This newsletter is a publication of the Mystical Order of the White Rose, a multifaith devotional and spiritual support organization. We support and share information about mystical, monastic, contemplative and creative ways of living. We encourage prayer, the reading of sacred scripture(s), lectio divina, meditation, journaling, solitude, fasting, silence, kindness, hospitality, worship, simplicity, creativity, active involvement in spiritual and/or religious communities, and loving service to others. You can view past issues hereand you can subscribe to it here .
Theme: Sacred Rose Tarot and the Sacred Path of the Tarot
Image above right is the Star from the Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman, used with permission from U.S. Games
Table of Contents
-- Interview with Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman--Creator of the Sacred Rose Tarot
-- Poem: Poem Inspired by the Three of Wands by Cynthia Tedesco
-- A Conversation with Alice Notley on Trance, Tarot, and Poetry
-- Book Reviews: Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey Into Christian Hermeticism
-- Links of Interest
-- Daily Devotionals
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Interview with Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman, Creator of the Sacred Rose Tarot
by Cynthia Kiteley Lee
Looking back almost thirty years ago to the time she created the Sacred Rose Tarot,Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman recalls that "everything just fell into place; the sacred rose theme, information about its symbolism, the roses' colors, the publisher, the location of the publisher, the support of the esoteric community, the popularity of the deck..."
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"You know," she adds, "when you have experiences like that it's impossible to believe we live in a random universe. Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a strong awareness of what some people would call other dimensions or other realities. I don't like the word paranormal very much; it sounds kind of clinical and it suggests that our innate human intuitive ability is not normal." Johanna admits that intuitve ability seems to run in her family on her mother's side. She says her mother was: "very precognitive, very superstitious and quite lucky in gambling."
While it may be normal for humans to have intuitive ability and an awareness of multiple dimensions or realities, Johanna's life has not been what most people would consider "normal." She grew up on Coney Island amidst an exotic assortment of carnival attractions and side shows, and her mother took her to a gypsy tea room to get her palm read when she was just five years old.
At age 16, Johanna discovered tarot cards while watching a movie and knew she would be involved with tarot cards in the future. She later worked with well known "paranormal researcher and author" Professor Hans Holzer and completed professional training in design and illustration.
Ace of Cups from the Sacred Rose Deck by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman; used with permission from U.S. Games
The Sacred Symbolism of the Rose
Johanna consulted Cirlot's Directory of Symbols and found the material he wrote about a single rose to be a perfect fit for the tarot deck she had started to work on (The Sacred Rose Tarot).
He wrote: "The single Rose is, in essence a symbol of completion, of consumate achievement and perfection. Hence, accruing to it are all those ideas associated with these qualities: the mystic centre, the heart (14), the garden of Eros, the paradise of Dante (4), the beloved (31), the emblem of Venus (8) and so on.
'"More precise symbolic meanings are derived from the colour and number of its petals. The relationship of the white rose to the red is in accordance with the relationship between the two colours in alchemy. The blue rose is symbolic of the impossible. The golden rose is symbolic of absolute achievement.
"When the rose is round in shape, it corresponds in significance to the mandala. The seven-petalled rose alludes to the septenary pattern (that is, the seven Directions of Space, the seven days of the week, the seven planets, the seven degrees of perfection). It is in this sense that it appears in emblem DCCXXIII of the Ars Synbolica of Bosch and in the Summum Bonum of Robert Fludd (32). The eight-petalled rose symbolizes regeneration."(p.275).
Additional Sources of Information on the Symbolism of the Rose
The Sun from the Sacred Rose Deck by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman; used with permission from U.S. Games
The Tarot in the Western Esoteric Tradition
There is a widespread perception that the Tarot is used only for divination, for seeing what the future will bring. This is only one aspect of using the tarot, which is a complex symbol system--or symbolic language-- that includes color, words, numerology, sacred geometry, astrological references, alchemical references, kabbalistic symbolism and archetypal images, and more.
In addition to divination, Tarot cards are used as subjects of meditation and reflection and journaling prompts, have inspired poetry and music, and are used in rituals.
Johanna's intensive work on and immersion in the creation of the Sacred Rose Tarot stimulated her already highly developed psychic sensitivity and her awareness of her inner depths. It also led her into an exciting exploration of the Western Esoteric Tradition, also called the Western Hermetic Tradition and the Western Mystery Tradition. She is very grateful for the encouragement and knowledge generously shared with her by experts in the Western Mystery Tradition such as William G. Gray and Lady Sara Cunningham-Carter, who trained with Israel Regardie.
The Sacred Rose Tarot has earned a well deserved reputation for having an exceptionally powerful stimulating effect on the psychic development of those who use them.
Students of the Western Esoteric Tradition who affiliate themselves wih a Mystery School or lodge are typically required to learn about the symbols of the tarot, as well as learning to use it for divination. These dedicated esotericists make up a relatively small, albeit highly influential, number of the overall population of Tarot card users.
Given the widespread availability of books about the Tarot and the Western Mystery Tradition, there are many do-it-yourself students who are working wtih the Tarot in connection with the Western Esoteric Tradition as well as Wiccan and Neo-Pagan studies.
Summing Things Up
Many people have encouraged Johanna to create another Tarot deck, but she has never seriously entertained the idea because: "The Sacred Rose Tarot is my magnum opus, my crowning achievement.. When I look back on how it came into being, it seems clear that it was a kind of sacred assignment that I was given. It didn't come from me so much as it came through me."
Johanna stresses that: "Spirituality is not a me-myself-and-I kind of pursuit. I do not believe you can call yourself a spiritual person unless you seek to help others and give back to the community and the world. We are all so much more interconnected than we realize."
The official website for Johanna Gargulio-Sherman can be found here.
Copyright 2010 by Cynthia Kiteley Lee -- All Rights Reserved.
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Poem Inspired by the 3 of Wands
by Cynthia Tedesco
I keep trying to urge him to eat
For three days and nights he’s stood
At the cliff’s edge watching his ships
Bring our enemies safely home …
Behind his back our neighbors
Scorn & laugh at him - I caught a stone
Mid-flight towards his thinning body
Then he turned his cheek to seek me out
Tedesco's poems have appeared or are forthcoming from publicationssuch as: Apex of The M, Barrow Street, Black Buzzard Review, Black River Review, Caliban, The Cape Rock, Coffee House Poets Quarterly, Columbia Poetry Review, Gargoyle, Italian Americana, The Lucid Stone, Montserrat Review, No Roses Review, Orphic Lute, Outerbridge, The Panhandler, Prophetic Voices, Space & Time, Talisman, Tamarind, Weirdbook and Yefief. A short story, 'Suitcases' is archived at www.archipelago.org. Her first book of poems, 'Letters Found After...'was pub. in 1997 by Sesquin Press. 'Chthonic Luminosity' is Tedesco's second book of poems in progress. She lives in NYC with her husband and their two Havanese dogs.
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A Conversation with Alice Notley on Trance, Tarot, and Poetry
The book Meditations on the Tarot by "Anonymous" (also known as: Valentine Torberg) came into my life in the 1980's and renewed my interest in all things tarot. This is a tome that is best read in both a study group context and in connection with private meditation.
Tomberg's erudition and scholarship is beyond that of anyone I have known. I think that somewhere on the web there is a picture of John Paul XXII with Meditations on the Tarot in French on his desk. Actually, I beleive that readers of all faiths will enjoy and profit from reading this book.
I have been working with Rev. Paul Nagy's Meditations on the Tarot Group for several years and are on the last meditation: The World. Bear in mind that divination is not a part of the Meditations on the Tarot, however it will enrich the understanding of those who do use the tarot for divination. There are no charges involved with being a member of the group. If you are interested in joining the group and starting a new series of group meditations on the major arcana, please contact Cynthia Tedesco at: intuitiveartsentertainment@gmail.com
