Sophie
kwaw said:
Absolutely!
I've just been reading, in the introduction to an anthology of Troubadour poems of the 12th and 13th Centuries, about the huge development of Kabbala in the Romans-speaking lands (Occitania - now in the South of France - and Catalunia), due to the ejection from Andalusia by the fundmentalist Al-Mohad rulers, of a number of Jews and Christians (long before the Jews were forcibly converted by the Inquisition and became Maranes); including the Narbonne aristocratic dynasty of Nassim and a number of great scholars. They settled in a country that was on the cusp of an exceptionally open, inquisitive and vital period, which was literally inventing a culture (troubadours, romanesque church builders, Cathars, Waldensiens, alchemists, astronomers, etc.), and they contributed to this original synchretic marvel. Indeed, one can say they invented Kabbala through a work of re-discovery of the ancient mystical texts (Jewish and Gnostic) as well as injecting some original thought. The word Kabbala certainly dates from that time. This anthology of La Fin'Amor makes an interesting link between the Kabbala Shekhina and the Troubadour love poems, which I'd never heard of before (it makes sense, however).
Now when we also know of the Gnostic philosophies fashionable in Occitania in that time (alongside all the others) we have an interesting mix of elements before us.
The greatest Kabbalistic work to have come out of that time and place was the Sefer ha Bahir, The Book of Illuminations, which introduces us to the Shekhina, the Divine Feminine Presence - a kabbalistic equivalent of the Domna - the Dame - sung by the Troubadours (albeit in more earthy tones!) It also deals with letter mysticism, alludes to the doctrine of the sefirot, and to metempsychosis. (For those without a copy readily to hand - here's Aryeh Kaplan's translation
http://www.merkez-emlak.com/hermetics/pdf/bahir.pdf) I've not read it - maybe this Book of Illuminations can can illuminate us more on these luminaries we are discussing?! The Inquisition and the French and Flemish troops put a brutal end to this grand adventure in ideas, religion, alchemy, poetry, art, love and sexuality, but some of its participants moved into Italy - some went South, to Naples and Frederick II's court and University.
I don't know how Tarot fits in with all that, but this certainly sounds like a wonderful journey of discovery to undertake and see if we can join the dots.
