Ace of Disks / Sola Busca Tarot
This text is taken from my book Ideology of the Tarot.
If you want to buy this book, write to dorijan.nuaj@gmail.com
We will begin considering the doctrines of the minor arcana
with the disks, which traditionally signify the virtue of prudence, connecting
them to the Hermit arcana. As noted by Paul Huson, disks are mirrors. They are polished,
made of precious metal, and thus have reflective properties, giving them a
lunar nature. Being circular, they take the form of wheels, indicating the
constant operation of this virtue, the dialectic of both intellectual and
material processes. Disks are workers. Therefore, they are associated with the
earth element and denote economic, business, financial matters, as well as
calculation, memory, and foresight. Occultists have called disks pentacles, a
term referring to the pentagram, but in the sense of a talisman or amulet. In a
magical sense, these pentacles represent the work of elementals, particularly
gnomes, and the process of achieving a magical intention.
According to the teachings of the
Golden Dawn, this card represents the root of chthonic powers. Generally, aces
are sources or roots of the elements. They serve as a link between the minor
arcana and the Princesses or Pages. In a Kabbalistic sense, aces correspond to
the idea of the first sephirah of the Tree of Life—Keter. According to the
Golden Dawn, this card can indicate material gain, any kind of plan or project,
and finally, a vision of wealth or acquisition. The Bolognese cartomancer
Pratesi from the 18th century interpreted the Ace of Disks as a table. Whether
it is a desk, a writing board, or a platform, I don't have enough information,
but it is worth mentioning that a table appears on the Magician card. Thus, if
we follow Pratesi, the Ace of Disks is a kind of table or platform for play,
exchange, operation, event creation, divination, constellation, etc. In a way,
this card can also be connected to the fatality of the Wheel of Fortune. It is
a great rotating circle. Perhaps it is a roulette wheel in a casino. Maybe
Pratesi's table is actually a gambling table.
According
to Aleister Crowley, the disk is a whirling sign. However, a table or disk can
be a polished shiny object, a plate, or a golden tray used for reflection. It
is precisely this shine of a perfectly polished disk where we can find the
mythological content that, in terms of the earth element, according to the
theory of Hermetic Kabbalah of the Golden Dawn, has its correspondence in the
figure of the archangel Uriel (which translates from Hebrew as "God is my
light" or "God's light"). He is gold. His direction is north
(Job, 37:22). In Hebrew, his name is written with the following letters:
aleph-vav-resh-yod-alef-lamed, or AVRIAL, and has the value of 248. Thus, Uriel
is the archangel and guardian of the Earth element, and some identify him with
Lucifer as the light-bringer. In this sense, Uriel is also the guide of light,
connecting him with astronomy and astrology. In the Book of Enoch, he is
mentioned as the knower of stars and their paths and as the guide of heavenly
lights. In the Greek version of the Book of Enoch, Uriel is placed over
Tartarus, where the fallen angels (fallen stars) are cast. In some apocrypha,
he is the light followed by those who have resurrected and also appears as the
opener of the gates of Hades who leads the dead to judgment. These are all
forms of his chthonic role, connecting the Underworld and the night sky.
Ultimately, Uriel is the one who reveals things, whether it be something hidden
or uncovering a secret to those who deserve it. In this role, Uriel plays the
part of the one who grants enlightenment.
