hebrew as  , or Yeheshuvehhe, or in other words Joshua. This name is made by the letter for fire and spirit, Shin  , being placed within the elements of Tetragramaton,   representing the intervention of spirit with the base elements of our nature. This five-letter name of the Christian savior is also the underlying meaning for the symbol of the dignified pentagram. The Pentagram Ritual is an example of a ritual used with a magick circle as in this painting. Pentagram rituals are for invoking and banishing elemental influences as described in the "Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic," as well as other books on the subject. The adept uses his sword or dagger for this, and in the center of the circle he begins by making the Kabalistic Cross while facing east. Then, walking forward to the east, the adept makes the invoking pentagram starting with the upward point drawing down toward the lower left point, then up to the upper right, then over to the upper left point, followed by down to the lower right point returning finally again to the original upper point. After drawing the pentagram of the eastern quadrant of air the adept vibrates the name of Tetragramaton "YHVH." The boundary of the magick circle is then drawn with the sword in a clockwise circle from east to south where another invoking pentagram for the southern quadrant of fire is then drawn and the name "Adoni" is vibrated. Continuing the circle to the west, draw another invoking pentagram for the western quadrant of water, and vibrate the name "Eheieh." Continue to the northern quadrant of earth, repeat invoking pentagram, and vibrate "Agla." Finally return to the east completing the magick circle and then return to the center. With arms outstretched in the form of a cross the adept says, "Before me Rafael, behind me Gabriel, on my right hand Michael, on my left hand Arial. Before me flames the pentagrams. Behind me shines the six rayed star." Conclude with the Kabalistic cross as in the beginning, and that completes the Pentagram Ritual. Each pentagram drawn represents one of the four elements as East = the direction of air, South = the direction of fire, West = the direction of water, and North = the direction of earth. The banishing version is identical except to draw the pentagram the adept starts in the lower left corner drawing the pentagram up to the upper point etc...in order to draw a banishing pentagram (see diagram.) The pentagram is a powerful symbol used by the adept's mind when struggling with elemental influences. With practice the weapon becomes unnecessary, and the adept can astrally draw banishing and invoking pentagrams with the imagination. With mastery even just drawing a banishing pentagram with a finger in the air over someone you find annoying will likely result in him or her going away or shutting up. Pentagrams are very affective when struggling with severity however, powerful symbols like the pentagram become fixed in one's astral field when often drawn. This can serve as protection, but some magickal writings warn that this can also serve to draw the attention of unwanted astral influences. Magick must be handled with wisdom and care. An invoking ritual in the morning can energize the day, and banishing before bed can assist with a sound sleep. Now that's good magickal training. There is also another ritual described in the Golden Dawn documents about assuming a G-d form, which sounds similar to the interpretation of the Hanged Man as G-d descending into human form previously discussed. It might be that every conception of a human being is an incarnation of the divine passing through the world of a watery womb beyond the veil in order to temporarily forget about eternity.

In view of this path connecting the reason (Hod) with true will (Geburah,) this card can represent a strong belief that encourages individual morality. It can be the holding onto a belief or opinion as a matter of faith because it anchors the mind and keeps one from drowning in a liquid sea of thoughts and conflicting opinions. There is a possibility that this upside down Hanged Man image of the tarot actually evolved from the crucifixion of St. Peter who, according to Catholic legend, specifically insisted on being hung upside down because he didn't consider himself worthy to die the same way as his savior. This adds another argument that this mysterious Hanged Man is not a traitor, but a martyr. The Old Testament says, "When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your G-d is giving you for possession." Deuteronomy 21:22-23 New American Standard Version. There are many mythological references to gods hanging from trees. Osiris is buried by Isis in a tree. Attis was hung from a tree. These ancient tree references in myth point to the mythical world tree with roots deep in our subconscious minds, of which the Tree of Life is a modern day example. Many versions of this card specifically depict the Hanged Man as hanging from an actual living tree probably to reference the Old Testament curse. In Celtic myth, the god Odin voluntarily hangs upside-down from the world tree known as Yggdrasil. Odin hung there for 9 days in order to obtain the Runes from the Well of Wyrd. In a dramatic example of the mythological resurrection mystery Odin dies when he looks upon these Runes, and then he comes back to life evidently changed by the experience.

Divinatory meanings for this card can be difficulties, crisis, or disease. The card can be telling you to let go or surrender. It can mean a change in perception as one's point of view becomes turned upside down. It could mean the gallows, punishment, and loss. This card can represent inner harmony in the face of the influence of severity, which can be causing the person suffering, sacrifice, defeat, and failure. It could mean devotion to a cause even to the point of death.

13 Death

The 13th Arcanum titled "Death" is arguably the most frightening card in the tarot deck. Many interpreters of these cards will go out of the way, it seems, to point out that this card means a sudden or unexpected change, but not necessarily physical death. That is true however, it would be hard to give this card a positive spin if it came up in a reading to find out the outcome of a dangerous surgery or something like that. The esoteric meaning of death is that it is part of a cycle, and not an end in itself. We go through changes in life that are similar to death, which can assure us that the ultimate death at the end of life must also not actually be an end, but instead a change. There is a connection of the Queens to this thirteenth Arcanum since Queens are the mothers of Tetragramaton, and the gateways of life through the womb. Many gods and goddesses, as well as ideas are born out of the Great Sea of Binah (Understanding,) who is the Queen of Tetragramaton. Birth in fact, is a kind of death experience to the baby suddenly withdrawn from his or her watery pre-birth life in the womb. We undergo from that time on, various changes discarding old ways to adapt to new ways. Those are the kinds of transformations that this card usually indicates in a reading.

The death figure on the XIIIth Arcanum of different decks sometimes is depicted on a pale horse because death pursues those that run from him. Death should be understood as part of life's cycle. Crowley's Thoth tarot Death card is a lovely picture of death's motion in cycles, done in a style similar to the famous cubist-like Dadaist painting by Marcel Dushamp titled "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2." The Death figure is usually wearing a dark cloak with the face of a skull. The dark foreboding Death figure usually has a scythe because death reaps away our very lives when he decrees it harvest time, but also because this deadly weapon happens to be a tool of life, fertility, and abundance. The death figure doesn't wield an instrument of death and destruction such as a sword or gun, but instead carries a tool of agriculture. That is an important point, and ancient myths and religions are strewn with tales promoting fertility along with gods of fertility. Many ancient customs and simple traditions of the past are mostly intended to maintain healthy fertility of either the land or the womb. Sir James Frazer marvelously documents this in the classic work without modern rival titled "The Golden Bough." As an anthropological encyclopedia of ancient myths, customs, and taboos, "The Golden Bough" begins with a description of the priest at the sacred grove of Diana in Italy at Aricia by Lake Nemi. The particularly menacing priest of this sacred grove was the guardian of the golden bough, which was a kind of parasitic plant growing on a particular tree near the shore of Lake Nemi. The golden bough plant, similar to mistletoe, was believed to get its golden hue from absorbing the power of the Sun. The priest, known as the King of the Wood, was the physical incarnation of the spirit of this forest. He could often be seen with a dark cloak, and drawn sword at night under the Moon to defend this land for the sake of the spirit of fertility who was the wife of this priest. The priest had to constantly be on guard for others who could snatch the golden bough from the tree he guarded. This was a required prerequisite in order to challenge the King of the Wood in armed combat for his coveted crown. Once this priest was slain in combat then the victor would assume the role of Priest and King of the Wood in another succession of out with the old and in with the new. Similar deadly successions were used in times past in order to maintain the vitality of ancient cultures. This was also discussed in the chapter on "The Fool" where kings of ancient cultures were challenged by strangers from without in order to maintain the vitality of the kingdom. Beowulf is a popular example. We elaborate on this here to point out the connection understood long ago between death, and fertility. The path of Death on the Tree of Life is one connecting the 7th Sephiroth Netzach (Victory) with the balanced 6th Sephiroth Tiphiroth (Beauty.) Tiphiroth is the higher mind aspired to through initiation, and this path to that initiation is the one deviating from the Pillar of Mercy. The attainment of Tiphiroth is important in life because it is the Sephiroth vantage point from which all the other Sephiroth, with the exception of Malkuth, are directly connected. As initiation orients Tiphiroth within you the entire Tree of Life takes root because we were already born into Malkuth. The way of direct salvation would be the middle pillar paths, and the paths deviating from external pillars to Tiphiroth are the more precarious routes of enlightenment. Therefore the symbol of death serves on this path as a warning for those who deviate toward the extreme of Mercy that death is the final result reached when you deviate too far in that direction. Mercy is a good thing however, those who embrace it to the extreme become too self-sacrificing, and lack the will to even stand up for themselves. Kindness can become a weakness that crucifies. The attaining of the higher mind, or even just finally growing up to put away childish immaturity, are the kinds of transformations in life that are similar to the experience of death.

Death is the mystery that challenges our higher attainment, and blocks our path to finding out what's really across that abyss. Each path connected to Tiphiroth from below represents a similar mystery. The paths this book will describe in the arcana still to come are now all below Tiphiroth reaching into the lower worlds of our manifestation. This path is one that connects the emotional world of Yetzirah to the higher world of mind known as Briah. On this Death path we begin to describe the experience of the emotional world, which connects the observing mind with the physical body. Emotions exist between the mental and the physical like murky clouds that can often block our perception of physical reality. The world of Yetzirah is of the element water where we manifest an astral body that is often set free during sleep and dreaming. One magickal discipline associated with this path of Death would be the clairvoyance attained by skrying in the spirit vision. There are many ways to skry, and many creative visual artists seem to have a natural ability. This is what a gypsy is supposed to be doing with a crystal ball to obtain spirit visions. A crystal ball is supposed to help with skrying, and the trick is to surround the ball as well as your peripheral vision with darkness by using something like a black cloth around both the crystal ball and the viewer. After staring into this field of darkness for a long time the eyes will begin to behave like projectors of waking dreams and visions. Instead of seeing the objective, which has been reduced here to just uneventful darkness, you begin to dream out loud while awake, and see what is within you now being projected upon the dark field before your eyes. That is a basic description of what skrying is, and it is a method that can lead to genuine visions as well as experiences of clairvoyance. One may also encounter preternatural influences this way, or even speak with the dead. There are North American Indian cultures that at least used to speak to ancestors who were those family members that had passed on. These dead ancestors were understood to still live on within their offspring just like the immortal dew of a duplicating genetic code. As we continue down the path of Death we may find ourselves indulging a form of spiritism. There was a popular Spiritualist movement at the turn of the last century that continues today. They are known to be mediums who can contact the dead. At this point on the path of Death we are now discussing Necromancy, and should be reminded of the warning mentioned earlier about the dangers with deviating too far in this direction. Spiritism and Necromancy are astral indulgences often made at the expense of physical and spiritual health. Many Spiritualists and mediums will probably loudly disagree with that last sentence, but this book does not apologize. The dead seem to be more than happy to welcome our company and are probably also happy to welcome us to join them in oblivion. The dead and disembodied who become trapped in life's obsession, covet the life we still enjoy, and won't be easily banished should the putrid entities manage to muddy up your astral world. These beings are probably dis-eased spirits who have failed to move on, since death should precede either rebirth or liberation according to occult knowledge. That kind of exposure to spiritual sickness can't be healthy for the astral body either, and Spiritualists are notorious for physical health problems.

In defense of this book's position regarding Spiritualism there is a quote by Aleister Crowley from the book, 'Magick in Theory and Practice,' _"One must add a word on spiritism, which is a sort of indiscriminate necromancy --- one might prefer the word necrophilia --- by amateurs. They make themselves as perfectly passive, and, so far from employing any methods of protection, deliberately invite all and sundry spirits, demons, shells of the dead, all the excrement and filth of earth and hell, to squirt their slime over them. This invitation is readily accepted, unless a clean man be present with an aura good enough to frighten these foul denizens of the pit. No spiritualistic manifestation has ever taken place in the presence even of FRATER PERDURABO; how much less in that of The MASTER THERION! Of all the creatures He ever met, the most prominent of English spiritists (a journalist and pacifist of more than European fame) had the filthiest mind and the foulest mouth. He would break off any conversation to tell a stupid smutty story, and could hardly conceive of any society assembling for any other purpose than "phallic orgies," whatever they may be. Utterly incapable of keeping to a subject, he would drag the conversation down again and again to the sole subject of which he really thought --- sex and sex-perversions and sex and sex and sex and sex again. This was the plain result of his spiritism. All spiritists are more or less similarly afflicted. They feel dirty even across the street; their auras are ragged, muddy and malodorous; they ooze the slime of putrefying corpses. No spiritist, once he is wholly enmeshed in sentimentality and Freudian fear -phantasms, is capable of concentrated thought, of persistent will, or of moral character. Devoid of every spark of the divine light which was his birthright, a prey before death to the ghastly tenants of the grave, the wretch, like the mesmerized and living corpse of Poe's Monsieur Valdemar, is a 'nearly liquid mass of loathsome, of detestable putrescence.' The student of this Holy Magick is most earnestly warned against frequenting their seances, or even admitting them to his presence. They are contagious as Syphilis, and more deadly and disgusting. Unless your aura is strong enough to inhibit any manifestation of the loathly larvae that have taken up their habitation in them, shun them as you need not mere lepers! "_

At any rate this kind of magickal thinking can lead to self-deception of which we should be wary. Another magikal discipline of this path of Death would be the magickal mind. The method of the magickal mind is also elaborated on in the book "Magick in Theory and Practice." This is attained by the practice of reversing our minds. To begin we rewind our memory for the day, then the week. At this point we might try remembering something from every month of the year consecutively back a couple years. If nothing else, this is very good for the memory, and for maintaining healthy neural networks in the brain. Eventually we dig up memories from each year consecutively backward year before year until we reach the most ancient memories we can remember. Perhaps as an example, a grilled cheese sandwich meal by father because mother was away giving birth to a brother who wasn't in that ancient memory, which would mean you must have only been 2 years old at the time. With continued practice we may find ourselves rewinding all the way back to birth and subsequently we may even begin to dig up memories from past lives. Again this can lead to self-deception, and hopefully the adept can realize when they are deviating too far toward the internal pillar of Mercy before they find themselves arguing with a bunch of others in a mental institution about who is the real Napoleon Bonaparte.

This Naked Tarot Trump seems self-explanatory since death itself is an inevitability that all of humanity throughout history has had to face, but this card is generally understood to mean a transformation similar to death, but not a literal death. It can be said that the essence of life is the denial of death, and death is the escape from time-bound awareness. Death is also the denial of the essence of life. The Death card, most of the time, does mean a more metaphorical death or transformation is to be expected. The path is one that leads to the balance of the Tree's central sephiroth Tiphiroth, and a circle is at the top of the Naked Tarot Death card along with other similar cards to indicate paths connected to the sphere Tiphiroth. This Death chapter is an essay on the first of the three initiatory paths to Tiphiroth. Initiation corresponds to the moment when the outer order Philosophus attains the inner Adeptus Minor Grade in fraternal orders of magick. Because of the dark nature of this path, the circle for Tiphiroth on the Tree of Life at the top of the Naked Tarot Death card is completely black, which has a bit to do with the putrefaction of alchemical theory also attributable to this path. As the path connecting Netzech (desire) to Tiphiroth (imagination,) this path represents our desires empowered by the imagination. This can lead to indulgences with flights of fancy, and appetites unbalanced by the rational of the opposite sphere Hod on the other side of the Tree. Again, the warning is to beware because this kind of indulgent behavior can lead to death. Be careful with that imagination, and those appetites. This black light of Tiphiroth also alludes to a paradox associated with the Adeptus Minor attainment where everything appears to the initiate as reversed. Some describe this phenomenon of higher initiation in paradoxical terms like being overwhelmed by the light of blackness, or the darkness of light. That's the kind of paradoxical description often documented by those that experiment with LSD, which has been seriously written about by some academics such as Timothy Leary, and Aldous Huxley. Such a paradox of high attainment is difficult to grasp from below, and can just as well remain a mystery for now.

The ground in the Naked Tarot painting swells with blemishes, some of which are dormant while others are erupting or in the process of exploding. It refers again to the alchemical process of putrefaction. The ancient art of Alchemy is mysterious and controversial. The Golden Dawn discusses it and describes methods of synthesizing essences from certain metals and plants for use as medicine. The elaborate and time consuming processes of acquiring that medicine was a discipline, which was supposed to reflect a higher Alchemy happening at the same time within the Alchemist while they work with metals on the outside. Ancient Alchemy was an early form of chemistry, and it established several chemical processes for synthesis that are still used in chemistry today. The Alchemist worked with the three principles of sulfur, salt, and mercury, which were not actually the physical minerals with the same names. The methods of synthesis were to extract one of those principles from a plant or metal in order to produce a medicine that corrects one of those principles in the patient. The ultimate product of these methods of synthesis is the famous philosopher's stone where the principles of sulfur, salt, and mercury are in perfect balance having no impurities. Impurities are known in Alchemy as dross. The philosopher's stone was often described as a white powder or stone, often referred to as a "tincture." The Philosopher's Stone could be used as a universal medicine to cure anything. There was also however, a mystical side to Alchemy occurring within the alchemist as they reflected the same chemical process in themselves. Often alchemical workings were slow and time consuming, and the Alchemist lived a life intimately withdrawn from the rest of the world to contemplatively become one with the chemical process they observed. Alchemy was a philosophy of evolution and the Alchemist was interested in raising the vibrations of all of G-d's creation to its purest state of reflecting the creator. Alchemists believe that everything is evolving to include metals and minerals, and that Alchemists are the human stewards of this sacred evolution. The alchemical work on one's self involves methods of purification combined with putrefaction. Putrefaction is a way of allowing the unnecessary dross of one's life to decay and rot away in order for the pure form of the self within to come to the surface. Lead is an example of a mineral with a high percentage of dross that will not evolve into the higher form of a more pure metal like gold until the dross of the lead is purified and putrefied out. In the art of spiritual Alchemy the self is purified and putrefied to the point of a transformation that raises the aspirant closer to a union with G-d and the higher vibration of the spiritual. The experiment/experimenter relationship observed in Alchemy is very similar to modern revelations by quantum physicists who have noticed that the observer is intimately part of the experiment, to the point of affecting the experiment's outcome. It was understood in alchemy that two people could do the same alchemical experiment, but only the alchemist who has undergone the internal preparation will succeed because he has attained the necessary vibration for success. These alchemical experiences were recorded in an allegorical code to keep the secrets from the profane, as well as themselves from the medieval charge of heresy. One very famous writer of this mysterious allegorical alchemical code was Sir Isaac Newton to name only one very well known practitioner of medieval Alchemy.

There are ten warts growing out of the ground on the Naked Tarot Death card to represent the Ten spheres of the Tree of Life. Because this is the thirteenth Trump, there are also 13 roses on the painting that are traditionally associated with death and the grave. Many Death cards in other packs make a point of having the death figure carry a white rose to symbolize purity. These flowers grow on the Naked Tarot Death card for the most part to represent life as it has formed from the putrefaction of a lifeless, latent seed. Only ten of these flowers however, are alive in the painting since the other three flowers have been plucked from the life giving Earth, and are being blown on the winds of death to an unavoidable fate of putrefaction. The foreground narrative in the painting divides the scene of the card into life and death, which both dance hand in hand on this path. Behind the three dead roses are piles of bone-like material, which appear to be growing from the ground in creative and barely recognizable forms. In the center of the Trump is the skeletal figure universally recognized as death. One thing to be noted about his face, or the face of any human skeleton for that matter, is the unmistakable smile that comes with every human skull. It is mentioned here to imply that a skeleton is the lingering, indestructible form of us left behind after death to represent the perfection within all of us unaffected by the charade of life, which the more fluid temporal flesh had to sorrowfully endure the abrasive effects thereof. This figure of Death also carries a scythe, not unlike traditional interpretations. Within this scythe however, are also the traditional animals associated with this path of Scorpio. In the handle of the scythe near the bony hand is hidden the sign of Scorpio  , which is attributed to this particular path on the Tree of Life. Aside from being the harvest astrology sign preceding winter, Scorpio is also appropriate for this card when one considers the often-morbid tendencies of the Scorpio personality. Scorpio therefore introduces the first animal on the card, which is the scorpion. This is represented on the painting by the blade of the scythe curving around like a scorpion's tail. According to legend, the scorpion is a very suicidal beast. When the environment of the scorpion becomes unbearable, or intolerable, it is said that the scorpion turns its impulse to fight upon itself and thus endures a suicidal change through death. The scorpion is also the animal that traditionally represents the sign of Scorpio.

Now on the painting, the other end of the blade becomes the beak of an eagle also related to Scorpio. The eagle represents the initiated aspect of death, which is exalted to fly high above the plane of solid matter. This eagle form is the same image, which is often observed swooping down from the upper right corner of other cards in this Naked Tarot deck. The higher aspect of death is transcendence, such as the salvation by hearing described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which was written to save us from the cyclical trap of endless reincarnations by showing through Buddhist symbolism, the way to transcend the extremes of both life and death. The angle of this path on the Tree of Life image deviates to the right of Tiphiroth toward the Pillar of Mercy. This skull-faced path is a warning of the extreme approached by deviating too far toward the pillar of Mercy, which consequently results in an introspective retreat into the very realm of death itself. We all flirt with this realm of death every night in the vulnerable third of our lives spent asleep. Too much attention within can blind one to the dangers from without where most of life's dangers happen to manifest, and that can more than just threaten you with death. The other side of the Tree deviates toward the Pillar of Severity, and the path of the Devil in that location warns us of the evils of deviating too far in that direction from the Middle Pillar Tiphiroth toward the material extreme of the outer pillar, but that's another chapter. Only the Middle Pillar approach to Tiphiroth through equilibrium on the path of Temperance attains Tiphiroth free of the perilous follies of Death and the Devil. This is to remind the aspirant that the narrow path of salvation is the Middle Pillar because death and evil are the undesired extremes of too much sanctification, or too much materialism. Again the lesson of the Tree of Life is balance between the two as opposed to the world's inclination to embrace the extremes. Below the wing of the eagle are scales meant to suggest another animal, the snake. The snake is Kabalistically the symbol of life compounding the irony of this card. The variations on this snake theme have filled volumes, but the snake scales on this card are to imply the snake form taken by a DNA molecule with its spiraling helix nature not unlike traditional depictions of the Tree of Life entwined with two serpents. How did ancient mystics notice that?

The serpent also implies the phallus, and brings this essay to the final animal of this path to be discussed, which is the fish. This explains the fishhook shape of the scythe, as well as the letter attributed to this card on the scythe handle, which is the Hebrew letter Nun,   meaning "fish." The fish symbolizes the doctrine of reincarnation, and the divinatory meaning of the Death card is, "change, involuntary or voluntary, but often unreflective and unexpected. Apparent death or destruction, which is illusory when viewed from a higher perspective" according to the "Book of Thoth" by the Master Therion. The point of this card is that it is possible to experience a form of death without actually dying, and it happens often in everyone's normal life. In fact it is an important part of becoming an adult that the old child with those childish ways must someday die in order to be transformed into an adult. The fish on this painting however, are actually sperm mixed with blood around the scythe of death. The fish is a symbol for the life that travels beneath the waters of the firmament. In actuality, billions of sperm perish in death like fish out of water in the act of conceiving life. Yet in the painting as in every act of conception, one in a billion survives to begin the process of putrefaction on an unborn egg. So the dew of immortality spreads through the perpetuation of life by the process of death. At the tail of the fortunate sperm is the point of Death's scythe close behind. Choose well this moment for conception of another life portrayed in this painting because in that moment when you conceive another life thou shalt surely die, for thy life is forfeit to the life produced. Once the genetic pattern is reproduced in conception, nature no longer requires you in order to preserve the precious code of your life.

The Death card can mean sacrifice of the old world to begin something new. Death precedes rebirth. As above so below. As Einstein proved through Relativity theory, nothing in the universe ever really dies, or even disappears, but instead becomes transformed into other forms of either matter or energy. Nothing ever ends, it is just transformed, and we are all connected pieces of the greater work that is in progress by the universe. Winter, with the Sun in Scorpio, brings death to the land in the wake of harvest's reaper. Winter again precedes spring, and with spring the return of life, vitality, and fertility. This fertility of the land and crops is probably an underlying theme to more myths and legends than we currently realize. Year after year the ancients pondered winters preceding springs, and saw in that process both death and resurrection. The very idea of "G-d" could have originated with ancient man's realization that this mysterious yearly resurrection must never stop or else we are all doomed. While Osiris was Lord of the Dead he was also a god of corn agriculture and fertility. His myths read like he was the original inventor of agriculture, and he supposedly traveled the world teaching people about farming. In another Greek myth, Persephone was the daughter of the Earth goddess Demeter. One day while gathering various flowers and plants Persephone was brutally swept away by Hades the god of death, who was riding on a chariot that flew up out of a crevice that suddenly appeared in the ground. The daughter of the Earth goddess was brought down to the underworld to become the wife of Hades. The mother Demeter looked far and wide for her lost daughter, and in a desperate mother's rage caused all the crops and plant life in the world to die. Demeter refused to allow life to sprout again from the ground until her daughter Persephone was returned to her. Eventually this began to deprive Zeus of his precious sacrifices so he demanded that his brother Hades return the kidnapped wife. Hades agreed, but had Persephone, in a moment of weakness, eat a pomegranate. Persephone had been fasting while she was trapped in the Underworld, because nobody can eat the food of Hades and expect to ever return to the land of the living. This caused her to have to return to her husband in the underworld, however it was agreed between the gods that she would live with Hades for one third of the year and with her mother Demeter for two thirds of the year. When this agreement was reached Demeter then returned fertility to the land. The myth is a clue to the Eleusian mysteries presided over by Demeter the Earth goddess, who although she was a sister of Zeus worthy of a throne on Olympus, she was never much into living there. Instead Demeter wanders the Earth in various forms. The myth is an obvious allegory of winter and the yearly loss of Earth's life-giving bounty because of cold and snow. After Demeter got her daughter back she taught corn agriculture to Triptolemus who then traveled the world like Osiris teaching agriculture to mankind. Like Osiris, Lord of the Dead, Persephone became Queen of the Underworld as well as a goddess of nature's yearly resurrection. Frazer, in "The Golden Bough" also makes the point of Persephone being a type of corn goddess like Osiris. Life beats death in this story, and the mother gets her daughter back, but Death also gets what he wants. On this path of Death, Tiphiroth is the setting Sun that traverses the underworld. Death is not an end, but part of a cycle.

Divinatory meanings may be a warning that resistance to change can cause death. The card could be telling you to make a change and move on. It could mean transformation that is sudden and unexpected. It could indicate a time of mourning and loss. It could mean a divorce or the end of a relationship. It could be reminding you that time is short. It could even mean death.

14 Temperance

With the XIVth Arcanum we arrive at the tarot painting of Temperance. Crowley had changed the name of this card to "Art," which does exemplify the nature of this path, however the Naked Tarot title is changed back to "Temperance." This is with the understanding that temperance is an underlying virtue behind all great art. The word "Temperance" literally means "self restraint" and it is usually used in relation to abstaining from indulgence in a liquor habit. No doubt many recovering alcoholics are familiar with the clear light of Tiphiroth that comes within view upon this path. Attaining Tiphiroth is very similar to returning to sobriety after many years of alcohol induced delusion. What's more of interest to this path however, is the definition of the root word for temperance, which is according to the Random House Dictionary, " _Temper_ _... 3. calm mood as in to loose one's temper... 5. to moderate or to mitigate. 6. to bring to a desired consistency as by blending. 7. to give strength or toughness to (steel) by heating it and cooling it. –_ _Syn._ _1. rage 2. disposition mood 3. composure._ " The title for this card is to imply the means to higher virtues like patience or concentration, which are necessary for great works, as well as enlightenment. Usually it appears that nothing short of good upbringing is going to instill the kind of virtues related to this path however, all kinds of people come to this path's light from Tiphiroth in all kinds of ways. Attainment of the path of Temperance is by cultivating virtues necessary for works of genius. Practice makes perfect. This is the path to visions of genius, which explains why the sephiroth at the end of the path is called Tiphiroth (Beauty.) Crowley once said something back there in all those books he wrote like "the artist's will extends to infinity." Actually it was in his explanation for calling this card "Art." The idea of art takes an uncountable number of forms like musicians, writers, sculptures, architects, athletes, as well as painters and illustrators, or even any craft that requires training and skill.

It can truly be said that it was artists who made the world, although they are not necessarily the ones ruling and running it. Whatever form of craft the aspirant uses, it becomes a means to cultivate a rapport with the higher genius. An artist must learn to communicate with the artist's muse, which leads ultimately to an even higher middle pillar path, the High Priestess. Visual art is seeing, just as musical art is hearing, which can both become highly developed with the practice of those arts. Art as a discipline practiced routinely can even become a form of prayer, or skrying in the spirit vision, or just a way to cultivate a better-refined soul. Art is the ultimate learning tool in preschool years when children must grasp the concepts of associating symbol with sound and meaning in order to learn how to read, write, and work math problems. Higher learning grew out of those ancient cave paintings, and children are natural artists evidently just beginning to develop that area of the brain. Like poets, children have much to convey when asked about the pictures they color. Art can divine messages from beyond one's consciousness that become like a relationship with spirit. Many artists who accomplish works of genius often admit that even they wonder how they did it. Art is a means of transcending the conscious ego to see the grander vision. The visual artist may also even be able to appreciate other forms of art in terms of their own craft such as appreciation for the balanced composition of a musical piece, or its color. Again, as mentioned in the last chapter, concepts such as to hear a color or see a sound are paradoxes associated with the attainment of Tiphiroth, the enlightened mind. This all presents a compelling argument for agreeing with Crowley, and also naming this card "Art." Some versions of this card depict an alchemist at work with his furnace, which was often referred to as the alchemist's "art." Also a good general definition of artist is someone who creates beauty (Tiphiroth,) but the Naked Tarot card features the traditional title "Temperance." The clear light of Tiphiroth on this path is the central sun of mid-day shining clarity upon a broad horizon. Temperance seems to better imply the meaning of this card, which is virtue and self-restraint, and also calculated maneuvers.

The idea behind the title "Temperance" is that it is a necessary virtue for the purpose of maintaining equilibrium, which is the true key to unlocking the light of Tiphiroth (Beauty.) For this reason the sun of Tiphiroth is blazing above at the top of the Naked Tarot card because this path connects Tiphiroth (Beauty) to the full Moon in Yesod (Foundation.) Yesod on the Tree of Life corresponds to the full Moon in nature, immediately implying reflected light from the Sun. The depiction of the Hebrew letter Semekh   on the Naked Tarot Temperance card is made to look like a bow about to fire an arrow. The arrow is made in the image of Sagittarius  , which is the astrological sign for this path. The Hebrew letter Semekh translates as "prop or bow," and the astrological sign of this path is Sagittarius, the archer of the zodiac. The Sagittarius personality is known to exert stubborn determination that is also backed by high virtuous ideals. This may be one of the reasons the symbol for Sagittarius is a mythical centaur with a bow and arrow. A centaur was half man and half horse, or animal, which symbolizes one of this card's meanings, which is the combination of opposing forces. Human nature is understood in Kabala to be half man (Ruach) and half animal (Nephesh.) The relationship of our higher and lower natures working together is a key to this narrow path of salvation. On this path we aim our will at a remote target of Beauty that may probably require many tries before finally hitting the mark.

As previously mentioned in the essay on "8 Strength," the flesh is not the enemy, and war against the flesh as a solution for becoming virtuous will not work, especially if it works. A friend who had to curb her diet because of a progressing case of diabetes once confided that the best thing she did to stop the tendency of over bingeing on eating forbidden food was to actually allow a forbidden indulgence once in a while. The mythical centaur was depicted as a skilled archer like the constellation in the sky. An arrow is understood to symbolize the will in these cards where it appears. The development of the bow and arrow had advanced the science of warfare significantly in the past when it was first introduced. The secret to this weapon that drastically improved the national security of ancient civilizations was the way it combined two things to create the weapon's greater deadly effects. That diagrams a key to this path of combining forces. This path represents activities that develop both the will of Geburah and the virtues of Chesed in order to balance them equally. The combined symbolism of someone half man and half animal who wields such an advanced weapon implies that wisdom has tamed the animal in order for them both to work more effectively together. Achieving this truce within oneself between man and animal frees one to the direction of true will like an arrow leaving a bow. A higher will is then able to guide you because you are no longer just a struggle within yourself going nowhere. It is just like the centaur who directs the arrow of will with finely tuned skill not missing the target, because his animal side assisted with the shot instead of interfering. The animal within has much strength, and potential for skill to bring to the table of the completed man or woman. This book recommends a truce.

Other versions of this Temperance card may include a rainbow to imply the Kabalistic formula of Qesheth  , meaning "Rainbow", or "Rainbow of Promise." Qesheth is made up of the Hebrew letters for the last three paths of the Tree of life that connect to Malkuth, which are the path of the Moon Qoph  , the path of the Last Judgment Shin  , and the path of the Universe Tau  . Qesheth is the rainbow veil that separates the 4 lower sephiroth (Netzech, Hod, Yesod, and Malkuth) from Tiphiroth. This rainbow also can translate in Hebrew, as "bow" as in the bow used to shoot the arrow of will from the hands of the Centaur to the target (Tiphiroth.) The Qesheth rainbow surrounds Malkuth like a veil. Malkuth is the sephiroth that is the final manifestation of G-d according to Kabala. Malkuth is the physical influence of G-d upon us dwellers in the world of Assiah, and that image of G-d is known as a body. In the Bible, G-d uses the rainbow for a new covenant with man after causing the great flood. That rainbow of promise was to indicate that the world would never again be destroyed by water. The vision of the rainbow rises above the waters of Yetzirah when the aspirant establishes the full Moon of Yesod reflecting Tiphiroth to become a Neophyte, however the rainbow is still by its very nature illusory. Tiphiroth is still not attained in Yesod, and the light of the inner self is still filtered through the prism of emotional waters. That illustrates the reflected nature of color itself as it corresponds to Malkuth. On Malkuth the colors we actually see are the opposite colors absorbed by objects because our eyes only see reflected color. Therefore in reality everything we see is shrouded by the color that everything isn't. Snow is actually black and cold because the reality is that we actually see the light reflected off of snow instead of the light that's absorbed, which in the case of 'white' means that snow absorbs very little light at all. That also does nothing to warm up the temperature of snow.

Another aspect of this path connecting the light of Tiphiroth with the full Moon in Yesod is the implication that the Moon, with its consistent phases and rapid movement through the zodiac, serves as a neurological link between our physical nature, and nature itself. The path of Sagittarius reflects this phenomenon, being the pure white light of the full Moon facing the light of the Sun of Tiphiroth. On this path the Moon is full with nothing in our moods and emotions that is hidden, or out of view. On this path of focused awareness, the full Moon in Yesod fully reflects the inner Sun (the true self) of Tiphiroth just like a mirror to the sky of air that is created by the calm stilled waters of a lake. The nature of this rainbow path is made up of pure light from Tiphiroth as opposed to reflected light from physical forms on Malkuth. When this light reflects off of Malkuth instead of Yesod it is split up into the color of form, and represents another path altogether (the Universe.) On the path of Sagittarius we see the rainbow because the light from this side of Yesod isn't the reflected light unabsorbed by form, which creates the illusion masquerading as reality for our eyes. The initial link to Tiphiroth experienced when the aspirant attains Yesod is like the rainbow because from there the white light of the Sun is broken into colors by the prism effect of emotional waters from the world of Yetziroth. There are also the rainbow colors of the other sephiroth that come into view when Tiphiroth is attained. Colors perceived in the emotional world of Yetzirah differ from the reflected colors of objects in the world of Assiah because colors made of light add together to become lighter and lighter until they become the color white like the astral body of light. On the other hand, reflected color or pigments combine to make darker and darker colors up to the opposite color black. This change in the perspective of color illustrates the change to inner light that is occurring with the perspective of Yesod (Foundation.) The colors made by the pure light of Tiphiroth at this higher perspective can then be combined with opposite colors in order to realize the pure white light of the complete true self.

Many traditional versions of this card depict the main figure as androgynous with aspects of both sexes combined. This alludes to another mystery of alchemy often represented by this figure on other Temperance cards standing behind an alchemical furnace of purification. Death was a path of putrification, and this is the path of purification. The actual details of this alchemical mystery are shrouded in symbolic language like two kinds of sulfur described as red and black dragons, a black crow that eventually becomes a white swan, and philosopher's stones. The simple explanation of the male and female androgynous figure has been best described as a union with the inner female (anima) of Jungian psychology, or in other words our actual inner Kabalistic female Neschemah. The androgynous vision depicted on some Temperance cards is that of the Alchemical marriage happening within. That holy marriage comes from scriptures found in both Jewish and Christian sides of the Bible. The combination of our consciousness with the inner female is a formula of the higher genius. Later versions of Temperance tarot cards with this male/female figure theme also include wings on him/her to imply that the figure on this card is the Holy Guardian Angel whose conversation is most sought after by the aspirant of magick. Tiphiroth is the central point in the clear skies of the world of mind, and the center within where we meet with this higher genius. Without the establishment of this Tiphiroth perspective in our lives there is no access to the higher middle pillar path of the High Priestess, the revealer of mysteries who is a more developed form of this sought after union connected to the true source of all existence, Kether.

Traditional designs of Temperance also include the figure holding two containers and usually pouring liquid from one container into the other. Different cards read different meanings into the figure's activity. Some depict the figure as diluting wine with water, which was a traditional way of curbing the drunken effects of the beverage as well as making the wine last longer. That contributes to the definition of temperance as a curbing of an alcohol habit, however the sobriety attained with Tiphiroth is a bit more than just what accompanies "getting on the wagon." Attainment of Tiphiroth is the moment of clarity in life when old ways fall way because we've finally learned from mistakes, and corrected the errors of our way. It may be the moment in life, after the lowest rock bottom moment, when nothing worse can ever happen again because from that point on in life wisdom is finally realized, and the only direction is up. That metaphor of Temperance can also be interpreted more abstractly to symbolize the tempering of one's behavior with moderation. Other cards depict that the figure is actually an alchemist skillfully transmuting water into wine, which was something Jesus is said to have pulled off at a wedding. A central theme of alchemy is turning something into something else that is even more beautiful, and more highly evolved. The alchemist practiced a western form of yoga that included purifying elements with a furnace and crucible. This resulted in a transformation of the alchemist to a higher vibration more in harmony with the divine way, or Tao. For the alchemist, this activity was the highest form of art, refining the beauty of nature to reveal the divinity within. One way for alchemically purifying the physical form in order to become more tuned into a higher vibration of light is by fasting from food while only drinking water. No more than a day or two would be recommended by this book, and fasting should always be ended by at first eating small easy to digest meals.

The arrow of Sagittarius represents the Winter Solstice, and also symbolizes directed will. The Winter Solstice is the compliment, and fulfillment of the path of the Lovers, or Gemini, which is the Summer Solstice. Likewise the Summer Solstice is the fulfillment of the Sun's winter solstice turn of direction. Following the Summer Solstice, the light of the Sun begins to deviate away from that point of still equilibrium toward the Severity of December, and the Gemini path on the Tree of Life represents connecting understanding (Binah) to Tiphiroth (Beauty.) These two cards, Lovers and Temperance, illustrate two perspectives of harmony and equilibrium. Temperance is the inner marriage while Lovers is traditionally depicted as a lovely outer marriage that like most marriages may just likely deviate afterwards toward Severity from the initial ceremony. Temperance is a personal equilibrium attained through disciplines such as meditation, while the path of Lovers acknowledges a more extroverted perspective for harmony attained through acts in balance with nature's laws like love and marriage. The path of Temperance represents inner harmony while the Lovers path is the outer path toward harmony. For this reason the same symbols are used in this painting, which were also used in the painting of the "Lovers" to make these solstice cards twins of sorts. Both cards use our Knight  , the Queen  , the Prince  , and the Princess   of Tetragramaton to illustrate the meaning. The Naked Tarot figures of Tetragramaton are arranged here on the Temperance painting with the Knight and Queen facing each other at the top in the leaves of a tree above a central figure. They here represent the inner Anima (female) and Animus (male) influences from above upon our consciousness, also recognized as Binah and Chokmah respectively. They are our inner mother and father, and the male face is yelling to illustrate that the male element of fire is an active element while the female water figure is quietly passive, and receptive. This also should be acknowledged as an example of a personal archetype for the artist. This active face of fire probably reveals that the artist who was commissioned to paint these cards is the child of an alcoholic father who yelled and fought a lot with mom before the inevitable divorce. That bit of traumatic actual personal history is so indelibly imprinted on the formative years of the artist that the inner Animus male archetype happens to take this form, and to use different symbolism would compromise honesty in an art project of self-discovery. This shouting face is a form of the great and terrible face of G-d who no man can behold and live; according to the Bible. That is why we have an inner mother of water who mediates. Perhaps the Naked Tarot will have more appeal to people who happen to be children of divorce, which would happen to be a majority demographic market out there. The actual reality of today's world is also a reason that the Lovers card depicts more the idea of procreation, as opposed to the less successful idea of marriage. That is not intended to be a license for misunderstanding the fact that the formula of Tetragramaton was the original formula for monogamy.

The leaves of the tree represent the union of this father and mother in nature because they alchemically join fire from the Sun with water through photosynthesis. In the formula of Tetragramaton, fire and water cancel each other out, and give birth to air or steam like leaves exhaling oxygen. For this reason the larger triangle gives birth to a smaller triangle surrounding the head of the central figure. The central figure's back is turned in order to show the Tree of Life as it pertains within him where Severity would then be on his right side, and Mercy on his left. Therefore the fire of Chokmah and water of Binah are also reversed in the larger triangle above since the Queen (Binah) would normally be on the other side to indicate the pillar of Severity. Likewise the Knight (Chokmah) should be on the right side for Mercy if this was like a diagram of the Tree we were looking at, however this Tree is within the central figure whose back is turned to the viewer of the card, creating the reversal. It illustrates the two ways we can perceive this Tree depending on whether we look upon a Tree of Life outside ourselves or the Tree of Life we all carry around within us. Also on this card the serpent Annanta that surrounds the universe proceeds from the mouth of Chokmah and into the eye of Binah. The snake's body crosses over to the outside of the triangles and tree where Severity is on the left and Mercy on the right as we would expect to see them if looking at a diagram of the Tree of Life. This again is opposite to the way they are for the turned around figure on the card. That illustrates a right/left paradox that our brains are constantly correcting for, because brains behave like a reflecting mirror to what is perceived. Science had not yet discovered that the right brain controls (reflects?) the left side of the body in this way, and visa versa back when the ancient Kabalists first observed that paradox on the Tree of Life. That is the way we illustrate the paradox in allegory for this painting. In a similar way the lower triangle on the card (Microprosopus) is the reflection of the greater triangle (Macroprosopus.)

The illustration of this card also mirrors the leaves of the tree above by showing a reverse tree on the central figure's back growing upside-down approximately where his lungs exist. It is well documented that the aviola of the lungs resemble inverted tree leaves, just as the lungs are filled with channels that bear a striking resemblance to tree branches. The glaring irony of this connection is the fact that the lungs take in oxygen while exhaling carbon dioxide. Likewise trees take in carbon dioxide, and exhale the blue oxygen filled sky of air for the sake of all us breathing animals on Earth. This alchemy in the painting continues where the lungs connect to the trunk of a tree, and the figure becomes that Tree. The tree trunk is covered with red bark to imply the blood of the body saturated with oxygen from the lungs. That illustrates that the working of this path cultivates the Tree of Life within in order to find the narrow middle pillar way of salvation. The other elements appear in our body's personal alchemy as Earth   in the form of food that is ingested and converted to water   or blood, by the fire of digestion  . The inner spirit   of the heart is intimately connected with the lungs of Air   to circulate this water around the body in the form of blood. Out of this grows the body of the figure on the card who extends the hand of Cain with a hammer and the hand of Able with a wound to represent the outer pillars of Severity and Mercy. An interpretation of this hand of Cain (Severity) and hand of Able (Mercy) also appears on the card's VIth Arcanum twin. The hand of Severity and hand of Mercy are as they would appear within the figure who has his back turned to the viewer away from our world outside in order to view the world within. The card's figure, at the same time, is also remaining undisturbed by memories from the past. These pillars of the body are reversed on the other twin path of Gemini because on that path the figure is facing outward or toward the viewer, and on this path his back is turned in order to represent the inward perception where the outer extreme of Severity is ignored. On this path, the figure of Temperance is turning his back to the viewer to symbolize introspection or meditation, which is the way of this path. The figure does this not to embrace memories from the past, which would be shifting attention to the pillar of Mercy, the extreme opposite of the future. Instead the figure is digging his roots into the ever-present middle pillar moment of now. That right/left paradox on the card is mirrored in the design of a magick temple by the positions of the pillars at the temple entrance juxtaposed with the pillars as they appear on a diagram of the Tree of Life located above the alter in the east. When standing between the entrance pillars, Severity is on your right and Mercy is on your left, as they would manifest within you. The diagram on the altar however, is facing you from without, and thus Severity is on the left while Mercy is on the right, just like facing another person with the Tree of Life manifesting in them. This acknowledges that the right brain controls the left side of the body as the left brain controls the right, and differentiates the intellectual appreciation of the Tree from the actual experience of the tree growing within. As in a mirror, there is juxtaposition at work between reality, and the perception of what we think is reality.

The serpent of Annanta who surrounds the whole universe on the VIth Naked Tarot Trump called "Lovers" also plays the role of prana in this painting of "Temperance." The prana crosses the right/left hemispheres and then spirals downward on the painting to form Severity and Mercy as they should appear in the outward expression of the Tree of Life. Where the serpent's head and tail meet on the bottom of the card is where the subjective waters of memory meet the objective shores of the physical universe where we also see the figure of Temperance standing with one foot (root) on water and the other on land. Standing on the mental waters of consciousness to the right is the Prince of Air wielding a lance that bears the fire of Chokmah joining with these inner waters of consciousness to create steam, and a metaphor for the creation of thoughts. On the other side the Princess of Earth entwined with the pillar of Severity in the form of the serpent, spills a grail filled with waters from Binah (Understanding) upon objective reality. This water forms a puddle irrigating the dry sands of Severity to create an allegory of our sentient influence upon the physical plane. The Princess faces left toward Severity, and appears to be walking away into Severity where the future forever dawns upon us. The future then recedes within us into the past covered over by an ocean of memory where the Prince of Air is shown wading in the waters. Those extreme pillars of Severity and Mercy are actually not part of this middle pillar path. The path of Temperance is on the middle pillar where inner and outer extremes are brought into perspective, and balanced by the juxtaposition of opposites. On the path of Temperance the future from the pillar of Severity, and the past from the pillar of Mercy are held at bay by the ever-present true reality of now. On this path of the present the central figure grows like a tree of equilibrium in deep meditation when memory becomes silent, and the back is turned away from the outer world to concentrate on that ever present now.

Upon the path of Temperance we find ourselves on the 2nd of the middle pillar paths. It is the balanced connection to the central sephiroth, and is a path of centering, balance, and finding harmony with the Tao. A good discipline for cultivating this center of the true self within is basic eastern transcendental meditation practiced on a daily basis as much as possible. Two basic forms of meditation are known as mantra and dharana. A dharana form of meditation is the harder of the two, and involves maintaining a visual image in the mind with eyes closed to the exclusion of anything else. A couple minutes of success at such a grueling mental activity of holding a single image in the mind would be a significant attainment of discipline, and most people claiming this is easy for them are just liars. Meditation is generally conducted in a quiet setting with the body in either a sitting position with a chair, or with legs crossed on the floor, perhaps with a pillow to sit on to prop the body into a balanced poise. The important point emphasized by most New Age gurus is to keep the back in a straight upright position in order to assist with raising up the kundalini or shakti force at the base of the spine. Once in the meditation position, begin an unforced rhythmic breath with a brief period of rest before inhalation and also before exhalation. Again the New Age gurus all chime in to have you remember to breathe from your lower abdomen so that you draw the air from deep within the lungs. This rhythmic breath is known as Pranayama, which should continue until a stillness sets into the body that is restful yet poised. That stillness is known as Asana, and is a form of trance that is very similar to what the body also goes into every night while asleep. The waking trance of Asana can now be combined with a method of focused concentration such as dharana by visualizing an image like a red triangle while stilling distractions within the mind at the same time. That is dharana mediation.

This brings up a good place for a quick paragraph about Tatwas. Tatwas are esoteric Northern Buddhist symbols made to represent the 5 lower elemental chakras of eastern thought. They each represent a shape, a color, and a related magick word for vibrating. The first of these is Prithivi representing the earth chakra at the base of the spine. It is an orange-yellow or amber square that can be conjured with the word "LAM." Apas represents the next higher chakra of water around the lower abdomen area of the body. Apas is represented by a silver crescent Moon shape with the horns of the Moon both pointing straight up. The magick word for the water chakra is "VAM." The next chakra is Tejas representing the fire chakra in the stomach area, which is a red equilateral triangle pointing up. The magick word for Tejas is "RAM." The lungs feature the chakra of air, which is represented in the Tatwas by a blue circle called Vayu. Vayu is similar in color and shape to that large blue disk that is the sky. The magick word of Vayu is "PAM." The fifth and final Tatwas is a black or dark purple egg shape shown with the wider side at the top and slim side on the bottom. This is Akasa, which represents spirit or the ether, and is associated with the magick word "HAM." In fact it's kind of the shape of a canned ham, or at least it always will appear that way now since this book mentions it. Like the symbol of the pentagram discussed in a previous chapter, these Tatwas are powerful symbols for visualization that can assist in dharana mediation, and can also be used in workings of magick.

Visual aids of these symbols can be made on cards to assist with concentration, and are ideal for use with the practice of dharana mediation. After staring at one of these symbols on a card for a couple minutes to burn the image on the eyes, close the eyes and you will see the same shape before you in its opposite color because of the behavior of the eyes when they become fatigued this way. For a few seconds this is exactly how a dharana meditation should vividly appear in the mind, but soon distractions are sure to set in, and also the image burned there from staring at the Tatwas will soon fade away. With forced concentration of imagination you can maintain that image before the closed eyes. Work on changing the opposite color you will see into the actual color of the Tatwas with your imagination. Continue to maintain the shape appearing before the eyes. This is difficult to do and the silver crescent shape of Apas for this writer seems to be the most difficult Tatwas to meditate on this way. Chanting the magick word of the Tatwas can assist with associating the symbol with the word, and when concentration starts to fade chanting the magick word can assist with bringing the image back in order to return to the meditation. Apas is both a difficult color and a difficult shape for visualizing. In addition to assisting with dharana meditation, these symbols become associated with the chakras for the aspirant who can then use them as tools to focus the power of the chakras for magickal works. Tibetan Buddhist monks use these symbols to acquire potent magickal powers that are capable of anything from controlling emotions all the way to murder. As an example lets say it is a cloudy day with rain coming down to ruin an outdoor concert or something like that. The aspirant attending such a concert can possibly summon the magickal powers necessary to save the day for the sake of a whole audience of concert attendees. First, with the intent of clearing up the clouds, visualize Vayu over the cloudy sky as a big blue circle.

Vibrate the word "PAM." Then visualize a red triangle of Tajas appearing inside the blue circle and growing within it. Now vibrate the word "RAM." Continue to visualize the power of Tejas growing in Vayu while vibrating the words until the Sun appears in the clearing clouds and the rain stops. This is a formula for weather control and success depends on the magickal development of the aspirant. One may become surprised to witness the rain ending just in time for the next concert song. Tibetan Buddhist monks are known to demonstrate this weather control ability, however a strong component of magickal success is synchronicity with the Tao, or in other words always finding yourself at the right place and right time to fulfill your magickal will. Magick is a life of synchronicity.

Another approach of conscious brain activity combined with Asana and Pranayama is to rapidly repeat a mantra or multi-syllable word over and over again in the mind, also with eyes closed. A mantra is a tool that can be used to drive away all other thoughts. This is usually easier than dharana, and will work for developing the concentration and discipline needed to succeed at dharana. The stilling of the mind with either dharana or mantra combined with rhythmic breathing and the trance of Asana should be maintained for several minutes. Perfect stillness of mind is the goal. The mind will resist this, and slip away into memories of the past, or else the awareness will explore sounds outside, or fantasize on the future and make plans for what to do when the meditation is through. The aspirant is advised to not become distracted, or frustrated. Just gently, but firmly return to the now and continue on with meditation. This stillness is a formula for attaining the full Moon of Yesod (foundation,) clear of emotional distractions. If back problems or something like that eventually spoils the stillness of the Asana trance then perhaps the sitting position in a chair with an orthopedic pad is the better meditation position. There may be no proof that a lotus position has any more benefits, and even if there are benefits, maintaining the stillness of Asana would be more important for attainment than the cutting off circulation to the legs or something like that. Meditation done daily is supposed to lead to enlightenment and union with G-d. Thirty minutes, at least once a day would be a good spiritual workout, and spirituality takes practice.

It was often said by authorities of the Golden Dawn, such as Israel Regarde who was a college of Aleister Crowley, that Golden Dawn attainment of the Adeptus Minor Grade required the aspirant to maintain a perfect Asana trance for a whole hour. The Adeptus Minor Grade was associated with admittance to the inner order and corresponds with the attainment of Tiphiroth. This was tested during the initiation exam by placing a cup of water on the aspirant's head, which was filled to the brim. The aspiring Adeptus Minor had to meditate in perfect stillness for an hour without spilling a single drop of that water. Meditation to whatever degree one is able to practice has long-term benefits other than just Samadhi and union with G-d. New Age gurus also agree that meditation's effects, like exercise, are cumulative as long as you persist as best you can. Continued practice can lead to absolutely no more sick days because meditation promotes higher immunities in the body, and relieves stress. It steadies digestion, and encourages the body's metabolic processes through the rhythmic breath combining periods of rest before inhalation and exhalation, which cellular tissues and organs just thrive on. This rhythmic dance can tune one in with the way of nature itself, or in other words the higher vibration of the Tao. Breath and air have long been related to thought in eastern mysticism, and aspirants may find themselves breathing deeper in response to injuries in order to send immediate relief to that area of the body along with prana in the blood. Meditation is a way of pressing a kind of reset button in the body to relax the buildup of stress and tensions. It is an alternative method, other than Tai Ch'i, that also allows the vital energy of the body known to the Chinese as 'Ch'i' to move more freely throughout the body. Tai Chi is a more active form of meditation based on movement instead of stillness. Daily meditation will prolong life and youth. Practitioners at a glance seem to have naturally relaxed facial wrinkles that are known to increase with age. They seem to maintain a youthful appearance late into life without any need for the unhealthy use of botox. That is a benefit that can be seen at a glance by comparing faces of people who meditate to people who don't. The very act of regularly attempting a meditation will instill basic discipline while also training your will and strengthening your awareness. Most of these mentioned benefits have already had the studies and tests done that are required in order for science to be in agreement. Meditation is the mystical key to the middle pillar, as well as the way to finding the higher genius.

Divinatory meanings for the card Temperance would be the combination of forces to achieve success. Moderation and self-restraint. Good management with accurate calculation and coordination. Success after elaborate maneuvers. The card could be suggesting that you temper your behavior.

15 The Devil

Like the Death card previously discussed, the image of the XVth Arcanum titled "The Devil," is also almost universally recognized. This is unlike the last initiatory path to Tiphiroth called Temperance, which remains the more obscure initiatory middle pillar path of salvation. The image and archetype of the Devil has evolved to this current age through a wealth of church folklore that springs out of obscure Bible references, along with uninformed stories about paganism. The generally agreed on image of the Devil is of a horned man, half goat and half god uniting the lowest with the highest. That indicates that this path is the path of Capricorn  , which is an astrological sign that resembles a creature, half goat and half fish. That, unlike the animal/human centaur of the path of Sagittarius, indicates the uniting of the animal with an even more basic or fundamental nature below with no higher influence from above. Some depictions of Capricorn are of an ambitious satyr-like creature, much like the old god Pan who most resembles the agreed on image of the Devil, or Satan. Church lore describes Satan as a spiritual adversary, also known as Lucifer who was an angel of light and music.

To the Christians, Satan seems almost as omnipotent as the G-d they believe in. The archangel Lucifer rebelled against G-d in Heaven. Lucifer was cast down to Earth to wander the world. He seeks to enslave mankind to indulgence and sin with his powers of temptation. Some like to use this Lucifer the angel of music legend to explain why Rock and Roll music is the Devil's music, and evil. Christians have a ready scapegoat for their shortcomings in the Devil, and are notorious for using the "Devil made me do it" excuse. The Devil is understood to preside over Hell where, according to Christianity, we can become condemned to this Hell in the afterlife should we somehow/.\\\ fail to qualify for admittance into Heaven. The underlying theme of this path of the Devil is the idea of evil.

The image of the Devil is obviously the old god Pan who was a lesser Greek god of pleasure, abandon, and wild behavior. Medieval Christians recognized this evil in the old horned fertility god of the Wicca who are traditionally associated with the biblically forbidden witchcraft, although a lot of Medieval Wicca probably just did midwife work to assist women with pregnancy. The Devil worshipers and pagan Wicca were notorious for seeking high mountains to celebrate their worship and Sabbath, such as the Druid's Salisbury Hill in England. This was similar to the mountain worship going on in the Old Testament, which ancient Israel had such a problem with. Mountain worship may help explain the reverence on the part of pagans, Satanists, and Wicca for goats and rams that generally are mountain creatures.

To Kabalistically appreciate this archetype of evil we first recognize the path's place on the Tree of Life connecting the rational of the sphere of Hod to the influence of the imagination from Tiphiroth. This results in our imaginary ego construct gravitating around the Hod sphere of rationality. The path of the Devil on the Tree of Life corresponds to the Hebrew letter Ayin   which translates as the word "eye." The idea of 'eye' implies our point of view, and a self-centered frame of reference, or in other words the Freudian ego filter. An ego is not evil in itself, however left to grow as a center unto itself, the ego will crowd out the rest of you with a self obsession that is more than just simple selfishness. This self-obsession can be the pride that comes before destruction. Selfish egocentricity is a root source of psychosis like that of the sociopath. Egoism and self-importance serve as distractions from the concerns of the opposite pillar of Mercy, which is a more self-sacrificing frame of reference. As human egos, we see ourselves as in charge when really we are just clever animal pets in the care of a higher spirit. Too much of the selfish ego can make the balance needed to find the Tree of Life's middle paths impossible. The idea of the Devil concerns this material world on the pillar of Severity to the exclusion of the more introspective and spiritually inclined pillar of Mercy. The path of Ayin, (the eye) is a materialistic path of criticism, skepticism, and disbelief in the unseen. With a carried away ego we become subject to the sins of lust, passion, obsession, and greed just for starters. Indulgence in an ego construct is really just setting the lower animal (Nephesh) loose to take over, which is the actual meaning behind the goat-fish and the Satanic Pentagram  . Dignified pentagrams that point upward represent our four base elements guided by a fifth element, the divine spirit. The ill-dignified pentagram that is associated with this path however, represents the oppression of that spirit, (Tao, or the correct way,) by the taking over by base elements in our natures, which make up our health (earth,) emotions (water,) thoughts (air,) and will (fire.)

The Devil card in a tarot reading is often interpreted to indicate that a person with a shady character will become involved in the matter. This path is the path of an alpha male who rules and manages to get laid, so beta males should stay out of his way. This card in a reading could indicate a powerful man who is hard to resist. Traditional versions of this card usually show a dignified pentagram or a hexagram in the air above the Devil's head. The Devil's head on such cards is often a goat's head with horns and ears made in the shape of an ill-dignified pentagram. The dignified symbols above the Devil's head on such cards indicate that although the Devil is evil and chaotic, he still operates under the will and guidance of the divine. That concept continues to confound philosophers and theologians who wrestle with belief in a just and good G-d of creation who allows evil.

The Kabala is not without a theological explanation of why there is evil in the world. The doctrine is known as Tzimtzum, which is a Kabalistic theory that explains how the cosmos emanated from nothing. Kabalist Isaac Luria wrote the doctrine of Tzimtzum in the 16th Century. According to Tzimtzum, before the beginning, all was just Ain Sof, or the limitless form of the deity. Here we begin with the philosophical dilemma of explaining how a perfect deity manages to create imperfection. The Kabalistic explanation is called the Simsum, or contraction of the deity in order to create a vacuum used to contain the original nothing. This original vacuum is called Tihiru, and that area that the deity withdrew from is where evil originated. From the original nothing emerges Kether as a beam of light creating the original vessel of the divine that was called Adam Kadman, (literally "Primordial Man," or "Primal Man.") This story is to explain the creative act of the divine with emphasis on why G-d has to be separate from creation. G-d must be separate from the creation because otherwise creation would be perfect just like G-d. However the created Adam Kadman is an unstable vessel in the world of Atziluth and a break occurs that floods the six lower sephiroth below Atziluth. This break was called Shebirah, and it also caused 288 divine sparks to fall upon Malkuth, resulting in the qlipoth of the underworld. The qlipoth below Malkuth, where the falling divine light landed, are the source of demonic influences and demons.

After this Kabalistic Big Bang of sorts, Kether became the Holy Ancient One or Greater Countenance, the source of divinity. Chokmah and Binah became Abba (inner father) and Imma (inner mother.) Chessed to Yessod became the Zeir Anpin, or Lesser Countenance. Malkuth is then the female companion to the Lesser Countenance also known as Nukba de-Zeir or Rachel-Leah. Not only does this creation story bear a resemblance to 20th Century Big Bang theory, but also as Big Bang theory began to develop in the 1970's, physicists were able to use math to explain the split second just before the Big Bang took place. They arrive at a similar explanation. In the Inflationary Big Bang theory from the late 1970's, physicists describe the pea-sized universe at the moment of the theoretical Big Bang. During this brief split second of the beginning, forces called HIGGS are holding the new universe together, however like the original Adam Kadmon vessel, the HIGGS forces are unstable. Thus the emerging universe cascades into matter allowing the force of gravity to suddenly mathematically play a role in the emerging Big Bang universe within that first second.

According to Isaac Luria's Tzimtzum theory, we now live in a period called Tikkun, which is a time for reconstruction of the shattered deity, and rectification of the world back to the original perfection. During Tikkun, which we now live in, we are to find these divine sparks that fell to Malkuth hiding in the husks of the material world, and raise them back to the divine source at the beginning. At the time of this writing, enormous city-sized particle accelerators are being constructed to try to recreate the conditions in sub-particle collisions that would prove the existence of a HIGGS particle. This all sounds very similar to the goal of ancient alchemy. So the evil in the universe is a product of Tzimtzum, a kind of G-d-less darkness resulting when G-d withdrew the divine light to create a vacuum that would contain the new universe. Perhaps the further we gaze into the history of the universe with stronger and stronger telescopes in order to explain our existence, the further we go to ultimately focus upon ourselves within where we also existed as a pea-size universe before cascading into existence. As above so below.

Other Devil cards such as the one in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck depict two naked demons, one male and one female who are chained to the Devil to represent those people chained to the habits of sin. The card's demon couple bears a resemblance to the two who are getting married before a priest on the Lovers card of the same deck. On that Rider-Waite-Smith Devil card, the two newlywed lovers have become degraded into demons of the underworld, now ruled by fear and no longer love. That could allude to self-bondage by an idea such as marriage, or else the repressed and unmentionable desires that lurk beneath the rosy pretensions of a romantic relationship. The two demons represent those that the materialistic Devil chains to this world of duality in order to blind them to any perception of a higher reality. Those demons also may represent an arguably true, but cynical view of many marriages once the honeymoon is over. These two demons might also refer to Sandalphon and Metatron who are the female and male archangels of Malkuth, sometimes depicted with horns. The path of the Devil is also the path of black magick. As explained above, this is the path of the ego, and the ego tends to be selfish. A quick definition of black magick would be selfish magick, or any magick that interferes with another's will. That would include charms, fascinations, love potions, curses, and hexes to name a few. The study of Kabala is looking at the whole picture, acknowledging the entire nature of the divine in order to find the balanced magick between duality's extremes. The path of the Devil is where to find exceptions to the rules. By studying Kabala we attain a view of the entire picture organized with everything in its place, to include a time and place to break the laws, in order to realize balance. That differentiates Kabala as white, holy, and divine magick. This is a book about white magick because the Tarot illustrates the anatomy of G-d along with these 22 Arcanum paths of the human soul. Never the less the entire picture includes this evil, (or more appropriately amoral,) path connecting Hod to Tiphiroth. On this path one can storm the attainment of Tiphiroth by force, or else one can deviate too far from the divine Way, which leads to unbalance, ill-dignity, sin, and guilt.

The Devil is a pagan path of wild abandon in homage to Pan, or impulsive celebration in homage to Dionysus. On this path we celebrate the drunken indulgence of the mystery of Baccus, or here we play mischievous tricks and practical jokes as libations to Loki. This is the path of paganism where ritual and ceremony are enthusiastically embraced. That includes the idea of sacrifice of animals to magically obtain the essence or vital force from that animal in order to bring it in magickal subservience to your will. On this path the ego is free to indulge cynical doubts, skepticism, and the self-accusations that influence us like Satan. This path connects Tiphiroth with the outer pillar of Severity at the point where our rational in Hod discerns the material world. Therefore on this path we tend to call things as we actually see them with the rational, whether right or wrong, good or evil. That seems to attribute a type of frank honesty to the Devil that differentiates him from what we regard as truths. The Devil thinks the "truth" is full of it.

Modern Satanism embraces the extreme of a materialistic interpretation of reality, yet at the same time plays magickal games with the spiritual, using ritual and curses with no perceived contradiction. Satanism is a philosophy that basically says, "why not just make everything about me?" Satanism even has its own Bible written by Anton LaVey in 1969, who was the founder of the Church of Satan in America. Satanists do ceremonies that are deliberately intended to be an irreverent antithesis of ceremonies by the Catholic Church. Satanism is a deliberately selfish embrace of extreme materialism, and about doing whatever it is you want without any regard for morality, or right and wrong. For the Satanist, there is no such thing as "spiritual," and there is only this material world to conquer. Like the follies discussed with the path of Death, this path can also deviate from the true way resulting in unbalance as well as backfiring magick spells.

Another problem with black magick is this unintended backfire rebounding effect described by some practitioners. There is a popular urban legend regarding this rebounding effect in the trivia about the black magick practiced by Anton LaVey of the Church of Satan. According to interviews with Jane Mansfield that were recorded in the book " _Jayne Mansfield"_ by May Mann, Anton LaVey, who was the Black Pope of the Church of Satan, had become smitten with the actress. After Jayne Mansfield's death in a car accident LaVey started the rumor that he had an affair with her. It's hard to believe the word of a satanic high priest, but LeVey had also claimed at the time that Jane Mansfield's death in a car accident was the result of him putting a curse on her boyfriend Sam Brody. This is only mentioned here as a profound example of the unintended rebounding effect that black magick can have, which produces results contrary to the intended purpose of the spell. A working of magick that is intended to interfere with another's will can often meet its magickal match and backfire. That is why this book encourages white magick, which doesn't violate the Law of Thelema, discussed earlier in the chapter on "Lovers." The magick force thus sent out to interfere with another's will could backfire, and return to the one who cast the spell, resulting in unwanted consequences. Not a lot of good can be expected from such a back-stabbing philosophy of life like Satanism. It is essential that the practitioner of magick be justified in the working of a talisman or spell in order to maintain balance or justice. That is the definition and folly of black magick, and members of the Church of Satan indulge these deliberate and selfish spells while at the same time denying the existence of an unseen world of the spiritual. Anton LaVey's own daughter, Zeena Schreck, claimed to have used a ritual curse to bring about her own father's death after years of satanic infighting that resulted in her joining a rival cult, the Church of Set. LeVay's High Priest of Satanism remains were cremated and distributed to privileged members as a source of powerful magick.

According to the Golden Dawn System, the magickal title for this Devil card is "Keeper of the Gates of Time." That associates the Devil with the phenomenon of time, and therefore on the Naked Tarot card a yellow circle representing Tiphiroth at the top of the Devil card is made to resemble a clock. The clock has eleven element symbols for 11 of the astrological elements of the zodiac signs, plus the symbol for the cardinal Earth sign of this path, which is Capricorn at the top midnight witching hour position. An ill-dignified pentagram is drawn on this clock for reasons already discussed. The archetypal Devil has manipulated our obsession with time ever since mankind first began trying to devise calendars for synchronizing the planting and harvesting of crops. There exists a Devil in the details of the calendar year. The problem for ancient day-counting farmers is that it has always been an uneven number of days that we've had to work with in the year. Even the current Gregorian calendar needs leap years, and we've rounded the problem to a 365-¼ day year, however accurate that actually is. Atomic clocks sometimes even need a second added to the year because the Earth has been slowing down lately. According to the 20th Century World Ephemeris, "Since 1890's the net effect of the variations in the Earth's rotational speed has been that the Earth has been slowing down. By 1983 the actual rotation of the Earth had fallen behind its assumed uniform rotation by fifty seconds of time. This difference is called the Delta T Correction. (As of the 1980's it has been increasing by 1 second a year.)"

The Devil archetype enslaves us to time-bound awareness, and in fact loves to make our daily time-bound drudgery a living hell. The Apostle Paul is quoted in the New Testament describing the Devil as "a liar and the god of this world." Like the Devil, the real world inundates our imaginations and rationality with utterly bold-faced lies used to describe our reality. For that reason the Naked Tarot Devil has a single eye in the shape of the traditional TV sets that are blatantly used to frame our beliefs about reality via illusion. Without going too far into arguing that television is a deceitful mass mind control device, this book will just mention an example from the 1999 Yugoslavia uprising that unseated President Slobodan Milosevic. At the time an attempt was made to keep this event out of everyone's sight by the state owned television stations that were consequently broadcasting nothing but an uninterrupted piano-playing concert while protesters stormed the government buildings.

Television is a recent invention that appears to echo a prophesy about the Hindu eye of Shiva. It was said in ancient times that one day the Eye of Shiva will open and destroy the world as we know it. For this reason the single eye of the Naked Tarot Devil bears a resemblance to a popular traditional American network television logo, while he uses it like a TV to entertain, brain-wash, and enslave ten people he carries with him on his arm. The Devil is an archetype of the blind volition and change that is happening with our evolution, guided only by natural selection without conscious regard to right and wrong. The present reality is a world rapidly overhauling itself in this blind volition of evolution, and reality is quickly unfolding into the next great mass extinction on the planet. Therefore the Naked Tarot Devil bears two horns that spiral around each other like the helix pattern of DNA molecules. The god of this world enslaves us to the clocks and drudgery of thankless work making others rich. Beneath this Naked Tarot Devil are hoofs that shine like spotlights, and they are used to tempt human egos with empty promises of fortune and fame. Beneath those spotlights are three more of the Devil's victims in free fall who have surrendered to an inevitable oblivion as the victims of romantic notions in early life that didn't turn out to be true. To make the total number of human victims equal fifteen for the number of this Arcanum, two more humans on the card also celebrate beneath the spotlights safely atop crystal mountains of the material element salt, just enjoying the show. One positive light that can be shined upon this path is the path's connection to a sense of humor.

The Naked Tarot Devil flies with a scary pair of bat wings in contrast to the more attractive eagle wings on the opposing Death card. These lower paths connecting to Tiphiroth, (Devil, Temperance, and Death,) are often depicted as images with wings because these are the paths that take flight above the lower, more familiar worlds. Saturn rules Capricorn and so this card depicts a Devil using the planet Saturn as a steering wheel for wherever it is he is going. The name Satan is phonetically related to the word Saturn and possibly derived from it. So where is the Devil taking us? No doubt the deceitful autocratic god of this world would love to convince us again that the world is flat and the universe revolves around the Earth if he could. Saturn is known as the taskmaster of the zodiac because, as the farthest of the planets visible with the naked eye, it governs circumstances that happen from beyond our control. This makes the influence of the planet Saturn in astrology chaotic and challenging, which is typical of the life of many a Capricorn. Mankind has become divorced from nature, perhaps as a result of developing these ego constructs that love attention and need so bad to be remembered. We bury our dead in a universal collective embrace of the idea of an eternal soul, or in other words the ego. We are the only animals that wear clothes, and cook our food. That may give us some idea about how this Devil is steering our world. If this is the time when the mythic Eye of Shiva opens to destroy the universe then perhaps there is truth to be found from those that see Revelation's image of the Beast that talks as a prophesy of television, which is worshipped an average of 7 hours a day. That kind of loyalty to an illusory image is more than equivalent to Old Testament idolatry, which so offended the Old Testament God. Televisions also evolve along with everything else, and currently are becoming eclipsed by millions of interconnected computers steering us to a future that arrives exponentially quicker than the best predictions can currently keep up with.

This Naked Tarot Devil is leaping off this cliff of salt with careless abandon. Like other depictions of the Devil, this card displays a prominent penis representing the creative impetus to perfect the world that is the nature of this path. Also this path knows no shame, and is a path of forbidden sex acts with the kind of tolerance that is comfortable with all kinds of deviancy and perversity. This is the path where men tend to see with the third eye between their legs. It could be said that this path of the Devil is nasty, and all about having a good time. Dante describes a first level of Hell where philosophers are allowed outside the greater torments of the lower levels. The rivers of Hell originate on this level of the philosophers, and they flow from melting that occurs at the Devil's frozen penis of ice. These rivers that originate at the ice-cold penis lead us into the deeper depths of Hell's torments. This is another card that deviates to an extreme from Tiphiroth like the Death path on the opposite side of the Tree. Be warned that this path flirts with folly. Death represents the absence of existence while the Devil is the wholehearted embrace of that same existence to the exclusion of anything beyond. The Devil is greedy materialism while Death is the absence of materialism.

Divinatory meanings for this card could mean that you should loosen up because you're too restrained. It could mean you should go have yourself a nasty good time. It could mean that you should be ambitious. Take what you want. Be number #1. It could indicate involvement with a powerful man who is hard to resist. It could mean materialism, excess, raw ambition, or passion. It could indicate drinking, drugs, addiction, or enslavement and the folly of sin. The Devil is the original party animal.

16 The Blasted Tower

Continuing consecutively through the tarot arcana now brings us on the Tree of Life across the border of the world of mind (Briah) to the world of emotions below (Yetzirah.) Here the feelings and emotions that are below our consciousness have their subconscious influence on our actions and thoughts. On this side of that border is this lowest horizontal reciprocal path where desire (Netzech) influences the rational (Hod.) This horizontal reciprocal path of Yetzirah corresponds to the 16th Arcanum titled in the Naked Tarot as "The Blasted Tower." The path corresponds to a world that actually exists close to this world of manifestation (Assiah,) which is our ultimate destination with these chapters on this journey of arcana. The reciprocal path of the Blasted Tower in Yetzirah is where emotions struggle with that manifested world out there, however this perspective on that struggle is still a subjective one where we frame and superimpose our own personal delusions upon the manifested objective world. The archetypal symbol appropriate to this path in Yetzirah is of a tower being destroyed by lightening. This archetypal tower is constructed by our own rational and desires, and the underlying message of the symbolism is that what goes up must eventually come down. That is because our approach to objective reality always begins with limited understanding. Understanding is the name of the sphere of Binah, a supernal sephiroth in the world of fire, far away from this Yetziric world of emotional waters. Thus making this path susceptible to delusion. The walls of this tower that we build for ourselves are constructed of lies that we use to explain things to ourselves. These lies delude us, and create limits to our perception of truth. The walls of this tower made of lies crumble before reality and truth, which is the meaning of the lightening bolt that destroys the tower, reducing those lies to useless rubble that can never again become our refuge. This path is the way of world history where false concepts and arbitrary institutions eventually become discredited and made obsolete, to be replaced with more enlightened and current ideas. History appears to have no exceptions to the rule that empires rise up and grow until they are destroyed by their own growth. Ages and Aeons are destroyed in war and violent disasters, turning that devastation into a fallow ground for a new age. As elaborated in the Death chapter, death and life are stages of a single force. Life and death are partners embraced in a single dance.

The path of the Blasted Tower is the path of war, and it is attributed to the planet Mars, named after the god of war. There is no evolution without effort. The path of the Blasted Tower will shake things up in life, sometimes literally. The lesson to be learned from the experience is that something new can be built on the ruins. That lesson alludes to the narrow way of escape accompanying the three horizontal paths where they cross the middle pillar of salvation on the Tree of Life. The symbol of this tower describes the emotional world of Yetzirah as a tower made out of our dreams. On this level of the Tree of Life, our world is no longer as ideal or intellectually appreciable as the higher paths. The world of Yetzirah is the astral world where we dream, and mingle the objective perceptions with our subjective delusions. The Blasted Tower card in a tarot reading is a very scary card to see because it reminds us that life is an unpredictable struggle. In life we scheme and struggle against futile odds in order to satisfy our desires. We build up these towers of security in our lives to provide refuge from a cruel world so we can calm our emotional waters. Each of our lives may be a tower of delusion to some degree, but it satisfies an essential need for shelter, protection, and comfort. One hard to accept truth of life, which keeps us stranded on this side of the abyss, is that we all are mostly submerged in our own emotional and intellectual assumptions and prejudices. Many can hold the fort of ridiculous beliefs for a lifetime without compromise, but eventually reality and truth destroy those delusions. Our tower is destroyed, and we fall from our comfortable perch in that tower. We become finally forced to think outside the box. In this process of creation and destruction, we evolve.

One way of interpreting the Tree of Life as the paths of wisdom begins with the first 10 paths of wisdom, which are the 10 sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The 10 Sephiroth are actually influences instead of paths, which we mortals experience when we orient ourselves to certain places between sephiroth, but they are also known as the first 10 paths of the Cabala's 32 Paths of Wisdom. That makes the 11th path of wisdom the path of the Fool and so on consecutively through the arcana, making the 16th Arcanum of the Blasted Tower the 27th path of wisdom, for a total of 32 paths of wisdom on the Tree of Life. This card, representing the 27th Path of Wisdom, has also been known as the "Lightning Struck Tower," or "House of God," as well as other deviations on those themes. This path of wisdom has been known as "Victory over Splendor" since it illustrates the crowned victory of Netzech acting upon Hod, which means 'Splendor.'

On the path of Mars, Venus (desire) acts through Mars (strength) in the form of energy upon Mercury (the rationality.) In other words, desires from the pillar of mind effect the objectively oriented rational on the pillar of body so that rationality devises plans to be energetically applied towards the fulfillment of desire. The path of the Tower is the first reciprocal (horizontal) path of wisdom when the Tree of Life is viewed from bottom to top as with the process of fraternal initiation. These reciprocal paths join the outer pillar extremes of the Kabalistic system, which can be interpreted as the pillars of body and mind, represented by the pillars of Severity and Mercy respectively. The 3 reciprocal paths of the Tree of Life are where the horizons of our subjective experiences in the three higher worlds (Yetzirah, Briah, and Atziluth) of the Kabala exist, which are interpreted as the plains of body, mind, and spirit. The highest reciprocal plain is the spiritual plain of Aziluth, which is absolute reality that corresponds to the reciprocal path of the Empress. It is the highest supernal plain of absolute true reality where the destructive lightening bolt that strikes this tower originates. Below that supernal plain is the plain of mind or Briah where the reciprocal path of that plain of existence is represented by the Strength card. The lowest of these planes comes closest to our physical reality, and is represented by this path of the Blasted Tower. This is the lowest subjective horizon where the subjective is confronted most directly by the objective material world, however all these paths on the Tree of Life are subjective by nature. The objective can be said to be represented on the Tree by the 10th sephiroth, thus categorizing all the dimensions of reality. Therefore this path of the Blasted Tower represents our emotional (Yetzirah) struggle with physical reality instead of physical reality itself. The 27th Path of Wisdom is the lowest of the three reciprocal paths.

It is on this plain in the emotional world of Yetzirah where the subjective emotions experience the objective, and we consequently create or destroy the world around us. On this painting, the symbol for Mars  creates the lightning from the central Sun, which knocks down the crown of misinformed, egocentric material thoughts. Mars represents these energies of universal motions that evolve and effect the world as we know it. The triangle at the end of the lightning is the power of the supernal triad of absolute reality, which descends and destroys the tower made up of our false and material reasoning. The digestion of the stomach also demonstrates this energy of Mars, and the stomach is where this path corresponds anatomically on the Tree of Life when considered superimposed on the human form. This path corresponds to the 3rd fire chakra of eastern philosophy. The lightning is spiritual truth, or absolute Supernal Truth that breaks down ignorance, and false reasoning. That ignorance and false reasoning are made up of the illusions created by our misinformed interpretation of the objective world. We get so deluded by how we wish the world worked, and what could be but isn't. Our perception of the world is a product of the brain's interpretation of sensory input, organized based on experience and presumptions. In fact, all of us have a blind spot in our field of vision that the brain just automatically fills in for us so we never notice it. In a more specific sense this lightning effects our consciousness with the experience of a momentary glimpse of truth. The glimpse of truth can then bloom into realization, or in other words an epiphany. Basically the energies of Mars are involved with breaking down existing forms to make new ones. The digestive process of destroying false forms and systems to make way for more refined forms and systems that replace the old ones is obviously linked to our evolution as individuals and as a species, as well as our evolution as a society, and a world system. The Blasting Tower represents the evolution of societies and world systems in a broader sense, and is a powerful metaphor of the systems we build up until they are no longer sustainable in cooperation with the reality of nature. Therefore they collapse to be replaced with more enlightened construction. This association with digestion is illustrated by the Hebrew letter Pe`, which is in the center of the symbol of Mars on the Naked Tarot painting. The letter Pe`,   means literally "mouth," which is the bodily organ that begins the digestive process by literally breaking down existing forms for the sake of making new ones. Since Pe` means "mouth" in Hebrew, a mouth manifests on the Naked Tarot painting in the lower left corner. The descent of supernal truth is the life force within, and it descends into the conditions of material existence, subconsciously influencing our thoughts, to be eventually expressed through the use of language, which is another function of the mouth. Therefore the mouth in the painting is producing a stream of imagery to represent the phenomenon of language also produced by the mouth. It is with language that we weave the intellectual and social webs of our lives until we eventually become trapped within some kind of self-constructed cocoon of our own flawed logic. Because this path is desire acting through the energies of Mars upon the rational, there arises a definite analogy to the orgasm produced by sex, made obvious by the phallic image of a tower blasting. This phallic symbol of the blasting tower arguably makes the orgasm allegory undeniable. Obviously the effect of desire acting upon rationality is likely to set one out on a mission to satisfy sexual desire. Ultimately the imagery from the mouth in the painting evolves into the Tower itself like the tangled webs we weave with language.

The Naked Tarot Tower also morphs into male and female figures, both involved in a passionate embrace. These two figures represent the dualistic nature of this path where inner and outer experiences become united through the influence of Victory (Netzech.) This union of inner and outer is symbolized in the Venus symbol of Netzech by the fact that it encompasses all of the sephiroth of the tree of life when superimposed upon it. That is at least one reason the symbol for Venus   is known as the key to the whole system. Therefore on this reciprocal path of the Tower the figures of inner and outer experiences unite through the forming of the tower, and consequently fall away when the tower is destroyed by supernal truth. That ultimate destruction may arrive when true reality itself dispels the delusions and pretensions of a relationship, and the love is no longer blind. In the painting the male and female figures who fall from the tower also illustrate the general nature of the male and female orgasms. The female orgasm becomes elated and appears to possibly begin to fly while the male figure falls limply to the ground in surrender. These male and female figures in the painting are also the female pillar of severity or body and the male pillar of mercy or mind. There is an analogy of this path in the Biblical story of the Hebrew judge Samson. Samson built up his strength naturally by just growing his mane or hair, but the twisted intrigues of his life resulted in a hair cut that took away his super human strength, which resulted in the capture by his Philistine enemies. That profoundly allegorizes one's false pretensions, or source of strength being brought down by reality in the end. Samson brought down a tower of sorts by pulling down two pillars that held up a Philistine temple that was filled with all those enemies at the demise of his life when he was their captured prisoner.

The path of the Blasted Tower marks the crossing where mind meets body to become united and merged with the middle pillar of spirit. Severity can be regarded as the pillar of body while mercy is definitely the pillar of mind, and the middle pillar can be defined as those elusive points of equilibrium where mind and body are in harmony and balance with nature. As for a distinction between spirit and soul, soul is the subtleties of our nature that make us uniquely human. Modern schools want to treat the concept of soul as taboo when really they should be nurturing the souls of children with those virtues that make us uniquely human. This is because "soul" is being confused with "spirit," when they are two different words. Spirit, on the other hand, has to do with absolute reality or truth, which underlies and illuminates these illusions we call reality. It isn't wise to be dismissing concepts like soul and spirit to the dustbin of silly primitive superstitions. The path of the Blasting Tower represents those moments when truth and reality show themselves, and dispel our delusions. Since the tower is of illusions that are destroyed, it assures us that we really don't have reality figured out. We don't have reality figured out as individuals or even as a species. The truth is always still 'out there' across an abyss. The part of us that is spirit, or our true reality, was never born, and shall never die; perhaps unlike our souls. Just as the figures unite and ultimately fall from the tower in the painting, body and mind can become united in the presence of the immortal spirit for a time, but ultimately they will fall away when we return to the concerns of the living.

The Naked Tarot Blasted Tower card shows a triangle at the end of the bolt of lightening that destroys this tower. This is to represent that it is the supernal triad of absolute reality that destroys the tower we build. The Golden Dawn version of this same tarot card makes that same point. Where the tower is destroyed, two figures are falling. They represent the duality of existence, and one is male while the other is female. They represent the Shiva and Shakti forces described in Hindu mysticism. These two figures represent the Ida and Pingala forces described in the 3rd chapter on the High Priestess. They are Yin and Yang as well as the male and female pillars of the Tree of Life. When interpreted as Shiva and Shakti they are male and female energies that become united at times to experience a form of awakening that ultimately awakens the mythical serpent Kundalini. These minor awakening experiences are known as Sushumna, which rises up the spine for about 20 minutes out of every 2 hours according to certain schools of eastern mysticism. The male energy, called Shiva, is known as the static force that manifests in many ways such as the energy of synaptic exchanges in the brain, for example. Another static force analogy would be the printer ink that is used to publish books. The female energy is called Shakti and it is known as the dynamic creative side of the same force, like the thoughts produced by the brain's synaptic exchanges, as well as the ideals conveyed by the printer ink with the written language it produces. On many levels these two Shiva/Shakti energies can come together to stimulate evolution. When these energies within us come together in a bond similar to marriage, we bring ourselves closer to the great and terrible glimpse of the union with G-d that is the ultimate reality. That awakens the latent energy of Kundalini said to lie dormant at the base of the spine. The greatness and terrible qualities of this experience depend on how prepared one is for the experience at the time and place in life where it occurs. Kundalini is described as an inner animal synonymous with the Nephesh in Kabala. Kundalini may perhaps be the inner instinctive animal that once dominated us in a less evolved primal age, before being made latent by the ego, and the evolution of human consciousness in the mind. Sometimes this kundalini experience in life happens all on its own unannounced, and may even be brought on by circumstance.

The path of the Blasted Tower makes up one of the crosses on the Tree of Life, and kundalini is like a crucifixion of the ego when it is suddenly rudely awakened by reality. This cross on the Tree of Life looks the same as the highest cross on the Tree that is made up of the two crossing paths of Empress and Priestess. Except that on the Tree of Life's lowest cross, the vertical section crossed by this path of the Blasted Tower has been split into two paths. The lower Kabalistic cross illustrates the duality of this lower level of existence, which becomes a singularity on the path of the High Priestess. These animal energies must be handled when set free, and many fail in the task. The inclination of kundalini energy is to rise up through the chakras, and initially it will subdue the lower sephiroth of the kabalistic soul before being subsequently mastered by the enlightened mind. The problem is that only an elite minority of us are mystically disciplined and enlightened enough to allow this flood of kundalini to rise completely through the chakras in the experience of true reality called Sahasrara, which leads ultimately to Samadhi and union with God. For a vast majority of even fraternal initiates, certain chakras are closed and don't completely allow kundalini to rise any higher. This will make the blocking chakra become flooded with kundalini energy. That is likely to make that chakra a dominant and powerful chakra in the body. Many go their whole lives just fine with that, and can use those increased chakra energies to their benefit. Still others may recognize it as an obstacle to mystical attainment, and find a more proper balance in life in order to allow kundalini to more completely rise even higher, thus causing mystical attainment and evolution. For some people, kundalini is only temporarily restricted, and will break free of the closed chakra on its own, thus bringing about another Blasted Tower experience, which ultimately will also evolve you, but the experience is not at all painless. Kundalini is primal energy, and animal-like. The very dangerous experience of this awakening must be mastered, and many warn that the failure to do that can result in psychotic delusion and insanity. According to the Kabala, the demons and repressed psychological influences exist dormant within the qlipoth, buried in Malkuth for most of our lives until a time when the qlipoth break open to release those Kundalini demons like a prison break from Pandora's box. Facing these repressed demons is part of the process of waking up to the real you.

(A beast with 7 heads and 10 horns)

For the most part the theme of the 27th path of wisdom is the breaking down of existing forms to make new ones. As a consequence, the lightning flash on the Naked Tarot card breaks up the top of the tower into sixteen pieces that fly through the air in all directions. That of course is to illustrate that this is the XVIth Arcanum. One meaning of the Tower implies the raising of walls around us to ultimately create a fortress of possessions, thoughts and preconceptions in life. This fortress rises like the tower during life to the point where it one day will reach a destructive climax. Often such a total destruction of one's world can set one more free then they have ever been before in their life. That would be sort of like a successful mid-life crisis. From these pieces of the destroyed tower we arrive at the final symbol on the painting, which is the Eye of Shiva appearing on the falling crown of false material reasoning. The Eye of Shiva is from a Hindu sect, which embraces a prophecy that says that in the last days the god Shiva will open his eye and then the universe will be destroyed. There is also a similar interpretation of the Eye of Shiva with the XVth Trump as the eye relates to television and similar evolutions like personal computers in this day and age. One interpretation of this card is the rejuvenating effect of war, and its ability to destroy an old age and instigate a new one. As far as the dawning age of Shiva is concerned, this path eludes more to the Mars energies that cause a new age to dawn. Nothing lasts forever, is an underlying lesson to understand. This path can be looked at as the place where we create and destroy the world around us. The divinatory meaning according to the Thoth Tarot deck is "quarrel, combat, danger, ruin, destruction of plans, escape from prison and all it implies."

Crowley's Thoth Tarot version of this card just calls itself "The Tower," and the Book of Thoth seriously considers calling this card "War." Other names on other decks would be "House of God," as well as "The Blasting Tower" instead of the word 'Blasted.' The Naked Tarot title "The Blasted Tower" conveys a pun that is reflective of the frustration of this path. The phallic analogy to this archetype is inescapable, alluding again to the male sexual energies of Mars. That symbol is also obviously the biblical tower of Babel being destroyed by God, and esoterically like the servants of Nimrod, we do build this metaphorical tower in order to reach heaven in life. Some of the oldest decks don't include this card at all, and one of its earliest incarnations, in the Minchiate deck, depicts a woman and a man fleeing out the door of a burning building. They look like classic depictions of Adam and Eve fleeing from the Garden of Eden, chased by the flaming sword that kept them out according to scripture. There are times in life when the preconceived paradigm is incorrect, and your old beliefs are proven to be lies by knowledge of reality. During these times it is like the world around us is going up in flames, and we can evolve to save ourselves by abandoning the burning building of old worn-out beliefs. Otherwise we fail to think outside that box, and become condemned to life in the flames of lying to ourselves with childish fairy tales. The truth is painful like fire to these types of people, and they can often be seen covering their ears in the audience of truth, making noises to prevent the ears from hearing truth's painful sound. Many versions of this card show the top of the crumbling tower as a crown falling from the head of the tower because the card means the dethroning of an ideal, or an exalted position. The "Book of Thoth" relates the male and female figures falling from the tower as "the will to live and the will to die." The analogies to this ideal can be seen in the leaves of trees that burst out in the Spring to live, and then fall to decay in Autumn, as well as sperm that fall to the Earth in an act of dying in order to fertilize life.

Divinatory meanings for this card can be "a breaking point, climax, circumstances coming to a head, the rug will be pulled out from under you." The Blasted Tower card could mean that reality is about to destroy a paradigm constructed by your own ego. An epiphany is coming, and the realization of a truth is going to dispel a lie. It could mean crisis and sudden change, chaos and hard times. It could be a falling out of a partnership, a breakup, or a divorce caused by infidelity. It could mean escape from a real or metaphorical prison. That Blasted Tower means struggle, war, and ruin. Yikes!

17 The Star

The seventeenth Arcanum is titled "The Star", and is also known as "the Daughter of the Firmament." The card usually depicts a woman who is naked to face the whole world just like the great expanse of the heavens in the clear night sky. She is similar in many other decks to the woman on the Temperance card and both cards usually depict vessels with liquid being poured out. Unlike the Temperance card where the liquid pours from one vessel into another (introspectively,) the woman on this Star card is pouring the liquid out everywhere. Usually she is depicted pouring out one vessel on the land to irrigate the material world, and the other vessel pours into the water illustrating her manifesting influence on the waters of the subconscious. The idea behind her pouring out the vessels is the idea of manifestation of the macrocosm on the microcosm, which is a central thesis of astrology. That is also a central rule of this system expressed in the proverb of magick, "as above, so below." The water on this card represents the water of the emotional world of Yetzirah, which reflects the subconscious that ultimately comes from the great sea of Binah (Understanding) from above. The pouring fourth of water by this card can signal an emotional release, which is a formula for clarity of vision to help with assurance for the future. That gets to the basic meaning of the Star tarot card, which is hope. Another symbol that is often shown on the Star card in other decks is a small bird on a tree in the background of the card. That symbolizes the Egyptian Ibis of thought benefiting from the trees that grow thanks to her nourishing waters poured out on the material world.

The Naked Tarot Star painting very closely resembles the traditional interpretation. The figure is a very real woman with one leg in water and the other leg on land. On the Naked Tarot Star card she is pouring water from two jars, one over her own head, and the other in the water next to the shore. This woman is "the goddess Nuit, our lady of the stars", as she manifests in the stars of the finite universe, as opposed to the infinite universe where she is the reining goddess. In math and physics she is the power of infinite numbers where the secrets of the true nature of the universe may reside. An example might point out the way the infinite number Pi defines the circumference of circles and spheres, which observation concludes, are fundamental structures for this universe molded by gravity. Now the truth is that the finite universe doesn't really exist, however we can only seem to understand the universe in finite terms. For instance the straight line doesn't actually exist. Yet our mathematics and geometry are based on the straight line as a fact. The truth is that the straight line is only the limit of any curve before it bends the other direction. The manifesting goddess Nuit of the painting bears her very full breasts to connect with the analogy of the very breast-like jars pouring forth abundance. The upper jar is made of gold, which is the metal alchemically attributed to the Sun, or Tiphiroth the mental sphere of imagination. From this jar the water pours forth over her head demonstrating the inexhaustible possibilities of existence as well as the imagination. This is the water of the upper firmament, and is ethereal by nature. It is from this ethereal water that the waters of the lower firmament manifest. This upper jar bears the symbol for Aquarius   the Water Bearer who in mythology is the cup bearer of the gods, providing water for the gods as well as man. In Greek myth Aquarius was associated with the boy Ganymede who was a beautiful Trojan prince kidnapped by the eagle of Zeus, and brought to Olympus to become the god's cup bearer. In Sumerian myth where the name may originate, Aquarius was said to have caused the great flood. The Lower jar on this Star card is marked with the Hebrew letter He`  , which is attributed to this path. That is the Thoth interpretation of the deck and traditional decks actually relate this card to the Hebrew letter Tzaddi  , which makes more sense in terms of the Tree of Life paths we are consecutively describing in the order of the Hebrew alphabet in these Arcanum chapters. This change to the order of the cards is all basically because a preternatural intelligence spoke to Aleister Crowley once saying, "all these old letters of my book are aright, but Tzaddi is not the Star." The changing of a card's Hebrew letter has the affect of changing the card's position on the Tree of Life since the paths connecting the Sephiroth are arranged according to the Hebrew alphabet. Because of the upper / lower nature of this Arcanum however, the card fits comfortably in either position on the Tree. The Hebrew letter He` is also the second, as well as the last letter in Tetragramaton, and it is attributed to the female element water in the second letter, and the female element earth in the fourth letter of this divine name of the 4 elements. In this sense the Hebrew letter He` represents the upper and lower waters of the firmaments as they manifest. In Genesis #1 there is a separation of the firmaments, and the Earth comes forth from the sea. In the painting, the goddess Nuit has one leg in the water, and the other leg on the element earth, which suggests this connection with the Hebrew Letter He`. Other decks might make the point of her having one leg standing, like Jesus, on the water as an analogy to the way stars reflect off of water. The lower jar on the Naked Tarot card is silver, the alchemical metal for the Moon, which corresponds to Yesod (Foundation.) The water poring from this jar is the immortal liquor of her life. This lower water of the Moon not only manifests as the effects of intoxicants, but also the more subtle chemical effects of the body's hormones. These, along with blood and all the other fluids of the body are where this lower water makes up the lakes and rivers of the emotional world called Yetzirah. Many health problems are probably caused by this world of Yetzirah suffering drought, therefore keep your rivers flowing, your wheels turning, and your fountains spouting.

In the upper firmament interpretation of this card, the water of this card is poring forth into the sea of Binah where understanding meets the fertile Earth, and manifests. The gist of this manifesting quality of the sphere of Binah can be explained here. Kabalistically Binah doesn't manifest at all, and definitely not before the spheres of Kether and Chokmah appear first to establish the phenomenon of identity, and reflection of identity with the 2nd Dimension. One can think of Kether as a singularity or 1 dimensional point while Chokmah is represented as a circle around this point made up of a single line consisting of an infinite number of Kether points   like the astrological symbol for the Sun. This diagram however is two dimensional, which diagrams the limitations of the first two spheres of the Tree of Life in the supernal world of idea. You have here everything to produce idea in two-dimensional symbol through language, but the dimension of Understanding (Binah) has not yet been introduced, so the symbols of Chokmah that make up the supernal world of idea are just what they are. The sphere of Binah encompasses both Kether and Chokmah, and also, has the ability to manifest on the third dimensional plane being itself the establishment of the 3rd dimension after Chokmah establishes the 2nd. Binah is the third dimensional foundation of manifested existence within the unmanifested supernal world of idea, which provides for the establishment of Chesed (Mercy), the actual manifestation of the third dimension below the abyss. With the introduction of Binah (Understanding,) the two-dimensional symbols produced with Chokmah can now become language. The junction on the painting where the sea meets the land illustrates this idea of manifestation unfolding from the sea of Binah in the supernal plane.

These waters of the goddess Nuit are further developed into the subject of this Naked Tarot painting by the star symbol that surrounds the head of the goddess. This star is seven pointed, and made up really of two stars, a higher, and a lower. The star is seven pointed to connect this path to the place on the Tree of Life where Yesod meets the seventh sphere Netzech. Crowley proclaimed a change in this position for the new aeon, putting the position of this card on the Tree of Life between Tiphiroth and Chokmah, again demonstrating a dual higher and lower aspect to this path. Perhaps Tzaddi is not the Star because "you are a star" as Crowley always used to say. The star on this painting has seven points also to represent the seven higher wandering stars of the Kabala in the night sky. These planets are arranged clockwise on this card according to their numeric Kabalistic order on the Tree. The first is Saturn, the farthest planet visible to the naked eye, " ," which is the planet attributed to the sphere of Binah. Similar to our earlier diagram, the appearance of this planet through a telescope also beautifully illustrates the 2nd and 3rd dimensional aspects of Binah because the planet is an apparently two-dimensional ring around a three dimensional sphere  . Clockwise from Saturn, the planets are Kabalistically arranged on the Naked Tarot Star card as Jupiter   attributed to the 4th sphere Chesed, Mars   for the 5th Sphere of Geburah where the 4th dimension of time is now effecting the 3rd dimension established by Chesed. The Sun, Tiphiroth   is the 6th sphere introducing consciousness and self-awareness to our kabalistic genesis. The 7th, Netzech, is attributed to Venus  (desires,) and the 8th is Hod, Mercury   (intellect,) followed by the 9th closest sphere of the Tree of Life, which is Yesod attributed to the Moon  . These kabalistic spheres are also the astrological stars that are visible with the naked eye. They move about our finite universe interacting in synchronicity with all the subtle changes of our yearly seasons like a grand tapestry of divination that has always reflected life in these lower waters. That is the central thesis of astrology, which is a point of faith to the modern mind. This thesis however, played right into ancient man's god-fearing logic, but no justification for this thesis is really required if the book you are reading is about astrology, the tarot, and magick. Astrology is either at least given the benefit of the doubt as true or else rejected by the individual, and the subjective nature of astrological effects make it hard to measure independent of the bias of an individual. That being said, the raw data of astrology is also numeric and precise, which means that it is at least scientific enough to be programmed with a computer, and its effects can then possibly be measured against the science of probability to perhaps establish a scientific justification for the thesis. For instance we could find out if more split personalities and diagnosed schizophrenics happen to be Gemini's as opposed to people who are Taurus. By astro-logic the effects of these planets can be discerned, for they are the stars linking the changes of the higher firmament to the lower firmament of manifested existence. You can give it the benefit of the doubt or not.

Astrology is a way of using stars to divine the macrocosmic effects on the microcosm of our subjective lives. It suggests a geocentric interpretation of the universe pointing toward the center where G-d is found surrounded by the four cherubim of the fixed signs for the zodiac. This begins with the Kabalistic understanding of the wandering stars, also known as planets even though the Sun is hardly a planet. The Kabalistic order of the planets begins with Saturn, the planet that governs circumstances beyond our control. Then there is Jupiter, the planet of our dominion, or the circumstances we do control. The next planet is Mars, which astrologically governs our strength, will, and sexual energy. The Sun is a greater central astrological body that centers our astrological inner self, which defines the blueprint of our basic personality depending on what astrological sign the outer Sun resided in at the moment of our birth. Venus astrologically governs our desires and Mercury governs our intellect. The Moon is another powerful astrological force like the Sun, which defines our emotional Moon sign at birth, which reflects our emotional nature, as well as governing our moods while it journeys through the entire zodiac every 28 days. In addition to a Sun Sign and a Moon Sign defined at the moment of birth, there is also our Ascendant sign that is represented by the astrological zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. The Ascendant divines the general impression that we give to others, which is not necessarily the same as how you actually are. Determining the impression you give to others depends on the exact time of day that birth occurs, and can roughly be calculated with some accuracy by figuring that each sign is on the horizon for about two hours. If sunrise is roughly at 6:00 am, and you were born at sunrise then your Sun sign and Ascendant sign would be the same. If your sun sign is Aries for example, and you were born at 11:30 am then your Ascendant would be over 5 hours beyond a 6:00 am sunrise in Aries; making your Ascendant 3 signs beyond Aries, or in other words Cancer. This means that even though you have the aggressive qualities of an Aries, you give people a more domestic and quiet impression because the Cancer Ascendant determines astrologically what kind of impression you give to other people. By astrologic, the Ascendant has a direct effect on what one's face will look like. Because the astrological definitions of the visible planets were established in the Middle Ages, there have since been other planets discovered beyond the faint twinkle of Saturn's orbit. Since that time these new planets have been added to Ephemeris and astrologers have astrologically expanded the science of astrology to include Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

The path of this Star card is attributed to Aquarius, and the first of these new planets, Uranus, has since been assigned the role for planetary ruler of Aquarius. The planet Uranus would logically be the planet of the 2nd Kabalistic sphere of the Tree of Life, Chokmah, but this book will leave that to dispute. Uranus is astrologically understood to be the planet of radical revolution, and is the first really transcendental planet in astrology. By transcendental it is meant that these outer planets move very slowly through the zodiac, such as seven years for the planet Uranus before it completely traverses a single sign. That makes the astrological influence of these newly discovered planets to be longer lasting and to encompass more the historic times we live around than having a direct effect on us personally. Planets become "dignified" when they are in the sign they rule, and a planet's energies will dominate in a ruling position over the sign's influence. The ruling sign is always opposite the sign where a planet is in detriment, and planetary energies are under the control of the sign's influence in those circumstances. There are also the astrological signs for a planet's exaltation and fall where planetary energies are either in harmony or disharmony.

The circumstance of the transcendental planetary influence of Uranus dignified in Aquarius means these planetary energies were in control of that period of history. Because the naked eyes have never seen these new planets they work as undercurrents that define our times. As an example of how this works, the planet Uranus has been identified as the planet of explosive upheaval and radical revolution, which rules the zodiological sign of Aquarius. Since this planet's discovery, it had not been in the sign of Aquarius since World War I. The planet Uranus didn't enter Aquarius again till April 2, 1995, when the explosive upheaval of the Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995. After that, the planet retrograded back into Capricorn before then being established in its seven-year rule of Aquarius, which included 9/11 and the start of the Iraq war. Points of planetary transitions like this are said to be the most volatile times according to astrology, and historically speaking, these seven years of Uranus rule were very explosive. A year later when the retrograding was done, Theodore Kaczynski the Unibomber was arrested on April 3, 1996, and he released a radical manifesto for his explosive revolution. The explosive world-altering events of 9/11/2001 fall under this reign of the planetary ruler of Aquarius, and here we just mention the highlights of 7 very explosive years. For an encore the planet Uranus first left Aquarius March 11, 2003, which was right before the shock and awe invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. The planet then retrograded back into Aquarius for a few months, while that war retrograded into an enormous mess, profoundly demonstrating the transition of the transcendental planet of explosive revolution through the sign it rules. The planet Uranus will now keep its explosive influence away from its ruling sign for at least another 70 years from the time of this writing.

Neptune is known as a generational planet because it spends 14 years in each sign. Neptune influences our escapist urge, along with creativity and intuition. The influence is like that of an inner trickster who seeks to make you fool yourself. Pluto represents the bridge between spiritual and material worlds. Pluto spends 12 to 32 years in a sign. The same logic of some Kabalistic systems that argue to assign the sphere of Chokmah to the planet Uranus might argue that Neptune corresponds to the sphere of Kether, but there is no kabalistic sphere to argue for Pluto by this same logic. Then again that works out because Pluto was recently demoted by a consensus of scientists away from the status of actual planet. Still we haven't seen the last of Pluto as far as recent publications of the 21st Century Ephemeris are concerned.

These 7 visible wandering stars, or planets form the higher star on the Naked Tarot card while the lower star is the seven pointed star of BABYLON, eluding to a magickal system from Crowley's secret order. Babylon represents the manifested world system and profoundly illustrates a link between the Kabalistic order of the planets and the worldly system of the 7-day week in our established Gregorian calendar. Babylon also represents the outer world system of everyday life in a biblical sense. This star of BABYLON is on the painting to demonstrate a materialization of the goddess Nuit. When the present day Gregorian Calendar was established the seven days were attributed to these seven visible planets in our painting. The week traditionally went Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), and Saturday (Saturn). If the viewer observes the planets clockwise around the star they are seen in the numeric Kabalistic order of the planets as they are arranged on the Tree of Life. However, if the planetary order is observed by following the line of the Star through the star of BABYLON from point to point, the viewer will observe that these planets are arranged in the exact order that they appear for the days of the calendar week. This could have been intended from the beginning of the establishment of the Gregorian calendar by those with knowledge of Kabala, or we could be observing a profound confirmation of the truth that is the Kabala. This could be a manifestation of the original logic used to arrange the days of the week in relation to the planets. It makes a lovely illustration of the link between the higher and lower worlds of Kabala and Babylon, which this path represents. If the calendar was designed that way on purpose it adds additional antiquity to this ancient system of mysticism, implying a connection of Kabala to those who decided the order of our current calendar week. This star symbol phenomenon could also be one of those synchronicities discovered in the days of the Golden Dawn, which are used by preternatural intelligence's to let us humans know they exist as higher influences on our lower mundane lives.

The meaning for this Star card in a reading could be that its telling you to be open to new ideas. You need to listen to the still small voice within you. This card means that there is light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel, but you have not arrived yet. You are on the right path. Hope assures a happy ending, but the end still has to be reached. This card can be saying that there will be a time for rejuvenation after a rough patch. The card is a good omen, and can indicate something hoped, or wished for depending on surrounding cards. A Star is a guiding light, and some decks even place a star in the lantern carried by the Hermit of the Ninth Arcanum card to elaborate on that theme. This card assures us that no matter what has been lost, there will always remain knowledge, experience, and hope. This card means healing, and can indicate emotional release, a need to cry, or to come to terms with the past. This card indicates help from friends, or spiritual insight and clarity of vision. The card can mean unexpected help, optimism, faith, harmony, joy, and regeneration. As above, so below.

18 The Moon

The Moon Tarot painting is the 18th Trump, which corresponds to the Hebrew letter Qoph,   and represents the path of the astrological sign of Pisces  . The sign Pisces is the final sign in the Zodiac, and represents the final mutable stage of winter before Aries ushers in life's spring spectacle once again. It has been written that the last sign of the zodiac represents the gateway to resurrection, and the persistent spring season each time the Sun is in Aries confirms this esoteric interpretation with the blooming of trees and flowers. Many believe this gateway to resurrection to be represented by two fishes because the symbol for Pisces appears to be two fish kissing, or one fish staring against its own reflection. The constellation got its legend from Greek myth when Aphrodite and her child Eros were fleeing the monster Typhon. All the gods at first fled from Typhon when he attacked Olympus and the gods escaped by changing into animals. Aphrodite and Eros each changed into the fish honored with the Constellation to commemorate that time of the great battle with Typhon. The esoteric interpretation of the Pisces symbol however, is that of two moon crescents joined. Also, since they show the crescent faces in reverse order according to the Moon phases, (Chokmah   first quarter waxing, then Binah   last quarter waning,) the symbol indicates that Pisces opens up to the entire fluctuation of the Moon's phases as they would be Kabalistically arranged between Chokmah, and Binah. Pisces therefore represents all the phases of the Moon from the start of the Moon's waxing to the end of its waning. In the Naked Tarot painting, the Sun is below Malkuth representing midnight from which the Sun is resurrected every morning according to Egyptian myth. This is not unlike the Sun's yearly resurrection on the other side of Pisces after winter. For this reason on the Naked Tarot card the zodiac is behind Malkuth like the Sun beneath the Earth. The Moon partakes of the highest and lowest dignities of the zodiac, filling all space in between faster then any other astrological body. The Kabalistic path that corresponds to the Moon, which is the path of the High Priestess, represents the highest aspects of the Moon, and is the path that links human with divine. This path of Pisces however, is the lower manifestation of the Moon linking the sphere Netzech (desire,) to Malkuth the culmination of all forms. This is a path of desire and aspiration across the river of night, and the unknown. The Moon rules the cold and moist as well as the passive elements of earth and water. The Moon's passive feminine nature is implied on the Naked Tarot painting in the shadow of the Moon's dark side where the passive profile of a woman appears. Below the Moon on this Naked Tarot Moon card flows the river of night. The waters of this river are tinged by 9 drops of blood from the Moon. Nine is the number of Yesod, the kabalistic sphere of the Moon. This blood on the card represents the life force descending from above into material existence, as well as the obvious monthly menstrual implication associated with each cycle of the Moon phases.

The Moon representing this path is the lower mundane manifestations of the Moon's influence through the world of water known as Yetzirah. Water is the feminine element that the Moon dominates, and water is the mother of Tetragramaton. This path links the desires of the sphere of Netzach with the manifested spherical world of Malkuth unlike the Moon's higher avatar (the path of the High Priestess) linking human with divine. The waters of Yetzirah are the murky waters of our emotions where the real and the imagined become hopelessly entwined with our feelings and prejudgments. Yetzirah is a turbulent world of confusion and mixed emotions. Yetzirah is the world where we unconsciously go to each night while we participate in sleep and dreams. The conscious means of appreciating this dimension is called astral projection. Astral projection is practiced with an imagined body of light, which the adept occupies mentally to travel outside the body. Many authorities on astral projection speak of a silver cord connecting the astral body to the physical body at the chakra for water located around the abdomen area. According to many that are knowledgeable on the subject, death is the result of severing this silver cord. Astral projection can be used to see places beyond the reach of the body's senses, and is much more vivid and interactive than simple glimpses of clairvoyance. The world traveled in the astral body however, is the world of Yetzirah just beyond physical reality, and therefore this world can also include the stuff of dreams mixed in with its view of reality. Astral projection is a psychic activity, and this path is the path of Pisces, the most psychic sign of the zodiac. Pisces is also the sign of some very silent and secretive personalities. The Moon has such a significant effect on human emotion that the astrological sign occupied by the Moon at the moment of birth becomes the Moon sign of one's Natal Horoscope. A Moon sign defines the nature of one's emotions and feelings all through life. Many versions of the Moon tarot card include a crawfish, which may represent the astrological sign of Cancer where the Moon is dignified. The crawfish may also be an allegory of emotions that tend to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside. The crawfish can retreat into its shell similar to how emotions like to retreat to a place of safety.

This Moon path of darkness, secrecy, and emotional waters is also the path of divination. There are many forms of divination, of which tarot readings are one form. One very simple form of divination that epitomizes the Yetzirah/Assiah link between Netzach and Malkuth, which we are here talking about, is called dowsing. Dowsing is a method of finding underground water through divination by using a dowsing rod. A dowsing rod is like a stick. Some say it should be metal like a straightened out wire hanger. Other dowsers say they just use a regular wooden stick. This divination is practiced by walking around a field with a dowsing rod loosely held in the hands until an invisible force takes hold of the rod and will point it to the location of the sought after water. There is no scientific explanation for why dowsing works, but those who practice it can swear by it since some even make a living doing it, and the practice has endured through the millennia to this day. Dowsing and all forms of divination seem to be a way to create a conscious link with our subconscious, which probably has awareness of locations to the element of the world Yetzirah. The adept should become proficient with forms of divination since it is the key to unlocking our perceptions of the worlds that exist beyond this world of Assiah. The quest is to ultimately converse with the higher genius at the end of the adept's journey of initiation through preternatural influences, and beings of the unconscious who may be phantasms of the rest of you.

Similar to dowsing is divination with a Ouiji board where a pointer is touched loosely by one or more people while it moves about on its own across a board of letters and numbers used by this spirit to answer questions. Also located on the Ouiji board are the words "Yes" and "No" that some believe are forms of the mysterious Urim and Thummim eluded to in the Old Testament, which ancient Hebrews evidently consulted as an oracle. There is also a popular Mormon interpretation out there these days about what the Urim and Thummim were. Divination that utilizes these mysterious invisible forces can also take the form of a pendulum on a string suspended above a board of answers. As the diviner concentrates on the question and also the pendulum eventually the pendulum moves on its own in potential directions that point towards an answer. This is known to be used with uncanny results as the stationary pendulum will move on its own to point one way or another. It appears from observed results such as Dowsing, Ouiji, and the Pendulum that this invisible world of Yetzirah is frequented by invisible intelligences who are enthusiastic about participating in this form of communication, or perhaps these intelligences reside in our own unconscious psychology. Many who wouldn't be caught dead doing such things will say that there is absolutely nothing to these games of divination, but how would someone like that even know? Skepticism can be a comfortable refuge as a form of blindness however, many who bother to open their minds to divination become quite compelled by the results. Divination can be used to establish a connection with intelligences beyond the conscious mind. There are also other more intellectual forms of divination such as constructing Chinese hexagrams in order to consult the ancient "Book of Changes" known as "I Ching." This is done by tossing coins while asking the question to determine if a line should be single ' ' or broken ' '. After divining six such lines then a Chinese hexagram is constructed by stacking the lines on top of each other  . For example this hexagram of solid, broke, solid on solid, broken, solid is known as Li. As it turns out there are 64 different possible combinations of these 6 rows of solid or broken lines. Those 64 combinations are the subject of that Chinese book, which is over 3000 years old. A western form of divination that is similar to the I Ching is known as Geomancy. Geomancy utilizes the possible combinations for 4 rows of single ' ' or double ' ' dots that are calculated into 4 rows of dots like this figure known as Rubeus ' .' The odd or even rows of dots are determined by making dashes with a pencil, or in dirt while at the same time asking the question. After each time the question is asked the dashes are counted to determine odd or even. This form of generating figures for divination can produce sixteen possible combinations. The Sixty-four I Ching hexagrams and 16 figures of Geomancy are both multiples of four like the sixteen court cards of the tarot. These are examples of ways an adept can make contact with the mysterious invisible world of Yetzirah just beyond our reach like a dream or a ghost, where the powers of the Moon are misunderstood at our peril.

The Moon traverses the zodiac every 28 days, making it a powerful influence on the form of divination known as the horoscope. The influential flux of this lower Moon is symbolized on the Naked Tarot card by the astrological symbols for opposition, trine, square, sextile, and conjunction, which are the zodiac angles that the Moon traverses through in relation to other astrological bodies. The Moon, heralded by astrologers as the Lesser Benefic, does this at a speed rivaling all other astrological influences. The Moon creates these aspects with the other astrological bodies, which can be determined with access to Ephemeris data. Each sign is 30 degrees of a 360-degree zodiac, and the Ephemeris records planetary positions where they reside between 0 and 29 degrees of each of the twelve signs in the sky. When two astrological bodies are in the same sign, and their Ephemeris degrees fall within seven degrees of each other then they are said to be conjunct ' .' An eclipse is a precise conjunct of the Sun and Moon, and the Sun and Moon Ephemeris degrees are identical, or in other words zero degrees apart. Where planets become conjunct they emphasize each other's influence. The zodiac is arranged so that signs right next to each other don't necessarily influence each other, however every other sign is a related element when regarding air and fire as male with earth and water as both female elements. The elemental attributes of zodiac signs complement each other this way every other sign. Every other sign is the same sex in this regard, and is the basic principle of the sextile ' ,' which happens when two astrological bodies are two signs from each other while also within seven Ephemeris degrees apart. A sextile in a horoscope indicates opportunities occurring with the indicated astrological influences. Likewise every third sign of the zodiac is a conflicting element of an opposite sex like earth and air signs or fire and water signs. This angle of astrological bodies is known as a square ' ' when the bodies come within seven degrees of each other and three signs apart. Where a square appears in a horoscope, challenges can be expected to occur. Unlike the square, every fourth sign in the zodiac is an identical element providing the basis for the trine '  .' When two astrological bodies are four signs apart, and within seven degrees of each other they are in a trine, and the influences are said to flow well with one another in that circumstance. When two bodies are five signs apart within seven degrees (some astrologers say five degrees,) they are forming an inconjunct ' ,' and the influences are said to be in need of adjustment. Two planets completely opposite each other within seven degrees form an opposition  , and this is a polarizing influence. During an opposition we become aware of complimentary opposites within us that work together. These astrological angles for the Moon can be tracked and recorded by an adept, as well as for the Sun known as the Greater Benefic, and also all the other planets. As the astrological bodies flow together, some planets will maintain these aspects for weeks and even months. The exception to this is of course the Moon, which never maintains any of these aspects for more than a couple of days. Should the Moon ever prove that last statement incorrect then humanity might have a real problem on their hands.

This flux of the Moon through the signs is the gateway to resurrection represented on the Naked Tarot card by two shafts of solar light coming from behind Malkuth. These shafts of solar light have hooks on the end like the crescents of the Pisces symbol. These hooks of light are similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs, which are known to depict shed light from the Sun used to hook the soul in the afterlife in order to reel them in to salvation like a fish as in the classic "Egyptian Book of the Dead." Above this gateway on the Naked Tarot card is a dragon with a head and tail extending to the East and West. The head of this dragon is Cauda Draconis, and the tail of this dragon is Caput Draconis. Couda Draconis and Caput Draconis are represented in astrology by the northern and southern nodes of the Moon respectively. These nodes of the Moon are also recorded in an Ephemeris. The northern and southern nodes are the astrological points in the sky where the orbit of the Sun crosses the orbit of the Moon. Astrologically the times when the Moon is in the northern node are times to take action, and advantage is attainable. When the Moon is in the southern node of the Sun's passing it is best to take the easy way out, and advantage is at risk. Long traditions of superstition and taboo comment on the effects of these nodes. Astrology is a complex discipline that can be used to divine answers to questions just like other forms of divination. Using astrology as divination in that way is known as Horary Astrology done by observing ephemeris data at the moment the question is asked. This may indicate that the adept practices divination as a tool for developing the intuition. The profound magickal phenomenon of synchronicity would have to be at work in operations of Horary Astrology.

The Moon card in the tarot deck is a depiction of the midnight hour, also known as the witching hour. Witchcraft involves simple spells that exercise the magical will. Witchcraft embraces these lower aspects of the Moon, seeking to harness and utilize the forces of nature. Much of what is regarded as witchcraft comes from old folk traditions and superstitions, although many modern witches claim a heritage from the Greeks and the ancient religion of the old horned god. That perhaps is a reference to the Age of Taurus when, as discussed in the High Priestess chapter, priestesses controlled the religions. Back in the days of the Age of Taurus, the calendars were all Moon calendars, and Sun calendars were evidently a later development of humanity. Sir James Frazer, in his "Golden Bough" categorizes all traditions of magick around the globe as taking one of only two forms. He calls the first form of magick "Homeopathic," which is based on the law of similarity. Things that are similar to each other share a magickal bond like a voodoo doll that is similar to this author. If I then take this needle and stick the voodoo doll with it then the law of similarity dictates that I should also... "Ouch!" "Hmmm, that was strange." The other category of magick documented by Sir James Frazer is known as "Contagious" magick, and is based on the law of physical contact. In other words, when two things contact each other then magickal virtue is exchanged. This is like a bloodhound that can find a person like magick by only a whiff of a towel that the person used. A classic example of Contagious magick is the sick woman who touches the hem of the garment of Jesus in the New Testament, or the millions of Catholic pilgrims that go to places in order to touch something that some saint blew his nose with. There seems to be a human inclination to believe in contagious magick. Forms of Homeopathic and Contagious magick go all through our human history in all crannies of the globe.

Witchcraft continues these traditions that provide a link to the kind of mysterious powers of nature, which probably nobody really understands. Examples of witchcraft spells can be found in books written by witches such as "Earth Magic, A Dianic book of Shadows," by Marion Weinstein. This book provides instructions for witchcraft using the powers of Moon phases that are incorporated with spell construction. One chapter discusses "String magic" with instructions for finding persons or objects that have been lost in order for them to be returned to the witch who seeks them. The intention of finding them is expressed in a prayer that is written on a piece of paper to represent the person or object lost. A magick string is then tied to the rolled up paper and tossed to the other side of an alter over the edge while the witch holds the string at the other end. The witch then combines a magic candle with words of power while pulling the string towards them dragging the paper prayer with it. This can be repeated till the spell is cast, and is a good example of a witchcraft spell. Witchcraft devises spells that are simple exercises that kind of kick the wheel of karma to turn according to the will of the witch.

Dogs are traditionally depicted on Tarot Moon cards to represent these mystical powers of nature. One dog on the card is usually tamed and the other wild to represent the tamed mind and primordial energy. Dogs are also notorious for being devout and noisy worshipers of the Moon in nature. Witchcraft is a way of being creative with the principles of natural magick, and witches often compile their own methods and discoveries into a book known as a "Book of Shadows," which other witches can benefit from. More than just a path of witchcraft, this Moon path is also a path of inspiration and all forms of creativity like poetry, art, music, mystical experiences, spiritual communion, as well as madness, mixed emotions, and confusion.

Beneath the dragon on the Naked Tarot card are two towers of black, full of unknown mystery that emanate horror, and fear. It is written in the Book of Thoth that this Moon card is the "waning Moon of witchcraft, and abominable deeds." The darkness of these two towers on the card is opaque with all superstition, prejudice, and hollow traditions. The waters of this night are the depths of mind from which, realization, and manifestation emerge. Other versions of the card show a crayfish for Cancer, the house of the Moon. Some cards are also known to show a beetle carrying the Sun beneath the Earth as in Egyptian myth to represent this Moon as the reflected light of the subconscious. This is where the meaning of the Hebrew letter Qoph sheds some light. The letter Qoph means "the back of the head," and has long been connected to the functions of the cerebellum. Accompanied by the subconscious we all face our lives, and in our own ways we embark on the path of the Moon. We embark on this path to unite our desires with their realizations across the river of night beyond the dark towers of mystery, through the gateway to resurrection, which is the new day tomorrow.

This path requires courage to face the weird deceptive nature that life confronts us with. This is the life of the lower senses, and the experience of this path includes madness, and pernicious drugs. At the gateway depicted in the Naked Tarot painting are two forms of the Egyptian god Anubis, who is the watcher in the twilight, and the jackal god of Khem said to lead the soul to Osiris after death. The Anubis god forms hold keys to the gate that resemble Venus, (once again as the key to the whole system,) to imply the influence of the sphere of Venus called Netzach meaning Victory. At the feet of the gods are two jackals that wait to devour travelers of this path who can not see Anubis or know his name. One of these jackals is wild, and represents the untamed creation of nature. The other jackal is domesticated, and represents adaptation to life and man. This path is one of illusion, and deception, and limited is our understanding of the lower nature of the Moon. This path is the path of the soul through life, and we find passage through this gate when wisely we properly discern the precarious mysteries that life tests us with. We find ourselves on this path when our imagination paints a reality for us that is not true, and our minds become haunted by delusions of phantasms that can cause tremendous fear. When a shadow in a darkened room makes you see a dangerous intruder, but it turns out to be a coat on a chair or something like that you are having a moment on the path of the Moon. The path of the Moon likes to fool us with trickery like a magician with his optical illusions. The two natures of the jackals on this card reveal that the two towers of mystery also represent the pillars of Severity, and Mercy. The nine Yods on the card represent Kabalistically the completion of a whole cycle. The towers represent comforts in life that can distract us away from the central path on the card.

This card can indicate that others are lying to you depending on surrounding cards. This card means dark mysteries and that you may be in peril. Some have interpreted the meaning to be impregnation. The card could be telling you that you are living in your imagination divorced from higher will and reality. The divinatory meanings include imagination, intuition, dreams, unforeseen perils, deception, illusion, bewilderment, hysteria, madness, voluntary change, and the brink of an important change.

19 The Sun

Just as the Moon of the previous chapter was known as the Lesser Benefic ruler of the subconscious, the Sun is the Greater Benefic ruler of consciousness. Sun cards of traditional tarot decks generally give this card imagery that lends itself to a straight-up face value interpretation. Most cards depict two naked children carelessly frolicking under the Sun, one male and one female. It's a straightforward depiction of careless innocence, and carefree times. Sometimes there is just one male child on a deck's Sun card riding a white horse such as the imagery of the nineteenth Arcanum of the Rider-Waite deck. That child on a horse brings to mind the Sun god Apollo who carries the Sun across the sky in a horse drawn chariot. This book has already pointed out in the High Priestess chapter that Apollo is the twin brother of Artimus who is a Moon goddess. The kabalistic path corresponding to this card connects the rational of the intellectual sphere of Hod with the emotional foundations of the sphere Yesod. Unlike the fearful, delusional influences described with the path of the Moon card, this path of the Sun card can be interpreted as the intellectual powers of Hod influencing how we feel. Hod encompasses the human ego, which has a calming and positive effect on emotions by its virtue of inflating. We orient with the sphere of Hod when we attain knowledge, and with new knowledge comes new beginnings. The idea depicted by the naked children is that feeling of renewed innocence that comes with new discoveries.

Another symbol on traditional tarot Sun cards is the green hilltop sometimes surrounded at the top by a wall encircling the hill. Above this traditional Sun card scene is of course the Sun in the sky, making the point that the Sun shines equally on both sides of the wall. The Sun is the impartial Benefic providing life-giving light equally for all. This wall is not quite yet an imprisoning tower as in a previous Arcanum, but symbolizes the influences of organization in general on civilization, society, and worldly organizations. On cards showing the wall, the children are usually depicted playing outside of the wall. Most cards show organized gardens inside the wall and the disorganized nature growing outside. That depicts the organizing influence of the human intellect, which in essence is the sephiroth Hod. Innocence is found on the outside of the wall. Other traditional Sun card symbols may be banners and flowers. The most popular type of flower found on traditional tarot Sun cards is the sunflower, which will follow the path of the Sun as the day goes by as well as provide an abundance of nutritious seed, plus they look like round flaming Suns. Sunflowers are known as heliotropic plants because of the tendency to follow the Sun as the day goes by. All plants are phototropic because they aspire toward light, but Sunflowers are called heliotropic since they are even more animated toward the Sun's shifting light through the course of a day. There is a Greek myth of a maiden named Clytie who fell in love with the Sun god Apollo, but the Sun god didn't return the affection. She used to spend the day watching the Sun god in his Chariot all day until the other gods took pity on her and made her into the world's first Sunflower. Like the divinatory meaning of this Sun card, sunflowers resemble sun-like smiley faces with the message, "have a nice day"

Few would probably argue with this card being declared the most positive in the deck. This card corresponds appropriately to the Sun,   and also the Hebrew letter Resh,   which means "head" in Hebrew corresponding with Qoph   meaning "back of head," and is attributed to the Moon card. The idea behind the word 'head' is the idea of personality, particularly centered in the brain about the area of the frontal lobe. The personalities we expose to the pillar of severity and the outer world encompass the perspective that is this path. This is a path of rationality and clear thinking that can, and must be used to confront reality.

This Naked Tarot painting shows all of the kabalistic planets with the Sun prominently displayed in the center of the painting. The idea communicated by these planets is the splendor of the material world, and the profound effects of the planets as they traverse the zodiac also featured surrounding the Sun on this painting. The zodiac represents the chosen girdle of the infinite body of space for our Lady of the Stars. In relationship with the zodiac, the planets of the Naked Tarot painting are shown each within the sign of the planet's dignity. Since the Sun is the center of the painting, the letter Resh is located in Leo along with some clouds to indicate the sign of the Sun's dignity. The planets in this card are also all represented surrounded by their basic Kabalistic colors beginning with Saturn surrounded in its color black, which also represents the end of visible light, and the farthest planet visible to the naked eye. On this Naked Tarot painting the rings of Saturn dip into the area of Aquarius from the place of Saturn's dignity in Capricorn. The sign of Saturn's dignity however, used to be in the sign of Aquarius before the historically recent discoveries of planets beyond Saturn. Next Jupiter is surrounded in its Kabalistic blue symbolizing the expansive power of air, and the way light in the sky becomes defused to the dominating wavelength blue. On the other side of the card, the outer planet Mars is surrounded in the classic red of Geburah, which is the sphere that corresponds to Mars, the rust colored planet. The inner planets begin with the orange orbit of Mercury surrounding the Tiphiroth yellow Sun at the center in its alchemical solar symbolism. The green planet Venus unlocks its dignity in Taurus. For this reason the Naked Tarot painting shows in this area of the zodiac, the green Earth's crowned splendor as a mountain of green bloom that is always striving toward the heavens. This is the fertile Earth, and therefore from Taurus to Leo on the painting the light of the Sun crowns the Earth with life's green splendor during the summer months of Earth's Northern Hemisphere. The final Kabalistic color is featured as the dark side of the mountain where the violet Moon, in the phase corresponding to Binah,   (Understanding,) casts shadows toward the Moon's dignity in Cancer. The zodiac of the painting is featured in the basic Kabalistic colors attributed to the signs, creating an entire spectrum beginning in the red of Aries warming to orange by Gemini then Amber for Cancer. These colors become greenish yellow in Leo where the Sun is dignified, and Earth is crowned in green getting deeper and bluer until Scorpio where the solar yellow finally gives way to the cool blue of Sagittarius. After Sagittarius the days begin to get longer, again represented by the colors warming through purple in Capricorn, and becoming indigo by Aquarius, then warming winter's blue even more to a crimson in Pisces until red again in Aries with the advent of another Spring. This spectrum seems to reflect the warming and cooling fluctuation that coincides with the effects of the Sun throughout the year in the Northern Hemisphere, to include the maturing of green crops in harvest months.

There are many implications that can be pondered with this understanding of the basic colors for the seasons being the three primary colors along with green. With this knowledge we understand the seasons as spring-red, summer-yellow, fall-green, and winter-blue. The spectrum of the zodiac is the 12 rays of the Sun, and astrologically defines the anatomy of G-d in terms of color. The color spectrum exists entirely because of our perceptual response to an objective existence. The actual spectrum of light encompasses far more than the simple seven-color spectrum our eyes are adapted to. The actual spectrum of light in the universe is way more than mere human eyes can possibly define. These colors however, are the definition evolved by our eyes to experience vision within the realm of the light spectrum that is not harmful to life. In fact the eyes are most sensitive to the color green, which exists right between the extremes of infrared and ultraviolet. This is reminiscent of our good fortune of living on a planet with an orbit at the life-giving distance from the Sun where water can exist simultaneously in all three solid, liquid, and gas forms. So even vision itself illuminates the mystery of the solar green, which is known to everyone in this day and age as a side effect of photosynthesis, when plants produce the greenest greens in response to the Sun's generous light.

With new discoveries by the intellect, the inner child of the ego can be newly born. The perspective for this Sun path is in the kabalistic world of Yetzirah below the world of mind (Briah.) In the watery world of Yetzirah emotions play a greater part. This lower perspective identifies the sphere of intellect, (Hod,) with the ego; making the sphere of imagination, (Tiphiroth,) identify with the Freudian superego whose conversation is to be attained through the process of initiation. The ego is not in itself a bad thing at all, and has greatly accelerated our intellectual evolution. In prehistoric times calendars were predominantly Moon calendars, probably because Moon phases were easier for simple unevolved minds to keep track of for the sake of planting and harvesting. It took enormous effort and expense to construct technologies like Stonehenge in order to keep track of a solar year, however the solar year proved more consistent for planting and harvesting in the long run than Moon orbits that are less effected by the orbit that creates an Earth year. The point is that with the development of human intellect and egos, the Moon calendars and Moon religions were, more or less, historically abandoned to be replaced by Sun worship. Now we track the path of the Sun as it traverses a yearly zodiac, and can construct horoscopes to find out how our egos orient with the heavens according to the Law of Magick that states, "as above, so below."

A Natal Horoscope begins with a circle divided into 12 fixed houses that mark the horizons of Earth between night and day, represented by the bottom half of the circle and the top respectively. The night/day horizontal line is divided on this circle between the eastern horizon where the Sun and planets rise off of every day on the left side of the circle, and the right western horizon where the Sun and planets fall every day. A Natal Horoscope is constructed for the moment of birth when all life on Earth receives life's initial imprinting of existence. The Natal Horoscope shows how your particular light as a human being shines based on this imprint. According to astrology, the zodiological sign that the Sun was in at the moment of birth determines a basic pattern for one's personality. The twelve houses of a horoscope are fixed so that depending on the birth time of a Natal Horoscope, the Sun and other planets can be in different houses throughout the day. The sign appearing at that moment in the first house determines one's ascendant sign, which was rising off of the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. At this point, other planets, the Moon, and Sun are placed in the same houses as their respective signs to create a basic Natal Horoscope. The zodiac, along with the Sun and planets turn clockwise around this circle that is divided into the 12 houses. The 12 houses are arranged counter-clockwise around the circle beginning at the eastern horizon. The 12 houses are like a zodiac that is fixed to Earth like a girdle. With precise details from an Ephemeris the Natal Horoscope can include listings of all planets that appear in cardinal, fixed, or mutable signs. Even the fact of whether a planet is moving normal or retrograding in the zodiac has an affect on a horoscope's interpretation. There are fire, water, air, and earth signs to consider, as well as dignities, exaltations, detriments, and falls. The 12 houses are each known as either angular, succedent, or cadent to determine how their nature influences a planet. A Natal Horoscope determines one's Sun, Moon, and Ascendant signs, and includes all conjuncts, sextiles, squares, trines, inconjuncts, and oppositions that occurred at the moment of birth. This is all diagrammed together into a Natal Horoscope to create a complex detailed picture of what a person's basic personality is expected to be like. This can all be figured out by hand, however its nature is scientific enough to be more easily compiled with a computer program similar to this Visual Basic example in the next picture. The approximate birth time of Aleister Crowley is used here with October 12, 1875. Since his birth was approximately 23:30 military time it is closer to the next day at midnight. Therefore Ephemeris data for Oct. 13 is entered instead of 12 because that's actually closer to the moment of birth compared to the Oct. 12 data, which was compiled about 23 hours before his actual birth time. The program uses a simple Ascendant formula assuming a sunrise at 5:30 AM. There are more complex methods of figuring an Ascendant that even consider the actual sunrise as well as the geographical latitude effects on the eastern horizon where someone is born. Differences between these methods of calculating an Ascendant can mean the difference between Crowley giving the impression he's a ferocious Leo, or a domesticated Cancer. The personality exhibited in his writings and lifestyle seem to point more accurately to a Leo Ascendant although there are arguments for an extravagant Cancer Ascendant that seem just as valid.

This information about astrology is presented without an attempt to justify its validity. As we climb around these paths on the kabalistic Tree of Life we never seem to go far beyond the sphere of the subjective, at least not as long as the discussion is about a path that doesn't connect to Malkuth. Perhaps way back in ancient millenniums of human history when the Sphinx of Egypt was first built, the 12 houses of astrology were an established polytheistic religion for a worldwide civilization. Perhaps this ancient civilization drove these 12 basic imprint patterns into our genetic design according to the new revolutionary concept of adapting to a solar year. Modern anthropology still finds the concept of sophisticated ancient worldwide human empires prior to 3000 BC hard to swallow in spite of many interesting archaeological finds that do indicate that. We live on a solar powered planet full of solar powered life. Recent discoveries prove that solar winds determine how or if clouds are formed in the upper atmosphere, because clouds require upper atmosphere particles from deep space to begin condensation. The Sun's intense periods of heavy solar winds can stop these cosmic particles from reaching Earth's upper atmosphere altogether; resulting in droughts.

The Sun is the center of all this activity, to include billions and billions of photon particles bouncing off and absorbing into you at every conceivable moment. Scientists interpret that photon of light as a particle because they require a crude intellectual tool to help them get their understanding around what a photon really is. A photon particle however, defies the definition of particle, which can't be adequately explained considering the Sun sends these "particles" everywhere in every conceivable direction and angle. Light is even like a phenomenon at the quantum level because even at that level the photon transcends the time and space dynamic of our dimension. Science has established that all photons travel at a constant 186,000 miles a second forever and will never decay. Before that photon traveled the 8 minutes from the Sun to you, it was being absorbed and emitted by billions of atoms between the Sun and yourself. That photon had been bouncing around hydrogen and helium atoms between the Sun's core and surface on a slow journey that took millions and millions of years before it reached you. After that photon hit you it continued, like the memory of a digital camera, to carry the image of you at the speed of 186,000 miles a second. That photon is immortal, and will continue this journey with that information of you at 186,000 miles a second till long after the last star in the universe goes cold and black forever. That photon, with its recorded information of you, will travel till all that's left of the universe is nothing but particles of photons traveling at 186,000 miles a second forever.

Page from Horoscope Program

Natal Horoscope for the birth of Aleister Crowley

Basic Natal Horoscope Definitions

These male and female forms on the Naked Tarot card also represent the shameless emancipated human nature that will prevail in the next age. The sign of the new age will be when the fall equinox shifts from Virgo, where it currently is, to Leo while the spring equinox shifts into the sign of Aquarius. The Age of Aquarius will officially begin around the year 2600 AD, which is when the spring equinox actually shifts from Pisces to Aquarius. The fall, unlike the spring equinox, corresponds more to the lunar influences, and the sexual ethic exemplified by an age. For the last couple thousand years the sign Virgo influenced this sexual ethic, and as the name implies, the mentality of the virgin has prevailed, but is even now succumbing to a new ethic defined by Leo where the Sun and consciousness is dignified. This age defined by Leo shall see the emancipation of the human race over the immature tendencies implied by the fall equinox in Virgo, where we live in a world of pent-up, childish, and immature approaches of embarrassed secrecy to the whole idea of sex. We live in an age of the Virgin Mary whose account of Immaculate Conception holds about as much validity as the stork story. In the next age sexual behavior will be more in the love of freedom, typical of many Leo personalities such as Ex-President Bill Clinton. At the time of this writing, the fall equinox will not actually be in the constellation Leo for about another six hundred years. Another tradition sees the age of Horus to have already begun, and the changes overwhelming the world surely agree with this new age of the Crowned and Conquering Child Horus. One typical characteristic of this age of Horus is the generation of new souls amidst more ancient souls that are not yet emancipated from the karmic wheel of reincarnation. That is an esoteric explanation for the population explosion that we're all reincarnating into. The extra souls we live amongst are mostly souls living life here for the very first time. Just speaking as an ancient soul, I must say putting up with these young souls of the Horus age can be a challenge. We can however, look forward to the Age of Aquarius when the human race shall be emancipated.

In summary, the Kabalistic path represented by this Naked Tarot painting connects the sephiroth Hod to the lunar sephiroth Yesod on the Tree of Life. In other words this path represents Mercury acting through the Sun upon the Moon to establish the emotional balance of the middle pillar at Yesod (Foundation.) The intellectual Hod balances Yesod against the other extreme of the Tree of Life where the Sephiroth Netzech is influencing the foundation of our emotions with aspirations for comforts that result from desire. The letter Resh, which corresponds to this tarot card, illuminates the Kabalistic interpretation. The letter Resh means "Head," and reminds one of the fact that the card "the Moon" is the letter Qoph, which means "the back of the head." In other words, the Moon corresponds to the subconscious, and the Sun corresponds to consciousness, or self-consciousness. One meaning of the card is, "balance, and control between the self conscious, and the unconscious." That illuminates the Kabalistic interpretation since Hod corresponds to reason, (Mercury,) acting through the self, (the Sun,) upon the emotions or Yesod, (the full Moon.) In other words a conscious mind should control the fears and superstitions of the subconscious with the power of reason. The full Moon in Yesod is a profound demonstration in nature that the transparency received by sunlight is the best antiseptic for the fears and delusions caused by darkness and secrecy. Crowley's "Book of Thoth" has this beautiful description of the Sun card. "Spiritually, morally, and physically, the Sun represents the Lord of light, life, liberty, and love." The Sun is known as the Greater Benefic just as the Moon is the Lesser Benefic. The Sun is the renewer of all life mothered by nature. In response to this on the Naked Tarot card, two shameless and innocent manifestations of the male and female forms stand naked in the daylight praising the Sun's incomprehensible glory. They stand above the sign Gemini, and resemble that sign, which unites the Earthy Taurus with the watery Cancer during the Sun's well-established rule around the Summer solstice when Mercury is dignified.

One final title for this card of the Sun is the "Lord of the World's Fire." The divinatory meaning of the card is "glory, gain, riches, sometimes arrogance, and even vanity with ill dignity." Meanings for the Sun card in a tarot reading might indicate light dawning after a long dark night. The basic meaning for the card is "it's going to be alright." Consciousness will prevail over fear and delusion. This card can mean control over the subconscious and the unconscious. This indicates the power of the wide-awake day, and may even mean that your "day in the Sun," has arrived. It can mean life renewed through advancement in science, math, written music, or reasoned philosophy. Some sources indicate this card can signal that a baby has been conceived, or some other good news about children. The card means energy and enthusiasm. Glory, gain, riches, triumph, and pleasure. It could mean frankness, or a simple and pure moment of genuine happiness. This card means the dawning of truth, and indicates that everything is going to be all right.

20 The Last Judgment

With this twentieth Arcanum we have almost completed our tour down the paths that interconnect the ten kabalistic manifestations of G-d. These 22 paths determine the terms of our subjective experience with the 10 sephiroth where they manifest in the human soul. At this 20th path we arrive at the world of Assiah, which is physical reality below the emotional, mental, and supernal worlds above on the Tree of Life. Assiah is the physical reality where the tenth emanation of G-d manifests as Malkuth. The path of the Last Judgment card links the sphere of Hod to Malkuth on the Tree of Life. In terms of how these ten sephiroth manifest in each individual, we identify Hod with our rationality influencing our physical connection to the objective reality of Malkuth. This path of the Last Judgment exists on the side of the Tree of Life called Severity, from which the future arrives at the present. Therefore the path of the Last Judgment represents our outlook on the future. The card usually features an angel and some versions title this card "The Angel." Traditional cards show an angel who is sometimes Gabriel, and sometimes Michael. Sometimes this card even features the angel Hru who is the angel charged with the secret wisdom of the Tarot. Angels are archetypes of a higher wisdom that influences us. Gabriel is often on the card because he is traditionally understood to be the biblical angel who calls the dead in Christ forth from their graves with the mighty sound of his trumpet at the foreseen last judgment that is to occur in the "latter days." The card usually depicts a form of this prophesied end time resurrection event. Some cards insist on depicting the archangel Michael because fatalistically he is the archangel of the element fire, and this path is attributed to the element of fire. The card depicts an archetypal last judgment because collectively we humans superimpose that image on our future, and religious types have been doing this for millennia. The archetype of future judgment effects us individually in the form of life's little trials by fire that purify us into what we are really made of. The ancient Greeks liked to cultivate an archetypal view of the world with colorful characters of mythological stories that they intimately understood. From ancient Greek culture we find the early roots of dramatic theater, which Greeks embraced with the reverence of religious ritual. Such a culture in the ancient world was obviously a weave of reality and imagination filled with shadows of superstition and taboo.

The adept of magick encourages the cultivation of such an archetypal weave of reality and imagination by the discipline of astral projection. A simple explanation of this exercise is to lay flat on your back and imagine a body of light above you connected by a line of silver light that connects to the water chakra around your abdomen. Once this body of light is formed, the adept then transfers the center of consciousness to the body of light above. In this astral body of light the adept can explore the objective world and observe beyond the range of the physical body. Of course this is easier said than done and some may never experience much more than a convincing flash of clairvoyance. Continued practice is said to yield results, and success may not actually occur during the exercise. One may observe that after lots of seemingly futile practice that eventually they experience a particularly vivid early morning dream that reveals a scene of reality that couldn't have been seen any other way but with the astral body while asleep.

The tapestry of reality was colorful and lively to the ancient Greeks, however in contrast to that, their understanding of the afterlife was by comparison dark and dismal. The Greeks foresaw an afterlife in a dark dismal underworld beneath our land of the living. The underworld was presided over by the grim older brother of Zeus whose name was Hades. The god Hades seems to have been just cut out to evolve into the Christian devil because the Greeks trembled with fear of him to the point of never even speaking much of him. There are close to no temples erected to Hades since the Greeks loved life, and Hades was not a god to be loved, but instead he demanded fear and total submission in death.

Christianity was quick to come up with a strong selling point for Greek cultures in Asia with the doctrine of resurrection. Among the apocrypha of un-canonized Christian texts from the Roman world of Christian beginnings there is found the "Gospel of Nicodemus." This gospel is a story about Pontius Pilot, where is found a more ancient text attached at the end in some versions. This attached text is a more detailed story of what most current Christians only understand from their official Bible through a reference to Jesus descending into Hell while he was dead in order to free the "imprisoned souls." It's part of the "Apostle's Creed" for the Confessions of faith used in the catechism of Lutherans. Early Christianity probably gained a lot of traction in Greek culture because the Greeks were accustomed to such a bleak afterlife that really amounted to nothing but an eternal prison. In the Gospel of Nicodemus, Jesus descends to the lowest Hell known throughout Greek mythos as Tartarus where the Christian savior confronts the Greek god Hades. In this story, Jesus triumphantly frees the imprisoned souls of the Greek afterlife. The reason Christians are left with only a vague reference in the New Testament to this metaphysical event is probably because it comes from such an intimate marriage of Christianity to the heresy of the Greek religions. The story of Jesus and Hades was probably no longer really needed after its evangelical success over the aging Greek cultures. Now we westerners live in mostly Judeo-Christian-Muslim cultures that look forward to a resurrection from the dead at the end of time.

Since the early Christian church was founded on so many Greek and Roman converts to the resurrection from Hades, another popular understanding of the afterlife known as reincarnation was also rejected as anathema by compilers of the Bible at the Fifth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in 553 AD. This is a good example of religion manipulating lies at a possible expense of the truth. Considering that there may be some truth to reincarnation, what is the overall effect of a culture rejecting this knowledge to embrace a belief in a heaven that isn't true? Perhaps mankind, collectively on an unconscious level, would over the course of generations and history be compelled to create their vision of that heavenly afterlife in this world of the living. The very idea of heaven and also hell are both rather physical interpretations coming from this world, which we are superimposing on a more ethereal afterlife. The current western middle class dream would indeed be a lot like heaven to more ancient peoples. Perhaps this sheds light upon the difference between histories in the western world compared to an eastern world more collectively accustomed to the doctrine of reincarnation. We do appear to live in a time that could easily evolve into either a utopian heaven or a nuclear hell, and the outlook on the future appears to mix them both together.

This painting is the 20th Key of the Tarot, and a glyph of the powers of fire. In other incarnations this card has been known as "The Angel," and "The Aeon." In the latter, the allusion is to a new age, and the former implies the previous age when mankind foresaw the destruction of the world by fire. This destruction of the Last Judgment that was so biblically prophesied to be by fire, is said by at least one very distinguished tradition to have been accomplished in 1904, "when the fiery god Horus took the place of the airy god Osiris in the East as Hierophant" (Aleister Crowley.) That is the theme for the version of this card known as "The Aeon" found in the Thoth tarot deck. The Naked Tarot painting, which this essay is about, combines the older interpretation with the new. That is why a woman is depicted in the painting as blue with long hair disappearing into the blue waves of the sky. She has her arms stretch over the top of the painting to resemble depictions of the goddess Nuit, the star-goddess of infinite possibility. The goddess Nuit also surrounds the Thoth tarot card called The Aeon. She is united to the material world on the Naked Tarot version because her legs are buried in the ground to represent the sphere of Malkuth. That is because the card is one of the paths uniting the Tree of Life to the sphere of Malkuth on the material plain of the world called Assiah.

Malkuth is the physical catalyst from which the entire Tree of Life grows. Specifically this path is Hod or reason acting upon Malkuth (Earth.) In other words, this path is where Mercury, or the reasoning faculty, interacts with objective reality. In the new "Aeon" interpretation of the card the reasoning faculty is the god Hadit who represents the center of consciousness from which we all extend the light of our bright inner star into the infinite body of Nuit, goddess of infinite space. As far as human reasoning is concerned, this represents the infinite possibility of our consciousness, which can't help its creative tendency to mold reality into something that makes sense. In terms of physical reality we can see this dynamic of Crowley's Hadit/Nuit equation expressed by current theories of gravity. According to recent interpretations of string theory, gravity was much stronger and united with the other forces of the universe at the moment the Big Bang happened. The elusive graviton particle however, still only speculated to exist by physics, retreated a second after the Big Bang into an extra dimension found all around us. This is in order to explain the subtlety of the force of gravity, also known as the curvature of space/time, which is physically a very weak force compared to others although it shapes galaxies and the universe itself. That relates to the imagery of the version of this card known as The Aeon because like the graviton, Hadit is the center that is everywhere with a circumference that extends into infinity.

In the Naked Tarot painting the ego is the centralized point of view personified in the idea of Hadit, which takes the form of the angel Michael on this card because he rules solar fire. In the Naked Tarot painting Michael is descending from heaven to deliver the message of the new Aeon. This is the message of fire from above. The Naked Tarot painting depicts this message as a glyph in the sky above the angel. This simple glyph of fire shows the symbol of the Sun of Tiphiroth shining light on the Moon of Yesod, or the emotions, and also extending beyond in the form of hooks of light similar to those used metaphorically in such hieroglyphic classics as the "Egyptian Book of the Dead." The glyph implies redemption of the plane of Yetzirah as well as the physical plane by the influence of the higher mental plane of Briah above, which is the world of our central Sun. The implication of this path is of a wisely calculated decision that fulfills desire and will.

The idea that the angel on the card delivers a message is the mercurial effect of our ability to speak, and produce the creative word that has a liberating effect on our material shackles. The creative word is depicted in the painting as the trumpet delivering the message from above. The trumpet is the influence of Binah (the 3rd sphere) descending from above through the phenomenon of understanding. Since the angel's message is the message of fire, the alchemical symbol for fire is shown with the glyph from above. Fire is the physical or earthly manifestation of the phenomenon that comes from the Sun itself. The symbol is red, and red is the color of this path. The painting depicts this in the russet Malkuth, which is the physical effect of the solar red that burns through the planes from the red of flame to the warm blooded fluid in our veins. Red is the energy of flame and the warm side of the solar spectrum, which cools into blues on the ultraviolet side of the light spectrum.

Since fire exists more as a phenomenon then any of the other elements this path also is attributed to the recently adopted symbol of spirit at the bottom of the painting above the Hebrew letter Shin, which is the letter attributed to this path  . Through the spirit symbol we come back around to the subject of Tiphiroth, which the symbol of spirit is a glyph of. That is true since there are eight paths extending from Tiphiroth as well as eight lines extending from the center of the alchemical symbol for spirit  . That is not to shallow the depth of this symbol at all since the underlying meaning of this symbol can also be attributed to the Buddhist Wheel of the Law, which also consists of eight profoundly defined allegorical spokes. The path of the Last Judgment is also one of two cards in the deck with an additional attribution. This path is also attributed to the element fire   in addition to spirit  . In the Kabalistic tradition, the center of this symbol is the sphere of Tiphiroth, which is established by accomplishing the liberating effect of mind over matter.

The skies of imagination on this Naked Tarot painting are the heights of abstract thought extending above into the supernal plane of the universal where the true center is ultimately attained, which is everywhere with a circumference that extends into infinity as the saying goes. The Hebrew letter attributed to this path, which is the fiery letter Shin, also implies the fiery nature of this path. Shin actually means, "tooth," implying the harsh bite of the element fire as well as the esoteric interpretation of the creative word giving an anatomical definition to fire's biting influence. Unlike the other keys painted in these essays, the elemental keys (Air – Aleph   The Fool, Water – Mem   Hanged Man, Fire – Shin   Last Judgment, and Earth – Tau   The Universe) represent the existence of forces exterior to our subjective experience. These elements are the dimensions of reality distinguished on the Tree of Life by the four worlds. Of course the planetary keys imply also an influence independent of the subjective, however their paths epitomize the planet's influence upon our subconscious. The elemental keys demonstrate the supernal influences upon the objective that take the form of the elements of Tetragramaton.

In a sense we all experience the magickal effects of this path that is also known as the trial by fire when we find ourselves in the center of attention, which attacks us from all sides like fire. This is synonymous to being on stage to confront an audience that you can't escape from. Their judgment is upon you as they confront your eloquence, and you have to struggle to overcome inhibition. The impulse to ascend to success on the stage must come from within, which is metaphorically understood as 'above.' This power transcends environment, and is the purifying effect of the element of fire on our souls. The method of transcendence described here was epitomized by the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Stoicism also happens to be connected to the ancients known as magicians who endured the path of fire until their reason overcame the flames of reality. Echoes of ancient Magi traditions can still be found around the world wherever the act of a shaman endures a trial by fire by literally walking on hot coals or flames. The practice of fire walking continues to be popular today. The magician exercises the virtue of the element of spirit known as the power of going. This going is the volition of true will that is fulfilled in the liberating effects of attainment on the mental plane in Tiphiroth where the aspirant realizes that they are a star, like the flaming center of the sphere of imagination.

Delving further into the message of fire that is depicted in this painting brings us to the letter Shin where three Yods crown this letter like symbolic flames of spirit. These three Yods imply the three forms of the phenomenon of fire. In other words fire is a state of either earth, water, or air achieved by heat. Not entirely unlike the 3 physical manifestations of the element water, fire represents a state reached when one of the other elements becomes transmuted by heat into spirit. For this reason there are three figures in the painting that are being resurrected in the Naked Tarot depiction of the Last Judgment. Another meaning of this card depicts the occult mystery of birth in death as well as the reawakening of all of nature by the fiery solar influences of three principles; spirit, light, and life. One of these three figures in some distinguished traditions is Samael or Typhon the ruler of volcanic fire. The first figure represents fire of earth where matter is consumed, and purified into its simplest, and thus most spiritual form, which is evidently carbon. The second figure on some decks is Anael, the ruler of astral light; also identified with Isis and Nephthys. Essentially the second figure is the fire of water that stirs the astral light. The third resurrected figure of some cards is Arel, the ruler of latent heat. This is the fire of air, and thus also attributes this figure to the resurrected Osiris who can be interpreted as the airy form of fire that is experienced by a mental realization or awakening. This trinity of three can also be depicted as the three gods Nuit, Hadit, and Horus, who exemplify the law of this new age of Horus, which evidently started in 1904. It's not hard to accept a conjecture that a new age began at the beginning of the 20th Century. Like the prophesied kingdom of Heaven, civilization has descended upon us, and blotted out more than a third of Heaven's stars in many parts of the modern world. So the three figures rising out of their graves are the partakers of the new age of Horus, which is known also as the age of the crowned and conquering children. These children arise to partake of this new age and one of the arguments for this idea of an age of Horus is the esoteric explanation that the booming population is caused by the fiery generation of new souls who are incarnating here for the first time ever. It also raises concern since it has been said by the Master Therion, almost prophetically, that "if the new age bears any resemblance to the previous Aeon then we may be on the verge of a 500 year dark age." As far as the prophetic implications of this card are concerned, it might not be wise to sweep the meaning away completely into allegory. A new age is upon us, and humanity is taking a definite step into infinite possibility.

The point of much of this is that the prophetic apocalyptic view of the future is very much a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it is the responsibility of the rational to acquire accurate knowledge with which to view the future. One source of this knowledge for the adept is the astrological ephemeris. The same science that defines a natal birth horoscope can provide knowledge for day-to-day horoscopes as well as providing visions for prophecy. This is a significant element of the famous prophetic quatrains by Nostradamus who was an accomplished astrologer. Perhaps using an ephemeris for such divinations is a tool to distract the rational while the true angel of divine knowledge delivers the message of truth. Another example of magick lore that adepts use to color their outlook on the future would be the Secret Chiefs. Secret Chiefs are similar to New Age stories told of the Great White Brotherhood who are a mythological group of powerful beings that seek to influence the future of mankind. Something like The Great White Brotherhood is said to be at the core of every secret society from the Knights Templar to the Bulgarian Illuminati who emerged in history briefly at the time of the American Revolution. Some Secret Chiefs are alive and living amongst us in secret while they carry out the Great Work. Some are dead, but remain in contact with this physical world. One goal of societies such as the Golden Dawn was to establish contact with these secret chiefs. Sometimes we choose to believe un-provable stories like this because we want to. Many believe in angels and are kind to strangers because of a belief that sometimes strangers are "angels unaware" as the New Testament mentions. From such beliefs come stories, mythos, and legends that archetypally orient our outlook on the future to its inevitable mystery beyond the curtain of death.

The Golden Dawn constructed their temple based on the tomb of a German monk known as Christian Rosenkreuz who the world also recognizes as the founder of worldwide secret societies called Rosicrucianism. As the story goes, the tomb of Christian Rosencreuz was discovered over 100 years after the holy monk's death, and his body was still perfectly preserved. The rose in the word Rosicrucianism is said by some to have originated because after 120 years the tomb smelled like fresh roses. His tomb had seven walls for each of the seven sacred heavenly bodies of the Tree of Life and astrology. These walls were also dominated by a theme of the seven colors of the spectrum, red   orange , yellow   green  , blue  , violate  , and crimson  . The effect of seven walls divided into these seven colors all facing each other creates a pillar of white light in the center of the room where the reflected light from the walls all merge together. A room like this can be a place of power for meditation to an adept. A replica of this tomb is used by the Golden Dawn as a vault beyond the temple that they used for rituals.

The imagery of the Last Judgment card represents the way our world collectively views our future and this becomes a force for bringing about that future. In truth this is an arbitrary choice of a direction, however collectively speaking this creates a current toward the future for humanity, which is a force to be reckoned with. We orient to this path with the way we color our own destinies, which effect the direction our steps take into that future. This Naked Tarot painting synthesizes the two traditions, which proclaim the next age. In the Egyptian interpretation, ages progress from Isis, Osiris, to Horus in two thousand-year increments, and 1904 is apparently correct in this interpretation as the dawning of the age of Horus after an age of Osiris the dying god, which lasted from approximately 96 BC to 1904 AD. The tarot card of the traditional deck however, depicts a more biblical tradition of the final resurrection when Gabriel blows his horn and the dead in Christ rise first, followed by those alive. Unlike Egyptian ages, the biblical view of the future is more oriented to Tetragramaton and astrology looking forward to an equinox in Leo, said by some to be alluded to in the bible because it is written that the Second Coming will be like a lion. Perhaps after a long immature beginning to a Horus age, humanity will mature into the dawning of the age of Aquarius when not only will immortality become a reality, but we may also one day awaken to all our past lives. Thus the dead in Christ shall rise first as all our memories of ancestral lives flood our individual consciousness. Even today past life regression through hypnosis is a very popular area of therapy. As for the Egyptian traditions of immortality foreseen for an age of Horus, it can be pointed out that we are already capable of cloning living tissue. Its thus not far fetched to suppose we may someday take tissue from a well preserved Egyptian pharaoh that was mummified by that ancient religion of immortality and thus bring back Osiris; adding even more profoundness to the belief in immortality by an ancient civilization whose culture and architectural accomplishments are already nothing less than ingenious.

The divinatory meaning for this card is awakening, change of position, and renewal. The card represents the comprehending of the universal by the personal ego. It represents a definite change, and the taking of a definite step. This Last Judgment card in a reading can mean a form of resurrection, or the dawning of a new idea arriving like the song of an angel's trumpet. The card represents accomplishment of the Great Work as a goal of all adepts who align themselves with the higher ideals and goals of the Great White Brotherhood. This card can mean rebirth, or judgment. The card represents the meaning of life after death. It can indicate a transformation occurring as a result of an ordeal. The card can mean a final determination arrives for a matter, or a day of reckoning. If ill-dignified, the Last Judgment card can mean hesitation and postponement. The ill-dignified interpretation is of a future that never arrives, like that promise from Jesus that continually redefines and stretches the definition for the word 'soon.' The card can indicate a major decision with long-term effects, and it's telling you to take a definite step. It could be telling you to examine yourself. This kabalistic path is experienced sometimes as a sense of foreboding that occurs because of your own rational foresight into the future.

21 The Universe

At last we now arrive at the final Arcanum of the Naked Tarot deck called "The Universe." Some decks give this card the title "The World," which carries with it a slightly different meaning than Universe. What the two words have in common implies the environment surrounding all of us. The card usually depicts a woman or hermaphrodite dancing. Surrounding this dancing woman on some cards is a wreath implying both the life all around us, and also the Tree of Life itself surrounding us. On the Naked Tarot version of this card the woman is the Princess of Tetragramaton who becomes the bride of the Prince to then ascend to the thrown of Queen. On most cards this woman stands on one leg with the other leg crossed like the figure of the Hanged Man card, and this Universe card is said to be the opposite of the Hanged Man card. Kabalistically the Hanged Man path exists in the mental world known as Briah of the element air. This Universe path however, is in the opposite physical world of earth known as Assiah. Both the elements of air and earth are in opposition to each other because they do not mix. This is because the element air surrounding us by definition exists where the element earth does not. The opposite elements of fire and water have a similar problem with mixing since they tend to cancel each other out. This all figures into the dynamic called Tetragramaton. The final Tree of Life path of the element earth also coincides with the idea of earth/air opposition, considering that the first path of the Fool is attributed to the element air. Another connection between this card and the crucified Christ-like Hanged Man card may also have something to do with older decks where this card used to feature the risen Christ enthroned in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Most decks now show the woman, or bride of Christ dancing with wands in her hands. Wands in the woman's hands probably suggest polarity of oppositions in the form of electromagnetism, which mankind became accustomed to primarily by the use of the compass to determine direction. Some wands designed by adepts of magick are even designed with magnets inserted into the center of the wand. The idea of polarity involves opposites and includes the eastern idea portrayed by the Yin/Yang symbol. On the Yin/Yang symbol opposites also dance together, like a Prince of air dancing with his bride of earth in a dance of marriage. Some Universe cards also include a basilisk (crowned reptile) symbol with a snake that bites its own tail. This suggests the idea of infinity, and in fact other versions of this card feature the infinity symbol known as a lemniscate  . On the Thoth tarot deck version of this card the woman is dancing with the snake of infinity. Dancing with infinity is one of the meanings of this card as well as the idea of synthesis through reconciling the combination of opposites. One meaning of the Universe card is infinite reward. Another meaning that is implied by the title, "World" is the idea of a world system that we build on top of this planet.

This path unites Yesod (the Foundation) to Malkuth (the Kingdom,) which implies an organized world system. The idea is of organizing a world so that it reflects the macrocosm or greater order of the universe. According to magick the universe out there is reflected within us. As above, so below. The idea of reflection is also reflected in the temples of a lot of ancient religions. The examples could fill a volume, such as the Egyptians who are said to have arranged the great pyramids to reflect exactly the stars of the constellation of Orion's belt up in the sky. The deliberate effort of humanity to organize their architecture as a mirror to the stars in the sky didn't start or stop with Egypt. Even the capital of the United States, Washington DC, does not hide the secret that it was organized since its founding days with streets that draw Masonic symbols and astrological references to Venus. These streets, buildings, and monuments in Washington DC are like the mystical signatures of a secret society that designed the country itself. Perhaps the logic behind this is an acknowledgement of the existence of G-d as Macrocosm, and that mankind can do no better than to aspire to the perfection of nature itself. It shouldn't be underestimated how the collapses of many great civilizations throughout our ancient history have contributed to this logic. Temples are designed to reflect an awe of nature. The awe inspired by the wonder of nature is an example of the subjective experience one has when they find themselves on this Kabalistic path called the Universe. Even the pyramids themselves can be said to represent a deliberate attempt by mankind to match the glory of nature's mountains. This path and this Universe card are a synthesis of the entire system encompassed by the Tree of Life, which grows through the reconciliation of opposites.

The Universe painting is the 21st, and final key to the 22 Tarot paths of Wisdom. Being at the end of the pack makes it intended to synthesize the essence of the entire system. This essence is the theme of Tetragramaton, which underlies the entire doctrine of the Tarot. Since this card is at the end it is intended to represent the complement of the naive path of the Fool. Some say the Universe represents the completion of the Great Work, which the archetypal character of the Fool naively embarks on from the negative side of existence. On this path, the Universe is fully manifested in the world of Assiah, and synthesized into its glyph of the completion of the Great Work. In a sense the Fool represents the negative that approaches manifestation. On the other hand, this path of the Universe represents the completion of that manifestation. The idea of the completion of the Great Work is depicted in the Naked Tarot painting by two symbols. The first is the pentagram, which represents the microcosm, and the second is the hexagram reflecting the macrocosm. The merger of the microcosm with the macrocosm is the goal of the Great Work itself, when the microcosm becomes a reflection of the macrocosm. The implications of this basic assumption of magick have filled volumes. The cards between this key and the zero key known as the Fool represent different stages of the Great Work. This book asserts that these twenty-two paths apply to the Tree of Life and we accomplish the Great Work by orienting to that perspective, thus establishing the middle pillar in balance with the universe. Then synchronicities ensue. The Middle Pillar paths are the narrow ways of escape through balance and transcendental mysticism. This Universe Middle Pillar path is the transcendence experienced when the awe of nature and the universe impress a perspective upon you, which leaves you humbled to your significance. This path has also been known as "The World," which may imply the arbitrary society that exists beyond our control like the influence of Saturn  , which is also attributed to this planetary path. An esoteric title of the card that implies the influence of Saturn is "The Great One of the Night of Time".

The letter attributed to this path is the Hebrew letter Tau  , which has an obscure meaning. The meaning of the letter implies Egyptian, and may allude to the Egyptian origins implied throughout the Tarot. The actual meaning of the letter seems to be "Sign of the Cross," which is believed to be the cross symbol of the four elements of Tetragramaton in extension. Unlike eastern philosophy, which is based on basic duality (yin/yang,) western philosophy emphasizes the number 4 as the extension of nature's facts, the four elements of Tetragramaton. Eastern mysticism is more inclined to direct the aspirant toward a return to unity through meditation in order to attain "liberation," by embracing the negative. That is the kabalistic description of the paths to the Middle Pillar, of which this is the lowest path. Transcendence in the western tradition comes more from an active understanding of the elements and their effects so that the western adept seeks to master the changes of nature. Egyptian implications to this path may point to the origins of that doctrine. The astrological aspects of this system may have originated in the time and place of ancient Sumaria where the Hebrew patriarch Abraham happened to be born in the city of Ur. The relation of astrology to Tetragramaton is shown on the Naked Tarot painting as the four Cherubim described in Ezekial that surround the Universe card, just as they surround G-d in the biblical Ezekial vision. These Cherubim are the established Universe, and correspond to the four fixed signs of the zodiac. The meaning of this with regards to father Abraham of the Hebrews and Arabs has to do with the fact that astrology originated in Sumaria, and Abraham probably adopted astrology to his revolutionary ideas about Monotheism that are championed by the Jewish faith. This Monotheistic tradition was probably further elaborated after the Patriarch Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt as the story goes. Perhaps Moses merged Sumerian astrology with a Hebrew version of Tetragramaton that originated from the experience of an elemental religion he grew up with in Egypt. Admittedly this is an unpopular speculation that defies current anthropology, but is offered to explain a possible connection between the Monotheistic Hebrew faith to the secret Egyptian accomplishments of alchemy. The Naked Tarot painting summarizes both the Sumerian contributions of astrology, and the Egyptian doctrine of the elements with the Hebrew philosophy of Tetragramaton. Judaism synthesized the more ancient polytheistic knowledge into a fanatical defense of one monotheistic G-d who currently appears to have been degraded into a political demi-urge who is overseeing the World.

The female figure in the painting is the allegorical daughter from the story of Tetragramaton, also known as the final He (  ) in the name (  ) Tetragramaton, which is a theme throughout this deck depicted in daughter form on each of the Princess Court cards of the Naked Tarot deck. She represents the kingdom of Malkuth, and the element earth, and is surrounded by a magick circle on this Naked Tarot Universe card. This magick circle represents the completed Great Work, and she lays in the central pentagram to represent the microcosm. Twelve large circles that are each identified with a symbol of the zodiac surround her on the greater circle. Three smaller circles between each of the signs make the thirty-six small circles for the total number of 10 degree deacons in the zodiac to further divide this magick circle that is surrounding the Princess. These 36 astrological deacons each represent one of the 40 common cards in the tarot deck when the 4 Aces are excluded. The Hebrew Tree of Life is identified with these 36 zodiological divisions by attributing each deacon of the zodiac to one consecutive Kabalistic planet from Saturn to the Moon beginning at the esoteric start of the zodiac in Leo. She is surrounded by these 36 circles, which each feature an appropriate planet. The 36 deacons are also known as the quinaries of the zodiac, which when doubled (36 X 2) correspond to the 72-lettered mystical name of G-d known in Hebrew mysticism as the Shem ha-Mephorash. This 72-lettered name of G-d is composed of verses from the Book of Exodus. Within the Shem ha-Mephorash are represented every one of the Hebrew letters in the Hebrew alphabet except for Gimel which equals 3. Three is the key to these letters dividing them into 3 verses. They happen to be Exodus 14:19, 20, and 21, which say according to a Golden Dawn translation from Hebrew, "19) And the Angel of the Elohim, that went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them and stood behind them. 20) And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to the first but it gave light by night to these and the one came not near unto the other all the night. 21) And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters divided." These three verses in the original Hebrew are arranged on top of each other to create 72 columns of three letters each according to Kabalistic rules known as Temura. Then the appropriate letters Aleph and Lamed are added to the end of these 3 letter words so that they create the 72 names of G-d. These 72 names would also each correspond to 5-degree segments of the 360-degree (72 X 5) Zodiac. The 72 degrees also are the angles for each segment of a circle divided by the 5 points of a Pentagram   drawn inside it to represent the microcosm surrounded by the Universe, which is reflected in Shem ha-Mephorash.

The woman on the Naked Tarot card is within a magick circle, which is used by adepts of magick for a center of power where they orient their microcosm to the macrocosm. Magick circles are used around the world from medieval occultists to Northwest Indians, and all base the circle construction on the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, and all agree that they should be drawn clockwise in order to obtain positive results. This particular Kabalistic system associates these magick circle directions as east – air  , south – fire  , west – water  , and north – earth  . The adept of magick does both Hexagram and Pentagram rituals within a magick circle like the one on this card. Pentagrams are associated with the microcosm, and invoking. Invoking is to bring from within, and it is used to summon elemental forces like gnomes, sylphs, undines, and salamanders. Perhaps these elemental beings are also similar to other traditions like the Naga, Devas, and Assuras of Hindu mystical writings. An adept might also use the element of earth to construct a talisman designed to be a catalyst that attracts these elemental forces and intelligences in order to use such a force to fulfill the adept's magical will. A hexagram ritual, unlike the Pentagram, is for evoking. Evoking means to call from without, and is associated with the Macrocosm, and outside planetary forces that an adept seeks to reflect within. The reconciling of juxtapositions implied by contradictions in previous sentences regarding opposite polarities like invoking/evoking and within/without make up a central theme to the dance that is ahead for an initiate.

Shem ha-Mephorash appears to be a monotheistic Hebrew synthesis of a more ancient polytheistic truth. The zodiac is also represented on the Naked Tarot painting by 12 bright stars in the sky, subtly colored according to their proximity to the Tree of Life spheres that correspond with nearby hexagram points. The hexagram is yellow at the central Sun of Tiphiroth, along with the violets of Yesod shown in the Moon at the bottom point of the Hexagram. The hexagram is the symbol of the Macrocosm or Universe, as the pentagram in the circle symbolizes the microcosm carrying out the Great Work by identifying with that Universe. Another mystical Hebrew legend is of Microprosopus who becomes that by reflecting Macroprosopus. As above so below. The Universe path also corresponds to conscious awareness that is assuming the role of the subconscious as one matures properly into life's later years. If one masters the unconscious bodily functions consciously as one grows older then the mind stays young and aware and longevity is assured. That awareness eventually has the potential to attain conscious mastery of the whole body, and thus the Universe. Of course this is easier said than done, and the journey ahead toward mastery of mind and body would qualify as a Great Work. This path on the Tree of Life connects the Moon of Yesod to the sphere of Malkuth on the Tree of Life, shown in a yellowish citrine color on the Naked Tarot card. Because this path is attributed to the planet Saturn. That planet, also called the taskmaster, is depicted in its place on the hexagram at the top point. The Saturn, Sun, Moon symbols create a middle pillar of influence on the hexagram from the nearest planet the Moon to the farthest of the sacred visible planets Saturn, thus encompassing in the Hexagram symbol all the planets in between, which have their appropriate positions on the 4 outer hexagram points. The planet Saturn is attributed to Binah and thus becomes the initial influence for the pillar of Severity. Saturn is the first of the Generational planets in astrology because its distance causes it to take up to 14 years to traverse a single sign. The planet Saturn represents for astrology, the point where changes become less about an individual and more about the historic times, or circumstances in which an individual lives. In this way we again see an expression of the entire system.

Since the letter of this path corresponds to the planet Saturn  , which astrologically represents uncontrolled circumstance, and also because Saturn is the farthest and slowest of the sacred planets, the element of Earth   was also attributed to this path just as Spirit   was added later to the path of Fire in "The Last Judgment." This may have happened when the ideas of Earth and Spirit began to be embraced philosophically as separate, starting in the Middle Ages around the year 1644. That was around the time of Rene Descartes with his ideas that viewed the human spirit as separated from the sinful flesh, having a profound effect on the general modern point of view exhibited in western civilization. Some speculate that earth and spirit are later developments in tarot philosophy, and earlier forms of the tarot were based on just fire, water, and air. The adopting of the new ideas of Earth and Spirit correspond to the latest changes in the evolution of the human soul. Modern thinking is centered on the idea that we all have a separate rational that is operating independent of observed events. This mindset may be on the verge of coming full circle as quantum theory currently works on equations that are forced through experiment to figure the subjective observer in with the objective observation. Consequently this path corresponds to the planet Saturn as well as the element Earth. Earth is also a catalyst of the other three elements, and the synthesis of the entire Tree of Life; making it an ideal attribution for this path of synthesis.

The Hexagram depicted on the Naked Tarot Universe card also symbolizes this synthesis of juxtapositions, as well as encompassing all the elements into a single symbol of Tetragramaton. Fire   \+ water   = Tetragramaton  = air   \+ earth  . The Tree of Life symbol, like the Hexagram, also reconciles the juxtapositions of the elements when considering the elemental attributions for the sephiroth. Like the law of Newton stating that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," each Sephiroth of the Tree of Life is attributed to an element juxtaposed by a Sephiroth with an element of an opposite sex. The following diagram represents this as well as two extremes that are seen from within three worlds by one mind. The Sephiroth Malkuth is the final emanation of G-d according to Kabala. Malkuth represents the element earth, and the physical realm. It is said throughout the writings of Kabala that "Malkuth is in Kether, and Kether is in Malkuth, but in another way." At the tenth emanation, the one (1) of Kether does return in our numeric system to join with zero and repeat the kabalistic cycle of numbers again in a dance with infinity. Malkuth is the only sephiroth that exists in the Kabalistic world of Assiah, however Assiah is also known to be the realm of the seven Palaces of Assiah.

This goes back to the oldest known Kabalistic writings, like the Zohar, explaining the emanations as spheres that surround, like skins on an onion, the earth that is in the center. These geocentric ideals became debunked by the highly popularized sun-centric philosophy of Copernicus. The first sphere is the 1st Heaven of Assiah, which is the sphere of the Moon. Subsequently the kabalistic spheres of Mercury, Venus, The Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn also surround like skins of an onion, Earth and the sphere of Malkuth. Surrounding all of this would be the Zodiac associated to the sphere of Chokmah (Wisdom.) Then around even the Zodiac is the sphere of Kether known as the Primum Mobile. The name Primum Mobile means the "first moved" and implies in the next diagram that it is a firmament where the other heavens are contained like their catalyst. This ancient doctrine of geocentric astronomy has an echo in modern theories about dark matter and the recently speculated doctrine of dark energy. Astrophysicists currently are puzzled by the recently established fact that the Universe is currently expanding at an accelerating speed. Some scientists also observe that gravity, as currently understood, doesn't completely explain the uniformity of a galaxy's arms as they spin about the universe at unimaginable speeds. Some scientists speculate that a dark energy must be pushing in on galaxies from without like a firmament made up of time/space within which our galaxies are spinning like the medieval idea of Primum Mobile. This interpretation of Kabala illuminates the meaning of the wreath surrounding traditional World cards as well as the serpent tail symbols.

The element earth is symbolized on the Naked Tarot painting in the center of the microcosmic pentagram by the woman who is also earth, the element of the final He` of the name Tetragramaton. She is the future wife of the Prince in the legend of Tetragramaton. She represents the aspirant who seeks the completion of the Great Work where the presence of unveiled truth is beheld. One aspect of this attainment is the merging of the subconscious (Nephesh) with the unconscious (Neschemah,) symbolized on the Naked Tarot card by the triangle of Saturn merging with the triangle featuring the Moon to form a Hexagram. This merger becomes accomplished as the Tree of Life is nurtured by understanding, thus accomplishing balance with the Universe. The next stage after this merger of subconscious and unconscious is the attainment of the higher cosmic consciousness (Ruach) symbolized by the Sun in Tiphiroth. That path of attainment is symbolized in the allegory of Tetragramaton. The characters of this allegory have been depicted in several places throughout the Naked Tarot deck. They are reflected on this painting in the form of the Fiery Sun (the King,) and watery Moon (the Queen.) The King and Queen are the male and female principles that procreate the angel Kerobim in the upper right corner of the element Air (the Prince.) This Prince of legend is also the fixed sign of Aquarius, representing the established Universe, and one of the 4 fixed signs of the zodiac Kerobim who biblically surround the throne of G-d. The Prince then unites with the daughter (the Princess,) whose body on the Naked Tarot painting is tattooed with markings to symbolically represent manifested existence. So the four kerubim are the established Universe surrounding G-d, and the angel of Aquarius is also the son represented by the Vau ( ) in Tetragramaton who will become joined with the daughter when she takes her place upon the thrown of understanding as the sphere Binah, sephiroth of Saturn, and thus the Princess becomes the new Queen of the first He` ( ) in the formula called Tetragramaton, and thus starting the whole process over again. In this sense the woman in this painting is also attributed to the legendary bride of the Apocalypse as well as the Egyptian Isis, and the angel Sadalphon. She is shown in the painting aspiring to the macrocosm from the microcosm while surrounded physically and symbolically by the zodiac and Shem ha-Mephorash to synthesizes the Great Work, as well as the tarot deck in its entirety.

The Universe is the path where the subjective Tree of Life becomes united to the objective Malkuth, and the direct experience of this path consists of the combined experience of all the paths, and the overwhelming awe that ensues. This path connects the entire system to Malkuth, and represents the effects of the planetary motions, (or the Universe) on Malkuth the Earth. Malkuth is a Hebrew word meaning 'kingdom.' This Arcanum is the fulfillment of the Fool card who at this point of his quest has now gone full circle on a long journey only to end up right where he began. The difference now is within the Fool who has been changed by his journey. The Universe card can mean fulfillment of the soul like this card in the context of the Fool's journey who becomes enlightened beyond mere material gain by wisdom. The Fool now coming full circle still owns nothing, yet now the Fool is wealthy because the Universe now belongs to him.

The card can mean a successful conclusion of a project that has taken a long time. It could mean that everything is coming together, or graduation. This card promises success and high acclaim. This card can mean cosmic consciousness that comes with realizing that we are immortal spirits undergoing mortal transformations. This is where the finite meets the infinite in an illuminating epiphany. It is the culmination of all the other keys shown as a glyph of the Universe. The Naked Tarot Universe implies that the tarot, in its entirety, represents the very cosmological anatomy of G-d that has evolved through the ancient traditions in Sumeria, Egypt, ancient Israel, and Europe of the Middle Ages. This ancient knowledge is now introduced to the mindset of modern man as the system of the Naked Tarot, thus revealing these kabalistic mysteries to the world. The meaning of this card is; reward, assured success, as well as cosmic consciousness, and mystical success. This card also means in a tarot reading the essence of the question itself. It means synthesis, and also inertia, the world, kingdom. If interpreted as the actual question in a reading then the accompanying cards of the reading elaborate its meaning. The meaning of this card can be that a long journey will be embarked on. This journey will be a grand adventure that satisfies like a good vacation.

Court Cards

Court cards are known to be difficult to interpret since they are supposed to indicate an actual person, but who? Should we be looking for someone of the same sign, or same gender as the card? Are we looking for both, or neither? The introduction of a court card to a reading can either make the reading appear accurate, or like it doesn't know what it's talking about. These cards should indicate a person when they appear, and that person could be anyone, even the querent of the reading. Interpretation is best left to the intuition of the situation. The Naked Tarot Court Cards are arranged within their own sphere of the deck. (Picture 1)

Each figure of the court cards is featured between the black and white pillars of Jachin and Boaz. These are the pillars of Soloman's Temple, which introduced humanity to the pillars of Severity and Mercy. The Naked Tarot Court Cards are arranged in a multi-dimensional painting that connects when arranged from left to right in the order of Tetragramaton, (Fire-King, Water-Queen, Air-Prince, and Earth-Princess.) They are also connected by suits from top to bottom in the order of the four worlds on the Tree of Life, (Fire-Wands-Atziluth, Air-Swords-Briah, Water-Cups-Yetzirah, and Earth-Disks-Assiah.) The disks connect with corresponding wand cards, and kings connect with corresponding princess cards to make these court cards a continuous two dimensional sphere of its own in the deck. (Picture 2)

These cards represent the 16 sub-elements of human personality as defined by astrology also with the alchemical elements of fire, water, air, and earth. These cards are also attributed to influences from certain sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Kings kabalistically correspond to Chokmah (Wisdom) where the male pillar of fire (Mercy) is established. Queens correspond to Binah (Understanding) where the female pillar of water (Severity) is first formed. The Prince cards correspond to Tiphiroth (Beauty) where the initiated become enthroned upon the world of mind, and the pillar of Air, known as the pillar of Mildness, is found. Princess cards correspond to Malkuth where earth, the catalyst of the other three elements, exists on the Tree of Life. When the Naked Tarot court cards are viewed together we see the wand cards in the dry hot fires of the Kabalistic world of Atziluth, each bearing some kind of wand. Below Atziluth is the wet hot mental world of air known as Briah where the Tetragramaton characters each wield a sword. Below the world of Briah we see the wet cool waters of Yetzirah where the characters of that world each hold a cup. The dry cool world of earth, known as Assiah, completes the sphere of court cards where each card features an earth oriented character who is using a disk in some practical way. The cards each feature an alchemical symbol for the element or sub-element of personality that the card represents, as well as an astrological symbol if it isn't a Princess card. The Princess cards represent earth, and thus are not astrological. They represent the materialistic manifestation of each personality element, or in other words is a character who manifests qualities of that particular element. The Princess cards also correspond to quadrants of the heavens beginning with the Princess of Wands around the North Pole. As elemental cards, the Princess cards also correspond to cardinal directions according to the Ritual of the Pentagram with the Princess of Wands = south, Princess of Cups = west, Princess of Swords = east, and Princess of Disks = north. The Princess characters are naked, but there are tattoos on the bodies of the ladies of the higher worlds to represent how those higher worlds of mind and spirit manifest the element of earth in the form of linear written languages and symbols. The Prince cards are also naked like the Princess cards since they both are the children of Tetragramaton, and this is the Naked Tarot The Kings and the Queens however, as parents are clothed. The Queens are all robed with crowns on their heads, each sitting on a throne as a form of Binah Queen of heaven. The Kings are all in armor like the knights, which are what Crowley titled them in his Thoth tarot deck instead of the word "King." They also all appear active in accordance with the King element, which is the very active element of fire.

From here we can begin to break down the multi-dimensional sphere into each individual card and its meaning. We derive these astrological Sun sign personality descriptions with some help from the book "The Only Way to Learn Astrology Vol. I" by Marion D. March and Joan McEvers. The book is highly recommended, although it is probably out of print these days. That book seems to only leave out, (probably till Volume II,) instructions on how to formulate an astrological ascendant. An astrological ascendant is the sign that is rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of one's birth. The ascendant corresponds to our appearance, and the impression we tend to leave upon others. It's not what you really are, but it's what you appear to be. The adept of magick should acquire knowledge of natal horoscopes as well as divination with astrology, and there are many good books on the subject out there. The practice of astrology cultivates your synchronicity with the universe, as well as an awareness of our place in it in reference to the phases of the Moon and positions of the stars and planets. It should be pointed out that an Ephemeris gives us these 30-degree planetary positions according to a zodiac calibrated to the solar year. The actual stars that originally identified the twelve zodiological signs have long since shifted in the sky. This only proves that those stars originally were only marking a phenomenon not actually associated with them. Since those ancient times a rich tapestry of mythology and fable has turned the whole night sky into a mirror showing us the deepest levels of human psychology, as well as an ancient record for anthropology.

Most who have given the practice of astrology the benefit of the doubt have come to agree that there really is something going on with these astrology signs. These gravitational relationships between planets along with the consistent cycle of the solar year appear to exhibit an effect upon our behavior and personalities. A Natal horoscope diagrams this astrological imprint of the central Sun's reflection from the actual Sun at the moment of birth. As above, so below. The Natal horoscope diagram provides the most compelling evidence that astrology is more than just pseudo-science. Most who have given astrology serious regard have become convinced by it after comparing the sun signs of people they know to the commonly agreed upon personality descriptions found in most books on the subject. There could be some subjective bias occurring with this, however many find the results of their investigation too flawlessly accurate to be accounted for by mere prejudice.

Speaking of prejudice, astrology is a form of framing human differences in a way that has nothing to do with ethnicity. Astrology forces one to find out more regarding an individual than just skin color. You are also forced to accept certain things about people because that's the way they are, and that they are just different than you. So and so is a fire sign, and they just go off like that sometimes, but I hear fire signs are great in bed. Something that is measurable with the science of astrology is imprinting us at the moment of birth with a basic personality type according to the sign the Sun was in. The Sun is the center of our solar system as well as the central sphere on the Tree of Life. As above so below. This astrological phenomenon could have originated in the gravitational movements themselves, or else our own sub-cortex connection to those gravitational movements has been synchronized with them in order to imprint us this way. Perhaps the dramatic changes in seasonal climate throughout the year account for what we are observing through astrology? Perhaps the Kabala is the absolute truth? Before jumping to a conclusion however, readers are encouraged to first go purchase a 21st Century Ephemeris and see for themselves.

The twelve signs of the zodiac are arranged around the twelve months of the year, only slightly shifted to change around the 21st day of most months. They represent characters of a mythology that may be lost to a time that is not even recorded by our known history. They may be gods of one of the very first religions, although historians may want to argue that the zodiac doesn't seem to be established until the Babylonian empire where they had evidently refined it from older Sumerian astronomical knowledge concerning the Sun and Moon paths in the sky. The zodiac as we know it was popular with the Greeks, however stories like Hercules being attacked by a crab sent by Hera appear to this writer more like a later story told to explain why the sign of Cancer in the sky is a crab in the first place. The Bible seems to give credit to King Nimrod of the Sumerians for astrology, but then there is that sphinx with a female head and lion's body out there in the Egyptian desert providing a reference to Leo and Virgo of the zodiac, which may predate any known civilization.

Each sign of the zodiac represents either a cardinal, fixed, or mutable form of one of the four basic elements, just like a trinity that weaves into the four established elements of the universe. The signs on the zodiac are arranged according to the elements of Tetragramaton when the Hebrew letters are placed backwards through the year beginning with Leo-fire-  (Yod), Cancer-water-  (first letter He), Gemini-air-  (Vau), Taurus-earth-  (final letter He) etc... all the way around the year to Virgo-earth.

In addition to this elemental arrangement, the zodiac also arranges these signs seasonally according to the cardinal, fixed, and mutable qualities of the seasons. This is demonstrated by the seasons beginning with the Spring months of Aries-cardinal, Taurus = fixed, and Gemini = mutable etc... all the way to the mutable water of Pisces at the end of Winter where frozen water begins to become animated again, or in other words mutable. Each element has a cardinal, fixed, or mutable sign contributing to this prehistoric arrangement that profoundly diagrams the same solar year, which we still have a hard time fitting in our current 365 day Gregorian calendar. Mutable signs correspond to the Kings of the tarot because of the changeable nature of fire. Cardinal signs correspond to the Queens who each initiate a season for the year. The fixed signs of the established seasons are the Prince cards because of the central fixed Sun in Tiphiroth on the Tree of Life. Here are the twelve basic personality types of the zodiac written with help from "The Only Way to Learn Astrology Vol. I," as well as the elemental personality types described by Princess cards, which are presented here with some paraphrasing from "The Book of Thoth" by Aleister Crowley.

  King of Wands

The face of the Sun symbol appears on this card to point out that this card is the highest form of fire. This Sun face is attributed to Chokmah the Sephiroth of the King of Tetragramaton, and has also been used elsewhere in the deck to symbolize the fiery sephiroth Geburah. The King of Wands is shooting a flaming arrow, which is the form that the wand of this card takes to serve also as the symbol for Sagittarius since the King of Wands represents a person with the temperament of a Sagittarius. Sagittarius is the Sun sign of blunt extroverted types who don't often mince words. They tend to champion highly idealistic grand causes such as world peace. This very tolerant person accepts others for what they are, but his forthrightness can sometimes be hurtful. They like to travel and have adventures, and are known to be the philosophical sign.

  Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands wears a crown that symbolizes the water of fire, which she represents. She is the cardinal fire of an Aries personality, and therefore holds a scepter-like wand with the symbolic horns of Aries on top. The Aries personality is known for being ambitious, quick-tempered, with stubborn enthusiasm. She doesn't take orders well, and prefers the role of leader. She insists on doing things her own way with an arrogant opinionated attitude. She can be insensitive to the needs of others. She is easily angered, but the temper doesn't last long, or hold a grudge.

  Prince of Wands

The air of fire is the Prince of Wands whose wand takes the form of a torch with the symbol for the fixed sign of Leo within the flame. Leo's are social leaders with a highly refined sense of dignity. He is enthusiastic and dramatic with a taste for the good life. He is very good with children and places a high value on family life. He is highly affectionate, and keeps the company of many friends. He tends to not be very patient, and can be carried away by enthusiasm. There is also a temper and a tendency for cruelty in the Leo personality that potential victims had best avoid.

  Princess of Wands

This Princess of Wands holds a wand that is white on top, and black on the bottom to represent the extremes. Between the white and black on this wand are stripes with the 12 colors of a spectrum that represent the colors as they correspond to the astrological signs of the zodiac. This wand shows the zodiac as red for Aries at the top on down to the crimson stripe of Pisces at the bottom. It diagrams the lower half of a Lotus Wand as described in the Golden Dawn System of Magick, and it is only lacking the lotus on the top. Consequently the signs on each of these zodiological Naked Tarot court cards are also painted in the appropriate color for that sign just as they are displayed on this wand in her hand. The Golden Dawn System refines this basic color spectrum into different King, Queen, and other scales of color that become very precise. This knowledge along with the accurate representing of opposite colors becomes a powerful means of formulating the magick of flashing tablets. Ultimately the Golden Dawn refines these colors according to a seven color spectrum attributed to the seven sacred planets of the Kabala that become the seven walls of a magick vault. These basic colors of the planets and vault walls are Saturn-Crimson(reddish purple,) Jupiter-Blue, Mars-Red, Sun-Yellow, Venus-Green, Mercury-Orange, and Moon-Violet(bluish purple.) Each of these seven walls of the magick vault feature 40 squares with different hues of the planet's particular color mixed with a color attributed to the specific square along with symbols on each square made in the opposite flashing color. This vault is designed according to the legendary tomb of a magick monk of the middle ages named Christian Rosencreutz who may have founded the secret society of the Rosy Cross in Germany. These seven rainbow-colored walls focus 280 different flashing color tablets on the center of the room, which causes the reflected light to merge into a central pillar of white light in the middle of the room, which is surely a sight to behold. The Princess of Wands is tattooed with symbols of fire because earth takes the form of linear symbol where it manifests on this spiritual world of Atziluth. She is the earth of fire, and thus its combustible aspect. She is brilliant, fearless, and full of energy. Like fire she consumes all she comes into contact with for her own amusement, and she is quick with love or anger. She can be irrational, vengeful, superficial, unreliable, domineering, and cruel.

  King of Swords

The fire of air is the King of Swords in centurion armor with a breastplate of Gemini. The Gemini personality is mutable air, and is a restless talkative type of personality with much sympathy for others. He likes to keep moving on to new things, or shaking up old things with new variety. He has a social itch to scratch, and he doesn't like to be too serious. He likes hobbies, reading, and demonstrates an eloquent vocabulary. He can be irresponsible, full of restlessness, and his constant need to change the channel can work against him. He might even get too talkative sometimes.

  Queen of Swords

The Queen of Swords sits upon the throne of Libra atop the clouds in the sky that represent the airy world of Briah. She is the water of air, and so rain appears in the sky behind her. She is the Libra personality type who is notorious for her sense of fairness, and she tends to always referee for peace and harmony amongst others. She is diplomatic, and likes to be social, gracious, and charming. She avoids menial tasks, but works well in partnerships. She has a good ascetic sense and loves refinement. She is known to marry young and maybe often.

  Prince of Swords

The Prince of Air is the fixed air sign of Aquarius, and is a most unconventional type of person to say the least. He is very independent with a love for freedom. He seems to either really love something, or really hate it, and he won't easily be swayed from his strong opinions, which tend to be completely original and unlike anything anyone else thinks. Things that are different have a strong appeal for the Aquarius, and they are known to harbor a sincere love for music. He is highly intellectual yet unpredictable. Some have compared the Aquarius to the absent-minded professor from the Disney movies. This is because an Aquarius seems to try to maximize the space of his mind by discarding trivia, and thoughts that could just as well be written down to save memory. They are notorious for genius, however this is probably because Aquarius naturally thinks outside the box, and may even have trouble thinking inside it. The Aquarius has a concern for all of humanity, which can make him seem too indifferent and unattached on the level of individual one-on-one relationships.

  Princess of Swords

This earth of air Princess of Air also has lines of air tattooed on her to represent the linear form that thought takes where it manifests as air of earth through written language, or symbol. She is the materialization of idea, and she embodies the contradiction of earth and air, which are two elements incapable of occupying the same space, or even easily mixing. She is revengeful, and her logic can become destructive. She is stern and aggressive with wisdom for the practical management of affairs. She has a flair for resolving controversies. She can become sometimes incoherent, and may obsess over revenge.

  King of Cups

The King of Cups is knee deep in the emotional waters of Yetzirah where the skies of Briah have become rainy. He is the fire of water, and so is actively flinging water from his cup. His knight's armor is emblazoned with the sign of the mutable water of Pisces on his chest plate. The Pisces personality is the quiet secretive type who is probably up to something, but no one will ever know it. He is imaginative, loving, and kind to others. He is much affected by people and things around him, and is the most impressionable and sensitive sign in the zodiac. He can be always in a dream world, and has a natural love for animals. He accomplishes things in his own quiet way, and he doesn't want to hurt others. He can be hopelessly indecisive, and run from difficult situations. This is a very psychic sign, and he may have an interest in the occult or mysticism.

  Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups is the Queen of water, and is receiving water from above into her cup. She sits upon the waters above the sign of cardinal water, which is Cancer. Cancers are the domesticated sign of the zodiac; being represented by the crab that lives in its own shell. The cancer personality likes her home front, and garnishes home with lots of comforts, as well as knickknacks, and memorabilia. She is quiet, but silently concerned about what others think of her. She likes to feel needed, and is very maternal at heart, although she suffers from shyness. She's a good cook, and a talented hostess. She may be manipulative to get what she wants. She is responsive to everything around her so she needs the security of her own familiar abode to calm her emotions.

  Prince of Cups

The airy part of water is waist deep in the waters of Yetzirah. This Prince of Cups is the fixed water of the Scorpio personality. He is willing to go way more than waist deep into emotionally troubled waters, and may even have a morbid streak. He is quiet and reserved, which holds back a massive depth of insight. He is determined and shrewd, and will use that reserved insight to manipulate others in order to get his way. He can be aggressive, resentful, and vengefully jealous. A Scorpio is notorious for remarkably recuperative powers, and for being a relentless seeker of the truth.

  Princess of Cups

Above the Princess of Cups is the female Moon symbol with a water drop about to drip off. This Moon is a symbol for the higher water sephiroth such as Binah, and Chessed, in the same way the Sun symbol in these cards symbolizes the higher sephiroth of the element fire. The earth of water is represented by the shoreline where the Princess reclines while pouring water from her cup upon the earth. This is the lower manifestation of water where plant life begins to spring up from the earth. She is sweet and kind with a love for romance. She lives in a dreamy world of her own. Like water she longs to nurture and support all life.

  King of Disks

The King of Disks has applied his active fire energies to the practical matter of land cultivation. He is the fiery part of earth, and uses the disk as a wheel to plow the field he cultivates. He represents the mutable earth personality of a Virgo Sun sign. Virgo's tend to worry a lot, and since they draw comfort from practical concrete facts, they don't like the unexplainable, and are uncomfortable with non-material explanations. He likes routine, and meticulous tasks. He does everything well, particularly when it comes to business. He is responsible, thoughtful, and enjoys doing service. Virgos are one of the hardest personality types to convince regarding the validity of astrology.

  Queen of Disks

The Queen of the water of earth sits upon a solidly manifested throne on the world of Assiah. As the Queen of Disks, she holds her disk in the receptive form of a plate where the fruits of earth are displayed. The well-watered earth around her is lush and green. She represents the personality of the cardinal earth Capricorn Sun sign. Self-esteem is important to her and she tends to try to be the center of attention. She is ambitious and works hard for what she wants, but can seem to have a difficult time. She may at times be overwhelmed by self-pity. She is very sociable, and dedicated to duty, which accounts for a lot of Capricorn-born that appear in the field of politics.

  Prince of Disks

The Prince of the airy part of earth is also busy working the field, and stacking his harvest upon the disk of this card. He is a Taurus personality type, which represents the fixed earth. This is of course the most practical sign of the zodiac, but may be so fixed that he is not easily swayed by new ideas. He is persistent with a cautious determination, and will plod along until the work is done. Taurus Sun signs are known to excel in their love for art and music. He is responsible, serious, and often works to establish a firm financial foundation. He can be head strong like a bull, and furious when aroused, but a faithful friend.

  Princess of Disks

The Princess of Disks is the plainest of the court cards. She is the earth of earth, and stands upon the disk for this card, which features the alchemical symbol of earth. She is pregnant with all life so she holds one hand upon her womb. She is surrounded by the wonder of the earthly world known as Assiah, as well as the wonder of all the other worlds displayed when these court cards are joined together into a single multi-dimensional painting. She is womanhood on the brink of transfiguration. Her personality attributes are pure manifestations in themselves, and thus difficult to individually define here as one attribute or another. She is the Princess of Tetragramaton on the verge of the transformation that fulfils the formula of joining Prince to Princess, and completes yet another turn of this wheel of the tarot on the Tree of Life.

The Minor Arcana

Malkuth is in Kether, and Kether is in Malkuth. That Kabalistic proverb helps to understand that the Tree of Life is a self-replicating pattern like DNA, or a looping computer program. It means that when the consecutive spheres are followed from Kether to Malkuth we arrive again at Kether. The end of one Tree initiates the beginning of another. In this way each of the four worlds of the Tree of Life manifests its own Tree of Life unique to the particular element of each of those four worlds. The ten spheres of the Tree of Life can be regarded as the ten dimensions of creation, or G-d, which represent the initial balanced harmonious perfection as it descends into more and more material emanations; deviating from perfection. These ten dimensions are the influences that act upon us through the subjective paths that are represented by the Major Arcana. Each of these four worlds manifests a Tree of ten spheres represented in the tarot by the 40 suit cards of the Minor Arcana. These four Trees each represent one suit of the tarot of either wands for the world of fire, cups for the world of water, swords for air, or disks for earth.

Tarot cards, which used to also be known as tarocchi in Italy, and tarack in France, have evolved for hundreds of years throughout middle age Europe along with the cards that have evolved into the secular playing cards used today in gambling and games of pleasure. The similar origin of both the tarot and regular playing cards is obvious when comparing the similarities of the suits. A tarot deck without the major arcana and Princess court cards would just be identical to a deck of regular playing cards. A wand happens to be similar in shape to a club, and would work as one if it isn't too breakable. There is a sentimental association that can be argued between hearts and cups. Spades bear a resemblance to swords, particularly if you were to beat the sword into a plowshare, and diamonds reflect the same meaning as coins, which are also sometimes referred to by tarot decks as disks, or pentacles. Even the extra Joker card in regular playing card decks is an obvious relic of the tarot's Fool card.

1's

The One cards are unique from the other cards since they represent the first sphere of Kether, which remains in perfect unity not yet manifested. In this sense the aces of each tarot element represent just the seed of the element with only the potential to manifest. The aces are the roots of the elements in each of the four worlds. Kether is spirit and in this sense is the pure ideal of each element. Kether is in perfect unity undisturbed by lower influences caused by emanations to come. Card meanings have been paraphrased from the Crowley Thoth tarot deck where the Naked Tarot also gets its card titles. The Book of Thoth is recommended reading for a much more in depth study of these 40 cards than offered here in this single chapter. Where the meaning is preceded by the words "could be" is where to find the reversed dignity interpretation of the card.

Ace of Wands

Pure energy or natural force. Strength and vigor expressed like an outburst of flame.

Ace of Cups

Root of the powers of water. Beauty, pleasure, fertility. Happiness and productiveness.

Ace of Swords

Root of the powers of air. This is invoked and calculated force. Great power deliberately for either good or evil. Conquest and activity. Advantage gained by much trouble. May be sword of affliction, punishment, and wrath.

Ace of Disks

Material gain and wealth from labor. Power. Materiality in every sense. Contentment.

2's

Now beyond the Aces we arrive at what is the actual first manifestation in the second sphere of Chokmah. Now the cards have astrological attributions and begin to correspond to the 3 decons for each sign of the zodiac. Chokmah is the father of Tetragramaton and therefore the Naked Tarot 2 cards feature the fiery Sun father character. Chokmah is the emanation that establishes the pillar of fire, known as the Pillar of Mercy. If the aces are excluded, the rest of the Minor Arcana can be arranged on the circle of the zodiac and would look like the following diagram.

The two's are also the beginning of the cards with titles. The second sphere is the initial harmonious manifestation of the element. Each title of a 2 card represents the highest expression of intent for that element.

Two of Wands **– Dominion**

Highest form of fire. Energy initiating a force. Overbearing influence on another. Fierceness and courage. Could be obstinacy or restlessness.

Two of Cups **– Love**

Male and female in harmony. Intense joy from that harmony. Warm friendship. Could be folly or waste.

Two of Swords **– Peace**

The same nature at home with contradictory characteristics. Peace restored after quarrel yet there is still tension. Truth and untruth. Could be indecision.

Two of Disks **– Change**

Gain and loss in alternation. Varying occupation, or wandering. A visit with friends. Pleasant new course for the better. A person who is industrious yet unreliable.

3's

The third sphere is Binah the mother of Tetragramaton, and like a mother, the titles of the three's express motherly understanding and advise in response to the intentions expressed by the fatherly two's. Binah is still above the abyss, but she further incubates the initial ideas of Chokmah. Since three represents Binah, the mother of Tetragramaton, each Naked Tarot 3 card mainly features the watery woman in the Moon character. Since Binah exists above the abyss beyond manifestation she only appears as the Moon on the Disk card for the element earth.

Three of Wands **– Virtue**

Strength established and realization of hope. Nobility. Could be pride, arrogance, or conceit.

Three of Cups **– Abundance**

Plenty with hospitality. Sensuality, kindness, love. A kind of passive success. Bounty. The good things in life can be enjoyed but they can't be relied upon.

Three of Swords **– Sorrow**

Unhappiness with tears. Discord and strife. Delay. A melancholy separation. Mirth and deceit. Could be a sublime singing of the blues, or honesty in money transactions.

Three of Disks **– Works**

Paid employment and business with commercial transactions. Increase and growth of material things. Agreement in a long term matter. Could be a greedy selfish person after impossibilities.

4's

At the manifestation of the fourth sphere (Chesed) we are now below the abyss. Now the idea expressed in the two and complemented by the three can actually manifest as the original untarnished ideal. The manifestation of the 4th Kabalistic dimensions are the ideals that we find ourselves striving to attain from our current unredeemed, and fallen perspective. These cards represent the uncorrupted initial divine manifestations from the perspective of creation. Chesed is a sephiroth attributed to the element of water, and therefore the watery Moon woman appears on the fours. She wasn't manifested as a three but as a four she manifests as the Moon in the sky.

Four of Wands **– Completion**

Work perfected. The end of much labor. Rest and a settlement. Previous knowledge leads to a conclusion. Could be unreliability from being too much in a hurry.

Four of Cups **– Luxury**

Giving in to desire. Pleasure mixed with worry. Weakness. Pleasure and success that might not last much longer. The fruits of pleasure may be starting to lose that sweet appealing taste.

Four of Swords **– Truce**

Rest after sorrow. Peace following war. The end to anxiety. Recovery after sickness. Change for better. Could be adherence to convention or the establishment of dogma.

Four of Disks **– Power**

Rule of law and order. Gain of influence and/or money. Rank and success. Skill with physical endeavors and earthly power. Could be covetousness or prejudice, a suspicious nature, or lack of originality.

5's

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore the establishment of the harmonious fours is followed by the fives to come along and knock them all down. With the five is introduced motion and the corrosive effects of time on the initial perfection. As appealing as the fours are, the fives come along to counter with equally unappealing titles. Order is now disturbed. Five is the sphere of Geburah, where the unmanifested fire that was created in Chokmah can now be manifest below the abyss. Each Naked Tarot five card therefore features the Sun character along with ill-dignified pentagrams that symbolize the awkward way fire likes to manifest here. The astrological attribution that began with the two's, then three's, and four's has now become a different sign on the card. The astrological signs are divided up into the tarot suits according to the element, and they are also attributed to the cards as cardinal signs going with 2's, 3's, and 4's. The 5's, 6's, and 7's correspond to the fixed signs for each appropriate element. Then the mutable signs coincide with the 8, 9, and 10 cards.

Five of Wands **– Strife**

Quarrel, competition, cruelty, and fighting. Lust and desire and violent confusion.

Five of Cups **– Disappointment**

The fun is over. Unexpected disturbance. Unrequited love, and misfortune. Loss of a friend or unkindness from them. Treachery, sadness, and regret.

Five of Swords **– Defeat**

You lose. Malice and spite. Failure, anxiety, weakness, dishonor, and poverty. Could be obedience, patience, or unselfishness.

Five of Disks **– Worry**

Strain intensifying because of continued inaction. Money lost. Monetary anxiety or loss of job. Could be labor and building, or land cultivation done intelligently.

6's

Balance returns with the sixth emanation, which also becomes the center of the entire Tree of Life. The sixth sphere, Tiphiroth, is also attributed to the Sun, which is the center of our solar system. Tiphiroth also represents the son of Tetragramaton manifesting consciousness to the problems creation has so far introduced following the original intent expressed by the father (Chokmah.) The Naked Tarot six cards feature the crowned Prince character who is the son of Tetragramaton.

Six of Wands **– Victory**

The balanced manifestation of energy. Triumph and gain after strife. Love and success. Could be pride and insolence.

Six of Cups **– Pleasure**

Harmony of forces flowing naturally without effort. Satisfaction and ease. Success and happiness. Sexual gratification. The beginning of what appears to be a bright future. Could be thanklessness, vanity or presumption.

Six of Swords **– Science**

Intelligence realizing its goal. Escape from difficulty. Success with labor and work. Journey by water. Could be intellectual pride or selfish conceit.

Six of Disks **– Success**

Gain of material success, power, and influence. Noble philanthropy. A dreamy transitory situation. Could be conceit with wealth or prodigality.

7's

After doing so well with Six's, creation proceeds onward to its seventh emanation, which is now not only out of balance, but also much lower on the Tree of Life while progressing to the material. The seventh sphere Netzech is where the element fire further manifests. Each Naked Tarot seven card features the Sun character enduring this low manifestation. Decent is now further into delusion to compound the original disturbances that Tiphiroth had previously balanced. Balance has now proven to be futile and the effort has been given up at the seventh sphere.

Seven of Wands **– Valor**

Energy is at its last chance for success. A victory is possible with a struggle. There are difficulties but also courage to take them on. Victory in little things. It could mean a quarrel.

Seven of Cups **– Debauch**

Drug addiction. Delusion. Lying, guilt and deceit. Intoxication. Unfulfilled promise. Fornication and lust. Could be vanity and dissipation in love.

Seven of Swords **– Futility**

Vain striving against what is too powerful. Giving up on the brink of winning because you're out of energy. Untrustworthy person. A journey on land.

Seven of Disks **– Failure**

Abandoned labor and sloth. Unfulfilled promise of success. Disappointment from deceived hopes. Not much attained from much labor. Could be delay but growth, or work with no expectation of material gain.

8's

In reaction to the problems presented by the sevens, the eight's react to remedy the situation. The eighth emanation is the water sphere of the intellect, so Naked Tarot eight cards feature again the mother Moon character. The problem is that the rational responses of the eighth sphere (Hod) are still subject to the same flaws as the sevens (Netzach.) Eight is also an extreme, which is out of balance, and also very low on our decent from that original seed of unity above in Kether.

Eight of Wands **– Swiftness**

Eloquent speech. Electricity and light. Energy is active, and at a high velocity. Letter or message. The goal is being approached. Boldness, rapidity, freedom. Could be a flash in the pan application of too much energy too suddenly.

Eight of Cups **– Indolence**

Success is abandoned. There is no longer interest in anything. Instability, repining, and misery. A journey from place to place. Could mean leaving material concerns for something higher.

Eight of Swords **– Interference**

Too much attention to details at the expense of what's more important. No persistence. Bad luck that is not foreseen. Restriction.

Eight of Disks **– Prudence**

Agriculture. Building with skill. Intelligence applied to finances. Industriousness. Could be a penny wise, pound foolish attitude or meanness and hoarding.

9's

Now that the extremes of the seven and the eight have been introduced we can return again to redemption with the balanced pillar at the ninth emanation. Here the foundation (Yesod) can be established with a direct line of redemption through Yetzirah to Tiphiroth in the world above. Yesod is the sphere of the Princess of Tetragramaton redeemed by the Prince who she becomes united to. That is why each Naked Tarot 9 card features the Princess of our Tetragramaton story. Here there is balance, but we are now very low on the Tree; just on the verge of the final emanation. Here some elements are far from a place of dignified territory. Fire begins to be less the ideal dazzling energy and more the stuff that burns. The intellectual suit of air begins to loose its head this far down. On the other hand, Yesod is in the world of water so the cup card is actually in a perfect place of balance and harmony for the cup's intention of pleasure, which is a theme of the cup cards, and Happiness is one of the best cards in the pack. The suit of earth is also only getting closer to its place of dignity in Malkuth.

Nine of Wands **– Strength**

Power and health. Success after opposition. Recovery from sickness. Tremendous force. Victory after a really close call, or after overcoming much fear. Demonstrates that constant change is the way to achieve stability.

Nine of Cups **– Happiness**

Total success. Fulfillment of pleasure. Physically feeling great. Perfect happiness that might be temporary. Danger of vanity, conceit, or overindulgence.

Nine of Swords **– Cruelty**

Agony of mind. Hopeless worry and despair. Illness and loss. Pain malice and oppression. Lying and shame. Could be obedience and faithfulness.

Nine of Disks **– Gain**

Good luck in material matters. Increase of wealth. Inheritance. Could be covetousness or theft.

10's

Beyond the still not quite real formative world of Yetzirah and the sphere of Yesod is the final equal and opposite reaction to that, which is the outside objective that is recognized as reality. The tenth and final emanation of creation has now manifested in the world of Assiah. Malkuth is the sphere of the unredeemed Princess from our Tetragramaton story. She is therefore the appropriate character to feature on each Naked Tarot 10 card, since she is the embodiment of the sphere of Malkuth, just as the Prince embodies Tiphiroth. Malkuth is not attributed to any planet like other spheres, however it is in the world of Assiah where the palaces of all the planetary energies can be found. In a way that is similar to the proverb Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether.

Ten of Wands **– Oppression**

The most destructive aspect of fire. Force detached from higher wisdom. Malice and cruelty. Repression. Selfishness. Slander and lying.

Ten of Cups **– Satiety**

Success in the pursuit of pleasure, yet there's something missing. Matters arranged as wished with lasting success. Peacemaking. Could be debauchery, waste, or stagnation.

Ten of Swords **– Ruin**

Reason divorced from any grasp of reality. Failure, disaster, death. Idle chatter and disruption. Could be not entirely without hope however, and may herald the end of delusion.

Ten of Disks **– Wealth**

Prosperity and riches. Completion of fortune, yet now there must be devotion to creativity. Old age. Could mean dullness of mind regarding money transactions. Could be heaviness or slothfulness.

So now this book has provided explanations for all seventy eight cards of the tarot card deck. There is still a couple of Appendix needed to complete this book on the tarot. This has been mostly a tarot from the perspective of the Thoth Egyptian tarot arrangement that is promoted by Crowley, however with the repainting of just one card, and the switching of a couple letters and numbers, the Naked Tarot is transformed into the traditional deck arrangement in Appendix I. This book also is still missing instructions about card arrangements, and the reading of tarot cards so that afterthought will be covered in Appendix II.

### Appendix I

Traditional Emperor

The original Naked Tarot Emperor image was based on the Thoth tarot version that was designed by the Master Therion Aleister Crowley. The Thoth deck attributes the Emperor card to the Hebrew letter Tzaddi instead of that letter's traditional assignment to the Star card. The Kabalistic effect is to reposition the Emperor path between Yesod and Netzach instead of the traditional position of the Emperor path connecting Tiphiroth to Chokmah. This change was defended in the previous Emperor chapter of this book, and a Thoth deck balances this Hebrew letter change by also switching the Arcanum numbers between the Strength and Justice cards. The underlying logic to those changes is connected to the shifting spring and fall equinoxes. In the course of writing Naked Tarot, the more straight forward traditional arrangement appears to make a compelling case. For instance, if we switch all the Thoth changes back then our Arcanum Circle from the previous Emperor chapter makes more sense. Therefore with the switch of a couple numbers and letters the Naked Tarot deck is transformed from a Thoth tarot deck to a Traditional deck. The original Emperor Naked Tarot design however, is based on the change Crowley had made because, "Tzaddi is not the Star," and the original Naked Tarot Emperor is designed to express the implications of that prophetic change seen in our modern world. Now in this design the redesigned traditional Naked Tarot Emperor sits upon the Hebrew letter He,   which means "window." Perhaps this indicates it is through this window that we see the true meaning of this Emperor interpretation. The Hebrew letter He` happens to also be the daughter and queen of Tetragramaton implying that through the promotion of the princess to queen, the Emperor then becomes enthroned upon Tiphiroth, the sphere of the organized man. The Naked Tarot Emperor sits enthroned upon the Sun of Tiphiroth, sitting on the Hebrew letter. He is naked because it's the Naked Tarot deck, and it acknowledges one aspect of the New Age. That aspect is that what is concealed these days will be found out in the new age of information. Politicians beware because you have no cloths in this Information Age. The Emperor wears a crown because this position connects the Emperor to the king of Tetragramaton in Chokmah, which means "wisdom." Our new interpretation makes this path one of initiation, and this Emperor is an archetype of the prince enthroned on Tiphiroth. That perspective places the Thoth Emperor card as the more objective outer world interpretation for the path of the Emperor where this meaning applies to government and the powers that be.

The Naked Tarot Emperor has his legs crossed because most decks cross the legs on this card since it indicates the symbol of sulfur, and the Emperor represents the nature of that alchemical element. He holds a staff where the sign of this path, Aries   is mounted on the top. Crossing his leg also conveniently portrays our Emperor who wears no clothes in good taste. The Naked Tarot Emperor also leans on a shield with a coat of arms depicting the Tetragramaton theme of this deck. The shield displays depictions of the sephiroth of the outer pillars. The king in the upper right corner for Chokmah faces the queen in the opposite corner for Binah. Below is a Sun for the fiery nature of Geburah and a Moon for the watery sphere of Chesed. Below that, two children, a boy and a girl, each hold a weapon of two tarot suits. The boy holds a sword for air, the element of mind, which is below the Sun in Geburah indicating the intellectual sphere of Hod. The girl holds a cup for water to receive from the Moon above demonstrating the victory of Netzach with this act of receiving. The bottom of the shield forms into a disk, which is the tarot weapon for the element of earth. At the bottom of the shield within the disk is the alchemical symbol of sulfur already mentioned as the nature of the Emperor's energy.

Naked Tarot Thoth Cards

Naked Tarot Traditional Cards

The Traditional Naked Tarot Emperor card represents a completed initiation to Tiphiroth. All the tarot weapons are represented between the shield and crest he leans upon and the wand, or scepter that he carries in his own hand. He is the end of the Fool's initial journey to an adulthood crowned with success by completing the formula of Tetragramaton.

The Emperor card means conquest, strife, and war. The Emperor indicates power, stability, and government. This card is energy and ambition. Could be overweening pride, or megalomania. It could mean low tolerance and ill-temper.

### Appendix II

Reading Tarot Cards

This book is still incomplete without at least a few words on tarot readings. On this subject are many helpful books that would devote more to this subject than an appendix. How one should read their tarot cards is something best figured out yourself creatively by trial and error. For this reason the instructions here will be basic and brief. At the beginning it is recommended that some kind of prayer be offered to the intelligences behind the cards. Prayer is a way to express will. Through prayer your individual ego can speak to the rest of you. It very well may be that the "spirits" and "intelligences" alluded to by this book are all really just the rest of yourself. The tarot is a divine oracle and so solemnity is recommended for best results. Crowley's Book of Thoth recommends a prayer to the Gnostic deity IAO, that he "will send Hru who is the angel in charge of this secret wisdom." That prayer requests, "that the angel place his hands invisibly on these cards of art," that you "may obtain true knowledge to secret things to the glory of thine ineffable name. Amen." After the prayer state the question and then shuffle the cards. First we can describe a basic reading that could be done daily as a personal read. This book as a means to self-discovery prefers personal divination. Divination for others can also be done, but then there is a potential for abuse when involving the true will of another. This reading is just 5 cards in a row for each of the 4 elements and also spirit. As you lay the cards down say, "Today I work  , today I feel  , today I think  , today I own  , and today I am  .

For this basic reading the position of the card determines dignity. A water card is ill-dignified in a fire position as well as a fire in a water position. Likewise an air card is ill-dignified in an earth position and visa-versa. An Arcanum card is dignified in the spirit position, however other positions would depend on the elemental nature of the Arcanum card in relation to the position's element. This basic 5-card spread is good for a simple personal reading like a daily horoscope.

The next reading to be explained is a good one to do for other people. It's called the Celtic Cross spread. To begin you can either just shuffle or choose a card to represent the querent, or person asking the question. Either way you shuffle, or choose a querent first then shuffle. There are examples of Celtic Cross spreads that go either way. Set the querent down in the middle.

Now draw the first card and set it over the querent, and say, "this card covers him." This indicates influences effecting the person and the environment of the question.

Draw the next card and cross the first card with it and say, "this card crosses him." This card shows obstacles in the matter and can be very encouraging if it's a favorable card.

The next card goes above the two crossed cards while saying, "this crowns him." This card indicates aims and ideals in the matter. This card indicates the best that can be achieved in the matter.

The next card goes below the crossed cards, and say "this is beneath him." This indicates the basis and foundation of the matter. This may also be what the querent has already made his own.

The next card goes to the right of the crossed cards while saying, "this is behind him." This indicates influence already past, or that is passing away. Some Celtic Cross spreads determine right or left here depending on direction the querent card figure faces. That can just be up to the reader of this book to decide upon.

The next card goes opposite the previous card, or to the left of the crossed cards saying, "this is before him." This indicates the near future, or an influence coming into action.

The next four cards are drawn in a vertical column to the right of all the previous cards. With the first card say, "this is himself." It indicates the questioner or the thing asked about.

The next card represents their house. This is their environment, life's position, or influences of friends.

The next card represents hopes and fears in the matter.

Finally, the last card represents the final result, and it culminates the previous cards in the read.

That's the basic explanation of reading tarot cards, and there are countless other arrangements to try and invent on your own. If you have figured out a daily horoscope routine, you could also include a drawn tarot card to help illuminate the foresight of the horoscope. That is an example of the Intua-Taromantic-Horoscope. If you have read this book up to this point then the Kabalistic Tree of Life has probably been sufficiently planted within you and is sure to now grow, and probably influence your view of reality from now on. Damage done. The tarot deck will assist you in cultivating the Tree of Life within. Some people recommend randomly turning cards upside down to determine the dignity of a card in a reading. This book recommends learning the cards while they remain right side up in the deck, and figuring the dignity out based on surrounding cards. Some don't like other people touching their tarot decks, which is understandable. There is shuffling to figure out and also you may want to cut the cards after a shuffle. There is also a question of whether to shuffle only once or more than once. Most instructions recommend shuffling three times and cutting the cards between each shuffle. This book recommends that you decide yourself on how you want to shuffle the cards and just be consistent with that. Basically most of this is between you and your tarot deck as you embark on your own journey to find your own answers to the insoluble mystery of life.

### Glossary of Strange Words

And Obscure Phrases

A's

**Abba :** Hebrew word for the Inner father from a time when the religion understood male and female attributes of G-d. Abba is the father of Tetragramaton. Abba corresponds to Chokmah on the Tree of Life. (See Tetragramaton.)

**Abyss :** Area of the Tree of Life glyph between Binah and Chesed where the false Sephiroth Daath is said to exist. This is very similar to the Hindu 'Void.' The abyss separates us from the supernal world beyond this world, which we cross over to in death. There is a demon in this abyss called Choronzon who devours the ego, and must be confronted before the crossing of the abyss can be accomplished.

**Adam Kadman :** Character of ancient Hebrew legends of the first man. Means literally Primal or Primordial Man. This term seems to refer to the original plan or blueprint for man who was designed to be made in the image of G-d.

**Adept :** A title for one who is a practitioner of the magick arts. (See Magick.)

**Adeptus Exemptus :** One of the grades of formal magickal fraternal orders such as the Golden Dawn. The Adeptus Exemptus grade means they have passed 7 grades and have 4 grades left till there are no more grades. The Adeptus Exemptus grade is (7=4.)

**Adeptus Major :** One of the grades of formal magickal fraternal orders such as the the Golden Dawn. The Adeptus Major grade means they have passed 6 grades and have 5 grades left till there are no more grades. The Adeptus Major grade is (6=5.)

**Adeptus Minor :** One of the grades of formal magickal fraternal orders such as the the Golden Dawn. The Adeptus Minor grade means they have passed 5 grades and have 6 grades left till there are no more grades. This is the first grade of the inner order coinciding with the attainment of Tiphiroth. The Adeptus Minor grade is (5=6.)

**Aeon :** Period of our evolution as a civilization encompassing an indefinitely long period of time. Understood by some occultists in terms of Aeon of Osiris, Aeon of Isis, and Age of Horus. An Aeon is the same as an Age of man that encompasses approximately 2000 years.

**Age of Horus :** Understood by some occultists to be the current age of humanity for the next couple thousand years. Humanity has just completed an Age of Osiris, the age of the dieing god. Before the 2000 year age of Osiris, the Aeon was known as the age of Isis, when religion was more unanimously ran by female priestesses instead of male priests.

**Ain – Ain Soph – Ain Soph Aur :** The three veils of the Absolute. Also known as the three veils of negative existence. This is the true nature of G-d before G-d created creation. These three veils surround the Tree of Life. These words mean literally 'Nothing' – 'No Limit' – 'Light Without Limit.'

**Aiq Beker :** This is the Kabala of Nine Chambers, which is a means for translating numbers that are too large to relate to an actual Hebrew letter. This allows one to find an appropriate Hebrew letter for the sake of drawing a sigil or constructing a talisman for magick works.

**Ajna :** The sixth chakra that is between the eyes around the Pineal gland. This is where the three Gunas are experienced. (See Chakras and Gunas.)

**Akasa :** The tatwas symbol for the fifth chakra of spirit. Akasa looks like a very dark purple egg balanced on the pointed end. (See Tatwas.)

**Akashic Egg :** Cosmic egg from some forms of mysticism. This is the same as Akasha the 5th Tatwas of the ether or spirit (see Tatwas.) This cosmic egg is in the world of spirit beyond the reality we find ourselves in. This world of spirit is where the Akashic records of ourselves are kept. The Akashic Egg has some resemblance in form and meaning to the Orphic Egg of the ancient Greeks.

**Alchemy :** Commonly understood as medieval chemistry, which ultimately sought to transmute base mettles into gold. Alchemy incorporated science with mysticism in a religious attempt to assist creation with evolution. Alchemists believed that everything evolved. Alchemy also used chemical processes to synthesize essences of different substances into a 'tincture' to be used as cures for diseases, as well as other applications. Alchemical mysticism involves an esoteric interpretation of sulfur, salt, and mercury. For example the Alchemist would use a chemical process to synthesize the sulfur out of something to be consumed as a tincture for the sake of helping someone with a problem of too much salt in order to help them loose weight, or something like that.

**Anahata :** Chakra for the chest, lung, and heart area. (See Chakras.)

**Ananta :** Sanskrit word meaning "without end." Often referred to as the mythical serpent of eternity, which is also one of the names of the Hindu god Vishnu.

**Ancient of Days :** From Hebrew mythology. This is one of the oldest names of G-d, which is also found in the Bible's Old Testament book of Daniel. Kabalistically this is G-d's first manifestation in the most ancient of times. The Ancient of Days is often depicted as a very old man with a long gray beard, and is one of the oldest titles for the modern Hermit card in the tarot.

**Angel :** One of the manifestations of divine intelligence according to Kabala. Literally an angel is a messenger of G-d.

**Angular :** Astrological term for one of the types of houses incorporated in constructing a horoscope. Houses are either Angular, Cadent, or Succeedent.

**Anima :** Term of Jungian psychology. Refers to the inner female in that system of psychological theory. The Anima is synonymous with the Kabalistic Neschamah.

**Animus :** Term of Jungian psychology. Refers to the inner male in that system of psychological theory. The Animus is synonymous with the Kabalistic Chiah.

**Apana :** The downward prana in the body. This force controls the excretory organs. (See Prana.)

**Apas :** Tatwas symbol for the water chakra. Apas is a silver upward pointing crescent Moon. (See Tatwas.)

**Arcana :** The plural for the word Arcanum. (See Arcanum.)

**Arcanum :** One of the types of tarot cards in a tarot deck also known as a Key. The Arcanum were originally known as Trumps, and were part of the game called Trumps in the middle ages when the tarot first appeared. The word Arcanum is from the Latin "arcanus"meaning secret as in the word arcane. It means a deep secret, or specialized knowledge that is a mystery to the average person. The plural for Arcanum is arcana.

**Archangel :** An angel of high rank. Archangels exist more in the world of Atziluth than the angels they may dispatch to lower worlds for the sake of relaying messages. Archangels also preside over Sephiroth and the four cardinal directions, and we tend to know many of them by their famous names such as Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, and Ariel. All archangelic names in Hebrew end with the letters Aleph, Lamed.

**Archetypal :** Another Jungian Psychology term referring to the collective unconscious of which the consciousness of all of us belongs. Like the Akashic records in the world of Atziluth, the Jungian collective consciousness is made up of archetypes that influence us as powerful symbols of the absolute. Archetypes are the symbols that represent the original core patterns of behavior that evolved the human consciousness.

**Aridya :** Illusion caused by rationality. This is a Buddhist term similar to the Hindu Sangsara or Maya.

**Asana :** One of the first trances that sets in during transcendental meditation. This is the stillness that sets into the body as you practice stillness and rhythmic breathing. Asana is the trance we all accomplish during sleep and the goal for meditation is to attain this trance consciously.

**Ascendant :** Astrological term for the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the Moment of birth. The ascendant determines the impression that you give to others, but isn't necessarily how you really are.

**Aspects :** Astrological term for the various angles the planets make in a horoscope.

**Aspirant :** One who aspires in reference to initiation in the Kabalistic mysteries. This is another word for Adept, (see Adept.)

**Assiah :** This is the Kabalistic world of form and one of the 4 worlds of the Kabala. Assiah is the material world and lowest of the 4 worlds **.**

**Assura :** From Hindu mythology. The Assura are earth spirits or demons who had been banished to this world similar to the fallen angels of Christianity.

**Atziluth :** The highest of the four Kabalistic worlds. This is the world of ideal and archetypes. This is the world that exists on the other side of the abyss, leaving us to ponder its influences from this side of that abyss. Atziluth is the world of fire and spirit.

**Augoeides :** Very old and obscure term from Blavatsky, meaning "luminous body." This may refer to the divine genius within us all, or that part of us that is divine. May also be synonymous with the Holy Guardian Angel whose conversation is sought in the process of initiation.

B's

**Basilisk :** Mythological reptile said to be king of all serpents. Basilisk may mean "little king" or "crowned reptile," and is usually depicted devouring its own tail.

**Binah** : The third emanation of creation according to Kabala. Binah is attributed to the planet Saturn, and the mother of Tetragramaton who establishes the pillar of water.

**Black Magick :** Magick practiced to selfish ends so as to interfere with the true will of another. Black Magic can be performed in a ritual, or take a form such as a curse or a love potion. Black magick is understood to be evil.

**Boaz – Severity :** The Jewish name for one of the pillars of a temple. Boaz corresponds to the Pillar of Severity.

**Briah :** One of the 4 worlds of the Tree of Life. Briah corresponds to the world just below the abyss. Briah is the airy world of mind where you find Tiphiroth, the sphere of imagination, and the thrown of the mature enlightened mind.

C's

**Cadent :** Astrological term for one of the types of houses incorporated in constructing a horoscope. Houses are either Angular, Cadent, or Succeedent.

**Caduceus of Hermes :** The wand carried by the mythical Hermes of the Greeks. This wand was entwined by two serpents who meet face to face at the top. This is the same symbol used for the American Medical Association.

**Caput Draconis (S. Node)** : This is one of two points in the sky where the orbit of the Moon crosses the orbit of the Sun. The Southern node is where one should not take chances or do much at all. Caput Draconis is also the name for the geomantic figure that corresponds to this node.

**Cardinal :** Astrological term for signs that correspond with the beginning of seasons and characterize the type of elemental energy of that sign. Aries in Spring is Cardinal fire, Cancer in Summer is cardinal water, Libra cardinal air, and Capricorn is cardinal earth.

**Ch'i :** Chinese word for a natural energy that permeates the universe. This also permeates our bodies and may be very similar to the Hindu concept of prana (see Prana.) The word Ch'i also seems noticeably similar in sound and concept to the Hebrew word Chiah.

**Chakras :** Hindu word for centers of energy in the body along the spine that correspond to different elements. The basic chakras are Maladhara at base of spine (earth,) Svadhisthana in abdomen area (water,) Manipura in stomach area (fire,) Anahata around the lungs and heart (air,) Vishuddha in the throat (spirit,) and Ajna between the eyes beyond all the elements of reality. There are also two chakras speculated to exist above Ajna, which may reveal themselves after enlightenment.

**Chandra Nadi** : One of our original nerves in the body corresponding to the left nasal cavity. The _Chandra Nadi is t_ he moon nerve and governs the Ida energy while the right nostril governs the pingala energies.

**Cherubim :** A type of angelic being that is usually described as being in the actual presence of the thrown of G-d. May also be spelled Kerobim in this book.

**Chesed :** The 4th emanation and Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. Corresponds to Jupiter, and life's dominion and circumstances that are under one's control. Physically corresponds to memory. In Gnostic mythology Chesed is the first emanation below the abyss where the demi-urge is created, and then recognizes no gods above him.

**Chiah :** The highest part of the human soul, associated with Chokmah, the inner male, and the true magickal will that is established with the pillar of fire.

**Chokmah** : The second emanation of G-d according to Kabala and the Tree of Life. The original unity of Kether has been divided at this level of reality; creating the concept of reflection. Chokmah is attributed to the zodiac on the physical realm. The second Sephiroth is also attributed to the father of Tetragramaton who establishes the pillar of fire.

**Choronzon :** The demon of the abyss who lies in wait to devour the ego of the adept who attempts to cross the abyss. Seems to also serve a purpose for frightening us away from the ultimate unknown to return back to life on this side of the abyss.

**Conjunct :** Astrological term for two planetary objects that are less than 1 degree apart, such as with the occurrence of an eclipse when the Sun is conjuct the Moon.

**Contagious :** One of two types of magick according to Sir James Frazer who coined this term in his book "The Golden Bough." Contigious magick is based on contact with an object or person. It always involves magick virtue being transmitted through some kind of contact. His other classification of magick was called homeopathic. (See Homeopathic.)

**Couda Draconis :** Name for a geomantic figure that corresponds to the Northern Node where the Moon and Sun cross in the sky. When the Moon is in the northern Node, it is a good time to act, and take chances.

**Cuneiform :** Ancient form of writing that was used in ancient Sumaria, which was the first known civilization according to contemporary man's understanding of history.

D's

**Daath :** The false sephiroth that technically doesn't exist on the Tree of Life. It exists along the middle pillar within the abyss between Tiphiroth and Kether. It corresponds to mental knowledge that has accumulated, which may, or may not even be true at all under the light of absolute reality.

**Dananjaya :** The prana in the body that does not leave the body after death. (See Prana.)

**Decon :** Every astrological sign in the zodiac is divided into three 30 degree periods that are known as decons. The decons of the zodiac correspond to the regular tarot cards as well as the Shem ha-Mephorash. Every decon also corresponds to one of the 7 Kabalistic planets.

**Demi-urge :** The Gnostics differentiated the god of this world from a more pure idea of G-d beyond this world. Gnostics called the secular form of G-d the demi-urge. Identifying the Christian god with this demi-urge may have contributed to the demise of Gnosticism following Christianity's take over of the Roman Empire. The demi-urge was also identified as the Hebrew Jehovah and therefore corresponds in Kabala to Chesed.

**Detriment :** The opposite astrological position from the sign that a planet rules, or the sign that is six signs away from a planet's ruling position, which is the planet's detriment in astrology. An astrological body in detriment has less energy and takes on characteristics more of the sign that the planetary body occupies.

**Devadatta :** The prana in the body that causes yawning. (See Prana.)

**Dharana :** A form of meditation that involves visualizations instead of sounds. Meditation that uses sound instead of visualization is known as mantra meditation. When practicing dharana you want to have a still posture combined with rhythmic breathing, and then hold a visualized image in the mind for as long as possible. The tatwas symbols are useful as visualization objects for dharana meditation.

**Dignity :** A sign that an astrological body rules is the sign of that body's dignity. When a planet is dignified it rules over the usual effects of the sign and the planet's nature has more control of circumstances.

**Deva :** Beings of Hindu mythology who are celestial beings existing on the astral realm. They are believed to control forces in nature.

**Divination :** Divination comes from a Latin term meaning "to be inspired by the gods." Divination is any method used to attain vision into the future or to obtain information through occult means. Divination methods include Ouiji, I Ching, Geomancy, Horoscope, Dowsing, and of course the Tarot.

**Dowsing :** Method of divination that locates underground water. (See Divination.)

E's

**Emanation :** Another word for Sephiroth, which are a hierarchy of G-d that flow from each other consecutively in the process of creation. The emanations become the dimensions of our known reality.

**Enochian :** System of magick based on the language of angels that were said to be spoken according to the ancient patriarch Enoch who is mentioned in Genesis as the one who walked with G-d. The system was actually developed by Sir John Dee and Edward Kelly around the year 1587.

**Ephemeris :** A book of tables that give data on astronomical objects in relation to the signs of the zodiac. The data is usually compiled daily at either noon or midnight, and a single ephemeris usually contains a century of this data. There are available Ephemeris for both Tropical and Sidereal types of astrology.

**Exalted :** Every celestial body has a sign that they most harmonize with, which is the sign of the astrological object's exaltation. The planetary forces complement the sign and both are emphasized. This is different than the sign of a planet's dignity.

**Eye of Shiva :** Shiva is one of the major Hindu gods, who was known as the destroyer. Other gods would be Brahma the creator, and Vishnu the preserver. One school of Shiva-ism embraces a prophecy that at the end of time the Eye of Shiva will open and then the universe as we know it will be destroyed.

F's

**Fallen :** Astrological sign that is opposite an objects exaltation. An astrological body in the sign of its fall doesn't express itself with ease, and is dominated by the influence of the sign.

**Fixed :** Signs corresponding to the middle month of each season are regarded as the fixed signs. The fixed signs are Leo - Summer, Scorpio - Fall, Aquarius - Winter, and Taurus - Spring.

G's

**G-d :** Another of this book's own ways of spelling words. It comes from Jewish traditions to acknowledge reverence for the divine. Some Jewish scribes refuse to spell out the name of God, and therefore substitute a hyphen for the 'o.' For Naked Tarot, this is more a means of differentiating G-d from more polytheistic or demi-urgical forms of the same idea in myth and mere orthodox religions. (See demi-urge.)

**Geburah :** The 5th Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The name means "Severity" and is associated with strength, power, judgment, and will.

**Gematria :** The art of manipulating the letters and number values of Hebrew words to gain insights that produce profound meanings.

**Geocentric :** Measuring the universe as from the center of the Earth such as medieval thought before humanity collectively realized that the Earth orbits the Sun not visa versa.

**Geomancy :** (See Divination.)

**Ghari :** A period of ida / pingala energy flow that is related to the tatwas and the swara. Each ghari is about 20 minutes.

**Ghost :** A disembodied spirit or apparition, usually considered to be the presence of someone who has died.

**Gnomes :** Earth spirits are considered to be gnomes in western esoteric lore. Gnomes are earth elementals, and the natural beings of the world of Assiah.

**Gnosticism :** More or less extinct religious movement from around the time of Christ. It is based on the word gnosis meaning 'knowledge.' That knowledge relates to self-knowledge as a means of realizing G-d. The Gnostic movement seemed to embrace a form of free-thinking in contrast to orthodox religions, and seemed to encourage everyone to find their own gnosis of G-d.

**Golden Dawn :** Secret fraternal society that practiced magick and the Kabala. The Golden Dawn may have broke from English Masonry. The Golden Dawn produced many famous members from Yeats, Dr. Wynn Westcott, S.L. Macgregor Mathers, and Aleister Crowley.

**Greater Benefic :** This is an astrological title for the Sun because of its unique astrological effect. The Moon is known as the Lesser Benefic.

**Grimoire :** Books on Kabballistic magick that have existed since the Middle Ages, consisting of spells, ways of divination, methods for summoning angels or demons, the making of talismans, and recipes for medicines.

**Gunas :** Hindu concept for one of three modes of existence. The three gunas are known as Sattva related to Being, Rajas related to thought, and Tamas related to bliss.

H's

**Hadit :** Egyptian god found on the Stele of Revealing in the form of a winged disk representing the Sun. This god is believed to be a form of the god Horus. He speaks to Crowley in his Book of the Law, and identifies with the center that is everywhere. The idea of Hadit is contrasted with the idea of Nuit the goddess of infinite space to make a dualistic dynamic of our universe made up of centers that are everywhere with circumferences that extend into infinity. Hadit is the 'I' in the 'I/not I' dynamic, which defines the dualistic nature of reality.

**Heliocentric :** The general belief that has replaced geocentric thinking from when people believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system. Heliocentric belief means thinking of the Sun as the actual center of the solar system. This way of thinking is also not without error, considering that our Sun, along with everything in the universe is orbiting and traveling around some other center at unimaginable speeds.

**Heliotropic :** Describes the motion of plant parts in response to the motion of the Sun in the sky. Sunflowers are examples of very heliotropic plants.

**Hexagram :** Symbol representing the union of opposites, and the macrocosm. The hexagram is made by crossing an equilateral triangle pointing up with one pointing down. The hexagram is identified with the macrocosmic influences of the 7 sacred planets that are arranged in relation to the six points with the Sun in the center.

**Higgs :** A subatomic particle currently still theorized to exist. A Higgs particle is believed to have existed at the moment the universe was first created according to astrophysicists. As the universe expanded in the first couple seconds after the Big Bang event, the Higgs particle is believed to have degenerated after that point into the forces we know of now as gravity, electromagnetism, as well as the strong and the weak nuclear forces, which was a consequence of the universe expanding.

**High Magick :** May also be referred to as White Magick. High magick is magick that doesn't interfere with the will of another. It is performed in the interest of self-discovery to increase one's knowledge of the divine and in the interest of crossing the abyss to transcend dualistic karmic existence.

**Hod :** The 8th Sephiroth corresponding to the intellect and the rational. Hod also corresponds to the lesser ego.

**Holy Guardian Angel :** The higher genius whose conversation is sought by the adept seeking initiation to the inner order. The ritual to bring about this conversation is found in a Medieval grimorie translated by McGreggor Mathers called "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage." Everyone has a higher genious to discover within, and our relationship to this genious is determined by the maturity of one's relationship to Tiphiroth.

**Homeopathic :** Word coined by Sir James Frazer in his book, "The Golden Bough." Refers to one of two forms of magick that were performed by ancient cultures. Homeopathic magick is based on the idea that two things become connected when they are similar to each other. A voodoo doll is an example of homeopathic magick.

**Horay Horoscope :** Using horoscope ephemeris data on planetary positions to perform a spontaneous divination such as to seek the answer to a question or problem.

**Horoscope :** Form of divination based on the position of the stars and planets at the moment of birth, or moment a question is asked, or even any point in time/space as in the case of daily horoscopes. (See Divination.)

**Horus:** Egyptian child god of Osiris and Isis. He became very popular in Egypt; taking many forms through the millennia. Horus was the god of the sky and a very popular form was the falcon god. Images in ancient Egypt of Horus as the child of Isis echoes similarities to modern images of Mary with Christ.

**Hru :** The angel given charge of the secret wisdom of the Tarot. Hru represents the spirit of the tarot.

I's

**I Ching :** Chinese form of divination based on figures made up by generating six, either broken or straight, lines stacked on top of each other. The 64 possible combinations become the 64 hexagrams defined in the ancient book also titled, "I Ching, The Book of Changes." (See Divination.)

**Iao :** Ancient deity found mentioned in some Gnostic manuscripts referring to G-d. The name corresponds to Tiphiroth according to Golden Dawn tradition, and is the divine name one prays to when beginning a tarot operation. IAO is also interpreted as a magickal formula related to the LUX formula of inspiration, work, and success. The three letters are also each words in English meaning, I – personal singularity, A – objective singularity, and O – an expression of bliss perhaps experienced by the union of the first two singularities. The name Iao is found in ancient gnostic scriptures, and is probably a short form of the gnostic demi-urge named Yaldabaoth.

**Ida :** One of two nerve currents of energy that flow through the body according to eastern esoteric teachings. Ida is the energy of the left side of the body associated with the Moon.

**Imma :** A Hebrew word for the Inner mother who corresponds to Binah. She is the power of hearing the wisdom of the inner father Abba, and enshrouding that wisdom with motherly contemplation and understanding.

**Inconjunct :** Astrological term for two astrological bodies that are 5 signs apart within 7 ephemeris degrees of each other. An inconjuct indicates a need for adjustment.

**Initiation :** To be introduced, or admitted into secret knowledge of the occult.

**Ipissimus (10=1) :** The highest rank of Golden Dawn initiation. Corresponds to the Kabalistic Tree of Life because an Ipisimus has passed 10 ranks and now is at the place of Kether, which equals one, 10=1.

**Isis :** Female goddess of Egypt who was the sister and wife of Osiris. She also takes on the roll of mother earth, and female goddess of fertility and motherhood. She was the mother of the child god Horus son of Osiris.

J's

**Jachin – Mercy :** The name of one of two pillars in the Hebrew temple. The pillar of Jachin corresponds to the pillar of Mercy on the Tree of Life.

K's

**Kabalist** : One who studies and practices Kabala. (See Kabala.)

**Kabala** : An ancient form of esoteric Jewish mysticism related to the Tree of Life. This book spells Kabala with a 'K' although 'Q' is popular out there. This comes basically from a difference in locations. Germany tended to spell it with a 'K' and the 'Q' was popular in Spain where the letter 'K,' more or less, does not exist.

**Kerobim :** Another word for angel who is among the highest order of angels. Also spelled Cherubim in books without this unique way of spelling words.

**Kether** : The first and highest emanation according to Kabala. Kether encompasses the idea of the original unity of the creator who subsequently divides further into reality as we know it.

**Kirkala :** One of the forms of prana in the body. Kirkala is in the stomach producing hunger. (See Prana.)

**Kundalini :** The serpent-like nerve energy coiled at the base of the spine that can be awakened and sent up the center of the spine to release an abundance of magickal energy, which can be difficult to tame. Relates to Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna energies. Kundalini is also related to our inner animal from the primal depths of our physical and psychological anatomy.

**Kurmana :** Another form of the prana in the body that performs metabolic processes. Kurmana in the body is in the eyes assisting them to open and blink.(See Prana.)

L's

**Lady of the Stars :** A title for the Egyptian goddess Nuit who represents the infinite possibilities of the universe, and the future. This title describes Nuit as the sky or zodiac. (See Nuit.)

**Lemniscate :** A symbol looking like the number 8 on its side, which refers to the idea of infinity. This symbol seems most often displayed on the Magus, and Universe cards, but examples of the lemniscate on other arcana could also easily be dug up.

**Lesser Benefic :** This is an astrological title for the Moon because of its unique astrological effect. The Sun is known as the Greater Benefic.

**Liberation :** A Hindu concept as close to the Christian concept of heaven after death as Hinduism can get. An adept of Hinduism seeks to free themselves from the karmic bonds of reincarnation. To be free of life after many lives of reincarnations is what is known as liberation from Maya. Unlike heaven, liberation seeks to be free of all forms of existence, and the idea of thinking of the afterlife in terms of an actual place like heaven is folly in Hinduism because that is synonymous to looking forward to just another (albeit better) life still on this wheel of existence.

**Lingam :** A term that probably originates in the Karma Sutra referring to the male phallus. The female reproductive counterpart is referred to in the Karma Sutra as the yoni.

**Logos :** Greek name for "word" used in the New Testament to refer to the Christ as the creative word (logos) of G-d.

**LVX :** Latin word for light. Refers to the true nature of G-d beyond the Tree of Life, which is in three veils of light becoming infinite Light in Extension. LVX is also a magickal formula for the accomplishment of great works in three stages based on the Egyptian myth of the death of Osiris known as stage 1-L The Mourning of Isis, stage 2-V- Typhon and Apophis, and stage 3-X- Osiris Risen.

M's

**Macrocosm :** A word referring to the greater universe and G-d's manifestation out there.

**Macroprosopus :** The Hebrew concept of the greater countenance of the universe encompassing the three higher Sephiroth of Atziluth beyond the abyss from Kether to Binah.

**Magick :** The way this book spells 'magic' to differentiate it from the definition of that word that refers to techniques of trickery and illusion. Magick involves actions such as rituals and spells to change reality according to one's will, or true will. Crowley was the one who originally coined this way of spelling the word.

**Magister Templi (8=3) :** Another grade of the Golden Dawn magickal order when the aspirant arrives at, or is initiated into, the other side of the abyss to the sphere of Binah sephiroth 3.

**Magus (9=2) :** One magickal order grade below Ipissimus equivalent to Chokmah sephiroth number 2. There can only be one person in this grade per age of humanity because the Magus becomes the logos for that age. Jesus is regarded as the Magus during the Age of Osiris.

**Maladhara :** The base chakra at the base of the spine. (See Chakras.)

**Malkuth :** The final Sephiroth and final manifestation of G-d's creation as earth or matter. Malkuth is the physical catalyst of all the other sephiroth.

**Manipura :** The 3nd chakra from the base, in the navel region related to the stomach and digestion. (See Chakras.)

**Mantra :** A magick word used to assist with meditation in order to focus concentration. A mantra can be verbally chanted or just thought about by repeating it over and over in the head as fast as possible in order to chase away distracting thoughts and focus the mind on only one thing.

**Maya :** A word referring to the predicament of karmic reincarnation that keeps us from realizing the true nature of reality and transcending this "Maya" or physical existence. Maya is what Hinduism was designed to help one become liberated from. Maya is also known as sangsara.

**Mercy :** One of the pillars of the Tree of Life also known as the pillar of fire, or pillar of mind. Mercy is the extreme of mental reality that disappears into the depths of the past as memory.

**Metatron :** The Kabalistic archangel of Kether. Known as the male "Kerub of Brightness."

**Microcosm :** Refers to the inner subjective universe we all have within, and G-d's manifestation there.

**Microprosopus :** The Hebrew concept of the lesser countenance of reality reflecting the greater countenance. Microprosopus encompasses the lesser Sephiroth from Chesed to Yesod, on this side of the abyss.

**Monad :** Basically a symbol to simplify a grand concept into something basic like a circle with a dot in the middle to represent the Sun, which was also known as the Pythagorean monad. Similar to a seed, hieroglyph, or Chinese word, a monad encompasses the complexity of an idea within its simplicity.

**Moon sign :** An astrological term for the zodiac sign that the Moon was in at the moment of one's birth. A Moon sign defines one's emotional nature.

**Mourning of Isis :** An Egyptian legend about the death of Osiris whose pieces were scattered across the world by the god Set. Isis in mourning traveled the world according to legend, and retrieved all the pieces except for the dead god's phallus, which was eaten by fish. The 'mourning of Isis' refers to the stage of a great work when it has already began, but now the task seems endless, and emotions feel the strain on enthusiasm about the work.

**Mutable :** Astrological term for signs that are on the cusp of a new season. Mutable signs would be Sagittarius - Fall, Pisces - Winter, Gemini - Spring, and Virgo - Summer.

N's

**Nag :** One of the prana's of the body that controls hiccupping, and vomiting. (see Prana)

**Naga :** Class of entity or being from Hindu legend that was said to be serpent like in appearance.

**Natal Horoscope :** A form of divination that records the positions of the stars and planets at the moment of one's birth.

**Neophyte (1=10) :** The first grade of an order of magickal initiation. Someone seeking initiation is just a Probationer before actually being admitted to the order as a Neophyte.

**Nephesh :** A Kabalistic term for the inner animal or our base nature that one's reason must exert power over, or else we would be no better than this animal.

**Neschamah :** Kabalistic term for the inner female who influences us from Binah with understanding. She is our inner conscience and higher genius who intervenes with the divine. She is the inner yearning female part of the soul that aspires to something higher.

**Netzach :** The seventh Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The name means "Victory" and corresponds to the planet Venus and desires.

**Nirvana :** Buddhist concept, more or less equivalent to union with G-d, samadhi, and liberation from Maya or Sangsara. With nirvana, the downward tendencies of the mind are extinguished by meditation and discipline.

**Nuit :** Egyptian goddess who speaks in Crowley's Book of the Law. She is often depicted as blue and arching her body over her husband and brother Geb, the god of Earth. This makes her an obvious goddess of the sky according to Egyptian mythology.

**Nukbade–Zeir Rachel–Leah :** From Kabalistic legend referring to the wife of Microprosopus. She is Malkuth the companion of the lesser countenance.

**Numerology :** Esoteric discipline of the occult involving the relationships of numbers to reality. Numerology can also be used as a form of divination. It can be said that the Kabala is the numerology of the numbers one through ten. (See Divination.)

O's

**Om :** Hindu term for G-d or Brahma, encompassing both the manifested and unmanifested forms of G-d's nature. The word pronounced as 'aum' is incorporated in a lot of mantras or can be used by itself as a mantra. Om is understood more as a sound than a word, which encompasses the spectrum of sounds from without to within as the mouth closes to pronounce this word.

**Opposition :** Astrological term for two astrological bodies on opposite sides of the zodiac, within seven degrees of each other. Bodies in opposition are found in signs opposite from each other that are six signs apart.

**Osiris :** Major deity of Egypt whose religion became one of death and resurrection, very similar to modern Christianity. Osiris was the god who taught corn agriculture to mankind and became god of the dead after his own death and resurrection.

**Ouiji :** Form of divination that conjures spirits with a board and pointer, which intelligences or spirits can move across the board to communicate through. (See Divination.)

P's

**Path of Kabala :** A path is a subjective orientation on the Tree of Life that is situated between the links of the Kabalistic spheres of influence. The paths are represented by the lines on the Tree of Life that connect the spheres, and are also represented by the arcana of the tarot. Our subjective experience of the Tree of Life is experienced upon these paths, and these paths show how we can orient ourselves with the Tree of Life.

**Pentagram :** A five pointed figure made with a single unbroken line. The Pentagram represents the microcosm as opposed to the Hexagram, which represents the macrocosm. The pentagram is also associated with the human form having two legs, two arms, and a head.

**Philosophus (4=7) :** The fourth grade of magickal initiation that precedes acceptance into the inner order from the outer order where an initiate has been a member up to this grade of Philosophus.

**Phototropic :** All plants are phototropic because they are sensitive to, and respond to the Sun and its light.

**Pillar of Salvation :** The middle pillar of the Tree of Life is sometimes referred to as the Pillar of Salvation because it represents the narrow way between the extremes of the other two outer pillars, Mercy and Severity.

**Pingala :** Nerve energy of the right side of the body associated with the Sun. The left energy is called Ida.

**Practicus (3=8) :** The third grade of magickal initiation still in the outer order and associated with the eighth sphere Hod.

**Prana :** The different metabolic functions in the body are said to be controlled by air in the form of a breath within the body called prana. The names of the different kinds of prana in the body are Apana, Samara, Udana, Vyana, Kurmana, Kirkala, Nag, Devadatta, and Dananjaya. Prana is also related to the breath of the universe called swara.

**Pranayama :** Simple form of mediation involving deep rhythmic breathing with a pause between where the inhalation becomes the exhalation and when the exhalation switches to inhalation. This way of breathing is very good for the body, and for relieving stress.

**Preternatural :** A force or intelligence that is beyond regular nature and outside our normal experience.

**Prithivi :** The base tatwas symbol that corresponds to the base chakra Maladhara, and the element of earth. Prithivi is a reddish yellow square. (See Tatwas.)

Q's

**Querent:** A card in a tarot reading deliberately selected before shuffling that represents the person asking the question or the question itself. The querent in a reading may also be referred to as a significator

**Qesheth :** Hebrew word that means 'rainbow' but can also mean 'bow.' It is made out of the three letters of the paths that connect to Malkuth. This rainbow of the Tree of Life is one of the mysteries of the initiation of a Neophyte to the grade of Zelator (2=9.)

**Qlipoth :** Hebrew word for the sephiroth of a negative Tree of Life that is embedded within Malkuth. The qlipoth are also known as shells. Like shells of eggs they can break and release their influence, which is understood to be evil by nature. The negative tree of shells is a residue of the original vacuum that was needed for creation according to some writings of Kabala. The qlipoth in the soul may take the forms of repressed psychological forces of trauma, and regretful mistakes in life that precede an age of wisdom.

**Quatrains :** The form of lyrical poetry that Nostradamus used to write his famous prophesies.

R's

**Raja :** One of three modes of existence known as the three Gunas. Raja is related to thought. (See Gunas.)

**Reciprocal path :** Refers to the paths on the Tree of Life that are horizontal to connect the outer pillars. These paths all cross the middle pillar creating the 3 crosses on the Tree. The three reciprocal paths represent the horizons of the three higher Kabalistic worlds where we can find redemption at the points where they cross the middle pillar.

**Retrograde :** Astrological term describing an astrological body that is moving in the reverse direction in the sky from its usual orbit. This is caused by the orbit of the Earth in relation to the other astrological bodies.

**Rosecrucianism :** Secret society from antiquity that may still offer fraternal initiation. The Rosecrucian order was evidently founded by the famous monk from antiquity named Christian Rosen Kreuz.

**Ruach :** One of the bodies of the soul. The Ruach is the body we inhabit in the world of mind known as the world of Briah.

S's

**Sahasrara :** This is the seventh and highest chakra at the top of the head or right above the head. Here the reality that everything is connected detaches you from the illusion of our lives. Realization of Sahasrara leads to samadhi and acquaints you with true reality.

**Salamanders :** Name for the elementals of the element fire. These are the beings who inhabit the world of Atziluth.

**Samadhi :** The ultimate higher consciousness to be attained by meditation and mastery of the chakras.

**Samara :** This is the prana in the area of the navel, which transmutes food into blood. (See Prana.)

**Sandalphon :** The archangel in charge of the sephiroth Malkuth. Sometimes described as female or as the twin of Metatron. Many sources describe Sandalphon as the tallest angel who delivers our prayers to G-d.

**Sangsara :** Another name for Maya or the illusion of dualistic existence where we all find ourselves existing while alive.

**Sattvas :** One of the tree Gunas, or modes of existence. Sattvas corresponds to being. (See Gunas.)

**Sephiroth :** One of the 10 original emanations of creation that define the dimensions of reality according to Jewish mysticism. Also referred to as spheres of influence, as well as emanations of the divine. The ten sephiroth are the ten dimensions for the Kabalistic explanation of reality.

**Severity :** The outer pillar of water or body on the Tree of Life. Severity represents the extreme of objective existence, which confronts us from the future.

**Sextile :** Astrological aspect for two astrological bodies that are two signs apart within 7 degrees of each other. A sextile indicates opportunities arriving between the complementary sign influences.

**Shakti force :** The female creative force that permeates the universe in a dance with the opposite destructive male force called Shiva.

**Shebirah :** An event from the Kabalistic theory of creation referring to the break that occurs in Atziluth in the beginning creating 288 sparks, which scattered down into Malkuth to become embedded in reality.

**Shekinah :** The presence of G-d or Holy Spirit known to dwell on Earth at times for humans to experience. This is known as the glory of G-d that dwells.

**Shem ha-Mephorash :** The divine name for the 72 names of G-d derived from verses in the biblical Book of Exodus.

**Shiva force :** The male destructive force that permeates the universe in a dance of destruction with the creative force called Shakti.

**Sidereal Astrology :** Form of astrology that is based on the actual zodiac in the sky as opposed to Tropical astrology that is based more on the existing seasons. Sidereal astrology generally moves everybody's sign up one sign in the zodiac, however many western astrologers don't find this form of astrology to be true. The more popular form of astrology is Tropical as opposed to Sidreal.

**Sigil :** A magickal symbol that is formed by drawing points on either a magic square, Enochian tablet, the Rose and Cross, or any kind of talisman to catalyze into a symbol the power or idea that is represented by those points.

**Simsum :** Kabalistic term for the contraction of deity that occurred in the creation in order to create a vacuum independent of the deity where reality could be created.

**Sphere** : Another word for Sephiroth emphasizing the emanations as spheres of influence with their own centers of gravity.

**Square :** Astrological term for two astrological bodies that are 3 signs apart within 7 ephemeris degrees of each other. A square indicates challenges.

**Succedent :** Astrological term for one of the types of houses incorporated in constructing a horoscope. Houses are 12 fixed areas around Earth that do not turn with the orbit of the planet. Therefore the Ascendant is always in the first house. Houses are either Angular, Cadent, or Succeedent.

**Sun sign :** Astrological term for the sign that the Sun was in at the moment of one's birth.

**Supernal Triad :** The highest triangle on the Tree of Life representing the world of Atziluth. The Supernal Triad consists of Kether, Chokmah, and Binah, which all exist on the other side of the abyss.

**Sura Nadi :** According to eastern mysticism this is one of the main nerves in the body since birth. This nadi is the nerve of the Sun breath in the right nostril called Pingala.

**Sushumna :** Force that runs from the base of the spine to the crown of the head through the hollow of the spine when the Ida and Pingala energies are balanced.

**Svadhisthana :** The second chakra found around the genitals and sex organs. This water chakra is associated with reproduction and the sense of taste. (See Chakras.)

**Swara :** The breath that emanates throughout the universe. The natural rhythm of nature is a result of the inhalations and exhalations of the Swara.

**Sylphs :** The elemental beings of the element air who reside in the world of mind called Briah.

T's

**Tai Ch'i :** Chinese word for a natural energy or swara that permeates the body and can be a source of magickal power. Tai Ch'i is also the name of the discipline for establishing a rhythmic dance with this energy in order to allow it to flow through the body freely.

**Talisman :** A material object crafted for the purpose of a magical work. A talisman is a catalyst for magickal forces of will to carry out a specific purpose. They should be destroyed properly after they have fulfilled their purpose.

**Tamas :** One of the three gunas or modes of existence. Tamas is related to the state of bliss. (See Gunas.)

**Tao :** A Chinese word for "the Way" referring to the true reality beyond our mundane illusion. The Tao is a school of philosophy called Taoism that was established by Lou Tzu who wrote the definitive book about the Tao called the "Tao Te King."

**Tartarus :** A Greek word for the lowest and harshest realm of the underworld where our Western understanding of a fiery Hell probably originates. In Tartarus the deceased are subjected to torture and creative punishments over an eternity for the sins of their life.

**Tatwas :** Eastern esoteric symbols for the five basic charkas of the body along the spine. The tatwas are Prithivi for earth at the base of the spine, Apas for water around the sex organs, Tejas for fire around digestive organs, Vayu for air around the lungs, and Akasa for spirit in the throat area.

**Tau Cross :** Cross named after the Greek letter it resembles that is very similar to a capital 'T.' This cross is believed to have originated in Egypt and has been used as an identifying symbol for many ancient gods like Tammuz of the Sumerians, Attis of the Greeks, and Mithras of the Romans. The Tau Cross has also been identified with the zodiac sign of Taurus.

**Tejas :** The esoteric Tatwas symbol for the fire chakra. Tejas is a red triangle. (See Tatwas)

**Temura :** Kabalistic method of forming words from rearranged verses of the Bible. This is how the Shem ha-Mephorash, (72 names of G-d,) are formed.

**Tetragramaton :** Hebrew word for the holiest name of G-d that is formed with four letters that spell the name Yewah. This word is so holy and powerful that scribes prefer to give it this name of reference to the actual name in order to keep from using it in vain. Tetragramaton also refers to a Jewish legend of the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess that are an underlying theme of the tarot.

**Thelema :** Philosophy or religion established in a temple that was started by Aleister Crowley called the Abbey of Thelema. Thelema is based on the saying, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," and "Love is the Law, Love Under Will." Thelema is a way of life for carrying out one's will while at the same time respecting and not interfering with the will of others.

**Tihiru :** Original vacuum where, according to a medieval Kabalistic story of creation, our flawed universe was created by the divine and perfect.

**Tikkun :** Word for the period we now live in according to the Kabalistic creation story.

**Tiphiroth :** The sixth and perfectly balanced manifestation of the divine according to the Tree of Life and Kabala. Tiphiroth exists in the mental world of Briah, and is the seat or thrown of our imagination.

**Transition of planets :** Periods when astrological bodies are changing signs and when aspects like conjuncts, sextiles, trines, and oppositions either begin or end. Astrological transition periods are times when astrological effects are most pronounced and asserted. Astrologers pay extra attention to these events.

**Tree of Life:** This is a glyph made to represent the 10 emanations of the divine, and show how they are arranged in reference to reality. The Tree of Life organizes reality according to 10 sephiroth connected by paths. The Tree of Life also consists of three pillars called Severity, Mercy, and the middle pillar of Mildness.

**Trine :** Astrological aspect when two astrological bodies are 4 signs apart within 7 ephemeris degrees of each other. During a trine, the energies of astrological bodies are said to flow well with each other.

**Tropical Astrology :** Popular form of astrology that defines the zodiac signs according to the seasonal months of the year as opposed to actual constellations in the sky. Signs are considered to change around the 21st of every month in an Ephemeris made for Tropical Astrology. The actual stars that originally defined the zodiac in the sky have shifted from their originally defined positions, which were probably originally influenced by the seasons in those days, and the constellations were actually just serving at the time as a reference.

**Tzimtzum :** Creation story by Isaac Loria (1534 – July 25, 1572,) that was written in the middle ages. This story describes how the Tree of Life was formed, and how the evil of the qlipoth originated.

U's

**Udana :** The ascending prana in the body centered in the middle of the throat. (See Prana.)

**Undines :** Water elementals who reside in the world of Yetzirah.

V's

**Vayu :** Tatwas symbol for the air chakra in the chest area. Vayu is a blue circle. (See Tatwas.)

**Vayus :** Types of prana that serve metabolic functions in the body. Vayus are how the universal breath called "swara" manifests in the body. (See Prana.)

**Vishuddha :** Chakra in the throat region. This is the spirit chakra associated with speech and the sense of hearing. (See Chakras.)

**Vyana :** The form of prana that permeates the whole body diffusing the metabolic activity on the cellular level. Vyana is how a cell exchanges waste for nourishment in the blood, which modern science now knows requires oxygen molecules in the blood in order to make the exchange. (See Prana.)

W's

**Wicca :** Another name for what is understood to be neo-pagan witchcraft. Wicca was the name for those who practiced sorcery in ancient Briton. Wicca mainly honor the female goddess of the Earth who has taken many forms from Innana of the Sumerians to Minerva of the Greeks. They also honor the ancient male horned god that the Greeks later named Pan.

Y's

**Yaldabaoth :** Name of the Gnostic demi-urge in many early Gnostic writings from the time of the beginning of Christianity. Yaldabaoth was the son of Sophia the female goddess associated with Binah. Yaldabaoth was created below the abyss (Chesed) and believes that he alone is god. Early Gnostics regarded Yaldabaoth as the same as the Hebrew Jehovah. Yaldabaoth may also be the long form of the divine name Iao. (See Iao.)

**Yang :** Chinese concept for the male side to the rhythm and flow of existence in the universe. Yang is complemented by the female side called Yin. Together Yin and Yang permeate all aspects of existence. The Yin / Yang symbol is one of the most popular in the world, showing Yang as white rising with black inside, and Yin as black falling with white inside.

**Yesod :** The ninth Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The name means foundation and establishes the watery astral world of Yetzirah just beyond this world of Malkuth.

**Yetzirah :** The watery world found on the Tree of Life just below the mental world of air, and just above this world. Yetzirah is where our emotions exist, and where we go to dream at night.

**Yggdrasil :** From Norse mythology. This is the Celtic Tree of Life, or World Tree that is central to the ancient Norse cosmology.

**Yin :** The feminine side to reality and the Chinese Yin / Yang concept. Yin is dark and cool like the Moon, and one side of the cycle of existence countered by the male, bright, and energetic side that coincides to the Sun in the sky.

**Yoni :** Word probably originating from the time of the Hindu Kama Sutra, which describes the female sex organ. The male phallus is called lingam.

Z's

**Zeir Anpin :** From Jewish mythology. Zeir Anpin is the lesser countenance coinciding to the Prince of Tiphiroth who, like Microprosopus, reflects the greater countenance. Zeir Anpin becomes the redeemer of the Princess of Malkuth, raising her to the sphere of Yesod. Zeir Anpin represents the part of G-d that man is able to comprehend. (See Microprosopus.)

**Zeletor (2=9) :** The first promotion of the neophyte in the process of formal Golden Dawn initiation. Here the initiate is introduced to Yesod to experience the full Moon reflection of Tiphiroth from the perspective of this higher world of Yetzirah. From this initiated perspective the shining mystery of Tiphiroth begins to come into view. This is associated with the rainbow mystery of Qesheth.

**Zodiac :** The belt of astrological signs around the astrological year. This zodiac was originally twelve constellations in the sky, which ancient man was intimately acquainted with. Although the zodiac is made up of constellations in the sky, it also represents the archetypes of the collective human consciousness that culminated from probably thousands of years of evolving behavior patterns that were profoundly influenced by the seasons of the year. This argument supports Tropical Astrology as opposed to Sidereal.

**Zohar :** Early Kabalistic work of Jewish mysticism that first appeared in Spain in the 13th Century, and was published by Moses de Leon who attributed it to a legendary second century rabbi from earlier times of Roman persecution whose name was Shimon bar Yochai.

Bibliography

### With Suggested Readings

777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley (Paperback) by Aleister Crowley Samuel Wesiser, 1977

A Garden of Pomegranates. An outline of the Qabalah by Israel Regardie, Llewellyn, 1988

American Ephemeris for the 21st Century 2000 - 2100 at Midnight by Rique Pottenger, Neil F. Michelsen, _Published_ Michelsen Trust, 1976

American Ephemeris for the 20th Century 1900-2000 at Midnight by Rique Pottenger, Neil F. Michelsen, _Published_ Michelsen Trust, 1976

The Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley, Weiser Books, 1987

The Portable Jung (Portable Library) (Paperback) by Carl G. Jung, Edited by Joseph Campbell, Translated by R.F.C. Hull, 1976

Astral Projection, Magic, and Alchemy. Golden Dawn Material by S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Others. Edited and Introduced by Francis King. Additional Material by R.A. Gilbert by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, and Others, Destiny Books, 1987

Book Four (Paperback) by Aleister Crowley Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine, 1997.

Dhammapada (Shambhala Pocket Classics) (Paperback) by Thomas Byrom Shambhala; First Edition, 1993

Holy Bible New American Standard Version Cambridge University _Press,_ 2005

Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation (Paperback) by Harish Johari Destiny Books; Revised & enlarged edition, 2000

The I Ching or Book of Changes Translated by Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes, Princeton University Press; 3rd edition, 1967

Isis Unveiled By H. P. Blavatsky Theosophical University Press, 1999

_Jayne Mansfield_ by May Mann, Pocket Books, 1974.

Kabbalah, by Gershom Scholem, Meridian 1974, Plume Books, 1987

The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation (Paperback), translated by Alain Danielou, Inner Traditions; abridged edition, 1993

_Magick in Theory and Practice_ Aleister **Crowley,** Dove, NY, NY., 1976

Mythology. Hamilton, Edith. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1998, 1942

Tao Te Ching (Paperback) by Stephen Mitchell, Harper Perennial; Compact edition, 1992

The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics) (Paperback) Penguin Classics, 1962

The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage by S. L. MacGregor Mathers Dover, 1975

The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Being the Equinox Volume III No. V (Paperback) by The Master Therion U.S. Games, 1977

The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic by Israel Regardie, New Falcon Publications. Originally published in 1984. Llewellyn 6th ed., 1989

The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? (Paperback) by Leon Lederman Delta, 1994

The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis Regis) by Hymenaeus Beta Samuel Weiser Inc., 1995

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by Sir James George Frazer, Abridged edition, edited by Robert Fraser for Oxford University Press, 1994

The Key of Solomon the King by S. L. MacGregor Mathers Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine, 1974

The Middle Pillar, Israel Regardie, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1985.

The Only Way to Learn Astrology Vol I by Marion D. March, and Joan McEvers ACS Publications; 2 edition, 1997

The Rosicrucians, McIntosh, Christopher, Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine, 1997.

The Satanic Bible, LaVey, Anton Szandor, Avon Books, New York, New York, 1969.

The Tao Of Physics (3rd Edition-Updated) (Paperback) by Fritjof Capra, Shambhala; Revised edition, 1991

The Tibetan Book Of The Dead (The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between) (Paperback) by Padma Sambhava (Compiler), and Robert Thurman (Translator), Bantam Books, Inc. 1993

Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment. by Moses de Leon New York: Paulist Press, 1983. (Selections)

In addition to google and wikapedia pages

These websites were also helpful in researching this book

Aclectic Tarot – aeclectic /tarot

Intuitive Tarot – intuitivetarot

Tarot Teachings – tarotteachings

Wyrdology - wyrdology /scrying/tarot

About the Author

Frater D is the writer / artist who created

Naked Tarot. You can download a Naked Tarot deck program for free at nakedtarotdeck dotcom.

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