Thoth Lust Tarot Card Tutorial  

My new YouTube channel is : Thoth Tarot Videos. The major arcana videos are yet to be remade.

 

(ii) Thoth Lust Tarot Card

 

 

 

Overview of the Thoth Lust Tarot Card

• Challenges conventional views on what a spiritual path and spiritual teacher/teachings should be like & what qualities they should have.
• We are not going to be punished by a God who has moral issues against our actions. Guilt and self-inflicted punishment is not necessary in our life.
• Lust implies we can experience life with situations which are not necessarily conventional but if we have natural talents we should develop them but on the other hand we should not just indulge in our wanton desires (Debauch, seven of cups).

Lust  in its higher sense is the bliss of experiencing integration with something higher than yourself.

• It can relate to the intense attraction between polar opposites in general. So in the Lovers Card we have separation into opposites and this creates a ‘tension’ that naturally wants to be resolved.
• Lust is also connected to the sexual act and therefore creation and life but it is also very much about death and dissolving our identity into something higher and so philosophically this card covers a lot of ground !
• Crowley also wanted to portray this card as bringing in the new Aeon of Horus, ruled by Aquarius and Leo. Details of the Three Aeons can be accessed in a previous article.

 

(iii) Rider Waite Strength Tarot Card

 

This card depicts the gentle control (hands)  of the passions  and animal instincts (Lion) by the higher self (lady in white), with spirit working through her (leminscate above her head).

 

(iv) Thoth Lust Tarot Card and the Tree of Life

 

 

On the Tree of Life the pathway of the Lust Card  connects Chesed (Mercy) to Geburah (Power) and these are the highest ideals on the Tree of Life below the abyss so there is a high vibration to the Thoth Lust Tarot Card as it is NOT on the lower part of the Tree. Even though this card in its lowest aspect can relate to things like deviant sexuality, the spiritual component of the passion is its highest expression. This is supported by the fact that its path on the Tree of Life is dissected by the High Priestess Card linking Tiphareth to Kether and so there is a connection with this very important pathway that forms the Ethical triad:

Chesed is concerned with structure and building up whilst Geburah is destructive and so we have 2 opposite processes on the Tree of Life linking this card. The Thoth Lust Tarot Card places emphasis on the expression of  passion in our life and living in the moment, always being prepared to cast off  the old and bring in the new using the creative and destructive energies of these two sephira.

There is a saying:

Newness needs room to grow

The upper portion of the card emphasises this and is described in the symbology section below.

 

 

(v) Thoth Lust Tarot Card Hebrew and Astrological Attribution

 

Lust is represented by the letter TETH which means a serpent. There are two aspects to the serpent :

(i) Lowest Expression : sexuality, sexual deviancy, lower mind , earthly things (the serpent crawls on the ground and has a close association with the earth see Bill Donahue interpretation . We have the seven deadly sins:

 

 

(ii) Highest Expression : Kundalini serpent = a divine energy in the base of the spine which rises through the chakra system.

 

The serpent is also seen in the top part of the Thoth card and is symbolic of renewal and growth as the serpent sheds its skin.

It is associated with the zodiac sign of LEO : The Lion is known as the King of the Beasts having courage and leadership. We need courage to be able to accept all of who we are and continue on merging with the ecstasy of spirit despite all the temptations of the world

 

(vi)  Thoth Lust Tarot Card  Symbology 

 

(a) Middle Third of Lust Card

Scarlet woman (Babalon)  = represents the desires and pull of the lower nature & to this end Crowley refers to his personal Lovers as the Scarlet Woman. The image below shows how someone has depicted her.

Exhibiting ecstasy holding up the Holy Grail:

 

Holy Grail = in her right hand (right side = spiritual) .I’m not sure whether the artist of this picture knew about the High Priestess connection to the Tree of Life but they have the Moon’s energies flowing into the cup. With this card we might have a mixture of the Moon’s positive and negative energies flowing into this cup hence the ‘battle’ we have controlling the energy of this card. She is touching her breasts and vagina as if to imply a strong sexual passion. Crowley says that the energy of the moon also intermingles with the Sun’s energies within the cup. It contains the male and female sexual fluids and therefore contains life and death , birth death and renewal again.

 

We  have the kundalini energy depicted and if we look close enough we can see this shape arising out of the cup :

 

Red Reins = in her left hand. The left side is the carnal side, the right the spiritual and so for example in the Bible we have the Garden of Eden in the East (or right side of the compass). Red is for passion and the reins symbolise her connection to the beast or our lower nature.

Lion Serpent = symbolic of the phallus. The scarlet woman is looking at this and it has 13 rays emanating from its head. 

13 rays = 13 is the number of the Hebrew words for Love (Achad) and Unity (Ahbah) added together as in the Book of the Law Crowley states :

There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse (AL1:41)

 

7 Heads of the Beast =  symbolic of the aspects of Crowley himself as stated in the Book of Lies ch 49 : 

1. Angel = his mission. Angel is essentially the spiritual impulse within.

2. Saint = of the Gnostic Catholic Church

3. Poet = his interest.

4. Adulterous Woman = his sexual preferences.

5. Man of Valour = description of himself.

6. Satyr = one of a class of lustful, drunken woodland gods in Greek mythology as shown in the image below

7. Lion Serpent = Leo was his ascendant.

 

(b) Upper Third of Lust Card

Horizon = the dawn of a new life, or a new perspective of life.

10 circular emanations  = 10 energised sephiroth of the Tree of Life. This implies our life has been energised/ spiritualised both internally and externally. They also appear below the horizon and so again we have the axiom : as above so below. These circles or sephira are not ordered though as on the Tree of Life as a new Aeon is dawning and they will need reorganising into this new energy.

10 horns = of the beast are serpent like and they destroy the old  order to recreate a new Aeon, a similar meaning is found at the bottom of the card with the Beast trampling the Saints.

 

(c) Lower Third of Lust Card

Beast Trampling on Saints = the beast ignores their ‘purity’ as they are in denial of their nature as humans. We all have a carnal side and if it is repressed it can be just as easily be a burden to us as always relenting to it would be. Therefore Buddha talked of the middle way. The figures in the Lust Tarot Card are supposed to resemble the shape of the hebrew letter SHIN:

         

 

Shin is associated with the Aeon Card (lower left symbol ) whereby the old religious orders are replaced by a new philosophy :

 

(vii)  Thoth Lust Tarot Card and Book of Revelations

Crowley uses the term Babalon and in reality it is synonymous with the meaning of the word Babylon in the Bible.

I have talked about the allegory of Babylon in Revelations 14  which can be accessed here. However Crowley’s card depicts the Scarlet Woman and Beast which are mentioned in Revelation 17 below so we will consider them as part of the interpretation of this card.

Interpretation of Revelation 17

It is beyond the scope of this article to go into the fine detail of this scripture but the principle is the same as that described in detail in Revelation 14. Revelation 17 describes the overcoming of the lower nature by the spiritual impulse.

Revelation 17 : 1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

7 heads = 7 chakras

10 horns = sephira on Tree of Life

 

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

scarlet = passions

cup = grail where the alchemy of her actions takes place.

 

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

the lower nature sucks in all.

 

7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

angel = spiritual impulse within will give the seeker distance from the attractions of the lower nature if it is listened to and meditated upon.

 

(viii) Thoth Lust Card And Sex Magick

In summary Babalon is the Scarlet Woman (Crowley’s lovers) representing the carnal desires, the Beast (Crowley) is awakened by her attractiveness to him. The beast also represents OUR lower desires being activated by the Scarlet Woman or OUR worldly attachments.

We must remind ourselves of the lofty position of this card on the Tree of Life and that also it is a part of the Major Arcana sequence and therefore relevant to a spiritual journey and so joining in ecstasy with the highest of impulses will quicken our spiritual progress.

Used for the highest purpose we can transform this sex energy upwards to become spiritually aware, and a new Aeon awakens in our life (Light on horizon), with our new world needing readjusting (sephira) as our old perspective dies (snakes horns) due to the alchemy of sex magic (Kundalini Raising) from the Holy Grail.

 

(ix) The Fortune to Lust Transition

 

In the Wheel of Fortune we know that change is about to happen and soon. We may also need to alter our present course, move things in a different direction or turn things around to ensure that you are creating the right outcomes in our life. As a result of choices opening up to us we are directed to follow the path in which we have a PASSION for life as represented by the lust card. The trap of this step is that the passions that we follow are either going to lead us towards our spiritual goal or away from them. We must be discerning about what put our energies into. We must fully accept ourselves as a whole so repressing the instinctive desires is not desirable. We are encouraged to rejoice in them with this card but accept them for what they are and be able to step out of the attachments they bring to raise our consciousness into spirit through developing passions for a higher expression such as Tantric Yoga:

 

 

(x) Thoth Lust Tarot Card Divinatory Meanings

Leo is a FIRE sign  which combines with Crowley’s sexual imagery to make interpretations of this card  focus around our energy and passions !

Feeling a new impulse for creative growth in your life The dance of Life becomes precious and you connect with what gives you the most passion.

Every moment is a new beginning and once the depth of each moment is perceived there is an ‘ecstasy’ about just ‘being’. The past no longer holds us, there is only the moment. This is allowing our creative force to flow through us, driven by our passion and unburdened by our past.

Thoth Lust Upright

1. Relates to having the desire (passion) for a particular situation

2. Engaging with life to the fullest.

3. Accepting our instinctive/carnal/animal nature or things which are not usually considered ‘spiritual’. Not repressing them but making sure that we have a conscious control of them.

4. Using courage to follow our passions that serve for our highest good.

5. Sexual Union/passionate relationship with sexual/emotional intensity.

6. Being comfortable with your sexuality.

7. Doing something because you are passionate about it and WITHOUT  over  analysing the situation. Lust does not have reason.

 

 

Thoth Lust Reversed

1. Emotions and sexuality/ sexual deviance are ruling your life to the detriment of your spirituality

2. A lack of passion for your particular job, partner, life circumstance.

3. Being sexually dominated in a relationship or lack of sex drive/unable to connect with this part of you.

4. Struggling with your sexuality.

5. Habitual reckless actions leading to bad outcomes.

 

 

 

(xi) Thoth Lust Tarot Card in the Celtic Cross Spread

1: Heart of the Situation = do we have enough passion for this situation, person, job

2: Possible obstacle =  a relationship which is lacking passion/love/spark

3: Unconscious Influences = a tendency to act without thinking of the consequences.

4: Recent Past = sexual/emotional upheavals

5: Hopes and goals = to find something in life that really fires us up inside.

6: Short Term Future = need inner strength and resolve to work through some emotional situation

7: How we are dealing with this situation = using inner strength to overcome emotional hurdles

8: Environment = relationship which is passionate & intense emotionally and physically. A strong attraction.

9: Guidance & Warning = need to resolve emotional, relationship issues to move on.

10: Overall Outcome = having a lust for life, finding our truth path which will energize us for our highest good.

 

(xiii) Thoth Lust Tarot Card Links.

→ Paul Hughes Barlow 

→  MarVeena Meek :

→ Book of Thoth PDF : 

---