Tarot Cards, Religion, and Symbolism

Rebecca Stein & Philip Stein express in their book that magic is a specific term used by anthropologists that refers to the activities that an individual participates in to manipulate and/or utilize the supernatural to behave in a fashion. This participation is performed as a result of religious beliefs and cultural practices (p.136). Essentially, these authors have identified that certain elements of magic are definitively religious in their context. When the concept of religion is thought of by most, there is no mention of magic as religion is usually seen as separate, but the question becomes, are they distinctively separate? Within the discussion of magic and religion falls a variety of techniques that offer a better understanding of how individuals can divine information or manipulate the supernatural for a specific purpose. One tool that is used is known as Tarot cards. According to McAdam (2014), Tarot cards traditionally are used for fortune-telling and shedding light on the unknown. Also, Tarot cards give the reader information based on symbols. Within the cards, there are what is known as the major and minor arcana. Each of the cards, when read either individually or as a group, affords guidance in the areas of personal development and growth (p.1). Given the history of magic and its relation to religion, and overall relevance, it is essential to discover whether Tarot cards can be used as an actual religious source.

Literature Review

Since Tarot cards are usually considered as divinatory tools, first, there must be an establishment of the definition of divination. According to Merriam-Webster (2014), divination is "the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens and by the aid of supernatural powers" (p.1).

Ouspensky (n.d.) writes that there are many ways for a religious culture to develop symbols and use them in their overall practice. As such, the Tarot is a cultural practice in the religion known as New Age spirituality and Wicca in that it illuminates one's journey or path - at least to a certain extent - on what they should do. Many that use Tarot cards believe that it is direct guidance from the supernatural (p.1).

Mathers (2008) states that the symbols of the Tarot are seen in the characters of the major arcana, which are 22 cards with illustrations that are: “the fool, the magician, the high priestess, the empress, the emperor, the hierophant, the lovers, the chariot, justice, the hermit, wheel of fortune, strength, the hanged man, death, temperance, the devil, the tower, the star, the moon, the sun, judgment, and the world.” In addition to these 22 cards, the Tarot also has minor arcana cards, which are suits described as cups, pentacles, swords, and wands. This aspect of the cards usually represents the mundane features of life and are characteristically element based. These elements are fire (wands), pentacles (earth), cups (water) and swords (air). Each of the elements tend to represent a certain facet of life. The wands represent will and creativity; the pentacles represent the material plane (i.e. wealth, physicality’s), cups represent emotions and the swords represent one's ability to rationalize and reason (p.2-15). These symbols when laid out in what is referred to as a spread provides insight into an individual’s life.

Stein & Stein (2010) substantiate what most, if not all literature states that magic and divination follow a certain set of principles (p.143). The Tarot cards carry with them, a set of principles. Ouspensky (n.d.) adds that the symbols of the Tarot have been used throughout time to give a depiction of why magic, religion, and science (p.6). Religion and science have often been correlated and linked together. Stein & Stein (2010) assert that science affords societies that methods and practices to diagnose and in turn, deal with situations that are complex, intricate and sometimes adverse. Science gives a rational means for the unknown and thus, religion does also in that it credibly substantiates the supernatural (p.137-138). Clayton & Simpson (2006) argue that there is validity to the relationship between religion and science in the sense that religious practices such as healing, divinatory tools, and other techniques are commonly associated with the science of metaphysics (p.527-529). Metaphysics is essentially defined as a certain type of philosophy that explains the unexplainable. Based on this definition, therefore a substantial amount of literature has concluded there is a definite relationship between religion and science. As a result of these conclusions, it can be stated that the Tarot cards can provide some scientific basis for religion and credence to why they are used in religious practices.

Research Questions

To research the connection between the Tarot and religion further, three questions were derived for the purpose of this case study: Are religion and magic separate? What do the Tarot cards reveal not only about religion but about symbolism within religion? Is the Tarot a credible religious practice?

Interpretation

To better interpret the literature and to find answers to these questions, additional research articles were collected, and a Tarot deck was examined. Keywords such as activities, rituals, tarot, and religion were all put into Ebscohost for the purposes of it coming back with data that could be used in this case study. The following are the interpretations of what was found.

Are religion and magic separate?

First, Hamaker-Zondag (2007) reveals that rituals that are commonly associated with the Tarot cards tend to be focused on meditation, divination, magic performing, and connecting to the other side through mediumship. Some cultures believe that the Tarot is better for meditation than it is for divination. Second, Tarot readings range from very straightforward to extremely intricate, and therefore there are many different types of decks available for use. Third, the Tarot cards are an addendum to one's own connection to their respective God (p.34-40). In other words, the Tarot cards are meant to be used as a part of an entire ritual as opposed to one singular discussion/conversation with the divine.

Stein & Stein (2010) go on to state that learning magic and incorporating it into one's religious practice can be an easy practice, but that for some cultures, magical practice is passed down from generation to generation, and individual to individual (p.139,141-143). Therefore, the question regarding religion and magic being linked together has often come under significant criticism because religion tends to be associated with the community rather than one single individual. However, magic and its relative properties are frequently used in public practice and religious services. Religions such as Wicca, witchcraft, New Age spirituality and the like are community-oriented and commonly use many different decks of Tarot cards in their rituals. So then, religion and magic are indeed connected, despite notable criticism to the contrary? Based on interpretations of the literature examined for this case study, it can be concluded that they are.

What do the Tarot cards reveal not only about religion but about symbolism within religion?

To answer this question, a Tarot card deck was examined. The specific deck of cards that were examined was the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Waite (1910) identifies that the Tarot cards are full of symbols that arise from the occult. These symbols provide humans with philosophical insight and appreciation of the divine because the Tarot is often considered mysterious, but beautiful. In the context of religion, both the major and minor arcana reveal symbols about life. The major arcana draws upon the science of symbolism with each card corresponding to something a supernatural distinction. The Magician is seen as man's connection to the divine; the High Priestess is seen as the Divine Mother that is represented in the divine law; the empress is cast as being linked with the ideas of fruitfulness in the universe. The emperor symbolizes the structure of the divine and its solid foundation; the hierophant is seen as the spiritual father of the church; the lovers based on considerable research is the unification of man and woman in the divine; the chariot symbolizes the triumphant nature of man; strength conveys the idea of adapting to the circumstances associated with life; the hermit offers the symbol of one who is seeking truth in the midst of darkness; wheel of fortune identifies the rewarding nature of life; justice speaks to the prudent nature of the universe; the hanged man is represented as the immovable nature of man and his subsequent prevailing attitude towards what is immovable in his/her world; death is the symbol of transformation and change; temperance identifies the balance in the universe between right and wrong, truth versus falsehood, etc. The devil is fashioned as the card of the dark side of man; the tower speaks to the confusion that tends to occur in life. The star offers the symbol of hope, the moon is noted as man's journey through a variety of scenarios; the sun is distinguished as the light side of the universe. Judgment symbolizes eternal life and creation; the world symbolizes the image of life and how the universe is in all things. The final card, the fool is described as a man on a journey to learn about life and the unawareness that results from the journey (p.10-14). Even though the Rider-Waite Tarot deck is well-known, can it really be said to be the end all be all regarding symbolism and religion? Both Stein & Stein (2010) and Hamaker-Zondag (2007) express that because the Tarot cards have been used throughout time with the foundation that it guides individuals on their life’s path with a spiritual slant, then it can be stated that the Tarot is a definitive resource that links the idea of symbolism with religion.

Is the Tarot a credible religious practice?

Saunders (2014) writes that with all religions, there is always a level of skepticism. Even with definite literature on a subject matter, that acceptance of Tarot tends to have an issue of credibility. The consensus among critics is that Tarot cards are just cards, offering no more no less in the actuality of the supernatural nor its ability to illustrate the reality of the physical plane. But, to say that the Tarot is not a credible religious practice or a certain divinatory technique is like stating that there should be no acceptance of the concepts of time and space, random chance and the universe (2014). While Saunders' (2014) account on the Tarot is one person's beliefs about the religious practice, there is a rationale that suggests the Tarot is a valid divination tool. As with all topics surrounding religion, there must be an element of checking out whether there is truth to what is being displayed and/or exhibited. Since religion is a concept that is an intangible and requires faith, the Tarot cards being noted as a guide can equally be intangible and require belief. As such, the Tarot is a definite religious practice that is only so because the individual or groups using them believe that they are or have drawn some sense of guidance from them.

Conclusion

This case study examined the use of Tarot cards as a viable religious practice and the symbols that it represents. While fortune-telling and divination are often met with a notable amount of skepticism, literature does suggest that there is some significant credibility in its usage across a variety of religions and bridging the gap between both the physical world and the supernatural. Due to this bridging of the gap that the Tarot affords, there is reason to believe that it not only provides insight into an individuals’ personal growth and development, it illuminates the connection between religion, magic, and science.

References

Clayton, P., & Simpson, Z. (2006). The Oxford handbook of religion and science. Retrieved from http://www.kenwilber.com/Writings/PDF/Religion_and_Science_Ch_31.pdf

Divination. (2014). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divination

Hamaker-Zondag, K. (2007). Tarot as a way of life: A Jungian approach to the tarot. Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel / Weiser.

Mathers, S. L. (2008). The tarot: A short treatise on reading cards. Newburyport, MA: RedWheel / Weiser.

McAdam, D. (2014). History of tarot cards. Retrieved from http://www.tarot-decks.com/tarotarticle.htm

Saunders, T. (2014). The authentic tarot: Discovering your inner self. London, UK: Duncan Baird Publishers.

Stein, R., & Stein, P. L. (2010). The anthropology of religion, magic, and witchcraft (3rd ed.). London, UK: Pearson.

Waite, A. E. (1910). The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Retrieved from http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/Waite_Tarot.pdf