Osho's Zen Tarot

ARTICLE

A deck leading to transcend the experience, meditate on the present time and reach liberation, letting go a common misunderstanding about time.

Illustrated by Susan Morgan (Deva Padma) and including comments based on her descriptions either, it's a 79-card deck: the 78 traditional ones included in all Tarot suits, and one more card related to transcendence itself, called Master and showing Osho's portrait.

About Osho

Osho (1931-1990, Sagittarius) was one of the most provocative and inspiring spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. Known for his revolutionary contribution to the science of inner transformation, the influence of his teachings continues to grow, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world. He talked to audiencies for more than 35 years, and was the author of many books, including Love, Freedom, Aloneness, The Book of Secrets, and Innocence, Knowledge, and Wonder.

About Osho

Osho (1931-1990, Sagittarius) was one of the most provocative and inspiring spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. Known for his revolutionary contribution to the science of inner transformation, the influence of his teachings continues to grow, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world. He talked to audiencies for more than 35 years, and was the author of many books, including Love, Freedom, Aloneness, The Book of Secrets, and Innocence, Knowledge, and Wonder.

Tarot is traditionally used as an oracular tool although we find in Osho's deck a card suit to meditate and transform the experience of the present moment, being each moment life itself. Most of the time we wonder about what will happen in the future, what about health, children, what will happen if we make this decision and not that one, longing to know about the past and future. Instead, Osho's Tarot focuses on present consciousness. The next brief video (around 16') shows Osho himself talking about oracles, fortune-telling, time, life, death and the way we go through the experience of being alive.

Images on cards and related comments take us closer to zen wisdom, which guides our consciousness inside of the perspective to assimilate answers. States, transitions and transformative experiences are portrayed by assigning a specific keyword to each card, one that especially emphazises a type of move and transformation towards a more freed, detached and plenty consciousness. For instance, arcane X, traditionally referred to as The Wheel of Fortune, has been named as Change, and the comment includes subjects such as karma, fate, spinning around galaxies, iterative patterns and even the Chinese kuas related to constant motion. Finally, the text says that noticing a pattern is what allow us to get out of it, change!

X - Osho's Zen Tarot

The symbol in this card is an enormous wheel representing time, fate, karma. Galaxies spin around this constantly moving circle, and the twelve signs of the zodiac appear on its circumference. Just inside of the circumference are the eight trigrams of the I Ching, and even closer to the center are the four directions, each illuminated by the energy of lightning. The spinning triangle is at this moment pointed upward, toward the divine, and the Chinese symbol of yin and yang, male and female, creative and receptive, lies at the center. It has often been said that the only unchanging thing in the world is change itself. Life is continously changing, evolving, dying and being reborn. All opposites play a part in this vast circular pattern. If you cling to the edge of the wheel, you can get dizzy! Move toward the center of the cyclone and relax, knowing that this too will pass.

A transformative emphasis can be appreciated in all of the comments, illustrations and assigned words. Some of them are inner voice (II, The Priestess), transformation (XIII, Death), beyond illusion (XX, Judgement), courage (VIII, Strenght) and silence (XVII, The Star).

Classic decks can also be considered as transformative tools although during the last decades they've been usually related to psychological issues. Even some of their names point to external events and objects, and are clearly not related to transcending perceptions and vivid experiences. For appreciating better the difference between perspectives, let's look at the visual and ideational images of card VII Consciousness, which is equivalent to the classical The Chariot and Triumph in the Egyptian deck. Both illustration and comment refer to extremely clear definitions about the kinds of inner transformations pointed out by the arcane: a person lifts veils, dissolves and becomes a flame that distils no smoke.

VII - Osho's Zen Tarot

The veil of illusion, or maya, that has been keeping you from perceiving reality as it is, is starting to burn away. The fire is not the heated fire of passion, but the cool flame of awareness. As it burns the veil, the face of a very delicate and childlike buddah becomes visible. The awareness that is growing in you now is not the result of any conscious "doing" nor do you need to struggle to make something happen. Any sense you might have had that you've been groping in the dark is dissolving now, or will be dissolving soon. Let yourself settle, and remember that deep inside you are just a witness, eternally silent, aware and unchanged. A channel is now opening from the circumference of activity to that center of wi. It will help you to become detached, and a new awareness will lift the veil from your eyes.

Another clear example of transformations leading to transcendence is card IV called The Rebel, which is equivalent to the classic The Emperor. The comment provides a brief although quite accurate reference of the inner state and the types of relationships we may expect for from those ones knowing and ruling their own world, who live unchained and as strange people to the masses...

IV - Osho's Zen Tarot

The powerful and authoritative figure in this card is clearly the master of his own destiny. On his shoulder is an emblem of the sun, and the torch he holds in his right hand, symbolizes the light of this hard-won truth. Whether he is rich or poor, the Rebel is really an emperor because he has broken the chains of society's repressive conditioning and opinions. He has formed himself by embracing all the colors of the rainbow, emerging from the dark and formless roots of his unconscious past and growing wings to fly into the sky. He's very way of being is rebellious -not because he's fighting against anybody or anything, but because he has discovered his own true nature and is determined to live in accordance to it. The eagle is his spirit animal, a messenger between earth and sky. The Rebel challenges us to be courageous enought to take responsability for who we are and to live our truth.

As you see, Osho's cards are great to see moments inside of processes, a state, a tendency... ing on the type of question the spread is about. It's also a deck to find the most adequate transformation for the matters we're interested in. Considering this, and as it happens with any other Tarot deck, cards hold an oracular value and may guide us into a specific state and move in our inner mood. For instance, Courage (VIII, Strength) is a card talking about growing by tolerating uncertainty, and the most adequate disposition to flow in whatever be the circumstances we're going through:

VIII - Osho's Zen Tarot

This card shows a small wildflower that has met the challenge of the rocks and stones in its path to emerge to the light of day. Surrounded by an aura of bright golden light, it exposes the majesty of its tiny self. Unashamed, it is equal to the brightest sun. When we're faced to a very difficult situation we have a choice: we can either be ressentful, and try to find somebody or something to blame for the hardships, or we can face the challenge and grow. The flower shows us the way, as its passion for life leads it out of the darkness and into the light. There is no pointing in fighting against the challenges of life, or trying to avoid or deny them. They are there, and if the seed is to become the flower we must go through them. Be courageous enough to grow into the flower you're meant to be.

One word is assigned to each minor card, too. And, as we see in major ones, the number of the card is at the bottom of the illustration, inside of a little diamond-shaped form. The form has a characteristic background color, which is always violet in major arcana, whereas in minor ones it depends on the suit they belong to: red for rods (fire), blue for cups (water), grey for swords (clouds), and seven colors for pentacles (rainbow).

Clouds are not just referring to swords but also to a non-illuminated consciousness, like when perception is clouded and not definite. In the same way, rainbows are not just referring to pentacles (disks) but also to our journey from Earth to Heaven, as we walk on different tones and frequencies along the way.

Arcane Rebirth (10 of clouds, swords) - Osho's Zen Tarot

10 of Clouds - Osho's Zen Tarot

This card depicts the evolution of consciousness as it is described by Friedrich Nietzsche in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra. He speaks of the three levels of Camel, Lion and Child. The Camel is sleepy, dull, auto-satisfied. He lives in delusion, thinking he's a mountain peak, but really he's so concerned with others' opinions that he hardly has any energy of his own. Emerging from the camel is the lion. When we realize we've been missing life, we start saying no to the demands of others. We move out of the crowd, alone and proud, roaring our truth. But this is not the end. Finally the child emerges, neither acquiescent nor rebellious, but innocent and spontaneous and true to his own being. Whatever the space you're in right now -sleepy and depressed, or roaring and rebellious- be aware that it will evolve into something new if you allow it. It is a time of growth and change.

Arcane Maturity (ace or rainbow, pentacles) - Osho's Zen Tarot

Ace of Rainbow - Osho's Zen Tarot

This figure stands alone, silent and yet alert. The inner being is filled with flowers -that carry the quality of springtime and regenerate wherever he goes. This inner flowering and the wholeness that he feels affords the possibility of unlimited movement. He can move in any direction -within and out it makes no difference as his joy and maturity cannot be diminished by externals. He has come to a time of centeredness and expansiveness -the white glow around the figure is his protection and his light. All of life's experiences have brought him to this time of perception. When you get this card, know well this moment carries a gift -for hard work well done. Your base is solid now and success and good fortune are yours for they're the outcome of what has already been experienced within.

There're just a few minor cards with no trace of the suit's color they are part of. In those cases, we'll only find a reference in the background of the diamond-shaped form at the bottom. But in most cases the color is extended everywhere, as we can see in the reddish tone (rods) spread all over Traveling, the destiny for all pilgrims:

Arcane Traveling (8 of Fire, rods) - Osho's Zen Tarot

8 of Fire - Osho's Zen Tarot

The tiny figure moving on the path through this beautiful landscape is not concerned about the goal. He or she knows that the journey is the goal, the pilgrimage itself is the sacred place. Each step in the path is important in itself. When this card appears in a reading, it indicates a time of movement and change. It may be a physical movement from one place to the next, or an inner movement from one way of being to another. But whatever the case, this card promises that the going will be easy and will bring a sense of adventure and growth; there is no need to struggle or plan too much. The Traveling card also reminds us to accept and embrace the new, just as when we travel to another country with a different culture and environment than the one we're accustomed to. This attitude of openess and acceptance invites new friends and experiences into our lives.

Court cards are called masters and, as the name says, are related to different masteries: fire figures are masters in action, water figures are emotional masters, cloud figures are masters of the mind, and rainbow figures are physical masters.

Figures are not related to court lifestyle, and some of them don't even reflect sex or age attributes we usually find in classic cards. Sometimes, they don't even display human figures and may be straightly immersed into a different element from that of the suit they belong to. We may know if we got a court card if finding an arrowhead inside of the diamond-shaped form at the bottom. The direction of the arrowhead sets the type of figure the card refers to: North is for kings (▲), East for knights (►), South for queens (▼), and West for pages (◄).

	Adventure is the keyword for the knight of rainbow (pentacles), and is symbolized as a little child going towards an unknown and ignored destiny, beyond the visible horizon, so taking the chance of exploring and growing.
	Slowing down is the word assigned to the page of rainbow, and shows a tortoise that doesn't hurry in seeking what it holds already within.
	Trust is the word that characteres the page of water (cups), and shows a figure that could be a woman or a man, of uncertain age, openly jumping into the air, trusting in nothing will be lost, not fearing the unknown coming next...

For using Osho's Zen Tarot, you don't need to know any other deck, or anything about Tarot. The original cards were decorated in light magenta, a color similar to this very background, although they were later printed inside of a black frame, as you can see in the drawings included in this post. You may buy that version (that includes a manual) on Amazon. Finally, let's see some spreads that the book suggests, quite related to the spirit of the deck: the diamond spread and the flying bird.

diamond