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| The Wheel of Fortune tarot card from the Rider–Waite-Smith Tarot deck Photo credit: image in the public domain via Wikipedia |
As we may recall, Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) received the final disbursal of remaining bank account funds as a donation from Temple of Fortuna dot com organization before its dissolution, with the idea that BOTA is a California religious non-profit and BOTA studies are linked to the Goddess Fortuna in BOTA tarot's Wheel of Fortune card, which is one of the topics BOTA covers. BOTA studies are available to anyone who wishes to join BOTA as a member and partake of the coursework. A link to BOTA is below.
The ancient Egyptian Goddess Hathor came into the studies at the foundational discussion of the Wheel of Fortune card, linking with the Empress card, in a now well-known reading of the letters T A R O, shown in the wheel of the Rider-Waite-Smith and BOTA Wheel of Fortune cards.
This interpretation probably began in the 19th century British occult circles, and was restudied by Dr. Paul Foster Case for his practical occult studies based in Los Angeles.
The letters are read, forwards and backwards, starting with different letters, to reach the following Latin phrase: Rota Taro Orat Tora Ator, with “Ator” translated as a version of “Hathor” in ancient Latin.
However; when I took the word “Ator” to several online translators, none of them issues “Hathor” in results, making it obviously an occult interpretation at best. Two translators suggested “Actor” as a translation.
Another result suggested that the words, or word fragments, Tora and Ator, could be translated as Tura, because “an internal 'o' might be rendered by a 'u'”, and related to Tus, Turis which refer to Frankincense. Ator is a suffix, which translates as “try to do, keep doing”, and this suffix is also used in contemporary languages in the same sense.
Therefor, the entire phrase does not necessarily refer to Hathor at all, and the occult connection between Hathor and the Empress and the Wheel of Fortune card may or may not be of scholarly, occult or spiritual importance, depending on how we wish to interpret the phrase.
Rota Taro Orat Tora Ator may certainly interpreted as your choice of any of the following, as you wish:
“The Wheel of Tarot Speaks the Law of (the ancient Egyptian Goddess) Hathor”, traditional occult interpretation
“The Wheel of Tarot Speaks the Law of the Actor”, a profound interpretation based on BOTA headquarters' Los Angeles address! Also, the cards portraying archetypal images which “act” and interact in tarot readings and in occult studies to represent real human desires, needs and situations.
“The Wheel of Tarot Speaks: Keep Doing Frankincense”. In other words, keep on being someone who burns frankincense; the favorite incense of the Goddess Fortuna, according to the Orphic Hymns. This interpretation brings the Wheel of Fortune card, as well as the entire Tarot, back to the Goddess of Good Fortune and an action we may take, as devotees, involving frankincense.
It is of note that sacred frankincense is not required; a more common, sustainable type of frankincense may be perfectly acceptable.
Resources
translate . com/latin-english, accessed May 27, 2024
itranslate . com/translate/latin-to-english-united-states/ator, accessed May 27, 2024
("Ator" translated as "Actor")
latin-translator .com, accessed May 27, 2024
("Tora" and "Ator" and translated as "Doing" and "Frankincense")
bota . org