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1944 · PDF PAGE 160

The Book of Thoth

QUEEN OF SWORDS The Queen of Swords represents the watery part of Air, the elasticity of that element, and its power of transmission. She rules from the 21St degree of Virgo to the 20th degree of Libra. She is enthroned upon the clouds. The upper part of her body is naked, but she wears a gleaming belt and a sarong. Her helmet is crested by the head of a child, and from it stream sharp rays of light, illuminating her empire of celestial dew. In her right hand, she bears a sword; in her left hand, the newly severed head of a bearded man. She is …

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1944 · PDF PAGE 36

The Book of Thoth

…ivision of each element into its own system. The Knights represent the element of Fire, so that the Knight of Wands represents the fiery part of Fire, the Knight of Cups, the fiery part of Water. Similarly the Princesses or Empresses represent Earth, so that the Empress of Disks (Coins, or Pantacles) represents the earthy part of Earth. These cards have many manifestations in natural phenomena. Thus, the Knight of Wands has the attribution of Aries, and represents swift violence of onset, the lightning flash. But the airy part of Fire is sympat…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 142

The Book of Thoth

SUMMARIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE SIXTEEN COURT CARDS KNIGHT OF WANDS The Knight of Wands represents the fiery part of Fire; he rules from the 21St degree of Scorpio to the 20th degree of Sagittarius. He is a warrior in complete armour. On his helmet for a crest he wears a black horse. In his hand he bears a flaming torch; a flame also in his mantle; and upon the flames does he ride. His steed is a black horse leaping. The moral qualities appropriate to this figure are activity, generosity, fierceness, im‐ petuosity, pride, impulsiveness, swiftness…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 139

The Book of Thoth

PART THREE THE COURT CARDS General Remarks; General Characteristics of the Four Dignitaries; Summarized description of the Sixteen Court Cards; Knight of Wands; Queen of Wands; Prince of Wands; Princess of Wands; Knight of Cups; Queen of Cups; Prince of Cups; Princess of Cups; Knight of Swords; Queen of Swords; Prince of Swords; Princess of Swords; Knight of Disks; Queen of Disks; Prince of Disks; Princess of Disks.

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1944 · PDF PAGE 164

The Book of Thoth

PRINCESS OF SWORDS The Princess of Swords represents the earthy part of Air, the fixation of the volatile. She brings about the materialization of Idea. She represents the influence of Heaven upon Earth. She partakes of the characteristics of Minerva and Artemis, and there is some sugges‐ tion of the Valkyrie. She represents to some extent the anger of the Gods, and she appears helmed, with serpent‐haired Medusa for her crest. She stands in front of a barren altar as if to avenge its profanation, and she stabs downward with her sword. The heave…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 157

The Book of Thoth

In the Yî King, the earthy part of Water is represented by the 41st Hexagram, Sun. This means diminution, the dissolution of all solidity. People described by this card are very de‐ pendent on others, but at the same time helpful to them. Rarely, at the best, are they of indi‐ vidual importance. As helpmeets, they are unsurpassed. 1See, for a full analysis and explanation of this Word, Magick, pp. 45‐9.

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1944 · PDF PAGE 154

The Book of Thoth

PRINCE OF CUPS The Prince of Cups represents the airy part of Water. On the one hand, elasticity, vola‐ tility, hydrostatic equilibrium; on the other hand, the catalytic faculty and the energy of steam. He rules from the 21st degree of Libra to the 20th degree of Scorpio. He is a warrior partly clad in armour, which seems, however, rather a growth than a covering. His helmet is surmounted by an eagle, and his chariot, which resembles a shell, is also drawn by an eagle. His wings are tenuous, almost of gas.. This is a reference to his power of v…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 152

The Book of Thoth

QUEEN OF CUPS The Queen of Cups represents the watery part of Water, its power of reception and re‐ flection. In the Zodiac it rules from the 21st degree of Gemini to the 20th degree of Cancer Her image is of extreme purity and beauty, with infinite subtlety; to see the Truth of her is hardly possible, for she reflects the nature of the observer in great perfection. She is represented as enthroned upon still water. In her hand she bears a shell‐like cup, from which issues a crayfish, and she bears also the Lotus of Isis, of the Great Mother. Sh…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 158

The Book of Thoth

KNIGHT OF SWORDS The Knight of Swords represents the fiery part of Air; he is the wind, the storm. He represents the violent power of motion applied to an apparently manageable element. He rules from the 21st degree of Taurus to the 20th degree of Gemini. He is a warrior helmed, and for his crest he bears a revolving wing. Mounted upon a maddened steed, he drives down the Heavens, the Spirit of the Tempest. In one hand is a sword, in the other a poniard. He represents the idea of attack. The moral qualities of a person thus indicated are activi…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 168

The Book of Thoth

QUEEN OF DISKS The Queen of Disks represents the watery part of Earth, the function of that element as Mother. She rules from the 21st degree of Sagittarius to the 20th degree of Capricornus. She represents passivity, usually in its highest aspect. The Queen of Disks is throned upon the life of vegetation. She contemplates the back‐ ground, where a calm river winds through a sandy desert to bring to it fertility. Oases are be‐ ginning to shew themselves amid the wastes. Before her stands a goat upon a sphere. There is here a reference to the do…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 7

The Book of Thoth

CONTENTS—Continued PART THREE: THE COURT CARDS General Remarks; General Characteristics of the Four Dignitaries; Summarized description of the Sixteen Court Cards; Knight 0f Wands; Queen of Wands; Prince of Wands; Princess of Wands; Knight of Cups; Queen of Cups; Prince of Cups; Princess of Cups; Knight of Swords; Queen of Swords; Prince of Swords; Princess of Swords; Knight of Disks; Queen of Disks; Prince of Disks; Princess of Disks. PART IV. THE SMALL CARDS The Four Aces; The Four Twos; The Four Threes; The Four Fours; The Four Fives; The Fo…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 46

The Book of Thoth

PART TWO THE ATU (KEYS or TRUMPS) 0. The Fool. The Formula of Tetragrammaton; The “Green Man” of the Spring Festival. “April Fool”; The Holy Ghost; The “Great Fool” of the Celts (Dalua); “The Rich Fisherman”; Percivale; The Croco­ dile (Mako, Son of Set, or Sebek); Hoor­Pa­Kraat; Zeus Arrheno­ theleus; Dionysus Zagreus; Bacchus Diphues; Baphomet; Sum­ mary. I. to XXI. The Juggler; The High Priestess; The Empress; The Em­ peror; The Hierophant; The Lovers (or, The Brothers); The Char­ iot; Adjustment; The Hermit; Fortune; Lust; The Hanged Man; D…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 149

The Book of Thoth

…y ob‐ server that she is merely in the spasm of mood. She is cruel, un reliable, faithless and domi‐ neering. In the Yî King, the earthy part of Fire is described by the 27th hexagram, î. This shows a person omnivorous in passion of whatever kind, entirely reckless in the means of obtaining gratification, and insatiable. The Yi commentary is packed with alternate warning and en‐ couragement.

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1944 · PDF PAGE 6

The Book of Thoth

CONTENTS PART ONE: THE THEORY OF THE TAROT I. The Contents of the Tarot; The Origin of the Tarot; The Theory of the correspondences of the Tarot; The Evidence for the Initiated Tradition of the Tarot; I. Eliphaz Levi and the Tarot; 2. The Tarot in the Cipher Manuscripts; 3. The Tarot and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn”; 4. The Nature of the Evidence; Summary of the Questions Hitherto Discussed. II. The Tarot and the Holy Qabalah; The Naples Arrangement; The Tarot and the Formula of Tetragrammaton; The Tarot and the Elements; The Twenty‐…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 140

The Book of Thoth

…elemental attribution would harmonize with the Zodiacal attribution; but it is not so. For instance, one might anticipate that the fiery part of Fire would refer to the most active of the fiery signs, namely, Aries. On the contrary, it represents the last decan of Scorpio and the first two of Sagittarius, which is the watery part of Fire in the Zodiac, and the mildest in influ‐ ence. The reason for this is that in the realm of the Elements all things are mixed and con‐ fused; or, as the apologist might say, counter‐checked and counter‐balanced.…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 151

The Book of Thoth

In the Yî King, the fiery part of Water is represented by the 54th Hexagram, Kwei Mei. The commentary is singularly obscure, and somewhat sinister. It deals with the difficulties of rightly mating such opposites as fire and water (compare the Queen of Wands; but in that case Water is the calming and modulating influence, while here it is Fire which creates trouble.) Swiftness and violence ill suit a character naturally placid; it is rare indeed to meet with a per‐ son who has succeeded in harmonizing these conflicting elements. He tends to mism…

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1944 · PDF PAGE 169

The Book of Thoth

… Life for them is purely mechanical; and they cannot rise, or even seek to rise, above their ap‐ pointed lot. In the Yî King, the watery part of Earth is represented by the 3ist hexagram, Hsien. This has the meaning: Influence. The commentary describes the effect of moving various parts of the body, from the toes to the jaws and tongue. This is rather an amplification of what has been said above than an exact correspondence; yet there is no discordance. The general ad‐ vice is to go forward quietly without overt attack upon existing situations.

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1944 · PDF PAGE 13

The Book of Thoth

PART ONE THE THEORY OF THE TAROT I. The Contents of the Tarot; The Origin of the Tarot; The Theory of the correspondences of the Tarot; The Evidence for the Initiated Tradition of the Tarot; I. Eliphaz Levi and the Tarot; 2. The Tarot in the Cipher Manuscripts; 3. The Tarot and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn”; 4. The Nature of the Evidence; Summary of the Questions Hitherto Discussed. II. The Tarot and the Holy Qabalah; The Naples Arrangement; The Tarot and the Formula of Tetragrammaton; The Tarot and the Elements; The Twenty­two Keys, …

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1944 · PDF PAGE 145

The Book of Thoth

…d snap at her best friends without intelli‐ gible excuse. Also, when she misses her bite, she breaks her jaw! In the Yî King, the watery part of Fire is represented by the 17th hexagram, Sui. It indi‐ cates reflection upon impulse, and the consequently even flow of action. There is great capac‐ ity for lucid conception and steady prosecution of work; but this is only at the bidding, and under the guidance, of some creative mind. There is a tendency to be fickle, even disloyal; the ideas which she obeys make no deep or permanent impression. She …

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1944 · PDF PAGE 275

The Book of Thoth

‘The Court Cards of the Tarot with the Spheres of their Celestial Dominion = WANDS ‘The Knight of Wands, Rules 20° Mh to 20° t—including part of Hercules. ‘The Queen of Wands, 20° ¢ to 020° 7 ‘The Prince of Wands, 20° ax to 20° ‘The Princess of Wands. Rules one Quadrant of Heavens around North Pole. (See p. 177.) The Court Cards of the Tarot with the Spheres of their Celestial Dominion m= Swords. The Knight of Swords. Rules 20° ¥ to 20° IT ‘The Queen of Swards, 20° my to zo The Prince of Swords. 20° 5 to ‘The Princess of Swords. Rules a third Q…