FraterUFA

Edit: some of the quotes are misattributed below (some aren't made by Michael). That is the fault of multiquote. I'll try to fix that in the next day or two. Well, well. A topic right up my alley. Thanks, Michael (and others, I presume), for setting this in motion. :-) 23 years of Tarot study has taught me that there are indeed many uses for Tarot (not that I personally agree with all of them but that is beside the point). Taken at face value, it seems absurd that a mere collection of symbols could possibly have such varied powers that have been ascribed to them. Yet, I do believe that to be the case. It is interesting to consider how this might be. I largely agree with what Michael wrote above. My current belief is that the Tarot is a collective expression of the Lingua Verdi. With its aid, the untrained mind has a means - though imperfect - of viewing a reflection of the Unconscious mind. Such a mechanism explains the various uses (divination, therapeutic, mystical, magical, etc) without exception, as far as I can tell. Well, that's taking it a bit too far. Does Tarot offer a theory of calculus? Rocket science? Politics? No, not unless you stretch it beyond recognition. But... while I am not qualified to enter into discussions of various decks or their histories, I can state with certainty that the RW/PFC versions do illustrate a coherent and expansive view of Hermetic Philosophy, one that I continue to marvel at two decades after I first began my studies. Through Waite, the deck was advanced greatly and through Case, perfected even further. I am eager to see how it will end up centuries from now. You don't say. Isn't that interesting. You don't say. Hard to believe. Hmmm... A connection between Tarot and alchemy? You don't say. :-) Interesting statement. It's not clear to who? To those who don't hold the viewpoint that Tarot encapsulates a metaphysical system? Would those individuals not be versed in the metaphysical system that the Tarot embodies by any chance? If there was a hidden group of individuals who held the keys to Tarot, how would those on the outside know, other than through speculation and suggestive but inconclusive hints? It is beyond question to this individual the Tarot encapsulates not merely a metaphysical system, but a very powerful practical system that has been transmitted from teacher to pupil and closely guarded for many centuries and which dates much earlier than the earliest Tarot decks. A system that results in an outcome known as "enlightenment" or "illumination". That this is not agreed to universally (or probably even by very many) by occultists and academics has no bearing on the truth of the matter. (For clarity, I refer to the RW/PFC decks. I do not believe that all versions of the Tarot hold equal weight and in fact view most as derivative and largely useless, though I do find many of them to be quite beautiful). That strikes me as a very good explanation. Interesting astrological angle as well. I would argue that the practical application of Tarot is it's least useful and most unreliable. I haven't met a divination expert yet who has won the lottery. Yet ironically, one who employs the Tarot as a spiritual tool may easily acquire wealth. Probabilities are a crutch for the lower mind. They are not reality but rather a clumsy construct to model what it cannot ordinarily know. UFA

Indeed. UFA

I recently picked up this work as a reference and though I haven't read the entire thing, I did find a fundamental error in his chapter about the spirit of philosophical wine. The section on practical technique leaves out quite a bit and should really come with more cautions and warnings about the technique he describes. My two cents, FWIW. UFA

Exactly.

What conditions do you think would need to exist in order for you to be shown proof of such a thing? Clearly, if a physical Philosopher's Stone exists, anyone known to be in possession of it would be in great danger. UFA

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That's the cutest chakra chart I've ever seen. :-)

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