The Tarot Code

by Carlo Bozzelli

  Fig. 14

  Hermes and the Hermit

  We may be permitted to ask ourselves why, in a Christian cathedral which, according to the logic of the official church, should be quite bare of this sort of iconography, Hermes Trismegistus is represented, in the first tile itself, precisely at the entrance, the most significant location in the entire building? In order to entirely understand the intentionality of this disposition, it is necessary to simply remember that the secular esoterical tradition, however nebulous and nonsensical, maintains that the Tarot is an invention of his, already known under the name of the aforementioned Book of Thot.117 Then it cannot be another coincidence that in the first tile is illustrated, precisely as on the cover of any book, the author of the remaining “55”...? Apart from the correctness of the theory on the origin of the Tarot, it is undoubtedly an explicit and voluntary modality for encoding the relationship between the symbolic message on the pavement and that of the Icons. Once we have understood this parallelism, we comprehend why, in the mosaic, behind the shoulder of Hermes, there is depicted a sphinx (fig. 13). We find this symbol, in fact, which is present also in the card of the Wheel of Fortune when the cards are correctly positioned according to the scheme of the 3x7 Diagram, thanks to the natural numerical sequence, exactly behind the shoulders of the Hermit, as in the Cathedral!

  Fig. 15

  Hermit and Sphinx (at the top of the Wheel)

  With this perspective, then, we also understand the reason for the presence of another tile, for centuries considered an implicit reference to the Arcana. In it, a wheel with spokes imagined in movement, dominated by an imposing enthroned emperor and with three personages attempting to ascend and descend. The following illustrated figures will aid in verifying that not only the overall sense of both leads back to the representation of changeable human destiny, but that they undoubtedly resemble each other .It is not by chance that the sphinx, as might a king-emperor, wears a crown on its head...

  Fig. 16

  The two Wheels

  Thus, if it is true that the portrait of Hermes Trismegistus (in any case, we repeat, totally extraneous to the area of Christian symbology) was perhaps made in 1488 by Giovanni di Maestro Stefano, the second mosaic is datable to the first years of the 1400’s, the work of Domenico di Niccolò, master builder of the works of the Duomo from 1413.

  In these circumstances, as well are we obliged, as dictated by the historiography of recent years, to hypothesize that the symbolism present in the Tarot was copied later? Such obstinacy seems completely inadequate to us, also because this pavement was created as a sort of great educative fresco, a teaching by means of images, in a manner in every way similar to the symbolical system of the Tarot itself. We know that this evidence is not sufficient by itself to demonstrate in a definitive manner the correctness of the hypotheses that we affirm. In any case, this is not our objective, which, as we have repeatedly declared, is to demonstrate the presence of a Coded Structure, the sole true custodian of the significance of the Icons. However, it is certainly adequate to call into question the traditional historical point of view and create some doubt in those who categorically refuse the possibility that the Tarot is truly the depositary of an extremely remote Tradition, a common source of inexhaustible spiritual richness.

  Footnotes - Chapter 9

  112 From the work Le attioni di Castruccio Castracane degli Antelminelli Signori di Lucca con la genealogia della famiglia, Aldo Manucci, printed in Rome in 1950.

  113 Storia dei Tarocchi, Giordano Berti, edizione Mondadori 2007.

  114 From Il Castello dei Tarocchi, Andrea Vitali, Scarabeo edition, 2010.

  115 There are many other elements of the Cathedral which would be very interesting to examine but in order to understand them correctly, a more detailed analysis of the Codes of the Tarot is required.

  116 Among these are numbered Giovanni di Stefano, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Domenico Beccafumi and others.

  117 This Code, together with the fact that the God Thoth was considered the inventor of hieroglyphic scripture, explains at least in part why there is a book at the feet of the Hermit.

  Conclusions

  “But in order to accomplish this great task, man must first reach his Self; beyond all the jumble of things without value which clutter his life, he must find himself: not the obvious ego of the egocentric individual but the profound Self of one who is alive in the world.”

  (Martin Buber, The Way of Man)

  In order to avoid doubts and misunderstandings, let us conclude with some clarifications, which we consider indispensable. In particular, we wish to address those who expect to obtain, from the sole reading of a book on the Tarot, a rapid and schematic possibility of competence allowing a practical and, above all, immediate use of its cards. We hope also that those who believe it possible, through reading a simple monograph, to penetrate completely and definitively the profound esoterism of this subject, will ponder our observations. From our writings in the course of this treatise, it should appear clear that the Tarot is custodian of a rich and complex Science, which cannot be completely explored in a summary and precipitous manner.

  This subject requires a disciplined and logical study, which must be carried out in a progressive and methodical manner. Among other things, a teaching that guarantees amazing and permanent results in such an immediate way might perhaps be unworthy of excessive trust. The knowledge contained in the Tarot, moreover, must be transmitted orally, through direct contact between teacher and student, allowing the direct transmission of a part of the knowledge that cannot be integrated by other means. In substance, the entire subject could not be illustrated in one sole writing, even wishing to do so; but, apart from this, it might not even be advisable.

  The purpose of the present work is to offer, to even the most uninitiated, a general panorama of the true essence of these images. As this instrument, the Tarot, during recent centuries, has been ridiculed and debased and even, more or less wittingly, manipulated, our principle purpose has been to divulge the culture connected to the presence of the Coded Structure, the only path, however completely disregarded, leading to a correct orientation.

  Furthermore, in order to reduce the difficulty of the task for those who begin the true study of the Arcana for the first time, we have limited research to certain basic mechanisms, postponing the completion of the entire system to later works. You will have in fact noticed that, differently from the canonical approach to which we have been accustomed by the multitude of essays and manuals offered by scholars and aficionados of the sector, in this work there has been no close examination of the single Arcana, neither the 22 Major nor the 56 Minor. This choice is not motivated by the conviction that a review of them is not worth making. On the contrary, we believe that, owing to their great relevance, a deeper analysis requires the knowledge of further principles not yet described here and which are an essential foundation for an efficacious and detailed research.

  If we return briefly to the comparison according to which, to learn the Tarot means to devote oneself to learning a true language, what we have just said seems clear. In reference to the grammatical aspects, the laws that govern the dynamics of the Codes as well as the construction of the sentences in the course of a reading, it will be well to emphasize that those in evidence here are only a part of the total number of rules with which the Tarot expresses itself and gives voice to its own thoughts. For example, the Law of Duplicity,118 is a particular case of a more general rule, that of Multiplicity, which concerns other Laws, as that of Triplicity and of Quadruplicity. Apart from the aforementioned Law of Difference, of Antithesis, of Contemplation and of Opportunity,119 there exist also the Law of Adjacency, of the Ordinate (also called of Uprightness), of Polarity, of Analogy, and of Uniqueness (also called of Irregularity) which, in their entirety, represent the entire normative body necessary for understanding the composite organization of the Tarot.r />
  The demonstration, coherent with the scientific and testable characteristics of each of these regulated criteria, requires explanations and exemplifications which, as in the case of those already presented, are of well-structured reasoning. Therefore, it is inevitable to postpone to a later context the analytic study in depth of the 78 blades that together, through the individuation of keywords, will allow the construction of the rich vocabulary cited here. These, as does the system of rules, will be interpreted and elaborated in detail, from a symbolical and archetypical point of view and, more relevant still, according to the criteria of decryption amply explained in a work to be published.

  In any case, as we have already disclosed, that the learning of the Tarot cannot derive exclusively from a written teaching, let us attempt to understand the motivations of this requirement. The Arcana constitute a path made up of precise initiatic stages, a Path of knowledge that unwinds in interior evolutionary degrees. This evolution, by its own nature, is generated according to a rhythm of individual and subjective integration. Despite this, in order to be accessible to everyone, it must be developed through an organic and consequential learning model that allows assimilation by everyone, with relative transformation, totally harmonious. Consequently, the Tarot, as a scientific discipline, must be studied according to an exact and punctual training process which, in order to develop in the best manner possible, requires order and timing which only the presence of a true guide may guarantee. In fact, to acquire the knowledge deposited in these Icons is akin to living a vivid and highly meaningful psychological experience that cannot be calibrated nor measured, if not by gradual levels of profundity. However, heterogeneous personal capacities may be, and in certain cases effectively extraordinary, a common denominator is indispensable, a minimum learning interval which, like a safety valve, allows a tranquil and balanced integration into the consciousness. Therefore, didactic supervision of a perfectly prepared instructor is necessary, one who, acting as intermediary, allows the correct development of these principles.120

  According to all of the ancient traditional forms, including those of the Tarot, Human Consciousness creates its own reality. Its voluntary expansion, then, is that which each of us should constantly attain, or at least seek to research. When this movement of amplification, centrifugal (because human beings possess senses projected externally) and also centripetal (because it is inside ourselves that the transmutation occurs) is generated, it causes a slow and radical change in our manner of perceiving ourselves and that which surrounds us.

  Let us imagine ourselves children in our first year at school, during that period in which we learned to read and write. Effectively, that event was a truly extraordinary change of consciousness, destined to influence all the rest of our lives. Previously immersed in a world made of apparently inexplicable lines and signs, finally, after some months of applying ourselves, we are able to comprehend, in a manner rather slow and approximate, but progressively more appropriate, that which at first seemed a chaotic and indecipherable whole. In time, we began to construct sentences, read books and write themes, in certain cases arriving even to the composition of sublime masterpieces. Our awareness, in widening its horizon, has completed a journey of incorporation of this newly learned ability, proving finally to be permanent and stable. And now, the “dilation” of consciousness effected in us by investigation of the Arcana occurs in a completely analogous manner, and is destined to mark us in a similar way. To profit from their study means to learn a new form of observation of reality and means to include in our perspective not only a new symbolic world, but also the mysterious and magical universe of Synchronicity. Furthermore, to meditate upon them and study them in depth is also to confront our Destiny and its principles, whose mechanics are perfectly represented by the Laws which govern the functioning of the Tarot itself. The foundations of our life will be revealed to our eyes in a completely new way; the discoveries towards which we progress will allow us to act and to decide, even for the most ordinary choices, having possibilities and ways unknown until then. We offer a small example to better clarify that which we have affirmed.

  Let us refer to that which we wrote regarding one of the Laws of the Tarot and let us attempt to transpose its meaning into our daily lives, connecting it to the unusual experience of Synchronicity. Let us imagine our reaction, should a “meaningful coincidence” occur twice in a certain time period and let us ask ourselves how we would interpret this circumstance. Let us imagine ourselves taking a stroll, our minds on the destination of our coming vacation. Our desire oscillates between two destinations, which, for different reasons, seem equally attractive: Greece and Kenya. Intent in our stream of consciousness, we meet an acquaintance we have not seen for years and we strike up an enjoyable conversation. During our chat, he tells us that he has just returned from a long and marvellous stay in Kenya. Undoubtedly, we would be surprised by the curious combination of circumstances, as we would find it odd that we should meet by chance someone who speaks so enthusiastically of this country just when we our mind was on the possibility of passing there some weeks of repose... If we were even slightly inclined towards certain ideas, we might come to think of this fact as an explicit omen in favour of the destination to prefer.

  After taking our leave from our friend, we continue to imagine ourselves, on the way home excited and a bit amazed, to recount this singular episode to our spouse and to share with her (or with him) our deductions. Moreover, she or he, ever the ferociously tenacious Cartesian, after listening to our story, a bit amused, exclaims lapidary, “How silly can you be? To trust to random chance for choosing where to go on vacation!” What delusion we might feel facing the impossibility of demonstrating the truth of our hypothesis; and what perplexity in being, first of all ourselves, perhaps, not totally convince...

  In any case, let us ask ourselves again: what might happen if that same evening, during a brief session for making a definite decision, our favourite channel should unexpectedly transmit a fascinating documentary about Kenya that we have not yet seen, describing the enchanting natural landscape, the beauty and the splendid photographic safaris, and the extraordinary warmth of its people. Perhaps even the person who laughed at us before for the importance we attributed to the preceding curious occurrence, owing to this amazing second event might recognize the perfect syntony (with which the voice of Destiny tries to make itself heard, to offer us the right advice and show us the most appropriate direction to follow.

  Attention however to not be fooled by the apparent lightness of the anecdote: beyond the almost banal plot of the episode, chosen precisely for its ordinariness, this regards a manifestation of one of the most potent dynamics with which Destiny reveals itself to us, the Law of Duplicity. We know that a symbol twice present in a spread of cards assures the tarologist of the certainty of its validity in that particular context; this occurrence, at the same time, offers the surety that a voluntary connection exists with the subject of consultation. The same happens for the verification of doubled synchronistic phenomena during a circumscribed lapse of time: there where a single fact alone would perhaps not be guarantee enough for a decision; repetition proves to the observer-protagonist the reality of the hidden sense and intentional relationship with his own daily life.

  In practice, Destiny, through repetition, offers us the possibility of acting faithfully and concretely because accompanied and supported by a precise, if rather metaphysical, confirming causal connection.

  For a mind trained by years of rationalistic attitude, it would be more than legitimate to doubt these declarations even if it is not in our own interest to convince anyone of their validity. All the same, for those who decide to accept the commitment deriving from research in the spiritual field, everything will appear ever clearer and more coherent. The Tarot is an authentic and illuminating Teacher, whose teaching may transform our existence in an exceptional and surprising manner. The only way to verify this is to live it in the
first person, without prejudice or apodictic convictions created by centuries of error and falsehood. Truth, too long buried under dense layers of lies and ignorance, must finally emerge in all its fullness. A modification of orientation of general opinion would seem desirable to us, beginning with the deep-rooted convictions of the collective imagination promoted and fostered by certain not quite disinterested currents of thought. For example, it is known that, based on the official theological position of the Church, whoever uses cards for the purpose of divination commits a reprehensible and sinful act. Therefore, many Catholics believe that the undeniably general use of the Tarot for reading the future is to be considered a negative habit, to be avoided. Consequently, not infrequently, neophytes of the Tarot, in an effort to illustrate the new perspective, which they themselves have only lately discovered, find themselves facing the criticism of friends or acquaintances of that persuasion. In our opinion, these are beliefs to uproot entirely, as they are born of the probably most macroscopic of all errors: that of considering these images, from their own lack of knowledge or from culpable judgement, a censurable instrument, an expression of negative forces at least, if not, indeed, dangerous. Regarding these precepts, therefore, we not only wish to propose a completely different point of view, but also to affirm: