Tarot, Magic & Reason

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Tarot

Cheat sheets

Book One: Up & Running

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1. Introduction

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Each card illustrates a different ‘scene’, or ‘character’, that depicts something we feel inside. But more importantly, something we can contemplate in response to it.

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‘Occult magic’: acts of ritual, that drew on the ‘hidden’ (occult) forces in nature, to assist in desired change.

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2. Understanding a tarot card: Images as ‘archetypes’, or ‘ways-of-being’

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the key to a successful ‘reasoning experience’ is that it is holistic. It’s an exercise in listening to the head (logic), heart (emotions) and body (physical needs).

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In the tarot deck, the ‘Suit of Swords’ is attributed to the element of Air. The sword is a symbol of our ‘notions of the mind’, refined by processing our ‘needs and desires’.

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Each card captures a thought, a feeling, a desire. It expresses a ‘way-of-being’ in order to ‘become’, more commonly known as an archetype (an example-mode).

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When a tarot card appears in our readings, it is making a suggestion. It displays a ‘way- of-being’ we could be experiencing now, or one we could adopt to change our future path.

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3. Performing a simple tarot reading: The Adjustment spread

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helps us to visualise a three-stage change in our outlook

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we shouldn’t read for the other person if they are not present. We can only explore this question from our own point of view;

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4. It’s all just chance isn’t it? Synchronicity and sub-conscious communication in tarot

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Coined by Swiss Psychoanalyst C.G. Jung in the early 20th Century, ‘synchronicity’ is defined as meaningful coincidence.

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visit the principles in tarot that nurture synchronicity, and prepare us to recognise these ‘revelations’ when they appear.

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A tarot reading is a ritual. In Jungian terms, it's a physical act, designed to stimulate an internal dialogue between our conscious and sub-conscious self.

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if we create the space to listen to the broader perspective of our sub-conscious, then we can explore its alternative knowledge.

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When we find ‘synchronicity’ in a tarot card (the information on the card resonates with our circumstance), then we know our subconscious is communicating with us.

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Tarot card divination (‘revealing what is hidden’, or, ‘what could be’) is an attempt to reveal irrational knowledge. Namely, our ‘sub-conscious’ instincts and ideas, which are not proven in reality, so are not obvious to us.

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undercurrents we sense in ourselves, and in our surroundings

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In modern times, we have largely reframed celestial archetypes as sub-conscious archetypes,

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5. The tarot deck structure: The secrets of the Major and Minor Arcana

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represents all the major landmarks we encounter as we journey through different phases of life; with each card ‘maturing our understanding'

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experiences as an individual

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heightened awareness, where we are focused on ourselves, because this is a matter we feel more profoundly.

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embrace bigger, more revelatory changes, over shorter periods of time.

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like all the ‘higher archetypes’ of the Major Arcana, encourages us to push beyond the familiar.

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The Pip cards display the different ‘ways-of-being’ that gradually develop, or assert, a change in our direction. Compared to the ‘Major’ Arcana, they are less revelatory and more evolutionary.

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Gnosis: (Greek: ‘knowledge’) to ‘know’. An ‘awakening’ or ‘revelation’. Profound knowledge or insight gained directly from a divine source.

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6. A brief history of the tarot deck

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The reason this Egyptian origin endures is because this ancient Egyptian wisdom was applied retrospectively to the tarot deck from the 18th Century onwards.

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divination as ‘fortune telling' - a mysterious communication with a ‘divine being’ to receive their vision of the future. And if we choose to use tarot cards in this way, then we are drawing on their exoteric (‘external’, or commonly known) meaning.

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‘divination’ should also be de ned as accessing divine knowledge from ‘within’: the unique information within us that helps us affect, rather than just accept, our given situations. When we draw on the esoteric (hidden) qualities in tarot symbols, we reveal their only ‘self-known’ meaning, such as how the card’s ‘eternal' (general) wisdom applies to us as an individual.

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To enhance playability, Trionfi ‘trump’ decks had additional picture cards which drew on morality themes such as ‘love', ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’. In these early guises, these cards had no number, rank, or title, only an image for the players to decide how it might ‘trump' the other cards in play.

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The Black Death stole from all walks of life. It claimed Kings, Bishops and laypeople alike, and held no regard for social status. Death is, of course, inevitable, but reframing it as an aggressive and non-discriminating disease raised questions: ‘Was death making a moral judgement, selecting those who have sinned’? In Art and Literature, this socio-critical idea was conveyed in the ’Danse Macabre’

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From the early 1500’s various forms of the Marseille tarot deck were being produced and distributed from France, and they became the most common form of tarot deck used for gameplay in Europe for the next few centuries. During this time the Major Arcana characters, and their numerical order, became established, and remain largely unchanged in most modern tarot deck structures today.

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The mystical evolution of the tarot deck (late 1700’s - 20th Century)

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As the 13th card, ‘Death’ appears roughly halfway along the procession of the Major Arcana, suggesting that all cards before ‘Death’ contemplate the physical existence, and all cards after, the spiritual.

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metaphysics - ‘study beyond the pure physical state’. In the 19th Century, it was a popular way of understanding the occult principle that, in life, there is a spiritual reality beyond our own.

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The seeds of the esoteric tarot: Antoine Court de Gébelin, and the Comte de Mellet (late 1700’s)

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stated the ‘Major Arcana’ as a pictorial representation of The Book of Thoth.

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22 trump cards in a tarot deck, and 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet,

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Mellet mentions the tarot deck as used for ‘divination’ amongst the Romani.

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Tarot of ‘fortune telling’: Etteilla (late 1700’s)

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Etteilla’s documentation of astrological correspondences in tarot cards, launched tarot as a short hand for other previously established occult practices (such as Kabbalah and Hermeticism), because, as a commonality, they all refer to astrological principles.

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The modern magic of tarot: Éliphas Lévi (mid-1800’s)

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Influenced by the philosophical ideas of Kant (1724-1804) and Schopenhauer (1788-1860), ‘transcendental’ expresses the modern concept: because we perceive the world, it is there. So it follows, if we change how we perceive the world, then the world changes to meet this. Whether we see this idea as literal, or metaphorical (that our worldview informs the world we create around us) it represents a core truth behind all magical possibility.

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The big idea behind Lévi’s reimagining of tarot is that old magic is an attempt to actually try and change the external world around us. But modern magic is to change our perception, so we can in uence the world around us.

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The unified tarot: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (late 1800’s)

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No physical tarot deck, or documented card designs survived

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Arthur E Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith devised the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Deck ( rst printed in England in 1909 by The Rider Company), with the idea of revealing just some of the secrets of the Golden Dawn, and quelling the interest of the uninitiated public.

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Sola Busca Hermetic Tarot deck - a unique hand-illustrated deck, created in Venice, Italy approx. 1490;

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By including explanatory scenes for the Pip cards, the RWS made tarot more user-friendly, and therefore more accessible.

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Tarot of the psyche: Carl Gustav Jung (20th C.)

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Jung expressed that his patients could use the cards to stimulate individuation (exploring our sub-conscious and conscious separately, so we can get a better sense of our whole self).

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shadow work, meaning, that if we use tarot to explore our ‘shadow’, or ‘sub-conscious’ (in particular, the instincts and desires we suppress so we can adhere to social norms), then we can achieve a greater self-awareness.

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Tarot of 'self magick’: Aleister Crowley (20th C.)

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‘Magick’ with a ‘k’, is derived from the Greek word ‘magikē’ (the art of the Magi, Magus or Magician). This way of spelling ‘magick’ was popularised by Crowley to distinguish ‘Stage Magic’ (illusions performed by theatrical magicians), from the true ‘Magick’ performed by Occult magicians (the magic that is considered to truly have the potential to transform).

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Book Two: The Major Arcana

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The Myth of Osiris: The ‘big idea’ behind tarot, magic and reason

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narrative of disassembling and reassembling for improvement

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7. Overview of the Major Arcana: An “evolution” of archetypes

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ideal succession of archetypes: 22 increments of self-wisdom, or 22 ’ways-we-could-be’

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8. The Major Arcana explored card by card

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‘The Fool’ can be thought of as a ‘wild card’, appearing at any point in the procession (in our tarot readings), to inspire a different direction.

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Cards 1-7 First awareness, ’infant' phase, moving in.

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Cards 8-14 Individual awareness, ’adolescent’ phase, establishing.

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Cards 15-21 Collective awareness, ‘Adult’ phase, mastering and then moving on.

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15: The Devil.

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9. Interpreting the Major Arcana as ourselves

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We reframe ‘The Emperor’ as ‘the influence of this person as felt by me',

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10. Exploring the Art of Self-guidance: Accessing our sub-conscious through tarot symbols

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11. Exploring the Art of Divination: Astrology and Mysticism in tarot

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Stage One: Astrology, receiving the signs

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‘The Golden Dawn’ (1888) attributed an ancient astrological system to the tarot deck, based on Chaldean (Babylonian) texts from the 9th-6th Century BCE. For this reason, traditional tarot is difficult to reconcile with modern astrology.

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Stage Two: Mysticism, interpreting the signs

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Stage three: Growth

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12. The Stellar Ascent: Reshaping our destiny through tarot

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Described as a complete principle, the Stellar Ascent is an ancient map of the cosmos that depicts the grand order, or ‘harmony’ of the universe,

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As a visual representation, ‘The Stellar Ascent’ is based on an observed model of the universe devised by mathematician and astrologer Claudius Ptolemy

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13. Neoplatonism & Hermeticism The key to the modern conscious/ sub-conscious tarot

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The original 2nd C. Hermetic texts were heavily influenced by Platonic and Neo-platonic philosophy. Where the main goal, as we explored in the last chapter, is to reconnect with ‘The Source’ (‘The One’, the divine creator) to achieve gnosis (our understanding of how things really are).

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Stage 1. Physical reality, or individual (rational) conciseness, is perhaps best understood through ‘Thoth’, the Egyptian god of ‘Writing’, whose divine attribution suggests that the written word, and language creates ‘the knowledge we retain’; which in turn, brings us self-awareness. Essentially, when we use words to describe physical objects, people, or our environment, they are ‘other’ to us. We are aware that we have a ‘self’, and what this does and doesn’t include.

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Before the evolution of language, such a de nitive distinction of ‘self’ didn’t exist. Largely, communication was intuitively felt, so an animal, or a tree, could be presumed to have as much potential to communicate with a human as another human. In these times we can imagine that people had a deeper, more sensual connection to the world around them:

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‘Hermetic’, translates as ‘complete' or ‘inclusive’, but also as ‘secret’ or ‘secretly sealed’: a technique used for sealing flasks in the practical alchemical process. So, by association, ‘hermetic’ suggests that esoteric, or occult (hidden) work, is performed by directing the consciousness inward - not outward to our physical surroundings.

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Essentially, the path back to ‘The Source’ can be found within us, stimulated by the interplay between our conscious and sub-conscious self.

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14. Hermetic Qabalah in Tarot

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‘Qabalah’, or ‘Hermetic Qabalah’, is Phythagoreanised, Christianised Kaballah, which also includes other spiritual ideologies such as the ancient Egyptian and Greek.

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15. The Magic and Ritual in Tarot: Late Neoplatonic ‘Theurgy’ and Renaissance ‘Astral Magic’

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Iamblichus describes ‘Theurgy’ as the pursuit of a higher purpose: to communicate with divine spirits to gain understanding

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Contrary to the accepted Neoplatonic thought of his time, for Iamblichus, being separated from ‘The Source’ in birth and life was not a hardship, it was a unique privilege. The material world was created by the Source out of ‘love for us’, not ‘rejection’ (casting out) as others believed.

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Tarot cards as intermediaries

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16. The Self-alchemy of Tarot

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Allegorically, these seven steps define any metamorphosis; it’s the disassembling and reassembling for improvement that we explored in ‘The Myth of Osiris’ at the beginning of this book.

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Book Three: The Minor Arcana

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17. The Four Suits and Four Elements of the Minor Arcana

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we may find ourselves thinking, ‘How has it been decided what this card means’?

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1. Elementally. The archetypal ‘element’ of a Suit, combined with its archetypal ‘number’ or ‘rank’.

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2. Astrologically. Looking at its position on the Astrological wheel.

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the four Suits arranged in an ideal running order,

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Wands → Cups → Swords → Pentacles → Wands

‘Wands’ represent new ideas. They are the Fire of passion that burns within us when something new captures our attention.

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‘Cups' represent emotion, stillness, and the immersive qualities of Water. They symbolise how we, as people, nurture deep emotional connections.

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We use the Sword to metaphorically cut away, to further shape and define our situation, so we can prepare it to become a more practical reality.

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'Pentacles' represent the results of working through the previous three Suits. They reveal how our ideas have physically manifested in our lives.

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18. The Theory of the Elemental Minor Arcana Suits

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the triangle was a model of beauty. Its three-sided shape defines a form, something we can recognise as being real. However, its point, or ‘arrow shape’, also suggests a direction, or movement.

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The second thing this system of triangles tells us, is the importance of alternating modes. Shown in the wheel below, as a simple ‘repetition’ of active/ receptive/ active/ receptive.

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19. The ‘Aspects’ and ‘Virtues’ of the Suits

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By the time we reach ‘The Nine of Wands’, the figure stands in pure defence of what they have achieved, a clear departure from the virtue of the Suit. ‘Courage’ has been used to assert the vision, but in the long term, it results in inflexibility - the figure is sticking to what they know, concerned with what they have to lose.

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The Archetypal Numbers 1 to 10

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20. Decoding the Pip cards: Elementally and numerologically; and Astrologically

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Method 1: Combining the elemental Suit and archetypal Number

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In ‘The Three of Cups’ the combination of ‘Suit’ and ‘Number’ are complimentary because both hold the value of ‘nurturing’ and ‘creating’.

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In ‘The Three of Swords’ opposing modes are at work. The assertive and controlled nature of the Swords, works against the exible nature of the Three

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combine the ‘source’ of the Suit, the Ace, with the cards 1-10 of the Major Arcana.

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In combination, this ‘Suit’ and ‘Number’ are complimentary (assertive). However, rather than being overly positive, this card results in instability.

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Fig 3.4: The Astrological Correspondences of the Pip cards

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Method Two: The astrological correspondences of the Pip cards

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As a sequence, all of the 36 decans suggest a procession of what humans could ‘be’ or ‘do’ in different phases of the year.

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A very brief history of astrological correspondences in the tarot deck

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21. Decoding the Court cards: Elementally and Astrologically; including Court card ‘reversals’

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Initially it can be helpful to translate King, Queen, Knight, Page into alternative systems of life. As a family unit: Father, Mother, Teenager (young adult), Child. Or, as levels of education: Professor, Professional, Graduate, Student.

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Defining a Court card, method 1: Elemental combinations

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The Court Card Astrological Wheel

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Defining a Court card, method 2: Astrological correspondences, including Court card ‘reversals’

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overly identifying with our astrological birth sign can unproductively reinforce how we perceive ourselves. It encourages us to develop the parts of our personality that are the strongest, and ignore the parts that are weakest, or the most difficult to change.

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Establishing this lesser degree is useful when Court cards appear in reverse, because it tells us this minor influence is becoming more dominant.

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Because Court cards depict ‘people’, they are designed to show us how an ‘ideal’ (the ideal qualities of a sign of the Zodiac) can be altered, or, go awry, when applied in a human context. For example, whereas 5: ‘The Hierophant’ (pure, ideal ‘Taurus’) guides spiritual illumination for future growth, the previous influence of Aries (sensation) in the upright ‘King of Pentacles’ means they can become fixated on momentary success.

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22. Modalities in the Court Cards, Cardinal, Fixed & Mutable: Inconsistencies in the Court Card astrological correspondences.

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23. The Suit of Wands in depth

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In the low numbers, they provide all the willpower and determination needed to push things forward.

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mid-numbers, they soon realise that to establish new ideas, they must also be accepted by others.

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higher numbers, where our ‘passion’ to uphold our vision begins to obstruct our progress.

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As a destructive force, fire metaphorically represents ‘self-purification’. It reflects the ‘breaking down’ of our established or ingrained perspectives, so we can make room for new ‘ways-of-being’. (Think, new green shoots pushing through after a volcanic eruption).

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Fortitude (strength, courage), the virtue of the Suit of Wands

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The virtue of Courage reminds us that when we apply our ideals in the real world, we shouldn’t let our passion consume us (passion - heat - harden - inflexible). Initially, we need this passion to build up our resilience, and develop our confidence; but later on, overconfidence can obstruct our progress.

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24. The Suit of Cups in depth

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Establishing natural trust and commitment isn’t always easy, and this is the journey reflected in the Suit of Cups.

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we see a character experiencing the joys of emotionally connecting with others. In the low cards, these relationships quickly bring positive results, and they develop an optimistic outlook.

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mid-numbers, they realise that if they are to continue growing as an individual, they must reach beyond - and their first experiences of ‘emotional loss’ emerge.

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As we gain emotional experience, we gain emotional strength. From 'The Eight of Cups’ onwards, we give love freely to others without expecting anything back.

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The Holy Grail, often used to depict ‘The Ace of Cups’ in Renaissance tarot decks, symbolises the ‘journey of life’. The legend of the ‘quest' to find the Grail Cup is a metaphor - it is actually the emotional adventures we have along the way that give our lives meaning. Or, in a more familiar phrase, ‘it is the journey, not the destination’.

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Temperance, the virtue of the Suit of Cups

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Temperance reminds us to avoid consistently placing ourselves in situations that exhaust our emotional state. Initially, they can be instructive (our passionate dreams reveal our future path), but to make our dreams a reality, we need stable conditions to make well-balanced choices.

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In the example of ‘Temperance’, we are emotionally ‘treating others as we would like to be treated’.

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the Two and Three of Cups depict the virtue of ‘Temperance’ becoming established.

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The Six and Seven of Cups show a departure from the virtue. Emotional indulgence is sometimes necessary and informative, but with no other in uences, it can become overwhelming and unproductive.

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In the Eight and Ten of Cups, we see a return to the virtue. In the Eight, finding the positives in our experiences, has given us the emotional strength to move on.

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the Knight of Cups displays an emotional self-indulgence, which suggests that Temperance is not being used to its full effect.

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25. The Suit of Swords in depth

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‘Swords’ represent ambition and aspiration. When these cards appear, they usually reflect the aspects of our lives affected by our ‘social hierarchies’. Concepts such as our careers, social positioning, or political ideals - any situation where we are negotiating with the opinions of other people. Swords often highlight the amount of control we have.

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In the low cards, their initial efforts prove unsuccessful; inexperience and dilemma lead to rash action,

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mid-numbers, reassessing how to do this ‘better next time’ brings some level of success.

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high numbers, this analytical approach quickly brings anxiety and defeat if the lessons of the Swords are not mastered.

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The Suit of ‘Swords’ represent the risk of this commitment: that we now have something to lose when opposition comes our way.

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our ‘minds’, where we harbour notions of pride and reputation.

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We see one Sword, but two edges: one black, one white. In the Ace of ‘Wands’, the Wand represented our ‘singular’ vision. But here, in the Ace of ‘Swords’, the two edges suggest that a dialogue is taking place: a reasoning that develops clarity, so an intended action is more likely to be successful.

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’Justice’ of the Major Arcana, where the sword is paired with the weighing scales: to suggest a well-balanced approach. ‘Weighing scales’ symbolise balance, but they also imply the ‘before and after’. As a process, ‘Justice’ is administered after the act, when all the information has been assessed, and all parties have had their say.

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In the Two and Three of Swords, the virtue of Justice is in its infancy, and remains unmastered. Devoid of clarity and experience (Two), the decision is made to ‘act’, and results in disappointment (Three).

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Four and Six of Swords, the contemplation crucial to achieving Justice is now present. ‘Rational thought’ brings improvement to the process,

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Eight and Nine of Swords, the virtue of Justice has overwhelmed the characters. Overanalysing the situation, or consistently drawing on negative experiences, means they are no longer able to decisively act.

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the Queen of Swords has mastered the virtue of Justice. She also appears with the ‘weighing scales’, hanging from her belt as the astrological sign of ‘Libra’. She has balanced her logic, emotion and experience, and this tells her the ‘right time’ for the ‘right action’.

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The virtue of Justice reminds us that establishing our ambitions takes experience.

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The Gordian knot, the alternative symbol of the Suit of Swords

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reminds us of the challenges of balancing thought, time and action.

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‘Reversed’ cards in the Suit of Swords often suggest delay,

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26. The Suit of Pentacles in depth

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more generally, when these cards appear in our readings they represent our tangible understanding. They offer a moment to reflect on what we have shaped through the cycle of the previous three Suits, and decide if this is still the direction we want to go. A concept better posed as the question: How has our ‘will’ shaped our reality?

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In the low cards, the character is finding their feet, seeking to secure a ‘way of life’ that supports their basic needs.

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By the mid-numbers, there are escalating levels of success. Now in a position to help themselves, they think about helping others:

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by the high numbers, this ability to nd comfort in the material and spiritual aspects of life makes them feel assured in the long term.

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A pentacle is not a symbol, it’s a physically constructed object that harnesses the spell- caster’s will of intent.

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(When a ‘pentagram’ is constructed in a physical, magical sense, it becomes a ‘pentacle’).

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The key to understanding this element, is that it takes time and effort to use.

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Prudence (Foresight), the virtue of the Suit of Pentacles

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The key to mastering the virtue of Prudence is knowing that the Hermit takes ‘time out’ to make judgements for the future, and the same consideration is seen in the sequence of the Suit of Pentacles. There are no ‘erratic’ pivotal moments, only gradual increments of informed decision-making that steadily move us towards our goals.

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The Two and Three of Pentacles represent the groundwork of ‘Prudence’ (foresight). By identifying with the experiences they nd the most rewarding, these characters are channelling their efforts in a direction that nurtures longevity.

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Four of Pentacles, we see a character with ‘limited vision’, who has departed from the virtue of Prudence.

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In the Six of Pentacles, Prudence emerges.

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In the Seven and Eight of Pentacles, the characters are building on what they have learned so far. As a result, they see opportunities that were not obvious before.

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The Mandala, the alternative symbol of the Suit of Pentacles

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Book Four

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27. A tarot reading as a ritual: Creating a positive space and frame of mind

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28. Setting a Question

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Avoiding ‘yes’ or ‘no’ closed answers in our tarot readings is key.

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If you have an enquirer in front of you, encourage them to set their question in an open way.

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29. Preparing the deck

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The cutting system works on the principle that cutting to the left, and always using the left hand to perform the task, accesses the intuitive, creative side of the brain. It establishes a break from using the automatic right hand, and places us in an alternative (open) frame of mind.

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one of the short sides is closest to you. This establishes the baseline of the deck, or, which way up it is for us. As an external enquirer finishes their shuffle, ask them to place the cards in front of them in the same way.

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30. Three key spreads to shape a tarot ‘sitting’

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31. The Orientation Spread

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We don’t necessarily need to ‘set a question’ for this initial spread, because as we move through, we naturally identify a theme.

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Present: This first card offers the matter at hand.

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Cross: This second card suggests an influence on our ‘present’ situation. Often, this is an external force, felt internally by us, so this could be the in uence of another person, or, a situation that has given us a new perspective.

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Subconscious: This third card represents the root of the present situation; it is our ‘sub-conscious’, or ‘core’ instinct towards it. As our inward approach, it can reveal our ‘doubts’, or something we hadn’t even imagined as a motivation.

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Near past: an occurrence in the ‘near past’, that has influenced the ‘present’.

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Conscious: our ‘conscious’ thoughts. It represents our outward approach to the situation. It could reveal our hopes, aspirations, or best intentions, but it could also indicate if we are feeling unconfident or despondent.

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Near future: Card 6 is our perception of how our ‘present’ will shape up in the ‘near future’: it is the future situation we feel we are heading towards.

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The Theory of the Orientation Spread

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The three cards running from left to right, represent the passage of time we perceive for ourselves.

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The cards running from the bottom to top, are an exploration of ourselves at the point of our reading.

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We are not trying to guess the specifics of our asker’s situation, we are simply revealing the meaning of the card, relevant to the position it holds.

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Sometimes it can be helpful to start interpreting the ‘Orientation spread’ with the ‘near past’ card if it feels particularly relevant. Usually, the ‘present’ card (Card 1) sets the scene for the reading well, but occasionally the contrast between the ‘near past’ and ‘present’ can highlight a significant moment for the enquirer.

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32. The Pathway Spread

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The first step is to choose one card from the previous ‘Orientation Spread’ that defines the matter we want to explore.

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usually offer the ‘near future’ card

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Once the ‘focus card’ has been chosen, spend some time creating a statement around it. What do we want to achieve from exploring it?

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All cards in column A represent our present approach

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All cards in column B suggest a way of adjusting our approach

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sometimes they may complement each other, suggesting that the approach needs little adjustment, or, that the situation may play out naturally over time.

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A2: The conscious present card indicates our ‘current conscious approach’ to achieving the aims of the focus card. This will most likely be familiar,

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B5: The conscious suggested adjustment card offers how we could alter our current conscious approach (card 2)

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A3: The sub-conscious present card indicates our ‘deep-rooted approach’ to achieving our aims.

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The cards in the final (bottom) row of the ‘Pathway spread’, explore what we project to the outside world. In Jungian terms, this is our ‘mask’,

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Consider if it compliments how you feel, or, if you are projecting something altogether different.

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if we change how others perceive us, it could inspire their acceptance of our situation, or even, inspire their assistance in it.

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33. The Options Spread

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‘guiding principle' of each group in the spread.

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our old perspectives ‘moving out’. They express what could ebb away when this decision to do, or not do, becomes established.

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our new perspectives ‘moving in’. They express what we could have to consider when the decision to do, or not do, becomes established.

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'root consideration’. They suggest the foundation we could have to build on as a result of the decision to do, or not do.

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sometimes, deciding not to create change, can lead to a change itself. Once something else is no longer an option, we naturally make way for new perspectives.

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At the end of an ‘Options Spread’, you can pull a summing up card for each of the spreads

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34. Interpreting ‘reversed’ cards in a tarot reading

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Method 1. Inverting the upright meaning (to be, or not to be)

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if this card were to appear reversed in an advice position, then it suggests that we should avoid the ‘upright’ qualities of the card.

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Method 2. Considering the number sequence - Pythagorean mysticism

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Method 3. Reversals by Suit

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Method 4. Delay

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Method 5. Left and right-facing figures

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Left-facing heads portray unconventional thinkers, or radical new thought processes.

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Right-facing heads portray conventional thinkers, or proven, traditional thought processes.

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35. The Astrological Correspondences of the Major Arcana and Pip cards, and their use in ‘reversals’

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A very brief history of reversed tarot cards

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36. Finding the emphasis in an ‘Orientation spread’

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One Major Arcana card, in any position in the Orientation spread, can give us the emphasis we are looking for.

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The Suits

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The Tarot Suits applied to the Elemental Wheel

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38. Responsible tarot reading for other people

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Book Five: The 78 Tarot Card Meanings

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Notes that link to this note