Tarot Card Blessing
This is a blessing to say when you're shuffling Tarot cards, to make the reading work out better, and to see the meanings of the cards more clearly.
"Silver Moonlight, and Sunlight of Gold,
Light my way clearly as the cards unfold.
Show me the subconscious
and secrets untold,
Show me what the past, the present,
and the future doth hold.
Let me see clearly the cards' meanings
be they bright and warm, dark or cold,
God and Goddess be with me, and bless me
as the cards unfold.
So mote it be!"
TAROT CARD MEANINGS
Applies to all standard 78 card decks.
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ACES
Aces are generally thought to represent beginnings of all sorts,
whether of new phases of one's life, new enterprises, new relationships, or of any other matter of concern. They may also, however, represent completion: the whole of the meanings of the other cards in their respective suits distilled into a single symbol. To borrow a phrase from another religion, each Ace is
the alpha *and* the omega of its suit.
ACE of COINS
Coins being mined from the Earth represent the Earth in both the
mundane and the magical senses. When they appear in readings which indicate conflict, they generally are a shield against aggression.
Favorable: A new monetary venture; a new career - or the idea for
either, which must be acted upon. Turning earth for a garden; planting a new tree. New awareness of the ecology and one's place in it; oneness with Nature. Attainment of mundane goals or spiritual goals connected with one's surroundings. The founding of a Circle which has the potential to grow. When heavily influenced by Cups or Triumphs which generally signify emotional involvement: bliss or felicity.
Unfavorable: The corruption of character by wealth and the mundane power which accompanies it. Neglect of the environment. Blight, whether from natural causes or man-made pollution. The beginning of an enterprise which, although personally profitable, may harm either the environment or those with whom one comes in contact. Devotion to the spiritual at the expense of both mundane matters and other people; selfishness. When heavily influenced by adverse cups or Triumphs, ecstasy to the point of divorce from reality such as might be induced, for instance, by dependence upon substances either natural or synthetic which alter one's perception of the world.
ACE of SWORDS
Swords usually correspond to Air, perhaps due to the preponderance of
metaphors in languages of northern Europe which liken the north wind to a knife or sword. In many decks, the Swords as a suit are depicted with two edges, indicating the ability to cut in either direction, just as the weather may vary from the pleasant to a hurricane within a matter of moments. A layout with a preponderance of Swords might well be considered alarming, even if the cards lie favorably.
Favorable: Triumph, conquest by force of arms or by force of will. Virility to the point of satyriasis. Courage to defend the right; "the courage of one's convictions." Will-power, perhaps enough to enable one to stop a habit such as alcohol or tobacco "cold turkey." In material matters it may also mean skill, particularly with cutting edges such as a surgeon's knife or a fencer's saber. The recruitment of allies for an endeavor.
Unfavorable: The triumph of an evil or unjust cause. A lost cause.
Rape. Weakness in the face of opposition; inability to make a decision. Lack of will-power. Force applied foolishly or with deliberate malice, resulting in manslaughter or murder. A declaration of war. Persecution of the innocent; dictatorship; cults of personality.
ACE of CUPS
Cups are generally associated with the element of Water; like the
Coins, when they appear in a layout which seems to indicate conflict they represent a defensive armament - perhaps a helmet or other head-covering. Hence, they also represent not only the emotions but also psychic and magical attributes and abilities. They may also represent wisdom.
Favorable: Nourishment and abundance, though more emotional and
Spiritual than material. Love. Novitiate in religion and/or magic. Birth of psychic powers. Beginning of a relationship. Inspiration. The womb: hence, the Sea, which is the Womb of Life.
Unfavorable: Strong emotions such as hatred, jealousy, and possessiveness. Abandonment of the spiritual for the mundane. Loss of psychic or magical power. Emotional fragility usually induced by events in early childhood: frequently, the victim of child abuse. Constant search for instant gratification. Barrenness.
ACE of WANDS
Wands are most frequently, in the Tarot, assigned to represent the
Element of Fire: when depicted with that element they are represented as burning while remaining unconsumed, like Moses' bush. They are the stout quarter staff of the peasant and the lance and arrows of the warrior. Their association with fire may be extended to other forms of energy, from the unpredictable violence of lightning to the more subtle energies which power growth and maturation. They are also associated with the intellect.
Favorable: The beginning of an enterprise which may or may not bring
Fame and fortune, but which will be of benefit to the person carrying it out. Start of a scientific, literary, historical, or other intellectual inquiry: invention. Forensic prowess; intellectual courage. Spring, when seeds germinate and many animals bear their young: conception and the virility which leads to it.
Unfavorable: Intellectual stagnation, antagonism towards new ideas. A
Blind alley. Impotence. Overly meticulous attention to detail at the expense of the whole. Superficial understanding, as is sometimes displayed by the "astrologer" at a party or in a bar. Dilettantism. Misdirection of sexual energies towards minors; dislike or abuse of children.
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2 of COINS
Favorable: Joy, gaiety; laughter, song and dance. Juggling two things
at the same time, especially things generating income (that second job,
perhaps, or having to be a working single parent); but the card may also apply to such things as relationships. A frequent meaning is messages, particularly in writing: letters, magazine or newspaper articles and books which may have some personal relevance. Interpretation of written or oral materials. Some references suggest movement and physical energy.
Unfavorable: Too many projects at the same time; scattering of
attention, wasteful dispersal of energies. Literal translation as opposed to interpretation. Unwillingness to apply one's self. Simulated enjoyment, forced gaiety. I have frequently found both the unfavorable and favorable meanings of this card to refer to actors or other performers who must appear before the public even when physically or emotionally indisposed to do so.
2 of SWORDS
Favorable: Contending forces in balance: truce or cease-fire. There is
No suggestion of lasting peace; effort is required to maintain this equipoise: if left unattended, it will fail. Stalemate, indecision, inability to progress.
Unfavorable: Balance disturbed: the cease-fire is broken. Tension
Released with the beneficence of a snapping cable. A decision made may have unfortunate consequences. Some references suggest disloyalty, two-faced behavior.
2 of CUPS
Favorable: Love, especially Platonic love which is more emotional and
spiritual than physical: one's soul-mate. Friendship, harmony. Marriage, perhaps later in life. Joint efforts in magical or spiritual affairs. More often than not, I have found this card in spreads for partners in couples where physical attraction, emotional, and spiritual love are harmoniously balanced.
Unfavorable: False love or love for the wrong reasons; divorce. Passion which interferes with judgment. Sex without emotional or financial commitment: a one-night stand; prostitution.
2 of WANDS
Favorable: Interest in intellectual pursuits with the strong suggestion
That these will bring at least enough wealth to live on. Influence over others, leadership. The movement or dissemination of ideas.
Unfavorable: Disinterest in matters intellectual; desertion of a
project. Ineffectual nit-picking; too much concern with method and not enough with the final product. Domination by others. Procrastination: I have frequently seen this card in spreads for students who habitually leave their homework until the last minute and then slap together something plausible in hopes it will fool the teacher.
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3 of COINS
Favorable: This is the card of the artisan, the artist, the master of his or her craft. Construction, increase in recompense, acclaim. Indication that projects begun will reach completion as nearly perfect as may be achieved.
Unfavorable: Mediocrity, pettiness, the co-worker who must pull everyone else down to his or her own level in order to shine. In this sense, it may also indicate jealousy of another's achievements.
3 of SWORDS
Favorable: Absence, removal, delay of reunion, contested divorce which
May be hard on children. Before the melodrama gets too affecting, however, it should be noted that the card may indicate something as prosaic as a trip on business or pleasure which causes temporary separation.
Unfavorable: Confusion, loss, sorrow. Frequently with unfavorable
cards, however, the ill omen of the card itself is mitigated by its unfavorable position, indicating a lessening of its influence.
3 of CUPS
Favorable: A matter may be concluded in plenty; joy, prosperity,
increase of happiness. In some layouts, solace and healing may also be indicated.
Unfavorable: Excessive devotion to the pleasures of the senses,
Including (if properly reinforced) satyriasis and nymphomania. It may also, however, indicate speed, swiftness, expedition in bringing a matter to its conclusion - usually successful.
3 of WANDS
Favorable: Established reputation in some field, probably intellectual
If wands predominate in the reading. Self-assertion, self-confidence,
practicality and the financial rewards thereof. May be in a position to
assist another.
Unfavorable: Over-reliance on the ideas of others, possible inability
To form one's own opinion on a matter. This is a card of followers, not
leaders. Intellectual dishonesty, though material gain may result even
so.
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4 of COINS
Favorable: This is a card of material possessions - not to excess, but
That which one does have may be dearly guarded. It may also indicate a love of mundane power, perhaps to inordinate degree. One reference suggests physical health, as well. I do like Waite's suggestion that it may mean, "For a bachelor, pleasant news from a lady." I've never found it to apply, but I think it's charming.
Unfavorable: Delay in obtaining material possessions, perhaps the
Inevitable period between the time one purchases that lottery ticket and publication of the numbers drawn or, less charitably, the period of waiting for an ailing relative to die so one may gain one's inheritance. Loss, delay, opposition, disorder in one's material affairs.
4 of SWORDS
Favorable: Solitude, a hermit's retreat from society, exile; rest,
Enforced idleness, convalescence.
Unfavorable: Activity, involvement - but since the suit is Swords,
circumspection and caution are advised; the healing process is not yet
complete, and undue activity might lead to a setback.
4 of CUPS
Favorable: Dissatisfaction with the pleasures of the senses,
re-evaluation of mundane achievements. World-weariness, ennui.
Unfavorable: Novelty, new instruction, new vigor in pursuing one's
affairs, new relationships.
4 of WANDS
Favorable: Oddly, according to some references, the best card in the
Tarot is a pip card, not a Triumph: its bright meanings are not altered by being placed in an unfavorable position (this also agrees with my
experience). This is the bounty of the harvest home, a perfect haven and refuge, harmony, peace and prosperity "and," Waite adds, "the perfected work of these."
Unfavorable: Prosperity, increase, bounty, happiness to the point of
bliss.
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5 of COINS
Favorable: Material trouble - destitution, impoverishment,
overextension of credit, bankruptcy. Loneliness - sometimes refers to divorce and crippling alimony, child support; for the supporting parent, non-payment of same. Unemployment, cessation of benefits.
Unfavorable: Poverty in material things but riches in spirit, as St.
Francis. Also, love (but probably temporary) and companionship.
5 of SWORDS
Favorable: Loss due not to the vagaries of fortune but the machinations
Of another. Conquest by physical strength. Spite, slander; defeat.
Unfavorable: Weakness, either of physical strength or of will.
Otherwise, the same.
5 of CUPS
Favorable: A situation which does not live up to expectations, whether
it be a job, a relationship (or even marriage), receipt of money, purchase of a "bargain," or any other. The state is "as advertised" but does not wholly live up to one's hopes.
Unfavorable: Return of an old friend or lover, reconciliation. News,
New alliances, new affinities.
5 of WANDS
Favorable: Imitation of reality, as for instance a battle on stage or
in a movie; dramatization of struggles; allowing one's life to become or turning one's life into a soap-opera. Viewing the world in black and white.
Unfavorable: Guile and contradiction but also, properly supported, the
triumph over these. Confusion in legal matters; litigation. Bureaucracy
and red tape.
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6 of COINS
Favorable: Ability to afford donations to charities, public or private,
And the disposition to do so. Also, receiving such donations. Support of children by parents and vice versa in the latter stages of life, with no indication of hardship monetary or emotional.
Unfavorable: Unfairness in business or career; envy, jealously.
Personal charities or emotional obligations impose a financial hardship. Greed – the person who takes, but never returns. Illusion of success.
6 of SWORDS
Favorable: Journey by water (not so common nowadays, but not
impossible). Passage away from difficulties, but only with the expenditure of more effort. May also suggest the calm at the eye of the storm, a temporary respite in struggle.
Unfavorable: Stalemate, unfavorable outcome. Another reference cites
publicity, airing difficulties in the hope of receiving assistance.
6 of CUPS
Favorable: This is a card of nostalgia, of the golden summer days of
childhood, of memories and reminiscences. The return into one's life of
old friends. It may also remind one to bear in mind lessons already learned and apply them to present circumstances.
Unfavorable: There are two, seemingly contradictory meanings for this
card; surrounding cards will indicate which is meant. On the one hand, it speaks of clinging to that which is gone beyond hope of resurrection: a love affair, family or local tradition, outdated methods of work; and of refusal to learn the new. On the other hand, it may forebode the future, renewal, new acquaintances or love affairs and the pleasure one may derive from them.
6 of WANDS
Favorable: The arrival of good news in any field, winning public
Recognition for one's efforts, celebrating the success of another.
Unfavorable: The arrival or anticipated arrival of bad news;
apprehension, fear. Indefinite postponement by another of a project. Also, boasting of one's own successes.
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7 of COINS
Favorable: Money, business, barter, but in all cases the card
represents not the grand coups of Wall Street that net millions but the slow, steady growth of a small business. A garden or orchard will not bear fruit until its season, and also the toil of harvest. Recuperation after illness or injury. This is a slow, steady card, not a card of instant success – but success is indicated in due time.
Unfavorable: Impatience. Cause for anxiety due to exterior factors
(drought or excessive rain, a slump in business and the like). Delay in achieving one's goal.
7 of SWORDS
Favorable: Plan, design, blueprint for action, all of which should be
examined for seen or unseen flaws which may cause them to fail. Theft,
probably without violence such as burglary or fraud: once again, a certain amount of planning is indicated rather than the action of impulse. Unstable effort, partial success. A journey by land.
Unfavorable: Good advice as from an expert in the field, counsel,
instruction; but, on the other hand, the exposure and consequent failure of a plot or conspiracy. Vacillation, untrustworthiness.
7 of CUPS
Favorable: Reveries, daydreams, "if only's," castles in the air which
Are never reached not built. Great plans which come to nothing due to
inaction. If there is success it is neither permanent nor real. This is the card of Don Quixote, and also of the "couch potato" who loses him or herself for hours in the glittering unrealities of the television screen to the exclusion of all other activities or relationships.
Unfavorable: Desire, will, determination; a project about to reach
completion.
7 of WANDS
Favorable: In the intellectual fields, wordy strife or competition:
"sound and fury signifying nothing." In mundane affairs, competition,
haggling. It is, however, a card of eventual success: one holds the high ground, so to speak, and will be able successfully to defend it.
Unfavorable: A caution against indecision and against hesitation to
Move through fear of appearing a fool, or of causing damage to another; a warning against over-sensitivity. The person whom one fears to hurt may not harbor reciprocal feelings.
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8 of COINS
Favorable: This card represents beginnings, preparations,
apprenticeships in material endeavors, though it may also represent a new course of study and application in matters spiritual; surrounding cards will indicate which. Entering upon a new job or career, with the suggestion that it will not be wholly the same as positions one has filled previously.
Unfavorable: Questionable ethics; cunning and deceit though a surface
Of honesty is maintained. Vanity, greed. Ambitions not met through some lack in skill or character: this is the card of one who sees others promoted time after time while he or she remains at one level. In such a case, one's own qualifications should be examined closely before accusations of office politics or "sexual harassment" are hurled.
8 of SWORDS
Favorable: Imprisonment, inability to move whether due to indecision,
Fear of failure, or of social or professional sanctions. The horns of a
dilemma. May indicate illness. In matters sexual, the card may indicate a tendency toward "kinkiness."
Unfavorable: Release, freedom, movement; an obstacle is removed,
Allowing one finally to act. Opposition collapses, unforeseen opportunity.
8 of CUPS
Favorable: The decline of a matter; a matter believed to be of great
importance is actually of small consequence; success of a laissez faire
policy. The result in all cases may be either good or evil. Loss of
interest in a project or relationship.
Unfavorable: "Party time!" Joy, happiness, feasting, merriment, usually
In celebration of a success, though it may indicate holiday pleasures.
8 of WANDS
Favorable: Speed. Rapid development of an undertaking; rewards are not
Long delayed. Also, in modern times, travel by air; arrival of a letter or package by air mail or overnight delivery (usually in combination with the Deuce of Coins); when Triumph XVI (The Tower) appears near it, the card may indicate the arrival of an electronically propagated message, such as by telephone, fax, e-mail, or news broadcast. In a less prosaic mode, the card is often said to represent "the arrows of love."
Unfavorable: Non-arrival of a communication upon which one has pinned
one's hopes. The arrows of jealousy, the sting of conscience. For domestic partners, the card may indicate disputes of some kind. One reference suggests rote learning without true understanding and preaching the "One True Way."
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9 of COINS
Favorable: Material well-being - enough to live on with some left over.
A house with land enough for at least a garden. Prudence, safety,
success, accomplishment, There may be a suggestion that the good things in life will be enjoyed in solitude.
Unfavorable: A project proves not to work out. One reference suggests
The possible loss of home, but this may amount to no more than late payment of rent or mortgage. An investment proves worthless or the return is disappointingly small. A bad loan - surrounding cards will suggest whether the subject defaults, or loses money to another.
9 of SWORDS
Favorable: Shame, doubt, suspicion, despair: "the dark night of the
soul." Delay, misery, suffering. Another source suggests the need for indirect action.
Unfavorable: Imprisonment, actual or mental and emotional; this may
represent a battered spouse. Debasement.
9 of CUPS
Favorable: Material desires are wholly fulfilled; traditionally, this
is the "wish" card. Robust health; mental and emotional well-being. There may be a tendency toward smugness.
Unfavorable: Overindulgence, gourmandizing, "conspicuous consumption."
Wishes fail or fall short. Readings may vary, however: alternate suggestions are truth, loyalty, liberty. Surrounding cards will suggest the correct interpretation.
9 of WANDS
Favorable: Defensive strength, with reserves enough to mount a
counter-attack. Delaying tactics, bull-headedness. When the subject of
the reading is a committee, may signify stalemate leading to adjournment.
Unfavorable: Obstacles and adversity, but the strength is still present
And they can be overcome. The idleness of one who will not work rather than one who can not work. Otiosity, laziness and their analogues.
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10 of COINS
Favorable: This card deals mainly with family matters of the present
reaching into the past: the old homestead, inheritance, genealogy and
the like. It carries the connotations of establishment, solidity,
prosperity. A loving, happy, healthy home.
Unfavorable: Burglary, robbery, gambling, speculation with monies not
properly one's own. Bankruptcy. Lack of solidity; a move to a new
neighborhood may be imminent. May also represent a "dysfunctional"
family.
10 of SWORDS
Favorable: Tears, sadness, desolation, misfortune, burdens which may
not be shared. The end of delusion, the death of a dream. May represent the state of being "in the closet." Defeat, disruption.
Unfavorable: Profit, advantage, success, but none of these are
permanent. Power and authority, probably usurped and also impermanent. A more temperate trend in the weather, but this, too, will not last.
10 of CUPS
Favorable: Contentment, happy family life (in the present, as opposed
to the past indicated by the ten of Coins); repose of the entire heart,
perfection of happiness, of human love and friendship. Waite also suggests the card may denote the town, village or country inhabited by the Querent. Although the card deals primarily with emotional fulfillment, there is a sense of physical and material well-being, as well.
Unfavorable: A family quarrel, failure of a love affair, indignation,
domestic violence. Possible loss of friendship. Some sources go as far
as to suggest betrayal.
10 of WANDS
Favorable: Abuse of power whether by a government or by individuals.
Becoming a burden to another, emotional blackmail. Oppression of the
few by the many. Willful disregard of the safety or happiness of another.
Unfavorable: Difficulties, intrigues, duplicity. Resentment,
sullenness. If this card appears when the subject of the reading is a workplace, then the Querent should consider changing jobs.
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PAGE/PRINCESS
These four cards, one per suit, are the cards which do not appear in
Modern playing cards. The cards were originally Pages but during the late 1880s or early 1890s the Golden Dawn, moved by its twin obsessions for Balance and the Qabala, changed them to Princesses in order to have two face cards representing men and two representing women. The two Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot Decks retain this nomenclature, as do other modern decks (some of whose creators appear to have no idea that the idea was not original with them). Where the pip cards seem mainly to betoken events and situations, the Face cards are said to represent primarily the people, or sometimes qualities in the people, who influence or bring about those occasions.
PRINCESS/PAGE of COINS
Favorable: A child or adolescent whose hair and complection are dark
*or* the a child or adolescent born under an Earth sign, who is a student: hence, study, scholarship, reflection; also new opinions and ideas. Other readings suggest news, messages and those who bring them.
Unfavorable: Dissipation, prodigality; one surrounded by those whose
Ideas conflict with one's own; dislike of learning, fear of new ideas; also, bad news and the bearer thereof.
PRINCESS/PAGE of SWORDS
Favorable: A child or adolescent with dark hair, fair skin and light
Eyes *or* a child or adolescent born under an Air Sign who is in some sense a sentinel: hence, alertness or vigilance; and by further permutation, spying, secret service, examination as by one who holds authority; inspection or scrutiny.
Unfavorable: Unreadiness, unpreparedness; taken by surprise; ambush.
Also, the more evil connotations of spying: a nark in the pejorative sense.
PRINCESS/PAGE of CUPS
Favorable: A child or adolescent with medium hair and complection *or* a child or adolescent born under one of the Water signs who is of
Meditative bent: hence, contemplation, meditation, and perhaps the inspiration derived from these. Also, news or messages.
Unfavorable: Seduction, attachment to another perhaps to the point of
obsession; deception, artifice; inclination, taste. The affairs of the
world intrude upon one's meditations.
PRINCESS/PAGE of WANDS
Favorable: A child or adolescent with blond or red hair, air skin and
blue, gray or green eyes *or* a child or adolescent born under one of the Fire signs who is quick and ntelligent; hence, a bearer or intelligence in all forms, as an ambassador, postman, or the delivery person for the newspaper; by extension, television newspersons and the ike. If the card appears next to one representing another person, it may indicate favorable testimony concerning that other.
Unfavorable: Bad news, rumor and innuendo; anecdotes, heatricality;
instability; cruelty.
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KNIGHT/PRINCE of COINS
Favorable: A young person with dark hair and eyes *or* a young person
Born under one of the Earth signs who is, above all, responsible: hence, responsibility, utility, serviceability, rectitude moral and ethical, ,practicality. As a side note, the person betokened by this card requires no great mental acuity and may laugh as heartily at a joke the twentieth time he or she tells it as the first time he or she heard it.
Unfavorable: Stagnation, otiosity, inertia, laziness, stagnation. Also,
carelessness of the kind that leaves tools lying about the work area to
become a general hazard, and the reluctance to take great pains with
any project.
KNIGHT/PRINCE of SWORDS
Favorable: A young person with dark hair, medium to fair skin and light
Eyes *or* a young person born under one of the Air signs; but if the card signifies one in active military service, that significance may
override all others. The person is brave and skillful, and furthermore is secure enough in his or her skills that the habit of command comes naturally. Hence: capacity, ability. May also denote war; in combination with other cards signifying craft or guile, may mean guerilla warfare. Destruction, ruin, and resistance or opposition to these. The card also, in almost all its meanings, carries a connotation of swiftness.
Unfavorable: Incapacity, braggadocio, imprudence, impudence; unwise
extravagance; petty spite or active malice.
KNIGHT/PRINCE of CUPS
Favorable: A young person of medium hair and complection *or* a young
Person born under one of the Water signs who is approaching: hence, arrival, whether of a lover or a messenger; advances, propositions, invitations, incitement. This person may also be the catalyst who leads one to further spiritual development.
Unfavorable: Beware of opportunity offered by another - remember the
Trojans' experience with Greeks bearing gifts. Trickery, artifice,
subtlety, and outright fraud. Rivalry.
KNIGHT/PRINCE of WANDS
Favorable: A young person of fair hair and complection *or* a young
Person born under one of the Fire signs whose mind is swift and constantly in motion; hence: departure, absence, emigration or other change of residence; travel by air.
Unfavorable: Frustration, as when dealing with minds less quick or
Capable than one's own. Rupture, discord, division, interruption. May also betoken intolerance, prejudice and the refusal to listen to views at variance to one's own.
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QUEEN of COINS
Favorable: A dark-haired, dark-skinned, dark-eyed woman *or* a woman
Born under one of the Earth signs who is open-handed and generous. She
appears, on the physical plane, to be the Mother in the Tarot; hence:
generosity, magnificence, opulence; liberty; and the security one gains from the presence of a warm and loving elder who supports one physically and to whom one may turn for help in solving the problems and dilemmas of daily life. Surrounding cards will indicate whether the subject of the reading has such a person upon whom to relay, or performs that function for another. Also, luxuriant fertility.
Unfavorable: Over-dependence on another, perhaps to a pathological
extent: this is the card of the co-dependent with all the ills suggested by that buzz-word. Possessive love; hence, jealousy and suspicion. Mistrust of those near one, whether physically or those who should be near in heart. Suspense, fear.
QUEEN of SWORDS
Favorable: A dark-haired woman with fair skin and light eyes *or* a
Woman born under one of the Air signs. In conventional published accounts, she represents widowhood, absence and mourning; I would add divorce to these, especially one bitterly contested or desired by one partner only. Conventional wisdom also holds that there is no death card in the Tarot: oral traditions and my own experience suggest that conventional wisdom is either mistaken or deliberately misrepresenting the truth in order to avoid frightening the groundlings; the Queen of Swords (the Queen of Spades in a conventional deck) is the card which most frequently denotes death or other final endings. Caution *must* be observed in the derivation of such a reading, however. The Queen *must* be supported by other cards with parallel meanings (usually the three, five and ten of her own suit and one or more of the more final Triumphs) before such a prognostication may be made; and
Even then one is left with the dilemma of the doctor who knows a patients disease is terminal: does one tell the patient - or not? I strongly suggest an alternate reading unless similar combinations of the cards recur frequently when dealing with a given subject. Such alternate readings may include barrenness, privation and the like; according to one source, she may also mean that the Sword of spirit penetrates and informs the material.
Unfavorable: Spite, malice, ill-natured gossip, deceit; narrow-mindedness, bigotry, intolerance and the cruelty which derives from these.
QUEEN OF CUPS
Favorable: A woman of medium hair and complection *or* a woman born
Under one of the Water signs. This is the card of the dreamer and visionary who works to make her or his dreams and visions manifest in the world; it Is also the card of the psychic. Poetry, imagination. In the Victorian view, she is the "perfect spouse and a good mother."
Unfavorable: A person whose good qualities outweigh the bad, but in
Whom tendencies towards selfishness and egocentricity may still be discerned; a person who is not entirely to be trusted. Also, one who answers to every passing fad and fashion.
QUEEN of WANDS
Favorable: A blond or redhaired woman with blue or green eyes *or* a
Woman born under one of the Fire signs. Love of home and nature. Honesty, rectitude; but also adaptability. Someone who will be of assistance to the seeker.
Unfavorable: A person generally reckoned as good but who expects the
World to conform and adapt to his or her own rigid standards. Economy, perhaps more strict than truly essential. Surrounding cards may influence the reading to suggest opposition, jealousy, deceit and infidelity.
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KING of COINS
Favorable: A dark-haired, dark-eyed man *or* a man born under one of
The Earth signs, noted for intelligence and character. He may be a
businessman, what used to be known as a "captain of industry." May indicate mathematical gifts, realizing intelligence; valor. A good husband and father, but may be inclined to workaholism.
Unfavorable: Avarice. A dull, plodding character. Others give
perversity, ugliness, weakness: a dirty old man in all senses.
KING of SWORDS
Favorable: A man with dark hair and fair skin *or* a man born under one
Of the Air signs. He may be a judge or arbitrator; if in the military, he is of senior rank. A wise man or counselor. Command, authority, militant will. Others suggest he is clever or subtle.
Unfavorable: Injustice, tyranny, barbarism, sadism; a clever enemy.
Caution is advised in legal matters: "The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client."
KING of CUPS
Favorable: A man of medium hair and complection *or* a man born under
one of the Water signs. He has a creative intelligence in the arts and
sciences rather than business and is, moreover, disposed to assist the student: a good teacher or professor. May also represent kindness, liberality, generosity.
Unfavorable: Sensuality, idleness; lies and dishonesty. May also
indicate an "artistic temperament."
KING of WANDS
Favorable: A man of light hair and fair complection *or* a man born
under on e of the Fire signs. He is generally married, honest and conscientious: "The card always signifies honesty," according to Waite, and I have found this generally to be true. May also betoken passion in a noble cause.
Unfavorable: Severity, strictness, austerity - but always in good
cause. May indicate one who applies a stricter standard to his own behavior or work than he applies to that of others. Unpalatable advice which should none the less be followed.
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O - THE FOOL
Favorable: Conventional readings give intoxication, delirium, frenzy,
folly, mania and the like. In some of the older decks, however, the animal shown with the youth is not a domestic puppy but a wolf; coupled with the divinatory meanings above, I would suggest that the card may represent the Beast in Humanity which must be harnessed and controlled before any advancement is possible. Other sources give spirituality to the point of folly, or a major decision with multiple factors which must be weighed with extreme care.
Unfavorable: Negligence, absence, wastefulness, vanity. The Beast is in
control.
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I The Magician
Favorable: Mastery, skill, occult power or wisdom, will; diplomacy,
subtlety; address, self-confidence. Waite adds that it may represent a
male seeker.
Unfavorable: Slyness, craft, cunning, intrigue; innuendo, half-truths;
misdirection; may possibly indicate megalomania.
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II The High Priestess
Favorable: The future as yet unrevealed; silence, mystery, duality; the
growth of occult wisdom. Hidden influences at work. Another source
suggests change, alteration, fluctuation.
Unfavorable: Passion (meaning, usually, sex); moral or physical ardor;
acceptance of surface knowledge, conceit.
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III The Empress
Favorable: Many sources assign her to the planet Venus: I believe she
represents Mother Gaia in all her fruitful splendor. Hence, beauty,
happiness, success; sometimes luxury. Fertility in all creative
endeavors, from farming to raising a family to the arts. Length of days.
Unfavorable: Dissipation, inaction,vacillation, frittering away
resources; but also, light, truth, public rejoicings. Surrounding cards will indicate the correct meanings.
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IV The Emperor
Favorable: Government, the control of masses, temporal power;
stability, protection, conviction; also will and authority. The dominion of intelligence.
Unfavorable: Benevolence, compassion, credit; also emotional immaturity and the possibility of bondage to parents or others perceived as being in authority.
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V The Hierophant
Favorable: The man to whom the Seeker turns for guidance; preference
for the outer forms of spirituality, liking for ritual as theatrics without exploring the hidden meanings beneath; rigid adherence to the
conventions of society, conformism. Waite also suggests marriage or alliance, but the connotation is that these are matters of form rather than being unions expressing true love or affection.
Unfavorable: Unconventionality, heterodoxy, openness to new ideas and
spiritual inspirations - all with a caution to beware of being
gullible. Possibly weakness through over-kindness, a too-tender heart.
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VI The Lovers
Favorable: Attraction, love, trials overcome (probably the three trials
By which the Princess wins her Prince or vice versa); others speak of a
Choice between sacred and profane love (in some older decks, a full-grown angel instead of Dan Cupid stands between the lovers); choice implies responsibility.
Unfavorable: Quarrels between domestic partners, perhaps due to in-law
troubles; failure, frustration and contrarities; the wrong choice may
be the more attractive.
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VII The Chariot
Favorable: In many decks, the animals pulling the Chariot are of
Different colors; in some, they struggle to go in different directions and only The strength of the driver holds them to the same course; hence: the conflict between spiritual and material, will (or wisdom) and passion, sense and sensibility. Also, frequently, travel by vehicle. Some suggest success for those engaged in artistic or spiritual pursuits, triumph over ill health and other adversities. Wait also suggests vengeance as a possible reading.
Unfavorable: One of the animals gets the bit between its teeth and runs away with chariot, driver and all. Decadence, an unethical or immoral victory; dispute; defeat.
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VIII Justice
Favorable: Likelihood that the decision will be the correct one. All
Things pertaining to judicial proceedings; the decision will probably be favorable. Equity, rightness, probity; truth.
Unfavorable: Injustice due to bigotry or bias; legal punishment,
Sometimes of excessive severity; the failure of a cause at law.
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IX The Hermit
Favorable: The slow, plodding passage of time - sometimes a very long
time, indeed. The acquisition of wisdom through maturity, age, or experience. Guidance, whether from an older person or a non-corporeal source. Possibly, a journey. The older readings given by Waite demand prudence and circumspection in the face of dissimulation, roguery, corruption, and even treason.
Unfavorable: The swift passage of time. Immaturity, the refusal to age
gracefully. Waite suggests fear and unreasoned caution.
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X The Wheel of Fortune
Favorable: Good fortune, success, increase, elevation, luck, felicity,
And so on - all at pretty much face value for the card. I find it may also betoken anything to which the concept of the Great Wheel may be
applied: the turn of the seasons, the cycle of birth and death, and the like. The Ciceros suggest Karma.
Unfavorable: The Seeker is on the descending side of the cycle. Things
May turn for the worse. Waite, on the other hand, suggests increasing
Abundance to the point of superfluity - too much of a good thing.
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XI Strength
(the card is sometimes titled "Fortitude")
Favorable: Power, energy, action, courage; the triumph of the spiritual
Over the material, of love over hatred, of the higher nature over carnal desires. I find that the strength the card betokens is not a sudden burst of energy as when an athlete lifts an incredible weight, but rather the enduring kind such as a woman must have during the nine months of pregnancy.
Unfavorable: Abuse of power, despotism; weakness; the triumph of the
material over the spiritual; discord.
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XII The Hanged Man
Favorable: This card seems to me to represent Wotan on the tree
Yggdrasil or Jeheshua ben Miriam upon his cross; hence: strength of character, wisdom or spiritual insight gained through suffering or self-sacrifice; in extreme cases, apotheosis through agony. In more mundane affairs it may signify stasis, the complete inability to move in any direction, usually due to outside factors over which one has no control.
Unfavorable: Selfishness, absorption in physical matters; the relaxation of exterior strictures enable one to progress once again.
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XIII Death
Favorable: It has become fashionable over the past century to claim
That this card does not prepresent the end of the corporeal being, and the vehemence with which this view has been expressed and the numbers of readers who have espoused it incline me to believe that this may, now, be the case. None the less, the picture on the card resembles too much the medieval paintings and later woodcuts of the 'danse macabre', those allegorical depictions of the progress of the Black Death through Europe, for me to believe that that was not the original meaning. Modern cartomantists, however, give transformation and change - more often spiritual than physical; awakening to a new revelation; complete alteration of one's values and aspirations. In my experience, however, the literal meaning of the card should be considered when it appears with the Queen of Swords strongly supported by other cards in her suit.
Unfavorable: Stagnation, inertia, lethargy, petrifaction; somnambulism.
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XIV Temperance
Favorable: This is the card of the alchemist or the herbalist: it means
combinations or mixtures, primarily. The concept may, of course, be
extended to other areas of life; hence: coordination, adaptation, modification, mixture of forces, personalities or lives; modification by admixture; by extension, management, moderation, economy.
Unfavorable: For the alchemist: great success with stinks and bangs but
No Philosopher's Stone. Competing interests in business or personal matters; the competition may well be of the one with the other. Disunion. Waite suggests the religious figure who will marry the seeker (to another).
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XV The Devil
Favorable: The card deals mostly with the material world to the
exclusion of the spiritual: in my experience, it usually denotes a sexual encounter, though it may also signify the amassment of riches, gourmandizing and all manner of over-indulgence. Obsession with matters material. Extraordinary efforts. Predestination. Magic which affects the material plane, for good or ill.
Unfavorable: Spiritual understanding, psychic healing. Weakness,
pettiness, blindness (not physical only), ineffectuality, indecision.
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XVI The Tower
Favorable: This is the Fire from Heaven: that blinding flash which in a
single stroke alters forever a life or a world. This is the inspiration
that compels the poet, the artist, the sculptor who creates at least one masterwork which has, over the ages, a profound influence on the lives of millions. It is also, unfortunately, the inspiration which drove Adolf Hitler to compose "Mein Kampf." Hence: overthrow of the existing order, unforseen catastrophe, calamity, ruin - all with the expectation that something new and greater will rise from the rubble. On a more day to day basis, however, I have found that the card frequently signifies communication by electronic means: a telephone call, telegram, email or the like (I suspect this may be because this is the only card which has anything explicitly electrical in its common design, and the cards frequently make the best adaptation they can to a constantly changing world).
Unfavorable: The same in a lesser degree. Oppression, imprisonment,
tyranny.
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XVII The Star
Favorable: Hope, courage, inspiration, unexpected aid. Good health,
spiritual love.
Unfavorable: Arrogance, haughtiness; impotence, stubbornness,
pessimism, doubt; hope deceived, daydreams fail.
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XVIII The Moon
Favorable: Fluctuation, change. Unlike the Wheel or the Tower, the
connotation here is of evolution rather than revolution. Also,
imagination, intuition, dreams, growth of psychic power and spiritual understanding.
Unfavorable: Unforeseen dangers, secret enemies, deceptions including
half-truth and innuendo. Occult forces of malign intent.
Dissatisfaction. Imagination may be reined in by practical considerations.
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XIX The Sun
Favorable: This is an obvious symbol of achievement, success,
happiness, contentment; glory, gain, riches; spiritual enlightenment and bliss. It is said also to illuminate all the cards around it; i.e., its influence causes adjacent cards to give their most favorable reading.
Unfavorable: The same in lesser degree. Clouded happiness, gain not to
expectations, difficulties in reaching spiritual goals. Also,
sometimes, display, vanity, arrogance.
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XX Judgment
Favorable: The final decision, with no appeal remaining. Other accounts
suggest awakening, change of position, renewal, outcome.
Unfavorable: Simplicity, weakness, fear of death, failure to find
happiness. Also, a warning to guard one's physical health.
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XXI The World
(This card is sometimes called "The Universe")
Favorable: Completion more spiritual than physical, although the latter
connotation must definitely be considered. Assured success, recompense
in full, reward; triumph in all undertakings. Also in combination with
reinforcing cards: change of place, voyage, travel, emigration, change
of residence - all with an assured outcome.
Unfavorable: Permanence, stagnation, inertia; fixity of purpose; fear
Of change, earthbound spirit; sometimes a venture into the unknown with no perceived security at the end.
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