ON-DEMAND COURSE

Jungian Perspective on the Tarot

Jungian Psychology
TEACHER
Ken James
TOPIC
Divination
Format
5 class course
DURATION
5 Hrs

Payment options: Credit Card or PayPal.

Learn to Read the Tarot from a Jungian Perspective with Ken James

In this beautiful online course Jungian Analyst and teacher Ken James will take you on a tour through the world of the Tarot. You will be able to read the tarot and work with it from a Jungian lens gaining insights about the Tarot and about your own inner process.

Jungian Perspective on the Tarot course

This course examines the Tarot not only as a tool of divination, meditation, and active imagination but also as a way to explore the structure and dynamics of the psyche as understood in Jungian psychology. The set of 78 cards which comprise the Tarot will be examined using significant concepts from Jungian Psychology, including the Self, archetypes and complexes, the structure of the dream, and the synthesis of personal and collective energies in life. Participants will move between the Tarot and Jung’s Model of the Psyche as they increase their understanding of both. 

The course will also explore both the enactive and receptive uses of the Tarot for personal growth and to facilitate the process of individuation. Correspondences between the various “sub-decks” of the Tarot and arenas of personal experience will be described, and the major aspects of personality as understood by Jungian psychology will be explored through the major and minor arcana. 

The suits of the minor arcana (cups, wands, swords, and pentacles) will be compared to Jung’s typological categories and the quaternity of medieval elements, and an exploration of the underlying implications of the “challenge” and the “gift” cards will be discussed. 

In each class, participants will be given various activities to perform with the cards in between sessions to deepen their understanding and insights both into the Tarot and into their inner process. 

Beginning with a Tarot journal, activities will include discerning one’s court card, constructing a life narrative, and generating a synchronistic autobiography. Various Tarot spreads (arrangement of cards) will be explored, and ways to read the cards for oneself and others will be considered. 

Participants are requested to bring their own Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck to each class. This will be the deck that will be used for instructional purposes.

This course serves as Level 1. Upon completion, you can continue your journey with our advanced Jungian Perspective on the Tarot (Level 2) course to master complex layout arrays like the Celtic Cross.

This program is ideal if you want to be able to

  • Use a synchronistic tool of divination to understand Jung’s Model of the Psyche more deeply.
  • Enhance your understanding of the structure and dynamics of the psyche through Jung’s Analytical Psychology paradigm.
  • Recognize how luck, fate, and hazard contribute to a clearer understanding of Jung’s Model and your own individuation process.
  • Feel more at ease accessing non-rational ways of understanding your life and relationships.
  • Learn to work with it as a tool to support your inner work and individuation process whether you are new to Tarot or experienced.
  • Establish and maintain a connection to your inner and outer growth through Tarot journaling and Tarot reading.
  • Better grasp the role of synchronicity and use it to live more consciously in the present moment.

Jungian Perspective on the Tarot Class Descriptions 

Class 1. The Tarot and Jungian Psychology: Connections

In the first class, we will cover the structure of the Tarot deck and compare it with the structure of the psyche. The layers of psyche (ego, personal unconscious, collective unconscious) will be compared to the Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and other subdivisions of the Tarot deck.

Class 2. Using the Tarot to Work on Oneself

In the second class, various ways of employing the Tarot to do inner work will be explored. Enactive and Receptive modalities of Tarot work and an introduction to pathworking will be considered. The relationship of the Tarot to Jung’s concept of synchronicity will also be examined. Exercises include continuing the Tarot journal and using the Tarot to begin an exploration of one’s autobiography.

Class 3. Using the Tarot to Enhance Discernment of Personality, Typology, and Life Situations

In the third class, a deeper exploration of the Court cards as well as the numbered (“pip”) cards will be conducted. We will also consider how the Court cards depict different aspects of the personality and typology. The Pips will be explored as a means of understanding both the challenges and gifts that are inseparable parts of everyone’s life. Exercises include conducting review using the Pips and the Court cards.

Class 4. Reading the Tarot: Part One

In the fourth class, we will begin to use the cards to do basic readings. The importance of formulating a question or intention for readings will be explained, as well as instructions on how to query the cards appropriately. Arrangements of the cards, called “spreads” will be explored, including the “Yes/No” spread, and the “Past-Present-Future” spread. Exercises include doing three spreads throughout the week, and recording what cards appeared in each spread, the question/intent of the reading and providing a summary of the response.

Class 5 Reading the Tarot: Part Two

In the fifth class, further instruction on readings will be provided. We will learn how to do two additional readings: the “Overview-Challenge-Action” spread, and a glimpse into the “Celtic Cross” spread. We will also learn how to construct “narratives of insight” based on the cards that appear in the spreads in conjunction with the question/intent brought to the reading. Exercises include different ways of continuing the Tarot-centered autobiography.

Bonus: Free Mini Reading

Course Reviews

Ken James was absolutely phenomenal. He knows the material so well, explains it so well and from the get-go I could use the skills he taught.I absolutely recommend it. (Dawn)

An excellent entré to using the tarot for personal reflection and meditation that supports your own work of individuation - especially if you are looking to develop your vocabulary of symbols and sensitivity to intuition. (Thomas)

I loved learning specific spreads and having demonstrations! Also talking about the different ways to look at each suite including typology. Ken is amazing, I just bought his Synchronicity course as well because I love how he explains things so much. (Ezra)

Excellent course if you are looking into better understanding yourself and the world. I have been taking Jungian classes and attending live presentations for more than 18 years. This was the best, most organized least chaotic Jungian course I have EVER taken. So glad to have discovered this medium. THANK YOU your work is appreciated! (Laura)

ABout the teacher

Ken James

Kenneth James, Ph.D. is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. He received a Ph.D. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, and a Diploma in Analytical Psychology from the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Along the way, he studied vocal music at the American Conservatory of Music, and learned a modality of music therapy known as The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music at the Institute for Consciousness and Music in Baltimore, Maryland.

What you will receive

*You will receive a certificate of completion, but it’s not from an official accrediting body. Please check if it will be accepted by the organization you wish to use it with.
5 videos & 5 audio recordings
Handouts & recommended reading
Accurate subtitles
Certificate of completion*
Available in English

Scholarships

We here at Jung Platform want to make these programs available to anyone. If you would love to participate yet can’t pay for the full course, then please send us an email at scholarships@jungplatform.com and describe why you feel you qualify for a scholarship, how much you can pay, and what you will do to help the Jung Platform promote this and other programs.

The Jung Platform Guarantee

We stand by our programs. If within 30 days of your purchase or the live course start, you're not satisfied, we offer a replacement or a full refund.

More Courses by This Teacher



Learn more about our comprehensive Tarot Certificate Programs.

All Jung Platform Courses

Jung Platform offers several hundred courses, talks, and certificate programs on Jungian psychology, shadow work, dreamwork, archetypes, and individuation. Whether you are just beginning or have studied Jung for years, there is a next step waiting for you.

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jungian TAROT - frequent asked questions

Can I take this course if I am a complete beginner to either Tarot or Jungian psychology?

Absolutely. This course serves as an excellent introduction for beginners. You will learn how the structure of the Tarot deck maps onto Jung's model of the psyche (including the ego, personal unconscious, and collective unconscious), while discovering basic tarot spreads to read for yourself and others

Does this course teach Tarot as a fortune-telling tool or a psychological practice?

This course focuses strictly on a psychological approach to Tarot. Jungian Analyst Ken James teaches you to view the 78 cards as an evocation of synchronicity and a mirror for the unconscious mind. You will learn to use the cards for inner work, meditation, and active imagination.

Do I need a specific Tarot deck to participate in this course?

Yes, participants are requested to bring their own Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck, as it is the primary deck used for instructional purposes. This deck's rich, illustrative symbols line up perfectly with Carl Jung's psychological frameworks.

What are the next steps after completing this 5-class Tarot course?

This program serves as Level 1. Upon completion, you can advance your practice with Jungian Perspective on the Tarot (Level 2) to master complex arrays like the Celtic Cross and reading reversed cards. These classes serve as the ideal foundation for Jung Platform's comprehensive Tarot Certificate Programs.

We also offer three three specialized programs from Tarot expert Juliet Sharman-Burke: Myths of the Major Arcana, Myths of the Minor Arcana and Myths of the Tarot Court Cards. 

Is this course live or self-paced?

This is a fully on-demand online course, allowing you to learn at your own pace. It includes video lessons, handouts and a recommended reading list. 

Are there any free resources or preview lessons available before I buy?

Yes! If you want a preview of the program before committing, you can sign up for our free 35-minute video lecture, Jungian Perspective on the Tarot: An Introduction. Additionally, you can read Ken James's foundational blog article, Exploring Individuation with the Tarot. 

Course overview