TarotCraft

Sometime ago I was part of a weekly guided meditation group. One evening the leader took us on a journey to the astral plane and I found myself walking through a forest. I ended up in a small glade and seated there were the 3 Fates - the Sisters who Spin, Weave and Cut the threads of Fate on their spinning wheel (or Wheel of Fortune). They asked me what I would like them to make for me. I asked for a map of my life.

They handed me a piece of linen with a beautiful picture embroidered onto it, like an antique map that might have the words ‘beyond here be dragons’ at the edges of the known world. It was being colored in to track the years of my life. My admiration turned to horror as I realized the map was almost entirely colored in! My entire life flashed before my eyes. I thought of how far I had come and how far I had to go and that I wasn’t ready to die. I panicked.

One of the Sisters leaned forward, winked at me and said conspiratorially, “We can make it longer, you know.” I quickly said “Yes!” and they handed me another map, this one a beautiful silken tapestry. It came complete with a flashing neon sign shaped like an arrow that said “You are here.” (Who said the Gods don’t have a sense of humour?) The good news is that the map was less than half complete.

That night as I was driving home, a huge truck was traveling next to me. The truck began to change lanes but the driver wasn’t aware I was there. I had a cement wall next to me and cars behind me and I couldn’t slow down, speed up or change lanes. I thought I was going to be crushed between the truck and the wall. I don’t remember clearly what happened next, the cars behind me must have intuited what was happening because I ended up slamming on my brakes, as did everyone else behind me and the truck completed the lane change and carried on unaware. Now you tell me how 3 cars can go from 90kph to almost a complete stop in complete synchronicity in less than a second. The Wheel of Fortune certainly spun in my favour that night.

The 3 Fates are Goddesses of Fortune said to weave the web of the fate of each person on their spinning wheel. Some early Tarot decks depict the goddess Fortuna, or Lady Luck as the arbiter of human destiny. Many modern decks depict four sacred creatures around a central wheel, which represent, among other things, the 4 lessons of the suites of the Minor Arcana which when mastered, bring equilibrium to the Spirit (represented by the Sphinx).

It’s Hebrew letter is Kaph (path 21 joining Chesed (Mercy) to Netzach (Victory)). It means Palm or Hand and could be seen a cupped hand hiding it’s contents. A cosmic lucky dip or roulette wheel, perhaps.

Although the appearance of this card is an omen of good fortune, rewards and being in the right place at the right time. All things have their season and natural cycles and a positively aspected Wheel indicates that things are in a growth stage and will, or are, taking a turn for the better. Whilst you are riding on the top of the Wheel, you have the opportunity to prepare for times to come that may not be so fortunate – perhaps when you are caught at the bottom of the Wheel.

A negatively aspected Wheel could be indicating a vacillation between hope and despair, delays or a stop-start approach. Life is uncertain and unpredictable and things are bound to work out in ways you could never have imagined.

The Wheel constantly turns, sometimes slowly and other times more quickly, but you can be sure that that whatever you are experiencing, “This too, shall pass.”. Resist comparison with those around you because we each are on different parts of the wheel that may be incomprehensible to someone else.

The Universe, and our planet, creates Order out of Chaos. Nothing lasts forever in a finite form. The tectonic plates that cover the surface of Earth are constantly shifting, creating and recreating the valleys and mountain ranges that form the landscape of the world over millions of years. The ‘tectonic plates’ of our lives also shift, changing the landscape of heart, mind and soul.

The Emperor represents authority figures, laws and agreements, social order and often one’s father. He represents the rules and regulations that allow us to live safely in a community. The fabric of society would disintegrate into chaos without them.

Play by the rules or suffer the consequences is one of the messages of this card. Conform to social mores and legal agreements, suppression of personal ego for the greater good of the community. Could you imagine trying to drive to work if we all expressed our individuality with an artistic interpretation of the road rules?

As a group, the citizens of the nation or the employees of a company choose to follow the rules. We willingly give control over to a higher authority and trust they will take care of us.

The Emperor’s world is black and white. In his opinion things are right or they are wrong. There is no grey area. Although I would prefer to spend my rent on shoes, I can’t live in one so I choose to honour the terms of my lease and in doing so I experience the discipline and security of the Emperor.

Solid foundations and lasting success are built by the Emperor. He brings freedom through discipline. When he sets his sights on a goal, he knows he has the power to make his dreams a reality. The Emperor moves steadily toward his vision and uses his logic to create a plan of action. He has the self-discipline to ignore any distractions along the path and to keep going when things get rough.

This card can also talk about setting limits and boundaries with other people. Being able to say ‘No’ is one of the lessons of the Emperor. He is not afraid to make tough decisions, even when it seems like there is no decision that can be made, like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Emperor can represent someone in an authority position over you, like your boss, or the leadership qualities in yourself. You make decisions and accept responsibility for yourself and those under your leadership. You value the logical over the emotional.

The Emperor can represent a situation that is stable, having structure and form. He wears armour under his robes, showing that he is ready to defend both his position and the people under his leadership.

Astrologically, The Emperor is linked with Aries the Ram, which is ruled by Mars. Aries is a fire sign and has the characteristics of passion, energy and dynamism. As the counterpart to the ‘Mother Goddess’ of the Empress, the Emperor is ‘Father God’.

The Emperor is numbered four and four is a solid, stable number. There are Four Elements of creation, four arms to a cross – four represents balance and form. Three is the number of the spiritual body and four is the number of the physical body. In Pythagorean numerology, four = perfection, harmony, justice and also, the Earth itself. To the Egyptians, four is the sacred number of Time.

The essence of the Emperor is the combination of fiery Mars energy and the stability of number four.
The Emperor corresponds to the Hebrew letter ‘Heh’. This word translates as ‘window’. A window lets Light, which is knowledge, and Air, which is spirit, into a house. The number Four also corresponds numerologically to ‘memory’.

Remember that the Magician is represented by the Hebrew letter Beth, which means House. You are the Magician, are you not? The creator of your own life? The Emperor is the structure and discipline you use to achieve your goals.

When negatively aspected, the Emperor can go from being a strong leader to a tyrant – it’s his way or the highway. He may be closed to the opinions or needs of others, or abusing his power over them. He dominates rather than leads.

This card can also show that you are following your logic, or what you think you ‘should’ do to your detriment – the reversed Emperor is out of touch with his feelings. You might be jaded or disenchanted with life.

The Tower represents breakthrough which is the second Alehcmic stage - dissolution. The lightning, or insight, threatens to destroy the Tower, which is really your created facade or persona. The lightning struck Tower is your ego, or lower self going up in flames to allow the Phoenix of your higher self to rise from the ashes.

Traditionally a feared card, it’s really the death or dissolution of the lower self that causes the pain reflected in the Tower. We cannot cocoon ourselves away from reality, or away from the consequences of our actions. At some point the piper must be paid.

There is a crown atop the Tower and the lightning strikes it. The crown represents authority and authority our lower self has over our consciousness. This is mirrored in the Tree of Life, where the Divine spark enters Kether, the Crown, and descends to Malkuth, the Earth. Our job is then to ascend the Tree of Life, experiencing the energies of each Sephiroth and balancing the Middle Pillar as we go.
The Tower challenges us to examine our beliefs and psychological defences, to reevaluate those things that we may have developed to protect us, but which we no longer need. In fact these defences are probably now to our detriment and preventing us from fully realising our potential.
In a reading, this card could signify the loss of an important foundation - a job, a relationship, a financial loss, or finding out that something you believed in is not true.

Margaret Starbird wrote a book called The Woman with the Alabaster Jar. It is her investigation into the role Mary Magdalene had in the life of Jesus. There is circumstantial evidence that Mary Magdalene was in fact Jesus’ wife, not the prostitute she is widely believed to be. When Margaret’s investigations cast doubt on what she thought was biblical truth, she suffered a nervous breakdown. The idea that the Roman Catholic Church had lied to its followers by misrepresenting and concealing the truth brought her Tower crashing down.

The collapse of the Tower could be any life experience that causes chaos and mayhem that forces you to take a closer look at your life and psyche. I experienced a job loss, the sudden end of a relationship and an eviction in the space of about three days. My Tower came crashing right down. It took some time for me to recover from the losses and at one stage I had no income, I was too ill to work and I relied on the generosity of friends for places to stay. In spite of the difficulties, I would not swap the experience for the entire world because I ended up in a space where I was able to ‘find myself’ and accept what I found. I was forced to simplify the incredibly stressful life I had been living. I could not have maintained my pre-Tower life any longer, but I wasn’t brave enough to make the change, so lightning struck.

Sometimes we allow ourselves to become trapped in mundane reality and the collapse of the Tower brings freedom and liberation. All that remains is all that you really need.

Astrologically, The Tower corresponds to the planet Mars. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio. Any card connected with Mars shares its flow of a rather aggressive energy. This is the kind of energy that is needed for survival, but once these base needs have been met (the base chakra); it provides the impetus to achieve success. Mars is a very masculine card - all brawn and no brain (in the nicest possible way!). We can channel this energy in a creative, constructive way, or we can let it run riot and mow down anything in its path. Mars is single-minded, focused and goal driven. He is determined, courageous and driven by honour and a fierce independence. An ill dignified Mars can indicate arguments escalating to violence, reckless actions, serious injuries and fevers (Mars is linked to blood and heat).

Mythologically, Ares started out as a fertility god (no surprises there) and eventually became Mars, the Roman god of War. Ares was a very masculine god, a fierce warrior and his earthly followers would hold fighting festivals in his honour. The Ares archetype can act without thinking - fight first, ask questions later. This mean energy is often wasted on lost causes or imaginary enemies. One of his challenges is to develop the ability to reflect on and learn from his behaviour. When this balance of reflection and action is achieved (the Middle Pillar) Ares/Mars is an indefatigable warrior who can attain any goal and overcome any obstacle.

Qabalistically, The Tower corresponds to Peh, which means mouth. What goes into the mouth is nourishment and what comes out is speech. Our higher selves know what events to ’speak’ into being to allow us to be nourished spiritually and emotionally.

Numerologically, the Tower is 16. 16 is a higher version of 7 (1+6). This number is associated with danger, primarily caused by over-confidence. Its lesson is to pay careful attention to detail and to trust your intuition.

The word Temperance is derived from the latin word ‘temperare’ which means to mix or combine. The angel on the Rider-Waite Temperance card is shown pouring and combining the spiritual and the physical between two Cups. He has one foot on the land and one foot on the water, showing both mastery of the physical world and the emotional realm. Energy flows from the unconscious to the conscious (from the higher cup to the lower cup) and back.

This card talks about having a true and proper response to situations as they arise, rather than a rigid adherence to an externally applied moral code. Each individual must decide for themselves what is the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ thing to do in any situation, because determinations of right and wrong change constantly and between cultures. The Holy Books of different religions put forward their versions of right and wrong, but most of us find that neither our spiritual needs nor our need for guidance cannot be met by the dogma of organised religion. Therefore it falls to each person to look into their hearts to find their own truth and personal values.

Temperance can be advising you to take the middle road, to apply moderation and constraint, but also that seemingly impossible oppositions can be united.

As we work on mixing the elements within the personality, such as an appropriate balance of activity, introspection etc, we become more balanced externally and increase our ability to handle life’s problems and challenges. We are able to draw on the strength of a balanced and peaceful personality.

Qabalistically, the path of Temperance joins the spheres of Yesod and Tiphareth – the Sun and the Moon. Once again this shows power of Temperance to unite opposites. It’s Hebrew letter is Samekh which means ‘prop’ or ‘tent peg’ – a vital piece of equipment, but the shape also connection it to ‘womb’ and ‘moon’. Alchemically, Temperance consummates the process of Unity that we saw begin in The Lovers.

Temperance is ruled by fiery Sagittarius, so we need to remember that Temperance is essentially fiery in nature – it’s creative, passionate and positive.

The Hierophant was the name given to the High Priest of the Greek Elusian mysteries. The Hierophant also has connections to occult initiations. Occult simply means “secret”. There is nothing untoward or evil about the word. Anything you want to keep hidden from other people could be considered occult.

Historically, the Hierophant represented the leadership of the Church, it’s spiritual heads and traditions. I invite you to take a more contemporary view of the Hierophant and see him as the “High Priest” - counterpart to the High Priestess.

There are some interesting and universal symbols appearing in The Hierophant:

Roses and Lilies: These refer to the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of The Valley from the biblical “Song of Songs”. The red roses represent the occult way and the white lilies the mystic way. They are also a reference to Jesus and Mary.

Pairs or couples: A number of cards in the Tarot depict two figures before a higher power (The Devil, The Lovers, for example). This imagery indicates that there is something emerging from the sub-conscious into the conscious. You could also look at images of other pairs in the tarot, such as a pair of columns or a pair of sphinxes. The pair of acolytes at the Hierophant’s feet could represent theology and mysticism, your inner spiritual experiences balanced against what you have been taught by others.

Colours: The alchemic meaning of red and white shown together is a conjunction or sublimation of opposites.

St Andrews Cross: Represents a cross roads as well as the union of he higher and lower worlds, or consciousness. The crossed keys also indicate this.

In her classic Tarot book, 78 Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack says:

To really discover God inside yourself, you must undergo some uncomfortable confrontations with your own psyche. Similarly, to decide for yourself what is the moral thing to do in all situations might require an agony of choice. Nevertheless, many people today simply cannot accept either society or a Church bearing the ultimate responsibility for their lives.

The Hierophant is a guide or teacher on your spiritual path. He could be an external figure like the Dalai Lama or the Pope, or your own local church minister or your Wiccan High Priest. He is someone who follows a recognised and traditional path who you can turn to for advice and guidance about spirituality.

Like all the Tarot cards, the Hierophant could also be an aspect of yourself or an archetype. He could represent your Higher Self or your conditioned responses to religion and tradition.

In a divinatory sense, the Hierophant indicates education and spiritual development. In the early days of Christianity even the wealthiest and most powerful people were likely to be illiterate. The Church offered education and literacy as a way of gaining social and political power as well as converts to their new religion.

As the High Priest, he offers occult and esoteric knowledge through books and formal learning as well as through the experiences of every day life. He performs rites of passage and can provide counsel to seer the seeker through a dark night of the soul.

As I have already said, The Hierophant is a teacher, but this Hierophant can only teach those who are ready and willing to learn. The student submits his will to his teacher, a higher authority or Higher Power in order to benefit from their wisdom.
As well as words written in books and established doctrines, the Hierophant teaches lessons of self-control, focus and discipline - qualities needed by those who aspire to spiritual development and growth.

In a reading, the Hierophant would indicate taking the road that is tested and true. It’s not the time to strike out on a path that is new and untried. You may also be need to exercise your moral judgement about what is right and what is wrong. (Even if no one can see you do it, it doesn’t make it ok!)

In a relationship reading, this presence of this card could be indicating marriage - a traditional institution by any stretch of the imagination.

The Hebrew letter that is associated with The Hierophant is “Vau”. Vau means “hook” or “nail”. It is something that is used to join or link things together, to mend or repair. It is also used as the conjunction “and”, a word that links two things together. A hook or nail pierces or penetrates an object in order to be of use - it facilitates a union.

The astrological sign attributed to The Hierophant is Taurus. This sign is associated with luxury, stubbornness and affluence. It is the 2nd sign of the Zodiac and rules the dates of April 21 to May 21. It’s Element is feminine Earth, and it is ruled by the planet Venus.

In a reading, all correspondences give you extra information about the card. Let them wash around in your subconscious and you will find they will pop up on their own accord. For example, the dates ruled by Taurus could be significant for the person you are reading for, or they could have an issue with a Taurean, or even need to develop their inner Taurean.

Additionally, Venus is not just a planet, she is also the Goddess of Love. Venus loves beauty and luxury but is also jealous and angry. These is all information that may prove handy during a reading. That’s why it’s so important not to get locked into a rigid idea of what each cards means - they have many facets and depending on the way the cards a turned, different facets will shine.

The horns of Taurus the Bull are masculine weaponry, but many early myths refer to horns as a symbol of the Moon Goddess. Horns are also a sign of wisdom.

Like all the cards, the Hierophant also has his shadow side. He can represent being too rigid, judgemental or locked into a fundamentalist religious worldview. Think outside the square and examine your beliefs to see if they are still valid. Are you clinging to beliefs that don’t fit you any more through fear or habit?

A crisis of faith could also be indicated by a reversed or negatively aspected Hierophant.

The High Priestess is Isis seated on her throne, representing sovereignty over the physical plane. She is flanked by the black and white pillars which represent Severity and Mercy. Too much severity is cruelty and too much mercy is weakness. We strive for the ‘middle pillar’, which is the correct balance of each. Behind her is a veil, depicting the Tree of Life in pomegranates, the fruit of the Underworld. Behind the veil is a lake and the scene depicted in the Moon Card.

The crescent moon at her feet represents receptivity – the moon has no light of its own and simply receives and radiates the light of the sun. You could see this as the unconscious/Moon and conscious/Sun minds. Upon her chest is the cross which represents the balance of opposing forces e.g. dark and light, above and below. When I speak of dark and light, I don’t mean these as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ but as necessary and opposing forces such as winter and summer, or day and night.

She represents the deeper, darker, hidden aspects of the feminine archetype – occult knowledge, psychic powers, and intuition. She is the Virgin, or woman unto herself. She is a passive force and points to a time of reflection and the awakening of our inner selves. When she appears, you may not have all the information you need to make a decision, or things may still be hidden from you. Trust your intuition to give you the answers. The High Priestess also represents ideas and possibilities. Every time we look within or meditate, we are on the path of the High Priestess.

The High Priestess, the Empress and the Moon represent the Goddess archetypes of the Maiden, Mother and Crone. The High Priestess is the point where the human meets the Divine. Other Deities that correspond with this card are any of the lunar goddesses, virgin goddesses and huntresses like Diana. The High Priestess is the ‘initiator’. To initiate means to begin and she will initiate you into the journey begun by the Fool. The Magician has potential, but will he break through his own illusions and tricks and be initiated into the journey?

The High Priestess also represents study and learning. In order to fulfil our potential, we do need to expand our minds and explore myth, psychology and religion.

Astrologically, the High Priestess corresponds to The Moon. (The Moon tarot card corresponds to Pisces). Her Qabalistic letter is Gimel, which means camel and has the gematric value of 3.

When negatively aspected, or reversed, the High Priestess can indicate being passive for too long. There is a time to take action and that time is now. She is lost in a world of illusion and dreams, cut off from the realities of life. It is time to leap into the thick of life, to participate fully in the mundane world of work, relationships, sexuality and emotions.
On a personal level, the High Priestess asks us questions such as:

• What seeds or ideas are you planting?
• How healthy is your inner life (i.e. time spent in meditation, reflection, writing in your diary or even just ‘me’ time)
• Do you respect your spiritual growth? Is it a priority for you?
• Are you in touch with your intuition?

Next: The Empress

The Lesson of the Magician is that you are the Creator of your own experiences.

The Magician represents a union of opposites and a connection between Spirit and earthly existence. The Fool has unpacked his bag and become the Magician.

Life is full of possibilities and the Magician represents turning potential into something tangible and real. It’s time to make a choice and put plans into action. When the Magician appears it is likely to be a time of change and new opportunities. He reminds us that to be effective we need to remain grounded and active in the mundane world while remaining connected to the spiritual realms.

You have all you need to succeed so have confidence in yourself. Don’t reveal too much to others at this time because the greater strength lies in silence. It is better to let others think you are the Fool than the Magician. You are the Creator of your own life. Your words and actions are spells and you can now bring into being the things you desire.

Reversed:

The Magician reversed is out of touch with reality. His plans are unclear, incomplete or inconsistent. He is lacks direction, self-discipline and may even be mentally unbalanced. The timing may be wrong or you may be ignoring warning signs that are telling you to that your plans will not be the success you hoped for. Take some time out for a reality check and return to the Fool to see what other opportunities are available. This is also a clear call for grounding and centering.

Sandy is a friend of mine who says her life has been very difficult financially, spiritually and healthwise over the last year. So, I did a brief reading for her to determine what is going on and more importantly, what she can do about it.

The cards I drew for her are the 8 of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles and the 10 of Cups

The appearance of the 8P tells me that you know what to do, but you aren’t doing it, or aren’t doing enough of it. Take the bull by the horns and practice what you already know. It’s up to you to ring in these changes. They are within your control. You are not at the whim of some external force. No one is going to wave a magic wand and make it all ok. You have the skills and knowledge to re-connect with the divine spark within you and bring it back to life. Remember that you can’t do your affirmations, practice LOA etc just once, it needs to be part of your daily life. Repetition is one of the key themes of the 8P and you need to practice this in your life. Doing work that benefits others is also important for you now, either in your day to day work life or some kind of volunteer/service work.

The QP represents physical nurturing of the self and others. Pay particular attention to your physical needs - food, sleep, exercise. Make your physical health a priority.

The final card of the reading is the 10 of Cups. You are preparing to move into a spiritually richer and more meaningful phase of existence, but it hinges on putting into practice the things we have already discussed - care of the physical self, service to others and practicing the disciplines of your spiritual path.

Good luck!

The Fool’s element is Air and its Hebrew letter is Aleph, which means ‘ox’. You could think of this as the air that aerates the soil as it is ploughed by the ox, allowing life to bloom. Recently, the unpredictable planet Uranus has come to be linked with this card.

The Fool is your ‘life force’, also known as chi, or prana. He also represents the potential locked away inside you. Your personal journey is to unlock and express it.

Mythologically, the Fool can be seen in Dionysus/Bacchus and the Green Man. In the Arthurian cycles, he is Percival, one who eventually achieves the Holy Grail.

The Fool resides in madness, in ecstatic states far from our mundane state of mind. To understand the Fool, we have to go to places we are afraid of and for which no map exists.

Enlightenment is a journey, not a destination and on this journey will revisit the Fool many times. As our skills increase and we tuck them in into our ‘sack’, the challenges will we face will get harder.

The first and last card of the Major Arcana represents the eternal cycle of life and life after life. Innocence and optimism is protecting The Fool from the danger feared by the dog. The Fool is focused on a spiritual vision and has no fear of a potential fall off the edge of the cliff.

Light and breezy as air, the Fool is at home everywhere and nowhere. He is a gypsy, at traveler, exploring the world and having adventures. He is starting out on his journey through life and shows up when you are beginning a new journey or when you need to ‘lighten up’. He is telling you to take a risk and view the world through innocent eyes again.

Trust you are being guided in the right direction. The Sun shows you have the energy to embark on this exciting new journey. Anything can happen when the Fool appears and in truth, the Fool is a wise sage in disguise. He knows from experience that he can trust his Higher Self/the Universe/Life/God/ to take care of him.

He turns his face towards divine guidance and lives fully in the present. There is no worrying about the future or dwelling in the past. He knows that each step will be made clear to him in good time.

Negatively aspected:

This Fool is indeed foolish. There is a time for spontaneous action and a time for a more considered and mature approach. The reversed Fool is not focused on higher guidance, he is simply taking dangerous risks. This Fool is a gambler and troublemaker who avoids responsibility and commitment. The timing for a desired undertaking may be all wrong or the querant may be trying to hide from past mistakes that need rectifying. The Fool reversed relies too much on what other people think and say instead of listening to the voice of his own intutition. This Fool is wasting his breath.

All human beings have a longing, a space inside that needs, or we perceive, needs to be filled. For some people, it’s filled by a search for the Divine, for family, for romance, for money, etc. but it will never be enough to fill that void for many people.

Maybe we’re supposed to be a little bit empty. What’s wrong with a little bit of empty, anyway? Inside any building is space. We need space in order for energy to flow. Is empty good or bad? Does it have to be filled with anything? How well do you tolerate empty or having space? Empty does not equal lack of meaning or purpose.

Maybe that sense of emptiness is really space to crate, space to think, space in which to be that whcih you are meant to be? A space that is filled with your essence and spirit rather than ’stuff’.

If you know that that emptiness would never be filled, that it would always be there in some way, how would this change things for you?

I suggest you allow the space to be filled with sadness or anxiety or loneliness or whatever. Just allow it to be. Easier said than done, I know. It’s no fun to be experiencing the discomfort of ‘bad’ emotions and we’d do anything to stop feeling them, to push them away, cover them up and hide them from ourselves.

When I feel sadness, loneliness, anxiety etc, I ask myself what it is Im not doing that my soul needs me to be doing.

It might be as simple as taking myself off to a cafe to people watch or write, or it might be to go to a park and rest in nature for a while. Sometimes the solution is deeper and requires a lifestyle adjustment, an emotional or spiritual surrender such as ending a toxic relationship or facing the things you really believe ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’ change or give up, no matter what. Perhaps you need to make an intrepid foray into a brave new world.