Spirit Science 36 ~ Tarot

Spirit Science 36 ~ Tarot is the 5th episode beyond Season 2 and the 36th episode overall, compiled of 3 parts that explain the Tarot.
== Part 1 ~ The Essence of Tarot ==
The first part was published on November 23rd, 2017 on YouTube.
=== Video description ===
This is only from the description of the YouTube video itself. The italicized text is meant to show that it's not part of the description, but a warning from the author.
Also note that there is no article for the video.
Finally, the author advises that the episode, despite showing some historical accuracy of the Tarot itself, it's also a promotion of the Patch Tarot deck. Please be careful when thinking or talking about those cards as they'll warp your thinking and your perception of life itself. Thank you.
Hello, and welcome to our introductory episode on the Tarot! This project has been in development for a very long time, as it’s been my dream to make a Tarot series ever since I learned about it in 2011!
Tarot is a very interesting subject because it deals with naturally occurring archetypes and experiences which we all go through in our human lives. By understanding these ideas and images, we learn to intuitively tap into deeper parts of ourselves, and learn to connect with others in more meaningful ways as well.
The purpose of Tarot is not to replace the intuition and singularity of the heart, but to support the conscious mind in making more connections with the heart - as most of us are aware, the thinking mind can often get very overwhelmed with too many thoughts exploding all at once; Tarot offers another avenue by which we may pause and reflect on ourselves and our lives, to make choices based on more whole and complete reflection and contemplation first.
One of the best methods for using Tarot is in tandem with Meditation; once you draw a card, you can spend time in meditation reflecting upon the meaning therein to draw deeper understanding to your awareness. To learn more about Tarot and to jump in on the pre-order of Patch Tarot, visit http://patchtarot.com
== Part 2 ~ The History of Tarot ==
The second part was published on January 18th, 2018 on YouTube.
=== Video description ===
Hey there! Last time, we looked at the underlying symbology of Tarot, and now we're going to talk briefly about the history of how this intricate craft came to be. It's important to know that there's a ton of information we could get into here, but we're going to do our best to cover the basics of only what's necessary. 
The first Tarot cards in recorded history are found around the mid-14th-century Europe, where we can see signs that the young and wealthy members society would play several well-known card games using both the Major and the Minor Arcana. From our understanding at that time, there seemingly wasn't anything magical about them. 
The earliest Italian Tarot cards had unnumbered Major Arcana cards. But as early as 1490, card makers began to place roman numerals on these cards, fixing them to a specific sequence, except for The Child, who remained unnumbered. This practice was carried on by future card makers in France and onward, which brought about the Tarot de Marseilles (Mar-say), setting the standard for hundreds of years to come. 
Everything changed when a man named Antoine Court de Gebelin, in 1781, published Le Monde Primitif, in which he hypothesized and linked these popular playing cards to Ancient Egyptian Mythology. The ancient writings attributed to the Egyptian Sage known as Thoth. He also insisted that The Child number Zero, which added a new esoteric dimension to the Tarot as well.
It's the consensus amongst most historians that Antoine Court de Gebelin (jebelin) didn't really have much of solid ground to stand on. Thus most historians believe that the Tarot has no connections beyond its origins in Italy, and that is simply the end of that. 
But while most historians believe this to be the complete story of the Tarot, some disagree. According to Tarot historian Tom Tadfor Little, for example, traditional playing cards were first seen in Europe in 1375. Still, they had brought over from the Islamic societies in the middle east, where they had used for centuries before that. Further, it is a well-known fact that the earliest playing cards in history actually appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, and thus may have come about between the 7th and 9th century, though these old Chinese playing cards did not have the suits as we know them. Beyond that; there are many who believe that the spiritual symbolism of the Tarot was hidden in society as a playing card game so that these ideas could exist in the modern world despite the hold that religion had on society, which viewed such subjects as blasphemy. 
At any rate, the development of Tarot changed dramatically with the work of Antoine Court de Gebelin, they started being view as more than just a card game - and this was still just the beginning. In the 19th century, a French occultist named Eliphas Levi became the catalyst for bringing even more connections to light, this time between Tarot and the Kabbalah. By his work, the Tarot had now link to the Tree of Life structure, and their cosmic symbolism only continued to grow from there. 
By this point, there were enough connections made between Tarot and these ancient philosophies that the cards became incredibly popular amongst more esoteric circles. In 1888, the relationships between Tarot, Astrology, Numerology, Kabbalah, and Hermeticism would realize to an even higher degree by the work of an established esoteric order called The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This hermetic order was founded by three Freemasons who devoted themselves to drawing the lines between all of the systems above of cosmic interpretation. This was also one of the main establishing points in history for "Hermetic Qabalah," the open interpretation of the traditional Hebrew Kabbalah, which allowed for the free association to other spiritual and ancient traditions such as Hermeticism and the like. By their work, the order of the golden dawn established a new age for modern occultism, and especially the Tarot. This was touched upon in Spirit Science Episode 35 part 3, when we discussed the different branches of Qabalah, and where they all came from.
You see, it was because of the work of this order that the most prominent Tarot decks in history came to light. Most of the authentic tarot decks which are available today based on the two principle decks which emerged from the work of the Golden Dawn. By which are called the Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth Tarot. Initially, the Rider Waite Smith created out of a union of this new understanding with the older Tarot de Marseilles, and even today it holds the position of one of the highest standards in Tarot. Sixty years later, a Tarot deck created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris would be published, which took the traditional Golden Dawn associations and fused them with Crowley's understanding of the universe and spirituality, bringing Thoth Tarot into being. Today, it is one of the most alchemically infused arcane decks available, and also one of the most detailed in their associations to the list of systems mentioned prior… that said, it was also one of the most controversial tarot decks out there, and supposedly caused quite a bit of drama by its creation in the Tarot community. 
Nevertheless, Thoth Tarot opened up a massive door in Tarot, and now ultimately, between Thoth and the Rider Waite Smith, these two decks have influenced the most significant degree of authentic Tarot since then. We can even see this in Patch Tarot as we come around full circle - which designed to reconcile all of the paradoxes that exist between the Rider Waite Smith and Thoth - of which there are quite a few. 
In addition to these decks and especially in the last 30 or 40 years or so; thousands of new decks have been produced which explore the symbolism and meaning behind these cards in all manner of ways. Two very significant and other noteworthy decks include the Shadowscape Tarot, which explores the theme of the Rider Waite Smith with outstanding creative art, as well as Osho Zen Tarot, which follows the same theme of Tarot but mirroring the wisdom of Osho so well that each card is a powerful lesson in zen, yet so incredibly simple and clear. 
Along with the evolution of Tarot, through the last several hundred years, we also saw the development of Oracle cards, which are generally a set of numbered cards that are labeled with a variety of ideas for personal reflection, such as healing, friendship, love, and so on. Oracle cards do not follow the same pattern of the elements in Tarot and are significantly more straightforward in their makeup, but excellent tools nonetheless. 
I want to take a moment to turn to the words of our fellow Tarot historian Tom Tadford Little, who wrote the following.
There is a perception that the study of tarot history is, at best, irrelevant to the use of the cards for divination, and at worst, downright antagonistic toward it. Ever since the fanciful stories of the occult writers, claiming that the cards were invented in ancient Egypt as a coded library of secret magical knowledge, were rejected as historically false, historians have often been regarded as "debunkers", trying to deprive the cards of their esoteric significance and call into question the legitimacy of their magical and religious uses. Indeed, there is some truth in this perception.
We should recognize, however, that tarot cards have persisted as a part of our culture for nearly six centuries. Anything that survives that long will evolve and change, and so will attitudes toward it. The fact that game-playing was an earlier use for the cards than fortune-telling does not make it a better method, it just makes it first use. From our present vantage point, we can recognize that the tarot cards are a cultural artifact of great versatility. It is capable of engaging our interest in many different ways, according to the context in which we encounter them. The nature of the times in which we live and our individual preferences. The history of the Tarot is only part of its identity.
But doesn't that make the early history of the cards irrelevant? To some extent, it certainly does. No knowledge of tarot history is required to read the cards effectively, mainly if one uses a modern deck designed primarily for divination. However, I believe that one's relationship with the cards, just like one's relationship with another person, is made richer by an appreciation of where they came from. If we lack confidence in the relationship, we may not want to hear the facts, for fear that they will disappoint us or shatter a cherished illusion. But, conversely, learning the facts and incorporating them into our understanding of the cards is an activity that strengthens the relationship and makes it more resilient and durable.
Tom has a lot of fantastic information on his site, The Hermitage, which is no longer available on its own but can be viewed through the way back machine, and we'll share some links in the author's comments on this video.
As we bring this episode to a close, we find that the real power in the Tarot is the ability for the intricate symbolism to provide an experience of self-reflection. The cards represent archetypes, ideas that tell meaningful stories, whether in their natural sequence or in the chain that you draw when you use them. By interpreting these stories and relating them within us, we may come to learn more about ourselves and grow as individuals as a result. 
Thank you so much for watching, and next time we'll jump into the first of the Arcanum, and interpret the first story of the Tarot. 
Till then!
== Part 3 ~ The Major Arcana ==
The third and final part was published on December 22nd, 2020.
=== Video description ===
Never before has the story of the Major Arcana been told like this before, and life will never be the same! Discover the secrets of Tarot and the path of Ascension: Click here to learn more: https://www.spiritmysteries.com/landing-page-tarot-life-mastery
For so long, it has been a dream of ours to bring the story of the Major Arcana (The path of the Fool/Child) into a Spirit Science animation, and today we're so excited to share this with you! Thank you for watching, and please enjoy!
Learn more about Patch Tarot at https://patchtarot.com
You can get Patch Tarot standalone by visiting shop.spiritsciencecentral.com
== Trivia ==
=== Part 1 ===
* It's true that the Tarot has held cultural significance, but it doesn't mean that the significance remains now.
* In fact, parts of the episode are subtly an advertisement to the Patch Tarot deck.
=== Part 2 ===
* All parts of the history of the Tarot deck is true. Unfortunately, parts of the history may be told in a biased manner such that it supports the New Age beliefs and making the audience believe that there exists a conspiracy related to Tarot, and that can be yet another subtle ad of Patch Tarot.
=== Part 3 ===
* There is nothing special about this part because it's just an expanded review, which, despite being new, it's not so new that it must attract significant interest.
== Sources ==
They have been left out for the sake of time, please note that this is not final.