Subjects discuss range from ancient gods, astrology, mysticism, the elements, alchemy, the emerald tablet, hermetics, mystery schools, angels, enochian language, tarot, oracles, theosophy, thelema, to modern technology and the sciences. Controversial ideas in their time, Isaac Newton, Galileo, Aristotle, Plato, Alestair Crowley, Madame Blavatsky, John Dee, Carl Jung, The Beatles, are a few of those mentioned as part of the development, discovery and popularity of these subjects and pushed boundaries.

Although the documentary brings as many questions as answers, it does provide an overview of many subjects in this area of interest.

A few of the concepts discussed:

They expressed it very beautifully – As Above, So Below, it really means wherever you look, the patterns will be the same. At the microscopic level, at our level, and at the cosmic level.

The movements of the planets through the heavens used to be considered the footprints of the gods and goddesses, and when they would catch up with each other and have interactions or one would go retrograde and then go forward again, these things were all understood to affect the world.

In Egypt, divination developed into a sophisticated system of rituals and ceremonies, designed to contact the gods that ruled their world.

They codified an alphabet that would line up the sounds of speech, the number canon and the zodiacal signs planets and features in the heavens so that you could with this alphabet spell sacred words, count, figure and calculate, and you could also do astronomy.

Pythagoras identified numbers as the most fundamental elements of creation.

Many credit pythagoras and his school with the development of numerology, and the efficient Greek alphabet eventually adopted by much of western culture. Pythagoras also applied numbers to decode music, which Greeks regarded as the language of the gods. He invented the monochord which defined the numerical ratios of the musical scale. Pythagoras believed he solved the mysteries of the universe.

The tarot is a pictorial representation of occult teachings. It’s a method of going within and contacting archetypal levels within oneself, spiritual levels and entering meditative state in which intuition is heightened and maybe where you can see certain types of patterns occurring because you are in a certain state of mind.

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Welcome back to Tarot Notess at Symbolic Living.

This week we’re going to switch gears a bit and give a brief introduction, talking a little about Arthur Edward Waite (A.E. Waite) and Pamela Colman Smith. They are responsible for the most widely used tarot deck today, the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Many feel it should be more accurately called the Waite-Smith deck, or a variation of their names thereof, but the publisher, Rider, was given rights to attach the Rider name to the deck.

What was special about the Rider-Waite deck is that it incorporates imagery that is related to our everyday existence and depicts symbols we can recognize in our own lives. Many previous decks did a fine job of illustrating the Major Arcana, however, the Minor Arcana pips were often depicted with more elusive images, and were more difficult to decipher a core meaning.

10 of Coins. Marseilles

10 Pentacles. Rider-Waite

For example, take a look at the 10 of coins (pentacles, disks).

Here we see on the left the Tarot de Marseilles which is beautifully illustrated and highly popular deck in the latin world, but doesn’t immediately lend itself to a meaningful depiction we can relate to our way of life. On the right, we are shown a much more rich symbolism of the Rider-Waite deck and we see a plethora of imagery, life, action, movement, experience providing many more clues to understand it’s rich meaning.

A.E. Waite was born in the United States, living from (October 2, 1857 – May 19, 1942). He was an academic and a mystic who studied western occultism (occult means hidden; unknown to the general public, and is often applied to subjects such as astrology, magic and related area’s). Waite was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an order that explored and taught Western Mystery Traditions of spirituality, mysticism and magic. He wrote many academic papers as well as books on esoteric subjects from Alchemy, Kabbalah to Magic.

Pamela Colman Smith, nicknamed Pixie, was born in London, England living from (February 16, 1878—September 18, 1951). She moved to Jamaica during her childhood years, then to Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, Pamela studied art in school. In a few years she became an illustrator and worked as a theater designer, including costume and stage design. She illustrated a number of books for writers including William Butler Yeats and Bram Stoker.

A.E. Waite

Pamela Colman Smith

Smith met Waite when she joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1901. In 1909, Waite worked with Pamela’s artistic abilities to create the Waite-Smith Deck. Although Waite directed the creation of the cards through description and writings, Smith’s artistic abilities brought the cards to life. Many believe Smith is likely responsible for going beyond the descriptions of Waite adding her own wisdom in developing the final result, especially to the minor arcana pip cards. (The Pip’s are the numbered cards in the minor arcana).

A.E. Waite also wrote a book called the Pictorial Key to the Tarot to accompany the deck with meanings and descriptions. Each deck comes with a small booklet the size of the cards with Waite’s meanings and keyword associations.

Here is a video we found of Pamela Colman Smith’s artwork, outside the tarot deck.

We hope you enjoy learning about Tarot at Symbolic Living with an easy to understand approach for beginners.

Some weeks we may talk about the cards, history and more. As we go along things will change and develop, we’ll keep it interesting for you.

You are also welcome to join the Symbolic Living Forum for further discussion in the Tarot section where each card can be discussed with members.

Tarot Notes is written by Symbolic Living. © 2011. All rights reserved.

Stay tuned for our regular installments of Tarot Notes at Symbolic Living.

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Designed for controversy, these subjects have been a part of life and life’s taboo’s since the beginning of civilization.

Designed for sales.  Lady Gaga knows how to sell and parallels Madonna in many ways throughout by taking risks in demonstrating art through these archetypal subjects. She continues the one eye open, the other covered motif displayed in other videos many allude to conveying Horus eye symbolism. It appears a disheveled red heart is being carried with an A resembling a cross on it.

Smart marketing by touching on the most primal subjects we all can relate to.  It’s all been done before, it’s just now, with a little more money, and refinement in art and video, it looks a little more upscale.

Where there’s dark, there’s mystery and mystery makes you think and desire to know more.  Mystery = controversy = sales.

Primal, animal, occult, ritual, gothic. Gaga’s cloak$reminds one of The Golden Dawn, Catholic or related ritual garments.

It is art. Reinventions of universal archetypal subject matter.

Upside-down Cross. Coffin. Phallic Symbol.

Religion. Death. Sex.

Primal battle between these subjacts timeless interconnectedness symbolized by War – Military.

Hand Mudra Christian Symbol

More about Lady Gaga’s Video’s and Symbolism in the Arts and Entertainment Section on the Symbolic Living Forum including Born this Way

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“Egypt the birthplace of magic and home of the mystery schools”

“Egypt regarded the entire universe, as a gigantic act of magic, the transformation of consciousness into the material universe”

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The story depicts Larry Talbot being bitten one night by a Gypsy’s son who was once a werewolf, in turn giving Talbot the curse of lycanthropy (Werewolfism). The story unfolds as Talbot roams the countryside battling and enduring his conflict of identity.

Lycanthropy is derived from the Greek words Lykoi – “Wolf” and Antrhopos – “Man”.

Early Werewolf Myth: Lycaeon was an early King of Arcadia, who tested Zeus by serving him a slaughtered child. Furious, and disgusted, Zeus overturned the table and blasted thunderbolts turning King Lycaeon into a wolf and killed his 50 sons.

The Wolfman 2010 is a remake of the 1941 film starring Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.

Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright.

Notable Werewolf movies:

Silver Bullet (1985. Stephen King)

Bad Moon (1996)

Wolf (1994. Jack Nicholson)

The Howling (1981)

Ginger Snaps  (2000)

The Wolfman (1941)

Werewolf of London (1935)

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

An American werewolf in London (1981)

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Underworld Rise of the Lycans (2009)

Sherrilyn Kenyon, supernatural romance novelist is a New York Times best seller with books covering a wide variety of werewolf shapeshifting characters with themes including werewolves, thriller, horror, romance, gothic, vampire, suspense, paranormal. View Sherrilyn Kenyon Books here

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Exploring the historical accounts of witches, from persecution to acceptance to discrimination to religious rights and freedom.  This biography channel documentary shares a variety of views of wicca and witchcraft including salem, spellcrafting, herbal lore, the elements, magick, the threefold law, quantum physics, biographies of witches, including Silver Ravenwolf, Gerald Gardner and Christopher Penczak. The program demonstrates the growing interest and acceptance of paganism, witchcraft and wicca in the western world, but also shows it still not acknowledged by a large portion of the population.

Video suggested by brifae. Member of the Esoteric Forum

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The Sufi spiritual practice of the whirling dervish accompanies the beauty of mystic symbolism in this video of dreams, Bedtime Story.

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“Kabbalah helped me understand that there is a bigger picture and that being well-intentioned is great, but if you don’t live your life according to the laws of the universe, you bring chaos into your life.”

“I’m a speck, an atom,” she says. “Everything physical is an illusion, but it’s there to guide us or test us or deter us. Our job is to navigate through this world while understanding the only thing that matters is the state of our soul, and that’s very hard because I’m in the entertainment business, which is completely based on illusion and physical things. Any success I have is a manifestation of God. It’s my ego that wants to claim ownership. It’s hubris, arrogance and greed.”— Madonna

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Telephone

Famous Eyes
The Mysteries of Fame

Today’s pop music culture is increasingly opening a window to The Mysteries. What Mysteries? The mysteries of ancient cultures, with a strong focus on the most mysterious of all – Egypt, Babylon and their symbolism.

Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jayz, Kanye West and friends are currently at the top of the pop culture phenomenon which could be called the fame pyramid, looking out from the all seeing eye on their audience. One eye, gloves, baphomet, pentacles, Saturn, halo’s, pyramids, checkered floors are just some examples of the increasing use of symbols in music videos. These have been used before in the past by musicians, including the ultra famous David Bowie and Madonna. Recently they are becoming more prominent and frequent by pop-artists.

From a strictly marketing perspective, this symbolism could be placed strongly in videos to capture the wonder and curiosity of the audience. Fame, and super-stardom after all, is dependent on the audience wanting to know more about an artist. A factor strongly relating to the fusion of their persona with their art. This then develops an image of who they are, much like a symbol. The power of their image therefore holds meaning that relates to the viewer, yet still contains distance enough to continuously offer more interpretation. There’s more to unfold. The human persona therefore becomes the symbol to be interpreted.

To be a player in the high-end world of pop culture, a musicians impact is not only dependent on their music, but the symbolic representation of who they are. Increasingly the persona is uniting with powerful, symbolic imagery through photography and video to create an illusion of grand proportion.

Today’s pop artists reach heights of recognition and wonder akin to the mythology of Gods and Goddesses in ancient times. Who they are spans the globe connecting to the minds of billions. Concerts are designed to be an almost mystical experience with the star nearly being glorified as a God or Goddess. There is no coincidence in the use of the term “star” to label these artists. We’ve long been fascinated in wonder about the heavens. In the celtic druidic tradition, the Bard was the musician who shared the mystical stories, divinity, and were the tellers of the sacred stories of the mythological heroes. Now the musical artist, has become the story as the mythology surrounds who they are.

Much has been said and done in the industry and little is shocking or controversial these days. The appeal to the audiences desires of wanting to know more must be continuous, and reinvented regularly to keep things interesting. The general public are slightly familiar with some symbols in passing, yet vaguely aware of their meaning. This sets the perfect stage for mystery to provoke their attention further while also becoming a means of communicating with the audience in a subliminal way. Art by its very nature holds a variety of meanings and a lot of mystery dependent on the eye of the beholder.

When The Secret came out, it created quite a stir. It spread like wildfire, just as gossip does. We know, after all, pop culture is largely based on gossip contagiously spreading from one medium to the next, gaining interest along its path.

Gossip popularity reveals the human condition – peoples natural need to know more, and marketers take advantage of the opportunity. The Secret, certainly was named with clever marketing appeal. Everyone just had to know what the secret was right?

Now the secrets are embedded in lyrics, video’s, fashion and musicians personas. Often they are hidden in video’s only apparent to the analyst while others are dominantly apparent before the viewers eyes.

One can not know for sure who is the catalyst for the use of the mysteries in pop culture, whether it be artist, producer, cinematographer, collaborative development or other. What we do know is they are present, and considered an important part of today’s pop industry attraction. It’s not a fad that ancient culture’s symbols have been fascinating people for ages.

To perceive positively or negatively. It’s a matter of choice.

Where mysteriousness is present, conspiracies will assuredly follow in the mainstream and not surprisingly are easy to find. Remember also that conspiracies are often interpretations of bias meant to compartmentalize the subject into an ideology, depending on the interpreters personal and religious world view. Most usually the nature of a conspiracy theory is a negative message in general.

Are producers simply interested in ancient cultures? Are they interested in magical practices? Some say their magic isn’t limited to marketing the artists through the development of a mysterious persona; some believe they are using the symbols in video’s as part of powerful ritual magic. Others feel those in charge are freemason’s who have the knowledge and intention to convey the subliminal meaning of the symbols.

According to current conspiracy theories, Lady Gaga is considered the poster child for the Illuminati, and Beyonce’s alter ego Sasha Fierce is possessed by Lucifer. People are now wondering if the “good girl gone bad”, Rihanna, has actually gone to the dark side and is possessed by demons. From his Rocawear line designs, his seemingly contagious use of the pyramid sign (diamond), to his “secret” handshakes with Kanye West and his continuous, obsessive reference to the Rockefellers, JayZ is touted as a Freemason.

Conspiracies usually elaborate on fearful interpretations, and swing either way in terms of lack of awareness to the “highly illuminated”. One must ask the question though, where are those beliefs rooted from, and how are they used to influence the interpretation of the symbolism. Are those who use them, compartmentalizing the symbolism according to their own intentions and thus creating an illusionary meaning based on their ideologies?

In terms of conspiracies, it can not be known for sure who chooses to develop the popularly interpreted meaning, which is usually the negative interpretations as conspiracy theories go. Are the negative interpretations what the artists and producers are interested in projecting – an underlying conspiracy? Is it the viewer who is interpreting the imagery from the perspective of fear that are overshadowing the symbolism? Or are both sides lost in their ideologies that blasphemes the sacredness of ancient cultural spirituality and knowledge in sacred symbolism, veiling it in false views? Are the nature of the symbols being twisted for Dark Arts or are these people deeply interested in the shadow side of reality? Is it simply a natural aspect of art to incorporate symbolism.

In the West money is by far the most popular symbol. Is the use of the pyramid by today’s artists strictly representing money and thus what money can represent for power, the elite class, or negative connotations? Or are they praising their good luck, freedom and ability to enjoy the pleasures money can afford? Is the symbolism of the pyramid being referenced in pop-media as extensive as the ancient mysteries cosmology and mysticism of Ancient Egypt, the Trinity of Christian mysticism or Masonry? Does the one eye open and the other closed symbolize big brother, does it hold a universal symbolism depicted in the eye of horus or does it represent harmony of opposites, as can be seen in depictions of the Anima Mundi?

We may not know the real reason for the increasing use of the symbolism. Is it for enjoyment? Do these stars have a genuine interest in ancient symbolism? Do they really know the deeper meaning or are they playing it at face value? Are they simply doing it for controversy? Or again, is it back to marketing the mysterious?

Universal archetypes are by their very nature complex, with deep meaning, which is why they are mysterious and can not be easily compartmentalized into one interpretation.

One can be assured, from the perspective of authentic ancient cultural symbolism, any mainstream fearful interpretations are falsely being abused. Ancient mysteries and their source are, at their very essence, about the ascension to the Limitless Light of the Divine, the source of all reality. This Source is expressed in exoteric terms by religions in various ways, and in pop-culture, but at it’s very core, at it’s esoteric essence, anything that is truly spiritually based is authentic Oneness with Divinity.

We invite you to share and analyze video’s, and artists persona’s. Provide your opinion on what these artists are now utilizing as a driving force to not only capture their audience curiosity but to also bring ancient cultural symbolism to the mainstream. Suggest your own videos, as a spot the symbols Feature.

also see Halo. Ego on Beyonce here

Alejandro Symbolism

To read more recent posts on Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay Z, symbolism do a search on this site for listings, or visit the Symbolic Living Forum Arts and Entertainment section here.

© 2009-2011 Symbolic Living copyright.  Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

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This popular song has been said to really be speaking of the ascension to and acceptance of the higher self, or alter ego, rather than what the video portrays on the surface. The meaning can be perceived in various aspects of trust, faith, and self realization but has also been interpreted by some as words of devotion to, acceptance of, or possession by “the light bringer” for power.

It has also been said the corset Sasha Fierce (Beyonce’s alter ego) wears, depicts Baphomet. This corset, as well as a similar glove also appeared in the 1992 video Too Funky.

Lyrics.

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they’re tumbling down
And they didn’t even put up a fight
They didn’t even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It’s like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin’
It’s the risk that I’m takin’
I ain’t never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You’re the only one that I want
Think I’m addicted to your light

I swore I’d never fall again
But this don’t even feel like falling
Gravity can’t forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin’
The risk that I’m takin’
I’m never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

(repeat)
Halo, halo

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

(repeat)

Read about Halo’s on Symbolic Living forum here.

Single Ladies Request

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Masks represent our outward persona, while hiding the inner self. Putting on masks can also be a form or expression of the inner self to the outer world, or aspects of the inner self that are usually dormant can be heightened through masks. In this film Cruise is requested to remove his mask to reveal his true identity at the Masked Ball. Once revealed there is no turning back.

Eyes Wide Shut contains a lot of adult sexual content, and for this reason the continuation of this scene has not been posted.

The music played in this masked ball ritual scene is by Jocelyn Pook.

Masks of Eternity by Joseph Campbell

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