Journey of the Soul
Did you know the 78 keys of the Tarot deck are simply pages of a book? We shuffle with intention placing each page in a specific pattern to tell a story. There is absolutely nothing that cannot be revealed through Tarot.
Did you know the 78 keys of the Tarot deck are simply pages of a book? We shuffle with intention placing each page in a specific pattern to tell a story. There is absolutely nothing that cannot be revealed through Tarot.
While there are a myriad of ancient and new ways to communicate with Universal Consciousness, the Tarot, thought to be developed in the 1200s is balanced in both Western and Eastern Philosophy. It is an artistic representation of the the Soul’s Journey used as a tool for divination, decision making and at its best…rectification…which is a magical practice.
This 11-week course is an exploration of the 22 Major Arcana. Each key is filled with symbolism, history and culture. Colors, numbers, animals and even the gaze of the being depicted all have meaning. We begin with an introduction to the history and mythology of the Tarot and immediately start our Fool’s Journey. Every week includes contemplations and very specific meditations to awaken the archetype of the Major in your subconscious mind.
The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs.
– Arthur Edward Waite
“It’s said that the shuffling of the cards is the earth, and the pattering of the cards is the rain, and the beating of the cards is the wind, and the pointing of the cards is the fire. That’s of the four suits. But the Greater Trumps, it’s said, are the meaning of all process and the measure of the everlasting dance.”
CHARLES WILLIAMS
Led by Pamela Quinn, THIS 11-week immersive experience meeting Sunday mornings beginning September 10th in our Lower Level at 9 am. Each session is 1.5 – 2 hours.
During this time you will bring to life the 22 Major Arcana in your own psychology, explore symbolism of color, number & shape, learn the 12 house system of astrology as a “container” for your readings, experience meditations and contemplations to heighten your personal spiritual experience of this field & refine the Divine Work you are consciously or unconsciously participating in.
Each week pairs meditations and contemplations with the Major Arcana as well as explores the minors connected to that key through numerology.
Yes you will learn an astrology spread, but also many other simple and popular spreads.
Provided for you is the Raider Waite Deck (the most common and popular deck) & all teaching materials.
The session is 11 weeks with scheduled “miss” dates to account for Holidays. If you cannot attend a session, access will be provided. Plan to buy the thickest 3 ring binder you can find. Colored pens or pencils are nice to have as well. A journal of 750 pages or a series of journals for your contemplations is also recommended. You will want to save them so get something you love.
At the very center of the Wheel of Fortune is a dot. Beyond the dot represents the Primal Will, sometimes known as the Universal Mind. This is the deity bringing all of this into manifestation through its desire. The Wheel Spins counterclockwise and as it navigates the four worlds more details emerge of life self expressed. The innermost circle, the dot, is the Archetypical World or the world of ideas. In the tarot, this world is the suit of wands. Think of the Magician who is the self-conscious holding his wand to the sky to begin the process of manifestation. First there was an idea.
The second circle is the Creative World or suit of Cups. The creative world consists of patterns already known to the Primal Will (Universal Mind) we have access to to speed manifestation. Visualization, art, music, literature and mantra have a special place here. The older the better. The more used, the better.
The third circle is the Formative World or the suit of Swords. This is the world of physics where physical manifestation takes place. To quote Tesla, one of the greatest scientists of our time, “We are whirling through endless space, with and inconceivable speed, all around everything is spinning, everything is moving, everywhere there is energy.”
The fourth circle is is the Material World or the suit of Pentacles. You live in this world. Occultists do believe this world is real. Mastery of the four worlds or the four suits of tarot with the activation of the 22 Major Arcana allows you to be the Mage or magician with magical abilities to create the world you desire to live in.
The Wheel is a law and the worlds are the law and the suits are the law. You must have an idea, you must be enthused by the idea, you must figure out how to implement your idea, and you must work to realize the idea.
Think on the word “rotation” and then look to the letters inside the wheel. The letters ROTA appear. Spin them around a bit and you get TARO(T) as you keep spinning. Is there a continuously spin? Yes, of course, but the Wheel slows and takes a pause from time to time. There is always a pause at the bottom to gain energy for movement up. Do think of a plant growing and do think of the plant gaining energy from the Sun. You are no more than this plant and the Sun is represented in the Wheel by the color orange. In yoga we worship the Sun for a reason. The Sun is the source of our vital life force energy or Prana. The Sun feeds the plant. The plants prana elevates and the plant grows and ultimately bears fruit. You are like that.
You are supposed to take a pause in life. This is so you might withdrawal into the self and correspond with Primal Will. A good yogi or occultist knows to do this every day in the form of meditation. Of course life itself will force you to do this periodically in life sometimes by rewarding you with success and sometimes by punishing you with illness. The reward or punishment come based on your personal choices of thinking, speaking, acting and feeding your senses. The Wheel is the Law of Karma and we create that through the navigation of the four worlds and it is by choice. You are not at the mercy of this Wheel. You can find other depictions of the Wheel of Fortune and the Wheel actually has a handle on it meaning you can speed it up or slow it down. As yogis and occultists, we have the practices to transcend karma. (OM Kriyam Namah)
Play with the letters….
“The Wheel of The Tarot Speaks to the Laws of Nature”
Sits at the top of the wheel and does not move nor does the beyond the dot. You might know the Sphinx as witnessing awareness. The Sphinx sits and looks on as the spinning of the wheel unfolds the movie of your life. The Sphinx has a human head so it might speak. Through speech we weave (tantra) the fabric of our life. The Sphinx has eagle wings so it might fly to great heights reminding you you are born for a reason and have a unique role to play in this cosmic drama. The Sphinx has the body of bull so you might plow through obstacles and go to great depths. Finally the Sphinx has the claws of the lion so you might claw through what is in front of you, behind you, above you and below you. We can energetically destroy the Akashic field releasing karma. (dukh par har sukh ghar le jye)
You may notice the Sphinx has breasts. Is it female? Or is this the High Priestess or the subconscious mind at work. All thought, speech and actions come from the subconscious mind based in past experience or memory. We exit the same old wheel when we change our subconscious mind. Occultist only talk sweetly to this mind and consistently over time it might take the suggestion of the Self Conscious.
It is important to not identify as the spinning of the wheel. If you identify with the spin you get caught up in the whirlings and suffer. Think of your own mind centered or not centered. That’s why the Sphinx has a sword. You see a sword here and in the card Justice. It represents discernment or cutting away that which does not serve us. It also means to be clear and concise. You wouldn’t haphazardly cut something up. You would know what you are doing and make as few cuts as possible. The Wheel is the Intelligence of Conciliation. In conciliation we find harmony by taking in views and adjusting our own. In conciliation, we find peace.
The Wheel is a Wheel of FORTUNE. Indicative of wealth, health, and happiness. It is best to have a plan and to have a definition of success you are able to happily live with. What is success to you? What does that mean? You have chosen to incarnate in America and you know what you were born into. Much suffering comes from adopting ideology of the East not supported by the way we live in the West. Think on that. What do you want?
It is most important to know thyself. Can you make a list of your powers?
Do notice the appearance of a lion, an eagle, a human, and a bull. Once you are outside the wheel you are in the animal kingdom where we manifest. Fixed signs represent things that do not change. The lion is the fixed sign of Leo. The eagle is the fixed sign of Scorpio, the human is the fixed sign of Aquarius and the bull is the fixed sign of Taurus. All animals and all representing fixed signs of the zodiac. This helps you to understand the happenings of the very real world you live in are fixed and do not change. There is a fixed frame of reference. Let go of some conspiracy of a new earth developing in another dimension and you getting sucked up to it based on the evolution of your consciousness. You are physically, emotionally, and subtly here right now in this material plane. I’m not saying other dimensions don’t exist. I’m not saying you don’t have access to them. I am saying you aren’t going anywhere and there are very few humans on this planet, past and present, who have ascended the wheel. Your transcendence of the laws of nature is through and by creative imagination.
The Animals are also the seasons of the year.
The Symbols are alchemical symbols of salt (left), sulphur (right), mercury (above) and then there is the symbol for Aquarius (Below) at the bottom. Salt, sulphur, and mercury represent the three Gunas of Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva. Aquarius is “to dissolve.” Once we transcend the gunas which we learn to do in yoga the dissolving takes place. As a reminder Tamasic energy is dark and dense, Rajasitic energy is heating and Sattvic energy is pure. I’ll let you fill in the other blanks because I talk about the Gunas endlessly everywhere and we purify in my book, “The Elemental Cleanse” BUT a yogic lifestyle moves towards a Sattvic life which is quiet, calm and vegetarian. Through meditation we transcend even Sattva. Kundalini arises in a Sattvic environment and Kundalini arisen will scatter and cause disease and disharmony in an environment not Sattvic. Tamasic energy is everything you already know that is bad for you.
The snake is interesting. First it indicates the rotation of the wheel as counter clockwise. It is also the “descent” and you have to pause and think about the descent of man from angelic to human. The snake is descending into name and form. It is vibration. Contemplate the Tree of Knowledge, the Forbidden Fruit and Adam naming all the animals. There is so much there to unpack. Of course Kundalini is a serpent as well. Pictured green in the Lovers card and yellow hear. Yellow indicates Mercury (communication and thinking) and The Magician of the Tarot.
Hermes Anubis leads the dead to the other world. This is where humans are…you are almost to heaven, but you will not get to finish this wheel. The last 1/4 of the wheel is for intuition and etheric travel and that other world. Don’t be sad about this. Being human is amazing and is why we incarnate again and again. We incarnate to play and enjoy the drama in the play. Don’t get sucked in. Be the Sphinx and watch on.
Interesting to think on Herme’s Caduceus. Hermes as a “conductor” of the Soul and the Caduceus as the balanced integration of the spiritual/psychological polarities allowing the electric energy of Kundalini to rise.
This is the same star as in the card The Star. Once again we are reminded of the solar energy.
The clouds are Jupiter and Jupiter rules rain. Jupiter is commonly called the Lord of Fortune. Rain and sun makes things grow. We even use the term “make it rain” when initiating a sequence resulting in profit. Jupiter is expansive and you too are to be expansive. You become expansive when you are open and receptive. Jupiter is optimistic.
Understanding the cycles of life and the law of karma. Are you in the center of the spin and clear or are you getting thrown about? A new cycle is coming. Center yourself. Everything has a Season. OR…..you may be blocked or spinning out of control. You are not working the laws correctly. Everything has a Season.
*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.
