There, I first met Ernesto Sanchez, working yet welcoming to this lookie-loo. I was awestruck to discover a whimsical display of shimmering shrines, custom-made altars (or “spirit houses,” as he prefers to say), smiling moon faces, contemplative masks, towering angels, and several examples of the silent and watchful Eye of Providence.

“My art is not for everyone,” Sanchez points out. Clay heads are spiked with nails, ceramic faces are missing one eye, and free-floating, life-like eyeballs are embedded in plaster.

What strikes me overall about Sanchez’s art is that, like his Emergence of Spirit shrine, his transmorphic figures appear purposefully vague, non-denominational, and open to interpretation. Clearly there is a spiritual element to Sanchez’s work, yet the artist seems unconcerned with pushing any particular dogma. Rather, his art is ready to be imprinted with the spirit and viewpoint of the viewer. For example, a feminine statue need not be the Virgin of Guadalupe, a cross is not inherently Christian, and an angel might be the spiritual protector from any one of many interchangeable faiths.

The meaning of each symbol, if there is any, will change from person to person. So, if a specific “goddess” is seen in a particular piece, that spirit might only be visible to the individual, vivified by the deeply personal perceptions and beliefs of the beholder.

Perhaps this is the ideal spiritual art for “Nones,” the unaffiliated, solo practitioners, and the “spiritual but not religious.” This art depicts deconstructed symbols, minimalist icons for the fluid faith described by William James, or an object to focus belief when it is the belief itself that matters more than the system of belief, as suggested by Austin Osman Spare and Peter Carroll.

In self-directed spirituality, one makes their own meaning, or, as Walter Leslie Wilmshurst put it, “Thy seeking is the cause of thy finding.” Søren Kierkegaard suggested, “what matters is to find a purpose… to find a truth which is truth for me.”

“The art is a portal for people’s own sense of self-discovery,” says Sanchez. He describes his work as “spiritually infused, mystically influenced, heart-based art.” And if Sanchez is the shaman on the path of self-discovery, then this echoes the words of Joséphin Péladan, who said, “Artist, you are a priest.”

But what about those eyes?

Eyes are prominent in the art of Ernesto Sanchez: free-standing, realistic eyes; and faces missing one eye. Sanchez emphasizes that the eye is imbued with spiritual symbolism. Indeed the eye has inspired notions of the Eye of Providence, the Third Eye, and the old saying “the eyes are the window to the soul.” The Hebrew letter Ayin (ע) literally means eye, with Kabbalistic implications of a “pre-Creation Creator.” Wilmshurst wrote, “So small a thing as the eye can behold the expanse of the heavens and the finite mind can contemplate infinitude.”

However, to Ernesto Sanchez, the eye also has a personal meaning. As an adult, Sanchez lost vision in one eye. His artistic vision was influenced by partial blindness, and perhaps his art helped him to heal. “I found that some believe that the loss of sight can lead to enhanced creativity,” states Sanchez. “Blindness or missing eyes are symbolic of the potential transformation of one form of consciousness—one form of seeing—into another, broader one.”

Transformation is often the goal of art. Ernesto Sanchez says that he “births” each new art piece, and describes the artistic process as “alchemy.” Perhaps it is alchemy when blank white canvas is painted a bold color, formless clay is sculpted, or mundane material is transformed into a sacred symbol. Each item is morphed into something new entirely, enhanced. And it is hoped that the viewer and artist are also changed, metamorphosed into something different than before.

Inside the artist’s studio.

Tony Gilbert is a freelance writer in San Francisco, California. He is searching for a publisher for his manuscript novel titled, “The Egregore,” about icons and botanicas in San Francisco’s Mission District. See the book’s preview at the link here: https://egregore.art/

If you are interested in taking this class, you will want to take one of my previous classes in the series. They are available on-demand here!

Mucha was a Czech painter, illustrator and artist who lived in Paris during the Art Nouveau period. His distinctive style is recognized today as being among the defining works of that period, and is probably best known for his posters promoting stage actress Sara Bernhardt. However, Mucha was also a Moravian Christian and Freemason, and his esoteric interests and mystical pursuits enfused the artwork of his incredible masterpiece, Le Pater.

This is such an important piece of esoteric artwork that I agreed to produce this bonus episode to help Thomas get the word out about his Kickstarter to produce a paperback version of his book on Le Pater.

One of the cards that has always fascinated me and found its way into my awareness is the Magician. Not only is it the first building block in Tarot, but it is also a well of symbolic and initiatic teachings.

In this article, I will lead you on a deeper dive into one aspect of this card, especially in its relationship with the four elements of matter, the Platonic solids—more specifically, the Dodecahedron. First, let us begin by taking a look at the beauty and importance of sacred geometry.

Sacred geometry and divine patterns: understanding the language of the Universe

All life is based on a divine, timeless, and eternal intricate design. These patterns show us how growth, life, evolution, death, and transformation occur. Sacred geometry uses those mathematical patterns and translates them into geometrical shapes that our human minds can comprehend.

Ancient traditions from all around the world have been aware of these signatures for thousands of years. One of these forms is the Fruit of Life symbol, which is bound by the five Platonic solids, who, when combined, make up the core of creation itself.

The combination of the five Platonic solids with themselves and with each other give rise to endless complexities, which anyone who is to give a likely account of reality must survey.

Plato, Timaeus

According to Plato’s cosmology as outlined in his dialog Timaeus, the Universe is made of five polyhedrons, or regular solids. These polyhedrons are: a cube, a tetrahedron, an octahedron, a dodecahedron, and an icosahedron. I know, I know… what a bunch of unpronounceable words! Don’t worry: all you need to remember is that these three-dimensional shapes are known as Platonic solids.

Although the Platonic solids are named after Plato, they have been around for much longer. In a nutshell, they represent the five elements that constitute the fabric of creation.

A Deeper Look into the Five Elements of Matter

Each Platonic solid comprises one of the classical elements, but each is also a concept and energetic blueprint. The “demiurge”, aka the “designer” or “engineer” of the Universe according to the Platonic philosophy, constructed the classical elements based on the Platonic solids: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Aether.

The five Platonic solids.

• Tetrahedron (four sides): Fire
• Icosahedron (twenty sides): Water
• Octahedron (eight sides): Air
• Cube (six sides): Earth
• Dodecahedron (twelve sides): Aether

Aether, the fifth element, is also called Spirit or Space. It is the Cosmos: an all-inclusive, unifying and bending energy that encompasses all the other four, and represents life force at its purest, most ethereal form.

The Dodecahedron: Its Meaning, Symbolism and Esoteric Arkanum

There still remained a fifth construction, which the god used for embroidering the constellations on the whole heaven.

Plato, Timaeus

The dodecahedron, or twelve-sided solid, has been surrounded with mystery for ages. At its core, the dodecahedron represents a translunary substance, Spirit, union and the link between physical reality and pure divinity.

Think of it as a cosmic glue that allows us to bridge between a Soul and a body, between an object and its energetic frequency, a place and its collective memory. It might seem invisible, uncatchable, impossible to describe, but the fifth element is ever present. It is only seen by those willing to believe that there is much more to reality than what meets the eyes.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the solid itself. Symbolically, the dodecahedron represents how unity can be divided into distinct vibrations: 20 intersections, 30 edges and 12 pentagonal faces.

These twelve pentagonal faces hold an incredibly strong symbolic meaning. They represent a visual representation of the twelve steps of the ladder of life that Spirit climbs, up and down, in a constant subtle symphony. They’re also related to one of my favorite systems: astrology.

The dodecahedron’s pentagonal faces are in the image of the twelve signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

For ancient Greeks (and modern mystics too), the twelve Zodiac signs were sacred. Cyclic, different, yet feeding off of each other and always remaining the same, these “12 gods” are the archetypal forces and modes of manifestation that we undergo as the seasons and the procession of the equinoxes occur.

The reason why the sky is divided into 12, and why the dodecahedron has twelve pentagonal faces is no accident. The number 12 is regarded as sacred by many traditions and cultures across the globe.

Considered a divine number by Pythagoras, 12 represents the supreme metaphor of Oneness: completion and perfection. Because of this, all throughout history, this number has played a key role in numerous mathematical, allegorical and metaphorical stories and systems.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of these occurrences:

• The 12 months of the year, as well as the 12 hours of the day and the 12 hours of the night
• The 12 disciples of Jesus, the 12 gates of heaven and the 12 tribes of Israel in Biblical traditions
• The 12 Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend
• The 12 gods in Babylonian mythology and the 12 Olympians of Ancient Greece
• The 12 legal imams after the prophet Muhammad’s death in Islam
• The 12 sons of Odin in Norse mythology
• The 12 stages of life in Buddhism
• The 12 fruits of the tree of life in the Book of Revelations

Fatima-Zahra, founder of Living Simplyy, is a Holistic Astrologer, Modern Mystic and Spiritual Mentor with the desire to guide people to the sacred remembrance of their divine nature. You can follow her on her website livingsimplyy.com or her YouTube and Instagram accounts.

This guest article was made possible by the Arnemancy Patreon supporters. Want to help? Join us!

The powerful images of the Tarot are a perfect accompaniment to the Art of Memory. This class teaches how to use the Art of Memory in conjunction with the Major Arcana of the Tarot in multiple ways. You will learn how to use the memory seals of Giordano Bruno to memorize the Major Arcana and their occult correspondences. You will also learn how to use the Major Arcana to create a memory seal of your very own.

This class is excellent for both beginning and intermediate students of Tarot. Beginners will learn new techniques for memorizing and internalizing the rich meanings of the Major Arcana. Intermediate and advanced Tarot readers will learn techniques allowing them to enrich their knowledge of these cards through correspondences and image magic.

This class will be held on Monday, June 28th, 2021 at 6:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Enrollment is based on a sliding scale from $10 to $25. If you can’t make it, sign up for the Arnemancy newsletter to be notified when it is available for watch-on-demand later. Click here to enroll or use the form below!

If you want to catch up on Tarot classes, make sure to check out Tarot and the Art of Memory: The Minor Arcana, now available as an on-demand video!

Election Timing

The decan talismans are described in Book 2, Chapter 11 of the Latin Picatrix. This chapter, near the end, gives us specific instructions on picking an election time.

Interestingly the Greer and Warnock translation of this passage differs from the Atrell and Porreca translation. In Greer and Warnock we have:

When you make any of the images of the faces described above, make them in a material appropriate to the planet that rules the face; then the work will be as we have said – that is, if you make the image when the corresponding planet is present in that face, then the work will be perfect and it will manifest in the world. If it happens that the Sun is rising in the hour of the planet or combines its force with it in a way that you desire, the work will be stable and strong.

The same sentence in the Atrell and Porreca translation reads:

When you craft any of the images with the faces mentioned above, do it with the material suited to the planet that rules the face. Then, if the image was made with that face’s planet, that process will be complete and manifest in the world. If perchance the Sun were in the ascendant in the hour of that planet or it had another desirable combination with him, then its effect would be more stable and stronger

So we learn that our decan talisman will be “perfect” or “complete” (most ideal) when the planet is in the decan it rules and the Sun is on the ascendant in the hour of that planet. This suggests dawn workings on the day of the planet in question. Additionally, the Moon and the particular planet should be placed in a way that supports the specific purpose of your talisman: afflicted for malefic works and well aspected for benefic.

And while this is the best case scenario, elections may need to be done with less than ideal astrological weather. In my opinion, the next best option would be to have the planet in a place of strength while still adhering to the day and hour of the planet. In this case I think it would be best to treat the decan like a fixed star election, having the decan on the ascendant or the midheaven at the time of the working with the Moon in an aspect that supports the working.

Making The Image

In the spirit of full transparency, you should know that when I made the images for the Picatrix Decans card deck, I paid little attention to the astrological weather at the time. Nor was the actual printing of the cards set to an elected time. For many reasons the prospect of doing so was difficult to nearly impossible.

Still, the Picatrix tells us to “make” the image at the elected time. The most straight forward thing to do would be to make a new talisman in an appropriate material at the appropriate time. If you have my Picatrix Decans cards or look forward to getting them, however, they are technically already made.

How can we make something that is already made? I have a few suggestions. The first is to reprint the image from an electronic version at the elected time. Depending on the level of technology at one’s disposal this may or may not be an easy prospect. The next idea is the one I consider the second best to creating the talisman from scratch at the elected time and that is to write or draw on the card itself. The surface of the Picatrix Decans cards readily takes ink from a ball point pen or a Sharpie marker and the color of the ink can be chosen to correspond with the planet in question. Appropriate markings would be outlines of the principle elements in the picture, words of intent, spirit names, and sigils — similar to hoodoo-style card magic. The drawback of this method is that the card is permanently marked.

My third suggestion is to use an oil infused with plants or items with the appropriate planetary correspondences. The card can be anointed with the oil, which can be drawn into a sigil or a word with a brush or one’s finger. You should keep in mind, however, that the oil can easily transfer to other surfaces and could turn into a bit of a mess. Some kind of envelope or pouch to hold it after ritual might be a good idea, especially if one intends to carry it around. The advantage of this method is that the card itself is not damaged and therefore could be “decommissioned” and then reconsecrated for another purpose later.

Suffumigation

Talisman consecration in the Picatrix demands suffumigation of the object at the time of its empowerment. That is, the talisman must be passed through the rising smoke of incense while saying words and prayers and employing visualization.

Ultimately the decan talismans are planetary talismans and so an incense appropriate to the particular planet is indicated. I would go one step further, however, and modify the incense to reflect the element of the sign. In this way an incense for Aries I, Mars in a fire sign, would be slightly different from Scorpio I, Mars in a water sign. The Picatrix gives many formulas for incenses.

Ritual Outline

Gather the necessary ritual items, which may vary depending on your personal practice. At the minimum, this should include incense and incense burner (a thurible or censer), at least one candle which is either white or of a color corresponding to the planet in question, the object that is to be the talisman, and any implements needed to “make” or mark the talisman.

Note that this ritual will require you to own a copy of the Picatrix. Since the English translations of the Picatrix are copyrighted, we cannot reproduce most of the exact wording for the ritual here.

At the elected time, facing east:

1. Prepare yourself and the space as per your practice.
2. Bless the candle and light it. Bless the charcoal and light it.
3. Recite the Invocation of Perfect Nature (Picatrix, Book 3, Chapter 6).
4. Remain facing east and speak the following names while visualizing light as specified:
   • “Meegius” envision a light before you
   • “Betzahuach”, envision a light behind you
   • “Vacdez”, a light to your right
   • “Neufiniguidez”, a light to your left
5. Finally, say: “Spirits of Perfect Nature, watch over and guide me in this operation.”
6. Put the incense on the coals.
7. Invoke the spirits of the planets from the Latin Picatrix Book 3, Chapter 9. As each is invoked envision them in their place; above, below, right, left, front, behind, within (motion) and without (uniting).
8. Recite the prayer to the particular planet from the Latin Picatrix, Book 3, Chapter 7. Include the angel of the planet.
9. Make your talisman or mark the talisman card with appropriate words, sigils, and drawings while stating your petition.
10. Pass the talisman through the smoke of the incense while calling on the planet to fulfill your request. Envision any gures in the image as animated or alive and moving. Envision the planetary spirits of the directions blessing and/or entering your talisman. Envision the object glowing with the power of the particular planet.
11. Thank the planet, its angel, and its directional spirits.
12. Let the incense burn out. Snuff the candle without blowing it out.
13. Close your space as per your tradition.

Later, when placing the talisman, invoke the planet, its angel, and its spirits and repeat the petition. It is also a good idea to periodically make offerings to the planet and remind them of your talisman.

This is, of course, the bare minimum ritual outline and with a little creativity a rite can be made more elaborate and specific depending on one’s needs and style.

Decommissioning a Talisman

A talisman can be decommissioned or disempowered once its purpose has been fulfilled or if one needs its influence to abate and cease. To disempower a talisman it needs to be at hand. Therefore if it is something that has, for example, been hidden it needs to be retrieved.

Ideally one calls upon the planet and its spirits to tell them the talisman is no longer needed. This should be accompanied by incense appropriate to the planet. Traces of the previous intent should be obliterated. If the object is permanently marked or is constructed in such a way as to be for only one purpose, it should be destroyed and disposed of. Burning, burying, or casting into a large body of water are all traditional. If the talisman is not permanently marked it should be cleansed. Washing with blessed or owing water is traditional as is burying for a time and then retrieving it.

Timing the decommissioning of a talisman at a New Moon is advised.

J Swofford is an artist, magician, and astrologer living and working in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. You can find more of his work at The Moonlit Hermit and his Etsy shop.

This guest article was made possible by the Arnemancy Patreon supporters. Want to help? Join us!

As a reminder, my Patreon subscribers get a more in-depth look into my Decan Walk experience. I believe it will be helpful to share with my audience and supporters the nature of my experience – successes, failures, and everything else! If you are not yet a Patreon supporter and would like to get the full Decan Walk experience, you can sign up at this link.

The Five of Pentacles

Each Decan is also associated with a Tarot card, and the card here is the Five of Pentacles. This is a notably shocking card, because in the Rider Waite Smith deck, the characters in this card are not having a good time. One is on crutches, the other struggling. They appear to be beggars or paupers, definitely down on their luck. And they are walking through heavy snow in front of a stained glass window that gives the impression of a church.

The church itself is lit from within. It would appear welcoming if there was a door, but instead our beggars are trudging along through the snow outside the building. Have they been refused entry? Does the church only offer temporary shelter? Why aren’t they inside where it is warm?

Fives are cards of renewed motion after the stasis or pause offered by the Fours. They don’t always indicate difficulty, but the renewed motion in the Pentacles suit does indicate that something in the material world is moving again, and it is apparently not easy. Something in the material world has failed. Perhaps money has run out, perhaps a change in location is necessary. Maybe our paupers are on the move because they finally had to face a material hardship that they were either unwilling or unable to face.

Unfortunately, life is filled with obstacles and challenges that we have to face and cannot run away from. This card is about that. The Five of Pentacles says that it’s time to stop dodging a problem in the material world. You can no longer avoid the hardship you’ve been trying to get away from. In fact, there is a message in this card that lets you know that the way to face this hardship is to go through it. You must have the long, cold journey through the snow. There is no stopping at the warm and inviting sanctuary, even if it would have you.

The First Face of Taurus

This Decan is ruled by Mercury, a planet associated with communication and moving very quickly. But Taurus is ruled by Venus, so perhaps there is something in this Decan about emotional communication. There are, of course, images associated with this card.

The rest of this post is available through Patreon!

2021 has brought an interesting April to Portland, Oregon. There has not been enough rainfall. The temperature has been quite high, and during this Decan in particular it has been hot and dry. It makes me worry about this summer. Will we face wildfires as bad as last year’s?

As a reminder, my Patreon subscribers get a more in-depth look into my Decan Walk experience. I believe it will be helpful to share with my audience and supporters the nature of my experience – successes, failures, and everything else! If you are not yet a Patreon supporter and would like to get the full Decan Walk experience, you can sign up at this link.

The Four of Wands

This card is so comfortable, especially following on the heels of the explosive confusion of the Three of Wands. In the Waite-Smith version of the card, the four wands are propping up decoration, perhaps for some sort of celebration. It’s easy to interpret this celebration as some kind of wedding; the two figures framed by the wands wear leafy crowns and appear to be celebrating together. However, they hold aloft three bouquets and aren’t even touching. Their colors don’t seem to indicate a wedding, either. What is happening in this card?

Fours are cards of relative stability after the expansive growth of the Threes. In the active elements like Fire and Air, these cards can be welcome places of rest. Here, we are presented with a card that is filled with emotion even as no big changes are happening. Perhaps this is a place where the querent feels happy, where things are secure, where a marriage of opposites produces something stable and long-lasting. The dynamic, ever-changing fire of the Wands stands still for a period.

The Decan for this card is ruled by Venus, and the sign for the decan is ruled by Mars. These planets are the equivalents of the Greek deities Aphrodite and Ares. Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and love, while Ares is the god of war. These two had a troubling relationship. In the image for this card, we see a swarthy, smaller figure in a reddish brown cloak, next to a taller, fair figure in blue and white. Could they represent the tumultuous union of these two deities? If so, they are a warning that the stability of the Four of Wands is temporary. Change is still coming.

While working with this card, I meditated on the Four of Wands from the Dracxiodos Tarot. Here, I realized that the four wands were not just there to hold up a canopy of greenery – they were a gate. But where does that gate lead? Again, the suit of Wands is not a suit of sitting still. We are pulled onward into further change. Nothing remains the same, but sometimes you do get to take advantage of a rest stop.

The Third Face of Aries

A restless man, holding in his hands a gold bracelet, wearing red clothing, who wishes to do good, but is not able to do it.¹

The image for this card is striking, and unlike the image in the Second Face of Aries, the Picatrix and Agrippa mostly agree.

If you would like to read the rest of this post, it is available through Patreon!

As a reminder, my Patreon subscribers get a more in-depth look into my Decan Walk experience. I believe it will be helpful to share with my audience and supporters the nature of my experience – successes, failures, and everything else! If you are not yet a Patreon supporter and would like to get the full Decan Walk experience, you can sign up at this link.

The Three of Wands

Contemplating this card during this Decan has been tricky for me. I know what the card means to me, but that wasn’t the challenge I faced. I contemplated the meaning of three-ness, its connection to the sefirah of Binah, its meaning as a vehicle of growth and generation. But I started to get swept away and overwhelmed with the number of associations and correspondences that one can encounter by looking at the Decans.

In fact, it wasn’t until I sat down to write this that I really realized that the overwhelming rush of expansion is part of the experience of this card. The Three of Wands is about looking outward, getting bigger, and expanding horizons. In the grand story of the Minor Arcana, this card is the first explosive burst of creation, after the creator becomes aware of itself but before anything truly comes into being as a result of that awareness. Though the Waite-Smith image of the card doesn’t reveal itself, there is chaos here – raw potential, unformed and eager, reaching for the horizon.

Some of this is present in the card’s image. The main character looks outward, just like in the Two of Wands, but they are not contemplative as much as they are commanding. Their fleet of ships sails away, toward the horizon and new discover. There is a possibility that the main character is a conqueror, since their right arm appears to be armored.

None of the threes are particularly stable cards. They all indicate change, with various degrees of control and purpose. This card is about a burning desire for more. Maybe it signifies greed to some extent, but to me it is about ideas taking hold, perhaps assuming a life of their own, and spreading into the world like wildfire or a conquering army.

The growth of the Three of Wands cannot last forever, though, as we will see as the Decan Walk progresses.

The Second Face of Aries

Agrippa and the Picatrix have very different things to say about the image associated with the Second Face of Aries. I’m just going to quote from T. Susan Chang’s Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers, since it’s easier than having a dozen grimoires on my desk.

Here is the Picatrix image:

A woman dressed in green clothes, lacking one leg.

And Agrippa:

A woman, outwardly clothed with a red garment, and under it a white, spreading abroad over her feet.¹

If you would like to read more, it is available through Patreon!

Learn how to use the fabled Art of Memory to memorize the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. This class introduces a method that once memorized, adapts quickly and easily to any standard Tarot deck. Learn how to use Giordano Bruno’s powerful seals to memorize the meanings of the Minor Arcana, including the court cards.

I’ve been writing and speaking about the Art of Memory for years, and if you have been following the blog or podcast, you have heard a short overview of my technique. This class will go more in-depth, discussing the theory behind using the Art of Memory for Tarot memorization and how this can influence your cartomancy practice.

This class will be held on Sunday, April 25th, 2021 at 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time. Enrollment is based on a sliding scale from $10 to $25. If you can’t make it, sign up for the Arnemancy newsletter to be notified when it is available for watch-on-demand later. Click here to enroll or use the form below!

Patreon Special Offer

If you are interesting in joining along on this journey, I encourage you to become a supporter on Patreon so you can get access to exclusive articles and podcast episodes! And to sweeten the pot, if you join at the Neophyte level or above before March 30th (when the Sun moves into the second decan of Aries), you will get a hand-written letter or card from me, along with some sweet Arnemancy stickers!¹

Take advantage of this special offer and become a supporter of Arnemancy on Patreon today!

What is a Decan Walk?

Every ten days, the Sun enters a new 10° arc of the sky, known in astrological terms as a decan. Each decan is associated with one of the classical planets, magical images, and a number of Tarot cards. A decan walk is a year-long exploration of each of the 36 decans, one every ten days. It is an undertaking that requires discipline while also teaching you a lot about Tarot and astrology.

A decan walk can take different forms, depending on what you focus on and how you approach the topic. I will be looking primarily at the 36 magical images of the Picatrix as outlined in J’s cards, as well as using this opportunity to explore the deep and intricate symbolism in the Dracxiodos Tarot by Greg Traw.

What Form will This Take?

The first day that the Sun moves into each decan, I will post some initial thoughts to Patreon so that members over there can discuss and ponder and ask questions. By the last day of the decan, I will have something posted publicly on the Arnemancy blog, as well as something posted privately for my Patreon supporters.

I anticipate the exact form of the decan walk will evolve over time, but the posting pattern should remain the same.

Does this sound interesting to you?

Join me on Patreon!

Planetary rulerships of the decans are assigned sequentially, beginning with the first decan of Aries, which runs from 0° through 9°, and is ruled by Mars. The second decan of Aries, 10° through 19°, is ruled by the Sun, and Venus rules the third. Rulership continues in Chaldean order, which is the order that the planetary spheres are placed in your standard classical Ptolemaic cosmos.

1. Saturn
2. Jupiter
3. Mars (start here for decans!)
4. The Sun
5. Venus
6. Mercury
7. The Moon

Though Mars rules Aries and his first decan is ruled by Mars, it doesn’t work out that logically for the rest of the signs. This is reflected in the interpretations of the decans and how they are used both in divinatory astrology and astrological magic. For an example of how the decans are used in astrological divination, check out Andrew B. Watt’s Decans column.

The astrological signs and the planetary rulerships of the decans, along with Tarot correspondences. This image was created by T. Susan Chang and used with her permission.

For astrological magic, each of the 36 decans are given magical images. These are found in a number of classical sources, including one of my favorites, the Picatrix. The Picatrix presents multiple sets of magical images for the decans, and for this particular article, we’ll be looking at the images presented in book 2, chapter 11. These images are striking and sometimes shocking, just as good magical images should be.

Tarot Decans

Interestingly, modern Tarot (i.e. Tarot since the 19th century) also presents images for the 36 decans. You can find these images by understanding the correspondences between the Minor Arcana and the decans. If you take the subset of 2 through 10 of each suite, you end up with 36 cards. Somebody, possibly a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, attributed these 36 cards to the 36 decans, which means that the images associated with these cards can also be paired with the decans.

The cards are assigned to the decans by both number and the elemental correspondence of their suits. Since not all decks use the same set of elemental correspondences, for this method we need to use the same associations used by the Golden Dawn: Wands are Fire, Cups are Water, Swords are Air, and Pentacles are Earth. In each suit, the 2, 3, and 4 are assigned to the decans of its element’s cardinal sign. The 5, 6, and 7 are assigned to the fixed sign, and the 8, 9, and 10 are assigned to the mutable sign. For example, the following table lists the decan associations for the Cups.

Cancer	Cardinal Water	2, 3, 4 of Cups
Scorpio	Fixed Water	5, 6, 7 of Cups
Pisces	Mutable Water	8, 9, 10 of Cups

As an added bonus, this method gives each of these Minor Arcana cards both a planet and sign correspondence. With just a little extra work, this can be used as a Tarot mnemonic. For a thorough discussion of how Tarot corresponds with the decans and other astrological topics, I recommend Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers by T. Susan Chang.¹

Meeting the Picatrix Faces

Now that we have both a set of medieval images for the decans from the Picatrix, and a modern set of images from the Tarot, what can we learn by comparing the two? Are there any interesting parallels or shocking differences?

To answer these questions, I turned to the cards! Using J Swofford’s Picatrix Decans talisman deck, I randomly selected the faces of Virgo. Virgo is the mutable Earth sign, so its decans correspond to the 8, 9, and 10 of Pentacles. Comparing the Picatrix images to the images of the Waite-Smith Tarot, it’s easy to see that the images are strikingly different. It is difficult to draw any sweeping parallels between the two sets of images.

The three faces of Virgo from J Swofford’s Picatrix Decan images, alongside the 8, 9, and 10 of Pentacles from the Waite-Smith Tarot

Let us narrow our attention on just the first decan of Virgo, which is ruled by the Sun and is associated with the 8 of Pentacles. The Picatrix describes this image as “a virgin covered in an old, soft linen cloth, holding a pomegranate in her hand.”² J has interpreted the virgin with the pomegranate as Persephone, and his depiction is rich with imagery of Hades, death, seasonal change, and growing plants. This fits well with what the Picatrix says about this image, which is that it is the face for “sowing, plowing, germinating trees, [and] collecting grapes.”³

When we turn to the 8 of Pentacles, however, we see something very different. A craftsman labors at his bench, working hard to finish another pentacle. The fruits of his labors surround him, mounted on the wall and leaning against his workbench. Connecting this imagery to that of the Picatrix face takes a lot of uncomfortable stretching. In fact, the 9 of Pentacles with its grapevines seemingly has more in common.

The 8 of Pentacles does show good honest work and toil as being the method to progress and overcome obstacles. There is nothing more earthy than physical labor. Along that same line, the first face of Virgo in the Picatrix speaks of that time of year when physical labor is needed in the fields and vineyards. This might be the thread of meaning connecting these two disparate systems of magical imagery.

Looking at the other two Tarot cards for Virgo’s decans, there are a few obvious similarities. For example, the third face of Virgo is about old age, which the 10 of Pentacles also refers to. However, the Picatrix image is about “weakness, old age, sickness, laziness, the cursing of body parts, and the destruction of people.”⁴ This does not jive with the peaceful, content, and prosperous old age of the 10 of Pentacles.

Bringing It Together

This is just a small sample of the decans, so it is hard to argue that it is representative of the differences between the Picatrix images and the minor arcana. It could be that a deeper examination will reveal a wealth of similarities, but I doubt it. The medieval Picatrix and the modern Golden Dawn Tarot represent two different approaches to a similar esoteric concept. The Golden Dawn burdened itself with wanting all occult philosophy and magical tradition to fit together into a nice, convenient (though crowded) package.

The Picatrix, on the other hand, is not afraid to present multiple systems and multiple approaches to the same topic, sometimes right on top of each other! The decans are a perfect example. We have been looking at the decans as presented in book 2, chapter 11. However, book 2, chapter 12 presents a whole different set of decan images and their interpretations!

What can we learn from this? I think the most important lesson is that we should beware dogma in the occult. Much of the systems presented by our predecessors needs to be sifted through, closely examined, and experienced by each individual practitioner. To understand the important part of a system takes trial, error, and experimentation.

If you would like to experiment for yourself with the decan images of the Picatrix, you can find J Swofford’s deck of all 36 Picatrix Decan talisman images in the Arnemancy Shop.

Did you like this article? My patrons received it five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

Planetary magic is particularly common in the European grimoire tradition. Some, such as the Picatrix, the Arbatel, and the Greater Key of Solomon, are almost entirely focused on it, while in others the planets serve as more of a backdrop. But that’s not the only place you will find planetary magic. It shows up all over the place, from Wiccan Moon rituals to astrological magic to Tarot. Planetary magic is even found in traditional Kabbalah. Truly, planetary magic is a broad category, spread across many branches of Western occultism.

The Classical Planets

When we talk about the classical planets in the Western world, we refer to the moving celestial objects that can be seen with the naked eye. These are the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. From a modern perspective, lumping these together as “planets” feels very strange. The Moon is a satellite, the Sun is a star, and the list is missing the rest of the planets we now recognize as part of our Solar System.

Why do the so-called classical planets consist of such an unusual family? The definition of “planet” has changed over the centuries. Now that our understanding of astronomy has advanced, we understand a planet to be a celestial body of a certain size that orbits a star and has sufficient mass to assume a mostly round shape. Even this definition is still being refined and debated. If you remember the controversy about Pluto’s status as a planet, you know that we are still trying to figure out the modern definition of “planet”!

However, before the idea of a heliocentric system began to take hold, astronomers defined a planet as a “star” that moved in an orbit. The word is derived from the ancient Greek πλανήτμς (planétes), which meant something like “wandering star”. Every celestial body visible with the naked eye seemed to be a wandering star, hence the Sun and Moon were lumped in with the classical planets.

A Geocentric Cosmos

Most planetary magic was developed before Western astronomers had abandoned geocentrism. While much planetary magic continues to operate under a metaphorical paradigm that embraces Earth as the center of the Solar System – indeed, the entire Cosmos – that doesn’t mean practitioners of planetary magic believe in such outdated and blatantly disproved science.

Instead, the classical planets are seen as visible symbols of layers of existence, meaning, and reality that stretch from the most “real” here on Earth, up beyond the most “abstract” or “ideal” layer of the Cosmos where Saturn resides. These layers are frequently referred to as spheres. It used to be thought that each of the classical planets was embedded in a crystalline sphere, each nested in the sphere before it, with the Earth at the very center.

Some mystery schools taught theurgic techniques for the practitioner to ascend through the layers of the planetary spheres to reach the divine realms beyond. To me, this is one of the most noble and fascinating of planetary magic practices, and underlines the importance of this metaphorical map of the Cosmos in modern occult practice.

The Ptolemeic or geocentric system has all of the visible planets orbiting the Earth.

Spirits and Spells

Because of planetary magic’s ubiquitous nature, it includes and influences a wide range of magical practices and techniques. For example, it is deeply embedded in divination. While astrology is the most obvious of these, even modern Tarot is steeped in planetary magical concepts.

Many grimoires that deal with planetary magic also deal with the spirits associated with the planets. Probably the most well-known of these spirits are the planetary archangels such as Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. Another well-known group of planetary spirits are the Olympic spirits of the Arbatel, such as Phaleg, Aratron, and Ophiel.

These various planetary spirits, along with classical and neo-pagan deities associated with the planets, are commonly called upon in the creation of planetary talismans and in a wide variety of magical rituals, spells, and rites.

Planetary Magic Today

With such a rich history to pull from, it is no surprise that today planetary magic is a fertile source of inspiration for the modern practitioner. Planetary magic offers ample opportunity for a variety of practices, from scrying to talismans to astrological magic.

To learn more about the history of this fascinating topic, check out this two-part podcast I made with Douglas Bachelor of What Magic Is This?. We examine the life and works of famous Renaissance magician Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, known today for his incredible influence on planetary magic.

• Part 1: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
• Part 2: Agrippa’s Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy

To get started with your own planetary magic practice, check out my series of classes on planetary magic in the Arnemancy Shop.

Did you like this article? My patrons received it five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

We explore Jungian psychology and esoteric influences including Hermetic Qabalah, Alchemy, and Freemasonry. Travis reveals the meaning behind a mysterious phrase that shows up in some of his art, and we ponder carving my front porch into a woodcut of its own.

Links

• Travis Lawrence’s website
• Travis Lawrence on Instagram
• Travis Lawrence on Facebook
• The Arnemancy online shop

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Unlike other episodes on astrology, this episode focuses on modern astrology. We discuss synastry, or the comparison of two charts, alongside integration of the slow-moving outer planets and fast-moving asteroids. In addition to this, Abigail integrates her astrological practice deeply into her spiritual practice to produce a unique and enlightening map of reality.

This episode was recorded back in October 2019, and I have to apologize for taking so long to release it.

Links

You can get links to free weekly horoscopes and interactive Tarot readings on the Discordian Astrology social media accounts.

• @discordastro on Twitter
• Discordian Astrology on Facebook
• Discordian Astrology on Patreon
• Kabbalistic Astrology by Rav Berg

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Please rate this podcast!
Listen on Podcrypt

Recording and sound was done by my very talented brother, Nick Arneson. Go check out his music!

Links

• Coleman Stevenson’s website
• The Dark Exact Tarot
• The Dark Exact’s Etsy Page
• @darkexact on Instagram
• The Dark Exact on Facebook
• Rose City Book Pub

This was our first live recording and we didn’t always do a great job getting the microphones to some of the questioners! However, overall this was a great event and I look forward to doing another one.

Make sure you check out A Small Collection of Specialized Spreads, edited by Coleman and featuring a Tarot spread by me!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Please rate this podcast!
Listen on Podcrypt

I finally purchased my first Thoth deck earlier this month, so I was able to recreate my first reading. Alexx Bollen guided me through it, which used the 15-card layout from the little white book (LWB) that comes with the Thoth deck. The LWB promises that this spread “offers a simpler layout than the more popular Celtic Cross spread.” I really think that 15 cards is too many for a clear reading. When I read for people, I use nine cards at the most.

Each of the triads in this reading signify different forces at play, different outcomes, and different aspects of the reading in general. It’s broken up like this:

• The central triad is the querent and the nature of the situation.
• The two upper triads represent two potentials for the future.
• The lower left triad assits the querent in decision-making.
• The lower right triad shows “forces operating beyond the querent’s control.”

Let’s take a look at what my reading held!

The Central Triad

The cards in this entire spread are laid out in a growing spiral pattern order, so when you look at these three cards, they are, from left-to-right, cards 2, 1, and 3.

Card 1, The Magus, repesents the querent and “the primary issue or question.” This might be my favorite card in the whole reading. The Magus is a card of prowess and ability and corresponds to The Magician in the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck. It’s not only flattering that it’s ended up in spot number one, but it’s an amazing synchronicity. Since we determined that this reading is about the entire Arnemancy rebranding and podcast launch, it is very special that this also ends up being the same as the first card I ever pulled for the Arnemancy website.

Around The Magus, cards 2 and 3 are The Hierophant and the Two of Disks, titled “Change.” These modify the first card and help define the nature of the situation. These also are spot on, and I will defer to the words of T. Susan Chang, who upon listening to the reading said, “That central trio is a completely literal portrait of you! Did you not just literally sew yourself a Magus robe? Do you not literally marry people as part of your job? And as for the 2 of disks… Did you not just literally exchange one podcast for another? Lord of Change, dude, Lord of Change!”

The Upper Triads

These cards indicate two seperate potential outcomes. They are quite different. On the upper left, we have The Tower, The Aeon, and the Five of Swords (or “Strife”). This is a difficult, tumultuous outcome. The Tower indicates catastrophic change, frequently ruin. The Five of Swords can indicate failure and difficulty. The Aeon corresponds to The World in the RWS deck and can indicate the completion of a cycle, but overall this outcome sounds like crap.

On the other side, the Princess of Cups, Princess of Wands, and Three of Wands (or “Virtue”) present a different story. Among the Thoth court cards, Princesses represent elemental earth – just like the RWS Pages. In this case, we have the earthy parts of water (Cups) and fire (Wands). The earth influence symbolizes manifestation in the material realm, which is a really good thing – these are two very positive cards. The Three of Wands is labeled “Virtue,” which is definitely a good outcome. It can also symbolize expansion and greater success.

Among the two upper triads, the upper right is definitely the one I’d like to pursue. But how do I get there?

The Lower Left Triad

In this triad, we have the Six of Wands, the Seven of Cups, and the Four of Cups – “Victory,” “Debauch,” and “Luxury.” According to the LWB, these cards will “assist the querent in making whatever decision may be necessary.” My instinct is that these work together pretty well. My previous podcast, My Alchemical Bromance, had strong aspects of both debauch and luxury, as it included a lot of beer tasting, interviewing people over beers, and talking about beer. There were even entire episodes where all we did was brew beer together. The key element here, though, is that working on that podcast taught me important skills that allowed it to be a success. There was victory there, represented by the Six of Wands, and that’s what I should carry forward. I am the returning hero of the Six of Wands, ready to move forward with confidence with the things I have learned.

The Lower Right Triad

The final triad represents “forces operating beyond the querent’s control.” While these cards can advise me, they can also serve as a warning. Here we have the Knight of Wands, Fortune, and the Seven of Wands (or “Valour”). The Wands are a good warning. They speak of passions and drives that probably exist within me that might be beyond my awareness or control. The Seven in particular could be warning me of a strong ego that could get in my way. More telling is Fortune, corresponding to the Wheel of Fortune in the RWS deck. This card indicates that the ebb and flow of life and destiny will always be out there, and I am not escaping them yet.

Overall, this triad consists of good advise that luckily isn’t stopping me from moving forward.

Bringing It Together

Overall, this is a powerfully good reading. The central triad indicates that I’m on target, that the reading is definitely picking up on the correct currents. I have two possible outcomes – one bad, and one good. Neither is boring – great! My tools are made clear, and the circumstances of my journey seem accurate.

Everything in this reading indicates that I have work to do, but that I can choose the right path if I pay attention to my passions and my ego. Upon revisiting this reading, I find it to be strong and true, and it gives me hope for the success of my next projects, in particular the Arnemancy Podcast and website.

If you’d like a Tarot reading from me (but not from the Thoth deck, which I’m obviously still learning), click here to book a video reading over Skype!

Did you like this article? My patrons received it five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

What the heck is going on in the Two of Cups?

The Kabbalah of the Minor Arcana

The pips of the Minor Arcana map onto the sefirot of the Tree of Life. Aces are Keter, twos are Chokhmah, and so on down to the tens being Malkhut. This means that the Minor Arcana can be looked at as a path for divine things to become more and more manifest. In each suit, while the ace is a card of unrefined potential, the two is where an idea starts to come together.

The relationship between the ace, two, and three reflects the supernal triad of Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah – the creative source, father, and mother. The Kabbalistic creation story is one of opposites coming together, making love, and producing as offspring the entirety of the cosmos. While the ace as Keter is about the first moment of attraction, the Two of Cups is the act of intercourse, and the Three of Cups would be birth.

Across the suits, we find an interesting relationship that’s likewise filled with a tale of increasing manifestation and physicality. The active, destructive-yet-constructive Wands represent a male principle, while the receptive Cups represent a female principle. When they interact, they are the generative force that brings forth the more worldly suits of Swords and Pentacles.

This is most obvious when you compare the symbolism of the Two and Three of Wands with that of the Two and Three of Cups. The Wands are all about expansion and looking outwards. Symbols of conquest and exploration dominate those cards. However, the Two and Three of Cups are turned inward to moments of intimacy and celebration. The Fire of Wands burns, consumes, and expands. The Water of Cups nourishes, receives, and protects.

This Kabbalistic background hopefully demonstrates that it is difficult to understand the Two of Cups on its own. This is a complex card whose meaning is heavily informed by the cards around it – and not just its own Ace and Three, but their progenitors in the Wands suit as well.

Cups govern the emotional world, the emotional level of the soul, and the Two of Cups is about growing emotion, emotion that is building and ready to spring into action. The promise of great potential is there. Out of the clink of two cups touching comes every partnership, every empire, every collaboration.

The Mystery of the Red Lion

A youth and a maiden are pledging one another, and above their cups rises the Caduceus of Hermes, between the great wings of which there appears a lion’s head. It is a variant of a sign which is found in a few old examples of this card. Some curious emblematical meanings are attached to it, but they do not concern us in this place.¹

The most remarkable symbolism in the Rider-Waite-Smith depiction of the Two of Cups is the alchemical menagerie sprouting from the central subject matter. A lion’s head is affixed to a winged caduceus. These are old and mysterious symbols. The caduceus is the staff carried by the Greek deity Hermes, as well as many of his later incarnations such as Hermes Trismegistus. It is frequently depicted topped with wings. Through the Emerald Tablet and other ancient texts, Hermes Trismegistus is the legendary father of alchemy, which sent me down the rabbit hole of interpreting the lion’s head.

My version of the Rider-Waite-Smith Two of Cups has a red lion’s head, so I went looking for red lions in alchemy. Now, the lion is a very common alchemical symbol, and the motif of the green lion swallowing the Sun is probably one of the more well-known symbols. The green lion itself is a symbol of some type of vitriol, usually sulpheric acid. However, when it devours the Sun, it’s a symbol of aqua regia, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid that is capable of dissolving gold. This might seem obvious when you recall that the Sun is a symbol for gold.²

What avayleth a Lyon to be Kyng of Bestes
Fast schut in a Tower of ston alone;
Or an Egell under stryte cheynys,
Called also the Kyng of Fowlys everichon,
Fy on Lordschyp than Liberte ys gon:
     Answer herto and hit nat a start,
     Who syngeth mere that syngeth not with hert.³

I scoured the entire Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum for references to the red lion – okay, it was more of a heavy skimming. I found no references to a red lion, but plenty to green lions, lions in general, and even the color red. At this point, I began to suspect that the color of the lion wasn’t important – it’s the lion itself, symbolizing the Sun, and sprouting wings like a gryphon. In this case, the lion could symbolize the spiritualization of an alchemical process.⁴

One of my Patreon supporters, John Geraghty, brought my attention to the 16th century alchemical text Splendor Solis by Solomon Trimosin. This book contains a process called “The Red Lion” which is used to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Waite certainly knew about this book, but it doesn’t seem like he connected the Splendor Solis to his Two of Cups specifically. As he wrote, “The plates of Splendor Solis seem purely and typically alchemical, in the physical sense.”⁵ Even if the red lion in the card is not the same as the red lion referenced by Splendor Solis, looking at it as symbolic of the Philosopher’s Stone can work well with the spiritualization concept.

Looked at from this perspective, the caduceus and lion’s head sprouting from the meeting cups meshes well with the Kabbalistic interpretation of nourishing something greater. The Two of Cups is the beginning of growth and expansion in the emotional realm of the soul, pregnant with possibility, ready to burst forth into something wonderful and new.

Oh, and as bonus, check out John Geraghty with his copy of Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum on Pawn Stars!

Did you like this article? My patrons received it early. Support my work on Patreon!

The triplicity rulers of the signs and elements

Here are the topics associated with the house triplicities.¹

Let’s look at how house triplicities are calculated. We will look at Salvador Dali’s chart using whole sign houses to keep things simple.

The house triplicity topics of the first house are youth, middle age, and old age – or the three thirds of your life and the overall quality of each. In Dali’s chart, the first house is ruled by Cancer. To figure out the planets to examine in relation to the house triplicity, we need to find the triplicity rulers of Cancer.

First, we see that this is a daytime chart, so we look at the diurnal triplicity sign rulership. Cancer is a water sign, so the primary triplicity ruler is Venus, the secondary Mars, and the participating ruler is the Moon. From this, we see the following.

1. Youth, or the first third of Dali’s life, is influenced by Venus, who is cozy in her domicile in Taurus.
2. The middle third of Dali’s life is influenced by Mars, in exile in his detriment in Taurus.
3. Finally, the last third of Dali’s life is influenced by the Moon in Aries. We would also take into account the important rulership of the Moon over Cancer.

I’m not going to try to interpret what all of these mean, because I focus primarily on electional astrology and am currently crap at natal chart reading. But now that we know what house triplicities are and how to calculate them, it’s time to sigh with tired exasperation as we realize there are thirty-six more astrological tidbits to memorize.

Using the Art of Memory

But never fear! The Art of Memory is here! Let’s look at how to use the Tree, one of Bruno’s thirty seals, to create a mnemonic structure for this collection of topics.²

The tree works like a chain, where each subject on the chain leads to a new chain of subjects. In computer science, this would be akin to a linked list of linked lists, or an array of arrays. You can conceptually look at it like this:

For the “trunk” of the memory tree, we need a collection of twelve images that are easy to remember and access. They should be visual and they should incorporate movement. The stranger these images are, the better. And, as the old teachers of the art of memory frequently instruct us, images that invoke emotion are the best.

Creating the Memory Tree

At first, I thought about using the twelve signs of the Zodiac as memory images for this set of twelve. However, I quickly abandoned that idea because mixing other astrological data with the information we’re memorizing here would cause no end of confusion. In addition, the symbols and images of the Zodiac are reused so often for other purposes that their mnemonic value here would become confused and muddy.

Instead, I decided to base this mnemonic device on my favorite holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The words are easy to remember, and if you don’t have them memorized, you can learn the song. Each item on the list can be used to create a vivid and moving image. Their order is built into the image, as well. Holiday songs typically have emotions associated with them, which can help the images remain in the memory structure.

Here are the memory images in order, taken from the song lyrics:

1. Partridge in a pear tree
2. Two turtle doves
3. Three French hens
4. Four calling birds
5. Five golden rings
6. Six geese a-laying
7. Seven swans a-swimming
8. Eight maids a-milking
9. Nine ladies dancing
10. Ten lords a-leaping
11. Eleven pipers piping
12. Twelve drummers drumming

The first step in creating a memory tree for the house triplicities is to take some time going through these twelve items and creating a linked chain of vivid images with them. Remember to make the images move, give them exaggerated and ridiculous characteristics, and try to associate feelings and emotions with them.

Populating the Memory Tree

When Bruno presented his chain mnemonic for the signs of the Zodiac, he listed all of the images needed as well as the interactions that tied them together.³ When I presented my chain mnemonic for the twelve houses, I followed his example. However, the house triplicities are a more advanced mnemonic, seeing as how they include not just a chain, but approximately 48 imagenes – 36 for the triplicity topics and 12 for the days of Christmas. I think creating and sharing images for all of these would be a poor idea for several reasons. First, this is an excellent learning opportunity and a great way to practice the creation of images for yourself. Second, it would take forever, and I’d never finish writing this article.

Instead, I will share examples for the triplicity topics for the first two houses, and then you can figure out the rest.

The topics for the first house are youth, middle age, and old age. You already have an image of a partridge perched in a pear tree, perhaps singing its song or preening itself. Maybe it’s in a nest. Now to remember the topics, try this:

1. A young person plucks a pear from the tree for an innocent treat.
2. When the young person becomes an adult, they shoot the partridge to prepare a meal.
3. Finally, in their old age, as an old person, they break a limb from the tree to use as a cane.

The topics for the second house are wealth in the beginning, middle, and later parts of life. You already have an image of two turtle doves – which are real birds, by the way. To remember the topics, try images like this:

1. The one of the turtle doves lays a golden egg. They rejoice.
2. The turtle doves continue laying golden eggs, using their wealth to build a white picket fence around their nest.
3. Finally, in their old age, the turtle doves wear top hats and monocles and perch atop a Scrooge McDuck-sized pile of golden eggs, overflowing the picket fence.

You can continue along this line for each of the twelve houses. For example, perhaps the three French hens are all related, and maybe the four calling birds involve a real estate deal. These topics are going to have associations that will be individual and strong to you, so use those associations to guide your creativity and imagination. Just remember the basic rules for images:

• Keep them well-lit.
• Have them invoke emotion.
• Always imbue them with motion.

As you create your image chains for each house triplicity, remember that the images need to relate to each other to create a strong link. Good luck on your mnemonic journey, and let me know how this works for your Astro-Mnemonic practice in the comments!

Many thanks to Dorje Kirsten of Heart Astrology for double-checking my astrology and making sure it was correct.

Did you like this article? My patrons received it early. Support my work on Patreon!

We use the Disruption Generator to read for the Arnemancy Podcast, and the results are … well, troubling. Let’s hope we don’t actually end up where it predicts! Eric tries to spin it better!

Also, an announcement: the first Arnemancy Podcast live recording is happening at Rose City Book Pub on Friday, September 13th! Click this link to sign up for updates and more details on the event!

Links

• Outlet Press
• Follow Outlet Press on Instagram!
• Eric J. Millar’s author page on Amazon
• The Disruption Generator on We The Hallowed

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy

The magnitude with which fraternal organizations influenced American society and history is something that we hear a lot about through conspiracies, but not enough about from main-stream historians. It turns out that these organizations – including the Freemasons, Oddfellows, and other familiar names – are an integral part of the story of the United States of America. This book, Secret Societies in America: Foundational Studies of Fraternalism, is a collection of remarkable essays and studies that showcases this influence. Published from the 1890s through the middle of the 20th century, they illustrate not only that enormous influence but the changes that occurred within American fraternalism which may have contributed to its waning popularity.

Reading the articles in this book, I was surprised that I’d never been exposed to any of this material before. These articles are the original source of many claims about numbers, statistics, and basic information claimed by many modern secret societies. They paint a fascinating picture of fraternities and their place in American society in the 19th and 20th centuries. The articles range in style from sensational journalism to dry sociology and cover a variety of topics.

Changing Attitudes in Fraternalism

Many articles approach fraternal history from unexpected angles, presenting influences in our society that are almost entirely unrepresented today. For instance, there is a great deal of material about how the life insurance industry worked and developed in the 19th century, and how it tied into the fraternal boom.

Milton Lehman reported in 1949 that one well-known saying of Freemasonry was, “It’s an inborn instinct to belong to a secret society.” This is an attitude which has disappeared in the modern world. It’s fascinating to get a glimpse of how fraternal organizations were considered such an integral part of the American way of life.

Is Freemasonry a Secret Society?

The phrase “secret society” carries sinister undertones today, but was once the go-to phrase to describe a fraternal order. The oldest articles in this collection, written before 1910, use it to describe all sorts of fraternal orders. Learning about the evolution of the term makes the worn-out trope of the Freemasons sound obnoxious: “Freemasonry is not a secret society. It is a society with secrets.” In fact, Freemasonry is indeed a secret society, it’s just that “secret society” hasn’t always meant the same thing.

Anti-fraternal author J.M. Foster in 1898 wrote “[…] it is safe to say that in all there are fully 6,000,000 persons in this country held in the coils of Secretism.” He also states that membership in fraternal orders was growing at an astounding rate of 300,000 per year. Many of the earlier articles use the term “joiner” to indicate people who became members of secret societies. It wasn’t a derogatory term. In fact, at one point, 40% of the adult population of the United States belonged to at least one secret society. The numbers are sometimes surprising: In 1911, the Oddfellows were the largest fraternity in terms of membership.

Conclusion: This is a Good Book

I really enjoyed this book. The one article I had difficulty with was “The Sociology of Secrecy and of Secret Societies” by Georg Simmel, a German sociologist. It was too dense and verbose, the language too clumsy. I’m not sure if this is the fault of Simmel or because of the translation.

In conclusion, if you are interested in the history of Freemasonry and its place in society, you will find this book invaluable. If you are a conspiracy theorist, you will find the information in this book valuable, as well. Hopefully it can help enrich your understanding of history and the role fraternal societies have played throughout the unfolding tale of the United States.

An earlier version of this review was published in Vol. 66, №2 (Spring 2013) of Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy

We dive into everything, from Agrippa to the Picatrix decans to planetary Tarot associations to Kabbalah to working magic with Tarot. We talk about psychology, divination, sortilege, and symbolism. When I invited Susan on the show, I promised that we could go full Tarot nerd, and we did. Full Tarot nerd.

Susan also answered listener questions, including a great explanation of The Devil card. We also get into sewing, and discuss my creation of a magical robe.

Buy Susan’s book and listen to her podcast. If you like Tarot, you will love her work.

Links

• Susan Chang’s website
• Susan’s Etsy shop, filled with amazing Tarot bags and planetary perfumes and other great stuff
• Fortune’s Wheelhouse, the best Tarot podcast in the Universe
• Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers, Susan’s book on Tarot

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Please rate this podcast!
Listen on Podcrypt

Symbolism in The Lovers

There is a lot going on in this card. Up top, we have the Sun, shining like crazy over the head of a serene flame-haired angel with outspread arms, purple robes, and red wings. Below, in the foreground, we see a naked woman and a naked man. They stand in front of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – complete with serpent – and the Tree of Life, respectively. There is space between them, and while the woman stares up at the heavens, the man stares at the woman. It appears that they reach for each other.

Uniting Opposites

The Lovers represent opposites within ourselves: two sides that we must reconcile before progressing to the next stage. Previously we have been addressing individual aspects while treating our Self as one unified thing, but by this card we start to see that this is not the case. We are not just one thing, but many fragments seeking wholeness.

Remeber the Hermetic axiom: “As above, so below.” As Creation is fragmented without, so too is our soul fragmented within. The Lovers is a reminder that part of our Great Work is to identify, join, and unify those fragments, assimilating them and fitting them together like puzzle pieces.

The Lovers can be seen as the union of The Emperor and The Empress, both symbols of authority that rule over different portions of our lives while also providing guidance in different areas. They mark a spot in the Tarot where we stop dealing with oscillating between opposites, and instead have the opposite parts of our nature working in unison.

This is also significant in the number six. Six is the first perfect number, a positive integer equal to the sum of its divisors. In this case, 1 × 2 × 3 = 6, just like 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. Robert Place suggests that this should be seen as the union of the first male and first female principals into a whole.¹

The Fallen World

If we look at The Lovers through the lens of Kabbalah, we are looking at the World before the Fall. The two figures are reminiscent of Adam and Eve, but they have not yet consumed the forbidden fruit and so they remain in their natural state, uncovered and unaware of their nudity. When they do eat, the world will enter its fallen state. However, the angel looming over has its eyes closed and stands at orens, appearing to give its blessing. The world needs to fall in order to be united. For the individual to practice the free will needed for the healing to happen, the self must fall further from the Divine.

From a Hermetic point of view, we are looking at the Divine Man and Divine Nature before their union, as described in Hermes’ gnostic vision in the Poimandres.² In both cases, the unified being – through mystical marriage merged into one – is responsible for descending into a Cosmos in need of repair. The divine influence from the angel shows that this is Divine work – the Fall is divinely inspired. Indeed, both Man and Nature are agents of the Divine, and their work in the Cosmos is essential to the completion of the ongoing process of creation. This mystical marriage of opposites, both within and without, is central to the pursuit of the Great Work.

Forming the Divine Hermaphrodite

The Lovers can also be approached from an alchemical point of view, and can be associated with the creation of the Rebis, or divine hermaphrodite. This is sometimes said to be the final stage of the Great Work.³ However, I find this interpretation to be troublesome, because The Lovers is so early in the cycle of the Major Arcana. If this card is about the creation of the Rebis, then why is so much turmoil and change ahead?

This step in the Fool’s Journey does represent an important milepost. As you can see in The Chariot, which follows this card, after the fragmented opposites are united, a whole new stage in the journey is next. The Lovers represents the assembly of the final tools needed by The Fool in order to become The Magician and face future challenges.

Click here to book a Tarot reading with me!

Did you like this article? My patrons received it five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

This list of recommended books is based on my recommended reading list for new Freemasons, but I’ve adapted it for non-Masons who are curious and want something good to read. Take a look, find a book, and enjoy!

History of Freemasonry

Freemasonry’s history is confusing, and even the history of its history is confusing. Fortunately, over the past few decades, real historians have been digging in to fraternal history and producing some incredible results. Learn the true story – or as much of it as we’ve been able to figure out – in these books. This list is great for those who are in the pre-Masonic stage of their journey, where they have petitioned but have not yet been initiated.

• The Freemasons: A History of the World’s Most Powerful Secret Society by Jasper Ridley (Arcade Publishing, 1999): This is not an exciting book. It focuses on real history for a real audience, and will give you the basics of what we know about Freemasonry. There are no fanciful legends of the Knights Templar or Atlantis, just real, proveable history.
• The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century 1590-1710 by David Stevenson (Cambridge University Press, 1988): Stevenson finds the actual historical roots of modern Freemasonry, and it does a convincing job. It’s written for historians, so it’s a little more dense and dry, but it lays the foundation for some of the most incredible stuff we know about the Craft – including the transformative personal growth so many of us are looking for.
• Secret Societies in America: Foundational Studies of Fraternalism ed. William D. Moore and Mark A. Tabbert (Cornernstone, 2011): This book helps you understand what Freemasonry means to America. Why does Freemasonry seem to be intertwined in so many American institutions? Why are there fraternal buildings crumbling in every small town? What is your place in modern Freemasonry and fraternal America?
• The Golden Builders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, and the First Freemasons by Tobias Churton (Weiser, 2005): There is a lot of really unusual stuff in Freemasonry’s history. Our early influences are woven throughout the rich tapestry of the Western Mystery Tradition. This book explores pre-Masonic movements that probably shaped the Craft’s earliest lodges and beliefs.
• The Theosophical Enlightenment by Joscelyn Godwin (SUNY Press, 1994): Godwin’s masterpiece of the religious revival in the West looks at how spirituality and religion exploded into new levels of complexity and depth during the last few centuries. Freemasonry is a living part of this revival, and this book will explore many names and topics which are familiar to the curious brother.

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.
Photo credit Ron Cogswell on Flickr.

Masonic Symbols and Symbology

The symbols of Freemasonry fascinate both members and outsiders. They definitely lend a lot to the mystery surrounding the Craft. However, a lot of them have very simple surface meanings. These books explore both the basics of the symbols and some of the amazing artwork surrounding Masonic symbolism.

• The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism by Allen E. Roberts (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co, 1974): This is a basic, straightforward introduction to Masonic symbolism.
• Freemasonry: A Journey Through Ritual and Symbol by W. Kirk MacNulty (Thames & Hudson, 1991): This beautiful volume is eye-candy about Freemasonry. It’s filled with classical and modern Masonic artwork, and as a bonus, it was written by noted Masonic scholar W. Kirk MacNulty.

The Philosophy of Freemasonry

Freemasonry definitely has a philosophical message, mostly based around the importance of leading a virtual, ethical life. Here are some excellent books that explore Masonry’s core teachings.

• The Meaning of Masonry by W.L. Wilmshurst (Revised edition, Plumbstone, 2007): If you are curious about the esoteric underpinnings of the Craft, start here. Wilmshurst is a classic, and his approach to Freemasonry is both beautiful and moving.
• The Builders: A Story and Study of Masonry by Joseph Fort Newton (George H. Doran, 1914): Sometimes overlooked, Newton’s approach to the meaning of Freemasonry is deep and timeless. Since it’s out of copyright, this book is widely available online.
• The Spirit of Masonry by William Hutchinson (1775): This is a collection of classic, essential Masonic orations from the 18th century. It is easy to find free copies of this book online – it is long out of copyright.

An old Masonic postcard

Practicing Freemasonry

There is an esoteric side to Freemasonry, and it has both new and ancient elements.

• Benjamin Franklin’s The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living ed. George L. Rogers (ChoiceSkills, 2011): While Freemasonry encourages its members to become better and more virtuous, it doesn’t tell us exactly how. Benjamin Franklin did, in fact, lay out a method for improving virtue in his autobiography. Rogers has done a great job compiling and annotating Franklin’s art of virtue.
• Contemplative Masonry: Basic Applications of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Imagery for the Craft by C.R. Dunning (Stone Guild, 2017): This is the premier book for developing the inner spiritual work of Freemasonry. We’ve interviewed Bro. Dunning a few times over at My Alchemical Bromance.

Learning More

Do you have other books to recommend, or questions about Freemasonry? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you and I’ll definitely share my opinions about that weird Masonic book you picked up at that creepy old guy’s garage sale. Let’s see if it’s great, or if it’s bogus!

Did you like this article? Support my work on Patreon!

“Ritual magic is a combination of performance art, prayer, and meditation.” – Dan Attrell

When a person gets involved in ritual magic, they probably aren’t prepared for the amount of crafting supplies they’ll need to accrue and artwork they’ll need to produce. Wands, altars, and magical tools and weapons all need to be created, typically by hand. This can mean picking up skills like woodworking, sewing, painting, and drawing. As magical work becomes more complex, even metalworking and jewelry-making skills can be necessary.

Since ritual magic traditions tend to be pretty old, the materials used in rituals can be difficult to identify or acquire. For example, galbanum is an aromatic resin that is a chief ingredient in several important incense recipes, including the sacred incense from the Torah.¹ A current frustrating project of mine is creation of myrrh ink from the Greek Magical Papyri. The recipe is outlined in PGM I. 232-47 and includes the following ingredients:

• Myrrh troglitis
• karian figs
• pits of Nikolaus dates
• dried pinecones
• piths of the single-stemmed wormwood
• wings of the Hermaic ibis
• spring water²

Creating ink is a challenge in itself – one that I still haven’t mastered, though I think I’m getting close. On top of that is the challenge of gathering those ingredients – how do I get the wings of a Hermaic ibis?³ Are substitutions okay? Should myrrh ink be created with local ingredients, or am I expected to source authentic northern Egyptian pinecones?

In a lot of cases, the modern ceremonial magician needs to get creative when crafting new ritual. Here are a few substitutions and tricks that I’ve picked up that have worked for me.

Talismans and Amulets

A lot of ritual magic concerns the creation of talismans and amulets. These two techniques are similar. Amulets tend to be general purpose and frequently are not consecrated with a special ceremony, while talismans are specifically crafted and consecrated in an attempt to tie them to some specific influence or energy. Talismans can be found in pretty much every magical tradition human culture has ever produced.⁴ The tradition that I work with uses a lot of planetary and astrological talismans, with different planets associated with different metals. For example, Jupiter is associated with tin, the Moon with silver, and the Sun with gold.

Working with precious metals is complicated and can get very expensive. Many magicians find alternate materials to work with. A great example is the Venus talisman in this video by Niish, which was consecrated using a ritual inspired by the Picatrix.

Niish’s talisman is primarily made of fabric and probably some other secret Venus-associated ingredients. There could be copper, Venus’s metal, involved somewhere, but it is not the primary ingredient.

My medium of choice for talismans and amulets is polymer clay, which can be baked in the oven. (Thanks to Carol Maltby for correcting this.) This is an entirely modern ingredient, marketed as Sculpey and available in a wide range of colors. Since it cures at a relatively low temperature, it can be used with jemstones and mica powders to excellent effect.

Some talismans and amulets call for parchment or paper. Parchment is prepared animal skin, usually from a goat or sheep, and is both expensive and difficult to source. It is a medium that is no longer common enough to be easily found. Paper, on the other hand, is too easily found, and frequently feels to me to be too common to make an effective base for magical work. Instead, I like to use papyrus, which you can find for a reasonable price online. Papyrus has an unusual feel and is fun to use. It takes ink well and I’ve had excellent results from it.

Learning to Sew

My altar prepared for a Jupiter working, featuring altar cloths that I sewed myself.

The basics of sewing are pretty easy, and small items can be sewed quickly by hand. You can even use techniques like a blanket stitch to seal two-sided paper talismans. The Reader’s Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing is a great book to get started with this craft. Trust me, once you sew your first altar cloth and get to use your handiwork daily, there’s no going back.

Modern Technology: 3D Printing and Electronics

There are so many incredible crafting tools available to us today that our grimoire-writing predecessors never dreamed of. 3D printing gets used by many talisman and amulet-makers these days. I don’t own a 3D printer, but I have a couple of 3Doodler 3D pens that I use for magical crafting. These things are so much fun. I have used them to create simple holders for lamens and talismans, as well as for a Tarot card stand that I use for meditation.

Learning basic electronics can also help you with magical tools. You can add simple colored LEDs to talismans or use them to light your altar. Flickering LED candles make a safe alternative to open flames, and can also be used with far less hassle in outdoor rituals. I use flickering LEDs to add ambience when working with a crystal ball or other scrying method, as well as to liven up my props for public Tarot readings.

You can also check out my planetary smart altar for a cool special effect I’ve added to my work. It’s gesture controlled, which helps me feel like a real magician. Special effects like this were common in both temple and magical work in the ancient world, and were viewed as their own type of magic. Remember the magical statues spoken of in Asclepius.

“Are you speaking of statues, O Trismegistus?”

“Yes, statues, Asclepius. […] These statues are made alive by consciousness, and they are filled with breath. They do mighty deeds. […] They give sadness and happiness according to merit.”

Asclepius 24⁵

Have Fun with Arts and Crafts!

For me, ritual magic is fun as well as meaningful. I enjoy the aspect of crafting my own tools, talismans, and accouterments. You should do the same. Learn a new craft, pick up some new materials, go forth, and create your own ritual magic environment with elements created and crafted by you. This will help you learn new skills as well as add new meaning to your practice.

Did you like this article? My patrons received it five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

1. Exodus 30:34. ↩

2. Betz, Hans Dieter. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. 9. ↩

3. It turns out ibis parts are probably buckthorn. See Skinner’s Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic, p. 115-7. ↩

4. Greer, John Michael. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2004. 21, 463. ↩

5. Salaman, Clement, trans. Asclepius: The Perfect Discourse of Hermes Trismegistus. London: Duckworth, 2007. 78. ↩

Origins of Alchemy

On Becoming an Alchemist: A Guide for the Modern Magician by Catherine MacCoun

Core Concepts of Alchemy

The core concepts in alchemy revolve around transmutation of one substance into another, usually a base metal such as lead or iron into a “noble” metal such as silver or gold. This was supposed to be done using a substance called the Philosopher’s Stone, for which many recipes exist, all of which are encoded in deeply symbolic allegories which are difficult or impossible to understand without some sort of secret teaching. Today we know that the transformation of one element into another is prohibitively difficult if not downright impossible, and so it makes far more sense to view these allegories as having an additional level of meaning that speaks of a profound spiritual transformation.

Alchemists call the process of creating the Philosopher’s Stone the “Great Work.” Correspondences between this process and Creation abound. Planets are tied to metals, and celestial processes are tied to chemical reactions. The alchemists found parallels between their work and the Hermetica. In fact, the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus describes “the operation of the Sun” in an obtuse symbolic language which can easily be viewed as an alchemical recipe. Incorporation of Hermetic philosophy into alchemical practice brought about techniques and terms which are still in use today. For example, the hermetic seal gets its name from the legendary teacher.

Alchemy and Freemasonry

Some writers have claimed that medieval or Renaissance alchemy influenced Freemasonry. While it may be a stretch to directly link alchemical symbolism to Masonic symbolism, similarities between the two systems abound. Both emphasize transformation and utilize the physical sciences as spiritual allegories. Both use a broad range of symbols to represent various “great and important truths. It is inevitable that overlap would occur. Alchemical imagery and philosophy was also a core element in the development of Rosicrucianism, which may have influenced early speculative Masonry. More than one author has suggested that the Masonic transformation of the rough ashlar into the perfect ashlar is akin to alchemical transmutation.

Modern Alchemy

Alchemy as a spiritual science continues to be practiced in modern times. In the past it has attracted such scientific luminaries as Isaac Newton, Elias Ashmole, Tycho Brahe, and Robert Boyle. In modern times, thinkers such as Carl Jung have championed a fresh look at the lessons taught by alchemy. Though there remains some dispute over the spiritual interpretation of alchemical allegories, few would argue that this important ancient practice was a vital precursor to modern chemistry and the development of the scientific method.

Recently on My Alchemical Bromance, we interviewed Larry Roberts, a modern alchemist. Check out that episode and see what he has to say on the subject.

An earlier version of this brief article was published in Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters.

The smart altar is powered by an Arduino Nano, using a real-time clock (RTC), a string of NeoPixels, and my PlanetaryHours Arduino library. I used the planetary colors and calculation method from The Key of Solomon, a well-known medieval grimoire.

Gesture control is done via an HC-SR04 ultra-sonic range finder. It is pretty simple for now, but I can see using such a range finder to detect more complex gestures in the future.

Smart Altars, Electric Candles, and Binaural Beats

I like the idea of using modern technology alongside techniques from grimoires. As you may have heard on My Alchemical Bromance, I’ve been studying and working with grimoires more often lately, but I yearn for ways to update them for modern times.

For instance, I know of several practitioners who use electric candles instead of the real thing. In fact, I have assembled quick electric candles using LEDs and an Arduino for various work. It’s far safer than the real thing, and if you’re not staring directly at the lights you can’t even tell. I also use a binaural beat program for my phone to aid in morning meditation. Modern technology is great for ritual work!

What modern technology have you incorporated into your practice? What else do you think a smart altar should be able to do?

I haven’t read much of Bruno’s work, but I’ve been studying the Art of Memory for a long time and was excited to read Bruno’s De Umbris Idearum: On the Shadows of Ideas, recently translated by Scott Gosnell. This book contains both De umbris idearum and Ars memoriae, which are Bruno’s work on the nature of ideas and imagination as well as his complex mnemonic system.

Gosnell’s translation has received some flack in Amazon reviews. One reviewer writes, “If you want to understand what level this translation is at, then cut some Latin text and paste it into Google translate and you’ll get the idea.” That reviewer is being too hard on Gosnell. Bruno’s Latin is difficult, and nobody else has stepped forward to translate these texts into English. The original texts are available online for both De umbris idearum and Ars memoriae. I’ve experimented with pasting portions into Google Translate, and Gosnell’s translation is far more readable than the gibberish Google produces.

Bruno’s work is dense and difficult to decipher. Gosnell tries to help in a few places, but it will take a lot of study to decipher Bruno’s intent and figure out exactly how his version of the Art works. Bruno says that it will take months of practice, stating, “Within the space of three or perhaps four revolutions of the moon, you’ll get results; within six you should have mastery.”¹ Since I just finished reading the book and have only started thinking about it, what follows are my initial notes. I hope that they are useful for others beginning to use the Nolan’s incredible art to improve their own memories and imaginations.

This article will focus on the second part of Gosnell’s translation, Bruno’s Ars memoriae.

Terminology

Bruno uses different terminology for several standard terms in the Art of Memory. While there aren’t many variations, this short table should be useful to keep all the differences straight.

Clavis Magna, or the Great Key

Forma vero extrinseca, atque figura inuentoris clauis magnæ; per artem duro committitur lapidi, vel adamanti.

Actual external forms, as in the figure of intentions from the Clavis Magna, are as difficult to make as a stone such as a diamond.²

Throughout Ars memoriae, Bruno references something that might be an external work, the Clavis Magna. He never makes it clear if this is another book. Gosnell speculates that it may be the result of committing Bruno’s entire work to memory. It may also be a work that Bruno never published, or one of his other works on memory, such as the Cantus Circaeus.

Rules for Subjects

Bruno doesn’t have very many rules for subjects, or loci, that would be surprising to somebody who’s already studied the Art of Memory. He records many of the standard pieces of advice. For example, he notes that “a healthy image derives from a happy and noble subject” and that this is something which each practitioner will need to figure out with his own experience.³

Photo by Ed Uthman on Flickr.

If a subject is difficult to recall clearly, Bruno suggests adding or subtracting elements from it. For instance, subtracting elements would be like carving a statue of Mercury from a stone. Or, as he puts it: “Subtractione, ex lapide fit Mercurius.”⁵ That particular piece of advice, though a lovely quote, seems like it would make a subject more complicated and difficult to recall. It will take experimentation.

Finally, Bruno recommends repeated, daily practice. The memory palace should be walked daily. And the student should not be afraid to change his subjects over time, as “that which is uniform and undifferentiated generates revulsion.” Bruno also states that imaginary architecture should work just as well as real architecture, which is not typical advice for loci.⁶

Rules for Adjects

It’s going to be difficult to summarize Bruno’s rules for adjects. He breezes through subjects. Ars memoriae is primarily an instruction manual for the creation of adjects. Bruno’s adjects and subjects follow many of the same rules. The main difference seems to be that while subjects are reused in a fixed order, the adjects placed in them are reused in different combinations.⁷ Adjects are a complex visual alphabet, and as such they do not need to be attached to subjects to be useful. Instead, adjects are placed with subjects when order is important.

Subjects and adjects should be related. For instance, if the student chooses to use Bruno’s example adjects based on Greek mythology, the subjects should be Greek architecture. If the student chooses to use the Knights of the Round Table instead, then the subjects should be based on Camelot.⁸

Intention arouses the imagination. Adjects should be created purposefully so that they are easier to visualize and form.⁹ Bruno states that images should be created with discretion, determination, and ordination. He gives some additional advice.

• The memory system is like a canvas, and the student’s imagination is like a painter.
• Keeping things in order (ordination) keeps them from being confused.
• Order also keeps your adjects indexed. When information is kept in order, it’s easier to find.¹⁰

Bruno’s adjects are also endowed with movement. This is because movement brings objects to life. According to Hermetic philosophy, anything with movement is endowed with soul, which makes it part of the soul of the cosmos.¹¹

Wheels of Adjects

After explaining the rules for adjects, Bruno presents a comprehensive system for creating adjects quickly. His system uses a visual alphabet with layers of symbols that can be used to recall entire words. It is a complicated take on a Person-Action-Object (PAO) system, which this short article won’t explain in great detail.

These memory wheels are used to build images up to five layers deep, which means a library of 24,300,000 adjects can be created with Bruno’s 30-space memory wheel, pictured above. It’s an interesting system. Bruno’s method for learning encourages the student to build it up slowly, with just one or two layers at first, and to increase over time. The last part of Ars memoriae is a catalog of sample memory systems based on various mythological and astrological sources. I get the impression that Bruno is suggesting that the student build his own catalog.

Conclusion

As I mentioned earlier, these are just the notes that I made while going through Bruno’s system for the first time. I look forward to hearing your thoughts about Bruno’s system. What is your experience with it? Was the Nolan a genius, or a mad genius?

Did you like this article? My patrons received new articles five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

1. Gosnell, p. 79. ↩

2. Page 63. Emphasis in the Latin is mine.  ↩

3. Page 73.  ↩

4. Page 75.  ↩

5. Page 77.  ↩

6. Page 69.  ↩

7. Page 88.  ↩

8. Page 86. The Camelot example is mine, so don’t get too excited.  ↩

9. Page 89.  ↩

10. Page 91.  ↩

11. Farinella, Alessandro G., and Carole Preston. 2002. “Giordano Bruno: Neoplatonism and the Wheel of Memory in the “de Umbris Idearum””. Renaissance Quarterly 55 (2). [University of Chicago Press, Renaissance Society of America]: 596–624. doi:10.2307/1262319.  ↩

He’s halfway right. Bowie was definitely an occultist, but he made no secret about his interests. In fact, he made his interest in the occult very public in his 1971 album Hunky Dory. There are a couple of obvious occult references in this album. My favorite is in the song “Quicksand,” where he sings:

I’m closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley’s uniform
Of imagery

Check out the rest of the lyrics to that song. Bowie was blatant with his interest in the occult in 1971. However, he was also a master of reinventing himself, so his interest in the occult may have waxed and waned through the years. Sumner quotes a 1997 article in which Bowie discusses Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, and Arthur Edward Waite. Those three were all part of the general confusion that arose around the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn near the turn of the 20th century.

Peter Koenig has a great analysis of occult symbolism in Bowie’s work that he wrote back in 1996. You can read it at this link.

Blackstar and Occult Imagery

On January 8, 2016, Bowie released his final album, Blackstar. It was his 69th birthday and two days before his death. The album is spooky, melodic, and worth listening to. I haven’t spent very much time listening to the lyrics or watching the videos, and the imagery and symbolism definitely deserves a closer look. In the videos, Bowie appears with his eyes bandaged and pierced by screws.

The video for “Blackstar” contains interesting symbolism. Near the beginning of the video, a large black star dominates the screen with puzzle-like glyphs of partial stars appearing below it. I’m not sure what it means, but it could be a cipher or a reference to elemental symbolism which is associated with the pentagram in the Golden Dawn.

A black star and star glyphs are featured with the dead astronaut and eclipsed star.

Just beneath the center of the black star is a dead astronaut. Later in the video, the helmet opens to reveal a bejeweled skull, encrusted with gems and precious metals. The skull gets taken, but the skeleton is cast up into the eclipsed star. Later, the jeweled skull is venerated in a ritual circle, where it is held by a woman in black who appears to be a priestess. I am not sure what that means. Bowie was a visionary and an artist, and his final piece of art deserves more contemplation than I could give it in such a brief time. Pay attention to these lyrics:

Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried

This “Somebody else” then calls out later, “I’m the great I AM.”

A second video, “Lazarus,” also features the skull. It looks like it’s been through a rough time, though. It sits next to Bowie on a desk while he writes.¹ Sumner compared this to symbolism from a Masonic rite, and while that may be the inspiration, it reminds me of Saint Jerome,² who is typically depicted writing at a desk, contemplating a skull. This is an example of a memento mori, or contemplation on one’s own death. What is more fitting for Bowie’s last album?

“Saint Jerome” by Jacques Blanchard, 1632. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

I’m not a David Bowie expert, but it’s always been obvious to me from the portions of his work that I’ve been familiar with that he was a blatant occultist. Even his many changes in persona seemed to me to be inspired by occult practices. I hope that more occultists will pay attention to Bowie’s work, especially occultists who are Bowie experts. Finally, in closing, here’s the video for “Lazarus.”

The featured image is a cropped version of an image by Louise McLaren, which can be found on Flickr. This image is used in concordance with the Creative Commons 2.0 license.

1. Okay, he’s not writing. He’s shaking or dancing or something. ↩

2. Or Saint Hieronymus. See my favorite image of him by Abrecht Dürer here: https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szent_Jeromos#/media/File:D%C3%BCrer-Hieronymus-im-Geh%C3%A4us.jpg ↩

Let’s look at how the Art of Memory relates to the study and use of Tarot.

Striking Images

If you are interested in learning Tarot using the Art of Memory, check out my on-demand class!

One of the techniques of the Art uses visually stimulating images to aid recall. Using imagery to store and recall information was common in Europe before the general availability of paper and the rise of the printing press. An example that has managed to survive until modern times is the iconography of the Greek and Roman churches, in which color, position, and setting have become encoded over the years into a distinct visual language.

Tarot’s origins are also rooted in the availability of affordable paper and printing near the end of the Medieval period. Its striking images serve as mnemonic guides to Tarot readers, leaving it as a still-useful relic of the transitional period between the widespread use of mnemotechnics² and the increase in literacy.³

“Tarot can be seen as a memory palace, a system of ordering all knowledge,” writes Anders Sandberg.⁴ While it’s ambitious to say that Tarot can be used to order all knowledge, the vivid, uncommon imagery of the cards definitely makes an amazing collection of mnemotechnic devices. The imagery of each card evokes its meaning. A Tarot reader may have stories, legends, and parables tied to each card.

Memorizing the Tarot

In Learn the Tarot through Meditation, I wrote about building an exact replica of the card’s imagery in your mind. This is the same technique used to encode memory images. When you can build the card in your mind, you can keep it available for recall always.

If you understand the emotions that the card inspires in you, tie them to the image of the card in your mind. Find visual cues that serve to remind you of the meaning of the card and tie them to other things in your memory. These will cement the image of the card into your memory.

Keeping the cards in order means that you’ll need a memory palace of your own. Begin with the Major Arcana, which means your memory palace will need 22 loci, or locations. Building a memory palace requires dedication and practice, but it pays off. You’ll be able to use it and reuse it over and over. The Memory Techniques Wiki has a sparse page about building a memory palace that should serve as a good start. Hackerspace has a pretty good article about using Tarot in particular to build a memory palace.

Imagination and Power

To the Tarotist, this technique is about more than mere memorization. By fixing the images of the Tarot in your memory, you integrate the lessons and imagery of the cards in a new way. In fact, the imagery is vital to interpretation. Mere rote memorization of the cards just gets you numbers and keywords, while using the Art of Memory gets you the entire experience of seeing, recalling, and using the card.

Her Sixth Circle writes about teaching her husband Tarot with a memory palace. She claims that in just a few hours, he was able to recall the interpretations of both the Major and Minor Arcana. In fact, not only could he recall the meanings, but he could give good Tarot readings quickly. “What I find really encouraging is that his intuition is playing a larger role in the whole thing than I think he realizes,” she writes.

In actively using our imagination, we have the power to change the way our mind uses symbols and images.

More Resources

The following books are great resources on the Art of Memory and its history and use.

• The Art of Memory by Frances Yates
• The Medieval Craft of Memory by Mary Carruthers
• Eros and Magic in the Renaissance by Iouan P. Culianu

If you would like to learn more about the Art of Memory and its applications in the modern world, check out Joshua Foer’s TED talk on the subject.

1. I won’t discuss the technique fully here. The Wikipedia entry on the Art of Memory is a great starting point, however. ↩

2. That’s a fancy word for “memory techniques.” ↩

3. Literacy rates in Europe skyrocketed after the adoption of the printing press. See Our World in Data’s page on Literacy for some interesting charts. ↩

4. See his fascinating Credo Tarot on Flickr. ↩

“Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a gentleman or a yeoman.”
The Fool, King Lear, Act III, Scene 6

This week, we’re talking about The Fool. The deck I’m referencing is one I don’t use very often, The Haindl Tarot. I was just putting the deck away when this card slipped out.

A Muddled History

The Fool has a very interesting history in esoteric and occult Tarot usage. In A History of the Occult Tarot, Decker and Dummett go into great detail about The Fool. For a long time, nobody could really agree on where this card fit in the Major Arcana. Some placed The Fool between trumps XX and XXI. Some placed it after XXI. When it came to Hebrew letter attributions to the card, sometimes it ended up with alef, sometimes with shin, and sometimes with something altogether different.

Even the imagery in the card has been up for debate. In early versions of the Golden Dawn’s esoteric Tarot, for instance, The Fool was depicted as an old man. His younger counterpart only became popular with Pamela Colman Smith’s depiction in the Rider-Waite Tarot.

The Clueless Beginner

I often refer to The Fool as the clueless Magician. This card speaks of a new beginning, but it’s a new beginning without any idea of what’s in store. It’s not knowing necessarily what to do next. In fact, its relation to The Magician is even stronger. Let’s talk about the Kabbalistic significance of alef (The Fool) and bet (The Magician). The first word in the Torah is be-reshit, “In the beginning.” This word is spelled with a bet. The significance is talked about in the Sefer ha-Zohar. Though bet is used to begin the act of creation, the Creator says to the letter alef, “Although I will create the world with the letter bet, you will be the first of all the letters. […] With you all counting begins and every deed in the world. No union is actualized except by alef.”¹

Though The Magician, as bet, has all of the tools necessary to begin the transformative journey, nothing can begin unless it begins in The Fool. That clueless ignorance, the bumbling nothing at the start of a quest, that is very important.

The Dancing Madman

The Fool is typically represented by a jester. In the Haindle Tarot, the Fool wears the jester’s cap and bells. More bells seem to be floating in the foreground. Historically, jesters had liberties with their words that others did not. Supposedly, Elizabeth I once rebuked her favorite jester because he didn’t say harsh enough things about her. Jesters could act like madmen and get away with it. They could appear insane to others, and were expected to do so.

James Ricklef paraphrases Thoreau when he describes The Fool: “Do not be afraid to march to the beat of a different drummer.” This ties into the concept of everything beginning at The Fool. When you try something new, you might appear mad. You might be doing something nobody else has ever done before. It’s time to go for it.

Book a Tarot reading with me! Click here.

Did you like this article? Get new articles five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

1.  Sefer ha-Zohar, 1:3b.  ↩

The Best Future

After two weeks of tough cards, this amazing Tarot vision is a nice shift. The Ten of Cups is about a happy, content moment. Emotions are at rest, happiness has been found. It is “also perfection of human love and friendship,” according to Waite,¹ and I agree.

This card is interesting to read when it shows up in a negative position. It can relate to false hope, to misleading emotions, and to the illusion of happiness. Sometimes we like to base our happiness on things that aren’t real. This card can argue against that. However, this week, it’s a happy card. Be joyous! Love your neighbors! Be yourself and be content.

For a far more introspective and philosophical perspective on this card, check out Shelley Ruelle’s post on Sparrot Tarot.

1. Waite, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1959. 206. ↩

Practicality or Avoidance?

Eights can be seen as cards of practicality and balance. In this card, the traveler retreats from the cups. He doesn’t engage with them, and instead is doing hard work. He treks up the hill, abandoning whatever emotional issue he was dealing with. Avoiding an issue isn’t always the best or most permanent option, but sometimes it’s a necessary one.

Sometimes, we can get so embroiled in our emotions that we lose sight of the big picture. The practical side of this card is the one that leaves behind an emotional quagmire to focus on the task at hand. He will get things done.

The Indifferent Moon

Sometimes when I look at the Moon in this card, it seems more indifferent than sad. This indicates that at times, we need to let go of an emotional situation because it’s just not as essential as we thought it was. The Moon is indifferent because he’s bored. The traveler wasn’t doing anything exciting with the Cups.

Walking away from a situation and clearing yourself of its emotional shackles can be liberating. The traveler is about to figure this out.

Book a Tarot reading with me over Skype! Click here.

Did you like this article? Get new articles five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

Round and Round

There are two sets of letters on the wheel. First, we have the Latin alphabet, TARO. If you read clockwise, this ends up spelling “TAROT”, but it also spells “ROTA,” the Latin word for “wheel.” If you read counterclockwise, you get “TORA,” which could be a reference to the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses, and is referenced on the scroll of the High Priestess.¹ The Tarot-Rota connection is one that’s always fascinated me. It’s not in older decks, so it must have been introduced by Eliphas Levi or A.E. Waite.

There’s more symbolism on the wheel. The Hebrew letters are the Tetragrammaton, or ineffable name of deity. Within, are alchemical symbols for the tria prima: salt, sulfur, and mercury. The fourth symbol in the bottom is the symbol for Aquarius.² It doesn’t match the theme very well. The tria prima show an alchemical progression that can lead one to greater spiritual understanding.

Let’s move on to the figures around the edges of the wheel.

Ride the Wave

The figures riding the wheel are taken from Egyptian mythology, about which Waite says, “It is legitimate […] to use Egyptian symbolism when this serves our purpose, provided that no theory of origin is implied therein.”³ We have, clockwise from the top, the Sphinx, Anubis, and a serpent representing Typhon.

The Sphinx represents the riddles of life. Typhon is associated with the Egyptian god Set,⁴ the usurper who rules over violence and destruction.  Finally, Anubis is a god of the afterlife. This is a vicious cycle for sure, but it represents figuring out important mysteries after passing through difficult times, and finally being allowed to rest.

The Egyptian symbols aren’t the only creatures bringing us hidden meanings and complex messages, however.

A Vision of Four Living Creatures

The four angelic creatures in the corners of the card have layers and layers of symbolism attached to them. Immediately, they bring to mind Ezekiel’s vision, wherein he saw “four living creatures,” each with four faces: man, lion, ox, and eagle.⁵ The four animals show up in other Biblical references, also.

One such reference that Waite would have been familiar with is the use of these animals in the Holy Royal Arch, a deeply symbolic and Kabbalistic degree of Freemasonry. In this degree, they can be said to represent the four worlds and levels of the soul, and are definitely taken from Ezekiel’s vision.⁶

From an astrological standpoint, the four animals represent the four fixed signs of the Zodiac. The man is Aquarius, the eagle is Scorpio, the lion is Leo, and the ox is Taurus. In this sense, they represent the cyclical nature of the passage of time. But we’re not done. They also represent the four elements and the four suits of the Minor Arcana. It is useful to cross-reference the elemental appearances in this card with those in the World.

Pulling it All Together

Like many of the Major Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune can be a difficult Tarot card to read. The most basic reading is that life goes through cycles. If you’re in a bad place, look for good things to come. However, if you’re in a good place, you can’t just coast through life. You must be prepared for highs and lows. As Sean at Cups & Coins wrote recently, “Everything in life, everything in our day-to-day operation, is merely the turning of the wheel. Things may rise and fall and this is to be expected.”

However, as you can see from the amount of symbolism I touched on in this article, there is a great deal to explore and contemplate in this card. This is one that bears deep contemplation and is an excellent subject for meditation.

If you’d like to learn more about this card, I would recommend the Wheel of Fortune at Biddy Tarot and the Tarotpedia page for this card. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my analysis, as well.

Book a Skype Tarot reading with me! Click here.

Did you like this article? Get new articles five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

1. I’ll write about this one eventually. ↩

2. Case, Paul Foster. The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages. New York: Macoy Pub., 1947. 122. Case says that it’s also the sign for alchemical dissolution, but I haven’t found any other sources that back up his claim. ↩

3. Waite, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1959. 108. ↩

4. Herodotus. Histories, Book II. 156. ↩

5. Ezekiel 1:5-14.  ↩

6. MacNulty, W. Kirk. “Kabbalah and Freemasonry.” Heredom: The Transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society 7 (1998): 179-86. ↩

When were some of the first known tarot cards created and do they originate from a specific cultural tradition?

This is a great question, and I’ve been reading and researching a little to see if I could come up with a good answer. I’m not an expert on the history of Tarot cards, so don’t take this as the last word on anything. However, Sherryl E. Smith of Tarot Heritage is such an expert. She’s got a great article on early Tarot decks that’s definitely worth a read. The short answer appears to be that the earliest Tarot decks came out of 15th century Italy. It’s more likely that Tarot evolved from playing cards than the other way around, in fact.

15th century Italy also brought the birth of the Florentine Renaissance, which certainly could have influenced the adoption of Tarot as a fortune telling device. The specific cultural tradition that the cards grew out of is the bizarre melting pot of the Renaissance.

An interesting thing to pay attention to is the age of certain symbols and ideas represented in old Tarot decks. For instance, in Smith’s article, she shares this image of what might be a Moon card from Ferrara. The figures on the card are measuring celestial bodies with compasses. But wait, there’s more. Now take a look at the image of L’Empereur, from the Marseille Tarot. You’ll see that he carries the ancient symbol of the globus cruciger, which has been used to represent secular and spiritual power since the 4th or 5th century. The symbolism of the Tarot is old stuff, implanted in the collective memory and unconscious of our culture for millennia. I’m certain this is what makes the Tarot such a useful tool for self-reflection and understanding.

Get a Free Email Reading

Peter gets a free email reading for having his question selected. You could, too! Post a question about the Tarot in the comments section, and if yours is selected for a Client Query post, you’ll get a free reading!

Wands are the suit of passions and inspirations. They are the cards of elemental fire. Queens often signify the power to make choices, but can also represent a choice itself. A couple of symbols in this card leap out at me. Some are more subtle.

Act With Inspiration

The Queen looks out over the countryside with a look of benevolent wisdom. She holds a sprouting staff and a sunflower. The sunflower motif repeats on her throne. Solar symbolism indicates inspired wisdom, and the ability to make a decision from a solid place.

In addition, the lion tails behind her make the shape reminiscent of a violin’s f-holes, which makes me think of the harmonious music of the spheres.

Playing With Fire

The Wands are great cards, but they’re not always safe cards. This card is rife with danger signs: The lions adorning the throne, the blasted landscape, and the black cat. Even solar symbolism, though primarily positive, is something to be wary of. Do not forget the lesson of Icarus!

Some decisions, even wise and necessary ones, involve playing with fire. It’s not a time to let your guard down. Watch out for those claws.

Correspondences can be found between Tarot cards and many stories, myths, and symbol sets. This is why there is such a broad variety of Tarot decks available, and why so many religious and esoteric systems have been tied to Tarot cards.

Remember to come and see me tomorrow at Crush Bar for brunch from Noon to 4pm!

1. I’ll write more about this in the future, I promise.  ↩

Love is All You Need

The Six of Cups is a fitting and reassuring one-card reading. Cups are associated with elemental water, emotion, intuition, and love. The Sixes typically represent harmony and love. The Six of Cups, therefore, is a double-whammy of good feelings, happy emotions, and love.

The Gummy Bear Tarot usually follows the typical Rider-Waite patterns and images. However, in this card, the delicious candy bears don’t look like children. They look like adults. In Bro. Waite’s excellent book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, he associates the children with memories of past happiness, and “things that have vanished.” Having adults in the cup-garden changes that.

Good Vibes Ahead

I really like good news. Who doesn’t? The Six of Cups is a good news card. In my life, right now, this card speaks to me as a portent for happiness and joy in the coming week. I’m looking forward to officiating the wedding of two very good friends of mine this weekend and ushering them into a new era of love and understanding.

In the past, my Card of the Week readings have been pretty generalized. This one is a happy card, and if you’d like to apply it to your week, I encourage you to do so. If only every week could be a Six of Cups week!

To make up for not reading reversed cards, I also make sure that my spreads include “negative spots,” where cards can show off their less-than-stellar aspects. For instance, see my favorite nine-card spread.

I updated this article on May 2020 to point to the Wayback Machine archive of the Frideborg article.

The Sun is the 19th Major Arcana, and the third of the celestial Trumps.¹ This is perhaps the happiest card in the Tarot, and indicates that things are going extremely well. This week, I’m giving myself an additional challenge by looking at the Sun as depicted in a deck that’s brand new to me: the Bruegel Tarot.

The House You Built

The nice thing about the Sun is that it’s not telling you to simply sit back and relax, but that the happiness and joy that comes to you is because of your own labors and efforts. The background of this card is filled with people enjoying the fruits of their labors. We can see a farmer hard at work in the field, a woman seeming to enjoy tall trees, and somebody hanging up their laundry in the Sun’s warm rays.

This card is also a reminder to enjoy the good times when they happen. In the foreground, a man and a woman are building a wall. The tools of the trade are scattered about them, and the wall is obviously unfinished. However, they are happily rejoicing. This is also mirrored in the background, where crowds gather on the hillside and gaze up at the Sun in admiration.

The unfinished wall indicates that happiness and joy don’t need to wait until the completion of your work. You should find ways to also enjoy the process. The means to an end need to be as good for the soul as the end itself. A wall built with faulty materials is not going to be a great wall.

Strong Celestial Influence

This card also carries some potent esoteric symbolism. In the sky, the Sun shines brightly, illuminating the rest of the imagery in the card. Peeking over the horizon are a crescent moon and two planets, one of them ringed. This is a reminder that while the influence of the Spheres may be overshadowed by the power of the Sun, they lurk forever on the edges, waiting for darkness to fall and their power to increase. The happiness of the Sun must be worked for. While you can stop and enjoy it, you still need to sow the seeds of joy in order to reap the fruits of happiness. Like all things, the Sun is part of a cosmic cycle.

What are your thoughts on the symbolism of the Sun? How does this interpretation differ from other decks? Discuss!

In the photograph, the card is from the aforementioned Bruegel Tarot, copyright 2003 Lo Scarabeo. The image in the background is the Tower of Babel from Athanasius Kircher’s Theatre of the World: The Life and Work of the Last Man to Search for Universal Knowledge by Joscelyn Godwin (Inner Traditions, 2009).

Book a Tarot reading with me! Click here. You might also be interested in my Planetary Magic class series.

Did you like this article? Get new posts five days early. Support my work on Patreon!

1. I drew it randomly. It’s a weird coincidence to have the Moon last week and the Sun this week, but sometimes that’s how the Tarot works. ↩

Syncretic Divination

As a part of the modern Western Mystery tradition, Tarot is a syncretic system. Its association with Hermetic Qabalah and ceremonial magic probably doesn’t date much earlier than the 19th century. This link was either invented or popularized by the influential occultist Eliphas Levi. Since then, the popularity of Tarot and other cartomantic systems has skyrocketed. You can now find systems of cartomancy incorporating all manner of other systems, including runes, astrology, and other symbol sets.

Tarotize recommends familiarizing yourself with astrology, numerology, and the chakras. Astrology has had a strong link to the Tarot simply because it’s been a part of our cultural landscape for so long. Early modern astrology hit its peak in the 17th century, with the explosion of astrological almanacs and popular public figures such as Sir Christopher Heydon, Nicholas Culpeper, William Lilly, and others.¹ Its history goes back much further, however. It’s very difficult to study Western esotericism without learning something about astrology.

Numerology takes a number of forms. Some of them are divinatory, but others are deeper and stranger.² Because Tarot decks are numbered, it makes sense to draw numerical connections between the cards. In fact, kind of like a poker hand, I will interpret cards differently if multiples show up in a reading. Three 4’s, for instance, can mean some significant stagnation. Tarotize points to a novel system of Tarot numerology that was initially introduced by Mary K Greer.

Find the Symbols You Need

While I like to think that you don’t need to incorporate other symbolic systems into Tarot, avoiding them will make your path more difficult. However, you don’t need to use astrology, numerology, or chakras. Finding a symbol set that speaks to you is one of the best ways to find a deck that you’re going to like. If you’re interested in Tarot, then you’ve probably already explored something else. Maybe you enjoy Ancient Egypt, or you’re really into cats, or you’ve got a thing for Celtic knots. There are many, many Tarot decks out there, and you’ll be able to find one that matches what you already love.

If you haven’t already seen it, Aeclectic Tarot is a great resource for exploring the variety of Tarot decks out there.

Did You Catch the Free Reading Offer?

In my last Client Query post, I offered a free Tarot reading by email to those who ask me good questions. If I pick your question for a future Client Query post, then a free reading is yours!

This post was updated in August 2020 to fix broken links and correct wording about early modern astrology.

1. Monod, Solomon’s Secret Arts: The Occult in the Age of the Enlightenment, Yale University Press, 2013, pp. 53-59. ↩

2. For instance, Gematria is an esoteric Hebrew system of numerology that uses the numerical values of words to analyze holy texts. ↩