Nehama Merav – Tarot Therapy
I first came to know the cards during my stay in “Twin Oaks” commune in the USA. Before that time I had already graduated in Political Science and the History of Art and was thinking of doing research in Medieval Art.
Classical Tarot cards have a long history. Some of them began to appear in Europe already in the 11th century and even before that. The ancient symbols too were Medieval and I was drawn to them and to their symbolism. The Rider-Waite Pack, the one most known of all, carries Medieval, Jewish and Pagan elements, and for me personally was easy to bond with.
For 19 years now I have been giving Tarot-Therapy as well as short and long workshops throughout the country. When I returned to Israel in 1983 I decided to learn Tarot with a young teacher from Haifa called Yaron Zaafran, who was, I think, 15 or 16 years old. Even two years later, though imbued by a sense of vocation, I did not allow myself to give readings as a professional except to acquaintances and family members, as I considered that period as a time of training, knowing that there were places where a student reached a master`s level only after many years.
For the past 15 years I have also taught many students, men and women, who wanted to learn about the Tarot. I focus on teaching the classical Tarot Cards, and though there are about 10.000 types of Tarot decks, in my estimate the source came from India to Europe with the gypsies in the 10th and 11th centuries.
People who come to Tarot-Therapy are at times confused and in need of advise, bringing with them as well messages or transmissions from those close to them. Throughout the years I`ve learned to read these messages and be assisted by them in my spiritual development and the awareness of people who need help.
Tarot-Theraphy is in fact a mutual therapy. When I relieve someone coming to me I also provide relief to myself. I am an excellent diagnostician and an attentive teacher who speaks with her students at eye level.
The pure serenity in Moshav Amirim in Upper Galilee where I live too imbues me with additive inspiration for my spiritual and professional work.
What are Tarot Cards?
Tarot Cards are 78 painted, complex symbols that have been known from the beginning of the previous millenium till now.
There are over 10.000 types of Tarot Card packs.
If we tried to describe the essence of these cards we would describe a language made of ideograms joined together into words and sentences, which culminate eventually in a story that describes the person looking for answers.
There are many versions pointing at the origin of the Tarot Cards. The Cards appeared in Europe already in the 11th century and were used mostly by the gypsies, – the Romani People – who migrated to Europe from India.. Another version points at the Egyptian Mysteries, that took the form of a condensed 78 card formula.
The 78 cards are divided into two groups, the “Major Arcana” (the Greater Secret) and the Smaller Arcana (the Lesser Secret). The Major Arcana is composed of 22 Trump cards. It deals with our major agenda. Some Tarot Readers use only the Major Arcana for consultation.
The Smaller Arcana (or “secondary agenda”) is composed of 56 cards divided into four suits: Wands, Swords, Cups and Coins. Each of those suits contains basic astrology and numerology. Anyone can learn the cards, just like learning a new language. The future of the studies, what he or she may use them for depends only on the student. One may also find card games based on the Tarot Pack in Flanders (Belgium and France) and in Italy. Generally speaking it would seem that all card games (Poker, Rummy, Bridge, etc`) are originally derived from the Tarot Pack.
There are two approaches to the Tarot Cards :
The first approach is a magical-prophetic one, in which the cards are instruments intended only for looking into the future of the querent and providing answers to focal points on a future timeline such as: when will I get pregnant, will I succeed in business, do I have a good marital connection, etc`, as well as giving answers to existential questions such as birth, death, and so on.
The second approach is modern Tarot-Therapy. This approach developed in the middle of the 20th century during the New Age period and involves practicality, basic psychology, spirituality and self-awareness. It enables the use of the Tarot Cards language in treatments of deep internal awareness, basic problem solutions and enhancement. The renowned Swiss psychologist Carl Jung was deeply interested in the symbolic sign language of the Cards. He improved the prophetic approach by improving the sign language and adapting it to psychological therapy.
As time went on the language of the Tarot Cards acquired additional dimensions years, reflecting trends and developments. Thus we have the Osho Zen Tarot and the Crystal Stones Tarot, but the underlying meaning has remained the same as that of the classical Tarot Cards.