“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second-best time is now.” 

– Chinese Proverb

Personally, I love the energy of The Fool, for he asks us to have an open, curious mind… some sense of excitement at the newness of the endeavor we are embarking upon.  It’s that sense of “throwing caution to the winds,” and is all about knowing, on some level, that the Universe has our backs.

As I mentioned in class, RIGHT NOW, we’re not going to diddle around with reversals.  I would suggest to all newcomers to just read the cards upright, knowing that the Universe will place the right cards there for you no matter what, anyway.  😊

This card is all about potential … opportunity… relaxing and having fun… and what lays before the querent (that’s the person asking the question.  You’ll come across this word often in Tarot and astrology literature, especially horary astrology, dealing with using charts to answer specifically asked questions.)

Money and Vocation
– Potential new career path or a completely new job.
– Energy of an entrepreneur starting a new business.
– Starting a new project WITHIN one’s job. 

Personal Connections
– A new relationship, where the participants are just getting to know each other
– Not ready for commitment, perhaps… but willing to explore the potentials of what COULD be.

Spirituality
– The very beginning of learning to trust the Universe and listen to their intuition
– That “leap of faith” that is needed on a new spiritual journe

Physical Wellbeing
– Perhaps someone more accident prone than usual; advise them to be careful and be present, be aware when moving forward! 

(Note:  I am NOT a Health or Medical reader, and will ALWAYS tell my clients so, sometimes you will have people asking about these subjects in your readings.  My advice?  Be ethical: let them know your limitations on the subject!)  

And, because ethics are absolutely imperative to me and I abhor dishonesty and plagiarism, I must give credit where it is due.  My great thanks to both Christopher Penczak for the style of dropping little bits of information for students to process at an easier pace, AND to Brigit Esselmont of “Biddy Tarot” for some of the information and for the basic structure of these posts.  As I said Tuesday evening, I have culled the information presented to you in this class from countless sites around the internet and from books, old and current . . .  it’s kind of hard to “invent” something new about something as ancient as the tarot!  I also throw in my own experience and take on the cards and how they fit together in a reading.  So, I will always credit the others who have made your information possible.  Anything less is deceitful, unethical and abhorrent.  Karma, ‘n’all that. . .

“You are one thing only. You are a Divine Being. An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity in jeans and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All that is, will be and ever was.”

― Anthon St. Maarten,
Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”

– Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known as Michelangelo

Just like in the Fool’s Journey, when the Magician appears in a reading, he brings you the awareness that you have within you all the tools and energy you need to make your dreams real.  It means the querent has the spiritual (fire), physical (earth), emotional (water) and mental (air) resources necessary to manifest their desires.  It’s Alchemy 101!

When the Magician appears in a reading, he’s telling you it’s time to move forward, to take ACTION on an idea you’ve have conceived, to bring to fruition a dream you’ve been percolating. 

But like any magick (grin!), you must have the ability to combine together:

• A clear INTENTION or vision (air)
• A strong DESIRE (water)
• The WILL to make it real (fire)
• And the method and ENERGY to bring it to fruition (earth)

Only then, can dreams come true. 

So, when The Magician appears, the querent may be being asked to become clear on exactly WHAT they want.

Money and Vocation
– Reaching a pinnacle of success, or a new plateau professionally. Do you have a clear view of the next step?
– Can indicate wisdom in financial realms
– Possibly, the need to seek out a financial advisor or career coach, depending on cards around it

Personal Connections
– Can indicate trying to push through one’s agenda in relationship
– Pushing to make a relationship work instead of listening to the other party
– A need to consider what the other person needs and wants

Spirituality
– Drawn to the ritual of religious practice, or spiritual growth
– Focusing on the practice instead of the content?  A need for listening to the heart?

Physical Well-Being
– Suggests not being comfortable with the healing process, if ill
– Trying to do too much too soon, pushing their will instead of allowing healing to occur
– Very focused on finding the right treatment, solution, physician, etc.
– Taking responsibility for the their health into their own hands; taking ACTION

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

– J.R.R. Tolkein, The Riddle of Strider

“I believe in intuitions and inspirations… I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not know that I am.”

– Albert Einstein

The Magician makes things happen. He is masculine force, active power, the guardian of the conscious mind and the tangible world. His feminine counterpart, The High Priestess, instead, reigns over the subconscious, and carries with her the ancient mysteries she shared with the Fool on his journey. She teaches us that all is not always as it seems, to trust our instincts, go by our “gut.” It is her hand that seems to guide pathworking and meditation, using visualization and interpreting dreams, and, in general, allowing our spiritual awareness to be our guiding forces. And, without a doubt, she is the archetype of the Divine Feminine.

When she shows up in a reading, the querent is asked to look within for their answers, to lean toward the yin energy of their being to seek the truth, to connect in some way with one’s spiritual center, and to passively “allow.”

Money and Vocation
– Where on the job do you need to leave logic behind and trust your intuition?
_ Where are you getting in a rut with a certain problem-solving method? How can you change your perspective?
 _ Does something seem like it’s financially too good to be true? Ask your gut if it is!!! Do your due diligence

Personal Connections 
– what lies under the surface in a relationship is what may need to be examined, or a deep, spiritual bond between two people… that sense of ‘twin flames’.

Spirituality,
– concepts related to the unconscious, one’s spiritual roots, should be examined
 – stop trying to PUSH a spiritual awakening. . . ALLOW it

Physical Wellbeing 
– does something feel out of kilter despite test results?
– do you not agree with the assessment of a health care provider? Want a second opinion?
– do you seek the Divine Feminine in your healthcare, i.e. a female provider?
– do you need to partciularly aware of women’s health issues?

 “There is such a special sweetness in being able to participate in creation.” 

Pamela S. Nadav

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”

– Anthony Robbins

If the High Priestess represents the Divine Feminine, then the Empress is everything human and life-giving… fertile… fecund… Unlike the High Priestess, the Empress is the universal Mother archetype, embracing the very rhythms of the earth as herscrolls of wisdom, and the duality of night and day and their growth cycle are the two pillars she sits between.  

And this is no modern day “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan” woman… she is our connection to the simpler life of the fields and animals.  Her pleasures rest not in conquering the corporate world, but instead in feet planted firmly on the ground, in ecstasy as the world’s natural beauty unfolds around her.

In a reading?  Sure, she could represent an individual mother or mother figure.  But she is also the personification of the concept itself – creation of life, and how to nourish it through the love and care identified with her.  She is also associated with creativity in general. 

As the card shows, she is fertile… abundant… sensual (as opposed to the sexual sensuous, though to be sure sexuality and the giving and receiving of pleasure in that way would make sense, too)… and on the same wavelength as the plants and the animals.

She is. . . Mother.

Money and Vocation
– What project is “your baby”? What activity, project or team member, even, needs your loving, steady nurturing and support to meet its goals?
– She can signal abundance, financially
– Perhaps enjoying the fruits of hard work, financial abundance as a reward and using those funds for luxury and richness
– the vocation of teaching, nursing, or working with children, women, or mothers in some way

Personal Connections 
– can literally mean a pregnancy, giving birth
– cherishing, caring about the people around you, or even about your fellow man
– is caring for others needed? Or, perhaps, are you caretaking instead of caregiving?
 – can signify your mother or mother figure

Spirituality,
– getting in touch with the natural rhythms of the world
– spiritual harmony resting in going with the flow of the natural world
– exploring the divine Feminine in spiritual study
 – questioning, or perhaps examining more closely, how a patriarchal spiritual model is or is not working for you

Physical Wellbeing 
– feeling healthy, vibrant; fertile, ready to give birth
– may suggest a need to connect to nature for better physical and mental well-being
– heralds a need to focus on the health of one’s physical body
– using natural means to heal the body, mind and soul
– perhaps suggested a need for a female practitioner, or to pay attention to women’s health issues

 “Moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, treating people with respect.” 

Steven Covey

“I’ve always wanted to tell a story about Lincoln. I saw a paternal father figure; I saw someone who was completely, stubbornly committed to his ideals, to his vision.”

– Steven Spielberg

“The goal of the parent is not to raise a robot, but to raise and teach a balanced human being both internally and externally. It is necessary to disagree with your parent on some issues and to experiment with your own free will and original mind at this age, otherwise one cannot safely advance to the final stage of filial piety.”

– John Redmond

Authority figures are hard for many to wrap their minds around. Were they negative influences in your life in the past? Or positive? Did your authority figures lay down the law? Or guide? Did they try to provide a structure in which you could safely navigate your own path? Or did they narrow your path by eliminating your right to choose any direction of your own?

Are laws something that frustrate you by making you feel restricted? Or do you feel secure and more stable by knowing that laws are in place to keep people safe and that everyone answers to those laws the same way? Has it been your experience that laws are even and fair? Or discriminatory and unevenly enforced?

There are so, so many issues to keep in mind when examining this controversial card. But it may assist us to know that on its most affirming level, The Emperor represents a positive, guiding father figure who offers an example of living by his principles, reinforced by his behavior. One who tries to use reason and logic to help turn chaos into some semblance of order. And one who exudes a persona, an ambience, of strength and direction. There is no denying the overreaching, cruel or forbidding father figure whose rules are punitive rather than formulative exists. But that is not the only archetype this card represents.

As readers, it is important to remember that when we see this card in a reading, we try to remember BOTH sides of authority… and to, without a doubt, point out to a client that, ultimately, THEY are their own authority figure; that they must parent themselves once having reached adulthood.

Money and Vocation
– going ‘by the book’ on the job, and in money matters
– a need for organization and structure to achieve one’s goals
– can represent the ‘boss’
– needing to look out for your team, professionally
– setting the tone professionally
 – having the discipline needed to focus and get the job done

Personal Connections 
– can literally mean one’s father or father-figure
– needing to ‘do the work’ in a relationship to make it work
– providing comfort, safety and security in personal relationships, whether parent-child, or partners or friends
– approaching relationship difficulties from a standpoint of reason and logic (could be problematic or not!)
 – literally establishing a family line, a bloodline

Spirituality,
– a paternalistic, or authoritative, spiritual construct
– needing to establish some kind of ritual or structure to your belief system
– following the “laws,” the dogma, of one’ religious or spiritual belief
 – being organized and having a set of planned milestones in your spiritual study or practice

Physical Wellbeing 
– following a physical regimen for best health
– doing what you’re supposed to do, following your physician/healer’s guidelines
– taking control of your health, having a say in your healthcare
– could represent your doctor/healer, and how you perceive their care of you

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

Rudyard Kipling

Tribe… Like it or not, it’s how we identify ourselves. Community, group identity is a powerful motivator, and an equally powerful polarizer. Feeling NOT part of the group is just as potent as inclusion. 

The Hierophant reminds us of the power of organized cultural heritage, too.  For, though there were ancient kings, even they had to prostrate themselves before God and before the Church. The power wielded by the Church held the reins in the educational systems; in religious thought, dogma and ritual.  In modern times, group association can be referenced in our friends, how we connect with those of like mind, clubs, sports teams and fan associations.  All kinds of ways exist today that help us figure out who we are by whom we are with.

When The Hierophant pops up in a reading, it can often indicate a desire to expand one’s knowledge base, either through traditional education – going back to college for your first or post-graduate degrees – or through expanding your learning on your own, through independent study. But with this card there is usually the presence of a Teacher… a knowledgeable expert of some kind, or guru.  

While unpleasant or uncomfortable for many to contemplate, The Hierophant reminds us that there are times when there is a necessity to conform.  Conversely, his appearance may be warning that the time for conformity is past, and that innovative, individualized thinking is needed.  The cards around it will help make that clearer.

Money and Vocation
– financial donations to a religious group
– choosing the clergy, a vocation or teaching as a career
– needing some training for your work
– conforming to a corporate or business culture

Personal Connections 
– struggling with issues of conformity vs. individualism in relationship
– religious differences in couples, friends or acquaintances
– learning about one another in relationship
– struggling with the concept of, or perhaps being in or ostracized from gangs or cliques

Spirituality
– sharing a religious tradition or cultural heritage
– coming to terms with shifts and changes in one’s belief system
– knowing where or in whom to ‘put your faith’
– studying a new belief system, religion or culture

Physical Wellbeing 
– learning as much as you can about an illness or condition
– studying traditional medicine
– choosing healing as a vocation
– using conventional medical practices

“Yes, the companionship is amazing. You know, you can get that physical attraction that happens is great, but then there’s an awful lot of time and the rest of the day that you have to fill.”

Vince Gill

“Those who have never known the deep intimacy and the intense companionship of mutual love have missed the best thing that life has to give.”

Bertrand Russell

The urge to merge… we’ve all felt it at one time or another, and have experienced that sense of feeling like two together being something more than just two.  This card is relatively easy to understand but can be hard to apply in a reading.  For yes, it does symbolize love and sex. But it is more than the physical… that bond, between Adam and Eve as shown, is being blessed by an Angel… no less than Archangel Raphael, as a matter of fact.  So, it can represent the purest love, and the purest of attractions. 

It can also mean relating in general, perhaps, on every level: between lovers, of course, but also between events, ideas, friends, concepts.  How do the elements of one side of the joining RELATE to the other?  How do the two sides blend? Modify each other? What is the chemistry of the situation? 

Making good choices requires us to be clear about what we want in life, how we view our goals, and in what we truly believe.  Having clarity about our values is the only way to ensure that the choices we make are truly ours.  For once we’ve been taught the ethical rules of life by the Emperor, and then were indoctrinated into the culture’s mores and standards by the Hierophant, we must then manifest our adulthood: we must make our own decisions and figure out where our values lie.

And choices are often present when we are at some kind of crossroads: moral, or perhaps ethical… when we are at some decision point where we need to make the highest, most ethical choice, or one that divides us from the rest of the ‘pack.’

Money and Vocation
– choosing the right team; fitting the right person to the right task.
– finding the right chemistry to work well together with others
– making sure your business goals are in line with your values
– an on-the-job romance
– potential for a business merger

Personal Connections 
– THE card to indicate love being present
– signaling a soulmate, or a relationship that is deeply meaningful
– requiring one to be as open and guileless in their relationship as the nakedness of Adam and Eve represent… Nothing hidden.
– a need for opening one’s heart to a partner, an idea, a situation

Spirituality,
– divine love
– merging once more with the collective consciousness
– using your heart AND your value system to determine what you believe, and how you practice that belief system
– comparing how different spiritual systems work with your beliefs and which do not

Physical Wellbeing 
– making wise and healthy choices in your health behavior
– choosing a balanced diet, lifestyle, work/life equation
– examining health practices that assist the body to return to a state of balance, such as certain holistic or alternative medical practices
– entering a state of teamwork or partnership in your own care with your health care provider

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.”

Elizabeth Warren

“The will to conquer is the first condition of victory.”

Ferdinand Foch

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

Thomas Paine

The wins represented by this card aren’t the quiet victories, but instead the glorious, ticker-tape parade-type triumphant blow-outs! This is winning the Super Bowl, or a war. Wins that required incredible discipline, where you wrestle your opponent(s) to the ground and stand on their bones to crow with celebration!

You won because you set your eyes on the prize and never wavered.  Because you put aside distraction and temptation and grimly forged forward, your willpower never faltering.

You won because you refused to compromise and made sure YOUR agenda was followed. Utter self-confidence and faith in your plan of action are what won the day.  And it often meant keeping your cool under intense pressure, exerting the greatest self-control to get to the winner’s circle.

This card is the energy of the pure, unadulterated “win,” and the masculine (non-gender, of course, but the outward force of the masculine) energy required to get there!

Money and Vocation
– success on the job: the big contract won, the big merger, or getting that promotion
– in any competitive situation on the job or financially, coming out on top
– having faith in your own abilities and advocating for yourself and your agenda
– controlling your emotions on the job to gain the win

Personal Connections 
– winning the girl! (or guy)
– standing up for yourself in your intimate relationships
– being sure not to lose yourself in your relationship
– protecting your own interests

Spirituality,
– focusing on your spiritual goals and not allowing anything to divert you from your path
– having faith in your beliefs
– rising above temptation
– leading a spiritual group

Physical Wellbeing 
– adopting a wellness regimen that requires self-discipline
– not allowing your emotions to get out of hand and shake your internal ‘balance’
– advocating for yourself with your healthcare providers, insurance companies, etc.
– focusing on recovery from a difficult illness or diagnosis