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.
