The Fool’s Journey

The Fools Journey Padmes Reiki ReadingsThe Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana from 0-21

 

The Fool (0) is one with all. The more The Fool follows his heart, the more the Universe provides his heart’s desire. He collects and recognizes resources available to everyone.  While learning about these resources, he becomes The Magician (I) and sees there is more depth than just what’s on the outer layers of what he can embody. Pulling from earth energy, he opens his heart chakra, sets it to receiving, and begins to use these resources, thus starts his journey into intuition integrating into the High Priestess (II).

The High Priestess pulls from self-truth energy and goddess energy healing as she is acknowledged and becomes the healing Empress (III). This Empress heals others by giving them permission to heal themselves. She is part of the Major Arcana couple and thus grounds with the Emperor (IV). His knowingness stems from man’s perfectionism obsession and he brings order by use of rules and regulations. When he realizes that man alone cannot rule, he evolves into The Hierophant (V) merging with Spirit/Higher power.

The Hierophant, knowing Spirit, marries harmony, peace and love: the Lovers (VI) who balance masculine and feminine. The Lovers are more successful when they connect to the power of the Universe and the momentum of The Chariot (VII), where desire and Spirit connect, fully embodying neutrality. The Chariot encounters no obstacles and knows he is most effective when he uses Strength (VIII), the embodiment of evolution and having the knowingness to claim his own energetic space, rather than use force. To fully embody neutrality,  he must go back into the womb of self to self-reflect and find his own path, The Hermit (IX).

The Hermit wins the jack pot by incubating in his truth—finding gratitude and alignment—Wheel of Fortune (X). Here Karma comes into play bringing him to Justice (XI). What you do to self, you do to others. What you do to others, you do to self. With Justice comes his time to reconcile as the surrenderer—The Hanged Man (XII).

The Hanged man repents for gains and losses which leads to total transition. He stays in a holding pattern until he finds his deeper meaning. When integrated, he encounters a rebirth—Death (XIII).

Once without a body, when the energetic self is understood, ultimate forgiveness and understanding of balance can occur, Temperance (XIV). During the process of releasing shadow to achieve balance surfaces energy that is no longer in affinity with The Fool as well as patterns that no longer serve him: the need to judge and to blame—The Devil (XV).

The Devil leads to destroying old foundations created by illusions, The Tower (XVI). Once this false security is gone, the chrysalis cracks open and frees The Fool’s perfect potential, The Star (XVII). When this Truth Self potential is revealed, pathways for the subconscious and past lives, The Moon (XVIII), and the conscious, source womb, purity of heart, The Sun (XIX) emerge, bringing the hero into full embodiment of Judgement (XX)—understanding that he alone is his own Judge. When he releases others’ judgements of himself and this radical self knowingness is acknowledged, The World (XXI) is his. True integration with life and Spirit can occur.

Happy Travels!

 

 

The Hierophant

Up:
Ah, the Hierophant. Unless he’s up-side-down, he can make me feel a little trapped. And that’s because he represents those who (or situations that) revolve around organized religion and the need to be accepted in religious circles with similar belief-minded people. It can sometimes indicate that someone is not thinking for themselves. He can show a very traditional mindset that is closed to interpretation. If paired with the Devil, the Hierophant can indicate mind control through doctrine.

In the same breath, he can represent a very traditional marriage, especially if paired with the 4 of Wands. The Hierophant can also show a corporate view of a situation or workplace because he follows the rules and law of business. Likewise, if the Hierophant is reversed, a laid back atmosphere can be inferred.

The Hierophant is a card of trust. It’s a card of genuine want to do right for the greater good. It’s just that in this day and age, some may require more freedom than he offers. If this card represents someone in the seeker’s life, he is a trustworthy person, who may have traditional views. If this card represents the seeker, it may be time to listen to different perspectives and think outside of the box/consider something that traditionally wasn’t the “way we do.” It may be time to change things up and get a different look at something that hasn’t worked for ages or needs to work better.

Straight up, the Hierophant can symbolize higher education, a graduation, or right of passage.

Reversed:
Flipped 180, the Hierophant relaxes into business casual. He’s open-minded and neutral about things he once was very concerned with. He lets things naturally play out instead of trying to control or judge them. The Hierophant reversed can also indicate non-traditional or alternative religions.

Numerological & Astrological Attributes of the Major Arcana

Tarot coincides greatly with numerology and astrology. The more symbols that unite a card in relation to a spread, the more information is given about the seeker, her motivations, influences, and the overall picture of her situation.

Each Major Arcana card is appointed with a number and astrological sign or planetary assignment. Each Astrological sign has an element and a modality. Intuitively taking in these pieces of information in unison will align detailed information within the Tarot. Below I have created a chart to easily see modalities, elements, and how they relate to each other. Take my drawings with a grain of salt!

0  (Birth) The Fool—Uranus (Deviate), Air (Messages)

I (Creation from Self, Manifesting) The Magician—Mercury (Communicate)

II (Connection) The High Priestess—Moon (Destiny and Karma)

III (Divine Feminine Bonding) The Empress—Venus (Harmonize)

IV (Divine Masculine Loyalty) The Emperor—Aries (Lightning-bold energy, independent, leadership, cardinal sign.)

V (Changeability) The Hierophant—Taurus (Grounding, concentrates energy, pleasure seeking, fixed sign.)

VI (Harmony) The Lovers—Gemini (Sociable, impersonal, clever, mutable sign.)

VII (Higher Self, Spirituality) The Chariot—Cancer (Nurturing, supportive, emotional attachments, cardinal sign.)

VIII (Power, Patterns) Strength—Leo (Ego development, being true to self-expression, action from the heart, fixed sign.)

IX (Compassion) The Hermit—Virgo (Hard time connecting, perfectionist, true to self, mutable sign.)

X (I—Creation from Self, Manifesting) The Wheel of Fortune—Jupiter (Expand)

XI (Intuition, Fanaticism with the Ideal) Justice—Libra (Social awareness, partnership, interacting with others as an equal, harmony, cardinal sign.)

XII (III—Divine Feminine Bonding) The Hanged Man—Neptune (Refine), Water (Emotions)

XIII (IV—Divine Masculine Loyalty) Death—Scorpio (Transformation, intense emotions around the personal process of growth, manipulates power, fixed sign.)

XIV (V—Changeability) Temperance—Sagittarius (Consciousness expansion, enlightenment, uses talents for the greater good, mutable sign.)

XV (VI—Harmony) The Devil—Capricorn (Authoritative, ambitious, wants to create the perfect world, cardinal sign.)

XVI (VII—Higher Self, Spirituality) The Tower—Mars (Assert)

XVII (VIII—Power, Patterns) The Star—Aquarius (Free-thinking, unorthodox, detached from emotion, fixed sign.)

XVIII (IX—Compassion) The Moon—Pisces (Compassion, empathy, selfless work, weak ego, mysticism, fixed sign.)

XIX (I—Birth) The Sun—Sun (Integrate)

XX (II—Connection) Judgment—Pluto (Transform), Fire (Creativity)

XXI (III—Divine Feminine Bonding) The World—Saturn (Control)

The High Priestess

Today the High Priestess is calling me. I’ve got  a crazy busy week ahead of me and she’s telling me to trust that it’s all good. She possesses hidden power. The kind of power that  can come across to others as seeing right through them. She stays quiet about it—no need to alert everyone she can read their minds—they sense that she knows too much anyway and steer clear of her like the faerie tales with the old witch in the woods.

She’s actually, though, more of a healing goddess that sees straight to the heart of things. It’s only those who are still trying to hide that think she’s out there in the forest with one eye in her head and the other one in her pocket. She’s mysterious, pensive and to herself, not forthcoming with all of her knowledge unless she feels that she can trust. I mean really, what’s the point if they’re not ready to hear the deep mysteries of the Universe anyway? They know who she really is, and when they’re ready, they seek her out.

Intuitive, psychic, understanding motives that others haven’t even considered yet, she sees the world from a unique place. A place that she keeps centered and calm. It’s like that Sandra Bullock movie where she’s in rehab and she’s trying to lift the horse’s foot to show that she is grounded within herself, that she can trust herself. But, when she tries aloofly and with an overly-confident attitude, the horse won’t budge. Horses are spiritual and sensitive animals. It knows she’s coming with untrue motives and doesn’t trust her.

When she tries again after looking deeper into her own situation then realizing compassion for herself and for others, the horse trusts her. It understands the place where she’s coming from—that deeper understanding of herself. She picks up his foot with no effort at all. He practically picks it up for her.

The High Priestess is that calm knowing presence that won’t budge unless the energy is right. And she knows intuitively when it is and when it is not. She has the knowledge of being through it. She’s been through everyone’s “through it.” She’s connected with the collective conscious in a way that silently conveys to her the motives, intentions, and dynamics of others. They may not acknowledge they possess these motives and qualities in their energy, or they secretly do and are not ready to face that information much less deal with someone else knowing their secrets.

As the second Major Arcana card, The High Priestess possesses duality. She can be a healer to those who want to live in alignment with their higher-self life, and a mirror to those who are shameful and refuse to face and let go of their fears, mistakes, and regrets. She trusts herself. She’s patient, she waits. She observes. She sees it all and grounds in the knowledge.

She will help and be of service when she trusts that the situation is open to receiving her gifts. She’s definitely not frivolous with them. They’re too sacred to throw pearls to swine, so to speak. She is confident enough to be solo and not feel pressure. She understands there is no reason to sell out or give up on herself. She is the epitome of Divine Goddess Spirit. The often unspoken feminine.

Reversed, The High Priestess shows a woman who is misusing her gifts of intuit. She is manipulative or, on the other extreme, superficial. There is a strong need to go within and look at a situation without the ego when this card appears reversed. Be aware that this presence has a great affect on the seeker’s life. This is a strong dynamic that needs distancing from if it represents another person in the seeker’s reading that is not the seeker herself.

The Hermit

Up:
Today I’m inspired by The Hermit.
He’s the part of self, to me, that is the observer. He goes within and sees the drama often removing himself from it. Sometimes this is beneficial and at other times this is detrimental (e.g. when it’s time to come out and deal with physical life, step up to the plate and take action about what you’ve been contemplating.)

When I see this card in a spread I immediately know there’s a lot going on under the surface. Whatever the story, it’s tied to dynamics long ago formed. Often the surrounding cards will show the clear view of the dynamics and possibly their origin.

The Hermit is taking his lantern and looking back through all of those cobwebs for the truth. Dynamics don’t always represent or support the true self, that’s for sure. He sees, he incubates, he nurtures the understanding of the higher self and then continues to light the way for the true path. His divine right path.

The symbol of wisdom for self and for others, The Hermit can be a figure in the seeker’s life that is available to give great gifts of wisdom, it can represent a time in life where great knowledge is available, it can be a sign that further school endeavors are in the cards ;)

Reversed:
When this card is reversed it can indicate the dangers of being too internal. I don’t like to admit it, but being too analytical can be extremely isolating. This is the sign of the reversed Hermit. He can read too much into a situation or person, better explained, he may be seeing the truth, but taking it personally.

He may be extremely sensitive to what is going on around him, but taking it on as his own. That is a dangerous place to be. It can lead to not only isolation, but mistrust in the Universe. Loss of trust in the Universe and its infinite abundance for everyone, not just a select few. In other words, it can really tear a person up.

The importance to reintegrate back into the world, feel and live life is extremely important. Slowly finding what makes you content and happy and pleased is the start of this. Pulling out your gifts, even if you don’t see them as gifts is what this process will form.

Ah, The Hermit. He can be great guidance or great isolation.

I must also mention that when The Hermit is reversed, it has come to my attention in my readings that it can reflect the Cassandra complex. In the myth of Cassandra she is punished by always having knowledge of the future, but no one will believe her when she tries to warn them. Seriously, that’s the worst punishment ever! When this shows up for a client in a spread, it can mean that they may know best for someone else, but that someone may not be ready to hear it and needs to make their own mistakes in order to figure it out. A lesson to both.