Denver Tarot Geeks

Near the end of the 19th century, a burgeoning magical society called the Order of the Golden Dawn began connecting the dots between the tarot and the centuries-old spiritual philosophy known as Hermetic Qabalah. The results projected the 78 cards into a pictorial map of cosmology, the human soul, ceremonial magic and many other applications beyond divination.

In this 11-month series, we will be taking a look at the tarot behind the tarot via a comprehensive and integrated approach to the cards’ correspondences with the Qabala’s primary glyph, the Tree of Life. Exploring its concepts, how the cards reflect these concepts, and the interconnected network they create, each session will focus on a particular subsection of the Tree and the cards associated with them.

This month we will be discussing the sephiroth comprising the Astral Triad: Netzach, Hod & Yesod, respectively symbolized by the Sevens, Eights, and Nines of the Minor Arcana.

The material is of an intermediate to advanced level, so participants would be expected to already have a basic knowledge of tarot. We recommend using a deck that follows a Golden Dawn, Thelemic or similar tradition for the most relevant symbolism. Some good examples include:

Golden Dawn Magical Tarot
Builders of the Adytum
Thoth Tarot
Golden Dawn Tarot
Rider-Waite-Smith

We also recommend some reading material to get the most out of the discussion:

The Qabalistic Tarot: A Textbook of Mystical Philosophy by Robert Wang
Paths of Wisdom: A Guide to the Magical Cabala by John Michael Greer
The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages by Paul Foster Case
A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight
The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford by Lon Milo DuQuette
The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune

Denver Tarot Geeks again joins forces with the Greater Seattle Tarot Meetup for an experiential deep dive into the inner workings of the soul. This year we will work our way up the qabalistic Tree of Life sephirah by sephirah, meditating on the qabalistic image, integrating the corresponding Minor Arcana cards of the tarot, and considering the astrological decan images that match those cards.

Each session will consist of a short overview of the symbolism of the sephirah and its context within the Tree of Life, an experience or practice with the magical image, discussion, and a glance at the decanic images to inspire further exploration on your own.

The meditations, visualizations, and other practices we'll engage in produce deep mental refreshment, heighten intuition and psychic ability, and are an energetically balanced method for soul exploration and spiritual growth.

Feb 3: Malkuth and the four Tens
Mar 2: Yesod and the four Nines
Apr 6: Hod and the four Eights
May 4: Netzach and the four Sevens
June 1: Tiphareth and the four Sixes
July 6: Geburah and the four Fives
Aug 3: Chesed and the four Fours
Sep 7: Binah and the four Threes
Oct 5: Chokmah and the four Twos
Nov 2: Kether and the four Aces

Near the end of the 19th century, a burgeoning magical society called the Order of the Golden Dawn began connecting the dots between the tarot and the centuries-old spiritual philosophy known as Hermetic Qabalah. The results projected the 78 cards into a pictorial map of cosmology, the human soul, ceremonial magic and many other applications beyond divination.

In this 11-month series, we will be taking a look at the tarot behind the tarot via a comprehensive and integrated approach to the cards’ correspondences with the Qabala’s primary glyph, the Tree of Life. Exploring its concepts, how the cards reflect these concepts, and the interconnected network they create, each session will focus on a particular subsection of the Tree and the cards associated with them.

This month we will be discussing the paths comprising the Astral Triad: Peh, Resh & Tzaddi, corresponding with the Tower, Justice and the Hermit.

The material is of an intermediate to advanced level, so participants would be expected to already have a basic knowledge of tarot. We recommend using a deck that follows a Golden Dawn, Thelemic or similar tradition for the most relevant symbolism. Some good examples include:

Golden Dawn Magical Tarot
Builders of the Adytum
Thoth Tarot
Golden Dawn Tarot
Rider-Waite-Smith

We also recommend some reading material to get the most out of the discussion:

The Qabalistic Tarot: A Textbook of Mystical Philosophy by Robert Wang
Paths of Wisdom: A Guide to the Magical Cabala by John Michael Greer
The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages by Paul Foster Case
A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight
The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford by Lon Milo DuQuette
The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune

Denver Tarot Geeks again joins forces with the Greater Seattle Tarot Meetup for an experiential deep dive into the inner workings of the soul. This year we will work our way up the qabalistic Tree of Life sephirah by sephirah, meditating on the qabalistic image, integrating the corresponding Minor Arcana cards of the tarot, and considering the astrological decan images that match those cards.

Each session will consist of a short overview of the symbolism of the sephirah and its context within the Tree of Life, an experience or practice with the magical image, discussion, and a glance at the decanic images to inspire further exploration on your own.

The meditations, visualizations, and other practices we'll engage in produce deep mental refreshment, heighten intuition and psychic ability, and are an energetically balanced method for soul exploration and spiritual growth.

Feb 3: Malkuth and the four Tens
Mar 2: Yesod and the four Nines
Apr 6: Hod and the four Eights
May 4: Netzach and the four Sevens
June 1: Tiphareth and the four Sixes
July 6: Geburah and the four Fives
Aug 3: Chesed and the four Fours
Sep 7: Binah and the four Threes
Oct 5: Chokmah and the four Twos
Nov 2: Kether and the four Aces