Jung Tarot 1
Jung Tarot 1
Jung Tarot 1
to the Tarot
OLLI
WINTER 2022
Donata Glassmeyer, M.A.
Moderator
dglassmeyer513@gmail.com
SOURCE MATERIALS
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SA CC BY-NC-ND
TAROT MAJOR ARCANA. CARDS 0 - 21.
RIDER WAITE DECK.
TAROT: A Tool for Divination
• As a tool for divination, the Tarot cards draw upon
symbols (many times called “archetypes” in the
Jungian tradition). These symbols or archetypes serve
to stimulate our subconscious mind, which tends to
activate the right side of the brain summoning
intuitive abilities. The Tarot is also a tool for personal
story telling and personal growth, the development of
the Self. This process is called “Individuation”
according to Jung. Divination can be described as
accessing information from your subconscious mind to
generate intuitive knowing in your conscious mind.
Jungian terms used in this class
• Archetype: According to Jung, Archetypes are
universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, or
personalities that play a role in influencing human
behavior. Jung said these archetypes were archaic
forms of innate human knowledge passed down from
our ancestors [and are found in most cultures and
throughout human history]. Archetypes are universal
patterns and images that are the contents of the
collective unconscious. (CW9(1):4) That is, they belong
to all of us, everywhere, no matter what our
background or experience, over all time. “It is only
possible to live the fullest life when we are in
harmony with these [rchetypes]; wisdom is a return to
them. (CW8:794).
SOME EXAMPLES OF JUNGIAN
ARCHETYPES
• The Persona – the face we present to the world.
• The Shadow – negative aspects of the personality we
might not want to acknowledge.
• The Anima/Animus-Female and Male energies in each of
us.
• The Self-The totality of the psyche. The Self is realized after
going through the process of Individuation. The Self is the
center of the entire personality as a whole.
Jung suggested that the number of existing
archetypes was not static or fixed. Instead many different
archetypes may overlap or combine at any given time.
Examples include the hero, the father, the mother, the child,
the wise old man or woman, the maiden, the trickster. We
will look at a variety of archetypes in the Tarot
ACTIVE IMAGINATION – A WAY TO
CONNECT WITH ARCHETYPAL
ENERGIES
• Active Imagination is a conscious method of
experimentation. It employs creative imagination as
an organ for “perceiving outside your own mental
boxes.”
• As developed by Jung, active imagination is a
meditation technique wherein the contents of one’s
unconscious are translated into images, narrative or
personified as separate entities. It can serve as a
bridge between the conscious “ego” and the
unconscious mind. ((Wikipedia)
• When we “enter” a Tarot card using active
imagination we often find interesting and useful
information for personal development.
Tarot suits and
corresponding
elements
The suits are:
WANDS - Their element is FIRE.
Hot. Passionate. Ready for
action.
CUPS - Their element is WATER.
Emotions. Feelings. Embracing.
Heart energy.
SWORDS - Their element is AIR.
Thinking. Logic. “In the head”
type of energy.
PENTACLES - Their element is
EARTH. Practical. Work oriented.
Money. Possessions. What we
understand through our sense of
touch.
SYNCHRONICITY
(How the Tarot works)
• When we access the cards in the Tarot,
we often find that just the right card
will appear at just the right time to
provide insight into a question or issue
that needs clarification. Synchronicity,
a term coined by Jung, happens often
in our everyday lives – if we are paying
attention.
Jung’s patients’ dream of the scarab
beetle. An example of synchronicity.
A Four of Cups reading. An example of
synchronicity. (Kingdom Within deck)
Another example of synchronicity
Six of hearts – regular Six of cups – Rider Waite
playing card deck Tarot deck
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BY-SA BY-NC-ND
Donata’s example of synchronicity
with doe and fawn.
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Card 0-The Fool
The Fool’s number is zero.
The fool is not gender
specific. He represents
infinite possibilities. The Fool
is an archetype with many
variations: The Innocent
One; The Happy Wanderer;
The hero/heroine on a quest
for knowledge or adventure;
the trickster. This archetype
is common in cultures
worldwide and across time.
The Fool is on the journey
toward Individuation. He
may not know it at this
stage, but his destination is
Individuation or knowledge
of the true Self. The Fool is
the archetype of the This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC
BY-NC-ND
unrealized Self.
Card I– The
Magician
If the Fool represents
possibilities, the Magician creates
from this place of possibility. He
is a physical conduit for energy
received through his wand from
the divine/source. The four tools
on the table represent the four
suits/elements in the Tarot deck.
He is the skilled master of
creation, the archetype of the
creator (not God, per se) but the
creator of individual potential.
Like the Fool, the Magician can be
a trickster, too. “The Magician
can initiate Jung’s individuation
process towards wholeness,
towards the Self.” (See card XXI
The World) Jung & the Tarot.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-
Sallie Nichols. The Magician is an SA
relate to?
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NC-ND
Card III – The
Empress
The Empress is the archetypal
Mother found across time and
in all cultures. In most Tarot
decks the Empress is eternally
pregnant. She nurtures all of
nature including children,
Mother Earth, pets, our
personal environments – she
protects all creation. This card
represents sensuality and the
embodiment of all that is
feminine. Sometimes the
antithesis of the Good Mother
surfaces in its opposite: Disney’s
archetypal stepmothers and
queens, for instance. They are
Shadow archetypes.
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Card IV – The
Emperor
“The Emperor is the
authoritative protector and
provider who rules the known
world. An archetypal father
figure, he brings order out of
chaos so that civilization can
prosper.” (www.llewellyn.com).
The Emperor is also an
archetype of the Wise Old Man.
He stands for order and
practicality. He is also a
powerful animus figure, an
embodiment of the rule of law
and logic. The Emperor’s
Shadow side becomes the
tyrant, the bully, the feared
father. The Emperor is not
usually in contact with the
creativity of the unconscious.
(Personality, Divination & the This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Tarot)
Comparison of Empress III and
Emperor IV. Anima and Animus.
The Empress is chiefly The Emperor is chiefly
concerned with feeling. concerned with thinking.
PLAYBILL
FROM
THE
MUSICAL
“HAIR”
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
VI The Lovers
card from The
Marseilles Tarot-Circa
16th century France
The Lovers Card is telling us
(The Fool on his journey
towards individuation) to
make a choice. “Cupid is the
angelic creature concerned
with fate and destiny. . .The
card speaks to both men and
women, and its
developmental message is
that we must detach
ourselves from our parents
in order to become This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-
NC
independent people…Detach
and grow up we must.” (Carl
Sargent). What other choices
does this card imply? How is
this card different from the
Rider-Waite version?
The Lovers Card VI
Jean Noblet Tarot 1650.
The following music video Pied Piper (Love Yourself-Her album) features BTS
reflecting on their enormous influence on more than forty million worldwide
fans (called ARMY). Pied Piper reminds fans that over attachment to the band
may take its toll on their school work, their jobs, their relationships. Shadow
energy is overwhelming seductive in this song. Lyrics are mostly in Korean, but
you’ll get the gist and you can Google English lyrics.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Sorry, I could not embed
the YouTube video here.
Something to do with
copyright issues. So, if
you would like to view
the music video PIED
PIPER by BTS, just visit
YouTube and search BTS
PIED PIPER with English
lyrics subtitled. You’ll be
glad you did and you’ll
learn more about Tarot
card XV The Devil with a
Jungian Shadow
emphasis.
THE SHADOW IS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THE
‘POSITIVE’ AND ACCEPTABLE’ ASPECTS OF THE
INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONALITY. Thus in a Tarot reading,
reversed cards can also often depict this shadow
aspect of a situation depicted in the picture.
(Reversed cards are the subject of much debate and
beyond the scope of this class.)