People used to think that tarot and science were completely opposite schools of belief. That’s all changing now, however, with the Science Tarot deck, which uses the Hero’s Journey archetype masterminded by Joseph Campbell to finally infuse logic and nature with mythology and mysticism. The journey this deck takes you on is a highly personal and unique journey by reading certain myths through a scientific lens.
Discoveries Through Major Arcana
Major Arcana cards are combined with information on a particular discovery in the science world that has contributed towards our current understanding of the universe. The findings of Mendel’s Peas experiments, in particular, are combined with the Empress in order to make a greater connection to our understanding of animals, plants, and humans. This especially covers things such as personal growth and other hereditary traits.
The Power of Fire
Cosmology, astrology, and astronomy are reflected through the Bunsen burner cards that, naturally, are combined with fire. This particularly represents our connectivity to our worldly beginnings that urges us to create. The life of a star, furthermore, is represented by the Seven of Wands, which reminds us how stars develop over thousands of years in ways we could never hope to recognize. It thus reminds us of the parallels with our own lives, and how we ought to grow as people until we are a completely different entity altogether.
Geology and Cosmology
The Nine of Pentacles—represented here by a magnifying glass—is represented by a flash of amazing light as a reflection of the magnetic field of the earth and light particles of the stars. Combining chemistry and geology in a way that gives us a closer look at the world’s various elements, the pentacles of Science Tarot shed insight into the production of beauty from the unification of small and large things.
Scalpels and Swords
Scalpels and swords, which are of course semantically similar, are represented in unison in Science Tarot. Shining a light on math and physics, this combination urges you to interpret the connections you make along the journey of your life. The Two of Swords contains the imagery of apples on pulleys, which makes us think of gravity and of how uncontrollable it is as a force. Although its uncontrollable elements might instill us with fear, we have the choice of whether to resist it to prevent damage to ourselves (i.e., the apple hitting us) or whether we allow the force to control us altogether.
The Notion of Return
Scientific beakers appear on the cups suit cards which allows us to realize that we have to come back down to earth in order to thrive. Within the emotional realm, we can come more into contact with our own relationships. In times of emotional transformation, we can thus rely on the Eight of Cups, represented in Science Tarot by the Cocoon.
With Science Tarot, we can truly see how the worlds of science and mysticism are becoming thought of as not mutually exclusive schools of thought, but rather as a whole that can help us to understand our own journeys in life a little bit better.
Wow, who would have thought that Mendel’s Peas would ever go on a mystical journey with the Empress card? What’s next, quantum physics through the lens of astrology?
Exactly my point. This seems more far-fetched than insightful.
This article is a fascinating synthesis of two seemingly disparate realms: science and mysticism. The Science Tarot deck is an innovative concept that emulates the interconnected nature of the universe. Quite enlightening!
I couldn’t agree more, Dimpling. It’s quite an eye-opener to see how mythological archetypes can reflect scientific discoveries.
The merging of tarot and scientific principles is an intriguing concept. Using the Hero’s Journey archetype to bridge the gap between mythology and science could indeed provide a unique perspective on personal development.
The representation of geological and cosmological elements through the Nine of Pentacles is a creative way to highlight the unity of small and large elements in the universe. It brings a new layer of beauty to how we perceive chemistry and geology.
Oh great, just what we need—a tarot deck that teaches us about gravity through apples on pulleys. Next, they’ll be selling crystals for curing cancer. The marriage of science and mysticism? More like a forced coexistence of oil and water.
It’s fascinating how the Science Tarot deck combines discoveries like Mendel’s Peas experiments with the Major Arcana. This approach might offer a deeper understanding of hereditary traits and personal growth through a blend of science and mysticism.
Incorporating mathematical and physical concepts like gravity into tarot through the imagery of apples on pulleys is a clever way to encourage us to think about the forces that shape our lives. This blend of scientific principles with tarot could offer valuable insights.
The use of the Hero’s Journey archetype is brilliant. Joseph Campbell’s work has always bridged various fields of knowledge, and using it as a framework for a tarot deck really crystallizes the interplay between personal growth and scientific understanding.
I find this whole notion rather spurious. Combining tarot with science is akin to diluting the rigor of scientific inquiry with the unsubstantiated claims of mysticism. Where is the empirical evidence to support such integration?
The connection between cosmology, astrology, and the representation of fire in the Bunsen burner cards is quite compelling. It underscores the creative forces at play in both the universe and our lives, paralleling star development with human growth.
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