The Fool asks — Am I in control of what’s happening? Or are other forces at work? Does it matter? Modern tarotists sometimes relate the Fool to the planet Uranus, but in the era in which we first know that Tarot existed, this was impossible, since no one yet knew Uranus the planet existed. Only…
Category: Tarot Study
A personal, in-depth study of the Tarot that I began in 2009.
2009 Tarot Study – XIII Death
This past week’s card was the Death card, number XIII. In many older Tarot decks, the Fool wasn’t numbered, and card XIII was never named. Many Death cards depict a skeleton wielding a scythe as it mows down kings, clergymen, rich and poor, powerful and lowly alike, thus portraying La Mort as the great equalizer….
2009 Tarot Study – Twos
The Twos in Tarot can be dualistic, bipolar, two-faced, and filled with conflict or tension. They can push or pull in two directions, or unite somewhere in the middle in a tense, semi-structured and semi-permanent balance. Their energy can also build to a release point that will occur in the Threes. Going back to Gail…
2009 Tarot Study – I The Magician
The Magician is often shown standing in an outdoor setting with plants growing around him. Before him is a table with objects laid out on it representing the four elements. He prepares to work magic with them. He appears to be conscious of the power implicit in the elements, as well as of his ability…
2009 Tarot Study – Threes
As I mentioned previously, I’m doing something a little different in each segment of my Tarot Study. Today’s segment is long, but I hope it contains something you’ll find worth your while. I seem to have an awful lot to say about these cards. (NOTE May 12, 2024: The images used here were part of…
2009 Tarot Study – IV The Emperor
It seems that my Tarot Study this year is becoming a constant voice in the back of my head reminding me of both the study and the connection of the current card under study to my life in one way or another. It’s even to some extent shaping my dreams. Hopefully the Emperor will prompt…
2009 Tarot Study – VIII Justice
Justice — Is There Any? The subtitle for this section of my post is borrowed from the chapter on Justice in Sallie Nichols’ Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. I’ve had a lot of trouble with this particular card in my study, and I’m not sure why. It’s not as if I’ve never given the…
2009 Tarot Study – Numbers and the Tarot Major Arcana
If you’re new to Tarot, you might wonder why the Justice and Strength cards are numbered differently from one Tarot deck to another. In the older Tarot de Marseille decks, Justice is VIII and Strength is XI (and the Fool, by the way, has no number at all, while the Death card has a number…
2009 Tarot Study – V The Hierophant
The Hierophant: Seeking Perfection in the Great Imperfect The traditional title of The Hierophant is The Pope, and in the Tarot de Marseille this card provides a masculine contrast or polarization with card II The Papess, or female pope. In modern Tarot decks these two cards’ titles have changed to, most commonly, The High Priestess…
2009 Tarot Study – Kings
How do they rule? The King cards in the Tarot sometimes represent wisdom or mastery, and at other times a completion or culmination, the state of having achieved a zenith or post-zenith position in some area of life. A King can also mean carrying something to such a point of completion and expertise that one…