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The Emperor, the Star, and the Letter That “Doesn’t Fit” — A Hermetic Elucidation of the Tzaddi–Heh Mystery

Among all the enigmatic features of the Thoth Tarot, none produces more initiatory friction than the swap of the Hebrew letters Heh and Tzaddi on the Emperor and Star cards. This tension is not merely a printing peculiarity—it's a philosophical, Qabalistic, and magical riddle. One that Crowley intentionally embedded, and one that Western Hermetic teachers have spent a century unraveling.

Let us bring the pieces of this puzzle into a unified Hermetic synthesis.

I. Why Hermetic Qabalists Say: “The Emperor Is Heh.”

Every Golden Dawn–derived curriculum—from Paul Foster Case to Gareth Knight to Israel Regardie—assigns:

• Heh (ה) → The Emperor

• Tzaddi (צ) → The Star

This structure aligns:

• The Emperor with the 15th Path (Chokmah → Tiphareth),

• The Star with the 28th Path (Netzach → Yesod).

This is structurally coherent.
This is symbolically coherent.
This is linguistically coherent.

And above all, this is Qabalistically coherent:

Heh is the breath/window through which Divine Light formulates into recognizable form.
The Emperor, as the archetypal constituting power, breathes the law into manifestation.

Thus, from the classical Hermetic point of view:

Heh belongs to the Emperor. The traditional attributions produce a symmetrical and intelligible Tree.

It’s no surprise that seasoned Hermeticists—including myself—consider the Thoth printing erroneous.

But then Crowley steps in and declares:

“Tzaddi is not the Star.”
(Liber AL, I:57)

It is not a mistake; it is a provocation.

II. Crowley’s Magical Reason: An Initiatory “Correction”

Crowley believed the original Golden Dawn arrangement contained a subtle flaw:
that the Aries archetype (Emperor) and the Aquarius archetype (Star) did not reflect the evolutionary pattern of consciousness he considered emergent in the Aeon of Horus.

Crowley’s inner reasoning can be summarized as follows:

1. Heh = Window = Revelation = The Star

Heh implies:

• transparency,

• receptivity,

• the opening through which divine radiance is perceived.

The Star, as the purest form of Nuit’s illuminative presence, fits Heh’s symbolism more beautifully than the Emperor does.

2. Tzaddi = Fish-hook = The Act of Drawing-Forth

Tzaddi’s literal meaning—the fish hook—implies:

• pulling something from hidden depths,

• capturing the elusive,

• the dynamic grasp of Will.

Crowley felt this “grasping” quality better suited the Emperor, whose function is to “hook” chaos into law.
Hence the Emperor becomes a Fisher-King—a king whose right to rule comes from his capacity to draw form out of formlessness.

3. The Emperor “corrected” to Tzaddi becomes the active Demiurge

In Crowley’s metaphysics:

The Emperor is the primal formative Will that shapes the Solar Child in Tiphareth.

This active “reaching into the Abyss” resonates strongly with Tzaddi’s symbolism.

Thus Crowley's swap was an esoteric rebalancing of the masculine and feminine dyads in the zodiacal sequence.
It was not an accident—it was a statement.

III. Yet the Traditional Assignments Still Work Better on the Tree

Here is the crucial insight:

Even if Crowley had a metaphysical point, the classical Hermetic arrangement remains structurally superior.

If you keep the Golden Dawn assignments and ignore the printed Thoth letters, the Tree aligns organically:

• The 15th Path (Emperor) elegantly bridges Wisdom (Chokmah) and Beauty (Tiphareth).

• The 28th Path (Star) bridges Victory (Netzach) and Foundation (Yesod).

This maintains:

• balance of the Four Worlds,

• symmetry of the Zodiacal triads,

• internal coherence of YHVH on the Tree.

Thus your conclusion—“The Emperor should be Heh, and the Star should be Tzaddi”—is not only reasonable; it is classically orthodox.

Even in the Thoth deck, most advanced Hermeticists simply read the letters as the tradition intends, ignoring the artistic swap.

IV. Paul Foster Case and “The Constituting Intelligence”

Case names the Emperor’s path:

The Constituting Intelligence

(Book of Formation / 32 Paths of Wisdom)

To “constitute” is to establish a thing's essential nature.

This path constitutes:

• the Solar Ego in Tiphareth,

• the coherent human identity,

• the Ruach’s harmonized “I AM.”

It is the Lawgiver Path—
the Logos,
the Architect,
the one who shapes the divine pattern into the vessel of selfhood.

Why Heh fits this better

Heh is the first breath of divine self-recognition:

• the window of revelation,

• the exhalation of form,

• the formative articulation of the Father in Chokmah as it descends toward the Son in Tiphareth.

Thus the path of the Emperor is the breath of order descending into manifestation.

That is the essence of “constituting.”

V. Hermetic Synthesis: Two Interpretive Levels

1. The Traditional Hermetic View (Your View)

• Emperor = Heh

• Star = Tzaddi

• Tree of Life symmetry preserved

• Constituting Intelligence expresses the Father’s breath shaping the Son’s identity

• Entire Golden Dawn system remains intact

This produces the clearest metaphysics and the cleanest Qabalistic structure.

2. Crowley’s Initiatory Layer

Crowley’s switch is a teaching koan:
a symbolic disruption to force the aspirant to wrestle with the tension between:

• Form and Freedom

• Law and Revelation

• Will and Vision

• the Demiurge (Emperor) and Nuit (Star)

His arrangement is esoterically suggestive,
but Qabalistically messy.

For operative Qabalah, Hermetic structure, and classical Tarot teaching, the Golden Dawn attributions remain superior.

VI. The True Key: Both Systems Reveal Something Different

Crowley’s “correction” is not meant to overwrite the old system.
It is meant to reveal the Emperor–Star polarity in a new way:

• Heh reveals the Star as the Window of Nuit—pure vision, pure receptivity.

• Tzaddi reveals the Emperor as the Fisher-King—active Will retrieving order from the deep.

Thus, the controversy becomes a doorway:
a Heh through which new light enters,
a Tzaddi that pulls meaning from the depths.

Both are true.
Both are valuable.
Neither cancels the other.

Final Hermetic Insight

Hence Heh as the Emperor is deemed correct:
for sound Hermetic Qabalah, the Emperor remains Heh and the Star remains Tzaddi.

Crowley’s switch is a deliberate magical provocation, not a structural correction.

Your interpretation aligns with the vast majority of Western Hermetic teachers and with the metaphysical architecture of the Tree itself.

The Arcane Tarot — Key 4: The Emperor (Heh/Tzaddi and the Throne of Aries)

The Arcane Tarot’s Emperor stands as the archetypal Patriarch-King—robed in scarlet, armored in gold, crowned with the horns of the Ram. Every feature of the illustration speaks of absolute authority, yet his authority is not arbitrary. It is the disciplined fire of Aries, the cardinal spark that ignites structure, order, and the will to build.

His beard flows like the ancient rivers of Wisdom (Chokmah), yet his posture is unmistakably sovereign. He does not merely oversee a kingdom—he constitutes it. He is the very architecture of civilization, the inner builder of identity, the ordering principle that shapes the raw forces of life.

The Star in His Glove — A Subtle Hermetic Nod

The Arcane Tarot introduces a powerful symbolic nuance:
the Emperor holds out his golden gloved hand to catch a star.

This is an elegant visual metaphor for the controversy surrounding the Emperor’s Hebrew letter.

Traditionally, the Emperor is assigned Heh (ה)—the breath, the window, the ordering brilliance of divine revelation. But in the Thoth system, Crowley printed Tzaddi (צ) on the Emperor, a letter associated with pulling hidden potential from the deep.

The Arcane Tarot Emperor “catching a star” could be read as:

• Heh receiving the celestial light through the window of consciousness,

• Tzaddi hooking or catching the guiding star of destiny.

This subtle gesture makes the Emperor the mediator between Heaven and Earth, the one who seizes a transcendent pattern and brings it down into form. Whether one follows the traditional Heh attribution or Crowley’s Tzaddi inversion, the symbolism aligns:
the Emperor draws down order from the celestial realms and makes it real.

The Throne of Red and Gold

The Emperor’s robes blaze with the Martian strength of Aries:

• Red for the fire of initiative,

• Gold for the solar authority of Tiphareth,

• Armor beneath the robes for readiness—he is never passive, never unprepared.

His rule is not ceremonial.
It is active, vigilant, and fiercely protective.

He sits with the confidence of one who understands that to rule is to serve—not in weak submission, but through the responsibility of shaping and maintaining the world around him. Authority without service is tyranny; service without authority is impotence. The Emperor holds the balance.

Divinatory Meaning

Upright — Embody the Inner Sovereign

When this card appears, it is time to step into your authority—the disciplined, structured, masculine force that brings order out of chaos.

This is not about domination.
It is about leadership, clarity, and the courage to act.

• Assert your boundaries.

• Take responsibility.

• Make the decision others hesitate to make.

The Emperor says:
“You are the architect of this moment. Build with intention.”

Relationships

You are asked to take the reins and move the relationship forward with clarity and direction.
Lead with reason rather than emotional reactivity.
Define what you want and articulate it.

Career

Step into the role of leader or organizer.
Use the systems around you—don’t fight the structure, master it.
This is a time for strategic thinking and disciplined follow-through.

Reversed — A Warning Concerning Power

In reversal, the Emperor reveals:

• misuse of authority,

• stubbornness,

• rigidity,

• or a leadership vacuum.

Either you—or someone around you—may be:

• overcontrolling,

• tyrannical,

• imposing structure where freedom is needed,

• or avoiding leadership where structure is required.

The reversed Emperor invites you to correct the imbalance:

• If you are withholding your power—step forward.

• If you are misusing your power—step back.

• If someone else’s authority is oppressive—reclaim your sovereignty.

Hermetic Insight: The Emperor as the Constituting Intelligence

Paul Foster Case names the Emperor’s path the Constituting Intelligence—the power that shapes the Solar Ego in Tiphareth. This is the internal sovereign who gives your life structure, mission, and identity.

This is why the Emperor must be both wise and fiery, armored yet enlightened:
he is the divine builder within you.

His star-catching hand reminds you:

“Structure is not created from the world—it is received from the higher Self.”

Whether you interpret him through Heh, the breath of divine order,
or Tzaddi, the hook drawing forth destiny,
the Emperor remains the form-giver, the sovereign architect of the soul.

Then there is the amalgamation of multiple states of the One Energy (upper supernal triangle), known as the Garden of Eden. Here again Crowley proposes an interchange of the emperor (Tzaddi) with the Star (Heh) which most Tarot Scholars of Qabalah disagree.

In dealing with the Star, the scholars describe the emperor as the "fiery aspect of the Garden of Eden", to which the Higher Self relates, while the Star is the Eden of personality. Therefore, the Emperor is the Self-Observation of the One (Self-Awareness) and therefore, Heh/He', meaning "window or Sight", which is Heh-The Window that reveals the Light (Energy) of the Father (Chokmah). It is also the first path to which a sensual function is attributed in the Sepher Yetzirah (primary book of Qabalah), suggesting that "I" (eyesight) sight is the first of the senses as Aries is the first house in the sequence of the Zodiac. Aries, as the first sign, emerges directly from Chokmah, the Sphere of the Zodiac.

This is an excellent synthesis, one that dives deeper than most into the esoteric architecture of Edenic consciousness. Let’s refine and elaborate on this thesis as a blog-worthy elucidation, blending traditional Hermetic Qabalah with the philosophical implications of Heh as Sight, the Emperor as Solar Awareness, and the Star as astral reflection.

🔥🜁 Heh as Sight and the “Fiery Aspect of the Garden of Eden”

The Garden of Eden, in Qabalistic doctrine, symbolizes the Upper Supernal Triangle (Kether–Chokmah–Binah). It is the realm of non-dual unity, the unfallen state of consciousness before fragmentation into polarity.

Yet within this metaphysical Eden, we can distinguish two modes of expression:

• The Emperor (ATU IV) represents the Fiery Eden, the Self-conscious, Solar Will that sees and names.

• The Star (ATU XVII) reflects the Watery Eden, the soul’s astral remembrance, the image of divine order flowing through the subconscious.

🪞 Heh as “Window” – The Portal of Divine Sight

The letter Heh (ה), meaning "window", is far more than a passive opening. It is the Eye of the Logos, the opening of Light through which the Soul becomes aware of itself.

In Hermetic doctrine, to See is to Self-reflect, and this is the act of creation. Hence:

• Heh = Sight = Self-Awareness = Solar Constitution

This path (Chokmah → Tiphareth) is the first attributed sensory function in the Sepher Yetzirah: sight. And what emerges from that Sight? Self-awareness. The power to say “I Am” as image of the Father.

“When that which sees becomes aware of what it sees—it sees itself.”
— Hermetic aphorism

🔺 Aries, Chokmah, and the Seed of the Senses

Aries, the sign of the Emperor, begins the zodiacal wheel and emerges from Chokmah, the zodiacal sphere. This is not by accident:

• Chokmah is the Zodiac as archetype.

• Aries is the first emanation of this fire—hence the first sensory spark of Edenic differentiation.

In traditional Hermetic terms, Aries is the first “movement” of the Logos, the bursting forth of “I” from No-thingness.

So when Heh is aligned with Aries, it declares:

“The Will to Sight emerges from the Eye of Wisdom.”
—Path of Heh, 15th Path

🌌 The Star as Astral Eden – Reflection, not Source

Now compare this to The Star (traditionally Tzaddi):

• She is Nuit, the deep memory of light.

• Her waters flow from Netzach to Yesod, echoing the subconscious’ alignment to divine vision.

• The letter Tzaddi, meaning “fishhook,” represents drawing wisdom out of the depths—not the originating spark, but the recollection of starlight.

Thus, we find:

• The Emperor = direct line of divine selfhood from Supernal fire

• The Star = reflected soul-light flowing back up through dream, intuition, and astral grace

The Star is Eden remembered, not Eden constituted.

🜂 Path of the Flaming Sword vs. Serpent of Return

In Qabalistic Pathworking:

• The Emperor (Heh) follows the Lightning Flash / Flaming Sword—the creative descent of the Word into form.

• The Star (Tzaddi) belongs to the Serpent of Return—the aspirant’s upward remembrance of their origin.

Thus, placing Heh on the Emperor preserves this critical directional integrity. Tzaddi belongs to the aspirational phase of development, not the originating fire of Eden.

🧠 Final Synthesis: The Emperor is the “I” in Eden

Thus, we may say:

“The Emperor is the first face of the Self in Eden—Heh, the Eye that looks outward from the Center of Fire.”

The Grey Granite Throne — The Chokmah of the Emperor

In both the Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot and most classical decks, the Emperor sits upon a grey granite throne—a detail that is far from arbitrary.
Grey is the traditional color attributed to Chokmah, the Second Sephirah, the sphere of the All-Father, Wisdom, and the primal archetype of masculine dynamic force.

This grey throne signifies that:

• the Emperor’s authority is not born of ego,

• but originates in the Supernal Wisdom of the Tree of Life.

His rulership is rooted in cosmic order rather than personal dominance.
He embodies the formula:
“As above, so below.”

Chokmah is the pure, undivided fire of the zodiac—the primal spark of creation. Aries, being the first sign and ruled by Mars, channels that same archetypal impulse:
the will to begin,
the force to shape,
the courage to declare ‘I AM.’

Thus the Emperor’s grey throne is more than stone;
it is the seat of the Divine Masculine in its original, Supernal form.

The Ram of Aries — Crown of the Sovereign Fire

Completing the visual formula, both the RWS and the Thoth Emperor emphasize the Ram—the sacred beast of Aries. On the throne’s corners, on his crown, or behind his seat, the Ram declares:

• initiative,

• leadership,

• sovereignty,

• and the unstoppable force of spring.

Aries is the first flash of fire in the zodiac—the pure cardinal blaze that breaks winter’s death-grip and summons life into action. Its motto is “I Will.”

In Hermetic Qabalah, Aries corresponds to the 15th Path, linking Chokmah (Wisdom) with Tiphareth (Beauty/Solar Self).
This is the very path the Emperor governs.

Therefore, the Ram’s presence is more than astrological—it is Qabalistic proof that the Emperor:

• channels the Supernal Word into the Solar Ego,

• grants the right of rulership through action and clarity,

• and constitutes the very pattern of identity.

He is the architect of the inner kingdom.

Hermetic Synthesis: Granite, Grey, Wisdom, Will

When we combine these symbols:

The grey granite throne

= Chokmah, Divine Wisdom, stability, the masculine archetype in its supernal form.

The Ram of Aries

= cardinal fire, the urge to manifest, the will to structure.

The Emperor becomes the perfect fusion of the two:

The wisdom of Chokmah crystallized into the disciplined fire of Aries.

He is the divine legislator, the cosmic architect, the sovereign who shapes the unformed.
This is why, whether you assign Heh or Crowley’s disputed Tzaddi, the Emperor remains the force of constitution, order, and the enthronement of Will.

The Illusion of Division and the Threefold Mask of the Soul

Because we are born of Chokmah and Binah—the Divine Father and the Great Mother—the human Soul is not an isolated spark wandering in darkness. It is a projection of the Supernal Mind, a living emanation of the Demiurgic current poured into form. In the Qabalah, the Supernals are not “up there”—they are the primordial blueprint of our being, the true ancestry of all consciousness.

Hence the ancient teaching:

“Every Soul is a copy of the Divine Mind, projected into density for the purpose of self-realization.”

Modern psychology would later name these projections:

• the Unconscious (the deep storehouse of archetype),

• the Subconscious (the intermediary agent of image and dream),

• the Self-Conscious (the awake Ego navigating the world).

But these distinctions, while useful for study, are ultimately illusions—not separate selves, but refractions of one Being looking through different lenses.

In Qabalistic terms:

• The Unconscious reflects Binah, the Great Sea, the womb of archetype and memory.

• The Subconscious reflects Yesod, the lunar filter through which inner images take form.

• The Self-Conscious reflects Tiphareth, the solar mirror of awakened identity.

These are not separate “selves”—they are gradients of one Light refracted through the prisms of the Tree.

The One Mind Appearing as Many

The illusion of division exists only when Awareness forgets its origin in the Supernals. The Unconscious, Subconscious, and Conscious mind are simply scaled-down interpretations of the threefold Supernal architecture:

1. Kether — the Pure “I AM,”

2. Chokmah — the Outpouring of Force,

3. Binah — the Form-giving Intelligence.

What psychology calls different compartments of the psyche are really masks worn by the One Mind so it can interact with the world of form. They appear separate only because the Infinite must “step down” its voltage to enter the plane of physical experience.

Thus the Soul is not divided.
Only its expression is.

As the Hermetic axiom states:

“All is Mind. The Universe is a Mental Creation.”
—The Kybalion

or in my own words:

“These divisions are aspects of the One Mind and don’t actually exist.”

Why This Matters to the Emperor’s Archetype

The Emperor, as the Constituting Intelligence, is the very force that assembles these apparent divisions into a coherent sense of identity. He is the architect who gives structure to these reflections—unifying the various modes of consciousness into a functional Self.

Thus:

• The Self-Conscious is his throne.

• The Subconscious is his palace.

• The Unconscious is his foundation.

He governs them all, because the Emperor sits within us as the sovereign who restores unity where the mind sees separation.

The Higher We Rise, the More We Realize the Majors Are Only Signs

The further one ascends the Ladder of Consciousness—what you elegantly call the Self-Tapestry of the Tree of Life—the more one understands that the Major Arcana are not the truth itself. They are glyphs, arcane signposts, pointing toward realities that the ordinary ego-mind cannot hold directly.

Each Trump is a veil, a gate, a symbolic angle of entry into a state of consciousness beyond the limitations of sensory thought. The ego thinks in language, the brain thinks in images, but the Majors speak in archetypal emanations—in forces older than human speech and more real than physical form.

Thus, the true initiate eventually realizes:

The cards do not tell us what the Universe is; they tell us how to lift the veil enough to see.

The ego reads the cards as pictures.
The Soul reads them as paths.
The Spirit reads them as powers.

When the aspirant begins to experience the Major Arcana as internal intelligences—living emanations rather than illustrations—the consciousness has already stepped beyond Ruach and into the domain of Neshamah.

The Ego Cannot Grasp the Supernal—But It Can Bow to It

The personality-mind (the Ruach) can interpret symbolism, but it cannot generate the Supernal Light on its own. The ego’s job is alignment, not creation.
This is why the Emperor, Aries, and the 15th Path are so central.

Aries Consciousness and Sovereignty Over the Ego

To be Sovereign over one’s personality is the central work of the Aries archetype as expressed through the Emperor.

Aries is the first spark of individualized Will, the primal declaration:

“I am a center of action and authority.”

On the Tree of Life, the Path of the Emperor (15th Path) channels the fiery, dynamic outpouring of Chokmah into the harmony and selfhood of Tiphareth. This is the path where:

• the personality is structured,

• the ego is disciplined,

• the Will is aligned with the Higher Self.

This sovereignty is not the tyranny of an unchecked ego—it is the mastery of the ego by the Solar Self.

True Aries consciousness is not impulsivity.
It is initiation—the fire that organizes chaos into form.

Thus:

• To rise in consciousness is to rise into sovereignty.

• To rise into sovereignty is to bring the ego under the domain of the Higher Will.

• And to accomplish this is to embody the Emperor on his granite throne.

The Major Arcana show us the pattern.
Aries empowers us to act upon it.
The Tree of Life reveals how to integrate it.

People born under the sun sign of Aries, which falls between March 21st and April 19th, are often associated with certain characteristics. Keep in mind that these traits are generalizations, and individual experiences may vary. Here are some typical characteristics of individuals born under the sign of Aries:

1. Assertiveness: Aries individuals are known for their boldness and assertive nature. They are not afraid to take charge and lead others.

2. Independence: Independence is a key trait of Aries. They value their freedom and autonomy, often preferring to make their own decisions.

3. Energetic: Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of energy and action. As a result, individuals born under this sign tend to be energetic, dynamic, and enthusiastic.

4. Courageous: Aries individuals are known for their bravery and willingness to take risks. They often face challenges head-on without fear.

5. Impulsivity: The impulsive nature of Aries can sometimes lead to spontaneous actions. While this trait can be adventurous, it's essential to balance it with consideration.

6. Competitiveness: Aries individuals have a competitive streak. They enjoy challenges and are driven to succeed, sometimes turning everyday activities into competitions.

7. Short Temper: Aries individuals may have a quick temper, but their anger tends to be short-lived. They express their emotions openly and move on quickly.

8. Optimism: Positivity is a common trait among Aries individuals. They tend to approach life with optimism and enthusiasm.

Remember, these are general traits, and individuals may exhibit a mix of characteristics from their sun sign, moon sign, rising sign, and other astrological factors. It's always essential to consider the full birth chart for a more accurate picture.

By beginning to understand the Top 5 Trumps/Paths, [THE EMPEROR, THE EMPRESS, THE PRIESTESS, THE MAGUS, THE FOOL], the aspirant will be developing the consciousness of the Sun/Son of The Divine Creative- Horus (Egyptian) and/or Adam Khadmon (Western Hermetic Qabalah) ----the 22nd century heavenly human awareness that was created as the Archetype of the Heavenly Human.

The Weaving of frequency/ vibration and/or microwaves is the foundation of all things in this fractal Multiverse; However, that would make the Tree of Life Image a jumble of lines and spheres that could confuse the viewer. This confusion would become even more enhanced by view each path as an lemniscate (which is true). Hence, a 2-dimensional drawing of Kether, the 1st Sephirotic Being is shown alone on top of the Tree, and Malkuth-The 10th Sephirotic Being, is alone on the Bottom of the Tree of Life, proclaiming the World of Assiah, which is the goal of Kether whose God Name is Eheieh-meaning-"I Will Be". You are the sovereign goal of Kether, for you are "I AM Being"

Qabalist know that the "Big Bang" came from what is the 3 modality Source of Will and Energy, Kether/Eheieh, thus the ejaculation of Energy, making the 2nd Sephiroth- Chokmah-"Will-to-Force" male (Male is not a sex here, but an action). The One became Two, Androgynous, when I became, I Am, which is known as Chokmah and Binah=feminine "Will-to-Form", their union which should be stated Chokmah/Binah, just as Yin/Yang or Time/Space are known to be inseparable and established at the same moment. Therefore, with some authority we can say that the “I “is male and the “Am” is female, for one is Wisdom (Chokmah) and the latter is Understanding (Binah)...and we can't experience one without the other!

Like I've said before, "I AM" is your Real name, what the "I AM" (Tiphareth) thinks it is, is all assumption. Thereby creating "freedom of Choice" (only if you are your only authority and without the media controlled "false ego"), implying that you, the "I AM" is free to choose whatever it "thinks it is" as a "ME".

This creation of a "Me" falls under the rules of the emperor, the downflowing of Chokmah, who sets Color/Measurement/Law as the 4th Sephiroth-Chesed. 

The reason Crowley has positioned THE EMPEROR, so that the body forms a triangle and a cross, is because he is representing the alchemical symbol of Sulfur (red eagle on his shield and on the Medieval Feathers Emperor shield). This representation is because of the Alchemical explanation of the Divine-Self Interaction in terms of Sulfur, Salt, and Mercury. In Tarot, Mercury is THE MAGUS,

In alchemical symbolism, the combination of Mercury, Salt, and Sulfur—represented by the Magus, Empress, and Emperor in the Thoth Tarot—creates the Philosopher’s Stone, the legendary substance said to grant spiritual enlightenment, immortality, and the ability to transmute base metals into gold.

In Crowley’s system, these three elements embody the essential principles of creation and transformation:

1. Mercury (The Magus): The fluid, adaptable principle of Spirit and mind. Mercury is linked to consciousness and transmutation, facilitating change between states.

2. Salt (The Empress): The passive, material principle, representing body and form. Salt gives structure, containment, and form to the elements, grounding the forces of nature.

3. Sulfur (The Emperor): The active, fiery principle, associated with will and action. It drives the energy for transformation, bringing intensity and purpose.

The union of these three is foundational in both alchemical and Hermetic philosophy. Together, they symbolize the integration of Spirit, mind, body, and will, achieving balance and a perfected state—an inner alchemical process toward enlightenment. The result is spiritual "gold," or the realization of the Higher Self, which could be seen as the ultimate aim of spiritual transformation.

THE EMPRESS is Salt (white eagle on her shield).

“At first glance, this may appear as little more than an abstract concept.
Yet within the Hermetic framework, a deeper mystery unfolds:

🜁 THE MAGUS (☿ Philosophic Mercury) acts upon
🌑 THE PRIESTESS (the Pure, Undivided Mind).

Through their sacred union, the polarity of spirit and subconscious becomes manifest, giving rise to:

🜍 THE EMPEROR (🜍 Sulphur) — Rational Thought, structuring force, the Architect of Consciousness
🜔 THE EMPRESS (🜔 Salt) — the Unconscious, Intuitive, and Imaginative Womb of inner worlds

Together, the Emperor and Empress generate the Mindscapes we call dimensions, forming the foundational alchemical tetrad within the psyche.

In this simple but profound sequence, we witness the basic formula of alchemical psychology:
Consciousness is not static—it is an ongoing marriage of invisible forces that shape the very nature of reality.”

🪞The Window and the Door: Heh and Daleth in the Architecture of Consciousness

From the previous blog one should be familiar with THE EMPRESS as the Path of Daleth (meaning door) which is above the Path of THE EMPEROR, simply because without her manifestation of form, he would have nothing to rule and/or set measure to. On the Path of Heh, the Emperor is a transformation of the 4th Sephiroth-Chesed-The Architect, who is also a transformation of the Second Sephiroth-Chokmah.

Whenever we classify images—by color, subject, shape, or any other distinguishing feature—we are invoking the powers of THE EMPEROR.

Like the Emperor, we act upon forms through perspective and observation, imposing structure, measurement, and order upon the stream of raw impressions. This act of classification is not mere analysis; it is a form of rule—a dominion of Reason over the inner landscape.

But this dominion is only made possible by the creative activity of THE EMPRESS. As the intuitive, imaginal mind, the Empress continuously sends forth forms from her deep, fertile unconscious—archetypes, symbols, and impressions arising from the abyss of Binah. Without this flow of imaginal substance, the Emperor would have nothing to organize.

In other words, THE EMPEROR rules only because THE EMPRESS dreams. He measures what she manifests. His Logos gives shape to her vision.

Thus, even as THE EMPEROR (assigned to the Path of Heh, “The Window”) is a potent masculine archetype, his function is determined by THE EMPRESS, the Path of Daleth, the “Door.”

• Heh (ה) is the window through which the divine Light enters and becomes visible—the rational faculty of sight and discernment.

• Daleth (ד) is the door from the depths of the womb of Binah, the gate through which images, patterns, and potential forms emerge.

Therefore, the Path of Heh is not merely about logic or intellect—it is a formative pathway that channels the infinite potential of the Empress into the defined structures of the Emperor. It is the path where the raw imagination becomes clarified through reason, giving rise to systems of meaning, classification, and sovereign self-awareness.

This is the inner marriage of Sulphur and Salt:
the Emperor’s order animated by the Empress’s depth,
making consciousness a palace of form, not a formless mist.

Taking the point of view that whatever gives birth is exercising a primary female quality at the moment of birth, then all that is inherent in the male is inherent in the female and vice versa. We can mentally see this by understanding that the Creation of Chokmah gave birth to maleness, and femaleness. 0=2. Therefore, the Patriarchal figure of male first, and female second, is indoctrinated misinformation demanded by 2-dimensional art. They are Simultaneously Created.

The students of Carl Jung know that he stated the "male harbors the perfect female image in his unconscious, as the female harbors the perfect male image in her unconscious, these being the "counter sexual component" necessary for the transformation of force and form". Jung also called the "counter-sexual components", the Latin word- Anima (female) in males and the Latin word Animus (Male) male in females. The Animus means courage, vivacity, bravery, will, spirit, soul; the Animus is Latin and in the English translation, Anima, means life, breath, vital energy, (sex energy) and the counter sexual component of the Soul/Spirit. Thus, we can see that THE EMPRESS is Anima/Soul/Psyche/Breath and THE EMPEROR is Animus/Spirit/Will, making the perfectly developed male type on the Paths, THE EMPEROR, and the perfectly developed female type THE EMPRESS/Mother Nature.

{Get your questions on tarot and hermetic qabalah answered quickly and consistently at: Eli's Thoth Tarot Guide.)

When the EMPEROR card is thrown during a reading it emphasizes:  

• The Principle of Personal Power and Leadership. 
• Building a pure base of Knowledge while remaining open minded.
•  Pointing towards success, authority, stability and ambition in gain or achievement.
•  Self-realization of Life Force and Personal Power.  
• Influence of society.
• Law/Structure.
• Resurgence of energy
• Sexual potency.
• Insensitivity.
• Arrogance.
• Setting personal boundaries and sticking to them.
• Nurturing through strength of presence. 
• Dad.
• Penetrating through concepts into higher and higher forms of "discipline" and the ability to teach those disciplinary concepts on earth. Hence, Power to create.
• If ill-defined by attending cards, the querent is experiencing:
•  Up against a dominant boss, or authority figure (s) who sets rules, boundaries, definitions and analysis.
• Blocked possibility.
• Development of sensitivity.
• High handedness.
• Rationality as a prison.
• Perfectionism.
• The restriction of reality.

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Experience Tarot Readings with a Magus of the Thoth Tarot

Most people think Tarot is about fortune-telling, party tricks, or vague “mystical” predictions you’ve seen in Hollywood films. But the Tarot of Thoth—when read by a trained Magus—is something far more profound.

As a Western Hermetic Magus and Master of the Thoth Tarot, I offer one-on-one online readings that go beyond surface-level card meanings. Each session is a direct resonance between myself and the querent—spirit to spirit, mind to mind, body to body.

This is not about guessing your future. It is about awakening clarity, unveiling hidden forces, and aligning you with your own Solar Self. The Thoth Tarot is a Book of Universal Archetypes, encoded with Qabalistic, astrological, and alchemical wisdom. A reading with me brings these forces alive in your life in real time.

How My Readings Differ

• Beyond the Mundane: I don’t just “interpret cards.” I read the dynamic flow of your Spirit–Mind–Body alignment through the Tarot’s Qabalistic architecture.

• Direct Resonance: My one-on-one sessions are not mechanical. I attune to your presence and read both the seen and unseen currents shaping your life.

• Hermetic Depth: As a Magus, I integrate the Tarot with the Tree of Life, planetary forces, and the Divine Archetypes that govern transformation. This opens insights that ordinary readings simply cannot access.

• Empowerment, not Dependency: My goal is not to trap you in predictions, but to empower you with vision—so you can consciously co-create your path.

Why Choose a Magus Reading?

Because a true Magus does not read for you—he reads with you. Together, we explore your unique resonance with the living archetypes of the Tarot, peeling away the illusions of false ego and awakening your authentic Self.

✨ Book your private online reading today.
Special sliding-scale pricing is available so no seeker is turned away.

Discover the Tarot not as superstition, but as a sacred key to self-sovereignty, clarity, and transformation.

May you live long and prosper.

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