The Tarot Garden Library
About the Author
Jeannette Roth is the
co-owner of The Tarot Garden. She has been collecting tarot
for 20 years, with an eclectic interest in all areas of its
study and use.
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Osho and Tarot
by Jeannette
Roth
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From what wellspring does the
inspiration for a tarot or cartomantic deck
arise? Certainly anyone who has a hand in
creating a set of cards for purposes of
divination, meditation, or other enlightening
use is influenced in his or her choice of
structure and images by their personal
experiences and beliefs. Indeed, is this not at
least partly the point? To bring a new
perspective to the cards? To add one's knowledge
and unique voice to the compendium, and hope
that the information may instruct and inspire
others?
If we hope to gain insight from tarot in some
manner, then it might be in our best interest to
know who our "teacher" is: What motivated the
creator to create his deck? What personal
knowledge and experience does she hope to share?
What does the creator hope that we can gain from
his or her efforts? And perhaps, most
importantly, what influences shaped the
designer's perspective? Is the resulting work
valid? Can it be trusted?
However, the intent of this article is not to
answer any questions of validity. Rather, my
intent is to explore a rather interesting set of
influences that have made their mark on
cartomantic cards over the last twenty years.
But with luck, I'll be able provide you with
some new information that will allow you to draw
your own informed conclusions about a few
well-known and well-loved decks.
The "influence" under discussion can be
summed up in one word: Osho. The word is
probably familiar to most tarot enthusiasts, but
its significance may not be as well understood.
So I'll begin with a little background
information. For a more complete picture of the
Osho organization, you may wish to check out
some of the links at the end of this article.
Osho: Background
Osho might be best described as a "spiritual
movement." According to information on the
religioustolerance.org
website, Osho's founder, Rajneesh Chandra Mohan,
a.k.a. Acharya Rajneesh, a.k.a. Chandra Mohan
Jain, "never subscribed to any religious faith
during his lifetime." Originally a philosophy
instructor at the University of Jabalpur,
Rajneesh eventually changed his name to Bhagwan
Shree Rajneesh and dedicated his life to
teaching his disciples, called sannya, and to
developing the organization devoted to promoting
his spiritual philosophy. Originally referred to
as the "Neo-Sannyas International Movement" or
"Rajneeshism," the movement later adopted the
name "Osho" shortly before its founder's death.
Rajneesh founded a commune in Poona, India in
1974. Eventually, amid controversy and personal
health problems, he moved with a number of his
disciples to the United States, and set up
another commune near the town of Antelope,
Oregon. In the U.S., Rajneeshism's numbers
swelled, perhaps because the Bhagwan offered
advice on achieving spiritual enlightenment
without simultaneously advocating the rejection
of materialism that typically accompanies
Eastern spiritual philosophies. By all accounts,
Rajneesh was a highly charismatic leader, and
the meditative techniques he developed were
reported to have been highly effective. He drew
from an eclectic mixture of the world's great
religions, and strongly eschewed racism, sexism,
or intolerance of any sort. Whether Rajneesh and
his followers practiced what they preached has
been debated by some, but there is no question
that open-mindedness is a highly-valued ethic in
their core philosophy.
By the mid-1980s, the tensions between the
expanding commune and the residents of nearby
Antelope produced disastrous results. Several of
the commune members were charged with, and later
convicted of, numerous criminal acts, including
conspiracy and attempted murder. The motives of
the sannya involved appeared to include an
attempt to control local elections. How much
knowledge the Bhagwan had of his disciples'
activities in these regards, or whether he had a
hand in any such unsavory undertakings himself,
remains a matter of debate. The Bhagwan publicly
repudiated the actions of his accused followers,
but was eventually deported from the U.S. a few
years later. He returned to Poona, and
eventually changed his name to Osho -- the name
by which the movement he began is now known.
Osho died in 1990, the victim of extensive
health problems, but the Osho organization lives
on through Rajneesh's extensive writings, and
through its approximately 20 meditation centers
established throughout the world.
The history of Osho, the evolution of his
philosophy, his followers, and the Osho movement
is far more interesting and colorful than the
brief overview I've presented here. But I've
attempted to confine myself to the facts. Osho
and his organization have inspired both great
enthusiasm and great scorn, and as I said at the
outset, my intent is to examine influences --
not to pass judgment. I encourage all readers to
check out the links provided at the end of this
article for more information, and to
subsequently determine the true nature of Osho
for themselves.
Osho and Cartomancy
So -- what does all this have to do with
tarot? Plenty. First and foremost, it might
arguably be said that followers of Osho have
produced and published more original cartomantic
decks than any other non-pagan spiritual
discipline. Second, the emphasis on meditation
within the Osho philosophy is clearly reflected
in the decks produced by its members; this
emphasis may have subsequently had some effect
on the growing acceptance of tarot as an
effective meditational tool.
To date, I've been able to locate six
different Osho-influenced cartomantic decks
which have received some reasonable measure of
distribution -- or at least notoriety. One of
the decks has recently undergone some changes,
so that like the Rajneeshism/Osho movement
itself, it is known by several different names.
What follows is a look at a few of the
better-known Osho decks, and what can be said
about their design and purpose in light of the
Osho connection.
The Goose is Out
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This 108-card deck, published in
1982, was described by creators Swami
Veet Bruco and Ma Prem Jagruti as "a
meeting between Tarot and Poker." In
fact, the deck bears no resemblance at
all, structurally or image-wise, to
either a traditional tarot or a
standard poker deck. Instead, the card
pictures are as eclectic as Rajneesh's
philosophy itself, and include
traditional Middle Eastern art,
colorized Victorian-age engravings,
details from the works of famous
artists from Boticelli to Escher,
simple cartoons, and more. The complete
lack of structure or pictorial
consistency might frustrate some
readers, but that, according to the
accompanying book, is precisely the
point. The designers had this to say
about the use of tarot:
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"We played and played with Tarots, with
different decks, with the
'Rider-Waite,' and changed over the
Crowley's [sic] 'Thoth-deck'
and to the tantric 'Dakini' but they
all kept us on the floor -- no way to
fly. Now we try to take off: let the
geese out!
"The only one who was able to
take the jump, this quantum leap from
the old traditional deck into the new
Tarot was THE FOOL. He was standing too
long there near the abyss... Now he
just jumped down, spread his wings and
started flying with the geese. With
this he left all the seriousness of the
old games behind him. Having a look
backwards to all these Kings and
Queens: they look just like dead
marionettes, sitting in their Arcanas
like in dusty picture-galleries
surrounded by their swords and
wands.
"Now the Fool has become a child
again, fooling and playing around,
discovering for the first time music
and dance, celebration of life. Not
following any prefabricated path, the
Fool goes from one meeting to the next.
Where he expected to meet the 'Emperor'
of the Kingdom of the cards -- a quite
arteriosclerotic old guy -- he finds an
ordinary man. He is naked but in his
way of moving he seems to be a real
Aristocrat, a king of life. He looks
like a Greek God, coming out of the
forgetfulness of men, big in an endless
sky. In him all the Masters become
alive again, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu...
In this moment the Fool becomes aware
of his own real nature. He looks down
along his body and with utter
astonishment he realizes his own grace.
He has become a Prince."
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The inclusion of the "Goose" tarot
in Stuart Kaplan's Encyclopedia of
Tarot, vol. III may arguably be
credited with saving this odd
collection of images from relative
obscurity. Thanks to Kaplan, Bruco and
Jagruti's deck is often much
sought-after by collectors, and has
been known to bring prices of up to
$1,000 for a single copy. One might
view this eclectic compilation as
highly disconcerting and too chaotic to
be useful -- or as being
unconventional, playful, and
refreshingly free of pretensions. And
either way, you might be right.
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Osho Zen Tarot
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This is probably the best-known Osho
tarot... in fact, it may be one of the
best-known tarots ever produced. First
published in 1994 in Great Britain by
Boxtree Ltd., and picked up for
republication and global distribution
shortly thereafter by St. Martin's
Press, the Osho Zen has remained one of
the all-time best-selling tarots ever
since.
Unlike the Goose is Out deck, the
Osho Zen retains most of the structure
of a traditional tarot -- although
creator Ma Deva Padma has eschewed the
use of the normal suit designations in
favor of colors aligned with the cards'
elemental properties. The card titles
or key words, while not common or
"traditional," are not far afield of
the general qualities assigned to the
cards themselves by the Golden Dawn
system that underlies the Rider-Waite
deck.
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There is also, not surprisingly, an
extra, unnumbered Major Arcana card
entitled "The Master," which bears the
image of Rajneesh himself. This
twenty-third card has a special
significance in the Osho approach to
tarot's teaching. According to the
text:
"In the traditional tarot deck
this journey of self-discovery was
perceived as a kind of spiral, with
each Completion leading to a new level
on the path, a new beginning with the
reentry of The Fool. In this deck,
however, the Master card has been
added. This card allows us to leave the
spiral behind, to take a jump off the
wheel of death and rebirth."
As to the use of the deck for
divinatory purposes, the text continues
on to say:
"Osho Zen Tarot is definitely not
a traditional tarot in the sense that
you play with prediction. Rather it is
a transcendental game of Zen which
mirrors the moment, unwaveringly
presenting what is here, now, without
judgment or comparison. This game is a
wake-up call to tune in to sensitivity,
intuition, compassion, receptivity,
courage, and individuality... This
focus on awareness is one of the many
innovations to the old systems and
thinking of the tarot that will soon
become obvious to experienced users as
they begin to work with the Osho Zen
Tarot."
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The images of the Osho Zen deck are
colorful and peaceful, and show an
obvious Eastern influence. Whereas the
Goose is Out deck is full of unbridled
energy designed to turn one's viewpoint
topsy-turvy, the Osho Zen is
contrastingly calm and focused -- a
vehicle for channeling the unleashed
energy into useful purposes.
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Rajneesh Neo Tarot / Osho Transformation
Tarot
Once again, despite the use of the word
"Tarot," this deck has little in common with a
standard tarot, other than being a set of cards
that can be used as a tool for cartomancy,
meditation, and/or spiritual growth. It contains
a total of 60 cards, designed for both personal
readings and for meditation. Each card contains
a Zen-like title, such as "Light on the Path" or
"Ultimate Accident."
In the Rajneesh variant of this deck, the
first two cards contain photographs of Rajneesh
himself. This version of the deck was
distributed in a number of European markets
under a title which translated to "Tarot of the
Rajneesh." In North America, the deck was
variously distributed under the name "Rajneesh
Neo Tarot" and "Osho Neo Tarot."
In the Osho Transformation Tarot, the first
two cards have been replaced with illustrations
in the style of the rest of the deck. The
general theme of the cards -- entitled "No Mind"
and "Communion" in English -- remains the same
as in the Rajneesh edition. In addition, the
plain white backgrounds of the Rajneesh deck
have been replaced with a more stylized, less
"stark" abstract pattern in shades of gray.
Again we find St. Martin's Press as the
publisher of the revised edition, with copies
made available on the international market in
several languages. The St. Martin's edition, and
some of the Rajneesh editions, also include a
book that provides a story-parable for each card
-- a potentially useful addition to the deck for
meditative purposes.
Comparison of the "Communion" card
From the "Tarot de Rajneesh" (left) and
Osho Transformation Tarot (right)
The illustrations by Pujan Waduda are
stylistically more simple than those of Padma's
Osho Zen deck, and generally exhibit more of a
"Japanese" flavor than an "Indian" one --
although the inspirations for the images
themselves are drawn from a variety of cultural
sources.
Although much less "tarot-like" than the Osho
Zen, the Osho Transformation book ironically
provides more concrete instructions for how the
deck might be used for divination and
meditational purposes.
Il Sentiero del Reale and Il Sentiero
dell'Essere
These two decks, published by Lo Scarabeo and
apparently both out-of-print, each consist of 56
cards. I was unable to obtain review copies of
these decks, although the "Reale" deck appears
to have a Tantric theme, while the "Essere" deck
looks as if it may be more focused on chakras
and Eastern meditation techniques.
Flying Hearts Tarot
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Only one step removed from the
Osho-acknowledging tarots is a 1988
deck entitled "Flying Hearts Tarot"
("Lachend das Leben Spielen"). This
collaborative collage deck was compiled
by The Flying Hearts Company. who,
according to an article by tarot
authority K. Frank Jensen in issue #1
of his Manteia newsletter, is "a
group of (former?) Raineesh-people
[sic]... The deck is much in
the style with 'The Goose is Out'...
(some people might even be the same, if
I remember right)."
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And indeed, in the Flying Hearts
Tarot, we see much of the same
"playfulness" and irreverence that
characterize the Goose is Out cards.
Like the Goose deck, some of the
pictures are elongated and are
therefore printed sideways on the
cards. The deck was published in
Germany, and the accompanying book text
is, as expected, in German. But
according to Jensen's article, the
authors exhort the reader once again to
abandon any preconceived notions about
the cards and their use:
"...a great part of the text are
poems or meditations relating to each
of the cards in the deck. Like the
introduction to the chapter on how to
use the deck says: 'The only rule for
using the tarot is, that there are no
such rules. The players themselves
decide the rules.'"
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In contrast to the Goose deck, the
Flying Hearts tarot does follow a
more-or-less standard 78-card tarot
structure -- although the creators
opted, as Padma did later, to represent
the suits by their elemental
attributions, rather than using the
more common Marseilles or Waite
symbols. Nonetheless, with its images
of tuxedoed, martini-drinking Buddhas
and copulating frogs, the deck was
clearly designed to repudiate
established conventions -- not to
embrace them. The titles adopted for
the Minor Arcana cards are highly
nontraditional, but could arguably be
said to follow the general concepts put
forth by Waite and those of the Golden
Dawn tradition.
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Conclusion
Although the Osho group itself has a colorful
and controversial history, its contributions to
and influence within the world of cartomantic
decks cannot be denied. The Osho wellspring from
which these decks arise is evident in the
emphasis on their meditative aspects. In
addition, the decks appear to be generally less
reliant, to a greater or lesser degree, on
traditional structure and convention.
Past scandals and an increasing emphasis on
commercialism may taint the perception of these
cards for some, but for others, their usefulness
and positive benefits may be the true test of
the Osho decks' validity and worth. But as
always, the final analysis of the Osho tarots is
-- as they say -- left as an exercise for the
reader.
17 April 2002
Related Links:
Osho.com.
Official website of Osho products and
services.
Osho:
Never Born Never Died. General informational
page with numerous links to articles, writings,
and pictures, maintained by sannyas.org.
Osho,
by Religioustolerance.org. A summary of the
man and the movement by the Ontario Center for
Religious Tolerance.
Osho,
by Religious Movements. Another summary of
the Rajneesh and Osho, with a slightly more
analytical (and even critical) tone.
Osho,
Bhagwan Rajneesh, and the Lost Truth. An
interesting analysis of Rajneesh's strengths and
failings, in a historical perspective, by a
former Osho sannyasin.
Rajneeshpuram
1981-1985: When it was Crazy. Compilation of
photos of the Oregon commune, along with
extensive commentary, by photojournalist Bill
Miller. Miller spent the better part of five
years documenting the people and activities of
the commune for the U.S. and British press.
Bitterness
Endures at Rancho Rajneesh. Article in The
News-Times (of western Connecticut) about the
scandal at the Oregon commune, its aftermath,
and the long-term effects on the local
community.
Bhagwan's
Club Meditation. A 1994 article, reprinted
from the Washington Post, about the genesis of
the Osho organization after the death of the
Rajneesh. The Osho folks don't seem to object to
the content, as this information is posted on
the Osho.com website.
Old
Bhagwan, New Bottles. A more blatantly
critical commentary on the Osho group's
activities since the Rajneesh's death.
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