True Tarot Card Meanings: Learn the Secrets of Professional Readers!

Table of contents :
CONTENTS
Preface
Choosing Your Deck
The Top Ten Myths about the Tarot
A Short History of the Tarot
Learning the Cards
The Court Cards
Page of Pentacles: Law of Attraction
Page of Swords: Cut the Crap
Page of Cups: Dream On
Page of Wands: Swagger Like Jagger
Knight of Pentacles: A Hard Day’s Work
Knight of Swords: Errol Flynn
Knight of Cups: I Know I’m a Dreamer
Knight of Wands: Firestarter!
Gain Reading Excellence from Just One Weird Trick!
Queen of Pentacles: Home Comforts
Queen of Swords: Know Your Own Mind
Queen of Cups: Away with the Fairies?
Queen of Wands: Believe in Yourself
Get the Queens Around for a Chat
King of Pentacles: Mr Practical
King of Swords: Mr Sharp
Journal Practice: A One-Card Reading Method.
King of Cups: Mr Creative
King of Wands: Mr Wonderful
A Beginners Spread: Attraction & Distraction
The Minor Cards
Ace of Pentacles: The Seed of All Things
Ace of Swords: Claim Your Power!
Ace of Cups: The Flow
Ace of Wands: Victory!
2 of Pentacles: Keep Spinning the Plates
2 of Swords: Make Up Your Mind
2 of Cups: A Match Made in Heaven
Professional Tip: The Top Ten Relationship Cards
2 of Wands: Get the Full Picture
3 of Pentacles: Learn to Plan
3 of Swords: Sort It Out
3 of Cups: Find Friendship & Good Company
3 of Wands: Innovate!
The Top Six Cards that May Show a Cheat!
4 of Pentacles: Hold Onto What You Have Got
4 of Swords: Away Day
4 of Cups: Cutting Your Nose to Spite Your Face
4 of Wands: Invitation to Party
5 of Pentacles: Deferred Income
5 of Swords: Give it a Rest
5 of Cups: Crying Over Spilt Milk
5 of Wands: Making New Arrangements
The Secret of the Numbers: A number is not just a number!
6 of Pentacles: Give and Take
6 of Swords: Move On
6 of Cups: Co-Dependency
6 of Wands: Play Your Cards Right
7 of Pentacles: Harvest Your Wealth
7 of Swords: A Spy in the Camp
7 of Cups: Living in Cloud Cuckoo Land
7 of Wands: Having the Upper Hand
8 of Pentacles: Build Your Own Life
8 of Swords: It’s In Your Own Head
Journal Exercise: Pentagram Spread
8 of Cups: Moving On
8 of Wands: Thrust and Go
9 of Pentacles: The Kept Lady
9 of Swords: Darkest Before the Dawn
9 of Cups: Feeling Full of Yourself
9 of Wands: Forewarned is Forearmed
10 of Pentacles: A Done Deal
10 of Swords: Getting Stuck
10 of Cups: Contentment in All Things
10 of Wands: A Load on Your Shoulders
Putting a Reading Together
The Majors
FOOL 0: Freedom & Frivolity
MAGICIAN I: Skill and Success
HIGH PRIESTESS II: Secrets and Surprises
Professional Tip: The Top Five Time Cards & Timing in a Reading
Journal Exercise: Learning to Look Beyond the Veil.
EMPRESS III: Let Nature Take Its Course
EMPEROR IV: Grab the Bull by the Horns
HIEROPHANT V: A Helping Hand
LOVERS VI: Connect and Choose
Journal Exercise: Tap Into Your Intuition through Tarot.
CHARIOT VII: Set the Pace
STRENGTH VIII: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
HERMIT IX: All by Yourself
WHEEL X: Turn Your Fate Into Destiny
The Top 5 Change Cards in the Tarot.
JUSTICE XI: Everything Comes to Those who Wait
Journal Practice: Fair Play!
HANGED MAN XII: Grab Your Highest Value
Journal Exercise: Values
DEATH XIII: All Change!
Journal Question: Death
TEMPERANCE XIV: Be Well-Behaved
Journal Practice: Tempering
DEVIL XV: Break Free!
BLASTED TOWER XVI: Pride Cometh Before a Fall
STAR XVII: Stick to Your Vision
The Finding Hope Method
MOON XVIII: Walking On Through the Night
SUN XIX: The Sun Always Shines on TV
JUDGEMENT XX: Calling Card
Journal Practice: THREE CARD READING WITH MAJORS-ONLY
The Best Three Cards to get in the Outcome Position.
WORLD XXI: Get Your Act Together
Conclusion
Kindle Tarot Books & Series
Gated Spreads Series
Tarosophy KickStart Series
Volume I.
Tarot Life Series
Also in Print and Kindle
Websites & Resources

Citation preview

True Tarot Card Meanings Andrea Green © Andrea Green, 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. About the Author Andrea Green is the pen-name of a tarot insider. She has spent many years reading and researching tarot and the esoteric arts and is dedicated to sharing the knowledge that she has accumulated over the years. She believes that there should be no mysteries in tarot and is dedicated to helping every person discover tarot for themselves. Your free Guide to Tarot and Spreads, written by Andrea, is available now from: www.mytarotcardmeanings.com

CONTENTS CONTENTS Preface Choosing Your Deck The Top Ten Myths about the Tarot A Short History of the Tarot Learning the Cards The Court Cards Page of Pentacles: Law of Attraction Page of Swords: Cut the Crap Page of Cups: Dream On Page of Wands: Swagger Like Jagger Knight of Pentacles: A Hard Day’s Work Knight of Swords: Errol Flynn Knight of Cups: I Know I’m a Dreamer Knight of Wands: Firestarter! Gain Reading Excellence from Just One Weird Trick! Queen of Pentacles: Home Comforts Queen of Swords: Know Your Own Mind Queen of Cups: Away with the Fairies? Queen of Wands: Believe in Yourself Get the Queens Around for a Chat King of Pentacles: Mr Practical King of Swords: Mr Sharp Journal Practice: A One-Card Reading Method. King of Cups: Mr Creative King of Wands: Mr Wonderful A Beginners Spread: Attraction & Distraction The Minor Cards Ace of Pentacles: The Seed of All Things Ace of Swords: Claim Your Power! Ace of Cups: The Flow Ace of Wands: Victory! 2 of Pentacles: Keep Spinning the Plates 2 of Swords: Make Up Your Mind 2 of Cups: A Match Made in Heaven Professional Tip: The Top Ten Relationship Cards 2 of Wands: Get the Full Picture 3 of Pentacles: Learn to Plan

3 of Swords: Sort It Out 3 of Cups: Find Friendship & Good Company 3 of Wands: Innovate! The Top Six Cards that May Show a Cheat! 4 of Pentacles: Hold Onto What You Have Got 4 of Swords: Away Day 4 of Cups: Cutting Your Nose to Spite Your Face 4 of Wands: Invitation to Party 5 of Pentacles: Deferred Income 5 of Swords: Give it a Rest 5 of Cups: Crying Over Spilt Milk 5 of Wands: Making New Arrangements The Secret of the Numbers: A number is not just a number! 6 of Pentacles: Give and Take 6 of Swords: Move On 6 of Cups: Co-Dependency 6 of Wands: Play Your Cards Right 7 of Pentacles: Harvest Your Wealth 7 of Swords: A Spy in the Camp 7 of Cups: Living in Cloud Cuckoo Land 7 of Wands: Having the Upper Hand 8 of Pentacles: Build Your Own Life 8 of Swords: It’s In Your Own Head Journal Exercise: Pentagram Spread 8 of Cups: Moving On 8 of Wands: Thrust and Go 9 of Pentacles: The Kept Lady 9 of Swords: Darkest Before the Dawn 9 of Cups: Feeling Full of Yourself 9 of Wands: Forewarned is Forearmed 10 of Pentacles: A Done Deal 10 of Swords: Getting Stuck 10 of Cups: Contentment in All Things 10 of Wands: A Load on Your Shoulders Putting a Reading Together The Majors FOOL 0: Freedom & Frivolity MAGICIAN I: Skill and Success HIGH PRIESTESS II: Secrets and Surprises Professional Tip: The Top Five Time Cards & Timing in a Reading

Journal Exercise: Learning to Look Beyond the Veil. EMPRESS III: Let Nature Take Its Course EMPEROR IV: Grab the Bull by the Horns HIEROPHANT V: A Helping Hand LOVERS VI: Connect and Choose Journal Exercise: Tap Into Your Intuition through Tarot. CHARIOT VII: Set the Pace STRENGTH VIII: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway HERMIT IX: All by Yourself WHEEL X: Turn Your Fate Into Destiny The Top 5 Change Cards in the Tarot. JUSTICE XI: Everything Comes to Those who Wait Journal Practice: Fair Play! HANGED MAN XII: Grab Your Highest Value Journal Exercise: Values DEATH XIII: All Change! Journal Question: Death TEMPERANCE XIV: Be Well-Behaved Journal Practice: Tempering DEVIL XV: Break Free! BLASTED TOWER XVI: Pride Cometh Before a Fall STAR XVII: Stick to Your Vision The Finding Hope Method MOON XVIII: Walking On Through the Night SUN XIX: The Sun Always Shines on TV JUDGEMENT XX: Calling Card Journal Practice: THREE CARD READING WITH MAJORS-ONLY The Best Three Cards to get in the Outcome Position. WORLD XXI: Get Your Act Together Conclusion Kindle Tarot Books & Series Gated Spreads Series Tarosophy KickStart Series Volume I. Tarot Life Series Also in Print and Kindle Websites & Resources

Preface Why True Tarot Card Meanings? Well, although there are no single “true” meanings for a tarot card, a lot of my friends and students always ask “how do you know what a card really means?” Students often worry that they may not be able to read a card “correctly” for a tarot reading, and get it “wrong”. So, although a lot of people say there’s no true meaning, a lot of people – including those same people – seem to act as if there is! What I have done which is unique in this book is watch hundreds of tarot readers in person, and thousands online, do real readings for real people. I have then compiled all my notes over many years to come up with what most readers say for each card. There’s a lot of variation, of course, but in this book I have given the most common – the most close to true – meanings for each and every card. If you use this book, you will be very close, even as a beginner, to how many thousands of experienced readers read the cards! Once you have quickly gained this confidence, you will soon develop your own voice and style, and learn for many years how deep tarot can get – but for now, let’s get you reading! I recommend that you work through this book in order, as I give a few card descriptions and then a way of reading with them before moving onwards to more cards. You can use the full deck from the beginning, and simply look up the cards you have not yet covered in the book. You can also dip in and out of the book – an excellent way of re-igniting your passion for tarot if you are already an experienced reader! This is not a cut-and-paste book, this is all original content from my own work. In this book you will also find Journal exercises and Insiders Tips. These will help you find your own voice in Tarot, and learn the absolute essentials, drawn from the combined experience of the world’s leading experts. I have given Professional Tips for your use as you become experienced with the cards – feel free to read them but you can ignore them until you have the basics at your fingertips. Then you can come back through the book and get even more out of it!

There has never been a book like this, from the absolute inside of the professional tarot world – revealed for the first time to beginners! This book can be best used with the free spreads and keywords given in my free book at: www.mytarotcardmeanings.com If you have not already got a tarot deck to hand, let’s start by recommending a few for you.

Choosing Your Deck I love every tarot deck, but the most lovely is the Rider-Waite deck designed by A. E. Waite and drawn by Pamela Colman-Smith. She was called “the pixie” and brings a mischievous sense of humor to Mr. Waite’s rather more dry tone! Their deck, which was created and published in 1909, is easily the most recognizable tarot deck and also the best-selling. This is because it is ideal for beginners looking to learn tarot easily. I have put a card carousel on my site at www.mytarotcardmeanings.com where you can go and look at some of the most popular versions of this deck, and two other decks which are lovely, and based on Waite & Smith’s cards; the Hanson-Roberts and the Robin Wood Tarot decks. Whichever you choose, they are all delightful. I have also recommended the incredible Tarot Illuminati, which has recently been published by Lo Scarabeo. You will see also the Thoth Tarot deck by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris, which I think should be on every tarot readers list of cards, as a stunning piece of art. If you are into cats and you fancy exploring the Marseille deck as a beginner, then you should check out the Marseille Cat Tarot (Lo Scarabeo, 2014). This deck comes with a little white book that gives a simple yet delightful guide to get the best out of your deck. If you have like me been glued to the epic, “Vikings” drama, and are fascinated by the Norse gods, the Vikings Tarot deck will take you on a transformative journey. I like especially the tarot Major “Strength” card in that deck. I was also fascinated by Greek myths as a child, and if you were too, you will just love the Olympus Tarot. So many of these myths actually have a real life connection to us in our everyday lives. How often have you worked so hard to cook or clean, and then find yourself having to do it all over again! A particular Greek myth comes to mind, that of Sisyphus who for all eternity has to roll a weighty boulder up a hill, and is then left frustrated as it rolls back down and he has to repeat the task over and over again. Life does imitate

myth, and this can be explored in a series of booklets called Tarot Temple where you perform temple-dreaming in your sleep for healing work, transformation and even prophecy! There is such a wide range of tarot out there, with more decks being created every month, so you will be sure to find the decks that work best for you! You can join the free Facebook group at the Tarosophy Tarot Association to keep up to date with all the latest decks and get advice and recommendations at any time. Now, having chosen our deck, let’s dispel some of the sillier myths about tarot and start learning how to read the cards!

The Top Ten Myths about the Tarot Here are some of the silly things said about tarot, which appear to be common knowledge but are not true. The sooner everyone knows the facts about tarot, the better it will be! 1. You have to be psychic to be a tarot reader. This is a myth frequently heard in tarot circles. Do not be dismayed if you are not the seventh child of the seventh child, or you are not a member of a long line of mediums - do not give up! You Do NOT need to be Pyschic to be a tarot reader, no more than it is essential for a medium to have a pack of tarot cards to be medium! Tarot cards such as the Waite-Smith were designed in such a way that the symbols within them are universally recognized. These archetypal images - such as the Lovers - are instantly recognizable. It would not be remarkable that by taking one look at this card you would be able to recognize that ‘love and relationship’ is very much predicted. Even more abstract symbols such as the ‘Star’ in the tarot; this is a well-known symbol of ‘hope’ and ‘guidance’ and needs no special psychic skill to interpret or apply in a reading. 2. I do not need to be schooled in the knowledge of the cards by books or teachers. As I have written above, the Waite-Smith tarot cards were fashioned in such a way by Waite and Smith that with a basic knowledge of symbols one would be able to perform a simple reading with the cards. Waite also wrote an accompanying handbook to go with the deck. Therefore to get the full benefit of the cards, it important to have a good education in tarot symbolism and meaning. The way to look at it is that tarot is a tool, and because of this, it helps to be trained in its use. For example, I may be a natural at playing the mandolin; however I will be able to do it better with some training. We can never know too much, only too little! There are some fantastic tarot courses out there on the internet.

3. You have to be gifted your first tarot deck. It is very likely that the person who came up with this little darling did not want to buy a tarot deck! There is no truth in this myth that you need to be gifted your first tarot deck, it does not instill some special magical power that will make you the most ‘gifted’ tarot reader ever known. I wish it did! 4. You have to purify your cards before you use them or negative energies will be attached to the that could pollute the next reading. This is a myth, however, there is no harm in doing so, if you wish. The act of purifying the cards can be considered as a ritual, and it helps to set the scene for the reading. As does using an attractive cloth to lay out your cards. 5. You have to wrap your cards up in silk. This is a myth - you do not have to wrap your cards up in silk! It is again a matter of personal preference, and is merely a practical consideration. I feel it is important to keep my cards in tip-top condition in order to prolong their life. Some readers wrap their cards up in silk and use a bag, others use a box. Some folk like to take their cards out of their original box in order to keep the box in mint condition. This is important for the future value of the deck, if you become a collector. 6. It is not advisable to do a reading after the sun has gone down! This is a superstitious myth not to be taken seriously! Along with other myths such as “not doing a reading underneath a step ladder”! Although in that case, it is best not to be under a ladder without proper reason and a hard hat. 7. The Death card means death! Myth! This is not the case – any more than the 10 of Swords means that you will end up lying on the ground with ten swords sticking out of your body. The death card signifies the end of something and subsequent renewal. It can be the end of negative thinking!

8. The tarot is evil. This is certainly a myth; a tarot card is no more evil than a Birthday card! People and the acts they do can be “evil”. A tarot card has never started a war! It is a tool for us to use kindly and wisely; a tool to negotiate life and our spiritual journey. It is important that when we read for others we are aware of ethical considerations; never tell somebody they are going to die, if the death card comes up in a reading, for example. It is wise to be well educated and experienced to avoid mistakes in tarot reading, see my myth-busting points above. 9. The Celtic Cross spread is ancient and Celtic. Even if you are new to tarot, it is most likely that you have come across the Celtic Cross spread; you may have been told or have read that it is very old, and of Celtic origin. This is a myth - it is neither old nor Celtic. The Celtic cross spread was devised in the late 1880’s by a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It was originally called a “gypsy method” but this was just a name given to it – see the myth below! However, do not let this put you off, the Celtic Cross spread is one of my old favorites. 10. The Gypsies brought the tarot from Ancient Egypt. Myth! The tarot is no more Egyptian than the Celtic cross is Celtic. However, there are some very beautiful cards that have been created with Egyptian images and mythology. The Tarot arose in Italy in the 15th Century; there is currently no evidence that it existed in any way as ‘tarot’ before this time.

A Short History of the Tarot The tarot as most commonly recognized is a family of card decks, most often 78 cards divided into four suits of 14 cards (10 numbered cards and 4 Court cards for each suit) and 22 Major cards. There are presently about 1,000 different decks in print or circulation, and many more out-of-print, rare and collectable decks. Although it can be proven that the tarot was developed in the early 15th century, a lot of books still suggest that it was used by the “ancient ...” and then provide lists of the unproven, non-factual ideas which results in everyone still thinking those very ideas! The earliest names for the tarot are Italian. Originally the cards were called carte da trionfi (cards of the triumphs), but around 1530 A.D. (about 100 years after the origin of the cards) the word tarocchi began to be used to distinguish the tarot cards from a new game of triumphs or trumps then being played with ordinary playing cards. The Lenormand cards which are currently becoming popular also started as a salon game, and then became falsely associated with a famous fortune-teller, Mlle. Lenormand, as a marketing ploy, so much so that people still wrongly think that they are the actual cards used by Mlle. Lenormand! You are actually seeing in the cards some direct examples of the triumphs – the procession of floats common at festivals in Italy at the time – particularly in such cards as The Chariot and the Court cards. There is even a Christian tarot in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; the cards were used to depict virtues, the liberal arts and sciences, and other aspirational notions from their earliest development. In fact, it could be said that the cards were originally educational or self-development tools, although that could also be debatable. There is no evidence that the tarot were used by gypsies, originated in Egypt or were used for divination prior to the 1700s, despite popular occult lore that the cards have embodied ‘ancient teaching’ from time immemorial. It was not until a pseudo-connection between the Hebrew letters and the tarot was published in 1781 – by Comte

de Mellet, in Antoine Court de Gebélin’s Le Monde Primitif – that esoteric interest began to appropriate the cards to embody occult teaching. So you don’t really need to be an occultist or magician to use the cards, either, although their deeper secrets can be discovered through Kabbalah and other arcane subjects! The earliest list of the 22 cards which have become known as the Major Arcana is given in a sermon against their use by a monk writing in Latin around 1450-1470 A.D. This sermon is sometimes called the Steele Sermon as it belongs to the collection of Robert Steele. So, to summarize, the cards are Italian, and were used to show off by rich families before being “borrowed” as a tool for occult teaching. They were then confused with false histories and re-discovered in the 1960’s, until the new boom in the late 20th and early 21st century! [This above section which I think is so important to teach is based on a chapter from Tarosophy, by Marcus Katz, used with permission].

Learning the Cards We will now go through all the cards, and as we learn groups of cards together, I will introduce different ways of reading them, and insider tips to help you gain confidence. I recommend that you follow the exercises in sequence, as they are there to build up your skills – from reading for yourself to eventually reading for others! We will group the seventy-eight cards into the sixteen Court Cards, the twenty-two Major cards, and the fifty Minor (Ace to Ten) cards, and by their Suits; Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands. Some decks may have slight variations of these names, for example, “Batons” instead of Wands, “Coins” instead of Pentacles. Here is a practice spread for you to start using at any time. Advice & Outcome Spread [3 cards/beginner] 1. Shuffle your deck quickly, thinking of a situation you want a kickin-the-pants about! 2. Lay out three cards, face-up, slam down on the table. 3. The first card represents the current situation, as it stands at the moment. If this is a good card, it shows the best thing about the situation, if it is a more negative card, it shows where it is going most wrong. 4. The second card gives some advice – or maybe a warning as a kick-in-the-pants! 5. The third card shows what will possibly happen if you take the advice (or ignore the warning)! The trick with this simple spread is reading the cards together as generally negative or positive. You’ll see in my Card Meanings section, I have given an indication of whether a card is generally considered “good” or “bad” or neither. We will now make a start on the cards themselves, beginning with the sixteen Court Cards. However, you can use this spread at any time, and refer to any card in it by looking it up in the relevant section of this book. The trick with tarot is to practice, practice, practice!

The Court Cards The sixteen court cards are the individual characters of the tarot deck, and provide our readings with personality. Without the court cards we would find our readings totally flat and lifeless. Some people find them hard to read, but I have some tricks from experience to tell you as we work through them. You’ll soon be delighted to see a Court Card in your reading! I’ve also found they are very useful when doing readings for teenagers and young adults, who are often very concerned and reliant on the people around them. The Court cards really help us help them get their bearings. The Court Cards and their nature are: Page: Young, Child, Seeding, Starting, Beginning, looking ahead. Knight: Young Adult, Ambitious, forthright, driving, on their way. Queen: Mature Female, Long-Standing, Experienced, understanding. King: Mature Male, Powerful, Established, wise. So if you had three Kings in one reading, that would tell you immediately that the energy of the whole situation required a lot of power, authority, and wisdom – not to rush into anything! If you had a couple of Pages in a reading, that would encourage you to make a start, get going, and get stuck in! Another way of looking at court cards is to consider them as ‘energy centres’ in the reading. So they pull the reading one way or another – a Queen can pull a reading more to the feminine side of nurturing or ambition, for example, depending on her Suit. The Queen of Pentacles is very earthy and practical, the Queen of Swords is a bit of a Lady Macbeth! So let’s just take a very quick look at the four suits in the Tarot: Pentacles: Earth, Money, Resources, Health, Practical, CommonSense. Swords: Air, Thought, Education, Ideas, Plans, Cutting. Cups: Water, Emotions, Feelings, Depth, Patience, Flexibility. Wands: Fire, Ambitions, Values, Aspirations, Spirit, Lifestyle.

So, with just those sets of keywords, we can now combine our Court Card and Suit to see that a Court Card would tell us if a situation is all about the money (Pentacles) and if so, what attitude is present - a King would show us to be mature about it, a Page would go spend it! You can discover more about the Court Cards in the free guide at the bottom of that page on the Tarosophy Tarot Association website. Let’s now get on and look at the individual sixteen cards and I’ll tell you more about them, and give you ways of reading the cards for several different situations. I’ll also reveal a big secret – how to tell if a court card is referring to an actual person in a reading, an “energy” in the situation, or a “part” of the person who is asking the question. You won’t find this in any other book!

Page of Pentacles: Law of Attraction We now start learning about the Court Cards, with the “secret life” of each Court card explained, and how to read it depending on whether it is a person, part of a situation, or part of yourself. As we’ve discovered, there are sixteen Court Cards in the deck, each bearing the name of a medieval royal or servant; the KING, QUEEN, KNIGHT and PAGE. There are four of them in each Suit; Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands, so we have the Page of Pentacles, for example, or the Queen of Cups. Some decks may vary the names of the Court cards, particularly having the Page as a Princess, or swapping the Knight and King. Let’s not worry about that just now! Now, how do you tell if a Court Card in your reading is a real-life person, an “energy” or aspect of a situation, or a characteristic of yourself? Here’s a hard and fast rule from experience: If there is only ONE Court Card in your reading, then it is usually a PERSON. If there are TWO or THREE Court Cards in your reading, then they are usually all representing ASPECTS (ENERGIES) OF THE SITUATION. If there are LOTS of Court Cards in your reading, then they are usually PARTS OF YOURSELF. Isn’t that cool? That’s the first time you’ll see this rule, because other books don’t answer this question, and say things like “you’ll just know” or “ask the cards”. I like having a straight answer, even if I may break the rules sometimes! Start with the rule, and then you can develop your own take on it later. So here’s my information on the Page of Pentacles. For all of the Court Cards I will also show you how to attract this energy into your life; what might distract you from this energy; the lesson of the card; and how to read it in three different ways according to my rule. Practice Tip: Try taking a card out of your deck each morning and using it as “advice for the day”. Write up in a journal what you think it might mean for the day. Then, at the end of the day, write how the card actually manifested in your life.

What wisdom does the Page of Pentacles hold up high for us all to share? He shows us that we have the power to channel our own resources. The Page of Pentacles shows us that we can master the world that manifests. He guides us to get a grip on our finances and how we can attract good fortune to our world. The Page impresses on us that we have to focus and visualize in order to influence our physical world. We are the creators of our own reality. The Page of Pentacles is the sort of person who has a bookshelf full of ‘Law of Attraction’ books. Attract: Keep your eye on the small details and what is right in front of you. Distract: Do not be a Magpie today, as all that ‘Glitters is not gold’. Lesson: Today you have learnt one important thing that was staring you in the face, it may be common sense and obvious, but that does not mean that it is not important. As a Person: Young, or enthusiastic, planner, studious, patient, investor, just setting out. Down-to-earth. As an Energy: Fixed and Focused, but Cautious. As a Part of Yourself: The part of yourself that works out what to invest and judges how your time is rewarded. So if the Page of Pentacles was the only Court card in a 10-card Celtic Cross reading for myself, say, in the “future” position, it would likely be a real person, in my future, who met the description I’ve given above. If he was one of a lot of Court cards (say four of them) in a Celtic Cross, and again in the future position, I’d read it that in the coming weeks I need to be careful about how I spend my resources and reward that part of myself. Simple, heh? With a rule! We’ll next work through all the other Court Cards, also building up new ways of reading for you with the cards. This is going to be so good! I’m delighted to share it all with you!

Page of Swords: Cut the Crap What Wisdom does the Page of Swords hold up high for us all to share? He shows us that we have the right to go out into the world and learn by experience. Our wit and guile is our sword. We must thrust forward and not hesitate, only be ready for any eventuality or opportunity that comes our way. He shows us we can master the world that is in perpetual motion. He advises that you keep on your toes and that energy creates more energy. A wise man once said “You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” Attract: Be attracted to higher learning today, particularly if it is new. Read a book or start a new course. Distract: don’t be distracted today by sitting on the fence. Do not get pulled into an argument. Lesson: That our mind is only as sharp as we keep it. Now here’s our Page of Swords depending on whether he is an aspect of the situation, a person, or a part of yourself (or the querent) depending on our previous rule: As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: Keep an eye on the situation, caution, hold back. As a Person: A sharp, shrewd, possibly quiet person who knows their own mind. As a Part of Yourself: Your ability to plan, to evaluate, to witness and watch.

Page of Cups: Dream On What Wisdom does the page of Cups hold up high for us all to share? He shows us that we should look for mystery and the unexpected in the most ordinary of places. That we can find magic and excitement if we look for it. Attract: Take time out to contemplate and meditate, try to expel bad thoughts and summon up good ones. Distract: Do not be drawn into the negative energy of others they will pull you down into their gloomy depths. Lesson: Contemplate on the words of Buddha “All we are is the result of what we have thought”. Be introspective and look within because this is the place where the greatest surprises will come from. Therefore the lesson is be careful what you believe for that is what you will become. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The creative spark, the passion, the love of it. As a Person: A dreamer, creative artistic person; a “lover not a fighter”. As a Part of Yourself: The bit of you that thinks outside the box!

Page of Wands: Swagger Like Jagger What wisdom does the Page of Wands throw light upon? He shows us that we should keep enthusiastic and be confident that the news that we are awaiting upon will be positive. You must maintain at all times a dignified stance, stand tall and do not show your fear. The Page of Wands is the card of swagger and confidence. Present yourself to the world as if it is a stage; ‘swagger like Jagger’ if you must. Attract: Be attracted to confident people today, listen to how they communicate, and emulate their positivity. Draw attention to yourself, do not allow yourself to melt into the background. Be receptive to good news and it will be delivered so. Distract: Do not be seduced and drawn in by the doom dealers with their stories of failure and negativity. They thrive on failure their own, and that of anyone else - stay well away! Lesson: Expect good news rather than bad as you may be pleasantly surprised. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The vision of it, the core value of the whole thing. The purpose and ambition of doing it. As a Person: A serious, valuable friend, one who goes for what is important. As a Part of Yourself: Your belief.

Knight of Pentacles: A Hard Day’s Work Let the Knight of Pentacles be your champion. What energies does the Knight of Pentacles possess that you need? The Knight of Pentacles stands for loyalty, steadfastness, responsibility, hard work. Think of the Knight and the Horse as one, in that he is a ‘workhorse’ that performs consistently under immense pressure; tirelessly and long-term. In a reading this means you have to knuckle down and get on with the job, boring as it may be. Insiders Tip: How would you word this advice to somebody else? One of the hardest things in being a real reader is giving advice from the cards in a way that our querent will not only understand, but appreciate and act upon. One way of doing this is to use clichés and stories, examples and metaphors. Don’t go overboard with them, but sometimes a story with emotional impact can help get a message to where it needs to go. What stories, fables, sayings, clichés, or modern film references come to mind with this card? Come up with your own, in your own experience and voice. As Yoda would say, “There is no Try, only Do”. Here is how the Knight of Pentacles can be seen in terms of different ways of reading it: As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: Patient, long-term planning, “whatever is dullest, do”. As a Person: The down-to-earth, reliable, solid person in the situation. As a Part of Yourself: Your sense of patience As a Time: Long-term, inevitable future. As What Someone (a King or Queen) Thinks Towards You: They are thinking of your future in a practical way. Professional Tip: That last part is a way of reading the Pages and Knights as what a Queen or King card in the reading is thinking “towards” you. It is a mind-reading trick of a sort and comes from one of the earliest tarot teachers and authors; Papus. He said that a Page or Knight card showed what a King or Queen card/person was thinking about you. So if we have a King of Swords and a Page of

Cups in a reading, the King is a very rational man who is thinking quite emotional thoughts about you! Nice!

Knight of Swords: Errol Flynn The Knight of Swords is intent on sorting out the world’s problem, or just about anybody’s he comes into contact with. He loves to right a wrong, and give out justice, if he feels that it is just. He is wise, incisive, dignified and can always help you to make a decision, the only down side is he can be a bit of a risk taker, and it is hard to get him to keep still. The Swords suit is action, movement, he is the swashbuckler and action-movie star of old and if he appears in your reading, it indicates a whole new surge of energy moving your way. You will not find yourself stuck for words, no hanging back and not knowing how to verbally cut down that person that has just attacked you (especially in the “what is blocking/crossing you” position of a spread). However, when you have the Knight of Swords energy running through your veins it can get you in trouble with saying the wrong thing. This Knight tends to do things to the extreme, he know no inbetween. If he appears in the “now” position of your spread, and it is a question regarding getting a project going, well he is going give you the initial surge that is going to get you going, but the question is can you keep his pace? As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: Getting on with it, rushing, hurrying. As a Person: The person who is always at the front of any queue. As a Part of Yourself: What gets you going, what you have no problem doing.

Knight of Cups: I Know I’m a Dreamer The Knight of Cups is the energy of romantic idealization in all its glory. If you have ever known a partner who had a tendency to put you on a proverbial pedestal, well here they are. The problem with this energy is it has a tendency to be a bit manic by nature, and one moment you are the love of his or her life and the next moment you are the ‘thorn in their ass’. They also have a tendency to be a bit jealous by nature, there is a possibility of a stalker in the making here. Let’s get more positive now, after all nobody’s perfect! If this card turns up in reading about finding new passion in your life, you had better start making plans, as you could be loved up very soon. In more everyday affairs, it signifies following your dream and your heart. Go with passion! As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The Quest, what is the ultimate goal of the situation. As a Person: A passionate advocate, someone who shows their feelings. As a Part of Yourself: Your attractions and compulsions, your inner drives and desires.

Knight of Wands: Firestarter! The Knight of Wands is very combustive by nature, and my what a wild temper they can have. The Wands energy can take you by surprise. It is very easy for this energy to get out of control, they can be a bit pompous, and full of themselves. Spend too much time with the Knight of Wands and you may want to put his lights out. The Knight is very spirited and positive and you would certainly want him on your team! In general reading the meaning of this tarot card is “wild energy” and “going for it”. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: What is out of control, what needs reigning in. As a Person: The go-getter, the ambitious person, the one with all the ideas. As a Part of Yourself: The bit that feels right to do. Gain Reading Excellence from Just One Weird Trick!

Before we continue with the Queens, have you ever wanted to know the secret of how to divine even when you feel stuck while reading a card? You need never get stuck talking about any card again with this one simple and effective trick. Simply look at the card and describe out loud what you can see. The trick is not to complete a sentence but to keep going by using “connecting” words like; so, and, then, when, because, but, like, also, whilst, etc. You will find by doing this that all of a sudden out of nowhere comes a piece of deep heart-truth. This weird trick exhausts your conscious mind, allows it to flow by keeping it to literally what you can see – and then accesses, totally automatically, your deepest intuition. Cool, huh?! Here’s an example with the Ace of Cups: “I see a cup held in the palm of a giant hand and four streams pour from the vessel and tears of water weep from its sides which fall like petals so they land gently onto the water below because when this happens with the Ace of Cups so everything becomes one.” The piece of deep heart-truth that is channeled here is that with the Ace of Cups “everything becomes one”. This is what A. E. Waite

spoke of as “Divine union”. Now that we can be sure never to be stuck on any card ever again, let’s continue with the Queens!

Queen of Pentacles: Home Comforts This Queen is a little like the Empress of the Major Arcana. She is homely, comforting, nurturing, supporting. She looks after us, rather than the Queen of Wands who will tell us to learn to look after ourselves! So the Queen represents a practical woman, someone who is constantly creative. She can be very helpful, and is likely to volunteer for baby-sitting, taxi duties and cooking extra food. In a tarot card reading, this card has the meaning of domesticity first, practicality, and keeping oneself grounded. It is not a time for thinking it through (Queen of Swords), ambitious steps (Queen of Wands) or wild surprises (Queen of Cups). Stay put, stay focused, and have patience. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: What is most comfortable. As a Person: The nurturer, the mother of the situation, the person who looks after everyone. As a Part of Yourself: Your inner carer.

Queen of Swords: Know Your Own Mind The Queen of Swords is a woman who knows her own mind. If we were to write an affirmation for this card, it would be: “Persevering in my own decisions, I can discover my true talents”. In a tarot card reading, this card has the meaning of sharp wit, intelligence, discernment, and confident assessment of a situation leading to a good decision. Its appearance in a reading shows that you need to be clever and quick, but considerate to all factors of a situation. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The cold light of day, the rational and obvious. As a Person: The sharp-tongued person who says it like it is. As a Part of Yourself: Your ability to cut to the core of what you are feeling and thinking.

Queen of Cups: Away with the Fairies? A card of intense emotional significance, this Queen is the “Water of Water” in terms of the elements of the Tarot Court cards. She is dreamy, creative, nostalgic, and at worse, “away with the fairies”. However, she is also incredibly perceptive, otherworldly, and intuitive. In a reading, the Queen of Cups tells us to trust our deepest emotions – to relate to our feelings and go with their flow. It is not a time to be ruthlessly analytical or practical, even. A meditation upon the Queen of Cups would be: “Feeling through relationship uncovers hidden depths”. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The most abstract, dreamy, unreal part of the event. As a Person: The person most likely to talk about how it used to be. As a Part of Yourself: Your inner oracle, your dreamer and visionary.

Queen of Wands: Believe in Yourself The Queen of Wands is a passionate woman who believes in herself. She has strong convictions, ethics, and values, and tries to live up to them. She is likely to represent a successful woman in a tarot card reading. Her nature may be fiery (the wands correspond to the element of Fire) but she can also keep control of her temper when necessary. The Queen of Wands is a surprisingly good home-maker, because she loves the natural order of things, and recognizes value in harmonious surroundings. Her negative qualities are rigidity and dominance. She can be a bossy-boots! In a general sense, this card shows us that we have to take control, carefully, of a situation, that it can be managed with the resources to hand, and we need not panic or go overboard. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: Control and Power, dominance and wisdom. As a Person: The woman (usually) who you most admire but perhaps least like. As a Part of Yourself: The bit you want to be. Now let’s take a look at using some of our Court Cards, shall we? They are very easy to read when you know how - some people find them difficult, but not us! Let’s make them our closest friends! Get the Queens Around for a Chat

A Simple 4-Card Method for working with the Queens. If you are unsure which approach to take to a practical, domestic situation, ask the Queens to help you with this simple method – one of my personal favorites and invented by yours truly! Take the Four Queens out and shuffle them, thinking of the situation. Imagine you are asking your closest and most trusted friend for advice over coffee. Turn the top card over – saying, “well, what do you think?” That first Queen gives the first round of advice:

Queen of Pentacles: Take the most sensible, common-sense and practical approach. Get real, for heaven’s sake. It’s all rather obvious ain’t it? Queen of Swords: Take the rational, considered, logical, T’Pau (Spock-like) approach. Be clear, make up your mind. Ignore your instinct, cut to chase, for heaven’s sake. Queen of Cups: Do whatever your heart tells you, go with the flow. Don’t listen to your head, let your heart rule, baby. Queen of Wands: What is the right thing to do, the most noble, valuable, perfect road to take? Rise above it all, O spiritual seeker. See how that feels to you and what you think about it. Is it realistic and does it have value? If it does not meet those immediate criteria (that of all four Queens in yourself, you’ll notice!) shuffle again, asking, “No, what do you *really* think, you four?” Take the top card again, and see what happens. If it is the same card, what does that tell you? If it is totally the opposite of the first advice, where do you stand between them? You should be able to now check your assessment of the advice with your own four inner Queens, and see which one rises as the final and real advice. You can only draw two Queens for this method - having a constraint forces you to get the actual best advice from the Queens, not keep asking them until they simply agree with you because they want to get on and talk about something else ... And the best thing about this method? After using it just a few times, you'll start to automatically check with all four parts of yourself in everyday situations! Those four Queens will be with you every day, looking out for you - as all good friends do. Now let’s tackle the final set of Court Cards, the regal Kings.

King of Pentacles: Mr Practical The King of Pentacles is a man who demonstrates how resources are gained and used. He is a thoroughly material and practical man. He is as you see him, with few hidden sides. I say, he is a man with “hidden shallowness’s”! He is also the businessman and/or DIY handyman of the deck. But he always sticks to what he is doing, and is in anything for the long-term. He may not be fiery passionate as the King of Wands, or dreamily creative and romantic like the King of Cups, or even as sharp and witty as the King of Swords – but he is always there. Keywords we can associate with this card are: common-sense, apparent, reliable, accomplished, solid, steady, calmness, wealth, supportive … The Court cards are easier to read than you may first think, if you read some books that say they are “difficult” in some way. Think of them as energies or influencers. They bring their quality to the situation, or cards around them. So if this King of Pentacles appears in an “blocks/obstacles” position of a spread, it would simply be that your common-sense, your rigidity, your sticking to the book, are getting in the way – you need to be like one of the other Kings instead! In fact, it is likely one of them will have appeared elsewhere in your reading to show you which one! If not, it probably doesn’t matter, as long as you stop being a Mr (or Mrs) Practical! As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The establishment, the rule of experience. As a Person: An experienced, older person who knows what they are doing, even if they are dull. As a Part of Yourself: The part that has experience and has been there, done that. Insiders Tip: If you want a short-hand way of remembering the four Kings, associate these words with the first letter of their Suit: Pentacles – Mr. Practical Cups – Mr. Creative

Swords – Mr. Sharp Wands – Mr. Wonderful

King of Swords: Mr Sharp The King of Swords in his most extreme is Mr. Spock from Star Trek. He is logical, cool, cold, calculating and ruthless in thinking it through. There is nothing that escapes his observation, and he has a scientific mentality – and an approach to resolve everything. More generally speaking, the King of Swords shows “thought” and “decision-making” in a reading. When he appears he counsels us to consider our actions like a chess game, a strategy, a process of planning. We must look at the consequences, and think ahead. Insiders Tip: If in a reading with the Ace of Swords prominent, then we are being given a clear message to THINK BUT ACT – and QUICKLY. If you have the Knight or Page of Swords also present, either you haven’t shuffled a new deck properly (!) or you are being shouted at to think quick and act quicker. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The highest logic, the rational, the cutting edge of it. As a Person: Someone smart, clever, scientific in outlook, who thinks things through. As a Part of Yourself: Your inner Mr. Spock, if you were a robot, how would you process it? Journal Practice: A One-Card Reading Method.

As you progress through this book, practice reading with one card. The way to do this is to select out one card in answer to a question, and then take each of the symbols on the card as a separate piece of advice. You will soon see how much depth you can get out of one card. Here is a real question, and an answer from the King of Swords. Why am I not being taken seriously? Sword: This tells me that I need to use the sword to empower. The sword in the “King of Swords” is a weapon of intellectual defense and of attack. Take up the sword and use it if necessary or I risk having it used against me. I need to sharpen my blade and be ready to use it. In practical terms I must not take any nonsense and always argue my case.

Butterflies: This is a symbolic of the element of air. It is of the realm of transformation. This tells me I am in the position to transform and I have the space to do it. Crescent/waning moons: The meaning of the word crescent comes from the Latin crescere which means “to grow”. This practically tells me I need to change and grow. The King: Active, male energy a force that needs to be used in a positive way. This tells me that I need to be more male and more active in how I am seen in the world. Birds flying high: Use the elements of the environment I am in, they say you perform better at that which is second nature to you. Utilize and incorporate and this literally says I should fly high and be seen doing so. In practical terms this means that I should not be hiding my successes or ability to fly. Clouds: Clouds are symbolic of change coming, this tells me that I need to be flexible and respond quickly to changes in the air. In everyday terms I need to look out for the next opportunity to assert myself and take it. Tall trees: These are symbolic of enduring strength and longevity. Practically speaking this is saying that I should keep on and not give easily and that I should stand my ground. I am effectively not being taken seriously because I do not do this. Throne: This is a symbol of royal position. He/she who is the power on the throne! This is telling me that to be taken seriously I need to be aware of my true position and if I have a throne to sit on it once and a while. To come from a place of authority! Ceremonial robe: A gown that is worn to show that a person is of importance in the world. This says what is obvious, that I need it to look obvious that I have some standing in my world. I need to act like I am to be so. Crown: A power symbol of majesty and power. When a crown is worn everyone can see that the person is playing the part of a King or Queen. This symbol in the card is telling me that to be taken seriously I must act the part, put on the crown or no one will take me seriously.

Professional Tip: Look up the meaning (etymology) of a word that relates to a card, as I did with “crescent” here in this reading. You may be surprised how much insight you can get from the way in which a word is constructed, such as “Hierophant” meaning “revealer of what is hidden”. So when the Hierophant appears, a secret is sure to be let out soon!

King of Cups: Mr Creative With his toe half-dipped in the deep waters, but wearing armour, the King of Cups is the creative man, the poet, the man who dreams deeply. He can be wishy-washy in the negative, but is always in the flow of things, even if he can be frustratingly laid-back at times. In a reading he represents creativity and compassion, going by your instinct and dreams. Insider Tip: When looking at Tarot cards, consider them not just as static pictures, but as a frame in a movie. What happens after the King of Cups dips his armor in the salt-water of the sea? After a while, it will get rusty and corrode, unless it is cared for. In a reading these “moving images” of the cards can bring deep insight and advice – here I would say to the person, “you must care for your dreams, otherwise you will lose the ability to create them (rusty) and become bitter (corrosive)”. As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: The bits most connected to how you feel about it. As a Person: Someone in touch with their emotions, but not overwhelmed by them. As a Part of Yourself: The bit that can appreciate what you are feeling, without being overtaken by it.

King of Wands: Mr Wonderful For the King of Wands, let us use an example from the awardwinning Tarot book, Around the Tarot in 78 Days (pub. Llewellyn, 2013) of how this card applies in the most common questions: Careerwise & Financially this card indicates motivation and vitality. The King of Wands knows exactly what to do and how to do it. It may also signify delegation to others to fulfil your vision. The King of Wands is authentic and true so indicates in a financial reading that the situation is as it is presented. Healthwise this card indicates that you must take command of your own situation and state things firmly from your own point of view. You have achieved the right position from which to speak and must do so. It may also indicate that you must follow your burning passion to improve your health. In Relationships this card indicates fiery passion and burning desire. It brings warmth and charm into any relationship and if you can sustain the enthusiasm brings its own rewards. The card shows how a relationship may create its own vision and then manifest that vision in every way. As an outcome card the King of Wands shows a relationship will be all-consuming. In travel & lifestyle this card indicates enterprise and vision. You must be bold enough to make dramatic steps forward in accomplishing your goals. The fire aspect of this card is your enthusiasm which will be rewarded when it is applied. This card says simply “Go”! In education this card indicates counselling and discussion. The King of Wands is the ideal mentor and coach - someone who inspires you and draws out inspiration from you. With this card is the advice to seek search advice from someone in whom you have complete confidence. In spiritual awareness & self-development this card is the burning core of our values and vision. It reminds is that we must manifest and be true to our vision else we are consumed by it. No matter how idealistic or unrealistic our vision may appear to be it is to be lived.

As an Energy/Aspect of the Situation: What the purpose of the situation is all about, what it is trying to achieve. As a Person: Someone passionate, fiery, informed and sometimes political in their attitude. As a Part of Yourself: The part of you that wants to do what is right. As we’re getting on with our individual cards now, let’s take a look at a new spread you can add to your practice. You may like to start this practice after a week or two of doing one card a day. A Beginners Spread: Attraction & Distraction

Here is a special spread, which I learnt as a beginner, and has always been useful in getting the most out of every day. I’m delighted to share it here for the first time. It really does help me get a lot done every day, and I hope it does for you too. Practice this in the morning, it only takes 2-3 minutes. Attraction & Distraction Spread (3 card/level: beginner) 1. Shuffle your tarot deck. 2. Place it face down on the table. 3. Split it into three roughly equal piles, from right to left. You can use your left hand if you feel that this helps. 4. Turn face-up the first card on the top of the left pile. This is what will try and distract you today. Look up the card in the card meanings section, or read the additional material from my free secret tarot card meanings for extra information. 5. Turn face-up the card on the top of the right pile. This is what you should be attracted towards today. Again, look up the meaning in the tarot card meanings section here, and apply it to what should attract you. I give hints in my newsletter as to how to apply any tarot card meaning to any position in any spread – I can make that easy for you! 6. Don’t turn up the middle card! 7. Spend the day guiding yourself by avoiding situations that are indicated by the meaning of the left card, and working towards things indicated by the right card. You should feel a push/pull as you guide yourself through the day, with surprising and pleasant results. Sometimes it can be quite magical, with strange coincidences or

“synchronicities” happening. If you keep a tarot journal, make a note of these magical and special events. 8. At the end of the day, in the evening, turn over the middle card. This is your personal tarot lesson card. Look up the meaning here, and see what surprising lesson the tarot has taught you today, by adding magic into your life! You can then put the cards back into a pile and shuffle, and then shuffle again in the morning and do the exercise any day. Having looked at the Court Cards, I will now take you on a tour of all fifty Minor cards, the Aces to the Tens, in each of the four Suits; Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands. I have grouped these together by number, because it is an easier way to learn, by seeing how the four Aces work together to show different “beginnings” all the way to the Tens which show different “endings”.

The Minor Cards For each of the Minor cards, rather than the usual esoteric “King of Salamanders” or simple but too general key-word such as “Success” I have given a more contemporary title from my own experience. Thus the 7 of Cups is “Living in Cloud Cuckoo Land” and the 10 of Pentacles is “A Done Deal”. This means that the cards are immediately obvious in a reading! If you had a situation where the past was the 7 of Cups and the future the 10 of Pentacles, then you can simply say out loud “you have at last moved from living in cloud cuckoo land to making it a done deal”. Anyone can read tarot if you know what to say!

Ace of Pentacles: The Seed of All Things The Ace cards are the seeds of new beginnings; in fact, there is a great word for this; “nascent”. It means pre-born, just before, like the “darkest hour is before the dawn”. In the case of the Ace of Pentacles, the card is like the seed in the deep earth, just before any shoot is visible. We do not know, looking at the surface, if anything is alive or will grow, or whether everything is OK and going to plan. We cannot dig to look, because we might kill the plant before it has chance to develop and sprout up and out. So the Ace of Pentacles is a promising card – but that is all, a promise. If we keep our work going, keep the ground nourished, all will be well, in time. In a reading this tarot card has the meaning of seed, new beginnings, promise of return, resources ready to appear.

Ace of Swords: Claim Your Power! The Ace of Swords is the most striking and singular card of the Tarot deck. It is brash, in your face, unabashed, Miley-Cyrus-Twerking shock and awe. Its appearance in a tarot card reading is sure to bring movement and power. It signifies that you must make a decision, or a decision will be made for you. If you were performing a Career reading with the following positions, (from a spread by Carrie Paris) here is how you would read the Ace of Swords. This is also a great spread to use for career readings for people or other self-development questions, and uses just six cards. 1. Your Inner Coach. 2. Your Inner Trainer 3. Your Motivational Guru 4. Your Career Counselor. 5. Your Best Friend's Advice 6. Your true Inner Path The Ace of Swords would say in each of these positions: 1. I am your Inner Coach and I see your talents and skills: I recognize focus and will-power in you at this time. You must strike swiftly and not hold back, tackle the immediate task and forget the long-term plan, go for sudden and quick not considered and planned! Grasp the Sword of Power, take what is yours, risk all for nothing and the Kingdom will be yours! 2. I am your Inner Trainer and I symbolize what you can expect if you pursue courses and education that nurture your talent and skills. I see the start of great intelligence and learning, a small beginning that will lead to great things - see the Crown atop my Sword? Start firmly and keep focus, go for the knowledge and not the reward, and reward will inevitably follow. 3. I am your Motivational Guru! What or who motivates your career choice can be located at the tip of my Sword! See the garlands of victory, the crown of kingship? These are yours for the taking! You are motivated now by gaining power and position - this

may be a good thing to get you going, but have you considered all the costs? My sword can cut two ways! 4. I am your Career Counselor. I represent the challenges or obstacles that might keep you from fully stepping into your career. Are you truly ready to start on the path of responsibility? Are you determined enough to hold the sword that may be given to you? Are you holding back your views and not dealing straight? I counsel forthright speech and immediate action - an end to planning and considered moves! 5. I am your Best Friend's Advice and I know you well. A personal change or action you can take that would help interest perspective employers in your skills is to simply be more dynamic. Act like you know, walk the talk, fake it until you make it, but grasp that sword and hold it high! Make sure everyone can see what you've got - it's really time for you to be strutting your stuff! 6. I am your true Inner Path and I see the Big Picture. A direction you can take to fully claim your career choice as your own is by acknowledging your responsibilities. What do you owe to whom? How do you allocate your time? Are you playing fair's fair? You must take time to consider what you are losing as well as what you are gaining - a good king is as wise as Solomon, and knows the power of balanced action. In Love: Hold fast to your deepest intentions. Advice: Weigh up the difference between what you think is happening and what you wanted to happen. In Business: An original idea. Advice: Think it through.

Ace of Cups: The Flow The Ace of Cups is called by A. E. Waite the true house of the heart. It is the overflowing wonder of emotion, and love. It signifies utter sacrifice to another, giving, flowing and being. There is no need to think, or do, just to feel. This tarot card carries the meaning of trusting your emotional response to a situation to carry you forward. In the past it means you may have gone with the flow which has now carried you to a new point where that must change.

Ace of Wands: Victory! Seize the day! The Ace of Wands is the card that most suggests that you are in control. If you wanted an answer from anywhere else, the Tarot here says – it is YOU. You control the situation, whether it seems out of your hands or otherwise. This card is a card of great power and authority; it means something very special is happening in your life. A decision that is going to change you forever. The advice of the card is to keep it simple and stick to your principles above everything else. Do not be swayed by others.

2 of Pentacles: Keep Spinning the Plates This juggling card can be seen as making ends meet in a very dynamic time! It is a card that tells us we must organize everything – nothing must be left to chance. If the Wheel also appears in a reading with the 2 of Pentacles, things may be feeling very much out of control. Insider Tip: It can also signify someone not taking something seriously, which will cause them a problem. This card says, “it is not a game”. The cards of the “2’s” are all ‘early’ cards in the tarot Minor cards, 1 (Ace) - 10. So if this card appears about a new project or relationship, it is already off to an unsteady start, but it is also “early days” so a course correction may be possible. Advanced Insider Tip: The cards in Tarot have astrological correspondences. At the beginner level, I don’t cover these, but here we can mention one, so you can see how useful they are. This card is the 2 of Pentacles and corresponds to “Jupiter in Capricorn”. Now, just using simple keywords for the astrological qualities, this is “expansion” (Jupiter) in “earthiness” (Capricorn, the goat). Have a look at the card again, thinking “expansion in earthiness” or “growth in grounding”. That is the secret lesson of this card – it is a situation that is teaching you to develop your ability to be stable in tricky, or even difficult, circumstances. This is the secret teaching of the 2 of Pentacles, and life itself, symbolized by the infinity symbol in which the 2 pentacles are juggled.

2 of Swords: Make Up Your Mind A card of indecision, this shows the struggle of bearing responsibility without facing up to the consequences. It is inevitable that the Swords will fall, you cannot remain blind to them forever. In the background we get a suggestion that there is a tide – and that means one way or another, the “tide will turn” when this card appears in a tarot reading. In Love: Holding back from making a choice, when the heart has already made up its own mind. Advice: Do it! Make the choice even if it hurts. (3 of Swords) In Business: Refusing to commit to an important decision. Advice: Find a middle path or third options (3 of Swords)

2 of Cups: A Match Made in Heaven This is the card of the unity of love, it is symbolic of commitment, and the exchange of mutual bonds. The Rider-Waite card shows a man and a woman exchanging ‘loving’ cups, we glimpse their fingers touch as they do so. This card could also be seen as a card of ‘Soul mates’. It shows in a more general sense a mutual affection and friendship of equals. Insider Tarot Tip: This card also shows something new arising out of a partnership; something impossible by either person alone. Professional Tip: The Top Ten Relationship Cards

Although all the cards in the tarot can be read in terms of relationship, the Top Ten cards in Tarot which talk specifically about relationship are: The Lovers (VI) … a choice is open in the relationship Strength (VIII) … the balance of power needs adjustment in the relationship The Devil (XV) … there are bad habits and dependencies in the relationship 5 of Pentacles … you can work together to weather out a hard time to come 2 of Cups … a mutual passion and interest, even if not physical relationship 6 of Cups … the give and take of a relationship, growing up, being more mature 10 of Cups … the domestic happiness of a relationship 3 of Swords … making hard choices in a relationship 5 of Swords … putting aside differences in a relationship 6 of Swords … sharing a vision of where the relationship is headed

2 of Wands: Get the Full Picture The 2 of Wands tarot card meaning is that of planning, patience, ambition and waiting on an opportunity. It suggests that we bide our time, and make the most of a situation by planning for later action. In a relationship question, this card suggests that you have a bigger vision of your relationship than your partner, and it is perhaps best to share your long-term ideas with them. If it appears in the position of “the other person”, then it is they who have bigger dreams than you presently know. Insiders Tip: As the card shows a “globe” of the whole earth, in a career question, this card suggests that you do not act until you have a fully “global” picture of the situation. There may be bigger forces at work than you presently realize; hidden ambitions, secret agendas, and puppet-masters. Get the full picture.

3 of Pentacles: Learn to Plan The 3 of Pentacles is all about new learning, learning a new skill or trade, taking instruction and direction in a project or even a relationship. Professional Tip: Did you know that the 3 of Pentacles is linked to the 8 of Pentacles? The 3 of Pentacles is the apprentice learning his trade in order to reach the skill of the Master Mason, the 8 of Pentacles. When this is connected to a career question you will need to look at the cards in-between to perfect your skills. The cards sow the process: 4 Pentacles – Keeping it together 5 Pentacles – Make do and mend 6 Pentacles – Give and take 7 Pentacles – Measuring it up.

3 of Swords: Sort It Out This card is not just about heart break in a romantic sense, it can also apply to crossed words in any situation. The suit of Swords are of the element ‘Air’ and relate to the intellect, spoken word, reasoning, thinking and conflict. If the 3 of Swords comes up in a relationship reading, it speaks of being stuck and wounded unable to move out of the situation. You may be stuck in a relationship that is too much to bear, for example if the card of the 6 of Swords also appears in the reading. Or it could signify a rift that needs healing before you can move on, depending on the cards around it - such as the 8 of Cups, in this case. Tarot Insiders Tip: This card is also about separating out your ideas and trying to think clearly. In Love: A troubled relationship. Advice: Find someone who will mediate for you or just get out. In Business: There is too much outside interference going on from; an employee, colleague or competitor, perhaps even sabotage. Advice: Stop this in its tracks, sack or sabbatical comes to mind.

3 of Cups: Find Friendship & Good Company This is a card of ‘harmony’ and ‘camaraderie’ amongst friends, family or community. The appearance of this card (in the near future position) may portend a wedding or re-union, this is a card to be happy about. If the card that is in the ‘what is crossing you’ position of the Celtic Cross is the 3 of Swords, and the 3 of Cups falls in the ‘outcome’ position #10, be reassured things are going to get better long-term.

3 of Wands: Innovate! The 3 of Wands is the card of looking ahead idea-wise, in that one idea, one creation is not enough, there always has to be a plan for the next best thing, innovation is the name of the game. The Suit of Wands is of the element of Fire, and embodies passion, drive, having the Pioneer ‘Spirit’ and learning to harness resources. The Top Six Cards that May Show a Cheat!

We can never be 100% sure with any reading, as I have said, we should consider our cards our trusted BFF but sometimes we have to also apply what we know and our common-sense to any situation. However, there are certain cards that show that someone may be cheating, misrepresenting something, hiding the truth, or all is not what it seems. They are: The Devil: This card can signify temptation/greed is in the mix, meaning that the motives are not purely as what the person may have presented. The Magician: Somebody who is a trickster even if they are a smooth talker. The High Priestess: This is a card that can signify secrecy. Somebody could be keeping a secret from you! Page of Cups: This person is a bit of a fantasist so be careful not to believe everything they tell you - deception is a negative aspect of this court card! Nine of Wands: Just look at this man in this card! He looks very wary, perhaps you should be cautious if this card comes up! Seven of Swords: From the look of him he could be up to no good, something may be going on that may end badly!

4 of Pentacles: Hold Onto What You Have Got This is the card of having it all and wanting to keep it all. Just look at this guy, he looks so smug and greedy. If this comes up in a reading it could be that the querant is in a situation where they have become a little selfish and self-serving. It may be the time to share the candy, not keep it all to yourself. In a more positive sense, it is a card of saving, holding onto your resources and refusing to speculate or venture. If this card came up in regards to a relationship question, for example. “I am in the process of divorcing my partner, and he will just not play fair, will I come out the divorce okay financially?” If this is in the outcome position of the Celtic cross, the far future, then the answer is NO. He is going hold onto what is his.

4 of Swords: Away Day It is time to give yourself a bit of a break from thinking and doing and always trying to control the show. The 4 of Swords is traditionally known as the card of ‘Repose’, and as we can see very clearly on the card, the Knight effigy is well and truly at rest, the prayer position of his hands, suggests that it is time to connect with a more spiritual world, one where you can mediate and not worry so. If this card comes up reversed, it is saying you need to get out there more, be a bit more social! In Love: Find a place to rest and take time out from a relationship. Advice: Time to put aside disagreements and move on. In Business: Stop and do not react, be still. Advice: look at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Do not act, do not take any decisions.

4 of Cups: Cutting Your Nose to Spite Your Face This is the card of ‘choice’, there is a decision to be made. It may be that you are not happy with where you are at the moment, and you have come to a conclusion that you will not put up with this state for too long. Insider Tarot Tip: Look at the body language of the youth in the Rider Waite image, see his crossed arms and crossed legs. His body says it all “he wants to protect himself, protect his position. He is effectively saying NO MORE! And in doing so he is missing a great opportunity.

4 of Wands: Invitation to Party This is a card of ‘celebration time’ and being thankful for where you are at the present moment, getting together with friends and loved ones, those people in your life who you are most comfortable with and around. It shows an invitation to a meeting, party, etc. If this card came up in response to a relationship question, say, for example “Will I settle down with my boyfriend, will he commit to me?” then the answer would be “the signs are good, but you may have to put up with his friends coming around all the time”.

5 of Pentacles: Deferred Income The 5 of Pentacles is one of the lesson learning cards which can help you to perfect your skills. This card warns against not planning ahead with regards to finances. This is the card of being ‘down on your luck’. In an emotional situation, you may “left out in the cold” with regard to one person or a group. This is a material situation with emotional consequences. It recommends the sense of having a long-term plan, and keeping an eye on your financial comings and goings until things improve. Keep going through tough times. Tarot Insider Tip: A. E. Waite calls the characters on this card “mendicants”. This was a religious order that entered into poverty voluntarily to reach god. Perhaps in some way the person receiving this card in a reading has chosen in some way to defer their income, like investing in a course of education, with long-term goals.

5 of Swords: Give it a Rest The 5 of Swords cautions you to be wary and put your arguments away for now. At the half-way stage, things can either get worse or be halted; there is no getting better or going back. Also, never leave your swords out in the open to be picked up and used against you by an enemy. In relationships this could apply to careless words that could be used against you at a later date. So when this card appears keep quiet and say nothing! Tarot Insiders Tip: You may also want to check your back; are you sure everyone is working with you? In Love: You may find yourself in a relationship situation; where you could end up saying something you may later regret. Advice: Get out and about and discover likeminded people. This could be virtual or actual; online or face-to-face! In doing so, you may find that special someone who appreciates and understands your way of thinking and relating. In business: Do not divulge any thoughts, ideas, and innovations. Do not tell anyone how they should be doing things your way. The way things are shaping up it will not be beneficial. If you feel paranoid or suspicious at the moment, it be could be real, as someone once said “careless talk costs lives”. Advice: You may ask, what should I do? Move and find yourself a better place to be, where you and your ideas will flourish. Make moves to protect your ideas, through legal avenues.

5 of Cups: Crying Over Spilt Milk This is the card that is known as the card of ‘Sorrow’, if this comes up in a reading with regards to relationships it could indicate that there has been some sort of trauma or shock which has led to a loss. If this card is in the past position of the Celtic cross, then the trauma is in the recent past. It shows in a general sense “crying over spilt milk”. The advice is always to pick yourself up and go and get some new milk! In fact, in a business question this might mean thinking about the next innovation, the next step, the next new thing. You should be five steps ahead – a five-year plan – ahead at all times. Spilling milk always happens when you take a few risks. The five-stage in all four suits is always a tricky half-way point, but it means that if you succeed at this point, the rest is easy.

5 of Wands: Making New Arrangements The 5 of wands, the number 5 of this card is the midway point in any creation. When we create anything we get to a point where everything can be still up in the air, it is like we have spent lots of time working towards something, yet still we do not have anything to show for this. There could even still be disagreement, replanning, and argument, all meanings of this tarot card. If this card pops up in a relation to a career question in the far future position of the Celtic Cross spread, for example, say, “Will I get the promotion and reward for all my effort?”. The answer would be NO. The Secret of the Numbers: A number is not just a number!

Now that we are half-way through the Minor cards, let’s take a look at how the numbers stack up! We can tell a lot from the pattern of the minor cards in a reading, based on simple numerology. Here’s my handy guide for the numbers! I hope it helps you get even more insight from your readings, as it has helped me so many times. 1. If you get a lot of Aces in a reading, something is just in its infancy. If it is a situation, and the question is about how will your new job go? Then it is telling you that it is early days, as a newbie you could be lonely at first! 2. If you get a lot of Two’s in a reading, this is something ‘coming’ together, union. If this is a relationship question, you and another could be getting quite intimate! 3. If you get a lot of Three’s in a reading, and again this was a relationship question, “two’s company, three’s a crowd” comes to mind. 4. If you get a lot of Fours in a reading, this is good for stability; again if this was a relationship question, then you can feel quite secure. 5. If you get a lot of Fives in a reading, then you are half way there! Don’t give in! 6. If you get a lot of Sixes in a reading, you can congratulate yourself, but you still have a long way to go. It may good to take a quick break and recover your energy.

7. If you get a lot of Sevens in a reading, you need to assess the situation so far. Get it together before making a final push for the finish. 8. If you get a lot of Eights in a reading, then you need to keep on going with the situation, not far to go now! 9. If you get a lot of Nines in a reading, you are in a very good position indeed. You can appreciate what you have in your possession. 10. If you get a lot of Tens in your reading, you are safe and on home ground! You have reached home base. This is a sign of completion, something is resolved or at the end! Now let’s continue on with the other half of the Minor cards.

6 of Pentacles: Give and Take The 6 of Pentacles, is a card of redistribution of wealth. This is the tarot card that holds the meaning of charity. It is about balancing out inequality and unfairness. This is the ‘Robin Hood’ of the tarot cards, in that it is about righting wrongs, through the action of giving. It is important to point out this is not only about giving money, it could be a person giving up their time to another person, spending valuable time with somebody they love who has been neglected of late. As it says in the keywords of my free guide “this is a card of charity and the work/life balance”. Insider Tarot Tip: In Kabbalah, the Jewish system of mysticism to which the Tarot can be associated, the number 6 represents “Tiphareth”, which means ‘beauty’. It is the name of the centre of the “Tree of Life”, so is the point of harmony and balance. This card shows this perfect point (6) in relation to the world of money (pentacles). Isn’t that clever?! You can learn more about Kabbalah in this popular and easy beginners course, delivered to your mail every month for a year, for only $1/month (total just $12) at www.kabbalahcourse.com.

6 of Swords: Move On The Six of Swords is the card of finding a solution, a way forward from where we are stuck at present. We have reached a state of the 6, which is past the midpoint, and from here we should gain momentum. The suit of Swords corresponds to the element Air, and is about ‘Movement’ and being in transit. The Swords are about ‘reasoning, intellect, using your mind to solve a dilemma. This card is all about moving on, even if it makes some ripples. You know where you need to get to, says this card, you just have to start rowing! If the querent asks a question about a disagreement in a relationship and if it will be resolved, then with this card the answer is YES. In Love: Time to move on. This would be a case of you leaving a relationship that is no longer stimulating you, or you thinking about taking it to a whole new level. Advice: If this is you leaving a relationship, you are urged to gather all your mental resources/forces you may need to be quick and sharp to withstand any resistance to your actions. Expect to be accused of being manipulative. In business: A project that you have spent a long time working on is now launched and out in the open. Advice: You need to think about where it is going to go next. It is now out in the open, it may need a helping a hand, a burst of promotion, and it is all down to you get the ball rolling. Keep the ideas coming fast and furious.

6 of Cups: Co-Dependency This card is known in tarot circles as the ‘nostalgia’ card, it is the card of ‘sentiment’ and co-dependency. Those six cups are brimming with watery emotion just waiting to spill over. The number 6 of the card is just past midpoint, and enough emotional currency has been built up, but we fear that we will lose that which we have. When we commit to loving it makes us open and vulnerable, we become almost childlike. We are secure but fear it can be taken away. If this card comes up in the ‘what crosses me’ position of the Celtic Cross, and the question is ‘Why will my boyfriend not marry me?’ then the answer could be you are being ‘far too needy’. You need to look after yourself first and foremost.

6 of Wands: Play Your Cards Right “Play your cards right and it could be all yours!’ This is the card of ‘Victory’ and ‘Valor’. It is a card which is positive and if it comes up in response to a question about a legal matter, for example: How am I doing, will the court battle work in my favor? The answer could be: It all looks to be favorable and success could be on the cards but you are not quite there yet. However, if the ‘subject matter’ of the question is something which is of ‘true spirit’ and of ‘good intention’ be confident you are on the right track. Tarot Insiders Tip: look at the body language of the horse, see how it has its head turned to the side, even though it carries a ‘Victorious’ one, this horse could unseat the Victor easily. Success is a precarious state - Triumph and Disaster rule equally!

7 of Pentacles: Harvest Your Wealth It could be said about this card that is a link card to the 4 of Cups, the card of ‘Choice’, here with 7 of Pentacles we have our young man who has worked hard to build up security, he has done this by using the natural resources around him, that are at hand. Again as in with the 4 of Cups the young man is contemplating something that is before him, he is working out what to do next. Waite says in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot that before him “his treasures and that his heart (cups) was there’. This is again linked to the 4 of Cups, this is where his heart felt choices have led him to. The actions of our past reverberate into the future, this card is saying to “think before you act, and plan carefully, for it is your future that depends upon it - the jackpot could be yours, if you are wise”.

7 of Swords: A Spy in the Camp The swords suit corresponds to the element of Air, ‘movement’, back and forth, forever changing, high to low. Here there is a warning that someone might be in our “camp” and stealing our options and opportunities before a big battle ahead. There is a spy! In the Rider-Waite tarot image, we see the man carrying away five swords, but leaving two fixed in the ground behind him, he looks back over his shoulder to check upon them. The Swords are thoughts, arguments, reasoning, manipulation, operations, and planning. This card is also warning that it is not a good idea to look back on our actions, what is done is done, and in the past. Now is the time to consolidate what we have and move away from past quarrels. In love: You may feel insecure in a relationship, due to negative past experiences. This over cautious behavior could bring on the instability that you fear. You are in a lonely place. Advice: Get real, take control of your thinking patterns, and find a balance. The paranoid state that you are in is down to you, untie the mental tangles that you have inflicted on yourself! You need to look ahead, and keep working on relationships. In business: You may find yourself in a situation where you feel under threat, competition is hot on your heels.. Advice: Just get on with it and do not become too entangled with intrigue; real or imagined. You could get stuck just where you are. Try not to be too blinded by over thinking.

7 of Cups: Living in Cloud Cuckoo Land This is the card of magic and illusions, imagination and pie in the sky ideas. If this card appears in a reading it could be warning you that something or someone is not as they seem. If it was a relationship question, it could be warning you that the person you are involved with is a bit suspect and not to be depended upon, perhaps they do not deliver what they promise In a nutshell do not expect something or someone to be reliable, durable and long-term. Think of the image of trying to write your name in water, it slips away.

7 of Wands: Having the Upper Hand The Wands are the suit of creation, spirit and enthusiasm. It corresponds to the element of ‘Fire’. The 7 of Wands is way past the midpoint in the act of doing/creating something, but not finished yet. This is the stage in the game, when we get most weary, and when we get weary, we get defensive and probably over protective of what we have built up so far. We have so much to lose and we have invested so much. We must see the job to the end. When this card comes up for us in a reading, we may feel that we are ‘up against it’. We have to be brave and carry on with our mission. This card tells us to be brave and ‘not to give in’ to outside forces that oppose us. You have the upper hand – use it!

8 of Pentacles: Build Your Own Life This card links to the 3 of Pentacles, the Master Mason card, here the Apprentice has risen in the ranks and has achieved the skills of his trade. If this card turns up in your reading in relation to a work based question it could suggest that skills need to be honed, perhaps even a case of going back to basics with the 3 of Pentacles. Tarot Insider Tip: the cards never stand alone; one lesson touches the next and so on. The number 8 of the suit is symbolic of continuity. We can apply this here to the never-ending process of learning and practice – gaining experience. In numerology, 8 is also 4+4, two lots of perfect structure. The card shows building blocks – work - for its own sake, even if it is not appreciated by others. You are gaining experience, and that is what counts – your building blocks in life.

8 of Swords: It’s In Your Own Head Here we have the card of being one’s own worst enemy, in how we can terrorize ourselves into paralysis. As Eleanor Roosevelt, once said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”. What we think and what we feel and how we respond to the actions of others, can cause far more damage than the actual attack itself. The suit of Swords is of the element Air, and influences thoughts, reasoning, perception, basically how we THINK. If this card comes up in a reading it may be telling us to start thinking in a whole new way, one that liberates us from victimhood and transforms us into the STRENGTH card of the Major Arcana. Be strong and come out from the dark and cut the cords that bind and blind you. The Rider-Waite card shows a young female in a skimpy gown, blindfolded, and bound. She stands petrified on a rocky shore and she is hemmed in by eight swords behind her. She appears stuck, however, we can see that she could so easily walk away from the situation as her feet are not bound. This card says that “there may be a situation that you could so easily walk away from”. It also indicates old and outworn thought patterns holding you back. It can also show a situation where a game or joke has turned into a reality. This can be ridicule that hurts, the message of this card is “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got”. In Love: You are bound and restrained by convention. Staying where you are because it is what you know. Advice: There is a saying “If you make your bed, you end up lying in it “. Your actions so far have brought you to where you are now. So what now? You can stay where you are in a restless state and accept it, or you get up and make changes to your life. In Business: You may be in a place where you overwhelmed by your workload, the rat-race, and the rats that run it. You may feel that you are being taken advantage of by others. Advice: Face up to the reality of the situation. The pressure that you are under needs to be released. It is time to vent your thoughts, worries to the relevant parties. Do not take it lying down!

Tarot Insider Tip: In Freemasonry part of the ritual is to be ‘Hoodwinked’. This is wearing a blindfold and symbolizes being blind to what is going on in reality. A. E. Waite, the designer of the WaiteSmith deck was a Freemason. Let us take a look now at reversals, where the energy of a card can be read as the “opposite” to its natural upright meaning, or from a “different angle”, or as simply bringing our attention to the energy of that card in particular. In the following spread, using five cards, we will see an example of the 8 of Swords reversed. Journal Exercise: Pentagram Spread

1. Earth – the Practical 2. Air – the Mental 3. Water – the Emotional 4. Fire – the Magical/Transformative 5. Spirit – the Spiritual So as an example, a question asked might be, “What do I need to know to get the best out of my new relationship?” The Five Cards pulled might be: 1. Practical – 8 of Swords (reversed) 2. Mental – Knight of Swords (reversed) 3. Emotional – 7 of Swords 4. Magical – Empress (III) 5. Spiritual – King of Swords Here is a brief outline of how I would personally read this example: “On the practical level of this new relationship, don’t believe how things are going – doubt may uncover problems not yet apparent. Your ideas may be getting the best of you - it is time to make an orderly retreat from the situation; it is suggested by this card. (8 Swords rev/Knight of Swords rev). With regard to the spiritual aspects of the new relationship, The King of Swords is at the top of his game and counsels that you take time to deliberate your options before acting. Again, this is a card of caution.

On the other side of the Pentagram, we see in the Seven of Swords, we see in the situation for which we are reading some indication of deceit – someone is breaking the agreement. From a magical perspective, in terms of how this will transform you, the Empress brings gradual growth to your life.” Obviously, this reading – being mainly of Swords – two of which are reversed - and cards of caution and concern, counsels the Querent to think before acting in the new relationship.

8 of Cups: Moving On This card is linked to the Hermit and the 5 of cups cards in the journey of the Tarot. Here in the Rider-Waite Tarot card the 8 of Cups we see a man trudging across a barren marsh towards the distant mountains. He shares aspects of the Hermit who we have seen carrying the light of the lamp, and the 5 of Cups, the card of ‘Sorrow’. In the 5 of Cups it is if he has returned from his journey of the 8 of Cups to find emotional loss, hence the sorrow. This demonstrates that things never stay the same, we may leave something and return and find change, and it is as Waite said, a ‘decline of a matter’. In a reading this card signifies the emotional growth that requires you to move away from a current situation.

8 of Wands: Thrust and Go This is the card of momentum and a process that is underway. If this comes up in a reading it can imply that something that has been put in motion cannot be stopped, it has to run its natural course. It means “swiftness” and movement already happening – or soon about to. The Wands suit is of the element Fire, and signifies ‘creativity, passion, fever, (as in something running its natural course!) lust, and innovation, this is a suit of movement and action. Stand, watch and marvel at the energy of this card. This card is all thrust and go.

9 of Pentacles: The Kept Lady The 9 of Pentacles, is sometimes known as the ’Card of the Kept Lady’, it is if she is somehow protected from the toils of the outside world, this offers her protection. It could also imply the more obvious reason that she has a rich partner. In the Rider-Waite card, she has a very serene look upon her face, and she is totally at ease with the bird of prey that she holds up very close to her face. This is a very self-assured lady of independent means. She wears a gown of generous material and against a backdrop of grapevines, she leans her right hand on a bush which contains 5 Pentacles, to her left stands 3 Pentacles. This would imply that all is not as it seems, the security that she has within her reach is not quite equal, and therefore perhaps all is not as ‘Rosy’ as it would appear in this garden of Pentacles. This said, this is still a card of material plenty. This cards appearance would indicate material wealth, but with possible strings attached.

9 of Swords: Darkest Before the Dawn Professional Tip: Here’s a secret tip from expert readers! When you look at the Swords cards, first look to see whether the Swords are being “held, hung or hammered”. As the Swords are all about our thoughts, they are drawn to represent three very different states: Held: If a sword or swords are being held, it is thoughts that we are holding onto. Hung: If they are up in the air, they are thoughts that are weighing on us, but from outside. Hammered: If they are hammered into the ground (or a boat, in the 6 of Swords), they are outworn thoughts that are stuck, like old ways of thinking or patterns. This is a really useful thing to know when you are looking at a lot of Swords in a reading! So the 9 of Swords shows a lot of “hung” swords, in fact, they are so overwhelming that they have “no point”. So the card shows sorrow, and having to wait until a bad situation passes. In Love: This is the state that may come from the negative side of being in love that of being “Love sick”. It could be unrequited love, the arrows of cupid shot from his bow. The initial stage of being in love, where you cannot think of anything other than the object your desire. Torrid thoughts and sleepless nights. “Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind” .You cannot think yourself around this state, you just have to let it pass, like a bad fever breaking. Advice: Like any feverish state, whether it be the state of desire, or the feverish state of illness, you need to let it go through its paces, and trust for a positive outcome. In Business: You may become so absorbed in ambitions and work that you are unable to think of anything else. You are unable to rest and resolve your problems, sleepless nights. Advice: You need to either learn to manage your work commitments more efficiently, this could be a case of you accepting that you need to delegate or move onto a less demanding way of making a living. If you do not you may find yourself being toppled by yourself or others. Something has to give! Be it voluntary or involuntary.

Whilst there are several cards in the Tarot that are not welcome when you see them, they all have secrets if you know where to look. In the 9 of Swords, the card of grief and sorrow, there really seems to be no point in even looking for a way out, does there? The Swords are overhanging, they are even bigger than you can see, and in fact, the figure in the card cannot even look at their life ahead of them. However, a closer look shows something magical. The quilt or blanket that protects them, comforts them, is embroidered with secret symbols. These are the symbols of the Rose and the planets, and the zodiac. They suggest to us that with time, even this painful problem will pass. We will grow from it a stronger person, and whilst we cannot bear it now, time will heal our sorrow. In fact, whilst it may be the most painful thing to do, we could even see those swords, those old wounds of our past, providing a ladder and a way up to a new life beyond this unpleasant time.

9 of Cups: Feeling Full of Yourself This is known as the card of ‘satiation’ that a stage of fullness has been accomplished. This could be the stage in a creation when you have completed the task and it has turned out well. You are pleased with your efforts. It could also imply overindulgence, in the best possible way of course, this is not the overindulgence of the Devil, but the reward given after working hard. This is the carrot after the stick! If this is in relation to a work based question, it could be that you are in line for a bonus after all the hard work you have put in recently. This is a card of a good future, especially if it turns up in the ‘outcome position,’ if so I think a bit of something ‘sparkling’ of either the liquid variety or of the jewel kind or both is needed! If the card preceding the ‘outcome’ that of your ‘hopes and fears’ is the ‘two of cups’, it could suggest an engagement could be on the horizon.

9 of Wands: Forewarned is Forearmed What a wary little watcher you are at the moment, on tenterhooks, awaiting for something dreadful to happen, which will most likely not! This sums up the 9 of Wands a bit of a hot head who has a tendency to over-dramatize. There is so much defensive energy here that it could get out of control, if you do not reign it in. The issue could be that you have spent time creating and building that it has made you a little over protective. If this card comes up in a reading it cautions you to bring a reality check to the situation, quell your fire like Wand nature. Hey, why not even take a break, and it may look so much better in the morning. The Rider-Waite card shows a rather worried looking young man with a bandage around his head, stood behind him are eight more wands that act as a barrier. On a more positive note he is not always wrong, and his hunches could be right, as they say, better to be ‘forewarned is forearmed’ as the literal saying goes ‘arm in advance’. This card in a reading could be warning you to put your guard up and be ready for attack.

10 of Pentacles: A Done Deal This card is the “done deal” of the deck. In numerology, 10 comes full circle to 1 (1+0 = 1) so this card shows a finality, a close, a completion. Whilst most readers point out the “happy family” on the deck they miss a big secret, in the Rider-Waite deck. Have a look at the young child, looking back out of the card. It is as if he is trying to tell us something. Then notice his hand, on the dog. An innocent soul and a dog? Sound familiar …? Yes, it is the young Fool we are seeing here, hidden in plain sight. The 10 of Pentacles, which is the card of ending, holds the image of a new beginning, a new freedom. There is another secret symbol (or several, actually) here that few have noticed or point out. If you look carefully, the man in the card has a spear. He is holding it in a particular way. He is the same man that appears almost hidden and walking away in the 4 of Cups. In this card, he is happy; in that card he is walking away, possibly having lost his family in some way. In a reading this card shows that things have come to a rest, to a full stop. But there is always something that can be started up again from this situation. I will look at other secrets in this card in the “Card Secrets” section in coming posts. This card yells out ‘You are safe and sound and you should all rest well in your beds at night’, the future is secure for you and yours. This card is saying that you can slow down a little and spend time enjoying the benefits you have built up. The downside of this card is there is a risk of boredom and a boring life without risk and change, it is a little like the song ‘Little boxes’, you could end up being stuck in the world of ‘Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of tickytack, little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same… and they were put in little boxes and they all came out the same’. Attract: Be sure about what you want in life, one person’s idea of a good life can be totally different from someone else’s, know what you really, really want and stick to it.

Distract: Do not get carried away with the obsession of having it all, it may take you away from where you truly belong. Lesson: Be here now!

10 of Swords: Getting Stuck This card shows that your thoughts, plans and ideas have come to a grinding halt. The Swords are buried, in the most dramatic way. Your plans about the situation have come to an end, the only way from here is a CTR+ALT+DEL reset of your scheme. Insiders Tarot Tip: A loss of faith, there is a secret to tell in the 10 of Swords. If you look closely at the victim’s hand you will see it is in the same position as the Hierophant. The cards are linked – but how? When you are doing a reading and this card appears this secret insight into the card reading shows a “loss of faith”. The Hierophant tarot card means “faith”, trusting someone to advise you, for your own best interests. The 10 of Swords shows that this faith has been abused. So when other people are sticking the knife in, kicking you when you are down or having a gossip, this is the card that brings this to your attention. Watch your back! In Love: Fear of betrayal through being too candid with loved ones and committing yourself to a relationship. You may have had your fair share of bad experience in the love stakes and because of this you have avoided relationships that have meant commitment. A traumatic divorce experience comes to mind. Negative experiences of the past pinning you down in the present Advice: The very act of starting afresh and thinking positive new thoughts, will seed the positive relationships of your future.

10 of Cups: Contentment in All Things If this card comes up in a reading you have a lot to be happy about or your luck is going to change for the better. This is the card of contentment and loving security you are finally on secure ground. Whatever you touch at the moment turns into gold, the proverbial crock of gold at the end of the Rainbow is yours for the taking. In relation to a question over uncertainty in a relationship this card is certainly green for go for it! The Rider-Waite card shows a man and a woman the man has one arm around his partner, they are both reaching up towards a rainbow (symbol of hope) in proclamation as if to welcome in good tidings. A boy and a girl hands clasped are dancing.

10 of Wands: A Load on Your Shoulders The card of oppression, struggle, taking on too much, even bullying or being put upon by others, this card seems direct in its symbolism. We have all felt the load on our shoulders, and the work to carry people who are not pulling their weight. There is a secret to this card which is based on numerology. You will see it in the other Tens; the 10 of Pentacles, the 10 of Cups and the 10 of Swords. They seem completely the end of the line, but actually in numerology, 10 is broken down into 1+0 = 1. So all the tens complete and return to the Ace, the “1”. They may seem the end, but they are announcing a new beginning! How do we take this worry, this burden, this load in the 10 of Wands, and turn it into an Ace? We first of all stop. We release what we are carrying. We look to where we want to go, for perhaps the first time in a long time. Then we only pick up what we want to carry, and tie it all together into ONE goal. That is the Ace of Wands, the Ten here bundled together and fastened into one vision. It could be as simple as “I will get through today”, or as ambitious as “I will travel to Africa” but it must be something to which everything gets aimed. What in your life is on your shoulders? Can you take a day and release it, turning it into an Ace? The 10 of Wands this is the card of the very busy bee, movement and action and getting around. This card of the suit of Wands is of the element of Fire, and here we have the full arsenal of energy and buzz. You may think WOW this is wonderful, what more could I ask for. Well, now let me tell you the downside, this card is traditionally known as the ‘Burden’ card. You most likely know where I am coming from now. We have all been there, the situation where we find ourselves just taking on far too much, and not recognizing our limitations. Yes, too much of something CAN be a bad thing. So here’s what I suggest, when this card turns up in a reading, see it as a card of advice and what it is saying is you must begin to delegate and lighten your load a little. Having looked at the Minor cards, let’s look at how we can put a reading together and then we will look at the Major cards to get the

big picture! Don’t forget you can apply all of the card meanings here and get a cheat sheet with spreads to practice at my website at www.mytarotcardmeanings.com with my FREE “Tarot Keys” booklet.

Putting a Reading Together To put a reading together, the trick is to practice – with the meanings and spreads I have suggested here, picking up the insider tips along the way, then applying the professional tips. That will keep you busy for a little while! Let’s take an example of a five-card line reading and see how we can build it up from the basic key-words and phrase given here into a proper reading. It helps at first to have a specific question, as that gives us something to work with – like a framework. So, I ask the cards “How can I improve my business?” I then decide to make it an even better question by asking specifically, “over the next six months”. I then decide to make it an even better – better – question by adding, “without having to spend too much money”. Sometimes the cards will ignore our question and answer a more important one, sometimes they will argue with us, and say – in response to this question, for example – “you have to spend more money”. We must treat our cards like a very experienced and insightful BFF. Sometimes you will agree to disagree, but more often than not, in hindsight, you’ll see that they had something to say to you! Now, back to the question; “How can I improve my business over the next six months without having to spend too much money?” I shuffle the deck and lay out the first five cards: Ace of Cups + The World (XXI) + The Star (XVII) + 5 of Cups + Queen of Swords OK, so I first notice that there are two Major cards, a Court Card, and two Minor cards. So that’s a mixed bag, but definitely a powerful situation, and the two Minor cards are at the beginning (Ace) and the middle (Five) of the numbers 1-10, so that at least means my business is not ending! I see the Queen of Swords is the only Court Card, so I take that to be a PERSON. When I look at the description here, what sticks out most is the affirmation I gave for the card, “Persevering in my own

decisions, I can discover my true talents”. So I take the card to represent myself, and the need to stick to my decisions over the next six months. But what decisions? Let’s have a look at those other cards. Professional Tip: You’ll notice I am not reading in any particular order, I am just letting my attention move to whatever attracts me first in the reading – it could be a particular card, a color on a card, a similarity between two cards next to each other, or anything. This process of “conscious drifting” allows me to engage my intuition as well as my experience and knowledge. The Ace of Cups I call here “Go with the Flow”, followed by the World card which I say is “Get Your Act Together”. So there’s some easy advice – I must continue with what I am doing, and continue to try and keep everything together. So far, the cards have not advised me to change anything. In fact, when I look at the next card, the Star, I read what I have written here is “Stick to Your Vision”. It seems like the cards are telling me the same thing in a lot of different ways! But whilst it may be great to have such a simple message, it really doesn’t seem to add anything to my business. So I look at the Five of Cups – the only other Minor card in the reading, to see if that will add something practical to the whole situation. Reading that card is actually quite practical – and gives me a real action to take. Rather than answering what I thought, the cards are telling me not to make any major changes but “go with the flow” and use the quiet time and opportunity to develop my five-year plan – the Five of Cups. I think about it a bit more, and realize that I perhaps have been spending too much time “crying over spilt milk” and should rather use my disappointments of the past as a learning experience in planning the future. This is a useful reading and really does provide a wake-up call and new perspective on my business and life in general. It is incredible how the cards can be easily put together – I hope the “true tarot card meanings” I have given in my book here help you do the same! Now let’s look together at the 22 Major Cards to complete our tarot learning!

The Majors The 22 Major cards of the deck show us the big patterns in life, the currents that go on underneath everything else. It is incredible that they are indeed just 22 cards, to show the whole nature of life, the universe and everything! They say there are only a few stories in the universe, that get turned into an infinite number of books, films, poems, songs and plays – well, these 22 cards can be turned into anything you can think of, and provide a storyboard for every situation you will ever experience!

FOOL 0: Freedom & Frivolity The unnumbered card of the deck, like the Joker of a pack of ordinary playing cards, the Fool is someone who is totally free of all responsibilities. This is the card that gives you the “get out of jail free” message in a reading. When it turns up, you know that all bets are off – whatever seemed stuck, you can walk away from. The Fool has a secret too, or rather – it is in his bag? Have you ever wondered what is in the Fool’s bag? Well, according to A. E. Waite, who designed these cards, it is all of the experiences and troubles that we carry in our soul. So, the Fool is actually the wisest of all in the Tarot; he has packaged up his worries and is free from them – a pure soul. Meanings: Freedom, Taking a Risk, Leaping before you Look, Innocence, New Beginnings Insiders Tip: The Dog on the Fool card signifies “faith”. It is the faith of being on the right path. When the Fool and his Dog are present in a reading, it shows where there is most authenticity and truth; he is the only one in a Court, as a Jester, who can speak the truth and get away with it. So the card can be read as meaning “keep to the path” as well as “take the next leap”. Journal Assignment: If the Fool means “freedom”, what would it mean reversed? We can be confident about learning reversals if we keep it simple. Just flip it on its head! If you like, you can share your ideas with me by leaving a comment underneath the FOOL card on my site.

MAGICIAN I: Skill and Success Following the Fool, we come straight to the Magician. He is the trickster of the deck, the Mercury of astrology, quick-witted, quicktongued, and always ready with an answer. In a reading it means: Success, originator, creative, organizational skills, ability, willpower, skill, self – confidence, vision, decision, action, action, initiative, power, concentration, skill, intellect, traditional, intuition, agility, wit, craft, potency, conduit, focus, adaptability, resourceful, power, channeling, conducting, improvisation, adept. The Magician, believe it or not, is the secret card of success in the Tarot. Whilst many tarot professionals talk about it being “intelligence” or “magick” it is actually pure success. If you think of all the wonderful wizards of stories, you will think of Gandalf, of Merlin, even modern versions like Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. They all have one thing in common; they are able to cope with anything – and I mean anything! They have all become naturally successful, even if sometimes they are blind to those closest to them. Some Tarot card readers say the card shows how the magician has all four elements together on his table – symbolizing his emotions (cup), thoughts (sword), willpower (wand) and physical resources (pentacle). The secret of this card is knowing that you have to be up-front and gather yourself together. It can also mean that you are not seeing someone close to you is not actually being true – and may even be undoing what you are trying to achieve. It is card number one – so you have to look after number one when he shows up. Insiders Tip: When reading Tarot, a simple layout is four cards to represent the four elements on the Magician’s table. You can lay them out side-by-side or in a cross, starting at the top and going clockwise. 1. Wand – Fire – This position shows what your goal should be. 2. Cup – Water – This position shows what the emotions are in the situation. 3. Sword – Air – This position shows what you need to learn.

4. Pentacle – Earth – This position shows what you have to do for the most magical result. Try and see what four cards you get from your deck!

HIGH PRIESTESS II: Secrets and Surprises Here’s a secret! Did you know that this is the favorite card of most tarot card readers themselves? It is no surprise because the card shows the secret of intuition, the essential skill for tarot professionals. The High Priestess shows that we must be still and quiet to really connect to our intuition. Listening for that little voice, that deep feeling requires patience. So when this card comes up in a reading, we must take time to ourselves – it is like the female Hermit card! Other keywords for this card are; unseen change, tides and seasons, going with the flow, intuition, secrecy, and spiritual law. So, if this card appears in your love reading, it may mean that the little voice you are hearing has something to say to you. Be patient. Be still. Listen to your deep inner wisdom. The High Priestess will guide you towards the true happiness of your soul which you deserve. Insider’s Tip: If you look closely at this card you will see Pomegranates woven into the fabric of the veil between the two pillars. What does this mean? This fruit was associated with the Greek goddess Persephone. It is Persephone who represents the descent into the darkness and the return to light. We see this in the passing of the seasons. When this card appears we know that we are learning lessons even if we feel that we are passing through a dark place. The Pomegranate is a reassurance that we will return to better times. Are there are other symbols in this card that you can see, that indicate the passing of time? Professional Tip: The Top Five Time Cards & Timing in a Reading

All of the cards can be used to tell time in a reading. However, the Top Five cards of timing in Tarot (other than the Court Cards of the Knights, Queen and Kings, which can all be used to assign time to a reading, based on their zodiacal correspondences) are as follows: Moon: A Month Sun: A Year Wheel: Soon - A reversal of the current position

Blasted Tower: Immediately – a reset of the current position Empress: Nine Months To tell time with a tarot reading, consider also the Minor cards; if there are a lot of Aces, Twos, Threes, etc. in a reading (lower numbers) then there is still a way to go in the situation, so a “long time”. If there are more Eights, Nines and Tens (higher numbers) then the situation is coming to a rapid conclusion – sooner rather than later. Journal Exercise: Learning to Look Beyond the Veil.

To explore the High Priestess card, try this simple exercise in intuitive development. Shuffle your deck face-down, and then turn it up so you can see the cards. Carefully go through the deck one card at a time, until you reach the High Priestess. See if you can imagine what card/energy she is veiling behind her. What secret image is she hiding? Listen carefully to your intuition and any physical feelings you get. When you are ready to "fix" your idea, make a note of it, and then move aside the High Priestess and see what card she was covering. In what ways were you right and wrong? Check the meaning of the card on my site and see what your intuition was telling you. The more you practice this, the more you may learn to see behind the veil.

EMPRESS III: Let Nature Take Its Course The Empress is the card of nature, growth, slow and gradual natural change, patience, pregnancy, harvests, the seasons passing, and life itself. She can be compared with the other female cards in the Major Arcana, for example, the World card is how Nature appears to us, and the Star card is hidden nature. The Empress is the goddess, the power and patterns behind everything. This card means that all things are due in time, and may also be compared to the Queen of Pentacles, another very nature-based card. It carries a similar meaning of nurturing, of compassion and care. Both are cards of the mother and motherhood. If it appears in a past position, that time of growth has passed, and nothing new will arise; it is time to seek a new field to seed, nurture and harvest. Journal Exercise & Insiders Tip As we saw at the very beginning of this book, when reading, we can weave an interpretation from all the individual symbols on a card – even doing a very deep and detailed one-card reading! Let us now try this with a Major card. Here’s how we would do it for the Empress card, and then for your journal, why not try it with one of the other cards, or one you pull for a real question? Full-Grown Wheat: “What you have planned and seeded, worked so hard to accomplish, has now come to happen – it is time to take the fruit of your work. In a way, it is up to you to now harvest and reap what you have sown. Take time to enjoy this pause in your hard work”. Venus Symbol: “Everything is coming together, perhaps even a romantic or equal partnership – the circle and the cross – the active and the passive. It is all happening in its own good time and good things will grow from this union”. Shield: “You are protected, and can be assured that there is safety in what is happening. Everything is being taken care of, so go for the enjoyment of the ride”.

Couch/Cushion: “Relax and sink into what is happening, don’t fight it. Take time to rest and recover, as things go their own course. Don’t meddle or interfere at this point, there is no need to do anything other than sit back”. Scepter: “Whilst you are the cause of what is happening, you should pull back from adding any more into the mix. There is a time to be regal and take the high ground, and this is it – there is no need to keep digging or working!” Crown of Stars: “Everything will happen in time, and you should have patience, with an eye to the fates and fortunes of the stars. What you have set in motion is now flowing to a conclusion, let it happen”. Waterfall: “Again, there is a flow and a torrent of things coming to a head, so the less you are involved at this late stage, the better”. Where else can you see symbols on the Empress? Now try this with another card!

EMPEROR IV: Grab the Bull by the Horns Above all, the Emperor endures. He is the first thrust of power in any situation, literally em-powering it. He may sometimes appear to be a flash-in-the-pan sort of energy, but he will also try and maintain his rule and control of a situation in the long-term. The Emperor has the meaning of “power” in any tarot card reading. It signifies the need to establish boundaries, clear rules, discipline, and exercise your own power. Do not be afraid of laying down the law! Applying card meanings to readings is easier than you might think! Suppose this card came up in the past position for a relationship reading? It would simply show that there was a lot of energy (think springtime, rams, bunnies and bonking!) in the past, but that was – unfortunately – a fling – and was now passing. We’d look to compare the energy in the future position, to tell how the relationship was changing. If the future position was a Queen of Pentacles for example, that would be the classic “settling down” domestic situation. If it were the Hanged Man – then the situation would be moving into a suspended feeling, like everything would be placed on hold. Easy! What about the other way around? The Hanged Man in the past and the Emperor in the future? What might that mean in a relationship reading …? Insiders Tarot Tip: In the Zodiacal sequence of the Major cards, the Emperor is the first, he is Aries, the Ram (see the Ram symbols on the card in the Waite-Smith Tarot). So he is the Aries Energy of the Spring Equinox, all bursting and blooming, coming to life and being loud and proud about it! So if a person is asking about the timing of an event, this card shows “Spring Time”. Here are the other Zodiacal cards in the Majors. Which one is your Sun sign? Consider the card to be the illustration on the front of a book labeled “My Life”. What would you think that the book would be about? The Emperor - Aries The Hierophant - Taurus The Lovers - Gemini

The Chariot - Cancer Strength - Leo The Hermit – Virgo Justice - Libra Death - Scorpio Temperance - Sagittarius The Devil - Capricorn The Star - Aquarius The Moon - Pisces

HIEROPHANT V: A Helping Hand The secret of the Hierophant is hidden in his strange name. He is not like a “pope” but he is a “hierophant”. This is the old Greek for someone who reveals something mysterious. It could, in modern day language, be like a professional who has good advice for you, or someone sharing a secret. It is always a card meaning “good advice”, seeking it or suggesting you give it to someone. It is another secret that this card is the least favourite of tarot card readers themselves! If you have checked out the other card meanings on my site here, you’ll know their favourite card also! It is perhaps because this card shows rules, structure, regulation – even “the church” in a sense of formal religion. It is also a card that shows a man in charge of one’s beliefs and behavior. So when you see this card, wonder what lesson it is revealing – and look at the other cards in your spread to see what lesson is being delivered by the hierophant. In everyday reading, this card also stands for professional advice, or seeking authority. It shows you are at a stage where you cannot resolve the situation or gain advancement on your own. What is the best professional advice that you have ever received, from someone who knew what they were talking about, and advised you in a way you could act upon? This card has an interesting meaning when reversed. If you look at it as "teaching" when upright, it simply becomes "learning" when reversed. The card next to it in a reading may signify what it is that we have to teach, or what it is that we have to learn. If, for example, the Hierophant was reversed in a 3-card reading and next to the 3 of Pentacles (which I cover later as we go through the Minor cards), it would show we had to learn to take instructions (a meaning of the 3 of Pentacles), and not argue that we know best! Upright: Teaching What you say: "When the Hierophant appears, he says that we must teach." Reversed: Learning

What you say: "When the Hierophant is reversed, we are being told to learn."

LOVERS VI: Connect and Choose 3 out of every 5 questions you will ever be asked as a Tarot reader are about relationships! And don’t forget to read up about “Soul Mates”, as whatever you believe, many clients will want to discuss this idea with you. So you better be prepared. It is difficult not to compare this card to the 2 of Cups, as that too is about the coming together of two individuals in a state of union. The Lovers however, is, as its title suggests, a card of a more primal ‘sexual nature’ – lust to initiate procreation. Whereas the 2 of Cups is higher love, a love shared by siblings, business partners, or those pursuing a common cause. The Lovers is really a card that is transformed (and transforms) all the other cards around it in a reading. Love gets everywhere! So it can mean love of a friend, a project, a choice about something (particularly when seen in a spread with the Page of Wands) and other relationship stages. It is useful to see if there are other Cup cards in a reading when the Lovers turns up, to pinpoint exactly what the card is highlighting in everyday terms. The card was originally about choice, perhaps between two options, or people. There is also the idea of temptation associated with this card, particularly when found close to the Devil in a reading. Insiders Tarot Tip: If the question is about an issue other than relationships, the Lovers card (as suggested by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the 19th century) represents intuition. It is the inner knowing, the sudden flash of insight that must be trusted in making a choice – not reason or common-sense. This is because the card appears on the path on the Tree of Life diagram in Kabbalah between “Binah” (Understanding) and “Tiphareth” (Beauty). It is taken then as an image of the beauty of understanding something beyond normal awareness, as a lightning flash of inspiration. In fact, the Golden Dawn Tarot deck changed the card image to show the Greek myth of Perseus rescuing Andromeda from the Kraken. The next time you see this card, then, think of Sam Worthington in “Clash of the Titans” coming to the rescue with a new insight!

Journal Exercise: Tap Into Your Intuition through Tarot.

Shuffle your deck and consider times when you have “just known” something, or about someone – and you were right. Those immediate moments when you have a “gut instinct” that proves to be true, despite perhaps what everyone else thought at the time. Then turn up your deck and locate the Lovers card. The card immediately below and above the Lovers card will tell you something intuitively important that you need to know right now – about a present concern or situation. Listen to that pair of cards carefully. If you need help reading them, pair together the keywords given in my free guide and see what they suggest when read together.

CHARIOT VII: Set the Pace The card of the Tarot which means “momentum” or forward movement, the Chariot is definitely on the go. The word “tarot” may come from “triumphi”, the procession of chariots in Italy which carried “virtues”, and was also a card game. One virtue triumphed another in the game, up and down a scale. The modern equivalent is pokemontype card trading games, or “Top Trumps”. So the Chariot card is really the emblem of the whole tarot deck. It carries a triumphant charioteer, who reins in two opposites. Many tarot card readers see this card as meaning “triumph”, “acceleration of ambitions”, and similar concepts, so it is always good to see in a reading about future projects. The warning of this card is to keep a “tight rein” on mutually opposite forces, and if you do – a lot of power and success will be generated.

STRENGTH VIII: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway The Strength card number 8 of the Major Arcana depicts a young woman clothed in a dress of virginal white, she is pure of spirit and she is strong yet tender of heart. To overcome adversity we need to connect with our authentic self. The more we are exposed to that which we fear most, the less fearful it will be. Sometimes in life we have to take something to its upmost limit to transform into another form. This is the card of entering and engaging a “right relationship” with the other person, the situation or project. The “Goldilocks” state of being just right, not too hot, not too cold. In the Rider-Waite card the girl subdues the beast, the Lion, she transforms its natural ferociousness into kitten-like behavior, whereas she becomes the powerful one. Here’s how we would read this “strength” in the context of three different questions: Relationship: You (the Querent) must consider establishing a better dynamic in the relationship, or strengthening the existing dynamic (depending on other cards). General Readings: You must consider getting a better engagement with aspects of your life, because they may be tending to overpower you. Depending on other cards, it could be work/life balance, a tendency to overdo things, self-destructive nature (with the Tower), or even a compulsion or addiction (with the Devil, for example). Finance: It is really time to get a grip! Do not let your spending overcome you; take a gentle, long-term reining in of your immediate urges, and direct them to bigger goals. If the Wheel is also in the reading, it really is time to do something before fate takes a different turn! Insider’s Tip: Don’t forget that 3 out of every 5 questions asked of tarot readers are about relationships! The type of questions you will be asked, in order of their likelihood to be asked of you, are: Relationships & Romance (58% of questions!) General Readings (14%) Career (12%)

Finance (4%) Travel/Moving/Relocations/Houses/Working Abroad (5%) Education, New Courses (3%) Health (2%) Spiritual, Lifestyle Choices (2%) Legal (1%) Extract from Tarosophy, p. 104 by Marcus Katz © Used with permission. If this card comes up for you in a reading and you need to transform yourself from a kitten into a full blown Panther; two good books to read are Woman in Your Own Right by Anne Dickson and Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers. Insider Tarot Tip: The figure 8 shape above the woman is called a Lemniscate and it is a symbolic of infinity. It signifies that true strength, inner strength, never ends.

HERMIT IX: All by Yourself The Hermit is the card which traditionally means “loneliness” or being by oneself. It is a solitary card, and in a reading means “be yourself”, or in the position of “others” means “seek inspiration from another”. It is secretly connected to the Star card as both are about living your own life – here the Star is in the lantern of the Hermit. It means that when this card appears, we must walk the talk, recognize our position, and not still think we are distant from it, as in the Star. The Hermit is what happens when you reach the Star of your vision. So the card means “self”, in all its senses. Not the ideal card in a relationship question, but it can indicate that you simply have to be yourself more than anything, to get the best out of the situation. The Hermit tells an interesting story. Who is he? He can be you or I. The Hermit could be the figure of sorrow in the 8 of Cups, we meet him again further along on his journey. He has rested for a while, and he gives himself space to think and just to be, this is a card of introspection, the act of looking within to examine your inner you. He carries a lamp and within it brightly shines the STAR. This is the same star of the Major Arcana. If this card is prominent in a reading it is highlighting a need for finding purpose and meaning in life. This card also indicates withdrawal from a situation before we can move on and away from a difficulty. Remember ALONE is not always a negative word. This card in relationship readings can indicate time out. Secret Tip from Kabbalah: In the powerful reading techniques that use Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition associated with Tarot by occultists, the Hermit is seen as corresponding to the Hebrew letter of “Yod”. This means “hand”, like a clenched fist, and has the value of 10. This adds to the meaning of this tarot card because it is like seizing one’s life in one’s own hand, and taking control of the Wheel of fate and fortune (card 10). The magick of these correspondences is such that the Hebrew letter of the Wheel is “Kaph”, which means “palm of the hand”, i.e. the open hand. So the Hermit is taking full responsibility of one’s life, turning Fate (the Wheel, the open hand) into Destiny (the Hermit, the seizing hand).

WHEEL X: Turn Your Fate Into Destiny Meaning: Luck, Fate, Opportunity, cycles, revolution, TIME. The Wheel is one of the ancient symbols within the Tarot, that comes from many other sources when the cards were first devised and became popular, in 15th Century Italy. There are a lot of “woodcut” engravings of the time showing the Wheel, with the rich and poor people rising and falling in its grand cycle of life. One woodcut had the phrase (in Latin) “I reign, I will reign, I reigned” to show the three phases of kingship. In another sense, this is simply the passage of time, from past, present to future. The Wheel shows “time”, and how patterns in time come back time and time again in our lives. It is a cog in the machinery of the universe, and we are one of the gears! So this tarot card has the meaning of “fate and fortune”. However, in practical terms, in a tarot card reading, it means ‘things will change in a cycle’. What was past may return, and the future may be a lot like the past. It is important – particularly if this card appears with the Moon and about a negative situation – to make significant changes to escape being dragged down by the Wheel. Insider Tip: We should learn, when this card appears in a reading, to engage our gears whilst there is time. It signifies that there is an opportunity to take our own fate and turn it into our destiny – to ride the wheel in full knowledge that we are bound to time. Imagine that it is like a clock-hand appearing in your reading; hear it ticking down; then look to the other cards whilst still hearing that sound, and see what happens! Journal Exercise: Take a moment to write down a verb, such as running, learning, growing. Then write it in past, present and future tenses; “I ran, I am running, I will run”. Practice being able to do this with any verb, and then start to do it with some of your Tarot cards. “I was the Hermit, I am the Hermit, I will be the Hermit”. This is good practice for reading, although I will leave you to discover how it works! The Top 5 Change Cards in the Tarot.

How do you know if something is going to change? This is a question which is often asked of a tarot card reader like myself. All of the cards can symbolize some sort of change - or lack of it. Here I give you the top five cards symbolizing change to look out for in a reading. The Wheel of Fortune: The circle of change, everything gets turned around. The Tower: Sudden change. Death: An end but with new beginnings. Judgement: A blast from the past changes everything. The Knight of Swords: Somebody brings something totally new to the table.

JUSTICE XI: Everything Comes to Those who Wait When we look at this major cards, we also look at ourselves - what do you think and feel about "justice"? Do you always fight for what's fair? Have you ever suffered a big injustice yourself? Was there a time when you "righted the scales" on behalf of someone else? All these questions are asked when we look at Justice; they are "activated", even unconsciously, when the card turns up in a reading. In fact, all of the Major Arcana are like this - they are images of archetypes; big patterns of human experience, which manifest in every daily event. The archetype of Justice is present when you do a good deed, and then you find a dollar on the floor; it is happening when a court case takes place; it is happening when a star implodes somewhere in the universe just as another star is being birthed in a nebulae. Justice is everywhere! So the Major cards are big patterns, even if they are happening in only a little way in a reading; they are not always "big events", but they are always part of a big pattern! Meaning: Balance, Harmony, Law, Rightness, Fair Play, Equality Many of the Tarot cards have a secret God or Goddess associated with them, which can give us extra insight into applying them to our lives. You can get a lot more out of tarot by studying ancient myths and legends, from ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece in particular. When the cards were developed in 15th Century Italy, the Renaissance was drawing on a lot of fervent imagination of these ancient "golden ages". Justice is seen as the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at. She weighed the heart of the deceased in the afterlife, against a feather of truth. If your deeds had not weighed your soul down, you could pass, otherwise you were fed to a "great devourer"! So this card weighs our actions up, and calls us to account. When it appears, a "measure" is being applied, and we must take notice - it will not go away, we must face up to it. In ancient Egypt, Ma'at ruled over the

gods themselves, nothing was above her power and the divine laws she represented. So this card is one which means that fairness and measure will be applied in the situation, no matter what is being said or done - or what people think they deserve. It may be fatalistic, but "what will be, will be", if this is the only card in play. Journal Practice: Fair Play!

To start to put cards together, let's play a game called "Fair Play". Take Justice out of your deck! Prepare a blank sheet of paper and grab a pen. Now shuffle the other 77 cards in the deck. Take out a card at random. Write down JUSTICE + [name of the card] Now right down how Justice would be served in the situation pictured on the card. Imagine Justice is a "referee" or "Court Judge". What would she declare or do if she had to say something about the other card? How would she apply "Fair Play"? So, here are some examples, showing how we'd play this game with a few cards, covering at least one Minor, Major and Court card to get you started: Justice + Death: Fair Play! Take everyone, no matter what they did in life! Justice + Two of Pentacles: Fair Play! Make sure both sides weigh the same, it will stop you having to work so hard! Justice + Queen of Swords: Fair Play! If you are going to cut others, cut yourself first! And so on ... have fun with it, and who knows, if you do it a few more times yourself, and then ask a question of your deck which requires a way of "getting even" or getting balance - the cards may answer with "Fair Play!"

HANGED MAN XII: Grab Your Highest Value The hanged man is the card of sacrifice, before you get worried, and think I mean of the horror/slash variety or in the style of the ‘Wicker Man’. It is more of a letting go, a release of a part of us that we no longer need. A. E. Waite himself stresses that the “expression on his face is one of deep entrancement, not suffering”. It is about the process of a temporary release from physical restrictions and connection to a more spiritual way of being. It is a dreamy Neptunian state. When this card turns up, it is a call to connect to your highest values, not what “makes sense”. The Hanged Man is fastened to the higher, and released from the lower ground. Do not drop your ethics, ideals or sense of identity to pretend to be someone else. Do not get caught up with the lower antics of others. Bite your lip if you must, but stay still – this is not a time for action or activity. Just wait. And wait. In a reading this card being prominent may indicate a blockage, a limbo, being stuck in a situation where you feel you cannot escape. This could be described as a ‘stalemate’ situation, where we cannot make a move. This card is a little topsy-turvy, in that the usual rules of play may not apply. It may be advising you to do the complete opposite to what you may normally do. The action required has to literally ‘Stop somebody’s World’, in that you need to surprise them by not being your usual predictable side. As Frank Herbert author of Dune so wisely said “Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.” Journal Exercise: Values

Write down a few of your strongest beliefs. Then consider what higher “value” to which each one is fastened. If for example you believe that “it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all”, this is a belief within the field of “love” as a high value. Without the idea of “love”, you could not consider holding that belief. If you believe “in the death sentence for serious crimes” then that belief is held within the value of “life”. Try examining as many beliefs you hold, and through which you see the world – and discover their higher values. This is how the Hanged

Man works, to remind us that how we see the world is the result of what we hold to as value.

DEATH XIII: All Change! One of the significant “change” cards in the pack, this card signifies ‘transformation’. The change here is one which is inevitable from what is already in the situation and its history. It is like coal turning into flame and ash, or a plant growing from the seed. It is inevitable, and change from one thing to another. There is nothing “new” or surprising, or shocking (that’s the Tower), and things aren’t going to change for the best or the worst (the Wheel), nor are you going back to old ways (the Moon). There is nothing ‘bigger’ in this picture of change (the High Priestess), there is only what will happen from what you have done. It is like life leading to death; a new phase of existence. In a relationship reading, this shows a gradual, necessary and unavoidable evolution in the relationship; good friends becoming partners, partners becoming good friends, depending on the surrounding cards. There’s nothing (or no-one else) in the equation other than what has happened so far. Even if there is someone else, the relationship is already transforming. In a career question, it is time to start re-training, looking for movement, you are already going beyond your current position. It is the transformation often talked about by a caterpillar turning into a butterfly; metamorphosis. You need to grow, ‘death’ is just the process on the other side of new birth. So when this card turns up in the future positions, it indicates that you should look closely at the past card meanings to see what will develop – you need look no further. Journal Question: Death

What do you think about the Death card? It is certainly one of three most commonly chosen of the 22 Major cards that expert tarot readers like to see in a deck before they purchase it. Can you guess what the other two are? One is the most favourite card of Tarot readers (which I’ve told you in its card meaning on the mytarotcardmeaning site), and the other is another Major card that shows what Tarot provides us in a reading.

TEMPERANCE XIV: Be Well-Behaved This card carries a design drawn from the classical view of Temperance, one of the Virtues. She pours water into wine, to moderate and temper it. We do not see extremes in this card, just mild and moderate behavior! She is the most well-behaved card in the deck. Insiders Tip: The card can also function as a “diplomat” between two other cards. If she appears in a spread “between” other cards, take notice of those other cards because the Angel of Temperance is secretly telling you that they need to be put together and at peace. Sometimes this can open up a reading to what is really going on between people; hidden conflicts of interest, unspoken desires, simmering arguments, the Angel can reveal everything! Actually too, in the Waite-Smith Tarot, she is also the Goddess Iris, as you can see an Iris plant in the scene, and the goddess Iris was the messenger, who carried divine messages upon the rainbow. Iris was depicted as a winged woman carrying two jars – sound familiar? So perhaps this is not an angel, but a Goddess! The everyday meaning of this tarot card means to “mix” in good measure. To step carefully. Be diplomatic. Don’t cause a fuss. Tread softly. And so on. She advises caution and care, and to concentrate on the task in hand – particularly when you are dealing with a potentially dangerous or explosive mixture – or people! Journal Practice: Tempering

Another meaning of “temper” is as it is using in metal-smithing. We temper a sword for example, when creating it in a forge, by quenching the hot metal in water, then re-heating it. This “tempers” the blade to make it very hard and sharp, but also potentially very brittle. That is why the best swords (and minds) have many layers, otherwise they become brittle and over-sensitive. Do you know someone who has this “temper”? Consider how their experiences have made them so and think about what ‘breaks’ them. What are their sensitive subjects or “buttons”? Then return to the Temperance card and consider how this works between cards in a reading. You may be surprised by how powerful

a messenger this card can be!

DEVIL XV: Break Free! The ‘Devil’ of the Major Arcana is one of those Tarot cards that elicits a raised eyebrows and a sharp intake of breath from folk that have a reading for the first time. So, let’s go about giving the ‘Devil’ card a less frightening take, shall we? The Devil is about ‘want’, rather than ‘need’, so he is the greedy side of life, he is materialism, he wants to take something to the extreme. He is addictive behavior in all forms; addiction to alcohol, food, love, sex, binge-buying, and this guy does not promote moderation (unlike his counterpart, the Angel of Temperance). The Devil was literally sent to try us - he is an ‘adversary’, and try us he does! We all know how hard it is to keep to that diet, when everybody else is eating merrily. Therefore when the Devil turns up in a reading it could be that we need to exercise discipline in our lives. The Devil in the Waite-Smith Tarot card shows the Winged Devil perched upon a plinth. Adam and Eve are chained to the plinth, and it is obvious however, that they could easily remove themselves from these chains, as they are merely looped loosely around their necks. Whatever we feel tied to, the Devil can remind us, was our choice and remains so. He represents attachment - to an ideal, an idea, a person, a codependent relationship - he is bad news all round. Eve is tantalized by what appears to be a bunch of grapes, on the tip of her tail (yes I really said tip of her tail!) she can just about touch them with her right hand, and she would certainly be unable to put it to her mouth. Adam has a flaming torch for a tail (yes I did say tail! – we are really going places here!) His burning tail is his burning passion. They are tantalized by their mutual passions. The Devil card corresponds to Capricorn, adding a goat-life earthiness to this tarot card meaning. So the card represents attachment and the deliberate ignorance when we blind ourselves to the obvious truth in favor of indulging ourselves. We look to other cards in a spread to see how best we

can detach ourselves from these issues – and how to look the Devil in the face.

BLASTED TOWER XVI: Pride Cometh Before a Fall The Blasted Tower of the Major Arcana is known as the card of ‘sudden shock’. This is the card that heralds drastic changes or major changes in somebody’s life. This card appearing in a reading, say in regards to a relationship question, can indicate the’ end of a relationship’ or with regards to work, it can mean ‘losing your job’. The best thing about the Blasted Tower is it clears the ground for new horizons, even if that sounds trite advice when it is happening to oneself or a loved one. The card also suggests “pride before a fall”. It can warn us of being too ambitious, without building a firm foundation first. In the Celtic Cross in the past position, it would imply of course it had already happened. If it is in the future position, it would be influenced by the position of the outcome card, say if the outcome card comes up as 10 of Cups, the person can heave a sigh of relief, all will turn out well in the end. As they say in old cartoon fashion, where Blasted Tower moments ruled the screen, in the words of that perky Porky Pig ‘That’s all folks’.

STAR XVII: Stick to Your Vision The Star card is the second most favorite card of Tarot readers, second only to her distant cousin, the High Priestess. Perhaps this is because she is the star of hope, of vision, of navigating in the dark – all qualities that a tarot reading gives us. The High Priestess and the Star are the cheer-leaders of Tarot! So the Star card is about hope, vision, and a guiding light towards something in the future. Actually, a secret is that her Star is found in another card – the Hermit, in his lamp. The Hermit is someone who is living their vision, as an inspiration to others. They have taken their Star – their desired lifestyle, and are actually living it, for themselves. This is true inspiration – to our own path, and not the path of someone else. We should not make our life a poor imitation of someone else’s ambition; our life should be drawn from the starry waters of inspiration. The Star pours her inspiration onto both the ground and into the pool. She nourishes both what is fixed in our life – our circumstances – and what is changeable – our reflection on those circumstances. She says, “follow the water to the source, and the light to the star; I bring hope, especially at the darkest times of night”. The Negative Side of Hope: The Star can also be negative in that someone may be “hoping” vainly for something to change, as in “I hope Dwayne will come back to me”, or “I think I see a bright future in this job”, or “I hope I can stop drinking”. When it appears, also look at the Pentacles in the rest of the Spread, to see what can be done to bring the person down to earth, sometimes with a bump. SECRET INSIDERS TIP: When this card appears, in a larger spread, it is important to consider the cards closest to it, they receive the light of the Star and show us what beacons can be used to navigate towards our true life. The cards closest to the Star are “what signs should we look for when making decisions?” The Finding Hope Method

Often a question is framed in the most hopeless of terms. The participant feels totally helpless, powerless, and rudderless or cannot find any sense of confidence. They have come to us as the oracle at the very edge of their despair. In this method we ensure that we

incorporate these powerful feelings, acknowledge them, and use tarot to respond in the most useful manner. We do not try and sugarcoat our readings, or offer bland affirmation and empowerments – we face the problem head-on and deal with it. In the next method following this one, we also take the “problem” as an opportunity for spiritual learning, raising our perception beyond the situation. SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE: The Finding Possibilities Method There are some cases in a Tarot reader’s life where we will be asked to face a situation that really doesn’t have a question – in fact; it seems that there are no possibilities at all. The event or situation as framed and presented by the client is so hopeless, stuck, out-ofcontrol or complex that there appears no singular question raised from it. Luckily, we do indeed have a “full deck of possibilities” and our Tarot already comprehends such situations. As an elegant Tarot reader, we do not re-frame the situation or try to force it into a question – we simply select the Major Arcana card which illustrates the situation most closely and divine further information by using it as a significator. If the participant feels “hopeless”, then we acknowledge this situation and suggest that out of all the cards in the deck, there is one specific card which is the card of hope – the Star. We can talk about how the card represents both hope and vision – a vision likely clouded over when the participant feels so hopeless. It is also a card of the future, so relevant too when there is “no future” seen in the present circumstances. We then ask the participant to look at the card for a moment, dwell upon it, and then return it into the deck. We might tell them that every moment in their life is connected to this point of divination, and that every moment in their future is likewise connected. Ask them to shuffle the deck, whilst really considering their hopeless situation. They must truly connect to the feelings of their circumstances and look at them face-to-face. When they are satisfied they have connected to the moment and finished shuffling, take the deck and turn it face-up. Say “We will now find hope and the possibilities it offers”.

Search through the deck (in order) until you find the Star card. You can then read and interpret the two cards either side of the Star card to divine the possibilities to regain hope. They have been attracted to the Star to show the possibilities of hope even in the most hopeless situation. As an advanced method, you can read the four or eight cards either side of the Star card, taking the ones below it as the “past” and the ones above it as the “future” of the situation. This will create a linear 8 or 16 card reading. This method works with a range of situations where something is seen as missing or impossible to regain, and we give here a table of the Major cards and their relation to certain situations – you are encouraged to consider your own too. You can also use this as a second method following a more detailed reading, or in advance of a more specific reading, as often a specific question may arise or become obvious once this method has been applied to the initially complex situation or statement. So if you had a situation where the person feels that they have lost all confidence, you would repeat this method with the Emperor card, or if they felt “unloved”, the Lovers card, and so forth. You would say in the first case, “Let us now find power, and the possibilities it offers” and in the latter case, “We will now find love, and the possibilities it offers”. [This bonus section comes from Tarot Face to Face, used with permission of authors Marcus Katz & Tali Goodwin. The full section on this method includes a list of all 22 Major cards and the situations for which they are most suited and is highly recommended. It is just one of many innovative methods for getting the most out of a tarot deck.]

MOON XVIII: Walking On Through the Night The secret of the Moon card is that of the tides and seasons. The Moon card is the sure sign that something – or someone – is going through a “phase”. The card may show a worrying path ahead, but as long as we do not get distracted, we can walk it. If you take a look at this card, you’ll see that whilst the hounds are howling, and the towers are towering, the dogs are not brave enough to get in your way, and there is no-one living in the towers. You may be fearful, afraid even, like the crayfish not wanting to come out of the pool, but you must get out of your shell and walk. The Moon card is also the card of psychic ability and intuition; it is the card of emotion and changeability. It is a card of female receptivity, and is corresponds to the High Priestess, who is the keeper of secrets. If both appear in a reading, there are secrets behind secrets in the situation, so no wonder there is a worrying path ahead. If this card is prominent in a reading (in the centre position of a Celtic Cross, for example, or the “Summary” card of a spread, etc) then we expect the situation to fluctuate and we are advised to take care that an emotional issue does not get out of hand. This card may indicate being more “feminine”, even if you are a man; you need to open and respond in a tender, nurturing way. You may also see faults in others which you actually possess yourself - this is the reflective qualities of the moon card. Insiders Tip: If the Moon is in a "future" position, it indicates that the situation will likely be progressed, resolved, or changed (according to the other cards) within a month. The Sun card shows a "year" or "long time", the Moon a "month" or "short time". When have you been so worried about something, and then afterwards it turned out to be not as frightening as you thought? This is the attitude to evoke when the Moon shines in a reading; “feel the fear and do it anyway”. There are very few “self-help” books that I recommend to my students, however, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers is one of the top titles I suggest for anyone, even if they feel

confident about everything. It is a great book, very practical and easily applied – an essential for those who want to walk further in moonlight. Who know, you may get to enjoy the thrill of not knowing what is ahead …

SUN XIX: The Sun Always Shines on TV This card, in the Rider-Waite deck, shows Sunflowers as a happy backdrop. Although it is commonly believed that the Sunflower “tracks” the Sun, this is actually not true. However, it is certain that the spiritualist movement used the idea as their logo, because of the vision of “turning to the light”. So when this card comes up in a reading, we are being reminded to focus on joy, on delight, on the lighter and more innocent times of our life. We should unburden ourselves of grown-up responsibilities for a while, and simply play. It may be hard to do this sometimes, but the Sun card shines for everyone, and we all have our own right to find our own place in its light. On a higher level, the Sun is the centre of our solar system, and represents the “self”, the centre of our own being. It is the pure awareness about which our personality gathers, and is light, shining through the stained glass of our ego. So the card touches us, calls us to our own authentic centre. It means, “be yourself”.

JUDGEMENT XX: Calling Card This is the call to arms, the call to action, and the call to stand up and be counted for what you believe in. In the Waite-Smith card we see the figures rising up from boxes to embrace the proclamation of the Angel. They are floating on water as if they were the survivors of the wreck of Noah's Ark. This card in a reading could speak of being spared or let off, to be given a chance of survival and renewal. It is a card of maintaining faith and sticking to your convictions regardless of ridicule or bullying. You will come through and out of a bad situation, particularly combined with the Moon and/or Wheel. In a higher sense, it is a literal "calling card". It means you are being asked to take up your calling - you are being given an opportunity. This is particularly the case if it appears with the Hanged Man, another card of a "higher calling". Insiders Tip: Notice the three figures on the Waite-Smith Tarot? They are all holding their arms in a particular position. If you turn the card upside down you can see they are forming three letters - L V and X. This is the Latin, LVX, LUX, meaning "light". The figures are being called into the Light. These were three ritual positions in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical order of which A. E. Waite was an initiate. You can mention this in a reading and say that the person is being called to their highest light. The other cards in the reading will show the practical steps they should take towards this higher calling. Journal Practice: THREE CARD READING WITH MAJORS-ONLY

Why not try a few three-card readings with just the 22 Major cards? Go wild and even use reversals; lay out three cards selected from a shuffled stack of just the Major cards, with the positions: 1. What must be avoided. 2. A neutral and safe position. 3. What should be done. Compare the meanings and energies of those cards as we have discussed them in this book and get a sense of the answer; it may be a clear yes/no or something a bit more complex; just like real life.

The Best Three Cards to get in the Outcome Position.

Any card of course can appear in the Outcome position of a spread; however there are three that I’ve discovered by experience which often signify the best outcome. They are: The Star: This card signifies the outcome most hoped for. 10 of Cups: This card says it all, that all is well, there will be a perfect outcome! 9 of Cups: This is a card that signifies that the outcome will be very satisfactory indeed. Success all round!

WORLD XXI: Get Your Act Together The World card is the card of beginnings and endings; it is how we come in and it is how we leave. The Polarities, life and death, light and dark, summer, winter, autumn, spring all is interconnected. The prancing female figure holding a wand in each hand is naked apart from a long narrow strip which swathes across her body protecting her modesty. This could almost be the same cloth that is the swaddling cloth that is wrapped around a new born baby (or shroud of death). The wreath that surrounds her is protective, as is the womb from which we are all born. At the top and bottom of the wreath is a tie, to mark “as above so below”, it is all fixed. The four fixed signs of the Zodiac are in each corner the man’s head in the top left corner Aquarius (Air sign), top right the Eagle – (water sign), Scorpio, below right - the Lion (fire sign) Leo, bottom left - Bull (earth sign) Taurus. They act as stabilizers of the world - guardians. They each represent one of the four seasons and order. In combination: If the World appears with another Major Arcana card or more in the spread, it is important to look at what is powerfully coming to closure. If it were the Justice card, a big balancing is about to take place, if it were the Wheel, a total revolution. The Tower would bring sudden finality. Whatever the cards, the World signifies that what will be sooner or later (see our sections on timing) is not what is currently in place. If the World is prominent in a reading, it offers a grounding influence; it speaks of protection on every level. It reassures that we are part of the bigger picture. It says “just keep on going, and keep on doing, there is no right or wrong way of doing something, only what you are destined to do”. Insiders Tip: When I surveyed hundreds of professional Tarot readers and actually heard what key-word they really gave when seeing the World card, it was BEGINNING. Whilst many books speak of the World as a card of completion and endings, not many people like to hear that something is over or finished. As a result, the card gets “translated” in actual practice to “one thing being over, another beginning”, “one door closing, another opening”, and so on.

The card also means to bring everything together, synthesis, gathering everything on the table, calling everyone together, particularly when together with the Magician in a spread. So it is particularly suitable that our final card of study is the World – the card of both completion and new beginnings. The Tarot cards truly open our eyes to a whole new world of possibilities, where we are able to see the invisible knots that connect the universe together. When we shuffle our deck and lay out the cards, we are part of that network; and our cards are leaves of light that reflect all that was, all that is and all that ever will be.

Conclusion In this book we have romped through the cards in many different ways, taking all seventy-eight of them; court cards, minors and majors, into our study. We have learnt that whilst the cards may have many meanings, we can create our own stories from them and read for any situation. We have perhaps also learnt to appreciate that the study of tarot is truly a lifetime journey with many discoveries along the way. I hope you have found this book to be informative and fun, and thank you for taking the time to purchase and read this book. My key aim to share genuine, fresh tarot teaching techniques that leave you wanting to learn more. If you have liked what you have read and would like to learn more about tarot please do come along and join me and many thousands of other readers in the www.tarotassociation.net website where you will discover much more innovative and lively tarot. Wishing you a full and happy tarot life journey. With love Andrea

Kindle Tarot Books & Series Check out all these other books and series for original and exciting ways in which you can use a deck of tarot cards to change your life. Gated Spreads Series Set 1

Book 1: The Tarot Shaman (Contact Your Animal Spirit) Book 2: Gates of Valentine (Love & Relationships) Book 3: The Resurrection Engine (Change Your Life) Set 2

Book 4: Palace of the Phoenix (Alchemy) Book 5: Garden of Creation (Creativity & Inspiration) Book 6: Ghost Train (Explore Your Past) Set 3

Tarot Temple Book 1: Create a Tarot Dream Temple Book 2: The Sacred Altar Book 3: Tarot Temple Tools Book 4: Banishing Negativity & Unbalanced Forces Book 5: Purification of your Temple & Life Book 6: Consecration of your Temple & Life Book 7: Divining with the Gods Tarosophy KickStart Series Volume I.

Book I: Tarot Flip - Reading Tarot Straight from the Box Book II: Tarot Twist – 78 New Spreads and Methods [paperback] Book III: Tarot Inspire – Tarot for a Spiritual Life Tarot Life Series

Tarot Life: A revolutionary method to change your life in 12 Kindle booklets. Also includes membership of a private discussion group on Facebook to share and explore your experiences with over a thousand other readers. 1. Discover Your Destiny 2. Remove The Blocks 3. Make Decisions Better 4. Enter the Flow 5. Ride the Lion 6. Connect to Service 7. Find Equality 8. Die To Your Self 9. Entering Unity 10. Becoming the Real 11. Your Keys to Freedom 12. The Depth of Divinity Also in Print and Kindle

Tarosophy: A ground-breaking book packed with original ideas. The book also includes 50 unique exercises for Tarot and an extended method of using the Inner Guide Meditation as given here.

Around the Tarot in 78 Days: The ideal beginner book, a three-month course through every card. An award-winning book, recognized by the COVR New Age Industry Award for Best Divination Book 2013. Tarot Face to Face: Take your tarot out of the box and into life! The Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot: Learn the real meanings of the world’s most popular tarot deck [available Spring 2015, pub. Llewellyn Worldwide]. Tarot Turn Vol. 1 - 3: A massive crowd-sourced reference guide to all 12,200 possible combinations of reversed Tarot card pairs.

Websites & Resources If you enjoy new learning, and want many more ways to use your Tarot deck, we encourage you to explore our websites. You are also welcome to join us in your national Tarosophy Tarot Association, where as a member you will instantly receive thousands of pages of materials, and tarot video courses for every level. We look forward to seeing you soon on your Tarot journey! Tarosophy Tarot Associations http://www.tarotassociation.net Tarot Professionals Facebook Group http://www.facebook.com/groups/tarotprofessionals Free Tarot Card Meanings & Spreads http://www.mytarotcardmeanings.com Hekademia Tarot Course http://www.tarosophyuniversity.com Tarot Town Social Network http://www.tarot-town.com Tarosophy by Marcus Katz http://www.tarosophy.com The Tarot Speakeasy Blog http://www.tarotspeakeasy.com Tarot Book Club http://www.tarotbookclub.com The Tarot Review http://www.thetarotreview.com TarotCon International Tarot Conventions http://www.tarotconvention.com Fortune-Telling Laws http://www.fortunetellinglaws.com The Original Lenormand Deck http://www.originallenormand.com Learning Lenormand http://www.learninglenormand.com