The Shadow Series, Tarot Card Comparisons: The Thoth Ten of Wands/Oppression & The Shadow Tarot 10 of Primordial Fire/ Murmur

Is a card often hard to interpret, since it is a card of perfidy.

It can mean self-oppressive thoughts that keep oneself from preforming or a tremendous amount of male electric dynamic force, caged/ or vessel held for the process of manifestation.  Much as a Phallus is "caged" by a Yoni, the electric male "caged" energy is guarded by the sacred Tibetan Dorjes (symbols of lightning) whose head is crown by the Khadroma; Tibetan Angels known as the "highest state of female". So we have a paradox here as female magnetic is a caging vessel for the male electric, the purpose being for form manifestation rather than slavery.

The Astrological aspect of this card is Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn, being the planet of discipline and Sagittarius is the sign of limit setting and a tendency to limit one's boundaries. So in this context, the card is about limiting one's performance, in emotional, spiritual issues, due to self oppression. Therefore the Ten of Wands-Oppression can be a negative since dynamic energy will be expressed and if oppressed it will come out in our weak spots; as pressure builds it will find the cracks in our Armour and flash out as anger, rage and emotional dysfunction. Yet, in a positive note, if held just long enough to empower our "magic images", it enlivens and becomes a tremendous opportunity to create with the Primal Force (Kundalini) of Creation Itself! Here indeed is the Qabalistic Axiom: "God is Sex".

As in all power, we can destroy or expand and liberate ourselves to greater horizons of creativity.

When this card is thrown pay attention! Their maybe a tendency to limit oneself or one's vision by oppressing the urge of creative expansion. This is not recommended for if curbed, this creative expansion will expand our oppressed fears, as it has no where else to go.

No matter which way it goes, the electricity will expand our imagination, from fear to psychosis or from dreaming to actual dynamic manifestation! This "male electric Stuff" is the Vitriol of the Magus. The Dragon force.  

 The Thoth Deck, the 10 of Wands is a Sephirotic Entity and therefore often called Lord of Oppression; an oppression that is represented by Saturn in Sagittarius.

The Angels attributed to the 10th Sephiroth are Reyayel and Avamel. Angels are really another angle of evolutionary Intelligence; but one we are not subservient to as we are "un-ruled", rather than the rule. The Whole of us (the invisible 99.6% and the Visible.4%) is called the "Divine Child" and or Son/Sun of God. The Angels are servants to the Law, while we can break the law with freedom of choice which means freedom to identify ourselves. Since in terms of singularity the Law is Love we can "fall" out of love by our choices of identity. Thus, angels are ruled by God, mankind is ruled by his/her own freedom to chose, a very painful burden to those who don't rule themselves. Therefore we don't bow down to Angels, we talk to them face to face, as any other part of the family.

The ancient Greeks called us Daemons,(God Men- the Children of Angel and human mating) because by our own perspectives and observation, we can change reality. As far as I know, no other manifestation of the Divine can do that! So ,when the Hierophant says to you,"If you wish to speak to me, you must stand"  expressing not just "tough love", but also a statement of equality. We are made of all the power that ever was or will be...now! But by forgetting ourselves, we forgot our power.

The TEN OF WANDS-Oppression; is Malkuth in Aziluth , and is the influence of Malkuth in the world of  Pure Spirit. Where upon the destructive powers of Saturn (Geburah- 5th Sephira-Severity) are amplified by the swiftness of Sagittarius, leading to selfishly applied material force, and often cruelly so.

The Thoth card depicts a suggestion primal force in the crude club like wands, and the Dorjes (Tibetan spear- like symbols of Thunderbolts) suggests, cruelty, malice, overbearing force and energy. even injustice.

However, one must understand that a certain amount of energy must be oppressed at all times, for form to exist. Energy must be contained in a"Thought Form"  or "magnetic form" before it can become manifest. However, too much oppression of energy-in-motion (emotion) leads too disaster Like electricity, Water or Fire, energy resists this oppression, and will "slip its bonds" at any sign of weakening, sometimes destructively so.

Often the oppression of our own ability to act, is because of our own self-perspective, most of us tend to be more cruel to ourselves than to others, because we often fear ourselves being "wrong" more than others. We can escape this cycle of destruction if we understand that if we notice oppression within ourselves, is often the Mind being told by the Inner Self, to change perspectives. We feel oppression so we can identify it and act fast, for it's better to pop a balloon, than an over pressurized air tank!

Often, by taking things too seriously, we fail to use the power of mirth, that cracks the veneer of perspective, so that we can see beyond our self made prison of "I can't". Truth being, "I Can't", usually means "I am afraid to" and/or "I don't want to", so just say so and release the imprisoned energy that is held back by fear of peer pressure. That's the beautiful side of "freedom of choice". 

So remember this, we use "thought" to oppress energy, for creation's sake, including our own, but eventually, because change is the only constant in this energy Universe, that oppression will end in a voluntary or involuntary manner. In us this Energy is called E-Motion (short for energy in motion) an it will move, functionally or dysfunctionally;  Energy will free itself, and move. Those who are freely changing their perspectives, will find that the once feared end we call death, is merely a movement towards another perspective and will experience what the Tibetan's call "reincarnation", which is simply expanding and liberating one's personality by change of perspective. By fearing an end, you have one, by not fearing and end, you consciously experience transformation.

The Shadow Tarot Card, 10 of Primordial Fire/Murmur is also about oppression and/or the sacrifice of the present to the future.

 On the Card is the Seal of Murmur, the 54th Spirit in the order that Solomon bound them. Naturally, Murmur is also a Great Duke and Earl of Hell who appears as a warrior riding a gryphon and wearing a ducal crown on his head. According to medieval demonology, his ministers go before him, blowing trumpets.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Seal of Murmur according to the Ars Goetia. In demonology, Murmur is a Great Duke and Earl of Hell, and has thirty legions of demons under his command. He teaches Philosophy, and can oblige the souls of the deceased to appear before the conjurer to answer every desired question. Murmur is depicted as a soldier riding a Vulture or a Griffin, and wearing a ducal crown. Two of his ministers go before him making the sound of trumpets. 'Murmur' in Latin means noise, whisper, murmur, and the sound of the trumpet. Some authors portray him simply as a vulture.Other spelling: Murmus, Murmuur, Murmux.

According to Linda Falorio, the author of The Shadow Tarot, one summons Murmur to acquire perfect knowledge of philosophy, and to constrain souls of the deceased to come forth and answer questions. 

However, to the medieval and oppressed Christan Monks that invented demonology, philosophy was evil, and murmurs  and/or whispers, noise and trumpets, was a much despised Royal's, way of doing business. 

The Qabalist of today, knows that if you get enough people to observe an image emotionally, you can get a manifested Astral form. These forms depend on observation to exist, and thus are often parasitic; However, the "God's and Goddesses" and/or Angels, were also "Psyche-engines" established to aid the Initiate in achieving goals that required "greater energy" than they possessed at the time.  So by all means, skry the Murmur card, but don't fall for the song and dance of Great Duke or Earle of Hell.  Besides the fact that the Collective Unconscious, dark or otherwise, is not a harbinger of fundamental religions and their propagandist need for enemies and eternal punishment to keep or gather followers bound in chains of fear; Daemons (Greek) are "God-Men" as are Hu-Man beings; [Hu is Mandarin/Chinese for "God" and Man, comes from the Hindu word, Manas, which means- mind]. We therefore are of the manifested Mind of god, which is Imagination, and therefore are an "image of the Divine Creative" and can stand above the need for fearful demons of the superstitious survival animal mind. Besides we are Beautiful Monsters, made of "Angels and Animal" DNA, whose godlike freedom of choice coupled with the Powerful Imagination of the Divine Image-maker, makes us the most fearful of all Daemons. We, as demons have not, often practiced genocide, if you need historical proof. Fundamental religions have often practiced torture, genocide, misogynistic ritual burnings, etc. to keep the "populace" in line and keep woman from power. Nothing could be more demonic.

Then again, the only real way to acquire"perfect knowledge of philosophy", is to live it by creating error and correcting it, thus becoming wise. Knowledge given to anyone, is without wisdom because one thinks they "know it all" and are unable to see their mistakes nor know how to correct them.

Thank you for your interest, comments, and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper.