The Tarot of Aleister Crowley: An Introduction and Analysis

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 Qabalah:

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 Swords is assigned to Air. Alchemical Air is considered to be the issue of Fire and Water. As such, it is a more complex idea those of the other elements. The first and foremost power we attribute to Air is that of intellect, of cold dispassionate analysis. The act of analysis, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is to break something into its constituent parts. And so it seems that nature itself has an inbuilt capacity for introspection. In humans, this capacity, this expression of Air, is usually tempered with the illusions of Water, the reality of Earth and the passion of Fire. When this is not the case, we observe a sad and sorry creature, a human mind denuded of an appreciation for beauty, incapable of feeling; a calculating machine that knows logic alone.
This is an extremely interesting observation given the ongoing (and in my opinion futile) argument that rages on between the proponents of Strong Artificial Intelligence (SAI) and those of Weak Artificial Intelligence (WAI). In a nutshell, SAI proponents claim that human intelligence (the ultimate expression of Air on our level of existence), can be simulated by a computer algorithm, whilst their opponents say it can not.
There is solid mathematical reason to believe that the SAI school of thought is utterly wrong - Kurt Godel's Incompleteness Theorem provides the main basis of this. In a nutshell, Godel proved that no set of axioms in mathematics can ever be complete - there will always be propositions in the set that cannot be proved without moving outside and beyond the set of axioms. It's something of a logical nightmare for a layman to understand this, but the implication is that a computer program, a set of coded rules, can never ever operate outside those rules and thus cannot be self aware or have a novel thought. This is disputed, but I think more in hope than in honesty. So I really don't think HAL will ever find its genesis.
We also observe of Air that it is critical in the development of the idea of the Word of the Logos in the 1st Atu, The Fool As such, it carries the force impelled by its progenitors and is the child that emerges from the marriage of the Father and the Supernal Mother, Aba and Ama. Let us now proceed to the seed of Air, its root concept as expressed by the Ace of Swords.


	Alchemical Air - The Breath of God 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 Swords. 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 Qabalah: 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 Swords is assigned to Air. Alchemical Air is considered to be the issue of Fire and Water. As such, it is a more complex idea those of the other elements. The first and foremost power we attribute to Air is that of intellect, of cold dispassionate analysis. The act of analysis, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is to break something into its constituent parts. And so it seems that nature itself has an inbuilt capacity for introspection. In humans, this capacity, this expression of Air, is usually tempered with the illusions of Water, the reality of Earth and the passion of Fire. When this is not the case, we observe a sad and sorry creature, a human mind denuded of an appreciation for beauty, incapable of feeling; a calculating machine that knows logic alone. This is an extremely interesting observation given the ongoing (and in my opinion futile) argument that rages on between the proponents of Strong Artificial Intelligence (SAI) and those of Weak Artificial Intelligence (WAI). In a nutshell, SAI proponents claim that human intelligence (the ultimate expression of Air on our level of existence), can be simulated by a computer algorithm, whilst their opponents say it can not. There is solid mathematical reason to believe that the SAI school of thought is utterly wrong - Kurt Godel's Incompleteness Theorem provides the main basis of this. In a nutshell, Godel proved that no set of axioms in mathematics can ever be complete - there will always be propositions in the set that cannot be proved without moving outside and beyond the set of axioms. It's something of a logical nightmare for a layman to understand this, but the implication is that a computer program, a set of coded rules, can never ever operate outside those rules and thus cannot be self aware or have a novel thought. This is disputed, but I think more in hope than in honesty. So I really don't think HAL will ever find its genesis. We also observe of Air that it is critical in the development of the idea of the Word of the Logos in the 1st Atu, The Fool As such, it carries the force impelled by its progenitors and is the child that emerges from the marriage of the Father and the Supernal Mother, Aba and Ama. Let us now proceed to the seed of Air, its root concept as expressed by the Ace of Swords. The Ace of Swords If you enjoy these essays, please go back to our Thelema Tarot forum and le4ve an opinion, question or observation. *The Alchemical Root of the Suit of Swords: Air* The Ace of Swords represents the potential of the alchemical element Air. As such, it is the seed of the potential for division, the first expression of the deity's wish to descend in spirit from the supernal realm. For how could a universe comprised of a multiplicity of parts, of a synthesis of the body parts of the undivided deity exist without a concomitant capacity for analysis? This is beautifully proclaimed in Liber AL: "For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union..." AL: I:29 There is no better or even equally valid ontological statement in any scripture than this. And at its heart lies Air. *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 Swords and its Impact on General Readings When we find the Ace of Swords in our spread, we are witnessing the formative phase of an 'attack' on that which is already in existence. Depending on context, this may, as always have a positive or negative outcome. For instance, it could as much indicate a formative intention to surgically or chemically attack a cancer tumour as a person's intention to attack the bonds between a loving couple. But it is a potential for the release of tremendous katabolic forces. Air is the issue of Fire and Water, and so when we see the progeny of this metaphysical liaison, we should be alert for the presence of its parents and ask ourselves, 'where are the progenitors of this force?' They should not be difficult to find. We might also see the potential here of cold detachment, of logic without judgement, the cold dispassionate and amoral mind of an engineer as he draws the plans for a gas chamber, fussing over the design but taking no heed of the consequences of his work. But remember, the Ace of Swords is but the seed of Air, and the disasters attendant on the unmitigated application of logic rarely come to fruition as intellect is synthesised with love, with passion, with caring and growth. This is easily witnessed in the growth of an ordinary human being (without the influence of the media and of politicians of course). In a sense, the element of Air is always present inasmuch that the division and descent of the deity into Assiah is always evident. The higher aspect of air, consciousness (or Spirit?) is bound up in creation. But, as already stated, it rarely exists in its purest form, and for that we should be grateful. The Two of Swords *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! So in this number we find purpose without Law, and from this we may deduce the Exertion of Pure Will. 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 Swords Aleister Crowley assigns The Moon in Libra to The Two of Swords. As we stated in our analysis of the Suit of Cups, the two represents the prefect will, the word of the Logos. But here, in the element of Air, with its inbuilt duality, its concept of innate contradiction and division, we are no longer seeing a mirror of Keter, but rather a hall of mirrors that reveals an eternal sequence of action and reaction, of the secrets of unity divided, of intellect and conflict as the ultimate agencies of god. This card reveals all of existence as the expression of a Perfect Oxymoron. But above the Abyss, Air, the fruit of Fire and Water, cannot begin its katabolic mission, for in truth it may operate only by the Laws of Binah, and at the level of Chockmah it exists within the perfect stasis of unrealised potential. This explains the attribution of Libra, which quite obviously represents balance. We see then that Air in Chockmah, far from being the torrential outpouring we see in the element of Water in Chockmah, is rather a balanced potential for disruption. The Moon, the Mother of Illusion, indicates that though stasis exists, as it will always exist at this preternatural level, the Universe stands as a pencil balanced on its point. For it is the will of the deity to overturn all things. We remind you again of this inevitability, quoting from Liber Al: 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 Swords Equilibrium in this suit contains the seeds of destruction - and of course, as we have previously stated, that destruction may have outcomes that are beneficial or otherwise, depending on that which is attacked by this element. But it does indicate changeless stability at this level. How do we reconcile these contradictions? Think possibly of a loving couple. At the most spiritual level, they may indeed love each the other as long as they live, and this love may be in some measure represented as balance. But this same capacity to love contains also its own contradictions, and so one partner may 'reason' that an affair with his secretary won't 'hurt' the woman he loves. In this example, we see Air in its aspect of amoral reasoning at the animal level, interacting with the baser aspects of Assiyah whilst at the higher, spiritual level, the balance is maintained and love endures as reason finds no outlet. Could this be why 'Love is blind'? Look then for the factor in the reading that will or has already upset the balance, but do not doubt the sincerity and/or the reality of this precursor of change. The Three of Swords *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 channelled 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 Swords Aleister Crowley assigns Saturn in Libra to this card. Why? In this case, the answer is again obvious. In Binah, time becomes manifest in the universe. Saturn is the embodiment of time, and with this we associate sorrow. As we know from the work of Einstein and his successors, time is a function of gravity (and visa versa). And as we have said already, Binah represents the restraint of physical law. Libra represents still the aspect of Air. And so, we comprehend the Great Mother emanating her laws over the gifts of intellect, but with emphasis here on the laws of sorrow, of regret and longing. This is the facer of the Dark Mother. In a sense, Binah, as she releases the sorrow of time on the universe, so does she also provide the spark that finally unravels the unity of Keter, through the unbinding of the twins of Air. Contextual Interpretation of the Three of Swords Physical law has taken hold. If the universe before was a pencil balanced on its point, then that exquisite balance, only possible without gravity, is broken and destroyed. The outcome is barely predictable in its detail, but the presence of Saturn does not bode well. There is deep, deep melancholy here, but not of the modern-day superficial type. Rather, something beautiful has been irrecoverably lost, inevitably lost as the previous state of stasis was simply unsustainable beyond the realm of ideals. That which emerges from Binah's womb will be a child born of the dark. The Four of Swords *The Number Four and The Tree of Life* The number four is referred to the Sephira Chesed (Mercy or Greatness). This is the first of the Sephiroth below The Abyss and it represents benevolence, kingship, tolerance, anabolism, creativity. The Astrology of The Four of Swords Aleister Crowley assigns Jupiter in Libra to this card. Libra we know is an Air sign and Jupiter is the Great King designated to Chesed, the father of benevolence. Above all, Chesed and the number 4 represent building of the status-quo, of authority unchallenged and intellectual accomplishment as an affirmation of convention. In their most negative aspect, these forces represents intellectual complacency, compromise and decay. See here the Christian church clinging to its young-earth dogma even as science reaches back fifteen billion years into the past. See also the demise of the west at the current time as morals decay under the smiling eyes of a corrupt and effete state. But it is also the beneficence of Chesed that brings the world back periodically from the chaos of decay and defeat, just as it is Chesed that grows weary and complacent at the end of an aeon, yielding to the reactionary katabolism of Gevurah as the universe swings through its great cycles. Contextual Interpretation of the Four of Swords Crowley call the Four of Swords: Truce. This is appropriate as long as we are aware that a truce is mostly temporary. We are in the realm of Air here, where intellect is applied to constructive and conventional purposes. But Air shifts under the impetus of Fire and Water and as such is fundamentally always in need of a driving force that will rectify its passivity. There is no rebellion here, but rather kindness with guidance that should always be a little firmer. It is this lack of firmness that prompts us to look closely in a reading for the stage of development in which the domain of the querent's question lies. In early stages of any endeavour, success and stability are promised. In the latter stages though, expect destabilization, rebellion arising from decadence and the 'gimme gimme' attitude so prevalent today in the last phase of western civilization. The Five of Swords *The Number Five and The Tree of Life* The number five is referred to the Sephira Gevurah or Pachad (Severity or Fear), whose number is five. Thus the association of Five is with war, destruction and the essential katabolic forces of nature. Whereas Chesed represents convention and stasis, albeit in a positive sense, Gevurah is swift motion, the flaming sword of destruction. This Sephirah lies at the opposite end of the cosmic cycle to that on which we find Chesed, and represents the discipline needed to balance benevolence lest it become effeteness and lethargy. And so, in that sense, the sword of Gevurah is a positive and essential factor in nature and in human life. But too much severity, too much discipline and we see the fury of the warrior unleashed without compassion or discrimination, without judgement, and most importantly without mercy (which is Chesed). The Astrology of The Five of Swords We have moved to the next of our Air signs, Aquarius, within which Venus is assigned as the planetary influence for this card. Now the very first thing that comes to mind when we see Venus in the abode of Mars, is treachery, deceit and betrayal. For was Venus not the wife of the cripple Vulcan when she lay with her handsome and no doubt vigorous lover? Did she not shame him before all the gods? Add to this the fact we are in the Suit of Swords and the aspect of treachery seems well planned and understood by its somewhat callous participants. Contextual Interpretation of the Five of Swords Crowley calls the Five of Swords: Defeat, which is entirely appropriate. We need to consider this in two ways. The first consideration is that of time. If within our reading we have an indicator that 'time's up', such as we infer from a mature sequence of events involving The Fours of Chesed, then we can surely expect catastrophe; but a catastrophe of our own making that has been brewing for a long time through a period of calm during which we were too indolent and indulgent to enforce discipline. A less mature crisis in the making gives us time to restore the balance and prevent the coming disaster. But given that we are in the element of Air here, we must look closely for conspirators rather than the action of the masses, for the masses are not known for their collective intellectual prowess. Well might Vulcan have wished he'd disciplined his lovely wife in good time. \| 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 \|