Meditations On The Tarot - 2

The Thoth Tarot is a wonderful tool for reflection and personal growth. Interestingly, it can be linked very effectively to the I Ching, as we will see in this case. Crowley himself made clear connections with the I Ching and the Major Arcana of the Tarot, and Carl Jung went a step further with ideas of synchronicity coming into play.

This reading is particularly applicable to those of us who feel... or have felt... that our energies have been consumed by the priorities of life. But is there another view?

Transcript

Welcome to Meditations on the Tarot and this reading entitled Union Through Truth.

In this reading we look at the Prince of Ones in the past,

The Prince of Swords in the present,

The Six of Cups in the future position,

And the Three of Disks as the underlying energies.

Please have before you a Thoth tarot deck to be able to explore the imagery as we consider each card.

These readings are timeless.

If you are drawn to this reading you may find it particularly pertinent to you.

If not,

Then take what applies to you and leave what does not.

These readings are for self-illumination only and do not constitute advice.

At first we have the Prince of Ones and no doubt we have in our hands a hot storm representing a swift intellectual and highly volatile energy.

Unlike other nightly figures in this deck that we may have come across,

The Prince of Ones wears no armor so he's able to act swiftly and without constraint.

His actions are protected by the enclosure of the Chariot of Fire giving him an almost blessed independence.

Note that he holds the reins to the lion pulling the chariot very loosely.

His control is effortless and instinctual,

Again supporting the idea of quick action.

In the past position,

The Prince of Ones represents a period defined by sudden,

Explosive movement and the swift execution of your true will.

It marks a time when you likely broke away from stagnation with heroic intensity driven by a hot storm of creative ideas and a total lack of hesitation.

This imagery suggests you were operating with peak confidence and noble intent,

Initiating projects or life changes with a fierce independent spirit that refused to be restrained by tradition or fear.

However,

Because this energy is volatile and lacks the element of earth,

Its appearance in the past often points to a legacy of brilliance that may have lacked long-term sustainability.

While you successfully lit the fire,

You may now be navigating the aftermath of that impulsiveness,

Dealing with projects that burned out quickly or relationships that were scorched by your rapid pace.

It serves as a reminder of a version of yourself that was unencumbered and powerful,

But asks you to consider whether the phoenix wand wielded by the Prince was used to create something lasting or merely to clear the path for a future you are still trying to define.

In the present position,

We have the Prince of Swords,

Often described as an intellectual hurricane,

Suggesting a mind that is brilliantly active,

But often lacking a specific focus or practical purpose.

The Prince here is also riding a chariot,

But the vehicle seems flimsy and built of ideas rather than solid formations.

These images are further expanded by the fact that the chariot is being pulled by wind-like figures or fairies that seem to pull in any direction they wish.

The reins are held loosely or not at all,

Emphasizing the lack of direction.

Interestingly,

The Prince holds both a sword and a sickle,

Images of invocation and destruction.

Nothing lasts long in this hurricane.

There is a lack of emotional weight and no grounding to make his ideas concrete.

In the present position,

The Prince of Swords indicates that you are currently navigating your life through a lens of pure,

High-velocity intellect.

This energy places you in a state of intense analysis,

Where logic and detachment are your greatest assets,

Allowing you to cut through emotional fog and see the cold,

Structural truth of any situation.

You likely feel a fierce need for intellectual autonomy,

Resisting any authority or argument that does not meet your rigorous standards of reason.

It's a time of mental gymnastics,

Where your ability to debate,

Strategize and solve complex problems is at its peak,

Driven by a restless desire to understand the mechanics behind your reality.

However,

This card serves as a vital warning that you may be spinning in a vacuum of abstraction.

Because the Prince wields both a sword to create and a sickle to destroy,

You may find yourself trapped in a cycle of overthinking,

Proposing brilliant ideas only to ruthlessly dismantle them before they can take root.

There is a distinct risk of being all head and no heart,

Where your commitment to objective accuracy borders on cynicism or unintended cruelty towards others.

In your current pursuit of truth,

You must be careful not to sever necessary connections or paralyze your progress by prioritizing the war of wits over practical,

Grounded action.

In the possible future position,

We have the Six of Cups,

Representing the essential nature of joy.

The image suggests that when we are in a state of pleasure,

The ego disappears,

Leaving only the pure radiation of well-being.

There is a harmonious radiation of vital energy here.

The primary structure of the card is that of a geometrically balanced hexagram,

Indicating a divine harmony rather than chaotic indulgence.

Further to this,

The six cups are connected to each other,

Allowing for an upward and downward flow,

Symbolizing a continuous self-sustaining cycle.

In the future position,

The Six of Cups signals an upcoming period of profound emotional resolution and radiant harmony.

It represents the arrival of a solar state of being,

Where the turbulent energies of the pasts,

Such as the intellectual storms of the Prince of Swords or the volatile fires of the Prince of Wands,

Finally coalesce into a balanced,

Self-sustaining flow.

This transition indicates a shift from striving to being,

Where life begins to move with a natural rhythmic grace.

It suggests that you are moving toward a phase of emotional regeneration,

Where the intensity of your experiences is transformed into a fertile and stable garden of contentment,

Allowing for deep,

Authentic joy to take root.

This card promises that your future will be defined by an economy of joy,

Modeled by the harmonious hexagram alignment of its imagery.

Rather than a fleeting or superficial distraction,

The pleasure indicated here is a spiritual alignment that nourishes both the self and others through a continuous cycle of giving and receiving.

It suggests a time of creative fruitfulness and the integration of your history,

Where you reclaim lost parts of your identity or inner child to live with newfound wonder.

Ultimately,

The Six of Cups in the future provides an assurance of stability.

You are approaching a destination where your physical,

Emotional and spiritual needs achieve a perfect golden equilibrium.

Underlying the energy of the above,

We have the Three of Disks in Tidal Works.

It represents the element of earth,

And when this card serves as the underlying energy for the Prince of Wands,

The Prince of Swords and the Six of Cups,

It acts as the anchor that gives these volatile forces a purpose.

The princes are notoriously ungrounded and volatile.

However,

Here we see a serious long-term project being built,

Leading to a life of substance.

As an underlying principle,

It suggests that the current intellectual restlessness is actually the policing of a physical manifestation,

Moving essentially from the idea of power to the application of it.

Let's go now to the I Ching and cast a related hexagram to the above reading.

Casting three coins six times,

We get water over earth,

Or the hexagram eight,

Entitled holding together and union,

Which is quite applicable,

Really.

Let me read from this description.

Holding together denotes a time for creating union with others in order to complement and assist one another.

Just as the rain complements and assists the earth,

Which is an image often associated with this hexagram,

In order for your unions to bear the greatest possible fruit,

Certain requirements must be met.

The first requirement for holding together is to hold with others is that we hold together with our own inner truth.

This means that we adhere to proper principles as a matter of habit,

Striving always to remain innocent,

Balanced,

And correct.

In short,

Marry the sage first and faithfully,

And good fortune will come to all subsequent marriages.

The second requirement for holding together with others is that we steadfastly resist the clamoring of the emotional inferiors within.

Every union meets with challenges,

And if we are not resolute against the effects of fear,

Doubt,

Despair,

And anger,

No lasting success will be possible in any relationship.

This is a good time to ask yourself if you are displaying the steadfast correctness and strength of character that are at the heart of all great unions.

Finally,

It is the responsibility of one who would unite to see that it is possible for others to enjoy union as well.

The desire for community is deeply felt by all humans,

And it is the shared responsibility of all those on the higher path to make some sort of family available to those in need.

In doing this,

We pay homage to the sage.