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Osho Zen Tarot

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79-card deck and 192-page book. When life seems to be full of doubt and uncertainty we tend to look for a source of what will happen in the future? What about my health, the children? What will happen if I make this decision and not that one? This is how the traditional tarot is often used, to satisfy a longing to know about the past and future. This Osho Zen Tarot focuses instead on gaining an understanding of the here and now. It is a system based on the wisdom of Zen, a wisdom that says events in the outer world simply reflect in the outer world simply reflect our own thoughts and feelings, even though we ourselves might be unclear about what those thoughts and feelings are. So it helps us to turn our attention away from outside events so we can find a new clarity of understanding in our innermost hearts. The conditions and states of mind portrayed by the contemporary images on the cards are all shown as being essentially transitional and transformative. The text in the accompanying book helps to interpret and understand the images in the simple, straightforward and down to earth language of Zen. The traditional Tarot is often used to satisfy a longing to know about the past and future. The Osho Zen Tarot instead focuses on gaining an understanding of the here and now. It is a system based on the wisdom of Zen, a wisdom that says events in the outer world simply reflect our own thoughts and feelings, even though we ourselves may be unclear about what those thoughts and feelings are. We are helped to turn our attention away from outside events in order to find a new clarity of understanding about what is happening in our own hearts. Contains a 79 card full-color deck plus instruction book.

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1995

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About the author

Osho

4,354 books6,784 followers
Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain, 11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990) and latter rebranded as Osho was leader of the Rajneesh movement. During his lifetime he was viewed as a controversial new religious movement leader and mystic.

In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.

Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.

In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".

In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.

In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.

In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[

After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.

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781 (63%)
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265 (21%)
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116 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
30 reviews
August 8, 2012
I've never understood Tarot, nor why people believe in it. I've owned a Tarot deck or two, and always found them confusing more than illuminating. The Osho Tarot doesn't attempt to predict the future, rather it opens the user's mind to interpret what's happening here and now. I've used mine on many occasions, and I always come away feeling confident and rejuvenated.
Profile Image for Sverre.
424 reviews32 followers
December 29, 2014
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1931-90), or Osho as he called himself, was an Indian guru who established a cult-like following in the 60s to 90s. His religious philosophy was all over the map, so to speak: syncretistic but more Buddhist and Hindu than anything else. He advocated a lifestyle of balancing sensuality with spirituality. He had a complex personality and swayed his followers with persuasive arguments and jokes. When he was still alive most of his critics agreed that he was narcissistic, self-indulgent, fanatical, deranged and an accomplished defrauder and charlatan.

Because Osho's teachings--which have since his death been purged of his most outrageous pronouncements--have been gaining in popularity, I bought this book. It has been said that Rajneesh never wrote anything. His books have been compiled by anonymous devotees from his recorded talks and lectures. Many of the statements made in this book are startlingly contradictory. Logic and reasoning is out the window. It can be fun to read for its idiosyncrasy but to try to live by its 'aphorisms' would be impossibly delusional. In places it tries loosely to imitate qabalistic Tree-of-Life principles and traditional Tarot interpretations but these are most likely opportunistically designed to appeal to the New Age crowd. Chapters are based on the Osho tarot deck which is an invention in which Rajneesh had no actual involvement.
Profile Image for Adrienne .
59 reviews
September 8, 2009
NUMBER ONE TAROT DECK! If you have any interest in doing tarot, after you are familiar with the Raider Waite this is the one to go to....you will never be disappointed.

The book btw is fantastic as well. It's compiled from virtually all of Osho's books.

A must have. I read it at least twice a year.
Profile Image for Lee.
104 reviews11 followers
March 30, 2010
"Freedom can exist only if the future is open. But about an open future there is no possibility of prediction."

"One thing that is very fundamental has to be remembered, and that is that whenever we are doing anything---astrology, future prediction, horoscope readings, palmistry, the I-Ching, tarot---anything that is concerned with the future, it is basically a reading of the unconscious of the person. It has nothing much to do with the future. It has more do to with the past......If people are more aware, more alert, they won't work"

"You cannot read the horoscope of a Buddha, or read his hand, because he is so free of the past and he is so empty in the present that there is nothing to read!" OSHO - Introduction - Tarot in the Spirit of Zen
Profile Image for Armand.
184 reviews33 followers
October 22, 2019
The Osho Zen is a creature all its own. It doesn't follow any of the 3 major Tarot schools, tho in a broad sense derives from the RWS/GD. You'd have to spend some time and effort learning the philosophy behind it, but as a spiritual endeavor that is quite rewarding. Also, I've been stunned by how on point some of my readings have been. It is that good.

It comes in a sturdy box set with a helpful companion book that provides a neat starting point from which one can explore each card. My only complaint is that the entries are rather short, so I'd recommend getting the deck's other supporting tome, Tarot in the Spirit of Zen, to buttress your studies.

The cardstock is rather thin for my tastes but really, it's not too flimsy and it shuffles nicely. The art is the best thing about this deck tho - lush and colorful with a surprising variety of styles. It very much reflects the theme of the deck, being calming, ethereal, and just plain lovely. I was so enamored of it that later on I had to get the only other deck that Ma Deva Padma illustrated, which is the Tao Oracle: An Illuminated New Approach to the I Ching.

I highly recommend it, tho with some reservations for novice readers. I'm giving it 9/10 or 5 stars out of 5.

Profile Image for Renetta.
112 reviews18 followers
May 5, 2019
This was the first Tarot deck I bought. It turned me off so much that it took me 20 years before I considered looking into it again. The first card I drew was titled Postponement and I was a bit taken back by what it said.

"Dr. Vogel, the dentist, finished his examination on a pretty young patient. "Miss Baseman," he said, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pull out your wisdom teeth!"
"Oh, my!" exclaimed the girl. "I'd rather have a baby!"
"Well," said Dr. Vogel, "could you make up your mind so that I can adjust the chair?"

Then I discovered a documentary on Netflix about Osho called, Wild Wild Country. He was a brainwashing cult leader. So I no longer use the book and just use the cards intuitively. I have always loved the images and he had nothing to do with those. I also removed the card called The Master that was added to the deck to represent him. Although I suppose I could leave it in as a warning of shady figures with secret and harmful agendas.
5 reviews
January 11, 2009
wonderful for those interested in the tarot
Profile Image for Eneida.
102 reviews2 followers
Read
December 2, 2010
Still have it (in Portuguese), though haven't used it for a long time.
Profile Image for Payal Agarwal.
2 reviews3 followers
March 2, 2013
amazing results loving it doing tarot through Osho Zen Cards for self and clients.
Profile Image for Lynn.
92 reviews20 followers
August 13, 2016
Intense, profound, and truly resonating readings. I can't associate the term 'tarot' with these cards. They are cards yes, but so spiritual.

I've had these for 20 years. At different times in my life I've picked them up, and the next thing I know, I am stunned and in ah.

The graphics are award winning - weeks had to have gone into the drawing of one card alone. Mind boggling art work.
Profile Image for Beatrice.
23 reviews
Read
April 14, 2016
I love tarot and use my Rider-Waite-Smith deck often, but I honestly believe this deck is a load of horseshit. Would not recommend to anyone.
Profile Image for Ariel.
10 reviews
November 29, 2014
Unlike any other deck I've used, this deck not only is beautiful, but it offers hope.
I've found that all the readings that have come from this deck offer positive insight and the constant view that there is always room for personal improvement and, foremost, hope. I have used this countless times, not only for myself, but for friends and family. They have also felt the same sense of overwhelming positivity during and after their readings.
Profile Image for Claire.
104 reviews49 followers
August 9, 2013
Book to accompany Osho's Zen Tarot deck. I am not a fan of Osho for the most part. His circular and repetitive writing more often than not bugs me. The card interpretations are thankfully not long - sometimes wordy, sometimes hit me straight where I need it - all reading dependent.

The book though is a necessary companion for this tarot deck, and certainly brings to light greater meaning.
Profile Image for La Mar.
18 reviews
August 1, 2021
Nunca me había sentido atraída hacia el Tarot hasta que encontré este y, comprarlo, es de lo más acertado que he podido hacer! Ha cumplido totalmente con mis expectativas.
Sin pretender mostrarte el futuro, todo lo contrario, cada lectura refleja una pequeña parte de ti y, si lo haces con mente y corazón abiertos, el viaje interior es brutal.
Profile Image for Amber.
22 reviews17 followers
May 21, 2010
Have been practicing with this tarot deck for over 10 years now. It's a great way to learn about Zen Buddhism and apply the concepts directly to your life.
Profile Image for Sabeeha Kurji.
16 reviews2 followers
September 15, 2013
My favourite tarot deck ever. The pictures are just gorgeous. The cards are great for self-reflection.
10 reviews
December 18, 2015
Zen Zen and Zen!! A dose of quick Zen reading. Beautiful lessons and interpretation.
Profile Image for Judy Croome.
Author 13 books185 followers
October 4, 2021
The Osho Zen Tarot Deck and this accompanying book are my second favourite private use Tarot deck (after the RWS deck) However, when I do tarot readings for my clients I only use the Osho Zen Tarot, as I find clients relate better to the images in this deck then to the more complex & traditional RWS.

While I think Osho's interpretations of the suite of clouds (wands = air = intellect/mind) are too negative and anti-reason, the Osho Zen Tarot interpretations of, in particular, the Major Arcana found in this book are insightful and relatable, and certainly bring deeper meaning to the cards.
Profile Image for Judy Croome.
Author 13 books185 followers
October 7, 2021
TO BE CLEAR - this review is for the expanded, stand-alone paperback Tarot in the Spirit of Zen, which does not come with the deck of oracle cards. That book, Osho Zen Tarot, which I reviewed here, has more clarity in explaining the cards.

This book, Tarot in the Spirit of Zen, is an interesting expanded addition to add to the oracle deck & accompanying book, although I find the content somewhat long-winded and not quite as on point as the Osho Zen Tarot cards & book.
Profile Image for Helena Nahirna.
199 reviews5 followers
December 22, 2019
Отличная книга Ошо, как все его, в принципе.
Прекрасное дополнение к колоде.

КОгда я дочитываю книги до конца, я удивляюсь в последних лет 5-7: почему я начинаю и на прочтение уходят года? Где я отвлекаюсь? На что? Ведь после окончания я отлавливаю мысль: "Ведь можно найти время! Ведь это не так долго, сложно, но так хочется, настолько интересно!"

...Продолжаю прорабатывать и книгу, и колоду) https://t-o-r-c-h.livejournal.com/428...
Profile Image for Ümid Araman.
13 reviews46 followers
December 9, 2017
"تا زمانی‌که شخصیت خود را رها نکنی، نمی‌توانی فردیت خود را باز یابی، فردیت را هستی به ما می‌بخشد، شخصیت توسط جامعه تحمیل می‌شود. شخصیت مناسب جامعه است. جامعه نمی‌تواند فردیت را تحمل کند، زیرا فردیت همچون گوسفند تبعیت نمی‌کند، فردیت خاص شیران است. شیر تنها حرکت می‌کند. گوسفند همیشه با گله زندگی می‌کند، به این امید که بودن با گله امن‌تر است. با جمع بودن، احساس حمایت و امنیت بیشتر می‌بخشد. اگر کسی به گله حمله کند، این امکان هست که بتوانید خودتان را نجات دهید. اما تنها؟ - فقط شیران تنها حرکت می‌کنند.
همه ما شیر به دنیا آمده‌ایم، اما جامعه شما را شرطی می‌کند و ذهن شما را به صورت گوسفند برنامه‌ریزی می‌کند. جامعه یک شخصیت به شما می‌بخشد، شخصیتی امن، ملایم، بسیار سازگار و بسیار مطیع. جامعه برده می‌خواهد، نه انسان‌های متعهد به آزادی. جامعه برده می‌خواهد زیرا تمام صاحبان منافع، اطاعت می‌خواهند."
Profile Image for Rosa Ramôa.
1,570 reviews85 followers
February 2, 2017
"No momento em que você começa a enxergar a vida como uma coisa não-séria, como uma brincadeira, toda a pressão sobre o seu coração desaparece. Todo o medo da morte, da vida, do amor -- tudo desaparece. A pessoa começa a se sentir muito leve, ou quase sem peso nenhum. Tão leve ela se torna, que é capaz de voar no céu aberto."
Profile Image for Brandon Lott.
19 reviews
December 22, 2010
Great resource for those who enjoy oracular wisdom that comes from outside of our own confusing intellect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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