The members of the Cups court are the "emoters" of tarot royalty; I would have said "feelers," but it's too passive a word for the more assertive side of elemental Water (and it seems a little too tritely mystical in a "New-Age-y" way). They may choose to keep their feelings to themselves but are just as likely to … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Cups Court
Esoteric Tarot
Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Wands Court
The members of the Wands court are the "doers" of tarot royalty. In business settings they personify the risk-taking entrepreneurs and adventurers, in social terms the "movers and shakers" who can be more style than substance. They symbolize the human qualities of ambition, enthusiasm, enterprise, initiative, inspiration, excitement, boldness, opportunism - in short, just about any attribute that embraces vigorous and spirited … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Wands Court
Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: A Brief Introduction
Any detailed examination of the tarot court cards will inevitably encounter the confusion surrounding the different titles given to the cards over their 600-year history. In early decks like the Tarot de Marseille, it was transparent: the cards showed the members of a medieval royal hierarchy. The Kings were seated on thrones, variously bearded and suitably august in … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: A Brief Introduction
A Moment’s Reflection
I have now completed my detailed instructional material for the cards of the Major Arcana. In going back over it, I realized just how much of a personal connection I've made with them over the last four decades, and how seriously I've taken Aleister Crowley's advice to heart regarding the best approach to the cards: … Continue reading A Moment’s Reflection
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: Judgement and the World
Although Judgement (the archaic spelling of judgment, as spell-check keeps reminding me) has a biblical origin, showing the Archangel Gabriel summoning souls to their final reckoning with his trumpet, it is fundamentally a card of individual renewal and regeneration. It is the final bend in the road on the Fool's Journey, a "wake-up call" that presents an offer that can't … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: Judgement and the World
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Moon and the Sun
We have now come to what might be termed the Dark Side and the Bright Side of the human experience. The Moon comes first, marking the treacherous path to its opposite pole, the Sun, with signposts of dubious reliability. The Moon does not offer a clear view of anything that comes under its dim rays; its realm … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Moon and the Sun
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Tower and the Star
This is the classic "calm after the storm" scenario: the Tower topples the unsteady empire of the Devil and a soothing calm (and new hope) descends upon the ravaged landscape in the presence of the Star. There is nothing benign about the uncompromising Mars energy of the Tower; here is the "necessary" nature of the … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Tower and the Star
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: Temperance and the Devil
It could be argued that these cards are in the wrong order. In real-life situations, temptation often comes first and, if the Will is strong enough, abstinence follows as a condition of recovery. This might be a reasonable scenario if Temperance actually referred to redemption through behavioral moderation; but the old verb "to temper" meant to adjust the properties of something in a … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: Temperance and the Devil
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Hanged Man and Death
If I were writing pulp fiction, I could not come up with a juicier scenario: sentence has been passed (Justice), the perpetrator has been hung (Hanged Man) and the unfortunate soul has been laid to rest (Death). Of course, we all know that tarot is not Lenormand, and these things never play out so literally. The Hanged … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Hanged Man and Death
Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune and Justice (or Strength)
These cards straddle the midpoint of the 22-card sequence of trumps. In the allegorical tale of the Fool's Journey, that divide represents a new "jumping-off place" into a more complex world. The Wheel of Fortune is commonly held to indicate a major change of some kind, auspicious or ill-fated according to the context of the question; its … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune and Justice (or Strength)
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 