Last week, we went over the High Priestess.

This week, it’s time to introduce you to the male counterpart of the High Priestess, the Hierophant.

Just like the High Priestess, the Hierophant deals with the intersection of the conscious and the unconscious worlds.

What makes the Hierophant different is that he represents institutions or the hierarchy and traditions that can accompany them.

Think of him as being focused on sharing knowledge with an institution.

For this reason, he is often associated with higher learning and leadership. I have also seen him show up with religions as well.

When he shows up in your reading, it often means that you should continue, or start to be a part of some type of structure or system such as school, church, community, or maybe fitness.

Be careful when he appears with the Hermit, your work in an organization might be too isolating.

His reversed indicates that there is a need to question those that are running the show, or to take another look at how you place in an organization.

Is it time to let an organization go, or should you be playing a deeper role within its hierarchy?

Look to the other cards in the spread to tell you how to interpret the card.

Next to the Lovers.

In relationship readings, everyone loves the Lovers! But don’t get so caught up in the face value of the card that you lose its complexities.

This card represents attraction, connection, and yes, love.

But different types of love depending on the where the card is in the spread and what cards surround it.

They could represent the love of a parent, platonic love, or the influence of soulmates. Often this card indicates marriage, commitment, or fundamental friendships.

Another aspect of this card is that of decisions or change. Choosing the right path for yourself is emphasized by the Lovers.

In order to find the right path, look plainly at your true desires and embrace them.

Which leads to the Lovers reversed.

I once did a reading for a close friend who was in a funk and just not happy with how things were going.

When the Lovers reversed appeared, I was confused because he was not in a relationship and did not plan to be.

Turns out, he was struggling with his sexuality while living in a deeply religious household (the Hierophant was also in the reading).

The Lovers reversed indicates inner conflict or imbalance. A kind of guilt or disharmony with yourself. Just remember, it is human to love.

And loving yourself, easiest thing in the world, right?

In another reading, the Lovers reversed could also indicate a lack of mutual feelings, or people not being on the same page in a relationship.

Is there dishonesty or an interloper messing with your balance?

Now for the Chariot.

The Chariot is a card of ambition and self-discipline.

It speaks of struggles that are then overcome through work to achieve victory.

Whenever I look at this card, I picture classic Greek chariot racing in a large amphitheater. The Greek athletes worked through incredible feats of strength but enjoyed tremendous amounts of glory in their victory.

This card encourages passion and intellect to succeed in your trials and is most potent when in the future position.

When in the future position, the Chariot urges you to keep fighting in your struggles and your success will be guaranteed in the future.

That being said, when reversed the Chariot warns of being too focused.

Do you have tunnel vision, or are you sacrificing too much for a short-term victory?

Success might ask you to give up more than is healthy, really assess how far you are willing to go for your ambitions.

The Chariot and the Magician are a dangerous pair but are still full of a lot of potential.

You don’t necessarily have to quit your drive, but just be aware of the price that victory comes with.

Alright, we are starting back up with The High Priestess.

The High Priestess speaks to the unconscious.

She is the guardian to the realm of dreams, intuition, and the more mystical aspects of the spirit.

Basically, trust your gut but more elegant.

She is also a strong symbol of the feminine energy.

When she appears in a reading, your feminine side holds the answers to success.

When paired with cup cards, it is especially true that you need to focus on the emotions and connections around you, rather than the intellectual components.

There is also an element of change within this card.

Allow her guidance to increase your intuition and creative powers.

When reversed, The High Priestess warns of disconnect between you and your inner voice.

Be careful of relying too much on external feedback.

When paired with The Hermit, or another isolation card, take some me time to really reassess your issues by yourself.

Similar to The High Priestess, The Empress is also a very feminine card.

Her femininity is more maternal than the priestess, often spoken as “the fertility of the mind and body.”

When she appears, this is a time for new ideas, and that people will be attracted to you (not necessarily sexually/romantically, but just generally).

Speaking of fertility, she has a very homely, maternal, comforting aspect to her.

With cup cards especially, she speaks of settling down in relationships.

Marriage?

Babies?

All in her wheelhouse.

She encourages connection but be careful of her power in you.

Her reversed aspect cautions against giving too much of yourself away.

Are you the therapist friend?

Are you using your feminine energy to care for others, when you yourself need to care for your feminine energy?

Her reversed could also indicate an imbalance.

That you or someone you know is acting with too much masculine energy and the feminine is being suppressed.

This card has also been known to appear reversed when someone is having fertility issues or has a strained relationship with children.

The Emperor is the other half of the coin to The Empress.

He represents masculinity and the power of the mind over feelings.

He represents someone strong in authority, life experiences, and knowledge.

The classic patriarchal picture of the protector and the provider.

Think of him as an older sibling, father, or brother.

When he appears, trust the facts and the data in front of you.

Whenever I do a reading for myself, he often appears as someone else in my life.

I know to follow the person who has more experience and try to contribute my own experience to the situation.

When reversed, beware of a domineering personality.

Is someone abusing their power? Or acting like a tyrant?

Now don’t necessarily throw all logic and authority to the wind but look for more balance.

Look for structure calmly to try and flip this card back to the positive.

All journeys begin with the Fool, for it is the Fool’s journey.

When seen in a reading, the Fool will most likely represent the querent in the reading.

Like most of the Major Arcana, he can also represent a person in the querent’s life.

Figuring out who he is specific to the reading takes context; don’t be afraid to ask questions from the querent, especially if you don’t know them.

The Fool is one of my favorite cards.

He represents new adventures, the journey, and an innocent curiosity in the unknown.

He is ready to leap into new beginnings despite having no idea what lies ahead.

He is often seen as playful and unfinished: a fresh canvas, ready to be developed by what’s ahead.

In his reverse aspect, beware of recklessness and irresponsibility.

Sometimes a situation calls for jumping forward with no fear or anxiety, other times it is foolish, naïve, and can quickly lead to a train wreck.

Depending on the other cards in the spread, 

the Fool reversed could also mean that in order for the querent to get the card flipped to the positive, they need to let go of their anxieties about moving forward.

Is doubt clouding your vision? 

Don’t let fear control you.

This card works great with the success of The Magician and the travelling aspects of the Eight and Two of Wands.

Beware when this card appears with The Devil.

It warns of perceived carefree fun living, turning into addiction, mental illness, and self-destruction.

The Magician.

The Magician is a card of focus and success.

Like the Fool, the Magician is a card of beginnings,

but of beginnings in a project or a certain goal.

When paired with the Fool in a reading, especially with the Fool in the present position and the Magician in the future position,

expect a time period where your labor will come to fruition.

This card speaks of a time to channel the universe’s energies into obtaining your goal.

He is a card of the conscious action, of creativity and wishes.

He tells of a time where everything just falls into place.

In his reversed nature, you could be facing a roadblock to success.

Maybe you face a creative dry period,

or you are directing your efforts into something meaningless to your overall goal.

Personally, I asked if I would be playing field hockey in college, and the Magician reversed appeared.

Later I would realize that playing field hockey in college would prove incredibly detrimental to my academic career.

The stress would have been too much.

Especially when paired with the Chariot, and one of the cards is reversed, you might feel like you are succeeding and gaining all you desire,

but beware of the cost.

Alright, you have your cards, a basic understanding of their structure, and you want to do a reading.

Where to start?

You start with the querent.

The querent is the person you are reading: that could be yourself, or someone else.

From the querent, you will need a question.

This could be any question, but open-ended questions work best.

Try and stay away from “yes” or “no” questions.

The questions could be about the past, the present, or the future.

Anything that the querent wants to have insight into works.

Once you know the question, you can choose the spread.

Spreads give a place for cards.

That probably makes no sense to you but stay with me.

My go to spreads that are great for beginners are the three-card spread, and the five-card spread.

Each place represents something.

For example, in the three-card spread, the most common use of these cards is the left card represents the past, the middle represents the present, and the right represents the future.

So whichever card you pulled for that spot will embody something from that moment in time.

There are a number of different combinations for this spread, which is why I love to use it.

Sometimes I use it for relationships:

the left card being one person in the relationship, the middle being the other person, and the right card being our dynamic/compatibility.

Other examples include situation/action/outcome or maybe situation/obstacle/advice and I have also used what I want/what I need/what I will get.

As long as you have clear understanding of what the places mean, the reading will make sense.

Into the five-card spread.

This spread is more in depth— and more helpful– then the three-card spread.

The middle cards (one, two, three) are past, present, and future like in the three-card spread.

Four— the top card– is the potential for the situation.

I like to think about it as what could happen, specific to the question,

whereas the future position— which can become quite similar to the potential– is more of a general future.

The fifth card— on the bottom– is your motivation.

It’s the “why” card.

Why are you asking these questions?

How does that effect your choices outlined by the rest of the cards?

Okay, now that you know some simple spreads, you can get to actually choosing cards.

There is no right or wrong way to choose cards.

Some readers choose the cards themselves; others have the querent choose them.

Whatever method, these are the basics:

Shuffle the cards however you want, but really focus on the question and the placement of the card you are drawing.

Stop when you feel like you should, until a card falls out, or a card “wants” to be chosen.

Me personally, I like to shuffle with my eyes closed and then if a card gets stuck or falls out, I place it in the spread.

Do not look at the cards until the entire spread has been filled.

Then flip them face up one by one.

If a card is upside down, do NOT flip it right side up.

When a card is upside down, this is referred to as the card being reversed.

It often means that the card is now in the negative of what it originally meant.

I’ll get into this more when I go over individual cards, but it’s good to keep an eye out for the future.

Like everything else in tarot,

The reverse is treated differently by every reader.

These accounts are meant to get you started on reading the cards,

if something works better for you then what I suggest, great!

Who knows what the cards have in store for you.

Just like how athletes use different brands of equipment within their sport, there are different types of tarot decks that are used based on the reader’s preference.

What kind of deck you choose is important but selecting a deck can be overwhelming for newcomers.

The first pitfall that usually trips new readers up is the difference between oracle cards and tarot cards.

Oracle cards, unlike tarot cards, don’t follow the structure previously discussed in my last post; all the cards in an oracle deck could be considered Major Arcana cards because they are all considered equal (unless deck indicates otherwise).

Another distinction between the two is that oracle cards often have a theme they are tied to.

For example, I have a set of oracle cards that are tied to Yule, so I use them closer to the Winter Solstice.

I have a friend that uses oracle cards that are representative of the forest.

All of the illustrations/cards have woodland creatures on them; the representations are related to said creatures.

The reason I am going over this is because the techniques taught for the Tarot can also be applied to oracle cards if those call more to you.

Don’t get me wrong, it won’t be copy-paste, but there are still things here for you if you would choose the path of the Oracle.

When choosing whatever type of cards, either tarot or oracle, intuition and connection are key.

Don’t just pick out the first ones you see.

Look for something that catches your eye.

It could be the illustration on the cards themselves (personally that was how I chose mine), it could be the size, the lettering, anything at all.

Once you have decided, you’ll want to “bond” with the cards.

Think of your deck as an actual entity.

Keep them close while you work throughout your day and also when you sleep; it will tune them to your conscious and unconscious energies.

Bonding with your deck is like getting to know a new person: a bit awkward and silly at first, but really helpful in the end.

A little cynical, or don’t believe in the spiritual aspect of the Tarot?

They’re just cards!

Still keep them with you, get comfortable with them in your hands. The more comfortable you are, the better the reading.

Maybe once you’ve gotten to know each other, pull a card and try to figure out what it might mean.

Then, of course, read what it actually means. You might surprise yourself.

That is the other part of tarot and oracle decks.

Most of the decks sold have a little booklet that gives the description of each card (definitions might vary slightly from deck to deck but not greatly) as well as general information about the deck.

That being said, I’m trying to figure out how best to share my knowledge with you, the readers.

Would you prefer it if I go through each card or groupings of cards in each post,

or should I touch more on the general dos and don’ts of reading the cards that might not be in the common pamphlets?

Let me know in the comments which one you’d prefer; I’ll tailor my posts accordingly, so you all get the most out of this experience.

Also, if you need a clarification or have a question about one of our topics, feel free to comment those as well.

I’m super excited to read what you guys think!

Hello all!

Welcome to anything and everything Tarot!

Whether you have heard of the intuitive art of reading the cards or not, this blog will provide something for everyone.

From what certain cards could foretell, to different spreads or manifestations to use when asking questions for the future.

Don’t think the Tarot has any meaning to you? Stick around and keep an open mind.

You might learn something about positive affirmations that can put you in the right headspace to achieve your goals…

or you might discover a hidden aptitude for reading the future! Only time will tell…

First things first, the structure of the Tarot.

The Tarot, or the Fools journey, divides into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Minor Arcana consists of four suits similar to that of playing cards. The first being Cup cards, then Wands, Swords, and finally Pentacles.

Each of these suits starts with an Ace and then moves through the numbers up to ten. For example: the Ace of Cups, Two of Cups, Three of Cups, etc.

The “face cards” of the suits personify into a number of different ways depending on the deck. Most decks use Page, Knight, Queen, King, in addition to others using Daughter, Son, Mother, Father. For example, the Knight of Pentacles, the Mother of Wands, etc.

The face cards of a suit exhibit additional significance, but we’ll get into that later.

The other group of the Tarot, named the Major Arcana, arouse more of a challenge for new readers.

Unlike the Minor Arcana, they disincline to follow any kind of suit grouping.

Each Major Arcana card stands alone and is considered more powerful/significant than the Minor Arcana cards.

Whenever these cards show up in a reading, more likely than not the reading revolves around them. Twenty-two Major Arcana cards exist:

The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgment, and The World.

STOP!

I know what you’re thinking.

After reading all those names, try not to form opinions on cards based on pre-conceived interpretations either from religion or pop culture.

The most important part of reading the cards relies on letting go of personal bias, whether you are doing a reading for yourself or for another. No card only denotes bad or good fortune, and thinking in black and white severely influences your readings.

The Tarot is a tool that should be respected as a piece of history that can create a deeper understanding of oneself and the universe around us.

It is not an invocation or a way to commune with evil.

It’s a way to ask introspective questions and find guidance through the physiological tells of a person.

It can be healing; it can be exciting.

It can be beautiful.

For my passion blog, I have narrowed it down to two topics: field hockey and Tarot cards. both have their advantages and could plausibly last for the amount of blog posts needed. But both have their disadvantages, and I want to make sure I don’t regret my decision or get bored of the topic halfway through.

Field hockey would be easy. I’ve played for nearly eleven years so it would be right off the top of my head. I wouldn’t need to do any research or double check anything. I could even specialize in goalkeeping tips, which is my position in the sport. I would switch between technical skills, mental skills, and endurance while playing hard consistently.

However, I don’t want my classmate to have to drag themselves through my blogs each week. No matter how engaging I am, field hockey is kind of boring if you aren’t in the sport. Plus, I’ve been playing for eleven years. It is my go-to hobby and I kind of want to do something different. Not to mention, there is also the possibility that I would need to stretch information to make the word requirement.

Tarot would be interesting to me as well as the readers (at least more than field hockey). I could just go through each card for every blog post or touch on spreads and historical significance of the practice. Doing Tarot for my passion posts would require some research because I am not as confident with the information as field hockey. But it wouldn’t be anything too crazy to look up. It would be one of my hobbies that I don’t usually focus on and it would be fun to share my knowledge.