Developing Our Inner Senses With Tarot
As we know, tarot goes deep in terms of meaning, origin, and the myriad of attributions we can apply to each card. Some of the commonly observed associations of course are astrology, numerology, and the 22 Hebrew letters that correspond to each of the Major Arcana.
One lesser discussed attribution that really interests me though are those belonging to our senses i.e. sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. These 5 faculties of perception allow us to, in the physical world, understand the things around us. In tarot, they are associated with the following 5 cards respectively - The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, Strength, and The Hermit. While there are many resources that cite these cards in relation to the 5 senses, these attributions originate with the Sepher Yetzirah. Since that work predates tarot, what we’re really discussing are the attributions in relation to the Hebrew letters of the alphabet, which then went on to associate with the Tarot cards in question.
But, physical sense is really only one piece of this conversation. What is more interesting to me are the intuitive or interior senses. In other words, for every physical sense that exists, there is an inner equivalent i.e. we can see with our eyes, but we can also imagine with our mind or third eye. So then, what can these 5 cards teach us about developing and utilizing our intuition or inner senses? Let’s go card by card and see what light can be shed.
Sense of Sight (The Emperor)
The sense associated with The Emperor is sight. The equivalent interior sense would be related to inner sight or clear seeing (clairvoyance). This could take on the following characteristics: Sensing the true nature of a situation (figuratively seeing things clearly), a strong imagination, vivid dreams, experiencing visions internally, perceiving apparitions or other phenomena externally.
What can The Emperor teach us about developing this sense?
Well, first of all, it’s interesting to see such an imaginative faculty paired with a figure so authoritative and in command. Not to mention, The Emperor is designated to the number 4, making it a very stable and solid figure (literally and figuratively) as well. This may all suggest that the development of our interior sight has more to it than simply seeing. We know the mind is a fluid force that can weave stories, transpose imagery, and all in all, act very...creatively. But, what is intuitive sight without the balance of reason and logic? We can see all sorts of things, and seemingly clearly, but are they accurate? The Emperor teaches us not only to look, but to do so with precision.
Ways to work with The Emperor to improve interior sight:
Ensure you’re in a balanced and grounded place as you engage with this faculty.
Weigh the vision you’re receiving against logic and reason. Does the story make sense?
Take an active role in the development and use of this faculty as opposed to letting it run the show.
Meditate on The Emperor with special attention placed to the head or third eye centre. Ask yourself: What might The Emperor have to teach me about developing my interior vision?
Recap: The Emperor represents the sense of sight which could mean literal sight, but esoterically would imply inner sight. The next stage of evolution where this sense is concerned may be about not just being able to see, but to see clearly and with accuracy. In addition, being that The Emperor is a creator and ruler, inner sight may also translate to the building of the world around us; using our vision in an intentional/divinely led way to shape and form our reality.
Sense of Hearing (The Hierophant)
The sense associated with The Hierophant is hearing. The equivalent interior sense would be related to inner hearing or clear hearing (clairaudience). This could take on the following characteristics: Being able to perceive one’s inner voice, hearing voices externally belonging to Spirit, audio phenomena on the edge of sleep or during meditation i.e. hypnagogia.
What can The Hierophant teach us about developing this sense?
The Hierophant, on the surface, appears to be a depiction of gatekeeping through religious institutions or hierarchy. In actuality, this archetype is a representation of our own inner teacher. In this way, we are both The Hierophant guarding the gate and the kneelers approaching it. As such, our own inner voice is accessible at any moment via this channel, and it is that voice that we go on to hear with our inner ears. And if we truly are The Hierophant, then the advice to develop this sense is clear. We must approach ourselves the way we would the most holy of teachings/teachers - as if we were bowing before an all-knowing source of wisdom; giving space, silence, and reverence to whatever insight may come. In other words, we must pay our voice respect and treat it as if it were the truest sound of all, regardless of the static, noise, or input around us.
Practical ways to work with The Hierophant to improve interior hearing:
Practice a moment (or whole day!) of silence.
Respect yourself and your innate wisdom as you would that of a revered teacher.
Meditate on The Hierophant with special attention placed to the throat and ears. Ask yourself: What might The Hierophant have to teach me about developing my interior hearing?
Recap: The Hierophant represents the sense of hearing which could mean literal hearing, but esoterically would imply inner hearing. The next stage of evolution where this sense is concerned may have to do with not just being able to hear, but to perceive the wisdom coming from within and be able to trust the difference between our voice and that of others, and then act accordingly.
Sense of Smell (The Lovers)
The sense associated with The Lovers is smell. The equivalent interior sense would be related to inner smell or clear smelling (clairsalience). This could take on the following characteristics: The ability to keenly discern, being able to distinguish between something that is harmonious vs disharmonious, the ability to sniff out the essence of a situation, or psychically smelling something that isn’t physically present i.e. cologne of a deceased loved one.
What can The Lovers teach us about developing this sense?
There are a few features here that make The Lovers a viable archetype for such a sense. For starters, when I think of The Lovers I think of beauty for beauty's sake, and often, smell is associated with beautiful things such as flowers or perfume. The Hebrew letter associated with The Lovers is Zayin which means Sword and with this, we can assume discernment plays a role in the development of this interior sense. Smell, whether physically or psychically, is quite a subtle sense; difficult to describe. One way to think of it is through evolutionary terms, which is to say that to survive, we developed a repulsion toward things that smell “bad”, for example, expired or poisonous food. On the other hand, often subtly we can be magnetized toward things, think in terms of pheromones. Often, discerning this can be as quick as a sniff and with that, we know what we’re dealing with is appealing or not. Inwardly speaking, we need to consider a process that plays out in a similar way. Perhaps you encounter someone and while you have no practical evidence, you can just sense that your personalities won’t gel. I find my inner sense of smell comes into play when I’m trying to decide what book to read next. I usually can’t explain my picks, nor can I anticipate them, they just feel right and often, if I’m really tapping in, the book will always contain something important for me.
Practical ways to work with The Lovers to improve interior smell:
Consciously surround yourself with scents you love i.e. candles, incense, flowers.
Ask yourself: What do I currently allow into my life that I know isn’t good for me? Remember, The Lovers is also about choice - in what ways are you choosing things that “don’t smell good?”
Compare and contrast The Lovers with The Devil, considering The Lovers as a pathway to improve this sense and The Devil as a pathway to diminish it.
Meditate on The Lovers with special attention placed to the nose. Ask yourself: What might The Lovers have to teach me about developing my interior sense of smell?
Recap: The Lovers represents the sense of smell which could mean literal smell, but esoterically would imply inner smell. The next stage of evolution where this sense is concerned my be about not just being able to smell, but to be able to discern via interior smell what is good for us and what is not, and then choose accordingly.
Sense of Taste (Strength)
The sense associated with Strength is taste. The equivalent interior sense would be related to inner taste or clear tasting (clairgustance). This could take on the following characteristics: Having a sensitive or refined palette (can discriminate between flavours and notes), being able to physically taste something without it being present, the ability to manage one’s appetite, the ability to assimilate, integrate or digest well (figuratively and literally).
What can Strength teach us about developing this sense?
Smell and taste share a connection in that they work together to form our perception of the things we consume. In this way, The Lovers may point us toward or away from something, but Strength will assist us in making the most of whatever we do take in. Strength can also help us to find the nuance in things. Tim is an avid tea drinker, which you’ll know if you’ve ever visited his Instagram. Part of what makes that experience so enjoyable for him is in discerning between all the scents and flavors; finding details within the mixture that set it apart from other blends. Similarly, when we take in food, our bodies go through a process of breaking it down. Through this sorting, certain nutrients are delegated to various internal systems, while whatever isn’t needed is discarded. When we develop strength in our psychic digestion, the same process can be observed as it relates to our experiences. We take the bits we need, and we discard the scarps (you can think of this in alchemical terms as well). If we taste something that doesn’t agree with us, we suffer those consequences. Similarly if we “take on more than we can chew” we may experience a degree of upset. We can also take this in the context of appetite, as we know that often things that taste very good (sweet, salty, and savory for example) can actually be harmful to us in many ways. We must extrapolate this to both the experience of eating as well as to the experience of living. Strength is acknowledging this and then managing our impulses, especially when they don’t ultimately serve us. In this way, we can develop our “tastes” so that we eventually desire that which will uplift (an analogy for taming the lion which we see in Strength).
Practical ways to work with Strength to improve interior taste:
Sit with a drink or piece of food and take time to intentionally taste it, attempting to identify its various components, notes, and profiles.
Pay close attention to your reactions; reactions to the food you eat as well as reactions to other life situations. Try to locate the root of the impulse to understand cause and effect.
Meditate on Strength with special attention placed to the mouth, solar plexus, or gut area. Ask yourself: What might Strength have to teach me about developing my interior sense of taste?
Recap: Strength represents the sense of taste which could mean literal taste, but esoterically would imply inner taste. The next stage of evolution where this sense is concerned may be about not just being able to taste, but to alter one’s desires so that their appetite aligns with what is most needed/helpful.
Sense of Touch (The Hermit)
The sense associated with The Hermit is touch. The equivalent interior sense would be related to inner touch or clear feeling (clairtangency). This could take on the following characteristics: Being able to discern details about an object through touch, feeling physical sensations without tangible cause (goosebumps, electricity, heat, cold), being tapped into one’s emotions (feelings by another name), or being able to feel the blissful presence of Spirit or one’s higher self.
What can The Hermit teach us about developing this sense?
The Hermit takes us to the top of a mountain peak where one can be in silence and solitude, perceptive to the nature of God or Spirit. The Hermit is associated with the Hebrew letter Yod, which means hand and in many ways, this card speaks to being touched by divinity. This is in part why The Hermit is elevated, alone, and lighting the ways for others along the path. Our emotions or feelings may be one channel forward however, emotions can be deceiving so The Hermit, with its wisdom, may help to clarify. This may be done through other activities associated with The Hermit such as meditation or reflection. The more we can understand ourselves, our emotions, and inner workings, the more we can be properly guided and attuned to the impulses both within and without us. This work will also help put us in union with the divine, and it is this state that is often described as ecstatic or full of bliss - a spiritual equivalent to the most pleasurable physical touch which can be imagined.
Practical ways to work with The Hermit to improve interior touch:
Take up a regular practice of journaling or reflection.
Yod means hand, and in the 4 Aces, we see a depiction of the hand of divinity (there are also yods in 3 of the 4 aces). Given this, contemplate what those 4 cards may add to the development of this sense
Meditate on The Hermit with special attention placed to the hands and skin. Ask yourself: What might The Hermit have to teach me about developing my interior sense of touch?
Recap: The Hermit represents the sense of touch which could mean literal touch, but esoterically would imply inner touch. The next stage of evolution where this sense is concerned may be about not just being able to feel, but to be in touch with one’s feelings so as to connect deeper with divinity and self.
So with that, we have thoroughly explored the 5 Major Arcana cards that have sense attributions. There is probably so much more that could be said on this topic, so I invite readers to follow their own intuitions and chains of thought to see what else may be uncovered.
One thing to contemplate further may be which of these 5 senses you feel is most finely developed in yourself. Or conversely, which do you feel least connected to? As an experiment, you may even opt to isolate the 5 sense-cards from your deck and place them face down, then without knowing which is which, ask Spirit to guide you to the one you’d be wise to focus on right now. There is no limit to what can be learned through trials like this and no doubt, whatever is found will serve you both as an intuitive practitioner, as well as a human navigating this very weird thing called life.
Julia