The Ouroboros

The Ouroboros is one of the oldest symbols found in both Hermetic philosophy and Alchemy. It depicts a serpent or dragon in the shape of a circle, devouring its own tail. At its most basic level, it represents an eternal cycle where every ending becomes a new beginning. Alchemically, it is often a symbol of the Philosopher’s Stone itself and represents the unity of opposing or opposite forces. It is often depicted with words meaning “All is One.” Alchemists would sometimes refer to the Ouroborus as the “Agathos Daimon” (“Good Spirit”) which was also another name for Thoth, who was the father of Alchemy(1). It is also a symbol of the “Great Work” which is the alchemical name for a spiritual journey of transformation of oneself from Lead into Gold, which often included actual physical transformations of the self into a state of perfect health and longevity.

Hermetically, the Ouroboros represents the idea that everything comes from source, undergoes transformation, and returns to source. It represents the connectivity and the inherent cycle of all things. Qabalistically, it can be seen as both the directions on the Qabalistic Tree of Life as one cycle; the path of drawing down divinity into manifestation, as well as the Path of Return. Initiates of the Mysteries and other spiritual seekers traverse these two paths at the same time, a journey which embraces the essence of the Ouroboros.

Psychologically, the Ouroboros can represent the constant refinement of consciousness. Old patterns and ways of thinking that no longer serve must be dissolved to let new insights form and be integrated. The Ouroboros reminds us to participate in the cycle of our own transformations, to continuously evolve and not be becomes stuck in ways. Each completion results in a new seed, and if we embrace this cycle of transformation we can experience the true essence of what means to thrive.

Note: the Inscriptions on the image:
”Vista Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem” translates to:
”Visit the Interior of the Earth, and by Rectifying, you will Find the Hidden Stone”
The phrase becomes the motto “V.I.T.R.I.O.L”

“Unus Mundus, Una Materia” translates to “One World, One Material”

Sources:
(1) The Idiot’s Complete Guide to Alchemy by Dennis William Hauck
The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

CANCER on the Qabalistic Tree of Life

The Qabalah’s Tree of Life is a glyph that represents, simultaneously, two directions: the flow of the Divine from Above to Below, and the Path of Return to Source, Below to Above, for those on spiritual journeys of enlightenment. It is a glyph that represents all of creation and all the energies of creation.

The Tree of Life is comprised of ten circles called Sephiroth and the 22 paths that connect them. The Paths are subjective, and allocated to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet as well as the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot. The 10 Spheres are objective and are considered emmanations of the Divine. They are allocated to the First Swirlings, the Zodiac, the six visible planets, the Moon and the Earth.

Cancer represented on the Tree of Life through it’s associated Tarot Card, which is The Chariot. The Hebrew letter for this path is Cheth, which means fence, enclosure of inner chamber. It’s numerical value is 8.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Chariot is Merkabah. An ancient set of manuscripts connected to Rabbinical Judausm, called the Hekhahloth Books, proport to be revelations about the heavenly chariot, called the Merkabah, and give elaborate and detailed accounts of the “Merkabah-world.” Indeed, those who aspired to ride the Merkabah through the “Seven palaces of the Seven Heavens” were called “Merkabah Mystics.”

It is understood in some spiritual circles today that the human aura, which is usually described as egg-shaped, is actually a spinning Merkabah, and that the Chariot in question is our Body of Light. Whether the seven palaces of the seven heavens are in fact the Chakras is a mystery, at least to me. However the Tarot’s Chariot card does seem to contain some interesting connections to traveling Etheric realms in the Body of Light.

Recommended readings:
Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism and Talmudic Tradition, by Gershom G. Schlolem
The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, Vol I and II, by Drunvalo Melchizedek

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Are You the Knight of Wands?

The Knight of Wands is one of the Court Cards of the Tarot. On the Decan Wheel, he rules from July 12 to August 11. In some systems, he is called the Prince, however, he is almost always shown on horseback. The Knights carry out the mandate of the Realm set by the King and Queen. They are usually associated with action and motion. Keywords include: adventure, passion, impulsiveness, quests for glory, fame and fortune, pride, generosity, ego, striving for victory, charisma, success.

Many people choose a Court Card to be their Significator in a Tarot reading; a card that represents themselves. If your birthday is between July 12 and August 12, then choosing the Knight of Wands as your Significator may be appropriate! Or, you may choose him because you resonate with his qualities, regardless of the dates, and that is perfectly acceptable as well.

Drawing the Knight of Wands can indicate a person, personality, or behavior. A question you may ask yourself is, how do you get things started? The Knight of Wands can sometimes be the dramatic entrance that sets the tone and kicks things into gear and propel everything forward. Is this your style or the style of someone you know?

Associated Minor Cards
The 3 Minor Cards associated with the Knight of Wands are the 4 of Cups (Lord of Blended Pleasure), the 5 of Wands (Lord of Strife) and the 6 of Wands (Lord of Victory.) If you resonate with the Knight of Wands as your significator, you may want to intuit how these cards connect to your life and experiences.

QABALAH Considerations
On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, the Knights of the Tarot are assigned to the sephirah Tiphareth. When seen in a “Jacobs Ladder” configuration, the Knight of Wands is Tiphareth in the World of Atziluth (Fire/Wands). The Knights also represent Vau in the Holy Tetragrammaton “Yod Heh Vau Heh”, which which is related conceptually to our connection to God and our own divinity, and also represents the Word of Yetzirah. When the Tree of Life is shown as as representing only the World of Yetzirah, it is colored according to a particular set of colors developed by the Golden Dawn. Because of the correspondences between Vau = Yetzirah = Knights/Princes, the color scale for Yetzriah is called the Prince scale.

The Decan Wheel
And for those of you who like math, if you take a look at the Decan Wheel below, you will see that it has several divisions. A circle is 360 degrees, and a Decan is 10 degrees, so there are 36 Decans in a circle, which correspond to approximately 10-11 days each.

There are 40 minor cards, (Aces thru 10’s, 4 suits) but the Aces have been removed, leaving 36 minor cards (2’s thru 10’s, 4 suits) So there is one Decan for every minor card in the tarot (36 x 10 = 360.)

Now for the Court Cards: there are 16 Court Cards, but the Princesses have been removed, leaving 12. So each of the Court cards gets 30 degrees (12 x 30 = 360). You can see by studying the Wheel that for every Court Card there are 3 associated minor cards, with corresponding dates. At the center of the Wheel are the 12 Zodiac signs, however they do not align directly with the 12 Court Cards. The consensus seems to be that the sign with the 2 out of the 3 Decans aligned with the Court Card is the sign usually connected with that Court Card. For example, the Queen of Disks covers one Decan of Sagittarius and two Decans of Capricorn, so she is more often associated with the sign of Capricorn. (Note, the C, F, M at the very center of the Wheel indicate if the Zodiac sign is Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable.)

Lastly, we see the Aces and Princess that were removed placed in tandem in the 4 large sections around the outer rim of Wheel. These can also correspond to the listed dates, or seen generally as the seasons between the Equinoxes and the Solstices. Aces are associated with Spirit and the essence or “root of power” of the Elements (Wands = Fire, Cups = Water, Swords = Air, Pentacles = Earth) Princesses are associated with the “boots on the ground” aspect of the Element. Sometimes they are also allocated to space, or quadrants of the globe, rather than time. (Princess of Wands = Asia, Princess of Cups = the Pacific Ocean, Princess of Swords = the Americas, Princess of Pentacles = Europe & Africa) Both the Aces and the Princesses correspond to the three Zodiac signs in their quadrant.

Consulting the Decan Wheel can help you pick a significator and incorporate time into your readings. Have fun!

Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang & M. M. Meleen
Astrological Keywords by Manly P. Hall
The New A to Z Horiscope Maker and Delineator by Llewellyn George
Qabalistic Tarot by Rober Wang
Astrology for Yourself by Douglass Bloch & Demetra George
A Beginners Guide to Astrology by Lisa Butterworth
The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

The SECERT ALCHEMY of CANCER

The Mystery of ALCHEMY

Alchemy is obscure and can be off-putting, with it’s enigmatic and strange imagery and odd terms. However, once it becomes clarified, it is powerful system for spiritual development and manifestation. To provide this clarification is one of the goals of Sacred Circuit.

There are two basic types of Alchemy, spiritual and physical. Spiritual alchemy comprises the bulk of what you find when you search the term online, or browse books on the subject. Spiritual alchemy involves a system of personal refinement and growth; it is highly psychological in this way. Physical alchemy is actual lab work and experiments. Both of these systems include seven “operations” which are loosely based on the planetary and chakra systems. True Alchemists of old advised that integrating both spiritual and physical alchemy was necessary if substantial personal transformation was desired.

There is another more rarely used system of twelve operations, which correspond to the Zodiac. The twelve steps can be seen as a more detailed version of the seven steps, in which some of them have been split, but most are added in. For Hermetic purposes, which integrate Qabalah, Tarot and Astrology with Alchemy, and for use with work with the Astrological signs of the Zodiac, the twelve-operation system is highly effective, and it is what we have embraced here at Sacred Circuit.

The twelve alchemical operations can be seen as a Hermetic roadmap of spiritual transmutation — a journey in which the raw matter of the self, or Lead, is refined into the radiant gold of awakened consciousness. Each operation — Calcination, Congelation, Fixation, Dissolution, Digestion, Distillation, Sublimation, Separation, Incineration, Fermentation, Multiplication and Projection — corresponds to an Astrological sign, and mirrors a stage in the initiate’s inner work — dissolving attachments, purifying desires, and reuniting fragmented aspects of the psyche, all in alignment with the celestial Ecliptic.

This Alchemical-Zodiacal journey is not only about personal growth and spiritual enlightenment, it is also about manifestation. As the soul undergoes inner purification, it evolves to become a more receptive vessel for the Divine to enter into the realm of forms. Through these operations, the practitioner does not simply manifest desires — they come to embody them. Alchemy, Qabalah, Tarot and Astrology together teach that manifestation is not control over reality, but harmony with the Great Work —the Magnum Opus of the Soul.

THE ALCHEMY of the sign of CANCER

The Alchemical Operation assigned to Cancer is Dissolution. Spiritually, Dissolution involves the breaking down of corrupted aspects of the personality, or personality structures which have been erected due to societal or family programming. These aspects live in the subconscious and can be difficult to access. Certain meditations and practices help to access these structures, which must at least be recognized if not totally dissolved, if personal growth is to occur.

Physically, Dissolution involves turning a substance into a liquid, or dissolving a substance in water or other fluid. Alchemists regarded dissolution not just as a substance simply becoming liquid, but as a return of an element into the womb-like state of it’s elementary principals. 

Qabalistically, the action of performing the operation of dissolution in the material world of Assiah can connect a person more viscerally to the corresponding psychological work of Yetzirah. In other words, the physical action helps the psyche process the equivalent concept in the subconscious, making the psychological-work more accessible.

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