by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The Empress is ruled by Venus and is also called the Daughter of the Mighty Ones. She represents motherliness, nurturing, feminine power and Love. The Empress is often shown visibly pregnant, and surrounded by the fecundity of nature - this aspect of her energy emphasises her impulse to life and continuation of life. She turns the seasons and brings Spring as she comes out of the mourning of Winter, and so brings hope and increase. She symbolises fertility and is a positive symbol to those who are hoping to conceive. But she is also a welcome sign when wishing for creative inspiration, because she also represents fertility of ideas. Sometimes she is referred to the Grandmother, which is an ancient reference to her aspect as the Great Goddess. She also rules over nature and protection of the Earth and her resources - animal,vegetable and mineral - for nothing is without its place here. The Empress is the ultimate archetype of womanhood and femininity in all its aspects, and yet she does not represent an individual in the querent's life. The power of the Goddess is to great to be contained in a human individual and to do so would be to engage in hubris that does not serve the individual. Rather she represents a phase in life or energy that we can connect with and honour. When The Empress appears in a reading for you, it is time to consider your own experience of motherhood - whether it is your children or your own mother and often this card will bring a healing with important female figures in your life....
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The Emperor is Son/Sun of the Morning, the Chief among the Mighty and is ruled by Aries. He represents authority, order and responsibility. The card of The Emperor is the culmination of superior masculine qualities that are called for to face a situation that is coming up for you. He asks and requires deliberate thought, decisive action and the ability to stick to your resolve and not be swayed by emotion or fear. He brings more responsibility into your life, and a time where you need to own your life and your choices, not make excuses or blame others for your circumstances. He is steadfast, serious and a rock that can be relied upon in hard times. The Emperor is also the Sovereign and as such commands respect for the burdens he takes on for the sake of peace and stability. If he must go to war, he does so with gritty determination and a strong will to succeed. This can be translated into many areas of life, whether career, relationships or finances - the card describes the attitude and actions you need to adopt now in order to succeed. I like to view the Major Arcana (of which this card is the fifth in the series) as indications of our own path in life and the lessons that arise to bring us to the next stage of our mental, spiritual & emotional development. They are all archetypal experiences that we uncover either directly, or via others in our life, but we can also internalise the lessons of each and every one of them if we so choose. This...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as Son/Sun of the Morning and Chief among the Mighty, the card of The Emperor is aligned with Aries and represents order, leadership and responsibility. Aries represents independence, courage and individuality. The card of The Emperor is number four, which is a foundational number and so represents wholeness, stability and structure. When The Emperor appears in a reading, he often represents authority figures we must deal with in a responsible way, since they also represent the balance of power. If we get on the wrong side of The Emperor, we can find ourselves in all sorts of difficulties involving red tape and hold-ups. In his negative aspect he is overbearing and in love with power for the sake of it. He often appears as a father figure, a boss or other man of power - when the card is drawn for a woman it represents a powerful figure who is significant to her growth since in society women are often discouraged from owning their power. They then choose to experience the essence of power through the channel of a significant male figure where it is deemed more acceptable. But that is not necessarily the only way this card need be met. In his positive aspect he gives us all the ability to take responsibility for ourselves and be seated in our power, and not imagine ourselves to be the victim of circumstance or the whims and fickleness of fate. When we are in our own power, we know how to take control, how to influence, how to disregard the trivial and time-wasters that are prevalent more and more in...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Magus of the Eternal and ruled by Taurus, the Hierophant represents seeking, meaning and self-realisation. The Hierophant represnts the logical, left brained and masculine thinking. It is the path of conformity which one must learn before being to forget the rules and start to live life on one's own terms. And so the Hierophant denotes a gateway - to your inner world, or to milestones in the outer world. He often represents institutions, such as churches or government that rule over our rights of passage. Christenings, marriages, gaining accreditations, yes, even death, anything which must be marked by ritual and ceremony. The Hierophant represents convention, what is safe and tried and true. He is the acceptance of a young person into society once that person has demonstrated that they understand the laws, requirements and rules, and the need for routines, security and continuity. As a person, The Hierophant may appear to you as a wise woman or man, a mentor or teacher. Someone who has found the way through the difficult passages of life and who can act as a guide and encouragement to you. It can represent a time where you need to find meaning in your life through conventional avenues and traditional values, by finding what is morally right for you although often it dictates following the wellworn path of conformity for the sake of fitting in and finding comfort in community and fellowship. It is time to discover and allot meaning to your experiences and find a deeper purpose and illumination in an inner realisation of what your life means to you. There...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Magus of the Eternal and ruled by Taurus, the Hierophant is aligned with the number 5 and as such, represents instability and the rising of power over a previously stable situation. The Hierophant is called The Pope in some decks - he represents a bridge of power between the earthly and the divine, and so represents a pinnacle of authority. On a mundane level, this refers to tension between the needs of the flesh and the needs of the spirit. This card is one of many of the Major Arcana that is portrayed with two pillars - these always represent a gateway and a passage from one state to another, often its opposite. In the card od The Hierophant it can represent a gateway from being the student or novice to the professional or adept. It can refer to an institution and the authority bestowed by that institution. It can also refer to the blessing and attention of a mentor who prepares you for the next stage or maturity and integration into society. Such a person will come into your life for a short period of time but will have a profound effect on your entire future - it is like having a penny drop in your mind that sets you on the path of stability and responsibility. This is normally a very conventional card, and so the instability referred to above is representing resistance and even rebellion to societal structures - government, church, educational institutions for example. It requires some surrender to the structures in life that provide support and stability. A great time...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The card of The Hierophant is ruled by Taurus and is also referred to as the Magus of the Eternal Gods. Taurus represents tangible materialism and the beauty and longevity of material things. This is the card of shared ethics and beliefs, institutions that transcend the individual and preserve society and are built with permanence and multitudes of generations in mind. It is representative of rituals and rites of passage that humanity take as part of belonging to a society and that bestow comfort by emphasising the sameness and continuity of experience. It can represent a spiritual mentor who comes into your life to encourage the deeper questions and a journey along the path of personal growth and enlightenment. He can help you to shine the light of consciousness on inner sacred experiences and give meaning to the deeper parts of our psyche that we are normally unaware of. By participating in the student's enlightenment, the master also experiences enlightenment. The darker side of The Hierophant is control and hoarding of power, as well as exerting power indiscriminately and loving power for its own sake, but more generally it is personified in a spiritual and respected teacher, someone who is held in high esteem in your community and acts as a teacher or guide to help you navigate the waters of faith and spirit. It can refer, not to a person, but to institutions such as universities, hospitals or large organisations - often when you are required to follow the guidelines and rules of these institutions in order to get ahead. Depending on your character, this will be easy...
