Theos-Talk Archives (June 1995 Message tl00028)

Hi Jerry Schueler, Arthur Patterson and All interested,

Nicolas Tereshchenko, a good friend and an esotericist with wide
interests, recently visited me and this resulted in my submitting
some questions and comments to Theos-L regarding some of his
ideas on Tarot.  I also sent an earlier message on his behalf.
Nick is now back at his home in Paris, but has forwarded to me
the following message which he has asked me to post to Theos-L.
So, the following is from Nick:

TO: All interested, but in particular to Jerry Schueler and
Arthur Patterson.  This is Nick Tereshchenko's last communication
this way; anyone who wishes to write to my Paris address will
receive an answer.  My study of the Tarot began in 1956 with the
London based Insight Institute's correspondence course, costing 2
guineas ($11 at the then exchange rate) and consisting of 12
lessons and a full deck of Tarot de Marseille cards.  It dealt
exclusively with divination, but I soon became convinced that the
Tarot was more than just a fortune-telling tool.  Soon, as I
studied and visualised the arcana, they began to "change", so I
made notes.  In particular 0 - The Fool divided itself into TWO
cards (its 2nd aspect I now number 22 and call "The Ape of
Thoth").  In 1973 the Editor of COSMOS (a monthly then published
in Sydney, Australia) asked me to write a series of articles on
the Tarot and published them (24 in all) between 1974 and 1978,
when I retired from my work and came to live in Paris.  These,
with additional material I made into a book, but could not find
an English language publisher, so translated my work into French
and had it published in Paris (see previous mail for titles).  In
addition to my detailed comments on the "modified" (i.e.  as
"seen" by me) 22 Major Arcana (drawn for me by my artist niece
Maria SKY), my book contains a full illustrated description of
the 23rd Arcanum previously known only to Adepti Majores (6.=5.)
of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as well as other
previously unpublished material (such as a ritual using Tarot to
energise the planetary body's chakras).  Although my primary
interests currently are: first, the Gurdjieff Work and, second,
the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (whose Temple AHATHOOR N.
7 we have just revived in Paris), I am also in the process of
"seeing/receiving" the "24th" Major Arcanum hinted at in the
ritual of elevation to the high Grade of Adeptus Exemptus (7.=4.)
and will in due course publish it in TAROT NETWORK NEWS, as well
as adding it to the text of my book on Tarot, as yet unpublished
in English.

To Jerry Schueler: I know well your excellent 3 books on
Enochian, but have not yet studied your Tarot writings.  I do not
wholly agree with your symbolic and other interpretation of some
Major Arcana, such as VI - The Lovers, which should be in the
singular NOT plural as wrongly labelled in almost all English
packs; it is certainly NOT a card about "love", but is the
arcanum of CHOICE generally and in particular about choosing the
right "spiritual" path; or VIII - Justice which principally
symbolises CONSCIENCE, hence the common confusion with XI -
Strength which mainly symbolizes CONSCIOUSNESS.  For further
details, see my book which, in the French, devotes 11 pages to
Justice and 12 to Strength - too long to type here in full and
not useful without the relevant illustrations.  The 16 "hidden"
paths are also called "Tunnels of Seth" (partly dealt with by
Kenneth Grant in one of his books) and probably were originally
the pathways between the Qlipphoth (the Sephiroth's "evil" mirror
images) which have "invaded" the Tree of Life proper.  Though
apparently "forbidden", nevertheless they must be explored by
those aspiring to the grade of Magister Templi (8.=3.) and
higher; they are probably part of the experience in "The Abyss".

To Arthur Patterson: My remarks to Jerry S.  re symbolism of
certain arcana apply to your exposition too; for example, the 4
Minor Arcana Aces correspond principally to the 4 states of
Consciousness, as explained by George Ivanovich GURDJIEFF.  For
more information on this ask Sy Ginsburg, who knows as much as I
about this, if not more.  John Dee (1527-1608) was the Court
Astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I and received the elements of
"Enochian Magic" through the medium known as Edward Kelly.  But
this was welded into a coherent practical system only last
century by the Founder Member and Grand Master of the Golden Dawn
Order, Samuel Liddell McGREGOR MATHERS, Compte de GLENSTRAE.
Before him, no one had been able to usefully apply what John Dee
learnt and recorded.

--end of Nick Tereshchenko's message.

His address is
Nicolas Tereshchenko
87 rue Vercingetorix
75014 Paris
FRANCE

(unfortunately he does not have an Internet address)

Cheers Sy Ginsburg