The Thoth Tarot-2 of Cups-Love, compared to The Night Sun Tarot- 2 of Cups:
In the Hermetic Qabalah, the 2, of any Tarot card suit, represents the Word and the Will. Therefore, the Thoth 2 of Cups is the first manifestation in the Suit of Water which is called Love. The Word or Logos is the 1st Sephiroth, and the "I Will Be" of the Logos has become "Will to Force" (Chokmah) and "Will to Form" (Binah). this may seem confusing since we seem to have 3 individuals here rather than 2. However, with Love there is a mutual annihilation of the individuals by the process of Union. The "first Movement" of energy, is called Kether or Logos, and it is not an individual of anything and is called the "Word" rather than a "being". Kether is "I Will Be", therefore, it isn't anything yet. However, Chokmah, the 2nd Sephiroth is "Will to Force" , the Masculine aspect of energy and a form of thought called Wisdom, and the 3rd Sephiroth of this Supernal trinity, is called Binah, "Will to Form", a form of Understanding, the Feminine aspect of energy. When the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine Unite, there is no male or female present, only the Divine Hermaphrodite exists, who creates all-The Divine Creative. Hence, 3 = 2 who are One.
Therefore, In the Qabalistic Thoth Tarot, the Two's represent the "first manifestation". On the Qabalistic Tree of Life , Kether is shown to be the 1st Sephiroth of 10 Sephira, and many have thought that this is the first manifestation of conscious energy. Yet Kether is the "limitless light", a movement of Dark Energy, and has no visible end or beginning, which allows no viewing. Therefore Kether is known as the "Dark Sun" or Logos, it is the first "sound" or vibration, without ears to hear...anywhere! Hence, as it can't be seen, nor heard and is the first movement in Dark Energy it is the least understood concept of the Tree of Life sigil. However, it is the "Whirling, rebounding, shouting outloud" energy of the Big Bang.
Therefore the First manifestation falls to the Twos, which represent Chokma (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding) as the First Lovers. We find this true in our own mind, as Wisdom loves Understanding and vise versa. Therefore, both the Night Sun Tarot, and the Thoth Tarot, depict 2 identical beings, either dolphins or humanoids, for there really isn't a manifestation of sexes yet, even though a Union is shown on the Tree of Kether- Chokmah and Binah, as one Triangle; this is a Union of Willed Forces and Willed Identities (forms) that has become what we call the One Mind and/or the Divine Creative. The "Sacred Octagon", which depicts the perfect balance of expressive-Male and receptive-Female forces, is shown above the heads of the contrasting feminine goddesses. This may even seem more confusing, however, both Chokmah and Binah are at first, receptive and then expressive. Receptive, Chokmah represents the feminine Greek goddess Sophia which means "Wisdom". While Binah, the Divine Feminine expressive is called "understanding" and also represents Time, which is Cronus, the commonly known figure of "Grandfather Time". They are called "Lovers" because they can't be separated. If you can find away to separate Wisdom and Understanding, I would like to examine your head, for it is only from Understanding that Wisdom comes!
The Four Alchemical Elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth, may have begun in the concept of "I Will Be"-(Eheieh), which is Kether, but only upon reaching the Deuces are they in appearance as "beginnings" of "Will to Force" and "Will to Form".
Therefore the 2's represent the Elements uncontaminated by influence, hence they appear in their original harmonious condition. The 2's may be considered the A-sexual "fetuses" of the Seed-Aces, but this concept doesn't seem to make understanding these "Higher States" of Conscious energy any easier. All the 2's suggest that when the Negative (no-thing) sees itself as a Positive (something), and then unites through the "Law of Attraction" with that Positive, we get a "Self Image" and/or a simulation from Understanding- which means by mutual agreement. This may help you with the Mythological concepts of the Ancient's Goddess who in Virgin birth, has a son (male is considered Positive Electron and female is considered Negative Electron) and then mates with that son to produce the Universe. If you get this all tangled up with your indoctrinated-emotional concepts of sexuality-----you'll never understand the The Energy Conscious concepts of the 2's. However, I love to tease the brain, so here is another concept of the 2's, "From Herself, she created Him, and then mated with Him so she could become".
The 2 of Cups represents Venus in Cancer, the signs for both on both cards. Cancer is known as the most receptive of Signs, as it it the House of the Moon, and in that sign Jupiter is exalted. There is a superficial friendship among these three planets ( in astrology, the Moon is seen as a planet).
In the Thoth Deck Two of Cups, the paired Dolphins (the important "First Matter" symbol of the "Royal Art" of alchemy) are intertwined, with the flowing of Love/Nurture/Mother's Milk, coming from the Great Lotus of the Goddess, into the twin Lotus below and overflowing into the Cups resting on a calm Venus-Green Sea. This is a purity of Love, called "unconditional", that the survival mind in the reptile brain is unable to conceive of or often understand, thereby, making such an absolute annihilation of the individual in the Overflowing Power of Unity, a mundane wonder. Therefore, love is communication on all states of conscious energy and as shown by the pink lotus blossoms, it is "as above so below", stating that this love flows from the Divine itself. This love is equal and special, as shown by the two overflowing cups. Love like this is without self-banishment or self-diminishing, rather it expands both parties and they feel equal to each other while also being special to each other. A state many of us wish for but we often only experience love of a unequal nature or a equal love with out feeling special such as a professional relationship.
The Dolphins are Alchemical symbols of solution and can be studied by looking into alchemical reference material. The Alchemical Dolphin Symbol is a little to lengthy of a diversion from Tarot, and out of context with the Qabalistic Gnosis, so I won't go into detail. However, John Dee, royal Alchemist in Queen Elizabeth's Court could be an interesting reference point. Also the Royal Dolphin, pertains to the Sun God Apollo who among other Sun god's became the Christian Son of God.
The green sea represents the image of creative love. The yellow reflection symbolizes inspirational love while the blue sky states that love is clear and focused. The astrological aspect of this card is Venus in Cancer.
- The Ancients knew Venus to be the planet of love, beauty and creative power: In Hermetic Qabalah, Venus is a complete symbol of the Qabalistic Tree.
- Astrologically Cancer represents, nurturing, comforting, supporting, and healing.
In the 2's of Tarot, The Will and the Word, united become Form. The Word being Logos, the source of all Vibration and The Will being the first existence of Spirit; the "I AM", the Fertilizer of all idea into the Understanding of Form/Me. This, I AM ME is the Psyche of the Supernal Triangle, the trinity at the top of the Qabalistic Tree of Life.
This language may sound deliberately obtuse, but this is an invisible Force, the fact that human words cannot give form, cause one to unite words in such away that they allude to the mystery, rather than literate identification. If you ever have experienced a self-annihilating love where the ego becomes lost in the Overflowing Sensation of Being One from the Union of Two.....you'll understand that you just can't "wrap" your brain around it. The common statement being." I am at a loss for words..." In the endocrines of Love, there seems to be some kind of heated fluid that is drowning all reason. Then, my friend, you have experience the Alchemy that the the Two of Cups alludes to! However, being a purity, from a cyclic united dimension of conscious and unconscious (Sun and Moon) energy, after time, as the tides of the Sea, it will pick up detritus from our culturally "shipwrecked" brain, and slowly progress to a Four of Cups, as the suit develops. Therefore the Second Law of Thermodynamics comes into play, and "...All things proceed from order to disorder" and entropy slowly degrades the Mystery, with words of fear-based reason and the pink clouds of "the dream" fade away. Just like unconscious "astral trips" slowly fade from our brain, so will love with conditions.
The 2 of Cups, is also called the Lord of Love under Will, which is its true meaning where Will is Spirit and not some egoistic possession of the brain's minor will.
The 2 of Cups shows the harmony of the Universal Female and the Universal Male, radiating an intensity of joy and ecstasy that washes away any and all concern; where "Will to Be" , a combination of "I Will Be", "Will to Force and "Will to Form", becomes "I AM ME"! It is this Universal Love, that connects us all together as One, while the massive flow of this connectivity to All, flows through the Union of 2. Such esoteric power, may explain why it seems so overpowering to individual reason.
As I have mentioned before, the 2 is the Qabalistic number that represents "the Word and the Will" and is the first manifestation.
In the suit of water, this is Venus in Cancer. Astrologers know Cancer to be the most receptive of signs and is the House of the Moon. Jupiter is most exalted in Cancer. Thus we have arguably the three most friendly Planets, Moon, Venus and Jupiter, linked together in mutual positives.
For those of us who aren't astrologers, in the element of water that represents consciousness, Love is the force that recovers unity from individuality by the process of mutual annihilation. In other words, Love changes both individuals and combines them in a new form, and therefore considered a metaphysical solvent, such as water is a physical one. In the Night Sun Tarot, One Heart is shown being supported by an invisible force between 2 cups, emphasizing that the 2 beings are of one heart. As always with Night Sun Tarot water cards, the back ground is blue, and the behind the water, are magic geometry symbols.
The number 2 refers to Will, so The 2 of Cups is also known as the Lord of Love under Will, and shows the harmonic technology of Female and Male in the largest sense of the words.
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When the 2 of Cups Tarot card is thrown, it means that:
- In the next two weeks or two months, one will experience the capacity to achieve emotional balance and emotional fulfillment.
- One will be able to give and receive love in equal proportion.
- It would be a good time to extend love to the Cancer people in your life. (June 21-July 21). Love to or from family members is also important at this time.
- This love is not only about two people, it also can be about 2 gifts, 2 talents, 2 resources that you have and that two loves in your life, whatever they may be, are equally balanced and fulfilling in the next two weeks or months.
- Harmony, Love, marriage, pleasure, Warm Friendship, mirth, and subtlety.
- It is about human love on a large scale.
- It also is a 2 week or 2-month card, representing the accumulation of the above emotions in that time period.
- Soul mates have found each other or will within 2 months.
If ill dignified, it can represent:
- Folly, waste, dissipation and silly action and is far more superficial than when well dignified. In the Thoth Deck Tarot, ill dignity and well dignity, are decided by the surrounding cards and there is no significance supplied to up-side-down cards. This being because this is seen by many Qabalists as an act of disordered deck handling and not an "act of God".
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