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The Tarot of the Bohemians (Papus) · 43 of 134 · tr. A.P. Morton

Page 18 (part 1)

THE POPE. THE POPE. 5. ה 5th Hebrew letter (He). ORIGIN OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE FIFTH CARD OF THE TAROT. The hieroglyphic meaning of He is aspiration, breath. It is by aspiration that life is incessantly maintained and created. Hence springs the idea of all that animates attributed to He. But life specializes the being, by rendering it different from any other; hence the idea of the being itself attributed to this letter. However, the action of life does not stop here. It is also the mediating principle, which attaches the material body to the divine spirit, in the same way that man unites God and Nature; life is to the man ( aleph ) what man is to the universe, pre-eminently the mediate principle. [paragraph continues] Here we find the origin of the ideas of bond , of the reunion of opposing principles, of religion, attributed to He. This letter is simple; astronomically it corresponds with the igneous sign of the Ram, which it explains. THE FIFTH CARD OF THE TAROT. The Pope . This symbol expresses the following ideas-- (1st) Idea of Life, of animation, (2nd) Idea of Being, (3rd) Idea of Reunion. The Initiate of the mysteries of Isis is seated between the two columns of the sanctuary. He leans upon a triple cross, and makes the sign of Esoterism with his left hand. The triple Cross represents the triple Lingam of Indian theogony; that is to say, the penetration of the creative power throughout the Divine, the Intellectual, and the Physical Worlds, which causes all the manifestations of universal life to appear (first idea). The two columns symbolize: on the right, the Law; on the left, the Liberty to obey and to disobey, the essence of Being, (second idea). The Initiate wears a tiara. Two crowned men kneel at his feet, one clothed in red, the other in black. Here we find the active form of the symbolism expressed in passive form by the second card. The same idea of Esoterism, of secret Instruction, reappears; but the Tuition is now practical and oral , it no longer requires a book (third idea), As we see, this card is the complement of the second; the same rule applies to all the cards, when the total of their number makes 7. Thus-- 3 The Empress is completed by 4+ 3 = 7 7 = 28 = 10 = 1 4 The Emperor 2 The High Priestess is completed by 2 + 5 = 7 5 The Pope 1 The Juggler is completed by 1 + 6 = 7. 6 The Lovers The fifth card of the Tarot corresponds with the letter he of the sacred word. It is the direct reflection of the 4th arcanum, and the indirect reflection of the 2nd arcanum. It therefore signifies-- In the Divine . Reflex of the Will-- INTELLIGENCE (characteristic of God the Son). In the Human . Reflex of the Power-- AUTHORITY (characteristic of the Woman). Religion. Faith. In Nature . Reflex of the Soul of the World, or of the Universal creative fluid-- THE UNIVERSAL LIFE (characteristic of Natura naturata ). 5. ה The Pope . AFFINITIES SIGNIFICATIONS Primitive Hieroglyphic: Breath Kabbalah: PECHAD Astronomy: The Ram Month: March Hebrew letter: He (simple) Reflex of the Will INTELLIGENCE __________ Reflex of Power AUTHORITY RELIGION--FAITH OBSERVATIONS Reflex of the soul of the world THE UNIVERSAL LIFE Universal life is the negative part of the vivifying universal fluid.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

The card depicts 'The Pope' and references 'God the Son', attributing human form to divine principles.

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Correspondencecosmology

The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.

The passage explicitly states 'life is to the man ( aleph ) what man is to the universe' and details reflections of Will, Power, and Soul across Divine, Human, and Nature levels.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

References to 'mysteries' and 'secret Instruction' imply the divine is concealed from the uninitiated.

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Divine Immanencetheology

The doctrine that the divine is present within all things and the universe itself, pervading creation rather than remaining solely transcendent above it. Distinct from unity_of_being (the general claim that all existence is one substance, agnostic about whether that substance indwells its parts) and from kingdom_within (the divine present specifically IN THE INDIVIDUAL human, accessible without mediation) — divine_immanence is the general pervading-presence claim applied to all of creation, not a human-specific indwelling.

The text describes the 'penetration of the creative power throughout the Divine, the Intellectual, and the Physical Worlds'.

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Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

The text outlines a flow from 'Divine' to 'Intellectual' to 'Physical Worlds', mapping reflections across levels of being.

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Esoteric Lineagesoteriology

A historical or mythical chain of transmission for secret wisdom from master to disciple across time and cultures — the credential of the teaching, not merely its content. Distinct from oral_tradition (the spoken-not-written modality of transmission, which a lineage may or may not use) and hidden_sayings (the concealment-for-readiness of a teaching's meaning, independent of who transmitted it or in what unbroken chain).

The mention of 'Initiate of the mysteries of Isis' implies a chain of transmission for secret wisdom.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

The passage emphasizes 'Esoterism' and practical instruction over books, suggesting direct experiential knowledge for the Initiate.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The text refers to 'Initiate of the mysteries' and 'secret Instruction', implying esoteric knowledge reserved for the ready.

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Letter Meditationpraxis

Contemplative practice focused on Hebrew letters as cosmic symbols or gates of divine power.

The passage focuses on the '5th Hebrew letter' and its hieroglyphic meaning as a subject of contemplation.

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Letters Of Creationcosmology

The twenty-two Hebrew letters as the building blocks through which God creates and sustains all existence.

The passage centers on the '5th Hebrew letter (He)' and its role in creation ('aspiration, breath') and symbolism.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

The text describes life as 'incessantly maintained and created', portraying the divine as active and dynamic.

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Magical Equilibriumcosmology

The balance of two contrary forces as the structural law of cosmos and operation — Lévi's equilibrium, expressed in Kabbalah by the senary: the will of God in its first cause, liberty in man, mathematical equilibrium in matter; the twofold vibration required to direct the Astral Light safely.

The concept of 'reunion of opposing principles' and the balance between Law and Liberty reflects the structural law of equilibrium.

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Microcosm Macrocosmcosmology

The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.

The passage defines the human as a mediating principle where 'life is to the man... what man is to the universe', mirroring cosmic structure in the individual.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The text states 'man unites God and Nature', indicating a merging of principles.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

The text relies heavily on numerology, stating 'when the total of their number makes 7' and providing arithmetic examples like '2 + 5 = 7'.

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Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

The 'reunion of opposing principles' suggests a dissolution or harmonization of binary oppositions.

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Oral Traditionsoteriology

Sacred knowledge transmitted as living speech rather than fixed writing — scripture carried in memory, song, and telling, renewed in each generation; the unwritten canon of a tradition.

The passage explicitly contrasts book learning with 'practical and oral' tuition that 'no longer requires a book'.

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Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

The term 'Initiate' distinguishes a spiritual elite capable of receiving secret instruction.

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Polaritycosmology

The Hermetic doctrine that apparent opposites are identical in nature but differ in degree — two extremes of the same scale (hot/cold, love/hate) — such that one pole can be shifted toward its opposite by a change of degree ('mental transmutation'). Distinct from opposites_transcended (a completion-state marking the path's end, not this doctrine's active technique) and magical_equilibrium (balance held BETWEEN two forces, not identity-by-degree of what looks like two forces).

The text discusses the 'reunion of opposing principles' and contrasts red/black, Law/Liberty, indicating a doctrine of reconciling opposites.

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Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

The Initiate 'makes the sign of Esoterism', engaging in ritual action to connect with divine principles.

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Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

The 'reunion of opposing principles' suggests an underlying unity despite apparent duality.

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Related passages · 8 parallels
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Shared concept: Letter Meditation — Contemplative practice focused on Hebrew letters as cosmic symbols or gates of divine power. (derived)
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Shared concept: Pneumatic Elect — A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons. (derived)