The Pictoral Key to the Tarot Type: Educational PAGE: 17 SELECT PAGE TO VIEW Contents Preface PART I - § 1.--Introductory and General PART I -§ 2.--Class I. The Trumps Major, otherwise Greater Arcana. PART I -§ 3.--Class II. The Four Suits, otherwise Lesser Arcana. PART I -§ 4.--The Tarot in History. PART II -§ 1.--The Tarot and Secret Tradition. PART II -§ 2 --The Magician PART II -§ 2 --The High Priestess PART II -§ 2 -- The Empress PART II -§ 2 -- The Emperor PART II -§ 2 -- The Hierophant PART II -§ 2 -- The Lovers PART II -§ 2 -- The Chariot PART II -§ 2 -- Strength, or Fortitude PART II -§ 2 -- The Hermit PART II -§ 2 -- Wheel of Fortune PART II -§ 2 -- Justice PART II -§ 2 -- The Hanged Man PART II -§ 2 -- Death PART II -§ 2 -- Temperance PART II -§ 2 -- The Devil PART II -§ 2 -- The Tower PART II -§ 2 -- The Star PART II -§ 2 -- The Moon PART II -§ 2 -- The Sun PART II -§ 2 -- The Last Judgment PART II -§ 2 -- The Fool PART II -§ 2 -- The World PART II -§ 3. Conclusion as to the Greater Keys. PART III -§ 1.--Distinction between the Greater and Lesser Arcana. PART III -§ 2.--Wands - King PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Queen PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Knight PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Ten PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Nine PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Eight PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Seven PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Six PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Five PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Four PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Three PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Two PART III -§ 2.--Wands - Ace PART III -§ 2.--Cups - King PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Queen PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Knight PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Page PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Ten PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Nine PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Eight PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Seven PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Six PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Five PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Four PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Three PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Two PART III -§ 2.--Cups - Ace PART III -§ 2.--Swords - King PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Queen PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Knight PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Page PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Ten PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Nine PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Eight PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Seven PART III -§ 2.--Swords - Six PART III -§ 2.--Swords – Five PART III -§ 2.--Swords – Four PART III -§ 2.--Swords – Three PART III -§ 2.--Swords – Two PART III -§ 2.--Swords – Ace PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – King PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Queen PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Knight PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Page PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Ten PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Nine PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Eight PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Seven PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Six PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Five PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Four PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Three PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Two PART III -§ 2.--Pentacles – Ace PART III -§ 3.--The Greater Arcana and their Divinatory Meanings PART III -§ 4.--Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana PART III -§ 5.--The Reoccurance of Cards in Dealing PART III -§ 6.--The Art of Card Divination PART III -§ 7.—An Ancient Celtic Method of Divination PART III -§ 7.—An Alternative Method of Reading the Tarot Cards PART III -§ 7.—The Method of Reading by Thirty Five Cards Bibliography

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Wheel of Fortune

In this symbol I have again followed the reconstruction of Éliphas Lévi, who has furnished several variants. It is legitimate--as I have intimated--to use Egyptian symbolism when this serves our purpose, provided that no theory of origin is implied therein. I have, however, presented Typhon in his serpent form. The symbolism is, of course, not exclusively Egyptian, as the four Living Creatures of Ezekiel occupy the angles of the card, and the wheel itself follows other indications of Lévi in respect of Ezekiel's vision, as illustrative of the particular Tarot Key. With the French occultist, and in the design itself, the symbolic picture stands for the perpetual motion of a fluidic universe and for the flux of human life. The Sphinx is the equilibrium therein. The transliteration of Taro as Rota is inscribed on the wheel, counterchanged with the letters of the Divine Name--to shew that Providence is imphed through all. But this is the Divine intention within, and the similar intention without is exemplified by the four Living Creatures. Sometimes the sphinx is represented couchant on a pedestal above, which defrauds the symbolism by stultifying the essential idea of stability amidst movement.

Behind the general notion expressed in the symbol there lies the denial of chance and the fatality which is implied therein. It may be added that, from the days of Lévi onward, the occult explanations of this card are--even for occultism itself--of a singularly fatuous kind. It has been said to mean principle, fecundity, virile honour, ruling authority, etc. The findings of common fortune-telling are better than this on their own plane.

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