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A Glimpse 'Within': Tarot
By Anja Nielsen
Tarot is an ancient tool used for seeking within your deep inner corners, and for helping others on their path in life.
The Dry Part:
Physically, Tarot is a deck of traditionally 78 cards. (Some decks do differ in the amount of cards, as some artists only use the Major Arcana.)
The Tarot Deck is divided in 2 Arcanas:
The Major Arcana has 22 cards starting at 0 - The Fool, and going up to 21 - The World.
The Minor Arcana is divided in another two sections:
The 16 Court Cards and the 40 Minor Arcana.
The Meaning Part:
Viewing Tarot as a play in the theatre; The Major Arcana cards are the stage, the back stage, the editors, the producers, the stage managers and so on. They are the archetypes. Without them there is no play… with too many of them it could end up in chaos, leaving still no play.
The Majors are the overall rulers of the game.
Here you will see:
- The Fool - brings new beginnings, not caring about what tomorrow has in store.
- The Magician - can make everything of nothing, showing you how to use your abilities.
- The High Priestess - has walked the lands of death and returned; she knows all time and space
- The Empress - the Mother of tarot, teaching us patience and how to make things grow.
- The Emperor - the Father of tarot, he rules and takes care of his children with a firm and strong hand.
- The Hierophant - brings mysteries and obstacles down to earth, to a level we can comprehend.
- The Lovers - show us the importance of choosing what is right for us, and choosing with the heart.
- The Chariot - the conqueror who shows us how to divide things into black and white, controlling heart and mind.
- Strength - which on one hand shows the beauty of inner strength and on the other, shows the danger of manipulation.
- The Hermit - who by his absence reminds us to seek 'within' and take a moment of meditation.
- The Wheel of Fortune - which urges us to seek our right place on the wheel of life.
- Justice - which shows us how to weigh deeds and make sure we can justify our actions.
- The Hanged Man - shows us that sometimes to gain, first we must feel pain.
- Death - brings ends, thereby making room, time and space for rebirth, transformation and new beginnings.
- Temperance - so beautifully teaches us how to temper ourselves and our environment.
- The Devil - the misunderstood creature who shows us our hidden lust and self-limits.
- The Tower - which will, if it is built on bad soil, tumble and leave chaos and ruins.
- The Star - which enlightens us and shows how to temper emotions and actions.
- The Moon - hides what is best unseen, though by sunrise the things will come out in the open.
- The Sun - brings warmth and joy, but also reminds us after day comes night.
- Judgment - blows the horn and invites us to a renewal, invites us to put yesterday behind us and look upon today.
- The World - shows the fulfilled circle. Some things must take their leave in order for a new circle to begin.
The Court Cards are the actors:
There are 16 court cards; divided into 4 suits, with 4 main characters in each suit.
The Pentacle Family:
- The King is the father of this earthly people. With patience he rules his lands of the forest. He is very material and will always be the steady provider for his family.
- The Queen is the mother. With her grace and grounded calm nature, she teaches about making dreams come true. She is a very strong woman, very practical, though does she not share her emotions with anyone.
- The Knight is the young and eager craftsman. If you want a job done, and done well, this is the man you are seeking. With stamina and determination he will always finish what he has started.
- The Page is the permanent student who does not have time for either work or fun, because there is always something new to be discovered and learned. Some might call him/her the Peter Pan who refuses to grow up and take responsibility.
The Swords Family:
- The King is the father of this airy family. With his firm and non-arguable harsh personality he rules his lands of the icy Rocky Mountains. He is very strict and conservative, because the land has taught him only the strongest will survive the harsh winters and live to see the more pleasant summer days.
- The Queen is the mother; with her rational thinking she strictly divides emotions and facts. It is okay to feel sad for a good reason, but not to let your heart take over where the mind should rule.
- The Knight is the young man who will take up the fight any day. He is very strong in his principles and no one will be able to convince him to change if he has set his mind to it.
- The Page is the scout always on guard, though not old enough to fully comprehend why and for what. (S)he has learned the lands are dangerous and therefore one should always stay alert.
The Cups Family:
- The King is the father of this water family. With a warm and heartfelt compassion he rules his lands of the oceans. He understands the necessity of looking after, and taking care of, the environment and mother earth.
- The Queen is the mother, she is the compassionate woman who is always willing to lend a hand when needed, loving all creatures on earth. With a heart of gold she understand the importance of giving and taking just the right amount of love.
- The Knight is the young man who eagerly loves everybody who comes his way. He is the woman-wooer who can have anyone he wants. Although he is the "Prince Charming" do not think this is the man who will walk down the aisle saying, "I do" to 3 kids and a household!
- The Page is young and restless; (s)he sees the beauties in the world so easily and is so eager to see it develop (s)he can hardly stand still and wait for it to happen.
The Wands Family:
- The King is the father of this fiery family. Passion flows in his veins and makes him a very strong and outgoing king. As he lives in the green and peaceful valley, there is no need to stand guard or be alert. He can spend all his time indulging in life. He is the type who keeps to one project at a time until he fully masters it.
- The Queen is the mother, a true housekeeper, and perfect at it too. She is very creative and productive. The mysteries she keeps for herself well hidden in her black cat, who will only revealed the secrets if you have been properly initiated.
- The Knight is the young man who is never at home. He has literally thousands of things going on in his life, and never sits still. Instead of being a spectator, he would rather be a participator.
- The Page is the young knave you never know exactly. You could believe (s)he was just entering your life only to discover (s)he is already half-way out the door again. This is the one who loves to bring news and then disappear.
The Minor Arcana:
The last 40 cards are called the minors. They are the manuscript, the actions taking place, the chapters and the story behind the play.
The Minor Arcana is divided in 4 suits: Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. Each suit holds the numbers Ace to Ten.
Both the suits and the numbers have their own specific basic meaning.
When reading the numbers Ace through Ten, keep the meanings of the first 10 Majors in mind.
- Ace - Follows both the Fool and the Magician. A sign of a new beginning, raw potentials, energies, projects or feelings not yet begun.
- Two - Follows the High Priestess. In order to find out what she hides behind the curtain you have to dare to make decisions and choose from the raw potentials. You might hit the jackpot, or you might face some obstacles you have not anticipated.
- Three - Follows the Empress, which tells us to have patience, and let things develop and grow at their own pace. Now is not the time to push and rush; see what your potentials and choices are, before moving to the next step.
- Four - Follows the Emperor. The situation is now somewhat stable, and not much is going on, though it seems everything is under control for the time being. Is this indicating building on a solid foundation, or does it show stubbornness in refusing to bend and/or compromise? Only time and developments will tell.
- Five - Follows the Hierophant. It is now time to take down all the plans, and all the efforts you have put into your project, and take a good critical view of them. What can you do better and what should stay untouched? Bring mysteries down to earth so you can comprehend everything about and behind them.
- Six - Follows the Lovers. You have now put the raw potentials in use, made a choice of which direction to follow, let it grow and take form, seen where and what could and has become of it. It is now time to review if you are still moving in the right direction. As Lovers is not about blind and everlasting love, but more about making the right choice in heart, with the sixes you are guided in the direction which will most likely benefit your happiness in life.
- Seven - Follows the Chariot. Like the Fives gives you a picture of what is there, the difference being the sevens point out to you, that if you do not comprehend what potentials you have in front of you and take advantage of them, then you might not see all the possibilities life hands out to you on the way.
- Eight - Follows Strength, showing it does take a whole lot of courage and boldness to dare to follow your dreams, and to see what the possibilities are to reach them and make them reality. Divide the situation and put the facts on a scale. Decide what do you wish to accomplish, and what you actually can accomplish.
- Nine - Follows the Hermit; almost having ended the circle of ten, this is the seeking 'within' and resting in what has been accomplished. You now have the results of all your efforts and are beginning to reload and get ready to enter a new circle of the tens.
- Ten - Follows the Wheel Of Fortune. Did this bring you to the right place in life, and on the wheel of life? Tens are the end of the circle, whether this is good or bad, they give you the insight to the end. You have either gained top benefits or it won't get any worse. A new circle in life is ready to be born.
The 4 suits have their own basic keywords as well:
- Pentacles: earth, materials, money, health, ambitions, security, values, possessions, responsibility.
- Cups: water, feelings, emotions, love, addictions, vulnerability, hopes, fears, involvement, heartfelt commitment.
- Swords: air, thoughts, intuition, communication, dreams/nightmares, blockages, conflicts, working within.
- Wands: fire, passions, projects, relations, hard-felt commitment, determination, achievement, goal-minded, velocity, drive.
I hope this assists you to better understand the Tarot.
Anja Nielsen (c) 2002
Anja works in a health store,
is a caretaker and social-worker, and also works with Tarot,
Aromatherapy, Reiki, Bach Flower Remedies, Reflexology, and
her website, Anja's Tarot.
Born on December 22, 1971, Anja and her husband Frank
live with their two daughters, Anastasia and Benedikte,
in Denmark. Please visit her website @
www.anjastarot.dk
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