Hướng dẫn bói bài Tarot Full meanings of tarot

There are two active cards here and one passive card, which means that the rough time frame will be a number of weeks.. A Tarot reading is like a snapshot of what your life looks like at

Full Meanings of Tarot

Full Meanings of Tarot 1

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_ 35 _ 36 _ 38 40 _ 41 _ 43 _ 45 _ 46 48 _ 50

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52 _ 53 54 _ 55 56 _ 57 59 60 _ 61 62 _ 63

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69 _ 70 72 _ 73 _ 74 75 _ 76 77 _ 79 80 81 _ 82 _ 83 _ 85 86

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_ 89 _ 91 92 _ 93 94 _ 95 96 97 _ 99 100 101 102

_ 102 _ 104 _ 105 106 _ 107 108 _ 109 111 112 _ 113 114

115 117 118

This section of contains my personal interpretations of the 78 Tarot cards This information is not taken from any books or Internet documents, but based on my personal experience The meanings I have recorded in these pages emerged through readings, meditation, common sense, or a

combination of these

Note that these are my personal opinions, and that every reader will have different views of the same cards What I say about the cards is not fact written in stone, or gospel to be obeyed without question I offer them

on this site so students of the Tarot can have something more substantial

to rely upon than "white booklet" meanings, until they discover their own personal interpretations through work and experience

To see my interpretation of each card, just click its name in the frame

to your left These pages are illustrated with images of cards from the Rider-Waite deck, by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, published by U.S Games Systems

A Matter of Timing

Some Tarot readers say that it is impossible to obtain timing information from readings, since the future is always in motion, and making predictions about such a fluid subject would be pointless I respect this opinion but I must

disagree My experience as a reader has proven to me that timing information can indeed be extracted from a reading This is

an important skill if you read for the public, because a large number of clients want specific information about the future, and being able to give them this information will greatly improve the quality of your readings - and the size of your repeat clientele

There is a simple method which allows you to see timing information within most ordinary readings Obviously not every reading will contain timing information; many questions

do not require it and for some it is actually better that the question of timing be left unanswered But whenever timing information is needed it will be provided and can be uncovered by a three- step method which I will outline below Do a reading as usual and then, if necessary, use the method to look for timing information

The first part of this method relies on the elemental associations of the cards to determine a rough time frame It's essentially an estimate that paves the way for the second step Simply count up the number of passive cards (those associated to Water or Earth) and compare that number with the number of active cards (Fire or Air) The ratio of passive to active will tell you what kind of time span is being indicated - days, weeks, months or years Generally,

 If more than 75% of the cards are active, the timespan is days

 If between 75% and 50% are active, the timespan is weeks

 If between 50% and 25% are active, the timespan is months

 If less than 25% of the cards are active, the timespan is years

You can determine how many days, weeks, months or years by looking at the numbers of the cards It's not necessary that every card have the same

number (though with small spreads this is possible) All you need is a majority

of a certain number In a five-card spread, for example, two 3's are not

significant, but three of them might be important Consider Major Arcana and court cards in this part of the process as well, reducing their numbers to single digits when appropriate Pages are 11 or 2, Knights are 12 or 3, Queens are 13

or 4, Kings are 14 or 5

At this point, perhaps an example would be helpful Say that a client who works as a songwriter comes to me for a reading She's been feeling burned out and want to know when she will get some new ideas I do a reading and get Two of Wands, High Priestess and Page of Wands Before looking for any timing information I interpret the reading normally I tell her that she is close to

a breakthrough, and if she turns within and pays attention to her own feelings and desires, the inspiration she seeks will come to her When she reminds me that she wanted timing information, I re-examine the cards using the process described above

There are two active cards here and one passive card, which means that the rough time frame will be a number of weeks The number of the Priestess is 2 and the Page's number 11 reduces to 2, so it seems quite likely that in two weeks she will start getting some new ideas, if she follows the advice given in the reading proper This is important: if you say that the client must do a certain thing in order to acheive their desired goal and then proceed to give timing information, you must make it clear that the timing information is only

applicable is the rest of the reading also comes to pass Otherwise, the timing information is useless

Obviously not all readings will work out this nicely with all of the cards having the same number Occasionally you'll see a pair of cards with one number and

a second pair with a different number How do you know which of the numbers

is the correct one? In this circumstance you proceed to the third and final step

of the process - using astrological correspondences to provide corroboration Fortunately for those who are not astrologers, this process does not require thorough knowledge of astrology All you need are astrological attributions for each card and a calendar that can tell you when each sign starts and ends Say that I do a reading and the client requests timing information The cards I drew are Five of Cups, Death, King of Wands (These cards might be saying that the client will go through a painful breakup before meeting a new lover Remember that these readings should be interpreted normally before trying to get timing information.) The time frame will be expressed in months since there are two passive cards and one active But can we be more specific than that? The cards are 5, 13 and 14 respectively It is tempting to reduce the two-digit numbers to 4 and 5, showing a time frame of 5 months but it could also be 13-14 months, which is nowhere near 5 months How do you know which is correct?

In this case the astrological correspondences make the difference The Five of Cups is Mars in Scorpio, Death is Scorpio, and the King of Wands rules 10 degrees of Scorpio (in addition to 20 degrees of Sagittarius) All this Scorpio energy tells us the reading will come to fruition when the Sun is in Scorpio (late October or early November) If this reading was done at the time this article is being written, in late May, clearly the predicted event is five months away; five months from the end of May is in Scorpio at the end of October If the reading

were done in late November, then the other option, 13 months, would be the correct one

Astrology can be helpful even when the numbers provide all the necessary information Astrological correspondences allow you to confirm that what you have interpreted from the numbers is correct Say that at the same time as the previous example (late May) I do a second reading and draw Chariot, Seven of Wands and Strength Using the first two steps of the method we see that

something will happen in seven or eight weeks The Chariot is a Cancer card while the other two have ties to Leo, and seven or eight weeks from the last week in May would put the event right on the boundary between Leo and

Cancer The prediction is confirmed

In conclusion, I will re-iterate that this method does not always work, and it becomes more difficult as the number of cards in the spread increases Trying

to find a common bond between the cards in a Celtic Cross could take a while, but for a three-card reading it's fairly simple With practice it becomes almost second-nature to see timing information in spreads Some readers may

question the ethics of providing timing information but this is beyond the scope

of this article Suffice it to say that the ability to access timing information is a valuable skilll, but whether or not you use it remains a personal decision

Tips on Increasing Client Response

by Deb Dorn

Our writing style can be warm and friendly or as cold as an automobile repair invoice Critiquing your work for style, as well as content, will increase your client response Effective writing is an acquired skill and can be mastered by anyone who has the desire to improve their writing technique Let's take a closer look

Personalize the reading using your client's name no more than three (3) times

in the body of your letter Much more than three times will appear phony, your client will see through this tactic and it will detract from your reading

Personalizing your letter will pull your client into the reading and will prove to your client that you are thinking of, and reading for, them

Involve your client with phrases such as:

Let's take a look at / Here's a thought

Let's talk about / An idea here is

These phrases show your client you are working on the issue *with* them Ask questions This is an excellent method to involve your client in the reading and I can't tell you how many clients have responded to me with the answers!

Don't bombard your client; a couple of strategically placed questions will do just fine Here are a couple of examples:

Does this sound familiar to you? / Has this happened?

Is this what's going on right now? / Have you considered?

Have you thought about? / What do you think of this idea?

Does this sound like something that would work for you?

And for a Court Card:

Do you know this person? / Are they already in your life?

Is this you? / This is you, isn't it?

There is something about doing a free reading

and asking a couple of questions that

frequently triggers a response mechanism I

don't know what it is or why it works, but it

generates client responses for me Maybe it' s

the fact that we are giving them a free reading,

trying to help them with a problem, and they

feel obligated to answer a couple simple

questions

Avoid over-use of short sentences They break

the flow They read like a first grade primer

They are irritating Short sentences should be

used to enhance your readability, not detract

from it

Watch for over-use of certain words such as:

And, That, Just, Maybe, Sometimes, Perhaps For example:

Did you know that I could eliminate that from my writing?

Did you know I'm able to eliminate it from my writing?

See, I didn't need those two - that's - in the first place

Netiquette is Internet etiquette and proper use of netiquette is essential to E-communications Use of CAPS is considered shouting and poor netiquette It's important to monitor our tone and technique It is easy for the reader to get the wrong impression because we don't have the benefit of body language or voice inflection to assist us And when you ARE shouting - it's easy to

understand why someone would get the wrong impression, isn't it? Instead of all CAPS try:

*, ", ', Or , to emphasize words;

*sometimes* A Capital letter Will do the trick

It might drive your spell checker crazy, but it's effective in casual written

communication Here is a netiquette refresher article

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

At times we feel the need to tell it like it is Please try to buffer your sentences with a little kindness Think about how you would feel if someone said, "You'd better get your act together right now!" Versus "It's time you gave serious thought to making some tough decisions." We addressed the same issue; however, the second statement puts the client in control of the situation Which brings me to the next issue

Refrain from making judgments If you don't have a personal Code of Ethics I urge you to write them Don't pull something off the web, copy it into

word-processing, and say, "there, that is done." Get a paper and pen and write them The time and effort you put into this project will bring you awareness of your own prejudices and judgments

Edit judgmental statements out of your reading Phrases such as, "I see you have some tough decisions to make," will go over a lot better than "You'd better quit messing around on your partner." Many of us have an emotional wound that will flare up from time to time Sometimes a client will unknowingly trigger something and it brings back painful memories It is our responsibility

as Tarot Readers to read the cards Get your mentor involved with some of these readings that push your buttons They can help you keep statements of judgment out of your writing

Use religious reference sparingly We don't know what religious affiliation, if any, our client is involved with Don't assume anything when it comes to

another person's religious beliefs If you make a religious reference, do so in a broad statement with words such as Higher Power, Inner-Voice, and Personal Insights Most people will find those words palatable and will understand exactly what you are saying

Here is a Summary of the techniques we just discussed:

 Personalize with your Client's name

 Involve through phrases

 Ask a couple questions

 Use short sentences effectively

 Avoid over-use of 'certain' words

 Use proper Netiquette

 Be compassionate and understanding

 Refrain from making judgments

 Monitor use of religious references

 Ask your mentor for assistance

Tarot's Influence in the Arts

by Marcia Masino, CTGM

Sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle has created a Tarot garden and house located

in Garavicchio in southern Tuscany, Italy It is a park consisting of monumental sculptures and architectural spaces inspired by the 22 Major Arcana, the art work is multi-media, metal sculptures, mirrored, glass and ceramic mosaics, etc The building created for The Empress was actually her home She began the project in 1980, based on a dream she had during an earlier part of her life The garden and home was officially opened in 1997 A book chronicling her efforts and filled with photos of this extraordinary garden is "Niki de Saint Phalle, The Tarot Garden", edited by Mazzanti, Anna published by Charta, Milan

The Tarot was inspiration for a fabulous outdoor, theatrical presentation of Shakespeare in the Park, Buffalo, New York in 1994 Director and production

designer, Nancy Doherty, created a theater set featuring huge versions of the Waite-Smith Tarot cards, eight feet tall She chose the cards for Macbeth based on the play's main themes, therefore she used Death, the Wheel of Fortune, The Moon, Justice, The Tower, The Sun, Six of Wands, Ace of Swords, Ace of Wands and Three

of Cups Lord and Lady Macbeth were costumed

as the King and Queen of Wands in beautiful crimson and gold velvet

As the action progressed, it was played out in front

of the Tarot cards that represented the story For example, when betrayal and deceit was occurring, the action happened in front of The Moon When justice was being challenged, the action occurred

in front of Justice The finale featured Macbeth being upside down as The Hanged Man The costumes were designed based on the Court Cards from the Waite-Smith deck and it was breathtaking to witness the characters come to life!

Tarot often appears as a rich resource in the literary world Author T.S Eliot has a Tarot Reader interpret the Waite-Smith Tarot cards in his 1922 classic,

"The Wasteland"

W.B Yeats, a member of the mystic society known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a prominent 19th Century Tarot Order, wrote poems and myths using Tarot symbols

Fantasy adventure author Piers Anthony wrote a trilogy entitled "Tarot"

Italian author Italo Calvino uses the mid-15th Century Visconti deck in his narrative fiction book "The Castle of Crossed Destinies" The premise is one of

a gathering of speechless people struck mute by odd happenstance seeking to communicate their individual stories through placing relevant Tarot cards on a table at a strange pub This book is published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovick Inc., a Harvest HBJ Book, New York, New York This is a unique approach to story telling and can be educative as well Try explaining your day or week or a dream through laying down a group of cards pertaining to your experience and ask others to try and interpret your situation

Canadian fiction author, Robertson Davies, often used Tarot trumps as

inspiration in his works Tarot divination and archetypes are beautifully treated

in "The World of Wonders", "What's Bred in the Bone", "The Lyre of Orpheus" and other novels

Some of my favorites Tarot novels are "The Greater Trumps" by Charles

Williams, Noonday Press; "The Zelator" by Mark Hedsel, Century Books and the classical occult novels by Dion Fortune, "The Winged Bull", "Sea

Priestess", etc I would also recommend "Brother of the Third Degree" by

Garver, Spiritual Literature Library and Aleister Crowley's novel "Moonchild"

The Red Violin is an important film featuring the Tarot A reading cast in one century affects many generations of people in a mysterious way

What a Tarot Reading can do for You

by Traci Anderson, CPTR

The Tarot is a powerful tool for gaining insight into your self and your life As with many techniques that are used for self-improvement, the Tarot has benefits and limitations While it can do quite a lot for you, it cannot solve all problems, and is not designed to make decisions for you or tell you what to do

A Tarot reading is like a snapshot of what your life looks like at the time of the reading The cards tune into your energy - the person asking the question - to give you a picture of unseen influences,

patterns of behavior, obstacles, and

strengths A reading can give you an idea of

where you are now, where you've come from,

where you want to be, and how to get there

While the Tarot gives suggested actions to

take and a likely outcome if you take them, it

does not predict the future The future is not a

static or unchangeable thing You make

choices and decisions each moment of your

life, whether or not your are conscious of

them The gift of free will allows each person

the ability to create the future he or she wants

With the insight gained through a Tarot

reading, you will be better equipped to make

decisions and take action that is in line with

your best interests, growth and development

Whenever a Tarot reading contains a future or outcome card, it should be understood to be a projected or likely result if all aspects of your life remain as they are at the time of the reading If you continue to think, act, feel, and see things the same way, the result will likely be what the outcome card reveals But change just one factor, adjust just one viewpoint, walk down a different path, and the outcome and your future can change

The Tarot helps you to take responsibility for the life you have helped to create

It offers guidance and empowerment to make the changes you want to make

A reading invites you to take an honest look at your situation, and can give you key information that will help you create the life and future of your choosing Crossroads or choice points in life are where we grow, and the tarot will not take that experience away from you While advice is given, no one should make important decisions or take big steps in life based only on a reading

A Tarot reading is no substitute for competent medical, legal, financial, or psychiatric care A reading cannot provide you with diagnosis, treatment, or answers about serious money or psychological problems However, as a companion to services from the appropriate professional, a reading can help you gain a deeper understanding of the problem Sometimes a conflict or block

in life is so severe that it must be solved with a professional immediately, before you are ready to look at deeper issues Yet the insight gained in a Tarot reading can reveal the tendencies and patterns within that led to the impasse

For example, it is responsible to take care of your money problems by

consulting a financial advisor and working to create and stick to a budget And

if you were to also receive a Tarot reading, you could begin the work of looking

at your relationship with money as a pattern in your life What does money represent to you? How have you used it in ways that were helpful and not so helpful to you? This kind of knowledge can help prevent you from getting into the same trouble again down the line You are then working on the external level by taking care of the immediate problem, and on the inner level by

adjusting your attitudes and ways of behaving

This sets you up nicely to make real and lasting change in your life, and find fulfillment The Tarot rarely gives direct yes or no answers to questions It also isn't designed to pinpoint exact dates, times, and locations Yet, the Tarot is excellent with sequences of events If you ask, "When will I get married?" The reading will not convey, "Wednesday, June 4th at 6pm in the year 2001" But it will show you what needs to happen, be changed, or be adjusted before you are ready to find a life partner The cards tune into the whole of your life,

revealing important steps you can take to achieve your goals Of course, you must be willing to take these steps

In summary, you can gain insight into hidden factors of a problem, ideas about how to deal with your dilemma, and hope that you don't have to remain "stuck" wherever you are You can find answers to deeper questions that you weren't even aware you wanted the answers to You can receive spiritual guidance that will help you on your chosen path You will be empowered to help yourself create a more satisfying and fulfilling life All this is what a Tarot reading can do for you

Without the notion of Zero, our system of mathematics becomes meaningless Similarly, the Fool is an essential part of the Tarot because he is the spark that sets everything else into motion, the divine breath that gives life and inspires the first step towards fulfillment and completion Though the first step down a long path may often seem small in comparison

to the journey, that first step is vital because without it there would

be no journey at all! The Fool is the cause behind all effects, the power behind all manifestations and the seeds of the end sown in every beginning

The Fool is unmoulded potential, pure and innocent, neither positive nor negative yet containing the possibility of both He is the unconditioned soul about to come into manifestation for the first time to start learning the lessons of the world Though everyone calls him a Fool, he does not pay them any attention, and he simply goes on his way Certainly what they say can be justified, since his ignorance of the world can lead him to

do things that more experienced people would never imagine But in these things he can find knowledge and enlightenment He does not care what others think or say about him, because he knows that what he is doing is right for him

His approach to life is a strange, unconventional one, because he does what is comfortable to him This is a viewpoint not often supported in our modern world, in which "do as I say" is the commandment most followed

To those who have lived their life under this philosophy, the approach

of the Fool may be extravagant, shocking, even frightening But this approach is all that the Fool knows, and because the only approval he requires is his own, he will continue to live this way, despite what all others think of him He has total faith in himself Perhaps he is not such

a fool after all

The Fool does not hide himself from the light, because he is the light

- the wonderful light that shines out of every child before they see the world and are forced to build so many walls and barriers to protect

themselves The innocence of a child, sadly, is something rarely found outside of children, even though a lot of people could use it these days With this innocence comes perfect trust, fearlessness in others, and total self-reliance It allows you to see the world with new eyes and learn new things every day of your life Think of how much better the world would

be if everybody acted this way! It's a shame that only children, and the Fool, see this light

The Fool almost always stands for new beginnings, new experiences and new choices; the first steps along a new path and the first words written onto

a blank page Like the Aces of the Minor Arcana, such beginnings are like the Fool himself - neither positive nor negative, but with the potential

to turn into either, depending on the choices you make and the path you follow But this must not be your concern, because when a journey begins

no one can know (or should know) what will happen on the way to the destination Never let another person control your life Live in the present and trust in your own abilities - this is the way of the Fool

Such journeys always imply a degree of risk, and hence the Fool is pictured walking toward the edge of a high cliff With any new experience there

is always the risk of failure and the certainty of change; it is the degree

of change, and how that change will appear, that are undeterminable But the Fool has no qualms about taking chances, so why should you? It is through the first steps that we learn how to walk, and it is through changes that we learn how to live our lives in harmony and peace So jump head first into the abyss of the unknown, and know that even if you eventually fall to the ground, for a while you will soar

The Magician's number is One, the number of creation and individuality; his power is transformation through the use of his will In his

manipulation of the basic elements into all the substances and materials

of life, he shows us that from a foundation of the mundane can emerge all that is to come He can take the Nothing from which the Fool emerged and

shape it into Something, making one out of zero Clearly this is power

of a divine sort, and it is true that the Magician is a conduit for a higher power, which commands all of the material world Since all that we can see in the physical world is the conduit himself, the acts he performs often seem like magic

The Magician may seem like a strange title for someone who holds real power, because the word "magician" tends to conjure up pictures of illusionists and escape artists, whose power involves sleight of hand and misdirection The Magician, however, is similar to the stage illusionist in many ways

He is confident in his skills and his ability to produce the effects that

he wants His real power comes from sources outside of him, and he is powerless without these sources, just as an illusionist depends on people

"behind the scenes" Both magician and Magician, however, are as important

to their powers are the powers are to them Without a conduit, power itself

is impotent and useless

With his powers the Magician holds influence over all - theory and practice, logic and emotion, thought and action Almost every modern depiction of the Magician includes one or more symbols of infinity to denote his limitless power; the snake eating its tail and the lemniscate (horizontal figure-eight) being chief among these This limitless power comes from sources outside his body yet under his control And as long as the Magician remembers that this power is his to command, even if he loses all of his worldly power and skill he can never truly be called powerless For his Will is a power that, while it can be subdued, it can never be destroyed Another nearly universal association with the Magician is the

red-and-white color scheme This theme recurs throughout the Tarot and

it is very symbolic that it starts with this card and not the Fool For while the Fool was the potential for positive and negative, the Magician

is the union of positive and negative He creates and he preserves; he destroys and he redeems His true power is that he not only knows what

he must do, but he knows how he must do it, and why he must do it Then

he does it The Magician reminds us that a wish alone will change nothing, but a decision can change everything A desire to create is nothing without

an ability to create, and vice-versa

When the Magician appears he shows that you are ready to become a conduit for power, like he is The forces of creation and destruction have always been at your command but now you have the wisdom and confidence needed

to use them constructively Now is the time to act, if you know what is

it you want to accomplish and why Since the powers of transformation are

at your command, change your desires into objectives, your thoughts into actions, your goals into achievements If you have recently met with

failure, now you can change that failure into success as easily as the Magician changes fire into water The only limits you have are those you impose on yourself

The outward manifestations of such power are as numerous as they are varied, but the most common outer effect of the Magician's influence is unswaying and total confidence The realization that the world is under your control

is what inspires this kind of confidence, and with good reason So go out into the world, set your mind to whatever goal you are interested in, and then just stand back and watch as everything falls into place under your command Ultimately, the message of the Magician is a simple one despite his limitless and infinitely complex power Your life is under your control Your life is what you want it to be Your life is what you make

it

The High Priestess is arguably the most difficult of the Major Arcana to qualify with words alone, because so much of her power and ability is veiled in mystery that it is difficult for anyone to fathom it all Every card in the Tarot speaks differently to everyone, but the Priestess seems

to bear the widest range of interpretations, because she speaks directly

to the Inner Voice, the unconscious mind She is the manifestation of the unconscious and the effects of the mysterious in our everyday world Trying to see how such mysteries work often defeats their purpose, and with this in mind, the High Priestess will be explained in as much detail

as possible

She is, above all else, the base of potential that is the source of the power wielded by the Magician She is the unlimited potential that allows him to transform and create whatever his Will desires Understanding this type of balance, as found between potential and creation, masculine and feminine, is the key to unlocking some of the mysteries of the High Priestess We see the clear progression of the theme of balance; instead

of integrating opposites, the Priestess keeps them separate and keeps them

in balance nonetheles She herself is the scales; this symbolism is found

in many Tarot decks Without this balance there can be no power The second symbolic motif found in almost all instances of the High Preistess are symbols of the unconscious mind On the Rider-Waite version this motif is especially prominent, but most decks feature at least some lunar imagery that in turn has ties to the unconscious Most decks that have the "twin pillars" symbology also depict a veil strung between those pillars; the High Priestess stands between us and that veil as a moderator Behind the veil lies the powers of the unconscious, which we cannot start

to understand but which, through her, we can learn to control She is the gateway to realms that we may never fully comprehend or master

While it would be impossible for anyone to learn all of her mysteries and secrets, the High Priestess remains as a guide to those of us willing to venture deep within our minds to discover the true powers hidden deep inside each of us This is the same power as that depicted on the Magician, but the scope of the Priestess' power is far different While the Magician focuses his powers outward, to achieve a meaningful effect on the world, the High Priestess shows us that we can also use these powers on an inner level, to enrich and transform ourselves Such transformations are certainly not as dramatic as the Magician's, but they are almost always more powerful

The High Priestess represents the mysteries of the unconscious and the Inner Voice, and her appearance is often a sign that your own intuition

is trying to send you a message The unconscious often speaks to us in symbols, so be alert around you for anything that seems out of the ordinary This said, if you have an important decision to make when the Priestess appears, this is often a sign that the answers will be revealed to you,

if you are patient and open to the whispers from within You simply have

to wait and be receptive to inner messages Her lesson is that everything you need to know already exists within you

The theme of dualism in the High Preistess cannot be avoided either She

is often a sign of the Shadow, the negative portion of your personality that no one sees, and that you yourself could be unaware of (In this sense, the term 'negative' does not refer to evil, just the opposite polarity from the positive and expressive part of your personality.) If you accept the Shadow within you, its powers will be open to you if you wish to use them In most people the Shadow side is the more passive of the two, and the Priestess can therefore advocate a need for passivity in a situation

It is not always necessary to act; sometimes goals can be realized through inaction

The Empress represents a departure from the dualistic philosophy of the first three Major Arcana, as well as from the strongly spiritual teachings

of those three cards Rather than simple dichotomies of positive and negative, the Tarot now starts dealing with the unfication of spirit, mind and body The Empress is the latter leg of this triad, representing the physical body and the material world From her comes all the pleasure of the senses and the abundance of life in all its forms She is also the mother archetype, and through her we get a first glimpse of the power of love in the Tarot

The world of the Empress is an ideal and perfectly beautiful place, totally natural, untouched by artificial colors, lights or sounds This is a place

of bounty and fertility, a living representation of the process of creation and birth that the Empress herself symbolizes She doesn't just live in this place, she is this place, just as much as the Priestess is the balance that keeps apart positive and negative The Empress is no less beautiful than the flowers that throw their scent across her fields, no less fertile than the soil that lies underneath her throne If anything represents the idea of Mother Earth in the Tarot, then it is the Empress

Her primary power, like the two Arcana before her, is the power of creation But her creation is not based on creating the world she wishes to live

in, or the person she wants to be, because she has that world and is that person She creates life in all its myriad forms The Empress is the archetype of the mother, the ultimate creator and giver of life; thus her associations can be extended beyond creativity into fertility, pregnancy and the daunting task of motherhood, which she always faces with a smile and a happy heart She takes pleasure in all things, particularly her own creations - and everything in nature is her own creation

Tying into the theme of motherhood is the notion of unconditional love, which the Empress also represents She makes no demands, sets no

conditions, just loves everything equally and with all the power she can

From this, it can be said, derives her only real weakness, and it is something that all mothers deal with at some point She is often over-protective of her creations, and wishes no harm to come to them at all That would disrupt the eternal bliss and happiness of her realm But

as it is, the realm of the Empress is both the picture of beauty and of stagnation So while the Empress' love can make you feel as secure as if

we are in your mother's arms, it can also turn into a prison if experienced for too long

When the Empress appears in your life, you should make special effort to open up to her perfect and unconditional love In that way you can become more like her: gentle and affectionate, gracious and elegant Such qualities are often neglected, but they are also useful in a world of harshness and apathy So instead of plodding through life, take some time

to celebrate it! The Empress can often herald the conception or the birth

of a child, and in that circumstance there is even greater reason to celebrate Inspire others to do the same; the Empress is a leader, and the power she holds over other people is firm, but loving Know this and lead as she would

Know also that the perfectly abundant world of the Empress is always free for you to enjoy Even if you know that you have to go back to the "real world" eventually, a vacation from the hectic and artificial life that most people live these days will certainly be welcome Spend some time outdoors, in the fresh air, enjoying every aspect of creation And then, when you go back to where you were, the Empress' creative power and beauty will remain to inspire you and give you power Strengthen your innate connection with the Earth's creativity and you will, by association, strengthen your own creative power Cultivate your creativity and plants the seeds of a bountiful harvest

The second leg of the Body-Mind-Spirit triad is the Emperor, representing the power of the mind to shape the world Such action does not take place

at the command of the will, but through the command of the spoken or written word The Emperor is the representation - and the ruler - of the structured and regulated world This is an ideal world like the Empress', though one that is not always as beautiful or lavish But just because it is more harsh does not mean it is any less necessary to enlightenment; on the contrary, it is completely necessary to balance Mind and Body, male and female

The Emperor is the opposite of the Empress in many ways She is the Mother,

he is the archetypal Father, wise in the ways of the world and

knowledgeable of how to live as part of a structure along with everyone else The Emperor does have a strong and powerful heart, as every father should, but he shows this side of himself through the imposition of strict guidelines and rules, as most fathers do If anything he is even more protective than the Empress, because he has created order from chaos and wishes nothing to disturb that order Underneath his royal robes hides the suit of armor which he proudly wears when defending those under his protection

The Emperor teaches us many things, the first of which being that every rule has an application and a reason for being If we can understand this, then his world may not seem so restrictive after all In fact, all restriction is ultimately for your own good, because without the law and order that this card so powerfully symbolizes, the world would fall into anarchy Government and law both draw their power from him, but unlike the governmental figures that we hear so much about in modern times, the Emperor cannot be corrupted by power He rules like King Arthur, who brought together the warring powers of England and knit them into the greatest empire the world has ever known

He is truly the master of his realm, and he rules with a firm hand, but

a just one He will listen to the counsel of others, though the final decision is always his War is one of his many tools and he will not hesitate to use violence to protect those he cares about The privileged few who are subject to his protection always repay him with the loyalty and respect he deserves But the Emperor's power does not only extend to the controlling of nations He is also the father, the male role model who offers advice, sets direction and brings security He takes what he has learned, and passes it on to the next generation, so someday they can

be as wise and powerful as he is

Any of the Major Arcana can represent people, but the Emperor is the kind

of energy that often manifests in the form of a person Obviously all kinds

of leaders and fathers will harbor some of his influence, but he can also show someone who acts like a father by setting tone and imposing structure

He is a regulating force and thus associated with the government, bureaucracy and the legal system; his appearance often indicates an encouter with one or more of these systems The Emperor can also personify the assumption of power and control, by you or someone close to you If you are the one in power, take care that you always use it wisely

Above all else, the Emperor shows the benefits of structure and logic ruling over the emotions and lesser desires Often, domination of the mind over the heart is not wanted, but in some cases is it necessary and even welcomed When hard choices must be made it's important to maintain your concentration and focus, and this is something the energy of the Emperor allows you to do When he shows a part of you, let that part of you manifest and take control Enjoy the assertiveness and confidence it brings Forge ahead and do what you know is best If you can master yourself then you should have little problem mastering the world and all the things in it

Spirit is the final leg of the triad that has been previously seen in the Empress and Emperor; the archetype of the spiritual world is the

Hierophant This is the card of beliefs, both religious and otherwise, though it does tend to focus on the religious and spiritual aspects because the Hierophant himself is often depicted as a holy man Indeed, in some decks this card is known as the Pope or High Priest But in actuality,

a Hierophant is a person who holds 'forbidden' or 'secret' knowledge While this could easily apply to the clergy, it has far greater scope than this In a way it could be said that (with apologies to Crowley) every man and every woman is a Hierophant

The Hierophant can even stand for groups of more than one person, and in the majority of cases he is better represented by an institution than by

a single person This is because his is the power of the group and the society, who change the world to fit their beliefs The same theme of control and change that first appeared with the Magician continues here

in its fifth iteration; now there is still a well-defined leader, but the

people do not follow him because they are ordered to They follow because they are part of the group The main philosophies of the Hierophant are that there's no "I" in "team", and that the good of the many outweighs the good of the one

Such a philosophy may seem unnecessarily restrictive but, as the Emperor has taught us, restriction leads to order The Hierophant is charged with the maintenance and propagation of tradition and conventional beliefs, and anyone who goes against these beliefs is shunned Balance and conformity are the goals of the Hierophant, and neither positive nor negative is emphasized - only tradition matters In extreme cases, this can indeed have very negative effects (as Galileo found out) but in most cases having some tradition to follow is beneficial The traditions and ceremonies of the church, which are particularly strong in this card, are

a prime example of this

On a more personal level, the Hierophant is also a teacher or a mentor One major role of a spiritual leader is to initiate others into the community and teach them the ways of the group Obviously one who holds the secrets and is entrusted with the traditions of the group is a prime candidate to teach them to others, and the Hierophant plays this role well Though his approach to teaching is one that centers on conformity and shuns individual expression for the moment, this can be helpful Only once the student has mastered the ways of the group can he or she properly decide whether to remain or leave

When the Hierophant appears it will often be in the form of a teacher or

a mentor, who instructs you in the ways of his particular belief in the hopes that you will join him Such teachers do not have to be of a spiritual

or mystical background; an employer training a new employee in the operation of a business is as much a Hierophant as any religious teacher

If your current situation seems to require more experience then you can call upon, be open to the presence of a teacher or mentor in your life But do not make the grave mistake of openly seeking such a teacher - as the old proverb says, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear

The Hierophant can also represent group activities and beliefs, and in either case, support of the establishment and respect for the rules are emphasized So if you are planning something revolutionary, the repeated appearance of the Hierophant is a good sign to forget such action and go with the flow for the time being The traditional way of doing things must work most of the time, or else it wouldn't have been around long enough

to become tradition! However, when an idea is proven wrong it is certainly time for a change The true Hierophant is one who has a deep respect for his beliefs, but who will not blindly follow them to his own ruin

The Lovers card is not just about love and sexuality; it has several meanings which are all related to the duality expressed in the image of the card The image of the two lovers holding hands or intertwined is a powerful symbol for the harmonious union of two beings, but it also stands for the necessity of proper choice, and some interesting concepts about the relationship of our conscious minds to whatever power brings these lovers together It should be apparent that, in our culture which has so many words and definitions for the simple emotion of love, the image of love as expressed in the Tarot can have so many meanings

The Lovers is predominantly a card of the emotions, and it often portrays love that is divinely blessed, either by Cupid, an angel, or by God Himself This seems to imply that nothing but good can come of this union, though with such a dualistic card there is always the potential for a sad conclusion, despite the best of beginnings After all, love is like a flame because it can ignite the blaze of passion, but also because it can consume and destroy if used carelessly Love is a wonderful thing, but profane

or unrequited love has the power to tear families and lives apart The Lovers has within it the potential for such love and we must always be cautious of it

Air is the element which rules the Lovers, and we should therefore expect the majority of its meanings to be associated with the spirit and the mind The notion of choice between positive and negative is first depicted on this card with the old symbology of a man deciding between two lovers Such a moral crossroads is often shown by the Lovers card, which now tells

us to consider all consequences before acting The situation could be as simple as a fork in the road with two paths to choose between, or a much more complicated decision by which all of our strongest beliefs and ideals will be tested In times of such difficult choice we clearly need high guidance

The final meaning of the Lovers is perhaps best illustrated by the image

of the card in the Rider-Waite deck, and some of its variants This image shows the man looking at the woman, who in turn looks at the divine figure above them both The man cannot see the angel, and he must trust the woman

to see it for him Likewise, the conscious mind (the man) cannot directly access Higher Powers (the angel), whatever you believe those are The unconscious (the woman) must be the bridge between the physical and spiritual planes This symbology also shows the true power of love; as discussed on the Ten of Cups, through love we can get a glimpse of Heaven Often, the Lovers will refer to a relationship when it appears in a reading, and when it does, that relationship will be a perfect expression of the love between two people This will almost always be a sexual relationship, though not necessarily You must always keep in mind, though, the potential for conflict despite happy beginnings Love is a flame that must not be left unattended; it must be fueled and allowed to burn for as long and as brightly as possible If not a physical pairing of man and woman, the Lovers can also show the integration of two conflicting parts of yourself, the masculine and the feminine Through the combination, greater wisdom is revealed

Finally, this card carries the meaning of choice, usually on the moral

or ethical plane The most familiar instance of such a choice, sadly, is the choice between your spouse and someone else with whom you have fallen

in love Alternatively, it could be between two possible partners, both

of whom you love, but only one of whom would be best for you Look inside, and turn to your unconscious for inspiration Through it you can access the wisdom needed to make this choice properly, and for the good of all involved Trust the counsel of your Inner Voice, and once you have made your decision, do not rescind it no matter how much opposition you face

It is somewhat of a mystery why the Chariot, clearly a card of force and

of control, should be of the Water element But its attribution to Cancer

is indeed valid because this card deals heavily with the emotions Specifically, the Chariot is a card of emotional control; the power of the mind to shape the desires of the heart and direct them to meaningful expression This is not the emotional control of the Emperor, who totally supresses all of his emotions in favor of logic and reason The man driving the Chariot knows that his emotions are not to be swept under the rug, but trained and used to his greater good

The triumph over both positive and negative emotions is often shown by two horses or sphinxes of different colors pulling the Chariot Though

on their own they would run wild and untamed, going in whichever direction they chose to go, here they move only forward So they still have some power, but this power has now been directed and focused by the man holding the reins The chariot cannot move without horses to pull it, just as we cannot function without our emotions to drive us But without the control

of the chariot, the horses would run free, just as our emotions can run wild when unchecked and uncontrolled Balance is needed

The Chariot embodies the type of discipline that is necessary to gain control over the emotions, and this is why a military symbol has been chosen for this card The purpose of the harsh conditions of the military

is to develop the will and the ability needed to control emotions and put them to productive use on the battlefield Only through the mastery of yourself can you ever hope to achieve mastery over others and your environment The wisdom and the glory gained through conquering one's enemies is nothing compared to the self-esteem you build through defeating your fear Inner enemies are often tougher to defeat than outer ones, and thus teach you much more

Through the application of emotional force we can learn to achieve our goals and desires much more quickly For someone like the man on the Chariot, who is in total control of his will and his emotions, almost anything is within his grasp In the Thoth deck, written across the canopy

of the Chariot is the word Abracadabra, which may seem foolish at first glance What is the stage magician's catchphrase doing here - is there magic involved? No, there is no magic Abracadabra comes from Hebrew, and

it translates roughly to "What I have said will be done" or "As it is said,

so it shall be." Nothing embodies the spirit of the Chariot more than this word

The appearance of the Chariot often shows a need to take control of your emotions and, instead of wasting energy grieving or complaining, use that energy to take action and to make changes in the world Fear will cripple you unless, like the Chariot demands, you can acknowledge it and face it Then you can use your fear constructively, for your own purposes But this

type of control is not limited to the negative emotions In relationships the Chariot often shows how idle infatuation can be transformed into passion and confidence Through controlling your emotions, the Chariot says, you will eventually learn to control yourself

And once you have reached that stage, anything is possible! Once you have transcended your fears you start transcending your restrictions until nothing can hold you back from the success you deserve The Chariot's appearance is often the herald of victory through discipline and

confidence, a moment where all opposition lies defeated Great success and achievements will come to you if you master your passions and believe

in the power of your will Do not let anything distract or sway you from your goals, and proceed with the straight flight of an arrow Nothing is beyond your ability if you believe in your own power Abracadabra!

The title of this card is often misleading because most people tend to think of strength as a property of the physical body But this is not a card of brute force, because none of the Major Arcana apply directly to the physical body These are cards of ideas, feeling and beliefs; trying

to make a Major Arcanum depicting someone strong of body would be a pointless exercise But strength is not always measured in terms of how much you can lift or how fast you can run True Strength is fortitude of character, and the ability to not only control the emotions, but to rise above them, and triumph over all out lower impulses and desires This card continues the lesson of the Chariot, showing that once we have learned to control emotion, we must rise above it Many people attribute the notions of forgiveness, compassion and nurturing to this card, but this is clearly not what is shown by Strength This is a Fire card, and therefore detrimental to all the emotions The only qualities that abound

in Strength are courage and patience Neither of these are really emotions, but ways of acting and doing that are not tempered by feeling Courage

is the antithesis of fear; patience, the control of worldly desires There

is no emotion here, just determination and action

The symbology of the lion is common to Strength, and aptly so The lion

is the "beast within", the raging inner desire inside every one of us that must be controlled or it will be set free to manifest in the world The image of the woman opening the mouth of the lion shows both courage and patience; she must not fear the lion, and she must wait for it to tire before she can exert her own will upon it This is not an image of compassion in any sense of the word; how can forcing a creature to obey your will be seen as compassionate? Forgiveness and nurturing are likewise not to be seen anywhere in this image There is just the purity of the maiden and the power of her inner beast that she is attempting to control She needs patience to defeat the lion because her power is not brute physical force, as mentioned The force she has is very little, but it can be applied infinitely, and she will continue to apply light but constant pressure until the lion submits to her superior will It does show a certain determination, and the conviction that even small results will have effects if kept up long enough, just as a constant dripping hollows a stone So Strength is not a card of compassion and love, but

a card of quiet yet unstoppable power Such power radiates from the soul, and for a consciousness aware of this power, there can be no resistance, and no defeat

The qualities of Strength are already in you, waiting to appear once you have mastered all your base emotions and when you are ready to move on

to the spiritual tasks that lie ahead Its main lesson is that emotions must be transcended if spiritual wisdom and intuition are to be awakened Whispers from the intuition are often drowned out by the constant roar

of emotion and preoccupation and fear Only once you have eliminated these can the silence you need be created So conquer your fears, control your impulses, and never lose patience with yourself or what you are doing Eventually you will see the wisdom of letting go of your lower self This is not a card of love over hatred, as most would see it This is simply mind over matter, superior will over inferior desires No matter how strong the beast within you seems, you have the power to control it and make it submit to your will This cannot be done with physical force or with undue haste; it is a slow and difficult process When Strength is around, however, you can be assured that you have enough endurance to see this task through to its eventual end If you are pushing too hard, Strength shows the need to withdraw for the moment, and be patient Enlightenment will come only when the time is right; it cannot be rushed

When questions about the nature of existence and the purpose of life start eating away at your mind, answers will not be found in the physical world They can only be found inside of you You have risen above your desires and emotions because they will no longer help you on your journey Now you must become like the Hermit, who seeks the answers alone Only the whispers of his Inner Voice, and the light of his lamp, will guide him now Eventually even that lamp shall be cast away, because it is artificial and will not help the Hermit forever His own inner light must learn to shine in the absence of the light of others

For true wisdom to emerge, there can be no distractions Any

preoccupations of the world, no matter how small or inconsequential they may seem, will be heard as shouts that drown out the still voice within

It is not enough to rid yourself of inner turmoil, though that is a step

in the right direction The next step is to eliminate outer turmoil, through isolation and withdrawal from the world This is the path of the Hermit, who slips into darkness in order to have the light revealed to him when he is ready Like the Fool, he is once again alone, separated from all others But this time it not only by choice, but by necessity

Once he has learned the lessons and seen his true wisdom, the Hermit will often pick up his lamp and return to the real world, in order to help others see their own potential as well But the Hermit is not a teacher; he will not lecture his students and tell them all about his experiences of solitude and isolation They must experience it themselves, for wisdom earned simply by listening to another person is not really wisdom at all True wisdom and true enlightenment always come from within A teacher may tell the student how he found wisdom, but the student must go and find

it for himself Wisdom is not a gift presented to you on a platter It

is a gift you give yourself

The lessons of life cannot be rushed, or forced, or made to happen before

it is time for them to happen This statement, in fact, is one of those

lessons that everyone must learn But simply reading it on a page, or hearing others tell you about it, will not give you the experience of the lesson Only by doing - or not doing - can we ever hope to understand Knowledge only becomes wisdom when we earn it, through the sacrifice of our familiar surroundings and all the people we hold dear If you think about it logically, everything you leave behind when you follow the Hermit's call will remain when you return The only thing that will have changed is you

The appearance of the Hermit is a call to learn more about yourself and the nature of your existence, and everyone experiences this call at some point in their lives Take this as a sign that your worldly problems and affairs can safely be put on hold; there is greater, inner work to be done now Often this will refer to a problem you must solve or a part of your nature you must deal with before a situation can progress Only in rare circumstances will this refer to a spiritual transformation, but when it does, know that it will be a powerful change requiring much effort and commitment A more long-term withdrawal may be needed

The Hermit can also show you that a mentor is entering your life This

is a person who will not teach you overtly, but who will show you how to find the answers you are seeking within yourself Perhaps you will be the mentor who is indicated by the Hermit, in which case you must be careful not to preach to your student, but guide him Your wisdom will not be your student's, and you must accept that before any teaching can be done If you are ever in doubt, know that all the wisdom you will need is already inside you, waiting to emerge This light will not come unless sought out, but when it does, you will see that you had the answers all along

The Wheel of Fortune is a type of energy that stands beyond the realm of our understanding and control Certainly you can experience its effects

in life, like you feel the pull of gravity on your body But just as you can see the apple falling but not the gravity pulling on it, so too are

the works of Fate and Destiny invisible to us Only their results can be seen, and even then, only when Destny itself decrees that the time is right for its effects to be manifested Unlike the majority of the Major Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune hovers in the clouds, showing that you can try to reach it, but that you can never fully understand it

The wheel is an apt symbol for the forces of Destiny and Fate because it shows how everything is connected in a cycle; some might call it the circle

of life Everything happens in cycles; we rise and fall just as a spot

on the perimeter of a wheel travels from the highest point, through all the possible points on the wheel, and then back to the apex However changes will affect you depends on where you are on the wheel If you are

at the top then any change could throw you off, but if you are the bottom then a change could start you back up to the top And for one person to rise another must fall - everyone is connected

Destiny seems to strike without warning, but often its effects can be seen coming if you know where and how to look for them This is the principle

of the Tarot and divinatory systems in general; to see things coming before they happen so you can prepare Obviously if you see a wheel with the Sphinx

on the top, Typhon the snake on the left, and Hermanubis on the lower right, and you know which way the wheel is turning, you can tell where each of the three figures is going - and you can also tell where they've been Through careful extrapolation the effects of Destiny become less mysterious, and someday everyone may grasp this idea

This cyclical structure of Fate is perhaps the only way to really understand how Fate manifests The conclusion of a situation is found in its beginning, just as the number 10 of the Wheel of Fortune reduces to

1 by the addition of its digits When you can realize that each beginning leads to an ending, and that each ending is both the results of one beginning and the freshly planted seed of another, then you will have grasped the essential notion of the Wheel of Fortune And once that notion

is grasped, the universe opens up to you, because you are ready to learn all its wisdom The first hurdle has been passed and greater lessons lie ahead

The appearance of the Wheel of Fortune shows that change is not only likely

to happen, it is certain to happen, and soon The nature of that change and the effects it has really depend on how much you understand the concepts of Fate, and whether or not you can prepare for it Generally the change shown in the Wheel of Fortune is a dramatic change from the established order So if you have been scraping along for a while, expect big changes in your favor within a few days But if you've been feeling

on top of the world for a long time, batten down the hatches and keep an eye out for storms - one is bound to hit you sooner or later

No matter which way the Wheel of Fortune throws you, it's impossible to try and change it, so you might as well try to live with it If a crisis seems inevitable, recall that in every crisis lies opportunity When you've been swept in new direction, know that every path leads somewhere, even if you don't know where it is When times are bad, or when times are good, always keep in mind that they won't last forever Such events are just out of your control, and if you can accept that then the ride gets

a lot easier If you struggle against the Wheel it will crush you So roll along with it!

Since the Major Arcana do not apply directly to physical life, it must follow that Justice does not apply to the laws made by mankind True, sometimes the laws of mankind mimic the laws that Justice does enforce, and in those rare cases Justice can indeed refer to them But Justice typically refers to the immutable laws of the Universe, the invisible principles that keep everything flowing forward smoothly through infinite causal chains These are laws that cannot be violated; only enforced And the sword of Justice, double-edged as always, is ready to mete out punishment for those who have wronged, and to reward those who have done good deeds

The two most important laws governed by Justice are really two sides of the same coin First comes the law of cause and effect, stating that all events are connected and each present state is the result of all past states This is a such strange idea to get your mind around because sometimes seemlingly meaningless actions will have great ramifications Justice shows that every action you do will eventually have an effect, someday, and you really have no idea of knowing what that event is until

it happens Often the figure on the Justice card is pictured sitting in

front of a curtain; this curtain hides the machinations of the universe that bring about these final results

From the law of cause and order develops the law of Karma, showing that all your actions will return to you eventually They will be modified slightly, and they are often strengthened over time, but the lesson is still the same As you sow, so shall you reap This is really a simple elaboration of the law of cause and effect Under this new law, not only will everything you do have an effect, everything you do will have an effect on you This is where it becomes critical to be mindful of your actions, because everything you take will come back to you eventually Before Justice, you have to answer for all your actions, right and wrong Life, if nothing else, is fair

Indeed, Justice teaches the fairest yet cruelest lesson of all because, like in the suit of Swords, her blade has a double edge You do not get what you expect, or even what you want - you get what you deserve If you deserve good things then they are awarded, without ceremony or

congratulation If you deserve punishment then it is given with neither compassion nor mockery You simply get back what you have made for yourself And since you cannot change your actions once they have been made, if you want good things to happen you must be constantly making choices that will lead to those good things You can be a saint or a demon - it is your choice

When Justice appears, it should be taken as a stern reminder that the deeds

of the past form the foundation for the events of the present and the future

If, in the past, you did something that you have been feeling guilty about, now may be the day when you have to answer for your deeds If you did a deed you felt was worthy of reward, perhaps that reward will arrive Especially when the Justice card is around, mind your actions and make sure you don't do anything you might regret later Justice often appears

to warn you that she will meet you again soon if you stay on your current path Whether this is good or not remains yours to decide

Despite the fact that it rarely represents the decisions of judges, this card can sometimes personify the attitude of a good judge You may wish

to take on this attitude to solve a problem in your life The archetypal judge shown by Justice is not the blind courtroom statuette, but a figurehead of fairness and authority Be right and reasonable in all your judgements - never take sides, never show mercy but never show excessive severity either And before you judge others you must be prepared to judge yourself, and ensure that you are not guilty of the same errors as they Righting any wrongs in your past must be done before you can attempt to right wrongs in your present

The Hanged Man is the only Tarot card visibly based on a mythological figure He is Odin, the Norse god who hung from the World Tree for nine days to earn the knowledge of the Runes Of all the cultures who embody the search for knowledge in their myths, only Odin carries out his quest without moving, at least in the physical sense The true quest is seeking within, not without This may be confusing at first, but only because the Hanged Man is the card of the paradox The Hanged Man's mysteries are some

of the oddest yet most enlightening the Tarot has to offer, and they cannot

be learned by searching for lessons in the physical world - you must turn within

Even the appearance of the card is paradoxical Simple in design, it is one of the more complex Arcana The lessons it offers are easy to understand but hard to accept when they apply to you The most obvious answer to a problem may be the simplest, but it is rarely the best To admit that you are afraid will give you the strength to conquer your fear When you relinquish your desire for control, everything begins to work

as it should In a world in which you must run as fast as you can to stay where you are, the Hanged Man tells you to stop struggling - and you can move forward Tell this to others and it seems obvious; try to do it yourself and it will become impossible

Why is this? Telling others that they have to hang from a tree is simple, but no one wants to hang himself The Hanged Man, however, has hung himself, and see how much wisdom he has found! Despite his obviously uncomfortable position, he is often pictured as smiling, and with a golden halo around his head to show divine inspiration and power He is totally vulnerable

to the world, and in his vulnerability he has found strength The sacrifice

he has made is his own freedom and power in the physical world; in exchange,

he is granted real freedom and power on the spiritual plane He gives up his old ways of looking at things and is blessed with new eyes

Not all sacrifices have to be like this, of course Each moment of your life you make sacrifices By choosing to eat with a friend rather than eating alone, you sacrifice your solitude Choosing to play a sport professionally means that you cannot play another as frequently Choosing one job means that you have to sacrifice any desires for another job, at least for the time being The only thing in common between all sacrifices

is that you give up something you have in exchange for something you want,

of equal value The sacrifice is meaningless unless there is balance and purpose behind it To give without intent is worse than giving too much

or too little

As the card of the paradox, the Hanged Man also urges you to look at things

in a new and different way If your mind is yelling at you to do something, then doing nothing could be the best thing to do If something is important

to you emotionally but it no longer serves a purpose, you might want to think about letting go of it And don't try to force anything to happen while the Hanged Man is about By trying to force changes, you ensure that they never happen Relax and let things happen instead of trying to interfere Instead of fighting against the current, let it take you wherever it is flowing

When the Hanged Man appears, know that greater wisdom and happiness is

at hand, but only if you are prepared to sacrifice something for that wisdom Sometimes it is something physical you must be deprived of, but

in most cases it is a perspective or a viewpoint that must be left behind For example, a fantasy that you can never fulfill, or a crush on someone who's out of your reach Inevitably, sacrificing something you value will always lead you to something even more valuable In the wake of an unattainable dream you will find something else within your reach Forgetting about one love will allow your heart to open to someone else

The image of Death charging across a field on his spectral steed would strike fear into the heart of almost any man The appearance of the Death

card has a similar effect on most people, though it really should not Whether you like it or not, Death is one of the most powerful cards in the Tarot Humans naturally fear the unknown, and so Death is our greatest fear since it is the greatest unknown The majority of us are unaware that our mind and spirit die all the time, constantly shedding old beliefs and acquiring new ones It has been said many times by many readers: the Death card is not a card of death - it is a card of transformation

In the Tarot, as in reality, Death is nothing more than a transition to the next level of life Whether you believe that a soul goes to heaven

or back to Earth to be reincarnated, the fact remains that the soul lives

on The candle is extinguished, but only because the day has come The river shown on many versions of the Death card is a symbol, showing that life will go on, no matter what disastrous things happen The river water will reach the sea, rise into the clouds, then rain onto the land to flow into the river again Nothing is destroyed, because nothing can be destroyed - there can be only transformation

The only real reason the transformation shown by Death is so catastrophic

is because it is being held back, fought against by those too afraid to realize that change is beneficial Every change happens for a reason, and Death is a force like Justice in that it is absolutely fair It does not discriminate against one group and spare another - everyone is equal in the eyes of Death So if big changes are happening in your life it is certainly plausible that you are the reason for them There's no point fighting death, it only makes things worse Like the Hanged Man, accept that change happens and let it do what it must

Take a look at the Rider-Waite version of the Death card, and note the bishop on the right side of the image He is actually welcoming Death, because he knows of the great spiritual transformation it brings Almost all versions of the Death card show a symbol of resurrection or re-birth This could be the rising sun, an egg, or a sapling sprouting from the body

of a dead man All these symbols show that to progress in life, our old form must die, just as a snake sheds its old skin to reveal a shiny new one This is the message of the card: Death must be conquered by the regeneration of the soul, and he who knows this shall live forever When the Death card appears, big changes are heading your way Usually this change refers to something in your lifestyle; an old attitude or perspective is no longer useful and you have to let go of it While the Hanged Man was a card of voluntary sacrifice, the Death card is a forced sacrifice - but that does not mean that it is not for your own good Sometimes you cannot see how your attitudes are hurting you, and when that

is true, the Death card is your wake-up call Death is not simply

destruction; it is destruction followed by renewal Even though one door may have closed, another is opening Will you have the courage to step through?

If so, before you go forward, take a moment to look back Is there anything that you are carrying with you that is no longer necessary? Let it go now, before you proceed Are your old attitudes holding you back, or are high expectations constantly disappointing you? Cast them off, or let Death's watery energy wash them away from you Open yourself and let it strip away all that you no longer need - fear, revenge, intolerance Flowers cannot bloom if the land is full of weeds which choke the ground, and likewise, your spiritual enlightenment will be held back by doubt and fear Let them

go now or risk having them painfully ripped away when Death inevitably returns

After the purging experience of Death, it is necessary to rebuild and improve on that which has been left over Now that old habits and beliefs are gone forever, new attitudes must be acquired to fill the gaps and make you whole again This process of reconstruction and harmonization is shown

by the card called Temperance The verb "to temper" means to modify or strengthen by adding a new component to an existing substance or mixture, and this broad defintion can be applied to many areas of your life But all applications of Temperance share the common theme of moderation and balance, culminating in the creation of a centered and well-rounded being

In most Tarot decks the red-on-white symbology first shown in the Magician appears on the card in some form The temperance of desire (red) with purity (white) is one of the most fundamental manifestations of this card,

as is the reverse (purity with desire) The angel on the Rider-Waite deck, who wears a white robe and has red wings, is a perfect illustration of this Purity of heart and mind gives you a solid base to fall back upon, but only through the desire for personal growth can you ever develop The

angel's white robes give him his basic form, but only through the control

of his red wings comes his ability to fly

The act of Temperance can also refer to the coming together of two distinct beings that must function as one Obviously this refers to relationships, but also to friendships, partnerships, and all kinds of compromises and committees This can also take place on an internal level, when you confront your deepest desires and your most irrational fears and, instead

of getting rid of them, you incorporate them into yourself and grow stronger because of the temperance If you throw away your Shadow it cannot help you, but by accepting it you bring it under your control Perfect harmony with oneself is one of the two lessons of this card, and the one often seen in readings

Temperance also represents an appreciation of moderation through

experience of the extremes; to use an analogy, to live through the darkest night and the brightest day to appreciate both the twilight and the dawn Only through seeing and acknowledging both sides - the positive and the negative - can you integrate both into your personality Another facet

of the Temperance card is that you must not strive to become totally positive, even though that might seem like a good goal Life seeks balance and if you strive to be a totally positive being you will be fighting the current all the way Better to embrace moderation and go with the flow

The two situations in which Temperance will most often appear are in the context of your relationships with others and with yourself In the former case, a need for balance is often implied Conflict can only be resolved through compromise and cooperation, and two people who both acknowledge this cannot be in conflict for long, because they always balance things out before they become problematic Likewise, they enjoy the good times but know that they cannot last forever, and are not disappointed on darker days If a relationship seems out of balance in any way, Temperance must

be taken as a sign to start fixing things before it gets too far out of balance and it is irrevocably destroyed

Often, though, before you can achieve harmony in your relationships with the people around you, you must make peace with yourself Inner imbalances can often manifest in the physical world if they are not attended to, whether or not the imbalance is a negative one Having a lifestyle that

is optimistic to the point of believing yourself to be invincible will lead to problems, maybe even more so than a lifestyle of pessimism and paranoia Balance is best achieved through turning to the Inner Voice for guidance Temperance is a card of health, and its appearance shows that your inner power is ready to heal you and make you stronger

The Devil is another of the popularly misunderstood cards of the Tarot, perhaps second only to Death in this category In our modern world we do not like to think that there is a seed of negativity in everyone, so we assume that anything bad that happens must be the work of some outside Devil, who is to be feared and shunned But really, people do not do bad things because a force outside them is controlling their actions They

do bad things because the negative part of their own personality is expressing itself To deny this side of yourself is to give it power over you, and to give it free reign over your life will eventually destroy you

The symbolic portrayal of the Devil in the Tarot is a clear mockery of two previous Major Arcana, the Lovers and the Hierophant The former parody is perhaps the more obvious Where the angel hovers on the Lovers, the Devil stands on his card, cursing the man and woman rather than blessing them They who were once connected to each other by love are now attached to the Devil by their chains of lust and ignorance The Devil's hand mimics the gesture of the Hierophant, but perverts it The true Hierophant offers spiritual wisdom and beckons to us with an open hand The Devil's gesture hides his true intentions of hurtful wisdom - not really wisdom at all

It must be stressed again that the Devil is not a force that attacks from without, but a cancer than devours you from within When the Devil is in power everything turns upside-down; hence, the inverted Pentagram associated with him When you submit to your inner Devil, you

simultaneously submit to every other force in the outside world that would

do you harm You allow others to bind you and control your life You allow your creative powers to be corrupted and turned against you But through all of this you are not a victim of anyone but yourself In fact, in a sense you are not really a victim at all, and certainly not helpless The most important lesson the Devil teaches you is that you can free yourself from whatever restrictions are holding you back, at any time you