MAJOR ARCANA
The Major Arcana are the unsuited cards of the Tarot deck. In total there are 22 Major Arcana cards that form the basis for the Tarot deck. Each of the Major Arcana cards is an archetype and collectively the cards represent a path of spiritual self-awareness, reflecting various stages of life as we search for greater meaning and understanding. Generally speaking, Major Arcana cards reflect the more significant aspects of our human nature, whereas the Minor Arcana cards reflect our day to day life experiences.
THE FOOL
Taking a leap into the unknown with a great sense of freedom
Initiates a new beginning, with huge potential for anything to happen
Leaping into new phase without careful planning
Being in the moment, free from anything that weighs you down
Euphoric, optimistic, free
Looking outwards into the new
Road less travelled, no longer conforms
Listening to our inner self when those around us are too practical
THE MAGICIAN
Inspiration to start something new – striking ideas into action
Success is derived from consciousness of the power available to everyone –to act is to direct your strength, through the will, to take you to the places you want it to go.
Symbolising the idea of manifestation, making something real out of all possibilities in life
Maintaining your goal – will power unified towards a goal!
Large magical vocabulary
Wizard and conjurer
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
Possibility yet to be realised
Passivity allows the unconscious to emerge. Only through withdrawal from outer involvement can we allow the inner voice of vision and psychic forces to speak to us
Meditative
Allowing the unconscious mind to communicate
Inner truth
Secretive card, the unknown or veiled
Unknown forces at work
Psychic forces
THE EMPRESS
Represents motherhood, love, gentleness and mercy
Symbolise the idea of nature
Productivity and growth
Fertility
Harvest, abundance
Sensuality
Pure emotion
Passion rather than ideas
Satisfaction and understanding through the emotions
THE EMPEROR
A figure of severity, the law must be obeyed to maintain order and the ‘system’ = The Father
Drive and determination to achieve supportive structure for the greater good of society
Rules and lawsof society, both good and bad, and the power that enforces them = rationale
Measurement over emotion
Losing touch with our passions, the world becomes cold and barren
Institutionalised power and control for good or for bad
Disciplined thought
THE HIEROPHANT
Initiation into a secret doctrine, secret orders and lodges = a catalyst for self-enquiry leading to enlightenment and liberation (secret doctrine, self-awareness and enlightenment)
Initiation where the individual becomes united with the universe
Intellectual tradition of a person’s particular society and their education in that tradition
Wisdom in a particular tradition
Education in traditional practises
Initiation into a church, occult or order in society with a set of beliefs that must be learnt before gaining entrance
A code of rules and beliefs accepted on faith
Teaching, teacher, guru, preacher = someone who provides guidance – all great mystics have been anchored in firm traditional practices
Conformity to society’s ideas and rules
THE LOVERS
Power to discern and make independent choices
Breaking away from the parental restraints and living life independently from this
Raising our sense through passion and desire = sexual passion allows us to transcend isolation for a moment
Physical passions were seen as dangerous to society and had to be controlled = tarot seeks to bring this about to unite our duality
Relationships, often loving and intimate
An important relationship with the potential of marriage or long term union
In unity with someone we are given a glimpse of the greater meaning and deeper significance of life = giving up part of the ego control that isolates us from people and life
THE CHARIOT
Successful use in channelling the will to accomplish a result
Triumphant and Victorious
Chariot looms larger than the city behind it – his will is more powerful than the rules of society
Asserting the ego
Control over direction, asserting direction
Sexual energy of the libido
Mature adult, successful in life, admired by others, confident and content with himself and able to control feelings, and above all, direct the will
STRENGTH
Transforming desire into spiritual energy
Strength from within, experiencing life passionately but peacefully, without being controlled or carried away by passion
Finding strength to begin or continue a difficult project, despite fear and emotional strain
Natural forces that the rationale mind must overcome
Facing life and difficult problems or times of change with hope and eagerness
Confronting feelings and desires long hidden from our conscious thoughts
Balance between animal and human
THE HERMIT
Withdrawal from the outer world for the purpose of activating the unconscious mind, awakening the inner self
Signifies a teacher who will show us how to begin this process, and will help us find our way
Giver of wisdom to the knight on a spiritual quest
Therapist, guru, spiritual, inner spiritual guide or occult teacher
Looking back at what you have, or of your experiences and place in the world
Holding on to thoughts and experiences for reflection
Card symbolises old man = maturity and knowledge of what really matters in a person’s life
Signifies transition through techniques of meditation, psychic discipline or analysis that allow hidden parts of the psyche to begin to speak to us
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Vision of a person’s life, the events, who you are, what you’ve made of yourself
Ever turning wheel signifies karma, leading you to reincarnate in one body after another = action you take in one life, you build up a certain destiny for yourself in the next
Buddha ended his desires and got off the wheel
Change of circumstances, unexplainable or out of the blue, the wheel keeps on turning
Fate, destiny
Gamble, chance
A turn for the better
The questions of existence = things do not just happen, they are made to happen. The power to shape events, to give life and form and purpose to the universe, belongs to the Holy Ghost, dwelling in the physical world as a presence within the Holy Grail
JUSTICE
Seeing, understanding, accepting and learning of the past according to truth
Law not does discriminate
Free will judged by the past
Honesty, fairness, correct actions, legal and other matters, just decision
Accepting responsibility for ourselves frees us from the past – like Buddha remembering all his past lives – becoming conscious of this = otherwise we repeat the behaviour constantly
THE HANGED MAN
Surrender
An understanding of the bigger spiritual picture
Yogic and meditative pose channelling energy away from genitals to the head
Spiritual awakening
New or different perspective. Upside down posture shows the energy gravitating to the head = higher awareness channelled up from the genitals.
Represents artists, writers and psychologists with hints of great truths and simple designs
In waiting
Limbo
The need to make a sacrifice in order for things to change before they can move forward
DEATH
Being forced to face circumstances we wish to deny
Fear of letting go, facing the reality of what is really happening
Extreme steps must be taken to force us to face what we deny – change must happen
Ego resists idea of death and therefore keeps us from enjoying life
Giving up rigid old ways = life comes at us with enough power this (ego) will collapse
Profound change after a difficult transition in our lives
Rebirth where we experience new maturity and freedom of energy
TEMPERANCE
Temperance is a card of behaviour, not concepts
Temperance = a true and proper response to all situations as they arise
Improved health after a crisis, a return to life
Air travel
Overseas
Mastering the ability to go with the flow of life = magical quality of the physical impossibility of the way the cups are arranged
Combining spontaneity with knowledge
Taking life as it comes, moment by moment
THE DEVIL
Narrow materialistic view of life
Unhappiness from the limitations in our lives
Inability to see truth
Stuck in a situation that you are aren’t happy with = limited or incomplete knowledge
Denial of spiritual component
A force of illusion and oppression = the main illusion is materialism, we usually think of as an over concern with money, but which more properly means the view that nothing exists beyond the world of the senses
Excitement, often sexual
Lust
THE TOWER
Shaky ground, unsettled, falling apart, no solid foundation
Unsettling dreams, arguments and depression - if denied the unconscious will explode
Release of intolerable pressure
A flash of enlightenment, particularly where it replaces a limited view of life
Inspiration
Brilliance
Violent upheaval, clearing away some situation that has built up intolerable pressure
THE STAR
Your wishes, dreams and hopes
Anything that you project and work towards
Wholeness, openness and healing
After the storm, peace
Inner calm
Compares to Temperance, both pour water, have a foot in the water and one on land, and both come after a crisis
Individual with high degree of sensitivity and vulnerability = exposed and naked
THE MOON
Card of psychic abilities – trusting your instincts
Sudden release of unconscious energy
Moon’s eerie half-light brings out strange feelings in people and animals
A burst of energy which is too great for the dream mechanisms to peacefully assimilate can result in both a nightmare and after waking feeling of the body being charged with wild energy
Depression or a dark period = dark night of the soul
Full moon = prevalence of disturbed emotions. Moon excites fear and strangeness, just as the Sun relaxes and consoles
Card of the imagination
THE SUN
Awareness of eternal truth freeing us from illusion and fear
Joy
Happiness
Success
Often points to children
Warmth
JUDGEMENT
A push or a call from within, to make some important change
Understanding and recognising the need for change
Important decisions based on past experiences
Responsibility to weigh up everything in order to move forward
Big questions need to be asked and thrashed out
Crossroads in life where a decision is required on whether to make some great change
Cross banner indicates a meeting of opposites
A call to rise to a more meaningful existence
Card of the past
THE WORLD
Success, achievement, satisfaction and fulfilment
Feeling unified and at one with your environment and purpose = holistic approach to life
Completion
Connectedness to your physical and spiritual world
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