Perhaps the most versatile and useful of all magical tools is the tarot. Although it is not the purpose of this book to enter into detailed discussion of this intricate system, I will advance a few useful ideas that you, the student, may care to expand in your own way. Tarot cards fit the Cabalistic scheme with a precision that cannot be described as accidental. In brief, the seventy-eight cards are divided into twenty-two maior cards and fifty-six minor
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the next chapter. For now, we will confine ourselves to the minor cards only.
The minor cards are divided into four suits of founeen cards. Naturally, each suit equates to one of the four elements. Leaving aside the coun cards (Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages), we are left with forty cards, ten for each suit or element. It is the number that gives the due to the correct arrangement on the Tree of Life. The suit indicates the correct magical direction by its weapon and element. For instance, the 1 0 of Swords belong to Malkuth (sphere 10) and to east (Swords). Likewise, the 8 of Cups belong to Hod (sphere 8) and to magical west (Cups).
The complete arrangement of the minor cards is given in the following table:
SPHERE WT SOUTH WEST NORTH
Swords Wands Cups Shields Kether Ace Ace Ace Ace Chockmah 2 2 2 2 Binah 3 3 3 3 Chesed 4 4 4 4 Geburah 5 5 5 5 Tlphereth 6 6 6 6 Netzach 7 7 7 7 Hod 8 8 8 8 Yesod 9 9 9 9 Malkuth 10 10 10 10
No tarot card represents Daath.
To use the tarot in Cabalistic work is quite an easy matter, for it lends itself easily to this. In the case of Malkuth, the four 1 Os could be placed on the altar, aligned to their respective directions, or could be placed on the appropriate wall or quaner within the
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temple. They may be used as symbols for contemplation or as astral doorways through which one passes in the imagination. The scene depicted on a card may then be explored to see what
impressions arise in the mind. Other ideas include their use as an on/off switch for each element. In order to do this, one has only to educate the conscious mind in the basic idea that face up opens the elemental gate while face down closes it. Ingenuity will sug gest other uses.
In order to attune the Cosmic Sphere to another sphere, one simply has to change the physical correspondences and, of course, the inner, imaginative associations. The correspondences of a par ticular sphere are the subject of much debate and heated exchanges,
but this need not interfere with your work, for most of these attri butions are, to say the least, highly dubious. Far better to apply common sense and simplicity.
The most obvious link with each sphere is through its ruling planet, and so it is to the correspondences of the planets that you
must first turn if you are to successfully contact each sphere. However, the planet is only pan of the picture, one level, so to speak. There are three more.
Each sphere consists of four worlds. According to tradition, these are:
Atziluth The world of origins, or Divine level Briah The world of creation, or
Archangelic level
Yetzirah The world of formation, or Angelic level
Assiah The world of expression, or Physical level (Air-Thought) (Fire-Desire) (Water-£motion) (Earth-Physical Object or Situation)
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The power of each sphere may therefore be tapped by bring ing it through each of the worlds to its ultimate fruition in Assiah (the physical). Naturally, each world may be explored and approached directly, for, despite opinions to the contrary, there are no barriers between you and a particular level-aU are open to you. But how to approach, understand, and eventually use each level is indeed a complex problem--or so it seems. Leaving aside pseudoreligious attitudes and associated dogma, the answer, as always, is contained in the Tree of Life.
There are four worlds. These equate directly to the four ele ments in the following way: The Divine or God level best belongs to the element of Air by vinue of the fact that the cosmic circle originates at east (origination being the keyword). To south and the element of Fire must go the creative world of Briah. The for mative world of Yetzirah belongs to west and the element of Water and, finally, the nonh and the element of Eanh belongs to Assiah. Although there are other supposed traditional arrangemen� each with their own merits or dogmas, these associations are correct. Naturally, each student must accept or decline the invitation to try
out this carefully deliberated system.
The erection or attunement of each sphere is best done by attending to the physical end first, using suitable correspondences and then working through each of the four levels, either from top to bottom or in reverse, depending on the nature of the work in hand. Perhaps the easiest way to describe this is to give an exam ple. Let us consider a meditation of the sphere of Yesod.