Crowley Tarot Cards Guide

Deck assumed in discussion below is that of Aleister Crowley, also called Thoth deck. Golden Dawn deck similar, other than some trump cards, notably trump 6, titled "Lovers" in Crowley Deck. Rider-Waite and decks based on Rider-Waite deck are all misleading and should be avoided.

Tarot encodes astrology, alchemy and cabala, which are themselves encodings of esoteric wisdom. Esoteric wisdom can only be understood by the few, and no guarantee these chosen few will be able to find one another and communicate in person. Furthermore, esoteric wisdom easily distorted by those who don't fully understand it, and distortions would accumulate with time until wisdom lost entirely. Encoding in form which appeals to masses and which is resistant to change ensures that wisdom will be preserved intact and widely disseminated through space and time, with esoteric interpretation always available for decoding by those with "eyes to see and ears to hear". This reason for encoding wisdom was especially relevant in olden times, when books were rare (and no internet) and wisdom had to be communicated orally.

Encoding wisdom also protects against suppression by authorities. First, encoding limits those who can receive message, and thus limits threat to society and thus motivation to suppress. Second, suppression opens authorities to ridicule, which they loathe, since literal interpretation of encoded wisdom is typically absurd. Third, harsh suppression typically awakens interest in what is being suppressed ("lure of the forbidden") and authorities anticipate this. Some suppression may still occur, but it is seldom vigorous.

Random selection of Tarot cards can be used for clairvoyance ("clear seeing") purposes, to penetrate veils of illusion within mind. For query "what year is this?", answer almost surely within mind, but no veil of illusion, so no need for tarot to obtain answer. For query "do I want to marry this person?", answer probably within mind, but possibly answer hidden behind veils of illusion, so tarot can help obtain answer. For query "will it rain tomorrow?", either no answer within mind or answer no better than professional weather forecast, so no point using tarot with this query.

Four Elements

Outer universe also called material world or world of sense perceptions, meaning that which can be seen, heard, felt, smelled or tasted. Outer universe includes human body. Inner universe consists of changeable and unchangeable parts, with fuzzy boundary between. Some things can be changed in the long-term but not short-term, or changed slightly but not significantly. Changeable part of inner universe called mind or spirit. Unchangeable part called animal self, core personality, soul.

Desire originating in soul interpreted by spirit, which controls muscles, causing change to world of senses, causing change to incoming sense impressions, interpreted by spirit (with possible update to memory stores), causing pleasure or pain, interpreted by spirit, causing new desire, thus completing feedback loop. Desire is motive power of universe. Maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain is goal or purpose of universe. That is, purpose or meaning of life is to quench fire of desire in waters of bliss.

Earth is outer universe, represented by tarot suit of disks. Fire is desire, or male aspect of soul, suit of wands. Air is spirit, suit of swords. Water is pleasure/pain, or female aspect of soul, suit of cups.

As noted, boundary between spirit and soul, or changeable and unchangeable inner universe, is fuzzy. Furthermore, spirit can modify or simulate incoming sense perceptions and outgoing soul emanations (desire, pleasure/pain) to create illusory desire and illusory pleasure/pain. In theory, mind could interpret all incoming sense perceptions or all pleasure/pain so as to generate perpetual bliss. In practice, few can smile like martyrs as they are tortured to death. More common is for those who should be happy, based on pleasure/pain emanations of soul, to be afflicted by some sort of spiritual illness which causes overall mood to be one of unhappiness. Think of physically healthy young people with money in their pockets, who nevertheless commit suicide due to unrequited love or similar spiritual disturbances of trivial significance from perspective of material reality.

Mind is realm of illusion, labyrinth-like hall of mirrors in which it is easy to become lost. Most people in modern society have swollen heads (spirits) and could do with some head shrinking (get out of their heads and focus on maximizing bodily pleasure and minimizing bodily pain as purpose of life).

Though air intervenes between fire and earth, earth and water, and water and fire, middle intervention is most important, which is why astrological signs are arranged in order fire, earth, air, water. Also, water signs in astrology refer more to feedback which brings about future desires than to present pleasure and pain. Water signs are thus transitional signs in astrology.

Mental Illness

Bodily/mental illness is functioning of body/mind which results in less happiness (less pleasure, more pain) than would result from alternative functioning. If alternative functioning not feasible, thus no cure possible, "disorder" or "genetic/developmental abnormality" better term than "illness". These are subjective definitions, since they rely on individual perception of happiness. Objective definitions: "body/mind functioning which society disapproves of".

Mind functions using rules to guide behavior, most important of which are moral rules. Mental illness thus implies either: excess rules (e.g. rule inhibiting all sex), missing rules (e.g. no rule inhibiting sex with children), or incorrect combination of excessive and missing (e.g. rule inhibiting sex with adults but not with children). Curing mental illness implies getting rid of excess rules, adding missing rules, and fixing incorrect rules.

Mind normally resists changes to rules, which is desirable, because mind without resistance to change would easily become ill, then switch rapidly between different types of mental illness. Normally, it requires considerable reduction in happiness to force change to mind's rule structure. Often, mind's initial reaction to reduced happiness is denial, either denying reduced happiness itself or denying relation of reduced happiness to excess/missing/incorrect mental rule. Denial often followed by anger: blaming reduced happiness on someone or something other than mind's rule structure. Anger often followed by bargaining: accepting that mind needs to change but then resisting full and effective change in favor of trivial change. Cycling between denial, anger and bargaining also common. Sadness (mental depression) is symptom of mind that has finally begun to make real change. Sadness disappears when change has been completely accepted.

Mind with excess/missing/incorrect rules which do not result in reduced happiness, is not in denial, but rather in fool's paradise. For example, suppose psychopath mind has rule that says "okay to kill people who disagree with you". That rule doesn't cause reduced happiness if no one disagrees with psychopath, or if psychopath is all-powerful despot, or if police don't arrest psychopath. However, most such psychopaths eventually end up in prison, which is specifically designed to reduce happiness. That is, psychopaths are not mentally ill (by subjective definition above) and will not change until happiness is reduced as result of their psychopathy.

Related to psychopathy are hysteria, narcissism, delusions of grandeur, manic phase of bipolar disorder and other types of mental functioning which boost happiness in the short run, during fool's paradise phase, but typically reduce it in the long run, at which point subject can finally be called mentally ill. These disorders can all be regarded as defense mechanisms (denial, anger, bargaining) against depression, which is where mental change occurs. Resisting depression usually postpones true cure. Reduced happiness is what primarily drives mental change.

Enlightenment Process

Baby is animal self. Social programming during childhood and adolescence produces socialized self of young adulthood. Rebellion against excess socialization produces mature self. Further liberation produces enlightened self.

Animal self is Mother ("Mother Nature"). Socialized self is Father (old men define social norms). Mature self is Son (blend of mother and father, with father influence dominating). Enlightened self is Daughter (blend of mother and father, with mother influence dominating).

Enlightenment mostly involves discarding unneeded rules, rather than adding rules, so does indeed "lighten" burden. Regression to animal self ("who we were before we were born") is neither possible or desirable. First, much learned behavior is essential, such as knowledge about laws against criminal behavior or knowledge about which foods are good to eat. Second, we must retain enough reasoning powers to resist attempts by society to reprogram us. Immense powers of intellect are required to resist society's programming processes, which is why weak and uneducated minds are never so pure as they appear to naive observers.

Revelation of truth can strengthen vigorous and adaptable society, by causing it to automatically improve social programming system to make enlightenment more difficult. This is why truth must be revealed anew in every generation, even when there was nothing wrong with earlier revelations. Society adapts constantly, changing social programming imposed on generations of today so as to make revelations of yesterday unintelligible. Revelations must therefore be constantly rephrased, if they are to retain their power to reveal truth.

Related to enlightenment process is switch from child to adult point of view regarding relative importance of inner and outer worlds in determining happiness, which is goal of life. Young child has undeveloped mind, limited control over its own body and almost no control over material world beyond its own body, and thus its happiness mostly depends on what other people think about the child. If other people like the child, they will feed it, change its diaper and otherwise try to increase its happiness. If other people dislike the child, they may neglect it or even hurt it. Child thus learns that what other people think about child is most important factor determining happiness, followed by child's ability to independently control material world (so as to lessen dependence on other people), followed by child's own body and own mind as least important factors (child doesn't even stop to think about these last factors). For children, crying is typically effective strategy to reduce unhappiness, because someone who cares about child may hear its cry and do something to help (feed it, change diaper, etc).

Order of priority reversed in adults: most important factor determining happiness is one's own mind, followed by one's own body, followed by rest of material world, with what other people think about us as least important factor. Even in extreme situations, such as victim in torture chamber, subject to whims of executioner, one's own mind is most important factor because only by controlling our mind can we control our tongue and otherwise behave so as to placate executioner, and if that fails, control of our mind is what allows us to minimize perceived bodily pain. And surely nowhere is it more obvious than in a torture chamber that our own body is more important in determining happiness than other aspects of material world or what people in general (besides executioner) think of us. In particular, opinions of other people that do not direct affect body nor increase control over material world (increased money, etc) and thus indirectly affect body, are worthless. Profitless fame ("applause of fools") falls into this category of worthless opinions of other people. For adults, crying often useless or even counterproductive waste of effort. Other people may not help a crying adult, or they may be so annoyed by the crying as to act to increase unhappiness. Meanwhile, effort of crying distracts adult from actions it could make on its own to reduce unhappiness.

Tarot Court Cards

Astrological encoding of enlightenment process. Four elements combine with first three stages of enlightenment process to produce twelve astrological signs:

Queen of Wands, Aries, Mars, 1st house, fire sign of animal self / mother quartet: Original impulsive desire of animal self. Mother Goddess religions.
Prince of Disks, Taurus, Earth, 2nd house, earth sign of animal self / mother quartet: Material satisfaction of animal desires, implying certain coarseness of expression. (Taurus conventionally associated with Venus, but planet Earth itself, with qualities of inertia and solidity, is better association.)
Knight of Swords, Gemini, Mercury, 3rd house, air sign of animal self / mother quartet: Superficial dualistic thought (good versus evil, individual versus society, black versus white, etc). Characteristic thought pattern during transition between animal and socialized quartets.
Queen of Cups, Cancer, Moon, 4th house, water sign of animal self / mother quartet: Transition between animal and socialized stages; birth of personality; development of powers of feeling, memory and imagination; reflections upon childhood.
Prince of Wands, Leo, Sun, 5th house, fire sign of socialized self / father quartet: Desire reformulated in socialized form (love leading to marriage and children, versus animal lust). Dramatic behavior ("Look at me!) not really egotistic but rather opposite, because focus on observers. Father God religions.
Knight of Disks, Virgo, Asteroids, 6th house, earth sign of socialized self / father quartet: Material satisfaction of socialized desire, implying repression of desire so as to integrate into society. (Virgo traditionally associated with Mercury, but this is particularly unsatisfactory association, given trickery and amorality normally associated with that planet, which clashes with Virgo's conformist tendencies, obedience to authority, repression of self interest in favor of society's interest. Virgo associated with differentiation and "behind scenes" lack of conspicuousness, thus asteroid belt more suitable "planet").
Queen of Swords, Libra, Venus, 7th house, air sign of socialized self / father quartet: Nuanced thought, capable of balancing conflicting possibilities and seeing shades of grey, which is required for transitioning to next quartet, wherein dichotomies of animal versus socialized, expression versus repression of desire, replaced by blends of polarities. Transition to next quartet requires execution of Father (rebellion against socialization, deconstruction of internalized moral code of society).
Prince of Cups, Scorpio, Pluto, 8th house, water sign of socialized self / father quartet: Transformation of socialized self into mature self. Transformation requires confrontation with taboos of sex, death and other people's money. Transformation seldom easy. Depression and emotional storms quite likely during transformation.
Knight of Wands, Sagittarius, Jupiter, 9th house, fire sign of mature self / son quartet: Desire reformulated to balance demands of individual and society, but favoring society (sublimated love, which simultaneously provides bodily pleasure but also impetus to worldly achievement so as to impress opposite sex). Annunciation of Son religion.
Queen of Disks, Capricorn, Saturn, 10th house, earth sign of mature self / son quartet: Material satisfaction of sublimated desire, implying concern with worldly achievement but not at expense of satisfaction of underlying animal desire, which in turn implies high degree of self-discipline to simultaneously achieve these conflicting goals. Incarnation of Son, spirit or word of Son religion made flesh.
Prince of Swords, Aquarius, Uranus, 11th house, air sign of mature self / son quartet: Unconventional thought, as preliminary to breaking bonds of social convention.
Knight of Cups, Pisces, Neptune, 12th house, water sign of mature self / son quartet: Transformation which dissolves bonds of social convention and leads to enlightenment. Crucification of Son, to be followed by resurrection and ascent into higher realm. All water signs (transitions) are treacherous, but especially Pisces. Failed Pisces transition associated with institutionalization: prisons, lunatic asylums, homeless shelters. Failure typically caused by attempt to skip father and son stages (skip fulfillment of duties to society) and proceed straight to daughter stage.

Four elements combine with final stage of enlightenment process to produce four esoteric astrological signs:

Princess of Wands, esoteric fire sign of enlightened self / daughter quartet: Desire reformulated beyond bounds of social convention, implying balance between individual and society which favors individual. Daughter religions (personal rather than mundane astrology, tarot, alchemy, ceremonial magick, witchcraft), which by definition (because they emphasize individual at expense of society) can never be sanctioned by society, though they may be tolerated during periods where society does not feel its existence threatened, which is why the daughter quartet is not revealed as part of conventional astrology.
Princess of Disks, esoteric earth sign of enlightened self / daughter quartet: Material satisfaction of reformulated desire which emphasizes individual over society, implying concern with substance versus appearance (house provides shelter from elements as opposed to being means of impressing neighbors, etc). Incarnation of Daughter, spirit or word of Daughter religion made flesh.
Princess of Swords, esoteric air sign of enlightened self / daughter quartet: Enlightenment having been reached, goal is no longer to progress but rather to hold what has been obtained, implying tendency towards defensiveness, to avoid being ensnared again in bonds of socially approved conventional thinking. "I must create my own system of thought, or be enslaved by another's".
Princess of Cups, esoteric water sign of enlightened self / daughter quartet: No further transformation, but rather submersion in waters of bliss.

Tarot Trumps

Alchemical encoding of enlightenment process, or conversion of inner lead into inner gold. Fool is unenlightened self, journey is from Universe to Magician. Associated with each trump card is element or astrological sign/planet.

Fool (Air): Always at hand is treasure of true happiness, which depends mostly on spirit (air) rather than material world, though fool in his folly may not be aware of this. Animal self is constant companion.
Universe (Earth, Saturn): Beginning condition, with focus on material world (earth). Four cherubim symbolize four qualities of adept, who has turned focus inward towards spiritual world: Man (Aquarius, Air, Sapere = "to know"). Eagle (Scorpio, Water, Audere = "to dare"). Bull (Taurus, Earth, Tacere = "to be silent"). Lion (Leo, Fire, Volere = "to will"). Adept knows nature of and importance of inner world, dares to transform focus from outer to inner world, silences mental chatter associated with outer world, listens to inner voice and is controlled by inner will.
Aeon (Fire): Crisis of repressed animal self desire (fire) that impels socialized or mature self to seek enlightenment.
Sun (Sun): Bright world of consciousness, which blinds us from seeing true nature of reality and thus imposes barrier to further progress.
Moon (Pisces): Animal self, plus subconscious aspects of spirit or programmed self, are hidden from consciousness by fortified towers of repression and false thought.
Star (Aquarius): "Though we yearn to break free forever from bonds of matter, and soar into ethereal realm of unfettered imagination, alas! we were not made to fly, but must walk upon solid ground, all the while casting our eyes towards the sky in longing." Sometimes yearning is in opposite direction: highly spiritual beings, largely freed from bonds of matter, yearn to once again feel intense bodily desire and bodily pleasure. In particular, elderly often lose strong desire for and strong capacity for enjoying sex and food, and life without those primary sources of bodily pleasure can seem pale and barren. That is, we must keep one foot on earth (body), one foot in water (pleasure), and earth must be watered with pleasure, if we are to achieve happiness, rather than trying to live in the air (mind).
Tower (Mars): Violent overthrow of old values. Some degree of destruction always necessary for there to be progress. Some say decapitated tower shown in Rider-Waite version of this card represents rite of circumcision (both male and female), which in turn is bodily symbolization of redirection of sexual focus inwards, so that orgasmic energy goes up backbone for recycling, versus lost outwards (Taoist sexual kung fu).
Devil (Capricorn): Error of materialism, which causes us to think that happiness depends on matter, when in fact it mainly depends on spirit (mind). Fetters of materialism can be cast aside at any time. Indeed, we may have put these fetters on ourselves and thereby created our own hell. If God is good, then Satan (from Hebrew for "adversary" of God) is enslaver and Devil (from Greek for "betrayer" or "slanderer") represents falsehood. But if God is evil, then Satan is liberator and Devil is truth teller.
Art (Sagittarius): Set things right with inner self, by carefully blending and balancing elements. Latin inscription (Visita Interiora Terrae, Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem), with acronym VITRIOL, is motto of alchemy and translates to "visit interior of earth, by rectifying, you will find the hidden stone". Interior of earth is subconscious but changeable aspects of mind. Hidden stone is precious jewel of inner perfection, or enlightenment.
Death (Scorpio): Transformation. Death of old allows for birth of new. Confrontation with taboos—sex, death, other people's money.
Hanged Man (Water): Acceptance of suffering as necessary to bring about change. Cross of matter (earth) above triangle of spirit (air). Elevation of genitals and stomach above head. Torture spirit to free body.
Lust (Leo): Tame animal self, without killing it, since animal desires (sex, food, bodily exercise) are what give zest to life. "Shiva without Shakti is a corpse": masculine (spirit, rational intellect, mind) without feminine (body and soul, animal desire, animal pleasure/pain) is lifeless.
Fortune (Jupiter): Law of Karma: past choices determine present fate, present choices determine future fate.
Hermit (Virgo): Truth must be sought away from madding crowd, guided by inner light.
Adjustment (Libra): Sword and balance of intellectual discrimination. Sword of thought is powerful tool which cuts both ways—dangerous tool in hands of those who don't know how to use it properly.
Chariot (Cancer): Proper use of mind as controller. Horses (animalistic desires) which provide motive power, must be led by driver (mind). Pull reins too tight (repress animal desires excessively), and chariot (body) ceases to move (loss of zest for life). Let horses run wild (abandon self to animal desires) and chariot crashes (bodily health lost).
Lovers (Gemini): Love guides towards mystical union or merging of dualities into unity and marriage of spirit and soul. But love is blind and its occurrence an act of grace from higher forces. Gifts we receive, among next five cards, beyond our control.
Hierophant (Taurus): Knowledge of esoteric wisdom, without power to use it.
Emperor (Aries): Active material power, including bodily health.
Empress (Venus): Passive material enjoyment, or bodily pleasure.
Priestess (Moon): Passive power of esoteric wisdom, ability to see what lies beyond veil of illusion.
Magus (Mercury): Active power of esoteric wisdom, ability to manipulate what lies beyond veil of illusion. Perfection of Adept.

Tarot Numbered Cards

Cabalistic (kabbalistic, qabalistic) encoding of enlightenment process. Ace to ten is path of spiritual manifestation. Ten to ace is path of spiritual development, working back towards primal essence. In practice, highest stage we can reach on temporary basis is four. Highest stage at which we can permanently reside is six. Between three and four is abyss. Correlation with age. Inner personality shaped during first three years of life. To the extent we have no memories of early childhood and cannot change personality traits formed then, there is "abyss" between that part of self and what develops afterwards. By age six, we have most capabilities needed to survive. By age ten, outer personality more or less complete.

36 non-Ace cards. Cycle through suits every three cards: Wands, Disks, Swords, Cups. Cycle through 7 planets every card: Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter. Cycle through astrological signs every third card. Thus, 4 of Wands = Venus in Aries (Completion) followed by 5 of Disks = Mercury in Taurus (Worry). 6 cards for Mars, 5 cards for other planets: extra Martian desire energy needed to set universe in motion.

Ace of Wands: Desire is motive power of universe.
Two of Wands, Dominion, Mars in Aries: Unconflicted desire as unstoppable force.
Three of Wands, Virtue, Sun in Aries: Desire channeled in forms approved by society.
Four of Wands, Completion, Venus in Aries: Harmonious satisfaction of desires.
Five of Wands, Strife, Saturn in Leo: Desires excessively chained to serve interests of society.
Six of Wands, Victory, Jupiter in Leo: Desire satisfied through channels permitted by society.
Seven of Wands, Valour, Mars in Leo: Desire clashes with society and its rules.
Eight of Wands, Swiftness, Mercury in Sagittarius: Unstable, constantly changing desire.
Nine of Wands, Strength, Moon in Sagittarius: Weakened contact with desire due to excess spiritualization.
Ten of Wands, Oppression, Saturn in Sagittarius: Excess of rules causes loss of contact with true desire, hence lack of energy.

Ace of Disks: Matter is means, not end.
Two of Disks, Change, Jupiter in Capricorn: Acceptance that matter is constantly changing.
Three of Disks, Works, Mars in Capricorn: Act of struggling with matter, versus results of struggle, path versus destination.
Four of Disks, Power, Sun in Capricorn: Power to shape matter into form, versus form itself.
Five of Disks, Worry, Mercury in Taurus: Material world is chaotic, attempt to impose order leads to frustration.
Six of Disks, Success, Moon in Taurus: Passive acceptance of material world and its vicissitudes, we adapt to material world versus trying to make it adapt to us.
Seven of Disks, Failure, Saturn in Taurus: Material world is chaotic, attempts to impose order doomed to fail.
Eight of Disks, Prudence, Sun in Virgo: Success in small matter of material world but failure in larger matter of spiritual or inner world.
Nine of Disks, Gain, Venus in Virgo: Material rather than spiritual success.
Ten of Disks, Wealth, Mercury in Virgo: Total neglect of inner spiritual self, in favor of material success.

Ace of Swords: Spirit is simultaneously our glory, because it allows us to control material world better than animals, and our downfall, because it opens door to inner split between spirit and soul.
Two of Swords, Peace, Moon in Libra: Peace that passeth all understanding. Non-attachment to and non-identification with flow of thoughts. Mind absorbed in itself.
Three of Swords, Sorrow, Saturn in Libra: Mind turns from contemplation of itself to material world.
Four of Swords, Truce, Jupiter in Libra: Forced version of peace that existed with Two of Swords, as from meditation and similar exercises to quiet mind.
Five of Swords, Defeat, Venus in Aquarius: Inharmonious thoughts.
Six of Swords, Science, Mercury in Aquarius: Systematic disciplined thought, productive of results in material world.
Seven of Swords, Futility, Moon in Aquarius: Mind unable to grasp what it reaches for.
Eight of Swords, Interference, Jupiter in Gemini: Conflict between long-term versus short-term, profound versus superficial thinking, unfocused mind.
Nine of Swords, Cruelty, Mars in Gemini: Spirit dominates soul, life wasted on bothersome thoughts.
Ten of Swords, Ruin, Sun in Gemini: Spirit becomes master of soul, rather than servant.

Ace of Cups: Maximization of bodily pleasure and minimization of bodily pain (maximization of bodily happiness) is purpose of life.
Two of Cups, Love, Venus in Cancer: That which we desire and that which increases bodily happiness are one and same.
Three of Cups, Abundance, Mercury in Cancer: Spirit as good servant of soul, increasing bodily happiness.
Four of Cups, Luxury, Moon in Cancer: Passivity as way to bodily happiness.
Five of Cups, Disappointment, Mars in Scorpio: Bodily happiness frustrated by limits of matter.
Six of Cups, Pleasure, Sun in Scorpio: Bodily happiness in forms approved of by society.
Seven of Cups, Debauch, Venus in Scorpio: Overindulgence, excessive bodily happiness.
Eight of Cups, Indolence, Saturn in Pisces: Limits of time and matter interfere with bodily happiness.
Nine of Cups, Happiness, Jupiter in Pisces: Superficial rather than deep bodily happiness.
Ten of Cups, Satiety, Mars in Pisces: Too much bodily happiness leads to burn out.