A Closer Look at the Tarot:
Threes
Jason Rath
The Three's of the Tarot are related to third qabbalistic sphere, Binah, which means understanding or intelligence. The four Elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water) made their presence known in the second qabbalistic sphere, Chokmah (wisdom). Now the Elements evolve more. Here they represent realized activity. Chokmah represents the Great Father; Binah represents the Great Mother. Here the potentials of Chokmah (wisdom) and ideas of Divine Thought become fertile in Binah, or the four Threes.
Using the archetypal images of Chokmah and Binah, the Father impregnates the Great Mother—She is fertilized and Divine Thought is completed. The Deuces, being dynamic in nature, impregnate the Threes, giving them life. The potential for creation or further evolution is impossible until Father and Mother unite. The four Deuces represent the four Elements in their most harmonious state. Here the Deuces have evolved into the realm of Binah—the Father and Mother have just given birth to a Son. Now the virtues of understanding are realized and the master is born—the sacred triangle has been formed. Integrity and strength of spirit are activated. The alchemical elements of Salt (soft blue), Sulfur (Pink) and Mercury (soft yellow) are symbolized by the triangle whose final point is Binah and Her creations. The three alchemical elements represent the three phases of the Moon. The Threes and Binah reflect the three aspects of the Moon and the energies of Saturn. The Threes also focus on awareness and identity.
Whereas Kether was the seed and Chokmah the young root, Binah and the Threes represent the expression of the four Elements. The Threes represent Divine Thought complete; activity now begins on a more creative level.
Crowley attributes forty sacred Buddhist meditations to the paths of the Tree of Life in Liber 777. He attributes the meditation of "Compassion" to the sphere of the Threes, Binah. The following diagram gives four ideas to meditate upon in relation to the Threes of the Tarot. You may find it beneficial to invoke the Element of Fire (Three of Wands) and then proceed to meditate on the virtues of Compassion. You may do the same with the three other magickal Elements. Be sure to record your results for further reflection. You can use the Greater Ritual of the Invoking Pentagram to invoke the Elemental forces. This ritual is in Israel Regardie's Golden Dawn and many other books on magick. Of course, you do not need to use the pentagram rituals to perform these meditations. You can use any technique for `invoking a specific idea or emotion.' If this means that you act out a drama to enable you to "relate" with the suggestions below, then do so.
Three Compassion for . . .
Wands the Self (Image)
Cups Others' Selves (Images)
Swords Errors of the Self (Personality)
Pentacles Others who Err
Tarot Card Spread according to the Twelve Zodiac Houses:
This simple layout offers much to the beginner and the adept. Shuffle your Tarot deck once or twice. Take a moment to clear your mind and meditate on the matter at hand. Pick up your Tarot deck again and shuffle it thoroughly (or "until it feels right") while vividly contemplating the matter at hand. When the cards have decided it is time to stop shuffling, do so. Place the cards in front of you and cut the deck into three separate piles. Place the center pile on top of the left-hand pile. Then pick up the left-hand pile and place it on top of the right hand pile. Be sure that you are intently thinking of your question. Be sure that you do not "expect" to receive a particular answer—this could compromise the reading. You should not use a Tarot reading to confirm suspicions. Allow the Tarot cards to give an answer uninfluenced by personal bias.
When you are ready, lay the cards out one at a time in a straight line from right to left; drawing a total of twelve cards. If necessary, refer to a book, but remember that the cards have rather general meanings out of context. Yet, when you lay them out, the cards tell a very detailed story, which you must interpret.
Card 1: the physical body and immediate health; early childhood experiences that relate to present matters; disposition of querent, the self, the querent and his present situation.
Card 2: ability to earn money; worldly possessions and immediate financial situation.
Card 3: short journeys, travel and communications; present activities; conscious or immediate thoughts the querent may have about the matter at hand; subconscious influence of the querent.
Card 4: the home environment, or retreat; family or close friends, especially the father; astral forces.
Card 5: pleasures and social activities; forces within the control of the querent; forces presently affecting the querent subconsciously, which thus affect his personality.
Card 6: health, mainly mental. Compare this card with the first card—if they afflict each other, this could represent sickness.
Card 7: relations and partnerships of all kinds; charisma and the opinion others have of the querent or situation; public enemies; legal matters, lawsuits.
Card 8: others influencing the querent's subconscious; inheritances, noticeable change and death. Influences here are of a joint effort.
Card 9: esoteric education, philosophy, religion, things of an established nature; things that `destroy the old to make room for the new;' long journeys and quick movements.
Card 10: querent's status and career; things of a material and notorious nature; the querent's desires.
Card 11: goals of the querent or results of the matter at hand; self-interests and self gratification; the querent's present friends and people interrelating directly with the querent or matter at hand; circumstances beyond the querent's conscious control.
Card 12: the querent's secrets fears and problems—hidden enemies, mental disorders, fears of all kinds, restrictions and bindings; the querent's Id and creative or psychic pool; the subconscious influence of the querent.
House Sign Aspect of the Mind
1st Aries Super Ego
2nd Taurus " <+>"
3rd Gemini " "
4th Cancer " "
5th Leo Ego
6th Virgo "
7th Libra "
8th Scorpio "
9th Sagittarius Id
10th Capricorn "
11th Aquarius "
12th Pisces "
Three of Wands
The sphere of Binah influences the Three of Wands through the Element Fire. The Three of Wands is the Lord of Established Strength or Virtue. Crowley's Thoth deck depicts it as three wands mounted with a single lotus symbolizing the "establishment of primeval energy" and creative nature. The Wand symbolizes the Father and the Hebrew letter Yodh. Here the energy of the Father unites with the Mother. The creative forces of the divine are at a height; thus this card is the Lord of Virtue. Crowley comments on the Three of Wands in The Book of Thoth, "The Will has been transmitted to the Mother, who conceives, prepares and gives birth to, its manifestation."
Occult writings worldwide commonly associate the Mother and Father principles (and, to a lesser degree, the Son and Daughter) with esoteric teachings. It is easy to relate the Father/Mother images of occultism with the Father/Mother images of psychology. Keep this in mind when studying the Tarot—it may open a deeper understanding of the cards and offer a means of applying this knowledge in your everyday life.
The completion of Divine Thought in the Threes and Binah makes possible the potential for further development. The Mother and Father can now bear a Son and Daughter. For this reason the Three of Wands represents the completion of work, the end of a project. This indicates a new realization and hope for the future—help sought and obtained, great strength and force. The seed of the Father has fertilized the Mother and She bears a Son. This is the third line of the triangle, forming the triad of life. The Son corresponds to Tiphareth (the sixth emanation on the Tree of Life) and to the flower that crowns the middle wand in Crowley's version of this card. The forces of Binah are acting through the Archetypal World of Atziluth and represent the presence of great creative force.
Sun in Libra is the astrological decan for the Three of Wands. This celestial aspect corresponds to the beginning of autumn. It represents the conscious self-meditating on the inner self, becoming aware its path. This also reinforces the fertile principle, which in this card is harvested. Remember that the forces in the Ace of Wands and the Two of Wands now express themselves, underlining the potency of this card. The suit of Wands is a Fire sign and is attributed to the Hebrew letter Yodh and the First, or Archetypal, World. The number three and Binah represent the second qabbalistic World, Briah, the Creative World. Thus, this card symbolizes the forces of the Archetypal World (Wands) acting through the Creative World (Binah), Binah of Yodh. In a reading, this would mean that the person or force in question would express itself with a dynamically. It may appear selfish or aggressive at times. This card often signifies people or forces with strong character and self-confidence.
Although this card signifies a dynamic character, it also relates to a stillness and inner meditative spirit. The forces have found equilibrium in Binah, whose symbol is the triangle. Dion Fortune writes in her masterpiece The Mystical Qabalah, "Wands, be it remembered, represent the dynamic Yodh force. This force, when in the sphere of Binah, ceases to be dynamic and becomes consolidated." The force of Yodh, though powerful, has no defined direction previous to the Three of Wands and the sphere of Binah. Upon reaching Binah the force manifests. This manifestation is like the sperm (Yodh) uniting with the egg in the womb of the woman (Heh), now a mother. The manifestation has not matured enough to be a human baby, for it still requires nine months of growth. The fourth through ninth cards of the minor arcana symbolize this growth—the birth is the Tens. Here, "manifestation" actually represents the act of creation completed (which of course began with the Aces) and the completion of Divine Thought. In divinatory terms, projects and ideas are now fertile and will soon begin to manifest in concrete terms.
When one reflects upon this inner virtue (egg and sperm as one), the outward expression (birth) begins, which is self-assertion. This card indicates wisdom and a strong core. The Son has just begun to realize his potential. The Son, who symbolizes the fourth through ninth sephiroth, is the young child in the womb of his Mother, Binah. Thus, this card can also signify pride and success. The person or force in question is balanced and even tempered. Brief struggles lead to a realization of inner strength and hope. This card governs the arms and shoulders and relates to earned reward, labor and payment. Remember to keep the ego in its place. The Tree of Wands can also signify gain of materials possessions, but only if that is the immediate desire and previous intention. This card does not symbolize new creation or projects, as the Aces do, but the completion of the creative stage (more specifically, completion of the thought or intent behind the creation, which actually begins with the Fours).
The two Hebrew angels that rule this card are Hachashiah (He who is secret and impenetrable) and Aumemiah (He who is covered unseen darkness). Notice that the angelic names refer to qualities inside the womb of Binah, the sacred grail of the Mother. This also could refer to the act of going into oneself. Instead of external action, one goes inward—referring, of course, to meditation or rising on the (inner) planes.
Incense Mixture for the Three of Wands:
4 parts Myrrh
2 parts Dragon's Blood Root
1 part Red Pepper
2 parts Cinnamon
Three of Cups
The sphere of Binah influences the Three of Cups through the Element Water. The Three of Cups is the Lady of Abundance. Crowley identifies this card with the Goddess Persephone, who ate the pomegranates in the Underworld. The Underworld here symbolizes the womb of Binah and the great unconscious mind of Man. In Crowley's version of the card, the three cups in the center are made from pomegranates. The Hebrew word for pomegranate is rimmon from the root word rim meaning, "to bear a child." The Three of Cups, or Binah in the Briah (Creative) World, symbolizes the pregnant Mother (Binah). She is the Queen of the abundance. From Her the Son (Chesed, Geburah, Tiphareth, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod) and Daughter (Malkuth) shall spring forth.
Crowley also shows eight golden lotuses pouring water into the cups. The eight lotuses symbolize the planet mercury. They resemble the candlestick of seven lamps (the Jewish lampstand which symbolizes the seven mystical planets). In ancient Jewish temples, opposite of the lampstand was the Altar of Shewbread. Twelve loaves of bread were on the altar, symbolizing the twelve signs of the zodiac. The lampstand here symbolizes the first planet, Saturn, which is attributed to Binah the Great Mother. The Altar of Shewbread symbolizes Chokmah, the sphere directly opposite Binah, for the zodiac is attributed to the sphere of Chokmah, the Father.
The Son, whom Mother Binah shall bear, is as the Egyptian God Horus, son of Mother Isis (who is also a Binah Goddess). Horus was born out of the lotus (a symbol of the Sun and the sixth qabbalistic sphere Tiphareth) which represents the Son. Just as the lotus grows out of the muddy darkness of the river, so the Son is born out of the darkness of Binah, the Great Sea. The concept of the Sun (center of the universe, whose metal is gold) born from the womb of the Great Goddess (whose symbol is the Cup and metal is silver) is symbolized by the silver Grail whose center is coated in gold.
Binah, like the Moon, has a dualistic nature. Binah is the Life Giving Mother (Isis) or the Dark Sterile Mother (Nephthys). Dion Fortune says in The Mystical Qabalah, "She (Binah) is the mighty Mother of All Living, and she is also the death principle; for the giver of life in form is also the giver of death, for form must die when its use is outworn." The Three of Cups relates to "Mother of All Living," overflowing with treasures. The Three of Swords would thus symbolize the "Dark Sterile Mother," symbolized in Crowley's card as the "calm waters below."
Mercury in Cancer influences this card. Thus the divinatory meaning is good memory, pleasure, strong emotions, plenty, good fortune, business skill, hospitality, progress and strong unconscious influence on conscious thinking. Dr. Robert Wang writes in The Qabbalistic Tarot,
"Cancer is under the rulership of the Moon, and is Cardinal Water. It is, thus, in perfect affinity with Binah. The gifts of Mercury overflow in this sign . . ." The two Hebrew angels that rule this card are Rahael (He who is beholding all things) and Yabomaiah (He who produces by his word).
Incense Mixture for the Three of Cups:
2 drops Violet Oil
1 part Myrrh (powdered)
2 parts<+>Sandalwood (sweet)
Three of Swords
The sphere of Binah influences the Three of Swords through the Element Air. The Three of Swords is known as the Lord of Sorrow and relates to Binah (in Her death aspect) in Yetzirah, the astral plane. The Mother acts as the great teacher or initiator. This card symbolizes sadness and difficulty. Sometimes we must learn to endure times of sadness so that we can understand areas of ourselves we usually won't notice. The Mother in her dark aspect (the dark waters of Binah) reminds us that pain is to awaken us to face our darker sides. Do not see these areas of the Self as bad or evil. They can be quite beneficial if we are aware and understand their influence.
This card relates to the mental realm, more specifically the subconscious mind—dreams that make one uneasy. The Three of Swords indicates a lot of mental activity, usually unpleasant or saddening. This is an indication that growth, initiations and new experiences are on the way. If you wish to benefit from them, you must first deal with the repressed emotions within you.
Saturn in Libra is the decan for the Three of Wands. This relates especially to relationships, for Saturn is exalted in Libra, the sign of partnerships. Do not expect growth and happiness if you do not learn to contribute and compromise. Relationships of any kind demand the attention and commitment of everyone involved. Look at your various relationships, whether friendly or romantic. Learn to take responsibility for yourself. Learn to be helpful to the relationship and true to your partner. You may find you have too many commitments, too many relationships for you to act responsibly. This could lead to pain and sadness in the immediate future. Learn to organize your life so that you are happy. Allow yourself space to grow and change, for we all change.
I described the peace of the Two of Swords as "two men swinging two large swords at each other. The swords meet with explosive force, but for a moment there is peace. At the height of conflict there is stability." The impact not yet realized in the Two of Swords is felt in the Three of Swords. It disrupts your peace; sadness is all about you. Remember that you have already swung the destructive sword and you must the experience reaction of some previous conflict or unresolved problem.
The divinatory meaning of this card is strife, sadness; conflicts manifest now, disruption, temporary pain, and separations if commitments are not taken seriously, unhappiness, nightmares, initiations and unbalance.
The two Hebrew angels that rule this card are Haraiel (He who is an aid) and Hoqmiah (He who is raised up and praying day and night).
Incense Mixture for the Three of Swords:
4 drops Rose Oil
1 part<+>Myrrh
1 part<+>Gum Acacia
1 part<+>Civet
Three Of Pentacles
The Sphere of Binah influences the Three of Pentacles through the Element Earth. This card is Lord of Material Works, for Binah is in the material plane (Assiah). The keywords here are growth, business and constructive change. Previous projects now bloom and bring forth profit.
The triangle, symbol of fertility and manifestation, acts on the material plane; however, discipline is necessary to insure good fortune. It is time to plan to the harvest the present changes. Be careful that you do not overwhelm yourself with your present endeavors. In the Two of Pentacles we saw the need for flexibility to allow for new growth and change; here we need to learn disciplined in order to benefit from the new beginnings now approaching.
In the Three of Pentacles, the Mother manifests in the World of Action. She brings fertile ground in which we may plant the seeds of spirituality. This card indicates the need for planning and good judgment. The seeds you plant, the decisions you make will now manifest quickly. If you take the time to plan upcoming hardships, you will have little difficulty. Those that see only today will most assuredly find difficulties of all kinds. On a deeper level, this card relates to the little child in us all. The Little Self needs to be nurtured. You may want to meditate on your spiritual goals and aspirations. By so doing, you may better prepare for upcoming initiations and spiritual trails. The Three of Pentacles does not represent difficulties or trails of any kind. Instead, it is the time of action and new developments in all areas of life—especially business.
Mars in Capricorn is the decan associated with this card. This signifies professional ambition and recognition. Because Mars is exalted in Capricorn, discipline and practicality are very strong in this card. The divinatory meaning of this card are new beginnings, self-control, business opportunities, growth, paid employment, earned success, material gain, honor, selfishness and material ambitions of all kinds.
The two angels who rule this card are Yechaviah (He who knows all things) and Lehachiah (He who is clement, merciful).
Incense Mixture for the Three of Pentacles:
4 parts Dittany of Crete
2 parts Myrrh
2 parts Gum Acacia
1 part Gum Benzoin
Next issue will cover the Fours | 
