Divination Drive

From Wikipedia:

Generally speaking, Waite describes these cups as strange chalices of
vision. They are all up on a cloud, which may reflect their ungrounded,
impractical or transient nature and the over-imagination or confusion of
the figure conjuring them. Accordingly, they have been associated with
wishful thinking.

There is some dispute as to what the 7 symbols in the cups mean, but
tarotologists have some speculation as to the meanings. It may be noted
that the exact elements of this vision may be less important than the
very act of conjuring them.

This Card represents self-delusion. Ideas that we need not worry about
the real world because we might win the lottery.

The cups seem to offer:

* A snake - may represent animal passion and desire. Alternatively,
some consider the snake to represent powerful transformative knowledge.
The snake around The Magician's waist may offer insight into Waite's
intention with this inclusion herein.

* A treasure horde - probably represents wealth and abundance.

* A human head - may represent a potential companion to the seeker
(love).

* A castle or tower - may represent power and stability, or one's
native land. (contrast with The Tower)

* A laurel wreath - most likely represents victory, honor and
status. Note the skull like shadow on the cup itself, which may point to
the great dangers of vanity and pride (a deadly sin).

* A dragon - in keeping with the christian imagery of the deck, it
is more likely a symbol of evil, anger and envy, calamity. Today,
dragons are mostly associated with fantasy, the supernatural, magic.

* A shrouded, glowing figurine - may represent the burning need for
the conjurer's self-illumination.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_of_Cups

From Tarot Journey with Leisa ReFalo:

A man stands in front of 7 cups that are floating in a cloud. He is seen from behind and in shadow. The cups contain strange objects. The represent among other things, the 7 planetary trump and the 7 deadly sins.

* Head: Venus - Empress
* Ghost: Moon - High Priestess
* Snake: Mercury - The Magician
* Castle: Mars - The Tower
* Jewels: Jupiter - Wheel of Fortune
* Wreath: Saturn - The World
* Dragon: Sun - The Sun

http://tarotjourney.net/tarot-cards/minor-arcana/cups/7-of-cups/

This week I would like to highlight the Touchstone Tarot by Kat Black

Touchstone Tarot

From 78 friends:

Touchstone Tarot is a new deck by Kat Black. Like her previous deck Golden Tarot, this is a work of digital collage from antique paintings. In the case of Golden, the source works were largely frescoes from churches of the early Italian Renaissance and International Gothic eras. This deck is from the later Baroque and Mannerist eras, mostly the highly expressive portraiture from the 'Northern Renaissance' - the work of German, Flemish and Dutch masters.

Touchstone is intended to be an accessible, intuitive deck. The meanings you come up with yourself by looking at the people in the cards are more important than the brief traditional meanings given here. For that reason, we call them '78 friends' and hope that you find them of assistance in finding your way through life.

http://www.78friends.com/touchstone

Read the reviews:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/touchstone/review.shtml

Here is the Touchstone Tarot Site:

http://touchstonetarot.com/

WHAT ARE ALL THESE CARDS?

Sometime in the fifteenth century a man named Visconti commissioned Bonifacio Bembo to paint a set of unnamed and unnumbered cards. They were for an Italian game called Tarrochi. There were four suits of fourteen cards each plus twenty-two images which showed different scenes. These twenty-two cards were later called 'trifonti' - triumphs or trumps in English.

What did Bembo wish to portray with these images? Were they merely social types of the day? Did they represent esoteric meanings of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet? Were they symbolic of some deep secret tradition?

There has never been any proof for any of these claims. For a long while Tarrochi was seen as a game for gambling and some may have used them for fortune telling. Then, Antoine Court de Gebelin in the eighteenth century declared that they were created by the Egyptian god Thoth as a means of conveying all the ancient knowledge of the Egyptian magical system. The next important man in the history of the Tarot was Eliphas Levi who linked the cards to the Qabala. The system was growing and expanding; becoming filled with more depth and mystical significance as the years passed.

In 1910 Arthur Edward Waite, with the artistic vision of Pamela Coleman-Smith, produced what is known today as the Rider-Waite deck. The Tarot became a popular means of meditation, pathworking on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, and fortune telling.

Today there are hundreds of Tarot decks available. Most of them are 'themed', based on mythology or personal visions.

The Rider Waite Smith is still the most popular; there is something about the images created by Coleman-Smith that is universal and easily accessible to everyone.

The Major Arcana, or Greater Secrets, are seen as a path to personal development, to inner growth and an understanding of ourselves, of our lives, and of our gods.

The Minor Arcana, or Lesser Secrets, depict normal people rather than archetypes. It is this 'ordinariness' that either draws one to them or sends one back to the faceless pips of older cards.

The Qabala and the Tarot are two distinct but deeply connected systems. Understanding this connection and applying it brings a wealth of knowledge and realization of self that can be found nowhere else.

Copyright 2003 - 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

I remember the morning I opened my first deck of tarot cards. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and as I pulled out the cards I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the complexity of the images. There was The Fool in his colourful costume, the dog barking at his heels and both seemingly oblivious of the chasm below. Number 13, Death! That one gave me the shivers. The Six of Swords seemed like such a sad card and the man in the Four of Pentacles looked like a miser to me.

Of course I immediately wanted to do was to lay the cards down and find out my future. I don't think that anyone opening his first deck can overcome the urge to ask that first question. So I opened the book to the section called "Step-by-Step Guide to Reading the Tarot" and tried to follow the instructions.

What a disaster! Of course I tried to use the Celtic Cross spread. It's the most popular and the most widely known. It's also one of the most complex. I was thoroughly frustrated and put the cards away. I was sure that Tarot wasn't for me. It was too hard, there was too much to know, to memorize, to understand.

It was some time later that I decided to try again. I had read a few books and talked to a few people and learned a few lessons.

1. Be patient - You can't understand the symbolizism and interpret the cards within minutes of opening the deck.

2. Begin at the beginning - Read the book; don't flip back to the spreads until you are familiar with the cards.

3. Really LOOK at the cards - Notice the small things; the bird on the tree in the Star card, the wand that is bolted to the wall in the Two of Wands.

4. Put yourself INSIDE the card - Sit down at the bottom of the tree in the Four of Cups and feel what the young man is feeling; are you bored? feeling defensive? tired of the same old thing? trying to make a magic cup full of love appear in your life?

5. Make your own meaning - Yes, read what the book says the card means but don't stop there. Do you agree? Has the author missed something? Is it totally out in left field?

6. Use the cards - Pick one card every day and THINK about it. Does it mean anything to you? Does it have a message? Does it make you feel good? Is there something about it that makes you uneasy? Why?

7. READ READ READ - Tarot cards are full of symbolism. Do you understand what the number three signifies? You need to. Some of the cards are numbered three. Some are placed in the third position of a spread. Do you know anything about the Qabala? The number three has a meaning in that context too. What about mountains? Water? The colour red?

8. Trust in yourself - So what if you look at a card and an image comes into your mind of a sad little boy and the book says it means a journey? If you think it means a sad little boy then that is exactly what that card means.

9. Start simply - Forget the Celtic Cross or the Horoscope spread. Too many cards and too many positions will confuse and frustrate you. Ask a question and draw a card. There is your answer. "Will the bank approve my loan?' Six of pentacles - a man holding a balance giving money to a beggar. Yes, the bank will approve your loan; of course the bank makes you feel like you're begging and it will definitely want those scales to balance!

10. Have fun - The Tarot can be a serious life long pursuit of knowledge, a way to make yourself one with the universe. But it's also a lot of fun. The images are beautiful and can bring a smile to your face...so can collecting the hundreds of decks and books now available.
Make Tarot fun and simple. Begin at the beginning and you'll find that the cards bring joy and wonder into your life. You will begin a journey that is yours alone; one to hug closely or one to share with friends, family and the world.

Copyright 2004 - 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

The Virtues - Assignments to the Trumps

The Virtues were a common subject in Medieval and Renaissance art and allegorical paintings were often used. Tarot historians see these allegories in the tarot Trumps (as the journey of the soul).

The first thing would be to list The Virtues and then define allegory.

The Virtues

From:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/values/seven_virtues.htm

"When Pope Gregory defined the seven deadly sins that we should avoid, he also included a counter-balancing set of values that we should espouse and adopt. These are:

1.Faith is belief in the right things (including the virtues!).
2.Hope is taking a positive future view that good will prevail.
3.Charity is concern for, and active helping of, others.
4.Fortitude is never giving up.
5.Justice is being fair and equitable with others. 
6.Prudence is care of and moderation with money.
7.Temperance is moderation of needed things and abstinence from things which are not needed.

The first three of these are known as the Spiritual Virtues, whilst the last four are called the Chief or Natural Virtues. The Natural Virtues had already been defined by Greek philosophers, whilst the Spiritual Virtues are a slight variation on St. Paul's trio of Love, Hope and Faith (due to variation in translation from the original: Charity and Love arguably have a high level of overlap).

There are also a number of other sets of virtues, including:

The Seven Contrary Virtues which are specific opposites to the Seven Deadly Sins: Humility against pride, Kindness against envy, Abstinence against gluttony, Chastity against lust, Patience against anger, Liberality against greed, and Diligence against sloth.

The Theological Virtues: Love, Hope and Faith, as defined by St. Paul (who placed love as the greatest of them all).

The four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Courage and Justice.

The Seven Heavenly Virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence.

The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are a medieval list of things you can do to help others: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, give shelter to strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, minister to prisoners, and bury the dead.

The Seven Bushido Virtues: Right decisions, Valor, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty."

Allegory

"Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning."

The question now is - Do the tarot Trumps include allegories of the seven virtues?

Historians agree that Tarot began as an ordinary Italian-suited deck with an added fifth "suit" or group of allegorical triumphs. It was originally known as carte da trionfi, cards with triumphs, or trumps. I believe (so far in my researches) that the Seven Virtues WERE intentionally included in the first tarot decks. The occultists later used these as the basis of adding in their own ideas, theories and beliefs.

Michael J Hurst states that the Trumps should be separated into three groups of differing subject matter.

These three groups are:

Social Hierarchy - Two representatives from each of the three estates of Medieval - The Fool, The Mountebank, The Popess, The Empress, The Emperor, the Pope.
This is the Realm of Man. Know your place!!!

Allegories of Life - Conditions of human life - Love, The Chariot, Justice, Time, The Wheel of Fortune, Fortitude, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance.

The Realm of the Soul - Triumphs, tribulations and mortality.

Biblical End Times - Spiritual and Celestial Powers - The Devil, the Tower, the Star, The Moon, The Sun, The Angel, The World. This is the Realm of Eternity.

From Hurst's Site - http://www.geocities.com/cartedatrionfi/Riddle.html#Ng

"In The Waning of the Middle Ages, Johan Huizinga wrote:
Toward the end of the Middle Ages two factors dominate religious life: the extreme saturation of the religious atmosphere, and a marked tendency of thought to embody itself in images. Individual and social life, in all their manifestations, are imbued with the conceptions of faith. There is not an object nor an action, however trivial, that is not constantly correlated with Christ or salvation. All thinking tends to religious interpretation of individual things; there is an enormous unfolding of religion in daily life.

That's what the riddle of Tarot was all about: Tarot is a story of Christian salvation, schematic but encyclopedic, and the role of man and God in that story. As the story of Christian salvation may be considered a likeness of the "truth", an eikos mythos, so is the story of Tarot."

"The Tarot trump cycle can now be seen in its original context, alongside other examples of the various incorporated motifs, each with its own spiritual (and political) significance. Admittedly, this will not appeal to many contemporary Tarot enthusiasts. They have little understanding of, and less interest in, the antiquated (at least from their viewpoint) spiritual message of the Three Estates, the Fall of Princes, the Dance of Death, or ultimate victory over the Devil and Death. How depressingly mediæval and Christian these things seem! Modern Tarotists will still prefer their divinatory meanings and "archetypal" projections, Renaissance humanism, Pagan symbolism, Neoplatonic magic and mysticism, and modern fictions of Gnostic Magdalene-cult heresies and anti-Catholic conspiracy theories over medieval Stoic ethics and mainstream Roman Catholic eschatology, even with its mystical interpretation. Nonetheless, a real spiritual message is present in the trump cycle even before its modern revisioning. It is profound, complex, and it includes subtleties and beauty beyond the range of simplistic Cabalistic correspondences or the projections of neo-Jungian archetypes. It details the spiritual facts of life as understood by Christian Europe for well over a thousand years: In a neatly structured encyclopedia of salvation within the popular Trionfo della Morte tradition, Tarot shows the triumph of Death in this world and the ultimate triumph of God over all, the last enemy to be destroyed being Death."

If this is the case, and I strongly suspect that it is, then the Virtues would have had to be included.

In Michael Hurt's words, the message of the tarot seems to be ""Know your place, practice the virtues, and trust in God.'

Decks Used for Comparison

Mantegna Tarot - not strictly a tarot but it is an historical deck that is dated around 1460. It is interesting to look at this deck and how it's constructed. There are five groups of ten (ten being the number of perfection). Each group has a strict hierarchical order and the five groups are:

The Human Conditions
Apollo and the Muses
The Arts and Sciences
The Geniuses and Virtues
The Planets and the Celestial Spheres

What a great way to summarize what the beliefs were at the time!

I have also used a few other 78 card historical decks.

Tarot of the Master (1893)
Golden Tarot of the Renaissance (Estensi Tarot - 1470)
Giotto Tarot (based on the work of Giotto di Bondone 1267 - 1337)

Cardinal Virtues

Strength (Bravery or Fortitude) - Strength

From the Encyclopedia Mythica "Cyrene - The daughter of the naiad Creusa and the mortal Hypseus, king of the Lapiths, and granddaughter of the river god Peneus. This myth has Cyrene wrestling a lion which was attacking her father's sheep. The god Apollo, passing by, saw this and immediately fell in love with her. He carried her off to Africa, where he built her a city (called Cyrene, on the coast of North Africa). The region Cyrenaica is also named after her. Aristaeus is her son by Apollo.

I imagine this is where the Waite image of the lion and the beautiful young woman comes from.

I would think that the original was based on brute strength such as the story of Samson
or Hercules and the Nemean lion. Thomas Aquinas thought that Fortitude was the virtue that helped us resist all fear so I think that the lion in the image reinforces the idea of strength through "fearlessness".

The Ancient Tarot of Lombardy shows a well-muscled young man with one knee on the lion's back and he is holding open the jaws with his hands. Tarot of the Master has a well-dressed woman with her right hand on a pillar. She seems to be resting it comfortably on the top of the pillar. On her left side is a crouching lion that seems to be obeying her by a hand command only. In the Estensi (a very beautiful deck with lovely colours and gold leaf) Strength shows a woman seated on a throne with a white pillar on the inside of her right knee. She is breaking the pillar in two. Something new I learned is about the halo above her head. Paul Huson in "Mystical Origins of the Tarot" (page 102) states that the Virtues were often portrayed with a polygonal or hexagonal halo. This "is reserved in Christian iconography for allegorical, as opposed to sanctified figures." So, the halo tells us that this image is an allegory for Strength. The LWB that accompanies this deck gives the meaning as "energy - hard work, moral strength, courage".

The historical decks show Fortitude in an allegorical manner by using an image of physical strength to represent an inner, moral strength. Fortitude is principally in the mind and yet the cards generally show a strong brute wrestling a lion or pushing down pillars. The other side of this is the decks that show a young woman breaking a pillar. She is obviously not physically strong enough to do this so the lesson is that inner, moral strength is what is needed.

Temperance (Restraint) - Temperance
I find this quite interesting. This word comes from the Latin Temperare (to mix correctly). Historically, this was a standard symbol of the virtue Temperance, representing the dilution of wine with water. This can be taken literally as living a moderate lifestyle; water down your wine, don't eat to excess, don't pray to excess, and don't exercise to excess. As an allegory it takes on the meaning of combining or blending of opposites. Modern occultists and tarot interpreters have added many more meanings to this card.

In the tarot of the Master a young woman pours water into a wine jar. The Mantegna card includes some symbolism that I still have to research. The image is of a young woman who looks as if she might be pregnant. She holds a golden vase in each hand but there is no liquid flowing. On the ground beside her is an animal staring into a mirror that is placed on the ground. Perhaps the combining of spiritual and animal energies?

The Estensi card shows a young woman, seated on a golden stool. She is pouring liquid from one jar into another. She has the polygonal halo so that we understand that this is an allegorical card.

Justice - Justice - This is a moral concept involving the fair and impartial treatment of all persons, the continued effort to "do right".

The tarot of the Masters shows a young woman seated on a throne. She is holding a balanced scale in her right hand and an upright sword in her left. The Estensi is similar but with the sword in her right hand and the scales in her left. There is the polygonal halo again to tip us off about the allegory in the card. Neither woman is blindfolded. I believe it symbolizes that you must LOOK at the facts to be able to render and impartial and "right" judgement. Weigh the opinions of everyone before using your intellect (the sword) to come to a decision. The Mantegna shows a woman standing and not seated. She holds an upright sword in her right hand and the scales in her left hand. There is a bird on the ground below the scales with his claws around a red globe of some sort. It is a white, long-necked bird and I can't quite make out what it is or what it represents. An Ibis? A crane? It slightly resembles the pelican that is found on the Charity card..

Prudence (Wisdom) - The Hermit - Paul Christian gave Arcanum 9 the meaning of Prudence as did Mathers and Waite. The original translation from the Greek was prudence and was associated with wisdom. Modern English has lost this meaning and most people think of "cautiousness" when they hear the word prudence. Recently the word form the Greek has been re-translated as "practical knowledge" or "practical wisdom". A fourteenth century memory manual identifies Saturn with the virtue Prudence and Saturn is sometimes associated with The Hermit. Also, the earliest cards showed the Hermit with an hourglass, clearly an allegorical card about time and Saturn or Cronos is symbolic of time. Wisdom only comes with time?

However, an essay on autonomy and decency found at this address:

http://www.collegevalues.org/articles.cfm?a=1&id=657

claims that the ancient definition of prudence was that moral decency involves knowing how to do the right thing in the right way for the right reason. Using this idea the 20th card in the trumps, Judgement, might be seen as an allegory for Prudence. Good judgement is based on Prudence. You must have practical wisdom to be able to make judgements. To illustrate this the card illustrators used an image of the final Judgement Day from the bible. So, as in all allegories, we have two layers of meanings for this card. There is first the literal idea of the Biblical Judgement and then the symbolic meaning of practical knowledge.

The World card from the Estensi Tarot shows a woman standing on a representation of earth with a sceptre in one hand and a globe in the other. This "earth" is sitting on top of the clouds and might represent the heavenly aspect of earth. She has the polygonal halo that suggests that this is an allegorical image. This might represent the ultimate "wisdom" of the heavenly spheres.

I haven't come to a decision yet on which card represents Prudence but I know it's in there somewhere!

Theological Virtues

Faith - The Pope or The Hierophant - the earthly head of the church whose job it is to spread the faith and show the followers of the church what faith can accomplish.
The images used for this card do not change much from deck to deck. The figure is quite obviously The Pope with his accoutrements of power. The only difference is that some cards show two acolytes and the tarot of the Masters shows only the Pope himself. The Mantegna has an actual card that is named faith. It shows a young woman, richly dressed holding a golden cup or censor in her right hand (perhaps it is something associated with the church, I don't have that much knowledge of the symbolism). She is staring at this intently and at her feet is the "faithful" dog.

Hope - The Star - Christ was known as the "Bright Morning Star" and the seven smaller stars in the image were more than likely meant to portray the seven churches of Rome, for whom the meaning of this card was intended. Modern interpretations include "hope" for this card and I suppose that the death of Christ (which represented the conquering of the Devil) brought hope to the followers of Christ.
The Mantegna shows a woman with hands raised in prayer and at her feet a phoenix arising out of the fire. The Maters shows a naked woman pouring water out of two jugs into a pool or stream. There is one large star (Christ) and 7 smaller stars (the churches). The Estensi image is of a naked woman standing on water. There are fish and seashells in the water as well as a ship in the distance. She is holding a very long arrow in her right arm and it is pointing downwards. A star shines over her head like a halo.

Charity - The card in the Cary-Yale Visconti deck that is referred to as "Charity" shows a richly robed woman nursing an infant from her left breast. The Estensi shows a young woman holding an empty purse upside down and making a gesture with her left hand (thumb and baby finger out, middle fingers curved inwards). At her feet is a pelican feeding her young. I am not really sure where to place this virtue. I thought at first that it might perhaps be the Empress but I can't quite get there. Perhaps the heretical Papesse or female Pope?

The Major Arcana

0. The Fool - freedom, lack of restraint, awakening, courage and optimism, a new beginning, blank slate, leap of faith.

1. The Magician - skill, initiative, willpower, creativity, capability, action, ego, multiple talents.

2. The High Priestess - psychic powers, intuition, female essence, inner mysteries, stillness, secret knowledge.

3. The Empress - the mother, fertility, abundance, growth, pregnancy, cycles, earth mother.

4. The Emperor - power, authority, father figure, leadership, structure, laws, ambition.

5. The Hierophant - tradition, ritual, faith, religion, form over function, institutions, initiation, vow or commitment.

6. The Lovers - love, romance, choice to be made, harmony of opposites, togetherness, relationships.

7. The Chariot - determination, confidence, self control and self mastery, conquest, success that has been earned, controlling opposites.

8. Strength - courage, fortitude, determination, inner strength, defiance, tame your "inner beast", tact and diplomacy instead of brute force.

9. The Hermit - the seeker, inner search, contemplation, solitude, reflection, meditation.

10. Wheel of Fortune - luck, fortune, karma, destiny, the unexpected, change, cycle of life, outside forces out of our control.

11. Justice - fairness, justice, balance, advice, legal issues, impartiality, honour, objectivity, cause and effect (things are being measured).

12. The Hanged Man - surrender, suspension, sacrifice, questionable ethics, indecision, what will be will be, change of attitude, new point of view.

13. Death - death, changes that cannot be stopped, permanent change, transformation, end and release (let go of the old to make way for the new).

14. Temperance - living in a balanced state, moderation, harmony, care and attention for the person and the spirit.

15. The Devil - addictions, obsessions, temptation, self-destruction, materialism, indulgence, hidden desires, your dark side.

16. The Tower - catastrophic change, shattering of old illusions, enlightenment, flashes of intuition, adversity, calamity, shock, sudden upheaval, spiritual transformation.

17. The Star - hope and faith, clear vision, positive energy, insight, magic, inspiration, uniqueness of the soul, wishes and dreams.

18. The Moon - wildness, restlessness, change, deception or trickery, hidden enemies, dishonesty, the unconscious, dreams, confusion, mystery.

19. The Sun - success, joy, happiness, attainment, energy, optimism, prosperity, good health, light, vitality.

20. Judgement - awakening, renewal, a need to evaluate, revelation, excitement, follow the call and follow your bliss.

21. The World - the Major Fortune, attainment, completion, perfection, human and divine plans coming together, manifestation, the last step of this journey.

Elemental Personalities

Wands - Fire - passionate, assertive, aggressive, intuitive, energetic, risk takers, sexual, ambitious, reckless.

Cups - Water - emotional, romantic, empathic, passive, idealistic, hopeful, psychic, spiritual.

Swords - Air - intelligent, honest, logical, rational, reasonable, conflicted, thoughtful, knowledgeable, understanding, intellectual.

Pentacles - Earth - material, slow and plodding, fertile, studious, patient, comfort seeking, survivalist, practical, down to earth, hard working.

Kings

Wands - fire, zealot, sexually motivated, competitive, fiery temper.

Cups - water, imaginative, considerate, kind, nurturing, loving.

Swords - air, rational, truthful, analytical, intelligent, intellectual, diplomatic.

Pentacles - earth, wealthy, hard worker, patient, stable, reliable.

Queens

Wands - fire, passionate, temperamental, fondness for sex, demonstrative, ambitious.

Cups - water, emotional, sensitive, psychic, occult interests, gentle, loving.

Swords - air, sarcastic, witty, intellectual, good communicator, rational.

Pentacles - earth, wealthy, good money manager, fertile, nature lover, fondness for luxury.

Knights

Wands - fire, swiftness in actions, ambitious, haste, enthusiasm, excitable.

Cups - water, intuitive, moody, idealistic, social, sensitive, romantic.

Swords - air, analytical, communicator, decisive, adviser, honest.

Pentacles - earth, plodding, patient, practical, hard working.

Pages

Wands - competitive, excitable, optimistic, courageous, daring.

Cups - loving, psychic, kind, friendly, sensitive, warm, hopeful.

Swords - air, keen intellect, logical, a negotiator, witty,

Pentacles - earth, studious, stable, reliable, thrifty, love of nature.

Goldilocks and the Three Bores

Once upon a time, long ago, but not too far away, there lived a young girl by the name of Goldilocks. "Brownlocks" would be closer to the truth - but that's between her and her hairdresser and is a whole other
story.

Goldilocks lived with her mother and father in a condominium in the North end of the city. She was old enough to have her own apartment but why should she bother when she had everything she wanted right here? She
was loved and spoiled and moved in only the "best" circles. Indeed, Goldilocks was the belle of every ball.

The Sun

Early one morning Goldilocks set out to do some shopping. It was a pleasant, sunny day and so she took a horse drawn carriage through the park. She had the driver drop her off a few blocks from her destination. She had on a new dress and wanted to see how effective it would be in
drawing attention to herself.

The Tower

As she was admiring her reflection in the plate glass window of a haberdashery, she noticed flames flickering around her head. She turned to look behind her and saw that the Tower of the church across the street was in flames! Perfect! Firemen were always good for a compliment and maybe a few wolf whistles too.

She crossed the street and saw that a burly policeman was taping off the scene. Not one to worry overmuch about the law, she walked under the barrier (being careful of her beautiful long blonde hair), brushed past the policeman and over to the first three firemen putting out the blaze.

Three of Pentacles

Goldilocks batted her eyelashes and addressed the firemen in a sultry voice. "Hello boys". Now these men were known among their peers as the most boring men in the department. They had no interest in anything outside of their work. They had no girlfriends, no hobbies. They didn't attend baseball games, dances, or go to museums. They lived for one thing and one thing only. Putting out fires and saving lives.

The first fireman was a short little squirt. He ignored Goldilocks and looked down at his equipment instead. He said, "This hose is too cold!"
The second fireman was medium sized. He also ignored her, seeming to prefer his own equipment. "This hose is too hot!" he complained.
The third officer was a big bear of a man. He didn't even seem to realize that Goldilocks had spoken. He seemed pleased with his equipment and said, "This hose is just right!"

The Five of Wands

Goldilocks was infuriated! What were they doing talking about their hoses instead of commenting on how beautiful she was!

"Never mind those silly hoses!" she exclaimed holding out her foot and turning her petite ankle so they might get a better view. "Do you like these shoes? They match my dress perfectly."

"Look out lady! We got work to do. You can't stand there all day like a cold bowl of porridge. Move out of the way!" snarled the fire fighter with the hose that was too cold.

"Hey Tommy, I bet I put out that section of the tower before you do!"

"Not a chance Johnny!" yelled the fire fighter with the hose that was too hot. He turned to Goldilocks. "Come on, you're in our way. Go drape yourself over a chair in the coffee shop across the street. I gotta get this hose cooled off, it's too hot. I'm gonna beat that guy this time!".

The last fire fighter turned to Goldilocks. "You wanna have a nap some place else? Go home and get into your bed and let us at that fire!"
Turning to his two fellow fire fighters the burly one with the hose that was just right said, "Just you wait until I get MY hose in there; you guys don't stand a chance! This fire is MINE!!"

The Chariot

Well! Goldilocks had NEVER been spoken to like that before! They could just fight their stupid old fire. These men were BORING!!!

And so Goldilocks stomped away and hailed a cab that would take her home. She never looked at another fire fighter again.

Copyright 2006 - 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

I was doing some research last night on this Page. I have found that this card has been interpreted mostly as "spy".

Historically this Page was reputed to be Ogier, the son of Danish King Geoffrey; Renaut a paladin of Charlemagne among others.

These are the original cartomantic interpretations (according to Paul Huson):
Etteilla - a spy, a curiosity seeker, an observer, an examiner, a watcher, calculation, speculation
Reversed - unforeseen, sudden, unexpected, to compose or recite on the spot
Mathers - a spy, overlooking, authority
Reversed - that which is unforeseen, vigilance, support
Golden Dawn - wisdom, strength, acuteness, grace, dexterity
Reversed - frivolous and cunning
Waite - authority, overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying, examination, an indiscreet person will pry into the querent's affairs
Reversed - unforeseen, an unprepared state, sickness

I find it interesting that the GD's interpretations are not even close to anyone else's. Is this where we began to get the modern interpretation?

In "Dictionary of the Tarot" by Bill Butler I found this:
Crowley - her character is stern and revengeful, her logic is destructive, she is firm and aggressive, great practical wisdom
Douglas - similar to traditional with additional negative implications of deviousness, prying, vindictiveness, or treachery
Eden Gray - a page in the diplomatic service, possible great understanding of diplomacy, impostors, cunning, possible sickness
Grimaud - defensive and agile intellect triumphing without violence , oppression by matter, powerlessness in the face of strong forces
Papus - a child, an enemy, bad news, delay

Sources:
Mystical Origins of the Tarot
Paul Huson
Pages 216 - 218

Dictionary of the Tarot
Bill Butler
Pages 99 - 102

Copyright 2006 - 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

The Minor Arcana

Wands - movement, fire, inner fire, energy, competition, magic, career, excellence, expression, sex.

Ace - divine offering of the fire element, seed of competition, magic of oneness.
Two - career choice, balance of energies
Three - expansion of career, strive for excellence.
Four - stable fire, foundations of excellence.
Five - Chaotic movement, competitive fire, dangerous movement.
Six - competitive victory, successful career, balanced energy
Seven - determined expression, firm movement, inner challenges
Eights - quick movement, fiery sex, hot energy (quarrels, disputes)
Nines - Facing competition, tested by fire, protected sex.
Tens- ultimate fire (too many burdens), career end, completed movement

Cups - emotions, family, celebration, homelife, innocence, love, passivity, support

Ace - divine offering of the water element, seed of love, magic of innocence
Two - balanced love, emotional duality, pairing of opposites, passive love
Three - group celebration, family love, loving support
Four - emotionally stable, passive/aggressive
Five - chaotic emotions (despair?), dangerous love, conflicted love, severe passivity
Six - emotional victory, family harmony and peace
Seven - determined feeling, battling emotions
Eight - emotional progress, changing home-life, innocence lost
Nine - emotional prosperity, attainment celebration
Ten - ultimate family-life, emotionally complete

Swords - thoughts, intellect, ideas, negotiations, gossip, criticism, air

Ace - divine offering of the air element, new ideas, magical intellect
Two - balanced thought, negotiated peace
Three - expanding thoughts, painful growth, quarreling ideas
Four - stable thoughts, retreat from thinking
Five - chaotic ideas, challenging ideas, struggles in perception
Six - successful ideas, harmonious thought, peaceful retreat
Seven - defensive thinking, battling ideas, stolen intellectual property
Eight - intellectual progress, changing ideas, practical ideas
Nine - unconscious thoughts (dreams and nightmares)
Ten - ultimate thoughts (hatred and anger), end of all thought

Pentacles - material gain, money, finances, help, patience, earth, home, gardens, craftsmanship, time

Ace - divine offering of the earth element, new money, earthly beginnings
Two - balanced finances, negotiated contracts
Three - expanding bank accounts, financial growth
Four - financial stability, material foundations
Five - chaotic finances, challenging finances, dangerous monetary loss
Six - successful financial venture, harmonious help
Seven - re-evaluation of financial plans, prosperity from hard work
Eight - work progress, changing skills, new employment
Nine - financial independence, material attainment
Ten - ultimate financial rewards, discriminating taste in home surroundings

 
Decks Used :
Tarot of Marseilles - late 1600's to 1700's - I am using the Grimaud version
Ancient Tarot of Lombardy - 1810
Rider Waite Smith - 1910
 
I chose two different kinds of pre-modern decks so that I could see the difference between the French and Italian renderings.
 
The Fool
 
This is the lowest rank of all humanity, a person with no power, no money, no intellect. In the game of tarot this card is an "excuse". It can be played any time but never wins or loses and can save you from having to give up a valuable card. You get to take the card back even though the winner gets to keep all the other cards in that hand. This card is worth a lot of points and you know that when you are dealt it that you have these points no matter what. In the game of tarot all the other trumps compete against each other. The Fool stands alone; he is outside the game and can neither trump nor be trumped.

The TdM shows a beggar/fool facing the right side of the card with his bundle on his back, a collar of bells and his walking stick. A wild dog tears at the seat of his pants. In medieval society the fool was mocked, teased and had dogs set upon him. He also sometimes spoke the wisest truth.

The Lombardy shows again a beggar but he is striding towards the left side of the card. His clothes are tattered and a strange looking animal bites at the seat of his pants. He is portrayed as an older man and sports a white beard.

Neither of these cards are numbered.

Now we move on to the RWS Fool. This is the first time that the sun, the cliff, the mountains, and the rose appear in this card. It is also given the number 0. It is an obvious shift from the literal to the symbolic. He is now "the mystic fool" in search of experience, "the prince of the other world on his travels through this one" (AE Waite Pictorial Key to the Tarot pgs 152, 153).
There would be a definite difference in interpretation using an antique deck as compared to a modern deck.
 
In the antique decks the Fool just IS. He is poor and simple-minded and the butt of many jokes. He also seems tired; so tired that he doesn't even bother to chase away the dog with his walking stick. He has become accustomed to being bitten, to having rocks thrown at him, to being sent on his way. This card represents the lowest rank of man; a rank that is accepted without question. Is someone sending you packing because you don't "fit in"? Are you going to make a choice without using intellect and reason? Are you tired of being treated as the "lowest of the low"? Something has been going on for so long that it has become part of who you are, how you see yourself. Becoming a victim of ridicule. Loss of status.
 
In the RWS we see a young man (just reincarnated perhaps) setting out on a spiritual quest. He is walking off the cliff without even looking and we know he will be safe. Go for it! Take a chance, make a leap of faith. New beginnings. A fresh start, new opportunities. Freedom. Uniqueness. Living in the moment.
 
 
The Magician
 
This is the lowest ranking card in the game of tarot that can take a trick. In the French cards it is called Le Bateleur. This is difficult to translate but means something like "minstrel". Le Bateleur traveled in groups with other Bateleurs and troubadours. He sang, danced and performed magic tricks to amuse the lords and ladies and then moved on. He had "no fixed address". The Church denounced them for collaborating with the Devil (it was the imps etc. who actually made the ball disappear!) but the Church mostly disliked them for taking people away from church services. Who wanted to attend mass when there was a magic show in town? This man was a professional deceiver and a very low commoner. Only the raving mad Fool was lower.

The images in this card vary greatly in the decks I have chosen. The TdM shows a young man wearing a floppy hat (not quite in the shape of a lemniscate, but close). He stands before a table (a three-legged table) on which is spread the tools of his trade. A purse (for his winnings or perhaps to store his equipment), cups and balls, a knife, and dice. He holds his "abracadabra" wand in his left hand while holding one of the balls he will make disappear in the other. This is someone who can take of himself. He likes his freedom even if he is never quite sure where his next meal is coming from. He likes to make people laugh and he likes to relieve them of their money. Not trustworthy but a great deal of fun.

The Lombardy is a strange card. The image is of a middle-aged man wearing a Napoleonic hat and holding a box to his chest with his right hand and in his left is what looks like a fan. I can see a clock face in the box but can't make out anything else. I believe this is the box of a Bateleur containing his items of work. I saw a photo of a street magician with a box like this on the ground beside him and with a table set up in front f him. He was performing the age old "cups and balls" trick. Now you see it, now you don't. Where is the ball now?
He is standing and looks as if he is actually moving towards us. All the Magicians/El Bateleurs are very active. He looks as if he has swampland to sell :)
I took out my Estensi deck to look at this card and it is lovely. A man in red robes wearing a blue hat with a feather in it! He is standing before a table with cups and balls and two children are trying to guess where the ball is. One child is jumping up and trying to get the ball from out of the Magician's hand. I don't know if this is one of the original cards or one of the additions painted to replace one of the lost ones but it is quite beautiful.

Then we have the RWS Magician. It didn't take much to change this card into the Magus. The four symbols of the elements instead of the gaming pieces, the wand held aloft in one hand while the left finger points downward, a lemniscate and ouroborus belt%u2026and voila! We now have a Magus instead of a Magician.
Waite himself says of this card, "The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit%u2026This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in liberation of its union with that which is above." PKT pg 75

Well, you can't get much farther away from El Bateleur, can you? From a Mountebank to a Magus. In the antique decks we have a young man out to feather his own pockets and move on (quickly!). In RWS we have a spiritual initiate who can use the objects on his table to succeed in thought and words and actions.

I am not as likely to use the meanings of trickster, sleight of hand, deception, untrustworthy etc. for the RWS card. Perhaps intellect, creative abilities, occultist, action and creation.
 
My Grimaud TdM has lovely thick card stock and is painted in vibrant colours. Each card is red, white, yellow and blue. I get a much different feeling laying out these cards than I do with any modern deck. The same goes for all of my antique decks. There is a definite sense of the ranks of humans, society, the church and the heavens. The interpretations seem to have more to do with fate and destiny, knowing your place, being aware of the rules (virtues and vices), being in awe of the heavens and the celestial bodies.

Modern decks fall either into an occult class (RWS, Thoth, Navigators of the Mystic Sea etc.), themed (Greek myths, Egyptian, crystals, dragons etc.) or "cutesy". I'm all for cutesy - I love my Gummi Bear tarot and my Hello Kitty! But there is just something so damned SERIOUS about the antique decks.

I love them all!!!!!
 

Copyright 2005 to 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

Tarot Spreads - The Chariot

The Chariot Spread - The dilemma of moving on
by Lyndel Robinson © 2001

This spread was devised as part of a workshop on the Sevens in the Tarot. The cards are laid out to represent the Major Arcana seven - the Chariot.

Cards 1 and 2 are the Sphinxes, the opposing directions you want to take.

Card 3 - the Lingam and Yoni - the conflict that arises from your desire for both 1 and 2 - the situation to be resolved.

Card 4 - The background to the situation in 1.

Card 5 - The background to the situation in 2.

Card 6 - The heart of the matter, where your heart really wants to go.

Card 7 - The crown - focused and directed Will - the way forward.

Tarot Guild of Australia - visit now!
http://www.tarotguild.org.au/tarot_spreads_chariot.html

The Wheel of Fortune - The Three Fates - The Moirai

There are two schools of thought about The Wheel of Fortune. One associates the wheel with Saturn and the idea of fate and destiny. The other attributes Jupiter to the Wheel and here you will see it associated with Fortuna, luck and fortune.

I think that during Renaissance times the Saturn and the Three Fates would most likely be attributed to The Wheel.
The most intriguing part of the myth to me is that the fates were beyond the control of the gods. They weaved the fate and destiny of each person and even the gods could not undo their work. One sister was the spinner (Clotho), one the measurer (Lachesis) and the last sister was the cutter (Atropos). It was considered "hubris" or arrogance in the face of the gods to challenge your fate.
There is an orderly and intelligent plan behind the changes of life. It is sometimes hidden from us and we spend countless hours trying to figure it out. The Moirai are deep within each of us and we only become aware of them when the effects are noticed. There is a time for everything and a reason for the cycles in our lives. I like the quote from the Mythic tarot, "Fate does not come to meet us, we turn to meet our fate".

The Moiria represent the centre within, the hub of the wheel. It is the hidden part of ourselves that decides our actions, the hub or centre of our inner being. It is not our conscious ego that drives us. It is only an illusion that the ego is in control. This card is a reminder to stay strong in our centre and know that there is a reason behind the outward randomness of life. The wheel turns and we must turn with it. This Trump reminds us that we all have a destiny and that removing the ego and the "I wants" from the picture can bring joy and contentment. It's not a matter of giving up and letting the world have its way. It's a matter of listening to your inner self and being able to recognize when the wheel is proclaiming your fate and your destiny.

A lot of people use this meaning in modern tarot decks. I think that sometimes the wheel "seems" to move but it is really only that the client is not paying attention to the "hub" that is the true self. So outer "things" come and go trying to get the attention of that person. Sometimes our inner selves grow and change and the outer wheel turns to reflect this. People drop out of our lives, a hobby that seemed important makes way for another, we move house and we move jobs and we move spouses. All the time this is happening we bemoan our luck and don't stop to think that maybe, just maybe, the wheel is trying to get us back on our path and in step with our destiny.

I have a feeling that some people would prefer to think of the wheel as Lady Fortuna and that the wheel turning signifies that their luck is changing (hopefully for the better). It might be old-fashioned to think in terms of our major fate being pre-destined. But those who profess to believe in reincarnation should stop to think about that for a minute. Isn't part of the belief that we choose our lives before we come back? That we incarnate to learn a lesson or to experience something that we missed in previous lives? That is a form of pre-destination. It is all worked out in advance just where we will be born and into what circumstances.
I believe that The Three Fates are still in the back of the cave spinning and weaving and cutting. The Wheel showing up in a spread tells us to look at our life and remember our hub. Something that is not working is about to leave or we are about to rush out and meet something that WILL work.

Copyright 2006 - 2008 Sesheta-mallorn

DRUM FOR THE WICCA
by Julian Kenwick

Tic toc and tic toc
And tic toc tic!
Whacks on a rock now
And taps with a stick !
In spins the Priestess
And round now she goes !
Ho! How she prances
And twirls on her toes!
Shouts from the Woods now
And howls to On High!
Praise to our MoonMaid
Who sails through the sky!
Great gifts She gives us
To know dark and bright!
And blessed be Her wise ones
Who dance in the night !

The Waste Land
by T. S. Eliot

Madam Sosostris, famous clairvoyante
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations.
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.
I see crowds of people, walking around in a ring.