Tarot and the Gates of Light: A Kabbalistic Path to Liberation
544
Tarot and the Gates of Light: A Kabbalistic Path to Liberation
544Paperback
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Overview
• Explores the origins and meaning of the 49-day Kabbalistic meditative practice of Counting the Omer and how it can lead to spiritual revelation, personal insight, and connection with the Divine
• Reveals the correspondence of the Tarot’s minor arcana with the Sephirot of the Tree of Life and explains how both relate to the Omer meditation
• Provides a daily practice workbook that explores the related Sephirot and Tarot cards for each day, examines their Kabbalistic and spiritual meanings, and provides questions for daily reflection and meditation guidance
The 49-day mystical practice known as Counting the Omer is an ancient Jewish ritual observed between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot (also known as Pentecost). As practiced by Kabbalists, it is designed to cleanse and purify the soul in preparation for spiritual revelation and a personal connection with God. The ritual creates a spiritual inner journey that follows the path of the ancient Israelites from the moment of their physical freedom from slavery in Egypt to the establishment of their spiritual freedom forty-nine days later when they arrived at Mt. Sinai.
Adeptly integrating this mystical practice with the transformative symbolism of the Tarot, Mark Horn uses the ritual of Counting the Omer as a template for a guided meditative practice that gives readers insight into their personal life journey and help in overcoming the issues that hinder their growth and spiritual awakening. Examining the correspondence of the Tarot’s minor arcana with the Sephirot of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, he shows how using the cards in connection with Counting the Omer can unlock the gates to a deep experience of the sacred. In the detailed daily practice workbook section, Horn provides day-by-day descriptions of the 49-day meditative practice of Counting the Omer. He divides the journey into seven week-long segments, which in turn are broken down into seven daily practices. For each day, he explains the related Sephirot and Tarot cards and their Kabbalistic and spiritual meanings, providing the reader with questions for daily reflection, guidance for meditation, and insight from traditional Jewish texts as well as teachings from Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim traditions.
Unveiling the relationship between Tarot and the Kabbalah, Horn shows readers how uniting these two practices can open them to a deeper experience of the Divine.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781620559307 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Inner Traditions/Bear & Company |
| Publication date: | 01/07/2020 |
| Pages: | 544 |
| Sales rank: | 669,858 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.50(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Introduction: Kabbalah, Tarot Cards and Counting the Omer—What’s This All About
The Forty-Nine Steps of Spiritual Refinement
How long does it take to make an important change in life? For most of us, making a major change to the direction and compass of our lives takes time and practice. You might want to change a bad habit or build up the discipline to start a daily spiritual practice. You may want to break free of an addiction or overcome negative thinking. You might need time to consider a new direction in life or to heal from a personal tragedy. Whatever your motivation, the many wisdom traditions of humanity offer a wide range of effective practices for personal and spiritual growth. One that has resonated for me personally is the forty-nine-day period known in the Jewish tradition as Counting the Omer, culminating on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, also known as Pentecost, the fiftieth day.
Pentecost is the Greek word Hellenized Jews used to name this period of observance because it simply means “fifty days.” If you’re Christian, you may know Pentecost as the first time the Holy Spirit descended on a group of Jesus’ disciples, including the Apostles. What both traditions share is the connection between Pentecost and revelation. Whatever tradition you come from, this forty-nine-day period of reflection and meditation is a spiritual discipline that can bring great benefit.
When you practice Counting the Omer, you will work to draw down the Divine energies known as the Sephirot in a practice of purification and meditation designed to strengthen your spiritual container. This will gradually open any spiritual blockages so you can feel the Divine flow that is always available to us. The forty-nine steps work in a graduated order, in a kind of spiritual workout regimen, day by day. It is designed to prepare you for a more direct experience of the Divine on the fiftieth day.
Using the Cards
The heart of this book is based on the forty-nine paired combinations of the Sephirot that occur during the Counting of the Omer. For each day of the count I also provide paired combinations of corresponding tarot cards. Because the four suits correspond to the four worlds, there are at least four possible pairings for each day, so that each day you can explore how the Sephirotic combinations affect the energy of that day in each world: spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and actively.
Each day, read the interpretation for the pair(s) you’re working with that day. In these interpretative essays, I share my own experience with this practice. After each pair you’ll find several questions associated with that pairing. Use those questions either for reflection or your own Pentecost journaling exercise.
You’ll probably want to write your own interpretations, questions, and journal entries based on your own life experience. Each Sephira can be approached from a variety of angles. You may wish to focus on a different facet of the day’s pairing than I have. Go for it!
Week 1: Chesed
The first day of the Counting of the Omer is the second day of Passover—the first full day of freedom for the ancient Israelites escaping the bondage of Egypt. What better place to begin the count than from a place of freedom and gratitude for the loving-kindness (Chesed) that pours forth from the Divine and sustains the world in every moment. This love colors the experience of each day and subsequent Sephira of the first week.
Day 1: Chesed of Chesed—The Fours of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
The first day of the count is Chesed of Chesed—to remind us that on this path it is essential to start with a heart of Loving-kindness for ourselves. Because this is a journey that will take us through all the dark places in our hearts, and we need to remember that, just like the Jews in the desert, we’re going to slip sometime. We’re going to forget to count some days. We’re going to go unconscious in response to the issues the Sephirotic energies can bring up. I’ve done this many times. That’s human nature, and nothing is more in need of Loving-kindness than that. On the second night of Passover, we are figuratively free of Egypt. This was the first day our ancestors were no longer slaves, and since one of the Passover commandments is that we tell the story as though we ourselves were freed this day, we too are no longer slaves. The question is, what are we free from, and what were we enslaved to?
It took a forty-nine-day process for the ancient Israelites to learn how to be free from slavery before they could take on the spiritual responsibility of the Torah. In the next forty-nine days, another of the questions to ask might very well be, what am I enslaved to that I am not yet aware of?
In the tarot suits, the cards that correspond to Chesed are the fours, and the first card to look at on this, the first day, is the Four of Wands, or Chesed in Atzilut. It’s appropriate that the image on this card captures the outpouring of Loving-kindness into the world.
The four wands, with a garland of fruit and flowers, looks like a chuppah. Thus, this image looks forward to the marriage of Israel and the Divine on Shavuot, the ultimate expression of Love and Mercy. Today is a day to meditate on the energy that is released when we go from bondage to freedom. And, it’s a day to bring our expression of Love into the world in ever more creative ways as we join with the Divine as partners in the ongoing act of Creation. Of course, I’m not always feeling so expansive, so when I consider this card I often ask myself where am I reflexively unwelcoming in my life and how is that keeping me enslaved?
Table of Contents
A Personal IntroductionKabbalah, Tarot Cards, and Counting the Omer— What’s This All About?
The Forty-Nine Steps of Spiritual Refinement
How a Biblical Commandment Turned into a Kabbalistic Meditation
The Adoption and Adaptation of Pentecost by the Early Christians
The Tikkun Prayer Vigil Kabbalah, Cabala, and Qabalah
The Tree of Life
The Sephirot
The Four Worlds
The Tarot Connection
Putting It All Together
How to Follow the Daily Practice
The Ritual
Using the Cards
How to Use the Key Words to Help Interpret the Cards
The Meditation
The Blessing: A Nontraditional Version
The Prayer: A Nontraditional Version
Looking Ahead to the 50th Day
Week 1 Chesed
Day 1: Chesed of Chesed. Starting the Journey with Love
Day 2: Gevurah of Chesed. Structure and Struggle Held in Loving-kindness
Day 3: Tiferet of Chesed. Holding Hurt and Pain with Love and Compassion
Day 4: Netzach of Chesed. Defending Yourself without Falling Prey to Your Defenses
Day 5: Hod of Chesed. Finding the Victory in Love by Surrendering the Ego
Day 6: Yesod of Chesed. Shining the Light of Love into Our Darkest Places
Day 7: Malchut of Chesed. Accepting Love and Being True to Who You Fully Are in Relationship
Week 2 Gevurah
Day 8: Chesed of Gevurah. Creating Structure without Stricture
Day 9: Gevurah of Gevurah. Learning Restraint in Judgment
Day 10: Tiferet of Gevurah. Seeing the Beauty in Structure
Day 11: Netzach of Gevurah. Perseverance Furthers
Day 12: Hod of Gevurah. Getting Yourself Out of the Way of Your Self Day 13: Yesod of Gevurah. Intimacy Can Blossom in a Strong Container Day 14: Malchut of Gevurah. Healthy Boundaries Make Healthy Relationships
Week 3 Tiferet
Day 15: Chesed of Tiferet. Finding Joy in Harmony
Day 16: Gevurah of Tiferet. The Role of Judgment in Compassion
Day 17: Tiferet of Tiferet. The Heart of the Matter
Day 18: Netzach of Tiferet. Finding the Victory in Truth
Day 19: Hod of Tiferet. Witness and Withness—Humility in Compassion bYesod of Tiferet. Harnessing the Passion in Compassion
Day 21: Malchut of Tiferet. The Dignity in Compassionate Action
Week 4 Netzach
Day 22: Chesed of Netzach. Love Endures All Things
Day 23: Gevurah of Netzach. Endurance Requires Discipline
Day 24: Tiferet of Netzach. Finding Compassion in Victory
Day 25: Netzach of Netzach. Passive Endurance vs. Active Endurance Day 26: Hod of Netzach. The Victory That Comes from Surrender
Day 27: Yesod of Netzach. The Connection That Fuels Commitment
Day 28: Malchut of Netzach. Nobility in Endurance Week 5 Hod
Day 29: Chesed of Hod. Overflowing with Gratitude
Day 30: Gevurah of Hod. Living in Awe of the Splendor of Creation
Day 31: Tiferet of Hod. An Open Heart Is Always Full, but Never Full of Itself
Day 32: Netzach of Hod. Finding Endurance in Humility Is Finding Victory in Humility
Day 33: Hod of Hod. Glory, Glory Hallelujah
Day 34: Yesod of Hod. The Connection of I-Thou Begins in Humility
Day 35: Malchut of Hod. When You’re Secure in Your Dignity, Humility Comes Naturally Week 6 Yesod
Day 36: Chesed of Yesod. The Secret Love Binding the World Together Day 37: Gevurah of Yesod. Setting Boundaries in Intimacy
Day 38: Tiferet of Yesod. Truth Is the Foundation of Intimacy
Day 39: Netzach of Yesod. The Ongoing Commitment to Intimacy
Day 40: Hod of Yesod. Humility Creates the Space for Intimacy
Day 41: Yesod of Yesod. Desire as the Foundation for All Spiritual Pursuits
Day 42: Malchut of Yesod. Being Fully Present for Relationship
Week 7 Malchut
Day 43: Chesed of Malchut. Directing the Flow with Nobility
Day 44: Gevurah of Malchut. Self-Discipline and Restraint Define Sovereignty
Day 45: Tiferet of Malchut. Leadership Sets an Example through Compassion
Day 46: Netzach of Malchut. The World in a Grain of Sand, Eternity in an Hour
Day 47: Hod of Malchut. Balancing the Openness of Humility with Sovereignty
Day 48: Yesod of Malchut. The Foundation of Nobility
Day 49: Malchut of Malchut. Living in Integrity Is True Sovereignty Pentecost
Day 50: The Gates Are Always Open Meditation Instructions
Glossary A Note about God Language
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index