A Complete Guide
To The Tarot
Tarot cards are among the most often
used and most mysterious of a witch's tools. According to Lucy Cavendish,
anyone can tune their intuition to the Tarot and reap some amazing rewards.
Tarot cards are as ols as Egypt
and have been converted and updated to whichever culture or group wished
to interpret them. Until medieval times they flourished, then they were
considered evil, but they have remained with us and today they are immensely
popular, with as many as sixty decks available for sale. There is nothing
at all to prevent you from developing your own deck, in fact that would
be ideal for study, being more personal and in tune with your own abilities
and intuition.
Though you should treat your deck
with respect, don't go overboard in the superstition stakes. They are symbols,
not wacky magical objects. Do what you will with them but there are no
rules regarding how to treat them. If you want to symbolise your respect
you can cover them in a black silk, or stitch a silk pouch for them. Reading
on cloth will help them remain in good condition, and it looks good too,
and some people like to sleep with them to transmit their energy to the
cards. It is also effective to handle them a great deal, to meditate on
a picticular card in the major arcana each evening and each norning.
Layouts are fully documented in
many books in great detail. Try Celtic cross or a simple three-card spread
when starting out. Or, when you are more familiar with the cards, create
your own layouts for what you wish to divine or learn.
Keep a tarot journal and muse on
their meanings to you. Though there is an archetypal meaning for each of
the major arcana, and relatively fixed meanings for the minor, each individual
will see something new in the same cards.
When reading for others, there is
one rule. Respect the querent and their peace of mind - do the same for
yourself. Protect yourself from the auras of others that may harm you by
vesting a circle of power and breathing white light for three minutes before
and after the ritual of reading. You can very easily be drained by negative
energies. Never use Tarot to hurt oe overpower or manipulate others. Truth,
the gentle truth, is always best.
The Major Arcana
0. The Fool
(Element:
Air, Flower: Aspen)
The fool is the card of new beginnings
tempting the querent, a rash decision, a new move that is being followed
spontaneously and possibly without necessary caution. The heart is innocent
and may be deceived; if the corresponding cards are ones that indicate
a good change, take the risk and go with your feelings. Otherwise, heed
the small worries that are urging you to take stock of the situation. This
could be the beginning of your journey into some kind of intiation, the
first step on the path of self-knowledge.
1. The Magician
(Planet:
Mercury, Flower: Vervain, Palm)
Coming into your own confidence;
the ability to charm, entertain and distract others with your talents.
The admiration of people around you. Also the manipulation of occult arts;
note the presence of the witches' tools (the chalice, the wand) on the
magician's table. The arts are being put to the ego's use, your will is
manifesting in the world, the only thing to question is your intention.
2. The High Priestess
(Planet:
Moon, Flower: Almond, Moonwort)
The feminine aspect of high intuition.
Self knowledge and a certain self-containment. This card is pertinent for
women seeking knowledge on occult matters, this card indicates the necessary
discipline and observance of ritual necessary to focus on matters of the
spirit and of nature. The High Priestess is held in awe by others and men
may be hostile to her, finding her cold and separate. She is not. She remains
unswayed by the impluses of the heart but looks for the highest path in
all matters. This card indicates a time of increased spiritual practice
and the entering into a strong and powerful occult phase. The card of the
spellmaker and goddes observer.
3. The Empress
(Planet: Venus,
Flower: Myrtly, Rose)
Womanhood as its most fecund, the
empress is a strong, lush, pregnant woman revelling in her fertility, surrounded
by a flowering field. She is the fruit of the earth and she is alone, needing
no patner with her to be at one with nature, she is coming into a time
when her physical powers are immense. A time of solitude snatched to enjoy
being with oneself and enjoy the feeling of wellbeing that pervades. The
satiety of good sex, the possibility of a deep relationship but it is particularly
a card of self-fulfilment.
4. The Emperor
(Zodiac:
Aries, Flower: Tiger Lily, Geranium)
A strong man, possibly a loving
father but more likely to be a brotherly male or lover. The man is good
and loving, could tend to be inflexible on matters of particality; he believes
he knows best. The possibility of something being institutionalised; in
marriage or in some form that is legally binding. A significant man in
the querent's life, one who could attempt to "tame" her; he canbr trusted,
but you must not subjugate your will to his or he could become too unbending,
too dominating.
5. The Pope/Hierophant
(Zodiac:
Taurus, Flower: Mallow)
The Pope represents the established
order of the day and the way the current system desires things to be. If
people say "it's the way things are", you must understand that it is that
way because people create the rules with kind of thnking. You may be in
need of cousel from someone considered conserative. You will receive sound
advice but it could be a odds with anything experimental or daring that
you may wish to explore. He may be an older man, or even a priest. Not
cruel, but cold when it comes to matters of order and right and wrong,
in which he will consider himself the authority.
6. The Lovers
(Zodiac:
Gemini, Flower: Orchids, Hybrids)
The force of love is between you
and another person; there could be a strange and powerful attraction between
opposites. The melding of two seemingly incompatible souls and contradictory
aspects of personality. A decision, however, needs to be made in respect
to this attraction. There is a soul-mate quality to this relationship,
however, and there could be an important lesson for your develpmnt as a
spirit within it. It will not be easy as the aspects are at odds but to
seek balance from the chemistry between the two of you is the object of
the relationship. Treat this as a quest for the self, and be kind within
the relationship. If you cannot, think hard about what it is you are entering
into. This card also denotes the possiblility of an affair.
7. The Chariot
(Zodiac:
Cancer, Flower: Lotus)
Hard work and determination will
see you through the period that this card influences; you will need to
take control of your life and bring under some kind of discipline different
aspects that have been pulling you in all directions. If you wish to chart
your course you must begin by protecting yourself with psychic armiur;
do not allow harmful people to penetrate your defences; second of all you
must take hold of the reins and be speedy about it. Keep looking to where
you want to go and be resolute; do not be easily distracted. The mode of
a warrior is the one for you now.
8. Strength
(Zodiac:
Leo, Flower: Sunflower)
Be persistent and be gentle,
approach the dangerous with careful confidence. Understand that gentle
persuasion can be more powerful than tantrums; do not be wilful but rather
be brave and courageous in your dealings with those who may be harmful
to you. You do not need to become like them to overcome your fear or for
them to respect you. Remain yourself and let your inner strength show.
Do not run or you will be caught.
9. The Hermit
(Zodiac:
Virgo, Flower: Lily, Narcissus, Snowdrop)
A time for withdrawal and self-renewal.
It may be a time os study and removal from society. Could be as simple
as not wanting to go out and socialise - you will be a more serious and
introspective person while under the auspices of this card. This is the
card of the seeker of the soul's truths. Keep your light ahead of you,
keep learning and be prepared to be alone for a while. You will come back
to the world refreshed and wiser.
10. The Wheel Of Fortune
(Planet:
Jupiter, Flower: Oak, Fig, Poplar)
What goes around comes around; what
goes up must come down. Be fatalistic. If times are bad remember that change
will come, you are in the process of learning and life's wheel can break
those who do not develop a more philosophical attitude to life. It may
be your turn to be down, it may be your turn to be up, but the only thing
to be certain of is that life will soon change once again and the situation
will then seem very different. Remember there is duality in all things.
We all contain the dark and the light.
11. Justice
(Zodiac: Libra, Flower: Aloe)
You are in a position to decide
whether to believe someone or not, and you must weigh up the situation
carefully before deciding what you believe to be the truth. You may be
seen as reserved and harsh adjudicator; or you may be experiencing a situation
where legal matters are coming to a head. Document everything carefully,
rely on facts and what you know in your heart to be true. There is a decision
to be made but make sure you are not prejudiced from the outset: gather
the evidence and then decide where to place your confidence.
12. The Hanged Man
(Element:
Water, Flower: Water Plants)
A time of suspension betweeen two
people, obectives, two outcomes.You are not in a painful position but it
is certainly not a powerful one. Use this time to see what the world looks
and feels like from this position! While you are waiting, just be calm
and accepting that change will come in its time. This is not the time to
thrash around aggressively, you may get hurt badly. No-one is trying to
harm you but the path of least resistance is the one to go for now. You
may be experiencing a Zen-like calm that feels peculiar, but not too bad.
13. Death
(Zodiac:
Scorpio, Flower: Water Plants)
Change in extreme is inevitable.
Do not hang on, let go. Take action to separate from harmful elements rooted
in the past. Cut yourself off from people if they are damaging you. You
must take steps to escape a situation that could harm you. It is an old
situation and it is time to be the person who makes the decisions about
what is right for you.
14. Temperance
(Zodiac:
Sagittarius, Flower: Cactus)
The search for balance reqres concentration
and to bring elements into harmonyrequires a certain scientific frame of
mind. Difficult to achieve. In essence, this is the art, to bring into
harmony opposing elements, to create a spell from seemily strange ingredients,
to transform your life using unconventional methods that nevertheless create
a bounty of opportunity.
15. The Devil
(Zodiac:
Capricorn, Flower: Thistle)
You are in bondage of some desription;
it could be to a sexual relationship that is overwhelming in its potency.
It could be to materialism, the delights of which have submerged your ability
to reaon with the spirit and consequently satisfaction is difficult, indeed,
impossible to achieve. There maybe some kind of service you need to perform
for someone that you are resenting. Or a relationship that provides material
goods but little spiritual nourishment. At any rate, there is the feeling
that you are chained to a situation or person. To be independent and free
you must give up something. Liberation comes at the expense of what the
imprisoner can offer. This is the true choice between the adult and the
child in bondage. Be on the alert for perversities.
16. The Tower
(Planet:
Mars, Flower: Absinthe, Rue)
Calamity may come and you will feel
torn down from your lofty place. This dramatic situation has the effect
of throwing all you know into complete chaos, but it also gets you out
of where you assumed you should be and will ultimately get you back on
your feet. What may seem disastrous could be a great opportunity for growth,
but be careful about buying or selling property. Let go. Life is throwing
you about and you must just go with it; to resist will be painful. There
is little you can do but let life unwind. Things will change.
17. The Star
(Zodiac:
Aquarius, Flowers: Cocnut)
Hope springs eternal; a period of
new hope and fulfilment, inspiration and the sense that all will be more
than well, it will be downright magical! You will feel new energy and possibly
have passed some crucial tests on your soul journey. Allow yourself to
feel this inspiration and act on it; this is a period of rebirth that will
be filled with joy and beauty and the remarkable feeling of delight! Life
is all you could want.
18. The Moon
(Zodiac: Pisces, Flower: Opium)
Crying after what you want will
not get it for you. Your intuition lets you know what is really going on,
but your inability to see reason may make you emotional and irrational.
This is a time of the night and of extremes, the power of the moon is in
your blood and you will be at odds with the world ruled by the sun. Pay
close attention to your dreams at this time; they will be highly symbolic,
indicating that your higher self is trying to clarify the proble,m. It
will be difficult, as down will feel like up, all will be strange to you
now. If necessary, withdraw from the world for a break, and do not overindulge
in drugs or alcohol at this stage - you will be tempted to.
19. The Sun
(Zodiac:
Sun, Flower: Sunflower, Laurel, Heliotrope)
The coming about of all you wanted.
A feeling of being centred, warmed, spontaneous, joyous and free; of having
set up life the way you want. A time when fertility is abundant; there
could be relationship fruition or the actual birth of a child to look forward
to. All you have worked so hard for is now manifesting itself in your life
and you will enjoy the fruits of your labour.
20. Judgement
(Zodiac:
Fire, Flower: Poppy, Hibiscus, Nettle)
The ghosts of the past are rising,
forcing you to confront your past actions and their consequences. What
you do has impact, is the lesson here. All your life will be a whole; what
has happen in the past will have influence in the present. It is time to
take stock and decide what to do about these unresolved situations. It
is time to clear up the past, to put behind you what you must, learn what
you can and finally forgive yourself. A time to be respected - through
this experience you will finally move on.
21. The World
(Zodiac: Saturn, Flower: Ash, Cypress, Yew, Hellebore)
A time when you can reward yourself
- you have undergone many trails and passed through them, if not unscathed,
wiser and more rounded as a person. Some sort of initiation has been passed,
and it will have major impact on you. The world is now your own, and a
new beginning and new challenges will soon be heading your way. For now,
though, enjoy where you are. On a less spiritual level, you may undertake
a journey, and travel could become very important to you, perhaps this
could be the adventurous new beginning indicated by this card.
The Minor Arcana
The suits - their elements and
their astrological eqivalent
Cups: Water - Scorpio,
Cancer, Pisces
Wands: Fire - Aries,
Sagittarius, Leo
Pentacles: Earth -
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Swords: Air - Libra,
Aquarius, Gemini
Each of the four suits begins with
an ace, then cards numbered from two to ten. Then there are the court cards:
page, prince/knight, king, queen. The Crowley Thoth deck also includes
princesses.
Cups
Rule the emotion, imagination, family,
intuition, material goods.
Wands
Rule day-to-day matters. They also
dominate the areas including creativity, enterprise, enthusiasm, movement
and travel.
Pentacles
Rule money, food, resources, the
growth of business or agriculture, and ambition.
Swords
Rule over aggression, conflict,
anything to do with operations, surgery, rest and recuperation, determination,
ideas, worries and the strong-minded among us.
The Court Cards
WANDS
This suit is sometimes known as
Staves or batons, and represents creative energy made manifest. Masculine
in feel, this is the suit of work, of new beginnings and new plans coming
to pass through strong effort.
PAGE
In the upright postion, this card
signifies a young, energetic man who is interesting and open to new
ideas. As much as he is quick and intuitive, he is also trustworthy, without
the cloddish feel of his Earth (pentacle)brothers. This person could appear
at work, and could well be a romantic match for the querent. This person
probably has dark hair and flashing eyes, sharp features and an alert intelligence.
However, Wands, can represent competitiveness if the surrounding suits
are not in harmony - for example surrounding Cups (especially court cards)
could signify jealousies and disputes between two people wanting the same
thing. Youth and energy can be attributed to all of the Page cards.
KNIGHT
These people move so fast they can
be alarming at times. This card can signify people who will move through
your life swiftly, but who will have immense impact. Though they are fiery
in their energy they tend to burn out extremely quickly, leaving others
too exhausted to pick up the pieces. If this card doesn't coincide
with an individual, it can represent the need to change jobs or move house
or even countries swiftly. In any case, be warned: things are about to
happen quickly and maybe even chaotically. You should prepare for change
of the kind indicated by the surrounding cards.
QUEEN
This woman is warm and loving and
lavish in physical affection. Sensual, she is also the queen of ideas,
and will always be creating plans which she will carry out only half the
time, as her interests change too quickly to see one project through to
completion. Though she is popluar, she has a wilful streak that can intimidate
others. Her business acumen in excellent - take her advice if it's not
her business she's dicussing. Too optimistic at times, she can hurt others
with harsh words, and just as swiftly comfort them with caresses.
KING
While no giant intellect, this man
is staunch and able to access vast resources of inner strength when required.
Integrity and honour are extremely important to him, and due to his paaionate
nature, he will not forgive being lied to or manipulated for selfish purposes.
He loves a drink after a hard day's physical work, and is one of the most
sensous men of the court cards. He is quick to make decisions, and yet
can stall forever over things. Others rarely see the qualms he has over
these decisions. If he feels something is wrong in his bones, he must be
proven absolutely wrong before he will act. This man has staying power
- in romance, physique and mental health.
SWORDS
People are generally nervous when they see the Swords, which have often
been read as the doomist caards of the deck. But they can also represent
immense energy - though you're right to be alert if they dominate a spread.
PAGE
A quick-witted, sharp youngster excellent at getting his own way and
twisting others around his proverbial little finger. This person will watch
out for weak spots in others and then pounce when they are at their most
vulnerable. Sneaky, yet extremely clever, he is as fascinating as he is
dangerous. Watch out for his graceful movements, which can be hypnotic.
KNIGHT
Inspiring and brave, this card represents the verging-on-foolish hero
who'll take others over the cliff with him if they dont dig in their hells.
Yet this person is nevertheless precise, does not like being put out in
any way, and is pedantic when it comes to scheduling and arranging times.
Do not cross him: he can be vengeful. Rather, avoid him if he seems to
be threatening you - step clear of his stampeding path. He isnt nasty (like
the Page) - just incapable of seeing himself as anything less than 100
per cent correct.
QUEEN
This is a woman who has lost someone or something dear to her, and
who may have experienced seriously bad luck in close relationships. Affairs
have not gone well for her and she may be hiding massive emotional scars
with a show of bravado. She is charming, and appears in control - she can
have exactly the right word for everyone when it is needed, yet she is
not insincere. There could be a sense of childlessness around this woman,
and she may even have lost someone through voilence. Her beauty is tinged
with sadness; she is the mournful face of the female court cards.
KING
This man caoul be a bureaucrat or power-broker - someone who is in
authority and wields that authority in a typically patriarchal fashion.
He is involved in the realm of ideas, yet applies them only when they suit
his purpose. There is capability for immense campassion or cruelty - check
the surrounding cards to see whether this man is to be trusted. He himself
is often full of mistrust. Though he demands logic from others, he is often
emotional and impetuous and confuses and frightens people with his tyrannical
manner. Accidents will create opportunities here, more so than this man's
flurry of high-minded, pompous plans.
PENTACLES
Pentacles represent the material, the earthly and the solid sides of
people. They can range in pofession from farmers to bankers, but they will
all have a healthy practical streak based on results they can see.
PAGE
This is a young person who can seem frustratingly slow (particularly
to Air and Fire cards), but what he lacks in rapidity he makes up for in
staying power. Slow to think things through, his decisions should be heeded.
Careful, studious and organised, he can seem boring to some, nd as he is
also conscientious and hard working, he can be an excellent drudge as an
employee. Imaginative visions are rare, but sound thought, economical approaches
and dedication are not qualities to be dismissed.
KNIGHT
Sometimes you wish this person would just get on with it, but he wont.
The more pressure you out on him, the more snail-like he becomes. He is
extremely concerned with status and will be overly respectful to people
due to their position in society, not their quality of being. He does not
like being in charge, and in an earlier incarnation would have made an
excellent butler, or spy for a corrupt government, such is his respect
for authority. Such people will always be in employ, and are rarely able
to break free and take off, either actually in terms of travel, or in their
imagination. People who are fast scare them, and they adore organisation
above all. They are nevertheless hard working and practical, though they
can seem soulless to some.
QUEEN
This woman makes money and keeps it, or redistributes it and makes
some more, and this makes her extremely happy so she is invariably charming.
She is truthful and strong through crisis, because she has emotional reserves
as well as monetary ones. She is not interested in theoretical nonsence,
but enjoys food and love and beer rather than wine. She loves to help others,
is a terrific friend in a crisis, and an enteraining one on a everyday
basis.
KING
This man is so down to earth you may want to shake him at times. He
could be a dull teacher, a bank manager, or someone in a position of high
but essentially unexciting authority. He is very interested in security
and will be the kind of man who proposes to the first 'right' woman and
seeks earnestly to make a happy home and to bring up his family well. He
has the ability to make money, and to keep it. He is devoted, and practical,
and kind. He is however, not the kind of person to get offside with, as
his influence could easily hurt an enemy. Do not be quick to judge him:
he has formidable powers of intuition and is extremely perceptive under
that boring exterior.
CUPS
Cups symbolise the ebb and flow of our emotions, family ties, creatively
and the imaginative side of life.
PAGE
A good-looking young man or woman who has a great imagination, but
is often deluded and given to making up far-fetched stories and sticking
to them. This is the imagination at work, and though these people are exceedingly
interesting and sweet, they are not the kind of people to trust with a
lot of responsibility and practical detail. They are very gentle, and will
become easily wounded by sharp words. They are honest and can be trusted,
but they need to be given time for their vivd fantasies in order to dtay
happy and healthy.
KNIGHT
A pleasant-looking, charming young person who is enthused easily and
just as simply distracted. Generally this person would prefer to lie around
thinking of fabulous things to do than actually making the effort to fulfill
these dreams. Sometimes they are art collectors, or people who love to
gather interresting artists and musicians around them - the card of the
groupie! They are prone to decadence and drug abuse, and adore wine. Sensuality
is important to them, and they can easily move between partners as they
are after indulgence rather than connection.
QUEEN
This woman is calm and tranquil and in touch with nature - she will
love to grow things or care for people, and has a strong intuitive streak
which you should listen to and heed. She adores poetry and novels, and
will often be a writer or creative type person herself. She is strong under
her ethereal exterior, but can be a little too inclined to be impressed
and manipulated by others. She is very attractive and makes a great friend,
but she does not like to be put out, and be stubborn if she feels pressured
by someone she has little admiration for.
KING
Here is a man of pwerful passions. Almost a King Lear type, he is inspiring
and imagative, but fairly frightening for more daown to earth types. Watch
for his flashing eyes. He is deep and intense and can seem to have no conscience
or morals whatsoever. In fact he is deeply moral, but his own oeculiar
code which will be difficult for more reasonable types to understand. This
is the card of someone who is uncompromising and who always seeks a higher
purpose - this card often turns up when someone is passionately in love,
or undergoing some kind of conversion, to their art, religion or even the
ruthless pursuit of money. The fanatic is represented here, and you must
be aware of the powerful fascination and ruthless nature of this person
to avoid harm, yet reap the incredible benefits of their intoxicating pursuit
of perfection.
The Numbers :
each number has a meaning.
Aces
Represent energy, beginnings, life
itself.
Two
Represents opposing energies, yin
and yang, male and female. The relationship between soul and matter.
Three
Represents expansion and the first
stage towards completion. Celebration of achievement.
Four
Is sheer hard work, the use of logic
to consolidate enterprise.
Five
Sees another shift; an important
change of focus, knowledge through experience. Difficulties.
Six
Is dealing with the energies of
others and what they mean to you. The sharing of skills and knowledge for
the betterment of all.
Seven
Is the craft, the growth of wisdom,
and the understanding of where the spirit and the ego differ, but having
respect for the role of each.
Eight
Is bringing together opposing forces,
something of a spiritual balancing act. High intergrity, learning respect
and courage and truth. The next stage before the future can be what you
want.
Nine
At the edge of completion, assessment
must be made. Heal the past, lay the groundwork for where you want to be.
Ten
The peak of happiness, the reaping
of rewards, the summer of joy in your soul. Time to revel before starting
on your next lesson.
