BACKGROUND
The S curve is our line of grace, found everywhere within the universal scheme of things. In Eastern symbolism, this line of grace is found at the center of the circle design we use to represent harmony in the material world, The Tao. The Creative is the strongest of all things in the world. The expression of its nature is invariably the easy, in order thus to master the dangerous. The Receptive is the most devoted of all things in the world. The expression of its nature is invariably simple, in order thus to master the obstructive.

In the West [financial] we often refer to the Creative as 'spirit, origin, potential to generate fuel or energy' and the Receptive as 'form, co-creator, and the acquisition of property or generated fuel.' In business these are thought of as the power to initiate and the power to negotiate. Both require skill, a degree of finesse, and a 'positive attitude.'

Doubled, the S curve forms the symbol for infinity. It has been reproduced as part of the ancient knowledge, on several Trump cards in the Sacred Tarot.

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the
night . . . the breath of a buffalo in the winter
time . . . a little shadow which runs across the
grass and loses itself in the sunset."

~ Crowfoot ~ 1821

The S curve is traditionally associated with Summer, Mother Nature’s abundant time of year, probably because there is more evidence of this line during the season of plenty when Mother comes out of every little niche and nook in full bloom. In our polarity universe, there is obviously a tie in with Winter. The breath of awakening dawn, personal peace and power, and righteousness of purpose all flow into the conscious mind during Solstice celebrations. New Grange, Stonehenge and monoliths around the globe testify to the great significance both dates held for ancient civilizations.

The longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, occurs when Sol enters the zodiacal sign of Moonchild, or Cancer, and we experience the most light on any day within the cycle. On the shortest day, the Winter Solstice, when Sol enters the sign Capricornus there is the least amount of light in a 24 hour cycle. So the two sides of The Tao and the infinity symbol (both closely mirrored in the glyphs for Moonchild and Capricornus) are directly related to the Solstices and the idea of ratios of light to darkness throughout the year.

How do we interpret the various ratios of light to dark throughout the year? Without realizing it, most of our ‘evaluations’ and judgments require some reference to the operating system and some type of interpretation. This may be developed perception on the conscious or unconscious level of awareness. Perhaps this is why both the Moonchild (deepest part of the total self) and Capricornian (the most public image) who hold positions at both extreme points of the year, are known as interpretative, sensitive to light and dark, and gifted readers on topics of relationship. Once formulae are mastered, we interlace universal features at the higher octave frequencies.

"The goal, as far as I'm concerned,
is for it to be fun."

Jerry Garcia

Asian symbols and sacred creatures known to contain all elements of feminine and masculine – yin and yang - negotiating and initiating – by tradition adhere to the heading of the Phoenix, Dragon, Unicorn, and the Turtle.

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Highlights of the Tarot – Paul Foster Case

The Emperor

The fundamental meaning of the 4th Key is Reason. The key is called the Emperor, and the Emperor is one who oversees and controls. This is the basic function of reason, for by it we supervise and control our daily activities. Vision is also attributed to this card and has a close connection with the faculty of reason, when we consider reason as "insight" or mental vision. Physical sight is also meant here, and the orange background is symbolic of the Sun, source of the light by means of which we are able to see.
The mountain represents the fiery activity of Mars and Aries, which are attributes of this Key. Aries is also symbolized by the rams’ heads on shoulder and throne, and Mars by the steel armor withy which the Emperor is clad. The twelve points that ornament the helmet are also astrological.
The globe is a conventional symbol of dominion. This globe and cross, like the circle and Tau of the scepter, symbolize the masculine and feminine potencies of the radiant mental energy, or Life-Force.
The purple flaps over his armor hint at his rulership, since purple is the color of royalty.

Note from instructions for coloring the keys: yellow Tau and circle in right hand, green foreground, blue stream, red globe in left hand (not inverted Tau or cross), helmet (except borders and points), mountain.

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The Illustrated Key to the TAROT The classic guide to the divination of the Oracles.
- L. W. de Laurence

The Emperor

He has a form of the Crux ansata for his scepter and a globe in his left hand. He is crowned monarch – commanding, stately, seated on a throne, the arms of which are formed by rams’ heads. He is executive and realization, the power of this world, here clothed with the highest of its natural attributes. He is occasionally represented as seated on a cubic stone, which, however, confuses some of the issues. He is the virile power, to which the Empress responds, and in this sense is he who seeks to remove the Veil of Isis; yet she remains virgo intacta.

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READ THE CARDS ~ The House System
Rev. DonnaKova Dauser

THE EMPEROR, OSIRIS, THE KING

Moonchild, The Crab (The Cancerean)
GO TO THE WHOLE TEXT

IN THE HOUSE SYSTEM
Moonchild works best in the Dining Room or area of the house where the 'family table' is found. This ray rules the breasts and stomach as the sign of nourishment and the hunt. In the Tarot Deck, this vibration is personified by THE EMPEROR, THE KING, OSIRIS, who is the provider of both spiritual and physical nourishment for the family. The Dining Room is the symbol of the family within the home as they meet to form a unit; it is the idea of the clan, family ties, hereditary background and roots of the country of birth. There is a spiritual as well as a patriotic flavor to this powerful card which is frequently associated with The Last Supper and The Pascal Feast. By extension there are many references to King Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table.
Note that people like Mimi Farina, whose star chart reveals her Sun located in the sign of The Winged Bull, Taurus, often coordinate community groups into 'mini clan' collectives and succeed in establishing the 'alternative nest' situation for folks.

Second Breakfast

*See Tarot Trump VIII in WCM Edition READ THE CARDS, for a fully developed presentation of this comparison, from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's 1932 radio broadcast. The text has been reprinted as of Summer 2002.

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REALM OF LIGHT by Nicholas Roerich

Creative Thought ~ Address To The Students of Mr. Howard Giles, 1930

…we have only to collect all the beautiful facts and to relate them directly and honestly. Everybody intends to be honest, but it is seldom that the facts are given impersonally even in the case of some scientists, who have to deal with facts. Many of them do not take the facts without prejudice, without superstition. If some one begins to see wonderful lights, sparks, he is told to wear glasses; in this mechanical way the light of truth is eliminated. But we have to be ready for everything in a direct manner.

Often people complain that their near ones are spoiling their lives. If their consciousness is growing, they will realize that their relatives and friends are human beings and that they should try to open their hearts. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes difficult. But if your key does not work, be assured it is not beautiful. But every human being has a heart; and the heart remains a heart. Thus, if we are not able to open this heart, probably our keys do not fit this sacred casket; and certainly such a key is not beautiful enough. We often hear that in some homes art cannot be introduced. That their owners think art is unnecessary. In such cases, how can it be shown to them that the Beautiful has value?
During revolutions, when property and money were destroyed, objects of art were preserved and during some periods a country was able to exist on the income from its art objects… Ask someone to give you the exact value of a share – it is impossible. So much depends upon the demand. So, often an object which seems to have little value, proves to be of great worth, and is practically priceless. Often bankers and business men have been wiped out during a revolution, while artists and art collectors have survived. Thus creative production survives, scientific inventions survive and thought survives! So let us learn to direct all our thoughts in the direction of the Beautiful.

In all Fairy Tales we read of bolted doors with hidden treasures, which open only to a magic key. Within ourselves the poison of anger and irritation collects in harmful strata and in order to overcome its power we must eradicate it as something destructive and impractical… There have been cases of cancer cured by psychic power. Learn to eradicate all poisonous thoughts – see the sparks and lights and study these lights. Then you will create something for the future of humanity.

Help to grow the wings of humanity.

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The Sacred Tarot – C. C. Zain
The Brotherhood of Light

The Sovereign

Magnetically, Scorpio is the most potent sign of the zodiac. Sex is back of all energy, and in man generates electromagnetic currents. Sexual vigor tunes the organism in on electromagnetic energies, which are all about us, and these give force to the personal magnetism, and vitalize the emotions and the procreative fluids. Scorpio, because of its rulership of sex, more readily than any other sign, is capable of receiving and transmitting these magnetic energies, and thus Arcanum IV, corresponding to Scorpio, is correlated to the faculty of electromagnetic absorption.

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The Tarot Revealed - Eden Gray

Key 4 THE EMPEROR

DESCRIPTION: Commanding, stately, he sits on a throne whose arms and back are adorned with ram’s heads (emblem of Mars). In his right hand he carries a scepter in the form of the Egyptian ankh, also called the Crux Ansata – Cross of Life – before which the powers of darkness fall back. The globe in his left hand is the symbol of dominion. On his shoulder is another ram’s head. He is seated against a background of stark, bare mountains, representing the sterility of regulation and unyielding power.

This card and that of the Empress do not necessarily denote married life. The Emperor occupies the intellectual throne – the lordship of thought and reason rather than that of the emotions, the subconscious.

Divinatory Meaning: Kingship, government, leadership. Control of masses, temporal power. Mental activity; the domination of intelligence over passion.
Reversed: Emotional immaturity, bondage to parents. Possibility of injury to body or household, of being defrauded out of inheritance.

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Tarot Revelations - Joseph Campbell ~ Richard Roberts
Introduction by Colin Wilson

Key 4 related to other Keys and pi

…the descent to the four and the ascent to the Monad are simultaneous. This was discussed relevant to The Fool’s descent vertically to Key 4, the elemental, mundane world of four dimensions, four directions, four elements, etc. {in the glyph of the circle inside the square] we see combined the square world of Key 4 and the circular cosmos of Key 0, demonstrating the “impossible” squaring of the circle, impossible because incommensurable planes are united, Above and Below, or the circle of the infinite, and the square of the bound world. Essentially the meaning of circle-squaring is also the meaning of the Incarnation, which is the Mystery behind the mystery of descent…the unique trine of Keys 1, 7, and 0 demonstrates the squaring of the circle, or the reconciliation of bound and Infinite, Below and Above, as surely as it is demonstrated at Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid. The demonstration lies in the relation of the numbers of the trine. Instead of zero, let us take 22 for The Fool, since it is the twenty-second Arcanum, which gives us 1, 7, and 22. If 7 is the diameter of a circle, then its circumference will be 22. The elusive principle sought by the ancients was pi, which is the value of 22. Seven is also the path of the Monad (1), the Stairway of Seven Planets to which it descends in its incarnation; hence 22/7 = 3.14, pi.