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An Essay on the Tarot

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For nearly fifteen years I have been reading my beloved Crowley deck, and I have published three books of poetry that contain Tarot symbolism. If you visited my website at fairwaycott.fsnet.co.uk you would see what I mean as the cards, which all have names, have come eventually to my attention. With my photographs I have summoned these cards into life, and focusing more recently on the Major Trumps as I write my fourth book, "Ariel", I now feel ready to construct an entire deck of my own. What follows here is a description of the Major Trumps as I understand them, the twenty-two Atu of the Major Arcana.

The Major Trumps represent the cycle of life, death and birth as a comprehensive system. The twenty-two cards are made up of the ten planets and twelve star-signs that govern us and rule the rest of the deck. The court cards, which for Tarot include Princesses beyond the usual Knight, Queen, and Prince of the normal playing card deck, are all born under zodiac signs quite naturally. The forty numbered cards that run from ace through to ten in the four suits- Wands (spades), Cups (hearts), Swords (diamonds), and Disks (clubs)- are all ruled by a planet and go to make up the thirty-six decans of the year. I have stumbled through the Book of Days often enough to recognise this!

I have adhered to the writings of Aleister Crowley for most of my books and continue to do so. You would find similarities in the symbolism and correspondences in both our work. My "Book of Thoth" became so worn out that I am now onto a second copy! For additional commentary I would also recommend "the Magickal Tarot" of Tony Willis and his book of spells, "Magick and the Tarot".

More recently I have broadened out from the traditional seventy-eight card deck to ninety-six cards. This takes two decks really, but there is method and I can still read it quite happily. Becuse Mercury and Venus rule two signs each, I have two of each. Because a chessboard has two sides, black and white, I have thirty-two court cards, which is really two sets. The King and Queen are obviously Disks, Bishops are Wands, the Knights are Cups and the Castles are Swords. The princes and princesses take the place of pawns. How the pieces move on the board explains precisely the character of these Court Cards. This seemed to me to be a better balance.

The ancient jewish mystical system of Qabalah features in my work too as I battle across the Tower! As I understand it, The Tree of Life explains the cards and the cards explain it. The ten planets are drawn into a grid and joined by the twenty-two Atu as paths. As I explain the trumps I will make references to their positions on the tree.

There are spreads that can forecast entire years and use the entire deck. More usually I rely on the ten positions of the Celtic Cross. After shuffling the cards are laid out in order as follows; two cards laid across each other to signify the reader and his situation, then past, present and future laid out anti-clockwise starting below with the crown above to represent the ambition of the reader. That forms the cross. To the right-hand side the cards are laid from the bottom up as follows; first, thoughts of the reader, then what is outside him, then hopes and fears, and finally the tenth card predicts the outcome.

The Major Arcana

Trump 0, The Fool, is something of a disaster area really. He appears at the start of the deck with new ideas every day but things are not often carried into fruition. He is the sort of person that is running out of money and will not look for work, still running out, still no job, still running out, and still no job. By then obviously you will end up in a caravan without a bath or washing-machine and you might be landed with a vicious dog. Reversed, that is if the card appears upside down in a reading, it can even suggest insanity as the name suggests, and usually denotes an ill-considered move.
In my photograph I have depicted in a still life the Earth in the morning at the bottom, the Sun during the day, and the Moon at night. Obviously we all go through this but the Fool gets no further than one day at a time. However he does have a fertile imagination and might suggest the start of something quite interesting... after all, there is some point in Glastonbury Festival too! To be honest though, the High Priestess runs straight through him on her journey to the top of the tree. The Fool represents Uranus amongst the planets and is symbolic of the element of Air. Air covers thoughts and ideas, the mind, and the suit of Swords in the lower deck.

Trump 1, The Magus, is a true magician! He is the Logos, the Word, Jesus Christ, and is capable of complete miracles. Nothing escapes him and in a reading he represents a major coup for the reader, something special like buying a house. In fact the Hebrew word for this card, Beth, does mean house. Because he is Mercury, the Son, he is involved in all manners of communication: letters, telephones, faxes and computers. He is Intelligence pure and simple.
The Hanged Man is perhaps a little too near for comfort but there is merciful release if you are prepared to battle across the Tower. Crowley has the Magus juggling eight different things and he is attended by the ape Hanuman of Indian mythology. Because they get around to tricks, when reversed this card can warn of dishonesty and corruption. The Magus might be a liar, but nobody knows whether he is telling the truth or not. The Magus needs no confirming for meetings and is liable to make a mockery of lesser mortals- by comparison they are idiots!

Trump 2, The High Priestess, with quiet planning brings success! She is the female equivalent of the Magus, and these days would be a career woman. The High Priestess needs no confirming either and might actually be booked up four weeks in advance. She is a diary and has the Torah, the Wheel, at her fingertips.
She has symbols- notably the camel- and also goes out constantly and regularly flies abroad. The High Priestess is a success. When reversed she can be a nightmare as this sort of woman buys designer dresses and will need some money. She would read Hello! for instance.
In Egyptian myth she is Isis, bride of Osiris, mother of the child Horus. She is also magick, and lives amongst the World of Men. As far as Judaism is concerned, she is Eve. Adam has vanished to the Fields of the Nephilim, Abel is dead, and Cain has gone to Nod. She is bringing up Seth on her own. However her third son will go on to conquer the Devil and avenge his father.

Trump 3, The Empress, lives out amongst the Fields of the Nephilim. These people were giants as it says in the Bible, in Genesis, Gods amongst men. Paired off with the Emperor, the Empress is Guinevere in the legends of King Arthur. She is predominantly a wife, but she happily runs the house and whatever other people she comes across. She might be barbed wire but there is plenty of cotton wool- she collapses on a mountain of cushions!
She is fertility and a satisfying life. If she is reversed you can only expect things to be a bit silly as she enjoys her comforts too much. She is a budget and she is organised, for after all you may not only have to turn up on time but you may also have to find it in the middle of nowhere. Alchemically she is Salt, and I have represented her by a bunch of tulips to show the joys of Spring.
Beyond the High Priestess she is the Nephythys side of the House. She is Daleth the door in Hebrew, available only if you can travel beyond Isis the Moon to her via the Star, up the Moon pathway or across the Tower. Buy her a Vogue as there may be smoke clouds! The Empress is no longer involved in a 9to5 life and so here you will find many alternative lifestyles. She represents abundance in all its forms, is very classy, for she is Venus after all, and will settle for nothing less than the Emperor...coming next!

Trump 4, The Emperor, has simply acres of land to gallop about in on his horse. He is the most powerful person in the deck and contains it in his court. Frequently a person indicated by this card will have more than one house. Armed with an orb and sceptre, he is in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot Races.
He is Dominion, over horses and other people. There is no-one above him. He is stable and well run. He is probably six weeks notice for most things and I doubt that he would be keen to change plans overnight. As with figures on a chess board, the Empress might scream around in straight lines but the Emperor moves only one square at a time.
He is Authority and Discipline, so subsequently when reversed he might appear to be something of a dictator. He watches people fall by the wayside, has enough of his own, and probably listens to nobody. He is counterpart to the Empress, and they later appear as the Lovers.
Originally this was taken from the Holy Roman Empire by the time that they had converted to Christianity. However, Jews and Arabs, Protestants and Catholics, and Hindus can all benefit from tarot lore. The Emperor is Aries, the Ram, the start of the Zodiac. Alchemically he is Sulphur, like a match, the fiery energy of Mars. He is striding into battle, for not only does he wear the trousers, he is wearing a belt.

Trump 5, The Hierophant, has taken a vow of poverty. He lives in a house full of men where none of them can afford to entertain a girlfriend. He is really only one stage up from the Fool. However he can also indicate learning and some advice, especially in occult matters. The Hierophant covers everything, Black Magic and White.
Interestingly the Hierophant is not anti-establishment, and takes things like the army and the police into his stride. Naturally he is more tolerant than the Emperor and possibly expects occasional disasters, but reversed he is often misleading.
As he is Taurus I have used a selection of tulips that were in my garden at precisely that time of year. He may even have a following but he tends to get rather arcane- mind-bending cults can be found here! On the whole people under this card are advised to bear with it for the time being as there is usually not a better solution available.

Trump 6, The Lovers, is represented by a happy family. This is the Imperial Marriage of the Tarot that goes on to the pregnancy shown as Art. Not unsurprisingly if reversed it can possibly point to infidelity, but upright it can mean decisions being made and always augurs well.
The Lovers are Gemini, the twins, and they are Swords. This path leads from the Sun direct to Saturn at the top of the tree and speaks of organisation and contracts. It can forecast the joy of a marriage and the inevitable honeymoon- signifying a pleasant event on the horizon.

Trump 7, Chariots, can be something of an uphill struggle. Usually the desired result can be acheived but it might actually take some quite hard work. Chariots lead to Saturn too but in this instance the reader might be confronted by a situation like this- "You'll have to work till you die and this is your wife!" Obviously this is not effortless and it is more demanding than the Lovers.
Chariots show the effort required to crawl from the gutter and when reversed can prove to be something of an obstacle. Chariots are Cancer, the crab, and for this sign I have shown my house and its place on a map. Cars need servicing obviously and the house takes some keeping and cleaning. This might remind you of a landlord that requires some convincing!
As things are not always obvious Chariots can explain what goes into an idea in more explicit detail.

Trump 8, Justice, is a metal blade. It is a sword hanging above my bed. As Justice is Law and Order, Salvador Dali has a young naked girl wielding a sword in his deck. Justice is strict and more than likely would prevent most things. On the whole it can mean life where everything is banned- but there are pubs!
Obviously Justice refers to legal arrangements and can mean a decision in your favour. Naturally if reversed if can refer to something illegal, or corruption, or even the losing of an argument.
Justice is Libra, the scales, and can refer to extreme measures. It is not particularly broadminded and on the contrary would prefer to bring back hanging for instance. Provided we are allowed to go to the pub,( being trivial!), I too would prefer not to see some things happening. Here there is a police presence and it is relevant.

Trump 9, The Hermit, is something of a recluse. The television would not tell him anything that he needs to know because he can be quite divorced from reality. Naturally some knowledge of current affairs is necessary for most people.
Reversed the Hermit is not a good idea. Someone here will hide away and possibly start falling apart- this is too easily done and takes the Chariots at least to overcome. Some withdrawal however can be of value to the meditative soul, where there is simply no need to be involved in the problems of other people.
Similarly to the Hierophant he can also signify wisdom and culture, as the soul collects itself and focuses on self-improvement. There is learning here, and skills such as agriculture and gardening. Indeed the Hermit might have created for himself an idealistic haven in a harsh and cruel world. The Hermit does also signify the innocence of Virgo, the virgin, which is his sign. He is the time of Harvest.

Trump 10, Fortune, moves on again. Crowley signifies a wheel with a Sphinx sitting calmly at the top, a monkey struggling to clamber up the sides and a crocodile falling off the bottom. I have used the Sphinx as my symbol here and it talks naturally of money- enough for a holiday for instance.
Fortune is good luck and shows a very positive result. To be honest, it can be quite rare. The significance of the wheel reversed can be money flowing away from the reader instead of coming towards him. Fortune could be a win at Blackjack in a casino for instance, a windfall that might not be expected. Fortune is Jupiter, the king of the planets. You get there from Venus by Fortune's own pathway so use your imagination!

Trump 11, Lust, really is magick! This can get you round to some very serious hardcore- the sexy cowgirl is soaping up her saddle! Lust is a strong woman and crosses between Jupiter and Mars. From that height things pale into insignificance. It might take some reserves of energy to get this far. Even reversed there is excitement in the air for Lust is the posh night out or a canter on a horse.
As rare as Fortune, Lust promises fame and fortune. Lust is Leo, the ruler of the signs. Lust is the chalice of eternal life, something possible by immortals only. In some decks its name is Strength, but then Crowley called the nine of Wands Strength instead. It is Leo the Lion in midsummer. Possibly red in tooth and claw, this is a capable woman quite obviously- she might be wrestling with a lion! Hold on to your hats! We're coming through!

Trump 12, The Hanged Man, is probably the worst card in the deck. Everything is lost here- you will end up with six plastic bags and a colour telly to your name if you do not cross the Tower. This is the crippling divorce and is represented by Osiris who was murdered by Set, the Devil. This path leads to Mars and obviously people who have had the misfortune or stupidity to travel it are confronted by people that have crossed the Tower, got to Jupiter, and moved yet further onto Lust- in fact we all travel the tree- take the long way round if you can manage!
When reversed this card shows a blow from which you will probably never recover... I have depicted myself here with long hair and a beard, but I too was crucified along with Jesus. The Hanged Man will condemn you as a failure. Amazingly with perseverance, a resurrection might be acheived because the Hanged Man is a sacrifice. Like working for free, something might eventually come of it.
Osiris' child by Isis, Horus, does eventually avenge his father and recapture the throne of Egypt. These are the mysteries of the Golden Dawn and of Rosicrucianism. This is why Christ crucified went on to inspire an entire religion- the Hanged Man can sometimes mean loss followed by a rebirth, or perhaps a complete change of direction. This problem is never an easy one. The Hanged Man is Neptune and represents the element of Water.

Trump 13, Death, sloughs off the old and welcomes the new. Naturally it can signify physical death, but more often it shows somebody dragging themselves out of a difficult situation. Death can even be a celebration as an outworn stage of life at last draws to a close. This too can be painful as old habits are let go, but they are in the past and need dismissing.
If reversed this natural process, referred to by the Alchemists as the transmutation of metals, towards pure gold, is being blocked. Death can mean inheritance for instance and perhaps realistically a chance for a younger generation to find its own feet.This process of disintegration and even destruction goes on to bear new fruit as the world moves on.

Trump 14, Art, really is a work of art! This is the pregnancy that follows the Imperial Marriage of the Emperor and the Empress as depicted in the Lovers. The genes are swirling around and I have a panther and a wyvern mixing up the fire and water that goes towards new creation. Unfortunately the Duke of Beaufort had these statues up for sale but that is another story!
Art means what it says and describes something or somebody that is actually quite well organised. A lot can be acheived here. The panther and the wyvern are perfectly capable of running their lives- this largely caters for my second book when I was running a flat in London and a weekend cottage in the countryside- obviously this does not happen by accident. When reversed Art tends to mean disorganisation such as people that do not return your calls or simply forget to meet you. Fight your way out of a paper bag please!
Art leads directly to the Sun from the Moon. It is a very creative and imaginative card and well worth it if you can get there- the only other way to the Sun is by Death or the Devil! It is Sagittarius, the Archer, who is quite possibly a Centaur.

Trump 15, The Devil, is temptation pure and simple. He is the Goat Capricorn, and portrays someone like a drugs dealer. I have shown cigarettes and lager to indicate debauchery. The Devil is a web of intrigue and often signifies somthing illegal. All manner of corruption is here as the Devil is involved in an enormous scene of people.
The Devil can also indicate sexual activity and Crowley shows him standing before a large phallic symbol. This can also mean an obstacle to overcome, and might indicate the presence of evil. Usually the Devil is something that Justice would try to prevent. Naturally the card reversed augurs worse and might even indicate that the reader is having a problem or possibly is in some danger. As with drugs unfortunately this is usually self-inflicted.
To be honest the Devil is quite powerful, and as a goat he stands apart from the sheep-like mentality of the masses. He is a born salesman, and can be influential and convincing. Don't be led astray!

Trump 16, The Tower, repesents Mars. He is warlike and can give rise to aggression. Horses are Mars. It probably means that something is about to break for as its name suggests the Tower is an ordeal and can mean destruction. Because the Tower usually relates to a career in jeopardy it can also mean naked ambition.
It is hard work but obviously a vast improvement on the Hanged Man, near where it resides on the tree. As I have already mentioned, crossing the Tower leads to Venus- something will come out of this, an acheivement, and one can relax by the time you are residing with the Empress. This is the Qabalah as I understand it, and it still works wonders to this day
From the top of my Tower I am looking down over a formal garden at an estate for it can mean a goal or desire. Things such as Public School education for children can be shown here, something beyond the norm that may only occur at vast expense. It can prove complicated keeping this all together. When reversed this card usually the loss of something cherished. As War it takes prisoners.

Trump 17, The Star, is a delight to behold. She is that special uncomplicated girlfriend. She is Aquarius the Water Bearer and covers all manner of astrology. She is optimism but reversed can mean disillusionment.
The Star resides between the Moon and Venus. She is quite possibly a handmaiden. She is hope personified and the desired result is likely under this sign.

Trump 18, the Moon, is often delusion. This is not to be confused with the High Priestess, for it is Pisces, the Fishes. Althogh fishes are mercurial as far as their correspondeces are cocerned, too much is often a sign of madness. This is the imagination run riot and often recommends the pursuit of creative writing or poetry for instance. The God Anubis presides here amongst the dead and there are jackals howling.
For my version of the Moon I have a self-portrait. I am hurling a crystal ball at you no less. The Moon is strange and possibly a bit weird. It can represent drunkenness, taking leave of one's senses. Curiously as alternative it could be a slight improvement- there will be dawn after all. There is some tolerance and surprisingly this path leads directly to Venus without the need to cross the Tower. There is obviously some imagination for that to be acheived.

Trump 19, The Sun, promises a complete success. This is the Empire. Crowley has two children playing in a walled garden surrounded by all the signs of the Zodiac. They are happy and safe. In Qabala the Sun is Tiphereth, the Centre, from where you can travel direct to virtually all of the tree. As that might suggest, the Sun represents means and riches.
When reversed it can mean hope abandoned however, as the result is incomplete. This card is the holiday or the flight abroad. He rules Leo.

Trump 20, The Aeon, usually signifies a birth. It is always a progressive step. The child Horus that is born to Isis and Osiris grows up to avenge his dead father and recapture the Kingdom. As with a birth it represents the start of a new phase and is always a step in the right direction.
Even reversed a change of scenery is not completely unwelcome. Horus is the guardian angel tattooed upon my shoulder. A big fish , for he is, swims past his eyes. He is Pluto and the element Fire. Some people call him the Last Judgement as he heralds the waking of the dead.

At last, Trump 21, The Universe, represents both Saturn and the Earth itself. This is the start of the tree and leads to the High Priestess at the Moon. When upright it shows that the reader is approaching a completely different level, and when reversed can mean the end of something.
It can mean a special event such as a huge party. I have used a dinosaur here because my 21st was held in the Natural History Museum where there is a huge diplodocus skeleton. I too had moved on to another level...

 





 
 
 
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Forty new planets to unravel

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