Introduction
This is a brief examination of the Lust Card in the Thoth Tarot. Besides discussing the symbolism that fascinates me the most, I’ll share some thoughts that came to mind while studying the card. The reason for reviewing it after the Star is that the Star is all about Nuit, whereas this is a lot about Babalon, which is the other aspect of Nuit.
11 Not 8
Called ‘Strength’ in traditional decks like the Golden Dawn and the Arthur Waite, this card was initially numbered 8. After considering the order of the Zodiac and the numbers’ natural progression, Crowley placed the card at 11, changing the name to Lust.
“But there is still one peculiarity, one disturbance of the natural sequence. This is that the cards VIII and XI have to be counterchanged in order to preserve the attribution. For the card XI is called “Strenght”; on it appears a Lion, and it quite evidently refers to the zodiacal sign of Leo, whereas the card VIII is called “Justice” and represents the conventional symbolic figure, throned, with Sword and balances, thus obviously referring to the zodiacal sign of Libra, the Balance…”
Zodiacal Loops
Stacking with the other adjustments Crowley made due to a revelation he got while the Book of the Law was dictated, that creates two loops. Those loops mirror each other on the sides of the Zodiac. One is made of Aries and Aquarius on each side of Pisces. And another of Leo and Libra positioned similarly regarding Virgo. You can learn more about that by checking my long-term review of The Thoth deck or, better yet, by exploring Crowley’s accompanying manual. Placed 11, the Lust card (also) becomes the door to the second half of the Major Arcana. Behind that door is one’s journey to the innermost aspects of their being.
More Than Strength
The Lust card stands for much more than physical and mental or spiritual Strength (or power), as sometimes explained by scholars and books on Magick and Tarot. Looking at the tree diagram, we see this isn’t the Path of Strength. It is the Path of Teth, representing the influence of Chessed, Mercy upon Geburah, or Severity. According to Crowley’s The Book of Thoth:
“Lust implies not only Strength but the joy of Strength exercised. It is vigor and the rapture of vigor…”
And the modern scholar Eli Serabeth calls this the “Will to Be,” defining the stage at which ‘the soul is fully established in the physical flesh.
Teth ט
Meaning 9, Teth (ט) is spelled (TYTH) טית. It enumerates 419, which means ‘serpent.’ According to LMD:
“Like a snake swallowing its tail, there’s truly no end to the mastery of the serpent. The one that tempted Eve is the same one that Moses elevated on a pole, the same one that Jesus told us to be as “wise as.”
Mnemonics
The book of Thoth’s mnemonics section explains Teth’s letter with the following:
“The Lion-Serpent begets the Gods! Thy throne, The rampant Beast, our Lady Babalon.”
Meaning 9, Teth (ט) is spelled (TYTH) טית. It enumerates 419, which means ‘serpent.’ According to LMD:
The 19th Path
Within the Golden Dawn system, all major Arcana have esoteric names, which according to David Cherubim, help understand the nature of the card better. In that manner, the Lust or ATU XI is called The Daughter of the Flaming Sword.
Paths of Wisdom and Chakras
Balanced vertically and horizontally, the Path of Teth is called The Intelligence of the Secret of all the Activities of the Spiritual Beings. These ‘Spiritual Beings’ are commonly regarded as your seven Auric bodies. Also called Auric layers, those are associated with your seven chakras. According to the 32 Paths of Wisdom, this is because of “the affluence diffused by it from the most-high and exalted sublime glory.”
Chessed and Geburah
By linking Chessed and Geburah, the 19th Path is the first of the Microprosopus or the Lesser Countenance of the Microcosmic Universe. It symbolizes the overflowing energy from Chessed to Geburah in the creation process depicted by the Flaming Sword. It also leads to the edge of the Abyss, being right underneath the supernal triad.
The Sign of Leo
Ruled by the Sun, the Lust card is assigned to the sign of Leo. Also, to the Kerub of Fire. And the Book of Thoth considers it the most powerful of the 12 zodiac cards. The reason is that it symbolizes the most crucial magickal and alchemical operations. The union of the Teth letter with this sign results in the creature depicted on the card. Essentially, that’s a lion with a serpent for a tail. Or a lion-headed snake, as portrayed in other decks.
The Feeling of Lust
The Lust card depicts the original marriage or union the way it occurs in nature. It’s a moment (or stage) of an ultimate high or, as Crowley defines it:
“There’s in this card a divine drunkenness or ecstasy. The woman is shown as more than a little drunk, and more than a little mad; and the lion also is aflame with Lust…”
An Explication for Kids
When explaining the card at an exhibition, Lady Frieda Harris said the following to a child:
“Well, you must understand the feeling of it. Now how do you feel if you see nice chocolates & there, you get them & how good they taste. That is a picture of how you feel about those chocolates.”
IMHO, this is different from merely having the ultimate satisfaction and instead sounds like achieving that while maintaining the desire for it. Kinda like having both at the same time. Feel free to let me know if that resonates with you.
The Reins
Like the standard Strength, the Lust card represents the female power of directing and channeling the brute animal force toward constructive aims. As emphasized by Eli Serabeth: It is Lust for Creation. While riding the Beast, Babalon holds the reins in her left hand. This represents the passion that unites her and the Beast.
Strength on a New Level
Much more dynamic, this concept takes the traditional Strength card to a new level. Rather than merely and (somewhat) passively taming the lion, the Scarlett Woman, aka the goddess Babalon, is enticed in sensory desires to ride the Beast symbolizing the primordial creative energy following no reason or criticism. Supposedly, he is the ‘Natural’ whereas she the ‘Fertile’ force.
The Cup
In her right hand, Babalon holds the Holy Grail. That is filled with the blood of the saints whose faces serve as the image’s background. As written in The Book of Thoth:
“This card portrays the will of the Aeon. In the background are the bloodless images of the saints, on whom this image travels, for their whole life has been absorbed into the Holy Grail.”
To give some context, the Aeon of Isis was linked to the signs of Pisces and Virgo, whereas that of Osiris was to Aries and Libra. The current Aeon that of Horus is connected to Aquarius and Leo.
Circles in Chaos
Floating somewhat haphazardly, there are ten circles in a chaotic order positioned higher than the bloodless saints. Vaguer than the other imagery, these are the ten Sephiroth in a latent form. IMO, this is a crucial detail as it reveals that every new Aeon requires a restart or a new classification and ordering of the Universe
10 Rays and 10 Serpents
There are ten light rays at the top, symbolizing the light of the new Aeon. Also, ten horns of the Beast. These are also serpents. And, to me, they also resemble tentacles and roots. Whether that resonates with you, these serpents serve the purpose of destroying or re-creating the world, so the mentioned re-ordering can take place.
The Beast
Challenging to identify, the seven heads of the hybrid creature represent the seven heads of Crowley identifying himself as the Beast.
“Seven are the heads of THE BEAST whereon She rideth. The head of an Angel: the head of a Saint: the head of a Poet: the head of an Adulterous Woman: the head of a Man of Valour: the head of a Satyr: and the head of a Lion-Serpent. Seven letters hath Her Holiest name and its Babalon.”
— The Book of Thoth
Taming The Beast
Like in the other decks, the Beast remains the symbol of animal instincts. When your inner Beast is truly tamed, it collaborates for the greater good. That results in an influx of creativity. Also, in a passion for living and the ability to pursue your life’s work following the Path of continuous self-improvement. When that dynamic is misunderstood, and people try to suppress their basic urges; they get a host of issues, including depressive and anxiety disorders, uncontrolled aggression, and plenty of suffering.
Food for Thought
Let us think of modern self-help gurus and influencers advocating using willpower which, thanks to modern science, we know is a limited resource and plain ineffective for suppressing your animal instincts. I wonder in which Aeon those guys are living. Also, what are your experiences following such advice? Feel free to let me know in the comments below the video. And if you want to learn more about getting your basic urges under control, such as the intricacies of willpower from a science-based perspective, I suggest both of my books.
Meanings
The Meanings of the Lust card include courage, Strength, energy, action, enormous passion, resort to magick, and the use of magickal power.
Unifying the Self
Speaking of that, the Lust card actively reminds us we shouldn’t be ashamed of those basic drives but appreciate and incorporate them. Becoming whole and reaching higher levels of being can’t be accomplished by denying but by unifying the parts of ourselves.
Apparently, (that is why) not suppressing but getting those primordial urges under control is a crucial stepping stone on the Path. And though not magickal per se, Napoleon Hills Outwitting the Devil may be worth reading by modern seekers, as it elaborates on what happens when you either achieve or don’t achieve that. But that’s just my opinion. Feel free to let me know if it resonates with you.
