The Marseilles Tarot is a system of psychological delineation capable of describing the patterns of experience humans encounter on the spiritual path. It shows all of the forces that come into play, the strengths, and the pitfalls. It can serve as a tool to allow the user to bring unconscious areas of the psyche into consciousness. Understanding these patterns can contribute to the process of release of suffering from the personality. The sequence below corresponds to the second half of Marseilles’ Tarot’s Major Arcana.
We are fully dressed, indicating a personality that has acquired much knowledge and experience. We have begun to pay attention and assess our past and present experiences. Next, we gracefully shape and control the detrimental or unruly parts of our personalities to a degree. This is the earlier stage of psychological work—observation and effort.
Our True Nature is revealed with sufficient depth to turn our perspective of “self” on its head. We and the world are not what we thought we were. “Mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers.” All is Consciousness; therefore, “deeds are done, but there is no doer thereof.”
The light of Truth has pierced through the personality. The foundation of self-ignorance has suffered a mortal blow and has ruptured, but it is not dead yet. Will it die? When will it die? That is a painful mystery some seekers may now have to carry. This event is called Enlightenment by some or Awakening by others.
The continuation of psychological work after enlightenment or awakening shifts focus to a renewed perspective based on the revelation of Truth rather than work for the salvation or evolution of a “spiritual me.”
The keyword is elimination. Many ideas and feelings about spirituality and the self are now to be discarded. This requires deep self-reflection and sincerity.
All symbols of identity have to go. This includes the spiritual ‘unenlightened me’ as well as the ‘enlightened me.’ It’s about eliminating the unimportant and the useless.
The more useless traits are removed from the personality, the more balanced it becomes. We begin to feel normal and handle the opposites of duality more gracefully and easily. The right work of personality begins to settle in.
Yet, old habits die hard. The momentum of false personality is not so easy to rein. It will come back with a vengeance at every opportunity. The self-sabotage, self-limitation, self-harm, and self-ignorance are still stirred when given the right stimulus. We feel at a loss, and it seems our spiritual work has gone backward. We have no control over our false personalities. The need to see, acknowledge, and neutralize our favorite of the Seven Patterns of Suffering comes to the forefront of our awareness.
Easier said than done. In situations when we are stuck with the Devil, an external shock or intervention of the unpleasant kind comes our way, almost guaranteed. It shakes us up and breaks our personality’s structure. An illness, an accident, a divorce, a betrayal, whatever. It is painful but it is good in the overall picture of the spiritual path.
We become humbled and begin to flow with nature around us as a result of correctly assimilating the destruction we suffered rather than resisting the forces of life. We acknowledge guidance from a force beyond us as individuals. We feel more integrated into the world and more in harmony with the Whole.
Yet, pain is inherent in life and must be acknowledged and accepted. Our degree of emotional maturity becomes prominent. Past trauma becomes visible, impinging on our present emotional outlook, so it must be consciously processed. We have to grow up and accept pain as a natural part of our experience rather than deny or avoid it.
We are not alone. Help comes—a teacher, a friend, a spirit guide, psychedelics—they will come in many forms. Likewise, we will impart this same help to others we meet on the spiritual path. Like siblings and companions, we all are.
Within the process of cleansing, purification, and love, we become ready to recognize who we really are and live by it. The Truth revealed earlier on the path becomes more and more accessible as the false beliefs and identities dissolve, and we are able to listen to the voice of the Natural State.
Here, we are paying attention to “who I am.” This is Self-inquiry or Self-Remembering. The call of Consciousness is heard without hindrances. We are stripped of all intention for enlightenment. Consciousness is calling itself and is hearing itself, for lack of better words…
Nothing is wrong anymore. Total Acceptance and peace with whatever is present at this moment. Psychological suffering and seeking have ceased.
Both life and our personalities go on just fine as they are supposed to. With our likes and dislikes, pains and pleasures, but fearless and uncontrived. Being creative, making mistakes, paying attention, and learning curiously as a normal human being.
False personality manifests through seven discernible patterns of fear. Knowing which patterns are our favorite means of creating suffering is helpful. These patterns form the chief obstacles to living in peace, fearlessly, and free from self-related false expectations.
This knowledge comes from The Michael Teachings’ Overleaves System. In that system, they are called false personality’s “chief features.”
Fear of change. Fear of instability. Hardheadedness, willfulness, rigidity, unwillingness to accept the new, inability to change opinions, and restlessness due to unpredictable people and situations that elicit change.
Fear of missing out on opportunities, fear of lack of time, attempts to cram more activity than is possible or wise within the allotted time, hurry, intolerance, irritation, and anxiety.
Fear of being oppressed. Seeks situations where victimization is likely to occur. Pointless self-sacrifice. Excessive complaint. Feeling victimized. Somebody or the universe is “always against me.” “Why does this always happen to me?”
Fear of being judged and condemned. Seeks situations where judgment is likely. Shyness. Extreme attempt not to make mistakes. Hiding. Fear of being disliked or misunderstood.
Fear of being inadequate. Fear of conflict. Fear of not being able to please. Acquiescing. Saying yes when one should say no. Low self-worth, self-abasement. Feelings of unworthiness. Inaction.
Fear of lack. Fear of loss. Accumulation of goods, knowledge, or experiences beyond usefulness. Hoarding. Gluttony. Stinginess. Feeling one never has enough. Dissatisfaction.
Fear of losing or not having control. Seeks situations of danger, challenges, or great difficulty. Disregard and disdain for life. Fears loss of relative control and abhors the bitter truth that absolute control can never be achieved. Addictions of all kinds.
Illustrated audio. (Not my voice.)