I would have thought The Emerald Tablet or the Kybalion. Just as right hand "above" would seem more appropriate to me, but what do I know. If you don't mind my asking, you said you weren't allowed to have your "Holy Book" present on the altar during your degrees, and I was wondering what VSL was finally selected; and had you been allowed, which deck would you have chosen and would "it's proper order" have been the same for all 3 degrees?
Waite delved somewhat deeply into the Tarot as he did with most occult subjects, but for a brief (and fascinating) explanation of the Tarot, for those who might be interested, see The Symbolism of the Tarot, by P. D. Ouspensky. It can be found online for free.
Still, what did Hall say about symbols:
"A symbol may serve to transfer our intuitions and to suggest new ones only so long as its meaning is not defined. Real symbols are perpetually in process of creation; but when they receive a definite significance they become hieroglyphs and finally a mere alphabet. As this they express simply ordinary concepts, cease to be a language of the Gods or of initiates and become a language of men which everyone may learn."