Tarot Card of the Day – November 11, 2009: Judgement

Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

Question: How will I approach my first Tarot class?

Today I start a four-week long Tarot class at a local new age store. How fitting is Judgement as my daily draw and focus card? Very. This was one of the few times that I actually asked a question before pulling my card of the day. I went with my Universal Tarot, which is the deck I will be using in the class. I have been flirting with other decks since I have discovered a fascination with collecting them, but I want to focus with one learning tool right now. Although, I am sure that I won’t be able to resist occasional draws from other decks.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The World card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

At first glance, The World is reminiscent of the Wheel of Fortune. In the Wheel of Fortune is key X (10), midway through the Tarot journey, the seated angel, winged lion winged bull and winged angel were all reading, symbolic of learning. In The World, the same four astrological quadrants in that card, have now fully developed. They represent the four quadrants of astrology, elemental properties and Tarot suits:

Eagle (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) :: Water :: Cups
Lion (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) :: :: Fire :: Wands
Bull (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) :: Earth :: Pentacles
Angel (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) :: Air :: Swords

The eagle, lion, bull and angel appear from the clouds. The cloud formation is more defined than it was in the Wheel of Fortune and reminds me of the Aces in each Tarot suit, which show a hand holding the object that represents the corresponding suit.  more...

Three Card Spread – October 13, 2009
7 of Wands; Knight of Swords – Reversed; The Hermit – Reversed

I drew this three card spread last night and it shed light on the current state of affairs regarding a situation in my life right now. As soon as I drew the cards, I quickly jotted down my interpretations in my journal.

My first observation was the flow of cards from left to right, which seemed like the obvious way for me to read them, as opposed to the center card being the focal point. However, I see the Knight of Swords reversed as the focus card and the 7/Wands and the Hermit Reversed as responses to it.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of the Judgement card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

Judgement is the last card before The World, key XXI (21), which is the final card in the Tarot journey in the Major Arcana. The word judgement on its own conveys a strong meaning: it represents a test that will lead to a pinnacle spiritual or physical event.

A call is being made from the Heavens; the allusion of an angel atop a cloud in the sky–with flowing gold hair and large purple wings–blows his horn above Earth. Yellow is symbolic of growth and health and purple denotes passion, knowledge and royalty. He bares strong resemblance to Raphael, the angel in The Lovers card, but is actually the archangel Gabriel. Gabriel as a messenger is a common theme in Christianity, but based on past studies in the subject of philosophy, the significance of the horn comes from John Milton’s Paradise Lost; both angels appear in the story, but Gabriel’s role as a messenger from God, is to lead Satan away from the Garden of Eden.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The Sun card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

The Sun signifies the rebirth of our thought processes after the mysteries of The Moon have been solved and that we have learned to trust our instincts. Much like The Star, this card symbolizes new beginnings. In many ways, the innocence of the naked child in the card can be compared to carefree nature of The Fool. The innocence in The Sun is a new, pure and has been reborn from all of our experiences thus far in life.

The sun in the card has 21 rays, symbolic of the 21 cards in the Major Arcana and The Tarot Journey, excluding The Fool (key 0). The sun is the force that signifies strength, growth and enlightenment. In addition to the sun, there are also sunflowers in the card.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The Moon card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

The Moon is a very mysterious card. My first observation: The Moon is the only Tarot card (using RWS) that does not have humans in it; only animals are in the setting. A dog howls at the moon on the left side of the card, showing how our consciousness and that which is known is domesticated, in comparison to the howling on the right side, representing the wild and uncontrollable side of unconscious thought. The metaphor shows how we are normally comfortable with what is known to us and are often uncomfortable with the unknown. Also, dogs and wolves use four limbs, not two like humans do. Perhaps this is a reference to more primal evolutionary times.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The Star card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

The Star is often a a favorite once it is discovered. The tranquil and peaceful atmosphere is both soothing and relaxing. My first interpretations of The Star have already been written on this blog and include a post on cards I was most drawn to and a Tarot Card of the Day post.

A naked woman is kneeling with her left foot on a lush green meadow and her right foot is atop a pool of water, and is pouring water out of two red jugs, which denote passion in life. The symbolism of left and right applies here: the action of kneeling is a conscious effort and her foot standing, as is pouring water onto the land from the pool of water. Standing on water and pouring water into water represents actions that are unconsciously controlled and occur within the power of the mind. By pouring the water from the pool into the land, she is providing the land with the source for growth, symbolic of new beginnings and new life.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The Tower card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

When viewing The Tower card, one feels a sense of immediate release. And again, as my comfort level with viewing the cards increases, I am learning to view the positive side of the cards that appear to look frightening at first sight.

A stone tower on top of a giant ice-capped mountain has exploded at the top–its gold roof thrown into the sky. The Tower has been struck by lightening. This is symbolic of a powerful force causing abrupt change at a significant time in life, without our control.

Flames are burning through the entire tower and smaller flame-like Yods–which represent the name of God–drift in the air. The sky is dark with large clouds and the scenery depicted is extremely chaotic.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of The Devil card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

The Devil is the first card in the last third of the final seven cards in the Major Arcana. The Devil is another example of a card in the Tarot deck that looks frightening. However, if we focus on the scenery of the card, we can get a good sense of what the card means.

What are some of the obvious keywords that we associate the devil with? I decided to do a free association exercise with this card in hopes of trying to tap into my true feelings as opposed to preconceived notions I had about the word “devil” and the scenery depicted in The Devil card. Some of the keywords seemed obvious. But, many of them displayed abstract ideas that I would not have thought about prior to Tarot. A great introduction to free association and Tarot available on Douglas Gibb’s Tarot Eon blog.  more...

This is my initial interpretation of the Temperance card.

Tarot Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

Temperance is one of the three Platonic virtues represented in Tarot–Justice and Strength–the two others. The fourth virtue, Prudence happens at the pinnacle moment of achieved wisdom. This is the last virtue of this sort as presented in the Tarot Journey. And, key 14 is the last card in the second part of the Tarot journey, which is divided into three equal sections, each containing seven cards. This must be the most important lesson that we can learn before we embark on the last third of the journey, which will test our inner strength.

An angelic figure with eyes closed–reminiscent of the angel Raphael in The Lovers–is the focal point of the serene setting depicted in this card. His mane of golden curls is controlled, unlike his unruly and wild tresses shown in The Lovers card. His long, flowing white gown symbolizes purity and the large red wings represent the element of fire, symbolic of passion, creativity, will and strength. Together, the colors together represent balance, which involves moderation, the meaning of Temperance.  more...