Strange Fire of I AM Sheva Destroyer of Worlds

Mouni Sadhu says “We have reached the last great Arcanum, the crown and peak of the whole system of the Tarot...The Twenty-second Arcanum is that of the Great Operation, allowing the passage to the Minor Arcana through the Wands suit.”  He gives the ternary titles as ABSOLUTUM, ADAPTATIO OPERIS MAGNI, OMNIPOTENTIA NATURALSIS.  This card is known as The World, or as The Magic Crown.  The twenty-second Hebrew letter TAV corresponds to this trump, with a numerical value of 400. TAV means mark, as a sign of a covenant, and its pictograph is a cross.

This trump is described by our author as, “In the centre of the card triumphantly dances a naked woman, slightly touching the serpent with one foot.  It is the metaphysical synthesis of the Absolute Truths, which do not need any protection, and which put the one, who so far has arrived at these truths, beyond all deceit.  This is the highest manifestation of the Archetype accessible to our mentality’s perception.    That is why the first title of the Arcanum is ABSOLUTUM.  I repeat, this is not a hook on which we can temporarily support ourselves on the steep path to the mystery of the Great Metaphysical Arcanum.  THIS IS THE ARCANUM ITSELF, a synthesis of the metaphysical bases of the world’s life.”

This woman holds two rods parallel to each other, because “she possesses the mystery of the binary and operates freely in the astral realm, which is represented here in the form of the great serpent (Nahash, of course) surrounding the figure and biting its own tail. So its circle is a closed one, and it is no longer dangerous for the victorious dancer in the centre”.  Mouni Sadhu explains that this woman is as Shiva, in the Hindu religion.

Dancing Shiva, or Sheva, is the six-armed Indian god of death known as the shatterer of worlds. In the recent history of America, Robert Oppenheimer used this image of Sheva to describe his participation in the releasing of the destructive power of the atomic bomb.  But as Ecclesiastes 10:11-12 points out, “Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.  The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself”.  As the prior Arcanum dealt with the Fool, what inbuilt safeguards does the Tarot have which disallow the Fool from wearing the Magic Crown?

The safeguard which God has built into the power of his redemptive work through Jesus Christ is this:  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Further, I Corinthians 2:9-16 says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.   But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Mouni Sadhu says that the person who has reached this point in the Arcana is a person without guile.  But how does a person who deceitfully handles the Bible become a guileless soul?  The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2-4 declares, “But (we) have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

The question Mouni Sadhu seems to avoid is this:  “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Once two sons of Aaron accompanied Moses up a mountain.  Exodus 24:9-11 says, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: and they saw the God of Israel:  and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.  And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”  And similar to the judgment revealed of Mouni Sadhu, Leviticus 10:1-2 says, “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense theron, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”  This is but the return blow hitting that magician known as  “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.”(Proverbs 21:24)

Isaiah 28:16-17a says, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation:  he that believeth shall not make haste.  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet…”  Those who without fear of God, take the chief corner stone of  Isaiah 28:16 and The Just Balances as the foundational basis for perfecting wickedness are in great error.  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” (Romans 1:18)

Remember Judges 5:23, “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.”

And finally, Proverbs 21:22 says, “A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down  the strength of the confidence thereof.”

 

The Fool and His Folly: Heart of the Froward Mouth

In the Introduction to The Tarot by Mouni Sadhu, he defines the Tetragrammaton with a Shin in the middle (Yod-He-Shin-Vau-He)  as The Copper Serpent. He says, “It is the aim of elementars which belong to the evolutionary types.  Its realm is the middle and the higher sub-planes.   It frees those who are able to come to it, from all the dangers between incarnations.  Saints and advanced “white” occultists come to this Serpent almost immediately after having left their bodies.  In olden times, Moses raised the symbol of that powerful cliché of redemption in the desert, when the plague decimated the people.  Everyone who looked upon it with faith was saved from death.  Later, the Messiah, the Christ, was himself similarly raised in his body upon the Cross for the sake of downfallen and suffering humanity.” This mention of the Copper Serpent is interesting in connection with  The Fool, as Shin is the twenty-first  letter of the Hebrew alphabet,  corresponding to this trump.

Mouni Sadhu notes that this Arcanum has no astrological relationships.  However, one of the Hebrew words for fool is Keciyl, which would correspond to the constellation of  Orion.  He adds that this Arcanum is controversial, saying, “Traditionally, there is no doubt that its place is just between the Twentieth and the Twenty-second Arcana, so logically the number should be Twenty-one, and so it is accepted in all the most authoritative Tarots, which comply exactly with Tradition.  But these same Tarots,  apart from the number twenty one, also use the sign of ‘0’ (Zero), and this is done in order to emphasize the fact, that this Arcanum does not arise from any other.  Its position is unique in the whole central system of the Tarot…”

The hieroglyph of this Arcanum is an arrow in a direct but wavering flight, hitting or missing persons depending on their fate in their incarnation.  Our author adds, “The scientific name of the Twenty-first Arcanum  is FURCA (the fork) which merely explains the strange shape of its letter Shin, while the vulgar one is the FOOL, which evidently refers only to the picture.”   The Fool is a traveler, unobservant of the dangers around him, and wearing clothing and carrying a bag and walking stick which are not properly utilized for his journey.  A dog is drawing blood from the bite in the fool’s leg, to which he seems unaware.  This traveler is an individual touched by the forces of this Arcanum, but he uses ” the means at his disposal in a reversed sense.”

Later, Mouni Sadhu tells us “We may see that Shin is a dreadful Arcanum.  Wrong, unskilled, or ill-timed use of it might endanger the development of the planetary evolution….On the other hand, the most synthetic Pentagram of the whole Astral-(Yod-He-Shin-Vau-He) through just this sign (Shin), secures for itself the possibility of incarnation, of that redeeming fulcrum of humanity, the guarantee of the Reintegration of the Primoridal, Perfect, Cosmic Man.”

Mouni Sadhu is not telling us to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved.  His idea of  redemption is one which attempts to get around the Holy Bible by concocting a philosophy of numbers and symbols based on the name of Jehovah God. But what saith the Scriptures?  Psalm 53:1-3 says, “THE FOOL hath said in his heart, There is no God.  Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity:  there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.  Every one of them is gone back:  they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Proverbs 18:1-2 observes, “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.  A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”  Thus it would appear that it is not true that The Fool Arcanum does not arise from any other, nor does it stand as unique in the Tarot system.  The entire Hermetic philosophy proclaims that there is No God.  The occultist intermeddles with all wisdom.  In all of Mouni Sadhu’s lessons and commentary, there is no real understanding displayed of the human heart and human condition, either in this world or in the next.  The whole point of magic is to gain powers for the exaltation of the magician, without suffering the consequences of his actions.

At this point let us remember what Proverbs 6:12-15 warns, “A naughty (Belial) person, a wicked man, walketh with a forward mouth.  He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually: he soweth discord.  Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”

In the Introduction to my blog, Mouni Sadhu Unmasked, I displayed a series of seven triangles which represent the relationship of the Arcanum to each other.   Each triangle has three points with a fourth point in the middle, which is also the top point of the next triangle.  Thus the four letters spelling Jehovah are used to create the foundation of the entire Major Arcana.  Mouni Sadhu also illustrated that the top point of each triangle was Active, with the points on the left representing the Passive, and the right hand points being Neutral.  Since our author says that the Fool trump is unique and does not derive itself from the other arcana, I decided to put it to a test.  After all, Mouni Sadhu was an advanced mathematician in real life, and familiar with Hebrew and Greek gematria as well as the Bible.  Proverbs 26:11 says, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”  The counterpoint to this is found in 2 Peter 2:22.

Interestingly, 2 Peter Chapter 2 has twenty-two verses matching the twenty-two arcanum of the Tarot.  When we arrange the gematria of these verses in the seven triangles of the Tarot, we can observe each triangle as three points or four.  The difference between the two totals describes the Dominion of the throne of Meroz plus Judges 5:23 which says, “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;  because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.”  There are more observations to be made regarding the active, passive and neutral columns; however, it is apparent that disenfranchising the Fool card is a means of overturning the words of God in Scripture.  It cannot be done, without overthrowing the entire philosophy of the Tarot as well.

The verse in 2 Peter corresponding to the Fool is this:  “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

The Sum of All Things

Arcanum Twenty corresponds to the Hebrew letter Resh, meaning Head,  Chief, or Sum, with the numerical value of 200. The astrological symbol is Saturn and the common title is The Judgment, with the secondary title Resurrection of the Dead.

Mouni Sadhu begins by commenting, “The only power which pulls us ahead on the path of Evolution is the ARCHETYPE…Practically, it is all that we can conceive about the living and acting Deity.  I am not speaking about the Unmanifested, Unattainable, Unconscious (in our limited sense of the word), and devoid of all qualities-ABSOLUTE, which is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, Eternity beyond all time and space , for it seems useless to speak about something, which is beyond all speech.  So, the ARCHETYPE  is the ATMAN, SPIRIT and GOD for Manifestation, in which we, human beings, are playing our modest role on this planet.’

“All the philosophy of the Tarot is under the spell of the Archetype. And this is rightly so.  The influence of the Archetype pushes us along the Path, and attracts us to our SOURCE, which is-HIMSELF.  That is why the first title of the Twentieth Arcanum is given as ATTRACTIO DIVINA (Divina Attraction).” Mouni Sadhu says that this Divine Attraction shows us the Way of Reintegration, or Return, yet we need astral regeneration which allows our powers to develop according to intuitional knowledge, which is the voice of the Archetype.  Therefore the second title of this ternary is ASTRAL TRANSFORMATION.  The third title is CHANGES IN TIME, which refers to the belief that if our actions are rightly directed, Nature will help us create the necessary conditions in time and space.

In the midst of this karmic explanation of Arcanum Twenty, our author throws in a strange statement, “The scene is as the Christian Scriptures conceive the Day of Judgment and general Resurrection.” However, there can be no blending of Hermetic philosophy in this matter with the Scriptures; they are as two binaries which cannot be neutralized.

In John 5, Jesus healed a man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years, giving him a warning, “Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” When the Jews heard the healed man’s testimony,  they persecuted Jesus, and “sought to slay him, because he had done this thing on the Sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God”.(verses 16-18)

Jesus answers this objection declaring that he, as God’s Son, did only what his Father had shown him to do.  This leads into verses 21-29 which deal with the subject of the Twentieth Arcanum. These verses read in total:  “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickenth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:  that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.  He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”.

The comments Mouni Sadhu made regarding the personage of the Archetype and his call, do not in any way match the description of the Godhead revealed in the Holy Bible.  The karmic view does not regard the evil man as ending up damned for eternity in hell; rather the evil man comes back in another incarnation under more difficult conditions due to his transgressions.  No man under karmic law has access to the Savior, but he relies solely on himself, or a Rabbi or master, who by his own evil inclinations digs a hole deeper and deeper in which together they fall into.

Mouni Sadhu discusses prayer, but defines this as elementary theurgic acts. In the Bible, prayer is a rather simple act of directing our conversation to God in the name of Jesus Christ.  Theurgy is defined as the “practice of rituals. sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action or evoking the presence of one or more gods, especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving henosis, and perfecting oneself.” (Wikipedia)

As an example of true prayer, Mouni Sadhu gives us the example of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.  Matthew 26:39 says he prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Our author encourages his students that they also leave the result to the Supreme.  However it is not a matter to be taken lightly as to who God is, and to whom we are directing our prayers.  And it is an important point whether our prayer originates in faith in Jesus Christ or in our own “magical” works.  After all, the whole purpose of the magician is to acquire genuine powers in this temporal world which obey his will, and genuine respect for God and his honour have no part in magic.

There shall come a day when one must give account to God. Hermetic philosophy does not prepare its followers with the reality of that Judgment.

 

 

 

The Alchemists in Transition

I had trouble finding an image on the internet which met the drawing specifications of Mouni Sadhu’s tarot card for Arcanum 19, called The Sun.  The image on the left is the closest representation, except the ball held on our author’s card does not have the yin/yang imagery.  Qof is the nineteenth Hebrew letter, numbering 100.

Mouni  Sadhu says this, “This Nineteenth Arcanum is the first of the transitional triangles of the Tarot’s system.  The first eighteen are the trumps proper, belonging–as we already know from previous lessons- to the world of fallen humanity.  But the Nineteenth,  Twentieth,  Twenty-first (0) and  Twenty-second are the steps to the Minor Arcana, which are the scheme of the PRIMORDIAL world, as unspoilt by the downfall.  These last four mysteries of the Tarot are less extensive in their meaning, but they are also less nebulous, and more exact, speaking about very definite periods in human evolution and its conditions.”

He further explains, “The Nineteenth Arcanum, cutting through the ominous darkness of that sun-hiding roof of the eighteenth, allows us to see the light, to get hope of progress, of future perfection and Reintegration in the world of the Minor Arcana.  Tradition tells us that the Law of Hierarchy will lead us through the ‘roof of dialectic” to the contemplation of the fruitful and fertile Light of the ULTIMATE TRUTH OF BEING.”

The ternary titles for this trump are Fruitful Truth-Human Virtue-Gold of the Philosophers.  Thus we see that Alchemy is an important aspect of Arcanum Nineteen.  And we must note that Qof in the Bible is used twice, to mean apes. Making any connection yet?  Instead of turning lead into gold, perhaps apes are turning into humans.

Mouni Sadhu relates the image of the children on the card to Matthew 18.3 wherein Jesus is quoted as saying, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  No doubt this is why the Shriners run around in parades in America aping the play of little children in little gold cars.  But John 12:40 warns, “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

And John 15:22 says, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not sin, but now they have no cloke for their sin.”

 

The Oppressor: The Man of the Earth

The Eighteenth Arcanum is entitled The Moon, and corresponds to the Hebrew letter Tzaddi with a value of 90.  Mouni Sadhu tells us that the hieroglyph is a ROOF, not as a protective shield, but rather one that “stifles and oppresses, limiting our freedom and bringing disaster”.  “Of all the arcana, the Eighteenth is the most ominous and unfavourable.  It describes the most dangerous conditions in which Man can place himself because of his own stupidity and lack of inner sight.”  He refers to this card as a very mysterious one, with a scientific name signifying twilight, or dusk, but more commonly called the Moon, with a quiet light which is reflected, rather than primary.

Mouni Sadhu says, “Where then is the Primary Source of Light?  you will ask in despair.  We want to receive the LIGHT directly from that source!  And the ominous card answers: you are subdued by the Hierarchic Law (Law of Gradation) because of your downfall.  You have no right to the True Primary Light, you have lost that right because of your merging into treacherous Matter.  The closest hierarchic authority gives you your due portion of light. Be satisfied with it, you, who because of your downfall, have deliberately merged yourselves in the illusory world of BINARIES.  Such is the hard language of the Eighteenth Arcanum.”

Between the two towers “twists the serpent-like path of your existence, strewn with clean sand, in order to show any visible traces of blood on it.” Our author reminds us that blood in occultism is our vital force-energy, which we dissipate because of ignorance.  The ternary of this card is Occult hierarchy, Hidden enemies, Hidden Dangers.

Mouni Sadhu says, “From occult laws we know, that we can easily be invultuated through our blood.  It is terrible.  But who can invultuate us?”  The answer is that the wolf is our open enemy, and the dog a false friend; however they also are bound by the hierarchic authority closest to us, which sends us some of its light.  The lobster represents us when we retreat, allowing us to be easily invultuated.  Mouni Sadhu describes in detail various scenarios of how invultuation is accomplished through the enemy making voodoo type dolls representing our image, or using actual hair, blood or other samples from our physical body, or using our photo or signature in order to curse us. Thus an enemy might send a missile against us which lodges in our aura, resulting in destruction or death.

However, he reminds us that the sender of such curses is putting himself at high risk because of the possible return blow, and therefore the black magician usually does not curse another without a cause.  Usually the cause is that the victim has interfered someway in the black magician’s realm of power and he feels threatened.  But in truth, many such curses are without cause except that the victim is defenseless and an easy mark for a sadistic mindset.  Mouni Sadhu gives too much credit to the “ethical” reasoning of black magicians.

In the King James Holy Bible we find the Hebrew word Tsadah which relates to this Arcanum as it means, “destroy, hunt, lie in wait”. In relation to the gematria associated with this word, we discover that it also equals a blood sacrifice devoted to destruction as an accursed thing.  Underlying it are the balances of divination, and the decree of vengeance of the house of the leopard.

Psalm 10 has eighteen verses which relate to this eighteenth Arcanum.  In them we find the LORD hiding his face, and therefore we only see his light as reflected in the moon.  We also find a Man of the Earth which is an Oppressor, his heart revealed and the answer of the prayer of his victims.

PSALM 10

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD?  why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?  The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.  For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. 

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:  God is not in all his thoughts.  His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.  He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved:  for I shall never be in adversity.  His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.  He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent:  his eyes are privily set against the poor.  He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den:  he lieth in vait to catch the poor:  he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.  He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor ones may fall by his strong ones.

He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.  Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.  Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou will not require it.

Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee;  thou art the helper of the fatherless.  Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness till thou find none.  the LORD is King for ever and ever:  the heathen are perished out of his hand.  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:  thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:  To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

An interesting fact is that the eighteenth Hebrew letter is one of eight which are “crowned”.  I Corinthians 15:47 reminds us, “The first man is of the earth, earthy:  the second man is the LORD from heaven.”  The first man placed a crown of thorns upon the head of the second and shed his innocent blood.  Ezekiel 13:17-23 displays God’s displeasure with those who hunt souls through the use of images.  Invultuation is the use of images in witchcraft for hunting souls.  The Man of the Earth has stolen the crown of the Son of God who hath eyes as a flame of fire, and he uses this position for the cursing of vengeance.  The work of that archangel, the master of cursing, “the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture” is spoken of in Micah 7:2, “The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men:  they all lie wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.”  The Eighteenth Arcanum indeed reveals the hidden works of darkness.

 

 

The PHE of the LORD: Taking Forth The Precious from the Vile

The Seventeenth Arcanum is associated with the Hebrew letter PHE, which has the numerical value of 80. Phe is connected with speech, which differentiates man, who was made in the image of God, from animals. Phe is also connected with the oral law of Judaism, known as the Talmud. Mouni Sadhu asks, “What actually is the SPEECH of the Archetype? It is the language of HOPE, understandable for those who listen to it. Even then, when apparently everything around us is silent, and when everything forecasts only peril for us, HOPE acts, and radiates its rays throughout the darkest corners of our consciousness”. He gives as the ternary titles for this Arcanum, Hope-Intuition-Natural Divination.  This trump is called The Star.

Mouni Sadhu adds, “The card for this Arcanum is rather simple in its meaning and design.  High in the sky there hangs a large eight-pointed star, surrounded by seven similar, but smaller ones. Beneath them on the earth there is a naked girl, watering the dry soil and the adjacent pond from two vessels, a gold one and a silver one.  Behind her we see a colored butterfly sitting on a rose.  Her right foot is half submerged in the small pond.”

He explains Hope in this way, “In a metaphysical drought of contemplation of men growing indifferent, we may be regenerated through the new freshness of expectancy of the High influx (silver vessel, passive pole) and through faith in ourselves (gold vessel, active pole).  This is the deep symbolism of the Seventeenth Arcanum’s card.”

Much of the lessons given on this Arcanum by Mouni Sadhu deal with different areas of divination of natural elements, such as palm reading, dreams etc. Instead, I will be wandering down the path of exploring PHE, the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The pictograph for PHE is a mouth representing the “capacity for speech as self expression”. Again, I refer the reader to the internet site called Hebrew4Christians, as the author of this blog is always insightful.  He says that Phe “alludes to Oral Law (Talmud)”.

Now this fact is interesting in that Jesus Christ in the New Testament rebuked these traditions of the elders, as making the commandment of God of none effect.  And whereas Mouni Sadhu claims that the Hope of this card is hope in one’s self, the hope of the Christian is in Jesus Christ as Messiah.  In most cases where Phe is referred to, I have found that Exodus 4:10 is quoted regarding Mose’s protest to the LORD that he is not eloquent, but slow of speech.  The LORD reproves Moses, as God made the mouth and promises the he will be with his mouth and will teach him what he should say to Pharaoh.  We see the promise in the New Testament that when a Christian stands before a ruler or a council (the Sanhedrin), the Holy Spirit will instruct him what to answer.

The eight-pointed star which Mouni Sadhu illustrates on his card as the Great Star, also shows  eight emanations behind the star, thus totaling 16 rays.  So whereas other tarot cards only show eight rays, we learn from the subtilty of our author that this great star may actually be a sixteen pointed star, similar to the star of the CIA. Some regard this star as the Star of Hope, the Dog Star, or Sirius, of Freemasonry, or the Star of the Magi.

Regarding Speech, Jesus Christ asks the Pharisees, in John 8:43 “Why do ye not understand my speech?”  He answers his own question in the following verses, “Even because ye cannot hear my word.  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:  for he is the father of it.  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin?  And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?  He that is of God heareth God’s words:  ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”

Arcanum Fifteen is The Devil, Sixteen is The Tower hit by judgment, and Seventeen is The Star of hope for the occultist, which is himself.  So the Devil rules, and the pinnacle of his guile is revealed and judged, and the only hope which remains for the occultist is the speech of the father of lies who continues to make the words of God of none effect.

Jeremiah 15:15-21 speaks on this wise about the PHE of the LORD:  O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering:  know, that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy  and rejoicing of my heart:  for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced;  I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.  Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed?  wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?”

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou wilt return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me:  and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.  And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”

Binaries Which Can Never Be Neutralized

Arcanum Sixteen is related to the Hebrew letter Ayin, with the numerical value of 70.  Mouni Sadhu says that the hieroglyph is a material tie or bond, similar to a stretched spring in mechanics.  He adds, “The purpose of the preceding Arcanum was the generation of such bonds; but, in its methods, logic excludes this or another postulate”. Thus the first title of the ternary for this Arcanum is ELIMINATIO LOGICA.  Mouni Sadhu explains, “mother deduction, recognizing the necessity of logic, uses it for the building of theses.  But confirmation of one thesis can be (and is) the result of the logical exclusion of all others.  This exclusion creates metaphysical reactions in the basic laws of thinking, which here play the role of the “stressed bonds”.

He continues, “The necessity of harmonious existence for a separate pentagram compels that pentagram to generate an astral current of the Nahash type.  This current uses astral reactions and confirms the life of one form, while it destroys another.  From this comes the Second title of the Sixteenth Arcanum-CONSTRICTIO ASTRALIS (astral constraint).  It is also the basic principle of the whole of Ceremonial Magic.” In these operations some forms are preserved, and others destroyed.  Thus the third title is physical destruction, or DESTRUCTIO PHISICA.  This tarot card is called The Tower, or sometimes Turris Destructa, sometimes the House of God.  The Corresponding zodiacal sign is Capricorn.

Mouni Sadhu says, “The contents of the Sixteenth Arcanum may be best explained in connection with the means offered to us by Ceremonial Magic.”  He compares the activities of a ceremonial magician to that of applying ‘Judo against an astral being, which otherwise would probably defeat the operator and not yield to his will”.  The magician uses a magical circle which seen is a fiery fence. The inner power of man is Concentration, “the only universal power, which creates, destroys and perpetuates”.  Mouni Sadhu then goes on in great detail about properly done magic.  It is clear that there are great dangers in such magical operations, as evidenced by the construct of a Tower being hit by lightning, and men who were at the top falling to the ground.  While Mouni Sadhu’s tarot illustration show the tower on level ground, some cards place the tower at the top of a mountain.  Since it has been stressed in all Arcanum that the point of support is critical in establishing magical success, it is something to be pondered.

The 911 destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City has been compared to this Arcanum by many internet bloggers. The occult nature of this event is obvious to anyone who studies this realm.  The perpetrators of this destructive event, which also affected the Pentagon and elsewhere, were so organized, powerful, and united, it staggers the imagination.  No foolish Arabs or Muslims were capable of this act.  The Pinnacle of Guile which was revealed, leads me to believe that this was a work of Proverbs 21:24 which says, “Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath”.  The Black Magician in his most powerful form is revealed in the smoke of the falling towers.

It reminds us of Genesis 11 regarding the tower of Babel, when God confounded the language of men, and they resorted to communicating in numerology and symbols to undermine the authority of God.  But when this tower was destroyed, men were scattered abroad upon the face of the earth.  Deciding to unify mankind into a city which men had built, rather than God, they built a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” to make a name.

The face revealed of the Magician of 911’s falling towers

Later we see a city named Capernaum where Jesus had done many mighty works which the inhabitants rejected in unbelief, and refused to repent. Luke 10:15 says, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.”

Many people associate a phrase in Isaiah 30:25 with the 911 events.  This scripture says, “And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall”.  But perhaps there awaits another day soon when we will see the fear of the Return Blow of Judgment of that Order of Judges of the Sephirot, and a great slaughter with towers falling across America will display the judgment of God against our national sins.

In this regard, Psalm 109:1-7 says, “Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.  They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.  For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.  And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.  Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.  When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.”

Lamentation 1:1-2 says this, “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!  how is she  become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!  She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks:  among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.”  The Sixteenth Arcanum is represented by Ayin, the Eye.  Ayin also is translated as fountain, and weeping is indeed the fountain of the eyes.

The Satire of Satyrs

Mouni Sadhu begins, “The letter of the alphabet corresponding to the Fifteenth Arcanum is that of Samech and the numerical value is 60.  The astrological sign is the Archer (Sagittarius).  The hieroglyph of the Arcanum is an ARROW, this time flying round the circumference of a circle.  It is not the target-hitting arrow of the Seventh Arcanum, but is a weapon which you will inevitably encounter when passing from the points inside the circle to those on the periphery.”

“And this encounter can be double-sided.  This arrow will paralyse  when it strikes you, or it will compel you-as your fate- to use the weapon against others.  It is like a continuous tourbillon, outside of which there is no life and no movement on any plane.”  The ternary titles to this trump of the Devil, or Typhon, are Logica-Serpens Nahash-Fatum.

An internet website which gives insight into the Hebrew Letters is www.hebrews4christians.com. The pages therein are copyrighted by John J. Parsons, but I would like to direct the reader’s attention to a couple of facts mentioned therein. The letter Samekh when written in cursive is like a counter clockwise circle. Parsons displays this circle with an arrow as previously described by Mouni Sadhu.  The author notes that the pictograph for this letter looks somewhat like a shield.  More specifically it is a pole with three cross bars, the highest is longer than the lower ones.  We have seen this type of figure in the 33d degree of Freemasonry and on other arcanum illustrations. The classical Hebrew script does appear like a shield with a rounded bottom edge and a straight line at top like a roof.

The writer of this website notes that Samekh means “to lean upon”, “to uphold”, or “to support”, and he observes, “The root is also found in the Jewish concept of semikhah, the laying on of hands upon the head of a sacrificial victim in a blood ritual of the Jewish Temple, which was also a means of consecrating the priesthood….In ancient times, Samekh may have represented a shield.  Today, the Jewish Rabbinical ordination ceremony is called a semikhah.”  The other interesting point is that the gematria of Samekh is 60, which has a relationship to the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:23-27.  The actual blessing is formed by 15 words, and we note that Samekh is the fifteenth Hebrew letter.

Arcanum 15, The Devil, reveals the  Hermetic  basis for its satirical mocking of the priesthood established by Jehovah, and the blessing of Jehovah on the children of Israel.  This trump  features the Serpent in the Garden which tempted Eve, who then tempted Adam, to disobey the words of God, creating a circular blame game.  Named Baphomet, this Devil has played an important part in the Knights Templar beliefs and history.  It would seem to reflect a desire for man to return to his original state before woman was formed from his fifth rib. It used to be a veiled act in the secret brotherhoods for men to dress as woman and to mock womanhood, but now this mocking is done openly.  The offspring of the Hermes/Aphrodite union is to have the male/female elements in one body displaying  the iniquity of Meroz.  Mouni Sadhu Unmasked reveals him to be the king of devils, and his altar the death curse of the Whip of Fire.  No doubt we should be concerned lest the continuous tourbillon of Samekh should aim its arrow at  such a high priest and he then would redirect its energy against another.

For anyone interested in gematria, a closer investigation should be made of Numbers 6:24-26, saying, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”.  In reality, God meant this blessing to be a blessing.  But the high priest Baphomet, has turned this blessing into a curse through a clever use of numbers.  Truly he is the Master Thirty-third High Priest of the Perfection of Wickedness.  Another title for the Perfection of Wickedness is  the Throne of Double Headed Eagle Crowned as The Son of God who hath his eyes as a flame of fire.

I have witnessed the use of the Priestly blessing of  Numbers 6:24-26 as a hidden curse.  About 1999 I wrote a letter to a Baptist pastor in Texas who I had observed using neuro linguistic  programming techniques in his writings.  My letter was critical of his use of magic, and I quoted his writings and detailed his techniques while comparing them to the Bible.  He retaliated using an ad hominem  attack on my character, without addressing the specifics of my examples.  He said he could not believe that I would be stupid enough to sign my name to my letter. But as Christians ought to be candid about their identity in such matters, I thought it cowardly  not to sign my name.  Anyway, he ended his rebuke with the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24-26.  After all the scorn which he had heaped on me, I wondered why the blessing, if I was truly the lowest of the low.  About two days later, I wrote him a short note saying that I would not be his judge, but the words of God would judge him.  Some months later I discovered that he had been  fired as pastor of that church because he was having an affair with his secretary.  So whereas the arrow of Samekh traveling in a circle hit him, and he redirected it to me, and then I  redirected the arrow around the circle and he was blindsided.

Mouni Sadhu instructs his students how to make astral balls in self defense.  But Ephesian 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

We are told by our author that the name Baphomet, read in notarikon, is Temohpab.  How clever. They say it stands for Templi Omnium Hominum Paic Abbas, or The Priest of the Temple of Peace for All Men.  In other words we have a veiled reference to the guile of the 33d degree high priest of the Supreme Council 33, or the 33d degree Luciferian High Priest, The House of the Temple of the Nail in the City of the Dove. Now the City of the Dove is the District of Columbia, and there we find a massive temple displaying the Nail.  Every Magician must find a point of support for his Continual Tourbillons (vortices).  As Above So Below.