SEVEN CARDS OF CIRCUMSTANCE

The passage of time and the wisdom that it brings.

 By Judy Jennings    © Copyright 2012

In our last post, we discussed seven cards of the major arcana that express different stages of spiritual enlightenment.  Today, let’s look at those same cards from another perspective.  Major arcana 15-21 also address the world of circumstances and events, in addition to the more philosophical stages of enlightenment.  All the cards of the major arcana fall into that same category, to some degree, with each having a metaphysical aspect as well as a practical application.  Today, we’ll look at the kind of everyday advice this particular group of cards has to offer.

To recap briefly for those who may just be joining us, we are studying the 21 cards of the major arcana in three smaller groups of seven cards.  Each of these groups represents a different realm of the human experience: There are Qualities of an Enlightened Mind, Ways To Integrate Those Qualities, and Stages of Enlightenment.  As mentioned, the third group also represents different types of circumstances that can surround a person.

The appearance of The Devil in a reading can have a variety of meanings. Positive aspects of this card include the qualities of mirth and irony.  A person represented by the Devil will be quick-witted and possess a great sense of humor.  Other positive personality traits suggested are the potential for deep spiritual understanding, a high awareness of the needs of others, loyalty, and willingness for self-sacrifice to a greater cause.  On the other hand, the Devil also represents the possibility of mistaken priorities, limiting ways of thought, addiction, extreme emotionalism, and shallow materialism.  It’s important to keep an open mind about this card in a reading, and to rely on surrounding cards for perspective.  The wide range of forces recognized in The Devil may be in effect around a person, or at work inside the mind of the seeker.

The Tower suggests an illuminating glimpse of truth, a flash of inspiration, or a sudden change when it appears in a reading.  Even further, on a social scale this card can represent liberation from the restrictions of cultural expectations, and psychologically, the Tower can symbolize a break-through regarding some type of mental block or personality disorder.  A person represented by the Tower will be independent, self-motivated, and resistant to external rules and regulations.  This is the card of an idealist, a non-conformist, or a revolutionary.  Past traditions and present realities will never satisfy this person, whose energy at its most positive seeks to serve in the greater good of humanity.  If poorly dignified, the Tower can indicate the ruins of one’s plans or, on a spiritual level, a fall from grace.  It can also refer to a relationship or group where communication has broken down.  The sudden illumination represented by the Tower is a force that, when put to its best use, assists the seeker in moving past the forces of limitation found in the Devil.

Meditation is the key to regenerating our Spirits following the effects of the two preceding cards, and that force is addressed in The Star.  The Star also points the way toward psychological healing.  Any time it presents in a reading, The Star encourages the seeker to meditate.  Courage, loyalty, hope, inspiration, gifts of the Spirit, improved health, unselfish aid and great love are qualities of this card.  A person represented by The Star will have a positive attitude and a strong commitment to the common good.  This is a person who seeks after truth.

The Moon gives form to the creative force and suggests a high degree of subconscious activity.  This card represents the soul of an artist, someone who is imaginative and open-minded, with a receptive personality.  Psychic ability may also be indicated.  Attention to dreams and other messages from the subconscious is encouraged whenever the Moon appears.  There are also possibilities of personality disorders with this card.  Obsession, compulsion, mental illness, and extreme introversion or secretiveness may be indicated under the darkest aspects of the Moon.  In its most brilliant light, however, The Moon is a symbol of positive personality changes, energetic subconscious activity, and a highly creative state of mind.

The Sun is an extremely auspicious card to get in a reading.  On a metaphysical level, The Sun represents the animating force of universal life.  In everyday terms, we find energetic forces, great vitality, and the promise of the good life.  A loving marriage, great partnerships, good health, success, attainment, achievement, and happiness are all potential meanings for this card.  The appearance of The Sun means the seeker is blessed in some way.  If an opportunity is indicated in a reading where The Sun is present, the seeker is well-advised to pursue it.

In a reading, Judgement can indicate completion, decision, or termination.  An honest evaluation of one’s works and actions may be suggested.  If describing a situational change, it is likely to be from one extreme to another.  This card can man that something hidden has come to light, or the end of one phase and the beginning of another may be indicated.

A person represented by Judgement prefers to work quietly behind the scenes until their idea or project is ready to show to the world, but don’t let that make you underestimate them:  This is someone with a strong ability to affect changes in other people.

The final arcana in this series is another auspicious card that suggests triumph and great success.  A door is opening whenever the World appears in a reading, possibly onto travel or career opportunities.  The World promises rewards, fulfillment, and freedom in one’s life.  In some cases, the success represented may be of a particularly spiritual nature.  The positive state of mind represented in this card embraces the passage of time and the wisdom that it brings.  There is a sense of connection with world community, as well as to the workings of celestial forces.  A person represented by The World is wise, possibly a teacher or an elder.  Someone with great positive influence is indicated.  This is a person with the ability to create happiness in the world.

These seven form a powerful group of cards!  Not only do they address stages of spiritual enlightenment and different types of events that can take place, but they also express seven different types of personalities.  These multiple layers of meaning are what give the Tarot such complexity, and make it among the most moveable of oracles.

 

SEVEN STAGES OF SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT AS EXPRESSED IN THE TAROT

Expanding awareness that the greatest function of the personality is to serve as a vehicle for the expression of higher ideals.

 By Judy Jennings    © Copyright 2012

Our last post left off with a mention of the seven stages of spiritual enlightenment that are presented in the final seven major arcana, cards 15-21.  Let’s take a closer look at those.  Isn’t it a bit ominous that enlightenment begins with the Devil?  It’s easy to have that thought.

Think of the Devil as a symbol for irony and mirth.  Every aspect of the illustration is a caricature of other cards and a mockery of the forces found in them.  The Devil is a symbol for a promiscuous celebration of the senses, and a state of mind that believes what we see is all that exists.  Yet, laughter is undeniably a healing force, and there is no humor without irony.  By this we know that there are two sides of meaning to The Devil.  This card also represents the first stage of spiritual enlightenment, where the seeker begins to realize that the idea we are each separate, isolated beings is false.  The human figures are slowly becoming aware that their limitations are self-imposed, and that they need only to lift off their chains to be free.

The lightening-struck Tower represents the second stage of enlightenment, where the seeker of wisdom is confronted by the sudden destruction of former philosophy.  The Tower celebrates the dissolution of the superficial idea that we are each isolated beings, and brings flashes of illumination that lead to a changed and deeper understanding.  This card is an expression of forces that are constantly developing and transforming, minute by minute.  Think of The Tower not as a static presence, but rather a dynamic, ever-changing eternal force.

The Quest For Truth is the third stage of enlightenment, and it is the ancient earth goddess Hathor who fishes in the waters of the subconscious for the unknown.  Previously seen in The Empress, Strength and Justice, Hathor’s name is also inscribed on The Wheel Of Fortune.  In The Star, Earth Mother stirs the pool of universal consciousness and creates vibrations that are the beginnings of new patterns of thought.

The knowledge that is gained in The Star is incorporated into the personality in The Moon.  The fourth stage of spiritual enlightenment is a time of extreme influence from the subconscious mind.  The Moon represents an expanding awareness that the greatest function of the personality is to serve as a vehicle for the expression of higher ideals.

In The Sun, we see the fifth stage of enlightenment, where the seeker has consciously identified with the Universal Mind and walks in a state of grace.  While there is still a sense of separate identity, there is a strong, direct connection with Higher Power. In the state of mind represented here, the qualities of all preceding cards have been integrated into the personality.

As consciousness moves into the state of mind represented by Judgement, ordinary conditions and typical understandings are reversed.  This is a state where limitations of the personality and the false notion of separate identity are completely overcome, and replaced with a higher universal consciousness.  In the card of Judgement, one manner of thought gives way so that another may be brought to life.

The World embodies the ultimate stage of spiritual enlightenment, a transcendent state where suffering and sense of self no longer exist.  In this state the seeker is released from the effects of Karma.  The World symbolizes Nirvana, widely known as the final goal of Buddhism.  This card represents the merging of self-consciousness, subconsciousness, and super-consciousness.  The forces at work in The World are those through which a person gives up the misconceptions that prevent true inner freedom.  The World represents a state of depersonalization of the Self, where the importance of personality gives way to the exaltation of the Spirit. 

Our discussion today has taken a metaphysical perspective and a very contemplative approach to the Tarot.  That kind of contemplation is one of the finest and most important uses to which the Tarot may be put.  Still, let’s plan on bringing it back down to earth a notch for our next topic, and dwelling in more practical terms.  The next discussion will focus on the same seven cards, but from a different angle, for this group also represents The World of Circumstances and Events.

THE THREE WORLDS OF THE MAJOR ARCANA

By Judy Jennings    © Copyright 2012

Our study today will examine the major arcana divided into three smaller sets of seven cards, and includes an exercise designed to promote intuitive understanding.  These three sets correspond to different aspects of the human life.  The sets are as follows:

The World Of Divine Qualities

The Material World

Stages Of Enlightenment

     Think of the following exercise as a window into the three worlds of the major arcana.  

THREE WORLDS EXERCISE:

Arrange major arcana numbered 1-21  into numerical order.  For this exercise, set aside The Fool, numbered 0.  For now, think of the Fool as unlimited possibility, and we’ll return to that later.

Lay out the cards in three horizontal rows.  The top row contains cards 1-7.  Underneath that, place cards 8-14.  The bottom row is made up of cards 15-21.

Take a few minutes to look them over.   Any study of Tarot must include subjective observation, so it’s best to start practicing that right away.  What do you notice?  Just relax and let your mind ease into it.  There are no wrong answers to this question.  Here are a few pointers:

◦               Try this exercise for the first time before reading the rest of this article.

◦               Look for similarities between cards.

◦               Notice the way each card expresses a quality that is opposite from the card before it.

◦               Consider both vertical and horizontal rows.

◦               Repeat this exercise frequently.

Layout For Exercise #1:

   1   2    3    4    5    6    7

  8    9  10  11  12  13  14

15  16  17  18  19  20  21

THE THREE WORLDS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE

      The three rows in Three Worlds Exercise symbolize three different realms that are presented in the major arcana.  These are all aspects that relate directly to the human experience.  An understanding of what these worlds represent and how they interact with each other is an important key to deciphering the map for a Meaningful life that the Tarot lays out for us.

The first realm, including cards 1-7, is known as the World of the Divine.  In these seven cards are found qualities of an enlightened mind, such as the desire for a connection with Higher Power.  Some other attributes found in this set are the ability to set healthy boundaries, a harmonious relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds, and the possibility for every person to create something in this lifetime that is greater than the self.  As you learn the meanings of the individual trumps, you’ll discover much more about this set.

The next seven cards are a set of instructions on bringing the qualities of the first group into our everyday lives.  Take another look at the top two rows of cards in the above exercise.  Now consider the cards in pairs, with the one on top partnering with the card directly underneath.  This creates an alliance between The Magician and Strength, for example.  In this way, our map points specifically to the paths of compassion and self-discipline to most positively incorporate the powers found in The Magician.  Contemplation of these partnerships is one of the most dynamic things you can do to increase your understanding of the Tarot.

The final set actually includes two important threads.  First, each of these seven cards represents a different stage of spiritual enlightenment.  Additionally, this group is symbolic of circumstances that can take place around a person.

Examination of these three realms is an excellent starting point for the novice, and serves as a rewarding exercise for the adept as well.  As you work with this exercise, keep in mind that the ultimate purpose is to stimulate your intuition, rather than your logic.