The Game Master (3rd Edition)

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TOMMY'S TAROT (C) COPYRIGHT 1988 BY TOMMY'S TOYS P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CATALOG #88-111-1A INSTRUCTIONS: Tarot is an all-encompassing system of geometric imagination dating back 600 years. 'Tarot' comes from the same root word as tare, from the Arabic 'taraha' or reject. Truckers know tare weight as the weight of the empty vehicle subtracted from the weight of the loaded vehicle, so with Tarot we reject the unessential and get to the essential. The cards represent an allegorical journey, with each card being a universal experience along the way, rather like the Divine Comedy, Pilgrim's Progress, or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It was only a short step for silly Earthlings to begin to deal them out in 'spreads' and try to read the future in turbans or serpent hats, charging for the service. Now with Tommy's Tarot you can save your nickels and do it for yourself! Do these cards really predict the future? Do they cause you to become possessed by the devil? Will they make you hang around graveyards at night? Tommy isn't saying, except that it's only when you get serious that you have to worry about it, so stay silly and have fun instead. There is no dispute that they are a great way to IMAGINE things in Spacetime (if you still believe in that outdated concept), and make a great toy after you are saved the labors of preparatory memorization by a nice program like this. So have fun and try this beginner's test the first time you play: Try to guess what your dog will have for breakfast tomorrow morning, whether he will barf, whether he will eat his barf, and at what exact hours. If you don't have a dog, try to guess when you will see one next, and then take that dog as your subject. Using the Program: You can use the program to examine the Tarot cards or to answer 'questions'. An introduction to the Tarot and its interpretation is given below. First, the program controls will be covered. CARD DISPLAY CONTROL: Switch cards under display by using the up and down arrows on the numeric key pad.* CARD DATA PANEL CONTROL: Each card has 3 panels of information associated with it: its design, its interpretation, and its Qabalistic/Astrological data. To switch panels, use the left and right arrow keys on the numeric key pad. COLOR CONTROL: Use function key F10 to change the screen border color (color monitors only). TO DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS: Hit function key F5. SOUND EFFECTS CONTROL: Function key F1 toggles the sound on and off. TO DISPLAY A POP-UP ZODIAC AND TREE OF LIFE: Use function keys F3 and F4. TO QUIT TOMMY'S TAROT: Hit function key F7. THE TAROT DECK: The Tarot deck, sometimes called The Book of Thoth, consists of 78 cards, the 56 Minor Arcana and 22 Major Arcana. 1. MINOR ARCANA There are 14 cards of the Minor Arcana, Ace through King, in each of 4 suits, for a total of 56 (the order of suits is important): 1. CLUBS (a.k.a. BATONS, WANDS, SCEPTERS) 2. HEARTS (CUPS, CHALICES, GOBLETS) 3. SPADES (SWORDS) 4. DIAMONDS (PENTACLES, COINS) You have to take these names seriously, so for instance, Clubs or Wands represent energy, Hearts or Cups represent pleasure, love, and drink, Spades or Swords represent trouble, and Diamonds or Pentacles or Coins represent business or worldly wealth. The ranks are: Ace through Ten, Princess (or Page), Prince (or Knight), Queen, King. The Princess through King cards are also called Court cards. 2. MAJOR ARCANA The Major Arcana (also called Trumps) consist of the following cards, numbered 1 through 22, or 0 through 21 (the latter being the more Qabalistic): 0/22. THE FOOL OR MADMAN. 11. JUSTICE. 1. THE MAGICIAN. 12. THE HANGED MAN. 2. THE HIGH PRIESTESS OR POPESS. 13. DEATH. 3. THE EMPRESS. 14. TEMPERANCE. 4. THE EMPEROR. 15. THE DEVIL. 5. THE HIEROPHANT OR POPE. 16. THE TOWER. 6. THE LOVERS OR LOVER. 17. THE STAR OR STARS. 7. THE CHARIOT OR CART. 18. THE MOON. 8. STRENGTH. 19. THE SUN. 9. THE HERMIT OR ANCHORET. 20. JUDGMENT. 10. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. 21. THE WORLD OR UNIVERSE. Note: Some switch Strength and Justice (8, 11) in the numbering scheme. Card Design: In most schools, the design of the tarot cards is pregnant with meaning and some people even contemplate them one at a time like baseball cards. There are indeed many different decks of tarot cards, each with its own school of esoterics waiting to explain them to you; and in many schools, an initiate must paint his own deck, or even invent his own symbols and create his own system. In Tommy's Tarot, the salient features of some of the most popular traditional cards are described. Forbidden Knowledge from Planet Earth: Once Earthlings jealously guarded so-called forbidden knowledge, all of which revolved around the notion that there is no such thing as an accident, and that direct knowledge of the 'real' universe, also called enlightenment, was possible. But with the advent of the paperback book, and publisher's royalties, the secrets got out. Now in the age of the PC, it is as close as your fingertips. Read and Grow Silly, O Earthling. This complex discussion should be read but not necessarily memorized before starting to play with Tommy's Tarot; may it give you much entertainment as well. The Qabalah: Is a system once claimed to have been given to Adam by God. It geometrizes the All permitting the drawing of correspondences between anything whatever, however silly, provided you have a good enough memory. The Seven Universal Principles (from "The Kybalion", 1912) are as follows: 1. Mentalism. "The ALL is MIND; the Universe is Mental." 2. Correspondence. "As Above, so below; as below, so above." 3. Vibration. "Nothing rests; everything moves, everything vibrates." 4. Polarity. "Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled." 5. Rhythm. "Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." 6. Cause and Effect. "Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law." 7. Gender. "Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and its Feminine Principles; gender manifests on all planes." With these 7 principles you can imagine connections between anything and anything else, without having to learn a thing about Science. The Tarot and the Qabalah: While some rabbis still vehemently deny this, some claim that there is a 1-1 correspondence between the Tarot and the Qabalah, at least they have done a good job of imagining one. Why is this? There are 2 schools of Qabalah, Jewish and Hermetic (gentile), both being based on an understanding of Judaism. In the former school, images are forbidden, hence their hang-up with the tarot cards and their neat pictures. History of Qabalah: Qabalah is ultimately based on the study of the Torah (Pentateuch of Moses), the first five books of the Bible (starting with the Book of Bereshith or Genesis), on the basis of numerology. The origin of this study is lost in antiquity, but the term Qabalah, meaning The Law, Tradition, or That Which Is Received, got its modern meaning around the 12th century A.D. A book titled "The Sepher Yetzirah" (Book of Formation), dating back to the 3rd thru 6th centuries A.D., is the cornerstone of Qabalistic literature (Sepher means number; Sephiroth means numbers). In this work, the creation and structure of the universe, seen and unseen, past, present and future, is described in terms of numbers, which to Hebrews are the same as the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph thru tau). (English translations are readily available. Especially recommended is the one by Irving Friedman, titled "Book of Creation", New York, 1977.) In a book which appeared around 1200 in France, titled "Sepher-Ha-Bahir", reference is made to a "secret tree", which describes the universe in deceptively simple symbols. Then in the 1280's "The Zohar", by Moses De Leon, appeared, becoming the greatest of all Qabalist treatises. On the Hermetic side, the renaissance family Medici of Florence was a great patron of learning (Lorenzo "the Magnificent" Medici was the patron of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Macchiavelli) and helped promote a system of description and explanation of the whole universe (which is what you need if you want to predict the future) supposedly based on the Hermetica of Hermes Trismegistus, an unemployed Egyptian chariot station attendant. And, with the migration to Italy of Greek scholars from the Byzantine Empire (after the sack of Constantinople, 1453), and Jewish scholars from Spain (after Jews were expelled from there, 1492), the brainpower got together to create the Hermetic or Christian Qabalah. The names Pico Della Mirandola, Johannes Reuchlin, and Henry Cornelius Agrippa are also big in this intellectual tradition. Their big 'advance' was that adding the Hebrew letter shin to the Tetragrammaton (Divine name) yod-heh-vau-heh, producing Jeheshua, made it possible to pronounce the unpronounceable name of God, and added the 5th element Spirit to the 4 Elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) of the Ancients. Unfortunately, about a hundred years later Isaac Casaubon exposed the Hermetica as a Christian forgery, discrediting study of Qabalah and magic, which had up till then been intellectually respectable among the Serious, although for some reason the Toymakers didn't make the commercial success out of this silly stuff that they should have, so they turned to playing cards instead. The Golden Dawn: Of course Qabalah, like the Bible, has many schools of interpreters. The Rosicrucian cult, founded in Bohemia in the early 17th century, took over the Hermetic tradition, leading to the modern Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (originated in 1890's London), which counted as its members the poet Yeats, the actress Florence Farr, Alan Bennett; and his pupil Aleister Crowley, author of "The Book of Thoth" (1944), which expounds the complete system of the Tarot and Qabalah. Since they have done such a nice job of synthesizing it all together, in a modern framework, complete with musical note and color correspondences, Tommy relies on their scheme in the program. To get the complete system from a recent book, buy: "The Qabalistic Tarot", by Robert Wang, copyright 1983, available from Samuel Weiser, Inc., Box 612, York Beach, Maine 03910. $15.95. Meaning: What does all this mean? That humans were trying to explain the universe, not with mathematics, experimental and theoretical science, but with pure imagination, and eventually somebody put all the systems together, so that you can now switch between them with ease as if they were always the same thing. Of course, this is an imaginative, not a scientific explanation, but what's wrong with that? Science exercises such a small part of the mind, the rest of which lies around bored tickling your funny bone; especially as technology gives one more leisure time, the desire to play becomes a need, like us aliens found out long ago. So you earthlings have long had imaginative geometries like the Tree of Life, neat toys like Tarot cards, and their mappings onto the Hebrew Alphabet, the Zodiac, the Colors, the Musical Notes, and some other neat things to play with, all processed and packaged by centuries of thinkers, yet you sit around in your offices tapping your fingers on the desk and wondering what will be on Dallas tonight. Well, turn on your PC, run Tommy's Tarot, and have fun. Predicting the Future? Because the program is already big enough, Tommy's Tarot does not attempt to predict anything, rather it presents the data and leaves it up to you. If you consult it every day, first thing after booting up, you will eventually get real good at it and can then get fitted for a turban or snake hat (sorry, we don't sell any at this time). At the least, imagining possible futures gives you a chance to make choices you might not have thought of otherwise, but were there all along. THE TREE OF LIFE: As used by Tommy's Tarot, was first published in "Oedipus Aegypticus" (1652), by Kircher (there are other Tree designs, but they don't match the Tarot as good as this, the most accepted version). It consists of 10 uniquely-numbered spheres (Sephiroth), corresponding to the 10 fingers and 10 toes of the earthling human; and 22 connecting lines (Paths) corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Collectively, the Sephiroth and Paths are called the 32 Paths of Wisdom. Some take the Tree as 2-dimensional, others as 3-dimensional, but in Tommy's Tarot it will be 2-dimensional so we can stay in the IBM PC text mode. In general, the cards of the Minor Arcana are assigned to the Sephiroth and the cards of the Major Arcana are assigned to the Paths. Here is the Tree, with the Sephiroth numbered and the Paths indicated by dotted lines: . 1 . . . . . . . 3.......X........2 . . . . . . . . . . 5................4 . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8................7 . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . .10 . Here is what the Sephiroth mean (Hebrew name, English name, Path name): 1. KETHER. THE CROWN. The Admirable or Hidden Intelligence. 2. CHOKMAH. WISDOM. The Illuminating Intelligence. 3. BINAH. UNDERSTANDING. The Sanctifying Intelligence. 4. CHESED. MERCY. The Measuring, Cohesive, or Receptacular Intelligence. 5. GEBURAH. SEVERITY. The Radical Intelligence. 6. TIPHARETH. BEAUTY. The Intelligence of the Mediating Influence. 7. NETZACH. VICTORY. The Occult Intelligence. 8. HOD. SPLENDOR. The Absolute or Perfect Intelligence. 9. YESOD. FOUNDATION. The Pure Intelligence. 10. MALKUTH. KINGDOM. The Resplendent Intelligence. Gematria: Qabalistic numerology is called Gematria. Each Hebrew letter is assigned a numerical value, and any word is reduced to a value by adding its letters up. With 304,805 Hebrew letters in a Torah, and no computers, the Medieval Qabalists must have really went to town. The 22 Paths (path number, Sephiroth which it connects, Hebrew letter, English equivalent sound, Hebrew meaning for the letter, the numerological value, and the path name) are as follows: Number Letter English Equiv. Value Name Sephiroth & Hebrew Meaning 11. 1,2 Aleph. A Ox 1 The Scintillating Intelligence. 12. 1,3 Beth. B House 2 The Intelligence of Transparency. 13. 1,6 Gimel. G Camel 3 The Uniting Intelligence. 14. 2,3 Daleth. D Door 4 The Illuminating Intelligence. 15. 2,6 Heh. H Window 5 The Constituting Intelligence. 16. 2,7 Vau. V Nail/Hook 6 The Triumphal or Eternal Intelligence. 17. 3,6 Zain. Z Sword/Armor 7 The Disposing Intelligence. 18. 3,8 Cheth. CH Fence/Enclosure 8 The House of Influence. 19. 4,5 Teth. T Snake 9 The Intelligence of All the Activities of the Spiritual Being. 20. 4,6 Yod. Y Hand 10 The Intelligence of Will. 21. 4,7 Kaph. K Fist 20,500 The Intelligence of Conciliation. 22. 5,6 Lamed. L Ox Goad 30 The Faithful Intelligence. 23. 5,8 Mem. M Water 40,600 The Stable Intelligence. 24. 6,7 Nun. N Fish 50,700 The Imaginative Intelligence. 25. 6,9 Samekh. S Prop 60 The Intelligence of Probation. 26. 6,8 Ayin. A Eye 70 The Renovating Intelligence. 27. 7,8 Peh. P Mouth 80,800 The Exciting Intelligence. 28. 7,9 Tzaddi. TZ Fish Hook 90,900 The Natural Intelligence. 29. 7,10 Qoph. Q Ear/Back of Head 100 The Corporeal Intelligence. 30. 8,9 Resh. R Head 200 The Collecting Intelligence. 31. 8,10 Shin. SH Tooth 300 The Perpetual Intelligence. 32. 9,10 Tau. T Cross 400 The Administrative Intelligence. Note: Hyperintelligence is conspicuously absent, reflecting the primitive conditions under which the Qabalists worked (no Tommy's Toys), those pitiful creatures. The Invisible Sephira: Between Binah and Chesed (X marks the spot) there is an "invisible" Sephira known as Daath, Knowledge. It is not shown explicitly on the Tree because it is a Bridge across the so-called Abyss between the upper and lower Sephiroth. If you want to be truly enlightened, Earthling, this is your Big Hurdle. The Pillars: The Sephiroth on the left side, middle side, and right side are known repsectively as the Pillars of Severity, Mildness, and Mercy. The left and right pillars are also known as the Pillars of Form and Pillars of Force, respectively. The 3 Triangles: The top 3 Sephiroth (1-3) are the Supernal Triangle, the middle 3 (4-6) are the Ethical Triangle, and 7-9 (but not 10) are the Astral triangle. The higher the triangle, the more divorced from mere physical reality (Sephira 10) you get. The Tree as Man: The 3 Triangles refer to parts of the human soul: the Supernal Triangle is the supreme spiritual self, the Ethical Triangle is the higher self, and the Astral Triangle is the personality. The Faces: The Sephiroth of the Supernal Triangle are also called Macroprosopus or Arikh Anpin (the Vast Face or Countenance); the 5 Sephiroth around Tiphareth are called Microprosopus or Zauer Anpin (the Lesser Face or Countenance); and all 10 Sephiroth pictured as a man is called Adam Kadmon ("The Grand Old Man of the Zohar"). Consequently Arikh Anpin is the man above; Zauer Anpin is the man below. This is to be understood in the same way as Yoga attributes centers of spiritual activity to the human body. The Tree as Venus: Drawing a circle through Sephiroth 1-6, and a cross through Sephiroth 7-10, we get the figure of Venus on the Tree of Life. The Tree as 4 Worlds: The Qabalah divides the universe into 4 separate "Worlds", each of which is represented by one letter of the Tetragrammaton (divine name Yod-Heh-Vau-Heh), and one or more Sephiroth, like so: 1. ATZILUTH. THE ARCHETYPAL WORLD (1-3). PURE SPIRIT WHICH ACTIVATES ALL THE OTHER WORLDS, WHICH EVOLVE FROM IT. THE HEBREW LETTER YOD, PRIMAL FIRE. 2. BRIAH. THE CREATIVE WORLD (4-6). PURE INTELLECT. THE HEBREW LETTER HEH, PRIMAL WATER. 3. YETZIRAH. THE FORMATIVE WORLD (7-9). THE SUBTLE AND FLEETING PATTERNS BEHIND MATTER. THE HEBREW LETTER VAU, PRIMAL AIR. 4. ASSIAH. THE ACTIVE WORLD (10). THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE. THE HEBREW LETTER HEH, PRIMAL EARTH. Each World has its own Tree of Life, each Sephiroth of each Tree has its own Tree, so there are really 4 x 10 x 10 or 400 Trees, if you want to go off the deep end; in this program, only one Tree is used. The Path of the Flaming Sword: The Universe (real and imagined) was created from the top down, so to speak: each of these Worlds generated the 'energies' beneath it, becoming increasingly dense until it hit rock bottom with mere physical matter-energy. The Path of the Flaming Sword is the order in which it was all supposed to happen: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (draw it and see the sword emerge). Roots of the Tarot: The Tarot is said to be "rooted in Yetzirah", meaning it is best for thinking about mundane rather than spiritual matters; the cards are astral images reflecting the world of matter-energy below, and symbolically reflecting the worlds of mind and spirit above. The Reader projects the imagination on the cards, predicting the "future" matter-energy configuration. THE TREE OF LIFE AND THE NUMBERED MINOR ARCANA: This being obvious to the casual observer, we now assign the tarot card ranks to the Sephiroth in natural order: Ace=Kether, 2=Chokmah, ..., 10=Malkuth. Actually, each card represents a duality, by the Principle of Polarity, and so has two opposite meanings in tarot readings, depending on whether the card is upside down or rightside up. The Elements: The 4 Primal elements earth, air, fire, and water, are associated with the Tetragrammaton as follows: Yod=Fire Heh=Water Vau=Air Heh=Earth The Tetragrammaton is futher related to the Tree as follows: Yod=Chokmah Heh=Binah Vau=Tiphareth Heh=Malkuth Because the Aces relate to Kether, they represent the seeds of the elements. The Tree of Life and the Court Cards of the Minor Arcana: The court cards are said to represent the Elemental powers of the Tetragrammaton in the 4 Worlds of the Qabalah. What does this mean? We assign the court cards to the letters of the Tetragrammaton, and hence to the 4 Primal Elements, like this: Yod: Kings = Chokmah (fire) Heh: Queens = Binah (water) Vau: Princes = Tiphareth (air) Heh: Princesses = Malkuth (earth) Actually, the Princes relate to all of the 6 Tiphareth (4-9) centered in Tiphareth (counting Daath as the 6th), forming a perfect circle. But each of the 4 Worlds is attributed to a Primal element, so Chokmah in the World Atziluth is Fire of Fire, which is a subdivision of Primal Element fire which we call a Specific Element. Hence there are 16 Specific elements, fire of fire, water of fire, air of fire, earth of fire, and so on. The court cards are assigned by suit to the Primal Elements as follows: Clubs or Wands = Atziluth = Primal fire Hearts or Cups = Briah = Primal water Spades or Swords = Yetzirah = Primal air Diamonds or Pentacles = Assiah = Primal earth Thus, the Queen of Wands, Binah in Atziluth, is the Specific element Water in Primal element Fire. The Unmanifest: The Tree of Life only represents the 'manifest' universe. The Unmanifest, which the Qabalists call Ain Soph Aur, Negative Limitless Light, is not covered by either Tree or Tarot. Some Trees of Life show 3 arcs above Kether, called Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur, from outer to inner. They are the 'source' of the universe, or better put, the limit to the imagination. The Tarot, which transposed is not only Tora but Rota, shows the Wheel of the Manifest Universe only. THE ZODIAC AND THE TAROT: The Zodiac is a 360 degree disk split into 12 contiguous sectors representing the solar year on Earth: Aries. March 22-April 21 Taurus. April 22-May 21 Gemini. May 22-June 21 Cancer. June 22-July 21 Leo. July 22-August 21 Virgo. August 22-Sept. 21 Libra. Sept. 22-Oct. 21 Scorpio. Oct. 22-Nov. 21 Sagittarius. Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Capricorn. Dec. 22-Jan. 21 Aquarius. Jan. 22-Feb. 19 Pisces. Feb. 20-March 21 All of the 78 tarot cards are related to the 36 Decans (10 degree arcs) of the Zodiac, and the 7 'Planets' (Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter): the 36 minor cards 2..10 are each assigned one Decan, and a unique Planet is attributed to each Decan in a sequence repeated 5 times, with the planet Mars covering both the last Decan of Pisces and the first Decan of Ares, because they say that extra energy is needed to overcome winter and initiate spring. Note that the Decans begin with Leo not Aries in this scheme, reflecting the more ancient system of astrology; since some Tarot decks are based on Aries, the assignment of the cards may be skewed from what is given in this program, although the interpretations should come out the same. As to the other cards, the 12 Kings, Queens, and Princes are each assigned 3 adjoining decans, the 4 Princesses each get 9 adjoining decans, and the 4 Aces are assigned the same decans as the Princesses ... BUT the whole wheel of decans is considered as a 3-dimensional globe, so that the Aces are the North Pole above the Princesses, which are in a ring above the Kings, Queens, and Princes, which are in a ring above the small cards. Thus, they say that the Kings, Queens, and Princesses "stand behind the decans", the Princesses "link together the signs", and the Aces are "placed on the North Pole of the Universe, wherein they revolve, governing its revolution." How simple the universe is! (... especially to those who have never been off the Earth's surface in their lives -- Tommy) Sign Planet Card Card Princess/Ace ---- ------ ---- ---- ------------ Leo Saturn 5 of Wands Prince Wands Wands Jupiter 6 Mars 7 K Pentacles Virgo Sun 8 of Pentacles Venus 9 Mercury 10 Q Swords Libra Moon 2 of Swords Cups Saturn 3 Jupiter 4 Prince Cups Scorpio Mars 5 of Cups Sun 6 Venus 7 K Wands Sagittarius Mercury 8 of Wands Moon 9 Saturn 10 Q Pentacles Capricorn Jupiter 2 of Pentacles Swords Mars 3 Sun 4 Prince Swords Aquarius Venus 5 of Swords Mercury 6 Moon 7 K Cups Pisces Saturn 8 of Cups Jupiter 9 Mars 10 Q Wands Aries Mars 2 of Wands Pentacles Sun 3 Venus 4 Prince Pentacles Taurus Mercury 5 of Pentacles Moon 6 Saturn 7 K Swords Gemini Jupiter 8 of Swords Mars 9 Sun 10 Q Cups Cancer Venus 2 of Cups Wands Mercury 3 Moon 4 Prince Wands The Angels of the Decan: To each Minor Card and Decan is attributed a pair of angels, one to rule the day and one to rule the night. Thus, each card represents a duality. Since some wizards use the angelic names in spells and incantations, they are included in the program. Note that there is a dark side to each card also, represented by the Qlippoth, or demons; we neglect the names in the program so you won't have a hissy fit and blame us every time you have bad luck. Deriving the Meanings of the Cards of the Minor Arcana: Taking all the systems and cross-correlating them gives each minor arcana tarot card a unique meaning, believe it or not! (Actually 2 opposite meanings.) The famous "Book T", by the Order of the Golden Dawn, gives the following meanings for the cards of the Minor Arcana, without regard to suit (unfortunately, pre-1890's cards, particularly the famous Marseilles deck, don't contain all the symbolism referred to): 1. First in order of appearance are the four Aces, representing the force of the Spirit acting in, and binding together the 4 scales of each element and answering to the Dominion of the Letters of the Name in the Kether of each. They represent the Radical or Root-Force. The Four Aces are said to be placed on the North Pole of the Universe, wherein they revolve, governing its revolution, and ruling as the connecting link between Yetzirah and the Material Plane of the Universe. 2. The Four Deuces symbolize the Powers of the King and Queen: first uniting and initiating the Force, but before the Prince and Princess are thoroughly brought into action. Therefore do they generally imply the initiation and fecundation of a thing. 3. The Four Threes, generally, represent the realization of action owing to the Prince having been produced. The central symbol on each card. Action definitely commenced for good or evil. 4. Perfection, realization, completion, making a matter settled and fixed. 5. Opposition, strife and struggle; war, obstacle to the thing in hand. Ultimate success or failure is otherwise shown. 6. Definite accomplishment and carrying out of a matter. 7. Generally show a force, transcending the material plane, and is like unto a crown which is indeed powerful but requireth one capable of wearing it. The sevens then show a positive result which is dependent on the acting then taken. They depend much on the symbols that accompany them. 8. Generally show solitary success; i.e., success in the matter for the time being, but not leading to much result apart from the thing itself. 9. Generally they show very great fundamental force. Executive power, because they rest on a firm base, powerful for good or evil. 10. Generally show fixed, culminated, completed Force, whether good or evil. The matter thoroughly and definitely determined. Similar to the force of the Nines, but ultimating it, and carrying it out. Kings. The Four Kings or Figures mounted on Steeds represent the Yod forces in the name of each suit, the Radix, Father and commencement of Material Forces. A Force in which all the others are implied and of which they form the development and completion. A force swift and violent in action, but whose effect soon passes away, and therefore symbolized by a figure on a steed riding swiftly, and clothed in complete armour. Queens. Are seated upon Thrones, representing the Forces of Heh in the Divine Name of each suit, the Mother, and bringer forth of material Force, a Force which develops and realizes the Force of the King. A Force steady and unshaken, but not rapid though enduring. It is therefore symbolized by a figure seated upon a Throne, but also clothed in armour. Princes. These Princes are seated in chariots, and thus borne forward. They represent the Vau Forces of the Name in each suit; The Mighty Son of the King, and the Queen, who realizes the influences of both scales of Force; A Prince, the son of a King and Queen, yet a Prince of Princes, and a King of Kings. An Emperor, whose effect is at once rapid (thought not so swift as that of a King) and eunduring (though not as steadfast as that of a Queen). It is therefore symbolized by a figure born in a chariot, and clothed with armour. Yet is his power illusionary, unless set in motion by his Father and Mother. Princesses. They represent the forces of the Heh Final of the Name in each suit, completing the influences of the other scales. The mighty and potent daughter of a King and Queen: a Princess powerful and terrible. A Queen of Queens, and Empress, whose effect combines those of the King, Queen and Prince ... Yet her power existeth not save by reason of the others, and then indeed it is mighty and terrible materially, and is the Throne of the Forces of the Spirit. Woe unto whosoever shall make war upon her when thus established! To derive the meanings of individual cards, one must combine all the imaginative information together, keeping the principle in mind that the non-court cards of the Minor Arcana represent blind forces which are subject to being manipulated, while the court cards represent actual persons or personifications of forces which bring the blind forces of the non-court cards into play. Thus, for example, Five of Cups represents Mars in Scorpio (Oct. 22 - Nov. 1), or Geburah in Briah. Hence, by simple reasoning, we have Strength in the Mental World, with Mars in the water sign Scorpio producing an extremely emotional effect. The card design shows five once-full cups. Since the Fives connote opposition, and since the watery nature of the card is totally disconsonant with the fiery nature of Geburah (or, you can imagine a strong hairdo getting wet), the card clearly means loss of pleasure, at least that's what they told Tommy. In practical fortune telling, Five of Cups means: Disappointments in love, a desired marriage broken off, unkindness from friends, loss of friendship, death, end of pleasures, disappointment, sorrow, loss of things from which pleasure was expected, sadness, deceit, treachery, ill will, detraction, charity and kindness thrown back in one's face, and all kinds of troubles generally. Taking the King of Swords (last decan of Taurus and first 2 decans of Gemini), we have Specific Fire in Primal Air. He is represented as holding a sword and, because of the influence of Gemini, as turning easily in one direction or the other. Hence the card means subtleness and craftiness personified, because Air refers to the conscious mind. In practical work, King of Swords means: A man with dark brown hair and dark eyes, who is active, clever, subtle, fierce, delicate, courageous, skillful, inclined to dominate, to overvalue small things (unless well dignified). Or ill dignified, deceitful, tyrannical and crafty. The other cards are similarly interpreted, and it is all in the program. THE MAJOR ARCANA AND THE TREE OF LIFE: The above is only for the Minor Arcana; the Major Arcana also fit on the Tree, but not on the Sephiroth, rather on the Paths between the Sephiroth. Like the Paths of the Zodiac, the Paths represent the ACTION of one energy (Sephiroth) on another. Path Between Card Hebrew Letter 1 and 2 0. The Fool aleph 1 and 3 1. The Magician beth 1 and 6 2. The High Priestess gimel 2 and 3 3. The Empress daleth 2 and 6 4. The Emperor he 2 and 4 5. The Hierophant vau 3 and 6 6. The Lovers zayin 3 and 5 7. The Chariot heth 4 and 5 8. Strength teth 4 and 6 9. The Hermit yod 4 and 7 10. The Wheel of Fortune kaph 5 and 6 11. Justice lamed 5 and 8 12. The Hanged Man mem 6 and 7 13. Death nun 6 and 9 14. Temperance samekh 6 and 8 15. The Devil ayin 7 and 8 16. The Tower pe 7 and 9 17. The Star tzaddi 7 and 10 18. The Moon qoph 8 and 9 19. The Sun resh 8 and 10 20. Judgment shin 9 and 10 21. The Universe tau Qabalistic Categories of the Hebrew Letters: Each of the 22 major arcana represent a Hebrew letter. To understand why the cards are assigned to particular letters, one must know the Qabalistic categories of the letters: 1. 3 Maternal Letters (representing the primary spiritual forces): aleph (air), mem (water), shin (fire). 2. 7 Double Letters (so-called because each has both a hard and a soft pronunciation, hence each card associated with them has 2 opposing meanings): beth (b,v), gimel (g,gh), daleth (d,dh), kaph (k,kh), pe (p,ph), resh (r), tau (t,th). 3. 12 Simple or Single Letters (representing the Zodiac). The Maternal Letters: Aleph is Air, which naturally is assigned to THE FOOL (card #0), from which all other tarot cards arise. Mem is Water, the basis of solid matter ("root of all minerals" to Alchemists), and being a part of Microprosopus, and at the side of the Pillar of Severity, naturally it is assigned to THE HANGED MAN. Shin is Fire, and as it connects Microprosopus with its bride Malkuth, on the side of the Pillar of Severity, naturally it is assigned to JUDGMENT. The Double Letters: The 7 Double Letters are not surprisingly associated with other 'sevens', such as the 7 Planets, the 7 Days of the Week, the 7 Gates of the Soul (orifices of perception) in man, and the 7 Localities (Above, Below, N, E, S, W, and "the Palace of Holiness in the midst of them sustaining all things"). Therefore, the 'natural' associations of the Double Letters with the Opposing Conditions affecting the individual human in incarnation, the Planets, and the following cards of the Major Arcana (each representing a Path): Beth = life and death = Mercury = THE MAGICIAN Gimel = peace and war = Venus = THE EMPRESS Daleth= wisdom and folly = Moon = THE HIGH PRIESTESS Kaph = riches and poverty = Jupiter = THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE Pe = grace and indignation = Mars = THE TOWER Resh = fertility and solitude = Sun = THE SUN Tau = power and servitude = Saturn = THE UNIVERSE Actually, these Paths are attributed to signs of the Zodiac ruled by the above Planets, not the Planets themselves. This is because these are "transitional" (Path) or "philosophic" planets, hence NOT the 7 Planets used by the Alchemists as the bodily Chakras or Metals: the latter are naturally attributed to the Sephiroth themselves, as follows: Sephiroth Planet 3 Saturn 4 Jupiter 5 Mars 6 Sun 7 Venus 8 Mercury 9 Moon (If you move Saturn over to the Middle Pillar, because it represents the Supernals, the 7 Planets move into the shape of the Hexagram.) Combining all the above, we are left with only 3 Paths on the Tree without some planetary reference: the Paths of the Maternals. The Single Letters: The remaining 12 Hebrew letters are naturally associated with the 12 Signs (celestial constellations) of the Zodiac, the 12 Activities in which the human body engages, and the 4 Elements classified as Cardinal, Mutable, or Fixed: 1. He = Aries = Sight = THE EMPEROR (Cardinal Fire) 2. Vau = Taurus = Hearing = THE HIEROPHANT (Fixed Earth) 3. Zayin = Gemini = Smell = THE LOVERS (Mutable Air) 4. Heth = Cancer = Speech = THE CHARIOT (Cardinal Water) 5. Teth = Leo = Taste = STRENGTH (Fixed Fire) 6. Yod = Virgo = Sexual Love = THE HERMIT (Mutable Earth) 7. Lamed = Libra = Work = JUSTICE (Cardinal Air) 8. Nun = Scorpio = Movement = DEATH (Fixed Water) 9. Samekh = Sagittarius = Anger = TEMPERANCE (Mutable Fire) 10. Ayin = Capricorn = Mirth = THE DEVIL (Cardinal Earth) 11. Tzaddi = Aquarius = Imagination = THE STAR (Fixed Air) 12. Qoph = Pisces = Sleep = THE MOON (Mutable Water) Thus, the 22 cards of the Major Arcana represent the TOTALITY OF THE HUMAN CONDITION (thank goodness they didn't include us aliens from outer space): the Maternal letter cards are the Primary Spiritual Forces, the Double Letter cards are the Opposing Conditions affecting the human individual in incarnation, the Single or Simple Letter cards are the Activities in which the human individual engages. Or, in another light, the Maternal Letters are the roots of consciousness, the Double Letters are the gateways or orifices of the body or soul (with 2 directions of passage), and the Single Letters are the organs. Think about that next time you shuffle them up! Deriving the Meanings of the Major Arcana from the Tree: Let's Take Strength, Card 8 (Path 19, Intelligence of Activities of Spiritual Beings, Sign=Leo, Hebrew Letter=Teth), as an example. The card design shows a woman with a lion. First, Path 19 leads to the edge of the Abyss (invisible Sephira Daath), along the first Path of Microprosopus, and is the outpouring of energy from Chesed to Geburah. Thus it is the primary Path of the Higher Self, linking the great opposites below the Abyss, so it is the Path on which Fire becomes Light, because the Supernals are a firey darkness, while manifestation is Light. Because the sign of Leo means lion, and the Hebrew letter Teth means snake, and all these symbols and the realities they represent all interchange freely, we are supposed to get the lesson that all the Elements are really One. Somewhere they also decided that the woman had to be a virgin to get away with petting a lion. So, in tarot readings, Strength means: Strength, courage, fortitude, power not hung up in indecision, sometimes obstinancy. The meanings of the other trump cards are all in the program. Pairs of Opposites: Based on their position in the Tree, the following pairs of trump cards are considered to be opposites: Magician and Fool Chariot and Hierophant Lovers and Emperor Justice and Hermit Hanged Man and Wheel of Fortune Devil and Death Sun and Star Judgment and Moon The Balance of the Tree: Since the Tree is based on the principle that a negative and a positive yield a third and balancing energy (e.g., yod and heh yield vau, male and female yield neuter, father and mother yield son), somebody decided, through deep and esoteric reasoning, to assign the Sephiroth to the 2 categories of Form and Force, and the Paths to the 2 categories of Activating (yod) and Formative (heh), the remaining Paths (the Middle Pillar and the Crossing Paths) being the vau. The Tree is to be thought of as in constant activity, the formative process being in response to the activating process, naturally. The 32 Paths of Wisdom, and their categories: 1. (Kether, the Four Aces) 2. Force (Chokmah the Four Twos, the Four Kings) 3. Form (Binah, the Four Threes, the Four Queens) (remember, 3,5,8 are the Left Pillar, 2,4,7 are the Right Pillar, 1,6,9,10 are the Middle Pillar) 4. Form (Chesed, the Four Fours) 5. Force (Geburah, the Four Fives) 6. (Tiphareth, the Four Sixes, the Four Princes) 7. Force (Netzach, the Four Sevens) 8. Form (Hod, the Four Eights) 9. (Yesod, the Four Nines) 10. (Malkuth, the Four Tens, the Four Princesses) 11. Activating (Fool) 12. Formative (Magician) 13. (High Priestess) (remember, 13,25,32 are on the Middle Pillar, 14. (Empress) and 14,19,27 are the Cross Pillars) 15. Formative (Emperor) 16. Formative (Hierophant) 17. Activating (Lovers) 18. Activating (Chariot) 19. (Strength) 20. Activating (Hermit) 21. Activating (Wheel of Fortune) 22. Formative (Justice) 23. Formative (Hanged Man) 24. Activating (Death) 25. (Temperance) 26. Formative (Devil) 27. (Tower) 28. Formative (Star) 29. Formative (Moon) 30. Activating (Sun) 31. Activating (Judgment) 32. (Universe) Attaining Enlightenment with the Tree: If you want to dabble in Qabalah, get a pair of Groucho glasses (with nose) and a genuine Cuban cigar (or Phillies Titan if you are in the lower income tax brackets), then 'contemplate' the Tree, Sephiroth by Sephiroth, Path by Path, 'moving' along it as you 'experience' it, attaining increasing 'enlightenment'. You can do this by using Tommy's Tarot to show you the cards one by one. The 32 Paths Revisited: Knowing where the Major Arcana come from, go back to the Table of the 32 Paths at the beginning of this document, and relate them to the cards. For example, the High Priestess is the Uniting Intelligence, the Path by which all that appears to be separated from the Godhead (Kether) is reunited; the Universe is the Administrative Intelligence, administering the structure BEHIND the physical universe; Temperance is the Intelligence of Probation, the Path leading to immersion of the personality into the consciousness of the Higher Self. Thus, if you go straight up the Tree through the Middle Pillar (Universe -> Temperance -> High Priestess) , you go from your current unenlightened self to attainment of knowledge of the Ultimate Godhead! Of course you have to 'cross' 3 other cards along the way, not to mention the Abyss, so no big deal if you haven't done it yet, or have got modern and tried end-around runs like in football. What a toy this Tree is! Flash Test: To test your grasp of this easy material, see if you can figure out which of the Tarot cards means labor, work, or journey (success after anxiety or trouble); which card means love, marriage and partnership; and which of the Princesses is generous, kind, diligent, and benevolent. Then explain why the Tower card is connected with circumcision, war, ruin, the "I", all man-made institutions, and the mouth. (Ans. 6 Sw, 2 Cu, Pentacles. Mars+peh.) -------------------------------- THE 10-CARD AND 15-CARD SPREADS: Practical card gazers "play" their cards as follows: 1. START WITH ALL THE 78 TAROT CARDS IN ORDER. 2. SHUFFLE THE CARDS (METHOD UNIMPORTANT). IF A CARD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN THIS PROCESS, THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT REVERSES THE CARD'S MEANING. 3. LAY THEM OUT IN A CERTAIN TABLEAU, FACE UP. 4. WITH EACH POSITION IN THE TABLEAU AN "INFLUENCE" IS ASSOCIATED. 5. LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN RAMPANT AND "SEE" THE FUTURE! THE 10-CARD SPREAD: This spread, sometimes called the Ancient Celtic Method, is the most used by pros who answer your 'question' by reading the cards (the question should not be told to the Reader, note well). The Querent then shuffles (and usually cuts three times) and the Reader deals. Strictly speaking, the Fool (Significator) is removed from the deck and placed under card number 1, but in the program you have the option of keeping it in the deck. The 10-Card Spread is as follows: 3 10 9 6 2 4 1 8 5 7 Note: Card 2 is placed crosswise on top of Card 1. WHAT THE CARDS MEAN: 1. ATMOSPHERE AROUND QUERENT. The area of influence in which he is now. The Reader, in laying this card down, says "This covers him". 2. CONTRARY INFLUENCE ON QUERENT. What lies just ahead that may oppose the Questioner or the question. Reader says, "This crosses him." 3. IDEAL HOPE OF THE QUERENT in asking this question of the cards, and, if nothing changes, his destiny. Reader says, "This crowns him". 4. THE FOUNDATION OF THE QUESTION. Upon which present position is based. Reader says, "This is beneath him." 5. THE PAST OF THE QUERENT. Reader says, "This is behind him." 6. THE FUTURE OF THE QUERENT. Sphere of influence that is coming into being in the near future (upcoming influence), especially if you change your course of life. Reader says, "This is before him." 7. THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. Reader says, "This answers him." 8. ASSISTANCE FOR THE QUERENT. People or forces which may assist the Querent in this matter. Reader says, "This strengthens him." 9. THE QUERENT. Himself, in proper perspective to answer the question. Here your 'true self' is revealed, whatever lies you may have told yourself. Reader says, "This defines him." 10. FINAL OUTCOME. Given all of above. Reader says, "This ends it." THE 15-CARD SPREAD: This is neater when you are acting as your own Swami, because the middle row shows where you are, the bottom row shows where you were, and the top row shows where you are going. 13 9 5 4 8 12 2 1 3 14 10 6 7 11 15 1. THE QUERENT, THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING HIM, PRESENT SITUATION AND PRIMARY INFLUENCES ALL ROLLED IN ONE. A COURT CARD HERE MAY MEAN THE QUERENT OR SOME DOMINANT INDIVIDUAL. 2-3. WITH CARD 1, THEY ARE THE KEY CARDS, GIVING EXTENDED INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION AND PERSONALITY OF THE QUERENT. 4,8,12: SHOW THE DIRECTION THAT THE QUERENT'S LIFE WILL NATURALLY FOLLOW UNLESS SOME ACTION IS TAKEN TO CHANGE THIS COURSE. 13,9,5: THE POSSIBILITIES FOR ALTERNATIVE ACTION. 14,10,6: FOR PERSONS PAST MIDDLE AGE, INDICATE PAST ACTIVITIES WHICH BEAR ON THE QUESTION. FOR YOUNGER PERSONS, THEY INDICATE THE FUTURE. Of course what you consider to be 'middle age' is your call; you decide when you are over the hill. 7,11,15: FORCES OPERATING BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE QUERENT. THE 21-CARD SPREAD. This is also called the Gypsy Method, from Paul Huson's "The Devil's Picture Book" (1972). Although not in the program, it is so interesting it is worth describing in detail anyway. Removing the Fool (optionally), the deck is then shuffled and cut, then dealt in a semicircle formed from 7 piles, from right to left. The cards then assume the following schematic pattern: G F E D C B A 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 The 7 stacks A..G are now read from top to bottom, as follows: A. The Querent's present psychic state. B. His present home life. C. His present desires, hopes, and his question. D. His expectations in the matter. E. What he does not expect (the kicker). F. His immediate future. G. The long term results of the matter. OTHER TYPES OF SPREADS: There are all kinds of other methods of spreading the cards, notably the MacGregor Mathers' Third Method (from his book "The Tarot", 1888); the full 78-card Planetary Arrangement based upon the I Ching; the Crowley Divination (from his book "The Book of Thoth", 1944); and the Churchyard Spread, wherein the Fool is separated from the deck, the remaining 77 cards are then shuffled and 12 drawn, then the Fool is put in with these 12 and the cards are shuffled again: the position of the Fool demarcates the original question plus a second question which applies to or defines the first but which was unknown to the Querent at the start (if the Fool ends up as the first card then the question was not substantial enough; if at the end then there is no second question). ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN A READING: Reversed Cards: You can choose to regard them as reversed in meaning, as cards to be skipped in the reading, or as no different than if they weren't reversed. Some suggest reversing only the meanings of cards whose designs contain the Pentagram. Court Cards of the Minor Arcana: The Princes and Queens almost always represent actual men and women connected with the reading. In general, all court cards represent real people or personifications of events, and through their personalities, they represent decisions which bring into effect the blind forces represented by the non-court minor arcana. The major arcana, on the other hand, represent KARMIC forces which also are manipulative of the numbered minor arcana. Thus, the court cards generally represent the choices of men, the trump cards represent the choices of the gods, and the small cards are the forces brought into play. The Kings can represent arrival or departure of a matter, according to the way they face. The Princesses often show opinions, thoughts, or ideas connected with the subject. You know how girls are. A MAJORITY OF CARDS INDICATE AS FOLLOWS: 1. WANDS: ENERGY, QUARRELLING, OPPOSITION. 2. CUPS: PLEASURE AND MERRIMENT. (Does a Five of Cups in a Cup majority hand mean you are getting pleasure out of someone else's misfortune?) 3. SWORDS: TROUBLE AND SADNESS, SOMETIMES SICKNESS OR DEATH. 4. PENTACLES: BUSINESS, MONEY, POSSESSIONS. 5. TRUMPS (MAJOR ARCANA): FORCES OF CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH. 6. COURT CARDS: SOCIETY, MEETING WITH MANY PERSONS. 7. ACES: STRENGTH. ****************************************************************************** MASTER TABLE OF CARD-LETTER-COLOR-SOUND CORRESPONDENCES: These are taken from the Golden Dawn notebook of Alan Bennett. The Sounds and Colors are not to be taken as mere frequences of the electromagnetic spectrum, but as Thingies in Themselves which act on you through their energies. Path/Letter Sound Color Tarot Key 0 Aleph E Bright Pale Yellow Fool 1 Beth E Yellow Magician 2 Gimel G# Blue High Priestess 3 Daleth F# Emerald Green Empress 4 Heh C Scarlet Emperor 5 Vau C# Red-Orange Hierophant 6 Zain D Orange Lovers 7 Cheth D# Amber Chariot 8 Teth E# Greenish Yellow Strength 9 Yod F Yellowish Green Hermit 10 Kaph A# Violet Wheel of Fortune (some may now prefer Vanilla White as the color) 11 Lamed F# Emerald Green Justice 12 Mem G# Deep Blue Hanged Man 13 Nun G Greenish Blue Death 14 Samekh G# Blue Temperance 15 Ayin A Indigo Devil 16 Peh C Scarlet Tower 17 Tzaddi A# Violet Star 18 Qoph B Crimson Moon 19 Resh D Orange Sun 20 Shin C Glowing Orange-Scarlet Judgment 21 Tau A Indigo Universe ------------------------ COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS: S START UP WITH SOUND OFF M FORCE MONO DISPLAY MODE C FORCE COLOR DISPLAY MODE EXAMPLE: >TAROT MS ---------------------- DID YOU LIKE THIS TOY? 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