Crowley Countdown - Day 22

"
 KNOW NAUGHT!

ALL WAYS ARE LAWFUL TO INNOCENCE.

PURE FOLLY IS THE KEY TO INITIATION.

SILENCE BREAKS INTO RAPTURE.

BE NEITHER MAN NOR WOMAN, BUT BOTH IN ONE.

BE SILENT, BABE IN THE EGG OF BLUE, THAT THOU MAYEST GROW TO BEAR THE LANCE AND GRAAL!

WANDER ALONE, AND SING! IN THE KING'S PALACE HIS DAUGHTER AWAITS THEE."

-Aleister Crowley

And we reach the end of our journey and The Fool card. And also the third chapter of Liber AL.

The Fool represents unlimited potential. It is beginings and endings and the journey itself. Just like the medieval jester, the fool can go anywhere and say anything without judgement, reward, or punishment. The Fool is everywhere and nowhere. The Fool is breakthroughs. When this card appears it is a sign of encouragment to take the risk and go. Trust your instinct and go. 

"Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted."

Crowley Countdown - Day 21

"The True Self is the meaning of the True Will:

know Thyself through Thy Way.

Calculate well the Formula of Thy Way.

Create freely; absorb joyously; divide intently;

consolidate completely.

Work thou, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent,

in and for Eternity."

-Aleister Crowley

 The Magus card is one of my favorite cards in the Thoth deck. There are 3 different versions of this card. Lady Frieda Harris, the artist of the deck, worked very hard to achieve Crowley's vision of this card. 

The Magus is a conduit for change. Directed change. The power of your thoughts (Mercury) and the focus of your will are what is necessary to cause change.

Today is the celebration of the second chapter of Liber AL. "I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. "Come unto me" is a foolish word: for it is I that go"

How is magick working in your life? Here

Crowley Countdown - Day 20

"Purity is to live only to the Highest; and the

Highest is All; be thou as Artemis to Pan.

Read thou in the Book of the Law, and break

through the veil of the Virgin."

-Aleister Crowley

 And here we come to the final 3 cards of the series. The High Priestess represents the Goddess in all her many names and attributes. "Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inana." Nuit, the night sky.

In Thelemic circles, April 8th is honored as the first day of Aleister Crowley's writing "Liber AL vel Legis", The Book of the Law, in Cairo in 1904. Thelemites around the globe will be reading the first chapter, together, alone, aloud and in silence. This book means what it means to you. Your interpretation is the only one that matters. It is a magick book of prose poetry. 

Crowley Countdown - Day 19

 "This is the Harmony of the Universe,

that Love unites the Will to create

with the Understanding of that Creation:

understand thou thine own Will.

Love and let love.

Rejoice in every shape of love,

and get thy rapture and thy nourishment thereof."

-Aleister Crowley

If the Emperor is father Mars, the Empress is mother Venus. She is the mother of all things beautiful. Music, Dance and the Arts all fall within her reign. 

The Goddess of inspiration. Whereas the Emperor yells, she whispers. Secrets.

Crowley Countdown - Day 18

"Use all thine energy to rule thy thought: burn up thy thought as the Phoenix."

-Aleister Crowley

I have never been particularly fond of this card for some reason. Perhaps because for me it resonates with male domination and control. 

It seems sort of passive/aggressive to me, and the full red color doesn't help. 

It represents the figure of the father in ones life. And also discipline and tradition.

When this card comes up it signifies that a cold hard look at how we relate to discipline and order is required. Do we fall in line or rebel?

How is control working in your life? Take a look. 

Crowley Countdown - Day 17

 "Offer thyself Virgin

to the Knowledge and Conversation

of thine Holy Guardian Angel.

All else is a snare.

Be thou athlete with the eight limbs of Yoga:

for without these thou are not disciplined for any fight."

-Aleister Crowley

We come to the Hierophant. Another name change by Crowley, this card was originally The Pope. I much prefer this name change. 

The Hierophant is an indication in a reading that knowledge is about to be received or given, depending on the context of the question. In some cases, it is an indication that you, yourself, are your own teacher and have all the knowledge you need at this point. Or, perhaps a teacher is coming into your life. In any case, this card is all about knowledge.

Are you perhaps looking for guidance? The tarot a can be a teacher. Here

Crowley Countdown - Day 16

"The Oracle of the Gods

is the Child-Voice of Love

in Thine own Soul;

hear thou it.

Heed not the Siren-Voice of Sense,

or the Phantom-Voice of Reason:

rest in Simplicity, and listen to the Silence."

-Aleister Crowley

There is much mystery to this card. It can signify a bond with another soul, and also a commitment to an ideal, a project or a philosophy. It is related to the Art card in that it requires just the right combination of ingredients for the bonding or commitment to be successful. 

What are you committed to in your life? If you are looking for some guidance as to whether or not to commit, a tarot consultation can be of immense help. Here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 15

 "The Issue of the Vulture, Two-in-One, conveyed;

this is the Chariot of Power.

TRINC: the last oracle."

-Aleister Crowley

I have often found that this card gives a green light to going ahead with projects. It is a card of action.

However on a magickal and mystical level, that chariot is being drawn by 4 powers. Earth, Air, Fire and Water. So the chariot represents combined powers ready to move forward. 

The Chariot demands that we are in balance before we hit the road. As strange as it sounds, meditation can help us develop what we need to be able drive safely. 

To know, to dare, to will, to be silent. When these elements are in perfect balance (Adjustment), all is possible.

Crowley Countdown - Day 14

"Balance against each thought

its exact opposite.

For the Marriage of these

is the Annihilation of Illusion."

-Aleister Crowley

I love this card. I love the artwork. The cool, detached, almost electric feeling of Art Deco.

This card reminds us that in order to balance we must be free of intrusive thoughts - becoming detached, almost meditative when involved in decision making.

 Earlier tarot decks originally named this card Justice. Adjustment seems to me a higher level of justice. Almost karmic if you happen to subscribe to that idea. It is justice in terms of restoring a balance.

Sometimes to balance you need to see all your options. A tarot reading can help you put things in the correct adjustment. Here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 13

 "Wander alone; bearing the Light and thy Staff.

And be the Light so bright that no man seeth thee.

Be not moved by aught without or within:

keep Silence in all ways."

-Aleister Crowley

This card, to me, is the most introspective card of the entire deck. To wander alone does not mean to be lonely or removed from society. On a symbolic level, The Hermit wanders alone in the inner worlds. Not afraid to confront or deal with whatever may be there. Shadows as well as light.

To me it represents the courage to stand alone in our philosophies and spiritual practices. The courage to go it alone. Sharing what we have learned with others if they should ask. 

Be unique, be different, be yourself.

If you are seeking perhaps a little illumination a tarot reading can turn on the light.....here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 12

 "Follow thy Fortune, careless where it lead thee.

The axle moveth not: attain thou that."

-Aleister Crowley

This is one of those cards that everyone wants to get. Fortune. The Wheel of Fortune. Like a cosmic Vanna White spinning the wheel, we wait and hope that this time it's our time. 

The thing is wheels turn. What goes up, must go down. 

This again reminds us that all is change. Accept what comes around. 

That being said, this card in a reading is generally a good omen. Perhaps you are interested in seeing if the Wheel of Fortune comes up for you. Go here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 11

"Mitigate Energy with Love;

but let Love devour all things.

Worship the name ____,

foursquare, mystic, wonderful,

and the name of His House 418."

-Aleister Crowley

This card is one of those that has been renamed by Crowly, from Strength to Lust. In this case lust for life. It is the card that reminds us that each of us a purpose. It calls us to become who we truly are. Boundless creativity. The strength to be unique, to be individual, to dare to be different. This card calls to the divine artist within all of us to BE. Just BE. Life each moment in life free from the last.

Crowley Countdown - Day 10

"Let not the waters

whereon thou journeyest wet thee.

And, being come to shore,

plant thou the Vine and rejoice without shame."

-Aleister Crowley

The Hanged Man is one of the most difficult images to figure out in the tarot. It is a symbol of voluntary sacrifice yet at the same time it conveys a sense of suspended animation. The pose of the figure is that of a traitor. As that is how they were hung in the middle ages. But over time it has taken on a decidedly different meaning.

For me, in a reading, it is trying to convey the idea of looking at things from a completely different perspective. And also that of waiting. Patience and meditation. It tells us that circumstances cannot be rushed. We must wait and act when the time is right.

 

It is not death or dying. It is simply observing. Stillness. 

Perhaps you are needing to look at things from a new perspective. Tarot opens the way. Here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 9

"The Universe is Change;

every Change is the effect of an Act of Love;

all Acts of Love contain Pure Joy.

Die daily.

Death is the apex of one curve of the snake Life:

behold all Opposites as necessary complements, and rejoice."

-Aleister Crowley

 This card is probably the most feared of all, in the major arcana of the tarot. But this card does not represent physical death. The concept of death, symbolically, means change. Change in the sense of moving from one state to another. Nothing can change without what once was becoming what is now. The moment of inertia before something changes is death.

 In the earliest tarot decks this card was unnamed. That which is unnamed.

 Death is a dance in which we will all join at some point. This card reminds us to enjoy everything fully, for all things will ultimately change.

How about a reading to help point out how to best manifest change in your life? Go here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 8

"Pour thine all freely from the Vase in thy right hand,

and lose no drop.

Hath not thy left hand a vase?

Transmute all wholly into the Image of thy Will,

bringing each to its true token of Perfection.

Dissolve the Pearl in the Wine-cup;

drink, and make manifest the Virtue of that Pearl."

-Aleister Crowley

 One of my favorite cards in the Thoth deck, Art is the most alchemically symbolic of them all. To me this card symbolizes complete creativity. The perfect mixture to create the ultimate YOU.

It is the card par excellence for Artists, Poets, Writers, Musicians and all people engaged in creative works. Examine what it is that you want to create. 

A tarot reading is a great way to open up creative paths. Book one here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 7

"With thy right Eye create all for thyself,

and with the left accept all that be created otherwise."

 -Aleister Crowleye

The Devil is one of the most misunderstood cards of the tarot. The Devil is not evil. The Devil reminds us that unashamed sexuality is part of the human experience. To deny our physical desires in pursuit of spritual attainment only leads to frustration and fanaticism. 

The Devil is about the enjoyment of all things material and sensual, yet at the same time we must not become entrapped solely in the physical world and deny our spiritual and divine nature.

The Devil has become the symbol for things deemed amoral by those who espouse a puritanical outlook on life. "The devil made me do it", is a favorite way to blame an outside source on your actions, rather than accept full responsibility.

Even a deck of playing cards was once called "The Devil's Picturebook".

I leave you with some music, and a reminder that should you wish to consult "The Devil's Picturebook", I am available for online readings. Book a reading here.

Crowley Countdown - Day 6

"Break down the fortress

of thine Individual Self,

that thy Truth may spring free from the ruins."

- Aleister Crowley

Many people are afraid of this card. I suppose because it conjures up images of out of control and unpredicted circumstances. I personally, have never been frightened of receiving The Tower in a reading. For me it is a cautious warning not a prediction. Nothing ever lasts forever. When you open your psychic eye you will see the folly of putting faith into anything permanent. 

It is to a certain extent about destruction, but also the knowing that sometimes destruction is necessary for new growth to occur.

Solve et Coagula

 (Solve et Coagula, meaning "dissolve and coagulate," is a Latin phrase originating from alchemy, signifying the process of breaking down and reforming something to create something new or purified.)

Crowley Countdown - Day 5

"Pour water on thyself

thus shalt thou be a Fountain to the Universe.

Find thou thyself in every Star.

Achieve thou every possibility.

-Aleister Crowley

"Every Man & Woman is a Star"

This is one of my favorite Crowley quotes, and it comes from "The Book of the Law".

It is of course open to all kinds of interpretations. To me it is a bold declaration that each of us is completely unique. A star in our own orbit through the universe. Cultivating our uniqueness is our birthright. We all have the right to be who we are without validation. Please read Crowley's "Liber OZ" for his manifesto of human rights.

Note: In Crowley's kabbalistic system, this card is exchanged with The Emperor on the Tree of Life. The reasons for this are far too complicated to explain here. More info can be found in his "Book of Thoth". Those following these meditations explicitly will want to exchange these cards appropriately.

Crowley Countdown - Day 4

"Let the Illusion of the World pass over thee,

unheeded, as thou goest from the Midnight to the Morning."

-Aleister Crowley

 Today we meditate on the Moon card and the idea of illusion.

Illusion is something the world is dealing with on a global scale right now. More correctly, disillusion. We are starting to see the world for what it is. Uncovering corruption and throwing it in the face of those who pretend to hold power over the people. 

As Neptune, the planet of Grand Illusion, moves out of Pisces, (the moon card), and into Aries, (the Emperor card), we will start to see clearly the lies and deceit, propagated by oligarchs and oppressive governments, attacked and exposed and gradually taken down.

The idea of being awake or "woke" is being played out now. 

The fog is lifting.

Crowley Countdown - Day 3

"Give forth thy light to all without doubt;

the clouds and shadows are no matter for thee.

Make Speech and Silence,

Energy and Stillness,

twin forms of thy play."

- Aleister Crowley

In times like these, it is important to recognize our individuality. Our own sun, our own brightness. Now is the time to really burst forth and dispel the shadows of evil. Those forces that would try to contain our light. Meditate today upon your own uniqueness and your own sun. 

The music I am sharing through this series of Thoth posts is by one of my favorite neo-psych bands, “Magick Brother & Mystic Sister”. Enjoy!