Table Of Content

Alfred Douglas THE TAROT THE TAROT Alfred Douglas was born in England in 1942. Inspired by his family's interest in arcane tradition, he began to srudy occult symbolism when he was stili very voung. His attraction to orienta! behefs and practices lcd to his first full-length work, How to Ccrnsult the I Cning, published in 1971. Later in 1976 his book entitled Extra Sensory Powers: A Cenrury of Psychi- cal Research was published. He is a member of the College of Psychic Studies and of the celebra-Led Sociery for Psychical Research, the oldest organization of its kind in the world. A regular contributor to the journal Prediction and a frequent guest on British radio and television, Douglas lives in North London with his family. On the next page (cid:9) The twenty-two cards of the Tarot major trumps arranged in a figure- of-eight. (Drawings by David Sheridan.) BY THE SAME AUTHOR: THE ORACLE OF CHANGE How to Consult the I Ching ARKANA Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood. Vittoria, Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Akorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 Penguin Books (N2) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Oftices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England First published in the United State& of America by Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc., 1972 First published in Great Britain by Victor Gollanc2 Ltd 1973 Published in Penguiu Books in the United States of America 1973 Published in Penguin Books in Great Britain 1974 Published by Arkana 1991 3 5 7 91086 4 2 Copyr (cid:9) Alfred Douglas, 1972 Otgiaald~ copyríght C David Sheridan, 1972 AIl rights reserved Printed in England by Clays Ltd, St Pres pie T!:peset in Manti(' Except in del:~ Suits o America, Mia bank is sold subject to the condidoet tiri ie sim1E noi, b5 was ai trade or otherwise, he lent, re-sold, hired 01IL a- °d'emise curralated without the publisher's prior consent :n any forni of binding or nover other than that in wIneb it is pabbsbed and Nbitbou" a similar oondtIon incl.aing 'bis condition ben imposed on the subsequent purebascr ALFRED DOUGLAS The Tarot THE ORIGINS, MEANING AND USES q F THE CARDS Illustrated by David Sheridan ARKANA To my old friend MADELINE MONTALBAN who introduced me to the Tarot ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Grateful acknowledgement is herewith made to the following publishers far their kind permission to quote from tities published by them: To George Allen & Unwin Ltd., publishers of Schopenhauer's Essays translated by Thomas Bailey Saunders. To Rider and Company, publishers of Trauscendental Magic and A Histwy of Magic by Eliphas Lévi, and The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus. To Routiedge & Kegan Paul Ltd. and to Princeton University Press, publishers of The Strutture and E)ynamics of the Psyche and Psychology and Alchemy, volumes 8 and 12 of the collected works of C. G. Jung, edited by G. Adler, M. Fordham, H. Read, translated by R. F. C. Hull (Bollingen series XX); and Aurora Con- surgens, edited by Marie-Louise von Franz, translated by R. F. C. Hull and A. S. B. Glover (Bollingen series LXXVII). Thanks are also due to the Trustees of the British Museum for their courtesy in allowing the reproduction of itoms in their collection of playing cards. The author would also like to record his appreciation of the help extended to him during his researches by Professar Mario Tassorti and Miss Liana Borghi of the Italian Institute, London; and to Mr Adriano Lombardini of Bergamo, Italy, for permission to reproduce cards from the Masenghini Tarocco pack. The Tarot designs reproduced 011 pages 28-29 were photo- graphed by John Freernan; alt the other photographs are the work of Barry Rolfe. 7 CONTENTS Page Freface What are Tarot cards?(cid:9) 13 Chapter The origin of Tarot cards(cid:9) 19 2(cid:9) The symbolism of the Tarot(cid:9) 26 The Medieval Renaissance(cid:9) 26 Gnostic influences on Medieval thought(cid:9) 30 The Gnostic theme of the major trumps(cid:9) 32 The varied sources of Tarot imagery(cid:9) 33 The Art of Memory(cid:9) 34 The gamé of Triumphs(cid:9) 35 The minor cards of the Tarot pack(cid:9) 35 The four Gran Hallows(cid:9) 36 The Four Treasures of Ireland(cid:9) 37 3(cid:9) The meaning of the major trumpa(cid:9) 39 4(cid:9) The major arcana(cid:9) 46 The Fool(cid:9) 47 I The Magician(cid:9) so II The Papess(cid:9) 53 III The Empress(cid:9) 57 IV The Emperor(cid:9) 6o V The Pope(cid:9) 63 VI The Lovers(cid:9) 66 VII The Chariot(cid:9) 69 VIII justice(cid:9) 72 IX The Hermit(cid:9) 75 X The Wheel of Fortune(cid:9) 78 9