NewMoon Tarotlogy - August, 2011

By Christine Payne-Towler
ArkLetter 78-- August 28, 2011

For an introduction to Tarotlogy, see ArkLetter 62

This is a celebratory month for me, because with this ArkLetter we announce the publication of the Tarot of the Holy Light, made in collaboration with my partner Michael Dowers.  (The link to our new Tarot will be up shortly - in the meantime, sneakpeeks are in the images below!) If you would like to read the interview that Michael and I did with Bonnie Cehovet, go to http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/interview-with-christine-payne-towler-part-i/. Watch that space because she's bringing it out in sections over the next week or so.

I'm having so much fun with my very own Tarot deck because this frees me from having to make mental conversions for one or more classes of cards within the pack I'm playing with. This so often happens because very few packs these days follow the model that the early esotericists of the Tarot would have derived from the resources circulating in the early 1400's. Even the Marseilles packs, which I love dearly, are obscure enough visually that one seldom escapes the need to dive into secondary sources necessary to explore the broader spectrum of correspondences (no, I don't have everything memorized -- that's why I had to make my AAN Table!) 

For ease of use, the Tarot of the Holy Light demonstrates the historically standard correspondences (the simple signs, planets, elements and decans) clearly spelled out on the faces of the cards. This makes it easy for a Continental Tarot enthusiast to move straightforwardly between the cards and the chart, as we'll do today.

We are using the NewMoon chart just the same way I advise my students to use their birth charts. Let's look at the Trumps that represent the visible Planets of the Solar System, and the signs they currently occupy, taken in Zodiac order:

• Jupiter in Taurus (about to go retrograde) = The Emperor (Jupiter) in the sign of the Lovers (Taurus)
• Mars in Cancer = Strength (Mars) in the sign of the Justice (Cancer)
• Mercury in Leo = Star (Mercury) in the sign of the Hermit (Leo)
• NewMoon in Virgo with Venus = Fool (Sun) and Priestess (Moon) plus Empress (Venus) in the sign of the Wheel (Virgo)
• Saturn in Libra = Judgment (Saturn) in the sign of the Hanged Man (Libra)

From the point of view of the Renaissance Magi, this adds up to six out of seven planets between Cancer and Libra, all balanced by Jupiter in Taurus, the singleton on the other side of the zodiac. This is the classic wedge chart, showing Jupiter at the thin edge and the Mars/Saturn arc as the wide end. This identifies Jupiter's issues this month as the 'cutting edge' -- all the rest of the visible Planets and Lights together only just balance out his influence. 


In the early Renaissance, nobody would have known about Uranus retrograde in early Aries, Neptune retrograde in late Aquarius, or Pluto retrograde in early Capricorn. For brevity we are going to let those go without comment this month. But if you want to complete the circle of the Zodiac and Planets for yourself, just look over at my AAN chart  and follow the row that is labeled "Old Alexandrian" (keyed to the Greek Alphabet Reform).  For the Tarot of the Holy Light, we use these correspondences, popularized by Etteilla. As far as I can tell, this is the usage that is traditional to Masonic, Rosicrucian and Martinist inner circles (demonstrably the system current in Europe in the 1400's). If the suspicions are correct that the Trumps are a recitation of the magical alphabet in Christianized dress, then Etteilla's correspondences show us how these things would have been viewed by the esotericists of the Tarot's earliest century. Truly, the apple didn't fall far from the tree!

Let me construct a few sentences per Planet or Light, along with the sign they are in, and let's see what can be gleaned from reading the chart as cards:

The Emperor/Lovers pair (Jupiter in Taurus) advises that we move through our lives passionately, following those attractions that put us in touch with a heroic dimension of engagement. If we aren't ready to fully enter into an available union and follow through with gusto, then we should be respectful and refrain from wasting the energy of those around us. 

A fertile and creative moment is at hand, so look around for the circumstance in which to consummate this potential through a team project that brings benefits to the whole realm. Since this Planet is our singleton this month, the importance of bringing full energy and enthusiasm to our daily activities cannot be overstated.

 

 

The Strength/Justice pair (Mars in Cancer) counsels deep meditation upon the potential consequences of current actions before any concrete steps are taken. The Strength image shows multiple streams of consequences arising from an act of personal will that will be irrevocable and potentially world changing.

One's only protection in a circumstance like this is careful prior analysis of the impinging considerations inherent in the situation from the outset. Justice weighs and measures all the constituents of the experiment and tests for purity before embarking into her combinations, so there will be fewer surprises as the experience unfolds.

 

The Star/Hermit pair (Mercury in Leo) reaches far beyond the plane of average consciousness, touching threads that are anchored deep into the past history of the soul and far into our future visions.

 

The Star card allows us to contemplate our true and original self, untouched by the contingencies of time and circumstances that have tended to distort our worldly self-perception.

Meanwhile the Hermit puts us in touch with the animating Spark of Light that each of us carries, our inherent resemblance to and inheritance from Eternity, which is our magical secret nature. We are advised to look beyond our mortal identifications for archetypal inspiration when the outer world seems flat or uninspired.

The Fool/Wheel pair (Sun in Virgo) is also an introspective suggestion, because this Fool is an initiate who has cultivated the alchemical Trinity reflected in the heart center, the root center, and the will center that stands between them.

By cultivating this subtle inward sensitivity the Fool can remain in harmony with the outworking of the Divine Plan around him or her. 

The Fool learns self-restraint, and is saved from acting out rashly, in unconsidered and feckless ways. Energy is conserved and peace is maintained until time and consciousness are ripe for right action.

The Priestess/Wheel pair (Moon in Virgo) advises us to study the mechanics of our astro-alpha-numeric correspondences, as these inhabit and inform the arts and sciences of the Renaissance Magi. The Priestess gives the Wisdom Teachings, the Theosophia, from the Inner Sanctum, and the Wheel plays out the seasonal cycles across the land and through history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Empress/Wheel pair (Venus in Virgo) emphasizes the Fertile Virgin within each human soul, no matter our gender or temporal circumstance. Each one of us is endowed with a pure sensitivity and empathy that allows us to resonate with may different life forms and situations across a full life of communications and exchanges.

The Empress stresses our affinity bond with All That Is, while the Wheel locates us in the seasons and cycles of Time. Together they emphasize the power of attraction that keeps us anchored in our bodies and attached to the unique situations of this incarnation, here and now.

The Judgment/Hanged Man pair (Saturn in Libra) are making an Annunciation into the sphere of the collective mind, challenging the individuated soul to differentiate itself from Matter without having to die to clarify the distinction.There is some kind of screening or sorting going on, which is meant to separate the sheep from the goats, so to speak. 

Those who can awaken are being invited to do so; those who have been making themselves available to the Light are bound receive it. The open and flexible soul that can endure the feeling of being suspended between worlds will come to know the reality beyond the world of appearances.

One who holds onto this world but lightly, remaining open to the upwelling of inspiration and the call of spirit, can slip beyond the boundaries of flesh and navigate through the interpenetrating worlds of the inner planes.

Remember as the month goes along that it's the Jupiter issues that will loom the largest. There is no time for insincerity, mixed motives or passive-aggressive strategies.  As my dearly departed Dad used to say, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Let's put our focus on the people, places and things that matter to us in the long run, and not just for selfish reasons.  We all need to take responsibility for the collective realm, demonstrating our values in action and actively sponsoring those trends that lead towards a healthy, happy future. We are each sovereign in our own bodies and lives, so let's use those awesome powers for the good of all!

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CURRENT STAGE OF THE MOON - AUGUST 2011

NewMoon at 5+ Virgo, on Sunday August 28th, at 11:05 PM (EDT) / 8:05 P (PDT). From this moment, the Moon begins to wax, or increase. 

FUTURE STAGES:  

2nd Quarter, Waxing Half Moon at 11+ Sagittarius on Sunday September 4th at 1:40 PM (EDT)/ 10:40AM (PDT). 

Full Moon at 19+ Pisces Monday September 12th at 5:28 AM (EDT) / 2:28 AM (PDT).  From this moment, the Moon begins to wane, or decrease.  

 

4th Quarter, Waning Half Moon at 27+ Gemini, on Tuesday September 20th at 9:40 AM (EDT) / 6:40 AM (PDT).  

Next NewMoon at 4+ Libra, Tuesday September 27th at 7:10 AM (EDT) / 4:10 AM (PDT). From this moment, the Moon begins to wax, or increase.

_______________________________

ArkLetter 78
August 28, 2011
copyright christine payne-towler 2005-2011, all rights reserved

 

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Comments

[Christine Payne]

Historical research that has been completed since this chart was published in 1999 requires that an amendment be offered:

For the sake of ultimate correctness, the Falconnier pack needs to be taken out of the row labeled 'Old Alexandrian', and given it's own row below the Modern Continental row (see below). These words are from Mary K. Greer, shared me in private correspondence:

"The Falconnier corresponds with the Hebrew letters and Zodiac (planets ala Lévi), but he changes the numerical order of the cards so that the Moon is last and numbered 22, thus changing the numbers and the sequence of the final four cards. Falconnier's original book is available online."

What we learn from this is, the Falconnier creator is demonstrating knowledge of the 3/7/12 model of the Hebrew alphabet , and showing this deck's relatedness to traditional magical applications. However the author doesn't feel "safe" making the pack 100% transparent, so the last four cards were fiddled-with in order to obscure its magical impact (or else elicit further investigation on the part of the user).

When I find a standout gaffe in an otherwise correct compilation like this, I attribute it to the routine Masonic teaching strategy. That is, to insert a stumbling block that will distract the superficial student, who can be trusted to never consult the sources and untangle the real facts. This keeps the Tarot deck magically "disarmed" as it enters the marketplace, making it safe so ignorant people can't accidentally hurt themselves with it. This strategy protects the karma of the deck's maker, and it also separates the sheep (who love the flat ground and will generally stay within their allotted space) from the goats (who can be counted on to push beyond the fence line, to rove and to climb in search of a higher vista).

Regarding the correspondences given for Etteilla; these represent his own testimony about the way his Trumps relate back to the Marseilles pack. Etteilla's signal importance in the esoteric transmission is that he demonstrates through this linkage the intact arrival of the Doctrine of Correspondences into his era. He also lobbies very persuasively (as much in his usage of the cards as in his words) for the idea that the Fool comes at the end of the Trump sequence, rather than at the beginning. For these two reasons, he shares the row occupied by the Marseille-style packs of history.

I have no resistance to the idea that Etteilla popularized Tarot and attracted a whole new audience to the deck, which ensured that the turbulence of the French Revolution (with its hidden but very deadly subtext of war between the Revenge Lodges and certain Catholic Orders) didn't undermine the esoteric achievements of the previous two centuries. But I don't see that the "occult bric-a-brac" on the surface of his cards actually adds up to a satisfactory "system" substantial enough to shift Tarot usage away from it's original esoteric design. And, as a matter of fact, history bears me out on this. Traditional Tarot esotericism was able to flow over, under, around and through the Etteilla armature even as Etteilla permanently changed Tarot's aspect and popular profile going forward. Mission accomplished!

To my eye, the surface features of the Etteilla pack serve as a kind of well-capping mechanism, providing a "fresh, new" popular face for Tarot while protecting the traditional esotericism, sealing it in amber (so to speak) during a period when the inherited wealth of philosophy and practice belonging to this esoteric calculator were in grave danger from the outer-world forces grinding through society. Anybody who makes themselves aware of the challenges that faced Louis Claude de Saint-Germain, whose whole intellectual life was lived in the cross-hairs of occult and political upheaval, and who wrote about Tarot a generation before Etteilla, will be much better able to appreciate the line that Etteilla was walking by producing a Masonic-inflected Tarot in the time and place of his heyday.

A translation of Etteilla's own writings on Tarot (including his remarks about the Marseille Trump relationships) has been very generously supplied by MikeH over at the Etteilla Variants link >, explicitly starting in post #84.

Let me remind the reader that my AAN chart is Astro-alpha-numeric, keyed to the standard values of the Magical Alphabet, and every deck of cards or book mentioned on the chart is being evaluated according to the particular AAN system it demonstrates. This body of knowledge can be found throughout Western Esotericism under the rubric of the Doctrine of Correspondences. I compiled this information using a Marseilles chart as the historical prototype. This fact results in every other pack or book being measured by the Marseille standard. As one can easily see from the historical packs and authors mentioned there, the fundamental doctrine of correspondences associated with Tarot cards are and have always been those of the Sefer Yeti, although we can see slight adjustments, mostly between the planetary letters, from one pack to the next.

A pure-Hebrew form of the Sepher Yetzirah assignments appears first on the chart because that version is the oldest and most well-grounded body of correspondences in history, even though no Tarot showed those correspondences on the faces of the cards until the 20th century (El Gran Tarot Esoterico). It is the mixed Greek/Hebrew correspondences of the Marseille pack that provide the historical baseline for the chart as a whole, because it is this version, ordering, and progression of Trumps that typifies the AAN values of Europe's broadest native Tarot tradition. This is the version to which subsequent packs either defer or depart, at first just a little (Levi, Falconnier), and then later quite a lot (the OGD packs).

Other Corrections to the Chart are as follows:

Gra version row: the names of Henriette and Homer Curtiss need to be added to this line, because their two volume set The Key of Destiny and The Key To The Universe form a full exposition of the correspondences found on El Gran Tarot Esoterico, and in Aryeh Kaplan's breakdown of the Sefer Yetzirah. This pattern is also available for modern use on the Tarot of the Ages and the upcoming Magdalene Legacy Tarot, but any of these variants can easily be projected onto any Marseille-style pack.

Old Alexandrian row: This would explicitly include the Marseille Tarots in their widest variety and the Etteilla packs including Cartomanzia Italiana. Etteilla's students D'Odoucet and Orsini should also be included here. Writers in English who support this lineage directly are Corrine Heline and Margaret Peeke, and indirectly Fred Gettings, Richard Cavendish, and Paul Huson. The question is still open which historical figure chose the Greek planetary letter translations over the classic Hebrew pattern. These correspondences are available for modern use on the Ibis Tarot (although to make it match perfectly, the glyph of the Sun must be ignored on the World card, since it belongs with the final planetary letter Tav, on the final Trump, The Fool).

Falconnier Tarot should have its own row. The modern reprint of this pack is called the Tarot of Saint-Germaine, but that pack has been "corrected" to conform to the Modern Continental pattern as set by Levi.

The Continental row: This row would gain the title Modern, as in 'Modern Continental Tarots'. It would also gain the names of P. Christian, Manly P. Hall, Valentine Tomberg, Mouni Sadhu, the Grand Tarot Belline, Madame Blavatsky, Irene Gad, Elizabeth Haich, Brian Williams (his 'A Renaissance Tarot'), and Hajo Banzhaf. These correspondences are available for use on the Tarot of the Ages. Papus appears to be writing about the Etteilla packs in his Divinatory Tarot, but in fact he presents the Trumps in Marseille order and switches the Fool and the World at the end of the Trumps.

The rest of the rows represent creeping attrition invading the traditional AAN model during the 20th century. I won't be making corrections to the lower part of the chart. My only interest in the modern Tarot 'correspondences' would be to show their intentional departure from the traditional paradigm, as embodied in the uppermost rows. I am not attempting to catalogue Tarot decks beyond the ones that allow for informed use of the Sefer Yetzirah with its 3/7/12 interior logic.