Owl Tarot
XI-Lust, my own delightful and learning (hopefully) threads!
*Insert fancy title here*
Hello and welcome folks, welcome to yet another Thoth Trump! As some of you already know, I decided to start weekly threads about some of the thoughts and interpretations, as they come to me the moment I am writing, of the Trump I am currently studying. It is the third time I undergo this process (of weekly Trump study I mean) 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 twist in it! So, anyone willing and available to provide some thoughts and opinions for me to work and contemplate about would be appreciated! I also hope that the few of my thoughts as of this post and moment help you!
The previous Trump, Fortune, unfortunately got no luv at all! Hope this Trump is more appealing for thee, it definitely is one of the Trump I luv really much (I luv all of them, just saying!)!
XI- Lust
Zodiacal Trump of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun and is exalted in Uranus
19th Path, connecting Chesed to Geburah. Hebrew letter: Teth (a serpent)
Well, Crowley goes on to explain to us why the title is different than the traditional one. In the more traditional depiction of this Trump, a woman opens the mouth of the lion, possibly suggesting the control of our emotions, passions and desires by our mind and willpower. But, in a sense, here we see those two aspects unified, combined and happy with each other. In a sense, married! No longer "enemies", but a natural couple functioning as one! The exercise of Strength, in this sense, is a joyful and desired process. Natural balance is maintained when opposites unite in one, and the Path of this card is balanced both horizontally and vertically upon the Tree.
Crowley goes on to present us some of the parts of Liber Al vel Legis which accurately descibe our united characters! I quoted just two which I think aid one in understanding the card.
I personally think of this Trump working on more then one levels (as do most of them actually), but I will split the rest of this post in two for this reason when I think the need arises.
So, here we have another instance where two beings are married, just as we did in Atu VI, The Lovers. But, in this case, Crowley suggests that the marriage is natural, not directed by a third agent as in The Lovers (In The Lovers, we see The Hermit, Mercury forming the Sign of the Enterer above the couple, conducting the ritual) but is pure, lustful and fiery, as the nature of the current Aeon is. It is more a result of desire and passion then a process of analytical thinking as seen in The Lovers card.
The Path of Gimel is the Priestess, Atu II, and Crowley here refers us to the marriage of the Sun and the Moon the Alchemists talked about. The Sun in depicted by the Beast, the lion-serpent and the Moon by Babalon, the woman mounting the Beast.
The reins are held by Babalon's left hand. Now, the left hand is the part of the body connected to Chesed, one of the Sephira the Path of this card connects. In her right hand she holds the Holy Grail, the Graal of the Sacrament. She is in ecstasy and she seems to be looking at the tail of the Beast, the Lion-Serpent, which is in a manner a symbol of the phallus, also of the Kundalini serpent awakened by the act depicted. So, one interpretation of the Beast is the All-Father, Chokmah, married with Babalon, Binah, the All-Mother. The Beast is looking at the Grail, which is a symbol of Binah, the womb. Their Unity spawns forth creation.
The Beast's heads are described in the passage of The Book of Lies. In a way, Crowley identifies himself with the Beast. The seven heads refer to different aspects of Crowley's life. He was a saint of the Gnostic Catholic Church, bisexual, a spy, a poet, a man whose humor was satyrical, and a man who chased his mission (an angel). Also notice that Leo was Crowley's rising zodiac sign. So, there are at least two ways of looking at the Beast. The second is the individual self. Under this light, the seven heads can refer to the seven Chakras of the body awakened through the Holy sexual act depicted here. In a different light, the sexual act of the human who is making love to his personal Universe by his interaction with it, which is the basis of Magick.
More symbols referring to the highly creative aspect of this card. There is no critisism of reason involved here, only passion and drive caused by sexual ecstasy and the unity between two opposites which spawns forth new creation.
If we refer to the Beast as the individual self interacting with his/her enviroment, their own space in the form of Babalon, the Saints of the background, who are bloodless, have offered all of their blood to Babalon. They have "died", their ego has been "killed", because they have offered themselves to the joy of Babalon's infinite love and they have united themselves with her Holliness, the Holliness of her as the Universe which they interact with.
This suggests to me that the Sacrament previously described is the formula of Initiation of the current Aeon we are in. It is also interesting to consider the Lion as an Alchemical symbol at this point.
Again, we have a symbol of Unity, Unity caused of love. Vitriol dissolves and is a process referring to Atu XIV as well as here, but essentially it represents -for me in this particular card- the function of dissolving the ego in order to unite with the totality of Babalon. Also notice that the Beast's tail has 13 rays emanating from it. Gematria informs us that 13 is a number of the words Unity and Love. It is also the number of Atu XIII, Death. It suggests to me that in killing one's part of the ego that prevents him/her from the unity of love with one's own Universe is the only way to enjoy Union with Babalon, nicely combining all symbols together.
This card is also, in a way, one of the hieroglyphs of the new Aeon. The 10 serpents will go forward to destroy and re-create the world, Crowley suggests. I think this also refers us to the Sephira this Path connects. Chesed and Geburah are sometimes seen as the function of metabolism, anabolism (Chesed) and katabolism (Geburah). This cards ensures both are done. What is necessarily cut off by the Holy and Just blade of Geburah is absorbed back and reconstructed by the Love of Chesed.
In a sense, it may imply sacrificing (Geburah) the part of one's self that cannot experience unity with the Glory (Chesed) of God (God, in the form of Babalon, as the space which surrounds the individual and the interaction of the individual with it), and that sacrifice is what offers your blood to Babalon's Grail and allows one to become a unity with the Universe, uniting the Macrocosm with the Microcosm. The number 11 is pretty suggestive of that Unity between the Microcosm (5) and the Macrocosm (6). 11 are also the letters of the Magickal formula of the Aeon, Abrahadabra, again connecting with the ideas already mentioned me thinks.
Astrologically speaking, Leo is a sign connected to one's own pleasure and creativity. It is the sign connected to the spine (again connecting with the idea of the 7 Chakras being activated and the Kundalini awoken) and also a sign of willpower connecting to the deep Magickal power imbeded in this card.
Crowley quotes a part of the 12th Aethyr which is really illuminating but this post is already too long for me to go into it, but I do think it is too helpful for one to pass by.
Yet another good exercise in itself for me, writing this thread, 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 see it today of course, I hope you found it nice and not tooooooo boring and I'm looking forward to hear some your thoughts as well!
*Insert fancy title here*
Hello and welcome folks, welcome to yet another Thoth Trump! As some of you already know, I decided to start weekly threads about some of the thoughts and interpretations, as they come to me the moment I am writing, of the Trump I am currently studying. It is the third time I undergo this process (of weekly Trump study I mean) 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 twist in it! So, anyone willing and available to provide some thoughts and opinions for me to work and contemplate about would be appreciated! I also hope that the few of my thoughts as of this post and moment help you!
The previous Trump, Fortune, unfortunately got no luv at all! Hope this Trump is more appealing for thee, it definitely is one of the Trump I luv really much (I luv all of them, just saying!)!
XI- Lust
Zodiacal Trump of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun and is exalted in Uranus
19th Path, connecting Chesed to Geburah. Hebrew letter: Teth (a serpent)
Book of Thoth said:
Well, Crowley goes on to explain to us why the title is different than the traditional one. In the more traditional depiction of this Trump, a woman opens the mouth of the lion, possibly suggesting the control of our emotions, passions and desires by our mind and willpower. But, in a sense, here we see those two aspects unified, combined and happy with each other. In a sense, married! No longer "enemies", but a natural couple functioning as one! The exercise of Strength, in this sense, is a joyful and desired process. Natural balance is maintained when opposites unite in one, and the Path of this card is balanced both horizontally and vertically upon the Tree.
Book of Thoth said:
Crowley goes on to present us some of the parts of Liber Al vel Legis which accurately descibe our united characters! I quoted just two which I think aid one in understanding the card.
I personally think of this Trump working on more then one levels (as do most of them actually), but I will split the rest of this post in two for this reason when I think the need arises.
Book of Thoth said:
So, here we have another instance where two beings are married, just as we did in Atu VI, The Lovers. But, in this case, Crowley suggests that the marriage is natural, not directed by a third agent as in The Lovers (In The Lovers, we see The Hermit, Mercury forming the Sign of the Enterer above the couple, conducting the ritual) but is pure, lustful and fiery, as the nature of the current Aeon is. It is more a result of desire and passion then a process of analytical thinking as seen in The Lovers card.
Book of Thoth said:
The Path of Gimel is the Priestess, Atu II, and Crowley here refers us to the marriage of the Sun and the Moon the Alchemists talked about. The Sun in depicted by the Beast, the lion-serpent and the Moon by Babalon, the woman mounting the Beast.
Book of Thoth said:
The reins are held by Babalon's left hand. Now, the left hand is the part of the body connected to Chesed, one of the Sephira the Path of this card connects. In her right hand she holds the Holy Grail, the Graal of the Sacrament. She is in ecstasy and she seems to be looking at the tail of the Beast, the Lion-Serpent, which is in a manner a symbol of the phallus, also of the Kundalini serpent awakened by the act depicted. So, one interpretation of the Beast is the All-Father, Chokmah, married with Babalon, Binah, the All-Mother. The Beast is looking at the Grail, which is a symbol of Binah, the womb. Their Unity spawns forth creation.
The Beast's heads are described in the passage of The Book of Lies. In a way, Crowley identifies himself with the Beast. The seven heads refer to different aspects of Crowley's life. He was a saint of the Gnostic Catholic Church, bisexual, a spy, a poet, a man whose humor was satyrical, and a man who chased his mission (an angel). Also notice that Leo was Crowley's rising zodiac sign. So, there are at least two ways of looking at the Beast. The second is the individual self. Under this light, the seven heads can refer to the seven Chakras of the body awakened through the Holy sexual act depicted here. In a different light, the sexual act of the human who is making love to his personal Universe by his interaction with it, which is the basis of Magick.
Book of Thoth said:
More symbols referring to the highly creative aspect of this card. There is no critisism of reason involved here, only passion and drive caused by sexual ecstasy and the unity between two opposites which spawns forth new creation.
If we refer to the Beast as the individual self interacting with his/her enviroment, their own space in the form of Babalon, the Saints of the background, who are bloodless, have offered all of their blood to Babalon. They have "died", their ego has been "killed", because they have offered themselves to the joy of Babalon's infinite love and they have united themselves with her Holliness, the Holliness of her as the Universe which they interact with.
Book of Thoth said:
This suggests to me that the Sacrament previously described is the formula of Initiation of the current Aeon we are in. It is also interesting to consider the Lion as an Alchemical symbol at this point.
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/animal.html
Again, we have a symbol of Unity, Unity caused of love. Vitriol dissolves and is a process referring to Atu XIV as well as here, but essentially it represents -for me in this particular card- the function of dissolving the ego in order to unite with the totality of Babalon. Also notice that the Beast's tail has 13 rays emanating from it. Gematria informs us that 13 is a number of the words Unity and Love. It is also the number of Atu XIII, Death. It suggests to me that in killing one's part of the ego that prevents him/her from the unity of love with one's own Universe is the only way to enjoy Union with Babalon, nicely combining all symbols together.
Book of Thoth said:
This card is also, in a way, one of the hieroglyphs of the new Aeon. The 10 serpents will go forward to destroy and re-create the world, Crowley suggests. I think this also refers us to the Sephira this Path connects. Chesed and Geburah are sometimes seen as the function of metabolism, anabolism (Chesed) and katabolism (Geburah). This cards ensures both are done. What is necessarily cut off by the Holy and Just blade of Geburah is absorbed back and reconstructed by the Love of Chesed.
In a sense, it may imply sacrificing (Geburah) the part of one's self that cannot experience unity with the Glory (Chesed) of God (God, in the form of Babalon, as the space which surrounds the individual and the interaction of the individual with it), and that sacrifice is what offers your blood to Babalon's Grail and allows one to become a unity with the Universe, uniting the Macrocosm with the Microcosm. The number 11 is pretty suggestive of that Unity between the Microcosm (5) and the Macrocosm (6). 11 are also the letters of the Magickal formula of the Aeon, Abrahadabra, again connecting with the ideas already mentioned me thinks.
Astrologically speaking, Leo is a sign connected to one's own pleasure and creativity. It is the sign connected to the spine (again connecting with the idea of the 7 Chakras being activated and the Kundalini awoken) and also a sign of willpower connecting to the deep Magickal power imbeded in this card.
Crowley quotes a part of the 12th Aethyr which is really illuminating but this post is already too long for me to go into it, but I do think it is too helpful for one to pass by.
Yet another good exercise in itself for me, writing this thread, 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 see it today of course, I hope you found it nice and not tooooooo boring and I'm looking forward to hear some your thoughts as well!
