What does Lust mean reversed?

The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading: Energy that is repressed, or discharged without measure; fear of your own power, or its abuse.

What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of Lust?

In the Golden Dawn system Lust corresponds to the Hebrew letter Teth, path 19 of the Tree of Life between Chesed and Geburah, the element Fire and Leo in astrology.

Thoth Tarot · Major Arcana

Lust

life force · passion · courage · ecstasy · integration

A reflective starting point

What is Lust asking you to look at?

Meaning changes with the position, the surrounding cards and your question. Take what follows as a language, not a verdict.

Read this card in a ritual Draw it from your own deck

Upright

Put passion and courage into what you do: your vitality is your main resource. A moment of creative strength and magnetism.

At first sight

Strength, courage, passion, vitality. It points to success achieved not by repressing the instincts but by riding them with enthusiasm.

Within you

The joy of your own life energy, accepted and integrated; the end of the inner war between spirit and instinct.

On the path

Path 19 from Chesed to Geburah, the letter Teth (the serpent, 9) and Leo, the house of the Sun: the horizontal path joining Mercy and Severity. Solar force, welcomed without fear, becomes creative ecstasy.

The shadow

Ill-dignified, it signals excess, domination of the impulses, pride, a destructive use of force.

Reversed

In the Thoth tradition a reversed card is read through its dignity with the neighbouring cards; this is its shadow side.

Energy that is repressed, or discharged without measure; fear of your own power, or its abuse.

In love, work and spirit

Love. Intense passion, physical attraction, a vital relationship; avoid possessive dynamics.

Work. Bold initiatives, charisma, the ability to carry others along with enthusiasm.

Spirit. Ecstasy as a path: life force made holy instead of fought.

Correspondences

Teth ט · path 19 (Chesed – Geburah) · Fire · Leo

Crowley's note

Crowley replaces Strength with Lust, understood as joyful vigour rather than vice: Babalon rides the seven-headed Beast in ecstasy and raises the flaming Grail. The card takes the number XI, giving VIII to Adjustment.