Esoteric Tarot
Discover how Tarot evolved from a simple card game to a powerful divination tool, blending ancient symbolism with mystical insights over the centuries. Explore the journey of Tarot as it transformed from a pastime into a profound practice, embracing esoteric traditions and becoming a key to unlocking deeper understanding and spiritual guidance.
Originally designed as a parlour game, Tarot gradually transformed into a popular fortune-telling method over time. As people began to see deeper meanings in the cards, they started using Tarot for divination, blending ancient symbolism with mystical insights.
The Evolution of Tarot: From Occultists to Modern Times
The evolution of Tarot, spanning from the late 18th century to World War II, was profoundly shaped by the influence of numerous scholars and occultists, initially in France and later in England. Today, two main traditions dominate Tarot practice: the French School, centred on the Marseille Tarot, and the English School, which adopts the Rider-Waite-Smith deck as its foundation.
Exploring Deeper Roots
To truly grasp Tarot's development as an esoteric tool with profound Arcana meanings, it's essential to delve deeper into history, well beyond the 18th century. Understanding the foundational schools of thought that paved the way for esotericism provides crucial insights into Tarot's enduring significance and diverse interpretations across cultures and centuries.
Ancient Roots of Tarot
Tarot today is deeply rooted in a system of knowledge that has evolved over centuries within Mystery Schools and esoteric organisations. It has become a well-established tool for fostering greater self-awareness. Tarot serves as a guide for inner transformation, revealing hidden messages and broadening our understanding of ourselves, our surroundings, and even the universe beyond. While this overview doesn't encompass the entirety of esotericism, exploring historical movements provides valuable context for Tarot's development.
The Ancient Mystery Schools
The concept of Mystery Schools, or 'The Mysteries,' traces back to ancient Greece. These institutions were recognized public entities and exerted significant influence until the 16th and 17th centuries. Understanding what a Mystery School entails can be challenging for modern minds accustomed to rational, scientific interpretations of the material world—where phenomena are seen, felt, and measured.
Ancient traditions held that the universe encompassed realms beyond the physical, vast and non-material, where gods exerted a direct influence on human experiences. Mystery Schools offered members knowledge of these non-material realms and their natural laws through graded teachings, instructions, and elaborate rituals. These realms can be likened to dreams, the creative imagination, or the meditative space one enters when contemplating a Tarot card.
While the existence of Mystery Schools was widely known, their teachings were typically cloaked in secrecy. Despite their divine origins, the teachings were distinct from conventional religion. Greek Mystery Schools initiated members into a hidden world that could only be experienced firsthand. It was not something one could simply read about or be told—it had to be lived through a series of rites.
These rites aimed to transform personal consciousness, awakening dormant energies and abilities within the individual. Among the most significant Western Mystery Schools were the Dionysian, focusing on the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature, and the Eleusinian, centred around the myth of Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture.
Unveiling Secret Societies
In ancient Greece, numerous Mystery Schools gave rise to secretive societies known as "myein," meaning to close, referencing the closing of eyes and mouths to receive hidden knowledge. Initiates, called Mystagoi, were led by a Hierophant, and these organizations conducted rituals, meetings, and pursued objectives in strict secrecy.
Initiatory Rites
Secret societies conducted initiation ceremonies that symbolically mirrored death and rebirth, akin to rites found globally—from Native American traditions to New Guinea tribes sending youths into the jungle for manhood rituals. This process of death and rebirth aimed to transform the initiate profoundly.
Tarot's Heroic Journey
The Major Arcana of Tarot reflect this transformative journey, akin to the Hero's Journey archetype. The Fool initiates this journey, progressing through each card of the Major Arcana much like an initiate navigates rituals and rites. Each card in Tarot symbolizes a stage in this journey, revealing profound insights and transformations along the way.
Definitions for Esoteric Tarot
Esoteric, Esotericism: Refers to hidden or secret teachings, often concerning the relationship between humans and the universe.
Esotericist: A practitioner who specialises in working with hidden knowledge, secret teachings, or mystical philosophies.
Esoteric Arts: Includes practices such as Tarot, Astrology, Numerology, Magic, Kabbalah, Shamanic Journeying, and more, which delve into hidden or mystical aspects of existence.
Esoteric Deck: Refers to decks created by influential occultists throughout history, as well as metaphysical decks developed by modern Mystery Schools, designed to explore and convey esoteric concepts through symbolism and imagery.
Secret Societies
Objective: Varied widely, sometimes offering initiatory experiences but often operating more as social clubs or fraternities.
Focus: This could include social networking, political influence, or preservation of specific traditions or knowledge.
Examples: Included organizations like Freemasonry, which combined ritualistic elements with fraternal bonds and philosophical discussions.
In essence, while both engaged in rituals and initiations, Mystery Schools primarily focused on spiritual transformation and esoteric knowledge, whereas secret societies encompassed a broader range of objectives, including social and organizational purposes.
Updated
18 August 2024 at 10:47:55