The moving sun

rainwolf

The discussion on the death card made me look at everything very closely on a number of the majors. When i passed temperance, I noticed that on her head was the astrological symbol of the sun, and then I found something else out.

It helps if you get the following cards out so you can see the comparison:
The lovers
Temperance
The sun
Judgment

These cards are all in ascending order of majors, and they are the three cards that depict the angels. However, the sun in all the cards are moving forward. In the lovers, it is well behind the angel. In temperance, it is on her forehead (which must mean something else also). Later in the sun (i mention this because it is the topic being explored), it is directly overhead. Finally when moving on to judgment, it is not there! I think it is behind us, if our view is looking into the card.

I'm pretty confident that everyone can see this, and I'm at least hopeful that you'll agree with me on at least some basis (please don't get overtechnical, I'm not out to prove anything, just examine). So what does it mean then that the sun is moving forward?

A note on temperance: although there is 'something' in the background, I don't think that looks like a sun at all. It looks like a supernova or an atomic bomb or something.
 

Fulgour

If I can sneak in just a little note too...
on XIX The Sun it is rather startling to
notice that the sunflowers are 'looking'
at you ~rather than following the Sun.
 

Grigori

I guess I've always thought the sun was absent in Temperance and Judgement as they are not "earthly" images. It exists in The Lovers cause we are on earth/Eden.

In Temperance the sun is maybe/maybe not here, but Judgement I always thought of as "the world after" and maybe there is no sun there, just light... Interesting to think about some more.

Clearly a progression can be seen though if you look at it the way you did. Is there a special relationship between the sun and Arch-angels maybe?

rainwolf said:
A note on temperance: although there is 'something' in the background, I don't think that looks like a sun at all. It looks like a supernova or an atomic bomb or something.

The light in the background looks like a crown to me. I always thought it was odd that the crown was in the sky and Temperance was wearing the sun on her head. I had assumed it was a tree of life thing, as Sagitarrius/Temperance runs vertically between Tiphareth/Sun and Yesod/Moon. Kind of like on the Thoth 9 of Wands. Then the water her feet is in is kind of like the Moon, and that is another joining of the two opposite elements. I don't know why the crown specifically though in place of the sun. Maybe kether at the end of the next path (High Priestess)....?
 

Rosanne

I love the insight of the moving Sun rainwolf. Just a thought about Temperance. Christians(and others) say that God sends his angels to guard,cherish,protect, visit, defend and inspire our efforts. All this the Sun does too! So I see the on the forehead of Michael a 'symbol' of the sun, not the Sun. On the TdM it is a flower on the angels head.Another connection to the ancient thoughts of the Sun- dying and resurecction- one foot in the water one on the land and in the background the rising sun- our inheritance and birthright. I like Robert Places thoughts on this-"The landscape wears the sun crown and the head of Michael wears the Sun.. Temperance mixes our inner world with the physical world" Maybe in Judgement the Sun is in eclipse- it all looks very dark?? Thanks for the new thoughts on the cards. ~Rosanne
 

wizzle

The angel of healing is pretty universally Raphael. She is also the angel of Tipareth. And this card is certainy about healing.

If we go with this, then the sun on the forehead of Temperance makes perfect sense since it, among other things, becomes a reference to the 6th Sephiroth which is ruled by the Sun.

Small notes:

Mathers seems to flip Raphael/Michael between Tipareth/Hod depending on whether "we" are in Atzilulth or Briah. He thereby makes angels, who are already confusing enough, more confusing. Everybody else sensibly assigns Raphael to Tipareth and Michael to Hod.

The title of Temperance in Book T is "The Daughter of the Reconcilers:the Bringer-forth of Life"

Good catch on the light in the background being a crown, Similia. That's what Waite says it is suppposed to be in PKT.
 

Dulcimer

I remember reading someplace (sorry, no references) that the light on the horizon is a crown - that much at least is Waite "Pictorial Key..." p124 - representing the sephiroth Kether between the mountains of Chockmah and Binah. The path is the one from Tiphareth to Kether.
 

ArcanoMáximo

Fulgour said:
If I can sneak in just a little note too...
on XIX The Sun it is rather startling to
notice that the sunflowers are 'looking'
at you ~rather than following the Sun.
Yes, is true, the same that the proper Sun,
or at least...
looking at the Child ?( the "Homunculus"?)
 

Fulgour

ArcanoMáximo said:
Yes, is true, the same that the proper Sun, or at least... looking at the Child ?( the "Homunculus"?)
Homunculus
Function: noun
Plural: homunculi
Etymology: Latin, diminutive of homin-, homo human being
1 : a little man : MANIKIN
2 : a miniature adult that in the theory of "preformation" is held to inhabit the germ cell and to produce a mature individual merely by an increase in size

~ Merriam-Webster

*

The alchemist Paracelsus once proposed that he had created a false human being through his science. Called a homunculus, this creature stood no more than 12 inches tall and does the work usually associated with a golem. However, after a short time, the homunculus was known to turn on it's creater and run away. The recipe consisted of a bag of bones, sperm, skin fragments and hair from any animal you wanted it to be a hybrid of. This was to be laid in the ground surrounded by horse manure for forty days, at which point the embryo would form. This supposed beast relied upon the theories of spontaneous generation.

~ Cameron Preston

*

Homunculus: A metaphorical little man (or little woman) who resides in your cranial noggin and pulls the levers for your behavior. Also called self, ego, muse, conscience, and Jiminy Cricket. Homunculi are usually quite reasonable, and can be influenced by your spouse, psychotherapist, preacher, and tiny little angels and devils that stand on each of your shoulders, dispensing advice. Homunculi are generally rejected by behaviorists, but hey, they're extinct anyways!

~ Dr. Mezmer

*

Homunculus is one of those words that’s pretty much exited the English language over the years-- there really just aren’t that many opportunities to use it, and it sounds awkward in conversation unless you have John Cleese’s accent. The modern definition is simple enough: "n; a diminutive human," according to the American Heritage dictionary. But there’s a second, archaic definition that I prefer: "n; a miniature, fully formed individual believed by adherents of the early biological theory of "preformation" to be present in the sperm cell."

~ Joe Tangari