Understanding The Tarot: The Major Arcana And The Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s journey is mankind’s oldest story. It is a story that transcends all cultures and ideologies. Symbolically, it is our own story as it is an allegory for the individual paths we must journey upon. It is constantly being retold and manifested within each of our own lives. It is the story of the soul; and its ultimate purpose is to remind us why we are here and what we must accomplish.
The Hero’s journey shares a common thread. This thread reflects the experiences of our souls. These are the common themes and experiences we instinctively understand. C.G. Jung first explained this phenomenon as the experience of the Collective Unconscious. The Collective Unconscious is part of the unconscious mind. This is an inner realm that ties all mankind together into one collective experience. It is inherent knowledge. It is the parts of our selves that have an unspoken understanding of a shared experience.
We can identify our shared experiences through archetypal imagery. These are common images and visual patterns that are repeated throughout time. They are the symbols that have universal meanings and references. Regardless of one’s cultural, religious or educational background, archetypal imagery speaks to us all. They are depicted in our myths, fairytales, and iconography. They are everywhere. They are our witches, angels, crones, maidens and warriors. They are within every story told and they are within our own, personal stories.
The Tarot is one of the only pictorial sources that depict the Hero’s journey in its entirety. The Hero’s journey is told through the 22 Major Arcana cards. The Major Arcana refer to the non-suit cards, which make up the first 22 cards of the Tarot deck. What is so impressive