Tag - Tarot cards

Are Tarot Cards Scary? No ofcourse not

July 10, 2017
Psychic Reviews
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Death, the Tower, and The Others: The Bright Side of the Scary Cards of the Tarot

The Tarot is not a collection of 72 pats on the back. The major and minor arcana represent all of the possible experiences a human may have, both good and bad. No one’s is a one-way trajectory into Heaven, so it makes sense that there are cards that indicate loss, sorrow, frustration, doubt, fear, anger, conflict, and weakness. After all, everyone experiences these, and no one has a completely charmed life.

Some of these cards as scarier than others, and some of these cards just have a bad reputation. However, they are all good.

The Major Arcana: The Hanged Man, Death, The Devil, and The Tower are all good cards. Trust me.

If you look at tarot through a religious dichotomy of good vs. evil, light vs. dark, you’ll miss the spiritual textures and nuances of the tarot. It’s not moral relativism either, but an acceptance of the fact that with every light comes a shadow, and that we tend to focus on one or the other, and stand in either the light or the shadow at any given time. Anyone who has worked outdoors on a hot day in the summer knows how great it is to stand under the shade of a tree.

So, when these cards come up, it doesn’t necessarily mean doom, gloom, and destruction. Okay, well, that’s what The Tower literally means, but it doesn’t mean that your life will forever be in shambles until it ends. It means that the life you have now, and what you think your life is and who you are is about to transform completely, and it can’t transform without a few growing pains.

Scary Major Arcana Cards represent the very scary precipice of complete and total transformation. After all, a butterfly can’t emerge without breaking the chrysalis. At some point, your attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and approaches to life no longer work and you have no choice but to change. Whatever you’re asking about will not be the same after this.

Are you going to accept or fight change? All the kids who wrote in your high school yearbook that you should never change were WRONG. You should change. You must change. To be human is to change. No one should stay the same, have the same dreams, have the same likes and dislikes, or have the same desires. To cling to your youthful desires is to never grow up. To never grow up is to never reach your potential and to never live a full life.

The Minor Arcana: If You Want to Surf, Ride the Waves. If You Want to Drown, Fight Them.

The minor arcana don’t deal with major life themes or changes, but rather the more ordinary and the everyday. However, all the little things that happen over the course of one’s life will definitely accumulate and create a movement toward a major change. An avalanche is made up of millions of snowflakes. Think of the minor arcana cards as representative of the snowflakes and the major arcana cards as representative of the avalanche.

So, when scary minor arcana cards come up, indicating sorrow and loss, or more complex negative situations, like social tension, or being forced to wait, it’s indicating the small things that will happen in life that require an adjustment. Like surfing, you don’t need to make huge changes in the way you stand or the direction you’re in, but subtle ones that work with the movement of the water.

Scary minor arcana cards indicate the subtle shifts and changes you have to navigate in order to stay on track. There is simply no way you can go through life without some adversity. You don’t have to go out and find it. Simply having the audacity to be yourself without shame is enough to create challenges. This is especially true if you’re creative or bold in any way and are stuck in a place in the world in which conformity is the order of things.

Even hardship can bring joy, if you know how to make joy. Why do people create drama and conflict, and why is it always people who have nothing else going on in their lives who decide to make things harder for everyone else? Humans need a degree of harshness in their lives. This is how we evolved: we became what we are because we were conditioned to adversity and to overcoming it. Our brains don’t work with bliss. We’re not jellyfish floating gently by in the tide. We’re fighters by nature.

So, what do you do when a scary card comes up?

You embrace it and you figure out what to do with it. In order to create, something else must be destroyed. Unless you’ve asked a very, very specific question, you may not know what you could do to work with the energy of a scary card. This means that you have the opportunity to be creative in order to solve your problem. Pending financial shortages? Maybe it’s time to be bold and start a side gig or business. Problems with friends? Maybe you need to meet new people.

But the very worst thing you could do is wallow in your fear. Take your gift and do something creative.

Understanding Tarot Cards

June 17, 2017
Psychic Reviews
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Understanding Tarot Cards: Symbolism and Intuition

Tarot cards are rich in imagery that guide the reader to understanding tarot cards and not just the superficial meaning of the card, but all of the possible nuances and symbolism. Since nothing is life is two-dimensional, the meanings of the tarot aren’t either. Sometimes, when a reader pulls a card that seems strange or inappropriate, a closer look at the image on the card can shed light on the complexities of the situation at hand.

Just about every deck will come with an instruction booklet that will help the new user interpret each card and understand what the particular artist wants to convey on each tarot card. However, a reader must connect with the deck, and that means that the pictures not only speak to but converse with them. A reader wants to cultivate this connection with their cards.

While trying to cultivate a connection to the cards, these tips can help a new tarot reader or client understand tarot:

Look at the arcana: The tarot is split into the major and minor arcana. The major arcana, comprised of 22 cards, tends to reflect major changes or life passages. The major arcana is personal. These are things that happen within a person.

When these show up in a reading, the matter the card reflects is not only of great importance, but may be one that can impact the course of one’s life. A spread with a lot of major arcana cards indicates an individual who is going through a major personal transformation or journey.

The minor arcana, on the other hand, is comprised of 56 cards and reflects things outside the person, such as smaller events, objects, other people, and situations. These may be catalysts to major changes reflected in the major arcana. A spread with a lot of minor arcana cards indicates that the individual is dealing with a lot of different possibilities, activities, and circumstances. The minor arcana is split into the four suits of Pentacles, Wands, Swords, and Cups, reflecting the elements of Earth, Fire, Air, and Water, respectively.

Look at the suit. The suit of a card reflects how the person feels about whatever the card represents. For example, if the card represents the immediate past, the suit of the card tells how the person deals with the past. A Pentacles card reflects a monetary or material attitude toward the area of life the card reflects. A Wands card reflects something that the individual is very passionate about. A Swords card reflects something that the person rationalizes or deals with intellectually. A Cups card is something that a person deals with emotionally and through intuition.

So, staying with the example, a Pentacles card reflecting the immediate. past may indicate a person who worked hard for material gain. A wand card may reflect a person who thinks of the past as a tumultuous, intense, or creative time. A Swords card indicates that the person looks back on the immediate past with cool, rational detachment. A Cups card indicates a person who is very much emotionally connected to their recent past.

 

Look at number/court. Even the court or number on the card gives an indication of what the card represents.

Kings represent masculinity, authority, fatherhood, creativity, and enterprise. Queens represent femininity, beauty, nurturing, motherhood, and quiet wisdom. Knights represent a young adult: ambitious, energetic, courageous, and at times intense. Pages represent youth, children, teenagers, rashness, naiveté, enthusiasm, idealism, and excitement.

The numbers also have meanings, largely related to their occult/Kabbalistic meaning.

 

Aces mean newness, beginnings, and creation.

Twos mean balance, dilemmas, and extremes.

Threes mean unity, family, and completion.

Fours mean consistency, stability, and stubbornness

Fives mean power, instability, and domination/submission.

Sixes mean harmony, journeys to harmony, and contentedness.

Sevens mean imagination, spirituality, and the higher mind.

Eights mean limits, boundaries, and ambiguity.

Nines mean isolation, introspection, and epiphany.

Tens mean fulfillment, culmination, and totality.

 

Look at the picture itself. The pictures themselves have particular meanings. Some are more mysterious than others. This is intentional; as all things in life can be interpreted differently, and nothing is black or white, such is the tarot. Study the pictures themselves. It is best to get a deck with detailed cards if one is new to tarot so that the cards can be studied thoroughly.

For example, suppose a reader drew the Magician Card. This is number one in the major arcana. You know this is about the individual’ personal life and personal transformation. You know that the number one means newness, beginnings, and creation.

Now, looking at the card itself, the reader sees more symbolism. In many decks, the magician is working with a pentacle, a cup, a wand, and a sword. All the elements are represented and vital to transforming energy at will. He wears red robes. He is like royalty or clergy, but also neither. He reaches up into the sky with a baton his right hand. He points to the ground with his left hand. As above, so below. He shows and leads the way. He may have the infinity sign over his head. Energy never dies. It only changes. Roses climb all around him. Life proliferates; beauty proliferates. Beauty is balance. Infinity is balance. Four elements in balance. The sky and the Earth in balance. He has a snake biting itself around his waist. Infinity around him.

What does this tell you about what the magician represents? It certainly doesn’t mean that the individual is going to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

 

Is the card reversed? A reversed card has its own meaning. Sometimes, it’s clearly the plain opposite of the card when right-side up. Other times, it’s more nuanced. Usually, a card with a more nuanced meaning when right-side up has a more nuanced meaning when upside down.

For example, the four of Wands card means marriage, stability, happy home, and abundant happiness. The opposite of that can mean divorce, loss of home, and loss of happiness and stability.

However, a more esoteric card, like the Tower, already means death, destruction, chaos, and ruin. Reversed, it means the same thing, but that the individual is in denial or refusing to face the fact that something is over.

 

Let your intuition be your guide. When all is said and done, a reader’s best tool is their own intuition, developed over continuous practice. This practice helps the reader develop a connection to their cards. The more they practice, the more they use their cards, and the more readings they do, the stronger the connection. Thus, when someone is getting a tarot card reading, they’re actually getting more than a mere interpretation of where random cards lie. They’re witnessing the reader tap into universal knowledge using the special language of the tarot and receiving the gift of guidance from the universe.

Page of Cups

June 10, 2017
Psychic Reviews
Tarot Card Meanings
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Page of Cups

Suit: Cups
Element: Water
Function: Emotions, love, spirituality, imagination

A young man stands along the shoreline, dressed in fine clothing is holding a cup with a fish in it, which appears to be talking to the young man. The young man appears to be listening. He wears a fancy blue hat, the color of spirit and the mind, that itself looks like a little like a fish. He wears a floral tunic with red flowers, symbolizing magic, red stockings, and yellow shoes, symbolizing intellect. He appears to hold up the cup in a toast, but right now, he’s engaged in conversation with a fish that just happened to show up in his cup.

The fish has long symbolized the beginning of creation, where the divine meets the material to create something new. There is no creativity without imagination. The fish in the cup symbolizes the creative and imaginative side of every person, popping up in an otherwise ordinary moment.

And this is perhaps the way that inspiration and creativity works: it comes when we least expect it, from the least likely of places. The page, however, is wise, and he takes time to indulge himself the moment to take the inspiration and listen to what the universe tells him. This isn’t too unlike artists and other creative people, who tend to see the world differently than the average person. They see things differently, and they can behold in a new way what we take for granted or assume can only be seen one way.

The Page of Cups is imagination and creative inspiration personified. There is something to the fact that the scene is a little ridiculous. For all we know, the fish isn’t a real fish, but a manifestation of the page’s thoughts. Either way, this doesn’t bother the page himself. For those on the outside, imagination and creativity can seem like madness or silliness. To be creative and imaginative, one may have to be alone in order to fully realize their vision.

The Page of Cups reminds people that inspiration is nothing unless it is seized, and unless the page listens to the fish, then it won’t learn what the fish has to say. Thus, listening to inspiration also means walking away from conventional voices and those who may tell you to be rational (and to stop wearing big, silly hats).

When the Page of Cups is Reversed:

When the Page of Cups is reversed, the querent may feel that their creativity or imagination is blocked. This card reversed can also indicate a querent who places too much value on the dreams and ideas than on making them reality. Or, they may be focusing their imaginative side less on productive manifestations and more on destructive ones, like drugs, alcohol, overeating, overspending, and other compulsive or addictive behaviors. They may also be sex or love addicted, wasting all their creative energy on relationships that are more distracting than fulfilling. The querent may thus be abusive or exploitative, expecting others to give them the best of themselves without giving much, if any, in return.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was struck with inspiration and followed it, which has led them to the present moment.

Present: Currently, the querent is taken with inspiration and focusing their desires and mental energy on making their visions a reality.

Future: In the future querent will find inspiration and a renewal of their imagination and creative energy.

Three of Pentacles

June 3, 2017
Psychic Reviews
Tarot Card Meanings
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Three of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

In the city, a young apprentice works on a cathedral arch. There are two entrances, and he stands on a bench in one. In the other entrance stand a monk and an architect. They’re considerably older, and they look at plans. One can presume that the architect and the monk are the ones in charge.

However, the apprentice turns to face them, and they look the apprentice in the face. Even though he’s clearly the junior person, both in age and career, his input is valuable; he stands on a bench and therefore stands taller than the men who are merely looking at the plans but not carving or cutting into the stone.

The young man is actively making this cathedral, which is meant to last for all ages. There is mutual respect here, and a shared goal that the three are actively working toward. All three of these men have something to contribute that only they can contribute to this monumental work.

The monk is dressed in grey, the color of sobriety and fading into the background. He has an idea of what it should look like and what the purpose should be, but he’s not the one actively designing or making the building. The architect is dressed in an ostentatious garb of gold and red that covers most of his body. Gold is the color of success, and red the color of magic. Indeed, his designs and what he does with physics to create a building may seem like magic. The stonemason is dressed in violet, yellow, and blue, the colors of both higher and lower thought.

Cooperation and appreciation of other’s contributions and gifts are what will ultimately lead to success. That, and a dose of patience. Doing it right and making it last is far more important than getting it done quickly. After all, if it’s meant to last, than build it as if it’s meant to last.

The Three of Pentacles also indicates when it’s good to stop and get feedback from those who have insight or knowledge that you don‘t. There is a juxtaposition between the cathedral, which is grand, and the humility required to create something so grand. Here, the three men all confer with each other in peace.

When the Three of Pentacles is Reversed:

When the Three of Pentacles is reversed, the querent may be uncooperative or hasty. They may feel that they don’t need any input or advice from anyone else, even though they really can’t achieve what they want by themselves.

The Three of Pentacles reversed can also indicate that the querent is struggling to have their work or talents recognized and appreciated. Others may not see their contributions as important, and the querent may not advocate strongly for themselves.

Hastiness is also possible. The querent may be trying to finish something quickly rather than carefully, and whatever they’re making will inevitably fall apart because it wasn’t either meant to last. Or, the querent just wasn’t personally invested or was passive-aggressively sabotaging something.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was cooperative and worked well with others to create big things, which has led them to the present moment.

Present: Currently, the querent is contributing their skills and talents where they’re appreciated and will create big things.

Future: In the future, the querent’s contributions will be appreciated, and they’ll find a niche or place to apply their skills to benefit society and themselves.

The Hanged Man

May 23, 2017
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The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man (XII) is one of those cards that looks more terrible than it actually is. He isn’t being hung by the neck, but rather by the right ankle from a living tau cross, which symbolizes salvation through sacrifice of worldly things. He wears both blue and red: red symbolizing the fire of life, and blue symbolizing serenity and the mind. His shoes and hair are both gold, glowing with idealism.

His left leg is bent behind his right leg, like a 4 upside down. 4 is the number representing balance of the elements, and the legs make their own cross. His arms are behind his back, we don’t know if they’re tied up, or if he’s free to untie himself. Yet, he is serene. He has a halo around his head, symbolizing his spiritual awareness.

This card is one of the most esoteric and deceptive of the major arcana. Its meaning is highly personal and may represent a side of the querent or situation the querent is in that they don’t want to readily admit to existing. After all, who wants to admit to being helpless or caught in a jam?

On the other hand, the deceptive nature of the hanged man makes him difficult to trust. After all, if his hands aren’t tied, can he not free himself at a moment’s notice? He may look serene, but he really a maverick?

When this card is drawn, it represents a situation in which the querent is given the option to surrender and let things happen as they may. However, it can also show that the querent has more power than they let on, and others may underestimate them.

This card can also represent the deliberate withholding of using one’s power. It calls the querent to wait and see what develops before taking any action, or cutting themselves loose and leaving the situation.

The Hanged Man is making a sacrifice of some sort, whether he is doing it willingly or unwillingly, whether he has no choice or absolutely has a choice.

Either way, the querent is at a crossroads and some irreversible decision or action is inevitable. The Hanged Man tells them to take their time and choose wisely.

When the Hanged Man card is Reversed:

The Hanged Man reversed tells the querent that they’re sacrificing, waiting, or biding their time but for nothing in return. Or, they think they have the power to change their mind about something, but they actually don’t, and their sacrifice is total and absolute. They have to let go of the past, accept what has transpired, and move on.

The Hanged Man reversed may also mean that the querent refuses to make a decision. If they don’t act now, someone or something will make the decision for them.

This card may also signify a person who has simply given up and no long has the will to keep going. They’re swaying in the breeze letting life happen to them. They have to get their mojo back and find direction.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, this person has made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of others, or has simply waited or done nothing, making no decisions to see through.

Present: Right now, this person either needs to wait and see what will transpire before taking action, or they need to give up and move on.

Future: There will come a point where the querent has done all they can do and will simply have to wait or move on.

Death

May 23, 2017
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Death

Death (XIII) is the most maligned and misunderstood card of the Tarot. It doesn’t literally mean that the querent – or anyone – will die, as in leave this mortal coil. It does mean the end of something, which can scare those who don’t want to let go.

Death rides a pale horse, like Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, bringing the end of the human empire. As can be seen in the card, the skeletal death rides a dead-looking white horse and carries a black banner with a white rose. Black symbolizes oblivion and the abyss, and white is purity. Men and woman of all ages succumb to death, including a king (the ruler of an empire), a hierophant, a child, and a young woman.

The king is dead. The hierophant bargains with death. The woman in white accepts death by kneeling but still looks away, clinging to life as shown by the rose in her hair. Only the child doesn’t look away or try to bargain with death, even though it’s in harm’s way of being crushed by the horse. The horse continues to walk forward.

However, life goes on. The sun continues to rise. Water still flows, and a ship in the distance still sails. Mountains still stand. It may be the end for some, but it isn’t for others. When one king or hierophant dies, another takes his place. Death isn’t absolute finality, but the end of one thing and the birth of another.

When a client or querent draws the Death card, something in their lives is about to come to an absolute end and be transformed into something else. They can’t go back in time, nor should they want to go back. This is a profound transition from one thing to another.

This card is feared because it’s often confused with being torn away from something desired. This card tells the querent that what they cling to is wrong for the clinging, but isn’t going to be there for the clinging. Accepting change and looking at it head on will not only spare them from disaster, but let them stick around to see the new day dawn.

When the Death card is Reversed:

The Death card reversed doesn’t mean that there is no change, or that change has been averted. The fact that the card is in the spread means that change is going to happen whether the querent likes it or not. The querent is resisting the change or trying to bargain, or holding onto a fallacy that they’re above change.

Death reversed can mean that the querent is scared of the unknown and that they would rather stay in a rut or bad situation than face the unknown, even though they know that change is going to happen. Here, the reversed card is telling them that either they have to change, or that change will happen to them, and they’ll be stuck with the results.

Unlike the Hanged Man reversed, decisions represented by this card are permanent.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent experienced profound, life-altering changes that put them on the course they’re on now. Their past was likely very different from the life they have now, and they may be very different from the person they once were.

Present: The querent must now make a leap of faith and accept change as inevitable. They must let go of the past and embrace an uncertain future. They may also be embracing change and winning because of it.

Future: The querent will come to a point where they have to make a major change and stick with it. They can’t stay where they are, and they can’t do it halfway. They have no choice in the matter, so they should embrace it and look toward the possibilities.

Temperance

May 23, 2017
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Temperance

Temperance (XIV), with its red wings of passion and with one foot on the ground and another in the water, balancing water in two cups, seems like a strange follow-up to Death. It has a triangle on her chest, symbolizing balance and a circle on its forehead symbolizing harmony.

Behind Temperance is the road to a crown rising like the sun. The irises on its right symbolize the ideal connection between humanity and the gods. Its right foot is in the water, but not completely. The water symbolizes emotions. Its left food is planted firmly on the ground, symbolizing the practical and material.

It balances on her toes on both the water and the land. Its wings are outspread and red, the color of life and passion, and she wears a white robe, the color of purity. It makes water go from one cup to the other, moving from one to the other. But which way is it going?

If you follow the wisdom of temperance, either way you go will lead to good things, whether they’re riches or spiritual wisdom. When the Temperance card is drawn, it tells the client or querent to find middle ground, to seek wisdom in finding balance and avoiding extremes. Buddha called this the “Middle Way,” the path to wisdom.

The Temperance card can mean that one must not go to extremes of either excess or deprivation. It can also indicate that one is finding harmony, or that they’re putting together what’s needed in order to find peace.

Temperance can also mean that something unbalanced is brought back into balance, that the querent will find harmony again. The querent may also find physical harmony, such as health or beauty. This card can come as a relief if the querent has been ill or out of shape.

However, if it’s the querent’s fault that there’s disharmony or imbalance, things will be made right whether that works out well for the querent. Imbalances of power, especially abuse or exploitation, will come to an end.

This card is especially good for any partnerships, agreements or relationships that require equal work and equal power among parties, as it nearly guarantees that there will be no power struggles or mind games.

When the Temperance card is Reversed:

The Temperance card reversed does mean imbalance at its simplest, but it can mean much more than that. Since humans naturally seek some semblance of balance, or what seems harmonious to us, Temperance reversed can mean that something is totally and fundamentally out of whack and has to be put in order before anything can be fixed.

Temperance reversed may also be a warning that any extreme thoughts or behaviors the querent currently indulges are going to send them over the edge. Any issues like perfectionism, obsession, and addiction have to be addressed, lest they ruin the querent.

Temperance reversed, however, can also indicate inaction due to a fear of becoming imbalanced and thus, doing nothing. This is warning the querent that doing nothing leads to nothing.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent made wise choices and lived a fairly harmonious life or made balanced decisions. These have had a positive impact on life now.

Present: Right now, the querent is keeping things in check, or things have at least come to an even, serene place. Nothing is one way or the other.

Future: In the future, the querent can expect things to right themselves in time and for balance and harmony to be restored.

Devil

May 23, 2017
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The Devil

Like Death, the Devil (XV) card is misunderstood, but not merely as much. The symbolism can be rather straightforward. This card is actually an inverse or a mockery of the Lovers card.

Instead of an angel, there’s the devil. The devil itself is a satyr, a half-man, half-goat mythical creature that was largely characterized by lustfulness. Yet, it has a lion’s face, bat wings, bird claws, and a (relatively) large belly. The Devil is the seven deadly sins: The large belly is gluttony. The lion’s face is pride. The bat wings are anger. The goat lower body is lust. The bird claws are envy. Crouching on the pillar is sloth. Chaining up the man and woman is greed.

It has the inverted pentagram above its head, symbolizing the elements over the spirit, or the carnal side of life winning.

Instead of two lovers at its sides, there’s a man and a woman chained by the neck to the Devil’s throne. The man casually, almost carelessly, reaches out for the woman who ignores him. They both have tails, horns, and curly red hair, a sign of lust and taking on the Devil’s traits. Her tail is grapes, symbolizes forbidden fruit and too much wine and revelry, and his tail is of fire, which is set alight by the Devil’s torch.

The Devil is the one who sets alight the flames of lust and wanton desire. Those who fall prey are his slaves, right? Do the man and woman have to be chained to him, and who is in control, here? The Devil is just staring and sitting there, and the man and woman are apathetic, doing nothing about their situation.

The Devil is actually powerless. Its facial expression is empty. It’s just a series of images depicting the dark side of humanity, the part we don’t want to face, and our shadow selves.

When a client or querent pulls the Devil card, they’re made to contend with their dark sides, the part of themselves they may disown or pretend doesn’t exist. It may also simply be the carnal side of themselves that they fully accept but don’t attempt to temper or balance out.

The Devil card can also indicate good things, like business acumen, shrewdness, and an understanding of people and what they really want and need. What people really want and need, after all, can often be boiled down to the creature comforts of food and sex.

When the Devil card is Reversed:

The Devil reversed doesn’t necessarily mean goodness or lack of carnality. It can indicate carnality without any control. Likewise, it can indicate a crippling guilt around having normal human desires that causes someone to deny themselves all pleasures.

It can also indicate addiction or weaknesses to certain pleasures or escapes that get in the way of having a meaningful existence with healthy, nurturing relationships with others.

It can also show where a person is entitled or demanding, materialistic but unable or unwilling to do what it takes to get worldly success.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was shrewd, worldly, and perhaps successful because of it. However, they may have traded spiritual depth or meaningful relationships for material gain.

Present: Right now, the querent is almost single-mindedly focused on business, lust, or achieving something of material gain, using every trick they have up their sleeves.

Future: In the future, the querent will become ruthless or more cunning in their pursuit of what they want. They may not be afraid to do whatever it takes to get what they want.

The Tower

May 23, 2017
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The Tower

The Tower (XVI) is not just the most unfortunate card in the major arcana, but the most unfortunate one in the entire tarot. Here, a narrow tower is built on the top of a mountain. Thus, it manages to attract lightning, sending the people in it tumbling and fleeing for their lives.

Its like the allegorical Tower of Babel: this tower reaches high into the heavens like a needle piercing the sky, but on supernatural act sends the whole thing to the furnace and the people inside it descending long and hard to Earth. What was once the crown-topped jewel of human invention becomes rubble in a matter of minutes.

The people falling are a commoner and a king, telling that no human has the power to stop the supernatural or to stop the powers of God. Thus, when this card is drawn, the querent knows that something they have built is going to be destroyed.

It’s a natural reaction to fear destruction and living with the rubble. However, like the Tower in the card, the querent’s towers are built on faulty land where it’s vulnerable to falling down. Thus, it was simple a matter of time before the tower would be struck and it would all come falling down.

It won’t seem that way. For the querent, it feels as if the destruction comes out of the blue, like a random act of hatred from the universe. The querent may be left wondering why this had to happen to them, even though, deep down, they know the answer.

The lightening bolt is like a warning from God, divine retribution, or as John Lennon coined “instant karma.” The people in the tower aren’t just awoken at night, but thrown out of bed, just like the querent. They’re going to experience a major upheaval and break down of whom they think they are.

No matter what happens, the Tower card tells the querent to embrace the change and to not cry over spilled milk. The ones who fall gracefully land the lightest, and the sooner they accept the damage, the sooner they can start to build again, wisely this time.

It also means accepting our reactions to grief. The querent must give themselves time and space to mourn loss. The Tower card tells us that the real destruction is within, as shown by the fire. One can withstand tragedy, but being eaten up inside is what really destroys us.

When the Tower card is Reversed:

The Tower reversed doesn’t mean disaster averted. Disaster is still there. It just means that the querent isn’t facing the problem head-on and is probably making it worse. The querent isn’t letting things go and getting ready to rebuild again.

This card reversed means not taking bitter medicine because of the taste, and ignoring the possibility of being wiser and learning through experience. By refusing to face facts, the querent is making something more painful and difficult than it needs to be. There’s no sense in going down with the tower.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: Sometimes heartbreaking and life altering happened to the querent that they have come out of wiser and more mature. They may be more cautious about entering into something similar in the future, however.

Present: Right now, the querent is going through a serious personal upheaval that must happen. They’ll be better for it, but it will hurt, and it will mean making some serious, if unpleasant, changes.

Future: The querent is going to go through a major personal upheaval in the near future. They’re being warned of it now so they can embrace the change, learn, and grow.

The Star

May 23, 2017
Psychic Reviews
Tarot Card Meanings
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The Star

The Star (XVII) represents hope and renewal. A naked woman kneels with one foot on land and another on the water, both replenishing the water reserves and nourishing the land, creating five rivers. In a tree in the distant right is an ibis bird, representing the Egyptian god Thoth, the god of magic, wisdom, and writing.

It appears to be twilight, and there are eight eight-pointed stars in the sky: seven small ones surrounding a large, golden one. The eight-pointed star represents hope and new beginnings.

The woman, who has nothing but water, gives her water and pours it into a dry lakebed and onto land, where plants begin to grow. Water represents the soul, the emotions, the inner being. This is all she has, and this she gives to the Earth in hopes that it helps to create something much better.

The woman has yellow hair, symbolizing knowledge. The tree of knowledge, from where the ibis watches, symbolizes the magick of pouring your soul into something in order to create something wonderful.

There is great clarity in this card, because it is simple. When there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to hold onto. The only thing left is hope, and hope is for nothing if it’s not shared or invested.

When a client or querent draws the Star card, it shows that the querent is ready to do something with their lives that didn’t previously seem imaginable. They’re hopeful and ready to start over. A star is guiding them, so to speak.

The querent may be very optimistic, and they may actually have nothing to lose if they go forward with whatever plans or dreams they have. They haven’t become children again, but they have made the affirmative decision to be hopeful and open to the gifts the universe gives.

For the querent, there may be contentment or even euphoria, like walking on a cloud, or discovering the beauty of being alive. It may even feel a bit like falling in love with life.

It may also indicate a time where the querent realizes what talents and skills they have and what they have to offer the world. They may be drawn to more humanitarian endeavors, too.

When the Star card is Reversed:

When the Star is reversed, the querent is at a loss for hope, or isn’t sure what they actually want. They’re not in touch with their gut feelings, and what they’re aiming for isn’t really what they’re supposed to do in this life. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re losing, but that they’re stagnating.

The Star reversed can also mean that the querent is uneasy with the decisions they’ve made. It’s possible that they’ve chosen to do something for the sake of others, or because it seems like a good idea.

This card reversed can also indicate a person who has simply lost their zest for life and is going through the motions. They may no idea what they truly want because they’ve ignored their inner voice.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was inspired to make lemonade from lemons, and in doing so, created something wonderful from very little. They could do it again if they must.

Present: Right now, the querent is at the cusp of doing something wonderful with their lives. They have hope and faith that this will not only work out, but also lead them in the direction of a fulfilling life.

Future: Whatever the querent is experiencing right now will open up to a time of renewal in which they have faith once again and are inspired to put themselves out in the world and share their unique gifts.