I have many pet projects and wandering passions. When some of these worlds collide, it can be amusing and astounding. Many have noted an esoteric slant on Historical European Martial Arts, especially since John Michael Greer’s translation of The Academy of the Sword pointed out the Agrippan influence. What’s surprising is to see this book, or rather a diagram from this book, pop up in the Thoth Tarot.
The Six of Swords “Science” certainly looks like many swords working harmoniously against a complex background of lines and geometric figures. The precision of science and the hard lines that it draws is an apt interpretation of this card.
However, my eyes caught something very unique in the geometry of this figure. There is an exact duplication of a famous fencing diagram from the historical art known as Destreza or the “Spanish School.” This diagram is sometimes known as the Magic or Mystic Circle, sparking further ties to the esoteric.
I am unsure how Lady Frieda Harris came to know this diagram, and I have not found any correspondence from Crowley to her, available online, explaining why this diagram is here. She casually mentions it in the Thoth booklet but that’s about it. Did she know it from attending a finishing school? Was the Spanish style instructed to her? Did this come from another source?
I honestly do not know, but should this circle appear on any tarot card; this is undoubtedly the most appropriate. The Spanish school was deceptively simple in appearance in a duel but incredibly complex as a system to master, much like science.
The book mentioned above, The Academy of the Sword, lays out the most famous diagrams of the Spanish circle. It is a circle of your dimensions, not one to use as a floor mat, but instead determined by your center to the tip of your sword and making a circle from that. Thus it will be a different size for everyone. Or I should say “circles,” as this diagram is employed horizontally and vertically with you.
Here you can see body proportions, footwork instructions, and various technical information in the illustration that accompanied this fencing manual. I’ll post a cleaned-up version of just the diagram, so you can see just how exact Lady Frieda Harris’ incorporation is.
There is a long history of the Spanish Circle and much more information available in the beautiful translation from John Michael Greer and from practitioners working with this system.
If you are interested in the intersection of historical fencing and esoteric thought, I highly recommend picking up The Academy of the Sword. Also worth checking out are the following practitioners of the art.
- Martinez Academy of Arms, The Demystification of the Spanish School – Part I
- Black Birds and Blades, The Spanish Circle Through the Years
- A Midsummer Night’s Blog, Spanish Fencing Notation Part 2 – Footwork and the Circle
While you may notice a dislike towards anything magical or mystical in these blogs, they are still valuable relays of such information to those who know. So in the spirit of the esoteric, I will employ the Fourth Power and remain silent concerning further knowledge. I have pointed out the way, enjoy your journey.
Ophiphos 