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The Babylonian tarot-Ace of Wands-natural force
The Babylonian Tarot- Ace of Wands-Natural Force, is depicted as a double-lion headed wand, surrounded in flames. This is the Wand/Scepter of Ishtar whose sacred animal is the lion. What is interesting, is that Mesopotamians thought lions were canines, and therefore, named the Constellation of Leo, "The Great Dog".
In art, Lions were common throughout Mesopotamia as their fearsome strength made them popular images for warrior deities, such as Ishtar (Easter) and Erra. The lion is also associated with the Sun. Hence, it is the fire of heat and flame, that is associated with the Wands of Tarot. Beneath the Babylonian Ace of Wands is the cuneiform symbol for the number 1.
The Qabalistic 1st Sephiroth-Kether and the Four Aces.
Kether, is ....and that is about all that can be realized. It is the Breath of all that is not. It is the Dark Fire/Dark Energy that is unlimited and unseen yet is the Source of Energy from the Infinite unmanifested. It is the Pusher of all the Universe, a Motion within all Movement. It is the all-seeing, observer, who only observes. All that is comes from there, all that is returns to there. Only to cycle again. Kether is unexplainable, just as is the dark energy of physics and in the Ace of Swords, Kether is depicted as the Crown, the Primary symbol of Kether, The other symbols attributed to Kether are the Point and the Swastika. Thus Kether is often displayed as a white circle with a dark point in the center. White being the perfect balance of all colors, and the black dot being the infinite dark fire of the Universe.
As with all the Sephiroth, Kether must be approached intellectually just to form an intuitive concept of the Source. For instance, we say that Kether is the point and as a symbol that is true, but the Point in not Kether. Just as the Divine Creative (The Universal Collective Unconscious) built us in its own image, is true, but the Image is not the Divine creator.
Therefore, we are establishing some principles with symbols; the first principle symbol is the crown. We may think because of our anthropomorphic perspective that this Force of Motion lies somewhere in our head, as a spacial as yet unawakened part of our brain; however, this is not the case.
The Crown represents the Holy Guiding Spirit, the crowning glory that we all aspire to even though it is a Force our brain is subordinate to. Hence the diamond crown, since the diamond is considered the sacred stone of Kether.
Because of George Lucas and his marvelous creation of modern myth, known as the Star Wars series of movies and books; The Force has been described as the personal Aspiration of all Jedi. Which seems to be a word cross of Magi, Djinn and genius. Genius being a personal spirit guide or angel of Ancient Rome. The ancient Egyptians called the Three Magi, the Three Stars in Orion's belt that pointed to Osiris's star Sothis (Sirius), which "rose in the East". These belt stars were still called the Magi in the middle ages (See the Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets- by Barbara G. Walker. Page 565). The Word Djinn is Arabian, and originally referred to Ancestor souls. Now this is all very interesting and we have a new word for Ancestor Souls whose power comes from the Three Sephiroth that make the Supernal Triangle, with Kether as the Crown, i.e. The Force. Again we find Myth is a story about a Truth.
All fun aside, in Qabalah, Kether is the Crown from which all creation springs...as is observation in our mundane world. Observation, begins creation, thus the Point. The Point is complete unto itself with neither dimensions nor external definition. This would be called a "Singularity" in Quantum Physics or The Seed from which the Universe has grown. The Big Bang, the outward expression of this Seed that has been caused by a Force called Will, are shown as the Sephiroth on the Qabalistic Tree of Life. Each Sephira, is a crystallization of the latent aspects of Kether
The Qabalistic God name of Kether is "I Will Be" or Eheieh, likened to the sound of breath. Because all Work begins and ends with Kether, all ritualistic, or meditative work must begin with the invocation of the Highest Will. This idea alone, causes subtle changes and activity on the Inner Planes. The Collective Unconscious guides and directs us toward our Higher Self when we begin to imagine the "Light above".
To the Qabalist, Consciousness guides, motivates, transforms and even translates the Energy of the Divine Unconscious but does not create that energy, nor can it destroy it. Again Imagination is the Womb, but Kether is before Imagination. The "Will to be" (us), is not the same as "I Will Be", for one is individual and idealize, while the latter is without idea...the ideas of being came later in the conception of Time, as another latent aspect of Kether. The Will becomes three crystallized aspects. The I Will Be, Kether, becomes Will to Force- Chokmah and Will to Form- Binah, then Will to be- Daath.
The Number One is attributed to Kether, as 1, the ace, is the seed of all numbers, by simple addition. 1+1=2 and 2+1=3, etc. All seeming very simple until we begin to meditate on simple numbers and simple geometry. The symbol 1 could be pure 1 which is indivisible, so what do we really know? Symbols such as numbers, are themselves not what they represent. Thus Kether is Energy.......but we really don't know what that energy is.
However, we do know that Kether is not static, for the "First Swirlings" of manifestation are in Assiah, the Qabalistic Material World. That is why the symbol of the Swirling Swastika, which rotates around a point, is another symbol for Kether. It seemed the Nazi's had high ideas for their perversions and have taken an ancient Buddhist symbol for the "First Swirlings" that cause manifestation and as in all indoctrinated propaganda, changed the meaning of the symbol to suit their vision of self-importance... but profaning doesn't change the original meaning of the symbol.
"As above, so below”, in essence states that the Sephiroth of Malkuth, the Physical world, is equally as Holy as the Source. The Divine Creative and its Images, are undivided and inseparable. Our concepts of separation are just basically denial of our wholeness and errant belief that separateness makes us special. Much like the City Person who insists that farmers are "red neck" hicks, a form of lower life than themselves; even though their whole life is dependent on the good harvest work of the Farmer. Such people are indeed in denial. Much like a parasite, thinking it is more important than the host; such is believing that we are separate from each other. In truth, the City man's food source depends on the rural man and the rural man's ability to farm, harvest and live in world of tools, depends on the city man; it is indeed time to expand our perspectives and "above all things, know thyself".
Finally, we must come to understand that Kether as Source of All is a quality unknown to us, but which we can symbolize to some extent. Thus when an Ace appears in a reading, it implies great power that is beyond our perceptions. The Essence of a Thing; the seed of idea.
The 4 Aces are related to Kether, thus they are representative of the Pure Forms of Energy that are elaborated by the other cards of the Tarot deck. The consecutive elaboration of the Numbers (Sephiroth), are Forces being woven together to form the Harmonic that is the World and Universe; a World and Universe that is 96% invisible to us. However, by combining the colors of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic light, we see that different combinations, make different color changes, such as blue combined with red makes purple, etc. This combinations are the necessary diversity of creation and can be called harmonies. To a Qabalist, the numbered Sephiroth are either Force or Form and sometimes both in union depending on the Masculine expressive and female receptive aspects of a particular Sephiroth.
Each Ace is unique and is distinct in its degree of density and in its ability to do work as a specific function in the One Energy. Thus, each Ace is the Seed of an Alchemical Element. We think we know what seeds are, but when we look at one, we don't see the Tree it represents. We just "kind of" know the pattern of the Tree is in there. That is also our conceptions of Kether, we just "kind of Know" that it is infinite, but then infinite is a human concept and Kether can't be known...so this gets a bit tricky. Obviously open mindedness is required and the courage to keep asking questions until answers emerge. The Influence of Kether is all around us, we just have to trust it knows us, even if we know it not. Obviously we exist, and we are a combination of many factors, some if not most, unknown to us, so it is easy to trust the subtle. All in all, Knowledge built us, and that knowledge is ours to understand.
Thoth-ace of wands
The Thoth Ace of Wands represents the Force of Spirit as the Element of Fire. It is the Radical or Root Force of the Fiery Motion that Moves all things. To those of us who need a pattern, the 4 Aces are said to be placed at the North Pole of the Universe, where they revolve and govern the revolution of the Universe. To a Qabalist the 4 Aces are the connecting link between Yetzirah (Formative World) and the Material plane.
The Ace of Wands represents the outpouring of energy in the Universe, It is the root of the Powers of Fire and is the influence of Kether (Dark energy) on the level of pure Spirit. It is represented as the Hebrew letter Yod. Yod is related to Kether, not only is it isolated and self-contained but it is also the formative graphic root for all other letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Moreover, the Yod is Phallic. It is the Male-Fire (electric) that rushes out toward the Female-Water (Magnetic).
The Thoth Deck Ace of Wands shows Ten Yods emanating from a primitive burning club. This represents the Primal force behind the entire Tree of Life that is composed of 10 Sephiroth and their connecting paths of energy transference. The entire Tree is a glyph of the Power of Fire, i.e. of Spirit. The scholarly student of Qabalah will find that the letter, Shin (Maternal Fire) and Yod are often used interchangeably when referring to the Tree of Life.
Besides being a practicing Qabalist, I am also a practicing Tantric in the techniques of Yoga. Qabalah-means "to receive" and Tantra-means "to expand and liberate", while the word yoga, means "communion". To me and all those of a higher state of mind, the homo sapiens body is a Spirit body. It is sacred and sanctified by the Creator and Creatrix and part of that sacredness is the sacrament of Holy Communion and/or sexual union which is an Willed action of Spirit! It is Magick in a living form of two who must become one to flow in transformational power. Hence, the magic equation of 0 x 2=0. I am of the opinion, along with many other intelligentsia, that there is no shame in being a Spirit-Mind-Body, or that a soul who owns it's identity by Self-Reflection, should not in any way be embarrassed for "Being the information that manifests Form"!
I've spent this life (and many others) learning the powerful purpose of having a homo sapiens form as my power tool, not only because I was curious why those who rule us, wish us to reject it's divinity (Divide and conquer) and persecute those who refuse to lessen themselves, but also because information- Wants To Be! In fact the very name Hu-man is God-mind, as Hu is a Chinese-Mandarin word for God and man comes from the Hindu word Manas, meaning Mind. So we are the Soul-HU MAN, and the homo sapiens, a self- reflection of the Hu-Man.
If you can imagine, you have a god mind!
Alchemical Fire controls creativity, desire, passion, ambition and the satisfaction there of. For it is the Fiery Spirit in all of us that we've inherited from the Solar Logos as "Divine Frenzy" or Lust of God to Be! Fire as passion, can be ill defined, just as fire can become uncontrolled and thereby, becomes that which seeks the perverse or transgressions.
On the Qabalistic Tree of: Life, Kether is the Crown, the Observer, the Dark Energy, that is. It is the Unknowable God of many religions, and yet as many of us know, religion is not God but man's fear of the knowledge that there is or might be a god. Kether is the Idea of the Big Bang, the point, the Singularity and Qabalah, is the multi-dimensional explanation of you.
The Aces are also considered essences, so they too are not easily explained.
Since the 4 Aces are related to Kether, they are representative of the Pure Forms of One Energy that are elaborated by the other cards of the Tarot Deck and/or Sephiroth.
The consecutive elaboration of the Numbers, are Forces being woven together to form the Harmonic that is the Universe and the world. A World that is 99% invisible to us. However, by combining the colors of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic light, we see that different combinations, make different color changes, such as blue combined with red makes purple, etc. These combinations are the necessary diversity of creation, as well as transformative and can be called harmonies or the “spiral Sex action of Spirit”. In Qaballah, the world we see, is the 1% world.
To Reiterate: THE ACE OF WANDS:
The Ace of Wands represents the Force of Spirit as the Element of Fire. It is the Radical or Root Force of the Fiery Motion that Moves all things. To those of us who need a pattern, the 4 Aces are said to be placed at the North Pole of the Universe, where they revolve and govern the revolution of the Universe. To a Qabalist the Four Aces are the connecting link between Yetzirah (Formative World) and the Material plane.
The Ace of Wands representsthe outpouring of energy in the Universe, It is the root of the Powers of Fire and is the influence of Kether (Dark energy) on the level of pure Spirit. It is represented as the Hebrew letter Yod. Yod is related to Kether, not only is it isolated and self-contained but it is also the formative graphic root for all other letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Moreover, the Yod is Phallic. It is the Male-Fire (electric) that rushes out toward the Female-Water (Magnetic).
The Thoth Tarot Ace of Wands shows Ten Yods emanating from a primitive burning club (fiery phallus of ten frequencies). This represents the Primal force behind the entire Tree of Life that is composed of 10 Sephiroth and their connecting paths of energy transference. The entire Tree is a glyph of the Power of Fire, i.e. of Spirit. The scholarly student of Qabalah will find that the letter, Shin (Maternal Fire) and Yod are often used interchangeably when referring to the Tree of Life.
WHEN THE ACE OF WANDS or 1 of Fire IS THROWN DURING A DIVINATION:
- It signifies a deep burning spiritual desire for self-discovery and realization.
- Trans-formative High Energy for new beginnings
- The first impulse and passion to begin.
- Creative energy and initiative, to begin new business ventures, new understandings, new foundations, where creative energy is flowing with plenty of potential and ambition to succeed.
- The burning flame of Dragon Power, A balancing and increasing in Potency of Inner Fire. The Souring of Kundalini energy, "the Dragon within".
- The dawning of desire, passion, enthusiasm and creativity.
- The Power of Masculine fire, with its connotations of heat, vigor, contest, aspirations, enlightenment, and avidity to consume.
- The overwhelming power of Lust to be that vibrates at the core of all manifestation. Pure Power to create.
- Force, strength, power.
- Innovation.
- An auspicious new beginning.
When ill defined by the surrounding cards in a reading, it implies:
- Destruction through exaggeration.
- Failure through arrogance.
Thank you for your interest, comments and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper.