The Object of Tarot Practice
If you will stop for a moment and consider the chain of circumstances which led to your reading these words, you will trace one primary motive. That motive is your basic desire for inner enlightenment. Even though you approach this study with great skepticism, even though your motive seems to be simply curiosity as to how the claims made as to the effectiveness of Tarot can be substantiated, your interest is primary founded upon that basic spiritual urge to seek Light.
This light-seeking impulse is the first requisite for success in the use of the Tarot. Only when such desire is aroused will the student have the patience to continue the practice work. The very fact that you are reading this instruction is ample proof that you are ready for it, because nothing ever happens by accident. It is a fundamental precept of occultism that when the student is ready his instruction will be forthcoming.
The aim of this instruction is to show you how to use the Tarot Keys for the purpose of evoking thought, and thus bringing to the surface of your consciousness, where you can see and understand them, those fundamental principles of occult science which lie hidden in the hearts of all mankind. All these principles are based upon a single truth, and knowledge of that truth is innate in every human being; but not until it has been found and brought into the light of consciousness is it available for use. Hence the portals of ancient temples bore the motto: 'Know Thyself;' hence Jesus said, 'Seek first into the Kingdom of God, which is within you.'
Its rich symbolism and ingenious construction make the Tarot the best of all instruments for true occult education; that is, for drawing out the wisdom hidden within you. The practical instruction which you will be given will aid you greatly in the interpretation of these Keys. Into your hands will be put the clues which will lead to a deeper understanding of the Tarot and of the laws of life. You must follow these clues yourself. Only in this way will the Tarot bring out the knowledge that lies within you, and this knowledge is all that can possibly be of any importance to you.
To each prospector in this exhaustless mine of ageless wisdom, persevering study will reveal knowledge that another seeker might never discover. Hence, no matter how high may be his sources of information, no interpreter may declare, 'This is the full and final explanation of the Tarot.' There is no final explanation. No student can exhaust the possibilities of this extraordinary symbolic alphabet, any more than one person can exhaust the possibilities of any language. The most that any one can say is that there is a definite manner in which to approach the study of the cards, just as there are tunnels that lead to the heart of a gold mine. The function of this instruction is to provide a map, or plan of the mine. You who read must enter, and dig out the treasure for yourself.
Your first task must be to master the elements of the esoteric language of symbols in which the Tarot is written.
The first six months of your instruction will deal largely with this work. You must at all times pay particular attention, then, to instructions, and carry them out to the letter. Nothing will be given you to do that you cannot carry out with a clear conscience and without fear. If you do follow instructions, you will be most agreeably surprised at the change that six short months will make in your personality. You will find yourself developing the ability to concentrate; you will find yourself endowed with keener perceptions; with a greater comprehension of yourself and your experience of life.
A simple perusal of these words once a week as they are issued will be perfectly useless to you. You might far better save your time and energy. Unless you are willing to devote a certain period each day to this work, so that you can study your cards, it will be futile to expect results. 'Out of nothing cometh nothing.' In simple justice to yourself, prepare to enter into the spirit of Tarot practice.
Do these words sound discouraging? They are deliberately attempting to discourage the widely curious and the superficial. It has been wisely said, 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.' Do not delude yourself into believing that you have no time for this work. It is absurd to say that you have no time for the most important thing in your life, you own spiritual growth. You are probably proving this every day of your life by seek continually for greater enlightenment. You read books, you talk to people about it, attend meetings and lectures. Yet fifteen minutes a day devoted to Tarot study can give you more than hours of other activities. Your Tarot period is the one part of your day that you cannot afford to miss.
Your first practical exercise will be to memorize the following statements. Commit them to memory in the following manner: Read the entire passage from beginning to end, instead of trying to learn it piecemeal. Then try to say it over to yourself. Persist in this practice until you have it. Then write it down on paper. This exercise is the shortest way to memorize a passage. Take care to use it for this work, because it is a correct start for the organization of your conscious processes.
Pattern on the Trestleboard
This is truth about the Self:
- All the power that ever was or will be is here now.
- I am a center of expression for the Primal Will-to-Good which eternally creates and sustains the universe.
- Through me its unfailing Wisdom takes form in thought and word.
- Filled with Understanding of its perfect law, I am guided moment by moment along the path of liberation.
- From the exhaustless riches of its Limitless Substance, I draw all things needful, both spiritual and material.
- I recognize the manifestation of the undeviating Justice in all the circumstances of my life.
- In all things great and small I see the Beauty of the divine expression.
- Living from that Will, supported by its unfailing Wisdom and understanding, mine is the Victorious Life.
- I look forward with confidence to the perfect realization of the Eternal Splendor of the Limitless Light.
- In thought and word and deed, I rest my life, from day to day, upon the sure Foundation of Eternal Being.
- The Kingdom of Spirit is embodied in my flesh.
This Pattern should be used every morning upon arising, and every night before you go to sleep. Be sure to do this, even though it seems a foolish and unnecessary practice at present. Do not say it automatically, but make an attempt to think through the meaning of the words. Make this effort every time you recite it.
The next lesson will give you a greater insight into its inner meaning. The key to this will be in the numbering of the statements. We recommend that you study the Pattern on the Trestle Board in connection with the instruction next week. Secure a notebook, and write therein any interesting observations you may have. Be sure to put them in your notebook, no matter how trivial they may seem.
This notebook is IMPORTANT. It is your occult diary, and it will contain the record of your progress. This diary will be of tremendous importance to you in later practical work. To slight it is to defeat one of the main purposes of this instruction. Use it every time you study, and make an entry at that time, even if it is to record a failure to study at the time scheduled. You will be requested to send it to headquarters at intervals for comment and advice. Other than that, do not show it to anyone. Do not fail to heed these instructions to the letter.
If you have not already colored your Keys, you should begin to do so, in accordance with the instructions you received with them. If it should so happen that you secured your Keys before the coloring instructions were issued, send for a volume containing the history of Tarot, its chief attributions, a brief outline of the meanings of the Keys, complete coloring instructions and a set of colors, which may be had for 75 cents, directly from the School of Ageless Wisdom.
Colored keys are imperative for this work. The symbology connected with the color is highly important, besides the definite effect of the mental impression made by the action of the color impulses upon the cells of your brain. After the next lesson this instruction will proceed upon the assumption that you are using colored Keys.
Editors Note: You may purchase the black and white Tarot Keys referred to in this book and coloring instructions from the Builders of the Adytum by writing to them at 5105 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA or by visiting the B.O.T.A. web site: www.bota.org
As of this printing, a complete set of B.O.T.A. Tarot Keys and coloring instructions can be downloaded free of charge at the following web site: http://tarotinstitute.com/free/bota/index.html
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