An interesting fact about Tarot is that the cards seemed to suddenly appear at the beginning of the fifteenth century, and having no apparent single source for the images, it left them open to various interpretations and presentations, which is the main reason for the enduring popularity of Tarot today.
I hope that the sum of many years of research will provide the reader with a means of discovering the definitive history of the Tarot. The Book of Revelation is indubitably the source for more than half the images in modern Tarot decks, which have over the centuries been overlaid with esoteric imagery from sources such as the Kabbalah and astrology. The images in the Book of Revelation are the keys to the teachings, which have been interpreted by the famous American psychic, Edgar Cayce. It is now apparent to me that the original Tarot symbolism was designed to help in a person’s spiritual development. The challenge has been to produce a work that gives the reader the teachings of Cayce and the Book of Revelation in a concise and useable format while maintaining the flexibility of Tarot. I drew heavily on my background of study of Edgar Cayce, metaphysics and the Tarot, which enabled me to put the pieces of the puzzle together, resulting in the Tarot of the Revelation.
Even though the raison d’etre of these cards is spiritual exercises leading to enlightenment, they can also be used as regular Tarot cards, though I would suggest that they are better suited to the needs of an experienced Tarot reader due to several fundamental differences that the inexperienced reader may not notice. I have endeavored to design the cards to make them easy to use for both regular Tarot reading and as a tool for spiritual growth.
The book is divided into five sections, the first gives the traditional way to read Tarot cards, the second, the background to the historical basis of the Tarot of the Revelation and its unique structure, the third section gives a new interpretation to the cards including the Greek affirmations and spiritual guidance from Edgar Cayce’s readings. This section shows that the Major Arcana are the story of John‘s enlightenment and God’s plan for mankind, while the Minor Arcana are tools for one’s own development. The fourth section gives seven exercises using the cards for spiritual growth, and four Revelation layouts (also called “spreads”), and lastly the fifth section provides the references to help the reader understand this complex topic.
Introduction to the Tarot of the Revelation (pt1)
Does the Bible forbid divination?
Is the Tarot a tool of the Devil?
How to give better Tarot readings
The traditional meanings of the cards
The Minor Arcana
The Four Suits of the Minor Arcana
The Court Cards
Keywords for the Minor Arcana
The generally accepted history of the Tarot
The SEAL: Read this before breaking the seal
Introduction to the Tarot of the Revelation (pt2)
Edgar Cayce’s Introduction to the Interpretation of the Book of Revelation
The History of the Book of Revelation
Concerning apocalyptic literature
The importance of the Book of Revelation
Timeline chronology
Map of Europe at the time of John the Baptist
Gnosticism
Kabbalah
A new theory on the authorship of the Book of Revelation and how it affects the history of Tarot
The structure of the Tarot of the Revelation
The Fool’s transcendental journey
The Major Arcana of the Tarot of the Revelation
The Minor Arcana
He that hath an ear
Numerology in the Book of Revelation
Special attributes of the number seven
Time symbolism in the cards
Exercises for Spiritual Growth
Seven Spiritual exercises
Cayce’s “Lord’s Prayer”
The Revelation Meditation
Sacred Names and Affirmations
Four Revelation Layouts
1. Book of Revelation references
The curse; The promise
People
John the Baptist; John the Evangelist; the antichrist; St. Michael the Archangel; St. George and the dragon; Commentary on these two stories; the two witnesses; Nicolaitanes; Appolyon; Balaam
Places
Rome; Babylon; Euphrates; Armageddon; Jerusalem; New Jerusalem; Nicomedia; Lydda (Lot); Phrygia
Symbolism in the Book of Revelation
Zodiac and gemology; Wormwood; The Reed
Numbers
666; 144,000
Parallel structures in the Book of Revelation
The Book of Daniel and the Book of the Revelation
Genesis and the Book of Revelation
The seven angels of the trumpets and the vials.
2. Edgar Cayce references
Who was Edgar Cayce? Christ consciousness; Oversoul; Leydig (Leyden) cells; Akashic Records; Kundalini; Karma; Chakras
3. Biblical references
Biblical terminology; Menorah; Lucifer; Greek and the New Testament
4. Historical references
Chi-Rho; Johannites; John Wycliffe
5. Notes on the images on the cards
Mitre; Crozier; Triple Crown; Lemniscate; Wheel of Fortune Design notes
Edgar Cayce’s version of the Book of Revelation
The Revelation of St. John the Divine
Bibliography
Japanese translation
is a director of the Edgar Cayce Centre in Japan; as well as completing a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Studies from Atlantic University, founded by Edgar Cayce, he is also a Tarot Master. He works in the pharmaceutical industry, has a degree from London University in Japanese and Chinese, a Ph.D. in Neuro-science and has lived more than 25 years in Japan. He is also the author of four other books including "Letters from an English Public School".
Contact the author here
© The Tarot of the Revelation