Has tarot been made to me more complex than it needs to be?

ravenest

So, you know, whoever says esoteric studies rule out the emotional or intuitive aspect... well, that's completely wrong, and mighty cold.

Not just esoteric studies ... some use emotions and intuition in mathematics and football coaching ;)

Mysticism and magick require 'passion' as well ... a good prayer or invocation should be hot not cold ... fired with emotion. Even when one follows an 'intellectual' path.


I like your post Aura Wolf .
 

Zephyros

Not just esoteric studies ... some use emotions and intuition in mathematics and football coaching ;)

Mysticism and magick require 'passion' as well ... a good prayer or invocation should be hot not cold ... fired with emotion. Even when one follows an 'intellectual' path.

Of course, depending on the World, if Kitty's at Netzach my guess is she's dead, but that just shows how the same things can be interpreted differently.
 

Richard

For me it is simpler to accept Newton's proof that planetary orbits are elliptical than to accept his conclusion on faith without bothering about the mathematical foundations. Likewise it is simpler for me to have a coherent theory about the significance and meaning of tarot than to accept on faith that the cards somehow just do what they are supposed to do.

I refuse to believe that the quest for order and systemization necessarily results in obfuscation, nor does it invalidate geronimo's Nietzsche quote: "You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star." Nietzsche also was capable of systematic reasoning, although he tended to express himself flamboyantly, and Einstein daydreamed about riding in elevators in outer space before coming to the conclusion that acceleration is mathematically indistinguishable from the effects of gravity.
 

Aura Wolf

I like your post Aura Wolf .

Thanks :D I'm very much enjoying this thread and all the entertaining people in it.

All in all, I don't see what the fuss is about. There are plenty of books for beginners, and plenty for the advanced student. None of these is for everyone. This question really seems to be about the influx of information on the market, ie. Is there too much, or are we suffering from information overload? In a way, yes; it has been proven that having too many choices makes people less, not more, happy. It's harder for them to find what they want/need a lot of the time, not to mention the deliberation drives them crazy. On the other hand...if you really enjoy studying your tarot...the topics available (if you can find what you're looking for) ought to delight. But I think some love the notion of mastery more than the pursuit of knowledge. Those who love to study keep building complexity and dabble with different methods; those who love to master keep it simple and perform one method well.
 

ravenest

Yep .... thats it. Some people love to and CAN 'multi-task' quiet well - for those that cant they see the others as too complex. Some people can hold and access a LOAD of variant systems in 'their heads' and use them to form conclusions ... and can do that in a variety of fields at the same time.

Swedenborg is a good example that comes to mind:

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772) was fluent in 9 languages, wrote 150 works in 17 sciences, expert in 7 crafts, a musician, a Member of Parliament and a mining engineer. He came up with the first theory of nebular hypothesis, wrote extensive works on metallurgy, algebra and calculus, mapped several areas of the brain and ductless glands, suggested the particle structure of magnets, designed a glider and a submarine and engineered the world’s largest dry-dock. He then took on psychology and religion with extensive exploration into the ‘hypnogogic’ state. He led a successful and productive life and claimed daily intercourse with spirits. He appeared to have psychic powers, wrote 12 volumes on the psychological meanings hidden in Genesis and Exodus and (of course) was tried as a heretic and had his books banned in his native country - Sweden.
 

Aura Wolf

Yep .... thats it. Some people love to and CAN 'multi-task' quiet well - for those that cant they see the others as too complex. Some people can hold and access a LOAD of variant systems in 'their heads' and use them to form conclusions ... and can do that in a variety of fields at the same time.

Swedenborg is a good example that comes to mind:

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772) was fluent in 9 languages, wrote 150 works in 17 sciences, expert in 7 crafts, a musician, a Member of Parliament and a mining engineer. He came up with the first theory of nebular hypothesis, wrote extensive works on metallurgy, algebra and calculus, mapped several areas of the brain and ductless glands, suggested the particle structure of magnets, designed a glider and a submarine and engineered the world’s largest dry-dock. He then took on psychology and religion with extensive exploration into the ‘hypnogogic’ state. He led a successful and productive life and claimed daily intercourse with spirits. He appeared to have psychic powers, wrote 12 volumes on the psychological meanings hidden in Genesis and Exodus and (of course) was tried as a heretic and had his books banned in his native country - Sweden.

Oh my. I certainly can't multitask that well myself, though I do try, and can't seem to stop when I do try to calm my overactive mind; in a way I don't blame people for wanting to keep things simple. I can't seem to stop being interested in everything at once (and the more complex it is the more interested I am), but as a person who deals with a lot of mental turmoil I find it hard to actually accomplish half as many things as this Swedenborg fellow. Then again, I'm still fairly young... :D
 

ravenest

Well, there are some 'tricks' ... finding out which way works best for you, what methods suit you best. I was never a good learner ... in the way they wanted me to learn .. I work totally different to that.

[ Also ... Swedenborg probably didnt spend a lot of time on the internet , watching TV, gaming, :laugh: ]

At one stage I was required to learn about 15 columns of the 32 levels of correspondences [ http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Tree_of_Life:777 ] . I knew I had no chance because I could hardly learn my multiplication tables at school. It was a nightmare I wasnt getting anywhere with it. But one of the columns related to Tarot , and since that was something I liked and I gelled with it (being a visual symbol system ... with CONCEPTS behind the numbers I could relate to) so I substituted tarot as the Key 1 and then I learnt it quiet easily .

The same applies (appropriate method) to physical things for me, like complex martial arts techniques ... hundreds and hundreds of moves are remembered by deconstructing them from about 30 basic patterns - roughly half empty hand and half with weapons. It can then be broken down into patterns of a certain group ... and with weapons, most have a shaft, learn the basics of that and the rest is embellishment ... sort of.

And all that isnt THAT impressive ... as the monkey and the seal can STILL beat me in the reactive-intelligence test ! :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz7ShiQqLQg

And post # 63 .... what he said.
 

Richard

Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler.

Albert Einstein​