Review – The Kingdom Within Tarot

The Kingdom Within Tarot

Author: Juno Lucina
Artist: Shannon ThornFeather
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
2011
ISBN #978-0-7643-3711-6

“The Kingdom Within Tarot” was brought into being to facilitate a visual journey of the archetypes through the Tarot, based on the ancient systems of astrology and Qabalah, In the introduction, we are told that through working with this deck we will begin to remove our own spiritual blindfolds that hold us back from seeing the truth. Everything that is needed to read with this deck is included with the deck/companion book kit. For those wishing to do a more in-depth study, the author has written a more comprehensive book, “The Alchemy of Tarot: Practical Enlightenment Through the Astrology, Qabalah, and Archetypes of Tarot”.

It would probably be a good time to note here that the Paths on the Tree of Life as expressed in this book do not correspond to the traditional Paths as they are presented in most metaphysical texts. The system followed here is based upon that presented in the “Restored Tree of Life”, as presented by Charles Stansfield Jones, an initiate of Aleister Crowley. This material can be found in “Q.B.L” (also known as “The Bride’s Reception”), and “The Egyptian Revival” (or “The Ever-Coming Son in The Light of the Tarot”).

This deck works as a tool of divination, but it is also a tool for the study of life, and for reuniting the reader/Seeker with their own “Kingdom Within”. The deck carries traditional titles for the Major Arcana, with Strength at VIII and Justice at XI. The Minor Arcana suits are entitled Wand, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The Court Cards are entitled King, Queen, Prince and Page.

What we see here is a modern approach to the Tarot, and its mysteries. Incorporated in this book are astrology, archetypes, the “Hero’s Journey”, a correlation between the Court Cards and the sixteen Myers-Briggs personality types (I loved this!), and Qabalah as seen through Achad’s Restored Tree of Life.

The deck and 176 page companion book come in Schiffer’s now trademark hard cardboard box, complete with a lift top, magnetic closure, and ribbon on either side to prevent the top from opening too far back (which would break the spine). The text and graphics on the top of the box are repeated on the front cover of the companion book. This is a very quality presentation!
The Major Arcana are presented with a large black and white scan, the card title and Path, a description of the illustration, the astrological meaning, key phrases, and upright and reversed divinatory meanings.

Court Cards are presented with a large black and white scan, a description of the illustration, the associated archetype, the significance of the archetype, the upright divinatory meaning ( through Level of Power, Astrological Association, and Actual People), and the reversed divinatory meaning.

The Minor Arcana Pips (numbered cards) are presented with a large black and white scan, astrological association, Path, description of the illustration, key phrase, upright and reversed meaning.

At the end of each section (Major Arcana, Court Cards, and Pips) there are pages for taking notes. At the end of the book templates for the following spreads are presented: the Triangle Spread, the Cross Spread, Yes/No Spread, Timing Through Season and Timing Through Astrological Signs.

The cards themselves are 3 ½” by 5”. The backs show a sun with a smiling face in front of a tree with leafy green branches. There are stars showing in the dark sky, and planets in the tree and on the ground. I was tickled to see that as intricate as the image is, it is reversible!

The card faces are drawn to the edge, without borders. The imagery is strong, making use of intense color, and is computer generated collage.

Major Arcana show the card Title, card number (in Roman numerals), and the across the top of the card. In the upper left hand, and lower right hand corner colored spheres correlate to that cards Path on the Tree of Life. The emphasis for the Major Arcana is the 22 Paths on the Tree of Life. There is an added card in this deck – numbered 23, and entitled Kingdom Within All. It has no Path, Hebrew letter, or planetary attribution,

The Court Cards show colored spheres in each of the four corners: Kings are gray, correlating with Chokmah (the Father). Queens are black, correlating with Binah (the Mother). Prince’s are golden, correlating with Tiphereth (the Son), and Pages are equal divisions of russet, navy, citrine, and olive, correlating with Malkuth (the Daughter). The title and suit are across the top of each Court Card, with keywords across t he bottom.

At the bottom center of each of the Minor Arcana cards is half of a colored sphere, representing one of the Sephirah on the Tree of Life. Across the top of each numbered card are the card number (in text) and suit, with keywords underneath.

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Some of the imagery in this deck is traditional, some is not. The Fool is quite an interesting figure, surrounded by crackling energy, with a bow floating under him, as he steps off a planet, and a swan, pierced by the Fool’s arrow, plummeting down in front of him.
The Empress shows a lovely Geisha in a Japanese garden, while the Chariot is an oh so modern minivan, complete with mother driving her children into their driveway, while her husband stand welcoming at the door.
The Page of Pentacles ( the Newborn King) shows a cherubic baby in a cradle. The Magician shows the stern face of the planet Mercury, surrounded by eight doves and raised upon a dais with a rapt crowd in front of it.
This deck could be used by any level of Tarot student, and would appeal to younger readers/Seekers especially, because of its updated imagery. Things to take into consideration when reading with this deck include the foundation (the Revised Tree of Life), and the tri-level interpretation of the Court Cards. (The author does strongly recommend interpreting the levels in a specific order – Level of Power, Sign Correspondence, and actual people.

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Birth Card Pairs: Star/Strength

Over the next year I am going to be writing about Tarot Birth Cards, what they mean and how we can work with them. I use the system of Tarot Birth Cards developed by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone of the Tarot School (www.tarotschool.com). Using the Seeker’s birth data (month, day and year), pairs of birth cards are defined. (For more information, and to calculate your own Birth Cards, go to http://tarotschool.com/Calculator.html.)

Please note: I have a book being published by Schiffer Books in fall of 2011 – “Tarot, Birth Cards and You: Keys To Empowerment” (http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=9780764339028), incorporating images from Karyn Easton’s “Tarot Lovers Tarot”. This was to have been a joint project (book and deck published together), but the decision was made to publish both separately, which I find very exciting! Karyn has a Birth Card calculator up on her site, where you can also view her incredible deck (it really is!) –http://paranormality.com/tarot-birth-card-calculator.shtml.

A special thanks to Leisa ReFalo www.tarotconnection.net, who developed the Birth Card Calculator, and graciously gave us permission to use it.

Our eighth pair of Birth Cards are the  Star (Key 17) and the Strength (Key 8). Some of the associations for these cards are:

The Star:

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Keywords:  Hope, inspiration, truth, renewal, cleansing, balance, freedom, peace, honesty, public recognition, inflated view of self, need for status, disillusionment, self-deception, feeling scattered.

Strength:

Astrological Sign:  Leo

Keywords:  Love, will to succeed, calmness in the face if intense emotions, reconciliation of opposites, courage, integration of energies, fearing ones emotions, being too bold, feeling overwhelmed.

 

The theme for this lifetime is the ability to control our passions, and our connection to Spirit, which brings us hope/

We can choose to do personal work with our own Birth Cards, we can use Birth Cards in conjunction with a reading for a client (place their birth cards, drawn from a deck other than the one you are reading with, above the spread(s) laid out for them). The spread(s) are then read through the lens of perception of the Seeker’s Birth Cards. As added value, a reader could give their client scans of their Birth Cards, along with a short write-up about them. Readers can also use the Birth Card system to better understand other people in their own lives (family, co-workers, friends etc.).

The key to bringing balance to any lifetime is that of understanding how and where your Birth Cards are operating in your life. The Star and Strength represent the two aspects of the gateway into a 17/8 lifetime. The Star is ruled by Aquarius, placing focus on looking within, trusting what is there, and allowing ourselves to hope. Of importance here also is the ability to question things on an intellectual level, and to communicate well.

 

Strength is ruled by Leo, placing the focus on creativity and pleasure. Strength can tend to be dominant, because of its own needs. Here we find our passion for life.

 

The Star and Strength set the tone for this lifetime. The path that the individual walks is one that addresses how an individual becomes self-sufficient, and through that core accesses their ability to manifest creatively in the world. It also speaks of accessing our inner resources to overcome our personal demons. The Star references the ability of an individual to look within, and trust what they find there. Here is where we access empowering, innovative new ideas and mystical, spiritual visions.

 

Strength references inner, spiritual strength, as opposed to brute force. We come to understand and make peace with our shadow sides through walking with Strength. Here is where we develop courage and determination – the qualities that we need to overcome temptation.

A 17/8 (Star/Strength) individual empowers themselves by aligning with the archetypal energy of hope, and choosing to look at life in a positive manner. This is a time of spiritual regeneration.  They will also align themselves with the archetypal energy of love and compassion to gain control over their emotions.

The Star and Strength work together to help us balance the power structure within us. The Star acts as a form of spiritual regeneration. This is all about hope for the future, hope that we can surmount our challenges, and defining our own beliefs and goals. There is a sense of renewal and honesty here – a gentleness of spirit, if you will.

 

Strength refers to inner strength – strength of spirit, as opposed to brute physical strength. Here we have the will to succeed, to overcome challenges and to live the best life that we can. Strength harnesses the energy around them to achieve their goals.

Images from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, Karyn Easton, 2008, paranormality.com.

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Interview With Biddy (Brigit Esselmont)

Interview With Biddy

 I first came across Biddy (Brigit Esselmont) many years ago on the Tarot-L forum. I always found her to be very professional, and quite an interesting person. She is back under my radar with the publication of her e-book, “The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings”, and a companion workbook (also in e-book format).

 

Biddy has had her own Internet site since 1999, offering professional readings, card interpretations and more. The branding from her site continues into her e-books, which is something that I was happy to see. Tarot is a profession, and what you will see with Biddy is professional work that is well thought out.

 

Biddy has agreed to chat with us for a bit, so I am going to turn the podium over to her!

 

BC: What piqued your interest in Tarot to begin with? In what manner did it enter your life?

 

BT: When I was 18, I had my first Tarot reading. I was so intrigued by the way the reader used the cards to provide me with insight that I was inspired to learn the cards for myself. At that time, I was a full-time University student, so anything to distract me from my studies was welcome relief! I was also excited by the prospect of using the cards to guide my own life and to provide my own insight.

 

As I began to delve deeper into the Tarot cards, I soon realised that this wasn’t just a fun thing to do on the side, but the cards held such deep and insightful lessons within them. I now see the Tarot as an invaluable spiritual guidance tool that is so complex and meaningful.

 

BC: How did you come to offer readings over the Internet?

 

BT: After discovering the Tarot cards in my late teens, I soon entered the online world of Tarot to further my understanding of the cards. I joined a number of online Tarot communities, such as the Tarot-L forum, and began to see opportunities to connect with others via the Internet. A few years on and I built my own website and started to provide Tarot readings via email. I was also reading with the American Tarot Association’s Free Tarot Network to gain experience. Over time, my business began to grow and now, nearly fifteen years on, I have hundreds of clients worldwide who regularly return for readings.

 

BC: I really like the branding on your e-book, with the use of graphics from your Internet site. It offers continuity for those that visit your site on a regular basis. How did you come to the decision to use this format?

 

BT: With any product or service, it’s important that it looks professional and that it is branded well, otherwise people are going to wonder whether you’re the ‘real deal’. I worked with a graphic designer to come up with a logo and a colour scheme for both the website and the eBooks. I wanted something that was simple and straight forward, but also clean and professional-looking.

 

If you have ever seen earlier versions of my website (i.e. from the early 2000s) you’ll know that the current branding is a HUGE improvement on what it used to be like! (Check it out the earlier versions here – http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/biddytarot.com)

 

BC: Tarot card meanings is the focus of this e-book. What made you choose this topic for a foundation?

 

BT: Nearly anyone who has studied the Tarot spends time learning about each of the Tarot cards. While each person will have their own variations of the cards, there is still a lot of value in understanding the more common meanings of the Tarot cards. So, with The Ultimate Guide to the Tarot Card Meanings eBook, I wanted to provide a comprehensive Guide to facilitate the learning process.

 

Tarot card meanings is also what BiddyTarot.com has come to be known for. Each month, over 100,000 people visit my website, predominantly to read about what each Tarot card means.

 

BC: Tell us a little bit about your inclusion of practical interpretations for the cards.

 

BT: When you are using the Tarot cards for actual readings, having interpretations that are practical, relevant and usable is so important. It’s nice to know what a red cape means, or what the esoteric relevance of the ocean is, but when you are faced with a client who wants to know if their boyfriend will come back to them, you need to know what the card in front of you actually means. So, including practical interpretations was an absolute must for me. I have read a number of Tarot books that fail to provide any tangible advice or insight from the cards, and this leaves many readers in the lurch when it comes to conducting actual readings.

 

BC: I love the Tarot tips and techniques concept. How did you come to include this section in the book?

 

BT: Including the bonus chapters on Tarot tips and techniques was actually on the advice of the wonderful reviewers who read my eBook prior to its release. Wanting to create the best eBook possible, I asked 13 volunteers to read my eBook and provide detailed feedback. One of the suggestions was to include a few chapters on how to apply the meanings of the Tarot cards, and hence the tips and techniques were ‘born’.

 

I think it’s really important to not only be able to interpret the cards, but know a bit about why they are interpreted the way they are. For example, I write about reversed Tarot cards, Tarot and numerology and Tarot card combinations. I also provide 25 easy three-card spreads, so you can start reading straight away, and some of my favourite “Top 10 Tarot cards” for love, career and travel.

 

BC: How did you come to include “context specific” card meanings?

 

BT: How many times have you done a reading when you draw a Pentacles card, for example, in a relationship spread? What has the suit of Pentacles got to do with relationships and feelings?! Sure, as we become more experienced with the Tarot cards, we know how to approach these types of situations, but many people who are still learning the cards appreciate a little guidance when it comes to applying the meanings to various situations.

 

So, the practical interpretations are there to provide ideas on how to interpret each card for specific situations. They are certainly not the ‘be all and end all’ of interpretations (hence why this is a ‘Guide), but they are definitely a welcome starting point.

 

 

BC: I loved the bonus chapters! Added value can be anything, and these chapters are incredible! Please tell us a bit about them.

 

BT: (See the response for Tips and Techniques)

 

BC: What would you like the reader to take away from this book?

 

BT: I would like the reader to feel confident about reading the Tarot cards, and to know that if they need help interpreting the cards they have a comprehensive resource at their fingertips.

 

I would also like the reader to see how widely the Tarot cards can be used. As one of my reviewers reminded me, this isn’t just a book about reading Tarot but a book about life and spirituality. The Tarot cards are so helpful in guiding us through life and showing us the life lessons that are on our paths.

 

In releasing the Companion Workbook alongside the Ultimate Guide, I am also hopeful that readers will start to develop their own Tarot card meanings based on what they’ve read but also what they’ve experienced in readings and in life in general.

 

BC: Do you have any last words for our readers?

 

BT: With something as complex as the Tarot, you never stop learning. In fact, as I was writing the eBook, I was amazed at how much I learned in the process that I can now apply to my Tarot readings and also to my life in general. Whether you are just starting out with the Tarot, or you consider yourself a Tarot expert, know that you can always learn something new. I strongly encourage readers to continue developing knowledge of the Tarot by reading widely, practicing regularly, and developing your own interpretations of the Tarot cards.

 

I would like to thank Brigit (Biddy) for taking the time to talk with us about her new e-book. It is a book that I highly recommend – in depth, inclusive, very professionally done, and with a great deal of “added value” information.

 

You can read more about the book, and order it here: http://www.biddytarot.com/tarotebook.

 

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

 

The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Readings

The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings –

Learn To Read The Cards Like An Expert

Author: Brigit (Biddy) Esselmont

Self-published

2011

“The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings” is a new, 336 page e-book from Biddy (Brigit Esselmont), of Biddy Tarot (www.biddytarot.com). For someone who has publicly stated that she was not enamored of reviewing e-books, this is the second e-book that I have reviewed in a very short time period – and both were excellent books, professionally written, and easy to review. A hint to those who are considering offering their work in e-book format – do what Biddy has done, and make the type large enough to read easily! I know – I can do this myself, but I truly appreciate it when I don’t have to do so.

 

In her introduction, Biddy emphasizes that this book is called a guide for a reason – that it is here to guide the reader, but that any reading depends on the connection between the reader, the Seeker, and the cards. The cards may not mean the same things from reading to reading. The basic meaning will be the same, but how they play out in the reading will not be.  Biddy has also made it a point to provide links to contact her through e-mail, her site, her blog, Face Book and Twitter, for those that have questions or comments. She also notes that this book is a useful resource for all levels of reader, from beginner to advanced.

 

At the end of her introduction Biddy includes a link to “The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings Companion Workbook”. By using the workbook, an individual reader is provided with a template for creating their own Ultimate Guide.

 

Bonus chapters one through three focus on numerology, reversals, and card combinations. On numerology, Biddy notes that the numbers 1-9 represent a material and spiritual evolutionary process. While some readers, such as myself, associate numbers with the Court Cards, this book does not. Each of the numbers, 1-10, is defined by their numerological and esoteric meaning.

 

Whether a reader uses reversed cards or not is up to them. I never have, Biddy always has. While is does offer the opportunity to expand the meaning of a reading, my feeling is that the same information is offered by reading the card in relation to its neighbors, so see how it is functioning. Biddy offers several different ways in which to interpret reversed cards that stay away from the negative meanings that some readers give them. A reversed card is not the opposite of the upright meaning, and this is made clear in this section.

 

In Tarot card combinations, Biddy shows the reader how to create their own combinations, which is a gift beyond measure. To see what someone else has done gives us fresh perspective … to be able to then do this ourselves opens up our world!

 

For each of the cards, Biddy presents:

 

• Relevant quotes that help to understand the card.
• Images (from the Rider-Waite deck) and detailed descriptions that help the reader to understand the symbolism within each card.
• Specific meanings for common types of readings (such as love, career, finances, and spirituality.
• Tarot card combinations and their possible meanings.

 

I love the Quick Reference charts that preface the Major Arcana, and each of the four suits. The charts are very professionally done, with a small color graphic from the Rider-Waite Tarot, along with upright and reversed keywords. What a wonderful reference! (This is also included at the end of the book.)

 

Each card is presented with a color scan of the card, keywords (upright and reversed), quotes, a description of the card, and the card meanings (in a general sense, and in the areas of career/work/finance, personality types, relationship and love, spirituality, and well-being and health), and suggested card combinations for both upright and reversed cards.

 

Bonus chapters four through seven focus on the top ten cards in the areas of love, career and travel, followed by twenty-five easy three=card spreads. An example: the cards listed for love include the Lovers, the Two of Cups, the Ten of Cups and the Four of Wands.

 

Appendix 1 includes quick reference charts for Major Arcana Keywords, suit of Cups keywords, Suit of Pentacles Keywords, Suit of Swords Keywords, and Suit of Wands Keywords. (Note: A color scan of the card is also included.) Sample spreads included are based on the Three Card Spread, with category listings (i.e. choices and decisions, understanding relationships, and understanding a situation).

 

The final chapter is words of wisdom from Biddy on the learning cycle, developing your own card meanings, practicing, believing in yourself, and staying connected. Links are given to various Tarot organizations, and encouragement is given to staying in touch with other Tarot readers. This is important, because as readers we often find ourselves isolated in our communities, without in-person support for out work.

 

I found this e-book to be an excellent resource, very professionally done, very in-depth, and presented in a manner that was gracious and considerate. I look forward to seeing more work from Biddy!

 

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

New Moon In Virgo

New Moon In Virgo on Sunday, August 28th. Whew – a bit of grounding amongst all of this other silliness that is going on astrologically! Virgo – the little organizer in life! Just what do you need to get organized? This is a really, really good time to do it! This is the time to analyze, to use that little critical thinking ability of yours. Focus on the day-to-day of life – this is where you can make the biggest impression right now.

The Virgo New Moon is also a good time to set goals that focus on Virgo energy – you might want to start a new project (especially good if this is an intricate, detail oriented project), start making a list of things that need to be done around the house (we are about to change seasons, and enter into Fall).

Don’t forget yourself – what do you need to do for you? How can you create a healthier, happier life? Where is your joy? What can you do to make your life flow better? Step out of your comfort zone – take out that big dream, dust it off, and act on it!

The changes that you can make at this time are only limited by your ability to envision them in your mind. This is the time to attend to the little details – to take care of the earthy, practical phases of life. Do this, and your stress level will go down!

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Interview With Christine Payne-Towler Part II

Welcome to Part II of my interview with Christine Payne-Towler.

Christine came under my radar in the “way back when” days of Tarot-L, when the excitement was during the midnight hours, where the “names” slugged it out. Since then, Christine has published the seminal work “The Underground Stream”, designed the online Tarot reading program for www.Tarot.com, founded the Tarot University Online (www.tarotuniversity.net), and began publishing a monthly newsletter entitled Arkletters (www.tarotarkletters.com).

Christine’s focus is on promoting the understanding and study of Tarot from the point of view of its astro-alpha-numeric content, in particular its roots in the esotericism and magic of the Renaissance. She wants to make sure that the original impulse that birthed the Tarot is not lost to the twenty-first century. Her latest project is a Tarot deck and companion book (The Tarot of the Holy Light), being made in conjunction with her partner, Michael Dowers. This could be the very first truly new Continental Tarot deck to be published in the twenty-first century.

Christine is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Association of Tarot Studies conference in France, where she will be presenting her latest research in a talk entitled “Alchemy, TheoSophia and Tarot”. She will also be introducing her new deck, with the companion book to appear shortly thereafter.

For more information on Christine, and to read the body of her work, go to http://noreah.typepad.com/about.html.

BC: Next up – what exactly is background of the Continental Tarot?

CPT: Continental Tarots are those which are made in the footprints of the oldest 78-card packs of Tarot cards. Virtually every Tarot deck made in the first 500 years of it’s history was a Continental deck — these are the decks from “the Continent”; Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Czekoslovakia and (later) Spain. They aren’t all alike by any means, but they have certain features that tie them together as a group. Over the first 500 years of their appearance, this group of packs tend to show only simple unadorned numbered pips like those of the Marseilles pack. (There’s an early exception to this rule, the Sola Busca, which the Waite pack imitated, evoking our contemporary appetite for full illustrations on every card.) The Continental packs distribute the alphabet along the Trump sequence in its natural order (from A=1=Magus to Tav=0=The Fool). Continental decks also present the Trumps in one of the three historical orderings that have been found by the researchers of playing card history. The simple rule of thumb here is that any pack in circulation before the Waite/Smith pack is 99% likely to demonstrate the Continental pattern.

I have made such a fuss about this ‘detail’ of Tarot history because the entire time I have been a reader, I have had to listen to fellow Tarot professionals saying absurd things like “The Chariot is Cancer” and “The Devil is Capricorn”, although such assertions defy the record of history completely. The very elemental alphabetic research I was able to do way back in the mid-1970′s made it clear that #7 goes with Gemini and #15 with Sagittarius, whether you have Tarot cards in the mix or not!

For example, early on I found William Wescott’s little book on numerology, which was published before he became invested in the OGD paradigm. From this I could see what the historical bedrock was; it wasn’t concealed if a person was ready to look around and read beyond the Tarot world. Half the books I could get my hands on during those early years taught the historical basis, while the other half offered this mixed-up hash with a lot of mumbo-jumbo laid over the top. By the time Crowley’s book fell into my hands, it was easy to see the ragged seams of their cut-and-paste job within the alphabet. Crowley’s desire to be systematic crossed wires with the need to keep the OGD’s little secret under wraps, so he included a chart that (to me) made the hack-job explicit. I thought “who’s buying into this nonsense?” and confined my studies to those packs that represent the linguistic facts of history. Invariably, those would be the Continental Tarots.

Over time it got through my thick skull that the Tarots propounding the error were more popular by far. Mary’s wonderful Women of the Golden Dawn made it clear that the OGD creators chose to aggressively obscure reality of history to invent a whole parallel reality that would justify their “creativity”. For a decade or longer, I thought this attraction to misinformation was a quirk of the uneducated English-speaking masses, lacking in curiosity about anything written in another language. But ultimately I learned that such a mystique and religious-type attachment has grown up around these 20th century English-style Tarots that it was worth my scalp to show up in public and point out the fallacy! Without the encouragement of Mary Greer at pivotal moments, I would not have had the courage to stand up and state my piece, much less endure the rain of tomatoes that followed. As one might guess, this was during the years when I could be found slugging it out at Tarot-L, defending my first book and my right to say “But the Emperors (Waite and Crowley) have no clothes!”

I would like to add a caveat at this point. The first deviation in the historical stream of Tarot was the Etteilla pack, which is the original referent for the phrase “The Book Of Thoth”. Etteilla’s pack made a huge visual deviation away from the normative Marseille packs that had preceded him. He reframed the mythos supporting the Trumps — from a Biblical base to a Hermetic base — so the Trumps were rearranged and re-imaged to tell a different story. For the first time, overt astrological symbols and Masonic titles appeared on the faces of the cards. Etteilla’s new approach recruited a huge number of users, becoming the most popular pack and style of reading, in demand at the Tarot salons across Europe. For nearly a century Etteilla’s packs caused traditionalists to despair that the older packs would simply disappear in the dust of history. Multiple bootleg copies were made for distribution outside of Europe.

It wasn’t until after Etteilla’s death that his Italian students brought out the pack currently called Cartomanzia Italiana, wherein Etteilla’s Trump disguises were peeled away and arranged in their Marseille-style alphabetic order again. I would infer from this little revelation that Etteilla’s Masonic and Martinist superiors weren’t comfortable with him sharing their Tarot esotericism nakedly in public. So Etteilla scrambled the Trumps and overwrote the correspondences, creating a whole second oracle on top of the seed-bed of the originals. At the Tarot parlors, people tended to read the cards “from their faces” anyway, and Etteilla’s cards helped that process along with cheat-words printed at either end. But Etteilla’s long-term students followed his lead into Kabbalah, astrology, and Pythagorean numerology, learning the larger body of teachings for which Tarot provides the perfect flash-cards. His packs also implied a full angelic and zodiacal catalogue, though the hints were somewhat sketchy on the faces of the Pips. It wasn’t until Papus wrote his summary of the Etteilla packs (The Divinatory Tarot, recently translated and republished by Aeon Books) that one could be entirely clear how the system was meant to be used. (Full disclosure here; I haven’t made the graph yet that would detail whether Papus edited Etteilla in this book or not. There’s a research project right there — tabulating the AAN of various editions and revisions of this tripartite lineage in chronological order.)

Etteilla’s era of influence is what the English Tarot apologists were referring to when they said “the older Tarots are full of blinds and snares, necessitating that we correct the correspondences”. This stance is a bit fallacious, however, because the deck now called Cartomanzia Italiana (see S. Kaplans Encyclopedia Vol 1, p. 143) first emerged in the 1800′s and put Etteilla’s visual ideas back in Marseilles order again. Etteilla’s AAN correspondences match exactly the esoteric stream coming out of the Masons and Martintists (see Etteilla column on Kaplan’s graph P. 4 of same). Etteilla’s students included Julia Orsini, D’Odoucet, Mme. Lenormand, the makers of the Cartomanzia Italiana, Magus Edmond (maker of the Grand Tarot Belline) Paul Christian, Eliphas Levi, Papus, Wirth, and others. This group of intelligent, literate and prolific individuals had the entire century of the 1800′s to re-attach the traditional correspondences to the cards in their aboriginal order, or to contest the system outright. (A few took it upon themselves to tweak Etteilla’s correspondences a little for Kabbalistic reasons — hence the two other variants in the Continental family.) To judge from the stream of Tarot writings we can collect from the 1800′s and early 1900′s, these correlations were publicly available, having been transmitted in coherent and correct order by multiple books and packs across the latter half of the 19th and the first third of the 20th century. In other words, there really wasn’t very much of a “mess” from Etteilla’s camouflage operation left to clean up.

Meanwhile, nothing, absolutely nothing in this world, justifies the explicit act of war perpetrated on Levi when the OGD boys posthumously translated his works! This was simply wicked literary evil, an attack on the fabric of history, and an unprovoked attack upon their future students as well. Unfathomable! If I were Dante I would immortalize them at the very bottom rung of Hell, as turncoats within the esoteric paradigm.

This leave us with a mystery. Why did Waite spend his professional career defending a plagiarized and broken system when he absolutely knew better? I just don’t get it! Now that there are whole wings of academic study devoted to the topic of Western Esotericism, the historians have to avoid Waite and all of his cronies because so much of their distortions and misdirection have proved factually unreliable. It’s more trouble then it’s worth for a historian to separate the facts from the fictions that were spun to support their Tarot deck. Why was Waite willing to corrupt his lifetime literary catalogue over this? Did he think that nobody would ever notice?

In fairness, Jung added to the problem. He was a student of the Renaissance as well; it was one of several great intellectual passions of his, from which he borrowed vocabulary when it suited his purposes. (The concept of Archetype, for example, had a whole prior history and meaning before Jung found and repurposed it). Jung was not an astrologer, which means that he was not equipped to fathom all of the technical jargon of the astrologer’s kit and kabootle. I believe this limitation must have frustrated him and made him cranky. Both Jung and Waite pulled long faces and said to the academic world “Oh no, don’t go back there, it’s a jungle of irrational and impenetrable correspondences that nobody can make sense of anymore. Pure claptrap, fabulation and superstition mixed together. Just let me lay it out for you in simplified, homogenized form and you’ll know everything you need to get by.” These guys were academics, respected authorities in their fields, so who would feel confident enough to doubt them? Thus several generations of Tarot students have sincerely and trustingly believed their teachers and left the details to the experts.

It’s been a long goose-chase to get Tarot rescued from the briar-patch that it was consigned to after those twin Sphinxes ran the biblical and esoteric Chariot off its traditional road. But finally I think we are rounding the bend and rediscovering the true Tarot again. Hopefully the research done while making The Tarot of the Holy Light will help make the historical issues a little bit clearer, while also providing a fresh inspiration for people who would like to see some new Continental Tarots appear.

Part I can be seen here – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/interview-with-christine-payne-towler-part-i/

Stay tuned for Part III – the influences behind the Continental decks.

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Gaining Archetypal Vision

Gaining Archetypal Vision –
A Guidebook for Using Archetypes
in Personal Growth & Healing

Author: Toni Gilbert, RN, MA, HN
Schiffer Publishing
2011
ISBN #978-0-7643-3911-0

Counselor Know Thyself

The ability to recognize yourself in the archetypes is at the
Foundation for competence with tools that make use of the
Archetypes. Only when you begin to identify archetypal
Patterns and their expressions in your own life can you hope to
Use the tools that work with archetypes in a therapeutic session
Toni Gilbert

The first thing that I noted about this book was the cover, by renowned artist Robert M. Place. Depicted is the Temperance card from the Tarot, an archetype that represents the principles of moderation and integration, essential requirements for healing. The imagery is very esoteric in nature – the figure holds the waters of dispassion in her hands, and is pouring them on the fires of passion that flame at her feet. There is a very strong connection here between the artist and the author – they were definitely on the same page, and I was very happy to see that the image was important enough that an interpretation was included at the beginning of the book. This attention to detail is typical of Toni Gilbert – the cover graphic for her first book, “Messages From the Archetypes” showed a very complex presentation of male and female archetypes, whirling energy, and symbols (such as the Sun at the foot of the male figure (who is wearing a fiery red robe), and the Moon at the foot of the female figure (who is wearing a calming blue robe). In both books, the graphic on the cover sets the tone for the book. Well done!

This is not just a book about archetypes – it is a book about archetypes in action in the physical world. It is also the archetypal journey that the author took on her path. She made the decision to go into nursing, only to find that the field in reality was not what she expected. The one thing that she knew was that she wanted to follow the path of the healer, and share her wisdom in that manner. She has a formal education in transpersonal studies and psychology, and with certifications in wellness counseling, mind-body consciousness, and guided imagery. She also uses the tools of Tarot and astrology in her work. Remember, Toni Gilbert was headed into alternative nursing at a time when the field had yet to be defined. Her story – which is the backbone of this book – is a very important and enlightening story.

Toni writes about alternative nursing, how we recognize the archetypes, and how they play out in our lives. I come not from a nursing background (although I do have over 25 years as a Medical Technologist), but from the perspective of Tarot. I use the Tarot, and the archetypes as expressed through the Tarot, to understand and heal myself and my clients. Toni writes from personal experience, while also citing examples from her client sessions. When we can see the archetypes through the eyes of a counselor and their client, we gain a new perspective on how we want to do our own work. Personal/interpersonal examples are incredibly empowering! At one point Toni talks about going to the hospital to see a client, at their request. She knew that she would need privacy, so she asked her husband to accompany her, and literally “stand guard” at the door so that she and her client were not interrupted. Why did this affect me so? Because I have had dreams (literal dreamtime dreams) of doing the exact same thing – right down to the guarding of the door!

Toni gives us in-depth background on the archetypes, including an interpretation of Jung’s five main archetypes, archetypal concepts as expressed by the Greek philosophers, Erick Erickson’s developmental model, the chakra system as it relates to archetypal principles, and archetypes of community. She talks about he larger archetypes (such as the masculine and the feminine), as well as the smaller archetypes (such as gossip, disappointment and insights).

I find this book easy to read, easy to follow, presenting a tremendous amount of information, and a wonderful resource for the nursing profession, the alternative nursing profession, therapists, counselors, and healers of all persuasions.

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Here & There

Just a few notes to update what is going on in the Tarot world. I finally managed to get a Face Book page up on my new book, “Tarot, Birth Cards, and You” . I have two webinars coming up – On Saturday, August 27th, I will be doing a webinar with Mary Nale, and on September 21st I will be working with Linda Marson of “Global Spiritual Studies” . On Sunday, August 28th, I will be talking with Dax Carlisle of the Tarot Guild.

The first part of a four part interview with Tarot author/scholar/teacher Christine Payne-Towler (“The Underground Stream”) can be seen here.

I would also like to talk about two e-books that have recently come to my attention. The first e-book is “Psychic Jucy’s TarotSeek™ – Learn How to Read Tarot Cards for Yourself, Volume 1″>“Psychic Jucy’s TarotSeek™ – Learn How to Read Tarot Cards for Yourself, Volume 1″, by Abella Jucy Arthur. More information can be found on her website.

The second e-book is one that I have not read yet myself, but I will be in the near future. It is “The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings eBook”, by Biddy. I am very much looking forward to this book, which includes upright and reversed meanings for each of the cards, practical card interpretations, and Tarot tips and techniques.

Stay tuned on September 1st for an announcement about about a unique contest to win a signed copy of my book, “Tarot, Birth Cards, and You”. Everyone is welcome to submit an entry!

(c) August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Lovers’ Calendar 2012

Tarot Lovers’ Calendar 2012

Editor:  Major Tom Schick

Artists: various

www.majortom.biz

2012

 

The “Tarot Lovers’ Calendar 2012” is the tenth anniversary edition of this incredible, limited edition calendar. The front cover design, showing Pixie Smith (Pamela Coleman Smith) sitting in front of a Tarot spread is some of the finest work that I have ever seen. This is not a calendar that you toss out at the end of the year – it is one that you keep as a wonderful reference.

The calendar is spiral bound, 8” by 11 ½”. It showcases sample images (two cards each) from twelve different independently produced decks. Along with the images there is a short paragraph from the card designer, as well as design and purchase information. At the bottom of each page, and on the back page, are unique Tarot spreads. The calendar lists lunar and solar phases, which is a true bonus to those of us that work with them!

 

The artists for the 2012 calendar, along with the cards shown, are:

 

Victorian Trading Card Tarot © 2010 Marcia McCord  (Two of Pentacles, The Hermit)

Triomphes de Paris © 2011 Bertrand Saint Guillain (Soleil, Pape)

Animales Arcanum © 2011 Oephebia (The Empress, The Wheel of Fortune)

Tarot Stones © 2011 Robyn Tisch Hollander (2, 18, Queen, 9, XIII, XII)

The Incidental Tarot © 2011 Holly DeFount (The Empress, The Sun)

Diary of a Starseed Rebellion © 2011 Ash Abdullah (Female, Male)

Raven’s Fool Tarot © 2011 Vicky DeFrancesco (The Fool, The Moon)

The Wild Green Chagallian Tarot © 2010 Penelope Cline (Magician, Strength)

Simply Deep Tarot © 2011 Chanel Bayless and James Battersby (Two of Cups, The World)

The Ecliptic Tarot © 2011 The Ecliptic Tarot (Two of Cups, Devil)

The Rosetta Tarot © 2011 M.M. Meleen (The Devil, The Star)

The Sickly Tarot © 2007-2011 F. Raymond Sickly (Ego, Judgment)

 

The Tarot spreads are as follows:

 

Crows Eye View, by Caridwen

Problem Underfoot, by Erica Chmielewski

Luke’s Galaxy, by Luke Frayling

Personal Report Card, by WalesWoman (Deborah Ross)

The Breakfast Club, by Glass Owl

Say Hello and Goodby Solstice Spread, by IheartTarot (Helen Riding)

The Box, by Eowyn (from Chile)

Repetitive Card Spread, by Glass Owl

Caridwen’s Web, by Caridwen

Element’s Spread, by Rhiannon (Lisa Krough)

Me + You = Bridging The Gap, by marimorimo

Winter Solstice, by BodhiSeed

Lord of the Rings Spread, by Caridwen

 

Incredible calendar! Enjoy!

 

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Twilight Realm – A Tarot of Faery

Twilight Realm –
A Tarot of Faery

Author: Beth Wilder
Artist: Beth Wilder
Schiffer Publications
2010
ISBN #978-0-7643-3393-4

“Twilight Realm – A Tarot of Faery” follows the traditional 78 card structure, using traditional card titles for the Major arcane, with Strength at VIII and Justice at XI. The suits are entitled Wands, Cups, Swords, and Rings (Pentacles). The suit of Rings is in deference to Faery Rings. Note: The suit of Wands is associated with Air in this deck, and the suit Swords with Fire. This change was based on the fact that dwarves craft swords using the element of Fire, while sylphs that inhabit the air are most likely portrayed with wands. The Court card titles are King, Queen, Prince, and Page.

The theme for this deck is that of faeries, and the world they inhabit. It is meant to be used as a vehicle that allows us to connect with the faery realm – for us to talk to them, and for them to talk to us. The imagery in this deck represents different types of faeries, some of which came to Wilder in dreamtime, and some of which came to her in a waking state. Some were created from faery lore to represent the type of faery that Wilder felt was appropriate to represent a specific card.

The deck and companion book come in a hard cardboard box, with a magnetic lift top. The top is opened using a short piece of ribbon that is attached to it. I love these boxes – kudos to Schiffer for using them, and for the lovely imagery on the covers. This cover is pale lavender, with a black background on the left hand side, and an image of the Empress.

The 176 page companion book has a short introduction, discussing the background of the deck, followed by templates for a Three Card Spread, the Star Spread, and the Elements Spread. Each card is presented with a black and white image, upright and reversed meanings, and the story behind the faery element that is represented. For instance, the Fool is Hobodie Wort, a little person with no fear, and completely in control of his own actions. Strength is a beautiful Unicorn, while the Hermit is represented by a solitary faery.

The cards themselves are 3 ½” by 5”, and of heavy card stock. The backs show a black border, and a black background to a center graphic of latticework and small flowers, with a circle of small flowers in the center. The backs are reversible. The card faces show a black outer border, with a thin, color coded inner border. The Major arcane show only a wide black border, with the card number, in Roman numerals, and the card title in gold at the bottom of the card. Swords show a red border, Cups a light blue border, Wands a light lavender border, and Rings a light green border. For the Pips (the numbered cards), the nuber and suit are in text at the bottom of the card, in the same color as the border. The Court cards show the card title and suit at the bottom of the card, in the same color as the border.

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The artwork varies between reality for the majority of the human figures, with a fantasy background, and fantasy figures in other cards, making use of pastels against a black background, The Fool is an adorable little figure, his hands braced on a rock sitting alongside a river, his feet high in the air and a smile on his face. The Ace of Cups shows a lovely white lotus floating on a black background. Death really drew me in – we see a female figure, in a lavender cape, walking out in the elements, lightening flashing around her and a dark castle behind her. The Chariot is driven by a goblin, who has managed to harness two faery dogs to a wagon.

The Magician to me is a somewhat sinister figure, sitting in his red robe, with an owl behind his right shoulder, and a quarter moon in the night sky. His left hand rests on the hilt of a sword, while his right hand rests on the table. The Lovers shows the story of Undine, a water nymph who became human and fell in love, then forfeited her life when the man she loved chose another over her.

I found this to be quite an interesting deck, one t hat would appeal to those wanting to learn more about faery lore, as well as those interested in fantasy art. I would not suggest it as a beginners deck, but it certainly would work as either a reading deck for someone who already knew the Tarot, and for journey work with the faery realm.

© August 2011 Bonnie Cehovet