Advanced Tarot Secrets

Periodically I get an urge to write a book about advanced tarot. In fact this blog was partly inspired by my frustration with the lack of advanced magic books, although I will never actually write this book - I mean, have you found a publisher that would commit commercial suicide by publishing the kind of autocratic opinionated stuff on this blog? - not just because I lack the application these days but I don't think it is possible.

There are only two sorts of magic books. You have the general introduction sort which clutter the shelves of Foyle's. In tarot terms these all without exception take you through the meaning of each card then talk about technique so they are all essentially the same book. The other is the advanced book and these are all (with a few exceptions) a detailed guide to a particular tradition. You find this for both magic books and tarot books. It can help to get the principles of a couple of magic or tarot trasitions under your belt but not helpful to keep on doing this. There are a few pagan authors who have made a writing career out of writing essentially the same book, just for different traditions as their interest moves.

There are just a few exceptions to these two sorts of books and they are written by genuine experts. The big secret is what makes them experts. Experts at tarot have moved beyond the basics and internalized tarot in a way which you can't from books. When you listen to them you will hear that they have actually entered the tradition in a very experiential way, complimented by book learning. Alejandro Jodorowsky actually describes doing this in The Way of Tarot, living within and communicating with tarot in a very personal way. Exactly like you would with any other magical tool.

Other examples would be Mary K Greer and Rachel Pollack. They all know a lot intellectually but have got inside the tarot in a way which is very personal. This also reminds me of Pamela Colman Smith's favoured tarot reading technique, of getting into the position of the characters on the card. Like that, you experience what they are experiencing and thus what the card is depicting.

This would mean that apart from a very detailed book about a whole tradition of magic or tarot it isn't possible to write an advanced 'textbook' because the advanced learning comes from the tradition. I am very aware that what I am saying is essentially the same thing as the Christian monastic tradition's 'Sit in your cell and it will teach you everything'. Or sit in your hedge, if you are a hedge witch.

I'm not even sure that specific techniques can necessarily be taught, as they can tend to be too directive and end up taking the student into one tradition again. I'm also very mindful (mindful, geddit?) that there is a significance to the sitting thing because of the Buddhist tradition of sitting meditation.

So I think you can rest assured you're spared the effect on my head of having a book published any time soon.

Hedge trimmer anyone?