The heart of the Matter
This first card allows you to go beyond your question. It tells you what you are experiencing in regard to the question. The vibrations surrounding the condition are revealed in this first card. If a Court Card turns up here, it indicates that another person is involved in your query.
The Emperor
Major Arcana - Heart of the Deck
Each of these suits represents some universal aspect of human experience.
The Emperor represents structure, order and regulation - forces to balance the free-flowing, lavish abundance of the Empress. He advocates a four-square world where trains are on time, games are played by rules, and commanding officers are respected. In chaotic situations, the Emperor can indicate the need for organisation. Loose ends should be tied up, and wayward elements, harnessed. In situations that are already over-controlled, he suggests the confining effect of those constraints.
The Emperor can represent an encounter with authority or the assumption of power and control. As the regulator, he is often associated with legal matters, disciplinary actions, and officialdom in all its forms. He can also stand for an individual father or archetypal Father in his role as guide, protector and provider.
This is what crosses you for good or bad.
Whatever this card represents can be determined in the light of the remaining spread. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable depends upon the card itself and your question. For example, if the question has to do with the success of a new business enterprise, and the Ace of Wands turns up in this second placement, we can assume that it crosses the first card favorably. However, it is always better to scrutinize the entire spread carefully before offering an interpretation.
4 of Cups
This suit is usually associated with emotions and matters of the heart.
Key Words: inner self - Discontent - boredom - re-evaluation - not motivated
If you are self-absorbed, you tend to refer everything back to yourself - your own interests and desires. On this card, we see a man who is unaware of the cup being offered to him. He misses this gift because he's turned within. In readings, the Four of Cups can indicate that you are wrapped up for the moment in your own world.
In some situations, you must focus on yourself. When life is too stressful, you need to devote time and energy to yourself or you will feel swamped. The Four of Cups can represent a positive period of self-reflection and renewal. By taking the time to go within to dream, muse and reflect, you restore your emotional balance.
The Four of Cups is sometimes a sign of apathy. You don't really care much about anything. Your life seems stale and flat because you've lost interest in the activities that used to bring you pleasure. You're not motivated to make much of an effort in any direction. At such times, the Four of Cups can show that you're stuck emotionally. You need something to focus on that will so engage your mind and heart that your path down river becomes clear again. Open yourself to your surroundings. Soon you will be on your way again.
This is the basis of the situation.
This card reveals the real origin of your question. The written query usually does not indicate the whole situation, so you should pay special attention to this card. If, for example, a woman asks whether a certain man will contact her, you may find that the third card reveals a quarrel in your past or a long journey of separation.
There could be many reasons for your question, and this card will tend to reveal them to you if you are perceptive and intuitive. The third card will help you considerably in your overall divination.
Knight of Cups
This suit is usually associated with emotions and matters of the heart.
Key Words: sensitive -artistic - creative - temperamental - melodramatic
Type of Person: Sagittarius - young male or female - sensitive -artistic
In readings, a Knight of Cups shows that his sensitive style is involved in the situation as an aspect of you, someone else or the atmosphere in general. You need to ask yourself, "Is this Knight's energy helping or hurting?"
If his style is evident, then balance is needed. Are your feelings appropriate or excessive? Are your daydreams unrealistic? Is someone's moodiness driving you crazy? Is your home life ruled by emotion rather than common sense? It may be time for a change.
If this Knight's energy is missing, a dose of poetry may be called for. Are you too restrained? Express your feelings. Do you always make the most practical choice? Go for the extravagant one instead. Do you avoid introspection? Take some time to look within and think about your life. Let the Knight of Cups introduce you to his world of romance and beauty.
This is behind you, or in the process of leaving.
From this card you can see the immediate background of psychic vibrations experienced by you. Depending on your attitude, the condition indicated may still be with you. If this condition is an undesirable one, a word of encouragement to you may help to dispel the situation, for the fourth card indicates that it is in the process of leaving or clearing up. If the card is favorable, the remaining cards will indicate this
6 of Wands
This suit is generally associated with spirituality and personal growth.
Key Words: success, winning, recognition
In readings, the Six of Wands appears when you have been working hard toward a goal, and success is finally within reach. The recognition you have sought so long is yours. Now you can receive the acclaim, honour and reward that you deserve. If you do not feel close to victory now, know that it is on its way provided you are doing all you can to make it happen. The victory of this card does not have to involve beating someone else. You can triumph over yourself, the environment, or the odds.
The Six of Wands also represents a healthy self-esteem. Feeling good about your accomplishments is an important part of success, but too much pride can lead to arrogance and self-inflation. When you see this card, check that you are not feeling superior to others. It is easy to forget that individual achievement is not really individual at all. Our talents begin in the Divine, develop with the love and support of others, and only in the end express through us. How can we indulge in excess pride?
This is what crowns you and could come into being.
The fifth card relates to situations not yet materialized and so is extremely helpful in advising you. With this card you can see a possible and often probable course of future events.
3 of Swords
This suit generally represents anything forceful -- arguments, going after something, etc.
Key Words: betrayal - heartbroken - disbelieving - abandonment - rejection
You open the door to find your partner in the arms of someone else. You overhear your best friend laughing at you behind your back. You find out your business partner has been cheating you for years. All of a sudden your world is turned upside-down. You're , and finally .
The image on the 3 of Swords clearly describes this sudden pain. You literally feel as if someone has taken a sharp object and jabbed it through your heart. Even something as minor as a snippy remark can feel this way. Notice how this contains just a heart and three swords. When your heart is breaking, you feel as if that is all you are - an open wound.
In readings, the Three of Swords often represents the nasty little curve balls that life can throw sometimes. Betrayal, abandonment, rejection, separation, a reversal of fortune. These hurts are painful because they hit you when you least expect them. If you have drawn this card, you may know what it refers to, but if not, the Three of Swords is a valuable warning. It is likely there is something amiss in your life that you are unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge. Curve balls hit us when we're looking the other way. Examine your situation carefully. Talk to the people in your life. Don't take anything for granted. Listen to your inner voice; it will help you locate the problem.
It is also possible that you are contemplating hurting someone else. With this card I think it is important to remember that each of us is capable of cruelty. We're all human, and we all make mistakes, sometimes serious ones. In the end, all we can do is trust in the goodness of life and try to live up to that ideal. When you slip, forgive yourself, and try to forgive others in turn, but, even better, head off trouble before it arrives.
This is before you.
In the process of interpreting this card, you should consider the tenth and final card also. These two cards have a positive relationship and are connected in the final interpretation: one leads to the other, and both deal with a future situation that is taking shape as a result of past and present circumstances.
8 of Pentacles
This suit usually represents financial matters, or anything in a material sense.
Key Words: detail, work, diligence, focus, effort, productive
The Eight of Pentacles represents moments when you must give 110%. Just buckle down and do it. Fortunately, this kind of work is invigorating and leads to superb results. The labour of the Eight of Pentacles is deeply satisfying and .
The Eight of Pentacles can also symbolise the impulse to learn - to broaden horizons (to use an old-fashioned term). Sometimes we need to develop new skills. We do research, dig out facts or search for expertise. The man on the Eight of Pentacles seeks external knowledge - the how and why of the material world.
This card can also show the need for meticulous attention. People who are painstaking are often dismissed as nit-pickers, but their extra effort ensures everything is as it should be. It's a matter of caring - taking the time to check the little details. Now is not the time to be slipshod or casual. Look for errors, and tie up loose ends. The key to success is an extraordinary effort. Whatever your task, the Eight of Pentacles tells you to give it your all in every way.
This represents your own negative feelings.
I have known students to be very confused about this card. What happens if a positive, promising card turns up in this position? It simply means that you have a negative attitude towards this situation and cannot appreciate or accept the beneficial circumstances indicated.
It can be of great assistance to you when reading this card; it can offer guidance and often relieve you of your anxieties regarding the situation, so that you can come to accept whatever benefits are in store. Also, together with the third card, this seventh card can help you to see deeply into the true emotions surrounding your original question.
Queen of Swords
This suit generally represents anything forceful -- arguments, going after something, etc.
Key Words: honesty - truthful
Type of Person: Virgo - Mature female male - sharp witted
You can always count on Queen of Swords to tell you exactly how it is. Above all else she admires honesty, and she lives by her commitment to being truthful. Lies, tricks and games are of no interest to her, but she's not easy to fool. She is experienced in the ways of the world, good and bad. The Queen of Swords can size up a situation quickly. She understands human folly, but doesn't condemn it. She knows when cow manure is being thrown around and simply finds clever ways around it. She prefers being straightforward and direct. Her observations are candid, but never hurtful. In fact, this Queen has a delightful sense of humour. She likes a good laugh and always has a witty comeback ready-to-hand. She knows that life isn't meant to be taken too seriously.
The Queen of Swords is refreshing in her candor and lack of pretense.
In readings, the Queen of Swords asks you to think and feel as she does. For example: Are you being completely honest? (Check this one first!) Do you see the humor in the situation? Are you getting right to the point? Have you figured out what's really going on? Are you letting yourself be fooled?
This Queen can also represent a man or woman who is like her, or an atmosphere of honest, direct communication. In a reading, she tells you that her special energy has meaning for you at this time. Let yourself be inspired by this Queen in whatever form she appears in your life.
This represents the feelings of others around you.
If you have asked a question involving another person, this card will help you to see the other person's point of view. However, if the question relates only to your activities, the eighth card provides insight into how other people feel regarding you and this situation.
The Hanged Man
Major Arcana - Heart of the Deck
Each of these suits represents some universal aspect of human experience.
The Hanged Man is one of the most mysterious cards in the tarot deck. It is simple, but complex. It attracts, but also disturbs. It contradicts itself in countless ways. The Hanged Man is unsettling because it symbolizes the action of paradox in our lives. A paradox is something that appears contradictory, and yet is true. The Hanged Man presents to us certain truths, but they are hidden in their opposites.
The main lesson of the Hanged Man is that we "control" by letting go - we "win" by surrendering. The figure on Card 12 has made the ultimate surrender - to die on the cross of his own travails - yet he shines with the glory of divine understanding. He has sacrificed himself, but he emerges the victor. The Hanged Man also tells us that we can "move forward" by standing still. By suspending time, we can have all the time in the world.
In readings, the Hanged Man reminds us that the best approach to a problem is not always the most obvious. When we most want to force our will on someone, that is when we should release. When we most want to have our own way, that is when we should sacrifice. When we most want to act, that is when we should wait. The irony is that by making these contradictory moves, we find what we are looking for.
This represents your own positive feelings.
Often a person thinks one thing, but through fear or inhibition says another. The ninth card will help you determine how you really feel about the matter in question. If you are apprehensive, it can guide you toward the solution to your dilemma through the wisdom of the Tarot
Justice
Major Arcana - Heart of the Deck
Each of these suits represents some universal aspect of human experience.
On Card 11 we see the familiar figure of Justice. She has the scales of equality and impartial judgement in one hand, and the sword of decision in the other. In the tarot, Justice represents the understanding that life is ultimately fair and just. Even though the vagaries of day-to-day life tend to make us doubt this fact, Justice reminds us that there is divine balance. Notice the similarity between the Emperor and Justice. Both cards stand for universal order; the Emperor in its underlying structure, Justice, in the action of karma - cause and effect.
There is a serious feel to Card 11 - the tone of the courtroom. This card refers to legal matters of all kinds, but is not restricted to them. The courts are where judgements are made and decisions rendered. Our legal system is the official arena in which we explore the principles of Justice - fairness, impartiality and the quest for truth.
In readings, Justice often appears when you are concerned with doing what is right or making sure you receive your due. This card can also appear when you are feeling the impact of a past mistake or good deed. The cause you set in motion at one time is now returning to you as an effect.
Sometimes Justice is a signal to do what needs to be done. A time comes when responsibilities must be accepted, and accounts settled. The past will continue to haunt you if you do not recognise your mistakes and make amends for them. You will need to weigh matters carefully and perhaps make important decisions about your future course.
The outcome.
The tenth and final card indicates the outcome of the situation. Its interpretation depends upon the people and circumstances involved in your question and upon the nine preceding cards. All the other cards lead up to this card and must be read accordingly. You must first arrive at a conclusion, based on the totality of these factors and your own intuition, then you must decide what action to take, based on your thorough understanding of the spread in relation to your question.
8 of Swords
This suit generally represents anything forceful -- arguments, going after something, etc
Key Words: bound - lost - alone - confused - unsure
In readings, the Eight of Swords is often a sign that you are heading toward (or already in) a situation in which you will feel a lack of freedom and choice. Such situations are tricky because the more you get into them, the more restricted you feel. At each step, your options seem to narrow until you feel completely stuck.
When you see this card, remember that you do have choices, and you do have power. No matter how trapped you feel, you can find a way out if you believe it is possible. The young girl in the picture could free herself. She could wriggle free, tear off the blindfold, and kick down those swords. Solutions are not always easy, but they exist. Find your clarity of thought and purpose (the Swords ideal) and use them to take that first step toward home.
