Course XLIII - Teaching 6: Eleventh to Sixteenth Tarot Figures: Their Interpretation

Figure 11

This figure in red represents the power that gives and takes, vivifies and kills. Her eyes look at the infinity because truly a powerful and strong person makes all fearlessly, with only one reference point, the dream or ideal kept in mind.
This fortitude, founded upon a hypothetical point, which is her vocation, causes all impediments to yield; this is why she closes the jaws of the lion without effort.
Also, the one who is strong creates a continuous contact among those forces that he uses and the force to which he directs his action, establishing a true magnetic current, a flowing current symbolized by the “8” in the hat.

Figure 12

So that the spirit may absolutely succeed, matter has to be sacrificed; rather, material particles should be transmuted and become astral particles.
This disappearance of the matter so that it may become higher matter, is symbolized by blood emanating from a wound. The triangle, with its vertex downward, confirms the belief that there is energy and mind even in the heaviest part of the matter. Personally, it is image of sacrifice, a sacrifice spontaneously made so that another person may gather the experience.

Figure 13

The skeleton on the green field denotes a continuous revival of life, and reincarnation and continuous changes.
This image is Kali, the Hindu goddess who, holding a bloodstained knife, dances around the body of the god, his husband, after killing him a little while ago. This means that the body has to perish so that the spirit may be liberated. The goddess symbolizes with her dance the joy produced by the liberation of the spirit; at the same time, it is image of black magic, which uses the moment of death to vivify memories of the operators.
The moment of death is of the greatest elation, pleasure and magnetic force for just when an individual being dies, he can truly enjoy because of his instantaneous conviction that is immortal.

Figure 14

This figure represents that the secret of possessing life, health and youth rests on adjusting to continuous change of life itself. An individual being wishing to remain in certain law, is against the great Law of Life, which is continuous change; this is why he lacks harmony, falls ill and dies.
The septenary is image of seven centers continuously gone through upward and downward; a perfect transmutation denoted by the cup. At his feet, a blooming almond tree, denoting that he has achieved of eternal youth and vigor.

Figure 15

The devil is image of Kundalini, vital force, which wants expansion through imagination. The instinct moves Kundalini that has to sustain the physical body; the will guides Kundalini that has to raise man to Divine Spheres; and the imagination moves Kundaluni that creates physical forces.
The devil has a demonic symbol upon the chest because more often than not the imaginative creation is based on the instinctive desire and rejects activities of the higher will.
The light of life is out because Kundalini is not used as a link between the lower and the higher world but to give pleasure to senses, and moves to the astral world. So, it symbolizes sexual magic, irresistible force of the nerves and ethereal body, and regeneration power.

Figure 16

The tower is the physical body, symbol of reincarnation and continuous becoming of life. The three windows in the tower symbolize the three powers of man: physical, mental and spiritual.
The thunderbolt against the tower is the implacable destiny, Karma, which is after him, and destroys him when he is not necessary for the Work.
The blood rain symbolizes human suffering.
Human figures, and animals, ejected from the windows, symbolize that, in spite of the apparent death of the physical body, always something old, something evil, something hindering the progress appears to be thrown away.
Also it symbolizes the divine wrath that punishes, and even mercy of God because man receives punishment to improve and go ahead.