Copyright � 1997 by Thom Parrott, email:
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TAROT on the TREE of LIFE
from
THE PARROTT TAROT
BLESSED BE!
The Primary symbol of the Hermetic Qabala is the Tree of Life. Ten stations called Sephiroth are placed on three vertical columns in a zig-zag (flat spiral) pattern formed by the flash of Divine Lightening of the Creation (or the Big Bang, as you prefer).
The column to your left as you look at the Tree is the Pillar of Severity. To the extreme right is the Pillar of Mercy. Between them is the Pillar of Equilibrium, the Middle Pillar. Each of the outside Pillars has three Sephiroth while the Middle Pillar has four fully formed Sephiroth and a fifth emerging Sephiroth.
The topmost Sephirah, Kether, is the initial point of Divine Creation -- the exact moment of the Big Bang ("Let there be light," as you prefer) -- Meher Baba's "Whim of Being." Here we place the Aces of each suit as being the pure, unformed escense of their Element.
The highest Sephirah on the Pillar of Mercy, Chokmah, is the immediate result of the Big Bang -- Energy rushing out from the Central Point, thereby establishing the phenomena we call "time" and "space." Here we place the Twos of each suit as representing duality, choice, separation, balance.
Crossing the Tree horizontally, the Sword of Lightening takes us to the top of the Pillar of Severity, Binah. Patterns begin to form in the outrushing energy, establishing the laws of physics, such as those regarding gravity and inertia and resistance. Here are the Threes which represent one sort of completion -- a state of preparedness; pregnancy; choices having been made for good or ill.
These three comprise the Supernal Triad. They are the archetypal components from which all else evolved: The Thought; The Energy inspired by That Thought; The Forms necessary to harness The Energy to produce the fruits of The Thought. The Tao, Yang and Yin. The Formless All, The God and The Goddess. And each creates one of the Pillars to demonstrate permutations of Itself.
Crossing the Tree of Life in a downward diagonal we pass over the Abyss at the point of the Emerging Sephirah Daath, the Gate of the Supernal Eden. As human beings give increasing attention and energy to our spiritual growth and responsibilities, this Eleventh Sephirah grows in intensity. The discovery of the Planet Chiron in 1977 has been heralded as the beginning of a period of healing and training -- the essential activities of the Centaur for whom the Planet is named. In the Parrott Tarot we have, for the first time, assigned cards to Daath -- The Mentors, representing teachers and teaching, healers and healing, guides and guiding, aid in the process of Becoming or aiding others in that process. Chiron is the Rainbow Bridge between Creation and the Creator.
Continuing the diagonal, we come to the second Sephirah on the Pillar of Mercy, Chesed. The Point (Kether) moves to form the Line (Chokmah) which moves to form the Plane (Binah) which now moves (across the Abyss) to form the Solid. The Laws governing Mass come into play. Here are the Fours, representing solidity, stability, peace, accumulation, perhaps stagnation, inertia, even guilt.
Once again we move horizontally clear across the Tree of Life to the Sephirah Geburah on the Pillar of Severity. As Chesed and the Fours represent building up and gathering, Geburah and the Fives represent tearing down and scattering. These are lower forms or reflections of Binah and Chokmah. Where Binah was the pure act of Resistance and Chokmah was the pure act of Expansion, Chesed and Geburah have elements of both. In Geburah, feeling begins. The Fives represent Yang passions, clearing away, opposition, combativeness.
We now come to the exact Center of the Tree, Tiphareth. This is the place of resurrection, of perfect balance between the Four Sephiroth below Kether and the Four below Tiphareth, which is a reflection of Kether or, perhaps, a filter thru which we can look at Veiled Kether, the direct experience being impossible for those bound in flesh. In Tiphareth we have learned to use Building Up and Tearing Down as co-equal tools of Creation rather than being battered by their pendulum swings. The Sixes represent completion of a sort, victory or its availability, balance, harmony, beauty.
At the base of the Pillar of Mercy we find Netzach, where we enjoy the work done by those coming before. Netzach holds the Yin Passions, in balance to the Yang Passions of Geburah -- these two poles are harmonized in Tiphareth, the midpoint between them. The Sevens represent an emotional focus on the physical senses, "if it feels good, do it," an over attention to pleasure as a motivation.
Crossing to the base of the Pillar of Severity we come to Hod, the center of Intellect. Here Analysis rules in balance to the Mindless Acquisitiveness of Chesed -- these two poles are harmonized in Tiphareth, the midpoint between them. The Eights show communications, thought, invention, worry, fear.
Just as Daath is halfway between Kether and Tiphareth on the Middle Pillar, so Yesod is halfway between Tiphareth and Malkuth. Yesod is Superstition and the outer forms of Religion just as Daath is Knowledge and the inner meanings of the Occult sources of Religion -- and these two poles are harmonized in Tiphareth, the midpoint between them. The Nines represent foundations, things at their highest point of preparation and anticipation, completion on the Astral but not yet the Physical; whether a spiritual or superstitious view of the World depending on placement.
Finally, Malkuth, the Kingdom of God, the Material Eden, Life as we know It. God (The All, Allah, whatever you call that which is beyond definition and limitation) was before Time and Space and Matter and Created Them to experience and celebrate Them as Aspects/Expressions/Subsets of Divinity Itself. In Malkuth we have the most intense personal experiences of the Archetypal Energies arising in Kether -- and these two poles are harmonized in Tiphareth, the midpoint between them. The Tens represent material completion.
As discussed earlier, this Tree of Life exists in each of Four Worlds and these Worlds are represented by the Suits.
The Pips from Two thru Ten are the Sephiroth -- places on the Tree -- while the Royals are aspects of the Divine set over the operation of those places, and operating within them.
The Aces are both because the Point or First Swirling is both the Place and the Personality of the Divine.
The Trumps are assigned to the 22 Visible Paths connecting the Sephiroth. Only one set of Paths is given to link the Sephiroth in Four different Trees. In a reading, the Archetypes represented by the Atus will be functioning in or upon the Plane suggested by the surrounding cards, or, sometimes showing redeeming, obstructive or supportive Forces manifesting from a higher Plane.
In most traditional Tarot decks there are four Face Cards in each of the four Suits. In the Parrott Deck there are five, the King, Queen, Mentor, Prince and Princess.
The Kings reside in Chokmah. They have the Fiery outward nature of this Sephirah overlaying the essential nature of their suit. They are powerful, authority figures with the outrushing force of the second Sephirah, but the name of this Sephirah, Chokmah, means Wisdom, and this quality is also part of their essential nature.
Chokmah houses and rules the Kings and the Wands, therefore Wands and the Kings are about Archetypal Force. Kings (sometimes called Knights or Emperors) and Wands are both associated with the Element Fire.
The King and Queen are aspects of the One which are particularly amused by and therefore express dominion over the first Dual Archetypes -- Force and Form -- Yang and Yin.
The Queens reside in Binah, the Primal Sea. They are all outwardly Watery, yet they sit upon Thrones, the most stable of the Court Figures, reflecting the function of Binah as Archetypal Form. Binah means Understanding.
Binah houses and rules the Queens and the Cups, therefore Cups and the Queens are about Archetypal Form. Queens and Cups both correspond with the Element Water.
The King is not higher on the Tree than the Queen, though, in one sense, Force came before Form. They are equal and harmonious, both in Their pure state as the Supernals and when properly understood and applied on all the planes, including our material domain. Wisdom augmenting Understanding; Understanding augmenting Wisdom.
Though Force apparently, in another sense, came before Form, Form was held in potential within Force, as Force was held in potential within The Point -- the Cosmic Egg -- therefore all existing together as one, as The All, in potential, eternally, before our time and space were born. At the Moment of Self-awareness, the Three were simultaneously released, from their Phenomena of Potentiality, into their Phenomena of Becomingness.
The Mentors reside in Daath, whose name means Knowledge. The Rainbow Bridge across the Abyss between the Supernals and the Seven lower Sephiroth. The external nature here is of the compassionate teacher, healer, advisor while the Suit indicates the area of operation as well as the inner nature.
The Mentor is an aspect of the One which is particularly amused by and therefore expresses dominion over the transitions between the Supernal and the Material in the place Daath. You must hold the passwords of Malkuth to pass upward thru Daath.
The Princes reside in Tiphareth, the exact Center of the Tree of Life, the place of the Redeemer Gods and the Sacrificed Gods. Tiphareth means Beauty and it is the beauty of perfect equilibrium yet it is also a hub of activity -- the place in the center of a wheel which appears to be stationary, although the wheel may be spinning furiously.
Tiphareth houses and rules the Princes (also called Knights, and occasionally Kings or Emperors) and the Swords. Because Tiphareth is the Center of the Microprosopus, Swords and Princes are also under the influence and protection of Chesed, Geburah, Netzach, Hod and Yesod, with Daath representing the influence of the Supernals. Swords and the Princes, therefore, have to do with Change -- the State of Flux resulting from the Balance of Force and Form. Princes and Swords are both assigned to the Element Air.
The Prince is an aspect of the One which is particularly amused by and therefore expresses dominion over the Process of Becoming, headquartered in Tiphareth but also ruling over and operating within Chesed, Geburah, Netzach, Hod and Yesod.
These Six Sephiroth, along with Binah as the synthesis of the Supernals are assigned to our component parts as symbolized by the Planets: Sun, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon and Saturn. Their synthesis in Earth takes place under the rulership of the Princess.
The Princesses reside in Malkuth which is sometimes called the Bride of the Microprosopus. The Microprosopus is the Seven Sephiroth between the Supernals and Malkuth. Malkuth means The Kingdom, so the Princesses are the dominant personalities of the Earthly Eden.
Malkuth houses and rules the Princesses (mis-named Pages in some Tarot packs) and the Disks or Pentacles or Coins..., therefore Disks and the Princesses have to do with Materialization -- the State of Stability resulting from the Union of Force and Form.
The Princess is an aspect of the One which is particularly amused by and therefore expresses dominion over the Process of Manifestation in Malkuth.
The Angel of God impregnates Mary who gives birth to Jesus who brings the Word to all Humankind.
The Angel of God is the Yang principle of the Universe. God is The One, Unity, The All, The Source, That which Was before anything was. Therefore, it is only after Unity has differentiated Itself into Archetypal Force and Archetypal Form (Yang and Yin as aspects of the Tao) that Creation/Conception can occur. The Angel of God is associated with Kings and Wands and the Second Sephirah, Chokmah.
Mary is the Yin principle of the Universe. Her name means the "Great Sea" or the "Primal Sea." After the physical relationship between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun had become established, Day was separated from Night. Then the Earth was veiled in clouds and covered by a Primal Sea. Lightening from the clouds raked the Sea, changing inert matter into living proteins. Yang had impregnated Yin. Mary is affiliated with Queens and Cups and the Third Sephirah, Binah.
Birth and the Word are the process of becoming conscious of our apparent separation from the Divine and the process of returning to acceptance of our actual Union with the Divine. The Word and the Birth are placed in the Sephirah Daath and are represented by the Mentors.
Jesus is one manifestation of the Christ Consciousness. Like Osiris, Woden and many other Gods and Teachers, he sacrifices himself for the good of humanity -- to transmute our past sins and to call attention to the fact that death is not the culmination of our existence but a passage to another aspect of existence. He represents both the ideal of spiritual humanity and the priesthood. The priesthood can be further divided into those who purport to represent God in order to achieve a following, or to convince themselves of the truth of their own subjective dogma, and those who actually commune/communicate with the Divine and teach others how to do so -- sometimes, but not often, the same people. Jesus takes the Princes and the Swords and, though centered in Tiphareth, all the Sephiroth from Chesed thru Yesod, the Microprosopus.
Humankind is the people as a whole. Those of us so involved with our material existence that we often lose track of the Divinity which is its Source and its Substance. Humanity relates to Princesses, especially as the Bride of the Microprosopus, and to Disks and resides in, or even somewhat below, the Tenth Sephirah Malkuth.
Copyright � 1997 by Thom Parrott, email:
[email protected]
Get your own Free Home Page
hits since October 25, 1998.
BLESSED BE!