Meditations on the Tarot

Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism was published posthumously and anonymously in 1985. It was originally written in French and it just so happens the current writer shared a flat in Brighton with the translator, Robert A. Powell, back in the day. At that time, Robert was recognised for his profound knowledge of astrology, especially the approach based on Rudolf Steiner’s teachings. Robert went on to translate this book from the original French into English.

The identity of the author is known, but he requested this book be kept anonymous, so it would be judged on its content and not on its writer. It was not published until ten years after his death.

Meditations on the Tarot is a simply extraordinary book. The profound esoteric knowledge of the writer is evident from the very opening, and the copy in the current writer’s possession is full of annotations for just about every page, as each element of each card is, in its own way, revelatory.

First Illustration in Meditations on the Tarot - Marseilles Deck

The sub-title of the book is ‘A Journey into Christian Hermeticism’. The author came from a background in Orthodox Christianity and also the creative well springs of late 19th Century Russian Esotericism. But his book dips deep into the river of Hermetic Lore, the wisdom stream of knowledge that traces its roots back to ancient Greece and Egypt.

In the foreword to the book the following statement is made.

'These meditations on the Major Arcana of the Tarot are Letters addressed to the UnknownFriend. The addressee in this instance is anyone who will read all of them and who thereby acquires definite knowledge, through the experience of meditative reading,about Christian Hermeticism.'

The author points out that France is unique in its tradition of study of the Tarot in French writings going back over centuries. Reading the Letters all the way through is designed to have a definite effect on the consciousness. 

---

The illustrations throughout Meditations on the Tarot, are from the Marseilles Deck. The author trusted the symbology of this deck for explaining Hermeticism.

It is possible to find the book on the Internet, for free, but reading a book of this length on a screen would be uncomfortable and for those who are attracted to these excellent writings, your own paper copy is highly recommended.

This is not a book about divination. It is rather a book about the Divine and how Sophia (or Divine Wisdom) manifests in the World. 

It is possible to find the book on the Internet, for free, but reading a book of this length on a screen would be uncomfortable and for those who are attracted to these excellent writings, your own paper copy is highly recommended.

This is not a book about divination. It is rather a book about the Divine and how Sophia (or Divine Wisdom) manifests in the World. 

Where the major arcana of the tarot actually starts is a debate. The author chooses to start with the Magician, which makes a lot of sense as he explains the things found on the table and the significance of the Magician’s hat.

In this chapter he explains Hermeticism: “Now Hermeticism, the living Hermetic Tradition guards the communal soul of all true culture. Hermetists listen to and now and then hear, the beating heart of the spiritual life of humanity. They cannot do otherwise than live as guardians of the life and communal soul of religion, science and art.

A great secret is given above. This paragraph is well worth pondering as it expresses a deep and important truth. it is worth asking ‘Who are the Hermetists’ and looking for them today. They can be found.

In the anonymous author’s opinion, The Fool falls as card XXI, and he explains why.