The Tarot Crossroad

herbal incense cloud
invokes the sorcerer’s muse
which road should he choose
until he can discover
the secret of the diamonds?

Kim M. Russell, 2017

My response to Carpe Diem #1125 The Road to Santiago is part of the Tarot.

Today, Chèvrefeuille has told us about the connection between the Road to Santiago and the Tarot. While Paulo and his guide are on their way to Santiago, they visit the cloister of Roncesvalles, where they meet with Father Jordi. Father Jordi is not only a monk but also a sorcerer, a strange combination, but Father Jordi is a sorcerer in the Tradition. He and Paulo have the following conversation:

[…] “Father Jordi sat at the table, leaving me standing. He took some herbs and lit them, filling the place with their perfume. More and more, the situation reminded me of my encounter with Mme Lourdes. ‘First, I want to tell you something,’ said Father Jordi. ‘The Jacobean route is only one of four roads. It is the Road of the Spades, and it may give you power, but that is not enough.’
‘What are the other three?’
‘You know at least two others: the Road to Jerusalem, which is the Road of the Hearts, or of the Grail, and which endows you with the ability to perform miracles; and the Road to Rome, which is the Road of the Clubs; it allows you to communicate with other worlds.’
‘So what’s missing is the Road of the Diamonds to complete the four suits of the deck,’ I joked. And the father laughed.  ‘Exactly. That’s the secret Road. If you take it someday, you won’t be helped by anybody. For now, let us leave that one aside.” […] (Source: The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho)