The inevitability of change. Change is the one thing that is permanent.
The cycles of Karma - the sequence of cause and effect.
"Kaph" means cup, or hand. Either
holds water - showing the relationship between Key 10 and
Key 12, The Hanged Man. "Kaph" is the "Soul Vessel,"
a metaphor that fits nicely with the idea of water held in a cupped palm.
b'yado afkeed
ruchee
into His hand I entrust my spirit Adon Olam
Kaph, soul vessel, and Throne
are related, in that koss, which means "cup," and "throne,"
or kisey are both Gematria 86, the same as Elohim, the Divine Name
that has the attribute of gevurah, in forming healthy boundaries.
Like the Hanged Man, the Wheel
of Fortune shows inversion, or a binary, on/off nature. The cup is either
half empty, or half full, depending on how you look at it.
This is where the numerical flip
occurs in the tree. This is the transition zone, where the polarity is reversed.
Here's a deeper look at the Tree - Helix.
The hand of Kaph is in the act
of grasping, and this image shows comprehension, as well as a hand grasping
a doorknob. It is also the "palm of the hand," so we can see this
as the protective "nest," "vessel," or "cradle"
in which the cycles of the wheel can transpire.
Grasping a doorknob and opening
a door, grasping an opportunity, this is the "hand" that influences
fortune, the subject of this key. It shows the learning that comes from repeated
cycles, and the influence we can have over what seems to be chance.
This is "In the Notch," "In the
Groove," In the right place at the right time, in the Hand of God, Perfect
Timing, Making all the Right Moves, Feeling at Home, Landing on Both Feet.
This is the wheel that is repeated
10 times on the clothing of The Fool, Key
0.
GUNAS
On the spokes of the wheel, in
the circle representing the formative world, are the alchemical symbols of
mercury (top), sulphur (right), and salt (left). These respond to the three
gunas of yoga philosophy: sattva (mercury), rajas (sulphur),
and tamas (salt). The glyph at the bottom represents dissolution, and
is also the Aquarius symbol.
As long as the gunas maintain
their equilibrium, Prakriti
remains undifferentiated and the universe exists only in its potential,
seed state. As soon as the balance is disturbed, a re-creation of the
universe begins. The gunas enter into an enormous variety of combinations
- all of them irregular, with one or the other guna predominating over
the others.
The gunas are sometimes described
as "energies," sometimes as "qualities"; but no single English word can
define their whole nature and function. Collectively, they may be thought
of as a triangle of forces, opposed yet complimentary. In the process
of evolution,
Sattwa is the essence of
the form which has to be realized
Tamas is the inherent obstacle
to its realization
Rajas is the power by which
that obstacle is removed and the essential form made manifest.
Several chapters of the Bhagavad
Gita analyze the gunas, and their involvement with every aspect of daily
life, food, sleep, excretion, breathing, etc.
Alternating in the circle of
manifestion are the letters TARO and IHVH, the Tetragrammaton.
TARO
The serpent Typhon, or Fohat,
descending on the left shows cosmic vibratory force; it also is the serpent
of the letter "Tet," in Key 8, Strength.
Ascending on the right is Hermanubis
(Hermes-Anubis), the jackal headed Egyptian god, showing evolution from lower
to higher consciousness. His jackal head is clever, intellectual. His red
color shows desire, enthusiasm, and activity.
The sphinx at the top, holding
a sword, shows the triumph of intelligence; having risen from the ashes, the
evolved human soul holds the sword of cutting-through wisdom. Swords also
appear in Key 1, and
Key 11.
The cherubim at the corners are
the same ones in Revelation and Ezekiel:
"And their rims, and
their spokes, and the wheels were full of eyes round about - the wheels
that the four of them had. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing
the whirling wheels. And every one had four faces: the first face was the
face of a cherub, the second of a man, the third of a lion, and the fourth
of an eagle." (Ezekiel 10:12)
Tibetan Prayer
Wheel
These wheels are made of wood,
and many are kept in public areas, where passersby keep them spinning at
all times. They are inscribed with prayers so that by spinning them, people
can send the prayers. (Praying machines?) Written on this virtual one is
OM MANI PADME HUM - the Sanskrit Heart Mantra - Directing the meditator's
attention to the infinite compassion and light at the center of each person's
universe. These wheels must always turn clockwise.
Judaism has the concept of "Gilgul
Nefesh" - the Wheel of Souls - that is, Reincarnation. This idea is
not common among more westernized Jews, but in the Chasidic world it is
common. One familiar idea is that Noah was a later incarnation of Adam ha
Rishon (the original Adam.) One thread of this trend of ideas is that parts
of souls can blend with parts of other souls, sometimes during a single
lifetime.
Other wheel images: A pump, a
turbine, a revolving door, a merry-go-round, a washing machine, a squirrel
wheel. This is the Karmic impeller of the Tree.
The following opening lines from the Carmina Burana, a 13th century German
manuscript (in Latin and suppressed for centuries because it didn't conform
with Catholic doctrine) that was lost for 500 years, presents a darker, medieval
take on fate:
Here's the audio for the following lyrics:
O Fortuna O Fortune,
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
Semper crescis ever waxing
aut decrescis; and waning;
vita detestabilis hateful life
nunc obdurat first oppresses
et tunc curat and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it;
egestatem, poverty
potestatem and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
et inanis, and empty,
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
status malus, you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata shadowed
et velata and veiled
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
SORS SALUTIS Fate is against me
ET VIRTUSIS in health
michi nunc contraria, and virtue,
est affectus driven on
et defectus and weighted down,
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour
sine mora without delay
corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem since Fate
sternit fortem, strikes down the strong man,
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!
The
Wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will
Robert Hunter
David Dodd's commentary on "The
Wheel" is illuminating.
Jupiter
Jupiter's placement at birth sets
the character for the person's Higher Mind; their relationship with the 'inner
guru.' It shows appetite and capacity for learning, and the flavor of one's
enthusiasm.
Jupiter transits bring opportunity,
lucky breaks, prosperity, learning phases, etc.
Jupiter takes 11.86 years to complete
it's orbit through the zodiac.
Jupiter infuences the bounty of
life, and the range of spiritual or intellectual experience.
Jupiter is the principle of blessing and well wishing. Thanksgiving, the holiday of
gratitude, is on the first Thursday [Thor's Day] after the sun goes into Sagittarius [Jupiter's sign].
Afflictions to
Jupiter create poverty (spiritual or physical), or excess. Jupiter is a 'Guardian
Angel' who protects, like a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. It's presence can
make a bad situation livable. Jupiter impaired can create lack of imagination,
or squandering of energy.
Jupiter is Thor - Thor is
the Thunderer, who wields Mjölnir, the divine Hammer. His chariot racing
across the sky generates the rumbling, crackling racket that accompanies a
storm. Thursday (Thor's Day) was named after him.
Immigrant
Song
Ahhhiyaaahhhhhhhh!
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow - - -
The Hammer of the Gods will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, sing and cry:
Valhalla, I am coming!
On
we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore
Ahhhiyaaahhhhhhhh!
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow - - -
How soft your fields so green
Can whisper tales of gore
Of how we calmed the tides of war
We are your overlords
On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore
So
now you'd better stop
and rebuild your ruins
For peace and trust can win the day
Despite of all your losing
