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The Tarot of Eli 2, LLC: The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot-Key 19-The Sun & The Animal Totem Tarot - Key 19-The Sun

Western Hermetic Qabalah, Tantric, Astrological, Numerical, and Alchemical Traditional Tarot Card Comparisons. 

 

December 9, 2024

#tarotqabalahtraditionalelitarot2strikingly.com

Above all things, know thyself.

The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot- Key 19-The Sun

The Animal Totem Tarot -Key 19- The Sun

The return to the Childhood of the Sun is indicated in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Key 19 Card artwork. What is shown on the RWS tarot card is a child riding a white horse; the white horse being a symbol for Apollo, the Sun God and implies that on this Tarot card that we return to our Apollo-Sun God youth and collect our divine inheritance.

The Sun behind the Fool is our very first symbol in Tarot of Life Power and is a clue to all the rest of the Deck. In Key 0, it is shown as white light to represent the Spiritual Life Center of the Universe (Plasmic source). Here it is also yellow to represent the Life Power of our Sun and the radiant plasma power of the Soul. The Sun collects and distributes Celestial Impulses of Power which gives us our light and life, the Soul is a collective of "Life Forces" that carry information (Light carried data) and the power of breath, causing the body to "breathe" and thereby, live. Hence, it is also called the Collecting Intelligence.

The word "Spirit" comes from Greek root word "spiro"-to breathe and/or breath. You may call yourself a spirit and know yourself as the "breath" of the body; However, you are the Pranic/Plasmic energy that makes it live and enters the body through the breath. Prana is Celestial and you are a Sun/Celestial Divine Creative. You the first action of Cosmic breath, and the Pranic vital cosmic Macrocosmic force that animates the microcosmic/organic beings in your name of I AM.

In many traditions, prana refers to the life force or vital energy that animates the body, mind, and spirit. While often translated as "breath," prana is more encompassing than just physical respiration. It’s seen as a subtle energy or cosmic force that flows through the body, much like the concept of qi in Chinese philosophy.

Here’s a breakdown of prana's functions, particularly as they relate to physical, energetic, and spiritual levels:

1. Physical Function (Breath as a Life-Sustaining Force)

  • Oxygen Supply: On the most basic level, prana is taken into the body through breath. By breathing, we take in oxygen, which is essential for cellular respiration, energy production, and general bodily functions.
  • Detoxification: Exhaling releases carbon dioxide and toxins, which helps maintain a balanced internal environment.
  • Nervous System Regulation: Conscious breathwork, or pranayama, can influence the nervous system. Techniques like deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

 

 

2. Energetic Function (Prana as Vital Force)

  • Energy Channels (Nadis): According to yogic philosophy, prana flows through channels called nadis, especially the central channels Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. This flow impacts physical vitality, mental clarity, and emotional health.
  • Balancing Energy Centers (Chakras): Prana plays a key role in balancing the chakras, which are considered energetic centers within the body. When chakras are balanced, prana can move freely, supporting physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

3. Mental and Emotional Functions

  • Mental Clarity and Focus: Controlled breathing can calm the mind, clear mental fog, and sharpen focus. In meditation and pranayama, managing the breath is a pathway to reducing stress, increasing emotional resilience, and achieving mental equilibrium.
  • Emotional Regulation: By calming the nervous system, prana also helps regulate emotional responses. Pranayama, for instance, can reduce the intensity of anxiety or anger by promoting a sense of groundedness and inner calm.

4. Spiritual Function (Prana as a Connection to Universal Energy)

  • Inner Awakening and Higher States of Consciousness: Advanced breathwork techniques aim to increase pranic flow, which is thought to stimulate spiritual awakening. Practices like Kundalini Yoga use breath to awaken dormant energy and expand consciousness.
  • Connection with the Divine or Universal Life Force: In spiritual practices, prana is seen as a bridge between the individual and the universal. It’s the means by which one feels connected to the greater cosmic energy, often experienced as a state of oneness or harmony with the universe.

Prana, then, is the conduit of life and spirit, flowing through and sustaining us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Cultivating awareness of prana, particularly through breathing practices, is a core element in many spiritual traditions aimed at achieving a harmonious balance between body, mind, and spirit.

1*For information on a Pranayama breathing exercise scroll to bottom of blog.

The Stone Wall, on the Sun card represents the partial truth that is represented by the senses. Hence, the comprehension of Truth is limited if founded solely on sensatory evidence, as in materialistic science. Therefore, the wall in the background also represents human adaptation of natural conditions. It is, furthermore, the representation of the whole chain of ideas attributed to the Hebrew Letter, Cheth, (pronounced Kayluth) - meaning "enclosure or fence". This also includes human speech which uses words to "enclose" our identity. Hence, words are a "false and/or profaned" identity. We are not words; we are suns of the living Divine Creative. Suns of the One Energy, is a Solar Self and/or Soul.

On the RWS, Key 19, is shown the Sun's radiation (Straight lines) and Vibrations (Wavy lines). Because the Sun is not an inanimate object, but a Living Celestial Being and/or living, conscious Intelligence, it is shown with human features. The 5 sunflowers (4+ the wreath on the Child's head) represent the natural kingdoms: mineral, vegetable, animal, and human. The Solar Son/Sun, represents the future conscious state (enlightenment) of human growth beyond our present state, known as the state of Regeneration. Therefore, the Child on the Horse represents regenerated humanity. This also recalls the statement attributed to Zeus Christos (Sun of God), that we must be "as the Children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Supernal Triangle of Kether-Chokmah-Binah) and that "the Kingdom is in you and all around you".

In the head/brain, which is the Sun of the body are collected, all the human powers. In fact, the Latin word "countenance" means to "hold together or contain". Therefore, we find in Key 19 plain intimations of authority and leadership. Left brain is Animus (Masculine), and right brain is Anima (Feminine), as our brains are perfect copies of our Androgynous Souls/Solar Selves.

ATU 19 of the Thoth Tarot also uses twins to explain the 0=2 and/or the pairing of opposites in all creations. Infact, attributed to Resh, are Fruitfulness and Sterility, as the Sun is responsible for both lush growth and deserts.

The term Collective Intelligence implies to collect, assemble, or bring together, to combine or unify, to embody and to synthesize. The Soul (Solar Self) which refers to the Sun, collects and combines all modes of intelligence that went before the present and combines them in a new (Known) form. Thus, it is a regenerative mode of consciousness, incorporating all the elements of control into a new realization of personality.

The I AM realizing the difference between I and Am (Identity and Mind) thereby, creating a renewed "Me". Identity is "I AM" denotes existence, but as "what" is assumed information and that assumption compared to existence/Identity builds " Me". Therefore, the bright and brilliant intelligence knows that "What I AM" is all assumption and therefore, easily, and constantly renewed by combining all assumptions, producing a new transformed sum/collective of "I AM".

Even though the wall on the RWS Sun Card is stone or brick, it has 5 courses, symbolizing the 5 obvious human senses. Even in a language of the largest vocabulary, all concrete and abstract terms are derived from sensory experience. Therefore, language fails whenever one attempts to use it to explain that which is beyond sensory experience. Leaving, mystics, Gnostics, Magicians, and seers, the necessity of symbolic use of language. Some call these "secrets"; However, they are not trying to hide anything; on the contrary no one is more eager to express themselves more than a wise person who has firsthand knowledge of the "As above so below" (Inner and outer planes) of experience. The truth of the matter being, that ordinary language will not convey the truth of this kind of experience from one mind to another. Hence, the TAROT. and its Qabalistic Partnership both require experience.

The Animal Totem Tarot-Key 19-The Sun.

The Animal Totem Tarot-Key 19-The Sun depicts a ring-tailed Lemur sitting on a grassy knoll sunning itself. This species of Lemur is the only non-nocturnal one of the Lemur family. Unlike its cousin's this Lemur species would get into a daily meditation position and sun itself as long as possible, utilizing the Sun's energy for health purposes. They know the Sun gives them life, and without it they would grow cold and die.

If you draw this card in a Tarot layout, it has the ability to "heal"/enlighten the cards around it, under it, as they are basking in its light. Hence, the luminosity of this card enhances the vibrations of the Tarot layout, negating any shadow negativity presented. However, there is a caveat here also. For the Sun can destroy, burn, dry up, and scorch. Within your body is a Plasmic star seed, of your very personal vibration as a Plasmic (sun) being. It is called the Kundalini in Sanskrit, and can revitalize and destroy at the same time.

Kundalini is often understood as a primal, coiled energy located at the base of the human spine, conceptualized in both the Western Hermetic Mysteries and Yogic traditions. While different teachings might emphasize various aspects of this force, both share a view of Kundalini as a potent, life-sustaining power that can be consciously awakened and directed upward through the body’s subtle energy centers. By doing so, practitioners aim to catalyze higher states of consciousness, personal transformation, and spiritual enlightenment.

 

Understanding Kundalini as Solar Plasmic Energy

In Yogic traditions, Kundalini is represented as a serpentine force, coiled three and a half times at the root chakra (Muladhara), near the base of the spine. In Western Hermetic teachings, this energy can be viewed as a kind of “secret fire” or astral light—a subtle, solar-derived form of life energy. Terms like “solar plasmic” highlight its connection to a cosmic life-force that resonates with the vitality of the Sun. As Kundalini ascends, it travels through the energetic pathways (nadis) and chakras of the subtle body, bringing heightened awareness, insight, and expanded perception.

 

Spiritual Growth and Integration

Properly awakened, Kundalini leads to an unfolding of spiritual awareness, often described as tapping into one's divine nature. It can open the doors to mystical experiences, self-realization, and profound inner healing. As it rises through the chakras, Kundalini refines the individual’s consciousness, transcending limitations, shedding mental conditioning, and revealing deeper layers of spiritual truth.

 

The Cautions Against Premature Awakening

Because of its intensity, many traditions strongly caution against attempts to force or hasten Kundalini’s awakening without sufficient preparation. Some potential issues that can arise if Kundalini energy is stirred prematurely or without proper grounding and guidance include:

  1. Physical Discomfort and Health Issues:
    Sudden surges of energy can cause headaches, insomnia, nerve pain, tension in muscles, or unusual sensations like heat or vibrations in the spine or limbs. These symptoms occur because the body’s subtle energy channels may be blocked or unprepared for the sudden influx of force.

  2. Emotional Turmoil and Psychological Imbalances:
    Kundalini can bring repressed emotions, traumas, and psychological patterns to the surface all at once. Without adequate support, understanding, or spiritual maturity, these intense emotional waves may lead to confusion, anxiety, fear, depression, or even identity crises. Proper integration methods, meditation, and therapeutic support can help navigate these emotional upheavals.

  3. Disturbed Energy Flow and Imbalances:
    When awakened too quickly, Kundalini may not flow smoothly through the intended channels, causing energetic disharmony. This can manifest as erratic mood swings, feelings of being ungrounded, or a sense of inner chaos. It may take diligent practice, energy balancing techniques, and experienced guidance to restore equilibrium.

  4. Misinterpretation of Spiritual Experiences:
    Someone who awakens Kundalini prematurely may mistake energetic phenomena, visions, or strange sensations for spiritual truth, leading to confusion or grandiosity. Without proper training, knowledge, or mentorship, it’s easy to misread these experiences, hindering genuine spiritual growth instead of fostering it.

Guidelines for Safe and Gradual Awakening

  • Foundational Practices: Regular meditation, breathwork (pranayama), ethical discipline, healthy lifestyle choices, and foundational spiritual studies help prepare the subtle body for Kundalini’s gradual ascent.
  • Qualified Guidance: Seeking the assistance of experienced teachers—be they yoga gurus, Western mystical mentors, or qualified energy healers—ensures that one can navigate the awakening process with clarity, safety, and understanding.
  • Patience and Integration: Approaching Kundalini awakening gently, over time, allows the practitioner to integrate changes as they arise. This results in a more stable, harmonious unfolding of consciousness rather than a disruptive upheaval.

Conclusion

Kundalini, when understood as a solar plasmic energy, represents a powerful catalyst for human transformation. Both Yogic and Western Hermetic traditions recognize its potential to uplift consciousness, expand inner vision, and ultimately unify the seeker with a higher spiritual reality. Yet, this potency comes with the caveat that care, preparation, and responsible guidance are essential. Properly approached, Kundalini awakening can be a profound blessing on the path to enlightenment. When rushed or forced, however, it may result in unnecessary difficulties that derail rather than enhance spiritual development.

When the ring-tailed lemur appears as a totem, power animal, or spirit guide, it often brings lessons rooted in social connection, adaptability, communication, and a grounding in both the instinctual and cooperative aspects of life. Indigenous traditions and modern spiritual seekers alike may find meaning in the lemur’s distinctive behaviors, matriarchal social structures, and unique relationship to its environment. Although this species is endemic to Madagascar—marking them as both rare and special—their symbolism speaks to universal human experiences.

Key Characteristics and Symbolism:

  1. Social Harmony and Cooperation:
    Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups, maintaining a cohesive community through cooperative behaviors, mutual grooming, and nuanced body language. As a spirit guide, they remind us of the importance of community support, friendship, and interpersonal bonds. If the lemur enters your consciousness, it may be encouraging you to strengthen connections, negotiate conflicts peacefully, or open yourself to the support of others, rather than trying to go it alone.

  2. Matriarchal Leadership and Balanced Authority:
    In ring-tailed lemur society, females typically have higher status, guiding group dynamics and resource sharing. As a power animal, the lemur often symbolizes balanced leadership, where nurturing and guidance, rather than force, lead to harmony. You might be guided toward respecting feminine energies within yourself and your environment—values like empathy, collaboration, and intuitive understanding—while still asserting necessary boundaries.

  3. Adaptability and Resourcefulness:
    Lemurs have evolved in the unique ecosystems of Madagascar, developing remarkable adaptability and keen survival strategies. As a totem, the ring-tailed lemur teaches that you, too, can adapt to changing circumstances, find inventive solutions, and draw strength from your environment. They urge you to embrace flexibility, remain curious, and trust your ability to overcome challenges using creativity and wit.

  4. Communication Through Senses and Subtlety:
    Ring-tailed lemurs rely on a spectrum of communication tools—vocal calls, scent marking, body posture, and facial expressions. Their intricate communication style can indicate the importance of nonverbal cues and the wisdom of listening beyond words. As a spirit guide, the lemur may encourage you to pay attention to subtle signals in your life—intuitive hunches, energetic shifts in a room, or gentle nudges from your intuition—in order to gain deeper understanding and empathize more fully with others.

  5. Balancing Work and Playfulness:
    While they are adept foragers and careful about group maintenance, lemurs are also playful, curious, and active. This combination underscores the lesson of balance. As a power animal, the lemur suggests that while responsibility and diligence are essential, it is equally important to incorporate joy, play, and spontaneity into your life. They remind you not to become too rigid or serious, but to find moments of delight and creativity in everyday living.

  6. Environmental Awareness and Respect:
    Lemurs’ entire existence is tied closely to the unique rhythms of their habitat. By appearing as a spirit guide, they might nudge you toward greater environmental attunement, whether that’s respecting the resources you depend on or becoming more conscious of your ecological footprint. They highlight the interconnectedness of all life and the need to honor the balance of nature.

  7. Cycles and Symbolism of the Ringed Tail:
    The ring-tailed lemur’s distinctive black-and-white-striped tail can be seen as symbolic of cycles (day and night, dark and light, masculine and feminine energies) and the integration of opposites. In spiritual terms, they encourage embracing the full spectrum of experience—both the challenges and the blessings—understanding that life’s patterns often repeat and that wisdom comes from acknowledging every stripe in the pattern.

When the Ring-Tailed Lemur Appears as a Guide:
Expect lessons about relating meaningfully with others, improving your communication skills, and blending practicality with fun. The lemur may appear when you need to adapt to a new environment, embrace a leadership role guided by empathy, or pay closer attention to subtle energetic shifts within your relationships and surroundings. Their presence can also remind you of the delicate balance between the rational mind and the intuitive heart, encouraging a more holistic and communal approach to navigating life’s complexities.

In essence, the ring-tailed lemur as a totem, power animal, or spirit guide symbolizes social bonding, cooperative survival, intuitive communication, and mindful adaptation, offering guidance for harmonizing the diverse facets of your inner and outer worlds.

The real meaning of Father-Mother-Child represented in mythologies and theologies, begins to become apparent when in conversation with this archetype. Self-Consciousness (Self-Awareness) -the archetypal child-emerges from a perfect integration (communion) of the Will to Force-conscious (Father) and the Will to Form- unconsciousness (Mother). When all is said and done, the chief task of the Child/Hero/Heroine is the overcoming of inner darkness using the inner sun light- Overcoming the subconscious fears of the survival thinking and the "false ego" mind virus.

1*There are several types of pranayama exercises, each with distinct benefits for the body, mind, and spirit. Here are a few widely practiced ones, along with their traditional benefits and recommended techniques:

1. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

  • Benefits: Helps calm the mind, balance energy channels (nadis), reduce anxiety, and enhance focus. It's said to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
  • How to Practice:
    • Sit in a comfortable position.
    • Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale deeply through the left nostril.
    • Close the left nostril with your ring finger, then open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.
    • Inhale through the right nostril, close it, and exhale through the left. This completes one cycle.
    • Practice 5–10 cycles, gradually increasing over time.

2. Kapalabhati Pranayama (Skull Shining Breath)

  • Benefits: Energizes the body, increases mental clarity, stimulates digestion, and detoxifies the lungs and respiratory system. It’s also considered to cleanse and activate the third eye and crown chakras.
  • How to Practice:
    • Sit upright with your spine straight.
    • Take a deep inhale, then exhale quickly and forcefully through the nose, contracting the lower abdomen with each exhale.
    • Inhales are passive and natural between each sharp exhale.
    • Start with 20 pumps, gradually increasing to 50 or more.
  • Note: This pranayama should be avoided by those with high blood pressure, pregnancy, or respiratory issues.

3. Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath)

  • Benefits: Soothes the mind, reduces stress and anger, relieves tension, and improves concentration.
  • How to Practice:
    • Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
    • Place your index fingers on the cartilage of your ears to partially close them.
    • Inhale deeply, then gently press on the cartilage while exhaling slowly, making a humming sound like a bee.
    • Focus on the vibration and sound, feeling it throughout your head and body.
    • Repeat for 5–10 breaths.

4. Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath or Ocean Breath)

  • Benefits: Enhances focus, calms the nervous system, and is warming. This breath is often used during asana (yoga poses) to sustain energy.
  • How to Practice:
    • Inhale slowly through the nose, partially constricting the throat, as though you were breathing through a thin straw.
    • Exhale with the same constriction, creating a soft, ocean-like sound.
    • Maintain a steady rhythm, focusing on the sound and sensation in your throat.
    • Practice for 5–10 minutes, or incorporate it into a yoga session.

5. Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath)

  • Benefits: Cools the body, calms the mind, and reduces feelings of anger and anxiety. It’s often practiced in hot weather or when feeling agitated.
  • How to Practice:
    • Sit in a comfortable position.
    • Roll your tongue into a tube (or if you can’t, keep it flat).
    • Inhale slowly through the rolled tongue, feeling the cooling sensation.
    • Close your mouth and exhale through the nose.
    • Practice 5–10 rounds or more as needed.
  • Note: Avoid this technique if you have respiratory or throat issues.

6. Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath)

  • Benefits: Boosts energy, stimulates the nervous system, strengthens lung capacity, and invigorates body and mind.
  • How to Practice:
    • Sit comfortably, keeping the spine straight.
    • Inhale deeply, expanding the abdomen, and then exhale forcefully, contracting the abdomen.
    • Both inhale and exhale should be quick and forceful, using abdominal movement.
    • Start with 10 rounds, then take a break, and repeat up to 3 sets.
  • Note: Avoid if you have high blood pressure or heart conditions.

Each of these pranayama techniques has unique effects, so you may want to choose or combine them depending on your needs. Remember to start gradually and focus on maintaining a calm, meditative state throughout.

When the Sun, Key 19, is thrown in a divination, it implies:

  • The instinctual striving for the Light.
  • Reconciliation with the shadow side.
  • Realization of the Innermost (Highest) Self.
  • Vivacity.
  • Acceptance of Life.
  • Vitality.
  • Generosity.
  • Warmth.
  • Freshness.
  • Self-confidence.
  • The Ascent into light.
  • Satisfaction. 
  • Material and emotional happiness.

If Reversed:

  • Self-satisfaction.
  • Personality cult.
  • Delusions of grandeur.
  • Blinding, scorching, parching.
  • A project cancelled.
  • Success delayed.

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