More Three Magi

Slackmaster_C

I wanted to continue the Mystery of the Three Magi a bit more...the last discussion was three weeks ago, and instead of reviving a dead thread I thought I'd post a new one on the topic.

Here's my take. There are three types of basic ritual in Western Occultism. The first is Hermetic, or Greek (Hermes, right?). The second is Egyptian, and the third is Qabalisitc. This to me clearly reflects the three magi in Crowley's Thoth Deck.

The Qabalistic Magi is the one with the lemscinate behind his head and has many arms, you'll notice that one of his hands holds a scroll bearing the Tree of Life.

The Hermetic Magi is the white one that looks like a greek statue. If I remember correctly, he has wings on his feet, too, like Hermes.

The remaining Magi is the Egyptian Magi, and that is the magi that appears to be standing on his side, "walking like an egyptian".

I think that this model seems to explain why there are three magi: Crowley thought that there were three distinct types of magicians. If you practice more of one kind than another, use just the one magi to signify you. Otherwise, leave 'em all in there and perhaps they'll catch those different vibrations. But your chance of drawing the Magi will have increased, screwing with our conception of the Tarot a little bit.
 

Parzival

More With The Three Magi

Slackmaster_C said:
....

The Qabalistic Magi is the one with the lemscinate behind his head and has many arms, you'll notice that one of his hands holds a scroll bearing the Tree of Life.

The Hermetic Magi is the white one that looks like a greek statue. If I remember correctly, he has wings on his feet, too, like Hermes.

The remaining Magi is the Egyptian Magi, and that is the magi that appears to be standing on his side, "walking like an egyptian"....


I appreciate your characterizing of each Magus in this way. The Greek Hermes/Mercury and the Egyptian walking sideways are clear to me as you describe them. Also, the first is on a vertical plane, the second on a horizontal plane, as their feet demonstrate.-- Different orientations with the Universe. But I'm not sure about the Qabalistic Magus, beyond his scroll of the Sephirothal Tree. Curiously, his gesturing with his 8 arms makes wing-like or ear-like forms on either side, as he reaches from center to periphery. Could you say a little more about how he is the Qabalistic Magus? And why the three different Western esoteric streams are so shown? (You certainly have shown that this is more than merely stylistic variation.)
 

Aeon418

Sheesh !!!

Is it just me ? Or am I the only one that wishes AGMuller had never printed those two "rejected" Magus cards.
 

Alta

Yes, because I know that Crowley only wanted the one and I suspect that he would have rejected the idea to include the other two.
 

spiral

Aeon418 said:
Is it just me ? Or am I the only one that wishes AGMuller had never printed those two "rejected" Magus cards.
No it's not just you...
 

kwaw

The magus wasn't the only card that went through several versions; are you planning to go through the symbolism of all the other rejected versions of the other cards as well? I think maybe your reading too much into differences between the rejected drafts and the final version.

Kwaw
 

Grigori

Unfortunately I do not have the link on hand to where you can see many of the other drafts and rejected versions of cards Harris created for Crowley's deck. If I can find it later I'll post it again (it is already on AT somewhere though I forget where...) I really liked some of the alternate Court cards myself.

The authors of the New Complete Tarot were at the Melbourne conference and pointed out one intersting feature of the two additional versions of the magi (that may be of use to those that choose to use them, rather than think of them as pretty gifts).

One has decided femine hips, the other very masculine. So they were relating them to the cards of Juno and Jupiter that they added to make the 80 card deck they have designed (with the intent that Crowley had the same opinion of the missing two cards that they did, and that these two cards were his way of aknowledging it quietly. Of course that opinion also discounts the other alternate versions that exist but where not published by AGM). One representing the male archetype, the other the female (titles in their deck Intuition and something else I forget :| )

I think it is very interesting to reflect on the regected cards. They tell us what interpretations of the card where not quite up to Crowley's standards.
 

Slackmaster_C

Well, the other versions weren't included with the deck sold. So, no, I don't think I will.

Crowley, I think, was above all a Qabalist, right? Why wouldn't he put the Lemscinate, etc. with the Qabalist Magus? I really have no idea. I'm no adept in this. Just a regular Slack Master here...

Why would they include all three with the deck? I don't know if they're rejected if I get the three Magi with the deck and not rejected versions of other cards.

If they hadn't retained these cards it wouldn't be so mysterious...come on, you want things to be easy??

Perhaps these are "so shown" to reflect an individual aspect of western magic.
 

isthmus nekoi

I believe the manner of printing decks means they get 2 cards left over. So these would have been left blank if not for the earlier versions.

C did consider the Magus symbol could take different forms in accordance to development. In the BOT, he considers other Gods related to Hermes (namely Thoth and Hanuman) as other forms although it looks like he includes both Hermes and Hanuman in the same cards.

I think all three cards are Hermes though, b/c they all have wings on their feet.
 

Grigori

As promised the link to some of the other alternate versions of Harris' work.

http://www.occultartgallery.com/occultartgallery/harris/harris.html

Those paintings selected for the final pack were exhibited twice in 1941. After Crowley's death Harris considered selling them, but it was not to be and in the end she bequeathed them to Gerald Yorke. He placed them with the Warburg Institute. However, Yorke retained several alternative versions of cards that were not included in the pack and some preliminary studies. These he sold through the Cecil Court bookdealer Harold Mortlake. They have been in private hands since and are now exhibited below available for sale. Also offered are original photographic prints from the 1940's, many signed by Frieda Harris

PS In the "New Complete Tarot" the two additional cards are named Intuition (female principle) and Truth (male principal). You can see the deck at Tarot Garden here. They do have a website theat details the majority of their book and some of the many things that can be done with an 80 card deck. Unfortunately I did not write down the link when they presented at the Melbourne Conference, and I can seem to find it via google. If ayone knows it would you mind posting it please)