Tarot and the Journey of the Hero [Paperback]

This book satisfactorily scratched all those itches, and more. It is a pleasure to read visually and in terms of the thought it provokes. I don't believe anyone could walk away from reading this book without having been enriched in many ways. Its diversity in the cultural, mythological, philosophical, and artistic traditions upon which it draws is enormous. This book could make a fine basis for teaching a university course in a number of disciplines.

I will leave you, gentle Amazon reader, to the wisdom of other reviewers, but I urge your consideration of this book. I believe you will not be sorry.

Enjoy.

If you like archetypal Tarot that explores the universal energies operating in the Tarot images, then you will probably love this book. Loaded with beautiful color pictures and images, it is well-organized, clearly written, logical. Its premise is that the hero's journey is an allegory for our human life path and that in the Tarot, the hero is the Fool. There is a chapter for each Major Arcana card that contains two key elements. The first is a detailed description and discussion of the card that is nicely filled with little tidbits of information on specific details of the card as well as, at times, some pretty deep discussion about the details and imagery. The second section, at the end of each chapter is a box that contains keywords for each Major card)." These are pithy little summaries of various aspect of the archetype. For example, keywords for the Fool are:

Archetype: The child, the naïve simpleton Task: Trying out new things without any bias, playful learning Goal: Joy in life, playfully gathering experience Risk: Awkwardness, confusion, carelessness, foolishness Feeling in Life: adventurous, curiosity, sure instincts, astonished openness, carefree joy, curiosity, the desire to try things out.

Personally, I love this little summation. These keywords are excellent guideposts for understanding the essence of the archetypes and taking their meaning to a deeper level. These are clear, short synonyms for the archetype. I particularly like the "risk" concept that is provided along with the regular archetypal meaning. I liken the risk that Banzhaf provides to the negative pole of the archetype and/or the meaning of the card should it appear in a reading reversed. When I am teaching my classes on the Tarot, I spend a lot of time explaining that an archetype has both a positive and negative pole. In this convenient summary box, we have a quick reference for understanding, at the very least, the basics of this positive pole (the archetype) and the negative pole (the risk). One of my favorites of these is the "risk" for the magician: "megalomania, fantasies of omnipotence, charlatanry." This is very clear and well-done.

There is also a very good foldout page (in color) that delineates the "journey of the hero" with the Fool, of course as the hero, starting out on his journey. Banzhaf divides the journey into three main components: childhood (gradual development of consciousness); maturation (developing the ego and overcoming the ego); and Initiation(experience of self of self-development). Specific components of the journey are the various Major Arcana archetypes, some of which, for Banzhaf, include the "helpful animal (Strength), the departure (The Chariot), the earthly parents (Empress and Emperor), one's true name (the Hermit)" and so on. These are really well done. This foldout chart, his terminology of the path, though I've seen similar ideas, allows for a nice "Big Picture" view of the Tarot's Major Arcana. This is our journey and we are reminded of the common bond of the experiences and patterns that we all share. To see our personal story, portrayed in its various developmental phases is validating, inspiring, and even healing. Banzhaf's overview is beautifully and clearly done.

I also really like how Banzhaf reveals details about specific symbols, without getting bogged down or using explanations that are so esoteric and abstract you fell like saying "what did you just say?" Banzhaf uses down-to-earth and concrete explanations. For example, regarding the Chariot, he says:

"The crown of the charioteer is adorned with an octagonal star that--like the number eight-symbolizes the connection with higher things. On the other hand, the square on his chest-corresponding with the number four-represent earthly reality." He provides an explanation of the symbolic hand gesture of the Heirophant, saying that the "extended fingers stand for the visible world . . .while the two bent fingers represent the invisible (what is concealed and the transcendent." There are many more fine examples of clear explanation of specific details on the cards: the pomegranate on the Empress garment, the Venus sign on her throne, an explanation of the Emperor's ankh and many more. I suppose someone versed in Tarot should know all these, but I personally found many of these little details, as explained by Banzhaf, quite enlightening and answered questions and concerns that I had had for some time about various details on the cards.

I was also very impressed with the meanings and insights Banzhaf demonstrated such as the connection between Justice and the Emperor or the Empress and the Lovers. Such insights are very thought-provoking and more than once during the course of reading this book, I thought "Whoa, now that's really brilliant. I NEVER saw that connection before."

Certainly the concise archetypal summaries will appeal to beginning students of the Tarot since it is so pithy and clear. Tarot and the Journey of the Hero will appeal to Jungian Tarot enthusiasts for its focus on the archetypal energetic patterns. And because it is so well-researched, with references to art, mythology, legends, Christianity and more, it can really be for serious students of the Tarot who like to hear the same ideas in a fresh and clear way as well as some astonishing insights. For those who do want to travel deeper into the archetype of each card, who want to be given lots of new perspectives, wonderful insights, I can't recommend this book enough. I personally found it to be very nurturing, especially the chapter on the Hermit, learning "One's True Name." Bottom line: I am very glad I have this book in my Tarot collection.

If you are not familiar with the Tarot cards, Banzhaf's book is a good place to begin, especially if you have an interest Western literature, music, and/or the visual arts -- including Medieval and Renaissance paintings, German philosophy, and films by the Fargo Brothers such as "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Banzhaf is a very educated man who has studied religious and/or mythological tales and/or classical stories and appears to have an in-depth knowledge of the religious and/or philosophical nature of humans. He not only interprets key myths and tales, he explains the content of artworks from ancient India, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy, and Medieval Europe used to illustrate his text.

Banzhaf uses the Waite and Marseilles decks to illustrate each of the Major Arcana. Although he appreciates much of the content of the Waite deck, he challenges some of the changes Waite made relative to older decks. Banzhaf eschews discussion of the Minor Arcana suggesting these cards are more recent and may be nothing more than playing cards or cards for fortune telling. On the other hand, he views the 22 cards of Major Arcana (the Fool and his 21 stations) as the organizing principle for the classic tale of the hero -- whether Moses or Parzifal, Galahad or Ra, Gilgamesh or Jesus -- and the core story of every human life.

Banzhaf lays out the cards of the Major Aracana sequentially and divides the layout into two major paths -- the path of the daytime sun (active) and the path of the nighttime moon (passive). He suggests that each soul must follow this path to reach paradise, heaven or the spritual world however it is defined. The daytime path has to do with becoming EGO, the worldly individual. The nighttime path is more difficlut and many become snared like the hanged man, slowly twisting in the wind. The nightime path involves the spiritual life where the gate is narrow and the way is hard.

This is a beautiful book, and although I bought the paperback, I plan to purchase the hardcover since I will be referring to the book again..and again. As Banzhaf says, "If we look to the path as a spiral, that gradually leads us to what is Highest, then each turn on this spriral corresponds to one hero's journey. Seen in this manner, as long as we are traveling, we will return to all twenty-one stations over and over, yet--at least we hope--this will always be on a somewhat higher level. At the uppermost point of the path, but really only there, does this last card mean the unity of all things."