Thoth majors
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 20:10
What are your favorite Thoth majors, and which majors are difficult for you?
I have a sentimental love for Lust/Strength which was an important card in the first reading I ever got, back in the early Eighties when I knew nothing about tarot. When years later I bought my first deck and discovered Lust, the never-forgotten card, I was so happy. This energy is so wonderful, and I need her in my life. The transformation of the traditional gentle maiden of fortitude to an exuberant Babalon is wonderful.
Some years ago, I found this illustration of a cosmic lion goddess in one of Joseph Cambell's books. I wonder so much whether Frieda Harris knew this picture. I didn't find much information about this image.
Over the years, I found some iconographic patterns for the triumphant woman riding a lion.
Burgkmair's illustration of the New Testament shows the whore of Babylon, seen through Christian eyes of fear.
William Blake's interpretation of the same motif, with Blake ingenuity and depth.
Really, the amalgamation of the two motifs, the cardinal virtue of Fortitude with the denigrated whore of Babylon, was a stroke of genius and maybe one of the masterpieces of the deck.
Other cards I identify with are the Empress and Art/Temperance. The Empress is closer to the traditional Empress image, with alchemical additions that bind her to the other alchemical trumps.
The transformation of Temperance to Art is interesting, and I think that a possible iconographic source may be found in Gichtel's mystical musings about human nature.
To the left, the "natural" human being connected to the planets and the cosmos, to the right the "re-born" human with Christian associations. Typical for Crowley to go all the way with the "natural" human
There is also a possible iconographical connection to the famous antique Artemis/Diana of Ephesos -
and even more so to Rubens' version of this godess:
Artemis/Diana, the goddess of the hunt, would suit very well because of the association with the arrow - a central symbol of the trump, connecting Yesod with Tif'eret on the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life, and also obviously through the name of the associated astrological sign Sagittarius. Sagitta is the arrow in Latin.
And how nice that Sagittarius is mutable Fire - Fire able and willing to change. Just look at the image. Fire and Water are willing to change.
I didn't research the topic but over the years, when I met such images, like Gichtel and Rubens, I took note and collected them
and they made me love these cards even more. Wish I had the time to find out more about the art historical knowledge of Crowley and Harris - I'm sure they knew Blake, probably Crowley knew Gichtel, and the Diana of Ephesos statue is very well known. What a pity I don't know whether they were aware of Rubens' version....
I have a sentimental love for Lust/Strength which was an important card in the first reading I ever got, back in the early Eighties when I knew nothing about tarot. When years later I bought my first deck and discovered Lust, the never-forgotten card, I was so happy. This energy is so wonderful, and I need her in my life. The transformation of the traditional gentle maiden of fortitude to an exuberant Babalon is wonderful.
Some years ago, I found this illustration of a cosmic lion goddess in one of Joseph Cambell's books. I wonder so much whether Frieda Harris knew this picture. I didn't find much information about this image.
Over the years, I found some iconographic patterns for the triumphant woman riding a lion.
- Lust William Blake WhoreofBabylon.jpg (75.13 KiB) Viewed 2109 times
Really, the amalgamation of the two motifs, the cardinal virtue of Fortitude with the denigrated whore of Babylon, was a stroke of genius and maybe one of the masterpieces of the deck.
Other cards I identify with are the Empress and Art/Temperance. The Empress is closer to the traditional Empress image, with alchemical additions that bind her to the other alchemical trumps.
The transformation of Temperance to Art is interesting, and I think that a possible iconographic source may be found in Gichtel's mystical musings about human nature.
To the left, the "natural" human being connected to the planets and the cosmos, to the right the "re-born" human with Christian associations. Typical for Crowley to go all the way with the "natural" human
There is also a possible iconographical connection to the famous antique Artemis/Diana of Ephesos -
and even more so to Rubens' version of this godess:
- art diana of ephesus rubens detail.jpg (24.53 KiB) Viewed 2109 times
Artemis/Diana, the goddess of the hunt, would suit very well because of the association with the arrow - a central symbol of the trump, connecting Yesod with Tif'eret on the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life, and also obviously through the name of the associated astrological sign Sagittarius. Sagitta is the arrow in Latin.
And how nice that Sagittarius is mutable Fire - Fire able and willing to change. Just look at the image. Fire and Water are willing to change.
I didn't research the topic but over the years, when I met such images, like Gichtel and Rubens, I took note and collected them
and they made me love these cards even more. Wish I had the time to find out more about the art historical knowledge of Crowley and Harris - I'm sure they knew Blake, probably Crowley knew Gichtel, and the Diana of Ephesos statue is very well known. What a pity I don't know whether they were aware of Rubens' version....
it won't let me upload it's image! 
