Acta Sanctorum

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jmd	02 Feb 2004
Given the unexpected and delightful return of AmounrA, I thought a thread title which plays on a variety of historical aspects would do well... I'm not claiming any sainthood for anyone, of course! I am here considering Tarot as indeed Acta Sanctorum - Holy or Sacred Deeds. Seventy-eight of them, actually. As sacred deeds, or sacred artwork, do they embody more than either history or individual artists who may create them are willing to accept? Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? These are questions rhetorically framed, of course, for my own personal views lie within their very phrasing... ...a short post to begin a tiny pebble rolling :)

Imagemaker	02 Feb 2004
Rolling this pebble on just a bit . . . GoldenGate posted in the game thread that the tarot is God's telephone--asking if the decks are pointers to Divinity. Indeed, whether you call the cards Acta Sanctorum or telephones, I certainly think that Tarot is a direct pathway of communication to the spiritual realm. It's an interesting synchonicity to see the two very different "voices" expressing this thought on the same day.

Centaur	02 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jmd As sacred deeds, or sacred artwork, do they embody more than either history or individual artists who may create them are willing to accept? Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? [/b] I think that ofcourse it depends on one's own perspective on tarot. I feel that the cards are indeed a portal to self-discovery and can open one up to further spirituality and spiritual experiences. It is almost as though the 78 cards serve as a key by which the door to a higher-consciousness can be accessed. I suppose one might argue that the more one uses such metaphysical tools, the more the door becomes easier to open, thus other skills are developed in conjunction with tarot-reading, for example, I know of numerous persons who have developed mediumship or the ability to astral travel in tandem with their tarot-adventure. Ofcourse, this may just be coincidence. But again, it is a question of belief, and I believe that tarot is a key to these experiences. Just some thoughts. C

allibee	02 Feb 2004
something along those lines Centaur ... but what about those of us who opened ourselves to our clairaudient/voyant experiences before tarot came into our lives?. The tarot IMHO, is just one of many doors, and the cards themselves, just one of many keys to those doors

Centaur	02 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by allibee something along those lines Centaur ... but what about those of us who opened ourselves to our clairaudient/voyant experiences before tarot came into our lives?. The tarot IMHO, is just one of many doors, and the cards themselves, just one of many keys to those doors Good point, and one I agree with. My point was that tarot IS one of those keys and I pointed to those who have developed further in a spiritual or psychic manner in order to illustrate this. It is a neat idea to think that there are a whole treasure-chest of keys out there... waiting for us to open them and thus enrichen our lives. C

TemperanceAngel	02 Feb 2004
jmd it appears your thread was closed for awhile, an act of sainthood? The Divine? I hope haven't lost my train of thought now.... Quote: Originally posted by jmd As sacred deeds, or sacred artwork, do they embody more than either history or individual artists who may create them are willing to accept? Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? I really like this question, jmd. Firstly I think that it has a lot to do with one's individual approach. There are many who would think that the Tarot opens the door to spiritual realms (I think that). But others, they may think that is a load of hogwash! Any spiritual/religious debate has these sides (and many more) I find the question of sacred artwork very interesting, because I do believe that the artwork of the older decks sacred, but would have to include that some of the new decks, not sacred at all. Ones that I will not mention, in case I offend.... An artist may tell you that it was not them who painted or sketched or drew, but something else that worked through them. The Divine maybe.... The Tarot does seem to open doors on many levels, but in todays currrent trends, is this process starting to be lost? Are we forgetting the roots of the Tarot. I don't have the answers, but I certainly am interested... I put acta+sanctorum+tarot into the Google search, whilst waiting for this thread to be re-opened. Found this interesting site: www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pardos/PopeJoanHome.html XTAX

Kiama	03 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jmd As sacred deeds, or sacred artwork, do they embody more than either history or individual artists who may create them are willing to accept? Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? This is a very worthy question JMD, and one I hope I can give an almost worthy answer to. Though I have a feeling that language will limit me here, so please bear with me! :D As has been said by previous posters, I think it depends on the person who is using Tarot. But from a personal perspective I certainly think the Tarot is Acta Sanctorum for me... Why? I think this because I no longer just use the cards for divination and fortune-telling. They have become like pages in a book that guides one to a higher truth or to spiritual 'enlightenment'. A bit like the Bible, but more guidelines instead of rules. When I look at the cards I don't simply see 'a happy marriage in the coming future' but instead I see a stage in the human spiritual evolution process, that takes place inside each individual if allowed do (Jung I think called it the process of individuation.) The 'happy marriage in the coming future' becomes the Heiros Gamos, sacred marriage, alchemical union, Chymical Wedding of opposites, within the individual. The Magician is not just 'a resourceful man' to me anymore. He is the lightening rod, the conductor through which the spiritual is manifested into matter. And don't even ask me to write about the Hanged Man cuz I'll be here all day! }) I don't think that all of this is in the actual images on the cards though, so I do think that maybe the cards represent something more that the card artists are willing to accept or able to represent. I think that the doorway to the spiritual realms is not in the images but in the 'click' of recognition that occurs when we associate the cards in front of us with different aspects of spirituality. For instance, the key in the latch 'clicks' when I view the Chariot as the quest for the 'Holy Grail' or its equivalent, or when I view the Hanged Man as the Dark Night of the Soul in mystical experience. But none of this can be adequately pictured, except in the mind. Indeed, sometimes Tarot deck creators find that they include things they didn't intend to include, but these things suddenly serve to become one of the things that make the 'click'. What is at work here? I'd venture a guess but that would belong more in the Spirituality forum. }) TemperanceAngel mentioned something that I agree with: not all decks are Acta Sanctorum. Some of them are just there for the giggles, to look pretty, etc. But I think when a Tarot deck is created with a spiritual purpose in mind, it can become Acta Sanctorum. Or is it all in the mind of the card user? Can somebody who is attracted to one of the 'giggle decks' see them as Acta Sanctorum? I'd venture a guess at Yes, since I see it as a process occuring as a 'click' in the mind of the person. Though I would also venture to say it would be alot more difficult to get that 'click' to occur with a 'giggle deck' compared to another deck. Anyway, that's my ramblings. I hope I've expressed what I wanted to say clearly, though this is difficult considering the subject. I apologise if I have totally missed the point of the thread! Blessings Kiama

Major Tom	03 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jmd As sacred deeds, or sacred artwork, do they embody more than either history or individual artists who may create them are willing to accept? Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? A tiny pebble? :eek: Speaking as an individual artist, tarot cards certainly embody more than I am willing to accept complete responsibility for. God has a bit to do with it. :laugh: It is for that assistance that I love tarot. :)

TemperanceAngel	03 Feb 2004
Before the thread split I was pondering on current Tarot trends and commercialism, on one side they are wonderful for the Tarot community, but on the other side does it mean the true essence of Tarot will be lost, perhaps the acta sanctorum, the hidden esoteric meanings?? XTAX

Strange2	03 Feb 2004
I wholeheartedly concur with the sentiments expressed above, that the cards of the Tarot can indeed be sacred works that open paths into spiritual realms, and into the mind of the creator of the card, and even into the mind of The Creator. Once opened, these paths can become 2 way circuits, allowing both reception and transmission to/from the source. As I have personally found through creating some of my own Tarot cards (and other artwork), the research and experimentation and permutations often take unexpected and inspired routes, producing some creative results and nuances that were not originally intended. These are those inspired “clicks” that Kiama and Major Tom have articulated. As Alibee and Centaur have pointed out, Tarot is just one of the many keys to opening oneself to this creative spiritual energy. This thread has connected in a synchronistic way with some studies I have been undertaking in researching the topic of Sacred Geometry. In a fascinating book “The Divine Proportion”, by H.E. Huntley, the author explores the universal aesthetic pleasure of the appreciation of beauty, whether that be in the field of art, science, or mathematics. “Man is by nature a creator. After the likeness of his Maker, man is born to create: to fashion beauty, to originate new values. That is his supreme vocation. One of the most intense joys that the soul of man can experience is that of creative activity.” Huntley then quotes Jacob Bronowksi (famed mathematician/physicist/poet/philosopher), from “Science and Human Values”: “In the moment of appreciation we live again the moment when the creator saw and held the hidden likeness. We re-enact the creative art, and we make the discovery again.” And then this quote, attributed to Johannes Kepler (astronomer/mystic): “Thinking God’s thoughts after him.” So the act of creating Tarot cards (or meditating on/divining with Tarot) can facilitate connections with the source energies (and beings) from which they originated. Given the spiritual themes and symbolism embodied in Tarot, these connections can indeed lead to spiritual realms.

AmounrA	03 Feb 2004
J.M.D, a post that goes to the very heart of the matter. I feel very much the primary function of a tarot deck, lies not in Divination, but in opening doors and areas of the mind. Stimulating the Imagination. From here I guess much depends on what you think the mind is, what it’s capable of, and how far it goes. I believe that there is a collective consciousness at local and non-local levels. Being that I believe the mind is connected from within, it also stands that I should believe in contact from within. In my mind the external world is as real as the internal realm of mind. The difference being that the external world is very tempory, mind is limitless in all directions. An artist is, in many ways, offering a doorway for ‘thought forms’, ‘multi-dimensional beings’ to make a physical bridge into our local world. Is it to far fetched to say when an artist is doodling, looking for ideas, that some helpful entity, out there in the mind doesn’t sow a seed? In some ways a partnership can evolve. The more willing the artist is, to the possibility, the better the reception can be. Trust. A famous example of an artistic mind that seems to have had a clear channel to the truly mystical was Mozart; the amount of material of complete genius he created in his short life is exceptional. Was he, as many have described, ‘in partnership with god’? It is also possible that when an idea is thought up, by an artist, it exists in the imagination and takes on its own life. If the idea catches on it grows stronger on the internal and external realms. A thought form, which can evolve independently from its original dreamers mind. Perhaps the tarot is a case of this. I am a visual artist myself, and now only this, an artist spends a lot of time in the imagination and in creativity. Although I work, often late into the night alone, I never feel alone. http://mysite.freeserve.com/418_TAROT/ I wouldn’t say I have god over my shoulder, but I would say universal mind is never far away. edited after- Strange2 , I wrote my reply before I saw your post, Sacred Geometry is a even stranger 'hole' than tarot in manyways. It turns the pentagrame into a seriously magick phenomenom. :-)

Diana	06 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jmd Do they, for example, harken to the truely mystical, in the sense that they not only reflect, but rather assist in opening doors to spiritual realms - to those realms forever present, to which we but blindly turn our eyes from? Do they assist in opening doors, or are they the doors themselves? AmounrA: Whenever you open the door and return to Aeclectic, what a wonderful perfumed breeze you always let in. I see you have once again changed location? Closer to home, this time.... :)

Cerulean	20 Feb 2004
that the Unconcious uses to speak to the Self--at least that is a quote that I remember from an interesting art history lecture. The Self assigns meaning and emotion to the image, making them more personal symbols. And so that might expand a little on how the human or symbolic figures of tarot might assist, as Amounra said, "in opening doors and areas of the mind. ...Stimulating the Imagination. " Perhaps this is off the subject, but I believe tarot images--especially the 22 trumps--were recognizeable symbols in the cultures that they emerged from and they stimulated more imaginative uses of the human images. The pip cards were also important because even if the average person could not read, they could perceive number concepts. A heavier pattern on a pip card would symbolize more mass and weight and more objects, which had had more value in a game or using the cards for other purposes. Maybe that is why I might favor images that can also link to older history--not only do I want to be able to read the historical envelopes, I want to find out the content and a semblance of meaning of the historical symbol to the mind that the first tarot designs addressed. I thnk that my hope is when the images of my idealized created tarot are shown, that I hope they speak as some historical pictures might. I hope they show an understandable harmony by certain balances in design, and yet illustrate an individual perspective. I would hope that the viewer's Self might assign a pleasurable emotion and experience a deeper connection to what they see and also have an 'aha' moment. This spark I think can be humerous, cheery, warming and connective and lead one into affectionate bonding with the images. But I truly think the feeling for the mystical comes from the emotional nature of the viewer. I view tarot more as scenic windows, showing the viewer possible glimpses of an uncertain future. The viewer is the holder of keys and their inner mind is a corridor of doors they can choose to to lock or unlock themselves. I think there's some points that you asked in the above mish-mosh. I did want to answer and may edit later. Mari H.

The Acta Sanctorum thread was originally posted on 02 Feb 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.