Alternative Religions
Alternative religions and philosophies from around the world have long provided a rich source of inspiration for the creators of Tarot decks.
The symbolism of the Arcana enters a new spiritual dimension when deck creators look to other religions and philosophies for inspiration The term "alternative religions", as we are using it, refers to those that aren't counted among the major world religions, namely Christianity, Islam and Judaism. A large number of contemporary Tarot decks explore the spiritual worlds of non-Christian religious traditions. In terms of numbers, these decks far surpass those inspired by Christianity itself.
Spiritual Influences
For over 200 years, Tarot cards have been symbols of a mystical and magical version of spirituality. In many cases, they have been used as an instrument of expression and exploration for esoteric doctrines, such as Gnosticism, Egyptian paganism and the Kabbalah, which differ from the Christian culture that has dominated Western society.
It is only natural that the creators of Tarot should look for inspiration from religions from all over the world.
Interest in Eastern religions has grown in the Western world, leading to Taoism, Hinduism, Tantric Buddhism, Tibetan religion and Zen being widely explored themes in modern Tarot. This is the natural result of Western society's increasing openness to Eastern philosophies.
A key event in this development was the founding of the Theosophical Society. It was established in 1875 in NEw York City by the Russian spiritualist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) and a former US army colonel, Henry Steel Olcott (1830-1907).
Madame Blavatsky (as she was known) claimed to have visited Asia many times and to have been given the responsibility of spreading Theosophy, a form of divine knowledge, in the West by Master Morya, whom she described as a 'mysterious Indian'. The Theosophical Society played a key role in the organisation of the first World Congress of Religions, which took place in Chicago in 1893, coinciding with the World's Fair. At the Congress, proponents of Hinduism and Japanese and Indian Buddhism were invited to give lectures.
Age of Awakening
A second wave of interest in Eastern religions in Tarot came with the 'hippy' generation of the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, travelling east in search of spiritual awakening became popular. This same generation was responsible for the rebirth of the Tarot in its modern form. The marriage of Eastern philosophies and the Tarot was part of this process of cultural and spiritual openness in Western society.
The Tarot of the Orient deck was created in 1961 by AMerican James FOgarty. This 76-card deck was inspired by Hinduism and illustrates the main figures and concepts of the religion, as well as reference to yoga techniques. A more modern deck that explores similar themes is the Yoga Tarot, created in 2007 by Italians Massimilano Filadoro and Adriana Farina.
There are several decks inspired by Buddhism, including the Buddhistic Fantasy Tarot, first published in 1983. Designed using the airbrush technique by the Japanese artist Shigeki Gomi, its 22 cards depict the Buddha and several spiritual entities of Shintoism.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the popularity of alternative spirituality led to the creation of many decks on themes such as Taoism, Zen or Tantrism. Often, the authentic elements of these decks have been combined with the explicitly Western symbols of traditional Tarot cards.
Natural Appeal
Neo-paganism and Wicca have also had an extraordinary influence on the development of modern Tarot. The neo-pagan vision has at its heart the sanctity of nature in all ts aspects, making it not so much an idol to be worshipped as an entity to be respected and honoured.
The Pagan Tarot and the Shining Tribe Tarot are two good examples of cards inspired by this vision. The latter, which is subtitled 'Awakening the Universal pirit' features artwork created in 2003 by Rachel Pollack, who was inspired by so-called 'primitive' art of all continents.
Sometimes confused with neo-paganism. Wicca is a pacifist and feminist religion or philosophy, thought to derive from the cults of the Great Mother that spread through pre-Christian Europe. There are many Tarot decks inspired in some way by the various forms of Wicca. One important example is the Robin Wood Tarot which played a key role in the modernisation of Tarot decks seen around the end of the 20th century.
Africa and South America
Another group of decks linked to alternative, non-Christian spirituality draws inspiration from African religions, especially the forms found in South America and the Caribbean. Ancient African religions often merged with Catholic ideas, transforming into different forms of worship. For example, the Orisha, supernatural entities of West African origin, became linked to Catholic saints in the Americas. The Tarot of the Orishas by Zolrak and the Afro-Brazilian Tarot by Guiseppe Palumbo and Alice Santana are just two examples of this influence.
Exploring the world's religions and belief systems through Tarot is a great way to open your mind to new ways of thinking, which will help with reading the cards.