The Tarot of Eli, LLC-Minor Arcana: Thoth Tarot-9 of Swords-Cruelty & The Declarative Tarot - Layers of Mind-No.9 Inner Critic.

#tarotthothqabalahelitarotstrickingly.com

Above all things, know thyself!

#9. In thought word and deed, I rest my life, from day to day, upon the sure foundation of eternal being.

The Thoth 9 of Swords-Cruelty presents a ghastly image of 9 crooked, chipped swords, dripping blood. If this isn't gloomy enough, we have the celestial rule of Mars in Gemini, representing a primal raging hunger that has no restraint. If you are feeling "out of sorts" this is not a card you wish to look at, as the colors are perfectly nauseating, and the background is full of chaotic lined shapes suggesting a brain full of disjointed thoughts. Here is a mind in its lowest state of self -abusive thought; thought that is indoctrinated by a media using pleasure/pain training. This process is necessary to divide and conquer your will and begins by making you reject your own body and implanting a "slave driver" program in your brain. Corporations tell you what food to eat, what thoughts to think, what are truths and what are lies...all of which benefit the few who wish to rule the many. Instead of allowing your body to eat what is healthy, the advertising of major corporations say their food products will make you happy and fulfill your life using image and word hypnosis that stimulates an appetite for garbage. Look around you, obese bodies are not healthy bodies!

Also In our cultural dogma, a body is "bad" when naked and only valuable when clothed in the finest cloth and designs, suggesting that only money, indoctrination, and fame can make you a better person than your Divine Creative can. The "slave driver" program whips you emotionally causing what we call "emotional pain" when you have gone outside the definitions installed and rules. Now you are divided, for as a whole self, you are Spirit-Mind-Body. Reject any one of the three, and you have lost all self-rule.

The cause of all your problems that occur in life are primarily the cause of the brain's cultural programs leaving you feeling powerless as your will falters in the face of failure. You may even feel guilty and ashamed for your actions. For shame and embarrassment over mistakes made is part of the "slave driver" program and is often called "peer pressure". Truth is, we all make mistakes because we all must prove information by the in-form-action of it. Once it is proven to succeed in goal attainment, or not to succeed, we have acquired knowledge; everything is a failure until it isn't. Now we are one step closer to success because we know that the information we used didn't work; this has nothing to do with self-identity, nor self-value, it has to do with unsuccessful information. One must understand that 50% of Wisdom is error, and the other 50% is correction of the error perceived. One must also understand that you are not the brain! You are an immortal Psyche called a Soul; a solar self-born of Celestial beings of great intelligence. Your brain does not produce your waking consciousness, it is the subconscious. Your willpower is not of the body, it is of the Mind that is the Soul. Hence, you can override the brain programs which together we call a personality, any time you realize they aren't you. Persona is the root word of personality, and it is Greek for "mask". To let the mask tell you the True Self, what to do is indeed a cruel joke and smacks of insanity.

The Declarative Tarot-Layers of Mind-No. 9-Inner Critic looks at how we are both the inner and outer self, and how they are Intergrated into our lives. Showing us how we measure life by standards that may or may not be our own. The human brain is a biochemical computerized artificial intelligence system for the purpose of operating the body in your name. Your name is how you Identify yourself, not a legal birth name or any other word or words that you hear. It is the Self we call "I AM" and what you think that I AM is, is an assumption. I AM, states you exist...that is not arguable. What you exist as is your freedom to choose. Your destiny is to exist, I AM; your fate is yours to choose.

Above on this card, is the Moon. You may ask yourself is the moon waxing or waning? There is an electrical storm that slightly hides the moon, so only some intense observation will decide the phase of this moon. This card explains metaphorically that we are the creator of our inner storms formed out of thought patterns of "I AM"... that disrupt and limit our ability to reason and reflect upon things that offer clarity and openness from within. Lighting is a perfect example of anger that blinds a person's outer sight with flashes of emotional self-absorption. We can only see what we project and/or transfer from the brain to the outer world as truth. We are the artists that paint our life mural.

The eyes, don't see, they are complicated organic lenses that project an object formed of reflected light on the cornea, which is curved, therefore, it bends the light image focusing it on the retina as an upside-down image. The brain must use its programing to bring the image right side up and describe it. We see what we are told to see by some outside authority. This doesn't allow us to hear the inner voice of our Psyche and see what was created by Nature and not by ruler manipulated programing.

We can see the blue being whose head is bent over in submission to the cacophony being played in its brain by outside beings who are pleading their case as reality. This is called the "clashing of cymbals and the banging of drums" that distracts us from reality, as the programed brain noise clouds our hearing. Not only is indecision keeping us from action, but after we decide to act, it is usually an action we must apologize for later. as we couldn't see clearly what was happening. Also, we often hurl insults at ourselves or accept them from others, as a form of truth of self -value. In Qabalah, it is known that if it exists, it is supposed to! Your value has already been stated by your manifestation as an image of Divine Creative. The Divine creates from the copasetic ideas of I AM; Hence, you are the best you ever created. Now it's time to "shut up" and look deeply inside, finding the calm within, for there your true- divine-identity awaits.

The image of the person shunning the veiled mirror not only shows one who rejects self-reflection, but that reflection if examined at all, is also lacking true sight. This is symbolic of how we reject parts of ourselves, to fit into the programs of our brains. This causes an inner schism, and a "house divided must fall". Your presence is enough to be a Divine Being. Knowing this, you are programed to believe the Divine is outside of you, in some fantastic unreachable place that requires you to die before it sends a bus to pick you up! How is that possible or even reasonable, when you are the image of the God name of, I AM? The word spirit comes from the Greek word spiro-meaning "to breathe". Are you breathing? Then you already are Divine Spirit, who operates a coagulated body of light in your name! Stop looking outside for spirit...you are it! Go within and listen to the calm!

There are two stylized worm-like beings who are shown to be weeping and offering comfort to the rejector of self -image. Here is a metaphor for the Soul and those that care for us, weep to see how lost our personalities are in the lies and falsehoods of the programed brain and find ourselves indecisive when confronted by tough times. With heads bowed and eyes closed, our brains can't see the love and empathy being presented by our Soul and those who love us. Often, we are programmed to think that to accept help and support is a weakness. This is a lie. We all belong to each other, and as pack animals, we must support and comfort each other in tough times. Only then can civilization survive. Hence, "no person is an island". We are a collective, and if we put our heads together, we can always produce a life-empowering solution to any problem.

The ink well, quill pen, and paper represent how we are the authors of our "life story" and somehow forget it isn't written in stone and therefore, revise it anytime we want. Life is transformative and therefore, not written in indelible ink. When you criticize yourself by using the programs in your word hypnotized brain, you start from false programing to find your truth much like leaving the lens covers on a telescope, looking for the stars. Only by removing the lens covers and/or rejecting the programing is this possible. Truth is, you are a proven image, which is good enough for the Divine to create as Self! Your goodness (goodness) is easily seen when you treat others as you would be treated!

9 is considered a number that denotes completion in Tarot and is also the number of the 9th Sephira Yesod-Foundation, on the Tree of Life. Yesod is on the middle pillar of the Tree of Life and has rectified the imbalances of the past energy disorders of Air/Intellect. This, however, does not rectify the degeneration of the energy as it continues down the Tree. In this position, all-actioned Mars can't stay balanced in the house of all-talk Gemini. Swords usually depict the pure intellect that acts like air as its energy in motion continually heats up with passion and cools down with rationale. In the case of the 9 of Swords, consciousness has fallen into an unenlightened void of programed thought, stirring heartless animal passions that come from survival thinking; passions that are of the psychopath and the fanatic. As Crowley has stated, this card represents, "the character of the inquisitor" ("programed slave driver"); it seems intellectual but is operating in a rage that is without restraint. All this sounds just awful and terribly gloomy, yet it is the cultural foundation of "Divide and conquer" indoctrination technique that society has become so used to that we are unknowingly dividing our subconscious, consciousness, and unconsciousness, making each counterproductive to the other, when all are really One Consciousness of 3 aspects: one Spirit- Mind-Body collective of Self. As we all know, a consciousness divided must fail to produce viable options.

Our consumerism society is based on "fanning the flames" of that primitive raging hunger of survival thinking that hides the mind virus parasite of antilife (mind virus) that resides in our subconscious to produce the "fanatical shopper" whose world is always lacking self-fulfillment and whose survival or happiness depends on the next media induced sale or the latest gadget or toy. Here the survival mind is an absolute servant of indoctrinated fear: a false ego, while the conscious is falsely seeking freedom from fear by accumulation and trying to outrun time. In the Hindu philosophy this is the realm of the Neti-Neti (Sanskrit for, “Not This-Not That") programed consciousness, which consumes unrelentingly, hoping for happiness in a future accumulation; a futile seeking of happiness at any cost; this is futile, because happiness isn't in accumulation nor resides in glutinous bellies of greed induced consumption. Happiness is a balance of inner and outer beauty and or a harmonious melody of the 3 aspects of Psyche and our Self Trinity of Spirit (Will)-Mind (Thought) and Body (Emotions). So, if one is programed to exist in a Neti-Neti world, there is only one result in the completion of the patriarchal sponsored greed of such hungry poisoned thought and that is the insanity of inner self-cruelty where the slave master in our brain is running from and/or torturing our heart and body. This is called psychosomatic illness. You might want to remember that you are not the Soma (body) you are the immortal Psyche (Solar Self-Soul) who is not bound by time but binds time into forms of self-reflections. Hence you are infinite Life and build "lifetimes". Lifetimes have a measured end for they are the motion of forms for the purpose of Energy Self-Awareness. Forms are created by information. Hence your lifetime depends on the information in your brain/subconscious. Above all things, know thyself!

I Am the Will and the way; I own the day!

Thankfully, many of us have enough strength in or character to know that happiness, is not a thing, but rather a "balance of Mind, body and soul" and have found out that by treating other people with respect, (do unto another as you would have done to you) rather than someone we have to conquer for our own false sense of security, we have a happier presence on this earth. It is best to understand the truth of Self, for "everyone I see is another way to be me", is the truth of the Oneself; the I AM-that we are all the "selves" of.

Therefore, it can be said that the 9 of Swords is the state of consciousness that is called "wanna-be", where one is not alive/happy until they achieve some future possession or goal which only leads to the next "thing". This mind virus parasite operated person is a corpse, a zombie, who lives only in yesterday’s emotions and uncertain futures, leaving the moment of now vacant of their presence. This phenomenon of “walking corpse" is not a new thing that some Hollywood director dreamt- up as the latest horror thriller. Rather, you'll find this "living dead" concept in the two-thousand-year- old Gnostic Gospel of Thomas that is part of the Nag Hammadi Library. In paragraph 56, of the Gospel of Thomas, it is written, "Whoever has come to understand the World has found only a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world”. If you can understand this Gnostic statement, you can understand the self-abuse of indoctrinated thoughts depicted on the 9 of Swords-Cruelty. Because the practice of "Self-inflicted cruelty" and/or lack of respect for yourself, and your body is going on in most human brains right now, most of us constantly belittle ourselves, to appease our dogma or indoctrination, i.e., our inner Pavlovian- slaver programing. Thereby leaving a hole in our emotional identity, that we think we can fill by stuffing ourselves with garbage food and/or seeking someone else to fulfill our lives. This is not you! As Spirit-Mind-Body, you are Whole, hence, no holes.

Again, for this can't be overstated, the Thoth 9 of Swords, is called THE LORD OF DESPAIR AND CRUELTY, or Cruelty in short. This is Mars in Gemini; this is Yesod influencing Yetzirah in the Astral-Formative World. With a smattering of astrological data, one knows that the fiery energy of Mars does little good in a sign of dualities. This "little good" is shown by the 9 rusty swords, dripping blood, and poison on Crowley's card. One may shudder at the despair, meanings of illness, suffering and cruelty this card represents; But each of us, who are paying attention to our brain, often find this to be an "inner self cruelty" of our subconsciousness, as it cuts us with the emotionally poisoned blades of embarrassment, low-self-esteem, humiliation, self-condemnation, insomnia, and/or inner or outer disgust. It is the internal Slave Master software that is installed in our Personality by our cultural indoctrination supervised by "The Few Who Rule the Many" and/or the Patriarchy of "useless old men" who have designed a world to totally benefit them.

The very definition of ruler is "one who controls definition"; Ruler's make sure this Internal-Mental Salver indoctrinated program is installed before you even reach 7 years old. Like rusty hooks of poisonous self-futility, this is a hard one to remove! The false concept of Peer pressure just drives this poison deeper into self-identity: "False" because we know when slaves are given a little authority, they abuse other slaves to prove their power. Hence, we have the inmates ruling the asylum!

Then there is the media that keeps slashing at your self-value...."you need this.... you need that....to lack them, you are nothing!” Lack of self-worth Is at the very least implied, or blatantly rubbed in your face, daily, if not hour by hour. “Resistance is futile", blare the horns of the pusillanimous invertebrates who enforce "their master's will" on others. With such a bombardment of self-delusion, one may just want to stop the world and get off!

  We have forgotten we are the Life of the body, for we are the Pure Energy of Spirit, who makes the body breathe! We are also the Pure Mind of Existence, the I AM.... and then to add even more Divinity to this duality, we are also the Supreme Body Image of the Divine on Earth!

There is an axiom in Buddhism that states, “Life is Suffering” … but only if you live in the lizard brain falsehood of survival thinking, fearing pain and discomfort rather than enjoying your intimate presence as Life: Spirit being intimate with the Alive. Life is indeed a mental/sensual experience, and we can be our own worst enemies just by doubting our own value in the Patriarchy controlled World that is made to devalue you and value above the living, everything the Patriarchy controls. To see yourself as Lack, is the necessary software to continue the panicked consumerism that Muti -National mind programmers and/or definition peddlers of the Military Industrial Complex- want! But think! Before any human judgment, you were already approved into being by your Higher Self/Solar Psyche. So once again, the Qabalistic axiom reads true, “Above all things, Know thyself"! It's simple really, you had to be approved of by all that is Divine, to be made alive! Your presence is your judgment....and obviously you are good enough for The Divine Creative duality of Goddess-God! We are the ancient description of the "thousand faces" of the Divine. You are how Divinity "Knows Itself"!

You are a Divine answer, to a Divine question, which began with I AM, what that I AM is, what Creation is all about, is an assumption of Self to be proven by in-form-action! Therefore, the 9 of Swords implies: stop questioning your existence and become answers instead! Action is the Fiery Spirit that moves you, reaction is usually run by the uncertain animal who thinks the whole universe is out to eat it and fears life! "I Am" dares ask, "What am I"? And you are the answer to that question, "I AM Life! Whatever we think we are, is all assumed, so think BIG and collect your Divine Inheritance!

Therefore, to avoid programed thinking, I run in my self-doubting brain/ego a loop of "get over yourself and get on with you for impeccability is what we do". This mental loop just overrides the "pity pot" of self-defeating thought every time it comes online. But installing that software loop took determination, and plain old fashion "jackass” stubbornness and constant repetition as a meditation of seconds, done most minutes, until it becomes automatic daily operation. Don’t you think it’s time we programed our own atavistic Wet Ware? That is the real occult message of the 9 of Swords.

ABOVE ALL THINGS, KNOW THYSELF!

Each of us has experienced the temptations to remain chained to the bedeviling thoughts of our subjugation and/or definitions of the few who wish to rule the many. The 9 of Swords reminds us that we are not performing well mentally, when we are under the rule of self-belittlement. Again, you are obviously good enough to be the "image of the Divine Creative'", you are good enough for you! In our God-ness/ Goodness), resides the constant ability in each of us, to become More Self-Aware, rather than becoming less "self" by seeking more stuff to hide a feared self in or behind.

Spirit is Will (Eheieh-meaning- I Will Be!) and the will must not be subjugated to the animal fears of survival or overly concerned with what might happen. The Body is an "image" and therefore, a measured device: it has beginning and end. This measured device is also the one who measures via sensuality. Therefore, it has a greater purpose than just survival. It will die, but only in transformation as it goes back to the organic world it came from. One forgets their Identity as Spirit when surrounded with senses, especially when those senses feel only fear, worry and desperation, all products of dysfunctional self-identity. Rather, we should celebrate our wonderful wealth of Spirit-Mind-Body and become action rather than reaction.

This can't be said enough! The Spirit and Psyche (Soul-I AM) cannot die, they dream themselves into being image. They are energy in its never-ending state of One Energy that cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed. So, own the body, enjoy it and dance with it. For it is the Organic Organism of Earth that also transforms according to your observation of I AM. It is our "material image" molded by our inner thought-filled emotions. Spirit and Mind have wish to sense Self, the I AM, (Both Spirit and Mind) has created the Body just for Sensual Presence: a presence so necessary to experience the dream of I AM: a dream that takes data into intimate experience, turning it into information that becomes in-form-action that now can be experienced as "I AM Sensation" and thereby, producing knowledge. Therefore, it behooves one to respect the body, love it and know the joy of Being Sensual, for you can't give to another what you don't have for yourself. Besides, there is no way to "know yourself", without a body. You are pure light and Spiritual will-to-be. You are the energy that makes the body breathe, the nervous system transfers that energy around the body, making it an electromagnetic operating biochemical device, and an artificial intelligence you call "ego" and/or Personality both of which you create, they don't create you for you are Life and bodies are measured in Lifetimes. You are the Universal Constant called Transformation; never-ending change; as your knowledge grows through experiencing Self, I AM, and you transform Self- Image to the new sum of information. There is always change, so there is always a way out of doubt, shame, fear, and embarrassment. In other words, there is always light, even in the darkest places; YOU Are the Light That makes darkness operate in your name of I AM! You create thoughts, they don't create you! You are the alchemy of creation in active sensual intimacy.

I Am the Power that analysis putrefaction taking it into dissolution and dissolution into solution, and solution into coagulation using the bright warm fiery intelligence of the Celestial Self!

When the 9/Nine of Swords or No.9- Inner Critic is thrown during a reading, the Querent will be or has been experiencing:

• Illness, malice, cruelty, pain, despair, and suffering, in a period of 9 days, or 9 weeks or from self-cruelty thought processes in the past when nine years old.
• There is burden, want, oppression, as well as subtlety and craft.
• There is also lying to oneself or others because of an "inferiority complex".
• All this dysfunctional thought is from "self-belittlement" that is often so subtle that we don't even acknowledge it in ourselves. But the program is clever, as you will notice whenever you try to mentally or physically, step out of "comfort zones", you will be challenged with worry and rational explanations on why you should not take that step.  
• Fear as a guide to maturity.
• Feeling like a victim.
• Enslaved by their own thoughts.

If ill defined by the surrounding cards:

• Shame.
• Guilt.
• Terror.
• Infamy.
• Misery.
• Hate.
• Manipulation.
• There is no cause for concern changes for the better are coming. 

Thank you for your interest, comments, and supportive donations. Your generosity blesses you. May you live long and prosper.

For information about Western Hermetic Thoth Tarot readings or master classes, log onto my website-elitarotstrickingly.com- and click on the Tarot Pricing page. Thank you.

Home page, Tarot Store, Master Thoth Tarot Classes, and nontraditional Tarot Card Comparisons with Thoth Tarot.

Traditional Tarot Card Comparisons with Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot.