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procedure, it counsels the ruler to purge the state of unworthy officers. Curiously,
the invention of written characters to replace knotted strings is ascribed among
Chinese scholars to the use of this hexagram by the sages. Gemini is ruled by Thoth;
10 is the key of the Naples Arrangement; and Apollo (Sol) is the patron of literature
and the arts: so his suggestion might appear at least no less suitable to the
Qabalistic correspondences than to their double emphasis on Water and the Sun.
Apart from this, however, the parallelism is complete.
THE ROOT OF THE POWERS OF THE EARTH
ACE OF DISKS
The Ace of Disks pictures the entry of that type of Energy which is called Earth. It is
here proper to insist a little strongly upon one of the essential theoretical theses
which have inflamed the constitution of this present pack of Tarot cards; for this
feature is significant, and distinguishes it from the numerous crude efforts of
uninitiates to put themselves forward as adepts. The grotesque barber Alliette, the
obscurely perverse Wirth, the poseur-fumiste Peladan, down to the verbose
ignorance of such Autolycus-quacks as Raffalovitch and Ouspensky; none of these or
their kin have done more than "play the sedulous ape" to the conventional Mediaeval
designs. (Their luck was out: the Tarot is a razor!) Eliphaz Levi was a master-
scholar, and knew the true attributions; but his grade in the Great White
Brotherhood was only 6o~5o (Adeptus Major); and he had no instructed foresight of
the New Aeon. He did indeed hope to find a Messiah in Napoleon III; but of the
complete spiritual upheaval which accompanies the Proclamation of a new Magical
Formula he had no glimpse; no, not though he had Maistre Alcofribas Nasier to guide
him! [See The Grands Annales ou croniques Tresveritables des filz. Roy des
Dipsodes. 1542. Book I, Chapter LVIII, where is given not only a remarkable
description of the social conditions of the twentieth century e.v., but even, in the last
line of the Prophetic Riddle, a clear indication of the Magical Motto of the Adept
chosen by the Masters to announce this Formula-this Word, openly given in the
name of the Abbey itself. But, as so often is the case, it was too simple and
straightforward to be seen!]
Dr. Gerard Encausse, "Papus", who followed Eliphaz Levi, felt himself even more
closely bound by his Oath of Secrecy, so that his dealings with the Tarot are
worthless; and that although he was Grand Master of the O.T.O. in France, and
Grand Hierophant 97º of the Rite of Memphis on the death of John Yarker.
These historical data are necessary to explain why all previous packs are of little
more than archaeological interest; for the New Aeon demanded a new system of
symbolism. Thus, in particular, the old conception of the Earth as a passive,
immobile, even dead, even "evil" element, had to go. It was imperative to restore
the King-Scale colour attribution to that of the Aeon of Isis, Emerald Green, as was
understood by the Egyptian Hierophants. This green is, however, not the original
vegetable green of Isis, but the new green of spring following the resurrection of
Osiris as Horus. Nor are the Disks any more to be considered as Coins; the Disk is a
whirling emblem. Naturally so; since it is now know that every Star, every true
Planet, is a whirling sphere. The Atom, again, is no more the hard, intractable, dead
Particle of Dalton, but a system of whirling forces, comparable to the Solar hierarchy
itself.
This thesis dovetails perfectly with the new Doctrine of Tetragrammaton, where the
Earthy component, He' final, the Daughter, is set upon the Throne of the Mother, to
awaken the Eld of the All- Father. The NAME itself, accordingly, is no longer a fixed
symbol, emblem of extension and limit, but a continuously revolving sphere; in the
words of Zoroaster, "rebounding, whirling forth, crying aloud".
It has been the custom of publishers or designers of packs to set their personal seal
upon the Ace of Disks, for grammatical reasons not unconnected with the perhaps
arbitrary differentiation in the Latin Language between the pronouns "meum" and
"tuum". Saith not the Bard?
"Steal not this Book for fear of shame!
The Ace of Disks-the Author's name.
The Ace of Swords-thy corpse shall look
Like Agag's did, in Samuel's book.
The Ace of Cups-drink thou no less
Than Brinvilliers the Marchioness!
The Ace of Wands-thy death be reckoned
Like that of good King Edward Second!"
The central symbol of the Ace of Disks is consequently the personal Hieroglyph of
"the chosen priest and apostle of infinite space", "the prince-priest the Beast". (Liber
AL. 1.15.)
This is to be compared with the Sigillum Sanctum of the Order of A..A..
In the centre of all is yet another form of Tetragrammaton, the Phallus, showing Sol
and Luna, with the number 666 duly inscribed, as if to equilibrate, to fit into the
Vesica, with the seven sevens adding to 156 (BABALON 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 30 + 70 +
50=(7 + 7) divided by 7 + 77+ 77=156) as the Magick Square of 6 adds to 666
(1=62= 300 + 70 + 40 + 5 + 3 + I + 9 + 8 + 100 + 10 + 70 +
50= 400 + 200 + 10 + 6 + 50). Should one choose to interpret the vertical
line above 666 as 1, and add it, the number of the Scarlet Woman, 667, appears.
(667 = =8 + 20 + 70 + 20 + 20 + 10 + 50 + 8 + 3 + 400 + 50+
8.) This cipher is enclosed in a Heptagram, as manifestly needful; and this figure
again in interlaced Pentagons whose sides are ex tended, so forming a Wheel of 10
spokes whose boundary is a Decagon; and this again within a circular band, upon
which is inscribed in full the name , of 12 (6 x 2) letters.
About this whirling Disk are its six Wings; the entire symbol is not only a glyph of
Earth as understood in this New Aeon of Horus, but of the number 6, the number of
the Sun. This card is thus an affirmation of the identity of Sol and Terra-and that will
be best understood by those who have punctually practised Liber Resh for the
necessary number of years, preferably in such Hermitages as those of the Sahara
Desert, where the Sun and the Earth can soon be instinctively recognized as living
Beings, one's constant companions in a Universe of Pure Joy.
CHANGE
TWO OF DISKS
The number Two, Chokmah, here rules in the suit pertaining to Earth. It shows the
type of Energy appropriate to Two, in its most fixed form. According to the doctrine
that Change is the support of stability, the card is called Change.
Its celestial rulers are Jupiter and Capricornus; and these symbols are most
inharmonious, so that in practical matters the good fortune of Jupiter is very limited.
Their influence on the card is not great. Yet, Jupiter being himself the Wheel (Atu X),
he emphasizes that idea.
The card represents two Pantacles, one above the other; they are the Chinese
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