New Civilization News: My grandkids love the Tarot    
 My grandkids love the Tarot8 comments
picture16 Feb 2005 @ 14:23, by Gerald Vest

During a recent visit with my grandkids, I introduced them to the Tarot. Beau (5) and Ariana (7) were fascinated with the colors, symbols and images that these cards(Waite version)represent.

During my early studies and search for meaning of the Tarot, I learned that the Minor Arcanas represented our ego's process or personality development, while the Major Arcanas show us the parallel journey of our spirit or essence. We begin and continue our journey as the Fool. We can see how we, as humans, evolve and mature and hopefully, at the conclusion of our trip, we have knowledge, wisdom, love and truth integrated into our lives and relationships.

I initially introduced this game as representing our life experience as it unfolds in the 4 suits--Wands(learning), Pentacles(wisdom), Cups(love), and Swords(truth). The kids took the lead by drawing a card from the deck and describing the meaning it had for them. I fully accepted whatever their perception allowed so that they freely expressed their point of view.

It was particularly interesting to me that they could identify experiences with their cards and also report some of their beliefs stimulated by them. For example, I drew both the Death and Devil cards early on and both Ari and Beau indicated that they did not like them and asked me to pull them from the deck so that we could deal with them later. In fact, Beau bent the corners on them so that he wouldn't draw them ever. We laughed about these fears as the game progressed over the week.

I was able to let them know that I am still processing some of my experiences represented by the cards so they are free to openly share what comes to their minds. We held four sessions which lasted about two hours each. It was also amazing to me that they could sustain such an interest in the cards. Daeja(3)was not interested at all in what we were doing and her brother and sister seemed to understand that she was too young to understand or appreciate this game.

During our final session, we lay the Minor Arcanas out on the floor by each suit, starting with the King, Queen, Knight and Page followed by the X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II and Ace. I invited them to select the cards that they most identified with. Ari chose all of the A's and decribed what she experienced with each. Beau had a mixed selection of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.

I recognize that there are many and varied interpretations and use of the Tarot. I believe that this is a good tool that can be used in learning and in understanding how we evolve as human beings. Also, the kids seemed to appreciate that we also learn from the problems we face and beliefs that we have while growing and maturing.

Tarthang Tulku, author, Knowledge of Freedom - Time to Change, describes healthy changes for our being:

To rid ourselves of pretense, we would need to integrate the face we present to the world with our real feelings; we would need to learn how to resolve inner conflicts between what we are and what we feel we should be. We would also need to understand how the ego manifests, the origin and nature of desires and emotions, and how all of these factors influence our judgment. We would need to understand the nature of relaxation and concentration and learn to protect ourselves from negativity. Ideally, we would gain a sound foundation for self-understanding as part of our early education, before negative patterns were deeply entrenched. (p. 165)


As we discuss consciousness, I often observe how I touch others throughout the day. I listen to my voice, inside and out, so that I can see where my tensions are located. I frequently remind myself to observe my breathing and notice its fullness or lack there of. When I experience a pain in various parts of my body, I invision a color representing the system and breathe deeply into 'it'. Then I invite my massage partner to spend some extra time massaging this area. I would like to hear from others who 'awaken divine consciousness.' Integrative Health Forum




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8 comments

17 Feb 2005 @ 20:39 by astrid : Makes me very glad
to see how close & carefull attention you grown-ups pay to the kids' reactions to the cards and what they have to say about them!.... Just remember one thing: the KIDS are MUCH MORE ATTUNED TO the DIVINE TRUTH ( about Life ) than ANY of you, the grownup observers!..... : 0
I already know several extreamly important points you missed, Jerry!... *!*
It has NEVER EVER benefitted ANY Entity, Earthly or somehwere else in Outer Space, to SEPARATE themselves from their own God-given Divinity and all the Cosmic Skills that go with it!.... Mankind has done so now for so long! After the Destrutcion of Atlantis we have slowly made our way back to THE CROSSROADS and we had our time to choose and we all have chosen already.... OK, OK there MIGHT be some MERCY -TIME for those who say " oh me too and who is willing to run their little legs off to catch up!... But, mostly; the choise is made. and KIDS today, need not lose as much of their divinity and all those Skills.... as we did... but it DOES take that the grownups around them understand what it's all about!.... and they do NOT do it automatically!...... But the Info needed is "Out there"...... ( also read MIng's latest article. It touche this very subject)  

19 Feb 2005 @ 02:04 by jerryvest : Our Divine is Attractive
Thank you for your response, astrid. I noticed in our local newspaper today that another meth lab was discovered by the police. Young children, along with their parents were arrested and their children were placed in emergency or temporary foster homes. What happens to these children as they evolve into adulthood and maturity?

Also, in the news today, a report about an advisory board for the Drug Industry met to determine if Vioxx and other related pain pills should be put back in the market place, knowing that there is a high incidence of heart failure. If our society could recognize that over using drugs or anything is a compensatory behaviour related to our disconnection to our Divine Nature. And, as shown in the Tarot, as Fool, we have fallen into the abyss and are eaten by alligators(society)--something like that.

I hope we can soon find our way out of this abyss and hold the world in loving hands.  

19 Feb 2005 @ 05:10 by astrid : Yes....
Jerry, look this up --with your Grandkids. They might like it
http://www.worldkids.net/entertainment/music/lyrics/kidsongs/wholwrld.htm

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got my brothers and my sisters in his hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in his hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the sun and the rain in his hands,
He's got the moon and the stars in his hands,
He's got the wind and the clouds in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the rivers and the mountains in his hands,
He's got the oceans and the seas in his hands,
He's got you and he's got me in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got everybody here in his hands,
He's got everybody there in his hands,
He's got everybody everywhere in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

I always think about this wonderful Sixties Power-"protest"-Song when I look at Two of Wands ( White's). I LOOOOOVE that pic on the card... not necessarily its meaning... So I always let the pic talk to instead of just adhering to the "Official" meaning = waiting
Consquently the meaning in my readings comes out VERY different every time.... depending on what the client holds in his/her hands/needs to grab /hold etc.etc.etc.

The card of "Death" is really "all" about Transformation; a very positive card indeed!.... though in its reverse meaning it is about descent of consciousness into lower vibration = deeper into the "World" as the " Establishment"/Mainstream was called during the Bibilical Times, when Master Jesus walked the Earth.

We are ALL born INTO the vibration of Divine Magic; one step below The Master!!!... and then the process that Miguel Ruiz coined: "The Domestication Process" ( see www. miguelruiz.com ) takes us down to the very lowest vibration, able to handle our physicality!....( below that we disintegrate = rot in our grave!........)

I think Beau intuitively knows / and certainly FEELS that he is being forced into LOWERING his CO-CREATIVITY (what the so called consciousness is really all about!... ) with Life/God.
Children hate it -intuitively!... ususally... IF the Divine Creativity is strong enough in them... producing a CLASH inside of them... which they actually FEEL very physically!... as a feeling of discrepancy, instead of resonance with their own Divine Truth, telling them that All is NOT right!.... yet they cannot put their finger on it /express their feeling about it...unless YOU know to ask the right Q;s!.... Well... there's more to this whole thing....but... I give you a break... : ) because you are doing MORE for your Grand-Kids --far more-- than MOST people EVER do for their kids ... "Grand" or not!  

19 Feb 2005 @ 13:56 by jerryvest : "The Whole World in His Hands"
Astrid, thank you for your splendid and beautiful response. Like you, we loved singing this song with our kids while traveling and gathering around the campfire. Seems like only yesterday, a group of celebrities and musicians also had a wonderful AIDS concert and introduced--"We Are the World"--that also fits well with the II of Wands.

Thanks also for the Miguel Ruiz resource. I love his contributions to our evolution. We surely are vibrating at a higher level with the kids as we learn to respect and appreciate their/our Divine Truth and Nature. We are One.  

19 Feb 2005 @ 14:50 by martha : Thanks Gerald
I quite enjoyed reading about your interaction with your grand children and the tarot deck. It reminds me of my step son, who when younger collected cards from Japan with a variety of heros. I can't actually remember them very well because I didn't find them interesting. He is visiting this week end and I think I'll pull out my tarot deck for him to look at. He is 15 though and we do a lot of kidding around so I'm not sure what response I'll get.

Did they ever go back and look at the death card again? The death card to me means great change. Possibly the death of a belief or relationship but more often a shifting of energy to something completely new.

I also listen to my voice both inside and out...LOL...it is a key for me to shift energies especially hearing my voice at times.  

19 Feb 2005 @ 16:22 by jerryvest : Death as part of Life
Thanks, Martha. We did return to the Death card and discussed how the grass and flowers have died during our cold winter months but will be reborn in the Spring. I also feel that they realize that there is something within that will never die, much as astrid mentioned. Ariana was fascinated with this possibility and seemed to feel better about seeing "death" on a white horse representing the transitory nature of our bodies. I like your representation of change in beliefs, relationships and shifting energies--very nice.

Hey, I am very interested in learning how your teenaged step son receives the cards. Thanks for staying-in-touch.  

5 Oct 2005 @ 15:29 by rayon : Interpretating Major and Minor
as you describe is fascinating. Makes good sense, I have done something similar with the ancient Green Pantheon. Years ago my partner and I ran an exceptional restaurant naming it "Le Tarot", set between the artists colonies of the North and South coasts of Cornwall. Only natural forms of lighting were used and a local artist painted the Fool and the Hierophant lifesize and larger, as murals amongst an eclectic aray of Egyptian to Tibetan icons. Really just a fun thing with live classic spanish guitar music and french cuisine, absolutely no readings, but much discussion. You would have been a most welcome guest there, Mr Jerryvest, too bad too late.  

5 Oct 2005 @ 17:08 by jerryvest : Thanks Nicola, I would have loved
to have visited your restaurant and coasts of Cornwall. What a clever and creative thing to do with the Fool and Hierophant. The environment with music, readings, interaction and great food--what a treat. Hey, tell us more about your Green Pantheon.  

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