Symbology

The whole of the Tarot is symbolic so we ought to ask ourselves what a symbol is and what it is not.  A symbol is not a sign.  A sign is a thing that is usually a written mark which is typically two dimensional rather than three dimensional and which “object” usually stands for or indicates something directly, that is there is a direct and immediate correspondence between itself and its meaning.  For example is we see a sign in a mall which says “Restroom” with an arrow beneath it which arrow points in an easterly direction, then that arrow stands directly for the direction in which it is pointing.  Signs are often factual and superficial in nature and are NOT concerned with deep psychological or cultural import or values.  A green traffic light is also a sign or signal (sign-al) in that it simply means or indicates a time (for your car) to move forward.  A sign of a deer along the roadside simply means or indicates that fact, specifically that as there are deer in the area that the driver is advised to be alert of and cautious in respect to same.  There is really no complexity in signs, in fact if anything signs exit for the purpose of making life simpler, not more complex.  On the other hand, although symbols do not exist for the purpose of making human life more complex they imply a recognition of a psychological, philosophical or cultural meaning or value which, in fact and like it or not, has inherent complexity.  The Tao “Yin-Yang” symbol for balance indicates several frames of reference with deep philosophical underlying complexity and meaning, such as “balance,” “gender,” “harmony,” “active-passive,” “positive and negative,” “light and dark,” “gestation” and “paradox.”  Each frame of reference has it’s own trajectory and path which may both contribute to the central meaning or actually ultimately lead away from same. 

Additionally the context and circumstantial and situational relevance in respect to how the symbol might apply in a particular “case” is also important in determining meaning in respect to a symbol.  Of course subjectivity and philosophical truth also enter into the equation in relation to symbols as well.  By contrast, as far as signs are concerned, there is no debate as to whether or not the arrow sign for the restroom location is this way or that way as the arrowhead’s vector is static and pointing in only specific one direction as more or less demarcated by the certain  facts and frame of reference of east, west, north or south.  An interesting, though curious, testament to the superficiality of signs, in contrast to symbols, is the array of colors involved with traffic lights as green, red and amber.  Now whereas the color red has been traditionally associated with energy and thus movement, it might be considered odd, from that perspective that it was chosen as a directive sign to stop (traffic) movement.  From the symbolic point of view the astrological planet Mars, which is a red planet, has been associated directly with energy and movement and therein has been associated with war, in other words it is activity in contradistinction to passivity.  On the other hand, the color green is associated with nature and thus (biological) passivity and compromise (ecology.)  If anything ecology is, by nature, yielding and compromising as it allows for a multitude of elements to fulfill their individual drives, making all the necessary compromises possible, including the cyclical death and re-birth involved in the seasons.  Although death has been symbolically associated with the color black, green which typically symbolizes life is the color which is associated with the cycle of life which necessarily, in fact inherently includes the necessary compliments of life which is death which scenario is part and parcel of ecology.  Outside of that context that color complex simply does not apply, as in the context of metals which context is inanimate.  The green traffic light may simply be, by way of assignment, a reference to the “go” (dynamic) status in life in contrast to the “stop” status in death, in which case the heart or life force stops.  The argument that these colors are simply random and not prejudiced is irrelevant as, in any case, the rules of the game specify that “green” is assigned  (as-sign-ed) to “go.”  Ecologically, that is in a compromise situation someone or something, if not all entities, involved must stop their own drives, or be stopped, in order that other entities develop (move ahead.)  Movement which is an integral aspect of life is necessary for life and thus the stoppage of movement is, in a sense, counter to life but as this all pertains to “self” as opposed to “other” all have to have their turn, their “green light.”  In nature when a bird brings back food in it’s mouth for it’s young the act of regurgitating is a type of red light wherein the parent bird says “no” to it’s own personal drives and “yes” to the “other” which is its young.  Yes-no, positive-negative, go-stop, red-green are all parallel in principal to the ecology of inter-balance.  The irony in these traffic light colors may be explainable in terms of the assignment that each is given.  Perhaps red is intended to indicate emergency and that there will be trouble if the automobile operator does not abide by the rules.  So we can see that with signs there is not necessarily an inherent quality that gives the sign it’s meaning as it is both the assignment and the context of the sign that contribute to its assigned “meaning.”  Now this is not so much the case with symbols.  For example, the sign for the constellation of Sagittarius, that is the Centaur who is posed to shoot an arrow to the heavens, symbolizes Man’s “horse-power,” that is extra-human power when the individual’s focus his on heaven’s purposes, (as he/she gains the greater forces of life) which higher purposes are transcendent in respect to the earth’s.  Incidentally, Sagittarius being a fire sign, symbolizes the energy gained through inspiration, which inspiration essentially gives us more power to execute drives on earth.  Now none of these symbols, nor the symbolic system which they represent, are assignments, such as is the red traffic light to its meaning of “stop.”  In fact the horse is inherently powerful, the bow and arrow are appropriate and parallel metaphors for aiming and focusing on targets or “spiritual  goals” of heaven or nirvana, as distant as those perfections might be and an astrological fire sign is correlative with energy and movement that “heats” us up and enlivens us, that is motivates (motor-vates us – as in “vate” being “a person who foretells our future) towards acting in a manner that is conducive to attaining our goals.  Of course, we are essentially talking about a composite of symbols (when in reference to the composite symbol of Sagittarius) which are psychologically, philosophically or culturally deep and rich in meaning, often on multiple levels.  They are not simply a composite of convenient assignments such as a battery slot with a positive sign (+) indicating which way the battery should be placed.  If one sees a flat image of a dog with a slanted linear stroke through it at a park entrance it means only one thing universally, specifically that “dogs are not allowed in this park.”  There is no significant cultural or historical relativity there in a sign which bans dogs from a certain area, nor is there any significant depth to the message and the message does not communicate anything about a moral choice as to whether or not you choose to cooperate with the sign as the sign make NO REFERENCE to your conscience or soul – in fact the sign does not represent you or your intentions at all – it refers only to the custodian of the area who states that dogs are not allowed here.  In short and simple terms a sign is not a symbol and that is where we can begin in our understanding of symbology.  Language, particularly philology and semantics can make this issue justifiably more complicated but for our purposes, suffice it to say that if everyone one were to agree within the context of the speakers of the English language to now call an orange an “apple” instead, that despite the period of adjustment which would follow, that odd assignment or should we say re-assignment, would actually be workable.  As to how naturally cohesive it would be would be another issue entirely.  Now when many animals growl an identifiable sound emerges such as an “eerrrr.”  Reverse the two letters and we have the first two letters of “red.”  Are the adrenals not activated during flight or fright in all animals, including humans?  That natural guttural growl sound is actually an auditory sign that warns that an active attack may follow if provocation continues.  Like all language it communicates factual information and/or an associated value.  Perhaps language itself may ultimately prove to have a physiological basis but whatever sounds are employed as language they can be largely understood as “representing” something other than what the employed words are and that is largely the ground of both signs and symbols.  Although it might be argued that, for example, the sound of “Om” represents the sound of divinity and insofar as that might be a relative truth then sound itself can be symbolic.  However, the symbolic, or symbolism, is very predominantly visual in any case.  The three whistles of a soccer referee indicate that the game is over but that is an auditory sign – not a symbol – its meaning is flat and factual and simply means “time’s up” – it is not value-charged, as symbols are.  Now although this next subject extends beyond the purposes of this simple introduction to tarot symbols it must be said that the question remains as to the universality of symbols as visual objects holding meaning and that question propels our entry into the Archetypal or the archetypes as universal symbols.  Certainly the zodiacal signs fit this category as does much of the Tarot but, on the other hand, dream symbols are not, of necessity, archetypal.  They are not always so simply because of the relativity of the dreamer and because of his or her experience-in-the-world.   In fact in Analytical Psychology it is warranted to ask the dreamer, in respect to her dream, what, for example her uncle, who was in her dream, meant  to her as that very meaning, ideational association and value may be the very meaning behind the uncle’s appearance in the dream.  Nonetheless the uncle is a symbol to be sure, even though there are exceptions to this in the case where, for example, a deceased relative intends to make contact astrally with the dreamer and is therein only the messenger who brings the dream message.   On the north pole of Saturn there is the interesting geometrical pattern of a hexagon with its six even sides and six vertices – this shape is absolutely primordial in its implied chemical structure and geometrical mathematics – the six vertices are the three vertices exactly reversed, additionally and thus polar opposite to constitute a completely symmetrical closed shape.  Of course we wonder why such a shape is there on Saturn – is it a symbolic message to those who can see the significance?  As above, so below.  Could this be evidence of the existence of truly universal symbols, which transcend both space and time?  Of course from such a symbolic message comes the realm of the transpersonal.  Is the whole of the tarot transpersonal?  The historical turn of events in respect to the development of the Tarot suggests that it is and it is to the historical aspect we should now turn.