The Sphere of Power

[Plenum]

The Sphere of Power is an object that makes it's appearance in 4 of the Tarot Cards, namely cards 1, 3 and 4, and 7 - and these are all archetypes of the mind, rather than of the body or the spirit.

The Sphere of Power is explained succinctly in Ra's talking about the Empress Card, card 3.

I am not sure what exactly the cards look liked that Don was using originally, but the Sphere of Power was the orb that was sitting at the end of a wand. Modern day images show it as thus:



you see that thing that she is holding in her right hand? that wand/sceptre is the object in question. Ra said to eliminate the wand/handle aspect, and to keep the ball or the sphere at the end.

Don asks about redrawing the pictures:

Don: eliminate the wand in the Magician’s hand. I understand that the sphere remains but I am not really sure where it should be.

and Ra replies:

Thirdly, the elimination of the wand is appropriate. Fourthly, the sphere may be seen to be held by the thumb and index and second finger.

this was the final result, after redrawing the image:


card 1: The Magician

but what does this Sphere mean?

Ra describes it here, in a discussion around the Empress card (card 3)

The sphere of spiritual power is an indication indeed that each opportunity is pregnant with the most extravagant magical possibilities for the far-seeing adept.

This is a key phrase/definition, and is well worth re-remembering as the Sphere is seen in different cards.

Let us now introduce card 3, the Empress.


card 3: the Empress

and also card 4, the Emperior.


card 4: Emperor

you will notice that both these figures are seated in roughly similiar positions - both with their gaze facing their left hand side, and the right arm held back, holding the sphere.

Ra explains this positioning in their description of card 4:

looking left, while the power is on the right: The figure is expressing the nature of experience by having its attention caught by what may be termed the left-hand catalyst. Meanwhile, the power, the magic, is available upon the right-hand path.

and Ra describes the nature of that experience as being interpreted negatively (at first), until there is a deliberate application of the mind and the will (we are talking about the mind archetypes in this discussion) to choose to 'reframe' it differently: The nature of experience is such that the attention shall be constantly given varieties of experience. Those that are presumed to be negative, or interpreted as negative, may seem in abundance. It is a great challenge to take catalyst and devise the magical, positive experience.

and card 7 (the Chariot) is the last card with this Sphere of Power depicted:


card 7: The Chariot

here the Sphere is again held in the right hand, same posture, but now the sphere is radiant.

- -

any personal analysis of this sphere of Power, plenum?

well, the entity known as plenum is not too gifted in the ways of deductive analysis and reasoning, and so he might refrain from making any further comment.

Suffice to say, that the Magician (the first card) is holding the Sphere out in front of him, quite ready for the process in front of him, somewhat eager, ready, and prepared. The Sphere of Power (or rather the ability to re-interpret, re-process, and re-frame - in other words, the 'magical' ability to change one's lived experience of an event, ie catalyst) is right there in front of our noses, in our actual grasp, held within the right hand. The power is everpresent, infinite in scope, and abundant in quantity.

Ra emphasised this self-present quality when they described card 3 (the Catalyst of the Mind), saying that it is in the present moment (ie current catalyst) whereby we have this opportunity:

The sphere of spiritual power is an indication indeed that each opportunity is pregnant with the most extravagant magical possibilities for the far-seeing adept.

The Empress simultaneously holds that Power ('the orb') in the right hand, while the left hand holds the bird, which is the winged journey of the spirit. Whilst we are dealing with the Mind archetypes in cards 1, 3, 4, and 7, it the Self which is eventually given flight, as this process is continually applied. (card 7, the Chariot is the free movement of the mind in its own environment).

The Emperor (card 4) is where the rubber meets the road, and is where the actual 'magic' or the re-interpretation of catalyst as personal experience happens. This is where the narrative occurs when we talk about our catalyst. The story that we put behind the catalyst when we talk about it to ourselves and others. You can see that two people can have similiar catalyst (both losing their job at the same time, at the same company, working similiar positions), and yet their 'stories', or their narratives might differ quite differently. That is the 'experience of the mind'. Deliberate re-framing of narrative, to willingly choose a different interpretation is the work of the Emperor. In doing do, we draw upon areas that were previously not aware or conscious - thereby becoming a magical act. We literally pull out new resources and possibilities of the self in creating a new narrative for the catalyst. This is not an easy act, as anyone who has ever suffered from a victim mentality, or an ocd mentality, or an anxious mentality will tell you. It's not easy to change one's life long programming towards certain types of catalyst. And yet that is the work of the Emperor. To reframe - and to do so means digging into one's past and history (beneath the catalyst) to find those previous biases and their causations, and to restructure that framework and narrative. This is deep involved work. Or as Ra said it in a few words: It is a great challenge to take catalyst and devise the magical, positive experience.. That was said of the Emperor Card.

in card 7, we have the same sphere, as redrawn as per Ra's thumbs up: This is quite acceptable, especially if the sphere may be imaged as spherical and effulgent.

and the Chariot (the 'Great Way of the Mind') has the suggestion of motility, and freedom, and unhinderedness:

One may also see the Way of the Mind as showing the kingdom or fruits of appropriate travel through the mind in that the mind continues to move as majestically through the material it conceives of as a chariot drawn by royal lions or steeds.

and so the Sphere of Power has become radiant in this card. It is not only the 'seeing' of possibilities inherent within each moment (as per card 3, the Empress), but rather their sense of lived actualization, given the 'shining' nature of the orb. It is a light globe that has been switched on; illuminating and showing the way through the infinite pathways of the mind. Which roads do we travel in this environment? What actualisations do we 'empower' and give life through the magical process of delving and giving attention to? That can only be the individual journey of each Charioteer.

- -

so the Sphere of Power (as shown in these four cards) is the powerful ability to apply our consciousness.

it is truly 'magical' at the end of the day.

Plenum out.

[βαθμιαίος]

Lovely analysis, Plenum. To answer your implied question about which cards Don was asking from, I have it on good authority (from Jim via Gary) that the cards were the Church of Light's then-current deck, which can be seen here: http://green-door.narod.ru/zaintarot.html

[ricdaw]

Let me add an additional emphasis to the glowing sphere of Card 7. I think that one of the imbued meanings of Card 4 (Emperor) in addition to everything Plenum stated, is that there is also the eventual recognition that the Catalyst which the Emperor recasts into a positive experience, is not . . . . random. I ascribe to the Emperor a "you create your own reality" understanding too. It is an advanced understanding. It does not come to everyone. But one of the amazing things one can discover is that the catalyst which can seem so unexpected, was actually dreamed about the night before. Or maybe is so perfect in its execution that is just cannot be viewed as chance anymore. Synchronicity is the word.

So, I see Card 7, with the glowing orb, as also representing an individual who has started the great work of active reality creation. The STS person gets rich. The STO person starts manifesting situations to help people. To the explorer of the inner senses this means magical workings. That sphere is sending light out and affecting the greater universe, and the universe (in its great love) responds in kind.

Shorthand, I think the glowing orb means the person is wearing the garb of the Magical Personality.

[AnthroHeart]

I had a power sphere in my book. The sphere was called the Gamma Sphere, and it helped in his dream worlds.