Exploring Tarot Decks ~ The Enochian Watchtower Tarot

I guess I’ve settled on the series name, Exploring Tarot Decks. I host a tarot community on Google + called Exploring Tarot so it seemed apropos. The Enochian Watchtower Tarot is actually two decks in one which includes the Western Tattva Tarot on the back side in lieu of a decorative background. From the accompanying guide:

Divinations using the Enochian Watchtower Tarot involve card interpretations that are derived from Enochian squares and their associate elemental and astrological correspondences.

Divinations using the Western Tattva Tarot involve card meanings that are derived from the Eastern Tattvas of Hindu mysticism and the hexagrams of te Chinese “Book of Changes,” the I-Ching. (pg 3. Genaw/Cicero)

Since I’m not an adept with respect to the Kabbalah or Hermetic thought, I typically use the tattva side of the cards, but for this reading, I’m going to start with the Enochian Watchtower side and then do the tattva reading tomorrow. The Watchtowers reflect Enochian symbolism referring to the four elemental energies, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth and are typically used in magic, a cousin in my ancestry. Dee was an alchemist, astrologer, astronomer, and personal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, a cousin in my ancestry, and was interested in divination and communicating with angels coming up with much of the symbolism found in this tarot system. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn would go on to refine the system and created the deck I’m using today and it’s touted as not simply a tarot system but a system for growth both magickally and spiritually.

The Enochian side of the deck is structured differently than traditional tarot decks. They retain the four suits that reflect the four elements and comprise the four Watchtower tablets. This system uses eighty-nine cards, with the final card, the Tablet of Union or Spirit card uniting the energies of the four Watchtowers. The Watchtowers themselves are seen as portals to each elemental realm. The four suits are comprised of twenty-two cards each; however, the traditional groupings of the Major and Minor Arcanas along with the Court cards are not specifically used. Instead, there are Godname and King and Senior cards that align with traditional Major Arcana cards, the Kerubic and Sephirotic Angel cards which align with the Court cards, and Servient Angel cards which align with the Minor Arcana cards. The “highest energy” cards are viewed as the most dominant in any reading and take priority over the other influences. In today’s reading, I drew three cards to look at general influences resulting in three Servient Angel cards.

Servient Angel cards deal with everyday life and are considered lesser forces and the three cards from this reading represent Fire, Earth, and Air respectively. The Servient Angels are created by combining together a man, bull, lion, and eagle, symbolizing the four elements and it’s customary to place the Tablet of Union at the top of the divination. I created my own and use it in magickal workings to bring together elemental energies during the working and it appears above the cards.

Liberation is the keyword of the seventeenth card from the suit of Fire and the Servient Angel Aroueris. Every color has its complement and with this card of elemental Fire, we see a green border surrounding a rectangular shape with yellow on three sides and red on one. The glyph for Fire is present as is the glyph for Air. IVASG is the card’s title and indicates freedom or independence along with inspired action. I’m going to ignore the Hebrew glyphs found on each card because I’m not familiar enough with them to comment, but the geomantic figure that appears is Albus representing clear thought and sage wisdom suggesting liberation of the mind born from experience.

ASTIM is the name of the 73rd card in this deck from the suit of Earth and its keyword is Gain. A small amount of elemental Fire influence is present on this card, but the primary influence is Earth, illustrated by the three black sides surrounding the Servient Angel Nephthys. The geomantic figure is Caput Draconis reinforcing the card’s keyword, gain, promising change for the better and new beginnings. Expansion and growth along with reward or possibly inheritance are among the interpretations for this card.

Lastly, PNPNT is the name of the 49th card from the suit of Air. Yellow is its color with purple its complement and it’s purple that surrounds the card with all four elements in balance around the Servient angel, Osiris. Via is its geomantic figure suggesting an active journey or path. Sacrifice is the keyword for this card referencing the Hangman as well for inner enlightenment gained from personal sacrifice toward a higher goal.

Overall, it appears that the next few days are positive for inner reflection leading to inspired action. I like tarot decks that utilize other divination systems. Haindl does that as well using runes and I-Ching hexagrams on his cards. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find the true theme of the card contained within a hexagram, geomantic figure, or rune.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at the flip side of the cards and the Western Tattva tarot.

Blessings!

 

 

References

1. Genaw, Bill & Judi, Cicero, Chic & S. Tabatha. Guide to the Golden Dawn Enochian Skrying Tarot. Llewellyn Publications. 2004