ToGeoff andto Adriana,inlovingmemlr), ,withloue,

The h{ew CompleteBook of

A stey-by-step guide to reading thecards

Foreword by
T'

LIZ L;reene
ffi

TulietSharman-Burke

mhEffiph6

B O O KP U B L I S H I N G

ACONNECTIONSEDITiON This edition publishedin Great Britain in 2007 by ConnectionsBook Publishing Llmited St Chads House,l48 Kine's Cross Road LondonWClX 9DH vwwconnections-publishing.com Text copyright O Juliet Sharman-Burke 2007 Card illustrationscopyright @Giovanni Caselli2001 This edition copyright O EddisonSaddEditions 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmaybe reproduced, storedin a retriwal system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwisecirculatedin any form ofbinding or coverotherthan that in which it is published, andwithout a similarcondition beingimposedon the subsequent publisher. The right ofJuliet Sharman-Burke to be identified m the author ofthis work hasbeen asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designsand Patents Act I9BB. British LibraryCataloguing-in-Publication dataavailable on request.

rsBN978-I-8s906,2r5,9 3579r0864
TheComplete Book of Throtwasprevtouslypublishedby PenguinBooksin the UK and St.Martins Griffin in the US. Phototypeset in Albertan and Cochin using QuarkXPresson Apple Macintosh Prinredin China

COlVTEI\TTS
H o w t h eT h r oW t orks................ 2 . l. . . . Getting to KnowYour Cards......... 23

PART ONE 27

PART Tw.O 67

PART THREE IOl

PART FOUR T43

I:; toRead t h eC a r d s. . " . . , . ........ , . 1 4 4 - :. Fir.e-car do r s e s h o.e H ........."..I46 l : . . C e l t i cC r o s s . . , . . . . . . . . . . . ." .. .. . .I . 49 - : - : S t a rS p r e a d ......I53 \:::s on YourOwn Readings .....170
- ^li,rorrnhr' 1.7 ,..,..,.,..,, . 5

T h eT r e e o f L i f e. . , . . . . . . . , , . . . , , . . . .I. 5 . .6 ..... Further E x a m p l e. s. . . . , . . . . . . . . . . , .I. . 6 .. I. . . F i n a lE x e r c ie s s. . . ". "......." . . . . . . . . . .|.6 . .9

A b o u t t h eA u t h o r . . . . . . ." .. .. . . . .".... . 1 . 76 Acknowledgement .s . . , . . . . . . . . , . .1 , ,7 ,6 ..

Foreword

n the early 1980s there were few books availableon the Tarot.Juliet l[ lL Shrr-rn-Burke, an experiencedThrot teacher, respondedto her students'requestsfor a correspondence course by creatingone,which was Bookof Tarot,Therearenow around then transformedinto The Complete thirty million referencesto the Tarot listed on internet searchengines, linking the interestedindividual with interpretations,history both factual and imaginative, newly designed decks of cards, and, of course, books.Most of thesebooks have a brief time in the light and then vanish into oblivion.The CompleteBook of Tarothas remainedpopular for the most accessible, and least'docsimple reasonthat it is one of the clearest, trinal' of all the many works on these enigmatic cards.Whatever the reader'sspiritual views, The CompleteBookof Tarot addresses the fundamental experiences of human life in a language whlch both the Throtreaderand the individualwith little knowledge of the sophisticated qards can utilise to shed light on the profound underpinnings of meaning in everyday existence. The cardsJuliet used to illustrate the original edition of the book were designedby A. E.Waite in 19 I 0. For many decades thesebeautiful imageswere perceived as the'authoritative'modern deck. But Waites involvement in Rosicrucian and Theosophical studies infused his creation with a very specific form of spirituality, and the cards did not 'speak'to those unresponsiveto such an approach.ln 1986 Juliet and I designed a new deck with an accompanying book, called The Mythic Tarot.These cards use the narratives of Greek myth to illuminate the But psychologicalpatterns and conflicts of everyday human existence. The Mythic Tarot'sbreak from tradition neededto be bridged by a deck that appealedto those who still find the older images evocative, Juliet then designed another,more traditional deck, which draws from both Waite s imagery and older decks such as the fifteenth century VscontiSforza cards.It is thls new deck, sensitively and beautifullv illustrated
'-6-

rr Giovanni Caselli,which illustrates The New CompleteBook of Tarot. The best of all worlds is thus presentedin this new edition of the book, o hlch provides both an inspirational and eminently practical path into :hesemysterious imagesthat have intrigued both scholars and seekers :rr over five centuries,and will no doubt continue to do so for many cenluries to come. Ll: CnEENE SrprltrasnR 2006

-7-

Introduction

his book is intended to give you a comprehensive understandingof the Tarot as well as encouragingyour own study and involvement in the learning process.You maywant to study the Throt in order to interpret the cards for others;or you may wish to use it as an aid to personal qrowth and development.Ihope that you will wish to do both. This book has developedout of manyyearsof teachingThrotin work, shops and by correspondence, so my personal method and style have been reproducedhere as much as possible. For instance,l have included 'quided fantasy'exercisesbecauseso many students have found them useful in both the memorizing processand in gaining a deeperpersonal knowledge of each card. Because reading the Tarot relies so heavily on the reader's intuitive and interpretativeprowess, it isn't an easysubjectto teach.However,I don't believe that any special clairvoyant or psychic powers are neededin order to becomea sensitivereader. All of us have natural intuitive powers,and readingthe Tarot is certainly one good way oiheightening and developingthesequalities. The exercises are designed to stimulatethe imaginationand,in turn,the unconsciouspo\riersof intu. ition. I also found that the idea of the Fool's journey through the Tarot (see 29,69 and 7?3),incorporating pages myrhs and legends, caughtthe students'imaginationbecausethey felt able to relate it to their personal stages of growth. The Tarot imagesare archetypal so the message of each card will touch some aspectof everyones life, and in learning ii you are ableto take a fresh look at yourself. The Tarot is madeup of seventy-eight cards.The deck is divided into ls-enty-two Major Arcana (or Trump)cards and fifty-six Minor Arcana cards. The Major Arcana cards are easily distinguishable by their unusual namesand imagessuch as the The Fool,The Magician and The Empress. The remaining fifty-six cards are divlded into four suits,rather like our modern playing cards. They are named differently though \\ ands,Cups, Swords and Pentacles- and, unlike playing cards,each
-8-

Introduction

.uit has four Court cardsconsistingof King, Queen,Knight and Page. In :he older decks,the Minor cards have no pictorial images, which makes :hem quite complicatedto learn; however, the Sharman-Caselli deck that Giovanni Caselli and I createdin 2000 and which is used for illustration in this book, has imageson all the Minor cards,which is helpful for :cqinners(see 22). page I designedthe Sharman-Caselli deck drawing on imagery from two ;lassic decks:the 1910 Waite deck,which becameextremelypopular partly becauseit was the first deck to use pictures on the Minor cards, thus making it more accessible; and the Msconti-sforzaTarot,which is cne of the earliest decks, dating back to the midfifteenth century. In 1984,1 co-designed TheMythic TarotwiLhmy good friend and colleague Liz Greene,in which we combined the traditional meaningsof the cards u-ith storiesfrom Greek mythology.Our intention was to help make the f rocessof learning the cards easierby using a storyline upon which to rang the divinatorymeaningsof eachcard,Both The lt4ythicTarot andrhe -qharman-Caselli deck are psychologicalin orientation and use the idea --fthe Fool'sjourney through the stages of hfe as a backdrop,drawing on :he notion that as humans we sharecollectiveexperiences that are arche:r pal and are all reflectedin the Tarot. A number of authors have approached the Throtfrom a psychological roint of view; particularly focusing on the ideas of the Swiss psycho'collective unconscious' "nalyst Carl Gustav Jung,whose theory of the 'nd the four functions of human consciousness arevery pertinent to the Iarot, aswe shall seeaswe go along.l, too,have followed |ung s thoughts --n stagesin life: during the first half of life, concernswith outer life and the development of the personality are paramount, as is searching for nappinessand meaning in the materialworld; during the secondhalf of ,ite,we turn our allention towards the inner world, searchingfor mean-nq within rather than without. In order to make the Fools story of psvchologicaldevelopmenteasierto follow,l have slightly changedthe numerical sequenceof the Major Trumps. There is considerablecontro\-ersyamong Tarot experts over the numbering of the Major Arcana as the earliestdecksweren't numbered and many didn't even have a name;

Introduction

they just bore the pictorial image.The eighteenth-century occult revival was in fact responsiblefor much of the rectified numbering(see page7Bl. The Major Arcana of the Sharman-Caselli deck echoesthe old style, so the cardshave titles but no numbers. Another relatively modern innovation is that of reading significance into reversedcards.This is a practice to which I do not personally sub, scribe as,in my opinion, reversalscan end up being more confusing and baffling than informative, for each Tarot card carrieswithin its upright position both positive and negativepossibilities. Broadly speaking, reversals show the opposite meaning of the upright card, but I believe that both possibilities - along with the surrounding cards in the spread should always be taken into account. I feel that reversalscan act as straightjackets, offering just one solution.For instance, if an upright card 'optimism', reveals its reversedmeaningwould be'pessimism', But I feel that optimism and pessimismsit side by side,not at opposite ends,and both possibilities should always be considered. However, I would encourageyou to experiment for yourself at all times, to discover the right path for you. There is no right or wrong way; the most important thing is that you find your own way. The cards act as springboards from which the intuitive por /ers should start working, and feelings and ideas evoked by the images are therefore the final touchstone for good divinatory interpretation.The better you get to know your cards - and using the guided fantasy and other exercises describedlaterwill help a greatdeal- the more your intuitive powerswill be heightened,and the more sensitivea readeryou will become. If, initially, you immerseyourself in the storiesof the cards,they will filter through into your unconscious so you'll find that you are able to interpret the cards intuitively rather than needing to refer to the book lo discoverwhat eachcard means. As the old saying goes, the more you sow,the moreyou will reap. I have divided the book into four sections. The first three explain the cards in detail,and eachends with somesuggested exercises. The fourth section concentrateson interpretation and describeshow to conduct a reading.Ihaveincluded a number of samplereadingsto illustratepossible -10-

Introduction

style and interpretation.The book has been arrangedin such a way as to The weave together the learning processand the path of self-discovery. Major and Minor cards are mixed togetherin each section to encourage equal interest in both, for what often seemsto happen is that the twentytwo Major tumps are learned first, and, as they can be used quite successfullyon their own, the task of learning the other fifty-six cards tends to get put off. This is a pity becausethe Minor cards are an extremelyvaluable addition to the Tarot,asyou will seeaswe go along.lf .'ou follow the sections in turn and complete all the exercisesas sug' qested,you will be surprised at how quickly and naturallyyou will come to grips with the ancient art of Tarotreading.

- 11-

The Origins of the Cards

{lmost as fascinating and mysterious as the Tarot cards themselves / \ is the mystery surrounding their historical origins and purpose. while it is true that the Tarot was, and still is, used as a game,it is also clear that the human love of playing gamesexists alongsidean equally human desireto understand and revealthe unknown. The Tarot can be used as away of gaining knowledge and insight regardingthe past,present and future.Indeed,gamesare an interestingmodel for life - the cards we are dealt involve a certain amount of luck but howwe play the hand is up to us.whether the Tarot cardswere originally designedas a game or a symbolic system for divination, and whether the Major and Minor cards were designed separately(and,if so,when they came together)is still ambiguous,even after much researchand debate. Arthur E. waite, himself a significant figure in the Tarot'shistory,wrote in the prefaceof Le TarotdesBohtmiens,'The chief point regardingthe history of the T"rot cards,whetherused as pretexts for fortune telling or as symbols of philo. sophicalinterpretation,is that such history doesnot in fact exist,'l Although there are many books on the possibleorigins of the Tarot, written by historians for academicpurposes and lovers of Tarot alike, there is still no definitive answer.Many different theoriesexist as to the Tarot'sgeographicaland philosophical roots - its beginnings have been attributed to Italy spain, southern France,the Far East,the Middle East and Egypt, among other places- and many of thesetheoriesare fascinating and compelling. Indeed,it is part of the Tarot'srichness that it has elementsin common with so many differenr countries and their myths and legends;the possibilities are as interesting as whatever the reality might be,so I will touch on a few of them here. some writers have speculated that the cardscomefrom India and that the Minor Arcana refer to the four castesof Hinduism: Cups to the
i Encausse, G6rard,'Papus', le TarotdesBohtmiens,paris.lggg

* 12-

TheOriginsof the Cards

priests or Brahmins; Swords to the warriors or Kshatriyas; Coins or Pentacles to the merchantsorVaisyas;and Rods orWands to the serfsor Sudras.The Major Arcana has been ltnked with Buddhism: the Fool could be thewandering monkwhose path of enlightenmentparallelsthe path taken by the Tarot Fool. Moving to Europe: a monk named Brother Johannesof Bredfeld in Switzerlandr wrote an essay in 1377 describinga gameof cards that out. lined society'sstructure,He declaredthat he was ignorant of when it was invented, where and by whom, but he suggestedthe cards portrayed kings,noblemen and commoners, and could therefore be used for moral purposesto map out a society and its structure.It could then teach people the lesson of knowing and keeping to their place. The suits represented the classes of society:Cups for the church; Swords for the aristocracy;Coins or Pentacles for the merchants;and Rods or Wands tor the peasants. Staying in Europe: evidenceexists from a court ledger of King Charles Vl of France stating that money had been paid to Cringonneur for three packs of cards illustrated in'gold and Tacquemin diverse colours ornamented with many devices',which sound suspiciously like early Tarotcards. The Throtfirst appeared in the formwe knowit in ltalyduring the mid iifteenth century.Richard Cavendish suggeststhat the Tarot Trumps may have emergedfrom the prevailing Renaissance background,which was of 'instructional, interest in the use of pictures as magical and mnemonic devices.'2 The Renaissance humanists believed that the profound wisdom of the ancient world - a blend of Pythagoreanism, Graceo-Egyptian gnosticism and Hermetic and Cabalistic teachings- underpinned manydifferent spiritual and esoteric traditions. Cavendish postulates that imagery drawn from this background found its wayinto the Tarot Trumps. Another theory put forward by JessieWeston in her book From Ritual to Romance3 is that the Tarot emblemsof the Wand, Cup, Sword and Pentaclewere connected with the four Grail Hallows or sacred
. f i f l e r .R o g e r . P I a v i n ga r d s . O o o p u sB o o k s , C I973 - Cavendish, Richard,The Tarot,Michael Joseph, 1975 i Weston,Jessie. (firstpub, 1920),Anchor Books,]957 From Ritual to Romance

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TheOriginsof the Cards objects found in the Grail castle of Arthurian legend.An interesting combination of Judaeo-Christian symbols and mysterious Celtic images emerged in the Grail romances,which appearedbetween 1IB0 and 1200, and took European culture by storm.Ltke the trot, the Grail leg, ends reflect a path of personaldevelopmentand integration that makesit clear they are not merely storiesbut are symbolic of the processof striving towards selfawareness and illumination.Weston proposedthat such arcanewisdom was a secretof the fourteenth-century Knights Templar who were believed to be privy to the inner mystery of the Grail. The Tarot suits and Grail Hallows couple thus: The Lance of Longinus, the Roman centurion who was said to have piercedChrist s side as He hung from the Cross. Cup The Grail itself,said to be the cup used byJesusar rhe Last Supper. Swono King David's legendary Sword of the Spirit referred to in the Old Testament. Pniltncre The Platefromwhich the Last Supperwas eaten, WaNo

The four Grail Hallows could be seen,in turn, Lohave descended from the Four teasures of lreland,the magicalemblemsof Celtic myth. These treasureswere said to have belonged to the pre-Christian Celtic gods known as the Ti-ratha de Danaanor the Peopleof the GoddessDanu. The chieftains of the Tuatha were expectedby their people to maintain wellbeing and prosperity of the land through their supernatural powers, Four magicaltreasures, the Spearof Lug, the Cauldron of the Dagda,the srvord of Nuada and the stone of Fal aided the gods in this. Thesefour treasuresshow striking similarities to the four Grail Hallows, and, in turn, io the four Tarot suits. \\ lro The Spearof Lug is named after a supremelyversatilegod who

.r-asknorvn among his people for being'many skilled'.Legend goesthat

1,4 -

TheOrigins of the Cards he presentedhimself to the Tiratha de Danaan,wishing to join :::=:r. he was asked to state his craft. Lug replied,'Carpenter',and was : '.". informed that the Tiratha alreadyhada carpenter.Lugaddedthat he -^',s also a smith, and was told they already had a smith, too. Lug then .:-:.:unced that he was not only a carpenterand a smith, but also a war:- --:.a harpist,a historian,a poet,a sorcerer, a hero and many other things :"-.rJe.Each post was reputedly alreadyfilled, but when Lug demanded : --inow whether the court had a single memberwho possessed all these .<-,1s, it seemed they had not, so the triumphant Lug was finally admitted :: r-rin the Tuatha de Danaan.When we come to look closely at the :1.,,-our'ofeach suit,we will seehow admirably this tale fits in with the .:it of Wands and its element. fire. - , i The Cauldron of the Dagda,meaning the All-Father, could never :'. :mptied, and no-onewas left with his hunger unsatisfied.The Dagda -..-s known as the nourisher of all his people,and his inexhaustiblecaul:::n not only fed the hungry but was even able to bring the deadback to '::. This treasureis connectedwith the Cups, and their element,warer. S .'.ono The deadly Sword of Nuada, King of the Tuatha,wasso power,:- that, when unsheathed,no enemy could ever escapeit, The suit of S-"ords,often associated with strife and battle,connectswith this treas-::. The Swords'element,air, fits well as it is the element that seeksto .:nCthe inescapable truth. i.rltcLn The Stoneof Fal,the coronation seatof Irish Kings,was said -'i.r

:: cry out loud when sat upon by the rightful King of lreland.The stone --: St Columba, a cross-patterned stone found in old Celtic churchyards, >:emsto have connectionswith the Stone of Fal,which,like the stoneof -<t Columba, was found floating magically upon water, The Siege ?trilous is the Arthurian equivalent of the chair in which only the true :liqh Prince could be safely enthroned. This treasure combines the --rthy with the magical,both qualities attributed to the Pentaclesand re ir element, earth. -15_'

TheOriginsof the Cards

If we take each element and suit as representativeof a psychological function, as conceived of by Carl iung, we can elaborateon the basic energiescontainedin eachcard.Let us look at eachsuit, elementand psychologicalfunction in turn.

Wnds-Fire-Intuition
Fire is the energy that,in psychologicalterms,is called intuition,lt is the spark of divine creativity,the feeling of inspiration and inner certainty that forms an important beginning for the whole creativeprocess. Fire is the faith in one's ability to have'brainwaves', and to be able to make something out of a passingthought or daydream.Intuition is connected with the imaginationand theworld of creativefantasy.However,without the other elements- water, air and earth - to balance and stabilize this energy,it's possible that the creativity may tizzle out through lack of form. Associations to the motifs of flames, salamandersand positive colours of red, orange,and yellow will help you to identify the element and its message.

Cups-Water - Feeling
Water symbolizes the feelings and emotions that give depth to the cre. ative urge represented by fire. W'hereas fire is active, masculine, life-giving power,the energy provided bywater is passive, feminine,nurturing. Water representsthe feelings and emotions thit are constantly shifting expression.ln the suit of Cups, the water elementseemsto refer mainly to relationships and personal life. When working together,the suit and its element deal with inner experiencesand realities that are emotionaland thereforeillogical and volatile.ln the same way that uncontained fire may burn out of conlrol and become destructive, so uncontainedwater may overwhelm and end up drowning that which is most valuable within, The themesof fish, mermaids,streams, rivers and fountains help identify the element of water, as do the sofi colours of watery blues and pale pinks.
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TheOrigins of the Cards

S w o r dsA i r - T h i n k i n g
l:. swords, the suit traditionally connectedwith strife and difficulty, :::resent the element of air. Air and intellect seek out truth and logic, -:- J the cutting edgeof the thought processdepictedby the Swords can ;-,:e through deceptionand illusion even though this may sometimes be :"intul. However,if things are seenand understood,and even accepted, ::-.n choicescan be made and decisionstaken. Thinking is an essential - .-nctionwhich we use to sort out muddled emotions;the more confused t. become,the more we need the sharp edge of the Swords to cut ::-:rugh to the truth. The design of birds and butterflies as well as an =:iphasis on cloud formation run through the Swords as a memory ::-:me. The cool colours of ice blues, greys and pale mauves act as a :.ninder of the airy element.

- Earth- Sensation Pentacles

E-rth is a symbol for our bodies,our physical being and our physical :,.eds.The earth itself provides the firm basefrom which we can gro\ /. ::cm the intuitive conception of an idea (fire), through its emotional -rportance (water),testedby the intellect (air),the earth finally provides - :ontainer for the idea to develop into reality.The elementearth is the ='sential baseon which foundations for creative,emotional or intellec:.r"1ideascan be established.These can be made solid and brought to ::ncrete form through the'earth-planeor sensationfunction. The sym:.rl of the five-pointed star,which is engraved on each pentacle,is a :::asicalglyph symbolizing the earthy magic that is found every day in --rr bodies,in nature and in our world. The themes that typify the ele:rent of earth are small animals,flowers and fruit, which all signify the -"rths bounty. The colours are greens and browns, reminiscent of the :atural world. \lore recently,Tarot expert Paul Huson has painstakingly tracedthe orilins of the four suits of the Minor Arcana, via the surviving Mamluk
*17-

TheOriginsof the Cards

decks of Egypt,to the heraldic symbols denoting the four virtues and that the four carof ancient Persia.lHe suggests the four Mazdean castes dinal virtues of Prudence,whose emblem is a circular mirror, Justice, who carriesa sword, Temperance,whose symbol is a cup, and Fortitude, who carriesa rod or wand, can be linked with the four suits of the Minor Arcana, namely Pentacles, Swords,Cups and Wands. Thesefour virtues also appear in the Major Arcana: The Hermit as Prudence; Justice; Temperance; and Strength as Fortitude. Huson also locatesthe figures of the Major Arcana in the mystery and miracle plays that were popular in ihe Middle Ages, Mystery plays were supernaturaldramasor sacredhistoriesthat were playedout before followers of Christianity. The play would start with the birth of a hero, follow his life, then chart his death or descentinto darknessto retrieve This might be in the form of a loved one or even the hero's sometreasure. own life. The hero must struggle in the dark before winning the prize and returning to life or the outer world in triumph. Of course,the life, death and triumphant rebirth of Jesuswas the play most popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, but such miracle plays had their roots

Among such playswere the in the mysteryplays of ancientGreece.

Eleusian mysteries,which celebratedover two years the abduction of the birth,life and violent deathof Persephone , her restorationto Demeter, impregnation and Dionysus' rebir.th as lacchus, Dionysus, Persephone's god of light. Although the Tarot made its first documented appearance in RenaissanceItaly in the fifteenth century, it enjoyed a major revival in the eighteenthcentury,when French occultists claimed its origins to be Egyptian. They declared that it contained the purest doctrines of Egyptian priesis,who were said to have concealedsecretsin the images of the cards to protect and preservethem from the uninitiated. They put forward the theory that the cards had been brought into Europe by gypwho were then believedto have emigratedfrom Egypt. The pioneer sies, in this school of thought was Antoine Court de Gebelin, a clergyman
1Huson,Paul, (iigins of theTarot,Destiny M7 stical Books, 2004

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TheOrigins of the Cards ; :r \\-as deeply interestedin the secret lore and doctrines of ancient i:-' pt. This subjectenjoyedfashionableattention at the time, alongwith :-- kinds of other esotericand occult matters. court de Gebelin thought ::-: Tarot images of the Major Arcana were remnants of the Book of l:.:th, and wrote a highly acclaimedbook entitled The primitiue world -\',.,iitsedand Compared with theModern wbrldr in which he connected ':-= \lajor Arcana with secret beliefs and traditions of ancient Eygpt. -\::ording to court de Gebelin, the ancient custom was to stand in the :=::'plesof Thoth,whose walls were adornedwith pictorial imagesrepre;::rting the major forces governing the patterns of life. The person *.-.hing to consult the gods would throw a loose bundle of rods at rani--n, and as they fell with varying emphasis towards one image or ;:::ther, the priests would interpret the patterns,which were known as --::r..'ords of the gods'.out of tht custom grew the practiceof carrying :-: imagesaround in card form,'the unbound leavesof the sacredbook --: Thoth Hermes tismegistus'.ln this way, consultation with the gods :.::ame much lesscomplicatedand any room could be turned into a tem:-.. simply by producingthe pack of cards, In the nineteenth century,a French Rosicruicianand cabalistEliphas r :r-i stressedthe apparent link between the twenty-two letters of the H.trew alphabet and the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana, The \laror cardswere renumberbdto fit into this cabalisticsystemand many ::rlern packs follow the numerical order of this time, The letters of the iiebrew alphabetwere said to connectwith the twenty-two paths of the ::'nalistic Tiee of Life, which, among other things, illustrates how the .:rld cameinto being through the ten divine emanations or spheresthat ::rrespond to the Minor Arcana cards,Ace to Gn. The four suits were ::nnected with the Hebrew letters of the alphabet,Y-H-V-H, which ::noted the greatname of God, The letterswere in turn connectedwith =-;h of the four elementsthus:Y, fire and the suit of wands signifies the ::ritial spark of creativeenergythat is neededto start any project or living ::ring; the first H, water and Cups adds emotion and feeling to this
J:urt de Gebelin,Antoine.Le Monde Primitif Ana\st et Compar'e auecle Monde Moderne,

: : : s .1 7 8 1

-19--

TheOriginsof the Cards and Swords,standing for intellect and power of thought, is added,the energy and emotions remain unorganized' The stands for the operation of making the end final H, Earth and Pentacles product real in physical terms by giving it structure and form, In the late nineteenth century, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn gave the Throt an important position in its teaching and has proved to be a major influence on subsequentattemptsto interpret the cards,Although the order only lasted a couple of years,it neverLheless exercised a lasting effect on subsequent magical groups. The Golden wisdom whose secrel went back to the Rosicrucians, Dawn s anceslry had its roots in cabala.Their teachings included alchemy aspectsof Graeco,EgyptianGnosticism and magic.Arthur Edward Waite joined the Golden Dawn in 1891 and devisedtheWaite deck drawn byPamela Colman-Smith,which is one of the most popular decks around today. Otherwell-known membersof the order included the notorious magician Aleister Crowley,who alsodesignedhis own Tarot deck,and.W B'Yeats, who was fascinatedby the use of Throt cards to explore mysterious worlds and evokevisions,a technique taught bythe Golden Dawn. Today the Tarot is used for divination but also for self,illumination and exploration; a systemthat has been around for at leastfive hundred years yet shows no sign of ageing.Indeed, its popularity seemsto be increasing,but it's not losing any of its mysterious appeal.More new decks are being designedall the time, and many of the oldest ones are being rediscoveredand printed, while researchcontinues into the hiscards. tory and originsof the enigmaLic

process,butuntilVAir

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How the TarotWbrks

he riddle of why the Throt cards work lies wirhin the mind of the readerrather than in the actual cards.The images act as mirrors, t :---h offer a reflection of unsuspectedknowledge burled deep in the -:-::nscious mind. Rachel Pollackt saysthat while ancient people spoke 'other --i ::e worlds' or the 'lands of the gods',today we speak of the ':-:rnscious'. She points out that the underlying experienceremains:a :=.-n of being inwhich time doesnot exist and knowledge is not limlted :-- ::e images received from our senses. The Throt works as a bridge :t::.\een our conscious and unconscious knowledge. Answers and i:-,'o-ledgeariseout of the unconsciousthrough dream,fantasyand intu.:-::, and,when sensitivelyread,the Tarotcards stimulatethis intuition. Paul Huson2, a respectedTarot authority, suggeststhat learning the :::"nings of the pictorial imageson Lhecards can be comparedwith, or :.--'sibly even arosefrom, ancient memory systemsor'ars memorativa', ]: Greeks invented an art of memory systembasedon impressingupon ::-= mind a sequence of imageswith a parLicularsignificance, to improve :::mory recall.This methodwas passed on via the Romans, and was used - ireat deal by medieval monks.ln the days when books were rare and -,'sth, student monks were obliged to memorizelengthy tracts from the few i-. .iiable books and manuscripts.To aid their memory,they used pictures or .:.cially arranged symbols aroundwhich to focus eachsectionof the text. l:: material would be mentallyfiled away, as it were,under the'heading'of :::: particularimageor picture,in the back of the studentsmind,whenever . :rrticular chapteror tract neededto be retrieved, the student would simply ---oxat the appropriate key image, and the knowledgewould automatically -,-ne forward to his conscious mind.This systemwasusedto memorize :-iiqious creeds, and the practiceof following the stations of the cross -: Catholic churches is an exampleof this systemstill in use today,
::.-:ck, Rachel.Seventl-EightDegrees of Wisdoin,The Aquarian press,1983 ' ::s,.n, Paul.TheDeuil s Picturehook. Abacus.1971

*2r-

How the TarotWorks

However,the monks did not include one specialpractice,which had been a central part of classical memory systems.This was a Greek method of approaching gods called the'enlivening'of the imaginarion, behevedto bring additional mysterious benefits as well as an excellent memory.During the Italian Renaissance,when the Tarot first emergedin the form it retains today, memory systemsstartedto include associations with magical talismans, amulets or pictures,which it was hoped would reveal the deeper meanings behind the whole of creation.Meditation upon theseprofound imageswas intended to raise an individual's consciousnessbeyond the mundane and the trivial in order to achieve a connectionwith the divine. In many ways,learning to read the Tarotworks in a similarway to the 'ars memorativa'. Using the imageson the cardsto enrich and enliven the imagination,the readergains a special insight into the cards and their meanings. By learning the symbols on each card in this way,the associations will spontaneouslyreveal themselveseach time a card is laid out. The Tarot imagesact like mirrors, reflecting things that the unconscious mind already knows, and feeding this information through to the conscious mind. Those images are powerful archetypes that can identify relevant associations with unexpected accuracyif left to their own devices. The imagery on the Major Arcana of the Sharman-Cabellideck, which is used to illustrate this book, uses colour and symbolism to aid understanding of the cards,but you will notice that various key images keep recurring. For example,the colours white and red represent the opposition betweenintellect and emotion,while the frequent appearance of two pillars reminds us of the continual tension betweenthe opposites of youth and age,day and night,life and death,masculine and feminine. The Minor Arcana uses key colours to alert the readerinstantly to the elementsof each suit: reds and yellows for the fiery Wands; soft blues and pinks for the watery Cups; ice blue and grey for the airy Swords; and greensand browns for the earthy Pentacles. By the sametoken there are recurring symbols, such as salamanders and flames for fire, fish or mermaidsto signifywater, birds and butterflies for air,andfruit and animals to representearth, -22-

Getting to Know Your Cards

etting to know your Tarot deck is a vital part of Lhe processof f \Junderstanding the Tarot,Although the Sharman.Casellideck is ::: j to illustrate this book, the divinatory meaningswill work with any :::i. so you should choosethe pack you like best.The imagesneed to i::.al to your personal taste and senseof style and colour, for the pic:-::s must be impressive enough for you to turn them into 'mind :r-::Jrs'. The old superstitionthat buying your ov/n pack is uniucky can :t s;teiy ignored.The most important thing is that you feel at homewith -.--rr cards; they should be hke old friends, intimate and familiar - this :,-.-not be achievedwith a pack that youVe been given. There are hun::=ls of decks to choose from, from the traditional fifteenth-century -.-,,-onti or the woodcut Marseillesdeck,to the rnoremodernwaite deck, :.-:--uqhto the imaginativedecks like the Mythic Tarotor the Arthurian --::t. It is well worth taking sometime to decideyour preferenceas,once ',': -r startworking with one setof images, it's difficult to switch to another. Having chosen a deck, examine the images carefully: the exciting ::-\ess of getting to know the cards is just beginning. Tieat your cards ;'-:h respect;treasurethem as something special to you alone,and try :-,-i to let other people handle them casually,Some readerskeep their :':Js in a little box; others wrap them in a cloth.I use the traditional :-';k silk square,which was believedto keep the cards neutral and pro:::t them from negative energies. whether or not you believe this, the :."1 importancelies in the care and effort you take in making and keep. :-; a relationship with your cards.Anything we treasure takes on a .:ecial significanceand this appliesto your Tarot cards. \lany Tarotreaderspreparefor a readingusing a method of relaxation .-i:h as a seriesof breathing exercises. The rhythm of deep breathing :.,ares the body and, in turn, the mind, so that the intuitive powers are -:re to come to the fore.It is helpful to work out, and stick to, a prepara:,-n-routine,which will help you to distinguish your individual style, -23*

Gettingto KnowYourCards

It is important to use imagination and fantasy to get to know your cards and interpret their imagesso thai the intuitive levels of the unconscious are stirred.A good way to do this is to make up storiesabout each card,lettingyour imaginationrevolve around the chosenimage.lf you do this severaltimes,you will flnd that the card starts to automaticallyproimages.Make a note of the images that recur. duce its own associated Acquiring this habit can increase your personalfeeling about eachcard as you build your ovin rapport with the images. Let yourself reallyfeel the heat of the blazing Sun; let the cool mist rising from the dewy pond on the Moon card send shivers down your spine; smell rhe fresh summer's scent in the Empress'scornfield; hear the loud blast from the Judgementangel'strumpet, This all helps to enliven your imagination.lt may seeman effort at first, but if you are seriousin your wish to become a good Tarot reader,you cannot afford to take short cuts. Once you get involved in the enchanted work of imagination and fantasy, it will becometoo much fun to seemlike work. To develop as a truly sensitive Tarot readeryou must be serious in your intention.You need to be awareof what your cards can ahd can't do for you. They can give indication and guidelines for future events,they can clarify a difficult situation,which makes it possiblefor you to start thinking about it in a different light, and they can suggestopportunities for changeor action.The energy of the cards seemsto indicate the possibut you need to meet lhem halfway.Justas it's no good bilitles available, sitting inside when the sun is shining, hoping to get a tan, the energies and opportunities indicated by the cards have to be acted upon. If the cards suggestchange, do somethingpositive about it.lf they suggest you do nothing, take heed.One client came for a reading to ask for advice about a complication that had arisenduring a house purchase, The cards indicated that it wasn't a good proposition, and that it would prove too much for him to copewith. However,the client took no notice,proceeded with the legal battles and finally bought the house,only to find that he couldn't manage the payments andwas forced to sell almostimmediately. He consulted me over the next purchase and that time the cards were more favourable.As far as I know he is still livine in the secondhouse.
*),1 -

CettingLoKnowYourCqrds

,1.ommon difficultywhen first readingfor friends,is the temptation :: :::iudge situations.This happenedto me long ago when I was learn:-: :-- read Throt.Awork colleagueaskedme to read her cards to seeif i;-- -..-ould ever marry.This woman was much older than I was and she .* ranted to marry for a long time but had had no successfulrelation':-::s. She was in her forties and, from my youthful naive posilion, I ir:-r-nally doubted that shewould evermarry.l was reluctant to even do :eading as I didn't want to be the bearerof bad tidings, so when the ::--= : ': -s indicatedlove,marriageand a changeof residence I was surprised ;---: :ssentiallydisbelieving,so much so that I was temptednot to tell her = t't I saw to avoid disappointment,so sure was I that I knew best. \=-. trtheless,l read the cards truthfully, and three days after the reading '::= met the man that she was to marry six months later,and moved to i:---rhercountry.This is a prime exampleof how difficult it can be to sus:t:J vour own judgement,and yet it is a necessary lessonto learn. l{owever,what the cards will not do is state definite, unchangeable :,-:lts. Their message is often necessarilyvague, for it's important to give ::-. seekerroom to make up their own mind. Specific questions arevery ::::icult to answer,and the cards should be used as a guide rather than set of strict instructions.When dealing with &fficult matters in a " :..Jing, try to discusswhat can be done and how the situation may have .:rsen rather than attempting to offer concrete predictions or advice. -::metimes,just acknowledging that difficulties exist can be helpful. -.rot readersare often consulted by clients who are in a stateof confu. s-:n, indecisionor despair, both mentally and emotionally. They rnayrurn :,- the cards for help when they have a problem to solve,so be prepared :-- listen aswell as to talk. Samplereadingsin the fourth part of the book .-iqqest howthis can be done. The following sectionsgive full descriptionsof eachcard,their sym:.:iic descriptionsand their meaningwithin a reading.Be sure to follow :he sections systematically and perform all the exercisescompletely :eiore moving on to the next stage. The sectionshave been formulated i-'' make the learning processsimple and enjoyable as well as a way of slowly building an in-depth knowledge. -25::

PART ONE
'>: MAJOR CARDS The Fool TheMagician The Empress The Emperor The High Priestess The Hierophant The Lovers The Chariot
a .?,

e-{'

* MINOR CARDS *'

The Aces The Twos TheThrees The Fours The Fives

*27-

The Fool's Journey

journey l[would like to treat the Major tumps in terms of the Fools of life, a familiar theme in a greatmany myths, .lLthroreh various stages legends and,fairy tales.The Fool's journey can be seen as a story that makes the Throt easierto learn and understand,especiallybecausethis theme is, broadly speaking,that of everyone'slife. The basic myth starts with the birth of a hero, a person with mortal and divine parentage.ln our story,thehero is the Fool and in SectionOnewewill followhis early his mortal life through childhood and education(The Magician),meeting parents (The Empress and The Emperor)his divine parents (The High Priestessand The Hierophant) and his loves and conflicts (The Lovers and The Chariot). The Throt imagesare archetypal,as is the story this journey tells,and some myths and legends overlap.As many mythological figures have much in common with specific cards,l have found it useful to associate the Major Arcana cards with a particular mythical story or figure and, on the whole,l have stuck to Greek myths as their richness provides a The myth of the good senseof the card,its meaningsand its resonances. to The Judgementof Paris,for example,adds a much richer dimension Lovers card than its bald keyword description'a love affair involving a trial or choice'. The four elementsof fire,water,air and earth,which feature so promi' alchemyand the whole spectrumof esotericthought, nently in astrology, Some,thoughnot all,of the cards also appearfrequently in Tarotimagery. with zodiac signs or their planets,and,when approprican be associated ate,I have included them. Let us now look at the first eisht cardsin detail,startingwith The Fool.

-28-

TheFool's Journey

childhood TheFool's and youth

CIiron: :elestial father

Zeus: earthly tather

M M lFll W- E-:ll
t
'\phrodite: Iove; choice

Ares: war; conflict; struggle

/'

i-l
t L

Hfr.HrRr,lr$

Persephone: celestial mother

|tl

lr *,"''"'.-'ll

1[,@l |ll
Hermes: teacher; guide of souls; the Fools mentor

DemeLer: earthly mother

|t-1r ';""';ll l] ,/ t *
-:----'r l',' lll,--

',' ll llr,

ll

ll il

tLitu__.rl
Donysus: travelleron the Tarot path

ill,' 'l

ZJ

' THg Foor .

In many he imageof the Fool startsoff the Major Arcana sequence' ways he is the most important card in the pack'The Fool is the only one of the Major Arcana to live on in the modern playing card deck where he exists as the Joker.The Jokerin modern gamesis known as a 'wild'card, one which can take the place of any other card and, like the TarotFool,is unnumbered and can mean all or nothing. Let us take time to examinethe imageryin depth.The central figure is a youth dressedin bright colours,whose oPen pose seemsto want to --30-

TheFool

::,:race theworld.He shouldersa staff with a bag attachedto it, and : - is before him a single white rose.His upturned, cheerful face and :---,-iJentposture suggestenergy and adventure.A dog prancesbeside .--:: looking both excited and anxious as togetherthey prepare to step - : - ine edgeof the imposing precipice.This is the first step of the Fool's r-- rnev into the unknown, yet his expressionis calm and positive' The :-:-- edgeis at the forefront,sowe can'l seewhat lies beneaththe Fool; :--. - Fool doesn't even look, Behind him in the distancelies a dark forest, : *: : bright sun fills the left-handcorner of the card and the figure of the to rise abovethe clouds. : --,:iseems to be a The Fool carrieshis staff and bundle lightly; it doesn't apPear :-::\-v burden. The bundle representshis past experiencesof which he yet the Fool carries r-:: oo immediateneed.The staff symbolizesenergy, -. :-onchalantlyover his shoulder as if he is unaware of or unimpressed :'.' ,ts powerful potential.Beforethe Fool flutters a beautiful butterfly a ,';rbol of the psyche and the truth, which is perhaps what the Fool -::ks. in the forefront of the card is a laurel bush; perhaps it is the one ::.t supplies the leaves from which the crown on the figure of the -,i. -.rld,the final card,is fashioned.The Fool wears bright multi-coloured reflecting the muddled impulseswithin him that pull him in dif- --rhes, -.rcnt directions. His dog symbolizes the instinctive fear of the -:Known that all humans share,while his step off the edge of the :::cipice shows that, despitehis fear,he is preparedto take the plunge ----..unchartedterrain. In this Tarot tale,the Fool is our hero,The figure of the Fool could be ,=-cciatedwith a number of Greek, Egyptian or Celtic heroes,many of -;.-romhave a similar story.Born of both mortal and divine parents,the *.ro follows a quest that involves him facing many different situations, -'.:luding conquering the forces of darknessbefore achieving his goal ln of Dionysus,theGreek god ofwine,has much in .:.umph.Thecharacter :,-mmon with the Throt Fool, He was known as an overturner of hideOne myth tells :':und traditions,the god of madnessas well as ecstasy. a mor' ,:iat Dionysus was born of the union between Zeus and Semele, was However,when Zeus'sjealouswife Hera discoveredthat Semele -=1. --31 -

TheFool

carrying her husbands child, she disguisedherself as the girl's maid and persuaded Semeleto insist that Zeus reveal himself to her in all his divine glory.When he did so,shewas immediatelyscorchedto death by Zeus manbrilliance too great for mortal flesh to behold. Nevertheless, aged to save the unborn Dionysus and sealedthe foetus in his thigh until it was ready to be delivered.When the baby Dionysus was finally born, Zeus entrusted him to Hermes' care and upbringing. Another Orphic version of the birth of Dionysus tells that the Titans,older gods envious of Dionysus'noble birth, tore him limb from limb and boiled him in a cauldron. Zeus, however,stepped in ajain, saving the childs queen of the underworld, in the form heart,which he fed to Persephone, of pomegranate seeds.Thus impregnated,Persephonegave birth to of light and ecstasy. Dionysus-Zagreus,god The Fool is like each of us on our various quests through life. He is like the child discoveringlife for the first time,or the adult searchingfor a new meaningor senseof purpose.The Fool seeksthe truth, and turns his attention towards the spirit in searchof it. His madnessor foolishnesslinks him to the divine, for originally the word'silly'meant'blessed'. The Fool is simple,trusting, innocent and ignorant of the trials and pitfalls that await him; he is preparedto abandonhis old ways and take the leap into the unknown in order to follow his quest. Perhapsyou can identify with the Fool as you begin your adventure and prepare to journey with him through the Tarot.Like hm, you are moving into unfamiliar territory, not knowing where it may lead you. Learn with him as he travels the various paths of knowledge,development and self,awareness.

in a readinglouffiaybesurethat an When TheFoolappears maybe a sudden intoplay.There will soon come influence unexpecLed Fool of adventure or escape.The or thepossibility opportunity, andstartsomethingnew rheoldways theneed to abandon represents jump! nose and soholdyour couldhappen, Anything anduntested,

- 32-

" THE MecrcrAN

t-l- he Maglcianis the first personthe Fool encounters on his journey 1 rhrough life. The image on the card shows a young, dark-haired :-.n dressedin a white tunic and a scarlet cloak. White signifies his -:-rer purity, and red is a symbol of his purposeful activity. He stands :':reath an arch of red and white roses. Thesecolours alsorepresentmas. : -iine and feminine, or passion and purity, whlch exist in harmony ;:thin him. His belt, which is a snake eating its own tail, symbolizes :::'rnit/, and the lemniscates, or figures of eight,that decoratethe edgeof --33-.

TheMagirian table,standfor infinity. The Magician holds one hand up, and is pointing a wand heavenwardsto symbolize the purity of his higher aspirations, while the other hand points downwards, for he is a link between the gods and men, spirit and matter.His pose suggeststhat what is aboveis mirrored by what is below. Before him on a table stand four objects: a wand, a cup, a sword and a pentacle. The Magician is often comparedwith Hermes,the Greek messenger Not only did god,who was an extremelyversatileand flexible character. betweenthe gods and men,he also actedas a protector he carry messages to men on all their journeys.And as,in ancient times,most journeys were undertaken for commercialpurposes,he also becameknown as the god of merchantsand thieves.Inhis more sombrerole of psychopomphe was men on their final journey as he guided the souls expectedto accompany of the dead to the underworld. His versatileintellect earnedhim the title of god of educationand the mind,yet hewas also a trickster,enjoyingmischievous pranks on gods and men alike,. But he always remained popular with both on accountof his good nature.He was entrustedwith the delivery of his halfbrother Dionysus and kept him safefrom jealous Hera who wanted to kill her husband'sillegitimateoffspring.In the Tarot story,theMagician takescareof the Fool' The objectslaid out on the Magician'stable correspondwith the four suits of the Minor Arcana, and alsowith the four elements- fire, water air and earth - which in ancient times were thought to form the world. They can also correspondwith the Jungian four functions of consciousand in turn can be linked ness:intuition, feeling,thinking and sensation, his herald's with the attributes of Hermes;Wands with the caduceus, staff of office that all respected;Cups with the cup of fortune that Hermes gavemortals to sip from in order to changetheir fortune in love; Swords with the sword given to him by Zeus with which to slay Argos, the many-eyedmonster; and Pentacleswith the coin symbolizing his guise as protector of merchants and thieves,Hermes was granted the po\\/ersof divination by Apollo, which earned him the title of Lord of the Tarot. All manner of divination came under Hermes' jurisdiction, includins ancientmethodsusing eachof the four elementsto foretell the
-

1A

The Magician

;-:*:=: pyromancy - divination by fire; hydromancy - divination by - divination by airi and geomancy - divination by earth. * ?::: : aeromancy - re Magician stands for a teacher-guide, a person who offers educa:-:- :nd enlightenment to all pupils attending the first lesson in the ;: --olof life. The energyembodiedin the Magician is that of action,pur. i,-s, and will. He revealsto the Fool his potentials and possibilities;he ;-"'. before him a map of personality in terms of elements, and reminds - - ri the duality of his nature,mortal and divine. In alchemy, Hermes 'r':,. saidto presideover the whole alchemical work; in the Fool'sjourney :: ,:[s as the initiator and guide who will accompanyhim, unseen,on
:-.i "i'3\-.

in a spread of cards,The Magician indicates an importantbeginning. Thiscardsuggests a timeof action, creatiue initiative,skilland in abundance.The :':tential equipment needed is auailable but steps may notyethave taken towards achievement been of the goal.New opporLunities or creatiue pursuits arepresented, for intellectual an d thepossibilitiesf or newventur es seemas sur ed.A great reserve ofpower andenergyis auailable;itis up to the seeker Lodecidehow it is to beused.

-35-

' THE EupnEss .

l[ t is now time for the Fool to move on and meethis earthly mother,the JL E-pr.rr. This card depicts a beautiful, serenewoman with long fair hair that is like the golden fields of corn surrounding her. Beyond the rich fields can be seen a forest and waterfall. At her feet the horn o[ plenty overflows with fruit symbolizing the earth's bounty, A few pop pies grow in the cornfields. The Empress is a symbol of fertility and abundance.Her full robes with suggestingpotential fulfilled; they are decorated hint at pregnancy, -36*

::granates and hemmed with leafy evergreenboughs symbolizing signify conjugal :rmanenceof lfe. The many-seeded pomegranates .nd fertility while the sheafof corn on the Empress'slap character:re earth's fruitfulness. She wears a necklaceof ten pearls,which ::clizes the ten planets that comprise our solar system.The twelve ;s .n her crown representthe twelve months of the year,the lwelve ::-. ri the zodiac and the infinite becoming finite in the twelve hours

is seated in a field of ripe corn signifying ".-andnight.The Empress

:-"tural cyclesof the year;time for seed, blossom, fruit and decay. The :irs are the flowers of death,which is ever present,even in the full-

s :f life, In the distance,the mature trees stand as an image of the :: -. continuity and age,while the water falling into a pool symbolizes ,nion of male and femalecombining to produce newlife.Everything :: the imageryof this card points to natural growth. has much in commonwith Demeter,the i:le Empress Greekversionof :r:er Nature. Shewas the qoddessof the earth,the mistressof motheri" and all young defenceless were believedto be under her creatures --.;oientprotection.The fruits of the earth,plants,flowers and crops

As goddess :.me under her patronage. of the fertile soil,Demeter i;.d relationships, aswell as the fruitfulnessof marriaqe. Shewas a
:r:-.r herself, and her only daughter Persephonewas very dear to :::-=trri heart. Togetherthey tended the earth; side by side they proi=l man with all the food and shelter he needed to llve. However, :.: Perseohone reached adolescence. she wandered off alone to oick .rs, catching the lustful eye of Hades,Lord of the Underworld. He r:-;ted her and took her away with him to be queen of his gloomy :. jom. Demeter so was distraught by her daughter's disappearance ;: she forsook her duties as earth eoddessand declaredshewould not ;::re them until Persephone was returned to her.Gradually the crops i. the flowers faded,the earth becamebarren and the men and women ::-: hungry.All their entreaties fell on deaf ears;Demeterrefusedto do 'rhinq until Persephone camehome,even though it pained her to see ,.' :hildren and baby animals die of starvation.Finally, with the assis:::: of diplomatic Hermes,a bargainwas struck between Demeter and -37-

TheEmpress

Hades,As Persephonehad eaten six pomegranateseedswhlle in the underworld, she was bound to stay there with Hades for six months of the year,The other six months were spent with her mother so,in spring, when Persephonecame to spend her time on earth, Demeter and the returned earth rejoicedand bore fruit. In the autumn, when Persephone to the underworld, Demetermourned and the earthwas barren. Demeter,like many mothers,had difficulty letting go of her child, so she is not only the mother who nurtures, she is also the mother who mourns.When any creations,be they children or other creativeworks, reach their prime, they must live their own life and the mother-creator must let them go.The Empresscan be linkedwith the full moon,which, on reachingits shining bright potential,must slowly fade into darkness. The Empressrepresents the Fool'searthly mother.From her he learns about nature,its rhythms and cycles of growth, death and rebirth, and gains knowledge about the samecycles operatingwithin all humans.He learns about women and their needs and ways, and also learns to care and nurture himself. The Empressteacheshim to attend to and respect his own bodily needs.He is loved and cherished by the Empress and is thus able to love and cherish others.Attached as the Fool may be to his Empress-mother,he must alsolearn to leaveher and make his ownwayin the world if he is to reachhis own potential.

representt happ),stable relationships, In a reading,The Empress cardis a symbol ofpoLential growthand fulfilledand t'ertiliry.This Etnpress mayalso stands andmotherhood.The forlove,marriage whether it bewriting, stand of creativ e pursuits f or al\ manner the a cake or planting a garden. Shesymbolizes painting,baking to something saLisfaction thatmaybe foundftom nurturing aswellas Lhe pain0f its loss. fuuition,

-38-

' TttE EupEnon .

f I

: the Empress is the Fools mother, then who else but the Emperor :ruid be his father?Leaving behind the natural feminine softnessof

t:: Empress, the Fool comes upon the Emperor,who complementsher ;:=r.lutely by portraying the oppositecharacteristics. The Emperor is a mature man who is seatedon an impressivegold, :":',-ed throne decoratedwith the heads of eagles. The throne is angled t:*'ards the right, the side of action.The powerful eagleis a royal bird r-.t is able to fly higher than any other,with the keenesteyesightof all. -39-

TheEmperor

Next to the throne stands a shield with an eagleengravedupon it, symbolizing the spirit encasedin malter. The Emperor holds an orb and sceptreas imagesof worldly power.He wears a gold crown, a symbol of status and authority.The orb he holds in his left hand,the sideof creati* ity, and it represents his rational understandingof the laws necess ary for men to abide by. The sceptreis held in the right hand, the side of action: it is a symbol of his masculine creativity and potency.The Emperors robes are red and purple, colours of power and majesty. Behind him the landscapeis barren,in contrast to the lush fertile surroundings of the Empress, symbolizing the sterility of a masculineworld founded entirel,v on authority and discipline.Whereas the Empressreclines comfortabl,v on soft cushions,the Emperor sits bolt upright on his hard throne,read,r for action.The imageof the Emperorconjuresup an impressionof power. influence,wealth and status. The Emperor can be associated with Zeus,the supremefather-godof the Greeks. Zeus overthrew his father Cronus, who swallowed his children at birth to prevent any of them taking his place as ruler of the Golden Age. Eventually Zeus'mother Rhea tired of producing children for her husband to devour, so when Zeus was born she hid him awarand gave Cronus a stonewrapped in baby clothes,which he undiscerningly swallowed.On reaching manhood,disguisedas a cupbearer, Zeus gaveCronus a potion to drink that causedhim to vomit, bringing up all Zeus'siblings.Togetherthey fought Cronus and his brothers the Titars. and when at last Zeus' teamwon, he dlvided up the rulership of the heatand underworld betweenthem.Although he remainedin the ens,oceans he position of All'Father, and as such demandedrespectand obedience, was also capableof kindness and compassion. He was the protector of the weak and vulnerable and,aswe have seen, having fatheredDionysus he took great care to ensure his son's safe birth, despite all opposition. Zeus dispensedgood and evil according to the laws that he established. He was also known as the god of the hearth, and of friendship and the protector of all men. As the Empressis the mother,so the Emperor is the father,the giver of life, the owner who sows the divine seed.The Emperor's task is to - 40.-

TheEmperor :--:h ihe Fool how to handle the material side of life, how to live in, and :=-- * ith, the world of men,He instructs him on mattersof authority and a,:::-nistration as well as giving guidelines on moral and ethical behav*- -:. The wisdom the Emperor imparts is of a worldly nature, but is ---:-.theless essential to the Fools development.The Emperor is sym:,---: of a dynamic force,energy channelledinto making ideas solid and . -:<able. He representsthe drive for ambition and power,wealth and :;:: -. His mode of expressionis direct,forceful and outgoing,unlike his ::--,sJrt the Empress,whose feminine energy is receptive and nurturing. l---=Emperoracts;the Empressis actedupon. Togetherthesetwo parenrs r- :t the Fool,showing him that an excessof either too much masculine :r :,-.:much feminine energy can be damaging.what is neededis a balL--:.. an equation of the two opposites. The Fool needsto internalizethe r.': jitferent imagesand use them to find harmonywithin himself.Tht of balance starts with the Fool's earthly parents and follows r::: -rqhmost of the cardshe will encounteron his iournev. ::::e

h a reading,The Emperor points to material success and stabirity. Hc stands ambition andworldlygain or achievement, for authority, He indicates thekind of energy required to transform ideasinto reality.Heis ahelpt'ulinfluence if practicalchanges athome orwork needto be made.The Emperor denotes a time to takecontrolof lit'ein a materialor concrete sense.

/l'l

. " THE Hrcn PnrnsrESS

he Fool now turns his attention from the earthy plane towards more spiritual matters.The time is ripe for him to encounter the She representshis spiritual or mysterious figure of the High Priestess. celestialmother and is depicted seatedbetween two pillars topped with crescentmoons.Betweenthe pillars hangs a veil decoratedwith Pomebehind which we catch a glimpse of water. She wears a simple granates, white dresswith a crown of daisiesaround her head.She looks down in quiet contemplationat the narcissiin her lap.
t-t -

TheHigh Priestess

The pillars are black and white, symbolizing duality. The feminine .:- -rrecontains both positive and negativeaspects, creativeand destruc:.-.'.,benevolentand malevolent, fruitful and barren.The crescentmoons !r: ; symbol of new life, of promise,while the veil of pomegranates, the :.-red fruit of Persephone, queen of the underworld, shows the High : :-..tess'connectionwith the unconsciousworld, the realm of the spirit. l:. is the fruit of the dead as well as the fruit of conjugal pomegranate -'. - - the latter because of its many seeds, The glimpse of water beyond

::. i-eil symbolizesthe hidden riches that lie concealed in the emotional :.:ths of the unconsciousmind. The High Priestess'robe is white to =',::lolize virginity and the daisies are the flower of innocence.The )..::issus is the flower associated with death and rebirth. as it is one of ::-. :irst fiowers to emergeafterwinter. The simple etherealquality of the High Priestess contrastswith the :::::r\- richness of the Empress;yet together they combine to form the ::::inine nature in both its spiritual and earthly sense. The combination - i :ne two forms a healthywhole; too much emphasisin either direction :. rs to imbalanceand,aswe have seen, the Throt strives to teachbalance .ii-- larmony in seekingto achieveintegrity of personality. -r mytholog;i,Persephone was Demeter'sdaughter and, until Hades i:,:.rcted her to rule his dark kingdom, mother and child tended the :-:.: logether. The High Priestess may be connectedwith the virgin god-.-.' Persephone, queen of the dead.The virgin symbolizespotential yet :: :" fulfilled, and the High Priestessstands for the treasuresof the -- --=r.r'orld waiting to be brought to consciousness. During her time in :: - ;nderworld,Persephone was fed the heart of Dionysus in the form of and gave birth to twice-born Dionysus-Zagreus, the ;': -.:{ranate seeds, r:':,-f ltght. -:e High Priestesscan also be connectedwith Artemis, the virgin :-ss of the moon,and with Hecate,witch and enchantress, i --,goddess of r,, :. : . Hecatewas the goddessof the dark side of the moon and symbol-: - rhe bitter,destructiveelementin the feminine nature.The bitterness r' .-.':ked when the natural potential inherent in the virgin remains -. .-..:i1ied.

/2

TheHigh Priestess

The High PriesLess is connectedwith occult, secretand esotericmatters,and her emphasisis on unseentalent and potential that needsto be brought to light. All life starts in darkness, whether the darknessis of the womb or the soil, and a period of gestationis necessary for the new life to be formed before it is brought to light. A good example is the foetus developing in the secrecyof the womb until the time is ripe for the fully formed baby to be born into light. Creative ideas take the same course;the artist or author nurtures the spark of creationlong before the image or idea takes shape in the form of a painting or book. The High Priestess symbolizesthe nurturing of spiritual ideas and the knowledge of occult and esotericmatters,as well as enchantmentand magic,which can be used for good or evil. The black and white pillars echo the duality in her nature.The High Priestess is subtle and unobtrusive; her secrets are not easilyrevealed. The key to understandingher mysterieslies in the sea of the unconscious hidden behind the veil. Only by crossing the threshold of consciousness can that which is conceivedin the darkness be brought to light.

Thediuinatory meanings of thiscardinclude thatis waiting potential to be secrets that arewaitingto bereuealed,thewisdom that fulfilled, canbe gained or esoteric studies andthedeuelopment fromocculL of the powers of intuitionandinsight. feminine

,1,1 -

' Tug HTnnoPHANT o

r. time for the Fool to get to know the Hierophant, his heavenly I I :rther, The Empress and Emperor together form the pair of earthly join as the and the Hierophant,or High Priest, :;r:.nts; the High Priestess ::-,:- s celestialones.Hierophant meansone who revealssacredor holy 'pontifex', which means the ::^,:-is. The ancient word for priest was and the role of priest was to act as a link or bridge T,'i:r of bridges', :r. ,:.'-en God and man.The priest sacrificeshis life in the materialworld .r: --:f er to be of spiritual service to mankind,yet he must also renounce

-,f

i*

TheHierophant

the higher order to which he has accessin order to be on equal terms with the peoplehewishes to help. the Hierophant is portrayed seatedbetween Like the High Priestess, two pillars. Once again,the pillars are symbolic of duality and the balThe Hierophant wears ance that needs to be struck between opposites. simple white robes,which symbolize purity of spirit. His crown is gold, and it is madeup of three tiers,which denoting masculineor solarenergy, representthe three statesof being: body,mind and spirit. This signifies the Hierophant's understanding of the physical, emotional and mental spheres of the human psyche. Around his neck hangs a chain with crossedkeys - the keys of heaven - suggestingthe knowledge of good and evil. As one key is gold and the other silver they also representmasculine and feminine as a balancedwhole, His hand is raisedin blessing with the first and second finger pointing upwards, and the third and fourth fingers folded down on to his palm and held in place by his 'as above,so below',meaningthat what is thumb. This is an expressionof He is intently studying on earth is a reflection of what is in the heavens. from the open book on his lap, suggestingthat he is willing to increase his knowledge from many sources, Although the Hierophant is a spiritual figure, he is essentiallynoncan be likened to the wise centaur denominational;however,his essence Chiron, who was half man and half horse.Chiron was the semi-divine and greatly valued teacherof the young Greek princes, instilling into them the spiritual values and respectfor divine law,which they would need to learn before tackling the art of rulership or being trained to fight in battle. One day Chiron's friend Herakles paid hlm a visit. Unfortunately Herakles had on ht back a quiver of arrows poisoned with blood from the deadly Hydra and somehow by accident,the tip of an arrow pierced Chiron's thigh. The poison was deadly and any human or animal would have died instantly but as Chiron was semi-divine,he could not die.But thewoundwas in the animal part of him and could not be healed. He was destined to live forever but always in agony. This injury gave him more compassion than ever for those who suffer. He attempt to heal the wound. experimentedwith many herbs in a desperate - 46-

TheHierophant

i- i his remarkablediscoverieshelped many others,but he could never from pain was to change : ,,1 himself,The onlyway he could be released :-=:es with Prometheus,the Titan who had angeredZeus by stealing :-'.-inefire from the gods to give to man.Zeus had arrangedan agonizing :--::ure as punishment for this crime, which would last for eternity --.essanother god was prepared to give up his immortality to rescue i:--metheus from his agonizing fate. Chiron, weary of living with a * :.lnd that could never be healed,gave Prometheushis life and grate::---r took his placein Hades. The Hierophant embodiesthe spiritual face of the masculineprinci : - He signifies the urge to find etherealmeaningin life; he is the force :n-:-nd the forming of celestialor religious beliefs and philosophicalval- -. u-ithin each man. He stands not only for acceptedand traditional but alsofor the needwithin eachman to testout such teachings :: - --loqy, --,::.:liefs for himself.The Hierophant is the energy behind the desireto :-- - a personal sacredtruth. He thus becomesthe otherworldly guide ;-.: menlor to the Fool but unlike his counterpart,the High Priestess, 'rL :-:se secretsare not readily revealed, the Hierophant is lessmysterious i:-: nore direct in his teachings,

Thediuinatory of assistance meanings of this cqrdarethose from a '..'ise matters and orhelpful aswellasguidance on spiritual person, ;',r; need inlif e.The Hierophant represents tofind spiriLual meaning :iit urge in manLounderstandhis higher maybedone nature,This :iirough sLudywith thehelp tohelpexplore this of another person .ialm,perhaps a teacher,mentor,priest or therapist, or it couldbe Jonewith theaidofformallearningthrough classes orbooks,

A-7 -

' THn Lovnns o

completedhis childhood under the guidanceof his tutor the ffiuvlng JL JlMagician, and his earthly and celestialparents,the Fool is now readyto stand at the first trial of youth, namely love. The imageon The Lovers card shows a young man standing between two women. From a futffy cloud above flies Eros, pointing his arrow at the young man's heart.One of the women is blonde and young, dressed in white, the colour of purity and innocence.The other woman is older, dark haired and wears a dress of deep pink, the colour of desire and --48-

TheLouers

the symbol of love. :,ssion. The gardenthey stand in is filled with roses, -:t ,voung man, whose yellow shirt denotes mental energy and blue : -:ric standsfor communication skills, seemsconfused and in doubt - it .- :lear that he is trying to decidebetween the two women. Eros,son of ---:hrodite, goddessof love, has two kinds of arro\Ns;the gold-tipped i::J\\'s would strike blinding love and desire into the heart of anyone ;:-. is struck; the lead-tippedarrowwould fill the recipient with hate i:: tear. The imageof choice that The Lovers card portrays is thought to have :=r,r-ed from the Judgement of Paris. Paris was a mortal shepherd, -:-:\\'are of his royal heritage,whounwittingly becameinvolved in a dis- -.:e between the gods. At a wedding feast,Eris, goddess of discord, :::::\\- a golden apple with a note attached stating'To the fairest'and Athena, Hera and Aphrodite, all felt they ::-::e greal goddesses, :.str..ed it. Their squabblebecameso violent that Zeus,wisely not wish,..: to become involved himself, demanded that Paris should be the ',--;e . Each of the goddesses turned to him, offering him glittering prizes :: ::mpt him and sway his judgement in their favour. Hera offered to :-,re him lord of all Asia; Athena promised that he should be success::. -r everybattle he fought; but Aphrodite, goddessof love and beauty, :,:::h- unclasped her magic girdle, which made her quite irresistible' .--- I if that was not enough Paris' heart was pierced by one of Eros' a: :rn arrows and he was smitten with love and desire.He handed .*-::rodite the golden applewithout question,and in return the smiling r:,:::ss promised him the hand of the most beautiful woman on earth. l:--s *,oman was the legendary beauty, Helen of Troy; however, ,'-:rrodite omitted to mention that Helen was alreadymarried to some: . -. .ise, The terrible Trojan War broke oul when Paris iried to claim his :r-:.. demonstratinghow choicesin love can have dire consequences' -:ris myth illustrates the dangersand pitfalls that attend all choices, :*::-:ularlythose madein the nameof love.TheFool must learnthat love :s . ri a simple matter decidedby physical altraction,and the considera:r:.-,. made in affairs of the heart are neither easynor straightforward. Fool must also come to understand that any choice in love will l:
-

49-

The Lovers

inevitably bring about many repercussionsand complications, just Lile the ripples causedfrom a singlepebble dropped into a pool. The Lovers card is not only about decisions in love; it denotes all choices. Choices bring about changes, and whenever a choice is madeit changesthe status quo irrevocably.The decisionyou must make when faced with The Lovers card may involve choosing between lover-.: between virtue and vice; or between ambition and love, However, the most important point to rememberabout this card is that the choiceyou finally decide upon will inevitably have far-reaching consequence'which is why the decisionmust be looked at from all anqlesbefore a conclusion is reached.

In alayout,The Lovers indicates thatthere is, orwill be, a relationship orloveaffairinuolving some kindof trial or choice.lt is possible that marriage may such a choic e, or it may bewhat theold ho oks follow 'choice described as the samed beLween andprofaneloue'. Alternatively,this cardcanmean a choice mustbemade Lhat hasheartfelt consequences even if it is not ahoutaloveaffair,

*50-_

' THr CHanIor

he Fool, having struggledwith love s complexities,is now ready to encounterthe next trial of youth -war. The battlefield imageof The i::"riot standsin contrast to the gentle fertile imageof The Lovers.The L-..ers card shows a group standing togetherin a garden of roses,wear::-. coloured flowing robes,whereas The Chariot depicts a lone figure '.,:-iantly struggling to managetwo powerful horses as they traverse a : -str- arid plane.The warrior wears a red cloak,the colour of passionand is the emblem of Scorpio,the zodiacal e::ression,and on his breastplate '-51 -

TheChariot

sign that is co-ruledby Mars, god of war. The horses, one black,the other white, which seemto be pulling in different directions,symbolize the opposing and conflicting sides of human naLure:emotion and intellect. weaknessand strength,loveand hate,cowardiceand courage. The Chariot may be connectedwith Ares or Mars, the passionate. fiery-temperedgod of war who was always involved in one skirmish or another,His method of fighting was to use brute force, and it might indeed have been his masculine strength and pride that attracted Aphrodite, the goddessof love. The warrior and lover are said to walk hand in hand and, in myth, Ares and Aphrodite were lovers. Their union bore a child named Harmonia,or Harmony,symbolizing the posi tive results of uniting and reconciling opposites. Another mythic link with the Chariot is that of Phaeton,son of the god Helios who drove the golden chariot holding the sun across the skies to give light and warmth to the world. His teenageson Phaeton wanted to take chargeof the chariot but his father warned that he would not be able to control the horses.Determined to have his way, one darPhaetonroseearlierthan his father,harnessed the horsesto the sun chariot and took off into the skies before hts father could stop him. Predictably the young man could not control the horses and the chariot veeredfar awayfrom the earth,causingparts of it to freeze,whilecominq dangerouslycloseto other parts,scorching the land and burning the peo ple who lived there.In the end Zeus sent down a thunderbolt to strike down the unfortunate Phaetonand preservethe earth,as it was in imminent danger of destruction.This myth also gave a poetic reasonfor the climatic changesaround the world. The Chariot describesthe conflict that oppositescreate.In the myth of Phaeton it started with conflict between youth and age.The card depicts the charioteerattempting to control his horses,which represent the opposing aspectsof himself,eachof which is different and so wants to pull in a different direction.The story of Phaetonwarns of what can happen if the horsesare not controlled properly.The charioteermust balance his divergent horses to prevent them from pulling too far in one direction, or turning in on one another. The opposite forces may bc - 52-

TheChsriot :-:---rqhtof as the carnal and spiritual forces within man that need to be :'"-,nced.They can also representthe wish to go forwards to find new l,'.-:nture, and the simultaneous desire to be secure in the tried and :,.:t,1, The Fool, as the charioteer,must learn how to steer a middle :: -rse through the battleground of his opposing feelings,thoughts and :-,-res. Although uncomfortable,the confusion brought about by the to promote change :::Lrsition can be creative,for conflict is necessary Conflict is not ;--: qrowth. No changeoccurs when there is stagnation. i;:rething to be shunned,however,becauseit is an unavoidablepart of - ,nan nature; rather it is something to be facedwith courage,because r, ::solution can be positive.

needed thequality of enetgy CharioLrepresents In a reading,The or conflictof inLerests, goal.It showsa strugg;le ;,.fight for a desired that is necessary.However, and canmeana fight for selfassertion is assured, ouLcome a successful in the spread, if well placed as is triumph overdifficultiesand obstacles,

-53-

THr AcEs
TheAce or Number Oneis thebeginning of all things.One is thenumber of creative power andpotential.It is theprimary number fromwhichall theothers grow.All the Acesshow a tremendous upsurge of energy: the;indicate newbeginnings of auital,positiue andvigorous nature.

AcE of WeNos
The image on this card shows a strong hand emerging from a cloud, offering a flaming wand. The distancerevealsa castleon a hill, which is a promise of what the future might bring. Wands correspond with fire, the element of creativit; energy and initiative, and the Ace suggestspositive new beginnings and ideas along such lines. The Aces all stand for energy in its purest form, so the fiery Ace ofWands represents pure creativity. This card could symbolizenew understanding, a new business venture, new foundations and creative powers with plentyof potential and ambition to progressand succeed.

AcE of Cues
Ahand appearsfrom the clouds,this time bearing a jewel-encrusted cup. Five streamsof water brim over the edge and fall into a beautiful lily pond. The streamsstand for the fives senses. The water lily is a symbol of emotional growth. The suit of Cups is associaled with water, the element that governsfeelingsand emotions, so the Ace of Cups represents the purest aspectof emotionalenergy.It can indicate the beginning of a new relationship,

E;'l

TheAces the kind of ::-- renewalof strong emotions,love,marriage,motherhood,or ir,,'tulreward that maybe gainedfrom a loving union.

AcE of Swonos
l:is card depicts the double.edgedsword,which :::s both ways, for good and ill. Awreath circles ::: tip of the sword. It is made up of the olive :,,nch of peaceand the palm leaf of victory. The ir:-: of Swords correspondsto the element of air, i:- j to the intellect.It alsopoints to strife and diffi ::-:r. The Ace of Swords is a card of strength in a:-,ersity,and often indicatesthat out of evil some'-::,:iqgood will come.A situation that looks bleak -- ihe beginning can surprise us and turn out to :t exlremely promising. A senseof inevitable change comeswith this 'the old order changeth'.It is a card of great power, force and :,:J: -i:.ngth.

AcE of PENTecLES
This time the hand from the clouds offers a large golden pentacle. A well-tended garden beneath indicates the positive reward for hard work. The Pentaclescorrespond with the element of earth, the element of the body, matter and material gain. This suit can also stand for worldly status and achievement,as well as for material security or wealth. The Ace of Pentacles signifies strong beginnings for financial propositions, business ventures or enterprises,ltcan meanthe successful j::nding of a business that may bring financial rewards,or prosperity or It might alsoindicate a lump sum of money, a:-i security firmly based. i:::s.perhapsof gold.
--55--

THE Twos

ThenumberTtuo reueals opposites:positive andnegative,male and femab. spiritandmatter.The pureenerg) of the Acesis splitinto opposing forcts thatcancreate conflict orbalance.The dualityof the Ttuos manifests in the cards as a balance offorces or a creativity notyet following futfitled.

Two of WaNos
As we have seen in the Ace, the Wands signifo enterprise, energy and growth. The man depicted on the image stands on the walls of a castle with two wands held firmly in place,symbolizing what he has already achieved.He seemsto be considering his future, and trying to decide his next move. The salamandermotifs that adorn the castlebattlements representthe creativeenergyof fire, but the essence of the card is potential as yet unfulfilledThe card denoteshieh ldealsand aims.a desirefor travel and a newoutlook from the presentenvironment.Changeis in the air,and a senseof intuition and vision; initiative can overcomeobstacles.

Two o/ Curs
This card is a good example of the balance of opposites that the Two represents:a man and a woman exchangingcups. The Cups are a symbol of feelings and emotions, the pure energy that overflowedin the Ace.Nowthe energyis divided; two people are involved and both their interests need to be considered. The serpentsof good and evil twine around the pillars as emblemsof love s positive and negative attributes,while the carved
-56*

: usually associated with carnal desire, has the wings of spirit, indicat-.: a happy balancebetween spiritual and carnallove.This card denotes n:= beginning of a romanceorwell-balancedplatonic friendship.
fr-

Iwo oJ )woRDS
A riindfolded woman sits at the water'sedse.The --lfold indicates that she can't see her way L:-.ugh * - * ) - - the " - - ' present ""-**-*"-'l r - . - " - ^ - " situation, so she steadfastly r:-rres her seao[ emolions and the jaggedrocks -rerd fact behind her.Her raised swords arewell nr.ancedfor the moment,but she is in a precarious :-rtion.This is the card of stalemate;the balanced hr:rs have immobilized each other. The conflict l":'s reached an imDasse,The woman seems so h--ihtened,or unsure of which way to turn, that st. ,joes nothing.lt's as though she hopes that by not confronting the fusuts they will go away.However,with courage,a change can be made,

j soodoftencomes out of what seems to be a badsituation.

Two of PENTacLES
Ayoung man is happily balancing two pentacles, although behind him the seais rough. He appears to have a light-hearted, casual attitude.ln the distance,the ships,which representhis fortunes, are experiencing some choppy seas but the young man keeps his eyeson the pentaclesfor the time being. This card stands for the necessityto keep several propositions going at once. The flow of movement,however,indicatesthat skilful manipu-:n achieves success.There is change,particularly with regard to rcial matters, but alsoharmony within that changeif only the young

L:..an remain flexibleenoughto alloweverything to keepmoving,

-57-

THn THnEEs
Three is thenumber ofgrowthandexpansion.Number Onecontains t\u idea, numb er Two is thepairwhocancarr)it ouLandnumb er Three bearc the alsosignifies initial completion, the achiet ilfruit.The three first sLage

THnnE of WeNns
The man we saw depicted in the Two of WanJs reappears. He has left the safetyof the castleand b now looking out over wider horizons. The t wands staked in the ground suggestthat he made his initial decision,but he is now ready'to proceed further. The distant pyramids stand t':r ancientwisdom and the ships representthe imaq nation. The presenceof the salamander indicates the fire connection. Efforts are rewarded in this card and an initial completion is achieved.lt is a card of satisfactionand challenee. It could be likened to someone wor ing single-mindedlyuntil a job is flnished,only to realizethat this is jul stageone and that the next phasewill follow fast.

TnnEEo/ Cues
Three maidensdance and hold their cups high in joyful celebration. They wear floral garlands around their waists and heads.The pool in the foreground,which has a fish fountain at its centre is a symbol of the water element,suggestingthe outpouring of emotion.The image clearly depicts a celebration or joyful occasion.It can signify a marriageor birth, emotional growth, and a feeling of happiness in achievement, It can indicate the --58--

The Threes

:--rclusion of a happy situation or a healing of wounds, As with all the i::rees, however,there is a sensethat it is important to enjoy the moment .-f ::ioicing for there is still much hard work ahead.

THnEEof Swonos
,tuin"d-glasswin" Jepicting a heart piercedwith three swords. ::in clouds in shades of blue and grey, the :urs of air,indicate stormyweatherfor the emoThere may be quarrels or separationsas a ir:it: maybe tears over a faithless lover.There is fhree of Swords shows

-=rtheless a powerfulsense of thegroundbeing

,:ed for somethingnew.Amid the sorrowthere 'the i. >ense of relief; darkest hour is before the n'. This card signifies a flash of understandi -.r insight into a situation as it reallyis,which helps to put the sorrow : perspective. This card suggeststhat the difficulties experiencedin

;;iuships canbe overcome if facedandworkedwithhonestly.

THnEE of PENTacLES
This card shows a craftsman leaving a building that has reached the first stagesof completion. The discussion could be about ideas for the next phase of work. Three pentacles carved into the sLaircase show the completed work while scaffolding indicatesthe unfinished part of the structure. Alittle mousescurrying down the stairsconnects the card with the elementof earth.Once again,the initial completion of work has been achievedand --nly the finer details need to be added.As with the other Threes.a cf achievement can be deservedly enjoyed; however, there is still

-: to bedone,

JJ

THE Founs
Thenumber Four each side equal.It is thenumhr formsa square,with of reality,logic andreason.The - mi essence of man's threefold nature and spirit-is brought body to thematerial place,to t'orma square.

Foun of WeNns
Garlands of fruit and flowers form a canopy ported by four wands,which are firmly rooted the ground, symbolizing a secure base.A raises a wreath, a symbol of success,above headin a gestureof triumph.ln the distance a castledenoting achievement. Crowds are from the castleto welcome their conquering Here we have the solidity of the Four ming with the energy and enthusiasmcharacteristic the Whnds; so the result is a happy and prod tive card. This card indicates the satisfaction of the 'harvest home celebrationand reward after labour, a pausein activities and a tr time of rest.It may signify a well-deserved holiday or time of relaxation

Foun of Curs
A young man sits cross-legged, arms folded discontentedly, gazing at three cups before him. He ignores or refuses a fourth cup offered by the hand in a cloud. He seemsto be caught between reflection and action,for the volatile nature of the feelings signified by the Cups isn't altogether comfortable in the solidity of the number Four. The card is one of divine discontent.The young man has a lot going for him, as symbolized by the -60--

TheFours

35.s ith another being offered in a magicalway. But he is too bored,

or unhappyto seethe goodaroundhim,or takethe opportuni:j-rsed

He turns his emotionsinwards.He needsto look at his life ; .r-ailable, his position. and reassess ; :resh,more positive,way,

Foun of Swonos
imageon this card is of a crypt containing a :::e tomb carved with two crossedswords.Two rr= strords point down to a figure lying on top colour in blue robes,the i::e tomb.He is dressed [;-r. and sleepson his back,hands claspedon his sl. The image of sorrow from the Three of :rls has moved to the background,as the heal:rocess is now in motion. Although the image this card denotesa time of s quite threatening, :r retreat after a struggle: a quiet period for ring things through, the easingof tension and anxiety.lt may sug-

; timeof convalescence afteran illnessor anunhappyperiod.

Foun of PnNrecLES
man The Four of Pentacles shows a richly dressed He is sitting on a holding on tightly to a pentacle. as if he with bright gold pentacles, trunk decorated fears being robbed.This is the card of the miser; the or emotionsprevents needto hold on to possessions gain.The caid couples the strength of purpose of the number Four with the material aspectof the Pentacles. A tiny mouse connects the card with The card'smessage is,'Nothing the earthy element. : ,red,nothing gained.'The attitude towards money reflects the way ::rotions are expressed; there is an underlying senseof anxiety,as if

hurt or loss. will resultin emotional =:, fearthat freedom of feelinss

-61 -

.-rt

I HE .TIVES
Fiveis thenumber of uncertainty.It carries no constantvibration and maychange or shift,though it seems that thefive in Tarotsignifies more adversity thanit does in numerology.

Ta

Frvn of WaNns
Five young men brandish huge wands in com

a conflictof interest is aptly portrayed. Although

a battle is evident, it is important to note that blood has been shed.nor do the men seemto

attemptingto kill eachother.The Wands

sent creativity,but here they are crossed, impl that the creativeprocessis blocked.This card gests a struggle in life and love and indicates obstacles and annoyances,or short.termcom cation problems which, once overcome, change things for the better. In the short term it seems as if not works out quite right in work or play; however, Five is the number change,so this doesn'tlast for long.

FrvEof Curs
Afigurewearing a black cloak of mourning bends woefully over three overturned cups. He appears not to notice the two full upright cups behind him. The spilled cups represent that which has been lost and the full ones signify what remains intact. On a distant hill stands a castle,symbol of hope and security.The river representsgrief, and links the card with the water element,The bridge indicates the way across the river towards hope. *62-

TheFiues

l:-is card suggeststhere may be regret over past actions,but all is not :rs:. It may be necessary to turn attentionstowardswhat can be salvaged. l::.re are other alternativesto be exploredwithin the loss.

Frvn o/ Swonos
-rr :rdo stands victorious in battle, proudly holdIn: up three swords,while two defeatedwarriors :"-::k away.Their swords lie in front of the victor. jn :.r seems invincible. They have no choicebut to s:render their weapons to him. This card offers t:: message,'Swallow your pride and acceptyour k:-.tations,then move onwards and upwards.'The F--": of Swords carries a warning about both vict:ri'and defeat:there is dangerin deceitihat may and dangerin the arrogance c::-tribute to defeat, of s;::ess. The birds connectthe cardwith the elementair and the thinking F*:-:tion, which means it is necessary to evaluate a situation carefully ar.i acknowledgelimitations before proceedingin a new direction.

Frvn o/ PnNracLES
Two beggarsshelter outside a church. They don't seemto notice the light in the window abovetheir heads,for they are bowed down in sorrow. This is the reverseofthe good fortune so often found in There may be strain or anxithe suit of Pentacles, ety over money,a warning that temporary financial difficulties lie ahead.This could be deeper than just a lack of money,for the beggarsseemalso to have lost spiritual direction, as is symbolized by :: lnability to gain comfort within the church. The card advises that :nlion should be paid to detail- financial,emotionalor spiritual - and it -a:rs that without due caresomethingimportant or valuable may be lost. --63-

Exercises for Part One

*: The Mafor Arcana e{here is an opportunity to Now that you have completedthe first section, get to know your cards more deeply.This first exerciseis all about ting to know the Fool.Extract The Fool card from your pack and study I

Look closelyat his clothing,at what he is doing,at the at carefully.

phere of the card and all the other details that strike you. Write Now;try to identifywith the Fool: your first reactionsand impressions. put yourself in his position after all, you too are at the beginning a journey into the new and exciting world of Tarot.The Fool is a to take a leap off the edgeof a precipiceinto the unknown, strange tory that lies below him.lmagine the feelings and thoughts that

be flashingthrough his mind,as he standspoisedon the edge.

his feelings be similar to those going through your mind as you You may be nervous, as is the Fool, on your journey into the Tarot?

hke him you standto gaingreater benefitas a resultof daringto take this challenge.
Now think about the following questions and either write down make a recording of your initial reactions. Howwould you describeyourself asyou embark on your journey? What doyou hope to gain? What doyou have in commonwith the Fool? Now you can tackle a 'guided fantasy' exercise.First, and most

tantly,make sure you will not be dlsturbed. Set asideenough time to

aloneand relax fully. Turn the telephone off and makeyourselfco

able. Sit or lie down, whichever allows you to relax the most, and severaldeep breaths.Relax every muscle in your body as completely you can.Close your eyesand clearyour mind; try to free yourself of day'seventsand the week'sworries.
- 64-.

Exercises for Part One The Magician card and look Whenyou feel peacefuland at ease,take Keep looking at the picture until you can seein your mind's a: it closely. g'hen Now try to imaginethe card surround as a you closeyour eyes. :.. .-:rdow frame. Msualize yourself climbing through it and standing i--nqside the Magician.Picturehim as a real-lifefigure. Seethe soft folds ---:rbric of his robes;notice the glinting of the gold and metal objectson : s table;smell the perfume from the rosesand lilies in his garden. \ow imaginethat you are holding a conversationwith him, Ask him :-:stions and allow him to answer,paying close attention to what he --. '. T)lk for as long as you like, but when you feel ready to bid the \1,qician farewell,make sure you'close the fantasy down'properly by :--rbing back out of the window and imagining the image as a card you ':'in. The closing down is an important part of the exercise..When open your eyesand write down or record your talk with him. i:= ready, \ --te your feelings and thoughts about the meetingwith care.The more --: .i personalrecord you can build up, the better rapport you can expect :-- :]avewith your cards.lt may seemawkward at first, and you may feel will conjure this exerciseof the imaginaLion but if you persevere, ::'--lish, -r many different thoughts and associationsfor you personally with =,:h card.lt is the best way to get in tune with your pack and with the :-per meaningof the cards. with all the other Major \ow, in your own time,repeatboth exercises .a,:.anacardsthat weVe looked at so far,As with any study,it takestime r:l effort but it is extremelyworthwhilewhen done properly,

*:

The Minor Arcana c=<'

e-,-throush all the Minor Arcana cardsthatwe have looked at so far,and the essence or feeling of each card with something from r-.' to associate r'--jr personalexperience. For instance, doesa particular card remind you ;r :le first time you fell in love, had your heart broken, lost your job, home? Note whatever comes to mind for you personally, as you fir*--".-ed The hard work you reaction. s': jr- eachcard and jot down your immediate 6,-: in nowwill reward you richlywhen you start to conduct readings.
--65--

PART TWO
',: MAJOR CARDS *' Justice Temperance Strength The Hermit The Wheel of Fortune The HangedMan

a6

*: MINOR CARDS *The Sixes The Sevens The Eights The Nines The Tens

-67-

The Next Phase in the Fool'sJourney

ow let us continue with thenext stage He has of theFools journey. receivedthe benefits of his educationwith his teacher(the
Magician),his worldly parents (the Empress and the Emperor) and his celestialparents (the High Priestess and the Hierophant);he has learned lessonsin love and war (the Lovers and the Chariot); and is now readyto 'school attend the of life' and facethe worldly trials of adulthood,(Justice Temperance, Strength and Prudence or the Hermit), also known as the four moral lessons of life. Halfway through his life (the Wheel oi Fortune) the Fool experiencessomeform of loss or crisis.This evokesin him a need to sacrificeand change(the Hanged Man).

-68-

TheNext Phsse in the Fool's Journey

TheFool's encounter triththeoutside world

M
Fortuna: fate'sspinning wheel; turning inwards to meetone'sfate

Odin: the Fool must descend into the underworld; sacrifice; turning point in the conscious/ unconscious

W
Cyrene/Heracles: fortitude; courage; strugglewith primitive instincts

Lr0nus:

lt

--;fi;.---

at'
l

qms.l3l ^"."_':-. lt "'wll #;;.i ll :-;;,"; l[;."flEJl 'rLu'Lal'Iu"lffii

lih^.

lr-----T;!l

Four moral lessons

ins:

balanced lt

-* -

cooperarionlffi@]

jl ili,ff'11.,

hearr; ll

ll

l++l

t\rnene:

1l

ieJll

,,,'li1l,, il#ryJl o*,i;o

ll'fWill ll dffi:lj

impartiai resolve;

'-69-

'

JusrICE

he Fool must now attend the'school of justice',the first of the car between tr nal virtues. The fiqure on this card is pictured seated Red i pillars wearing a red robe, a green cloak and a yellow headdress. the colour of the planet Mars, the god of war, and green is the colour

of love;thus the coloursof the figure the planetVenus,the goddess

clothes combine to symbolize the harmony inherent in the balancinR The yellow of her headdresssignifies thought and comm opposites. cation.The pillars,which are reminiscentof thoseon The High Priest -70-

JusLice .-. j The Hierophant cards,depict the eternal opposites,and the purple .-. that hangs betweenthem is the colour ofwisdom.On a shorterpillar :-.> m owl, the bird of wisdom, known for its clearvision and ability to The -:: in the dark. iustice is an imposing figure, staring straight ahead. :-;.,-rdshe holds in her right hand, the hand of action,is masculine and ,., :rboiizes the truth, while the scalesheld in the left hand of creativity The zodiacalsign of Libra, associated ,:. :eminine,and stand for balance. ..r equilibrium and harmony,usesthe scalesas its symbol. The card of " --.:ice may be connectedwith the element of air, and the pov/er of the --- .llect. The figure on the Justicecard may be connectedwith Athene, the o... qoddessof the Greeks. She used the power of the intellect to its she preferred a warrior goddess, ::- .st capacityand,although essentially rather than :: ::ht battles using the application of intellect and strategy, :,r - :e force.This card,in contrastto The Chariot, shows that battles can using brain not brawn, Athene was veneratedas the goddessof :il: '.:.-Jn guiding many on rr -lent intelligence,and shewas a protector of heroes, expeditions and providing them with the necessaryadvice. p:,.:-i.-'us l:---'e who were prudent enough to listen to, and heed,her wise advice hr- ::jted enormously and returned from their questsunscathed. god of the \lvth tells of a contest between Athene and Poseidon, :.i, in which eachhad to produce an object that would be precious to ;: iind. As a prize, a great city would be named after the winner. The

aroundto judgewhich gift would ulti :. -: qodson Olympus gathered

steppedforward to :--.-be of most use to the human race.Poseidon n.. his offering, striking open the ground with his powerful trident. n- )prang the first horsethat the gods and men had ever seen. The gods :: - 'uitably impressedand beganto mutter that they doubted Athene *- , produce anythins that could match such a wonderful creature. r - ,*-henAthene came forward modestly holding an olive tree, the .,, :: its kind, they looked even more doubtful. However,Athene qui, :---ormed the assemblyof the olive's many virtues, pointing out that -:-:1tand oil would nourish man's body, its wood could be used for

of .' ,rd shelter, but, mostimportantlyof all,lts leafwas an emblem

-71-

Justice peace,which man needsfar more than war,which the horse symbolizes. In the end,the gods deemedpeace to be the most precious gift, so Athene dulywon the contestand the cityof Athens was namedin her honour. evalueJusticeteachesthe Fool to discriminate,to make dispassionate tions and to make impersonaldecisions. At this stageof his journey,he must learn to solve his problems impartially: to weigh up, to balanceand then to make rational ludgements.Justice is fundamentally a human conception centring on fairness and reason. Nature, however,is not fair, ns is it reasonable, at least according to man's interpretation of the Even so,man at his best strives to be fair and to usejustice in an attempt

to establish equilibriumas a guidingprincipleof his world and on hi

society.Although hls ideal may seemhopelesslynaive because can never be tamedby man,justice is nevertheless one of the most conceptionsof the human spirit.

In areading,Justice stands toweigh things up,tofind fair for theneed andrational solutions,t'or reason andthought to ouerride emotions, although at times mightneed to betempered with merc), lustice aswewill see in thenextcard,Temperance.In short,itstands mind. for theneed forahalanced

-72-

" T nupERANCE

he Fool has learned the value of a balanced mind through his encounterwith Justice;he now needs to complement this with a rced heart. He meets the rainbow-winged angel of Temperance, -d in white robes with a golden triangle containedwithin a square

The angel rainbow. pours :'. chest.lnthe sky behindis a shimmering

.: trom a golden cup into a silver one, and standswith one foot on I the other in the water. A road leads away from the pool towards -:- mountain peaks,betweenwhichthe sun is rising. -73-

kmperance

The angel'srobes are white to express his purity, while the triangle symbolizesthe spirit's ability to rise from within the squaredenoting the physical body,The wings of Temperance hint at his supernaturalqualitr. and he pours the water of feeling from the golden cup, symbolizing consciousness, into the silver one,which stands for the unconscious,thu: showing the need for a constant flow between the two.lf water doesn't flow, it stagnates, as do feelingsif they don't exchangethrough communication.cold is the metal of the sun, and is therefore connectedwith the masculineprinciple, whlle silver is the metal of the moon and the feminine, thus the flow of water between the two signifies the mixing an,J blending of the opposites. The placementof the angel'sfeet echoesthls. as earth and water are associated with the conscious and unconscious respectively, The road leading to the mountains representsboth balance between opposites and a route for the Fool to follow The rising sun offers new hope in the task of resolving opposites,whicharerepresented by the twin peaks. The rainbow in the sky reflectsin the angel's wings as a symbol of promise and hope,expressed in folklore as the'pot of gold at the end of the rainbow'or in children's songs as a land beyond the rainbowwhere dreamscometrue. In Greek myth, Iris was the messenger goddessof the rainbow,rr.ho served both Zeus and Hera, The rainbow acts as a bridge between heavenand earth,whlch Iris used to reachearth from olympus. she *'s equally at easeon earth,in the sky or even in the depth of Hades,where she would cheerfully descendto carry messages.lt was said that the u*sually unfriendly underworld would open up at her feet when she arrir ed sent by Zeus,to fill her cup at the waters of the River Styx, from whi.h the immortals drank to preservetheir immortality. Iris was a kind and compassionate whose gentlewillingness to help everyonema,Je goddess her belovedof gods and men alike. 'temperance' The word means moderation and a lack of ext Temperance is one of the cardinalvirtues, and the pouring from one c to anothermaybe seento depict the custom of mixinqwaterwithwine moderatethe effect of the alcohol. It may also allude to the Chri communion ceremonyduring which water is mixed with wine; the r*at

1 /

Temperance

r[ man is mixed with the blood of Christ. which he shed to redeem nankind, how to mix, in their due The Fool needs to learn from Temperance joy :roportions, the oppositesof successand failure, growth and decay, .nd sorrow; the waters poured by the angel from one cup to the other :rpresent thesedifferent feelings and emotions. The carewith which the -lquid is poured shows the benefit of moderation. Justicemay need to be offers the qualities of compassion ::mperedwith mercy,and Temperance ,nd forgivenessand takes into account the feelings in situations rather :ran just the factual circumstances, as Justicemay be inclined to do. The ,nqel of Temperance strives for a senseof emotional calm and serenity, -:e feeling equivalent ofwhat the mind knows as Justice.

In a reading,Temperance stands for cooperation for theneed infriendships signifies successful marriages andpartnerships.It thatis required andrelaLionships of thecompromise because Temperance in thehlending of opposites.The together heart. carddenotes theneed for a balanced

*75-

' STRENGTH

he Fool has gainedexperiencein thought and feeling;nowhe m develop the capacity to control, discipline and weigh up these ments within himself. He learns these lessons throueh the card Strength,which shows a woman holding open the jaws of a lion,

Turotcardsdepict strength as a strugglebetweena man and a

although in Renaissance art the virtues were often portrayed as fi sometimes dressedreadyfor the battle againstvice.

The carddepictsa beautifulmaiden in a flowingwhite robe, her

-76-

SLrength

;Jorned with a wreath of roses and lilies, while garlands entwine her -.iaist.Although she is standing in a peacefulgreen meadow appearing .1e very picture of femininity, incongruously she is holding open the '.r.-s of an enormouslion. Once again,this imageryshows the blend and -rion of opposites;the maiden,whose white dressrepresentsthe moon ,rd femininity, and the lion, a solaranimal,symbolizing the sun and mas-'rlinity. The card also alludes to alchemicalimagery,with the powerful --rn representing the masculine,fiery, active principle of Philosophlc Srlphur uniting with the graceful maidenwho representsthe feminine, -.,'-atery, passive principle of Philosophic Mercury. The union between ::eseelementscan transform into the higher elementsof gold and silver. . ne combination of red roses and white lilies representsthe masculine .rd feminine in a harmonious blend, The maiden is not trying to kill the --:n; she is trying to tame him, and the lion, symbol of strength and is submitting to her will, There is no evidenceof brutal force,only ;,;'r.,.er, .: impressionof a firm command,which the lion obeys, Greek myth tells of a time when Apollo, the sun god, encountered .--'"-rene, a hand-maidento the moon goddessArtemis, struggling bare-,nded with a fierce lion, Cyrene won her fight, and Apollo was so ::"rmed with her courageand fortitude, as well as her feminine beauty, .:,t he spirited her off to a paradiseland where she enjoyed harmony ; -J peaceever aflerwards.Some myths say he took her to Libya, where had a city named after her. Some decks show the image of Heracles ,;:-rqgling with the Nemean lion, which he tried in vain to kill with ,-.,'rrds and arrows, He finally resortedto a bare-handed fight and suc: -:led in strangling the beast. He kept the lion's skin, however,and wore rs a cloak of protection,which rendered him invulnerable. A great :,nv fairy tales and myths tell of a hero'sjourney or quest that involves i reeting with a wild animal who is helpful, but who must first be :.:ed by the hero beforeit can becomea travelling companion. fhese myths are useful when looking at the psychological lessons :----. card offers. The lion stands for instinctive desires and wishes, ' :'ch, although they should not be denied or repressed, sometimes need :-- re controlled. A child doesn't have this senseof self-control from
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Strength

birth; it is somethingthat is acquiredduring the developmentof the

A child needs to do sonality. to learnthat its not alwaysappropriate we please, andwe musttherefore, This is acquire some selldiscipline. with the same asdenyingthe impulsealtogether. Heracles struggles
lion and kills it, but then wears its skin as protection.The beast must be acknowledsedand intesratedfor it to be of use.This card r sents the strength and endurance necessaryto achieve selFcontrol suggeststhat obstaclescan be overcomethrough willpower, resulting Leo is the zodiacalsign that representsindivid a senseof mastery. and selFmastery, and usesthe lion as its emblem.

In a reading, this cardshow s courage anddeterminaLion. , strengLh It offers thepossibility of achieving self-awareness andconviction. is theneed andself-control. Oneof its chief messages for discipline It represents thepotenLial of integration andindiuiduation.

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' THu Hnnurr o

the colour and vibrancy of the previous cards,the Fool comes {fter I \ upon the grey stillnessof the Hermit. Although this card displays i::: most lacklustre colours of any of the Major Arcana the Fbol has u,--runteredthus far,this doesn'tmeaniLis dull or symbolic of stagnation. rhe imageis of an old man whose headis bowed down, shrouded in a s:.'' hooded cloak. only his hands and a tiny portion of his face are r:-:csed. He has a long white beard and holds a staff in his left hand.He u " mysterious figure, standing alone against a grey horizon. Even the

TheHermit

earth'snatural richness seemsto have desertedhim: all that can be seen of the landscape is a stony path and parchedgrey earth.At the man'sfeet is a small brown snake that accompanies him on his journey.The onlv thing that offers him light and warmth is his lanrern,which he holds in his right hand and which emanates a warm,golden glow, The Hermit's white beard symbolizes age and maturity; he look down carefully to seewhere he is going, an action that suggests wisdom and experience. Unlike the Fool,who doesn't look where he is going a*i he walks off the cliff, the Hermit is clearly concerned about his progress: he keeps his eyes lowered and holds out his lantern to light his o-a.-" using his staff for support. The snakeis a symbol of transformationas it sheds its skin of youth and grows a new one in old age,His lantern denotes the hght he uses to illuminate his inner world, which, as be grows older,he learnsto appreciate. This card can be connectedin Greek myth with Cronus. Cronus, cr Saturn to the Romans, was the god who ruled the Golden Age of ManHe dreadedlosing his power and did not want to give up hts rulership of this specialtime.He had beenwarned by an oraclethat he would be ot

thrown by his children,so in an attemptto preventthis he swallos-al

each of his offspring at birth. Eventually,his wife Rhea,utterly exa ated at producing children for her husband to dispose of in rhi* unfriendly manner,tricked Cronus into swallowing a stonewrapped in swaddling clothes.The real baby boy,Zeus,washidden away and grerv

manhood in secrecy. On reaching adulthood, he appeared to his

disguised as a cup-bearerand gave him a potion to drink that ca Cronus to vomit, bringing up his swallowed children. They then hel their brother and redeemerwaqe a war againsttheir murderous f and finally overthrew him as had been foreseen. Zeus banishedCron to live in the Isles of the Blessed,where he ruled peacefully as the go,1 time and old age,The Latin version of the story ends by adding thatCronus waits patiently enough,the Golden Age will one day return. The imase of The Hermit. with its starkness and lack of imagery,comes as a surprise after the vibrancy of the previous car However,the card clearly indicates that the time is ripe for withdrar -80-

TheHermit ::--m the busy outside world in order to enter the quiet inner one. This ::-ins freeing our minds of the external hrrly-brriy Lo allow time and ;:'ce for our thoughts to crear.The Hermit teachesthe ressonof time, ;' I the inevitability of old age.Time and change must be acceptedas : ':t of the natural cycles by which man lives, for they involve constant i--.. from brrth to blossomto fruit, and the return of the seedback to the ::,-und. Although we may all wish to halt the ageing process,the -:onus myth tells us that no matterhow hard we try.i. .urrrrotsucceed; :-::re will eventuallyclaim us all. -\nother of the soberinglessonsthe Hermit has to teachis that of soli_ :*ie, one of man'sgreatest fears.The truth is that we are alr always alone, : 't to face this fact is often uncomfortabre and even frightening. At the ;ne time,however,by facing the truth we arewell on ti. -ay to accept-:-: it, and once it is really accepted it stops being so frightening. cronus :-i not wish to grow old and refused to accept his rimitatiorrr,"b.r, ..,.rr:'-'llrl during his enforced soritary exile, he found inner peace and :'::.ame content to let time take its course, serenely waiting for the ---iden Age to return. Acceptance,patience and inner understanding i:= the messages learned by the Fool through his encounter with the * -=e Hermit.

In a read.ing,The Hermit represents a time and for soulsearching meditation, theneed patience andan opportunity for to workthings out quietly. Adegreeof solitude is oftenrequired and ,ought, onld awish temporarywithdrawal is permitted. t'or

'-81 -

' TuE WHEEI oF FonruNr .

he Fool now reachesthe turning point in his journey.He is at ooint where he realizesthat there is more to life. and to hi than the external world of relationship,careerand status.He gltn this during his time with the Hermit, and now, as the Wheel of turns, he realizesthat there is a whole new world beneath the s that he has not yet visited. The imaseon the card shows a blindfolded woman turning a u' the compasspoints of whlch are four figures.The woman wears D - 82-

TheWheelof Fortune -:-.:colour ofwisdom,but her blindfold shows that her actions areunpre- :table.The four points stand for the four elementsof fire,water,air and :,:th and the four cardinal signs of the zodiac,Aries, Cancer,Libra and --,pricorn respectively. Each of the figures attachedto the wheel repre-.rt a different position; an eageryoungman looks up as he is on the rise .,'.-ing,'lwill rule.'ln his eagerness to rise to the top he does not look . .:k to seewhere he has come from. At the top of the wheel a crowned . rg sits in a position of power and might saying,'l rule,'From where he - ,. he doesn't seethe falling man besidehm. This man is anxious. As -.. Jescends he says,'I have ruled,'but he only seesaheadthe beggar .,:reath him, The figure at the bottom wears rags and has no shoes. He -,' s,'l amwithout rule,'andlooks at the ground. The goddessFortuna was, in Roman mythology, the personification . - uck; however,whenrepresented asveiled or blindfolded, she denoted , :apriciousnessof life, Her Greek equivalentwas Tyche,the presiding -: -r lhat governedthe prosperity of a city and its fate or destiny. Destiny ,' .. thought to be an irresistiblepower that determinedthe future,based ;, :he ideathat thereis a naturalorderor patternto the universe. The blindfolded woman symbolizesthe goddessFortuna who turns - . -*-heel of fate and, accordingto her random turns, man'sfortunes rise " - tall. The figures on the wheel represenlthe rising towards success, - : r.hieving it, the losing it and the stateof being without any success - . -, which again is a reflection of the cycle of life: blossom,fruition, : - -..'' and death.This is further echoedby the phasesof the moon: wax' . ull,waning and old. *,lrhough in medievaltimes it was fashionableto blame the goddess rna for everything that went wrong in life, these days we tend to our lives in a more conscious and responsibleway, The Wheel of -rneis a paradoxicalimageof stability and change.The true self of a m - o h;ch is hidden from his consciousmind,very often remainsat the
:i

rub of the wheel, like the blind goddess, The hub remains stable, - -rghthe external or conscioussituations change,as reflectedby the . lhe centre.The hub enablesthe rim to turn and thus controls all -83-

m " .:rg outer rim. Fate is the circumferenceof the wheel, and the true

TheWheel of Fortune that comes its way. Each man is responsible for his own destiny, and although circumstancesare determined,as are the four points of the greatwheel, it is eachman who turns his own wheel to whichever point Fate does not seekyou out. So,when joy or sorrothis true self dictates. comes into your life, it isn't that happiness or misfortune has befallen you, but rather that you have turned to face it. Often, the fear of takine such a responsibility upon our ov/n shoulders causesus to blame fate with choicesand for the courseour lives take.ln reality,wearepresented situations,and what we do with them is on our own account.This is the difficult lessonthe Fool learns from the Wheel of Fortune, and he mug now take responsibility for his own life and fate.

t thaL in a spread,itsignifies When TheWeel of Fortuneappears or thot is to bemade, of importance a decision is starting, newchapter ofyourown mlte)ou areau)ate a newrun of luckis commencing.The thingswillappear. clearer destiny,the plweroverlour

-84-

' TuE HeNcEo MaN .

this point, the Fool startshis descent into the underworld to fit -l' r explore the realmsof his unconscious mind. He confronts a
-qe figure suspendedfrom a rod that is supported by two treeswith -'wn-off branchesapiece. He is hanging from one leg,with the other rcked behind to form an inverted triangre.He wears a green shirt, , a - , ,.ne of his stockings is red and the other one white. A pool lies h *-.:th him, and despite his perilous position, his face i, cul.i: a halo g. : drourd his head.
-85-

Man TheHanged

The inverted triangle is an imageof the descentof hlgher to lower. the twelve signsof the zodiac, and the twelve branch stumpsrepresent of the that the sun has run its coursethrough the seasons suggesting The man hangsfrom his ankle. yearand is readylo enterthe last phase. and the last sign of the zodiac, the part of the body attributedto Pisces, the light thar The halo symbolizes the sign of purification andsacrifice. Man'sgreer The Hanged of the underworld. must shinein the darkness denote andhis red andwhite stockings shirt is a symbolof healing, 1ns. his held behnd firmly hands are His sion andpurity in equalmeasures.
back,showing that he is in no position to move. The essentialmeaning of this card is one of sacrifice:the voluntalv surrendering of something in order to gain something of greatvalue-

d mankindbut suffered the Titancreated Greekmyth,Prometheus

ful torture in punishmenl for stealing fire to give to his belo. Prometheus'punishmentwas dire: he was stretchedon an creations. mountain-side where an eagle ate his llver by day,only to have it back againeach night. Prometheussacrificedhimself so that man sharein divine fire.

his own sacrifice myth, the god Odin volunteered In Teutonic b;saysin an old poem,'wounded nine nights,'he rejuvenation.'For
ov/n spear,consecratedto Odin, myself to myself, I remained ha from the tree,shakenby the wind, from the mighty treewhose roots know not.'The tree mentionedwas the ashYggdrasil,the world tree,

Odin per bywounding himselfand hangingfrom its branches,

magicalrite for the purpose of rebirth and rejuvenation.As he hunq to thosenine lonely days and nights,he waited in vain for someone him food or drink. However, as he hung he looked about carefully what lay beneath him and noticed some runes - characterscarvod stone,which have magicalmeaningsand powers.Hemanaged,with considerableeffort, to pick one up and was immediately released

He was filled anewwith youth andvigour, the treeby its magic. was accomplished. andreiuvenation his resurrection
The Fool has reached the point in his journey at which know what lies within him becomesas important as,if not more so than-86-

T h e H a n g e dM a n

,. rich exists outside.This card representsthe turning point in psycho--:ical development,the point at which the individual must come to ;:ips with the unconsciousforceswithin him, He needsto sacrificecon:::1 of his consciousego by surrenderingto the unknown territory of his ,-rer world.lt seemsthat this can only be done by consciouschoice;it -,rnot be inflicted by others or by the outside world, although external :-::umstances may contribute to the Fool wanting to look within. As -rg says, il is as if the consciousmind volunteers to die in order to bear r rew and fruitful life in the unconscious.Jung points out that there is ,-rr-aysan inevitable fear that ariseswhenever the notion of taking a trip .,. Hades is contemplated. The Fool started his iourney with a senseof -:ust and willingness to take a risk no matterwhat, and now,once again, :-: must take a risk and dare to make that inner journey.

In a reading,The Hanged Man indicaLes a timeofgreater understanding,It alsosugests thata sacrifice will have to bemade, it is worthrememb although ering thatthisaction will be taken in order togainsomeLhing value. of more

-87-

THn Srxns
sLar is madc stx-pointed andharmony.The of equilibrium Sw is thenumber Lhe otherpoints thespiritorheauens; one of twoLriangles: pointsup towards them. symbolizes thebody or earth.This balance between downtowards

Srx of WeNos
A man on horseback is crowned with a laurd wreath symbolizing successand triumph, Another wreath is attachedto his wand and a crowd folloqr him in admiration,applauding and congratulating him.This card is one of achievement,fulfilmentof hopes and wishes in one's career,and a senseof great satisfaction.Acclaim is received from others' and public recognition awardedfor success.ltcan mean promotion after good work, or reward fa effort expended in a good cause.

Srx or Cups
An old dwarf and a little girl are busy arranging flowers in six cups. The child is a symbol of the future, and the dwarf signifies the past,yet they work togetherin the present.Theyput the flowers, into the cups,denoting which representmemories, feelings.Behind the pair stands a thatchedcottage with a quaint garden and old-fashionedwishing well, conveying nostalgic thoughts of home, famThe Six of Cups can ily and childhood memories. indicate a meetingwith an old friend or childhood acquaintance;an old lover may reappearor a love affair may be revir

and pasteff with rootsin the pastmaybe reconsidered, Something

--88-

The Sixes

ra,v bring present or future rewards,In some circumstances, this card -,.uld mean that the seekerlives too much in the past,or is too nostalgic ,nd doesn'l pay enough attention to presentand future potentials.

Srx op Swonrs
- hls card presentsan interesting combination of .:reharmonyof the Six and the Swords,which so ::ten representdifficulty. A ferryman carriestwo ::ople across the water to a distant shore. It is rteresting Lonote that the water on the right-hand -.Je of the boat is rough; whereas on the left it is :.1m.This indicatesa move away from difficulties .--'o-ards more peaceful times.It can mean a literal - lrney, a move to a more pleasingenvironment; : ;t it could alsobe a journey of an internal nature. - nis card can denote releaseof tension and anxiety after a period of .:ain,so that a sense of harmony may prevail once again.

Srx or PENracrEs
The number of harmony is shown in this card by a merchant carefully weighing out gold to distrib, ute his bounty fairly among the needy.He uses a set of scalesto ensurea just distribution of alms to the poor,The number Six and the suit of Pentacles combine to produce material benefit. This is a card that suggeststhat money owing will be paid, or that the seekerwill receivewhat is rightfully theirs, There may be financial help from a generous friend or employer, so that material affairs be put on a stable footing. There is also the suggestionthat if the : -,-,' .: ier'S position is prosperoushe should sharehis fortune with others, ,: :-iSturn to receivewill comearound soon enough.
--89-

THE SnvENs
of cycles. Lothecompletion andrelates is thenumber ofwisdom Seuen sevenvices sevenvirtues, in astrology, planets There areseuen personal Bibletellsus,Godrestei" day,the theseuenLh deadlysins.On andseven e. etionof a phas e of compl eris a sens in thisnumb Inher enL

SEvnN op WaNos
Six wands rise up to attack a young man, q fights bravely. One attribute of the Seven is purpose and valour, both of which are a depicted here.The figure endures an internal tle with his own creativeforces.He wearsno or cloak,for such protection won't help in the tle of ideas.This card may suggest a There could be stiff changein profession. tion in business,but perseveranceand cou will win in the end. Streneth and determi are neededto achievegoals,and are availableif sought.The card also nifies knowledge and includes skills in teaching,lecturingand writinq-

SEvENor Cups
Fantasticvisions arise out of sevencups floating in the clouds above a daydreamingfigure: the cas' tle of security,the snake for sexuality,the dragon representing strength, the jewels signifying the dove of wealth, the laurel wreath of success, the spirit or the draped figure representing the true self.He doesn't seemto knowwhat to choose, but a careful, considereddecision must be made; otherwise his dreams and ideas will remain'cas-90-

TheSeuens :-rs in the clouds'.This is a phasewhen the imaginationworks overtime .nd choices seeminnumerable; to chooseone direction seemsimpossi:le. But without a decision, nothing will be achieved. Accompanying the :lnfusion is an abundanceof creativeand artistic talent and energy.

SnvENor Swonos
-\ man makes a sly escape from a military camp, smugglingout a bundle of swords.He appearsto - leaving unnoticed and his expressionis one of :uiet confidence.This card denotesthe necessity :-.r prudenceand evasionin order to gain an oblec:-r-e. The number Sevenfor completion of a phase ,cmbines with the airy Swords and suggests that tiplomacy and charm are neededin this situation, :-:therthan direct or aggressive tactics.Adeed may :-rr.ebeen done in secret,and exposure or candid :-rplanationscould be dangerous. At its worst,this card indicatesa flight :rom a dishonestact;at bestit means'discretion is the betterpart of valour'.

SrvEN or PnNTACLES
Ayoung farmer standsbetweentwo fields.One is

established and cultivated and contains six pentacles that stand for the fruits of past labour; the other is uncultivated and aboveit hovers a single pentaclerepresentingfuture potentials.The com. pletion of a cycle indicated by the Seven means that there could be a pause during the development of an enterpriseor business;the young man appearsto be assessing what he has achieved, and whatwill need to be done in the next phase.There

:ar- be a choice between devoting energy to the tried and tested,and -:-',estingin somethinglesssecurebut possibly more exciting,
-91 -

THE ErcHrs
Eightis Lhe number of regeneration andbalance of opposing forces.It suggests thedeath of theold,evilorwrong andmakes way for theneu', pureandjust.Thenumber Eightis thewiseshedding of old concepts, habits andways of thinking as theybecome inappropriate,

Ercnr op WaNos
EICHT oJ WANDS

Afigure shootseightwands from a huge bow

they fly freely through the sky.Their flight in

many directions indicates the numerous possi ties available.The Wands signify creativity imagination,and the castleon the hill suggests goal. The salamanderis a reminder of the nature of the Wands. Eight is the number of re! eration and, combined with the Whnds, denotes

timefor activity andnew beginnings.lt marks

end of a period of delayor stagnation, and ind a time for initiative and action.This is a busy and exciting time,when runs accordingto plan, There may be travel and interestingcareer

ErcHr or Cups
A man walks through an arch of full, neatly stacked cups. He heads for a barren mountain without looking back.The carewith which he has collected and arrangedthe cups shows his previ ous concern,but now he is ready to discard them. Thewaning moon symbolizesthe end of a phase,lt is time to leavethe past behind through disappointment or disillusion.While much has beeninvested in a situation or relationshlp,it isn't right, so the -92-

The Eights ..:ker must abandon it and searchfor what is. Although the image is :.:nbre, it marks a necessary transition towards a new life, as is appropri,:. rvith the combination of the number Eight and the suit of Cups,

Ercnr or Swonos
,:. *'oman stands bound and blmdfolded in what ::pears to be a marsh.Eight swords surround her : --rcrm a barrier,and behmd in the distancestands , :astle built on bare rocks. This rather dismal:.:king card shows a situation that binds and --::lricts, yet the conslraints result from the fig-:-s own fear and indecision. Althoush she is :,--und,her hands are only loosely tied and she :,-i.rldeasily free herself if she dared.The swords .:t as a prison but there is plenty of spaceto move ,.tween them if she could build up the courage. This card suggests that -,ihough there are problems to be overcomeand important decisions to -:\e , z sign will cometo show the way.The paralysiswill not last forever,

Ercnr or PSNTACLES
An apprenticecraftsmancarvesout pentacleson his work bench.He seems h"ppy and enthusiastic about his work, the fruits of which areproudly displayed behind him. A mouse,symbol of the earth element,hides under the table.This is known as the'talent'card,which,when alliedwith the energy of the number Eight, can indicatethe possibility of turning a talent into a profession, or moneyearned through such a skill. There is possible employment in a skilled field although mattersare in the -:lr-stages. Hard work and practicalideasform the stablebasisfor estab:ring a new and profitable careerboth in emotionaland financial terms. -93-

THe NrNss
In thenumb er Nine, all thepowero ers is comb ined, f theIowernumb soLhat together they completion form afoundation for theultimate in the numberTin.

NrNn or WaNos
The Nine of Wands shows strengthin
The fighting figure has a bandagearound his which symbolizes an injury, perhaps to his ative ideasas this is the suit ofWands,yet he fi on.He is readyto defend thatwhich he holds and the passionhe feels encourages him to vere. The Nine reinforces the Dower of the Wands in a bid not to give up in hard times. card denotes power and determination and gests that even if you feel defeated, there is enough strength to pull through to the end.It alsorepresentsendura and resolve,and suggests victory through courageand fortitude.

NrNn op Cups
The Nine of Cups signifies a state of emotional and physical blfus. A couple embrace beside a table laden with fine food and drink. In the distance a fountain represents the overflowing of emotion. The scene suggestspleasureon all sensual levels;malerialneedsarewell provided for, as is symbolized by the opulent surroundings, and the loving couple demonstratethat the feelings are satisfied. The power of the number Nine brings the emotional suit of Cups to a peak before the final
-94-

The Nines

:rmpletion in the Ten,This is known as the'wish'card, signifying the ful:-imentof a desireof paramountimportance.lt denotesa unique moment, ' specialtime in life that is not part of the mundane or everydayexperience.

Nrr.TE op Swonos
r sleepless woman sits up in bed,her head in her :,nds, seemingly in despair,Nine swords hang :ninously over her head,and butterflies,symbols ,-:the air element, decoratethe panel at the bottom :: the bed.Her bedspread is decorated with motifs :: the astrological air signs Gemini, Libra and --,quarius, interspersed with red hearts,showing a - --rflict betweenheadand heart, This card suggests ::,t the seekersenses impending doom,but as the '-.''crdsdon't actuallytouch the woman,thesefears :.'r-be unfounded.lt is possiblethat although theremay be a difficult deci :, rn to be madeor situation to face,the fearis far worse than the ourcome.

NTNE oE, PENTACLES A beautifully dressedwoman stands alone in a flourishing vineyard,a symbol of the earth'sabun. dance and generosity.A hunting bird on her gloved hand indicates both her far+eachingintel. lect and controlled thoughts. A castle in the background denotesmaterialwell.being,and suggests that her hard work and perseverance have led her crops to grow and she can now benefit, This card often signifies a solitary pleasurein physical comfort and materialsuccess, although this doesn't u --n that the person is literally without relationships. It is more suggesL-": :f onewho is at peace within and so feelscontentedwithout constant ,c::,ranionship. Material benefits are promisedand appreciated, ._95--

THE TENs
Themeaning of theTen is perfecLion through completion.The Oneof ready is then to is placed nextto theZeroof spiriL, soLhe cycle beginning theheight oi returnLoOneagain.The Ten in theIvlinor Arcanashows in theCupsandPentacles,but andWandr happiness trialsin theSwords

TENor WeNos
A man is shown carrying an impossibly hear burden of ten wands borne in a very awkq and uncomfortable fashion. The strain almost more than he can bear yet he plods towards the town in the distance. This denotes a weight that must soon be lifted, or problem that is soon to be solved. However, oppression is often selfimposed and the

his himself could do muchin orderto relieve

The burden may be physical,mental or em or a combination of all three.However,it is within his power to do thing to lighten the strain.

TENor Cups
Ayoung couple hold each other tenderly as they watch their two children play contentedly. Behind them stands a comfortablehouse,a symbol of stability and security, while the blooming garden denotes fertility, The distant river is an image of the constant flow of feelings.This is the ultimate that the Cups can offer in the way of love; huppy family life is depicted,suggestinglasting contentment in contrast to the ecstasy of the Nine,which
--96-

The Tens -' short'lived. In this card, plenty of love is available to be offered and :-;eived' The imageconjuresup a feeling of gratitude,yetthereis a sense :-:;t this has beenearnedthrough effort rather than luck.

TENor Swonos
-*, figure lies face down in a desolatemarshland. ::= is pierced in the back by ten swords and i:rears to be dead.Beyond the calm lake,however, ::,. ilawn is breaking.The butterfly hovering over ::. body is a symbol of resurrectionand new life. l::. card obviously signifies an ending; it could :::.r to a relalionship, job, or particularcircum:[:].e, or even a falseway of seeinga situation,It -'. a ring of truth and clarity of vision, which ::-:.]gs about an inevitable death,while the new '''.",n heralds the promise of rebirth. This grim,looking card has a posi:-,: air; the ground is clearedfor something new as the increasinglight ;i:ie rising sun slowly brings back hope.

TEN op PENracrEs
PINIACLIS

\- +A":

A richly robed elderly gentleman,a grandfather perhaps,isseated in the foregroundwith a child on his knee. Accompanied by his daughter and his loyal dog,theold man symbolizesrraditionalfamily life. His castleand estate look well established and the gardenis flourishing,which alldenotefinancial stability and firm foundations.This card suggesm property acquiredfor the founding of new genera_ tions,and traditionsto be passed down throueh the

family,with a feeling of continuity and security. A ; ':ially settledway of life is indicated,and selling or buying properry

:' ' --'urable circumstances alsocomes undertheinfluenc.

oitirr, iurd,

Exercises for Part Two

*: The Maior Arcana e('
At this stage,to familiarize yourself with the cards you have recently met, I suggestthat you continue along the samelines as describedin

tasksarevital for f 64-5).These for PartOne (see pages Exercises

Use the'guided the core of your understanding of the Tarot images. tasy' exercisesoutlined previously for studying Justice,Tempera

Man' Hermit,TheWheelof FortuneandThe Hanged Strength,The

describedbefore,prepareforyour exerciseand then take careful note evoked by each image,Record your feelings,thoug the associations and discoveries as you continue your journey through the Tarot.W down,drawor paint howeach card strikesyou,whatyou notice in parti ular, and what impression or feeling you are left with after encounterwith each card. If you wish, find piecesof music [o with the card or think of scentsthat evoke each card.For instance,

with the summery the smellof freshlycut grass mightassociate

or the herb sagewith the ageing Hermit. Feel free to play around q' This is an opportunity to let your imagination such associations, Pav soecial attention to the colouring of each card. Do the appeal to you? If you are considering colouring your own deck,

plenty of time to considerwhich colours work best for you and I'
you have with different colours and Think about the associations struct your o\^/ncolour code.If you are going to designyour ov/n schemefor your deck,this will be very useful as a starting poinl.

+: The Minor Arcana e3'

Usins the Minor Arcana cards that you have met in Part Two, thin-k description for each card that reminds you of a particular situ feeling and note which cards stand out most noticeably and whr'also interesting and revealingto think about why somecards leare
'-98-

Exercises f or Part Two :-ank, Perhapsyou actively dislike them,feel scaredor repelledby them; --: sometimes, even more puzzling, feel bored or disinterestedin them. R.ather than just passingthosecardsover,pay extra attentionto them and ::\- to ascertainexactly what it is about them that you find difficult or rcomfortable.once you have discoveredthis you will be able to under. ':and them better.wb tend to dislike what we cannot understand.so -nderstandingis often a key io liking. with regard to the colour schemeand symbol code for the Minor :=rds,take thosethat you have studied so far and go through eachone in ::rn' searching for clues to the elements and connecting with the :--lours:reds,yellowsand orangesfor the fierywands; soft blues,pinks :.:d mauves for the watery Cups; ice blues, greys and purples for the ;-:r- $wsvcl5; greens, golds and browns for the earthy pentacles. The ele, :-:nt clues for the wands are the salamanders, sunflowers and flames; ::: the cups, fish, waterfalls,streamsand rivers; for the swords, clouds, : -rtterfliesand birds; for the Pentacles, fruit, foliage and small animals -ie mice and rabbits.lf you are planning to colour your own deck,think ;.:out what you would changecolourwise, bearing in mind that having :re or two colours that reflect eachsuit uniformlymakes it easier to keep --:::meaning of the elementin mind. If you make eachcard uniquelv dif:.rent,theregularityof the suit maybe lost.

YY

PART THREE
.*9S4r{

'>: MAJOR CARDS *Death The Devil The Tower The Star The Moon The Sun Judgement TheWorld

*: MINOR CARDS *'

.I-l

r ne T-r ra8es
rz . 1

Tl

I he Knights

The Queens
.r-l

r ne NlnSs

T7.

The LastPhase of the Fool's Journey

h.last phaseof the Fool'sjourneybrings forth his time in the underTf JL world, following his worldly trials. He has been taught about life Temperance, Strength,the Hermit and the in the world through Justice, Wheel of Fortune which led him to examine his inner world through his encounterswith the Hanged Man. The Fool must age,and through ageinghe realizesthat there is more to life than worldly matters.In order to find his inner self he must changeand transform (Death)and enterthe underworld to discoverwhat is at the heart of his inner crisis (the Dertl;This involves a struggle with darkness (the Tower),which must be demolishedby the light of truth. His searchfor meaningleadshim on to find hope (the Star),endure confusion and doubt (the Moon) and gain optimism (the Sun). His victory over darkness results in rebirth and triumph (theWorld). (Judgement)

- ro2-

The Lqst Phase of ths Fool's Journey

ir----------j kiumphant achievement

HermapLtoditus: Success; atLainment; symbol of goals achieved; completion and reward

l-.wi.,lll I r'"'ll
ll ,ll
LL
T.

[',**nl]
I
_t
II

StMichael/Hermes: guides the Fool out of the underworld towards success and rejuvination

.'!r{u,s\r I t|'.'......'_l

lltl

i",-ll tI ll*'",iI

z
!

r. '\pollo: splendour and triumph; warmth: tI light; perception anddirectness

I I

It------ll I tl

lnsuN

-. -_t
I

tkMdl

Artemis/ Demeter/ Hecate: sleep; unconscious; uncertainly; fluctuation; change

l;ll

It""', n*isl Lbl;m#1

Staroflsis: hope; inspiration; reawakening; poolof memory replenished by stargoddess House ofITades: Divine lightning; harrowing of Hell; rebornof divinefire
Hades: the Fool must
z

Pan: purging of worldly identifications; facing own shadow and darkness

3
I

die to be reborn; stripping of all pretensions

.-103--

DEerH

now the Fool must die. The Death card shows a skeletonon A"d I \ black horse,carryinga scythe and an hourglass.Hewearsa r.-hj headdress made of the death shroud that was once the swaddline c of blrth.In the distancea river can be seenwith a tiny boat crossingh one bank to another. Death rides over all people;it is oblivious of rank or position.A lies outstretched;a bishop holds out his hand as if in prayeria maideni

a white dress begsfor mercy, asif shefeelstooyoung,too unpreparoJ

'-104--

Deatlt

facehim. Only the small child appearsunperturbed, even holding out a posy in welcome.Children tend not to fear changeas much as adults do; they are more acceptingof it as so many transilions are made so quickly in earlydewelopment.We grorvmore rigid aswe growolder. The sceneillustrates the need to face death at somestage, as it comes :o us all, no matter how rich, how powerful, how holy, how beautiful or \-oung we may be. Death is unimpressedby worldly status and is not noved by the wealth symbolized by the king, or even the holinessof the .bishop. The hourglasssignifies the fact that time will run out eventually, -iseverything on earth has its ovrn time,for life and for death.The scythe is usedto gatherin a harvest,which Death will do at the appropriatetime :or eachliving thing. The rising sun over the horizon symbolizesa new day and a new life, ;o welcome after the long dark night of death.The raven pecking at the iround is a harbinger of death,as are the poppies.The river in the back:round is a symbol of transformationas the water evaporates, turns into --loudand returns to the river as rain. The little boat is an imageof both -radle and coffin, for life and death are inseparable. The river may be the -it;-x, which flows through the underworld filled with the waters of ieath, but which can also be transformed into the life-giving waters of ::birth and immortahty.lt could also representthe River Jordan,which -hristian souls had to crossto reachthe PromisedLand. In myth, the souls of the dead had to cross the Styx river by boat, .-n.aysbeing sure to pay a coin to the boatman. If they didn't, they would ::t make the transition and would remain ghosts,trapped between the -'.ing and the dead. Psychologically the coin represents mourning, ;" rich must be properly experienced after a death,in order to allow the _.rurner to move on afler the loss,whatever form it might take. According to the myth of Dionysus, the jealousTitans tore him limb ::--m limb, threw him into a cauldron and boiled away his flesh,leaving ::iv his skeleton,This, in mythical terms,figuratively representswhat :-:rpens to the mind and heart of the Fool as he confronts Death. The -.nged Man is the first step towards the Fool's illumination when he :-rsents to surrender his consciousnessand makes the iourney into

-r05-

Desth

Hades. Deathstripshim bareof all ht pretensions before he is led naked into thepresence of the underworlddeities.
The Death card symbolizeschange,theend of the old and the blrth of the new Life, both human and in nature, consists of constant cycles of death and renewal,as the Fool first learnedwith the Empress. Each age of man has its phase, and eachphasemust end when it is lived out. After all,what parentswould wish their children not to progressthrough adolescence into adulthood?It is the natural development,both physicalhand psychologically,inthe life of man.Death simplymarks the transition Treesshed their leavesin autumn in order to preparefor the neq' stages. growth in spring. The skeletonis like the bare tree,stripped of leavesto allow for new spring buds. It representsthe falling away of old outgrorr feeling and thought under the influence of Death; everything is tried and tested and, if something is found to have outlived its usefulness,l must be discarded. Death can mean the end of things in many &fferen ways. For instance,Death could appearin the spreadof someoneaborr

to be married, for it would signify the end of their singlelife, or in

spreadof someoneabout to be divorced, as a symbol of the end of marriage. Leaving school,leavinghome,leaving a job,leaving a countrr all thesethings and more could be indicated by the appearance of but none of these signify a physical death, nor are they unpleasant.The Death card in the Tarot is connectedwith transf tion and change rather than the death of the body. Feelings,emot thoughts and values many undergo a transformation under the enceof Death, as the cycles that govern them end.

ln a reading, thiscardheralds theinevitable ending of something,but with thepromise of a newbeginning.The ered undcr pain that is suff theet'fect of Deathis related to thewillingness or unwillingness of theseeker to surrender to theineuitability of change.

--106-

THu Duvrr

he Fool'sjourney is becoming increasinglydlfficult. His travelling companions are stern, daunting characters,nowhere near as

-:.=ndly andhelpful asthe figureshe met at the outset of his travels. He --:-. .ow beenstrippedof all worldly pretensions by Death,and is led -,ied andtrembling to meetthe Devil himself.
rhe portrayal of the Devil figure is as interesting as it is menacing. l,-,. darknessof the top half of the card draws the eyeto the black backl: ---rnd that enhances the central figure, The Devil, whose torso is

-ro7-

TheDeuil

halfhuman,half,goat, sits upon a cube.He has bat wings,horns and a tail,but humanhands. He is holdinghis right handup,while pointinqe blazingtorchdown to a nakedcouplebelowwith his left hand. The cou-. in ple sit similarpositionsand arechained by their necksto the block though their handsareunbound.The man andwomanhavesprouted little hornsand tails, just like the Devil s,which symbolizes that theyharc allowedthemselves to become his disciples. His flaming torch touches theirtailsto inflametheir base desires, Although theyarechained to the
Devil s cube,which is a symbol of the materialworld, they could, in f lift the chains from their necks to set themselves free. However, they arc chainedto the Devil by their thoughts aswell as by their fear.ln order

escape his bondage they must radicallyalter their rhinking; they m think for themselves and not allow sreedor lust to overwhelm
They are slumped in despair and seem too lazy or apathetic to want change.TheDevil has them in his grasp. The image of the Devil with horns, hooves and tail originatesu Pan,the goat-godof untamed nature and sexuality.Hermes fathered with the nymph Droype, but he was born so hairy and ugly that

mother ran awayfrom him in fright.Hermes took him up to Olympus

amusethe other gods,but once they had had their fun mocking him, banished him to rule the pasturesand woods of Arcadia, deeming

too ugly to live with them in beautifulOlympus.He lived happilv

Arcadia and was worshipped by the Greeks as a life-giving fertility r abundant and procreative.He representednatural energy in its c and disorderedstate.Pan personified the primitive, instinctual urges man, particularly those of a sexual nature.However,with the advent Christianity, Pan was banished to hell in the form of the devil as knowhim today.Naturalimpulse and instinctwas then frowned upon evil, and man becameashamed to acknowledeehis connectionswith physical and sexual side of his nature, as it was associated with the The Devil teachesthe Fool to recognizeand acceptall aspects oi nature,both dark and light. He represents the blockageof repressed and feelings which, once removed,can releasea great deal of energy.Energy in itself is neutral; it is how it's channelled that
--108-

TheDevil positive or negative.The Devil points out that if neither aspectof our nature is accepted, many inhibitions and phobias can accumulateuncon, ..-iously to prevent normal growth and developmentof the personality. in otherwords, the'devil'in eachof us must be facedbeforewe can come :--r termswith him and put his energyto good use. In Jungian terms,the Devil representsthe 'shadow',that part of our :syche we would rather ignore,the tiresomebit we prefer to seein every--neelsebut never in ourselves. However,if the Fool is able to acceptand --..,'n his shadow side,he will be more able to feel toleranceand compas;:on for himself and, in turn, will be able to feel this towards others. -\cceptancewill take the place of blame,as he begins to understandthat "'l humans are composedof a combination of good and evil, light and sradow positive and negative,and it is this understanding that enables :.m to becomefullyhuman and accepthis human limitations and failings.

In a reading,The Devil's messuge is that if thoseblocksand inhib iti ons that hinder d eu elop men t can be r emoued,gr eat growth and progress is possible.There is muchenergy tied up in repression that could he betterutilized. Out of apparent evil,much goodcancome.'

'-109-

TnE Townn

he Fool nowfaces the lightning-struck Tower,thepoint atwhich himself from the darknessof must split hell open and release underworld. For the first time on his journey,he encountersa card that centres on a man-madeskucture. The card shows a tall bu There are three standing in a stormy seawith waves lashing its base. row windows at the top from which two figures fall, A man and their facescontorted with fear woman hurtle down to the raging sea,

they plunge headlonginto the unknown. A violent storm is -lto-

TheTower

rcrked lightning has blown the roof right off,leaving flames in its wake rs cracks appeardown the sidesof the building.lt is evidently in danger imminent collapse, --,f As a man-madeimage, the Tower representsthe external circumstances that restrict internal development.ltis often the societyin which 'r'e live that governs body, soul and mlnd, which are symbolized by the :hreewindows. The edifice of the Tower itself representsthe social coni'entions that bind and constrict.The narrownessof the three windows :eflectsthe restrictive nature of the purely material, rational world while :re height of their position suggeststhe possibility of high attainment. The four lhe falllng man and woman representunreconciled opposites. .iements are visible in the imagery: earth the Tower itself; fire - the :qhtning; air - the storm clouds; water - the stormy sea.This imagery .-iustrates the shatteringof the Fool s worldly illusions, and the breaking ,c.vn of falsevalues and beliefs. Through his encounterswith Death and the Devil,the Fool has come : recognizehis own inner conflicts,discovering also that he has an infi :-iie number of possibilities at his command.Death has stripped hlm of :-rspretensions, the Devil has revealedthe extent of his power and now :e Tower that encasedinsincere phllosophies must be shattered.The ..:ils of falsebeliefs and phoneyvalues must be torn down as the divine -ihtning penetratesthe underworld of the unconscious to dispel the -,rk forces.The fork of lightning is the flash of illumination that splits . .llopen and breaksdown existing forms to makewayfor the new believethat the imageryfor this card originates SomeTarot speculators . the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.Babelwas the tower that Noah's ,=scendantsattempted to construct. They were angry with God for ,:stroying the world byflood and so decidedto build a tower so high that :.-r-could climb up to heavenand confront the Almighty, Naturally, the in punishment for their supreme arrogance, God :,,n failed because, ---nmanded that each of the men should speak a different language, -.:rich resultedin chaos, and the building of the towerwas abandoned. F{owever, according to Paul Huson, some old French packs use the ' -: La Maison Dieu. which translates as The House of God. Huson
- llt -.

The Tower

suggeststhat the word'Dieu'may in fact have been a corruption of tle original word,'Diefel', which meansDevil. So, the Tower,far from being the House of God, may actually be the House of the Devil or, in other words, hell. The Fool must escape from hell and the onlyway he can do this is through the blast of divine enlightenment.This perspectivetiesin better with the idea of Dionysus being conceivedin the darknessof the underworld and born again as Iacchusgod of light. The Tower signifies a time of reckoning; it is the moment that the Fool must sort out for himself what is risht for him and abandonoever is not truly his own. It is often the casethat for many yearswe lir e we have been taught, even though what may have suited those qtaught us might not actually be right for us. There comes a time sour needs, thoughts and ideasneed to be tested, evaluatedand ultimat owned. The conflicts inherent in our behaviour when we attempt sLructureour lives by convention are symbolizedby the Tower,a narr constraining structure,while the hghtning representsthe flash of r us to changeideasand live our chosenway. that causes

In alayout, thiscarddenoLes thenecessary downof existitg breaking new,Freshlife andnewways areindicated: formsto makeway for Lhe rigidor imprisoning structures need to betorndownandreplaced. qnd thetriumph Thiscardstands eatot' for thedef falsevalues of Lrue ones.

- IT2_

THn Sren

I l|\

t last,the time for renewal is nigh. After the sombre underworld, the shining promise of the Star refreshesand renews the Fool's

c--,,-ping spirits. Finally he returns to the colourful imageslike thosehe ,s- :,-unteredwhen he beganhis travels.A feeling of release comesupon ffi.,* ,s he meets the lovely Star maiden. -\ beautiful girl is pouring water from two pitchers,one into the pool , :o replenishlt, and the other over the dry earth as if to refresh it. The :,:r- f-low of water from the pitcher onto the land divides into five

-tt3-

TheStar

a bird perches in a treeand a butterfly streams.In the background starsshinessoftlv by seven smaller A lareestarencircled tersoverhead. t of the maidenrepresents in the milky dawn sky.The nakedness
unveiled; she has no need of protective garmentsfor she has nothinq Fear and nothing to hide. She is young; she is a symbol of renewal.

although might be the Poolof Memory,which, pool shekneelsbeside

was situated in the twilisht realm of the underworld, had its

The of memory. by Mnemosyne, replenished andrefreshed goddess

may drink from thesewaters so as not to forget his experiencewhile i

theunderworld.
smell,taste, The five streamsof water stand for the five senses: tree,a symbol of sound and sight. The bird sitting in the evergreen

the sacredbird of Thoth, lasting life, is the ibis of immortality, The bird is a symbolof the soul'sabilityto ri Egyptian god of all arts.
butterflvis to high levelsof emotionaland spiritual consciousness.The The largecentral starhas symbol of transformationand resurrection. nectionswith the Star of Bethlehem.which heraldednewlife and The sevenstars surrounding it stand for eachof the sevenancient

Together the starsaddup to eight,whichis the numberof rebirthand life. baptisminto new and everlasting with the Starof Isis.who The TarotStarhasalsobeenconnected in Egypt, of Egypt.During the dry season the greatmothergoddess
land becameparched and barren.Even the great River Nile,which

The relied upon for food and water,would shrink dramatically.

feared starvation until the longed-for Star of Isis appearedin the heralding the coming of the rains.Then the great river would be

The peopleof Egypt rej ishedand life restored to the deadlands.

and were filled with awe and sratitude for the'masic of Isis'. Stars have always been an emblem of hope and promise, and seen

opened the for by.ln Greekmyth,when Pandora a light to steer The only thing the earth, box,terriblespitesflew out and infested
did not fly away,but stayedto comfort Pandora in her time of af

was Hope.The ThreeWise Men followed the bright starto Bet and insight hopingto find the Messiah; astrologers gainknowledge
114 *

The Star

-rarting the movement of the heavenly bodies through the skies, and :ariners use the starsto set their ships'courses. Even songstell us that if ..e wish upon a star,our dreamswill cometrue. All men need a goal, an aim towards which to strive. We all need .ith, and belief that our hopes and wishes will be fulfilled, that our -:iams can come true, Without this hope, our lives lack meaning and -'.'e ntuallywe lose the will to continue,The Star is symbolic of our faith, ,.'rateverit may be; it does not have to be religious or spiritual in an ::hodoxway,but if we lack a senseof purposeor a meaningin somerrng, we lose the hope and without that we lose the point in life. '.:.-ithout the inspiration of the Star,life becomes dull and lacklustre.The :,=r provides that bit of magic that spurs us on and keeps us going in .res of stressand doubt, The faith that things can improve is essential ' ren limes are difficult, and the image of the Star reflects that inner . rt which guides us through the darkness.

In a reading,The Starsends ahapplrnessage ofpromise, good and1o1.Itsugests inspiration, a sense fortune,optimism,hope ofpurpose and therenewal of ltfe's promises forceandenergy.It a positive attitudeandencourages imagination.

- 1 1 5_ -

THn MooN

the Fool'sjourney reachesits final stages, he realizesthat there 7\s L \ still much to learn.After the dark sequence of cardsin the unJ world, he experienceda brief but glorious respitewith the Star,onl" discover that the next card, The Moon, is another sombre-lookinsc At first glance,this card seemssimilar to The Star,but on closer The landscape with the pool in nation it is not as calm as it appears. foresround is much like that of The Star; after all, it is still the cou imagination,However,in The Moon card there is no human figurc
-t16-

TheMoon

: -late to, only the face of the Moon. A crab crawling out of the pool dis--rbsits waters,while two animals,a dog and a wolf, appearto be baying ,. the Moon. A slim winding road leads between twin pillars towards r-: lwo mountain peaksin the distance. The crab, connected to Cancer the astrological sign ruled by the I . 1:on,is symbolic of innermost fears forcing their way to the surfaceof :nsciousness. The crab might representchlldhood fears reappearingin -'ult life, still managingto causefear and anxiety even though we may - -rgnize the lack of logic in this. As the crab crawls up into conscious-)s,we often try to push hm back down in the unconscious.However, . . e do this, he nevertheless continues to exist there,still giving rise to -.tue fears and unacknowledgedanxieties until such time as we allow '..: crab,that is, our fears,to come right out of the pool of the unconwith the : --rus and be faced.The pool in The Moon has been associaled which lies to the left of the Pool of Memory in the , - rl of Forgetfulness, -,:k world of Hades.We may want to forget that which gives rises to but the crab periodi---pleasant or discomforting feelings or memories, ,,-.r- reminds us of them by struggling out of the water. The other .,--malsin the image,the dog and wolf, are both creaturesof the under:rld,guidesof soulsto the land of the dead. These animals are sacred to Hecate, goddess of the dark moon, - :hantment and the infernal regions.Hecatewas the triple-headed god::.s of the crossroads andwas thought to appearwhenthe ebonymoon : le . One of her titles was Queen of Ghosts, as she was believed to -.rnt cemetries. Hovering among the graves,she would prevent harm : --:r leaving,aswell as entering,the spirit world, Shewas often depicted '" ,5 her two ghostly hounds. Although Hecate was often associated ;. .:h sorcery and magic, she also did good deeds such as rescuing ::::ephone from the underworld and restoring her to her moiher - '::retereachspring. The idea of dogs and wolves baying at the full moon is a powerful -:ie suggestingmadnessor lunacy.The road,however,leadsbetween -: irvo pillars, suggestingconnection between conscious and unconboth lunar flowers. .. . rs.White lilies and rosesgrow by the poolside,

-n7-

The Moon

her threefaces:nerr-The Moon shinesdown upon the scene,revealing full and old,which correspondto the threefacesofwoman:virgin,mother for the nesand hag.Mythically, eachface can be comparedto a goddess: virgin goddes-' or Persephone moon, Artemis the virgin moon goddess, of the underworld; Demeter,the earth-mothergoddessof the full moon, and Hecate,witch-enchantressgoddessfor the dark face of the moon. The three facesrevealthe three aspectsof femininity: the virgin who is full of potenrialwaiting to be fulfilled; the mother whose potential is fulfilled; and the hag,whosepotential has shrivelled up or beenwasted. The Moon is the mistressof the night, the womb to which men return each night to resl,sleepand dream.The Moon was once thought oi a-t home of the dead,for it was believed that the souls of the dying woul.'i leave their bodies and be drawn up to the moon where they would be kept safeuntil the time was ripe for rebirth. The Moon was thus seena; both the womb that brings forth new life, and the tomb to which all lte eventually returns. The Moon rules the waxing and waning rhythms C hfe, of tides and all natural cycles.The Moon also symbolizes feelinss and emotions that are by nature volatile, nebulous and uncertain. Sbe rules the realm of unconscious thought, dream and fantasy,and as tbe High Priestesssignified the wisdom of the unconscious revealedin e controlled way, the Moon symbolizes the unconscious in its un These aspects,whenmadeconsc dictable and uncontrolled aspects. can be transformed into wisdom. If the unconscious and conscic minds can function togetherharmoniously,the result is a well-integrat personality.

and oftluctuation Moonusually pointsto a phase [n a reading,The illusion.Itcanalso andeven uncerLaintl oftenindicates change.It dreams canbe Loproblems that soluLions suggesL foundthrough andreason, raLher thanlogic andintuitions

-ll8-

THE SuN

nce again,after darknessthere is hght. The Sun is a cheerful and welcomeimage after the misty uncertainty of the Moon. A child -.1rapped in red banners is riding a powerful horse,the samehorse that leath rode but this time it is white to symbolize life. A laurel hedge, rep::senting success, forms a boundary to the fertile garden,which is rich '.,. ith sunflowers,heliotrope and orangetrees,all solar flowers and fruit. - he Fool cannot help but respond with feelings of ioy and optimism at :re fresh-facedfriendly child who greetshim in the imaqe of the Sun.

I I

tn LJ

The Sun

The fact that a child, rather than an adult figure, is depictedpoints to the chance that the Fool has to revert to a childlike state again so he .rt restart his inner or spiritual growth. White is the colour of life and The red cloak purity of spirit, and red is the colour of desireand energy. that the child is wrapped in may be symbolic of all the cloaks worn bv the figures in the earlierTrumps,castoff and given to the child lo wearin triumph; their lessonshave been learned so they have no further need of them.The dazzlingmidday sun shines bright,with its rays both straigh and wav;{,indicating the dual nature of The Sun card,positive and

tive.The dense laurelhedge represents the formationof the Fools pa* life and his limitations.ltstands for all he haslearned and experienced
which has becomea solid foundati so far; the pattern of experience, from which he can now proceed. The Sun has manymythical associations,the most obvious one the sun god Helios,whosejob it was to drive the chariot carrying the

across the skiesbringinglight andheatto the earth. Another di of thenight.Apollos shrine of Heliosis Apollo,born of Leto,goddess Delphiwas sacred to all goddesses Apollo's twin sister of darkness. Artemis,thegoddess of theMoon,andtogether theyruleddayand
and his twelve hours each.Apollowas alsoan archer,likehis sister, arrows could both heal sicknessand causesudden death to those

ran foul of him,Hewasoftendepictedwith his famous lyre asthegod music,poetry and song. He was a god of form,shapingelusiveaspects the psyche into artistic expressions that aredurableandpermanent.
The Sun symbolizesthe masculinecapacityto impart form and ture. His influence gives form to the formless,shape to the The Sun god presides over the arts as well as over the activity of intellect, and man's rational capacity to impose order and coherence the fluctuating moods of his experience. The Sun is a card of which,while it lasts,is a time for vigorous activity and clear

In this respect, the Sun complements the Moon, for if the Moon
the Sun is conscio sents the unconscious in its murky darkness,

in all its bright lucidity.lf the Moon signifies the the feelingnature, for the capacity for thought. And asthe Moon is formless, so stands -r20-

The Sun

While Sun is form. The Sun, like the Moon, has its negative aspects. torm, structure, expression and articulation are things that can prove a qreatadvantage, when they can be taken too far. there are circumstances It can be a mistake,for example,to attempt to structure and regulatefeelcan lngs in accordance with logic. Air and fire, the masculineelements, Jry out water and earth.The sun can ripen fruit but it can also laywaste .r desert.Water and earth, on the other hand, can drown or bury the r-olatileelementsof air and fire.The elementsmust co-existin nature and in the personality to achieve balance,If the Fool approachesthe Sun s-ith reverenceand caution,he can richly benefit from this benevolent sourceof life and strensth.

energy anda source of strength. In a spread,this cardrepresents TheSunstands andtrue friends, for success,prosperity,happiness a sense IL seems surrounding it, adding to brighten all thecards cheer, of opLimism andgood

-I2I-

JuocEMENT

udgementis the penultimate stageof the Fool s journey.He has almoc l[ '/ reached his goal with only this and the final card, The World, to encounter.The Judgement card depicts an angel appearing from the clouds,a halo of golden curls around his youthful face.He is blowing a mighty trumpet from which hangs a white banner emblazonedwith a red cross,Three naked figures of a man, woman and child arise from their coffins, their arms outstretched.Their coffins float in a dark sear which becomesincreasinglylighter and calmer as it stretchesout to the -t22-

ludgemenL The points of the red cross horizon. The imageis one of joy and release. on the white banner signify that the way to spiritual ascenlis through which then form a higher unity. The centhe reconciliationof opposites, tral crossingpoint of the two lines shows a joining togetherof all things The naked figures illustrate more or separated, that have been separate they have thrown off important symbolic detail.They are naked because their garmentsof worldliness in favour of spirituality.The figures apPear to be rising from their graves:the coffins are oPen and they are free to :limb out. The darkness of the sea and the tombs representsthe dark underworld,life without initiation. The figures have undergone a spiriiual rebirth; they died in order to find themselvesand they arenow ready io acquirethe new life to whlch they are being summoned, The angel blowing the trumpet could be St Michael,who functions :s a guide of souls and whose trumpet is due to sound out on the Day of udgement.Michael was one of the seven archangelswho was said to :uide the planets,his own specialplanet being Mercury. This takes us :ull circle and brings us back to Hermes, known to the Romans as \lercury, the guide of souls,whom the Fool first met at the beginning of ris journey under the guise of the Magician.lndeed it was the Magician '.r-ho started the Fool on his journey, led him unseen along the way, .ccompanied him on his descentinto darkness and now leads him trirmphantly towards the light, and his goal.Hermes is a god with many of the gods,especiallyto Zeus, and arranges he is the messenger -acets; lealings between men and the gods.He is a guide to men on their jourreys and in his role as trickster he could guide and mislead;help and rlnder. However, in his role as psychopomp he acts as a powerful under',.orld god, guiding the souls of the dead to Hades but also summoning :he dead back to life. According to myth, when the unpleasant King Tantalos decidedto cook his own son and servehim to the gods at a feast the unfortunate young man - a joke, it was Hermes who reassembled including ,nd restoredhim to life. Hermes alsofreed a number of heroes, Theseus and Heracles,who found themselves trapped in the under..orld, and it was Hermes who guided Orpheus in and out of the -inderworld in searchof his wife. Eurvdice,

-r23*

ludgement judgement is a card of summing-up,of balancAs its image suggests, ing accounts and it is through this card that the Fools progress is evaluated and assessed. Judgement may symbolize what, in Eastern thought, is called karma, the principle whereby man's actions produce their appropriate reward or punishment. In Western tradition, this is summed up by the phrase'as you sow so shall you reap'.]udgement reflects a processof sel[appraisal, an honest and sincereattempt to come to terms with oneself and whatever resolutions one has found for inner conflict.lt necessitates removing the veils through which man generalhperceives hhself and either over-estimates or under-estimates his effortr After all, excessivemodestyor self+ecriminationis just as erroneous:rs excessiveegotism or complacency.Judgement stressesthe need to evaluateoneselfand one'saccomplishments at their true worth and though nc condemn thosewho puff themselvesup,we should also condemn those who, for whatever reason,sell themselvesshort. The card of Judgemed marks the completion of the karmic cycle, in which reward or penahies are conferredin accordance with one'strue worth.

In a reading, theJudgement cardsignifies thefinal setLlement of a matter, a'clean slate',paying offold debtsanda preparedness t'or a newbe It indicates that things ginning. whichhave Iainf allow will come to life,andreward efforLwill for pasL finally be is a timefor rejoicing andrenewal. forthcoming.It

1),1

THE Wonro

t last,the Fool arrivesat The World, the final and mostcomplex \ cardin the Major tumps. The enigmatic image portraysa danc-

:-q figure floating jn a wreath of laurel tied with red ribbons, carrying a -",,:ndin each hand. The figure is draped in a purple sash and wears a ::id crown. The four corners of the imagereveal a bull, a lion, an eagle, ,--l a man. TheWorld dancer'spurple sashis the colour ofwisdom and divinity ,-l it is draped in such a way as to concealsexual gender, for this figure

- r25-

TheWorld

The representsa hermaphrodite,a symbol of unity between the sexes. two wands indicate the duality the Fool has encounteredso many times along his route,and nowboth arecontainedwithin thewreath.There has been a constant emphasis on two halves forming a whole, pairs and oppositescombining to becomeone.The wreath of laurel is a symbol oi victory, successand triumph, while the red ribbons stand for the joy of achievement. The crown denotes authority and power. The four cr* tures at eachcorner stand for the fixed signs of the zodiac and reflect the four seasons and elements: Bull, Taurus, Spring, Earth; Lion, leo" Summer,Fire; Eagle,Scorpio,Autumn,Water; Man, Aquarius,Winter, Air. The World dancer representsthe blending and unification of the opposites to createharmony and balance.The life work of the alchemiss was to blend all four elements to create a perfect fifth, the quintessencc. The oval shapeof the wreath echoesboth the figure zero,symboli'ittt all beginnings and endings,and the womb from which all life emerges. Hermaphroditus, in Greek myth, was born to Hermes and Aphrodite,his namebeing composedfrom both of theirs.Oneversion the myth suggestshe was born dual sexed,while in another Aphrodite gave him to the nymphs who lived in the forests of Ida so they might raisehim.When he reachedthe ageof fifteen, he q

who ruled the part by the nymph Salmacis noticedand desired

lake he decided to swim in. At first Hermaphroditus refused advancesbeing somewhat shy and modest,and only when he

Salmacis he was alone, did he dareplungeinto the lake.However, him. kissingand embracing poppedup besidehim in the waters,
more he struggled,the tighter she held on to him, and shecried out to from her.The gods beggingthem never to allowhim to be separated heard her prayer and mergedtheir bodies togetherand from then on were as one,neither man nor woman,and yet at the sametime,both. TheWorld card symbolizes completion by showing onenesswith and nature,It representsan establishmentof oneselfin one'sright in relation to the cosmos and as an expressionof internal and e harmony.The individual is now at one with nature and the world; is a senseof satisfaction and achievement at finding one s rightful
-

126-

TheWorId

Realizationof the World is the objective to which mystics have aspired irom time immemorial.Jung calls it the Realizationof the Archetype of it is the supremegoal in Buddhist, lhe Self; Christianity calls it Beatitude; Hindu and Thoist traditions as well as the goal to which the cabalists :spire.lt involves the ultimate integration of self and the cosmosas well :s unity, harmony and balance.Whetherit is a viable expectationfor the :\ eragelndividual is indeed questionablebut, certainly,intimations of it The World card symbol.an be offered and occasionallyeven achieved. ,-es a connectionwith the greatmystic traditions that have constituted a :ommon denominator between all the world's great religions and sys:ems of philosophical thought from ancient times to the presentday.At ihe moment of completion and perfection, all that remains is to start ,nother whole journey.The oval wreath symbolizes the womb, and the :entral figure, the foetus,waiting to be born again as the Fool, so the pro:essionof tumps may begin again.

or sLage of one phase thecompleLion thiscardshows In readings, achievemenL, andtriumphent success,harmony of life;it suggests prizeorgoal,andimplies of a sought'after It is therealization and ioythat suchafeatbrings' of satist'action themoment is atyour Forthis moment,theWorld feet.

-t27-

nam \ \ z.".*..Lli.,3::::,T:;", Arcana Court cards.The Court cards act as a link or bridge betrx'een VVrl.
the Major and Minor and areoften consideredto be quite complicatedtc interpret becausethey can symbolize a number of different things. For example,they could symbolize a particular type of Personentering the own personallife; they could representan aspectof the seeker's seeker's ity or they could indicate an actual event,This does obviously make it a bit difficult to decide how to read the Court cards,as there are no harJand-fastrules.Practiceand experiencewill certainly help a greatdeal,a' s ques. well as lookmg at the overall layout of the cards and the seeker tion or situation. As always, the more personal the feelings and responsesto each card are,the easierit will becometo know how to interpret it in eachparticular case. Somepeoplefind that linking the Court cardswith astrologicalsisns can give a deeper understanding of each figure's personality.My oul of reflect the essence are that the Pages personalastrologicalassociations the astrologicalelements themselves- Fire, Water, Air and Earth; tlc Knights reflect the mutable signs of the zodiac - Sagittarius, Pisces. Gemini and Mrgo; the Queens reflect the fixed signs - Leo, Scorpi+ Aquarius and Thurus; and the Kings reflect the cardinal signs - Ariei Libra and Capricorn. Cancer,

-r28-

THn Pacns
represented as ofLen asmessengers, thePages areknown Ti'aditionally, of the or an aspect something embryonic thel symbolize :hildren,because ent,it i s t'ersonality that i sju st beginningto develop,If theyindicate an eu ..su ally as so ciat ed with the be ginning of something new and undeveIoped. through is reflected energy of thePage thehasic As wiLhLhe pip cards, of thaLsuit, Lhesuitandtheelement

Pecr of WeNos
-\ number of symbols recur through the suit of -.\-ands, that fiery one of which is the salamander, -:eature believed to live in the flames of fire. Ithers are the sunflower, a solar plant, the sun .l:rd iittle flames,which stand like buds on the .::ms of all the wands.The Pageof Wands stands :roudly holding his wand firmly in his right :"nd, the side of action.He looks out over the vast :--.rizon and although he stands still, it is clear .:at action and movementwill soon follow. Tiny is engravedon his breastplate. ::ns decoratehis tunic and a salamander it may be someone -- he representsa child or young person in a spread, ; ith a quick, intuitive, enthusiasticpersonality. A key point to remember ,:out the Pagesis their potential.A fiery Pagerepresentsthe potential those small ideasthat may grow into something ::r creativepossibilities, .:bstantial; after all, it only takes a spark to ignite a massiveblaze.In a ::"ding,if the seekeris trying to developqualitiesof enthusiasmand opti' :-sm within him-or herself,this card can be a helpful one.ln terms of ::lresenting an event,the Pagemay be a bearerof good news, glad tid-:-ls, a yearning for growth and a desire for knowledge,along with the ::portunity to achievethis.

*r29-

The Pages

PecE of Curs
The decorative imagery and themes that run through the suit of Cups are fish, mermaids and water,The fish is a symbol of creative imagination and the element of water representsthe feelins and the depth of the unconscious mind. The colours of the Pageof Cups are soft pink and blue" reflecting the sweet and gentle characteristicof this card. The Pageof Cups is a young man s.earing a pink tunic embroidered with tiny blue fisL He is holding a golden cup with great care and watching as a fish emergesfrom it cautiously,symboh'ing tenderness, the birth of creativeimaginationand newlife.The landscape is greenand pool, fertile and the youth stands near a indicating the elementof wata If the Pagein a spreadis indicative of a young person,he stands for a sitive,kind-natured type with shong artistic or even psychic talents. The Pageof Cups mayindicate thesequalities,albeit in embryo,in the

He maybring newsof a birth,perhaps the birth of a child or of new

ings and attitudes. For example,if a seekerhad been hurt and was afraid to trust emotionally,this card could indicate the fragile new beginn in starting to trust again.

PacEof Swonos
Airy imagesdominate the suit of Swords: clouds, birds and butterflies.Blue,grey and purple are the colours thal recur in this suit. The Pageof Swords stands on guard, as if ready to defend himself againstattack.He brandisheshis sword high over htu head; there are clouds in the sky though not storm clouds, and birds fly high above them. He wears a blue tunic decorated with butterflies,and even the sleevesof his boots are appliqu6d with

-130-

The Pages

tiny butterflies.It is clear that this card reflects the elementof air.If the Pageof Swords representsa young person,he could stand for a somewhat ruthless character, clever and intelligent but lacking in compassion tbr others.The Pageof Swords isn't necessarily malicious but may evaluatethings with logic rather than feeling.He may indicate one who has a strong will, yet who is cold and calculating.All the Pagescan represent children,and in this cardwe may seehow children use gossipand chatter as a meansof communication and learning.In its best light the Pageof Swords standsfor the young mind stirring and expanding,and indicates a thirst for knowledge and mental stimulation. At worst, he stands for onewho enjoys gossipor spreadingrumours.

PecE of PENTecLES
Indicationsof nature'sbounty arethe main themes lhat run through the earthysuit of Pentacles.ln the Pagethese are shown by the new growth in the :ields and the rabbit, symbol of fertility, bounding ;rr.erthe furrows, The greens and browns of the suit reflect the colours of nature; the overall -mpressionof this image is one of calm patience. fhe Page of Pentaclesstands still and straight, rolding a pentacle firmly with both hands. The --therPagesshow a senseof movement;they look :eady to act,while this Pageseemscontent to wait for the earth to pro:uce fruit in its own time. This suit is associated primarily with earthly :rrssessions or materialgoods,so this Pageindicatesa young personwho ::spects such things, and takesgood careof his worldly belongings and ,.sets,He represents one who is prudenl and cautious,hard-working and :iligent, though perhapsrather solemn sometimes.Ifthe seekeris trying --.developa sense of materialvalue or worlh, or perhapswishes to start a :usinessventure even on a small scale, this is a good card.As an event, ,re Pageof Pentacles may signify an opportunity to make money, usually ':arting from the bottom but with plenty of promisefor the future. -131-

THs KNrcHrs

andaction.The symhols of movement LotheKnights, We nowcome thanthePagtstheyaremoreadvanced Knightsstand foryouth,although skyorfield Loreath searching through desert,lcedn, They area\l seekers, themutablesignsthe Knightsrepresent theirchosen goal Astrologically,

Kxrcnr of WeNos
A handsomeknight on a fine steedgallops across desert-liketerrain. He wears a cloak embroideral with suns,symbolizing the warmth of fire, and his horse's harness is trimmed with salamanderl denoting the fiery element.The single red feaths stands for truth, The distant pyramids stand fcr knowledge and ancient wisdom. The Knight of Wands has an air of purpose and confiden,r

about him, as he holds his Wand, symbolof

ative energy, up high. He is connected sitl

ideas anil mutable fire sign.This youngmanhassplendid Sagittarius,the hewould makea generous andwarmfriendor a fine sense of adventure:
lover, although he is inclined to be unpredictable and hasty in ment.He has a good senseof fun. However,on a more seriousnote,he a seeker of meaning and higher purpose, as in astrology Sagittari stands for higher learning and interests of a philosophical or spiri nature.If he stands for an event,it is usually a changeof residencecr Iong journey, possibly even immigration. Sagittarius rules the houseof the zodiac,which is alsoconnectedwith iourneys.

KNrcnr of Curs
astheKnight ofWands, The Knight of Cups,althoughashandsome
ceedsin a much calmler fashion.His elesantwhite horse moves slo* -132-

TheKnights

,nd deliberatelyalongsidea wide river, signifying :he water element. His horse'sharnessis decorated '.vith fish as is his tunic, denoting feelings,and his :elmet is winged to representhis spiritual aspira:ions. He is connected with Pisces,the mutable r-atersign of the zodiac. If he standsfor a person, it . ould be a refined,artistic,high-principled youth, :,uite possibly an idealist or someoneseekingper:ction. The Knight of Cups is traditionally inown as the lover,or the one who offers, and he, :uch like the Arthurian Knights of the Round Table,is on a quest for .:uth, beauty and love,and nothing will deterhim from this search. He is .n love with love'and his high principles encouragehim to aim high m -.-lrespects, although he is often disappointedas a result.If he standsfor ,r event,it may be a proposalof marriage, a proposition in the field of art, rr even a rival in love,

KNrcHr of Swonos
The Knight of Swords dashesacrossthe card,his horse's legs outstretched,its mane flying in the wind. The emphasisis on speed;the swift action of the wind is pictured often in the imageryof this suit.ln the background,the trees are bent and the Knight leansback in his seat, his sword poisedfor battle.His horse'sblanket is decorated with birds and the harnesswith butterflies as symbols of the air element.In astrological terms, the Knight of Swords can be connected with the mutable air .ign of Cemini. The Knight of Swords is a curious mixture, for he has ,n attractive,magneticpersonality and easily draws attention and aff.ec. :ion from others,although he often has lessneed of them than they have ,.f him, Thus, there is a somewhatruthless streak in him, although he is rot intentionally cruel or malicious,He has a brilliant mind and good

- rl3 -

TheKnights

Gemini is the businessjudgement,and tends to get on well in his career. and educationin gelsign known for teaching,lecturing,communicating by thit eral,as it is ruled by Mercury, the trickster,A person represented card would be someonewho is full of intellectual flexibility and curiov ity, is interested in everything, is volatile and changeableyet is also easilr bored.As an event,the Knight of Swords may representa situation that gets started swiftly amid great excitement but dies down almost as quickly, often leaving a certain amount of chaosin its wake.The Knieht of Swords is known for stirring things up but disappearingbefore the difficulties can be pinned on him.

KNrcHr of PENTacLES
is noticeablydifferen The Knight of Pentacles from the other three Knights in that his horse andhb quite still.The Knight of Pentacles stands sturdy farm horse are depicted in a freshlv their surploughedfield, quietly contemplating blankc his saddle decorate roundings. Oak leaves with tbe the image which connects and harness, imageand this This is a peaceful earthelement. qentle fellow with infinite Knieht is a calm,
patienceand tolerance. He is reliable and tr thy and will carry out a task to completion,no matter how long it mey take. He always reacheshis goal becausehe never gives up and always plods on sets his sights on achievablerewards.The Knight of Pentacles without frenzy or excitement,but his plodding wins him the reward. Fh is connectedwith the astrologicalsign of Mrgo, and the mutable earth

is kind to animalsand children, The Knight of Pentacles element.

loves all things pertaining to nature. He indicates just such a

Others often seekhim out for but utterly reliable. unadventurous,

and capacityfor honesthardwork.As an e\ qualitiesof perseverance he stands for the eventual positive outcome of a situation that fruitless. draggedon for a long while, or which has appeared

12/t

-.

THn QuEENs
Inlayouts,the theother Courtcards,canbe taken Queens,like orpartsof theseeker's they tendnot people personality,but for actual to indicate euents in quitethesameway as thePages andKnights can sometimes do.The the areconnectedwith four Queens fourfixed signs of thezodiac.

QuEEN of WeNos
-\ noble-lookingwoman, proud and tall, is seated upon a fine throne decoratedwith fiery salamanders and golden lions, symbol of Leo, the fixed iire sign.She holds the wand of power in her right hand, the side of action, and a sunflower in her left hand, the side of creativity.The wand is mas;uline and the sunflower is feminine; this figure Jisplays the balancebetween the two. At her feet sits a cat,denoting her traditional role as queen of hearth and home.The Queen of Wands is full of ihe love of life; she can successfullyrun a home and family but still finds time and energy to vigorously pursue her own interests.She can have severalprojects in progress at one time yet never lets anything detract :rom the energy she puts into her home life. She is well liked and will :lways help her friends enthusiasticallybut, if crossed, she will fight as :lercely as any lioness.Her tirelessversatility is a quality often sought ,fter by others,

of Curs QuEEN
lhe Queen of Cups is a very different queen indeed to the vibrant fiery ]ueen of Wands, The dreamy,fey Queen of Cups sits upon an elegant ::rronefloatins in the sea. The throne is madeout of shells and decorated

-r35-

TheQueens with mermaidsand dolphins, Her flowing silverv dress melts into the water. The ocean is a symbol of the depths of the feeling world over which she She gazesinto her golden cup as though presides. in a trance.The Queen of Cups is connectedwith the fixed water sign Scorpio.She is queen of emo tions and symbolizesa personwho has reacheda degree of understanding of her own emotional depth. She is comfortable in the realm of feelings. fantasy and imagination and is sensitive and creative. The Queen of Cups is often the object of love, attractins and inner calm,yetshe alsohas admiration for her qualities of gentleness so common with fixed signs,which makes a certain air of containedness evenmystiher quite fascinating.She is often highly artistic and creative, cal or prophetic. However, she is so deeply involved in her inner world that it makes relationshipsof an everydayor mundane nature strangelv of being in touch difficult for her.The Queen of Cups representsa sense with her feeling world, so when this card appearsin a reading it mav meanthat the seekerneedsto pay attention to their inner world, too.

QuEENof Swonrs
The Queen of Swords is a more austerefigure, seatedupright on a stene throne carved with an angel whose wings represent the spirit, Decorative butterflies also appear as symbols of the elementair. Her cloak is made up of blue sky and clouds and she holds her sword upright as a symbol of justice and truth. A single bird flies high n a darkening sky, signifying the woman's ability to think clearly and take a higher view of this Queen is connectedwith things.In astrology, the Queen of Swords repreAquarius, the mutable air sign.Traditionally, sents a woman who has experienced sorrow or who may be alone
-136-

TheQueens She may have loved and lost, through widowhood, divorce or separation, but believesshe will live to love again,and in the meantimebears her The Queen of Swords is a symbol of pain with courageand resignation. strong will and determination,a person who can bearwhatever difficulties life may put in her way. Her dignity is admirable as is her abihty to wait patiently for better times to come.Acquiring this Queen'squalities to bearsuffering with strength can be supportive and helpful in times of loss and sorrow

QuEEN of PENTecLES
sits contentedly and com' The Queen of Pentacles fortably in a fertile garden,her throne decorated with bulls'heads,connectingthis card with the fixed earth sign of Thurus.The garden is full of flowers, including roses,which are the sacred flower of Venus, goddessof beauty and the ruling planet of Taurus.The Queen'scloak is madeof red roses,and a rabbit, symbol of fertility, sits by her is practical and matefeet.The Queen of Pentacles rialistic. She loves the good things in life and is preparedto work hard to get them, particularly those things that appeal such as good food, fine clothing, lovely fragrances, to the five senses, excellent music and beautiful surroundings. Having acquired these things, she is able to feel a senseof contentment and satisfaction.She accepts responsibility gladly and is fair and wise in business.This Queen may representsomeonerich who accumulatedwealth by working hard and tirelesslyfor materialgain.She can indicate a helpful friend becauseshe is generouswith her good fortune and may sigor employer, nify help of a practicalnature,

-t37-

THE KrNcs
TheKings, aspartners to theC)ueens, stand energ,i, for masculine andauthoritywithin theirown suits.They aredynamic and actirt andcorrespond to thecardinalsigns in astrology.

KrNc of WeNos
The King of Wandsleansforwardsrestlessll-;
looks set for action. As a fiery king, his and robes are adorned with salamanders

lions,andthe armrests aregoldenrams, symbol

Aries, the cardinal fire sisn of the zodiac. King ofWands is the masterofwit and charm. is warm and generous with a good sense humour and a strong likmg for fun. He can suade anyone to do anything because he is s

amusing andoptimistic;he is the archetypal

manwho could sell the proverbial ice to the eskimos.TheKing ofWandr is full of new ideas and has an abundanceof vision and foresieht.His

hunchesalwaysseem to pay off and he will happilymakeinstant

sions, even on major matters.However, he dishkes detail and gets easily irritated if his enthusiasmis challengedor curbed by the practicalities a realitiesof life. He has total trust in his world of ideas and intuition; he cheerfully rides on the crest of the waves of successand any failures are simply forgotten or dismissedas unimportant.

KrNcof Curs
The King of Cups sitson a thronein slightlytroubledseas. A fish,s1nbol of creativeimagination, leapsjoyfully out of the waves in the distance, but the goldenfish aroundthe King s neck seems an emptr token compared to the lively fish of imagination prancingaboutplar-138-

The Kings

fully behind him. His robes do not touch the water and he seems somewhat uncomfortable, unlike the Queen, who merges into the waves without effort. Astrologically, this card is connected with Cancer, the cardinal water sign. A tiny crab, a symbol of Cancer,sits besidehim. He is the masterof emotionsand his mood can change quickly, but there is something about the King of Cups that suggests he is not fully connectedwith his watery element. The masculinecardinalenergy of the King of Cups is conscious, active and intellectual and is therefore not totally at ease in the realmsof deep emotion.This King is often to be found in the helping professions, traditionally in the church,law medicine or psychology,becauseof his desire to be united with his inner feelingworld even though it doesn't always comeeasilyto him. He tends to pay lip-service to feelings rather than fully experiencing them. If the King of Cups appears in a spread,it may represent an aspect of the seeker's suggestingthat it is time for him or her to get truly in personality, touch with his feelings.

KrNc of Swonos
The King of Swords stares straight ahead,his sword tilted to the right, the sideof action.His purple cloak is the colour of wisdom, and his throne is carved with butterflies, the symbol of the element air. The King of Swords is connectedwith the cardinal air sign of Libra, the sign of balance. Like many Librans, the King of Swords loves truth and justice, and deplores uncivilized and barbaric behaviour. It is a card and sign that enjoys and values harmony and beauty.The two birds above him signify his duality of vision as he prizes fairness and equality.The King of Swords is one who rules with justice,and has firm -139-

TheKings

moral convictions; he is deeply committed,both in friendship and in enmity. He is not easily swayed by pleas for mercy or compassion,unlike the King of Cups who is more likely to be soft heartedand sympathetic The King of Swords judges harshly but with scrupulous fairness and from a logical standpoint.He is often found in positions of authority and fearedfigure. He can be suspicious and occasionally is a much-respected 'strong, silent type'. His qualities of strength of the and over-cautious, as long a senseof fairnessand justice,arehighly commendable character, as theycan be temperedwith compassionand empathy.

KrNc of PENTacLES
sits on a lavish throne wearThe King of Pentacles irg robes covered with bunches of grapes symbolizing the earth's sweetness and bounty. Mnes coveredin ripe fruit stand on either side of him,while a fine castlecan be seenin the distance, symbolizing his earthly achievementsand status. He holds an orb in one hand, a symbol of material attainment,and a pentacle in the other, denoting the earth'smagic.He is connectedwith Capricorn, the cardinalearth sign,whosesymbol is the mountain goat,the headsof which adorn the armrestson his throne.The Kine of Pentaclesstands for someonewho loves riches and is determinedto He is clever in businessmatters,a bit amassas much wealth as possible. of a financial wizard,yet status and respectfrom the outsideworld is also very important to him. However, he is not corrupt in his love of richs and earnsmoney through hard,patient effort, not unworthy or dishone* businessdealings.This figure is pretty straightforward; he enjoyswhat he has, and is generouswith it, gladly sharing the fruits of his labour with others.The quality of being content with what you have is actualhquite rare,yet this simple lesson,so hard to learn,can be taught by the Kins of Pentacles.

- 1 4 0-

Exercises for Part.Three

*: The Major Arcana c=<'

Now that you have completed your detailed examination of the whole pack, finish off the guided fantasy exercises for the remaining Major Arcana cards using exactly the sameprocedure asyou did in PartsOne and Two,You will, therefore,be starting with Death and working through eachcard in turn: The Devil;The Tower;TheStar;The Moon;The Sun; Judgementand The World. Take note of your feelings about each meet' ing with the imageor figure on the card.Rememberthat the crucial part of this exerciseis to allow yourself enough time to relax thoroughly and you meet.Lastly,think about yourself pay full attention to eachcharacter as the Fool, having finally completedyour journey through the Major Arcana. When you come to The World card, compareyour notes and feelings to the first exerciseyou &d with the Fool, when you imagined yourself jumping off the precipice into the unknown' What have your learned? What difference has it made?Do you feel any different? If so, how? Let yourself answerthesequestionshonestiy and openiy' The next exerciseis one to testyour knowledge and progressin learning the meaningof the cards.Spreadthe whole pack out in front of you facedown and pick a cardat random.Turn it up andiot down allyou can remember about the card without checking the book. Then compare your notes againstwhat it saysin the book. Do this for as many cards a[ a time asyou can,eventually working your way through them all'

* The Minor Arcana e<onein turn.Try to imagine Now turn to the Court cardsandlook at each the figurethatyou feelis most of eachcharacter.Identify thepersonality Iikeyou,and the onewho is leastlike you.Now try to matchup the peror closefriend. of eachcardwith a family member sonalityor character

1,11 -

Exercises for Part Three Perhapsyou find it useful to use the astrologicalassociations,or try it the other way round - think of a friend or relative's zodiacal sign and then seehowit matchesup to the equivalent Court card figure.Tryto connfrt each card with someoneyou know or an aspect of yourself. If you lilreyou can make up stories around the various suits or'family'groups. U:e your knowledge and understandingof the elementto help you and compare the samefigures from each suit; for instance,seehow the energvot the Knights is revealeddifferently through the various elements. \-ou will seehow the mutability that is common to all four Knights feels different in eachelement. Now try this with the Queens and Kings and r-ou will gradually start to distinguish betweenthe different qualities of each rank and how they areexpressed in eachelement. The effort you put into getting to know the cards intimately will be extremely useful as \-ou ProSress. Once you feel really comfortable with each of the images,their meanings and messages, you are ready for the fourth and final part of the study: masteringthe art of interpretation.

1/11 -

PART FOUR
*: READINGS *
are now ready to move on to the final section in which we will Vo" lL examine somesamplespreads. At tht point, it may be useful to reemphasize your main objectiveswhen reading the Throt.As has already been stated, many seekers will consult the Throtwhen they are in a confused or unhappy state or when they are facing a difficult decision or situation.They may cometo you hoping for help and guidancebut at the sametime think that they should reveal nothing to you as the reader,in caseit somehow influences the way you translate the sequenceof cards. This attitude can be rather counterproductive,for while the cards can reflect somethingof the seeker's current situation,they cannot pinpoint minute detail, so shared comment and dialogue can be very profitable, The Tarot is not a fortune-telling computer; it is a method whereby the reader can accessunconscious knowledge, from which they might be able to offer someguidance, Tarotreadingis not to be confusedwith clairvoyance.Someclairvoyants do use the Tarot,but they don't always read the symbols accurately;they merely use them as a prop, in the sameway 'read'from that the messages do not lie within a crystal ball, for instance, the ball but within the reader.The Tarot images are there to be interpreted, and of course some readers are better at interpretation than others.It is a bit like playing the piano; although anyone can learn the notes,some people are more musical and can interpret the music more naturally and intuitively than others. However, by faithfully following the exercises such as guided fantasy techniques, intuition can be developed and expanded.

-r43-

Readings

How to Readthe Cards

t is a goodideato experiment with differentlayouts until you find the l[ JLformatthat suitsvou best. Please do not think that the spreads illu;
I L

trated here are the only ones available.There are a greatmany to choose from; and, in addition,you could make up your own spreads. The term 'layout'refers to the various positions in which the cards are laid out each relating to a specific area of life, such as relationships,work finances, This gives a framework within which to work, and gives the readings a basic structure. The question of who shuffles the cards,the readeror seeker, is anotherofpersonal preference. Somereadershand the deck of cards to the seekerto shuffle and then deal the cards off the top of the pack.Others, myself included, prefer to do all the shuffling themselves and simply invite the seekerto select a certain number of cards from the pack,which I spread,face down,in front of them. Again, as a personalpreference,l use the Major and Minor Arcana separatelyfor a couple of spreadsand then mix them togetherfor the final reading.l use the Minor Arcana only for the Celtic Cross reading (srr 749-52) to gain a picture of the seeker's life in terms of career, relapages tionships and so on. Then I use the Star spread(see pages153-5), with the Major Arcana only, to go into greaterdepth and find a reflection of inner life. If I still need more information, I then use either the seeker's the Horseshoe spread (seepages746-8) or the Tree of Life (seepagts 756-60),using the Major and Minor Arcana mixed together.Hower-er" this is only my personal preference and I strongly encourageyou to experiment until you find the way that you feel works bestfor you. A useful question to put to your seekeris,'What do you want to gain from this reading?', and to yourself,'What seemsto be the best courseof action indicated by thesecards for this person at this time?'lt is worth rememberingthat seekersare often concernedthat their reading may h 'bad'or they hope it will be'good',lt is actually not possibleto equatethe Tarot with morally concrete statementslike this; the Throt cannot lar

1 1 / I aa

How to Read theCards

:c.vn such value judgements.What it can do is offer an overview of the situation the seekeris in and from there you must try to figure out the nost constructiveway to handle the energies, whether'difficult' or'easy'. i et s take an example.If Death comesup in a reading,a seeker who does rot know much about Tarot may panic, assumingthat it meansthey or you could reassure sJmeonedear to them is about to die. In this case, :hem that this card doesnot hdicate physical death,and encourage them :c look at the aspectof themselvesor their lives that has reached, or is ,bout to reach,theend of its usefulness.Death brings an opportunityfor new life, and this is to be welcomed,although it always requires a period :i mourning; Death could appearbefore a marriage,signifying the end :i singlelife,just as easilyas it could before a divorce,which denotesthe :nd of a marriage, If The Devil appearsin a spread- another card that :auses panic in uninitiated seekers- you could point out the positive :pportunity that The Devil presents for bringing into consciousness :hoseunconsciousblocks or inhibitions that prevent growth. As I statedat the start of this book,l don't read reversedcards but, as :his is just my personalpreference,lwould encourage you to experiment s-ith reversals. Try them out in your own spreadsand seehow you like t-orking with them, always rememberingthat your intuition is invalu:.bleand that there is no'right'or'wrong'way. This is why learning Tarot :an be liberating for those who like to take risks and experiment, but :rustrating for thosewho want to be given prescriptions and to be told :ractlywhat to do, Let us now look at somespreadsusing layouts for seekers who have sindly given me permissionto use their readingsand casehistories.

1,lE:. -

Readings

The Five-card Horseshoe

fr--------tui

lt---]l

3. Whatisnot F.xpecLed

tffil
5. LongtermFuwt

l, PresentPosition

SallyAnn

The areexaminingk firstreadingwe for SallyAnn,a twenty-seuenShe in a shared girl, single womanliving year-old flatwith another inherpriontics. she a dilemma came to see me faced for a readingbecause timt she orhercareer Should prospects putherboyfriend first?For some underway,rather hadbeen trling together ownsmallbusiness she shewas recently meta manwithwhom becoming unsuccessfully,buthad incr easingly involved. Shewas unsurewhether t o pu t herwork fir st, whiih to abandon the orwhether hadbeen imporLant alongtime, for such to in favour more timeandenergy of devoting project business hernewrelationship.
146-

T he F i v e-ca r d H o r ses h oe

Foun of Curs L PresenLPosition

SallyAnn s current feelings and the situ. The Four of Cups represented ation surrounding her.The card shows a young man staring at three full cups before him. A fourth cup is being presentedto him, but he doesn't to be in a similar stateof seemhappywith anyof them.Sally-Ann seemed depressionand confusion despitethe fact that her situation was actually offering her a greatdeal.The Four of Cups indicatedthe lack of ability to choose,and although she had a lot of energy in potential, her state of mind ensuredthat none of it was channelledin a positive direction.

Two ofSwonos Expectations 2, Present

The imageon the Two of Swords shows a blindfolded woman carefully balancingtwo heavy swords.This reflectedSallyAnn's unwillingness to overher heart, The figure has her hands crossed faceup to her true desires. as if Sally-Ann is afraid to accepther feelings for fear of being hurt. She was afraid to look at what she reallywanted or felt (thewater behind being her emotions)for she knew that it would entail making a decision (the hard facts),whlchshefelt too uncerrocksjutting abovethewaterrepresent tain to face.This card aptlycaptured SallyAnns feeling of paralysis. 3. Whatis notExpected Foun of PENTACLES The Four of Pentaclessymbolizes a fearof letting go of something that has been carefully acquired.It seemedthat SallyAnn didn't expect her inner feelings to be so fearful when consideringboth commitment to her boyfriend (she didn't realize how scaredshe was of losing her liberty) and the possibility of letting go of her business(eventhough it was rather shaky).She was unconsciousof this aspectof the situation,and the posi tion of the card gaveher food for thought. She hadn't realizedhow much shewanted to keep everything just as it was,even though it was preventing growth and developmenton both fronts. And, indeed,becauseshe felt so reluctant to change anything, it also madeit impossiblefor her to
-t47-

Readings

gain or lose anything; the closedatmosphere of this card linked up with the message of the previous two cards:nothing ventured,nothing gained. In trying to keep everything as it was,shewas actually preventing movement,whichwas why she felt so depressed and stuck.

4. Immediate Future Frvnof Swonos

The Five of Swords, in the position of short-term future influences, seemed to suggestthat it would be sensiblefor Sally-Ann to give up the present struggle,which was getting her nowhere,and to realizethat she was tackling somethingthat was too big for her.The more we talked,the clearer it becamethat her business,although dear to her heart,wasn't really financially viable. It had proved an expensive disappointment so far,and there was nothing to suggestthings would improve in the near future without a massiveinjection of time and money,neither of which Sally-Ann felt she could afford. She felt that the message of this cardwas for her to stop fighting in vain and to try another route. This card counsels accepting limitations and acknowledging defeat,which must be done beforemoving on to somethingmore profitable and feasible.

5. Long-term Future Acn ofCurs

The last card to be drawn in this spreadwas the Ace of Cups, overflo-ring with feelings,so future prospectsfor romance looked very good.It certainly seemed to implylight at the end of the tunnel for SallyAnn,and showedthat a strong loving union could provide strength and direction. The Ace of Cups indicatesdeep,positiveemotions and the beginning of somethingpromising that has the potential for joy and contentment. Iheardfrom SallyAnn ten monthslater and shetold me that shehadgiuen up her business,bought a llat withher boyfriend and had starLed a newjob Lhatshe and stimulating,The relaLionship wasworkingwell found interesting and theywere talkingabouttheprospect of startinga family.Shesaidthatby giuingup lne thingshehad gained a greatdeal.
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The Celtic Cross

IK I rMl
Whatis AboveYou

lffil

I0. The Outcome

ffi
9. Your Hopes andFears

6. Whatis BeforeYou

L PresentPosition

5. Whatis BehindYou

B. HowOthers SeeYou

4. Whatis BeneathYou

7. WhereYou WiIl FindYourself

t49-

Readings

Christopher
came Lwo boys,who 6 manof thirty-fiue,maniedwith Aristopherwas for lif e. w orking s ati s ac t o an d un m arri ag e hi s ap ing unh py r e d a r eading gar ry f since been inhis uncle's asa solicitor working Hewas firm,wherehehad Loleaue guiltyahoutwanting there but also graduaLion.He f elt trapped o d uery y oun1,to the daughter ess.He hadgot marrie thef amilybu sin f martiagewas Lhe on that early clear afamily friend,butithadbecome direction to change realllwanted Christopher inheaven. not onemade andprofessionally,but inlife,both personally f elt torn andguilty did a Celtic onhiswhole theeffecLiLwouldhaue about family.I usingtheMinor Arcana. Crossspread KrNcsof Swonos L PresentPosiLion a strongfigureof showed present The King of Swordsin Christopher's authoritywho is morallyright andjust,but mayhavelittle compassion felt this described Christopher and problems, feelings for otherpeople's in Christopheri His unclewas a powerfulinfluence his uncleperfectly, and fearedin the family and in the business life; he was both respected afraidthathis unclewouldnot takekindlyto his world.Christopherwas to be freefrom thefamhe longed bothjob andmarriage,yet wish to leave both at homeand atwork. ily obligations You Ercrir of PENracrEs 2. What Crosses
the Crossing Christopher's present position was the Eight of Pentacles, which indicated the need to start again from the card of the apprentice, bottom, using skills and talents that might develop into a careerChristopher s hobby and passionwas cooking, and he really wanted to run a small hotel or restaurant,He was considering taking a course in cooking and hotel manaSement,witha view to starting a small business, but that this was certainly possible, possibly abroad.The card suggested it would be difficult or would take a long time' it'crossed', because -150--

TheCelticCross

3. Whatis AboueYou TnnEEofCurs

This card signifies celebrationand rejoicing.It suggeststhat some solution or resolution is to be found and therefore a senseof relief and happinessmay be experienced. However,as the Threes all indicate an initial completion, I warned Christopher that much work would follow once the first stage was reached.

4. Whatis BeneathYou Erc:nrof'WaNos

The Eight of Wands is a card denoting action and new direction, a time to be up and doing something,the end of delay and procrastination. Christopher told me he was feeling this kind of restlessness keenly at this time, and as this placementindicateswhat is alreadypresent at the baseof his life, it seemed an appropriatecard to spur him into action.

5. What is Behind You KNrcsr of PENracrEs

This card in the past position seemed, in Christopher's case, to represent his past action of plodding slowly but surely to a conclusion. He had been thinking of making a move for avery long time but could not quite find the courageto make a break,either careerwise or in his personallife, However, the Knight of Pentaclesin his past seemedto suggest that the processhad finally reacheda conclusion.Christopher felt ready to take the plunge.

6. What is Before You SEvEN of WaNos

The Seven of Wands indicates stiff competition,but it also seemedto suggestthat if Christopher were able to draw on his strength and determination to succeed,a change of profession or careerwould follow. He found il encouragingthat this card seemedto be saying that he did not mind struggles or competition, as long as it was in a field of his own choosing. -151 -

Readings

7. WhereYouWiIlFindYourself Foun of WaNos

This card referred to how Christopher would find himself in the future 'harand how he would feel about himself and his situation,so the card of vest home' showed the possibility of Christopher reaping the benefit of what he has worked hard to achieve.As the Wands representcreatir-e would prove successful. ventures,it could be that a new career

B. How OthersSeeYouTwo of Swonns

The Two of Swords, the card of indecision and stalemate, represented Christopher's future environment, and how others would see him. It seemed to suggestthat while one part of his dilemmawould be solved,as indicated by the Four of Wands, another part would still lie in the balance.The Two of Swords suggests an inability to face facts becauseof the difficulties and changesthat doing so would unleash.

9. YourHopes andFearsTwo ofCurs

The Two of Cups denotes a comfortable balance, unlike the Two of Swords, which suggeststension. It is a card of reconciliation or new beginnings in relationships.Christopher said that, more than anything, he wanted to be able to stay on good terms with his wife and children but was very uncertain about the continuation of the marriage.

I0. TheOutcome Ercnr of Curs This cardshowsa manturning his backon eightcarefullystacked cups, heading in the distance.It towardsbarrenmountains could suggest that Christopher would leave behindall that he hadworkedsohardto achieve, maybe, alsoableto facetherealityof his situaiion. disillusioned but possibly just Togain thendid a spread using furtherclarification,I for Christopher theMajor Arcanaandhechose the cards: following
* 152-

The StarSpread

7. TheTop of the Matter

M
5. Unconsdous Influence

6. Conscious and Influences Desires

l------;;;;;

W
3 . I n t e l l e ca t nd Career

and 2. Emotions Relationships

ffi

L IJv Rootof the Motter

--r53-

Readings

L. TheRootof theMatter Dnarn

The Death card, in Christopher's present position, indicated a time for change,transformation,endings and new beginnings. Both internallv and externally,it seemed necessary for him to let go of the old ways and values,which were stifling and unproductive, and allow new things to be born. Death in the reading indicated that the time was ripe to set this processin motion, and although it would be painful, it would neverthelessprovide a clearway for Christopher to build a new life of his own.

2, Emotions andRelationships TnE Wonro

The World is a very encouragingcard to appearin the sphere of emo tions,for it indicatesa goal is reachedand a sense of wholenessachieved. Combined with card 5, The Hanged Man, it seemsto suggestthat a sacrifice has to be made to allow a happy and beneficial outcome emotionalh-. 3. Intellectand Career TnE EupEnon Opposite the card for the feelings,which often describesrelationships,the card for the intellect usually correspondswith working life. The Emperor shows a solid, stableinfluence,which could mean that Christopher will find the strength of characterto build a careerfor himself rather than relying on his family. The Emperor, after all, teachesthe Fool to be a man in his own right, and this may meanhe will do the samefor Christopher.

4. TheHeart of theMatter T:rrn Hnnprrr

The centre of the spreadis an important position,for the whole reading seemsto revolve around it. The Hermit shows a need for inner contemplation and patient sel[examination.It is a time for withdrawal and for carefully thinking things through.l suggested that somecounselling or psychotherapymight help Christopher to understand the complexities of his current situation,rather than rushing into changing things.

LJA

I </

--

TheStar Spread

HaNcrn MeN T:aE InJluence 5. [Jnconscious

In the position signifying thatwhich lies beneaththe surface and is about The Hanged Man.He indicatesthat a sacrificemust be made to emerge,is in order to gain something of greatervalue. Christopher felt he understood this card well, as he knew a conscious decision would have to be of The Hanged Man is that the sacrifice madeby him alone.The essence is voluntary and made without outside Pressure'Christopher had, to date,lived his life accordingto social and family dictatesand now knew he must start making his own decisionsif he was to gain selFrespect.

andDesiresJuocErtrNr Influences 6. Conscious

At last, rebirth and rejuvenation. What is'wanted consciously'is renewal, potentialwill have an opportunityto cometo light it seems,Christopher's The image of the dead rising and coffins opening to and be developed, revealtalents hitherto unexplored is exciting. After Death comesresurrection, and judgement triumphantly indicates the new life and opportunities, The Judgementis'karmic',suggestingthat pastefforts will be rewarded.

7. TheTopof theMatter TnE Lovnns the ideathat Christopher of The Loverscardreinforced The appearance would haveto makean importantchoicefor himself.The Loversoften that hewould haveto makea careful so it seemed refersto relationships, what to do aboutit. As therewasno anddecide of his marriage assessment The Lovers alone. third partyinvolvedhewould haveto makethedecision his marriage. regarding made or choices a newrelationship couldindicate to andmoued euerything reading,Christopherlefthis Following this iob, sold change made one a smallhotel.He to manage withhiswife and France f amily by chance.He another marriage togivehis inhk tifebutdecided t'eltliberated marriage, toworkonhis andwilling andso hischange ofcareer felt mlreable piness at work' sociaL ed with his unhap ow beenas whichhad someh
-155--

Readings

The Treeof Life

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3. Dft'iculty
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5. C\posing Matters

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9, Unconscious Foundation 7. Emotional klationships

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Communication and Career

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-156-

10. HomeandFamill

The Treeof L{e

Diana
shewas Diana, a)oungwoman inherearly thirties, came for a readingwhen j ob andabout toget marrie e. d andmou e hous in themidst o her f changing to learn and wasunderstandahly She f elt anxious findinglifepressured readingunfolded asfollows, howthese major decisions wouldturn out.The L spirituality AcnofPENracrns
in the position for The first card Diana drew was the Ace of Pentacles, spiritual matters,This card suggestedthat a new beginning with firm foundations was the framework for her spiritual life to grow in.lt seemed she felt comfortable with her inner beliefs and philosophies, and, becausethis card is usually connectedwith materialwealth,yet turned to indicate that shewas up in the position for spiritual mattersit seemed 'wealthy'in her spiritual life. Diana confirmed that firm spiritual beliefs lay at the baseof her life and offered her a good deal of comfort,

Two of WaNos 2. Responsibility

The secondcard in the readingwas the Two ofWands, in the position of responsibility.This card hints at movement and change.It shows a merchant standing on the rampartsof his castle,lookinglongingly out to sea. It suggestsa desireto grow and expand and a wish to be getting on with life . A changeor move is indicated.Diana told me how much shewanted to get everything sortedout: the purchaseof the new home finalized,her promotion atwork settledand thewedding smoothlyorganized.Shewas anxious to move on from her present position into her new life, and claimedshewas more than willing to undertakethe extra responsibility.

ofCurs 3. DifficultT TEN

in familylife.The The Tenof Cups illustrates the ultimateof happiness and showsa image is of a huppycouplewatchingtheirchildrenplaying,
-157-

Readings

Iife of promise and joy. However, it is placed in the position of difficulr*-so although thesegood things were availableto Diana because the card appearedin the reading,it also indicated that getting them may prore more difficult and challenging then she currently anticipated.Her marriage will prove fruitful, but she will have to work hard at it. Diana admitted that she was so absorbedin the details of the house purchar and wedding plans that she had not been paying much attention to the relationshioitself.

4. Helpful MaLters JusucE

'Helpful The calming, balancing influence of justice in the position of Matters'seemedextremely supportive in the midst of all the changing and rearrangingthat Diana'slife was going through. justice is the card of logical clear thinking, and an impartial perspective could help Diana work through her tasks steadily.]ustice's clarity of vision could help prevent things from getting out of proportion.

5. Opposing Matters JuocruENr the card of new life and rebirth,falling in the positionof Judgement, 'Opposing Matters', showsthatwhat is desired and appropriate canalso be problematic. iudgementshowsthe openingup of skills and talents, which mayhaveapplied to Diana's promotionatwork,andalthoughshe was pleased aboutit, it nevertheless addedpressure to her already full newchallenges schedule.The offeredbyJudgement thatDiana's showed life was progressing but she needed positively, to remember that anv change would inevitablyinvolve a certainamountof stress, which she would haveto accept. 6. Achievement FwnofPENraclrs
The Five of Pentacles is a card meaning difficultles in financial matters. 'Achievement', In the position of as Diana preparedto buy a house and -158--

TheTree of Lit'e
changejobs,this card warned that she might be at risk of spreadingherself too thinly. In the card, two beggars stand in the snow; seemingly oblivious of the light flowing from the window above them, They are unaware that help is at hand, and Diana took this image as a warning that she was in danger of overstretchingherself and becoming emotionally and possibly even financially impoverished. She was the major breadwinner of the couple and paying the mortgagedependedlargely on her salary, so she did feel under pressure. She took the church window to representthe needto drawon her spiritualresources for strength and support.

KNrcnr of Swonos 7. Emotional Relationships

As the readingunfolded, alongsidethe encouragingaspectsthat the earlier cards indicated,more factors began to emergeabout Diana's inner fears and concerns.Firstly, there was the worry of the financial stateof affairs represented by the Five of Pentacles,and then the Knight of Swords appearedin the sphere of relationships.I asked whether the Knight bore any similarity to her fianc6,but Diana said no. As we tried to place the significanceof the Knight of Swords in this position,Diana told me about her former boss with whom she had had a complicated relationship and who reminded her of the characteristics of the Knight of Swords.Aithough Diana had not seenhim for a while,he had phoned her unexpectedly a couple of days before the reading and he had not been pleasedto hear the news of her forthcoming wedding, Diana felt uneasy at his responseand was secretly afraid that he might try to make trouble for her. She had been heavily influenced by him in the past and did not want him to alter her decisionsor feelings by his disapproval, 8. Communicationand Career TENof WaNos The warning trend set in motion by the previous few cards seemedto continue in the next card,which referred to Diana's working life. The image shows a figure burdened by wands, carrying them awkwardly and with greatdifficulty.lt seemed an appropriatemessage for Diana not

-r59-

Readings

to take on too much workwise, and to try to spreadout her jobs in the way possible.She told me that she knew she ought to delegate easiest more at work, but found it difficult as she hated not doing everything herself,so was constantly getting caught out by having more to do than she could reasonablycopewith. The imageof the card helped her to clarify what she was doing to herself however,and she resolved to try to changethat pattern.

9, Unconscious Foundation Etc:nrofCurs

On an unconsciouslevel,it seemed that Diana wasn't fully awareof how much was actually changing,and while on the faceof it the changes were positive and desired,they also brought with them a certain amount of stressand anxiety.The Eight of Cups illustrated the fact that Diana was leaving behind both her single life and a familiar, stable job and travelling towards the unknown mountain of marriage and the job that awaitedher in the future. She felt it a relief to find words to articulatethe concerns,as she had previously felt that to admit any fear would mean shewas doing the wrong thing.lt helped her to allow herselfto acknowledgethat she was huppy and excited aswell as nervous and fearful.

IO. HomeandFamil,t AcE of Cups

The final card in Diana s reading was the Ace of Cups. The reading seemsto have comefull circle from one Ace to another.The card shows a home life that is happy and loving and suggeststhat, through all the difficulties Diana had to encounter,she would be able Lo experience major life moves and come to grips with them, resulting in an emotionally satisfying relationship.The cards seemedto map out the pitfalls to be avoided,the difficulties to be made conscious and finally seemedto suggestthe potential for love and emotionalfulfilment.

-160-

*: FURTHER EXAMPLES*-

The Celtic Cross

Whatis Above

LW
9. Your Hopes andFears 5. Whatis BehindYou

lF1---,'

ft "- ^---.'r-l

ffi
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6. WhaLis BeforeYou L PresentPosition 4. Wh.atis BeneathYou

8. HowOthers SeeYou

7. WhereYou WilI FindYourself

-161-

FurtherExamples

Emma
I did thisCelticCross reading aged thirtysix,who came to f or Emma, see me aduice abouther career, She wasworking in an inuestment for and although shewas bank, competent,made good mlne)andhad good 'cut yrospects, she wasn't enjoying thework. She andthrust' foundthe unappealing andwanted tofind something thatinvolvedworking closely with people andtheirpersonal, rother than needs. was She financial, consi deringr etr aining, aps as a t each perh er, socialworker or counsellor, butwasunsure aboutthewisdom of such a mlue.Emotionally, she felt quitelowas an important relationship hadrecently ended, soshe was alsointerested in futureprospects forherpersonallife. I, Present PositionPacnof WaNls The card signifying Emma's presentposition showedthe beginningsof new creative or imaginative ideas, with the possibilityof opportunities arising. The Page of Wands often indicates new interests and pursuits and,in Emma's case, it seemed to suggest that shewas readyto follow leads on a newcareer oath. 2, 'W'hat Crosses You TEN of Swonns

The Ten of Swords crossing Emma showed that something had ended, 'crossing', but, as the position was it was still concerning her.Emma felt that it was both the relationship ending and her waning interest in her work that was causing her to seek a change of direction. The graphic depiction of the man lying on the ground with swords in his back signi fies the end of something; however,the sun rising in the distance gives the message of new life. The card meansthat somethingis seenfor what it is trulyworth, and this could be Emma'sjob. She had thoughr rhar her choiceof careerwould result in a long-termcommitmentbut had become increasinglydisillusioned as,although it was materiallybeneficial, it gave her little personalsatisfaction. - t62-

TheCelticCross

3. Whatis AboveYou SEvnN ofPnNracrEs

The Sevenof Pentacles suggested that Emma neededto decidewhether to continue with her establishedand successfulwork or turn to something new and untried. There were obvious pros and cons to both, and it seemed that she should take her time to decidewhich was risht for her.

4. What is Beneath You Two of Cups The cardof harmonyandbalance in relationships was in the base of the reading, revealing that somesort of reconciliation could be reached in Emma's relationship. Even if the romance maynot be rekindled, which Emmahopedit couldbe,theTwoof Cups suggested that,at least, a good friendship couldemerge. 5. What is Behind You TnnEE of WeNns
This card seemedto symbolize Emma'spast efforts in working steadily towards a certain level in her career, thinking that when she had reached it she would be satisfied.However, Three is the number of initial, rather than final, completion,so Emma reachedthat level only to discoverthat her horizons had changedand expanded,and that therewere now other things that interestedher which she had not previously considered.

6. Whatis BeforeYou PecnofSwonns

The card describing the immediate future is the airy Pageof Swords. Pagesdescribenew beginnings and the Swords is the suit of the intellect, so it seemed that Emma'sthinking was changing and she neededto allow herself the time and spaceto developnew ideas. Anything new is vulnerable and new ideas are often in danger of being crushed or ridiculed, so Emma neededto be careful about who she choseto discuss her innermost thoughts with,lt also actedas a warning againstgossipor rumours.which could brewup atwork if shewasn't careful.
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Furtherexamples

7. WhereYouWillFindYourself QurENof WaNos

The card signifying Emma'sfuture position is the Queen ofWands,who is sometimes called'queenof hearth and home'.She is an active figure with enoughenergyto give to both homeand career, Sheis dynamic and creative in businessbut alsowarm heartedand generouspersonally, Emma indi catedthat itwould be her ideal to have both a family and a satisfying career.

B. How OthersSeeYouPacEof Cups

The third Pagecard in the spread showed that many new possibilities were readyto open up.The Page of Cups suggested that newfeelings would emergeand her heartwould slowly heal so that she could love and trust again.Thiscard brings the potentialfor birth,be it a child, a relationshipor a newwayof feeling.The appearance of so manyPages seemed significant, particularly in view of the way Emma was feeling at the time of the reading.

9. YourHopes andFearsTwoofSwonos
The Two of Swords in this position suggested that Emma was fearful of remaining stuck and indecisive.This card is one of stalemate and deliberateblindnessto current circumstances. She hoped that shewould find the courageto change, but was afraid that her timid side might let her down.

IO. TheOutcome Ercllr of Curs

The fears surrounding the Two of swords seemedunfounded, as the final card,the Eight of Cups, shows a figure walking away from a carefully constructed situationin searchof somethingnew.lt seemed that Emmawould indeed find the strength to changeher direction but,with the numerous Pages in the reading,it would take time for things to unfold,lt was clearly important to take the time as once the decisionwasmadeitwould be final, I thendid a Major Arcana rending asfollows: for Emma, -t64-

The StarSpread

7. TheTop of the Matter

6. Conscious Influencesand Desires

3. Intellectand Career

ffil
L TheRootofthe Matter

ffir

4. TheHeartof theMatter

1ffi1
2. Emotionsand Relationships

lffi--_]l

It

,*

tl

5, Unconscious Influence

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Further examples

7. TheRootof theMatter THn Hrcn PnrEsrnss

As the Root of the Matter, the High Priestessrevealspotential that is unfulfilled and uncharted terrain waiting to be discovered.This card suggestsa need to allow the potential to slowly emerge. Emma needed to be able to trust the intuitive process that was already at work; the High Priestesssymbolizes secretwishes and dreams being revealedso this seemed an appropriate card to start off the spread, The High Priestesssuggestsan interest in, and a searchfor, knowledge of a complex and powerful nature, especiallywhere related to the unconscious mind. It seemedthat the high-powered masculine world of banking and finance would not sit comfortably with Emma's current inner qrowth Process.

2. Emotions and Relationships TnE Foor

The Fool, appearingin the position for emotions and relationshipissues, indicatedthe need to take risks.lt seemed the time was coming for Emma to consider jumping off the edge of an emotional precipice.In Emma's caseI felt it heraldeda new relationshiparriving on the scene. Shewould have to let go of her fears and seliprotective instincts and take the plunge. Having been quite badly betrayedin her previous relationship,it was clearly not going to be easy for her to trust again,but The Fool's presencegave her some enthusiasm and she was determined to try to overcomeher fears. 3. Intellect and Career TEupEnaNcE The position for work life was dominated by Temperance, a gentle card suggestinga time for compassionand cooperation.Itseemed that Emma's current interest and inclination was towards helping people in emotional ways rather than financial ones,and that the presence in of Temperance this position echoedthis shift. Temperance certainly indicated a feeling of harmonyin herworkine life.
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TheStar Spread

4. TheHeart of rheMatter T:nnLovEns

The Heart of the Matter position is important in that it indicateswhat is that an important decisionis looming it seems most crucial in the spread. The Lovers indicate a choice,someand it must be carefully considered. times about relationshipsbut not exclusively.lt may have transpiredthat a new relationshipwould comeinto play,but it may alsohave referred to Emma'scareerdilemma.Choices are a difficult part of life and always involve giving something up; however, they also involve gaining something. Those were the issuesthat Emma had to strugglewith at the time of the reading.

InfluenceTnn WurEr or FonruNE 5. [.Jnconscious

The Wheel of Fortune in the position of unconscious Influence shows that a new chapter is about to start in Emma'slife. As the Wheel turns, she will have a new opportunity to take more responsibility for her life and to make positive future plans.The Wheel of Fortune brings change of a newcycle.Agood motto for this card and marks the commencement is'The old orderchanseth.' and Desires TnE MooN Influences 6. Conscious The shifting,moving influence of The Moon shows the uncertainty and that mood swings connectedwith Emma'sconsciousdesires.lsuggested the more she becameawareof what was beneaththe surface,as symbolit would be for her to izedby the crab crawling out of the pool, the easier makeup her mind on a courseof action,The Moon signifies a timewhen dreamsand intuitions should be taken seriously and focused on. Emma didn't want to change her life abruptly on a whim, yet nor did she feel inclined to wait in the dark. Both The High Priestessat the baseof the somethingwas gestating reading and The Moon gave a similar message: in the womb of the unconscious mind and it would take time and trust for it to come to fruition. Although the lack of clarity was frustrating, it
-t67-

Furtherexamples

was a process that Emmawould haveto endurein ordernot to rush into thewrong thing simply to avoidthe uncomfortable wait for the solution to emerge. 7. The Topof theMatter JuocenrENr The message of rebirth and renewalas a concludingcard shows that a cyclewouldbe completed andrewards would be reaped from the seeds of pasteffort. At the appropriate time,Emma's unrevealed and unfulfilled potentialwould cometo consciousness and be brought to fruition, as portrayedby the deadrising up from their graves. Emmaneeded to give herself the right time and spaceto allow the energiesof the cards to unfold gradually and,if shedid,shewould be sureof which direction to takeand shewould be ableto see her new life follow that lead.

--168-

Final Exercises
that you have worked your way through the cards and exerNToit is time to put what I \ cisesand have looked at the samplespreads, you have learned so far into practice,Experiment on yourself and your friends as you begin to developyour own style and method of reading. You can continue with the guided-fantasyexercises, which will yield interesting results indefinitely.In fact it can be fascinating to compare and contrast the result of your first exercisewith the sameexerciseperformed ayear later.There is no limit to the number of times you do the sameexerciseand you can be sure that each time will be different. You may find it useful to record your readings so that you can refer back to them: a few templatesfor this purpose areoffered overleaf. When you begin reading the cards,don't be afraid to make mistakes. Study Try to put the book asideand work directlywith the card imagery. the pictures and let them talk to you; only refer to the book if you get seriously stuck.In the first instancetry to find the interpretationsfor yourself. If you have followed the exercises faithfully this will not be hard. And, when doing readings,don't be afraid to involve your seeker; of it. theywill have input into the readingand can help you to make sense You arenot expectedto be clairvoyant so it doesn'tmatterifyou askyour seeker questions or for clarification. So having come full circle,from the Fool to the World, it is time for you to continue on your own, starting, as always,as the Fool, about to commencethe journey all over again.

W shallnot cease from exploration And theendof all ourexploring started Willbe to arriuewherewe Andknowtheplace for the firsLtime.
T.S.Errrorr, FourQuartets
-169-

Notes on Your Own Readings

Dans SrruRrroN .......... REnomc FoR

Spneno Usro. Cano PosrrroNs

OvERarr AN,trysls

NotesonYourOwn Readings

DnrE SrruanroN

......"... RsaomcFon"".

SpnenoUsEo CRno PosrrtoNs

OvnnRrl ANRrvsrs

-t7r-

NotesonYourOwn Readings

Dnrr

.......... Re,tDrNG FoR

SrruRrroN

SpRraoUsEo

C,tno PosrnoNs

Ovnnan ANaryss

- r72-

DnrE SrruRrroN

ReaowcFon.............

SpnpaoUsEo Cnno PosrrroNs

ANRrvsrs Ovnnnrr-

NotasonYourOwn Readings

Dane
5ITUATION

.......... RenDrNG FoR.

SpREao Usro

CRnoPosnroNs

OveRRrrANnrysrs

t-74

Bibliography
Inc.,I 9 9 4 Systems Banzhaf ot Handbook,USGames ,Hajo.Tar RedWheel,/Weiser, of theHsro, andthe Banzhaf ,Hajo.Tarot Journey 2000 1975 Richard. TheTarot,Michael Cavendish, Joseph, avec eLCompara Antoine.Le MondePrimitifAnalysA Court de Gebelin, 1781 Moderne.Paris. le Monde 7870-7970, M ,A.History of theOccultTaroL Decker, R.,andDummett, GeraldDuckworth& Co,Ltd,2002 I 973 Douglas, Alfred. The Tar ot,PengttinBooks, Paris, 1889 Bohtmiens, Tarot des Encausse, G6rard,'Papu s'.Le I 958 House, Eden. TheTar ot Reu ealed,Inspiration Gray, tureb ook,Abacus,I 97 I Huson, Paul. The D euil's Pic 2OO4 Books, Paul.Mystical Originsof theTarot,Destiny Huson, Systems 1,US Games of Tarot:Vol. Kaplan, R.TheEncyclopedia Stuart Inc.,l97B Press, I 986 ot Symb olism,Fairway O Neill, RobertY.Tar The AquarianPress, Degrees of Wisdom, Pollack, Rachel,seventy-Eight 1983 Tilley,Roge r. Playing Cards,O ctopusBooks,I 9 7 3 197 1 A. E.ThePict orialKeyto theTarot,Rider, Waite, 1957 Books, Ritualto Romance,Anchor Weston,Jessie.From 1966 Routledge A,The Art of Memory, & KeganPaul, Yates,Frances,

*r75-

About the Author

is a practising analyticpsychotherapist. She has Juliet Sharman-Burke beenusingthe Tarotand astrology for overtwentyyears, andhastaught both subjects since1983. Shehaswritten several bookson the Tarot, including The Beginner's Guide to Tarot,TheMythic TarotWorkbook, Understanding the Throt,andMastering the Tarot. She is alsoco-author with Liz Greeneof the bestselling classicdeckTheMythic TarotandThe MythicJourney,

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Rich Leigh for his invaluable encouragement with this book and over the years; to Deb Buxton for her help in compiling and typing the correspondence course out of which this book grew; to my father Gerald Burke for his help in editing and to SandraWastiagewhose practical support was so much appreciated and who, sadly,did not live to see publication. And many thanks to Ian Jackson, Nick Eddison,Katie Golsby and BarbaraLevy for their ongoing help and encouragement.

. SnooEorrroNs EoorsoN
EditorialDirector Ian Jackson EdiLor KatieGolsby Proofreader PeterKirkham Art Director ElainePartington Mac Designer BrazzleAtkins Production SarahRooney * t76-