This is the first Tarot lesson discussed in chat on Friday April 17-09
The Major Arcana are the destiny cards. These cards are the basic life lessons.
# 0 The Fool, A perfect number for the Fool because he is not really sure where he is going, he wants to take a leap into the unknown, he is positioned at the beginning rather than the end because of the learning experiences he will go through during his journey.
The Fool is connected to the planet Uranus, which is about new beginnings and the quest to realize a dream, a new journey, and to be open to new possibilities. He is naive, adventurous and fearful. Unaware of the dangers that lie ahead He will step off a cliff, or step into a big rabbit hole to find his dream, but he does not think about what lies ahead, he is going on his merry way.
The negative aspects of the Fool are that he is not going to take that leap into the unknown. His Journey is delayed.
#1 The Magician, Also a perfect number for him because he represents someone who is able to achieve his goals through the tools available to him. He puts himself as #1. He symbolizes the beginning of something when everything is possible. He is a confident person who will focus his attention on the task in front of him and get it done. He is on top of his game and stays focused.
The Magician is connected to the planet Mercury , which is about communication and the mind. His energies come in short bursts, like the planet Mercury. The messenger of the gods, he has one foot in the physical world and another in the realm of the unseen. His Mercury crosses mental boundaries into the mysteries of his imagination and the memories of the past.
The negative side of him represents being overconfident when he is not yet ready and will mislead you into making the wrong choices, he at times has a problem with forgiving himself and blaming himself for the past, and that is when he is unable to put his plans into action. He is a hard one to figure out, but these are the energies I pick up from him through personal experiences.
#2 The High Priestess, She is a jealous woman who guards her secrets. She is about the unconscious, the understanding of higher truths through dreams and intuition, and her connection to the spiritual forces within, She is a goddess, a healer, she has intuitive powers, she is about clairvoyance and trying to create harmony and inner balance within her. She is in contact with her inner self to trust her dreams and let her intuition guide her. She is about secrets that are not revealed yet.
The High Priestess is connected to the Moon, which is the ruler of emotions, and the fluctuation that happens on a daily basis. As the ruler of the tides, it is fitting that the Moon should be the ruler of our emotions. Still waters run deep? Making waves? A wellspring of emotion? Yes, our emotions have long been portrayed in terms of the sea: fluid, momentous, churning from within. Mood swings, instincts, how we feel about things and how our feelings affect others are all influenced by the Moon.
The negative side of her can represent a platonic love, manipulation, a standstill, she can cause doubt and confusion, and her secrets come out and shock you.
#3 The Empress, the perfect mother to the earth, her family, and friends. She is about fertility, sexuality, and beauty. As the life-giving mother, she is connected to the earth and the rhythms. She is gentle, caring, and patient. She can bring anything to fruition.
The Empress is connected to the planet Venus. Venus is all about pleasure, especially pleasure shared with someone else. This Planet concerns itself with love, romance and harmony in our emotional attachments, marriages, friendships and other unions and partnerships. Venus is content to spread happiness and tenderness, all the while teaching us how to love and appreciate others and the things that we possess.
The negative side of the Empress is that she can become obsessed with vanity, feeling of coldness, and not caring enough for her family friends and letting other things take precedence.
#4 The Emperor is a strong father figure who takes action and responsibility. He is a man who is a leader and is very powerful and is in control and command. He is about the material world, structures, and order. He is not a person to be questioned. He has earned his way through recognition and achievements in his life. He is the teacher for the next generation.
The Emperor is connected to Aries and the energies are aggressive and restless, argumentative occasionally, headstrong, quick tempered, and easily offended, and capable of holding grudges.
The Negative side of The Emperor is that he can be nasty and a tyrant with no self respect for others. Detached and not caring. Saying whatever he has in his mind without caring what comes out.
#5 The Hierophant is connected to society and their viewpoints and values. It is here that there are rules and fixed roles with different groups. Society will always stay together as a group and they expect you to do the same and follow the rules. These groups could pertain to churches, businesses, teachers, counselors, schools, religion, etc.
The Hierophant is connected to Taurus who is keen-witted and practical more often than intellectual, but apt to becoming fixed in their opinions through their preference to following accepted and reliable patterns of experience.
The negative side of the Hierophant is inflexibility, extreme conformity or you will be shunned and removed from the group forever. This could mean that you could be fired from your job. Rejected because they do not feel that you fit into the group.
#6 The Lovers card is about a choice that is to be made. This is usually a big decision with lots of uncertainty. These choices reflect emotional values, indecisiveness, hesitation, our fears about making the wrong choice. This is definitely the card of uncertainty!
The Lovers is connected to Gemini. The Gemini Sun is a chameleon, which makes their personality hard to describe since it changes all the time. Those born under the sign of the "Twins" have at least two personalities, but often many more.
They need a certain kind of space to grow, and those close to them don’t try to hold on too tightly. The Gemini knows that the world is vast and full of endless fascinations to explore. If the door is open in a relationship for them to come and go at will, they’ll prove
their own brand of loyalty over time.
The Negative side of the Lovers is that the choice has already been made.
#7 The Chariot is about winning and mastering your emotions. The positive side of yourself, being strong, self-controlled, balancing conflicting emotions, triumphing over obstacles. Having Victory with your-self and feeling at peace because you have mastered your emotions.
The Chariot is connected to Cancer. The Cancerian temperament is a veritable kaleidoscope of ever-changing emotion, just like the tides of the ocean. Cancers exude emotions.
The Negative side of the Chariot are that you are not in control with your emotions.
#8 Strength is about having the inner strength to tame the beast inside of yourself. This card symbolizes inner strength , determination to overcome obstacles, self knowledge and discipline. Patience and compassion in dealing with frustrations. Dealing with ones imperfections and in others.
The Strength is connected to Leo and he is the King of his own world and he must be in control and be able have the inner strength and wisdom to control all the situations that happen in his world. He has a big responsibility as being the King and he is a proud man who needs to prove that he has the inner strength to tame a lion, or the beast inside of himself.
The Negative side of the Strength card is his misuse of power, aggressiveness, and intolerant to other people and situations, no patience and no self-control.
#9 The Devil is about temptation and being enslaved by our fears and desires and letting them control us. Sexuality, irrationality, obsession, and addiction. Giving into our temptations will cause us to be chained to our desires of wanting something that is not good for us. Taking risks that are not good to take, which lead to unhealthy behavior and trouble in the end.
The Devil card is connected to Capricorn which is about ambition and a risk taker to get where he wants to go. He wants to be the most successful person on the planet. He has the strong desire to succeed, with a commitment to traditional values, and he will work slowly to achieve a dream.
The negative side of the devil are excessive ambition, and abuse of power.
#10 Wheel of Fortune is about unexpected change, good fortune and being the master of your destiny. This card symbolizes that life is always changing and that there are ups and downs and that nothing stays the same forever. So this card will either show you a positive situation or a negative one depending on the cards surrounding the situation.
The Wheel of Fortune is connected to the planet Jupiter. The mythical Jupiter, has the power to punish as well as to reward, wielding that power with well placed thunderbolts.
It is the planet of success and survival. The Hindu word for Jupiter is Guru which means guide. Jupiter guides us through our life path. Providing us with our sense of direction, it affects how we approach life’s problems.
The negative side of The Wheel of Fortune is failure, misfortune, and a turn for the worse.
