Copyright Ceci Henningsson 1994. This article may be freely copied and distributed provided this copyright notice is included. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ These are my notes from my first reading of Gareth Knight's _The Magical World of the Tarot_. It is supposed to be a summary of some of the information in it, but I haven't tried very hard to be objective. My comments appear in [brackets.] Data ==== Author: Gareth Knight Title: The Magical World of the Tarot -- Fourfold Mirror of the Universe Publisher: Aquarian Press, 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB, UK. Copyright: 1991 ISBN: 0-85030-940-9 Price: My copy is in paperback and cost 13.95 USD. The UK price is 7.99 GBP. System ====== This system is based on sets of four with two polarities in each. The only exception to this are the Fool and the Magician who are the working principles of the Spirit of the Tarot. [Knight states that there are polarities. The ones given here are] [my conjectures.The polarities aren't always easily discernible. ] [I may change my mind about them later on. ] Cards with people on them ========================= Trumps generally refer to deep spiritual concerns of the querent. Court cards are often people or organisations that the querent deals with. The Queen and King tend to stand for mature people in authority positions. Kings are more on the authoritarian side, and Queens are usually more on the cooperative side. Knights can represent a person of either sex in an active mode. Pages can be children or persons who come with messages, or messages in themselves. [I'm not alltogether happy with the interpretation of the] [genders. They seem stereotypical to me. ] Numbered cards ============== The Ace is the root and foundation of its suit's principle. Two is duality in application of the principle. Three is the act of establishment of the principle. Four is achievement of the principle. Five is unbalancing the achievement of the principle. Six is successful fulfilment of the principle. Seven is overbalancing the fulfilment. Eight is applying the principle to everyday-life. Nine is the power of the principle residing in the background. Ten is the power of the principle in the open, perhaps too much so. The Hall of Strength ==================== Strength rules the trumps High Priestess, Empress, Emperor and Pope (Hierophant) and the suit of Wands.The dualities in the Hall of Strength are gender and spirtual versus mundane power. The High Priesstess and the Hierophant represent female and male spiritual power. Their divinatory meaning is intuition and spiritual authority respectively. The Empress and Emperor represent female and male material power. Their divinatory meaning is social power and physical power respectively. The suit of Wands stands for organisational activity: [And authority.] Ace: Root of Powers of Fire. Organizing energy or intelligent activity. Two: Controll of one thing/person/organisation over another. Three: Established strength, or power. Four: Completion, or achievement. Five: Competition, or conflict. Six: Victory in an enterprise. Seven: The spirit of adventure, or courage. Eight: Activity, swiftness, being busy with matters of organisation. Nine: Power, and energy, perhaps hidden. Ten: Excessive authority. The Hall of Justice =================== Justice rules the trumps Hanged Man, Death, Devil, Tower and the suit of Swords. This Hall contains the dualities of ethics and aggressivity. On the good side stand the Hanged Man and Death, with the Devil and the Tower wearing the black hats. When it comes to aggressivity, Death and the Devil stand for that, whereas the Tower and the Hanged Man are both passive. The Hanged Man stands for individualism and standing out from the crowd. Its divinatory meaning is that of following your own path and set of standards, rather than that of your environment. Death stands for endings. Its divinatory meaning is a merciful release or the natural end of something or, very rarely the physical death of a person. The Devil is about illusions and our own folly. Its divinatory meaning is self-defeating stubborness.The Tower stands for the sudden end of something that was wrong to start with. Its divinatory meaning is that the querent can learn something from this painful experience if she realises what her Tower is. The Suit of Sword stands for justice and law. [Alternative interpretations based on knowledge,] [rather than peace are in brackets. ] Ace: Root of the Powers of Air, the sharp and piercing intellect. Two: Peace restored. Conformity. [Teaching.] Three: Sorrow. [Search for knowledge, learning.] Four: Rest from Strife. Truce. [Knowledge gained.] Five: Defeat. [Desinformation, lies.] Six: Earned Success. Science. Seven: Unstable effort. Futility. [One-track mindedness.] Eight: Shortened Force. Interference. [Research, study.] Nine: Despair and Cruelty. Disappointment. [Occultism.] Ten: Ruin. [Know-it-all.] The Hall of Temperance ====================== Temperance rules the trumps Lovers, Chariot, Hermit and Wheel of Fortune and the suit of Cups. This Hall has to do with relations between self and other. The two polarities in this Hall are those of what initiates change, and the existance of social bonds. The Lovers stand for love, usually sexual in nature. Its divinatory meaning is love and personal commitment to another person. The Hermit stands for time and wisdom gained through age. Its divinatory meaning is old age, lonelines and wisdom aswell as conservatism. The Wheel of Fortune stands for the irrestible turn of fate. Its divinatory meaning is that things will probably change, and the change will not be initiated by the querent. The Chariot is self-initiated victory. Its divinatory meaning is that things will change to the better because of actions the querent makes. The Suit of Cups stands for love and pleasure: [The author's appolonian attitudes are plainly in view here. ] [My alternative interpretations, more in line with the general ] [system for numbered cards as given above, are within brackets.] Ace: Root of the Powers of Water. Love and affection of all kinds. Two: Love between two people. Three: Abundance and sharing. Four: Blended pleasure. Luxury. [Hedonism.] Five: Disappointment. [Happy-go-lucky goes overboard.] Six: Pure pleasure. Seven: Illusory success. [Over-indulgence.] Eight: Abandoned success, Indolence. [Positive thinking.] Nine: Material happiness. Ten: Perpetual success. The Hall of Prudence ==================== The World rules the trumps Star, Moon, Sun, Last Judgement and the Suit of Coins. The Hall of Prudence is about the dualities of spiritual/earthy and hidden/obvious forces. The Sun and the Moon belong to the earth, whereas the angelic messenger in the Last Judgement card and the Star come from further out into the universe. The Sun and the Messenger are easy to hear and see, but the Moon and the Star, belonging to the night, are more obscure. [I'm not at all sure about this.] The Last Judgement stands for awakening to new possibilities. Its divinatory meaning is of a rescue or a savior. The Sun is a lifegiving fount of energy. Its divinatory meaning is always happy. The Star stands for higher wisdom. Its divinatory meaning is one of hope, particularly of hope of escaping constraints. The Moon stands for mysteries out of the reach of the intellect. Its divinatory meaning is things which haven't been thought through or are hazily perceived. The Suit of Coins stands for finance and property: Ace: Roots of the Powers of Earth. Getting things down to earth. Two: Harmonious Change. Three: Material Works. Four: Earthly Power. Five: Material Trouble. Worry. Six: Material Success. Seven: Success Unfulfilled. Failure. [Because of too much property?] Eight: Prudence. Nine: Material Gain. Ten: Wealth. Pathworking construct ===================== The building of the Tarot is a pyramid. The Magician resides at the middle of the baseplane. From his hall, four doors open to the circular halls of Strength, Temperance, Prudence and Justice. Through each of these halls you can enter a labyrinth that will take you to the Memory Theatre of the corresponding suit. The Realm of the Fool ===================== The Fool is on a windy clifftop. The air is cool and clear and the sky spans most of the field of perception. There is a path. The path leads to a large boulder. In the boulder a door is inscribed. It leads to the mundane world. Opposite from the boulder is a leap of faith. The path in the air leads to an arch supported by two pillars. Between them is a veil, and behind that veil lies the Magician's Hall. The Magician's Hall =================== A circular room humming with tremendous power. The floor is tiled in black and white. The room is dimly lit by an unseen source. In the four cardinal directions you can barely make out the guardians. The walls rise high in a pyramidal roof. In the centre of the room there is a waist-high stone table., and behind it stands the Magician. His right hand holds a wand that points towards the point of the pyramid, and his left hand towards the cards on the table. Face up, they form a spiral spread and move by an unseen force that comes from the top of the pyramid, is caught by the wand and goes through the Magician to end at his left hand. The guardians appear in plain view as the Magician points at them. To the south stands Strength, to the west Temperance, to the north the World and to the east Justice. The Hall of Strength and the Memory Theatre of Wands ==================================================== The doorway from the Magician's Hall to the Hall of Strength is guarded by the Tarot Image Strength. The hall itself resembles that of the Magician, but the cards at the perimeter are different. To the south the Pope (Hierophant) stands. In the west stands the Emperor. Beside the door we just entered stands the High Priestess, and on the eastern limit stands the Empress. Just west of the image of the Pope, there is a small and inconspicuous door. It leads to the reception area of the head office of a large and successful business organisation. A maze of corridors leads to a large open-plan office bustling with activity. There is a central desk. Above it hangs a card with the Tarot Image of the Knight of Wands. Below the card sits a busy executive controlling the enterprise with the aid of a battery of electronic and electric devices. He smiles, indicating that he is in full controll and everything is running smoothly. The balcony on the far walls is empty, but to the right hangs the portrait of the King of Wands, and to the left that of the Queen of Wands. Through glimmering chrome doors you can enter a lift that brings you up to the balcony. Now it is peopled by two mature people, one woman and one man. They are smartly dressed in business clothes. At the end of the room, on the sloping wall, there is a heavy theatre curtain. When it is drawn, it reveals the numbered cards of the Suit of Wands in a pyramid formation. The top card is the Ace. When you focus on one of the cards, it fades, and behind it a screen that will show images of the hidden meaning of that card appears. The Hall of Temperance and the Memory Theatre of Cups ===================================================== The doorway from the Magician's Hall to the Hall of Temperance is guarded by the Tarot Image Temperance. The hall itself resembles that of the Magician but the cards at the perimeter are different. To the west you see the Hermit, to the north stands the Chariot. The Wheel of Fortune stands right behind you, with the Lovers on the southern perimeter. Just north of the image of the Hermit, there is a small and inconspicuous door. It leads to the reception area of a luxury hotel.Through a maze of corridors with many green plants, you get to a large area with glass covered winter gardens and wide doors open to sandy beaches and a swimming pool. Everywhere you see people enjoying themselves in a relaxed manner. There you find a central desk. Above it hangs a picture of the Tarot Image of the Knight of Cups. Below it stands a man who acts as the genial host and organiser of the activities around you. He smiles, warmly at you. The balcony on the far wall is empty, save for the portrait of the King of Wands to the right, and that of the Queen of Wands to the left. We can enter a comfortable lift that brings you up to the balcony. Now it is peopled by two mature people, one woman and one man. They are genial hosts and dressed in comfortable and beautiful clothes. At the end of the room, on the sloping wall, there is a heavy theatre curtain. When it is drawn, it reveals the numbered cards of the Suit of Cups in a pyramid formation. The top card is the Ace. When you focus on one of the cards, it fades, and behind it a screen that will show images of the hidden meaning of that card appears. The Hall of Justice and the Memory Theatre of Swords ==================================================== The doorway from the Magician's Hall to the Hall of Justice is guarded by the Tarot Image Justice. The hall itself resembles that of the Magician but the cards at the perimeter are different. To the east you see the Devil, to the south stands Death. The Tower stands behind you, to the west, and to the north you find the Hanged Man. Just south of the image of the Devil, there is a small and inconspicuous door. It leads to a bare and impersonal reception area such as one might expect in a government office or a large hospital. A complex of corridors leads to a large open area filled with desks and benches. Almost every person here is dressed in formal clothing of some sort, be it that of military personell, a nurse, a judge or a postman. There is a central desk, and above it hangs a card with the Tarot Image of the Knight of Swords. Below it a somewhat sternfaced and impersonal person sits. He is by no means hostile or unpleasant, just a bit stiff. Using screens and many maps with little differently coloured pins on them, he monitors everything that happens in the hall around him. The balcony on the far wall is empty, save for the portrait of the King of Swords to the right, and that of the Queen of Swords to the left. Through functional and rugged doors you can enter a lift that brings you up to the balcony. Now it is peopled by two mature people, one woman and one man. They act in the impersonal way that one expects from someone in a high position. At the end of the room, on the sloping wall, there is a heavy theatre curtain. When it is drawn, it reveals the numbered cards of the Suit of Swords in a pyramid formation. The top card is the Ace. When you focus on one of the cards, it fades, and behind it a screen that will show images of the hidden meaning of that card appears. The Hall of the Worlds and the Memory Theatre of Coins ====================================================== The doorway from the Magician's Hall to the Hall of Worlds is guarded by the Tarot Image the World. The hall itself resembles that of the Magician but the cards at the perimeter are different. Just in front of you, to the north, stands the Last Judgement, and on the western perimeter you find the Sun shining. To the south stands the Star, and to the east you see the Moon. Just east of the image of the Last Judgement, there is a small and inconspicuous door. It leads to a reception area with a certain air of solidity and conservatism to it.Through a maze of corridors you get to a large hall that could well be that of a bank or financial institution. It's all brass and well-polished mahogany. Behind the desks clerks are busy counting and administrating money and assets. Here you find a central desk. Above it hangs a card with the Tarot Image of the Knight of Wands. Below it sits a clerk with the attitude of a person who is used to handling vast sums of money, and handling them with care and efficiency. The balcony on one of the walls is empty, but to the right hangs the portrait of the King of Wands, and to the left that of the Queen of Wands. Through solid doors you can enter a lift that brings you up to the balcony. Now it is peopled by two mature people, one woman and one man. They both exude the ambience of people who are used to having a lot of money and investing it themselves. At the end of the room, on the sloping wall, there is a heavy theatre curtain. When it is drawn, it reveals the numbered cards of the Suit of Wands in a pyramid formation. The top card is the Ace. When you focus on one of the cards, it fades, and behind it a screen that will show images of the hidden meaning of that card appears. Usage ===== Knight advises you to first establish good contact with the Fool, and see him for, say 3 weeks before you ask him to take you to the Magician's Hall. When you do, he will take you down the path towards the boulder. Just across from it, he will step out into thin air. Seeing that his dog follows him safely, you too take the leap of faith and walk in mid-air with the Fool. After a short walk, you find the Magician's Hall. The Fool draws the veil and gestures you to enter. In the Magician's Hall you begin by establishing contact with the Magician himself. Next you talk with Strenght, then Justice, Temperance and lastly the World. When you feel that you have made contact with the Cardinal Virtue Trumps, you can ask them to admit you to their Halls. Use the same order as for the Trumps themselves. Work your way around the halls of the Trumps. When you are finished with them all, go to the Hall of Strength and ask the figure of Strength to admit you to the Memory Theatre of Wands. As she turns a door opens and a shaft of light comes through it. In it the Page of Wands stands. He will lead you to the Knight, who will take you to the balcony with the Memory Theatre of Wands. There you can find out the meanings of the numbered cards. To find the meanings of the Court Cards, you need to talk to the personifications of them. When you're finished with the Suit of Wands, go on with the Suit of Cups, then Swords and lastly Coins. When you are finished you will have a very fine working relationship with the Spirit of the Tarot. Of course there is nothing to stop you from starting to use the deck for divination long before you are finished with all the pathworkings, particularly since they will take quite some time, probably more than a year, and maybe several years.