WATKINS TAROT HANDBOOK: A Practical System of Self-Discovery

The images of the Tarot feed the reflective and contemplative instincts and act as doorways leading into the realm of Ageless Wisdom. Too long sidelined by an association with fortune-telling, initiation and individuation are key parts of the Tarot's instruction in the divine path. Initiation is the crossing of the threshold to take responsibility for all aspects of our life and being, with grief, loss, trauma and joy all influencing the way we think and feel. An excellent starting point for disciples is Jung's model of the Four Functions: Thinking, Intuition, Sensation and Feeling, corresponding with the Suit of Swords, the Suit of Wands, the Suit of Discs and the Suit of Cups. The author suggests using the cards in the Elemental Court for exercises in visualisation which will change your life. The Tree of Life is divided into 32 paths and 10 sephiroth, emanations or states of consciousness, represented in a multi-dimensional map illustrating the Hermetic maxim "as above, so below", with Malkuth, the kingdom, symbolising the world in which we live. The three Pillars of the Tree are severity, mercy and equilibrium. Meditation within the Tarot opens the intuitive mind, and a typical meditation will focus on one of the Tarot Trumps. The Fool, Tarot Trump 0, the Spirit of Aether, is at the centre of an illustrative visualisation, dressed in motley, neither male nor female and journeying between levels bearing the triple flame, the Shin, an elemental fire. Seven archetypes are associated with the Tarot Trumps: journey and death, masculine and feminine, hero and adversity, all with Self at the centre. This is a practical and comprehensive guide to using the Tarot. 189pp, paperback, glossary, diagrams and drawings.