Abstract
Since time immemorial, people were searching for a universal language that would transcend cultural, religious, and language barriers. This chapter presents the system of Tarot images as both symbolic language, full of implicit meanings, and as a pedagogical tool to complement the existing aids in moral/spiritual education. The chapter is grounded in the educational philosophies of John Dewey and Nel Noddings; and positions Tarot within “other strategies to be employed” (Crawford and Rossiter) in spiritual education. Tarot pictures embody intellectual, moral, and spiritual “lessons” derived from collective human experiences across times, places and cultures. As a system of communication and interpretation, Tarot is oriented toward the discovery of meanings for the multiplicity of experiences that would have otherwise lacked meaning and significance. The meaning of Wisdom is embodied in the image of “The High Priestess”. The process of interpretation contributes to our development and learning from experience; and enriches our personal and collective identities.
And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name
(Shakespeare)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Berlin, I. (1990). The Crooked Timber of Humanity: Chapters in the History of Ideas, John Murray, Pimlico.
Clarke, D. Jr. (1990). Sources of semiotics: Readings with commentary from antiquity to the present. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.
Coelho, P. (1993). The alchemist (Reissue ed.). Australia: HarperCollins.
Crawford, M., & Rossiter, G. (2006). Reasons for living: Education and young people’s search for meaning, identity and spirituality. Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Dewey, J. (1916/1924). Democracy and education. New York: Macmillan Company.
Dewey, J. (1925/1958). Experience and nature. New York: Dover Publications.
Dewey, J. (1934/1980). Art as experience. New York: Perigee Books.
Dewey, J. (1934). Religion versus the religious. From A Common Faith (1934). In L. Hickman & T. M. Alexander (Eds.), The Essential Dewey, 1998, (Vol 1, pp. 401–410). Pragmatism, Education, Democracy, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Garrison, J. (2000). Assaying the possibilities of spiritual education as poetic creation. In M. O’Loughlin (Ed.), Philosophy of education in the new millennium. Proceedings of 7th Biennial Conference of the International Network of Philosophers of Education, The University of Sydney, Australia, 18–21 August, 2000, 113–120.
Giroux, H. (1994). Living dangerously: Identity politics and the new cultural racism. In H. A. Giroux & P. McLaren (Eds.). Between borders: Pedagogy and the politics of cultural studies. New York and London: Routledge.
Neville, B. (2005). Educating psyche: Emotion, imagination and the unconscious in learning. Australia: Flat Chat Press.
Noddings, N. (1984). Caring: A Feminine approach to ethics and moral education. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Noddings, N. (1989). Women and evil. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Noddings, N. (1993). Educating for intelligent belief or unbelief. Teachers College, Columbia University New York & London: Teachers College Press.
Noddings, N. (1998). Philosophy of education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Noddings, N. (2002). Educating moral people: A caring alternative to character education. New York & London: Teachers College Press.
Noddings, N. (2006). Critical lessons: What our schools should teach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Noddings, N., & Shore, P. J. (1984). Awakening the inner eye: Intuition in education. New York & London: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Witherell, C., & Noddings, N. (Eds.) (1991). Stories lives tell: Narrative and dialogue in education. New York & London: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Taylor, C. (1989). Sources of the self. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Taylor, C. (1991). The ethics of authenticity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Rescher, N. (1996). Process metaphysics: An introduction to process philosophy. New York: SUNY Press.
Semetsky, I. (2003) “The Magician’s autopoietic action, or Eros contained and uncontained”, Trickster’s Way, Volume 2, Issue 3 http://www.trinity.edu/org/tricksters/TrixWay
Schwartz, H. (2004). Tree of souls: The mythology of Judaism. New York: Oxford University Press.
Semetsky, I. (2005a). Integrating tarot readings into counselling and psychotherapy, Spirituality and Health International, 6(2), pp. 81–94.
Semetsky, I. (2005b). Semanalyisis in the age of abjection, Applied Semiotics/Sémiotique appliquée, No. 17 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/french/as-sa/ASSA-No17/Article5en.html
Semetsky, I. (2006). The language of signs: Semiosis and the memories of the future. SOPHIA: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysical Theology and Ethics, 45(1), 95–116.
Yates, F. (1966). The art of memory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Semetsky, I. (2009). Whence Wisdom? Human Development as a Mythic Search for Meaning. In: de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O’Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (eds) International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_34
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9017-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9018-9
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)