Above all things, know thyself !
Thoth-10 of Cups- Satiety
The Golden Tarot- 10 of Cups
#10. The Kingdom of Spirit is embodied in my flesh.
MALKUTH, Earth, is the 10th Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, and is the placement of the 4 10s. The 10 OF CUPS is known as SATIETY, and is attributed to Mars in Pisces. Crowley calls this card, The Lord of Perfected Success, as this is the influence of MALKUTH in the unconscious Qabalistic Creative World known as Briah. Satiety, is a word meaning, filled to the point of excess, though it is hard to argue that excessive happiness is a negative thing; However, perfection is the point where transformation ends and no change is permitted. Total Happiness without change is the stuff of "Looney bins". Truth is, here one is due to change a cycle, for they are as happy as they can get at this point in their life. The Golden Tarot, 10 of Cups, displays 3 rows of 3 cups and one cup laying down on its side. This is an extremely auspicious card implying romantic fulfillment, financial stability, a happy home, spiritual and emotional well being. However, the card lying down, implies a future disharmony as this is the end of a cycle and a new transformation is soon due.
What is exceptional about the Thoth card, is that the general astrological meaning of Mars in Pisces doesn't apply. Pisces is a watery sign, and Mars would signify a dispersal of energy to a point of frustration. However, the meaning here is that fiery Mars, the god of war, causes the Waters of Pisces to rush furiously into Briah, bringing great excess on the material plane of Malkuth. The imagery of this card expresses the opinion that all happiness is inspired from above, i.e. comes from the Inner-Divine of the Macrocosm. One could say that Happiness, is a higher-inner state of inner energy consciousness and/or a harmony of all states of consciousness. But it must end, for all things proceed from order to disorder and there is also the fact that unless change happens there will be no challenges that inspire further creativity. Therefore, this conflict of necessary change is from Mars in Pisces., to stimulate forward motion. Mars is a noted gross, violent force, depicted in Myth as the God of War who attacks any noted perfection. Pisces, is notably peaceful, spiritual, sensitive, psychic, and receptive. Hence, Pisces is upset with Mar's brutal, fiery and dominant character. Therefore, this combination means that the proper work of Water is done, and a substantial disturbance is due. In fact, Mars in Pisces, is considered by many astrologers to be the worst position of the 12 signs.
In his letter to Lady Frieda Harris (the artist of the Thoth cards) on December 19,1939, Crowley wrote: The background; it ought to look menacing. There is something very sinister about this card. It suggests the morbid hunger which springs from surfeit. The craving of a drug addict is the idea. At the same time, of course, it is the final agony of descent into illusion which renders necessary the completion of the circle by awakening the Eld of the All-Father."
This statement goes along with the Hindu concept that if Shiva in his state as All-Father, who is dreaming the universe and if he awakens the universe will cease to exist as a deconstruction for a new reconstruction. This is because Perfection is not of the material worlds, but of the Invisible One. The Invisible Infinite can be compared to water, for no matter how much "stuff" you put in it, it doesn't change the nature of it. Infinite is always infinite and without measurement; hence invisible. So no matter how much measured creations you put in it the invisible is still infinitely invisible.
Yet, through all this supposed saturation of happiness, when both the 10 of Cups card is thrown during a reading, it means that emotional matters are definitely arranged and settled; there will be no repeat. Just remember that pleasure proceeds, to dissipation and fanatical hunger, as energy-in-motion follows the second law of thermodynamics. The message here is," Enjoy the moment of completion, all is done. Sit back, have a "dram", but avoid stagnation, for once again, you'll be called on to perform at your best." To be sure, when Tarot is used for public Divination, it is best applied to mundane matters, whereas the meaning may be different if applied to a more spiritual plane of Hermetic Qabalah initiate. The Placement of the cards, in the reading will clarify this statement. Either way, a cycle of Happiness is complete; it is saturated. This cycle has ended.
10 is a number that when added together [1+0 =1), you end up at the beginning. It is the "up the down staircase" number that places us on top of one flight of stairs, only to find out that we are at the bottom of another flight. There are some Tarot readers that forgot this part of the Arcana, and call the Ten of Cups, permanent success, but Qabalists know that the only permanency in this One Energy Universe, is change/transformation, so to have permanent success, one must be entirely happy with constant change and the surprises it brings. Yet here dances the "Lord of Material Happiness", the 10th Sephiroth, Malkuth and all seems well but one can go no further which shouldn't be a surprise for we know how long happiness in material things lasts in a “not this, not that” world! Soon material consumption becomes a madness of its own. Often when one walks their true path, some suffering is encountered and one finds that "happiness" is not the only and/or True goal. "Inner Fulfillment" does not often mean pleasure, although it gives one a stalwart presence as they know their presence is enough. The Goal of the Divine has been met on Malkuth, as you ,who are the "image of God" in the microcosm and thereby, lies an inner happiness of completed Will.
When thrown in a divination, the Ten/10 of Cups implies:
- Matters definitely arranged as wished, permanent and lasting success of a physical issue, as it is done and finished.
- However, being a 10, this is a short duration card, as 10's are a union of 1 and 0, so from one to zero is the flow of this cards influence.
- Often one is only satiated and/or overly full for a short period of time, much like the impermanence of a drug, with struggle around the corner.
- The 10 of Cups, although in the seemingly stable form of the Tree of Life, has a conflicting element that causes a tilting of the Cups, spilling water from the Great Lotus that overhangs the whole system, implying some effort is required.
- This meaning of material success is reinforced if the 10 of Cup's lands on the position of "Beneath you" or "of House and Home", on a Celtic cross layout. In fact, that would be paramount for this card, as it is a 10 of Malkuth (Kingdom) in an Earthly existence position. However, the tilting of the cups shows us that 10s are the end of one issue, and the beginning of the unfathomable new.
- Emotional fulfillment in intellectual ideas.
- Search for the path of inner completion.
- Optimism.
If ill defined by the surrounding cards (Thoth) or Reversed (Golden Tarot) it implies:
- Bathos.
- Inner emptiness.
- Sentimentality.
- Quarrelsome relationship.
- Disharmony
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