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The Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
THE TRINITY AND THE TREE OF LIFE
Once, long ago, I stood before an ancient oak tree and felt its breath enveloping me. Then I suddenly felt peace emanating from the tree, a peace beyond understanding from the Source of all Creation, and I felt love for the tree and the flowers and grasses surrounding it, and I suddenly wondered, "What if I loved this tree the way a mother loves her child?" This thought at the time seemed strange to me since my father had recently died, and I felt extremely alone in my grief. Then, before I could doubt myself, I had another thought: "What if I could love every human being the way a mother loves her child? Human beings, after all, are just as amazing as trees and flowers and grasses. All the differences in the trees and flowers and grasses are beautiful. Why aren't all the differences in people considered just as amazing and beautiful?" I was experiencing a bliss that seemed to emanate from the heart of all creation. The trees and flowers and grasses seemed to glitter in the last light. "All of the creatures of the earth are emanating the Spirit of God. Why don't people emanate the Spirit of God? What has happened to us?" I wondered as I found my way back in the sunset. All the way, as birds and squirrels seemed to watch me, I felt an ecstasy that made me certain that every creature and every person on earth is a magnificent spiritual being.
Nowadays, more than half of young people believe that humanity is doomed (1). Since that day half a century ago when I was young and felt so full of love for all of creation, I have witnessed the disappearance of so much diversity of the natural world, and I have often wondered how humanity has managed to survive as a species given our proclivity to commit ecocide and genocide and create weapons of mass destruction and ignore the warning signs of our own demise. People continue to harm each other and the planet in the most brutal, horrific ways. I should know better, I suppose, but I sometimes still feel God emanating from people and from trees and flowers and grasses, and through my spiritual practices, I recognize that you are essentially a magnificent spiritual being even if you have tried to destroy my life a thousand times.
I know this might sound naive since humanity is facing even greater brutality because of mass starvation and extinction due to climate disruption and war, but after half a century my question remains: "Why don't people love the trees and flowers and grasses and each other the way a mother loves her child? Why don't people know the harmony, magnificence, and abundance of the human spirit? What has happened to us?"
Because of trauma and abuse and betrayal and abandonment and loss, I have sometimes felt that life is meaningless and absurd, and I have despaired over the future of humanity. Instead of dwelling on all the reasons this state of affairs has come about, I would, however, prefer to look at ways that we can overcome negative beliefs about other people and the future of the world. I don't have any guarantees, but I know that ways exist that can help us move beyond hatred and despair. Remember that I am only trying to help.
One way is to touch the dimensions of Universal Consciousness.
The symbols of the Tree of Life and the Tarot reveal the microcosm and the macrocosm, the dimensions of personal consciousness and Universal Consciousness, but all the spiritual symbols in the world are meaningless if we don't experience the subtle forces that they represent. In order to do so, you have to move gradually through ritual into the spiritual dimensions. People rarely have a life-changing experience from one visit to church or one personal ritual. All spiritual experience is cumulative, and that requires dedication over a long period of time. I have an advantage over many people, I suppose, because I am keenly aware that our economic and political systems are destroying the planet and killing millions of men, women, and children every year. Through my spiritual practices, I am also keenly aware that each one of us is a manifestation of Universal Consciousness. We are, nowadays, experiencing the deepest, darkest ignorance, and it is almost midnight.
I have focused in recent posts on the decan correspondences of the the Tarot Number Cards. Now I am going to focus a little on the Tree of Life Associations. Let's say, for instance, that I want to invoke Jupiter, which is associated with the fourth Emanation on the Tree of Life. You can see below that I can use decan correspondences to create a powerful living image that brings forth into consciousness the archetypal energies.
Two: Lord of Harmonious Change Decan: Jupiter in 1 - 10 degrees of Capricorn
The archetypal spiritual energies on the Tree of Life are multidimensional. It is sometimes extremely beneficial to focus only on the Tree of Life associations. Let's take a look at the Tree of Life associations corresponding to Jupiter in the Emanation of Mercy (Chesed in Hebrew) and other paths on the Tree of Life.
Two of Pentacles: Lord of Harmonious Change Tree of Life Association: Zodiac in Chokmah (Second Emanation)
On one level, the Tree of Life reveals the unity within diversity throughout cosmic evolution. The dynamic spiritual energies of The Father, associated with Wisdom, the second Emanation, move "down the planes" to become the harmonizing energies of The Son, associated with Beauty, the Christ center, the sixth Emanation associated with the source of all physical life: The Sun. The energies of The Son move down the planes to The Foundation, the ninth Emanation associated with the feminine Holy Spirit and The Moon. From there all the energies of the Tree of Life manifest in The Kingdom, the physical plane, the realm of The Bride. So many Christians misunderstand the Trinity because they don't place the primal, spiritual energies in the context of cosmic evolution, as revealed by the Tree of Life, a map of cosmic evolution that shows the different types of energy within Universal Consciousness that manifest in the physical world. Human beings are "made in God's image" because we each contain the primal archetypal energies of the Tree of Life within us. The Moon is associated with The Foundation, the ninth Emanation on the Tree, and the mythological principle of The Moon is "The Descent of the Divine." In other words, the Holy Ghost "receives" the higher divine energies and gives birth to them in The Kingdom. This reveals symbolically that the energies of the physical plane are divine. All energy is holy as it manifests around us. Due to ignorance, human beings often misuse the divine energies in unbalanced ways that we label as "evil." We can see every day that people cause great harm to the planet and each other as we slowly learn to create balance in the world.
The energies of Jupiter reveal the harmony, magnificence, and abundance of the human spirit. As you can see in the example above, the Trinity is reflected in three of the cards corresponding to the Tree of Life Associations of Jupiter: the Two of Pentacles, associated with the second Emanation of Wisdom and The Father; the Six of Wands, associated with the sixth Emanation of Beauty and The Son; and the Nine of Cups, associated with the The Foundation and the Holy Ghost. The nine golden cups behind the main figure in the Nine of Cups reveal the receptivity of the Holy Spirit. This symbolic association chain reveals that we each, as beings created in God's image, can become co-creators with God to experience a more harmonious, magnificent, and abundant life as we bring energies "down the planes." In other words, like The Magician, we can each create harmony within our world with these divine subtle energies. Of course, we can also choose to cause a horrific lack of balance that makes the angels weep. Not uncoincidentally, the personification of the unbalanced energies of Jupiter is "The Breakers into Pieces" related to the vices of Jupiter: tyranny, bigotry, gluttony, and hypocrisy.
BANISHING
The following, step by step, shows the process of laying down the cards as a way to banish the negative energies in the Eight of Swords, a negative Tarot card associated with Jupiter. In the beginning level, you only need to lay down the cards in a Pentagram Spread as a way to practice for more advanced rituals, such as the Lesser Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram and the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.
Start by placing the Eight of Swords in the center of the pentagram. Then, to banish the negative energies of the Eight, lay the foundation cards down in a banishing pentagram, beginning with the Ace of Pentacles, then laying down "Judgement," then the Ace of Wands, the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Cups and continue the motion with your finger back to the Ace of Pentacles.
Next, to create a living image or invoke the energies of Jupiter, which includes the energies of expansion, abundance, harmony and spiritual magnificence, first lay down the Wheel of Fortune over the Eight of Swords, then use the Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram to invoke the energy of Jupiter in the Wheel of Fortune. Start by placing the Six of Wands at the lower right point of the star, move to the upper left point and lay down the Four of Swords. Move to the upper right point and lay down the Nine of Cups. Then move down to the lower left point and lay down the Two of Pentacles. Imagine the energies of Jupiter filling your heart and mind until your aura is filled with abundance, harmony and magnificence.
THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (LBRP)
Beginning with The Qabalistic Cross
The rituals known as the Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) help you to shift to a spiritual focus. The Qabalistic Cross activates the aura in a balanced manner, linking the Divine with the higher self and preparing the subconscious mind for subtle forces. The LBRP, based on the equal-armed cross--which symbolizes the integrated personality and the harmony of the elements within manifestation--is normally performed immediately after the Qabalistic Cross and helps you to open even more to spiritual dimensions while clearing your ritual space and your mind of unbalanced subtle energies. The LBRP protects you from unexpected astral influences and should be performed without fail after you open yourself spiritually to any subtle energy. Not to do so would be like opening your home to anyone on the street, except that subtle entities can be more powerful than any living human. At the risk of stating the obvious, I should mention that subtle forces usually cannot be perceived by the physical senses and therefore can end up being extremely troublesome. Banishing is a MUST.
Performing these two rituals shows the subconscious mind and the universe that 1) you are opening your subtle senses and your heart for the purpose of living in your higher self, and 2) you are also opening your sphere of influence to subtle forces. Both your soul and the universe will take you seriously, so you should not perform these rituals unless you are ready to expand your concept of self and to invite spiritual energies into your aura. In addition, as you regularly clear your aura of unbalanced energies, you will eventually begin to see what is interfering with your spiritual development, which means that you might very well become motivated to make changes that affect other people. Performing these rituals shows a commitment to spiritual development that cannot be taken lightly.
These rituals should be performed at least once a day if you are pursuing a spiritual path. You do not need any magical tools or regalia to perform the ritual, but you do need a small space and a little uninterrupted time (about ten minutes or so). As far as space considerations are concerned, you should be in a room where you can at least turn and step forward in each of the four cardinal directions, east, south, west, and north, in that order. Many people choose to perform the LBRP twice a day, once in the morning and once the evening, due to the cleansing nature of the ritual.
THE QABALISTIC CROSS
The Qabalistic Cross, which is referenced at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, activates specific spheres of the Tree of Life within the aura and helps you shift to spiritual concerns. You begin by bringing pure spiritual light and energy from the limitless Source through your crown chakra, then down below your feet to Malkuth, “the Kingdom,” then back up to the heart center, over to the right shoulder, associated with Geburah, “The Power,” then across to the left shoulder, associated with Chesed (also known as Gedulah, “The Glory”) and then back to the heart center. If you choose, you can fling your arms upward in love and devotion to the Source of all Creation. After the energy has circulated through the aura, you release it back to spirit as you conclude with “Amen.” As you perform the ritual, vibrate the words out loud (if you feel comfortable doing so), or in your head using what is called “The Great Voice," so that your whole aura seems to vibrate with the sound, the premise being that all matter is the vibration of energy: By vibrating the divine words you are tuning your mind to the highest vibration. The basic ritual is as follows.
STEP ONE: Imagine yourself in the middle of a circle and face east. Visualize a brilliant light from the Source descending slowly, a small fraction of the endless, limitless light which comes to rest on the crown of your head.
STEP TWO: Imagine your head filling with the brilliant light. Point to your crown and vibrate A-TOH (“Thine”). Direct the light with your finger down the middle of your body until you are pointing at the ground, with your hand covering your groin. Visualize the brilliant light going down through your body beyond your feet to the center of the Earth and beyond to eternity while you vibrate Mahl-KOOT (“The Kingdom”).
STEP THREE: Now direct the light with your finger quickly up to your heart center and over to your right shoulder. Visualize this beam of light extending from your heart out to eternity as you vibrate Vih G'Boo--RAH (“The Power”).
STEP FOUR: Direct the light with your finger across your heart center to your left shoulder. Visualize the light extending from your heart out to eternity on your left side while you vibrate Vih G'Doo-LAH (“The Glory”).
STEP FIVE: Bring the light back to your heart center and clasp your hands as if praying. Visualize a brilliant golden glow in your heart. Vibrate Lih-Oh-LAHM (“forever”) Ah- MEN.
Essentially, you are linking the Divine with your higher self, directing the energy to the Earth, Malkuth, then back up to your heart center (associated with Tipareth, “Beauty”), then over to the middle sphere on the right pillar of the Tree of Life known as Geburah, then over to the middle sphere on the left pillar known as Gedulah. You are, in other words, saying as you perform the ritual, “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen,” while you activate the aspects of your higher self represented by the Tree of Life in your aura.
THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (LBRP)
After you finish the ritual of the Qabalistic Cross, feeling the power of the Divine linking with your higher self within your aura, perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) to clear your ritual space and your sphere of sensation of unwanted subtle influences.
STEP ONE: Again imagine yourself in the middle of the circle. If you have room, step a few feet directly to the east; if not, simply face east. Draw a five-pointed star (known as a pentagram) in brilliant blue or white light, beginning with the bottom left point at your left hip, moving to the top point above your head, then down to the lower right point at your right hip, then over to the upper left point just beyond your left shoulder, then over to the upper right point just beyond your right shoulder, then back to the very point where you started.
STEP TWO: Inhale deeply, imagining that the energy of the Divine is entering your body and permeating your aura. As you inhale, raise your hands to the sides of your head next to your ears, with your index fingers pointing forward and the rest of your fingers closed into a fist.
STEP THREE: Step forward with your left foot while at the same time thrusting your hands, with index fingers still pointing forward, into the center of the pentagram. As you do this, exhale the Divine energy back into the cosmos and vibrate Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh, which stands for the Hebrew letters Yod, Heh, Vau, and final Heh of the “Tetragrammaton” (the letters of the unpronounceable name of God).
STEP FOUR: After you bring your hands back to your sides, bring your left foot back to its original position. Put your left index finger to your lips, giving the sign of silence. Put your left hand down by your side and extend your right arm, pointing with your right forefinger at the center of the pentagram. Move clockwise ninety degrees to the south at the edge of the circle (or simply turn east if you don’t have room), mentally drawing a brilliant white line with your forefinger at the level of the center of the pentagram until you reach due south. Draw a pentagram as described in Step One and repeat Steps Two and Three, this time vibrating Ah-Doh-Nye (“Adonai”).
STEP FIVE: Repeat the steps shown above, but go to the west and vibrate Eh-Heh-YEH (“Eheieh”).
STEP SIX: Repeat the steps shown above, but go to the north and vibrate AH-Glah (“Agla”).
STEP SEVEN: Complete the circle by drawing the white line to the center of the pentagram in the east, imagining that the white circle you have drawn expands into a brilliant white sphere, with the blazing blue pentagrams still in each quarter. Then move back to the center of the circle (if you have not been simply pivoting in the center). You are now in the center of a divine, protective sphere, with the pentagrams in each quarter charged and sealed with the names of God.
STEP EIGHT: Form a cross with your body by holding your arms straight out to the sides. Imagine that your body is a brilliant cross of light. Imagine a towering figure in front of you in a bright yellow robe with violet hems and highlights. The figure holds a long, brilliant sword perfectly balanced straight up and down. As a breeze comes towards you from behind the figure, say, “Before me, Rah-Fay-EL. (You are vibrating the name of the Archangel Raphael--who symbolizes the element of Air.)
STEP NINE: Visualize a towering figure behind you in a bright blue robe with orange hems and highlights. The figure stands on a rock in a stream in front of a waterfall and holds a golden cup. As you feel the moisture in the air, say, “Behind me, Gahb-Ray-EL. (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Gabriel, who symbolizes the element of Water.)
STEP TEN: Visualize a towering figure on your right in a bright red robe with green hems and highlights. The figure stands in fire and holds a caduceus, a wand entwined with serpents symbolizing the life force. As you feel the heat of the fire, say, “On my right, Mee-Chai-EL (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Michael, who symbolizes the element of Fire. The “ch” in “Chai” should be guttural, like “Bach.”)
STEP ELEVEN: Visualize a towering figure on your left dressed in a white robe with black hems. The figure stands in a fertile landscape and holds sheaves of wheat. Say, “On my left, A-Oo-Rye-EL . (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Auriel).
STEP TWELVE: Imagine a brilliant blue or white pentagram outlining your body and say, “For about me flames the pentagram and within me shines the six-rayed star.” Then visualize a hexagram (also known as the Star of David) in your heart center. Repeat the Qabalistic Cross.
If you perform an advanced invocation using the Tarot after that, make sure that you repeat the Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP. (More on that later.)
Please Note: Some practitioners imagine Raphael holding a caduceus wand and Michael holding a flaming sword. I started out trying to envision this, but could only envision Raphael holding a sword like the one representing the Suit of Swords in the Tarot, and Michael holding a caduceus wand. I have since discovered that other practitioners agree with me.
1) https://grist.org/article/climate-anxiety-study-young-people-think-humanity-is-doomed/
