About Wisdom
One of my favorite groups to facilitate is the Tarot Wisdom Circle, which I have begun offering again in person and online (see Upcoming Events). Tarot Wisdom Circles strive to demonstrate how tarot can be useful for reflecting a larger reality and underlying aspects in a given situation. We learn how to approach tarot as a wisdom teacher, rather than asking for predictions. Utilizing tarot in a wisdom way allows us more choices in our responses to our life’s challenges and opportunities, and takes us out of the sometimes uncomfortable position of being merely at the effect of things beyond our control.
Wisdom is a deeper source of human knowledge that allows us to have a larger perspective, cultivate an ever-growing capacity for discernment and ability to recognize patterns and cycles, and ultimately looking like just plain common sense. Wisdom is intuitively anchored in our body’s knowing, different from knowledge which is anchored in our heads. Knowledge is the facts and learned experiences that inform us providing guidance for us to navigate our daily lives and decision making. There is a place for both wisdom and knowledge and part of being wise is discerning which one is called for. We don’t need wisdom to tell us when to pay our bills and do the routine requirements in life, but we may need wisdom to tell us when and how we are in patterns that don’t serve us and wisdom to guide us to healthier choices that we make in our lives.
The older and more reflective I get, the more I understand wisdom intuitively. There’s a felt sensation in my body when the light goes on and things just click, like a final puzzle piece locking in place to bring the whole picture into focus. The sensation has a particular beauty that often brings tears to my eyes at the simple profundity of what I’m understanding better.
Tarot can be an important ally in seeking wisdom, revealing infinite layers of insight to help inform our choices.
Here is the reflection I received when I asked tarot “what is Wisdom”? I used the Haindl Tarot, which I have found to be one of the best for asking wisdom questions.
What is Wisdom?
The Reading:
The Hermit: The center card becomes the center of the reading. The Hermit is probably best card in the entire deck to associate with wisdom. Haindl shows a lone figure communing with the forces of nature with his whole body, deep listening beyond human babble. This is a person who removes herself from society and surface knowledge to listen for the deeper truth of things, and when she has the perspective she’s listening for she returns to society to share the wisdom gained.
Spider Woman-Mother of Stones(Queen of Pentacles): Spider Woman specifically from the Hopi creation stories that envision creation happening in several stages, existence evolving in through different levels, hence the labyrinth. The center of the labyrinth positioned in the center of Spider Woman’s face. There are layers upon layers of significance in this card. I will leave it for your own discovery.
Ace of Stones (Ace of Pentacles): Aces contain all the potential of the suit. Here we see an eagle either landing on a large boulder (is it landing or picking it up to carry it away? Your interpretation is meaningful.) and a rainbow showing the promise of the suit. The eagle can be thought of as Spirit, coming to infuse the earth with its wisdom.
My Interpretation
Tarot never ceases to amaze me when it responds so perfectly synchronistic. Out of all 78 cards in the deck, the Hermit, the Wise one in the major arcana, appeared as the main response to the question. Wisdom is a quality that comes from the more-than-human world and to find wisdom we must become like the Hermit, leave the human world of knowledge behind and listen deeply to Nature.
The two cards flanking the Hermit are Stones-which represent the element of Earth and all the physical resources we need to exist in form. We are looking at wisdom embodied in the actual earth. Spider Woman shows that by being anchored in our “center”, we can work our way through the layers (stages of evolution) to the center of our completion. The Ace of Stones shows us the promise, the potential in our lives when we infuse our body-selves with Spirit, the wisdom of the Hermit.
The short answer to “What is Wisdom?” can be expressed as: Wisdom is that quality of deep bodily knowing within ourselves, beyond what’s in our heads and is informed by the more-than-human energies that give rise to the world of form (Stones). We are wise when we center ourselves in that bodily knowing as we navigate through the layers of our lives. When we do this, we have the promise of all the potential of being human in this world.
I’ve had this reading on my table for several days now and it keeps revealing more and more information. Follow up wisdom questions might be along the lines of: How can wisdom serve the world in these times? Where in my life is more wisdom needed? How can (or does) wisdom guide in this difficult situation? I often have to use the wisdom of discernment to tell when enough is enough, as I fascinated am with what’s behind the next layer and keep going inward and forget to just live my life!
I welcome your thoughts on wisdom and these cards.
Image of Julia as the Hermit by Moonfire Portrait Art Studio