The Maya Book of Life: Understanding the Xultun Tarot

THE MAYA BOOK OF LIFE: UNDERSTANDING THE XULTUN TAROT is the companion book to the Xultun Maya Tarot Classic Edition (now available on Amazon). It explores the archetypes and alchemy of the major arcana of the Xultun Tarot through the analytical psychology of C G Jung, the teachings of Carlos Castaneda, Harley SwiftDeer Reagan, Hyemeyohsts Storm, and the Twisted Hairs, together with new interpretations by the author. The Maya Book of Life:

• describes the story of the marriage of spirit and matter as told by the tarot
• explains how the tarot is both the story of the union of opposites and also the separation of sames
• explains the archetypal meaning of each of the major arcana
• describes the Twenty Count, the Shields, the Moods of Stalking and the Movements of the Book of Life and how they apply to each card
• explains the Cracking of the Mirror of Self-reflection
• casts new light on the meaning of 2012
• describes the ego's maturation and individuation over the lifespan
• adds new depth and breadth to the traditional interpretations of Eurocentric tarot decks
• compares the imagery and meaning of the Xultun Tarot to the Marseilles Tarot
• clarifies the importance of the 9 (Sage) and 14 (Temperate Man) cards of the major arcana
• explains the links between indigenous teachings, the tarot and medieval alchemy

The Xultun Tarot was created by Peter Balin in 1976 based on images from Maya history and culture. It was the first tarot not derived from the medieval European tarot or the Western occult tradition. The imagery and teachings of the Xultun Tarot are indigenous to the Americas and the cards are less encrusted with the layers of European tarot interpretation that have accrued over the centuries. Taken from a single painting, it is the only tarot deck where the major arcana form a complete picture. This picture is a symbolic image of the alchemical marriage of spirit and matter and a map of what Jung called the individuation process. Only 500 copies of the original Xultun Tarot were ever printed. Now Kahurangi Press has recreated this classic, long out-of-print deck true to its original large size and vibrant colours (xultun.com and kahurangi-press.com).