Books on Tarot

[sillypumpkins]

greetings

I reached Book IV of the LOO a couple weeks ago. I decided to wait to read it until I got a little more into Qabalah/Tarot.

So I've been reading Dion Fortune's book on Qabalah but haven't done any work with the Qabalah itself... yet... just trying to get a sense for it before I start.

I ordered some Tarot cards last night (albano-waite if you're curious.... those colors!) and am excited to begin practicing/studying with them. in the meantime though, I want to do a bit of reading on tarot. I'm not looking for any specifically, besides it being relatively appropriate for beginners, just want you guys to share any recommendations you might have. thanks! i look forward to reading your replies

[zvonimir]

https://ia601601.us.archive.org/31/items...t-1922.pdf

https://archive.org/details/PaulFosterCa...3/mode/2up

there are other format as epub ,kindle daisy etc... pick the one like best,i think they zre using "rider waite" deck for explanations


maybe this book can help you get started

[sillypumpkins]

https://ia601601.us.archive.org/31/items...t-1922.pdf

https://archive.org/details/PaulFosterCa...3/mode/2up

there are other format as epub ,kindle daisy etc... pick the one like best,i think they zre using "rider waite" deck for explanations


maybe this book can help you get started

thanks zvonimir... just downloaded the PDF!

[flofrog]

Silly, I think Nau7ik has much knowledge of Tarot and Kabbalah, I hope he sees your thread

(also, just as an aside, Ra mentions a few time how he used Tarot more as a tool for studying the links between mental/body/spirit and catalyst, more so than the tool aspect of divination which for him was a side one... )

[sillypumpkins]

Silly, I think Nau7ik has much knowledge of Tarot and Kabbalah, I hope he sees your thread

(also, just as an aside, Ra mentions a few time how he used Tarot more as a tool for studying the links between mental/body/spirit and catalyst, more so than the tool aspect of divination which for him was a side one... )

I remember that being mentioned at some point. Fortunately that’s primarily what I’m interested in

[kristina]

greetings

I reached Book IV of the LOO a couple weeks ago. I decided to wait to read it until I got a little more into Qabalah/Tarot.

So I've been reading Dion Fortune's book on Qabalah but haven't done any work with the Qabalah itself... yet... just trying to get a sense for it before I start.

I ordered some Tarot cards last night (albano-waite if you're curious.... those colors!) and am excited to begin practicing/studying with them. in the meantime though, I want to do a bit of reading on tarot. I'm not looking for any specifically, besides it being relatively appropriate for beginners, just want you guys to share any recommendations you might have. thanks! i look forward to reading your replies

Write a PM to Nau7ik...he has a few books that could get you started.

[888]

I would recommend getting into the Law of One's tarot explanations first, actually. Ra clearly explains that the Major Arcana were originally intended to be a system of teaching archetypes, and the cycles of the mind, body, and spirit (as well as The Choice). Over time, culture distorted the Major Arcana into a tool of divination, which it wasn't originally meant to be used for (the Minor Arcana is more of a divination tool).

Most books on tarot interpret the Major Arcana as being used for divination, which is a distortion of their original function. I've pondered this myself and believe the Major Arcana are much better suited for learning the archetypal mind than for divination purposes. The original structure of the Major Arcana forms a narrative that grants much insight when properly ordered; shuffling it for divination purposes confuses the information they were meant to teach. It's better to keep them in their original sequence, in my opinion.

After understanding the original purpose of the Major Arcana, it could still be helpful to learn from other interpretations of tarot to get further insight on the archetypes. Even if there's distortion in those interpretations, clues could still shine through.

___

88.23 ▶ Questioner: You mentioned earlier that the tarot was a method of divination. Would you explain that?

Ra: I am Ra. We must first divorce the tarot as a method of divination from this Major Arcana as representative of twenty-two archetypes of the archetypical mind.
The value of that which you call astrology is significant when used by those initiated entities which understand, if you will pardon the misnomer, the sometimes intricate considerations of the Law of Confusion. As each planetary influence enters the energy web of your sphere those upon the sphere are moved much as the moon which moves about your sphere moves the waters upon your deeps. Your own nature is water in that you as mind/body/spirit complexes are easily impressed and moved. Indeed, this is the very fiber and nature of your journey and vigil in this density: to not only be moved but to instruct yourself as to the preferred manner of your movement in mind, body, and spirit.
Therefore, as each entity enters the planetary energy web each entity experiences two major planetary influxes, that of the conception, which has to do with the physical, yellow-ray manifestation of the incarnation, and that of the moment you call birth when the breath is first drawn into the body complex of chemical yellow ray. Thus those who know the stars and their configurations and influences are able to see a rather broadly drawn map of the country through which an entity has traveled, is traveling, or may be expected to travel, be it upon the physical, the mental, or the spiritual level. Such an entity will have developed abilities of the initiate which are normally known among your peoples as psychic or paranormal.
When the archetypes are shuffled into the mix of astrologically oriented cards which form the so-called Court Arcana and Minor Arcana these archetypes become magnetized to the psychic impressions of the one working with the cards, and thusly become instruments of a linkage between the practitioner of the astrological determinations and divinations and the one requesting information. Oft times such archetypical representations will appear in such a manner as to have seemingly interesting results, meaningful in configuration to the questioner. In and of themselves, the Major Arcana have no rightful place in divination but, rather, are tools for the further knowledge of the self by the self for the purpose of entering a more profoundly, acutely realized present moment.

[sillypumpkins]

I would recommend getting into the Law of One's tarot explanations first, actually. Ra clearly explains that the Major Arcana were originally intended to be a system of teaching archetypes, and the cycles of the mind, body, and spirit (as well as The Choice). Over time, culture distorted the Major Arcana into a tool of divination, which it wasn't originally meant to be used for (the Minor Arcana is more of a divination tool).

Most books on tarot interpret the Major Arcana as being used for divination, which is a distortion of their original function. I've pondered this myself and believe the Major Arcana are much better suited for learning the archetypal mind than for divination purposes. The original structure of the Major Arcana forms a narrative that grants much insight when properly ordered; shuffling it for divination purposes confuses the information they were meant to teach. It's better to keep them in their original sequence, in my opinion.

After understanding the original purpose of the Major Arcana, it could still be helpful to learn from other interpretations of tarot to get further insight on the archetypes. Even if there's distortion in those interpretations, clues could still shine through.

___

88.23 ▶ Questioner: You mentioned earlier that the tarot was a method of divination. Would you explain that?

Ra: I am Ra. We must first divorce the tarot as a method of divination from this Major Arcana as representative of twenty-two archetypes of the archetypical mind.
The value of that which you call astrology is significant when used by those initiated entities which understand, if you will pardon the misnomer, the sometimes intricate considerations of the Law of Confusion. As each planetary influence enters the energy web of your sphere those upon the sphere are moved much as the moon which moves about your sphere moves the waters upon your deeps. Your own nature is water in that you as mind/body/spirit complexes are easily impressed and moved. Indeed, this is the very fiber and nature of your journey and vigil in this density: to not only be moved but to instruct yourself as to the preferred manner of your movement in mind, body, and spirit.
Therefore, as each entity enters the planetary energy web each entity experiences two major planetary influxes, that of the conception, which has to do with the physical, yellow-ray manifestation of the incarnation, and that of the moment you call birth when the breath is first drawn into the body complex of chemical yellow ray. Thus those who know the stars and their configurations and influences are able to see a rather broadly drawn map of the country through which an entity has traveled, is traveling, or may be expected to travel, be it upon the physical, the mental, or the spiritual level. Such an entity will have developed abilities of the initiate which are normally known among your peoples as psychic or paranormal.
When the archetypes are shuffled into the mix of astrologically oriented cards which form the so-called Court Arcana and Minor Arcana these archetypes become magnetized to the psychic impressions of the one working with the cards, and thusly become instruments of a linkage between the practitioner of the astrological determinations and divinations and the one requesting information. Oft times such archetypical representations will appear in such a manner as to have seemingly interesting results, meaningful in configuration to the questioner. In and of themselves, the Major Arcana have no rightful place in divination but, rather, are tools for the further knowledge of the self by the self for the purpose of entering a more profoundly, acutely realized present moment.

ah okay. well..... I suppose I'll start reading then!

thanks!

[EvolvingPhoenix]

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Tarot-Mr-...1449922112

For divination, NOT self study.

There is a member on this forum who covers tarot for that though...

[Nau7ik]

Silly, I think Nau7ik has much knowledge of Tarot and Kabbalah, I hope he sees your thread

(also, just as an aside, Ra mentions a few time how he used Tarot more as a tool for studying the links between mental/body/spirit and catalyst, more so than the tool aspect of divination which for him was a side one... )

I did not see this thread but thanks to your comment he messaged me and I gave him recommendations.

I will repeat them here: The Tarot by Paul Foster Case. This is one of the best books out there on Tarot, in my opinion. He explains the symbolism and gives the correct esoteric symbolism which is omitted or concealed in most exoteric decks. However, he doesn’t tell you anything that you cannot work out for yourself. So you still have to study and apply yourself if you want to learn the cards. That’s the mark of a true teacher.

You do not need to know anything about the Qabalah to read Book IV of the Ra Material. In fact the Ra Material and Qabalah are two different systems. I find it more helpful to go with one or the other, so that you’re not mixing systems. This was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I did and I have been sticking with Qabalah.

In Book IV, Ra gives instructions on ways to study the Tarot cards. I would recommend reading that! It’s sound advice.

[kristina]

In Book IV, Ra gives instructions on ways to study the Tarot cards. I would recommend reading that! It’s sound advice.

Agree! It is a wonderful place to begin! Actually, it provides the thirst but not the quench.
Nau, you have assisted me a great deal! As always, its appreciated.

[Jade]

The whole point of the system of tarot that Ra offers is about creating a dialogue and facilitating communication with the self.

Outside sources will help you get a foothold, but 99.9% of this journey is internal and personal, and ultimately, subjective.

The mechanism is about creating a map upon our own subconscious. Using someone else's map will ultimately prove to be a struggle in the long term. Trust yourself and look at the cards as they are. Begin to make connections. Thus you begin the bridge between the conscious and subconscious minds that will allow you a greater communication with that which is veiled from us by default. The power being that the symbols take on meanings that words fail to adequately express.

The specific advice Ra gives is to focus on one deck of cards (one set of symbols) and not try to mix tarot with the other archetypical systems (astrology, tree of life) until a significant study and focus has been placed upon one over the others.

Good luck!

76.9 Questioner: Is there, in Ra’s opinion, any present-day value for the reuse of the tarot as an aid in the evolutionary process?

Ra: I am Ra. We shall repeat information. It is appropriate to study one form of constructed and organized distortion of the archetypical mind in depth in order to arrive at the position of being able to become and to experience archetypes at will. You have three basic choices. You may choose astrology, the twelve signs, as you call these portions of your planet’s energy web, and what has been called the ten planets. You may choose the tarot with its twenty-two so-called Major Arcana. You may choose the study of the so-called Tree of Life with its ten Sephiroth and the twenty-two relationships between the stations.

It is well to investigate each discipline, not as a dilettante, but as one who seeks the touchstone, one who wishes to feel the pull of the magnet. One of these studies will be more attractive to the seeker. Let the seeker then investigate the archetypical mind using, basically, one of these three disciplines. After a period of study, the discipline mastered sufficiently, the seeker may then complete the more important step: that is, the moving beyond the written in order to express in an unique fashion its understanding, if you may again pardon the noun, of the archetypical mind.

[flofrog]

The whole point of the system of tarot that Ra offers is about creating a dialogue and facilitating communication with the self.

Outside sources will help you get a foothold, but 99.9% of this journey is internal and personal, and ultimately, subjective.

The mechanism is about creating a map upon our own subconscious. Using someone else's map will ultimately prove to be a struggle in the long term. Trust yourself and look at the cards as they are. Begin to make connections. Thus you begin the bridge between the conscious and subconscious minds that will allow you a greater communication with that which is veiled from us by default. The power being that the symbols take on meanings that words fail to adequately express.

The specific advice Ra gives is to focus on one deck of cards (one set of symbols) and not try to mix tarot with the other archetypical systems (astrology, tree of life) until a significant study and focus has been placed upon one over the others.

Good luck!

76.9 Questioner: Is there, in Ra’s opinion, any present-day value for the reuse of the tarot as an aid in the evolutionary process?

Ra: I am Ra. We shall repeat information. It is appropriate to study one form of constructed and organized distortion of the archetypical mind in depth in order to arrive at the position of being able to become and to experience archetypes at will. You have three basic choices. You may choose astrology, the twelve signs, as you call these portions of your planet’s energy web, and what has been called the ten planets. You may choose the tarot with its twenty-two so-called Major Arcana. You may choose the study of the so-called Tree of Life with its ten Sephiroth and the twenty-two relationships between the stations.

It is well to investigate each discipline, not as a dilettante, but as one who seeks the touchstone, one who wishes to feel the pull of the magnet. One of these studies will be more attractive to the seeker. Let the seeker then investigate the archetypical mind using, basically, one of these three disciplines. After a period of study, the discipline mastered sufficiently, the seeker may then complete the more important step: that is, the moving beyond the written in order to express in an unique fashion its understanding, if you may again pardon the noun, of the archetypical mind.

Oh my god Jade thank you !!! My feeble little brain was not quite mapping out why studying them was important... thank you thank you !!!