King of Wands
In the Health position
Hidden health; physical and emotional.
Meaning: Status, honour. An intellectual, artistic force who is more stable than the Knight of Wands. A man who has succeeded due to his own intelligence and determination. Overcoming a disadvantaged start in life to reach a position of influence and satisfaction. The card represents more than the material success which may accompany his rise‹it is achievement that contributes to the arts, sciences, or quality of life. A life well lived.
Return to Top
Ten of Pentacles
In the Health position
Visible health; physical and emotional.
Meaning: Freedom from financial concerns. Prosperity. Strong, established family setting. Protection and stability within a clan. Family traditions and gatherings. Having the time to enjoy the fruits of one's labour. Achieving of worldly dreams. Benefiting from the work of one¹s predecessors. Gifts, inheritance, archives. Celebrations and reunions.
Return to Top
The Fool
In the Attitude position
Hidden mental attitude.
Meaning: A beginning. Embarking. Establishing a path. A leap of faith. Venturing off on one's own. New possibilities. Optimism. Not being limited by previous experience or the opinions of others. An open mind. A break with convention. Nonconformity. Lack of reason. Deliberate ignorance. Folly. Learning through play. Testing and exploring. Acting without a plan. Being open to new experiences. Enthusiasm. Trust. Innocence. Choosing a path that may appear foolish to others. Unrealistic expectations. Being in the present. Uninhibited behaviour. Chasing rainbows. Being blissfully unaware of dangers allows one to reach a higher goal. Or, if aware of the danger, choosing not to let fear hold one back.
Return to Top
The Hanged Man
In the Attitude position
Visible mental attitude.
Meaning: Restraint. Suspension. Stalemate. Atonement. Not being able to make one's influence felt. Being held at a disadvantage. The dull pain born of constraint. Being caught in a web. A freeze on life. Detachment and isolation. Impotence and chastisement. Can mean a punishment, as in the law of retaliation applying to the traitor. Such suspensions can follow betraying one's self in doing or allowing something in one's life that was known to be wrong. Feeling marginalized, which can be a form of protection. Redemption. The silence of constraint brings deeper self-knowledge and sharpens the intuitive senses as a blind man "sees". Tapping a deep root. Uncommon knowledge. A life pared down to the basics. A time of gestation in a borderland state between chapters in life. Self-sacrifice in pursuit of knowledge or a cause. Energy drain. Delays and suspension of plans. A wise temporary surrender. Endurance. Insight. Being still in order to learn the secret to freeing one's self.
Return to Top
The Tower
In the Relationships position
Hidden relationships.
Meaning: Destruction. Major change. Unheeded warnings. Greed, pride, arrogance. Revolution. Breakdown or breakthrough‹ the positive or negative implications of the card depend on the querent's position. If one has been living under oppression, dramatic and possible traumatic change will be freedom, but if one has been living the high life off the toil of others, expect reversal of fortune and loss. Irrepressible tantrum of change. Eruption. Triumph over enslaving, compulsive behaviours such as addiction or obsessive complexes. Collapse of the old system or lifestyle. Destruction of gains made by ill means. Clearing of the air. Cleansing destruction. Change of values.
Return to Top
The Moon
In the Relationships position
Visible relationships.
Meaning: Disorientation. Powerful emotions and imagination. Intuition. Empathy. Creativity and sensitivity. Illusion. Wild visions. Mercy. Intense, valuable dreams. A need to control emotions, lest one becomes fascinated by phantasmagoric dreams and flashes from the subconscious. The underworld. Primordial instincts. Powerful mood swings. Hysteria. Memory. Shadows. Shifting shapes. Familiar landscape transformed under the light of the moon. Seeking mysteries. Strange encounters. Personality complexes. Increasing sensitivity to unseen forces. Magnetism. Tides of emotion. Art source. A fertile period, but a need for conscious control over fears and imagination. The light of reason needed to guard against influence and deception.
Return to Top
Queen of Wands
In the Career position
Hidden career.
Meaning: An intelligent woman with a warm heart. She is admired for being self-made, having earned her standing in the world by way of her own hard work and talents. This experience makes her sensitive to the struggles of others she finds worthy. Courage, conviction, high ideals. A steadfast supporter. A woman who stimulates and teaches those around her. A person of intellectual influence. Politics and education. While she enjoys luxury, she values accomplishment and attempts to leave her mark on society.
Return to Top
The Star
In the Career position
Visible career.
Meaning: Hope. Inspiration. Guiding star. Moment of grace and peace. Freedom. Early signs of life taking on a new pattern. Freedom after trials. Chance for escape. First sign of dawn. Release. Self-reliance. Clever, inspired ideas. Listening for direction. A quickening. Salvation. Empowerment. Destiny. A time of farseeing. Taking steps to save one's self‹not giving into resignation. Enlightened idea. Planning. Thaw of the ice. Return of life force. Rejuvenation. Drawing strength from nature.
Return to Top
The Wheel of Fortune
In the Spirit position
Hidden spiritual path.
Meaning: Surprise. Change of fortune. Unexpected turn of events. Good luck. Progression. Windfall. Measurable time or natural cycle. Upturn of the wheel. Improvement. After struggles, obstacles give way and plans engage. Breakthrough and movement. Blind fortune. Chance. Moods of fate. Surmounting difficulties. Relief from another's oppression. The Wheel of Fortune can herald random change neither sought nor deserved, reminding us that fate sometimes rewards the unworthy while denying those deserving of luck. The card also carries a warning to the vain and fame seekers, in that what went up must come down, and at times depicts the figure atop the wheel with the ears of an ass. The wheel can represent a natural shift of circumstance or phase in life, such as the change from adolescent to adult, adult to middle age, etc.
Return to Top
The Emperor
In the Spirit position
Visible spiritual path.
Meaning: A strong leader. A man of power and responsibilities. Protection. Conviction and self-sacrifice. A strong, masculine influence. Integrity and ethics. A father figure. Worldly power. Stability and reason. Compassion. Wisdom and aid. Conquest. Masculine, sexual energy. A competitive nature. Fair play. Competence. A flexible mind open to the ideas of others. Established, relaxed authority. Courage. Reason ruling emotion. Thought for the greater good.
Return to Top
Death
In the Outcome position
Outcome of the present path.
Meaning: Evolution. Change, death, and transformation. A natural end to a situation, whether it be positive or negative; for example, the card may refer to the end of a relationship, illusion, financial source, or the completion of a project. Closure. Releasing of the past. The end of an era. Necessary change. Freedom that allows for renewal. Sudden change brings fears of the unknown, but ultimately alters life in such a way as to initiate new growth. May mean death, a fear of death, or a brush with death. Natural course and progression of life. Lastly, Death is sometimes portrayed as a beautiful and dignified figure since dying can be seen as a blessing in release from suffering.
Return to Top