ROTAE I Trumps 0 to 7Trump X or 10:
The Wheel of Fortune
The bipolar Quadripolar Creation
Fate, Flux, Fusion
The Yang of Yin of Yang
The Wheel of Fortune is the quabbalist equivalent of the Wheel of Dharma. It has 10 or 12 spokes. Trump 10 reflects Trump 0 , it is Creation having become manifest. It carries the whole Tetragrammaton formula . The "Laws of Three and Seven" have interacted and produced a result, the ethereal spheres have combined to form the material manifestation.
Man has become whole: he stands on two feet, the fingers of his hands are ten, as are the toes of his feet. It is Man's physical appearance that has given rise to the 10 (and in sum to the 20 and 22). It may be called the number of Man.
"Half-man" and "half-woman" have blended into one first whole being. When they totally blend, they will be represented by two times ten: 20. The binary Earth-Moon system and the planets have been created. They add up, through polarity and the quadripolar forces at work, to 10.
10, by itself, is not an "ancient holy number" (see appendix 10: Measure & Number, Ratios, Time). By itself it is rather static. It has its life from the three added to the seven, from the abstraction of 10 = 1, a mirror-image of "God", as Zero plus One. In the Quabbala, as proposed, it reflects the "second veil of Creation": Ain Soph. It is Kether, of course, but it is even more Malkuth, terrestrial creation. The five elements have congregated and given physical appearance. Akasha reveals itself as of infinite variety and shading, Earth is "double Earth", as consisting of matter and its astral double. This goes for the other elements as well. The 10 stands for the whole physical and psychic-astral binary Earth-Moon-Sphere. The higher mental-noetic, Akasha, has "realised its dream": the grosser, material elements have sprung into life.
The number 10 then symbolises the material creation. Man, all animals, all plants, all minerals, all states of density. Of Fire it is the molten inner core: magma, and the electric phenomena in the atmosphere. Of Air it is the most ethereal, the astral sphere which unites Earth with the Moon, the highest Ionosphere, the lower, denser atmosphere, as also Air as life-giver to the living beings on the planet, and as the gases included in the substrata of Earth. As Water it is the clouds forming in the air, rain, dew, the oceans, springs, rivers and lakes, and the deep waters in the substrata. As Earth, it is Earth itself, its upper crust and its whole planetary being. Thus it may be said that a demiurgic intelligence inhabiting the planet Earth would carry number 10 as its symbol. This is the "living significance" of Malkuth on the Tree of Life.
All living Beings of the elements, of the entire Earth-Moon-Belt-Zone, are alive within the sphere symbolised by number 10. This includes all astral and astral-mental protective agents, as long as they still reside within this sphere.
In the Buddhist Dhammapada, the Buddha says in chapter 10, called "Life": "Is there in this world a man so noble that he ever avoids all blame? By faith, by virtue and energy, by contemplation and vision, by wisdom and right action, you shall overcome the sorrows of life."
And also: " Have fire like a noble horse touched by the whip. By faith, by virtue and energy, by deep contemplation and vision, by wisdom and by right action, you shall overcome the sorrows of life." Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, the Song of the Lord, is called: "The Divine Manifestations." As this is put in plural, it reflects Trump 10 perfectly.
The truncated pyramid of Khufu at Gizeh symbolises the number 10 by the four points at its top, four at its base, and one invisible below, plus another invisible in its center. Thus the "invisible" astral sphere is indicated. It is part of our ten-pointed crystal: planet Earth. Trump 10, representative of all terrestrial creation, is directly reflected by the so-called Khufu or Great Pyramid. In it all "Earth-measures" may be found, from circumference, diameter, exact distances between the latitudes and longitudes (accounting for equatorial and polar differences), and its volume reflects the ratios of volume and distance from Earth to Venus to Mercury to Sun; it is the "Pyramid of the Earth", laid down to perfection in long-lost ages.
The number 10 is not directly associated with the Zodiac, it represents the living being as "put into the world", under divine law, there to adjust to what the cosmic influences have in store. Thus the idea of fate and flux, fusion of expansive and restraining forces are also associated with number 10. Earth is a giant interactive system, wherein the geodesic forces act on a global scale, variously influencing the atmosphere, the crust and the interior. Man is certainly only an infinitely small part of this system. He may und erstand much of it, search for things yet unknown - which will prove to be almost infinite - but his varying station will always be influenced by forces beyond his/her reckoning. Thus Fate is associated with number 10.
With the attributes acquired in the study of the ascending and descending cards of the Tarot, Man may be able to partially direct his path through the changing circumstances. With Trump 10, he or she is thrown into the turmoil of positive, negative, beneficent, neutral and harmful influences and forces in action. No moment is ever the same, fate unfolds in secret ways.
Intuition has and will always be the main guide through the world of matter. By the outcome of instinctive and intuitive action, Man is confronted with the past choices made, with the results of his previous actions. Therefore Trump 10 was called the Wheel of Fortune, it is the confrontation with the reality an individual has shaped.
As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: Zarathustra steps out of his place of retreat and meditation and confronts the world as it is. Not as he thought or dreamed it would be or should be, but how it actually is. Hopefully, each individual studying the Tarot has arrived at a stable station, is purified through the interactive electromagnetic, astral and mental influences he/she has encountered. Thus a view of reality, seen through any eyes whatever, may be supported in a steady way. This is the "whole truth", it includes all the ugly, repulsive, atrocious, despicable aspects of life. War, hunger, desperation, misery is part of it. The individual must be equanimious, balanced and steadfast to confront this large view of conflicting forces.
What helps most in this situation is the conscious integration of the 5th Chakra: Visuddha Chakra. It is called "the best of all advisors". It protects the heart from incurring damage.
The throat Chakra governs speech, as also telepathy. It is by these agents that Man finds his way through the world, by speech he can change circumstances and intervene.
Man, seen as a double-luminous being, has the throat Chakra at the centre of his spiritual self.
As Chakra itself means Wheel, it is the interaction of the heart-wheel with the throat-wheel that constitutes the physical-astral double-being, called Man. The totality of Man includes the mental sphere that intermingles with the physical and astral via the 6th and 7th Chakra.
That is, as has been pointed out all too often, not the usual appearance of Man, humanity, today. Otherwise everybody were a perfected Yogi. So Trump 10 offers the possibility to balance the luminous spheres of the physical being (centered in the heart) and the astral being (centered in the throat). This, ideally, transforms the gift of the Siddhis, magic powers, into yogic achievement. Therefore the corresponding practice consists of mental intensification, conquering the strain of integrating Chakras 4 and 5. This symbolises Wisdom, on a practical level, as distinguished from the Sophia of Trump 8. In Sino-Tibetan philosophy, it represents the active power of integrating Love and Compassion.
The 9th and 10th paragraphs of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistos, when read together, say: " Thus the little World is created according to the prototype of the great World. From this and in this way, marvellous applications are made."
Trump 10 is often associated with the Sphinx. This last remnant of Atlantis brings to mind that today mankind is faced with tremendous choices. It is not certain at all that Earth can evolve further without undergoing some very fundamental change. For the individual this is the most urgent stimulus to rapidly proceed further, to attain the station of Yogi that should be normal to all mankind. The Master, Magician or Alchemist is equal to that station, perhaps already reflective of an even higher development possible.
Is participation in the fate of the world possible for the individual? Yes, because through his or her "transformation of waves", adding beneficent "vibrations" to the Macrocosm, he and she actively participates. Nolens volens, in any case, constructive or destructive. The outcome of these intermingling "currents" will have an impact on the evolution of the planet. Man was created as a whole Microcosm, reflective of the Macrocosm, "God". See Trump 1 to deepen this understanding. The pulse of time, which affects the whole solar system, is the same in Man, planet Earth and also the Sun. But maybe it is just Man, as "darling of the Gods", who can reorient himself, adjust, make proof of free will.
It may well be that the inner disposition of Man, all humanity, has a far greater influence on the fate of the whole solar system than is usually assumed.
Within the symbolism of the Earth-Moon physical and psychic-astral system, a circle within a square within a circle, Man certainly has a very great influence. Thus the Moon and certain conditions in the atmosphere were dubbed "ominous", threatening, "boding evil": the inner constitution of a basically unbalanced, psychophrenic humanity was projected outwards. It is to be hoped that these aspects will slowly disappear, though many signs point to imminent catastrophe. In our view, a change of the Earth's axis is the most natural change. It is not a final catastrophe, it has occurred many times before: the poles were at the equator, north was south, even the spin of planet Earth is said to have changed direction. So that is a natural occurrence, maybe the normal reaction for an intense, beneficent cleansing of all lower dimensions to take place.
Whatever will occur, this lies within the sphere of Fate, the lower "fate" as symbolised by Trump 10, The Wheel of Fortune, the higher, planetary, cosmic "fate" as symbolised by Trump 20: The Judgment. That is then within the highest realm of the 7th Chakra, at the end of all symbolism.
Trump 10, within the "lower fate", leads to astral-terrestrial fate, human judgment, Trump 11.
It is certainly the attitude shown on Earth and in life that will have individual fate decide. Judgment, of right and wrong, of good and evil, is the outcome of how Man has handled his individual life, how he accepted or confronted the flux of his time. Trump 10 is a summing up of all previous actions, emotions, thoughts, image-projections, etc.: the whole emanations a human being is capable of.
Thus Trump 10 may be seen as another Trump 1 and Trump 11 as another Trump 2, each completely interdependent, in need of the other. "Descending" from Trump 21, the path leads to 11, thus forming a dynamic "double" with 10: a perfect symbol for the binary Earth-Moon system.
With Trump 9 we have constituted a first Trigram of the next whole Hexagram of the I Ching. It was Yang-Yin-Yin: Thunder, the sprouting life of spring. The choice of "most significant" as concerns Trump 10 is not easy. The Earth-Moon quadripolar system is basically receptive. Yet whatever occurs within it has an influence on the entire solar system, maybe even on the galaxy. By the use of the I Ching variant, expressed in Tetragrams, if we place Yin above the lower Yang-Yin-Yin, we arrive at: "The Way". "Polarity is the movement of Tao. Receptivity is the manner to use it. Being evolved from not-Being." This is certainly apt as to Trump 10.
The alternative, a Yang line, leads to: "Expansion of the Self". "Who regards the world as his/her Self, will serve the world. Who loves the world as his/her Self, to him/her the world will be entrusted". This also is highly apt. One way is regarding polarity and movement within the quadripolar system, the other is placing oneself within it. Both are what actually happens all of the time, for one cannot simply regard without ever becoming involved.
The reader will understand that what is here proposed is never a closed, static system. By joining a Yin or receptive line, we will build a second Trigram starting with Yin, which can lead to Yin-Yang-Yin, Water or Danger. Then Justice, Trump 11, is strong, Yang. Trump 12, the Hanged Man, would be weak, Yin, and Water would be his main significance. The total Hexagram would read Thunder under Water. That is I Ching Hexagram number 3, "Difficulty at the Beginning". The last Yin, then apposed to Trump 12, speaks of disaster, total failure.
We do not consider this the right way to proceed, it is not in keeping with the whole symbolism. The alternative, still beginning with a receptive Yin line, would lead to Thunder below Earth (three Yin lines), K'un. This leads to hexagram number 24, "Return". "Returning, arriving, entering and leaving. No fault. Friends come and join." Here also, the last Yin, when referring to Trump 12, speaks of "calamity and error". Yet only if hasty action is taken and "the army is mobilised". Then defeat within and without (!) are said to be certain. Is this the fate of Trump 12? Maybe. A last alternative would be to create a Yin-Yin-Yang Trigram, thus placing both Trumps 10 and 11 as Yin-receptive, Trump 12 as Yang, and the whole Trigram reading Mountain. The Hexagram were then Thunder under Mountain, that is hexagram number 27, "Sustenance" or "Nourishment". "Nourishment is auspicious if correct". Certainly Man should basically be a caretaker of the planet, nourishing and being nourished.
Let us consider the alternative, namely placing a Yang correlating to Trump 10. This then leads to either Thunder repeated, Thunder under Heaven or Thunder under the Lake. Sign 51, "Thunder" or "The Arousing", bodes fright and, later, laughter. Great startling upheaval, but "the ceremonial spoon or knife and the cup do not fall". The Yang line for Trump 12 again bodes ill. No undertaking is to be begun. Gossip and slander stand to damage the individual.
Thunder under Heaven, three Yang lines, gives I Ching sign 25: "No error", or "Innocence".
Justice, represented by the middle Yang, is certainly representative of heavenly order. As to Trump 12, the corresponding line then reads: "Action leads to bad luck." But: "when there is no error, there is no fault." Thunder under Lake, I Ching sign 17, is called "Following". "Following implies leading. When impeccability reigns, the inferior, weak and negative will follow." Our very personal choice, owing to the central constellation of the Trumps 10, 11 and 12, is: Trump 10, though in the whole receptive, is called upon to serve. Serve whom and what? "Heaven", the divine will. This is positive and assertive, so strength is indicated - Yang . So the Hexagram from 7 to 12 will read "Thunder under Heaven". Justice, "in the middle of Heaven", is then most highly balanced, even to the point of corresponding to a second-line Yin. The negative aspects of Trump 12 are smoother, the difficulty or problem involved there will consist of "not being able to act". The exception is when a truly "divinely appointed" spiritual leader should attain a station of prominence. This has always been rare, we fear that today it is all but impossible. We therefore hope that students and practitioners of the Tarot will follow us and rather associate Air and Earth (and Akasha) with Trump 12, than the dangerous qualities of Water.
The zodiacal relationships of Trump 10 are difficult to solve. We tend to reject any single zodiacal symbol, though Virgo is well placed as reflective of the Earth-Moon Sphere. In fact the four main (or cardinal) signs of each element should figure, if any at all. That would be: Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn (according to our own scale of preference).
Any single Hebrew letters, as for example Kaph (values 20 and 500) are not valid, though the symbolism of Kaph, the opened hand, is appropriate. We have arrived at the central Mem of the three Hebrew "mother letters": Aleph-Mem-Shin. This was apparent as from Trump 1 onwards. Its numeric value, 40, is perfectly reflective of the quadripolar planet Earth. In its second numeric value, 600, it is the Hexagram as the prime symbol for terrestrial denseness, the "Earth of Earth". Yet we would propose to use it in context with Aleph and Shin, so that its manifold analogies become apparent.
In Nordic myth it is said that Odin passed a week hanging upside down on Yggdrasil, the World Esh Tree (the Nordic Tree of Life), to gain complete enlightenment. The week, the month, the year, the century, these single expressions for a multiplicity, they are what the 10 is to the 1, an integration into one whole which itself is composed of myriad forms.
The symbol of the medical profession, the Caduceus, symbolic of the healing "god" Hypocrates, is highly appropriate. Earth gives all means of healing. Not only "Prana", the "astral air", but all plants, minerals and animals.
Symbols as the Sphinx, the truncated Pyramid, the symbolic representatives of evil or menacing forces, a wheel, etc. - these all may figure correctly on this card.
The Tattwas are centered on Earth, in its fourfold aspects.
The oldest God of material creation is Osiris. His symbol, Orion, watches over terrestrial manifestation. This is the place of Brahmas' emanations: Vishnu and Shiva. The Boddhisattva himself is seated upon the world. Tao has entered Creation.
Taoist meditation masters stress the unconditional adherence to the Ten Paramita, the ten principles guiding all meditational practice. The ten Paramita are: Charity; Morality; Renunciation; Energy; Courage; Truth; Intensive resolution; Compassion; Equanimity; Wisdom.
The appearance of this card in a spread of the Tarot has the central meaning of "fixing ones station on planet Earth", possibly realigning it with the realities of present time. In simplistic language: "the wheel turns", situations change, adaptation is necessary. Flexibility is not always the right attitude to take. Though continuous, harmonious change is always preferable, the circumstances of the world may sometimes oblige the individual to remain steadfast and rigid, the static aspect of "heaven". Confronted with a wave of incertitudes, "both feet should be firmly placed on the ground". All previous preparation, through Trumps 1 to 9, have prepared the individual to be able to do this. Change is indicated. Unforeseen, mostly. Here relationships may sunder, but hopefully new ones also arise. Luck, as Trump 10 has also been called, is an attribute of Fate and Flux. The Gods and protective agencies of Fate should be invoked. But this fate is the product of the individuals past actions. He/she must encounter them steadfastly.
If the invokation of any sphere is beneficial, then it is to Venus and Jupiter that the individual should turn, the two main beneficent agents. Should the "changing wheel" be indicative of a deep mental struggle, then Mercury, as in the sign of the hypocratic Caduceus, may be invoked. Invokation, not evokation, is indicated. The four main incenses, Frankincense, Myrrhe, Rose and Cinnamon, are in keeping.
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