Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Aleph-Beit & The Major Arcana

Sefirotic paths of the Hebrew letters using the system of the Gra*:

א gevurah - chesed
ב keter - tiferet
ג chochmah - chesed
ד binah - gevurah
ה keter - chochmah
ו keter - binah
ז chochmah - tiferet
ח binah - tiferet
ט tiferet - chesed
י tiferet - gevurah
כ chesed - netzach
ל chesed - yesod
מ hod - netzach
נ gevurah - yesod
ס yesod - netzach
ע yesod - hod
פ gevurah - hod
צ netzach - malchut
ק hod - malchut
ר tiferet - yesod
ש binah - chochmah
ת yesod - malchut

Sefirotic paths of the Hebrew letters using the system of the Ari:

א gevurah - chesed
ב chochmah - chesed
ג binah - gevurah
ד keter - tiferet
ה keter - chochmah
ו keter - binah
ז chochmah - gevurah
ח chesed - tiferet
ט chochmah - tiferet
י tiferet - netzach
כ chesed - netzach
ל hod - yesod
מ hod - netzach
נ netzach - yesod
ס tiferet - hod
ע binah - tiferet
פ gevurah - hod
צ gevurah - tiferet
ק binah - chesed
ר tiferet - yesod
ש binah - chochmah
ת yesod - malchut

Major Arcana according to the Hebrew letters:

א magus
ב high priestess
ג empress
ד emperor
ה hierophant
ו lovers
ז chariot
ח strength
ט hermit
י wheel of fortune
כ justice
ל hanged man
מ death
נ temperance
ס devil
ע tower
פ star
צ moon
ק sun
ר judgment
ש universe/world
ת fool

If the fool card is placed in first position, all cards move down one space. In other words, the worlds/universes are "fallen" in this case.

In my opinion, the system of the Ari corresponds to the "fallen" situation where the fool is in position 1, and the system of the Gra corresponds to the "elevated" situation (with respect to the worlds/universes) where the fool is in position 22. Consequently, I will primarily be using the system of the Gra and the fool in position 22 - indicative of a rectified and elevated situation. At some future point, I make make my own unique adjustments to the assignment of the cards to specific Hebrew letters.

*The paths defined by the Gra differ slightly in a "Warsaw 1884 edition" of his manuscripts, where "malchut" is in a "fallen state" similarly to as shown in traditional sefirotic diagrams (Sefer Yezirah 1:2, page 31).

No comments: