The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot- Gongo-Water-Gran Ibo, depicts the Wise Old Woman of the Swamp, whose knowledge of the secrets of the swamp revolve in a rhythm characterized by age and patience. This Elder is sitting on a porch, looking into the heart of the swamp. Waiting, watching, as her close watching develops wisdom. Her focus and attention draws the mysteries of the swamp to her. One of her sacred animals, a yellow canary, whispers secrets into her ear, as she understands the language of animals and plants. She is the loa/lwa who is Old beyond time and embodies experience that is ancient beyond memory. She is the heart of the forest and swamp.
One calls on Gran Ibo to whisper her sacred wisdom to them and to acquire the herbalist's magic and healing and/or the medicinal knowledge of plants.
When thrown in Divination, Gran Ibo implies:
- Harmony born of deep and abiding wisdom.
- A marriage in the visible or invisible world as an expression of harmony and plenty.
Previously I explained Chokmah, the 2nd Sephiroth called Wisdom, in some detail, and by now one should understand that Chokmah is a state of Pure Maleness or rather the beginning of the idea of maleness, and that Binah is that of Pure Femaleness, or the beginning of the idea of Femaleness. Another way to say this is the concept of Will to Force is becoming electric, while the concept of will to form is becoming magnetic;
However, both are from Kether that is primarily before Androgyn. As explained, sexuality as we understand it, is not vast enough of an idea to encompass even a minor understanding of the Supernal Triangle. To help with the confusion, Pure Male is Electric Force and Pure Female is Magnetic Force. But again, understanding of these 2 Forces is not complete. Since, this is the most condensed realm of light, each form in its own magnetic enclosure, an energy flow depends on polarity. Positive electrons flow to Negative electrons. Hence, from Male to Female. This causes the Soul to "build sexual polarities" as form. If the body is female-Anima, the Soul then becomes the Male Animus (the Perfect Male) or when the body is Male, the Soul becomes Female (the Perfect Female).
The Thoth 2 of Cups is also called the Lord of Love and this is easily seen as it represents Venus in Cancer. The angels of the Decan are: Ayoel and Chabooyah. Have fun with those sonic sounds!
The 2 of Cups is the influence of Chokmah in the Mental world of Briah.
In Tarot, Cups represent Alchemical Element Water, which is intuition, and Cancer is a watery sign that is the House of the Moon, so the matchup is obvious. Jupiter is also exalted in Cancer thus implying benevolence in this most sensitive of signs.
This is a card of feeling and romance in the human world, so misspent energy may apply. Generally, fish are a symbol of the Goddess Venus but dolphins relate more generally to Neptune or the Sun god Apollo.
On the 2 of cups, we can see (by careful scrutiny as the colors are somewhat faded) a Silvery Dolphin and a Golden Dolphin, The Silver one represents the Moon, Female and the Golden one represents The Sun, male. Here the union of both is loving, romantic, as they work together to bring light into our world. The harmony of male and female which is also the nature of the Water Sign Cancer.
The Waters of Intuition, spring up from the Central Lotus, flowing down into the overflowing cups to ultimately reach the Earth. This imagery implies that only through the energy supplied by Chokmah-Fire, can water flow. E-motion, is energy-in -motion, and the "motion within the movement' is Chokmah's domain. In Gematria ( explained in the book 777, by Aleister Crowley), the number 2 refers also to Will. So the 2 of Cups can also imply Love under will or Willful Love. The 2 of Cups radiates a perfect placid harmony, amid joyous ecstasy...often called the "adorable fire".
The symbols on this card maybe subtle, but they represent both the male and female forces that once joined; as a couple, and as the Sun above the castled phallus and the Water that is symbolically female as a lake and fertile earth all covered in exuberant vegetation, produce all things from the vital flow of Love.
There may be a tendency to think of this card as one would the Major Arcana Card of the Lovers. But that is rarely so, as the 2 of Cups is about Love being objective- physical, between two human partners, whereas, the Lovers Card-key 6- refers to the inner Hermetic Marriage of the love between the Yin Yang, balanced in harmonious union as the whole inner-Self.
To a Qabalist, Key/ATU 6 rather than the 2 of Cups, would be the Love of Binah and Chokmah, of Wisdom and Understanding. However, the surrounding cards will show if this is the Hermetic Marriage of the Goddess and God within or of 2 " Soul mates" in the human world. Here is where the intuition of the Reader is most helpful as well. For Love is such a powerful emotion that it can overcome all limits of restriction and burn away in pure "adorable fire" (Dr.Paul Foster Case), any reasoning.
Those faithful readers who have been following my blog know by now that Binah is "will to form", and underlying force that makes imagination a womb. She is the Will of the Womb of all forms, not the Womb itself for that is reserved to the Action of Chesed the Sphere of Mercy,
Again the sexingof this forces is limiting and short on insight. Chesed may be Masculine in its expression of form, and yet it is feminine as it receives the Will of Binah. Chokmah maybe the “pure masculine force”, yet Chokmah was the Hebrew word for the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Sophia. The interplay of masculine and feminine Qualities constitutes all Sephiroth.
What may surprise you, is that none of us are the sex of our bodies. We are Androgynous Energy, in that we are both receptive (female) and expressive (male); both magnetic (female) and electric (male). Being Photon energy, who has become bio-photons, we are both sides of the same coin. Thus, we have great Divine power, "to be or not to be" male or female or even both!
The body is a tool, powered by the Electromagnetic Entity that you are....as a power tool the human body is excelled, but as its operator, you are beyond the reason of bodies. You are obviously a "Will to be" which is very much a "Will to Form" and a “will to force” so here is a kicker, YOU ARE THE IMAGINATION ...you don't have it. All the images you see are “Self-Images”!
Remember, Hu is Mandarin for God and Man is from the Hindu word for mind---Manas, thus you are called a God Mind! The body is not described in the world human. So you are a Hu-Man, who owns a homo sapiens sapiens body. You are the Psyche/Soul dreaming it is a human.
Image-maker, is what the Imagination means, and that dear soul is the Divine Creative's Power. So get off of your suffering butt and stand up and Yell-----I AM Me! And get on with you, and imagine your divinity, for self- impeccability is what you came to do! Remember, what we command by declaration in this Universe produces our own image, take charge of yourself and stop blaming environment, or person or thing, sure they may influence, but they only have the power you give them. What you are is up to your Passionate use of Imagination and don't accept man-made definitions that only stimulate your imagination to enslavement of your image to another, person, place or thing. You are Imagination; the I-Magi-Nation! When imagination and love flow as one perspective----------You Are Divine in manifestation flowing in luxurious sensation that is known as the "adorable fire".
When the Two of Cups- Love, is thrown during a reading:
- The querent is in a deep love relationship
- The joyous bliss of receiving as one has been received.
- A loving and healing union of opposites propagating a compassionate and caring response.
- The recent loving bond of consciousness and unconsciousness reconciling the harmony of what seemed opposite. Such as the merging of unconscious desires with those of the Heart.
- The beginning of a love affair or pledge of deep friendship.
- Ideas generated between two partners in cooperation and harmony.
- The merging of Lover and beloved.
- A healing harmony where quarrels and disputes are resolved.
- Romance, trust, sympathy, and desires consummated, vows, engagement and marriage, all permutations of active partnership.
- Where the action of body and Spirit are in sync.
If ill defined by the surrounding cards:
- Disillusioned.
- Separation.
- Conflict of interests.
Thank you for your interest, comments and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper.
