Many presentations on tarot begin with its general structure, and I will follow suit. However, I will not immediately delve into the structure of the well-known 78-card tarot deck. To start the discussion on tarot, I will focus on the so-called Mantegna Tarocchi, relying on Adam McLean's observations published in Hermetic Journal, issue 21, from 1983. As I have mentioned before, the Mantegna Tarocchi contains fifty numbered pictorial representations, actually engravings, divided into five thematic sets with ten representatives each. These are the celestial spheres, cardinal virtues, liberal arts, Apollo with the nine muses, and typical social classes of that time. Each celestial sphere is connected to a virtue, an art, a muse, and a social class.
The
first ten images depict representatives of social classes numbered from 1 to
10, representing the social and spiritual-psychic states of people, or levels
of inner development. Here, we see the lowest state of the soul in the beggar
up to the pope: 1. Beggar, 2. Servant, 3. Craftsman, 4. Merchant, 5. Squire, 6.
Knight, 7. Duke, 8. King, 9. Emperor, 10. Pope. The second group of ten
includes the nine muses and Apollo, numbered from 11 to 20. To paraphrase
McLean, this group represents the archetypal sources of creative inspiration
for the soul. However, we must not forget the unmentioned mother of the muses,
Mnemosyne, whose attribute is memory: 11. Calliope, "of the beautiful
voice," protector of epic poetry and rhetoric, holding a stylus and
trumpet; 12. Urania, "heavenly," astrology, with a compass and
celestial globe; 13. Terpsichore, "delight of dance," lyric poetry
and dance, with a lyre; 14. Erato, "stimulator of erotic desire,"
erotic and love poetry, with a tambourine; 15. Polyhymnia, "rich in hymns,"
heroic hymns and the art of mime, with a lyre or organ; 16. Thalia,
"festive," comedy and pastoral poetry, with a violin and comedy mask;
17. Melpomene, "singer," tragedy, with a horn and tragedy mask; 18.
Euterpe, "bringer of joy," music and lyric poetry, with a double
flute; 19. Clio, "glorious," history, with a scroll; 20. Apollo,
protector and director of the muses, with a laurel branch.
The
third group, numbered from 21 to 30, includes seven liberal arts, along with
poetry, philosophy, and theology. According to McLean, this group represents
archetypes that influence thinking: 21. Grammar, with a file and vase; 22.
Logic, with a dragon under a veil; 23. Rhetoric, with a sword; 24. Geometry,
with a circle, square, and triangle; 25. Arithmetic, with coins or a measuring
cup; 26. Music, with a flute; 27. Poetry, with a flute and vase; 28.
Philosophy, with an arrow and shield (depicting the goddess Athena); 29.
Astrology, with a starry sphere and pointer (depicting an angel); 30. Theology,
with a sphere of heaven and earth (depicting an androgynous figure). There is a
slightly different classification of the seven liberal arts mentioned by
Frances A. Yates in her book "The Art of Memory," which includes:
grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. This
is a citation from the book by Martianus Capella from Carthage, De nuptiis
Philologiae et Mercurii. Yates also notes that at the wedding of Philology and
Mercury, the bride receives a wedding gift – the seven liberal arts,
personified as female figures. Grammar is a strict old woman carrying a knife
and file to scrape away grammatical errors from children. Rhetoric is a tall
and beautiful woman, dressed in rich clothing adorned with stylistic figures,
with a weapon in hand to attack the opponent. These personifications of the
liberal arts fit exceptionally well with the rules for images in the art of
memory – they are strikingly beautiful or ugly, bearing secondary figures that
remind of their roles.
The
fourth group, numbered from 31 to 40, includes seven cardinal virtues depicted
as female figures along with three male figures representing the spirits or
geniuses of life or the Sun, time, and the cosmos: 31. Helios (the genius of
the Sun), with a solar disc; 32. Chronos, with an Ouroboros; 33. Cosmos, with a
celestial globe; 34. Temperance, with two vases, a dog, a cat, a weasel or an
ermine; 35. Prudence, with a mirror, dragon; 36. Strength, with a scepter,
lion; 37. Justice, with a sword and scales, crane; 38. Charity, with a purse,
pelican; 39. Hope, in a praying position, Phoenix; 40. Faith, with a chalice,
host, and cross, dog.
The
final group, from number 41 to 50, consists of celestial spheres – seven
planets and three higher spheres: 41. Moon, with a lunar disc; 42. Mercury,
with a flute, caduceus with two intertwined dragons, rooster; 43. Venus, with a
shell, ducks; 44. Sun, with a solar disc, scorpion, crabs; 45. Mars, with a
sword, dogs (hunting); 46. Jupiter, with an arrow (lightning), eagle; 47.
Saturn, with a scythe, Ouroboros; 48. Eighth sphere, with a starry disc; 49.
Prime Mover, with an empty sphere; 50. First Cause, with the universe.
According
to McLean, the first group pertains to the position of humanity and represents
archetypal forces in the external world of man, depicted as social classes. The
second group consists of the muses, or archetypal forces of humanity's
imagination, expressing themselves through artistic creation. The third group
comprises the liberal arts or skills, i.e., archetypal forces in human
thinking, expressed in patterns of thought. The fourth group represents the
so-called cardinal virtues, or archetypal patterns in humanity's consciousness,
expressed through inner development and spiritual enrichment of the soul.
Finally, the fifth group includes macrocosmic spheres, archetypal patterns of
cosmic order, expressed in all aspects of the universe.
At
this point, we can draw parallels between the standard tarot and the Mantegna
Tarocchi: 1. Beggar = Fool; 3. Craftsman = Magician; 8. King / 10. Pope =
Hierophant; 9. Emperor = Emperor; 10. Pope / 40. Faith = High Priestess
(Papess); 27. Poetry / 39. Hope = Star; 34. Temperance = Temperance; 35.
Prudence = Empress / Hermit; 36. Strength = Strength; 37. Justice / 23.
Rhetoric = Justice; 41. Moon = Moon; 43. Venus = Lovers; 44. Sun / 31. Helios
(solar genius) = Sun; 45. Mars = Chariot; 46. Jupiter / 50. First Cause =
World; 47. Saturn = Death and/or Hermit.
The
virtue of prudence is one of the key qualities that adorn good governance and
can therefore be associated with the Empress arcana. However, this virtue is
often linked to the Hermit as well. We notice the absence of Mantegna Tarocchi
counterparts for the following standard tarot cards: Wheel of Fortune, Hanged
Man, Devil, Tower, and Judgment. If we look at the fourth group of the Mantegna
Tarocchi, we will see that it consists of four Platonic virtues: Temperance,
Prudence, Strength, and Justice, to which are added three theological, or New
Testament virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. Giotto di Bondone's frescoes in
the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, can help us with this. On these frescoes, pairs
of virtues and deadly sins are depicted. Thus, Giotto placed Despair opposite
Hope, depicted as a suicidal woman, a hanged woman, which we can associate with
the Hanged Man arcana. Furthermore, Charity is opposed by Envy in the form of a
monstrous woman with horns and large ears, indicating the Devil card. Giotto's Injustice
is portrayed similarly to the figure on the Emperor card, which we have already
equated with the Emperor from the Mantegna Tarocchi. Giotto's Folly is placed
opposite Prudence, which indicates the Fool card. Giotto's Inconstancy (or
instability) is opposed to Strength, which we can equate with the Tower card.
Giotto's Infidelity as opposed to Faith, reminds us of the Hermit motif.
Finally, Giotto depicted Anger opposite Temperance, but I did not notice an
obvious counterpart in the tarot for this motif.
What
is missing here are the Mantegna Tarocchi counterparts for the Wheel of Fortune
and Judgment cards. However, interestingly, in that chapel, there is a
monumental depiction of the Last Judgment by Giotto, showing Jesus Christ with
outstretched arms within a halo, an important motif of the figure depicted on
the World card. In the lower right corner of the painting, Hell is depicted
with the devil painted in dark tones, sitting on a green dragon and holding a
sinner in each hand while devouring another. This detail was likely the
inspiration for the motif depicted on the Devil card. Let us recall that Dante
Alighieri wrote his Inferno around the same time that Giotto was painting the
Arena Chapel in Padua. Giotto's painting contains more details that appear in
versions of the Judgment card. Four angels blowing long trumpets are depicted
around the Savior, with eight more angels between them, totaling twelve, which
would not escape the attention of lovers of astrological attributions. Also,
among the many details of this painting, it is worth mentioning the cross below
the Savior on which two angels stand. The depicted cross, with two angels on
its arms, is in the shape of the letter T. Kabbalistic enthusiasts might see a
connection between the tau glyph and the Judgment and World cards here,
depending on which convention we adhere to. In the Visconti Sforza tarot, the
Judgment card depicts two angels blowing trumpets.
Since we have already brought up the renowned
Giotto, this is an excellent moment to introduce into this discussion on tarot
a detail I only mentioned previously, which is mnemotechnics. One of the
current hypotheses is that the tarot was used as a tool for the art of memory.
Frances Yates, in the context of the art of memory, examined these very
frescoes by Giotto and noted that these figures are famous for their diversity
and vitality, brought to life by the great artist. They stand out from the
background, creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface, which was a
significant innovation at the time.
The art of memory, as Frances Yates highlights,
was encouraged by leading scholastic authorities Albertus Magnus and Thomas
Aquinas. According to them, it was essential to remember and remind oneself of
the unseen joys of Heaven and the eternal torments of Hell. Frances Yates makes
an interesting observation about the art of memory as an entirely unexpected
medium through which pagan representations were preserved in the Middle Ages.
In this context, she mentions Albertus Magnus, who recommended using poetic
stories as mnemonic images. Albertus Magnus, a Dominican friar, theologian,
Aristotelian, and teacher of Thomas Aquinas, is significant in the history of
esotericism in Europe. He had a substantial influence on medieval and
Renaissance thinkers and was considered an adept in alchemy by many. He
meticulously studied magical and hermetic texts and observed alchemical
procedures in laboratory settings, about which he wrote. In some of his works,
he frequently cited Hermes Trismegistus as an authoritative figure. He also
wrote about alchemy, the magic of sigils and images, necromancy, and more.
There are unconfirmed claims that Albertus Magnus initiated the famous Roger
Bacon into the secrets of hermetic sciences, whose name is also associated with
alchemy.
In
the context of the art of memory, Yates connects Giotto and scholasticism by
highlighting the influence of the intense atmosphere created by theologians
through their preaching. This atmosphere likely influenced Giotto himself,
giving his depictions of virtues and vices particularly powerful meanings.
Remembering them and recalling them over time takes on the significance of
eternal life or second death. Hence, Frances Yates emphasizes the need to
create truly striking images, in accordance with the rules of the art of
memory. The necessity to find genuinely impactful pictorial representations
imbued with spiritual intentions was the fundamental purpose of the art of
memory, as interpreted by Thomas Aquinas. The diversity and vitality of
Giotto's images, the new way they stand out from the background, and their
spiritual strength, could have been manifested under the influence of
scholastic understanding of memory and the strong emphasis on its significance
as an integral part of prudence. Thus concludes Yates. Furthermore, she wonders
what the devout Middle Ages most wanted to remember. Yates answers that it was
those things concerning the salvation or damnation of the soul, the articles of
faith, virtues leading to heaven, and vices leading to hell. These things were
depicted in the Middle Ages on statues in churches and cathedrals, on stained
glass windows, and frescoes. Yates concludes that remembering these things was
the goal of the medieval art of memory, to engrave the complex matter of
medieval didactics into the minds of people.
Mnemonic
methods recommended by authorities were often used by preachers to remember the
order of their presentations, following the example of the ancient sources of
this art. According to Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas, practicing the art
of memory is part of moral and religious duties, as this art is an expression
of the virtue of prudence. Therefore, if we practice mnemonics, we are actively
working on cultivating our prudence, which is a godly deed. Fulcanelli would
agree with this to some extent, as he emphasized that many of these contents,
wrapped in the guise of religious education, were designed to serve as symbolic
and pictorial argot for communication among initiates of the alchemical art and
the transmission of instructions. Thus, the secret could be preserved for
centuries in plain sight. If any of these symbols were damaged over time and
someone restored it without considering fidelity to the original appearance,
according to Fulcanelli, this indicates that the restorer was not privy to the
mysterious argot of the old masters. If they were not privy, then they were not
part of their group. In this sense, the continuity of initiation does not
exist.
Explaining the later transition of memory as part
of the virtue of prudence, from rhetoric to ethics, Frances Yates mentioned how
the Stoics attributed great importance to the moral restraint of the
imagination. However, religious and moral reasons do not exhaust this topic, as
Yates observes that the impetus for practicing occult memory in the Renaissance
came from the Hermetic tradition. I suppose that in this connection, we should
look for another very important source of the tarot. The Hermetic tradition,
which was present in Europe even before the Renaissance and is evidenced by
Gothic architecture and the writings of prominent individuals such as Albertus
Magnus, Roger Bacon, and Michael Scot, is one of the important sources of
inspiration for tarot images and their original use. These images, although
dressed in Christian garb, whether as frescoes, church statues, or figures of
medieval theater or literature, actually express the ideas of an older
worldview. Yet, this older worldview is inextricably intertwined with the
Christian one, so that their disentanglement and separation, as some later
tarot authorities have done, could not be without consequences. The liberal
arts and virtues should be considered equally sacred, from ancient times,
through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, up to our days.
The art of memory was an integral part of the training of ancient orators, helping them to improve their memory and deliver long speeches precisely. Yates emphasizes that it is precisely as a part of rhetoric that the art of memory has survived to more recent times, making it an indispensable part of European tradition. However, improving oratory was not the only motive for practicing memory. Yates notes that practicing memory for religious purposes became significant in late antiquity with the revival of Pythagoreanism. Frances Yates writes that the most common, though not the only type of mnemonic system, had its model in architecture. The application of the mnemonic method involves creating an imaginative image of a building, which was often a cathedral, temple, or castle. The building needs to be spacious and complex, with many rooms, decorations, and details. The details of the speech that need to be remembered are associated with specific objects, such as anchors or swords. These objects are then placed in visualization at certain locations within the rooms of the building. This is very important for our topic on tarot because swords are present in some major arcana, as are anchors. For example, in the Visconti-Sforza tarot's Hanged Man and Hope (Star) arcana from the 15th century, an anchor appears. The orator mentally walks through their memory house while delivering the speech, extracting the images they placed there from the remembered locations. This method ensures that the memory proceeds in the correct order, as the sequence is determined by the arrangement of places in the building. Establishing the places is of utmost importance since the same set of places can be reused each time, even to recall different content. The images placed in them to remember one set of things fade and erase when we stop using them. However, the places remain in memory and can be reused for a new set of images, for some other content. Thus, places preserve the sequence of facts, while images describe those facts.
Now that we have shed some light on one of the methods of the art of memory, we cannot help but wonder what the original purpose of the figures and numbers of the major tarot arcana was. It is evident that their structure can be used as a mnemonic sequence for storing many data, but those figures and their objects also tell a certain story on their own. The history of tarot is largely an attempt by various authors to penetrate and tell that story. We cannot be sure that they succeeded. This entire book was written based on my doubt that they succeeded, and that the secret of that story essentially remained hidden from later generations, which is particularly evident in the case of the Venetian Sola Busca tarot. Frances Yates mentions many authors of mnemonic treatises who emphasize that the images we form for that purpose must be interesting, unusual, beautiful, or grotesque because we will remember them more easily. In this context, we connect tarot images with the motifs of frescoes, ornaments, and statues of Gothic cathedrals, as well as literary and theatrical characters. Considering the statues of Gothic cathedrals, which appear demonic, Yates says that these representations, due to their unusualness or repulsiveness, affect emotions and thus stimulate memory. Frances Yates suggests that human figures were an integral part of the art of memory, which was transferred from Greece to Rome. Human figures later appear in the memory theaters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, so it is entirely reasonable to ask whether they were introduced into tarot from there. In this sense, the tarot sequence is quite striking and easy to remember. Tarot images are like torn places from someone's memory theater, but they follow a certain sequence. We can always place them in specific locations and, according to our purposes, assign them meanings and important content to us. The tarot serves as a basis for such a procedure.
