{"collection":"Tarot","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/tarot/tob/tob10.htm","path":"tarot/tob/tob10.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/tarot/tob/tob10.htm","text":"The Symbols--The Primitive Terms--Key of Symbolism--Definition of the Sense of one of the Symbols--The General Law of Symbolism.\nINTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM IN THE TAROT.\nOUR study of the Tarot and its numerical arrangement has given us the general key, which should be applied to all the further developments of which our subject may be susceptible.\nThe symbols should therefore exactly follow the evolution of the numbers, and this we shall find them do. However, as we shall now study each of the cards of the Tarot in turn, and as the reader's attention may be a little diverted by all these details, we have determined to commence by a short introduction to the study of the symbolism of the Tarot, an introduction in which we shall say a few words upon the grouping of the symbols.\nThis point explained, we can pass on to further details, which we shall terminate by a synthetic recapitulation. We thus hope to obtain the greatest possible light upon these difficult subjects.\nThe analysis of the word Yod-he-vau-he has given us\nthe general law upon which the whole Tarot is constructed. This law is thus represented--\n| | 1 yod | | \n| 2 he | | 2nd he 4 | \n| | vau\u00a0 3 | | \nWe must therefore first define the four primitive terms in our symbols, which form the law exactly applicable to the whole symbolism.\nAnd, in fact, we find these four terms in our four first cards; the general sense of these terms being--\n1--Creator or Divine.\n 2--Preserver or Astral.\n 3--Transformer or Physical and Diffuser.\n 4--Generator or Transitional becoming Creator.\nThis law corresponds in all points with our sacred word, thus--\n| | | Creator or Divine | | | \n| | | 1 yod | | | \n| Preserver or Astral | 2 he | | 2nd he 4 | Transition or Generation | \n| | | vau\u00a0 3 | | | \n| | | Transformer or Physical | | | \nWe shall see that this law applies exactly to each of the cards which possess three meanings.\nA superlative or Divine meaning.\n A comparative or Magic-Astral meaning.\n A positive or Physical meaning, responding, to a transition.\nGENERAL STUDY OF THE FOUR FIRST CARDS.\nKey to the Symbolism of the Tarot.\nThe four first cards of the major arcana form, symbolically as well as numerically, a complete sequence, which corresponds with the sacred word Yod-he-vau-he.\nFor the first card expresses the active absolute, and corresponds with Yod.\nThe second card denotes the reflex of the first, the passive absolute; it corresponds with the first He.\nThe third indicates the median term, the convertible transforming term, corresponding to Vau.\nLastly, the fourth card is a term of transition between the preceding series and the one that follows it.\nThe symbolic series of the Tarot is therefore completely represented by the four first cards, exactly as the numerical sequence is represented by the four first numbers. This fact produces a very important consideration, namely, that all the symbols of the Tarot are but transformations of the three first, and that the latter will supply us with the general law of symbolism, a law which will enable us to determine mathematically the sense of each card that follows.\nBut we can go still further.\nSince the second card is the reflex of the first, and is formed by the first considered negatively, and since the third card results from the two others, it suffices to be perfectly acquainted with the first card of the Tarot to determine mathematically the sense of all the others.\nSome details upon this subject are necessary.\nThe general law of the four first cards is as follows--\n1--Positive. Creator.\n 2--Negative. Reflex of the first. Preserver.\n 3--Neuter, enveloping the two others. Transformer.\n 4--Passage from one series to another.\nWe can then represent the series in this way--\nAnd what is true for each of the terms of a ternary is also true for the ternary taken as a whole, and this leads us to new considerations.\nFor the first ternary would be positive, corresponding to Yod, the active, the creator.\nThe second ternary would be negative, and would correspond to the first He, i. e. that all the terms of this ternary would be reflections of the terms of the first, just as the second card was the reflex of the first.\nThis gives us--\nWe can thus determine the meaning of the arcana 4, 5, 6, 7 in the three worlds, since we know the meaning of the arcana 1, 2, 3, 4.\nWe need only refer to the study of the Tarot by numbers, to find the symbols, which correspond respectively to Yod, to He, to Vau, and to the second He.\nBut if the second ternary is the reflex of the first, the same rule applies to the septenaries.\nAll the cards of the second septenary will therefore be the symbolical reflection of those of the first.\nAll the cards of the third septenary are representatives of the third term, or of transformation.\nWe have then--\nThe 1st septenary,\nWhich represents the active Creation. The Divine Osiris-Brahma, or the Father.\nThe 2nd septenary,\nWhich represents Preservation. The Astral, Isis, Vishnu, the Son.\nThe 3rd septenary,\nWhich represents Transformation, Physics, Horus, Siva, the Holy Spirit.\nThe three first arcana will therefore give the sense of all the others according to the following figure:\n| FIGURE SHOWING THE SENSE OF EACH OF THE 22 MAJOR ARCANA | | | | | | | | \n| yod positive or creative series | 1. | 4. | 7. | 10. | 13. | 16. | 19. | \n| 1st he negative or preservative series | 2. | 5. | 8. | 11. | 14. | 17. | 20. | \n| vau neuter or transforming series equilibrium | 3. | 6. | 9. | 12. | 15. | 18. | 21. | \n| 2nd he transitional series | 4 = + positive | (1) = negative | ---- + | ---- - | ---- + | ---- - | ---- \u221e | \n| | yod\u00a0 positive or creative series | | he\u00a0 negative or preservative series | | vau\u00a0 neuter or transforming series equilibrium | | 2nd he\u00a0 transitional series | \nThis figure is very important, for it enables us to see at once the symbolical value of any card in the Tarot, by working in the following way--\nTO DISCOVER \u00c0 PRIORI THE SYMBOLICAL VALUE OF ANY CARD IN THE TAROT.\nWe must see--\n(1st) Which Hebrew letter is written to the left in the horizontal column, which contains the card under consideration.\n(2nd) Which Hebrew letter is written at the foot of the vertical column, containing the card.\n(3rd) Which sign (+ or -) governs the secondary vertical column, containing the card in question.\nEXAMPLE:\nI wish to determine the sense of the 5th arcanum.\nI look to the left and find the Hebrew letter he.\nThis shows that the 5th arcanum is the he of what?\nIn order to know, I look at the vertical column and find yod.\nThe 5th arcanum is the he of yod, but that is not enough, so I look at the secondary column which contains the sign (-) negative.\nI thus obtain a definite description of the 5th arcanum.\nThe fifth card of the Tarot is--\nThe He of Yod considered negatively.\nThis is a synthetic formula comprehensible to those only who are used to manipulating the sense of the word Yod-he-vau-he. It is therefore necessary to give further explanations.\nHe represents the reflex.\nWe may therefore say, more explicitly--\nThe 5th arcanum is:\nThe reflex of yod considered negatively. But what is yod considered negatively?\nTo find this out, I look in my left column at the letter yod, I seek in the secondary vertical column the sign (-) negative, and at the intersection of these two lines I find the 4th arcanum.\nThe yod considered negatively is the 4th arcanum.\nThis leads me to conclude--\nThat the 5th arcanum is the reflex of the 4th arcanum.\nAll the arcana can be explained in this way by each other, according to the above rules.\nThis tableau is the key of the Ars Magna of Raymond Lulle.\n_______________________\nCORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE CARDS OF THE TAROT.\nTo obtain the origin and derivation of any card in the Tarot, it suffices to take the third card before it, and the third card after it.\nThus the 8th arcanum is derived from the 5th arcanum, and gives rise to the 11th arcanum.\n| 5 | 8 | 11 | \n| Universal life. | Elementary existence. | Reflected and transitory life. | \n*\n *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0*\nFrom this it ensues that, when two cards added together give an even number, we need only take the half of the number to discover the card which serves to unite those under consideration.\nThus, in order to discover the link which binds the 4th arcanum to the 6th, i.e. the universal vivifying fluid, to universal love, I add together 4 + 6 = 10, and I take one-half of the number obtained 10 /2 =5.\nThe 5th arcanum (universal life) therefore unites the two opposites. 1\nThe passage of the vivifying fluid (4) into love (6) is performed through the medium of universal life (5).\nSince each card of the Tarot has three meanings, it is easy to philosophize by means of our pack, without taking too much trouble about it.\nAnother result of this rule is, that each card of the Tarot has a complementary in any card bearing a number which, added to its own, gives a total of 22.\nFor instance, what is the complementary card of the 1st arcanum?\nIt is the 21st arcanum, since 21 + 1 = 22. What is the transition from 1 to 21?\nAccording to what we have just stated it is 21 + 1= 22/2 = 11.\nThe 11th arcanum (reflected and transitory life) therefore forms the transition between the 1st arcanum (creative principle) and the 21st arcanum (universal generation).\nTo find the card that serves as complementary to any other, we must therefore subtract the number of the card in question from 22.\nFor instance to find the complementary card to 14--\n22 - 14 = 8.\nThe 8th arcanum is therefore complementary to the 14th.\nWe have made this digression because all these details\nwill be most useful to us presently. We can now return to the study of our major arcana.\nLet us once more recall the manner in which the four first arcana have given us the key to the symbolism of all the others, according to their affinities with the sacred word, as follows--\nTHE GENERAL LAW OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TAROT.\n| | | Positive | | | \n| | | (1) yod | | | \n| Negative Reflex of yod | (2) he | | 2nd he (4) | Transition yod of the following series | \n| | | vau\u00a0 3 | | | \n| | | Neuter\u00a0 Union of yod and of he | | | \n79:1 The Hebrew alphabet thoroughly establishes this affiliation for the letters corresponding to these three numbers. (See 8th arcanum.)","title":"Tarot of the Bohemians: Part II. Symbolism in the Tarot: ...","type":"page"}