RWS Magician - table edge

Din

The elements - water - fire- earth- air.

Alternatively, the Hebrew term "דין", transliterated as "dīn", means either "law" or "judgement".
I take it as law

The Magician's right hand points to the sky, his left hand points below. As above so below.
This symbolises one of the universal laws.

Here some web results on the Law od Correspondence.

The Law of Correspondence (Immutable): The second of the seven Universal Laws tells us "As above, so below; as below, so above". This means that there is "harmony, agreement and correspondence" between the physical, mental and spiritual realms. There is no separation since everything in the Universe, including you, originates from the One Source. The same pattern is expressed on all planes of existence from the smallest electron to the largest star and vice versa. All is One. The Ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi was referring to this great Law of Correspondence in the inscription "Know thyself and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and the Universe".

II. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE.

"As above, so below; as below so above." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that there is always a Correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life. The old Hermetic axiom ran in these words: "As above, so below; as below, so above." And the grasping of this Principle gives one the means of solving many a dark paradox, and hidden secret of Nature. There are planes beyond our knowing, but when we apply the Principle of Correspondence to them we are able to understand much that would otherwise be unknowable to us. This Principle is of universal application and manifestation, on the various planes of the material, mental, and spiritual universe — it is an Universal Law. The ancient Hermetists considered this Principle as one of the most important mental instruments by which man was able to pry aside the obstacles which hid from view the Unknown. Its use even tore aside the Veil of Isis to the extent that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be caught. Just as a knowledge of the Principles of Geometry enables man to measure distant suns and their movements, while seated in his observatory, so a knowledge of the Principle of Correspondence enables Man to reason intelligently from the Known to the Unknown. Studying the monad, he understands the archangel.

Parzival said:

Good Observation! -- We have water, fire, air, earth, all four elements. The Magician learns to work with these. But how and why does the Magician focus his magical skills on the four elements? I know this question is a big one, warranting another thread, perhaps.

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The magical skills derive from the understanding and mastery of the four elements. This is the first step of initiation - the mastery of the four elements on the mental level, physical and emotional level. The elements and the analogy law is a very important factor in the hermetic science, and this knowledge enables the initiate / magician to perform great miracles.

RWS Magician -- Table,etc

Thanks to you for the two posts which get at what the Magician's gesture and elemental symbols are about. To me, such essentials indicate how we go about our Self and World transformation. The Card/Image is a pointer to awareness and change.

The four elements are all these things and more:

Fire, Water, Air, Earth.
Father, Mother, Son, Daughter.
Spirit, Soul, Mind, Body (for want of better terms without the crappy connotations).
Y, H, V, H (the letters of the Tetragrammaton).
Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles.
King, Queen, Knight, Page.

They are the ultimate constituents of existence. The symbol for totality/completeness is the Star of David (without the political connotations), which is compounded of the symbols for each element (attachment).

DIN - Nun-Yod-Daleth

O.K. - working with the space allowed to me on the chart, these are the two possibilities for the table leg rendered in blocks that represent the X's of x-stitches. It would get rendered in black against a maroon/mahogany color ... sort of.

Yes? No? One work better for you? I am still a long way from doing the tabletop.

Parzival said:

But how and why does the Magician focus his magical skills on the four elements? I know this question is a big one, warranting another thread, perhaps.

Click to expand...

Since the four suits are represented ON the tabletop, these would be their elemental versions carved into the table edge. The Mountains may have water running under them (2 elements for the price of one!) - since there is only space for three panels and not four.

tarotbear said:

Since the four suits are represented ON the tabletop, these would be their elemental versions carved into the table edge. The Mountains may have water running under them (2 elements for the price of one!) - since there is only space for three panels and not four.

Click to expand...

... which could mean, if we judge by what we see and not conjecture, that these are not elements. The elements are already represented on the table itself, it makes little sense for them to be drawn twice. I stand by my original theory; any other presumes Pixie a bad artist or just bad with measurements. What's the sense of seeing three but assuming it is four?

Considering there is very litttle 'random imagery' in this card - 'every gesture has a meaning all it's own' - one has to ask what these symbols meant, otherwise. Someone who has been hired to draw cards for a 'secret society' would not be putting the 'Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man' in the background of the card 'for the hell of it.'

Tabletop, Hebrew, et al .....

I conceded on the edge and used the four Alchemical symbols for the elements; the space was too small to do much else. Embroidery or crewel is one thing, but X-Stitch is something else again. Pamela will understand since there are no curved lines in X-Stitch.

In embroidery I added Tzaddi and Kaph to the Wand. If I had done Nun-Yod-Deleth to the post it would have looked no better than the muddle on the chart, and the original DIN I stitched was so obvious, so I extended the D and N lettering. Remember, there is also an edge beneath the sword and wand yet to go, and two table legs, but until the extensive floral at the bottom is in place they will have to wait since I keep adjusting things.

This is the best I could do, boys!

Beautiful work, tb.