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Many thanks to Aeclectic Tarot for the first draft tarot card meanings and insight, as well as WikiPedia.
The Fool (0)
Standard Meaning: The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. The sun shining behind him represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance, holy madness or 'crazy wisdom'. On his back are all the possessions he might need. In his hand there is a flower, showing his appreciation of beauty. He is frequently accompanied by a dog, sometimes seen as his animal desires, sometimes as the call of the "real world", nipping at his heels and distracting him. He is seemingly unconcerned that he is standing on a precipice, apparently about to step off. One of the keys to the card is the paradigm of the precipice, Zero and the sometimes represented oblivious Fool's near-step into the oblivion (The Void) of the jaws of a crocodile, for example, are all mutually informing polysemy within evocations of the iconography of The Fool. The staff is the offset and complement to the void and this in many traditions represents wisdom and renunciation, e.g. 'danda' (Sanskrit) of a Sanyassin, 'danda' (Sanskrit) is also a punctuation mark with the function analogous to a 'full-stop' which is appropriately termed a period in American English. The Fool is both the beginning and the end, neither and otherwise, betwixt and between, liminal.
The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, as it can become anything when he reaches his destination as in the sense of 'joker's wild'. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero. Zero is nothing, a lack of hard substance, and as such it may reflect a non-issue or lack of cohesiveness for the subject at hand. The Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he needs to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. While it's wonderful to be enthralled with all around you, excited by all life has to offer, you still need to watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool. Ordo Path of Fate: The Fool persists in his folly until he becomes wise - or until it leads him to his ultimate doom. Whichever fate lies in store, your great strength lies in persistence and relentlessness, whether it leads you to defend your beliefs or sacrifice them to follow your pleasures. The Fool cannot compromise, which is why so much progress is made by the foolish.
While many tutors are reluctant to instruct Fools, the Sworn of the Axe and (more surprisingly) the Sworn of the Dying Light often find that Fools can contribute, if their appetites are appropriate.
Reversed Meaning: Generally speaking, the upright meaning of the Fool is that of birth, new beginnings, fresh starts, journeys and exploration. It can also mean not looking where you're going, being naïve or foolish, or a potential disaster if you don't stop staring at the stars and take a good look at what's directly ahead of you.
The Magician (I)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Action, Consciousness, Concentration, Personal power, Practicality, Energy, Creativity, Movement, Precision, Conviction, Manipulation, Self confidence, Being objective, Focusing , Determination, Initiative the Magician is the male power of creation by willpower and desire. The lemniscate (infinity symbol) over his head indicates the energy of thought. Thus, he draws divine power down from the heavens into his white wand, molds it with that energy of thought, and makes it manifest on Earth (his finger pointing to the ground). This is that most ancient magic to make real whatever he imagines in his head merely by saying it aloud. ("And God said 'Let there be Light!' and there was Light"). Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is often represented by Mercury. Mercury is the planet and god of smooth talkers and salesmen. Also clever with the sleight of hand (Mercury *was* the god of thieves!) and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil. The 4 suits before him remind us of the 4 aces, which in the Tarot symbolize the raw, undeveloped, undirected power of each suit. When the Magician appears, he reveals these to you. The tarot reader might well interpret this card as telling the querent that they will be given a vision, an idea, a magical, mental image of whatever it is they most want: the solution to a problem, an ambitious career, a love life, a job. Ordo Path of Fate: You are never happier than when seeking a shortcut or better method. Your search for efficiency is not a matter of laziness, but of impatience, and you are happy to burn both ends of your candle to yield twice as much light. Unfortunate results do not deter you as much as delayed conclusions: it is better for you to make a mistake and immediately set about repairing it, than for you to somberly contemplate the best course.
As one might expect, the Sworn of the Dying Light love Magicians, while the other Sworn generally do not. Many instructors are reluctant to adopt a "mad experimenter" — unless the instructor is, herself, a Magician.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, the Magician can stand for either a person or possibilities. As a person, he's usually seen as someone with a great deal of charisma; a public speaker, maybe a doctor or healer.
If not a person, the Magician is a card of possibilities. Of having the tools available (those spread out on his table) to make something that you want or need. The Magician speaks of magical possibilities--he creates the image for the querent, what could be, and presents the tools that can be used to make that image a reality. Putting it another way, the Magician card offers the querent the vision of a new home and the tools to make that home a reality...if they're willing to put the work into it.
The High Priestess (II)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Knowingness, Love, Relationships, Wisdom, Sound judgment, Serenity, Common sense, Intuition, Mystical vision, introspection, Otherworldliness Once you have an idea, you also have decisions to make. The High Priestess holds scrolls of arcane information in her arms. In addition, the moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see about a job possibility, an investment, love, career, family, etc. But you need some alone time, some quiet time to meditate and reflect. This is what the card is all about. Seated between two pillars as between two choices, the High Priestess is not about making a decision so much as holding decision-making at bay while you take time to listen to your inner voice. She wants you to gain knowledge before you act: instinctual knowledge, supernatural knowledge, secret knowledge, self-knowledge. The High Priestess, however, goes beyond even that for those who seek more. Behind her throne is the curtain that leads to the deepest, most esoteric knowledge; the pomegranates that decorate it remind us of Persephone, who was taken down into the land of the dead, ate its fruit and became the only goddess allowed to travel to and from that strange land. The High Priestess is our guide to all that is mysterious and mystical. Ordo Path of Fate: You need not fear having your faith tested: rather, beware of its excesses. With your devotion to a cause or belief greater than yourself, you find it easy to indulge to a degree greater than any individual can. Boundless loyalty is often wedded to boundless appetite, in the form of a sense of entitlement. Great tragedy can result if your personal obsessions conflict with the institution you serve. These obsessions can stand in the way of a Mysteries Oath, but the Sworn of the Axe are always interested in loyalty, as are most teachers.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, the High Priestess is a mysterious card, both frightening and wonderful. Where the Magician is the charismatic showman with an audience, the HPS is the solitary lady guarding an ancient library. Where the Magician is all about possibilities, she is about "impossibilities." Secret knowledge, instincts, even magic. Hers is a card about personal and individual journeys across dark deserts to enlightenment.
The Empress (III)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are: Mothering, Fertility, Sexuality, Abundance, Material prosperity, Pleasure, Comfort, Power, Nature, Delight, Desire, Physical attraction, Health, Sensuality, Beauty, Satisfaction
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea time and space to decide on a form, the Empress is either the womb or nursery where it grows till it reaches a certain level of maturity. This is why the Empress' symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things and gardens, as wells as sex and love. Venus is the goddess of artists, and helps them painstakingly develop their pieces from clay to statue, from first brushstroke to masterpiece. Even so, however, the Empress has more in common with Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus, as the wheat in the background and the pomegranates on her dress imply. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, the great, fertile mother goddess. Yet at the same time, she can, in anger, withhold as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her. Ordo Path of Fate: The arrogance of your demands for approval and your self-aggrandizement is mitigated by your genuine ability to lead and contribute. You have the capacity for intense loyalty to a cause or an individual, but your powerful sense of self can interfere with this. It is best for you to directly associate yourself with your cause or intention, so that your pride and courage are like horses pulling in harness, and not against each other. The Sworn of the Mysteries tend to find Empresses easy to accept (except for individual Sworn who are, themselves, Empresses). The same can be said for the other Oaths, to a lesser degree. But many instructors shy away from someone so headstrong.
Reversed Meaning: The Empress is all about creation. It's about planting the seed, nurturing it, growing it. It's about patience and "motherhood" in all its facets, with the Empress as the ultimate mother - both the caring motherly kind, and the more distant, elegant kind, but in either case, the hen watching over her brood. Note that there is always a danger of the Empress over-watering the plants or having trouble (as moms do) in letting their children go when the time comes.
The Emperor (IV)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Fathering, Stability, Authority, Power, Control, Discipline, Command, Common sense, Status quo, Order, Structure, Egocentrism, Tradition, Rigidity, Leadership, Experience, Inflexibility, Conservative ways, Organization The Emperor, as Aries, the Ram, naturally follows the Empress. On the one hand, he is Mars (the planet that rules Aries) to her Venus, her lover and compliment, father to her mother, civilization to her nature, imposed order to her artful creativity. He is the "All Father" giving his children the structure they need in their lives to help them become responsible adults. Aries is also, however, the first sign of the Zodiac, metaphorically the "infant." Like an infant he is filled with enthusiasm, energy, aggression. He is direct, guileless and all too often irresistible. Unfortunately, like a baby he can also be a tyrant: impatient, demanding, controlling. In the worst of circumstances, the Emperor is a despot, imposing his will capriciously on his subjects. In the best of circumstances, he signifies an intelligent, enthusiastic leader that everyone wants to follow, the great monarch of an orderly, lawful, thriving Empire. Ordo Path of Fate: For every hundred people who claim that they are gathering funds for their righteous cause, there is one person who is genuinely doing so. You can be that person. When you labor to improve the lot of yourself and others, you are at your strongest. When you are conflicted between helping others and your own comfort or security, you are at your weakest. Tutors like the helpfulness of Emperors, especially since they can offer rewards that play into the Emperor’s selfinterest as well. The Oathbound, however, may look askance at one who has trouble making hard decisions between the self and the collective.
Reversed Meaning: The Emperor is a card about control, about authority, command, organization and foundations. He follows all those other cards where the querent decides what he wants, and nurtures it into fruition--now what the querent has must be managed, guided. Hence, the Emperor. But what about the Emperor reversed?
The Hierophant (V)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords:
Education, Knowledge, Status quo, Institution, Conservatism, Discipline, Maturity, Formality, Deception, Power, Respect, Duality, Social convention, Belief system, Group identification, Experience, Tradition, Naïve Taurus the Earthly bull may seem an odd sign for a holy man, but it makes sense if you understand that the Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess connects to the esoteric with her secret, solitary rites, the Hierophant (or High Priest) leads his flock in shared, communal rituals. The Hierophant is well suited to be such a leader as, like all Taureans, he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of crisis. Such rituals, rites and traditions remind the community of their values, their shared identity and the religious structure that gives their lives order and meaning. No matter how chaotic and frightening the times, this can bring tranquility. The Hierophant's only problem is that, like the Bull, he can be stubborn and hidebound. Also, as he is working for the harmony of the community, the Hierophant is not a card that favors individuality. Harmony cannot be achieved if everyone is marching to their own drummer. The Hierophant is about shared feelings, beliefs and ways. It even can be about blending in or surrendering to tradition and community rather than asserting your uniqueness Ordo Path of Fate: Your craving for control is the natural fruit of your belief in the rightness of your cause. You have difficulty trusting anything of value to others, because their weakness may lead them to selfish indulgence. Beware that you do not fall prey to the very hypocrisy you despise in others, for when you gain the power you seek, it is easy to conflate the glory of your cause with your personal enrichment. Clutching for more is in your nature, and if you do not do it from belief, you will do it nonetheless. Hierophants make good students, as they are often greedy for knowledge. But the Sworn are leery of anyone who has the traits of an embezzler.
Reversed Meaning: The Hierophant is the moral and social conscience of the deck. He offers spiritual guidance, and when upright and positive, he can stand for that favored spiritual leader who guides us all through troubled times and ethical dilemmas. At his best, he is about humility and teaching, about getting people through deeply frightening and difficult situations. He also represents the wider rules of society, what we teach each other in order to get along and fit in, everything from common courtesy and social graces to laws and rules. When reversed, however.....
The Lovers (VI)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Love relationship, Union, Passion, Sexuality, Pleasure, Humanism, Desire, Personal beliefs, Individual values, Physical attraction, Connection, Affinity, Bonding, Romance, Heart, Choice, Doubt, Difficult decision, Dilemma, Temptation It is possible that the original name of this card was "Love." The oldest decks call it "The amorous one," The Lovers being a mistranslation. So really, it's about one person being "in love" with someone or something. Many books, however, define the card not as "Love" but as a "choice." And the images that have been used for this card make it even more confusing. The original trump featured a man and a woman with a cupid above them about to shoot his dart (into which? Cupid's arrows only make the one they strike fall in love). Later decks had a man choosing between two women, or a man meeting his true love with the help of a matchmaker. Still later, with Waite, we have an Angel above Adam and Eve. The Angel stands for Raphael, who is emblematic of Mercury and Air, with Adam and Eve related to Gemini (sign of Mercury) in that Eve split from Adam and is, essentially, his twin. And the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge indicates Adam and Eve choosing to "know" each other in every sense of the word. This connection to Gemini means that the Lovers card is NOT about "romance" or passion. Romantic emotions are typically related to water. And blazing passion is associated with fire. Gemini, an air sign, is about messages and making contact. It's about the psyche. In addition, at #6 the Lover's card is about "harmony." Thus, it is about something that speaks to you, that you "know" and recognize as your other or mirror self (twin), and which makes you feel harmonically balanced or complete. You may experience this psychic attraction to something small like a pair of shoes you have to have, or a rock band whose music says all you ever wanted to say. Or you might be drawn to something huge, a plot of land you want to own, or someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend who, at first sight, makes you think: "That's my husband/wife." In interpretation, the card indicates that the querent has come across, or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing (a puppy, a car, a house) that they will fall in love with. They will know instinctively that it was meant for them, even if it means diverging from their chosen path (that is the "Love" part). On the other hand, their common sense must also make a decision on whether or not to go along with this psychic "choice." There is often a measure of hardship or cost that comes with giving into this spiritual attraction. Ordo Path of Fate: You are empty and bereft without strong feelings for someone. You can be the most resolute and ardent of suitors, wooing your paramour with constant thoughtfulness, flattery and kindness. But if your feelings darken, your passion can be a punishment, degrading and debasing your victim until your gradual blackmail, or unceasing deceit or remorseless cruelty allows you recast her as you wish. Instructors and Sworn all have the same reaction to a Lover: they stay far away if they lack the confidence to think they can earn her adoration. But if they think they’re worth her worship, they eagerly embrace a new worshiper.
Reversed Meaning: In the upright position, the Lovers card is about finding that other half of ourselves. It might be a person, but it can also be anything that completes us, that speaks to us - a career, a cause, a religion. It usually involves us making a choice to go for that something and so feel whole, unified. Reversed....
The Chariot (VII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Conquest, Honor, Victory, Energy, Egocentrism, Self confidence, Conviction, Anxiety, Willpower, Self assertion, Hard control, Discipline, Inflexibility, Success, Wealth, Recognition, Impulsivity, Command, Bravery, Pride The chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it's about getting what you want. It implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory over enemies, obstacles, nature, the uncertainties inside you. But there is a great deal more to it. The charioteer wears emblems of the sun, yet the sign behind this card is Cancer, the moon. The chariot is all about motion, and yet it is often shown as stationary. What does this all mean? It means a union of opposites, like the black and white steeds. They pull in different directions, but must be (and can be!) made to go together in one direction. That is perhaps the most important message of the Chariot. Separate the driver form the chariot, the chariot from the horses, the horses from each other and from the driver, and nothing gets done. They all do their own thing. Put them all together, with the same goal in mind, and there will be no stopping them. Confidence as well as unity of purpose and control is needed, and, most especially, motivation. The card can, in fact, indicate new motivation or inspiration, which gets a stagnant situation moving again. It can also imply, on a more pragmatic level, a trip (usually by car). Ordo Path of Fate: You are insatiable, a conqueror by nature. When you are making progress you go from strength to strength, pressing on in pursuit of goals personal, political or philosophical. Your personal bane is stagnation: if you are not struggling, you are getting weaker. Triumph is good for you. Comfort is not. Strong teachers like Chariots because they get where they’re going quickly, while weak teachers worry about falling under the wheels of their student. Sworn of the Mysteries and the Dying Light tend to embrace Chariots when they’re underdogs, and throw roadblocks before them when they’re on top and don’t want to share power. The Sworn of the Axe like fierce competitors.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, the Chariot is all about moving forward. It's not just about charging ahead, but rather seeing where you want to go, picking up the reins, taking control of inner and outer forces, and directing everything forward. Hence, it is a card of great determination and confidence, motivation and leadership. Without these, there's no making the chariot go where you want it to go. So what about reversed?
Obviously, the opposite would be defeat. The chariot did not conquer either the inner or outer forces; it lost the battle to control the horses, lost the battle against whatever it was fighting. It might even suggest that the querent gave into cowardice. He didn't try to show the horses who was boss, didn't try to barrel though his enemies - he just hid in his chariot hoping not to get hurt, taking no chances. as the upright card often focuses on controlling the horses, on determination and direction, we can see that a blocking of these energies leaves the querent at loose ends. Ever driven with someone who has absolutely NO sense of direction? That's what we have here. The querent may know where he wants to go...but he doesn't have a clue how to get there. And he lacks the determination to find a way to get there. Somehow, the energy of determination and direction must be unblocked. Otherwise, he's going to be driving about aimlessly and hopelessly. To the point where his attitude is "what's the use?"
Justice (VIII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Impartiality, Distance, Coldness, Justice, Objective mind, Criticism, Being clever, Insensitivity, Decision, Intellect, Analysis, Realism, Severity, Responsibility, Rationality, Clear vision, Logic and reason With Libra as its ruling sign, Justice is about cold, objective balance through reason or natural force. This is the card that tells the querent that excesses have consequences. Indulging in drinking and drugs will affect their health, just as excessive exercise can damage muscles and joints and working too much can make one neglect family and friends. Justice urges the querent to make adjustments, do whatever is necessary to bring things back into balance: physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually. In a more mundane sense, this card may signal a court case, legal documents, adjustments in a marriage or partnership. The outcome of all of these may not be exactly what the querent wants, but it will be what they need. It will also be scrupulously fair. If the card is reversed, it can indicate bias, obstruction of the law, or legal complications.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, Justice is all about creating a balance, legalities, fairness. It involves the ability to split, cut back, share. Reversed.... it is "injustice." Unfairness, imbalance. No matter if it refers to a court case, a family situation or spirituality, the card is clear that things are not fair and balanced here. The querent is getting too much, or too little of what they need.
The only real difference here is that the energy of Justice is that it wants to make things balanced and fair. Something is keeping that energy from succeeding. Again, things are "unjust" - but only because there is something preventing that. It may be as simple as one person being selfish, or it could be that certain evidence/legal documents have not come to light. Turn Justice upside down and she loses her scales and her sword, which could well suggest a corruption of justice. It is not merely an accident, or something blocking justice that might be removed, here the whole system is suspect. The scales of balance are gone. The sword to slice things right down the middle is gone. Fairness cannot be achieved because the tools of justice are missing. The Judge is biased, the lawyers and witnesses corrupt, the evidence tampered with.
The Hermit (IX)
Standard Meaning: Some standard keywords are:
Introspection, Silence, Guidance, Reflection, Solitude, Looking inward, Reclusion, Being quiet, Inner search, Deep understanding, Isolation, Distance, Retreat, Philosophical attitude Represented by Virgo, the Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. This is not a time for socializing; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. Nor is it a time for action, discussion or decisions. It is a time to think, organize, ruminate, and take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent during this time of withdrawal. But such times lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity. In regards to people, the Hermit can represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher or therapist, someone the querent usually sees alone, someone the rest of the querent's friends and family may not know about. This is a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing. They will help the querent understand themselves or find what it is they are seeking.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, the Hermit is about a time of solitude and introspection, of investigation, learning, enlightenment and sometime teaching. Reversed.... The mean old man, isolated, misanthropic, paranoid. In this instance, isolation does not bring insights and epiphanies, but rather turns the person sour and against the world. We might well get reversed Hermit for men like the Unabomber, using their isolation to formulate crimes and destruction.
The most telling thing about the Hermit upside-down is that he loses his lantern. This is similar to the blocked interpretation, only worse. In the blocked interpretation the lantern can be re-illuminated. But upside-down, the lantern is gone. The Hermit is totally in the dark...and all alone. He has lost all ability to find his way and is going to have to stumble on home if he can.
Wheel of Fortune (X)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Turning point, Opportunities, Possibilities, Destiny, Fate, Superior Forces, Movement, Development, Activity, Surprises, Expansion, Sudden Events, Speed, New Developments, Life Cycles, Interpretation, Sudden Change, Dissension, Approachability With Jupiter as its ruling planet, the Wheel of Fortune is all about luck and change. The wheel symbolizes completeness as well as the rise and fall of fortunes and the message that what goes around comes around. Almost every definition of this card indicates abundance, happiness, elevation, or luck; a change that just happens, and brings with it great joy.
Reversed Meaning: The Wheel of Fortune is about Luck, about transitions and changes, sometimes about Karma. Generally speaking, it is about things that happen to us that change our lives...rather than, as with so many other cards, things we ourselves do to create a change. What does it mean reversed?
Usually the Wheel is read positively as moving up. There is luck and good fortune in it, the implication that we are going to be moving up (deservingly) while someone else (deservingly) moves down. Thus, the opposite would be, quite simply, bad luck, misfortune. Instead of heading up to the top of the wheel, we're going to be hitting the bottom. It's the nadir instead of the zenith. Someone else will be getting the promotion or position we want, and we, alas, might well be getting laid off or transferred. As with good luck, there is nothing to be done about bad luck but accept it and make the best out of it.
Strength (XI)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Self-control, Being solid, Patience, Compassion, Composure, Stability, Perseverance, Moderation, Kindness, Gentleness, Slowness, Softness, Serenity, Comprehension, Discipline, Inner strength There are many stories that come to mind with this card: Daniel in the lion's den. The Aesop's fable of "The Sun and the Wind," where the Sun's warmth, as compared to the Wind's coldness, persuades a man to take off his coat. Also tales of saintly maids who get brutish barbarians to kneel down in prayer. What we see in all these stories is the taming of the beast by way of inner strength and gentleness. The Maiden represents higher feelings and that we can experience if we bring our wild passions to heel. And so we willingly do so. This card, however, isn't just about the Maiden's power. Like its ruling sign Leo, this card is also about the hot, roaring energy and enthusiasm of the Lion including passions like "lust" (which is the name it was given by Crowley in his Thoth deck). The lion's power may be frightening, but it is also desirable. Much can be achieved if such power is put to use. Some decks, in fact, label this card as "Power." That energies can be brought under control and used is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card #8 instead of Strength. There is a difference, however, between Strength and the Chariot. The Chariot is a card about using your impulses to achieve a victory. Strength is about combining two strengths to overcome weakness. The Maiden is weak of form, but her mastery of herself is powerful. The Lion is strong of form, but weak when it comes to mastering himself. The Maiden's commands overcome the Lion's weakness, and his form overcomes the Maiden's weakness. This is why the Maiden doesn't try to harness the lion to a chariot, nor does she run from it or try to kill it. She meets its eyes, touches it, embraces it. This is a card about understanding our wild natures, accepting them, yet also gentling those passions so that they work for us rather than against us. Putting these two strengths together creates perseverance, personal honor, and courage. The card can also stand for a steadfast friend.
Reversed Meaning: Courage, strength, inner will, optimism...reversing this card gives us some pretty evident messages: cowardice, fear, timidity. A complete lack of backbone. The querent has been or is likely to back down from challenges. They're weak-willed when it comes to controlling their own impulses or changing their life. They're far too passive and scared.
Blocked is a little bit different. The implication is that the strength and will are there, but something is preventing them from manifesting. I often think of someone constrained by courtesy or peer pressure from speaking up or doing the right thing. It is not that the person doesn't want to take control, or can't, but rather that something is keeping them from doing it (either something within or something without) and so the lion remains untamed.
The Hanged Man (XII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Sacrifice, Letting go, Surrendering, Passivity, Suspension, Acceptance, Renunciation, Patience, New point of view, Contemplation, Inner harmony, Conformism, Non-action, Waiting, Giving up With Neptune (or Water) as its planet, the Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. At #12, it is the opposite of the World card, #21. With the World card you go infinitely out. With the Hanged Man, you go infinitely in. Some readers believe the Hanged Man reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he dangled for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes. Other readers like to point out that in older decks the card was known as "The Traitor," referring to the fact that, historically, some countries hung traitors upsidedown by one foot. And still other readers like to point out that the Hanged Man is like that moment when a babe in the womb turns upside-down so that it may be born, hanging, as it were, from it's umbilical cord. The Hanged Man is similar to all of these: like Odin, he allows himself to be hung so that he can gain wisdom for the world. Like traitors of old, be sacrifices himself for a cause, and sees things from an "inverted" perspective. What is right to him is wrong to others and vice versa. And like the babe in the womb, the Hanged Man hangs suspended between one world (the womb) and the next (outside the womb). What is important to remember is that this is a card about suspension, not life or death. The querent might well feel that one thing has ended, yet the next has not begun, and they are stuck in a kind of waiting room. Things will continue on in a moment, but for now, they float, timeless. Yet this isn't just a position of rest as the querent is inverted. Which means so is his/her view of the world is very different from the rest of us who walk upright. Thus, this waiting becomes a time of trial or meditation, selflessness, sacrifice, prophecy. This new way of seeing things often leads to insights and enlightenment. Answers that eluded the querent become clear, solutions to problems are found. All of which the Hanged Man hoped to buy with his sacrifice.
Reversed Meaning: The Hanged Man upright is about new perspectives, sacrifices, vulnerability and selflessness. It is about a time of suspension that, when over, brings with it new insights. Reversed.... the Hanged Man card usually involves sacrifice and insight, the inverse would be a refusal to surrender what needs to be surrendered, or a refusal to see things from a new perspective. In this regard, the reversed card is the assertion of the ego; stubbornness or selfishness. The querent is clinging to whom and what they are - all that they have - refusing to give it up even though the exchange could transform them and help others.
The energy of the Hanged Man is about gaining a new perspective while in suspension. Blocked, however, would suggest that the querent cannot escape the suspension or the separation. They are stuck feeling apart from the world, unable to bring what they're learning and seeing from this perspective back into the world with them.
Death (XIII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Ending of a cycle, Loss, Conclusion, Sadness, Transition into a new state, Psychological transformation, Finishing up, Regeneration, Elimination of old patterns, Being caught in the inescapable, Good-byes, Deep change Perhaps the most common question asked about Tarot Cards is, "Can the Death card mean a real death?" Yes, it can. The Death card is about endings, and that includes the ending of a life. What everyone seems to forget, however, is that the Death card is not exclusively about the end of a human life. In fact, it's far more likely that the card is telling you that a goldfish or a houseplant will die. Death can mean the "end" of anything: The end of an era, the end of a trip, the closing of a restaurant, the breaking up of a band, the conclusion of a very rough week. Any and all of these as well as a million more possible interpretations can be applied to the Death card. So it is foolish to fear it for the fact that, once in a great while, it will let you know that some sick, elderly relative might not be long for this world. Even more important to remember: the Death card is less about something dying then about how a person deals with endings. We might be delighted that something is finally over and done with, like a terrible job we hated. Or we might be heartbroken, like over the loss of that poor goldfish. Either way, we require time to come to terms with the fact that something we were used to is no longer a part of our lives. With Scorpio as its sign, the Death card is as much about transformation as about loss. Scorpio has three forms: scorpion, serpent, eagle. The Death card indicates this transition from lower to higher to highest. In addition, Scorpio is also about sex. So even as something is taken from us, something new is created. That new thing will not be the same as what was lost, but it will step into that empty space and give us reason to carry on.
Reversed Meaning: Ah, the Death Card. Signifies an end to something, a time of grieving with the hint that there will be something new to take the place of this lost thing in the future. Rebirth is at the other end of this tunnel, but a dark tunnel must be traversed. Reversed?
The easiest reversal here is to say that something does not come to an end, or it does not die. But this may not be as good a thing as it sounds. Ever have a favorite TV show? You watch it over three seasons, it hits a pinnacle of being brilliant and wonderful...and then it starts to go down. And as it sinks and gets worse, and as it stretches out you begin to wish it had ended after that pinnacle. Sometimes, things need to come to a blessed end. Anyone who's had someone in the hospital, alive but not alive, holding to life but not living, knows that "not death" isn't a desired thing. Not death keeps people from grieving, and from starting over again when done. It just stretches out a "not-life." Unlike the Opposite, I would say that the Blocked interpretation does allow for the death or ending of something. The real energy of the card here is about that time of grief and nadir that leads to re-birth. If this is blocked, then the querent can't grieve. They can't face or relieve the pain of loss. They remain at one end of the tunnel, refusing or unable to transverse it. Re-birth is held at bay as well.
Temperance (XIV)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords are:
Temperance, Harmony, Balance, Health, Moderation, Joining forces, Well-being, Recovery, Equilibrium, Transcendence, Unification, Healing, Synthesis, Bringing together opposites, Feeling secure It is hard, at first, to see where Sagittarius, the ruling sign of this card, fits in. Sagittarius is an expansive sign and we often identify Temperance with abstinence. Temperance, however, really means moderation. Thus, you don't give up wine, but rather cut the wine with water. There is, however, another angle to the card, that of "tempering" or transforming-thus we continue on from Death, which prepared us for transformation. With tempering, iron is transformed into steel with heating and cooling, fire and water. Similarly, Sagittarius, the centaur, is another one of those creatures that merges beast and man into something unique. Yet not so unique as men and horses have often "merged" together, the one on the back of the other to form a unit. And then there is the bow and arrow, one moving, one stationary, working together to point the way. Temperance may be, at first glance, a warning to "temper" your behavior, but it may also be a reminder that seemingly irreconcilable opposites may not be irreconcilable. Sagittarius is a sign of optimism, philosophy, and taking risks. This card urges the querent to have faith that they can merge fiery red and watery blue into otherworldly violet. But they will need to experiment, have confidence, and try, try, again.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, Temperance is all about synthesis, about creating a third, unique element out of two other, usually opposing, elements. This is not the balance of Justice which trims and re-distributes to even things out, but a merging of just enough of each to form something new. Reversed, however.... makes things worse rather than better. This is that sort of situation where two people or two groups, if brought together, will bring out the worse in each other; rather than getting peace, you'll get war.
As the energy of Temperance is to temper, to mix and merge; blocking this energy creates "intemperance." In this case, the elements refuse to mix. Like oil and water, the querent cannot get them to blend. This might be because the person trying to temper wine by mixing it with water doesn't use enough of one or the other. Or it might well be because the impulse to blend the two is being blocked; there is a lack of effort or ability on the part of querent or someone else to get the mixture just right. Thus, an attempt to merge two families doesn't work. An attempt to create a new company out of two smaller businesses fails. On a more personal level, the man trying to "temper" his aggressive tendencies doesn't try hard enough or the person trying to negotiate hot-tempered folk doesn't say or do the right thing to get them to agree and unify. For one reason or another, the energy of Temperance, knowing just how to mix those two opposing elements, is blocked. Unblock it, and how to do the merging, the creating of that third element from the other two, will come clear.
The Devil (XV)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Materialism, Ignorance, Stagnation, Self-bondage, Lust, Egoism, Obsession, Anxiety, Anger, Hedonism, Passion, Instincts, Sexuality, Temptation, Doubt, Vice, Futility, Physical attraction, Pessimism, Insight Perhaps the most misunderstood card of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius (Bacchus). These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. Sometimes, this card says, it is good to dance with Bacchus, surrendering control, or be Bacchus and manipulate. Too much restraint can hold you back and keep you from achieving important things. In this regard, we might say that this card is about being honest with yourself. What do you desire? What gives you pleasure? What has power over you (and will enslave you if you let it), and what makes you feel powerful (and will help you reach your highest goals)? With Capricorn as its ruling sign, the Devil is also a card about ambitions, about commitment and resourcefulness. This is the mountain goat that aims to get to the top and does all its needs to do to get there. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man or woman of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad person, but certainly a powerful person who is hard to resist. The querent needs to watch themselves lest they end up needing this powerful person to give them identity. On the other hand, the querent might find themselves in "Devil" mode, egging others on, playing puppetmaster. This, too, can become their identity. Thus, the addict and pusher can create a co-dependent relationship that is not healthy for either. When not indicating a person, the Devil card is synonymous with temptation and addiction, anything that we find hard to resist be it chocolate, sex or heroin. Readers should ask querents if there's anything they've been having trouble resisting of late. It is important to point out, as the card does, that, often (though not always), we don't resist is because we don't want to. This needs to be recognized and acknowledge as it means that the power to change the situation is with us, not with what tempts us.
Reversed Meaning: Upright the Devil is all about addictions, about the temptations/obsessions that lure us, capture us, and which we, ourselves, refuse to escape even though we have the key to our chains. In a positive sense, it can also mean letting go of inhibitions and puritanical restrictions - sometimes we need to live on the wild side, be excessive and indulge. So what happens if we reverse this? At its best, this opposite might indicate a near escape from entrapment, a temptation resisted but only just barely. The querent chooses to keep to their stricter morals or gets a break from whoever/whatever is tempting them, so they do not indulge, and they escape being chained to the Devil.
The energy of the Devil is life on the wild side, indulging, releasing, giving in, going overboard. Reading this card as blocked could indicate that the querent is too restricted in their life or restricting themselves. That they are too afraid of giving into temptation, too afraid of addictions, to the point where they are taking no chances. This can include a fear of committing to others, of even falling in love. Keep in mind the connection image-wise (in the Rider-Waite at least) to the Lovers card. If the Devil card is the Lovers gone wrong, then the Devil reversed can be a fear of the relationship going wrong, to the point where the querent won't take a chance.
The Tower (XVI)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Chaos, Sudden change, Impact, Hard times, Crisis, Revelation, Disruption, Realizing the truth, Disillusion, Crash, Burst, Uncomfortable experience, Downfall, Ruin, Ego blow, Explosive transformation With Mars as its ruling planet, the Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. This is a card about anything we believe to be true, but later learn is false. This realization usually comes as a shock, hence, the violent image. It is, quite simply, that moment in any story where someone finds out a shocking truth, one that shatters their perceptions and makes them reassess their beliefs. When the Querent gets this card, they can expect to be shaken up, blinded by a revelation. It sometimes takes a very bright flash of light to reveal a truth that was so well hidden. And it sometimes takes an earthquake to bring down beliefs that were so cleverly constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, allows us to find out what is true and reliable. What will stand rather than fall apart.
Reversed Meaning: Ah. The Tower. It certainly signals a powerful shake-up that will bring down structures that the querent thought were stable...but really weren't. And there in lies the trick of the Tower. With that flash of lightning - the insight that illuminates a dark landscape - the truth is revealed. What seemed to be stable is not, and comes crashing down. All that is left is the bare, harsh truth on which something more stable and real can now be built. But the devastation remains. However, what about Reversed?
The easiest opposite is that there is no shake-up. No flash of lightning, no destruction. The Tower remains standing, the lies remain in place, the truth remains hidden. The querent may breathe out a sigh of relief -he's gotten off easy. But that's not necessarily a good thing. The message of the Tower is "The Emperor has no clothes!" but the reversed Tower, in this case, indicates that the querent doesn't want to hear that, refuses to hear it, refuses to believe it. And lucky for him, no one is going to say it. So everyone maintains the lies, and the status quo goes on. The energy of the Tower is in that lightning flash, the energy of illumination and destruction. Very like in the opposite interpretation, the blocked interpretation suggests that things will remain in the dark and standing. The difference is that there is a desire for the truth to come out. However, someone or something is keeping the words ("The Emperor has no clothes!") from being said. Someone or something is keeping the Tower of lies safe from revelation and destruction. Unblock that energy, and the truth will come out.
The Star (XVII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Calmness, Free-flowing love, Trust, Tranquility, Peace of mind, Pure essence, Hope, Serenity, Inspiration, Generosity, Optimism, Joy, Faith, Regeneration, Good will, Optimism, Harmony, Renewal of forces With Aquarius as its ruling sign, The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing, even unexpected help to offer us sustenance in bleak times. Thus, the card says that there is aid and assistance out there to help us though hard times, like organizations that offer food and shelter in the wake of a terrible flood or fire. This assistance might, to us, be a friend or counselor, an uplifting book or music, anything that appears in our life and heals our wounded spirit. More, the card tells us that we can achieve what we most want to achieve, like flood or fire victims wanting to rebuild. This future, however, won't be growing to full size overnight like Jack's Beanstalk. It will take time and we must not lose sight of it. This may seem like cold comfort. No one wants to hear that the person they're interested is not interested in them, but will be in the future. Or that they will not succeed today, but will later on in their life. Still, it is there, a glimmer of light in the darkness. The question is, do we feel it's worth waiting for or not? That is the question the Star makes us ask ourselves: What do we want bad enough that we will go the distance for it? The answer will tell us as much about what we are as what we could be.
Reversed Meaning: The Star is a card of hope and healing. Coming after the Tower, it promises that there is a future, and offers a light to guide the person on their way to that future. It is a drink of cool water (knowledge) in the wasteland, a promise of tomorrow. Reversed.... Clearly, the opposite is that there is no future, no hope, no healing. Or, more to the point, that any hope or promise offered is going to be false hope. The star one is following is not fixed, and will lead the person astray. There is a feeling of being lost, with no way out.
This interpretation does not speak well for one who is sick or emotionally or psychologically hurt - they're not going to get well any time soon; they may even have taken a turn for the worst. Blocked: We can think of this interpretation as there being clouds at night blocking out the star that one is following. Unlike the opposite, we know the star is there, but we can't see it. The person is feeling hopeless, but that doesn't mean there is no hope - they just can't see it. I would read this as intense pessimism; the sort of cynical or depressed out-look that insists that the world is coming to an end, there is no future, the glass is half-empty, etc. The sick person feels that their illness will never end, that there is no cure. This, however, is not accurate. There is hope and healing. But something is standing in the way of our querent finding it - either their own refusal to see it, or some other dark cloud.
The Moon (XVIII)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Lack of clarity, Tension, Doubt, Fantasy, Deception, Psychological conflict, Obscured vision, Confusion, Illusion, Fear, Imagination, Worry, Romanticism, Anxiety, Apprehension, Unrealistic ideas With Pisces as its ruling sign, the Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. At its darkest this can be a very scary card warning the querent of hidden enemies, mental illness, alcoholic blackouts or a bad drug trip. At its very best, however, the Moon is a card of genius, of mental breakthroughs, astonishing creativity, powerful magic, and intuition. The querent who gets this card should be warned that they may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial, a time when they'll do things that seem to make sense to them, yet when they come out of it they'll wonder, "Why did I do that? It makes no sense!" Their mind will be playing tricks on them, and so this is not a good time for making decisions that require rational thought and a clear head. This card can, likewise, signal a crazy time for relationships. Whirlwind romances, powerful and dreamlike, but not trustworthy. For families and friends this is a time of emotional ups and downs. If the querent has any past mental problems, they must be vigilant in taking their medication and seeing their therapist. They should avoid recreational drugs or alcohol, they will have a bad reaction if they take either. At the same time, the Moon signals great creativity, enhanced psychic powers, visions. The querent's judgment may not be trustworthy, but they will have intuitive flashes that are remarkably accurate.
Reversed Meaning: We have a bit of conundrum with the Moon. Its usual interpretation often has to do with hallucinations, insanity, wildness...but it also relates to dreams, fantasy, artistic talent, creativity, psychic ability, romance. This makes interpreting the reverse a bit troublesome. Is it positive or negative?
Trying to figure out the opposite of the Moon is problematic. Logically, it should be "The Sun." But we already have that card. So let us say, instead, that it is the "Dark side of the Moon." In this instance, I would interpret the Moon at its very worst, giving its milder interpretations to the upright. By the light of the Moon, we can still find our way - even if wild things do happen by that light. When the Moon is dark, however, dark things happen. We might well say that things are not merely wild, but primitive. Criminals lurk in the dark, shady folk with dark purposes and intents. Sexual predators instead of romance, artistic talent used to hurt and destroy. Evil fantasies and dreams. Here is the stalker, the person who wants to scare and harass. This interpretation would probably include a bad psychological time. If the querent suffers from any problem or has someone in their family suffering through such a problem (depression, bi-polar disease, substance abuse) they are going to be going through a dark time with it. It's going to be a long dark night of the soul.
The Sun (XIX)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Optimism, Expansion, Being radiant, Positive feelings, Enlightenment, Vitality, Innocence, Non-criticism, Assurance, Energy, Personal power, Happiness, Splendor, Brilliance, Joy , Enthusiasm The Sun is ruled by...the Sun, of course and as the Moon was your inner darkness, the wild, untamed, unconscious part of you, the Sun is your inner light, civilized and rational, yang to yin, Apollo to Diana. The Sun promises the querent their day in the sun. Glory, triumph, simple pleasures and truths. As the moon symbolized inspiration from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made wide awake. This is science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect and youthful energy. Like the Sun, the querent will likely come across to others as warm and radiant, and they can be told that this is a good time to make decisions and take tests. Standing for another person, this card can indicate those in the querent's life who are the most level headed and sunny. Also the most youthful. And, yes, the child/children in this card can be taken literally if other cards in the spread seem to suggest it. Your querent can be informed that a wanted and most welcome babe will soon be on the way. Likely a boy, or twins.
Reversed Meaning: The upright Sun is all about reason, light, order. It is a card of youthfulness, children and music, of clear thought and the feeling that all is right in the universe. Reversed.... The opposite would most logically be "night" or the "The Moon" but we have those cards already. With the Sun, reason and order should prevail, as with the Moon, emotion and superstition prevail...so what of the Sun reversed? Say that poor logic and bad reasoning prevail. Facts are presented, but taken out of context. Wrong conclusions are reached, arguments are twisted. This is not chaos so much as "disorder." Things are in place, just not in the right place. Which, frankly, can be far more frustrating than if the Moon were ruling and all was just chaos and anarchy.
The Sun's energy is all about clarity, reason and light. Blocked gives us an eclipse. Things seem dark, muddled, unclear; illogical - but there is hope that once the eclipse is over, the light will shine again. Give the Sun's connection to children, this could also indicate problems with pregnancy or getting along with young children. This would also be a bad card for musicians or mathematicians, ruled by the Sun, a reversed card would indicate discordant music for the musician, and problems wrongly solved for the mathematician. What should make sense and be harmonious is not.
Judgement (XX)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Judgment, Rebirth, Inner Calling, Absolution, Restart, Accepting past mistakes/actions, Release, Forgiveness, End of repression, Reconciliation, Renewal, Decision, Salvation, New beginning, Hope, Redemption With Fire as its ruling element, Judgement is about rebirth and resurrection. The idea of Judgement Day is that the dead rise, their sins are forgiven, and they move onto heaven. The Judgement card is similar in that it asks us to resurrect the past, forgive it, and let it go. There are wounds from the past that we never let heal, sins we've committed that we refuse to forgive, bad habits we haven't the courage to lose. Judgement advises us to finally face these, recognize that the past is past, and put them to rest, absolutely and irrevocably. The reader can tell the querent that they need to forgive or be forgiven, do something they've been putting off, or have the courage to finally end something that isn't good for them. It is time to move on. This is also a card of healing, quite literally from an accident or illness. It can indicate a time in the hospital, or a time of significant change.
Reversed Meaning: Right-side-up, Judgement is about letting go of (or freeing oneself from) something that you've been hanging onto, something that needs to be released in order for you to be reborn and move on. It could mean forgiving someone, or releasing your anger, it could be letting go of the past or of a bad relationship. Judgement is also about that "rebirth" or renewal of the self, about getting well after a long sickness, or finding a new career or spiritual path. You become a new person, unburdened by the baggage carried by your old self. Reversed.... instead of becoming free of a burden, you take one on. Instead of being reborn, you dig yourself in deeper into that old life. Even more, this interpretation could suggest something the querent thought they'd dropped returning to haunt them. They thought something was over and done with, but it appears like a ghost, not banished at all.
...an inability to let go, to free oneself from that baggage. The energy of the card is rebirth and here it is being blocked: the sick person stays sick. The person in the bad relationship can't seem to leave it. There is no forgiving or letting go of old issues. Something is getting in the way of the querent's renewal of self.
The World (XXI)
Standard Meaning: Some frequent keywords include:
Fulfillment, Accomplishment, Success, Integration, Involvement, Prospering, Satisfaction, Repleteness, Contentment, Good feelings, Wholeness The World (or Universe) card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. The Dancer has one leg crossed over the other, just like the Hanged man. She is, in a sense, his opposite, the Hanged Man right-side-up. As the Hanged Man saw infinitely inward, the Dancer sees infinitely outward. The Dancer is also the opposite of the Wheel. The Wheel goes up and down like a Ferris Wheel, which means those on it feel like they get moved to higher or lower positions, are lucky or unlucky. The World, by compare, goes round and round like a carousel. This means that whatever corner of the universe a person gets sent to, it seems equally wonderful and interesting, not like a promotion or demotion. With the World there are no Zeniths or Nadirs; each corner is different, but all are similarly important. Which brings us to the Lion, Bull, Cherub and Eagle standing for Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio, the fixed signs of the Zodiac (also sometimes found on The Wheel of Fortune card). These are symbolic of the four elements (four suits of the tarot), four compass points, four seasons, and the four corners of the universe. All within the Dancer's sight and power. Thus, the World card is about, first, completion and competency. The querent may have come to the end of a long-term project or graduated from a field of study. There is the feeling that they have hit all the points of the circle. There will be well-earned praise, celebration and success. Saturn, the card's ruling planet, reinforces this. Saturn is the "scholar" card, and indicates that the querent is now an expert in their subject. Thus, this is not, like Death, the end of something, but rather a change in frequency. From student to teacher, from apprentice to master. The querent has finished their first go-around and goes right into another spin as a professional. And, finally, on a more mundane level, the World card indicates travel, not short business trips, but long, fantastic trips. Maybe a lecture tour, book signing, or just a trip around the world. This can be a wonderful card of wholeness, satisfaction and independence.
Reversed Meaning: the World or Universe is a card about achievement, mastery, completion, and a feeling of being welcome anywhere you go. It's a card of travel, not travelling to learn but travelling to dispense knowledge. This is the Wise Scholar instead of the Fool, packed up and going wherever the road takes them. Reversed.... obviously, the opposite of the travelling card would be staying at home. A person who can't venture from their comfort zone. Likewise, the person is far from finishing what they've been working on. It isn't complete, it's only just started.
We might also say that the opposite here would be the Fool - but we already have that card. So what's the difference? I would say that the Fool doesn't pretend to know anything. But the reversed World indicates a person who thinks they are worldly, pretends to be worldly...but they are not. This card could very well suggest someone who is fooling themselves or others. Their knowledge is faulty or just plain wrong. Their information is false; they don't know what they're talking about. as the energy of the World card is completion or mastery, a blocked World card indicates that something is stopping a person from finishing the job. Ever seen the movie "Wonder Boys"? A writer keeps working on a novel, it gets longer and longer, but he can't seem to finish it. The reversed world would very much suit this man. What he's taken on he can't compete or master - or, for some reason, doesn't want to. This card might also come up for someone who is agoraphobic. A person who cannot leave their home, who is afraid of the outside world. DiD Themes: Dwell in Darkness is a horror setting. It is The World Reversed. It's theme is Rot.
Ace of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: North/Winter. New luck, health or work for new prosperity. There is no desire to burn, or flow or fly; here is a physical need to be grounded, to make, build and touch. Like a seed in the ground, there is a desire to sprout roots and just become. The pentacle is taken in hand, and, for now, the querent wants only to have it solidly in his pocket.
Reversed Meaning: Aces are the spark, the initial energy of the suit: unfocused, undirected, pure and new. So for the Ace of Pentacles, new luck (or health). If we reverse the Aces then the most immediate opposite meaning is that there is no spark of energy, idea, emotion or luck, or that the potential for these is blocked.
Reversed Aces are like trying to start a fire, and getting nothing. No smoke, no spark. It's the hope of a hope that never comes. There's not even the feeling that something was there and died - it was never there in the first place. You just feel that something that could have become "it" ought to have been there.
Two of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: Standing before the waves of an ocean, a fellow deftly juggles two pentacles. The meaning is pretty straightforward. This is the juggling finances, jobs, responsibilities card. We pay one bill, and don't pay the other (which is up in the air). When it comes down and we can't put it of any longer, we pay that and let the other one be up in the air.
The querent may be doing this because they want to or may need to do this. They may feel they've worked so hard on both that they haven't the heart to put either one aside. And so they switch off put "work" or money into one thing while neglecting the other, keeping both alive, but allowing neither to thrive. Yet this juggling may be a good idea. Having two jobs or projects also allows there to be a fail-safe, something to fall back on if the other goes wrong. As with the swords, there's no keeping this up forever, but it may suffice while you're waiting for your luck to change or circumstances to help make the decision for you.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, our man juggles finances, luck or health. It's not easy and he can't keep it up forever, but he's managing. Reversed, however, he loses all coordination. Those pentacles go flying and he not only can't juggle them...he might not have them at all. Reversed this card could indicate that the finances our juggler was relying on have vanished. If one goes, there's no juggling with the other one.
Three of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A craftsman shows off his work of three pentacles to his patrons. This is sometimes known as the "craftsman's card," and it relates to doing a job so well or uniquely that it gains patronage. Some readers find this card confusing as it shows a "master" craftsman at Three, but the card of apprenticeship is at Eight. Shouldn't "apprenticeship" come first?
Actually, the Three of Pentacles isn't really about being a master of your craft, and the Eight of Pentacles, when it's about apprenticeship, is usually about learning something new and different. So cards are not as out of order as they seem. We will get to the Eight later, but for right now it's important to understand that the focus of the Three of Pentacles isn't on the craftsman. It's on the investors. We might well be reminded of two young men who created one of the first desktop computers in their garage. They weren't master computer-makers at the time, but their product caught the attention of investors and they were able to put their work and time into making more. This is what the card is all about. The querent is or will be given the money or opportunity to nurture and develop something. A friend might give them funding, or their boss might give them more time to work on a project. Health wise, this card can also indicate positive results from a new exercise program or therapy. That initial bout of work has paid off.
Reversed Meaning: The craftsman shows off his work to an interested patron. Hard work, craftsmanship, creating an interest in a business, investments. Reversed however, the card would indicate that there is a block - no one is interested, or the economy is such that none can afford to invest.
The reversed card might also be a warning to the craftsman himself, a suggestion that his work has been sloppy, not up to the high standards that would win him investors. There might be some question as to whether he is putting a true effort into this business. Likewise, if the card stands for health - this could indicate a person who is not giving a real effort to an exercise program and this is why he's not seeing any real results.
Four of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A man holds tight to his four pentacles in this card. The man in 3/Pents, who got work, money, luck, health is, in this card, holding on tight to what he developed. He is not investing it or spending it or sharing it; he is not trying to get more work or add on a new room to his house. He is just trying to keep things still and unchanging.
This is sometimes called the miser card, but that may be too harsh a judgment on it. There are times when it's good to hold onto what you have and this card can be read as advice that there are currently no good investments, so hold onto your money, or that this is not a time to change jobs or take on new projects. Just keep doing what you're doing. It may even suggest that you don't talk about your work. A non-disclosure agreement. On the positive side, this tells the Querent that they're in a position of status, health, money, even comfort. Business is good and stable, work is steady, money is in the bank. There is, however, a negative to this card in that the Querent might be holding on too tight. They might be too afraid of to spend any money, too afraid to take on any new work. In the most extreme negative, this is the card of hoarders and packrats. Also the card of jealous relationships where one person views the other as their property and won't let them leave the house. This can be the card of the shut-ins and agoraphobics. So while this card can be good advice to the spendthrift or shopaholic that they need to hold onto their money, or to the workaholic to not take on more jobs, it can also be the opposite, advising the miser to be more generous with good luck and good fortune. It is a card that can be telling the querent to enjoy what they have because holding still leads to stagnation.
Reversed Meaning: Often called the Miser card the Four of Pentacles suggests that the person is hanging on to what they have, perhaps a little too hard. Reversed this card would suggest the opposite, that the person is profligate, throwing away all their money, spending it and keeping nothing for a rainy day. This might suggest a gambler or spendthrift, someone who is lending out money with abandon, or buying drinks for everyone at the bar or just buying things they don't need. Likewise, they might be ruining their health or pressing their luck.
All in all, reversed fours suggest a lack of something solid and dependable. A lack of anything reliable, be it love (Cups), money/health (Pentacles), spiritual/philosophical foundation (Wands), a way to gather up their thoughts and rest their mind (Swords).
Five of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: Another famous card. Two poor folk sit outside a church with five pentacles on its stained glass window. This is a card that predicts loss, financial loss, bad luck, a set-back in health. It is a difficult time, as all fives are. The poor folk feel embarrassed by their poverty, but they are too proud to ask for help, preferring to rely on each other rather than begging alms from the rich church.
This card relates as well to the Hierophant's emphasis on community and social norms. In some views of the card those out in the storm have chosen to be out there. The "church" disapproves of them or their relationships and rather than conform to traditional standards, they stay outside. Similar to the other fives, there is, once again, the issue of pride and humility. The problem, "How can I survive this impoverished time without surrendering my pride?" The answer: "You have to reconsider your values." While those in this card may have lost material things, even the respect of society, they still have each other. Such times teach us who our real friends are, who is honestly generous, and what really matters to us. When times are good again, we will remember what we learned in these hard times and not be fooled by sham friendships or capricious social regard. We will know who and what we can really trust.
Reversed Meaning: The upright card suggests financial loss or a loss of luck/health. But there is still friendship. The material may be gone, but the spiritual is still there. Reverse it and our Church window is upside-down, suggesting that even institutions that would normally help the poor (charities, for example) are not there. Our poor folk are on their own.
Six of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A wealthy man holding scales hands out money to the poor. This is quite a contrast to the Five of Pentacles with a shut door between the poor on the outside and the rich on the inside. Also where the poor might have been too proud to take charity, or the rich unwilling to give to those who they deemed unworthy of their generosity.
Here, in the Six of Pentacles, the poor kneel and hold out hands for the money, not too proud to take it, and the merchant freely gives it, not judging them as he does so. Both gain in this exchange. The question that must be asked when this card appears, however, is which is the querent? Do they have too much and need to restore balance to their lives by giving some of it away? Meaning, perhaps, that it's time to clear out the closet and give old clothes to a local charity, do volunteer work or make a donation? Even, perhaps, help out a friend in need? Or is it time to accept that gift of money being offered by a generous relative, go to a free clinic, try for a scholarship or seek other types of assistance? Balanced as this give and take is, it poses a quandary not seen in the other sixes. Which is how to freely give and take. The giver must give freely, not because they want to feel superior or good about themselves. Likewise, the querent must not let pride, resentment or shame get in the way of taking. We all need assistance now and then. The message to the querent might well be to accept what you're offered now. It may be that in the future you'll have a chance to restore the balance by helping out another as you were helped.
Reversed Meaning: The generosity card is about balancing out the scales by giving - or receiving. This is a card about finding an answer in charity, and the querent might be on either end of it - sharing the wealth, or getting their share from some benevolent soul. Reverse this, however, and there is no money to share. The querent may want to share in order to solve a problem, but finds themselves short of cash. Likewise, they may need some generosity in order to survive, but there is no one willing to give them a helping hand.
Seven of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A man defends himself with one wand against six others. This is the "under siege" card. The stakes are high, and the querent is under attack; even worse, the odds are against him. This is where the energy you've been using to create must be used to defend what you've created.
Usually this card indicates a disagreement with how you are directing and managing your career, criticism of a philosophy, or a schism in the religion. Those who you gathered in, who were your supporters are now at odds with you. They think you're in error and that someone else could do better. They want you to step down. And so you're on the defensive, fighting to regain control. The card urges you to stand your ground. The reader can tell the querent that though his enemies seem stronger, they don't expect resistance, and his fighting spirit will daunt them. This card tells us to use what we've learned about maintaining our energy, about being bold and stalwart and we will win the battle.
Reversed Meaning: The Waiting Card - here the man waits for his labors to bear fruit. This is a card about patience and letting things ripen. Reversed, iy suggests that the energy of the card, patience, is blocked or not there. The person is impatient, pushing, rushing, tearing down the fruit before it is ripe.
Eight of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: An apprentice or craftsman works on the last of eight pentacles that he has created, the other hanging completed. To understand this card, we might well go all the way back to the Three of Pentacles and the story that developed from there. We saw the craftsman gaining patronage, which led to an abundance of funds to hold tight to in Four of Pentacles. Alas, the craftsman lost it all in Five of Pentacles, but generosity saved him in the Six of Pentacles. In the seven/pents he stood his ground, waiting and watching for a fresh opportunity.
Now that opportunity has come in the Eight of Pentacles. This card could, in fact, indicate a new job or new training. A new investment or new workout program. In some interpretations, the querent might be at a lower level than he was, going through an apprenticeship. This might be a little demoralizing, but there is still gratitude for the employment. Either way, there are clearly no patrons this time to finance him; he is working hard to prove something to himself and his new employer, not to impress rich backers. Seeing it from another angle, it is working out at a local gym rather than at a expensive fitness center, and working out for your own good not in hopes of impressing anyone. This card is about diligence and limiting your work to a particular project. It is doing your best not to show off what you can do or in the hopes of something more (as in the three/pents for patronage), but because you want to take pride in your work. To this end, whether learning this skill or already a master at it, the querent will (or should) pay attention to details, research, train, and do whatever else is needed to feel that their work goes above and beyond. Even if no one else notices, they will know that they have taken themselves to a higher level.
Reversed Meaning: The apprentice card is all about new jobs, learning a new craft, hard work and diligence. Although the person is low on the job totem pole, there is promise of new knowledge and promotions down the road.
Reverse this and we have both a blocked/opposite feeling: instead of being new, the job feels old. The work is tedious, and the person learns or gains nothing. If I got this card, I'd say that the person had been working at the same job - or the same low level of jobs for a long time. That they were overdue for a promotion, or that they weren't going to get that promotion that they deserved. It's also quite clear that they hate their job and are not giving it their best effort, if they're giving it any effort at all.
Nine of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A woman walks among nine "blossoming" pentacles while delighting in a bird that has alighted on her hand. Like the Hermit, the woman here has retreated from the world, but unlike him it is into a private garden of beauty and pleasure. This is a card about being able to spend money on yourself, work for yourself, etc. What the pentacle suit seeks--health, luck, money, solid work-is achieved in this card. It is important to understand, however, that it is achieved on an intimate rather than grand scale, one of comfort for the self, not opulence that extends beyond the self.
This is not obscene wealth for yachts and mansions, but rather money enough for a cozy home in the right neighborhood or a small sailboat to take out on weekends. Health-wise, you may not be in shape for the Olympics, but you look good and feel good. This card can signify a lucky windfall or payment for work well done. It could indicate a healthy bank account or making a final payment on something and knowing that you own it outright. It can also indicate a retreat to a spa or one of those beautiful bed & breakfast inns where you're pampered and waited on hand and foot. It might, as well, indicate finally getting your own office at work, or a job position that suits you. Or, perhaps, it is just being able to afford an apartment where you can live on your own. This card may predict only a very small paradise, but it will be private and it will be all yours.
Reversed Meaning: This is a card about creature comforts; about a modest but beautiful home of one's own; the completion here is that luck, health, finances are solid and comfortable, able to give a person a beautiful and happy retreat.
Reversed, however, can indicate that there is nothing comfortable about this place. Instead of comfortable solitude there is loneliness. Instead of financial security, there is a price to pay. If I got this card for someone, I'd worry that they might have married someone for money - that they weren't happy, and were always worried that if they didn't satisfy their husband or wife they'd lose that home. The home is neither secure, nor is it one's own; this could also be read as someone's long time home being sold out from under them, stolen from them in some way - or perhaps they were tricked out if it. The home belongs to another and, at best, the querent is a kind of prisoner in it. At worse, they might well find themselves evicted.
Ten of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: A man, woman and child are stepping through the portal to the grounds of a castle. Outside sits an elder in rich robes patterned with grapes, petting one of two dogs. The old man, it appears, is passing on his wealth to the next generation-the man and woman-and, though them, to the generation after that in the form of the child. Thus we see both the mundane use of the Pents (a beautiful home) and the spiritual use (providing for others).
Crowley calls this card "The Lord of Wealth." This is a card about having an abundance of something, so much so that you view it differently than when it was a rarity. Note how the elder sits outside while the couple and child are on their way in. The castle is nothing new or special to him. He values, instead, his time outdoors with the dogs, and takes enjoyment from how the castle delights the young couple and the child. The elder is also the living version of the castle, as rich and regal, and the card seeks to remind the viewer that as there is value in the grand old castle, so there is value in the grand old man. In meaning, this card is about a pinnacle in prosperity: a family home bought and paid for, a business that can be passed onto one's children. It can indicate someone's retirement, dealings with elderly relatives, genealogy, or inheritances-large or small. It can be about antiques and other old, valued things passed down through the generations. On a simpler level, the card can indicate passing things on, like removing all those old clothes cluttering up the closet and giving them to the homeless, surrendering that collection of stuffed animals to a children's hospital or clearing out books from the overflowing bookshelves and handing them over to a local library. Though similar to the Six of Pentacles, this is not so much about generosity as it is about using your abundance (wealth) to leave a legacy. "You have too much to enjoy," the card says. "Give it to those who can enjoy it." This could also indicate volunteer work if you find yourself with too much time on your hands. The Ten of Pentacles is the Nine of Pentacles plus one. In the Nine of Pentacles you had enough to indulge yourself. In the Ten of Pentacles you have enough to indulge others, and so you complete the suit spiritually as well as physically.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this card is about fortunes or legacies that can be either passed onto the next generation or used to benefit others. The Querent transforms the earthly (money) into spiritual good by using it for the benefit of all (building a library, for example).
Reverse this card and we see a fortune or legacy wasted or lost. The children eat up their potential inheritance with luxurious living, or the parent with the fortune gambles it away, or it gets taken away by creditors. This is also a card about squabbles over money, fights over legacies. A relative dies and the vultures descend to take their valuables. In the worst case, the children come to the reading of the will only to find that there is no money, only debts. The fortune they thought their parent had never really existed.
Page of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: As a Message: Messages about money, a good, unexpected turn in health, a lucky happenstance or work.
As Time and Environment: This Page's element of Earth works in favor of this time. There is new growth, steady development. Everything from the economy to the body seem youthful and healthy. As a Child or "Child-like" Person: The Page of Pentacles is a hands-on sort of child or child-like adult. They enjoy hammering together birdhouses, helping build a tree house, cooking, cleaning. If a child-like adult, they likely want to fix things around the house be it a leaky faucet or creaky floorboards. They are into home repair and/or handmade gifts. They are also industrious when it comes chores, taking on extra in order to earn extra money. They'll water lawns, walk pets. They're very frugal with that money, keeping it in the piggy bank and counting it out often to see how much they've got. Similarly, they're very health conscious, seeing exercise not as a competition (as a Page of Wands might) but as self-improvement. They're more interested in beating their own record rather than someone else's. As a child, they may seem too serious and adult-like. As an adult, they may seem to be stuck doing more "child-like" work, like being a dog-walker, rather than employed in a more adult job. Though they can be generous and good hearted, the querent should be warned that being "immature" this person will rarely do anything for free, not if they can get someone to pay them to do it. Meaning if the querent goes out on a date with this child-like person, they'll be eating somewhere cheap or going Dutch. There is an element of "what's in it for me?" in the Page of Pentacles.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, the Page of Pentacles is a very hardworking newcomer. They don't talk much and they're not very social, but they are honest, diligent, organized. They're also clever with their hands and able to fix things; often also a health nut.
Reversed our Page of Pentacles is one of those new guys who cares too much about money ("Will we be getting overtime?" he'll always ask when you want him to do more). Go out to coffee with him and he will insist on separate checks. He pays only his share. Likewise, his area is his area. Don't step into his cubical, don't touch anything. If not asked to do something, he won't do it. Very unhelpful. If not a person, Page of Pentacles can be a message regarding money, business affairs, good news about health or luck, winning the lottery even. Reversed and you get the negatives - bad news about money, business, health - and you didn't win the lottery or if you did, you have to pay a lot of taxes.
Knight of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: As Travel: Travel on foot, hiking, walking, cycling.
As Change and Movement: The Knight of Pentacles is the most opposite to the Air element of the Knights. This means that he is the least Knight-like. Not inclined to move or fight. On the positive, movement and changes will feel steady, as this Knight is very consistent. But Knights are supposed to be fast, and this Knight is plodding. It will seem like things are moving/changing at a crawl, and that those who should defend their positions and put up a fight are taking too long to do so. As a Teen or "Teen-like" Person: The Knight of Pentacles has all kinds of projects going, jobs on the side, and extra-curricular activities. He takes his work (or studies) very seriously, and is always looking ahead to the future. He likely has, in fact, long term plans, including what he wants to be, what he wants to do, down to getting married and having children. While this seems very positive, it can cause him problems when it comes to handling the unexpected or improvising. If he didn't plan for it, he doesn't know what to do about it. Similarly, this Knight is uncomfortable standing out. While he wants to have the best that money can buy, he also wants to fit in. Thus, if every one of his peers must have a certain cell phone, he must have it as well. If he can afford the best of these, he will buy the best. If he can't afford it, he will work at part-time jobs till he can afford it. While this gives him an amazing work ethic, it also makes him too reliant on material things to give him status, and may make him embarrassed if he doesn't have enough. This teen or teen-like person needs to have his own room or secret place, and woe to anyone who goes into that room or changes it in any way. The Knight pf Pentacles has his own organization system for everything, and a routine for keeping healthy. Not surprisingly, this teen can be far too solitary, too concerned with perfection, or earning a place of respect. Fear of failure or standing out may keep him from leaving his room. He needs to "lighten up." He values and protects beautiful things and is a loyal employee if treated right.
Reversed Meaning: A most diligent knight, the Knight of Pentacles is very careful with his charge. This is the guy working two jobs to put himself through school or help his family. He's got everything organized and planned, and extra projects at home. He has his future mapped out, and has no resentment about starting at the bottom or working hard to succeed. Quiet and often solitary, he is the least reckless of the knights - though equally ambitious. He can be trusted with anything from secret passwords to locking up the business at night to dealing with vast sums of money. His integrity is his pride.
Reverse this card, however, and now you need to watch this guy. Instead of diligence, you've got sloppiness. He may appear to be working, but he's coasting. And if you give him money to buy something, he's going to find a way to buy it cheap so that he can pocket half that money. He is bitter and envious of anyone who is already a success and living large. He's likely to be a brown-noser, ready to ingratiate himself with those who can help him climb that ladder to wealth and the good life. He will do nothing for those who haven't money or connections. He'll never leave a tip, he'll always ask for separate checks. Contrariwise, he might well be a reckless if small-time gambler, blaming his bad luck on others and never himself. If not a person, this is a card about travelling over land on foot, hiking or cycling. Getting lost is a likelihood - take a compass and make sure your cell phone is charged. Watch out for washed out or muddy trails, and take a first aid kit.
Queen of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: As a development: Making real a business, altering a work situation, or developing an exercise or health plan.
As an adult woman: This is the practical, down-to-earth woman. She might, in fact, be an Earth Mother type going for organic living, home gardens, and making her own home improvements, or a farmer's wife, tending chickens, knitting sweaters and canning jams. But she could also be one of the rich and famous. Rich or not, it is likely that she also owns her own successful business, be it cookies she bakes at home and sells at local coffee houses, a small shop or a multi-national corporation. Her accounting is scrupulous, but that doesn't mean she's afraid to spend. She loves beautiful things and, if she is on the wealthy side, will spare no expense to decorate her homes with the perfect paintings, furniture, and trinkets. Her wealth and taste will be evident in her dress, jewelry and make-up as well. An enthusiastic outdoors woman, she's always encouraging friends and family to exercise, and she loves her outdoor gardens as much as her indoor home. As in work, nothing less than giving her all to her family will do for the Queen of Pentacles. She wants them to have the best so they can succeed. Her children may not have the best, but they will never want; they will appreciate that their mother works hard to make sure they get what they need, and that their family is steeped in good values and traditions. The Queen of Pentacles expectations may put a lot of pressure her children, more than she realizes. Also, this Queen's pragmatism, her dislike of anything strange or distasteful, may exclude anything unique or imaginative - solutions as well as people. Even as an unconventional Earth Mother type, the Queen of Pentacles will want her children to fit in with her community, its values and traditions. Her children or partner may feel that they can't be themselves and still be loved. At her best, however, this is the Queen of success. She has the patience, good sense and determination to make things happen. She knows how to make dreams a reality.
Reversed Meaning: Queen of Pentacles is about getting things done practically...but tastefully. Whether investing money or just hard work, this queen knows who to hire and isn't afraid to get her own hands dirty. This is the Martha Stewart type. She will plant the flowers, hang the pictures, reupholster the furniture. She is also a consummate business woman who keeps scrupulous accounts.
The negatives of the Queen of Pentacles, as seen in her reversal, a woman who insists that everything be the best and won't accept anything less. A boss who expects everyone to work as hard as she does - with no sympathy for anyone who can't (she worked when she was pregnant, why can't her secretary do the same?). A person who thinks there is a practical solution to every problem: "Just buy another!" she might say to a child who has lost her favorite teddy bear. The Queen of Pentacles is a card about practical solutions to problems, physical solutions. When reversed, therefore, it can signal blockage or problems with that answer. Materials haven't arrived, plants aren't growing, the things ordered have arrived but they're all wrong. Internally, a person may have an injury preventing them from physically doing the work, whatever the work is, and running their business.
King of Pentacles
Standard Meaning: As Motivation: Motivation to start a new business, motivation to craft or build something, to save money or restore health.
As an Adult Man: Call him the "Old Farmer" and his Kingdom is his "business" or farm. Proud and self-reliant, this esteemed gentleman is likely a civil servant, executive, engineer, manager, farmer, health guru or, surprisingly, entertainer. Wherever he is, he worked hard to be in charge and in charge he intends to stay. He knows he ought to be in charge because he has common sense, a meticulous nature, and the ability to motive others to work hard. It's important to him that the job be done right. And, in fact, whatever he is in charge of will grow steadily, reliably, and abundantly. No risks or chances will be taken, however. And there likely will be no innovations or changes. Because he is spare with words, he can seem cold and aloof, but those who get to know him find him surprisingly charming and funny. When he's relaxed he can tell the most amusing tales at the dinner table. And he is, underneath it all, kind and loyal. If you need help, he will help and never ask for repayment. But if you help him, he'll repay you as soon as he can; he doesn't like being beholden to anyone. He will always provide for his family even sacrifice for them, and he expects them to be equally responsible, hardworking and disciplined. If they are, he'll stick by them through thick and thin. If they aren't, however, they may be deemed lazy and could be disowned, especially if they're odd or different enough to embarrass the King of Pentacles. Much like his queen, the King of Pentacles wants to be respected by his community, and so is conservative in upholding its values and traditions. He is not impulsive, experimental or artistic-his motto most likely is "if it ain't broke don't fix it." But while he's not against others being experimental or artistic, he dislikes anything or anyone who makes him stand out. Anyone who causes him embarrassment, be they family, friends or enemies, will not be forgiven. In addition to this stubborn nature, the King of Pentacles can be an odd mix of cheap and spend-thrift, cutting corners and refusing to pay for things he believes should be cheaper like milk, yet spending a great deal on things he believes give him status, like clothes or a new car. At his best, however, he generates such respect for his hard work, his care, and his innate generosity that those who love him value his approval of their work more than the gold he pays them for it.
Reversed Meaning: The King of Pentacles is the hard-working, earthy man who motivates with common sense and a hands-on attitude. He shows people how to build that fence, he offers a fair wage and health benefits for workers, he comes up with a practical business plan that everyone can understand and get behind. There are no risks with this King, his fire is banked in the hearth and burning steadily; he is also a wise environmentalist, knowing just how many trees to cut down and plant so that there will always be more for the future. If he says it will work, it will work. And if he says he'll find the people to do the job, he'll find them, reliable, good people that can be trusted. People trust and follow him because he offers no surprises, nothing new or strange or chancy--and he wants to get the job done and done well.
The negatives of the King of Pentacles come clear in his reversal: here is a man who won't take chances, who is too conservative and won't hear of making any changes in the way things are done. "If it's not broke, don't fix it," his is motto, and stubbornly so. In his negative mode he's likely to be a miser, unable to comprehend why prices have gone up, or why he must pay a higher wage. He might well cheat his workers, cut corners, even, at his very worse, embezzle from the company. He expects the best but isn't above letting those who serve him have the worst. The King of Pentacles represents the motivation of the practical, of hard work and reliability, of conservative methods. Reverse this and we see a blocking of these - people who think they know better do unpractical things, take risks that are foolish, go with wild, new ideas that haven't been tested rather than reliable old methods. Outsiders with their own agenda may waste resources rather than make good use of them (like clear cutting a forest). Internally, a reversed King of Pentacles may be ignoring his own good sense, taking gambles and risks, or keeping to a method that no longer works because he's too stubborn to change.
Ace of Wands
Standard Meaning: South/Summer. A new spark of energy for a new passion. This usually indicates that the querent has just discovered or wants to discover a new religion, philosophy, cause or career choice, possibly even a new sexual partner. They feel their energy go up, they feel the heat, and they want more of it. They take up the wand and start walking.
Reversed Meaning: Aces are the spark, the initial energy of the suit: unfocused, undirected, pure and new. So for the Ace of Wands, they are new energy. If we reverse the Aces then the most immediate opposite meaning is that there is no spark of energy, idea, emotion or luck, or that the potential for these is blocked.
Reversed Aces are like trying to start a fire, and getting nothing. No smoke, no spark. It's the hope of a hope that never comes. There's not even the feeling that something was there and died - it was never there in the first place. You just feel that something that could have become "it" ought to have been there.
Two of Wands
Standard Meaning: Picture usually features a man with one wand in hand, the other set aside. Thus, the card is usually about making a choice. Wands are passion, and passion is not something that works when split. It requires a single focus. This card indicates a choice about where to put your energy and passion. Some readers find this card confusing as compared to the Lovers card, which is also about choice. The Lovers is usually about an unexpected choice coming into your life. You intended to go one way, but something appeared, you feel connected to it, and now have a choice to make. Often the Lovers carries a feeling that the wrong choice could lead to real regret.
By comparison, the two wands present you with equal directions to go. A fork in the road and either way seems good. Or two ways of doing the same thing. Both look good, but you can only put your energy into doing one. So you make a choice. You'll likely have an instinctive feeling that one is slightly more to your liking then the other. This card signals that moment where you pause, give both walking sticks a feel in the hand and decide on one over the other. You likely will not regret that choice, only that you didn't have energy enough to do both.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is a card about making an intuitive choice. There are two possibilities, equally good, and the querent judges them and goes with is instinct after one or the other. Reversed, it seems quite clear that a decision cannot be made. The blocked interpretation is most clear for this - something is preventing the person from seeing any difference in the two, from being able to tell which is the one in which to invest his energy.
Three of Wands
Standard Meaning: A man with two wands, holding a third, looks out to sea, waiting. Sometimes there are boats on the horizon. This is the card of "waiting for the ships to come in." The person has invested their passion in something - a new career, a big move to a new city (remember wands signify travel as well), maybe they've even thrown their hat into a political ring - and now the energy they sent out is coming back to them. It is a card of progress, of the first hint that the dream can be made real.
This card also indicates that, like a woman holding her new born babe in her arms for the first time, or a politician hearing that the first round of votes are for him/her, the querent might rightly be feeling a little proud, even powerful. They might be warned, however, to not get too excited. Though there is a sense that positive results are coming in, they should wait till the ships have all appeared and docked before celebrating or boasting.
Reversed Meaning: Waiting for ships to come in, this card promises the payoff for that initial investment of energy. Your good choice brings rewards. Reversed, however, and you get, I think, a blocked interpretation. A delay in the pay off, or, if really opposite, the ships have sunk. The anticipated reward is not or cannot come your way.
Four of Wands
Standard Meaning: This card, with its four wands holding up garlands, implies that the foundation is finished and ready to be developed. It signifies the successful completion of a first stage or a first draft, first full rehearsal, first election to a small but significant post. It also predicts that the querent will (or has) enjoyed this moment of completion, celebrated it.
Often this card is read as indicating marriage, this because marriage is seen as the "completion" of the first stage of a relationship. The couple cement the foundation they've laid down with a commitment ceremony. There is a danger when this card comes up, however, of the querent feeling like they've finished the project when, in truth, they've only finished that first part. Many see marriage as the goal of a relationship rather than the completion of a stage. A reader might do well to remind the querent that while a celebration for having completed this first stage is well deserved, they need to also think of ways to re-energize themselves. There is more to do.
Reversed Meaning: Often called "The marriage card", this is the card of foundations laid and ready to be built upon. Reversed would indicate a blockage of this energy. The foundation is not laid or not ready - the cement, perhaps, is still wet. Certainly if a reader got this for a querent engaged to be married, the reader may want to warn the querent that they ought to postpone the wedding. Something is not solid about the relationship and the couple are not ready to marry yet. Possibly the families aren't united either. All in all, if this card is reversed, it suggests that there is quicksand underneath rather than solid stone.
Five of Wands
Standard Meaning: Five similar young men with five wands battle among themselves. When you invest energy in a project, you often find that it develops and grows quickly in the early stages, but not in later stages. Like a small company just starting, or someone who runs for mayor of a small town, the lack of serious competition make success likely. But when that company gets big enough, or the little mayor wants to be a state representative, then winning becomes harder. More competition, or just stronger competition makes it harder.
The Five of Wands is about this moment when we find ourselves competing with others who have just as much clout and ambition. It predicts conflict and power struggles, inner doubts and fears. Like an athlete who stands out in high school, yet in college finds that he's not so amazing or special, we can lose our passion and drive to succeed. This is, as with all the fives, a blow to one's pride. The question: "how can I stand out?" The answer is to over come your fear of competition and be bold. This is not the time to retreat or play it safe. This is the time to pull out all the stops and do something different. The querent should be advised that they're looking at some stiff competition. The battle may be playful, a test rather than serious, but their performance could make a difference to their future.
Reversed Meaning: In this card, the querent is warned that he will lose his individuality. That he will be struggling to stand out among others equally talented. What's positive about this card is that there is a struggle, a belief that one can stand out. Thus, reversed, this card suggests that the person has no faith in winning such a struggle, and so doesn't even try.
This is the card of the person who walks in for a job interview, sees all these other talented people waiting, and walks out. They say, "What's the use of even trying. I can't possibly compete with them!"
Six of Wands
Standard Meaning: The Victory Card: A victorious man on a horse, carrying a wand with a laurel wreath, is applauded by all. Here is the conclusion to what happened with the Five of Wands. Competition was fierce, the querent was bold and stood out not only as the winner, but as the crowd pleaser. Now he finds a unique equilibrium. The crowd offers the victor applause, which energizes him and makes him eager to keep winning. He, in turn, offers them a champion to adore, giving them energy and inspiration. Both are uplifted: the victor with the adulation, the crowd with a hero to adulate.
We've all seen this sort of exchange of energy with sports or rock heroes who are "pumped up" by the enthusiasm of the crowd and in turn, put on a performance that energizes their fans. Of course, the star must keep putting on good shows if he expects to hold onto his fans, and the crowd must maintain their level of excitement to get their show. Which is why the card also carries a warning not to become too attached or reliant such shows or on such applause. Heroes can have bad days, and fans can drift away. At this moment, however, the querent gets the victory and recognition they need to feel invincible, and gives back to those cheering him on.
Reversed Meaning: The victory card is all about success, applause and accolades. The energy the person put into their endeavour has paid off and they have won. Reverse it however, and we can easily see several interpretations: opposite being a defeat rather than a win, but more likely, the blocked interpretation of something getting in the way of victory. I would read this as either a victory delayed, or one achieved but not getting the applause it should get.
Seven of Wands
Standard Meaning: A man defends himself with one wand against six others. This is the "under siege" card. The stakes are high, and the querent is under attack; even worse, the odds are against him. This is where the energy you've been using to create must be used to defend what you've created.
Usually this card indicates a disagreement with how you are directing and managing your career, criticism of a philosophy, or a schism in the religion. Those who you gathered in, who were your supporters are now at odds with you. They think you're in error and that someone else could do better. They want you to step down. And so you're on the defensive, fighting to regain control. The card urges you to stand your ground. The reader can tell the querent that though his enemies seem stronger, they don't expect resistance, and his fighting spirit will daunt them. This card tells us to use what we've learned about maintaining our energy, about being bold and stalwart and we will win the battle.
Reversed Meaning: The "holding your ground" card indicates that you use your energy to defend your position, even if it's not popular. There is no indication in the card if the person holding his ground is right or wrong, only that he must hold his ground to achieve his goal. Reversed, we get the opposite: that the person can't or won't be able to hold their ground; that they will immediately fold under pressure, drop to their knees and surrender rather than try to defend themselves or stand up for what they believe in. They may have faith in their ideas or religion, but they haven't the stomach to fight for those ideas or religion, not when others insist that they're wrong.
Eight of Wands
Standard Meaning: Eight wands cut across the sky. When we finally put to use our human intellect to manage our energy, we find that we can really speed things up. This isn't about "taming" the energy, but rather avoiding waste and making the best use of it. This is our example of banking the fire so that we have more heat and light.
Another example would be knowing when to speed up on a highway and when to slow down. If we speed all the time, we may spin out of control on curves and crash. This way we not only get where we're going but often get there faster than those moving at top speed. This card predicts fast developments, fast travel, things happening quickly and competently. Nothing wasted. Whatever is going on, the querent won't need to worry about it being on time, it should arrive early. Things will get done quickly and will develop in a speedy manner with energy to spare. This will be, in part, because they understand how their energy works, and how to limit it so as to get the most out of it.
Reversed Meaning: Interpreting the Eight of Wands, by comparison, is relatively easy. Upright, the Eight of Wands is all about speedy movement ahead. Things fall into place and there is a fast climbing of the ladder as well as a burst of energy.
Block this, and we get sluggishness, lack of energy, slowness. This is both without and within - without, things take longer than they should, there are delays. Within, the person feels tired, unmotivated.
Nine of Wands
Standard Meaning: A wounded man holding a wand stands guard over the other eight wands. This is the "failure-is-not-an-option," card. Think of climbing flight after flight of stairs to get to the top; you finally stop, panting, and wonder "Will I ever get to the top?" Unlike the Seven/Pents, however, there is no giving up, no going back after all you've done to get this high. You dig deep, find some reserve of energy and keep going.
Likewise, our soldier, wounded and tired as he is, is not going to stop protecting those wands. Thus, the energy of the wands is invested back into ourselves for that final push. Though we may not know it, this will be our last investment, completing what we set out to create. The card predicts that the querent will get what they seek from the wands, a career goal, leadership position, whatever they've invested their energy into making real. They will, however, feel guarded and wary till it's done. And, like climbing flight after flight of stairs, they might be a little paranoid at this point. They might not believe that all they've invested is about to pay off. Or, like the soldier, they may not be willing to let someone else guard their wands even if they could use a rest. Which means that this card often comes up for querents who are unable to delegate, worn-out mothers who won't let anyone else, not even dad, care for their baby, directors who won't let anyone else rehearse the actors, etc. The results of this will be seen in 10/Wands. In 9/Wands, however, the querent only needs to be assured that they do have reserves of energy and strength for that final push. Completion of all they've worked for is right there, all they need do is go for it!
Reversed Meaning: The "last stand" card has a person putting their final reserves of energy into maintaining, guarding and supporting whatever it is they've built. There is the temptation to surrender, to give up, but if they just hold out, they will succeed. It's almost over.
Reverse this and we might well say to our poor soldier that the cavalry aren't coming. The reversed card signals either not having enough energy for that last stand, or a waste of energy. Like putting all your energy into an important sales pitch and succeeding, only to find that your bosses have changed their minds about the deal. Trying to save the fort wasn't worth the effort.
Ten of Wands
Standard Meaning: A man carries ten heavy wands, trying to keep them together, bowed over by their weight. The image on this card implies that the Querent has complete control of all the many things he wanted control over. He is the leader, the boss. But this means that all the burdens are his as well.
The qualities of Wands--passions, temper, creativity, energy, spirit, ambition-need some restrictions, as in the eight of wands, to make them faster and more efficient. When they become too restricted, however, or given so many tasks that the energy is parceled out into many portions, then nothing can thrive. All the energy can do, at best, is maintain itself. We often see this in life. Someone comes up with a great idea and starts a movement. The movement has energy, drive and creativity. It grows and thrives. Then it becomes hugely popular, which we might think is a good thing, but turns out to be the ruin of it. It gets weighed down by bureaucracy, rules, legalities. Likewise with a small business that gets too corporate, or a family where mom, dad and kids sign themselves up for too many activities. All energy goes into maintaining a status quo rather than allowing or fostering change and innovation. This, alas, is where Wands comes to if it goes all the way around to that final turn. The message of the card is rather like that old saying, "it used to be about the music!" Too much success or achievement can make you lose sight of your passion for something. Especially if that success requires you to manage a cumbersome music empire rather than just playing the music. When this card shows up, it's time to let the querent know that they're weighed down by too many responsibilities. This is the Nine of Pentacles plus one. They've not only weighed down their body, but their spirit. They need to scale back or delegate authority. Most of all, they need to remember why they wanted to do this in the first place. They need to rediscover their passion for the thing rather than be burdened by it.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is a card about taking on too many burdens. It is the end result of putting out all your energy into projects - they multiply and you find yourself carrying the entire load. Here's the important thing, however, these burdens were brought about by good fortune, by doing the right thing. The querent built up a good and honest business (for example) and now it puts too many demands on his time - but he did right.
Reversed, therefore is a person trying to shirk his responsibilities. This is the dad who promises his kids he'll do all kinds of things for them and never does; the guy at work who volunteers for everything, then passes the jobs onto others to do - or just doesn't do them, leaving a mess for everyone else to clean up. This is a person who doesn't carry their load, they toss it away, neglect it, put it on someone else's back.
Page of Wands
Standard Meaning: As a Message: Wands often signify travel as well as passion, religion, temper and career. This card can signify a message from far away about a trip, career move, leadership position or something spiritual or philosophical.
As Time and Environment: This card can relate to a time of new learning, new discoveries, new inventions. There is child-like excitement and energy to get things started. As a Child or "Child-like" Person: The Page of Wands is the sort of child (or child-like adult) who is full of energy. Manic, we might call him/her. They always want to go outside and play and are always getting into strange places, climbing trees, wanting to go to distant places, like to amusement parks or on camping trips. He/she is never home for dinner on time, and can be frustrating. However, he/she is also so charismatic and optimistic that they're often forgiven. He/she is but happy, fun-loving, enjoys being the center of attention and the leader. Warn the querent, however, that being "immature" this person might tend to bully others or throw temper tantrums.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, our Page of Wands is an energetic, athletic newcomer who won't sit still. They are cheerful, warm, ready to help or come to the rescue, even if, being new, they don't quite know what to do.
Reversed, this Page can be a bully, using their strength and mean temper to get their way. Also a show-off, demanding that everyone pay attention to them. This is the new guy who will take credit for another's work in order to get the promotion. If upright and not a person, this card is about messages regarding travel, spirituality, show-biz, career moves and leadership positions and party invitations. Reversed these messages are likely to be negatives in regards to this - no, you can't go on that trip, or sorry, you didn't get that job you wanted, or some other actress got the lead part. Also messages regarding problems with a party you might be throwing.
Knight of Wands
Standard Meaning: As Travel: An exciting trip, and likely a long one to an exotic place by motorcycle, car, bus or train.
As Change and Movement: Like the teen years, Knights are about maturing, changes, movement and the Knight of Wands would suggest things switching, moving, or changing rapidly. Energy, in particular, might go up or down dramatically. In the negative, there is a fighting atmosphere to this Knight, the time or environment may be electric with an almost sports-like desire to do battle, even when it might not be wise to do so. Changes won't be frightening, but they may seem wild and unexpected. As a Teen or "Teen-like" Person: The Knight of Wands is the "tilting at windmills" Knight. The kind of youth who always goes for grand, dramatic gestures. This is the restless teen or teen-like adult who loves his car and seems to live in it, driving everywhere, picking up his friends as he goes. And there is usually no telling where he'll drive to or end up. He's popular, the center of attention, the leader who comes up with crazy ideas. He'll be voted class president or Prom King, and is likely an aggressive player on the football team, but don't expect him to be all that serious or serious minded. He's at an age where he wants to have fun and party. On the negative side, this teen can be headstrong, bossy or a bully-and a risk-taker, meaning he could do dangerous things and convince others to do dangerous things. A little narcissistic, he's not always sensitive to others feelings. Don't expect him to be reliable or on time, but he can be fiercely loyal to his friends, and his religion whether that is sports, a philosophy or church.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is our star quarterback; a warm-hearted, genuinely friendly fellow who loves to lead and win the battle for his team. He also likes to go out and celebrate afterwards. A fellow with irresistible charm, he is nevertheless open and honest, the natural center of attention and the one in the drivers seat. And he does like to drive as fast and as far as his stallion will take him.
Reverse this, and we get a bully who wants to win at any cost. This is an intimidating fellow who will threaten those who stand in his way - perhaps not physically, but he has influence, and acting talent. He'll turn on his charm and make people think you've wronged him. He'll thunder at his girlfriend (or if female, scream mercilessly at her boyfriend), blast his considerable and teenage-tough-like temper at those who bump into him at a bar, break and throw things, but when confronted, will be all humble and repentant, seeming so sincere that folk forgive him. This is the abusive boyfriend or girlfriend. This is also the guy who will steal your spotlight away if he can. If you bring in something to show and tell, he's sure to bring in something bigger - he lets no one upstage him. With his charm he'll steal your girl (or if he's a girl, she'll steal your guy!), steal your friends, ingratiate himself with the boss and get that promotion you wanted...and no one but you will know the truth. Do not let his guy be your roommate. He'll trash the place and expect you to clean up, play his music loud at all hours, borrow your car and crash it. He's a nightmare. If not a person, this card signals trouble travelling in a land vehicle (car, bus, train), most likely a motorcycle. Something is going to break--or there might be a crash from going too fast. Watch out.
Queen of Wands
Standard Meaning: As a development: Developing a trip or making real a career, or creating a movement.
As an adult woman: They light up a room when they enter, radiating warmth and energy, humor and spirit. Very often this queen is in entertainment, an actress or pop star. The Queen of Wands can also be a leader and activist. Like other Wands, the Queen of Wands signals having charisma, drawing others to you like moths to a flame. Her energy can certainly burn others as she is hot, passionate, and restless. On the other hand, a Queen of Wands can be gentle; she loves children and is an enthusiastic participant in their lives: making costumes for plays, coaching teams, etc. Which is good, but the querent should be warned that this woman might be in danger of being a soccer mom-too involved with her children's lives. A Queen of Wands is a very creative woman with boundless energy to make, do, travel, entertain. The problem, of course, is that this queen has trouble keeping out of the spotlight. She can overwhelm or intimidate, be bossy and overbearing. At her best, however, she is an inspiration to family and friends, and often to admiring strangers as well. No matter the situation, this woman will get things done and done well.
Reversed Meaning: The Queen of Wands is a Queen of energy and warmth, who is always center stage, even as she directs the action. Hers is a charisma that can get things done whether it's raising money for charity, putting on a play or getting a politician elected. This is the woman with all the connections, all the friends to call or e-mail. She makes things happen.
The negatives of this Queen, however, seen in her reversal, is that she can easily intimidate. You will do things her way. She refuses to listen to the opinions of others, she knows best. She becomes, as discussed, almost a dominatrix, one with a terrible temper if you happen to cross or go against her. And if you fall out of favor with her, she will call all those friends and make sure you are abandoned. The Queen of the social scene will have you snubbed. The Queen of Wands is the Queen of energy and getting things done by way of energy, faith, charisma and friendship. Reverse her and we have a real lack of energy, a loss of faith. A woman who disappears rather than stands out, a woman who as no friends. Externally, this card could signal a drop in social status, friends are not willing or able to help. Internally, this card could easily signal chronic fatigue syndrome
King of Wands
Standard Meaning: As Motivation: The planning of a great trip, the idea for some grand new career, being motivated to go into politics or take charge. Depending where it is in the spread, it can indicate that the querent has decided to take command, to overthrow the old with his new, bold ideas.
As an Adult Man: Call him "The Preacher." He fills a room when he walks in, expansive, full of energy, charisma, fun. You know this man; he's the motivational speaker, the charismatic church leader, the great innovator who can turn a company around, with employees working overtime to please him. He is the warm politician, the idea man, the bullying coach who transforms losers into winners. He loves danger, adventure, challenges. This is Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Henry V. He always has to lead the charge and he hasn't friends so much as worshippers; people either love him or hate him, and the same goes for his family. Not that he doesn't love his family; he fell in love with his wife at first sight and wooed her till she loved him back; and he's great with kids. No dad was ever so inventive or fun. But he fully expects his family to come with him, wherever he goes - be it on African Safari or to the President's mansion. They must support whatever he does. If they don't, his other side can come to the surface, one that is jealous, impatient, tyrannical. It is not surprising that sometimes his wife or children will rebel against him, or leave him altogether. At his best, however, he is as adored by his off-spring as he is by his people. His praise and approval is worth more to them than fame or fortunes, and they will go above and beyond the call of duty to please him.
Reversed Meaning: The King of Wands is a most charismatic leader. An innovator who can get a following with one speech; adventurous, challenging, warm and in charge. His ideas set people on fire and motivate them to do the impossible. Here is a man who can get pyramids built and countries conquered or peace movements rolling. He can impose civilization on unruly mobs with his energetic willpower alone.
The negatives of the King of Wands come through in the reversal where he becomes, well, Hitlerian. He expects people to worship him and do as he says as if he were a god, not a human leader. He has secret police and shuts down any critics of his ideas. His temper is terrible, often violent - and if he wishes it, he can turn his otherwise civilized followers into barbaric, bloodthirsty mobs, ransacking and destroying in his name. The King of Wands represents the energy of innovation, change, motivation and challenges. This is the power to get something new started which will make a great difference. Reverse this and we see blocks to innovation and change ; old powers standing in the way, red tape that makes it difficult to just bring out a new invention. Internally, it can mean a fear of taking big, important chances or risks, putting your beliefs or ideas on the line.
Ace of Cups
Standard Meaning: West/Fall. Emotions rising up for new love. This usually indicates that the querent is feeling a new welling of emotion or beginning to have some vivid dreams. They're not writing the poetry yet, but they feel the desire to, or they may have caught sight of a figure across a room and felt a tug at their heart, or even passed by some holy place and felt the spirit yearning. They've lifted the cup and they want to drink from it.
Reversed Meaning: Aces are the spark, the initial energy of the suit: unfocused, undirected, pure and new. So for the Ace of Cups, a new emotion. If we reverse the Aces then the most immediate opposite meaning is that there is no spark of energy, idea, emotion or luck, or that the potential for these is blocked. Reversed Aces are like trying to start a fire, and getting nothing. No smoke, no spark. It's the hope of a hope that never comes. There's not even the feeling that something was there and died - it was never there in the first place. You just feel that something that could have become "it" ought to have been there.
Two of Cups
Standard Meaning: This card of two people looking into each other's eyes is one of the easiest to read - it is recognition of love, of a friend or a sympathetic soul. It might also be that kind of recognition of being drawn to a creative endeavor or spiritual path. Thus, the swelling of emotion within you is toward this person or thing. This happens all the time to us. We're at a party, feeling like we can't talk to anyone, sit down at the bar, meet the eyes of the person next to us and feel that they feel the same way. That we're "simpatico." Maybe we laugh or smile or exchange a few words.
It is a moment of shared feeling, and it could lead to more if we want to invest more emotion into the relationship, if we feel that this might be for us. Or, as the night ends, we might just nod to the other person and go our separate way. A choice must be made of whether we will direct our new emotions toward them or not.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is one of the most romantic cards in the deck. Eyes across a room, recognition of a kindred soul, a new friend or lover. Flirting, even, and that spark of emotion in the Ace finds an object for its new feelings. Reverse this and you can almost see the two figures not gazing at each other, but with their backs to each other, cups empty. Instead of magnetic attraction, they repel. Or, at best (using a blocked interpretation), they fail to notice each other. Like a romantic comedy where the leads keep missing each other as they walk down the same streets.
Three of Cups
Standard Meaning: Three maidens with three overflowing cups celebrate. The creation here, springing from the investment of emotion, is "family" meaning either family members that you're reunited with, or a young friendship with people who are like family.
In the Rider-Waite deck autumnal fruit surrounds our three ladies, suggesting that they are celebrating the abundance of the harvest to sustain them through lean times. Or, perhaps, this relates to the great, Elysian mysteries, which celebrated the return of Persephone from the underworld and, with her, the return of abundant grain and fruit. Either way, they interlock arms as they lift their cups, toasting each other, united in joy and love. This card can signify parties, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays or a holiday dinner. What it signals most strongly, however, is being with those who are emotionally in tune with you and you with them. If this card comes up regarding a question about a new relationship, it usually means that you're either discussing it with friends/family, or introducing this new person to friends/family. You're taking the next step in strengthening your emotional bond with the person. That is to say, you're feeling serious enough about them to let them meet those who are important to you-and let those who are important to you meet them.
Reversed Meaning: Celebration, sisterhood, joy. Reverse this and our dancing ladies loose all the liquid in their cups. I read this as a celebration gone sour. Sisters bitching at each other, jealous or hurtful rather than loving. vRemember also that one of the most negative things about cups is that they can stand for indulgence in sloth, food, liquor or drugs. So this could suggest a party where things go wrong because people drink too much or take drugs.
Four of Cups
Standard Meaning: Water is about movement and flow, making the stability of the "fours" contrary to this element. Which is why it's a card about dissatisfaction. A man sitting under a tree with three cups is offered a fourth by a hand from a cloud. He seems to be staring at the three cups he has, the fourth from the cloud suggesting that he feels unhappy with those three. This is sometimes called the "grass is greener" card. It indicates discontent. What we thought was wonderful when our feelings were new is now taken for granted. We might even start to find fault with it, become irritated by what we imagine is lacking or wrong with it.
The man under the tree is still, comfortably seated even, but it's clear that his feelings are restless. Think of those who stew in their emotions, grumbling and grousing, maybe wasting their time drinking or spending too much time on the internet. He's too locked in habit and routine to move, but habit and routine no longer give him comfort. He is dissatisfied and bored. The querent might be on either side of this stagnant relationship, the man under the tree or the unappreciated cups. Either way, something must be done to bring these feelings out into the open and change them. There is still time to salvage the relationship, but that time is running out.
Reversed Meaning: A card where the status quo, pleasant as it is, has become boring and the person has begun to dream of other things. The card can suggest either laziness or restlessness. Reversed, our cup of dreams spills out its temptation. But all the other cups are emptied too, and the seated dreamer is unseated. This suggests that life is not so restful and good that the person can become discontent with it. In fact, things are so emotionally empty that the dreamer can't even imagine a better life.
Five of Cups
Standard Meaning: A young man looks down in despair at three spilled cups of wine, never seeing the two still standing. This is the card of spilled milk. It suggests an obsession over something that has been lost so much so that what remains goes unnoticed. The querent might be feeling disappointed in someone for not living up to their expectations, making them blind to the person's good qualities. Or the querent themselves might have done something they now regret, and they just can't get past it.
Remember the Four of Cups and how much fault and dissatisfaction the man found with his three cups? Now they're gone and he is humbled, crushed. Why didn't he value them as he should have? Two cups remain, but he may not know they're there, or he may fears to look back. What if they, too are gone? The question: "How do I stop from drowning in these mortifying feelings?" The answer is to have the strength to stop staring down at what went wrong. There is no finding redemption if you're too lost in woe and fear to look for it. The querent is likely going through a time where they feel shame over their bad feelings, regret over something they lost or knocked over. The reader must remind them that all is not so hopeless as it seems. They can redeem themselves.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is a card about regret for lost love or other good feelings or people. What is always pointed out about his card is that even though the man weeps over the spilled cups, there are two standing that he's not seeing. Not all that is good is gone.
One can well imagine how dark, therefore, is the reversed card. Turn it upside-down and the liquid in the remaining two cups is lost as well. Our weeping man has lost it all. Some because he spilled it himself, the rest because he didn't notice it and it evaporated. This is the stereotypical scenario of the man who weeps over the loss of a beautiful girlfriend, never seeing the plain girl who still loves him and is still there waiting for him. In the reversed card, the plain girl finally gives up and goes off in search of love elsewhere.
Six of Cups
Standard Meaning: Two children among six flowering cups. There is a great deal of rich and complex symbolism in this card, but in a nutshell, it is a moment of innocent love, the boy and the girl both touching that one cup with the flower in it. He gets joy from giving it to her, and she gets joy in receiving it from him. This card is most often viewed as nostalgia, of some old friend or thing coming back into our lives and letting us relive a happy moment from our past. The real meaning, however, is "joy," in particular, a known joy. This is the connection we make with someone (or something) who always makes us feel happy. They, in turn, get an equal measure of joy from making us happy.
The joy we get is familiar and reliable. This might be gained by flipping through old photos and remembering happier times, chatting with a beloved family member, meeting with good friends for a drink, indulging in familiar foods, or enjoying the comfort of a favorite pair of slippers. As with all the sixes, this remarkable moment of happiness cannot last, no more than the children can stay innocent children. This known joy, like a bowl of chicken soup, can make everything right and better for the moment, but the querent should not rely on it as a miracle cure. This card can also warn that the querent is too attached to the "known," and afraid to experience anything new or unknown. They may be too reliant on old habits or too attached to an old lover. For this moment, however, the reader can tell the querent that this is what they need to restore emotional equilibrium: to connect with someone or something that they know will make them happy.
Reversed Meaning: The nostalgia card is about finding answers in the past, in old friends, old family members, even just memories of youth and innocence. Reverse this and such memories or friends and family cause more problems than answers. If I got the reversed Six of Cups for a querent, I'd say that their childhood was so bad that anything that reminds them of it causes them emotional upset rather than emotional peace and joy.
Seven of Cups
Standard Meaning: A man sees seven cups floating on a cloud, each with something enticing rising out of it. This is the "daydream" card. Cups are the suit of emotions, but also fantasies and illusions. It is card where our own dreams and emotions make the situation difficult. Think of a girl who gets asked out by three different boys. Her strong emotions toward each keep her from saying yes or no; instead, she indulges in fantasies of how the dates might go, which not only puts off the decision, but makes it harder.
This is the Seven of Cups where you, the chooser, are given the challenge of getting past mixed emotions and self-deception. It predicts that the querent is or will be faced with choices that emotionally pull them in several directions. Daydreams of what could be will further muddy the waters. Seven, as mentioned, is a number of creativity, and cups are the suit of creative dreamers. Which makes the challenge of this Seven to rein in that abundance of creativity. To stop it from running wild. Emotions, too, have to be reined in. The querent needs to concentrate on what they really feel, really want and can realistically imagine getting from each of these choices. The choice must be made not hastily, but soberly and maturely. And definitively. Once again, the message is to stand fast. Don't let your emotions carry you off into fantasies and daydreams. Stay in reality, focus on making a decision. This card can also indicate a person who is living in dreams, preferring fantasy to reality, or someone lost in "their cups." Meaning using alcohol or drugs to escape reality.
Reversed Meaning: The "illusion" card presents a variety of tempting cups, but which of these futures are possible to achieve and which are unrealistic dreams? The card doesn't say. Troubling as this card is, however, the reverse is worse. As with all cup cards, what the cups contain is spilled out. And in this case, the querent has not even illusions to motivate them to continue on. They've stopped dreaming, imagining, wishing
Eight of Cups
Standard Meaning: A man leaves behind eight cups to follow the moon. There are two views on this card. Some view it as a kind of "morning after." In this interpretation, the querent has been indulging, possibly for a while, in luxuries, drink, etc. Or, at least, indulging in what seemed important to him. Now he has "sobered up" and realized that he wasted his feelings on something or someone who, like cheap wine, wasn't worth it. Like the Lion, he leaves the wild where he roamed free, and seeks the Maiden (the Moon) where there he may not feel so freely, but will gain more from those feelings.
This can be taken literally as a card about the querent sobering up from binge drinking or a wild relationship and realizing that it brought him down, made him seem uncivilized and brutal. Now he wants to do better. The other view of his card is similar, but less harsh. The querent may genuinely care for these familiar cups (things or people) whether or not they lived up to expectations. A crazy new dream, however, is calling to him, maybe has been calling for a while. His instincts are to follow the dream. But good idea or not (an inverted card might suggest that it's a bad idea or an illusion), he'll need fortitude to do this. It is easy to give your emotions freely to what is known, harder to give them to what is unknown. Yet the unknown is what will likely raise you up to a new level. In both instances, the card tells the querent that whatever they've been investing their emotions in, it has brought them down, made them less of a human being than they want to be. They need to give their feeling to that that which will en-noble them. This something will not be found in any familiar places. They must have the fortitude to search for it elsewhere. This can be a card of separation or divorce, or perhaps a spiritual calling. It could also imply a literal move or trip, especially from an established home to a new, unknown one in an unknown land.
Reversed Meaning: The Eight of Cups is also relatively easy. This is the follow your dream card, and in the upright, the person leaves what is comfortable and established to follow their dreams - however remote or improbable.
Reverse this and our dreamer walks away from his dreams to come home. Worse, as the cups are inverted, home isn't that comfortable. This is that terrible card where a querent who went out to make his own life surrenders that life to take care of his domineering parents. It's the husband who sells his dream business because the woman he married insists on it, and now he's working at something he hates, living in a home where there is no love. A very, very sad and painful card. The querent has given up his dearest dream as being impossible, and surrendered to a miserable reality.
Nine of Cups
Standard Meaning: An innkeeper sits before nine cups set out for guests. This is considered one of the best cards of the minors, the "wish" card. Keep in mind, however, that this card is not Alladin's magic lantern granting you that new car or winning lottery number. It is about our wish for emotional fulfillment.
In some mystical systems it's thought that what you put out will return back to you threefold. Or, as Shakespeare put it, the more love you give to others, the more you have, for "both are infinite." (Romeo & Juliet, II,ii). This is something of the meaning of this card. The more love and good emotions that you put out into the universe, the more come back to you until you have a feast of good wishes. Think of it like walking into an inn and finding that the innkeeper has already filled his chalices with the best wine for you and your friends. The reader can predict for the querent satisfaction in family, friends and relationships, joy and camaraderie. They will feel creative and happy. In addition, this card could be a prediction of a great dinner, an amazing party or just a wonderful night at the local pub.
Reversed Meaning: The "wish" card is really about the completion of family and Earthly happiness. It is a card about feasting with friends and family, the comforts of good food, good drink, love, friendship, cheer. This is why it's the "wish" card, because what more could anyone wish for?
Reverse it however, and you are not going to get what you wish. This is a card about a family (or friendship) falling apart; siblings, parents, friends and children are at best indifferent; at worst, they hate each other and want to cause each other misery and pain. There is vindictiveness and cruelty. Likely abuses, divorces, child custody cases, and indulgences (alcoholism) and/or psychological problems. This might also signal a family coming apart; a family once close, having family gatherings, but disintegrating with each new generation until it's not really a family at all.
Ten of Cups
Standard Meaning: A family delights in a rainbow of cups. This card indicates that the querent has risen above petty emotions, like anger or resentment, to mature emotions. Meaning that they are able to feel what others feel, and know how to respond to them and create an emotional connection. This, in turn, allows them to create the sort of family, friendships and neighborhoods we all dream of having. Ones that know how to offer emotional support, understanding and comfort.
Thus, the card predicts that the querent has the instincts, control and maturity to get out of emotional difficulties and misunderstanding; they know how to restore emotional harmony between family members, friends and neighbors. As advice, it urges the querent to be empathetic, also to smile, be kind, be warm, be emotionally generous, and to trust their emotional wisdom. It also predicts good times with those we love-reunions, holidays, special occasions. If any such are coming up, the querent can be told that they'll go better than expected. As for relationships, the querent can be told to remember the love that brought the them and their partner together and ought to be holding them together still. Put aside the disagreements over money or work or politics and delight in the rainbow.
Reversed Meaning: This is a card about the spiritual bliss of love, love in partnership and in family, love in the home. There is affection and warmth, joy and harmony.
Reversed: In essence, reversed this card is a disruption of the harmony. Someone in the family, or something in the partnership is making it hard to maintain the love. This may be as simple as a child throwing temper tantrums or a teenager rebelling. Or it may be a bit darker than that - a husband/wife with a vice or addiction or psychological problem that is getting worse and eroding what would otherwise be a happy home. The difference here between Nine of Cups and Ten of Cups: the Nine of Cups reversed is like going to a family party or dinner and everyone is shouting or making trouble; disruption is total, the family is in pieces. In Ten of Cups reversed there is the feeling that all was well - and could be well again - but for one, disruptive problem that is eating away at the soul of the family. There is a focus and a center to what is turning the family up-side-down. It isn't, as at our reversed tavern in the Nine of Cups, a free-for-all. This makes Ten of Cups more problematic. In Nine of Cups, as discussed, we can conclude there's no wishing this away and best to cut ties. But in the Ten of Cups, there is no wish to cut ties or give up on the person. The erosion is slow but equally devastating, like rust. The person causing the problem is still loved, still part of the family...but what can be done?
Page of Cups
Standard Meaning: As a Message: Usually the Page of Cups signifies a message of family matters or a matter of the heart. It might be an artistic message, a story or poem, or a message confessing deep feelings.
As Time and Environment: This is a time of fresh emotions, feeling them purely and wondering at them. Romance is at the stage of puppy love and crushes. As a Child or "Child-like" Person: This is the daydreamer, head in the clouds, rarely paying attention. Which makes it difficult to get them to focus on homework or chores. The Page of Cups has got a great imagination, an artistic bent, and a love of story-telling which is both wonderful, but problematic, as they may let their imaginations run away with them. They will believe that there are elves in the garden and monsters under the bed. Adult-wise, they may not be taken serious as they're viewed as too "airy-fairy." Very kind and sweet, they'll bring you fresh picked flower, make you a card, write you a song; they'll try to rescue sick birds or abandoned kittens, and take very seriously the death of a goldfish. When sad, they're the saddest kid you ever saw. When happy, they're positively blissful. Warn the querent, however, that being "immature" this person will be overly sensitive. One has to be clear with them or they will misunderstand, but one also has to be prepared for very emotional reactions.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this card is about a very sensitive and gentle newcomer, one with the soul of a poet. Deeply imaginative and empathetic, they will really care about your opinion and try hard to please you.
Reverse this card, and our newcomer is someone who is hard to motivate. They're sad all the time and they'll bring your mood down with them. This is the apprentice who does his work but grudgingly, as if wondering what the point was. They may also weep and cry way too easily and over nothing - dealing with them is hard as you have to walk on eggshells. If not a person, the upright Page of Cups relates to love letters and messages from your loving family. Reverse this and you can expect sad messages, word of break-ups, divorce, infidelity, alcoholism, drugs. The romance or family in trouble.
Knight of Cups
Standard Meaning: As Travel: Travel to lake, river or sea, or by water.
As Change and Movement: As with the Teen years, this card can indicate changes that involve emotional ups and down. The mood in the querent's environment, with friends or family, might switch rapidly from elation to depression, from sorrow to optimism. Especially in regards to a relationship this card can indicate a time of emotional flux, of fights about feelings. As a Teen or "Teen-like" Person: A knight in the truest sense, this is the knight of love, the "emo" teen: dreamy, sensitive, moody, "deep." He plays music, spends long hours alone in his room with the shades drawn, he writes dark, meaningful poetry. He or she will fall in love, profoundly and romantically, and believe that theirs is the most true, the most intense and spiritual love ever. They can, likewise, see themselves as more spiritual, artistic or "deep" than others. They have a tendency to believe that others just "don't understand" and can't understand the power of their feelings. The Knight of Cups should be watched for depression, which can be very real and serious. This teen or teen-like person may be so lost in emotions that they are inclined toward suicide. They are also in danger of experimenting with drugs and alcohol, not to have fun, but to escape from their intense feelings. Though moody, the Knight of Cups is fiercely loyal to anyone and anything he loves, including family.
Reversed Meaning: The sensitive Knight of Cups travels from place to place to sing his love songs. This is a deeply creative knight, poet, musician, painter, writer. He is a soulful artist, still new, but with great promise. A gentle soul he's a Good Samaritan, a fantastic and empathetic listener and friend. This is the boy who is close with women and learns all their heartfelt secrets--or the girl who gets guys to open up to her.
Reversed, however, this Knight sinks into gloom and depression. The glass is always half-empty, they wear only black, and whatever story they tell ends in tragedy. Far from being romantic, this knight is cynical and can use their insights into human nature to wound people, to make others hurt as much as they, themselves hurt. Young-Adult-wise they might suffer from problems common to teens, hormonal imbalances, moodiness, being rude and bitter and rebellious. Also, and most troubling, he might be suicidal. Contrariwise, they could be hyper sensitive, finding insult in the smallest things, crying excessively, showing timidity, changing their minds all the time. There is no way to make arrangements with this person; they won't make it because they've changed their minds, or they're too sad, or too tired or too afraid of something or other. Their over-active imaginations blow everything out of proportion. Like looking at something through water, everything is magnified and blurry. If not a person, this card warns about travel by water, boats especially, but any water sport or activity. Check equipment, take safety measures, know where the lifeboats, lifeguard and life preservers are. 
Queen of Cups
Standard Meaning: As a development: Developing a romance, psychic powers, or the growth of a family.
As an adult woman: Often a healer, counselor or psychic, this is a woman who seems to know what's wrong even before you open your mouth. Call her the emotional fix-it woman or the ultimate "mom," but she seems to have exactly the right solution to problems relating to family, friends, love. Sometimes she is so shy and self-effacing you might not even notice her; other times she can be a little scary, dreamy, mysterious, possessing otherworldly powers or a spiritual connection. She can be a creative storyteller or artist. Also, devoutly spiritual in her own way. Affectionate and loving, she hugs, heals, and bakes cookies for her children. Her intuition is uncanny and her temper...well, it runs very deep and you don't ever want it turned against you. Talk about scary. Unfortunately, this is also a queen who can suffer from hormonal imbalances, depression, moodiness, alcoholism, delusions and drug addiction. She is not above emotional manipulation, playing the fragile female who needs protecting, the invalid who needs tending, or the sensitive who can't be told bad news. At her best, however, she has is a well of emotional support and empathy that never runs dry. She will always be there for you.
Reversed Meaning: The Queen of Cups solves problems with love and affection. She is the empath, the romantic, the intuitive, the sensitive artist. People want to do things for her because she is so loving and kind, so understanding. She puts her heart into everything.
The negative in this card, seen in its reversals, however, is a woman who uses emotions to manipulate. Makes you feel guilty or ashamed, ungrateful. She's been so kind and affectionate and helpful - how can you say no? She's hurt, wounded, saddened. She will make you do one more thing - and one more thing - to pay for all the love she's given you. The Queen of Cups is all about using emotions or intuition or even artistic creativity to get things done. Reverse this card and emotions are either blocked or tilted up-side-down. That is, the person feels nothing, is numbed...or they have very dark feelings. This includes psychic abilities. A person's psychic talents just aren't working. Externally, the person may be taking too many medications or drinking too much alcohol, numbing or screwing up their emotions. This card, however, can also signal some bad internal problems. Hormonal imbalances, post-partum depression, bi-polar problems, and depression in general. Anything involving serious mood swings.
King of Cups
Standard Meaning: As Motivation: The motivation to start a family, which could include a proposal or suggestion to the wife to have children. Motivation to be a new and better provider, father and husband, or be more emotionally mature.
As an Adult Man: Call him "The Godfather." A kinder, gentler, more loving man you'll never meet. His "kingdom" is his family, and his one dream is to be sitting at the head of a huge table filled with kin, kids, grandkids, serving up food to them all. He is paterfamilias, the father as capable of rocking babies to sleep, bandaging hurts and telling bedtime stories as he is at coaching a sports team or offering fatherly advice. His family always comes first; for them he'll work, sacrifice, do just about anything; and, yes, like the "Godfather" he will consider doing terrible things to anyone who causes them grief. This King understands emotions and is a master of his own emotions. As such, his ambition is to have a Kingdom where everyone is emotionally mature, meaning courtly and civil. Hence, he motivates his family, friends and community to be more neighborly and polite and responsible for each other's well being. To be, if you will, conscious of each other's feelings. This is why he's sometimes seen in the occupation of a judge, as he is very sensitive to fairness and knows how to put himself in another's shoes, to understand why they did what they did. Very like the Queen of Cups, however, he can be too soft and sentimental. No matter how prodigal the son, this father will always bail the kid out. It is almost impossible to make him see reason when it comes to his family. And there is another problem: like his queen, he's not above manipulating emotions to get what he wants, especially if he's trying to keep those he loves close to him. He also, like all the Cup Courts, may tend toward depression or alcoholism. At his best, however, this is the man the whole neighborhood thinks of as "Dad." Whether he really is their father or just a surrogate, he is the one who settles disputes, the one they go to when they're in need of guidance. He is the father figure that every father aspires to be.
Reversed Meaning: The King of Cups treats his followers like family, his kingdom like a neighborhood. He knows everyone's name and problem; no one is too small or low, he cares for and about everyone, and will make great sacrifices to help them. And everyone loves him back; he is the ultimate, loving father, eliciting fierce loyalty. People will do anything rather than risk disappointing him.
The negatives of the King of Cups are seen in the reverse, where we have a man, maudlin in his expression of emotions, who is far too partisan. He will hear nothing bad said about his "family." They can do no wrong, and even if they do, he will forgive them. Meanwhile, those who are against his family can do no right. He loves to extreme, hates to extreme. He expects, in return, absolute loyalty to the family, and will not forgive those who betray it. This is the family secret (alcoholism for example) that no one talks about because it would be disloyal. At the very worse, this man might well be a perverse loving father, the paedophile who insists his acts are an expression of love and affection. The King of Cups is about motivating with love, loyalty, and intense feelings. Reverse it and we block the ability to express such emotions - external forces may forbid it, as a man may not cry because society has taught him it's not manly. At its worse, however, is a misuse of such emotions, using loyalty and love to keep secrets, to get people to do and say things that are wrong or feel wrong.
Ace of Swords
Standard Meaning: East/Spring. The mind awakening for new challenges. This usually indicates that the person's mind is feeling sharper, clearer. They want to talk, want to discuss or write. The breeze stirs through the trees and the fledgling thinks of trying out its newly feathered wings. The sword is lifted, and the querent wants to test its edge.
Reversed Meaning: Aces are the spark, the initial energy of the suit: unfocused, undirected, pure and new. So for the Ace of Swords, a new idea. If we reverse the Aces then the most immediate opposite meaning is that there is no spark of energy, idea, emotion or luck, or that the potential for these is blocked. Reversed Aces are like trying to start a fire, and getting nothing. No smoke, no spark. It's the hope of a hope that never comes. There's not even the feeling that something was there and died - it was never there in the first place. You just feel that something that could have become "it" ought to have been there.
Two of Swords
Standard Meaning: This is a striking image of a blindfolded lady with two swords. Crossed swords suggest a clash of ideas or words. The blindfolded lady, indicating impartiality, crosses her arms and so holds the swords apart. This is the knowledge of how to keep these two sides from fighting. It is very similar to a Mother who tells her bickering children: "I don't care who started it, go to your rooms!" Thus keeping the children apart and the house at peace.
Each child wants mom to take his/her side, but she'd decided to stay neutral and keep them likewise, which means that her solution is temporary. The fight between them hasn't been resolved, it's just been put on hold. Sooner or later, this truce will end. This can indicate the qurent feeling like he/she is in the middle of something as a peacekeeper, or in a situation where tensions are running high and the lull in fighting isn't going to last. It's possible that the querent is trying to deny or ignore the fact that they didn't solve the problem and a reader would do well to remind them that they can't put off making a real decision for long. When we are faced with two opposing ideas or decisions with equally valid arguments, we do have a tendency to say, "I can't make up my mind right now, let me be!" But sooner or later, our minds have to go back online and we will have to decide what to do.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is a card about a temporary compromise. Opposing forces agree to put up their swords...for now. Clearly, if this is reversed, then no such compromise is or can be reached. The two keep on fighting.
Three of Swords
Standard Meaning: Ah, the dreaded Three of Swords. Three swords pierce a heart. Against the background of a storm, it bleeds. This card often relates to love-triangles, but remember this is an air sign, so what wounds the querent is not an action, but something said to them, or read by them. There is a strong possibility that a secret has finally come out.
A reader may wonder how this differs from The Tower, which is about a similar reveal. The Tower reveals that something you were passionate about is false, and that is most important. With the Tower, the querent had no idea, none at all, that what they thought was true was not true. They believed it heart and soul. With the Three of Swords, the querent usually senses that something is up even if they don't know what. A friend has been avoiding you, perhaps, or making strange excuses. Something is up, but no one will say what. It feels like everyone is keeping something secret from you. And you may even have your suspicions of what. The Three of Swords indicates that it's going to finally come out. It will be hurtful, the words sharp, piercing. "I don't like you," or, "I want to break up," or "I'm in love with your best friend" (ouch!). But it will not be a bolt out of the blue. It may even be a relief to finally know. No more waiting, obsessing, wondering, worrying about what could be wrong. This cutting truth, however bitter and painful, allows all that tension and uncertainty to finally drain out. The querent knows how things stand, the truth about how they're seen by others. This development allows them to move on.
Reversed Meaning: Upright is one of those dreaded cards as it speaks of betrayal, of hurtful things said. In this case, our third is a third wheel and the other two are not being nice to it. Often a card suggesting that the querent is being cheated on--and will find out about it. Painfully. So is it better reversed?
Alas, no. This is a good card for the "upside-down" interpretation. Right side up, the blood (or poison) drains out of the pierced heart. But turn it over and there is no draining out. The Heart sinks down on those swords, firmly embedded, no relief. What's important about the Three of Swords is not just the pain - but that something is finally out in the open. Those other two swords are not your friends, the card tells you. But turn it upside-down and the friendship continues. The querent suffers and suffers, but gets no relief. What has come out into the open, what has been said, changes nothing. I liken this to "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf" type-people who keep hurting each other. They yell and insult and humiliate and nothing is ever resolved. They just inflict pain.
Four of Swords
Standard Meaning: A young man rests on a pallet, three swords above, one under him. Though this card (in the Rider-Waite deck) makes the young man look dead, he is really resting. This is the "meditation" card and it advises the querent that they need to rest, reflect, recuperate and find their way back to themselves. Being that Swords are emblems of fighting, of anxieties and arguments, the stillness of the number four is usually a welcome respite. This is a time for everyone to "put up their swords" and allow wounds inflicted in these mental or verbal battles to heal.
There is a fascinating story behind this image of the young man on the coffin (credit to Mojo for this history lesson): Before knights went off to battle or on crusade they would commissioned a sarcophagus for themselves in case they died. Those that returned safe and sound, if truly chivalrous, would literally lie down in their coffin in a show of humility and contrition. They would meditate on whether they'd been true to their mission, their king and god. Also on how easily they could have ended up in this coffin as a corpse rather than alive and offering up prayers of thanks for being spared. Thus, this card usually indicates that the querent has survived a time of arguments, misunderstandings, mental or verbal abuse, even a nervous breakdown. They could be recuperating from a physical illness or injury as well. The Four of Swords is that time they need to heal, clear their head, just think about what they did and what they need to do differently from now on. The suit of Swords takes a much-needed mental breather in this card. It can signal that the querent has retreated, or should be advised to literally or figuratively retreat from what they've been thinking far too much about in order to rest their brain and re-evaluate their position.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, this is a card of rest, recuperation or meditation - a retreat to regain health and mental sharpness. Reverse this and the man falls off his pallet. Clearly, the reversed card indicates that there is no rest, no retreat and no recuperation. The querent may want or need it, but they are not going to get it.
Five of Swords
Standard Meaning: A smirking young man gathers up swords won in battle from two, humiliated losers. In arguments and battles of ideas there are going to be times when one just loses or has to surrender. The winner seen in this card has clearly been winning fights. Maybe fairly, maybe not, but it is clear that he has some advantage as well as the confidence that no one can beat him.
Pride can make us blind to our own limits and weaknesses. It can lure us into fights we weren't ready for, or weren't equal to winning. Most of the time, we probably knew it was a bad idea, yet we let ourselves be tricked, lured, or goated into fighting. And now we are dishonored. The Question: "How can I survive this disgrace?" The Answer: "By learning from it your weaknesses and limits." Losses like this teach us to know ourselves and be better prepared for the next time. They teach us how and when to walk away from fights, which can often be harder than giving in, and so save ourselves from the greater damage of failure. Note that this card in the future position can sometime teach this querent this lesson without making them go through it. A reader can say, "Don't let yourself get into a fight with this person, you will lose," and if the querent listens, they will avoid having to learn the hard way how to be strong and walk away from such fights.
Reversed Meaning: This is a card all about losing a fight, in particular a battle of wits or communication. There is a suggestion that the other side might have cheated or used underhanded methods. Reverse this and the card does not really say that the querent will win the argument instead. A blocked interpretation seems most apt here, and that interpretation suggests that the argument drags on. If losing the argument is the energy, then blocking it means that there is no loss...but no win either. Just an on-going battle.
Another possibility is that the querent does win the argument - but does not feel that they've won. It is a hollow win. And yet another interpretation (upside-down), suggests that neither side wins. All the swords are lost, everyone loses.
Six of Swords
Standard Meaning: A boat of swords being ferried across a river with a woman as passenger. The classic Rider-Waite meaning is that one is leaving difficulties behind. A trip or change of scene may be the answer to restoring balance here. But there is more to it than this. In relation to the mind, ideas and words of the sword suit, this is also about finding a solutions to math problems and brain twisters, not just troubles.
The ferryman is part of the give/take here. He has a fare thanks to this passenger, and his passenger has a way across the river. What he symbolizes is help in finding answers or solutions to problems. He might be a reference book or website, or perhaps just someone who will listen while you talk and work things out in your head. He rows you in the right direction, away from confusion and mental turmoil to smooth, thoughtful waters. Waters clear and clam that you can, in fact, see the other shore, the answer, in sight! There it is, a way to make your idea, your argument, your formula work smoothly, perfectly, beautifully. I sometimes call this the "Eureka" card in that it has that feeling of a scientist catching sight of a solution. The reader should warn the querent that they haven't arrived at that other shore yet. There may be a good deal to work out, but this is a break-through moment where the mind is working once again. And whoever, or whatever helped you get there also feels mentally rewarded. Note that this card can also be about trips by boat.
Reversed Meaning: The wonderful Six of Swords is all about escaping troubled waters. The boat may not have reached the shore, but it might well be in view. The answer to communication problems, mental worries, even science and math problems written on a chalkboard are becoming clear. Turn the card up-side-down and it's rather like overturning the boat. Everyone is in the water, the swords sinking to the bottom. Not only is there no getting the problem solves, but all that the boat was carrying gets lost as well.
Seven of Swords
Standard Meaning: A thief sneaks off with five out of seven swords. It's no surprise that when it comes to swords, attacks are sneaky and tricky, not direct like with Wands. Yet this is still an attack that requires creativity and steadfastness. The image also us back to number five (stolen swords) and "loss" along with what remains behind, number two, and choices.
This is the "Thief" card, and though it can be taken literally (protect yourself against theft), it usually means a different type of stealing. Being the intellect and communication, what might be stolen are ideas, something you've written, or even an internet password. The querent should be warned to be on their guard, especially against those who are trying to extract information from them. Stand guard over what you value, and try to outwit the thief. In some cases, in fact, this card might be advising the querent that they have to be the thief. They need to be tricky, sneaky, even dishonest because, in some situations, honesty is not the best policy. Sometimes flattery, lies, dissembling is necessary to get back what you feel belongs to you.
Reversed Meaning: The "Thief" card is one of those ambiguous cards - is the querent the thief, who must steal in order to gain his goal? Or is he being preyed on by a thief, who he must stop in order to get to his goal? Either way, this is a card about sneaking around, about whispers and tricks. The underhanded method is the only way to succeed.
Turning this card upside-down helps us to interpret it reversed - the thief loses his stolen swords. Sneaking around isn't going to work, and in fact, it's a disaster because no one ends up with the swords. If I got this card I would warn the querent that cheating wasn't going to pay off. You get someone else to write that final exam paper for you, but then lose the paper and fail the class! It's a lot of sneaking around that leads to nothing. Rather like arranging to cheat with another man's wife only to find she went off to cheat on you with your best friend. The swords you were stealing vanish from your hands.
Eight of Swords
Standard Meaning: A woman is tied and blindfolded within a cage of swords. This is the "damned if you do, damned if you don't," card. The querent is in a situation where they're afraid to move. If they move, they'll get cut. However, the ropes that bind them, the blindfold over their eyes, are their own fears, keeping them still, immobile. And so the longer they stay, the more they constrain and entrap themselves.
Although the limitation of the eights are meant to transform, there are negatives and drawbacks to this. The Eight of Swords is exactly that. It is what happens when you try to put limitations on words or thought. The motivation behind this may be lofty, to not hurt feelings or keep thoughts on divine rather than base matters. But what ends up happening is that either literally (with censorship) or figuratively the querent ends up feeling like they can't say or think anything. This is a card about second-guessing every word, maybe even worrying about your own thoughts and what they say about you. In real world terms this could indicate extremes of social or legal censorship, fears of being cut down for offending a person or group, fears of being cut down for disagreeing. This card can also indicate your fears of what others might be saying about you. Fears of gossip, criticism, insults. Fortitude is the only way to transcend this deadly mix of external and internal limitations. Like the Maiden taking the chance of getting mauled by the Lion, the querent must be prepared to enduring pain and disapproval otherwise they will remain trapped and silenced. Thus, the card urges you to have the courage to speak up or face down what's being said about you. To move and try to get past the swords. The longer you stay mute and still, the worse it will get.
Reversed Meaning: The dreaded "trapped!" card. The bound woman, blindfolded and surrounded by swords. In this upright card, the querent feels isolated, banished and ostracized. Friends and enemies have had their say, and left her encircled her with their swords (representing words and ideas). She stands, bound and blindfolded by her own doubts. Yet her feet are not bound, and she can move, if she's willing to take possible cuts from the swords, she can even escape. But that will take a great deal of courage. Still, it is the only course open to her. Like with the scarlet letter, she has to be bold and unrepentant about her position, not cowed.
One would think that the opposite of this card would be a feeling of courage and freedom. But even if we turn it upside down, freeing the woman from the swords (that fall away), she is still bound and blindfolded and, upside-down, she's lost the use of her feet. I'm a little uncertain myself about the meaning of this reversed card, but I suspect that my interpretation would be this: Upright is like the girl/boy in high schools who did something unacceptable, and her group of friends tell her what they think of her and turn their back on her. She eats alone, miserable and doubting herself. The opinions of others keep her isolated, and her own opinion of herself keeps her where she is. Reversed is the girl in high school eating alone because she imagines others don't like her (that she is surrounded by swords)...but this isn't true. She isolates and hobbles herself, but there is no censure from the outside, it's all her own doubts about herself, her own self-hatred and low-self-esteem. Other folk probably have no opinion about her, but she thinks they do, and these leave her unable to move.
Nine of Swords
Standard Meaning: A woman wakes from a nightmare, nine swords on the wall. It can be a good thing to find what you seek, except when it comes to ideas, words or problems. Find too many of them and they will overwhelm you especially, as with all the nines, you focus them on yourself.
We all know this card, it is the one where we wake up at night and go over our troubles, problems, worries, thoughts, our failings, problems we haven't yet solved, ideas that went wrong, things we should not have said that we did. The querent is at the height of their anxiety, far too focused and far too critical of themselves. There is a positive aspect, however, to this waking from nightmares, which is that the querent may be seeing things out of proportion. If they "wake-up," as this card suggests they can or will, they might see that things aren't so bad or unmanageable. This card could also be literal in predicting insomnia, or far too many sleepless nights alone and awake going over and over whatever worry or problem is gnawing at you. The querent's life may seem like a bad dream to them, one they wish they could wake up from. One thing is sure, however, this despair and anxiety only makes the situation worse, and offers no solutions. The querent must find a way to get out of their heads.
Reversed Meaning: The "nightmare" card. This certainly is a card about having too many anxieties and worries, to the point where it haunts your dreams and wakes you in the night. Swords are hanging over your head. This is the "maturity" of the suit in that the mind is filled with ideas - the intellect can imagine and speculate too well. There is, however, the assurance in this card that one can wake up, and that such worries maybe overblown, and more in the head than in reality.
Assuming that the swords are attached to that wall, then turning the card upside-down does only one thing - tosses the woman out of bed. So instead of waking from sleep, she's getting no sleep at all. Total insomnia. Either that, or going for the opposite, this person is sleeping like a baby - but only because they are totally ignoring their problems. "Ignorance is bliss" might be the motto for the opposite of this card. Rather than thinking too much about their problems, this person isn't thinking at all about them - which isn't going to make them go away.
Ten of Swords
Standard Meaning: A man dead with ten swords in his back. There are cards in the tarot that can scare querents and this is one of those. Readers should remind their sitters, however, that Swords refer to the mind and communication, not murder.
When, like the Wheel, thoughts come back around to the top carrying with them all past discussions, arguments, analysis and attempts to solve problems, they also come to an end. There is no more left to know about the subject or say about it. Dramatic and frightening as this image is, it essentially says that any path your mind could go down has been gone down; any discussion you could have on this topic has been discussed. Of course, the image doesn't just portray a death, but a murder and a brutal one at that. Stabbed in the back. The words and thoughts of others can stab you in the back, murdering your theory, idea, reputation. Any of these may be the victim portrayed in this image, but there is a positive. The worst has been done. And new theories, ideas and even reputations can be found. When the querent gets this card the advice is that it is time to end whatever has been on their mind, or whatever issue they've been arguing or discussing. They have gone as far as they can with these thoughts or argument. Even if they could argue more or differently, everyone is tried of listening to them. It is also likely that dwelling on this issue has left the querent's mind weary, dull, dead. It is time for a new topic that will enliven the mind rather than keeping it pinned to the ground.
Reversed Meaning: The Ten of Swords indicates a final end. All that's been said, all that's been thought, all that's been argued is over. It's ended and the matter is dead - if not the person who was on the other side of the discussion. The positive of this card is that things can be laid to rest and everyone can move on.
Turn the card upside-down, however, and the body sinks down on those swords. They impale him even deeper. What should be over isn't over, it lingers, torturing its victim. Upright, I would read this as a querent's opponents putting the "nail in the coffin" in regards to the debate. They stab him in the back and leave. But reversed, I'd read this as his opponents turning the knife, making him suffer as long as possible. This is the card you'd get for a kid being mocked and insulted every day at school; it just never seems to end. Even worse, the querent may be lead to think that his suffering is over...but it's not. The kids may treat him nice just to get him into a position where they can make even more fun of him. Not a nice card.
Page of Swords
Standard Meaning: As a Message: Page of Swords signals messages relating to information or problems. It is sometimes about illness and often rumor or gossip. When the querent gets the Page of Swords, they should be warned to check it out. They should not pass on the message until they're sure it's true. Swords are words and thoughts, and neither may have any validity behind them.
As Time and Environment: This is a time of new ideas and thoughts. They not only seem new, but unique, special, and there is a great deal of chatter, talk, and discussion. It may not be very mature, but it is rapid and developing fast. As a Child or "Child-like" Person: You can't shut up the Page of Swords. They want to know everything, be told everything, and, even more alarming, anything they hear, they'll repeat. This is the child that will go up to Aunt Hazel and say, "Are you carrying a baby? Mommy says it looks like you are...." This card could warn the querent that they or someone else might blurts out something they heard that they shouldn't be blurting. On the positive side, this child or child-like person could be quite a prodigy, good at puzzles, quick to learn. The card can signal absorbing new information quickly, or solving problems fast, also using a computer. Warn the querent, however, that being "immature" this person will be prone to argue. Not only is there a risk of this Page/Swords being a tattletale, but they tend to think they know-it-all when they don't. This can be a card about boasting, gossip and lying, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, our Page of Swords is a chatty newcomer, interested in just about everything, fully of fresh new ideas and the desire to learn; he may be something of a story teller. He's also clever and likely very good with the computer.
The reversed, negative qualities include lying, gossiping, and being a know-it-all. He may spread stories about people, say inappropriate things, waste his time on the computer in chat rooms, etc. Do not, under any circumstances, trust this person with a secret - they won't keep it. If upright and not a person, this card is about messages reflecting legal matters, solutions to problems, or amusing stories. If reversed, they may well be messages that contain malicious gossip, inaccurate stories, news of illness or negative legal matters.
Knight of Swords
Standard Meaning: As Travel: Travel by air.
As Change and Movement: This is a card that indicates a time and environment of rapid changes. In the positive, there are rapid thoughts; ideas fly, problems and challenges quickly appear and are quickly solved. In the negative, there might be too much thinking. This is the most "Knight" of the Knights, meaning things will feel restlessness, will change direction in a blink, or go from zero-to-sixty in a second. There will be an inclination to argue. It could be frightening and worrying, but also mentally stimulating. As a Teen or "Teen-like" Person: Too smart for his own good, the Knight of Swords is also too talkative. He/she is the sort to get into a dozen flame wars on a dozen internet chat sites. This is the sort of teen/teen-like person who will questions his teachers (bosses), likes to play devil's advocate, and argue with his friends and family just for the sake of arguing. Cool and logical, he can be very smart and amazing at problem-solving. This, however, can make him arrogant, cold, even cruel to those he views as not so bright. This sharp mind and sharp tongue can also lead him to spread gossip or nasty rumors just to see what will happen. He may be an internet troll or hacker and likely to cause serious trouble or get into serious trouble because of it. He fails to consider the consequences of his words, and can be uncaring about others feelings. He is, however, a good Knight to have on your side, as he will find clever ways to win in battle. If there's anything this knight will fight and die for, it is for freedom of information and speech.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, our Knight of Swords is the young wit who leads the debate team or the computer club. He is the science wizard and young, hot-shot reporter. In a positive sense, he's out to change the world with his knowledge, cleverness and quick tongue. Verbally, no one can ever quite get the better of him.
Reverse this, however, and the cleverness, knowledge and tongue hit stumbling blocks. This is a person with a speech impediment or learning disabilities. He is intelligent, but unable to express himself, and his inability to win his battles frustrates him. Contrariwise, he could also be a braggart - a blowhard who makes up wild stories that he can't back up or support. A coward who hides behind big words. He may, as well, be a cheater, pretending to be smart, but stealing his information from others (watch out for this guy if you're working on a project together, he'll take all the credit for your work!). This is a computer hacker, a troll, a person who uses his programming talent to spread viruses; he'll find naked pictures of you and post them on the internet; he delights in using words and his own cleverness to cause trouble and fights. If not about a person, this card could be about air travel. Expect delays and problems if you're going to be travelling by air.
Queen of Swords
Standard Meaning: As a development: Developing a speech, a scientific theory, a dissertation, working on a debate, or just spreading news.
As an adult woman: She's a walking encyclopedia. Anything you want to know, this woman knows it, and as such she can mingle with almost anyone. She can talk science with the scientists, history with the historians, literature with the poets. She knows obscure facts, strange tid-bits, and she seems to love nothing better than to pour it all out, give it away like gifts to help people. In fact this woman is likely to be involved in a job that includes talking: psychology, politics, radio, or research. She might be a scientist, doctor or lawyer. Far-sighted, she is usually ahead of the game when it comes to new developments and will do many things-from cooking new cuisines, to using unconventional child rearing techniques-long before it's in vogue. All of which tends to make her appear eccentric. It's no surprise that men and women find themselves either threatened by her or fascinated. Her cool demeanor enhances her allure, making her the most "queen-like" of the queens, and her talent with words can be used to either lead one gently and persuasively over to her side, or tear an argument (and a person's self-worth) to pieces. Obviously, her style of parenting can seem "un-motherly" as she believes in offering up facts to solve problems rather than hugs and kisses. No one is better at intellectually stimulating her children, keeping them curious, helping them with homework or dealing coolly and effectively with emergencies. But she is lacking when it comes to providing emotional understanding and support. The Queen of Swords also likes to know everything, and she is likely to listen in on conversations, read e-mails, etc. Worse, she might well tell others what she's learned thinking it will do good. She means well, but her need to know and solve problems often outweighs other considerations. At her best, however, she is the queen of strategy. If there is a problem that needs to be solved, a puzzle worked out, the Queen of Swords is the one you want.
Reversed Meaning: Upright, our cool, Queen of Swords is a very sharp and astute intelligence. Far-sighted, she is the consummate problem-solver, especially when it comes to solving problems in communications - including important communications like radio and television - science or technology. She has all her facts at her fingertips and if she doesn't she knows how to get them.
Personality-wise, a reversed Queen of Swords can also indicate the worst qualities of this Queen. Aloof and distant, cold, cruel even. A woman who uses her information and communication ability without considering other people's feelings or what damage it might do. She wins arguments by saying, "These are the facts and that is that," she says harshly, with no tact at all--or in the nastiest way possible. The Queen of Swords is all about communications and information, using them to solve problems. Reverse this card and our Queen's ability to solve problems is blocked, as is her access to information. Mental acuity and verbalizing are turned upside-down. These problems may be exterior - things like computers, telephones breaking down, arguments and miscommunication. It could also be interior problems: memory loss, even a stroke.
King of Swords
Standard Meaning: As Motivation: Motivated to come up with ideas or argue points. Motivated to find solutions, solve problems or find better ways of doing things.
As an Adult Man: Call him "The Judge". His kingdom is the kingdom of high ideals. Loving, friendly, but distant, the one thing everyone says about this man is "He's Fair." Likely a lawyer, judge, musician, politician or architect, he is a patient, careful man, with very high ideals. Though he's objective and smart enough to see both sides of an argument, he has strong beliefs, which he expects his family and friends to follow. Not that he isn't a good father; he can be kind, playful, a loving and faithful husband. He engages his children in stimulating dinner conversations, urging them to think for themselves, debate and research. But though he treats his wife and kids fairly, acknowledging when they are right, he does not put family first like the King of Cups. Ideals come first, and he can be unforgiving of the family member who is weaker or more "human" than he. If his own son or daughter committed a crime, he'd judge them the same as any other criminal, and sentence them the same as any other criminal. Thus, his own fairness leaves his family feeling less than special to him and, at the same time, less able to make mistakes. This King has the most brilliant mind, one that, like a master chess player, can see many moves ahead, and take into account a dozen different factors and elements. This puts him above and sometime beyond his subjects. They may not always understand why he decides as he decides, but he does so with the highest ideals and best intent. Which is why he will not budge when it comes to upholding his decisions, not even for his nearest and dearest. Though he can be viewed as cold, distant, harsh, even cruel, he is, at his best, able to see very clearly how his judgments will affect everyone in the present and future. He is the one that everyone, even the other Kings, go to when they need someone to make the hardest and most far-reaching decisions.
Reversed Meaning: This cool, eloquent observer is a fair man with high ideals. He is the philosopher, the judge, the theoretical scientist. He sees the larger picture, the broader implications. No one can render a more balanced, non-biased judgement on a situation. The negatives of this King come out in his reversal: Woe to anyone who tries to argue with him - he will run verbal rings around them, destroying their mistaken ideas without a second thought. He has no heart when it comes to his ideals and judgements, and will cruelly, if coolly, undermine and condemn those who are in error. At his worse, this king will censor or manipulate evidence to keep himself in power while destroying others.
The King of Swords is also about new philosophies, theories, about observations and facts that can alter and balance out a judgement. Reverse this card and there is a block to new theories and facts. Externally, these could be suppressed by the opposition, like a news program only running stories that agree with its political philosophy, or the church suppressing Galileo's findings, established scientists mocking new ideas that disagree with theirs or police deliberately ignoring the statements of key witnesses. In other words, censorship, or, worse, a deliberate manipulation of facts. It might also be benign problems, loss of evidence, for example. Internally, this could signal a person censoring themselves, holding back truths they ought to be telling. |
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