A Tarot Mnemonic

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Hi everyone! Welcome to another installment of that insanity that we call the Tarot Blog Hop.

(Yes, I said that. I have wrangled this thing, and it can drive any wrangler insane. And I am sticking to that opinion.)

Today's theme is Office Party. And at a Xmas office party, there is always someone who gives out a present that the only proper response is "Oh...you really shouldn't have."

And I am that guy.

I thought about sharing my latest project....but that might actually not be a white elephant.

I really like how this looks. 

Then during a reading for a friend, I caught myself using the mnemonic titles that Golden Dawn uses for the thirty-six cards that are associated with the decans of the zodiac. And the thought went though my mind, that a mnemonic is exactly the type of thing that some people will go, "Oh, you really shouldn't have."

So here is my gift to you, a completely useless mnemonic for the thirty-six decan cards (keyed to the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck and Book T of the Golden Dawn system).

The thirty-six cards that are assigned to the decans. 

The titles of the decan cards from Book T.

Wands

Two rulers oversee the creation of dominions.
Three merchants await groundbreaking vessels.
Four celebrating dancers practice perfection.
Five day-traders chaotically compete to build.
Six Caesars parade in justified victory.
Seven outnumbered warriors bravely holdfast.
Eight meteorites swiftly communicate omens.
Nine prisoners survive backstage might.
Ten looters protest selfish oppression.


Cups

Two lovers unify in harmonious mirth.
Three maidens overflow with fortune.
Four yogis mediate on passive endings.
Five mourners stress over treachery.
Six children exchange vain pleasure.
Seven dream poison perception of success.
Eight travelers moan seeking of goals.
Nine bankers brag of sins and conceit.
Ten rainbows rain down lasting pleasure.


Swords

Two hostages sacrifice to restore peace.
Three hearts lament Loki's discord.
Four coffins shelter honored causalities.
Five vultures cowardly slander allies.
Six ferries cross troubled waters.
Seven thieves spy on exhausted combatants.
Eight prisoners impulsively hammer trifles.
Nine nightmares burden with cruel despair.
Ten murderers plot disruptive ruin.


Pentacles

Two jugglers foolishly gain and lose.
Three bureaucrats design impossible infrastructure.
Four misers covet their petty prejudices.
Five beggars suffer toil and trouble.
Six patrons distribute alms.
Seven gardeners slave over miserable barrenness.
Eight apprentices carve talismans cautiously.
Nine songbirds sing of sweet increase.
Ten siblings plot over ancestor's wealth.


So there you go, one white elephant Xmas present. Yes, I know--I really shouldn't have.

But hopefully, the rest of the tarot office party is not as bad. Why don't you check out some of the other blogs by clicking on the links below.


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Ignorance or meddling

Over the last couple of days, I have noticed an upswing in amount of attention paid to the problem with groups being ignorant of the basics. Now, there is always a certain amount of concern surrounding this issue---it is one of those issues that is always present---the waxing and waning of attention paid to it is cyclic.

There are three things related to this I would like to address.

Concerning the Golden Dawn Knowledge Lectures: Someone pointed out that the Golden Dawn Knowledge Lectures seemed to be rather sparse. They are. The commentor felt that they should be more fully explained and just a list to memorize. They are right.

One of the problems with the Knowledge Lectures as we have them is that they are merely the list of what you need to know to pass the most basic test for advancement. What is missing is the oral (or written) lectures that the lodge member should be exposed to. It is things like this that contribute to people having a high Grade and having no idea what they are talking about.

Concerning how much concern we should have when we realize a group is being ran by someone ignorant: One of my friends on Facebook pointed out that many Wiccan and pagan circles are being ran by people ignorant of the basics---a problem that never *wink* occurs in Golden Dawn *chokes a little* Orders. A group being ran by someone ignorant of the basics does not alarm me as much as the unwillingness to admit ignorance.

I know a lot of people do not trust me because I use the following sentences: "This is my answer based on my current knowledge and understanding" and "I reserve the right to change my mind, and the answer I am giving, based on further thought and experience." The people who associate distrust with these sentences are looking for the ONE and ONLY CORRECT ANSWER---something that I have serious doubts actually exist.

I realize that our myths state that only Masters should be in charge and apprentices should be just students, but the truth is that Masters are still just students with added responsibilities.

Concerning the rewriting of Golden Dawn rituals: Yes, I am guilty of rewriting sections of the Golden Dawn rituals. I consider all the versions that we have to be just "working drafts." It is one of reasons that I shrug my shoulders whenever someone publishes a version of the rituals--I figure that any set of rituals that have been used for more than a decade is probably in need of a tune-up.

For instance, I added an unauthorized "third part" to the Zelator ritual to address the fact that the a section of the Golden Dawn community was now starting the study of geomancy in Zelator. And what I learned was that this third section had more oomph and flow than the official parts of the ritual did. This in turn is going to lead to a reworking of the rest of the Zelator ritual.

This will lead people to pointing out that I am meddling in things that I do not fully understand---that only an Adept Extemptus...or a Magister Templi...or an Ipsissimus has the knowledge and authority to change the scripts of the rituals. My answer to this is that I don't care that I am not of the proper Grade according to your understanding of the system...and that I am not even sure that we are working in the same system to begin with. I belong to a system that changes with the time and the experience of those involved in it---what was true a hundred years ago, two hundred years ago, etc. is not exactly suitable for the modern student who is living in a different time and place than our ancestors did. If you think that the dawn of consciousness was the Golden Age, you need to move back into the caves with the bears.