9 Serpents

[Yygdrasilian]

I've been using a number/symbol key to arrange Crowley's Tarot into 9 chapters (or "constellations") that describe Spirit's journey through the Qabala tree. This "book" forms a metaphysics based on the geometric progression of number. It conceives an object that can be used for calculating the Metonic & Saros cycles of Sun & Moon as well as the Synodic periods for all the planets known to antiquity. It is both a map and a calendar and much, much more.

In the course of my research I've seen little mention of this system - though its' initiates have been depicting pieces of it in the arts and sciences for a very long time. To my knowledge, the constellations were published only relatively recent in the history of Tarot (see Arrien and Greer); as was Crowley's Book of Thoth deck. Yet the correlation between the two in revealing this system yields information far too profound to be coincidental.

Not to diminish the creative genius of those who produced the cards in renaissance Europe, but in examining the history of Tarot there is a thread of something much older. The occultists, from Etteilla to Crowley worked out this system. The question is: did they invent it, decipher it, or (re)discover it?

Perhaps this secret has succeeded in avoiding scrutiny for so long by the uninitiated due to ciphers of varying complexity employed by those either charged with its safekeeping or bent on monopolizing its knowledge. The different methods for ordering the triumphs may simply reflect the cipher being used.

In any case, whoever aspires to an understanding of Tarot and the historical forces that have shaped it cannot overlook the ramifications of this puzzle. Any History of Tarot must address whether this is a system that has been adapted to fit Tarot or whether Tarot has been made to fit it. In either case, this alchemist's riddle has fundamentally shaped the development of the Tarot deck. And it's pretty cool too.

You'll need Crowley's deck as he presents a mostly unscrambled version of the codex. The flaws he left in place set the story in motion when, having deduced the proper sequence of constellations, you correct them.

2: Arrow
3: Cup
4: Crown
5: Staff
6: Pillars
7: Spiral
8: Star
9: Bridge
11: Cross

Get a large pad of paper.
Chart the glyphs of each constellation.
Consider the symbols of astrology as indicating types of motion or forms of energy alluded to by the character traits traditionally attributed them by astrologers. In this sense, the symbols themselves are depicting the critical information and fit together as alchemical formulae that tell a tale, draw a map, describe a path, and detail an object that explains much about our civilization and its concept of time and space.
Trust me, once you figure out what's going on you'll know why Crowley called it Thoth's book.

As above, so below.
The seed of everything is within everything.

[Yygdrasilian]

Let’s imagine the glyphs of astrology/alchemy as an alphabet used to form shapes. That in proper combination create something more than just a composite glyph - they depict the mechanics of generating a symbol of greater complexity thru a series of steps.

Tarot, in connection with the Qabala Tree, can be used as a cipher for indexing glyphs and arranging them into these meta-symbolic formulas, or “Constellations.” Each juxtapose of planet and zodiac also functions as mythological allegory, shedding light upon the purpose of its formula. In this sense, the hieroglyphs both draw a shape and tell a story; and the “narrative” this story constructs will tell you how these meta-symbols fit together.

It’s as if an ancient civilization devised a codex for engineering riddles.
That being said, one should take into consideration the use of pun - either verbal or visual.
Relearn to play with symbol & number as a child would.

The attributions I give here are what have made the most sense to me as the Book of Thoth has “revealed” itself. Being, essentially, a system for conveying the metaphysics of sacred geometry, its “mathemagickal” component checks against any wild tangents or flights of fancy that may possess anyone going down this rabbit hole. My interpretations of what the glyphs mean are certainly not written in stone, but are merely a cursory outline of my own findings that have proved most useful in decoding the narrative and unlocking its secrets.


The Planets / 7 Intelligences

SATURN - Limitation
The scythe divides and measures, encloses in form, making heavy

JUPITER - Order
Cross of Odd & Even, the wise ruler is harmonious

MARS - Chaos
A warrior once activated charges into battle

SUN - Illumination
Each & every one of us is a Star

VENUS - Attraction
Love pulls together what might otherwise be opposed

MERCURY - Integration
My Crown is a Bridge, My Knowledge a Synthesis

MOON - Phasing
From Light into Darkness, from Darkness into Light


The Zodiac / 12 Powers

ARIES : Emanation
Pushing, it does not pierce.

TAURUS : Avatar
Your Avatar holds the Key and beholds a Path

GEMINI : Cleaving
To separate or adhere, the Portal open or closed, Twins who agree or disagree.

CANCER : Spinning
A cycle in time, a turn of the wheel.

LEO : Creation
The Serpent born from its Source, Creation is a spark of light looking out into the darkness.

VIRGO : Quickening
Spiral energy of transformation where it meets the Threshold - the hymen of the Virgin. Gestation as the organizing principle that brings to fruition.

LIBRA : Balancing
Nothing can be called dark lest there be light, as every phase of the moon must have its opposite.

SCORPIO : Transformation
Transforms into a Fish, a Scorpion, a Snake, or an Eagle - the power of metamorphosis is a journey thru the Spiral.

SAGITTARIUS : Penetrating
An arrow can pierce, or it can point the way, or it can do both. It can fly & do other things too.

CAPRICORN : Progression
Goat-serpent wriggles a wave climbing forward.

AQUARIUS : Reflecting
Water in the Cup, I pause to reflect.

PISCES : Expansion
One fish swims upstream, the other down, one day meeting when they come back around.


The Elements / 4 Frequencies

AIR - Thought
WATER - Emotion
FIRE - Energy
EARTH - Matter

The rungs of a ladder, or the simplest of Solids

[Yygdrasilian]

2: ARROW
.......................
...........^..........
......XX....XI......
...../...........\.....
...........II..........
.......................
...........2...........
.......Swords......
........................
...........2...........
........Cups.........
........................
...........2...........
......Wands........
........................
...........2...........
........Disks........
........................


3: CUP
.................................................. .......
........3.....................................3... .....
....swords............................disks....... .
.................................................. .......
............3..........................3.......... ......
..........cups...................wands............ .
.................................................. .......
..........................III..................... .......
.................................................. .......
.........................XII...................... ......
.................................................. .......
........................XXI....................... .....
.................................................. .......


4: CROWN
...\...\............./..\.........../...\............. /.../.
...\.....\........../....\........./.....\........../..../..
....\..4...\....../..4...\....../...4...\....../..4./...
.....\.swords....cups........wands...disks./....
......\............................................ ...../.....
.......\......0=XXII......IV..........XIII......./......
........\____________________________/.......
.................................................. ..............


5: STAFF
._______.
[....XIV...]
[......5....]
[...disks..]
[......5....]
[..wands.]
[......5....]
[...cups..]
[......5....]
[.swords.]
[.....V.....]


6: PILLARS
._______.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ _______
[.....6.....].........[.....6.....]
[..cups...].........[..disks..]
[............].........[............]
[.....6.....].........[.....6......]
[.wands..]........[.swords.]
[............].........[............]
[....VI.....].........[....XV....]


7: SPIRAL
.................................................. ....................
......................7 cups......>>............................
.............^^...........................7....... ................
.......7.................XVI............disks..... ...............
.....swords....................7.......vv......... ..............
........^^...................wands................ .............
............VII................................... ..................
.................................................. ....................

8: STAR
........................^.........................
......................XVII.......................
..................../........\....................
.......8______/_______\_____8........
......swords./..............\....wands......
..........\...../................\.../............
............\./...................\./.............
............/.\.................../.\.............
.......8../....\................/....\..8.......
..cups./____\________/_____\.disks..
....................\..VIII../....................
......................\...../.....................
........................\../......................


9: BRIDGE
...............................................
...............9..........9...................
.............cups.....wands..............
......9.............................9..........
..swords......................disks.......
................................................
..IX................................XVIII....
................................................


11: CROSS
.................................................. ...........
..........................XIX..................... .........
.................................................. ...........
....10.........10.......X.....10........10........ ...
..swords...wands.........cups.....disks..........
.................................................. ...........
............................I...................... ...........
.................................................. ...........
.........................Ace...................... .........
.......................swords..................... .......
.................................................. ...........
.........................Ace...................... .........
.........................cups..................... .........
.................................................. ...........
..........................Ace..................... .........
........................wands..................... .......
.................................................. ..........
..........................Ace..................... ........
.........................disks.................... ........
.................................................. ..........

[Lorredan]

Hi Yygdrasilian!
OK I charted your cipher (or Crowley's) and connected it to your glyphs of Crown,Arrow,Cup etc.
It did not tell me anything other than you can arrange the cards into 3-7-12 Letters. Knew that.
You then could make up the glyphs into these constellations according to a correspondence between the cards.

I can do that too!

...^....^....
.(.*....*..)......!
...<---->.... 9
............9
...9....9


See I got a dog! Sirius! Tarot constellation. Dog days of August- Moon* and Hermit Virgo* Two front paws and tail are the 9's

If you prefer Canis Major
........O.........o
....................
....................
.....o.............
.......o..o...O...
...................
..o................
Mother letters 0 + 20 + 12 New era of cosmic force starts 2012 or ours ends 2012 The cycle starts or ends, which ever you prefer.
I am not disparaging your idea, but pointing out it can be done in lots of inventive ways. It is not a secret anymore.
~Lorredan

[Yygdrasilian]

In the twilight hours of the "birthday" given YHShVH
http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourtel ... &elements=
Just before sunrise, December 25th, Year 0

Jupiter, (All-father) exits Virgo (the Virgin) as
Sun conjunct Mercury at cusp Capricorn/Sagittarius brings
the Messenger of Light back to a darkened Earth . . .

11: CROSS
..................................................
........................XIX......................
..................................................
...10.........10.......X.....10.......10..
.swords...wands.........cups...disks
..................................................
...........................I......................
..................................................
.........................Ace.....................
.......................swords..................
..................................................
.........................Ace.....................
........................cups.....................
..................................................
.........................Ace.....................
........................wands..................
..................................................
..........................Ace....................
.........................disks...................

Now consider constellations 5 & 6 in relation to the Caduceus symbol as represented by the 3 mother letters of the Hebrew alphabet:

ש Shin (Fire)
20: Aeon

א Aleph (Air)
0: The Fool

מ Mem (Water)
12: The Hanged Man

......Constellation 6.......
..........."PILLARS".........
._______’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ______.
[.....6....].........[....6.....]
[..cups..].........[..disks..]
[...........].........[...........]
[.....6....].........[.....6....]
[.wands.].........[.swords]
[...........].........[...........]
[....VI....]....^...[...XV....]
............../.....\.............
............/.........\...........
........../.[..XIV..].\.........
............[.........]..........
............[....5...]...........
............[.disks.]..........
............[.........]..........
............[....5...]..........
............[wands]..........
............[.........]..........
............[....5...]..........
............[.cups.]..........
............[.........]..........
............[....5...]..........
............[swords]..........
............[.........]..........
............[....V...]..........
.......Constellation 5......
............"STAFF"..........

0: FOOL would correspond to the point where constellation 5 & 6 meet, making:
Sagittarius + Capricorn: winter solstice
Sagittarius + Gemini: bisects the ecliptic, crossing the center of our Milky Way Galaxy
Feathered Serpent. 2012, 0=Winter Solstice + Center of Galaxy.

Constellation 11, in combination with this 5+6 alignment, gives the astrological conjunctions present at the 0 year of this cycle as represented by the Hanged Man’s birth, Dec. 25th

Hi Yygdrasilian!
I am not disparaging your idea, but pointing out it can be done in lots of inventive ways. It is not a secret anymore.
~Lorredan

The constellations weren't my idea.
But if you'd like to learn more, you should phrase a question.