Med. on the Tarot - Letter 1

[Shalott]

Just got and began this book. It's been ages since I've committed myself to anything this BIG )) and deep!

Oh how I wanna be the Magician (since the translators used this translation I'll go ahead and do so as well, as long as one realizes he's a carnie and not a Merlin!) - effortless concentration - I see this as being so focused on what you're doing, your mind body and spirit truly become one and whatever it is is so easy that it's like play. WONDERFUL! Sounds like HEAVEN to me.

I just struggled through this section on ANALOGY. It's become clear now, but at first he (UA) begins by saying, paraphrasing, that everything, all things, are related, interconnected, basically the whole "all things happen for a reason," rather than being a mosaic of unrelated things, events, et al. This is something I have trouble believing. I actually believe that things are random. I love studying religions and spirituality, but this is a big obstacle that keeps me apart from them.

Now, I just read his use basically the laws of physics to prove there is an afterlife. My brain is still spinning. Perhaps I've been a committed atheist for too long...

 

[Rusty Neon]

MOT Study Group: Letter I (Magician)

Pursuant to Moongold's suggestion, I thought I'd get the ball rolling ...

This is a basic introductory post to start off an iconography-as-a-starting-point study of Meditations on the Tarot, beginning with the first trump of the Tarot de Marseille deck.

In Letter I, the 'anonymous author' (UA) draws our attention to various iconographic details of the Tarot de Marseille deck's Magician card.

In particular, UA notes at p. 7 of the 2002 English edition:

"The young man - who is the Magician - holds a rod in his right hand (from the standpoint of the observer) and a ball or yellow object in his left hand. He holds these two objects with perfect ease, without clasping them or showing any other sign of tension, encumbrance, haste or effort. What he does with his hands is with perfect spontaneity - it is easy play and not work. He himself does not follow the movement of his hands; his gaze is elsewhere."

p. 19:

"Just as the magician or juggler has had to train and work for a long time before attaining the ability of concentration without effort, similarly he who makes use of the method of analogy on the intellectual plane must have worked much - i.e., to have acquired long experience and to have accumlated the teachings which it requires - before attaining the faculty of immediate percetion of analogous corresopndences, before beocming a "magician" or "juggler" who makes use of the analogy of beings and of things without effort as in a game."

In contrast, UA notes at p. 20:

"There is Play and there is play, there is the Magician and the magician; this is why anyone who confuses lack of concentration [which describes the charlatan] with concentration without effort [which describes the Magician], and streams of simple mental associations [the charlatan] with the vision without effort of correspondences by analogy [the Magician], will necessarily become a charlatan."

'Correspondences by analogy' refers to the doctrine "as above, so below" of spiritual alchemy. There is an appendix to Letter I, wherein the text of the Emerald Tablet of alchemy is reproduced in various versions.

p. 29 (in Letter II on the Papess, but speaking about the Magician card):

"... the Magician is the arcanum of intellectual geniality and cordiality, the arcanum of true spontaneity. Concentration without effort and the perception of correspondences in accordance with the law of analogy are the principal implications of this arcanum of spiritual fecundity. It is the arcanum of the pure act of intelligence."

 

[Rusty Neon]

The Magician is the first arcanum of the Tarot.

p. 7:

"It occupies the first place in the series because if one does not understand it (i.e., take hold of it in cognitive and actual practice), one would not know what to do with all the other Arcana. For it is the Magician who is called to reveal the practical method relating to all the Arcana. He is the "Arcanum of the Arcana", in the sense that he reveals that which it is necessary to know and to will in order to enter the school of spiritual exercises whose totality comprises the game of Tarot, in order to be able to derive some benefit therefrom."

It is mentioned that the function of the Magician is to reveal how to enter the school of spiritual exercises. As noted in the book passages cited in my first post, the Magician card tells us we need to develop our mind. It takes practice and work to develop our mind. Once we have developed it, our mind can easily do things that, prior to such a development taking place, our mind could not even do at all.

Interesting tangent:

This brings to mind the various spiritual exercises of mystics of the Roman Catholic Tradition. For me personally, it brings to mind the Eastern Christian Church's Prayer of the Heart, brought to Western attention in the Russian Orthodox spiritual classic, Way of the Pilgrim. Inspired by St. Paul's challenge in to "pray unceasingly" in I Thessalonians 5:1, the prayer of the heart involves reciting the short prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7104.asp

As the article linked above indicates, the Prayer of the Heart is on three levels. Firstly, it starts as a verbal prayer. Secondly, repeated often enough, it becomes a prayer of the mind - "praying without distraction". Thirdly and finally, it becomes a prayer of the heart: "At this stage prayer is no longer something we do but who we are."

 

[Rusty Neon]

I wanted to flesh out a couple of points from yesterday's posts.
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Reading Letter I, I enjoyed UA's play between the exoteric and esoteric meanings of the Magician card.

Exoterically, the Magician card has sometimes been seen by commentators as illustrating the mountebank. My Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines "mountebank" as (1) a swindler; a charlatan; (2) hist.: an itinerant quack appealing to an audience from a platform". The UA evokes this exoteric meaning when referring to a charlatan.

Esoterically ... Pre-20th century French occultists, e.g., Wirth, saw the Magician as essentially a mage or, if you will, a ceremonial magician. UA hones this concept to arrive at his Hermetic Magician.

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As regards my tangent on the Eastern Orthodox Christian 'prayer of the heart', I wonder if the 'prayer of the heart' had any influence on the UA in the writing of Letter I. I understand that the UA was a Russian emigré living in France. (I realize, though, that he was Roman Catholic at some point.)

 

[jmd]

In Covenant of the Heart and in his three volume studies on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocalypse (other books by this same 'Unknown' Author), some of his biography is clarified.

There was also a quite early post (early 2002) in which I mention in little more detail some of his biographical sketch - in contrast and comparison to Mouni Sadhu (Demetr Sudowski): marseilles tarots (further in the thread).

...and thankyou for these, I need to get my own copy returned (it is on loan at the moment), or re-read the French version sitting on my shelf.

 

[Rusty Neon]

Prayer of the Heart

p. 20, Letter I (Magician):

"His state of consciousness is the synthesis of the conscious and the unconscious - of creative spontaneity and deliberately executed activity."

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Referring back to my tangent, it turns out that UA does mention the Prayer of the Heart. Its mention is in the context of Letter XIV (Temperance), at p. 384. That context is, of course, different from the one in which I situate it. However, UA's words contained therein still fit the discussion on the Magician, to some (albeit a limited) degree.

Some passages at p. 384 are set out below. Refer to that page for more.

"It is a matter of the task of rendering spiritual endeavours turned towards God, such as prayer and meditation, semi-organic, i.e., to transform conscious acts of the self into psycho-vital currents of the subtle bodies."

"The apostolic counsel "Pray constantly" (I Thessalonians, v. 17) is the key here. It is impossible to pray unceasingly in full consciousness, but is certainly possible to carry over prayer from consciousness into the unconsciousness, where it can operate unceasingly. The astral and vital bodies can pray unceasingly - which it is not possible for the conscious self."

 

[Rusty Neon]

In Letter VII (Chariot) at p. 164, UA gives a short, handy summary of the first seven trumps, but this time, expressed both in terms of warnings and dangers and in terms of ideals.

On the Magician, he writes (paraphrasing Letter I):

"Thus the Magician is a warning against the intellectual jugglery of the metaphysician, heedless of experience, and against charlatancy of every kind - and at the same time it teaches "concentration without effort" and the use of the method of analogy."

 

[Moongold]

"The young man - who is the Magician - holds a rod in his right hand (from the standpoint of the observer) and a ball or yellow object in his left hand. He holds these two objects with perfect ease, without clasping them or showing any other sign of tension, encumbrance, haste or effort. What he does with his hands is with perfect spontaneity - it is easy play and not work. He himself does not follow the movement of his hands; his gaze is elsewhere."

Thanks for your post Rusty. My contribution at this stage will be a little simpler, more personal because I am still a relative newcomer to the Marseilles and to tarot and iconography.

I wish to give my impressions only at this stage, not coming from a background of detailed study of the Marseilles or mysticism. In trying to understand this chapter it occurred that the Magician himself is an analogy which I can interpret in my own way. While I find parts of UA’s narrative fascinating I also think it is beyond the reach of many of us, particularly if we have moved away from Christianity and Catholicism. The more I read UA’s words, the more I find myself struggling for air, an odd situation to be in considering Le Bateleur represents in this study, “the breath of life”

When I look at this Bateleur, I see the common person, not cleric, priest or saint. He could be hermaphroditic. . When UA speaks of “concentration without effort: I think of unconscious competence. Someone knows something so well that s/he does if without effort, could do it whilst doing a dozen other things. Such a person has demonstrated complete commitment to get to this stage. The fundamental simplicity of this commitment of the mind, body, will and spirit is presented in a wonderfully simple way: a strangely dressed person before a plain wooden table bearing the tools of his craft. In terms of analogy, when I look at this I see the common man – my neighbour, the supermarket manager, my mother. Any one of us can be Aleph , this Bateleur, simply by developing detached contemplation.

UA speaks about “detachment of the will” as critical to this state. Perhaps I can give an practical illustration that makes sense from my own life. Many people go into human service work from motives of reparation. They have suffered themselves either personally or vicariously, or they have identified in some way with those who have. These people almost always run into some professional difficulty in the work at some time because their interest and will is not detached. They work with this to become more “aware” and detached. Yet there are some who have this detachment from the beginning and are there simply from love. They manage much better most of the time, but we do need both.

So the message I get from this in common universal terms is that if I hand my will and my life over to the care of whatever God has meaning for me, I free myself to become the mirror of “God” as I understand him or her. Because I am free of outcomes then I am more able to act, to breathe. This commitment can be understood in many ways. Those who have faith probably travel the easier road.

This is profound in its simplicity and is represented as such in this colorful innocent figure. Such faith and detachment enables freedom - transform work into play . I am enjoying this book and will continue to read it and get much from it, but it is difficult. When as I look at these simple colourful cards I see the common man, no more no less.

 

[HOLMES]

my take on the letter

I would see the magican as the master within us all. he became so by achieving that art of learning mastery. As a thought the master becomes the servant of all. the master becomes so by seeking not to be better, to know better, or be more competant, but by living without reserve. the sucessor is not the successor but the guardian of the teachings of the master. It is for us to accept the teachings of the heart and folllow the teachings of the head of the master. for to become the true magican , he must listen. to the beating of the heart of the heart of the spiritual life of humanity. thus the magican is to serve religion, philopshy and all that is good in man.

the magican doens't do so by work but by play in spirit. the praticality of this is not to be lost on the masses."play without work"teaches to focus without effort and that work becomes play. "my yoke is easy and my burden is light"that focus is without effort, and comes through calm and silence without automation.the art of being silent thus precedes "to know" and "to will" and becomes a prerequist for speaking wisdom. to extend this farther the manners of obsession or rather the passion in which one does this becomes the difference between "a monk asborbed in prayer and a bull asbored in rage". passion entails great focus as well as the magican knows this well. true focus comes from peace, and light , and that is why the magican is such a good juggler.

the mind can not become silent if the will doenst' back it up, the will becomes empthy for all but silent. then the rhytm and intellegence of the body becomes one with the silent will. In this way the magican seeks to become one with the eternal rhytm of infinity. thus does the magican become like clam water that reflects the stars, the moon, or the sun itself. and in this peace the natrual the rhythm of the waves and motions of the universe are truly heard. this state produces the "perpetual service" in all manners of things that magican chooses to undertake, and the state transform all forms of work into the play of the rhythm of the divine soul.
then it becomes experienced which is the basis for all spiritual things. you must become one with yourself totally and you become one with the divine through silence focus by becoming the true magican.

the magican in theory seeks to find truth by reducing everything to it's divine essence. that is the truth, "the divine essence"which is the essence of the creator in everything. if this wasn't true how can we know the creator?
looking at the second verse of the emerald tablet referenced in the letter "that which is above is like that is below" can be shortedn that which is above is that below. in this manner "that which was is as that will be" is shortened to that which was is that which will be.
eternity is infinity the magican knows . and so the theoritical becomes the pratical. the problems of all life becomes due to hierachy not the negation but the installement of it. this myth become reality.

the term "what is here is there, what is not here is nowhere" greatly reminds me of the course in miracles principles
"nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists, herein lies the peace of god"
the beginning is the end and they are both here now in many differnt forms but its divine essence is in all those many differnt forms.
by these principles the analogy of being becomes the enterial visible world as the symbol of the invisible world as well.
since we are the visible and the invisible and the beginning and the end, the above and below, it stands to reason by these principles that all of us are the son and the father. (or daughter and mother ,, or even the sister and the brother).
when we ask of the father , we ask of ourselves. when we give as the father to ourselves , the father gives to himself. so as we give to our brother, we give to ourselves and father or mother give to themselves.

yet how can it be pratical unles it can be experienced by one and all?
by method of correspondnace there comes many viewpoints and it is up to the magican within you who read this if this shall become your analogy or correspondance of being. it is by playing with this concept the teachings of the magican can be realized and why he is the juggler as well.
for we must become like the child who lives within the juggler and yes the magican, to understand the rest of the teachings.
for when children play, it is with the full powers of silenced will with focus without effort. thus the child sees true beauty of divine essence and so shall we. the person seeks become the true magican does not alwasy reach the path.. becomes a chartalan until he once again tries to become the child/father magican.

why is this teaching first ? it is like the introduction of the course in miracles (i quote that due to the passage that so reminded me of its teachings in the letter one)
"it is a required course, only the time you take it is voluntary, free will does not mean you can establish the curriculm, it means only that you can elect with you want to take at any given time"
the teachings of the magican are required as well in whatever form it comes to you. you can take those teachings whenever you want ,, but you do have to take it and that is why this is number one . the free will does mean we can establish the curriculm which means to me that we can' change the principles by which the magican learns or furfills his magican purpose.
what we can choose in all this is which part of the curriculm of what the magian must shall we undertake at this time,, where, when, who , why ,what ,,
but not the essence of what we shall take.
hence the play without work means don't try to change what you shall learn but enjoy the process.

 

[tmgrl2]

I have reread all of these posts.

The exquisite beauty of these letters are quite deserving of many revisits since each time I see quotes, like those you have all added, I am reminded again, of the simplicity, yet necessity of making work play through quiet reflection and through practice of same.

HOLMES, when I visit the Meditations, I always find myself going back to my Course in Miracles material. I was in a group some 15 years ago with my dear friend, Mary, who introduced me to the Course...(and now I have introduced her to The Tarot.)

The Course is also quite simple, despite the length of the book....There is only love. Fear is an illusion. Both cannot exist at the same time. Only love is real. So when we live in fear, we are in an illusion and when we live in love, then all is real.

I find that if one takes the simplicity of the message in Letter #1....for me it comes to doing the "work" to arrive at the point where all the little and big things we do in our daily life become prayers...it is about "mindfulness," I believe, in all that we do. It is about "flow." It is about being so engaged with the act that nothing outside exists. The spirit is open to receive.

My life has been especially hectic these past few years. Yet, when I am doing sometimes even the simplest of things ...which I can view as daily, repetitive drudgery, I choose to see that each simple action I take, whether at work, home, or play, if done lovingly, becomes a prayer.

So, too, the Magician, is teaching us, I believe that, with concentrated, quiet reflection on the simplest of things, we shall be connected with that which is above. Then, as is above so it is below.

Relating to Tarot and to the many discussions we have had lately about "correctness" of interpretation, I believe, ultimately, that through the quiet contemplation and reflection in the moment, the act of gazing at the images on our beloved Tarot, when done with love and openness, will bring from above that which we need to manifest the Great Work to be done here "below."

Lovely, everyone.
I love rereading the quotes.
And, HOLMES, I still go back to my Course in Miracles, all marked up....to may favorite passages. Your wonderful words and insights have again triggered many of my own memories of connections between the Course and the Tarot. There are correlations between Letter #1 and the Course's discussion of the qualities of The Teacher.

When I have time, I hope to move past Letter #2. I am in no rush with this book.

terri