How Are Tarot And Kabbalah Related?

Tarot and Kabbalah are ancient spiritual practices that intertwine, revealing ancient secrets and divine mysteries along the Tree of Life’s pathways. The cards in Tarot become more than symbols; they reveal the profound connection between Kabbalah’s ancient wisdom and Tarot’s timeless artistry. The structure of the Tarot deck aligns closely with Kabbalistic concepts, particularly the Tree of Life, representing the path of the soul from its divine source to manifestation.

In the Kabbalah, there are four worlds, each corresponding with a letter in the name of god, as well as a suit in the minor arcana of the Tarot. Each of these Worlds are connected with one another, so that the nodes of the Tarot are connected to an ancient mystical system known as the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, representing the path of the soul from its divine source to manifestation.

The origins of tarot and Kabbalah share a deep connection, both exploring the mysteries of the universe and the human soul. By studying these traditions together, we can deepen our understanding of the spiritual journey. Kabbalah depicts the tree of life in the form of ten interconnected nodes (sephiroths) and describes the universal laws of reality. There are also 22 pathways that can be drawn.

However, it is often mistaken for dealing with fortune-telling, revelations of the past, and the study of Kabbalah. Advocates of the secret connection between Kabbalah and Tarot argue that medieval tarot illustrators were influenced by the Kabbalah, which was itself shaped by Egyptian theology. Kabbalah is connected to Tarot through hermeticism, not Judaism, and is intrinsically metaphysical.

In conclusion, the connection between Kabbalah and Tarot is deeply rooted in their shared spiritual practices and the wisdom of the four worlds.

What is the high priestess in Kabbalah?

The High Priestess card, a symbol of the unknown, mystery, intuition, spiritual knowledge, and subconscious mind, is an esoteric figure, unlike The Hierophant. It is associated with secrets, mystery, the future, silence, tenacity, wisdom, and science. In reverse, it can signify passion, moral or physical ardor, conceit, and surface knowledge. The card’s meaning is esoteric and can be interpreted as secrecy and disconnection from intuition.

What is the connection between tarot and Judaism?

The tarot, a popular and influential card game, has a long history that includes significant Jewish influence. Writers like Rachel Pollack and Stuart Kaplan played a significant role in popularizing the game, but there is no official connection between tarot and Judaism. Esoteric or occult tarot books often feature Judaic imagery, Hebrew letters, and kabbalah, while the occult world has a school of theology called “Ocult Kabbalah”, which has been purged of Judaism and Jews.

The history of the tarot is like a broken telephone game played over generations by different people. In the 1800s, French author Alphonse Louis Constant, under the pen name Éliphas Lévi, described a new mystical theology called “kabbalah” that had nothing to do with Judaism. This led to people recognizing the Jewish sorcerer stereotype and appropriating Hebrew language and kabbalah nomenclature.

In esoteric circles, people associated Hebrew and Judaic ritual objects more with Occult Kabbalah than with Judaism. They claimed the Tarot de Marseille as their foundational artifact and masked the Jewish theme in these cards through intellectual trickery. Later, Gershom Scholem called Éliphas Lévi a charlatan.

The author argues that when the veneer of Occult Kabbalah is removed, there is genuine Judaic kabbalah and Judaism. For centuries, tarot historians have debated the meaning of the word “tarot”, but it is clear that there is a Jewish thread hidden deep within the story.

What does tarot originate from?

In English-speaking countries, cartomantic tarot cards are available for novelty and divination. Early French occultists claimed tarot cards had esoteric links to ancient Egypt, Kabbalah, the Indic Tantra, or I Ching. However, scholarly research shows that tarot cards were invented in northern Italy in the mid-15th century and no significant use of tarot cards for divination until the late 18th century. Historians describe western views of the Tarot pack as a “successful propaganda campaign”.

The earliest evidence of a tarot deck used for cartomancy comes from an anonymous manuscript from around 1750. The popularization of esoteric tarot started with Antoine Court and Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) in Paris during the 1780s, using the Tarot of Marseilles. French tarot players abandoned the Marseilles tarot in favor of the Tarot Nouveau around 1900, and the Marseilles pattern is now mostly used by cartomancers. Etteilla was the first to produce a bespoke tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes around 1789, containing themes related to ancient Egypt.

What religion do Tarot cards come from?

This literature review examines the relationship between Tarot cards and New Age religion, emphasizing their function in the contemporary study of the New Age movement.

What do Christians believe about tarot cards?

Many Christians object to tarot cards due to their association with divination and fortune-telling. However, some are using them for self-directed spiritual contemplation. Gil Stafford, a retired Episcopal priest, incorporates tarot cards alongside the Enneagram and Myers-Briggs. Brittany Muller, author of The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards, uses tarot cards with the Book of Common Prayer for visio divina. Carl McColman offers an online course on Meditations on the Tarot, a classic Christian mysticism text with an afterword by Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar.

What is the science behind tarot cards?

Tarot cards have been found to have psychological influences, but they can still have beneficial effects on a person’s mental health when used in a therapeutic context. A 2009 study found that regular users of Tarot cards used them as a tool for self-reflection, providing insight into their current life situations and providing comfort during difficult times. They also used Tarot cards as a tool for positive reinforcement, drawing cards intentionally and randomly to provide insights about their own lives.

Some co-researchers kept a card with them until their goals were resolved, claiming that Tarot does not reveal new information but can provide a new perspective on an issue that can influence a plan for a possible course of action.

This study highlights the potential of Tarot as an effective therapeutic tool, despite the foundational psychological effects behind its mainstream use. Further research on the beneficial impacts of Tarot in a therapeutic setting would involve examining a larger number of participants from a wider variety of backgrounds. Regardless of the reason behind a person’s use of Tarot cards, they have maintained a strong presence in society and have the potential to do more than just predict the future.

What are the 4 worlds of Kabbalah?

The concept of “Worlds” refers to the emanation of creative lifeforce from the Ein Sof or Godhead through progressive, innumerable tzimtzumim or concealments. Kabbalists identified the names of these worlds from Isaiah 43:7, which are Beri’ah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation), Assiah (Action), and Atziluth (Emanation). Collectively, the Four Worlds are referred to as אבי״ע Aviyaʿ after their initial letters.

The Worlds are formed by the divine creative light or ohr, which is divine immanence. The ten sefirot “attributes” and their associated twelve partzufim or “personas” reflect this light in the Four Worlds, as do more specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim interact dynamically, and sublime levels are clothed within lower existences, a concealed soul.

The Five Worlds are in descending order: Adam Kadmon (Cosmic Man), Atziluth (Emanation), Beri’ah (World of Creation), Yetzirah (Formation), Assiah (Action), and Assiah Gashmi (Physical Assiah).

Adam Kadmon signifies the first pristine emanation, still united with the Ein Sof. Atziluth is the realm of “Keter Elyon” or “Supernal Crown”, representing the divine light with no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for existence within Creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the lights from Adam Kadmon precipitate Tohu and Tikun.

Atziluth is the realm of revelation, where the ten sefirot emerge in revelation, with Chochma (Wisdom) dominating. The last sefira, Malkuth (Kingdom), represents the “divine speech” of the first Genesis creation narrative, through which God created the universe.

Beriah is the realm of the “Divine Throne”, denoting the sefirot configuration of Atziluth descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne. The sefirah Binah (Understanding) predominates, representing Divine intellect. Yetzirah is the formation level, where created beings assume shape and form, with the emotional sefirot Chesed through Yesod predominating. The angels of Assiah function on the active level, as the sefirah Malkuth (fulfilment in Kingship) predominates.

Below spiritual Assiah is the physical universe, which encapsulates the final sefirot of Assiah, the physical universe with all its creations.

How did tarot become spiritual?

Tarots were first used for occult and fortune-telling in France around 1780. Each card in the major arcana has a specific meaning, with the minor arcana focusing on business and career ambitions. The tarot deck is shuffled by the questioner, and a fortune-teller then lays out a few cards in a spread pattern. The meaning of a card is modified based on its position in the spread, its orientation, and the meaning of adjacent cards.

What God does Kabbalah worship?

Kabbalists believe that God should be called It rather than He, as there is no neuter gender in the Hebrew language. They believe that God is unlike anything we know and is not the proper object of prayers due to His lack of relationship with His creatures. Instead, the personal aspect of God is mediated by the ten sefirot, ten knowable aspects of His being. The word sefirot originally meant “numerals” and was taken from the earliest Hebrew text on the nature of numbers and letters, Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Formation).

Some Kabbalists suggest that the word comes from the Hebrew root sapper, meaning “to tell”, or from the Hebrew word for sapphire, as the sefirot illuminate our knowledge of God like a precious and radiant gem.

There have been various attempts to translate sefirot into English, but they are numerically identifiable symbols of the various aspects of God’s being or activities. A more faithful English rendition would be “calculi”, which signifies both a means of reckoning and the use of symbols. Since there is no good English translation of sefirot, the original Hebrew term is still preferred.

What is the main ideology of Kabbalah?

Kabbalistic doctrine emphasizes the central role of man in creation, as his soul and body correspond to the supernal divine manifestations. This concept was universalized in the Christian Kabbalah, describing harmonia mundi, the harmony of Creation within man. In Judaism, it profoundly spiritualized Jewish practice, introducing esoteric teachings and a focus on conservative Jewish observance. The esoteric teachings of Kabbalah gave traditional mitzvot observances a central role in spiritual creation, regardless of the practitioner’s knowledge.

Medieval Kabbalah elaborated on the reasons for each Biblical mitzvah and their role in harmonising the supernal divine flow, uniting masculine and feminine forces on High. The 613 mitzvot are embodied in the organs and soul of man. Lurianic Kabbalah incorporates this in the more inclusive scheme of Jewish messianic rectification of exiled divinity. Jewish mysticism, in contrast to rationalist human-centered reasons for Jewish observance, gave Divine-immanent providential cosmic significance to daily events in the worldly life of man and the spiritual role of Jewish observance in particular.

The Kabbalah posits that the human soul has three elements: the nefesh, ru’ach, and neshamah. The nefesh is found in all humans and enters the physical body at birth, while the ru’ach and neshamah are not implanted at birth but can be developed over time.

Do tarot cards go against the Bible?

The Bible warns against sorceries, divination, soothsaying, fortunetelling, mediums, and spiritists. Tarot cards can be used for divination and fortunetelling, but they can also be used for meditation or exploring archetypes. The modern Tarot began as tarocchi, sets of playing cards and learning devices, and fortunetelling was not involved. Early Biblical mentions against such practices include not eating pork, trimming beards, getting tattoos, cutting hair, eating oysters, going to church within 40 days of giving birth, working on the Sabbath, eating fat, touching a goat, or selling land permanently. Some scholars believe these rules were put in place to prevent women from having an active role in spiritual leadership.

In modern American churches, an attitude against astrology is common. Genesis 1:14 indicates that God’s people are meant to use heavenly bodies as signs, guides, and portents. The practice of astrology involves using stars as signs, as the three wise men used this practice to follow the Star in the East.