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1. The author describes the High Priestess representing the “twofoldness underlying consciousness.” What do you think are ways we can understand life in terms of two elements that go together and/or need each other? Two examples might be body & soul, or yin & yang. What other examples of our “twofoldness” can you think of?
2. This Letter is about knowledge reflected from mystical experience, and not surprisingly, much of the material covered in this Letter is densely philosophical. Do you find you enjoy this kind of abstract writing— or does it leave you cold? If it’s not your natural cup of tea, what steps can you take to find useful ideas or information in this kind of writing, to support your spiritual practice?
3. The author describes two types of memory: horizontal memory (recalling the past) and vertical memory (intuiting truth from above, i.e. spiritual truth). Have you ever experienced “vertical memory” in your life? What was it like, and what did you “recall”?
4. Practice the spiritual exercise of “the mirror of silence” — a way of framing Centering Prayer (or any other practice of intentional silence) to sense that the thoughts that arise during contemplative practice is not so much a distraction as a reflection of the silence that lives in your heart. How does this exercise deepen or illuminate your sense of how God works in your life through your practice of intentional silence?
I want to tackle Carl’s second question. The letter on the High Priestess was definitely one of the more challenging chapters that I read in the book. And there are times in the past where I would not have been able to understand what I read, would have gotten bored and skipped over it, etc. However, I found that I’m at a place now where I want to engage and understand the philosophical assumptions and underpinnings of the method of spiritual development that is presented in this book. Skipping over the philosophical, theological, and even metaphysical aspects leads to problems later, because you need to understand what is core and foundational to one’s religious life, what is superfluous or open to change, even the evolution of Western culture and how to address our current crises. This is especially the case when one moves from exoteric to esoteric practice, which requires more independence and maturity. In Meditations on the Tarot, the arcana are an interconnected whole, and they relate to each other in a complex, overlapping, systematic way that allows us to draw more meaning and relevance from them over time. The author is laying that foundation brick by brick so we can derive value from the letters that come later.
Carl I find your questions (love them!) very profound and not easily answered. I mostly ‘see’ images, or sense feelings, for instance “the mirror of silence” appears like a deep lake on a moonless night and I enjoy ‘sitting’ at its side. The idea that thoughts are “a reflection other the silence that lives in your heart” gives me a joyous sense of peace and love.
I am grateful to have found your offering, I am enjoying studying MOTT with you as a guide.
I,too, have found the abstract writing of this chapter difficult. In fact, I had gotten the book at least a year ago, tried to read it, and was daunted even though I usually find reading meditative and mystical texts engrossing. I put the book away until this opportunity presented itself.
Thank you, Carl, for doing all the “back work.” As a teacher myself, I know how much you have to have digested this work in order to offer probing questions and notes to help us through this.
Thank you very much!
I’m glad this is helpful for you. And using mental images will serve you well as your journey deeper into the wisdom of this book! (The exercise for the very next letter, “The Empress” uses the imagination).
Morgan, this is a helpful perspective. I’ve come to recognize that this book, while very difficult (especially for those us without a background in philosophy), really does reward slow and multiple readings. I think we have to give ourselves permission not to have it all figured out the first (or even fourth!) time we read the book. Reading a book like this is formative: we learn by reading, and even when we don’t fully understand everything, we are slowly discovering a new way of seeing and a new way of processing information. So it’s definitely worth the effort!
Thanks, Carl. I wanted to respond to your first question, regarding the “twofoldness underlying consciousness.” While I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of the political and cultural polarization in the United States right now. While many people are tempted to see our differences (e.g. race, gender, political party, etc) as irreconcilable, the author of Meditations invites us to focus on what we have in common and how to reconcile our differences through love. When we are still, calm, and receptive we are more likely to understand what the “other” is saying and move from true understanding to fruitful action (the Empress). We can also connect this back to the Magician and the method of analogy, where we form connections and associations that are constructive and generative, rather than exacerbating our challenges by resorting to stereotypes.
I’m rethinking Carl’s question about grace from Letter 1 in light of what is said in Letter 2. The Magician represents single-pointedness, oneness. It manifests in the human experience as “concentration without effort.” In that magical space of flow, such as that embodied by masters of art and music, every action, movement, note, or drop of paint is included in the oneness, and thus there are no mistakes. If a mistake is perceived, the magic has ended; the spell has been broken. There is no longer single-pointed concentration without effort.
But without awareness of mistakes (sins, we often call them), there can be no grace. And there must also be separation between the bestower of grace and the recipient of it. That is where the High Priestess comes in. She is the embodiment of what our author calls “the two constituent elements of consciousness as such–the active element and the passive element.” Without her duality, there could be no consciousness, and without consciousness there could be no grace. So the question from Letter 1 about where is grace for the Magician is a trick question. There is no grace in pure oneness. You have to have duality for grace to be possible.
ad 1: (Jungian) personality traits, perhaps, like introversion vs extroversion, or being people focussed vs outcome-focused, etc. While our personalities tend to lean towards one or the other, both sides of the polarity are important for healthy individuals and communities.
ad 2: I find many distinctions clarifying, like the four steps from the pure act of intelligence to the ‘book’, or the distinctions of monism, dualism, and love. At the same time, I worry that I hold to these structures of interpretation too tightly, limiting the way I can perceive things (reality).Renee, I love your thoughts on grace! I promise I didn’t plan the grace question for Letter I as a “trick” question — but as a way to anticipate the wisdom of Letter II!
1. I had a Jesuit professor in Seminary in the Dominican Republic who told us: heresies are usually a “either this or that” approach while orthodoxy usually is an “this and that.” I appreciate that twofoldness that is at the same time paraodixcally onejess. I have always find myself uncomfortable with dualism and also with monism. Sometimes I feel that the talk of non-dualism in Christian circles approached more monism. The challenge is to hold the paradox (to our senses) of both. I liked that the author mentions this is the way of Christianity, the way of love.Loved the paragraph at the bottom of page 31 and beginning of 32 for this approach.
2. I appreciate this type of language. Having been a Roman Catholic priest before being received in the Episcopal Church I had to do a BA in philosophy and then an STB and an STL all of that I think must help, I least I hope! However even with all my academic studies there are things I know do not register and I just leave them as such. Usually I can come back to them, sometimes years later, and they suddenly have meaning. So I trust that what goes over my head is not meant for me at this time but my spiritual journey might bring it back to me at a moment I am ready. However there are some gems that I just underline and let them wash over me and inform my spiritual practices.
“So I trust that what goes over my head is not meant for me at this time but my spiritual journey might bring it back to me at a moment I am ready. However there are some gems that I just underline and let them wash over me and inform my spiritual practices.”
I really appreciate this advice, Berto! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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