Ceremonial Magick and Tarot

foolMoon

Hi All

Not sure if this is correct topic for this sub forum, but my question is, if Ceremonial Magick or Magick can help enhancing Tarot reading abilities. If it can or cannot, what would be relationship between the two?
 

Barleywine

Interesting question. I've done a little low-level ceremonial magic (banishing rituals, charging of sigils and such) and it srtrikes me that the gravity of the two is light-years apart in its importance to the operation. The two don't seem to have a lot of common ground in practice, unless it might be possible to weave a ritual for a very specific purpose around a tarot Trump. I have a number of Crowley's rituals and a couple published by MacGregor Mathers (although I haven't looked at them in quite a while), and tarot doesn't seem to figure into them, nor would tarot benefit from the association as far as I can tell. I don't see that just the practice of magic would give you a leg up in understanding tarot, unless you were thinking of evoking an entity of some sort to confer special knowledge or abilities upon you (and if you were, DON'T unless you really know what you're doing - and maybe not even then, it's a risky business). It seems like trying to swat a gnat with a sledge hammer. Hopefully you will hear from more seasoned ceremonial magicians on this; I would hate to steer you away from something that might actually be completely reasonable and useful.
 

Abrac

I think it can, but ceremonial magic can take a lot time, training and experience before you see much return. But it all depends on your dedication and potential.

Magic and tarot divination both involve realms that go beyond the five senses, that would be one of the main common denominators.
 

Zephyros

In the case of the Thoth, I think it would help, but not necessarily as a result of any one ritual. The two fields share symbolism and correspondences; Liber 777 mlght be used for Tarot but its main purpose is for practical ritual work. Ceremonial Magick gives you a chance for these things to "come alive," and be seen in action. CM uses symbols like tools whereby you study one theoretically, and then merge it with others, act it out, etc.

The LBRP, for example, utilizes kabbalah extensively, something that does help understand the general Tarot structure.
 

foolMoon

In the case of the Thoth, I think it would help, but not necessarily as a result of any one ritual. The two fields share symbolism and correspondences; Liber 777 mlght be used for Tarot but its main purpose is for practical ritual work. Ceremonial Magick gives you a chance for these things to "come alive," and be seen in action. CM uses symbols like tools whereby you study one theoretically, and then merge it with others, act it out, etc.

The LBRP, for example, utilizes kabbalah extensively, something that does help understand the general Tarot structure.

Noticed there are quite a few LBRP on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w49kSWeg56o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlnn1uJiTC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx7b5RnYOg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETNJaXbblOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qRGf9oKalk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEV0A4ncRpI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d48Ldk-TPn0
 

Zephyros

I think a certain knowledge of CM can also help in understanding the cards themselves. For example, the High Priestess symbolically sits in the Temple of Solomon, but as LRichard explained in this thread, the layout is that of a lodge, used in ritual. Fortune is closely related to the Rite of Jupiter.
 

foolMoon

I think a certain knowledge of CM can also help in understanding the cards themselves. For example, the High Priestess symbolically sits in the Temple of Solomon, but as LRichard explained in this thread, the layout is that of a lodge, used in ritual. Fortune is closely related to the Rite of Jupiter.

These are way over my head. I am interested in getting to know more about CM, where they and Tarot cross each other. Where do I start? The other day I was looking for good books for the Golden Dawn and TOL, but was not sure which ones to get.
 

Barleywine

These are way over my head. I am interested in getting to know more about CM, where they and Tarot cross each other. Where do I start? The other day I was looking for good books for the Golden Dawn and TOL, but was not sure which ones to get.

I have a book called "The Techniques of High Magic: A Manual of Self-Initiation" by Francis KIng and Stephen Skinner that has a chapter called "The Magic of the Tarot Cards;" it gets into the ceremonial side in a small way. It might give you an idea how to start. Most of it is about path-working and visualization using the cards, along with some more standard divination stuff.
 

foolMoon

I have a book called "The Techniques of High Magic: A Manual of Self-Initiation" by Francis KIng and Stephen Skinner that has a chapter called "The Magic of the Tarot Cards;" it gets into the ceremonial side in a small way. It might give you an idea how to start. Most of it is about path-working and visualization using the cards, along with some more standard divination stuff.

Thank you for your recommendation. Looks like a good book. They also seem to recommend The Golden Dawn, Tree of Life by Israel Regardie, but these books seem not for the beginners as well as I have some doubts on whether they deal with relevant topics for Tarot related CM in great detail.
 

Samweiss

I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but there's also Tarot of Ceremonial Magick by Lon Milo DuQuette. The deck looks kinda crude, but there's also a book of the same name that you can buy separately. I haven't read the book, so I can't know for sure, but I've heard good things about it.