On the minor arcana

[Nau7ik]

There are secret titles to the Minor Arcana cards, I think Crowley utilizes them on the Thoth deck. Dion Fortune names them all in her “Mystical Qabalah”. For example, 8 of Pentacles is titled “Lord of Prudence”, Hod (8) in Assiah (Earth). I don’t think the secret titles are misleading; I find them quite helpful.

The titles help convey the forces manifesting upon the different levels and we also get a clue to the nature of those elements and influences.

The concept of inhibited reaction and satisfaction foregone is expressed in the title of the Eight of Cups of the Tarot pack, whose secret name is “Abandoned Success.” The suit of Cups, in the Tarot symbolism, is under the influence of Venus and represents the different aspects and influences of love. “Abandoned Success,” the inhibition of the instinctive reaction which would give satisfaction, in other words, ‘sublimation’ is key to the powers of Hod. But remember that sublimation is not the same thing as either repression or eradication, and it applies to the instinct of self-preservation as well as to the instinct of reproduction, with which it is exclusively associated in the popular mind.

The same concept reappears in the secret title of the Eight of Swords, which is “The Lord of Shortened Force.” We get a clear image in these words of th checking, or braking of dynamic power in order that it may be brought under control.

In the Eight of Pentacles, which represents the nature of Hod manifesting on the material plane, we have the Lord of Prudence - again a checking and inhibiting influence. But all these three negative cards are summed up under the presidency of th Eight of Wands, which represents the action of the Sphere of Hod on the spiritual plane, and this card is called the Lord of Swiftness.

We see, then, that is is through inhibitions and refrainings on the lower planes that the dynamic energy of the higher planes is rendered available. It is in the Sphere of Hod that the rational mind imposes these inhibitions on the dynamic animal nature of the soul; condensing them; formulating them; directing them by limiting them and preventing diffusion. ...

I used to not work with the Minor Arcana and only the Trumps. I didn’t have any basis for understanding the Minor Arcana. I’m the type of person who needs a solid philosophy behind a system. I don’t care for dogma, such as “this card is that. Means this and that.” I need to know why it means that. The Qabalah accomplishes this and I believe is the key to its unlocking.
That’s just me though! Others use the Tarot quite successfully without a Qabalistic key.

Also no other deck or philosophy has helped me penetrate understanding of the Major Arcana cards than the Ra Material and the Church of Light deck. I believe these images were actually given by Ra to the ancient Egyptian initiates. (I’ve heard they were/are on pyramid walls, but I can’t find evidence to support it. I think Madame Blavatsky mentions the archetypes found on pyramid walls.) There is a beautiful harmonious flow in each set of 7 for mind, body, and spirit. And the way it was given and left open was just perfect! Ra helped Don with the first 7 cards. We now understand Matrix, Potentiator, Catalyst, Experience, Significator, Transformation, and Great Way. The contact then ended, but Ra had given us a key and all that’s left is for us to finish the work. Like true initiates!