I Ching and Tarot

A quick note on the Tarot –

The way I see it, the Major Arcana is not, and was never intended as, a means of divination. Cartomancy arose in the 14th century using the ten standard deck of playing cards. The divination aspect then, appears to me to be a populist and I dare say the 'commercialised' use of cards.

Bear in mind that almost anything can be utilised as a means of divination – from mirrors, bowls of water and crystal balls, to the innards of a chicken, and no doubt the faeces of this animal or that. The point here is the 'means' is largely superficial, it's the process that's at play here, the means is somewhere between showmanship and the engagement (or distraction) the 'foremind' to coin an amateur term, to allow the unconscious a greater play.

Rather, the Tarot is a condensed symbology of a system of knowledge (in its broadest sense) within a given epistemology, traditionally regarded as Hermetical. Aleister Crowley devised his own deck (with Lady Frieda Harris), said: "The origin of this pack of cards is very obscure. Some authorities seek to put it back as far as the ancient Egyptian Mysteries; others try to bring it forward as late as the fifteenth or even the sixteenth century ... [but] The only theory of ultimate interest about the Tarot is that it is an admirable symbolic picture of the Universe, based on the data of the Holy Qabalah."

I'd rather say the genius of the major arcana is its universality.

Having been introduced to the Tarot in 'New Age' pseudo-Hermetic circles, my dip-in reference these days is the Meditations on the Tarot, A Journey into Christian Hermeticism. A quite weighty tome, nearly 700 pages, and not one mention of fortune-telling.
 
'Amir Alzzalam said:
How would you explain 'How' the I Ching could possibly predict future events?
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As promised, here is a small part of how the I Ching explains itself, using the Richard Wilhelm translation of Shuo Kua: Discussion of the Trigrams from The Great Treatise:

1. In ancient times the holy sages made the Book of Changes thus:

They invented the yarrow-stalk oracle in order to lend aid in a mysterious way to the light of the gods. To heaven they assigned the number three and to earth the number two; from these they computed the other numbers.

They contemplated the changes in the dark and the light and established the hexagrams in accordance with them. They brought about movements in the firm and the yielding, and thus produced the individual lines.

They put themselves in accord with tao and its power, and in conformity with this laid down the order of what is right. By thinking through the order of the outer world to the end, and by exploring the law of their nature to the deepest core, they arrived at an understanding of fate.

2. In ancient times the holy sages made the Book of Changes thus:

Their purpose was to follow the order of their nature and of fate. Therefore they determined the tao of heaven and called it the dark and the light. They determined the tao of the earth and called it the yielding and the firm. They determined the tao of man and called it love and rectitude. They combined these three fundamental powers and doubled them; therefore in the Book of Changes a sign is always formed by six lines.

The places are divided into the dark and the light. The yielding and the firm occupy these by turns. Therefore the Book of Changes has six places, which constitute the linear figures.

3. Heaven and earth determine the direction. The forces of mountain and lake are united. Thunder and wind arouse each other. Water and fire do not combat each other. Thus are the eight trigrams intermingled.

Counting that which is going into the past depends on the forward movement. Knowing that which is to come depends on the backward movement. This is why the Book of Changes has backward moving numbers ...
 
Pendelums and card, star, ouigee boards...whatever...to me can help you access your inner knowing....parts of your subconscious we have issues accessing consciously.

Of course I feel the same with prayer, chants, saints, charms.....belief is a powerful thang!

(And I think that is what it amounts to....wytayba)
 
wil said:
Pendelums and card, star, ouigee boards...whatever...to me can help you access your inner knowing....parts of your subconscious we have issues accessing consciously.

Of course I feel the same with prayer, chants, saints, charms.....belief is a powerful thang!

(And I think that is what it amounts to....wytayba)
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Spirit boards are great for this. Through the ideomotor effect, one can have direct conversations with their unconscious archetypes. It's been very, very useful for me.
 
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Cino said:
Thanks @powessy, really interesting!

How did you compile that initial list of 500 words?
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I started out with the 26 letters of the alphabet, but this is very counter productive especially when each letter requires a yes or no answer. Many of the words being used seemed to come around again and again so I decided to open a spreadsheet and entered in as many common words as I could find in my English and literature books from collage.

these simple words I placed on side 1 columns 1 - 5 and row sections “A - E”. Side 2 was the same but more complex words. Basically it is finding the target word through division. Easy words like “on, in, is” still will take five or six motions but harder longer words would only take about the same number of motions.

I stopped using the pendulum when minds found ways to mess up the answers, but the spelling started and shortly after they were able to form words or as I refer to it thoughts about thoughts.

Other then the words, I find time, rip it apart and figure it out, it is sort of like the world is a pile of pieces the size of grains of sand and I am trying to put them all back together again.

I should also explain thoughts about thoughts, this is like “ all speak “ it is the ability to understand anyone in existence through many feelings or intent, this is instead of having to know millions of languages. It is to have thoughts about your thoughts turned into a language.


Powessy
 
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