All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT and M.M. Meleen

The “action” card for today is Lust. As I mentioned earlier, the Queen of Disks as “background” card is a mystery to me in human terms, and today’s pull only deepens that mystery. So I decided to derive a “quintessence” card from the two. Unlike others, I always include court cards in the equation, since my view of the quint is that it should be a summary of all the cards on the table. Queens are the 13th card of their suit, and Lust in the Thoth system is the trump card numbered Eleven; 13 + 11 = 24 = 6, the Lovers. Whoa!

I’m not very outgoing socially these days, mainly due to lack of kindred spirits in our rural backwater, so I’m not inclined to read this pairing as a literal – and lustful – encounter with an unknown Capricorn woman. So let’s look at the “moral characteristics” of the Queen of Disks as described in the Book of Thoth to see how they might apply to my own attitude or behavior today. These keywords and phrases are taken from the table I developed from a thorough “scrub” of Crowley’s text a while ago:

usefully ambitious

affectionate

kind

great-hearted

non-intellectual

instinctual

intuitive

quiet

hard-working

practical

sensible

domesticated

reticent

unassuming

accepting

sensual

addiction-prone

I could probably maintain my composure to this remarkable degree for at least one day (the “non-intellectual” part would certainly escape my grasp, though). A more general interpretation of the Queens associates them with patience, forbearance and conservatism, and the Queen of Disks is the epitome of these values, keeping her own counsel with great tenacity and presence of mind. Since I have a Capricorn Moon and strong emphasis on Cancer and Scorpio in my horoscope, these virtues would not be out-of-character for me. It remains to be seen whether I will be challenged to exercise them today.

Although Lust has salacious implications, it’s really Strength tarted up in Crowley’s “Whore of Babalon” symbolism. It’s about self-mastery at the subconscious level: in Waite’s view, it indicates subjugation of the animal appetites (closing the Lion’s mouth), while Paul Foster Case saw it as giving voice to those same instincts (opening the Lion’s mouth) in a controlled and constructive manner. As an artist and writer, I’ve always been partial to Case’s perspective; Leonine creativity deserves release, not ruthless repression. Speaking of salacious, I’m reminded of the advice randy young soldiers used to be given when venturing out “on the town” in Germany during my tour of duty a long time ago: “Keep it in your pants!” What I see developing as a strong possibility today is bringing the creative urge together with practical ambition in a utilitarian marriage of forces. In the Golden Dawn’s system of Elemental Dignities, Earth and Fire are “neutral and mutually supportive,” while in my own take on that technique, they represent a “modest opportunity.”

The Lovers usually means “a crossroads” to me; I almost never see it as a “soul-mate connection, or even a budding romance (that’s more “2 of Cups” territory). In keeping with the traditional image of a man facing a choice between two women, I envision  it as two paths leading from a junction – one is the “high road” of best intentions, and the other is the “low road” of less noble repute. (I even created a couple of decision-making spreads that employ this paradigm.) This card relates to Gemini, so the choice will be mental rather than visceral; the “gut” may want to pull the traveler one way, but the conscience points in the other direction. I’m curious whether the appeal to my better judgment that this implies will emerge today. It may simply mean the temptation to goof off (dodging that tenacious Queen of Disks) rather than get something useful done.