TAROT revisited.

By some recent chain of events, I've been led to revisit the TAROT system.. ie. the 72 picture cards, which surfaced around the 15-16th Century in Europe.

Contrary to popular usage as a fortune-telling or divination device, TAROT can also be used for a wide range of purposes from contemplation and meditation to tantra and magic. It's along these lines- as a contemplative and self-transformation tool- that I've had a long-term interest with TAROT. This started for me personally more than a decade ago due to its relevance to systems in the Western Mystery Tradition (Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Qabalah, Alchemy etc.), which I had taken up after seeking some balance from a prior decade of completely Eastern outlook.

Returning to the TAROT however, my main current interest is along the lines of finding ways to integrate its use with that of other contemplative paths (especially those of direct awareness and self-inquiry). This might sound a little strange, though powerful results do seem evident from combining both these tools in a largely uncharted, yet workable way. On the other hand, success through using TAROT as a contemplative tool isn't so surprising, since the TAROT itself is like a mini-model for our every day reality-- virtually every scenario that could possibly play out in life (psychologically and karmically or event-wise) is displayed somewhere among the 72 cards. Further, the Trumps take into account most of the major human archetypes in existence. As Jung was interested in pointing out, these ever-present archetypes normally float under the conscious awareness of groups and individuals, yet all the while exerting silent influence. Hence any contemplative practice using the set of TAROT images and themes would likely make for an excellent controlled training ground for later transference into the "real" world of our normal (and largely unconscious and robotic) daily living environment.

The concept of a "lab" or training ground isn't a new thing in contemplative practice, which, since inception, has advocated fixed times for silent, isolated meditation, yogas, and/or contemplation, away from the usual circumstances one finds oneself enmeshed in life. Although there are certain 'teachers' around these days that dismiss the idea of fixed meditation sessions, or even the need for controlled contemplation (- I won't bother to go into the flawed rationale here), most aspirants and hands-on practitioners, do appreciate the need for a controlled environment, where 'experiments' in consciousness can be carried out calmly, precisely and without interruption. Importantly, such experiments and trainings, when repeated, can then later be transferred easily into ordinary daily activities.

Likewise, the TAROT, through it's all-encompassing scheme of Major/Minor cards, and its portability and ease of use, also offers such a controlled "lab" for experiments in consciousness and beyond. For those unfamiliar with the TAROT, I would recommend starting with the standard Rider-Waite deck, due to it being the most common deck in existence, and also due to its relative simplicity in layout, and the ease in which impressions are conveyed.


(Minor Arcana of the Rider-Waite deck, first published in 1910.)

Western occultism and egomaniacs

I’ve been doing quite a bit of study & research in the Western Occultism arena over the last month or so (culmination of a few decades of participation). Beginning with the TS, through Freemasonry, RC, Golden Dawn, Crowley and his Orders (OTO, AA), and later spin offs (Chaos, etc.).

One thing that strikes me as unfortunately tragic is the number of egomaniacs and wiseacring impostors that have come out of this machine of ill-repute.

Don’t get me wrong, there was a time, probably a few decades ago, when I really wanted to believe that Western Occultism, WMT, WET, and similar movements actually led to their self-professed goals of scientific illumination, self-knowledge, and Self-realization (or Godhead). The end result of that via dolorosa though, seems unfailingly to end up with splinter groups upon splinter groups with nothing but people (invariably male) hungry for power, fame and self-aggrandizement.

Lofty founding ideals of freedom and enlightenment soon degenerate into either idle distractions such as divination, ineffectual ritual, and personality worship, or into more virulent forms such as slave labour, group hypnosis, and carrot-stick pyramid structures.

Research the history of almost every Western “occult”, “magical” or “esoteric” Order or movement, and one invariably finds nobodies desperate to become somebodies, rather than the Eastern (or Asian) norm of somebodies becoming peaceful nobodies.
Expelled members sit in dark corners gnashing their teeth and exposing dirt or attempting to start their own pyramid structures, meanwhile the controlling hierarchies white-knuckle their positions and tighten down “the rules”.

I’m not sure if this is a Western psychological trait, or rather to do with those attracted to these groups. There are obvious tell-tale signs involved, such as groups offering 1001 self-improvement promises, instant titles, degrees, future rewards and instant social belonging. In contrast, you might find a Zen group or an Eastern equivalent offering a cushion on the ground with the advice being to try ‘siting down and shutting up’ for an hour. No titles, no candy bag.

In order to save time, dear reader, a very simple test may be applied to any group, Order, or society you are looking to join or invest your hard earned life-force:

'Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’