Astrological patterns in Thoth - the planets

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Nemia
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Astrological patterns in Thoth - the planets

Post by Nemia »

Let's have some fun with planets and Thoth minors. I scanned the cards the way I often sort them to study them - the minors together with the planetary rulers of their decan.

You will notice that each planet rules over cards from all four suits (elements), and the pattern on the Tree of Life never repeats itself.

I want to look at them as a group with certain characteristics, NOT as single cards with well-known meanings.

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Saturn, the Universe, and minors from Saturn decans

What do you immediately notice? The contrast in gloominess vs brightness. Saturn puts enormous pressure on Swords, Cups and Disks, and they wilt. But the two Wands cards seem to fight against Saturn's power, and their fires are still burning.

You can also see a square, closed composition - something grim and strongly defined.

In Bina, Netzach and Hod, Saturn brings lead and sadness. In Gvura and Malkuth, there are powers that fight against him.

Saturn has minors in Libra, Leo, Taurus, Pisces and Sagittarius.

That's 2 Fire, 1 Earth, 1 Air and 1 Water;
also 1 cardinal, 2 fixed and 2 mutable.

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Jupiter with the Wheel, and Jupiter's minors.

What's the first thing you notice? The colour purple, the royal colour. Jupiter, the king of Gods. Even where he struggles, in the 8 of Swords (caused by the Swords, not Hod or Gemini - what do you think?), this luxurious colour prevails. Some of these cards look as though they could turn - like little wheels.

Jupiter has minors in the sephirot Chochma, Chessed, Tif'eret, Hod and Yesod;
and in the zodiac signs Capricorn, Libra, Leo, Gemini and Pisces.

That's 1 Fire, 1 Earth, 2 Air and 1 Water.
Or 2 cardinal, 1 fixed and 2 mutable.

Image
Mars, blasting along with his Tower, has six and not five minors like all the other planets; that's because he has to honour of opening the first decan of the year (1st decan of Aries: Two of Wands) and closing it (3rd decan of Pisces: Ten of Cups).

These two cards meet when the old astronomical year vanishes and the new begins. So there's a spark of energy that keeps the whole thing running :-)

In Mars, you notice the strong orange-red colour, juxtaposed by its complementary colour, blue. In the Seven of Wands, the purple background may be a tribute to Leo.

Mars has minors in Chochma, Bina, Gvura, Netzach and Yessod;
in Aries, Capricorn, Scorpio, Leo and Gemini;

that's 2 Fire, 1 Earth, 1 Air and 1 Water (like Saturn)
2 cardinal, 2 fixed and 1 mutable.

You see, the patterns never return, and each planet touches down base at least once in every modality and element. Isn't that neat?

Image
Now for the Sun.

Everything is beautiful and warmly coloured. The Water card gets along great with the Sun because it's in lovely Tif'eret where everything just radiates beauty and harmony. The only trouble is in the Swords suit, those Swords make trouble for Gemini - in addition to heavy old Malkuth where our fleet-footed Gemini don't feel happy.

All these cards are radiant, they have pools of light that are touch other elements.

The Sun has minors in Bina, Chessed, Tif'eret, Hod and Malkuth;
in Aries, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo and Gemini,

that's 1 Fire, 2 Earth, 1 Water and 1 Air,
and 2 cardinal, 1 fixed and 2 mutable (like Jupiter).

Image
With Venus and the Empress, the colours change from the warmth/heat of Sun and Mars.

Green of life and growth and also decay (also the colour of Netzach where Venus resides), and some weird purples and low-saturated colurs - we have clear colours only in the Two of Cups.

Venus has minors in Chochma, Chessed, Gvura (bad news), Netzach (even worse news), and Yesod (where she gets along well);
in Cancer (harmony), Aries (harmony), Aquarius (horrible! Swords! and fixed Aquarius hates instable and aggressive old Gvura!), Scorpio (again horrible, too much of a good thing... ) and Virgo;

1 Fire, 1 Earth, 1 Air and 2 Water;
2 cardinal, 2 fixed and 1 mutable (like Mars).

Image
Mercury with the Magician, in cool blues and yellows, sometimes accented with red.

Seen from far, all the pictures look like a juggler has thrown the elements into the air. I never noticed that before although I studied these groups dozens of times.

Mercury has minors in Bina, Hod, Tif'eret (which gets along reasonable well even with swords), Hod and Malkuth;
in Cancer, Taurus, Libra, Sagittarius and Virgo;

1 Fire, 2 Earth, 1 Air and 1 Water;
2 cardinal, 1 fixed and 2 mutable (like Jupiter).

Image
The Moon and High Priestess bring along a beautiful silvery light - all Moon cards have strong white elements.

Seen as group from afar, the High Priestess' veil seems to be pattern that returns.

The Moon has minors in Chochma, Chessed, Tif'eret, Netzach and Yesod;
in Libra, Cancer, Taurus, Aquarius and Sagittarius,

1 Fire, 1 Earth, 2 Air and 1 Water (like Jupiter),
2 cardinal, 1 fixed and 2 mutable (like Jupiter and Mercury).

Isn't it a joy to look at?

I'll continue the series of astrological patterns in the Thoth (just like I will continue the series on decan cards in the Tabula Mundi). I hope that newcomers to the Thoth will understand why it's so great to work with. Like the Tabula Mundi (which inherited the structure from the Thoth), the Thoth is a tightly woven cloth, and if you have good eyes, you see the texture.

And that's wonderful.

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Serpentwand
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Re: Astrological patterns in Thoth

Post by Serpentwand »

This is great Nemia, the images of the different groupings make it very clear :thumbup: . I might have a look at my deck in this way.

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Nemia
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Re: Astrological patterns in Thoth

Post by Nemia »

This is the one huge advantage the Thoth has over the RWS: the Thoth reveals those connections, the RWS obliterates them. The Thoth is crystal clear.

I like and love decks that lend themselves to a narrative reading style... but the abstract beauty of the Thoth is simply in another league.

I'll have a look at the courts and aces and majors, too.

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Re: Astrological patterns in Thoth

Post by Serpentwand »

Cool. Looking at it the other way with the Major and Minors for each sign might also be interesting.

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Re: Astrological patterns in Thoth - the planets

Post by Jo Ann »

I will have to get out my giant deck of thoth and compare them to the pix!
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