Thoth - Moon - Question about Symbols

CreativeFire

I am including the Thoth Moon card in my 78 Week study this week and am curious about the "symbols" held in the hands of each of the Anubis figures. As I have not yet received my Thoth book on order to help me out, was hoping someone could share some info on these?

CreativeFire
 

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Zephyros

I don't know. It looks something like the Ankh
but a little different.
 

Macavity

Hard to say, isn't it? Certainly Anubis would often be seen with his ankh? ;)

But this has elements of several things... ankhs, alchemical mercury... a Caduceus. FWIW, I did find this link on the latter: http://www.crystalinks.com/caduceus.html which is generally quite informative. :)

Macavity
 

Diwha

For what I believe

I have always known it to be Ankh The symbol of Life
Diwha
 

Diwha

I found this after a bit of research

The Anubis are holding ankhs, symbol of Mercury, representing communication between two people working in cooperation

Diwha
 

Zephyros

Re: I found this after a bit of research

Diwha said:
The Anubis are holding ankhs, symbol of Mercury, representing communication between two people working in cooperation

I get the life part, in that respect, the Ankh can go on any card, But how does the cooperation part fit?
 

Centaur

This is from Ziegler's, Tarot: Mirror of the Soul:

'In their hands they hold the Phoenix sceptre and the symbols of Mercury and Pluto, which also serve as keys'.

I also checked in Duquette's Thoth text, but I found no reference to these specific implements.

I guess that the keys represent the key to the Underworld, or to the unconscious? Anyone shed any light on what the Phoenix Sceptre is?

I found a link relating the Phoenix Wand... I think that this is the same implement. Except the one in the Moon card also has the symbols of Mercury and Pluto. I am a wee bit confused. LOL.

Phoenix Wand
 

Centaur

Oh, I think I get it... the Phoenix Wands are what they are holding in their other hands. LOL. Forgive my doziness today!!
 

CreativeFire

Great stuff everyone!

Thanks for the links Closrapexa and Macavity; and Diwha I also did some research and found the same info about the "working in co-operation".

Interesting Centaur about them also being "keys" as this thought had crossed my mind that they might be keys to a gateway or somewhere.

Then I found on the Royal Road site the following about the two Anubis statues (being Guardians):

The Guardians of the narrow way are Anubis in double form. He guards the Threshold of Life, which is also the Threshold of Death.

Maybe that is what the keys are for - the Threshold of Life / Death.

Also that might explain the "working in co-operation" - they are together guarding the threshold - and it could be that it takes both keys to unlock it?

Speaking of the Threshold of Life/Death, I can't see it in the Thoth Death Card, but in the RW Death card you can see the two "Towers" of the Moon in the distance - and this does put another twist on the pathway in the Moon card being the threshold of Life/Death - sort of explains where the road may lead. Going off on a tangent here - but it made a connection for me! :D

CreativeFire
 

Diwha

CreativeFire

That makes perfect sense to me, as guardians they must co-operate...........
Thanks
Diwha