Pitch-Perfect: Tarot Reading as “Tone Poem”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: On nearly every page of Benebell Wen’s book, I Ching, the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes, I encounter another example of ancient Chinese wisdom that provides fresh impetus for my ever-increasing forays into esoteric syncretism. This time it was the following excerpt:
“. . . every movement in the cosmos produces a sound that has a pitch.”
Somewhere along the line in my metaphysical studies (perhaps in a Hindu treatise on Aum) I came across the idea that the Universe is permeated from one end to the other by a single, undifferentiated “tone” (or chord) that is then parsed into its myriad “notes” at the individual level through contemplation and personal experience. I’m strongly reminded of Spinoza’s postulate of an “immanent God-consciousness” that invests everything in existence, from the most concrete object to the most fleeting thought. each one exhibiting a unique degree of sentience. This background tone changes only slightly over time such that it is a constant for many generations of humanity; think of the approximately 26,000-year cycle (the “precession of the equinoxes”) that underlies the astrological Ages. When ramified and particularized, it suggests the philosophical concept of musica universalis (the “music of the spheres”).
Tarot author and entrepreneur Marcus Katz once observed that “The oracular moment is sacrosanct,” which I took to imply that for any given situation at any instant in time, only one specific set of cards will suffice to answer the question with the greatest measure of accuracy. (In practice, I’ve found some latitude in this premise since certain cards present a very similar theme and will therefore be relatively interchangeable in a reading.) Enrique Enriquez, after calling the art of divination an “irrational act,” likened tarot to poetry. I see it as a form of quasi-musical interpretation in the sense that the “pitch” of the universal tone is modulated by the temperament of the cards pulled, producing a kind of “tone poem” (a piece of orchestral concert music designed to tell a story or suggest an extramusical idea).
If we look at a spread as a figurative piece of music, we can spot placid interludes and spirited crescendos in the flow that give us clues as to how circumstances are likely to unfold. This is another ingredient in my “gestalt” approach to a reading, in which I look for a preponderance or absence of certain qualities, such as suit, element, number and rank, that speak to the “pitch” of the message. A majority of trump cards could mean that they’re blaring at me, all “trumpets and kettle drums;” quite a few court cards signify a “chatty” or “busy” motif; numerous “pip” cards convey the idea of a “pastorale” (“a composition evocative of rural life, sometimes [with] a droning accompaniment”). Wands introduce bright, energetic movements; Cups signify emotionally evocative swells and fades; Swords evoke challenging time signatures and complex, minor-key arrangements; Pentacles emphasize the unwavering “drone” mentioned above.
I’m enamored of the notion that a tarot reading resembles a musical composition. I wrote a previous essay on this subject titled “Poetry in Motion” that included the following remarks:
“Where Enriquez seeks “poetry,” I look for “music” in my interaction with the cards. As a storyteller I want the images to “sing” to me with their shapes and colors in ways that are initially non-verbal, although I have to provide lyrics in order to make their message accessible.”
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on May 6, 2024.
