Exploring the Universe through the Tarot Study Group - (Inspired by Forest of Souls)

sweet_intuition

As you can tell by the title, I've just finished reading the magnificent book by Rachel Pollack, The Forest of Souls.

What I really enjoyed about the book was in Chapter 3: The Instrument of our Wisdom, how Rachel talked about majority of the time, people seeking the tarot to find answers for personal issues, like love, relationships, money, business, health, etc etc... but how many times do we actually use the wisdom of the cards to discover answers to questions related to the Universe, to Divinity, something beyond our own personal lives.

For example, using the Shining Tribe Tarot, she asked the question, "What is a soul?", to which she got the card - Ace of Birds (Swords). Here is a passage describing of how this card answered what a soul is.

Forest of Souls Pages 43 and 45 said:
The Ace of Birds, derives from an ancient Egyptian plaque. It shows an owl at night, with bright, piercing eyes that stare right back at us. Owls are strong creatures that hunt at night, able to see and attack their prey in the darkness. Special qualities of their wings allow them to fly in complete silence. We can say that the soul hunts truth and meaning in the mysteries and darkness of life. The soul does not announce itself, not even to our own conscious minds. Instead it soars to high places and dives after what it needs to grow and be strong.

Many of us think of owls vaguely as absent-minded professors. This image comes from Walt Disney and other children's cartoonists or writers who have diminished an ancient idea. The owl's reputation for wisdom comes from an ability to turn its head completely around, so that it can look in all directions. Symbolically, it can see into the past and the future. The owl became the animal familiar of Athena/Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom but also of fierce commitment. We might describe wisdom and commitment as qualities of soul. The Algonquin Indians describe the owl as the perfect soul-bird.

Compare the Ace of Birds with it's traditional equivalent, the Ace of Swords. Swords symbolize the intellect that can cut through illusion and derive abstract principles of existence. While the suit of birds in the Shining Woman Tarot represents the mind, it focuses less on intellect than on creativity, art, prophecy. When we pursue these things we become like the owl, hunters in the darkness of existence.

... (psychologist James) Hillman likes to say that spirit goes up and soul goes down, meaning that the spirit is the quality in us that ascends to unity with divine consciousness, while soul moves us into hidden depths and complexity. Now think of the owl who soars down from the night sky and compare this to the Golden Dawn Ace of Swords, where the blade points up and penetrates the crown of material reality to reach pure mind.

I was hoping that perhaps we could start a study group where using the Tarot, we could seek answers to questions on a "Universal" level. This is for those who have read The Forest of Souls, as well as, those who haven't but are interested in opening their minds and expanding their horizons through the tarot.

Every week, there would be one question that shall be put up, and based on that, we would draw one card each from any deck which we feel deeply connected to on a soulful level and analyze the card through it's imagery and through how it "speaks" to us. As well as, we can compare with the images of cards within other decks we own (like if I would primarily use the Thoth Deck in to answer the question, I can pull out cards in other decks i own, like Robin Wood, World Spirit, etc, just to expand upon the meanings of that card).

All kinds of suggestions shall be taken into consideration.

Would anyone be interested in joining the study group?
 

Acacia

Oh yes, this sounds like a very interesting study group. I'm with you.

Acacia
 

6 Haunted Days

Yes! This sounds like an awesome idea, kudos for starting this thread and getting this great idea sweet_intuition!

I really love Forest of Souls,and like you, my favourite chapter was chapter 3. It was really mindblowing...but then never have tried wisdom readings yet.

Looking forward to this :)

Miss 6
 

Leo62

Great idea - I'm in :)

Couple of years since I read the book ... might be time for a re-read ;)
 

Formicida

I might not be able to make much of a commitment, especially with the holidays coming up, but I would try to stop in. I love the idea!
 

sweet_intuition

Glad to have you all on board. This is going to be an exciting journey, and I'm so glad to have you all willing to spiral down this mystical yellow-brick-road with me.

Okay, am going to post the first question and an Index thread later during the day. Lets see how it all works out.

Anyone else willing to join, please feel free to do so.

Love and Blessings

:)
 

Sulis

What an excellent idea for a study group.

You seem to have everything under control.
Could you let me know when you've started an index thread and I will add it to the main Tarot Study Groups index.
Oh and if you'd like me to start the index thread, just drop me a line :)

Sulis - Tarot Study Groups Moderator
 

tarot4fun

What a wonderful idea ~ exploring the universe through the tarot.

Just started reading The Forest of Souls ~
I look forward to these study threads. :)

Thanks Sweet_intuition ~

Suz
:heart:
 

inanna_tarot

woah! sounds like an amazing idea.
I havent read the book but I'll be keeping an eye out on the board for this group. Sounds fantastic!
 

sweet_intuition

Hey Sulis,

Thanks for heads up, have created an Index thread over Here.

There I've also posted a link to the first topic of exploration... "What is Love?"

@ everyone else,

As mentioned above, I've posted upon our first subject of exploration. Please go through it, and do post your feedback and comments, and lets progress it further by each of you all pulling your cards and delving deep into the mysteries of the Universe.

Thank You

Love and Blessings

:)