Topic: Magick & Spirituality

The Four Suits of the Tarot:
Tools for Understanding the Elements

by Christine Hall

The basic building blocks of the Tarot are the same basic building blocks of all occult knowledge; the four elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. These days, many people have a superficial knowledge of these elements because of the popularity of astrology. However, many astrologers get so caught-up in discovering the beauty and intricacy of the astrological system that they never give the study of the pure elements the attention they deserve, ending up with only a cursory knowledge of this basic ingredient of all spiritual knowledge. They know, for example, that people born under a Fire sign tend to be strong willed and volatile or that Water people are moody and emotional, but little more. An in-depth study of Fire and Water would do much to help them understand why.

The world we are born into and live is the complete opposite of our true nature. Why do so many of us feel as though we are aliens on our own planet, cut off from our family, friends and the rest of humanity? Walking alone in this strange world, we are confronted with the ups and downs as if thrown into a tormented sea, tossed up and down on the waves of life, just waiting to be thrown against the rocks along the shore. “Why me?” We ask ourselves, as we look at everyone else, seemingly gliding through life on a breeze unaffected by life’s hardships. Why does my heart ache with longing, and what I am longing for? Is it God, is it peace, is it a better job, a better relationship? Why is it when I get all the things I want, I am still not experiencing peace? Does no one else have this burning desire to be whole and complete, even for an instant? What about living a life in perpetual bliss…. is that a myth?

Imagine a nondescript door. People walk by it every day, ignoring it. If they knew that beyond this door was a land showered with divine energy, then perhaps they would enter. Stepping through, they would experience profound feelings, understanding, and focus. That door is gratitude, something easy to miss.

Being grateful is a doorway to the divine. Much more than being thankful when someone is kind to you, gratitude covers all experience. At its base is a deep appreciation for being alive. Life is a miracle and a blessing. From this sacred place, spiritual energies and insights can fill your mind, heart, and body.

One cannot have healing without embracing that which needs to be healed. Meditation provides a pathway in the mind to observe the multitude of painful thoughts and emotions that we all carry that keep us separate from the One and one another. The states of consciousness available through meditation allow for objectivity, so lucidity can shine through the ego's darkest illusions in daily living.

For the past three years I have traveled annually to Chennai, India to study the principles of Vastu Science as applied to architecture. I had become aware of this tradition of sacred architecture, that was supposed to be founded in basic principles of the laws of nature, through my work and research during the previous two years. During that time I had been commissioned to design two buildings that conformed to what my clients called Sthapatya Vedic architecture.

Imagine living in a culture where sex was sacred and not a sin! The cultures that honored the divine feminine, existing for over 30,000 years, knew that our sexuality was a life-affirming expression of the life force. Sexuality and spirituality was never seen as separate in these cultures and only became split during the patriarchal era. The ancient cultures understood that sexual pleasure was a wonderful way to honor the Goddess, connect with spirit and renew the land, as well as to connect deeply with others.

The rituals performed at Beltane, (the Celtic celebration of the rebirth of spring on May 1st) reflected this integration of sex, spirit, and community. Such celebrations were enacted in earth honoring cultures all over the world and continue in areas such as Latvia, one of the oldest intact cultures in Europe (5,000 years or more). On the summer Solstice, every adult Latvian participates in a celebration that is similar to Mardi Gras, with its ribald jokes, libations and erotic costumes, but with added benefits.

In 1967, director Roman Polanski made one of the most delightfully evil movies ever released by mainstream cinema. True to the old adage that great films are made from mediocre novels, Rosemary’s Baby was based on the just so-so novel by Ira Levin which tells the story of Rosemary Woodhouse, who is manipulated by her husband and his “witch” friends to have the devil’s baby.

It seemed natural that Polanski would hire as consultant Anton La Vey, who had recently gained notoriety in San Francisco by proclaiming himself to be the high priest of the Church of Satan and declaring “the year one,” the year of the devil, a sentiment that was repeated in the movie by a coven of devil worshippers. It also seemed natural that the director would use this self proclaimed Satanist to play the devil in this film, where he is seen impregnating the drugged Rosemary in a series of quick subliminal flashes. However, what seemed like a perfect fit might have had dire consequences for everyone involved in this project.

Last year at the Regional Conference in San Francisco, I introduced the ritual of the Great Marriage as an archetype for female sexuality as it was viewed by the cultures that honored the divine feminine. Collectively these are called the Goddess cultures. For those of you who are new to the Goddess information, there are cultures that existed for more than 30,000 years and until around 5 to 8,000 years ago that were women-centered as well as women honoring.

Women’s sexual desire in these ancient matrilineal societies was considered an active, powerful erotic drive. Their view of women’s sexuality was far more life affirming than what has developed under patriarchy. The wisdom of ancient cultures is that sexual desire is a sacred gift of the Great Mother. In these cultures, women were raised to feel plenty of permission to explore sexual pleasure without judgment and within a world view that integrated sexuality with spirituality.

In the world of alternative spirituality people are on all sorts of paths. There are those who gather in covens to uncover the spirit of the old European paganism. There are Ceremonial Magicians who attempt to open the door on the Magick of the ancient Egyptians. There are those who sit in their asanas and practice the esoteric breath techniques from India to arouse their Kundalini. In the New Age, there are all sorts of crystal and sound and whatever-feels-good bliss ninnies as well.

As disparate as these groups are, they have more in common that one might at first think. For one thing, all of these groups will readily pay homage to Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, in the New Age Buddhism has become something of an orthodoxy, in much the same way that the Catholics and Episcopalians (or Presbyterians and Methodists - take your pick) represent orthodox Christianity.

Carlos Castaneda was a pioneer of the consciousness movement that began with people like Dr. Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. He died in 1998 of liver cancer there was hardly a ripple in the press.

His work may seem somewhat tame today, but he created a stir back in 1969 with the publication of his first book, The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge. The book, supposedly true, was written like a novel and told the story of Castaneda’s trek south of the border to apprentice under Don Juan, an old Yaqui Indian shaman or “brujo,” who was said to possess the powers of a sorcerer. Many hippies and communal types of the day found this approach to expanded consciousness more appealing than eastern meditation, for Don Juan didn’t require a vegetarian diet. He also knew about the peyote cactus and how to use it.