• r ^ > THE GIFT OF HEBER GUSHING PETERS CLASS OF 1892^^^^'^^' «»'. 5226 571 3 1924 028 930 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028930571 THE TAROT OF THE BOHEMIANS. Absolute Key to Occult Science. JProntispiece. — : ABSOLUTE KEY TO OCCULT SCIENCE. THE TAROT OF THE BOHEMIANS. THE MOST ANCIENT BOOK IN THE WO^LD. \For the exclusive use of Initiates. By PAPUS. * All intellectual light, like all physical light, comes from the East, and I come with it, also from the East." Narad, (7i€ Bohemian. LONDON CHAPMAN AND HALL, Limited. 1892. EiCHARD Clay & Sons, Limitkd, London & B^^noay, TO §ttnlt S>tuntt AND TO ALL ITS DISCIPLES. PREFACE. The Tarot pack of cards, transmitted by the Gypsies from generation to generation, is the primitive book of ancient initiation. This has been clearly demonstrated by Guillaume Postel, Court de Gobelin, Etteila, Eliphas Levi, and J. A. Vaillant. The key to its construction and application has not yet been revealed, so far as I know. I therefore wished to fill up this deficiency by supplying Initiates, i. e. those who are acquainted with the elements of occult science, with an accurate guide, which would assist them in the pursuit of their studies. The uninitiated reader will find in it the explanation of the lofty philosophy and science of ancient Egypt ; whilst ladies are enabled to practise the use of the divining Tarot, by methods which we have rendered easy in Chapter XX. The book has been so arranged that each part forms viii PREFACE. a complete whole, which can, if necessary, be studied separately. I have used every effort to be as clear as possible ; the public that has warmly welcomed my other books will, I hope, forgive the imperfections inherent to a work of this kind. PAPUS. —— — CONTENTS. PAET I. THE *' GENERAL KEY TO THE TAROT," GIVING THE ABSOLUTE KEY TO OCCULT SCIENCE. PAGE Chap. I. Introduction to the Study of the Tarot : Approacliing End of Materialism—Synthesis —The Occult Science —The Secret Societies —The Cultus—The People, Transmitter of Esoterism—^The Gypsies—The Sacred Word of Ereemasonry—Our Work ... ... 3 IE. The Sacred Word Yod-He-Vau-He : The Kabbalah and the Sacred Word—The Yod The He—The Vau—The 2nd He— Synthesis of the Sacred Word 17 — ILL The Esoterism of IN'umbers : The Theosophic !N"umbers and Operations—Signification of the Numbers 26 IV. Analogy between the Sacred Word and I^UMBERS : The Kabbalistic Word and the Series of Numbers—Explanation of the Tetractys of Pythagoras —Figuration of the General Law ... ... ... ... 32 — —• CONTENTS. CFAP. PAOK V. The Key to the Minor Arcana : Formation of the Tarot—Study of a Colour—The lour Figures —The Ten Numbers—Affinity be- tween the "Figures and the Numbers—Study of the Four Colours—A Comprehensive Glance over the Minor Arcana ... ... ... 35" VI. The Key to the Major Arcana : The Major Arcana—1st Ternary—2nd Ternary—1st Septenary—2nd Septenary—The Three Sep- tenaries and the Ternary of Transition ... 51 VII. Connection between the Major and Minor Arcana : Domination of the 1st Septenary— Affinities of the 2nd Septenary in the Tarot, Card by Card—Ditto of the 3rd Septenary General Affinities —Affinities of Yodj He, VaUj and of the 2nd i^e 61 General Figure giving the Key to the Tarot ... 68 PART II. SYMBOLISM IN THE TAROT. APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL KEY TO THE SYMBOLISM. VIII. -Introduction to the Study of Symbolism : The Symbols—The Primitive Terms—Key of Symbolism—Definition of the Sense of one of the Symbols—General Law of Symbolism 71 IX.^HlST0RY OF the SyMBOLTSM OF THE TaROT. Inquiry into its Origin : The Tarot is an Egyptian Book— Its Transformations—Man- tegna's Pack—Venetian Tarot—Florentine Tarot — Bolognese Tarot — Hindu Tarot — — CONTENTS. xi CHAP. PAGE Cliinese Tarot—Modern Tarots—Etteila Marseilles—Besan^on — "Watillaux — Oswald Wirth—Italian and German Tarots—Consti- tution of tlie Symbolism of the Tarot— The 16 Primitive Hieroglyphic Signs—The 22 Hebrew Letters ... ... ... ... 81 X. The Symbolical Tarot. The 1st Septenary. Arcana 1 to 7. Theogony : Scheme of Work—Key to the 1st Septenary—The 1st Card of the Tarot the Origin of all the others —The Three Principles of the Absolute The Trinity—Eigure of the Isfc Card and its Affinities ... ... ... ... ... 96 2nd Card—The High Priestess (Eeth) ... 112 3rd Card—The Empress (Gimel) ... 115 4th Card—The Emperor (Daleth) ... 119 5th Card—The Pope (He) 123 6th Card—The Lovers (Yau) 127 Summary—Constitution of God ... ... 1 32 XL 2nd Septenary. Androgony : Key to the 2nd Septenary ... ... ... ... ... 133 7th Card—The Chariot (Zain) 135 8th Card—Justice (Cheth) 138 9 th Card—The Hermit (Teth) 142 10th Card—The Wheel of Fortune (Yod) 145 11th Card—Strength (Kaph) 148 12th Card—The Hanged Man (Lamed) ... 151 Summary—Constitution of Man ... ... 155 X IL—3rd Septenary. Cosmogony : Key to the 3rd Septenary ... ... ... ... 156 13th Card—Death (Mem) 158 14th Card—Temperance (!N"un) 161 15th Card—The Devil (Samech) ... 164 — . — CONTENTS. 16th Card—The Lightning-struck Tow er (Zain) 168 17th Card—The Star (Phe) ..' 171 18th Card—The Moon (Tzaddi) ... 174 Summary—Constitution of the Universe 177 XIII.—i-General Transition 178 19th Card—The Sun (Qoph) 179 20th Card—The Judgment (Eesh) 182 21st Card-The Foolish Man (Shin) 185 22nd Card—The Universe (Tan) ... 188 Summary 192 XIV. General Summary op the Symbolical Tarot : Involution and Evolution ... ... ... 193 Theogony : The Absolute according to Wronsld, Lacuria, and the Tarot—Theo- gony of Divers Eeligions identical with that of the Tarot—Summary ... - ... 194 Androgony : Figure with Summary .. ... 210 Cosmogony : Figure with Summary ... ... 214 Figure containing the Symbolism of all the Major Arcana, enabling the Signification of each Card to be easily defined ... 220—221 PART III. APPLICATIONS OF THE TAROT. XY. General Key to the Applications op the Tarot : The Principle and the Forms—The 21st Card of the Tarot is a Figure-Principle The Tarot—The Year—The Month—The Day—The Human Life ... ... ...225 ——— — —— CONTENTS. xiii CHAP. PAGE XVI. The Astronojiic Tarot : Egyptian Astronomy The !Four Seasons—The Twelve Months The Thirty-six Decani— The Planets—Abso- lute Analogy with the Tarot—Figure contain- ing the Application of the Tarot to Astron- omy—Key to the Astrological Works of Chris- tian'—Oswald Wirth's Astronomical Tarot 233 XVII. The Initiative Tarot : Ch. Barlet's Essay on this Subject— Involution and Evolution—The Hours of ApoUonius of Tyana—The Phases of Initiation represented by the Tarot ... 253 Barlet's Work upon the Cosmogonic Tarot ... 253 XVIII. The Kabbaustic Tarot : Deductions by Etteila upon the Book of TJioth—Example of the Application of the Tarot to the Kabbalah, the Hierogram of Adam by Stanislas de Guaita 291 XIX. —The Authors who have interested themselves IN the Tarot : Eaymond Lulle—Cardan Postel—The Eosicrucians—Court de G^beHn — Etteila—Claude de Saint-Martin— J. A, Vaillant—Christian—Eliphas Levi—St. de Guaita—Josephin Peladan The Platonist— Theosophical Publications—F. Ch. Barlet 0. Wirth—Poirel—Ely Star—H. P. Blavatsky —Ch.de Sivry—Mathers 297 XX. The Divining Tarot in Sevi;n Lessons. Introduction: To our Lady Keaders— As- tronomy and Astrology—Intuition—Eortune- telling by the Tarot in Seven Lessons ... 301 1st Lesson—Simplification of the Eules of Eortune-telling by the Tarot 305 ^ncl Lesson—Minor Arcana— Signification — xiv CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGR —A good Memory unnecessary for their retention—Key to the Divining Tarot ... 307 3rd Lesson—Major Arcana — Signification from a Divining Point of View ... 316 4:th Lesson—Basis of the Application of this Knowledge—Arrangement of the Cards 318 5th Lesson—Reading the Tarot—Eapid Process—Elaborate Process ... ... 322 6th Lesson—Etteila's original and un- published Method of reading the Tarot (from one of his rarest works). 1st Deal —2nd Deal—3rd Deal—4th Deal ... 327 7th Lesson—Conclusion—Bibliography ... 333 XXI. Application op the Tarot to Games : The Koyal Game of the Human Life according to the Egyptians—The Unity of Games in the Tarot 335 XXII. Conclusion of the "Work ... ... ... 343 Index 349 Table of the Authors and Principal Works QUOTED ... ... ... ... .. 353 INTKODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE TAROT. — — — THE TAROT. CHAPTER I. INTBODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE TAROT. Approaching End of Materialism—Synthesis—The Occult Science The Secret Societies —The Cultus The People^ Organ of the Transmission of Esoteriem—The Gypsies—-The Sacred Word of Freemasonry—Our Work. " Therefore you must open the book and carefully weigh the statements made in it. Then you will know that the drug within is of very different value from the promise of the box, that is to say, that the subjects treated in it are Dot so frivolous as the title may imply." Rabelais. We are on the eve of a complete transformation of our scientific methods. Materialism has given lis all that we can expect from it, and inquirers, disappointed as a rule, hope for great things from the future, whilst they are unwilling to spend more time in pursuing the path adopted in modern times. Analysis has been carried, in every branch of knowledge, as far as possible, and has only deepened the moats which divide the sciences. Synthesis becomes necessary ; but how can we realize it ? If we would condescend to waive for one moment our belief in the indefinite progress and fatal superiority of — ; 4 THE TAROT. later generations over the ancients, we should at once per- ceive that the colossal civilizations of antiquity possessed Science, Universities, and Schools.