Tarot through the lens of the Kabbalah Tree of Life

Kabbalah is a complex and dynamic Jewish mystical tradition that includes many concepts and practices, while the Tree of Life is its mystical symbol.  The Tree of Life consists of ten Sefirot representing different aspects of the divine consciousness, acting as channels through which God's creative will manifests in the world, and the twenty-two paths that connect them.  These paths symbolize the relationship between these divine attributes.  This in turn can contribute to a greater understanding and provide a framework to explore the different facets of existence and the potential for spiritual growth within oneself. 

According to the Kabbalah Experience website:

The Tree of Life serves as a map for the flow of creativity (potential) into manifestation (actual). The Tree is a map of how the “infinite” (golden) possibilities manifest in finite reality. Many ideas falter on the drawing board, dreams and visions shatter along the way, our essence can be misused or distorted, we can recoil from expressing ourselves due to fear or shame. The Tree of Life directs us to consider our deeper purpose in all our endeavors—to be aware that beyond our own limitations is the field of all possibility which we are inherently connected to and whose energy enables us to change or modify any narrative we have inherited or chosen.

The practice of looking at Tarot cards through the lens of Kabbalah and the Tree of Life is not a traditional Jewish practice, however according to Isabel Radow Kliegman, author of Tarot and the Tree of Life, in a post appearing on the Theosophical Society of America website:  

Although it is unclear as to how Tarot became associated with the Kabbalistic Tree of life, by the 19th century the two modalities were being used together to the great enhancement of the Tarot cards, and by 1890 Kabbalistic teaching was integral to Tarot Design.

The Kabbalah Tree of Life is a highly organized “map of consciousness” and it can be used as a lens to view many different modalities including Tarot.  Understanding the Tree of Life, its Sefirah and Paths, can bring a deeper understanding to whatever the modality it is being used for. 

As Pamela Eakins, author of Kabbalah and Tarot of the Spirit says:

 The wisdom of Kabbalah – the wisdom that “is received” on our spiritual sojourn – is said to be “alive” because each person entering the multidimension territory of the Great Mystery perceives and transmits his or her experience in a very personal way.  The way each one embraces the “lessons of the land” depends on each one’s personal nature, character, position, socialization, education, past experience, and so on. As we enter into the mystical knowledge of the Kabbalistic dimension, no matter where we begin, we begin to evolve.  As we begin to evolve, we simultaneously evolve the very territory we are traversing.  As such, kabbalah evolves us as we evolve Kabbalah.  In a very real sense, then, we do not just “study the Kabbalah”, rather we become the living embodiment of the Kabbalistic teachings – each according to our own perceptions.

The Tree of Life is rich with an overlay of many correspondences including tarot, astrology, archangels, crystals, metals, colors, chakras and many more and in addition to adding a new layer to our understanding of the Tarot card, we can also use the Tree of Life for Pathworking.  Pathworking is a tool for opening and expanding our awareness so that we might explore and understand ourselves better. 

Over the last couple of years, I have explored Pathworking with Tarot through the three books I’ve found on the subject. Leeza Robertson’s book Pathworking the Tarot covers her exercises for pathworking but doesn’t reference the Tree of Life.  While Sandy Anastasi’s book Kabbala Pathworking and Ted Andrews’ book, Pathworking and The Tree of Life both address pathworking through the Tree of Life and are filled with many different correspondences to use along the way.

Another way I have explored working on the Return Journey through Tarot up the Tree of Life is a process I've adapted from the Kabbalah Path Method from the book Practical Tarot Techniques by Marcus Katz & Tali Goodwin. With my deck divided into Majors and Minors I am able to choose one card for the Majors to identify the Path I need to journey along that day. In addition to identifying the path, it will also identify the two Sephirot found on either side of the path which will also have an influence on this part of the journey. The two cards I choose from the Minors can further highlight something I may need to consider. Even when my Return Journey is moving through quieter waters, the information and insights I get from this exploration have enhanced my own learning and understanding of the Tarot, so a win win situation that I enjoy. If this sounds interesting to you, join me on my YouTube channel to see which cards I choose for my Return Journey and consider how they may apply to your own Return Journey.