Where does the journey begin?

[Zechariah13]

Ok, now heres just an odd musing/question:

I personally find that the main theme of tarot is journey and progression. The FOol reaches the Universe, the Ace reaches the 10, and depending on which type of deck you use, the Courts progress differently.

So my question is: where does the journey begin? The Fool or the Ace of wands? Do the Majors come first? or after the Pentacles? or, better yet, are the Majors and minors intersperesed within each other?

any ideas?

 

[Anna]

In my opinion - with the Magician. The Fool can't be the beginning because he's outside of the sequence. He's not journeying to reach the World, he's what is beyond it. He's the flip side of death. Get hold of a Marseille deck and place the Death card and Fool card next to each other, and you'll see what I mean.

 

[GryffinSong]

And here's an odd answer. The journey begins wherever you are. Although tarot shows things as a linear progression, life isn't so straightforward. In reality, most of us wander around through the various archetypes and images in a sometimes-seemingly random order. As for where tarot starts, I think it depends on the deck. RWS might be different from Marseilles which might be different from a modern art deck.

I usually think of the Fool as the beginning because my own adventures usually begin with my stepping off a metaphorical cliff into the unknown. But I could just as easily say the beginning of many of my life's lessons began with the Tower or Death or some other card.

 

[AJ]

Just saying, in some decks the progression is from 10 to Ace.

My journey begins each time I take up the deck, with whatever card/cards come up.

My personal way of viewing the minors is
Swords are discovery
Cups are thoughts about that discovery
Wands are actions on that discover and those thoughts
Coins and the results of discover/thought/action.

 

[hunter]

Just saying, in some decks the progression is from 10 to Ace.

My journey begins each time I take up the deck, with whatever card/cards come up.

My personal way of viewing the minors is
Swords are discovery
Cups are thoughts about that discovery
Wands are actions on that discover and those thoughts
Coins and the results of discover/thought/action.

AJ thanks!!!

 

[Zechariah13]

My personal way of viewing the minors is
Swords are discovery
Cups are thoughts about that discovery
Wands are actions on that discover and those thoughts
Coins and the results of discover/thought/action.

oooh! thats interesting! i never thought of turning the suits into a progression in events or discovery. i tend to veiw them in the procession of Creation:
Wands(Fire)- the spark and passion that begins all things
Cups(Water)- the emotions that pour from those passions
Swords(Air)- Thoughts and perceptions that bring Fire and Water to their purposes,
Disks(Earth)- the crystalization and union of the previous three. Will, emotion and thought given tangible form.

Thats just what i work with

 

[Elendil]

...in some decks the progression is from 10 to Ace.

...which ties in with our ascent of the Tree of Life...

E.

 

[Zechariah13]

...which ties in with our ascent of the Tree of Life...

E.

which is funny because i always read the tree of life from the top bottom (for the purposes of readings; i do not study kabbalah). when i do that Kether usually describes the kind of energies we are pulling from and Malkuth represents the material manifestation of that energy as it flows down the Sephiroth.

i know thats not how its suppose to work, but it makes perfect sense with me

Oh the funny multiple places we can begin on our many roads!

 

[Morwenna]

Actually the Tree of Life works in both directions, so it stands to reason that the Minors would too; in some views they equate. And I too have seen decks that go from 10 to Ace.

I think I need to work with the Tree of Life more. I've been neglecting it, and certainly I've been neglecting it as regards Tarot.

 

[RexMalaki]

My journey begins each time I take up the deck, with whatever card/cards come up.

I like this statement from AJ because to me

There is no start or finish to the journey and that is why the book of Tarot is unbound. It is truly a loose-leaf book, lol!