Tag Archives: Tarot

Tarot Card for August 14: The Hermit

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The Hermit

The Hermit (or sometimes Lord of Time) is numbered nine and is usually depicted as an old man, carrying a lamp or staff. He picks his way carefully through the terrain. The Lamp of Knowledge he carries is a magical receptacle for all the knowledge and wisdom he has acquired through many years of study and meditation. The staff represents the weight of his experience, upon which he leans for support.

The Hermit lacks human company, as the teaching/learning process is often one of aloneness and solitude. He is an adept, someone who knows the inner mysteries of life. He has reached the point in his journey where nobody else can help – he must rely on inner resources, previous experiences and sheer faith in the light which leads him.

When we walk the path of the Hermit we travel deep inside our soul. Here we discover the name of the god or goddess residing within us and bring back the keys to self-knowledge and mastery. After this, we live from the centre of our self and become content with our essential aloneness. And perhaps, after this, we will be ready to teach others what we have discovered.

The Hermit

(via Angelpaths.com and AlanBlackman)

Tarot Card for August 7: The Seven of Cups

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The Seven of Cups

The Lord of Debauch is a deceptive card and can bring in some difficult influences when it’s about. We will always be tempted to do things that we will later regret, and we will find ourselves weak-willed when it comes to choosing what we know is the right course of action.

For instance, we might be faced with some sort of sexual temptation. This kind of situation can arise whether or not we are committed to another person – a one-night stand can have as many complications for the single as it can for the person in a partnership. Such an offer, when marked by the Seven of Cups, is going to have consequences that far outweigh the pleasure that might be fleetingly gained.

And again, the Lord of Debauch might come up to indicate that we are placed in a situation where we can make easy money, or obtain things in an inappropriate and unethical fashion – though it would not cover actual theft. But, for example, buying stolen property, or engaging in trickery to obtain money and possessions would come up here.

We might find ourselves showered with apparently great opportunities and have no idea which of them is valid and which is not – then we become children gazing in wonder at the treasure chest of jewels and wondering which one to take first! Perhaps the answer is that if we don’t know what to choose, we should consider leaving them all alone!!

And finally, the most serious influence that can be indicated by this card is the challenge to our ethical code. We may be faced with something that goes against our principles, and yet still be tempted to take advantage of it, or to do something that we will later think was sneaky, unkind, immoral and nasty.

The Seven of Cups is always indicative of a temptation which will cost much more than it gives, if we fall for it.

The Seven of Cups

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for August 3: The Ace of Cups

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The Ace of Cups

The Ace of Cups represents the beginning of love, fertility and creativity. It is a card to inspire confidence and happiness. When it turns up a reading of an everyday nature it can indicate the start of a loving relationship (of either the romantic or friendship variety); it can represent the beginning of a project in which a great deal of loving energy is invested (rather like the beginning of angelpaths); or sometimes it can reveal conception – the beginning of a new life.

If you are looking at the Ace of Cups indicating a new relationship, then there will also be people cards up. If it is a romantic relationship, expect to see other good Cups, and perhaps the Lovers. Friendship will be more indicated by Wand type good cards.

The beginning of a project will normally have something like the Star or the Priestess, and Disks around it. These will help you to determine the viability of the project.

Pregnancy will usually come up with other cards which also indicate pregnancy Princess of Disks, Ace of Wands, and possibly the Empress.

But at a spiritual level the Ace of Cups is even more important. The chalice depicted on most versions of this card is taken to be the Holy Grail, or in pagan terms, the Cauldron of Kerridwyn – source of inspiration and granter of wishes and dreams.

In this interpretation of the card then, we are examining a major spiritual step forward – a period where the deepest and most heartfelt spiritual desires of the querent come to the surface, and may be identified and pursued.

When this card comes up with the Hierophant, The Sun, The Moon or sometimes with Death, we must see ourselves as entering into a major transformational period from which we will emerge totally changed by the power of the Universe. During periods such as these we touch the very essence of spiritual power, and hopefully, we succeed in growing toward it, and allowing a little more of its light within us.

The Ace of Cups

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for August 2: The Nine of Wands

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The Nine of Wands

When we reach deep inside ourselves, with a heart that is unafraid and accepting, we will discover new depths of strength and power. These deep reaches of wisdom, which lay dormant with in the subconscious until we are brave enough to search them out, will bring balance and equilibrium. And from new centredness will arise an unshakeable trust in ourselves that will carry us forward through life.

It’s true that when we travel deep inside ourselves, we will also find material that we might prefer to leave unacknowledged – but the Nine of Wands, Lord of Strength, reminds us that in being true to ourselves we release energies that will help us to deal with whatever we find within. And after all, whatever lies inside our own subconscious is, for better or for worse, a part of us.

When the Nine of Wands turns up in a reading, we can be re-assured that we have what it takes to get by. Even in times of stress and difficulty, inner strength will rise up to guide us forward toward our goals. And in the process we shall learn more about ourselves and our abilities, gaining a new all-round perspective which brings security and self-confidence.

This card tells us to trust ourselves. We have everything we need. There is no necessity to analyse nor question. And absolutely no excuse to give in to doubt!

The Nine of Wands

(via angelpahts.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 28: The Nine of Swords

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The Nine of Swords

The Lord of Cruelty is never a happy card to emerge in a reading – it always indicates hardness and unkindness, a total lack of consideration or compassion. There’s something almost mechanical in the way that this kind of cruelty manifests – almost as though inflicting pain is force of habit. There is no ethical responsibility for the victim of the attack, nor even any useful result from its application.

The card can come up to indicate some other person’s cruelty toward you – in which case look for ‘people’ cards to give you a clue as to the instigator. It can come up to mark your cruelty to another person – in which case expect to find corrective cards nearby. Or it may indicate your unkindness and lack of empathy with your own inner needs and feelings.

Whatever the apparent motive may be for this type of cruelty, it is the stuff of darkness. Here we see venom dealt for venom’s sake; we see the power of ill-wishing in action. And anyone who engages in such behaviour is not only fouling our world for the rest of us, but is also invoking such a level of redemptive force against themselves that they will have a hard job managing when the tidal wave hits them.

A moral and spiritual human being may not engage in this type of behaviour. And if we end up the target of spite and malice, we may not seek vengeance. Such a flow of dirty energy will be strengthened by any engagement with it. Rather, if we are unfortunate enough to find ourselves on the receiving end, whether from some-one else, or our own subconscious self-doubt, we need to use any method at our disposal to lift us away from the whole thing.

The Nine of Swords

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 21: The Two of Swords

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The Two of Swords

The Lord of Peace is a friendly Sword, which comes as something of a relief when we have spent so much time dealing with his more belligerent cousins. However it must be noted that the card often comes up to indicate that a conflict has been resolved or a breach healed, so there will have been trouble earlier on.

It indicates that a painful and difficult situation is being reconciled. Friendships are rebuilt, old wounds are healed. However in this context it is very important to look carefully at the cards which follow it, for there is often a feeling that a relationship will never be quite the same again as it was before the conflict or quarrel. If the Four of Swords comes up nearby, this is a clear indication that one should remain cautious and thoughtful, not giving too much in the way of trust, for some time. If the Moon was up in the reading, we would be forced to consider the possibility that all is not as it seems.

At an inner level, the Two of Swords really comes into its own, for it marks the period of tranquillity and calmness that can arise when we have finally made difficult decisions, and acted upon them. Often it will come up to show that, now we have got to grips with our confusion, we can rest and recover.

The card will also come up to show that we have let go of old fears or anxieties that were holding us back. It’s a still card indicating a time to rest and recuperate.

The Two of Swords

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 20: The Ace of Wands

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The Ace of Wands

The Ace of Wands begins the explosion of energy which runs throughout the Suit of Wands. Here we see massive out-rushing power, high levels of force, the beginning of whatever the Will desires.

When this card appears in a reading it often signifies the beginning of new life – whether as in pregnancy, or to represent the beginning of a whole new phase in life. In order to confirm pregnancy, you need to look for other ‘baby’ cards like the Princess/Page of Cups, or the Ace or Three of Cups.

When the card comes up to indicate a new phase in life, there will often be other cards surrounding it which indicate the area that will be most affected by the new force.

This is a good card for healing energies, indicating high levels of vitality and vigour. This effect is much strengthened if the Sun also appears in the reading. It also indicates a period in life where we can forge forward toward our goals, having sufficient stamina and enthusiasm to follow through effectively.

It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that this is a very raw energy – potent and powerful, but somewhat reckless and headstrong. Make sure that you don’t get carried away with new projects, rushing heedlessly into something you have not considered thoroughly enough.

The Ace of Wands

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 14: The Seven of Swords

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The Seven of Swords

The Lord of Futility represents the times in life where we feel too overwhelmed and doubtful to act decisively toward our problems. It will usually appear when there are difficult decisions to be made, or when situations arise that require we take action. Because we are weary, feeling over-stressed and helpless, we do nothing. As a result, of course, things inevitably get worse.

Sometimes the card will come up because we have such a poor view of ourselves. We start to believe that nothing we do could possibly make a difference to the unhappy circumstances we find ourselves in. If not challenged, this attitude will lead us into being poor-little-me’s, when we adopt a victim mentality, and secretly expect everybody else to sort things out for us.

When feeling the effects of the Lord of Futility, we are often ready to make unsuitable compromises in order to try to ease the pressure we experience. We can be more easily impressed by other people’s opinions, seeking to please them – often at our own expense. We vacillate, unable to stick to any decision we make. And all of this does nothing much more than increase our problems.

Neither of these options is viable, if we are to live a happy love-filled life, is it? So when this card appears in a reading for ourselves, we need to be prepared to commit ourselves to a course of action and then follow through. Even if it transpires that the choice we make could have been bettered, any choice is better than no choice at all, when the alternative is total inertia.

Often fear will be a big issue – fear of doing something wrong, fear of taking responsibility, fear of being even more hurt and feeling worse than we already do. In the end, we simply have to take our courage in both hands and, like The Fool, take that leap forward. The fact that we have acted will help us to break from of the Lord of Futility and to move on.

The Seven of Swords

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 13: The Seven of Swords

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The Seven of Swords

The Lord of Futility represents the times in life where we feel too overwhelmed and doubtful to act decisively toward our problems. It will usually appear when there are difficult decisions to be made, or when situations arise that require we take action. Because we are weary, feeling over-stressed and helpless, we do nothing. As a result, of course, things inevitably get worse.

Sometimes the card will come up because we have such a poor view of ourselves. We start to believe that nothing we do could possibly make a difference to the unhappy circumstances we find ourselves in. If not challenged, this attitude will lead us into being poor-little-me’s, when we adopt a victim mentality, and secretly expect everybody else to sort things out for us.

When feeling the effects of the Lord of Futility, we are often ready to make unsuitable compromises in order to try to ease the pressure we experience. We can be more easily impressed by other people’s opinions, seeking to please them – often at our own expense. We vacillate, unable to stick to any decision we make. And all of this does nothing much more than increase our problems.

Neither of these options is viable, if we are to live a happy love-filled life, is it? So when this card appears in a reading for ourselves, we need to be prepared to commit ourselves to a course of action and then follow through. Even if it transpires that the choice we make could have been bettered, any choice is better than no choice at all, when the alternative is total inertia.

Often fear will be a big issue – fear of doing something wrong, fear of taking responsibility, fear of being even more hurt and feeling worse than we already do. In the end, we simply have to take our courage in both hands and, like The Fool, take that leap forward. The fact that we have acted will help us to break from of the Lord of Futility and to move on.

The Seven of Swords

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)

Tarot Card for July 12: The Fool

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The Fool

The Fool is the first card of the Tarot and is generally unnumbered, or numbered zero. The Fool is at the start of our journey and is the initiator. Seen by many as the innocent, he has an eagerness and freshness about him. He is young and carefree, entering the World without preconceptions.

The Fool trusts in life and expects his path to be a happy and rewarding one. There is faith in the gods to see him through and a complete absence of fear.

Sometimes the Fool is seen as too carefree – certainly a good dose of other people’s more negative reality could damage him. However, for as long as the Fool has faith in his own purity and innocence, others will not be able to take advantage.

This is the child within. This is how we were before the many experiences of life forced us to build up so many walls. The Fool does not shade himself from the light – here we are born and from here we walk the path. It’s time to jump off the cliff…

The Fool

(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)