Pillars in Tarot: The Psychology & Space Between Stimulus and Response

About this episode

The episode explores the deeper psychological symbolism of the pillars in tarot and their implications for identity and autonomy.

In this episode of ⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis ⁠ , I explore a question that has been lingering in my mind for months: What do the pillars in tarot actually symbolize on a deeper psychological level? Using Viktor Frankl’s famous quote - “Between stimulus and response there is a space…,” I reflect on how the pillars in cards like the High Priestess, Justice, the Hierophant, and even the Moon might represent more than just duality or balance. I explore the possibility that these pillars symbolize psychological thresholds or liminal spaces where uncertainty, intuition, morality, projection, fear, and meaning live. I dive into the symbolism of the flowing/airy tapestry behind the High Priestess and contrast it with the heavy, obscuring curtain behind Justice, exploring how these archetypes reflect the tension between flexibility and rigidity. Through a Jungian, somatic, and trauma-informed lens, I discuss how the body often senses something before the mind can, and before the brain can organize it into language, as well as how our desire for certainty can sometimes become a defense mechanism against our discomfort with ambiguity. From there, I turn toward the Hierophant and explore the…

People in this episode

Host: Shannon Knight

Topics covered

• Tarot symbolism
• psychology
• liminal spaces
• identity
• autonomy
• intuition

Keywords

• Tarot
• psychology
• Viktor Frankl
• liminal spaces
• identity
• intuition
• High Priestess
• Justice
• Hierophant
• Moon

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: High Priestess, Justice, Hierophant, Moon

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