The Exaltation Tarot

PS. (final gust)

Fulgour said:

Is this the be all and end all...? No, just a starting point...

1st mo. He: exaltation of the Sun
2nd mo. Waw: exaltation of the Moon
3rd mo. Zayin: exaltation of North Node

4th mo. Heth: exaltation of Jupiter
5th mo. Teth: (no exaltation) ~Shin
6th mo. Yod: exaltation of Mercury

7th mo. Lamedh: exaltation of Saturn
8th mo. Nun: (no exaltation) ~Mem
9th mo. Samekh: exaltation of South Node

10th mo. Ayin: exaltation of Mars
11th mo. Tsade: (no exaltation) ~Aleph
12th mo. Qoph: exaltation of Venus

Click to expand...

You realize, I hope, that the assignment of simples to signs by Sefer Yetzirah (and by their order in the alef-bet) is only a starting point as well, since it makes no phonetic sense (whereas reconstruction based on bardic lore does, that being its basis). And I won’t even start in on trump-assignments (that also being much more fruitfully approached via the bards if you ask me, so don’t, else brace for an ear-full).

venicebard said:

And I won’t even start in on trump-assignments (that also being much more fruitfully approached via the bards if you ask me, so don’t, else brace for an ear-full).

Click to expand...

I would very much welcome it if you would present
your 'trump-assignments' here, but in a shorthand
version perhaps at first, so I can see the patterns?

Maybe something as straightforward as (example):
I. The Magician: Letter _____ ; Attribution _____ .

That would let me see where you're coming from...
and I'm very happy to share various points of view.

Addendum to 'Crosswind'

An oversight: Mercury is listed as 'internal counterpart of rulership', when in reality it is the internal counterpart of rulership and exaltation. It strikes me as extremely significant that the three shifts would be one manifestation of each plus internalization of both (at once):

1. Lead stage: Saturn's rulership of aquarius (learning, stretching beyond oneself) manifesting in sagittary (thought).

2. Mercury stage: Mercury's rulership of and exaltation in virgo (form) being internalized in scorpio (desire).

3. Silver stage: moon's exaltation in taurus (motion, change) manifesting in virgo (form).

4. Gold stage: sun's unruffled rulership of leo (life), as conscience (the heart).

(Let's boogy)

Fulgour said:

I would very much welcome it if you would present
your 'trump-assignments' here, but in a shorthand
version perhaps at first, so I can see the patterns?

Click to expand...

Happily!

Introductory note: The pattern in the shifting-about of the simples upon formation of the alef-bet clearly shows three methods of assigning elements to cardinal points (meaning signs-triads-directions), one method relating especially to each of the three mothers. But leaving this aside, a concise argument for rejecting (as original) the distribution of simples to signs in Sefer Yetzirah and the alef-bet order is to consider the pattern thereby produced in the Name (yod-heh-vav-heh): virgo-aries-taurus-aries, or womb-head-throat-head. Can anyone justify this to me? The correct pattern is capricorn-scorpio-cancer-scorpio, or midspine-privates-breast-privates, which clarifies, rather than muddies, the fluid in the vessel of the Name. Ergo (mothers, doubles, simples):

I LeBateleur (ALEF)
VI L’Amoureux (MEYM)
XVI LaMaisonDieu (SHIN)

V LePape – BEYT – Mars
X LaRoue deFortune – GIMEL – Mercury
XII LePendu – DALET – Jupiter
VIIII L’Hermite – KAF – luna
VII LeChariot – PEH – Saturn
XV LeDiable – REYSH – Venus
XI LaForce – TAV – sol

VIII LaJustice – aries, samekh (HEAD) STRAIGHT UP – Sun (2)
XX LeJugement – taurus, tzaddi - - - - - Moon (9)
LeMat – gemini, cheyt
XVII L’Etoile – cancer, vav (BREAST) STRAIGHT OUT – Jupiter (4)
IIII L’Empereur – leo, ayin
XVIII LaLune – virgo, qof - - - - - - - - - Mercury (8)
XXI LeMonde – libra, teyt (LOINS) STRAIGHT DOWN – Saturn (3)
II LaPapesse – scorpio, heh
III L’Imperatrice – sagittary, zayin
XVIIII LeSoleil – capricorn, yod (MIDSPINE) STRAIGHT IN – Mars (5)
XIIII Temperance – aquarius, lamedh
Arcane XIII – pisces, nun - - - - - - - - - Venus (7)

Planets (amongst the simples) identify exaltations. Note that emanations (numbers in parentheses) are in male-female pairs, opposite each other on the wheel: only the logic to 7-9 is obscure, gold-up/lead-down and tin-out/iron-in being clear enough (tin implies bronze implies gong, iron implies weapon/tool implies discipline).

Illinois

Interesting, by my first impressions.
You'll have to allow me some time...
we're swimming in thunderstorms!

Perhaps I should point out (for any who are not aware) that 'Lucifer' was originally the name of Venus as morning star (Hesperus her name as evening star). And perhaps, further, that the atomic number 15 specifies phosphorus, Greek translation of Latin lucifer and another name for Venus-as-morning-star... so named because it 'glows in the dark' (both mean 'light-bearer')

[Edited to say:] Oh, and it is permitted (perhaps even desirable, I'll have to consider further) to reverse Mars and sol, since Graves makes birch (beyt) sol and holly (tav, which would have been kerm oak, rather) Mars. In fact it would make more sense to the popular imagination to call sun pope and Mars force than vice versa, so consider this variant as well, if you please. They may, in fact, have both been intended, as two different 'states' or something... yes! 'cosmic' (B-sun/T-Mars) or outer viewpoint, and 'anti-cosmic' (B-Mars/T-sun) or inner viewpoint (I'll have to digest this) ...though the actual sun is projected from the heart of man, which would be tav-the-crossroads, and it is the 'cosmic' that undoes this. B and T were created by the Muses, I believe, along with the vowels, and the rest of the consonants 'added later' (according to Hyginus?): perhaps they created them to CONFOUND US! (I'll go take my medicine)

Clarification

I guess it should be stated here: bardic calendar when coupled with careful Qabbalistic analysis (simply to clarify R) imposes the order D-T-K-R-G-P-B on the doubles as stations on the Cauldron, these being the months containing the signs (points) cancer through capricorn. To make BEYT sol, therefore, conforms to XVIIII LeSoleil or yod's being the capricorn of the simples, originally. Mars's state of 'exaltation' in capricorn is in one sense therefore war carried within (where inner sun should be), war within oneself. But perhaps to the pagan sensibility it would have been the drawing of the martial spirit to oneself in war.

(Sorry to 'bombard')

Something I forgot to point out that is very important is that Graves identifies Jupiter-as-D as god of the waxing year and Mars-as-T as the tanist who slays him (or at least takes over at his demise, much like John Lackland, my ill-charactered ancestor). Yet Jupiter's and Mar's exaltations in cancer and capricorn mark the end of their respective reigns. I think what's going on here is that the anti-hero or waning year (meaning wee mortals) has a dual personality, in which he is at first the 'puffed-up' Mars of midsummer, usurping the place of the sun's (conscience's) rightful rulership, but then he begins to fear his own demise, to focus on that. Note that the hero, on the other hand, remains ever focused on his end, meaning that he accepts his sacrificial status with great poise (for he is a god, a hero - the unmanifest!)

Hello Venicebard

After reading, and re-reading, pondering the many possibilities,
the true "sense" of this arrangement remains elusive to me still.

Perhaps this is because I cannot "visualize" the shifting patterns
and relate to them as thousands of years pre-Jewish mysticism?

Babylon was the birthplace of more than astrology. Mathematics
owes much to these ancients, all simply "borrowed" by Kabbalah.

So if this does work as you describe it, would not an even older
model precede their adoption by those who arrived much later?

Sincerely,
Fulgour

"Airy" Saturn etc.

Exaltations by Element

EARTH
Moon
Mercury
Mars

WATER
Jupiter
Venus

FIRE
Sun
South Node

AIR
Saturn
North Node

*

EARTH
Moon ~ She is the Heart & Soul of All
Mercury ~ our speedy messenger has feet of clay
Mars ~ fiery or fertile... here we find a gentle lamb

WATER
Jupiter ~ note well: in the house of the Moon
Venus ~ in a sense, even before the Sun in Aries

FIRE
Sun ~ not really first... but awaiting the Moon
South Node

AIR
Saturn ~ our leaden friend is the only Airy one!
North Node