November 15-17, 2011: XVIII - The Moon
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http://association.tarotstudies.org/images/HebrewLettersA/qof.gif
XVIII
THE MOON
(Pisces)MEDITATION COLOR: Red-violet.
HEBREW LETTER: Qoph, back of the head, where brain functions are situated associated with sleep and autonomic functions. Symbolizes that which is “behind” or “at back of” the manifestation of Resh. Qoph also means “ape” or “monkey,” hinting at a primitive state approach full human potential but still requiring further evolution.
CARD NAME: “Moon” comes from Old English mona, from the Indo-European root me- which means “to measure.” (Our word measure, comes from this, as do time and measurement words such as meal, dimension, immense, metric, month, menses, semester, geometry, and many obviously related words.) Most ancient versions of this Trump, however, bore titles derived from the Latin luna, from the root leuk-, meaning “light, brightness,” which also gave us the Latin lux, “light,” and its many derivatives. – Beyond this, the well-developed astrological, alchemical, Qabalistic, and otherwise occult associates with the Moon should be considered.
ESOTERIC MEANING: The Corporeal Consciousness. It marks out the forms and the reproduction of all bodies that are incorporated under every cycle of the heavens.
TREE of LIFE: Malkuth to Netzach. (Links ‘the Kingdom’ and ‘Victory’; or ‘Physical Embodiment’ with ‘Desire.’ Leaving the limitations of matter behind to approach the irrational and instinctual.)
ESOTERIC TITLE: The ruler of the Flux & Reflux, the Child of the Sons of the Mighty
TANTRIC & ALCHEMICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Collecting the Elixir; the astral environment of the gestation.
DIVINATION: Illusion, bewilderment, dissociation from objective reality, dreaminess, error, misunderstanding, lying, falsehood, deception, hidden enemies. Dissatisfaction, the need for change; crisis, “the darkest hour before the dawn,” the brink of important change. A reminder not to stray from the path of True Will. (This card is very sensitive to dignity.)
http://www.e-tarocchi.com/crowley-thoth/images/trumpsMoon.jpg
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I could say this card sucks but that's not entirely the truth.
The path is clear. It's straight. It's narrow. And we've got what we need to get on with the journey. It doesn't occur that way though. It occurs to us as dark, dangerous, damn near impossible and almost, ALMOST not worth even going on the Goddamn journey.
Measurement here is sorting out what's REAL vs. what's UN-real. What we want to create vs. what we need to create. We find ourselves asking "What am I REALLY dealing with here? What is REALLY going on right now? CAN we really take this trip?"
Why the reluctance? Because the path looks familiar. We think we've been here before. And the last time this happened we paid a price. A costly one. Perhaps we're still paying for it. Does it have to be that way? Prolly not. Doesn't occur that way though...
Under the influence of this energy we find ourselves reacting to things that aren't physically happening in the moment yet we're left dealing with the physical response to an imaginary event. We are given the oppotunity to get profoundly related to what's happening "outside" of us vs. what's happening inside of us.
The experience for me has been an emotional rollercoaster.
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Flip-flop, fish. Flip-flop.
Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot.
One extreme and then another as we progress forward.
I did notice that the path was straight and narrowing on this trump, as opposed to the winding, hilly path of the BOTA trump. Whle the path is straight on this version, you still get the ups and downs of the waves on the card. I like the combination - like part of me is walking straight forward while another part of me is experiencing a wavy sea and trying to correct for it and keep my steps straight.
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Is anyone using the 7 x 3 arrangement of the Trumps (based on Liber Tav) as recommended in Liber Theta? I ask because I haven't seen anyone mention results from that.
For example, The Moon (Qoph) is the final result of the sixth column, which is Heh (The Star), Lamed (Adjustment), Qoph (The Moon). The simplest interpretation is that the seed-principle characterized by The Star works through the mediunm or agency represented by Adjustment to produce the consequences shown in The Moon.
These formulations usually produce initially simple ideas, but those ideas (in turn) often develop deeper and more complex lines of thought. For example, simple idea here is that the root consciousness idea called Revelation, or naked disclosure - the fifth emanation from Aleph, and a natural development of gthe series Beth-Gimel-Daleth - works through the (simple in essence, but more complex to articulate) cause-and-effect mechanism expressed by Lamed. The nature of that mechanism is that the universe, as our complement, is altered by each alteration of or evolution of ourselves. Our nakedly disclosed being, wending its way through experience of this sort, produces the course of life showin in The Moon card - with everything that it gives and requires.
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"Is anyone using the 7 x 3 arrangement of the Trumps (based on Liber Tav) as recommended in Liber Theta? I ask because I haven't seen anyone mention results from that."
I have not. I've gotten so caught up on working with the cards individually that I completely forgot about the 7x3 arrangement but I will be putting it in going forward.
Now that you've mentioned it Jim, H-L-Q makes a ton of sense now. WOW. Thanks.
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I have been wondering why the moon is assigned to the Priestess card and not the moon card?
The sun is assigned to the sun card, after all.
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@AliceNui said
"I have been wondering why the moon is assigned to the Priestess card and not the moon card?
The sun is assigned to the sun card, after all."
The question is actually the other way around: Why is the Pisces card called "The Moon"? (Especially since there is no astrological link between Pisces and the Moon.)
That is, there is no question where the Moon attribution to the Hebrew letters goes. The 7 planets are attributed to the 7 double letters of the Hebrew alphabet, of which Gimel is one, but Qoph is not. Specifically, Gimel is the double letter attributed to the Moon.
The Moon appears at three distinct levels on the Tree of Life. Of these, Gimel is the highest (touching Kether); Qoph is the lowest (touching Malkuth); and Yesod is between. These express a three-fold aspect of the Moon. One example of this working out (in the sense of appearing as each of the three within each of the three) is in my commentary to Crowley's 27th Aethyr vision, either in Visions & Voices or in Black Pearl No.2.
Beyond those pointers... I don't have a simple, "This is why the inventors of Tarot did it" sort of answer. But I have strong suspicions. The card called The Moon seems to be required exactly where it is in the numerical sequence, adjacent to The Sun and both of them right before Fire. It's party of the story Tarot is telling from start to finish (which is not in the same sequence as the Paths which, in any case, are usually pursued in the opposite direction). As far as I know, this is a story that has never been written - there is no book about it - because it is one that grows and builds inside of you both in working with Tarot and in the pursuit of the initiatory pattern of the Great Work (which are complementary, but distinct, things).
For those who might be served by the remark, I'll mention that the T.'.O.'.T.'. 3° and 4° attunement rituals (especially the latter) work the answer into your cells in a way I'm inadequate to articulate verbally.
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Thank you so much, Jim, that helped a lot. I think that it's interesting that the moon is so complex in tarot.
My understanding of tarot history is from a book, "Mystical Origins of the Tarot" by Paul Huson, which I enjoyed.
I don't think the original tarot was associated with Qabalah and astrology, that was a later development.
Huson think that the tarot trumps developed from medieval processions and pageants, which seems plausible to me.
I don't take this to mean that the addition of Qabalah and astrology means that it is "untrue" - I think human inspiration can have a true insight.Another aspect of the Moon card, which has bothered me for years, is the depiction of the scarab beetle - it doesn't look like a scarab at all, but another species.
I just figured it out yesterday, thanks to google images: it's an Asian Long-Horned Beetle. Why would Crowley and Harris choose this beetle? Well, it's other name is the Starry Sky Beetle! Because it is black with white spots. This pleased me immensely. 
Well, I am giving a talk on the Moon card and the Priestess card tonight for our study group, I am looking forward to it!
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Another question, what is the significance of the nine Yods falling from the Moon?
I admit I have no idea.
Crowley doesn't seem to explain it in the Book of Thoth. -
@AliceKnewI said
"Another question, what is the significance of the nine Yods falling from the Moon?
I admit I have no idea.
Crowley doesn't seem to explain it in the Book of Thoth."Several things... The number, of course, refers to the Moon and to the term of gestation. However, the "rain" of Yods is a common symbol, seen in man Tarot cards in different decks. There's also a reference to it somewhere in The Vision & the Voice - I forget where, but I remember commenting on it.
In fact, this spiritual experience appears in many places, seen by many people. It's even discussed in John Denver's song, "Rocky Mountain High." It's detailed (much as n The Moon card in the Thoth deck) in the Hathayoga Pradipika (or the Shiva Samhita - I forget which).]]
It represents a specific thing, reached at a certain maturity in spiritual practice, seen with one's transformed physical senses. The usual approach is to put it constantly in front of someone but never discuss it until the person has actually seen it.
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Thank you, Jim
Juan pointed out to me that 9 is the position of Yesod.
We had a great study group last night, lots of enthusiasm and insights.
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