It may come as surprise, but the Bible evidences people actually looking heaven-wards!  On Tarot Le Monde (aka the World and Universe card) we find (top left) Cherub, (bottom left), Bull, (bottom right) Lion, and (top right) Eagle.  These correspond exactly with the REVELATION (4, 7) progression of Lion, Calf, Man and Eagle - with one notable exception!REVELATION takes us through these in a clockwise direction, but the earth moves through the zodiac in an anticlockwise direction (like Tarot XX1) BUT the Earth's 'wobble' means that (clockwise!!!!) Taurus becomes Aries becomes Pisces becomes Aquarius over time (the 'Age' the Earth is 'in') although Taurus precedes Leo precedes Scorpio precedes Aquarius precedes Taurus in the anticlockwise zodiac path of the Earth - and you are looking here at the 4 Fixed Signs* of the Zodiac, which, in circa the 3rd Millenium BC, delivered a Spring of Taurus Aldebaran, a Summer of Leo Regulus, an Autumn of Scorpio Antares and a Winter of 'Aquarius' Fomalhaut - 4 Royal Watchers.  These, in turn, were Aldebaran=East, Regulus=North, Antares=West and Fomalhaut=South.  Since the zodiac is a circular, fixing any start (March 21st/Spring Equinox in this system = start) is uitterly arbitrary.  What applied, astronomically, in the 3rd Millenium BC no longer applies (due to precession).  The counterclockwise astrological year, however, is fixed to a March  21st/Equinox/Aries start and the attached symbolism - borrowed from Babylon - possibly appears in the Bible at II KINGS, (2, II), ZECHARIAH (6, 2-6), EZEKIEL (1, 5-10) and REVELATION (4, 7).  Does it also apply the REVELATION (6, 2-8) 4 Horseman of the Apocalypse?  Are the four Biblical horses also the Babylonian Royal Watchers?  Certainly, if it comes in 4s it's been thrown at this basic model: ..

Spring-Taurus-Bull-Aldebaran-Earth-Morning/Dawn-East-Right-Pentacles-Diamonds-St. Luke-Michael-Melancholic-(?) Black Bile-Cold/Dry

 

Summer-Leo-Lion-Regulus-Fire-Midday-North-Up-Daggers-Spades-St. Mark-Raphael-Choleric-(?)Yellow Bile-Hot/Dry

 

Autumn-Scorpio-Eagle-Air*-Afternoon/Dusk-West-Left-Cups-Hearts-St. John-Uriel-Sanguine-(?)Red Blood-Hot/Wet

 

Winter-Aquarius-Man-Water*(bearer)-Night-South-Down-Wands-Clubs-St. Matthew-Gabriel-Phlegmatic-(?)Cold/Wet**

Caveat: the above distributions (and any mistakes in them!) are mine - geoffss, 15-04-09.  They are deduced/posited from an/my arbitrary "Royal Watchers rules, OK" start.  Others advance variations as indicated partly below.  Note, though, the contrasting Midsummer-North-Water v Midwinter-Fire-South which finds curious echo in the "St John" (baptiser by water) midsummer birthday v the "Jesus" (baptiser by fire) midwinter one system.  There again, noting "almost universally",  www.yellowknife.com/save-on/tarot/tarot01.htm

Proceeding from the right, the points are East, South, West and North. East is where the sun rises, and in Native American lore it is the "Place of Beginnings." In the northern hemisphere, South is the direction of the midday sun (Fire), represented by Wands or Batons, and North is the direction of Winter's icy, cutting wind (Air), represented by Swords. Since West is almost universally recognized as the direction of Water, that only leaves Earth for the East. This makes perfect sense if one lives in continental Europe where the cards originated, the vast land-mass of Asia is to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean is to the west

*The first system 'weakness' to note in my distribution/assignments: Scorpio is a Water sign and Aquarius Air.  **  The second - these are NOT Galen's values, they're mine.   His are.Spring-Left-Jupiter, Summer-Down-Mars, Autumn-Right-Saturn and Winter-Up-Moon/Venus.  In other words, Galen and his 4 Humours owe nothing to the 4 Royal Watchers for their inspiration.  The two systems are NOT part of the same tradition.  Audrey, "Audrey's Ancient Egyptians" site, gives the Taurus Bull as Autumn and the Scorpio Eagle as Spring and Galen also swaps some Air features with Earth ones (and vice-versa).  Elsewhere, I find Galen's Humours distributed Sanguine-Spring-Hot/Wet-Left, Choleric-Summer-Hot/Dry-Down-Mars, Melancholic*-Cold/Dry-Earth-Autumn-Right and Phlegmatic-Cold/Wet-Winter-Up.  But then expressions like 'Left' and 'Up' are moveable things - they depend utterly on your perspective - put two people face-to-face and ask them to extend their left arms sidewise!  Similarly,. are you picturing the image from below it or above it?  Whatever one's perspective, however, it is quite clear that a Royal Watchers approach is at variance to other 'traditions'.

In divinatory tarot, the suits of cups, swords, batons, and (pentacles on - me) coins are said to correspond to water, air, fire, and earth respectively. Although these elements are often thought to be the meaning behind the suits in a deck of playing cards, the real symbolism is to that of the four pillars of the economy, church, military, commerce and agriculture (Source: Wiki).  See, for instance Tarot I, the Magus card.  Or is Earth spades: deoxy.org/w_cross.htm
Or is it www.cafeastrology.com/fortunetellingcards.html or one of (a fascinating site!) http://occult-advances.org/elements.shtml

*Also identified as Saturn and Magic Square 3, to be 'balanced' by (sanguine) Jupiter and Magic Square 4 ... apparently (noting the publication of Cornelius Agrippa was 1510 AD!).

 

In Witchcraft and Freemasonry I, also, find combinations like:

 

East (Right)-Air-Spring( or Imbolc*)-Bull-Dawn-Pentacle (Female)

South (Down)-Fire-Summer Solstice (or Beltane*)-Midday-Lion-Wand (Male)

West (Left)-Water-Autumn (or Lugnasadh*)-Sunset-Eagle-Chalice (Female)

North (Up)-Earth-Winter Solstice (or Samhain*)-Night-Man-Dagger (Male)

A possible best fit, however, I've suggested (with caveats) is on GHMB:

Author: geoffss (87.114.133.---)
Date:   17-Apr-09 08:57

If you study/have studied The Compass of the Wise, you'll find the 4 elements on the two (J and B) pillars. Hence (although this is by from being the only distribution of the various 4-somes). A possibility that ticks some bases is:

Lunar:
East-Bull-Pentacle-on-Coin-Earth-Female (Cold)
West-Eagle-Cup-Water-Female (Wet)

Solar
North-Lion-Staff-Fire-Male (Hot)
South-Man-Sword-Air-Male (Dry)

The "two pillars" thus become a (Greek) cross - as sometimes portrayed on the High Priestess, Tarot II. I threw in Galen (et al) in brackets ... but, though this system looks fairly coherent to me, at least, it is at variance with others. But would an east-west sun really fit to this logically?

geoffss
BOF


But ... wouldn't one also associate the Scorpio Eagle with Air and the Aquarius Water-Bearer with Water?  Um!  Then there's Berossus, C3BC, to consider: Oannes.  This man-fish is identified with either the god Ea or his son Adapa/Uan and, by Joseph Campbell, with the (Pan) goat-fish, Earth-sign Capricorn, sign 10 of the zodiac and the one right next to the Aquarius. Capricorn begins 22nd December, circa the (fire-festival) Solstice (v the Midummer water one assoc. John the Baptist's birthday).  Now, Oannes/Uan ... Ioannes ... Iohannes ... Johannes .... John. Um!  I see we have a river word ea in English, whilst the French have the water word eau.  But water's identified with west (it says above) but Oannes is south ...

Note: the zodiac signs are distributed sequentially (starting Aries) Fire-Earth-Air-Water X 3.  I currently have absolutely no idea as to why, who decided and when.  Somebody must have - noting also these 4 Element identifcations predate Socrates, apparently, 469-399 BC.  Help here most welcome!

This from my friend Paul Ashworth (Morph, GHMB, 29-04-09 ... and my thanks):

Hi Geoff,
My understanding of the four living creatures is that they are representative of; Eagle/Mercury/Air....Ox/Venus/Water....Man/Earth/Earth...Lion/Mars/Fire
Equating these to the stars suggested is problematic, take a look for example at the setting of the four as seen on a couple of basillica in Assisi; it can't equate with zodiac positioning as seen for example on the 6th century mosaic from Israel, or the Tarot card positioning.

See more of Paul's thinking here at http://www.grahamhancock.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=264893&t=264834

My suggested distribution and Morph's "Cross-Quarter Day" St Andrew's X (Tarot) seem to gel a tad in Geber, an C8th AD alchemist (Scroll down to the Wiki "In Alchemy"):
www.answers.com/topic/philosopher-s-stone

Now the logic would appear similar to mine allied to Galen:  you might arrange it (as I do above) so the X was tipped Hot (top/left), Dry (top/right), Cold (bottom/right) and Moist (bottom left) with the Cardinal points (possibly) being North Fire Hot Dry, East Earth Cold Dry, South Air Cold Moist and West Air Hot Moist.  BUT this leaves the basic model collison unaltered:  Water and Air.  Which should be assigned where?  And consider, too: books.google.co.uk/books?id=vAghVdnHfS4C&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq=The+four+divisions+at+the+four+angles

See also freemason Albert Pike (thanks, again, Paul): http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/md/md26.htm and http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/md/md16.htm
Trouble is this puts the Eagle (and the Sword - of "Hallows" and Tarot Sword, Cup, Wand and Pentacles) and in the East contrary to the idea it is Scorpio and West and conrary, also, Daggers/Swords in the North!   Here's the Pike illustration accompanying his entry (which lends itself to Paul Ashworth's X diustribution rather than my +, I note, but with different distribution to Paul's idea:


Now this Pike illustration is evocative of the 4 standards of Israel's marching and camping order out of Egypt - with 3 tribes per standard: Lion Bull, Eagle and Man and the formation being a 4 by 4 square with their tabernacle at the centre.  I used www.hope-of-israel.org/mottoes.htm to source this - and my thanks.  My thanks too for the observation about the American Eagle and its identification with to the west (right) - which doesn't appear to be Ezekiel's, 1, 10, "on the  left side ... the face of an eagle".  Of course, left and right identifications depend on which way you are facing!   "To the west" can be a solar indication but , if so, it's the opposite of masonic "towards the light" (east)..

I surmise (from Pike and Ezekiel) that the distribution was:

LL BB
L      B
M     E
MMEE

This is not - apparently - a Royal Watcher distribution given Eagle (not Man) opposite Lion.  Tarot XXI (The World, above top), by contrast is.  Where the X in Pike/Ezekiel is essentially L-M-E-B, the X of Tarot XXI is M-B-L-E (L-E-M-B).  They are not, apparently, "singing off the same songsheet".

If we look at the ancient (astrological) "rulers" of the signs we find Leo ruled by the Sun (Gold?) and Aquarius by Saturn (Lead?) - the hot and the cold.  Strangely, though, our E-W signs have Mars (Iron?) allocated to Scorpio and Venus (Copper?) to Earth.  In fact, Venus is considered "sign detriment" to Scorpio.  That can be seen as remarkably odd considering Scorpio's Fixed Star/Royal Watcher is Antares - literally Anti-Mars/Mars (with Ares = Mars) but also, and less problematic, perhaps, Mars-like/Rival of Mars!?  spacescience.spaceref.com/newhome/headlines/ast13sep99_1.htm  In this astrological system note Leo-Aquarius is masculine whilst Scorpio-Taurus is feminine:
books.google.co.uk/books?id=5gQPmC2kIoEC&pg=PA877&lpg=PA877&dq=even+numbers+female&source=bl&ots=jBW

Now, if we apply that odd=male and even=female to the zodiac, the prediction starting Aries = 1, is**:

Male: Aries, Gemini, Leo (as above), Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius
Female: Taurus (as above), Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces

But this model, besides having been utterly arbitrarily fixed at and by 0 degrees Aries, is also at variance with such as Galen where the distribtion is Hot Dry = Male and Cold Wet = Female, thus creating this possible 4 Humours combination:

WET     COLD

HOT      DRY

The Cardinal points are Down=Male, Up=Female and Across are both Male-Female combinations. What's more, Galen has Spring on the left and Autumn on the right.  He also has "rulers", different ones: Spring=Jupiter, Summer=Mars, Autumn=Saturn and Winter=Moon/Venus.

* See below for the Cross Quarter Day (X Equinox/Solstice) idea
**In real time, after 2160 years from the 0 degrees Aries start, Aries would become a female (even) sign via precession.

The Witchcraft/Freemasonry progression is clockwise, unlike the fixed star (precession and my) model.  Despite some inconsistencies (like assignment of elements - Taurus to Air?) between the models notice they DO share much the same thematic mirror/complement/opposite + circularity  basis - albeit reassigned.  To the chalice/Cups some assign the Galen's Hot/Wet Sanguine blood - but surely logic indicates a Spring?Summer placement, as in Galen and Audrey (rather than 'Autumn, Summer to some')*?  The circle (read either way) is Bull-Lion-Eagle-Man-(Bull ... )* - so there's some consistency there but the assignment of Zodiac threesomes seems to be a moveable feast largely provided by having male and female axes rather than male W-N v female S-E sides (of an imaginary seasonal square).  Note that the idea of male and female axes rewrites Galen, whose system had male-female polarities rather than axes. We are now nearly 1/5 of the way (5000 years - and Taurus through Aries through Pisces to Aquarius dawning Age of) into precession - from an Aries=21st March start.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice  precessional progression of Taurus to Aries to Pisces  now seems anticlockwise whilst the anticlockwise zodiac now appears clockwise!*  The Daily Telegraph sky-at-night articles also show the night sky as above - but at least specify Northern horizon = 'up' and Western horizon = 'right': in other words, a mirror, with west and east swapped over!

 

 

Basically, the whole area seems TO ME to be largely coherent in intent but, for all that, largely a contradictory, presentationally inappropriate, confusing and/or inconsistent mess: I find NO holistic esoteric (or exoteric) 'underground (or overground!) stream'  - but, hey, I've been wrong before and welcome advice/comment here!  Even the Bible confuses me: in ZECHARIAH (6, 2-6), the progession  is introduced as White, Red/Black//Grisled and Bay but these are then ordered Red/Black (North), White (after Black)/Grisled (South).  He calls them the 'four spirits of the heavens' and they come from 'between two mountains'. EZEKIEL (1, 5-10)  puts Man and Lion on the right side, Ox on the left, whilst mentioning - but not assigning - Eagle. There are 4 of these 'tetramorphs' which are also called 'wheels', and they seem to fit to II KING'S 2 11 (eleven) 'and there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire ... '.  In REVELATION (4, 7), they appear ordered Lion, Calf, Man and Eagle - exactly the wrong way round in sequence, really, but, at least, consistent?  See Denelder - www.denelder.com/glossary/t - for "Tetramorph" and the Cross-Quarter Days. I note Freemasonry seems to have north as fire, south as water, west as earth and east as air: sacredfems.blogspot.com/2006/02/tour-of-masonic-lodge.html  I have wondered whether the Sun rising in the East, setting in the West, being Northernmost at Midsummer etc. informs the thinking at all?  It's worth noting, too, that the two poles idea (pi and phi to some) can be indicative of 'measure', 'ruling' - and figures in Freemasonry.   These poles can be parallel mirrors OR symmetrical axes - and, as + diagonals of a diamond lozenge, they indicate the Sun (as sometimes worn by the High Priestess on Tarot II).  

  

 

 

 

 

  David Wood places the 4 Beasts on what appears to be a tetrahedral star - or, possibly, and as he says, just a hexagram Star of David - with Eagle atop, Lion right, Bull left and Man central, 'man and beast' emerging from the incorporated 'female vulva' (Fig. 82, GENISIS)..  This distribution does not satisfy an EZEKIEL distribution!  Where not Summer/Sun, Lion is Spring, be the system bipartite Lion and Serpent (or Boar), the Lion, Goat, Serpent (Chimaera combination), Lion, Dog, Horse(Hecate combination) or Bull, Lion, Serpent (Dionysus combination).  A  Bull-Calf for the New Year could give a four-part year (Bull, Ram, Lion, Serpent), and other 4-part combinations were our Royal (Fixed Star) Watchers, EZEKIEL's Bull, Lion, Eagle, and Seraph (Bull, Lion, Scorpion, Sea-Serpent) or Bull, Lion, Boar, Sea-Serpent or, lastly, Bull, Lion, Boar, Vultures. The 5 season Lion, Goat, Horse, Serpent, Bull-Calf is also possible - see Graves, R. THE GREEK MYTHS 2. pp. 428-9, for all of this and more. including the problem posed astrologers fitting the Labours of Hercules and 'Crab' together!. Graves numbers the 4-Season fit is 1, 4, 7, 11 but I make it 2, 5, 8, 11.  Note also that the Midsumnmer Honey-Bee is the spirit of the dead/slaughtered Lion King of the 1st half of the year!  Note also that Jesus was 'of Judah' - symbol?  Lion.  The Lion symbolised the bright waxing year; boar or serpent was the Dark waning year. In the above, the Scorpio Eagle gets also to be Scorpion and Boar, whilst the Aquarian Water-Bearer gets also to be Sea-Serpent and, in one case, Vultures!.

Tarot 21 (card 22) The World is not the only card to carry the 4 Watchers symbology.  Here is the Waites' version of Tarot 10 (card 11), the Wheel of Fortune:


The progression is said to be clockwise, I found, as in the T - A - R - O, but Seraph/Man top left, Eagle top right, Lion bottom right and Bull/Calf bottom left, but they give us a clockwise Winter-Autumn-Summer-Spring.   And our cardinals aren't - not obviously. Oh, well ...

For a fascinating exploration of these four "beasties" in the context of REVELATION - and Denise Been's thesis that what is being described there is precession, notably as relates to the various pole stars it features, look at her site: www.gisus.org - I particularly like the colour-wheel idea on her page 4!*

*  I must make it clear, though, I do not endorse the content - or those parts of it concerning letters and words (like lamb).  REVELATION was wrtiiten it Greek (amion was lamb) but the authoress finds significance in the English

STOP PRESS (22-06-08):  this is/was Denise Been's interpretation of St. John's REVELATION:

 

Taurus left (instead of right) and clockwise model ...

Then there's Albert Pike's 1871 offering:



















There again .... the Celtic Eight=fold year:

The High Cross Quarter idea (from www.highcrossquarter.co.uk or .com) - also clockwise but placing the equinoxes and solstices as the elemental boundaries and assigning these 4 elements to Cross Quarter Days (click on Station Stones or go to   www.awugabunnies.co.uk/10.html
The problems are with both 4 Royal Watcher tradition and a Galen tie-in: summer is now hot-wet instead of the hot-dry it should be, for instance, whilst our Earth (bull) is now somewhat Autumnal and 'up'/North instead of left (above) or right/East (further above and  ... and ...





















And what of Yin and Yang?  Shadow-Female-Wet-Earth-Moon-Compliant/Accommodating v Brightness-Male-Dry-Heavens-Sun-Active/Firm? We have our complements and opposites - and the (inverted) triangles (of the dark 'B' pillar/Earth and Water ... and Moon/Mater) are a "popular symbol for" female - but there are also inconsistencies with other ideas advanced above.  Yin and Yang are polarities/opposites, but their imagery is also the mirror/complementary circle made by 6 9 run together with white for male (+ black dot) and black for female (+ white dot).  There is obviously similarity to ideas above.  If I try to fit Yin and Yang to the 4 Royal Watchers, though, male is the N-S (Sun-Air) axis and female is the E-W axis (Earth-Water).  They are not polarised opposites.  The symbology of the triangles - upright male and inverted female - found on alchemical J and B pillars fits to the axes, but it is hard to see how any of this is consistent, say, with White Woman of the West and Red Man of the East, the alchemical Moon and Sun.  Galen will not fit, either.  This female lunar Mercury- male/solar Sulphur symbology is at variance to female Red Rose v Male White which fits to Hindu wedding colours (+ gold) but apparently other cultures/religions have reversed values ...

And the Chinese?  I 'liberated' this from Stephen W Dail's excellent http;//celestialchessworks.com















Um!  Water and Winter in the North ...

Then there's the Red Indians ... Oh, and here's something related to Feng Shui and trigrams:

Credit:  www.daoistmagic.com/info.php?i=2131

This collective study lacks coherence .... largely or partly because the subject matter does.  Some themes exist in common, though, despite this.  Whether this evidences a commonn tradition though ...*

*See elsewhere the presentational problems in (and of) where there is no agreement about what belongs to what (ida male or female/pingala female or male) and whether these are the pillars to equate to the Tree of Life or the intertwining (DNA) serpents a la caduceus related to the 7 chakra system.  There is the common idea beneath the presentational disparities of mirrors-complements-balance et al.

P.S. Here's Isaac Newton on the 7 Heavenly Bodies, the 4 Humours and the
Philospher's Stone (c/o Ariston/Latona - and my thanks):


Note the lack of balance: in both the sexes and the Humours!

And here's a fascinating Mormon Meridian Magazine extract + two links (and
my thanks to Arion Love, GHMB):

Table 1. Cornerstone Constellation Symbolism.

Constellation Lion Bull Water Bearer Scorpion

Royal Star Regulus Aldebaran Fomalhaut Antares

Star Location Heart Eye Head Heart

Tribe of Israel Judah Joseph Reuben Dan

Tribe Name Means Praised Increased Behold a Son Judge

Cherubim Face Lion Ox/Calf Man Eagle

Tribal Banner Lion Bull Man Serpent

Blessing Lion Wild Ox Power, Water Serpent

Balaam's Prophecy Lion Wild Ox Pour out water Break bones

Color Red White Blue Black

Horse Color Red White Grizzled, Pale Black

Direction East West South North*

Element Fire Air Water Earth

Living Soul Blood Spirit Water Dust

Baptism Fire Holy Ghost Water Burial

Aspect of Life Emotional Spiritual Mental Physical

Symbol of Aspect Heart Might Mind Strength

Angel Michael Phanuel Gabriel Raphael

Angel Name Means Like Unto God Face of God Man of God God is Healer

Angel's Duties Commands Nations Salvation Power Healing

Star Name Means Prince Follower Mouth of Fish Like Ares

Star Symbolizes Adam Joseph Smith Noah Enoch

Gospel Story Millennial King Gather Israel Bless Church Conquer Death

Christ's Role King Lord of Hosts Teacher Judge/Healer

 from The Lion and Unicorn by John P. Pratt

An article in a Mormon publication, Meridian Magazine

Feb 10th, 2001

 

*Note (geoffss, 11-02-09): if Regulus is east, how can Aldebaran be west?  Having identified the 4 Royal Watchers in their traditional order near the beginning of Part 1, they end up (Part 2) with Summer (as east) opposite Spring (as west) and Winter opposite Autumn?  How would that work?  Um!

 

As in (same origin):

“the red Lion is associated with the East, the black Scorpion with the North,

the blue Stream of the Water Bearer with the South, and the white Bull with

the West.”

Here are the two links:

www.meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/011108lion.html

www.meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/011205royal.html