II'!,
The occultists who studied the twenty Major Arcana recognized this occult structure and origin without succeeding in actually rec
ognizing its nature. Indeed, the Hebrew Qabalistic structure founded on the Sepher Yetzirah is incomplete. The explanation for this is quite clear and very easy to understand. For theological reasons, which are distinctive to their beliefs, the Hebrews excluded Earth and Ether from their principles. Because of this omission, any attempt to estab
lish a correspondence between an initiatic system having its origin in the sacred Neoplatonic mysteries with the Hebrew Qabalah pres
ents some very real problems. There have only been a few modern magicians who recognized that omission and attempted to solve the problem by adding the two missing principles. You see evidence of an attempted solution in the book 777 by Aleister Crowley, as well as in the charts of the magical tradition at the time of the Golden Dawn. The Ordo Aurum Solis has also made this correction. There is a path numbered thirty-two, corresponding to Earth, and another path numbered thirty-one, corresponding to Spirit (Ether). As you know, the Tree of Life pattern that is traditionally used doesn't have paths thirty-one and thirty-two. In other words, the correspondences of the Major Arcana of the Tarot in relation to the twenty-two He
brew letters did not include these two principles. It is surprising that modern occultists have not advanced any further than this one cor
rection, especially regarding a question of this importance. However, it often seems that there is a certain inertia once a structure becomes formalized, and that intuition may be too weak to overcome it.
Up to this point, I have explained the Hermetic and Theurgic Tra
ditions in simple and practical terms. Yet, before these practices can be used in a balanced and effective way according to divine principles, they must be based on a clear tradition that is well-known to all. No exception to this rule is possible. This is the only precondition for the proper theurgic use of this system of the Major Arcana. The Ogdoadic Tradition, which stems from Neoplatonism, retained these original principles and (as you will see) uses two keys that correspond to Earth and Ether (Spirit), thus correcting this major deficit. Of course, these two cards are not included in the Major Arcana of the Tarot decks you
are familiar with. In this two key Tarot is only an e the Tarot in magic rituals as not the canonical and do fore, these two hidden keys
keys, their inclusion in the of the traditional vision of
You now understand Tradition was not Hebrew All the ancient Hermetic and Proclus and Iamblic�
language in their rituals words in various "barbaric•
etc. The ritual tools, Orphic:s demonstrate the primary
use�
show that the practices
used�
tarikon, etc.) were used in
thej
the Bible. Greek is a has endured for many Qabalah veiled the heart of the language of that inner
The publications of have already revealed a tween the Arcana and the tions were the first to be magical names in Greek Arcana). They expanded magic by outlining the divinities. These were very way for a deeper
To summarize, the MajOI'
�
original structure consti
tu�
signs, seven planets, and
five�
Arcana recognized attempted to solve the You see evidence of Aleister Crowley, as well the time of the Golden
to Earth, and another to Spirit (Ether). As you used doesn't have
to divine principles, is well-known to all. No only precondition for the Arcana. The Ogdoadic retained these original that correspond to Earth deficit. Of course, these of the Tarot decks you
THE HIDDEN TRUTH 45
are familiar with. In this regard, please remember that this twenty
two key Tarot is only an external version in order to show how to use the Tarot in magic rituals as well as divination. The common Tarot is not the canonical and dogmatic version revealed by divinity. There
fore, these two hidden keys have been added to the other twenty-two for practical purposes. At the beginning of your work with these new keys, their inclusion in the deck may feel strange to you, yet the charts of the traditional vision of the universe and the sacred alphabets very clearly show the importance of including these keys.
You now understand that the sacred language of the Theurgic Tradition was not Hebrew (although it has been used), but Greek.
All the ancient Hermetic books were written in the Greek language, and Proclus and Iamblicus, as well as the other initiates, used this language in their rituals and invocations. Greek was associated with words in various "barbaric" languages, such as Egyptian, Chaldean, etc. The ritual tools, Orphics (from Orpheus) and Isiacs (from Isis), demonstrate the primary use of the Greek tradition. Different studies show that the practices used by the Hebrew Qabalah (Gematria, No
tarikon, etc.) were used in the Greek system prior to the existence of the Bible. Greek is a language strongly connected to an egregore that has endured for many centuries. Thus, the answer is that the Hebrew Qabalah veiled the heart of this sacred temple and the use of Greek as the language of that inner temple.
The publications of the previous grandmasters of Aurum Solis have already revealed a great deal concerning this relationship be
tween the Arcana and the Neoplatonic Tradition. The earlier publica
tions were the first to be explicit about the correspondences of the magical names in Greek with the Arcana (including the two hidden Arcana). They expanded on this in the published work on planetary magic by outlining the relationship of the sacred vowels to the ancient divinities. These were very important presentations that prepared the way for a deeper understanding of the egregore of our tradition.
To summarize, the Major Arcana of the Tarot are based on a veiled original structure constituted of divinities corresponding to twelve signs, seven planets, and five elemental powers. The founding initiates
decided to represent and manifest the principles of their philosophy and their goal in this manner as the transmission of the philosophical, esoteric, initiatic, and religious inheritance of Hermeticism.
With these principles in mind, when the Tarot is utilized as a theurgic instrument, the picture on the card you use must be as close as possible to the original archetype. This is the only way that Tarot cards can fulfill their roles as talismans and tools for the invocation of the divine powers. This is the way that the Tarot was transmitted in the circles of the Italian Hermeticists; this is the way that the Tarot is still used within the Ogdoadic Tradition. The book you are now reading will reveal these authentic theoretical and practical uses of the Tarot keys, as well as their original correspondences.
NUMBERS AND THE SACRED ALPHABETS
You must now understand how the numbers and Hebrew letters have been allocated by modern occultists on the Tree of Life. Once you un
derstand this, you will be able to begin using these cards for theurgic work.
At their inception, the Major Arcana had neither numbers nor names, and they were memorized prior to use. Over a period of many years, a deck with names and numbers printed on each card gradu
ally emerged; this strategy may have been employed in order to make them easier to use. However, at this moment in time, there is noth
ing in the history of the Tarot that justifies one classification over an
other. T here was nothing that justified designating a correspondence between a particular number and a particular card, rather than some other card and number relationship. The Hebrew letters were not ini
tially present as a part of the scheme. It was not until the eighteenth century and the brief text by Comte de Mellet that an emphasis on the fundamental value of numbers and letters as a hieroglyphic support for the pictorial system began. However, you can easily see that this attribution follows the original order of the Major Arcana without other considerations.
Figure 10: The Tree of Life
ill
Etz Chaim, by Rabbi
If you want to find a
�
utilizes the traditional
Hehlj
to the Hebrew tradition.
'Qj
the correspondences I three elements, seven the Hebrew letters were
put.
Chaim, in the version
wri�
If you examine the balist used the same co
i'I'elll
the paths on the Tree of
�
varied somewhat from
a�
mained consistent and
v�
of their philosophy of the philosophical,
you use must be as close is the only way that Tarot tools for the invocation the Tarot was transmitted is the way that the Tarot The book you are now
ALPHABETS
and Hebrew letters have these cards for theurgic
a correspondence card, rather than some
that an emphasis on the as a hieroglyphic support
THE HIDDEN TRUTH 47