This week we will be focusing our attention on the number Ten. Ten represents the full manifestation, or display, of the world. The Tree of Life is the architecture of the Qabalistic Tarot - so this spread can be viewed as a fundamental register of how our energy is integrated with this system of working with Tarot. In other words, it is about the health of our “nodes and channels” as they are developed by meditation and practice within the model.
This spread pattern is “synchronic”, meaning it is about the state or condition of your total energy, right now. It allows for several variations, as well as a significant extension. This type of spread should ideally be set aside (or recorded) and studied by the reader over a period of time such as one to three months. As always, we start by getting into the magickal mindset. Start by sitting and breathing. Allow a stream of clear light to wash over you and through you - letting all densities and opacities become crystal clear and transparent - like an ice-cube submerged in water. Once the light shines completely through you, cup your hands and gather the light there into the shape of a seed - an acorn or the nut of any tree - made out of light, golden and concentrated. Mime the action of picking up the seed and planting it in the deck, as if the deck were deep, rich soil. Shuffle the deck until the seed light is firmly imprinted into it.
Now lay out the cards from 1-10 (or 10-1, if you prefer). Lay them face-down, and try to ensure they won’t appear reversed when you turn them face-up. One by one, turn up the cards and consider how the cards fit the meaning of the positions.
1: Kether, the Crown: This indicates the divine spark - the light leading to divine awareness.
2: Chockmah, Wisdom: This indicates the source of wisdom - the symbols and stories that will carry you beyond conventional thinking.
3: Binah, Understanding: This indicates the source of understanding - the methods and concepts that will enable you to deconstruct and reconstruct how things work.
4: Chesed, Mercy: The ruler at peace - this is how to open up and flow. This is where the energy of gentleness and permissive accessibility is grounded. This is the “yes” energy.
5: Geburah, Severity: The ruler at war. This is how to set and hold boundaries. This is where the defensive energy of self-protection, discipline, and focus is grounded. This is the “no” energy.
6: Tipareth, Beauty: The ruler in harmony. This is where consciousness is truly present - the seat of the self, the sweet spot between boundaries and openness. This is the ego in its healthy function as self consciousness, and self awareness.
7: Netzach, Victory: This is the seat of the passions. This is were desires and eros prompt action towards enjoyment. This space is vibrant and intense - this is how to cultivate the emotions in terms of how they connect to the body, and the world.
8: Hod, Splendor: This is the seat of the intellectual mind in terms of how it calculates, names, labels, and controls things through language. This is where cleverness and the wits are situated. This is the magician’s sphere.
9: Yesod, The Foundation: This is the “unconscious” both private and collective. This is the place of dreaming, and of astral travel. This where we get messages from our deep selves, where we build imaginal worlds, and where we will sometimes need to heal trauma and deep-seated injuries. Yesod is where we stand in strength. It is our pool of sexual energy, and where the Kundalini sleeps.
10: Malkuth: the Kingdom. This is the world we inhabit, which is to a great extent projected outwards from our habits both mental, imaginal, and physical. Malkuth is “the empty mirror” which takes the shape of the reality that we embody. Malkuth is in one sense “outside” us - our material circumstances - in another sense it is connected directly to our most intimate spiritual self - the Crown.
In this example, the “middle pillar” stands out as exceptionally well aspected. At the ground there is a sense of complete, integrated energy (4 of Wands). At the foundation which is also the center of sexual energy, a great sense of masculine control and creative presence (King of Wands). At the heart of things there is a child-like innocence - perhaps the actual presence of a child (Page of Disks). At the Crown there is a love-partnership that is a connection to divine purpose (Two of Cups). On the other hand, the right pillar (mercy) and the Left pillar (severity) are more mixed. The left pillar is clearly favored, with a great wealth of analytical comprehension (10 of Pentacles) supporting an attitude of disciplined giving…. fairness and distribution (6 of Pentacles) - and a mindset that perhaps filters for the tragic and fearsome (3 of Swords). The right pillar as a consequence is troubled - it is like this person does not trust their own chaotic nature, and is worried about flowing and being flexible. They have perhaps experienced disillusion (5 of Cups), exploitation (7 of Cups), and catastrophic rejection (10 of Swords), and so are inclined to avoid engagements that might otherwise appear pleasant and enjoyable. This person trusts discipline and accomplishment more than free-flow.
Pro Tip - When we look at a spread initially we should be asking ourselves some questions like: what suit predominates? (wands, cups, swords, pentacles). Wands indicates a predominance of creative energy, cups of emotional, swords of intellectual, and pentacles of practical or material energy. This distribution can suggest which planes of operation the subject is most active on. How many Trumps are there? None might mean this situation is not a huge deal, many might mean this is an epic and significant moment. One or two Trumps will give a focused overarching meaning to the spread as a whole. How many courts are there? Many courts indicates many people - communities, discussions, and committees - although court cards can either be external persons OR internal personas. Finally, how are the cards bunched and distributed over the entire pattern? - this suggests which parts of the spread are high or low traffic. Try to survey the whole spread for patterns, symmetries, and a sense of how the “lines” - of vision, movement, and perspective cohere or flow throughout the whole tableau. Much can be gleaned from these meta-patterns.
You can reform the Tree of Life into the Tetractys of the Decad by taking the cards that have been laid out as the Tree, above, and rebuilding them in the following pattern. Just rearrange the cards into this new layout.
1: The innermost seed
2,3: The process of growth
4,5,6: The personal identity or face - the flower
7,8,9,10: The total manifestation - fruits and consequences.
It is useful to view these 10 cards in both arrangements, and to look for patterns. Ask yourself in particular: what are the three points of the triangle plus the centre? (1,5,7,10)
In this example we see a new angle on the three pillar model of the Tree. Notice how the “negative” cards all move towards the leftmost point (10 of Swords) and the positive cards move towards the right (4 of Wands). This shows that the overall energy of this person is like a yin-yang: light and shadow - with the ultimate balance being tipped in favor of the light. This person may be a shadow-worker, survivor, or warrior in whom joy has ultimately surmounted sorrow. There is a lot of torque and power coming from this integrated double-current of light and shadow - as suggested by the caduceus in the 2 of Cups.
Be sure to look at your spread with both models (Tetractys and Tree) - they will reveal different aspect of the overall energy dynamic.
Extending the Tree: the 22 Paths
The truly adventurous might wish to draw 22 cards to indicate the paths, or relationships in between each sphere - this will result in a very rich spread that may take quite some time to digest.
Just lay cards for each of the 22 connections shown in the right, and ask yourself how any two nodes on the tree are mediated with one another. Then see if you can find the 16 triangles that connect the nodes - what are their energies like?
Finally: The paths themselves also have individual meanings and established character - this is far beyond the scope of this short newsletter to explain, but if you wish to learn more about this incredible, sophisticated system of metaphysical philosophy, divination, and magick, consider enrolling in my flagship Course, the 32 week Meta Magick Tarot - available through Perseus Arcane Academy: Here.
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