Magical Tattwa Cards: A Complete System of Self-Development - Softcover

Mumford, Jonn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1567184723 ISBN 13: 9781567184723

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications, 2002

Synopsis

THE GREAT SECRET

By Carl Llewellyn Weschcke

How many times has someone promised to reveal "the Great Secret" that will bring you Wealth, Health, Power and Love? Like many people, I am sure this has happened to you more than once. Well, did you get this Great Secret? Or, should I ask, did it bring you the Wealth, Health, Power and Love you wanted?

I bet not, regardless of how much money you paid for that Great Secret.

But, that doesn't mean there isn't a Great Secret that will enable you to obtain all the material things you want.

A half-century ago, a little recognized American occultist named Ophiel told me that the greatest contribution from the eastern world to western esotericism was to be found in the Hindu Tantric practices involving the Tattwas. Later I learned that work with the Tattwas had been incorporated into the magical practices of the famous Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn back in the late 1800's. And then, in 1971, a brilliant Australian teacher, Dr. Jonn Mumford, taught me how to activate the Tattwas in my own mind. And why!

That's where the Great Secret starts - in your MIND.

What are these Tattwas?
The Tattwas are the five elements (not four, not 92, and not 110) that make up the foundations of our Material World in combination with the two fundamental 'forces' of Consciousness and Energy. The Tattwas are the forms of Energy behind the manifestation of all Matter. Remember Einstein's famous equation E=mc² where "E" stands for Energy and "m" stands for Matter? It demonstrates that every substance in the world is made up of these five elemental energies. Universal Mind, including our individual minds, is itself Energy and it is this energetic connection that enables you with your mind to access and work with these fundamental energies and forces behind all material manifestation.

The Tattwas are represented in printed images that are then called Yantras. A Yantra is defined by Mumford as "a tool for focusing the mind, encouraging conception, and invoking or evoking elemental forces." (All quotations in this article are taken from his book, "Magical Tattwas" 1997 which is included with 25 Tattwa cards and one ritual card in a boxed set)  It is also important to more clearly describe the function of the Tattwa cards as "'information storage and retrieval devices' of amazing potency. They are the primary building blocks from which all magical symbols, sigils, talismans, ciphers and designs are composed." "The Tattwa 'triggers' the psychic layers of our mind through the compressed power of it's geometrical shape, the primal colors vibrating forth, and the implied numerical concepts in each shape."         

The Miracle of the One Thing
Through Mind, everything is connected and it is by means of powerful symbols that your mind enters into the five elements. Look at the following table:

Element	Tattwa	Energy Type	Manifest State	Symbol	Shape	Color (Eastern)	Chakras	Location
Earth	Prithivi	Mechanical Energy	Congeal-ment	Cube	Square	Yellow	Muladhara	Pelvic Floor
Water	Apas	Chemical Energy	Fluid Pre-cipitation	Crescent Moon	Crescent	Silver	Swadhis-thana	Below Navel
Fire	Tejas	Thermal Energy	Incand-enscene	Tetra-hedron	Equilateral Triangle	Red	Manipura	above Navel
Air	Vayu	Electrical Energy	Gaseous Vapors	Sphere	Circle	Sky Blue	Anahata	Heart
Ether (Spirit)	Akasha	Nuclear Energy	Stellar Space	Egg (Cosmic)	Oval	Indigo, Black, Violet	Vishudda	Throat

It is by means of our mental image that we are able to relate to the elemental energy of the particular tattwa. Each image stirs up a host of associations intrinsic to their nature and human history.
Earth: stability, security, beginnings and foundations. The Deep Unconscious, the Id. Also instigating or starting anything new, or anew.
Water: childhood, oceans, mystery, recurring cycles, wishes, romance, and wonder. The Preconscious dream (astral) world, emotion and relationships. Also fertilizing, germination, irrigation, networking, organizing for cooperative work.
Fire: fires, sex, blood, passion, danger, warmth, ambition, burning desire. Action driven by motivation. Also creativity, optimism, transformation and transmutation.
Air: completeness, rings, wholeness, reincarnation, recurrence (but not recurring cycles). Unbridled Imagination. Also testing by nature's elements, emotional reevaluations.
Ether: birth/creation, fertility, eternity/infinity/immensity, Deity, space. Fresh insights leading to new growth and change. Also rapid growth.

Earlier I mentioned 25 Tattwa Cards. The Tattwas are not manifest in the physical world in their full purity, but always in combinations. We refer to these combinations as one containing the "seed" of itself or another - thus 25 combinations.

Eyes are the Doorway to the Soul
Do you remember that poetic phrase so often used between lovers? It does contain truth, and 2,500 years ago the Samkhya masters employed the unique practice of Tratak to "burn" the image of the chosen Tattwa into your mind.

Look at this image of the Tattwa for "Fire - seed of Air" which combines the elemental energies of Fire and Air. As you look, the colors almost turn three-dimensional. Now, to perform tratak you need to stare at the center of this image without blinking for as long as you can stand it. As you do so, the colors will start to "flash" around the edges and the image will almost float off the card. Now close your eyes and you will see an after image in complementary colors floating before your Third Eye. (Some people will have better results by staring at a white space instead of closing their eyes.)

The more you do this work with each of the twenty-five compound images - reaching the point when you can see the after images at will - the more easily you will enter into the elemental energies through your mind. To our knowledge, The Magical Tattwa Cards are the first time this natural physiologic process of 'flashing colors' has been made available in printed cards.

And it is also the first time that the Tattwa elements have been presented for use in divination/scrying, along with chakra stimulation, systematic daily meditations, Mind Magic to actually shape the future, the making of flashing talismans, and psychic stimulation for clairvoyance. More on this later.

And, Now, THE REAL SECRET
The real secret is that it takes work to train the mind to such new levels of awareness and ability to actually interact with the world of matter at the Quantum Level where change is possible. Here it is where you can actually shape "reality" - the physical world where we live and breath and where PRACTICAL MAGIC can be carried out.

And that's one of the points of this article - to make magic really work, effectively and efficiently, you start from within the mind at the appropriate energy levels. The same principle applies to the development of the 'psychic' skills of divination and clairvoyance, astral travel, and balanced spiritual growth.

The twenty-five Tattwa Cards provide the tools for a complete system for Self-Development in the most efficient and convenient method I've discovered in 65 years of study. The accompanying book not only details the applications in magical and spiritual work but outlines a simple program of daily meditation to quickly and naturally develop your magical and psychic skills.

Outward manifestation and INNER POWER
I have emphasized the practical applications of magic and divination for two reasons:
1.In this material world, we need all the help we can get to live a good life. These skills will enable you to multiply all your own aptitudes, training and education for outer (material) world success.

2.Successful outer world manifestations are a measure of the success of your mental training, and it is here that your attainment of real Inner Power becomes part of your life-long journey to wholeness.

Some "teachers" advocate giving up material things to focus only on selfless 'spiritual' goals. Often these same teachers recommend that you donate your material wealth to them to carry on their work. Sometimes you will see them living in fine mansions and being driven about in expensive cars. Why is their work different than your own? I believe that turning your back upon the material world is to ignore the gift of Life and the essence of the "Plan" for the continual growth and evolution of each person and of humanity as a whole. We are caretakers of this planet and need both knowledge and skills to work within natural principles to fulfill the purpose of our being. Don't give your wealth away to charlatans or waste it on empty promises!

You have an obligation to learn and apply these Inner Powers in the here and now of this world we live in. Always do the best you can, and then learn more so you can do better.

Divination & Fortune-Making
At every moment YOU live within a "situation" when the various Tattwic Forces are focused in a unique manner that includes space, time and a circle of other people. What this situation is either affects you or provides you with an opportunity to bring your own inner powers to bear to improve the situation for your own needs.

There are many ways to determine the nature of the situation - Astrology, Dream Analysis, Numerology, Oracles of one sort or another, Tarot - all with particular values. Now Dr. Mumford has made this modern adaptation of a 2,500 year old system in order that you may directly perceive the energetic matrix.

Dr. Mumford provides a complete interpretation of each card as a "navigational guide" to answer specific and well-thought out questions. He points out that each of us is Divine, and that the very word "divination" asserts our connection with the universal creative forces within which we have our being. Your act of divination not only reads the moment in relation to your question but immediately affects its outcome. "Fortune-telling" is fortune-making, so be careful in what you ask for - neither too specific nor not specific enough.

Real divination is to awaken your divine powers, and is best performed within a ritual context which is completely described in the 288 "Magical Tattwas" book and facilitated with one additional ritual card in the complete set - 26 cards in all.

Scrying, Clairvoyance & Astral Travel
Scrying is taught through a twenty-eight day cycle of exercises building your visionary skills followed by focused concentration/meditations on the Tattwa Card of choice as a "gateway" to a particular level of the astral plane and communication with those spiritual beings and forces. In this program, most people will begin to see auras, learn to see "the body as an extension of the mind" for remote viewing and astral projection, and evoke spirits.

A complete program of scrying is described to evoke imagery from the Unconscious Mind, otherwise known as the Collective Unconscious by means of the Tattwa Cards.

Chakra Stimulation & Healing
Each of the pure Tattwas is associated with one of the five major chakras that are in turn associated with particular areas of the body and particular psychological states. Through the ability you will have now learned to internalize the color and shape of each element you can now use them to stimulate particular chakra points on the body in the healing of both physical and psychological problems. The book guides you to use visualization on the body area in association with a particular silent sound (Bija Mantra) and breathing sequence that further empower the chakras to affect desired change.

Practical Magic to Shape the Future
Now, back to the beginning I told you that it is by means of our mental image that we are able to relate to the elemental energy of the particular tattwa. Dr. Mumford's book includes a complete program for utilizing this image-making power to become image-projecting through which you evoke the pure primal energy of a chosen tattwa to  surround the image of the outcome of that which you desire.

You've no doubt read about "creative visualization" but now you know the great secret by which creative visualization is given nuclear power!

Yes, this takes more work than simple spell-casting, but remember the Einstein formula of E=mc² where "E" stands for Energy and "m" stands for Matter. Whatever is material contains an enormous quantity of energy - hence you have to pour an enormous quantity of energy into your visualization to make it materialize. Sometimes this does happen in simple spell-casting and wishful thinking powered by emotions, candle-burnings, incense-burnings, chanting, dancing, etc. but those are all more convoluted and chancy ways to bring about the materialization of imaged desire.

Tattwic empowerment is the more direct and efficient way. Yes, the training involves takes more work than simpler methods, but it not only is more sure in its results but the mental training itself is permanent and applies in every avenue of your life. "Mental Magic is the occult science of altering the physical circumstances in your life, employing psychic or nonphysical means to mediate a transformation." Think of that word, transformation:
To transform means to make change, to shape the future.
To transform is to affect an electric current (a transformer).
That's it - we bring about change when we charge the image with energy - the electric current that we impose over the desired outcome through the powerful Tattwic image that connects our mind with the Universal Mind - the Source of All.

A Complete System
I promised you a "Complete System for Self-Development" and that is what the "Magical Tattwa Card" set of Tattwa Cards and 288 page book provides. Yes, it is a training program that involves work - but work is the energy that must be input if you want output - the output of a system of transformation of Self and Your World. Yes, it costs money (which is another form of energy), but the sooner you place your order the sooner you take the first step to your new life.

Other resources for recommended reading:
McCoy: Making Magic, chapter 10
Michaels: Essence of Tantric Sexuality
Regardie: Golden Dawn
Mumford: Chakra & Kundalini Workbook

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati) wrote his first book "Psychosomatic Yoga" in 1961 while completing an intensive period of study in India.  His current books include "Ecstasy Through Tantra, "A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook", "Mind Magic Kit" and "Magic Tattwas" from Llewellyn.

Dr. Mumford is a direct disciple of Dr. Swami Gitananda and Paramhansa Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar.  He was initiated by Swami Satyananda in 1973, at BSY Monghyr, Bihar State, India.  Dr. Mumford is respected across the world for his knowledge and scholarship.  A born teacher, Dr. Mumford frequently gives lecture on relaxation techniques, sexuality, Tantra and other aspects of human development and spirituality .

No mere theoretician, Dr. Mumford is a world renowned authority on Tantra and yoga.  He has demonstrated his own self-mastery of cardiac cessation, obliteration of individual pulse beat at will, sensory withdrawal and voluntary breath retention over the 5 minute range, and start and stop bleeding on command.

His background combining chiropractic and psychology with extensive international experience in a wide range of Eastern disciplines makes Dr. Mumford eminently well-suited to the task of disseminating the secrets of Tantra unto the West.

Review

Summary: A unique deck of cards that unites the Eastern Tattwa symbols and the Western flashing colors. Great for broad, general divinations and for a wide variety of magical work. Especially good for Golden Dawn practitioners or for people following the spiritual systems of the East. 

In-Depth Review

In the late 19th century, a man named Rama Prasad, wrote a book called Nature’s Finer Forces that was published by Madame Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society. It revealed to the West, for the first time, certain metaphysical concepts from pre-Hindu India that electrified the occult world. Many of the concepts were immediately adopted by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, although almost nothing else from India was so adopted. Part of the teachings from this book involved the use of a set of geometric figures known as the Tattwa [spelled variously including Tatva] symbols. 

Most Westerners in modern times ignored the symbols as they seemed so foreign to the Western Mystery Tradition. Besides, Dion Fortune pointed out that we should practice the spiritual system of the land into which we were born. When Ms. Fortune wrote that, however, she could not have conceived of jet travel and the internet, turning the world into what Marshall McCluhan referred to as a "global village." 

Dr. Jonn Mumford studied in India where he learned of the Tattwas, and brought a deeper knowledge of them back to the West. Together with Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, he designed a set of cards to work with. They’re about eleven inches on each side and come with a single sheet of instructions. Not much information on the use of geometrical figures, there. 

In the Magical Tattwa Cards set, however, Dr. Mumford ups the ante in three ways. First, the cards are now smaller, just 4 inches per side, making them far easier for individual work. Second, are the colors, and third is the accompanying book. 

The Golden Dawn borrowed the use of the Tattwas and the theories behind them from ancient India. Dr. Mumford took a little-known concept used by the Golden Dawn and attached them to these cards. Specifically, the Golden Dawn worked with a physiological phenomenon they called the "flashing colors." The basic concept is that if two adjacent colors are exactly opposite (certain reds and greens, for example), the mind would jump from one place to the other, creating a type of "flashing" within the mind. This flashing can lead to altered states of consciousness. It is a powerful effect that few people know and fewer people use. In this deck, Dr. Mumford has applied the flashing colors to the Tattwas, making them very powerful for entering an altered state or trance. The use of expensive, highly specialized, florescent inks to achieve the right effect means the inks are photosensitive. As a result, this deck should never be left out or displayed. It should always be stored in its box or a dark place until you use them. 

The book is the first book in a century to deeply analyze the Tattwas, and the first ever to explain their practical use in a variety of ways, ranging from divination to skrying and healing. 

The Symbols 
The Tattwa symbols, themselves, are very basic and are related to the elements. Earth is a square, water a crescent, fire a triangle, air a circle, and ether (AKA spirit or Akasha) an oval. These five can be mixed. For example the fire triangle can appear inside the earth square, making "Fire of Earth." If the square is inside the triangle it is "Earth of Fire" and if the square is inside a circle it is "Earth of Air." Each symbol also has its own color which is where the flashing colors described above comes in.

The Cards 
The cards themselves are on heavy stock. Combined with their small size, they are very sturdy and will be good for long periods of use. The back of the cards has a very Western pentagram with the Tattwa symbol for each element attached to the associated point of the pentagram. There is also an extra card with an image of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. 

Divination 
Ganesha is a fascinating figure. He is known as the breaker of obstacles. Traditionally, if you were faced with a problem, you would pray to Ganesha. However, that doesn’t mean that Ganesha would destroy your opposition so much as give you ways to work around it, perhaps completely different approaches. In Hindu traditions, Ganesha is always called on at the beginning of rituals, even if you’re going to perform a ritual in honor of another deity. 

So it is only natural that in the divination system described in the accompanying book, you lay out the card and call on Ganesha for assistance with a chant, incense, and the sounding of a bell. This compares to calling on the angel HRU before a Tarot reading as done by the Golden Dawn. You then mix the cards and choose one. Included in the book is a complete description of the divinatory meanings of each card. 

Magic 
Here is where this book really excels. It contains exercises and techniques, combined with the use of the cards, to enhance your abilities to skry (access psychic planes), meditate upon and stimulate the chakras, shape your future, improve the imagination, make talismans, enhance clairvoyance, and even perform healings. There is no other single source that has all of this information in one place. 

Conclusion 
This is not a Tarot deck but can be used for divination. It can also be used for a wide variety of magical techniques and methods. It’s great for people interested in the spiritual systems of the East as well as the Golden Dawn tradition. The book, by itself, is an amazing course in philosophy and spirituality.

Name of deck: Magical Tattwa Cards
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications 
ISBN: 9781567184723 
Creator: Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati) 
Name of accompanying book: Magical Tattwas: A Complete System for Self-Development
Number of pages of book: 288 
Author(s) of book: Dr. Jonn Mumford 
Brief biography of author(s): Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati) wrote his first book Psychosomatic Yoga in 1961 while completing an intensive period of study in India. His current books include Ecstasy Through Tantra, A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook, Mind Magic Kit and Magic Tattwas from Llewellyn. 

Dr. Mumford is a direct disciple of Dr. Swami Gitananda and Paramhansa Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar. He was initiated by Swami Satyananda in 1973, at BSY Monghyr, Bihar State, India. Dr. Mumford is respected across the world for his knowledge and scholarship. A born teacher, Dr. Mumford frequently gives lecture on relaxation techniques, sexuality, Tantra and other aspects of human development and spirituality . 

No mere theoretician, Dr. Mumford is a world renowned authority on Tantra and yoga. He has demonstrated his own self-mastery of cardiac cessation, obliteration of individual pulse beat at will, sensory withdrawal and voluntary breath retention over the 5 minute range, and start and stop bleeding on command. 

His background combining chiropractic and psychology with extensive international experience in a wide range of Eastern disciplines makes Dr. Mumford eminently well-suited to the task of disseminating the secrets of Tantra unto the West. 

Available in a boxed kit?: Yes. It includes the book and a special set of cards. 
Magical Uses: Skrying and Clairvoyance, Chakra Stimulation, Healing, Visualization, Talismans 
Reading Uses: General Divination 
Artistic Style: Geometric designs 
Tarot, Divination Deck, Other: Other 
If other, describe A deck of 25 cards in striking colors, each one being a square with sides four inches long, plus a card of the same size with a drawing of the god known as the "breaker of obstacles," Ganesha. 
Does it follow Rider-Waite-Smith Standard?: No

Edition details

• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1567184723
• ISBN 13: 9781567184723
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288