Hajo Banzhaf

This full-color, profusely illustrated book provides an insightful approach to the 22 cards of the major arcana. Drawing on Jungian psychology and his own considerable knowledge of esoterica, Banzhaf clearly shows how the major arcana of the Waite tarot deck tells the story of the hero's journey.

It is the world's oldest story, residing in our collective unconscious, as women and men alike find themselves engaged in the heroic task of maturation and spiritual evolution. The journey usually begins with a loss or mission that results in a task which the hero must accomplish. The hero sets out on the path, meets adversaries and helpers along the way, wins a magic charm, faces and overcomes the opponent, and is often marked in the process. The hero gains what he or she has sought, sets out on the path home, and shakes off pursuers and competitors. At the end, there is a wedding and ascension to the throne. We all experience this pattern of events in our own lives on some level, and we each gain access to the throne when we understand the path we travel.

Banzhaf's discussion of the hero's path is for both men and women. He explains various aspects of the journey, for throughout our lives, we may find ourselves carrying out different roles in the hero's journey.

We may be the maiden awaiting rescue or presenting a task, or the opponent in someone else's quest. Banzhaf shows how the major arcana reveal our position at any given moment in our personal saga. He takes us through each card of the major arcana, explains the archetype, task, goal, risk, and feeling in life that each card represents. He shows how the major arcana can be used as signposts on the way to individuation and freedom. Once we go through the hero's journey with Banzhaf, we can use the cards on a deeper level to develop an awareness of the soul's purpose !