Tarot, Divination & the Tree of Life: Symbolic Pathways to Inner Knowledge
Since their emergence in Europe during the late Middle Ages, the Tarot cards have carried a mystique that transcends fortune-telling. For initiates of the mystery schools, Tarot was not just a tool of prediction but a symbolic system — a mirror of the psyche and a map of initiation.
When woven into the structure of the Tree of Life from Hermetic Qabalah, Tarot and divination become powerful guides for seekers, offering pathways to deeper self-knowledge and alignment with the divine.
The Tarot as a Mystery School Tool
Far from being a parlour game, the Tarot emerged as a deck of symbolic images that reflected archetypal forces in the human journey. The 22 Major Arcana in particular became associated with spiritual lessons — from the Fool’s innocent beginning to the World’s completion in wholeness.
Mystery schools saw in these images a teaching device, much like sacred geometry or mythic allegory (Sacred Geometry: Patterns of the Divine in Mystery School Teachings). Each card became both a meditation symbol and a gateway to higher understanding.
The Tree of Life as a Map
The Tree of Life, central to Hermetic Qabalah, describes ten sephiroth (emanations of divine light) connected by 22 paths. These paths correspond perfectly with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and, in esoteric adaptation, with the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot.
Thus, the Tree of Life and Tarot became an integrated map:
Each sephirah represents a stage of consciousness or divine emanation.
Each path represents a process of transformation.
Each Tarot card symbolises the archetypal energy guiding that step of the journey.
Through meditation on this map, initiates could trace their own soul’s ascent back toward divine unity (Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah: The Tree of Life in Mystery Schools).
Divination as Inner Dialogue
In mystery schools, divination was never about predicting a fixed future. Instead, it was seen as a dialogue with the divine — a way of bringing subconscious truths into awareness.
Tarot spreads revealed hidden influences and energies.
Astrology charted cosmic patterns shaping destiny (Astrology and the Mystery Schools: Reading the Cosmic Script).
Geomancy and scrying opened portals to symbolic communication.
Like reflective psychology (Reflective Psychology and Psychism: The Inner Work of Illumination), divination was a tool for self-examination, showing the seeker what they might otherwise overlook.
The Major Arcana as an Initiatory Journey
Mystery schools often taught that the 22 Major Arcana represented a full initiatory cycle:
The Fool — the seeker’s leap into the unknown.
The Magician and High Priestess — mastery of will and inner intuition.
The Tower — destruction of illusions.
The Star, Moon, and Sun — illumination and hope.
The World — integration and completion.
Placed on the Tree of Life, this sequence becomes a roadmap of the soul’s evolution, guiding the initiate step by step through inner transformation.
Symbol and Archetype
Mystery schools emphasised that symbols are doorways to the unconscious. Tarot cards, like alchemical imagery, are packed with archetypes that bypass rational thought and speak directly to the deeper mind (Alchemy and the Mystery Schools: The Inner Gold of Transformation).
The Hermit reflects the archetype of inner guidance.
The Lovers embody the tension between choice and union.
Death symbolises transformation and rebirth.
These archetypes echo the Platonic ideals described in Neoplatonism, existing as timeless forms that shape human experience (Neoplatonism and Theurgy: The Ascent Through the Spheres).
Ritual Use of Tarot and the Tree
For initiates, Tarot and the Tree of Life were not merely intellectual maps. They were ritual tools used in meditation, theurgy, and ceremonial magic (Esoteric Philosophy & Magic: The Secret Teachings of Mystery Schools).
By visualising themselves walking the paths of the Tree and meditating on the corresponding Tarot archetype, seekers enacted their own journey of ascent. This practice mirrored the inner alchemy of transmuting lead into gold (Alchemy and the Mystery Schools: The Inner Gold of Transformation).
Tarot, Intuition, and Inner Vision
Tarot also played a role in the awakening of the third eye, sharpening intuition and inner vision. Through repeated engagement with symbols, seekers learned to see beyond appearances (The Third Eye in Mystery School Teachings: Awakening Inner Vision).
Here, Tarot aligns with the broader mystery school goal: to awaken higher faculties of perception that reveal the hidden patterns of reality.
Modern Mystery School Use of Tarot
Today, Tarot and the Tree of Life remain foundational to many esoteric schools and spiritual seekers. They are valued not as fortune-telling curiosities but as:
Meditation frameworks for inner growth.
Divinatory mirrors revealing subconscious truth.
Symbolic systems mapping the journey of initiation.
The cards continue to guide those who seek to integrate ancient wisdom with modern psychological insight.
FAQs on Tarot, Divination, the Tree of Life and the Mystery Schools
Is Tarot really connected to the mystery schools?
Yes. While its origins were medieval, the Tarot was soon woven into Hermetic Qabalah and used as an initiatory tool.
Why connect Tarot with the Tree of Life?
Because the 22 paths of the Tree align with the 22 Major Arcana, creating a unified symbolic system of spiritual ascent.
Does Tarot predict the future?
Not in the mystery school sense. It reveals hidden influences and subconscious dynamics, guiding choice and growth.
Can Tarot help with spiritual awakening?
Yes. Through meditation and reflection, Tarot awakens intuition, inner vision, and alignment with archetypal truth.
To learn more about the mystery school teachings and what is a mystery school, click here.
Walking the Pathways of Symbol - Mystery School Classes at the Bright Beings Academy
Tarot and the Tree of Life remind us that symbols are more than pictures — they are gateways of consciousness. To work with them is to embark on a living journey of initiation, one that leads deeper into the mystery of the self and the cosmos.
At the Bright Beings Academy Mystery School, we explore Tarot, Qabalah, and symbolic systems as part of the path of illumination.
Click here to explore the Mystery School Lectures
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
