Articles - Ancient Mysteries of Tarot
Ancient Mysteries of Tarot
By Lee Ann Cornell
During the 15th century an artist by the name of Bembo was commissioned by the Viconti family of Milan to paint a deck of cards for a parlor game called the Tarocchi. The modern day playing cards and the Tarot cards that we see today are an evolution of this deck. There is speculation that the tarot cards date back much further than this. Was Bembo tapping into the universal conscious when he painted this deck or was he connected to the ancient mysteries school? My guess would be both!
The ancient Chinese proverb “one picture is worth a thousand words” applies to the tarot. The tarot cards are a universal language in pictorial form. If used correctly these cards are a wonderful tool to help you to open up and connect with your higher consciousness, guides and angels.
The ancient mysteries of Kabbalah are interwoven throughout the cards. The Tarot cards are steeped in sacred geometry, numerology, astrology and psychology.
The tarot cards are a representation of the various cycles that we continuously pass through in our daily lives. The cards reflect our personal growth, accomplishments, opportunities and challenges throughout our lifetime. There are 78 cards in a deck, 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. (arcana means secret knowledge) The major arcana cards are a reflection of our psychological and spiritual growth and development. The minor arcana cards are a reflection of our everyday experiences, aspects of personality, behavior patterns, feelings, interests and situations we periodically find ourselves in.
When you begin to reflect or meditate upon the cards, you may begin to raise your level of consciousness and gain a deeper level of awareness within yourself and the world around you. Tarot cards may be an extraordinary tool for personal development.
There are four suits in the minor arcana and these elements appear in the major arcana as well. Each card, with the exception of the court cards, are assigned a numerical value. Upon gaining some basic knowledge of numbers and the four suits or elements, a pattern will begin to emerge and reading will become easier. Court cards relate to the astrological traits.
The cups are related to the element of water and the emotional plane. This element is associated with the subconscious mind and our spirit. This suit is related to our deep seeded feelings, desires, passion for life, compassion, sympathy, joy and whole hearted commitment.
The swords are related to the element of air and the mental plane. This is a very erratic element. This suit is a representation of thoughts, ideas, viewpoints, analysis, criticism, force, defeat, conflict, anger, hurt, pain and despair.
The wands are related to the element of fire and are associated with growth. This suit represents creativity, inspiration, enterprise, expansion, competition, progress, recognition, ambition, and growth.
The aces in the Tarot cards are a representation of self-realization and comprehension. The Magician is the first card in the major arcana and The World is the last card. The Magician has a cup, sword, wand, and pentacle on his table. The magician’s cup is a representation of his faith, passion and what it is that he truly desires. The sword is his ability to analyze his feelings and desires so that he may create what it is that he desires. He has a focal point, a point of view, an idea of where he needs to go and what he needs to do. The wand is his ability to use his ingenuity to bring forth what he desires. The pentacle is his game plan. With all these tools in place he has a direction in his life.
The Hebrew letter associated with the Magician is Beth meaning house. The physical body is God’s Temple that houses one’s spirit.
The Magician’s uplifted wand is a representation of the invocation of God. The Magician is allowing himself to be a channel for the God force to manifest through. We are all Magicians and we carry God’s Divine Spark within our hearts and souls. God has a hand in all that we do in life. We are blessed with his divine love, self-love and our ability to love and have a passion for live. Through God we have the ability to think, formulate ideas, the ability to be creative and the talent to manifest things into creation. We are all co-creators for God works through our hearts, our minds and the divine inspiration that guides us to manifest our soul’s purpose in life.
The horizontal 8 over the Magician’s head is the sign of infinity, the Holy Spirit and God’s dominion over the physical plane. The white band over his third eye represents purity of intent and the self-conscious mind. The red roses and red robe represent action and desire. The 5 red roses above and below represent our 5 senses.
The serpent biting its tail around the Magician’s waist symbolizes eternity. The green color of the serpent is the kundalini energy and the yellow background in the card is the cosmic energy.
The Magician’s table is his field of attention and his garden is the sub-conscious mind which is cultivated by acts of attention and the self-consciousness. The white six-petalled lillies represent abstract perception of truth and the operating cosmic laws and principals that sustain the universe.
To quote a song “he has the whole world in his hands”. Yes God has his hand in our lives and we have a world of opportunity to manifest many things in life. If your life is a bed of thorns then redirect your thoughts and focus and transform it into a bed of roses. Thought is reality and reality is thought. What is your perception of the people and your world around you? Where do you want to be in the world this time next week, month or year? What can you do to change your world and the world we live in? Magically work to transform your personality and draw on God’s Light!!!