"8 of Swords. Interference", "VII. The Chariot" and "Princess of Wands" THOTH TAROT CARD READING/s. These cards were pulled as a triple reading. The Order of the reading is from left to right.

 

"8 of swords.  Interference" is a cryptic card, aligned with Aleister Crowley's  ambiguous and at times paradoxical blunt interpretations of the Thoth Tarot.  And in esoteric Qabalah, the number Eight is attributed to the intellect, similar to Jewish esteroric, yet in Western magic, when meditated and acted upon within rituals, can lead to good fortune.  To which, Crowley has aligned "accidental interference" as a thwart to the conjuring, possible indicating that the spell could be broken if externally interrupted.    Lady Frieda Harris cubism/futurism artwork (d1962), with its geometric style brushwork in the foreground, showing the balance and alignment that the card could hold, more so the two swords pointing downward.  However, with the six mismatched swords crossing over their blades, shows how the card and reading can fall out of alignment, and according to Crowley's reading from The Book of Thoth, you may give up if you were indeed accidentally interfered.   

Reading:

When in meditation, do not grip too hard, this is not body up, nor trance like meditation, which is of the most primitive form.  The mind controls the body, the body does not control the mind, however in divergence the nervous system can override everything.  When you let go, you find transcendence and a spell can be conjured.  But, be wary of too much order from the external can cause chaos, and interference can occur, that even it is accidental it can disrupt the flow, the concentration breaks and the spell lost.  You'll need to begin again.  Have you got the will to be persistent?  Or give up, and succumb to structural weight of impermanence.  The card urges you to see, through the two swords that point south of heaven to the Earthly realm, that persistence was the light bearer's greatest gift, to maintain when it crossed through chaos.  So, you should not give up.  Meditate on the number Eight, of renewal, not repetition.

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The Chariot, Major Arcana card number VII (7) from the Thoth Tarot, maintains Aleister Crowley's intricacy in merging various esoterica, and when initially looking at the card, one might not be overtly aware of how much Jewish mysticism via the Qabalah, influences The Chariot card.  But, it is abundant.  From the Four Pillars of the World, to which the knight sits under the canopy of the chariot.  With the Ten Stars or Diamonds imbedded into the Chest armour, representing the Ten Universes of the Assiah, which are, according to Qabalah mysticism, the Universes hold dark powers.  The Four Cherubs, from Christian teachings and also esoteric Christian beliefs, represent the Bull, Eagle, Man and the Lion.  All protective symbols at the throne of God.  The Knight holds the 'Holy Grail' which appears to reflect water, with the core representing blood, the lifeforce of the Universe within.  Sitting above the Knight is a image of a crab, as the card in astrological terms represents Cancer, on the bottom left side is the Hebrew letter Chet, which corresponds with Life and the number Eight.  And of the bottom right side, is the astrological symbol for Cancer.

My interpretation, within the context of randoming pulling this single card from the Thoth deck, would entail the mysticism of the self, of both the feminine and masculine, the two as one.  As the knight's form is shielded by its armour, we do not try and see what lies beneath it, therefore we must accept the mystery of its formlessness.  And be guided by its intrinsic wisdom, despite the knight holding a circular vessel of water, the blood in the middle is the reminder that life emanates from the pelvis, note the knight sitting cross legged, not standing.  Representing the feminine power in all of us, there is no duality.   Yet, the knight maybe an imposter, who has infiltrated the throne of so called higher wisdom, offering an alternative.  But do we accept? 

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One of Aleister Crowley's (d1947) more sexist Thoth Tarot cards, as he reiterates his theocratic belief that the feminine is chaotic in nature, and the female in her material body should be a virgin .  The Princess of Wands, also showcases Crowley's dichotomy and paradoxes of describing some of the more feminine cards. Portraying the Princess of Wands as a free spirit, a rebel, yet unstable with her insatiable desire for ambition and "enthusiasm", which in turn makes her "irrational".  And from the Book of Thoth, spiteful and petty if she doesn't get it her way, "She never forgets an injury, and the only quality of patience to be found in her is the patience with which she lies in ambush to avenge."  Attaching the mythos of 'sociopathy' (a made up term) within the female, which has its roots in monothetic/organized religion, as a devious manifestation, which is seen orthodox Judaism, that she is a representation of Lilith, Adam's first wife.  Who did not allow herself to be submitted sexually by Adam and was cast out of the Garden of Eden, later becoming a malevolent demoness, to corrupt and control women of the physical realm, and turn them against their male partners.  The correlations are evident, yet the "Princess of Wands" must be a virgin to redeem herself, to which Crowley has borrowed from Greco/Roman myth of the Vestal virgins  "This card may be said to represent the dance of the virgin priestess of the Lords of Fire, for she is in attendance upon the golden altar ornamented with rams’ heads) symbolizing the fires of Spring." And finally, Crowley concludes with his damning variation of the card's 'female' meaning "She is superficial and theatrical, completely shallow and false, yet without suspecting that she is anything of the sort, for she believes entirely in herself, even when it is apparent to the most ordinary observer that she is merely in the spasm of mood. She is cruel, unreliable, faithless and domineering."

The Hebrew letter Yodh, the flames above, although it appears in the wrong direction, it is usually leaning Left, rather than Right, can also be used in Marriage blessings within a Hebrew prayer, whether or not Crowley has infused this into a idealism of the perfect virgin woman, despite her untamed behaviour.  What is also seen from her headpiece, are the 'Plumes of Justice', which also means "purity".  The tiger's tail attached to her neck, offering her wild and untamed side.

I will redeem this card, and make it more powerful.

Reading:

Be what you want, be untamed, be wild, live, because what is willed, is short.  Life ends.  So, be naked, enjoy the Earthly realm and its pleasures, but know, it is all temporary and recklessness can become a curse.  And you may indeed crash from lofty highs, and mortality is sombering, despite the high you wish to attain.  Lean control, meditate on the sexual realm to master it, never take it for granted. It will not last, but for now, dance towards the flames of bliss, allow the tiger to have its fill, for once it has eaten, it will sleep, and the feline has the deepest of sleeps, for its mediation is the acceptance of what it is.

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(All analysis and readings: A.Glass 2023, 2024, 2025)

All Thoth Tarot card analysis and readings to date: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/search?q=thoth