Splendor Solis – Organization

Before analyzing the first card, a brief description of how the text is organized and how the plates are organized is warranted.

The text is divided into a Preface and five Treatises.  The Third Treatise is divided into seven Parables.  The Fourth Treatise is divided into seven parts.  The Fifth Treatise is divided into four chapters.

The plates are assigned to the text as follows:

• Plate 1 – Preface
  • Plate 2 – The First Treatise
  • Plate 3 – The Second Treatise
  • Plate 4 – The Third Treatise
    • Plate 5 – The First Parable
    • Plate 6 – The Second Parable
    • Plate 7 – The Third Parable
    • Plate 8 – The Fourth Parable
    • Plate 9 – The Fifth Parable
    • Plate 10 – The Sixth Parable
    • Plate 11 – The Seventh Parable
  • Plate 12 – Fourth Treatise, firstly
  • Plate 13 – Fourth Treatise, secondly
  • Plate 14 – Fourth Treatise, thirdly
  • Plate 15 – Fourth Treatise, fourthly
  • Plate 16 – Fourth Treatise, fifthly
  • Plate 17 – Fourth Treatise, sixthly
  • _______ – Fourth Treatise, seventhly
  • Plate 18 – Fourth Treatise, eighthly
• Plate 19, Fifth Treatise, first chapter
• Plate 20, Fifth Treatise, second chapter
• Plate 21, Fifth Treatise, third chapter
• Plate 22, Fifth Treatise, fourth chapter

Adam McLean organizes the plates as:

• Plates 1-4
• The Seven Parables, Plates 5-11
• The Seven Flasks, Plates 12-18
• Plates 19-22

Marie Smolej organizes the plates as:

• Plate “0” (really Plate 1 in the text)
• Plates “1-2-3” (really Plates 2-3-4)
• Plates “4-5-6-7-8-9-10” (really Plates 5-6-7-8-9-10-11)
• Plates “11-12-13-14-15-16-17” (really Plates 12-13-14-15-16-17-18)
• Plates “18-19-20-21” (really Plates 19-20-21-22)

I consider Smolej’s numbering inspired. Confusing, but inspired. At first I thought she renumbers Plate 1 as 0 (zero) to imply an alignment with the Tarot card of The Fool. That didn’t really flow with my other interpretations. Then I noticed that McLean had a different image for Plate 22.  Smolej’s last plate has an empty landscape; McLean’s last plate has someone walking on the landscape. The person walking carries a bindle, reminiscent of the quintessential Fool.  I prefer Plate 22 (rather than Plate 0/1) corresponding to The Fool.

Now, on to the first plate!