Here Comes THE SUN

THAT SPECIAL PLACE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE

MAYBE YOU'RE THERE NOW? 

THE SUN is a card that has a variety of meanings and is very broad in it's application. The first thing and most important is that it's an extremely positive card. It may be one of the few cards in the deck that it's almost impossible to find any negative aspect. I always like to describe it as that special place you've always wanted to be, and I have found from experience that here in the desert, it often represents the desert cause a lot of us love to live and be here. 

The baby, the horse, and four sunflowers (which are a subtle reflection of the four elements, or kinds of astrological signs) all can not exist without the power of the Sun. The scene is grey cause it takes place in the astral realm. The banner is there as a matter of pride. How often have we used the expression, "Just another day in paradise"? 

The Sun is the center of our world and the giver of light, but too much Sun can be too harmful, so steady as she goes, yes? Other meanings in a spread are glory, riches, gain, and display. 

KNIGHT OF PENTACLES

IN THE ZONE WITH FINANCES

I am always saying the Knights are in the zone of whatever element they represent, in this case, pentacles or "coins" as they are called in some decks. They are in the center of the action to make things happen, and this knight wants to make things happen with a financial or material situation. A.E. Waite says he rides a "slow, enduring, heavy horse, to which his own aspect corresponds," indicating some of the nature of this earth sign person he represents in your spread. 

He's Capricorn so he's also good in business matters, but as with all the court cards he can also represent the two other signs in his element, in this case, Virgo or Taurus. He is clever, capable, and thoughtful, as well as energetic and practical, slow to anger but if pushed too far can have a violent temper. When he shows up in a spread he indicates increase of matter, solidification, things coming together in a practical manner, and the coming or going of someone reliable. 

More on THE HANGED MAN

LET'S GET SPIRITUAL!

I have been teaching in recent months that there are some cards where the "modus operandi" (method of operation) in the card is in some ways more important than the entity itself and the Hanged Man would fall into this category albeit in a subtle way. In this card that method is rest- a man is walking along the path, takes a break and hangs himself upside down on a tree to gain ILLUMINATION and when he's done, he'll get back up and continue along on his journey. Being a human, he is a living entity, so the card metaphorically represents life literally being suspended while the illumination takes place. 

The Golden Dawn correspondence for this card is WATER because the Hebrew letter attached to the card is Mem which means water and the card represents in a way a Baptism in Water. Again, a suspended animation is taking place and this is a state of meditation which is intensely self-examining. Self-sacrifice is crucial to anyone who aspires to the higher realms of spirituality. (Of course the Golden Dawn saw the Tree of Life as being this spirituality which is why the man's posture with his legs and arms are in the figure of the diagram of the Tree and why he's shown hanging from one.) 

It's meanings in a spread are less important than what's mentioned in the last two paragraphs but include prudence, sacrifice, devotion, wisdom, discernment, and renunciation. Also note this card has a Minor Arcana "kissing cousin" which is the Four Of Swords also known as "rest from strife." 

SEVEN OF SWORDS

"MISTER SNEAKY"

BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS HE TRYING 

TO GET AWAY WITH? 

The Golden Dawn name for this card is "unstable effort." I have a nickname I like to use, I call him Mister Sneaky. But what exactly he is trying to get away with? Well we know that swords are mental energy or thoughts, so at it's most simplistic level, this card is all about putting too many thoughts in one area and running away with them, making the effort unstable. And as I mentioned in the article about 7's, all the 7's are generally positive but reliant on the actions or choices of the individual. 

This card is the Moon in Aquarius adding to the insecurity of the situation. The New Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot says this- "partial success, yielding when victory is within grasp, as if the last reserves of strength were used up. Inclination to lose when on the point of gaining through not continuing the effort. Love of abundance, fascinated by display, given to compliment, and to detect and spy on another. Inclined to betray confidences, although not always intentional." 

A.E. Waite says this- "design. attempt. wish, hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. The design is uncertain in it's import, because the significations are widely at variance with each other."  

THREE OF WANDS

ESTABLISHED STRENGTH

I always like when this card shows up in a spread, it just has such positive energy. Being an Aries card, literally the Sun in Aries it's a card of tremendous strength but also arrogance and pride. You know what I'm always saying about Aries- "I know what I want, I'm going after it, everybody stand back." 

In the card a man stands up on a hill looking out at his empire. Those ships in the water are his business, he owns that. The three wands are all firmly implanted in the hill next to him and his right hand is on one which indicates his readiness and willingness to cast the next action. It is a card of incredibly strong footing. 

Other meanings include established strength and strength, realization of hope, completion of labor, success of the struggle, pride, nobility, wealth, power, conceit, and rude self-assumption. Depending on the question and what position the card shows up in, it could indicate that someone in power is going to be generous to you. 

FIVE OF CUPS

WHAT HAPPENED??

The Five Of Cups is one of those cards that has a negative theme as the forefront but the positive is always there and in this card a very important message to be learned at the same time. The name of the card is "sorrow" and with the fives we always want to keep in mind that we're dealing with a number of confusion, a number that struggles with it's identity. 

Quite simply, the three over-turned cups on the left represent things in his life that didn't turn out the way he planned. Not that they didn't happen, but they didn't have the outcome he had hoped for. Now here's the positive- if he would just get out of his zone of emotional sorrow and look right behind him, there are two cups still standing, just waiting for him to pick them up and do something with them. 

TEN OF PENTACLES

WE'RE TALKING SICK MONEY HERE

THE NAME OF THE CARD IS "WEALTH"

This card has some of the most beautiful artwork in the entire Rider-Waite deck. A young couple enter their lush compound and an old man is watching them. At the same time two dogs are watching the old man (A.E. Waite says they're "accosting" him) and a child is holding on to the tail of one of the dogs, creating this interesting clock-wise circular motion between these characters. There's lots of slightly hidden things in the card like coats-of-arms, a little castle and some bizarre patterns like the one in the center of the old man's back. 

Ten is a number of taking it one step too far to excess in the Tarot. In two of the ten's (the Swords card and the Wands card) this results in a negative outcome but in the Ten of Cups (perfected happiness) it's a good result. This card has a bit of both. It's mainly a very positive card that screams money. We always like to see this card in a future position in the spread. But let us not forget that there is a big difference between "wealth" which is what this card is, and "material success," found in the Nine of Pentacles. Wealth is that overly abundant cache of money that quite often causes us to make choices of folly. The basic meanings of the card are gains, riches, family matters, generational issues, and domestic family topics. 

KING OF PENTACLES

HELLO I'M TAURUS

NOT THAT I'M PROUD OR ANYTHING BUT 

THERE'S 4 PLACES THE BULLS HEAD APPEARS

Ha ha, well here's a card that I can identify with as I'm a Taurus male. Now, first off let's do a quick refresher on court cards. They almost always represent people but a lot of time that person is ourselves. They also have a specific astrological correspondence but can represent the other two signs in their element, in this example, Virgo or Capricorn. If they don't represent a person, they will once in a while represent an event coming into your life with the attributes of the card. 

So what are the attributes of Taurus. I will step up to the microphone and speak. We are all about "I have." I have my HOUSE, I have my CAR, I have my PARTNER, I have this, I have that. Our security comes from the things we have around us, especially home. Now that doesn't mean we don't like to take a little cross-country adventure every now and then, just get up and go, but we could not live our life year after year like that. We are most comfortable at home and work. 

In the Golden Dawn, he is called the Lord of the Wild & Fertile Land, King of the Spirits of Earth. He is laborious, clever and patient in material matters. His negative characteristics are being grasping, dull, jealous, and cowardly. A good provider and sturdy worker but not especially clever unless dealing with practical matters. His success is more due to instinct than intellect. 

THE EMPEROR

NOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT AUTHORITY

4 PLACES THE RAM'S HEAD APPEARS TO

MAKE IT VERY CLEAR HE'S ARIES!

So today I have drawn the first Major Arcana in our "12 Days Of Tarot" feature. The Emperor is all Aries and that's very clear with the artwork. Aries makes no bones about themselves, what you see is what you WILL get. Or as I always like to say- I know what I want, I'm going after it, now get out of my way. 

Four being his number, he is a man of structure and discipline. If we could pull out the borders of the card and see the rest, we would see his armies all lined up in front of him awaiting his next command. 

When he shows up in a reading, he always represents authority and usually a authority figure of some sort in that person's life, such as father, boss, landlord, etc. Can also represent corporate or government. Because of the fiery proactive nature of his Aries core, the card is a spark of virile stimulating energy. 

TWO OF CUPS

L-O-V-E 

Today I have drawn the 2 of Cups and that can only mean one thing- love is in the air! But as we've learned by now, each card can not mean just one thing and as you'll see with this card they always have a broad array of interpretations we can apply. Let's talk about the artwork first. Remember, Cups are emotions so in this scene of the couple coming together and depending on how you look at it either bringing their cups together or possibly exchanging cups, it's almost as if one says here's my emotions and the other says here's my emotions and together we make this beautiful thing called love, which is represented by the caduceus. Also notice the house in the background providing the domestic association to the card's theme. 

Now the caduceus which is also known as the Caduceus of Hermes, is there for a few reasons. Simply put, the mere presence of the wings give an association with the heavens or astral realm, the connotation being that love is the closest we get to heaven here on earth. Note that there's a lion's head been added to this caduceus which adds a significant element of strength to the overall meaning of the card. The union represented is a strong one or in the process of strengthening. Hermes was the God of Commerce and the caduceus is a universal symbol of commerce and negotiation which is where the broader meaning of this card lies. Besides love, it can also represent the union of two components related to commerce in the person's life or a strengthening negotiation of some sort. 

Astrologically, this card is Venus in Cancer which alludes to the idea of perfect love intrinsic to this card. The card mostly deals with love, marriage, home, pleasure, friendship, harmony and mirth. Some of it's negative characteristics can be folly, dissipation, wasted energy and silly action. But isn't love a little silly at one time or another? 

EIGHT OF CUPS

ABANDONED SUCCESS

BUT IS IT A PERMANENT ABANDONMENT? 

Today I have drawn the EIGHT OF CUPS, the Golden Dawn name for this card is "abandoned success." A man stacks his cups neatly on the shore and goes off in search of the more meaningful things which are represented in the moon. Those things being searched for could be spiritual or philosophical and definitely are emotional in their core. So it's a card of spirituality and wisdom-seeking and also in a subtle way implies travel. Notice that the cups are neatly stacked which indicates he is coming back for them, so at least we like to hope it's not a permanent abandonment. 

Problem is this is Saturn in Pisces and the heavy laden effect of Saturn turns the calm, passive, watery state of Pisces into what is basically a completely stagnant pool. This influence brings about self-examination and introverted behavior, so a disinterest in the manifested universe sets in resulting in abandoned success, disinterest in anything, and weakness. 

Wandering from place to place, easy-come, easy-go, the card also implies that a matter thought to be important really has little significance. The good news is a searching for spiritual truth and wisdom can never be a bad thing. As George Harrison once said in a interview- anything worth anything in this life comes from turning within. 

THREE OF PENTACLES

APPRECIATED WORK 

FOR the next 12 days, every day I will be drawing a card at random from the deck and posting using my Giant Rider-Waite deck and today I have drawn the Three Of Pentacles. While the Golden Dawn name for this card is "material works," this card is one of the few occasions where I prefer to alter the name to "appreciated work." A man works at crafting a building and the two people on the right are complimenting him on his work.

In usual keeping with his cards, A.E. Waite here takes what he learned in the Golden Dawn and applies it and in this card we see a heavy triangular theme in many places on the top half of the card. This is Mars in Capricorn, a sign that displays the most positive energies of that planet.  Working and constructive force, building up, erection, creation, realization and increase in material things are the order of the day. Commercial transactions are realized and cleverness in business is established. Some of the negative characteristics include being narrow and prejudiced as well as a propensity to seek after the impossible.

Overall a very positive card and one that signifies work, construction, and manifested projects.

3 Things Cards Always Do

1. CONFIRM 

2. ENCOURAGE

3. DIVINATION 

If you've been to one of my classes or readings you have probably heard me say this. When we do a reading there are three things the cards always do. They will be in varying degrees with each reading but all three will always be there. 

CONFIRM - The human mind can and often will vacillate with how it feels about key events and circumstances in life. One of the least recognized roles the cards play in a reading is to confirm things we are indecisive about. The cards want you to know that just in case you're unsure and need that extra "prodding," the answer is yes, this is true. We want you to know that we know it's important. 

ENCOURAGE - So who doesn't need a little positive reinforcement every now and then? Often we are on the brink of that crucial step into making a key choice about something but we get stuck. The cards come along and give us that last glimmer of hope we needed to feel safe and secure in the action. But encouragement also spans all four elements. Besides action (wands) we can also be encouraged mentally (swords,) emotionally (cups,) and with material matters (pentacles.) 

DIVINATION - The word comes from the Latin divinare which means "to foresee." This area of course relies heavily on interpretation and there are many things which can be revealed, the most common being events, signs, and people coming ahead. The divination in our spread always comes in the future positions in the spread, for example positions 6 and 10 in the Celtic Cross. 

Also note that there will be some cards in the spread that might be doing two of these at once, for example encouraging and confirming, or encouraging and divination, etc. Every now and then there will a card that will be doing all three. The past position in the spread is always a confirmation and only can be a confirmation. 

The M.O. Of THE MAGICIAN!

"AS ABOVE, IS BELOW" 

I have been teaching lately that there are a few cards in the deck where the "M.O." or "method of operation" in that specific card is in many ways more important than the card's entity. The Magician is one of them. The way he does things are more important that the things he does. It starts with inspiration- I can see it, I can be inspired by it, I can dream it up, therefore I can manifest it. With with wand in one hand pointed to the heavens (above) he literally calls upon that inspiration and with the other hand pointed to earth (below) he manifests it. However, what most people tend to overlook in this process is the connecting force between the inspiration and manifestation and that my friends is The Will. It is very easy to be inspired but it is a whole other thing to have the strong will necessary to make the manifestation happen. 

The card's correspondence is the planet Mercury which represents action in all forms and phases. Crowley says of this energy that it is "the language of modern physics, that electrical charge which is the first manifestation, thus continuous creation." When this card shows up in a reading it almost always represents the creativity of the person being read for and of course is further defined by which position in the spread and   the question at hand. And this is why the "M.O." previously mentioned is very important because it can often be the cards way of saying that there is an issue with the will and the will needs to rise to the surface. If we look at the artwork, we can picture the will located right in the middle connecting the inspiration and the manifestation, therefore it would be located right over the magician's heart. A person's will is directly connected to his heart. 

Regarding "associations" which you often hear me speak of in class, this cards makes associations with many other cards. On a basic level he is associated with every single Minor Arcana card due to the fact that the Magician works with all four elements. (See them on the table?) More specifically he is automatically associated with all the wands cards and really any card that has an astrological Fire sign as it's correspondence. Very specifically with the four aces, as similar to his basic energy they are literally the spark and force that makes everything happen. I often describe the Fire signs like this- I know what I want, I'm going after it, now everybody just get out of my way. Just like a magic wand- boom! 

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

ALL THE SECRETS ARE INSIDE

YOU JUST HAVE TO GET BACK THERE

IF YOUR INTENTIONS ARE GOOD

SHE JUST MIGHT LET YOU INSIDE

THE HIGH PRIESTESS holds all the secrets to the Tarot and is easily the most important card in the deck. With the scroll on her lap that reads "Tarot" she carefully guards the entrance to her temple and everything about her has a hidden aspect including the fact that we can't see the last letter of Tarot on her scroll. She represents the moon and is depicted as Diana, the goddess of the Moon. The pomegranates and oak leaves on her veil are there because those were two of Diana's favorite things. She wears the crown or headdress of Hathor, a pair of cow horns with a sun disk. Hathor was a sky-goddess of love, beauty, motherhood, foreign lands, mining, and music. 

Back behind the veil are all the secrets of the Tarot as well as all the secrets and special wisdom of life itself. The cross on her chest represents her inner most special secret which is why it is over her heart. Very important to understand is she is the feminine version of the Magician. The Magician is male and outward, the High Priestess is female and inward, The Magician stands, The High Priestess sits. The pure gaze in her eyes stares right thru you as you approach and based on your intentions she will make a decision on whether or not to let you in- in where the secrets are and if you think about it, this is a karmic law of any spiritual searching. Good intentions will yield good revelation. 

When she shows up on a reading she always represents inner secrets or hidden things but this can take on many manifestations and meanings and as usual is dependent on the cards around her, which positions, and the question or topic being consulted. A.E. Waite also says that if the person who you're reading for is a male, then this card can represent the women he has an interest in, and if the person you're reading for is a female, then the card represents themselves. Because she represents the moon, we automatically make an association with Pisces and because of the pillars we make an association with the Heirophant and Justice. 

For further reading and exploration on this card-

James Rioux (all this guy's stuff is great) - http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/maj02.html

Aeclectic Tarot - http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/highpriestess.shtml

Bridget Ellesmont - http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/high-priestess/ 

What the SEVEN's mean

DISILLUSIONMENT OF CHOICES

SUCCESS NOT YET FULFILLED

UNSTABLE THOUGHTS

TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF THE HILL

In the Tarot seven is a number of odd and usually uncertain dynamics. It typically combines both positive and negative attributes but an overall place of imbalance. Robert Wang says "the sevens show a force transcending the material plane, similar to a crown which is indeed powerful but requires one capable of wearing it." They show a positive result which is dependent on the action then taken and depend much on the element they are associated with. 

Contrast and balance-seeking is the order of the day with the seven's. In the Swords card (called "unstable effort" by the Golden Dawn,) feelings and instinct attempt to be reconciled with the intellect. In the Wands card known as "valor," the undifferentiated attempts to be reconciled with the individual. In the Cup's card, the group mind with the individual mind, and in the Pentacles the immaterial with the material. 

Faith in what we can't see is emphasized while it can not be manifested without solid footing in the reality. It's like the old joke about the fighter in the ring whose mom is in the audience. The fighter is getting the crap kicked out of him and his mom says to a priest sitting next to her, "Father, will you please pray for my son, he's getting killed up there." The priest says, "Well, of course I'll pray for him, but you know, it would help if he could punch." Sevens are always positive but reliant on the choices available. 

KNIGHT OF WANDS

FLAMBOYANT & SUDDEN IS

OUR SAGITTARIUS CHAP

Daring and enthusiastic, the Knight of Wands shows up to initiate action, plans, adventures, and important projects. A.E Waite says of the artwork he commissioned- "the motion of the horse is a key to the character of it's rider" Sudden, unexpected, and without warning, his energy and courage is boundless. He is Sagittarius but remember with court cards, he can also represent the other signs of his element (Aries & Leo) which is fire. Very proactive, very goal-oriented. The salamanders on his cloak remind us of his association with fire and his large red flowing feather in his cap is to call attention to his flamboyant nature. 

And also as is with court cards, he can represent a person around you, a situation or event you will experience, or a part of yourself that needs to come to the surface. It will almost certainly revolve around some action or project. When this shows up in a spread, I usually also point out to the quarent that the horse in this particular card is headed from East to West. It will almost always mean something to the current or impending situation. 

The card often shows up to predict an event that will happen quickly and unexpectedly. He can also represent an important person that will either be leaving your life or coming into it, usually the latter. And if he happens to be representing energy within yourself that you need to bring to the surface, then doing so should not be difficult. After all, we're talking about fire signs here! 

The Fool's Number

In this article we focus on the number of the fool- ZERO. And just as zero plays a central role in mathematics, The Fool plays a central role in the Tarot. In fact, he's the main character of the deck and the one that passes through all the other cards and scenarios. He represents AIR and his number is zero because he is nowhere at once, yet he's everywhere at once. Zero is neither positive or negative and so is The Fool. Since then he's really not accountable to either side or of any special definition or designation, HE JUST IS!

He lives his life without any plans or goals and anywhere he is, that's where it's happening. Quite often I have used the analogy of Kate Hudson in the movie Almost Famous. If you saw the film you know she played a rock n roll groupie who whenever she showed up in a scene, she would raise her hands up around her and say "It's ALL Happening" as if to imply that wherever she was, that's where the party is. So it is with the Fool.

As a year label in the BC Calendar year era, the year 1 BC is the first year before AD 1; no room is reserved for a year zero. And so The Fool is of no time, and yet he's of all-time. Time does not constrain him nor is he concerned with it, in fact time simply does not even exist to him. Sounds pretty cool to me.

The sum of zero and zero is zero and zero divided by zero is zero, get it? Or as one of my favorite Black Crowes songs says, "Anywhere is everywhere and nowhere is nothing."

THE FOOL'S TRUSTY DOG!

ALWAYS BY HIS SIDE

We already know from basic knowledge of this card that The Fool is the main character of the deck and in the Tarot he passes through all the 77 other cards besides his own. He represents air and his number is 0 because he's nowhere at once, yet he's everywhere at once. Let's take a look however at a major component of this card that's often overlooked- his trusty dog. 

Besides clearly being along for the ride and journey, of note are a few meanings. First, he is depicted as white because white is a color of purity in the Tarot cards. He represents all the pure motives of his master even though his master lives his life without any plans or foundation and is subject to folly. Wherever the Fool goes, even should it be off a cliff, his trusty dog will follow. 

But the important message of the Fool card is that he just IS. And here is where the main reason for the dog being on this card lies. Dogs do not have to be saddled down with the error of their choices or even making choices for that matter. They are happy to just plain exist and treated properly they will always have a smile and wagging tail for you just like the dog depicted on this card. 

The Fool is clearly human though and must deal with the ramifications of his choices and speech. And this is the biggest lesson of the trusty dog- better living and a higher quality of life come from just being and existing and willing to go wherever life takes us, especially when we're at the edge of a cliff. 

TEN of CUPS

"PERFECTED SUCCESS"

The first thing we want to take note of when examining this card is the number 10. In the minor arcana, the 9's are always the fullest possible expression of the element, just like a rose for example at it's fullest opening.  The 10's (and this card is no exception) take the element, in this case, cups, one step further, but now to excess. The Golden Dawn name of the card is "perfected success" but Aleister Crowley who was a member calls the card "satiety" which is an even more fitting title as it's definition is "the quality of state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity" and the "revulsion or disgust caused by overindulgence or success."

In a way, this scene of total happiness and joy is almost too good to be true, and even though the card depicts material comforts such as the house, garden and river, in fact nothing material matters here, just the eternal happiness and love of the spirit. The rainbow of golden cups reminds us that the greatest power in the world is that of love and through love we get a glimpse of heaven. And herein lies the interesting paradox with this card as it pertains to it's astrological correspondence which is Mars in Pisces. 

Normally the gross, disruptive, and violent force of Mars on the watery sign of Pisces would disrupt the energy and cause a degree of frustration. But instead here the fire of Mars on the final sign of the zodiac causes the waters to have a rushing calmness which results in great happiness and fulfillment in the material world and great success on the material plane. When the card shows up in a reading it's usual interpretation and meanings are contentment, a happy heart, permanent and lasting success, however if ill-dignified by other cards around it can have the previous negative connotation of looking too good to be true. 

Lesson Plan - Level III

WHETHER YOU'RE A FIRST TIME STUDENT OR RETURNING, THIS CLASS WILL INSPIRE YOU AND IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS AS WE DELVE DEEP INTO 

THE MINOR ARCANA.

Level III - "Going Deeper With The MINOR Arcana" 
Introduction about cards- metaphysical tool and artform, Rider-Waite, using reversals
Introduction to the Golden Dawn- Just who and what were the Golden Dawn? How did they affect the Tarot? Why is it important to know about them? 
RECAP - The Major Arcana - "One Word Intpretations" in a reading, card by card
RECAP - Court Cards, Astrological Correspondences by family
THE MINOR ARCANA - What role do these cards play exactly in a spread? 
"Free Will" cards
Let's talk about the 4 elements. 
The Golden Dawn names for each Minor Arcana card - card by card. 
The astrological correspondence for each card - card by card. 
INTERACTIVE PORTION (2nd half)
10-card Celtic Cross - RECAP w reading. 
Students are picked at random to do a spread in front of class - everyone critiques. 

KING OF CUPS

a.k.a. "PRINCE OF THE CHARIOT OF THE WATERS"

The King Of Cups sits on his throne which rides on the sea with a ship on one side and a dolphin leaping on the other. Water must be prevalent and is in all the Cups court cards and this king's astrological correspondence is Pisces (note the fish on his necklace) which means he is almost always hiding something. A responsible man with creative intelligence, he is swift but not enduring and is usually calm on the surface yet passionate and volatile underneath. Water symbolizes the subconscious realm of the human mind and the King of Cups refers to that creative spark which ignites and gives birth to unconscious images. (This is also illustrated in the Page of Cups with the fish coming out of the cup in that card.) He is quick and enthusiastic but only for a short time and on the downside he can be shallow and cursory. 

Also note the square shape of the bottom of his throne which indicates he prefers structure or a structured environment. He is normally not one to judge others for their faults and is always a sympathetic supporter. His elemental designation is "Fire of Water" which means there is a constant battle between his fiery soul and his watery heart. These opposing influences often pull him in two different directions making him insecure and  indecisive. Moderation with this King is critical because if you lean too far into his fiery side you will be burned by the flames and if you slip into the deep waters of his emotions, you may be drowned. Stay in the middle and you're safe. 

KNIGHT OF SWORDS!

AQUARIUS TO THE RESCUE!

He dashes into the unknown without any fear. He goes against the howling wind defying traditional routes and methods using his large creative brain. He has wonderfully brilliant ideas and is able to devoid himself of emotions concentrating strictly on the cause. Such are the attributes of our daring knight, however his often violent and brash plans are not rooted in any solidity or any potential to come full circle to achieve a long-term goal. Since he never doubts himself or his abilities, he is the perfect person to implement innovative new ideas that others shy away from. 

Since he operatess in the element of intellect he is a perfect representation of the human mind and the large feather in his cap is to call attention to his large brain, typical of all air signs. His great thoughts and plans being without purpose, he goes off on a number of tangents long before completing any of them. His mind simply works too fast and too hard thus few of his plans reach full manifestation. He is the wind and the storm, kicking up the whirlwind of an arid desert kicking up the dust in a random spiral. He is brilliant but unattached to practical matters. Sounds like just the person to provide inspiration doesn't it?

Lesson Plan Level II

I have recently developed a new lesson plan for returning students as well as first-timers to my class. It's called LEVEL II - GOING DEEPER WITH THE CARDS and I'll be debuting it at my next class this Wednesday the 20th in Palm Springs.....


Level II - "Going Deeper With The Cards"
Introduction about cards- metaphysical tool and artform, Rider-Waite, using reversals
Introduction to the Golden Dawn- Just who and what were the Golden Dawn? How did they affect the Tarot? Why is it important to know about them? 
Unique Major Arcana Card Combinations - The Fool & The World, The Magician & The High Priestess, The Magician & The Chariot, The Lovers & The Devil, The Wheel Of Fortune & The World
Card Associations - Learning to spot certain things about a card and making an automatic association with another card and linking the two cards for further meaning. 
Astrological Correspondences and why they're important. 
Using An Astrology book or Astrological delineator to add further meaning to a card. 
Interactive Portion
What's your sign? Then what's are your cards? 
Random card meanings- Everybody picks a card from their deck to ask a question about. 
The Celtic Cross Interactive Portion
The 10 positions of the spread in specific detail. 
The synergy between certain postions. 
"Segregating" the spread also known as summarizing the reading. 
"Pointing" 
Class members will be picked at random to do a spread in front of the class and everyone critiques.

THE BLASTED TOWER!

IF I HAVE TO FEAR ANY CARD I WOULD FEAR THIS ONE

It's hard to make a positive connotation from a card with this scenario. In the Tower (or Blasted Tower as it's called in some older decks) you have a tower being struck by lightning, it's on fire, there's people jumping to their death and it's cloudy, dark and grey. The card which is assigned to Mars represents the avenging force of Venus acting thru Mars upon Mercury.  When it shows up the card indicates a literal "shaking up" that is happening or about to happen but it has to take place and is taking place for a specific reason. Quite often from my experience this card will also show up to indicate a destructive matter related to the person's home or domestic situation. 

The interesting thing about this card is it's appearance and meaning operates on several levels- material, psychological, and spiritual. Mentally it symbolizes the beliefs which each person has built up through life since childhood- you know, the ones programmed at youth by our parents, teachers, peers and institutions. The Tower is built in this fashion, one brick, one belief at a time and is fortified in adulthood like a tower under siege. The Tower is protected by The Ego from attack by other belief systems that disagree with it becoming a closed armory shut against free flow of expression. The lightning flash which is Mars represents sudden illumination or realization causing the old realities to jump to their death and be changed forever. 

Spiritually the Tower can represent those dark inner practices and secrets inherent in all human beings. It also historically in the Tarot has been compared to the Tower Of Babel and trying to form a man-made way to God or the source which can only lead to destruction just like our sins. 

So what's the positive connotation from this menacing card? I always like to put it this way- after the storm passes and the place has been leveled, you can put the furniture back the way you want it. What's left of it at least. 

TWO OF SWORDS

PEACE RESTORED

The Two of Swords is one of those cards that to understand you need to mentally approach it from different angles. Let's start with the two swords on her shoulders. The artwork seems to imply that she's just holding them there but A.E. Waite makes it clear in his Pictorial Guide that she is BALANCING them on "upon her shoulders." To physically be able to do that must be a bit burdensome to this lady and swords being air signs and representing thoughts and mental activity we can deduct that one of the meanings of this card is a reconciliation of two burdensome thoughts on the quarent's mind, probably of a contrasting nature. Quite a few of the sword cards depict burdensome scenarios and this is because our thoughts often get us into trouble. The number two usually represents balance as well as a duality and the two here brings equilibrium to the suit although a sense of tension remains. 

It is not surprising then that the astrological correspondence given to this card by the Golden Dawn is the moon in Libra and the little crescent moon in the card is a reminder of that. The moon is a very changeable planet which is stabilized by the effect of Libra. Both of these aspects together regulate and temper the energies of the Swords which are for the most part often negative and troublesome. As a result the feeling of this card is one of compromise, truce, and arranged peace with some tension implied. (There would be tension in our lady's arms and chest as she tries to balance those heavy swords on her shoulders) 

EIGHT OF PENTACLES

PRUDENCE

The Golden Dawn name for this card is PRUDENCE and rightfully so. A craftsman chips away at his work. He has displayed his finished works, is currently working on a new piece and has already lined up another piece to work on next when he finishes the one he's working on. With the sun in Virgo as the astrological correspondence, the planetary aspect is a very practical one with attention to small details. Like the rest of the eights, any gain which may appear is limited and prudence is not necessarily a greet virtue as overcarefulness about small things can come at expense of the great. 

The appearance of this card in a spread means work, employment, commission, craftsmanship, and skill. It quite often is a reflection of the person you're reading for and the fact that they're a hard worker, depending on the position in the spread. 

LOVE AND THE DEVIL

LOVE THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE 

LOVE NOT THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE

TWO OF CUPS
MINOR ARCANA LOVE CARD

As a professional Tarot card reader, I get asked quite often about The Devil card. The question usually comes from someone unfamiliar with the real purpose of Tarot and perhaps tainted by the stereotypes the cards have been given by movies and television. You know- the gypsy women sits there with the scarf around her head, the scary music plays in the background and turns over the Devil card or the Death card. I always tell people that way too much attention is given to this freak known as The Devil. We always have free will and choice to overcome the temptation that comes from this shyster who likes to pervert or twist things for his own wrong agenda. Nothing can illustrate this more than by lining up the Devil card next to The Lovers card as shown above. 

The Lovers card depicts love as it should be, in it's ultimate expression. The angel appears divinely in a cloud above the mountains and blesses the union of the man and woman. There are comparisons in the artwork to Adam & Eve as we see the woman standing in front of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the serpent appears in a branch in the tree. The man stands in front of the Tree of Life. Everything about this card is beautiful as the couple comes together in love. 

In The Devil card, we see the same two figures, but what's this? Now they're chained and shackled in a state of bondage. The card is all black and they have horns on their heads now and fiery tales. The devil has corrupted them for his own use but if you look closely you'll notice they are not completely bound as all they have to do is slip the chains off their necks. The devil can never completely bind anyone, it's always a personal choice whether to dance at his party.

This card has a minor arcana "kissing cousin," which is the Eight Of Swords and the lady shown on that card has the same easy choice to slip off the knots and walk away from the bondage she is in. When the Devil card shows up in a reading, it quite simply means TEMPTATION is being manifested according to the position in the spread and the subject of the question being asked. Temptation comes in as many flavors as Baskin-Robbins ice cream but it's still ice cream. 

The LOVERS also has a minor arcana representation and that card is shown above, the Two of Cups. In fact, the Golden Dawn named this card LOVE. This card shows the cosmic astral energy of the Lovers card as it is manifested in the physical realm here on earth. The two lovers come together now as they face each other. They hold their cups (which always represent emotions) up to each other as if to say, here are my emotions (or HEART) and by coming together in perfect love, I exchange my cup for yours. The caduceus which clearly forms as a result of these two cups joining is a symbol of negotiation in where balanced exchange and reciprocity are recognized as supreme ideals. 

TWO OF WANDS

DOMINION

Ok, so we have a man standing on a roof looking out over the sea and shore. He stands on a battlement area as he holds a globe (signifying the World) and holds one of the two wands in his left hand resting on the battlement and the other wand is being held in a ring on his right. The Rosy Cross emblem is on the inside of the lower left indentation of the battlement area. And as usual, there is a reason for every little thing on this cool card and if we were somehow able to pull out the frame we would see out on the sea all this man's ships and empire. 

First off, the Rosy Cross is placed there as a subtle reminder of the Tarot's relationship to the Golden Dawn, as it was the symbol for the Golden Dawn's Second Order and they named the card DOMINION. More importantly, it signifies the importance of spiritual matters, the cross representing the human body and the rose signifying an individual's unfolding consciousness. It's meaning is simple- this man cannot have his dominion and all the great things he has without a spiritual component. 

The astrological correspondence for this card is Mars in Aries, and adding the fact that two is a number of balance, this association is perfect as the energy of Mars is in absolute agreement with Aries, the sign it rules. The name of the card (Dominion) also refers to the sovereignty of this sheer force at it's inception which can be described as PURE HARMONIOUS STRENGTH. 

I'm going to talk more about ASSOCIATIONS in a future post, but briefly on this card, it's important to note that because of the globe the man is holding, we automatically have an association of this card with The World card. And because of it's number, two, we also have an association with the High Preistess, and with also with the Hanged Man because of the spiritual connections. This cards meaning and interpretation in a spread is to always imply success and especially in financial matters, job matters, and projects. It may indicate a seeking of wisdom and a choice between security and adventure. 

ASTROLOGY & THE CARDS

Using The Cards To Enhance An ASTROLOGICAL CHART-

Since we know that Tarot cards have astrological correspondences, we can use the cards to enhance an astrological chart and by their visuals provide further insight into the chart. Just for fun's sake, we'll use Mick Jagger's chart as an example. Mick is born on on July 26th, 1943 and is a Leo.

SUN IN LEO (STRENGTH) - MAIN TRAIT IS EXUBERANCE 

DOMINANT KEYWORD - "I WILL"

PUBLIC IMAGE IS IMPORTANT TO THEM 

THEY ALWAYS POSSESS A KINGDOM

MOON IN TAURUS (THE HEIROPHANT) - DETERMINED AND ARTISTIC

GREAT POWERS OF CONCENTRATION

PRACTICAL AND POSITIVE IN OUTLOOK

MERCURY IN LEO (STRENGTH) - ELOQUENCE AND SKILL IN LEADING OTHERS

MAGNETIC FLAIR WITH PEOPLE

LIKES TO DIRECT, MANAGE, AND CONTROL

VENUS IN VIRGO (THE HERMIT) - CAUTIOUS ABOUT FALLING IN LOVE

AVOIDS INVOLVEMENT BY BLOWING UP SMALL DEFECTS

OFTEN IMAGINATIVE WRITERS WITH EXCELLENT BUSINESS SENSE

MARS IN TAURUS (THE HEIROPHANT) - TRIUMPHS THRU DETERMINED EFFORT

SPENDS LOTS OF ENERGY IN SEXUAL PURSUITS

POWER TO CREATE ANYTHING THEY ENVISION 

JUPITER IN LEO (STRENGTH) - EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC APPEAL

PENCHANT FOR GRANDEUR AND EXTRAVAGANT DISPLAY

SUCCESS COMES ALMOST TOO EASILY 

SATURN IN GEMINI (THE LOVERS) - INTELLECTUAL QUALITIES

CYNICAL, SKEPTICAL, COLD-HEARTED 

GGOD HEAD FOR FINANCES AND POSSESSES MUSICAL ABILITY

RISING SIGN IS LIBRA (JUSTICE) - ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR 

LIKES TO DRESS ELEGANTLY AND A LITTLE FLASHY

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY , AT TIMES VAIN

Not surprisingly, Jagger's chart and qualities are spot-on, with a preponderance of Leo and Taurus. Now you can do this with anyone's chart of course, and here's the basic method. First, we obtain a chart by whichever your preferred method is. If you want a good free online service, then I recommend this one. Second you lay out and view the cards associated with the outcome of the chart. If you're not already familiar with all the astrological correspondences, then they can be found in the "Book T" by Golden Dawn or many other places. Note that because the Tarot deck only deals with the seven visible planets, we do our comparison with just those planets (as above) and don't use Neptune, Uranus, or Pluto. Obtain at least one if not several astrological delineators (books or websites that list each planet in each sign with characteristics for every possible combination.) Using the cards in combination with astrological tools or insight always enhances readings and makes them more enjoyable for your clients.

Date of original article - June 4, 2012. Reprinted by permission.
Also appears in the e-book Tarot Essentials - Vol I - purchase at 50% off here. 

JUDGEMENT

This unique card has been making an unusually regular appearance in a lot of readings recently for my clients and so I thought I'd write a little on it. The unique artwork depicts a scene strongly reminiscent of the Second Coming or Judgement Day. A great angel surrounded by clouds blows his bannered trumpet and the bodies of the dead rise in their tombs in a response of restoration. Restoration being one of several heavy themes with this card.

Now while this clearly depicts a Second Coming scenario and the scene takes place in the astral realm, it is not a message or meaning of Christianity or a godly action. This card refers to the person drawing it. It speaks to an internal restoration and RE-BALANCING. Something has happened within, the trumpet has sounded, and facets or pieces of the inner soul are starting to respond. A serious and very meaningful change is occurring within. It is aimed at producing a balance within the individual necessary for a total understanding of the personality structure and it's relationship to the greater universe.

When this card appears in a spread, it almost always indicates a recent psychic change within the person. It will probably not be a surprise to them, and often the card is what I call a "confirmation" placement in the reading. But it is also an "encouragement" placing with it's chief reason for making an appearance being to spark the individual to keep going in their inner process. They know the trumpet has already sounded, the card fully confirms that, now they must continue that process unique to them, to fully manifest the special change happening within. And that is a beautiful thing!

ROCK N ROLL TAROT

original art - The ROCK N ROLL Tarot Deck I Started To Design

JIMMY PAGE AS THE MAGICIAN

About two and a half years ago I started actively working on an original deck of Tarot cards that would be themed on rock n roll. Using a graphics art program, I designed the first 11 cards in the Major Arcana portion  of the deck and posted them on a popular Tarot blog for feedback which was very positive. While I would still be interested in picking this major project where I left off, it has always faced a few major challenges, mostly being issue of copyright licensing on the images. It would be awesome if a major card company picked this up and ran with it, but it is unknown to me just how much all that image licensing would cost. It may prohibit the project from even being feasible. Nonetheless, the 11 cards I designed are now here for your enjoyment, and unfortunately it looks like I lost my copy of The Fool which I had as Jim Morrison. Here are the rest of the cards though-

LENE LOVICH AS THE HIGH PRIESTESS

YOKO ONO AS THE EMPRESS

JOHN LENNON AS THE EMPEROR 

JOE STRUMMER AS THE HIEROPHANT

JACK & DIANE AS THE LOVERS

THE CARS GIRL AS THE CHARIOT 

MARTHA DAVIS AS STRENGTH

JIMMY PAGE AS THE HERMIT

VINYL RECORD ON THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

PATTI SMITH AS JUSTICE