Why Scenic Minors?

What motivated Waite to make scenes of the Minor cards? I've heard a negative interpretation that he felt the non-initiate masses just wouldn't get the implications of pip cards so he created a "picture book" of the Liber T Lord meanings for them to follow. But this may be a biased view.

Well, taken in a good context, that explanation may not be wrong. Waite knew the general public wouldn't be able to understand the intricacies of GD lore, so he created a deck that managed, to a great extent, to convey the same ideas but in visual form. This may have been because of a belief that they were beneficial to all people regardless of whether they belonged to this or that society. Book T works in a more subconscious level in the RWS than in other decks that display all the secret GD attributions, simply because you have only impressions to work with. That the general public would be more responsive to this isn't a condemnation of Waite, but quite the opposite.

Etteilla and Crowley printed the meanings on their cards, and there are quite a few tarot packs surviving from the 19th century where the owner has written in the meanings. Surely a picture is more attractive?

I think it was after he saw an old Sola Busca deck, which has illustrated scenes for the minors, that he got the idea to do the same thing.

I think that illustrating the Minors, especially in the manner he had it done as four story boards for four particular stories, allowed him to get his particular spin on the GD mythos out there without violating any of his oaths.

His artifact, which came to the consumer without any strings attached, was far more accessible and attractive than GD knowledge lectures, flying rolls, temple workings ever were or could hope to be.

As an engine of change, it has proved quite successful, no?

Pax et Bonum!!!

CED

Abrac said:

I think it was after he saw an old Sola Busca deck, which has illustrated scenes for the minors, that he got the idea to do the same thing.

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Except that Waite used the illustrations as interpretations of the 36 decans associated with pips 2 through 10, to which Closrapexa and Conversus alluded.

I don't believe the minors have that much to do with the GD really. Yes, Waite was a member of the GD, but he identified himself as a Catholic Mystic and the bulk of his writings deal with mysticism. From his New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry:

"I am certain, as a Catholic Mystic, that in the first place we came forth out of the Great Mystery and that in the last we return..."

and from The Rosicrucians by Christopher McIntosh:

"He joined the Golden Dawn in 1891, left it soon after, then rejoined in 1896. While ceasing to be an active Catholic, he retained a love of ritual and a strong leaning toward Chrisitian mysticism that gave him a dislike of the magical aspects of the Golden Dawn."

and

"Waite became head of the Isis-Urania Temple of the Golden Dawn in 1903 and completely revised the rituals, giving them a less magical and more mystical emphasis."

When the GD closed in 1914, and Waite started his own Fellowship of the Rosy Cross (FRC), his rituals had a more Christian emphasis but were loosely based on those of the GD. His tarot deck reflects this as well. While it has elements inherited from the GD, that isn't it's primary emphasis and there's far more to it.

Below is a comparison of the GD's Neophyte Ritual from Regardie's The Golden Dawn with Waite's corresponding FRC Neophyte Ritual taken from an unpublished document in the collection of R.A. Gilbert, and quoted in The Rosicrucians:

"It is interesting to compare this ritual (Waite's FRC Neophyte Ritual) with the corresponding Neophyte Ritual in the original Golden Dawn. In the Golden Dawn ceremony, there is, for example, no mention of the Rosy Cross (this did not come until a member had progressed higher), whereas, in Waite's ritual, it is introduced at every opportunity. Furthermore, Waite's ceremony has a much more prayerful tone, with the emphasis on the seeking of spiritual attainment rather than secret knowledge. Here, for instance, is part of the Golden Dawn proceedings:

Hierophant:

Inheritor of a Dying World, why seekest thou to enter our Sacred Hall? Why seekest thou admission to our Order?

Hegemon:

My Soul wanders in Darkness and seeks the Light of the Hidden Knowledge, and I believe that in this Order, Knowledge of that Light may be obtained.

The equivalent part of the Waite ceremony reads:

Master of the Temple:

Inheritor of night and time, what seek you in the places of the Soul?

Guide of the Paths (as spokesman for the Postulant):

Through the darkness of time and night, I have come to the gate of the Temple, looking for the Light within."

From all this it can be seen how differently Waite saw things as compared to the GD. Probably one of the most convincing things I've seen as to Waite's true intention for the minors is in his description of the Ace of Cups:

"It (i.e. the imagery on the card) is an intimation of that which may lie behind the Lesser Arcana."

The Ace is clearly an allusion to the Mystic Graal, ergo, "that which may lie behind the Lesser Arcana" is the Graal Mystery. Waite's meanings for the minors also differ substantially from those found in Book-T. Sometime there are similarities but mostly they're different. One could say that Waite was just using smoke and mirrors to hide secret GD doctrine from the ignorant, but I doubt it. I don't think Waite was all that much a fan of the GD, at least the Wescott and Mathers GD.

LRichard said:

Except that Waite used the illustrations as interpretations of the 36 decans associated with pips 2 through 10, to which Closrapexa and Conversus alluded.

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Actually, it's a bit more complex. The original "Tarot Lecture", part of the Golden Dawn's Cypher MS, says nothing about the decans: just the sephiroth. The Decans appear later, in "Book T", presumably added by Mathers.

For example, the 2 of Cups will be Love, because 2 is good, the top of the Pillar of Mercy, and Cups are emotions, Water. The decan reading in the Picatrix says "Dominion, science, love, mirth, subtlety, and magistracy". Woo-hoo! We've got a reference to love – forget the rest.

Sometimes Mathers just had to give up. 5 of Coins must be Material Trouble: Coins are Earth and the 5th sephirah is trouble. But the Piccatrix says "working the land, knowledge, and manufacturing". Well, forget that one.

Waite usually follows the Golden Dawn, but he was quite capable of preferring Etteilla:
6 of Swords: Journey, as in E., where GD has Earned Success
or having his own ideas
8 of Coins: Work instead Prudence (GD) or a brunette (E)

DavidMcCann said:

Actually, it's a bit more complex. The original "Tarot Lecture", part of the Golden Dawn's Cypher MS, says nothing about the decans: just the sephiroth. The Decans appear later, in "Book T", presumably added by Mathers.

For example, the 2 of Cups will be Love, because 2 is good, the top of the Pillar of Mercy, and Cups are emotions, Water. The decan reading in the Picatrix says "Dominion, science, love, mirth, subtlety, and magistracy". Woo-hoo! We've got a reference to love – forget the rest.

Sometimes Mathers just had to give up. 5 of Coins must be Material Trouble: Coins are Earth and the 5th sephirah is trouble. But the Piccatrix says "working the land, knowledge, and manufacturing". Well, forget that one.

Waite usually follows the Golden Dawn, but he was quite capable of preferring Etteilla:
6 of Swords: Journey, as in E., where GD has Earned Success
or having his own ideas
8 of Coins: Work instead Prudence (GD) or a brunette (E)

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It's basically just a pile of crap. Right?

DavidMcCann said:

Actually, it's a bit more complex. The original "Tarot Lecture", part of the Golden Dawn's Cypher MS, says nothing about the decans: just the sephiroth. The Decans appear later, in "Book T", presumably added by Mathers.

For example, the 2 of Cups will be Love, because 2 is good, the top of the Pillar of Mercy, and Cups are emotions, Water. The decan reading in the Picatrix says "Dominion, science, love, mirth, subtlety, and magistracy". Woo-hoo! We've got a reference to love – forget the rest.

Sometimes Mathers just had to give up. 5 of Coins must be Material Trouble: Coins are Earth and the 5th sephirah is trouble. But the Piccatrix says "working the land, knowledge, and manufacturing". Well, forget that one.

Waite usually follows the Golden Dawn, but he was quite capable of preferring Etteilla:
6 of Swords: Journey, as in E., where GD has Earned Success
or having his own ideas
8 of Coins: Work instead Prudence (GD) or a brunette (E)

Click to expand...

Actually its a LOT MORE COMPLEX than your simple explanation .

LRichard alluded to the decans ... he didn't allude to the Picatrix - you did that and then set about demolishing your own associations .

I still don’t get why people go to a Picatrix source PRIMARILY for decanic meaning relating to a tarot card. ??? What about Ibn Ezra and Agrippa? What about, instead of some obscure image (which IMO is totally obscure; as it {the decanic image} is a memory device to help visualise and locate astronomical/astrological information . [ - start here ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Camillo ]


I didn’t detect that LRichard was recommending that source … he said … " as interpretations of the 36 decans "

What is a decan? Is it just a strange image that one quotes with no understanding of its background and then when the 'short association' falls down it is all thrown out?

There is SUCH an aversion to look AT THE STARS … even in astrology …. Go figure <shrug>

You were citing the 5 of Discs yes? Lets look at a more obvious one ... the 7 of discs; the third decan of Taurus? One of the most obvious asterisms in this part of the sky is the Pleiades. [Usually I would calculate a significant star or combo in the decan … but to do each one of these individual stars (when they are ‘in a bunch’ ) seems messy, and in any case, often their influence is taken as a group.]

“According to Ptolemy they are of the nature of the Moon and Mars; and, to Alvidas, of Mars, Moon and Sun in opposition. They are said to make their natives wanton, ambitious, turbulent, optimistic and peaceful; to give many journeys and voyages, success in agriculture and through active intelligence; and to cause blindness, disgrace and a violent death. Their influence is distinctly evil … “ [Robson, p.182.]

“The Pleiades causes bereavement, mourning, sorrows and tragedies.” [The Living Stars, Dr. Eric Morse, p.39.]

“Pleiades Rising: Blindness, ophthalmia injuries to the eyes and face, disgrace, wounds, stabs (operations nowadays), exile, imprisonment, sickness, violent fevers, quarrels, violent lust, military preferment. If at the same time the Sun is in opposition either to the Ascendant or to Mars, violent death.

Pleiades culminating: Disgrace, ruin, violent death. If with the luminaries it makes its natives military captains, commanders, colonels of horse and emperors.

“Pleiades with Sun: Throat ailments, chronic catarrh, blindness, bad eyes, injuries to the face, sickness, disgrace, evil disposition, murderer or murdered, imprisonment, death by pestilence, blows, stabs, shooting, beheading or shipwreck.

“Pleiades with Moon: Injuries to the face, sickness, misfortune, wounds, stabs, disgrace, imprisonment, blindness, defective sight especially if in the Ascendant or one of the other angles, may be cross-eyed, Color-blind or the eyes may be affected by some growth. If in the 7th house, total blindness especially if Saturn or Mars be with Regulus and the Moon be combust.

Pleiades with Mercury: Many disappointments, loss of possessions, much loss from legal affairs, business failure, trouble through children.

Pleiades with Venus: Immoral, strong passions, disgrace through women, sickness, loss of fortune.

Pleiades with Mars: Many accidents to the head, loss and suffering through fires. If at the same time Saturn is with Regulus, violent death in a tumult.

Pleiades with Jupiter: Deceit, hypocrisy, legal and ecclesiastical troubles, loss through relatives, banishment or imprisonment.

Pleiades with Saturn: Cautious, much sickness, tumorous ailments, chronic sickness to family many loses. “ [ Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923. p.182 -184.]


A bit further along we have the Hyades - Pliny wrote of them as being "a violent and troublesome star causing stormes and tempests raging both on land and sea". [Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Richard H. Allen, 1889.]

The star El-nath might be considered an influential candidate but this is a modern attribution to Taurus … it used to be assigned to Auriga (Burritt's Atlas calling it Aurigae or El Nath. As a member of Auriga it lies on the right ankle of the Reinholder and was the Arabic Al Ka'b dhi'l Inan, usually translated "the Heel of the Rein-holder" . )

What about Aldebaran? Suelry that is significant and portends greater fortune ? Yet; “Catastrophe by weather conditions, floods, shipwrecks. Acknowledged and leading position, but will make enemies through whom danger will threaten”. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.30.]

“ If Rising, and in conjunction with the Moon, a good fellow, but if in conjunction with both the Lord of the Ascendant and the Moon it denotes a murderer.

“ With Sun: Great energy and perseverance, high material honors but danger of losing them, danger from quarrels and the law, honor and riches ending in disgrace and ruin, liable to disease, fevers and a violent death.

“ With Moon: Favorable for business, honor and credit, especially if in the 1st or 10th house, but danger of calamity. Favorable for domestic, public and religious matters; danger of a violent death. If at the same time Mars or Saturn is with Antares (opposite) the native is liable to be hanged or killed by a sword thrust.

“ With Sun or Moon, culminating or rising: Great honor through violence with difficulties and casualties.

“With Mars: Great military preferment but attended by much danger; liable to accidents, fevers and a violent death. If at the same time the Moon is with Antares, especially in an angle, death will come through a stab, blow or fall.

“With Saturn: Great afflictions, strange mind, great wickedness, sarcasm, eloquence, good memory, studious and retiring nature, legal abilities, domestic and material success, losses through mercurial friends. If at the same time the Moon is with Antares there will be a violent death, probably by hanging” [Robson p.120 – 121.]