Hi Cassie,
I'm absolutely open to debate on any topic.
To start, yes where? The first, which comes to mind is what you should consider and let's have a discussion about it!! That is what MB used to be like!
Take one example, when Crowley did his deck, he thought it will be "six" months. Shame!!!! It took five years! Then we find that some cards, associations and interpretations were changed up to eight times (which is the true one?). If you browse a bit, you will see that we have two differing images, and this is only the Fool! Even the coloring is different.
Don't think that this did not happen, before. The RW has a few variations, done by PC Smith and AE Waite, here we also find that the colors do not correspond!
I don't know if you have a copy of "The Pictorial key to the Tarot" by AE Waite. It's an Adobe doc. just look for it on the internet.
I want to bring to your attention the "Secret Doctrine". This has to do with Freemasonry and Hermitisicm-(birthed in Alexandria-Egypt). Then, once you have studied these principals, as outlined, you may see that our "doctrine" today is not only derived from one set of cards, one set of interpretations, and perhaps birthed in Egypt, therefore the possible link to the Kabbalah?, however, this is totally open to discussion.
No single Tarotist will agree on this, so, truly, it may be a very good point of discussion to start with, what do you think?
When we start looking back into the History of Tarot. It was a set of "playing cards" which eventuated to become Icons or "paintings" hung on walls! The very first complete Tarot decks, as we know it, was the Sola Busca, upon which the RW and A. Crowley based their designs. Evidently Crowley did his Thoth deck, later than Waite. This does not mean, he merely copied from Waite, not at all. The book of Thoth, is referred to by Waite, a few times. And then we have all the other's, Alliette, Brown and other"Alchemical and Hermitic Scholars" When you refer to the "Myths" explained by the suit cards, we may find it in the Sola Busca Tarot.
Another interesting point in the Sola Busca, is the Numbering of the Court Cards! The numbering continous from ten, going eleven, Page (1+1=2), twelve, Knight (1+2=3), thirteen, Queen (1+3=4) fourteen, King (1+4=5). When we look at particularly the Kings, we find it being number five, being the Hierophant in the Majors. Consider, that even a King, will bend his knee before God. Does the Hierophant now control the Kings? We find a great many Kingdoms being directed primarily by the "religious order"? What then is the influence of a King, and the inherent impact we may find, by a showing of the Hierophant?
The numeric attributions is to a large extend adopted from Pythagoras and his Tetractus. (BTW, I wrote the first article to be hosted on Yahoo no 1, in this regard, years ago), then we have the followers! Therefore each number has a multiple universe. "As Above, so below"
Now, who are we going to believe? or is the "Tarot of the Bohemians" the answer. What about the Tarrochi Siciliano, which has a "beggar" as a card, which may also be "The Devil" Then we find here "Fortitude", which may be "Temperance" or "Strength".
Therefore, don't consider my theories as "principal" or fact. I derive all from our Tarot-masters, but may rephrase or try to interpret it as how it may have a connotation to what we see and perceive as the way in which Tarot is used?
What I do know, is that you do not consider Tarot as a Divinatory System, by which the Future may be foretold. You indicated that the Majors is but Archaic explanations of more complex structures.
Due to the formation and direction of the Hebrew alphabet, you may find that the archaic, is limited to a number of cards, where we find a lead-on, into Existential, and ultimately Cosmic. This is displayed by the numeric values, and it's finals. This is an interesting subject to be discussed.
Which cards in the Major Arcanum, can we see as archaic, existential or cosmic?
Why don't you start this thread, and let us have a live debate about this subject. I've asked a few questions. Why can't it be discussed and torn apart, making for an informative exercise!
Blessed be.
