Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875)

(Halloween-theme mock-Tarot cards commercial, probably for a TV show) “What do I have to do to be rescued from the sludge pit that is my life?”
—mock “Tarot card”: That’s not my problem!

For something so intentionally B.S.-y, it’s a pretty realistic depiction of nonsense, lol.

Anyway, on the comically opposite end of the spectrum from learning about Tarot from Halloween commercials, is learning about it from the fancy old occultists like Eliphas Levi. Incidentally, he only writes about the Major Arcana, and as he doesn’t adequately introduce or whatever what he’s talking about, so if you didn’t know the cards already, you might not have the slightest idea what the fuck he’s talking about it, you know. As it is, he’s very old-fashioned and fancy, somewhat masculine, (III is the ‘the triangle of Solomon’, for example, which fascinated me, although he was very reticent to talk about ‘love’ and such, only hinting shyly), and rather into Kabbalah (Jewish/“Anglo”-Jewish mysticism) and also just aristocratic magic in general. In some senses, it’s not quite as good a quality as modern books—over-ornate, shy, masculine, etc—but it is fascinating, historically relevant or whatever, and out of copyright (ie cheap lol).

…. But the second cycle of 22 chapters—over half the total—aren’t as good as the first set. He doesn’t give you any usable rituals; he just…. rambles on, you know.

I mean, I guess it was safer for him that way, Victorian Europe had far more tolerance for convoluted wordiness than magic itself, but—not gonna be sitting here with even one ritual at the end of this, right.

…. But I’ll say this: many of the points he makes are much more clear in what I suppose you could call more streamlined books, more modern books—but that is not the same as saying that he is incorrect or formally wrong. Just hard to remember, or even look up.

…. And it is true that initiation does imply something true that is not always popular in every epoch of history—that of hierarchy or natural aristocracy or whatever you like, although that of course does not rule out the in this age equal truth of injustice, and indeed also the possibility of vain imaginings, you know.

…. He is shy, but better shy than crazy, sometimes. “Crazy”, of course, isn’t a technical term, you know. But neither is acting out simply because you have unresolved trauma, something I recommend—or a need to shock the hicks, whatever your theory is.

Ultimately it’s good to remember that the purpose of alchemy or whatever is health and wealth, not the avoidance of life. Knowledge of chess, chemistry, and past “Jeopardy” answers are unlikely to reward one with wealth and happiness in isolation from the knowledge of the human personality and the secret things—but neither are idle questionings that, I don’t know, do not concern you, a substitute for the things that do.

Although it’s funny, because like many other 1855 books it’s very taken with chemistry and chess or whatever it is—just chess in general I mean, not specifically. Blah blah blah REASON blah blah blah blah….

…. But yeah: it is true that there is both a, well he calls it a theory, but a divination use of the Tarot, and also a magical use; and there are other true things he says too, if you can forget the many loquacious and (usually) shy ramblings he goes on and on for.

…. And he also says some things that are wrong.

…. The ironic thing to mention here—1855! Woot! 🥳—is that I became interested in Tarot not because it was supported by or really alluded to at all, or especially in any positive way, by the great philosophers and the mainstream thinkers, but because I felt an inward attraction to it, indeed even when I understood it not, and often could not justify my inward attraction to myself! 🤭

…. “The Book of Hermes”: so childish, yet so old…. Always young, the eternal youth is nevertheless grown old before his time…. Perhaps. 😉… (mere)

De eerste helft van zijn boek behandelt de principes en theorieën die magisch werk onderstrepen, en behandelt het onderwerp vanuit kabbalistische, hermetische en christelijke gezichtspunten; terwijl in de tweede helft duidelijke instructies worden gegeven voor de voorbereiding van de instrumenten van de kunst en van hun ceremoniële gebruik in de rituelen van necromantie, spreuken en waarzeggerij.

Op een gegeven moment vertelt de auteur in detail het inmiddels beroemde verhaal van een bezoek aan Bulwer-Lytton, en hoe hij tijdens een rituele ceremonie de geest van Appollonius van Tyana opriep. Zulke levendige en opwindende persoonlijke verslagen dragen enorm bij aan de unieke kwaliteiten van dit werk.

De vertaling en aantekeningen door A.E. Waite zijn onberispelijk. Waite was een bekende occulte geleerde van zijn tijd, die lesgaf in zowel de hermetische als de rozenkruisersorde. Vanwege het hoge kaliber van zowel auteur als redacteur, behoudt dit boek zijn vooraanstaande positie in de literatuur van de magische kunsten.… (mere)