Story the Serial Order of the Tarot Tells

Wizardiaoan

Hi, I am working on the story the serial progression of the Tarot reveals as it is based upon the Hebrew alphabet symbolism, and etc. Can anyone recommend to me other authors who have tried to weave a progressive story out of the 22 trumps as a whole (rather than just dealing with individual key symbolism)?

I think they map a serial progression of initiation, where Key XXI is enlightenment, situated basically in Binah of the Tree of Life. Here is how I correlate them to the Tree:

O-III = Malkuth
IV-VI = Yesod
VII-VIII = Hod
IX = Netzach
X-XV = Tiphareth
XVI-XVIII = Geburah
XIX = Chesed
XX-XXI = Binah

A key symbolism is that The King as IV descends into the underworld of Yesod to establish a link to the divine light, which is Key V as The Hierophant.
 

Always Wondering

I cannot answer your question. But I see your first post has set here for three days all alone and wanted to say welcome. It may also help to bump the thread and catch someone else's attention.

AW
 

manda78

Ok- This is coming from someone with (obviously) no knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet and little knowledge on the Tree of Life, but the Gill Tarot Book gives a list of the tree of Life associations, like
Aleph= Fool and Gimel= High Priestess....Is that what you are looking for? If so maybe I can scan the page and PM it or something. Edited to add- The Tree of life is a big part of the work in the Gill and the book that goes along with it.
Blessings
Manda
 

Wizardiaoan

I am simply looking for a book that deals with the Tarot as a story. For instance as a fool's journey, or as a process of initiation, etc.--rather than dealing with each key separate. I am quite familiar with the Tree of Life, the Hebrew alphabet, and the Tarot in general. I suppose there is hardly any, due to there being no response.
 

Lore347

I assume then that you are not looking for the story as told by the path attributations, but by the pattern of the numerical sequence.

In this case I have always seen the Fool as alluding to the Ain > Ain Soph > Ain Soph Or. The Philosophic Zero, or non number (it has no numerical attributation in historic decks). From there, it can unfold in a few ways I would think, depending on your methods. Numerological, Masculine/Feminine, Alchemical, Astrological...

I don't know if that helps at all, but it sounds like a great project.
 

beanu

Hi Wizardaoan

I have looked at this a bit,
and come to the following conclusions.

1) The sequence of the cards is basically a Left-to-Right swap of the lightning strike on the tree of life, with cards allocated to spheres, not paths.

2) Once attributed to the Tree in this way, the Initiatory process is threefold, according to Alchemical principles. The three pillars of the tree represent paths of purification for body, spirit and soul.


I also recommend you look at the sequence from both directions. One way is the descent from YHVH to the material world. The other direction is our climb back up to a state of grace. i.e. We don't follow the lightning strike downwards. We work from the bottom up (which is the opposite of what you have described so far).

If you look at my profile, you will find my website link which explains this in detail.

Beanu
 

ravenest

Wizardiaoan said:
I am simply looking for a book that deals with the Tarot as a story. For instance as a fool's journey, or as a process of initiation, etc.--rather than dealing with each key separate. I am quite familiar with the Tree of Life, the Hebrew alphabet, and the Tarot in general. I suppose there is hardly any, due to there being no response.

I dont know of a book that does this but we used to make up our own stories by following Trump progressions in tarot workshops. It can be done visually or artistically, just with the cards, following their numbered order or rearranging them or using planetary. astro. elemental orders or qabalistic orders - what you will.

If you know enough (or a little) about any of this you could work it yourself - I dont see why a book is necassary ... unless you plan on writing the first (?) one? ;)
 

Sophie

The book is the Tarot itself.
 

beanu

Thanks, Ravenest

I have just released such a book. See my profile for details.
 

Wizardiaoan

Hi,

I posted how I believe the serial Tarot correlates in initiation here:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=51550&page=2&pp=10

My correlations are based upon the Tetractys as a map of the psyche, and the chakras. Thus (where 1 = The Fool, 2 = The Magus, based on alphabet letters):

1-10 (IIII + III + II + I) are all in Muladhara (which includes Malkuth, Yesod, Hod, and Netzach upon the Tree).

11-16 (III + II + I) are in Svadisthana (which is Tiphareth upon the Tree).

17-19 (II + I) are in Manipura (which is Geburah upon the Tree).

20 (I) is in Anahata (which is Chesed upon the Tree).

This is a full permutation of the Tetractys:

I ANAHATA (Chesed)

I
I I MANIPURA (Geburah)

I
I I
I I I SVADHISTHANA (Tiphareth)

I
I I
I I I
I I I I MULADHARA (Malkuth, Yesod, Hod, Netzach)

Above the abyss this rigid form is lost after the complete permutation, but I posit 21-22 are in Binah as Vishuddha. Thus the completion of the 22-fold great work makes one a full Magister Templi in Binah. The Tarot is a serial progression of initiation based I think upon the Hebrew alphabet, just like the Tree and chakra schemas are models of initiation, which is to say individuation, progressive enlightenment of the individual through the life experience, etc.