The Aeon is card XX of the Major Arcana in the Thoth Tarot. In a reading it speaks of renewal, awakening, turning point and new era. In the Golden Dawn system it corresponds to the Hebrew letter Shin, path 31 of the Tree of Life between Hod and Malkuth, the element Fire and Fire/Spirit in astrology.
renewal · awakening · turning point · new era · decision
What does The Aeon mean?
A new phase begins: answer the call and make the decision you have been putting off.
Everyday meaning
Renewal, final decisions, awakening. It points to a turning point that closes one chapter and opens another, often with sudden clarity.
Psychological meaning
The call to a new consciousness of yourself; the ability to take leave of the past and be reborn with a different outlook.
Initiatic meaning
Path 31 from Hod to Malkuth, the letter Shin (the tooth, 300) and Fire together with Spirit: the fire that descends to transform matter. It is the advent of the Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering Child.
The shadow side
Ill-dignified, it signals postponed decisions, hasty judgements, fear of the new, or fanaticism.
The Aeon 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:
An awakening postponed, or a fear of being judged; the change remains inevitable all the same.
The Aeon in love, work and spirit
In love
A deep renewal of the relationship, or a final decision about the bond.
At work and career
A professional turning point, a new course, the need to update yourself to the times.
In spiritual practice
The Aeon of Horus: the consciousness of the divine child, freedom and True Will.
Kabbalah, astrology and the Hebrew letter of The Aeon
Shin ש (300) · path 31: Hod – Malkuth · Fire · Fire/Spirit
Crowley on The Aeon
Crowley replaces Judgement with the Aeon, inspired by the Stele of Revelation: Nuit arched across the background, the winged globe of Hadit, and Horus in the double form of a child and a seated god.
Frequently asked questions
What does The Aeon mean in the Thoth Tarot?
A new phase begins: answer the call and make the decision you have been putting off.
What does The Aeon mean in love?
A deep renewal of the relationship, or a final decision about the bond.
What does The Aeon mean for work and career?
A professional turning point, a new course, the need to update yourself to the times.
What does The Aeon 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: An awakening postponed, or a fear of being judged; the change remains inevitable all the same.
What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of The Aeon?
In the Golden Dawn system The Aeon corresponds to the Hebrew letter Shin, path 31 of the Tree of Life between Hod and Malkuth, the element Fire and Fire/Spirit in astrology.
