The Tarot of Eli, LLC: The Thoth Tarot-Key/ATU 4- The Emperor

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The principle of personal power and leadership.

The Thoth Emperor-ATU 4 symbolizes the totality of spirit-fire. Aries, the Ram, behind the Emperor, is the image surround by flames and represents exploration, adventure, curiosity, and initiative.

Contrary to what is printed on the Thoth Emperor card its designated Hebrew letter should be the Heh rather than Tzaddi. 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, I also believe so. Hence, the Tree of Life and Tarot card illustration below shows the emperor card superimposed with the Hebrew Letter Heh.

I will explain later, 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 Emperor and 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. 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.

The sun rises behind the emperor, as a symbol of the natural source of light. He is the animus--masculine energy-- and/or Zeus, of Greek Mythology who is the father or patriarch. In the Orient, he is the yang energy, which represents dynamic, initiatory power.

The bees on the cloak show that he realizes that all leadership requires vision. The Fleur-de-lys, the three -petaled flowers on the bottom of this card, represent royalty and effective leadership that requires heart, mind, and spirit in flowing balance. In Shamanic and/or pagan societies, the essence of spirit has been symbolized as fiery energy.

THE EMPEROR-key 4, is the Red Path of Heh (means-Window) that runs between Tiphareth-Beauty to - Chokmah-Wisdom, who is the Lesser Creator and is known as the 15th Path that is the Constituting Intelligence (Paul Foster Case-text of Thirty-two paths to wisdom).

Because of our Divine Inheritance from the Demiurge (Lesser Creator) and the Great Mother (Binah-Female aspect of the Demiurge) we are all the "Shades" of consciousness. Modern psychology has called these Shades of Consciousness, the Unconscious, the Sub-conscious and the Awake Consciousness which about every elementary school child has heard of. However, hearing of a thing is not knowing the thing, as all these Shadows of Mind are dimensional fractals of the Divine Collective Unconscious and that through law of attraction form into our Psyche/Soul.

Because of the evolution of subjective thought, from Mythology to fundamental Religions, and now to the modern science of Psychology, we are beginning to easily deal with the shades of consciousness within ourselves and are experiencing abilities to make order out of the fragmentary chaos of our Self-identity that has occurred from incorporating the false psyche of the social egregore as self; a New Age (The Age of Aquarius) of enlightenment is all about finding our true self. This new age is called that of Horus, a state where we become the Whole Psyche, and/or Tiphareth, the "Sun of God", rather than shadows that are cast by man made rule.

The Higher we realize ourselves on the Self Tapestry of the Tree of Life, the more the student understands that the Trump or Cards of the Major Arcana are like a forestry map. They show the whole journey of the Hero's/Heroine's journey. While the Minor Arcane (small cards) show the terrain one will encounter on their path. Thereby, giving one the free choices they will need to make considering the path they are on.

By beginning to understand the next Five Trumps/Paths, The Fool, The Magus, The Priestess, The Empress, and The Emperor, the initiate will be developing the consciousness of the Horus----the 22nd century human.

Because of Modern Physics, we know that there is only One Energy that cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed (and transmitted), and the student of the Tarot knows that all the 78 cards of the Tarot deck represent Transformations and Transmissions of the One who is represented as the Tarot Fool. From the One, emergence the opposites, which are activating the formative; Male (Electric) and Female (Magnetic) in communion. Thus, it is accurate to state that all Male figures are Chokmah (Jah) and Binah (YHVH Elohim) is that of all Female.

The robes the Empress and Emperor wear, represent the different planes and/or dimensions of our mufti-verse, which are vibratory-transmissions or frequencies (serpent forces) that are either Force (male)-Chokmah or Form (Female)-Binah, and/or their intertwining of vibration (The Divine Union of Goddess/God and/or the Divine Creative) within the "idea" that is I AM- that makes all things possible.

The Western Hermetic Qabalist knows that the "Big Bang" came from what is the Source, Kether (I Will Be), thus the ejaculation of Energy, is the emperor making the Chokmah (Will-to-force) male (Male is not a sex here, but an action). The One became Two, Androgynous, when I became 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. Thus, with some authority we can say that the "I" is male and the "Am" is female, for one is Wisdom (Chokmah) and the other is Understanding (Binah)...and we can't experience one without the other!

As stated, In the Tarot, THE FOOL represents the One Energy, THE MAGUS and the PRIESTESS, are the Macrocosm forming into Microcosm, 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. Thus, 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 might help or further obfuscate, the Tree of Life, although drawn in linear art of 2-dimensional space, is more like an Möbius loop that twists upon itself. As you can realize this is very hard to draw sephiroth on!

The image I am describing is like a manifold or a hypersurface that is capable of twisting upon itself in higher-dimensional space. More specifically, the term used to describe such a structure is often called a "hyperspatial manifold" or a "non-Euclidean manifold" in geometry and physics.

However, in some specialized contexts, this type of structure could also refer to:

1. A Möbius strip (in two dimensions): A surface that twists upon itself, forming a non-orientable object with only one side.
2. A Klein bottle (in three dimensions): A closed surface that twists and intersects itself, which is also non-orientable.
3. A Calabi-Yau manifold (in string theory): A higher-dimensional, compact, twisted structure used to describe extra dimensions in theories like string theory.
4. A Torus: A doughnut-shaped object that twists around itself but is embedded in a higher-dimensional space.

The term often depends on the context of how this "twist" is occurring, such as whether it's in a physical or mathematical context, and the dimensions involved. Would you like a specific type of structure explained further?

The mating of the PRIESTESS, to the MAGUS, is 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 {will-to-force) (The bracketed words are my own).

Here we think of the reflexive qualities of the Divine Creative; The Divine Creative creates ideas from associated thoughts, then the mind/understanding to hold enclose that idea in measurement and/or form. Therefore, we have the concept of the Universe as a Mirror, where everything is the perception and activity of the Divine Spirit on Itself; a process which the various and varying symbols of the Tarot are attempting to suggest.

"I Am" is your truth, what you "Am" is your assumption...yours alone!

The reason Crowley has positioned THE EMPEROR, so that the body forms a triangle and a cross. This is because he is representing the alchemical symbol of Sulfur. 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 and THE EMPEROR is sulfur. This may seem as little more than obscure abstraction: However, when we consider that THE MAGUS, (Philosophic Mercury) acts upon THE PRIESTESS (Pure Consciousness) and by Union they are transformed into THE EMPEROR (Sulfur) and THE EMPRESS (Salt), we are considering the quite basic attributes of our own consciousness.

THE EMPRESS is on a 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. On the Path of Heh, the Emperor is a transformation of the MAGUS (Will). 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. Another way to see this exercise of rule, is that if the subconscious didn't send up form from its depths, as a stream of images to be classified by the differentiating exercise of reason, Will would have nothing to control or transform. Thus, THE EMPEROR, albeit a potent masculine force, functions as determined by THE EMPRESS.

It cannot be overstated, that THE EMPEROR is the Path of Heh and its function is determined by Binah who is pure fruition.

The Path of Heh is a formative path of rational and classifying activities. It's bright red color is that of Binah (The Great Mother) in the World of Pure Spirit known as Atziluth. Albeit, that the male and female forces are seen as more interwoven 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 visa verse. We can see this principle by understanding that the Creation of Chokmah gave birth to maleness, and femaleness.

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 Anima (female) in males and the Animus (Male) male in females. The Anima means soul (a type of Womb) in Latin and the Animus is Latin for spirit (a type of Phallus). Thus, we can see that THE EMPRESS is Anima and THE EMPEROR is Animus, 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 and/or intercourse with on the Paths. If we think of the One as a Human Brain, albeit a simplistic comparison, then One has become two, female and male in One Intelligent organism (The Tree of Life) on the Path of Heh.

Since the Sun of Tiphareth is in the sign of Aries, which is the sign of This Path, indicates that THE EMPEROR exercises some control over the Solar forces of the Higher Self.

Thus, we have the term Constituting Intelligence meaning that THE EMPEROR assists in the building up of Light of Tiphareth from the utter darkness of Limitless Light of the Supernal Triangle; The Dark Ocean of Binah (Universal Collective Unconscious).

This Path of Heh could also be considered as the "start of the Law of Time" in infinity as infinity has a beginning but no end. In the Thoth Deck card, this importance of Tiphareth to THE EMPEROR is illustrated by the Sun behind his head and the overall two-colored scheme of Martian reds and Sun yellows. These two colors also suggest a furious/"divine frenzied" rush of often short-lived activity.

In the Qabalistic text-Sepher Yetzirah, the letter Heh (or He) is a simple word meaning, sight. This is well represented in THE EMPEROR, since he is the "Fiery Aspect of the Garden of Eden" of which the Higher Self relates as a Self-observation of the One. The Universal One, Kether, is the "dreaming divine self" while the Emperor is the "Other" active male force. Hence, a sleeping Creator and a Lucid Creator who can reorganize the dream.

The Emperor-Heh-, is the first path that is attributed to a function, suggesting that sight is the first of the senses, as Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. This Path of Heh, THE EMPEROR, is an extension of what I call the First "I" sight, who is Chokmah, 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 of the One Mind/Energy. Therefore, the Path of Heh, is the First active concept of "I Am", or the "all seeing eye" who is "other" than the dream and therefore, being "outside" the dream, can transform it.

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 shown as the lamb at the Emperor's feet and the Ram headed wand. The bees and Fleur de Lys show Paternal Power. The two headed Eagle in front of a crimson disc that is on the Emperor's shield, symbolizes the Alchemist's red tincture related to the Sun and Gold. There is a similar eagle on THE EMPRESS card that refers to the Moon and Silver. The Empress is "Will- to-Form" and the Emperor is " Will-to-Force" being expressed as "Laws of Physics" in the limited understanding of the brain.

It is in this context of the Dreaming Creator and the Dancing (active) Creator that we get the concepts of unconsciousness and awake consciousness. The Unconscious does not act in the dream as it is the Dreamer. The Awake Consciousness is "outside" of the dream and therefore, can transform what it observes and thereby, correct any errors it sees. You are to be the 0=2. The imagination and the rationale.

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.
• It mirrors to you your own creativity, leadership, and able responsibility.
• Like the element of fire, you are warm, nurturing, electric, dynamic, and vital in those activities that appeal to you as well as challenge you.
• This is an important symbol to meditate on to visually implant a model of how to use power and leadership in ways that expand and liberate yourself and others from self-perceived weaknesses and becoming an actively divine creative force.

• If ill defined by attending cards, the querent is up against:
• a dominant boss, or authority figure (s) who sets rules, boundaries, definitions, and analysis.
• Supporting belief systems of sacred and profane, stating that we can never know the sacred and that bodies are profane or that all mundane is not holy.
• Scientific materialism, lack of inspiration.
• Lacking spiritual ideas.

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