Alchemy And The Tarot: Using the Cards For Personal Transformation
A Workshop With Robert M Place
$200
In the summer of 1987, I was reading a book on alchemy when I became fascinated by an illustration representing the Philosopher's Stone, the magical catalyst and universal panacea, whose creation is the goal of the alchemical Great Work or Magnum Opus. The illustration depicted the Stone as a type of mandala with a heart in the center of a cross and surrounded by a thorny wreath. The cross divided the background into four sections, each containing an image representing one of the four ancient elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Besides the obvious connection with the Christian icon called the Sacred Heart, I saw another correlation. In a flash of insight, I realized that the symbolism of the design was entirely interchangeable with that of the Tarot's World card. The dancing nude on the World, like the heart, stands in the center of a wreath and she can be interpreted as a symbol for the soul. The creatures representing the four evangelists in the corners of the World are also symbolically connected to the four elements through their correlation to the fixed signs of the zodiac. This realization was like a key that opened a lock to a forgotten door. I was mesmerized as images poured out of this new portal in my mind. They formed a parade of alchemical illustrations that were spontaneously paired with Tarot trumps and it became clear to me that the series of Tarot trumps describes the alchemical Great Work. This insight led to years of research, and to the creation to one of the most beautiful and meaningful modern Tarot decks, The Alchemical Tarot.
~Robert M Place
Purchase NowThe series will consist of four Live two-hour classes. All classes are recorded and uploaded to the course platform for viewing at any time!
September 7, 14, 21, and 28
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Week 1: History, Philosophy, and Practice of Western Alchemy
A discussion of the history, philosophy, and practice of Western alchemy, stressing the role of transmutation and the mystical quest for enlightenment.
Week 2: Symbolic Connection Between Alchemy and Tarot
A demonstration of the symbolic connection between alchemy and the Tarot. Using The Alchemical Tarot as a model, we will learn that, although the Tarot was not meant to be an alchemical text, the Fool and twenty-one trumps in The Alchemical Tarot demonstrate that each card can be correlated with a substance or process in the Opus. Using the trumps, we will begin practicing divination techniques.
Week 3: Correlating The Four Minor Suits With The Four Elements.
Looking at the minor suits in The Alchemical Tarot, we will find meaning by associating each suit with an element and paring the element with one of the four psychological functions described by Carl Jung. Now using the whole deck, we will also demonstrate how to read the cards in layouts designed to put us in touch with an inner source of wisdom that I call the Higher Self.
Week 4: Using the Cards For Inner Work
Learning to use the cards, not as a tool of fortunetelling, but as a way of connecting with inner knowledge, and letting the Tarot become a spiritual journey.
4 Live 2-Hour Classes
All sessions are recorded and uploaded to this course platform where you can watch at any time.
Private Community
Included is a private community forever, where you can ask Robert questions, share your homework with the group, and get to know your fellow participants. This is not a Facebook group. No need to have a FB account.
Downloadable Alchemical Tarot Journal
You will receive a downloadable tarot journal for the Alchemical Tarot by Robert M Place. Each card has its own page with an image of the card, space to record notes from this course, your own keywords, and a space to list the symbols and their meanings.
The Alchemical Tarot is designed to illustrate that there is a close connection between alchemical symbolism and the Tarot.
The Fool and trumps in The Alchemical Tarot each relate to an alchemical material or process, which is part of the Great Work or Opus of alchemy that leads to the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, a mystical catalyst that transforms what it touches to its highest form. Composed of the mysterious fifth element, it can cure any illness, turn lead into gold, and turn an ordinary person into an enlightened sage. Although this symbolism is clearly expressed in The Alchemical Tarot, it is illustrating a philosophy that is found in every Tarot and that is a valuable tool for improving our lives.
In this four-part workshop, we will discuss the history and symbolism of alchemy, see how this symbolism relates to the Tarot’s Fool and 21 trumps, and learn how they capture the alchemical Opus, as expressed in The Alchemical Tarot.
We will explore the relationship between the four elements and the minor suits and learn what alchemical symbols they contain. We will learn how the Tarot can be used as a psychological tool and practice transformative alchemical spreads designed to internalize the symbolism and bring forth a personal transformation.
Instead of using the Tarot to predict the future, I believe that the best use for the deck is as a tool that connects us with inner wisdom and helps us to make better decision that will improve our lives.
Robert M. Place is the designer and illustrator of twenty-four Tarot and oracle decks: including the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Alchemical Tarot, The Angels Tarot, The Marziano Tarot, the award-winning The Tarot of the Saints, The Buddha Tarot, The Vampire Tarot, The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, The Tarot of the Alchemical Magnum Opus, The Alchemical Tarot of Marseille, The Hermes Playing Card Oracle, An Ukiyo-e Lenormand (based on Japanese culture), The Raziel Tarot and The Burning Serpent Oracle (for both of which he collaborated with Tarot diva Rachel Pollack).
Besides writing books to accompany his decks, he is the author of The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, which Booklist has said, “may be the best book ever written on that deck of cards decorated with mysterious images called the Tarot.” He is the author of Astrology and Divination, Magic and Alchemy, Shamanism, Alchemy and the Tarot, and The Tarot, Magic, Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Neoplatonism. He is the curator of “The Fools' Journey” and the author of the catalog for this exhibition of Tarot art that originated at the LA Craft and Folk-Art Museum, in 2010.
He was the guest of honor at the opening of the Tarot Museum in Riola, Italy, in 2007. His Facsimile Historic Italian Tarot is included in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he recurrently lectures on their card collection. He and his work have appeared on the BBC, A&E, the Discovery Channel, and the Learning Channel. He has taught and lectured throughout the US and on five of the seven continents. His newest work, The Fist Occult Tarot, is a deck and book based on the descriptions written in 1781 by the come de Mellet, the first occult author to describe a Tarot deck.
