"4 of wands. Completion" and "Queen of swords" THOTH TAROT CARD: READING/s. These cards were pulled as a double reading. The Order of the reading is from left to right.

"Completion" from the Minor Arcana '4 of Wands' card of the Thoth tarot deck, once again shows Aleister Crowley's simplified meanings of certain cards, albeit it is a Minor Arcana card, there is still a textured layering to the overall meaning of the card.  Maintaining its distinction to Crowley's occultism.  "Completion" is as close to Crowley's Gnostic Christian beliefs, than other Thoth cards.  With the astrological symbolism also attached to the card, the Jewish mysticism and Egyptian esoterica are not as present with this card per se.  Rather the Ram on each start and end of the wands is referenced to the Greek 1st Centaury cult of "Ammon", which was thought to have been brought back to Greece by Alexander the Great after he had conquered Libya, and saw the Amun statues of god like Ram's as they sat at the front of Temples. As he later saw himself as a god, the Ammon cult evolved under his auspiciousness.  The later symbolism of the Ram became attributed to the Roman Catholic representation of the Devil, later morphing into modern day Satanism in its symbolic representation of a Satanic animal, that being either a horned goat or ram.  Yet, the earlier manifestations of Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian and Egyptian societies worshiped the Ram as a god of mercy and stability.    For Crowley, in lieu of the Ram symbolism it also represents love, conjoining with the Dove (end/start of the wands), which is very much a Christian symbol representing freedom, love and peace.  So, "Completion" is not a paradoxical card of dualities, is it, from Crowley's The Book of Thoth,  a card that represents stability, and in his words, a "gentleness".

Other aspects to Crowley possibly leaning towards a Christian ethos with this card, was his use of Christian terminology of the Will of Two and Will of God in describing elements to the card, whilst offering a clue, from his The Book of Thoth, that "Completion" holds a connection to "Order, Law, Government".  Thus, in governing systems of the West, despite our secular inclinations, may also hold a desire that a basis of governance is formed under an established belief, in this case Christianity.  And despite the card offering no visual paradox of Crowley's occultist manifestations, what it does say within its subcontext, is Crowley viewed, at the time, the Christian, at least Gnostic Christian, as holding what could be a foundation for society.  So, this paradox seems evident within the card's explanation.  

Further indicative to the overall ambiguity of Crowley's Thelema belief system which peaked in the early 1950s and found interest in the 1960s as a counter culture concept.  Thelema's overly complex layering and use of predated occultism, would have been too much to unwind into a deeper study for the 60s counterculture, accept to say large portions of Thelema may have been influenced by Crowley's drug addictions.  Regardless, the potency and interesting aspects of the Thoth Tarot cards do have a place in occult studies.   

Atop of the card is the astrological symbols for Venus (love and beauty) and below Aries (fire).  Both in their symbolism, solidify the card as a balanced and positive reading.  The other clue, offered to the reader, in reference to "Completion" as a paradoxical subcontext, would be Crowley emphasizing, from the 'The Book of Thoth', that there are limitations to its completion, he goes on to say that these limitations may sow the seeds of "disorder".

Reading:

As the four wands bear the Ram of Anum, he offers mercy, governance and stability yet also wisdom that the day has been completed.  There is no need to repeat and no need to return.  For love is our guide and so is peace, the Dove displays a purity that is within your reach.  Gently grasp it and then release it, let it find its own freedom.  Lest you know how to be free, the bird of peace will show you the way.  As it is the fire of Aries, centre of the Wands, that binds, sealing the circle of completion.  Under Virgo, love and beauty reigns in this place of mercy, peace and freedom.  Yet, the limitation of its completion can be seen.  And in this limitation, a seed of disorder may arise.

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Queen of Swords is Aleister Crowley's (d1947) more self libreating Thoth cards, or anarcho originated, which lies within Crowley's at times perplexion, and his mental instability of both esoterica and philosophical theory, as the late occultist falls firmly in the proto-Fascist camp more than not, retintrating this contradiction, as quoted from The Book of Thoth, "a keen observer, a subtle interpreter, an intense individualist, swift and accurate at recording ideas; in action confident, in spirit gracious and just. Her movements will be graceful, and her ability in dancing and balancing exceptional."  With elements of goddess adoration, that may be influenced by his interest in Tantric Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, as she represent the air and the flows of water, naked from the waist up, and not portrayed as sexual stigma, but rather a liberating aspect of feminine empowerment, unlike our digital 'social' media relays, that ban female nipples, but allow men's;  the Queen of Swords, doesn't care.  Also note, she holds the head of a decapacitated beaded male  in her left hand, and a sword in her right (pointing downward), as she sits on a thrown within the heavens, further alluding to liberation and power over the Earthly realm, which may offer genderless Luciferian philosophy, as the bases of antithetical, over control and order.  

And yet, Crowley, bless his own confusion, created a caveat for the card, in his flip-flop interpretation that it can, in all his chauvinism, sexism and misogyny, be "ill-dignified", claiming that Queen of Swords is "...cruel, sly, deceitful and unreliable; in this way, very dangerous, on account of the superficial beauty and attractiveness which distinguish her."  and  she makes "rash adventures, foredoomed to failure"  Can't we ever have the best of both worlds?

I will emphasis the card's qualities, and redeem it's attributes.

Reading: 

She sits above the Earthly realm, goddess of wind and water, the flows of the Earth, as it speaks the language without words, yet holds the purpose of milieu that have passed, and all must pass through, and yet, to defy is to live, to heed to the scent in the wind, that cannot be described, the great mystery is also its motivation, as she holds the masculine at bay, the decapitation of male pride and ego in her left hand, in her right, the sword, as it points down.  She has been cast out, rejected and ostracised, yet she doesn't care.  Nor should you.  They cannot control you, or impose order on your will, as chaos is pure, and their fear, pitiful.  

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(A.Glass 2023, 2024, 2025)

All Thoth Tarot readings to date:  chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Thoth%20Tarot%20reading