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Thoth-atu 20- the aeon
The Universal Key of good judgment that is utilized in both personal and professional situations.
Presented on the Thoth Aeon, The Egyptian Goddess Nuit(Nut or Nuith), the dark Sky Goddess curves over the figure of Osiris, Egyptian God of Wisdom (Chokmah on the Tree of Life) who married Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Intuition (Binah on the Tree of Life) was killed by *Set and resurrected by Isis as Har-Si-Ese (Horus son of Isis) Horus. The union (via resurrection) of Isis & Osiris gave birth to Horus, the God of Perception, which is seen as an opaque over image. Nut makes the sign of Leo; the zodiac Leo represents creative and professional power. Now all this can get confusing since Horus, Osiris, etc is a multilayered deity. His one eye happened as an important Egyptian symbol of Power only after Horus battled with Set, the killer of Osiris, for the throne of Egypt. Horus is the sky god, son/sun of Osiris and Isis. For more information and clarity, just click on the link below.
*Set, also known as Seth and Suetekh, was the Egyptian god of war, chaos and storms, brother of Osiris, Isis, and Horus the Elder, uncle to Horus the Younger, and brother-husband to Nephthys. His other consort was the goddess Tawaret, a hippo-headed deity who presided over fertility and childbirth.
Set (Egyptian God) - Ancient History Encyclopedia[Just click on link above, to get more information on Egyptian mythology.]
This card reminds us that properly used creativity makes positive impact in both family and professional career. Horus, with his finger in his mouth, implies that wisdom comes from experience; to create, see error and correct it, is the path of wisdom. Wisdom is not randomly spoken nor inherited.
The red-winged eye of Horus at the top of the seated figure of this card represents inspired vision that gives us the whole-view of any situation. We should understand that by creating error and correcting that error, we become wise. Here we have intellectual transformation that soon becomes physical manifestation.
Everything is a symbol of the One Self, The I AM, for everything proceeds from a generating idea (self-awareness) in the 2nd Sephiroth Chokmah/Chokman (Osiris), which is related to transcendent conception by the 3rd Sephiroth- Will to Form of Mother Binah (Isis), birthing the 6th Sephiroth- Tiphareth...is the generating principle of manifestation of the new Aeon. I (Osiris) Am (Isis) Me (Horus). We are the Divine Me communicating as a mercury (messenger) to the Whole of Spirit (Holy Ghost) as I Am Me! Since all is One Energy and One Mind, that can't be created nor destroyed , only transformed, we need never leave that which we truly love, for all we become truly aware of, we give life to! Becoming never ends, it is the love process of being! I AM Love.
The Path of Shin-20-The Aeon
JUDGMENT-
The Twentieth Key
Primary Path color: Radiant Orange-Scarlet.
Musical Note: C Natural.
Meaning of Hebrew Letter: Tooth.
Maternal Letter: Fire.
Qabalistic/Esoteric Title: The Spirit of the Primal Fire.
Dr. Paul Foster Case, a leading Hermetic Qabalist and founder of B.O.T.A., called this Aeon card the 31st Path of Wisdom that is known as The Perpetual Intelligence, because it regulates the motions of the Sun and Moon, each in an order convenient for it. The Path of Shin known as Judgment because it joins (the orange path on the right lower side of the Tree of Life glyph) the Earth (Malkuth) with Splendor (Hod), the base Sephiroth of 10 Malkuth and completion of the Pillar of Severity (The right side of the Tree of Life --your left if looking at it--forms a Pillar to the top Black circle that is Binah. This is the Pillar of Severity.) . The Earth is now connected to the ultimate expression of Binah (Goddess/Mother) which is the Will to Form/Understanding that is the activating Path of Intellect while the opposite, The Moon, is a formative Path of Emotion (energy in motion). This Judgment, is a process undergone by the Personality as it strives to become conscious of its own inner working. It is perpetual process of monitoring of the personality, by the observation of the Soul/Psyche, toward universal consciousness or what I call "Claiming your Divine Inheritance". The personality, often called your ego, is not you. It is a mask, you wear (Persona- is Greek for Mask). It is an artificial identity built by indoctrination and dogma, so that the Patriarchy (The Military Industrial Empire) can control your identity. It must be exorcised so that the True I AM Me, can operate the body in the name of the Divine Creative.
The Angelic and/or "Heavenly powers", invoked by the will of the inner path traveling student, slowly burn away that which is deemed unworthy of Divine Inheritance by the redeeming fire; a process that is actually physical and can be associated with the Kundalini Fire of the Root chakra as it rises up the spine towards the Brain. This is the "Splendor of the Material World"(as noted by the Golden Dawn) that points out the relationship of the Path of Shin to the physical body as a state of Resurrection or Rebirth of the Golden Psyche/Child.
By being the path where the components of the Personality first encountered in the Universe are critically analyzed and judged (evaluated). The Path of Shin is a bright and fiery probationary path of the intellect while the Moon is the dark, cold and watery probationary path of the emotions. Both are the introduction to the true nature of Self (Greater Self) in incarnation and can thus be extremely difficult for a fear based personality to understand. That is one reason why people are cautioned about "Raising the Kundalini"(primal life force). For unless you are ready to be transformed and resurrected as a Persona of the Soul, you don't raise the Kundalini/inner solar Psyche.
As seen in the 20-Aeon card, all elements are present on this path, either active or inactive--which is to say expressed (seen-active) or unexpressed (unseen passive) making these Elemental Paths difficult to understand. Shin contains all four alchemical Elements, Fire, Water, Air and Earth. The evolution of the cosmos is from the subtle (simple) to the most complex; from nothing to something. From simple quanta (subatomic particle) to complex molecular and cellular structures. In all things, the whole is implicit in the developing parts.
In the Thoth Tarot, The Aeon, supersedes all earlier concepts of the ATU/ Key, and show the harmonious and spiritual state of human existence which will be on earth in the 22 century (according to Crowley). This is symbolized by the Goddess Nuith (aspect of Isis), and her consort Hadit ( aspect of Osiris-seen as a golden orb of light). Their union births Horus, shown as seated and standing depicting his active and passive forms. Another name for Horus is Heru, which is synonymous with Hru, "The Great Angel set over the Tarot".
This card, according to Qabalistic doctrine, also symbolizes the passing of the 500 year period of darkness and trial, preparatory to a new Aeon of Light." There is much more to know, so if you have questions---research is recommended. The Aeon, key 20, is called the Path of Shin, simple meaning is
Toothand the maternal meaning of the Shin is Fire, both the simple meaning of the Path and the maternal meaning imply a powerful combination.
Dr.Paul Foster Case describes the Path of Shin, as, “The Perpetual Intelligence", because it is a continuous monitoring Intelligence of the progress of the Personality toward Universal Consciousness. The Intelligence of Perpetual Transformation.
Now I have often called the One Mind Universal Collective Unconscious, The Macrocosmic Consciousness, not the self-conscious, simply because a self-consciousness is considered a microcosmic reality; However, if we release our consciousness to the Universal Collective Unconscious that controls the One Energy, we have developed a Consciousness that bridges the Macrocosm and Microcosm that becomes a perpetual personally that is always Self-Aware! We have then successfully become the Horus, the 22nd century human evolution! That is the reasoning behind Crowley's replacing the old Judgment card with the newer Aeon card.
As Stated: On this path, the Student experiences a perpetual burning away of that which is unworthy by the controlled "Redeeming Fire"; a process that is physically experienced as the higher vibratory Passion of the Original Will To Be (The "I Will Be" of Kether)begins hotly flowing through our bodies. This is a point of delicate balance, and a Teacher of the Mysteries must expect the Students to react in peculiar ways, such as a feeling of heated passion for the Teacher. This is simply a misplaced transference, because the cultural ego/body, seeks self-gratification when stimulated by a seemingly outside influence. This bright energy is really the beginning of unconditional love radiating within the student whose inner self is responding to the Gnosis (Knowledge).There exists a Love/ Passion dynamic that is the Fire of Spirit reacting to sensual flesh and with proper guidance the Student will go into the Fire, instead of trying to control it with conditions. One then finds that the Flesh is the Spirit's most beloved!
Such is the lesson of Hod, love/passion is not a peacocks splendorous display, rather it is the Foundation of all Creation. For the personality to know this is a perpetual process of "burning off the unworthy", so that progress can continue, is often hard won. Thus the "Splendor of the Material World" is burned away in a kind of physical resurrection, a rebirth of body and personality sending us perpetually towards the Great Mother.
This paradigm of resurrection is bases on the developments of the opposite card to this progressive Path of Shin, A path that is THE MOON -Key 18, relating to the disciplined quest for a greater reality, that actually changes the physiological. In other words, the balanced Energetic forces of both Shin and Qoph (the Moon) stimulate the rebirth of our bodies that necessitates a physiological rebuild, necessary to handle the higher vibratory states of the Higher Consciousness and the One Emotion that is Love without conditions. This is a process that Dr.Paul Foster Case described, as building a "Master's Body". A body, where the Kundalini is flowing, uncoiled and hot, without emotionally adverse effects.
The Path of Shin, is the bright fiery probationary path of the Intellect where the components of the Personality first encountered in The Universe Path of Tau, are critically analyzed and evaluated, i.e. Judged .The opposite path is that of THE MOON, a dark watery probationary path of emotions. The balance of Aeon and Moon, builds the Master body...the Manifested Body of Horus - The Solar Child of Isis and Osiris. (The two previous Aeons).
These introductory Paths to the True Nature of Self, especially in incarnation, are usually extremely difficult to travel, because these Elemental Paths of which The Aeon, The Fool, and The Hanged Man are known, are very difficult to understand. This mental difficulty is because all of the Elements are present on each Path, in either repressed or expressed form. For example, the pattern of maternal letters (form producing intelligence) as stated in the Qabalistic text, Sepher Yetzirah that Air (Gases) produces Water which produces Fire which we know to be true by studying physics. THE FOOL-0, is pure Air. THE HANGED MAN-KEY 12, is Air acted upon by Water, and THE AEON- Key- 20, is Air and Water acted upon by Fire within the human body. It pays to note, that the human body is the Crucible of Spiritual Alchemy, where the organic material of below can become the biophoton body of light.
On the Path of Shin, the Consciousness (Water) is activated by the Dynamic Principle (Fire) in the presence of equilibrating Spirit (Air) with in the physical vehicle (Earth), all of which produces a balance of intelligence forces in the individual, necessary for total understanding of the Personality structure and its relationship to the Greater Self.
Many Qabalists know the Middle Pillar, the straight alignment of Malkuth, Yesod, Tiphareth and Kether, is the pillar of balance, yet the Path of Shin, is Left hand Path, or the left side Pillar of Severity and is usually subject to imbalance. The answer to this seeming quandary is that every symbol, represented on these Path cards, is a duality, containing its own opposite. Each Path must contain the essential components of its opposite Path, as energy moves from positive to negative, male to female, electric to magnetic. Upon viewing Hod (Splendor) you will see that it is connected or conjoined with Netzach. Hod is related to The Aeon, and Netzach is related to The Moon, showing that intelligence applied without feeling is as pathological as feeling applied without intellect. And since the Cards represent a kind of intellect/conscious energy, everything we experience, every idea, every activity, co-exists in us with its opposite.
There are so many concepts to grasp in the Major Arcana, that the student may feel overwhelmed. Luckily, the images on the Cards are pictorial representation of the visual experiences of the Paths opening up a great deal of learning and data by meditating on them. These Qabalistic Images have been carefully assembled over the centuries by the experienced mental work of highly advanced women and men, who have at first traveled these inner Archetypal Roads and then meticulously laid down, in image, the details to assist latter generations.
It is the shortcoming of most students who begin these astral paths, that at once encountering theses Tarot constructs, believing that they have a reality of their own. The Qabalistic Teacher must explain that only when the student is able to go beyond the lower Astral of the subconsciousness, is it where one touches upon realities that activate the symbols, i.e. "open the Gates" to greater Consciousness. For instance, while traveling the Path of Shin, one may at first experience what is illustrated on the Aeon Card. Diligent skrying, will soon project our consciousness beyond the visual construct into a understanding that the Path is the enervating, activating effect of the Cosmic Motive Principle on the individual consciousness. That is to say, that on the Path of Shin, the Fiery Spirit (Kundalini) permeates the Personality of the individual, in the descent of Energy into Matter. Thus, the last illusions of personality separateness is burned away.
If we have learned any physics at all, The Tree of Life is as the Universe, and we know that from the simplest concept (I), came all the complexity that is the Cosmos. In the Big Bang theory, a singularity, which came from nothing (Dark energy and Dark Matter), exploded outward, and became many diverse atoms. This is also a concept easily seen in the development of the human body, as a single celled zygote, divides into hundreds of thousands of cells that become separate systems of the Whole Collective, ultimately ending up as a homo sapiens sapiens body. In the Tarot, The Fool, is the ultimate simplicity and The Universe is representative of the ultimate complexity and yet all the Cards are implicit, unexpressed in The Fool. Therefore, in all the cards in-between we find the balance between what is expressed or unexpressed and/or subtle and objective.
I am ending this discussion of simplicity into complexity, with the understanding that The Aeon, The Universe and The Moon are aspects of our individual waking consciousness that comprises a sensual personality while also representing stages of Self -Awareness.
The Aeon Card, representing the Path of Shin, is where the aspirant to the Mysteries experiences the Personality being lifted from the tomb of matter and evaluated on the extent to which it has balanced the four alchemical elements of Malkuth; Intellect (Fire), emotions (Water), Spirit (Air) and physical-sensual being (Earth). This individual balance also explains the fact that each individual aspirant encounters different experiences on the Paths.
It should be noted, that the patterns of the cards will be totally meaningless, unless the student understands what is symbolized by the four alchemical "Elements" and/or Elemental Forces that every Qabalistic symbol represents to a specific part of the Whole Self.
Further understanding of The Aeon or Path of Shin, is in its meaning, "Tooth", which suggests hardness, sharpness and/or biting. It is often interpreted as the teeth which chew prior to the ingestion of energy into the system--in this case the Kundalini is released and chews up the divided personality, by dealing a final bite to the perception of a separate and individual physical self, leaving the original Persona which is Child of The Divine Creative. A continual process of "Above all things, Know thyself".
As I have mentioned, Crowley's Aeon card departs completely from the traditional Cards of the Rider-Waite or Golden Dawn Tarot decks. The Aeon card is illustrative of Crowley's personal philosophy derived from The Book of Law, which he stated was revealed to him, thus forming the core of his teachings. He called the Aeon Card the Stele of Revealing. In his explanation of the Aeon, he claimed it superseded all traditional concepts of the Key (Judgment Card) because it shows the harmonious, spiritual state of human existence that will reside on this earth in the mid-twenty second century.
This advanced human condition is illustrated by the Dark Sky Goddess Nuith arching over her consort, Hadit, who is the Golden Orb of Light. Their Union produces Horus, as shown both seated and standing, his active and passive forms. Crowley states that another name for Horus is Heru, which is synonymous with Hru, which he calls "The Great Angel set over the Tarot".
Consistently, Qabalistic philosophy is a system of Gnosis (Knowledge) that evolves with the races of humankind, we have passed into the predicted 500 year period of extreme darkness and trial, preparatory to a new Aeon of Light. Therefore, we have the letter Shin below the Standing Horus, in a flowery form and the Three Yods, each have an internal human shape that is arising to partake of the Light of the coming Aeon. Naturally the study of The Book of Law is recommended to further the understanding of this card of the new Aeon.
The tarot of druids- key 20-Manannan
The Tarot of Druids-Key XX-Manannan mac Ler, depicts in caricature, the celtic divinity of the Sea and Lord of the afterlife. He is also considered the Protector of Mannin (Isle of Man). He is the Son of Ler, the God of the Sea. Hence, he is as the Aeon/Judgment card of Tarot. For the Celtic story click onto this link:
https://www.transceltic.com/manx/manann-n-mac-lir-son-of-sea-celtic-sea-god-and-protector-of-mannin
When the the Aeon-ATU 20,or Key XX-Manannan mac Ler card is thrown during a reading it implies:
- It states that a final decision has been reached.
- A matter has been determined without appeal on its plane.
- The final decision has been made, and a new state of enlightenment is beginning.
- Future improvement.
- Recognition of the great correlations.
- Expanded perception.
- Liberation of previously concealed abilities.
- Transformation.
If ill defined by the surrounding cards:
- Regret.
- Punishment.
- False identification (man made persona).
- Self-delusion.
- Megalomania.
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