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Tree of Life: Chesed into Geburah – Path 19
Zodiac: Leo
Number: 11
Hebrew Letter: Teth
Motto: “I Will”
Light: expression, external manifestation of internal, ego, performance, trust, attention, creativity
Shadow: vanity, need for validation, drama, pride, selfishness
Key Themes of The Lust Thoth Card
The Lust Thoth Tarot card is a potent symbol of creative energy, passion, and the transformative power of desire. It represents the cosmic orgasm, the explosive energy of creation and the power of sex.
The core theme of the Lust card is the identity between love and death, the ultimate surrender of oneself to passion and desire. This card represents a point of self-realization, where we begin to question our potential and seek ways to improve. The Lust card encourages us sometimes quiet certain aspects of ourselves to amplify others.
The Fool's Lesson from The Lust
In The Fool’s journey, he encounters a sacred garden grove where a woman embraces a lion. She explains that she represents the higher self, and the lion symbolizes the lower self. They share the same joys and sorrows, yet each has its own unique destiny. The woman teaches The Fool to balance earthly desires of the ego (lower consciousness) while staying connected to his life purpose. This integration empowers him.
The woman emphasizes that when heart and mind unite, even the dangerous lion finds peace in love’s presence. The Fool realizes that love is stronger than hate, and by understanding love and beauty, he evolves and finds inner power.
Joe’s Divine Guidance: The Lust in a Tarot Reading
Upright
When the Lust card appears in your reading, it’s a clear sign from the universe encouraging you to pursue your passions. It symbolizes a surge of creativity, transformation, and the power of love. This card is a call to harness your inner fire, chase your dreams, and evolve into the best version of yourself.
Reversed
If the Lust card shows up reversed, it serves as a gentle warning. Perhaps you’re suppressing your desires, or on the contrary, they might be spiraling out of control. The key here is to find a balance between indulging your passions and maintaining your discipline.
Mystical Symbolism: Decoding The Lust Card Symbols
This card’s symbols represent the struggle between our lower and higher natures, the unity of masculine and feminine energies, and the dawn of a new perspective or life.
Naked Woman (Babalon): Symbolizes passion and carnal desires, and is linked to understanding (Binah) in spiritual terms.
Holy Grail/Cup of Babalon: Represents the union of opposites (male and female, life and death) and the concept of self-sacrifice in love.
Lion: Stands for primal forces like passion and instincts.
Red Reins: Signify the passion connecting our higher and lower natures.
Beast Trampling on Saints: Highlights the need for balance between indulging and suppressing desires, while refuting the “old aeon” of quietude and inhibition.
Path 19 on the Tree of Life: Chesed into Geburah
On the Tree of Life, the Lust card signifies Path 19, a journey that involves a delicate dance between Chesed (Mercy) and Geburah (Severity). Chesed encourages us to keep going, to persist in our endeavors, while Geburah advises us to take a break, to rest and rejuvenate. This balance keeps the circuits of life running.
Path 19 is like a cosmic pinball game, bouncing between extremes, constructing and deconstructing. It exemplifies the rising of the serpent power, the creative energy, and represents the path of the flaming sword, the lightning flash of creation that ricocheted between all the sephiroth to create the universe.
The Lust Hebrew Letter - Teth
The Lust card is associated with the Hebrew letter “Teth,” which means snake or serpent. This letter symbolizes the coiling serpent, representing the kundalini energy at the base of the spine that rises up to spiritual enlightenment.
The function of Teth is Taste and digestion, symbolizing the process of internalizing and integrating life experiences. It represents the serpent energy, the primal force that drives creation and transformation.
Astrology Insights: The Lust's Associations
In astrology, the Lust card corresponds to Leo, a sign known for its creativity and loyalty. Leo is a fixed fire sign, representing the maintenance of fire energy. The Lust card embodies the characteristics of Leo, including the ability to continually perfect, develop, and grow.
Leo is located in the 5th House of Children, symbolizing the creative and passionate nature of this card. The Lust card encourages us to channel the fiery, creative energy of Leo into our pursuits and to harness the power of our passion.