The 22 Atu of Aleister Crowley's Tarot: An Analysis.

Throughout our discourse, you will require access to an annotated schematic of Tree of Life, such as that shown on our Introduction to the Atu which you should preferably draw, or otherwise print. Assuming you have done this, between the Sephiroth numbered 1 and 2 at the top of the Tree, you'll see a line carrying the following symbols and words:

Numeral: 0
Hebrew Letter: Aleph:
Let us first examine the meaning of these basic symbols in relation to the Sephiroth between which this cards sits. Zero, one of the great mathematical concepts of all time, represents the first point on a continuum of numbers. Why should this be? And why is the first Sephirah, Keter, numbered 1? There is mystery here. For Keter, the First Sephirah, represents the distillation of the unimaginable into reality. It is the unity from which all duality in our world is derived.
Dion Fortune once related being advised that if 'God' is anything, it is pressure.I think this is a great metaphore for Keter, a universal force from which everything emerges. But Keter is also a point, a circle whose circumference is nowhere and whose center is everywhere.
I see you shaking your head at this 'gibberish'! Bear with me - the lights will come on in the end if you persevere! Just think of a circle of infinite size; the centre of such a circle would have to cover every point in the universe (which is finite). This is the idea of Hadit and Nuit, the concept with which Liber Al opens. So Keter really is the centre, the unity from which all else arises. So how does 1 give birth to 0? It is said in the Kabbalah, that when God created the universe, he created a void, The Tzimtzum within which the universe could exist. And this universe, awaiting fertilization by the deity, would be void. So you can think of The Fool as a wind (air) putting forth its power into the void.

Now although The Fool is attributed to zero, the path on which it sits between 1 and 2 (Keter and Chochmah), is the Eleventh Path of the Tree of Life. Look at the Tree and you will see again that there are Ten Sephiroth. So the eleventh 'path' is that of The Fool. So The Fool has number zero but sits on the eleventh path. I hope this is clear.

So what is the significance of the number eleven to The Fool? This is a little easier to comprehend, a little less abstruse. We consider that all of reality arises from an omnipresent and immanent pressure we call Keter. We also know that we live in a bipolar universe, wherein everything has its complementary counterpart, be it a subatomic particle (the electron has the positron), a sexual entity or whatever. So we begin with 1, Keter, which resonates through reality and mirrors itself, creating the potential for duality. This it does through the medium of Zero, The Fool, whose task it is to fertilize and impregnate the universe. This seems lucid: we are making progress through the morass of metaphysical symbolism.

So what of the letter, Aleph, assigned to The Fool? Aleph is the first of the 22 letters of the Tree of Life. Each letter is assigned to an Atu and each Atu is assigned to the Paths 11 to 32. Aleph has a numerical value of 1. Furthermore, if we spell Aleph in Hebrew, (Aleph, Lamed, Peh), we obtain a value of 111. 11 indicates the mirroring of Keter's unity into potential duality, whereas 111 seems to point to renewal through death and madness. How do we reach this conclusion? Because we can find a multitude of Hebrew words with the value 111 that are metaphysically tied to 11 and 1. This art is called Gematria. Each Hebrew letter has a number, but it also has a literal meaning - Aleph is An Ox Plough, which clearly indicates the arts of cultivation, of fertility. It is fascinating to see the consonance of these symbols as we proceed in our study. Hear now the words of Aiwass that summarise these truths:

Liber Al I:48: My prophet is a fool with his one, one, one; are not they the Ox, and none by the Book?

We have so far, just from a few symbols, deduced a great depth of meaning in the Eleventh Path and The Fool who there resides. What of the alchemical symbol of Air? It is critical to note that the four elements of alchemy, Fire, Air, Earth and Water, are not the mundane elements we associate with those names in day to day life. For Alchemists, Air represents intellect, fluidity, fertilization, the breath of god, and is present throughout nature, in each element and entity according to its nature. The other elements will be considered in due course as we walk through the tarot of Aleister Crowley.

Let us now approach the images on the card from a very basic and simplified viewpoint. We see a Green Man; at this point in our discourse, it should now be intuitive to see this figure as a harbinger of spring, fertility and renewal. This figure occurs much in mythology. In the loops around him we see a representation of the zodiac, and the archetypal threefold veils that exist above the Tree of Life as aspects of infinity. This is complemented with the bag of astrological symbols that hangs from his arm.The crocodile represents ingenuity as a threat, and the tiger represents the danger of unfettered intellect and creativity, the counterpart of the positive aspects of this card, for all things are balanced, albeit internally, above the Abyss. We also see the grapes of Dionysus, the Lord of unfettered pleasure and indulgence, madness and creativity.

So, summarizing, we see The Fool as the impregnation of the universe, of renewal through the cycles of eternity, of innocence counterbalanced with great intellect and force. We see the potential of duality arising from the extruded resonance of the unity of Keter. Through the cone of light directed at the head of The Fool, we are kept aware of the eternal pressure that drives change in our world. As an afterthought, I would add that the letter Aleph is itself made up of two other Hebrew letters, Yod (of which there are two), and Vav. Together, these three letters have the value 26, which is the value of the Tetragrammaton, the fourfold name of God, commonly translated as Jehovah by the vulgar. This carries the implicit meaning that God is Unity. We also deduce from this deeper lessons concerning the cycle of birth and re-birth which are embedded in the Tetragrammaton; but these things, although of profound importance, will not assist us in our current exposition.

There is so much more to say on the rich symbolism of Crowley's Fool, but for the moment, I will consider my task done and maintain the silence of Harpocrates. As always, a far deeper and cogent explanation is available from Crowley himself, but this discourse is intended for beginners.
Questions? Comments? Blog our Thelema Tarot Forum
Now let us proceed to the next of the Atu, The Magus.


	Atu 0: The Fool Throughout our discourse, you will require access to an annotated schematic of Tree of Life, such as that shown on our Introduction to the Atu which you should preferably draw, or otherwise print. Assuming you have done this, between the Sephiroth numbered 1 and 2 at the top of the Tree, you'll see a line carrying the following symbols and words: Numeral: 0 Hebrew Letter: Aleph: Let us first examine the meaning of these basic symbols in relation to the Sephiroth between which this cards sits. Zero, one of the great mathematical concepts of all time, represents the first point on a continuum of numbers. Why should this be? And why is the first Sephirah, Keter, numbered 1? There is mystery here. For Keter, the First Sephirah, represents the distillation of the unimaginable into reality. It is the unity from which all duality in our world is derived. Dion Fortune once related being advised that if 'God' is anything, it is pressure.I think this is a great metaphore for Keter, a universal force from which everything emerges. But Keter is also a point, a circle whose circumference is nowhere and whose center is everywhere. I see you shaking your head at this 'gibberish'! Bear with me - the lights will come on in the end if you persevere! Just think of a circle of infinite size; the centre of such a circle would have to cover every point in the universe (which is finite). This is the idea of Hadit and Nuit, the concept with which Liber Al opens. So Keter really is the centre, the unity from which all else arises. So how does 1 give birth to 0? It is said in the Kabbalah, that when God created the universe, he created a void, The Tzimtzum within which the universe could exist. And this universe, awaiting fertilization by the deity, would be void. So you can think of The Fool as a wind (air) putting forth its power into the void. Now although The Fool is attributed to zero, the path on which it sits between 1 and 2 (Keter and Chochmah), is the *Eleventh Path of the Tree of Life.* Look at the Tree and you will see again that there are Ten Sephiroth. So the eleventh 'path' is that of The Fool. So The Fool has number zero but sits on the eleventh path. I hope this is clear. So what is the significance of the number eleven to The Fool? This is a little easier to comprehend, a little less abstruse. We consider that all of reality arises from an omnipresent and immanent pressure we call Keter. We also know that we live in a bipolar universe, wherein everything has its complementary counterpart, be it a subatomic particle (the electron has the positron), a sexual entity or whatever. So we begin with 1, Keter, which resonates through reality and mirrors itself, creating the potential for duality. This it does through the medium of Zero, The Fool, whose task it is to fertilize and impregnate the universe. This seems lucid: we are making progress through the morass of metaphysical symbolism. So what of the letter, Aleph, assigned to The Fool? Aleph is the first of the 22 letters of the Tree of Life. Each letter is assigned to an Atu and each Atu is assigned to the Paths 11 to 32. Aleph has a numerical value of 1. Furthermore, if we spell Aleph in Hebrew, (Aleph, Lamed, Peh), we obtain a value of 111. 11 indicates the mirroring of Keter's unity into potential duality, whereas 111 seems to point to renewal through death and madness. How do we reach this conclusion? Because we can find a multitude of Hebrew words with the value 111 that are metaphysically tied to 11 and 1. This art is called Gematria. Each Hebrew letter has a number, but it also has a literal meaning - Aleph is An Ox Plough, which clearly indicates the arts of cultivation, of fertility. It is fascinating to see the consonance of these symbols as we proceed in our study. Hear now the words of Aiwass that summarise these truths: Liber Al I:48: My prophet is a fool with his one, one, one; are not they the Ox, and none by the Book? We have so far, just from a few symbols, deduced a great depth of meaning in the Eleventh Path and The Fool who there resides. What of the alchemical symbol of Air? It is critical to note that the four elements of alchemy, Fire, Air, Earth and Water, are not the mundane elements we associate with those names in day to day life. For Alchemists, Air represents intellect, fluidity, fertilization, the breath of god, and is present throughout nature, in each element and entity according to its nature. The other elements will be considered in due course as we walk through the tarot of Aleister Crowley. Let us now approach the images on the card from a very basic and simplified viewpoint. We see a Green Man; at this point in our discourse, it should now be intuitive to see this figure as a harbinger of spring, fertility and renewal. This figure occurs much in mythology. In the loops around him we see a representation of the zodiac, and the archetypal threefold veils that exist above the Tree of Life as aspects of infinity. This is complemented with the bag of astrological symbols that hangs from his arm.The crocodile represents ingenuity as a threat, and the tiger represents the danger of unfettered intellect and creativity, the counterpart of the positive aspects of this card, for all things are balanced, albeit internally, above the Abyss. We also see the grapes of Dionysus, the Lord of unfettered pleasure and indulgence, madness and creativity. So, summarizing, we see The Fool as the impregnation of the universe, of renewal through the cycles of eternity, of innocence counterbalanced with great intellect and force. We see the potential of duality arising from the extruded resonance of the unity of Keter. Through the cone of light directed at the head of The Fool, we are kept aware of the eternal pressure that drives change in our world. As an afterthought, I would add that the letter Aleph is itself made up of two other Hebrew letters, Yod (of which there are two), and Vav. Together, these three letters have the value 26, which is the value of the Tetragrammaton, the fourfold name of God, commonly translated as Jehovah by the vulgar. This carries the implicit meaning that God is Unity. We also deduce from this deeper lessons concerning the cycle of birth and re-birth which are embedded in the Tetragrammaton; but these things, although of profound importance, will not assist us in our current exposition. There is so much more to say on the rich symbolism of Crowley's Fool, but for the moment, I will consider my task done and maintain the silence of Harpocrates. As always, a far deeper and cogent explanation is available from Crowley himself, but this discourse is intended for beginners. Questions? Comments? Blog our Thelema Tarot Forum Now let us proceed to the next of the Atu, The Magus. Atu I: The Magus Hebrew Letter: Beit: A House Zodiacal Attribution: Mercury Path Number: 12 Connecting Sephiroth: Keter and Binah The Magus sits on the twelfth path of the Tree of Life, between the Sephiroth Keter and Binah. Now Keter, as we have said, is the limitless pressure that drives the cosmos into existence and renewal. Chockmah is the expression of Keter; it is an unrestrained force, an outpouring of energy on an unimaginable scale. For this reason we attribute it as being male. Chockmah is also known in the Kabbalah as Wisdom. It is the first point of duality, of bi-polarity in the universe. But be aware and remember that the Sephiroth are not entities defined by locations with boundaries. When we speak of the power of Chockmah, we witness it in the raging fusion of the Sun, in the unrestrained violence of the storm, in the mindless savagery of uninhibited humans, and in the blindness of all of nature’s unfettered powers. Binah, on the other hand, we know as The Great Mother, Mara, The Great Sea. Binah is known in the Kabbalah as Understanding. This is because Binah, which is attributed as female, takes the force of Chockmah and binds it with natural law. Thus, Binah may be thought of as the force that ensures the stability of the Sun, and the coherence and perpetuation of the cosmos, which, without natural law, would amount to not more than an eternal, explosive outpouring of raw energy. Binah then manifests through the power of physical fields, such as gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear forces and so on; to Binah we attribute the existence of time and sorrow, change and old age. Even at a mundane level we see these attributions to be true. For is it not the female who harnesses the energy of her man, diverting it in time to somewhat more constructive use than he would naturally incline? To The Magus on the twelfth path, we attribute the Hebrew letter Beit, which means a House, and has the numerical value 2, whereas Binah takes the value 3. Now the first letter of the first word of the Torah is Beit, and the first word is Berakhah, which means 'blessing'. So what is the nature of the 'Blessing of the 12th path? The numerical value of the word Beit is 412, which Aleister Crowley's 777 informs us has equivalent words meaning 'White Whorl' and 'Longing'. 'Longing' we can easily asssociate with the Time aspect of Binah. The White Whorl is of course reminiscent of the curvature of space-time by gravity. So we see in The Magus the descent of Law into the universe. In the The Bahir Illumination Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan tells us that the word Berakhah is closely related to the word Berekh meaning 'knee'. The good Rabbi goes on to say that the act of kneeling this implies indicates the descent of God to Earth. So what of the aspect of Mercury? In Roman myth, Mercury is the messenger of the gods, and given our analysis up until now, we see this fits neatly with the other attributions, for Mercury brings the message of God in the form of Law. Other attributions of ths god are those of quicksilver, of the fluid intelligence of the creative mind and of The Trickster. Why should this be? Questions? Comments? Visit our Tarot Blog. Atu II: The Priestess Hebrew Letter: Gimel: A Camel Zodiacal Attribution: The Moon Path Number: 13 Connecting Sephiroth: Keter and Tiphareth *The Pathway to the Most High* Truly, this path is an arrow to the realm of the most high. And as we would intuit, when we first glance at the The Priestess, we see immediately that a veil guards the sanctuary of Keter, first of the Sephiroth. We note here that the three Supernal Sephiroth: Keter, Chockmah and Binah exist above The Abyss. For our purposes, we may consider The Abyss to be a desert that will drain the last drop of our life-blood as we rise above the higher levels of consciousness and discard the dross of ego, of all that is 'I'. We do not venture into these realms unless we are prepared to sacrifice, to the last molecule, atom and quark, the whole sum of our being. Then, as Aleister Crowley so eloquently stated, a star is cast forth into the heavens, and, (in my own words), the sacrificial lamb emerges as a Master of the Temple on the shores of the Great Mother, Binah. The Camel The symbolism of the Camel is not quite as straightforward as it may seem. Surely The Camel is, to coin an old and very hackneyed appellation, The Ship of the Desert. And so The Camel represents the vehicle through which once face of the Most High Father is manifested in The Son, the Sephirah Tiphareth. Here is a metaphor for every adept to puzzle over. Within our deeper myths and legends, our yearning for the return trip through the terror of The Abyss, through the domain of the demon of dispersion Choronzon is made evident again and again, maybe most beautifully by Tolkein's Galadriel whose words resonate the longing of all humanity: "But if of ships I now should sing, What ship would come to me, What ship would bear me ever back, Across so wide a sea?" Every aspirant and every adept will understand the meaning of these words, which resonate through the caverns of his/her soul as the most profound longing for the slightest kiss of the Father of Eternity. For as much as The Father is made manifest in the The Sun through the agency of this, the Path of the High Priestess, so on this route does the adept make his/her return directly to the Godhead that sits as the Janus-Lord of the Middle Pillar. The Moon On this path, whose beginning lies above The Abyss, we consider the influence of The Moon to be exerted in its most tenuous, archetypal and spiritual form. We know from our studies of Alchemy and Astrology that The Moon represents the feminine through all of its phases: Girl, Fertile Mother and Sterile Crone. It is the avatar of Pisces, a Water Sign. This implies receptivity rather than force exuded, motherhood rather than maleness, mystery rather than revelation. And this is as it should be, for through the path of the High Priestess and the agency of The Camel is The Son revealed. But as much as this path connects the ultimate light of Keter with the spiritual radiance of the universe in Tiphareth, the emblem of The Moon is a warning to the adept; a warning of illusion and malleability that can lead the seeker to madness rather than illumination. Again, we recognise the truth of this, for it is said that none may look on the face of god and live. The Numbers The Priestess is of the Path of the Camel, whose number is three. Three is a prime number that refers us back to Binah, the domain of severity and law, of the Great Mother. Furthermore, three is a prime number, indivisible by any number except one, the number of Keter, the source of being. There is a stern warning here that those who would tread this path would be well advise to abide by its laws: deviation will lead to illusion and death. This is reinforced by the number of The Camel, Gimel, which is 73 - and another prime number. Referring to Crowley's 777, we find 73 alluding to The Wise One, to a great Demon King, to a Day of Feasting, and to an act of Trust. To each of you, these allusions will have their own meanings within the context of your lives. But now we reach contradiction, for The Priestess is Atu II (2). What do we make of this? Simply that whereas the universe exists as a concentration of the infinite unity in Keter, nothing beneath Keter exists except in duality. So as we pass through The Abyss on the Path of the Camel, from the realms of the supernal where duality exists only as the potential of Chockmah and Binah, so the mirror action of Tiphareth exterts its essence as both cause and effect and we make our entry into the living universe. Questions? Comments? Visit our Tarot Blog. Atu III: The Empress Hebrew Letter: Dalet: A Door Zodiacal Attribution: Venus Path Number: 14 Connecting Sephiroth: Chockmah and Binah *The Door of Creation* Above The Abyss, this card is the doorway between Wisdom and Understanding. As such, it may be considered as the path or channel that confers form upon force. This is the path that the Qabalist runs when practising the art of thought suppression, or wisdom through silence (Chockmah Consciousness) and active understanding (Binah Consciousness). In The empress then, we have to represent the universe emerging from unconstrained (thought-less) force to a state of governance by the understanding of Law. Crowley assigns Venus to The Empress. This is because its symbol is overlaid on the Tree of Life, it touches each and every Sephirah. And so this card must be a glyph of the creative process, but also of every potential creative outcome of this process. To some extent this explains the complexity of Crowley's Empress. Careful examination of The Empress, and of course reference to Crowley's own words shows this figure rising from the Sea of Binah, which tends to indicate that the whole universe is indeed founded on Law. The other symbols on the card are a harmonious polyglot of alchemical origin indicating self sacrifice (the Christ experience as shown by the Pelican feeding its young with its own blood), of regeneration (the White Eagle must be referred to the Red Eagle of The Emporer which we will get to in due course). and of the pure naked force required to drive and balance the universe. The Door Dalet is quite simply a door. But why this symbol for this path? Because that which lies behind a door is hidden. And to see what lies either side of this door, we have to suppress the thought-mode that permits us to the other side. It is a door for initiates, and an indication of how the Sephiroth may b approached without reason. To be continued... . Questions? Comments? 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