Chapter 1: Introducing the Tarot
A Note on the Rider-Waite Tarot
The tarot deck shown throughout this book is the Universal Waite, an enhanced Rider-Waite deck. The original Rider-Waite was devised by A. E. Waite, one of the key members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and published by Rider, London. The deck should properly be known as the Rider-Waite Smith, to honor the illustrator, Pamela Colman Smith, a fellow member of the Golden Dawn.
HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE: ASTROLOGY AND KABBALA
The word occult may have dark connotations, but it actually means hidden knowledge. The tarot’s reputation as an occult practice crept in during the eighteenth century, with the French Freemason Antoine Court de Gébelin’s treatise Monde Primitif (1781) in which he claimed tarot cards were in effect an ancient Egyptian book of wisdom; he named the tarot The Book of Thoth, after the Egyptian god of healing, wisdom, and the occult. De Gébelin’s beliefs emerged as a part of the occult revival of the late 1800s, when ancient knowledge was popularized by Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 and tomb artifacts made their way to the West. De Gébelin’s work was continued by a Parisian barber, Jean-Baptiste Alliette (know by his pseudonym Etteilla), who developed the tarot’s possible links with Kabbala, the esoteric belief system based in Hebrew tradition. The story continues with the French Rosicrucian Eliphas Levi, who made the connection between the twenty-two cards of the major arcana and the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which correspond to pathways on the Tree of Life.
Levi’s research influenced A. E. Waite, the creator of the Rider-Waite cards, who was a leading light of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a British occult society founded in 1888 by freemasons William Wynn Westcott, William Robert Woodman, and Samuel Liddell Mathers. The order brought together kabbalistic, astrological, and Egyptian wisdom, creating a theory of tarot associations that have become generally accepted today (see the Appendicies for a list of these associations for the major and minor arcanas).
Chapter 2: How to BeginDuring readings, tarot cards absorb your energies and those of anyone else who touches them. For this reason, it’s important not to let other people touch your cards casually; the cards hold your energies and intentions, and are personal to you.
Attuning to a New Deck
The process of connecting with your cards is called attuning.
1. Choosing Cards For a Reading
Shuffle for a few moments. Use fan or cutting method to choose your cards
a) Fan Method
Fan the cards out and choose the cards you want using the left hand.
b) Cutting Method
Cut the deck twice with your left hand so you have three piles facedown. Choose one pile to become the top of the deck and gather up the other two piles underneath it. Layout the cards according to the spread you have chosen by dealing from the top of the deck.
2. Turning Over the Cards
When turning over the cards, always flip them sideways—from left to right—not from top to bottom or vice versa.
Six Easy Ways To Begin Your Tarot Readings
1. Get Intuitive: Work with Images First
2. Use Just The Major Arcana First
3. Ignore Reversed Card Meanings
4. Read the Suit Cards By Their Element5. Read the Suit Cards by Their Numbers
6. Read Any Card by its Colors
What About Reversals?
Chapter 3: Card Layouts
The One-Card Daily Reading
Past, Present, Future 3 Card Spread
You can also create your own three-card reading to look at different life aspects—for example, Mind, Body, Spirit; or Love, Money, Home. You can also lay a card known as a Significator (this comes up in the Week Ahead and Year Ahead spreads, too—see pages 25 and 27 ). A Significator is a card that first sums up the theme of a reading that you then lay down.
Ask Three Times: Yes or No 3 Card Spread
The Celtic Cross 10 Card Spread
The Week Ahead
The Month Ahead
The Year Ahead
The Tree of Life
The Chakra Spread
Chapter 4: Card Interpretations: The Major Arcana0 The Fool - Beginnings; risks
I The Magician - Action, ambition, and manifesting
II The High Priestess - Secrets, intuition, and learning
III The Empress - Creativity, resources, motherhood
IV The Emperor - Order, power, and boundaries
V The Hierophant - Unity, marriage, and education
VI The Lovers - Love; decisions
VII The Chariot - Progress; determination
VIII Strength - Management; endurance
IX The Hermit - Analysis; solitude
X The Wheel of Fortune - Luck; fate
XI Justice - Decisions; balance, legal affairs
XII The Hanged Man - Waiting; sacrifice
XIII Death - Transformation, change, and new beginnings
XIV Temperance - Negotiation
XV The Devil - Restriction
XVI The Tower - Breakdown and illumination
XVII The Star - Hope and guidance
XVIII The Moon - Crisis of faith; deep emotions
XIX The Sun - Growth and recovery
XX Judgment - The past; second chances
XXI The World - Success and completion
Chapter 5: Card Interpretations: The Minor Arcana
Chapter 6: Card Interpretations: The Major Arcana
0 The Fool - Innocence, risk, beginnings
-The innocent adventurer, about to begin an important journey. He is idealistic rather than practical.
We all begin life as a zero, a tiny egg of potential. The Fool is the cosmic egg, symbolized by the shape of his number, 0.
Usually depicted as a youth, the Fool must grow to become a man in the next card in the tarot sequence: the Magician—an individual who knows life and has identified what he needs to succeed in it. The Fool on his journey will collect, in his bag, the four symbols of the minor arcana suits (the Cup, Sword, Pentacle, and Wand): These items are the essence of his survival—the Cup to drink from; the Sword to defend himself; the Pentacle, a coin, for victuals; and the Wand to connect him with his higher self. At this stage of his journey, he is yet to discover the power and meaning of these objects; when he fully understands their purpose, he may progress to the next stage of life, ready to morph into card I, the Magician. Even though his number is zero, his preceding card is the World, card XXI. Some tarotists even assign him number XXII/0, to show that the Fool is both the end and the beginning of the card sequence
Upright Meaning
The upright fool signifies calculated risk. It’s never too late to begin anew and follow your heart’s desire. The journey ahead is not without danger, but it is time to take a leap of faith. This card augers well for those embarking on new enterprises and educational courses, provided sensible planning is in place; this is a time for optimism and a fresh perspective.
The Fool brings an opportunity to start over and feel young again or excited at the prospect of a new way of living; the Fool is an embodiment of your spirit, whether male or female, ready to explore and discover. Whatever you start now will go well, provided you do look before you leap—but once the decision is made, it’s time to push forward and not look back; have courage, commit to your path, and be fully in the moment.
Reversed Meaning
Is what you’re proposing—or a situation offered to you—a leap too far? The Fool reversed brings out his irresponsible side, as his mouth works ahead of his brain. Without thinking through the downsides, the Fool makes decisions that are not wise. The reversed Fool leaps without awareness and so becomes the literal idiot, sabotaging his chances due to desperation and irrationality. Think carefully before agreeing a new approach to work and hold back from emotional commitments until you are sure of your ground.
1 The Magician - Action, creativity, and success
Here we have a Magician in action, complete with magic wand and the implements of his trade on the table before him: the suit symbols of the Pentacle or coin, Cup, Sword, and Wand. With these base materials, he sets an intention to transmute them to create the fifth element of ether, or the quintessence—the mythological “breath of the gods.” The Magician, who once journeyed as the Fool, is now ready to manifest his desires by aligning spirit and matter. As the conduit between earth and heaven, the Magician stands for decisions and creativity. The roses and lilies growing above and below him tell us that life can be beautiful when we commit to our passions.
In the major arcana sequence, the Magician comes after 0, The Fool, although the Magician can also be seen as the first card of the cycle, as some tarotists place the Fool after the World card as XXII. The Magician is the natural successor to the Fool as we move from 0, the cosmic egg, to I, the individual: The Fool’s bundle contains the Magician’s four symbols, ready to be activated. After the singular purpose of the Magician we meet II, The High Priestess, who introduces us to the duality of life—the now and the hereafter.
Upright Meaning
It’s time for action—for communicating and expressing your ideas and desires. This is the card of the inventor, the traveler, the self-employed, and the entrepreneur, as it beckons you to broaden your horizons. You will have the drive to spur your plans forward, and, perhaps, to take new, creative approaches: to think laterally, ask questions, trust your internal guidance, and let go of procrastination.
Blessed with a magic wand, you have the ability to transform whatever you choose, and in this way, the Magician is a very positive card in a reading. He directs you to make the most of your skills and talents and step into your power; focus on your projects and capitalize on your personal strengths. Spiritually, the Magician shows you connecting with your higher, or true, self and acting with pure intention.
Reversed Meaning
When the good Magician is reversed, he turns trickster, so this card can show you being mislead by a charming manipulator. What you see is not what you get, and it’s all show, not truth. In your projects, the Magician reversed can show a creative block as you feel torn between two paths or choices that get in the way of progress. It’s time to choose one option and commit to it fully. The reversed card can also reveal delays to travel plans and miscommunication in general.
2 The High Priestess - Secrets, wisdom, intuition and spiritual world
She represents the principle of the divine feminine. Her spiritual path is above material values and earthly relationships. Her gift is wisdom; and knowledge of the world beyond the veil, the realms of gods, guides, and angels. Her counterpart in the major arcana sequence is card V, The Hierophant or High Priest. Like the High Priestess, he is a mentor, but he works in public office—the High Priestess, however, tends her inner garden of the spirit in secret, walking between the earth plane and the celestial realms beyond, separated by the pomegranate veil.
Upright MeaningHidden knowledge, intuition, psychic experience, and significant dreams are the gifts of the High Priestess. This is a time for incubation and privacy, to go inward, deepening your relationship with your higher self and trusting your internal knowing. In your everyday life, confidentiality is key. If you have a secret, or a project you are nurturing, it is better to keep your own counsel.
On your spiritual path, the High Priestess predicts learning and a mentor. As the card of psychic gifts (along with card X, The Wheel of Fortune), her arrival in your reading can be a sign to follow your intuition and connect with your guides. If the High Priestess shows up in one of your first tarot readings, this is often a sign that tarot is part of your spiritual journey.
Reversed MeaningWhen reversed, the High Priestess can show an inappropriate mentor or choosing a temporarily wrong path. You might be listening to bad advice or someone might try to persuade you to go against your intuition. It can also indicate secrets that need to be out in the open; knowledge locked up too long may be potentially harmful.
3 The Empress - Abundance, generosity, nurturing and creativity
The Empress is the mother archetype, symbol of creativity and abundance. She is seated in an earthly paradise, where corn grows at her feet. A river meanders then flows into a waterfall, forming an abundant pool. All the trees are in full leaf.
Upright Meaning The gifts of the Empress are abundance and material comfort, sensuality and security, and emotional support. This is an auspicious card for children and families, showing harmony at home; if you are hoping to begin a family, the Empress symbolizes fertility and femininity. Your creative projects thrive and you prosper financially now, too. The Empress is resourceful, so when she appears in your reading, you can feel assured that your needs will be met. This card, therefore, shows the influence of a nurturing mother figure who supports you. As the you/your situation card in a reading, it reveals you are a good mother to others—and to yourself.
Reversed Meaning
When reversed, the Empress shows financial issues and domestic strife. This may take the form of a controlling and disruptive influence at home. She can also show a creative block in your projects and someone who is needy and takes too much from you. The result of these challenges and demands is stressful, and there may be an impact on fertility if this is an issue for you now—literally in terms of conceiving a child or figuratively in terms of finding the time and peace of mind to grow an idea.
