The Hanged Man is one of those images in a tarot card deck that are recognizable even to those who have never had a reading. His illustration is based on the Norse god Odin, who hung from a tree for days to learn the secrets of the Runes. This card brings with it many paradoxes that may be hard for you to wade through and sort out. Admitting fear will give you enough courage to conquer it. If you resist being controlling, everything will become more controlled. The Hanged Man instructs that these lessons can only be learned and understood if you stay still long enough to discover them. You can’t move forward in life while you are struggling in place. Some things may have to be sacrificed for an overall gain.
Death is also an instantly recognizable card and one that no one wants to see. But it doesn’t refer to the physical act of dying the way that many people think. It represents transformation, and the “death” of one phase that is necessary for the next phase to be born. Life will continue on through all of these cycles of death and rebirth. Problems can arise if you try to fight this natural cycle. Face the upcoming “death” with courage, drop anything you won’t need in the new “life” and continue on your path.
Temperance is the natural follow up to the cleansing that comes with Death. Now that you have been “reborn”, you can cultivate new beliefs and methods to apply to this new life. This is a period of harmonious reconstruction. It is a time of balance and formation of your general well being. If this card refers to another person in your tarot reading, the relationship between the two of you will be such that you are able to function as one. This duality can also extend to the self, where seemingly opposite forces within you can come together and work as a whole. This card represents a time when you can make yourself healthier and stronger for the struggles that will inevitably lie ahead.
The Devil, like Death, is not a tarot card that people like to see laid down in front of them. But the Devil does not represent some outside force of evil that is going to control things and make them go badly. It is the symbol of the negative aspects that exist within us all- aspects we often try to hide and deny. Pretending they are not there only gives them the room to fester and become more of a problem. You must accept that they are there without relinquishing control to them. Face these demons with strength and clarity and push them towards the lighter side, where they can be transformed into positive attributes.
The Tower card holds within it both creative and destructive energies. The Tower itself is built by giving too much weight to material things, which serve as a poor foundation for growth. This failure to tend to the matters of the mind and spirit will leave you unprepared for when the Tower eventually crashes down- and it will, either due to your actions or by crumbling under its own weight. But there is a benefit of the collapse, since it clears the foundation again for a new building project to begin. You still have the positive aspects on hand as building materials but the negatives are cleared with the rubble.
The last five cards in the major arcana are some of the most significant cards in the deck. They demonstrate the last parts a humans life.
The Star can act as your guiding beacon, leading you forward down the often dimly lit path towards enlightenment. This card in a tarot reading symbolizes that there is help out there when you need it, up there in the sky and oftentimes deep within yourself where you haven’t looked yet. Faith and power define this card and it carries a very positive connotation. Trust that you will find the way out of troubled times and into the light. It is a time of belief and miracles.
The Moon is a vessel of many illusions. Nighttime makes the safe objects of daylight seem dangerous and untrustworthy. The “light” of the moon is actually just the reflected sunlight. Appropriately, this tarot card represents the illusions and deceptions that many of us fall victim to. Things are not always as they seem to be and the presence of this card in a tarot reading indicates that there is some truth that you are overlooking. Now is a time when you will have to travel that path without outside light or help, relying instead on inner strength and the glow you can generate from within. It can be hard to find your way down a path in the dark when there are so many twists, turns and obstacles to be dealt with. This is a time to rely on your instincts to guide you.
When you make it through the darkness of the Moon, the Sun will be waiting with its clarity and light. You are strong, wise and balanced under this card’s influence. Celebration, warmth and peace are aspects of the Sun. Any areas of darkness that might remain inside of you will be exposed for you to deal with easily and drop them. It is time to harness the power that has been offered to you.
Judgment is a card of transformation but not in the potentially destructive ways that Death or the Tower can usher in. This is a rebirth of the spirit not by death of aspects but by the unification of them. The conscious and unconscious mind can connect together with your inner child to form one new, solid being. This is a beginning, a portent of positive change heading your way. Any aspects that have been unclean can now be cleansed. Do not regret what hasn’t been done in the past now. Look to the future with optimism and faith that a new beginning can mean a new life.
The World is the last card in the Major Arcana. It is the final step of all of the effort that has been put in- the end of the cycle. It is the period of enlightenment and rest where the soul waits between worlds. You have learned every lesson and completed every task. After you have reached this summit, you can return to the world infused with the Divine. A new phase is about to begin but it will be so different that it may as well be a new life completely. How do you reach that new life? By walking to the edge of the cliff and positioning you as The Fool again.
The Page of Pentacles represents a youthfulness that can bear the weight of responsibility on his grounded shoulders. He can manage wealth better than almost anyone else. If this card comes in a tarot reading about an event, he is referring to a material or occupation oriented matter. Good fortune awaits you in one of these areas. If the card refers to a person, it is someone who would be considered an “old soul” or wise beyond their years. They work hard, apply common sense and would never be considered a risk taker. He is the master of seeing an opportunity in the weeds and reaching for it. If there is a team project or a large responsibility around the corner, the Page will provide the strength, energy and insight needed to deal with it effectively.
The Knight of Pentacles is a man of action- but thoughtful action, which isn’t the case with the other knights in the deck. He considers a situation thoroughly before acting but when it comes time to charge forward, he does so with tremendous force. Dedicated, loyal and true to his word this Knight is willing and able to shoulder any amount of responsibility. Persistence could be his middle name. He is a man of tradition and logic and may find himself annoyed by those who would be considered dreamers. He always achieves success with his ethical approach and strength of character.
The Queen of Pentacles is maternal and fertile. Whatever wealth she has was gained through her kind and generous nature. This card can either represent an aspect of self or another person in a tarot reading. Intuition, dedication, love and happiness are what she is devoted to. The weak spot in her facade is that she clings to notions of security. Trust and security are hallmark to her. Material wealth is not a priority. The Queen is often portrayed as a mother, whether she actually has children or not, due to her caring nature and dedication to the home and family.
The King of Pentacles has enough wealth to spread around and does so. This card is representative of another person or a part of the self in a tarot reading. The King encourages others to behave as he has since it obviously turned out well for him. He is true to his word but unlike the Knight doesn’t take on responsibility just because he wants to. The King wants a profit. Intelligence and experience make him a responsible businessman who gets what he wants in a respectable fashion. Like the Queen, he is concerned with security but finds it in the material world. He is dutiful, traditional but adaptable and normally not prone to bouts of temper. If someone deceives him, the punishment will be great. The King is the endpoint of a stage of success, a sign that effort can be suspended and wealth enjoyed for the time being. There is no negativity bogging this success down and the freedom of generosity can be expressed.
Pentacles can represent monetary concerns in person’s life when drawn from a tarot deck. This article highlights cards 6 through ten in this suit.
The Six of Pentacles is the symbol of generosity- either the receiving of it or the doling of it to another. More often than not, it is the latter. This isn’t limited to material generosity. Spiritual and mental wealth can be given away just as easily. But there needs to be caution attached so that you don’t drain yourself dry. Overexerting yourself will not help anyone in the long run. If you only have the resources to help one other person, do not take it upon yourself to take care of a village. The devoted aid of one person is better than the half implemented aid of a hundred people. This card can show that there is someone out there who is willing to help you if they are told what you need. Regardless of who is doing the giving, there are rewards waiting for their efforts.
The Seven of Pentacles shows the choice between keeping what is already had or attempting to acquire more. The decision often will not be an obvious or easy one. It may seem risky to wager what you already have on the chance of gain. But stagnation has never done anyone any good, either. Even when you do put forth some risk and receive a gain, you may not be satisfied. It may not be as good as you thought or your efforts may seem hollow. Reflection and clarity are necessary here. If the tides don’t seem to be heading in the direction of change, it is okay to take a pause and decide on your next move.
The Eight of Pentacles usually represents hard work and effort put forth towards self improvement. There will be amazing rewards but the work to get there will be tough. Dedication, concentration, effort and persistence will be necessary to achieve this success. The rewards can be material or the benefits of learning more about yourself and the world around you. There will be problems and obstacles but they can be defeated with practicality and knowledge. If this card appears in a tarot reading when a project has already been started, it is showing that benefits are nearby if you keep working at it. Keep your eye on the prize, so to speak, and it will be yours.
The Nine of Pentacles is what results from the hard work of the Eight- reward. This can manifest itself as material, spiritual or mental wealth. This is a reward well worked for and earned. You can be proud of your efforts and the success they have brought. You will know how to use this wealth and apply the necessary discipline to respect it. This is a time of self appreciation and the balancing of the spiritual with the physical. Enjoy what you have accomplished and learn how to use what you have learned towards future gains.
The Ten of Pentacles is what results from correctly utilizing the wealth you have gained. Happiness, security and wisdom are attached to this tarot cards. Now is not the time to lay the groundwork for future gains. It is a time of reflection upon what has already been acquired. The wealth currently had has to be managed with balance. Give too much away and you are materially bankrupt but keep too much and you are spiritually bankrupt. A good way to give away wealth while keeping it nearby is to pass it down through your family. Whether it is money or advice, the spread of wealth to those close to you allows you to see it grow in another’s hands. If you are the one in need of wealth, this card indicates there is someone close by willing to help you.
While many cards in the tarot, especially the trump cards, have undergone serious redesign over the centuries, The Hermit card remains almost exactly the same as it did 500 years ago.
Almost all Hermit cards show a very old man in a long, monk-like robe, holding a wooden staff and a lantern. The lantern is just about the only part of the card that has gotten a redesign over the years, as the inside of the lantern now usually shows a glowing star or some kind of shape inside the lantern that is giving off light.
With the original Hermit cards, the lantern was usually empty.
So, who is this strange hermit; a man who has made a choice to live apart from the rest of the world either by choice to seek solace or for possible religious study and enlightenment or has he been exiled due to unspeakable behavior?
That question in never really answered, but in most modern interpretations of The Hermit, the card has a positive connotation, with the meaning usually skewing towards a search for knowledge, truth or a quest for enlightenment.
The common illustrations of The Hermit may make most people think of an ancient wizard like Merlin or a character out of the Lord of the Rings series like Gandalf. But while The Hermit card is looked upon with reverence and respect, there is no real supernatural or wish-granting aspect associated with the card.
When the history of The Hermit card is traced back to its origins, it is believed that the figure represents Father Time and the endless march that will eventually claim us all. But even with this bleak assessment, the card was never a negative when it came up during a reading, it was simply treated as a truth and an inevitability.
The Hermit card is, in most decks, the ninth trump card. But, as is the case with many of the trumps, the position has changed over the years. Most experts have been a little bewildered by the fact that the card representing the most powerful force in the universe, time, would be situated at the ninth spot.
Most people would place this card either at the very top or the very bottom of the trumps to designate its power, and in ancient decks, The Hermit was much closer to the top of the deck. The common perception of why the card was moved down was that other trumps, like love, are more of a fixture of the younger days of life, but as your life progresses and you begin to get close to death, the Hermit card becomes much more of a reality to your daily life.
But while many people may find this interpretation downright depressing, they should realize that with advancing age, you also become wiser and more respected by those around you, and it is this fact that has kept the Hermit card as a positively interpreted card over the years.
While there is a definite old age and impending death aspect to it, the fact that the subject has lived as long as they have and has acquired the knowledge and the strength to pass on to younger generations far exceeds any negatives that old age might bring.
There is also a duel interpretation with The Hermit card, depending on the context in which the card appears.
The Hermit card can be interpreted as a need for the subject to separate themselves from their current social circles so they can preserve themselves and gain additional knowledge on their own, or it can be a call to action of sorts for those that have previously isolated themselves to come back into the fold of society and share the wisdom they have collected.
The Hermit card is often one of the most misunderstood cards since the depiction shows a subject so clearly close to death. But the history of the card and association with wisdom and the urgent desire to share, teach and spread that wisdom is truly the overriding meaning behind the Hermit card.
Depending on the question asked before the reading, a Hermit card can be a sign that teaching would be a positive career choice or, if the card is reversed, that a serious change in life choices needs to be made to ensure a continuation of the subjects life and health into the immediate future.
The pentacle card represent the material things in life. This article will teach you have to use the first four cards in this suit in a tarot deck.
The Ace of Pentacles serves as the structure for any sort of concrete works in the real world. When this card is laid down in a tarot reading, it is the usher of wealth and good fortune about to present themselves. This can include actual money, gifts and even marriage proposals. This is a fertile card, one where thoughts and hopes can grow. There is a slow pace but the payoff is always there. There does need to be a realistic, subdued approach to the wealth acquisition. Hard work will allow for those seeds to reach full growth. Material goods aren’t the only bounty associated with this card. Spirituality can flourish under this influence.
The Two of Pentacles carries a duality of change and balance. How can you allow for change while maintaining balance? Think of that term we use so often to describe a busy schedule: “juggling”. The juggler is constantly moving the balls, changing their positions and yet he maintains perfect balance. If you try to change life too drastically too fast, those balls can fall. If you refuse to change, the balls stop moving and you’re no longer a juggler- you’re just a fool standing around holding balls. Understandably, this card appears often in tarot readings when the person in question has many projects going at once. The balls are currently being handled well but it needs to be understood that balance will be the key to keeping them that way in the future. Sometimes it is necessary to trade in the old for the new.
The Three of Pentacles is the sign of work as reward. The card exemplifies those who have found an occupation that satisfies their emotional and mental needs while it provides for their financial health. This seems like it would be a difficult job to find but many people do so with a minimal amount of effort. Responsibility, organization and fair treatment of others will pave the way. But as you are behaving in this way, you will have the freedom to stretch your wings and explore yourself and this new world. With this card there often comes success but that needs to be built on with determination and drive to make it solidify.
The Four of Pentacles represents material gain without the corresponding spiritual or mental gains. It may seem fine to just gain material wealth without the other aspects but their absence can provide a lack of clarity as to what to do with the profit. Chances are, the material wealth will be clutched on to tightly or blown immediately in a spending frenzy. The recipient will become a miser or make themselves broke again. Disappointment is carried in this card, as is frustration. Letting go of your funds in a responsible way will be necessary. This card can also suggest the “letting go” of other things that you are clinging on to- whether material, mental or spiritual.
If you don’t manage to learn the lesson of the Four, the fate of the Five of Pentacles may await you- a loss that you could’ve prevented. Poverty or a loss of spiritual or mental energy comes with the Five of Pentacles. The negative emotions that you were not able to drop will have consequences. Illness, solitude and unemployment are typical here. If this card appears in a tarot reading before a loss has been incurred, know that it is around the corner and prepare for it. Do not become too despondent at the loss as it is a temporary situation meant to show you what you need to let go of. Once the lesson is learned, equilibrium of wealth will return.
Tarot card decks are divided into the Major and Minor Arcane. The Minor Arcane, which deals with everyday or common occurrences, is made up of fifty six cards divided into four elemental suits: Wands (fire), Cups (water), Swords (air) and Coins (earth). Each suit contains ten cards that start with Ace, followed by two then proceeding on to ten. Then there are four court cards: the Page, Knight, Queen and King.
The Ace of the suit sums up the overall theme. The numbered cards in the center clarify what has or will happen and what can be done. The personifications of the court cards represent ways we can exist in the world and how that tactic could benefit or harm us. In certain Tarot patterns, they represent real people- either ourselves or someone we interact with.
The suit of Wands carries overall themes of action, creativity and movement. Fire is the associated element and its presence indicates passion, energy and being tested. The court cards of Wands introduce characters that can be recognized externally or internally. They are more concerned with attributes then occurrences. Occurrences can be gleamed from other cards and approached with the knowledge of what court card personality will be available to take on the situation.
The Page of any suit is spontaneous and pleasure oriented like a young child. The Page of Wands is all about passion for life. Internal energy can provide the fuel for conquering fears, habits and achieving freedom. This card is assertive and carries confidence and action. The card will normally not come up in relation to an event- usually referring to either yourself or another person.
The Knight of Wands is warm, generous, energetic, humorous, optimistic and enthusiastic. There is also a morality to this knight in shining armor including a desire to protect the vulnerable. Dragons can be slain, doubts torn to bits and obstacles put behind you if this card comes up in your Tarot reading. He does have a tendency to swing from one extreme to another and balance can be a key to make sure his energy doesn’t become a runaway train.
Determination and ambition mark the Queen of Wands. This card normally comes up in a Tarot reading after significant traumas have taught valuable lessons. Loyal, honest, proud and forceful The Queen makes a good friend but strong foe. Her presence can signify to do absolutely anything if the will is great enough. She is as capable as the King but has the quiet force of feminine energy.
The King of Wands carries some of the same morality and nobility as the Knight. The King is connected with nature, mature, faithful and realistic. He has the strength to move through the obstacles of life while picking up the weak and carrying them on his back. There can be a delay of action associated with this Tarot card stemming from an inability to wisely pick battles and overanalyzing. Overall, the King is masculine strength and capability personified.
There are twenty two cards in the Major Arcana of a tarot deck. These cards, numbered from 0 to 21, deal with the great matters of life that hold significance. They do not pertain to day to day existence. While other cards may offer advice, the Major Arcana lay down a way of being. Whenever they appear in a tarot reading, they are given the most importance.
The Fool is pictured on the tarot card as a young man standing at the edge of a cliff. A bag is tied to a stick over his shoulder and contains all his worldly possessions. A rose in his hand symbolizes his love of beauty. A dog at his heels is the distractions of the “real” world that his dreamer doesn’t like to heed. He isn’t a fool in that he behaves idiotically. He simply doesn’t know enough yet. He represents the first step on a path, that initial leap that can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. The Fool does what feels right to him and doesn’t listen to what others say. He believes in himself and carries a light because of it. This card isn’t positive or negative. It is a start. He could fail or succeed. The chances are all laid out in front of him.
The Magician can perform great transformation merely with the strength of his will. He has a great deal of power and confidence in his abilities. But this power is gained from his surroundings, not internally. His illustration depicts symbols of ultimate, unending power such as the infinity sign and a snake swallowing its own tail. The importance here is that the Magician realizes that while the power may be coming from outside, the control of it is within his hands. He symbolizes taking life in your hands and molding it into that which you desire.
The High Priestess can have many meanings in a tarot reading since she relates to the inner self and unconscious mind. She is the power source for the Magician, feminine and masculine and a symbol of balance. She is the guardian to those realms of life and the mind that we can never fully see. But she can act as a guide to the outer edges of that world, making you aware of what symbolism lies around you. Everything she is you already is- it is just a question of finding it. Her duality can express itself in the side of you that no one gets to see, the dark side of your personality moon.
The Empress is concerned with the body and material things. She is the keeper of pleasure and abundance. Her residence is perfect nature with wealth and fertility. She is the tarot’s version of Mother Earth. Accordingly, she has the ability to create various forms of existence. She also carries with her unconditional love which can lead to her weakness of overprotection. When this card presents itself in a reading, open yourself up to all of the love and pleasure the Empress is offering. She can provide a safe place for you to grow your own love and fertility, away from the chaos of the world.
You may learn about some of the meanings and uses of the sword cards in a tarot deck. This article highlights the cards six through ten.
The Six of Swords is a symbol of purposeful retreat or abandonment. Sometimes problems truly are too great to be defeated. It may be necessary to remove yourself from the situation, as the boat steering man in the tarot illustration is doing. But this decision must be made rationally with contemplation of the past and future. This card represents moving on from painful things to find peace and happiness elsewhere, all the while balancing thoughts and emotions.
The Seven of Swords goes into double edged sword territory. The tarot card represents confidence and intelligence. The person identified with this card is often a trickster or some kind of con artist. They work solo, distrusting others. Indecision can take them down various path before they choose one. This sort of behavior can lead to a hollow victory or a loss if the card is putting someone else in the position of trickster. If whatever goals you have in front of you force a degradation of your moral integrity, reset those goals. It won’t be worth the price paid.
The Eight of Swords bears an illustration of a person tightly bound. In a tarot reading, this card represents some sort of restriction- often caused by the self. You may be paused in inaction due to a lack of confidence or a fear of failure. Something is preventing you from moving forward (or at all) and needs to be overcome. Doubt and fear can only tie you up in knots and render you immobile. But there is hope in this card. The figure does not have their feet bound. They can walk away from this if they drop the feelings that put them there in the first place.
The figure on the Nine of Swords tarot card is in bed and just awoken from a nightmare. Bad dreams are often signs of held unto fear, regret or doubt. These feelings are deep, with roots in the spirit. They need to be dealt with and conquered or else they will take up permanent residence and you will never have a sense of peace. Be aware that the mind can make things seem infinitely more gruesome than they are. Conquering these demons will not be as hard as you think but it will take effort and strength. If this lesson is not picked up on, the punishment of the Ten of Swords may befall you.
The Ten of Swords is what happens if the lessons of the other Swords cards are not learned- annihilation. The harmful failure or major disaster that brings about the feelings of this card will be unexpected. It could be the result of some bad karma coming back your way. Unfortunately, most of the time with this card you’ll just have to bear what hits you. On the other side of this darkness is light- if you are willing to do some self evaluation and see (and learn) what lessons you have missed thus far. It is the culmination of all of the Swords cards and the turmoil and juxtapositions contained within their sharp boundaries.
Justice might be one of the wisest tarot cards of the deck! Pictured on the card is an often blindfolded woman seated on a throne, holding a sword in one hand and balancing scales in the other. What do these two objects symbolize? What can the Justice card mean for your life? Let’s find out!
The old adage Justice is blind is really showcased here. When you are given the Justice tarot card, which is ruled by the stoic Libra, it probably means that it is time for you to make a few changes to your life, changes that will likely be undesired. Justice is about fairness and necessity, not about warm, cozy feelings or exciting adventure.
1) The Blind Woman
The story behind Justice has our protagonist, the fool, overhear a blind woman solving a dispute between two quarreling brothers. One brother has received a whole inheritance, while the other has received nothing. The rich brother feels he rightfully deserves the money, while the poor brother wishes he had all of it instead, as he is less wasteful.
Expectedly, the blind woman decides to split the inheritance down the middle, so each brother has half of it. But neither of the brothers are happy after this judgment.
The formally poor brother believes his sibling will now waste the inheritance he is given, while the formally rich brother is simply mad that he has less money than before.
However, it is clear that splitting the inheritance was the most fair action; the blind woman justifies her decision by explaining how the greedy, wasteful brother now has less money to throw around and will be forced to be more frugal, while the less thrifty brother will have the exact amount of money he needs.
2) Do you need to put on a pair of blindfolds?
You may indeed be literally arguing over an inheritance! Indeed, the Justice card could signify court proceedings to come.
However, it is more likely that you have other less obvious decisions of fairness to be made. So don’t think of fairness in simply the context of the court system. You may be the only judge and jury present.
The blind woman could simply be reminding you to be honest with yourself about an addiction or a bad relationship that you need to get rid of for the sake of your future. Or perhaps you need to make amends to someone you’ve wronged.
3) The road less taken
Often, the course of action that needs to be taken is not one you will be eager to take! This is why there is a sword on the Justice tarot card; the right thing to do is not always the easiest.
However, remember those scales! When you have balance in your life, you will be happier and better for it, so any steps you take to gain that are worthwhile steps. In the long run, you are doing yourself a service. It just may not feel like it right away; while the brothers both ended up with a fair amount of money, they both felt like they got less than they deserved.
Consider when you save money. While you’re benefiting yourself and your future with savings, you may feel a great loss about the television or car you wanted to buy today, but can’t.
Justice is objective and maybe even cold at times, but you can’t really argue with her! Often, you know what to do, but are just reluctant about doing it. When you get the Justice card, it is most certainly time to go ahead and do the mature, wise thing, even if it means putting off immediate gratification and asking for physical or emotional discomfort.
For example, calling an ex lover and apologizing for the way you treated him or her is never a fun thing to do. Remember, however, that putting that water under the bridge will release you of your past and help you head into your future with a level-headed focus.
4) Balancing the scales
Equilibrium is always the end goal when Justice is involved, whatever the circumstances. You might be struggling to lose weight because you can’t stop eating junk food.
Justice tells you to stop buying unhealthy snacks at the store. Justice tells you to tough it up and run that mile every morning. Justice leaves no room for if’s, and’s, and but’s!
Consider Justice a parent, judge, boss, or teacher, who knows what’s best for you. If you’re choosing one path in life because of your own misguided bias, then it might be time to turn around and follow the advice of someone else.
Sometimes we all need a little direction in life and on occasion, we need to be unpleasantly shoved into doing the right thing. We might be upset or frustrated by the consequences of our actions and going through withdrawal after we decide to quit drinking, etc. Justice is one of the least negative cards, as it always signals a good, necessary change in your life.
