Fordærv // Debauch – 7 Bægre

Velkommen til afsnit 24 af serien Årsrejse i Tarottens talkort. De foregående tekster kan findes under hovedsiden Tarot. 

* * *

Gør hvad du vil skal være Lovens helhed

* * *

13. november – 22. november

Dette er Skorpionens udtværing; væskernes åbenlyse fornedrelse i længslernes forvrængning. Kortets navn er Fordærv // Debauch. Dets formel lyder: Vand + Venus i Skorpionen + 7. sfære.

Her synker alting uafvendeligt nedad:

Netzach, den falske sejrs sfære; hjemstedet for den fornedrede Frue, som vi tidligere har besøgt i de 7 Skivers Fiasko og de 7 Staves Tapperhed. Om alle 7-erne skriver Crowley:

These cards are attributed to Netzach. The position is doubly unbalanced; off the middle pillar, and very low down on the Tree. It is taking a very great risk to descend so far into illusion, and, above all, to do it by frantic struggle. Netzach pertains to Venus; Netzach pertains to Earth; and the greatest catastrophe that can befall Venus is to lose her Heavenly origin. The four Sevens are not capable of bringing any comfort; each one represents the degeneration of the element. Its utmost weakness is exposed in every case.

Den falske nydelses sump

Efter den almene udpegning af Netzach som Træets værste opholdssted følger denne fremstilling af særtrækkene ved de 7 Bægre:

The Seven of Cups is called Debauch. This is one of the worst ideas that one can have; its mode is poison, its goal madness. It represents the delusion of Delirium Tremens and drug addiction; it represents the sinking into the mire of false pleasure. There is something almost suicidal in this card. It is particularly bad because there is nothing whatever to balance it – no strong planet to hold it up. Venus goes after Venus, and Earth is churned into the scorpion morass.

Hvad er der vel at sige? Her hersker vanvid og forgiftning. Dette er sandelig den syge sjæls ulykkelige indbildning om ad selvberuselsens feberhede veje at kunne opløfte sig selv til lystens rene sejr – som ene og alene kan medføre en stadigt dybere nedsænkning i den falske nydelses sump.

Venus goes after Venus: Kan man mon få for meget af det gode? Tydeligvis. Sanselighedens Frue erfares her i sin mest nedbrudte skikkelse og dermed også sin mest nedbrydende egenskab: Berøves hun sine højder, trækker hun alting med sig – dybt ned i dyndet.

. . . and Earth is churned into the scorpion morass . . .

I hæmningsløs dossering

I det særlige afsnit om fordærvets billede længere inde i The Book of Thoth finder vi disse ord:

This card refers to the Seven, Netzach, in the suit of Water. Here recurs the invariable weakness arising from lack of balance; also, the card is governed by Venus in Scorpio. Her dignity is not good in this Sign; one is reminded that Venus is the planet of Copper, “external splendour and internal corruption”. The Lotuses have become poisonous, looking like tiger-lilies; and, instead of water, green slime issues from them and overflows, making the Sea a malarious morass. Venus redoubles the influence of the number Seven.

The cups are iridescent, carrying out the same idea.

They are arranged as two descending triangles interlaced above the lowest cup, which is very much larger than the rest.

This card is almost the “evil and averse” image of the Six; it is a wholesome reminder of the fatal ease with which a Sacrament may be profaned and prostituted.

Lose direct touch with Kether, the Highest; diverge never so little from the delicate balance of the Middle Pillar; at once the holiest mysteries of Nature become the obscene and shameful secrets of a guilty conscience.

Hendes værdighed er vitterligt ikke god i dette tegn: Javist, Kobberet stråler rødligt gyldent, men dyrekøbt erfaring lærer os, at dette blandede metal er overmåde ustabilt og vil forgifte den, som i sin ivrighed mister sig selv i rusen.

Blomsterne er her blevet giftige. Vandet er borte. I stedet udskænkes nu grønt slim – i hæmningsløs dossering.

. . . Venus redoubles the influence of the number Seven . . .

* * *

Og vi gentager, atter & atter: Her hører hun ikke til. Fruens sande bestemmelse er at forbinde det ene & det andet over Afgrunden; ikke at foregøgle lette sejre her i sumpen.

Dette er hovedsagen – balancekunsten over dem alle:

This card is almost the “evil and averse” image of the Six; it is a wholesome reminder of the fatal ease with which a Sacrament may be profaned and prostituted.

Lose direct touch with Kether, the Highest; diverge never so little from the delicate balance of the Middle Pillar; at once the holiest mysteries of Nature become the obscene and shameful secrets of a guilty conscience.

Det levende er helligt. Opgaven er at være agtsom. At skelne, fremelske og forfine. Bevidsthed avler glæde. Fordærvets skød er goldt. Hjertet er altings midte. Intet er dit. Døden vil vise Vejen.

*

Et vigtigt sted i kapitlet om det magiske Bæger i Crowleys lille perle Book 4 finder vi nogle opklarende ord om renselsen af Vandet, der her skal stå som udgangsbøn og anvisning til efterfølgelse – for den, der kender længslen ud over sit eget sumpede begær:

There is, however, a universal solvent and hamonizer, a certain dew which is so pure that a single drop of it cast into the water of the Cup will for the time being bring all to perfection.

This dew is called Love. Even as in the case of human love, the whole Universe appears perfect to the man who is under its control, so is it, and much more, with the Divine Love of which it is now spoken.

For human love is an excitement, and not a stilling of the mind; and as it is bound to the individual only leads to greater trouble in the end.

This Divine Love, on the contrary, is attached to no symbol. It abhors limitation, either in its intensity or its scope.

Kærlighed er Loven, kærlighed under vilje

*

Næste afsnit udsendes, sådan cirka, ved udgangen af perioden mellem 23. november og 2. december og kommer til at handle om 8 Stave.

*