The Ideal Consort: The Devil and the Queen of Disks
“Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste” (Jagger/Richards)
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In his book The Thoth Companion, Michael Snuffin expounds upon the “goat” symbolism on the Queen of Disks card by noting that “A goat stands on a second golden orb in the foreground, which represents the Sun in Capricorn, a zodiacal attribution of this card.” (It should be remembered that, although two-thirds of the sign belongs to this Queen, the Sun in Capricorn [4 of Disks, Power] actually comes under the aegis of the Prince of Swords in the Golden Dawn’s Chaldean system of correspondences that Crowley followed; anyway, Snuffin continues without acknowledging this.) “Capricorn as the Devil represents masculine creative energy, a fitting complement to the fertile nature of the Queen of Disks.”
Among the descriptive keywords for the Queen of Disks that Snuffin derived from the Book of Thoth are “fertile, industrious, materialistic and virile;” these admirably reflect the Queen’s association with the masculine decans of authoritarian Saturn in Sagittarius (10 of Wands; Oppression); flexible and expansive Jupiter in Capricorn (2 of Disks; Change); and vigorous Mars in Capricorn (3 of Disks; Work), while for the Devil he came up with “the instinctual creative impulse; sexual attraction and arousal; drive, determination, and ambition; competition (better stated as ‘competitiveness’); the desire to win and the motivation to improve.”
Particularly noteworthy is that Crowley (but not Snuffin) brought up the fact that Mars is exalted in Capricorn, optimizing its pragmatism in the form of work or “creative energy in its most material form,” which he further alludes to as procreative in nature. This supports Snuffin’s premise that the potent inseminating influence of the Devil is a perfect match for the fertility of the Queen of Disks. It’s the ideal “pitch-and-catch” scenario: together they can get things done.
As I see it, if anyone can place demands and constraints on the unscrupulous and manipulative Devil and make them stick it would be the Queen of Disks, suggesting another instance of “Babalon riding the Beast.” She “knows where he lives” (I might even say she cohabits with him), and crooking the least of her fingers will summon him to do her bidding. It strikes me as an entirely salutary and satisfactory relationship for both parties. She trades her undiluted adoration for his stimulating prowess. (Snuffin says she’s looking at the desert in the background but in the photo below she appears to be gazing intently upon her consort.) For some not-so-strange reason I’m reminded of Rosemary’s Baby; I’ve called this Queen “unflappable,” so I doubt that birthing a horned imp would faze her. (In fact, several are awaiting release in the symbolic “testicles” of the Devil imagery, so the analogy is complete.)
In practical terms, their appearance together in a reading could bestow supreme executive acumen, with her steady hand and his robust creative energy (and, it must be said, his crafty scheming) calling the shots. Other than a shared (and fanatical) singularity of purpose, there is no apparent vulnerability, no flaw in the armor, so it’s “take no prisoners” time. They are consummate creatures of Earth: she is a substantial and formidable lady and he is the overlord of a substantial and formidable sign; as a hard-nosed and tough-minded couple they remind me of Ayn Rand characters.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on March 10, 2024.
