Uploaded June 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is Video 08 in a series of video lectures for the Holistic Tarot companion course. In this video, we break down tarot card interpretation into six basic theoretical models or paradigms of critical theory. Admittedly this lecture may get too dry to sit through, but I do believe it advances an important framework for considering how you interpret the cards.
Closed captioning available for this video (and all video lectures in this Holistic Tarot series) to accommodate the Deaf and H/H communities.
Access the course materials here: benebellwen.com/about-the-book/a-companion-course
Review Video 6 for the Wirth Cross, “Tarot Trends and the Anatomy of a Reading,” youtu.be/qrHUNkesilI
To order Holistic Tarot via Amazon: amazon.com/Holistic-Tarot-Integrative-Approach-Personal/dp/158394835X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492850891&sr=8-1&keywords=Holistic+Tarot
Decks Pictured: Azathoth Tarot by Nemo; Bad Bitches Tarot by Ethony Dawn; Book of Thoth Etteilla Tarot 2012 by Lo Scarabeo; Goddess Tarot by by Kris Waldherr; Golden Dawn Magical Tarot by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero; Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsies Tarot 1969 by Cartomancie Grimaud; Marseille Cat Tarot by Lo Scarabeo; Mystical Tarot by Luigi Costa;
Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea by Julia Turk; Pearls of Wisdom Tarot by Roxi Sim; Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood; Smith-Waite Centennial in a Tin 2015 by U.S. Games System; Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot 2013 by U.S. Games; Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright; Tabula Mundi Tarot by M. M. Meleen; Tarot de Marseille by George Gottlob and Piatnik; Tarot de St. Croix by Lisa de St. Croix; Tarot of the Holy Light by Christine Payne-Towler and Michael Dowers; Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery by Robert Place; The Fountain Tarot by Jason Gruhl and Jonathan Saiz; The Hermetic Tarot by Godfrey Dowson; The Rider Tarot 1971 by U.S. Games; The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck by Kim Krans; Thoth Tarot 2012 by U.S. Games Systems; Triple Goddess Tarot by Jaymi Elford and Franco Rivolli
Stock photography from pxhere.com; Cantor Jordan S. Franzel, Kabbalah Teacher, via cantofranzel.com; mashable.com; the guardian.com; peta.org. Other select images sourced from Wikimedia Commons and public domain sites.
Statement of Fair Use: Any copyrighted images are used herein for non-profit, educational purposes and scholarship.
This is Video 08 in a series of video lectures for the Holistic Tarot companion course. In this video, we break down tarot card interpretation into six basic theoretical models or paradigms of critical theory. Admittedly this lecture may get too dry to sit through, but I do believe it advances an important framework for considering how you interpret the cards.
Closed captioning available for this video (and all video lectures in this Holistic Tarot series) to accommodate the Deaf and H/H communities.
Access the course materials here: benebellwen.com/about-the-book/a-companion-course
Review Video 6 for the Wirth Cross, “Tarot Trends and the Anatomy of a Reading,” youtu.be/qrHUNkesilI
To order Holistic Tarot via Amazon: amazon.com/Holistic-Tarot-Integrative-Approach-Personal/dp/158394835X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492850891&sr=8-1&keywords=Holistic+Tarot
Decks Pictured: Azathoth Tarot by Nemo; Bad Bitches Tarot by Ethony Dawn; Book of Thoth Etteilla Tarot 2012 by Lo Scarabeo; Goddess Tarot by by Kris Waldherr; Golden Dawn Magical Tarot by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero; Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsies Tarot 1969 by Cartomancie Grimaud; Marseille Cat Tarot by Lo Scarabeo; Mystical Tarot by Luigi Costa;
Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea by Julia Turk; Pearls of Wisdom Tarot by Roxi Sim; Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood; Smith-Waite Centennial in a Tin 2015 by U.S. Games System; Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot 2013 by U.S. Games; Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright; Tabula Mundi Tarot by M. M. Meleen; Tarot de Marseille by George Gottlob and Piatnik; Tarot de St. Croix by Lisa de St. Croix; Tarot of the Holy Light by Christine Payne-Towler and Michael Dowers; Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery by Robert Place; The Fountain Tarot by Jason Gruhl and Jonathan Saiz; The Hermetic Tarot by Godfrey Dowson; The Rider Tarot 1971 by U.S. Games; The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck by Kim Krans; Thoth Tarot 2012 by U.S. Games Systems; Triple Goddess Tarot by Jaymi Elford and Franco Rivolli
Stock photography from pxhere.com; Cantor Jordan S. Franzel, Kabbalah Teacher, via cantofranzel.com; mashable.com; the guardian.com; peta.org. Other select images sourced from Wikimedia Commons and public domain sites.
Statement of Fair Use: Any copyrighted images are used herein for non-profit, educational purposes and scholarship.





![Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action)
This is a video lecture on the Taoist principle of wu wei 無為, commonly translated into English as “non-action.”
Timestamps:
00:00 Review of what I said on wu wei in a previous video
00:24 Wu wei in a nutshell
00:59 What the Tao Te Ching (6th century BC) says about wu wei
01:33 Tao Te Ching Verse 2
02:19 The Tao as a divine monad vs. polytheistic view of the many gods, spirits, and demons that are the fragmented parts of the Tao
03:49 Tao Te Ching Verse 38 [Note: There is a typo in the top right corner. It should cite the book 德經 of the TTC]
04:17 Tao Te Ching Verse 37 [Note: Same typo as previous]
05:42 Reflection: Synthesize the word for word translations and interpret Verse 37 for yourself
07:51 Wu wei as political philosophy and military strategy
08:36 What the Xunzi 荀子 (4th century BC) says about wu wei [Text that should have appeared on screen here: 譬之是猶以盲辨色,以聾辨聲也,舍亂妄無為也]
08:56 What the Zhuangzi 莊子 (5th - 3rd century BC) says about wu wei
10:01 What the Xinyu 新語 by Lu Jia 陸賈 (240 BC – 170 BC) says about wu wei
10:37 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 1
11:45 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 2
12:36 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 3
13:40 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy of wu wei to the Tao Te Ching Verse 63 | Error in Script: This should be Verse 57: 我無為,而民自化 (Wǒ wú wéi, ér mín zì huà)
14:08 Tao Te Ching Verse 43; I Ching hexagram 42 (Yi: Burgeoning)
15:03 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy with Stoicism and Diogenes of Babylon (200 – 100 BC)
15:57 Key distinctions between Confucianist, Taoist, and Buddhist interpretations of wu wei
17:03 Reflection: Per your interpretation of these texts articulating wu wei, what does the concept mean to you?
ADDENDUM: How might everyday people like us apply this philosophical principle? Here are my personal thoughts.
- At the government level, it means prioritizing individual liberty when it comes to law and public policy. It means giving people the freedom to be who they want to be, but also investing a great deal in education and inspiring the people toward modeling virtue. A truly just, peaceful, and good society begins at the top. Your leaders must first model virtue before you expect that of the people.
- In terms of our relationship with nature and the environment, it means construction that is in harmony with the natural topography, rather than trying to defeat the natural topography. Basically, feng shui principles.
- And at the family level, it means intuitive parenting. It’s letting the interests, innate disposition, strengths and weaknesses of your child guide how you parent. It does not mean hands-off parenting. It means not trying to change the nature and innate disposition of your child. In fact, it means as a parent, you want to do everything you can to nurture the best out of the nature of your child. Wu wei parenting means modeling virtuous behavior to inspire your child to be virtuous.
- In education, wu wei means teachers don’t force or compel students to learn at the teacher’s expected pace of progress. It’s letting students learn at their own natural pace.
- At the individual level, wu wei doesn’t mean don’t be ambitious. It means doing The Work out of a natural, unforced passion for The Work, and then not desiring credit or glory for achieving The Work.
See also the companion video lecture on ziran 自然:
https://youtu.be/EvXSuKYA_Gg Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TzAFobogs3Q/mqdefault.jpg)




