Book of Thoth Study Group #7: The Nature of the Evidence

Zephyros

The Nature of the Evidence

4.The Nature of the Evidence

These historical digressions have been essential to the understanding of the conditions of this enquiry. It is now proper to consider the peculiar numbering of the Trumps. It appears natural to a mathematician to begin the series of natural numbers with Zero; but it is very disturbing to the non-mathematically trained mind. In the traditional essays and books on the Tarot, the card numbered “0” was supposed to lie between the cards XX and XXI. The secret of the initiated interpretation, which makes the whole meaning of the Trumps luminous, is simply to put this card marked “0” in its natural place, where any mathematician would have put it, in front of the number One. But there is still one peculiarity, one disturbance in the natural sequence. This is that the cards VIII and XI have to be counterchanged, in order to preserve the attribution. For the card XI is called “Strength”; on it appears a Lion, and it quite evidently refers to the zodiacal sign Leo, whereas the card VIII is called “Justice”, and represents the conventional symbolic figure, throned, with sword and balances, thus obviously referring to tile zodiacal sign of Libra, the Balance.

Frater Perdurabo had made a very profound study of the Tarot since his initiation to the Order on 18 th November, 1898; for, three months later, he had attained the grade of Practicus; as such, he became entitled to know the Secret Attribution. He constantly studied this and the accompanying explanatory manuscripts. He checked up on all these attributes of the numbers to the forms of nature, and found nothing incongruous. But when (8 th April, 1904 e.v.) he was writing down the Book of the Law from the dictation of the messenger of the Secret Chiefs, he seems to have put a mental question, suggested by the words in Chapter I, verse 57:

“the law of the Fortress, and the great mystery of the House of God” (“The House of God” is one name of the Tarot Trump numbered XVI) to this effect: “Have I got these attributions right?”

For there came an interpolated answer,

“All these old letters of my book are aright; but j is not the Star. This also is secret; my prophet shall reveal it to the wise”.

This was exceedingly annoying. If Tzaddi was not “the Star”, what was? And what was Tzaddi? He tried for years to counter-change this card, “The Star”, which is numbered XVII, with some other. He had no success. It was many years later that the solution came to him. Tzaddi is “The Emperor”; and therefore the positions of XVII and IV must be counterchanged. This attribution is very satisfactory.

Yes, but it is something a great deal more than satisfactory; it is, to clear thought, the most convincing evidence possible that the Book of ‘he Law is a genuine message from the Secret Chiefs.

For “The Star” is referred to Aquarius in the Zodiac, and “The Emperor’ to Aries. Now Aries and Aquarius are on each side of Pisces, just as Leo and Libra are on each side of Virgo; that is to say, the correction in the Book of the Law gives a perfect symmetry in the zodiacal attribution, just as if a loop were formed at one end of the ellipse to correspond exactly with the existing loop at the other end. These matters sound rather technical; in fact, they are; but the more one studies the Tarot, the more one perceives the admirable symmetry and perfection of the symbolism. Yet, even to the layman, it ought to be evident that balance and fitness are essential to any perfection, and the elucidation of these two tangles in the last 150 years is undoubtedly a very remarkable phenomenon.
 

Aeon418

Oh no! Not again! Can we just have a link to another "card swap" thread, and move on?

Just kidding boss. :laugh:
 

Zephyros

Oh no! Not again! Can we just have a link to another "card swap" thread, and move on?

Just kidding boss. :laugh:

I guess I didn't get the joke then. :)

But did we do this already? I tend to be slightly flaky at times
 

Aeon418

But did we do this already?
Yes and no. :laugh:

This is the first time you've posted this particular section of The Book of Thoth. But the subject matter in this section has been picked apart, quibbled with, hashed and rehashed so many times I've lost count!
 

Zephyros

I agree :) But get two Thothies/Thelemites in a room and it will inevitably come up.

Still, let's give it a whirl, that's what we're all here for, after all. So, this is repeated endlessly in many different threads and sources but here we have it... the first real mention in the Book of Thoth of the deck's single most unique feature, the interchange of Justice and Strength back to their original numbers and, more special and utterly controversial, the Emperor and the Star. This of course goes back to the original line in the Book of Law referencing Tarot which says:

Aiwass said:
“All these old letters of my book are aright; but j is not the Star. This also is secret; my prophet shall reveal it to the wise”.

The above quote is a bit like the Wheel in Fortune, a nexus around which spins a dizzying amount of significance in terms of the Thoth. Whether one accepts Crowley's answer to that puzzle or not, it has profound repercussions in his deck.

Anyway, this has (obviously) always boggled my mind. Sometimes I think about it is so absurdly self-evident and elegant that I don't know why I ever didn't get it. At other times it seems shabby and full of holes.

Still, I'm inclined to agree with him, the more you study the Tarot the more it makes sense.

For those who have no idea what we're talking about, Crowley changed the numerical placements of Justice and Strength to their pre-GD places while switching the Hebrew letters of the Star and the Emperor but keeping their numerical places.

The following was the simplest explanation of this that I could find in my early studies. It takes you through it step by step.

http://www.cornelius93.com/EpistleonZodiacBelt.html
 

ravenest

I will concede and stand by my earlier comments . - apples and oranges ... a twidge here is not balanced by a twoddle over there .

(puts on flak jacket .... legs it )
 

elektrius

i am still quite puzzled by this exchange and am yet to form a definite opinion. reading duquette's "understanding thoth tarot" made it much clearer as to "why and how". i would love to hear from more of the experienced "thothies" (lol) if they stick with crowley's attribution for good, or is it a point that always leaves a trace of doubt? i wouldn't like that, as everything in tarot has an incredible way of connecting and making sense. this however..... i finally kind of get it but def not convinced yet. i want to be convinced!
 

smw

just a thought, I am wondering ( can't remember where I read it) about the movement of the Sephiroth, which apparently does not stay the same, Perhaps the Emperor's shift is related somehow to the beginning of that with the new aeon, with him moving out of position to come down to the people and vice versa.
 

Aeon418

Perhaps the Emperor's shift is related somehow to the beginning of that with the new aeon,

Sort of. The Path of Tzaddi is high energy. Sexual energy in particular is 'raised' on this Path. In the context of the Old Aeon this may have required cold water to be poured on it via the Star. Humanity just wasn't ready at that time, and the dominant spiritual doctrines reflect this view through their suppression of sex. But in the New Aeon humanity is becoming increasingly ready to handle and direct this energy towards self development. The Emperor is a much better fit. Not only is he in control, he can also take the heat. })

The other end of the swap deals with the Crossing of the Abyss. In the Old Aeon this was not (fully) possible, and so the Emperor sat on the Path of Heh between Chokmah and Tiphareth. But in the New Aeon the Star sits on this Path to indicate that the way is open. But why?

Two Paths on the Tree of Life indicate the 'consolidation' of the Crossing. On the plane of the intellect and the mind this is accomplished via the Path of Zain and the Lovers. "Contradiction is Unity."
But the consolidation on the plane of the instincts and the emotions is accomplished on the Path of Heh. The Emperor simply does not fit. But the Star does. The breast/cups that she holds are the Heh and Heh-final in the name IHVH. That they are held by the same woman indicates the identity of the spiritual and the sensual. The Master who has crossed the Abyss doesn't just appreciate this fact as an intellectual abstraction. He/she knows this 'experience' intimately and feels it in the core (Star) his/her being.

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/crowley/lies/59.htm
 

Michael Sternbach

i am still quite puzzled by this exchange and am yet to form a definite opinion. reading duquette's "understanding thoth tarot" made it much clearer as to "why and how". i would love to hear from more of the experienced "thothies" (lol) if they stick with crowley's attribution for good, or is it a point that always leaves a trace of doubt? i wouldn't like that, as everything in tarot has an incredible way of connecting and making sense. this however..... i finally kind of get it but def not convinced yet. i want to be convinced!

I am afraid that I can't restore your faith. I sort of accept the switch as a quirk of the Thoth, but not as a characteristic of Kabbalistic Tarot in general. Actually, if you read the BoT chapter about The Emperor carefully, you will find that it is not unambiguous about his path.