TONGUES OF FIRE

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Although there are numerous tarot decks of medieval times with various meanings and different correspondences, such as enigmatic Sola Busca and Matteo Maria Boiardo cards, comparing more classical prototypes like the Moon of the so called «Charles VI» or «Gringonneur» Deck and Bolognese Tarocchi to well known Marseile trump of the same meaning we will notice not only the traces of Freemasonry and Hermeticism but a confirmation of Count de Mellet approach I applied to the Lovers of A. E. Waite in my previous research.

Luna
Sebald Beham
The Seven Planets with the Zodiacs
1539

Vandenborre tarot published in Brussels, Belgium, in 1780 or the Flemish deck XVIIIth La Lune depicts woman with disstaff from the Bolognese sun which is logically assuming Hebrew letter dalet (supposedly based on hieroglyphs depicting a door and or fish) corresponding to it opens us another door of perception into the unknown realms.

Illustration from the History of Playing Cards (1848) by William Andrew Chatto

The native Akkadian name of the supposed Biblical city from the legend was Bāb-ilim, meaning "gate of God". And actually tower was never mentioned regarding the famous legend – it's been always the city in the original Hebrew texts.

Modern interpretations mostly are derivative from the latter play on words with a similar Hebrew verb balal (“to confuse”) in Genesis 11:9: “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.”

The drops on the card is reference to the “tongues of fire” that descended on the disciples of Jesus at Pentecost in Acts 2: 1-4.

Pentecost: the Holy Ghost descends upon (Mary and) the apostles, sometimes Paul and/or representatives of the nations present (Acts 2:1-4); 't. Treasure of Souls. Amsterdam, P.J. Paets, 1648. The scene is copied from a print by Philips Galle after a design by Jan van der Straet, part of the series entitled Acta Apostolorum.

Nevertheless on the ordinary old engravings of this Biblical scene, the flames or rather crops or currents of energy are turned down to the Earth or Apostles, whereas on the Jean Noblet’s Tarot of Marseille card they’re aimed at the eclipse and A. E. Waite invented his own mystical interpretation reaching the middle point.

Tarot card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck, also known as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

So taking into consideration Biblical reference, in the same chapter we further read following: that the sun will “go into darkness and the moon into blood, before the Day of the Lord shall come”.

In case of an opposite to what is understood by the “speaking in tongues” in the Bible (which was a recognizable universal language for all commonalities), it rather speaks us about concealment through this same language which haven’t gone anywhere since then – alchemical symbolism.

Emblem 24. A wolf devoured the king, and being burnt it restored him to life again. Atalanta Fugiens, Michael Maier's alchemical emblem book, 1618.

The Hunger and Voracity of a wolf is remarkably knowne to be very great, insomuch that when his prey is wanting he will feed even upon the Earth; with which he is likewise said to fill his belly when he is about to set upon large herds of Cattle, that so being made heavier by that burden he may resist more strongly and not easily be shaken off from his hold. When he enters a fold he doth not only kill enough to satisfye his hunger but through greedinesse destroys the whole flock. He is Sacred to Apollo and Latona because he stood by her when she was in Labour, for Latona could not have delivered young unlesse he had been present. Hence likewise the wolf is thought acceptable to Apollo because he celebrated his birthday, as also because his Eyes shine and cast forth light in the midst of the night. Therefore the breathlesse body of the King is thrown to the wolf when he is ravenously hungry, not to the end that the wolf should wholly consume and annihilate the King, but that by his own death the wolf should restore strength and life to him. For there is a certain amatorious Virtue in the Tayle of the Wolf which is infused into the half dead King which makes him very desirable to all men upon the recovery of His former Health and Beauty.

Emblem 47. The Wolf coming from the East and the Dog coming from the West have bitten each other. Atalanta Fugiens, Michael Maier's alchemical emblem book, 1618.

The Philosophers in many places make mention of two Stones that are freely given to us, as Arnoldus, Isaick, and others. Avicenna amongst the rest affirms that they are thrown out in the Dung, neglected by the Vulgar, but if they be joined together, they perfect the magistery. Some extol the Occidental Mercury, which hath proffered itself before Gold, and overcome it. But the author of the Consilium Conjugi Solis and Luna, out of the Epistle of Aristotle, does best of all describe the two Stones, when he saith there are Two Stones, principals of this Art, white and red, of wonderful nature. At the Setting of the Sun the white begins to appear upon the surface of the Waters, hiding itself till Midnight, and afterwards descends to the Bottom. But the red Operates otherwise, for it begins to arise upon the Waters at the rising of the Sun till noon, and afterwards descends to the bottom. These Stones therefore are the two, Sent by Jupiter out of Delphos, as we said before. Those also are the Wolf and Dog coming from different parts of the Earth, which Bite and worry one another, and both become Mad. As Rhasis declares in his Epistles, " Those Stones are the most true Bezoar, which comes from the East Indies, taken out of the Bellies of wild Bests. The West Indies yield another, but of less Efficacy, and is called That of Peru, and taken out of Tame animals. " So, the East affords a most fierce Wolf, the West a Dog Familiar to man. That is: Sulphur comes from the Eastern as Mercury does from the Western Regions; of which the one is soft and tractable, the Other is Choleric and fierce. As soon they meet they fall upon one another. But the Dog, being of a remarkable Size, obtains the first Victory by Prostrating the wolf, and almost killing him. Then the wolf recovering his strength, Overthrows the Dog and never Suffers him to rise again, but kills him in the main. The Wolf receives such wounds from the Dog, that are not less mortal than those he gave him, and so they are wounded to death by one another.

TONGUES OF FIRE

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