Chaos and the Psychological Symbolism of the Tarot

by Gerald Schueler, Ph.D. 1997

Abstract.
The Tarot deck contains archetypal symbols that can be related to the analytical
psychology of the Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung. The Tarot deck, especially the
major arcana or trump cards, can be used effectively in therapy. The client, with
the assistance of the therapist, conducts a reading or uses several cards to tell a
story and then discusses possible meanings of the symbols in his or her own
words. The therapist then relates the symbolic meanings given by the client to
the client's problem in much the same manner as in Jungian dream analysis.
This therapeutic process can be eplained by using a chaos model. !sing a
chaos model of therapy, a period of psychic instability is deliberately induced by
the therapist through stimulation of the imagination via the Tarot symbols.
Concentration on the Tarot symbols induces bifurcation points that the therapist
then uses to direct change toward desired attractors. This is similar to the well"
known techni#ues of paradoical communication, paradoical intervention, and
prescribing the symptom, all of which induce a temporary condition of psychic
instability that is re#uired for a bifurcation.
Introduction
$oye and %isler &'()*+ see the roots of modern chaos theory, as it pertains to
social science, etending all the way back to the ancient Chinese Book of
Changes or I Ching. The I Ching, the oldest oracle still in use today, &,annister,
'())+ was used to make predictions by casting stalks, straws, or sticks. Today,
this is usually done by throwing coins &Cleary, '()-+. .n the /est, the oldest
oracle still in use today is the Tarot card deck.
The Tarot is a deck of cards which can be used for meditation, psychic
stimulation, or divination. .t also can be used as a psychological tool to look
inside the unconscious &,annister, '())0 1ichols, '()2+. The Tarot is medieval
man's e#uivalent of today's highly respected 3orschach and Thematic
4pperception tests &Schueler 5 Schueler, '((2+. /ang &'(*)+ describes the
Tarot as 6a system accepted by many respectable sources such as the school of
Carl Jung, which views the Tarot images as agreeing perfectly with the
archetypes of the collective unconsciousness6 &p. )+.
The Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, saw all of the Tarot images as 6descended
from the archetypes of transformation6 &Jung, '(7(8'((9, p. :)+. These
archetypes include several of the primary archetypes that are encountered during
Jung's individuation process, a process of psychological maturation similar in
nature to the aging of the physical body &Jacobi, '(2;8'(*:+. These include the
shadow, the anima and animus, and the wise old man. The Tarot also contains
symbols representing other important archetypes of transformative processes
such as the hero, the sacrifice, rebirth, the mother, and the Self. .n Jung's
analytical psychology, these archetypes comprise the major dynamical
components of the unconscious which affect the human psyche in many different
ways.
<odern chaos theory addresses comple systems, which are systems with a
large number of interrelated parts. .t also addresses dynamic systems. %very
comple system, and especially every living system &living systems are usually
referred to as self"organi=ing systems+, is also a dissipative structure. .lya
>rigogine won the 1obel >ri=e for chemistry in '(** for his work on dissipative
structures, which he defined as any structure that takes on and dissipates energy
as it interacts with its environment. 4 dissipative system, unlike one that
conserves energy, gives rise to irreversible processes such as the growth of
organisms &1icolis 5 >rigogine, '()(+. 4ll systems that ehibit dise#uilibrium and
self"organi=ation are dissipative and have a dissipative structure &,riggs 5 >eat,
'()(, p. ':)+. ?issipative systems are those which are able to maintain identity
only because they are open to flows of energy, matter, or information from their
environments &>rigogine 5 Stengers, '()2+.
1ot only is our body a dissipative system, but our psyche as well. Jung
designated the ego as an ego-complex, because of the numerous components
and processes with which it is comprised, and taught that the ego was one of
many complees that eist in the psyche. 6The psyche is a self"regulating system
that maintains its e#uilibrium just as the body does6 &Jung, '(728'()7, p. '7;+.
?esignating the psyche to be a self"regulating system, Jung &'(-)+ states that
6?reams are the natural reaction of the self"regulating psychic system6 & p. ';2+.
,y assuming the psyche to be a comple dynamic system, as well as a
dissipative system, we can look at it through the lens of modern chaos theory.
Chaos, as an archetype, is well known in the Tarot where it is depicted fully in
card '-, a trump card titled the Lightening Struck Tower. 4ccording to /anless
&'()-+, this card represents transformation. Jung taught that we can become
conscious of the unconscious contents in our psyche by eamining the symbols
that come to us in our dreams. @e details many of these archetypal symbols in
his Symols of Transformation &'(7-+.
The Tarot
The traditional Tarot is a deck of *) cards which are divided into two main
sectionsA a ma!or arcana and a minor arcana. The major arcana is a set of ;;
picture cards which are also called the greater arcana, trumps, atouts &from the
%gyptian atennu &/allis ,udge, '(;9+ meaning a book or part of a book+, or
triumphs. These cards are pictorial representations of various cosmic forces such
as "eath, #ustice, Strength, and so on, and contain archetypal symbolism. Bifty"
si cards of the minor arcana are divided into court and suit cards. The siteen
court cards are comprised of a $ing, a %ueen, a $night, and a $nave &or &age+
for each of the four suits of the deck. The remaining forty cards are divided into
the four suits calledA &entacles &also known as deniers, coins, or disks+, Cups
&coupes+, Swords &epees+, and 'ands &atons or scepters+. The Brench
terminology stems from the famous <arseilles deck which originated in the late
fifteenth century &Ciles, '((;+. The suit cards are numbered from ' &ace+ to '9
for each of the four suits. The suit cards represent specific opportunities and
lessons &/anless, '()-+. The minor arcana cards are used to represent people,
relationships, finances, action, energies, and forces &Schueler 5 Schueler, '()*+.
The Tarot has been called the oldest book known to man &>apus, '(*9+.
4ccording to legend, &Schueler 5 Schueler, '((2+ the original cards comprised
6chapters6 in a book known as The Book of Thoth. Thoth was the ibis"headed
god of wisdom and knowledge of the ancient %gyptians. 4t the founding of %gypt,
unknown centuries ago, he is said to have given man the knowledge of medicine,
astrology, language, art, and various sciences such as mathematics and
engineering. The original chapters of The Book of the "ead are said to have
been written by Thoth.
4fter several thousands of years, the %gyptian empire began to crumble. 4s
things began to fall apart, the god Thoth again intervened. @e desired to keep
alive the knowledge and wisdom that he had provided his people. To save his
contribution to mankind, he summari=ed all of the accumulated wisdom of the
%gyptian empire onto a series of ;; tablets. @e did this by using symbols and
pictures instead of words. These tablets became known as The Book of Thoth.
4s the empire decayed into ignorance, the tablets found their way into a band of
roving people later known as gypsies. The gypsies copied the symbols of the
tablets onto cards which became the major arcana of the Tarot deck &Crowley,
'(220 >apus, '(*90 Schueler 5 Schueler, '()(+.
4lthough several colorful theories eist today, there is no historical evidence to
support any of them, and the true history of the Tarot is largely unknown.
/hatever the actual origin of the Tarot deck may be, it is known that a deck of
fortune telling cards were mentioned by a Swiss monk in ':** 4? &Ciles, '((;+.
.t is also known that Cirilamo Cargagli wrote in '7*; about tarochhi cards being
used to designate psychological types &Ciles, '((;+.
The Tarot later found its way into the @ebrew Dabbalah, probably because the ;;
cards of the major arcana could be shown to correspond with the ;; letters of the
@ebrew alphabet. ?uring the nineteenth century, many occultists tried to
demonstrate a higher use for the cards than divination &>apus, '(*90 $evi, ')(-+.
%liphas $evi &')(-+ tried to show that the cards of the major arcana were
connected to the Eabalistic Tree of $ife. This idea was further carried out by a
secret occult group in %ngland known as the @ermetic Frder of the Colden ?awn
&/ang, '(*)0 Crowley, '(220 3egardie, '(:*+.
4leister Crowley was initiated as a member of the Colden ?awn in ')(). @e left
it in '(9* to form his own magical organi=ation. .n '(22 his Tarot deck, illustrated
by Brieda @arris, together with his eplanatory book titled The Book of Thoth
were published.
4ccording to /anless, &'()-+ a well"known epert on the Tarot deck, 6The Thoth
?eck by 4leister Crowley is a classic tarot symbology ... .ts symbolism is
%gyptian, Creek, Christian, and %astern. .t is more useful than many
contemporary decks which represent a particular cultural or philosophical point of
view6 &p. '+. @e also points out the multi"dimensionality of the deck's symbolism,
which has associations with the @ebrew Dabbalah as well as astrology, and
credits the ;; major arcana or trump cards as representing 6universal principles
of life and 'archetypal' personality types6 &p. ;+. Ciles &'((2+ says that the Thoth
deck has 6swirling backgrounds and haunting images6 which 6create a uni#ue
impression0 those drawn to the deck find it a very powerful reading instrument6
&p. '('+. She points out that while many decks eist, with a myriad of minor
variations, the Tarot has 6core images6 that are part of a 6mental structure6 that is
fairly consistent across the different deck designs. /anless &'()-+ notes that
6The strength of tarot is that its symbolism is subject to constant redefinition and
evolution6 &p. '+. .n short, the Tarot images can change or evolve over time, but
otherwise they are #uite consistent. This is in agreement with Jung's &'(7(8'((9+
concept of the archetypes of the collective unconscious which are consistent
across humanity while slowly evolving with the body over time.
Jungian Drea Analysis
Jung &'(7-8'(*-+ taught that dream images must be understood symbolically.
Burthermore, the instinctual basis of these symbols are 6primitive or archaic
thought"forms6 &p. ;)+. Jung differentiated a sign from a symbol. 4 true symbol
can never be fully eplained, while a sign can be fully eplained insofar as the
conscious ego is concerned. Symbols themselves are archetypal, and they are
epressed verbally in terms of signs. /e can say, then, that a sign is an
individual's interpretation of an archetypal symbol.
6Symbols are the language of dreams. .n dreams, the unconscious is revealed in
symbols, and the key to understanding a dream is knowledge of the symbol6
&,oa, '((;, p. 2;+. The color of a symbol is also important. Jung believed that
the correlation between colors and functions varies between cultures and even
between individuals. /ith %uropeans, for eample, blue is the color of thought,
while red is the color of emotion, green is the color of sensation, and yellow is the
color of the intuition &Jacobi, '(2;8'(*:+. Gon Brant= notes that 6dreams
generally point to our blind spot6 &,oa, '((;, p. '7+. They seldom tell us what we
already know. To understand a dream, she divides the dream content into thirdsA
/e compare the dream to a drama and eamine it under three structural
headingsA first, the introduction or eposition "" the setting of the dream and
the naming of the problem0 second, the peripeteia""that would be the ups
and downs of the story0 and finally, the lysis""the end solution or, perhaps
catastrophe. &,oa, '((;, pp. ::":2+
Jung &'(-)+ states that 6.n our dreams we are just as many"sided as in our daily
life, and just as you cannot form a theory about those many aspects of the
conscious personality, you cannot make a general theory of dreams6 &p. ';2+. @e
then points out that while personal dream symbolism varies with the dreamer,
universal dream symbolism is possible of interpretation. 6Fn the collective level
of dreams, there is practically no difference in human beings, while there is all
the difference on the personal level6 &Jung, '(-), p. ';2+. /hen analy=ing a
dream, Jung &'(728'()7+ suggests that we 6renounce all preconceived opinions,
however knowing they make us feel, and try to discover what things mean for the
patient6 &p. '7*+. /e must take into consideration the patient's personal
philosophy, religion, and moral convictions whenever we discuss dream
symbolism.
Jung &'(7:8'(**+ treats dream symbolism on two separate levelsA the objective
level and the subjective level. The first level is analytic. Fn this level, the dream
content can be broken up into memory"complees that refer to eternal
situations. The second level is synthetic. .n these situations, the dream contents
are detached from eternal causes and must be treated in terms of archetypal
symbols.
1ichols &'()2+ says that 6The pictures on the Tarot Trumps tell a symbolic story.
$ike our dreams, they come to us from a level beyond the reach of
consciousness and far removed from our intellectual understanding6 &p. *+.
4ccording to this view, the Tarot Trump cards can be interpreted in the same
manner as Jungian dream analysis.
A !haotic Systes "odel o# Thera$y
Therapy can be defined as 6a systematic and intentional attempt, using a specific
cluster of interpersonal skills, to assist another person to make self"determined
improvements in behavior, affect, and8or cognitions6 &Dottler 5 ,rown, '()7, p.
22+. %gan &'(*78'((9+ describes a (elping )odel of the therapeutic process
which emphasi=es action that leads to valued outcomes through a nine"stage
process.
Coals must be the client's goals, strategies must be the client's strategies,
and action plans must be the client's plans. The helper's job is to stimulate
the client's imagination and to help him or her in the search for incentives. &p.
2(+
4 chaotic systems model is one that uses the findings of modern chaos theory.
Such a model can be used to describe the therapeutic process. The chaos theory
of sensitive dependence on initial conditions, for eample, describes how small
stimuli can evoke massive responses. This finding has been used to eplain the
functioning of the olfactory system wherein a very small amount of stimuli,
received by the olfactory bulb, is detected and magnified until it can be
interpreted by the brain as a distinct smell &Breeman, '(('+. Burthermore, testing
food smells on rabbits has demonstrated that undergoing new eperiences can
actually change memory of older eperiences. These two findings have led to a
new understanding of the *ye )ovement "esensiti+ation and ,eprocessing
&%<?3+ treatment &Blint, '((2+.
The methodology used in %<?3 is straightforward and relatively simplistic. The
patient holds his or her attention on a particular trauma or bodily sensation while
watching the therapist's fingers moving in a back"and"forth motion. 4bout ;9 to
29 back"and"forth motions constitute one repetition of the techni#ue. 4fter
several repetitions, the pain of a trauma or sensation is often lessened
dramatically. Theoretically, the memory of a painful traumatic eperience causes
a uni#ue pattern of neurological activity in the brain. /atching a moving finger,
while in the relative safety of a therapeutic environment changes, or modifies the
pattern, producing a lessening of the associated pain in many cases.
.n chaos theory, the behavior of a comple system can be shown graphically on a
plot called phase space. %ach point on this plot represents the state space or
specific condition of the system using primary system parameters &the main
parameters that describe a system's behavior+. /hen a time history is used
&when time is plotted along the "ais+, each point along the y"ais represents the
state of the system at a given time. These plots are called tra!ectories and their
shapes can tell us a lot about the behavior of the system. Sometimes several
possible trajectories of a system will converge toward a point or region. Such
points and regions are called attractors because they appear to attract a
systems's trajectory. The surrounding region of an attractor is called a asin.
!sing the chaos theory of attractors, we can define neurological responses in the
brain as attractors which give rise to particular behaviors &Blint, '((2+. .n a
comple system such as the psyche, many attractors can be found, some in
series with each other, and some giving rise to bifurcations &changes in one's
world view following periods of indecision+. .n a theraputic environment, these
can be observed by the therapist in terms of their evoked sensory and motor
responses.
.n this model, we can define motivation, for eample, as the state space of the
psyche that eists within a specific environmental situation, in which the brain is
destabli=ed enough to evoke the low"level background activity of its neural
networks or basins which correspond to previously learned activity that is
meaningful in the current situation. .n this state space, or phase space of the
psyche, a small stimulus can generate a massive response resulting in
information going out to all regions of the brain. .n turn, this usually results in
some kind of corresponding behavioral response. /hen the behavior results in
beneficial situations &e.g., those that enhance survivability or that lead to pleasant
or desired situations+, the strength of the attractors is proportionally increased.
.n this model, the client would describe one or more specific behavioral problems
to the therapist who, in turn, would work with the client to form specific goals to
work toward and measurable plans to reach those goals. These goals would
become the desire attractors, and intermediate goals would be agreed upon as
basins. The task of the therapist would then be to help guide the client from
eisting attractors to the desired ones through suitable bifurcations.
Fne of the tools that could be used in this process is the symbol. Tarot symbols,
for eample, can be used to stimulate the imagination of the client. ?uring the
short periods of instability &points of possible bifurcation+ due to imaginative
stimulation, small suggestions by the therapist would help drive the client toward
the desired attractors. This is similar to the well"known therapeutic techni#ues
used in family counseling described by Coldenberg 5 Coldenberg &'()98'(('+ of
paradoical communication, paradoical intervention, and prescribing the
symptom. 4ll of these techni#ues use the parado to induce periods of psychic
instability in the client. @owever, the intended outcome of these interventions is
not to create periods of uncertainty, but rather to allow for win"win outcomes for
the client. !sing the chaos model, the uncertainty can be used to perturb the
patient's psyche into the basin of the desired attractor.
Tarot Sybolis
The primary symbolism within the major arcana is as followsA
'. The Bool. The <arseilles deck shows the fool as a court jester holding a baton
and standing near a cliff. This symbolism suggests silliness, but perhaps a
deliberate silliness. The popular /aite deck is more comple. .t shows a young
wanderer holding a rose and a walking stick, to which a bag is tied, walking off a
cliff. 4 dog romps at his side. This suggests a happy and carefree attitude that
could be dangerous. The Colden ?awn deck shows a naked child holding the
reins of a wolf while plucking fruit from a tree. This symbolism suggests that the
fool is innocence, and that pure innocence can check animal passions while
surviving #uite nicely on what nature provides. .n the ?eck of Thoth, the fool is
shown in a green suit and gold shoes. 4 crystal is between his horns, and he is
falling. @e holds 4 /and in his right hand &power+ and a flaming pine cone in his
left hand &purity+. The card shows a tiger, a dove, a vulture, a butterfly, a rainbow,
children, flowers, grapes, a crocodile, and ivy. This card portrays Jung's
archetype of the divine child such as the infant Christ. The imagery also suggests
the archetypal eternal youth or >eter >an. 1ichols &'()2+ calls the symbolism of
the fool, the archetypal wanderer.
;. The Juggler or <agus. This is the <agician, the divine <essenger, <ercury,
@ermes, and Thoth. The <arseilles deck shows a parlor magician going through
a magic act of some kind with various Htools of the trade' on a table. This is the
popular view of the magician "" one who does sleight of hand, and who employs
gimmickery. The /aite and Colden ?awn decks are more sophisticated. They
both show a magician in robes, with his four traditional weaponsA a sword, a
wand, a cup, and a pentacle. The Thoth deck shows him with a naked golden
body, smiling, with winged feet standing in front of a large caduceus. .n his right
hand he hold a style and in his left hand, a papyrus. The card shows a monkey,
swords, cup, wand, and pentacle. This card represents the will. The imagery
portrays the archetype of the magician as described by <oore and Cillette
&'((:+. .t also suggests the archetype of the trickster.
:. The @igh >riestess. This is usually the goddess .sis or 4rtemis, the huntress.
The <arseilles deck shows the goddess Junon &Juno+, wife of the god Jupiter
and a peacock. The symbols here are lunar and suggest a lunar vision &for
eample, the intuition as opposed to common sense+. .n the Thoth deck, she is
shown naked, clothed only in a white Geil of $ight, and seated on a throne. @er
bow rests in her lap. 4lso shown are arrows, four crystals, a net &symbolic of the
%gyptian goddess, 1eith+, a camel, flowers, and fruit. This card represents the
intuition and the imagery suggests the archetypes of the unconscious in a
general sense and the anima in a specific sense. 1ichols &'()2+ calls the
symbolism in this card, the archetype of the virgin.
2. The %mpress. <ost all decks agree that this card is symboli=ed by a mature
woman wearing a crown and seated on a throne. This suggests the feminine side
of the psyche or any strong feminine authority. She is the ultimate feminine
creator and provider. .n the Thoth deck she is shown clothed in a pink blouse, a
long green skirt, a Iodiac belt, and a gold crown. She sits on a lunar throne
holding a lotus in her right hand. ,eneath her is a tapestry with fleurs"de"lys and
fishes. 4lso shown are birds, bees, a shield, showing a white eagle, a mother
pelican with her young, and revolving moons. ,ehind her is a door. This card
represents nature. The imagery suggests Jung's archetype of the mother.
7. The %mperor. <ost all decks agree that this card is symboli=ed by a mature
man wearing a crown and seated on a throne. This suggests the masculine side
of the psyche or any strong masculine authority. @e is the ultimate masculine
creator and provider. .n the Thoth deck, he sits on a throne with right leg crossed
over left. @is arms and head form an upright triangle, while his legs form a cross.
@e holds a scepter &power+ in his left hand and an orb, with a <altese cross, in
his right hand. The main color is red. The card shows a ram, a shield with a two"
headed eagle, a flag, a lamb, coins, and bees on his blouse. The imagery of this
card suggests Jung's archetype of the father as well as the hero.
-. The @ierophant. $ike the %mperor, this card is usually shown as a mature man
wearing a crown and seated on a throne. The <arseilles deck shows the god
Jupiter. Some decks show this as the >ope or some other religious leader which
clearly distinguishes the difference between the @ierophant and the %mperor0 the
former is religious while the latter is civil or social. .n the Thoth deck, he is shown
fully clothed sitting on a throne holding a wand with three circles. 4 priestess is
shown standing before him together with a child dancing within a pentagram
within a heagram. 4lso shown is a five"petalled rose encircled by a snake,
elephants, a bird, and the four fied signs of the Iodiac. 1ine nails are shown at
the top. This card represents the conscience. The imagery suggests the
archetype of the religious teacher or Christ. .t also suggests the archetype of the
king as described by <oore and Cillette &'((98'(('+. 1ichols &'()2+ says that
this card, as well as that of the @ermit, represent Jung's archetype of the wise old
man.
*. The $overs, or Twins, or ,rothers. The <arseilles deck shows Cupid about to
shoot one of his famous arrows into a young couple. 4ll decks show a man and
woman together, and the general theme is love. This card suggests the union of
opposites, especially masculinity and femininity, anima and animus. Cupid is the
symbol of romance, but one that is usually governed more by emotions than by
rational thought. The Thoth deck shows the union of male8$eo8fire with
female8Scorpio8water represented by a king and #ueen as well as a white child
and a black child. The @ermit is shown blessing the couples. Cupid is shown
symboli=ing blind love. 4lso shown is a cup, a sword, an Frphic egg with snake,
an eagle, a lion, %ve, and $ilith. ,ars are shown in the background. This card
represents what Jung called the soul. The imagery suggests the archetype of the
lover &<oore 5 Cillette, '((98'(('+.
). The Chariot. <ost decks agree that the main symbol of this card is a chariot.
!sually a charioteer is also shown. The theme is powerful deliberate motion
toward a fied goal and thus a victory over space. The card symbolism suggests
the spiritual impulse which sooner or later will drive man to seek his true nature.
.n the Thoth deck the canopy of the Chariot is the blue of the feminine Sephirah,
,inah. The pillars are the four pillars of the universe. The scarlet wheels are fiery
creative energy. The Chariot is pulled by four sphines &the four Cherubs+. The
charioteer wears amber"colored armor and he holds a @oly Crail of amethyst. Fn
his head is a crab, and on his armor are ten stars. This card represents Jung's
persona- The imagery suggests the archetype of the warrior &<oore 5 Cillette,
'((98'(('+.
(. Justice or 4djustment. The main symbol for this card is a balance or scale
used for measuring weight. The scale is held by a goddess who holds an upright
sword. The symbolism represents the law of cause and effect0 those natural
forces which seek a balance or moderation in all things. The figure shown in the
Thoth deck is the feminine complement of the Bool, a young and slender woman.
She is poised on her toes and crowned with the feathers of <aat, the goddess of
justice. Fn her forehead is the !raeus serpent. She is masked &@arle#uin+ and
holds a magic Swords in both hands between her thighs. She is wrapped in a
Cloak of <ystery. ,efore her is a large two"pan balance. This card represents the
conscience. The imagery suggests the archetypes of justice, fairness, and
balance.
'9. The @ermit. 4lmost all decks agree that the symbolism of the @ermit is an
older man in a robe holding a staff in one hand and a lamp in the other. The lamp
is a symbol of the inner light of truth. The theme here is the wise old sage, the
inner guiding light of conscience illumined by the intuition. .n the Thoth deck he is
shown in the shape of the @ebrew letter .od. @e wears a cloak the color of
,inah. @e holds a lamp whose center is the sun. ,efore him is an Frphic egg
with coiled snake. The background is a field of wheat. 4lso shown is a
spermato=oon in the form of a serpent wand, and Cerberus the three"headed
dog. This card represents withdraw and meditation. The imagery of this card
suggests Jung's archetype of the wise old man &1ichols, '()2+.
''. The /heel of Bortune. The main symbol of this card is a wheel. The wheel is
a symbol for cycles, and the card represents the law of cyclic manifestation. The
original symbols of this card were probably meant to portray the doctrine of
reincarnation, as well as other cyclic processes. .n the Thoth deck stars line the
top of the card through which lightning strikes into a mass of blue and violet
plumes. .n the center is a wheel with '9 spokes. Fn the wheel are a sworded
sphin &sulphur+, @ermanubis &mercury+, and Typhon &salt+. The wheel is the %ye
of Shiva. This card represents evolution and the imagery suggests the
archetypes of fate and destiny.
';. Strength or $ust. <ost decks use the symbol of the lion in this card. The lion,
as the 6king of beasts,6 is a traditional symbol for strength. Some cards also
show a man, while others show a woman, who is controlling the lion in some way.
The theme here is controlled strength, or inner resolve that is directed toward a
goal. The Thoth deck shows a naked young woman riding on the back of a
seven"headed lion. She is overcome with ecstasy. She ho$ds the reins in her left
hand and the @oly Crail in her right hand. .n the background are the bloodless
images of all of the saints. 4long the top are shown ten serpents. This card
represents courage and inner strength. The imagery suggests the archetypes of
goodness and endurance.
':. The @anged <an. The @anged <an is just that, a man hanging upside down
from a wooden scaffold of some kind, usually in the form of a cross. <ost cards
show the man with his left leg bent to form a cross with his legs. The cross is the
traditional symbol for sacrifice. The theme here is the deliberate undergoing of a
selfless sacrifice, usually for the purpose of helping others. The Thoth deck
shows a naked man hanging upside down with his right leg crossed over his left
to form a cross. @is arms are outstretched to form an e#uilateral triangle. 4 green
?isk is at each of his five etremities. @e is suspended from an %gyptian ankh
&symbol of life+ and a serpent is wrapped around his left foot. The background is
green air over green water shot with white rays from Dether. ,eneath the man
sleeps a coils snake. The imagery of this card portrays the archetypes of
sacrifice and initiation. .t also suggests the archetype of the dying gods such as
Christ.
'2. ?eath. This card symboli=es death by a human skeleton. Sometimes the
skeleton is shown holding a sickle to suggest that death levels all living beings.
The theme is the process of death, which is an ending or completion of
something that we have known. ?eath also implies change of some kind, a
transformation. The Thoth deck shows death as a dancing skeleton bearing a
scythe. @e wears the Crown of Fsiris, the %gyptian god of the dead and is shown
in the waters of 4menti, an %gyptian after"death state. The sweep of his scythe
creates bubbles which contain the seeds of new life. Shown is a snake, a fish, a
scorpion, a lily, and an onion. This card represents death and sudden change.
The imagery suggests Jung's archetype of rebirth.
'7. Temperance or 4rt. This card is usually depicted by an angel who is pouring
water from one vase into another. The water is the 6water of life6 and its being
poured suggests that a necessary change of some kind is taking place. The
imagery of this card not only imply the skill or ability that is re#uired to 'get
through' unwanted eperiences, but those needed to turn such eperiences to
your advantage in some way. The Thoth deck shows ?iana the @untress, the
Creat <other of Bertility, and the <any",reasted. She wears a golden crown with
a silver band and is shown split into two halves. @er left hand pours white gluten
from a cup while her right hand holds a lance8torch dripping blood. The
alchemical symbols of blood and gluten mi in a cauldron. 4t her feet are a white
lion and a red eagle. This card portrays the archetype of the union of opposites
as defined in Jung's <ysterium Coniunctionis &'(-:8'()(+.
'-. The ?evil. The main symbol here is a devil. The <arseilles deck shows a
stereotyped, middle"age Christian concept of Satan complete with horns and a
forked tail. The /aite deck is much more refined, showing the stereotyped
version of a devilish black magician. <ost cards also show a naked man and
woman chained to a block. The theme is ,lack <agic and the card represents
slavery or confinement. The imagery of this card suggests the wrongness of an
overinflated ego. The Thoth deck shows a goat with large spiral horns and a third
eye in his forehead who is the god >an >angenetor, the 4ll",egetter. ,ehind him
is the trunk of a tree. ,efore him is a staff topped with a winged @orus. ,elow
him are two globes each containing dancing human figures. The globes and tree
together form a large phallus. This imagery here also represents bondage, and
suggests the archetype of the libido or psychic energy, including seual energy in
the Breudian sense.
'*. The $ightening Struck Tower. 4lmost all decks agree on the basic theme of
this card. 4 stone tower is shown being struck by a bolt of lightening with two
people falling from the destruction. The card suggests bad luck of all kinds, but
especially destruction and ruination. .n at least one sense, the card represents
the Ball of <an, because the lightening bolt is a symbol of an 6act of Cod6 that
forces man to fall from his protective tower, itself a symbol of a spiritual
environment, into mortality. The Thoth deck shows the destruction of a tower by
fire. ,roken figures fall from the tower. 4t the bottom of the card is the destruction
of the old by lightning and fire. .n the bottom right corner are the jaws of a fire"
breathing dragon. 4t the top is the %ye of @orus8Shiva. 4lso shown are a dove
with olive branch, and the lion"headed Cnostic god, 4brasa. This card
represents catastrophe. The imagery of this card suggests the archetype of
chaos.
'). The Star. The main symbol here is a star. Fne or more stars is shown over
the head of a goddess who is pouring water from two vases into a pool. The
goddess is usually shown naked, although the <arseilles deck shows her
partially clothed. She is .sis, the goddess of nature, and the waters are the
/aters of $ife. She is shown returning individual water into a collective pool, thus
indicating that nothing in life is ever lost. The theme here is one of hope. The
Thoth deck shows the naked %gyptian goddess 1ut. @er right hand is held high,
and she pours water from a gold cup onto her head. @er left hand is held low,
and she pours the immortal li#uor of life from a silver cup onto the junction of
land and water. ,ehind her is a celestial globe on which is a seven"pointed Star
of Genus. .n the left"hand corner is a seven"pointed Star of ,abalon. This card
represents hope and promise. The imagery suggests Jung's archetype of the
star. 4ccording to von Bran= &,oa, '((;+ Jung taught that the star symboli=es
that part of the personality that survives death0 the spiritual part of the psyche.
'(. The <oon. The main symbol here is the moon, and the cards of all decks
amplify the lunar theme with various symbols usually associated with the moon.
<ost cards show two towers with a stream running between them to illustrate the
idea of relationships. 4 scorpion, lobster, crayfish, or scarab, is often included to
represent the forces of regeneration. Fne or two dogs or jackals are often shown
to suggest the idea of the subconscious and the underworld. The theme here is
the astral world of the Dabbalists, the realm of illusions and dreams. The Thoth
deck shows a Cateway of 3esurrection. The bottom of the card shows the
beetle"headed Dhepera pushing the sun upward through the waters. 4bove
stands dual 4nubis"gods who guard the path that is a stream of serum tinged
with blood. They stand before black towers at the threshold of life and death. 4t
the path's end are nine drops of impure blood each in the shape of the @ebrew
letter .od. This card represents the instincts. The imagery suggests the
archetypes of dreams and the irrational as well as Jung's archetype of the moon.
4ccording to von Bran=, the moon is an archetypal symbol for the anima &,oa,
'((;+.
;9. The Sun. The main symbol of this card is the sun which is almost always
shown with etending rays, and sometimes with a face to suggest solar
intelligence. The <arseilles deck shows a young couple together under a sun.
The /aite deck shows a naked child riding a horse under a sun. The Colden
?awn deck shows two naked children holding hands under a sun. The sun, as
the generator of light and heat, is the symbol for life and the forces of conscious
creativity. The Thoth deck shows a green mound beneath a flaming ';"rayed
yellow sun. Two winged children dance together on the mound, but a wall
prevents them from the summit. 4t the feet of each child is a rose and cross.
4round the card are the signs of the Iodiac. The imagery of this card suggests
the archetypes of growth, success, and abundance as well as Jung's archetype
of the sun.
;'. Judgement. <ost decks represent Judgement with an angel blowing a horn
above a group of people. The heralding of a trumpet call, as an act of divine
judgement, is suggested here. The /aite deck shows people standing in coffin"
like boes which suggest that an after"death judgement is implied. The Colden
?awn card shows people chest"deep in water implying a renewal or
regeneration. .n the Thoth deck, around the top of the card is the body of the
goddess 1ut, the star goddess. The child"god @arpocrates stands beneath her in
outline, and @orus is shown sitting on a throne. 4 winged globe is shown below
him. 4t the bottom of the card is the @ebrew letter Shin containing three human
figures. The imagery of this card suggests the archetypes of evaluation, reward,
and completion.
;;. The !niverse. The last card of the major arcana includes the symbolism of
the four animals of the 4pocalypse and of the vision of %=ekiel. These are the
bull, the lion, the eagle, and man. 4 naked woman stands within a circular
wreath. .n the <arseilles deck, this woman is the fourth animal, but in most decks
she stands apart as a central figure. @er symbolism as the mother of the
universe is clearly suggested in the Colden ?awn deck where the wreath is a
ring of twelve globes which are obviously the twelve constellations of the Iodiac.
.n the Thoth deck, the universe is symboli=ed by a naked dancing maiden at the
center of the card. @er hands manipulate a spiral active8passive force. .n each
corner is one of the four Derubim. 4bout the maiden is an ellipse of *; circles. .n
the lower center is the @ouse of <atter. @er right foot stands on the head of a
snake. The card suggests a wheel of light within a yoni &a @indu feminine
symbol+. The imagery of this card suggests the archetypes of wholeness,
synthesis, and perfection.
Suary
The Tarot deck contains archetypal symbols that can be related to Jung's
analytical psychology. !se of the Tarot in therapy can be effective by having the
client conduct a reading under the guidance of the therapist, or tell a story based
on the imagery of several trump cards drawn at random. Then the therapist
encourages the client to discuss possible meanings of the symbols in his or her
own words. The therapist can then relate the symbolic meanings to the client's
problem in much the same manner as in Jungian dream analysis. 1ichols &'()2+
suggests that the sensory nature of the imagery can be improved by coloring the
pictures. To do this, the therapist would provide colorless images of the cards &a
Jero copy, for eample+ and crayons or colored pencils. The client could then
color in the pictures as they tell their story.
The therapeutic process can also be improved by using a chaos model approach
in which periods of psychic instability are deliberately induced through stimulation
of the imagination via the Tarot symbols. The Tarot symbols are so rich that one
or more are likely to produce archetypal stimulation in the client's psyche0 a
6drawing up from the depths6 &Jung, '(7-8'(*-, p. ;:2+. Such previously
unconscious contents can take the form of either attractors or repellors. .n this
way, concentration on Tarot symbols can induce psychic bifurcation points that
the therapist can then use to direct behavioral changes toward mutually agreed
upon attractors. Small stimuli by the therapist at such points can cause large
changes in later behavior.
TAROT
Symbolism and the Unconscious
Recognition of universal symbolism happens through the sub- and unconscious parts
of our psychological make-up. We do not have to consciously think of certain symbols
identified as "universal" to understand and comprehend their meanings.
An example of this at ork is the tarot. !t ould seem that the reader of the tarot
cards during a session ill intuitively chose the correct cards to read unconsciously"
and then interpret them using both knoledge learned and universal. #ven ithout
reading a book on tarot or having previous understanding of the sub$ect" a person
receiving a reading ill choose cards relevant to their situation. %here is no "magick"
involved ith tarot cards that isn&t already ithin us" hich makes it one of the
easiest forms of divination to learn and use. 'ecause e already kno and
understand the tarot picture symbols on an unconscious level" a person only needs
to practice and learn ho to recogni(e the symbols consciously to begin reading the
tarot for themselves.
%he )a$or Arcana of the tarot contains pictures and symbols that ill elicit an
emotional or mental response upon looking at them. *ou ill find that in most cases"
ith a good deck that has correct symbology" that your intuition on the meaning of
the card and symbol ill be correct. #ach card or symbol in the )a$or Arcana is an
archetype that is present in everyone&s psychology" hether in personality or as a
subconscious understanding. +ifferent cards represent different levels of spiritual and
emotional evolution and aareness and none are intrinsically good or bad.
,or example" imagine the card called "%he ,ool". %he ,ool is happy" alking along"
and about to fall off of a cliff. -e may be foolish and impulsive" as ell as donright
"foolish" for not looking here he is going. -oever" he is also trusting" refreshingly
childlike. an inner child so to speak. As the ,ool" e may go in and tread here
others fear to go" if only out of naivet/0.
Another example is +eath. %he thought of getting the "+eath 1ard" might make you
shiver and shake if you have seen too many scary movies. !n reality" death in a
symbolic sense 2hich is ho it is portrayed in the %arot3 is not "evil". +eath is the
ending of the old to bring in the ne. While the card is afully surreal-looking and
almost fear-inspiring" it is actually symbolic of change. 1hange and the death of an
idea or ay of life can be a scary thing for many people. 1hange brings ith it the
unknon. 'ut it also brings forth regeneration and groth.
)ost symbols act in the same ay as the tarot" neither being good or bad in
essence. We" as a people" have assigned good and bad traits to symbols and
ingrained it into our faith and have made it the dichotomy of our lives. Symbology
and the unconscious teaches us that all things" hether they seem good or bad at
the time" are actually positive in their on ay. All things teach us and help us gro
in a forard direction. %he %arot is only one of the many forms of pictorial forms of
symbology that allos us to communicate ith and understand the poer of our
unconscious mind a little more.
JUNG and TAROT
Symbolism and 4sychology
5,rom 'y(ant %arot6
1arl 7ung founded analytic psychology in response to the psychoanalysis of Sigmund
,reud. %his differs from the ,reudian model in dongrading the importance of
sexuality and childhood conflicts in the treatment of neuroses" and concentrates
more on a patient&s current conflicts. 7ung made the significant step of defining the
unconscious of a person as comprised of both a personal unconscious 2proceeding
from the experiences of the individual3 and a collective unconscious 2issuing from the
inherited structure of the brain" and common to humanity3. %his is important to
esoteric study in that it goes some ay toards explaining the poer of archetypal"
symbolic systems like the %arot. !ndeed" the concept of archetypes - potent universal
symbols appearing in myths" fairytales and dreams - is an important part of 7ung&s
concept of the unconscious.
7ung classified people as introverted and extroverted types" but more importantly
from the point of vie of the %arot" further classified them according to four functions
of the mind8 thinking" feeling" sensation and intuition. !n his final ork" )an and -is
Symbols" 7ung rote8
"%hese four functional types correspond to the obvious means by hich
consciousness obtains its orientation to experience. Sensation 2i.e. sense perception3
tells us that something exists. thinking tells you hat it is. feeling tells you hether
it is agreeable or not. and intuition tells you hence it comes and here it is going."
-e considered that" in each person" one or more of these functions predominate" and
that the others re9uire development through application if that person is to become
hole. 7ung put it like this8 ",or complete orientation all four functions should
contribute e9ually." %hese functions can help enrich our understanding of the )inor
Arcana8
Jungian Function Tarot Suit Element
Intuition Wands Fire
Feeling Cups Water
Thinking Swords Air
Sensation Pentacles Earth
%hree of the attributions look exactly right" but does !ntuition really correspond to
Wands and ,ire: !ntuition as creative" perceptive insight and initiator of action fits
the bill very ell. 7ung himself rote" "!ntuition is not mere perception" or vision" but
an active" creative process that puts into the ob$ect $ust as much as it takes out."
%he occultist +r. Arthur #dard Waite expressed the folloing" distinctly 7ungian"
vie of the %arot8 "%he %arot embodies symbolical presentations of universal ideas"
behind hich lie all the implicits of the human mind" and it is in this sense that they
contain secret doctrine" hich is the reali(ation by the fe of truths embedded in the
consciousness of all."
According to the theories of Carl Jung, tarot cards, particularly the a!or Arcana "the
first ## cards of the deck$ can %e used during psychological analysis&
While considered unscientific %y 'ost, Jung %elie(ed the sy'%olis' contained within the
Tarot could %e e)tre'ely useful to followers of analytical psychology& *y using a
selection of the cards to create a story, the sy'%ols can %e related to the pro%le' %eing
discussed&
Jung%s Archety$esIn psychological ter's, an archetype can %e %roadly descri%ed as a
'odel of a type of person or %eha(iour that can %e used in an interpreti(e 'anner& Jung
identified fi(e 'ain archetypes, these were+
The Persona+ The face we present to the world
The Shadow+ The part of us unacknowledged %ut that e)ists nonetheless
The Self+ The essence of the psyche, what ena%les the indi(idual
The Ani'a+ The fe'ale i'age in the 'ale psyche
The Ani'us+ The 'ale i'age in the fe'ale psyche
There are endless archetypes %ut the a%o(e fi(e together with a s'all a'ount of others
tend to %e the 'ost pre(alent& For e)a'ple, The other, The Child, The Wise an are all
archetypes which recur regularly& Archetypes relating to %eha(iour include that of
endurance and sacrifice, related to Strength and The ,anged an cards respecti(ely&
Ads %y -oogle
.our Tarot Cards for Free Clai' now your professional Tarot /eport for the whole of
#01#2 A%outAstro&co'
,ow To Change .our 3ife -et A Free 4u'erology /eading 5 Set 6ut 6n The /ight
Path For .ou www&4u'erologist&co'
The "a&or Arcana
The first ## cards in a Tarot deck are picture cards of i'ages such as The 3o(ers,
Strength and perhaps 'ost fa'ously, 7eath& 7uring a reading, these cards are generally
related to a situation or person within the life of the reader&
The E'press card, for e)a'ple, is representati(e of fertility and nature, this could %e
related to a 'other figure in the reader8s life or indicate that so'eone "or aspect of life,
such as a creati(e side$ needs to %e nurtured&
Archety$es in the Tarot
6f the ## cards co'prising the a!or Arcana, 'any can %e i''ediately identified with
Jung9s archetypes "for a co'prehensi(e list of how each card relates to a archetype, see
'y article Archetypes of the Tarot$&
The e)a'ple cited a%o(e, The E'press, with her swollen %elly and nature i'agery is
easily identified as The other, while The ,ierophant and The ,er'it can
si'ultaneously %e identified as Wise en as %oth relate to wisdo' and knowledge&
The "inor ArcanaFurther to attri%uting archetypes to the a!or Arcana, Jung also
attri%uted certain functions of the 'ind to corresponding suites of the inor Arcana+
Wands+ Intuition
Cups+ Feeling
Swords+ Thinking
Pentacles+ Sensation&
This article pro(ides a (ery %asic introduction to this fascinating su%!ect, for 'ore in
depth e)planations, read Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey %y Sallie 4ichols or
Tarot as a Way of Life: A Jungian Approach to the Tarot %y :aren ,a'aker;<ondag&
Carl Jung theori=ed that, when related to a psychological archetype, tarot cards could %e
helpful in aiding analytical psychology&
An archetype can %e %roadly defined as a type of person or %eha(iour> they can %e further
di(ided into two su% categories& The first, stereotypes, refer to one type of personality or
%eha(iour %eing o%ser(ed 'any ti'es and routinely applied "this tends to happen with
teenagers and young people$, and the second, epito'es, refer to the e)e'plification of a
personality or %eha(iour&
*y applying archetypes to the cards of the a!or Arcana "the first ## cards of the Tarot
pack$, Jung %elie(ed they could aid in finding solutions to the situation %eing discussed
"for an e)tre'ely %asic introduction to how tarot cards are used in concealing see Carl
Jung and the Tarot$&
'rie# (istory o# the Tarot
In legend, the Tarot is the oldest %ook known to 'ankind& 6riginally, each card
co'prised chapters in the *ook of Thoth "the ancient Egyptian -od of wisdo' and
knowledge$& When Egypt %egan to cru'%le, Thoth transferred the knowledge onto a set
of ## ta%lets using sy'%ols instead of words&
The ta%lets were disco(ered %y a %and of gypsies who transferred the infor'ation fro'
the' onto ## cards, which %eca'e the a!or Arcana&
Archety$es o# the Tarot
The following is a list of archetypes that can %e applied to the Tarot+
The Fool
Sy'%olis'+ Innocence and wonder&
Archetype+ The Child&
The agician
Sy'%olis'+ agic and power&
Archetype+ The Trickster&
The ,igh Priestess
Sy'%olis'+ Intuition
Archetype+ The Ani'a ;; the unconscious fe'ale ele'ent of the 'ale&
The E'press
Sy'%olis'+ 4ature and fertility&
Archetype+ The other&
The E'peror
Sy'%olis'+ asculine authority and power&
Archetype+ The Father and the ,ero&
The ,ierophant
Sy'%olis'+ -uidance or a teacher&
Archetype+ The Wise 6ld an&
The 3o(ers
Sy'%olis'+ 3o(er and union of opposites&
Archetypes+ The Soul or %oth the Ani'a and Ani'us "the opposite of the Ani'a, the
'ale ele'ent of the fe'ale$&
The Chariot
Sy'%olis'+ ,ard work and (ictory&
Archetype+ The Warrior&
Justice
Sy'%olis'+ *alance and !ustice&
Archetype+ Justice&
The ,er'it
Sy'%olis'+ Wisdo'
Archetype+ Another Wise 6ld an2
The Wheel of Fortune
Sy'%olis'+ Change, 'o(ing in circles&
Archetype+ Fate and 7estiny&
Strength
Sy'%olis'+ 7eter'ination&
Archetype+ Endurance&
The ,anged an
Sy'%olis'+ 4ecessary sacrifice&
Archetype+ Sacrifice&
7eath
Sy'%olis'+ Change, transition&
Archetype+ /e%irth
Te'perance
Sy'%olis'+ oderation&
Archetype+ The ?nion of 6pposites&
The 7e(il
Sy'%olis'+ *eing trapped&
Archetype+ The Trickster, or se)ual energy&
The Tower
Sy'%olis'+ Chaos, unwanted change&
Archetype+ Chaos&
The Star
Sy'%olis'+ ,ope and the spirit&
Archetype+ The Star&
The oon
Sy'%olis'+ E'otions&
Archetype+ The oon ;; linked with drea's&
The Sun
Sy'%olis'+ Joy&
Archetype+ The Sun&
Judge'ent
Sy'%olis'+ Judge'ent and co'pletion&
Archetype+ E(aluation and reward&
The World
Sy'%olis'+ Fulfil'ent&
Archetype+ Satisfaction, wholeness&
Tarot sy'%ols are instru'ental to the cards9 popularity and widespread use& *esides
helping in the co'prehension of difficult concepts, sy'%ols also help in di(ination&
The tarot card deck is 'ade up of ## cards called the 'a!or arcana and four 1@;card suits
called the 'inor arcana& The two 'ain sy'%ols of tarot are nu'%ers and i'ages&
There are no precise 'eanings for each card and layout, %ecause the language of tarot is
co'ple) in that it is dependent upon the interpretation conducted %y the indi(idual
in(ol(ed in the reading& So'e tarot readers co'pare the art of reading to a 'irror, as the
cards are said to reflect one9s own hopes and fears&
?nderstanding the sy'%olis' of the tarot cards does not happen o(ernight& It reAuires
practice, patience and perse(erance&
)nderstanding the Sybolic *anguage o# Tarot
The sy'%olis' of tarot ser(es two 'ain purposes
3earning ; The sy'%ols help tarot card readers understand concepts that are hard
to (isuali=e and understand&
7i(ination ; E(ery card tells a story a%out one9s own personal !ourney at any point
in ti'e& Sy'%ols can refer to a (ariety of interpretations e(ery ti'e the sa'e card
is read, %ased on the card reader9s e)perience and intuition&
'eginners Guide to *earning the Sybolis o# Tarot !ards
The following step;%y;step tips could accelerate the fa'iliari=ation process associated
with tarot cards, allowing one to grasp the %asic 'eaning of each card in a relati(ely short
duration of ti'e& An in;depth study of each card will take 'uch longer to acco'plish&
Separate the cards of the 'a!or arcana fro' the tarot deck& 3ay the cards in a line
or two rows&
Choose the card that you are 'ost attracted to, and look up its co'plete
interpretation& -et to know the card well& /epeat this with other cards in the deck
that hold an attraction&
3ook up the sy'%ols associated with each tarot card and write down whate(er
co'es to 'ind when (iewing the sy'%ol& ?se free association for this process
and keep the writings in a tarot card !ournal for future reference&
Start working with cards that are the easiest to co'prehend& Then 'o(e on to
cards that are 'ore difficult to understand&
6nce the cards of the 'a!or arcana are studied, focus on the cards of the 'inor
arcana, %y choosing a fa(orite suit after studying the sy'%olis' of each suit&
Sybolis o# !ard +eading +ituals
So'e tarot card readers like to use e'power'ent rituals %efore starting a reading& So'e
of the rituals and their 'eanings are as follows+
:eep the cards wrapped in a silk cloth to protect cards fro' negati(e psychic
energy&
Place candles and crystals around a card layout to help the card reader i'pro(e
focus&
3ight sandalwood incense to sy'%oli=e the act of %ringing in healing energy&
Pass a crystal pendulu' o(er the cards to draw out negati(e energies&
The tarot deck has %een used for centuries for di(ination and to disco(er hidden truths&
Sy'%ols are key to the popularity and success of tarot cards, %ecause they speak the
uni(ersal language of %asic hu'an feelings, ideas and thoughts& Its helpful to re'e'%er
that tarot sy'%ols are su%!ect to constant redefinition and their 'eanings e(ol(e with the
card reader&
?nderstanding the language of Tarot or Tarot ter'inology is the first step to learning the
art of reading Tarot cards&
Tarot is the syste' of using BC picture cards for predicting the future andDor e)periencing
spiritual awareness& Atte'pting to understand Tarot, for a %eginner, could %e
o(erwhel'ing, as there is a lot of new ter'inology to co'prehend %efore continuing
further&
The following Tarot dictionary should help de'ystify so'e of the 'ore co''only used
ter's&
Arcana
3iterally 'eans 'atters which are hidden, sacred& Alludes to the occult significance of
sy'%ols& The BC tarot cards are split into a!or Arcana containing ## cards and inor
Arcana containing EF cards&
Archety$e
The i'age or 'odel e)isting in the collecti(e unconscious for si'ilar type of 'aterial
'anifestations& Each of the ## cards of the a!or Arcana, represents an archetype& So'e
e)a'ples are agician, ,igh Priestess, ,anged an, 7e(il, Fool&
!artoancy
The practice of reading the future and one9s personality through the use of cards&
!eltic !ross
6ne of the 'ost popular 10 card Tarot layouts& It in(ol(es arranging si) cards in a cross,
and another four cards arranged (ertically to the side of the cross&
!ourt !ards
:ing, Gueen, :night, Page> in so'e decks, :ing, Gueen, Prince and Princess, which in a
reading can represent identifia%le indi(iduals, or specific traits ascri%ed to the client&
!ross
A type of card layout where two lines 'eet& The center of the two lines is considered as
the point where the old 'eets the new&
!ro,n
Crown is a sy'%ol of royalty& Cards featuring an archetype wearing a crown indicates
hisDher authority and co''and&
!u$s
6ne of the four suits identified with the water ele'ent, sy'%oli=ing e'otions, lo(e and
other strong feelings&
Discs
6ne of the four suits identified with the earth ele'ent, sy'%oli=ing 'aterial possessions,
practicality, physical %ody, deter'ination& The disc is also known as the pentacle&
Di-ination
The art of foretelling the future with intuition or psychic a%ilities& 7i(ination is one of the
uses of Tarot&
.ing
6ne of the four court cards of the inor Arcana& :ing of Wands represents leadership&
:ing of Pentacles represents sound financial wisdo'& :ing of Swords represents
Authority and co''and& :ing of Cups represents wise counsel&
.night
6ne of the four court cards of the inor Arcana, generally sy'%oli=ing younger,
i'pulsi(e nature&
"a&or Arcana
This is the heart of the Tarot& The ## cards of the Tarot known as The -reater Secrets&
Each a!or Arcanu' shows a scene with a person or se(eral people with 'any sy'%olic
ele'ents&
"inor Arcana
The EF cards of the Tarot known as The 3esser Secrets& These are di(ided into @ suits,
closely rese'%ling the 'odern card deck of E# playing cards&
Page
6ne of the four court cards representing youth, news or co''unications&
Pentacles
6ne of the suits of the inor Arcana sy'%oli=ing the earth ele'ent& 6ther na'es for
Pentacles are 7iscs, Coins, -old or 7ia'onds& This suit is grounded in the physical
world and is used to identify with issues of practicality&
Pi$ !ard
Pip refers to nu'%ered cards of all four suits, fro' Ace to 10&
Prince
6ne of the four court cards of the inor Arcana& In 'ore 'odern decks the Prince takes
the place of the :night&
Princess
6ne of the four court cards of the inor Arcana& In 'ore 'odern decks the Princess
takes the place of the Page&
/ueen
6ne of the four court cards of the inor Arcana& /epresents the fe'inine personality&
Gueen of Wands represents a career wo'an& Gueen of Pentacles represents a practical
'anager& Gueen of Swords represents intelligence& Gueen of Cups represents deep
feeling and intuition&
+une
A letter in the writing script of -er'anic tri%es& /unes "cards with inscriptions of the
runic alpha%et$, si'ilar to tarot cards, are used for di(ination& /unes are said to ha(e
originated a%out a thousand years %efore Tarot&
Sage
/epresents wisdo', sound !udg'ent and understanding& Sage sy'%olis' is one of the
Aualities of the ,er'it card of the a!or Arcana&
S$read
The pattern or the layout of the cards in a reading&
Suit
-roup of Cards that all use the sa'e sy'%ol& The four sy'%ols are Cups, Wands, Swords
and Pentacles&
S,ords
6ne of the four suits, identified with the air ele'ent, sy'%oli=ing energy, action,
intellect&
Tru$s
## cards of the a!or Arcana are also called Tru'ps&
0ands
6ne of the four suits, associated with fire, sy'%oli=ing work and career&
Though the Tarot is often thought of as a di(initory tool, there are other ways in which
the Tarot can %e used, including counseling, rituals, and ga'es&
?sing the Tarot takes 'any different for's& So'e of these rese'%le counseling sessions,
others are 'ore like the traditional di(ination you see in 'o(ies& Tarot can %e used for
'editation, ritual, or e(en for ga'es& ?sing the Tarot can allow you to gain appropriate
insights into situations or your own self, and e(en encourages taking responsi%ility for
yourself and your actions& -roups can also use the Tarot for si'ilar purposes&
Tarot !ounseling
The idea of Tarot counseling is %eco'ing 'ore popular& Tarot counseling can %e
understood, at least on a %asic le(el, to refer to the act of gi(ing counsel or ad(ice
utili=ing the Tarot as a tool& This is usually done %y a professional Tarot reader, hopefully
so'eone who has e)perience in counseling& The reader has to %e cautious, howe(er, of
ad'inistrating ad(ice deri(ed fro' a deck of cards, no 'atter how insightful that ad(ice
'ight %e& The Tarot should not %e used independently, %ut as a part of a greater
counseling progra'& As a general rule, Tarot counseling should %e only as a used %y a
professional&
Tarot as a Di-inatory Tool
7i(ination is considered %y 'any to %e the pri'ary purpose of the Tarot& Today, Tarot is
used around the world to recei(e guidance and spiritual insight& ost e)perienced readers
will tell you that the infor'ation recei(ed fro' the Tarot is not Hotherworldly8 or
Hsupernatural8 in any way& The infor'ation co'es fro' within the reader and the Auerent
"the person for who' the cards are %eing read$& That infor'ation is fro' the Huni(ersal
su%conscious8 that e(eryone is connected to& The infor'ation was already a(aila%le& The
Tarot si'ply opens a channel through which that infor'ation can %e re(ealed&
Tarot #or "editation and +itual
The archetypal sy'%olis' of the Tarot can connect on an inner le(el to the su%conscious
'ind& This 'eans that these sy'%ols can %e used in the practice of 'editation& Successful
'editation usually reAuires a degree of (isuali=ation, and the cards of the Tarot can
pro(ide the essence of that (isuali=ation& With a little practice, anyone can learn to
entwine their own 'editations with the powerful i'ages of the Tarot&
In the sa'e way, an indi(idual card or a group of cards can %e used as the (isual and
energetic focus of a ritual& The Tarot can %e integrated into rituals fro' 'any different
traditions& Take a look at your own rituals and look for ways to 'ake the Tarot a part of
your cere'onies& Perhaps use the' during a 'editation& 6r select four cards to represent
the four Guarters, if your ritual in(okes the'& .ou 'ight also choose two cards, usually
the E'press and the E'peror, to represent the -oddess and the -od& Study the essence of
your rituals for appropriate places to integrate the sy'%ols of the Tarot&
The "ore 1ri-olous )ses o# the Tarot
The Tarot doesn8t ha(e to %e used for anything as serious as counseling, di(ination,
'ediation, or ritual& The Tarot, with its (i(id i'agery, can %e used as a source of
inspiration& If you e(er find yourself searching for your inner 'use, pull out your fa(orite
Tarot deck& /ando'ly select a s'all group of cards, perhaps laying the' out in a spread&
Study the cards %efore you and see if you can find a co''on the'e that gi(es you a %urst
of inspiration&
-a'es are always popular, and the Tarot can %e used for trick;taking ga'es, !ust as it has
%een for centuries& -a'es using the Tarot are wide spread, especially in Europe, where
the ga'e tarot is Auite popular in England and France& Also called Tarocchi in Italy and
Tarock in -er'any, this ga'e is Auite traditional, %ased upon rules esta%lished
throughout the centuries& There are 'ore 'odern ga'es as well& So'e of these are
played with the di(inatory usage of the Tarot in 'ind& any are played purely for
entertain'ent, others are used as tea';%uilding e)ercises or e(en spiritual de(elop'ent&
There are 'any different ways in which you 'ight choose to use the Tarot& They don8t
only ha(e to %e used for di(ination& .ou can choose to use the Tarot and their psychology
in whate(er way feels right to you&
To get the %est results with a tarot deck, one 'ust %ond with it& The %onding process can
%e si'ple or co'ple)& Pick the %est 'ethod for you&
A tarot deck can %e read as soon as it is unwrapped& If a person has any training or natural
skill, the tarot will speak to her& ,owe(er, it is %etter to %ond with the cards& The tarot
cards are tools and the practitioner should %e fa'iliar with the deck&
A carpenter prefers to use his tools %ecause he is fa'iliar with the'& They feel
co'forta%le in his hands& The sa'e is true for a tarot reader& The 'ore fa'iliar a person
is with her deck the %etter it will work for her& *onding is the process of %uilding that
fa'iliar relationship& *onding can %e done Auickly or gradually, as part of an ela%orate
ritual or si'ply %y handling the cards and learning their pictures&
A /uic2 "ethod to 'ond 0ith a tarot Dec2
This 'ethod of tarot %onding is perfect for a rush !o%& The tarot reader spreads the deck
out or !ust holds the tarot in one hand& 4e)t the reader e)tends her pro!ecti(e "usually the
right$ hand o(er the deck and %lesses the'&
The tarot can %e %lessed in the na'e of deity or in the na'e of a power like -oodness,
4ature or Peace& II call upon the Earth other and Sky Father to %less 'y tarot and let its
sy'%ols guide 'e and 'y clients to wisdo'I is an e)a'ple of a di(inity;%ased %lessing&
A reader can %less the tarot deck in her own na'e& Any words that co'e to 'ind can %e
used like II %less this deck and ask it to help guide 'yself and others on their true paths&I
6nce the deck is %lessed the reader 'ust shuffle the cards until the deck feels co'forta%le
in her hands& 4ow it is ready for use& It is a good idea to use one of the longer %onding
'ethods later&
Slee$ing 0ith the tarot !ards as a 'onding "ethod
Sleep is one of the easiest and %est 'ethods of tarot %onding& It lets the tarot9s sy'%olis'
seep into ones drea's and take root& It is not necessary to perfor' an ela%orate ritual or
%lessing %efore sleeping on the cards& The reader si'ply unwraps the' and places the'
%eneath the pillow& Then she goes to sleep as she nor'ally would& In the 'orning she can
either put the' away or lea(e the' there for another night& 6ne night will do the trick,
%ut the 'ore nights the %etter&
Tying one8s sleep tarot %onding to the 'oon phase will help& The 'oon rules drea's, the
unconscious, deep 'ysteries and the tarot& The three nights of the dark of the 'oon is
perfect& The dark of the 'oon to the full 'oon is, also, an e)cellent ti'e to sleep on a
tarot deck& If the 'oon8s phase is unknown, use nu'%ers with 'agical or personal
significance& J, E, B, K and 1J are psychically powerful nu'%ers& If the nu'%er F is
i'portant to a reader %ecause it is her %irthday or the nu'%er C has always %een lucky for
her, she can use those nu'%ers&
+eligious and "agical tarot 'onding
any tarot practitioners like to use spiritual or 'agical rituals to %ond with their tarot
cards& So'e rituals in(oke sigils or the ele'ents& any religions ha(e esta%lished rituals
for %lessing sacred tools& So'e tarot practitioners adapt these rituals to include the tarot&
A reader should feel free to create a ritual in keeping with her religious %eliefs& If she is
unsure how do to so, she can consult with a religious leader who is open to the tarot&
1un 0ays to 'ond ,ith a tarot Dec2
?sing the tarot cards is, perhaps, the 'ost en!oya%le way to %ond with the'& Playing with
one8s deck is essential to learning the sy'%ols& The reader shuffles the tarot deck se(eral
ti'es and then sorts it& She lays it out in different patterns and studies each card& She
looks for so'ething she has not noticed %efore& She considers its sy'%olis'& She
wonders why the artist included it& She studies how it adds to the o(erall picture& She lays
each suit out in order and studies its progression or lays out the cards %y nu'%er and sees
what each card has in co''on with the other cards of the sa'e nu'%er& When finished,
she gathers up the cards and shuffles the' again&
It does not 'atter which 'ethod of %onding with the tarot cards is used& any people use
'ore than one& The i'portant thing is to %ond with the tarot cards& The 'ore fa'iliar a
reader is with her cards, the stronger her attach'ent will %e, and the %etter they will work
for her& 6nce a person has created a strong connection with her tarot deck she can use it
for readings and 'editation& ore infor'ation on tarot *onding can %e found in the
article,
-etting to :now .our 7eck&
The Tarot are a widely used di(inatory syste' often used %y those seeking solutions to
current pro%le's& ,owe(er, there are so'e things they cannot do&
Tarot has %een used for 'any different purposes& 6(er the years, 'any different ideas
ha(e e'erged concerning what the Tarot can and cannot do&
!an Tarot !ards Predict the 1uture3
Tarot cards do not predict the future, at least not in the classic sense& The only way the
Tarot can predict the future is to gi(e a H'ost likely8 response& ,owe(er, the act of
knowing a%out a thing often changes that thing& 6nce a H'ost likely8 future is known,
especially if it is a negati(e one, it is highly possi%le that this e(ent has already %een
altered&
6ccasionally, so'eone will atte'pt to use the Tarot to predict the future& These atte'pts
'ay use the inor Arcana, the a!or Arcana, or %oth& ,owe(er, since Tarot do not
predict the future, the only answer they really gi(e is the 'ost pro%a%le outco'e %ased on
the present situation&
0hat the Tarot !an Do
Tarot cards are a tool that can %e consulted when the situation warrants it& They are %est
used to re(eal the Aualities of a specific 'o'ent when the indi(idual has a particular
pro%le' or situation in 'ind& Tarot cards, when used in a spread, can gi(e deeper
'eaning to e(ents already in 'otion, and outline possi%le outco'es of these e(ents&
Instead of predicting the future, the Tarot re(eals the 'o'ent& E(ery choice that is 'ade
affects the future& E(ery 'o'ent is a conseAuence of the decisions that ha(e %een 'ade
in the past& Therefore, the future will spring fro' the present 'o'ent and the choices that
are 'ade& It is in the 'aking of these choices that the Tarot has its 'ost effecti(e use&
The Tarot can gi(e hints and suggestions as to how to cope with the 'o'ent, in an
atte'pt to shape the future& It is i'portant to re'e'%er that the Tarot reflects the inner
thoughts and feelings of the indi(idual& It is for this reason that the indi(idual reading the
cards 'ust ha(e a clear and focused 'ind, thinking only of the situation at hand&
Tarot cards are also a tool %y which the ele'ents of a situation can %e re(ealed& They can
show an indi(idual how they got where they are, and perhaps e(en a possi%le way out of
the present situation& Typically, Tarot cards tend to e)press a ti'e period of around si)
'onths, so they do often gi(e (alua%le ad(ice for solutions to current pro%le's&
0hat the Tarot !annot Do
Tarot cards cannot predict the future, no 'atter what anyone clai's& They do not gi(e a
concrete account of fi)ed e(ents that ha(e yet to happen, or re(eal anyone8s fate or
destiny& The Tarot cannot help so'eone pass an e)a' or get a pro'otion at work&
The Tarot cannot and do not guarantee any outco'e or situation& It would %e folly to
think that they will& They are a di(inatory tool, and a powerful one, %ut they should not
and cannot %e the only tool that an indi(idual uses in deter'ining the nature of a situation
or how to react to it&
The Tarot does not control anyone8s destiny& Each indi(idual 'akes their own fate,
though 'ost people do not reali=e this& HFate8 is really a su%conscious thing, and the Tarot
helps each person connect to that su%conscious&
Tarot cards are an elusi(e and 'ysterious thing& They can %e used as a guide, %ut
a%solutely should not %e relied upon when planning one9s future& It is also i'portant to
re'e'%er that Tarot cards are only a (alid di(inatory tool if they are properly cared for&
There are EF cards in 'inor arcana, di(ided into four suits ; Wands, Cups, Swords and
Pentacles& Each suit has court cards like king and Aueen, and nu'%ered cards&
The tarot card syste' consists of ## 'a!or arcana cards and EF 'inor arcana cards& a!or
arcana cards are also called tru'p cards and deal with the %ig issues of one9s life& The
cards of the 'inor arcana deal with e(eryday issues and also show ways to 'anage
different aspects of life&
1our 4leents o# the "inor Arcana in Tarot
Also called pip cards, the 'inor arcana cards are di(ided into four suits, si'ilar to a deck
of standard playing cards& The four suits are wands, cups, swords and pentacles& The four
suits sy'%oli=e the ele'ents of fire, water, air and earth& So'e cards of the 'inor arcana
are nu'%ered, while other cards are called court cards& The four court cards are king,
Aueen, knight and page&
The nu'%ered cards represent a specific stage of one9s life& For e)a'ple, ace of wands
represents the %eginning of spiritual Auest& The court cards represent the traits and
characteristics of one9s personality&
0hat do 0ands Syboli5e in Tarot3
Wands are also called rods, %atons or staffs& Wands represent spirituality, inspiration,
passion& The ele'ent of fire is associated with wands& Spark of inspiration, source of
illu'ination and fiery spirit are so'e words used to descri%e characteristics of the tarot
wands&
0hat do !u$s Syboli5e in Tarot3
Cups are also called chalices& Cups are a%le to hold water and other liAuids& 7eeply felt
e'otions are sy'%oli=ed %y the tarot cups&
0hat do S,ords Syboli5e in Tarot3
Swords 'ay also %e called %lades in so'e tarot decks& The ele'ent of air is associated
with swords&
Swords, like words, 'o(e through the air and hence, swords are related to thoughts, ideas
and other 'eans of co''unication& Sword cards are sy'%oli=ed %y the intellect and
other pursuits of the 'ind&
0hat do Pentacles Syboli5e in Tarot3
There are 'any alternate na'es for pentacles ; coins, disks, stones, worlds, stars&
Pentacles are associated with the earth ele'ent& Tangi%les, physical realities of hu'an
e)istence are sy'%oli=ed %y pentacles&
Tarot is rich in sy'%olis' and cards of the 'inor arcana are no e)ception& *esides the
ele'ental association of each suit, the nu'%er on each card has its own nu'erological
significance& If the 'a!or arcana descri%es the 'ysteries of life, the 'inor arcana cards
descri%e how the 'ystery of life is e)perienced on a daily %asis&
a!or Arcana cards are considered i'portant %ecause the cards relate to 'a!or life
changes, %ig issues, %asic challenges of hu'an e)perience, fears and other e'otions&
The standard tarot deck consists of BC cards, ## of which are, cards of the 'a!or arcana
and the re'aining EF cards co'prise the 'inor arcana& Arcana 'eans, Iprofound secretI
or Iso'ething hidden and sacred&I
The ## cards of the 'a!or arcana are considered the heart of the tarot deck& These cards
deal with the %ig issues of one9s life& Each of these cards sy'%oli=es an aspect of hu'an
e)perience that9s uni(ersal and consistent&
0hy is the "a&or Arcana S$ecial3
7rawing a 'a!or arcana card is gi(en e)tra i'portance %ecause, it i'plies that the issue
on hand is not tri(ial or te'porary& It deals with %asic fears, 'oti(ations, concerns&
4u'erology, astrology and other esoteric sciences are used in the interpretation of the
patterns of the 'a!or arcana&
So'e interpreters of tarot also (iew the cards of the 'a!or arcana as different stages in
the life of an indi(idual& So'e tarot readers refer to the 'a!or arcana as the workings of
fate&
0hat are the !ards o# the "a&or Arcana3
The ## cards of the 'a!or arcana are+
The Fool
The agician
The ,igh Priestess
The E'press
The E'peror
The ,ierophant
The 3o(ers
The Chariot
Strength
The ,er'it
The Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The ,anged an
7eath
Te'perance
The 7e(il
The Tower
The Star
The oon
The Sun
The Judg'ent
The World
0hy is the 1ool !ard Assigned the 6uber 73
The Fool card sy'%oli=es creation fro' nothingness& In tarot ga'es, unlike the occult
tarot deck, the fool card is independent of the tru'p cards and suit cards, as it does not
%elong in either category and hence was unnu'%ered&
The historic nu'eric (alue assigned to the fool card is retained in 'ost of the 'odern
tarot decks like the /ider Waite deck& In so'e tarot decks, the fool card is assigned the
nu'%er ## which is the position of the (ery last card&
So'e tarot readers (iew the nu'%er 0 of the fool card to 'ean that the circle has no
%eginning or end& The fool card also represents the circle of life ; of %irth, death and
reincarnation&
An archetype is an i'age or 'odel that is present in hu'anity9s collecti(e consciousness&
Each of the 'a!or arcana cards represents an archetype represented %y an i'age and
so'eti'es an associated nu'%er&
Its often said that the i'age of the 'a!or arcana card is worth 'ore than the pro(er%ial
thousand words, as there are 'any ways of interpreting the cards, depending on the
spread, the other cards in the reading and the card reader9s intuition&
Card Zero of the Tarot Deck's Major Arcana The Fool
Card
Tarot9s Fool Card ,as a 4u'eric Lalue of <ero ; MShades
The fool card, with nu'eric (alue 0, i'plies new %eginnings, ad(enture, opti'is', hope,
intuition& When in(erted, fool i'plies haste, need for caution&
The fool card is one of the ## 'a!or arcana cards in the tarot deck& The fool card is
assigned a nu'eric (alue of =ero& The i'age on a fool card shows a young 'an
e'%arking on a !ourney&
The fool card could 'ean a wise fool, a court !ester, carni(al fool, !oker of the standard
card deck& The fool can %e co'pared to any 'ythic character who undertakes a 'ission
or a Auest&
0hy Does the 1ool !ard (a-e a 8alue o# 9ero3
The Fool card sy'%oli=es creation fro' nothingness& In tarot ga'es, unlike the occult
tarot deck, the fool card is independent of the tru'p cards and suit cards, as it does not
%elong in either category and hence was unnu'%ered&
<ero is an unusual nu'%er& It9s in the 'iddle of the nu'eric syste' as it9s neither positi(e
nor negati(e& Si'ilarly, the fool is fresh, spontaneous and open& So'e people interpret
the fool as the first and last card of the tarot deck& It signifies that the end of one phase in
life is often the %eginning of another&
0hat Does the 1ool !ard +e$resent3
The fool does not always i'ply foolishness& The fool signifies the energetic ad(enturer,
who sets off on a !ourney with hope and opti'is'& ,e has fresh and original ideas and is
willing to take the leap of faith&
-uided %y intuition and insight instead of logic and con(entional wisdo', the fool card
represents youthful energy and child;like e)u%erance&
The astrological significance of the fool card is the sign of Aries> it represents the pioneer
archetype and has a planetary association with ?ranus, signifying re%ellion&
7rawing the fool card usually indicates that the Auerent is at the %eginning of a new
(enture& It could 'ean a new relationship, pregnancy, a new !o% or launch of a %usiness&
Since the i'age of the fool card is a young 'an who is always young and energetic, fro'
a health standpoint, drawing a fool card %odes well and i'plies that one is in good health&
"eaning o# +e-ersed 1ool !ard
7rawing the in(erted fool card 'eans that one could %e unprepared for a potential fall
and that a decision is %eing 'ade too hastily& In such cases, the tarot reader 'ight ad(ise
caution and it 'ay %e ad(isa%le to reconsider all options %efore 'aking a decision&
The fool card i'plies 'ore than new ad(entures, !ourneys and %eginnings& Fro' a
spiritual standpoint, it also i'plies a uni(erse where e(ents co'e full circle& The fool is a
re'inder to not take oneself (ery seriously and to %e guided 'ore %y the heart than %y the
head&
Tarot Card Symbolism The Star of the Major Arcana
The Star of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot is the %ringer of hope for the Fool after he
encounters the Tower& ,ow does this affect a Tarot readingM
The Star is the se(enteenth card of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot& It is the e'%odi'ent of
hope for the future and faith that this future will co'e&
The Sybolis o# the Star Tarot !ard
This card is represented %y a wo'an kneeling %eside a pond& She has one foot in the
water, the other on land, 'uch as Te'perance did& A%o(e her head, there is a shining star&
She holds two !ugs, which she is pouring out, one onto land, the other into the water&
The Star %ears the nu'%er N1B,O and the card %rings hope for the Fool , following his
encounter with the Tower&
The General Inter$retation o# the Star Tarot !ard
When appearing in a spread, this card i'plies an e)perience of hope, perhaps e(en faith&
,owe(er, this card can %e difficult to interpret& It 'ay signify the co'ing of hope, or it
could warn against %lind hope& The interpretation is %est deter'ined %y e(aluating the
other cards in the spread and relying on your own instincts during the reading&
The Star is a welco'e relief for the Fool at this stage of his !ourney& ,e has passed
though fear and strife, and e)perienced the collapse of all he held dear& 4ow, he has so'e
hope for the future, and a renewed faith in hi'self&
The Inner "eaning o# the Star Tarot !ard
The Star is the i'age of all that hu'ans cling to+ the notion that, no 'atter how %ad
things 'ight see', there is always a gli''er of hope& This card is not one of plans and
action, %ut rather of feeling and e'otion& It is a card associated with waiting and patience,
'uch like the ,er'it and the ,anged an&
The Star is not a card of sche'es and e)pectations> instead, it is a card of intuition and
instinct& The Star shows the Fool that not e(erything is a 'atter of fact or circu'stance&
So'e situations reAuire hope and %elief&
This is also a card of renewal& As the lady pours water on %oth land and sea, she renews
the physical and spiritual aspects of the Fool& 6nce renewed, he can continue upon his
!ourney&
The Star is encountered %y the Fool after he 'eets the Tower, on the path to his 'eeting
with the oon&
Tarot Card Symbolism The Moon of the Major Arcana
The oon of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot is the %ringer of uncertainty for the Fool after
he encounters the Star& ,ow does this affect a Tarot readingM
The oon is the eighteenth card of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot& It is the e'%odi'ent
of the life of the i'agination&
The Sybolis o# the "oon Tarot !ard
This card is represented %y %oth a wolf and a do'esticated dog howling at a frowning
'oon& The wolf and dog i'ply fears of the natural 'ind, while the frowning 'oon shows
its displeasure& There is also a crayfish that is crawling out of the water onto the land&
The oon %ears the nu'%er N1C,O and is the %ringer of uncertainty for the Fool after his
encounter with the Star&
The General Inter$retation o# the "oon Tarot !ard
When appearing in a spread, this card i'plies a period of uncertainty, fluctuation, and
confusion& It can 'ean that you are caught in your own 'ind, and you can do nothing %ut
wait, clinging to the (ague 'e'ories of hope and faith that were presented in the Star
card&
The Fool, also caught within the su%conscious 'ind, %egins to reflect& ,e reali=es that his
own personal !ourney of de(elop'ent is only a lesser part of a greater whole& With this
enlighten'ent, he awaits his re%irth with a cal' certainty that it will co'e
The Inner "eaning o# the "oon Tarot !ard
The oon is the i'age of the 'ystery of the su%conscious& The ,igh Priestess and
Wheel of Fortune interpretations are also related to this the'e& These three cards are
linked, pro(iding a deeper understanding of the su%conscious real'& The oon is also a
card of drea's and night'ares, perhaps indicating that your drea's are trying to tell you
so'ething&
+ead This 6e:t
This card e)plores the hidden depths of the su%conscious& It is a confusing, chaotic,
world, and in this world, you are %ut a tiny part of the 'uch greater whole& Personal
feelings and !ourneys pale in co'parison to this& .our own place in this uni(erse
suddenly doesn8t see' as i'portant&
This is also a card of the ani'al nature, and the instincti(e fear of that ani'al nature& The
'essage of this card is that if you are still and cal', a cal' 'ay co'e upon the ani'al
nature, that it 'ay cease to atte'pt 'anifestation& -i(ing yourself up to this nature 'ay
!ust %e the only way to ta'e it&
It is in the oon that the Fool finally reali=es that there is 'ore to life than !ust hi'&
There is a greater world %eyond his own, a world that cries out to %e e)plored& This is an
idea that gi(es rise to so'e uncertainty in the Fool&
The oon is encountered %y the Fool after he 'eets the Star& This occurs while on the
path to his 'eeting with the Sun&
Tarot Card Symbolism The Tower of the Major Arcana
The Tower of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot is the force of cataclys' for the Fool after he
encounters The 7e(il& ,ow does this affect a Tarot readingM
The Tower is the si)teenth card of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot& It is the e'%odi'ent of
changes that 'ust %e 'ade, willing or not&
The Sybolis o# the To,er Tarot !ard
This card is represented %y a tower that has !ust %een hit %y lightning and is afla'e& Two
figures are falling fro' high atop the tower& This card is generally considered to %e an ill
o'en&
The Tower %ears the nu'%er N1F,O and is the force of cataclys' for the Fool after his
encounter with The 7e(il&
The General Inter$retation o# the To,er !ard
When appearing in a spread, this card i'plies the %reakdown of e)isting thoughts and
for's& ,ow difficult or painful this will %e depends on the attitude with which you
approach this card, 'uch as with 7eath&
The Tower is a card of fear for 'any, for the fall it indicates cannot %e a(oided& Willing
or not, the fall will happen& The only (aria%le in(ol(es how you decide to react to the
de(astation suggested %y this card&
The Fool is also faced with this decision& 7oes he accept what 'ust %e, or does he fight
against the fatesM The 7e(il showed hi' that changes had to %e 'ade& If he does not
'ake these changes hi'self, the Tower will 'ake the' for hi'&
The Inner "eaning o# the To,er in Tarot
The Tower is the i'age of the collapse of old for's, including old thoughts and %eliefs&
Since it is the only 'an;'ade structure in the entire a!or Arcana, it represents those
things that are %uilt %y you and only you& This can and usually does include the 'any
social facades that are worn %y people in society& It i'plies that perhaps you are wearing
your own 'ask, hiding fro' the truth, disguising who and what you truly are& It is the
card of false or outgrown (alues, perhaps suggesting that this disguise isn8t necessary&
Just as the 7e(il forced an awareness of inner integrity, the Tower 'ay force you to act
on this infor'ation& To %eco'e true and pure to yourself, acknowledging the inner truth
you ha(e %een trying to deny& This can %e a painful process, %ut the end result is always
worth the pain and fear&
The Fool is fore(er changed %y this card& ,e is 'ore hu'%le and co'plete, and 'ore true
to hi'self& ,e has found his authentic self& ,is life on the outside will change %ecause of
this card, !ust as he has %een changed on the inside&
The Fool 'ust encounter the Tower after he 'eets the 7e(il& This occurs while on the
path to his 'eeting with the Star&
Tarot Card Symbolism The Devil of the Major Arcana
The 7e(il of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot is the captor of the Fool after he encounters
Te'perance& ,ow does this affect a Tarot readingM
The 7e(il is the fifteenth card of the a!or Arcana of the Tarot& It is the e'%odi'ent of
fear and fascination, and of chains which are freely worn&
The Sybolis o# the De-il Tarot !ard
This card is represented %y a figure with two naked de'ons chained to his throne> he
appears to %e a de(il or so'e other for' of higher de'on& 6ne is 'ale, the other is
fe'ale& The de(il is %oth winged and horned and appears (ery %estial in nature& In his left
hand is a fla'ing torch, which is pointing downward& 6n his forehead is an in(erted
pentagra'&
This in(erted pentagra' doesn8t necessarily represent e(il so 'uch as it represents the
co'pletion of a cycle& First, the pentagra' is upright "as on the agician card$, then
in(erted "as on this card$& E(entually, it will %e upright again, sy'%oli=ing a co'pleted
!ourney&
The 7e(il %ears the nu'%er N1E,O and is the captor of the Fool after his encounter with
Te'perance&
The General Inter$retation o# the De-il !ard
When appearing in a spread, this card i'plies a necessary confrontation with all that you
consider sha'eful& It is a%out freeing yourself fro' the chains that %ind& This is a card of
self;%ondage, usually to an idea or %elief which is unhealthy for you and those around
you& This idea or %elief is so'ething that you cling to, e(en knowing the da'age it 'ight
do&
These %onds represented %y this card are freely worn, and can %e easily cast off, if you so
choose& This can %e seen in the fact that the two de'ons, though chained to the chair of
the de(il, could re'o(e their chains, for their hands are not %ound& Fear is the 'ost likely
cause of their refusal to do so&
The Fool learns that he 'ust free hi'self %efore he is fore(er trapped& ,e can do this %y
gaining knowledge and gathering his courage& For it is only in the e)ercise of his own
a%ilities that he can gain his freedo'&
The Inner "eaning o# the De-il in Tarot
The 7e(il is the i'age of %ondage to the 'ost %asic and instinctual part of hu'an nature&
,e is the su%!ect of %oth fear and fascination, for he is the unci(ili=ed part that e)ists
within all of us& ,e is raw se)ual desire, the satisfaction of %ase instincts, and the
strongest part of co'pulsion&
And yet, the de(il seen on this card is not e(il& ,e 'ay %e unta'ed and wild, and he is
certainly a'oral to a certain e)tent& *ut he is not e(il& It is we who create the pro%le'
though fear and fascination& This card i'plies %locks and inhi%itions, like the chains that
see' to %ond the de'ons at his feet> these can and 'ust %e cast off&
The Fool %egins to understand that he 'ust face and accept his %aser instincts and
desires, and the sha'e that he 'ight feel in ha(ing these desires& If he cannot do this, he
re'ains a prisoner of his own fear and fascination&
The Fool encounters the 7e(il after he 'eets Te'perance, on the path to his 'eeting
with the Tower&
Tarot !
*earning the Tarot in Ten 4asy Ste$s
There are as 'any 'ethodologies to learning the tarot as there are Tarot 7ecks& The
essential principles howe(er are easy to learn& ,ere9s how to teach yourself Tarot&
In order to learn Tarot, you ha(e to study Tarot& While this see's an o%(ious 'a)i', it9s
i'portant to note that reading a%out it alone is no su%stitute for the daily, conscientious
working with it& The good news is that the Tarot can %e learned fairly Auickly if you are
willing to in(est e(en fifteen 'inutes a day consistently& This syste' ensures that you
will de(elop the skills essential to learning the Tarot as a practice rather than a
'ethodology %ased on the type of deck that you choose&
*ecause there are an a%undance of different types of Tarots in e)istence, it9s i'portant to
start with the %asics of all Tarot 7ecks which are generally interchanga%le& They are+
Two Arcanas ; a!or and inor
BC Cards co'prise the deck
Four Suits ; Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles "although different decks 'ight
rena'e these, their 'eanings are fairly consistent$&
Choosing the deck that is right for you is an intuiti(e process that corresponds to your
own le(el and (i%ration of e)istence& LIsit a 'etaphysical shop and handle each deck,
%rowsing o(er its colors and feel& The right deck for you will literally resonate at a
different le(el than the others, and will likely %e the %est one to start with&
De-elo$ing a Tarot Study
Set aside at least fifteen 'inutes each day to dedicate to the study and 'editation of the
Tarot& Ite's to consider %eforehand include+
A Journal ; for recording your i'pressions and 'eanings of the cards as well as
insights
A 7eck of Tarot Cards
A silk "or other organic 'aterial of your choosing$ sAuare at least #@ ) #@ to wrap
the cards in and use as a reading %ase
A Auiet place where you can work uninteruppted and without distraction
Incense, Candles andDor any other ele'ental tool which will ser(e %oth to cleanse
your en(iron'ent and set the initial 'ood&
6nce you ha(e your tools asse'%led, you9re ready to %egin your study&
'egin ,ith the Suits
Each suit represents the ele'ental Aualities of hu'an e)istence and ser(es to detail the
specific influence present in the reading& The four suits and their 'eanings are+
Wands ; Fire + passion, anger, lust
Cups ; Water+ e'otion, lo(e, hu'an relationships
Swords ; Air+ the intellect, analysis, strategy
Pentacles ; Earth+ work, la%or and 'aterial wealth
e'ori=ing these associations early in your education will ser(e to deepen your
co'prehension later with each indi(idual card&
1ollo, ,ith the "a&or Arcana
The ter' 'Arcana' is 3atin for 93ife Secrets9& The a!or Arcana represent the greater
'ysteries and can %e seen to represent the soul9s progression through its (arious stages of
:ar'a& The twenty;two cards within the a!or Arcana ser(e as the archetypal sy'%ols of
hu'an e)istence and 'ark the stages and path of the kar'ic !ourney&, and include+
The Fool 0
The agician I
The ,igh Priestess II
The E'press III
The E'peror IL
The ,igh Priest L
The 3o(ers LI
The Chariot LII
Justice LIII
The ,er'it IP
Wheel of Fortune P
Strength PI
The ,anged an PII
7eath PIII
Te'perance PIL
The 7e(il PL
The Tower PLI
The Star PLII
The oon PLIII
The Sun PIP
/e!u(enation PP
The WorldD?ni(erse PPI
The "inor Arcana
The inor Arcana is co'prised of fifty;si) cards and ser(es to enhance and deepen the
'eaning of the representations of the a!or Arcana within a reading& Where the a!or
Arcana underscores the o(erall spiritual and kar'ic principles and situations, the inor
often represents people, places and e(ents which are influencing the specific 'o'ent in
Auestion& The inor Arcana 'irrors a standard deck of playing cards in that there are
four suits and cards as follows+
Ace
6ne
Two
Three
Four
Fi(e
Si)
Se(en
Eight
4ine
Ten
Page
:night
Gueen
:ing
?nderstanding the energies for each card will help you to di(ine the 'eaning when
paired with the suit they fall within, rather than atte'pting to specifically 'e'ori=e each
and e(ery card, at least initially&
Supple'enting your study with a Tarot Study -uide andDor Auality online course is
highly reco''ended&
The four suits of the 7ruid Craft Tarot ; -Thomas Jarrett
Want to learn the 'eaning of each Tarot card, or do the Tarot with playing cardsM Find
the Auick and dirty 'eaning of each Tarot card here&
Se(enty;eight cards, 'ultiple 'eanings each, e)ponentially thousands 'ore in
co'%ination ; Tarot reading is a confusing %usiness& Fortunately, %y %uilding a solid %ase
of %asic 'eanings you can prepare yourself for the 'ore co'plicated ones while %eing
a%le to di(e right into the fun part+ readings& Plus, instead of rushing out to %uy your first
Tarot deck, you can !ust use a plain pack of cards first&
Suits
This is the 'ost %asic way the cards differ& Each suit is associated with one of the four
ele'ents and a particular area of life& They also eAuate to one of the four playing card
suits+ CupsD,earts, PentaclesD7ia'onds, WandsDClu%s and SwordsDSpades&
Cups: Water& Feelings and e'otion&
Swords: Air& 3ife challenges, intellect&
Wands: Fire& I'agination and creati(ity&
Pentacles: Earth& Physical and the potential&
"inor Arcana;Pi$ cards
.ou9re pro%a%ly used to seeing the /ider;Waite Tarot and all the lo(ely i'ages on that
deck& 6nce you get past those though, it9s easy to go %y the nu'%ers alone& The pips
co''unicate an idea or the'e that, when applied to the area indicated %y the card9s suit,
i'ply a 'essage or a person& Playing cards also work fine here&
Ace: 4ew %eginnings
2: 7uality, opposites, %alance&
3: Initial co'pletion&
4: Sta%ility, land'ark stage or a ti'e for rest and conte'plation&
5: Change and difficulty
: ,ar'ony and %alance&
!: 7epth and wisdo', knowledge&
": 7eath and regeneration "6uro%orosDinfinity$&
#:Inner strength, courage& The cul'ination of all pre(ious cards %efore the final
step&
$%:Co'pletion&
"inor Arcana;+oyal cards
3ike the other inor Arcana cards, these co''unicate a the'e& ,owe(er, they9re also
co''only thought to refer to a person when they appear in a Tarot reading& E(ery one
%esides the PageDPrincess "depending on which deck you9re using$ also has a link to a
particular star sign& E(ery one of those is also represented on a standard deck&
$$: Page&Princess: .outh, potential, fragility&
$2: 'nig(t&Prince: Guesting, purpose&
Cups+ Pisces
Wands+ Sagittarius
Swords+ -e'ini
Pentacles+ Lirgo
$3: )ueen: Self control, sensuality&
Cups+ Scorpio
Wands+ 3eo
Swords+ AAuarius
Pentacles+ Taurus
$4: 'ing: Authority, leadership&
Cups+ Cancer
Wands+ Aries
Swords+ 3i%ra
Pentacles+ Capricorn
*oth the inor and a!or Arcana can %e thought of as representing a de(elop'ent,
either of a pro!ect, person, relationship or all of these at once& Starting at the Ace, a
powerful new %eginning, through the (arious difficulties to 10, which is co'pletion& The
/oyal cards can %e considered part of this, though they relate 'ore to de(elop'ent of
character& This !ourney %eco'es clearer if one is to take a standard /ider;Waite deck and
lay out the rele(ant cards of one suit in nu'%er order&
"a&or Arcana
The a!or Arcana is a little 'ore co'plicated than the inor& Each card could refer !ust
as easily to a person or a few co'plicated ideas& A lot of the 'eaning of each Tarot card
co'es fro' its relation to the cards around it, or the nature of the Auestion you9re asking&
I9(e kept the descriptions short so they9re easy to re'e'%er, and an awful lot of the
'eaning of each card co'es fro' your own interpretation& The wonderful thing a%out
Tarot is its su%!ecti(ity&
%: The Fool: ?rge to change, wanderlust&
i: The Magician: 4ew %eginnings and opportunities&
ii: The High riestess: Self;realisation, the %arrier %etween the conscious and
unconscious&
iii: The !mpress: Creati(ity, fertility, fulfilled potential&
i*: The !mperor: Power of %ody, structure, authority, the physical&
*: The Hierophant: Search for spiritual 'eaning&
*i: The Lo"ers: 3o(e, choice&
*ii: The #hariot: Struggle and tension, resulting in triu'ph&
*iii: Justice: *alanced 'ind found through logic&
i+: Temperance: *alanced e'otions, 'oderation&
+: Strength: Inner courage and strength, self discipline&
+i: The Hermit: Patience and 'aturity, self;e)a'ination&
+ii: The Wheel of Fortune: Changing circu'stances, e(erything co'es %ack
around&
+iii: The Hanged Man: Self sacrifice, change in perspecti(e&
+i*: $eath: Transfor'ation and change, endings and new %eginnings&
+*: The $e"il: Power i'prisoned, our dark side, re'o(al of inhi%itions&
+*i: The To%er: 4ecessary destruction, courage to redefine&
+*ii: The Star: ,ope and inspirations, renewal of energy&
+*iii: The Moon: Fluctuation, insta%ility, confusion&
+i+: The Sun: Joy, opti'is', clarity of (ision&
++: Judgement: Su''ation of achie(e'ent, resolution, resurrection, choices for
the ne)t phase in life&
++i: The World: Co'pletion, achie(e'ent, success, regrouping&
And %efore you ask, no, I9(e no idea what an ,ierophant is either& I9(e filed it in the sa'e
place as 'y Auestions regarding the actual origins of haggis "I don9t %elie(e the official
story$&
That9s it& Just !u'p into it and ha(e so'e fun, whether you9re using a /ider;Waite Tarot
deck or one with unicorns on it&
"athworkin# $ith the Major Arcana
A Pathworking using the cards of Tarot9s a!or Arcana can help to %etter understand the
'essage of the card& ,ere is a si'ple techniAue to achie(e that&
Cere'onial agicians "also known as ,igh agicians$ and Ca%%alists teach that the
a!or Arcana represents the paths %etween the ten Sephiroth on the Tree of 3ife& any
of their pathworkings include the a!or Arcana along with the ,e%rew Alpha%et "or
Alef;*eth$ and astrological sy'%ols& According to students of the -olden 7awn, the
a!or Arcana also represents the !ourney the student takes on their way to achie(ing The
-reat Work& Students of the Tarot can use a si'plified (ersion to gain a richer
understanding of the a!or Arcana&
0hat is Path,or2ing3
The ystica, an online encyclopedia of the occult, 'ysticis', 'agic, paranor'al and
'ore, descri%es pathworking as Na 'agical i'agery techniAue, used in current western
'agic, in which the su%!ect is lead through inner pathways of consciousness to
e)perience archetypal (isions&O
In Modern Magic&, 7onald ichael :raig uses pathworking to refer e)clusi(ely to
tra(elling on the paths on the Tree of 3ife& ,e e)plains that the Tree of 3ife pro(ides a
'ap to the Psychic planes& any %ooks and we%sites consider pathworking to %e a for'
of 'editation, and si'ply lea(e it under that heading&
Path,or2ing Techni<ue )sing Tarot !ards
To %egin this pathworking 'ethod, one 'ust choose a card fro' the a!or Arcana&
Spend so'e ti'e studying it, and %eing a%le to (isualise e(ery little detail contained on
the card& 6ften there are s'all, see'ingly insignificant i'ages al'ost hidden on the card>
these will sy'%oli=e so'ething deep and 'eaningful when it is found& Any fa'iliar Tarot
deck is suita%le for this e)ercise&
In the 'ider Waite Tarot, The agician appears to %e a youngish 'an wearing a white
ro%e %elted with what appears to %e a serpent and an open red cloak o(er it& 6ne hand
holding a wand points upwards, while the other points down& The sy'%ol for infinity is
a%o(e his head and a ta%le is %efore hi' with the sy'%ols of the suits of the inor
Arcana resting on it& Lines and flowers are a%o(e hi' trailing down, and at the %otto' of
the card o%scuring his feet&
Start with a rela)ation e)ercise& ost people will know so'e for' of grounding e)ercise,
%asic 'editation or si'ple rela)ation techniAue& See the Tarot card clearly in your 'ind,
watch it grow until it is the si=e of a door and step into it& Walk around inside the card, it
is now a three di'ensional scene that can %e e)plored fro' e(ery angle& Talk to the
agician> he 'ay answer, he 'ight not& 3earn e(erything fro' inside the Tarot card&
When ready, walk %ack out through the door, co'e %ack to yourself and re;esta%lish
grounding&
1urther Path,or2ing ,ith the Tarot
The a%o(e techniAue can %e used on its own to e)plore each card in the a!or Arcana
indi(idually, e(en repeating the sa'e cards se(eral ti'es& 6r it can %e e)panded into a
!ourney leading fro' one card into the ne)t& This can %e e)panded to follow the -olden
7awn !ourney fro' The Fool to The World& Either way it is a useful techniAue to gain a
deeper and richer understanding of the a!or Arcana&