Newsgroups: alt.magick
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 20:40:53 -0400 
From: Ann Laurel Kopchik <ak32+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Detailed notes on Merlin Tarot Workshop with R.J. Stewart
Distribution: alt

Well, I've been lurking beneath the woodwork for a while, bu this drew
me out....

Chris (mascdb@gdr.bath.ac.uk (C D Burdorf)) Sez:

>He basically stated that tarot symbols were derived from an aged
>bardic tradition which was only made cards of in the rennaisance.
>The symbols appeared in stories that were told as readings.
>He claims that the stories of Merlin were used as such and
>that they and the other ones which came from Europe and the Mideast
>were only given devils and punishment aspects when the cards were
>designed based on the stories which was done during the rennaisance.

I would agree that *some* of the symbolism in the Tarot was derived from
Celtic lore, particularly the cups (The notion of the Holy Grail, which
probably came out of the various magic cauldrons in celtic lore when
celtic tradition was mixed with christianity)  I, however, would not go
so far as to say the entire Tarot was derived from bardic tradition.The
Tarot seems (to me anyway) to be a hodge podge of many mythological
sources, poured through a christian filter.

>Stewart Claims that there is no connection between Tarot and
>the Hebrew alphabet and that any attempts to do so is contrived.
> 
>He claims that there are connections to the qabalah though.

How can this be, given that the Quabalah is Hebrew... It's a bit like
saying my macintosh is not 'connected' to the power lines outside my
house, but it is 'connected' to the socket in the wall.  I'm not going
to speculate on whether the Tarot is, in fact, connected to the
Quabalah... from what I've read on the Quabalah, you can connect it to
just about anything.  

>He said that modern tarot understanding is mostly based on work
>done by victorians (Waite, Mathers, Crowley, etc.) which were
>intellectuals coming from strict disciplinarian regimented 
>backgrounds that sought to bring order to the cards, but missed
>out on much of the spiritual aspects partly because many ancient
>texts that weren't available then are available now.

?? Which texts are these?  (This is not a flame, but honest curiosity)  

>He said that while most people think of Merlin as an old man, most
>of the writing of merlin is of him as a prophetic christ-like child.
>He said that Merlin is also similar to Odin of Norse legend.
> 
>Merlin lives his life backwards through time.  


I've seen the poems of Taliesin (sometimes thought to be a contemperary
of Merlin)... I've never seen any writings attributed to Merlin.  I'll
agree that he is presented as a prophet child in many of the myths.  

However, I have never seen Merlin portrayed as living backward in any of
the myths and lore I've read.  I've only seen it in T. H. White's "The
Once and Future King" and Arthurian fiction written after T.H. White. 
Besides, living backwards (if it was possibe) would cause all sorts of
probblems... How would you interact with other human beings?  (Think
about it for a while... It wouldn't be as simple as loosing a year of
age every year... you'd be living *all* time backward.

>Sorry if it's a bit garbled, but after our first visualization, I went
>into a bit of a bliss state and got pretty spacy.
 
No Prob.  Sorry I got a bit wordy... Celtic lore, Arthurian myth, and
Tarot are pet subjects of mine... 

Hehe... now I'll go sit back on the side lines for another year. :-)

-Ann

amergina@cmu.edu
ak32@andrew.cmu.edu

no .sig... just me.
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