 |
| The Emperor (Trump IV ) from the Thoth deck |
Recently, I decided I would start studying the Tarot seriously. I had a deck since I was 16, but I never really took the time to really *study* it...like card by card...and I was heavily dependent on the Little-White-Book that came with the deck. I read some earlier posts in this blog with regard to Tarot, and it's true, every, little DETAIL on the card is important: from the colours of clothing, to symbols, to the positioning of the characters in the scene, the Tarot is a Deep Well of Knowledge. It looks like a simple tool...a deck of cards, one may wonder of what spiritual use is it? How can it guide you to make better choices in your life, and help you develop spiritually, emotionally, etc.? However, I have seen that the Tarot is a very powerful tool, one that shouldn't be taken lightly. It's a hidden book in my opinion...of course this is my opinion, and there are no facts concerning exactly WHERE/WHY/HOW/etc. the Tarot originated...there are many theories, and all of them may have some truth in them. All I can say for sure is that wherever Tarot originated from, or who created it, and whteher or not it was a actually a simple deck of playing cards that became a spiritual tool or vice-versa, the Tarot is a repository for the Wisdom of the Ages. It is a spiritual tool and should be respected as such...the symbols and images on them are sacred. I have realized that in studying the 78 cards of the Tarot, it leads you into other fields of the Occult arts: Astrology, Numerology, Symbology, the Kabbala as well as other fields of study such as Mythology, Psychology, etc. The deeper you go the more you realize you have to learn...you can spend your life studying the Tarot.
I have also heard of people using them in Magick spells, to predict outcomes for spells and how it'll affect you, for timing etc. I find this to be particularly interesting as I have never considered how Tarot cards can be used in spells. But the images on the cards are very powerful and they contain very deep occult symbology...you could meditate on them for hours and come away with so many spiritual riches. Some decks are more redolent in spiritual imagery than others...the Thoth deck which was done under the direction of Aleister Crowley is a fine example. Also, each card has it's own "energy"...Aces for example are pregnant with the qualities of their elemental suits....and that's another amazing thing. The Magician in the Major Arcana can probably be considered the role model for those that practise magick everywhere: he stands for a willful, confident, strong person who bends the forces of nature to his will: he makes it happen...Air, Earth, Fire, Water all conspire to materialize his goals. The Suits of the Minor Arcana all bear the imagery of 4 predominantly used Magickal tools: Swords/ Daggers/ Athames, Pentacles, Wands/ Staffs, Chalices.
Anyway...I just thought I would make this post here because I think this is a great topic to discuss and I hope it will stimulate some discussion around here, becuz it's been way too quiet as of late. What are your thoughts, opinions, views and experiences?For those of you who have already started studying the Tarot in depth, how are you progressing, and what are some of your insights?
2 comments:
since the comment box does not allow me to post pictures I answered this in a blog post......
I also have had a tarot deck for about two years now. However I must admit that I don't use it as often as before and am very dependent on the book that comes with it.
I would like to get a new deck though, cos the one I have is very different from the typical. Very very (almost too) artistic. Need to try a different one and see if I connect with it better.
Post a Comment