Chapter XVI (part 7)

It is impossible for us to retrace through the darkness of the middle ages the origin of the twenty-two significative figures known as atouts , in the pack of seventy-eight cards by which the Gypsies claim to reveal the secrets of fate. Still it has been proved that the major arcana of the Tarot are disfigured reproductions of a primitive model dating from the earliest ages. It would be difficult to refind this model in its original purity; and if it were possible to do so it could only be through judicious study of every manifestation of symbolism throughout the history of Oriental mythologies. They have bequeathed to us an hieroglyphic monument of immense importance in the representative figures of the signs of the Zodiac, and of the constellations of the celestial Sphere. But it would be most interesting if we could prove that these allegorical figures absolutely reproduce the 22 major arcana of the Tarot. From this affinity we might obtain great light upon the genesis of human knowledge. For the same identity of origin which manifestly unites the plates of the Book of Thoth to the subdivisions of the Greek and Egyptian planispheres, leads to the conclusion that in both cases we possess a special adaptation, made from documents which we have not yet found, but which may still give us complete information respecting primitive India. In any case the arcana of the Tarot explain many of the anomalies in Greek mythology. We cannot now enter into any minute details upon this subject, for it would lead us beyond the limits of this book. We must content ourselves with giving the reader a tableau indicating the constellations which appear to correspond with the 22 major arcana of the Tarot, and therefore with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, although their correspondence with the latter is much less clearly defined. We will then trace a planisphere grouping the arcana of the Tarot according to the order of the constellations, and we will end by a pentacle in the form of a double hexagram, in which the Hebrew letters will represent the signs of the zodiac, and the circumpolar constellations to which they correspond, according to our first tableau. OSWALD WIRTH'S TABLEAU . No. OF THE ARCANA OF THE TAROT CORRESPONDING HEBREW LETTER DENOMINATION OF THE ARCANA CONSTELLATIONS 1 א The Juggler Orion-The Bull 2 ב The High Priestess Cassiopeia 3 ג The Empress The Virgin 4 ד The Emperor Hercules, Lyra and Boreal Crown 5 ה The Pope The Ram 6 ו The Lovers Eagle, Antinoüs, and Sagittarius 7 ז The Chariot Great Bear 8 ח Justice The Balance 9 ט The Hermit The Ox-Driver 10 י The Wheel of Fortune Capricornus (opposed to Sirius) 11 כ Strength Lion (and Virgin) 12 ל The Hanged Man Perseus 13 מ Death Dragon of the Pole 14 נ Temperance Aquarius 15 ס The Devil Goat and Coachman 16 ע The Lightning-struck Tower Scorpion, Ophiuchus 17 פ The Stars Andromeda, the Fishes 18 צ The Moon Cancer, Sirius, and Procion 19 ק The Sun The Twins 20 ר The Judgment The Swan 21 ת The Universe Lesser Bear and Pole Star 22 ש The Foolish Man Cepheus PLANISPHERE, ACCORDING TO THE DATA OF THE PRECEDING TABLEAU, BY OSWALD WIRTH. PENTACLE OF OSWALD WIRTH. Signs of the Zodiac and Circumpolar Constellations. Affinities with the Tarot.