The Fool Tarot Card
Are you feeling like you want to get away for good? Do you have no ties that bind or can you take everyone you love with you if you decided to get up and go? Have you tasted a little freedom and want more? Are you oblivious to what is going on around you? The Fool card is the "wild card" of the Tarot deck, but if it shows up in your reading, the chance to find out what your free will can create is being offered to you.
The setting of this card is under a bright sun and a golden sky. Front and center is a garishly dressed young traveler, complete with his (or her) possessions wrapped in a small sack tied to a stick. He is dressed in brightly patterned clothing as he skips along an isolated road at a high elevation. And speaking of this mountain path, it is quite the treacherous route. High above other mountainous, snow-capped peaks, The Fool is looking blissfully above, enraptured in his own reality; a small flower he no doubt recently picked is in his left hand. He is walking perilously close to a cliff and his only companion, a small dog, is energetically attempting to alert him to where he is headed. In some Tarot decks the dog has actually begun to pull The Fool back from his careless veering off the path.
The Fool's impractical clothing, chosen for its fashionable sense, is not the best choice for the mountain road on which he is walking. Everything about this journey seems to be impractical. He is more interested in the flowers and the exhilarating walk than in the possible disastrous fall that may await at the next step. He did not bring a watchdog, he brought a small companion valued for its appearance and yet this is the only thing that seems to be saving him from himself.
The Fool remains the most controversial card in the Tarot deck. It is the only card that has a zero on it; the other cards all adhere to the Roman numeral system. The origin of The Fool remains a mystery, with some translations of this card insisting that it is inherently a negative connotation and is more properly labeled "The Idiot." Other research reveals the card's origin as "Troubadour," an inspired aesthete traveling a long distance to entertain at the court of a king in some far off land.
There can be no doubt, though about the power of the zero, historically. Once the Arabic numbering system included the zero (thought to be sometime between the years 400 – 600 AD/common era), human consciousness was expanded as the whole sciences of algebra and geometry were invented and put into practical application. Measuring, trading, and building all experienced a rapid expansion, of benefit to all of humanity. At one time, perhaps it was foolish to think that so much could come out of a number representing nothing?
The Fool is a powerful card because its possibilities all start in nothingness and reach into infinity.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
The Fool's appearance in a Tarot spread does not necessarily mean that it applies to the person receiving the reading. It could represent prominent people in your life. Every Tarot spread places cards in the past, present and future positions. There may be a few questions about your path in life from a good Tarot reader in order to determine just whom The Fool represents.
In the past position, The Fool can represent you wasting time that you could have used for studies. It could represent a lover from days gone by if you had a deep relationship with an artist or musician or some person who lived outside of conventional society.
The Fool in the present position signifies that you are about to abandon commitments and constraints in a search for a self-defining freedom. The Fool is the most powerful card in all the Tarot deck when it is in the present position. Your free will can literally move mountains at this moment in time – the Tarot is telling you an ancient slogan: carpe diem – seize the day.
In the future position, The Fool most likely represents you enjoying a new life. It can also represent a coming love interest who is not ordinary by any of your measurements.
Card Combinations
There are cards that you definitely want to see around The Fool and others that deliver an illustration of some big warnings about your life.
When The Devil is near The Fool in a reading, your pleasure-seeking ways are about to create a disaster. This combo appears in the readings of drug users who are starting to hang out with a crowd that is decidedly edgier and unlawful than they are used to. Being naïve around this element will not serve you well. This is also a card combination seen with women who leave stable relationships to go with a bad boy.
The Fool is a great card when The Magician is paired with it as long as a sensitive Tarot reader can assure you that both cards apply to you. If this is the case, the chance to break free and create a new reality will be a success. If it is determined that The Magician represents someone else, beware. You are slowly falling for a person's lies, and this self-neglect may cost you your money and much of your credibility with friends and family.
The Fool combines well with The Sun, The Star and The Moon as these cards inspire your ego, your aptitude and your emotions respectively. Any of these three cards combining with The Fool deliver you tangible results and deep personal insight.
When The Fool is in a reading that contains many cards from the suit of Pentacles, a new risky venture may make you wealthy! When there are cards from the suit of Swords abounding around The Fool, expect much criticism for not being a follower. The suit of Wands is a natural for The Fool, in fact this card seems to attract this suit as The Fool himself holds his bag on a staff resembling a wand. This combination reinforces the following of one's own muse. When the suit of Cups dominates a reading that includes The Fool, look for love to be the issue and abandoning everything for it the likely outcome.
The Magician Tarot Card
When the opportunity to use your best talents arises, your performance will seem like magic to those around you. When you have a set of plans and enact them to perfection, quickly accomplishing your goal, people will be shocked. Your accomplishments will seem ordinary to you, as if they should have happened without question, but others will look at what you do like it is a new form of magic. All of these circumstances summon forth The Magician card from the Tarot deck. This is the card of making things happen, being in control, getting what you want because you understand how to earn it … and impressing everyone in the process of doing what comes natural to you.
Under a golden sky and surrounded by lush, flowery vegetation, a robed man stands before us, behind a waist-high wooden table. On the table there is a sword, a cup, a pentacle laying flat as a plate and a wooden walking stick, also known as a wand. These are the four suits of the Tarot and they appear here as they do on the numbered cards of the Tarot's Minor Arcana. The man raises his right hand. He is holding a small white magic wand. Above his head floats a lemniscate (represented as ∞), the symbol for infinity.
The Magician is pictured here at the moment he is casting his spell. The magic wand in his hand is elevated as high above his head as possible and over his head the lemniscate underscores that the possibilities in all of this laying before him are infinite. The table represents bringing in our own constructs and belief systems into the natural world. We change the universe we live in with our perceptions. That each of the Tarot's suits is represented indicates that The Magician has the power and control over these things. Cups represent emotions, wands indicate creativity, pentacles are money and issues of the material plane, while swords represent the cerebral sphere of human activity and the verbal expressions inspired within that area. The Magician has domain over these areas of your life and is casting a spell to influence them. This is the card that indicates the ultimate level of control over your life and the events in it. This magician takes responsibility for who he is and what he can do; the objects representing the four Tarot suits are there on the table, he stands alone, nothing is hidden. The magic is in his supreme confidence over ruling the things in his domain that he knows he can control. The Magician is the Tarot's card of being genuine and open, and transparent in any interpersonal dealings. This is the card of making it happen because you practice what you preach. The Magician is the complete package.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Your Tarot reading is an examination of the pattern of cards dealt from the deck. This pattern is called a Tarot spread. The pattern has positions for your past, your present and your future. Where a specific card lands changes the focus of that card to carry meaning related to that time of your life.
In the past position, The Magician underscores a surge of displaying your talents and getting far in the world based on accomplishments. Perhaps you are resting comfortably on a foundation established during that time. Or you may miss the days when you could seemingly put it all together with a snap of your fingers.
In the present position, this card signals the urgency of a situation of which you must seize to take advantage. In this position, The Magician indicates that your ability to be yourself and impress the right person or people can have a big impact on the direction your life takes. The Magician in the present position is a metaphor for your free will and good luck combining in a rare opportunity to move way ahead in life. When this card is in this position, take your great leap forward.
In the future position, The Magician is a card of amazing potency. This is an indication of your wishes being granted because you take the time to earn everything you want. The Magician represents manifesting your desires and visions. In the future, what you want will arrive when you follow the necessary course of action. You will no longer have to dream about being it; you will have become exactly who and what you wanted to be.
Card Combinations
The Tarot spread is not a series of isolated cards; the presence of any card influences the others. All of the cards sing together in your reading, and it is a unique tune, harmonizing just for you.
When The Magician card is accompanied in a reading by The Sun, your drive to accomplish a big goal is given a great amount of energy, but selfish tendencies and self-absorption may emerge. When The Moon card is in the same reading as The Magician, your emotional desire to get what you want blinds you to everything that you already have. You could lose it all to gain one specific goal, be it a lover or a career promotion, no matter; it will come at a great cost.
The Fool is a card that complements The Magician wonderfully. Your talents come in handy when you are least concerned with getting ahead. The lack of desire creates a trust in friends and strangers alike and soon many people are helping you accomplish goals you never imagined pursuing. Temperance is a great card to have with The Magician, as you will selflessly work to help others reach their goals. The only problem might be that such a zest to help others leaves you not helping yourself despite an abundance of talent and connections.
The Three of Wands is another favorable card to have in your Tarot reading along with The Magician. This is the card of possibilities occurring in your favor out in the universe. The Magician has a wand on the table before him and holds a small wand in his hand to cast his spell. The Three of Wands continues this sequence; therefore, this card combination is as good an indicator of coming success from your present project as the Tarot has to offer.
The High Priestess Tarot Card
When you are not sure how to act but you are calm, knowing that the answer is probably out there or that things will sort themselves out without your interference, you might notice that your relaxed posture on the seat of wisdom mimics that of The High Priestess Tarot card. This card assures you to trust your gut, to be passive and wait to respond to provocations instead of provoking responses. The world has many secrets in it to be unlocked and taking the less obvious path to any or all of these answers is the route favored by this card.
A woman in a blue robe stares straight ahead. She is seated between two pillars, her chair almost completely covered by her flowing robe. Her headdress curves out from her head and carries a large sphere in its center. At her feet is a golden crescent moon, balanced as if she is stepping on it to keep it in place. She holds the sacred Torah scroll, has a white cross on her chest and sits in front of a decorative tapestry illustrated with patterns of fruit bursting out of its skin in between palm trees. The tapestry is suspended between the pillars. One pillar is black and sports the letter B, the other pillar is white and is emblazoned with the letter J. Behind all this is a blue background reminiscent of a night lit by the fullest, brightest moon.
The Letters B and J stand for Boaz and Jachin. These are the pillars from King Solomon's Temple. Boaz is roughly translated as "completion" and Jachin is "begin." The high priestess sits between the end and the beginning, intuitively understanding that change is a constant with or without one's involvement or influence. King Solomon's Temple only had high priests, not priestesses, so this card is a radical step away from established traditions and conventions. The Moon at her feet represents a foundation of the unconscious as the primary influence and the pomegranates and palms on the tapestry represent the fertility of the imagination unrestrained by logic and consequence. The sphere in the headdress is the pearl of wisdom and the cross above the Torah illustrate that wisdom is achieved by finding the best of any tradition to guide you. Nothing in this card is obvious; there was no high priestess in King Solomon's Temple, and yet there sits The High Priestess on a foundation of intuition and blending traditions along the way.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
A Tarot reading is about the entire picture: Your past, present and future. A card's meaning can be quite different in one part of a reading than another. When The High Priestess is in your past, this can indicate a passive childhood or a recent time in your life when patience and understanding was required. If you spent a lot of time in the library or surfing the internet studying up on one subject, The High Priestess here shows that your ability to survive on hunches and intuition is quite good and that the knowledge you have acquired in life is a simple foundation and not something that props up your ego.
In the present position, The High Priestess signifies that you are best advised to avoid conflict and to not necessarily believe what is being presented to you as "the truth." The High Priestess is a card of following your hunches. We are told by many elements of society to only go on what we know rather than how we feel. The High Priestess card runs counter to this. Is there a situation in your life where someone is insisting that things are one way when you feel strongly that they are not? Many women who are dating or living with alcoholic partners are asked to embrace the false reality that a constant state of being "buzzed" brings on. Do you have a hunch that your life or relationship could be better than it is at present?
When The High Priestess occupies the future position in your reading, there is a coming confrontation that is best spotted ahead of time in order for you to sidestep or avoid altogether. Follow your hunches if a friend or co-worker attempts to get you involved in conspiring against someone, even an enemy. The High Priestess is a card that knows without knowing; if the behavior is not something you are known for, you should know better than to start embracing it now.
Card Combinations
When your Tarot cards are laid out for your reader to see, the cards that are nearby each other harmonize and subtly alter each other's meanings. The cards that are around The High Priestess in a reading describe the area of your life that is most impacted by this powerfully meditative card. When there are many cards from the suit of Pentacles in your reading, this indicates that your hunches about a good way to make money are right on. This is a green light to be bold in a new field despite not being an expert. Some people might tell a woman that she needs to study at business school before attempting to start her own business. The High Priestess and some Pentacles appearing in a reading would indicate otherwise. Go for it!
If the suit of Cups is present near The High Priestess, cool emotions are called for. There could be an overflow of demands on your feelings, but without having the facts in front of you, just feeling like you might be in the presence of a manipulative individual is reason enough to pull back on deep commitments. Sometimes people create a false sense of urgency. The High Priestess is never swayed by these situations.
The suit of Wands focuses your reading on many creative options for The High Priestess. It is said that the Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci took over 4 years to paint and that she bears a superficial resemblance to the posed and poised High Priestess. If you are in the middle of creating your masterpieces, this card combination signals that you do not need the knowledge of the academics to be great if you are keeping focused on a creative vision.
When the suit of Swords is near The High Priestess card, observe angry words all around and understand that the silence offered by this card will be your greatest weapon. To not respond to a verbal attack is the ultimate response because the attacker does not get the confrontation he or she so demanded. The High Priestess is ultimately a card of finding and manifesting an inner peace as a response to the outside world.
Numbered Two in the Tarot Deck, discover the connection The High Priestess shares with the other cards numbered two in the Tarot deck.
The Empress Tarot Card
Has a run of good luck or a generous friend allowed you to take it easy? Have you been immersed in art, music or other indulgences that expand the mind and soul? Are you exhausted from all the shopping? Look for The Empress card to appear in your Tarot reading before too much of a good thing starts to spoil you.
In a lush forest clearing, under a golden sky, she sits on a stone throne, padded for her with luxurious cushions and cloth. The Empress wears a flowing white robe decorated in a busy floral pattern. The robe has a gold trim at the collar. She rests one hand on her knee and barely lifts the other to raise her golden scepter. On her flowing blond mane rest a crown of twelve stars. At the side of her throne leans a heart-shaped shield emblazoned with the symbol for the planet Venus, ruler of love, art and beauty. In front of her is a field of wheat.
Throughout this card, our Empress sits on the precipice of sharing the wealth and being too spoiled to think about others. While the mighty scepter is a symbol of royal power throughout history, hers is a mere bauble, as if the power of her position is yet another trinket. The crown of twelve stars represents the twelve signs of the zodiac and her mastery over anyone of any sign, a power of seduction. Her hand on her knee is idle, indicating plenty of time to be immersed in the joys of life and the pursuit of pleasures. Some Tarot decks illustrate her holding a flower in this hand, also representing this tendency for casual engagement with the niceties of life. The shield nearby is a metaphor of protecting herself with her beauty. If someone were to break her heart she would deflect the hurt by being able to find yet another man of her dreams. The wheat at her feet indicates that the basic needs in life are taken care of. The things over which most people struggle are not even a concern for the Empress. She can be immersed in the good life while most other people are busy earning a living.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Every Tarot reading is different but the patterns of the reading are the same. Cards land into three specific sections: past, present and future. Where a card lands can greatly change its meaning.
When The Empress appears in the past position, you are being confronted with some diva-like behavior in the recent past that has caused the tumult in your interpersonal relationships. If things are not too chaotic at the moment, this card represents coming from a background of being taken care of by your family. Growing up a little princess has its benefits.
If the present position is occupied by The Empress card, you are likely in a great mood, perhaps even satisfied with life to the point that you wonder if there may be something you should be doing. Is boredom setting in? Is your Tarot reading just another diversion like a day at the beach or a weekend in Las Vegas? There is a superficial streak running through The Empress card and you may be enjoying the casual glow of a glittery partnership instead of a deep and committed love that would ultimately satisfy you.
Looking into the future position, The Empress card foretells good things when landing here. This is the fairy tale happy ending. When the future holds as much promise as The Empress represents, you can know that a symbol of hope is becoming more real with each passing day. The card here can be an indicator of becoming wealthy or of finding a person who loves and appreciates you as their definition of beauty. The former is true if your reading has been fixated with economic and career questions. The latter is true if you sat down for a soulmate reading.
Card Combinations
As the cards are laid out in your Tarot reading, each card informs and influences the cards nearby, and every card is simultaneously under the spell of those very cards they touch. The circle of influences assures you of receiving a unique Tarot reading that is as individual as it is unrepeatable.
For a woman receiving a reading, The Empress card represents her in relationship to other cards. When paired with The Emperor card, your relationship with your father or a lover becomes the subject of the entire reading. When The Empress is in a reading with The Devil card, you will be oblivious to some hurt you cause a person. This will lead to a situation where the person seeks revenge. The closer these two cards are in your reading the more you are advised to avoid gossiping and casual dismissals of the efforts of others.
Another intense card combination with similar results is when the Tarot card Death appears alongside The Empress. This means a longtime relationship will end because of a perceived grievance you have delivered to the other person. So much of The Empress card revolves around not realizing the effect you have on others as your pursuits of pleasure take you out of the daily struggle just enough to lose touch with how the world conducts itself. Death is numbered 13 in the Tarot, a higher echo of the number 3 held by The Empress. Both of these cards signal detachment. Death has no relationship to what came before or what ill comes after; it simply moves through with impunity, ending one chapter before another begins. The Empress is detached from having to worry about day-to-day affairs. She can get by on her looks and coast on her money, and she usually does.
The Empress paired with The Hermit card indicates a woman who is alone because she has not developed enough skills to succeed in life when her youthful beauty begins to fade.
The core attributes of The Empress can be found individuated in the Minor Arcana cards that are numbered 3: The Three of Wands exemplifies the material success enjoyed by The Empress, while the The Three of Swords underscores the constant alienation that her obliviousness creates. The Three of Cups shows that her nurturing of relationships can find a healthy outlet if she forgoes selfishness and works to enrich the aspirations of those around her. The Three of Pentacles is the card of teamwork – reminding us that The Empress is where she is through efforts of others beyond just herself.
The Emperor Tarot Card
Are you in control now? Has a situation bent to your authority? Have the principles you live your life by created an orderly world for you? Have you been obsessed with alphabetizing your collections and files or otherwise turned into an organizational obsessive? Is there an authority figure in your life showing you the way? All of these situations call forth The Emperor card from the Tarot deck. This is the card that asserts authority, organizes systems to retain maximum control and is the paternal influence of the Tarot deck, assuring that protection and security are provided to all those playing by the rules.
A bearded man sits alone on a stone throne. His white beard extends to his chest. He is crowned and wears royal robes. But his legs and feet are still in a suit of armor. In his right hand he holds a royal staff of gold. In his left, he holds a golden globe. An orange sky glows behind him, lighting the mountainous landscape into a brilliant yellow. The ornamentation of the throne, though, does not glisten, as the ram skulls adorning the corners of his armrest and chair back are a solid gray stone. He is looking straight at you.
The long beard is, of course, an indicator of wisdom accrued through age. The crown asserts his status. The staff and globe are his authority and his domain, respectively. He is still wearing armor, assuring us that he will do battle if necessary, but that his sitting on the throne alone should assert that which has already been established through conflicts now settled. The sky and background are unique in the Tarot. The deck delivers cloudless blue skies on cards that favor positive outcomes, black backgrounds when there are hopeless elements to our situations and all manners of grays and cloud formations to be interpreted as positives, negatives and neutrals regarding your outlook. An orange sky occurs in sunrises and sunsets near large bodies of water. The card that asserts so many absolutes again has the final word, as The Emperor himself is lit by the light that only exists at land's end.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
When your Tarot reading is dealt out, the cards are placed in a pattern. Each position of this pattern represents your past, your present or your future. The Emperor may represent you or someone in your life depending on where it lands in your reading.
In the past position, The Emperor represents a father or other authority figure who laid down the law and set a firm definition of acceptable behavior for you. Perhaps you rebelled against him or his teachings, or maybe they helped to keep you out of harm's way. If you are in a secure position now, you have The Emperor in this position to thank. But some people do abuse their authority and if you are alone and alienated after being witness to the abuse of authority, this card confirms that the blame is there. Often we are given rule over our world and mess things up ourselves. Other times, the trust that put us in the care of another is at fault when this person goes overboard and so The Emperor represents a tyrant.
When The Emperor is in the present position, you have the rule of law before you to guide you on your journey. This card is especially strong in the present position as it gives you an absolute confidence to move toward a goal. This can also represent the influence of another person in your life right now. Are you so enamored of a new friend or lover that you have started following the advice and lifestyle habits of him or her? Have you discovered a new hero in the arts whose work has expanded your consciousness to the point that it is hard to relate to people who have not had a similar reaction to this person's artistic output? Is there a new teacher in your life who has changed the way you think? Perhaps a new person at work is transforming the way you approach your on-the-job goals. The theme running through all of these possibilities is that one way of seeing the world is coming to dominate the way you experience life.
The future position is an uncomfortable position for The Emperor. The days and weeks ahead are vague and quite affected by the smallest decisions of the here and now. The Emperor card demands to assert itself. When The Emperor card is here, anticipate a change to come into your life in a bold manner; expectations to conform in the way you carry yourself may be part of this picture. Regardless of the situation, understand that new demands to follow a specific behavioral prescription will be coming your way and coming in the near future. Prepare now to submit, evade or resist.
Card Combinations
Your Tarot reading features a selection of cards from the deck. While every card has its own complex meaning, each one has a relationship with other cards in the deck that is expressed when they join up in your reading. The presence of each card influences all of the cards spread before you.
Numbered 4, The Emperor is related to card #14: Temperance. This is the card of self-discipline. When Temperance and The Emperor are in a reading together, it is a Tarot reading reveling in your astounding level of self-control.
When any of the Minor Arcana cards with the number 4 appear, this reading is underscoring aspects of The Emperor's reign: The Four of Wands emphasizes establishing structures to make a joyous life. The Four of Swords underscores the patience and virtue of The Emperor. The Four of Pentacles reinforces the absolutes of this card and reminds us that in some circles, The Emperor is downright close-minded as he is so set in his ways. The Four of Cups is a card that convinces us to do without in the name of personal integrity, a hallmark of The Emperor.
When The Chariot is in a reading with The Emperor, you will be rewarded with a leadership position after a hard-fought victory. When The Devil card is present, an authority figure is being cruel with you and those close to you – or you are abusing your authority and could be closer to a crisis than you realize.
The High Priestess interferes with the reign of The Emperor as this card can represent a love interest far out of your league and simply becomes a roadblock to your enjoyment of life. If The High Priestess is not pursued, though, you can benefit from the wisdom of a platonic friendship. The Empress is the best card to pair up with The Emperor in your reading, as she is open-minded enough to balance the rigidity of The Emperor, but still regal enough that you can succeed on your own well-established terms.
The Hierophant Tarot Card
Have you joined a group that makes you feel like you belong? Are you following a course of instruction that has you deeply immersed in a new way of looking at life? Have you developed a newfound interest in your cultural heritage? Has work or family recently forced you to conform to certain standards? Is a person in your life or a philosophy you are interested in pushing you to behave to a norm? Expect to see The Hierophant card in your Tarot reading if you are submitting your individuality (consciously or unconsciously) to a group, a cause or an ideal.
A man sitting on a throne is holding up the two-fingered sign of peace with one hand while holding a gold staff with three crossbars in the other hand. He is the Hierophant. He has an ornate crown and wears a red robe with white trim. On the trim are crosses that are also embroidered onto his white shoes. These rest on a red carpet. Behind the man is a gray wall with two large gray pillars on either side of him. Around his head and shoulders, the backing of some of his throne can be seen. In the card's foreground are two men kneeling before the Hierophant. These kneeling men wear ornate robes and have prominent bald spots on the backs of their heads. In between them are two golden skeleton keys crossed in an X pattern. The keys are directly beneath the Hierophant's feet.
The Hierophant is the medieval Pope. Unlike today's Pope, in medieval times, the Hierophant had his own army and the Vatican State was a sizable area of present day Italy known as "the Papal States." The Hierophant is the embodiment of political and spiritual power that can only be found in groups. Even though the Hierophant is a man, he is merely holding his office until he dies and is replaced by the next Hierophant, but it is the maintaining of the papacy itself over two millennia from whence its power emanates. The keys illustrated here are presently on the flag for Vatican City. The bald spots on the heads of the kneeling men are traditional shavings that medieval priests and monks would make to show their submission to the authority of the Pope. As the priests submit to the authority of the Hierophant, so to does the Hierophant submit to the authority of the very office he holds.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
A Tarot reading is divided into three sections: Your past, your present and your future. A card's meaning changes depending on the location it lands in your Tarot spread. When The Hierophant lands in the past position, this indicates a structured belief system and strong sense of cultural identity in your past. Perhaps you were raised among an ethnic group that stuck together. Maybe your early life saw much interaction in a religious setting.
In the present position, The Hierophant represents you following a new belief system. Perhaps you are volunteering for a political cause or attending religious services regularly after years of not doing so. The loss of some individuality in your life may be offset by the great feeling of being a part of something much bigger than yourself. Sticking to a new diet or workout routine is a manifestation of the conformity of the Hierophant card that is also self-improvement.
The Hierophant card in the future position is a powerful placement. Here the card reveals a strong pull toward an individual who will explain the meaning of life to you, as well as your role in it. This might be a good affiliation for you to make, or it could be a detrimental affair depending on just whom this person is. The Hierophant is not inherently a good or evil card, it is a card of wisdom beyond the personal.
Card Combinations
The Hierophant is one of the Tarot's Pillar Cards. The Pillars represent knowledge. The High Priestess has knowledge that she chooses to withhold revealing until it suits her. The Hierophant shares his knowledge to those who join his organization or are otherwise initiated into his ranks. The Justice card is the highest manifestation of the Tarot's three Pillar Cards as it uses knowledge impartially, regardless of mood or membership, to help humanity. When more than one Pillar card is in your Tarot reading, the knowledge you are taking in these days is possibly the most transformative of your lifetime.
The Tarot deck has a grouping known as the Acolyte Cards. The Acolytes are a pair of subservient individuals in the card's foreground. The Hierophant is the first Acolyte Card, numerically, in the Tarot. The Acolytes are the two priests who kneel before the Pope. Following him are The Lovers Card, which illustrates a man and a woman surrendering to their love for each other; The Chariot, which shows two sphinx submitting their control of the riddle of fate to the chariot's driver; The Devil, who has two prisoners chained to their self-destructive cycle of pleasure-seeking; The Tower, which shows two previously comfortable homesteaders randomly disrupted from their domicile; and one card from the Minor Arcana, the Six of Pentacles, which is the card of giving or receiving charity. If The Hierophant appears in your reading along with another Acolyte Card, your individuality is being subsumed to a higher cause in an epic surrender of self to ideal. This may or may not be a good thing, but it is something to be aware of.
The Minor Arcana cards numbered with a 5 are much more influential in your Tarot reading when the Hierophant is also present. The Five of Cups represents loss and teamed with The Hierophant, it only magnifies the loss of self-respect represented by that intense Cups card. The Five of Swords is a card that illustrates the breaking of a bond and teamed with The Hierophant it can foretell you joining a religious, cultural or political organization that pulls you away from friends and family. The Five of Pentacles revels in its victimhood even more when The Hierophant is present, bending away from the light that life has to offer to the cold sorrow in the snow banks of self-pity. The Five of Wands suddenly becomes less about frivolous play and more about making your passion in life become a profitable venture instead of a mere hobby.
The Lovers Tarot Card
Are you tying the knot? Or is it less formal between you two on the social plane, but as emotionally binding as you can possibly imagine? Is a physical attraction becoming an obsession, weakening your decision-making powers and other boundaries you ordinarily have in place? Is this struggle with temptation bringing about a transformation in who you have been in the world and who you are becoming in the universe? Have you attached yourself to the philosophy of some interesting belief system that satisfies your quest for knowledge on the way life works and where its meaning can be found? If your Tarot reading reveals The Lovers card, some of these scenarios are already well in place in your day-to-day life.
This card is divided into a top and bottom. On the bottom half stand a man and a woman. They are naked before the world. A tree of flames stands behind the man, while a fruit tree with a snake around it is behind the woman. The ground is a bright spring green and a mountain rises in the distance between them under a blue sky. In the middle of the card, aligned with their heads, is a billowing cloud, upon which rests the top half of an angel. The angel wears a purple cloak and lifts its hands in the air, but not as high as its crimson wings. The flames that make up its hair light its face a golden yellow to match the endless rays of sunlight encircling it from above.
The couple illustrated here are Adam and Eve. It is the moment that they are being told about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They now know not to eat its fruit. All is perfect as the radiant energy of the angel gives this card a glowing color throughout; we know that the snake will strike and that the couple will be shamed into putting on some clothes. They will be cast out of the Garden of Eden and propagate the human race. This serves as a metaphor for all relationships – the moment that we decide to enter into a union with someone else, all seems perfect. Eventually we will discover flaws that might have been unacceptable were we to have seen them prior to getting together with this person. Adam and Eve are the metaphor for every couple – the relationship starts off pure, falters and then the best must be made out of it after the initial bliss is gone.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
When a Tarot reading commences, the cards are dealt out into specific places. Each location in a reading covers your past, your present or your future. A card in the past means something different than it does were it to land in the present or future spot.
When The Lovers card lands in the past position, the foundation of your current situation can be found in a love relationship. If you are very young, this could be your parents. Usually it represents a past love or for long-married couples, a confirmation that the union is a definition of your identity.
If the location of The Lovers card in your reading is the present, you are palpitating with passion over a budding partnership. If you are alone or lonely, this card in this position will end that in a hurry. You might already know this partner, but regardless, the power and influence you will have on each other shall be transformative over all aspects of your life. You will be able to look back on the present day as a before and after scenario.
If you are single and The Lovers card is in the future position, now is the time to approach dating with a clear idea of what you want. The Lovers card signals the intense affection that will blind a new couple to reality. While you still have your sight, think long and hard about what you want in a relationship and send that energy out into the universe. If you are prone to becoming lost in the billowing fog of love's spell, the plans you make now to focus on the type of lover and relationship you really want can be invaluable to your future. The presence of The Lovers card in this position gives you time to make that checklist and start looking for those specifications in every man you meet.
Card Combinations
When the cards are dealt in your Tarot reading, they are laid out near each other. The proximity of any one card to another influences the meaning of each card and the overall tone of the reading. Some combinations of cards are quite powerful.
The Lovers is closely linked to three other cards from the Tarot's Major Arcana: The Hierophant (card #5), The Devil (card #15) and The Tower (card #16). As this card is about partnership, it is only natural that there are two other cards in the deck that reflect this partnering up. The Hierophant and The Devil are both cards that, like The Lovers card, feature two people in the lower half under a powerful archetype in the upper center of the card. In The Hierophant card, the two acolytes are monks with shaved heads, bowing before the leader of the cause to which they have devoted themselves. In The Devil card, the winged devil replaces the angel from The Lovers card, and the naked couple is unashamedly nude and chained to that thing which gives them so much pleasure that it has become a destructive addiction. When either The Devil or The Hierophant cards are paired with The Lovers, intense and transformative commitment can take a relationship to a deeper place, although it might be a darker one as well.
The Tower card shows people being cast out of a tower that is being destroyed by lightning. This is akin to Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden when it is in the same reading as The Lovers. A breakup or other separation is inevitable, and the permanence of this chasm is not under your immediate control.
The Chariot Tarot Card
Are you in control? Did you just win big? Have you finally reached a new level of accomplishment? Are you being handed control of a big project? The Chariot is the Tarot card most associated with victory and control. When you see this card in a Tarot reading in times of struggle, understand that when Caesar conquered an opposing army, his victory parade made the years of struggle worth it. If you are not yet victorious, learn to appreciate your struggle, as the celebration you can have will be even more enjoyable with your challenges still fresh in your mind. If you recently accomplished a great task, be sure to revel in your enjoyment of the moment; there are no guarantees of future enjoyment, so soak up the feeling of pure triumph.
A king stands triumphant in his chariot. It has a blue awning decorated with white stars, but he chooses to stand at the very front of his ride and the view of him is from directly head on. He wears a decorative suit of ceremonial armor – a breastplate, frilled forearm metal and gold belt that has astrological symbols matching the pattern of his kilt. He carries a small scepter in his hand and wears a gold crown with a mounted star floating above his head. Both shoulders have the face of the moon in profile. The front of his chariot is adorned with a winged shield. Pulling the chariot are two sphinxes, a black one on the left and white one on the right. They are in repose. Behind him are the spires of the kingdom's castles under a golden sky.
The king here is in his moment of triumph. He has just arrived from a great victory and is paused to survey his ever-growing kingdom, The sphinxes which pull the chariot indicate a triumph over a foreign land, as Caesar benefitted form the conquest of Egypt. And yet the sphinxes themselves represent the unsolvable riddle. The black and white sphinxes mimic the black and white pillars of The High Priestess card, representing knowledge as a key to victory and conquest being predicated on solving the riddle first. The star on his crown is the star from Tarot Card #17, The Star, indicating he had great hope and inspiration in making his conquest.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Every Tarot reading evolves form cards in the past position through to the present position and on into the future position. The meaning of a card can be quite different in various positions.
When The Chariot is in the past position, you had a triumph in the past that has led you to where you are now. Sometimes, early success in life can leave ordinary good times down the road a little hollow. A good start on life might have given you some material advantages that are creating your current comfort … or dilemma.
If The Chariot is in your reading's present position, you are experiencing a great triumph at the moment. This might be something for which you have wanted for months or years. It might be something that was just handed to you and now you are feeling insecure about being in control. There are often mixed feelings that come with getting what you wanted, as an unease about the change inherent in this transformation makes one lose touch with seeing the possibilities.
The future is the position in which The Chariot card exerts its strongest energy. When this card is in your future, your reading can fill you with confidence that a goal you seek is attainable, a battle for control will be won. This card blesses any reading when it lands in the future position.
Card Combinations
No card should stand alone in your reading. A Tarot reading is a spread of cards that each influence the other cards spread about.
The relationship of The Chariot to The High Priestess is undeniable and underscores the Tarot's emphasis on wisdom being the path to victory. The intuition and confidence of the king is reflected by his relationship to The Star card; The Chariot is #7 in the Tarot deck and The Star is #17. When either or both The High Priestess or The Star are in a reading with The Chariot, your victory is more defined and blessed, satisfying hopes on a profound level.
Cards with the number 7 in them accompanying The Chariot in your reading add to the potency of this card. The Seven of Wands emphasizes the battle you are fighting and its importance in enjoying the fruits of your victory. The Seven of Pentacles slows down a coming victory but only ensures it will be that much more impressive. The Seven of Cups makes the victory of The Chariot one that you have dreamed about, but be careful here, as this reading may be delivering the proverbial too much of a good thing. When the Seven of Swords card appears in a reading with The Chariot, your quick wits will bring an unlikely victory.
There are some cards in the deck that have a core misery to them. When they appear in a reading with The Chariot, their edge is removed somewhat. The Nine of Swords and Death are two cards that have little redemption to them. The Chariot delivers some much needed light and hope to an otherwise gloomy reading.
When any of the kings of the Tarot deck are in a reading that includes The Chariot, you are about to get more control over some aspect of your life than you may need. The King of Swords delivers you control over how people talk about you and gives a consistency to how everyone perceives you. The King of Wands pairing up with The Chariot assures that a creative effort or a project at work or school will garner attention and acclaim for you. The King of Pentacles is an assurance that the coming Chariot victory will be a financial gain, if not a windfall, for you. The King of Cups is a card that signals a mastery of one's emotions; paired with The Chariot and your Tarot reading paves the way for a love conquest of soulmate magnitude. Are you ready for your victory lap?
The Strength Tarot Card
Do you feel a little more in control with less effort than ever? Is it easier than before to maintain your position and engender respect? Has a relationship that might have once been frustrating lately been a source of joy? Has your anger over a situation made you more committed to taking responsibility and working toward positive outcomes? The Strength card is one of the most sophisticated cards in the Tarot deck, representing a higher level of consciousness that takes responsibility in order to master yourself and your world.
Under a golden sky a woman pets a lion on its forehead and lower jaw. They stand on a verdant landscape and the king of the beasts is tamed under the gentle petting. The woman gazes down with a peaceful smile on her face. Her robe is adorned with a floral garnish and she is crowned with a flowery laurel on her head, above which floats a lemniscate (represented as ∞) – the sign of infinity.
The lemniscate is the same as that floating above the head of The Magician (Tarot card #1). This is the symbol of possibilities and self-mastery. The woman depicted here is in the act of soothing the savage beast. She is in control of both her predatory instincts and the chaos of living in the wild. Similar in calm appearance to the Tarot deck's Temperance (card #14), her mastery of the animal indicates that she has conquered more than just herself and exerts a control over aspects in the world around her.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
When a Tarot reader sits down with you and deals out the cards, the spot in which each card lands has a predetermined significance. This changes the meaning of the card. Various positions represent your past, your present and your future. Sometimes the difference in a card's energy based on its Tarot spread location is subtle; often this difference is significant.
When Strength is in the past position of your reading, you can see the basis of your current situation stemming from a mastery of your circumstances. You maintained composure recently and are benefiting from your patience and expertise. Sometimes this card represents a state of boredom in your past that led you to stray from familiar conditions that you felt you had outgrown. Your ordinary world had been mastered and the journey you are now on is based on a desire to challenge yourself and see all that life may have to offer.
In the present position, Strength is one of the best cards in the Tarot deck. You are in the midst of getting to know how to rule your world. You are not domineering in this control. Strength is a card that exerts its control through understanding and cooperation. You are in charge, but others do your bidding because you have made it worth their while and created a joyful context in which all of you interact.
The blessing this card brings in the future position is the reassurance that whatever is pestering you in life now will soon come under your control. Strength in the future position represents a loving dominance of circumstances that may seem beyond your power at the moment. Longtime challenges will be met and mastered if you keep with the path indicated by the cards leading up to Strength. The best part of this card is learned in getting to know and appreciate yourself – the woman in the Strength card has the animal under control, but it is the look of peace upon the lion that gives this card its greatest possibilities. There is no leash or shackle on the king of the beasts – your peacefulness and self-acceptance will arrive because you will see yourself as the world views you.
Card Combinations
Only a few cards in the whole deck are dealt out into your Tarot reading. This makes the reading unique – it is almost impossible to replicate. As cards interact with each other, your reading is subtly influenced; the meanings of each card change depending on the cards around it.
When Strength is in a reading with The Magician or Temperance, as discussed above, there is a greater likelihood that your mastery over events will lead to getting exactly what you want.
There are four cards of the Tarot's Minor Arcana that carry the number eight and each of them are related to Strength. The Eight of Wands represents your ability to stay on message and create new realities within a consistent theme. The Eight of Swords is a card of keeping yourself aloof among all the tension that is about you. The Eight of Pentacles is a card of mastering your moneymaking potential through patient diligence. A commitment to consistency pays off with this card and underscores the control that can be grasped when we aim to control our immediate surroundings instead of trying to take on the whole world. The Eight of Cups signals abandoning what comforts you as you strike out to take on the world, another theme of the self-confidence that is inherent in the Strength card. Any of these appearing in the reading alongside Strength bolsters your control over these specific things in the world.
A great card to see in a reading with Strength is The Tower. This is a card associated with uncontrollable chaos. To have it appear here would mean that your ability to master things around you even extends to the luck of the draw. If you have been feeling like taking a little gamble, be it in love or Las Vegas, this intense Tarot combination is a green light on your road to taking bigger risks when the payouts are even bigger!
The Hermit Tarot Card
One of the more mysterious cards in the Tarot deck is The Hermit. Alone on a hill, looking down into the space below, a white-bearded, hooded figure holds a lamp from which a star spills out bright light. This simple enough illustration indicates a complex situation no matter where it lands in your Tarot reading.
The Hermit card is numbered IX or 9 in the deck. Various tarot decks illustrate the star in the lantern as the six-pointed star of David. Some decks add sparse vegetation to the hillside upon which The Hermit stands, other Tarot artists render it as rocky netherworld. But one thing is consistent, and most important about this card: The Hermit is always alone. This card indicates solitude. The reasons for this solitude may be good or bad, productive or not and the isolation may be caused by outside forces or one's own choices. Just be assured that when The Hermit card appears in your reading, the subject of solitude will be front and center.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
A Tarot reading has a variety of card placements that indicate many things. Most cards represent you or represent people around you – the meaning of the cards change when they are dealt into different positions.
Many women who have just completed high school or college will see The Hermit card in their past. This is a good sign that you studied alone and earned your degree on your own. If you have not been in school or a training program, this indicates isolation from your destiny, being with the wrong crowd or involvement in a negative cult.
When The Hermit appears in the present it indicates that you are alone. If you are in a relationship, you must ask yourself if you are fooling yourself as to the reality of the situation. If you are secure in your relationship, The Hermit could mean there is an abandoned person looking for you.
This is not a good card to see landing in the future position if you are in a good relationship. But there are situations here on Earth always crying out for The Hermit to appear in the future position. For women involved with an abusive spouse, though, for you to become The Hermit will mean being free of your tormentor.
Understanding who is represented when The Hermit card is drawn is a subtler art that a good Tarot card reader will interpret for you. The best way to determine the identity of The Hermit in your reading is to understand the cards around it. There are classic combinations that can catch a cheating spouse or identify who in your life would make a true soulmate. The power of The Hermit card is that through the ritual of isolation, the lantern's light can find a deeper truth about one's own situation.
Card Combinations
There are four suits in the Tarot Deck: Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. Each carries its own meaning. When paired up with The Hermit card, your Tarot reading will reveal why you are lonely.
When The Hermit card appears in a Tarot spread with many pentacle cards, your financial situation is alienating you from those that love you. Rich women are always shocked to find that money cannot buy them love. The Hermit appearing near some Cups cards will indicate that your emotional longing for someone has reached a point where it is alienating possible future love contacts. Too many Swords in a reading will reveal your sharp tongue or angry actions of the recent past as the cause of your loneliness and isolation. You might be right, but you will remain alone until you can be conciliatory.
If there are many Wands in a reading and The Hermit card appears, this is actually a grand opportunity. Your isolation is wakening a creative spirit. Something is awakening in you – something that sets you apart. The transformation is beginning, and being alone in your own element helps you take the most advantage of this. Artists and musicians make their biggest breakthroughs under this reading. If you are feeling like a Plain Jane, seeing all those wands will inspire some private experimentation leading to a grand makeover that makes you sizzle in the public eye.
Tarot cards without suits are part of the Major Arcana. When The Hermit pairs up with a card from the Major Arcana, big results occur. With The Emperor, The Hermit reveals that a domineering male in your life is causing you to shrink from being yourself. With The Empress, The Hermit shows how your studies of the nature of the universe, psychic phenomena and the strength of the soul apart from identity are all rewarding you with a wealth of knowledge to soon share with the world. With The Lovers, look for a breakup to occur. It may be you and a boyfriend, it may be your parents or a couple you admire. This is one of the saddest combinations in Tarot.
The Hermit combined with The Hanged Man card reveals that you are punishing yourself with needless guilt over a situation that others have long ago left and forgotten. It is time to stop fighting yesterday's war. When the Temperance card appears with The Hermit, it is a call from the forces of the universe to curtail your partying lifestyle. Ignoring a warning like this will lead you to a world of isolation from friends, family and the pleasure that a drug and booze fueled lifestyle so desperately seek.
The Hermit Card is best paired with The Star. This is an acknowledgement from the universe that you are on the right path, the path that you were actually put on this earth to follow. Congratulations, your isolation from the daily grind will be a benefit to humankind in the big picture, and the light of wisdom from the lamp of your knowledge will illuminate truth for all you encounter.
The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card
Do things in your life suddenly seem to be moving as if guided by some destiny? Are you at a critical turning point in life or in a relationship? Are you aware that every action taken could result in major changes? Is the sense that you are being swept up in the tide of events and that every movement you make only makes the changes all the more irreversible? Could you ever have predicted the shocking path that recent events have taken? If you are getting a Tarot reading at a time when the whole world seems up for grabs, the Wheel of Fortune will manage to make an appearance in that very reading. Don't be alarmed, though, for the forces of change represented by this card have at their core the ability to reveal to you your purpose in life.
A blue sky with four clouds, one in each corner, sets the scene for this most mystically illustrated of all Tarot cards. In the center is a large bronze disc illustrated with letters and arcane symbols. On the top of the disc there rests a blue sword-bearing Egyptian sphinx staring straight at us. Below him, rising up counterclockwise is a red humanoid body with what appears to be a hairless wolf's head. Heading down the left side of the wheel is a golden snake. Each of the four clouds hosts a winged animal reading a book. There is an eagle in the upper right corner, a winged lion below him, a winged bull in the lower left, and an angel above him. Starting at the top and moving clockwise, the letters on the disc spell: T, A, R, O … with the word TAROT forming when you return to the spot where you started.
The four corners are occupied by the symbols for the fixed signs of the zodiac. Tarot cards borrow illustrations from many traditions and the zodiac is among them. The lion is Leo and the bull is Taurus, the angel represents Aquarius and the eagle is the higher echo of Scorpio. The sense of destiny is confirmed in fixed zodiac signs as these are personality types that hold steady toward the inevitable. The Sphinx on the top of the wheel represents life's riddles. The snake is a reference to the tree of knowledge from which the snake tempted Adam. The red humanoid figure with the dog's head seems like some ominous demon, but this figure represents our shadow side, the inner animal we must confront as we evolve. And so the riddle encircling the wheel is to know ourselves in order to maximize the whims of fortune.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
In a Tarot reading, the cards are laid out in front of you with specific placements. Where a card lands indicates your past, your present or your future.
The past position represents the foundation of where you are now, as past events created the present reality in which you are receiving your Tarot reading. In this position, the Wheel of Fortune represents the big changes in your past that altered the course of where things were going. This could refer to the divorce of your parents, the end of an important love relationship or other equally momentous events in the past that have blazed the trail on which you now walk.
The Wheel of Fortune in the present is perhaps the most momentous placement of any one card in any position in a Tarot reading. Get ready for fate to smile on you and transform the circumstances of your life into a manifestation of your self-awareness. This is a great card to receive in the present position when you have reached a level of knowing yourself well enough to spot the times you are letting yourself down. If you have been taking responsibility for your actions lately, this card in this position reinforces the power that comes with owning your decisions.
The future is also a great place for the Wheel of Fortune to appear in your reading, although the change ahead that it signals could be disruptive and unwelcome. If you are happy with the stability in your life right now, the Wheel of Fortune card in the future position reminds you that this too shall change. How, when and why may be revealed in some capacity by the other cards in your reading, especially those touching the Wheel of Fortune card. If life is tense or uncooperative at the time of your reading, the presence of this card off in the distance of your journey through life should be an inspiring reminder that this too shall pass.
Card Combinations
When you receive a Tarot reading, the many cards spread out all influence each other. The presence of one card can change the meaning of other cards, and they all have an effect on that one card as well.
The Wheel of Fortune is card number 10 in the deck. It is related to card number 20, Judgment, and to card number 0, The Fool. When either of these cards also appears in the reading, a clearer idea of the changes ahead emerge. Judgment represents absolutes coming from the turn of events. The Fool, meanwhile, represents immunity from having anything harm you when the forces of change occur.
When The Emperor appears in the same reading as this card, your relationship with an authority figure will change. When The Hermit is in your reading with the Wheel of Fortune, expect to either be alone soon if you are in a relationship, or to be getting together with someone new if you are single and have no prospects.
The Devil card in the same reading as the Wheel of Fortune indicates that you are going to be paying dearly for pursuing pleasure at the expense of your responsibilities. Temperance is a card that goes well with the Wheel of Fortune, as it indicates the peaceful outcome of change in your life will be beneficial over a long period of time.
If you discuss your Tarot forecast in depth with your Tarot reader, be sure to examine your motivations in the answers you seek. The Wheel of Fortune delivers great things in the areas of your life in which you are the wisest.
The Justice Tarot Card
When it is time for you to do the right thing, make a big move that involves absolutes or to accept responsibility for some of your actions and move on, the Tarot deck will reveal the Justice Card in your reading. There is little you will be able to back out of once you set the course demanded by the Tarot's Justice.
She sits on an unadorned stone seat, wearing the red robes of a servant to the court and a simple crown on her head. Hanging between two gray stone pillars, a cloth behind her obscures a golden sky. In her left hand is a scale, evenly balanced. In her right hand is a sword held upright.
The robe and crown denote her status as a servant above the reprimands of authority but beholden to the law. The scales represent opposing arguments, both sides of the story, the possibilities of what will happen depending on the choices you make. The sword represents the finality of the decision you will make – the sword will cut the possibilities of other things happening.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Each Tarot reading finds cards landing in positions representing your past, present and future. When the Justice card lands in the past position, the foundation of your current situation can be traced to a decision you made a while ago. Be it marriage, divorce, having children or leaving home for college, think as to what it might have been. The choice that you made then was the definite beginning of a new chapter of your life and a severance with your past. Justice does not weigh in on whether you made a bad choice or a good choice. This card only weighs in to certify that your choice indicated an absolute break from the many possibilities life was offering you.
In the present position, the Justice card represents a situation facing you that requires a decision. The card alone does not indicate the specific nature of the decision you are being moved to make. It could be a decision involving your educational future, your love life, the path a good friendship might be taking, the purchase or selling of real estate, taking a particular job – it could be something epic in your life plan or something that appears to be a small decision in the scheme of things. The presence of the Justice card in your Tarot reading indicates that your coming decision is an irreversible one and that your free will in making it will be a force that pours a foundation on which the rest of your life may be setting.
When the Justice card appears in the future position of your Tarot reading, the things that you are working on in your life now are inevitably leading you toward having to make a big decision. We think of many things in life as solid, but no matter how firm they are, most things are fleeting or transitory. The deepest friendships of our youth are affected by geography and the shift of what we choose to do with our lives. These shifts are imperceptibly slow, but it is as if they do not actually change until we notice that they are changing; by then they are too far removed from what they once were to ever be again as we lived them. The Tarot is telling you to get ready for a big change no matter how minor a decision you are about to make.
Card Combinations
The cards that are placed into your reading influence one another. Each card informs other parts of the reading and is strongest in impacting the cards dealt closest to it.
When Justice appears in a reading with The Magician card, someone who is trying to get you to make a decision is misleading you. It is important to get all the facts. When The High Priestess is paired with Justice, someone close to you has all the answers to give you the best advice possible at this time, but you will have to approach this person.
As resolute as the Justice card is in indicating that a coming decision is bound to have an impact, it can be a maddening riddle regarding what the decision will be – is the card indicating the decision to make an appointment for another Tarot reading next month or the decision to move in with your boyfriend early next year?
If there are many cards from the same suit in your reading, this is a good indicator of what Justice is declaring as your coming impactful decision. Pentacles are cards that underscore the material plane. Lots of these cards in a reading with Justice indicate a big financial decision is looming.
When the suit of Swords figures prominently in your reading and the Justice card is present, the coming impactful decision will definitely be announced to those that will be feeling its effects. If the suit of Cups is all over your reading along with Justice, the decision you make regarding a love relationship will shape the rest of your life. A reading that sees the Justice card in the presence of many cards from the suit of Wands indicates that a business or creative decision made soon will have a measurable impact on your career for years to come.
The Justice card has a special relationship with the Aces of each suit. Be it the Ace of Pentacles, Swords, Cups or Wands, the presence of any Ace in a reading with the Justice card gives the decision you are about to make a special blessing – a little luck in your corner as you severe the path to the past and move forward on your journey.
The Hanged Man Tarot Card
Is he in danger? Did he put himself there? How did The Hanged Man get so tangled up? If you are receiving a Tarot reading, The Hanged Man card is a strong message from the universe that the option of surrendering is always open to you. It might, in fact, be the quickest way to a complete and total victory.
A man is upside down. His right ankle is tied to a tree branch and his torso spans the length of the trunk. He is awake, and alertly stares at the viewer. His left leg is bent at the knee, crossed behind his straightened and bound right leg. His hands are not visible and are behind his waist. Most interestingly, he has a halo like those seen in medieval paintings of saints and his long blonde hair stretches downward, obscuring the top of his spiritual crown.
The Hanged Man has put himself in this position and there is no way he can win. And yet, that halo lets us know that he may be about to claim a sizable victory. He was not attacked, nor forced to be where he is, nothing is disheveled besides his hair hanging down due to simple gravity. With his hidden hands, he is not letting us see his manipulation of the situation. His bent leg indicates that he is getting quite comfortable being helpless.
Personification
With some cards in the deck, the question may arise as to whether this card illustrates you (the person receiving the Tarot reading) or if it is a depiction of someone in your life. It is critical for you to be brutally honest about your behavior, your character and your tendencies when discussing the possibilities of a card's personification. If The Hanged Man represents you in your reading, you are being advised by the Tarot deck to surrender, to change course or to let the universe solve a situation without your input.
If this card instead represents someone in your life, you are being informed about manipulations that may be taking place and the overall strategy of a person with whom you are engaged in a battle. The insidious nature of The Hanged Man card personifying someone else in your reading is that you often do not realize that this person is your enemy. The inherent helplessness and seeming victim status of The Hanged Man as illustrated by the card is, fundamentally, a mask about the reality of the situation and the person behind it all.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
A Tarot reading places cards into positions of the past, the present and the future. The Hanged Man in the past position underscores that your current situation began with a letting go, a retreat, a foregoing of pleasure or reward in order to not be controlled by simple temptations. You are where you are now because of a decision to leave things behind or let them all settle themselves. In the present position, you are being urged to avoid conflict. Sometimes an enemy so dearly wants a fight that the way to defeat this person is to deny him or her that one thing that is most deeply desired. To withhold the confrontation is to be the winner in these situations. In the future position, The Hanged Man foretells of a coming battle and advises you to not be seen as an active aggressor.
Although the Tarot deck is hundreds, if not thousands of years old, The Hanged Man card is often drawn when condo association meetings are getting chaotic and disagreeable or when a cranky neighbor is threatening the peace and stability of those around them. The Hanged Man reminds us that the best victories are often battles avoided while an enemy destroys himself.
Card Combinations
As a member of the deck's Major Arcana, The Hanged Man dominates most of the cards around him. Suited cards are often sublimated in the presence of a member of the Major Arcana. When there are lots of Sword cards around The Hanged Man, an argument or litigation is building to a climax and the need to be passive is quite pronounced. Combining Cups cards with this card serve notice that being the pursuer in a romantic relationship will lead to disastrous consequences while being the one on the receiving end of a seduction could lead to extraordinary pleasure.
Pentacles and The Hanged Man are a warning from the Tarot that you might be controlled by greed and that the best way to make money is to follow your bliss and approach material possessions as needs instead of wants. Cards from the Suit of Wands in a reading with The Hanged Man are an indicator that your creative pursuits are in need of work and refinement. People in the creative fields who see this combination are often thinking of signing with a manager or promoter and this is the Tarot deck's way to scream a negative warning about such an agreement. Patience and passivity will bring a better offer and a more honest businessperson may come your way.
The Hanged Man combines well with some of the more nefarious cards of the Tarot deck. When The Devil card appears with The Hanged Man, it may be easy to kick a drinking or smoking habit by going cold turkey. When The Hanged Man combines with The Tower card, a roommate situation will resolve itself and you need not get into a battle. This combination also indicates that accepting a foreclosure of a property and moving on might be the best course of action in a real estate investment gone sour.
When The Hanged Man is in a reading with The Empress or The Emperor, a domineering woman or man in your life is best dealt with by passivity instead of confrontation. Bore the bossy people and they will look for others to boss around. The number twelve card of the Tarot deck, The Hanged Man is the higher echo of the number two card, The High Priestess, a Tarot card devoted to submitting one's self to the knowledge of an all-powerful universe. This submission reaches its zenith with The Hanged Man giving, letting go and letting what is to happen simply happen. Learn more about the connection that The Hanged Man shares with the other cards numbered two in the Tarot deck.
The Death Tarot Card
Amidst the shuffled Tarot deck, there is a card that nobody wants to see. Even though it is misunderstood (as exemplified in The Simpsons episode, "Lisa's Wedding"), the most adept Tarot reader never enjoys explaining to a visiting seeker that their reading has drawn the Tarot's card of Death. Let's face it; this is not a popular subject. And if you feel bad for the poor Tarot card reader who pulls it from the deck, imagine the dread this card creates in the person who receives it in his or her Tarot reading. The most important thing to remember about the Death card is that it represents the coming of many possible types of death, not the physical one whose inevitability we all fear.
Under a slate gray sky, on a pale white horse, a yellowed skeleton in black armor rides across a landscape. Beneath him, one sees a dead body laid out, a corpse whose crown has fallen from its head. A small baby and an adolescent girl kneel at the hooves of the marching horse, not fighting their fate. A bishop in ornate robes stands praying, but from the viewer's vantage point, we see he is in the path of the horse. The horse's bridle is leather and adorned with skulls. In his right hand the skeleton holds the reins and steadies the horse ahead. In his left hand he carries a mast; its flag is black with a white five-petal flower blooming. Off in the distance is a lake or sea with a large warship, its giant sail most prominent, but still almost a speck. The sun is setting at the card's far right. It is perfectly aligned between the two watchtowers featured in The Moon card.
There is little redemption in the scene depicted on this card. The people are dead or dying. Neither surrender nor prayers seem to help. The triumphant flag is to be planted as a flower on one's grave, cold and colorless. The warship off in the far distance lets us know that the littlest incident in our past may have led to this current state of utter immolation. The horse's leg is raised in a slow march on a certain path, so nothing there will be spared.
But there is some good news:
The sun has not completely set
This is an indication that the sweeping changes surrounding you are providing some opportunity. Changes that cannot be stopped are ones that can at least be harnessed and from which you can benefit.
The sky is gray, not black
Tarot cards that feature black skies are the ones that give us no way out. The gray sky is one of neutrality. The powerful and permanent changes that are taking place might adversely affect you, and they might not. If change is not your enemy, you may not mind the change symbolized by the Death card that is on its way.
The skeleton is looking outward, but not directly at the viewer of the card
This is not a card that signals "your" death. It is a card that signals a definite ending, an absolute transition and an elimination of much of the past. It is the death of the way things have been, but you will be around to be part of the new order of things.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Your Tarot reading is divided into sections: your past, your present and your future. Where a card lands affects what it means to you and to your overall reading.
Death is probably best in the past position. This indicates that you have gone through a wrenching change that involved loss and a helpless inability to do anything about it. Whether it was a childhood scar or a recent breakup, this card here is solidified as no longer being able to capture you. It may be the concrete foundation on which your present situation rests, but it is most definitely not a surface that will come back to haunt you in anything other than bad memories. The permanence of what happened is lessened in power by the finality of it all.
In the present position, this card indicates that you are paring down to the minimum to deal with a massive change in your life. You may be breaking up or under great duress. You might be worried about your job and out of touch with the world around you as obsessions about the economy become preoccupations. You might be involved with a foreclosure or other tragic loss of personal property. One thing about the Death card is that it is impossible to fight. You might want to consider accepting the fate that has occurred and seek to work within it today for a happier tomorrow.
The Death card landing in the future position is ironic in that we are all going to die. But in the near-term future, this is more an indicator of the impending death of a close friendship or previously strong relationship. If you have a secure job, check again. Perhaps you should start reading up on business websites to see if your company is financially strong and economically sound.
Card Combinations
Your Tarot reading features a few cards from the deck interacting precisely to ensure that cards influence each other.
Death is a powerful card. It is hard to mitigate the absolute changes it delivers, but other cards in the reading can give specifics in regards to where the changes it has in store will most likely affect you.
The Empress card is the most closely allied with Death. She is card #3 and he is card #13. She represents abundance, he represents plight. When she and he are in your reading together, look for an unexpected windfall to have more disastrous consequences than benefits. Learn more about the connection that Death shares with the other cards numbered three in the Tarot deck.
When Death and The Hermit card appear together, your feelings of frustration center on the end of a good time in your life. These feelings are compounded because you have been left alone and unable to properly cope with overwhelming transitions. This card pairs well with The Tower in that you are at least assured that you did very little to cause all of the endings in your world. You do not have to take responsibility for the weather nor for acts of a divine nature.
The Moon is an intense complement to Death because its twin towers are pictured on both cards. A point in life may be reached where you are so emotionally disrupted that you need to make radical changes in your world. The combination of the Moon's emotional hunger and Death's transformation drives many people to finally make that great change in their lives, be it to end an abusive relationship, quit smoking or move to a better part of town. The Moon signifies the emotions of many years finally bubbling over like hot water in a boiling pot. The Death card makes that change actually occur.
The Temperance Tarot Card
Do you see both sides of an argument? Can you lead adversarial parties toward a middle ground? Have you recently discovered the value in sharing control? Is your recovery something that has brought you to a happy medium in life? Are the days of excess behind you? The Temperance card is the Tarot's way of indicating that peace will not be arriving, because you already have it within you. When you are in that even place away from the harsh side of things, you will find that peace, and in unleashing it, exert the greatest amount of control over your world with the least amount of effort you could ever imagine.
An angel with large feathered wings stands at the water's edge of a lushly landscaped pond. Her right foot is dipped into the shallow water. Her left foot stands firm on the ground. On one side golden lilies blossom from out of the greenery. On the other is a path leading from the pond all the way through a verdant landscape to far-off mountains, toward a bursting yellow sunrise. The angel's gold crown and yellow hair pulsate with a halo. Her white robe has a golden triangle in a white square embossed in the center of her chest. In each hand she holds a golden chalice and she is pouring water from one to the other, her gaze fixed on the stream of her own design.
This card is linked closely to the cards before and after it in the Tarot deck, serving as a buffer between uncontrollable destruction and self-destruction. The card before it is Death, #13, featuring a gloomy sunset indicating that things have ended for good. The same sunset on the right side of that card is rising here on the left side of this card. The card after it is The Devil, #15; the winged angel has transmogrified into a winged devil and the two chalices here are two enslaved pleasure-seekers. The Tarot's sophisticated pace gives us the peaceful respite that only an oasis can bring. Everything in this card speaks of balance, equity and repose. The golden triangle is an ancient symbol of healing. That stream of water between the two cups is the act of finding the right balance between two sides, giving everyone their fair share. With all the gloomy drama surrounding this card in the deck's natural order, there is a healthy dose of serenity throughout this illustration.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Each Tarot reading features an examination of your past, your present and your future. Specific locations in the reading lock the card that lands there into a description of one of these time frames.
When the Temperance card lands in your past position, there is a foundation of calm in your world. Your childhood had a peace to it that has lent itself to ensuring that the ever-maturing present is never too rattled. This could also be an indicator of an incident in the recent past when you showed a great degree of integrity and character in a situation that you could have easily tilted to your advantage.
In the present position, you are finding common ground in a dispute. This is a great card to appear if you are going through a divorce and custody battle. You can feel confident that, moving forward, things will be equitable despite past disagreements. We often cling to our more extreme positions out of a fear of what life will be like were we to move toward the mainstream. Temperance insists that in abandoning extremism, you will actually be happier, will not miss the past at all and may find a greater degree of acceptance for who you are and what you believe. The stubborn side of your character will be replaced with tolerance when Temperance appears in the present position.
This is one of the most welcome cards in the Tarot deck when it is in the future position. No matter how tense your struggles are now, or how forgettable your past may appear, the future is a sunrise of peace and wellbeing. If you are ill at present, this is a great card, reflecting stamina and physical health are on their way. Many people seek a Tarot reading as entertainment, but almost as many seek it in times of great crisis. Tarot readers delight in seeing the Temperance card in the future position as they get to give their client great news about his or her days ahead.
Card Combinations
When the Tarot cards are dealt out, the group speaks as a whole. The presence of one card will influence the other cards. Certain cards match up well and change each other's meaning a little … or a lot!
Temperance (Tarot Card #14) is most closely related to The Emperor (Tarot card #4). Whereas The Emperor card exerts control from an inherited position of leadership, Temperance effuses a self-control that has been learned and earned. When The Emperor appears in a reading with Temperance, a mastery of your passions leads to a major career breakthrough. Learn more about the connection that Temperance shares with the other cards numbered four in the Tarot deck.
When The Tower is in a reading with Temperance, your self-control is challenged by events in the outside world that you could never have planned for. The forces of chaos will take you out of your normal day-to-day existence, but will you really be that rattled?
The Nine of Pentacles is a card that complements Temperance. This is the card of being blissfully enraptured with material success to the point that you may not see how it has entrapped you. With Temperance, the wisdom to leave behind excessive behavior produces a material security without the obsession for big spending.
The Three of Wands is a card of wanderlust that is aided by Temperance in any reading that occurs before you begin setting out on an adventure. You will have a fun time without it being so wild that it risks your personal security.
When your reading features The Star accompanying Temperance, look for a great dose of artistic inspiration to lead you in a creative direction. You can accomplish quite a bit under the energy of this reading, especially if you are in the middle of a project for work or are working toward a college degree. The Star inspires, but we can often dissipate this energy with partying and casual effort. Temperance delivers the diligence to manifest a great result out of a good idea.
The Devil Tarot Card
The Tarot deck has many high points and some low ones as well, just like life in general. There is no finessing card #15, The Devil. It is not a good thing to get this card in your reading, with the exception that it may be the confirmation you need to end a dysfunctional relationship. The core of this card is a negative relationship that you have with someone or something. It might be a lover or a boss. It might be marijuana or alcohol. It might be a friend who you knew was a bad influence and yet you deepened the relationship. This card carries all of the negativity surrounding the twin terrors of addiction and codependency. Toxic substances, toxic relationships and our deep denial about the depth of our situation conspire against us. The Devil card says your only hope is to abandon the current state of hopelessness.
No mistaking who that is perched on a stone pedestal. It is the beast himself. This man-beast has bat wings, ram's horns, a grotesque hairy goat-like face, a shaved obese chest and hairy animal thighs that turn into talon-like claws that grip his pedestal. The background behind him is black as he raises his right hand as if to administer an oath and lowers a lit torch with his left hand. A metal ring is bolted to the concrete pillar he calls home. A woman and a man are chained to this ring. The chains are leashed onto their necks. The woman and man are naked and stare straight ahead.
There are other symbols that may or may not appear in the particular Tarot deck from which you receive your reading. The astrological symbol for Mercury may be tattooed on the Devil's belly. The symbol for the planet Saturn may be formed in the lines of his open right palm. There may be a pentagram floating above his head or tattooed onto his forehead. The words "Solve" and "Coagula" may be emblazoned on his right and left arms respectively. In some illustrations of this scene, the woman has grown a leafy tail while the man has a tail with flames at its tip.
The Devil's appearance is nothing short of that of a beast. The core point of interest is the chained man and woman. Their nudity is a metaphor for pleasure-seeking and shamelessness. The chains indicate that they are prisoners of a lifestyle of their own choosing. The Devil is simply a metaphor for the thing to which they have surrendered themselves: addiction, anger, lust, interpersonal emotional games disguised as love, etc. The Devil does not sit on a throne, but rather clings to an unadorned small pillar. The glamour these two pursued was an illusion all along. The Devil appears to be administering an oath, indicating that most people willingly go into serving the thing that enslaves them and build a loyalty to this vice. The many symbols that may or may not adorn The Devil in your Tarot deck all underscore the severity of servitude and the ruin caused by surrendering love to materialist and sensualist pursuits at the expense of all else.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
When your Tarot reading begins, cards are placed in locations that have specific meaning. Your past, present and future are signified. Some cards are stronger in different positions than others.
When The Devil card is in the past position, your dealings with a domineering person or situation are over and done with. The foundation on which your life operates has the experience of this intense relationship at its core, but you have new structures in your life from which to operate and excel. It is good news to have The Devil in the past position. The chains have been broken.
In the present position, this card's appearance is your wake up call. You are hooked into something and may not even realize it. It could be the mindset of being a victim, or it could be the need to have a buzz before facing the day. You are being held back by something that you willingly embraced, at least initially. Perhaps your once great lover has become an embittered hater who takes out his resentments on you with verbal abuse. Whatever the case, The Devil card here acknowledges that a terrible connection in your life right now is chaining you down from being whom you truly are.
In the future position, this card is a warning. You are setting up structures in your life that are attracting people who are users, takers and not good for what you hope to accomplish. The Devil in the future position looms as something that can be minimized or avoided if you work hard to spot the areas in your life in which you lie to yourself in order to just get by or get along. A rigorous self-examination is needed in order to move forward with confidence in the beauty and value of life.
Card Combinations
Cards that join together to make your reading also influence each other. They can change each other's meaning ever so slightly. This combining of energies is what makes your reading unique.
The card with the closest relationship to The Devil is actually its opposite: The Hierophant. This card represents surrendering to the greater good and to the established order. When these two are in a reading together, the tension will be whether chaos or order reins supreme in your life.
Most other cards of the deck add a better definition of who The Devil in your life may be. The Lovers card combined with The Devil indicates an affair. The Chariot indicates your pursuit of victory will destroy everything in your life – this combination is particularly terrible to receive if you are in litigation. Combined with The Empress, The Devil card indicates that someone to whom you are attracted is too closely associated with bad people to ever really trust.
One card that minimizes The Devil is The Fool. This card puts you in a safety bubble as you move through life interacting with people whose agenda is destructive. Even the Tarot has insurance cards!
The Tower Tarot Card
Has a big change of plans occurred? Are you getting a Tarot reading because some unexpected event has completely changed your life? Has your world turned upside down? Was a steady part of your life recently destabilized in dramatic fashion? Is change happening too quickly for you to hold on to something? If so, the tower is influencing events and has appeared in your Tarot reading. This card is the Tarot's way of acknowledging that the rapid transformation occurring in your world is due to forces beyond your control. Be it a stirring of Mother Nature or the impact of someone else's economic decisions on your life, understand that these are circumstances with which you had little if any influence over.
Centered amidst a black sky, lightning strikes a stone tower. Flames erupt from the top of the tower and from out of the building's windows. There are two men falling out of the tower. Both are falling headfirst, one diving forward, the other falling backwards, neither in control. The tower itself is on a craggy cliff and the men appear to be falling even further past the foundation of the building. Atop the edifice, a giant gold crown has been dislodged by the thunderbolt and is being lifted up and off the top of the tower. Billowing clouds of gray smoke are everywhere.
Neither of the men in the illustration have done anything to cause the destruction and chaos in which they have become enveloped. All measures were taken to be isolated from war, pestilence and disease by building a remote tower. And yet calamity still struck. The men are in different positions to indicate that the effects of the radical change that is happening will not be equally distributed. Some will barely survive while others will thrive. Many Tarot decks illustrate one of these men as wearing a crown and the other man dressed in attire more likely to belong to a peasant. This is to illustrate that these sorts of sudden, intense events do not take one's wealth or status into account. The disruption of the crown atop the tower itself symbolizes that it is the end of an era. The crown is moved only when a new king is about to be crowned. One era ends, another era begins. The Tower card means that change all around you is more likely to be of the permanent kind. Any attachments to the past that you have will only hurt your fall when you land in the new way the world will be.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
After the Tarot deck has been shuffled, your reading consists of a few cards dealt out into specific positions representing your past, your present and your future.
The Tower is one of the only cards in the deck that has energy that always belongs in the moment. While most cards confine their energy to the position in which they land, The Tower is about the here and now no matter where it falls in the Tarot spread.
In the past position, The Tower indicates that the upheaval about to happen has its roots in the past. Was there a long-simmering feud a few months ago that could suddenly erupt again? Is there something that has been in need of repair that has undergone maintenance with the intent to overhaul? Well, the overhaul needed in the past is about to happen whether or not you are ready for it.
In the present position, anything goes with this card. Relationships, jobs, financial circumstances … any situation could be affected. The chaos unleashed by The Tower in this position usually affects one area of your life, but the affects are thorough. You may lose a job, but your love relationship will grow stronger as a result. You might get dumped, but you will get an easier work schedule that boosts your pay. Juxtapositions of absence/abundance are inevitable.
When this card is in the future position, there are no surprises to the coming chaos. You can already see the writing on the wall and the decimation of some structure in your world takes place quickly and totally. When this card appears in this position, the future is days, perhaps hours away. It is not the future of next month that the reading presents.
Card Combinations
When you receive a Tarot reading, the cards that are included do not speak as independent voices. Every card carries a subtle influence that combines with the other cards in your reading.
When The Tower appears, it dominates like few other cards. But the other cards in the deck can reveal a bit about the forces that are unleashing the changes around you. If it is combined with The Emperor card, the actions of the government are causing the sweeping changes you feel. If your reading features a pairing of The Star and The Tower, your intuition will guide you to a better place and you will ultimately see the quick shift in your world as a good thing.
The High Priestess in a reading with The Tower means your avoidance of certain realities is to blame for part of your world crashing apart. Of course, doing too much can be just as much to blame if The Chariot shows up in a reading along with The Tower. Sometimes micromanaging can ruin a perfectly good thing.
The Tower is symbiotic with The Lovers card. The Lovers is Tarot card #6 and The Tower is #16. The Lovers reveals that pure love is unavoidable and that we do not know what causes it, just that it is a completely transformational energy that brings us together. The helplessness of this situation is echoed in The Tower, but this is a card primarily of dissolution. When these two cards appear together in a reading, you are really twisting in the wind, at the mercy of a fate determined by others. The best advice here may be to start your life all over again. The Tower is a structure. If the structures you have built in your world cannot handle disruption without collapsing, perhaps it is time for new structures in your life.
The Star Tarot Card
Are you in a calm state and feeling hopeful? Have you felt that giving more of yourself and your resources would help make the world a better place? Are you inspired toward a new creative path, be it artistic, spiritual or entrepreneurial? Have you turned a corner in feeling sad and are starting to see some hope in a long-term situation? The Star is a Tarot card that will appear in your readings when the glimmer of hope is about to shine, when your generosity of spirit is making an impact and when your peace of mind has elevated your consciousness to the benefit of those around you.
Under an illuminated night sky, a nude woman is outside, kneeling on the grass at a pond. Her foot stretches forward onto the water. Holding a clay pitcher in each hand, the woman is pouring water from one out into the pond in front of her. She is simultaneously pouring water from the other onto the green landscape at her side. The water landing in the pond forms concentric ripples. The water hitting the grass forms streams in every direction. In the sky are eight stars, each with eight points. Central to the composition is a large golden yellow star. It is surrounded by the seven smaller white stars on either side. Under this light, the woman concentrates on the pitcher she is pouring into the pond, while the pitcher she is pouring onto the grass is just as precisely releasing its water.
The unclothed woman represents both purity and vulnerability. The pitchers are symbols of potential and this scene of the woman releasing their contents underscores how The Star card rewards those who are generous at this moment in their life. When we give, we create energy – represented here by the ripples and the streams. The gold star dominating the scene lights up the night in a magical way that the sun never could. In this starlight, vulnerable and pure, giving and genuflecting, the woman will see the world so differently that it will inspire her to create something that is different. This inspiration to create is the manifestation of hope that is the core energy released by The Star card. When we have hope, we have something to live for, somewhere to move towards, someone to love – even if it is ourselves.
If there is a downside to all of this, it is that The Star card is a quintessentially impractical card. The idealism expressed in all of this card's symbols is not solid enough to assist one to feed a family or earn a living. Remember that The Star is otherworldly – the concerns of this world are not arranged in the same priority. A fantastic inspiration is something that has no basis in reality. We must work to incorporate our visions of how the world should be with the reality of the way the world is.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Every Tarot reading assigns a meaning to the place that a Tarot card lands. If a card were to be dealt sooner, it might land in the past position, later and it could be in the future position. Some readers mix up the order, but the present position exists to hold the past and future positions together.
When The Star is in the past position, it refers to a good idea you had that began a series of events that led to your present circumstances. If you are in a good place right now, you can thank the intuition and improvisational skills of The Star. If you are feeling lost, the impractical side of this card took you to a place that did not fit in well with everyday realities. Maybe The Star inspired you to pursue your dream of being an artist, but that led to an overpriced art school that did not teach you any new skills. The Star may have left you broke and in debt with all of your hopes for success now expressed in complex philosophy instead of brilliant masterpieces.
When The Star is in the present position, you are on the precipice of making big plans. A new idea of where to take your life has dawned. You may be feeling like you want to contribute to better the planet and humanity. Your idealism about a relationship and your partner will be especially strong now. You may want friends to take notes about how they feel when looking at your situation. You would never take what they wrote seriously now, but in the near future, after the light at the end of the tunnel blinks off for a moment, you can consult what they wrote and see it in a more objective light. People close to you will give you truth that will be hard to handle in the moment but will be valuable reference material soon enough.
In the future position, The Star beckons for you to keep hope alive. You will figure out a solution to any current crisis and will soon be immersed in devising your exit strategy for maximum success. This card is especially lucky in this position. Flirt with abandon around an available, attractive catch. Ask for a raise. Take a chance.
Card Combinations
Cards in a Tarot reading do not exist independent of each other; the cards joining this or any other card in a reading all influence the meaning of each other.
The Star is connected closely to The Chariot card, as they are numbered #7 and #17 respectively. The rider of the chariot wears a crown containing the same stars illustrated in The Star card. If these two pair up in your reading, your idealism will find a manifestation in the world to great success.
When the Ace of Pentacles is in a reading with The Star, a casual inspiration could become a profitable venture. If you have any business acumen, this is one of the best card combinations in the entire Tarot deck.
The Lovers card combines with the Tarot to make you quite blind to any faults that your partner may possess. This blind support could be what he or she needs to become the best match for you. When The Star is in the same reading as The Hermit card, your excitement is hard to share with anyone. Artists and musicians who live in isolated areas that are not familiar with new expressions see this combination often. Another card with a similar outcome is The Magician, although the inspiration it represents puts you in the position of being in control of delivering the vision you have. You will most definitely convince a few people.
The Moon Tarot Card
Have you discovered an unfamiliar yet beautiful new reality? Are you feeling disconnected to the values and traditions with which you were brought up? Is an alienation from the norm creeping into your life? Have you been talked into something that only last year you would have considered preposterous? Are you aimless in your goals and ambition? Has an artistically inspired streak of creativity suddenly appeared out of nowhere? All of these brooding outsider tendencies call forth The Moon card from the Tarot deck when you seek a reading to show you the way.
In the middle of the night, the Moon appears low in the sky. It is full, rays of light emanating from it, and yet, there is a contemplative face in profile taking up almost half of one side. The landscape under the Moon has a dirt path in the center leading off into the hills. There is a dog and a wolf, one on either side of the path. In the foreground there is a body of water into which the path leads. A lobster crawls up out of the sea, its front claws touching the start of the path. On the far left and right of the card at the beginning of the darkened hills are matching stone obelisk watchtowers.
Everything about this card presents two possibilities. We only see half of the surface of the Moon, and the profile of the face is only half of it. The towers match, but are on opposite sides of the card. Is the path leading to the lobster or is this crustacean merely starting the journey into wisdom … or oblivion. The dog and wolf represent our animal nature and the lobster is near the bottom of the evolutionary ladder, behind the dog and wolf, just beginning to understand that there is a path to higher consciousness. The watchtowers represent the mysteries of good and evil and how they may appear quite alike, and that we discover them as we grow walking down the path of consciousness. We grow into distinguishing good from evil. The Moon can inspire insight as easily as it signals the presence of great confusion.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Every Tarot reading is divided into three sections: the past, the present and the future. When a card lands in a particular position, it tells your story from this time frame. If The Moon card shows up in the past position, look for a recent period of confusion to be to blame for your current strife. If you had a great inspiration and manifested it into art or expression that helped you cope, The Moon inspired you to find order amidst the chaos. You made the best of your past as you could, considering the circumstances, and can look back on those days as having been fruitful rather than a cause of anything negative.
When drawn in the present position, you may be getting so many mixed signals from the outside world that your turning to a Tarot reading is a seeking of some clarity, some answer to all the confusion. The world around you may be different and the structures that have long comforted you are suddenly absent. The temptations of alcohol, drugs, meaningless pleasure seeking, gambling and other escapes from reality are all too real. The Moon represents falling out of touch with reality. However, it also represents a chance to better yourself by not believing in the false assumptions that we all agree to within societal norms. Instead of following the path that you are told will get you somewhere (the path that has at present left you lost), The Moon signals your opportunity to create your own structures; a life from your own imagination and design.
In the future position, The Moon can be a harbinger that you will meander away from what is important in your life and follow a hobby or vocation that is a different path altogether. This could signal a coming spiritual awakening, or your joining of a small religious group. Be on guard for the vulnerability that all new converts feel as their path toward spiritual enlightenment meets with manipulative individuals. The Future position is great if you are in a creative field; this reveals that afflictions of boredom such as writer's block or attention deficits will soon be forgotten as a rush of inspiration fills you and you have a new muse to follow.
Card Combinations
A Tarot reading involves a collection of cards, not an individual card. No card is an island. Your reading will have cards influencing each other, slightly changing the respective meanings and delivering a unique message for your situation.
When The Moon is in a reading with the Strength card, both of these cards have the number 8 as their base. Strength is numbered 8 and The Moon is numbered 18. The two of these cards in a reading together propel you to fight for a vision you have of the way things should be.
When paired with The Hermit card, your isolation is causing you to lose touch with the enjoyable things concerning our day-to-day existence. When paired with The Hanged Man, your need to be in control has alienated people and left you to run your enterprise all alone.
The Moon is a good card to have in a reading with The Wheel of Fortune, as it confirms that your losing touch with reality is actually your understanding of where the world is going and you already being there. The thing that you enjoy that seems weird to everyone today will be the norm in six years. Likewise, The Chariot delivers a rousing victory to your vision of the way things could be.
When paired with The Magician or The Devil, there are manipulative or destructive people in your life who are taking advantage of you without you realizing the price you will eventually have to pay for associating with them.
The Moon card is surrounded in the deck by card number 17, The Star, and card number 19, The Sun. Either of these appearing in your reading with The Moon will make your higher consciousness a thing of valuable insight for your journey ahead as well as for those around you.
The Sun Tarot Card
Have you been feeling revitalized? Have you been the center of attention lately? Are you getting an award soon? Are you making a breakthrough in understanding the patterns of a relationship? Has a recent victory given you reason to be confident? Look towards The Sun's appearance in your Tarot reading as an indicator that everything is going in the right direction for you. When you are feeling at your best emotionally, physically and psychologically, The Sun confirms that it is no illusion – things really are going well!
A white horse is at the forefront of this card. Although there is no saddle or riding gear attached, the full-grown animal carries a rider. This passenger is a naked baby, wearing a crown of flowers with feathered plumage and carrying a pennon flowing in the air. We are witnessing the moment of unveiling. Behind the horse is a gray brick wall that serves as a planter. Large blooming sunflowers sprout from within. Behind it all is a cloudless blue sky dominated by the sun. The rays of the sun surround a serene face within the yellow, light-giving disc itself.
There are many things going on during this moment of unveiling. The Sun is a card that indicates the universe is conspiring in your favor. The horse represents being taken along on your journey with less effort. The baby is a rebirth into a new phase of your life. Consider this as more than a simple victory; this is a mastery of much of what is before you. To underscore this, the baby is as naked as the day it was born: welcome to a new you. Perhaps you are starting over. This is a card that indicates that your good choices are adding up to create a great life. The sunflowers represent the affect that you are having on others. Sunflowers always face the sun; people are watching to see what you do in order to emulate you – they consider you to be a paragon of success. Dominating the illustration is the sun itself. The face on the sun is an illustration of your higher mind. This is the concept of blending a built-in knowledge of your purpose in life with your intuition on how to maximize this purpose. The serene face of the sun in this card reflects the peace you are at when you know yourself.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Your Tarot reading is divided into sections. Each card is dealt into one of them. The sections are: your past, your present and your future. The meaning of each card can change depending on where it lands in the reading. Sometimes the changes are subtle, but with some cards the change is drastic.
No matter where The Sun card is in your reading, it is a good thing. When it appears in the past position, you can look at the foundation of who you are as an optimistic, take-charge person whose charisma and vitality help you make the most of all situations. The card in this position indicates a fundamentally wonderful childhood. If there are any negatives it is that you may miss those days gone by and focus on what once was rather than what is and what shall be. The Sun is also a card of solitude. You shine greatly and can inspire people as you get ahead in life on your terms, but you are often by yourself. In the past position, you may have started off on your present course inspired but alone.
In the present position you have everything to gain with this card. You can get exactly what you want and are the center of attention in doing so. Little can be lost and consequences are few when you reach out to take what you want. If there are any downsides to The Sun card being in the present position, it is that secrecy is almost impossible. You must operate in a transparent manner. Everyone should be able to see what you are doing in order for your integrity to never be questioned.
In the future position, the outcome to your current situation will see you coming out ahead. This is not just a card indicating a win; you are on a path leading to enlightenment.
Card Combinations
Every Tarot reading consists of a unique combination of cards. The few cards pulled from the deck are parts of the whole; each has an influence that changes the meaning of every other card just a little.
The Sun is closely aligned with The Hermit. Where The Hermit is alone and carries his light (representing enlightenment) in a lantern for his own use, in The Sun card, the light is an inspiration for all to see. The Hermit is numbered #9 and The Sun follows it as Tarot card #19. Consider the old man in The Hermit card to be at the end of one phase, and the baby in The Sun card him reborn into a new phase of his life.
When The Sun is in your reading with The Chariot card, a victory is at hand that will be big news, catapulting you to a higher social standing. If your reading features The Sun and The Lovers card, your current relationship or one that will soon arrive will be the central force of good feelings in your world. When paired with The Moon, your intuition is high and can lead you to the right person for help on a project. If The Sun is in a reading with Temperance, you will be an example to many by what you do without. If The Sun combines with any Ace card in your reading (Ace of Wands, Ace of Swords, Ace of Pentacles or Ace of Cups), look for a big improvement in your mastery over a specific area of your life that has up until now been troubling you. Sunlight is the best astringent in cleaning up an old house and The Sun is the best Tarot card to enlighten you on the direction your life must take.
The Judgment Tarot Card
Are your days of sitting on the fence done? Have you found a reason to keep living? Are you feeling refreshed and looking forward to moving on? Has a casual interest turned into a dominating philosophy of life that you are pursuing as your true calling? Are you able to brush aside the ambiguities and obfuscations of the past and clarify exactly what it is you have been through? When the Judgment card arrives in your Tarot reading, it is time to take a stand as the hardest choices become obvious after the simplest of appraisals.
The top half of this card is a depiction of an angel blowing his horn. In most Tarot decks, his large wings are astride wispy gray and white clouds out of which his arms extend to clasp a large golden horn, upon which he is pressing his lips. Attached to the musical instrument is a square white flag with a red cross. The illustrated lines emanating from out of the trumpet indicate that Gabriel is blowing his horn. Beneath him, the graves of the departed have all opened and the dead have begun to rise. The landscape is an almost monochrome blue-gray in contrast to the red wings, the fiery orange and yellow hair and the colorful horn and flag of the angel above.
This is the scene of the last judgment as described in many mythologies. In the end times, the archangel Gabriel will blow his trumpet and summon the dead to rise. They are about to meet their maker and discover whether or not they are to spend eternity in heaven or in hell. There is an absolute nature to the final judgment of legend that is imbued in the Judgment Tarot card. When this card appears in your Tarot reading, be assured that absolutes are about to take place.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
When you receive a Tarot reading, the cards are pulled from the deck and placed before you. The pattern of cards is divided into three areas of meaning: your past, your present and your future. Landing in one area can bring out select parts of a card's true meaning and will be subtly different from an appearance in a different area.
When Judgment appears in the past position, you made a big decision to go along with one way of thinking. This might have been in your youth or it might have been a few weeks ago. This card does not guarantee that you made the right decision. Your current foundation rests on having taken a particular path and the results of this decision may be the reason you are seeking a Tarot reading. Regardless, you may be defining who you are by the decision you made in the past to follow a certain calling. Now you are taking stock of where you are in your life in relation to where you want to be because of that big move.
In the present position, Judgment is reflecting your internal conflict about making a big decision. The finality of this choice is quite apparent to you, even if it seems small to others and is perhaps even dismissed by those close to you. The presence of this card can give you little guidance over your choice. While many Tarot cards have a sense of inevitability about them, the Judgment card in the present position is powerful in that your free will is on the line here. All this card represents is that the decision you are about to make is, in fact, an epic one.
An especially powerful placement of this card is the future position. When Judgment is here, the murkiness, guilt, burdens and misery are about to go. A coming incident will allow you to finally see the possibilities. It will be like you have been a ghoulish zombie in a graveyard of your own creation and the sudden blowing of a trumpet will pull you out of your stupor and give you a second lease on life with a definite sense of purpose and an obvious direction.
Card Combinations
When your Tarot cards are dealt, they do not stand alone. They speak as a group. The presence of various cards has an influence on what other cards in a reading will mean.
The Judgment card is numbered #20 in the Tarot's Major Arcana. It is most closely related to the other two cards that end in zero: The Fool (card #0) and The Wheel of Fortune (card #10). The Fool looks at every decision as meaningless, The Wheel of Fortune divides up the times in our lives into ups and downs and Judgment completes the themes by calling us to a most critical juncture in order to move on. The cards ending in zero make the evolution from ambiguity (represented by The Fool) toward the universe having a random impact on our lives (The Wheel of Fortune) and finally to our personal decisions and the weight they have on our own destiny (the Judgment card). When either The Fool or The Wheel of Fortune is in a reading with Judgment, the road you choose will have a lifetime of positive reinforcement about it.
When Judgment pairs up with The Hermit card, a relationship that is in the final stages will result in a productive period of being single. The opposite is true if The Lovers card is present in a Tarot reading – combined with the Judgment card, a marriage or live-in commitment is in the works.
When the Temperance card is combined with this card, a decision to quit drinking or doing drugs is imminent. The step of sobriety is a giant leap epitomized by the Judgment card and made possible by the Temperance card. When the Five of Swords is in a reading with Judgment, a decision to go at it on your own has at its roots a desire to spite an old acquaintance or family member. Independence will not be as you imagine. When the Ace of Swords is in a reading with Judgment, expect to give an interview, legal testimony or lecture that has a profound impact on the lives of many people. While this could be a highlight in many peoples' lives, a moment that carries such import is almost an ordinary occurrence in the routine of a schoolteacher.
Judgment's impact does not portend that this is a unique occurrence that can happen only once in a lifetime – the presence of this card may mark one great turn of events in your life, but you are just as likely to have many others, as you are none at all. The card carries no weight as to how often a big change might occur, only that its impact is absolute and influential.
The World Tarot Card
Do you feel fulfilled? Have you completed a grand project exactly as you had planned? Are you reaping the benefits from your labor and beginning to live your dreams? Do you feel in control of a relationship that is mutually beneficial to the both of you? Has that joining together created wholeness in your life that you longed for? If these and other feelings of involvement and completion dominate your life, expect to see the highest numbered Tarot card of them all appear in your reading: The World.
Floating in the center of a blue sky is a nude woman, wrapped in a scarf that covers her pelvis and flaps behind her shoulders and below her feet. She holds a baton in each hand and has her hair braided tight and bejeweled. A luscious laurel wreath crown surrounds her, its green leaves wrapped at the top and bottom by a red cloth band. In each of the four corners of the card is a portrait. A man in the upper left looks in profile over at an eagle that returns the gaze. In the lower left a bull and across from him is a lion, both staring your way. Each of these is illustrated with a billowy light-colored cloud as their backing.
The woman is dancing in the abandonment of complete victory, surrounded by a victor's crown. The wreath is the equivalent of a trophy: in ancient times, chariot race winners would be crowned with the laurel. The lack of any solid ground on a card called "The World" might seem ironic, but the illustration depicts the feeling that you get when you have conquered your world. The four faces in the clouds represent the fixed signs of the zodiac (Aquarius the Water-bearer in the upper left, Scorpio's higher status as an eagle in the upper right, the Taurus bull in the lower left and the Leo lion in the lower right) and relate to similar depictions on the Wheel of Fortune card. But whereas they are depicted as golden statues on that card, here they are made much more personal with distinct, lifelike portraits. From an illustration of random chance that the Wheel of Fortune foretells, The World card confirms that the highest achievements are being met.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
Each Tarot reading assigns a position to every card that is dealt. The card lands in an area designated as representing your past, your present or your future. A card's meaning might subtly change depending on where it lands in your reading.
When The World card is in the past position of your Tarot reading, the foundation of your current situation stems from having accomplished something great earlier on. Perhaps this was marriage or a job promotion. You may have served your community well to the point that everyone now takes pride in what you contributed. Regardless of whether this peak accomplishment happened long ago in your childhood or just last week, there are two important things to take from the card landing here: The foundation upon which you currently stand is deeply rooted in this past sense of completion and … the moment of fulfillment has definitely passed and you are wise to no longer live in the past.
In the present position, this card is a powerful affirmation of a climax upon which you are treading. To dream is a natural state in all humans, but to live your dreams and see them manifest is actually not an ordinary state in which to exist. No matter how much you are getting what you have always wanted, there could be lots of anxiety in your life because this situation is so abnormal. To always want and then to get what you want puts you in unfamiliar territory. The reassuring nature of this card in this position should underscore that you should be careful not to sabotage your recent gains out of anxiety. Stress occurs when the happiness caused by this state of contributing to the world with the best talents you have suddenly seems so new to you.
In the future position, this is the card that insists you must keep your dreams alive. You may be questioning your own ability to put all of the energy necessary into your dream. The World card landing in the future position of your Tarot reading is a green light from the universe to race forward with confidence in the beauty and value of what you have to offer the rest of us.
Card Combinations
Every Tarot reading is based on a grouping of cards. A reading is not comprised of analyzing each card individually. The presence of other cards in the reading influences the energy that a specific card has. The Tarot reader puts these subtle shifts in meaning together for you.
The World, card number twenty-one in the Tarot deck, is one of three Tarot cards with the number one in it. The Magician is card number one and the Justice card is number eleven. Having either of these two cards appear in a reading with The World makes for a powerful release of energy. With The Magician, you are able to get others to buy into your vision of the way the world should be. With Justice, the way the world works manages to work out for you in a spectacular fashion.
The four Aces of the Tarot deck are also considered to be a lower echo of the energy possessed in the cards of the Major Arcana bearing a one. If the Ace of Wands shows up in a reading with The World, a creative solution unlocks a long-held dream. If it is the Ace of Cups, you will be given a new level of emotional satisfaction. If the Ace of Swords appears, you are convincing and your words will carry weight with the right people. If the Ace of Pentacles combines in your reading with The World, money solutions are imminent.
Because the Tarot is considered cyclical, the fact that The World card is numbered twenty-one and no card is numbered any higher does not give this card any rank over other cards. The Fool is numbered zero and is considered to follow The World in the ongoing cycle. If The Fool is in a reading with The World, you are on the right path to total control and total freedom.
