Experiencing Meaning and Silence
The reading of tarot cards is about the magic of the moment. As we saw, our experience of this magic is twofold. When we read the cards, we work creatively with chance, that is, the moment as an element of time. At the same time, this is about mindful perception; this is the present moment as impartial seeing. A third level, a third strength of tarot, lies in the typical world of tarot images. A tarot deck consists of seventy-eight cards—twenty-two trump cards or major arcana (arcana being the Latin word for secrets) and fifty-six minor arcana. The latter are divided into the four suits of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins. Like folktales, tarot images have developed within this structure over the centuries. And like the folktales, tarot images are a cultural heritage. The main section of this book is about this heritage and its modern-day meanings; here, each card is discussed individually.
Respond to Emotions Mindfully Within the playful framework of reading the tarot cards, it is easier to react mindfully to emotional impressions as well. Here we can practice, even with topics we find personally shocking, not to be less attentive, but to pay more attention, so that we also learn to look at emotional and intimate issues calmly, and subsequently to act with full awareness.
A Different Way of Predicting the Future One branch of brain research deals with predictive coding.* By that the scientists mean that the brain is constantly producing predictions: What’s going on? Where are we? How are we? What is likely to happen? In processing ongoing sensory impressions, the brain relies on previous experiences, tries to recognize patterns, and produces these relevant predictions. This is a very economical process. In the brain, the wheel is not being reinvented every minute, so to speak. Instead, existing patterns are applied to the current situation and modified on the basis of current sensory impressions. On the other hand, this also means that our brain is constantly producing predictions. An additional potential disadvantage of this is that when 6
Tarot and Mindfulness
