The Tarot deck is really a
gathering of ‘’archetypes’’. Even though it was left to the father of Analytical
Psychology, Carl G. Jung to coin the term, the tarot cards have all along been
communicating through the medium of archetypes, so named by Jung, centuries
later, giving credence to his concept of the “Collective Unconscious”. The
‘’Collective Unconscious” is where all knowledge already exists and is available
provided somebody can tap into it. However because it is a primal and universal
entity it can only communicate through symbols which every human being at some
level is able to recognize. Jung differentiates between a psyche’s ‘’personal
unconscious’’, wherein all that is forgotten, denied, suppressed or blocked by
a person is relegated, as opposed to a ‘’collective unconscious’’ which is a
primordial and universal repository, the ‘’soul of the world’’. The
‘’collective unconscious’’ as defined by Jung would explain how psychic systems
like the Tarot work.
Jung gave the name ‘’Archetypes’’
to Freud’s ‘’archaic remnants’’ or Plato’s ‘’Ideas’’ and explained them as
instincts manifesting themselves in fantasies and dreams often revealing their
presence by symbolic images. These are, however, substantially more than just symbols,
they would have existed for ever but can be said to come alive only when
recognized by consciousness. The archetypes typically originate in the
‘’unconscious’’ part of the psyche therefore, understandably, the conscious part
is not able to decipher them readily, for they are unknown to it.
Jung of course was solely
concerned with dream analysis and also studied at length how the archetypes
found their way into myths and fairytales, but the archetypes in the Tarot
cards were never seriously explored by him. Inspite of that, practically all
the archetypes mentioned by Jung can be found in a deck of Tarot cards, especially
in the Major Arcana, and some may even be projecting more than one archetype. Moreover,
just as the human Psyche has, as described by Jung, the ‘’Self’’ and the
“Shadow” so does the Tarot archetype have a positive persona and a hidden negative
aspect. It is the Tarot reader’s intuition and the surrounding cards that
decide what the archetypes are trying to communicate.
INDIVIDUATION
Jung calls the process of the
‘’unconscious’’ trying to come into consciousness, so that the Self could be made
whole, ‘’individuation’’. Normally the ‘unconscious’ communicates through
archetypes in dreams which to the primitive man was very clear but modern man
with all the sophistry at his command has lost the ability to decipher that
ancient language. A tarot reading when used for the right reasons fulfills the
same purpose. It tries to bring to light what is going on with the querent especially
what he/she is not conscious of. Our life’s purpose is to make our fragmented
psyche whole again, therefore, a Tarot reading is generally a very uplifting
and wonderful experience for a querent.
JUNG’S ARCHETYPES
The ‘Shadow’ and the ‘Self’ are
the two parts of the Psyche – the ‘unconscious’ and the ‘conscious’- the black
and white – literally a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde scenario. Similarly the
separation of the male and the female is also a cause of conflict in the psyche
and gives rise to the archetypes ‘Anima’ in the male and the ‘Animus’ in the
female. The ‘Mother’ and the ‘Father’ the primary care providers leave an indelible
impression on a person’s psyche which manifest in various ways in the
unconscious. ‘Death’ is another archetype along with ‘Rebirth’ which is a
recurring theme being projected by the unconscious. The Wise Old Man/Woman is
another one of Jung’s archetypes which has found its way into the Tarot.
The SHADOW in the Tarot
Though every Tarot card has a
negative aspect and serves as a warning to the querent, the DEVIL denoted
as a grotesque creature of the dark, generally with horns and a tail, is the
epitome of what the ‘’Shadow’’ is . In this card the Devil is shown looming
large behind a couple holding them in chains. Similarly, the ‘’Shadow’’ is
forever lurking behind the psyche threatening to raise its ugly head in a moment
of weakness, metaphorically always holding it at ransom – in chains. But if the
psyche could acknowledge and see the ‘’Shadow’’, for the figment that it is,
its effect would be nullified, just as in the Tarot Devil the chains are a farce – there only as long as the two people do not reach
out and throw them, for their hands are free.
Though as stated above almost every card has a negative aspect to it,
two cards clearly depict it viz the High Priestess and the Chariot. The first
has a black and a white column and a curtain behind her hinting at hidden
lessons to be learnt and the Chariot has a black and a white horse/sphinx
clearly asking for a balance to the prevalent negativities.
The Moon card in the Celtic Tarot beautifully depicts the Self and the
Shadow in the Psyche, through the two phases of the moon. The Shadow figure is
hiding her face behind a veil and slinking into the darkness.
The Hanged Man too, in a way, depicts the Shadow – life gone awry,
everything upside down.
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| The Devil - Visconti Sforza deck- the Shadow derives power from the fear it is able to generate |
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| The Chariot - Mythic Tarot deck-a black and a white horse representative of the Shadow and the Self |
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| The Moon - Celtic Tarot Deck- interlocking circles represent 2 phases of the moon. To me it looks like a representation of the psyche. |
The MOTHER, the FEMININE or the ANIMA in the TAROT
There are a number of cards denoting the above archetypes –viz. the
Empress, the four Queens, the High Priestess, Strength, the Moon and Justice.
When appearing in a female querent’s reading they denote the ‘Mother’.
Depending on the card the facet of the ‘Mother’ archetype can be determined. In
a male querent’s reading these cards would denote the ‘Anima’ ie the
suppressed, feminine, creative energy in a man. Again depending on the card the
type of energy that wants to see the light of day can be ascertained.
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| Arthur Waite Deck - the quintessential mother |
The FATHER, the MASCULINE or the ANIMUS in the TAROT
The cards representing these archetypes are the Emperor, the four
Kings, the four Knights, the Heirophant, the Hermit, the Magician and the Sun. When
appearing in a male querent’s reading they could represent the ‘Father’
archetype and depending on the card the different facets of the same may be
ascertained. In a female querent’s reading they would represent the ‘Animus’ or
the repressed masculine energy.
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| The Emperor - Crowley's Thoth Tarot - the father figure |
The SELF
The ‘Self’ archetype is evident in the cards – the Fool, the World and
to an extent the Hanged Man which depicts a Self that is paralyzed or out of
sync, stuck in an impossible position. The Fool is generally shown as a young
person of indeterminate sex (androgynous) almost stepping off a cliff. The
remaining 21 cards of the Major Arcana tell a story about this person’s journey
through life till, rich with life’s lessons learnt, he/she reaches maturity
into the figure in the World card.
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| The Fool - Mythic Tarot - innocent and vulnerable. Pure potential. |
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| The World - Mythic Tarot - has come full circle. The fragmented psyche is now whole. |
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| The Hanged Man - Thoth Tarot - the upside down Self. |
The DEATH and REBIRTH in the TAROT
This archetype is denoted by the cards of Death and the Tower as also
the 10 of Swords in the Minor Arcana, which in the Arthur Waite deck shows ten
swords stuck in a man’s back. These cards are not so much about physical death
as about a crying need for change, renewal and resurgence.
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| Death - Thoth Tarot-Change and renewal |
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| The Tower - Haindl Tarot deck-the false ego crumbling down. Time to let go |
The WISE OLD MAN/ the WISE OLD WOMAN
This archetype is completely depicted by the Hermit card. It can also
be seen in the cards of the Magician and the Heirophant, in so far as they have
valuable life lessons to share. This archetype is actually an extension of the
‘Self’, the inner voice or also the voice of god. In a female querent’s reading
the same can be depicted by the High Priestess.
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| Merlin Tarot Deck - withdrawn his super-consciousness inwards and comprehends transcendent truths. He is the enlightened Self |
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