The Hermit - Sun Moon Tarot, M Snyder
the hexagram is a symbol for sunrise and sunset at equinoxes and solstices
Passing knowledge on to
future generations has been a human challenge and activity for millennia. Tens
of thousands of years ago our ancestors watched the sky and observed the
repeating patterns of the stars, and the cycles of the planets. Star-patterns
were connected to events on Earth, allowing the development of seasonal
calendrics, which greatly improved their quality of life.
This knowledge was recorded
with oral tradition in great stories which were told to children to teach them
the cycles of nature associated with the constellations.
Astronomy encompasses a
wealth of information, demanding descriptions of many fascinating events. We
see these events described in some of our most endearing childhood stories like “The Russian Firebird (Phoenix)," in Mother Goose and nursery rhymes like “Hey Diddle
Diddle,” and the oldest stories in the world – the Zodiac.
Teaching accurately,
consistently, and in detail is possible even without phonetic writing and
alpha-numeric numbers. The ability to do so was absolutely necessary if the
human race was to survive. Archeo-astronomers know and megaliths tell us that
this was done. Just how, is something of a mystery.
It is likely that the method
was known and understood until libraries were burned, monuments were destroyed,
inscriptions were pounded to dust, and memorizing history was outlawed. Still, it is
impossible to destroy everything; scraps remain: the Antikythera, Peri Ris map,
megaliths, shadows beneath palimpsest, documents like the Book of Thoth, and of
course, myths, legends, fairy tales, and folklore.
At least two major
fountainheads of knowledge survive today, yet they are scarcely noticed as such. One
is Masonic ceremony and lore. The other? Playing cards and tarot cards in
combination with the zodiac – essential roots of Masonic science obscured by a
trivial veneer called the occult.
Yogi Berra once exclaimed
“prediction is difficult, especially about the future.” Within the context of
divination the many mandalas for arranging the cards are excellent. It is true that
many charlatans have come and gone who misuse the cards - and astrology - for their
own gain. However, the archetypal images of the classic Tarot do speak to us
about the future – not one future, but many possible futures, and prompt
our brains to reconsider situations portrayed.
However, there is no
indication that the patterns or sequences in which the symbols are arranged
were the foundation for teaching astronomy millennia ago. The symbols
themselves contain information. Just as flash cards of today are used as memory
aids, so too were the symbols of prehistory.
A Little Wooden Book, Sun, Moon, and Earth, by Robin Heath had some interesting facts when
considering the astronomical information contained in cards:
There are four suits. There are four seasons.
Four suits of 13 cards = 52 cards. There are 52 weeks
in a year.
Adding the numeric values (1-13) together = 91. There
are 91 days in each season.
Tarot cards also contain
strong astronomical, and situational imagery. The cards likely derive from 4200 BC
megalith mariners working at Lixus, Nabath, and Byblos, with knowledge from a
thousand years earlier. The symbols, inscribed on bone, stone, and leather,
were a mnemonic exercise aided by the images.
According to Duncan-Enzmann a
full set of cards, or images, would originally have included:
- Major arcana– depicting life cycles, information
spaces, and all possible events
- Lesser arcana – representing stages in life cycles of
animate/inanimate
- Lost arcana (for lack of a better name) – 12 cards
symbolizing time and information vectors
- The Zodiacal sequence – cycle of star-patterns and
planetary movement
We can decode some
astronomical symbols from prehistory in Pamela Coleman’s illustrations for the
Rider-Waite Tarot. Many of the cards depict the infinity sign – the symbol for the analemma
(a scale shaped like the figure 8, showing
the declination of the sun and the equation of time for each day of the year):
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1) Leo/Virgo at equinox,the Sphinx
2) Solar, Lunar, Stellar year
3) The Venus Clock
4) Solar V winter solstice sunrise and set
1) pillars of
observation
2) sundial / 365
sunrises
Oral tradition and symbols
have preserved our history for millennia. The invention of the printing press
allowed literary records to be duplicated and widely distributed – but it was
many years before images could be reproduced. We became more familiar with the modern language of letters than the ancient language of cardinals (recognizable images). To
learn how to see the information in images and symbols increases our ability to learn, and
to share, knowledge.
Our understanding of today is built upon our knowledge of
the past, and our vision for the future is built upon today. I was told once that winners write history books. To have the best
possible future, we need knowledge of what really happened in our past. Not
just what the winners want us to know.
About Symbologist Michelle Snyder
Michelle
earned her post-graduate degree at the University of Wales, decoding
prehistoric images, mythology, folklore, and fairy tales and tracing
them to their roots. She is an
author, columnist, publisher, artist, and teacher. Her artwork, inspired
by her love of symbolism and folklore, has appeared in galleries from
Massachusetts to California. Michelle is co-owner of White Knight
Studio.
Symbology ReVision: Unlocking Secret Knowledge
Symbology: Hidden in Plain Sight
Symbology: My Art and Symbols
Symbology: My Art and Symbols
Symbology: Fairy Tales Uncovered
Symbology: Decoding Classic Images
Symbology: World of Symbols
The Fairy Tales: Once-Upon-A-Time Lessons First Book
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