Tarot - Arcanum No. 4

Arcanum No. 4 is “The Emperor” from Kabbalah, the Intimate within ourselves. The Forth Arcanum is very interesting. It refers to the cross of 4 points, the cubic stone which is the foundation of the Great Work. It is a stone that must be chiseled.

The Cross is a very ancient symbol, being used all along, in all the religions, among all peoples, and it would be erroneous to consider it an exclusive emblem of a religious sect; when the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the holy land of the Aztecs they found crosses upon all the altars.

We must comprehend that the cross with its 4 points symbolizes the 4 Cardinal Points of the Earth: North, South, East and West. The 4 Ages: Gold, Silver, Copper and Iron. The 4 Seasons of the year. The 4 Phases of the Moon. The 4 Paths: Science, Philosophy, Art and Religion. When we speak about the 4 Paths we must comprehend that they are really one Path, this Path is the Straight and Narrow Path of the Razor's Edge, the Path of the Revolution of the Consciousness.

The No. 4 also represents the 4 Physical Elements and the 4 Elements of Alchemy::

EARTH – SALT
FIRE – SULPHUR
WATER – MERCURY
AIR – AZOGUE

The ancient Alchemists said that the Sulphur must fecundate the Mercury of Secret Philosophy in order for the Salt to be regenerated; in other words, the Fire must fecundate the Water in order for the Human Being to be regenerated and Self-Realized.

In the Arcanum No. 4 we also find the secret of the Sphinx, and this Arcanum reminds us of the 4 Sacred Animals of Sexual Alchemy:

LION: FIRE - CLAWS OF A LION – HIDES THE ENIGMA OF THE FIRE
MAN: WATER – FACE OF A MAN – INTELLIGENCE
EAGLE: AIR – WINGS OF THE SPHINX – SPIRIT
BULL: EARTH – BACK HOOVES – TENACITY

These are the representative values of the Sphinx, the 4 Elements of Solar Alchemy. We need the tenacity of the bull and the wings of the Spirit.

The Arcanum No. 4 of the Tarot is the Holy and Mysterious Tetragrammaton. The Sacred name of the Eternal One has 4 letters: IOD, HE, VAU, HE.

IOD – MAN – MAN
HE – WOMAN – WOMAN
VAU – PHALLUS – FIRE
HE – UTERUS – WATER
In the word IOD-HE-VAU-HE, we find the mystery of Tetragrammaton (Holy 4), the 4 Words, the 4 Elements, more profoundly we find our Being, the most complete Divinity. Within the Arcanum No. 4 there are 4 Concordances. These are: Affirmation, Negation, Discussion and Seduction.

• Kabbalistic Sephiroth: „CHESED”
• Hebrew Letter: „DALETH”
• Transcendental Axiom: „Give blessing onto the labor of your hand, and place your heart into your thoughts.”
• Forecasting Element: „It guarantees material gains, having the basis for higher enterprises, favorable results on spent efforts troubled conditions in order to achieve them. Friends are simultaneously a help and obstacle. Fate is proper and adverse at the same time”

SYNTHESIS:

• The Master is formed by Atman-Buddhi.
• Atman is the Intimate.
• Buddhi is the Divine Soul, meaning the Divine Consciousness of the Intimate.
• When a Logos wants to redeem a world, it emanates from Itself a celestial prototype formed by Atman-Buddhi.
• The Logos is the Sephirothic Crown, the Individual Ray from which the Intimate Himself emanated. This ray is triune; it is the Holy Trinity within each one of us.
• Thus, every Logos is a triune.
• The Father is Kether, the Ancient of Days.
• The Son is the Cosmic Christ within us.
• The Holy Spirit is the Divine Mother within us.
• The Mother carries a lamp in her hand. That lamp is the Intimate who burns within our heart.

Excerpts from the book “Tarot and Kabbalah” by Samael Aun Weor

Comments (0)