September 24-26, 2014: Prince of Disks
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THE PRINCE OF THE CHARIOT OF EARTH
The Prince of Disks – Prince & Emperor of the Gnomes
AIR of EARTHMeditation pattern: Place 4 of Wands, 5 of Disks, and 6 of Disks side-by-side, with the
Prince of Disks above them. Below the two Disks, place Atu V, The Hierophant.Traditional Description: A winged princely figure seated in a chariot drawn by a bull. He
bears as a crest, the symbol of a winged bull’s head. Beneath the chariot is land, with many
flowers. In one hand he bears an orb of gold held downwards, and in the other a scepter surmounted
by an orb and cross.VAV of HEH-Final (AIR of EARTH): The Vav, or Airy, aspect of Earth is the power of Reason
applied to practical things. He is the type of the “accountant:” reliable, responsible, conscientious,
predictable – and dull. At a deeper level, he is the Vav aspect of consciousness in the world of
Assiah. Like the Queen, he has an overview of the phenomena of the World of Action, though
his elevation is not so high. His is the perspective of objective thought, not of lofty intuition –
much closer to the actual phenomena than the Queen and, therefore, without the scope of perspective
that comes from her aloofness. He is child of the Knight and Queen, charged with his
father’s original will and purpose (Yod), and aided by his mother’s perspective (Heh); but he is much
closer than either of them to the results. After all, Heh-Final is the natural mate and consort of Vav.He rules from 20° Aries to 20° Taurus (including the constellation Perseus). He is the agency of
equilibration between the light and dark aspects of manifestation, between the rhythmical aspects
of hardship and fortune that permeate all cycles of manifestation. These extremes are shown by
the two Taurus decanates to which he corresponds. The first is ruled by Mercury and called WORRY,
or MATERIAL TROUBLE. The second is ruled by Luna, and called MATERIAL SUCCESS. Like an
accountant balancing the books of another’s business, without significant intervention of his own
personal interests, this Prince balances the red and black inks of events and circumstances, like
twin steeds (or bulls!) hitched to his chariot, whose cooperation is essential to the safe and proper
steering of the vehicle. In this, his tools are those of Mercury and Luna, viz., intelligence and adaptation.
As Vav of Heh-Final, he applies reason, intelligence, and adaptability to practical affairs.His correspondence to Taurus confirms his relationship to Vav. He symbolizes a link or connection
between thought and event. On the Tree of Life, Vav links Wisdom, his father, to the blessed bounty
of the manifest world.He also corresponds to the last decanate of Aries, ruled by Venus and called COMPLETION, or
PERFECTED WORK. This, his “shadow” aspect, is a wonderfully positive symbol; nonetheless, it
is exactly that state of mind that would defeat the Prince of Disks’ essential function. He does
have an underlying sense that all is perfect, that there is no need for worry, that everything will
work out perfectly; yet if he gave himself over to this, it would disable his ability to caringly
(and even obsessively) preoccupy himself with the continuous fine-tuning of its details.In divination, it signifies increase of matter, and reason applied to practical things. This
symbol increases good or evil of the surrounding cards, solidifies circumstances, and gives practical
application to things. The character is steady, reliable, responsible, conscientious, laborious,
patient, predictable, and dull. Strong powers of intellect and adaptability. If ill-dignified he is
selfish, animal and material, and stupid. In either case, he is slow to anger, but furious if roused. -
- His eyes are focused on the furrows and his face gives the expression of pleasure and delight; he seems utterly patient and still. Sensuality, the body: hidden Will that lays in this is harnessed by the mind here (Vav of Earth).
- Intellect applied to material phenomena; measuring the terrain; plowing; practical inventions (invention of the wheel?); use of tools in general.
- His essence is Hierophant, which awakens associations: to have a golden-thread, “Ariadne’s thread” through the manyfold experiences, a thread that brings salvation…
- NB: sense/meaning exists only in a context!
- Order of material things; being organized; being methodical; acting gradually, doing some particular thing step-by-step.
- Craft and technical aspects of artistic work.
- To plow = to prepare the ground fro the seed; PREPARATION is one of the key-elements of this Card.
- 4-of-Wands as shadow side: makes him sluggish, indolent, dull, destroys his motivation if prolonged.
- Air of Earth: agriculture; economy; industry.
- Bankers, stockholders, people with access to store-houses of various material treasure, etc.
- Hierophant as his essence: strength, power, stability, steadfastness, and all that with inner elasticity; he is rigid, but also soft and adaptable in his rigidity. Tendency to identify oneself with the fruits of own labour.
- Fulfillment /realization of potentials; wisdom gained through personal effort and experience; patience; consciously working on the refinement of own being; regarding the physical body as a Temple for the Divine.