Magical Tattwa Cards: A Complete System of Self-Development (Boxed Kit) [Paperback]

Jonn Mumford (Author)

Book Description

Series: Boxed Kit | Publication Date: September 8, 2002

Access your psychic centers with this pure, original Hindu system. Tattwas -- the ancient Hindu symbols of the five elements (earth, air, fire, water and ether) -- act as triggers to the psychic layers of your mind through the combined power of their geometrical shapes and their vibrating primal colors. Tattwas are amazingly potent "psychic elevators" that can lift you to ever-higher levels of mental functioning. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn has used the tattwas for meditation, scrying, astral travel, and talismans. Now, with this new kit, you can use the tattwas yourself for divination and for bringing yourself into altered states of consciousness. The twenty-five tattwa symbols are printed on 4 x 4 cards in flashing colors (colors that when placed next to each other appear to flash or strobe). Although the geometrical shapes of the tattwas have long been an integral part of the Western Magical Tradition, the flashing colors and their divinatory aspects have never before been available as the complete integral system presented here.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

THE GREAT SECRET

By Carl Llewellyn Weschcke

How many times has someone promised to reveal "the Great Secret" that will bring you Wealth, Health, Power and Love? Like many people, I am sure this has happened to you more than once. Well, did you get this Great Secret? Or, should I ask, did it bring you the Wealth, Health, Power and Love you wanted?

I bet not, regardless of how much money you paid for that Great Secret.

But, that doesn't mean there isn't a Great Secret that will enable you to obtain all the material things you want.

A half-century ago, a little recognized American occultist named Ophiel told me that the greatest contribution from the eastern world to western esotericism was to be found in the Hindu Tantric practices involving the Tattwas. Later I learned that work with the Tattwas had been incorporated into the magical practices of the famous Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn back in the late 1800's. And then, in 1971, a brilliant Australian teacher, Dr. Jonn Mumford, taught me how to activate the Tattwas in my own mind. And why!

That's where the Great Secret starts - in your MIND.

What are these Tattwas? The Tattwas are the five elements (not four, not 92, and not 110) that make up the foundations of our Material World in combination with the two fundamental 'forces' of Consciousness and Energy. The Tattwas are the forms of Energy behind the manifestation of all Matter. Remember Einstein's famous equation E=mc² where "E" stands for Energy and "m" stands for Matter? It demonstrates that every substance in the world is made up of these five elemental energies. Universal Mind, including our individual minds, is itself Energy and it is this energetic connection that enables you with your mind to access and work with these fundamental energies and forces behind all material manifestation.

The Tattwas are represented in printed images that are then called Yantras. A Yantra is defined by Mumford as "a tool for focusing the mind, encouraging conception, and invoking or evoking elemental forces." (All quotations in this article are taken from his book, "Magical Tattwas" 1997 which is included with 25 Tattwa cards and one ritual card in a boxed set) It is also important to more clearly describe the function of the Tattwa cards as "'information storage and retrieval devices' of amazing potency. They are the primary building blocks from which all magical symbols, sigils, talismans, ciphers and designs are composed." "The Tattwa 'triggers' the psychic layers of our mind through the compressed power of it's geometrical shape, the primal colors vibrating forth, and the implied numerical concepts in each shape."

The Miracle of the One Thing Through Mind, everything is connected and it is by means of powerful symbols that your mind enters into the five elements. Look at the following table:

ElementTattwaEnergy TypeManifest StateSymbolShapeColor (Eastern)ChakrasLocationEarthPrithiviMechanical EnergyCongeal-mentCubeSquareYellowMuladharaPelvic FloorWaterApasChemical EnergyFluid Pre-cipitationCrescent MoonCrescentSilverSwadhis-thanaBelow NavelFireTejasThermal EnergyIncand-ensceneTetra-hedronEquilateral TriangleRedManipuraabove NavelAirVayuElectrical EnergyGaseous VaporsSphereCircleSky BlueAnahataHeartEther (Spirit)AkashaNuclear EnergyStellar SpaceEgg (Cosmic)OvalIndigo, Black, Violet VishuddaThroat It is by means of our mental image that we are able to relate to the elemental energy of the particular tattwa. Each image stirs up a host of associations intrinsic to their nature and human history. Earth: stability, security, beginnings and foundations. The Deep Unconscious, the Id. Also instigating or starting anything new, or anew. Water: childhood, oceans, mystery, recurring cycles, wishes, romance, and wonder. The Preconscious dream (astral) world, emotion and relationships. Also fertilizing, germination, irrigation, networking, organizing for cooperative work. Fire: fires, sex, blood, passion, danger, warmth, ambition, burning desire. Action driven by motivation. Also creativity, optimism, transformation and transmutation. Air: completeness, rings, wholeness, reincarnation, recurrence (but not recurring cycles). Unbridled Imagination. Also testing by nature's elements, emotional reevaluations. Ether: birth/creation, fertility, eternity/infinity/immensity, Deity, space. Fresh insights leading to new growth and change. Also rapid growth.

Earlier I mentioned 25 Tattwa Cards. The Tattwas are not manifest in the physical world in their full purity, but always in combinations. We refer to these combinations as one containing the "seed" of itself or another - thus 25 combinations.

Eyes are the Doorway to the Soul Do you remember that poetic phrase so often used between lovers? It does contain truth, and 2,500 years ago the Samkhya masters employed the unique practice of Tratak to "burn" the image of the chosen Tattwa into your mind.

Look at this image of the Tattwa for "Fire - seed of Air" which combines the elemental energies of Fire and Air. As you look, the colors almost turn three-dimensional. Now, to perform tratak you need to stare at the center of this image without blinking for as long as you can stand it. As you do so, the colors will start to "flash" around the edges and the image will almost float off the card. Now close your eyes and you will see an after image in complementary colors floating before your Third Eye. (Some people will have better results by staring at a white space instead of closing their eyes.)

The more you do this work with each of the twenty-five compound images - reaching the point when you can see the after images at will - the more easily you will enter into the elemental energies through your mind. To our knowledge, The Magical Tattwa Cards are the first time this natural physiologic process of 'flashing colors' has been made available in printed cards.

And it is also the first time that the Tattwa elements have been presented for use in divination/scrying, along with chakra stimulation, systematic daily meditations, Mind Magic to actually shape the future, the making of flashing talismans, and psychic stimulation for clairvoyance. More on this later.

And, Now, THE REAL SECRET The real secret is that it takes work to train the mind to such new levels of awareness and ability to actually interact with the world of matter at the Quantum Level where change is possible....(Continues)

About the Author

Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati) wrote his first book "Psychosomatic Yoga" in 1961 while completing an intensive period of study in India.  His current books include "Ecstasy Through Tantra, "A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook", "Mind Magic Kit" and "Magic Tattwas" from Llewellyn.

Dr. Mumford is a direct disciple of Dr. Swami Gitananda and Paramhansa Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar.  He was initiated by Swami Satyananda in 1973, at BSY Monghyr, Bihar State, India.  Dr. Mumford is respected across the world for his knowledge and scholarship.  A born teacher, Dr. Mumford frequently gives lecture on relaxation techniques, sexuality, Tantra and other aspects of human development and spirituality .

No mere theoretician, Dr. Mumford is a world renowned authority on Tantra and yoga.  He has demonstrated his own self-mastery of cardiac cessation, obliteration of individual pulse beat at will, sensory withdrawal and voluntary breath retention over the 5 minute range, and start and stop bleeding on command.

His background combining chiropractic and psychology with extensive international experience in a wide range of Eastern disciplines makes Dr. Mumford eminently well-suited to the task of disseminating the secrets of Tantra unto the West.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (September 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567184723
• ISBN-13: 978-1567184723
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,380,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book literally opened my third eye, March 2, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Magical Tattwa Cards: A Complete System of Self-Development (Boxed Kit) (Paperback)

Right from the beginning, this isn't a new-age book. These teachings come for an ordained member of one of the ancient swami orders of India, and one of the most prestigious ones to boot. These teachings weren't cooked up by some new-age enthusiast over the last few years, they are literally a thousand years old and are still around cause they work.
(What I'm telling you is true, not the usual hype found in these gee-whiz customer reviews.) The part of the book that had the most dramatic effect on me was the section about opening your third eye. There are probably around eight visual exercises, to be done consecutively. They aren't difficult. I would actually do them while listening to old movies every evening (you can't watch the movie because these excercises train your vision). The good doctor says to start out doing them ten minutes at a time. I eventually went to twenty minutes at a time. After a few weeks of this I came in one evening, into a dimly lit room, looked at my eight-year-old daughter and...guess what? Saw her aura. No joke. Some time after that I went to a lecture and not only saw the man's aura but the colors in it. Of course, you have to keep doing the exercises to make the change permanent. How can this be true, you're asking yourself? (skepticism is good). They work because the exercises gradually change the rods and cones inside your eyes and allow you to see an expanded spectrum of light.
Let's get one thing clear--for most of history these things have been secret. In most traditions you would have to hang around for years to learn this.
This is not the only thing in the book. There's also a very cool oracle. He teaches you how to use it and also a short tantric ritual to clear your mind before consulting it. A tantric ritual? Try getting something like this from most ordained tantrics. It can't be done. It's yours for the taking. This is very sophisticated stuff, the real deal.
There are also sophisticated exercises to develop your chakras. In fact, the whole gist of Indian Tantra is contained in this book; unlike most books on tantra which are either vague or preachy or academic and dry as dust, this one is a how-to book that he somehow makes highly entertaining. Mumford really is a treasure and this is his most accessible book. It's not only profound, it's actually fun. But what's most impressive about it is its totally, completely AUTHENTIC.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I found this months ago..., August 11, 2003

By 

N. Mentor "imanisaida" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magical Tattwa Cards: A Complete System of Self-Development (Boxed Kit) (Paperback)

This kit should be a required purchase for any yogi-in-training, witch, ceremonial mage or anyone who wants to change their lives for the better. I've thumbed through various psychic development manual and self-help "cookbooks" on positive thinking, etc. and haven't seen any exercises or advice that is direct, clear, practical, and REALISTIC like the Tattwa kit. Dr. Mumford spends only 1 chapter on background info. on Indian use of Tattwas and the rest of the book is comprised of exercise upon exercise. He doesn't repeat himself over and over, tell you to do things he hasn't done himself or without telling you why. You don't have to buy anything else or spend money on his other books or tapes to make this one work for you. If anything, Dr. Mumford is rather unassuming given his credentials. There are no new-age terminologies, feel good 'fluffiness' or abstract concepts. Lastly, you don't need to do the exercises for months before seeing the slightest results. Results, though small at the beginning, are seen from day 1. And if you read ahead like I do, you'll get excited at what you'll be able to do by the end of the book IF you do everything consistently. You only need 10-15 min. a day to do them. This is one of Llewellyn's hidden gems!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Confusing book & Hard to follow, but, April 28, 2004

By 

M. SHORBAGI "Kundalini Shakti" (DUBAI United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Magical Tattwa Cards: A Complete System of Self-Development (Boxed Kit) (Paperback)

[Tattwas are like psychic elevators, psychic circuit boards, a bridge between the conscious & the unconscious mind. It is based on the five elements of Earth(Square), Water(Crescent) , Fire(Triangle) , Air(Circle) & Ether(Oval). They are used for , Divination, Scrying , Chakra Activation, Shaping the Future, OBE, Lucid Dreams & Developing Clairvoyance,]

Some chapters of the book are very hard to follow & confusing. In chapter six , page 202, it is very clear that the author has made a mistake & somehow the publisher missed it . Ether Seed of Water is denoted by a crescent inside an oval, instead it is represented as a triangle inside an oval, which belongs to Ether Seed of Fire. I double checked the latter & previous chapters since Im new to this subject, & it was evident & obvious , that mistakenly, the author has drawn the wrong elemental shape. This is significant & critical, because if anyone is new to the subject of Tattwas cards (like me), will get very confused & will end up practicing the Tattwa cards incorrectly, which according to the author, must be done in a very specific & correct way for optimal effect!!!

I also had mixed emotions about the Tattwa cards. It is great fun using these cards. According to the author, the cards must be introduced to the subconcous / unconcous mind, by a process he calls "unconscious assimilation". This is done by keeping the Tattwa on a white piece of paper, & staring at it for 1-2 minutes, then the card is removed & one continues gazing at the white paper. Soon an image of the card will develop & appear on the white paper, even though it has been removed. The illusory image appearing in the white paper is spectacular & vivid. This is particularly helpful for people, like myself, who find visualization hard to achieve. This is something like an automatic visualization. You do not have to make any effort to visualize the Tattwa shape, just gaze at it, look away, & it will appear, its that simple. A job well done making the cards shapes & colors, but the cards are not durable & bend very easily. Actually this is the first set of cards I ever purchase, but I have seen & used better set of cards that are more durable.

Despite my frustration with the book's lack of clarity, I must give it a 4 for the following reasons. The philosophy of Samkhya or the Five Element Theory is a vast subject that existed for over 2500 years & has been condensed into a 270 pages book, (theory + practice), & I feel, the book could not have been presented in a simpler way. Even though some chapters in the book are confusing & hard to follow, it is not incomprehensible. I had to read some chapters more than once to understand them, so I eventually did understand what the author was trying to say. It is also, so much fun using the Tattwas & gazing at its spectacular colors. Only 2 weeks after purchasing & using the Tattwas , I recall my dreams more often than I used to, & I have had one lucid dream