Cards of the Major Arcana

The Juggler, or Magician is the young man initiated into magic. In his left hand he holds the stick, a symbol of will and command; on the table in front of him lie the sword (linked to the magical imperative of daring), the cup (wisdom), the pentacle or shekel (protection and silence). He wears colorful clothes in which, however, the color arms of activity and initiative predominate, and a hat with a curious shape of eight, the number that indicates infinity. With the movement of the arms and the inclination of the bust, the Magician traces the letter alef, the first of the Hebrew alphabet. He is related to Kether, the crown of the kabbalistic tree of the Sephiroth, the first cause, the beginning of all things.

Silent, impenetrable, hieratic, the Popess is the priestess of the mystery, Isis, the nocturnal goddess of the Moon. In her right hand, she keeps the book of secrets, in her left the two keys, one of gold (reason) and the other of silver (intuition, imagination) without which no mystery can be revealed. . The Popess sits at the entrance to Solomon's temple, between the two columns Jakin and Boas, the first red, linked to the fire element, the second blue related to the air.

The priestess of the mystery wears a blue dress and a purple cloak with gold edges. Her head is veiled, indicating the hidden mystery of the phenomenal appearance, and is dominated by a crescent moon. It corresponds to the letter beth of the Hebrew alphabet and to the Sephirah Geburah, that is, to order and severity.

She is the Venus Urania of the Greeks, the Virgin of Christians, the creative intelligence of ideas.

Her foot rests on a crescent moon to indicate her elevation above the objective world. It dominates the immobile sphere of perfection, the region of archetypes. The twelve stars of the zodiac crown the graceful head, with a smiling but hieratic expression. The Empress is dressed in light blue and red, respectively the colors of thought, spirituality, and activity: she holds the scepter of command over the whole universe in her hand. This arcanum is linked to the planet Mercury, in the letter ghimel, to Bi-nah, the Sephirah of creative intelligence.

The Emperor is the ruler of this world, of material, concrete, corporeal things, symbolized by the solid cubic throne on which he sits. In one hand he holds the sphere (the universe), with the other he holds the scepter which alludes to the dominion of the soul.

The Emperor is not in fact a despot, but a sovereign inspired by sublime ideals; he is the masculine energy, solid, constructive, represented by the red dress. He corresponds to the letter daleth and to the Sephirah Hesed (grace, mercy).