                                 Lesson One:
                               An Introduction


Introduction

TAROT divination is not fortune-telling. The practice of fortune-
telling is based on the false notion that human life is governed by
luck, chance, or fate--by obscure powers at work outside the
personality. True divination rests upon the occult truth that the
causes of all events in human life are really internal, proceeding from
the Cause of Causes-- the Universal Intelligent Energy or Life-power
which is the Source, Mover and Knower behind all the phenomena of the
universe.

Because this Universal Intelligent Energy is omnipresent, it must
necessarily be a real presence at any given point in space.
Consequently it must be the real Presence at the heart of every human
personality.  That Presence is the True Self, the real I AM, the
Concealed Divinity in the shrine of the temple of personality. This
True self is the author of all phenomena, and its perfect knowledge
includes all the details of phenomenal manifestation, past, present and
future. It knows all events, and the significance of all events. Thus
it knows the complete past, present and future of every human being.

Ordinarily this perfect knowledge of the True Self is hidden from us;
but under certain conditions some part of it may be brought down into
the personal level of awareness. The right use of Tarot provides the
necessary conditions, because Tarot is a device invented by expert
psychologists who understood the laws whereby the superconscious
knowledge of the True Self may be brought to bear upon the specific
problems which confront us as we function at the self-conscious level
of our waking existence.

The Tarot Keys are composed of pictorial and geometrical symbols.
These symbols are the natural "language" of the subconscious mind, a
language older than any human tongue, a language from which all modes
of human speech have been derived. Fundamentally we think in pictures,
not in words, and this pictorial language, common to the whole human
race, is the means whereby the subconscious mind may communicate to us
the higher knowledge reflected from the superconscious levels of the
True Self.

As you begin to study divination, bear in mind that it is not meant to
satisfy your own or another's idle curiosity about the future. Take the
work seriously. What you are about to learn is a method whereby you may
bring to bear upon your own problems, and upon the problems of those
who consult you, the light of the superconscious knowledge of past,
present and future which is characteristic of the mental activity of
the One Life-power. To deal lightly with this is truly to profane the
most sacred of mysteries, and the penalty for such profanation is
inevitable. He who debases Tarot to mere fortune-telling will rob
himself of whatever insight he may possess.  He will deceive himself
and others by false visions, and may open the door to dangerous
obsession by inimical astral entities.

The practice of divination offers you a real opportunity to serve, and
will aid you to unfold intuitive powers of a high order. As you become
more and more proficient, you will be called upon by persons beset by
all sorts of perplexities, faced by all sorts of seeming obstacles,
troubled by all sorts of appearances of inharmony. As you gain their
confidence they will tell you their inmost secrets. Never abuse that
confidence. Make it a rule not to discuss the affairs of your
consultants--not even anonymously.  There is altogether too much
comparison of horoscopes, altogether too much discussion of the affairs
of clients, in certain circles of persons interested in astrology,
palmistry, numerology, and other divinatory arts.

Furthermore, avoid personal judgement of the lives of your consultants.
Even when their views and conduct differ radically from your opinions
and standards, remember that every condemnatory judgement is evidence
that he who makes it is himself more or less in the dark. To divine
well you must be in sympathetic rapport with your consultants, and
there can be no sympathy where there is condemnation.

After these preliminary observations we may proceed to a brief
examination of...



The Tarot Pack

For divination the best pack of Tarot cards now available is that given
with this course of Lessons. It was drawn by J. A. Knapp under the
supervision of Manly P. Hall, and is an excellent example of the
exoteric Tarot. It has, furthermore, the decided advantage that the
cards are of such size that they may be conveniently shuffled and
dealt.

In calling this an exoteric pack I mean that it is simply a
better-drawn and better-colored version of that version of Tarot
issued, some centuries ago, by the Western School of occult adepts, who
purposely disguised it as a game. The Keys of this exoteric pack,
particularly the picture-cards called major trumps or greater arcana,
are neither so exact nor so explicit in their symbolism as are the
cards of the esoteric Tarot.  The later, at this writing, has not been
published. The Rider pack, designed under the supervision of A.  E.
Waite, approximates the esoteric version. So does the set of major
trumps drawn by Jessie Burns Parke some years since at my suggestion.
Waite's version and mine approximate the esoteric designs we have both
seen. The present pack of Mr. Knapp's is practically the same as any
good example of eighteenth century exoteric packs, except for the small
symbols added at Manly Hall's suggestion, which are mostly good.  And
the symbolism of these Keys is sufficiently exact for every purpose of
divination. Even for the higher uses of Tarot it is not wholly
incorrect.

In the original exoteric Tarot no Hebrew letters were printed on the
major trumps. Since Eliphas Levi wrote The Dogma and Ritual of
Transcendental Magic nearly all books on Tarot have reproduced the
"blind" attribution of the letters to the major trumps first published
in that remarkable volume. C. C. Zain uses yet another attribution, but
if it is compared with that given below its inadequacy becomes evident.
I have dealt with this whole matter in other of my writings. Here it is
enough to say that Levi knew the correct attribution, but was under
obligation not to reveal it. Hence he chose a blind which would lead
the more discerning among his readers to discover the correct
arrangement.  Unfortunately, those of his admirers and disciples who
have written books about the Tarot (including Papus, Stanislas de
Guiata, Dr. and Mrs.  Curtis, Manly P. Hall, and others of lesser note)
have either failed to perceive Levi's blind, or else have felt
themselves bound to perpetuate it.

The true arrangement, long held in reserve by the School of Adepts who
originally issued the Tarot as we now have it, came by accident into
the possession of the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn. A former member of that society, convinced that its claim to
direct connection with the Secret Chiefs of the True Rosicrucian Order
was a false claim, broke away from the Hermetic Order, published its
rituals, and also made public the attribution given below. Three years
prior to this I had myself been led to the discovery of the true
arrangement, which follows:

            Figure 1-1:
  Hebrew Attributions of the Major Trumps

 0
    Aleph
            (A)
                 0
                    Le Fou
 2
    Beth
            (B)
                 1
                    Le Bateleur
 3
    Gimel
            (G)
                 2
                    La Papesse
 4
    Daleth
            (D)
                 3
                    L'imperatrice
 5
    Heh
            (H)
                 4
                    L'empereur
 6
    Vau
            (V)
                 5
                    Le Pape
 7
    Zain
            (Z)
                 6
                    L'amoureux
 8
    Cheth
            (Ch)
                 7
                    Le Chariot
30
    Lamed
            (L)
                 8
                    La Justice
10
    Yod
            (I)
                 9
                    L'ermite

20
    Kaph
            (K)
                 10
                    La Roue de la
                    Fortune
 9
    Teth
            (T)
                 11
                    La Force
40
    Mem
            (M)
                 12
                    Le Pendu
50
    Nun
            (N)
                 13
                    La Mort
60
    Samekh
            (S)
                 14
                    La Temperance
70
    Ayin
            (O)
                 15
                    Le Diable
80
    Peh
            (P)
                 16
                    Le Feu Du Ciel
90
    Tzaddi
            (Tz)
                 17
                    Les Etoiles
100
    Qoph
            (Q)
                 18
                    La Lune
300
    Shin
            (Sh)
                 20
                    Le Jugement
400
    Tau
            (Th)
                 21
                    Le Monde
200
    Resh
            (R)
                 19
                    Le Soleil

This arrangement enables us to determine the astrological meanings of
the major trumps. The key to these meanings is partially given in the
various printed versions of the Hebrew Book of Formation, or Sepher
Yetzirah. All versions of this book agree that the mother letters,
Aleph, Mem and Shin represent the elements Air, Water and Fire. All
versions also agree that the simple letters Heh, Vau, Zain, Cheth,
Teth, Yod, Lamed, Nun, Samekh, Ayin, Tzaddi and Qoph represent the
signs of the zodiac. But none of the published versions agree as to the
attribution of the seven heavenly bodies known in ancient astrology to
the seven double letters, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resh and Tau.
These were probably kept secret when the Book of Formation was first
published, for fear that the correct arrangement might lead to the
premature disclosure of certain practical secrets. But as the correct
arrangement has now come to light, its accuracy will be obvious to
every really competent symbolist. Learn these attributions by heart, so
thoroughly that you recall them without the least effort.

            Figure 1-2:
  Astrological Attributions of the Major Trumps

0
   Le Fou
                     Air; Uranus
1
   Le Bateleur
                     Mercury
2
   La Papesse
                     The Moon
3
   L'Imperatrice
                     Venus
4
   L'Empereur
                     Aries
5
   Le Pape
                     Taurus
6
   L'Amoureux
                     Gemini
7
   Le Chariot
                     Cancer
8
   La Justice
                     Libra
9
   L'Ermite
                     Virgo

10
   La Roue de la
   Fortune
                     Jupiter

11
   La Force
                     Leo
12
   Le Pendu
                     Water; Neptune
13
   La Mort
                     Scorpio
14
   La Temperance
                     Sagittarius
15
   Le Diable
                     Capricorn
16
   Le Feu du Ciel
                     Mars
17
   Les Etoiles
                     Aquarius
18
   La Lune
                     Pisces
19
   Le Soleil
                     The Sun

20
   Le Jugement
                     Fire; Pluto(?);
                     Vulcan
21
   Le Monde
                     Saturn; Earth.

N.B. In the esoteric Tarot the numbers of the Keys corresponding to Leo
and Libra are different from those given above. In the esoteric pack
Strength, corresponding to Leo, is numbered 8, and Justice,
corresponding to Libra, is numbered 11. So also in Waite's Tarot and in
those which I use for philosophical work.

Besides the 22 major trumps there are 56 minor trumps similar to
ordinary playing-cards, which are derived from the Tarot. The minor
trumps comprise ten spot-cards numbered from Ace to 10, arranged in
four suits, which are: Wands (Clubs); Cups (Hearts); Swords (Spades);
Pentacles or Coins (Diamonds).

In addition to these numbered cards, each suit includes four
court-cards.  In the Knapp pack these are designated by letters, as
follows:  King (K); Queen (Q); Knight or Warrior (W); Page or Servant
(S).

Kings represent Spirit; Queens are symbols of Soul; Knights or Warriors
correspond to the astral body; Pages or Servants represent the physical
body. These are their more general meanings. Their particular
divinatory meanings will be given in the lessons wherein the separate
cards of each suit are explained from the divinatory standpoint.

The general divinatory meaning of the four suits of minor trumps is as
follows, but each card has a separate meaning to be considered later:

            Figure 1-3:
Divinatory Meanings of the Four Suits

  This
suit...
            ...represents
                these
            concepts...
                            ...and element.
Wands
          Work,
          enterprise,
          ideas; the
          energies of the
          spiritual plane
          or archetypal
          world (Plato's
          world of ideas)
                              Fire

Cups
          Desires, hopes,
          wishes;
          emotional
          activities; the
          states and
          forces of the
          mental plane,
          the creative
          world in which
          mental patterns
          are formulated;
                             Water

Swords
          Action, and
          therefore
          conflict of
          forces; the
          states and
          activities of
          the astral
          plane, the
          formative world
          of unseen forces
          which build the
          conditions of
          the physical
          plane;
                              Air

Coins or
Pentacles
          Things,
          possessions; the
          concrete objects
          and bodies of
          the physical
          plane; the
          objectification
          of the energies
          and forces of
          the higher
          worlds or planes
          represented by
          Wands, Cups and
          Swords;
                             Earth



The Significator

This is the card chosen to represent the Querent, or person for whom a
divination is made. This may be Le Bateleur (Key 1) for a man, or La
Papesse (Key 2) for a woman. In a subsequent lesson you will find a
method for selecting the Significator, based on the Querent's
birth-date; but many good diviners invariably use Le Bateleur for a
man, and La Papesse for a woman.


Formulating The Question

This is the first step in a divination. When you divine for yourself,
state the question as you begin to shuffle the entire pack. If you are
divining for another person, let the Querent formulate his question as
you begin to shuffle the cards. If the Querent has formulated his
question before sitting down opposite you at the table where the
divination is to be made, bid him or her concentrate upon the question,
and, if possible, endeavor to restate it while you are shuffling. This
formulation of the question by the Querent is wholly mental, and the
Querent should be careful to say nothing whatever, at the beginning of
the divination, that will indicate the nature of the question.



First Operation

The diviner shuffles the entire pack until he feels like stopping the
shuffle, or until the pack begins to feel heavy in his hands. One comes
soon to recognize this feeling. While shuffling the diviner should
mentally and most earnestly invoke the aid of the true self to assist
in the operation.

After the shuffle the diviner hands the entire pack to the Querent, who
cuts it once, completing the cut so that the portion of the pack which
was at the bottom when the Querent received it from the diviner is now
on top.

The diviner now takes the cards, and with his left hand cuts the pack
into two piles, from right to left, on the table before him, thus:

            Pile   Pile
             1
                    2

He then cuts each of these into two piles, again to the left, and with
his left hand, so that Pile 3 is taken from Pile 1, and Pile 4 from
Pile 2, as shown below.

        Pile Pile
                   Pile
                        Pile
         4
              3
                    2
                         1

These four piles of cards, counting from right to left, represent the
four letters of the Hebrew divine name, YOD-HEH-VAU-HEH (IHVH, or
Jehovah), thus:

    HEH 2   VAU
                  HEH 1
                           YOD
    Pile
            Pile
                   Pile
                           Pile
      4
             3
                    2
                            1

The diviner now examines these piles of cards, to find in which one the
Significator, (Bauteleur or Papesse) is located.

If the Significator appears in the YOD Pile (No. 1) the diviner says to
the Querent: "Your question is about the beginning of some enterprise,
about the root-ideas behind some matter. It is more concerned with
causes than with outward conditions, and may have to do with the
spiritual life."

If the Significator appears in the HEH Pile (No. 3), the diviner says:
"Your question has to do with your desires and wishes, with the
formation of plans, with some state of your emotions or affections,
with matters in which your feelings are deeply affected."

If the Significator is in the VAU Pile (No. 2), the diviner says: "You
want to know what to do, what action is best to bring about some
result, either to avoid some conflict with others, or to overcome some
conflict which has already come up. Your question is somehow connected
with inharmony, with disappointment, either actual or threatened."

If the Significator be in the 2nd HEH Pile (Pile 4), the diviner says:
"Your question has to do with the things of the outer world, or
practical life. It is almost wholly concerned with material affairs."

The beginner will do well to commit these paragraphs to memory, until
he has progressed far enough to depend more completely on intuition. In
any case the substance of what the diviner says to the Querent is
always as above.

Be careful at this point not to let the Querent state his question to
you. You should be able to state it to him, by reason of the position
of the Significator. You may have to add some few words of explanation
to those suggested above, but unless the Querent acknowledges that you
have correctly determined the main substance of his question, abandon
the attempt to divine for him, and do not resume it for at least two
hours. Better still, wait until the next day. If you are unable to
determine the nature of the question by the position of the
Significator the divination is "not radical," as astrologers say of
those indications in a horary chart which indicate that no attempt
should made to give advice or delineation. Never proceed with a
divination unless you have been successful in this first operation.

Before continuing with the next lesson, you should practice every day,
at first by yourself, and then with a sympathetic friend. Carry the
whole first operation through, up to the formulation of the question,
in accordance with the position of the Significator. Put a different
question, and a different kind of a question, each time. Keep a record
of your practice, in which you note:  (1) the number of attempts; (2)
the number of times the Significator fell in a pile that corresponded
to the question; (3) the number of times the Significator did not so
fall.

Continue this preliminary practice for at least one week before going
further.
