Sun Signs Everything Under The Sun!
The Tarot as a Faith
The immediate association may be “fortune telling.” We think of the cards and the many symbols. If you delve deeper – you become aware of the Tarot as a faith, connected imagery, the spreads, and the meaning of the cards in the context of the Reader and the Seeker of knowledge.
Even if you “get” the archetypical symbolism and appreciate the history, at best, the Tarot seems to be supplementary to your mainline spirituality. Countless Witches, Psychics, and Spiritualists of many paths read cards. That is not a bad thing. Tarot is an all-encompassing philosophy rooted in many historical and faith-based sources. The questions are: Need it to be an add-on? Can the Tarot be a faith unto itself to stand front and center in one universal view? Can it exist shoulder to shoulder with the Great Faiths? Whatever you define them to be – I am being provocative enough by running the Tarot flag high up the pole.
I will not attempt to answer these questions in a blog entry. I don’t want to pawn myself off as some form of “Tarot Saviour” showing you the Light. However, I will state some Tarot facts and then make you a proposal:
Tarot symbolism and mystery are rooted in actually documented faiths. Tarot philosophy is based on positive, life-affirming axioms. The combination of history and positive philosophical depth make it suitable for a Faith that can be practiced daily alone or in a group.
The Proposal
To cultivate Tarot as a Faith, I invite you to register with TarotSanctum.org and get the information when our subsequent online chat sessions are held. The goal is to hear your views and perhaps help shape a great organization.
Why Tarot?
The popular perception of the Tarot (if there is perception at all) – is that of getting your fortune told by a stereotypically dressed gypsy at a carnival or shop in an out-of-the-way part of town…one shows up – lays down the coins, and is told how their life will unfold.
That is NOT a Tarot…it takes a lot more work on the part of the Seeker (Client)…Tarot is for those who seek one of three things…
1. Find out where they have been, where they are, and from that point, what is ahead. 2. To find a solution to an immediate issue or stress in life. 3. To gain awareness of their spiritual being and by contemplating the cards, reveal their deeper selves to know more peace.
Tarot Reading
A reading may start with the focus being on one of the three – but like life itself, there is no clear line between black and white (a Tarot Truth), so the Seeker often makes profound discoveries during what may be a mundane line of questioning. This does require focus on the Seeker’s part. Having Reader lay it all out is not a real experience or the intention of Tarot exploration. The Reader may pose some hard questions with the flip of a particular card – not just rattle off a meaning found in a book. It is the Seeker’s responsibility to respond with meaning. The reader and the Seeker share the burden of good reading.
Why Tarot?
Tarot is the exercise of spirit – of focus – of awareness. It is a time for oneself but within an experienced reader’s governance to make the Seeker accountable for the journey. Without the Reader and the Tarot, the musings are just daydreams that will likely come to nothing.