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Overview
Using the Grimaud Tarot deck of Marseilles the direct descendants of the earliest handprinted designs and the basis for most of the later esoteric decks Knight provides an indepth introduction to the tarot deck. He presents nine lessons that combine basic instruction in the mechanics of divination with magical visualization techniques. Perhaps most useful for students of the tarot are Knight's answers to questions raised by former students of his acclaimed Tarot Course. Illustrated. Index.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781609256524 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 01/15/1996 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| File size: | 3 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Magical World of the Tarot
FOURFOLD MIRROR OF THE UNIVERSE
By Gareth Knight
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
Copyright © 1991 Gareth KnightAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60925-652-4
CHAPTER 1
The Spirit of the Tarot
In my earlier book on the Tarot called Tarot Magic (Destiny Books, 1990, first published by The Aquarian Press as The Treasure House of Images, 1986) I acknowledged, in the usual way, all the people who had helped me in writing it, and said:
And finally my thanks to the spirit of the Tarot itself. Despite all the abuse it may have bad from less than spotless hands and intentions in the past, it revealed itself to me as a very wise and gentle source of wisdom and encouragement, deserving much respect.
If you have undertaken the study of the Tarot you have probably realized that there is more to it than meets the eye. There is in fact a hidden mystery behind the Tarot; this is why it has fascinated mankind for at least 500 years. Like all mysteries, this hidden power is not something that is obvious to everyone. Yet it is none the less real for all that, and the way to discover that hidden reality is to find the key that unlocks the door to the mystery. The key is in fact a very simple one. So simple indeed that most people overlook it. It is to approach the Tarot as if it were a real person. This may sound fantastic but the proof is there for anyone who will try it. If you treat the Tarot like a person, it will respond like a person – a very wise and friendly person, to whom you can turn for advice.
Now this requires an act of faith from you. We can show you the key, but it is up to you to put it into the lock of the door and turn it. The secrets of the Tarot will then be revealed. If you refuse to take this first step, for whatever reason, then the door to the companionship of the Spirit of the Tarot will remain closed, for only you can open it. It is no good trying to take a kind of superior, 'scientific' attitude and subject the Tarot to psychical or statistical experiments. The Tarot will not be put to the test in this way. It opens up, like a friend, only to human warmth and trust.
Yet you must still be careful as to how you approach it, for it will deal with you exactly as you deal with it. If you go to it just for a laugh or a lark, you will receive only misleading answers, for it will be having a laugh or a lark of its own at your expense. We have said you will find it to be a very wise person. This means it is not easily fooled. And what is more, it will deal with you for your own good if you approach it in the wrong kind of way!
What is the wrong kind of way? Well there are a number, besides the elementary mistakes we have already mentioned. The more serious offences are trying to pry into the affairs of other people without their consent, or seeking information for evil or malicious intent. If you are so foolish as to try anything like this you are likely to find that you are misled in a fashion that brings your own evil intentions right back on your own head. The Spirit of the Tarot will not allow itself to be abused for evil or selfish reasons and is likely to teach you a sharp lesson if you try to make it do so.
Another form of misuse is not so much evil as foolish. This is to begin to rely so much on the Tarot for advice that you are reluctant to do anything without asking its opinion first. This is not at all good for you. You are here on this good Earth to learn to stand on your own spiritual feet, and that is not done by relying for advice on every minor decision in your life. If you pester the Tarot too often in this way it is likely to respond by giving misleading answers, so that you are led in a circular dance of misdirections until you realize the necessity and wisdom of learning how to make up your mind for yourself. This may sound cruel but the Spirit of the Tarot has done you the good service, by this method, of making you self-reliant.
However, if you make up your mind to approach and consult the Tarot as you would approach a wise and trusted friend for advice and discussion, in a balanced and sensible way, you may rest assured that it will respond to you in similar good faith, and prove a friend and wise counsellor indeed.
How to Approach the Spirit of the Tarot
We make our first approach to the Spirit of the Tarot by making a picture of this person in our mind. The image we shall use is that of Trump 0, called the Fool. And we shall soon find that this figure is by no means as foolish as his name might suggest. Really he is extremely wise, but his wisdom is of the intuition, or higher mind, which is the kind of mentation we need to develop in order to become aware of inner and future trends. He will, in turn, introduce us to the other images of the Tarot that will form a special symbolic language of communication when later we learn to read the cards.
Take this Trump from the pack and prop it up on the table before you. It does not matter very much which set of designs you have. We will base our descriptions on the traditional Marseilles cards because, although they are crude, they are the direct descendants of the earliest designs and they have formed the basis for most of the later esoteric packs.
To begin with, make sure that you have the right conditions for doing the work. You need to be free from the likelihood of disturbance, the atmosphere should be calm and reasonably quiet and the room clean and tidy. Emotional turmoil, noise, dirt and muddle are not conditions under which psychic work can be properly conducted, at any rate until one is considerably experienced in creating an inner quietness and order that can overcome unsatisfactory surroundings.
If you are familiar with the practice of meditation then you have a head start. If not, it is never too late to learn, the rules are quite simple and you will soon find the results effective. Make sure you are sitting comfortably. A position of alert poise is best, sitting on a firm chair, with spine upright but not stiff or tensed, eyes looking straight ahead whether they are open or closed. The hands and forearms can rest along the top of the thighs, which should be parallel to the floor – a small footstool may well be found useful to achieve this.
Spend a little time relaxing your muscles and your mind, breathing gently and slowly. Then gradually forget about your breathing and your physical surroundings, and concentrate upon the images you are going to build in your imagination. You have already taken a good look at the card of The Fool in your Tarot pack. What you need to do now is to see the picture of the Fool in your mind. It need not be exactly the same as the one that is upon the card. In fact it may very well be different in many small ways. The Fool you will come to know in your mind is your own special friend, and although his general image is upon the card, he will appear slightly different to every individual who seeks him.
Begin by imagining that you are standing on a clifftop path. Be aware of the thinness and stillness of the air. Perhaps you can see snowcapped mountain peaks before you and wheeling eagles. On the other hand it may be that you are on a clifftop overlooking the sea, and can hear the sound of the breakers upon the rocks or the beach, and the cry of the sea birds. You may even find the wind gusty. The sun may perhaps be shining, but above all be aware of the expanse of cool clear air and sky. The idea is to let the images arise spontaneously before you, along the general lines described. Do not worry if at first you find it difficult to succeed. Just continue to sit there, and above all do not try too hard! Should wandering thoughts on other subjects come to mind, simply put them aside with the mental note that you will deal with them later, at the proper time. If nothing comes to you, simply build the picture and try to hold it there. Gradually it will take on greater reality and motion.
Now imagine that you hear a merry whistling, and perhaps the jingling of bells as in a jester's cap. See coming towards you along the path the figure of the Fool, dressed in his ragged or motley clothes, a bag and stick over his shoulder. He is accompanied by a barking and capering dog. See him come towards you as you stand by the path. Now the idea is to make contact with him. In fact as he is already in your mind you already have! But we seek to make that contact more conscious and formal. See him stand before you and smile. It is possible that you may hear him say something to you with the ear of your imagination. Although this may not come easily at first, you may well feel an idea come into your mind, and that idea may well come from the Fool rather than yourself! The important thing is whether it is a good idea or not, rather than who first thought of it.
Practise making this contact every day, because it is the first step to becoming an initiated Tarot reader. It is genuine contact with the Spirit of the Tarot that marks the difference between a genuine consultant and a casual fortuneteller who has only learned the 'meanings' of the cards by rote, or is relying on a natural psychic facility unconnected with the real source of wisdom that lies behind the Tarot.
When you have completed your period of meditation and contemplation give your farewell greetings to the Fool, and turning away from him in your imagination, feel yourself walk down the cliff path, whilst he turns and returns with his dog up the path to the heights from whence he came. When you have gone a little way down see a large boulder by the side of the path. Within it is a door in the rock. Pass through it, and find yourself sitting in your own room once again, in your normal physical surroundings, with the Tarot cards before you on the table. Open your eyes and draw your mind back to everyday reality. Be aware of being firmly in your own body, flex your muscles and move your feet and hands and head to establish this fact. Now stand and gather up the cards neatly and put them away. Think no more of your inner visions as you do so.
It is important that you make this firm break between outer and inner worlds, otherwise, especially if you have a natural psychic ability, impressions from the inner world may intrude when it is not convenient. By maintaining this simple routine, of only transferring consciousness to the inner worlds when you deliberately sit down before your Tarot cards, and deliberately transferring consciousness back when you have finished, you will always be in control of your developing psychic faculties.
Your cards should be kept in a specially chosen place, not simply thrown into an untidy cupboard or drawer or left lying around in the open. Traditionally they should be kept on a high place – at least above shoulder height. If you can find a nice wooden box for them, so much the better, and it is well worth the trouble of procuring a small piece of black silk in which to enfold the cards inside their box. It can also be helpful, when you work with the cards, to make something of an occasion of it by other small means. You could even have a special robe and light some incense. However, it is by no means necessary to go as far as this, and the same results can be achieved by methods that are less likely to excite unwanted attention from family or close neighbours.
Having a special ring, or other small piece of jewellery, that you wear only when you consult the Tarot, can be a help. Or you could have a particular piece of music on tape or disc that will put you into the appropriate mood. This is entirely a matter of personal choice. Perhaps most effective is to have a special cloth to put upon the table on which to lay the cards. And perhaps a candle or some other symbolic object might be added if it stimulates your imagination. The action of putting these things out carefully and methodically will serve to put you into the right frame of mind for successful divination. However, all are psychological devices, a means to an end, and should not become compulsive fetishes or objects of superstition.
Working Plan
In this first lesson you will only be working upon one image, that of the Fool. Give yourself at least three weeks of practical study before going on to the practical work of the next lesson. (This is an average time. If you are unused to this type of visualizing meditation you may need more time. On the other hand if you are in fact well practised at it or you find that the Fool comes alive for you readily because you have a naturally strong imaginative faculty then you could make do with less time. At any rate, try to get to know the Fool reasonably well before you go on to meet the other images.)
You will gain most from your study of the Tarot if you can arrange to work at regular times, preferably about the same time each day. The time of day, or night, is up to you, according to personal circumstance and preference. However, ten-to-twenty minutes per day, every day, will bring more benefit than irregular work, even over longer periods. It is quite a good idea to take a day off from time to time, say once per week. It is another useful aid to keep a diary of your work, as you will find that this is a stimulus to regularity.
Diary Record
Take a ruled sheet of paper and divide it
This brief example shows you the kind of thing to aim for. Another psychological aid will be to keep all your practical Tarot work neatly filed in a special loose-leaf folder that can be kept with your Tarot cards.
Knowledge Notes
These notes are not part of the actual practical lesson, but are added to help you to build up your knowledge of the history and most popular forms of the traditional Tarot images. In the last analysis, it is the forms that appeal most to you, or that come to your own mind's eye, that are really important for you. However, it is always best for your imagination to be founded on sound historical tradition, otherwise your work may become too personally biased and idiosyncratic. If this happens, the Tarot ceases to become a vehicle of communication of practical wisdom, but tends merely to reflect your own subjective opinions and fancies, presenting you with a mist of phantasms of your own subconscious instead of the clear mirror of inner perception.
Notes on the Fool
The Tarot Trump called The Fool is perhaps the most profound symbol of the whole Tarot. The Fool is a great archetype that has always played a major part in folk tradition. It is embedded in the collective unconscious of almost every race, whether it appears as the medieval Court Jester, the harlequinade of the Commedia dell' Arte, the puppet Punch and Judy, or the clowns of the modern circus. In the Arthurian cycle there is even a knightly fool, Sir Dagonet, the jester of King Arthur. Again, the Fool and tragedy, as for example in Petrushka or the perennially popular opera I Pagliacci, is something which strikes home deep in the subconscious mind. This is a quality which can be caught by comics of genius, such as Charlie Chaplin or Jacques Tati. Again, there were the Fool's Days of medieval times when the whole court was turned topsy-turvy, a tradition still carried out in some armed services at Christmas, where the officers serve the men their dinner. The idea even entered the Church, with the annual boy-bishop festivities, and attendant vulgarities and blasphemies. For such things to be tolerated and submitted to, a deep level of unconscious motivation must be in force.
The Fool is also an object of some respect – he is a creature of paradox, being at the same time wise as well as a fool. The highest example of this element of paradox and hidden mearnings and motivations is in the third Act of King Lear. Shakespeare created some marvellous fools in his plays but here he surpasses them all, in the situation of a foolish King (Lear) actually losing his wits; accompanied by his Fool, full of double-edged jokes and saws; protected by a disguised Duke of Kent whom Lear had banished and who is posing as an uncouth serving man; and meeting in a hut on a heath during a wild storm Edgar, heir to Gloucester, betrayed by his bastard brother on a false charge and posing as a madman. We have here the quintessence of the archetype and most of its possible combinations. The implications and undertones of this scene defy complete understanding – which is perhaps to be expected when great art is coupled with deep archetypal elements.
All this may help to show how difficult it is to make an adequate summary of this Tarot card. True to type it has frequently been misplaced in esoteric elucidations of the Tarot system, which throw out all or most of its attributions and so reduce comparative systems of occult correspondences to varying degrees of dispute and confusion. For example, some esoteric systems place the Fool at the beginning of the Trump sequence, some at the end, and others between Trumps XX and XXI. None of this need bother us on this course but it demonstrates how the Fool is capable of confusing the wise, or those who think themselves so.
In the game of Tarot The Fool has a special role, for with his Zero designation, he has no scoring capacity in the ranking of the Trumps. Rather, his function is that of being able to overturn all the rules. He is never 'played' in the usual sense. The player who holds him shows him at the appropriate moment, and this excuses the player from having to follow suit with a higher card that he may wish to reserve until later. For this reason The Fool is often called the scusi – the excuse.
It is natural to assume that The Fool is the last surviving Trump in the conventional pack of cards, where he now appears, with a similar kind of playing function, as the Joker. It appears however that there was no direct line of descent in this development. The ordinary pack never had a Joker or similar special card, it was a 19th-century American introduction. However, those who have some experience of the psychological power and persistence of the Tarot archetypes may be willing to concede that the Fool has willed his own reinvention or rediscovery and introduction into the ordinary pack of cards. He in particular, of all the Trumps, is too important to be ignored.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Magical World of the Tarot by Gareth Knight. Copyright © 1991 Gareth Knight. Excerpted by permission of Samuel Weiser, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction to the Tarot
The Fourfold Magic Mirror
Lesson One
Lesson Two
Lesson Three
Lesson Four
Lesson Five
Lesson Six
Lesson Seven
Lesson Eight
Lesson Nine
The Face-to-face Reading
The Postal Reading
Working Plan
Afterword
The Four Elements
The Powers of Inner Earth
The Powers of Higher Consciousness
The Powers of the Cosmos
Index
Bibliography
About the Author