"6 of Cups. Pleasure" represents Aleister Crowley's fascination with the 10th Century Tantric or more specifically Kāmakalā sexual practises to evoke a meditation towards attaining "Godhead", by ingesting the transmission of the "Bindu" (sacred fluid) from the male and female Hindu deities, also seen in Tibetan Buddhism between Yogini female 'Buddhist' cults and their sexual rituals in understanding and freeing oneself from the restriction of transcendence, that being of the material body and its realm of suffering. Sexual interactions in unorthodox Buddhism were also seen as a way of attainment. Crowley during the 1900s traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Asia, as from era that was the 'Age of Enlightenment', the West began to draw in ideas from the East. However, antinomianism had already been prominent throughout the Christian domination of Europe and America even as its theology began to split. So, it wasn't a new practice in challenging the taboo within Christian/Judaic and Muslim theocratic belief structures. Yet, it was the Hindu/Buddhist/Taoists that took it further as a ritual of sexual alchemy, to which Crowley was heavily influenced by, reverting the ritualized ingesting of sexual fluids into his "Sex Magik" requirements from his own Thelema religion. And interestingly, as discussed with numerous studies of Crowley's Thoth tarot, is his contradiction of aligning himself with Proto-Fascist metaphor of strength and control under a masculine guise. As Tantric and Kāmakalā were very much in revering the power of the feminine deities, combining the masculine seminal fluid, with her sacred elixirs (Bindu) into an alchemical potion.
As also mentioned in this analysis of the Thoth Tarot, is Crowley's influence by Occultist and Western/Russian mystic Helena Blavatsky (d1891), who devised the Theosophical society in 1875, which later petered out in the 1920s, was very influenced by Eastern religions. But, criticized the Tantric, by deeming it as a transgressive "Left Hand Path", possibly showing up as Western Colonisation and its moral standards over the East. This can also be seen with Crowley's Thelema beliefs, which may have been a way of selling these Occultist practices/societies to a conservative 1800s and early to mid 1900s, pre the countercultures of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
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Reading:
View the Six Lotus flowers tilted South, as they point towards the divine transgression, that is the Earthly realm. Allowing the flow of the feminine elixir to fill the equal amount of ceremonial glasses, but also see, that they are never overflowing. As Six is the perfect number, equal to itself. Balanced between the infinity of Three, that is both of the masculine and the feminine, combined it is of the most powerful fluid. Created by the mortal, like a primordial Earth, it gives life. So, do not waste it, and do not take it for granted. The ritual of joining two, to create the flow of one from the eros, is metaphoric in its action. A practice of mediation, may pleasure be attained, but not for its own sake. This is of the highest calling, and it is from the self, a release from the material realm and its burden of the material body. Enjoy the sexual transcendence, the pleasures of meditation, albeit fleeting in its climax, it is however sustained by flowing back into body. Taste its desire, be released and nourished.
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"7 of Wands. Valour" is one of Aleister Crowley's proto-Fascist cards which are drawn, not as random pull, but rather in abundance from the Thoth Tarot. And as discussed with my analysis of the infamous English occultist, who passed away in 1947 after securing his version of the Ordo Templi Orientis In America, under Crowley's own religion of Thelema, allowing a the more structured O.T.O occult society to draw in the many Americans during and after World War Two, inspiring the likes of L.Ron Hubbard, who later used the O.T.O structure to form Scientology. Crowley prior to the O.T.O, had a very interesting occultist/cultist bohemian background of the early 1920s which were, unpronounced decades later, was a prelude to the Hippies of the1960s when he created a small comune on the coast of Cefalù, Sicily. Crowley, as noted with this study, became more conservative (as you do [sarcasm]) as the years rolled on. And more militaristic. Ironically, this occurred when he was kicked out of Italy by Benito Mussolini's government in 1923, then promptly taking the reins of the O.T.O thereafter and living through World War Two, which may have had a directional impact on the late occultist.
The card, "7 of Wands. Valour" is also one of Crowley's more chauvinist and misogynist cards, flip flopping his beliefs on the feminine, which are clearly skewed by the theocratic, and structured religions beliefs, be it of the chaotic, confused temptress, who is weaker than the masculine. From his own reading of the 'Valour' Tarot card : "This card derives from Netzach (Victory) in the suit of Fire. But the Seven is a weak, earthy, feminine number as regards the Tree of Life, and represents a departure from the balance so low down on the Tree that this implies a loss of confidence". Reflecting Right Wing fundamentalist and conservative beliefs that women unsettle men, and there for the order of things, as follows: "Fortunately, the card is also attributed to Mars in Leo. Leo is still the Sun in his full strength, but the marks of decadence are already to be seen. It is as if the wavering fire summoned the brutal energy of Mars to its support. But this is not enough to counter- act fully the degeneration of the initial energy, and the departure from equilibrium. The army has been thrown into disorder; if victory is to be won, it will be by dint of individual valour-a “soldiers’ battle”. " Clearly Crowley is referring to Feminine energy as an unsettling experience for a male, calling on the God of War (Mars, refer to the male phallic symbol upper left hand side) to offer balance and control. Does it sound familiar? Hint, Trumpansim 2.0. Same tune hey?
I will attempt to rebalance the card, and free the card of its rigidity. Fortunately the card was pulled "6 of cups Pleasure", which will assist
Reading:
Why fear the feminine? She is neither chaotic of weak, the meditation of the feminine is of the supreme, it is the most powerful, and within the Hindu Tantric and Tibetan 'Wheel of Bliss' the feminine offers the transmission of the sacred fluid. She also can teach, through the joining of two to be one, to crush the ego through blissful fulfilment. And be it, the wisdom and knowledge of the feminine can withstand chaos, and suffering, by pacifying the turmoil and opening up the world. By knowing suffering and chaos. That all is impermeant, and all things will pass. "7 of Wands. Valour" is a cursed, rigid and confused male Thoth Tarot card. So therefor, the card must be read with a sexually balanced card, or pleasure seeking reading, to suppress the negative, warlike male sentiment. To be taught, what the meaning of balance really means. Which is derived with the feminine. If two cards similar to Valour are pulled, then sexual pacification of the energy maybe necessary, to crush them both. Ritual sex, should occur after two negative/male/warlike/fascist card readings, to remove the duality of the male and female.
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(A.Glass 2023, 2024, 2025)
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