Aleister Crowley Tarot TAROT MIRROR OF THE SOUL TAROT MIRROR OF THE SOUL Handbook for the Aleister Crowley Tarot Gerd Ziegler L2J SAMUEL WEISER, INC. York Beach, Maine First trade paper edition 1988 by Samuel Weiser, Inc. Box 612 York Beach Maine 03910 Fourth printing, 1991 First published in German in 1986 by Urania Verlag, Sauerlach, W. Germany under the title: Tarot: Spiegel der Seek ©1984 Urania Verlag English language edition © 1986 Samuel Weiser, Inc. and Urania Verlag All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechani cal, including photocopy, without permission in writing from Samuel Weiser, Inc. Reviewers may quote brief passages. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ziegler, Gerd Tarot: mirror of the soul 1. Tarot. I.Title BF1879.T2Z54 1988 133.37424 87-34087 ISBN 0-87728-683-3 MV Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Foreword 1X The System of the Tarot 1 The Crowley-Thoth Tarot 3 The Use of the Tarot 5 The Major Arcana H 0 The Fool 13 1 The Magus 16 II The Priestess 18 III The Empress 20 IV The Emperor 22 V The Hierophant 24 VI The Lovers 26 VII The Chariot 29 VIII Adjustment 31 IX The Hermit 33 X Fortune 35 XI Lust 37 XII The Hanged Man 39 XIII Death 41 XIV Art 43 XV The Devil 45 XVI The Tower 47 XVII The Star 49 XVIII The Moon 51 XIX The Sun 54 XX The Aeon 56 XXI The Universe 58 The Court Cards 61 Knight of Wands 63 Queen of Wands 65 Prince of Wands 67 Princess of Wands 69 Knight of Cups 71 Queen of Cups 73 Prince of Cups 75 Princess of Cups 77 Knight of Swords 79 Queen of Swords 81 Prince of Swords 83 Princess of Swords 85 Knight of Disks 87 Queen of Disks 89 Prince of Disks 91 Princess of Disks 93 The Minor Arcana 95 Ace of Wands 97 Two of Wands 99 Three of Wands 101 Four of Wands 103 Five of Wands 105 Six of Wands 107 Seven of Wands 109 Eight of Wands HI Nine of Wands 113 Ten of Wands 115 Ace of Cups 117 Two of Cups H9 Three of Cups 121 Four of Cups 123 Five of Cups 125 Six of Cups 127 Seven of Cups 129 Eight of Cups 131 Nine of Cups 133 Ten of Cups 135 Contents I vii Ace of Swords 137 Two of Swords 139 Three of Swords 141 Four of Swords 143 Five of Swords 145 Six of Swords 147 Seven of Swords 149 Eight of Swords 151 Nine of Swords 153 Ten of Swords 155 Ace of Disks 157 Two of Disks 159 Three of Disks 161 Four of Disks 163 Five of Disks 165 Six of Disks 167 Seven of Disks 169 Eight of Disks 171 Nine of Disks 173 Ten of Disks 175 Systems for Using the Cards 177 Commonly Occurring Symbols 191 FOREWORD Just as we use a mirror to observe our exterior, we can use the images of the Tarot to approach our inner reality. An adventurous expedition! The images of the Tarot are a mirror of the images in our souls. The longer we look inward, the more we discover about ourselves and our lives. A mirror reflects visible reality without judging it. It shows the beautiful and the ugly, the pleasant and the unpleasant. It cannot do anything else. We can put it aside or shatter it if we don't like our reflection, but doing so won't change our appearance. The images of the Tarot describe spiritual conditions. In using the cards we see our inner reality from new perspectives. The images are neither »positive« nor »negative«, neither »for« nor »against« us. They simply offer hints and clues. We can examine them, choosing either to discard or consider, ignore or use them. Many people are afraid to confront their inner reality; they may find ugly or unpleasant aspects of themselves. They pretend to know them selves, often believing they really do. They expend enormous amounts of energy in maintaining an illusory facade; the more illusory, the more desperately they defend it and the greater their underlying fear. Yet each defensive action, each denial, reveals, rather than hides, the under lying insecurity. Fear, narrow-mindedness, repression, constriction and a sense of isolation result, and the true inner reality remains unknown. Surprisingly, we learn to accept and love ourselves only when we stop trying to hide, and hide from, our inner reality. We can only share with others those parts of ourselves which we had discovered and accepted, and can only change those unpleasant aspects in ourselves which we have thoroughly examined, and recognized as needing change. Self-exploration can be risky at times. Newly-won perspectives can upset old habits and attitudes, and shake the very foundation of our belief systems (see The Tower). Yet this is an essential step in any transformational process. The »rewards« of such an internal cleansing process are great. Each time we reveal and let go of one of our illusions, we come one step closer to our own true, boundless and enduring selves. What we let go and lose in this process never has been really ours; what is destroyed never has been rooted in our true being. In letting go you arrive at the still place in yourself where you and the stillness are one; you arrive home and you and your home are one. This book offers suggestions for playing with and increasing your understanding of the Crowley-Thoth Tarot. It will help you in your work with the cards, sometimes guiding your inner exploration, some times pointing the way in daily situations and difficult decision-making processes. Tarot means, above all, subjectivity, and maintaining a vital readiness to being touched. The Tarot's images, as mirrors of our own unconscious impulses, unlock and make these impulses available to our conscious mind. And we learn to interpret the messages of the cards, as we might interpret a muddled dream, we can discover new inner realms, and gain a glimpse into the mysteries of the Universe in its all-encompassing cosmic order. Waakirchen, August 1984 Zolling, July 1985 THE SYSTEM OF THE TAROT The Tarot is an ancient system of knowledge which has been taught over the centuries in secret Mystery schools. This wisdom is presented through paintings, the symbols often hidden in esoteric images. Each card embodies the energy of the symbols on it, reflecting and imparting that energy to the user of the deck. The Tarot was originally a book of wisdom, similar to the Chinese / Ging, and was looked to for advice in many different matters. The Tarot is a tool that can be used for orienting oneself on the path toward greater awareness, - a vast path with many turnings. It is a guide to the realm of inner transformation, revealing hidden messages and enlarging one's vision of the self and the cosmos. We can use the Tarot as a map, drawn in symbols, indicating the roadsigns on the inner path. Correctly used, it gives insight and new perspectives about any unclear situations. It possesses intense transformatory power which can lead to valuable breakthroughs, increased clarity and deeper perceptions regarding areas of life which are most meaningful to us. If we are ready to see and accept, the Tarot will give us information that points to special strengths as well as uncovering blind spots. The 78 cards are divided into 22 Major Arcana (numbered 0-XXI), 16 Court Cards and 40 Minor Arcana. Major Arcana cards give us answers or messages regarding the question or situation at hand. At the same time, they offer higher universal teachings based in Cosmic Law. These teachings provide an answer to the immediate question, while also providing a lesson which can be generally applied in every-day life. Court Cards generally are related in some way to people who are important in our lives. They show us also what we have to learn and what we wish to master, as well as any special talents we may have.