VI Pentacles Interpretation

Laurelle

Can you give us some examples of this? I've gone through the Picatrix looking for influences, especially in regard to the astrological decan images (GD used decan correspondences to the Minors) and couldn't find direct associations in the Picatrix. Here's a comparison of several sets of decan images, including those from the Picatrix: http://www.bendykes.com/articles/decans.php

Good article. I think one of the more closer renditions would be the 6 of wands:

Picatrix: A man dressed in filthy garments; and there ascends with him the figure of a lord of the horse looking toward the north; and his figure is like the figure of a bear and the figure of a dog. And this is a face of strength, liberality, and victory....

This would be the man riding the horse, though his garments don't seem dirty and he does seem victorious.

I think the second decan of cancer is more "exact" as it references Myrtle, joy and celebration. You can check the website you referenced. It seems to be written like the copy I have that Steve Ashe translated.
 

Abrac

Sometimes it helps if I get things right in front of me for comparison, so I made this document which compares Picatrix, Golden Dawn and Waite decan meanings. It's basically what Huson did in Mystical Origins of the Tarot only his includes Etteilla and Mathers pre-GD.

The Picatrix references are from the GD paper, "The Magical Images of the Decans." I inserted pictures from the RWS minors for easy reference and underlined points of similarity between Picatrix and the GD. There's no question the GD used Picatrix as their guide. I believe Waite, as he says in the Pictorial Key, tried to blend meanings from a variety of sources. It's interesting to compare all three and see how they differ and how they're the same. :)

Direct download, 6 mb:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s... GD - Waite - Decan Comparison Sheet.pdf?dl=0
 

Laurelle

Sometimes it helps if I get things right in front of me for comparison, so I made this document which compares Picatrix, Golden Dawn and Waite decan meanings. It's basically what Huson did in Mystical Origins of the Tarot only his includes Etteilla and Mathers pre-GD.

The Picatrix references are from the GD paper, "The Magical Images of the Decans." I inserted pictures from the RWS minors for easy reference and underlined points of similarity between Picatrix and the GD. There's no question the GD used Picatrix as their guide. I believe Waite, as he says in the Pictorial Key, tried to blend meanings from a variety of sources. It's interesting to compare all three and see how they differ and how they're the same. :)

Direct download, 6 mb:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s... GD - Waite - Decan Comparison Sheet.pdf?dl=0

Thank you for putting this together. Abrac, you are an amazing student and teacher of these hidden arts and I must thank you because every post you write gives me more and more insight. I can tell that you don't merely peruse the information, but really take the time to assimilate and understand it from a deep level.

It is interesting to note the excessive different variations to the Picatrix.

6 of Pentacles from the Translated version by John Michael Greer and Christopher Warnock says this, "There rises in the second face of Taurus a man with a body like a camel, who has cow's hooves on his fingers, and he is completely covered by a torn linen cloth. He desires to work the land, sow and build. This is a face of nobility, power, and rewarding the people. This is its form (114)."

As you can see there is a slight variation between Steve Ashe, Greer and Warnock and your version. What source did you get your version from?

If it was originally written in Arabic then the translation are probably very rough seeing that it has been translated over and over again through many languages and centuries. A good linguist versed in old Arabic, Latin and Old English would be great!
 

Abrac

Thanks for the kind words. Glad to know someone's benefiting.

Does the Greer and Warnock version say which version they translated from? Mine are from the GD paper "The Magical Images of the Decans." I used it because I figured it was the one Waite would've had access to; he could've read and translated it from Latin for himself though. I'm guessing the GD version was translated from a Latin version. Greer and Warnock's might be from Arabic and would probably better if so. I don't think any Arabic versions were known until the early 20th century.
 

Abrac

Okay, apparently Greer and Warnock's book is from David Pingree's Latin version, 1986. From what I've been reading online it's supposed to be one of the best. The GD's "Magical Images of the Decans" probably isn't that reliable, but it's what they had at the time.