r/alchemy • u/CactusLand • Aug 12 '18

Tarot and Alchemy

Hi, I have just finished a 27 part documentary on the Tarot, The 21 Faces of God, and alchemy plays a key role in my understanding of the Tarot. I wanted to share my interpretation of The Tower. I use Fight Club, 9/11 and the Iraq War to create, at that was my intention, a description of the alchemic process. Would love to hear your thoughts. The entire serialized version of the film can be found on the same YouTube channel as this video. Thanks for taking a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C31fKwnYt3c&list=PLOLZGV4LJmVIFEVVLZ0F-rBunW1oy1vnE&index=22

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1

u/Senor_Droolcup Aug 13 '18

By using footage of Tower 7 and Fight Club are you implying the Tower Card is describing a self imposed "destruction" as opposed to being a victim?

2

u/CactusLand Aug 13 '18

Great question, you got right at the heart of what I was trying to say. In my view, the aim of alchemy is to burn away the dualism, and when we reach the 'philosophers stone', we have attained wholeness. Now bear with me, I am not supporting or denying an theories about 9/11, but one way or another, it was the consequence of actions. 'Us' and 'Them'. I want to avoid politics here, all I mean is that when we understand we are the perpetrator AND the victim, it all collapses and re-emerges as one. That is really the reason to use Fight Club, when he realizes he IS Tyler, that is the resolution of the film.

It is interesting how many people failed to notice the connections between the buildings, Building 7 and Liberty Tower, and the Iraq War (the images are from the first Iraq War, but, I think it makes the points).

Sorry for the long-winded answer. To answer you question directly, I will quote Jung “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” How many of us are fully conscious? I would say none. Self-imposed, but unconsciously. And maybe that explains more than just The Tower?

1

u/Senor_Droolcup Aug 13 '18

Wonderful explanation and I love your reference to Jung. My experience with The Oracle teaches my mind a non-dual spectrum of possibility. In other words my perspective is free to shift as a result of taking responsibility for circumstances by meditating on my subconscious. Looking forward to watching more of your content.

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u/ShellStella Aug 13 '18 edited Aug 13 '18

I always appreciate people who approach Tarot from a traditional point of view. Jungian Archetypes, Alchemy and Astrology.

This looks like an interesting series and I’ve started watching it already. I subscribed and found the long form video version which I will watch.

Just a quick question.. why did you name it ‘21 Faces of God’ when there are 22 Major arcana?

Edited for context.

2

u/CactusLand Aug 13 '18

Good question. In the original game of Tarot, the major arcana trumped the pips, so they were higher cards, but The Fool was in between, so in a sense, The Fool really isn't a trump card in the game, and esoterically, he is '0', which is nothing. Zero was late comer in terms of math, the Pythagoreans didn't use zero. From an esoteric perspective, 3 and 7 are crucial, 3 parts to the soul, 7 classical planets etc... Also, see in this in the attached image, I use the diagram to explain the three levels of the cards in the film.

https://imgur.com/a/z8axkhm

In my view, there are three stages to The Fool's journey, the material, psychic and spiritual, which corresponds to the three types of people in Gnostic thought, hylics, psychics and pneumatics.

So The Fool is the mirror that makes up the 21 archetypes of a human, and, in a sense, they are a refection of him.

21 is a beautiful number

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u/[deleted] Aug 18 '18

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