Yesod
The Four Nines
These cards are attributed to Yesod. After the double excursion into misfortune, the current returns to the middle pillar. This Sephira is the seat of the great crystallization of Energy. But it takes place very far down the Tree, at the apex of the third descending triangle, and a flat triangle at that. There is little help from low, unbalanced spheres like Netzach and Hod. What saves Yesod is the direct ray from Tiphareth; this Sephira is in the direct line of succession. Each of these cards gives the full impact of the elemental force, but in its most material sense; that is, of the idea of the force, for Yesod is still in Yetzirah, the formative world. Zoroaster says:
"The number Nine is sacred, and attains the summit of perfection." Egypt and Rome, also, had Nine Major Deities.
The Nine of Wands is called Strength. It is ruled by the Moon and Yesod. In "The Vision and the Voice", the eleventh Aethyr gives a classical account of the resolution of this antinomy of Change and Stability. The student should also consult the works of any of the better mathematical physicists. Of all important doctrines concerning equilibrium, this is the easiest to understand, that change is stability; that stability is guaranteed by change; that if anything should stop changing for the fraction of a split second, it would go to pieces. It is the intense energy of the primal elements of Nature, call them electrons, atoms, anything you will, it makes no difference; change guarantees the order of Nature. This is why, in learning to ride a bicycle, one falls in an extremely awkward and ridiculous manner. Balance is made difficult by not going fast enough. So also, one cannot draw a straight line if one's hand shakes. This card is a sort of elementary parable to illustrate the meaning of this aphorism: "Change is Stability."
Here the Moon, the weakest of the planets, is in Sagittarius, the most elusive of the Signs; yet it dares call itself Strength. Defence, to be effective, must be mobile.
The Nine of Cups is called Happiness. This is a peculiarly good card, because happiness, as the word implies, is so much a matter of luck: the card is ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter is Fortune.
In all these watery cards, there is a certain element of illusion; they begin by Love, and love is the greatest and most deadly of the illusions. The sign of Pisces is the refinement, the fading away of this instinct, which, begun with dreadful hunger and carried on with passion, has now become "a dream within a dream".
The card is ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter in Pisces is indeed good fortune, but only in the sense of complete satiety. The fullest satisfaction is merely the matrix of a further putrefaction; there is no such thing as absolute rest. A cottage in the country with the roses all around it? No, there is nothing permanent in this; there is no rest from the Universe. Change guarantees stability. Stability guarantees change.
The Nine of Swords is called Cruelty. Here the original disruption inherent in Swords is raised to its highest power. The card is ruled by Mars in Gemini; it is agony of mind. The Ruach consumes itself in this card; thought has gone through every possible stage, and the conclusion is despair. This card has been very adequately drawn by Thomson in "The City of Dreadful Night". It is always a cathedral---a cathedral of the damned. There is the acrimonious taint of analysis; activity is inherent in the mind, yet there is always the instinctive consciousness that nothing can lead anywhere.
The Nine of Disks is called Gain. The suit of Disks is much too dull to care; it reckons up its winnings; it does not worry its head about whether anything is won when all is won. This card is ruled by Venus. It purrs with satisfaction at having harvested what it sowed; it rubs its hands and sits at ease. As will be understood from the consideration of the Tens, there is no reaction against satisfaction as there is in the other three suits. One becomes more and more stolid, and feels that "everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds".
"The number Nine is sacred, and attains the summit of perfection." Egypt and Rome, also, had Nine Major Deities.
The Nine of Wands is called Strength. It is ruled by the Moon and Yesod. In "The Vision and the Voice", the eleventh Aethyr gives a classical account of the resolution of this antinomy of Change and Stability. The student should also consult the works of any of the better mathematical physicists. Of all important doctrines concerning equilibrium, this is the easiest to understand, that change is stability; that stability is guaranteed by change; that if anything should stop changing for the fraction of a split second, it would go to pieces. It is the intense energy of the primal elements of Nature, call them electrons, atoms, anything you will, it makes no difference; change guarantees the order of Nature. This is why, in learning to ride a bicycle, one falls in an extremely awkward and ridiculous manner. Balance is made difficult by not going fast enough. So also, one cannot draw a straight line if one's hand shakes. This card is a sort of elementary parable to illustrate the meaning of this aphorism: "Change is Stability."
Here the Moon, the weakest of the planets, is in Sagittarius, the most elusive of the Signs; yet it dares call itself Strength. Defence, to be effective, must be mobile.
The Nine of Cups is called Happiness. This is a peculiarly good card, because happiness, as the word implies, is so much a matter of luck: the card is ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter is Fortune.
In all these watery cards, there is a certain element of illusion; they begin by Love, and love is the greatest and most deadly of the illusions. The sign of Pisces is the refinement, the fading away of this instinct, which, begun with dreadful hunger and carried on with passion, has now become "a dream within a dream".
The card is ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter in Pisces is indeed good fortune, but only in the sense of complete satiety. The fullest satisfaction is merely the matrix of a further putrefaction; there is no such thing as absolute rest. A cottage in the country with the roses all around it? No, there is nothing permanent in this; there is no rest from the Universe. Change guarantees stability. Stability guarantees change.
The Nine of Swords is called Cruelty. Here the original disruption inherent in Swords is raised to its highest power. The card is ruled by Mars in Gemini; it is agony of mind. The Ruach consumes itself in this card; thought has gone through every possible stage, and the conclusion is despair. This card has been very adequately drawn by Thomson in "The City of Dreadful Night". It is always a cathedral---a cathedral of the damned. There is the acrimonious taint of analysis; activity is inherent in the mind, yet there is always the instinctive consciousness that nothing can lead anywhere.
The Nine of Disks is called Gain. The suit of Disks is much too dull to care; it reckons up its winnings; it does not worry its head about whether anything is won when all is won. This card is ruled by Venus. It purrs with satisfaction at having harvested what it sowed; it rubs its hands and sits at ease. As will be understood from the consideration of the Tens, there is no reaction against satisfaction as there is in the other three suits. One becomes more and more stolid, and feels that "everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds".
| Also see The Four Nines according to: | ||||
| Tarot de Marseilles (Gebelin) | Eliphas Levi | Golden Dawn (Regardie) | Aleister Crowley | Frater Achad |
777 for key 9
I
Key Scale 9
II
Hebrew Names of Numbers and Letters Yesod
III
English of Col. II. Foundation
VI
The Heavens of Assiah Levanah
VII
English of Col. VI. Sphere of Luna
VIII
Orders of Qliphoth Gamaliel
X
Mystic Numbers of the Sephiroth 45
XI
Elements (with their Planetary Rulers) Air
XII
The Tree of Life 6th Plane, Middle Pillar
XIII
The Paths of the Sepher Yetzirah Pure or Clear I.
XIV
General Attribution of Tarot The 4 Nines
XV
The King Scale of Colour (y) Indigo
XVI
The Queen Scale of Colour (h) Violet
XVII
The Emperor Scale of Colour (v) Very dark purple
XVIII
The Empress Scale of Colour (#) Citrine flecked azure
XIX
Selection of Egyptian Gods Shu [[Hermanubis, all exclusively phallic Gods]]
XX
Complete Practical Attribution of Egyptian Gods Shu
XXI
The Perfected Man Asar and Asi—the Phallus and Vulva. Sati—the Spine
XXII
Small selection of Hindu Deities Ganesha, Vishnu (Kurm Avatar)
XXIII
The Forty Buddhist Meditations Elements A
XXXIV
Some Greek Gods Zeus (as D), Diana of Epheus (as phallic stone [[and =]]) [[Eros]]
XXXV
Some Roman Gods Diana (as =) [[Terminus, Jupiter]]
XXXVI
Selection of Christian Gods (10); Apostles (12); Evangelists (4) and Churches of Asia (7). God the Holy Ghost (as Incubus)
XXXVIII
Animals, Real and Imaginary. Elephant [[Tortoise, Toad]]
XXXIX
Plants, Real and Imaginary [Banyan], Mandrake, Damiana [[Ginseng, Yohimba]]
XL
Precious Stones Quartz
XLI
Magical Weapons and Sacrifice]]
XLII
Perfumes Jasmine, Jinseng, all Odoriferous Roots
XLIII
Vegetable Drugs Orchid Root
XLIV
Mineral Drugs Lead
XLV
Magical Powers [Western Mysticism] The Vision of the Machinery of the Universe
XLIX
Lineal Figures of the Planets, &c., and Geomany Sephirothic Geomantic Figures follow the Planets. Caput and Cauda Draconis are the Nodes of the Moon, nearly = Neptune and Herschel respectively. They belong to Malkuth.
L
Transcendental Morality. [10 Virtues (1-10), 7 Sins (Planets), 4 Magick Powers (Elements).] Independence
LI.III
English equivalent of Col. LI. J
LIII
The Greek Alphabet χ
LXXXV
Angels of Briah Yehuel
LXXXVI
Choirs of Angels in Briah Ishim
LXXXVII
Palaces of Briah H. Lebanath Ha Saphir
LXXXVIII
Translation of Col. LXXXVII Palace of Crystalline Whiteness
XCI
The Saints or Adepts of the Hebrews Joseph (Justus)
XCII
The Angelic Functions in the World of Yetzirah And one cried to the other and said: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory
XCIII
The Heavens of Assiah Tebel Vilon Shamaim
XCIV
English of Palaces (Col. XCIII) Veil of the vault of heaven
XCV
Contents of Col. XCIV Has no use. Follow 390 heavens, 18,000 worlds, Earth, Eden and Hell.
XCVII
bar Ruach
XCVIII
English of Col. XCVII The Intellect
XCIX
Archangels of Assiah Gabriel
C
Angels of Assiah Kerubim
CI
English of Col. C. Angels of elements
CIII
The Ten Divisions of the Body of God Sign of the holy covenant
CIV
Tebhel
CV
English of Col. CIV Wet earth
CVI
The Ten Hells in Seven Palaces Gehinnom
CVII
Translation of Hells Hell
CIX.I
The Dukes of Edom Mibzar and Magdiel
CIX
The Kings of Edom. Baal-Hannan
CX
Elements and Quarters (Sepher Yetzirah) South
CXI
Sephirothic Colours (Dr. Jellinek) White-red-whitsh-red-reddish-white
CXV
Officers in a Masonic Lodge Inner Guard
CXVI
Egyptian Attribution of Parts of the Soul Hati
CXVII
The Soul (Hindu) Linga Sharira
CXVIII
The Chakkras or Centres of Prana (Hinduism) Muladhara (Lingam and Anus)
CXIX
The Ten Fetters (Buddhism) Kama
CXX
Magical Images of the Sephiroth A beautiful naked man, very strong
CXXI
The Grades of the Order. Theoricus
CXXII
The Ten Plagues of Egypt Frogs
CXXIII
English of Col. VIII., Lines 1-10 Obscene Ones
CXXV
Seven Hells of the Arabs Jehannum
CXXVI
Their Inhabitants Moslems
CXXVII
Seven Heavens of the Arabs. Jannat al-’adn or al-Karar
CXXVIII
Meaning of Col. CXXVII. Garden of Eden, or Everlasting Abode, made of red pearls or pure musk
CXXXVII
Signs of the Zodiac ☽
CLXXXIV
Numeration of Arabic Alphabet 1000
CLXXXV
Numeration of Greek Alphabet 600
CLXXXVI
Diseases (Typical) Impotence
CLXXXVII
Magical Formulæ (see Col. XLI) ALIM