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“–
Man is a portal through which one enters from the outer
world of the gods and souls to the inner world – from
the greater world to the smaller world. Small and
insignificant is man; one leaves him soon behind, and thus
one enters once more into infinite space, into the
microcosm, and into the inner eternity.”
–
C.
G. Jung.
TAROT
(actually pronounced as "Tar-ro") is a highly
popular system of divination enthusiastically practiced in
various parts of the world nowadays. Although to the
uninitiated common people it may appear to be merely an
amusing fun-game involving a deck of (22 + 56 =) 78 cards*
of peculiar type, it is not merely an uncertain or
unreliable method of fortune-telling for entertaining
frivolous people, and answering their dud or stale
queries; this ancient and novel system has been found to
be really very dependable. For several centuries, it had
been popular throughout the world, and people's curiosity
and interest in this subject has ever since been
increasing by leaps and bounds. To the magical wonderland
of TAROT, you are most cordially welcome.
[*
N.B.: TAROT of the Spirit contains *1 additional card –
which is not used traditionally. It is used only in case
of The Spiritual Ten Gates of Tarot method (of 10 Cards'
spread). This special card is unlabeled, and it bears a
typical design of inverted triangular shape. This last
card is termed as the “Mystery Card”, and is
considered as the most powerful master of the deck of (78
+ 1 =) *79 TAROT cards. ]
You
must not be surprised to listen even from some highly
learned persons that they really believe in the saying:
"your future is in your cards". While for
learning any other method of divination, even highly
intelligent persons may require several years' or even a
number of decades' patient study and experience, an
average person can learn how to interpret the Tarot
spreads within a few months – even if it may not be
possible to master the art within a few weeks. You will
also surely be very keenly interested to learn the unique
method of divination through the grace of TAROT.
Although
not certainly known, TAROT is believed to be of very
ancient origin. J.F. Vaillent (in Les Romes, histoire
vraie des vraise Bohemiens, 1857) stated that the great
divinity As-Taroth is of Indo-Tarter origin – Tan-tara
or the TAROT is the symbolic expression of the Zodiac. But
many learned scholars offer widely varying opinions as
regards its real origin – although the origin of TAROT
is often attributed to the ancient Gnostics, various
countries, religions, and sects were connected with it.
Probably it grew and developed through a few centuries;
and, possibly its two main sections were developed during
two different time-periods; the 22 mystical "Major
Enumeration Keys" have Kabala connection (which is a
mystical Jewish tradition), while the 56 'Minor Arcanas'
might be a later incorporation by around the 14th century
by the Italians (it is not a just coincidence that an
Italian game of cards is known as Tarocchi). By around the
15th century, it became very popular in France. By around
the 19th century, it attracted the attention of many noted
occultists worldwide, and in the last quarter of the 20th
century it became very popular around the world. In the
Western countries, the subject of "Numerology"
was later developed as a mere offshoot of Tarot.
The
divine subject of TAROT was probably conceived and
developed by ancient Egyptian priests; they had initially
recorded their teachings in a symbolic manner for
preserving their secrets – which could be understandable
only to the real adepts or initiates. The Egyptian word
'tar' means a path, while 'ros' means royal; both combined
means the "royal path of life". Another word of
the same language 'taru' means: "to consult for the
required answer". As during that particular
time-period their kingdom was in danger of being ravaged
by foreign invaders, many people had to migrate to
different countries; besides their lives, they also took
their faith, culture, learning, etc with them – with
which they had considerably influenced various people of
their host countries.
It
is believed that TAROT is the golden "Key",
which opens the main entrance door of the house of mystic
knowledge. It enables the enquirer to decipher the divine
intentions in a very unique manner. Its penetrating
searchlight is capable of fathoming the immense depth and
foreseeing everything what are there beyond the far
distant horizon – the people, places, things, events,
happenings, etc. It does neither utter a single word nor
does it listen – but it perfectly understands, and
reveals the true 'picture'. It reads your mind,
understands your chief concerns, and offers amazingly
accurate replies to all your queries – whether these are
religious or secular, mundane or spiritual, complex or
simple, it simply does not matter. It is sure to give you
true replies, revealing in a subtle manner – which will
be perfectly understandable to you in any situation; it
will guide you as your most trusted friend; and like an
angel, will guard you as a protective guardian.
The process of divination through TAROT
chiefly consists of laying of cards in various patterns,
which are termed as "spreads"; various kinds of
"spreads" consisting of the same or different
number of Cards are in use. For consultations of general
nature concerning day-to-day affairs, the ancient Celtic
Cross method consisting of 10 different cards is
relatively more popular; it offers a very comprehensive
details about the enquirer's present condition and
circumstances – together with information about the past
and the expected outcome in immediate- and near- future.
There are two other methods wherein 10 different cards are
used in the spread. These are: (1) The Modern Maga Diamond
method, and (2) The Spiritual Ten Gates of Tarot method
(In case of the latter, the additional Mystery Card (Card
# 79) is also used).
TAROT
has close links with Astrology; each of the 22 Major
Enumeration Key Cards bears the symbol of a zodiacal sign
and/ or planet, which adds another dimension to the
interpretations. Probably evolved on a relatively later
period, the Horoscope method consisting of 12 different
cards is also very popular with the persons who have good
knowledge and information in the subject of Astrology –
as the 12 cards of this particular "spread"
correspond to 12 different 'houses' of the horoscope,
whose corresponding significations can be interpreted with
ease and convenience.
A
method consisting of 8 different cards is very popularly
used for replying to the queries concerned with the
affairs of the heart. It is more popularly used in case of
'female' enquirers – as this spread covers the more
frequently asked questions, which are of chief concern to
the general 'female' enquirers. ... Another method
consists of 7 different cards. This offers a reliable
picture of the possible outcome expected to happen in
immediate future; this method can be depended upon when a
person becomes quite upset owing to some recent
development, and is really very serious to know about the
possible outcome in immediate future – which greatly
concerns him/ her.
There
are 2 distinctly different methods – which consists of 5
different cards only. In these methods, only the 22 Major
Enumeration Key cards are employed – while the 56 Minor
‘Arcana’ cards are removed from the pack before
shuffling. This method works very well for minor enquiries
of relatively less importance. This spread also offers
brief, precise, and honest reply; but the interpretations
obtained in this method are like interpreting dreams –
as these are expressed in a rather symbolic language;
Although these appear as to be the 'hints' to others,
these are nevertheless perfectly understandable to the
enquirer as he/ she knows best about the person, place,
thing, etc he/ she is really concerned about.
For
more general cases of relatively less importance, the use
of 5 different Casual Methods – each consisting of 3
different Cards – is also quite commonly found.
Depending on the nature of query, the corresponding three
cards (first, second, and the third) denote:
(i)
About the Time-periods: Past, Present, and Future.
(ii)
About the Time of the day: Morning to Noon, Noon to
Evening, Evening and Night.
(iii)
About the areas of life: Monetary dealings, Profession/
Business, and Love/ Marriage.
(iv)
About the concerned persons: Relatives and very close
Friends, Family members staying together, and
Acquaintances and Associates.
(v)
About the objectives: Significator for the issue, Action
taken or to be taken, Resolution or Outcome.
We
have kept the provision for utilizing any of these various
methods according to the user's personal choice,
inclination, or requirement.
The
56 Minor ‘Arcana’ cards are classified into 4
categories: Swords, Cups, Pentacles, and Wands. There are
14 cards in each category: from Ace to 10 are called
numbered or 'pip' cards, and remaining 4 'face' cards
(Valet, Knight, Queen, and King – which are also called
court cards. The Minor ‘Arcana’ Cards are indicative
of the "situations" – which lead to events or
happenings. In general, the Swords cards have affinity
with the 'fire' element; these indicate the person's
mental condition and intellectual level, the Cups cards
have affinity with the 'water' element; these relate to
the person's satisfaction in emotional life, the Pentacles
cards have affinity with the 'earth' element; these
correspond to the person's physical state and material
status, while the Wands cards have affinity with the 'air'
element; these reveal the person's capacities and
potentials, and his/ her level of attainment in
professional career. Thus, it can easily be seen that
TAROT covers almost all possible 'aspects' of real life.
The
distinct difference between the 22 Major Enumeration Key
Cards and the 56 Minor ‘Arcana’ cards lies in the fact
that whereas the former is by nature basically
'spiritual', and hence indicates the eternal quest of the
soul for further development, the latter is functionally
'mundane' – it describes the person's social position
and his/ her circumstantial conditions. Nevertheless,
these two classes of cards are conjugate complements of
each other.
It
is very interesting to know the description and meaning of
the various classes and sub-classes of the TAROT cards.
(i)
The Main Class: The most important class consists of 22
Major Enumeration Key Cards. These are often termed as the
'Trumps suit' also, which is the heart of Tarot. The
meanings of each of these illustrations are mystical and
complex as well; and their allegorical representations are
of various states of being, which in other words signifies
the varying stages of spiritual development.
(ii)
The Minor Class: It consists of 56 Minor ‘Arcana’
Cards. These in turn are classified into 4 sub-classes of
14 Cards each. Each of the sub-class is further divided
into 2 sub-sub classes: the former sub-sub consists of 10
'pip' cards and the latter consists of 4 'face' cards:
(a)
The Sub-Class I: This class is termed as the Swords. It
has affinity with the 'fire' element. It indicates the
nobility and the influential people – who possess
temporal powers, and have the tendency to wage war or
design intrigues for gaining control over others. If such
a card is found in the reading, then it indicates the
presence of-, and will offer descriptions of-, the enemies
– be it an individual or a group – who may wish to
cause harm or try to exploit/ control the individuals for
their own benefit. In general, the Swords cards are
indicative of the person's mental condition and
intellectual level.
(b)
Sub-Class II: This class is termed as the Cups. It has
affinity with the 'water' element. It indicates the clergy
or the priest class – who are concerned about the
welfare of their fellow men; they do not hesitate to do
whatever they can for alleviating the sufferings of
others. If such a card is found in the reading, then it
indicates that there are individuals or groups who are
quite favorably disposed to-, and will actively assist-,
the individual – without any expectation for fulfilling
their own interests. In general, the Cups cards are
related to the person's satisfaction in emotional life.
(c)
Sub-Class III: This class is termed as the Pentacles. It
has affinity with the 'earth' element. It indicates the
merchant class and the business people – who possess a
lot of money, and are fully aware of the power of money.
If such a card is found in the reading, then it indicates
that such people might utilize their money power and
manipulative skills. Their influence might be in the
individual person's favor or just the opposite –
depending on whether the card is upright (positive) or
upside down (negative). In general, the Pentacles cards
correspond to the person's physical state and material
status.
(d)
Sub-Class IV: This class is termed as the Wands. It has
affinity with the 'air' element. It indicates the people
belonging to the working class. Although in general they
do not remain in favorable circumstances, they possess
physical strength – and as a united group they are
capable of becoming a formidable force to reckon with. If
such a card is found in the reading, then it indicates the
ability or potential to achieve success even on the face
of insurmountable odds; it may even be achieved by
switching over from one place to another. In general, the
Wands cards reveal the person's capacities and potentials,
and his/ her level of attainment in professional career.
The
Fateful Cards (among the 22 Major Enumeration Key Cards):
Among the Major Enumeration Key Cards, only three cards (#
13, # 16, & 22) are considered to be fateful.
Unfavorable results are expected if any such number is
repeated thrice (or more) in 12 Cards' or 10 Cards'
shuffle. Unfavorable results are also expected all these
three numbers appear in the same spread. The problems
would be more intensified if all of these three (or more)
fateful Cards appear in upside down (or negative) posture.
It
is interesting to note that these 56 Minor ‘Arcana’
cards have correspondence with the modern deck of playing
cards, which consists of 52 (+ 1) cards (the 4 Knights are
eliminated, and extra 1 added). Among the numbered or
'pip' cards, the Swords became the Spades, the Cups became
the Hearts, the Pentacles became the Diamonds, the Wands
became the Clubs. Among the 'face' or court cards, the
Valet became the Jack, the Knight was eliminated (probably
owing to change of socio-political conditions), but the
Queen and the King remained just the very same. The 22
Major Enumeration Key cards are considered sacred; these
correspond to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Out
of these 22 cards, the card no. 22 – which is sometimes
alternately denoted as 0 (zero) instead – denoted by
"The Fool"; later it became transformed into
'the Joker' as the extra card in the modern deck of
playing cards. Normally, the Joker is not used at all; but
when necessity arises, it can take the place of any other
card! In TAROT, it has been greatly stressed by the
saying: 'No one should ever underestimate the wisdom of
"The Fool"! It warns you about the great danger
that is lying just ahead; one more wrong step, and ...!'
It
must be clearly understood that essentially the TAROT
interpretations have to be symbolic or metaphorical to a
great extent. An interpreter can in practice come to
certain expressions for some sensible events/ happenings
(but not its precisely particular form); but the
‘reading’ would appear to be meaningful to the actual
enquirer – as he/ she is fully aware of the situation
(and the possible repercussions) that he/ she is currently
in or facing. It will be obvious from the fact that there
are 78 Cards in total – each of which can appear in
upright or upside-down positions; thus, there can be 78 *
2 = 156 possible interpretations for each card. Now, just
imagine the possible variations in every shuffle:
(1).
At the minimum, there could be 3 Cards’ spread. So,
there could be = (156) raised to the power 3 =
156
* 156 * 156 = 37, 96, 416 variations.
(2).
At the maximum, there could be 12 Cards’ spread. So,
there could be = (156) raised to the power 12 = 156 * 156
* 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 * 156 *
156 = 207, 728, 070, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000
types of possible variations. The staggering astronomical
figure is unfathomable beyond doubt!
May
the divine grace of TAROT lead us through the right path,
guide us in our journey through life, illumine our souls,
and surround our lives with peace and harmony, prosperity
and happiness.
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