The Fool:

 The Fool:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The Fool is the last card in the Tarot and is numbered 0 and corresponds to Air. It is attributed to the first path leading from Kether to Chokmah and the Hebrew letter Aleph. Depicted on the card is Dionysus, he is dressed in emerald-green, which is associated with Malkuth. Here is a quote from The Book of Thoth describing the symbolism of emerald-green: “This green is, however not the original vegetable green of Isis, but the new green of spring following the resurrection of Osiris as Horus.” This gives us his connection to earth and fertility as well as establishing his nature associated to the path of return, as the candidate and Malkuth. The creativity that the Fool holds is extremely important in analyzing the card and is also symbolized by the sun's position in the card. Hence, the Fool is represented as androgynous, and this is the key to his becoming, and the key to successful initiation, again Crowley writes in The Book of Thoth: "The card is therefore both the father and the mother, in the most abstract form of these ideas. This is not a confusion, but a deliberate identification of the male and the female, which is justified by biology. The fertilized ovum is sexually neutral. It is only some unknown determinant in the course of development which decides the issue." The crocodile according to the card's interpretation in this essay suggests Sebek, who played a central role in the resurrection of Osiris. Crowley writes in The Book of Thoth: "This same doctrine of maximum innocence developing into maximum fertility is found in Ancient Egypt in the symbolism of the Crocodile god Sebek." Here is the first indication of the card's association with Malkuth and the Neophyte grade and is expressed in Liber Pyramidos as follows:

The Words against the Sun of Night

Tahuti speaketh in the Light

Knowledge and Power, twin warriors shake

The Invisible; they roll asunder

The darkness; matter shines, a snake.

Sebek is smitten by the thunder

The Light breaks forth from under. 

In front of him we see three whirling spirals that indicate the three veils of negative existence known as Ain, Ain Soph and Ain Soph Aur and alludes to the Thelemic formula of 0=2. When viewed closely, one can see this spiral is actually the caduceus of Hermes and establishes the Fool's relationship to The Magus ATU. It will be seen that the paths above the Abyss, or the Fool, the Magus and the Empress are in fact distinct parts of the same idea and should be studied in this way. The caduceus has a dove connected to it which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the creative force. Also in the picture are grapes and butterflies symbolizing the same, in fact the whole card is symbolic of fertility and resurrection into a higher mode of being.

This card, although found above the abyss, is actually representative of the start of one’s journey, whatever that journey may be. It could symbolize something or someone as simple as a child’s first day at school, or in its higher sense it may indicate a candidate's readiness for initiation. Hence the card represents potential, this potential may or may not indicate success, as it is up to the Fool to determine the outcome of everything that happens, as governed by choice in the face of uncontrollable circumstances. This card symbolizes the wandering seeker, who in his naivety and ignorance doesn’t yet know what he is searching for but is drawn by an inner impulse to seek out the higher, although he doesn’t understand what that means yet. In a certain sense, he is experiencing for the sake of experience and the chance of finding some kind of direction. The Fool is constantly being acted upon by the overwhelming forces of external circumstances. He is by no means in control either of his inner or his outer world, thus failure and success are equally plausible outcomes for any given situation. The Fool in this way is best represented by the candidate for the Neophyte initiation, who is starting his journey. The Neophyte is the Fool, who finally may have found what he is looking for, although still quite unsure about the nature of the path he has chosen. The Fool’s relationship to this initiation is best expressed in the following quote from Liber Pyramidos:

I know not who I am!

I know not whence I came

I know not whither I go

I seek-but what I do not know!

The Fool's work then, is to turn potential into purpose. The foundation of this direction can only be found by establishing an inner dialogue which is in harmony with his true nature and is the purpose of initiation. Conversely, the Fool is present throughout the Tree of Life and suggestive of the highest attainment and may be understood as Phanes or Protogonus. The latter corresponding to the Astral Triad and depicted as the Fool and the former is presented in the Tarot the Hierophant. In Orphic theology, Phanes is the god of light, he symbolizes the purest aspect of Being. In the next quote from Liber Pyramidos, one may infer that what is dramatically expressed, is establishing this inner dialogue between Phanes and Protogonus. The quote is recited during the ritual, directly after formulating the Hexagram:

For silence duly is begot

And darkness duly brought to bed;

The shroud is figured in my thought,

The Innermost Light is on my Head.

Protogonus symbolizes the physical world of the senses and the emotions, that correspond to the
Pentagram. There is also reference made to this inner voice that may guide the Fool to realizing his full potential in the following quote from Liber Pyramidos: 

I am blind and bound; but I

Have heard one cry

Ring through Eternity;

Arise and follow me!

"Love is the law, love under will."

Jupiter:

 

Jupiter:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Jupiter is the Demiurge and the progeny of the first cause, being the Creative and Formative worlds. Qabalistically he is Chesed; according to the Tarot this sphere is linked to the paths of Yod and Vau, being the Hermit and the Heirophant who are both aspects of The Fool. Within the Orphic theology Phanes is attributed to The Fool as Protogonus and The Hermit and The Hierophant are aspects of Phanes himself. The intricate nature of Orphic theology paints a very beautiful picture of an adept’s relationship with the Demiurgic Art in light of the Muses, these corresponding to the planets and are only realized and communicated with from an illuminated perspective. "Jupiter, therefore, or the Demiurgus, is, according to Orpheus, all things, as containing in the unfathomable depths of his essence the causes of every thing which the sensible universe contains, these causes infinitely transcending the effects which they produce. Hence, by a causal priority, he is every thing which is contained in the sensible world." Thomas Taylor: They symbolize a personal relationship with the Shekinah and the Gods as attributable to the Astral Light, they are the intelligences of the planetary spheres and correspond to Vau along with Phanes which is the Demiurge manifesting as the soul's inbreathing of the divine. Phanes manifests within this communion as the invisible Apollo, who is associated with Tiphareth. Hadit is seated in the heart and accordingly corresponds to Apollo also, as it is only by subjective interpretation that the divine is manifested on earth, hence Phanes is consciousness as relating to objective reality. These, along with the Bacchusses that are associated with the planets make up the Vau in Tetragrammaton. On an universal level Vau is attributed to Vesta, Jupiter and all the other heavenly gods and goddesses. Aether is LVX but not really Vesta, as the Shekinah is the divine feminine manifested in the creative world and one with the Demiurge, she subsists alongside Jupiter thus giving the Demiurge its creative potential as creation emanates entirely from this first progeny. "Thus too, the ineffable principle of things is said to be all things prior to all, not as containing all things multitudinously in itself, but as that from which all things are ineffably unfolded into light." Thomas Taylor

Saturn is attributed to the Forms which accordingly correspond to Phanes' relationship with Rhea. Again, this observation is indicative of the dichotomy of self and the other, or Phanes/Aether and the Demiurge. The Nous is the Intellectual Heaven and attributed to Yod of the ineffable name whereas the Forms correspond to the Great Mother and Heh. Rhea is said to correspond to the Intellectual Earth and presents to us her eternal character as the mother of the gods and establishes our connection to the Intellectual Heaven. The union between Saturn (Cronus) and Rhea gives birth to the Demiurge and congruently the union between the Nous and the Forms is what is responsible for the unfolding of Being via the agencies of Chesed and the Shekinah. So, Saturn is the Father, Rhea the Mother and the Demiurge is the Son. Although Heaven (Uranus) is attributed to Yod, Heh and Vau accordingly correspond to Binah and Chesed on the Tree of Life. Phanes therefore, is Jupiter and Aether is Vesta, but in a different manner than Protogonous and Juno. It is interesting to note, how this relationship between masculine and feminine throughout the worlds, forms an integral part of this theology. "But the reason why Protogonus, or Phanes, is said to purge the sight from dark mists, is because the primary causes of things which in the deities prior to him subsist in ineffable union, all being in all, are by him first unfolded into intelligible light. Protogonus, who is intelligible intellect, is very properly called dark-eyed splendour; the intelligible, from its occult subsistence, being indicated by darkness, but intellect by the eye and splendour: for it is the province of intellect to see and unfold into light." Thomas Taylor: The above quote quite clearly illustrates Phanes/Protononus as consciousness and intellect as well as subsisting with Jupiter wherefrom the nature of Being is unfolded. The Demiurge and Phanes are thus both associated to Jupiter who from being the first after the primordial deities, this connection to Phanes is clearly established in the quote,

TO HEAVEN.  

Heav'n, whose mighty frame no respite knows, 

 Father of all, from whom the world arose; 

 Hear, bounteous parent, source and end of all, 

 For ever whirling round this earthly ball; 

 Abode of Gods, whose guardian pow'r surrounds 

 Th' eternal world with ever during bounds; 

 Whose ample bosom, and encircling folds 

 The dire necessity of nature holds. 

 Etherial, earthly, whose all-various frame, 

 Azure and full of forms, no power can tame. 

 All-seeing, source of Saturn and of time, 

 For ever blessed, deity sublime, 

 Propitiozds on a novel mystic shine, 

 And crown his wishes with a life divine.  

The Daughter is established on Earth as Juno and Protogonus along with Earth (Gaia) are representative of the Daughter or the He final of Tetragrammaton. Protogonus can be seen as The Fool of the Tarot who is struggling against the elements. In Orphic theology Protogonus is the final embodiment of Phanes, who has been established as in essence being one with the Demiurge. Therefore, this god has all the potential of Jupiter inherent in him but needs to be united with Juno in order to realize this potential. These are attributed to Malkuth on the Tree of Life in their union, and in fact the whole Astral Triad corresponds to Phanes as Protogonus. However, before his relationship with Juno is established The Fool is subject to the will of nature as not having yet brought his lower faculties under control of his will and so he seems to be in the process of looking for something beyond self. It may be by chance or Karma that Protogonus finally finds an avenue of expression that embraces his being and fosters growth. "According to the Orphic theology, Earth is the mother of every thing of which Heaven is the father." This is a profound statement also in light of the position that Earth holds within Thelema, which is expressed in the following quote from The Book of Thoth: "This thesis dovetails perfectly with the new Doctrine of Tetragrammaton, where the Earthly component, He' final, the Daughter, is set upon the Throne of the Mother, to awaken the Eld of the All Father. The NAME itself, accordingly, is no longer a fixed symbol, emblem of extension and limit, but a continuously revolving sphere, in the words of Zaroaster "rebounding, whirling forth, crying aloud." In light of this new formula the relationship between Gaia and Uranus and their correspondences to the Tetragrammaton, as Gaia is Heh final and Uranus the All is Yod, seems a bit more than just coincidental.

TO JUPITER

0 JOVE, much-honour'd, Jove supremely great,

To thee our holy rites we consecrate,

Our pray'rs and expiations, king divine,

For all things to produce with ease thro' mind is thine.

Hence mother Earth and mountains swelling high

Proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky.

Saturnian king, descending from above,

Magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Jove;

All-parent, principle and end of all,

Whose pow'r almighty shakes this earthly ball;

Ev'n Nature trembles at thy imighty nod,

Loud-sounding, arm'd with light'ning, thund'ring God.

Source of abundance, purifying king,

0 various-form'd, from whom all natures spring;

Propitious hear my pray'r, give Mameless health,

With peace divine, and necessary wealth.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Priestess:

 

The Priestess:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The Priestess is numbered the second card in the Tarot and corresponds to the third path on the Tree of Life, which is attributed to the moon and the Hebrew letter Gimel.

This is the path that links Tiphareth to Kether and so must be where one is first exposed to the nature of Pure Consciousness, or as described by Plotinus, it is from the ‘Vision of Beauty’ that one gets a glimpse at The Unity. What The Unity in this vision entails is debatable, however it seems to have something to do with life and death. Which makes sense as the path is dedicated to Luna, who accordingly symbolizes this gate between life and death through her roles as Diana and Hecate. It is easy to find this as corresponding to the life and death ordeal that childbirth must have presented to the ancients and also reasons for us, the exalted stature by which she was held and characterized by her worship within the ancient Greek pantheon. This reasoning gives a quite satisfactory motive for her twin characters and lends credence, as at least one reason, for her also being associated with fertility and motherhood. It is by no means an accident that she is called the Great Mother and her influence often referred to as the gate, relating to a womb, such as with Yesod. Accordingly, if the above is true, we would have to concede that her characteristics must indeed stem from a mother’s role in the creation of and the fragility of new life, as owing to the archaic precedent of her initial worship. The ‘Vision of Beauty’ is thus associated with The Priestess and Tiphareth is appropriately the sphere of Beauty on the Tree of Life, what this may entail is the loss of subject in the union between Phanes and Aether, with the latter also known as Brightness and Phanes is consciousness. Perhaps, one may ascribe the aforementioned method of contemplating the relationship between consciousness as light (Phanes) and Brightness (Aether L.V.X.), as being similar to contemplating Beauty without any adage of morality and prejudice involved for greasing the wheels to attainment. This contemplation is then comparable to Raja Yoga and in particular Dharana, being the loss of separateness between subject and object, which may be understood as a lesser form of Samadhi and translates to meditation. The vision itself then, according to the above, is the loss of separateness between self and the whole, henceforth being referred to as one’s first glimpse at the Unity, which serves as awakening one to the true nature of the Good. This path is thus attributable to Samadhi, or union with the All, whereby Atman is awakened to expand consciousness and unite with Brahman, wherefrom the New Life becomes conscious, or Hadit unites with the Goddess Nuit, from whence they become lovers.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Hierophant:

 

The Hierophant:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The 16^th path on the Tree of Life corresponds to The Hierophant ATU, Taurus and the Hebrew letter Vau. The card depicts a priest holding a wand, at the foot of the card is a maiden holding a sword in her right hand and the moon in her left, around them are the powers of the sphinx symbolized by the four heads in the corners of the card.

The Hierophant ATU is symbolic of initiation, the card’s connection to initiation within the Thelemic framework may be understood by understanding the Orphic idea of Phanes and Protogonus. It is said that Phanes is hidden in Jupiter and Protogonus is associated with Malkuth. Phanes is the god of light, symbolic of pure consciousness and the unfoldment of pure consciousness is indicated in his character. Protogonus is Phanes and thus in Orphic theology these names are sometimes used interchangeably, however the significance of this god having two names, may be understood within the symbolism of the Tree of Life especially the Adam Qadmon, as representing the evolution of consciousness. Phanes is pure light and hints at being’s complete unfoldment, thus he is attributed to Chesed. Phanes via his direct connection to the Demiurge and his connection to Protogonus is the Hierophant depicted in the card. Phanes is also Hadit in Thelemic parlance and so is Protogonus, this god is as a result of his nature as positioned auspiciously, always connected to the Supernal Triad as being that which is most sympathetic to the Spirit and as we understand in Thelema; it is Hadit’s nature to unite with the infinite body of Nuit. This card is an artistic rendering of the Tree of Life and the evolution of consciousness mentioned above. At the bottom of the card, we see a maiden who Crowley calls the Scarlett Woman hence Babalon holding a sword and the moon, the moon symbolizes the unconscious that is illuminated by intellect, which is symbolized by the sword, she is the Shekinah and establishes Protogonus’ connection to the Forms. This initiation is dramatically enacted every-day in the Thelemic Greater Ritual of the Pentagram called Liber H and is given to Neophytes of the A.'.A.'. for the purpose of illuminating the unconscious, thus establishing an intellectual connection between the magician and the sphere of Yesod. The card is symbolic then of Protogonus’ climb toward complete realization in Chesed, this is symbolically depicted by the union between the hexagram and pentagram in front of the hierophant and symbolic of the Ethical Triad, also seen within the card is the light from this union shining down on the maiden, again expressing Tiphareth’s relationship to Yesod. The child dancing at the centre of the pentagram is the Magickal Childe, which results from union between the lower and the higher or joining heaven and earth. This union is symbolized by the number 65 and presents the idea of the five-pointed star uniting with the six-pointed star, thus raising the microcosm (pentagram) to unite with the macrocosm (hexagram). The powers of the sphinx are there to guard a magician and facilitate his journey towards realization.

 I:49. Abrogate are all rituals, all ordeals, all words and signs. Ra-Hoor-Khuit hath taken his seat in the East at the Equinox of the Gods; and let Asar be with Isa, who also are one. But they are not of me. Let Asar be the adorant, Isa the sufferer; Hoor in his secret name and splendour is the Lord initiating.

I:50. There is a word to say about the Hierophantic task. Behold! there are three ordeals in one, and it may be given in three ways. The gross must pass through fire; let the fine be tried in intellect, and the lofty chosen ones in the highest. Thus ye have star & star, system & system; let not one know well the other!

Liber AL vel Legis 

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Star:

 

The Star:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The Star is attributed to the 15^th path on The Tree of Life and connects Chokmah to Tiphareth and is associated with the letter Heh of the Hebrew alphabet. This path used to be attributed to The Emperor but again, as per the prophesy in The Book of the Law it has changed from corresponding to Aries and the Emperor, to Aquarius and The Star.  

The Star is a path that carries the influence from the Supernal Triad which is what is looked to for the awakening of Hadit. The sephiroth below the abyss on the tree are entirely reliant on Jupiter's influence, although Chesed's influence is most directly experienced at this point, obviously as every lower sephirah on the tree embodies the influence received from the higher, although the influence is masked, as per one’s unique relationship to that which is above. However, Jupiter is the Demiurge and once direct contact with this sphere has been established, being is unveiled, as the Logos. It is along this path that one’s starry nature becomes the object of obsession and its unique dealings with the universal Logos are revealed and sought. Hadit has three notable abstract manifestations along the path of return. The first of these is the acknowledgement of self as having a unique and important part to play within the cosmic unity, the second is the totality of this realization and the unveiling of being itself, the last must then be the realization of the complete unfoldment of being into the eternal body of the goddess Nuit. These are rightly associated with Malkuth, Tiphareth and Kether. The path of The Star is the realization that occurs as the totality of Hadit’s realization and the realization of selfhood’s need for expression. According to the Orphic theology this stage of development is when the invisible Apollo receives direct inspiration from the Muses who are metaphysically conjoined with the Bacchuses which represent the planets described as orbs within said theology and revolve around the sun. The invisible Apollo is a term describing Hadit and it is the awakening of Hadit which through the unveiling of the Logos finds direction to inspire the lower. Hence, The Star in this card refers to this translation from receiving and interpreting that divine message, that via one’s heritage is given a means of expression. The heritage spoken of is that which has been fostered by one’s established connection to the universe, which may be termed the universal Logos or in this case Thelema. This obviously doesn’t refer to the complete unfoldment of being but does give the impression that one at this stage of realization has a unique and important part to play. This part is expressed via the Logos, which is the soul of a magician, and means the entire person working as a single unit towards the goal. The goal then is working in accordance with the universe, being the only medium that may unveil this realization. Hereby, we can also see the confusion and folly of The Emperor once having been attributed to this path, which left little room for expression on part of the magician.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Lovers:

 

The Lovers:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

This card is associated with Gemini and the Hebrew letter Zain, the card corresponds to the 17^th path on the Tree of Life and connects Binah to Tiphareth, or the sphere of Saturn to the sphere of the Sun. The card depicts a wedding ceremony, at the top of the card above the bride and groom is Eros, descending with the light upon the bride and groom. In the background is the Hermit assuming the sign of the enterer, there are two children standing at the foot of the card, who Crowley writes represent Cane and Abel, the one child is holding the Holy Grail and the other the Sacred Lance, these represent the Yoni and the Lingam and sexual magick. In fact, the whole card is full of masculine and feminine symbolism and suggests a method of sex magick. At the top of the card there are two statues, one of a naked man and the other a naked woman and at the bottom of the card we can see a red lion and white eagle, also symbolic of the dichotomy of male and female, or rather opposites in general. These opposites are all united in love and forms the Orphic Egg at the bottom and shows its relationship to Eros, thus symbolizing Love, as the means to this particular attainment. The swords in the background, forming what looks like a gate, seem to present the idea of entering the Ethical Triad, which is symbolic of the intellect and associated with the Ruach, it is also symbolic of a womb.

The nature of this path is Love or Agape, not merely a sentimental love but universal love, as this path represents the Shekinah’s first influence on an adept and so it reflects the nature of their union. It is along this path that the essence and mode of creation is unveiled, and an adept is raised via his connection to the Supernal Triad, to this realization. Thus, it symbolizes transformation, as it is this step that alters his constitution and raises him to a new level of understanding himself and his relationship with the world around him. Thus, he must cultivate his new perspective, and this may be done by employing the above stated formula. As Liber AL states: "Now, therefore, I am known to ye by my name Nuit, and to him by a secret name which I will give him when at last he knoweth me. Since I am Infinite Space, and the Infinite Stars thereof, do ye also thus. Bind nothing! Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt.”  Liber AL I,22: This path is one’s first direct experience with the Shekinah, which is an aspect of the Great Mother and therefore also Nuit, the universe itself, the nature of which is Love, wherein all is united in L.V.X. This inbreathing of the Shekinah seems then to be what draws an adept toward Binah through the following grades, as imprinting upon the soul of a magician the significance of such an experience. It is by uniting with the Shekinah that the magician joins Heaven and Earth via Tiphareth, this may be what is indicated by the wedding ceremony depicted in the card. While union with the Shekinah is certainly indicated, the card also speaks of the formula of Agape, that is realized at Tiphareth, which is the nature of union itself and indicated in the formula of 0=2. The above-described method seems to become an imperative for even maintaining balance at this stage of the magician’s development, as indicated by the above quote as well. “Bind nothing! Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt.” Crowley writes of this principle in The Book of Thoth: One may now consider the Hermetic marriage itself. This part of the Card has been simplified from “the Chymical Marriage of Christian Rosenkreutz”, a masterpiece too lengthy and diffuse to quote usefully in this place. But the essence of the analysis is the continuous see-saw of contradictory ideas. It is a glyph of duality. The attainment symbolized in this card then, seems to show a means to progress and continued development, rather than being an end in itself.

“Love is the law, love under will.”