The Magician: Enochian Letter and Hebrew Letter
Posted By Jade on June 10, 2009
The Magician’s Enochian letter: Orth. I’m still working on the connection between the tarot and the Enochian system.
Golden Dawn Correspondence: Beth
Beth
English letter equivalent: B
Meaning: house (container)
Astrological Correspondence: Mercury
Symbolic Meaning: household, in, into
This correspondence, attributed by the Golden Dawn, is the most widely used. The usual translation of Beth is “house”, a term that also corresponds to “temple” and “container” and to “gnosis” (knowledge). Beth takes the boundless potential of Aleph and contains it, gives it a structure that allows us to relate to and use that potential. It’s important to note here that Beth doesn’t correspond to any specific container, it corresponds to the idea of containing. As the first letter of the first word of the Torah, Beth is the beginning of the powers of creation made manifest in the world.
Elphas Levi Correspondence: Aleph
Levi (and the magickal systems derived from his teachings) assign the letter Aleph to The Magician, giving Beth to the Papess (High Priestess)
Aleph
English Letter Equivalent: A
Meaning: Ox
Astrological Correspondence: Mercury
Divinatory Significance: Will, Dexterity
Aleph is the beginning of the Hebrew Alphabet and magickally represents all and nothing, supreme energy. As the ox, it suggests yoke [labor perhaps?], mildness, innocence. It also symbolizes purity and a desire to reunite with the spirit. It’s qualities are spiritual and dynamic, bright, airy and vibrant.
My attribution
I can see good reason for either attribution. The Magician is the first “offical” card of the deck (The Fool being numbered 0, 22, or not at all), it does make sense that it should correspond to the first letter of the Hebrew. And it’s magickal and astrological correspondences relate Aleph to air and the planet Mercury, both attributed to The Magician card.
After some thought, I’ve decided to use the Golden Dawn correspondence. Although The Magician begins the tarot proper, The Fool does proceed it in most decks. Likewise, Aleph proceeds the Hebrew alphabet proper — the Torah begins with the letter Beth, so Beth is associated with beginnings and manifestations. It’s interpretation of ‘creation made manifest’ fits with the image and meaning of the Magician, who takes divine energy and transfers it to Earth. And Beth also corresponds to the element of air and the planet Mercury.
More Information
- The Hebrew Alphabet
- The Hebrew Letters
Beit: God’s Dwelling Place Below - Hebrew Letters / Consonants
- Meaning of the Hebrew Alphabet
Related Posts:
- The Magician
- The Fool Enochian Letter and Hebrew Letter
- The High Priestess: Enochian Letter and Hebrew Letter
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