Tarot Card Meanings with Benebell
Transcript of Tarot Card Meanings with Benebell
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Tarot Card Meanings with Benebell Part XI: The Knights (THOTH: PRINCES)
Video Transcript
https://youtu.be/DPOHNvheW7o
This installment of Tarot Card Meanings with Benebell will be on the Knights, comparing and studying
what seminal texts in history have given as the card meaning attributions for the Tarot de Marseille, the
Rider-Waite-Smith, and the Thoth. We’ll also be looking at the deck I created, the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot.
Going forward, we’ll be showcasing the full-color Revelation Edition of the SKT.
INTRODUCTION TO THE KNIGHTS & REVIEWING PAST LECTURES
We kicked off the course in the Supernal Triangle, or the Fiery Archetypal World where we’ve already
covered the Kings and Queens. We crossed the Abyss, passing through the unseen sephira, Daath*,
descending below to Chesad, the tarot Fours, building order from chaos, then the Fives in Gevurah,
destabilizing to expand and progress, then the Sixes in Tifereth, arriving at harmony. [*See erratum.]
And before crossing the veil, we explored the second Ethical Triangle, the Creative World of the Mind,
corresponding with the element Air. Here is successful initiation, where the Ethical Triad designates a
union between the human soul and the divine soul, the ethical reconciliation of God’s Will and the human
will.
We crossed that veil into Netzach, realm of Sevens, the realm in which we hone our reasoning skills, our
discernment, and learn how we can choose to exercise our free will and right of choice. Then we explored
the Eights in Yod.
After our descent below The Veil to master discernment and reasoning in Netzach with the Realm of
Sevens, we explored the Realm of Eights through Yod. We now return in an ascent up and behind The
Veil into the Mysteries, now fortified with discernment and reasoning skills, to re-explore Tifereth with
the Knights, the Shining Ones in the Empyrean Court that are angels, or aspects of our higher selves
fortified by the discernment and reasoning we acquired during our descent below The Veil.
Tifereth is a feminine noun, signifying Harmony and Beauty. This emanation is unconditional maternal
love and mercy where the upper sephiroth and lower sephiroth and brought into balance. Tifereth is
personified by Jacob, who wrestled with an angel and became Israel.
This is also the realm of the tarot Knights. In the SKT, the Knights are The Shining Ones, the namesake
after the corresponding angel hierarchy. The action-oriented energy of the Knights here convey the
dynamic symmetry exemplifying Tifereth, creating a center of gravity between the two polarities of
pillars.
pg. 2
Boaz is the Feminine or Dark Pillar. Jachim is the Masculine
Pillar, Lighter, and together, signify a familiar icon from Key 2:
The High Priestess card. Mark Horn, author of Tarot and the
Gates of Light, likens Tifereth to the realm of bodhisattvas in the
Buddhist tradition.
Here in Tifereth, we
remember: God said, Let
there be Light, and there
was Light. And so it was
revealed in the Book of
Illumination, the Sefer Ha
Bahir. In the Priestess
card, we see the priestess,
Sophia, standing in the
place of the Middle Pillar.
Tifereth, residence of the
Knights, here along the
Middle Pillar, is where
God’s Will, Let there be
Light, reconciles with the
Miracles Performed. And there was Light.
Let’s also consider how Crowley reconciled the I Ching and the
Qabalistic Tree of Life. We’re sourcing this from The Equinox,
Volume III, Numbers 7 and 8. On screen you’ll be seeing the I
Ching correspondence symbols or glyphs found on the SKT
Revelation, now positioned along the Qabalistic Tree per Crowley’s attributions.
Tifereth, the realm of the Knights, would thus correspond with the trigram Fire, per Crowley.
Crowley’s I Ching Hexagram Correspondences for the Four Princes
42
On the Ascent
61
Faith Within
57
Use Gentle Force
53
Slow & Steady
PRINCE OF WANDS PRINCE OF CUPS PRINCE OF SWORDS PRINCE OF DISKS
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Though in terms of hexagram correspondences, Crowley assigns Hexagram 42 to the Prince of Wands,
61 to the Prince of Cups, 57 to the Prince of Swords, and Hexagram 53 to the Prince of Disks. None of
these four hexagrams assigned to the Realm of Princes actually contain the trigram Fire, in Tifereth.
So it’s…it’s an intriguing theory but I admit leaves me with more questions than answers.
[NOTE: Crowley/OTO’s tarot, Hermetic Qabalah, and I Ching correspondences diagram titled “The Chinese Cosmos” from
The Equinox was provided in the video transcript for the Tarot Eights.]
The Spirit Keeper’s Tarot is designed under a different system of I Ching correspondences.
I Ching Trigram Correspondences for the Four Princes
KNIGHT OF WANDS KNIGHT OF CUPS KNIGHT OF SWORDS KNIGHT OF PENTACLES
Each card is assigned a trigram, rather than a hexagram, and two by two in combination, the cards build
the hexagrams. The trigram correspondences are reconciled at the elemental level, so two trigrams of the
eight correspond with one of the four Western alchemical elements.
Fire, for the Knight of Scepters, Water, for the Knight of Chalices, Heaven, or Sky, for the Knight of
Swords, and Earth, for the Knight of Orbs.
Knights, the Shining Ones, are always metaphysical elements in action.
The Knight of Wands, Air of Fire, where the Realm of Knights corresponds with the element Air, and
the Wands corresponds with the element Fire, is about launching, take-off from the point of departure.
The Knight of Cups, Air of Water, is a spirit guide in soul retrieval and dream visualization. This is the
stirring of the waters of creation.
The Knight of Swords, Air of Air, is acting on that creativity, exerting courageous, even combative
willpower. This is what Waite describes as the “intellect unchained.”
The Knight of Pentacles, in the Thoth, the Disks, Air of Earth, where per elemental dignities, Air and
Earth weaken, the rapid, volatile pace of Air is tamed, given some weight and an anchor. This is
horsepower, what moves the engine so things can get done. This is productivity in motion.
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CROWLEY’S THEORY FOR THE KNIGHTS & PRINCES
Before we jump in to card meanings, let’s talk about the Thoth. We’re sourcing our information from a
1912 publication in The Equinox, an occult periodical founded by Aleister Crowley, and the title of that
publication was “A Description of the Cards of the Tarot.”
When you look at the Knights or Cavaliers in the Marseille, those young strapping fellas on horseback,
and you look at the Knights from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the logical conclusion might be that the
Thoth Knights on horseback are their equivalent.
But then we read from Crowley himself that the tarot Kings are the “figures mounted on steeds,” riding
swiftly and clothed in armor, a force swift and violent in its action, but whose effect soon passes away,
case in point, the cards titled the Knights.
So then the Knight equivalents in the Thoth would be the Princes, the Mighty Son of the King (that was
the Knight) and the Queen. The Princes are seated in chariots. And so in this video on the Knights, we
are going to cover the Thoth Princes.
pg. 5
Crowley’s origins story for his Princes is kind of interesting. You’ll find this origins story for why the
court titles are what they are in The Equinox. This story applies to the courts in all four elemental realms,
but let’s demonstrate the origins story by focusing on the Suit of Cups.
In the old tarot, or the old architectural blueprint of the old Aeon, the old universe, the King of Cups and
Queen of Cups from that old universe had a daughter.
That daughter is this Queen of Cups. This Queen of Cups and the Knight of Cups from the new Aeon,
this revised architectural blueprint of the Universe, presumably more true, more evolved, had a child.
That child is the Prince of Cups, this tarot Knight card. Later, we’ll cover his sister, the Princess of Cups,
daughter of the Knight and Queen. Though brother and sister, they also marry, but as the prophecy of
the Aeon of Osiris holds, as told in the Book of Thoth, the Prince shall die, leaving the Princess widowed.
See what he did there? And why the Knight is the King and the Prince is the Knight?
KNIGHT OF WANDS
Let’s start with the Cavalier de Bâtons, or the Knight of Wands. On screen there in black and white for
your coloring pleasure, is the BOTA Tarot. Under the Marseilles system, according to MacGregor
Mathers, this is fiery action that results in the departure from what had been a stationary point, or a
separation from. Disunion.
So, by way of a few examples, if the Two of Cups is drawn immediately after the Knight of Wands, then
together these cards foretell a separation from a lover, a departure happening in a romance or friendship,
disunion among kindred spirits.
If the Knight of Wands is paired with the Four of Swords, we now have a double negative, which equals
a positive, so here we see the end of solitude, the end of a retreat, or a reunion of some sort. This is
someone who was in social isolation emerging again, being part of the community once more.
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The Knight of Wands paired with the Three of Coins brings
a negative meaning to the otherwise positive Three of Coins.
By itself, the Three of Coins is an elevation in rank, dignity,
or power. Paired with the Knight of Wands, however, which
shows the verb or action of departure, we see a demotion,
descent, lowering of rank or power.
In the 1881 Belline Tarot, which features handwritten
keywords, you’ll see that the assigned meaning echoes this
concept of the Knight of Wands, the Combattant du Sceptre,
indicates a departure.
There’s a legend of a hwarang knight, pictured here in The
Shining Flame, who was young, brave, and took off from
base camp in the middle of the night to attack the enemy. He
was caught several times, and each time, due to how young
and brave he was, he inspired the mercy of the enemy’s
general, so each time he was returned to his master
unharmed. The Shining Flame is the courage and maybe
even a little bit of the recklessness to dare, to depart from
and venture away from your comfort zone.
According to Waite, his Knight of Wands is heading out on
a journey, but he’s not wearing war-like armor, and he’s
passing pyramids. This is a fun adventure, one where the
spirits are positive.
In the Thoth, the Prince of Wands characterizes a fast-
talking, strong, courageous, impulsive, hot-headed, and
opinionated young man. This can designate someone whose
sun sign or rising sign is a degree in the last decan of Cancer,
Moon in Cancer, or the first two decans of Leo, Saturn in
Leo or Jupiter in Leo.
By the way, the transcripts for every video lecture in this series is provided in tandem, and if you’re
serious about using this series to study the tarot, then I would recommend having the lecture transcripts
on hand while you listen, because seeing the words reinforces the learning process. Reading the text
while experiencing my lecture, having the visuals, actively taking notes, handling your cards, all of it
together will help reinforce and solidify the learning process.
In the SKT, the four Knights have as their companions the four mythical elemental creatures. Here in
The Shining Flame, it’s the salamander, which you’ll see embroidered on the golden tunic of the Knight
of Wands in the RWS.
By the way, not related, or maybe it is, the composition of Key 11: Lust, the Strength card from the
Thoth is rather similar to the composition of the Knight of Wands here in the RWS, isn’t it? Pictured
here on Lust is Babylon riding the Beast per Revelation 17.
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And here’s the Prince of Wands, the Knight equivalent, in the Thoth. Notice how the sigil of To Mega
Therion, Greek for The Great Beast, or the Mark of the Beast, is on the breast of the Prince of Wands.
To Mega Therion, if you recall, was also inscribed into the blade of the Ace of Swords.
OFF-TOPIC TANGENT
You’ll also find it embedded into the Ace of Disks, in that center medallion, the same sigil found on that
Prince of Wands, now with the added 666, just in case it wasn’t clear what this is all about. “To Mega
Therion” also appears along the outer ring of that Ace of Disks medallion.
This relates back to Babalon, the Scarlet Woman, consort to The Great Beast, To Mega Therion. The
Devil, writes Crowley, isn’t just the poison described by Freud and the shadow that Carl Jung talks about,
you know, The Devil card, shadow work, blah blah blah, but The Devil is also the lust for knowledge,
the thirst for power, which, if tamed by the Holy Guardian Angel, transforms into Divine Wisdom.
And if you’re thinking, this is the Satanic devil-worshipping talk of Crowley, well, that devout Catholic
Eliphas Levi says pretty much the same thing in Transcendental Magic.
When Art goes through the experience of The Devil, there will be a dismantling and a purging that
reveals The Star within. Incidentally, the card entry for Lust in the Book of Thoth features a recurring
imagery and reference to the stars. Crowley further makes reference to the sign of Capricornus, the white
goat, as the Lord of the Stars.
The (quote) “cruelty, misery and collective insanity” (end quote) descriptive of The Devil as
demonstrated by the error of Christian Mystics is tethered inextricably to Knowledge and Conversation
of the Holy Guardian Angel.
Let’s take a look at the Tree of Life again. Tifereth is the sphere of the tarot Knights.
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The path from Gevurah to Tifereth is the path corresponding with Key 11, which in the Thoth is Lust,
equivalent to the Strength card. The path from Hod to Tifereth is the path corresponding with Key 15:
The Devil, the consort to Babalon, the Scarlet Woman pictured on Key 11.
The path from Yesod leading to the sphere of the Knights is the path of Key 14, The Angel, alchemized
from the union of The Great Beast and the Scarlet Woman through the Knights. These Knights (the
Thoth Princes) carry Divine Will through the Path of Art, which is knowledge and conversation with the
Holy Guardian Angel, into the realm of Nines, through Key 21: The World, and finally into Malkuth,
the realm of the Pages, or Princesses.
Yowsers, we are way off topic. Let’s put a pin in this and we’ll circle back to deep-dive into these cards
when we get to the Major Arcana. But I think this is good. Micro-doses of Hermetic Qabalah and by the
way– by the time we’re through, all of this will be solidly encoded in your mind’s memory, and
comprehension.
KNIGHT OF WANDS, CONT’D.
Upright, in general, the Knight of Wands, Prince of Wands, is telling you to act on your impulse to
advance. Court cards are typically interpreted as people, and for this card, I’ve read everything from
blond haired blue-eyed young man to dark haired and friendly.
So let’s just stick with personality traits.
Reversed, this is hesitation to do what you are yearning to set out to do. This is rejecting your own
courage, your own True Will. I think of this energy as initially running out toward an adventure but just
a few gallops out, you stop, think twice, “Nope, nevermind” and turn back to base camp, back to safety
and familiarity.
If the Knight of Wands was about departure, then the Knight of Cups is about arrival and approaching
toward.
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KNIGHT OF CUPS
The Knight of Cups followed by the Three of Coins, for example, amplifies the positive forecast of this
card, so it’s quick advancement toward some kind of a promotion with financial gains. The Knight of
Cups paired with the Four of Swords could suggest emotion-charged action that results in a retreat, an
abandonment of something that results in solitude. And with the Two of Cups, here’s a really good omen
for love and a romantic relationship.
The Belline 1881 tarot keywords also
suggests that this card signifies an arrival of
something. The facial expressions of the
people in some of these historical decks, am
I right? Here’s the Soprafino. And here’s
the Knight of Cups in the Visconti.
The RWS Knight of Cups has some
interesting juxtapositions. He’s decked out
in full protective armor, but Waite
describes him as graceful, not warlike,
riding quietly. The winged helmet, which
you’ll also find on the Thoth Prince of
Cups, refers to the higher graces of
imagination. This is someone who is a
dreamer.
When this card comes up, you might be offered a proposition.
Reversed, Waite warns that the Knight of Cups is a duplicitous, two-
faced person, saying one thing, but meaning or intending to do
another. I might liken this energy to creativity, romance, or
progressivism, liberalism gone awry.
pg. 10
Study the detailed imagery in these cards while I talk.
Crowley cautions us that the whole of the symbolism in
the Prince of Cups is “exceedingly complicated.” For
better and for worse, this personality is an artist in all his
ways.
If you think how about the I Ching hexagram, Hexagram
61, that Crowley assigns to the Thoth Prince of Cups,
this card depicts a wind blowing across a lake,
nourishing, bringing joy, but be careful, warns the Book
of Changes, that you are responsive, not reactionary. To
get to the truth, you must show empathy and sympathy,
and that is the root wisdom here in the Knight of Cups.
The backdrop of The Shining Waters, by the way,
Waves of the Undine, which is the magical creature
associated with Water, is Florence during the height of
the Italian Renaissance.
In esoteric tarot, the Knight or Prince of Cups is the Airy
part of Water, or Steam, which is how Crowley
describes the alchemy of this card. And Steam is
produced when Fire heats Water. There’s Scorpio
energy here, which is a Water sign traditionally
represented by an eagle, ruled by Mars, a fiery planet
that also rules over Aries.
There is a “secret violence” to this personality, someone
who is going to present as calm, romantic, and
charismatic, but that is but a mask for an intense,
passionate zealot who may hold extremist views.
Secretly, this personality is ruthless, even when their
intentions are benevolent. And it’s that dark side unseen
that is revealed when this card appears in reverse.
Let’s talk about the astrological correspondences for the Knights. The most common zodiac attributions
when working with the RWS is to follow the elementals. So the Wands court corresponds with the Fire
signs. The Cups court corresponds with the Water signs, and so on.
Crowley’s zodiac attributions for the courts follow the decanates, or decan rulers. So the Prince of Wands
corresponds with the third decanate of Cancer and the first two decanates of Leo. The Prince of Cups
corresponds with the third decanate of Libra and the first two decanates of Scorpio. And so on. You can
download a JPG image file of that zodiac and tarot courts wheel from my website. I’ll link it in the video
description box.
Instead of the clear categories of elementals, Crowley says that each court card is a little of one elemental
sign and a little of the other because, quoting “The reason for this is that in the realm of the Elements all
things are mixed and confused, counter-checked and counter-balanced.”
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KNIGHT OF SWORDS
Okay, moving on to the Knight or Prince of Swords.
In the Marseille, this is the quintessential soldier. Everything about this card says “warrior spirit.” This
person is highly-skilled, highly-trained, always shows up on time, is prompt and professional. In
traditional fortune-telling, this could represent a spy, a secret operative, someone who might be treating
you like a pawn, because it’s not about you; it’s about a mission.
I also like the implications of a personality who is arrogant, but perhaps that arrogance comes from just
being inexperienced. The Knight of Swords is not a bad guy. He just doesn’t totally know what he’s
doing but thinks he does. Which, admittedly, is a pretty bad combination.
Also, before I continue, notice the side profile face on the knight’s shoulder in all these historical
iterations of the card?
You’ll find this motif in Key 7: The Chariot card, this Knight of Swords, and the King of Swords. This
is a pauldron, part of the plate armor, circa 15th century. Ornately embellished armor was popular in
Italy at the time. Only someone of wealth and status would have such a pauldron, so our dear Knight of
Swords here is no ordinary soldier.
Reversed, the negative qualities of the Knight of Swords are more pronounced. Per Crowley, this is
someone who cares too much for trends and fashions, the superficial. Perhaps someone who drinks too
much, who self-medicates, or who is prone to becoming fanatical about music, religion, or social justice.
Actually, Crowley’s word for it is “humanitarianism.” They wander from one cult or one vice to
another.”
One of my favorite descriptions of the Knight of Swords comes from Crowley, who describes this
personality as someone “glib to quote Scripture aptly and cunningly to support any thesis whatsoever.”
He is impossible to defeat, because he is impossible to pin down. You don’t know what his position is,
and you don’t know where he’s going.
pg. 12
And for that reason, in The Shining Gale, the setting is obscured by clouds. You’ll see the opening
passage to the Diamond Sutra here, a sacred text about cutting through illusions and sudden flashes of
high-level insight. To know what it is, you must know what it is not. What it is not, is also what it is.
Waite describes the Knight of Swords as powerful, with the capability of scattering his enemies. He’s
heroic and pure of heart. And yet there is a sense of wrath and going on the warpath in this card’s
divinatory meaning. The Knight of Swords is the energy of opposition and resistance.
Crowley describes the Prince of Swords as one with a reputation for being highly intellectual. Psst….
Notice the diamond that is the Prince’s chariot? Diamond Sutra?
The sylph is a fairy-like air spirit, which you’ll find depicted in the Thoth Prince of Swords. I’ve given
the sylph a culture-specific makeover in The Shining Gale. In the RWS, you’re going to see
representations of butterflies throughout the Knight, Queen, and King of this suit.
Notice how in the Thoth, the charioteer himself is a sylph, commanding smaller sylphs to pull his chariot.
This could be symbolic of manipulation or a domineering influence over others.
KNIGHT OF PENTACLES (COINS/DISKS)
Finally, almost done, the Knight from the elemental realm of Earth. Coins, Pentacles, Disks, and Orbs,
because apparently nobody can agree on what this suit should be called.
Here is someone useful, trustworthy, prudent, and cautious. On screen you’ll also see versions of the
Knight of Coins from the Aluette deck, published by Grimaud around 1858, and Dame Fortune’s Wheel
Tarot by Paul Huson. The Knight of Coins represents someone who is very competent at what he does,
reliable, and gainfully employed. He has his eyes on his money, managing it responsibly, at all times.
Reversed, the slowness or lacking in swiftness associated with the Knight of Pentacles hurts more than
it helps.
pg. 13
Ill-dignified, the Knight of Coins shows someone brave with swagger, but probably unemployed, lazy,
or isn’t going to have the resources to be of service.
It can indicate slowness in pacing, resulting in delays. This is a lack of effort.
Financially, this can be an indication that you need to think of ways to increase cash flow, profit, or
income. Or, depending on neighboring cards, this can be referring to your physical health. Your body is
lacking nutrients, and so it’s life force weakened.
In the SKT, when The Shining Quarry comes up, the message is this: sometimes the best action is non-
action. Magically, The Shining Quarry as a tarot talisman is a finder’s card. It will help you find or
recover that which is lost.
In general, the essential wisdom of the Knight of Pentacles is this: Don’t feel like everything needs to be
accomplished tomorrow. Take your time. The horse you ride is heavier-set for a reason.
In the Thoth Prince of Disks, the charioteer looks meditative. The mathematical symbols in the orb
represent planning in agriculture. Notice the cube of space, In the other hand, the orb mounted on a cross
symbolizes the Great Work accomplished. Crowley says something about this card that I really love:
The Prince of Disks “seeks out new uses for common things.”
By the way, pause the screen and study the detailing in that Prince of Disks. It’s pretty incredible!
NEXT LECTURE: THE NINES
And that concludes our lecture on the tarot Knights, Thoth Princes.
We’ve been studying the Minor Arcana of the tarot patterned after the sephiroth on the Qabalistic Tree
of Life, navigating them by way of the paths, though we haven’t yet talked about those paths. We will
when we get to the Major Arcana. I keep showing you an animated map of where we’ve been and where
we’re going along the Tree of Life because I hope the more you see this, the more your knowledge and
understanding of tarot and Kabbalah’s intersection is reinforced. Through repetition, through seeing this,
hearing about it, over and over, you’re encoding comprehension of tarot and Hermetic Qabalah into your
memory.
Now on to the Nines.
ERRATUM
In the video lecture, Daath (or Da’at) was referred to as an “unseen sephira.” Daath is an emanation born
as the offspring of Chokhma and Binah. Whether Daath is considered a sephira hinges on differences in
interpretation of the Zohar. Most Jewish scholars do not count Daath as a sephira (Rabbi Moses ben
Jacob Cordovero [The Ramak], Pardes Rimonim) though some do, where Daath is the first sephira and
Keter is excluded (Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Luria Ashkenazi [Ha’ARI], Sefer Etz Chaim). Where Keter
is excluded as a sephira, it is on the reasoning that Keter is an unknowable state of exaltation more
resonant with the Ein Sof and therefore not part of the sephiroth schema.
pg. 14
Tarot Card Meanings with Benebell
A Video Lecture Series
P A S T L E C T U R E S
The Aces 20:02 minutes Video Blog Post
The Twos 34:41 minutes Video Blog Post
The Threes 22:15 minutes Video Blog Post
The Kings/Knights 42:40 minutes Video Blog Post
The Queens 53:26 minutes Video Blog Post
The Fours 42:22 minutes Video Blog Post
The Fives 31:27 minutes Video Blog Post
The Sixes 38:40 minutes Video Blog Post
The Sevens 30:21 minutes Video Blog Post
The Eights 30:25 minutes Video Blog Post
BENEBELL WEN is the author of Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal
Growth (North Atlantic Books, 2015). Learn more about her work and access free educational and
business downloads at www.benebellwen.com.