 |
The myths, legends and fantastical tales of a culture contain a certain amount of historical truth about it. Populated by heroes/heroines warriors and sorcerers, these tales convey profound teachings regarding the practical aspects of navigating human life and society, and provide an imaginative form for incursions into worlds beyond the norm. The fairytale realm, where magic is a mainstay and plots often take an oracular turn, holds a place for soothsayers-guides, gypsies, witches, goddesses and mages who pre-sage the future. Even if looking into prevailing everyday reality, we'd be hard pressed to find a culture, past or current that does not have some type of practice of divination. The Greeks, stewards of the Oracle at Delphi, an enduring image of sacred divination from literature, gained many of their ideas about magic from Egypt and the Egyptian god Thoth. Their own god of magic, Hermes, spawned the concept of the "Hermetic" path, or what we refer to as the Western Mystery Tradition. For students on the Hermetic path, Tarot is part of a system of inner transformation, and the most established method of divination in use. The precise origins of Tarot cards are not known, although this has been a topic of great debate in metaphysical circles,. Whether you believe the cards originated in ancient Egypt or 14th century Italy, one thing can be agreed on, Tarot began in relation to Western esoteric training. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Golden Dawn) was a magical society that peaked in the late 19th century. Their dedication to esoteric research and experimentation resulted in the consolidated structure of Tarot imagery that we see today. The two most influential decks of all time are the Rider-Waite and the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot (Crowley or Thoth deck). The Rider-Waite cards, considered the "traditional" tarot deck, is named after the designer, Golden Dawn member Arthur Edward Waite, and Rider & Co. of London, which first published the cards in 1909. Pamela Colman Smith is credited with the original paintings for the Rider-Waite deck. Much of the popularity of contemporary Tarot study is rooted in her creative genius; Smith took isolated images from esoteric investigation and organized them into recognizable tableaus. Aleister Crowley, also briefly a member of the Golden Dawn, revised the Tarot, using his own theories and research of cross-cultural symbolism and high magic. Paintings for the Thoth deck were executed by painter Lady Frieda Harris at Crowley's behest. The development of the art work for the Thoth deck took on a the quality of a mythic labor itself, somewhat akin to the painting of the Sistine Chapel. The Crowley deck, like Crowley the man and public figure, is still considered controversial and perplexing. Tarot readers usually swear by the deck or swear at the deck, either loving it or hating it. The copyrights for both the Rider-Waite and The Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot decks are held by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Although in recent years there has been a proliferation of oracle and inspirational card decks that have taken creative turns in various directions, what separates Tarot from any other oracle deck is that it has 78 cards divided up into higher and lower arcana. The word arcana comes from arcane, which means secret or mysterious. The 22 Major or Higher Arcana comprise a story that depicts the epic journey of the human soul entering and traveling through incarnation.
sequencing through the initial 22 cards or "keys." These trump cards illustrate universal, cosmic forces, or what 20th-century psychologist Carl Jung termed archetypes- symbols so charged with emotional vitality that they seem to be living entities. Jung's work with archetypes was one of the greatest boons to the twentieth-century occultist. His scholarship bridged the gap between modern psychology and spirituality, resulting in the development of trans-personal psychology, and allowing mystics to work effectively in the mainstream professional world as counselors, administrators and healers. Follow the Archetype Archetypes are the stuff of folklore, and contemporary intuitive spiritual healers base their work on the idea that individuals tend to identify with certain archetypes and then live them out unconsciously. While archetypal cards abound, AGAIn - only a 78 card pack that follows the numerical sequence of the tarot with corresponding imagery can be authentically called a tarot deck. The design of The Major Arcana builds progressively, one card to the next, on stages of initiation into the inner workings of human existence. Next in the hierarchy come the Court Cards, showing pictures of courtly medieval characters-queens, knights, kings, pages. These cards usually relate to people in a reading. The remaining cards are considered Minor Arcana. The numbered suits-aces through ten, or the pips, are put into categories ruled by the same four elements used in Western astrology- air, fire, earth, water. Numerals, astrological correspondences and Kabbalistic letters are assigned to each card, adding fuel for interpretation in a reading. Can Tarot tell the future? This is thee question that everyone asks. Because Tarot is a sacred and metaphysical art form, the answer is of course, "Yes" and "No." Consciousness is an ever shifting process, so the future is never really solid data until it becomes the present. An individual's future is based on how that person acts based on the information that they have and the choices that they make. Patterns do emerge, however, in a Tarot card reading. A trajectory of behavior or circumstance can be pinpointed, and should it continue, followed to a probable conclusion. How does it work? Second most-asked question.
Answer: "No one
really knows." Although Jung's term "synchronicity"
has become an
acceptable way to coherently describe the way in which chance, the law
of averages and the unconscious interface, the fact remains that it is
part of THE MYSTERY. Suffice it to say that belief and
consciousness have a lot to do with divination. Any system
of logic
will hold as long as
enough people subscribe to it consistently.
A good intuitive reader doesn't just look at the
illustrations on a card and regurgitate a meaning for it from linear
memory. The
pictures, when perceived, become a doorway into another
world, a mental and emotional field that is sparked by
symbolism.
Strength Pondering the meaning of Strength
The traditional card depicts a lovely woman looking
down, a benevolent expression on her face, at a lion, whose jaws are
open. Her hands appear to be resting gently on its head and chin; she
seems in complete control of the situation. There is no sense of
danger. An infinity symbol hovers above the crown of her head.
In a Tarot reading:
Astrologically this card is ruled by the sign of Leo,
the Lion, ruled by the sun. In a reading it may pertain to the
astrological window of July-August when the sun moves through Leo.In
most decks Strength is placed as Key #8. The
significance of Eight lies in its serpentine (infinity) form. The snake
is a symbol of transformation (a fancy word for change) and
immortality.
Crowley returned the Strength card to its pre-Golden Dawn position as card # 11, renaming it Lust His use of the word came from the ancient Egyptian concept of Lustre: an inherent radiance born of rubbing up against life experience. On an everyday level it may refer to having the inner fortitude to meet life "head on" and overcome obstacles. It suggests that tenderness rather than force may be the way to approach a situation. For Personal Growth: If drawn in a reading: look at the ways in which you are currently struggling with obstacles in your outer world. Ask, - Where is my motivation coming from? As Contemplation: gentleness (beauty) of the higher self tames the lower mind (beast).  Please send
inquiries by email accessmysterium@shiftingdimensons
|
Linda
DiNoto 2004
