by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The Hanged Man is known as the Spirit of the Mighty Waters and aligned with the Element of Water. Being of Water, the meaning of this card is hard to catch and hold. It represents sacrifice, and willing sacrifice at that. In mythology, this card is linked to the Nordic god Odin, who willingly allowed himself to be tied to the Great Tree of Knowledge for nine nights and suffered greatly - his reward was the esoteric knowledge of the Runes that were gifted to him for his ordeal. This reminds us of the ancient ritual of sacrifice of the King in the tree grove. It was sacrifice for the survival of the tribe, and the echoes of this ancient tradition are still recognisable in belief systems today. There is also the motif of sacrifice of one's current state of consciousness to emerge with a greater consciousness, and this requires that one must die to oneself, or let go of ego concerns in order to emerge in a higher conscious state. That is all very well, but what does it mean to the person who is looking for happiness in love or struggling to pay the electric bill or who is dreading suffering through another groundhog day at work? If one is honest, then there is a sacrifice at play here. Clinging to what is known and comfortable always comes at a price, and often that price is sacrifice of one's dreams and hopes. After all it is better the devil you know than one you don't? So on the other side of the coin is the willingness to...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Spirit of the Mighty Waters and ruled by the Element of Water, The Hanged Man represents letting go, breaking through old patterns and sacrificing something to achieve something of greater value. The Hanged Man has links to Nordic mythology in the trials of Odin who willingly hung himself on the Tree of Life for nine nights and emerged with the knowledge of the Runes and other wisdom. In this regard he is a Shaman who faces the unknown with its risks and also with its gifts. When contemplating the imagery of the card, at first appearances it looks rather dire. But if you turn the card upside down, and look at the man's countenance, he is rarely looking distressed - in fact he looks quite peaceful. There is a clue here. The Hanged Man represents sacrifice yes, but it is a willing sacrifice and so should not be feared, rather it is a time to contemplate what no longer serves you in your life and what you should relinquish in order to bring in new energy and possibilities. He can represent having reached a point where there is nowhere to go with one's will - there is something greater to which you must surrender, while admitting that you have nothing left but to let go. But it is in the letting go that allows new forms and possibilities to arise and out of that comes new life and new inspiration. He can also bring a time of waiting, where nothing you do - no coaxing or cajoling or wishing or praying - will make things go...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Spirit of the Mighty Waters and having affinity with the Element of Water, the Hanged Man represents letting go of old forms and surrendering to the truth. This card is aligned with Odin, who hung on the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, for nine days willingly to gain the wisdom of the Runes. There is a willingness now to see things in a new and fresh way - a different perspective if you will. The old forms and structures are no longer valid, and you have been released from viewing the world in the same old way and now must find a new pattern with which to continue your life. There is a sacrifice required, and it is a giving up of the old well-worn path. It is not a material sacrifice that is required, but a sacrifice of the will to something greater than the ego. You have stayed firm and steady and true, and yet in the end it has not served you. It is time to be washed clean of your old beliefs and let go to new possibilities in the future. It is a sacrifice of the personality, of the mask that you have worn to fit in and so it is time to find your true face, and the relief that comes with this is a blessing. Whenever we have to let go of our way of being in the past, and face an unknown future there will always be uncertainty, a little fear, and even pain. And yet there is so much better in our future if we will only cease...
by estellew | Apr 12, 2013 | Major Arcana
Ruled by Scorpio, the Death card is not a card to be feared - so please don't write in to tell me that is is bad! It is a positive indication that a major transformation is about to occur. To tell you the truth, when I draw this card for myself I am very happy because it means that the stale and useless parts of my life are about to disappear and make way for something fresh, new and wonderful. And I am still here. So this card refers to the death of the old, redundant structures, ideas and beliefs that we often cling to, even when we know they have outlived their usefulness and in fact may be harming us. It is the leap of faith into the great unknown, the journey of the caterpillar who goes to a long sleep and does not know that he relinquishes one form of energy to emerge finally as the ultimate symbol of grace, beauty and perfection, the butterfly. The Death card indicates the disintegration of old relationships, which will often be painful, but necessary. On the other side of this release is the rainbow that comes after the storm, and the Sun emerges to fill you with vitality and a new lease on life. With the relinquishing, your experience will be entirely dictated by your attitude to change. If you insist on clinging to the old structures that no longer serve you but harm you, then you might suffer some discomfort. But if you can embrace change with acceptance or even a willingness to truly let go, then there will...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known as the Child of the Great Transformers, the Death card is often misunderstood and greatly feared, when really it is an extremely positive card in terms of personal growth and transformation. Ruled by Scorpio, this card refers to deep transformative experiences that occur throughout life, and also has ties, through it's Pluto ruler, to the underworld. The Underworld is also the Unconscious and so this card refers to a heightened experience of the Unconscious - intuition, hunches, subtle energy that appears to come from nowhere and so is considered to be mysterious and something to be feared. It need not be so. I have drawn this card for myself several times, and I am still here to tell the tale. And I haven't lost anyone in the process, so it is time to look into the real meaning of this card. Along with the motif of regeneration is that of renewal - as the Phoenix rises from the ashes, a new more evolved form takes place. The fact that the Death card appears towards the centre of the Tarot Trumps, and not at the end, indicates what kind of a "Death" this card symbolises. It is the death of the ego, the old way, the childish and immature phase of life and represents initiation into individuation, the path of following finally your true path, your bliss. To get to this part of life, something inside has to die, and often needs to be mourned for once this part of life changes, then there is no going back. That is the nature of true knowledge - once you learn...
