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Probably the easiest cards to understand in Tarot are the Aces. We are all very familiar with the symbology of the number 1 without any knowledge of Numerological symbology. To be called number 1, to be 1st, to take the 1st step, a new beginning. Each Ace in the Minor Arcana focuses on it's elemental beginning. The Magician is the Ace of Aces. In general Tarot decks depict The Magician with all four elements in some form. The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck has a Cup, a Sword, a Stick and a Coin engraved with a Pentacle lying on a table in front of The Magician. His right hand holds a wand pointing at the Heavens and the left points at the earth. Above his head a halo of infinity. This is a card about creative power. To be able to combine the 4 elements into a sum great than it's parts he calls on the eternal where heaven and earth meet. True creativity, art and inspiration don't come from merely a process of thought, that would be the Ace of Swords, it comes from the soul, the ghost within us, the silent watcher that is consciousness itself. When we quieten our minds and bring together all that we have in front of us (the table & it's objects) we can begin to achieve wonderful things. The Magician is there to remind you of your divine gift of creation. Don't squander this opportunity to start bringing something truly wonderful into this world.

The Magician is the first numbered card in the Major Arcana. It's numerology is important as this card is a card of power as well as creativity. The Magician has the power to creative something from nothing. The Magician also has the power to transform. Power however can corrupt. Surrounding cards may indicate warnings of the misuse of the power that this card points too. They can also point to channels for good use of this power. Whatever the situation the person has the abilities to take control, create the new or change the existing into something better.

This card also comes with a warning to be wary of tricksters. Surrounding cards that point to hidden plots and activities may indicate that The Magician is someone not to be trusted.

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THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the figure 8 in a horizontal position . About his waist is a serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail. This is familiar to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here it indicates more especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit. In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth. This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries; it shews the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from things above and derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit. On the table in front of the Magician are the symbols of the four Tarot suits, signifying the elements of natural life, which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as he wills. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium convallium, changed into garden flowers, to shew the culture of aspiration. This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in the liberation of its union with that which is above. It is also the unity of individual being on all planes, and in a very high sense it is thought, in the fixation thereof. With further reference to what I have called the sign of life and its connexion with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad." The mystic number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy Spirit and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of Christ.

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The 9 of Pentacles at first sight suggests material plenty and prosperity. Money, fine cloths, a beautiful home. This is the harvest card where, at the end of a period of successful growth, there are rich pickings to be collected. In simple day to day terms this card could symbolise treating yourself to something, going shopping for new clothes, enjoying the rewards of your hard work with a focus on one's own material needs and wants. A modest amount of material success and comfort is implicit in this card just as it also is in the 6 Of Pentacles.

The number 9 in numerology is also a card of solitude which is emphasised by the 9th card of the Major Arcana The Hermit. Therefore the 9 of Pentacles is about enjoying any material success and rewards alone. Nines are not romantic cards and do not bode well if the topic of a tarot spread is about romance or relationships as the number 9 is symbolic of endings. It is important to also remember that the number 9 is the number of humanity and being a humanitarian. Just as the 6 of Pentacles has a theme of benevolence so too does the 9 of Pentacles. Where as the benevolence of the 6 is towards family, friends and community the 9 is towards everyone. This might simply be a purchasing decision that favours environmental causes or supports 3rd world producers through fair trade.

The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck depicts a richly dressed lady surrounded by lush growth. Bunches of ripe red grapes adorn the vines behind her ready to be picked. She is not a queen but she appears to be in as good a place as The Empress or the Queen Of Pentacles. Comparing her attention to the Queen of Pentacles, who is concerned with her past acquisitions, this lady has her head turned slightly to the right and the future. A clue to where her mind is can be seen in how the RWS artist has split the 9 Pentacles into 6 on the left, and in the past, and 3 on the right and in the future. The number 6 is symbolic of acting responsibly and looking after others as seen in the 6 of Pentacles. The number 3 relates to The Empress who nurtures new growth. Therefore we might assume from these two details that her mind is on the next cycle of growth. She knows she cannot squander all of her wealth and must keep some invested for the future. On her gloved left hand rests a hooded falcon symbolising nature controlled, self control and control of material assets.

The 9 of Pentacles, or 9 of Coins, is a card of harvesting the work of the past and financially gaining from the fruits of labour or investment. The element here is Earth which relates to wealth and material possessions. The aspects of the number 9 in numerology are endings, completion of cycles, harvest time, humanitarian charity and generosity. The number 9 is also associated with The Moon, therefore this card can subtly warn of delusions, dreams and things not being all what they appear to be. It is time to reap what has been sown and tidy up. A time to cash in on the efforts of the past and clear the way for the beginning of the next cycle. The 9's are also card's of solitude and can indicate loneliness in the home or working alone. These financials rewards are to be enjoyed alone.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

A woman, with a bird upon her wrist, stands amidst a great abundance of grapevines in the garden of a manorial house. It is a wide domain, suggesting plenty in all things. Possibly it is her own possession and testifies to material well-being. Divinatory Meanings: Prudence, safety, success, accomplishment, certitude, discernment. Reversed: Roguery, deception, voided project, bad faith.

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The Fool is probably the most misunderstood but certainly the most important card in the Tarot deck. In the Rider Waite Smith deck, Arthur E. Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith's Fool is illustrated in a way that leaves The Fool's next step open to interpretation. Most who see this card just take his name and, as the human mind is so good at, fill in what's not there. A cliff and unheeded disaster. But is it a cliff? Could it just be a ledge? Is the dog trying to warn him, or is it just happy and carefree like its companion who is looking towards the heavens. The dog too appears, on closer inspection, to be looking in the same direction. Neither traveler is concerned with the ground falling away in front of them.

The Fool is related to the Pages in the Minor Arcana suits. Each minor page relates to a naive, or foolish, approach to their element. The Fool, just like the other Major courtiers (The Chariot, The Empress and The Emperor ), is a master off all the elements with a focus on the spiritual realm. He walks left, towards the past, which is symbolic of the wrong direction. Beautifully dressed he looks as if he has set out on an adventure in search for something. His focus on heaven symbolises his search for a meaning to life, a higher purpose and destiny. His intentions are good but he lacks experience and wisdom and may be going in the wrong direction. The imagery of The Fool asks a question of us. Who are we to look at someone else and think that they are going in the wrong direction? If their intentions are good, and they are following their heart not their head, how can they be wrong? The following 21 cards in the Major Arcana each symbolise the mysteries The Fool must solve, and lessons he must learn, once he finds the life path he must follow that will guide him to what he is looking for.

The Fool is unique among the Major Arcana for being the only card not to have a number. However some Tarot decks give this card a numerical value of 0 (zero). There is no numerology to constrain The Fool and he, and the Pages, are unique in being free from its cycle of numbers. The Fool represents an individual's journey through the trials of life, marked out by each of the 21 Major Arcana cards, ending with the Ascension to Enlightenment in the final card, The World.

Sometimes we need to follow our hearts not our heads or the perceived wisdom of others and trust in our own intuition.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the result of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary.
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish ”

- Steve Jobs, 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

With light step, as if earth and its trammels had little power to restrain him, a young man in gorgeous vestments pauses at the brink of a precipice among the great heights of the world; he surveys the blue distance before him-its expanse of sky rather than the prospect below. His act of eager walking is still indicated, though he is stationary at the given moment; his dog is still bounding. The edge which opens on the depth has no terror; it is as if angels were waiting to uphold him, if it came about that he leaped from the height. His countenance is full of intelligence and expectant dream. He has a rose in one hand and in the other a costly wand, from which depends over his right shoulder a wallet curiously embroidered. He is a prince of the other world on his travels through this one-all amidst the morning glory, in the keen air. The sun, which shines behind him, knows whence he came, whither he is going, and how he will return by another path after many days. He is the spirit in search of experience. Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card, which reverses, under high warrants, all the confusions that have preceded it.

In his Manual of Cartomancy, Grand Orient has a curious suggestion of the office of Mystic Fool, as apart of his process in higher divination; but it might call for more than ordinary gifts to put it into operation. We shall see how the card fares according to the common arts of fortune-telling, and it will be an example, to those who can discern, of the fact, otherwise so evident, that the Trumps Major had no place originally in the arts of psychic gambling, when cards are used as the counters and pretexts. Of the circumstances under which this art arose we know, however, very little. The conventional explanations say that the Fool signifies the flesh, the sensitive life, and by a peculiar satire its subsidiary name was at one time the alchemist, as depicting folly at the most insensate stage.

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The 6 of cups is a card of platonic love, innocence and kindness. It is related to The Lovers through having the same number and therefore the same numerological symbolism. Where as The Lovers offers an irreversible option to change, by sacrificing innocence, this situation is fixed and immutable. In the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Deck the artist symbolised the card's immutability through numerology by placing 4 cups on the ground in front of the characters. This theme of immutability in emotions references unconditional love, the love between parent and child, siblings and other family members.

The RWS deck 6 of cups symbolises expressing love to family members, friends and others through acts of kindness. Compare the 6 of cups to the 2 Of Cups where each character offers the other a cup in a loving exchange, the 6 of cups depicts the giving in one direction, there is no expectation of love returned.

The 6 of Cups is a card of nostalgia, happy memories, platonic relationships, unconditional love and reunions with family or friends from the past. The element here is Water which relates to love and emotions. The aspects of the number 6 in numerology are home, community, responsibility, domesticity, burden bearing and family. For someone looking for love or a relationship with another person this card would be a no to romance but a strong platonic relationship instead. This card often appears when old friends meet up again or someone re-appears from the past.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

Children in an old garden, their cups filled with flowers. Divinatory Meanings: A card of the past and of memories, looking back, for example on childhood; happiness, enjoyment, but coming rather from the past; things that have vanished. Another reading reverses this, giving new relations, new knowledge, new environment, and then the children are disporting in an unfamiliar precinct. Reversed: The future, renewal, that which will come to pass presently.

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The Moon is a deeply symbolic entity which makes understand its meaning challenging in any spread. Before technology it was used to mark the passing of each month in a year. In any year there are approximately 12 lunar cycles which is why we have 12 months in a year. Timing is a key element of The Moon's symbology and this can be a useful attribute when reading tarot cards as its appearance, and sometimes position, may signify a period of one month. For example, next to the 5 Of Pentacles it could mean that it will take a month, or one lunar cycle, to recover from an injury.

The Moon is the most dynamic object in our sky, its light and visibility different each night. The Sun and the stars change position but their light and visibility always remain constant. Change is a central theme of The Moon's symbology. Timing of future events is a challenging skill with Tarot and an awareness of the current lunar cycle should be kept in mind when reading tarot and determining time scales. Some Tarot decks depict The Moon in other cards in its different phases, either waning crescent, full or waxing crescent. Never ignore these subtle details as they can also be helpful timing guides.

Lunar light is not the same as Solar light as one is just a weaker reflection of the other. Solar light warms the earth and provides energy for growth, lunar light is a cold light which does not. On the night of a new moon that light will be no better than the light of the stars for visibility in the darkness. Poor visibility is another central theme of The Moon's symbology. In Lunar light things are not what they seem and can be distorted, illusionary, confusing and disorientating. Symbolically The Moon represents our subconscious and its fears, dreams, nightmares and deep rooted and suppressed emotional issues. The Sun represents our conscious mind, reality and truth.

Tarot gets its framework and structure from numerology and numerology's origins are in how mankind relates to the cycles of The Moon. Our decimal numbering system, and numerology, are probably linked to the 9 lunar cycles it takes from conception until birth of a human. This is why the number 9 is known as the number of man or humanity. Since the menstrual cycle of a woman is, on average, approximately one lunar month there has always been a deeply felt connection between mankind and the moon. In Tarot The Moon is card 18 of the Major Arcana which numerology reduces to a 9 (1+8=9). The number 9 is the final number in the cycle of the 9 numbers and it is symbolic of endings. Therefore the change that The Moon represents is a cyclic change, not an abrupt one like we'd associate with Death or The Tower but a natural ending which should be expected. The 9th card of the Major Arcana is The Hermit who carries a torch to light his way in the darkness. He is more commonly depicted travelling at night time with no moon to light his way, only his torch. If you are looking for a time marker for a new moon then The Hermit would be a good fit.

The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck depicts The Moon as full and at its zenith in the night time sky. Below it are a dog and wolf barking and howling at it, fearful of what they don't understand and cannot comprehend. The lobster, a creature from deep waters, has surfaced and come ashore in a symbolic reference to deep rooted, negative feelings rising to the surface. The Moon appears in 3 other cards in the RWS deck. It can be seen, as a waxing crescent, at the feet of The High Priestess and high in the sky in the 2 Of Swords. In these cards it is symbolic of poor light and visibility, secrets and mysteries. The RWS 8 Of Cups has a full moon providing enough light for the traveller to navigate in the darkness of night.

The Moon is a card of illusion, confusion, falseness, monthly cycles, imagination, fears and the subconscious (dreams and nightmares). The light of the Sun warms us, brightens our spirits and make's our crops grow that we can eat. The light of the moon is a false light, a reflected light, a light that is never the same from night to night. In the light of the moon the world appears differently and our ancient instinct is to fear the night and what prowls in the darkness. The Moon can be a useful time marker in Tarot. Events indicated by surrounding cards may come to pass around the full moon.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2019. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

The distinction between this card and some of the conventional types is that the moon is increasing on what is called the side of mercy, to the right of the observer. It has sixteen chief and sixteen secondary rays. The card represents life of the imagination apart from life of the spirit. The path between the towers is the issue into the unknown. The dog and wolf are the fears of the natural mind in the presence of that place of exit, when there is only reflected light to guide it.

The last reference is a key to another form of symbolism. The intellectual light is a reflection and beyond it is the unknown mystery which it cannot shew forth. It illuminates our animal nature, types of which are represented below--the dog, the wolf and that which comes up out of the deeps, the nameless and hideous tendency which is lower than the savage beast. It strives to attain manifestation, symbolized by crawling from the abyss of water to the land, but as a rule it sinks back whence it came. The face of the mind directs a calm gaze upon the unrest below; the dew of thought falls; the message is: Peace, be still; and it may be that there shall come a calm upon the animal nature, while the abyss beneath shall cease from giving up a form.

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To understand the fundamental nature of the Suit of Swords, and in this case the 9 of Swords, we must remember that it deals with the human mind. The human mind is a marvel of evolution. Even though it makes up only 2% of the body's weight it consumes 20% of its energy creating around 20 watts of electrical power. Enough for a small light bulb. It is capable of creating, adapting and problem solving to a level beyond anything else we know of in the natural world which has allowed humans to spread out across the planet and settle in any region or climate. This is what connects the Suit of Swords and the Element of air with the human mind. The Element of Air represents the forces of nature which have presented the challenges to our species that has evolved us. We have successfully risen to these challenges and in doing so sharpened our most useful tool, the human brain.

There is a problem though with this wonderful evolutionary endowment. Most of us can't turn it off. Now that we live in easier times, without having to use it for what mother nature throws at us, we have turned our wonderful tool on other things. To evolve further as a species we need to realise that we are not our brain. We have, and still can, exist without thinking. Thought has its place and its usefulness but too often we miss what is really going on around us because we are too trapped in our minds over thinking things or just unable to stop thinking. To continue evolving we need to learn to silence the voice in our heads, be present in the moment and appreciate and acknowledge life around us and what we have while we still have it.

A personal experience of the scene depicted in the 9 of Swords image is described in the book The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle the celebrated spiritual teacher. Ekhart describes in the book's introduction "waking up in the early hours with a feeling of absolute dread", a repeating thought of "I cannot live with myself any longer" causing him sleepless pain and misery until he became aware of the paradox of that thought "I'm I one or two?" ("I" and "myself") which led to his enlightenment by realising that only one of them was real, the silent watcher that is consciousness. We can exist and be conscious without thought but thought cannot exist without consciousness.

Only 3 cards in the Minor Arcana of the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Tarot depict the character looking directly at you symbolising being in the present moment. The King Of Swords, the 9 Of Cups and the 4 Of Pentacles. In the RWS Major Arcana more than half of the cards depict front facing, consciously present, characters. These characters are at peace and content with all they have, they are not focused on the past or the future but only on the present moment with their mind quietened. The character in the 9 of Swords faces right, or East, in the direction of the future which is where their mind is and the source of their mental torture.

The 9 of Swords is a card of stress, worry, extreme mental pain and anguish and sleepless nights. The element here is Air which relates to challenges, conflicts and the mental aspects of our lives. The storms on the path of life that we have to navigate through. In numerology a number has positive, negative and destructive influences. The suite of Swords tends to focus on the negative and destructive. The negative aspects of the number 9 in numerology are emotionalism, egocentricity, sentimentality and aimless dreaming. The 9's are also card's of solitude and can indicate loneliness and a feeling of being alone in a problem or difficult times like The Hermit which is the ninth card of the Major Arcana. Card number 18 of the Major Arcana The Moon is also a numerological 9 (1+8) and this card can warn of delusions, dreams, nightmares and things not being all what they appear to be.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

One seated on her couch in lamentation, with the swords over her. She is as one who knows no sorrow which is like unto hers. It is a card of utter desolation. Divinatory Meanings: Death, failure, miscarriage, delay, deception, disappointment, despair. Reversed: Imprisonment, suspicion, doubt, reasonable fear, shame.

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Tarot's Knights, like the Knight of Cups, are related to The Chariot. They can be thought of as the Captains of their element, in this case Water, led by their leader The Charioteer who is warlord of all the elements. As The Chariot is card number 7 of the Major Arcana we can assign any Knight a numerological attribute of 7 by proxy. The numerological traits of the number 7 are rest, inaction, planning, analysing and waiting. A Knight, just like The Chariot, cannot represent attack and should only be defensive. They wear simple, practical, armour without ceremonial, or rank defining, decoration. Helmets, not crowns. Their display is purely one of defending their element.

The Chariot and Knights, with the exception of the Knight of Swords represent defence. The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot deck emphasised their defensive nature by cladding them in armour. In the older Tarot decks, like the Marseilles, only the Knight of Swords is wearing armour and holding a weapon. The key theme with the Knight of Cups is one of being emotionally defensive. The imagery of the card you are looking at should illustrate the mind set. In Marseilles Tarot decks the Knight is heading east/left which symbolises the past. The RWS deck reversed the Knight of Cups while keeping all other Knights the same as the Marseilles. In the RWS the horse backed knight is plodding slowly west/right which represents the future. His right hand holds a single cup forward in an offering gesture. Just as the Ace of Cups signifies a new, emotional, connection this card does too but with the caveat that it's being offered cautiously. This is someone who wants to reach out and bond but is probably too defensive to succeed. To really receive this gift you need to reassure the rider enough to encourage them to dismount their high horse and remove their emotional armour. This is someone who is afraid of their feelings or afraid of being hurt or who has become emotionally withdrawn and defensive due to past relationship experiences that have caused emotional pain.

The Knight of Cups can be a young* man who has not reached maturity** yet. His vocation in life could be related to the element of water (a fisherman, a sailor, a plumber etc.) or emotions (a counsellor, psychologist, actor etc). The symbolic relationship to this card may not be vocational, it could be a description of his personality. In which case this man will be a sensitive, caring, romantic and perhaps even a gullible or innocent youth. Sometimes it refers to a youth who has feminine qualities or who is highly intuitive or even psychic.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot The Knight is travelling on a horse from west to east and he is about to cross water on his journey. It is important to note these details when divining who the symbology is talking about. This could, for example, mean a young man who comes from across water (overseas) and/or from the West.

Finally, the symbology is never fixed in its interpretation as this card may not represent a person but a situation. For example it could be a warning about drinking and driving!

*the age of this man could be relative to the person the reading is for. He maybe a mature man but a younger man.

**maturity happens between ages 28 to 37, when a man enter's his 2nd numerological life cycle.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2019. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

Graceful, but not warlike; riding quietly, wearing a winged helmet, referring to those higher graces of the imagination which sometimes characterize this card. He too is a dreamer, but the images of the side of sense haunt him in his vision. Divinatory Meanings: Arrival, approach--sometimes that of a messenger; advances, proposition, demeanour, invitation, incitement. Reversed: Trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud.

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Kingdom: a country ruled by a king (or queen).
Empire: a group of countries (under one ruler).

The Emperor is the King of Kings. Each King in the Minor Arcana reigns over one elemental domain. The King of Cups is the masculine ruler of Water. The King of Pentacles is the masculine ruler of Earth. The Emperor is ruler of all 4 Elemental Kingdoms.

In the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Deck The Emperor has long white hair and a white beard in stark comparison to his younger Kings who have clean shaven, youthful faces. Unlike The Empress he puts on no show of his wealth and domains. No fertile lands behind him, only a hint of a river running at the foot of mountains that dominate the background view. The overwhelming theme here is one of rock.

The throne he sits upon is square cut, thick, hard stone. There is another King in the RWS deck who sits on a similar throne, The 4 of Pentacles. These cards have the same numerical value and numerological meaning of the number 4; rock solid stability.

As the Empress represents being creative, or expressive, with all the elements combined The Emperor represents the solidification of the elements into a rigid, unchanging, structure. This is where the number 4 links to the number of Death, 13 (1+3=4). To survive we must continuously evolve, adapt and change. The Emperor won't and his aged looks symbolise a man who is nearing his end, who might be a bit stuck in his ways and un-willing to compromise. However he is dependable, reliable, trustworthy, an anchor in a storm.
"Men are born soft and supple; dead they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.” - Lao-Tse

The Emperor represents masculinity, being in control, leadership and power. It can foretell the advancement of social, or career, status. The Emperor represents a reliable man upon whom others can depend. He is the husband to The Empress. If both of these cards appear in a Tarot spread it can indicate a married couple or a marriage. As the Empress is a mother so The Emperor is a father, or father figure.

Numerology: The Emperor is card number 4 of the Major Arcana. This is the number of stability and rigitity. This is key to The Emperor's strength but it is also a rigid and restrictive number which can also indicate a risk of stagnation or unwillingness to change. This card can sometimes represent an inflexible, ridged person, or situation, that needs to be worked around or through to reach a goal.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

He has a form of the Crux ansata for his sceptre and a globe in his left hand. He is a crowned monarch--commanding, stately, seated on a throne, the arms of which axe fronted by rams' heads. He is executive and realization, the power of this world, here clothed with the highest of its natural attributes. He is occasionally represented as seated on a cubic stone, which, however, confuses some of the issues. He is the virile power, to which the Empress responds, and in this sense is he who seeks to remove the Veil of Isis; yet she remains virgo intacta.

It should be understood that this card and that of the Empress do not precisely represent the condition of married life, though this state is implied. On the surface, as I have indicated, they stand for mundane royalty, uplifted on the seats of the mighty; but above this there is the suggestion of another presence. They signify also--and the male figure especially--the higher kingship, occupying the intellectual throne. Hereof is the lordship of thought rather than of the animal world. Both personalities, after their own manner, are "full of strange experience," but theirs is not consciously the wisdom which draws from a higher world. The Emperor has been described as (a) will in its embodied form, but this is only one of its applications, and (b) as an expression of virtualities contained in the Absolute Being--but this is fantasy.

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The thief card. Tarot imagery for this card is, in general, one of an act of theft. In the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck a man tip toes away to the left while looking over his shoulder to the right. He's stolen 5 swords leaving only 2 behind, but why didn't he take them all?

The numerology in this imagery is very important and of note. The 7 of Swords is related to the 5 of Swords. In the 5 of Swords our character has achieved his goal through force and direct confrontation. Here in the 7 of Swords the character has used stealth and cunning to achieve the same ends. The remaining 2 swords, that he has turned his back on, represent diplomacy and negotiation. He could have asked for the swords, and been honest about his intentions, but he has chosen to turn his back on that option. These two swords also serve as a link to Judgement and Justice in the Major Arcana. Both cards have numerological values of 2 and this symbolic connection may carry a warning of the consequences of his actions.

Is he smarter than the character in the 5 of Swords? He's avoided the bad publicity of the 5 of Swords open conflict. He would probably argue that his actions hurt no one, he's kept face and not lost friends.

Sometimes it's important to take note of the direction a character is facing when looking at symbolic imagery. In the RWS Deck this character is heading left but looking right. In the 5 of Swords our character looks left. The left represents the past and the right, the future. Our thief is looking to the future but he's heading backwards. He thinks he's being clever but his actions will set him back.

The 7 of Swords is a card of theft, greed, deceit and avoiding confrontation. The element here is Air which relates to challenges, conflicts and the mental aspects of our lives. In Numerology the negative aspects of the number 7 are malice, theft, cheating, craftiness, confusion and deceitfulness. The positive aspects of 7 are rest, introspection, thoughtfulness and planning.

© Phuture Me Ltd 2010-2018. All rights reserved.

THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

A man in the act of carrying away five swords rapidly; the two others of the card remain stuck in the ground. A camp is close at hand. Divinatory Meanings: Design, attempt, wish, hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. The design is uncertain in its import, because the significations are widely at variance with each other. Reversed: Good advice, counsel, instruction, slander, babbling.

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Understanding the meaning of any Tarot card is much easier when you compare it to other cards. Begin by comparing with the preceding card, and the card following it, in the suit. Then compare it to cards with the same numerology, remembering to reduce double digit numbered cards. The 6 of Wands is one such card that should be viewed together with its adjacent cards in the Suit of Wands. The 5 of Wands, in the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck, is illustrated as 5 men struggling to bring together 5 wands in a cohesive structure like the one seen in the 4 of Wands beautiful 4 sided pergola. These cards are almost like the pictures in a cartoon which make no sense on their own. Viewing them together you could infer that someone, riding a horse, has come along and taken charge of the 5 of Wands disarray. This is one such interpretation of the 6 of Wands, that it has the meaning of bringing harmony and responsibility to the element of Fire. The element of Fire symbolises energy, passion and drive. It is the fire that burns in the home and within the engines of our transport and industry. Therefore that harmony and responsibility is brought into the home, the community and work place. It benefits projects, ambitions and where we direct our energy and labour.

In numerology the number 6 symbolises responsibility and harmony with particular attention to the home, family and community. If you look at the other cards numbered 6 in Tarot you'll see they all have a common theme of harmony. The Lovers has this harmony but with more focus on responsibility. The Devil is a 6 too (1+5) but it reveals to us the consequences of being irresponsible.

The RWS deck illustration of this card has a man wearing the laurel crown of a victor carrying a wand also adorned with a laurel. This detail distinguishes one other possible meaning for the 6 of Wands which is a victory and a hero. As a Minor Arcana card this will be a minor victory and a hero among friends, family and colleagues. It doesn't proclaim any grandeur and remains modest. Any success achieved, that this card refers to, will be to the benefit of everyone and not just a central character. In the RWS deck our hero is riding from West to East and facing forward. This is in the direction of the future which is where he is leading the other 5 wand bearers. Any success and victory may not be immediately apparent. It maybe a long term result and outcome which may not make sense presently but at a later point in time. In its simplest interpretation this card points to someone responsible taking charge and leading the way forward.

The 6 of Wands, 6 of Rods or 6 of Batons, is a card of success after a struggle and advancement. The element here is Fire which relates to home, community, work and creativity. The aspects of the number 6 in numerology are harmony, responsibility, service and family. The 6 of Wands has a theme of long term victory and success to benefit of everyone in the home or work place. As a person this card would be describing someone who is charismatic, successful and very well respected. Someone who people trust to lead them.

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THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

A laurelled horseman bears one staff adorned with a laurel crown; footmen with staves are at his side. Divinatory Meanings: The card has been so designed that it can cover several significations; on the surface, it is a victor triumphing, but it is also great news, such as might be carried in state by the King's courier; it is expectation crowned with its own desire, the crown of hope, and so forth. Reversed: Apprehension, fear, as of a victorious enemy at the gate; treachery, disloyalty, as of gates being opened to the enemy; also indefinite delay.

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