As I have garnered much from this site to create my own deck: I feel I must divulge a secret to give something back...
We all bring our social 'norms' to the Tarot, though we often forget that this is an entire system brought together. The original religion was shamanism - the 'secrets' of all of the cults and religions, even the 'big 3' are shamanic in practice.
You could start with providing a reference to this. ^
Do you mean Christianity, Islam, Judaism ? If so, they all appeared to have evolved out of Zoroastrianism. What are the 'secrets' you are referring to that 'are of' 'all cults and religions' ? Or are you including Buddhism and Vedanta ?
Or what about Bahai'i Religion? Its increasing in numbers as a world religion, in some places, faster than the populations growth.
Dragons are symbols of 'Magical' knowledge...
Snakes are a representation of the 'sexual' power of the Universe...
A laurel is victory, but for what reason? What 'Victory' brings death?..
That is the head of 'John the Baptist' (or any other decapitee)...
Can you explain why?
The veiled figure is in a particular shape...
sure is !
Have you ever read Liber Vesta ... a G.D. document (Waite was in the G. D. ) ;
" The Robe
of a Dominus Liminis
When this title is conferred by Authority, the Philosophus shall replace the Black Hood with a White Hood of the same material, with the Three Neteru in Blue below the eyes. Adepti appearing as Lords of the Paths shall cover the entire garment with Silver Gauze from head to foot"
http://www.e-reading.link/illustrations/85/85825-doc2fb_image_0200000A.jpg
These are all allegories for magical potions and the resulting effects.
here is a good place to supply a reference as well. Why are they all symbolising magical potions, and which one for each cup ... and do you mean vegetable or mineral drugs or 'magical potions'?
Snakes in cups are drugs. John the baptist is an allegory for the Sacramental Mushroom,
reference here too.
indeed he is Dionysus re-cast, his name in Aramaic means 'Big Red Mushroom'.
and here ...
His head, worshipped by Templars is the state of ego death brought on by the potion.
Supposedly they worshipped a head ... but why is it the state of ego death and what does it have to do with magical drug potions? Are you saying the Templars took Mushroom drug potions? Or the G.D ? I doubt that , as part of ritual and practice, maybe in private lives?
Or that Waite used psychotropic drugs in ritual ? If he did, they dont seem to have had much effect on his output and writings, many other influences are at work there.
Crowley ? Thats a different story. One of his great innovations was to introduce psychotropic drugs in ritual, he was the one that did magical experiments with mushrooms, and synthesised some himself, and it is even rumoured, introduced the substance to Europe ... but the time line here is wrong for Waite.
Laurels (the same as on the world card and chariot) are being gathered from the Arthurian version of the Magic Garden which relates to the ancient knowledge of herbs and plants - which 'feminise' the masculine (again the world card). Xmas is known for its laurels, again the Amanita Muscaria mushroom is particularly associated with Xmas.
This is muddled and hard to follow. Are you saying laurels and AM mushrooms are both associated with xmas, therefore the laurel in the cup represents a mushroom potion ?
If so, that seems a stretch ?
The 'victory'
is the decoding and discovering
of what ?
before the Chariot/ Merkabah is sent off into ego death (the skull, like the head is without a body) and victory upon return, indeed the Laurel is worn on the head.
No ... I dont understand that all .... I think its the way its written, cant fathom the meaning ..
The Dragon: Reptiles have forked tongues right?
Not all of them ;
http://www.totallyreptiles.net.au/blue tongue lizard.jpg
Dragons do not! Take a closer look.
And ... (yes it has a dragons tongue , many look like that, drawn with the tip of the tongue and the tip of the tail in the arrow head shape.
Are you pointing out that it does appear appear to be a dragon ? if so, yes, that seems fairly obvious.
Again, dragons are a collected symbol for ancient shamanism,
ref please. (collected ? ... collective ? )
they are eating mushrooms.
Huh ? Where? When? ... in the card ? ... what do you mean? Are you saying because there is a dragon in the cup it means magic mushroom potion ?
The veiled figure is the mushroom again, clearly...
I dont see why .... it appears to be veiled spectre , quite clearly. I can see the details of the body under the shroud, it even has hands sticking out the bottom. It doesnt suggest any sort of mushroom to me ... only vaguely at the top part and if I choose to blatantly ignore all the other indications of what it appears to be .
If anything it looks like a bad version of a Ghost ... or a hint about G.D. regalia .... again :
" Adepti appearing as Lords of the Paths shall cover the entire garment with Silver Gauze from head to foot"
The jewels/ philosophers stones are a well known allegory for mushrooms (on the earth plane), easily provable.
Please do ...
The cups themselves are a holy grail -
do you mean they all come together to make the Holy Grail ? Or each one is a grail?
the no.1 symbol for the Amanita mushroom as sacrament. Waite himself wrote many volumes on this topic and is an expert on the matter
He did? Waite wrote about the usage of Amanita Muscaria as the sacrament in the Grail. Cool! I would love to read that - reference please.
- he explicitly knows these are allegories. Indeed Crowley (whom pretty much gives away all of the secrets) associates this card completely with DRUGS AND MYSTICAL VISION.
? he does ?
" The Seven of Cups is called Debauch. This is one of the worst ideas that one can have; its mode is poison, its goal madness. It represents the delusion of Delirium Tremens and drug addiction; it represents the sinking into the mire of false pleasure. There is something almost suicidal in this card. It is particularly bad because there is nothing whatever to balance it-no strong planet to hold it up. Venus goes after Venus, and Earth is churned into the scorpion morass. "
Delusion, suicide and scorpion morass ... doesnt sound like mystical vision to me!
" the Lotuses have become poisonous, looking like tiger-lilies; and, instead of water, green slime issues from them and overflows, making the Sea a malarious morass. " ( The Book of Thoth - standard Thoth deck reference)
Sorry, poisonous green slime , no magical potion.
Actually, maybe you should take this on board (since you did try to use Crowley to boost up your idea) in regard to your idea of this representing a sacrament;
" This card is almost the "evil and averse" image of the Six; it is a wholesome reminder of the fatal ease with which a Sacrament may be profaned and prostituted."
If this upsets your Western ideology - then that makes me happy - you've been looking at this with the wrong eyes, I'm sorry for the jolt, but the truth is important.
It doesnt upset my western ideology at all (what ever that means, what ideology are you referring to? I practice shamanism. ), I am familiar with the such substances; usage and also history; shamanism and the use of Soma in early religion, and actually, it was part of the reason for the original Vedic / Iranian split in the P.I.E. peoples culture (along with animal sacrifice, cruelty to animals and idolatry, using drugs in sacred ritual was a central cause of division ).
The path you are looking for actually takes off through Vedanta; Yoga and other practices.
but the truth is important.
yes it is isnt it. I haven't seen it demonstrated at all in your ideas. So far they are badly framed, disjointed, as yet unreferenced, some mistaken and some, actually wrong.
There is thing called 'Pareidolia ' and 'confirmation bias' ... I think you better look it up.
Once you start looking for mushrooms (or anything else) everywhere ... you will find them through vague analogy and weak links and imaginings.
I'll be happy to give references if any questions arise, however, as with all magical Tarot symbols, the truth is self-evident once the veil is pierced.
Roll em out then ... lets see those references !
however, as with all magical Tarot symbols, the truth is self-evident once the veil is pierced.
This isnt some caveat that only those with certain vision will be able to see your connections and proofs is it ? Maybe you should explain what that means instead of being so cryptic?