The Tarot of Eli, LLC. -Major Arcana: Thoth Tarot-ATU IV- The Emperor & The Astromatrix Tarot-Key 4-Emperor

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Above all things, know thyself!

Contrary to what is printed on the Thoth Emperor card its designated Hebrew letter should be the Heh/Hey rather than Tzaddi/Tzadde. This statement is covered in controversy because some believe Crowley made a mistake with this letter and others say he didn't. Since all the Western Hermetic Qabalists I have learned from say it should be the letter Heh, whose explanations make more sense than what's printed on the emperor card; Therefore, I am convinced it is Heh. Hence, the Tree of Life and Tarot card illustration above shows the emperor card superimposed with the Hebrew Letter Heh. I will explain throughout this blog, for now, attributed to the Thoth Tarot- Emperor-ATU 4 is the Hebrew letter, Heh. The Path of Heh runs between Tiphareth (Beauty-the Solar Logos) to Chokmah (Wisdom-Lesser Creator who rules over manifestation) and is known as the Constituting Intelligence (Paul Foster Case). When one looks at the Thoth Emperor card, they see the Hebrew Letter Tzaddi on the bottom of the card, rather than the Hebrew Letter Heh. They will find the letter Heh errantly placed on the Thoth Star Card. Confusion reigns here, as even Crowley seemed uncertain about the Path of Tzaddi and the Path of Heh. However, he wrote: "It is finally to be observed that the white light that descends upon him indicates the position of this card in the Tree of Life. His authority is derived from Chokmah, the creative Wisdom, the Word, and is exerted upon Tiphareth, the organized man". [page-78 of the Book of Thoth]. This puts the emperor on the 15th Path of Heh that is from Chokmah to Tiphareth.

Then there is the amalgamation of multiple states of the One Energy (upper triangle), known as the Garden of Eden. Here again Crowley proposes an interchange of the emperor (Tzaddi) with the Star (Heh) which most Tarot Scholars of Qabalah disagree. In dealing with the Star, the scholars describe the emperor as the "fiery aspect of the Garden of Eden", to which the Higher Self relates, while the Star is the Eden of personality. Therefore, the Emperor is the Self-Observation of the One (Self-Awareness) and therefore, Heh/He', meaning "window or Sight", which is Heh-The Window that reveals the Light (Energy) of the Father (Chokmah). It is also the first path to which a sensual function is attributed in the Sepher Yetzirah (primary book of Qabalah), suggesting that "I" (eyesight) sight is the first of the senses as Aries is the first house in the sequence of the Zodiac. Aries, as the first sign, emerges directly from Chokmah, the Sphere of the Zodiac.

Also, as shown on the Rider-Waite-Smith and on most traditional Tarot cards, the emperor sits on a grey granite throne which is the color attributed to the sphere of Chokmah, and completing the throne on the Traditional and Thoth Cards is the Aries Rams decorating the throne-crown.

Because of our Divine Inheritance from the Demiurge (Lesser Creator-Chokmah) and the Great Mother (Binah-Female aspect of the Demiurge) we are all Souls who are the " Reflections/Copies" of Divine-Consciousness. Modern psychology has called these "Copies" of Higher Consciousness, the Unconscious, the Subconscious, and the awake Self-Consciousness which about every elementary school child of my day has heard of. However, hearing of a thing is not knowing the thing. Because of the evolution of subjective thought, from Mythology, metaphysics, to fundamental Religions, and now to the modern science of Psychology, and Parapsychology we are beginning to easily deal with the "reflections" of higher consciousness within ourselves and are experiencing a New Age (The Age of Aquarius/Horus) of enlightenment, eliminating the indoctrinated separation of these aspects of One Mind. The Higher we realize ourselves in consciousness or on the Self-Tapestry of the Tree of Life, the more the aspirant understands that the Trump or Cards of the Major Arcana only point the way towards understanding concepts that the ego- body mind and/or the brain cannot otherwise grasp.

People born under the sun sign of Aries, which falls between March 21st and April 19th, are often associated with certain characteristics. Keep in mind that these traits are generalizations, and individual experiences may vary. Here are some typical characteristics of individuals born under the sign of Aries:

1. Assertiveness: Aries individuals are known for their boldness and assertive nature. They are not afraid to take charge and lead others.

2. Independence: Independence is a key trait of Aries. They value their freedom and autonomy, often preferring to make their own decisions.

3. Energetic: Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of energy and action. As a result, individuals born under this sign tend to be energetic, dynamic, and enthusiastic.

4. Courageous: Aries individuals are known for their bravery and willingness to take risks. They often face challenges head-on without fear.

5. Impulsivity: The impulsive nature of Aries can sometimes lead to spontaneous actions. While this trait can be adventurous, it's essential to balance it with consideration.

6. Competitiveness: Aries individuals have a competitive streak. They enjoy challenges and are driven to succeed, sometimes turning everyday activities into competitions.

7. Short Temper: Aries individuals may have a quick temper, but their anger tends to be short-lived. They express their emotions openly and move on quickly.

8. Optimism: Positivity is a common trait among Aries individuals. They tend to approach life with optimism and enthusiasm.

Remember, these are general traits, and individuals may exhibit a mix of characteristics from their sun sign, moon sign, rising sign, and other astrological factors. It's always essential to consider the full birth chart for a more accurate picture.

By beginning to understand the Top 5 Trumps/Paths, [THE EMPEROR, THE EMPRESS, THE PRIESTESS, THE MAGUS, THE FOOL], the aspirant will be developing the consciousness of the Sun/Son of The Divine Creative- Horus (Egyptian) and/or Adam Khadmon (Western Hermetic Qabalah) ----the 22nd century heavenly human awareness that was created as the Archetype of the Heavenly Human.

Because of modern Physics, we know that there is only One Energy that cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed, and the student of the Tarot knows that all the 78 cards of the Tarot deck represent Transformations of the One/Fool and/or Supernal-Self. From the One, emergence the opposites, which are activating the formative, Male (Electric-I) and Female (Magnetic-AM) communion and/or the original High Mass. Therefore, it is accurate to state that all Male figures are Chokmah (Jah) and Binah (YHVH Elohim) is that of all females. The robes they wear, represent the different planes and/or dimensions of our multiverse, which are vibratory rates that are either Force (male) Chokmah or Form (Female) Binah, and/or their intertwining of vibration (The Divine Union of Goddess/God...the dance of creation) that makes all things possible. Unlike a normal tree, the Tree of Life developed from the top down; from Kether to Malkuth. Malkuth, the "I AM Being" the goal of "I Will Be" and/or Kether. Hence, the upside-down tree of Yggdrasil-The Norse Tree of Life, having its roots in heaven and limbs down into the earth, bespeaks a metaphoric truth. Life began long before the earth was ever created. (Some geneticist has found the human DNA to be 9.8 billion years old. The Earth is only about 4.6 billion years old.) Since we live in a multiverse, Robert Wang in his Book the Qabalistic Tarot-tried to show a multidimensional Tree of Life on the Cover.

The Weaving of frequency/ vibration and/or microwaves, is the foundation of all things in this fractal Multiverse; However, that would make the Tree of Life Image a jumble of lines and spheres that could confuse the viewer. Hence, a 2-dimensional drawing of Kether, the 1st Sephirotic Being is shown alone on top of the Tree, and Malkuth-The 10th Sephirotic Being, is alone on the Bottom of the Tree of Life, proclaiming the World of Assiah, which is the goal of Kether whose God Name is Eheieh-meaning-"I Will Be".

Qabalist know that the "Big Bang" came from what is the Source of Will and Energy, Kether/Eheieh, thus the ejaculation of Energy, making the 2nd Sephiroth- Chokmah male (Male is not a sex here, but an action). The One became Two, Androgynous, when I became, I Am, which is known as Chokmah and Binah, which should be stated Chokmah/Binah, just as Yin/Yang or Time/Space are known to be inseparable and established at the same moment. Therefore, with some authority we can say that the “I “is male and the “Am” is female, for one is Wisdom (Chokmah) and the latter is Understanding (Binah)...and we can't experience one without the other!

In the wisdom of Tarot, THE FOOL represents the One Energy-"I"-but "I" in a passive state. Chokmah, the 2nd Sephiroth- is "I" in an active state and therefore, activating the Fool. THE MAGUS and the PRIESTESS, are the Macrocosm Energy beginning the transformation into Microcosmic Energy, creating the first differentiation of Male and Female energy polarity. Pure Consciousness, known as the "root of Water" is represented by the PRIESTESS and her consort, THE MAGUS, is considered psychologically as the Will. Hence the term I Am, is understood as the intercourse of consciousness and will. Like I've said before, "I AM" is your Real name, what the "I AM" thinks it is, is all assumption. Thereby creating "freedom of Choice" (only if you are your only authority and without "false ego"), implying that you, the "I AM" is free to choose whatever it "thinks it is" as a "ME". This creation of a "Me" falls under the rules of the emperor, the downflowing of Chokmah, who sets Color/Measurement/Law as the 4th Sephiroth-Chesed. Although the Thoth Emperor is shown passive, it is his authority that rules logic and rationale; therefore, there is no battle. However, he is granted this authority by the Great Lady Binah-The Empress as she gives him the authority to set boundaries to creation and/or measurement. This is shown in the Astromatrix Tarot by the Ankh Headed Staff in the seated Emperor's right hand, and he holds the World globe in the left.

In the Thoth Emperor Card, there is a mating of the PRIESTESS, to the MAGUS, as described in Robert Wang's book: THE QABALISTIC TAROT as, ".... the activity of the directing Will of the One on the Great Ocean of undifferentiated consciousness which It has Itself projected” [Big Bang] (The bracketed words are my own).

Here we think of the reflexive qualities of the Divine Creative; He creates, idea/thought that is data carried by light, then the Mother Binah and her Ocean of Mind/understanding/Will to Form, receptively begins to mold that thought into information. Now we have the concept of the Universe as a Mirror, where everything is the perception and reflected activity of the Divine Spirit on its Dark Energy/ Mater Self (Mater is Latin for Mother), a process which the various and varying symbols of the Tarot are attempting to suggest. We also begin to approach the understanding that information/data is not the goal here. Knowledge is. For information to become knowledge it must be experienced as in-form-action and/or in the "lower tree" of manifestation. Just like light carrying information along fiber-optic cables, the microwaves of light carry information to our brains.

The reason Crowley has positioned THE EMPEROR, so that the body forms a triangle and a cross, is because he is representing the alchemical symbol of Sulfur (red eagle on his shield). This representation is because of the Alchemical explanation of the Divine-Self Interaction in terms of Sulfur, Salt, and Mercury. In Tarot, Mercury is THE MAGUS,

THE EMPRESS is Salt (white eagle on her shield).

This may seem as little more than obscure abstraction: However, when we consider that THE MAGUS, (Philosophic Mercury) acts upon THE PRIESTESS (Pure Mind) and by Union they are transformed into THE EMPEROR (Sulfur/Rational thought) and THE EMPRESS (Salt) Unconscious/Imaginative/Intuitive Thought), we are considering the quite basic alchemical attributes of our own Psyche into consciousness.

From the previous blog one should be familiar with THE EMPRESS as the Path of Daleth (meaning door) which is above the Path of THE EMPEROR, simply because without her manifestation of form, he would have nothing to rule and/or set measure to. On the Path of Heh, the Emperor is a transformation of the 4th Sephiroth-Chesed-The Architect, who is also a transformation of the Second Sephiroth-Chokmah.

When we are classifying images according to color, subject, or other criterion, we are calling THE EMPEROR into play. As does THE EMPEROR, we are acting upon form via perspective/observation and giving it measurement in the Universal Collective Unconscious. Another way to see this exercise of rule, is that if the Imagination (mind of the Empress) didn't send up form from its depths, a stream of images to be classified by the differentiating exercise of reason, the Emperor would have nothing to control or transform into measurement. Therefore, THE EMPEROR, albeit a potent masculine force, functions as determined by THE EMPRESS. Hence as I have stated, THE EMPEROR, is the Path of Heh (Window) and its function is determined by Binah/Empress (Door) who is pure fruition, making The Path of Heh a formative path of rational and classifying activities.

The Thoth and Tarot bright red color is that of Fire/Aries/Mars-and the Blood of Binah (The Great Mother) in the World of Pure Spirit known as Atziluth. The symbol for Aries is the Ram. Fire is considered male in its expression. Albeit, that the male and female forces are seen as more interwoven in the lower levels as we go down the Tree of Life, the assumption that Chokmah and Binah are the only "Pure" states of Male and Female force is in error; As Chokmah (Wisdom), meaning the primary quality of maleness, is a Hebrew female noun. Taking the point of view that whatever gives birth is exercising a primary female quality at the moment of birth, then all that is inherent in the male is inherent in the female and vice versa. We can mentally see this by understanding that the Creation of Chokmah gave birth to maleness, and femaleness. 0=2. Therefore, the Patriarchal figure of male first, and female second, is indoctrinated misinformation demanded by 2-dimensional art. They are Simultaneously Created.

The students of Carl Jung know that he stated the "male harbors the perfect female image in his unconscious, as the female harbors the perfect male image in her unconscious, these being the "counter sexual component" necessary for the transformation of force and form". Jung also called the "counter-sexual components", the Latin word- Anima (female) in males and the Latin word Animus (Male) male in females. The Animus means courage, vivacity, bravery, will, spirit, soul; the Animus is Latin and in the English translation, Anima, means life, breath, vital energy, (sex energy) and the counter sexual component of the Soul/Spirit. Thus, we can see that THE EMPRESS is Anima/Soul/Psyche/Breath and THE EMPEROR is Animus/Spirit/Will, making the perfectly developed male type on the Paths, THE EMPEROR, and the perfectly developed female type THE EMPRESS.

These are the pure intelligent forces that we meet and converse with on the Paths. Both exist as one in the Soul, and If we think of the One Soul as a Human Brain, albeit a simplistic and artificial comparison, then one has become two in the brain, female Right side, and male Left side in One Intelligent collective organism and/or 0=2. The Tree of Life on the Path of Heh points to such a union. Since the Sun/Son that is Tiphareth is also linked to the sign of Aries, which is the sign of this Path of Heh, we have another indication that THE EMPEROR exercises some control over the solar forces of the Higher Self. Therefore, we justify the term Constituting Intelligence (Coined by Dr. Case) meaning that THE EMPEROR assists in the building up of Golden Sun /Son-Light in Tiphareth from the utter-darkness of Limitless Light of the Supernal Triangle. This Path of Heh could also be considered as the "start of Time" in infinity, for time is a measurement and all creation requires measurement.

In the Thoth Emperor card, the importance of Tiphareth to THE EMPEROR is displayed on the Thoth card as the golden Sun. The Aries forces are emphasized in the overall 2 colored scheme of Martian-reds and Sun-yellows in both the Thoth and the Astromatrix Tarot Emperor cards. These two colors also suggest a furious/"divine frenzied" rush of often short-lived activity-Vital Life Force and/or "sex energy". This Path of Heh, THE EMPEROR, is what I call the First "I" sight, while the EMPRESS is the "Am" of understanding (an inner sight I call a "Womb with a view") …together they are the "I AM", the Counter Sexuality (0=2) of the One Mind/Energy/Soul/Psyche. All this contributes to the understanding that Constituting Intelligence is the first phase of a natural cycle, such as Aries bringing forth Spring. This understanding is also shown as the lamb at the Thoth- Emperor's feet, implying this is a young non-aggressive Aries and the Ram headed wand is the symbol of the aggressive nature of Aries. There is an acknowledgement of Paternal Power which is shown by the bees and Fleur de Lys on the Thoth Card. The two headed Eagle in front of a crimson disc that is on the emperor's shield, one head symbolizes the Alchemist's red tincture related to the Sun/ Gold and the other as Sulfur. There is a similar eagle on THE EMPRESS card where one head refers to the Moon/ Silver and the other to Salt. The Two headed eagle is also shown throughout Europe as the Emperor's sigil, signifying imperial authority.

The Astromatix Key 4-Emperor card is a remarkable display of an Indian and/or Oriental Emperor figure. The Ankh as both staff and illustrated on his throne, is the Egyptian symbol for the union of the male and female forces in immortality and is the Crux Arsanta of Western Hermetic Magik. The Ram's head is shown as decoration on the granite throne. Granite is also used on the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot showing his grounded authority on earth. Instead of the two headed eagle the Astromatrix Tarot Emperor has a sun shield (Aries/Spring) with a bald eagle perched on its top. Above the emperor's head is a golden Fleur de Lys which acknowledges his Paternal Power. T

The Egyptian Ankh symbol, often referred to as the "Key of Life" or "Crux Ansata," holds significant cultural, religious, and mystical importance in ancient Egyptian civilization. Here are some key aspects of its significance:

1. Symbol of Life and Immortality: The Ankh is a powerful symbol representing life, both physical and eternal. The loop at the top symbolizes the sun rising over the horizon, and the vertical line represents the path of the sun. Together, they signify the continuation of life and the eternal cycle of existence.

2. Divine Union: The loop at the top of the Ankh is often associated with the female reproductive organs, while the vertical line is linked to the male genitalia. As a result, the Ankh represents the union of male and female principles, emphasizing fertility and the creation of life.

3. Key to the Afterlife: Egyptians believed in an afterlife, and the Ankh was considered a key that could unlock the gates to the realm beyond. It was often depicted in the hands of deities and pharaohs, signifying their authority and connection to the divine.

4. Protection and Good Fortune: The Ankh was also seen as a protective amulet, worn by individuals to ward off evil and bring good fortune. It was commonly used in jewelry, carved on talismans, and incorporated into various artifacts.

5. Connection to Deities: The Ankh is associated with several Egyptian deities, particularly Osiris, the god of the afterlife and resurrection. In depictions, gods and goddesses are often shown holding the Ankh, emphasizing their role in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

6. Symbol of Power: The Ankh served as a symbol of power and authority, especially when wielded by pharaohs. It represented their ability to control and sustain life, aligning them with the divine forces.

7. Mystical and Spiritual Significance: In addition to its cultural and religious meanings, the Ankh has been embraced by modern mysticism and spiritual practices. It is sometimes used in Western Hermetic traditions, where it may be associated with concepts like balance, harmony, and the integration of opposites.

Given your interest in Western Hermetic Qabalah and High Magick, you may find the Ankh to be a symbol rich in esoteric meaning and potential for spiritual exploration.

When the EMPEROR card is thrown during a reading it emphasizes:  

• The Principle of Personal Power and Leadership. 
• Building a pure base of Knowledge while remaining open minded.
•  Pointing towards success, authority, stability and ambition in gain or achievement.
•  Self-realization of Life Force and Personal Power.  
• Influence of society.
• Law/Structure.
• Resurgence of energy
• Sexual potency.
• Insensitivity.
• Arrogance.
• Setting personal boundaries and sticking to them.
• Nurturing through strength of presence. 
• Dad.
• Penetrating through concepts into higher and higher forms of "discipline" and the ability to teach those disciplinary concepts on earth. Hence, Power to create.
• If ill-defined by attending cards, the querent is experiencing:
•  Up against a dominant boss, or authority figure (s) who sets rules, boundaries, definitions and analysis.
• Blocked possibility.
• Development of sensitivity.
• High handedness.
• Rationality as a prison.
• Perfectionism.
• The restriction of reality.

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