Hermeneutics is a philosophical and philological discipline that specializes in the interpretation of texts, and broadly speaking, in the interpretation of big phenomena such as culture, events and individual phenomena. The word “hermeneutics” comes from the same name of Hermes, only if hermeticism is a religious and philosophical doctrine of the universe (high hermeticism) with its ritual and magical dimension (low hermeticism), then hermeneutics was and is understood by philosophers as a way of analyzing and deciphering texts.
In my practical reflections, I proceed from the fact that the Tarot spread is a kind of text that needs to be interpreted. Please understand me correctly here, I am not talking about some kind of “heavenly” message, or about any “pages” from cosmic chronicles or something like that. A Tarot spread is a set of signs or symbols in certain positions, whose meanings (meanings of symbols and positions) overlap each other. We can and should learn to work with these mutual relationships of meanings.
If we bring to mind that any Tarot spread as a text, then we must assume that it has a textual structure too. Without overloading this article with linguistic data, I will mention only two structural levels of our text: linear, horizontal or semantic level and vertical, conceptual level. The conceptual level represents the essence and spirit of each particular spread. This main essence, which will subordinate all meanings at the linear level, can be expressed by some main position card, or may not be expressed by a specific position, but the whole insight of the issue will attract and structure all positional cards.
It is also important to understand whether the spread is something solid monolithic or breaks down into sub-spreads with their own spheres of meanings. What is the linear structure in these sub-spreads, how the cards fit together: by suit, by elements. How cards weaken or strengthen each other? Are there positions when negative minor arcana invert the major arcana into its negative meaning? In simply terms, what kind of coherent (coherence is also an important characteristic of the text) sentence can be composed using the cards on your table? What exactly is happening (analysis of the meanings of the cards themselves) in which specific areas of life (analysis of the cards in certain positions of the spread). We reveal all this at the linear level of the spread. As a result, we have “before” and “after” of the situation in form of a certain linear sentence, which still needs to be translated into simple English. But, we also have a central position around which everything will pivot. It is very important, and, perhaps, it will express the whole insight. Thus we are nearing gradually to the conceptual level.
When working with two levels of meaning, it is necessary to look for that coherence, which will be expression of the main principle of hermeneutics - the “Hermeneutic Circle”. The hermeneutic circle refers to the idea that our understanding of a text as a whole is based on our understanding of each individual part, as well as our understanding of how each individual part refers to the whole text.
Having understood the structure of what was said to us in the spread, we can take another step towards analyzing the situation. The analytical level is already an access to the psychology of a specific situation.
The classical author of philosophical hermeneutics, Paul Ricoeur, indicates that there is multidirectionality of the process of understanding. Understanding includes, on the one hand, the search for hidden psychological motives (archaeology) and, on the other hand, the process of constructing the future through identifying the symbolism of the future (teleology). The querent* himself or our personal acquaintance with the situation allows us to understand the archeology and teleology of the situation. Elsewhere, analyzing the theory of S. Freud, Ricoeur talks about the conscious and unconscious. The unconscious or less-conscious serves as the source of the event or situation, as if it were its “childhood”, while consciousness argues as “apocalypse” in the end, surveys everything and understands in detail, realizes what happened. The source of an event or experience may fall out of sight, because of this its meaning may be lost, and because of this, in due course, the overall meaning of what is happening is lost. At such moments we ask ourselves: “Why do I experience this, for what purpose?”
Using this technique, focusing on the text, we find out its linear structure, the form and size of sentences, their style, grammar, etc. Then we understand the general intention of the author, what kind of spirit and general meanings are hidden in the text by the author, what kind of flavour we have “on our tongue” after reading it. As a special reward of understanding, the general horizon of events of our text is revealed to us, what general emotional background had our author, what were his true motives, what was his psychology, what goal was pursued by the author, a goal that goes beyond the scope of the analyzed text.
Not only a text or a Tarot spread, but even the simplest life situation can be subjected to such an analysis. Linguistics assumes that artifacts like music, events, any type of communication, human behavior can be considered as texts. A Tarot spread is one on these artifacts.
*The person who consults a divination process
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