Tarot The Story

Tarot ~ The Story the Cards Portray

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Most packs consist of 78 cards; the Major Arcana of 22 cards and the Minor Arcana of 56 cards. The 22 Major Arcana or Trump cards, as they are also known all have a roman numeral, a picture and a title.

The cards are:

0 The Fool

I The Magician

II The High Priestess

X The Wheel of Fortune

How To Use Tarot Cards To Connect To Your Higher Self And Receive Information And Guidance From The Cards.
The Complete Beginners Guide To Tarot.

There is no standard tarot pack as such although a pack of 78 cards is the norm. All packs have been drawn at sometime by someone, and as such they are all of equal worth. Generally, they conform to the guide given in these pages but it must be said that they do vary

The cards names are often in different languages; the suits have different labels; and there are various differing titles and pictures to some of the main themes of the 22 Major Arcana, some packs have more decoration than others and the number of cards may vary. However, let me say now that all this is really unimportant, if you are unsure which pack to get don't be. Buy whichever pack attracts you or you like the look of.

The secret of the tarot lies not in the cards but your understanding of them. This understanding will grow as you learn more of their meanings and as you get used to using your pack then very soon your pack will become "your pack".

If you have your own cards, take the 22 cards of the major Arcana and lay them out according to the picture below.

Take the Wheel of Fortune ,card number 10 and the World card number 21, lay them on the table to create an "X" with the Wheel of Fortune underneath and its label or bottom facing right and the World with its label or bottom facing left Next starting with the top left hand side of the cross lay the Fool, card number 0 with its label or bottom facing left then complete the top loop of the figure 8 with the hermit card number 9, all labels should face outwards on the loop.

So all should now have cards 0 to 9 in the top loop.

Next the bottom loop should continue from the Wheel of Fortune on the left hand bottom of the cross with Justice card number 11 around to the right hand corner and finish with Judgment or card number 20 the bottom loop should have all the labels or bottoms inside the loop.

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Ok you have, in fact, laid the cards down in the symbol of infinity. This is the map of the journey that is told in our story As you can see, the journey is in two parts, with a turning point in the middle. The 22 cards of the Tarot represent the 22 different energies which act upon us growing humans as we make our journey.

As we go through life, we pass in and out of many different situations, and in every situation we have a particular feeling, our lives are a series of feelings You might therefore conclude that in order to understand ourselves and our lives all we have to do is understand this flow of feelings.

This is true. But there is one major snag.

If you stop at any given point in the day and ask yourself "what am I feeling now" the answer you get back as you scan through your thoughts, emotions and aspirations is likely to be extremely complicated and time consuming.

However, imagine for a second that instead of asking the question of your conscious mind, that you had the means of speaking to your deeper , intuitive self

What would the answer be then?

The answer would be much, much simpler. Instead of the host of words, emotions, attitudes, concepts and moral judgments, the answer would come back strong and clear.

These are the 22 basic inner energies and are all represented on card 0 to 21 of the Trump cards. In understanding this you now have a good basis on which to start learning

The Journey

The 22 cards of the tarot represent the 22 different energies, which act upon us as we make our journey.

I want to tell the story of the journey quite briefly here, and examine the symbols in much more detail below.

You start off as The Fool. You are literally a baby. Pure, innocent and unaware of yourself as a separate person. You have no number. Out of this unformed innocence emerges an identity. A feeling of I exist. I can manipulate things around me.This is card number I, The Magician: the wielder of the tools of consciousness and the symbol of the human and his craving to discover his limits and purpose. This fragile being is subjected to four huge forces in its little life – The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor and The High Priest. These are the powerful currents of female and male aspects, spiritual and material tendencies.

Then comes The Lovers, carrying with it the feeling of adolescent rejection of ones family in preference for a mate, a time of choice and of becoming responsible for one's own life.

The story unfolds with the Chariot; Here the self is picking up momentum in the world and rolling along in a self-made vehicle.

But wait!

You have achieved an identity and your affairs are definitely rolling in the world; but where are you going?

The next card is Strength or Fortitude. For the first time, you can see what your up against in your other self. You sense that only by fearless confrontation can the primeval forces within you be understood. Inevitably, this process of self-examination leads to the Hermit. As the Hermit you stand alone. You are determined to find your happiness in the fulfillment of those unknown feelings first brought to your attention by Strength.

The Wheel of Fortune spins and you're off again on a new voyage. But this time who knows where

You start to weigh up. The card Justice is the voice of this feeling. Justice suggests that so far your growth has been a bit one sided. You are confident and feel no fear. And so to The Hanged Man. Here, you willingly and deliberately throw your life into a state of topsy-turvy. As far as your concerned, up could as well be down and vice versa. Any differentiation between the two you are quite prepared to sacrifice in the cause of your growth, and sure enough…….Death, (or as its sometimes called Transformation).

This is your first moment of spiritual success. You are in a position to see how your old, small self is dying away. Yet you do not mourn it. Temperance is next. You're on the path and you know you're getting the measure of it. The imbalance hinted at all those cards ago is beginning to even out. This is the feeling of the card Temperance. But it is not over yet.

What should rise from your subconscious now but The Devil. The Devil is a force that has to be seen for what it is if growth is to continue. And sure enough, like a bolt from the blue, - and with shattering consequences - your progress does continue. You have arrived at The Tower. Here you see that you are involved in a process of unlearning those things you thought were certainties. You now really know something about the powers that lie within.

Your journey is not yet over but you are no longer wandering blindly, The Star, is there to reassure you and guide you towards your ultimate goal. Between you and it lies one final adventure - The Moon. The supremely attractive, fascinating and ultimately deceptive lunar forces must be tested, tasted and understood. It is a risky business and it involves faith. Then, at last after the dark night of The Moon…… The Sun Showing attainment, victory, success and enlightenment, but still very much to do with the separate, enlightened individual. All very well but inevitably the journey must proceed yet further

The Judgment symbolizes willingness to let go of all individuality no matter how spiritual or deep and no matter how hard won. The Judgment is the pay-off. After this card, the being can experience freely the perfection of the final state, expressed so beautifully in The World.

From this card, to the innocence of The Fool is now just one simple step. And so the cycle repeats itself.

It's quite a story and your not expected to swallow it all in one sitting. If any of the feelings in this story are familiar to you, then take the card in question and focus on it. It will provide a starting point from which you can gain valuable insight into your own inner state and also enable you to develop a good working knowledge of the forces at work in the Tarot.

Let's take a more detailed look at the 22 major Arcana and some of their associations.

These are not the lighter divinatory meanings of the cards, those are listed elsewhere.

Note that each cards has a positive and negitive aspect to it

0 The Fool

This card has no number. He is an innocent spirit, about to embark on incarnation.
His clothes are ragged and a dog is often seen harassing him as he walks with complete unconcern towards the precipice.
He is the vagabond who lives on the outside of organized society.
He cares nothing for the laws and rules by which he is supposed to abide, and perhaps considered a lunatic.
Yet within him are the seeds of genius and enlightenment.
He can be seen either as the beginning or as the end of the 22-card sequence.
His heart is open and carefree and his mind is open too.
But there is a hint of pitfalls and trails lying before him.
On his back, he carries a staff with a bag tied to it.
What does it contain?
All of his worldly goods?
Memories of the innocence that he is about to lose?
Who can say?
Who can see through the eyes of the fool? He is the pure impulse….

Negative;
If he is not, then he is just a joker chasing after extravagant diversions, indifferent to the chaos he leaves behind him. A laugh at any price might be his motto.

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I The Magician

Number 1. The number of positive action.
The magician is the first stage of existence, the emerging self awareness of a child as it starts on the voyage of life.
He stands before a table on which lie the tools of his trade.
In some packs they are the tools of a cobbler.
He is no longer a fool.
The rest of the Tarot will tell of the trails of his journey back to his lost innocence.
With one hand he reaches to the heavens.
With the other, he controls the things of the earth.
His is a divine hero armed with confidence and his four senses.
He is the master who appears when the pupil is ready, to instruct fools in the ways of knowledge.
Is he the magus?
The chosen one?

Negative;
If he is not, he is a manipulative trickster whose sole pleasure is to conjure with others and dupe those slower than himself.
Power is his goal, his will is his only solace.

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II The High Priestess

The great feminine force controlling the very source of life, gathering into herself all the energizing forces and holding them in solution until the time of release.
She is known as a wise woman, crowned and seated on a throne.
She is assigned the number II, the number of duality.
She is the primeval female element, present in both man and women.
Intuitive revelation and inspiration are at her command.
Passive and all wise, she speaks and the fool must learn to hear her.
She is often shown holding a book.
What mysteries are in her book?

Negative;
Scorn or ignore her message and The High Priestess becomes the queen of the night.
An alluring witch whose delight is to ensnare in illusion and destroy.

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III The Empress

The Empress has the number III. The number of harmony and synthesis.
The tensions of I against II are resolved in her.
The Empress is full and abundant.
She is the Mother Goddess, generous and creative, who rules the paradise of creation.
She is often shown as a pregnant woman. The throne is in the open air.
Her power is passive, expressed in emotion and feeling and she can know everything in a moment.
She rules with warmth and compassion, comforting and giving forth abundantly from her realm of nature.
The fool may eat fully of her fruits.

Negative;
But he must not indulge or exploit her generosity.
He must understand the true nature of his benefactress, or else one day she may well turn around and eat him.
The mother Goddess can also be a monster.

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IV The Emperor

The Emperor is the male counterpart of The Empress.
Seated firmly on his material throne, he rules the physical world with his will and his logic.
His is the number IV, the number of structure and organization.
He makes himself felt on the material plane, exerting a benign and strong influence.
His creative energy builds and sustains whatever he wants it to and he perceives his empire with his senses.
The Emperor is the father figure and wielder of authority and raw power.

Negative;
But what will he do with this power?
On some cards, he is depicted enthroned in a barren landscape.
Did he destroy it to prove his strength? If he did, he is not the father but a bully and an oppressor.

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V The High Priest

The traditional representative of god on earth, The High Priest (also called, The Pope, Hierophant, Jupiter) is the male aspect of The High Priestess.
His number V was traditionally seen as being made up of 1 (god) + 4 (matter), so The Pope symbolizes spiritual teachings and moral codes of behaviour in the world.
His wisdom is practical and he teaches his flock the ancient mysteries in their daily lives.
He is a profound thinker with an understanding of the physical, emotional and mental worlds.
He is the good shepherd who teaches that which can be learned by and example.
The Pope is orthodox and directs the intellect to its highest goal.
He instructs in the ancient formulae, and the world must come to him if they want to know them.

Negative;
Those who don't, or who make light of his message, can be his downfall'
In a second, he leaves his throne to carp, and harass anyone who dares question his dogma.
The Pope in his negative aspect can be the intellectual oppressor, the inquisitor, or the professional liar.

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VI The Lovers

The fledgling spirit is about to fly the nest. A man stands between an older woman and a younger one (the mother and the bride).
Though it is a man on nearly all packs, the spirit it represents is neither male nor female.
He is making his choice between his old way and his new one.
But are they not just two versions of the same theme?
Is he not just substituting one woman for another?
That is not how he sees it at this time.
He is making his first solo decision.
He is separating himself from his origins and choosing himself a new identity.
Cupid, the symbol of harmony, hovers overhead to ensure he makes the inevitable choice.
How could he stay with the comforts of the old and the familiar, with his new identity and Eros himself goading him to pastures new.
The number of this card is VI, which like II carries a hint of tension and a need for resolution.
A choice must be made, destiny demands it.

Negative;
If it is not, if he cannot bear to leave his mother, there will only be stagnation, or at best, futile and sad vacillation.

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VII The Chariot

The number is VII. The number of progress and independent action.
The decision of the preceding card has been firmly made and the show is on the road.
And what a show it is.
Confident and effective, the integrated ego moves smoothly through the material world.
He needs no reins to guide his two horses.
The power of his personality controls all he comes into contact with.
He knows where he is going and his role is clear.
Through mastery of will, he has concentrated his faculties and he uses them well to the benefit of himself and of those outside his golden chariot.

Negative;
But there's the rub.
Do not stand in the path of his triumphant journey or you may have to be run down, in the interests of progress, of course.

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VIII Strength

(Just to say here some older European cards would have Strength at number XI and Justice here at VIII but after researching this I have found that most the modern decks have them in this order, so will follow that format)

Fortitude, calmly battling with the lion, symbolizes brave confrontation with the other self.
At last, the enemy has stepped out from the shadows and the true nature of the conflict to come is clear.
He confronts his opposing self, the wild man within.
The expression on the face of Fortitude often shows serenity and faith.
She is strong but not severe, how can she overcome such a ferocious beast without a sign of savagery herself?
This is the theme of his new quest
Fortitude gives the strength of inner purpose, she recognizes and subdues the lion, she does not destroy it completely.

Negative;
If she does, she will be alone, like the charioteer, triumphant in a small way but incomplete, the power of fortitude is great and can hold back the instincts to maintain a superficial and over civilized status quo.

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IX The Hermit

Do you remember The Fool? Setting naively on a journey.
His exterior journey is complete.
Now we see him as The Hermit, setting out again on the final stage of a journey towards a new dark land.
He is the number IX, the last of the single numbers.
The Fool finds his fruition in the world as The Hermit.
He no longer has a bag, a crown or a chariot, he bravely holds his tiny light towards the darkness before him and leans on his simple staff.
He knows that all his former wealth and understanding will not help him on his coming journey.
He has no comfort except for his sense of purpose, The Hermit is the wise old man who dreams, but does he know what he is up against this time?

Negative;
If asked, he might have a theory, he is capable of clinging stubbornly to theories, perhaps the past has made him too used to knowing all the answers.
The Hermit can be a fixed and dogmatic old fool.

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X The Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel is a Mandela, a round unified symbol that speaks of wholeness and perfection.
The Wheel brings an awareness of the rightness of things, and for a moment The Hermit sees his position on the whole journey.
This cosmic perspective brings him serenity, and that reassures him.
He is not alone, forging his own part of a greater plan.
The perils of the coming new journey are unknown, but the journey itself has been run many times.
All things must pass.
This card has many different symbols on different decks, some are rising up, some are going down.
Is it the Wheel of fate? The cycle of death and rebirth? The drawing up of the unconscious into the light of day? The descent of the beast?.
The wheel is a mystery to be enjoyed, ( See the wheel spin there it goes! where is stops nobody knows!).
It is the number X, the first of the double numbers symbolizing the perfect start of a new cycle.

Negative;
If it is not, it is an interminable merry go round of action and action on which the distracted traveller must ride forever, overwhelmed by his senses.
The wheel offers perspective and momentum to go on, except for those who hang on and get dizzy.

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XI Justice

(Just to say here some older European cards would have Strength here at number XI and Justice at VIII but after researching this I have found that most the modern decks have them in this order, so will follow that format)

The card depicts the traditionally female figure of Justice.
She holds a balance and a sword, and she is not blind.
She has the power to assess, and if necessary demand redress.
She is impartial, and only manifests to settle disputes and restore an imbalance.
Why has she come now?
Justice takes the broad view, and the traveller must hear her caution.
If he does not, a sword will fall.
Justice weighs up the individual whether he thinks he deserves it or not.
The law of life is best understood and obeyed in order to avoid frustration.
The voice of the psyche must be heard.
Justice is a goddess.

Negative;
If she is less, she will use her sword wilfully to justify her scales and her judgements will have no mercy.

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XII The Hanged Man

A strange image, full of meaning. Don't be afraid of this image. The man is not being punished or tortured. He has put himself voluntarily into this helpless position.
What else can he do? His journey is well underway.
He has seen his lower self; he cannot return to that nor the charioteer days, for on this journey the direction is not his to decide.
He cannot go forward or backwards.
He is caught, yet he feels he must do something.
He does the only possible thing. He grasps and admits his helplessness.
The Hanged Man acknowledges and demonstrates his inability to make any conventional move.
His world is upside down. He has sacrificed the luxury of all values, and the concepts of progress. He hangs voluntarily motiveless and disorientated.
His head now points towards Mother Earth where he hopes his future lies and he waits his rescue with faith.
The Hanged Man adopts this precarious position with sincerity and his reward is bliss.

Negative;
To assume this posture for any other reason is to become a crippled idealist, hamstrung by an obsession with spiritual concepts. A lunatic ascetic. The number of The Hanged Man is XII. 12 breaks down into 1+2=3. 3 contains the idea of all. Perhaps that is what The Hanged Man has given?

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XIII Death

Once again, this is not an image to be afraid of. On the face of it, it is a picture of a living skeleton, some with a scythe, the classic image of death.
He bears the number XIII and 13 reduces to 4, the number of order.
Death, though he comes out of chaos is also the bringer of new life.
The Hanged Man made an offering of himself. His reward is the breaking up of his old personality, and with the fragmentation of the burden of his old ego he is free to proceed in any direction.
Death has brought release. In some cards there are body parts scattered around and somehow seem alive and active, they exist, but they do not adapt to an identity.
Death has removed the problems of personality, so much the bane of The Hermit, and now new energy is released.

Negative;
To those who are frightened of the new, Death is a terrible reminder of the inevitable pain of stagnation. Death knows no mercy.

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XIV Temperance

Temperance balances the drama and energy of the two previous cards.
The number is XIV (14) which equals 5, symbolizing the reconciliation of parts in a unified whole. The seeker has rejected everything that he once knew.
He no longer values his ego or his old identity.
The angel of Temperance descends to soothe this disorientated new spirit and grants it a new balanced perspective with which to function in a new dimension into which Death has cast it.
She is female and bears the water of life and measures them passively and reassuringly.
Her passive presence softens the drama of the cards that surround her.
Temperance mediates and restores the extremes of the emerging self and regulates the unfolding of the past.

Negative;
Temperance gone wrong is an irritant. Someone who constantly burdens the weak with unwanted help, forcing flowing, unresolved situations into negative conclusions.

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XV The Devil

Another powerful image, Temperance has put the seeker in touch with his higher self. He is now a 'spiritual grownup'. It is his time to look even deeper than before.
The useless identity that Death cut down at card XIII had a root. And this is the root.
The Devil himself must be confronted. A potentially deadly encounter, for The Devil only fights battles he knows he will win. For the first time, there is a very real possibility of failure.
This is the turning point of magic, for defeat may bring great worldly power to the loser and victory is unimaginable. The seeker confronts not only his own devil but the negative energies of the whole world. He must comprehend and integrate his wildest and most profound chaotic energies if his evolution is to continue.
The card's number is XV (15) reducing to 6, the number of resolution.
The darkness of his shadow is only as strong as the brightness of the light that causes it! But does he know this? This is the battle he has longed for. The forces at stake are the primal energies that turn the world itself. There can be no defeat.

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XVI The Tower

Number XVI (16) reduces to 7, a number that denotes power. A stone tower shown being destroyed by fire and lightening. The battle with The Devil ceases in one profound moment of understanding.
The light of true perception devastates the edifice of understanding on which the seeker stood so confidently. At last, the light breaks through.
It is an awesome light that strikes all ignorance and cares nothing for the concepts and frailties of the individual. The Devil is seen for what it is, neither good nor bad, and the effect of this realization is shattering.
A gateway leading to the ultimate goal suddenly opens. The battle against the will is over. No material structure can stand before the raw power of the full glare of the divine light.

Negative;
Some cannot accept the realization of the Devil's true nature and become trapped in a cage of inflexible dogma and neurotic compassion.

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XVII The Star

The seeker is no longer guided from within. He is given a sign, a hint of the sustained enlightenment of which he has so far only tasted a flash. In due time, The Star tells him, he will reach his destination. It is the call of destiny that grants hope and fulfilment after the devastation of The Tower. Stars were believed to be gods. After the realization of The Tower, God cab be the seeker's last and only aspiration. The Star hints at immortality and pours forth new water on the Earth in a symbol of gentle encouragement.
Hope of ultimate fulfilment and the most natural and gentle motivation are the mood of this picture. After the storm comes peace, refreshment and new hope.
The number is XVII (17) = 8, the number of renewal and rebirth. The Star has no prejudices, expectations or morals and she beckons continually.
It would be hard to avoid seeing such a bright celestial light or, having seen it, fail to respond.

Negative;
Complacency and ignorance are the prerogatives of those who cannot see the purity of her light.

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XVIII The Moon

The Moon is the last obstacle the Hero must overcome. The lesson of The Hang Man and The Devil have been understood. Now, the all attractive Moon must be experienced. XVIII (1+8) = 9, the last of the single numbers.
The card carries a strange, lonely and disturbing image. Sanity and the very perception of reality are at stake. This is not the benign lunar mother of popular astrology. The fatal pull of the lunar will passively threatens to envelop and extinguish life itself.
Is The Moon the home of the dead? What lies on the terrible darker side? Who can resist the subtle and insidious magic of The Moon? She is the great illusion, bland and powerful; devouring and unstable, she fascinates and hypnotizes even the purest of souls.
All of the secrets of the night are revealed beneath her watery second-hand light. On the card she seems to pull everything towards her. All illusion and in her realm nothing fits with anything else.
The hero must resist without will; understand without reason, and proceed without direction or effort. Anything less and he will be left, drained and deluded, in the lunar night.

Negative;
The Moon is a nightmare before the dawn. The nightmare cannot be fought. The soul can only hope to wake up.

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XIX The Sun

Its number is XIX and 1+9 = 10, which equals the symbol of unity out of multiplicity. The Sun dawns and the night of deception is ended. Even The Star is eclipsed. The seeker has true understanding at last.
He has achieved the highest attainment. The Sun contains the ultimate power of the soul as it shines down on the new born hero. His being is in a garden, dancing and basking in the glory of his innocence. The card is in two halves with a barrier in between> The Sun shines benignly down, showering all the gifts of life on the infant who is safely enclosed by the walls of the garden. The Sun child will grow to even greater understanding in time.

Negative;
But at a worldly level, this card can be a reminder of those who refuse to mature beyond their senses.

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XX Judgment

At last the final call. Until now, the seeker has striven and achieved, struggled and overcome. On this card he is called. The number of this card is XX (20), meaning the duality of 2 on a higher level.
The judgement is the moment when the seeker is invited to let go of all his attainments, including the path itself. He has taken many forms and has won much knowledge on the path.
With the Judgement, he is summoned to dissolve his individuality. The journey is at an end. He has knocked on the door and now it is being opened. When he enters, his self will disappear.

Negative;
At a mundane level, the negative side of this card speaks of lost opportunity and unheeded calls.

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XXI The World

A Mandela, the symbol of perfection. A being dances blissfully within it.
Outside are the symbols of protection. The card's number is XXI, 21, which reduces to 3, the number of synthesis and creation. The World id the culmination of the journey of the Tarot.

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So there you have it. A guide to the feel of the symbols behind the Major Arcana. The best way to get to grips with each one is to leave the cards lying around in the figure of 8 shape if you can, or use the picture above. Pick them out, one at a time, then read the appropriate section. If you find any discrepancies or irregularities or any gaps in your understanding at all, try not to let it worry you. Just like the evolution of the soul in the Tarot, your learning will unfold in its own time, spurred on by the excitement of discovery. Anyway, too tight an understanding early on may actually block you from opening up to new and wider understandings.
If you would find a larger picture of the figure of 8 image useful, then click on the link below and save to your computer for future reference.

FIGURE OF 8 FULL SIZE

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