Abrac
Waite's magical motto in the Golden Dawn was Sacramentum Regis (Secret of a King). R.A. Gilbert in A.E. Waite, Magician of Many Parts says this comes from the Latin Vulgate, Tobit 12:7, "It is good to keep hidden the secret (sacramentum) of a king: it is honourable to reveal the works of God."
The Latin Vulgate reads: "Etenim sacramentum regis abscondere bonum est: opera autem Dei revelare et confiteri honorificum est."
To understand what sacramentum regis has to do with the upside-down M, you have to go to the Greek found in the Septuagint, from which the Latin Vulgate was translated. The Greek word translated sacramentum is mysterion (μυστήριον).
On the Ace of Cups right-side up it's W, signifying Waite or the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the obvious meanings. Upside-down it's M, mysterion, the hidden meaning (hidden in plain sight).
It seems strange that mysterion would be translated sacramentum in the Latin Vulgate. One would think they would have used the Latin mysterium, but apparently sacramentum is used instead many times. There's a great article here that explains how this came to be. In English, sacramentum is translated "secret" as in the example above, or "mystery."
The Latin Vulgate is the official Bible of the Catholic Church and no doubt the one Waite would have used.
The full Greek text of Tobit 12:7 can be seen here.
The Latin Vulgate reads: "Etenim sacramentum regis abscondere bonum est: opera autem Dei revelare et confiteri honorificum est."
To understand what sacramentum regis has to do with the upside-down M, you have to go to the Greek found in the Septuagint, from which the Latin Vulgate was translated. The Greek word translated sacramentum is mysterion (μυστήριον).
On the Ace of Cups right-side up it's W, signifying Waite or the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the obvious meanings. Upside-down it's M, mysterion, the hidden meaning (hidden in plain sight).
It seems strange that mysterion would be translated sacramentum in the Latin Vulgate. One would think they would have used the Latin mysterium, but apparently sacramentum is used instead many times. There's a great article here that explains how this came to be. In English, sacramentum is translated "secret" as in the example above, or "mystery."
The Latin Vulgate is the official Bible of the Catholic Church and no doubt the one Waite would have used.
The full Greek text of Tobit 12:7 can be seen here.