An Interview With Rachel Pollack
© Elizabeth Bissette
The Osho Zen Tarot
Created by Ma Deva Padma
Published by Rodale Press
Read a review of "The Forest of Souls: A walk through the Tarot"
I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk with one of the foremost experts on Tarot, Rachel Pollack, about the cards, spirituality and her new book on the subject, "The Forest of Souls: A walk through the Tarot".
Q Your new book breaks from Tarot tradition in some ways. How do you view the traditional message of Tarot?
A Any teaching matches Tarot so closely that you become convinced it really is about that. I think that's because it's designed in a very open way. I don't believe it's a specific doctrine, rather it becomes template. Because it's basic nature is that you can mix and rearrange it, Tarot's deepest message is about the openness of possibilities. More specifically, it's the story of souls journey, from birth to enlightenment.
Q Then can Tarot readings answer big questions like, "What is the soul?"
A My attitude is there's no fixed answer to questions like that. Tarot can illuminate your own answers to the questions. No answer is really more valid than another is; it's what you think about it.
Q Another big question is the question of free will. Can Tarot teach us something about that?
A A lot of people get very nervous about this. They feel that if cards predict, we have no free will. Most readers will say cards show probability, trends. You have your free will always to make choices. One thing we hope that Tarot will do is to illuminate what's under the surface. Doing this can actually increase free will because, by doing this, we understand ourselves.
You can avoid understanding yourself if you want to. One time, when I was interested in someone, I did the cards, not really wanting information. I was hoping to hear what I wanted to hear. The cards said disaster. I said, oh, now I know what problems are there so I can avoid them. I had no intention of avoiding the situation. Tarot was really giving me the opportunity to avert disaster but I rejected it.
Q What kinds of questions do you think are the most useful to ask with Tarot?
