"Composite Tree" Random Musings

Macavity

For fans of "citation" :) Here's a reference I find interesting and some random musings... Any in return are appreciated.

http://home.wish.net/~meuser/articles/keys_to_kabbalah.pdf

This is the full PDF version of Alan Bain's "Keys to Kabbalah". This is also available online at: http://www.spiritweb.org It may be that there is (and IMO!) little foundation for laying out the major arcana cards on a tree of life, but I have to admit to being more intrigued by the notion of placing the cards on an EXTENDED tree of Four Worlds a.k.a. Jacob's Ladder.

Somehow the notion of cards placed SEQUENTIALLY on sephira in an extended tree seems a bit more compelling than imposing them on (largely arbitrary) choices of "paths" between them. Other nice features include "Top Down design": (Fool on Kether and World on Malkuth) and 32 equal-status paths. Less artificial than the assignment of 10 sephira + 22 paths? More in keeping with (no citation!) the Sephira Yetzirah, Freemasonry and early Christian church? You be the judge! :)

The reference contains the interesting concept of collapsing the four worlds (trees) onto a single tree. http://www.spiritweb.org/KeysToKabbalah/app.html where we get "The composite tree in Four Worlds" (qv). Rather than going through the whole thing, It seems easier to show the cards (the numbers refer to the major Arcana) thus:
Code:
           [0]            (Kether)

       [2]      [1]       (Binah and Chokma)

            [X]            No Daath card(s)!

[4][10][16] - [3][9][15]  (Geburah and Chesed)

       [5][11][17]        (Tiphareth)

[7][13][19] - [6][12][18] (Hod and Netzach)

       [8][14][20]        (Yesod)

          [21]            (Malkuth)
The card arrangement seems "interesting". I quite like the idea of this Supernal triad of cards - In Atziluth ONLY and inaccessible above the abyss? This seems to be hinted at in the "special" role of the Fool/Magus/Priestess? The remaining groups of three cards (each in MORE than one world Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah) and finally the World alone in Assiah. It makes for strange bedfellows: [7][13][19] - Chariot, Death and Sun etc. I wonder if these have ANYTHING in common? Any offers? I guess it's doubtful - The GD assignment of astrological and elemental assignments depends rather intimately on assignments of Tarot to "Paths" in the usual chicken/egg and Kaballah/Tarot way of things? ;)

It occured to me (in an wild moment) that one might get a 22 cards SPREAD out of the above. A bit like Chic Cicero's 15 card "Thoth" with bits added above and below to convert it to a tree of life? The three card combos might be useful with elemental dignities? An alternative to using the WHOLE deck and all that card counting?

Finally the extended tree (Jacobs Ladder) does come with some other interesting possibilities in (at the appendix end) church design. There was a program on UK TV recently, on just this topic. WHY were certain uniquely carved pillars placed at certain prominent locations in English cathedrals? IMO if ANYONE knew about sephira and the tree, it might have been those old medieval masons? Who knows? Spooky Huh? :D

Slightly (as ever) tongue in cheek. Intriguing nonetheless.

Mac
 

AmounrA

Hello Mac,

As to the placing of the tarot to the tree, I think it definatly adds to the demonstration that the G.D version is but one of many excellent ways to look at the issue.

Regarding the uk tv show you watched, I watched it also and thought much the same thing [if it was the series on C4 about Britains churches ?].
 

lupo138

this is marvellous ! thank you very very much, Macavity !


in Germany and Austria there are quite a few cathedrals with obvious mansonic influences - for instance in Würzburg or Wien.