The Moon
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I was looking for stuff on the moon and this is as good a place as any to post my question.
I just drew from the Thoth deck for the first time in quite a long while and here's what I got:
Lust, Chariot, Moon
I can clearly see there is a mighty big connection here! Having just read the Book of Thoth entries, here is what I take from these cards:
Chariot - The Charioteer appears to be the Jupiterian YHVH as well as the Higher Self of man (microcosm/macrocosm). Under the lid of Bina/Nuit, secure within the 4 pillars of creation drawn by the 16 sub-elements, cradled in his own lunar sphere, he holds the cup of blood. Blood of the moon? Hadit-point?
Lust - The solar and lunar forces in perfect balance, regeneration from death; every last drop of blood of the saints' into the cup
Moon - self-sacrifice & enjoying the ride
But, my question: why is Crowley's entry on The Moon and the appendix of Lust so awful-sounding? He uses the word "abomination" numerous times as well as murder. He describes The Moon in especially negative terms and yet I get the feeling he is speaking from a matter of "normal guy" perspective, as for instance your normal reality dies through a series of dramatic upheavals; this is part of the self-sacrifice described in the Chariot and Lust cards, I believe. Right?
Is there any other reason the Moon is especially negative-sounding? It's a pretty good card in the B.O.T.A. system from what I remember. Subconscious and magic being a generally good thing...
Oh, and one other thing I noticed was the Atu numbers: VII + XI = XVIII ... an interesting coincidence.
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@Redd Fezz said
"But, my question: why is Crowley's entry on The Moon and the appendix of Lust so awful-sounding? He uses the word "abomination" numerous times as well as murder."
And this is awful-sounding? <vbg>
"Abomination" for example is a standard reference to the Beast idea from Revelations.
"Is there any other reason the Moon is especially negative-sounding? It's a pretty good card in the B.O.T.A. system from what I remember. Subconscious and magic being a generally good thing... "
I think his basic point of view is that it's Pisces and therefore representative of the entire Christian / Dying God perspective and therefore the idea to most disparage.
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Ah, okay! That makes sense. He used the plural "abominations" a couple times, so maybe that threw me (nah, I wouldn't have made the connection-- thanks for pointing it out!)
But, also, he talks about weirdness and darkness with The Moon and, in general, doesn't make it sound very pleasant. Although, he does contrast "dark night of the soul" here with whatever is experienced by people with the "right" attitude. I guess here too he is referring to a christian mentality vs. a thelemic one? Not making this connection before, I was confused and this brought to mind Crowley's own doubts of his abilities at times, which would seem to be a dark night of the soul.
I guess I'll have to reread the Moon entry... you don't see anything negative there? It's just another allusion to the end of the christian era? (any tips on getting practical, non-aeonic readings with the Thoth deck?)
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@Redd Fezz said
"(BTW, there was a post here called "The Moon." I just replied to it... I guess it was made invisible or deleted? I didn't mean to start a new thread for this!)"
No, I separated this from it. It wasn't about the Moon per se, but rather about a lunar adoration.
Rather than delete your post as off-topic on the thread where you posted it, I spun it off into a separate thread.
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Oh, I see. Well, the reason I thought it might fit there is what with all the sacrifice and "dark night of the soul"-ness on the moon card, I wondered if this might be tied in with lunar adoration. I don't much understand planetary worship. As far as I know the moon represents subconscious and reflects the sun. And the solar conscious represents that spark of life which the sun reflects from the hidden source, which is perhaps Sirius. But, I'm not sure what the lunar adoration is about.
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THE MOON
Qabalistic: Subconsciousness. Instincts. Adaptation. The Queen. Archetypal Femininity expressed as surrounding, embracing, receiving.
Psychological: Receptivity, adaptability, sensitivity, appetite, imagination, immediacy of feelings. – Personality (mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, tastes). That which we reveal most easily, which adapts to the environment in which it is placed and absorbs conditions around it.
Physiological: The substance of life. All fluids.
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Very cool and very sensible. I did not know the psychological or physical aspects of the moon. That should give me more to think about with regard to the 3 card draw.
Is there a book that has these sorts of attributions listed as nicely as you've just done for the moon?
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@Redd Fezz said
"Is there a book that has these sorts of attributions listed as nicely as you've just done for the moon?"
(1) Not yet
(2) There are a lot of decent astrology books to dig through.
Since it plays a little into your discussion thus far, here is the Sun for comparison.
THE SUN
Qabalistic: Self-conscious ego-center – the “gold” in each of us. The King. Archetypal Masculinity expressed as The Center.
Psychological: Sense of identity and purpose (direction). – “What you are” at the core of your identity. All forms of authority, power, eminence, leadership.
Physiological: Vitality. The essence of life.
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That makes so much sense! It's funny that since I've read The Law Is For All, I had ideas sort of tiptoeing around this, but not so precisely delineated. This makes it a hell of a lot easier to relate the microcosm to the macrocosm, Hadit to Nuit. On my way back from the root canal just now, I was thinking, "The personality has sort of a give and take, though. Shouldn't the give part be solar?" And then I get home to see you've explained that perfectly. As I said, it makes so much sense!
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@Redd Fezz said
"That makes so much sense!"
Must be the drugs from the dentist.
Water: condensation, Fire: expansion. Makes a LOT of sense!