Upright: ardour, country man, good and honest man.
Reversed: apathy, indulgence, austerity, tolerance, condescension.
Most readers see in the Kings the dominant (patriarchal) father’s figure. But it is truly the case? Not all the rulers were Read more KS King of Wands
The Tower, the Rider-Waite and the Karpathy-Smith Tarot.
Most people fear this card as they perceive it as the expression of ultimate destruction. The Tower, however, represents only Read more KS The Tower
Someone sent me a link to an article about Alchemy, the internet is full of them. Platitudes, I would say, stereotypes, inconsistencies and half-wisdoms for housewife whiches and weekend wizards. As with all the other occult and esoteric topics, most of the available materials are rubbish fake commercial products. The commonly accessible materials are ‘exoteric’ knowledge, as opposed to ‘esoteric’ knowledge, which, by definition, is not at the reach of everyone.
Without an understanding of these matters, it is impossible to discern between fake and real knowledge.
On the other hand, as Gurdjieff noted, “Knowledge is one thing; understanding is another thing. (…) People often confuse these concepts and do not clearly grasp what is the difference between them. Knowledge by itself does not give understanding. Nor is understanding increased by an increase of knowledge alone. Understanding depends upon the relation of knowledge to being. Understanding is the resultant of knowledge and being. And knowledge and being must not diverge too far, otherwise, understanding will prove to be far removed from either. At the same time, the relation of knowledge to being does not change with a mere growth of knowledge. It changes only when the being grows simultaneously with knowledge. In other words, understanding grows only with the growth of being.”
First of all, understanding is interior, while knowledge is exterior – similar to the ‘esoteric’ and ‘exoteric’ concepts.
Secondly, understanding is… More at https://www.patreon.com/posts/44614954
![27 Seven of Cups [work in progress]](https://tarotator.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/27-Seven-of-Cups-work-in-progress-702x198.jpg)
![27 Seven of Cups [work in progress]](https://tarotator.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/27-Seven-of-Cups-work-in-progress.jpg)
Pamela Colman Smith has put a lot of work into the details of the Seven of Cups. On the other hand, in addition to the interpretation of the card, based on Etteilla’s work, this is everything that Waite considered sufficient to transmit: “Strange chalices of vision, but the images are more especially those of the fantastic spirit.”
From an esoteric perspective, and following the Christian dogma, the most relevant is that the number seven symbolises Read more The RWS Seven of Cups decrypted
At the dawn of civilisation, for Mesopotamian kings, the symbols of power were the sceptre, the chalice, the sword and the crown.
Sounds familiar?
The sceptre might be assimilated with Read more Unfold the origins of the four Suits
![Two of Cups [work in progress]](https://tarotator.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/12-Two-of-Cups-work-in-progress-725x198.jpg)
![Two of Cups [work in progress]](https://tarotator.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/12-Two-of-Cups-work-in-progress.jpg)
Last December, I was exhausted. I am working for a while now on a Cartomancy manual which will be divided into four large volumes, and it was conceived as a step by step, initiatory process. Although it is roughly based on my three decades on research, study and practical experience, on things I have written and especially on the accompanying book for my first published Tarot deck, the re-writing and re-editing process wear me entirely down. So, last December, I decided to allow my self a small break from work. Those who know me by now knows that ‘break’ in my case means another kind of work, respectively focusing on another project.
Some of you also may notice my interest in so-called dystopian literature, especially Read more Join me on an exciting creative-enlightening journey
Gurdjieff said: “According to an ancient teaching, traces of which may be found in many systems, old and new, a man who has attained the full development possible for man, a man in the full sense of the word, consists of four bodies. These four bodies Read more The four bodies
When it comes to the interpretation of the cards, most commonly, people prefer the so-called Waite method associated with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and subsequently the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Another highly popular method is the one associated with Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot deck. However, few people are aware that both occultists were members of the Golden Dawn and the foundation of interpreting the cards originates in the work of famous French cartomancer Etteilla. Several other occultists, including Read more The seventy-eight Tarot card and their attributions
As probably the vast majority of the card readers, I also started backwards. I have begun with reading the cards; only afterwards, I started studying and learning. Three decades later, I am still learning. I have got to the conclusion that learning is an ongoing and never-ending process. The day I will stop being a student is the day I will probably die.
Cartomancy is the art of reading the cards. (…)
The “Manual of Cartomancy” is Read more Manual of Cartomancy, coming soon
Frédéric Lionel was born on 17 July 1908, in Amphion les Bains, France. “The Magic Tarot: Vehicle of Eternal Wisdom” was published initially in Franch by Editions du Rocher in 1980. The English translation I own was published in 1982 by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. The book was accompanied by an exclusive, Major Arcana only deck designed by Lionel. The Magic Tarot is one of the very few specially designed, esoteric – divinatory if you prefer – Tarot decks. While the traditional Western esoteric system, primarily represented by the Golden Dawn, is Kabbalah based and only by subordination connected to Astrology and Numerology, Lionel’s work focuses on Alchemy and aspects of self-development and enlightenment. Read more Reading with the Magic Tarot by Frederic Lionel
