In alchemical and psychomagical practices like those of Marie Louise von Franz and Jodorowsky, the central mystery that all the work orbits around is the connection between the unconscious and the material world. Is the unconscious aware of the material world? Or is the unconscious made of the same material and is therefore forever in unison with it? We don't know. But we do know that you can have an intuitive knowing about a real life occurrence without any phsyical proof or awareness of it whatsoever; we know that dreams can warn us of what's coming our way or the way of those close to us with frightening precision. We know that an entanglement exists, and that it manifests itself symbolically and metaphorically, but beyond that, we're not yet sure of its composition.

There are many metaphors we could use to describe the tarot, and the great irony is that the tarot is a metaphor within itself, much like the ocean. The whole game of tarot is a game of metaphor.

The word metaphor is rooted in Greek, and literally means "a carrying across" or "a carrying over". In the tarot, we perform the metaphor, with the help of the image before us. And with our knowledge of the connection between the unconscious and the physical world, we can see how the tarot becomes a manipulable dream where, instead of having images rise out of our mind spontaneously, we become the conscious conjuror, though we don't know what we will conjure exactly. We shuffle, cut, and pull the cards, with the trust that we will be shown what there is to be seen within ourselves and our relationship with the world.

It is our job, then, to be willing to receive and reflect on the messages that the cards are "carrying over". If we are gifted with clairvoyance, this can come to us naturally, without study. But even then, clairvoyance will only take us as far as being able to discern instinctively, without being able to recognize or delineate the symbol's breadth and width that is only visible via acquired knowledge. What I mean is that, for example, a clairvoyant or claircognizant may be able to look at a spread with the Lovers card in its midst and tell you with precision the kind of decision that befalls you and what seems to be weighing on said decision. What they cannot tell you is that the Lovers card brings together imagery from two deeply archetypal stories about the fall of man and the danger of divine knowledge, nor why that might be important to you. If the tarot is an ocean, claircognizance can tell you when the sea will rage, but it cannot tell you why, nor can it take you to the depths to find its source. It can allow you to see the tsunami, but it cannot help you stand in it, that is the power of knowledge: to be rooted in knowledge is to be able to stand in the midst of chaos and recognize the intricacies of its hidden order, in turn expanding your intuitive powers. Thus, if you are an intuitive or claircognizant, and are still somewhat "raw" in your practice, this course will be especially enriching for you.

In this course, you will be creating a connection between your unconscious and a tarot deck of your choice (ideally the Waite Smith if you're interested in the archetypal lore). You will learn to be spontaneous, intuitive, imaginative, playful, and grounded in your practice for the purpose, above all, of healing--both yourself, and others. We will be like deep-sea divers, or ancient sailors curious about where the horizon leads. And so as not to get dizzy, or become overwhelmed, we'll take it step by step, observing the deck first, getting to know it, learning its history, then holding it, shuffling it, learning its hidden matrix, how to distribute it and how to lend our eye to it, before finally taking the deep dive into all of its unconscious material.

I am infinitely grateful for all the teachers I've had along the way, and even more-so for the ability and opportunity to share what they have taught me with you, so that we may heal one another and the world one unconscious heart at a time <3