The Luciferian Tarot: V of Swords

V of Swords: Represented by Astwihad and the Varcolaci sigil.A vampiric spirit flies forth from the gates of hell to devour blood at all costs, a nocturnal conquest... But is this also a necessary trial for control? And how easy is to fail? Let's take a look.

I'm really glad I ended up pulling a card that used to haunt my older readings repeatedly. No matter how much I shuffled, this little bastard kept turning up. I think I have a lot to say about it now with some hindsight from the situations that inspired me to do these readings.

In Traditional Tarot, this Minor Arcana card represents the "win at all costs" mentality. In the conquest of others, you find conflict and hostility. Victory is often hollow, alienating people in the process of winning the argument. You will ask yourself, is this really winning?

Let us first discuss astral vampyrism and the Varcolaci sigil. The varcolaci is a Romanian vampyre spirit that appears, by day, living as a totally normal individual. By night, the varcolaci enters sleep and rises as a night-flying spirit to drink blood from the moon.

Haunting villages in the form of a many-headed wolf or a dragon, the varcolaci drains astral life force, the blood current, from the sleeping. This astral energy is akin to Chi, Prana, in essence the bio-electro-magnetic energy of a living being.

This legend forms the basis of the predatory spiritualism among the astral vampyres who use this sigil, modern sorcerers who take to the night and ascend as black wraiths to feed on astral energy.

This sigil not only represents the varcolaci, but also Astwihad, a Daeva described in the Bundahishn as the evil flyer, a seizer of life. A look into his eyes means death and the draining of life.

Known to take the forms of a bat or predatory bird with a human visage, fanged with burning eyes and a skeleton-thin face. The touch of his fingers on the astral plane drains energy. Astwihad is a greedy vampire who devours without caution, regret, or discrimination.

It is Astwihad who rises from the cold northern winds from Arezura, the Gate of Hell, as a Vampyric spirit to devour life energy. Once the life is devoured, it is Druj-Nasu who corrupts the flesh of the corpse.

For a vampyre magickian, Astwihad is often considered an excellent model for developing the terrifying aspects of the astral body that one rises from in their sleep.

In the Black Order of the Dragon's Creed of Darkness, it speaks of drinking "from the Sun at Midnight, blood congealed under a pale moon" and that these vampyre magickians "drink from the ecstasies of the Qlippoth".

This is where in vampyric sorcery, the elementals of the deep subconscious, are mastered. 5s in tarot are associated with Geburah, the fifth Sephira on the Tree of Life. It's Qlipha is Golab, ruled by ArchDemon Asmodeus. This is the sphere of Mars.

This sphere is Power and Strength of confrontation. Here we find the conflict of 5 of Swords. Asmodeus, also known as Aeshma, is revealed to be the Daeva of the Wounding Spear and the Wielder of the Bloody Mace. Golab is useful for destruction, curses and confrontation.

To seek the shades of action and strength at all costs, you seek to absorb the conflict from within Golab. Becoming as Asmodeus stirs the spirit and inspires the infernal mind. Geburah is severity, judgement, strength and power. Conflict and loss of stability is inherent.

In Book of the Witch Moon's Liber Apep, it is asked for the vampyre magickian to consider with the burning of a black candle to imagine how you will face an obstacle when it arises. You must also ask if you've achieved your goal, can you stop yourself?

As with all things in the Luciferian path, balance is necessary. If you choose to embrace your natural instinct as predator, are you willing to stop when a goal has been made into flesh to enjoy it? Or do you ignore the result and want more?

5 of Swords in the Luciferian Tarot reveals itself to question your stability when you fly the night from the gates of Hell. Even a Luciferian knows caution, while also embracing the inevitability of conflict. Know what your victory means to avoid the pitfalls of your hunger.