Full Description
Reveals the historical roots of the symbology of the Tarot in the Mithraic tradition of the Persian Magi and the Hermetic tradition
The Tarot is a mythic map of the world and of consciousness. It offers a meta-language of signs and symbols that communicate their meaning precisely. Yet the true origins of the Tarot remain shrouded in mystery. These oracular cards have long been thought to have come from Egypt or from the "Gypsies," but as Stephen E. Flowers reveals, their original roots lie in the Mithraic tradition of the Persian Magi.
In this book, Flowers explores the historical roots and mythology of the symbolic images that became known as the Tarot. Drawing on theories first pioneered by the Swedish scholar Sigurd Agrell (1881-1937), he reveals the genesis of the Tarot's symbolism in the great Hermetic tradition at the same time the Magical Papyri were being written in Greco-Roman Egypt. He explains how the sequencing of the Major Arcana is related to the images used in Mithraic initiation, elements of which were then integrated into existing Roman and Egyptian traditions. Exploring the Magian teachings on the Stoeicheia, an alphabet that acted as a map for understanding the order of the cosmos, he demonstrates how this alphabet of magical symbols was the template for the Tarot. The author also shows how the 22 Major Arcana cards were related to the 22 letters of the Roman alphabet used for oracular purposes in ancient times. Looking in-depth at the principles of Mithraism, the author explains how the Roman form of Mithraism, a guiding factor in the early shaping of the Tarot, was itself a synthesis of Iranian Magianism, Greek stoicism, Babylonian astrology, and Greco-Egyptian Hermeticism.
Exploring the cards themselves, Flowers then looks at the original meanings of the Major Arcana using Mithraic symbolism and its offshoots. He also explains the truth behind many of the myths surrounding the Tarot, including their deep-level connections with Egypt, the Romani people, the Semitic tradition, and runes. By restoring the original mysteria to the icons of the Tarot and learning their true origins, we can better understand the insight these powerful cards impart in divination.
Contents
Preface
Origins Shrouded in Mystery
Introduction
The Magian Tarot and Postmodern Theory
Chapter 1
A Modern History of the Tarot
Chapter 2
Magianism and Mithrism/Mithraism
Chapter 3
Magian Teachings of the Stoicheia
Chapter 4
The Magian Tarok Conclusion
Appendix A
The Persian System of Calendrical Yazatas
Appendix B
A Greek Alphabetic Oracle
Appendix C
The Magic Disk of Pergamon
Appendix D
The Northern Link
Appendix E
Tables of Greek and Roman Keys to the Tarot
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
