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Tarot Astrology: The Formative Meanings of the Planets and Zodiacal Signs in Tarot Symbolism: Based on ancient versions of the Sepher Yetsira [Tarot Index]
Tarot Ast rology: Inner Meanings of t he Signs and Planet s
Everyone seems to have their f avorite edited and redacted version of the Sepher Yetsira, usually either the Ari-Gra 18th Century version or more of ten the Westcott translation brought into line with the 19th Century Golden Dawn "magickal system of attributes." T hese systems change the original sources to ref lect their interests: making the Sef er Yetzirah accord with Z oharic cosmology and theosophy in one case and making it ref lect a "magickal" system that just happens to leave all the Tarot cards in their inherited positions in the other. When the ancient sources (generally, pre-1100 CE) of the Sepher Yetsira are used -- the dif f erences between the Short, Long and Saadia versions are not signif icant, at least in their cosmology and astrology, in comparison to later edits -- and the original sephirotic and Hebrew f ormative letter/planetary and zodiacal linkages are preserved, all of the Tarot symbolism becomes easily readable in terms of f ormative (Yetsiratic) and standard geocentric astrology, and the one-to-one correspondence of Hebrew letter to Tarot trump is obvious. What is not obvious is that the Tarot is then a key to the inner structure of the signs and planets, and theref ore to an interior, psychological, astrology -- especially when they are seen in their proper metapsychological f ramework: the Cube of Space
Hebrew Letter Formatives f or the 7 Doubles: Planetary Major Arcana: Early Recensions of the Sepher Yetsira T he Fool and 7 Messengers (Planets)
1
2
3
4
20
80
200
400
Air
Formative Letters of the 12 Autiot (Signs): Energetic Structure of the Z odiac
5
6
7
8
9
10
30
50
60
70
90
100
Native Positions of the Tarot in Natural Alphabetic Order Astrological/Formative Symbolism f rom Ancient Versions of the Sepher Yetsira Archetypal
Air
Existential
Water
Cosmic
Fire
Finals
In the Sepher Yetsira, the Hebrew letters "f orm" the planets and signs B'Olam , in the Universe. T he Hebrew f ormative letter of the planet def ines its role in the basic matrix of structural energies and its primary manif estation on one of three levels -- archetypal, existential and cosmic. For a f uller understanding of the related and linked categories, we would need to know why Bayt, f or instance, f orms Saturn in the Universe with the contrary qualities of Lif e and Death in the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius. Later kabbalah and its non-Hebrew western derivatives are content to move these categories around to f it their needs. We think it is better to understand that Bayt, the container of the intemporal Aleph , f orms Shabatai, where Sheen, the cosmic Breath, developes another Bayt, consiousness, as a Tabernacle of cosmic energy, Tav, in existence, Yod. And that Saturn is alive in Ghedi, the sign of a new f ormation, and dead in Aquarius, where structures are dissolved. For those unf amiliar with Hebrew letters, let alone their inner, f ormative energies, the icons of the Tarot can provide an immediate window into the interior sturcture of the planets and signs themselves. Where "Saturn" tells us nothing, Shabatai is eloquently self -descriptive of its role in the hierarchy of structuration, and the World (see above) is a well-duh representation of the duality of the container and the uncontainable (Aleph inside Bayt). T hose accustomed to later interpretations of the astrological and f ormtive letter "attributions" can test the syntax with appropriate reverse substitutions (Magician f or World, World f or High Priestess, Empress f or Tower, etc.). See the Cube f or an analysis of the planetary and zodiacal energies. Here, we note that the planets are impersonal cosmic energies which f orm the "dimensions" of experiential or developmental space and the signs are their active environments. T he energies of the planets pass through us; the energies of the signs would elude us entirely were it not f or their planetary f oci (see below). Each planetary and zodiacal equation, considered together with their f ormative Hebrew letters, accurately and precisely describes the inner energy, or true name, of the f amiliar astrological bodies. T hese true names, by which the energies may be invoked, are given below in the sign-language of the Tarot. Note that if any of the "attributions" are incorrect, the invocation will f ail.
T he interior energies of the seven Kawkabim (planets) represented by their Tarot Trumps
T he Twelve Signs of the Z odiac describe the cosmic energies that f orm the outer structure of Adam Qadmon's experiential and developmental space in the Cube. T hese energies are the active environments f or the impersonal energies of the planets, which pass through our bodies on the axes/binomials of the Cube of Space. T he signs are completely outside, while the planets represent (in their usual semantically-accurate way) aspects of inner experience or consciousness. Specif ically, the signs indicate twelve phases of human experience or conciousness, in which both material and psycho-spiritual energies are developed, in opposite directions. T he basic issue at each stage is the relationship of Aleph, intemporal energy, to Yod, duration and spacetime, and each sign describes a particular state of that relationship. Material and spiritual energies have separate developmental itineraries, or paths around the zodiac. See Cube: Physical and Psychological Faces f or a discucssion of the evolutionary and involutionary pathways of the Z odiac. T he interior energies of the Autiot (signs) in Tarot symbolism
Astrological Equations in the Sepher Yetsira: Book of Formation
