ABSTRACT
Lin Jorgensen enrolled in a class on tarot offered by a “professional” tarot card reader, a man who was the minister and leader of a religious cult in the Valley. In this chapter, the author explores the possibility of taking a course in tarot from a professional reader in the esoteric community. In the summer of 1977 he attended an organizational meeting of a formal class on the tarot in the community. Knowledge of esoteric and occult literature enhanced his repertoire of meanings associated with the symbolic cards, while performing tarot divination provided occasions to apply his arcane knowledge and cultivate his performance in concrete situations. Esotericism and occultism added dimensions lacking in scientific worldviews, for his, especially an acknowledgement of emotional and intuitive aspects of human experience. Ham’s extensive involvement with the occult and detailed knowledge of the local scene and community also made him an outstanding informant.
