Chapter 30

CHAPTER VIII.

✦

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM.

The Symbols — The Primitive Terms — Key of Symbolism — Definition
of the Sense of one of the Symbols — The General Law of
Symbolism.

Introduction to the Study of Symbolism in the

Tarot.

Our study of the Tarot and its numerical arrangement
has given us the general key, which should be applied to
all the further developments of which our subject may be
susceptible.

The symbols should therefore exactly follow the evolu-
tion of the numbers, and this we shall find them do.
However, as we shall now study each of the cards of the
Tarot in turn, and as the reader's attention ma}^ be a little
diverted by all these details, we have determined to com-
mence by a short introduction to the study of the symbol-
ism of the Tarot, an introduction in which we shall say a
few words upon the grouping of the symbols.

This point explained, we can pass on to further details,
which we shall terminate by a synthetic recapitulation.
We thus hope to obtain the greatest possible light upon
these difficult subjects.

The analvsis of the word Yod-he-vau-he has given us

72 THE TAROT.

the general law upon which the whole Tarot is constructed.
This law is thus represented — ■

yod

2nd he 4

vau

We must therefore first define the four primitive terms
in our symbols, which form the law exactly applicable to
the whole symbolism.

And, in fact, we find these four terms in our four first
cards ; the general sense of these terms being —

1 — Creator or Divine.

2 — Preserver or Astral.

3 — Transformer or Physical and Diffuser.

4 — Generator or Transitional becoming Creator.

This law corresponds in all points with our sacred word,

thus —

Creator

Divine

yod

Preserver

Astral

2 he

Transition
2nd he 4 or

Generation

vau

Transformer

Physical

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM. 73

We shall see that this law applies exactly to each of the
cards which possess three meanings.

A superlative or Divine meaning.
A comparative or Magic- Astral meaning.
• A positive or Physical meaning, responding to a transition.

GENERAI, STUDY OF THE FOUR FIRST CARDS.

Key to the Symbolism of the Tarot.

The four first cards of the major arcana form, symbolic-
ally as well as numerically, a complete sequence, which
corresponds with the sacred word Yod-he-vau-he.

For the first card expresses the active absolute, and
corresponds with Yod.

The second card denotes the reflex of the first, the
passive absolute ; it corresponds with the first He.

The third indicates the median term, the convertible
transforming term, corresponding to Vau.

Lastly, the fourth card is a term of transition between
the preceding series and the one that follows it.

The symbolic series of the Tarot is therefore completely
represented by the four first cards, exactly as the numerical
sequence is represented by the four first numbers. This
fact produces a very important consideration, namely,
that all the symbols of the Tarot are but transformations
of the three first, and that the latter will supply us with
the general law of symbolism, a law which will enable us
to determine mathematically the sense of each card that
follows.

But we can go still further.

THE TAROT.

Since the second card is the reflex of the first, and is
formed by the first considered negatively, and since the
third card results from the two others, it suffices to he
perfectly acquainted with the first card of the Tarot to
determine mathematically the sense of all the others.

Some details upon this subject are necessary.

The general law of the four first cards is as follows —

1 — Positive. Creator.

2 — Negative. Keflex of the first. Preserver.

3 — Neater, enveloping the two others. Transformer.

4 — Passage from one series to another.

We can then represent the series in this way —

Positive

Negative

k Neuter

And what is true for each of the terms of a ternary is
also true for the ternary taken as a whole, and this leads
us to new considerations.

For the first ternary would be positive, corresponding to
Yod, the active, the creator.

The second ternary would be negative, and would corre-
spond to the first He, i. e. that all the terms of this ternary
would be reflections of the terms of the first, just as the
second card was the reflex of the first.

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM. 75
This gives us —

(5) ~y (6)

Keflex of 2 (7) / Reflex of 3

(4)

Reflex of 1

We can thus determine the meaning of the arcana 4,
5, 6, 7 in the three worlds, since we know the meaning of
the arcana 1, 2, 3, 4.

We need only refer to the study of the Tarot by num-
bers, to find the symbols, which correspond respectively to
Yod, to He, to Van, and to the second He.

But if the second ternary is the reflex of the first, the
same rule applies to the septenaries.

All the cards of the second septenary will therefore be
the symbolical reflection of those of the first.

All the cards of the third septenary are representatives
of the third term, or of transformation.

We have then —

The 1st septenary,

Which represents the active Creation. The Divine Osiris-
Brahma, or the Father.

The 2nd septenary,

Which represents Preservation. The Astral, Isis, Vishnu,
the Son.

The 3rd septenary,

Which represents Transformation, Physics, Horns, Siva,
the Holy Spirit.

THE TAROT.

The three first arcana will therefore give the sense of
all the others according to the following figure :

FIGUEE

SHOWING

THE SENSE OP

EACH OF THE

22 MAJOR ARCANA.

yod

positive or

10.

13.

1G.

19.

creative series

1st he

negative or
preservative

11.

14.

17.

20.

series

vau

neuter or
transforming series

12.

15.

18.

21.

equilibrium

2nd he

4 =

1
= (1)

transitional

series

positive

negative

vau

yod

neuter or

2nd he

positive or

negative or

transforming

transitional

creative series

preservative

series

equilibrium

This figure is very important, for it enables us to see at
once the symbolical value of any card in the Tarot, by
working in the following way —

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM. 77

TO DISCOVER À PRIORI THE SYMBOLICAL VALUE OF ANY
CARD IN THE TAROT.

We must see —

(1st) Which Hebrew letter is written to the left in the
horizontal column, which contains the card under con-
sideration.

(2nd) Which Hebrew letter is written at the foot of the
vertical column, containing the card.

(3rd) Which sign (+ or — ) governs the secondary
vertical column, containing the card in question.

example :

I wish to determine the sense of the 5th arcanum.

I look to the left and find the Hebrew letter he.

This shows that the 5th arcanum is the he of what 1

In order to know, I look at the vertical column and find
yod.

The 5th arcanum is the he of yod, but that is not enough,
so I look at the secondary column which contains the sign
( — ) negative.

I thus obtain a definite description of the 5th arcanum.

The fifth card of the Tarot is —

The He of Yod considered negatively.

This is a synthetic formula comprehensible to those
only who are used to manipulating the sense of the word
Yod-hc-vau-he.

It is therefore necessary to give further explanations.

He represents the reflex.

We may therefore say, more explicitly — -

The 5th arcanum is :

The reflex of yod considered negatively. But what is
yod considered negatively 1

78 THE TAROT.

To find this out, I look in my left column at the letter
yod, I seek in the secondary vertical column the sign ( — )
negative, and at the intersection of these two lines I find
the 4th arcanum.

The yod considered negatively is the 4th arcanum.

This leads me to conclude —

That the 5th arcanum is the reflex of the Mh arcanum.

All the arcana can be explained in this way by each
other, according to the above rules.

This tableau is the key of the Ars Magna of Raymond
Lulle.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE CARDS OF THE TAROT.

To obtain the origin and derivation of any card in the
Tarot, it suffices to take the third card before it, and the
third card after it.

Thus the 8th arcanum is derived from the 5th arcanum,
and oives rise to the 11th arcanum.

i versai life.

Elementary

existence.

*
* #

Eeflected and
transitory life

From this it ensues that, when two cards added together
give an even number, we need only take the half of the
number to discover the card which serves to unite those
under consideration.

Thus, in order to discover the link which binds the 4th
arcanum to the 6th, i. e. the universal vivifying fluid, to
universal love, I add together 4 + 6 = 10, and I take one-
half of the number obtained = 5.

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM. 79

The 5th arcanum (universal life) therefore unites the
two opposites.1

The passage of the vivifying fluid (4) into love (6) is
performed through the medium of universal life (5).

Since each card of the Tarot has three meanings, it is
easy to philosophize by means of our pack, without taking
too much trouble about it.

* *

Another result of this rule is, that each card of the Tarot
has a complementary in any card bearing a number which,
added to its own, gives a total of 22.

For instance, what is the complementary card of the 1st
arcanum ?

It is the 21st arcanum, since 21 + 1 = 22. What is the
transition from 1 to 21 ?

According to what we have just stated it is 21 + 1 =

f = n.

The 11th arcanum (reflected and transitory life) there-
fore forms the transition between the 1st arcanum
(creative principle) and the 21st arcanum (universal
generation).

To find the card that serves as complementary to an}^
other, we must therefore subtract the number of the card
in question from 22.

For instance to find the complementary card to 14 —

22 — 14 = 8.

The 8th arcanum is therefore complementary to the 14th.
We have made this digression because all these details

1 The Hebrew alphabet thoroughly establishes this affiliation for
the letters corresponding to these three numbers. (See 8th arcanum.)

THE TAROT.

will be most useful to us presently. We can now return
to the study of our major arcana.

Let us once more recall the manner in which the four
first arcana have given us the key to the symbolism of all
the others, according to their affinities with the sacred
word, as follows —

THE GENERAL LAW OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TAROT.

Positive

(1)

yod

Negative

Keflex of (2) he
yod

Transition
2nd he (4) yod of the

following series

van

(3)

Neuter

Union of yod and of lie