The Keys in Major

Dates:  Third Tuesdays of the month

Location: Websters Bookstore and Cafe in State College, PA

Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

This class series will have several phases, as outlined below: 

Phase 1: The Keys in Major (continued)

In this class we will use the Tarot Major Arcana (known as Keys) of Builders of the Adytum (BOTA)* as our jumping-off point to engage the many facets of the Western Esoteric Tradition. This Tarot deck, designed by Paul Foster Case, is especially useful for instruction and meditation as each design has been carefully constructed to convey many levels of meaning and relationship for those who are versed in this pictorial language. Each Key works on a conscious and subconscious level, repaying close study and meditation. If you are new to Hermetic study, this class will help to open the doors to the true nature of Tarot as the holy book of the Western Esoteric Tradition.

Phase 2: The Keys in Minor  (concluded)

This class will feature the Minor Arcana of Tarot as another entry point into the machinery of the Western Esoteric Tradition. We will focus on the fundamental correspondences of each group of Minor Arcana with traditional Astrology to find the reasons why certain cards indicate certain energies and real-world outcomes. You will learn Qabalah, astrology and magical symbolism while delving deeper into your own understanding of the Tarot. In the second half of class we'll bring out a featured Tarot spread for some group discussion and practice time.

Phase 3: Introduction to the Hermetic Qabalah

Qabalah has rightly been termed the "Yoga of the West" as the unifying theory of the Western Esoteric Tradition. Though we have touched on this topic in our other classes, the final installment in the Keys of Magic will deal directly with the Hermetic Qabalah. We will be essentially "pathworking" the Tree of Life from the top to the bottom, learning the lore associated with each of its parts. The study of Qabalah will be engaged on its own terms, however for students of astrology and Tarot this class aims to open up new vistas of understanding. Students of practical magic will also find much to contemplate in the study of the Hermetic Qabalah. No previous classes are necessary - as with all Keys classes, students may come and go as they need to.  We will first engage the history and context of this branch of Qabalah, and then wend our way through the branches of the Tree of Life, tasting every fruit we come upon.