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The Thoth Tarot, created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris, is a renowned and influential deck in the world of Tarot. It was designed between 1938 and 1943, with Crowley providing esoteric knowledge and Harris bringing the artistic vision to life.

1. Symbolism and Imagery: The Thoth Tarot is rich in symbolism and esoteric meaning. Each card is a visual representation of Crowley's teachings on Hermeticism, Qabalah, astrology, and various mystical traditions. Lady Harris's vibrant and detailed artwork captures the essence of these complex ideas.

2. Qabalistic Influences: Crowley, being deeply involved in Western Hermetic Qabalah, infused the deck with Qabalistic principles. The cards are interconnected with the Tree of Life, and the symbolism reflects the spiritual journey through the sephiroth and paths of the Qabalistic tree.

3. Astrological Correspondences: Astrology plays a significant role in the Thoth Tarot. Each card is associated with specific astrological attributes, allowing for a deeper exploration of cosmic influences on the human experience.

4. Thematic Structure: The Major Arcana follows a specific thematic structure, representing the Fool's (hero's or heroine's) journey through spiritual development. The Minor Arcana, divided into four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Disks), explores various aspects of daily life, emotions, intellect, and material concerns. Therefore, the Major Arcana can be compared to a Map overview of the entire journey, while the Minor Arcana, is the terrain to be encountered during that journey.

5. Crowley's Thelemic Philosophy: The Thoth Tarot is also infused with Crowley's Thelemic philosophy, emphasizing personal will, spiritual evolution, and the pursuit of one's true purpose. This adds a unique and individualistic dimension to the interpretation of the cards.

6. Controversy and Mastery: The Thoth Tarot has faced controversy due to its esoteric and unconventional nature. However, many practitioners appreciate its depth and consider it a powerful tool for self-discovery and spiritual growth when mastered.

In conclusion, the Thoth Tarot is a masterpiece that blends mysticism, symbolism, and artistry. Its complexity and depth make it a valuable resource for those seeking to explore the intricacies of the human psyche and the mysteries of the universe through the lens of Tarot.

The Fool is the most esoteric of all the Arcana, Major and Minor. Numbered 0, it is the primordial Breath—the Ain Soph Aur before it condenses into form. And yet paradoxically, The Fool is also assigned the designation of ATU 22, the final key in the cycle of the Major Arcana. In Crowley’s system, this duality of numbering is not an error but a riddle: The Fool is both the beginning and the end, the unmanifest potential before the journey and the liberated spirit after its completion.

Every card in the Tarot deck—whether Major or Minor—is ultimately an expression of The Fool. Thus, the 78 cards of the Tarot are 78 specific facets of the One Self: 78 masks, emanations, or doorways through which the Soul dreams, acts, falls, and ascends. Each Key is a prism of consciousness refracting the white light of the Fool’s innocence.

As ATU 0, The Fool represents the unconditioned origin of consciousness—pure being, unburdened by memory or fear, standing on the edge of manifestation. This is the spiritual state before the Fall, before individuation. It is Kether in its rawest expression: boundless, bright, mad with freedom.

As ATU 22, The Fool returns—transfigured. The Soul, having descended the Tree of Life through the Paths and Sephiroth, and passed through the alchemical ordeals of the Great Work, re-emerges in its original state—but no longer naïve. This is the Fool as Master of the Path—a laughing hierophant, joyful in wisdom, unshackled by time or limitation. He has passed through Malkuth and risen again as Kether crowned in conscious light. As Crowley explains, the Tarot is a closed circle, and The Fool as ATU 22 demonstrates that the journey is eternally recursive, spiraling ever higher.

This is the paradox of the Zero: that which precedes all things and yet encompasses them. And this is the truth of Twenty-Two: the number of Paths upon the Tree of Life, through which the soul learns to become itself by becoming everything.

In this light, the Fool is not merely “the beginning of the journey” but the eternal initiator of experience, the Wild Soul who dances between worlds. His madness is the ecstasy of divine remembrance, the unspoken truth that all is play, all is path, and all is the Fool.

As a Path, THE FOOL connects Kether -1-(Crown) with Chokmah-2- (Wisdom). To the Qabalist, Kether is known as the Source of All, and Chokmah is known as Father God or God of the Covenant which is an aspect of the Divine Creative who is a complete Divine Creative as both Father (Chokmah) and Mother (Binah). Here begins the journey of 0=2.

The Path of Aleph, meaning Ox, represents the flowing of Life Force and Creative Power—what the ancients called the Breath of the Spirit. This path is the current of Divine Will, the primordial impulse that seeks expression not only in abstract thought but in final manifestation as Earth and Sensual Being. It is the descent of Spirit into form—the motion of the ineffable toward embodiment.

In the Thoth Tarot, Aleister Crowley symbolized this current as the dove, the classical image of the Holy Spirit—yet in his Qabalistic vision, this Spirit is not merely religious sentiment, but the Will-to-Form radiating through every level of the Tree of Life. The dove, descending upon The Fool, represents the supernal influx from Kether (Crown) into the evolving soul, like a breath animating matter.

Crowley, never shy about symbolic provocation, also referred to Aleph as a phallic symbol—the initiating force of projection, insemination, and creation. One might argue he was overly fixated on the phallus—but esoterically, this is not mere flesh. It is the glyph of active, directed force, the wand or will that emerges from formless potential. Indeed, The Magus—who channels and articulates the Word—is another form of this projected Will, the phallic Logos made conscious.

While Crowley’s phallocentric language may seem excessive, he was correct in identifying sexual polarity as the primal metaphor by which we may begin to comprehend the interface between photonic (quantum) and electromagnetic realms. The alchemical wedding of opposites—positive and negative, active and receptive—is the root of manifestation in both mysticism and quantum science. Only through such analogies—sexuality, gender, magnetism—do we gain even the faintest glimpse into how Light becomes Matter, or how Spirit dances into Form.

To even begin understanding The Fool, we must adopt a multifaceted and fluid view of Will, Force, and Form. These are not fixed definitions but dynamic states of becoming—qualities that shimmer between the Real and the Imagined, the Seen and the Unseen.

In The Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom, Dr. Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.), designates the Path of Aleph—which connects Kether (Crown) to Chokmah (Wisdom)—as the Fiery or Scintillating Intelligence. This title is more than poetic; it hints at a subtle metaphysical truth. This Path hovers at the edge of the Ain Soph Aur, the Limitless Light, which itself radiates from the Ain Soph, the ineffable No-Thing. This is light without mass, without limitation—a radiance so subtle and all-encompassing that, paradoxically, it is invisible to us who are conditioned by duality, boundaries, and the perception of beginnings and ends. Thus, the Limitless Light appears as darkness to the finite mind.

This paradox is at the heart of understanding The Fool: a radiant being of unbound potential who is both empty and full, both nothing and everything. The Fool walks the path of Aleph, emerging from the Void—not as a figure of chaos, but as the first thrill of Divine Motion: the possibility of vibration, the subtle stirrings of the One contemplating itself.

Crowley’s depiction of The Fool in the Thoth Tarot beautifully expresses this mystery. The figure is surrounded by swirls of vital energy, luminous rays, and symbols of elemental potential. Yet he steps lightly from Kether toward manifestation, propelled not by logic but by the Will of Spirit itself.

So, when we speak of this Path as the Fiery Darkness, we refer to a condition prior to manifestation, where Light has not yet individuated, and Will has not yet clothed itself in form. It is a Darkness not of absence, but of excess—so much intensity, so much purity of possibility, that it blinds rather than illuminates.

To glimpse The Fool, then, is to stand at the edge of the Abyss and feel the first ripple of the Word before it is spoken—the spark before the fire, the breath before the name.

In the symbolic language of masculine electric sexuality, The Fool may be seen as the Testes—the reservoir of raw potential and creative impulse. This idea is visually supported in the Thoth Tarot by the three radiant flowers beneath The Fool’s spread legs, a glyph of fertility, generative force, and unformed power. In this interpretation, The Magus (or Magician) becomes the Phallus—not as mere anatomy, but as the active vector of Will. While The Fool represents the potential for creation, The Magus expresses the direction of that creative current. He is the Word uttered from silence, the lightning that arcs from the womb of unmanifest possibility.

Beneath these generative flowers, Crowley includes intertwined hominoid forms, subtly indicating the original androgyne before the division into polarities—male and female, active and receptive, electric and magnetic. This is pre-manifest gender, Adam Kadmon before the Fall into form. It is the archetype of Unity in tension, not yet differentiated, yet teeming with potential divergence.

However, while such metaphors serve initiatory understanding, we must be cautious not to let them confine the Mystery. The Ain Soph, the origin of all emanations, is “No-Thing”—neither masculine nor feminine, but beyond all binaries. It is pre-form and supra-form, the ineffable void whose very nature resists categorization. And so, while we may use concepts like testes and phallus to describe the play of Will into Form, we must also remember: all concepts fall short of total conception. As the Zohar reminds us, even our highest images are but garments for that which cannot be clothed.

Thus, The Fool is not only the generative source—it is the dance of Form and No-Form, the Divine Madness that precedes the Word and follows it. It is the ecstatic paradox of being everything and nothing at once.

We may reason that the potential for thought arises not from light, but from Dark Energy and Dark Matter—that primal substratum known to the ancients as The First Material. It is from this unseen womb that all arises. The appearance of thought itself is the first flicker of Light, or Photon-Mind—a spark of consciousness emerging from the invisible. This radiant Mind becomes the Vessel for Ideas, the Womb of Thought-Forms, the I-magi-nation—that divine faculty which transcends reason, for reason demands measure, while Imagination defies it.

Thus, paradoxically, our very reason leads us to more questions than answers—and this is precisely how it must be. Each question demands the creation of new measures—new systems, forms, and matrices through which truth may coagulate into reality. Measurement is the coagulation of imagination—and manifestation is the crystallization of that which once only danced in the dark.

In this light, everything is “just imagination”—until it is named, weighed, and made flesh. What we call “life” is nothing less than a cosmic answer to a divine question posed within the Universal Collective of I AM. And what “I Am” at any moment, is but an assumption—a wave form—always subject to transformation by Will, by perception, by the alchemy of the Self unfolding itself.

**"Limitlessness eludes the grasp of reason, for it cannot be confined by thought. Yet in the language of the Mysteries, THE FOOL stands as the emblem of the primal, unbounded potential — the first stirring of awareness beyond the veil of rationality. In sleep, when the gates of mundane consciousness are loosed, we encounter glimpses of this Reality: images and impressions that dissolve under the harsh scrutiny of waking thought. Dreams seem senseless only because they speak the language of the infinite. Here is where Tarot- the alphabet of the Soul assists us.

The Fool reminds us that the Great Work is not the pursuit of survival-based delusions, but the assimilation of the Real: the marriage of 'As Above, So Below.' The true substance of Self is not constructed from what the ego clings to, but emerges from the immeasurable: from 'what is Not' comes 'what Is.' We are the measured dreams of our own divine Potential, woven into form. Thus, the active, passive, and instinctive powers of the Fool mirror the cosmic dance of the Universal Collective Unconscious, as seen in Vishnu sleeping — and Vishnu awakening.

To recognize the Universe as the Divine Dreaming itself — Darkness dreaming itself into Light — is to step beyond human conception. Yet it is even greater to realize that you are a Lucid Dreamer within this dream: an emanation of the Divine Creative, gifted with the Power of Observation. By observing, you change the observed. By awakening, you change the dream. Such realization tears away the masks of the mundane and demands a sacred remembrance of the True Self.

Thus, is revealed the Mystery of Vishnu-Yoganidra, who dreams the worlds from the silent pulse of his heart, and the Vishnu who, from that sacred dream, rises to dance the cosmos into being."**

In Hindu mythology, Vishnu exists in both the sleeping and waking states, each embodying different aspects of cosmic order.

1. Sleeping Vishnu (Yoganidra): Vishnu in his cosmic slumber (Yoganidra) rests on the serpent Ananta (or Shesha) floating in the cosmic ocean. In this state, Vishnu dreams the universe into existence. This sleeping state symbolizes potentiality and the unmanifest aspect of the universe, where creation, preservation, and destruction happen within his dream. The cyclic nature of the cosmos is tied to Vishnu’s cosmic sleep, and when he awakens, the universe dissolves back into him, signaling the end of the cosmic cycle.

2. Awake Vishnu (Active Manifestation): While Vishnu dreams, he simultaneously manifests through his avatars to maintain cosmic balance and act within the universe. In his waking state, he takes forms such as Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, and others. These avatars intervene to restore dharma (cosmic law), emphasizing his role as the preserver and protector of the universe. Here, Vishnu is active within the dream (the universe), interacting directly with beings, guiding them toward righteousness, and correcting imbalances.

In this way, Vishnu exists as both the transcendental, dreaming deity and the immanent, active force within the universe, harmonizing the cosmos from both planes of reality. His dual role mirrors the balance of the passive and active principles in creation. He is easily compared to the Tarot Fool.

Thus, your Divinity is rarely acknowledged by the mundane world. Yet within you resides a sacred engine: the Psyche-Womb, the unseen matrix from which all thought and form arise. It is here that the image of God—the archetypal Divine Pattern—is conceived and gestated. This inner sanctuary corresponds to the invisible Sephira Daath (Knowledge), the hidden gateway on the Tree of Life where the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine—Binah (Understanding) and Chokmah (Wisdom)—meet face to face. In tantric symbolism, this is reflected in the Tibetan Yab-Yum, the sacred union of opposites.

This union manifests on the Tree of Life as the Path of Daleth, assigned to The Empress in the Thoth Tarot. Daleth means "door"—and she is the doorway through which Spirit becomes Form. She is the Shekinah, the radiant matrix of manifestation. She is also the Spiritual Birth Mother—the Feminine Principle of Divine Creativity—as embodied in Binah, the Third Sephira. Here, in the womb of Understanding, the infinite begins to dream the finite.

It is also here that the mystery of duality arises—the primordial moment where the formless "I" dreams it is "Am". This is the mystery of 0=2: the Unmanifest conceiving of relationship, motion, and observation. The "I" is the Dreamer, inseparable from the Dream, while the "other" is that which observes the dream, interacts with it, and transforms it.

"I AM" is the Divine Creative—the eternal verb of becoming. But what "I AM" is, remains only theory, abstraction, or potential until it incarnates—until it takes form as an operative Avatar, a conscious vessel who dances, acts, and moves within the Universal Dream. This motion is the magick of transformation, and the awakened soul is the one who, by stepping into the dream, reshapes it.

On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, all the Paths leading upward to Kether, THE FOOL, THE MAGUS, AND THE HIGH PRIESTESS, must be approached with a certain understanding of whimsy, as we realize that by crossing the Abyss and approaching Kether (As above, so below) means the total annihilation of Self as we perceive it, thus presenting us with the irony of our attempt to grasp such esoteric and refined principles from an earthly-mundane perspective.

Often, when teaching the Major Arcana and knowing what I say, cannot truly convey what I am saying, brings a smile, if not outright laughter to my face. To me, The I AM potential is ironically displayed as a limited conception--a Me. Being a "Me" must never be taken too seriously, for that concept will change daily, when one enters the Higher Self of the Soul....me is just what understanding the difference between I and Am produces. "I" can be considered Chokmah-wisdom, and "Am" can be considered to be Binah-understanding; Therefore, the Priestess and /or High priestess is the knowledge produced by this interchange (Daath). The Priestess is "knowledge", and she gives birth to souls as the All-Mother Shekinah.

When examining the Fool, one gets to the point of Tetragrammaton (YHVH), the "secret name of god". Crowley summed this up as: "The Union (Communion) of the Father and Mother produces Twins, the son going forward to the daughter and the daughter returning the energy to the Father; by this cycle of change the stability and eternity of the Universe is assured." To understand this, it may be necessary to go back through history to the Matriarchal age. It was a time where succession was not through the first-born son but through the daughter. The King was not ruler by inheritance but rather by the right of conquest. In the stable societies of the time, the king was a stranger, a foreigner. He then had to kill the old king and marry the daughter.

The Anglo-Saxon word husband meant, "Keeper of her property". So, the King was a caretaker, and the Queen was the Owner. The Fool -0-being the symbol for the One Energy, which cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed thereby becoming 2 who becomes many. Therefore, all the relationships heralded in the Tarot cards, are simply aspects of O, twisting itself into 8, and becoming "Two who are One" and/ or male and female.

Respect for the wandering madman, fool, or lunatic runs deep throughout human history—a truth still evident in parts of the East, such as India and Tibet, where such figures are honored as potential saints, holy fools, or enlightened eccentrics. These are the divine mad ones, those who walk between worlds, unbound by the rational limits of consensus reality.

Even in medieval Europe, there lingered a quiet awe for these strange visitors. A popular proverb of the time reminds us:
"This queer stranger? Let us entreat him kindly—it may be that we entertain an angel unawares."
Such sayings reflect an intuitive recognition that wisdom often wears rags, and the most profound truths are spoken through the mouths of fools, jesters, or the marginalized.

In the esoteric tradition, The Fool of the Tarot is not merely a card of naivety or new beginnings—it is a glyph of cosmic paradox, embodying the sacred madness that precedes order, and the divine innocence that outlasts it.

To further understand this archetype, one may look to mythic and occult figures who personify aspects of the Fool’s cosmogony:

• Percival, the Grail Seeker, begins as a simpleton—ignorant, untrained, and innocent. Yet it is his purity and unknowing heart that allows him to retrieve the Grail, a feat no seasoned knight could achieve. His Foolishness is not failure—it is a divine key.

• Mako, the son of Set, or Sebek, the crocodile god, represents the primal energies lurking in the unconscious—the instincts and forces that swim in the deep waters of becoming. Though feared, these crocodilian archetypes are also guardians of transformation. The Fool, too, has teeth beneath his smile.

• And finally, Hoor-Pa-Kraat—the Silent Child, the passive face of Horus, associated with Harpocrates. He is the god of inner knowing, sacred silence, and the eternal becoming of the soul. His innocence is deceptive; within him burns the solar fire of latent godhood. The Fool, likewise, appears empty—but is filled with the All.

Together, these figures suggest that The Fool is not merely the beginning of the journey, but its cosmic axis, its mad heart, and its silent whisper. He walks not just the edge of cliffs, but the edge of realities.

The Medieval Feather Tarot-22-The Querent embellishes this medieval concept of the "queer stranger " whose actions go beyond the socially acceptable and is allowed such freedom. This Tarot Deck egos the medieval Tarot decks of the past such as the Visconti-Sforza Tarot or the Tarot de Marseille: However, there is a twist here as Feathers are involved.

The oldest known Italian and French Tarot decks each played foundational roles in the development of Tarot as we know it—both as a game and later as an esoteric tool. Here's a breakdown of the oldest known Tarot decks from each tradition:

🇮🇹 Oldest Known Italian Tarot Deck

→ The Visconti-Sforza Tarot (circa 1440s–1450s, Milan)

• Commissioned by: The Visconti and Sforza families, powerful ducal rulers of Milan.

• Artist attributed: Bonifacio Bembo (and possibly others).

• Deck Style: Early hand-painted luxury cards, not originally mass-produced.

• Structure: A precursor to the full 78-card format, though no surviving version is completely intact. Existing examples show the Major Arcana, court cards, and suit cards.

• Purpose: Likely used for a game called Trionfi or Tarocchi, but also held strong allegorical and moral symbolism.

• Legacy: This is the archetype for all later Italian-style decks (Tarot de Marseille evolved later in France from this lineage).

There are multiple surviving Visconti-Sforza variants held in museums and collections, such as:

• The Pierpont Morgan Bergamo Deck

• The Cary-Yale Visconti Deck (possibly slightly earlier)

• The Brera-Brambilla Deck

🇫🇷 Oldest Known French Tarot Deck

→ The Tarot de Marseille (earliest surviving examples: late 1600s–early 1700s)

• Oldest known version: Jean Noblet Tarot, Paris, circa 1650.

• Another early version: Jean Dodal Tarot, Lyon, circa 1701–1715.

• Style: Woodblock printed and stenciled with bright colors; iconic for its clean lines and stylized figures.

• Structure: Full 78-card deck, including Major and Minor Arcana.

• Significance: Became the template deck for the Western esoteric revival in the 18th–20th centuries (e.g., Papus, Eliphas Levi, and the Golden Dawn drew from this lineage).

• Legacy: It is the "mother" of most modern esoteric decks outside the Thoth and Rider-Waite branches.

Comparative Esoteric Significance:

• Italian Decks (Visconti-Sforza) reflect Renaissance Neoplatonic and Christian-humanist symbolism—high art for nobility.

• French Decks (Tarot de Marseille) reflect popular imagery, deeply archetypal and geometrically structured, making them ideal for esoteric codification during the occult revival in France.

The Medieval Feathers Tarot Deck adds the Feathers, images that came from Alejandro's dreams. He dreamt these images as pieces scattered over the landscape and feathers falling from birds overhead in the dreamy sky. All he remembered form his dreams are that these dreams had a medieval theme and that feathers fell from the sky. Hence, he looked back into medieval themes combining medieval art with feathers. Therefore, the primary goal was to resurrect the historic medieval decks.

Alejandro has chosen to use the French-Tarot de Marseille wording and using the old Latin spelling as the French language is derived from Latin influence. You must read the accompanying Tarot handbook for further enlightenment on his art, and reasoning. My object is to compare Tarot cards for your enjoyment and the exoteric and esoteric reasoning behind the images.

Depicted on the Medieval Feathers Tarot—Key 22, the Querent appears as a travel-worn yet luminous figure—an androgynous self, bearing the quiet strength of one who has walked many inner and outer roads. This archetype knows that truth does not descend from external authorities or institutions but rises from within—from the silent darkness where all is already known. This is the Womb of the Soul, the fertile abyss of Daath where knowing is felt before it is spoken.

Central to this card is the Ouroboros, the serpent or dragon devouring its own tail—a timeless symbol of eternal return, the never-ending cycles of I AM as Spirit enters, forgets, remembers, and recreates itself through countless iterations of assumed identity. This is the cosmic dance of self-awareness—the paradox that the Self must forget its own nature in order to rediscover it anew.

The figure at the center of this mystery is fully androgynous, representing the fusion of all five genders—a reference not merely to human biology, but to the full spectrum of polarities, potentials, and emanations found within the Divine Archetype. Along the vertical axis of the figure’s body appear the twelve zodiacal signs, symbolic of the Wheel of Incarnation and the astrological script through which soul and psyche interweave destiny.

The body floats in the dark womb of infinity—a sacred void beyond beginning or end, beyond duality or dogma. This is the space of the Supernal Mother and of cosmic gestation. The Querent depicted here is the total accumulation of a lifetime’s wisdom, carrying the imprint of experience, transformation, and deepened knowing. And yet—the journey is not over.

This is The Fool as ATU-22: the returner, the spiral-walker, the one who has completed the circuit only to begin again—not in ignorance, but in awakened innocence. Here, to know is to re-enter mystery with open eyes and an unburdened heart.

A hummingbird’s feather floats nearby, whispering subtle counsel: Be watchful. Listen deeply. Those closest to you may be in need of a compassionate ear, and you, as the seasoned soul, may be their only safe harbor. But even more vitally, by working with the Alphabet of the Soul—the Tarot—you may discover your greatest companion: the Psyche itself. This inner Friend does not merely listen—it responds.

The Fool’s journey does not end—it evolves. And as ATU-22, the Querent is not lost in madness, but initiated into the sacred paradox of the soul: to know, and yet seek; to arrive, and yet begin again.

Therefore, the Medieval Feathers Tarot- 22-may not be as profound in Western Hermetics as the Thoth tarot but nevertheless, it completes the journey in its imagery.

Male and Female where both invented at the same moment when the Twins were born from silent Wisdom impregnation of "I Will Be": that transforms into I AM. Therefore, with Kether and Chokma, there is impulse but nothing else, until Binah is formed out of Understanding. Only when impulse is interpreted, does it become "The Word", or the Logos, i.e. the womb! I could go on and on confusing you until abject despondency, but this is enough to stimulate a unique perspective about the Universe, one that is "I AM ME".

The Fool -0 is not a key card, for key cards are about doors or gateways of knowledge being opened. Nothing has nowhere to go---so it 0. It is all the Power that ever was or will be but hasn't yet been created as active form.

The design of the Thoth Fool card represents many mythological explanations of this Principle:

1. The Thoth Deck Fool has the horns of Dionysus Zagreus, and between them is the phallus cone of white light---indicating the influence of Kether-Crown, upon him.
2. His background is Air, drawing from Space and his attitude is that of one bursting unexpectedly into the world. A good simile for Time.
3.  He is clad in the Green of Spring and wears the Phallic gold shoes of the Sun.
4.  In his right hand is the Wand tipped into a pyramid of white---simulating Kether.
5. In his left hand is the flaming pinecone, indicating vegetable growth under the same Fiery influence of the White light, as well as the Grecian cone topped Wand of Dionysus known as the Thyrsus.
6. From his left shoulder, hangs a bunch of bagged grapes, representing sweetness, fertility, and the basis for ecstasy (Ecstasy gave birth to the Universe); shown by the stem of the grapes forming into rainbow hued spirals; The form of the Universe as a collective.
7. Upon this spiral whorl are other attributions of the "godhead"; the vulture of Maut, the dove of Venus (Mari, or Isis) and the sacred ivy of the Devotees of the Green Man.
8. There is also a buttery fly of many-colored air, a symbol for the Soul and the winged globe with its twin-serpents, which is echoed by the twin infants embracing on the middle spiral. 
9. Above is the benediction of three flowers in one (Kether, Chokmah, Binah).
10. The tiger (fear) is fawning unnoticed on his leg.
11.  And beneath his feet runs the Nile with lotus stems and a crouching crocodile (Sebek).

The whole Fool card is a glyph of the Creative Light which is Dark Energy and unseen by the naked eye.

Unless there are many surrounding cards of a very spiritual nature or the position of the Fool card is thrown into a highly spiritual position in the reading; a more mundane reading of the Fool card is often warranted when surrounded by "negative" cards.

Elucidation on Dionysus Zagreus

Classical Understanding:

Dionysus Zagreus is an earlier, mystical form of Dionysus, deeply tied to the Orphic Mysteries — secret initiatic teachings that greatly influenced later Western Esotericism, Neoplatonism, and even Qabalistic thought through Renaissance Hermeticism.

• Zagreus appears in the Orphic myths as a primordial Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Persephone (Queen of the Underworld).

• Zeus intended Zagreus to inherit the cosmic throne. But the Titans, jealous and enraged, lured Zagreus with toys and then dismembered him, cooked him, and ate him.

• Athena saved his heart and gave it to Zeus, who implanted it into Semele, leading to the second birth of Dionysus as the more familiar wine god — but forever carrying the scars and powers of death and rebirth.

Thus, Zagreus embodies:

• Sacrificial death (destruction by the Titans),

• Dispersal into matter (Titans are seen as representing the chaotic material forces),

• Resurrection through divine love and Will (Zeus preserving the heart),

• Dual identity: Dionysus becomes both celestial and chthonic (underworldly).

Hermetic and Western Mystical Insight:

Zagreus is a profound archetype for the Solar Self being scattered into matter — the soul falling into incarnation — but carrying a secret, indestructible divine spark (the "heart" preserved by Athena).

From a Hermetic Qabalistic view:

• Zagreus = the Tipharethic Solar Child (the Beauty born from destruction and unity).

• The Titans = forces of separation, division, entropy — the Qliphothic shells that veil spirit.

• The dismemberment = the shattering of Divine Unity into the Many (very akin to the "Shattering of the Vessels" in Lurianic Kabbalah, the Shevirat ha-Kelim).

Thus, the Orphic Initiate — and by extension the Hermetic Adept — seeks to:

• Recognize the scattered divine sparks in the material world (pieces of Zagreus' body).

• Undergo inner death and rebirth (following Zagreus' path).

• Recover and reassemble the Divine Self through theurgy, gnosis, and the Great Work.

Forward-Thinking View:

In modern Hermeticism, Zagreus-Dionysus can be seen as the symbol of the holographic soul — fragments of divine consciousness embedded in every living being and in every cell of matter.

• His myth reminds us that trauma, fragmentation, and descent are not punishments, but initiations into self-recollection and divine awakening.

• Dionysus Zagreus represents Self-Mastery through Ordeal — the conscious embracing of death (ego death, loss, darkness) as a necessary step to achieving true gnosis.

• This myth also hints at the sacredness of embodiment: although scattered in form, the Divine is present in every atom. Even the body itself becomes a temple once the "heart of Zagreus" is remembered within it.

✨ Summary Reflection:

Dionysus Zagreus is the archetype of the Solar Spirit fallen into the labyrinth of matter, broken into pieces by the forces of division, yet destined to rise again through the act of conscious remembrance, love, and divine Will.

He is the Secret King, the Heart that cannot be destroyed, the Lucid Dreamer buried within the dream of physical existence — awaiting the moment of rebirth into full awareness.

22 is known as a Master Number—not reducible in the traditional way (2 + 2 = 4) without losing its esoteric identity. It is often called the Master Builder or the Architect of the Divine Plan, because it embodies both vision and the power to manifest.

• 2 is the number of polarity, reflection, and the beginning of duality.

• 22, then, is duality squared—a higher octave of creative balance and construction.

• Unlike 11 (the Master Visionary), which is more conceptual and internal, 22 builds that vision in the material world. It is the number of sacred architecture, of pattern, structure, and embodied wisdom.

In the Tarot, 22 corresponds to the total number of Major Arcana (ATUs), with The Fool acting as both 0 and 22, the Alpha and the Omega of the path. Therefore, 22 symbolizes the complete circuit of the soul’s journey through incarnation, integration, and divine return.

✵ 22 in Gematria – The Mystical Alphabet of Creation

In Hebrew gematria, 22 holds primordial creative significance, as there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, each corresponding to:

• A Path on the Tree of Life

• A Tarot Major Arcana (per Hermetic attributions)

• A vibration or utterance in the Logos of Creation

Each letter is a living emanation—a flame in the mind of the Divine, and 22 is the number of these archetypal vibrations. Thus, 22 becomes the code of creation itself, the full set of Divine building blocks for all manifest reality.

Furthermore:

• The word "Yachad" (יחד), meaning unity, has the gematria of 22, suggesting that all divisions eventually return to One.

• The 22 letters are said to create the Sefer Yetzirah’s three divisions: the Three Mothers, Seven Doubles, and Twelve Simples—echoing the three pillars and elemental/planetary/zodiacal attributions of the Qabalistic Tree.

✵ 22 on the Tree of Life – The Pathways of Consciousness

There are 22 connecting Paths on the Tree of Life, forming the invisible nervous system of the soul. These are not Sephiroth, but currents of consciousness—lines of Light that the Adept must walk to unify all aspects of being.

The 22 Paths correlate to:

• The Major Arcana (Thoth Tarot)

• The Hebrew Letters

• The Experiential unfolding of the Self as it journeys from Malkuth (Kingdom) to Kether (Crown)

As such, 22 becomes the number of total integration—the fusion of Spirit, Mind, and Matter.

✵ Occult and Mythic Resonance

• The Fool as ATU 22: The Fool completes the circle and begins it again. 22 is the Fool returned, wiser, yet still dancing on the edge of mystery.

• The Shemhamphorash (Divine 72 Names of God): Derived from Exodus 14:19–21, but arranged in 3-letter permutations, these 72 names come in triplets, and 3 × 22 = 66, with 6 angelic rulers (Chesed) governing. This embeds 22 into angelic magick and divine utterance.

• The Skull (Hebrew: Gulgoleth), in some Qabalistic schools, is the 22nd part of the human body and represents Kether—where all Paths converge.

✵ In Summary

22 is the number of sacred transmission.
It is the Divine Blueprint—the full alphabet of thought, sound, and light that builds both cosmos and consciousness.

"As above, so below—by 22 paths the One descends into the many, and by those same 22, the many ascend again into the One."

The zodiac sign of Uranus is applied to this card, implying eccentricity, anarchy, and originality.

Uranus, in astrology, is known as the planet of sudden change, innovation, rebellion, and revolution. It is associated with breaking free from traditional structures, sparking new ideas, and bringing unexpected developments. Here’s a breakdown of its key characteristics:

1. Revolution and Change

Uranus is often referred to as the Great Awakener, signifying disruption, breakthroughs, and sudden transformations. It brings unexpected events that can shake up the status quo, often forcing people or societies to evolve or rethink established norms. It governs revolutions—both personal and societal—prompting liberation and new ways of thinking.

2. Individuality and Freedom

Uranus is deeply connected to the pursuit of personal freedom and individuality. It encourages people to express themselves uniquely, often defying conventions or societal expectations. People with strong Uranian influences in their charts often have a need for independence and resist being confined by rules or authority. Uranus energy pushes individuals to redefine themselves on their own terms.

3. Innovation and Technology

As the planet of innovation, Uranus governs technology, science, and progressive thinking. It is often linked to new discoveries, inventions, and advancements in fields like electronics, space travel, and humanitarian efforts. Uranian energy fosters a forward-looking, experimental approach to life, favoring creative problem-solving and embracing the cutting edge.

4. Unpredictability and Disruption

Uranus is known for its unpredictability. Events or influences governed by Uranus tend to happen suddenly, without warning, and can feel disruptive or chaotic. This energy can break down old patterns or ways of thinking that no longer serve growth, even if the process feels unsettling. Surprises—both positive and negative—are often Uranian in nature.

5. Progressive and Humanitarian Causes

Uranus is also associated with social reform and humanitarianism. It rules Aquarius, a sign known for its focus on community, progress, and collective well-being. Uranus inspires efforts to create a more equitable and just society, making it connected to activism, civil rights movements, and efforts to break down social hierarchies or oppressive systems.

6. Detachment and Objectivity

Though Uranus brings change and revolution, it can also manifest a sense of emotional detachment. Uranian energy is often more focused on intellectual or ideological causes than on personal or emotional issues. It values logic, rationality, and seeing things from a higher perspective, sometimes making it seem cold or aloof.

Key Themes of Uranus:

• Freedom and Independence
• Sudden, Unexpected Change
• Innovation, Technology, and Invention
• Rebellion Against Authority
• Social Progress and Humanitarianism
• Eccentricity and Uniqueness
• Revolution and Breakthroughs

Astrological Placement

• Signs: Uranus rules Aquarius, a sign known for its futuristic, intellectual, and community-focused traits.
• Houses: Uranus's influence in a particular house of a natal chart highlights the area of life where sudden changes, innovation, and the need for freedom are most likely to manifest.
• Aspects: When Uranus makes significant aspects to other planets in a birth chart, it can bring a rebellious, independent, or innovative flavor to those planets' energies.

In summary, Uranus represents the urge to break free from old structures, to rebel against stagnation, and to foster progressive change. Its influence is both liberating and disruptive, offering the potential for personal growth through innovation, new perspectives, and radical transformations.

The Fool represents the true mystery of the Soul, and that each of us are unpredictable and often uncertain what we are going to do or risk next. We just merrily go forward, come hell or high water and trust we will somehow muddle through. In such endeavors of the unknown, we are all Fools, and happy to be so!

All that applies to the Thoth -0-Fool, also easily applies to the Mystic Palette Tarot 22- The Querent.

If you have any questions about this blog, or about Tarot cards , Tarot readings and/or Western Hermetic Thoth Tarot classes just click on the below chat button for expert answers.

When thrown during a reading, the Fool represents.

• Ideas, thoughts, spirituality, and that which endeavors to rise above the material world.
• However, if the question of the querent is regarding a material event of ordinary life, this card is not well defined. Herein, it shows folly, foolishness, stupidity, eccentricity and even mania.
• The Fool is too ideal and unstable to be good in material things.
• The Fool is more about a willingness to "Throw oneself into the Abyss of the Unknown" rather than operating in a reasonable manner.
• Returning to the innocence of the "child within". 
• The hero's or heroine's journey begins.
• Impetuousness.
• Unpredictability.
• Risk taking.
• Growth.
• Creativity. 
• A jokester who loves to pull pranks.
• Creativity.

If surrounded by negative cards (Thoth) or if Reversed (The Medieval Feathers Tarot).

• ​You are having trouble committing to a relationship or project and just want to run away and do senseless things.
• The parrot's feather advises you to abandon old habits and adopt new ones that allow you to discover new things that you are curious about.

Thank you for your interest, comments, and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper!

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