THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.pagan.magick,alt.magick,alt.tarot,alt.divination
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: Crowley's Tarot Trump Switch
Date: Sun, 06 Jul 2003 05:19:31 GMT

nagasiva wrote:
> 
> 50030705 viii om Pisces-Age-Y2006

 Brief comments, the rest snipped:

> The 'Symmetry' Argument
> 
> Crowley's motivation for the switch is nonsensical. that is,
> it derives from his supposed revelation in his scripture. it
> does not resemble the very obviously-rational GD-SWITCH in
> terms of *character or logic*. he attempts to justify his
> motivation by referring to a weak symmetry in comparing the
> 2 name/symbolism switches involving zodiacally-attributed
> trumps, but he fails to mention that his proposed deck does
> *not*, comparably, rectify the NAMES and SYMBOLISM to a more
> rational mesh with Occult Tarot tradition (the rationale of
> support for the GD-SWITCH).
> 
> the fact that his doesn't mesh with conventional zodiacal
> symbolism undermines support for his suggested revision,
> unless one is a convert to his cult. conventionally, the
> STAR is *not* better matched with ARIES than with AQUARIUS,
> and the EMPEROR is decidely *corrupted* in a change from
> ARIES to AQUARIUS. whereas it was obviously an improvement
> for the GD to exchange STRENGTH with JUSTICE.
> 
> he argues that as it involves the exchange of two zodiacally-
> attributed cards about a third, that there is a symmetry which
> somehow serves to further justify the change. whereas the GD's
> is interior to the linear sequence of the Trumps themselves,
> the AC-SWITCH extends *beyond* the Trump-set's termination and
> back around to its beginning (following the zodiacal wheel),
> from XVII through the sign at XVIII MOON PISCES, back to the
> beginning of the trump sequence to the first zodiacal sign in
> traditional Occult Tarot: IV EMPEROR ARIES).
> 
> focussing only on the cards attributed to the zodiac signs and
> remarking on the 'symmetry' of the switches, one is ignoring
> the fact that the GD-SWITCH pertains to 2 Trumps 3 cards away
> from one another, rotated about a sign closer to Number VIII
> (IX HERMIT VIRGO) and that this symmetry only extends to a
> rough consideration of *signs*, rather than cards as a whole.
> 
> Crowley's suggestion pertains to 2 Trumps *8* cards away and
> then only through the end of the Trumps and back to their
> beginning. while it is true that there is a small degree
> of resemblance between these proposed switches of NAME and
> SYMBOLISM, it is not compelling like the GD-SWITCH and there
> are far more elegant and interesting options available (see
> Appendix below: 'Analysis of Proposed Tarot Switches').

The whole notion that "symmetry" is wanted here is a blind.
Consider the visual pattern relationship between the
GD-SWITCH and the analemma, the pattern made by the sun
during the course of a year. I rest my (Paul Foster) Case. 

Oh, all right. I'll explain a bit more:

If you don't know what an analemma is or what one looks
like, see

http://www.analemma.com/Pages/framesPage.html

Now check out the analemma diagram at

http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/metr351analema.html

Notice that STRENGTH Leo (August) is on one side of the
analemma switch-point, that the switch-point is in Virgo
(September) and that JUSTICE Libra (October) is on the other
side of the switch-point. 

Interesting, huh?

This supposed real-world validation of the GD
JUSTICE-STRENGTH switch was explained to me as a GD and Paul
Foster Case teaching by the woman i have previously referred
to in usenet as the "Mystery Woman from Los Angeles" who in
1967 gave a weekly class at the Six Day School on Lansing
Street in Mendocino, California, on the Western Esoteric
Tradition (the tarots of Waite, Crowley, and Case; the
social history of the Golden Dawn, Stella Matuntina, A.A.,
and prominent members therof prior to WW II; Astrology;
Kabbalah according to the GD scheme; etc. etc. etc.). As i
have mentioned previously, this woman was perhaps affiliated
with the BOTA of Paul Foster Case (she had us each buy and
paint a BOTA tarot deck), and she claimed to be Israel
Regardie's secretary or helper (she certainly circulated
copies of his then-unpublished manuscripts). 

I call the "Mystery Womnan's" use of the analemma as
validation for the GD-SWITCH a "supposed validation"
because, although it does raise some intersting thoughts, it
is not precise. But it is very, very suggestive. 

Interestingly enough, the AC-SWITCH of Aries (April) for
Aquarius (February) around a theoretical switch-point in
Pisces (March) does NOT concur with the analemma of the sun
in any manner, shape or form and is essentially
non-congruent with respect to the analemma. Plot it against
the above=cited diagram to see what i mean. 

Of course, the "Mystery Woman" pointed this out too, when
explaining why she felt that the AC-SWITCH of STAR and
EMPEROR was not valid. 

> ===============================================================
> 
> returning to discussion with JMR:
> 
> your explanation presented at the outset -- that the STAR
> with AQUARIUS at IV is somehow elementally-balancing --
> may be rational, but it is at variance with Crowley's own
> advocation (a minor problem) and completely inelegant as
> it *disrupts the zodiac sequence through the Trumps*
> (which is too great a problem for you to justify).
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>      JMR PROPOSAL                     [traditional Zodiac]
>     --------------------------------------------------------
> 
>         IV      AQUARIUS                      ARIES
>         V       TAURUS                        TAURUS
>         VI      GEMINI                        GEMINI
>         VII     CANCER                        CANCER
>         VIII    LEO                           LEO
>         IX      VIRGO                         VIRGO
>         XI      LIBRA                         LIBRA
>         XIII    SCORPIO                       SCORPIO
>         XV      CAPRICORN                     CAPRICORN
>         XVII    ARIES                         AQUARIUS

HEY! Add: XVIII   PISCES                        PISCES

to complete the zodiacal cards.

There ya go! 

cat yronwode 

The Sacred Landscape ------- http://www.luckymojo.com/sacredland.html