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The Suit of Cups
An Analysis by Keith Rowley |
And this Cup is full of the Blood of the Saints... As we continue our analysis of the Thelemic Tarot of Aleister Crowley, so we continue to be inspired to new paintings, poems and other Occult Art. This image by Hettie Rowley represents the Ace of Cups. This essay is a part of our Thelemic Tarot Analysis, which we will in due course publish as a book. Join our Thelemic Tarot Forum and contribute your own thoughts and points of analysis. We really want to hear from you. In our introduction, we outlined the Four Suits of Aleister Crowley's Thelemic Tarot Deck. We also outlined how these four suits represent the four levels of creation in Kabbalah:
Atziluth:The Idea, The Archetype, The Emanation (Fire - Wands)
Beriah: Precipitation of the Archetype, Creative Concept, One to Many, Implementation (Air - Swords) Yetzirah:Shapes, The idea given form but fluid (Water - Cups) Assiyah: The material world permeated by the higher worlds (Earth - Disks) We see in the above definitions that each suit and element is associated with Archetypal Ideas. The Suit of Cups is assigned to Water. Now consider Alchemical Water as a metaphor for its mundane namesake, and we readily intuit the fluidity and all-permeating aspects of this element. Water has persistence; although fluid and permeable, a steady drip will drag a whole mountain to ruin. But water is also that which receives and transforms, causing the combination of elements and giving birth to new forms, and thus it takes the role of The Mother impregnated by the fire of The Father. On the Tree of Life we note the consonance of the symbols of Yesod, the Sphere of Illusion and also of Binah, the Law-Giver and Mother. We have already strayed into the symbolism of the Ace of Cups, so let us continue with that card...
 ;void(0)) The Ace of Cups The Ace of Cups represents the potential of the alchemical element Water. Water, as we stated in our brief introduction above, we consider to be a relentless and all-penetrating agent, and yet, depending on its aspect, its power may be of one of reflection. When we think of water, our minds are instilled by the severe peace of Binah, even as they are fertilized by the transformation that Binah brings in time. And how apposite that water should be associated with time, which is itself intertwined with and embedded in the fabric of Binah. But alchemical water acts on the universe not only through the agency of its own power, but also through the agency of alchemical fire, which greatly magnifies its power. Consider the release of energy through the medium of an earthquake and the secondary destruction wrought by physical water impelled by the fiery release of the energies of Earth. So although the Aces represent the descent of the purest concepts of the elements to our universe, the concept of water is also that of agent through which other powers make themselves manifest. Furthermore, when we penetertae further into the mysteries of water, we are soon confronted with death and regeneration, an aspect we will explore further in good time. The Number One This was explained in our introduction to the Suit of Wands. The Position of the Ace on the Tree of Life This was explained in our introduction to the Suit of Wands. The Ace of Cups and its Impact on General Readings When we find the Ace of Cups in our spread, we need to be immediately alert for other more overt signs of deception. What we are seeing may be no more than a reflection of a mirage, behind which lies another realm altogether. The context within which the card is set will, as always, determine our final interpretation, but this card, an Ace, represents an absolutely primal power that is patient beyond human understanding and whose ultimate sublimation into and dominance of the querent's world is absolutely inevitable. Although an agent of change, the Ace of Cups in itself does not indicate rapid change. However, driven and focused through the agency of oneor more of the court cards, its effect can be both devastating and instantaneous. We need to ask of this card when it appears, in what mode are its forces acting? If we are considering a long process, even a lifelong process, then this card will be the arbiter of the long term outcome. But even in ruin, the Ace of Cups promises regeneration and rebirth. ;void(0)) The Two of Cups The Number Two and The Tree of Life The number 2 devolves on Chockmah, the unrestrained force driving all of the universe, untamed and unguided prior to its sublimation by the power of the Law of Binah, the Great Mother. But the number two is also the first expression of duality, representing the first manifestation of the The Janus-Father as an aspect of duality, albeit above The Abyss, and beyond the conception of faculties honed by reason alone. As we are told by Aiwass: I: 32. Also reason is a lie; for there is a factor infinite & unknown; & all their words are skew-wise. I: 33. Enough of Because! Be he damned for a dog!
Now my analysis is in accordance with that our dear prophet, Aleister Crowley, but how he himself arrives at this conclusion I have not yet divined, for The Book of Thoth is silent on such matters. When we consider Will beyond Law, we are struck by a number of historical examples such as Adolf Hitler, who was by his nature of the Black Brotherhood, and who attempted to create and live within a domain founded on laws in obscene contravention of those that govern the universe. And so was his demise inevitable. The Astrology of The Two of Cups Aleister Crowley assigns Venus in Cancer to The Two of Cups. Whilst the attribution seems obvious, as Venus is the archetypal symbol of love and fertility so synonymous with the purest concept of alchemical water, we must ask why Cancer is chosen over the other water signs, Scorpio and Pisces. The answer to this is that Cancer represents water as a torrent, rather than as an Ocean (Pisces) or calm, opaque water concealing mysteries (Scorpio). So here, we have the most profound outpouring of the purest love, all-fertile, all-receptive, concealing nothing. And yet, this deluge of love is but a reflection of the unity of Keter from whence all else derives. It has neither purpose not reason, which again tends to direct us to the Book of the Law... For Pure Will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect... (Al I:44) Contextual Interpretation of the Two of Cups When this card appears in a reading, we will immediately observe the powerful yet dispassionate influence of unconstrained love, the idyllic love with which a young man looks upon the all too imperfect young woman (and visa versa of course) who is the object of his/her immature emotional desires. Tempered by experience, this all-permeating force will normally find its power constrained and refined by life-experience. But in the case of the Two it is perfect, and therefore perfectly dangerous if not controlled. Although Crowley indicates this card as perfect and placid harmony, he also states that it radiates an intensity of joy and ecstasy, thus once more demonstrating his love of syncretism. The most dangerous aspect of the influence of this card is the awesome power of the purity of the love it conveys. As much as this might drive a soldier to great acts of courage, so it might drive a 'saver of souls for Christ' to burna heretic at the stake, for his own sake. To be continued with the Three of Cups... ;void(0)) The Three of Cups The Number Three and The Tree of Life The number three is referred to the Sephirah Binah, the Supernal Mother, The Bright Fertile Mother, The Dark Sterile Mother, The Great Sea, Saturn and Time, Law and Constraint. Here we also find the first representation of illusion as The Moon, Concealment and Rebirth find their first archetypical expression. As such, we see in Binah the imposition of Law upon the primeval forces channeled from Chockmah. Binah sits atop the Pillar of Severity on the Tree of Life and is quintessentially the Laws of the Universe. Here we find the potential for growth through the agency of time, and the longing for a long gone golden age, for a return to Eden. And yet, Binah sits above the Abyss and is the home of the Masters of the Temple who have shed their blood into the cup of eternity. The Astrology of The Three of Cups Aleister Crowley assigns Mercury in Cancer to this card. Why? Cancer remains a torrent of alchemical water, of the purest love; a deluge that emanates from Chockmah and which now penetrates and impregnates Binah as the Word of God, represented by Mercury. Another way of expressing this is that the Yod has impregnated the Heh of the Tetragrammaton. Thus we have here the genesis of fertility. Contextual Interpretation of the Three of Cups Water is the element of fertility, and so, it is appropriate that in the Three of Cups, we find fertilization of the egg of potential by the inspiration of the spirit. The outcome of this creative process will be profound joy and great success. However, be warned. For as much as the idea is fertilised and the child it creates is brought into the world, the final outcome is not so readily perceived. For as we have already stated, in Binah, we find the first hint of illusion compounded with the secrets of time. More than this even, we have the first process of regeneration and birth, and that process is change, death and rebirth. As the good Mr. Crowley says, a great deal of sensitivity is required in the interpretation of The Three of Cups. To be continued with the Four of Cups... ;void(0)) The Ten of Cups We will begin our discourse on the Ten of Cups with a brief examination of number systems and their applications. This essay is essential to understanding the Tens, but I will move it to our Introduction to the Kabbalah in time. It sits here now as I am executing this analysis quite out of sequence due to the request of a friend.
A Brief note on number systems In the decimal system that we use throughout the world today, ten represents one Unit of ten represented by the '1', and zero units of one, represented by the '0'. Similarly, twenty three (23) represents two units of ten + three units of one. And so we call it a base ten number system, as digits roll over in increments of 10.
This base ten system is far superior to the long winded system of Roman numerals that required every unit of 10 (X), 50 (L) and 100(C) D(500) 1000(M) to be repeated. For instance, 10,000 is written MMMMMMMMMM in that system. Rather a bore, eh?! Making it worse, 40 would be XL and 60 LX! But the decimal system is not the only number system in use today. Computers for instance use a base 2 Binary System of only ones and zeros. For instance: Decimal Binary 0 0 1 1 2 10 3 11 4 100 And so on. Electrical engineers often work in a base 16 system known as hexadecimal, which runs: Decimal Hexadecimal 0-9 0-9 10 A 11 B 12 C 13 D 14 E 15 F 16 20 17 21 And so on. Number systems and the Kabbalah I have described these number systems to put our base ten Kabbalistic system into mathematical context. The ancients who devised the Kabbalah decided that the decimal system was best based to describe the unfolding universe: Why? Why did they select base 10? Was this an arbitrary choice? In Aleister Crowley's Essay on Number, in 777 and other Kabbalistic Writings (Samuel Weiser Press), Crowley defines the unfolding of the universe from zero through to 9 as a discrete process of dimensional expansion that turns back on itself after 9, reaching 10 as the complex reflection of the ultimate simplicity of Keter, 1.
But what if the ancients had chosen a base 12 system (1 to nine, then A, B, 20). Would this do? Is the Tree of Life fundamentally flawed? Does this matter at all? And what of a binary system? Clearly, such a system would simply not be practical in human affairs, as the human mind cannot easily manipulate binary numbers; 1157 for instance is 10010000101 and 1257 is 10011101001. See what I mean? Your grocery bill is a binary nightmare! But this should not be a mere matter of human convenience - all number systems represent quantities that exist independently of our ways of describing them. For instance: Decimal Binary Hex Octal 10 1010 A 12 Each of these numbers in each of these systems has the same value - the system we use is but convention. But had we adopted a Hex system for instance, would the Kabbalah have sixteen Sephiroth? Would the return to God begin only at the fifteenth emanation? This is the key question about the significance of the number 10 on the Tree of Life. Using the Properties of Ten as a Measure of The Kabbalah and the Tarot We must suspect then that there is something rooted in nature that makes the base ten system particularly suited to describing the processes of an evolving universe. This tends to be corroborated by the fact the the whole world has adopted this system for science and commerce and day to day living with no consideration of its metaphysical meaning. So Ten represents the point where everything changes, where the lower register is emptied and we see a reflection of the '1' of Keter, in the physical universe, synthesised, refined and distilled, and altogether another real. So let us keep a weary eye on Ten and look for final expression before change, tangible form emerging from the dream-world and illusions of Yesod, and a dangerous point of proximity to the World of Shells, The Qlippot. If we do not find these things then we might wonder whether our systems of Kabbalah and Tarot have the integrity we seek, so remain always critical and analytical. The Position of the Ten on the Tree of Life The Tens are placed on the Sephirah Malkhut, which is the place of The Daughter who Sits on the Throne of the Mother. We must think of this as corresponding the the Final Heh of the Tetragrammaton, as the world of Assiyah, the most integrated and realised of the four worlds, the world of outcomes, the world that is the turning point in spiritual life. But Daughter must be impregnated to make issue and thus continue the existential cycle, which cannot be achieved without the intervention of The Son. So when we map the tens onto the Tree of Life, and look for verisimilitude in our model, we should truly seek that which continues the process of descent and ascent. But of course, this is not so simple. For Malkhut is the densest of the Sephirot, and is most closely to its mirrored form which is comprised of the obverse aspects of the Sephirot, the Qlippoth. And so, within the universe of Malkhut, we walk on the shells of degeneration, but, we should not regard the Qlippoth as evil, but rather more like the hidden face of the Moon. We will have much more to say of the Qlippoth in our Introduction to the Kabbalah. The Astrology of the Ten of Cups The attribution of the Ten of Cups by Aleister Crowley is of Mars in Pisces (20 to 30 degrees). We need to examine this closely and see whether the attribution is consistent with our Kabbalistic and Alchemical analysis of the card so far. Let us consider firstly that Malkhut is directly below Yesod, The Realm of the Moon, The Machinery of the Universe, which gives birth to and permeates our physical universe. So the significance of the Moon here is obvious. But what of Mars? The attribution of The Golden Dawn, retained by Aleister Crowley, quite honestly requires a little more theoretical research. But, we have established a solid foundation to ask ourselves - which planet belongs here? This is surely a pretty solid way of testing the attribution. So, let's take it away! The Sun Radiance, the Dying God, the place of sacrifice - No! In no way does The Sun correspond to the dynamics of The Daughter, Malkhut. Venus The archetype of feminine beauty, yet deceitful (recall Mars' affair with Venus which was uncovered by Venus' husband Vulcan - one of the great analytic pieces from myth). This seems an unlikely attribution as the aspect of illusion is fundamental to Yesod. Also, The Daughter can hardly be impregnated by Venus! Mercury The trickster, the messenger - not the doer! Surely he has no place here, as his characteristics are not consonant with the needs of The Daughter. The Moon No! We'd have The Moon existing in the realm of The Moon, Yesod, as an image of itself. This may well have significance in the realm of the Qlippoth. Saturn Age and time in perpetuity. But Malkhut is the end of time's cycle, and a point of defining change rather than the broader aspect of eternity represented by Binah. Also, here, The Daughter sits on the Throne of the Mother. Once again, we may well have steered into the realm of the Qlippoth when we consider this possibility. Jupiter Benevolence and Majesty, Justice and benevolence. Were it not for the benevolent aspect of Jupiter (Chesed), we might well consider this planet as the prime influence on Malkhut. But Jupiter has not the explosive power of Fire required to satisfy The Daughter, and again we stray into the realm of the Qlippoth as we consider the possibility of the needs of The Daughter being served by the most benevolent aspect of The Father. Do you feel the extreme dissonance in these false attributions? Mars The power and rage of Pachad/Gevurah, the explosive force of change and rage, the spirit of renewal through the mechanisms of katabolic process. Here! Here we have the power of The Son to impregnate The Daughter. Here we have that which can unsettle the and dissolve the reality of Malkhut and breath new life into its crystallised form. Mars, the Bringer of War, the agent of renewal and change. It seems the attribution of Mars in Pisces is correct. For Pisces, being pre-eminently female, The Daughter figure of the Tetragrammaton, must indeed be woken from the torpor of achievement, or the universe would perish in eternal stasis. Is the Kabbalah not wonderful? And is not the Book of Thoth its most perfect image? The Ten of Cups in a Reading Aleister Crowley named this card 'Satiety', and attributed a rather baleful interpretation to it. And yet he was not wrong. In essence, he said that this card represented the realization of desire and that such realization results not in satisfaction, but rather in dissatisfaction. For as a man sits in his study, sipping the finest liquor, contemplating the luxury he has won through the sweat of his brow and the exertion of his mind, all seems trivial. For as the end of the journey nears, the Spirit of Mars rises from within the deepest recesses of his soul and screams No! This will not do! And for my female readers - I'll use she her and hers in the next essay! So when this card appears, regard it as the end of a process of acquisition. If the querent seems dissatisfied, then we have a solid metaphysical basis we can apply to his/her question. If however the querent is truly at the end of a process of achievement and acquisition and seems undisturbed by the end of his/her quest, then the direst warning against stagnation and spiritual death must be issued, for that person walks into the heart of true death. I may well add to this analysis, but the initial section concerning the significance of number systems must be moved, and a closer examination of the theory behind the Golden Dawn attributions are required. | The 22 Atu - Introduction | Atu 0 to III | Atu IV to VII | The Suit of Disks | The Suit of Cups | The Suit of Swords | The Suit of Wands | Thelema Tarot Forum | | Return Home | Art Mall | Thelema Literature | Contact | Magick | Thelema Prints | The Crowley Tarot | Blogs and Forums | Thelema Guest Book | |
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