Meditations on the TarotMeditations on the TarotA Journey into Christian HermeticismThis site is offered as a service to the worldwide community of friends, known and unknown, whose prayer, thinking and living are being formed by the book "Meditations on the Tarot". Its author says of these friends: "There is a community of Hermeticists, known and unknown, but the majority of whose members are anonymous. And it is only a small part of this community which is composed of those who know one another and meet one another face to face in the full daylight of the world of the senses. Another part -- still less numerous -- is composed of those who know each other and meet each other face to face in vision. But it is inspiration which unites all members of the community of Hermeticists -- without regard to whether they are near to one another or far apart, whether they know each other or not, or whether they are living or deceased." [p397] Many students of the book are geographically isolated, and the intention of this site is to offer them a means to exchange questions, thoughts and encouragement. The following resources are available; you are invited to add to them. Just send an e-mail to david.m.carter at gmail.com (replace the"at" by an "@" sign; the address is disguised here to discouragespamming). Comments Some comments on the book, many of which may appear in the forthcoming edition. Excerpts Excerpts from the book, with representative passages from each of the Letters, and some synopses and study notes. Links A set of links to other web sites relevant to this book and the spiritual tradition it represents. Pictures Almost certainly the best-known reader of Meditations on the Tarot... Group An on-line discussion group for students of the book. Currently there are over 300 members, posting anything between a handful and several dozen messages per week. You are welcome to join this group as long as you have current access to a copy of the book. To apply, click here. Some longer articles: von Balthasar Excerpt from Foreword to the 1983 German Edition, by Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar. Teasdale "Christian Hermeticism: A Review Article", Brother Wayne Teasdale. Epstein Excerpts from the Preface to " Healing into Immortality", Gerald Epstein, M.D. Pennington Some comments by Father Basil Pennington, co-developer of Centering Prayer. Powell A review feature by Robert Powell, the book's translator into English. If you're new to Meditations on the Tarot or to this site, then read on: Comments Some representative comments on the book Summary What is this book all about? Buying How can I get hold of a copy? Author Who is the author? Tarot Can I learn the Tarot from this book? Wary? Can I benefit from this book even if I'm wary of the Tarot? Thanks Impossible without...Some representative comments on the bookAbbot Thomas Keating, the main developer and teacher of the practice of Centering Prayer, has called this book:"The greatest contribution to date towards the rediscovery and renewal of the Christian contemplative tradition".His colleague Basil Pennington, OCSO, says that it is"Without doubt the most extraordinary book I have ever read".Huston Smith, the author and former professor of religion and psychology at MIT, says that"...this book will make profound thinkers gasp on almost every page for the profundity of its insights." Father Bede Griffiths wrote:"It is simply astonishing. I have never read such a comprehensive account of the 'perennial philosophy'. There is hardly a line without some profound significance. To me it is the last word in wisdom."Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar describes the book as follows in his foreword:"A thinking, praying Christian of unmistakable purity reveals to us the symbols of Christian Hermeticism in its various levels of mysticism, gnosis and magic, taking in also ... certain elements of astrology and alchemy ... By way of the major Arcana the author seeks to lead meditatively into the deeper, all-embracing wisdom of the Catholic mystery."There are other comments here.What is the book about?From the back cover of the 1993 Element edition:"This remarkable book is no mere study of occultism. It is a profound Christian meditation, a journey of discovery into the mysteries of Hermeticism. First published in 1987, it has rapidly established itself as a classic of Esoteric Christian teaching."The twenty-two Major Arcana of the Tarot are invaluable aids to meditation and spiritual study. Using them as a starting point, the anonymous author links together the wisdom of the Bible, the Upanishads and the Cabbala, as well as the insights of individual thinkers who have profoundly influenced Western thought -- including Plato, Origen, John of the Cross, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Bergson and Jung."As we approach the 21st century, this unique book shows how study of the Major Arcana not only revives a millenial-old tradition, but immerses us in the ever-flowing current of Hermetic thought and revelation."But perhaps the best short description is the author's own foreword to the book.How can I get hold of a copy?A new edition of the English translation was published in May 2002 by Jeremy Tarcher, a division of Penguin-Putnam, and is available from bookshops and on-line booksellers. If you read French, then you should be able to get hold of a copy of the French original. I am told it is quite readily available, but have not tried to track it down myself. It also exists in German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian translations.Finally, this site contains various excerpts from the book, many of which may be good material for meditation on their own.Who is the author?That question will not be answered here, although some information on his life is contained in Robert Powell's article. The author of Meditations explains his reasons for anonymity as follows in the Foreword:"These meditations on the Major Arcana of the Tarot are Letters addressed to the Unknown Friend. The addressee in this instance is anyone who will read all of them and who thereby acquires definite knowledge, through the experience of meditative reading, about Christian Hermeticism. He will know also that the author of these Letters has said more about himself in these Letters than he would have been able to in any other way. No matter what other source he might have, he will know the author better through the Letters themselves." (p xii)Thus it is not at all necessary to know the author's identity in order to benefit fully from studying the book. In accordance with his posthumous wishes, this site will not identify him."Your friend greets you, dear Unknown Friend, from beyond the grave." (Foreword, p xii). An article by Michael McConville on the author's anonymity can be found here. Can I learn the Tarot from this book?Yes and no. The book offers deep insights into the mysteries of the Major Arcana. However, these insights are given as a means to deeper Christian contemplative practice, thinking and living. They will not teach you how to use the Tarot cards as a means of amplifying the unconscious by the use of spreads and so on, valuable though this can be as a tool for clarifying issues in your life. If that is what you are interested in, I recommend starting with Anthony Louis's excellent introductory book, "Tarot Plain and Simple". Can I benefit from this book even if I'm wary of the Tarot?Yes, definitely. The book is written from an orthodox Christian (Roman Catholic) perspective. One of its beauties is the way it draws out the value in many spiritual and cultural phenomena of which Christians have often been wary, without in any way compromising the centrality of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The author uses the Tarot images to help the reader deepen his or her relationship with God through prayer and meditation.You may, of course, be less wary of the Tarot by the time you finish the book.You might also like to look at an article on Tarot for Christians, or at Basil Pennington's comments.AcknowledgementsThis site is put together by David Carter, a reader of Meditations in Cambridge, England. Thanks to Robert Powell and Martin Kriele for their support, for their permission to quote extracts from Meditations on the Tarot, and for their continuing efforts in making this remarkable book available. Robert is the translator of the book into English, and holds the copyright on his translation, while Martin is the copyright holder for the original French version.TopLast update: December 28th, 2006. |
|
