C
CatsAndDogs
Guest
A reviewer of that work (by “Anonymous” [Valentin Tomberg, [1900-73]]):
Fred | Monday, April 02, 2007 at 08:18 AM
Hi, I am Stratford Caldecott, editor of ‘Second Spring’ as mentioned above. Carl asked me to jump in. I have to say the intention of our journal is to be as open-minded as we can be from within a total commitment to Catholic truth and the authority of the Church. As background, I am a convert from a New Age sort of background (by which I don’t mean the flakier kinds of occultism but simply an interest in mysticism and other religions, that kind of thing). My heroes are Newman, Chesterton, Tolkien, JPII, Ratzinger/Benedict, not to mention various saints - and I count Balthasar as a big influence, though do not regard him as infallible.
I don’t have time now to dig out my original review of Tomberg, but will try to do that later if it might be helpful. It is a very rich and stimulating book, but as Balthasar said (in comments largely edited out of the ‘Afterword’ to the English paperback edition because they sounded too critical) there are certain flaws that need to be borne in mind. It does not appear to be totally orthodox, despite the author’s intention. However, the book is not at all to do with ‘Tarot’ in the sense of divination, but uses the SYMBOLS on the cards as a way into a series of meditations on the Christian and the ‘Hermetic’ traditions that he is trying to weave together.
The book does raise some big questions. But they are questions worth asking. In my book ‘The Seven Sacraments’ I found some of Tomberg’s insights helpful in relating the sacraments to the Signs and I am sayings in the Gospel of John, etc. - but this is an old medieval custom in any case.
Good luck with this discussion. I know the very word ‘Tarot’ raises hackles, and that is understandable. But for some people (not everyone) the book can be very helpful, I think.
Hi, I am Stratford Caldecott, editor of ‘Second Spring’ as mentioned above. Carl asked me to jump in. I have to say the intention of our journal is to be as open-minded as we can be from within a total commitment to Catholic truth and the authority of the Church. As background, I am a convert from a New Age sort of background (by which I don’t mean the flakier kinds of occultism but simply an interest in mysticism and other religions, that kind of thing). My heroes are Newman, Chesterton, Tolkien, JPII, Ratzinger/Benedict, not to mention various saints - and I count Balthasar as a big influence, though do not regard him as infallible.
I don’t have time now to dig out my original review of Tomberg, but will try to do that later if it might be helpful. It is a very rich and stimulating book, but as Balthasar said (in comments largely edited out of the ‘Afterword’ to the English paperback edition because they sounded too critical) there are certain flaws that need to be borne in mind. It does not appear to be totally orthodox, despite the author’s intention. However, the book is not at all to do with ‘Tarot’ in the sense of divination, but uses the SYMBOLS on the cards as a way into a series of meditations on the Christian and the ‘Hermetic’ traditions that he is trying to weave together.
The book does raise some big questions. But they are questions worth asking. In my book ‘The Seven Sacraments’ I found some of Tomberg’s insights helpful in relating the sacraments to the Signs and I am sayings in the Gospel of John, etc. - but this is an old medieval custom in any case.
Good luck with this discussion. I know the very word ‘Tarot’ raises hackles, and that is understandable. But for some people (not everyone) the book can be very helpful, I think.
Also: ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/scaldecott_hubtarot_apr07.asp
And: google.com/search?q=Hans+Urs+von+Balthasar+tarot&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US
fficial&client=firefox-a:shamrock2:
