Tarot Orat
The Rider-Waite deck and clones show the High Priestess sitting between the pillars Boaz and Jachin, which were on either side of the entrance to the Holy of Holies in Solomon's temple. Their orientation is described in 1 Kings 7:21, "The columns were then erected adjacent to the porch of the temple, one to the right, called Jachin, and one to the left, called Boaz," (also see 2 Chron. 3:17). In the card illustration, Jachin on our right (the priestess's left) and Boaz is on our left (the priestess's right).
Although the Bible never says explicitly in its descriptions of the building of Solomon's Temple which direction it faces, it can be inferred from descriptions of various parts of the temple. Moreover, Ezekiel's vision of the Temple faces east (Ezek. 40:6, 44:1, 46:1), as does the Tabernacle of Moses which the Temple was based on (Exodus 26:18-23). And archaeological excavation of Hebrew temples has found that all of them face east. I hate to use the word "certain" but it does seem quite certain that Solomon's Temple would face east, like every other Hebrew temple described in the Bible and known from archaeology.
In Biblical Hebrew, "right" is a synonym for "south," and "left" is a synonym for "north." Therefore, Jachin is to the south (right) and Boaz to the north (left). And if the southern pillar is on the priestess's left, she is facing west with her back to the entrance to the temple. She is inside the Holy of Holies.
So - mistake on the part of the Golden Dawn? Were they unaware of the Biblical Hebrew association of the compass points and right/left directions? It seems impossible that they wouldn't have known the Temple faced east; did they simply assume that right/left referred to someone facing the Holy of Holies from outside?
Or did they know their Hebrew and deliberately place the High Priestess in the Holy of Holies? One thing that supports this interpretation is her Torah scroll; "Torah" means "law," and the tablets of the 10 Commmandments, the Law of Moses, were kept in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 6:19).
The traditional interpretations of the card depend on the priestess being outside, between the viewer and the Holy of Holies. I've never seen evidence from Golden Dawn resources saying otherwise; then again, I don't have all their resources! My guess is that it's a mistake in the interpretation of the Hebrew. But does anyone think it might be deliberate, and what that might mean for the interpretation of the card?
Although the Bible never says explicitly in its descriptions of the building of Solomon's Temple which direction it faces, it can be inferred from descriptions of various parts of the temple. Moreover, Ezekiel's vision of the Temple faces east (Ezek. 40:6, 44:1, 46:1), as does the Tabernacle of Moses which the Temple was based on (Exodus 26:18-23). And archaeological excavation of Hebrew temples has found that all of them face east. I hate to use the word "certain" but it does seem quite certain that Solomon's Temple would face east, like every other Hebrew temple described in the Bible and known from archaeology.
In Biblical Hebrew, "right" is a synonym for "south," and "left" is a synonym for "north." Therefore, Jachin is to the south (right) and Boaz to the north (left). And if the southern pillar is on the priestess's left, she is facing west with her back to the entrance to the temple. She is inside the Holy of Holies.
So - mistake on the part of the Golden Dawn? Were they unaware of the Biblical Hebrew association of the compass points and right/left directions? It seems impossible that they wouldn't have known the Temple faced east; did they simply assume that right/left referred to someone facing the Holy of Holies from outside?
Or did they know their Hebrew and deliberately place the High Priestess in the Holy of Holies? One thing that supports this interpretation is her Torah scroll; "Torah" means "law," and the tablets of the 10 Commmandments, the Law of Moses, were kept in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 6:19).
The traditional interpretations of the card depend on the priestess being outside, between the viewer and the Holy of Holies. I've never seen evidence from Golden Dawn resources saying otherwise; then again, I don't have all their resources! My guess is that it's a mistake in the interpretation of the Hebrew. But does anyone think it might be deliberate, and what that might mean for the interpretation of the card?