Category Archives: Major Arcana

Numerological & Astrological Attributes of the Major Arcana

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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 Devil

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I wrote about The Devil card on SalemTarot.com so many years ago and was thrilled to find it again just recently.

Up:
The inverted pentagram has long brought uneasiness to many, but in actuality it has many meanings—and they’re not all menacing. In fact, far from it. Some believe that the inverted pentagram symbolizes Earth energy while the right-side-up star symbolizes Spirit energy. So Earth energy talks about manifesting physical things like pulling into your energy a new car or love, it can also be physical healing—while Spiritual energy talks about connection with higher self, the Universe, and spiritual and emotional healing.

Here we have the Devil card and, in my favorite Hansen Roberts deck, the Devil has a pentagram on his forehead. It symbolizes here the physical things in our life that can become addictive. This card is about imbalance of physical manifestations and higher self. It’s about fear and succumbing to fear.

Fear comes from, many times, the feeling or belief that there is not enough in the Universe for everyone. Coveting, hoarding, hiding, feeling shameful, regret, anger—all of these things can be pulled from the Devil card. It represents the part of ourselves that needs to grow, expand, forgive and ascend. In other words, many times our biggest character challenges are affecting us in a negative way and are being shown to us by the Devil card in a spread.

This card represents addictions to anything. Of course the first thing we think of is drugs, alcohol—and this could be if coupled with cups cards. But it could be anything that renders addiction. Addiction to self (selfishness to detriment), addiction to food, exercise, shopping, negative thought patterns. Addiction to another person, a job (workaholic), overall materialism (which can render greed).

These addictions are based on compulsive actions. Staying in a compulsive cycle keeps the seeker trapped in his own prison of weakness. Usually addictions represent a deep sense of not feeling worthy. The feeling that there isn’t enough in the Universe and that you’re not worthy enough to have what is there causes addictive behavior. (e.g. there’s not enough love, attention, money, room for me, I’m going to eat, drink, shop, lie to fill this void—instead of filling it with forgiveness and healing bringing about true contentment.)

It’s important to understand what is being represented when this card falls into a reading. It is an energetic block that the seeker must recognize and curtail in order to move forward and create a place for harmony in her life. It’s important to remember that the seeker has options and control. She can seek help, or decide on her own to stop or curtail the behavior that is blocking her higher good and ultimate happiness. (It may be helpful to admit also that the difficulty of overcoming this addiction takes place because the seeker does not feel worthy enough to allow for their happiness.)

Reversed:
When the Devil card is reversed, the seeker is over it. They know what the block is and they’re ready to get rid of it. The reversed card is a symbol of finally being able to let go of what was so binding and move forward in new light. It can symbolize the ultimate forgiveness of self. Depending on the surrounding cards, it can be a new beginning or just the beginning of climbing out of that box. It can take time and healing, but the Devil card reversed can render relief.

If the Devil card reversed is paired with the reversed Knight of Swords it could refer to someone who has an addiction that they are having much difficulty trying to defeat. Where as if the Knight of Swords is upright, it can mean there is an addiction that is fiercely being overcome by the seeker.

The High Priestess

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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 Five of Swords

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Up:
The Five of Swords is all about sneak thievery and sabotage. Whether it’s an item that is stolen, trust that is broken, or nasty backbiting—malicious talk behind the seeker’s back, it’s a card that signals mistrust, and rightly so. Often, however, it may be someone that the seeker does not suspect. The slanderous bi-otch may show up in the spread as a court card. It can also signify a situation that is not of high standing or of divine purpose that may be introduced to the client by someone whom he or she trusts.

Reversed:
When the Five of Swords is reversed, the seeker’s name is cleared in some way. They are deemed trustworthy. The cat has been let out of the bag and the betrayer has been spotlighted in some way. Blame and guilt is removed from the seeker. This card, depending on the surrounding cards, like Temperance for instance—a healing card, can mean that the seeker has forgiven past assholishness dished out by another party.

The Hermit

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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.