Tools

The "Tools on the Magician's Table" discussion below refers to the tools which Self-Conscious awareness has at it's disposal. This symbolism is referring to a psychological and spiritual process of increasing awareness.

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Date: Wed, 4 Sep 96 16:46:48 EDT

Ian,

This discussion of the tools on the Magician's table (Wand, Cup, Sword, Pentacle) reminds me of a discovery that I made when our study group down here in Florida was covering Key 6 (The Lovers).

The first seven keys of the Tarot Tableau (1-7) follow one another in a natural progression: From 0 (Super Consciousness), to 1 (Self Conscious Awareness), which when combined with 2 (Sub consciousness) leads to 3 (Creative Imagination), to 4 (Reason - systematizing of imagery), to 5 (Spiritual Intuition), to 6 (True Discrimination), to 7 (receptivity to the One Will).

It is a path from the principles of WILL (0) to will (1) back to WILL (7) and WILL (9).

In this progression I see the 4 tools as corresponding to the stages of:

Wand	Initiative	Magician	Application of will to the field of attention.
Cup	Imagination	Empress	Emotion, imagination, the generation of imagery.
Sword	Action	Emperor	Organizing this imagery by applying Mars to Venus
Pentacle	Result	Hierophant	Resulting in Intuition (Taurus = fixed Earth).

Allow me to explain this correspondence:

Symbolic "blueprint" for Tarot Key 6 (The Lovers) as it symbolically shows the process of "True Discrimination", the true seeing of the Unity behind ,mask of form, and the "Pairs of Opposites":

                   Higher Self (0)
                 (Archangel Raphael)
                  /
                 /
                /
               /
              /
=============/=========|=============================
            /          |
           /          | |-----> Sense Perceptions come via Subconscious.
          /          |   |
       * /*         |  <--|----(1) Attention (Wand - initiative)
    *   /   *      |       |
      */*    *     |    ---|---> (3) Emotions & Imagery (Cup)
    *    *   *     |       |
   *   *     *     |    <--|---- (4) Systematized Imagery (Sword - action)
    *       *      |       |
      *   *         |  ---|----->(5) Intuitions (Pentacle - result)
 (2) before veil     |   |
     is rent          |<|--------(6) DISCRIMINATION
 (3) afterwards        |
                    *Daleth*
                    Doorway 
            Doorway Between SubConscious
                and Self-Conscious
   EVE                                  ADAM
Subconscious                       Self Conscious
2,3,5,7                                1,4,6
=======================|=============================

So the tools on the table are the tools of ADAM, the tools that we self consciously use to establish contact with the One Will. Having used all the tools together (1-5), we arrive at Zain (Sword) and Key 6 True Discrimination.

Self consciousness is That which divides the "I" from the "Not-I", and whose function is to develop true discrimination by seeing (deeply past the surface appearances) into the unity that lies behind the appearances of the pairs of opposites. Thus we release our sub consciousness from bondage to erroneous interpretations from the self consciousness and enable her to become a mirror for the reflection of super-consciousness.

This then culminates with Key 7, who is the reconciler of the pairs of opposites, who has thus brought the pairs of opposites (sphinxes = senses) to rest. The Hebrew letter for this key means fence - a protective enclosure, meaning how the personality is an enclosure for the One Will. The Sword, properly wielded, brings inner harmony and Love, which then becomes a shield.

So, let's put it all together. The tools on the table are the principles:

Wand (0-1) = Application of personal will (or so it seems at this stage- although we really know better, don't we?) to concentrate on those things of our choosing, based on our desires. Taking initiative and directing the attention.

Cup (2-3) = The generative principle of sub consciousness. The Mother Principle.

Sword (4) = Establishing boundaries and cutting off those things that are outside of them in order to systematize and organize. The General surveys his domain, makes decisions and takes ACTION. The Father Principle. The Emperor is a combination of Mars and Venus. He applies the Mars principle of destruction to the Venus principle of generation and growth. He's the lawnmower man or the gardener who pulls the weeds, prunes the trees, cuts the hedges, and cuts the grass resulting in an orderly lawn.

Pentacle (5) = A sign of Earth and Taurus. Hearing the Inner Teacher. Taurus attributed to the Hierophant is also a symbol of practicality and result. The result of these efforts is to establish contact with the inner teacher, with true intuition.

In summary, the Magician (1) uses these principles to initiate the process and focus his attention on what he wants ( uses the wand). He generates creative imagery related to his goals (drinks of the cup thus using principles of key 2 & key 3) and then organizes that imagery eliminating those things that are not in keeping with his goals (uses the sword to Act). This leads to the result which if he exercises the proper attitude of humility, will be an intuition (pentacle) as to the real nature of that which he is focused upon.

By listening to the still small voice within, he then learns how to truly discriminate (6), and establish inner harmony between his subconscious and self-conscious. Inner conflict thus harmonized, he achieves Mastery (7) over himself and his environment and is no longer pulled to and fro by the pairs of opposites. Having thus made his personality into a more potent vehicle for the One Will, he gains Strength (8) to tame his desires and uses the serpent as his staff to climb up the mountain until finally he achieves Contact and Union with the One Will (9) which is the highest form of Self Consciousness as Mercury (1) is exalted in Virgo(9) .