XX – The Aeon
„transformation and conversion “
symbol: hope, new possibilities, renovation, evolution, judgment
element: Fire
date and ritual: 24th of December – re-/birth, renovation
archetype: the phoenix, the dual child, the messiah
path of Shin: Hod – Malkuth
This card is about the ending of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. Whenever the next cycle or era begins, it seems like the beginning of something entirely new and exciting. It is often forgotten that every new step we take is just one in the sum of steps on the path. The great spider which herds the egg has a variety of attributes. The imminence of the spider symbolizes the shadow of „the old“, we can never shake off, by pretending to be someone entirely new. Responsibility for the steps we have taken can never be erased. The cultural concept of the „old or past enemy“ can hold whole societies captive (like a spider) and can cloud more imminent problems with veils of hate and grudges. On a metaphysical scale the beginning of a new Aeon is imminent. We transcend into the beginning Age of Aquarius, the MA-ION, the Aeon of Horus/Seth, the Aeon of Ma-at, the silent Aeon or whatever the shifting of the clockwork is called. This new period has already begun, but it is not so sparkling or new, like it seems at first sight. The Kali-Yuga is still present (and will be for a long time), even if within a much smaller scale a new “Malkuth” cycle may have started. This new age is the smallest gearwheel in a much bigger clockwork. To take interest into the greater cycles can help understand our own circles and may help us observe them in a wider range of perspectives.
In a gnostic light, the border of the egg represents the limitation of the archons and their numbers. Every known hierarchy has its borders. We can make an effort to pass over those borders, just to find ourselves within the next lowest point of a bigger net (compare to the kabbalistic teaching of “Kether = Malkuth in a higher octave”).
Every new beginning is a crossway to either a positive or a negative possibility. The small egg in the middle of the card symbolizes the decision making, which we must determine when entering a new era. Since neither of us can know the new laws of the path, or the environment we have gotten into, the decisions at issue cannot be made based on logic or common sense. Ahead are subliminal choices, based on the steps we have taken so far. When starting a new job or project, walking into unknown woods, moving to a foreign country, entering a new relationship et cetera, only gut-feeling can guide us. At such crossroads, this undefinable feeling is responsible for far-reaching decisions in our further lives. The young woman, welcoming the new era represents the infantile sensations we expect from innovative ideas. She also symbolizes the rejuvenating daughter replacing the mother on her throne – an old idea in a new dress. “The Age of Aquarius” and the term “radiation” are connected through the symbol of the double wave and the correlating element of air, which is both a fluid and an invisible force. Since this Aeon of radiation has started on various levels, there seems to be only one way forward (symbolized by the cross the girl proudly and victorious stands onto).
However, to follow the current tide is not the only possibility. The Aeon, if pursuing the path of „XII – The Hanged Man“ (upside down) can lead to a great amplitude of different ideas These alternative paths, we can choose from, are often more powerful and effective than the „common tide“. This is due to the law of equilibrium and the search for balance in nature. If these almost impossible turnarounds are done by true will, we can change the future of the environment, the morphogenetic field and even the world to a better outcome.
Observe the small egg, which crushes the big one.
Upside-down-decisions carry the possibility of greatness inside. Convulsive changes of direction provide opportunities for an unexpected future, beyond the limitations of greater cycles. Only these rare moments relieve us from outside controlled structures. Such moments are the beginning of something real – free will and an actual choice.
Instead of dressing the past into new pretty masks, the challenge of this card is to find a new beginning beyond logic or imprinted ideas – just out of one’s guts.
