## **Post 1: Tarot & the Temple — Mapping the Sacred Journey** ## Introduction Since ancient times, the temple has stood as the ultimate symbol of the soul’s journey: a structure raised not merely from stone, but from intention, mystery, and divine proportion. Likewise, the Tarot is no mere collection of cards—it is a portable temple, a sacred architecture of images designed to guide the seeker towards wisdom and transformation. ## The Temple as Universal Symbol From the Temples of Isis to Solomon’s Temple, to the invisible temples of the Western Mysteries, the concept transcends cultures and ages. The temple is both outer sanctum and inner reality. It is the microcosm of the universe and the macrocosm of the self. ## The Tarot’s Role as a Spiritual Map The Tarot, particularly the Major Arcana, presents this journey in visual form. The Fool passes through a sequence of trials, initiations, and revelations, moving from the mundane toward the transcendent. ## Stations of Initiation — The Major Arcana Each card is a gate or pillar in the soul’s ascent: the High Priestess guards the threshold, the Hierophant instructs in sacred law, while Death and the Tower dismantle the old to make way for the new. These are not abstract symbols—they are living forces encountered along the spiritual path. The threshold is the Pillars of Jachin and Boaz between which symbols can be visualised. A good starting point is to imagine an egg between the Pillars ## Conclusion — Laying the First Stone In the posts that follow, we will explore how the Tarot embodies the temple tradition and how, as practitioners, we can enter this temple not only in study but through ritual and magical practice. **Tags:** #tarot-symbolism, #spiritual-journey, #initiation, #temple-mysteries, #major-arcana, #qabalah --- ### Contact me The circle is open — if the work calls to you, or if you simply wish to say hello, you're most welcome. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: [Message me here](https://wa.me/447918637940) ### Links to Paul on the web - [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/paulhughesbarlow) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@PaulHughesBarlow1) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/paul.hughesbarlow) - [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/paulhughesbarlow.bsky.social)