The Tarot: Keys to the Semantic Structure of the Hebrew Alphabet |
| L# |
SY |
Trump |
Description |
| Archetypal 1-9 |
 |
Air |
 |
Key concepts: beyond concepts, timeless, unthinkable, life-death. One and All, not zero.
The Fool is as far into the air and out of this world as one can get. Aleph, unknowable, beyond thought,
intermittant life-death, about to begin Its descent into manifestation, the first step of which is
containment in the next letter, Bayt, first letter of Bereshyt/Genesis. Aleph is one on every level.
|
| 1 |
|
1 |
Fool: Aleph: Beyond Thought, Cosmic Pulsation of Life-Death: Air |
 |
 |
 |
Fool=uncontainable contained; World=container. Look at the picture: The Fool steps into the World. Western Occultism is wrong: open your eyes and compare the images. Bayt is house or container, by extension, the world
& House of God, Beth-El.
The World is the perfect symbol of a container and the image is all twos. Bayt, formative of Saturn,
the twice-blessed 5th Sephira
where the six outer dimensions begin. Everything we can think of, but not all that is.
Bayt-Ghimmel-Dallet form the primary planetary triad before the zodiac begins with Life, Hay and the Emperor.
|
| 2 |
|
2 |
World: Bayt: Indwelling of Aleph, Container: Saturn |
 |
 |
 |
It's a simple as 1-2-3: contained + container = movement (of every Bayt animated by Aleph) (logical consequence of duality).
Ghimel, 3, is nothing but the image or archetype of movement. The original trump, without its occult-Egyptian
overlay, was simply a wheel. The contrary qualities
of Jupiter (Tsedeq) are uncertainty (raa) and peace (shalom)
where movement finally finds its rest.
|
| 3 |
|
3 |
Wheel: Ghimmel: Movement: Jupiter |
 |
 |
 |
4: contained + container + movement = resistance (as response to the movement, Ghimmel, of every Bayt, container, animated by Aleph, the uncontainable).
The inherited order of the Tower and Empress were major problems symbolically, forcing the occultists of Golden Dawn to flip the Hebrew formative letters of Mars and Venus and claim they
knew better than the Jews.
There is no better card for either the classical symbol of Mars or the concept of resistance, Dallet, the Door.
Tarot symbolism is usually quite clear: Dallet forms Mars, Meadim, Adam in the waters, falling into
existence, into the waters of Mem, the Hanged Man, directly below. Response to the infinite organic movement of the Wheel.
|
| 4 |
|
4 |
Tower: Dallet: Resistance: Mars |
 |
 |
 |
Hay and the Emperor begin (lead) the astrological signs. It would be obvious without
the ram's heads, but the real question is why does the zodiac start with the number five?
Hay forms a simple life: Tayt-Lammed-Hay, Toleh (Aries), and two letters of God's Name:
the life of the container and the life of the contained.
|
| 5 |
|
5 |
Emperor: Hay: Archetypal Life: Aries: Leader of the Zodiac |
 |
 |
 |
Wav or Vav is the Hebrew copulative and a letter of God's Name, linking the two lives, Hay and Hay.
The Hierophant portrays the link while hiding the true significance of the cosmic androgyne,
Shaur: Sheen-Waw-Raysh (Taurus), Union (Waw) of Spirit (Sheen) and Matter (Raysh) formed by Waw (Union).
In the Taurean Age (4000-2000BCE), God spoke through the
Divine King.
|
| 6 |
|
6 |
The Pope/High Priest: Waw: Copulation: Taurus
|
 |
 |
 |
The Lovers, the Twins, the two polarities of Aleph and Yod (life-death and existence) in Teomaim and the
freedom to choose. Formed by Zayn (7), principle of indetermination. At this stage only an archetype,
it will appear projected into existence as Ayn, 70, and the Devil. The symbolism from Emperor to Strength
is all straight zodiacal astrology.
|
| 7 |
|
7 |
Twins: Zayn: Principle of Indetermation: Gemini |
 |
 |
 |
Even without the crescents on the shoulders, we can see consciousness conditioned (drawn) by the Moon's
contrary qualities of freedom and slavery in Cancer. The sphinxes were Eliphas Levi's Egyptian dream.
The Chariot is the Merkabah. The key concept is an involution of energy toward the unstructured state
of its formative, Hayt (8), contra the structured Tayt of Strength. See the Empress below.
|
| 8 |
|
8 |
Chariot: Hayt: Sum of undifferentiated probabilities: Cancer |
 |
 |
 |
The Lion is obvious enough, astrologically, but the image points to Tayt, the archetype of female structural energy,
which forms Leo, home to Sun's (physical energy's) two qualities of wealth and poverty (the lion's mouth: open or closed).
Look at the Hebrew letter to the left: Tayt, the serpent's (lion's) tooth (mouth).
|
| 9 |
|
9 |
Strength: Tayt: Archetype of cell/structure: Leo |
| Existential 10-90 |
 |
 |
 |
Yod is another letter in God's Name.
Astrological symbolism is dispensed with in favor of a direct portrait of the
light of Aleph hidden in the existence of Yod and the lamp of the Hermit. The Fool's staff reappears in
his hand and he should be walking in time, the projection of the Intemporal into space-time. Aleph's partner
in the Great Game of life-death and existence.
|
| 10 |
|
10 |
Hermit: Yod: Aleph in existence: Virgo |
 |
 |
 |
Kaf, 20, forms the Sun (source of life) according to the Sepher Yetsira.
The formative symbolism includes the Sun's role as physical support, adds the
palm and sole of Kaf, and a wall for good measure: containment on the level of existence.
The World in its proper place, above the Sun (2/20) align the only two naked figures
in the Tarot. The Sun is the World in existence.
|
| 20 |
|
11 |
Sun: Kaf: Physical supports (palm/sole) for existence: Sun |
 |
 |
 |
As obvious astrologically as the lion of Strength, but the key concept is controlled organic movement; the
equilibration of energies between the uncertainty of Aleph and the conditioning of Yod in the waters of
Mozenaim. Follow the theme upward to the Wheel and downward to Judgement.
|
| 30 |
|
12 |
Justice: Lammed: Controlled movement/equilibration: Scales/Libra |
 |
Water |
 |
Mem, 40, the waters (mayim, Mem-Yod-Mem) of life. When archetypal resistance (4), the Tower, projects
into existence (space-time) it is water, passive, uncompressable resistance and basis of life. The figures
of the Tower fall upside-down into existence as the Hanged Man. Tower and Tree are unified in the
pillars of the High Priestess: vertical formative symbolism.
|
| 40 |
|
13 |
Hanged Man: Mem: Passive resistance of organic life: the Waters |
 |
 |
 |
Why choose Death to symbolize Life?
Death, Nun, 50, the projection of the energy of the Emperor into existence, as existential life. On the
cosmic level, it becomes the symbol for Noun, 700, indetermination, and what we have to do to be free.
Aleph and Yod are projected into individual consciousness in Scorpio; life and death are very close.
|
| 50 |
|
14 |
Death: Nun: the sine-qua-non of Existential Life: Scorpio |
 |
 |
 |
Sammekh, 60, is the female fertilizing or copulative energy, Hebrew's closest letter to an "O",
counterpart to the male energy of the phallic Waw. The key is that Sagittarius, like Gemini,
forces a choice between two energies. Temperance would yield Jupiter's materialistic perfection
for Saturn's spiritual life in Capricorn.
|
| 60 |
|
15 |
Temperance: Sammekh: Material perfection: Qoshet: Sagittarius |
 |
 |
 |
Which brings us to the Devil, where the Twins have descended into existence to confront us with our deep
fear of anything that threatens our psychological stability. Ayn, 70, forms Capricorn, sign of the Goat, and
means both nothing and eye, which can see, or not. Actualization of indeterminate probabilities: the stake in the game of life.
|
| 70 |
|
16 |
Devil: Ayn: Realized Freedom: Capricorn |
 |
 |
 |
The Empress, the other half of the Mars-Venus problem. An obvious symbol of Mother Nature, even has Venus
on her shield. The projection of unstructured energy (8) into space-time, Phay, 80, the pool of undifferentiated, unexpressed
possbilities for the evolution of the individual and species. North and 10th and matierial reality in the
Cube of Space.
|
| 80 |
|
17 |
Empress: Pay: Undifferentiated propabilities/potentials: Venus |
 |
 |
 |
Tsadde, the Star, the projection of the female structural energy of Tayt into space-time, the completion of the
the nine archetypes of existence, is the Woman and her capacity to choose wisely and not repetitively.
Whether that choice is supported or not determines our level of maturity and mankind's future.
Her transcendent image is in Tsadde final, 900. She draws from Empress's probability pool.
|
| 90 |
|
18 |
Star: Tsadde: Feminine structuration: Aquarius |
| Cosmic 100-900 |
 |
 |
 |
The full/crescent moon, pond, crayfish, dog, path and towers are all 15th century elements.
The duality of Pisces is invoked, but the emphasis is on the formative, Qof, transcendent
reconciliation of the energies of the Fool, life-death, and the Hermit, existence. Here,
YHSWH, the perfected Man, was born.
Only the Moon and the Wheel lack a human form. Key: Gone, gone, gone beyond duality.
|
| 100 |
|
19 |
Moon: Qof: Reconciliation and dissolution of opposities: Pisces |
 |
 |
 |
As above, so below. Hermes, cosmic consciousness, is the cosmic container, Raysh, 200, formative of Mercury,
with its two qualities of waste (selection) and seed in Gemini (Twins) and Virgo (Hermit). Tarot de Marseille has
three elements and the (cosmic level) infinity sign. Again, the two outstretched arms of the second column.
The Magician is the cosmic-level (200) resolution of the World and the Sun. Mercury is formed at the
ninth sephirot of formation: as above, so below.
|
| 200 |
|
20 |
Magician: Raysh: Cosmic Mind as Universal Container: Mercury |
 |
Fire |
 |
Sheen, Fire, an element, Judgement is completely described by its Qabalistic symbolism: the Breath of God,
Ruach Elohim, 300.
The movement which started with Ghimmel/Wheel on the archetypal level
and came into existence with Lammed/Justice sustains the universe with Sheen/Judgement.
Note Raysh-Yod-Sheen and the double Breath and understand the Magican a little better.
|
| 300 |
|
21 |
Judgement: Sheen: 300: Ruahh Elohim: Fire |
 |
 |
 |
And finally, the High Priestess where she belongs, at the end of the alphabet, Tav, sacred Temple and veiled
Sanctuary of Aleph. Tav, cosmic resistance, 400, the resolution of the Tower and Hanged man, resisting
Aleph to the point of becoming Aleph. Tav forms the Moon at her feet and the cross on her breast and the
center of our psyches
in the cube of space. If we only knew.
|
| 400 |
|
22 |
High Priestess: Tav: Sanctuary of Aleph: Moon |
| Finals: 23-27 Cosmic Realizations of Existential Energies |
| |
|
The final (sofit) letters complete the pattern of 3x9, the natural sequence of the Hebrew alphabet and the Tarot.
Kaf, 500, is cosmic, transcendent life, the third in the sequence that began with the Emperor and Death. It should be
clear why the Wheel is broken here.
|
| 500 |
|
23 |
Sun: Energy of Cosmic Life |
| |
|
Final Mem (600), the reconciliation of Waw (6, male) and Sammekh (60, female), is cosmic
fertility or fruitfulness. Adam and Elohim both have this potential. |
| 600 |
|
24 |
Hanged Man: Cosmic Fruitfulness: Goal of Adam |
| |
|
Nun, final, 700, cosmic freedom or indetermination. The last letter of Eden, Canaan and Qaheen.
We live in this state when we die to every moment. |
| 700 |
|
25 |
Death: Cosmic Indetermination: Stake in the Game of Life |
| |
|
Pay, final, 800, cosmic undifferentiated, unstructured substance. The 75% of the universe
that is dark energy and the 23% that is dark matter, which doesn't leave much room for stuff that we can see.
|
| 800 |
|
26 |
Empress: Spheres of Unstructured Energy |
| |
|
The last letter of the full alphabet of creation ends in cosmic structure and the
transfiguration of the feminine. The repetitive female principle of Tayt (9), reproducing after its
own kind, is transcended; structuration is intelligent and truly feminine, and cosmically significant.
|
| 900 |
|
27 |
Star: Woman: Transfiguration of the Feminine |
