Death
In the Health position
Hidden health; physical and emotional.
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.
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Page of Pentacles
In the Health position
Visible health; physical and emotional.
Meaning: Proposal. Business communications. Offers of exchange. An enthusiastic young person eager to enter the world of commerce. Good ideas. Young achiever. Reliable, hard worker. Discipline. Focus. Questions. Serious student. Good report. Business sense.
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The Emperor
In the Attitude position
Hidden mental attitude.
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.
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Five of Pentacles
In the Attitude position
Visible mental attitude.
Meaning: Loss and wandering. Drained resources. Destitution. Exhaustion. Struggling to stay afloat while searching for relief. Fighting to keep morale and energy levels up. Loneliness. Crossing a wasteland. The collapse of one¹s values leads to the search for spiritual guidance. Temporary hardship. Seeking refuge.
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Eight of Pentacles
In the Relationships position
Hidden relationships.
Meaning: Employment. Commissions. Schedules and deadlines. Focus. Creative work. Skills and talents put to good use. Knowledge and experience. A large project or business running as a welloiled machine. Maturity of business. Accommodation. Achievement. Success. Income. Finding one¹s niche in life.
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The World
In the Relationships position
Visible relationships.
Meaning: Ascension. Opening to a higher dimension. Culmination and synthesis. Enlightenment. Attaining a broader view of life. Moving beyond the personal to become aware of the interconnected nature of life. Harmony and perfection. Peace and freedom of thought. Inspiration and comprehension. Ecstasy. Glimpses, however brief, of the great mysteries of life. Being able to appreciate the larger scene or patterns in life. Faith. Epiphany. A heightened sense of being alive. Purpose. Confidence. Completion. Enjoying life and anticipating its curves. Unencumbered by the trivial. Being in control of one¹s fate. Intelligence. Independence. Determination and stability. Strength and enthusiasm. Intuition and spiritual heights. Crowning achievement. Reward and promotion. Graduation. Lasting happiness. As the last of the major arcana, the Universe represents the height of a progression. The Universe card is associated with the four evangelists, Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John, who in turn are equated with incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascension, respectively.
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Justice
In the Career position
Hidden career.
Meaning: Deliberating. Search for truth and justice. Weighing an issue or situation. Striving for balance and equilibrium. Remaining impartial or centered, and so capable of fair judgment. Insight. Honesty and honour. Discriminating logic. The value of order. The triumph of reason. Appropriate response. Karma. Law of cause and effect. Negotiating. Equal partnerships. Legal affairs. Favourable judgment in legal matters. Selfgovernment. Having the inner strength and confidence not to be swayed by the opinions of others. Internal balance achieved by being temporarily unattached to an outcome. Having the patience to allow Justice time to determine Her course. Having the courage, strength, and conviction to uphold and implement justice. Taking the right action, even if unpopular or costly. The card can relate to civil justice or the concept of divine justice.
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The Wheel of Fortune
In the Career position
Visible career.
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.
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Five of Cups
In the Spirit position
Hidden spiritual path.
Meaning: Disappointment. Being held at a disadvantage and manipulated by emotional strings. Unfulfilled dreams. Feeling an energy drain. Spilled milk. Suffering over one¹s suffering. Difficulty accepting a loss. Disbelief. Senseless loss. Lingering gloom. Being limited by the haunting of past experience. Weight. Slow healing.
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The Moon
In the Spirit position
Visible spiritual path.
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.
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Page of Swords
In the Outcome position
Outcome of the present path.
Meaning: Secrets. Hidden matters. Need for caution. Plots. Sensing undercurrent of dangers afoot. Being privy to confidential matters. Being given inside information and warnings. Spies. A slippery adversary. Infected environment. A philosophy that sanctions unfair practices so long as serving one¹s purpose. Enquiring mind finds lies. Reason to be suspect.
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