Full Description
Alejandro Jodorowsky's profound study of the Tarot, which began in the early 1950s, reveals it to be far more than a simple divination device. The Tarot is first and foremost a powerful instrument of self-knowledge and a representation of the structure of the soul. The Way of Tarotshows that the entire deck is structured like a temple, or a mandala, which is both an image of the world and a representation of the divine. The authors use the sacred art of the original Marseille Tarot--created during a time of religious tolerance in the 11th century--to reconnect with the roots of the Tarot's Western esoteric wisdom. They explain that the Tarot is a "nomadic cathedral" whose parts--the 78 cards or "arcana"--should always be viewed with an awareness of the whole structure. This understanding is essential to fully grasp the Tarot's hermetic symbolism.
Contents
Preface by Marianne Costa
Introduction by Alejandro Jodorowsky
PART ONE
Structure and Numerology of the Tarot
Opening: The Tarot Is a Complete Entity
To Begin
Composition and Rules of Orientation
The Numerology of the Tarot
The Ten Stages for Constructing the Mandala
The Eleven-Color Scale
PART TWO
The Major Arcana
Opening: An Architecture of the Soul
To Begin
Le Mat/The Fool
I Le Bateleur/The Magician
II La Papesse/The High Priestess
III L'Impératrice/The Empress
IIII L'Empereur/The Emperor
V Le Pape/The Pope
VI L'Amoureux/The Lover
VII Le Chariot/The Chariot
VIII La Justice/Justice
VIIII L'Hermite/The Hermit
X La Roue de Fortune/The Wheel of Fortune
XI La Force/Strength
XII Le Pendu/The Hanged Man
XIII L'Arcane sans Nom/The Nameless Arcanum
XIIII Tempérance/Temperance
XV Le Diable/The Devil
XVI La Maison Dieu/The Tower
XVII L'Étoile/The Star
XVIII La Lune/The Moon
XVIIII Le Soleil/The Sun
XX Le Jugement/Judgment
XXI Le Monde/The World
PART THREE
The Minor Arcana
Opening: The Humble Guardians of the Secret
To Begin
The Degrees of the Numerology
- The Aces
- The Twos
- The Threes
- The Fours
- The Fives
- The Sixes
- The Sevens
- The Eights
- The Nines
- The Tens
- The Numerological Degrees by Suit
Swords • Cups • Wands • Pentacles
The Honors or Court Cards
- The Pages
- The Queens
- The Kings
- The Knights
- A Summary of Meaning by Suit
Swords • Cups • Wands • Pentacles
PART FOUR
The Tarot Two by Two
Opening: Consciousness as a Joint Work
To Begin
The Duets of the Two Decimal Series
I The Magician--XI Strength
II The High Priestess--XII The Hanged Man
III The Empress--XIII The Nameless Arcanum
IIII The Emperor--XIIII Temperance
V The Pope--XV The Devil
VI The Lover--XVI The Tower
VII The Chariot--XVII The Star
VIII Justice--XVIII The Moon
VIIII The Hermit--XVIIII The Sun
X The Wheel of Fortune--XX Judgment
The Couples of the Tarot
- The Fool--The World
- The Magician--Strength
- The High Priestess--The Pope
- The Empress--The Emperor
- The Chariot--The Star
- Justice--The Hermit
- The Moon--The Sun
The Pairs That Add Up to 21
Numerical Succession and Transfer
PART FIVE
The Reading of the Tarot
Opening: How to Become a Mirror
To Begin
First Steps to Reading the Tarot
- With One Arcanum
- With Two Arcana
- With One, Two, Then Several Arcana
- With One Partner
Reading Three Cards
Reading Four and More Cards
Reading Ten and More Cards
Conclusion: The Tarotic Philosophy
Notes
