Arcanum Journey: Six through Eight

I have studied the next three cards in the Major Arcana:
Six--The Lovers
Seven--The Chariot
Eight--Strength
I have found a connection between these three cards, and although they do follow the first six cards, they seem connected to each other more.

After having opened yourself to the Universe, been given the tools and access to the knowledge you seek, and being introduced to the four aspects of your inner Self, you are ready to move on and conquer the obstacles and inner conflicts that trouble you.

The Lovers is all about union. It's about looking inside yourself and coming to terms with the opposites and inner conflicts; it's about admitting and accepting your opposites and joining them together to become a unified duality. For instance, realizing that you can be muscular and still gentle, or beautiful and still smart. It's more than that though, it's understanding that your physical and spiritual selves work together in harmony. This card is also about romantic love and the joining of two people, although in a spiritual sense it's all about your own inner needs and self-love. This card also poses a choice, having to be discriminatory at times in order to move on and master the opposing forces within. Whatever choice you make, however, will be the right one, because it will make you whole.
The Chariot is the process of overcoming these forces and mastering them. The beasts that pull the chariot are the conflicting forces, and they are being mastered and controlled to work together in harmony and unison and guide the charioteer. This card is learning to use the opposites to your benefit, and move yourself in a forward direction toward something better.
Strength is the clarity and power you have after you have mastered your conflicts. Once you are in charge and in touch with yourself, Strength is the perfect combination of intuition and animalistic instinct that guides you and proves your strength, confidence, and worldly power. You use these traits spiritually, rather than overtaking everything physically. It shows your own "inner strength" and the willpower to overcome anything with your mind rather than just your body. This card says to me, "you have the clarity of mind now to go where you want to go, and to trust in that little voice in your head." This card boasts of victory, because you have officially overcome the obstacles you faced from the Lovers, and you have mastered the beasts of the Chariot.

I know in my heart that I still have obstacles and choices I must make and reconcile with. I believe this to be the area of my spiritual journey that I myself am on. I am curious as to what the next cards in the Major Arcana will reveal, since I think they will be what I have to look forward to in the upcoming stages of my life.

Studying the Cards: Eight-- Strength

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When Strength appears in a reading, you are exhibiting moral courage and fortitude. You  have learned to work in harmony with your own instinctive nature, to listen to it and hear its whisperings. As in tales of the hero's journey, the seeker often meets with animals, representative of the instinctive realm, who guide and help him on his way. Strength indicates that you have come through difficulties and learned to rely on inner strength to solve your problems.
This is a time when faith in yourself will pay off, when your position is strong because you have made yourself strong through suffering trials and tribulations without being defeated by them. It is a time to let people around you know who you are--especially anyone who has been dominating you.
The indication is that it is the feminine principle that does the work of reconciling the mental-rational facility with that of the intuitive-instinctive nature. The feminine is always in closer touch with nature than the masculine. Whether the reading is for a man or a woman, the same principle applies. The lesson is that we do not conquer our animal natures by brute force (which is the typical masculine mode of approach to obstacles) but by gentleness and feeling our way into rapport with the instinctive side of our nature.
Depending on the placement of the card in the spread and the question that is being asked, Strength is an indication that what is required in the situation is for spiritual strength to replace or overcome physical strength.

In a reading:
You have come through severe trials and triumphed. You have found your deep inner strength, and it will from now on see you through whatever comes your way. You are firmly connected to the instinctual world (represented by the lion) and you are able to make friends with it and control it for your own benefit and that of others. Emotionally, at a gut-level, you are connected positively to your animal self, and this will protect and care for you. Your inner drives are in harmony with your outer needs and your instinctive nature is supporting all that you do or hope to do. At this time, your logical mind--if it is in conflict with your intuitive knowingness--is not as important in making decisions as is what you feel to be right for you. Whatever decisions you make, or actions you take, will be successful.

Description:
My books states that Strength is depicted with a woman and a lion. There does not appear to be a struggle between them, and the woman seems to be in complete control and is even being gentle and loving. A few decks show it being a young man wrestling with the lion, but more often than not it is a woman. In my deck, it is a young woman kneeling behind a lion. In the Waite deck, the woman is bent over the lion and has her hands on his jaws, gently closing them. She does not expect him to fight back or give resistance at all. She is being very affectionate and caring with him. On my card she is kneeling behind the lion, with one hand reaching down and resting on his jaw, as if softly holding it shut. In the Waite deck she has a flowing garment and a ring of flowers in her hair; in my deck she is wearing a more physically-allowing outfit, with knee-high boots and a staff. She does not have flowers in her hair, but the card does show sunflowers surrounding the cliff that her and the lion are resting on. Many times she has the symbol for infinity above her head, though in my card that symbol is atop the staff she carries, as well as a clear crystal ball.
My books says that many people interpret this card to mean a struggle with one's animalistic nature, though he sees it as a symbol of self-confidence, inner strength, and being in harmony with instinctive nature. He sees the woman as taming or befriending the lion, with the lion representing animal nature and instinct in humans. My books says, "Though the lion is clearly the more physically powerful of the two, the woman represents human courage and will power that masters the instinctive realm not by force but by cooperation."

Details I've noticed:
On my card, Strength is represented by a woman, clad in powerful red, kneeling behind a lion. She has one arm over his shoulder, her hand gently holding his jaw closed. The lion is laying down, resting in the position that most cats lay in when relaxed and at ease. The woman is looking over the lion into the distance, in much the same direction that the lion is facing. I believe this stands for a continuation of the Lovers and the Chariot cards: after having realized your opposites and inner conflicts, and after having brought them together in reconciliation and mastering their respective power, you now are at peace with your inner strength and can control it with ease and care. No longer struggling with your conflicts, you have overcome obstacles and are now in command. You are confident and self-assured, and you have come to trust your intuition and animal instinct, allowing it to guide you. The eagles from overhead in the Chariot are present here in Strength, representing (as the card represents itself) strength, confidence, and protection. The lion IS stronger than the woman, and so not only does the lion represent that she is in control of her intuitive-instinctual side, but that it also guides her and protects her. There are sunflowers surrounding the cliff they are on, representing (to me) more confidence and surety.
I find it interesting that the woman holds a staff with the infinity loop and a clear crystal ball. She has a firm grasp on it, showing that she is in control. The crystal ball is completely clear, and you can see straight through it. I see this to mean that since she has the confidence and the power and is working together with her intuition and animal instinct, things look clear and it is easy to see both the current situations and the future ones. Intuition guides her, telling her what she needs to know without having to search for it. The infinity loop represents that her intuition will continue to guide her through all times and for as long as she continues to have a firm grasp over her "lion."
Strength is represented by the number eight. Eight represents "material prosperity, worldly power or influence." It stands for leadership and authority, a strong trait in the Strength card. The eight is the infinity symbol turned on its side, representing "cosmic consciousness" and the idea of spirituality and all ends meeting together in the cycle of life. Eight talks about skills of organization and management, which you must have to master the instinctual lion within yourself.

Update:
Today is February 9th, 2014 and I am reviewing the cards that I have already studied. The Strength card still has a lot of similar meanings to me that it did before, although now I can see that it is not just a card of strength and instinctive intuition, but as the number 8 and representing infinity it is also a card of abundance. I see the sunflowers now as being a symbol of this abundance. This card mostly represents being at one with your instinct and intuition; a continuation from the Chariot card. You have learned to master your conflicts, and are now confident and assured in your endeavors with your new strength. Using our instinctive animal intuition, we are able to feel what we must do with our hearts, rather than our logic.

Studying the Cards: Seven-- The Chariot

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the Chariot appears, there is a need to be in control of competing forces, whether these are inner conflicts or whether they represent people or a situation in your life that requires you to take command in order to reach your goals. Like the celebrated but seldom achieved "bipartisanship" of government, the solution to the problem at hand is to take the middle road between the conflicting elements.
You may feel unequal to the challenge of controlling the multiple factors of a given situation, but if you choose to just "go with the flow" and make the best of where it takes you, you will succeed. Once you have resolved within your own mind the conflict, even if that requires considerable struggle, you will be in a position to stay on course. To do this, you need firm resolve--self-mastery. With a strategy determined by clear-thinking and a sense of purpose, you will overcome all obstacles.
Receiving the Chariot in a reading, depending on its position in the spread, is generally favorable. It indicates you have the means to triumph over all obstacles and stay the course you have set for yourself. It can also mean that assistance is on the way as a result of your own strength and determination. It can also suggest you are in the process of transforming yourself and your ways of thinking and doing in order to create a firm foundation from which to go forward and achieve your desires. You are at this time keenly aware of how to use your past experiences to reach a major goal and you are in touch with deep inner resources.
At a literal level, it relates to travel and transportation and could mean changing your mode of transport, such as buying a new car, or traveling by rail or some other form of wheeled vehicle.

In a reading:
Victory is assured! Things are moving fast, and transition is occurring rapidly. You are holding things together successfully, uniting opposite energies to stay on track. This is a situation where you are completely, totally involved, and happily so. You are feeling together with yourself and whatever task is at hand to be accomplished. Though the pace is faster than usual, you are attuned to the rhythm of it and keeping up with the changes that are happening--at your job, in your relationship, with your career, or in some community or worldly involvement. You are sensitive to the minor adjustments you must constantly make to keep things going right.

Description:
My book describes the Chariot as being a strong male, fully armored and carrying a scepter. He is in a chariot, at the reins of two beasts, one black and one white. My Chariot is a strong female, with some leather armor but not a lot, and she has one hand on the rail of the chariot and one hand holding the reins of two horses, one black and one white. The harnesses on the horses are opposite colors as well; the black horse has a white harness and the white horse has a black harness. The wheels on the chariot are said to represent the ever-changing life cycles--the Wheel of Time. On some cards, the animals are pulling in opposite directions and the charioteer must hold "the reins taut to keep them in tandem, another symbolic statement of the need to master and reconcile conflicting needs, both inner and outer." My horses seem to be going in the same direction, though the white one seems to veer more to its left and the black one looking more to its right. My books says that the beasts represent the opposing forces that were reconciled at the stage of the Lovers. This also represents the person's mastery of these opposing forces and control over inner conflict. The books also says that this card tells us that before we can take on outer forces or enemies we must first be in charge of our inner opposites so they can function in harmony.
The Chariot is a symbol for Self and its direction, just like any vehicle appearing in a dream.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Chariot is steered by a strong-willed woman, dressed for action but not battle. She is controlling something and taking charge, but she is not fighting it. She is in a simple chariot with wings behind it and golden wheels. The chariot she is in represents her sense of self direction, the wheels representing the cycles of life, the Wheel of Time. In her right hand she holds the reins of two horses, one white and one black. The horses represent opposing forces, different actions or emotions or traits, that have come together to work in unison. Each of the horses are harnessed in their opposing colors; the black horse has a white harness and the white horse has a black harness. Once again, the cooperation of opposing forces. The horses are going the same direction, though they are each looking off to their respective sides as if they would rather go different ways. The woman has the reins held evenly though, mastering and controlling the beasts equally. She is ensuring that they go the same way, together, though she has her other hand resting on the rail of the chariot, as if she is allowing them to guide her. I think this means that after you have acknowledged and unified your opposites and resolved the conflicts within yourself, you must master them and use them together. Make them work for the same cause. However, just because you are mastering them does not mean you should force them in any particular direction; choose where you want to go, but let them lead you there.
The woman's hair is flying behind her, showing that the Chariot is moving at a fast pace. There are eagles flying in the sky, showing how regal and imperial she is, and she truly is important in the reign of one's Self. Farther in the background, the clouds seem to form uneven peaks and ridges, which represents to me that she is leaving conflict behind. What I found interesting is that this card is number seven; my book says that number seven is all about soul-searching and solitude. It's about "inner life," and seven is a very mystical number symbolizing wisdom. A time to search on a spiritual level, exploring yourself and your individuality. This is not a time to do anything material or physical related or start anything new physically; this is a spiritual number and your energy should be focused thus. Analyze your past experiences and examine your current ones. Just find your own path in life. This is a great number for the Chariot, since this card is all about self discovery, self mastery, and spiritual control and direction.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014 and I am reviewing the cards that I have already studied. The Chariot still holds the same meanings to me; it is about taking the conflicts and the two sides of the Lovers card and steering them in the direction you desire. In a reading this card means that you might be moving forward very quickly, that something might be escalating fast and you might feel like it's out of your control, but you DO have control over it, and at this time you have the ability to make the subtle changes required to keep moving the right direction. This card in the journey represents leaving behind the conflicts and the choice of the Lovers card, taking both sides together and using them to work toward the common goal and direction.

Studying the Cards: Six-- The Lovers

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
Although many readers interpret this card as basically about romantic love, it is allegorically a statement about union--of opposites, whether people, such as a man and a woman, or inner conflict. The Lovers refers to discrimination in the making of choices, and the male and female figures are symbols not only of human love and marriage but also of the dual nature of ourselves. We all have opposite traits within ourselves that need to be reconciled and lived with, just as well as married couples, or any other sort of partners, experience conflict that requires making choices, sometimes tough ones, and effecting reconciliation.
When the Lovers appears, it is pointing to this need to heal an inner rift. Although it can herald a romantic involvement, it most often turns up when a critical life decision must be made, sometimes in connection with a love relationship. There are obstacles to be overcome, both within and without.
This card suggests that you are at a crossroads--you have to consider all of the ramifications of the situation and carefully make discriminating choices in order to further your own development and to accommodate the needs of others in the situation. There may be much activity in the form of short trips (one person may live in another place, for example), or you may be commuting to contact business partners.

In a reading:
This is a card of cooperation, of working together in coalition with others to accomplish joint purposes. It stands for attraction of any kind, not only of the romantic variety, and for any venture requiring harmony, union, and cooperation. There can be an indication of a choice being required between two factors of equal worth--but the choice you make will be the right one. Or, two or more forces or people may have come together in your life in pursuit of a common goal. This may be a temporary conjoinment for some specific purpose.

Description:
My books says that there are two basic images for the Lovers. The first basic image is a pair of young lovers, though how they are placed and clothed depends on the deck. Some are naked, though mine are clothed. Some are standing apart, some are touching; my deck shows the male holding the female with her head resting against his chest. On many decks, there is an angel overhead blessing the union. In my deck, there is a pair of white doves, each holding the end of a pink ribbon that wraps around the couple. In many decks, the imagery suggests that there is a choice and that there may be a union. The second basic image depicts three people, suggesting that the third party was an influence on the relationship of the other two. In decks that have three people, there is often "cupid" pointing his arrow at one of the women, implying that the man had to make a choice between them.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, there is a man and a woman embracing. They both look peaceful and content, with their arms around each other and her head resting against his chest. There are ribbons wrapped around the two, and above them are two white doves with their wings spread out, each holding an end of the ribbon. To me, this symbolizes love and a union of sorts. Not just a union though, but a blessed union, one that is surrounded by happiness. I do not believe that love is restricted to a man and a woman, so I believe the reason they are depicted as a man and a woman is to resemble opposites. The yin and yang qualities. That means that it can also represent a union or coming together of a single person; acceptance of who they are, a union of all of their qualities. It can mean agreeably joining ones physical world with their spiritual realm; this is the meaning I like the most from this card and the one I think resonates strongest to me. At the front of the card, across the bottom and trailing up the sides, are rose vines. The vines have both the roses and the thorns, with the dark green leaves setting off the bright pinks of the roses. The woman is also holding a rose. I'm not sure exactly how to translate that, but I know it has something to do with making a choice. As if the vines represent there being two options, the flower or the thorn. Obviously no one is going to choose the thorn, which means that since she picked the rose, she made the right choice. That tells me that if this card represents a choice to be made, the one you choose will be right for you. There is also a single pink butterfly in the center of the rose vines. The beginning of something new, the rebirth of a person, having made a decision to transform, starting fresh with all their new self-discoveries. The sky overhead appears to be at sunrise, with the clouds parting to shine a white light onto the Lovers.
The Lovers is also represented in the number six. Six is all about social responsibility, about caring, compassion, and a time to be simple and calm and resolve any issues that the storm that was number five has caused or left behind. Six is about harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It's a time to relax and enjoy the rewards from the planning and action you took. With the six, "you are comfortable with both yourself and your circumstances."
What I gather from all this is that the Lovers represents a few different things. It can sometimes represent an actual union between lovers, between two people who have chosen to share a romantic relationship. It can sometimes stand for a choice to be made, though your decision will always be the right one. Often times it not only means a decision, but that there is some sort of inner conflict between two parts of someone, and a choice has to be made to make peace between the two. It is about joining ones physical world with their spiritual world, and accepting the different parts of oneself and becoming "whole" with the different aspects of the person joined together amicably. Sometimes this is only a temporary joining; butterflies do not live forever. This card is enhanced with the Six. Being comfortable and happy with what you have, accepting and enjoying yourself and your surroundings. It's about harmony, and solving problems (making choices) to better yourself.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014. I am going back over the cards I have already studied to see if I notice anything new. The Lovers card doesn't seem to have anything new that I haven't already taken note of. It is about a union, sometimes between two people and often between different parts of ourselves. We must accept all of ourselves, both the good and the bad, to form the union. Six is about harmony and reconciliation after the chaos of Five. This card can also represent a choice to be made, but have faith that you will make the right choice.

Arcanum Journey: Zero through Five

Many times I have been told, and I have read, that the Major Arcana tells a story. A story of a spiritual journey through life. I have had interest in Tarot for years and have worked with my starter deck for a long time now, and not once have I ever actually seen any sign that the cards really tell a story.

Then again, not once have I ever actually studied the cards and paid close enough attention to what they were trying to tell me. I have never opened myself up to the true power of the cards, I have never allowed them to speak through me rather than just to me. Now that I've begun studying my personal deck and really getting to know it, I'm beginning to see the bigger picture. I had gotten through the first three cards in October without really understanding the connection, but yesterday I picked them up again--finally having the time to study another card--and found myself having one of those 'A-ha!' moments. The cards just seemed to fall into place, and I was seeing connections to them left and right. I don't know if perhaps I had to get through more cards in order to see it, or maybe I just needed to stand back and see it all, like a map, rather than up close. Either way, I feel like I've formed the first TRUE bond with my cards, and I'm excited to study more.

But first, I'd like to write out this revelation of mine, so I can look back on it later and see how the next cards fit into the story. I feel like I've actually stepped forward on the path of my own personal spiritual journey.

So far, I have studied the first six cards in the Major Arcana.
0--The Fool
1--The Magician
2--The High Priestess
3--The Empress
4--The Emperor
5--The Hierophant
These first cards are what seems to be the beginning and the foundation of the journey.

The Fool is the first step; he is letting go of your fears and your insecurities and your philosophical doubts and taking the proverbial "leap of faith", saying that you are ready for a spiritual path to open up before you. You want it, and you are willing to trust the Universe and go where it leads; not necessarily blindly following, but hopefully trusting. You are clearing your mind, emptying your cup... You are at the start, though you have not yet started. It's like, getting into a vehicle which is about to take you on a long road trip. You haven't pulled out of the driveway yet, but you're in the car. It is the start of a new beginning, the welcoming of a new life.

The Magician is the Universe responding to you. He tells you that now, since you have opened yourself up to the spiritual world and are ready for it, he will begin to reveal answers to the mysteries of your inner Self. The first of these answers is the fact that you hold within yourself all the tools and knowledge and power to change the worlds around you, both your spiritual world and your physical. You can use these tools and knowledge, but only for positive ends. He is the true beginning of the journey, where you have everything you could ever need laid out before you, and you have only to imagine what you truly want or need, and you can make it so. He tells you that your physical world and your spiritual world are one and the same; your reality can be mere illusion, and illusion can solidify into reality.

Now that you have faith in the Universe and are willing to follow where it leads, and now that you know you have the power and tools to change your own life and outlook, you are introduced to the four people who will help guide you and teach you, who make it all possible.

The High Priestess and the Hierophant go together, as opposites working together to create balance and unity. In the same way, the Empress and the Emperor go together as well. The High Priestess and the Hierophant represent the two forms of the spiritual world and their connection to the physical world; the Empress and the Emperor represent the two forms of the physical world and their connection to the spirit realm.
The High Priestess talks about raw intuition. Getting in touch with your most inner Self, letting go of the physical world if need be and focusing on your truth, intuition, understanding, and subconscious. Literally being in the dream world. She states that there is a lot in this dream world, the Otherworld, that you don't understand or that has yet to be revealed to you, and that with meditation and divination and self exploration you can discover the answers you seek. You must want to see the answers though, you must actually seek them out. Once you know and are confident in your spiritual and intuitive beliefs and philosophies, you can begin to alter the physical world around you.
The Hierophant, although being of the spiritual world, is the physical representation of it. He stands for the established order, the named religious group or community in the physical world. He is the bridge between the two worlds, the speaker of the Universe. However he does not have to represent an actual religion; he can just be the philosophy or set of beliefs that you hold close. Either way, he is where you turn to in the real world when you need physical confirmation or support for your spiritual thoughts. A word of warning, however: power is corrupting, especially when one has such a position to be translating the "word of God", where they are in charge of someone elses spirituality. In such an instance, he represents a choice. Do you follow blindly, or do you go off on your own and make your own decision on what to believe? The Hierophant means that once you know and are confident in your belief system that you hold true to in the physical world, including morals, ethics, traditions, and duties, you can begin to alter the spiritual world around you.
The Empress goes back to the High Priestess in her high position and reverence. She is the ultimate mother--Mother Earth, the Virgin Mary, the fertility Goddess. She represents the female aspect of the physical realm, with all her spiritual strength. She is procreation, healing, nurturing, guiding, and life. She has the ability and the want to help and nurture others, and she has the physical strength so as not to deplete herself while doing so. She is the culmination of the Three, in whatever way resonates strongest with you personally. Whether as the mother, father, and child; as the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Destroyer; or as the spiritual world, the physical world, and the Otherworld (the dream world). She also represents the mother in a traditional family as well, as the housewife with her values and her place in the home.
The Emperor goes back to the Hierophant in his position as ruler. He is the authoritative father, literally representing authority, leadership, and strength. He is a passive ruler, guiding the physical world of the here-and-now with a watchful eye and a firm hand. He never goes looking for a fight, but he will not hesitate to defend or protect his morals or those things he feels responsible for. He is straightforward and confident in his traditions and values. He states that there is no rationalizing immoral behavior or saying that the end justifies the means; you do what you know to be right and good, and do not compromise your morals. He is the foundation, the rock to lean on and the mountain to look up to, and he is also the foundation of the traditional family as well. He takes the place of the father (naturally) and the family follows his example and values. He strives to have his physical accomplishments stand through time as a legacy to leave behind. His physical strength is drawn from his spiritual solidarity.

Now that I've gotten through the first few cards and really made the connections between them, I feel confident in my ability to continue on and understand and connect the rest of the Major Arcana as well. This has been an amazing journey already, and even just with these few cards I can almost feel myself opening up to a whole new spiritual world within. I don't know how I've made it this far in life without having this basic understanding, without knowing just how willing the Universe is to teach me. I suppose this is the feeling people get when they truly find God. It's amazing what you see when your eyes are opened.

Studying the Cards: Five-- The Hierophant

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the Hierophant appears in a reading, there is the suggestion that the person has chosen a specific religion or a particular life philosophy with which to guide his or her life. In such a case, there is usually a great deal of loyalty to it, whatever the person's concept of "God" may be. there is also the possibility of disentangling one's self from such an association.
In some organized religions, the supreme deity does not speak to the individual directly, or to the general populace. Therefore, institutionalized religion makes use of human "interpreters" who preach or teach the "word of God" or the divine will to their followers.
the Hierophant symbolizes any organized institution, be it religious, philosophical, or educational, spiritual or temporal, that exerts authority over its followers or participants, a kind of "mind control." In such groups there is always a person, or a group of people, doing the controlling. They always insist that their way is the only way, that theirs is the ultimate truth: either you obey them or you will be damned to all eternity.
Therefore, when the Hierophant appears, the idea of choice is posited. At this stage of your spiritual development, you are challenged to remain a follower or to break out and find your own individual spiritual truth. This card suggests that you have the opportunity--and often the desire--to choose your own road to salvation, to interpret the "word of God" in your own way. The Hierophant presents this challenge: will you continue to depend on an outside authority, or will you learn to think for yourself? The answer is yours alone, and there may be considerable conflict concerning the issue, but what you decide will affect the rest of your life and how you live it spiritually. This is not always a positive card, for it can indicate those who wish to exercise authority over others for their own purposes.

In a reading:
There is a traditional factor active in your life, whether it is a religion, a philosophy, a social organization, or any other authoritative group. You feel a great deal of loyalty to this tradition or group and find it supportive. You choose to live in accordance with the beliefs you have in common with the group or organization. You may aspire to become a leader, or you may have a close relationship with the leader. This group or tradition serves you in many ways, inspirationally, as a teacher, as emotional support. There may also be a judgmental quality involved where you are expected to follow a certain set of beliefs and, if you fail, you are called to account.

Description:
My book describes the Hierophant as "a figure of the same authority and power as the Emperor, with the difference that the Hierophant's power is of a spiritual nature while the Emperor's is temporal." Because of this he is depicted as a religious leader, some decks actually labeling him as "the Pope." He is seated on a throne, in a priestly garb, crowned, and holding a scepter. The religious theme of the deck will alter exact details around that. In my deck, he is in priestly clothing and he is seated on a simple throne, though rather than being "crowned" I see it as just being part of the priest attire, since it is--as best I can describe--a pope hat. He isn't holding the scepter in my card, though the same scepter is sitting in a stand beside him. His scepter symbolizes the three worlds: physical, astral, and etheric. His free hand, as on my card, is held up and in a position of blessing.
Most cards show a few people, acolytes, facing him as supplicants or students. This represents his wisdom and understanding as a religious authority. Like the Emperor, my books says he is a passive figure containing in himself the wisdom of a spiritual calling, and like the High Priestess he sits between two pillars representing the duality of the spiritual and physical worlds. Like my own High Priestess, there are no pillars on the card. He is much like an actual priest in his title as pontifex, meaning "maker of bridges" as it is his duty to form the link between the spiritual and physical world, the world of the gods with the world of men.
He is much like a teacher, offering knowledge and wisdom to those who seek the keys to the sacred Mysteries. He has two crossed keys, representing intellect and intuition and the need  to use them in tandem, in a morally conscious context. This includes the desire and responsibility for making spiritual decisions for others and blessing them. "Unlike the High Priestess, whose world is primarily internal and ephemeral, the Hierophant's influence is of-this-world and his spirituality can be achieved through conscious choices made on an intellectual basis."

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Hierophant is a simple, passive man sitting on a simple throne. He is wearing priestly attire, and has an eight-spoked wheel behind him with each point leading to a spiritual symbol, representing multiple different religions and beliefs. He has a pair of crossed keys on his headpiece, and seems to look directly at me while offering a blessing with his right hand. He has a candle on the left of him and the scepter on the right of him.
Based on what I know, I would say that the Hierophant is a man of passive power and authority. However, unlike the Emperor who reigns over the current time and world, the Hierophant rules over the spiritual realm. He is a spiritual leader and teacher, and a connection between our physical world and the spirit world. He can represent a religious establishment, though mostly I think the purpose of him is just to represent whatever philosophy or belief system you hold, and to encourage you to be firm in your faith. He cautions that actual religious establishments can become corrupt, with the priest becoming too powerful, and taking other people's spirituality in his own hands, telling them that his word is law and that they must obey or be damned! It's at this point in time that the Hierophant offers a choice. Do you follow blindly like sheep, or stand firm and make your own decisions and choices?
This card is also represented by the number five. This number is about freedom and creativity, excitement and challenge and adventure! It's active and impulsive and physical. I don't see the Hierophant as being quite impulsive, but he is certainly about freedom, creativity, and challenge. He is about taking charge and doing what you know is right, sometimes taking risks but knowing that you're doing it for the right reasons.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014. I am going back over the cards I have already studied and looking to see if I can learn anything new from them. The Hierophant is perhaps the hardest card I have studied, and will probably continue to stay the hardest card for me. Though it does make sense, I am trying to connect the four aspects between High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant. I understand the four aspects and how they connect, but somehow I think it is supposed to have a bit more duality and opposite to it. Even though it is all about that. Oh well. The Hierophant stands as a teacher, and a midpoint between the physical and spiritual realms. Whereas the Emperor relates to the religious order in the physical world, the Hierophant is the same leadership position in the spiritual world. He is your own personal belief system, and reminds you to hold to yourself and your beliefs regardless of what happens in the physical world. It is in this aspect that he gives us a choice. And he is indeed a card of choice. His duality with the High Priestess comes into play here as a teacher of the spiritual world. Her more feminine intuition side works in tandem with his masculine intellect, to lead us along our spiritual path and religion. He is our pontifex, our maker of bridges, between the worlds. It is through the Hierophant that we can balance our intuition and intellect to come to informed and morally conscious decisions in life. He does not have to represent an actual pope or priest, but can represent the pontifex within ourselves, our own way of connecting our spiritual life to our physical. So in a reading I would see this card to mean someone who is perhaps a teacher or guide, but also to remind us that there is a choice to either blindly follow those we view as leaders, or to make our own decisions about what we want to do.

Studying the Cards: Four-- The Emperor

The interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the Emperor appears, look for issues related to authority. Although the Emperor represents worldly power and wisdom, he is not simply a figure who gives commands to others. His achievement is to understand that the maintenance of peace and security requires the willingness and ability to defend it. "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
The emperor is a teacher figure, and what he teaches is the meaning and use of power in this world of the here and now. Though not overtly aggressive, he tells us that it is necessary sometimes to take up arms against negative or evil forces. With the Emperor, there is no compromising with one's knowledge of what is right and good, no rationalizing that the ends justify the means. As a protective male force, especially of the home and of domestic harmony, he personifies the ideal that what is worth having is worth fighting for.
The Emperor in a reading can also indicate issues relating to one's relationship with one's personal father, or to authority figures in general. He can mean that the time has arrived to become the authority figure rather than depending on others to wield the sword in one's behalf. In my experience, the Emperor often appears when the person is struggling to achieve personal independence, to overcome the inner parent tapes, to become his or her own person.
The Emperor says that one must, often at a late date in life, come to terms with what "father" means in his or her life, and face and reconcile issues related to this issue. Whether the personal father relationship has been positive or negative, it is important to realize that at some point an adult must in fact become his or her own father.
When the Emperor appears, he can be an indication that the real father of the person has either recently died or may die soon, a situation which can bring up feelings of being abandoned by a protective father figure. If this is the case, then the person must face up to responsibility for his or her own life. Even if the personal father was a negative factor, there is always a yearning for someone else to take care of us, protect us, advise us. Yet, in the final analysis, separation from the parents is a crucial stage in human development and must be accomplished.
Another interpretation is that there may be someone in the person's life who is acting as a father figure, a boss or a husband. Whether this is positive or negative will be indicated by the placement of the card in the layout.

In a reading:
This is an indication that you are involved with the established order, or involved with someone else who is a representative of the "establishment." You may have a need to identify with a powerful group, whether religious, ideological, intellectual, or political. You may be attending meetings related to a particular culture, social group, institution, economic group, company, or community that enable you to identify with this power. You may be feeling a need to belong--to be "one of them." Or you may be associating with someone else who has this need.

Description:
My book describes the Emperor as being a figure of supreme authority. Usually seated on a throne and flanked by animals, my deck shows him standing alone up on a high cliff, and although not flanked with animals, his headpiece has the horns of a ram and an eye mask that reminds me of a bird somehow. In the Waite deck, the animals that flank him are ram's heads (so the same symbolism is present anyways) which is symbolic of traditional masculine power. He is often portrayed as wearing robes over a full suit of armor, holding a scepter in the shape of an ankh, and is crowned elaborately. In my deck he does seem to be wearing armor of a sort, though it appears to be a thick leather. He wears a cloth cape over his shoulders, and his "crown" is indeed elaborate. It has three golden points in the center of his forehead, a reddish-orange mask over his eyes, and thick ram's horns. He also holds the ankh scepter, but it's more of a staff. Some decks give him a shield with an imperial eagle; my deck shows a large bird flying overhead, possibly an eagle. My books states that he is often shown against a backdrop of mountains, another reference to worldly power. He has experience and wisdom. He is shown as a warrior, but he is a kind ruler. He has a passive attitude, as his body language portrays on my card, though he is willing to fight for what is right and what he believes in, as well as what he knows is his responsibility to protect. He is the leader, who has worked hard to reach his position of authority. My books says that this is a positive card in terms of worldly power.
As the Empress before him is the mother figure, so the Emperor is the father figure. In the family hierarchy, he is the one who sets the morals, traditions, and values for the rest of the family to follow. My books lists him as personifying solidarity, being the builder of the material world and striving for his constructs to be everlasting.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Emperor stands tall on the cliff of a mountain. He seems very regal, although he is wearing rough leather armor and an elaborate crown with ram horns (signifying worldly power). He seems to be overlooking things, and has a green ball in the center of his chest, one hand casually resting above it, as if it is hovering just below his fingertips. I'm not entirely sure what that ball represents, but I know it's important. It could represent the world, or it could represent morality, righteousness, wisdom, and experience. It could also be his "eye" to the world, since the bird who flies above him carries a greenish crystal ball in its talons. The two could be linked, with the bird helping him see over his domain... I'm not sure. He has a level of mystery about him, not just because of those balls but also because he wears a mask. His staff has the ankh on top of it, being the Egyptian "key of life", symbolizing (literally) eternal life and the duality and joining of male and female. Being that an ankh has four points, I see it also as a symbol of nature and the four elements. That says to me that not only is he strong and wise, but he rules over his domain, both physically and mentally. There is a lot of reds, oranges, and yellows in the background of the card, which to me just screams "power." He is Tarot Arcanum Four, with the number four representing foundation. Four, according to my book, is about "working hard and planning for security... a time for self-discipline through work and service, productivity, organization, unity." It suggests that if you are in a happy place, you have to work to keep it stable, and if you are in an unhappy place, you have to work to make the appropriate changes. The word "foundation" seems to fit the Emperor well.
Taking what I have gathered, I believe the Emperor to be the ultimate father figure, representing authority or perhaps an establishment or community of some sort. He can also represent an actual father or someone who is thought of as a father figure. He is experienced and wise, and knows not to go looking for a fight. However, he knows how to stand up for what he believes in and fight for what is right and good. I love the way my book worded it. The emperor is a teacher figure, and what he teaches is the meaning and use of power in this world of the here and now. Though not overtly aggressive, he tells us that it is necessary sometimes to take up arms against negative or evil forces. With the Emperor, there is no compromising with one's knowledge of what is right and good, no rationalizing that the ends justify the means. As a protective male force, especially of the home and of domestic harmony, he personifies the ideal that what is worth having is worth fighting for. I think he's a very respectable man.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014 and I am reviewing the cards I have already studied. Upon looking over the Emperor, I see a few things that I might view differently. I didn't pay quite a lot of attention to the book's interpretation when the card appears in a reading, which is more involved with the established order in terms of religion and following. As the Empress is the social aspect of our feminine, so too is the Emperor the social aspect of our masculine. Where the Empress and High Priestess are involved with our selves and inner worlds, the Hierophant and  Emperor are involved with the earthly world and our outer selves. The Emperor represents our masculine sides, our authority, morality, and the force within ourselves to fight for what we believe in. It is the father figure, and the dual opposite to the empress's mother figure. The swirls on his tabard go in both clockwise (deosil) and counterclockwise (widdershins) directions, showing his duality of creation and destruction. As the number four represents foundation and stability, so too does he represent the foundation of the family as a father, and the foundation of established religion, as a leader. This card in a reading might allude to ones need to connect with their inner masculine side and pair it in harmony to their feminine side. It might also represent someone's issues with authority, or trouble with their own father or their selves in relation to being a father. When it comes to dealing with the established religion, whichever it is you follow, he reminds you that he is a teacher and is there to help guide you, much the way the Empress does. The horns he wears on his head not only represent "world order" but stand for the horned god that accompanies the Great Mother (in most representations, as well as later in this deck, that representation is depicted as the horned god Pan).

Studying the Cards: Three-- The Empress

The interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the Empress appears, there is a strong feminine element at work. As a mother figure and representative of the traditional female role, the Empress is a creative force that works for harmony. She brings disparate things together, reconciling differences, like a mother running a household must do. This is a card of emotional control and making things work together toward a common social goal.
As a female authority, her appearance may signify, depending on its place in the spread, the person's need to become that female authority, especially if the person is a woman. If a man, the indication is that he needs to recognize the feminine component of himself and acknowledge its power to harmonize.
The Empress also refers to the person's emotional and physical resources--for nurturing, healing, feeding, and supporting other people. Often, there is a situation in the person's life where deep and total love and nurturing are required--sometimes by the person him or herself, sometimes by others in the environment. This card is related to the caretaking process and may refer to the way the person was mothered and how he or she feels about that, for the first and most significant relationship we form is with our mother, and this relationship has a direct bearing on all subsequent relationships we form. Sometimes this card indicates that the person either had an overbearing "smother mother," or is acting out that role. It is an excellent card to use for mediation upon issues of nurturance, of marriage commitment, or of abundance.

For a reading:
You are in a position of nurturing someone else, or several others. This could be taking an obvious form, as in caring for children, or the sick, or being supportive of a spouse or friend in need. It could also refer to a pregnancy, or the desire for a pregnancy. It is appropriate for you to be giving nurturance now, for you have the inner strength and the ability to do so without harming or depleting yourself.

Description:
My book describes this card as symbolizing the social concept of the Universal Mother. That includes things like procreating, nurturing, and domestic harmony, things a housewife and mother take care of. It is a very positive card. She is a mature female, usually seated on a throne, though in some decks she is standing in a field surrounded by flowers and vegetation. On my card, she is standing outside, in a very bountiful stretch of land. There is a river flowing by her feet with a water lily drifting along the surface, a tall patch of wheat just behind her, and a tree with its branches full of ripe fruit. This is a symbol of the bounty of the Mother and of mother nature. She is "full-breasted and pregnant," alluding to her ability to be bountiful and fruitful, and her "earthly abundance." The Empress is the woman represented in all other religions in terms of fertile mother goddesses or the "Virgin Mary". She is the ultimate mother figure.
This is a royal position according to my book, which is why she is typically shown wearing a magnificent crown and holding a scepter. My Empress card has a shining crown, but it's not so much of a "crown" as it is a strand of shining stars trailing from the crown of her head, down her hair to the middle of her back. My card also holds a scepter, with the Triskele atop it. In many decks this card has a shield or a coat of arms present. In the Waite deck, there is a heart-shaped shield with the "female" symbol on it, the sign of Venus. There does not appear to be a shield on my card at all, but my Empress is holding a heart, and she wears the sign of Venus around her neck. Venus, as my book states, is the planet of love, beauty, desires, and pleasure. That is the most popular representation of femininity.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Empress is a very beautiful woman, at least in her twenties but with an ageless look to her. She has long brown hair, with a string of shining stars trailing from the crown of her head down to the middle of her back. I'm not sure what the stars represent, but the fact that they are shining makes me think of something being at the peak of it's perfection, at it's most beautiful moment in life, as well as the fact that stars are often called upon as guides to lead lost sailors across the oceans; perhaps this is a symbol of how the motherly instinct of the Empress is to nurture, guide, and aid those in need. She is also wearing a beautiful pink and purple strapless gown, one that is very form-fitting and shows off her figure. Her figure, of course, is one that is quite pregnant with full breasts and an enlarged stomach. This may also be another thing the stars represent, because when a woman is pregnant a lot of people say that she is "glowing." This glowing is also represented by the flush in her cheeks.
Also on my card, she is surrounded by a beautiful nature scene, bountiful and healthy. There is a tree behind her, with large ripe fruits hanging from it's branches. There is a patch of tall golden wheat behind her to her left, ready to be harvested. In front of her, a clear river flows gently, lined by small gray stones. There are nine stones visible, nine being the number of completion and wholeness. She is stepping over the stones and has one foot dipped into the water. Water is a strong symbol for emotions, and this card is all about the emotional and social aspect of the female. This card also has butterflies and dragonflies on it. I'm not really feeling any specific symbolism to them.
My Empress has the sign of Venus around her neck, which of course makes perfect sense with this being the ultimate feminine card. She carries a staff, holding it with both hands, in such a way that seems to cradle her unborn child. There is a heart dangling from her hands, ironically sitting right where her reproductive organs are located (that made me laugh, to see that THAT part of her is marked with love, when she is the representation of fertility). What really captures my attention on this card, apart from the Empress herself, is her scepter. At the top of her scepter is a crescent moon with a triskele. The crescent moon, as I've come to learn, represents the spiritual world. The triskele (or triskelion) is a very powerful symbol, and part of why I love this card so much. It is the symbol of three; and as this is Tarot Arcanum Three, it means that much more. It is the culmination of the one and two before it. It is bringing together opposites to create balance and unity. It is Mind, Body and Spirit; it is The Creator, The Destroyer, and the Sustainer; it is the Mother, Father, and Child; it is the Start, the End, and the Journey; it is the Spiritual world, the Physical world, and the Otherworld. It is all of these, and it is beautiful. The power of three could not have been placed on a better card than the Empress.
To take what I know and apply it to my understanding of this card, I would say that the Empress is the Female card, representing bounty, fertility, and the feminine side of things. Because she is pregnant, she also represents nurturing, caring, helping, feeding, love, and compassion. This card also represents bringing things together to form something new or find a unity between two things.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014, and I am reviewing the cards I have already studied. I don't have much to add to this card, since everything I view is still the same here. The Empress represents the female aspect, and the more social aspect (whereas the High Priestess represented the feminine inner self, the Empress represents the feminine social). This social idea means nurturing, compassion, and the more motherly traits. For a man, this card tells him that he needs to get more in touch with his feminine side and learn to harmonize that with his masculinity. I am in the early weeks of my third pregnancy right now, and so this card represents a bit more to me now than it did before. Despite all of the more negative symptoms that a mother might go through during pregnancy, the Empress still stands tall and strong for both herself, her family, and those around her. I think it is for this reason that she is such a strong regal symbol of authority. She represents bounty, harvest, and health. She is a very positive card indeed.

Meditation Experiences

Last night, just before going to sleep, I decided I'd meditate. I was actually planning on doing it for a silly reason; I was putting my cards under my pillow and I was going to ask my cards if they had any cool ideas or designs for the purse I'm making. The components of this purse are very symbolic to me, and so I feel my cards may have some symbolic ideas for the design itself. I wanted to meditate to put myself into a dreamlike state, so that my subconscious would be the one asking, and would be more receptive to an answer, even once I let go of the controlled/guided meditation and released my mind to the dream world.

I say "controlled/guided" meditation, because I was doing this entirely on my own, controlling my breathing and my thoughts. I was in control of what those thoughts would be and where I wanted them to go, yet the images and senses I experienced would guide me toward the right direction. Like, my brain is a distant land, and my conscious mind knows it wants to meet my subconscious, it just needs to be guided on the right path to get there. I'm not sure if there is a better term for that, I haven't looked it up so I guess I'll have to do that sometime.

I began by closing my eyes, clearing my mind of everything, and only picturing my breathing. At first I was literally watching my chest rise and fall (in my mind) then the view changed to an overhead view of myself, but I was entirely shadow except for my chest, which was the only part of me I could physically see. I listened for the rhythmic in and out of my breathing, and although I wasn't sure what color I should be associating this with, suddenly, just with the thought of color, I began seeing yellow and a pinkish red; one for inhaling and one for exhaling, though I can't remember which was which. Slowly I brought to consciousness the rest of my body, starting with my feet and feeling each part of them, then moving up my legs, etc, till I was whole again. My feet were the only part of me I had to forcibly think about, the rest of myself followed naturally. I could see my entire self coming into view both as if I was tilting my head down and watching myself, and also as if from an overhead view.

Once I was whole again, within minutes of beginning this meditation, I felt a heaviness settle over me, as if someone had lain a large thick comforter over top me, but evenly across my entire body at once. This comforter not only laid on top of me but settled INTO me, becoming part of me, and then my body itself was heavy. There was a slight tingling sensation, as if a part of me had gone to sleep, but across my entire body, as if it was a part of that heaviness (that tingling you get when a body part goes to sleep, except 50% less "tingling" and 50% more "heavy"). Once again I'm not sure if there is a better term for that, I haven't looked that up either. I feel as if doing this on my own first, without really reading up on anything about it, I have a better chance of experiencing things more because I truly am experiencing them, and less because I read somewhere "that's what's supposed to happen."

I was shocked to see it hit me so quickly, I expected it to take longer and be harder to connect to, but there I was, just sort of drifting, my body heavy and although if I concentrated on a part of me I could feel it, I was... one. I was whole, though I don't think it was my body itself I was feeling this from. I decided that if I was going to ask my cards anything, I'd like to be in a comfortable place. Somewhere one friend could talk to another and be able to laugh and share things at ease. I felt a bit odd just floating in darkness--though it wasn't really "dark"... it wasn't really "light" either. It just.... was. It just was. So, I began to focus once more on my breathing, and see where it took me. I was brought to a beach. It was a bit chilly out, but the deep emerald of the ocean, the sea-foam green of the waves crashing against the light off-white eggshell of the sand... the sky was a light blue with streaks of grey and large puffy Cumulus clouds reaching ever upward. I could feel the sunlight at my back, and despite the chill in the air, the sand was nice and warm. I could literally feel the warmth radiating from the soles of my feet, begin to feel the sand itself between my toes; I could ACTUALLY smell the salt in the air, and hear the waves as they made their retreat back to the ocean, then rushed forward--gently--to wash up on the shore. If there was ever a beach I wanted to incorporate into my book, this world I was on was it. Though that thought didn't cross my mind until just now. =)

Anyways, so there I was on the beach. When suddenly, out of nowhere, someone steps in front of my view, and I was pulled back from this paradise into that "darness that wasn't dark" again. Everything seemed a smoky grey, not dark but not light. Light than dark, but not dark. I'm sorry, I really don't think I could explain it any better than that...

This person was a woman. She didn't seem to be wholly visible, though not transparent either. It was as if she was a sketch drawn on light smoky paper, outlined thinly in charcoal, but moving and in 3D. Okay actually the way she was in front of me and the way she moved don't seem to be possible at all, in any way I could describe it, so you'll just have to be satisfied with that description.

She had long hair that went down to the center of her back, yet it was disheveled. She seemed to be in her 40s, her face showed definite signs of the years. She had a crazed look on her face, and she was talking to me in a voice that I can only describe as annoying. She seemed somewhat rude and pushy, and she was apparently trying to get me to follow her, and although I took a few steps I did not initially like her. She really did seem somewhat crazy, and between her facial expressions that bunched her face up in unattractive positions and her bouncing around back and forth trying to get me to follow her, on top of her annoying and disrespectful tone of voice... I did not want to go anywhere with her.

I stood my ground and firmly told her no. I said that she had too much negativity surrounding her, and I would not allow myself contact or connection to one such as herself. I wanted positive influences and energy around me, I would ALWAYS surround myself with positivity, and I would not give in to negativity of any sort. I felt myself throwing positive energy at her, though I'm not sure if I was trying to push her away with it or surround her with it. She let out an exasperated sigh ("UGH!") And turned away from me stomping her foot, saying, "Fine! I'll stop! Geez." But then after she took a few steps away from me... she did stop. She just sort of... changed. Her hair was straight and healthy, her face had smoothed out and dropped nearly 20 years it seemed. She was smiling, and she was calm. She stepped back towards me till she was standing in front of me, and she seemed to be around my age now, asking me in a very pleasant voice if I would please follow her. It didn't seem like a trick of any sort, she did seem to be this nicer person, and so I began to follow her off in the distance, but we didn't get anywhere... after a few steps I found myself back on my beach, alone.

I glanced around and saw no sign of this mystery woman. I don't know if she was merely pretending to have been nice, or if my positive energy had transformed her that way, though after the thoughts I sent toward her, she did seem grateful. Once she was gone, I sort of "woke up" from my meditation, all thoughts of my purse-making gone at the time. Before I moved or sat up though, I concentrated on how I felt. I put my hand on top of my head to feel if it was warm, like it was the night I woke up at 2:00am and wrote myself that note; but it wasn't warm. I felt something was off though, and so I just ran my hands over various key points of my body and didn't have to search long. I felt that same warmth that I had felt before, this time directly in the center of my chest. It was located near my heart, but not off to the side as your heart is. Directly in the center. Does this have to do with the concentration I had on my breathing? Or the beach? Or this woman?

I don't know the answers to all of my questions; but what I do know is that I have a feeling I will be doing research on chakras this week. This is the second time a major part of my body, right down the center, has had this warmth, and I would like to know where all the chakras are located to see if they match up with the locations of the warming sensations.

I think I'll try meditating again tonight, and going back to my beach. Let's see if she comes back.

Made in Italy

I was just talking on the phone a few minutes ago, aimlessly glancing around the room as I did, and my eyes fell on the bottom end of my deck. I stopped speaking in mid-sentence.

There are three small words printed on the bottom:

MADE IN ITALY

I did not know my cards were made in Italy; this find amazes me and gives me one more reason to believe that these cards really were calling for me. With me being Italian (even though I have never been to Italy) it makes me feel as if my past and ancestry is reaching out to me through my cards.

I knew these cards called out to me. I knew they were right... Now there is no doubt.

Studying the Cards: Two-- The High Priestess

The interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the High Priestess appears, she indicates that something hidden, or interior, is preparing to come forth. Or, that the person needs to pay more attention to his or her inner world of dreams, imagination, and intuition. She calls attention to the need to develop awareness of the totality of the person, the night side, so to speak, as well as the daylight personality and activities.
Usually, the person is ready to accept the importance of developing this part of his or her life, but may have been holding back out of fear or inertia.
Her appearance can indicate that the person is attempting to hide something that needs to be revealed, or it can mean that the person is too much involved in an isolated inner world and needs to reconcile the inner life with the outer one.
Psychologically, the underworld refers to the unconscious, or what is in the process of coming into being. In this twilight realm, of which dreams are a component, we encounter our inner selves through intuition and fantasy. The High Priestess is an image representing our potentials that have yet to be discovered and brought forth--our secret selves longing to be recognized.

For a reading:
You are experiencing a high degree of awareness of what I call "the invisible world," where inner change takes place before it manifests in the outer, material world. Your attunement to these inner, invisible sources is acute now, and you are in a position to take advantage of this fact. You may want to remove yourself, literally, from your day-to-day life in order to go deeper into your inner core and tune into your inner voice and spiritual awareness.

Description:
My book describes this card as representing that which has yet to be revealed, secret knowledge, the duality of life on Earth. It's a woman, serene-faced, usually sitting with a book or scroll representing the "Akashic records," telling of our past, present, and future. If standing, she usually has a staff and is pointing into the distance, another indication of something yet to be revealed. My card shows her standing, with a staff, though she is pointing with the same hand that holds the staff. Her other hand is holding something small, It may perhaps be a book but I can't tell. In most decks she is between two pillars, representing the dual opposites of nature (evil and good, truth and deception, light and dark, positive and negative). My High Priestess doesn't have the pillars, though her sash is of black and white ribbons entwining in the front. "The reconciliation of the opposites to those willing to follow the spiritual path of understanding universal law," as my book put it. The book tells that the Waite deck shows this card with a background of pomegranates, hinting at Persephone, who left the daylight to tend to the underworld... much like paying more attention to your inner "underworld" (intuition, imagination, and dreams) even if that means stepping away from your regular life for a while.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the High Priestess first of all is set in a beautiful blue silk gown with a dark night sky behind her. Those dark, blue, night colors make me think of nighttime, and sleep, which fit perfectly with dreaming, intuition, and imagination. She has wings, so its message is one of the mind. She has elaborate decorations on her hair and face, and a purple pendant necklace. That reminds me again of the dreamingtt, intuition, and imagination; for where else but inside your mind do you find women accessorized so? She has some gray in her hair though it seems, perhaps alluding to her timeless, age-old wisdom. She holds a staff in one hand, with a magic ball on the end but the vision in the ball is smoky and unclear, as if she holds the key to knowledge not yet revealed. She is pointing downward, but you have to look to see that she is pointing at all, as if she wants to teach you more but you have to WANT to learn in order to pick up on it. She is pointing, which means she sees something or knows something is there, but I can't see it yet because, once more, it has yet to be revealed. Her staff also has an ankh on it, though my book says that a cross symbolizes the four elements and their balance; I agree with that symbolism, though her crystal ball is set into a crescent moon, so the dark side of the moon being more prominent is like, a warning to be cautious in what you choose to reveal at this time.
In her other hand, she is holding something, though I'm not sure what exactly. It might be a book, and if it's the Akashic Records than it's no wonder it's hard to see on the cards; who is every truly ready to see those things, and even if we could see it, how far ahead or behind our own time could we see or even comprehend?
Her sash is black on one side and white on the other, crossing each other directly over her center. It appears to be the meeting of opposites. She is standing on a crescent moon, which I'm sure symbolizes the same as her staff's moon, warning that caution must be taken when revealing something as-yet unknown. There are butterflies all around her on this card, though I'm not sure they represent merely rebirth and renewal this time. I think they also symbolize transformation. Accepting who you are, both past, present, and future, in both your conscious and subconscious states.
She wears a crown with a crescent moon, and a full moon above it.
So, taking what I know, I can say that by looking at my card, the night scene with butterflies means I see something from the inner Self being released or discovered. The sash at her waist tells me that this card is about your inner, "underworld" self meeting and fusing to your outer consciousness. Based on her book, she knows all. She has the knowledge you seek, both inside yourself and out. Because she is pointing, you don't know what she is pointing at, so there is definitely something unknown.
It's all about connecting your subconscious (dreams, intuition, and imagination) with your consciousness. Take control of them, manifest what you want and need in life subconsciously, and stay positive! This is a mental "transformation" stage, with acceptance and inner discovery.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014 and I am adding a small update to what I have already studied. I still view this card as representing our inner subconscious, the underworld of dreams, and intuition. This card tells us that something hidden is preparing to come forth, or that it is time for something to be revealed. It reminds us to search inside ourselves, perhaps withdrawing from our physical world to look deeper and listen to our inner voices. It is very much a card of duality between male and female, positive and negative, light and dark, subconscious and conscious, dreaming and waking. In my recent studies I have learned to view the ankh on her staff as a symbol representing eternal life, as well as representing the duality of male and female. This card ensures we remember to take what we learn from our inner selves and apply it to our physical worlds. I have also taken a closer look in her hand and dont believe she is holding anything, though the ribbon that hands off the back of her dress does seem to be hanging from her fingertips. Even if she is not holding anything, she still represents knowledge and understanding. She does indeed hold the key to knowledge and wisdom, and everything I said earlier about her pointing still holds true for me. I believe the crescent moon that is present in three places of this card represents three things: (1) the moon itself represents our inner selves and our subconscious, the underworld, dreams, and intuition as well as the feminine; (2) the waxing crescent represents things coming into being, knowledge being revealed, truths coming to light; (3) the crescent moon represents the dark side of the moon being more prominent, which cautions that you must be careful in what knowledge you choose to illuminate at this time.

Yet ANOTHER dream

I wish more of these posts were studying cards rather than linking to dreams.... So I'm going to fix that. If I want to read the dreams I've been having, I'll just go to my dream journal, My Sleeping Journey. I don't want to load my Tarot Journal up with dreams; that is what the dream journal is for in the first place. I will just have to label when a dream has occurred with my cards under my pillow; as a matter of fact I will actually use labels. =)

Either way, this will be the last random post just informing of my dreams. (Here's a link to my dream from last night).

Blur of Color, But Not a Dream

Well, last night was the first night since I began putting my cards under my pillow that I didn't necessarily "dream". Although I think it might be my own fault, I went to bed late and woke up early, and have been unable to go back to sleep, I think it's worth it. I went to bed late because I was laughing and snuggling up with my hubby, and I got up early and decided that since I couldn't sleep, rather than laying down till I drifted off, I would get online and start doing surveys.

However, just because I didn't "dream" doesn't mean I slept in darkness. Throughout the few hours I did sleep, I saw an array of colors and shapes and sounds and music. I felt motion. I was somewhere, doing something, I just can't remember much or pick out any particular shapes, colors, sounds, or movements.

I seem to recall something as if I was running through Azeroth in World of Warcraft... but as myself. That is the only tangible notion in a long string of intangibility that I can even attempt to grasp onto from last night. But in all the blur that there was, I don't want to actually label that as a "dream."

I think I'm going to try to study another card today though. Out of 78 cards, I would really rather go through the deck initially in less than 78 days...

Studying the Cards: One-- The Magician

The interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
The appearance of the Magician in a reading indicates latent powers, yet to be taken up and brought into manifestation. Also known as the "Juggler," this card suggests that everything in the universe is spread out before us for us to learn to use correctly to manifest the results we desire. These are literally the basic materials of creation and it is the task of the Magician to handle them well, to manipulate and control them for beneficent purposes. This is mental work that affects the material realm.
Thus, the Magician shows us that what we consider to be illusion is another form of reality, and what we consider to be reality can be mere illusion. This is not trickery but a deep understanding of how we must learn to use our intellects, our intuitive abilities, our personal talents, and our practical skills in order to mediate between the two worlds, both of which affect us simultaneously.
The Magician is a card of power, for just as a mage, or true magician, stands at the center of the universe with the tools and ability to manipulate it for his purposes, so does each of us create, or recreate, our own universes within ourselves, first in our minds, and then in our manifest realities. This card tells us that our nature is one with the nature of the universe. It suggests that we have the ability to control our own lives, that we can manipulate people, things, and events--so long as we go about it the right way and for the right ends.
This card is primarily about self-development; as Tarot Arcanum One, it is the beginning of the road to spiritual enlightenment, the starting point. It does not say that we are already able to control our universes, but that we must learn what mode to use in order to gain our ends and reach our goals, whether they are strictly mundane or whether they are intended to stretch us spiritually.

For a reading:
This is a situation of new beginnings and new choices. It indicates someone who is willing and able to manipulate the situation in order to achieve the desired ends. It indicates leadership potential, ambition, desire for action, and new relationships coming into being. The tools for whatever action is desired are already at hand, as is the knowledge for using them correctly. This is a key point: any use of the Magician's power for improper end will backfire. It is a time to evaluate the tools you have at your disposal and relate them properly to your aims.

Description:
The book describes the Magician as almost always a man (as it is in my card) standing alone (as it is in my card) before an array of the traditional magician's tools (which it states in most decks are the symbols of the Minor Arcana suits). My card does have the four Minor Arcana symbols, though not in an array in front of him; instead in my card he is either holding them or they are draped around him in some way. He is holding a wand, although on my card he has both arms aimed downwards but held out to the sides; in the book he is shown as having one hand raised to the heavens and his other hand aimed at the Earth, symbolizing a connection between the spiritual and physical world.
The book describes that in the Waite deck, he has grape vines above him and roses and lilies below him, symbolizing a sacred drink (wine), purity, desire, the 5 senses, and proper use of arcane knowledge. His costume itself changes by deck, but he always wears a belt. In my deck the garb is somewhat... "viking" is it makes me think of. Ironic really, since I was led by accident to a webpage earlier today telling me of the Tesseract... and the movie Thor connected that Tesseract to the norse gods. The book describes the ourobouros, or snake biting his tail, an alchemical symbol for wholeness. That is not represented on my card, at least not in that way... my Magician has a coiled tattoo on his right (my left) arm. The book says he can therefore be connected to the power of healing through connecting the two worlds within one's self.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Magician is a man with long hair and wings. The wings I always associate with the mind. So he represents something inside oneself. Being that the card IS number One, it is a beginning. The "starting point" as the book worded it. The card before this, the Fool, represents the leap of faith and trusting in the universe to lead you down the right path; the opening up of oneself to the Universe with trust and faith. This card is the beginning of a new life once that opening has occurred; the starting point of a spiritual and mental journey. The Magician in my card holds both a wand and a cup; fire and water. Opposites that need each other. Yin and yang, perhaps? He has a pentacle and a sword hanging around his neck, giving him all four of the Minor Arcana suits represented and within his grasp. He has the infinity loop on his belt, and he has a coiled tattoo on his upper arm, his other upper arm displays a line with three spikes coming off it in different directions. Three aiming up and three aiming down. I believe that symbol to represent the coming together of the upper and lower worlds; of the spiritual world and the Earthly world. The coil might represent the ourobouros as other cards show, but the two ends do not meet. I don't think they have to though, since he has wholeness throughout his entire card.
He has a white dove below him, and two black birds above him. Black and white; yin and yang yet again. I don't think they are meant to mean opposites, but rather two halves of a whole. He is also standing above the moon, and he is illuminated as if the sun is behind him. The power of the night world, the spirit world, meeting the power of the sun, the source of all life. This card just radiates the energies of spirit and the physical world meeting.
As the book describes, he has all those symbols of knowledge and power, with all these symbols either being a part of him or within his reach, and so he is very powerful and knowledgeable. He himself almost appears to be glowing, as if he is magick incarnate; and using the elements (the symbols) and the power of the mind (the wings) he can change the way things work, to make them go the way he wants. I do not want to use the term "manipulate" because that word in general sounds wrong. He reminds me that we all have a power inside ourselves, and that positive thought itself can change our lives. If I look at him and not at the rest of the card, it almost seems as if the dove and crescent moon at the bottom form a flower; a pure, white flower. Peace and positivity. The black birds above him, I just noticed, are flapping at different paces. One has it's wings aiming down, the other has it's wings aiming up; this tells me that although they are different, they are both the same. They are flying to a different "beat", yet they are both black birds. Reality and Illusion, one and the same regardless of their differences.

I have come to absolutely love this card after learning about it.

Update:
Today is February 7th, 2014 and I am going back over the cards I have already studied. I still love The Magician card, and have actually found an interesting new thing to associate with him. On my card, he has a clockwise coil on his upper arm. In my recent studies, I've learned that clockwise (deosil) is symbolic of creation and positive energy. And since the Magician is all about using the tools laid out before you to create your manifest reality, I think it quite fitting that he would have a symbol of creation.

Note to Self at 2:00am

I got up this morning and found that I had written myself a "note" on my phone's notepad app during the night. I do vaguely recall waking up, I remember hearing something and getting up and walking through the house, and after reading my note I do remember it all, though I know I would not have remembered a thing had I not taken the time to record it. So, thank you subconscious, for making me do so. Here's what I wrote.

It's 2:20am. I just woke up, though I'm not sure I was really sleeping. I could feel that swirling imagery of emotion in my head, the same feeling I get with the remnants of a dream fading. Except there was no dream to recall. Is this feeling simply me entering or leaving my subconscious? Or was there a dream I was not allowed to remember? Either way it gives me something to think about... With or without answers, however, I was reminded of a few things.

First of all, I had this feeling. I was still not in full consciousness; my eyelids were heavy... I could only barely open them. Not that I wanted to, but I felt comforted by the view of my surroundings, even if I could only just make out the ceiling and the soft blue glow of my computer. I couldn't move, my entire body felt as heavy as my eyelids, yet in proportion. If I had willed it, I think I could have moved. But my mind was elsewhere.

I had a random flash of a Harry Potter movie. It was a part of I believe the 5th or 6th one, or some combination of the two. It was a part where Harry is seeing a vision of the snake move down a hall, but I could see Harry with his hands on his head, not wanting to watch, and I could hear a voice gliding through the air telling him to train his mind, because "the bond goes both ways, you know." That part I heard loud and clear. I was then shown another view of Harry Potter, this time from the 4th movie. Harry was talking to Cedric Diggory. It was just after Harry had told him that the first challenge would be dragons, and Cedric was telling Harry "mull it over" in the water.

Though I have yet to consider why this was shown to me via Harry Potter other than because it's familiar to me and easy to understand, I believe this was a message. I don't know if it originated in my cards or my subconscious; but I believe them to be telling me that the bond between my mind and the cards goes both ways, if I only relax and take the time to think about it.

The second thing I was reminded of was that in the last few dreams I've had, there has been a snake. Sometimes it's been a prominent player in the dream and easily remembered, other times it was a side distraction given nothing more than a passing glance or a fleeting moment of fear and alarm. As many things as a snake might represent, my first instinct was that it represented temptation. I will not disregard this instinct, though I may still study this creature deeper, in search of hidden layered meanings.

The first temptation that comes to mind is World of Warcraft, and I can see why that might haunt me, since I once had an incredibly horrible addiction to the game and I have just recently given it a second chance while limiting myself, though I'm proud to know it doesn't always take center stage.

The second "Temptation" that comes to mind was more of  an involuntary chain thought exercise, and is the reason I'll be going back to sleep with "My Girl" playing in my head.

There was a quiet pulsating sound in my head as well when I was truly awake and able to move again. I'm not sure what it was but it made me uneasy, so I got up and walked through the house just sort of checking on things. I may have been overreacting because of the realization of snakes being so prominent without my realizing... either way, the house was fine. I did unplug the aquarium pump on the back porch though, as the water level is so low in the sump that it wasn't moving water. I'll have to fill it tomorrow.

I regret that I am still a bit jumpy right now... While in the living room during my search of the house, I felt... watched. I swore I could hear someone, somewhere, somehow... But there was no one there. Right now, sitting up in bed, I swear I just heard a thump as if someone had put their feet down on the floor, and a light scuffling as if taking a few steps but dragging their feet. I looked across the hall at the kids--I have an unobstructed view of them in their bed if I lean over the side of mine--but they are still sound asleep. It's this feeling of being monitored, not stared at or watched but simply monitored, that has me in this state of unease. I keep looking up at the hallway, as if expecting something to be there. Heaven help me when I glance up and something truly is there.

Except... somehow I feel like this "presence" is in my mind. I can feel a heaviness at the front of my mind. Not the front of my head; the front of my mind. On my head this feeling is actually located at the very top of my head (at the crown) and in the sides just above my ears.

!!!!!! Just now in an effort to use touch as a way to help me pinpoint this heaviness, I was running my fingers over my head, letting the sense of touch sort of "highlight" small sections at a time, so I could concentrate on individual parts of my head to detect this feeling. When I touched the very top of my head just now, it was warm! It was... heated. I ran my fingers back over other parts of my head, and they were cold. Not like, freezing or anything, but normal-- not heated. How incredible!

Well, I think it's time for me to go back to sleep, lest I miss out on the opportunity for a memorable dream tonight.

Sleep well, Dreamer.

I vaguely recall the heaviness I spoke of, both at the beginning and at the end. I recognize the feeling of being so heavy you cant move, or moving would be very difficult-- it's the same feeling I used to get when I meditated after doing yoga. I remember also the feeling of heaviness in my head; I had a headache before going to sleep and I had at first thought it was my headache returning, but I realized the heaviness was different; it was heavy, but not painful. I have experienced this before, though I can't recall any particular times.

I know of the parts of the movies I saw, though I don't believe I saw them the same way they actually played out in the movies. The message there is indeed clear, though I also don't know why it was shown to me via Harry Potter.
...I did not mean to type "also" just now. I was the one who wrote this, and so I should have said, "I still don't know", not also.
Perhaps it is the magic that is Harry Potter and that world of Hogwarts, and the magick of connecting to your true and inner Self.

I feel the need to point out that even in that small flash of Harry Potter, I saw a snake. I looked through the dreams I have posted the last few nights, and there have indeed been snakes in them. I don't know why this never occurred to me sooner. I'm not sure if there was a snake during my dream last night with my stepmom and the club, but having the snake in the Harry Potter flash still leaves me with a snake last night. I remember in my Ice Games dream there was a snake at the ice lockers and I thought I would find one behind the bed. In my Underwater Farm dream Mike had killed a strange, poisonous, yet non-aggressive snake. In my Walmart Trip there was a snake in the store. In my Boss Fights and Soup dream, although I was unable to see the boss, I know it to be a large snake. My Dragon King IS a giant serpent. There was a snake crossing my path in my Slenderman dream, and Slender himself seems to have black snakelike tendrils of darkness emanating from behind him. In the Dorm dream there was a snake in the dorm room, though I wouldn't have seen him while dreaming because he was hidden in the corner under trash, only his head poking out. This means that there has been a snake in my mind every single night since I began putting my cards beneath my pillow. I think this requires a lot more examination than just "World of Warcraft is in the back of my mind" though I do believe that has something to do with it.

I remember very well my feeling of unease and fear, and getting up and walking through the house. I remember hearing things, and turning only to see nothing. I am usually very good at rationalizing such sounds, knowing "that was the dog at the front door" or "the window in the kitchen is open and the breeze pushed the door a bit" but last night I couldn't come up with anything that satisfied my anxiety.

That song is still stuck in my head. -____-

The presence in my mind and the warmth on my head... those still amaze me. To have felt those things! I can't quite recall them right now, much like when you try to recall a dream and the emotions begin to fade from you until it's nothing but a fanciful story... I know I felt them but I can't make myself feel them now. I find myself touching the top of my head every time I think about it, wondering what it could mean. It makes me think of the flow of energy running through me, although I know I have horrible posture and my chakras are not aligned at all.

Keeping the cards under my pillow is doing more than I expected. I am still sticking to my new plan, to keep them under my pillow until the first night that I do not dream. They have shown me just how powerful they are... I have a deep respect for my cards, one they have very much earned these past eight nights. I think I'm going to study another card today.