Tarot as a Magical Tool?

[Xienkula1]

Well Ive had a few types of readings, readings where the cards are taken at face value in terms of their interpretations and tweaked based on intuition or inference to best suit the context of the question, these include symbolic, guess work, psychological interprations of the cards, the split second evaluation of potentials...all using an approach more weighted on the rational than intuitive. Then there's just a good intuitive who is able to use the cards as a prompt to access their intuition where the cards dont matter as much as what the reader is seeing. Then just recently I learned there are readings done under the possession of spirits, where the reader medium takes a vacation and another intelligence takes over and simply uses the cards to affirm specific much more direct answers.

[RiverSnake]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[RiverSnake]

Just cracked open Portable Magic by Donals Tyson. It's good so far, but he sure does make some pretty hefty statements regarding the extent to which the Tarot can be used. Such remains to be seen, still only a tenth through the book. Also I am curious if anyone here has experimented with the Golden Dawn correspondences for the Tarot cards? Are they of any value? The system of correspondences he works with in the book is based on Golden Dawn material.

 

"A deck of Tarot cards contains everything you need to work a complete and effective system of ritual magic. With the cards alone, you can construct an astral temple, build an altar, cast a magic circle, create a triangle through which to actualize your purpose, manipulate the blind elemental forces of nature, communicate with other people and with spirits, cleanse atmospheres and places of destructive influences, make potent charms, extent aid, and perform works of healing.

 

You can attract wealth, gain love, or achieve victory over your enemies. You can use the Tarot to accomplish any purpose you would seek to achieve through more cumbersome and complex methods of ceremonial magic. All this with only a deck of Trot cards. When your work is done, you simply fold the cards together and put your temple, your altar, your circle, your triangle, and all of your instruments into your pocket, ready for the next time you need them. Tarot magic requires no expensive materials, no candles, no oils, no arcane languages, no special place in which to work, no costly robes or talismans. Yet it is as effective as the most complex system of magic. The Tarot is a symbolic model of the universe. Nothing else is required." Portable Magic by DonaldTyson

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited June 14, 2013 by OldGreen

[SonOfTheGods]

In the present i have only used the Tarot for divination and meditation. However, i have found some books online that basically say that the 78 card tarot deck can be used for Magic and is an entire complete system of magic in itself?

 

Anyone have experience with using the Tarot outside of simple divination?

 

 

My 2 cents, Peace

pathworking.

Use a card as a portal and astral project through it. Can also do it with the I Ching.

[RiverSnake]

pathworking.

Use a card as a portal and astral project through it. Can also do it with the I Ching.

Hey SonofGods, could you elaborate on your experiences with Pathworking with the Tarot...ie.....the benefits you've received and its overall value. Its something I have contemplating very recently in my work with the Tree.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[SonOfTheGods]

Hey SonofGods, could you elaborate on your experiences with Pathworking with the Tarot...ie.....the benefits you've received and its overall value. Its something I have contemplating very recently in my work with the Tree.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Hi O.C.

 

I have had 100's of experiences with Tarot Pathworking.

 

Here is one:

 

I used the Moon card, envisioned it large. I astral projected via taking the ferry like in river styx/ferryman.

 

The river was Oxytoicin, and was the ''forgetting waters''.

This is released upon childbirth, and the baby forgets from where it came from, prior to incarnating.

 

I walked beyong the pillars, and from there, working backwards, I met the inhabitants of the other prior cards.

 

Your aura will also resonate from such frequencies, entities, etc. upon return

Edited August 4, 2013 by SonOfTheGods

[RiverSnake]

Hi O.C.

 

I have had 100's of experiences with Tarot Pathworking.

 

Here is one:

 

I used the Moon card, envisioned it large. I astral projected via taking the ferry like in river styx/ferryman.

 

The river was Oxytoicin, and was the ''forgetting waters''.

This is released upon childbirth, and the baby forgets from where it came from, prior to incarnating.

 

I walked beyong the pillars, and from there, working backwards, I met the inhabitants of the other prior cards.

 

Your aura will also resonate from such frequencies, entities, etc. upon return

Interesting stuff. Thanks.

[rex]

This excerpt on arcana and symbol is lifted from Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism.

 

The Major Arcana of the Tarot are neither allegories nor secrets, because allegories
are, in fact, only figurative represenrations of abstract notions, and secrets
are only facts, procedures, practices, or whatever doctrines that one keeps to oneself
for a personal motive, since they are able to be understood and put into practice
by others to whom one does not want to reveal them. The Major Arcana of the
Tarot are authentic symbols. They conceal and reveal their sense at one and the
same time according to the depth of meditation. That which they reveal are not
secrets, i.e. things hidden by human will, but are arcana, which is something quite
different. An arcanum is that which it is necessary to "know" in order to be fruitful
in a given domain of spiritual life. It is that which must be actively present
in our consciousness —or even in our subconscious —in order to render us capable
of making discoveries, engendering new ideas, conceiving of new artistic subjects.
In a word, it makes us fertile in our creative pursuits, in whatever domain of spiritual
life. An arcanum is a "ferment" or an "enzyme" whose presence stimulates the
spiritual and the psychic life of man. And it is symbols which are the bearers of
these "ferments" or "enzymes" and which communicate them —if the mentality
and morality of the recipient is ready, i.e. if he is "poor in spirit" and does not,
suffer from the most serious spiritual malady: self-complacency.

[Zhongyongdaoist]

A very insightful quote rex, thank you for sharing it.

[rex]

A very insightful quote rex, thank you for sharing it.

You're welcome! I like anything that helps clarify and contextualize practice.

[SonOfTheGods]

Using the 4 Aces to draw a circle is always more convenient than carrying around a bag of tools, if you lean that way.

[RiverSnake]

Using the 4 Aces to draw a circle is always more convenient than carrying around a bag of tools, if you lean that way.

 

Just finished reading Portable Magic by Donald Tyson. He says some interesting things regarding the usage of Tarot in ceremonial magic.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited August 10, 2013 by OldChi

[SonOfTheGods]

Here's a technique most do not know about.

 

Create a grid with the cards, like a future construct, of what you want to manifest.

 

Lay the cards out on an altar, in a way that tells a story.

 

Example:

The fool, takes a journey, and during this vision quest, he/she is greeted by the appropriate guides in whatever form the universe chooses. Conclusion, the fool encounters the material (money, house, job, love) and whatever is lacking in life.

 

Use the corresponding cards that represent each according to YOUR interpretation.

 

Leave the cards out where you can see them daily, subtracting the ones after achieving your goal.

 

This is similiar to candle magick.

Edited August 10, 2013 by SonOfTheGods

[BaguaKicksAss]

The above post reminds me of something which I tried a few times (and it seemed to work). What I basically did was layout the cards in the same way I would for doing a reading, but I specifically placed cards which are beneficial in each quadrant. So the money/work quadrant had some positive discs for example, the spiritual quadrant having the fool, and so forth. I have no idea if it would work for others or not, it is just something I made up one day. Try at your own risk lol.

[RiverSnake]

Hi O.C.

 

I have had 100's of experiences with Tarot Pathworking.

 

Here is one:

 

I used the Moon card, envisioned it large. I astral projected via taking the ferry like in river styx/ferryman.

 

The river was Oxytoicin, and was the ''forgetting waters''.

This is released upon childbirth, and the baby forgets from where it came from, prior to incarnating.

 

I walked beyong the pillars, and from there, working backwards, I met the inhabitants of the other prior cards.

 

Your aura will also resonate from such frequencies, entities, etc. upon return

Hey SonofGods, had another question on this topic. I just finished reading Modern Magick and he talks about Pathworking and he always starts from Malkuth in his examples, why is this? If you want to say explore Geburah couldn't you just jump through a five card to get there? What's the benefit of starting all the way from Malkuth and taking up to Geburah via a defined route?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[BaguaKicksAss]

Hey SonofGods, had another question on this topic. I just finished reading Modern Magick and he talks about Pathworking and he always starts from Malkuth in his examples, why is this? If you want to say explore Geburah couldn't you just jump through a five card to get there? What's the benefit of starting all the way from Malkuth and taking up to Geburah via a defined route?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

 

So your grounded and don't go insane . Well that is why those who haven't traveled the entire tree yet do it anyways. Now if you have gone up and down the tree a few times, then you don't need anything, just hop on over .

 

Since you are more experienced with the tree, try it out. However anyone brand new to the tree, I don't recommend it, I've seen the aftermath of people just skipping malkuth in many different workings, too often.

 

Modern magick is geared towards folks completely new to the path (I'm just assuming from your posts on here in general that you have some previous experience :>).

[RiverSnake]

 

So your grounded and don't go insane . Well that is why those who haven't traveled the entire tree yet do it anyways. Now if you have gone up and down the tree a few times, then you don't need anything, just hop on over .

 

Since you are more experienced with the tree, try it out. However anyone brand new to the tree, I don't recommend it, I've seen the aftermath of people just skipping malkuth in many different workings, too often.

 

Modern magick is geared towards folks completely new to the path (I'm just assuming from your posts on here in general that you have some previous experience :>).

Been meditating on the tree and cards for an little over a year now. With Pathworking....only done it once. Thanks for the insights, I'd like to keep my sanity, god knows I am already loopy enough.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[SonOfTheGods]

Malkuth/Earth, As BKA stated, is for beginners. Basically, it is assumed, you are on Earth, so of course, you are leaving Earth, as the Fool, and taking the journey.

 

Advanced ascend the planes, or project through portals, and find the secret trail from Chesed to Da'ath

Edited August 14, 2013 by SonOfTheGods

[RiverSnake]

Hey Bagua and SonofGods, I had another question regarding the Tarot and Pathworking. There are 4 different cards for each sphere, I assume each card refers to a different world (Atziluth, Briah.....etc). How does each card vary ones work with each sphere in your experience?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[SonOfTheGods]

Hey Bagua and SonofGods, I had another question regarding the Tarot and Pathworking. There are 4 different cards for each sphere, I assume each card refers to a different world (Atziluth, Briah.....etc). How does each card vary ones work with each sphere in your experience?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

 

Think like this:

 

example - the 5 of cups, pentacles, swords and wands are all in Geburah

 

what does cups/water of Mars represent to you?

 

or, fire of mars?

 

Numerological value of the number 5?

 

Or what does Geburah mean to you?

 

Air of Geburah?

 

Locate Geburah on your physical body, and see what Acupuncture points correspond.

 

Or the Kwa by the Geburah location.

 

Very mystical

 

Then, a step further

 

The 4 Page cards in Malkuth/Assiah

[SonOfTheGods]

Think like this:

 

example - the 5 of cups, pentacles, swords and wands are all in Geburah

 

what does cups/water of Mars represent to you?

 

or, fire of mars?

 

Numerological value of the number 5?

 

Or what does Geburah mean to you?

 

Air of Geburah?

 

Locate Geburah on your physical body, and see what Acupuncture points correspond.

 

Or the Kwa by the Geburah location.

 

Very mystical

 

Then, a step further

 

The 4 Page cards in Malkuth/Assiah

 

 

Couple of years ago, I taught a class on this in a new age book store.

 

Told them to bring a deck of their tarot cards.

 

So most of them bring a deck with 20 face cards, of angels, and fairies.

 

That's what happens when they change the occult section in a book store, to new age

[RiverSnake]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the input.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Couple of years ago, I taught a class on this in a new age book store.

 

Told them to bring a deck of their tarot cards.

 

So most of them bring a deck with 20 face cards, of angels, and fairies.

 

That's what happens when they change the occult section in a book store, to new age

 

ROFL ROFL ROFL my condolences!

 

Did you quickly hand around the Thoth deck? *grin*

[SonOfTheGods]

ROFL ROFL ROFL my condolences!

 

Did you quickly hand around the Thoth deck? *grin*

 

Well, some of the attendees brought crystals, and one lady had a tambourine.

 

So I went to the front of the store and tried to find a tarot deck for sale that remotely resembled the Rider Waite, found nothing at all.

 

OTO friend did have the Thoth deck, but I just put up some Tree of Life charts I had drawn up.

 

The audience were more interested in the incense blends for each sepiroth, so lol, who knows

[BaguaKicksAss]

One of those times where you wish you had a Linda Falario Shadow Tarot deck on you .

 

Now it becomes clear why I don't give workshops very often lol.