TAROT CARDS

The true origin of the Tarot Cards is obscured by the mists of time. What is known from historical records is that the cards first appeared during the Middle Ages in Europe, India and China at the same time. Tradition says that the Tarot is actually very ancient, but were kept hidden by the esoteric societies, who did not believe the "common man" should have access to the hidden knowledge contained within the cards.

The Tarot Cards contain information pertaining to Egyptioan initiations, Hermetic Sciences, Numerology, Astrology and the Kaballa. ( The word Kaballa is derived from the Hebrew root meaning "to receive".) It has always been believed that the average person should not receive "the secret doctrines", and in ancient times the knowledge behind the beliefs of many of the religious secs were put into pictoral form by the head of the esoteric or religious sect in an effort to keep the secret doctrines from being discerned by any except their own initiates. Even in pictorial form, many of the esoteric meanings of the pictures were cloaked, in the hope that if the cards fell into the "wrong hands", they could not be interpreted.

During the ancient eras, the priests or rabbis of the various sects travelled from village to village, teaching through the spoken word, using the symbolic pictures of the Tarot Cards as their "reference guides". This was possible only after they had spent many years of study in the doctrines and the hidden meanings behind the symbolism in the cards. It has always been believed that if you could read and understand the true meanings behind each of the cards in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, you would comprehend the mysteries of the Universe, from its beginning until its end. Not only do they represent the story of the Universe, they also represent the path of man as he goes through life.

There is an axiom in the Hermetic philosophy which states, "As Above, So Below". Although many think this refers only to Astrology, meaning that your Natal Chart is your blueprint for life, it also means that your course or path in life has already been determinded and can be discerned through methods other than Astrology. For this reason, the Tarot Cards can be read to predict what events will occur in your life.

If you examine your life carefully, you will realize that both the easy times and the difficult times you have gone through have lead you in a direction which you may not have consciously chosen for youself. Each direction you choose in life brings valuable lessons which furthers your growth as an individual. The path you are on today is the result of the paths you have chosen in the past and will influence the ones you will choose in the future.

The Tarot Cards do have spiritual meaning and were originally meant to be read in regard to your spiritual path in life. However, if your everyday life is not a reflection of your spiritual path, you will encounter chaos. No matter how highly evolved you may be, you must function at the mundane level. For this reason, the Tarot cards can and should be read to discover both your spiritual path and the events which you will encounter on a daily basis. To read the cards only from the spiritual mundane life is the same as seeing yourself as only half a person and not a whole individual.

(Updated 2006, All rights reserved.)