Exploring Infinity
Infinity is a a strange and interesting concept. It can be difficult to grasp, let alone pin down with words. Regardless, we can intuit it's meaningfulness. Whether you have an interest in the symbol, or its use in tarot, I think it's a universally noteworthy concept. And, regardless of what we know or don't know about the way it works, we sense there's something to it, worthy of exploration.
If you are a reader of the cards, then you’ve definitely noticed the symbol for infinity used a number of times throughout the deck. Far from an arbitrary artistic detail, the infinity symbol serves a purpose. But, what is it? What can the cards teach us about it and what can it teach us about the cards?
Musickal Meditations - Channeling The Magician
Tarot and music (or sound/vibration) share an inextricable link. In a sort of subtle manner, the language of music is well fused into the cards. We refer to them as keys; we divide the deck into a Major and Minor arcana. When approaching the principles that tarot preaches, we are confronted with more along the musical lines - ideas of balance, harmony, vibration etc. In addition, many systems apply musical attributions (notes) to the major arcana - further alluding to the connection.
So is this just metaphorical, or is there a more literal implication? Many spiritual and philosophical systems will tell you that the study of sound will reveal greater mysteries of the universe. Pythagoras said “there is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres”. Hazrat Inayat Khan is quoted as saying “He who knows the secret of sound, knows the mystery of the whole universe”. These are just two examples.
With this in mind, my partner Tim and I have been exploring this connection for some time, and recently we approached my dad to get a musical perspective because my dad is a musician. Coincidentally, he was in the midst of his own meditation project, and being a lifelong pursuer of the strange and occult, he was quite excited to see just what could be done with a single note attribution and a vision.