22 Notes On The Tarot Cards
February 20, 2010
This is the current state of my thought concerning the Tarot, those strange cards that have been the subject of myriad occult speculations.
The Tarot trumps were primarily intended for use in a card game of the “trick-taking” variety, where hierarchically arranged cards would “triumph”over other.
Trying to interpret the Tarot Trumps without any reference to the game of Tarot will lead to erroneous conclusions.
There were many different arrangements of Tarot Trumps before the current standard, as well as other card games of the “Triumph” variety.
The current standard arrangement of Trumps is deliberately worked out, and not the result of chance.
The iconography of the Tarot Trumps is entirely Christian and Renaissance-era European in origin.
There appear to be some heretical ideas of a quasi-Gnostic character incorporated into the cards, but the cards do not consistently represent any known Gnostic or quasi-Gnostic theology.
The idea of Triumphs was widespread in the culture of late-medieval/Renaissance Europe, and occurred both as a literary device and as a subject for parades and pageants.
Because there was little difference made between the sacred and secular at the time of the Tarot’s design, Hermetic and philosophical ideas were incorporated into the design of the Trumps.
As a result of the religious and philosophical ideas incorporated into the deck, spiritual value can probably be drawn from the designs on the cards.
The structure of the Tarot Trumps references astrological and Kabbalistic ideas, but is not a direct representation of either Astrology or the Kabbalah.
The cards of the Tarot can be attributed to the symbols and doctrines of Astrology and Kabbalah, but such attributions appear to be secondary, and not the primary intention of the designer(s) of the cards.
The trumps of the Tarot constitute their own, unique system. They are are not directly representative of any other single system, but do incorporate ideas from various other sources.
The Trumps can be divided thematically into three groups, perhaps reflecting a belief in the sacredness of trinities.
Within each thematic group, the cards are subdivided into trinities consisting a linked pair and a third card which represents a power greater than that pair.
The Final Trump, representing the New Jerusalem and the power of God, does not belong to any trinity, but triumphs over all.
The first thematic group consists of the trinities of Fool – Magician – Papess, and Empress – Emperor – Pope. They are a representation of the hierarchical Estates of Man, a common medieval and Renaissance theme.
The second thematic group consists of the trinities of Love – The (Victorious) Chariot – Justice, The Hermit (or Old Man) – The Wheel of Fortune – Fortitude, and The Hanged Man (or Traitor) – Death – Temperance. The cards seem to represent the vicissitudes of Fate and the Virtues that overcome them.
The third thematic group consists of the Devil – the Tower (or The House of God or The House of the Devil) – The Star (Of the Morning or Bethlehem), The Moon – The Sun – The Last Judgment (or The Resurrection, or The Angel), and the World (Of God). They appear to be images of the Apocalyptic Revelation of God.
Regardless of whether the Tarot is a valid method of Divination, or whether Divination is a valid practice at all, the cards would remain a cultural artifact worthy of study, if only for the hold they have had on the Western imagination.
If there is more than one Universe, and the future is therefore not singular, then it will be impossible to predict the future with absolute precision by any means.
Regardless of whether of not it is possible to actually divine the future absolutely, using the cards in that manner may allow the user to attain a state of self-reflection, enhancing intuition and thus conscious recognition of the forces in play at the present which will affect the possible states of the future.
You’ve mentioned this theory to me before, and it’s quite interesting. Are there any writings on Tarot as a game?
I agree with the idea that Tarot is a tool for recognizing forces at play in the present. But what is interesting is that when I use Tarot–perhaps to get perspective on some current scenario that I’m in a muddle about–I find that it often accurately predicts the outcome of the situation. It may even give me a time frame in our linear terms. Given that I also agree that there is no time but the present, how is this possible?
If the Tarot acts as a sort of illuminator to show us unconscious thoughts and processes, then I would suggest that it functions as a translator as well. Symbols that have some universal, or at least cultural meaning are the language of the “soul”. Though Tarot may have been created with a particular theological perspective and value set in European history, these are certainly values we’ve inherited on some level. I would also suggest that the notion of time is an old universal symbol, and that Tarot reflects that as well. It’s useful as a translator of circumstances because it speaks the language we understand. No matter that the Ultimate Reality (perhaps the Unity in the Present) doesn’t necessarily resemble our conception of things. Tarot translates the mysterious nature of events into something that our soul fragment can digest within its circumstances. What I read as the “future” is part of this eternal Present, but my mind doesn’t perceive it that way–so the Tarot is a tool that may present an event or change as a “future outcome”.
Just my two cents…as I’ve been sitting with Tarot all morning trying to make sense of some events…