Arcanum No. 8 represents the "Judgment", No. 8 is the Number of Job, of ordeals and pain; it is represented by the sword that corresponds to the esoteric. This number represents the life and sacrifice of Job which is the path that takes the Initiate to the Second Birth. The ordeals are very hard; we need the Patience of Saint Job; without it, it is impossible to perform this Work.
A grave sickness afflicted Job (Book of Job 2.9), Lazarus’ sores were rotten; (Luke 16:19-31), the friends of Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (the Three Traitors of the Internal Christ) were telling him: “if you are a friend of God, why don't you complain?"; Job answered: "the Lord has given and the Lord has taken away" (Job 1.21). The number of Job is Patience and Meekness, this is the path to “Putrefaction”. This is testified by the original Bible that included the books of The Aeneid, The Odyssey and The Macabeus; examples of such a Bible are found in the Museum of London, in the Vatican and in the Washington Museum.
The modern Bible is a corpse. The Bible is an Arcanum, in the Book of Psalms, chapter XIX the Tarot is discussed. The number 8 is the Number of the Infinite. The vital forces of the Fire of Phlegethon and the Water of Acheron circulate in the form of an eight, intercrossing themselves in the Ninth Sphere, within the heart of the Earth. In the dorsal spine the symbol of the Infinite is also formed. The sign of the Infinite signifies working in the Ninth Sphere and this is the Sex.
The Arcanum No. 8 of the Tarot is a woman with a sword in her hand, before the Scale of the Cosmic Justice. Only she can hand the Sword to the Magus; without a woman no Initiate can receive the Sword. There is the Eve-Venus, the instinctive woman; the Venus-Eve, the noble woman of home. There is also the Venus-Urania, the woman initiated into the Great Mysteries and finally we affirm the existence of the Urania-Venus, the female adept, the fully realized woman.
The woman of Arcanum No. 8 of the Tarot holds in one hand the Scale and in the other the Sword. It is necessary to balance the forces, it is necessary and urgent to sanctify ourselves in an absolute manner and to practice the Arcanum A.Z.F.; the forces of man and woman are balanced in Love and Wisdom.
In the Arcanum No. 8 the Initiatic Ordeals are enclosed. Each Initiation, each degree has its ordeals. These Initiatic Ordeals are each time more demanding in accordance with the Initiatic Degree. The Number Eight is the Degree of Job; this sign, this number signifies Ordeals and Pain. The Initiatic Ordeals are performed in the Superior Worlds and in the Physical World. The ordeals of the Initiation are very terrible. A great deal of Patience is needed in order not to fall into the Abyss. We are tested many times.
Arcanum No. 8 is Rectitude, Justice, Equilibrium. One must seek for performing good deeds at any cost, just as the Masters of Medicine, when in regards to someone who is sick and is dying, always intend to save that person because this is the Law.
- Kabbalistic Sephiroth: „HOD”
- Hebrew Letter: „Cheth”
- Transcendental Axiom: „You shall edify an altar within your heart, but you shall not make an altar of your heart.”
- Forecasting Element: "It guarantees retributions, punishments and rewards, gratitude and ungratefulness. Compensations for given services."
SYNTHESIS:
- When our disciples wish to ask for help from the Lords of Karma, they trace a Six-Pointed Star upon the ground, they open their arms in the form of a scale, which they move from above to below, having the mind concentrated on Anubis.
- Then we can mentally ask the Lords of Karma for the desired service. While moving the arms in the form of a scale, we must vocalize the syllables: NI, NE, NO, NU, NA.
- This is how we can ask for help from the Lords of Karma in moments of necessity or danger. Every credit must be paid.
Excerpts from the book “Tarot and Kabbalah” by Samael Aun Weor
