Payewacker's Tarot - The Link between Tarot and the Kabbalah!

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Payewacker
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Payewacker's Tarot - The Link between Tarot and the Kabbalah!

Post by Payewacker » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:18 pm

Hi Guys,

There are numerous theories regarding how and when the Aleph-Beth and the Majors were married.

Cedars, your assistance with Arabic here, is what is needed to complete this posting. In the Kaballah, the divisions of the soul, spirit and flesh, is attached to the ten Sephiroh. Hermetisicm originated in Egypt and has had a major influence on the Golden Dawn, Crowley and Waite. I’ve compiled this in a document and host it on Google docs.

Guys, this is now where the controversy comes in, If we don’t assign the Fool to a number we sit with Tau and no Major Arcanum card associated. The Astrological associations don’t work. Look at Ayin, which is assigned to Capricorn. This Zodiac is ruled by the Devil? Justice and the Hanged Man was swopped, I changed these cards. A problem I’m running into, is that I don’t have enough knowledge on the tree of life, the Sephira and the paths between the Sephiro. (I should never have parted company with my Witches Tarot!)

Yet, we see that the World being 21, corresponds to Shin? Can we assume that Tau can also be taken up by The Fool?

I quote from the Magicians Companion: ” The Tree of life is also used as map of human states of consciousness. The Tree can literaly be used as a road map for astral projection or pathworking. In such operations the Deities, associations and mythologies which are appropriate to each path are met and experienced. “. “A great many myths and archetypal experiences may be explored with a single path, since each path is associated with an element, planet, or Zodiacal sign, one of the Twenty two Major Arcanum cards, plus various colors, animals, objects and materials”

Google Docs link:  

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZyuZ ... hocg&hl=en

Blessed be.
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Last edited by Payewacker on Mon Feb 08, 2010 4:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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pirbid
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Post by pirbid » Tue Dec 15, 2009 1:23 pm

Since you are studying these connections, I guess you already know about the Tree of Life spread. You use all 78 cards in the deck and read them with all their connections. It takes hours and some say it is the Tarot equivalent of an astrological chart.
Just in case, I will post it here and see what you all think about it. I have done it only a few times, either for myself or as a birthday present for a friend -must be a very good and interested friend, though, because it sure is hard work!-.
Image
This is how you do it: choose a significator and lay it above the spread. Shuffle well. Start laying the first 10 cards in order, one on each of the piles, face down. Keep doing this till you have 7 cards face down on each of the piles. 7 extra cards will be left for the DAATH pile, which is read at the end.
Now turn up and display the cards on each pile and read them in order, working your way down the tree. Each 7 card line can be read card by card, linearly or symmetrically -1+7, 2+6, 3+5, with 4 as the dominant theme in the line-. You don't even need to use the same system on all piles, or you can use several on each. Let the images guide you.
It is highly advisable to take a picture of the whole spread, make a sketch or diagram of it and/or tape all the information you can glean out of the Tree. It is a lot of hard work and you might like to compare them in case you do them on a yearly basis, for example.
These are the themes discussed on each level:

1- KETHER/THE CROWN: this line tells you how to reach your true qualities and highest evolution.
2- HOKMAH/KNOWLEDGE: this line displays your creative intelligence, your initiative, your ability to act and your evolution process.
3- BINAH/UNDERSTANDING: these are the limits and obstacles, aspects that slow your evolution. Understanding them will help you to better deal with them.
4- GEVURAH/JUDGMENT: economic or material difficulties, health problems...
5- HESED/MERCY: how you are affected by your achievements, job, home, money, friends and environment in general.
6- TIFERETH/BEAUTY: physical, emotional and/or spiritual health. Pay attention to:
- Abundance of Clubs: good health in general except for 9, 10 or reversed.
- Cups and Swords tell about your emotional, mental and spiritual condition.
- Pentacles: weaker health, need to care more for the body, specially the 5.
- Major Arcana: strength, good health in general.
- Temperance: avoiding illnesses through the right precautions.
- Devil: unease or hypochondria.
7- NETZACH/ETERNITY: discipline, training or education you need to free your creative potential and your unconscious energy. It can point to a line of artistic work, a true cause to pursue, the creation of a home and family or paranormal abilities.
8- HOD/ECHO: love and sensuality. What you want and what you get.
9- YESOD/FOUNDATIONS: the unconscious, dreams, fantasies, desires, your true self.
10- MALKUTH/THE KINGDOM: your ambiance, external influences, who is around you.

DAATH: these 7 cards are the means you use to change and evolve, how you move through the different levels. Some people evolve only through a lot of sacrifice, hurt, and even hard physical problems. For others evolution is easier, more like a fun game. No one way is better than another. Each of us have our own unique way. Enjoy your trip through life.

I wouldn't advise beginners to tackle this spread too soon. You first need some practice connecting several cards into a story, sentence, or cohesive information. Otherwise you will end up overwhelmed by the sight of the 78 colorful images.

Hope this was useful for the curious and the tireless readers out there.

Cheers!  :smt002
Sunshine from the islands of eternal spring ;)

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cedars
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Post by cedars » Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:57 pm

Payewaacker, I would love to help with my knowledge of the Arabic language... but I dont know where is the help required?

The Hebrew alphabet/letters sound very similar to the Arabic ones... with some variations.. (I dont speak Hebrew by the way).

I have read the thread and seen your attachment. Where can I help? Will be happy to.

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Payewacker
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Post by Payewacker » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:03 pm

Hi Cedars,

I backtracked to the hosting on Google docs, the first lot is no sense to be made of. I have to edit this and get it into the right perspective regarding the divisions of the human being.

I was hoping that you could outline or interpret the divisions of the spirit as named.

If I could eat concrete and s++t bricks, be sure, you'll have more than one mansion!:smt011

Let me get that lot in an understandable chaos! :smt013

Blessed be.
Do as you want, Harm none!

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Payewacker
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Post by Payewacker » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:16 pm

Hi Guys,

I removed the Doc, hosted on Google pertaining this subject, it needs to be edited a whole lot to get the columns aligned.

Pirbid, many thanx for your spread. I have done "big" spreads before, but really, as you said, how much time?

I don't even want to wander so far, as yet! I'm only but a learner!

Blessed be.

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cedars
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Post by cedars » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:05 pm

Dont worry Payewacker, take it easy. We are all doing great here :)

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Rook
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Post by Rook » Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:12 am

Hey guys

I have been meaning to look into this myself for quite some time.  This was one of the first uses of the tarot I ever came across, before even divination.  I read in a book, I think it was the Kabbalah Unveiled, by Naomi Ozaniec.  This initiated me into the world of the Kabbalah, as well as deepening my interest into the Tarot.  Unfortunately it is something that I simply don't have time to investigate in the evenings considering all the other things I want to do as well.

I have been considering trying to do tarot readings for a while, mostly to learn and understand the significance of each different card, so that I can use the imagery in the form of the tree of life to understand the journey shown on a whole nother level without having to be constantly referencing back to books.  After happyme suggested I need to open up to my inner guides it might be a way of aiding this process as well.

Anyhow, will follow this space with interest.

Cheers,
Rook

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Post by happyme » Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:56 am

I can say tarots never lie not to me anyway, and I have spoken to others who agree, especially when you attempt to read yourself, intuition tends to fog when it comes to self, so when that fails look to the tarot cards. All the best with the experience! :)

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Post by Payewacker » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:45 am

Hi Rook, Happyme,

It's wonderfull to have someone that may shed light on the Kaballah. Even the smallest bit of info you have, is handy and can guide me in exploring the Kaballah.

When I go get stuck in the Kaballah, I've done it before with the Transliterated Kaballah, and it's extremely complicated, I will attempt to make it as simple as possible. Each of the Hebrew letters are also linked to biological processes, which is where another link into the Kaballah may be, if we consider the road from 1-10 in the Minors.

Another posting of mine: "How much do you want to learn", is where a number of links are listed on subjects discussed. This I started editing yesterday and need to still run through the entire thread to pick up on other subjects discussed.

Also, Cedars, Pirbid and many other readers has done postings which is of significant value, these are links I still need to list.

Follow this link to the posting, and see if there is some info that may assist you.    

http://mysticboard.org/vi ... 486#259486

Blessed be
Do as you want, Harm none!

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Rook
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Post by Rook » Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:58 am

Hi Payewacker

From my understanding of Kaballah it is extremely complex and exists on many levels.  Sort of like the image of the chaos theory where you begin with a seemingly complex pattern, and as you zoom out in view that complex pattern becomes more complex and more complex until you zoom out far enough that the original pattern can no longer be seen but the greater pattern is exactly the same as the pattern begun with originally.  Such as in one of the intros to the Simpsons, the family is sitting on the couch.  The camera zoomes out to the house, Springfield, America, the World, the Solar System, the Milky Way, and so on and so on until the Universe becomes the pupil of Homer Simpson's eye.  I have seen this in a dream with the standard Kabbalistic image.

I am also familiar with the Golden Dawn, and have Israel Regardies publication on the Golden Dawn in my personal posession.  I am not a follower, but I do read it from time to time out of interest, and a lot of this comes back to Kabbalah tied to several occult practices.  Personally I think you could study all of this for a lifetime and still be learning on your death bed.

I will share what I have learnt, though this is from my Swiss-cheese memory, not directly quoted from a book so it is not authoritive.

I think you already know that each Sephiroth and each path between is related to a Hebrew letter.  The Hebrew letters are spilt into 3 Mother letters (the supernal triangle, Kether, Binah and Chockmah), the 7 double letters, related to the other 7 Sephiroth, and the 22 singles, each attributed to a path between the Sephiroth.  Each Hebrew letter also has a number and meaning attached to it.

The tarot apparently also relates to the Kabbalah, with the 10 cards of each suit relating to each Sephiroth, and the Major Arcana relating to a path.  I can not recall the significance of the court cards.  I have seen several different layouts of how the major arcana correspond to different paths, which is mostly what is motivating my desire to gain a more intimate working knowledge of the tarot, so I can figure for myself how this fits best through personal experience.  Personally  I find the tarot speaks to me far more clearly than Hebrew.  Personally I think the different symbollic attributions say the same thing, but in a different language as it were.

Going back to the initial paragraph, to really complicate things, each Sephiroth has its own tree, with its own Sephiroth.  So there is a Malkuth in Malkuth, a Yesod in Malkuth etc etc.  Just that addition makes it hard for me to take in.  But on top of that the tree also has four different planes of existence.  I can't remember exactly what they are, but there are the Supernals, everything down to Tiphareth, then the Formative below Tiphareth down to Yesod, and then the material being Malkuth.  I vaguely recall that again, each plane also has its own tree which is sort of mind-numbing.

Now in the Golden Dawn tradition there are different levels of the order, the outer, and the inner.  In the outer order the candidate advances through a series of occult lectures, initiations and tests to advance through different degrees that are directly related to each Sephiroth (with the beginning initiation relating to the advancement from the beginning up to just before being accepted into the inner order, which is the crossing of the Veil of Paroketh, which I understand as some sort of spiritual awakening.  I have not progressed any further than that in my study, but the point is the Kabbalah is traversed you could say, as a journey to increase the pace of spiritual advancement that would otherwise occur naturally, but may not be completed in the person's life time, resulting in the continuing cycle of incarnations.

Oh and I might add, from my understanding the primary purpose of the outer order is to 'balance the four elements' as a foundation to the rest of the personal development.  Now the outer order through my understanding consists of Malkuth (earth / body), Yod (air / mind), Yesod (fire / unconscious / spirit), and Netzach (water / emotion).  Each initiation and degree is associated with one aspect of the four-fold elemental structure.  I would thus suggest that this part of the tree captures most peoples awareness / experience.  The competing forces of body and spirit, and thought and heart (emotion).  Most people are aware of these different elements of their being, but knowledge of the further reaches of the tree I think is limited, myself included.

Now I also understand there are different pillars.  The black and white pillar, severity and mercy, masculine and feminine.  Then there is the middle pillar balancing the two.  But I have also heard tell there are actually 4 pillars.  Which is another source of confusion for me.  Anyhow, my understanding is that the way to advance is through the arrow fired from the 'bow of queseth', going straight up the tree, from Malkuth, through Yesod and up to Tiphareth.  Once  at Tiphareth I am not sure what happens from there.  But I believe the cards associated with this path are The World and Temperance.  Oh, and if you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth I think it is worth a look for symbology here.

The first stage, that has alchemical implications as well, the girl must enter the 'roots' of the tree and kill a toad that is infesting the tree.  From this toad she pulls out three gems (the trinity, body soul spirit?).  In the process of doing this she dirties her nice dress, a symbol of the material world.  She then is given access to a dream-like world where she must excercise temperance, going past a table laden with fine food, without being tempted to eat of it lest she awaken the ugly monster at the end of the table.  From here she obtains something I can't remember what, but of course she has to try something and awakens the beast and must flee for the real world from the monster.  I am sure there are other associations but also not the three supernals in the final scenes of the film, with the royal figures seated upon thrones atop high pillars.

Anyhow, that is all I have time for, and starting to reach the limits of my memory.  Hope that is of service to you.

Cheers,
Rook

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Payewacker
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Post by Payewacker » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:05 pm

Hi Rook,

This is great. I have seen Pan's Labarinth, some time ago. But will get hold of the movie. We know the significance of Pan and the Underworld, alchemy and so on.

As you indicated, there are paths, within paths, and it gets not complicated, you loose total focus. We need to be extremely disciplined in studying the Sephiro, not to get lost.

Another very important thing to remember is Pythagoras, and the Tetractus. It has a very similar connotation with regard to the different levels found within the spaces from, above one, too one, below one, too two, above two too one, etc. There are seven levels either way up or down. Each level is different, also sideways.

It is "perceived" that Pythagoras discoverred numerology and that it in fact replaces Tarot, but this is beleived only by a select group.

The best way to start discovering the Kaballah, is to run through the transliterated Kaballah. This gives al the expansions and all the biological processes, and movement within motion!

A very important point to start is where RW and Thoh comes from. I'm opening a new thread on this.

Blessed be.
Do as you want, Harm none!

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Payewacker
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Post by Payewacker » Mon Feb 08, 2010 4:45 pm

Hi Guys,

This Doc is up for editing, in fact a lot of the hosted docs will be edited. Some theories is not what I want to promote and we may find contradictions in some of my other articles.

It is essential that it be done to ensure consistency.

Blessed be
Do as you want, Harm none!

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Post by sweetsunray » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:55 pm

Payewacker wrote:Hi Rook,

This is great. I have seen Pan's Labarinth, some time ago. But will get hold of the movie. We know the significance of Pan and the Underworld, alchemy and so on.
If you treat Pan's Labyrint as a dream to be translated, switching from one symbolic tale to another then Pan's Labyrint is a total symbolic story of Franco. The sadistic captain is actually Franco, his wife (Ophelia's mom) is Spain (crippled and kept in bed, powerless to do anything against her abuser of her children) and Ophelia stands for the wish for a republic in those times... her baby brother is the king who eventually will turn his back from Franco's dictatorship and instead made Spain into a democracy. Ophelia dies because the republic never came to be... the wish for a republic had to be let go off, but that sacrifice enabled the victory over Franco through the king.

I started to realize this, when I started to look into Franco himself (the watch and war the captain is talking about regarding his father is actually a story told of Franco himself before his reign). A nickname for Franco was "sapo" = the frog... and what does Ophelia fight under the tree?

Back to the Tree of Life... I just recently started to try and understand it. I decided to keep it limited, and at least comprehend it as a type of brain-map from opportunity to action/outcome (the 10 Sephirot). I laid all the pips from the aces to 10 on the Sephirot points on the floor of my living room and then laid the Major Arcanas as pathways between them. And just by doing that I had a Eureka moment when watching the Fool as Aleph between the Aces and the Twos.

If the Fool is the state where you can see all possibilities ahead of you at a new beginning, before anything actually has evolved, then it makes total sense to have it as a path from the Aces to the Twos. It also helped so much more to understand where the different meanings of the Twos come from.

For a reading of the Fool it means you must assume the presence of Aces and Twos (and Kings/Crowley's Knights) even if they do not appear in the spread. But you cannot have a Fool without there having been an out of the blue meeting or event. And a Fool will automatically evoke the energy/emotional/mental and action processes of the Twos, even if they're hidden.

http://ssr-spirihumanism.blogspot.com/2 ... -fool.html

Because of the Tree of Life I now understand why some sure predictions can be made about certain processes.

I've tried to synthesise the info I found on the Tree of Life insofar it was useful for Tarot in this post
http://ssr-spirihumanism.blogspot.com/2 ... -life.html
Life is like a rose. The most beautiful ones have large thorns. You only need the courage to grab for them.

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Payewacker
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Post by Payewacker » Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:34 pm

Hi Guys,

The bow of Quesepth Rook referred to is also seen as the "lightning bolt" in the Tree of Life.

I think I need to have a more expanded search on these topics, to be able to give you a better understanding of this.

Placing the cards on a big area, for you to see them easily is really a way to consider, in this you can also consider assigning a "timeframe" on each of the pip cards---just a thought!

Blessed be.
Do as you want, Harm none!

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