Customer Reviews

Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey

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Tarot Book Review: Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey

by: Sallie Nichols
Weiser Books
1980
ISBN #0-87728-515-2

I had greats expectations for this book - and as often happens when we start out with expectations, they were not met. The very nature of Tarot is that it is a spiritual journey, a guided journey taken through the auspices of Jungian archetypes. I was very excited by the title of this book - I had visions of deepening my understanding of the archetypes and trotting through Jung's mind and works with great abandon. What actually happened is that I encountered a book that, while it had its moments, was very unevenly written, so that one was never sure what to believe and what not to believe.

The first sentences from this book read:

"The Tarot is a mysterious deck of cards of unknown origin. At least six centuries old, this deck is the direct ancestor of our modern day playing cards."

For a supposedly scholarly work, the author lacks depth in her understanding of the history of Tarot. The Tarot can be traced to northern Italy, during the time period of the early fifteenth century, where they were comissioned by nobility. As for the supposedly "mysterious" nature of the deck - this smacks of "hidden information" and elitist fraternities, and really has no place in a book of this caliber.

Nichols goes on to talk about the Tarot "suddenly" coming into the public consciousness. This book originally came out in 1980, so we need to reference that time period. Tarot decks were not as easily accessable then as they are now, but they were there. The plethora of books on Tarot that we have now were not available then - but they were there.

"Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey" is presented as a study of the major arcana (the archetypes of the Tarot) - drawing upon the author's background in Jungian psychology and delving into mythology, literature, art and other sources. The purpose is to facilitate accessing the archetypal parts of our psyche. Nichols has chosen to do this through the use of the imagery in the Marseilles deck - calling it one of the earliest example of "true" Tarot. She goes on to say that she chose the deck because it had no accompanying text, so that the learning of the deck was facilitated strictly through its imagery.

Nichols feels that any book that accompanies a deck is of little importance, that it simply reflects the world view of the author, and is basically not staying "true" to Tarot. (Here she includes A. E. Waite, Aleister Crowley and Paul Foster Case.) Nichols also has strong objections to "non-Tarot" symbology - the decks that include other systems, such as the Hebrew letters, or astrological associations.

We also need to remember that Jung himself had little to to with the study of Tarot, or with its evolution. His thoughts and writing have been applied to the Tarot, and provide a tool for understanding it, but the two are separate entities.

From the book:

"The pictures on the Tarot Trumps tell a symbolic story. Like our dreams, they come to us from a level beyond the reach of consciousness and far removed from our intellectual understanding. It seems appropriate, therefore, to behave towards these Tarot characters pretty much as we would if they had appeared to us in a series of dreams picturing a distant unknown land inhabited by strange creatures. With such dreams, purely personal associations are of limited value. We can best connect with their meaning through analogy with myths, fairy tales, drama, paintings, events in history, or any other material with similar motifs which universally evoke clusters of feelings, intuitions, thoughts and sensations."

Nichols begins the book with a basic description of the 22 trumps of the major arcana, and the "journey" that they comprise. She presents The Fool, the one who takes the journey, as separate from the rest of the cards. She then proceeds to group the remaining 21 cards in three rows of seven cards each, which is a traditional representation of the Fool's Journey. This section is fairly lucid, and fairly well written.

From there we look into the Fool and each of the 21 trumps. There is a interesting process of presentation here - comparisons of the same card in different decks,the symbols included on the cards, real life figures that embody the principle of the card (I was amazed to see "Squeaky" Fromme presented as the Fool!), as well as paintings and art work that reference each archetype.

The problem with this book - aside from a lack of understanding of Tarot history - is that Nichols simply does not write well. She is wordy, and her thoughts are often very disconnected. One would have to have a strong background in the Tarot, and the study of the archetypal energies, to separate the wheat from the chaff. It would be all to easy for a novice to accept her premises - many of which are without a solid foundation. That thought gives a whole new meaning to "fuzzy logic"!

The one "bonus" to the book - a fold out section at the very back with color scans of the Marseilles deck. This made me smile.

I would recommend this book to very few people. To those who are new to Tarot, it would be very confusing. To those who want to study Jung in relation to Tarot, either read Jung's works directly, or go to the more Gnostic Tarot books. To those who want to read a more cohesive, coherent view of Tarot history, Tarot and the Jungian archetypes, read "Tarot Celebrations", by Geraldine Amarol and Nancy Brady Cunningham.

Those who might enjoy and benefit from this book are those who are in their intermediate to advanced level of study with the Tarot, are interested in working with symbols, and are open to coloring outside of the box. Nichols, through her presentation of multiple streams of consciousness (art, myth, personal experience) encourages the reader to experience the Tarot in a very expansive manner. This is not really a referrence or a resource book, it is something that may be fun to read if one can ascertain what is fact and what is fiction, and doesn't mind giving the author a great deal of leeway!

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to get the full range of meanings about any card. She not only covers the Jungian ideas, but a full range of other possibilities as well, with many pages of information on each card of the Major Arcana. She shows a variety of deck images for each card, as well as other graphics, including paintings and photos of ancient artifacts that pertain to the archetype being discussed. A very valuable addition to anyone's tarot library.

Sallie Nichols has written a different kind of Tarot book. She uses the Marseilles deck, which I think is a bit of a drawback, but the outstanding thing about the book is that she illustrates her points with information from Carl Jung, the great transcendentalist psychologist. She paraphrases Jung and makes his commens easy to understand.

Nichols also includes examples from great literature, painting and sculture which support the points she is making. This gives you some unforgettable visuals to associate with the cards. This is turn makes it easier to remember their meanings.

Nichols' book deals only with the Major Arcana and it is definitely for the serious metaphysical Tarot student. It wouldn't lend itself well to telling fortunes or anything like that and it does not deal with spreads.

I don't think Nichols is the most naturally talented writer in the world but it is obvious she has put a great deal of energy and, more importantly, LOVE, into her work. I'd really recommend it ... get a used copy and put it in your permanent Tarot library. It will provide some information you can't get elsewhere.

This book gives a Jungian interpretation of the 22 Major Arcana (Tarot Trumps). Each of the Major Arcana are expounded upon in some depth, with accompanying illustrations.

The book is a good introduction to the major arcana and Jungian psychology, however, it only seems to get to a certain level of meaning and then stops there, just when you were hoping it might go a little further. Unfortunately if you are looking for an in depth esoteric study of the tarot, you have come to the wrong place. I would suggest Mouni Sadhu's "Tarot" book as the most in depth study going, or "Meditations on Tarot" by unknown, as two of the better in depth books.

What you do get though is an interesting (if at times dry) journey through Jungian archetypes and mythology. If you know you're archetypes and basic greek mythology and old testament wisom, there won't be anything here that blows you away.

But it's still a worthy book to add to your collection as it's one of the few books that deals exclusively with Jung and Tarot. The only other one I can think of is "tarot and Individuattion" which is a fabulous book.

I couldn't disagree more with the negative reviews on this book. I've been reading it for many years and find it to be deeply insightful and full of brilliant information. I have found it to be much more useful than most other books I've read on the Tarot.

Sallie Nichols provides a fresh new perspective for the Tarot reader in this book. Rather than merely showing a card with its explanation next to it (as is done with many books on the subject), Sallie goes into depths on the Jungian theories behind each of the Major Arcana cards. The insights dare to be different without breaking any rules, and gives you a better understanding of the archetypes at work in your life. Very interesting, and definitely worth recommending to Tarot readers (or Jungian theorists) of all levels.

This is one of my favorite books on Tarot.

It focuses on the Major Arcana, and encourages people to think in new ways about the cards, symbolism, and opening your mind to personal while reading cards.

It's not a book for beginners, or for those who already have their own way of looking at things, but for those who would like a deeper look, and don't mind a sometimes difficult read? It's simply amazing.

Trying to read this cover-to-cover or when simply checking on a certain card in a certain reading could be frustrating for some. It's simply not that kind of quick-reference book.

For me, simply reading and thinking about one card at a time after reading the section on that card makes this book an extremely valuable addition to your Tarot study. The section on "The Moon" alone is worth the price of the book!

However, the book doesn't spoon-feed easy answers or definitions to the reader. If you like to delve deeper, this book should be very helpful for you. It won't give you answers. It does ask the right questions and show you how to find your own.

As I read this book I find myself believing that the author and editor have conspired together for the sole purpose of making this the longest book ever on the Tarot. IMNSHO, this text is 90% author/editor interpretation of Jung and 10% Jung. I also have the following objections: 1) the author presents herself as "balanced" and even "feminist," but the text clearly leans toward a Christian and phalocentric interpretation of the Tarot; 2) the leaps in logic are astounding, the author rambles into her own experiences for no apparent reason, often seemingly forgetting her train of thought in the process, and transitional expressions are entirely neglected between paragraphs; 3) the depth of Jungian examination in this text is comprable to a survey course in psychology. In short, I am VERY disappointed.

There is no one definitive book about the Tarot. Throughout the centuries, each one has been written with a different slant, a particular viewpoint and even different motives. What we've got to remember is that we are approaching the Holy here. Some modern writers on the subject that are financially dependent on the sales of books tend to forget that in their haste to be "popular" with the general reading public. They're easily detected by paying visits to their websites. If the visitor sees all sorts of gewgaws and whatnots for purchase, beware. The Tarot was never meant to be a carnival attraction; nor were manufactured curio offspring (like kewpie dolls rewarded to the winners at carnival plastic duck shooting galleries) imagined to promote a writer's career.

And that's when we turn to Sallie Nichols, for she studied at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich when Jung was still alive, and she was as devoted as possible, considering much of the origins of the Tarot are lost in historical mist, to keeping it pure and presenting it inviolate.

What is the Tarot? That's easy. Ms. Nichols here quotes Jung himself on the topic: "The Tarot presents a pictorial representation of the archetypes." However, there is no evidence that Jung ever used the Tarot as a resource in analyzing his patients, as he made use of astrology for that purpose.

The author points out that the Tarot cards were never meant to be interpreted "upside-down," and many Tarot consultants do not practice this method. Besides the Major Arcana and the Suit Cards, not much was to be concluded from the rest of the deck's numbered pip cards, as the early Tarot decks did not fancily illustrate them (that came later when esoteric sects sought to use the Tarot cards to express their tenets). And, above all, there was no text. No cast in concrete definitions were attached to them, no cardinal rules set down. The Tarot cards cry out and yet they are silent. The only message they clearly offer is, each in its own way, "Take me in!" And they do not mean that in an academic, pedantic way. Leave your rational handbag at the doorstep when you approach these cards, lest they fly away, or get purposely lost in a dark corner of a faraway cupboard.

Another problem with books on Tarot is they are not very interesting. Sallie Nichols, for instance, whose book is more readable than any other I've studied, admits that writing does not come naturally or easily for her. She is an extrovert most at home in giving lectures and teaching, which is exactly what she did. Some of the most prestigious Jungian analysts in the world, and particularly those based in Southern California where Ms. Nichols resided, attended her lectures and learned of the Tarot directly from her. Some, such as James Kirsch (author of Shakespear's Royal Self) and an extremely knowledgeable woman, Lore Zeller (wife of famed Jungian analyst Max Zeller, and head librarian of the C.G. Jung Bookstore at the Los Angeles Jung Institute until her death) are even acknowledged as having acted on an advisory level. These cards were a passion to the author which she accidently encountered during a "dry" period in her life. She would converse with them (using the Jungian technique of creative imagination), listen to their silent attentiveness and turn to them for guidance during stressful times in her life for an understanding of them, and of herself.

However, a teacher and a professor she was, and she does not escape with this book presenting her material at times in a dry, even boring, manner, as if she were burdened with pedantry, and repeating, for instance, many of Jung's discoveries so often that she is almost reciting them in a singsong voice. Some of the content, since the book was written in the late '70s, is dated. Her references to the behaviors of the hippie generation are passé, as are other local and cultural phenomenon of those times. Nevertheless, I read three other books on the Tarot in conjunction with Sallie Nichols's, and hers was by far the most helpful, interesting and clear. She has no secret agenda. She offers us her true love of the Tarot cards.

The author examines and reviews the 21 cards of the Major Arcana in depth, beginning with the card that is unnumbered, therefore assigned a zero to it, that of "The Fool." And which of us escapes starting off as "The Fool" in life? The final card depicts the illumination possible at the end of the journey of individuation, a state of being and awareness very few succeed in achieving. And then we once again confront The Fool, who is saying to us all: "Well, now that we have reached enlightenment, let's start all over again." The planet keeps on revolving around itself and the sun. And so do we.

If the reader is not familiar with the works of C.G. Jung, not to worry. Ms. Nichols does an exemplary job of explaining Jungian analytical psychology to the layman. She also explains spiritual numerology (numbers one through nine) that I found particularly informative. And then there are the archetypal images themselves. What a parade! From the beginning Fool with his knapsack and dog, through the various phenomenon we encounter and become in life: the Magician, the Hermit, the Heavenly Alchemist, even the Devil...they're all here. And each and every one of us is somewhere and everywhere in those cards.

As for the origin of the Tarot, there are many theories. But the only valid, provable one is that they owe their origin to the Albigenses, a Gnostic sect which flourished in Provence in the 12th century. As Ms. Nichols states, in my opinion with just conviction, "It is felt they were probably smuggled into the Tarot as a veiled communications of ideas at variance with the established Church." Remember, the Albigenses Cathars were horribly persecuted and ultimately exterminated. "Catharism disappeared from the northern Italian cities after the 1260s, under pressure from the Inquisition." (Wikipedia)

The second possible theory is that the Major Arcana cards are adaptations of illustrations from Petrarch's Sonnets to Laura (this is the theory of writer Paul Huson).

I first read this edition shortly after it was published in 1980. I was living in Pasadena, California at the time and knew that Sallie Nichols resided in Santa Monica, not far away. I also learned that she was available to give private readings; however, when I telephoned her home to make an appointment, the phone was answered by a man I judged to be in his mid-'20s to late '30s. I told him I wished to speak to Ms. Nichols and why. He told me that she had recently died. Of course, I was very flustered that through my unawareness of her death, I had added salt to the wound of grieving. I apologized for my call, and the man concluded by comforting me more than I him, assuring me that my telephone call was "all right." Yes, he did make me feel better. But I was very sad that we had lost such a sincere and knowledgeable Tarot pioneer.

There is at least one book on Tarot far superior: Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous. Anyone seeking a scholarly, profound, Christian interpretation (approved by the Vatican Council) of the religious symbolism of the Tarot will consult that fine tome. Like Meditations, Nichols has produced a book of personal meditations on the 22 major trumps of the Tarot. Unlike Meditations, Nichols' book is no monument of erudition and spirituality. Rather, Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey is an imaginative attempt to cast the 22 major trumps within an accessible Jungian framework.

Nichols' card-by-card symbolic analysis blends Jungian theory, personal reflections, art history, mythology, folklore, and current events. There are numerous nice - though black and white - illustrations. (One reviewer mentions "a fold out section at the very back with color scans". My paperback copy lacks this: Instead it has a "Map of the Journey", a black-and-white figure showing the 22 major trumps, on page 8.) Nichols ignores the 56 minor and court cards. She also skirts problematic strands of kabbalah, numerology, astrology, and alchemy - (though she glosses them). Her presentation is clean and her tone informal. A strength of Jung and Tarot is it is an eclectic read that can be enjoyed without great labor, though clearly the book itself was a labor of love.