What is Tarot?

Tarot is a visual tool with a symbolic language based on universal archetypes, icons, culture, mythology, philosophy and ethnicity.  It is a knowledge system that works with the user at their level of interest, interpretation and experience.  

Tarot is a tool to explore consciousness, past lives and potential futures.  It is a tool for personal analysis, transformation and transcendence.  The archetypes and images trigger our unconscious.  Every card or spread has a story to tell of a journey to be taken or a situation understood.  The cards are the route markers along the way, reflecting our root awareness and acting as a mirror to our deeper thoughts and emotions.

The last twenty years has seen unprecedented growth in the tarot industry.  As people have begun to seek tools for self awareness, embarked on spiritual journeys or are simply seeking a tradition to facilitate meaning and structure within their lives.  There are now many decks that embrace a variety of history, philosophy, mythology, culture and ethnicity.  Pop-culture has also had an effect of the development and design of tarot, some closely resembling the original decks, while others are completely idiosyncratic and without any reference to the original archetypal Tarot characters.

iTongo Tarot for Transformation.  An indigenous knowledge system with powerful archetype images.  Based entirely on South African myths and legends.

Designed and developed to experience the energy and rhythm of South Africa.  African folk tales were passed down in a strict oral tradition from one generation to the next. tribal storytellers were called Guardians of the Umlando (tribal history). The Tarot as a story-telling device can bring us to the roots of our own personal consciousness  or involve us in a greater narrative.

The images of the tarot trigger our unconscious. Every spread tells a tale of a journey to be taken; the cards are the signposts along the way. They mirror and reflect our deeper awareness and will.  When someone produces a Tarot deck at work or at a party, we flock around to have our for tunes told.  We all want to hear about ourselves.  We are eager and fearful, yet cautiously curious.  Our need for insight and validation is ever present;  we want to know how we are doing in terms of the choices we make.  We want to project ourselves into our futures to discover where we are heading and what pitfalls lie ahead. 

The art of Tarot is rewarding;  we set out with a purpose and we weave our way through the archetypes and stories;  we resonate with the energies and we choose the path to follow.   Although  the traditional Tarot images belong to the European Renaissance period, we can find their equivalents in African mythology.

iTongo Tarot for Transformation is a box set with 78 full colour cards and 144 page iTongo Reference book.