8-Adjustment. In learning you teach, and in teaching you will learn!

Owl Tarot

Using the above motto, and following the advice of some members who I contacted and whose opinions I respect and value, I decided to start weekly threads about some of the thoughts and interpretations, as they come to me, of the Trump I am currently studying. It is the third time I undergo this process because in the previous two I gained further insight about the cards so I decided to follow this process yet again, but with a slightly different tone! So, anyone willing and available to provide some thoughts and opinions for me to work and contemplate about would be appreciated! I also hope my thoughts as of today help you!

VIII- Adjustment

Trump associated to Libra- Ruled by Venus

22th Path, connecting Geburah to Tiphareth. Hebrew letter: Lamed

Aleister Crowley said:
This card in the old pack was called Justice. This word has none but a purely human and therefore relative sense; so it is not to be considered as one of the facts of Nature. Nature is not just, according to any theological or ethical idea; but Nature is exact.
The Book of Thoth

I am totally into the use of the word "Adjustment" instead of "Justice", and this part contains the explanation I, too, feel to be correct. The Equilibrium is here, and Equilibrium is not the purpose of Justice in the traditional sense of the word. As Crowley says, Adjustment is a matter of calculation and precise action. The concept has no moral background or rightness in the traditional sense of those words, it is I would say, a morally grey zone (as far as human morality goes) in which the opposing forces cancel each other out. Unlike the traditional depiction of Justice, who is immobile, our figure is in constant motion to complete her Work and she particulary likes to dance, but more on that later!

Aleister Crowley said:
It is the final adjustment in the formula of Tetragrammaton, when the daughter, redeemed by her marriage with the Son, is thereby set up on the throne of the mother; thus, finally, she “awakens the Eld of the All-Father.”

He final, the Earth Element, is depicted here married the Son in Tiphareth, and is currently on the throne of her Mother. Thrones are symbols traditionally associated with Binah, The Great Mother, the He primal, and further presents this fact.

The throne is composed of 4 Spheres and Pyramids, the number of Law and Limitation, Crowley suggests. These three symbols, along with the colors of the Trump and particulary Blue (Chesed in Briah), reveal the organising aspect of Chesed which is presented in this card. The Virtue assosiated with Chesed is obedience, so our Harlequinn is obedient to the Law as well, she is obedient to her True Will, if you want. She in fact makes sure the Law is fullfilled, but it is the nature of the Law that make her satisfied by dominating every element of dis-equibrium in existence.

Being now married to the Son and connecting him to Geburah, she knows her True Will and applies the Virtue assosiated with Tiphareth, being devoted to the Great Work and doing what is "right" with the Fiery energy of Geburah, who enforces that which is "right".

Her devotion to her Great Work, which is to maintain the Equilibrium in all things, is made manifest by using the Phallic Sword of the Magus and the chains which connect her crown, the ostrict feathers of the Godess Maat, to the balances with chains. The chains and the sword are both symbols assosiated with Geburah who holds the title Din, Justice, in it's Universal sense. The chains are black which is the color referring to Saturn, the God of Time, because Adjustment needs time to take place.

Ma'at is the Egyptian Godess assosiated with Truth, Justice, Order, Balance etc. She was the Godess associated with weightening the Heart. Both the Crown and the balances relate the two.

Aleister Crowley said:
From this Crown, so delicate that the most faintest breath of thought must stir it, depend, by chains of Cause, the Scales wherein Alpha, the first, is poised in perfect equilibrium with Omega, the last. The scales of the balance are the Two Witnesses in whom shall every word be established. She is therefore to be understood as assessing the virtue of every act and demanding exact and precise satisfaction
Book of Thoth

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and it's Hebrew equivalent is Aleph. Omega is the last and it's Hebrew equivalent is Tau. Their equilibrium is her function, and she demands by the Sword to make sure it is done. Aleph and Tau together mean Essence, so that could mean she oversees and corrects any possible straying of the Truth of this Essense.

Aleister Crowley said:
This woman-goddess is Harlequin; she is the partner and fulfillment of The Fool. She is the ultimate illusion which is manifestation; she is the dance, many-coloured, many-wiled, of Life itself. Constantly whirling, all possibilities are enjoyed, under the phantom show of Space and Time: all things are real, the soul is the surface, precisely because they are instantly compensated by this Adjustment. All things are harmony and beauty; all things are Truth: because they cancel out.
Book of Thoth

Lamed means an ox-goad and Aleph means an ox. An ox-goad is used to keep the ox moving in the correct direction. Their Paths on the Tree are parallel, and the combination of those letters results in AL, which means God, and LA, which means nothing. This further illustrates how opposing forces cancel each other out to reach unity when equilibrium is exercised. It is also a suggestion I think to the 0=2 formula. The Fool is as fertile as it goes, and his dancing partner, The Harlequinn who is a female Fool in comedies, makes sure his fertility remains within the context of the previously mentioned formula.

All things are real, because the cancel out. Their True Will, thereoff, is a pretty relative thing, could be anything and is also unavoidable because our Harlequinn here makes sure it is done and seen through. Each action is subject to her law of casuality, meaning an equal and opposite reaction will take place through time. This is what makes them all true and right to her eyes, because from her dance they will balance each other out. This is a probable reason explaining why her Truth is Two-fold.

In the corners of the card, the spheres are harmoniously balanced. Blue and Green are this card's Path colours in Atziluth and Briah, and they could represent the feminine and masculine energies in balance.

The Harlequinn is inside the shape of a diamond, which connects her to Kether and her partner, the Fool, and Crowley suggests there is a Vesica Piscis which is it's cause.

To more sexual images, she holds the long and firm (that's what she said!) Sword of the Magician, the Sword of True Will, an image of the Son, her husband. She seems to be glad having this long thing between her legs (that's what he said!), and it satifies her to have it that way. The Sword is also happy to be there, being Phallic, and she became the Queen when the long thingy broke her own "Vesica Piscis"!

The surrounding interplays of light and darkness form patterns which I could relate to chess, making stronger the importance of her precise calculations. They also seem to remind me of a dancing room, in which she enjoys her partner's company!

Libra is a masculine (further implying the union of male and female energies) and Cardinal sign, the onrush of the Air element (the Fool is the Trump of Air). It is exalted in Saturn and it's dominant keyword is "I balance". It is considered the sign of partnership and marriage as well, because it enjoys union. In our case, she does seem to enjoy union with the long... Sword of the Son!

It was long, I know, but it was a good exercise in itself for me, and I hope it both helps you and motivates you to give me some food for thought! That's some of the things I could say about this card as I view it today, and I hope you liked it!
 

AJ

Just asking, why not add these valuable thoughts to the existing Thoth card threads? This type of thread just gets buried.
 

Aeon418

I am totally into the use of the word "Adjustment" instead of "Justice", and this part contains the explanation I, too, feel to be correct. The Equilibrium is here, and Equilibrium is not the purpose of Justice in the traditional sense of the word.
The secular concept of Justice is probably better represented by the 4 of Swords. It is a state of equilibrated tension that involves compromise and appeasement to maintain a semblence of order based on arbitrary temporal law. As such it has no relation to Truth with a capital T. Adjustment on the other hand represents the Law of Thelema, and that Law is Love under Will (Libra ruled by Venus. Truth = Troth). The division of the two pans is the state of dualistic manifestation. But as Nuit declares in AL I:29, "For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union." This union isn't a static equilibrium, but a tertium quid where two equal opposites seek union and annihilation in a third state that makes whole that which was once separate and divided. It is the Satisfaction of Nuit by her opposite, Hadit, creating the Child.
Liber A'ash said:
7. For two things are done and a third thing is begun. Isis and Osiris are given over to incest and adultery. Horus leaps up thrice armed from the womb of his mother. Harpocrates his twin is hidden within him. Set is his holy covenant, that he shall display in the great day of M.A.A.T., that is being interpreted the Master of the Temple of A.'. A.'. whose name is Truth.

In Atu VIII we have another card that represents the Master of the Temple. This is confirmed in Liber Trigrammaton where the 8th trigram (technically it's the 9th, but the first counts as 0) represents a set of scales.
Liber Trigrammaton said:
And the Master of the Temple balancing all things arose; his stature was above the Heaven and below Earth and Hell.
Crowley attributed the English letter A to this trigram in his attempt to fulfill the requirements of AL II:55.
The comibination of the letters A and L is interesting, along with the different interpretations of the number 55 - the mystic number of Malkuth and KLH, the Bride.
5 + 5 = 10, Lingam-Yoni.
5 = 5, Heh = Heh. The Mother is the Daughter, the Daughter is the Mother.
Aleister Crowley said:
It is the final adjustment in the formula of Tetragrammaton, when the daughter, redeemed by her marriage with the Son, is thereby set up on the throne of the mother; thus, finally, she “awakens the Eld of the All-Father.”
 

Owl Tarot

The secular concept of Justice is probably better represented by the 4 of Swords. It is a state of equilibrated tension that involves compromise and appeasement to maintain a semblence of order based on arbitrary temporal law. As such it has no relation to Truth with a capital T. Adjustment on the other hand represents the Law of Thelema, and that Law is Love under Will (Libra ruled by Venus. Truth = Troth). The division of the two pans is the state of dualistic manifestation. But as Nuit declares in AL I:29, "For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union." This union isn't a static equilibrium, but a tertium quid where two equal opposites seek union and annihilation in a third state that makes whole that which was once separate and divided. It is the Satisfaction of Nuit by her opposite, Hadit, creating the Child.

These are my thoughts as well Aeon, and I thank you for your words. AL I:29 gives us an idea about the 0=2 formula, which is pretty well presented in this Trump I think and Crowley is getting at it's application being present here in a Universal scale. To expand a bit more about Justice using the help of an actual dictionary, which further clarifies the careful decision Crowley took when he decided upon the title of the Trump:

Definition of justice in English:
NOUN

1 [MASS NOUN] Just behaviour or treatment:
a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people
MORE EXAMPLE SENTENCES
SYNONYMS
1.1The quality of being fair and reasonable:
the justice of his case
MORE EXAMPLE SENTENCES

SYNONYMS
1.2The administration of the law or authority in maintaining this:
a tragic miscarriage of justice

2 A judge or magistrate, in particular a judge of the Supreme Court of a country or state.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/justice

About Nuit and Hadit, I think of the formula 0=2 apparent in Crowley's words both in Liber AL and in the Book of Thoth, which I sometimes translate roughly to "The God that is Nothing, and that Nothing equals to Two.", makes sense to me when I think of Hadit as the infinitely contracting point and Nuit as the infinitely expanding point. Apparently, it's a sex act of continuous application, a lovemaking without end since Hadit's "pole stick" just doesn't fall! (That's what she said!)

Crowley attributed the English letter A to this trigram in his attempt to fulfill the requirements of AL II:55.
The comibination of the letters A and L is interesting, along with the different interpretations of the number 55 - the mystic number of Malkuth and KLH, the Bride.
5 + 5 = 10, Lingam-Yoni.
5 = 5, Heh = Heh. The Mother is the Daughter, the Daughter is the Mother.

One more connecting link along the same lines, interestingly, I found in Liber 777, Table XLI, where the Cross (=Tau) of Equilibrium is attributed as the Magical Weapon of the Atu.
 

Aeon418

One more connecting link along the same lines, interestingly, I found in Liber 777, Table XLI, where the Cross (=Tau) of Equilibrium is attributed as the Magical Weapon of the Atu.
That would be the Cross of Themis that equillibrates the transformative forces within the sphere of the aspirant. It first appears in the Neophyte initiation. And then reoccurs in the Crossing of the Abyss. (See Liber 418 where the Cross of Themis appears repeatedly.)

Another connecting link can also be found via the full spelling of the letter Lamed.
LMD = 74.

In Liber Arcanorum the verse attributed to the Empress - Venus reads:
Liber Arcanorum said:
3. The Virgin of God is enthroned upon an oyster-shell; she is like a pearl, and seeketh Seventy to her Four. In her heart is Hadit the invisible glory.
Her Four is the Path of Daleth. The Seventy which she seeks is the Middle Pillar. Paths 13 + 25 + 32 = 70. And 70 is also Ayin - Atu XV, The Devil. This projects the Cross of Themis onto the Tree of Life.
Book of Thoth said:
Adjustment
.... Alpha the First balanced exactly against Omega the Last. These are the Judex and Testes of Final Judgment; the Testes, in particular, are symbolic of the secret course of judgment whereby all current experience is absorbed, transmuted, and ultimately passed on, by virtue of the operation of the Sword, to further manifestation. This all takes place within the diamond formed by the figure which is the concealed Vesica Piscis through which this sublimated and adjusted experience passes to its next manifestation.
 

Owl Tarot

That would be the Cross of Themis that equillibrates the transformative forces within the sphere of the aspirant. It first appears in the Neophyte initiation. And then reoccurs in the Crossing of the Abyss. (See Liber 418 where the Cross of Themis appears repeatedly.)

Another connecting link can also be found via the full spelling of the letter Lamed.
LMD = 74.

In Liber Arcanorum the verse attributed to the Empress - Venus reads:

Her Four is the Path of Daleth. The Seventy which she seeks is the Middle Pillar. Paths 13 + 25 + 32 = 70. And 70 is also Ayin - Atu XV, The Devil. This projects the Cross of Themis onto the Tree of Life.

It resonated within me well, this sequence. Sepher Sephiroth aids by revealing that 74 means a judge as well. Also, Daleth connects Chokmah to Binah (where our new Queen as depicted in Atu VIII is now sitting), further suggesting the idea that "Love is the Law". Atu XV, which is really interesting, connects with Atu VIII through Tiphareth and is, interestingly enough, another aspect of the Messiah (H.G.A.) in our beautiful deck!

Seeking 70, the Middle Path, the Messiah further connects her with the Middle Path where he lies in Tiphareth. By finding her way to the Son, she finds the way to his Father all the way up the Middle Pillar, crossing the 3 Paths! The Middle Path and the Path of Daleth, in which our new Queen is pregnant and ready to give birth, form the Cross of Themis!

EDIT: Another interesting aspect is, the Paths of the Devil and Adjustment add to 48, which connects the sum of their Paths to the sphere of Venus whose sign connects all the Tree. :)
 

smw

VIII- Adjustment

Trump associated to Libra- Ruled by Venus

22th Path, connecting Geburah to Tiphareth. Hebrew letter: Lamed

The throne is composed of 4 Spheres and Pyramids, the number of Law and Limitation, Crowley suggests. These three symbols, along with the colors of the Trump and particulary Blue (Chesed in Briah), reveal the organising aspect of Chesed which is presented in this card. The Virtue assosiated with Chesed is obedience, so our Harlequinn is obedient to the Law as well, she is obedient to her True Will, if you want. She in fact makes sure the Law is fullfilled, but it is the nature of the Law that make her satisfied by dominating every element of dis-equibrium in existence.

Being now married to the Son and connecting him to Geburah, she knows her True Will and applies the Virtue assosiated with Tiphareth, being devoted to the Great Work and doing what is "right" with the Fiery energy of Geburah, who enforces that which is "right".

Her devotion to her Great Work, which is to maintain the Equilibrium in all things, is made manifest by using the Phallic Sword of the Magus and the chains which connect her crown, the ostrict feathers of the Godess Maat, to the balances with chains. The chains and the sword are both symbols assosiated with Geburah who holds the title Din, Justice, in it's Universal sense. The chains are black which is the color referring to Saturn, the God of Time, because Adjustment needs time to take place.

Ma'at is the Egyptian Godess assosiated with Truth, Justice, Order, Balance etc. She was the Godess associated with weightening the Heart. Both the Crown and the balances relate the two.

An interesting and helpful post, though too much really to take in with this card. I did wonder though why (Regardie) Ma'at is said to be in Chesed wielding the feather of truth while only the Woman girt with a sword before the god of war and vengeance is mentioned in relation to Geburah.

In the spirit hierarchy of Geburah there seem already to be many references to the blue feather of justice etc......'Bartzabel bearing the Sword and balance of Justice. Mighty and golden were his flashing wings!

off on an even more irrelevant tangent I expect... there is (Duquette) the reference to the Aeon of Maat following that of Horus in the Aeon card, though this coming Aeon is referred to with the sign of Libra in the BOT.

smw