Seaqueen
Is the study of Tarot rooted in Cabbalah? And if Cabbalah is a religion, then isn't the use of Tarot a religious act?
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Is Cabbalah a Religion?
Flidais
The study of Tarot is not "rooted in Cabbalah." Cabbalistic associations were alluded to by de Mellet in the late 1700s but made more firmly by Eliphas Levi in the 1800s. Many tarotists today do not use Cabbalistic associations at all.
Seaqueen
Thanks for your input. What would the study of Tarot be "rooted" in?
Flidais
You may want to read a book on Tarot history. The one by Robert M. Place (The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination) is excellent.
.::Cerridwen::.
The one I'm reading "The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore" by Cynthia Giles is good too...
Seaqueen
My understanding is that Cabbalah is the traditional mystical explanation of the Torah, the scroll being shown in Key 2 High Priestess and around wheel in Key 10 Wheel of Fortune (quite a few decks). The Torah is the Hebrew Bible or 5 books of Moses -linked to "religion". The study of Tarot is based on the Hebrew alphabet (22 major arcana). Even though some tarot practitioners do not recognize the Cabbalistic associations..there seems to be a connection to religion (belief system involving relationship of humans with universe and God).
...feedback/opinions please.
...feedback/opinions please.
PlatinumDove
Seaqueen said:Is the study of Tarot rooted in Cabbalah? And if Cabbalah is a religion, then isn't the use of Tarot a religious act?
*laughs* I would love for you to tell that to a group of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Flidais
Seaqueen -- I'm just curious -- have you read this thread? It seems related to your line of inquiry.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=43960
Personally, I tend to agree with Waite's comment in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot: "[The Tarot] is not, by attribution or otherwise, a derivative of any one school or literature of occultism; it is not of Alchemy or Kabalism or Astrology or Ceremonial Magic; but... it is the presentation of universal ideas by means of universal types..."
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=43960
Personally, I tend to agree with Waite's comment in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot: "[The Tarot] is not, by attribution or otherwise, a derivative of any one school or literature of occultism; it is not of Alchemy or Kabalism or Astrology or Ceremonial Magic; but... it is the presentation of universal ideas by means of universal types..."
Ross G Caldwell
Hi Flidais,
It really depends how you define "study of". Some people do study the tarot as a mystico-magical system, and do see it as rooted in "Cabbalah". Others just get inspired to prophesy using the cards, with no particular roots.
But in any case, the study of Tarot is not necessarily HISTORICAL study. This is one kind of study, and there are others.
But since you are interested in history, I recommend Michael Dummett's "Game of Tarot" most of all, if you can find it in a library, and then getting Dummett and McLeod's "History of Games Played with the Tarot Pack" (Mellen Press, 2004). It is expensive, but you can get a huge discount if you join the International Playing Card Society. The IPCS publishes the only regular journal for this subject, so if you join you also get to see the latest research and discoveries in tarot history (and the rest of the world of playing cards).
Since you are interested in history, I highly recommend it.
Flidais said:The study of Tarot is not "rooted in Cabbalah." Cabbalistic associations were alluded to by de Mellet in the late 1700s but made more firmly by Eliphas Levi in the 1800s. Many tarotists today do not use Cabbalistic associations at all.
It really depends how you define "study of". Some people do study the tarot as a mystico-magical system, and do see it as rooted in "Cabbalah". Others just get inspired to prophesy using the cards, with no particular roots.
But in any case, the study of Tarot is not necessarily HISTORICAL study. This is one kind of study, and there are others.
But since you are interested in history, I recommend Michael Dummett's "Game of Tarot" most of all, if you can find it in a library, and then getting Dummett and McLeod's "History of Games Played with the Tarot Pack" (Mellen Press, 2004). It is expensive, but you can get a huge discount if you join the International Playing Card Society. The IPCS publishes the only regular journal for this subject, so if you join you also get to see the latest research and discoveries in tarot history (and the rest of the world of playing cards).
Since you are interested in history, I highly recommend it.
Flidais
Of course! Which is why I mentioned de Mellet and Levi as early sources of the concept (to confirm that it does exist), but also mentioned that many tarotists do not use Cabbalah.Ross G Caldwell said:Hi Flidais...It really depends how you define "study of". Some people do study the tarot as a mystico-magical system, and do see it as rooted in "Cabbalah". Others just get inspired to prophesy using the cards, with no particular roots.
Sorry if I was unclear. I should have written, "The study of Tarot is not universally thought to be rooted in Cabbalah."
