The knights symbolize the powers of the letter Yod in the Name. They are the most exalted, primordial, active part of the Energies of the Elements; for this reason they are depicted as riders in full armor. Their action is swift and violent, but transient. In the Element of Fire, for example, the Knight corresponds to a flash of Lightning; in the Element of Water - Rains and Springs; in the Element of Air, Wind; in the Element of the Earth - Goram. It is very important, as a spiritual exercise, to understand for oneself these correspondences between the Symbols and those Forces of Nature which they represent; for magical work, this knowledge must be fully assimilated.

The queens represent the first letter X E in the Name. They complement the Knights: they receive, excite and pass on their original Energy. They accept this Energy quickly and are well adapted to their function, but they are not yet the final product. Queens are the second stage of the creation process, the fourth and final stage of which is material fulfillment. They are depicted sitting on thrones. This highlights the fact that the Queens are appointed to certain functions.

Princes symbolize the Powers of the letter Vau in the Name. The Prince is the son of the Queen (daughter of the old King) and the Knight who conquered her; therefore he is depicted in a chariot carrying the combined Energy of his parents. He is the active product of their union, his outward manifestation, his intellectual image. Therefore, the action of the Prince is longer than the actions of his predecessors. In a sense, it even acquires a relative eternity, being the "public testimony" of what was done in secret. Furthermore, he is the "Dying God" who delivers his Bride at the hour of his death (and at the cost of it).

The princesses depict the final XE in the Name, the last result of the original Energy in its completion, crystallization, materialization. They also represent the balancing and self-absorption of this Energy, the Silence into which everything returns. Thus, they are both eternal and non-existent at the same time. The result of the equation is 0 = 2.

Princesses have no zodiac counterparts. But it is obvious that they depict four types of people. These are the numerous "elemental" people whom we recognize by their lack of sense of responsibility, whose moral qualities lack clarity. They are subdivided according to the dominant planets. Such types are repeatedly described in fiction. Eliphas Levi wrote: "The Magician's love for such beings is insensitive and can destroy him."

The relationships between the four elements of the Name are too complex to be described in one book; for each shade of meaning they are special.

For example, the Princess does not appear until the Prince wins her in marriage and she ascends to her Mother's throne. Thus she awakens the Antiquity of the first, old King, who thereafter becomes a young Knight, renewing the cycle. Princess is not only perfect Virgo, but, due to the death of the Prince, also a lonely, lamenting Widow. All this can be found in the myths characteristic of the Aeon of Osiris. These complexities can hardly be fully unraveled, but it is enough for the student to sort through one legend at a time.

For the Aeon of Osiris, when Air, struggle, intelligence reigned, such confusion is quite natural; its symbols and formulas were supposed to overlap, contradict each other. All these numerous fables and parables cannot be brought into a state of harmony, because each of them had to emphasize a special formula necessary to achieve some local or temporal goal.

General Description of the Sixteen Figure Cards

Knight of Wands

The Knight of Wands represents the fiery part of Fire; it governs from the 21st degree of Scorpio to the 20th degree of Sagittarius. This is a warrior in full armor. His helmet is adorned with a black horse head. In his hand is a flaming torch; his cloak also flames; on the flame, he rides on a black horse.

This figure corresponds to such moral qualities as activity, generosity, ferocity, swiftness, pride, impulsiveness, speed and unpredictability. With improper energy supply, he is angry, cruel, ignorant and rude. In any case, he is poorly adapted to perform his activity and cannot modify it according to circumstances. If the first attempt fails, he no longer has any resources.

In Yijing, the fiery part of Fire is represented by the 51st hexagram, Zhen. Its meanings are fully consistent with the doctrine of the Tarot, but special emphasis is placed on the amazing, dangerous and revolutionary nature of the events associated with it. The querent is advised to be cautious, but calm, resolute and cheerful; be wary of untimely action, but continue to move forward with self-confidence.

All correspondences from the Yijing should be studied directly from this book; we will refer to this text when important passages are too long to quote.

Queen of Wands

So, this card has great power; Libra, moving into Scorpio, has an extremely active, critical energy and weight. Good will, sincerity and right partnership are necessary for such people to succeed; dangerous for them is presumptuous ambition.

Princess of Cups

The Princess of Cups symbolizes the earthly part of Water - in particular, the property of crystallization, the ability to materialize an idea, support life and serve as the basis for chemical combinations. She is depicted as a dancing female figure in a flowing robe with a pattern of crystals around the edges.

Her head is crowned with a swan with spread wings. This reminds us of the swan, which in Eastern philosophy represents the word A U M or AUMGN, the symbol of the entire process of creation.

The princess is holding a covered bowl from which a tortoise protrudes. She is also from Hindu philosophy: the same turtle that supports the elephant, on whose back the universe rests. The princess dances on the foamy surface of the sea, in which the dolphin frolics, the king-fish, symbolizing the power of Creation.

By nature, this Princess is infinitely merciful. She is all - attractiveness, sensuality, softness, kindness and tenderness. She lives in the world of Romance, in an eternal ecstatic dream. A superficial glance may see selfishness and laziness in her, but this is a false impression; silently and effortlessly, it still does its job.

In Yijing, the earthly part of Water is represented by hexagram 41, Sun, which means "reduction", the dissolution of everything dense. The people indicated by this card are very dependent on others, but at the same time they are useful to them. On their own, they are rarely important at best, but helpers are unsurpassed.

Knight of Swords

He is dressed in chain mail of very fine weaving, with decorations, and in his chariot different geometric shapes are easily distinguishable. The chariot is pulled by winged children, jumping erratically in all directions wherever their eyes fall; they do not know the reins and are extremely Capricious. Therefore, the chariot is quite mobile, but unable to move in any particular direction, except random. This is the perfect picture of Mind.

The performance of this logical mental process has reduced Air, the element of this card, into many different geometric patterns, but there is no intention in this; they simply demonstrate the powers of the Mind without any particular purpose. AT right hand The prince is a raised sword with which he creates, in the left is a sickle, with which he immediately destroys everything created.

The person to whom this symbol refers is purely intellectual. He is full of ideas and plans clashing with each other. He has many subtle ideals that find no practical way out. His Apparatus of Thinking works flawlessly, he is very smart, remarkably rational, but his goals are unstable; in fact, he is indifferent even to his own ideas, knowing that any of them is no better or worse than any other. He will bring any thing to unreality, removing its substance and methodically transforming it into an ideal - purely formal and not even connected with the facts on which it is based.

In Yijing, the airy part of Air is represented by hexagram 57, Xun.

This is one of the most difficult figures in the whole book, because it is ambivalent: it means both flexibility and penetration. Extraordinarily strong due to complete freedom from established principles, always ready to resort to any conceivable argument, not subject to regret and repentance, glibly and deftly "quoting Scripture" in support of any thesis, indifferent to the fate of the opposite argument put forward by them two minutes earlier, invincible because any situation for them is no worse and no better than others, able to enter into an alliance with anyone who is at hand, these slippery and flexible people can be useful only when they are firmly subjugated by the creative will, backed up by a stronger one, than theirs, mind. In practice, this is rarely possible: you can’t pry them with anything, even indulging their appetites. But they can also be violent, even uncontrollable. Weirdos, drinkers, drug addicts, humanitarians, music or religion often belong to this class; but in this case there is no stability. They wander from one cult or vice to another, always fanatically and brilliantly upholding what is, in fact, just a passing fad.

It is easy to be deceived by such people, because the external manifestation has great power: it is as if an imbecile read to you the dialogues of Plato. In this way they can acquire a reputation for being both deep and broad-minded.

Princess of Swords

The Princess of Swords represents the earthly part of Air, the fixation of the volatile, the materialization of the Idea, the influence of Heaven on Earth. She shares in the characteristics of Minerva and Artemis, even with a hint of Valkyrie. To some extent, she symbolizes the wrath of the Gods and is depicted in a helmet adorned with a snake-headed Medusa. She stands in front of an empty altar, as if about to avenge her neglect, and pokes her sword down. Her home, the skies and clouds, seem angry.

The character of this Princess is tough and vengeful. Her logic is destructive. She is adamant and aggressive, in material matters she has practical wisdom and subtlety, cleverly and deftly manages them, especially when they are contradictory. He handles conflict very well.

In a bad environment these qualities dissipate; The princess acts incoherently and all her talents add up to an example of low cunning, not understanding the means.

In Yijing, the earthly part of Air is represented by hexagram 18, Gu. It means "trouble" and is indeed the most unlucky character in the entire book. All subtle qualities of Air are crushed, oppressed, suffocated.

The people denoted by this hexagram are slow-witted, constantly worried, unable to bear any responsibility, especially in family matters. One or both parents usually had the same problems.

It is difficult to understand the commentary on line 6, which "shows us one who does not serve either the king or the prince, but, exalted in spirit, prefers to follow his inclinations." This is explained as follows: the Princess as such, being the "throne of the Spirit", is always free to throw everything overboard, "arrange a dressing up to heaven." Such an action could be attributed to the above characteristics in a good environment. Such people are exceedingly rare; and, quite naturally, they often appear as "children of failure." However, they did right choice and in due time will receive their reward.

Knight of Disks

This Queen sits on the throne of plant life. Her gaze is turned back, to where a calm river winds its way through the sandy desert, bringing fertility with it. Among the wastelands, oases begin to appear. A goat stands on a ball in front of the Queen. This is an allusion to the dogma of the Great Work as fertilization. The Queen's armor consists of small coin scales, and her helmet is decorated with huge spiral horns of markhor. In her right hand she has a scepter crowned with a cube, inside of which a three-dimensional Hexagram is visible, and in her left hand her "disk" is bent - a sphere of intertwined loops and circles. Thus the Queen depicts the aspiration of matter to take part in the great work of Creation.

Persons denoted by this card have the quality of the subtlest calmness. They are active, but only in a useful direction. They have huge reserves of love, kindness, generosity. They are not intellectuals and not even particularly smart, but instinct and intuition are more than enough for their needs. These people are calm, industrious, practical, prudent, love homeliness, often (in a restrained and unpretentious manner) lustful and even depraved, prone to alcohol and drug abuse. They seem to be able to realize their essential happiness only by going beyond themselves.

In a bad environment, they are stupid, servile, stupid - more like laborers than workers. Life for them is a purely mechanical process, and they cannot rise, or even try to rise, above the lot prepared for them.

In Yijing, the watery part of the Earth is represented by hexagram 31, Xiang. Its meaning is Impact. The commentary describes the results of the movement of various parts of the body, from the big toes to the teeth and tongue. This is more of an extension of the above than an indication of exact matches; but there is no disagreement here. The general advice is to calmly move forward without intruding too much into the current situations.

Prince of Discs

The appearance of this Prince is thoughtful. This is the element of the Earth, which has already become intelligible. He is dressed in light armor and his helmet is adorned with a bull's head; the bull is also harnessed to his chariot - this animal is especially sacred to the element of Earth. In his left hand he holds his "disk" - a ball that looks like a globe, marked with mathematical symbols and, as it were, hinting at planning, without which agriculture is impossible. In his right hand he has a scepter crowned with a ball and a cross, a symbol of the Great Work accomplished, for the function of this Prince is to extract vegetation from the material of his element, which feeds the Spirit itself.

This card denotes tremendous energy applied to the most "dense" practical matters. Such a person is strong and enduring; he is a capable manager, stable and persistent worker. He is a good specialist: inventive, thinking, cautious, reliable, imperturbable, constantly looking for new applications for known things and little by little, thoughtfully, systematically remakes his circumstances "for himself."

He is almost completely devoid of emotion, somewhat insensitive, and may appear dull, but he is not; he just doesn't try to understand ideas he doesn't need. May look stupid, tends to take offense at more spiritual types of people. Rarely gets angry, but if he gets excited, he becomes inexorable. Distinguishing between good and bad elemental virtues for this card is not very practical; we can only say that in a bad environment, its characteristics both quantitatively and qualitatively deteriorate somewhat. The reaction of others to the Prince will depend almost entirely on their own temperament.

In Yijing, the aerial part of the Earth is represented by the 53rd hexagram, Jian. The commentary speaks of the flight of wild geese "approaching the shore," then "great rocks," then "dry plains," "trees," "high hills," and finally "great hills." This symbolizes a slow, gradual release from everything that suppresses.

This interpretation is even happier than the Kabbalistic one, although it is in full agreement with it. Chinese thinking - even the most abstract and metaphysical - has never shied away from practical considerations. The main heresy of the Black Lodge is contempt for "the world, the flesh and the devil", which are very important for the design of the universe; for the Great Work, it is absolutely necessary for the Adept to organize his affairs in such a way that "even the evil microbes of Matter also become useful and good."

The error of the Christian mystics in this matter has been the cause of cruelty, suffering and collective madness more than all other factors put together; its poisonous traces can be recognized even in the teachings of Freud, who considered the Unconscious "the devil", while in fact it is an instinct that veiledly expresses the inner Point of View of everyone and, correctly understood, is the key to Initiation and an indication of the seed that can blossom and bear fruit of the "Knowledge and Communication of the Holy Guardian Angel". For "Every man and every woman is a star."

But, undoubtedly, the judgment of the Exceptional Adepts (for it is they, under the guidance of the Lords of the Temple, who determine such details of the doctrine) in the case of this card was influenced by its position - transitional from Aries to Taurus. It is too often forgotten that Taurus is the house of Venus and the Moon is exalted in Taurus. The new doctrine states that the basic color of the Earth is not black, but green; she insists that each Disc is a living and rotating symbol. The central thesis of the "Book of the Law" is the Perfection of the Universe. In her pantheistic conception, all possibilities are equally valuable; any and every Point Event is a "game of H and t" as it is said in the "Book of Wisdom or Folly". "Do not tie! Let there be no difference for you between one thing and any other; for from this there is harm. Whoever contributes to this, let him be the leader over all." Or, even clearer and simpler: "Every number is infinite; there is no difference."

Disk Princess

The Princess of Disks, the last of the Figure Cards, represents the terrestrial part of the Earth. Therefore, she is on the verge of transformation. She is strong and beautiful, expresses deep thoughtfulness - as if she is about to know a secret miracle.

Her headdress is adorned with a ram's head, and the scepter is lowered to the earth, and there its tip becomes a diamond, the gem of Keter, thus symbolizing the birth of the highest and purest light in the deepest and darkest of the Elements. She stands in a grove of sacred trees in front of an altar resembling a sheaf of wheat, for she is a priestess of Demeter. Her body contains the secret of the future. The greatness of the Princess is also emphasized by her disk, in the center of which is a Chinese ideogram showing the double helical force of Creation in perfect balance; from it is born the rose of Isis, the great fertile Mother.

The characteristics of the person represented by this card are too varied to be listed. Let us summarize them by saying that she is Femininity in its extreme manifestation. It contains all the feminine qualities, and which of them manifests itself depends entirely on the influences to which it is subjected. But in any case, her attributes will be of the purest water and not necessarily associated with any other attributes that are usually considered symbolic. In a sense, it can be interpreted as a "confusing inconsistency". It is like a wheel: whatever number comes up, it in no way promises or influences the next numbers. Each turn of the wheel is equally likely and, in a certain sense, a reward. For each Event is a "play of H and t".

In Yijing, the earthly part of the Earth is represented by the hexagram "Mountain". How subtle is the meaning of this Chinese doctrine of Balance to the doctrine of the Holy Kabbalah!

The mountain is the most sacred of all earthly symbols: unshakable in its aspiration to the Highest, as if stretched out by the titanic energy of the Hidden Fire. It is as much a moment of the Hidden Divinity as the Phallus itself, like Capricorn, the sign of the New Year, exalted in the Zodiac.

It is very important that the Student follow this symbolism for himself: Air is malleable and flexible, but all-penetrating, and Water is fluid, but incompressible, the most neutral and connecting the components of living matter; Fire is so close to the Spirit, a substance, but only a phenomenon, and at the same time so inalienable that it can be considered the heart and essence of every thing.

The characteristic of G en in Yijing is peace; in the first line describes rest in the various members of the body—fingers, back, and jaws—and its consequences.

In this sense, the hexagram Gen is related to the 31st hectogram of which the second part of the I Ching begins.

Is it then possible to say that the cards of the Court, which are clearly related to the stages of the creation of the Universe, represent only certain people? The fact that their images are personified does not mean anything: it is enough to remember that people have always created images of even their highest gods, whom they considered unknowable. Personification occurs when it is necessary to create a channel of interaction with something, including a deity. They personified those forces that controlled any processes that were significant enough, had weight.

Remember the chessboard. There are figures on the chessboard - King, Queen (Mantrin, Sage in the oldest Indian chess), Bishop, Knight, Rook (Chariot) ... Pawns are like each other like two drops of water, they will acquire their own face only when they reach the other edge boards, i.e. when the rudiments of the elements develop into the elements. And only the senior pieces are personified, and each of them has its own freedom of movement, while the pawns move only in a straight line.

The mixed element theory, developed by Indian scientists, says that every element in nature is made up of eight eights: four of them are formed by the element itself, and the remaining four eights are created from other elements. This means that no element exists in its pure form, but is always mixed with others. Therefore, the earth consists of 4/8 pure earth, 1/8 fire, 1/8 water, 1/8 air, 1/8 ether.

If we turn to the ancient Indian maps, we can see that all the same figures are present there.

The Universe developed as four worlds successively unfolded, each of which went its own way from the One - Ace (the source of the element, which has not yet unfolded in this world, but remains in a “compressed” form, containing all its potential) to Dozens (a world that has unfolded and begins to give birth to the next world). Each stage of creation goes through the same path of development as all creations - thus, the Universe is like a hologram, each of its small parts contains everything.

Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles symbolize the elements of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and they can also be correlated with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton: Yod, He, Vav and He final. Knight, Queen, King, Page also correspond to the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, symbolizing the four levels of disclosure of the elements.

Kings - Fire, Yod - Father, Doer, Ruler
Queens - Water, Heh - Mistress, Mother
Knights - Air, Vav - Messengers, Transmission Agents, Intermediaries
Pages - Earth, Xe final - Servants, Children.

Thus, the Knight of Wands is the Fire of Fire, controlling, influencing the blind, impersonal, from the point of view of a person, the Element of Fire.

Page of Pentacles - Earth of the Earth; The Page of Pentacles is the most "pure" representative of its suit, through it we can best feel the elements of the Earth.

The Queen and King of Swords are needed to spawn the Knight of Swords, the most important card of its suit, which acts through the Servant of Air - the Page of Swords. And so on. Each card takes its place, just as important as the others, and allows you to work with the level of elements for which it is responsible. Each of the four figures is authorized to operate in the sphere of its suit, interacting with each of the ten levels of development of its element (that is, with number cards).

Like the Minor Arcana number cards, the Court cards do not stand for people or events. They mean an element that manifests itself in a person or an event, and you need to understand, feel the manifestation of this element, and whether the card in this case corresponds to a certain person or indicates some event, only intuition and knowledge of the context of the situation will tell.

Lay the Court cards in front of you according to the elements and compare them with each other: how does the Knight of the Air differ from the Knight of the Earth?

The Knight of the Air and the Knight of the Earth are both represented on horseback, but... The Knight of the Air gallops at full speed, and the horse of the Knight of the Earth stands quietly. The Knight of the Air rushes forward, holding a sword in his hand, and the Knight of the Earth looks at the plowed field: he brought the grain to be planted in the ground, he came to sow the field. Both Knights are in motion, but this motion is different. The movement of the Earth is different from the Movement of Fire, the Movement of Fire from the Movement of Water, the Movement of Water from the Movement of Air.

Court cards do not replace each other: in the Tarot deck, as in any well-developed magical or mantic system in general, the keys do not duplicate each other. The King and Queen of the same suit are not two people with similar characters, but two different principles of the manifestation of one element, two operators of the same element, personified by a person. The same is true for Knights and Pages.

The forces that represent the Court Cards can manifest themselves in a person, and then we are already talking about the fact that, say, the Queen of Cups symbolizes, for example, a girl in love. But in the same way, the principle of the Queen of Cups can manifest itself differently, and it will still be the Queen of Cups.

So, Court cards are not people. These are forces, principles, processes, stages, keys, operators of elements. They can also indicate how this or that element is revealed in us. How is the Fire revealed in us? Do we trust our intuition, our fire, our burning? Do we hear our Spirit? How is the Air revealed in us? Can we think creatively, not in patterns? How is water revealed in us? Can we love, and what is Love in our understanding, and what does it become in our life?

Court cards also manifest on three levels: at the level of the Spirit, at the level of the soul, at the level of matter. They appear in nature, they appear in ourselves and in our actions. After all, as above, so below.

Take a suit and try to imagine how each of the cards of the Court will manifest in nature. How will Air of Air manifest itself? What about Earth Water? In what phenomena, in what processes? Write it all down in the comments.

Think about the people around you. What element is felt in them? Remember some processes in your life when you learned to be someone (namely, to be, and not to be called), when you cultivated in yourself some quality you needed, and it opened up in you - who you were at that moment, what Court Map spoke through you?

It is interesting to study Court cards, looking at their images in different decks, comparing them with each other. What does the Queen of Pentacles keep? What is in the cup of the King of Cups? Why does the Queen of Cups look at the goblet, while the Queen of Wands looks into the distance? What does the Page of Pentacles expect from the pentacle, and the Page of Wands from the wand? Let's go to gallery court cards and look at representatives of the court cards of several classic decks.

There are sixteen curly cards. They are also called court cards, as they represent the king and his retinue. These cards represent the people you meet in your life: they can be your acquaintances and family members, all those you come across at work, close and distant relatives. Sometimes they can also denote certain “ideas” that live in your mind. If the last card in the spread is one of the Courtiers, this may mean that someone else must make the final decision for you.

KINGS OF TAROT

Men aged 35 and over. The king symbolizes the paternal figure, authority, wisdom and life experience.

TARO QUEEN

Women aged 35 and over. Queens carry the image of a mother. This is a significant figure for you, combining such qualities as maturity, care and understanding.

Note. If the King or Queen is reversed in the layout, then this card can mean a hostile or unpleasant person. In addition, the inverted King can sometimes symbolize a woman of the astrological sign corresponding to this card (both benevolent and hostile). In the same way, the Queen can indicate a man of the corresponding zodiac sign - both positively and negatively towards you.

People aged 25 to 40 years. These are messengers. If the card is upright, it means either a man or some good news. The Knight of Swords is an exception and most often means bad news. The upside down knight denotes the woman of this astrological sign.

PAGES OF TAROT

Young people under 25 years of age. Pages denote children or young men (girls) of different ages. Along with this, they can denote messengers or couriers, students, young people, as well as various kinds of problems. Sometimes a Page in a straight position is a male face, and an inverted Page is a female. Sometimes in the course of fortune-telling you have to clarify: “Do you have a son or daughter?” It also happens that the Page indicates a feminine male child or a strong, strong girl. Pages can be deceiving!

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Herald, gossip, some news (on neighboring cards), help, support. Friend, foreigner.

Handsome, enthusiastic, tends to get carried away. Admirer, lover.

Make new friends, implement new ideas.

A change in family, work, etc. is possible.

Business is small.

Health is strong, maybe VVD.

flipped card

Change, warning, instability. Leads to change. Keep your mouth shut.

Business is a failure.

Health is victory over minor ailments.

Page of Cups

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Good news, new idea, work, work. Acquaintance. Perhaps the birth of a child. Good outcome. Reflection, more determination. There may be a change in emotions. Directness, trust. Settlement of the conflict.

The business is small, the money is medium.

Health - mental illness, underdevelopment, childhood diseases.

flipped card

Flattery, cunning, deceit, seduction, selfishness, inability to translate plans into reality. Love for luxury. Short truce.

Business - does not go because of laziness, deceit.

Health - childhood illnesses are difficult.

Page of Swords

Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Spy, traitor, curiosity. Bad news, gossip, envy. Man will do evil. Showdown. You calculate everything. Heather, vindictive.

Business is small business.

Health - hidden diseases, difficult diagnosis.

flipped card

Cunning, quarrels, bad news, surprise, any changes. Mutual insults before breaking off relations. Health problems. Sudden blow.

Business is dishonest.

Health - mumps, chicken pox, kleptomania, pathological lies.

Page of Pentacles

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Good news (from relatives). Luxury. Material changes are possible. Kind, generous, caring. The beginning of an ambition, a career. Training, work, impracticality.

Business is at an early stage, but stable.

Health - joint problems or just need to be strengthened.

flipped card

Bad news, slowing down something. Illness, selfishness. Insolence, rudeness, robbery. Embezzlement. Impostor. Waste. Bad luck. Don't lend money.

Business is of low quality, requires repayment of debts.

Health - stretch marks, dislocations.

Knight of Wands

Aries, Taurus, Gemini

Departure, arrival soon, resettlement. Change of any kind. Friend, family - ready to help. Unable to control the situation.

Business is risky.

Health is strong, but does not protect.

flipped card

Divorce, scandal, quarrels, breakup, jealousy, separation. Loss of a friend. Trouble. There will be no wedding. Suspicion. The trip (change of place) will be forced.

Business is full of adventures.

Health - dangerous injuries.

Knight of Cups

Fish

Arrival, guest, visit, lover, beloved. Good friend, honest, smart, talent. Unexpected receipt of money. Loyal. Unable to control the situation. There has been a change in emotions. Dreamer. New acquaintance.

Business is well established, money is average.

Health is a quick recovery.

flipped card

Deception of trust, thief, laziness, deceit, vile deeds. Tempter, seducer, suggestibility.

Business is good, empty promises.

Health - sexually transmitted diseases.

Knight of Swords

Twins

Acts only in their own interests. Cunning, jealous. Conflict. Military. Attack. Unable to control the situation. There has been a significant change in plans and intentions. Unexpected turn (on adjacent maps). Clear and sober mind.

With the King, Lady - a quarrel, a scandal.

Business - booming business, sometimes leaving work.

Health is an acute process of the course of the disease.

flipped card

Trouble of any kind. Insolence, enemy, cruelty, stupidity, theft.

Business is a loss.

Health - complications after surgery, sciatica, arthritis.

Knight of Pentacles

Virgo

Departure, arrival, impatient. Useful, profitable business. Profit. There has been a material change. Unable to control the situation. Luck.

Business - slowly but surely.

Health - physical strength, endurance.

flipped card

Gossip, loss of money, work. Calm, stagnation. Loan. Scam. slowdown. Ignorance.

Business - little or no money, poorly planned.

Health - always something hurts.

Queen of Wands

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Glamorous, love of money. Honest. Now is the time. The beginning of the enterprise. Development. Realization, fidelity. A sensual woman with a very strong character. Success is likely. Doesn't lose possession.

Business - business lady.

Love is faithful, loving.

Health is strong.

flipped card

Jealousy, greed, betrayal, lies. Will provide a service. The meeting will take place. Sacrifices too much for a ghostly idea.

Business - wrong direction, petty tyrant.

Love - do not trust, talkative.

With the Devil - envy, jealousy, revenge.

Health is deteriorating.

Queen of Cups

Honest, blonde, good friend, dreamy, mother, grandmother. Generous woman, tender.

Business - profit, development.

Love is emotional love.

Health - a tendency to edema, overweight, sluggish diseases.

flipped card

Divorce, termination of relationship. Duplicity. Psychical deviations. Unstable psyche, insidious. Scandal, whims, jealousy, debauchery, mother cuckoo. Communication without feelings. Wishful thinking.

Business - no money, no development, chaos.

Love - Abuses alcohol or anything, in any case - unstable (a)

With the Magician - problems in intimate life.

Health - drug poisoning, substance abuse.

Queen of Swords

Scales

Business is up for the better.

Love - will not trust your feelings.

With 3 of Swords and the High Priestess - secret love.

Health is a successful operation, a tenacious struggle for life.

flipped card

Cunning, deceit, stubbornness, gossip, misfortune. Losses.

Business - wrong calculations, waste.

Love - gossip, jealous, lonely woman, with 9 Cups - depression.

Health - neuralgia, thyroid gland.

Queen of Pentacles

Brunette, trust, wealth. Achieves prudence, knows how to dispose. Home improvement, mother, mistress, charming, ambitious. The event is fun.

Business is established

Love - will be betrayed all his life, does not accept any relationship, except for serious ones.

Health is good care of the body.

flipped card

Evil is inevitable, indecision, doubtfulness. Sly, gossip, swindler. Failure, fear, illness, trouble. The events are sad.

Business is mismanagement.

Love is a marriage of convenience, obsessed with greed, envious, full of ambition.

Health - takes little care of the body.

King of Wands

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Kind, honest, modest, achieves everything with his work. Worthy opponent. Good news, success, career advancement. Iron will.

Business is expanding.

Love - a meeting at work, with 3 of Swords - is not able to respond to feelings.

Health is a strong, quick recovery.

flipped card

Tyrant, selfish, fighter, harsh temper, will not help just like that, hard work. Throws the family, for the sake of work, affairs.

Business - problems with management.

Love - will not stop to win, and then immediately leave, the hero-lover.

Health - apathy, temporary disability.

King of Cups

Cancer, Scorpio

The beginning of the novel, blond, honest, friend. Impractical in money, sometimes greedy. Loves family, good lover. Amorous. Fickle. Educated, with developed intuition. With a sense of humor. Promises a lot, but quickly forgets. Father, patron, guardian, relatives.

With the Magician - success in everything.

With the Emperor - Alphonse.

The business is stable with great earnings.

Love - you won’t be bored with him, improving relations.

Health is good, health improvement.

flipped card

Sex without love, family breakdown, drunkard, drug addict. High position. Thief. A shame. Extortion. Unfair, dishonest, cunning, mean. Deception, betrayal. With a bad past, mot.

Business - losses, losses.

Love is a deceiver, betrayal, decreased potency, inconstancy in love, relationships, an insolvent lover, uncertain relationships, intentions.

Health - exhaustion in drinking, partying, parties.

King of Swords

Aquarius

Official, competitor, jealous, danger, cunning, precarious situation, physical danger. Highly educated with a tendency to control others. Doesn't believe in a word.

Business is a state business.

Love is smart.

Health - severe head injuries, meningitis.

flipped card

Deceit, cruelty, an evil person, rude, violence, a complicated court case.

Business is layoffs.

Love is two-faced, a gossip, a liar.

Health is harder than in a straight position.

King of Pentacles

Taurus

Always gets things done. Brunette, businessman, father. The owner, rich, educated, patron, faithful husband, sponsor, teacher. Prosperity. Reliability, talent. Ready to protect. Patient, practical.

Business is solid.

Love is hard to conquer, the owner, a good family man.

Health - salts (inclination).

flipped card

Weakness, misorganization, disorder, danger. A dangerous person, a competitor, not far off in the mind, revenge.

Business is speculation.

Love is boring, petty, jealous, vengeful. With the Devil - the relationship ends because of jealousy.

Health is the deposition of salts.

Curly Arcana is a reflection of the archetypes of the unconscious on the qualities of a person's character. In order to best understand the influence of the Figure Arcana, you can divide the deck into three parts: Major, Figure and Minor Arcana, and draw one card from each pile. Then the Major Arcana will symbolize the general situation, the fundamental Archetype that acts on a person, the Figure Card will depict what features a person will have in this situation, and the Younger - where it will lead him.

Sometimes figure cards express the psychological type of the Querent or the people around him. But type, as such, is as dynamic as the changes that take place around it.

Let initially a person have a certain stable type, then, nevertheless, the external environment influences him, and his type changes depending on the situation, possessing, at the same time, some stable characteristics. For some layouts where a signifier card is needed, the tarologist determines the psychological type of the Querent “by eye” and looks for the corresponding card in the deck.

If a curly card falls out in a layout, it can symbolize some person in the Querent's life, and if you know his environment, then you can even guess who it is. If the environment is unknown, you can describe the nature of this figure so that the Querent guesses for himself.

Curly arcana can show what new acquaintances he will make, who will influence his future life. But most often, a curly card should be considered as character traits that a person shows in a given situation. The meaning of Tarot cards is described through a set of several correspondences. Here we have two elements that make up a sub-element, two signs of the zodiac, a piece of the sky of which he controls and the I-Ching Hexagram. To explain the meaning of the element, we use tables "777", for the zodiac - astrology, and we will interpret the hexagrams according to the "I-Ching" in the translation of M. Shutsky and in Crowley's translation, and see what these concepts have in common, reinforcing our guesses with Crowley's guesses from the Book of Thoth. On the cards themselves, we see several hints - the figure, clothing, body position, objects and living beings surrounding it. In order to understand these images, it is enough to know the stereotypes associated with these images.

The Curly Arcana is a guide to various characters. Where these characters came from is a difficult question. Surely, the Senior Arcana in Querent's personal layout, which directly show the Father and Mother - the first people in the life of this person, can clarify the situation a little. For example, the Great Mother portrayed by the Empress will create a completely different personality than the Moon, and it will be more likely the Princess of Disks than the Princess of Swords. However, the influence of the Major Arcana on Figure Cards requires careful study, which is beyond the scope of this study.

Correspondence

And yet, the theories that try to explain the Tarot remain theories, because it is an applied tool that consists of a set of correspondences. Correspondences are summarized in the table. The "Stars of Eternity" deck is a product of meditation, according to one version - a member of the Order A...A..., about the people from which we know little, except that their work on themselves is in full swing. The author of Liber T. tried to convey the general impression of meditation, sometimes missing details that are so useful for analysis. In other cases, on the contrary, his thinking seems consistent and gives a better understanding of the symbols.

Book of Changes

Separately, it should be said about the book "I-Ching", which is widely used by Crowley in the "Book of Thoth" for the interpretation of figure cards. The fact is that in the Western occult tradition there is no culture of interpretation of subelements. We can find a lot of material on the planets and the Zodiac, on each individual element, on the combinations of an element with the planets, but we have no sources for interpreting the superposition of one element on another. Only in China, two thousand years before the beginning of our era, the I-Ching treatise was created, consisting of the so-called hexagrams, which had a name and a numerical value. It is believed that the most ancient source consisted of eight trigrams, including all possible combinations of alternating a broken yin line with a continuous yang line. Later they were combined into 64 hexagrams. Thus, if four trigrams correspond to four elements, then their combinations in hexagrams will give us material for studying such a phenomenon as a subelement. Each of the eight trigrams had its own name and several correspondences. Their meaning and magical uses have not yet been fully explored.

Even at the time of writing the book "777" Crowley assigned these correspondences to the trigrams. As can be seen, they do not coincide with the ancient Chinese correspondences, where the trigram "Clutch" means fire, and the trigram "Immersion" means water, although in his comments on "777" he states that all these correspondences are traditional. In his life, acquaintance with the "I-Ching" is not limited to this.

Later, he translates, or rather, writes comments on two monuments of Chinese culture: "Tao de Ching" and "I-ching", which are included in his work "Magic Tao". One of the Holy Books of Thelema, "Liber Trigrammaton" describes the course of creation in symbols of the interaction of three symbols: a dot, a dash, and a broken line. As we can see, Liber Trigrammaton does not make things very clear. However, if you dig, you can find an explanation why this or that element corresponds to each specific trigram. It is only inexplicable why, when it comes to the interpretation of hexagrams, Crowley reads the upper trigram first, and then the lower one, while in all comments on the Book of Changes it is indicated that the lower trigram comes first. It turns out that, for example, the airy part of the earth (Earth's Air) denotes hexagram No. 53 ("Flow"), where the lower trigram corresponds to the Earth, and the upper - to Air.

If he read the hexagrams from below, then the Prince of Disks would correspond to hexagram No. 18, which is called "Correction (corruption)", and in Crowley it refers to the Princess of Swords. One way or another, the correspondences that Crowley suggests work: indeed, the Air of the Earth is a more harmonious subelement than the Earth of Air, since the first means the reserves of the vital element on Earth, and the second is the difficulty of materializing and retaining the volatile element itself. In addition, this study refers to the “Deck of Thoth” and “Liber T”, on which the ideas of hexagrams are expressed precisely in the interpretation of Crowley. In any case, work with correspondences is a game of the mind that has a specific goal - to reach the depths of the unconscious with the help of directed meditation and release the resources locked there.

Knights

A distinctive feature of the Knights: masculinity and militancy. They have a horse with them, they are dressed in armor. All these factors are united by the idea of ​​Fire. The horse is a symbol of speed and determination. The horse is a part of the knight himself, his best friend and his mirror image. Against the background of a knight galloping on a horse, a symbol of one of the four elements is presented, on which Fire is superimposed, creating a sub-element.

Knight of Wands

fire fire

Double will. The Knight's horse is black, and due to the blackness it looks even more purposeful. The hair, beard and cape of the knight, developing, turn into a swift flame. The knight is fully dressed in armor, which indicates invulnerability. The Knight is purposeful and strong, and these are the qualities of Fire, which are fully given to man here. At some point in life, each of us feels how the inner fire breaks out, giving us strength. This is exactly what Querent appears to us. Sometimes this Fire is tinged with anger and hatred, and then its purpose is destructive. Whether the Knight destroys will be shown by the Minor Arcana around him. Fire-Fire is lightning, electrical discharge. Crowley refers it to the 51st Hexagram of the I Ching, which is called "Fire".

Its other name is "Excitement". The I Ching is not limited to one static image, but describes the whole situation. In the comments to this hexagram, advice is given for the battle of conquest.

Fire is opposed to Earth and Water: "Fight fire with fire, and you will not get bogged down in mud and laziness," says Crowley's translation of The Magical Tao. The last degrees of Scorpio ruled by the Knight is Scorpio in its highest form, represented by the Eagle. From him the Knight of Wands inherited pride and courage. Sagittarius, the last sign of Fire, corresponds to the uninterrupted pressure of Fire applied in all directions. Crowley argues that such a Knight has no ability to influence the world around him, he rushes like heavy artillery, and in peacetime it is better to use other methods. However, such a person knows how to achieve his own. He lacks flexibility, but he excels in speed, like an arrow shot from a Sagittarius bow. However, negative Small cards, in fact, circumstances, can harden his will, and then he will destroy everything in his path.

Falling out in a layout, this card means that a person will be purposeful and fast, he will take from life what he needs, but may be too assertive and unscrupulous in means. A person will captivate others with his enthusiasm.

As a significator, this is a strong and strong-willed person, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. However, stubbornness is more of an earthly quality, and in the Fire Knight it disappears when his goal changes. And they change very often.

Knight of Cups

Fire Bodes

Fire gives Water strength and onslaught, but the strength of Water grows due to convenient circumstances: a steep slope, flowing down from which, the strength of water increases. Another example of such "beneficial circumstances" are pressure differences in different parts of the sea, which cause waves. Hexagram "I-ching", representing the Fire of Water -54 hexagram - "Bride". This is a very deep image, hinting at the marriage of Fire and Water at best, but here the image of the bride is rather reminiscent of her defenselessness, emptiness (due to whiteness and purity) and exposing herself like a beautiful doll.

Water falling on stones with great force gradually breaks them into smaller ones, splits off the top layer and dissolves. And although pebbles are smooth and beautiful, they don't have useful application. Only a great human mind can materialize the power of Water at a hydroelectric power station. But the Knight of Cups does not have the element of Air, which is responsible for the mind, so he is basically useless, although majestic, like a thunderstorm. The knight is not susceptible to positive effects. He sees no one but himself, like a peacock spreading its tail. His white horse carries him to even greater dissolution in the foam of the waves. He has wings and is about to transmute, but in his cup is not the blood of God, but only the oblivion of Selena's lover, which symbolizes the Moon, which rules Cancer, which sits on the Knight's cup. Also, the chemical property of this card is dissolution, which is why Crowley talks about the dangers of addiction. The beauty of Fire goes out under the onslaught of Water, and, shifting this to a person's life, one can assume that his beauty becomes only external. Fire in Water narrow sense- just a shimmer of its surface.

The artistry of Pisces here is only a disguise for the superficiality of Aquarius. The Knight is definitely an extrovert, and in his case, this manifests itself as a desire to show off to others. The Knight of Cups in the layout suggests that a person will enjoy life and the attention of other people, without thinking about the future. He will direct his energy to please, and this can move him to great undertakings. If there are negative arcana around such a Knight, then his desire to achieve attention will come from purely selfish motives and will be limited to them.

As a Significator, this Knight is artistic, charming, but a little deceitful and insincere, like both signs of the Zodiac, which he rules. He is handsome, but capricious and whiny. Rather, it is a "marriable" girl or a gentle young man who is mired in hedonism.

Knight of Swords

Air Fire

A squall of wind causes the fire to flare up. With a sufficiently large force, Fire becomes uncontrollable. The swallows flying ahead of the Knight's horse symbolize the speed of his Air - the wind. Gemini, ruled by the Knight, is a very windy sign, but Taurus makes the Knight stubborn. As indicated in the comments to the 32nd Hexagram of the I Ching, the desire for constancy is the main enemy of such a person.

The Knight of Swords is the personification of activity, perseverance and determination, so stopping is unacceptable for him. The hexagram itself is called "Permanence", but the very first line of the ancient text says: "Permanence. Action,” which is why Crowley interprets it as “the constancy of effort” and not the constancy of rest.

Since there is no absolute rest in the world, constancy manifests itself in a certain rhythmically repeated action, such as, for example, the sound of a clock. The Knight is gifted with unparalleled perseverance and is capable of hard work in ever-changing conditions. Crowley points out that there is a hidden hint in this card about the nature of the Path for such a person: through the perseverance of the earthy Taurus, the Knight can become an inspired and exalted Gemini. In this he is assisted by the Will represented by Fire. The main strength of the Knight is the ability to make the right decisions, although he is more of a strategist than a tactician, since his decisions are dictated by a far-reaching goal. Accordingly, the second danger for such a person will be the inability to determine the goal, and here the duality of Gemini can fully manifest itself. In the layout, the meaning of this card is highly dependent on the environment. If there are life-affirming minor arcana around, the person is on the right track and his persistent actions will be rewarded. In a bad environment, can I advise you to stop and look around, where are we, in fact, flying so fast? As a significator, the Knight of Wands means a purposeful person, an excellent manager, able to look far and deep and make global decisions. If his abilities resonate with the world, and he is in a position where he has the necessary resources to implement his strategies, then he will be happy.

Knight of Disks

Earth Fire

This time we see the Knight, who returned from the war and is engaged in the production of food. Even the duration of the signs he governs indicates the harvest period: August is the month. This knight is a typical representative of the tribal patriarch of the ancient Slavic communities, the head of the family, who most often served as an agronomist and manager of a large farm. His ability to rule is the Fire of his subelement, and he governs the affairs of the Earth.

His horse is no longer a rabid horse in the ranks of the cavalry, it is a heavy truck, the main assistant to the peasant, which is harnessed to the plow and which carries hay for livestock. Hexagram 62, Fire of the Earth, is called the Re-development of the Small. In itself, the production of food is necessary, but not the most important thing in the modern world of the Aeon of Horus. Therefore, agriculture can be called Small in comparison with the Great Work.

The ancient commentaries say that such a person can miss his goal and be satisfied with something that almost replaces the object of his aspirations (“You will not reach your sovereign, you will meet his servant”). Often the managerial potential of such people is wasted on material things, on the pursuit of wealth and abundance. It is better for such a person to pay attention to his "Lion" qualities and avoid excessive consumerism and overeating, characteristic of the Virgo in its lowest manifestation. In the layout, this card may indicate that Querent will prove himself as an experienced and successful organizer, manager, but the business itself, most likely, is of a purely material nature. In the worst case, the Knight of Disks depicts a person mired in satisfying the needs of his stomach. As a significator, he is a very solid person, standing firmly on his feet, a jack of all trades, but preferring to work not alone, but to organize everyone in such a way as to fairly share labor. High matters and the concept of spiritual growth are alien to him. He is more concerned with the question "how to feed the family?". He can be successful in any business where he is required to "organize production", especially in agriculture. In the city, this is, respectively, the foreman or production manager at the plant.

queens

Cards corresponding to the Queens carry the symbol of femininity, due to the perceptive structure of water. The water part of the sub-elements is passive, which is represented by the throne on which the Queens sit. The background and other figures on the map refer to the symbols of the elements on which Water is superimposed. This is a very strong element capable of volitional influence no worse than Fire, however, it chooses other methods. Her methods and spheres of influence are not weapons and swiftness, but feelings and the ability to wait, so she will wage war through intrigue and acting, no worse than any court lady.

Queen of Wands

Water of Fire

The fire of this Queen manifests itself primarily as the fire of sensuality. The will of the Queen of Wands will be to be or appear to be kind and generous, to be friends and to love. But her love always has a share of superiority, as the Queen of Wands is powerful. The downward beams from her robe symbolize patronage, and her Bacchae wand symbolizes a high level of sexuality. “In her face is the ecstasy of a woman who knows what is below her navel” ... also has a body, the “Book of Thoth” hints. The leopard is a symbol of the fastest animal, here is the swift Fire. But the Queen, Water, puts her hand on him, and he remains at her feet. Due to the watery nature, the pride that Fire gives is colored emotionally and turns into vanity. The I Ching calls the Water of Fire "Following" and, as a true Confucian source, advises following authority with joy.

In the New Aeon, the sequence of thinking equals inertia, because Crowley writes that the propensity to think makes the Queen stupid, she does not realize what she is doing. So such people are unlikely to succeed in philosophical reflection, but they are unsurpassed patrons and patrons for deeper thinkers. The influence of Pisces, which she rules, is represented here by inertia, extreme passivity of Water, which is saved only by the dynamics of its second ruler - Aries. It turns out that the Queen is very active and energetic, but only under the influence of some stronger source. Its fluidity makes it similar to the lava of a volcano, which never appears without the accompaniment of the volcano itself. In the layout, this card says that a person takes a position of power in a relationship. But this power is secret, not overwhelming, but passively dominant through acting and intrigue. The positive aspect of this character is the awareness of one's power and the direction of it according to one's will. Such a person has a strong sexuality, due to which he influences others.

A significator with such a character is an imperious wife who controls her husband from the sofa or a philanthropist who is ready to promote the work of her lover. She is not stupid, but stubborn and vain. She is beautiful and virtuous, but has a mind of her own. However, her mind may well be the mind of her mother, which she picked up in childhood. If this is a man, then he reaps the laurels of his social status, he is occupied with the question of what kind of people to surround himself with in order to stand out even more against their background and rule over them.

Queen of Cups

Water Water

The queen is very harmonious, but only at first glance. Water Reflects water, it has no momentum. A heron standing on one leg is invisible in the reeds. Cancer feels the duality of Gemini and defends itself from this awareness of this duality with a shiny shell.

Water of Water is a pool in which the circles from a drowned woman falling into it calm down very quickly and thick black water covers the drowned woman with her head without a trace. The joy that the 58th hexagram promises is, in fact, the joy of ignorance. But it must also find a way out and be transferred to the environment, otherwise the water will stagnate and turn into a swamp. On the map, the Queen's joy is symbolized by her fluorescent cape.

The lotus that the Queen holds in her hand emphasizes the idea of ​​the Great Mother's passivity. The queen is either superficial, which only “reflects the nature of the observer,” or vice versa, so deep that the observer lacks his own depth to see all her manifestations. In the layout, this card means that a person will reflect the situation and its participants, without showing the qualities of his personality himself. The querent will charm others. If there are negative Minor Arcana in the environment, then, most likely, a person will become fixated on himself and his family, and will be perceived only as an attachment to his partner. If the surrounding cards are harmonious, then he or she will bring joy and harmony to his surroundings.

As the Significator, the Queen of Cups portrays a very calm, flexible and harmonious person who will always have arguments to protect you, even if he does not believe in your impeccability. Everyone loves them, but they quickly forget about their existence if they are not seen for a long time.

Queen of Swords

Air Water

Water of Air in the most superficial sense means art. Therefore, Crowley mentions the art of dancing, and Frieda Harris portrays an actress resting after a performance. The masks are discarded and her watery, feminine essence becomes apparent, although she tried to hide under the face of a bearded man a minute ago. This is femininity that hides behind the logic of Air, but cannot hide its Water essence.

Crowley calls the ability to let go of the mask "liberation of the mind", that is, the cutting off of habitual thought patterns. The commentary on the 28th Hexagram of the I-Ching, corresponding to the Queen of Swords, speaks of the fragility of the foundation on which the Queen builds her throne. Her throne hangs in the Air and is itself a faint radiance. Like any creative person, the Queen builds castles in the air.

The Hexagram itself is called "Redevelopment of the Great" and the commentary hints that the creativity of such a person does not find a way out, there is nothing new in it. In a bad environment, he expresses himself by playing various roles that do not carry value. In the layout, this card may mean that a person will have to show his true face. Sometimes the card says that a person urgently needs to change his role, that is, his attitude to life. Perhaps this can be done with the help of a person from whom you do not expect help (according to the "Book of Thoth").

As a significator, the Queen of Swords is the very concentration of wisdom, but this wisdom is presented by a person a little slyly and playfully. This is a person of art who is trying to convey some new idea to the world, but this idea is perceived by others as just a beautiful dance. It is very difficult to find the depth of such a person. He seems superficial and lazy, but he has the potential for development, which he will be able to use, realizing that he is playing and building the castles in the air of his fantasies.

Queen of Disks

Earth water

In the figure, the Queen is a symbol of fertile land. Around it - thickets, on the horizon - the riverbed, bringing life to those who settle around it. An oasis in the desert, like the Nile.

The Great Mother Isis (Water) is the most life-giving here, since her power is applied to the Earth. Sagittarius, ruled by the Queen, gives a certain purposefulness to her efforts, since her ultimate goal is realization (Earth). The nobility of her efforts is from Jupiter ruling Sagittarius. Capricorn makes her stubborn and materialistic. Her scepter is with the Hexagram of Earth, her shield is of Coins, as the suit of Disks used to be called.

That is why Crowley writes that matter here is going to take part in the Great Work of Creation. She has too many implementation tools. The I-Ching hexagram, “Interaction”, reflects the very realization and transformation that is possible due to the combination of two elements close to each other. Water is friendly to the Earth and together they are able to give rise to life, that is, to create something new. In the scenario, the Queen of Disks means the intervention of a reasonable maternal force, which is primarily interested in saving the life of her child, so the goal may not be achieved, breaking off on the horns of the Queen.

On the other hand, it is a symbol of security and home comfort, which is sometimes so necessary. Such people manage to grow plants, they are not very intelligent, but they are not stupid. They have a very developed intuition, but it often does not find application if everyone around is only interested in the final result. The twisted horns of the sacred goat, which the Queen wears on her helmet, speak of her extreme stubbornness. The ram in the foreground emphasizes this even more. However, the Ram is also a valuable fur that the Princess of Disks will put on, sitting on the throne of her mother. The Queen of Disks has a talent for working with matter: everything in her hands is transformed.

princes

The Princes represent Air, its volatility and intelligence. They are courageous, but they are still young men, therefore their masculinity is not in strength, but in logic, since they, like all young people, put the mind above other human qualities. All of them ride on the chariot of their mind, the thoughts of which carry them across the expanses of the Universe. A living creature is harnessed to the chariot, symbolizing the element on which Air is superimposed. Their second element is the nature of the thoughts of the Princes and the sphere of application of their mind. They hold the reins in their hands, so they control the dominant thought, which allows them to choose the direction to some extent. However, the possibility of choice is illusory - their totem animal has already determined the speed and nature of the progress. The princes are clad in thin, invisible chain mail, which reflects their vulnerability to the impact of a more decisive force, but the vulnerability is compensated by the speed of the chariot, which carries them away from the projectiles of cruel reality with the speed of the wind.

Prince of Wands

Air of Fire

“And there is Fire rushing forward and spreading due to the rushing air,” says the Ritual of Opening the Watchtower of Air. The chain mail of the Prince of Wands does not even reach his chest, but the neck, where Vishuddha is located, is closed from bullets. Conversations are his forte. He thinks fast, talks smart and is constantly evolving. Don't override him.

The main feature of his character is a slightly detached frivolity. He is strong, but his strength is directed in all directions, like the rays of his crown. He knows a lot, but he doesn't believe in anything.

He thinks quickly, proves logically and can convince, but he himself will adhere to several points of view at once. His coat of mail is the shell of Cancer, which he rules with the Lion that is harnessed to his chariot. The nature of the thoughts of the Prince of Wands is militant, but the war goes on at the level of the ideas that Air cards give, and the war is rather intellectual, and the question that the prince is trying to figure out is: who is smarter and better (vain Leo). His phoenix wand reveals the Solar nature in him - it is able to illuminate the hidden parts of the unconscious of other people. I-Ching claims that the Air of Fire, the 42nd hexagram "I", multiplies and creates, but resources tend to run out if they are not constantly replenished. In the layout, this card means that the Querent will seriously consider his decisions, and will do everything to achieve what he wants. But, in fact, he initially does not know what he wants, so he is unlikely to decide on anything as a result. He will have many ideas, sometimes absurd ones. With negative Minor Arcana, his actions will be destructive.

As the Significator, the Prince of Wands means a person who is intelligent, purposeful and ready to help others. This is a perfect extrovert. His desires often do not coincide with reality, but his stubbornness does not allow him to retreat. The main thing in his case is not to direct his energy to fighting windmills.

Prince of Cups

Air Water

The water of this Prince is stagnant, the only thing that does not let it rot is the rain falling on it from the Air. An eagle is harnessed to his chariot, on his head is a helmet with an eagle. The eagle symbolizes Scorpio, who managed to transform into a higher spiritual being. The harmony of Libra adds even more energy to the transformed Scorpio, especially intellectual, if it is applied in the right direction.

But in Scorpio, even in its highest form, there is always a hint of rotting and poisonous bites of the “gray lizard”. Water creates fog, dissolving into Air. Intellect and ideas in this case dissolve all emotions, subordinating emotions to the achievement of a specific goal. Hexagram No. 61, represented in the Tarot by the Prince of Cups, is called "Inner Truth." Such a person will always justify his actions with some inner truth, even if these actions are cruel to others (Scorpio and the snake). With such an attitude, any interaction with others only leads to a waste of energy and "elevation of oneself", because a person does not feel emotions in relation to people.

In this person, great energy and a completely disregard for others are reconciled. He already has his inner truth, and his own rain that does not let the water rot, so he seems calm and never needs others, and others are afraid of him, because they cannot understand why he is so cruel and what his natural armor hides, grown directly on the body. Thus, a person will show himself indifferent and dishonorable. He will delve into himself and achieve his goals.

As a significator, this is an energetically strong, very secretive person who is extremely unreliable, although very attractive.

Prince of Swords

Air Air

There is a very important detail on the Prince of Swords map: the prince drives people, or rather, according to the Book of Thoth, winged children. This is a hint that Air is a purely human element. It serves as the primary food for civilization, and civilization itself is an "air" structure. But in order to build a civilization, one needs Will (Fire), environment (Water) and materialization (Earth).

Here, only Air is present. In occultism, Air is interpreted as the element of logic and intelligence, and therefore the Prince of Swords is an intellectual person, but without the influence of other elements, his ability to think turns into empty speculation. The winged children carrying the Prince's chariot are "my thoughts, my steeds", as the popular song goes.

Each of them, like a swan, a crayfish and a pike in Krylov's fable, fly wherever they want, "and things are still there." The sword and sickle, with which the Prince creates and immediately destroys his logical chains, take us to the comments in the 57th Hexagram of the I-Ching, "Penetration": "The beginning is not in your power, but the end is in your power." But if goals change all the time, and the mind is used only for a play on words in a tribute to fashion, then the Prince's wagon will remain in place, and there will be no meaning in the figures that he draws. The Prince of Swords inherited the extreme degree of intelligence and charm of Aquarius, which he rules, but at the same time carries the traits of superficiality and inability to express or realize an idea. Crowley believes that such people should be subdued by a stronger will, but the Prince of Swords is very difficult to subdue, since he has no values.

In the layout, this card means that a person has played an intellectual so much that the fruits of labor on his own mind have ceased to bring him real benefit, but have turned into empty words. As a significator, this person is very smart, but instead of getting down to business, he flutters his tongue or suffers from empty graphomania. Its main feature is the extreme flexibility of thinking. He says, immediately refuses what he said, because he does not believe in anything. Such a person cannot be trusted: he will be friendly with you only until he goes over to the side of your enemies.

Prince of Discs

Air of the Earth

If the Knight of Disks manages the production process, that is, is included in the work at the implementation stage, then the Prince of Disks is a planner who decides what, how and in what quantity will be produced. Since he is associated with Air, his work is in any case intellectual, even if applied to agriculture, with which he is associated, like all other Disks. This is the inventor who invented the tools that make the work of the peasants easier.

The process in nature that corresponds to it is flowering, so the Prince has a lot of spring energy, joy and ecstasy. Aries and Taurus, ruled by the Prince, give him perseverance, momentum, and the opportunity to put his powers to practical use. The main thing, as Crowley writes in The Book of Thoth, is to "extract from your element the vegetation that the spirit feeds on" and not get hung up on the material. Another danger that threatens him, on the contrary, is to get too bogged down in his endless projects, without completing a single thing, that is, to become too airy, which, however, is less likely, since the heavy bull that pulls the Prince’s cart is too mundane.

Hexagram No. 53 corresponding to the Prince is called "Flow" and the comments indicate the extreme activity of such a person, his fluidity. The flow, surprisingly, is shown by the example of the flight of wild geese (swans according to Shutsky), which symbolize the Air of the subelement. Due to the fact that there is no hint of the element of Water in the Prince of Disks, he almost does not experience emotions and does not understand them, therefore it is difficult for him to communicate with "water" types of people. Again, the “fiery” Prince will seem too mundane. In the layout, the Prince of Disks means that a person has the strength and ability to implement his ideas. He will invent very skillful means to achieve his goal. His dedication will be fully rewarded. This card has almost no negative traits. Surrounded by minor arcana, his inventions will not find their application.

Like the Significator, this is a great inventor or entrepreneur. This is an earthly person, more often a materialist, but quite smart and intellectual, unlike the Knight and the Queen. It's just that he is more interested in the realization and the concrete result of his work than in the subtle worlds.

princesses

Earth - the element that is represented by the Princesses in the deck - is passive, feminine, cold and dry. She is steady and stable. All the princesses are young girls who stand near the altar where they praise the god of the elements. Therefore, princesses are characterized by inertia. In princesses, the action of the second element is much stronger than in other figures. They seem to follow him, and therefore it is difficult for them to be independent and independent. Surrounded by positive Minor Arcana, the loss of the princess will mean that her second element has a merciful effect on her. Surrounded by bad minor arcana, she is in isolation and therefore the most secret qualities of the Earth are manifested in her, about which the opening ritual of the Watchtower of the Earth says: “a dark, luxurious world that constantly lies in from the depths of its unbelief and a steep, windy hell, lying in darkness, delighting the imagination with non-existent visions, this gloomy black abyss that sucks the body of light - formless and empty. This is the world of a terrible mother, the desire not to live and not to see the sunlight. The desire to return to the very first stages of evolution. In that part of the sky that the princesses rule, there are no constellations of the Zodiac, so it remains to interpret them only due to the direction of the light of the quadrant they rule, always with a discount to the fact that we are talking about the sky in the North, and the North is another correspondence of the Earth .

Princess of Wands

Land of Fire

In Earth, Fire is represented in the form of fuel. But fuel cannot burn until Fire itself appears. For thousands of years, not a single coal ignited in the earth until a man took it into the air and lit it. The princess is dancing without clothes. She is free and ready to be transmuted. But below it, we see a tiger, which holds its neck with its tail, preventing it from flying. The tiger, whose stripes resemble flames, refers us to the first tigers of the earth - saber-toothed, which were distinguished by extreme voracity. The I-Ching hexagram, symbolizing the Fire of the Earth, is called "Nutrition".

The saber-toothed tiger was a marsupial that carried its young on its body. Like any Mother Earth, the Princess takes care of her offspring, so sometimes this gluttony can benefit future generations. Perhaps she will amass wealth. Her Fire Altar is adorned with ram's heads, symbolizing Aries, into which the Sun enters at the vernal equinox. Therefore, the Princess has a lot of spring playfulness and swiftness. However, this is the quality of Fire, which she serves, and her main nature is gluttony. She will do only that which will bring her any benefit, she will strive for everything that can serve as her nourishment. The Princess of Wands rules the southern quadrant of the sky above the North Pole, which is why she is extremely controversial. On the one hand, she has a strong will that pulls her forward, and on the other hand, that same gluttonous tiger does not allow her to advance. If this card falls out in a spread, the Querent will be very persistent in achieving something, with all the passion and wildness of spring. But he seems to be getting in the way all the time. This hindrance is, in fact, the body's refusal to overeat, so the Querent's goal itself is most likely the fruit of delusion.

As a Significator, he is a passionate person who sets certain goals for himself and has in his arsenal simply fantastic methods for achieving these goals. This person is stubborn, but it is easy to influence him if your energy background is strong enough. So you won't have time to look back, and she has already become your follower, because she has no inner core.

Princess of Cups

Land of Water

Crowley writes of her as an unsurpassed helper. It is known that without a good assistant it is difficult to complete a major task. Often the assistant is the direct executor of the leader's ideas, that is, materializes them. This ability is evidenced by the element of Earth in its subelement and its chemical property: the ability of water to crystallize. From her second element, Water, one can draw a hint of the nature of the business in which she participates. Her true vocation is poetry, as a standard of crystallized emotions. This is a singer of the revolution like our Mayakovsky.

In her hand she holds a lotus, a symbol of the passivity of the great Isis, and a tortoise, symbolizing her slowness and connection with Earth and Water at the same time. She is the mistress of two elements, and both of these elements are feminine. At first glance, the name of the I-Ching hexagram, "Waning", contradicts the idea of ​​crystallization. But already reading the first advice that the book gives, it becomes clear that the decline occurs only if the Princess is given too much freedom. In order to maintain its position, it must obey the order. In the next verse, a direct indication is given of how not to fall into the chaos of your emotions: "And two bowls are enough for a sacrifice," says the Oracle. The desire to fill everything with Water is as strong here as the Princess of Wands - the desire for Fire. And if you get carried away too much, you can get into the dangerous world of your emotionally rich fantasies. In the layout, this Princess of Cups may indicate that a person is mired in his fantasies, but the fall of this card may indicate that he is in the process of creating. It all depends on the minor arcana. Sometimes the card indicates that a person will be an assistant in some business if there are Disks or Wands around. If there are many Cups, then the Querent will bathe in emotions and perceive the situation too romantically.

As a person, the Princess of Cups is sweet, feminine and romantic and has some artistic talent. At worst, this princess can be found in large companies, where she works as a secretary to the most important leader, and for sure, she is in love with him.

Princess of Swords

Land of Air

In the "Book of Thoth" this Princess is presented rather ominously. In his interpretation, Crowley is based primarily on the I-Ching, since the 18th Hexagram, corresponding to the Princess, is called "Troubles" or, in another version, "Correction of corruption." In this context, the Princess of Swords is a person with problems, a slave to her parents' mistakes, which he often has to deal with all his life. She always has the opportunity to free herself, but, for some reason, she strives to go through suffering and an empty struggle to the end. The problem of the Princess is that the ideas of the mind, represented in her subelement by Air, are very difficult to materialize, as the Earth requires from her. The volatile element is difficult to fix. Under natural conditions, no gas appears in a solid state. Oxygen can be brought to a liquid state, but it is almost impossible to solidify it. Therefore, the princess struggles with the winds, trying to catch at least one and fit it on her empty altar. But the winds of her soul do not at all strive for peace, and this is the inconsistency of her nature. The life of the Chukchi and Eskimis, living under the North-Eastern sky, which she rules, is very harsh - they always have to fight with the forces of nature that oppose them.

Other peoples have long migrated south, but the inhabitants of the far north prefer the eternal struggle for survival. So the Princess struggles all her life with the circumstances that she subconsciously creates in her life. Perhaps her mission is to overcome difficulties, however, this does not bring her happiness. Surrounded by positive Minor Arcana, she is an ideologue leading the nations, an excellent speaker, like Hitler, and her ideas are militant and often absurd. She preaches war with the elements. The Gorgon Medusa on her helmet symbolizes the dark side of the female mind, which aims to destroy all who come into contact with her. According to legend, Medusa was undeservedly cursed by Athena because Poseidon raped Medusa in the temple of the goddess of wisdom. That is, the temple of this woman was defiled by a man, and this is the great doctrine contained in this map: there are places in the psyche where Air should not penetrate with its rationalism. Some ideas should not be spoken aloud. And if this happens, then rationality will stubbornly fight with irrationality, leading a person to torment, which, however, if considered as trials, can be successfully overcome.

In the layout, this card indicates that a person will be powerless in the face of the circumstances. He will resist with all his might, but his efforts will only destroy, not build. Perhaps in this situation this is the best outcome, but at first it does not seem so. This is a situation of struggle, from which the Querent is likely to emerge as a loser. Sometimes this card indicates that in this situation, the Querent will show the darkest sides of his soul.

As the Significator, the Princess of Swords is a scary person. She is nothing of herself as a person, however, she likes to argue and impose her point of view on others. Her altar is empty, and she only experiences the wrath of the gods and the correction of "corruption", but does not agree with this state of affairs at all. This is an old maid or an abandoned wife who comes out of anger, envy and revenge from her own sexual dissatisfaction.

Disk Princess

earth earth

Even though Earth Earth is extreme materialism, we don't see these traits in the Princess of Disks. Each Princess is, first of all, a Priestess before the altar of her deity, and therefore Fertility (chased by all representatives of the suit of Disks) is presented here in a deeply spiritual form: in the form of the Altar of the goddess Demeter, and several correspondences that reveal the secrets of Birth. In Crowley's card, the Princess of Disks is pregnant. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Liber T.

On the altar lies a ball in which the rose of the Great Mother gives rise to the androgyny of the Yin-Yang emblem from Chinese symbolism. All together, this is a symbol of the embryo of a new life, which is still sexless and resides in the Orphic Egg (this is especially emphasized by the author of the Stars of Eternity) and here is a hint of her connection with the Fool - the cycle is completed and is about to begin anew. Her spear is tipped with a diamond - the very stone that is considered a symbol of the purest spirituality of Kether. As you know, diamonds are mined from the Earth, which once again confirms the doctrine that "Malkuth is Kether, but in a different way."

In ancient Greece, in conditions of severe discrimination against women, they were allowed to get together only once a year for the feast of the goddess Demeter. Thus, Demeter symbolized that necessary freedom from home, which is very difficult for a woman to obtain. And this freedom lies in the spiritual perception of earthly events happening to her, such as marriage or the birth of a child, which I already wrote about in the work "Faces of the Moon". Unlike other Princesses, this nature is more harmonious. She does not seek one of the elements of her structure, since she has everything necessary to fulfill her mission. However, in real life conditions, she lacks a masculine logical beginning, therefore such people are extremely inconsistent and dependent on the influence of others. But the influence of others materializes here, that is, it can be called a follower who has surpassed his teacher in practical achievements.

The I Ching speaks of the Earth of the Earth in terms of Malkuth - each feature here corresponds to one of the parts of the human body. Sometimes the 52nd hexagram is translated as "Mountain" - and then this symbol refers us to the very idea of ​​the Princess of Wands, which is represented in the form of her diamond tip. Another translation: "Concentration" and already in the first lines - a reference to the meditative concentration of Buddhists, to their passive acceptance of ongoing events. In order to get closer to the spiritual, you need to learn how to control your body and be able to stay in complete immobility. In the layout, this card means that a person will take a completely passive role in the situation, but the situation will end for him with a completely material outcome. Perhaps the Querent will feel some coldness in the relationship.

This card also speaks of possible motherhood or that a person will be busy with domestic problems. The Princess of Disks passively reacts to the events happening to her, shows stubbornness, but in this stubbornness, imperceptibly for herself, she accepts what she is stubborn against. This person is subject to external influence and goes with the flow. As a person, she is inconsistent, subject to other people's influence, but at the same time, she grasps a lot of new information that she puts into her own system, which brings her real benefit. In another version, this is a typical example of a housewife who is busy raising children and doing housework.