Quintessential Tarot

Book I: Major Arcana

Quinten Sophox
 Quintessential Tarot
Symbolism and Numerology of the Tarot de Marseille

Quinten Sophox
 Published by Quintarot
Vancouver B.C., Canada
2023

Copyright © 2023 Quinten Sophox

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1-7381368-0-3

QuinTarot.Com
Email: [email protected]

First Edition
 Contents
1. Introduction 1

A Book for Fools 5

2. Major Arcana

LE MAT (The Fool) 7

The Five-Fold Path 10
The Trumps 13

Path of the Child 15

I. LE BATELEVR - The Magician 17
II. LA PAPESSE- The Popess 18
III. L’IMPERATRISE - The Empress 22
IIII. L’EMPEREVR - The Emperor 25
V. LE PAPE - The Pope 29

Path of the Everyman 32

VI. L’AMOVREVX - The Lovers 34
VII. LE CHARIOR - The Chariot 37
VIII. IVSTICE - Justice 40
VIIII. L’HERMITE - The Hermit 43
X. LA ROVE DE FORTVNE - The Wheel of Fortune 47

Path of the Hero 50

XI. LA FORCE - Strength 51
XII. LE PENDV - The Hanged Man 55
XIII. LA MORTE - Death 63
XIIII. TEMPERANCE - Temperance 67
XV. LE DIABLE - The Devil 72

Path of the Sage 80

XVI. LA MAISON DIEV - The Tower 82
XVII. LE TOILLE - The Star 87
The Agrarian Cycle 94
XVIII. LA LVNE - The Moon 95
XVIIII. LE SOLEIL - The Sun 101
XX. LE IVGEMENT - Judgment 103

Path of the Unity 106

XXI. LE MONDE - the World 107
3. The Twins Cycle 115

4. Pairs of the Major Arcana 117

1 & 11 – Accepting the Call 117

2 & 12 – Between Two Worlds 118
3 & 13 - Rebirth 119
4 & 14 – Ideal Order 120
5 & 15 – Leading the Flock 121
6 & 16 – Marriage & Divorce 123
7 & 17 – Mars & Venus 124
8 & 18 - The Mediators 125
9 & 19 - Light of Consciousness 126
10 & 20 – Transcending your World 127
1 & 21 – Alpha and Omega 128

5. Traditions of the Tarot de Marseille 131

6. Consulting the Tarot 135

7. Three and Five Card Spreads 137

Basic Three Card Spreads 138

The Messenger 140
Jungian Psyche Insight 141
The Crossroads 142
The Staircase 143
 To
Selfatia
 Introduction

This book strives to make previously unpublished methods for understanding

the symbolism of the tarot accessible to a wide audience. For seekers who are
just beginning their journey in the tarot, a solid framework for understanding
and interpreting the Major Arcana is provided. There is no need to memorize
a list of keywords. Rather, this book aims to help you intimately understand
the symbolism and numerology of the cards in an easy-to-remember system
that reveals the full potential of the tarot. For those with extensive knowledge
of the tarot, the role of the Quint Essence (Fifth Element) in the structure and
meaning of the Major Arcana will be explored in depth, revealing a neglected
tradition for pulling back deeper layers of the tarot that you have likely never
encountered before.

A mysterious survivor of the Middle Ages, the 78 cards of the tarot continue
to captivate contemporary seekers of esoteric wisdom. The Major Arcana consists
of 22 pictorial cards: the Fool and the 21 trumps. The evocative imagery is largely
based on classical, Christian, and astrological themes. The 56 Minor Arcana are
subdivided into 16 court cards and 40 pips, each assigned to one of 4 suits: coins,
cups, swords, and wands. The 40 pips are four suits numbered 1-10. The pips do
not contain anthropomorphic figures, nor are they given illustrative names. In
tarot de Marseille, the pips are generally symmetrical, like modern playing cards,
and have no “reversed” position. The court cards are pictorial representations of
Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages of each suit. They are traditionally used to
represent personality types and, thus, like the Fool, are unnumbered.

A careful look at the symbolism and numerology of these Arcana will allow
one to use the tarot for personal exploration, inner growth, and divination. A
general understanding of psychoanalytic terms is beneficial for getting the most
out of this book, so it is recommended to read “Man and His Symbols” by Carl
G. Jung or a similar text as a prerequisite.

1
 The focus of this book is the Major Arcana of the tarot de Marseille, which
was developed in southern Europe in the 15th century and preserves what many
believe to be the most symbolically rich tarot tradition. The spelling on the cards
may surprise some readers. A capital U was written as V, as in La Lune, which
is spelled LA LVNE, and capital J is an I as in IVSTICE (Justice). Spelling
varies from each version of the tarot de Marseille, as these designs come from an
age before standardized spelling. While the unusual spelling, symbolic colours,
and various astrological connections are discussed in depth, numerology is often
overlooked. This book takes a closer look at the unusual numerology of the tarot
de Marseille as a basis for the interpretation of the evocative symbols found in
the Major Arcana.

I II III IIII V
If one has spent any time looking at or playing with a tarot de Marseille
deck, one has probably noticed something strange about the Roman numerals;
they appear ‘wrong’. The numerals progress from I, II, III but instead of IV, the
tarot has IIII before V. This is called ‘additive notation’. It was rarely used by
the Romans but used more frequently in the Middle Ages when tarot was first
developed. This was certainly not a mistake, nor a meaningless quirk. Rather,
this style of notation instructs us on how to read the tarot. It is the key to
deciphering the numerological system that underpins the symbolism of the tarot
de Marseille.

I Singularity
II Duality
III Trinity
IIII Quaternity
V Quintessence

Most are familiar with the four classical elements of antiquity: Earth,
Water, Air, and Fire. The concept of a fifth element was first introduced
by Aristotle in “On the Heavens” (c. 350 BC). This celestial element
contained properties that the four terrestrial elements did not. Namely, it
was imperishable and not subject to degeneration or corruption. Medieval
alchemists called this the Quintessence. The element was believed to
have a pure and heavenly quality and came to be associated with the lapis
philosophorum. Specifically, with the transformative qualities of the stone, such
as its ability to turn lead into gold. Psychologically, we turn lead into gold when
we transform our negative behaviours and attitudes into positive ones.

2
 In alchemy, the tarot, and other occult practices, the fifth element is
always different from the other four, just as the thumb is different from the
other 4 fingers in nature. In the tarot de Marseille, on each of the five paths,
the first four steps (I-IIII) take us through stages of progressively greater
differentiation, while the fifth step (V) is something different, a transformation
that elevates us to the next, higher path. This pattern repeats four times in the
Major Arcana, in four sets of five. Each set describes a path of personal growth
leading to a higher state of consciousness. The fifth ‘path’ differs from the rest
in that it is only 1 arcanum, le Monde (XXI), which shows a feminine figure
surrounded by 4 cherubim representing the 4 classical elements. Thus, on the
final arcanum, the 5 elements are displayed together, thematically representing
unity and wholeness.

The Fool’s Journey

If there is a path, there must be someone to walk it. The Fool has no
number. He represents our own ego-consciousness in need of enlightenment
and takes on the role of the protagonist. His adventures lead him through
the lessons of the tarot. First, as a child, where his life is focused on his
relationship with his earthly and spiritual parents. Then, as an ordinary
man, one who marries, finds a career, and involves himself in a community.
Thereafter, if he is brave enough, he takes the path of the hero. Here he
descends into the underworld. He faces monsters, death, and the devil (with
temperance as his soul guide). The fourth phase elevates this hero to a sage. He
finds illumination in ever-increasing forms of divine energy such as the stars,
the moon, and the sun. Finally, he receives judgment - the blast of an angel’s
trumpet. This signals the concluding transformation of the Fool’s individuation.

3
 A BOOK FOR FOOLS

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows
himself to be a fool.”

William Shakespeare, As You Like It

There are two types of fools in this world. There are those who think they
know everything and will entertain nothing on the contrary. Then there are
those who know they know nothing. These are the fools who are baffled by the
mysteries of the universe and believe anything is possible. The ones who explore
the unknown with open minds. The greatest scientists in history are always
the latter type. To approach the wisdom of the tarot, one must also be of this
mindset. One must put aside all preconceptions, even the things they ‘know’
to be true. For example, everyone ‘knows’ magic isn’t real. Everybody ‘knows’
that a set of cardboard illustrations cannot divine the future. When one picks
up the tarot, however, they must become the fool. They must allow themselves
to be childlike, and open to the boundless potential of the universe. They must
consider, just for one moment, the possibility that magic could indeed be real.

Nanin, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a very knowledgeable
professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nanin served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full and then kept
on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull.
No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nanin said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show
you Zen unless you first empty your cup?” - A Zen Koan

5
 LE MAT - The Fool
Le Mat (the Mad) or Le Fou (the Fool).
A simple, crazy, or foolish young man is the
protagonist of this journey, learning a lesson
from each arcanum he encounters. Like a
mythological hero, he faces many challenges and
meets interesting characters along his voyage.
He doesn’t yet know much about anything, not
even where he is going, but he has accepted the
‘call to adventure’. Le Mat represents the ego-
consciousness of the person consulting the tarot.
He is unnumbered because he has no set position
and travels through all the stages represented by
the other arcana.

His costume marks him as a clown or jester.

Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys.

In the Middle Ages, a jester could come from any

socio-economic background, the position of court jester being based more on
merit than any other in the court. As the tarot was adapted to modern playing
card decks, le Mat became the Joker, a wild card that in some games can be used
to represent any other card. Le Mat is thus transformative and able to take on
the form of or learn the lessons of any of the trumps. Le Mat is the archetype
of the innocent, a role often symbolized by children in mythology and fiction.

We find this specifically in child-hero stories, which often begin with an

innocent boy or girl who journeys into the unknown. Examples of Alice in
Wonderland, Dorothy in Oz, and Peter Pan in Neverland come to mind. Even
Percival, who is sent off knowing nothing of the world, wears homemade clothes
and makes many witless mistakes along the way. In his opera of the same name,
Wagner used the spelling ‘Parsifal,’ which means ‘pure fool.’ There are other
interesting theories on the etymology of Percival, such as ‘Pierce (the) veil,’ the
veil referring to a hidden mystery that is torn away to reveal the truth (see La
Papesse). Or Pierce (the) vale, meaning to go between two mountains, following
the narrow path of the valley between two opposing forces. Percival was the
original fool-hero in the quest for the Holy Grail. The Grail itself is a symbol
of the Quint Essence. In ‘Parzival,’ Wolfram von Eschenbach (c. 1200 AD) calls
the Holy Grail a stone that is ‘both pure and precious,’ the lapis exillis, and states
that from this stone, the wondrous Phoenix gets its magical ability to transform.

7
 The hapless Fool flees from a little cat ripping his pants. At this stage, the
fool thinks this “wild beast” is the greatest threat he will ever face! He couldn’t
be more wrong.

The little animal urging him on his way symbolizes an unrecognized (and
primitive) aspect of the unconscious. It is the little feeling inside that urges him
to “get off the couch, leave home, and go on an adventure”. It is what encourages
him to seek something more, even though he does not yet know what he is
looking for. In tarot de Marseille, the animal is often shown as cat-like because
mother cats drive away their kittens when they reach a certain age. Le Mat is
being driven from the comfort and familiarity of his home into the wild unknown.
The cat tears his clothes, symbolizing the tearing away of the old. He goes into
the world with his bare bottom exposed, like a newborn babe. He carries a large
wooden spoon over his shoulder (for dipping into the communal pottage or
‘perpetual stew’). His nourishment will come from the places he travels to. And
his bindle, according to Antoine Court de Gébelin, “is the emblem of his faults
that he wishes not to see.”- Le Monde Primitif (1781). In some designs, the
Fool has also lost one of his bells as inevitably some things will be left behind as
he embarks on his adventure. But the Le Mat, while childlike in his innocence,
has a full beard. He isn’t a child. He may depict a 35-year-old man who lives in
his parent’s basement and has finally decided to get his life together. Or he may
depict a 45-year-old man, going through a mid-life crisis who gets divorced,
quits his boring job, and spends all his savings on traveling the world. He would
certainly be deemed “foolish”, but it largely represents the faltering steps of a
man, who (perhaps for the first time) is willing to look within and begin the
search for an authentic life.

In mythology, sometimes the reaction towards the fool or the child

hero can be hostile. For example, the trope of the tyrant king who wants
to kill the child who has been prophesized to replace him. As is told with
Herod and Jesus (Matthew 2) or Perseus and King Acrisius. This is because,
psychologically speaking, the ruling king (which represents the existing state of
ego-consciousness) is threatened by the child who represents an emerging state
of higher consciousness, that has the potential to challenge the status quo. For
the same reason, the “new idea” is, at the very least, seen as foolish, pointless,
or dangerous by the status quo. If we want to grow psychologically, we must be
open to new ideas, rather than egotistically dismiss them as foolish or pointless.

8
 Divinatory Meaning:

One begins a new endeavour from a position of ignorance. Bravely going

forth with an open mind. Not knowing what challenges may lie ahead. Le Mat
can embody the humility of Christ or the innocence of childhood. Humble
yourself, admit you know nothing and have everything to learn. Explore the
unknown with tenacity and open-mindedness. This may be a call to go “back
to basics” or a “return to innocence.” Le Mat is not just an oafish clod, rather
he is an active seeker. He is starting out on an adventure into the unknown.
He may not know what he is seeking, and he may not have any idea what he
will find, but he has set out on the journey, nonetheless. Sometimes we spend
a lot of time making plans and preparing for something, but we never act. Le
Mat is a call for action, regardless of whether we have planned out every detail
or not. He dives in headfirst. The problems and risks you think you are facing
now are inconsequential. Leave them behind. There are bigger challenges that
lie ahead. A grand adventure that will take you places you cannot yet fathom. Be
humble, accept the fact that you don’t know anything, and plunge forward into
the unknown.

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like
this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3-4

“The soul demands your folly, not your wisdom”

C.G. Jung, Red Book p. 264

9
10
 THE FIVE-FOLD PATH
The Major Arcana takes the protagonist (the Fool) down five different
paths. Each one represents a stage of personal growth and individuation. Each
path consists of five arcana with the fifth card representing the Quintessence, the
transformative step that elevates the Fool to the next path.

Path of the Child - Trump I-V

The first is the path of the Child and deals with family, the Earthly and
Heavenly parents. Childhood is a time when the body physically grows, and the
Ego is developed.

Path of the Everyman - Trump VI-X

The second path is the path of the Everyman, where the child enters
adulthood and engages with larger society and life. He may find love, establish
himself in a career, and further develop his Persona.

Path of the Hero - Trump XI-XV

The third path is the path of the Hero, featuring a journey through the
underworld. Here, the Everyman becomes a hero when confronted by the darkest
parts of his soul: the Shadow.

Path of the Sage – Trump XVI-XX

Typically, in mythology, the hero’s journey ends here. However, the tarot
goes further. The fourth is the path of the Sage. On this path, the hero becomes
a wise man. His growing wisdom is represented by the increasing presence of
divine energies along this path. On the preceding path the Hero relied on his
own inner strength and willpower, but now the Sage holds faith in the power of
the divine through grace and providence.

Path of Unity – XXI

As we will discover, the fifth is always something special. The fifth path,
that of Unity, consists of only one card displaying five elements together. A
mandella representing universal wholeness, the archetype of the Self.

11
 But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

“One has no right even to talk about the last stage until he has accomplished the second
one. It is no good to talk about the oneness of the universe until one is aware of the separateness of
the universe. We can do all kinds of mental acrobatics and talk about the unity of all things, which
happens to be true, but we haven’t a chance of functioning in that manner until we have succeeded
in differentiating the inner and the outer worlds. Another way of saying the same thing is that we
have to get out of the Garden of Eden before we can even start for the heavenly Jerusalem, even
though they are the same place.”
- Robert Johnson, He: Understanding Masculine Psychology

Individuation is a “process of differentiation, having for its goal the

development of the individual personality” (C.G. Jung, Children’s Dreams
p.118). As we will see, the Major Arcana differentiates singularity from duality,
and onwards to quintessence in five distinct paths which guide one through the
journey of individuation and inner growth.

12
13
 TRUMPS I - V
Path of the Child – Family

“The nature of the hero... is closely connected with his birth and with the
problem of his dual parentage. The fact that the hero has two fathers or two mothers
is a central feature in the canon of the hero myth. Besides his personal father there is a
“higher,” that is to say an archetypal, father figure, and similarly an archetypal mother
figure appears beside the personal mother. This double descent, with its contrasted
personal and suprapersonal parental figures, constellates the drama of the hero’s life.”
- Erich Neumann – Origins and History of Consciousness p. 123

The Fool begins knowing nothing, he is innocent, simple, and child-like.

Each stage of his adventure through the tarot is a deeper discernment. The
singular is discerned into duality, duality into trinity, etc. Each represents an
attainment of higher consciousness.

The Fool represents the seeker who is consulting the tarot and wishing
to learn the lessons it has to offer. He or she begins like a foolish child, but as
they progress through the Major Arcana, they develop into an everyman, then
a hero, and finally, a sage. In terms of Jungian psychology, the Fool represents
ego-consciousness, while each numbered trump of the Major Arcana represents
an archetype (and the numbers themselves are archetypes). The Fool is not
the only unnumbered card in the tarot. The Court cards of the Minor Arcana
are also unnumbered as they traditionally represent human personalities, not
archetypes. According to Dr Jung, archetypes have their own autonomous
personalities, but they are not human.

“I see that many of my pupils indulge in a superstitious belief in our so-called

“free will” and pay little attention to the fact that the archetypes are, as a rule,
autonomous entities”
- C.G. Jung, Letters Vol. II, p. 626

14
 I. LE BATELEVR - The Magician
I – Singularity. The beginning. A parent
(rather than either a mother or a father, as there
is no differentiation into gender yet), merely,
some singular “parent” which has given life to the
ego. A newborn baby does not have any concepts
of mother and father or of God, or of doctors and
nurses. All it knows is that “something” provides
its needs. It is fed and given warmth. If it is
uncomfortable, all it must do is cry out, and the
“something” responds to its needs. For a newborn,
there is no differentiation yet.

Number 1: The egg. The seed. A magician

Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650 conjures something out of nothing. Le Bateleur,
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys.
the batonist, juggler, magician, or conjurer is a
traveling showman, a gleeman or perhaps even a gypsy performing tricks. As
the first arcanum, Le Bateleur indicates humble beginnings.

“Psst! Hey Kid! Come over here!”

The very first person the Fool encounters on his journey is this flamboyant
and mischievous character. He is a street magician who has set up a little table
to ply his trade and make some money. He is perhaps from the lower class or
worse, a tarot reader. The sceptics may mock him, but the Fool is fascinated by
his simple tricks, sleight of hand, and baton juggling. What wonders does he
have to show him? Once the show begins, Le Bateleur will reveal surprises that
are sure to amaze.

This is the Fool’s introduction to what lies ahead. As if to let us know he

is the first card, the le Bateleur holds a baton, like a “1”. His arms and body
make the shape of the Aleph (‫)א‬, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which
is also a posture symbolizing “as above, so below.” His hat forms the infinity
symbol, a fashion he shares with arcanum 11, which is also a singularity card.

“As above, so below” is the primary teaching of magic and spirituality.

It is known from the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, an influential text for both
European and Arab alchemists that first appeared in the late 8th century. It
was first found in Arabic sources and was later translated into Latin in the 12th
century.

15
 The Emerald Tablet begins:

“Truth! Certainty! That in which there is no doubt!

That which is above is from that which is below,
and that which is below is from that which is above,
working the miracles of one.”

This is the first teaching Le Bateleur provides. The principle behind how
magic works. The realm of the spiritual affects the material realm, and vice
versa. The two worlds reflect one another. This is true even for the tarot so that
a set of cardboard pictures reflects truths of the spiritual realm and allows one
to gain insight from it. In psychological terms, the inner world of our psyche
affects the outer material world, just as the outer affects our psyche.

The lesson is also found in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:10 “Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” So, this important
teaching is also in the only prayer Christ gave his followers to pray daily.

Because of this intimate connection between the two worlds, the tarot
can be used to discern the outer world and treat the inner psyche. As above,
so below. One should be mindful not to deter from the focus of this arcana.
Le Bateleur is not portrayed as a supernatural wizard, but rather as a stage
magician or street performer. If he does have actual magic powers, they are not
on display yet. On a wonky three-legged table are all the earthly instruments
one needs to ply their trade in this world. These items represent the four suits
of the tarot: cups, coins, knives (swords), and batons (wands). These tools
symbolize the tarot itself, but on le Bateleur’s table, they are mere trinkets and
playthings. Le Bateleur is focused on the earthly, the mundane, on putting on
a show and earning a little coin to get him through the day.

“Jongleurs were actors. At the humblest level, they mimed and mummed in
dumb shows. Likewise, they tried their hands (truly) as puppeteers. Then too, they
served as buffoons, clowns, fools, and jesters... In another direction, they could perform
physically as acrobats, contortionists, dancers and dance masters, fire-eaters, gymnasts,
jugglers, ropewalkers, stiltwalkers, and sword-dancers, -jugglers, and -swallowers.
Among other things, they were conjurers and magicians.”

- Jan M. Ziolkowski, The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity

16
 Le Bateleur represents the earthly parent who goes out and makes a living
like Joseph the Carpenter. He is a simple man who works with his hands.
A child’s first relationship is with his parent. It is not unusual for a father to
amaze his child with some simple magic tricks. For many children, their parent
seems to be the smartest person they know, their guardian, provider, and the
ultimate authority.

Just as the Magician is the first to greet the Fool as he sets out on his
journey, The Magi were among the first to greet the new born baby Jesus. They
provided him with gifts that foretold his future as the Christ: gold to represent
earthly kingship, frankincense, used in religious ritual, to represent his spiritual
authority, and myrrh, a resin used for preserving corpses, representing his
dominion over death.

The items on the table represent one’s ability to deal with the issues at
hand. What gift does Le Bateleur have for the Fool? Perhaps something from
his table? When you draw this card, it may be worthwhile to meditate on what
gift the magician has for the little fool inside you, something that you will need
on your journey of self discovery.

Divinatory Meaning:

Humble beginnings and the creation of something out of nothing. A poor

man working hard to make something of himself, even if he must hustle. One
must focus on practical tasks such as work, on the needs of your family, and
on paying the bills. Make sure the essentials of day-to-day life are taken care
of. Visualise your goals. If that doesn’t sound fun, what would le Bateleur say?
Everything can be fun if you make a game out of it! le Bateleur on his wonky
table, with an incomplete set of bone dice, and an old rusty knife, thinks it is
all a game. In its negative form, Le Bateleur can be a trickster, like Fagin in
Oliver Twist who teaches orphans to be pickpockets. Be on the lookout for con
artists and scams. But Le Bateleur isn’t a labourer; he is a gleeman. It’s okay to
play, especially at the start of the adventure. The items on his table symbolize
that you have the tools needed to complete the task at hand. The road ahead
will be hard work, but Le Bateleur reminds us to remain light-hearted.

“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” - Stephen Hawking

17
 II. LA PAPESSE- The Popess
II – Duality. The singularity is split into
opposites. From undifferentiated “parent” to
mother and father. Male and female. Yin and
Yang. Like other duality arcana, this is a very
“black and white” kind of card. In Genesis, there
are 6 days of creation, and only on the 2nd day
of creation was it not proclaimed that “it was
good” (Genesis 1:6-8). This is because duality, in
essence, is polarity. It contains both good and evil.

Number 2: The egg cracks in half and

becomes two. Another symbol of this is the virgin
birth; from one comes two. Two is the first even
Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650 number, thus creating the dichotomy of odd and
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys.
even.

Design Description: The Fool’s next encounter is with a motherly figure.

Seated while holding a book, appearing rather pious and prudent. This stern
woman is an odd pairing to the light-hearted Le Bateleur, but as they say,
opposites attract. Her name may be slightly sarcastic, a cheeky nickname given
to a matronly woman who has a lot of rules for the children and is always
quoting from the Bible.

“The Good Book says, honour thy mother and father!”

She is the ruler of the household and therefore, the ultimate authority.
Both Le Bateleur and La Papesse may seem all-powerful to the Fool’s child-like
ego, but ultimately, they are just regular people with their pitfalls. La Papesse is
seated in front of a veil while reading a Psalter on her lap. The book symbolizes
all the wisdom that can be taught in books and all the wisdom that mothers
can teach their children. That symbolizes a wondrous amount of wisdom one
can learn, but there is also a veil behind her. The veil represents life’s hidden
mysteries. There are truths one cannot learn from books. There are things a
mother cannot teach her child. The child/hero must go out and discover them
for himself. She represents the teachings and lessons that our society gives
us. The given knowledge (the book) and the hidden mysteries (the veil). The
danger she represents is slavery to doctrine.

Le Bateleur introduced the Fool to the game. La Papesse offers him

information. Do you want to read all the rules? We can learn the lessons of

18
La Papesse from the book in her lap. She represents the safety of the mother.
The safety of a book that tells us everything we need to know. But the secret
knowledge behind the veil is tempting, isn’t it? She is the Earthly mother, the
soul mother. This is why she is paired with Le Bateleur, rather than with le
Pape.

La Papesse is often compared to the legendary Pope Joan, first mentioned

in Jean de Mailly’s chronicle, Chronica Universalis Mettensis around 1250.

“Concerning a certain Popess or rather female Pope, who is not set down in the
list of popes or Bishops of Rome, because she was a woman who disguised herself as a
man and became, by her character and talents, a curial secretary, then a Cardinal and
finally Pope. One day, while mounting a horse, she gave birth to a child. Immediately,
by Roman justice, she was bound by the feet to a horse’s tail and dragged and stoned
by the people for half a league, and, where she died, there she was buried, and at
the place is written Petre, Pater Patrum, Papisse Prodito Partu, [Oh Peter, Father of
Fathers, Betray the childbearing of the Popess]. At the same time, the four-day fast
called the “fast of the Popess” was first established.”

The story of the Popess relates directly to Mary’s virgin birth. Mary,
being the Earthly mother of Jesus. A hero commonly is produced by either a
virgin birth or a birth where the true father is unknown. Perseus is another
example of a hero born to a virgin. In her negative form, La Papesse can take
on the role of the wicked stepmother (a popular archetype found in fairy tales).

Since Court de Gébelin (1781), the arcanum has been related to the
Egyptian Goddess Isis and is even depicted explicitly as such on some modern
decks. There are strong similarities in the imagery for both Mary and Jesus,
Isis and Horus, as well as Pope Joan and child.

Madonna and Child by Isis and Horus sculpture, Egypt “Pope Joihn VII” in Hartmann Schedel’s
Duccio di Buoninsegna c.1300 religious Nuremberg Chronicle, c 1493

19
 The story of Pope Joan may be nothing but a folktale, but in the Middle
Ages, the story was widely believed to be historical. For example, Jan Hus
was burned at the stake by the Catholic Church in 1415 partly because of
arguments he made that used Pope Joan as one of his criticisms against the
papacy.

Although La Papesse is found in some of the earliest tarot decks, she later
became rather controversial. In the 18th century Vandenboore deck, she was
replaced to eliminate overt Catholic symbolism from the tarot. Substituted in
her place was a comedic figure, the Spanish Captain. In the Besançon tarot
(TdB), she was replaced with the Roman goddess, Juno. Then, in the late 20th
century in some Engluish TdM variants she was renamed the High Priestess.

Divinatory Meaning:

While Le Bateleur is the active, creative principle, La Papesse is the

opposite. She is passive and receptive. La Papesse represents profound psychic
insight. Listen carefully to your intuitions. Sacred knowledge and secrets will
be revealed to you, but you should beware of falling victim to indoctrination. It
is a time for quiet contemplation and looking within, especially concerning the
feminine and motherly side of yourself. Be nurturing, trusting, and receptive.

Tarot de Marseille Type II. B.P. Grimaud

c.1930 gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale
de France

20
Mary crowned with the Triregnum (Papal tiara) on her assumption. From the Charter upon
Act of Parliament, 16 March 1445 of King’s College, Cambridge.
https://kcctreasures.com/2015/03/06/illuminating-the-foundation-of-kings-college

21
 III. L’IMPERATRISE - The Empress

III – Trinity. Rebirth. From the duality of

the material world represented by the first two
arcana, a third element is added which represents
the spiritual world. The use of the term “trinity”
here should not be confused with the Christian
doctrine of the Trinity. The tarot does indeed
use some Catholic imagery, such as Le Pape,
and has some other biblical associations, but it is
unorthodox in its approach. Even La Papesse and
le Pape are mundane, earthly cards. In tarot, the
divine is represented not by religious authorities
like the Pope but rather by royalty, celestial
bodies (Stars, Sun, and moon), and supernatural
Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650
characters (the Devil and angel). The tarot is
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys. certainly the product of a highly Christianized
society, but the Christian faith is presented in unusual and surprising ways.

“When a trinity appears, this means that a fateful point has been reached, that
something unavoidable will, therefore, happen.” - C.G. Jung, Children’s Dream p.36

Number 3: The egg (I) represented the first birth, then it cracked in
two (II). Now, a chick emerges from the two halves (III). It is a rebirth.
Symbolically, the first was an earthly birth, and the second was a spiritual birth.
It is cracking the shell of the mundane world and emerging reborn into the
glorious realm of life that includes the metaphysical, not just the physical.

“Three” is always dynamic, rhythm... Three leads to four! It leads to a result.”

- C.G. Jung, Children’s Dreams p.119

2+1 Whenever we have duality, the next step is to balance the opposing
dualities with the introduction of a higher principal. Three adds a new
dimension to the balance of two. The duality of the opposites is mediated by
a third principle. Rather than just up or down, or left and right, the third
dimension is revealed. Rather than merely hot and cold, or hard and soft, we
have the three phases of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The most basic polygon
is formed with 3 lines, the triangle.

Design Description: The heavenly parent, the spiritual aspect of the

mother archetype. Modern fantasy tarot decks will display any fanciful imagery
on the shields of the Empress and the Emperor, but the original Marseille
decks are very consistent; they always depict eagles. This is because winged

22
eagles suggest the heavens. L’Imperatrise represents the heavenly/spiritual/
royal parent, a common element in the hero myth. A golden crown on her
head, like all royal crowns, is representative of a halo and therefore, her divine
right to rule. L’Imperatrise holds the sceptre in her left hand, indicating
passive, feminine power, while L’Empereur holds it in his right, indicating a
masculine, active power. Her likeness to the next trinity arcana, Justice (VIII),
is unmistakable. But the justice of L’Imperatrise is a feminine, feeling-centred
type of justice, rather than some strict adherence to reason or laws. The
L’Imperatrise within you is a creative force, and she knows how to create what
you need.

“I might mention, for instance, the motif of the dual descent, that is, descent from
human and divine parents, as in the case of Heracles, who received immortality through
being unwittingly adopted by Hera. What was a myth in Greece was actually a ritual in
Egypt: Pharaoh was both human and divine by nature.” - C.G. Jung, CW9i ¶ 93

Usually, a child only has earthly parents, he is born only once. But the
hero often has two sets of parents, and so, he is born twice. The Empress is
his second mother and represents the rebirth of the mundane earthly child
into the hero. This is not primarily a sublunary fertility card, but rather a royal
or spiritual rebirthing card. The Fool, with his ratty old clothes and muddy,
stained shoes is welcomed into the gleaming palace of the Empress and told he
is her son. You are not a low creature, as you may have thought, but beloved
by the highest principals of the spiritual realm. In its negative form, she can
represent a Hetaerae, or the White Witch who covers Narnia in snow, or the
Wicked Queen who torments Snow White.

La Papesse and le Bateleur are the parents of the soul, while L’Imperatrise
and L’Empereur are the parents of the spirit. “Soul” and “spirit” are commonly
conflated, but they are two distinct aspects of our nature. Spirit (pneuma) is
the divine breath that is our oneness with God (Genesis 2.7). While the soul
(psyche) is our inner life, our humanity, and individuality. In Alchemy, the soul
was represented by the stag (its horns spreading out in many directions) while
the unicorn (with a singular horn) represented the spirit.

“Man has three natures, or parts, of which the highest and first are essentially
spiritual; the second, psychic, or belonging to the sphere of soul; and the third,
material, bodily or corporeal, relating to the realm of the body.”
- Manly P. Hall lecture on The Dark Night of the Soul

“This peak/vale pairing is also used by the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. In a
letter (to Peter Goullart) he writes: The relation of height to spirituality is not merely
metaphorical. It is physical reality. The most spiritual people on this planet live in the
highest places. So do the most spiritual flowers... I call the high and light aspects of

23
my being spirit and the dark and heavy aspect soul. Soul is at home in the deep, shaded
valleys. Heavy torpid flowers saturated with black grow there. The rivers flow like warm
syrup. They empty into huge oceans of soul. Spirit is a land of high, white peaks and
glittering jewel-like lakes and flowers. Life is sparse, and sounds travel great distances.”
- James Hillman, Peaks and Vales.

“Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born
again.” - John 3:5-7

Divinatory Meaning:

Spiritual rebirth, renewal, synthesis. Establish yourself in relationships

with others. Have an appreciation for higher principles and the best of
humanity. Create rather than destroy. Take the high road, do not get down in
the dirt and sling mud. Realize you are more than just a mere physical thing;
you were born as a spiritual being as well. We need to be reborn into our
spiritual side to fully experience our lives anew.

Tarot de Marseille Type II. B.P. Grimaud

c.1930 gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale
de France

24
 IIII. L’EMPEREVR - The Emperor
IIII – Quaternity. Just as the material world
is split into dualities, the heavenly realm is too.
A pair of Earthly parents and a pair of Heavenly
parents. As above, so below.

Number 4: Completeness. Order. Stability.

Structure. The square. The 4 elements. The
4 cardinal directions. The 4 winds. The cross.
To the Pythagoreans, 4 was the source of the
tetractys 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10, the most perfect
number.

I+II = soul (low, funky, earthy)

Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650 III+IIII = spirit (high, lofty, detached)
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys.

Design Description: Unlike the Earthly parents (le Bateleur and la

Papesse), who could not be more different, L’Imperatrise and L’Empereur are
the perfect pair with their matching crowns, royal garb, mighty thrones, and
heraldic shields. The two symbolize the royal, heavenly (winged) bloodline.
Unlike the dubious Bateleur and bible-thumping Papesse, the Emperor and
the Empress are every child’s ideal parents. What child doesn’t dream of being
a little prince or princess? Why is that? Because little children have not yet
forgotten who and what they are. It is only as we get older that society enforces
the status quo on us.

The hero usually has two sets of parents because he is of two worlds. He
is seeking to be in connection with both his soul and spirit. L’Imperatrise and
L’Empereur are his spiritual parents.

L’Empereur, unsurprisingly, appears to be largely based on the

iconography of Charlemagne, the “Pater Europae.” Displaying the Imperial
eagle (Reichsadler) that was retroactively attributed to Charlemagne by
Emperor Frederick II. The motif of Charlemagne’s beard appears in the 11th-
century Song of Roland, which has a verse describing Charlemagne: “his beard
is white, and all his hair is greying.” The expression “l’empereur à la barbe
fleurie” came to refer specifically to Charlemagne in French.

Merovingian kings like Charlemagne did not cut their hair or beards,
as long hair was associated with magical or ceremonial strength. When a
king was deposed, his hair was tonsured, thus symbolizing his loss of power.

25
Charlemagne embodies the qualities of this arcana, as he accomplished the
unprecedented unification of a significant portion of Western Europe, extending
his influence on regions in Europe that had never experienced the rule of either
the Franks or the Romans

L’Imperatrise and L’Empereur both hold sceptres topped with a Globus

Cruciger. This iconography began in Roman times as a simple globe, often held
by Jupiter (also depicted as white-haired and bearded, as king of the gods). It
represented dominion over the world. In the 5th century, the cross was added
on top by Emperor Flavius Arcadius, symbolizing Christ’s dominion over the
world.

T-O style mappa mundi from Isidorus’

Etymologiae, written in 623 and first printed
in 1472. Oriented with East at the top
(towards the Orient) which is where the
word orientation comes from.
Globus Cruciger. Imperial Orb of the Holy
Charlemagne by Master Theodoric of Prgue, Roman Empire in Schatzkammer in Wien
c. 1360 (Austria)

On the tarot arcana, an additional T shape represents a T-O map of the

world. Strangely, the T is upside down, putting Europe and Africa at the top.
Charlemagne was often depicted holding a globus cruciger in his left hand
(representing the world as his empire), and his right, either a scepter or his
legendary sword, the Joyeuse.

“It is typical for the classic hero to have two sets of parents – a heavenly and
an earthly pair. We are familiar with this picture from many myths in which the
heroes were children of mighty gods but raised by earthly parents. Sometimes this
situation is also concealed in the motif of the hero’s unknown origin. Fairy tales often
give an indication of the ‘other parents’ in that their heroes frequently grow up with
stepparents. In the tarot, these doubled parents are shown in the first four numbered
cards.” - Hajo Banzhaf, Tarot and the Journey of the Hero, p. 29

Oedipus, as an infant, was abandoned by his birth parents, Laius and

Jocasta, the rulers of Thebes. He was taken in by a shepherd and raised by the

26
previously childless king and queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope. Perseus,
son of Zeus, was also cast away and raised by a fisherman who caught him in
his net. Moses was abandoned by his parents and raised by others. Jesus had
both an earthly father (Joseph) and a heavenly Father.

L’Empereur is a positive spiritual father. He creates structure and works

for the betterment of his people. In Jungian psychology, the father archetype is
analogous to the king archetype. In its negative form, the father can be either
a weak ruler, or a wounded king like the Fisher King of the Grail myth, or the
evil tyrant Darth Vader.

There is a familiar mythic motif, found in mythologies like Oedipus and

Perseus where a prophecy proclaims the king’s son (the hero) will kill him.
This is because the king represents the old state of ego consciousness, and the
newly born hero represents the new emerging state of consciousness that will
replace it.

The Christian tradition shows a slight variation of this theme. King Herod
fears being replaced by the Messiah as prophesied by Jeremiah, but Herod is
not the heavenly father of Jesus. According to the Jewish historian Josephus,
Herod murdered three of his sons who attempted to kill him. The rest of the
story follows the typical mythic format quite closely. Like the story of Moses,
Mary hides Jesus in Egypt until King Herod dies of illness.

Divinatory Meaning:

Structure, rules, stewardship, leadership, control, authority, birth right.

L’Empereur is the ultimate authority. This arcana encourages us to examine
who or what is our own ultimate authority by which we lead our lives. Where
does that command come from?

L’Empereur is about order and the power of organization; he is the

archetypal father, the wise pharaoh who commands his men to construct the
great pyramid. A good king benefits all his people and makes the land thrive.
It could be wise to seek out this type of Kingly energy. Defying authority is
not always the best way forward. You may need to see yourself as the emperor
and behave accordingly. There is also a deeper layer of meaning in this card
that applies to our adventuring Fool. Birth right. While some other cards may
suggest “If you work hard, you can achieve it,” this arcanum suggests “You were
born for this.” You have a rightful place on the throne – take it.

But maybe you aren’t anyone special. Maybe you aren’t Prince William or
the son of Tom Cruise, so how can anything be your birth right? Maybe you are
27
just politically opposed to the idea of birth right altogether? Shouldn’t we try
to build meritocracy? There are 8 billion people on this planet; they can’t all be
kings and superstars. While that is certainly true, it is also true that everyone
has royal divinity inside. That little spark can lead them towards individuation.
As children we innately know this, which is why it is so common for children
to pretend to be a King or a princess.

As above, so below. If there are two earthly parents, there must be

two heavenly parents. Just as the earth is split into dualities, which can be
described as the feminine and the masculine, the spiritual realm also manifests
as divine duality. Here, III and IIII are the feminine and masculine elements
of the heavens. Later we will see that XVIII and XVIIII are the feminine and
masculine aspects of consciousness.

Tarot de Marseille Type II. B.P. Grimaud

c.1930 gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale
de France

28
 V. LE PAPE - The Pope
V – The Quintessence. 4+1 The 4
mundane elements of matter plus the fifth non-
material, “spirit” or “aether.” According to C.G.
Jung, the alchemists had 1000 names for this
transformative substance. The lapis philosophorum,
Mercurius, the Virgin’s Milk, Sophic Hydrolith,
the Hermes Bird, and spiritis mundi. For
Aristotle, the Quintessence was a heavenly
material that was found in the celestial spheres.
Symbolically, the transformative properties of
this stone represent our ability to transform our
psyches and reach higher states of consciousness.
The four elements are mundane, while the fifth is
Tarot de Marseille Type I. Jean Noblet c.1650 celestial.
restoration by Pennie McCracken, Endless Skys.

Number 5: Five also relates to the first five books of the Old Testament
(Pentateuch), which make up the Torah (Hebrew for “the teaching”) and
embodies the perfect teaching: Truth. Jewish children in the Middle Ages
would have been taught the Torah in local schools called “cheders”. The focus
in Le Pape is on the hands, which have five fingers. The episcopal gloves
represent the good work of teaching the scripture, the purity of the novi
hominis. They also relate to the goat skin that the shepherd Jacob covered his
hands with to receive the blessings of his father and inheritance. The five-
pointed pentagram has modern associations with Wicca but was a common
Christian symbol in the Middle Ages. As displayed on the shield of Sir
Gawain, the pentacle symbolized his faithfulness to the five wounds of Christ,
the courage he took from the five joys of Mary, and lastly, the five virtues of
knighthood: “generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry, and piety.” (Sir Gawain
and the Green Knight Line 663).

Design Description: Le Pape sits in front of two thin pillars representing

the narrow gate, offering a blessing with his hand. The extended fingers
stand for the visible world (that which is apparent), while the bent fingers
represent the invisible (that which is concealed). This hand gesture represents
“as above, so below,” which we will encounter again in Arcanum XV. This
image symbolizes when the child first goes to school and begins learning about
culture outside of the family structure. Examples include formal religious
instruction, reading, writing, and arithmetic. The child learns that his parents
are not the highest authority. He is initiated into the larger community.

29
 It may be hard to shake our modern understanding of the Pope as having a
purely religious function. But to understand the tarot, we must see it within the
framework of the time in which it was created. In the Medieval era, one of the
main functions of the clergy was education. Most people were illiterate. If they
did receive an education, it would be from priests. Education was not separate
from religion. Rather, it was an integrated experience of learning how to read
scriptures from the Bible or Torah. The primary text in medieval schools was
the Psalter. On the Path of the Child were the 4 parents of the soon-to-be
hero. Le Pape is not the child’s biological father, but a holy Father to everyone
πáππáç (‘páppas’) literally means “father” in Greek.

The Quintessence, the fifth card on each path, is always a breakthrough.

Going to school for the first time requires the child to expand in consciousness.
Here the child-ego realizes that his parents are not the ultimate authorities and
that they don’t know everything. There are things his mother and father don’t
know, and there are other little boys and girls who also have their own families.
The child-ego is no longer the centre of the universe! He is just another
student, to be taught by someone much smarter than his father (whom he
believed to be the smartest man in the world). What a shock!

“The child has to learn to become conscious... that’s what is expected in school.
Children gradually learn that they are not in one big family, but that they are this child
from this family. The child begins to differentiate the world in a different way than
before, when there were only parents and servants and children, and perhaps also dogs
and cats and cows. This becoming conscious is an elevation from below to above.... But
at the same time this also brings about a danger... the danger of a splitting appears.”
- C.G. Jung, Children’s Dreams p.130-131

The Pope is the ruler of Christendom, so in that sense, he can be seen

as above the Emperor and the Empress (and at times historically, he was).
Standing or kneeling diminutively before le Pape are two-tonsured figures.
A tonsured Emperor is one who has lost his power; here L’Empereur is
superseded by Le Pape. This can be a painful transformation as the child-ego
loses some of his specialness. Now he is just one amongst the flock. The danger
of splitting mentioned by Jung is represented in Le Pape by the two diminutive
cardinals.

Comparing Le Bateleur to Le Pape, they are both mentors to the Fool,

but Le Pape is much more focused on the community, which includes the
moral rules that govern society, while Le Bateleur is entirely independent
without a strong commitment to the moral fabric of society. This path began
with the father of the fool and ended with the father of the Church. As we will
see, there is always a strong connection between the Singularity arcanum and

30
the Quintessence arcanum in each path. Le Pape certainly refers to religion, but
specifically the social aspect of organized religion: treating the greater society
like family, providing charity to those in need, a place for the community to
gather, and a sense of belonging. Terminology of the family is widely used in
the church to reinforce this dynamic. This is why priests are called “fathers”,
nuns, “sisters” and fellow church members “brother and sister”. The second
layer of meaning of Le Pape relates to being blessed by the Father. Jacob
went to great lengths to ensure that Abraham would bless him, going so far
as to dress up in the skin of a young goat. The goat-skin gloves of Le Pape
are a direct reference to this. When the Pope puts on the episcopal gloves the
following prayer is recited:

Ad Chirothecas: Circumda, Domine, manus meas munditia novi hominis, qui de

caelo descendit; ut, quemadmodum Jacob dilectus tuus pelliculis hoedorum opertis manibus,
paternam benedictionem, oblato patri cibo potuque gratissimo, impetravit; sic et oblata
per manus nostras salutaris hostia, gratiae tuae benedictionem mereatur. Per Dominum
nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui in similitudinem carnis peccati pro nobis obtulit
semetipsum.

“Concerning the Gloves: Surround, Lord, my hands with the cleanliness of the
new man, who came down from heaven; so that, just as your chosen Jacob covered his
hands with the skins of young goats, and by offering his father the most delightful food
and drink, obtained his fatherly blessing; so too may the saving victim offered by our
hands deserve the blessing of Your grace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who offered Himself for us in the likeness of sinful flesh.”

The alchemist and mystic Jakob Böhme (1575-1624) also describes his
insistence to be blessed by God and what that means:

“But when in this affliction and trouble I elevated my spirit (for I then understood
very little or not at all what it was), I earnestly raised it up to God, as with a great
storm or onset, wrapping up my whole heart and mind, as also all my thoughts and
whole will and resolution, incessantly to wrestle with the love and mercy of God, and
not to give over, until he blessed me, that is, until he enlightened me with his holy
spirit, whereby I might understand his will, and be rid of my sadness. And then the
spirit did break through.” - Jakob Böhme, Aurora, Chapter 19.

At this stage in the Fool’s journey, he must receive the blessing of the
Father anyway he can as Jacob did.

But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man and I
am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will touch me, then I will be like a deceiver in his sight,
and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” But his mother said to him, “Your
curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get the goats for me.” So he went and
got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a delicious meal such as his

31
father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her
in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. And she put the skins of the young goats
on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. She also gave the delicious meal and the
bread which she had made to her son Jacob.

Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are
you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me.
Come now, sit and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.” Isaac said to his son, “How
is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord your God made it
come to me.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, so that I may feel you, my son,
whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, and he
touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so
he blessed him.
- Genesis 27:11-23

Divinatory meaning:

Enlightenment is a worthy goal, but you must walk the narrow path,
and follow the right leaders and the right teachings. Seek knowledge and
understanding and share your experience with those around you. Perhaps read
that book on your shelf you’ve been meaning to, or take that course you are
interested in. Continuously seek to be blessed by the enlightenment of the holy
spirit and do not give up.

Matthew chapter 7 is of particular significance to this arcanum:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will
be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for
everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ” - Matthew 7:7-8

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to
destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is
the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” - Matthew 7:13-14

32
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