| The origins of the Tarot deck and its | | | | of ten sephiroth connected by twenty-two |
| associated interpretive meanings may never be | | | | pathways corresponding to the twenty-two |
| known with empirical certainty. However, one | | | | letters of the Hebrew alphabet. |
| school of thought subscribed to by | | | | |
| Kabbalistic occultists is that the Tarot deck | | | | With this in mind a correlation between the |
| stems from Jewish mysticism. | | | | tarot deck and the tree of life may be |
| | | | formed. The first correlation is between the |
| Some occultists even go as far as to say it | | | | four worlds of the Kabbalah and the four |
| was an abstract code developed by Kabbalah | | | | suits of the tarot deck. The next |
| masters to embody their thoughts and ideas, | | | | correlation that may be formed is between the |
| in an allegorical format. But before we delve | | | | ten sephiroth and the minor arcana numbered |
| into the nuances of the relationship between | | | | ace through ten. The final relationship that |
| tarot cards and Jewish mysticism we must | | | | may be formed is between the twenty-two cards |
| first answer a fundamental question. What | | | | of the major arcana, twenty-two pathways, at |
| exactly is the Kabballah? | | | | twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. |
| | | | |
| Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah have roots | | | | The major debate among occultist is the |
| that date back to the third to sixth century | | | | placement of the cards on the twenty-two |
| A.D. during this period a book called the | | | | pathways. A common practice would be to |
| "Book of Creation" was written, in anonymity, | | | | start with the first card of the Major Arcana |
| and contained meditations based on the | | | | and proceed arithmetically to the world card |
| twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. | | | | number twenty-two. However, there is a |
| This book is believed to be the foundation of | | | | wrench in the works. The fool card's number |
| modern day Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah. | | | | zero of the major arcana defies placement on |
| However, it would be many centuries before | | | | the pathways as it would skew the other |
| this seedling of ideas would grow into the | | | | twenty-two cards to non-corresponding |
| tree of life we know today as the Kabbalah. | | | | numerical pathways. |
| | | | |
| In fact it would not be until the twelfth and | | | | So, there in lies the rump of the problem. |
| thirteenth centuries A.D. that the ideas and | | | | The placement of the fool card on the |
| concepts, in this book, would be expanded and | | | | pathways has been the subject of much debate. |
| built upon significantly. | | | | Almost as if the fool cards true nature has |
| | | | disrupted the correlation of the tarot cards |
| During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries | | | | and the pathways. However, Court de Gebelin |
| A.D. the writing and publication of the Zohar | | | | wrote an essay in the late 1700's defining a |
| or "Book of Splendor" contributed greatly to | | | | correlation between the cards and the Hebrew |
| the ideas and concepts of the modern | | | | alphabet. In addition another author |
| Kabbalah. One of the major underlying | | | | published in "The Primitive World" Comte de |
| principles of the Kabbalah was that the | | | | Mellet proposed the linking structure between |
| universe consisted of four worlds. These | | | | the tarot cards and the twenty-two pathways |
| four worlds were created in order the highest | | | | marked by the Hebrew alphabet. |
| world belonging to God and the lowest world | | | | |
| belonging to man. | | | | Whether you subscribe to the Kabbalistic |
| | | | school of thought regarding the tarot cards |
| In addition these four worlds consisted of | | | | or not it is very interesting to note the |
| emanations called sephiroth. The four worlds | | | | many similarities between the Jewish |
| were each separated into identical sets of | | | | mysticism and the tarot deck. It is hard to |
| ten sephiroth. The only difference being the | | | | deny that such a correlation exists but never |
| energy associated with them. This energy is | | | | the less one must keep an open mind without |
| defined by the world that the sephiroth | | | | irrefutable historical evidence. |
| resides in. | | | | |
| | | | Although, we may never know the exact |
| Visual aids were constructed from the | | | | origins, nature, or purpose of these mystical |
| sephiroth. The focus of meditation was now | | | | cards one thing is certain we will continue |
| on these geometric structures the most | | | | to enjoy these aesthetically pleasing |
| popular being the tree of life. It consisted | | | | mystical cards for ages to come. |