Major Arcana

The High Priestess is a very interesting card especially when considered in the context of the Medieval age it refers back to.

She is definitely the symbol of divine female energy.

Many cards in the Tarot counterbalance each other or come in pairs. The message of the tarot in general a reminder to seek balance in all things.

Opposing forces are explored through art so we can be reminded which side of the polarity we are out of balance in.

The cards that follow the High priestess; the Empress and the Emperor, are the embodiment of Father and Mother when approached in balance.

But the High Priestess is a bit of a mystery to me.

The art of her card bears a striking resemblance to the card of the Hierophant or the Pope.

But the Catholic expression of Christianity is itself a poster child for unbalance as it is a strictly male-dominated hierarchy to the level that is completely unbalanced and unnatural and causes great harm to its populace and priesthood by pretending that the duality of Sex does not exist as a driving force in humanity or nature.

Perhaps the reference to a powerful woman who rules with emotion and balance refers to an earlier time and an earlier expression of faith.

There are definite visual references to old testament concepts here.

The Black and white pillars on either side of her are a reference to The first temple of Solomon. The black pillars of Boaz and Jachin stood on either side of the entrance to the temple.

Even the reference to the pomegranates behind her is a reference to what the Jews called the 5 holy fruits.

Pomegranates are a symbol of fertility and tiny pomegranates were sewn to the Kohanim or the Jewish priest’s robes when they entered the holy of holies.

Just in case the communion with God was too much and he was struck dead the pomegranate bells would stop ringing and he would be pulled out by a string tied to his ankle.

The Pillars are even marked with the names verified by Josephus’ book Antiquities of the Jews, Boaz (Hebrew בֹּעַז boʿaz “In him/it [is] strength”) stood on the left on the portico of Solomon’s Temple, while Jachin (Hebrew יָכִין yakin “He/it will establish”) stood on the right.

In the rider Waite Illuminated Tarot the High Priestess also holds Torah scrolls in her hands. Indicating she was a well-educated lady in the ways of traditional Judaism.

The Jewish tradition has a more balanced approach to femininity. And does talk about women in powerful positions of faith and commerce where their judgment was valued.

• Deborah was a judge (Judg 5);
• Joab found a “wise woman” in Teqoa (2Sam 14:2); Jeremiah (9:15) describes a female sage or “wise woman;”
• Huldah was a prophet (2 , נביאה Kings 22:14), who was consulted by high state officials.

Perhaps a better translation for this card would have been The Prophetess.

I think rather than a counterpoint to the Hierophant she is the Counterbalance and perhaps future mate of the Magician.

If the fool represents the childlike innocence of adventure the Magician represents gathering all the knowledge and tools you need as a young adult to decide on your path and impose your view on the world.

In the middle ages, a young man not born to royalty or wealth would be preparing himself to become useful in a trade or in politics so he could better his family’s station.

A young adult woman would be reaching into the divine unknown to manifest a good mate. To make a good match and improve her family’s position by choosing well and working hard to make a good life with her future husband.

The High Priestess may represent the highest ambition a young woman could achieve in those days; to be educated and consulted by heads of state would be to soar above the normal hierarchies of the day.

There is a time in young adulthood before you step out on your own and test your choices when you feel so powerful and so tuned in.

All the futures you imagine for yourself are bright and work out splendidly.

It is time and experience that puts those wrinkles in our foreheads.

She is a reminder to tune in to your own intuition. Heed its warnings and dream great things for yourself.

She is also a reminder to have patience and work through the process. Don’t be in such a hurry that you read the last page of the book first and ruin the mystery for yourself.

Take the time to tune in and make sure your inner wisdom agrees with the road map you are following.

She is also a sign of fertility and untapped potential. Much like an unmarried girl she has the potential for many children and rich life ahead.

Like the Pomegranate she can replicate herself many times over.

The symbols of the moon she wields so easily represent her ability to surf the subconscious drives that can so easily drown us in emotionalism if we are unbalanced about them.

She is calling you to take a softer approach.

Sometimes it takes a woman’s touch to soothe ruffled feathers and bring a situation back into balance.

Let things be revealed in their own time.

Take time out to meditate and trust the wisdom revealed to you in that silence.

Don’t feel like you have to shout it from the rooftops when you do get an insight. Some cards are better played close to the chest.

She often shows up reversed when you are hanging between two choices; be it two suitors or two different career choices. It is often the less obvious choice she encourages you to take.

Choose the one that makes your heart sing, not necessarily the one that will make your momma happy.

If she shows up after a financial loss she is a reminder to get your policies and procedures in place and quit trying to make every shot from the hip.

Get a spotter and some sandbags and start going for the long shot targets.

The High priestess calls you to settle down before you take the shot the ability to parse the mystery is within you if you will slow down and take advantage of the wisdom already inside your heart.

If the Judgment Card in the Major Arcana falls face up it indicates a time of great rejoicing.  

This is a huge weighty card.  All of the Major Arcana cards weigh heavily in any reading but this one comes near the end of our fools journey and it has a sense of being long overdue.

In the Rider Waite deck, it shows the souls of the righteous dead in their graves rising at the blast of Gideon’s horn on “Judgment day,” and going on to paradise.

It is a terrible justice that would make you wait until after you were in the grave and beyond to bring resolution.  But it is a metaphor of what it feels like to finally have justice after so long a wait.

This is Supreme Court level judgment after things have finally wended their way through all the appeals and negotiations and this is not just life-changing for you but a culturally shifting judgment that makes things better.

It speaks to a justice coming to the collective consciousness. 

It speaks of freedoms expanded and the ability to rise and follow your highest calling.

It can also speak of loved ones being reunited after a momentous separation.

It is a card of the case closed; let the healing begin.

It is no accident that this card is followed by the world card in the Rider Waite deck.  Because it brings word of a final and ultimate conclusion and you can step into a whole new paradigm once this is resolved.

It is also a card indicating that you will be rewarded for ‘keeping the faith.’

This is a message that the journey is not over yet and you have not yet created your final masterpiece. 

There is still work to be done and you have to have faith in the overall plan.

It also may be a message that you have judged yourself unworthy and cut yourself off from your highest calling and the blessing it brings

This is a reminder to find a way to love yourself more and believe in your ability to overcome and endure.

The Temperance tarot card is about that very sweet spot on the tip of the perfect ocean wave where everything is in balance. The surfer taps into the energy of the wave and there is a feeling of perfect synergy. Where not a muscle is strained and all that speed and motion are active and balanced but effortless.

The Temperance card is about that feeling.

For example, think about a top spinning at top speed and all the forces acting on it come into equilibrium. 

Oddly the faster you go the more peaceful things become.

In our fast-paced world with screens and deadlines and distractions we probably don’t value that sensation enough.

Temperance in the Rider Waite deck usually shows our fool as an angel with a toe in the water and two cups balancing a fluid between them. Beneath his feet, there is a path from the ocean leading to a crown and lilies planted at the water’s edge. However, I believe; that was just because no one had invented surfing in the 15th century when these cards started circulating around.

Regardless of the Art of the Temperance tarot card the generally agreed-upon meaning has to do with healing, harmony, environmental concerns, and creative expression.

If the temperance card falls into your reading it may be encouraging you to find your own point of internal balance.  

Prayer or meditation may be called for. Additionally, getting out into nature for quiet contemplation to assess the forces around you will help you figure out how you can better get into the flow.

Life becomes art when a harmonious balance is achieved.

This card may also be calling you into larger environmental concerns.  The great pacific garbage patch is not going to clean itself up.  The Radiation being poorly contained by Chornobyl or Fukushima can be mitigated by several generations of mushrooms and fungal life but so much more study is needed.

The world needs heroes like never before.  

Even if you are not a mycelial expert or Radiation engineer you make decisions every day that affect the environment.  Are you limiting your use of plastic or mindlessly consuming it?

No one can change all the challenges in one fell swoop. However, many people making small changes can create a big impact.

Temperance doesn’t call on you to put on a cape and run to the other side of the world; it calls you to find a life in balance where you are and to make good choices that lead to great riches down the road.

This card also calls on you to appreciate and be grateful for the beauty of nature you find all around you.  

As you get out for walks in the neighborhood to enjoy the sunset and maybe decide to pick up 3 pieces of trash on every walk, you may start a revolution as you set an example and others follow suit or you may bring a neighborhood in decline back from the brink as someone one gets out and cares for it.

After all, “All that is necessary for evil to flourish is that good man do nothing.”  You don’t have to do everything, just do something,

Getting out in nature will have a healing and harmonizing effect on you. Which can only be good for your health.

Bad news; this is a message that you are in fact That Guy.  You are being an inconsiderate jerk and need to reign that in a bit.  

You have lost your sense of balance are caught up in consumerism, waste excess, and are just generally spun out of control.

Reign it in bro or you are going to find yourself on the wrong side of some very powerful forces and you are headed for a big WIPEOUT.

The Justice tarot card shows the figure of Justice proud but blindfolded. Justice is blind but, it is Karma that has eyes in the back of her head.  

In the traditional Rider Waite deck, we see the fool transformed into a judge between two pillars. One hand is holding a sword and one hand holding scales.

Major arcana cards have meaning in themselves and they all refer to universal experiences most people in western culture relate to. However, each of the major arcana is also a progression of a story of a happy young fool who sets out on life’s journey. The cards tell the story of the experiences he has that helped him grow up.

Remember, the Major Arcana cards refer to the large universal concepts that everyone must learn to balance in their own lives.

The Justice card is the 8th card in the deck and the first of seven cards that represent the soul and the development of equilibrium.

Overall Meaning of the Justice Card

Justice is a reminder to develop cool-headed judgment in all areas of your life.

The main idea of the Justice tarot card encourages us to develop the ability to not rely on the sword to solve every problem we have. Above all, we need to recognize the weight of those decisions that do call for the sword to be used.

Subsequently learning to be fair-minded and balance your actions by weighing out their consequences is a big turning point in emotional maturity. Consequently, it is one of the ways the fool learns to grow up.

Therefore, this card is calling you to be fair-minded about whatever situation that brought you to this spread.

I would look closely at the cards that follow this one in your spread to see what advice the Tarot is encouraging you to embrace.

Major Arcana cards are often an “Earth School Class Syllabus”  and once you get the lesson you don’t have to repeat the course.

So if things keep happening in your life that are repeating a theme; it is a message.

Life is trying to teach you a certain trait or insight. Once you get the insight the lesson is over.

You can avoid that pitfall in the future. This is why the insight from the tarot cards is so valuable. Sometimes our brains can see patterns in the art that no amount of words can explain.

Justice in a love Reading

If the Justice tarot card lands in a love reading it means your relationship is in balance. You are enjoying an equal partnership.

However, if the Justice tarot card shows up reversed in your reading; it may be a warning sign that your emotions are out of balance. Co-dependency or anger festering over a perceived imbalance is indicated.

Justice Card in a Money Reading

You should be cautious about new contracts or partnerships, however, The Justice card means money will be moving around against someone’s will. If there is a law suit swirling around that may result in a settlement for you; stand firm until they pay you. Justice is on your side.

Justice reversed is a warning that things are not being laid out in logical order. Decisions are not happeing in a fair manner.

Reversed justice tells you to go back to the beginning and follow the evidence.  No matter where it leads.

Put on your blindfold and take your emotions out of the equation for the next big decision.

Once the sword falls, it’s hard to put Humpty Dumpty back together.

When you let your Sword fall there will be consequential reprocusions.

Be sure you have make the right call for the right reasons.

The death card can be an arresting image to land in your Tarot card spread especially if you don’t have any context for the reading someone may be doing for you but don’t panic, it probably isn’t as dire as you might imagine.

In the traditional Rider Waite deck, it shows a large image of death on a white horse standing over our brave fool who has become a successful merchant or ruler.  The pope stands before him and his wife and child grieve him as he lays lifeless on the battlefield.  But the message is clear; Death outweighs all those earthly concerns.

Death can be a reminder to embrace life though.  Usually, in the image, we see green shoots re-emerging after the current crop has been raised to the ground and the fact that the man leaves the next generation to take up the journey is also hopeful.

Also, this is the image of the END of a battle.  These cards were originally drawn in a time when Europe was experiencing the black death and the 100 years war.  They knew all about forced endings and there was a certain calm created by the end of a battle.  

The death card is about taking time to regroup.  Take a breath and give the next generation of crops and children a chance to grow and prosper.

This card can often indicate the end of addiction.  

It involves sudden massive change and letting go of the illusion of wealth and strength and imperviousness to the clutches of it.

The presence of the clergy can indicate that you have the support of your higher power and your family whom you have caused so much grief, the healing will take time but hope is written into the landscape if you surrender to the process.

It may be time to think about rehab or hitting up a meeting again.

One thing is for sure when the death card lands in your reading; Change is coming swiftly and there is nothing you can do to stop its inexorable march.

In many ways, this is the card of autumn of things shutting down for a season.  It is a time of putting the garden to bed and settling down to enjoy the stores of winter while you and the land rest for a season.

Winter is the time we sleep more because the nights are longer we gather family close and appreciate them with gifts and food and we dream of better days and things we will plant in the spring.

The death card comes to say it’s time to bring it down a notch and get off the treadmill, because rich or poor; we all run out of beautiful summer days eventually.  So take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and the people in your life you love you.  Acknowledge that there is a higher power in the mix who has offered you great blessings and relaxation.

Spring is coming again because after every ending there is always a new beginning.  The Earth keeps turning and the season progress the death card is a reminder to come into tune with those seasons.

The death card comes to remind you to get back to basics and take a step back from the politics that cause never-ending wars.  

It’s time to work on yourself.  Clarify your beliefs and make a plan for a brighter future.

The Guru Tarot Card Description

The Guru tarot card is sometimes an additional card in some tarot card decks. In other instances, some decks may use the Guru tarot card to replace the world card at the end of the major arcana.

This Guru Card reference the Indian god, Shiva, who channeled the goddess, Ganga, into the world. In other words, this is a creation story of the Ganges river. Ganga came from Heaven as a favor to a friend. However, Ganga did not consent to all the life changes Shiva had in mind for her. She did not appreciate that Siva had trapped her. So, she tried to overwhelm Shiva by pressing him into the center of the Earth. However, Shiva stayed strong. He ran Ganga’s energy through his beautiful locks of hair. Shiva’s hair split her into seven sources and then gathered her together again as the Ganges river.

This may sound like a crazy story. However, remember that we are working with a poetic license to explain massive and potentially destructive forces. As the earth changed all those years ago and a glacier started to melt. This created vast changes and also created a gorgeous clear, pure river that had the power to shape Indian civilization and faith for many centuries to come.

It is a shame that more modern Indians don’t treat her waters as divine anymore. It would solve a lot of modern problems.  But, I digress…

The Guru Tarot Card Meaning

In permaculture, the treatment of water or earthworks is central to the whole study of agriculture. They have a saying about water on your land which is slow it, spread it, sink it.

Permaculture is the art of slowing down water and rehydrating the land beneath you so that you will recharge the water table. It seeks to stop the draining of sweet water from artesian sources and letting them run off of the land and into the sea. Water table restoration is the first step toward abundance and climate resiliency.

Water is a huge, powerful, elemental force in our world and is essential to life and civilization.

It seems the problems that we face today were being faced by the people of India back when they told this story. They just found a more poetic way to frame it than we have.

The Guru tarot Card is not just a card of enlightenment (whatever that means). It is the card of someone who understands the forces that are at work in their life and is able to stay strong and stay grounded rather than being overwhelmed when life throws things at them.

The guru taro card is the polar opposite of the Tower Card. 

On the Guru tarot card lightning cracks and monsoon rains fall but the tower is still standing after the deluge. Because the Guru has stood against the elemental forces. Suddenly the water is replenishing the land rather than destroying it.

We pull this guru tarot card when we have been tested by life and remained in our seat of power. We have figured out solutions to the overwhelming forces that have come against us.

That might entitle us to a smug smile or two. However, don’t let this card go to your head.  The only thing constant in life is change.

This card may be calling you to go back to the basics of engineering and consider simple solutions to complex problems.  

Archimedes once said, “If you give me a long enough lever and a place to stand, I can lift the world.”  The Guru Tarot Card encourages you to stand in your power within the peace that meditation brings and use simple tools to withstand the forces working against you.

That glowing moon is fooling you, it is not really a star.  It is just bouncing sunlight around and confusing things.

That is kind of the essence of the Moon card: Look around because things are not really what they seem.

Whatever question brought you to the Tarot stop and ask yourself if you are being a lunatic about something.

I love that this photo shows us the ocean in the background because not only is it a nice metaphor for the subconscious it is a reminder to work with the natural forces in your life.  

No Sailor sets out on a journey at mid-tide.

So much success in life depends on timing.  If The Moon is shining on your cards this may be time to rest before the big day dawns and you need to put in the work.

(Go to bed and quit worrying about things that aren’t here yet.)

Ocean waves can be metronomic and calming or they can barrel in with hurricane force and wipe out all the infrastructure on the coast.

Make sure you aren’t stirring up your own hurricane with all that running around inside your own head.

Also, make sure that you are going to your own soul for the source of your inspiration.  If you are looking to someone else their attention can wax and wane and you will be powerless in the face of it.

If you work with the moon energy though it can be a great time to slow down and get quiet and listen to your own intuition.  As you drift on the currents of the unconscious you may be struck with sudden inspiration and a solution that defies the straight-lined mathematical path.

The World card in the traditional Rider Waite deck is number 21.  It is the card of completion.  Some say it means endings and new beginnings but even more than that I think it is a card that recognizes your maturity.  

In the USA 21 is the legal drinking age.  It is a culturally significant number.

It is an agreed-upon time when someone is expected to be mostly done with their education and to be considered a mature adult.

Remember that the Major arcana are the milestones in the life’s journey of the fool.  We see him set out with a smile and a hankie on a stick to wandering about with his puppy dog finding adventures.   

In the photo above we see a seasoned traveler making a plan to travel the world and have even greater adventures.  

I would like to think that the journey never ends you just get better prepared for its ups and downs as you travel through adulthood.

Soon you will have career decisions to make and you will need to decide whether you wish to be; a solder, (Swords) An artisan, (Pentacles)  A merchant (Wands), or in one of the compassionate healing professions, (Cups.)

As we split off into the suits cards for those daily drama questions its good to take a look back over all the Major Arcana cards and make sure you have mediated with each one and examined your own heart to make sure you are fully resolved on each point and feel strong enough to continue the journey.

The Major Arcana of the Tarot gives us the gifts of major emotional milestones to stop and examine ourselves.  If we need to we can seek therapy or call in spirit guides to help heal the wounds and put a final point on the unfinished business of the past.

Much like a game where one level up progress can’t be made until the level has been experienced and puzzled out before one can move on successfully.  Those who pack away their experiences and never fully process them wind up wounded and bogged down later in life.  

The tarot gives us a safe space to work out those concepts in full color and no judgment as we watch the progress of the fool as he succeeds and fails, very few of us realize the story is about us until the healing has taken place.

The great news about The World card landing in your reading is that it is telling you that you have played all the levels had many experiences and developed skills that will help you be successful anywhere in the world.

The world card landing reversed in your reading may be a reminder to gather your major arcana cards and do the work of mediating with each card, get a Tarot journal out and Ask each card some to the 50 Questions spread to write down your answers and date your entries.  

One day you will be amazed at the wisdom you find in this journal as time moves on but the words of your soul still speak truth to you.

The world card reversed in a tarot spread may mean you need to gather your gear and take a step out in the great unknown.  You can’t discover much of anything sitting on the couch.

This card may be telling you it is time to stop hiding behind the castle walls and get out there and get some adventures going.

It may be time to seek support or hit up a meet-up group you are interested in or ask that cute coworker out for a drink.  Anything can happen and it probably will but the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step.

The Wheel of fortune in the Rider Waite deck almost depicts a medicine wheel with references to the four directions and while that is powerful imagery I think the image of the camera lens speaks to the soul of the internet traveler who might look for arcane knowledge on a thoroughly modern device.

The wheel of fortune card speaks about cycles.  Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall happen because the earth circles around the sun.

Day and night happen because the earth circles upon itself and faces away from and then towards the sun as it travels.

While we can stand on the surface of the earth and feel utterly stationary.  Somewhere deep in our lizard brains, we know we are traveling.  

We know that the more things change the more they stay the same because there is a measurable rhythm to it all.

The photo lens adds depth to that reading when you realize the turning of the lens creates focus and you as the photographer get to actively frame the view.

On the one hand, the wheel of fortune cards may make you think that nothing can be controlled and everything is up to luck.  On one level that is true, but it is also a reminder that there are cycles at work and life can be much easier if you learn to focus and identify them.

The Wheel of Fortune is a reference to Karma.  A force none can control but focus on the goal does give you an edge.  Chance favors the prepared mind and if you know what you need the universe will find a way to deliver it.  Maybe not the way you had envisioned but efficient nonetheless.

As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats but a tidal chart will help you know when best to start your journey.

Once you learn the rhythm of the seasons you know when to plant and when to harvest and when to rest and that is life in balance and lived abundantly.

I think the wheel of fortune card is significant in the fool’s journey when he realizes that it is not just about the path and sun on his face and the next adventure around the bend but a whole universe is at work around him.  The laws of physics come into play and the possibilities for new adventures are absolutely endless but not without consequences.

What goes up must come down and tides ebb and flow.  Learning to be in the right timing with all those forces takes an expanded consciousness but opens up limitless possibilities.

The Wheel of fortune reversed may be telling you to go back and find your center of gravity because you are getting too spun out.

It is reminding you to open your awareness to the world around you and reminding you that the world does not revolve around you.

Take a deep breath and check your tidal charts and weather maps.  You may be trying to leap before you look.

Do the homework on the venture you are inquiring about and make sure you are catching the wave at the right point to get to your destination.

It is also a warning that you may have focused on one thing a little too hard and it is time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.