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What is a Decan Walk?

Every ten days, the Sun enters a new 10° arc of the sky, known in astrological terms as a decan. Each decan is associated with one of the classical planets, magical images, and a number of Tarot cards. A decan walk is a year-long exploration of each of the 36 decans, one every ten days. It is an undertaking that requires discipline while also teaching you a lot about Tarot and astrology.

A decan walk can take different forms, depending on what you focus on and how you approach the topic. I will be looking primarily at the 36 magical images of the Picatrix as outlined in J’s cards, as well as using this opportunity to explore the deep and intricate symbolism in the Dracxiodos Tarot by Greg Traw.

What Form will This Take?

The first day that the Sun moves into each decan, I will post some initial thoughts to Patreon so that members over there can discuss and ponder and ask questions. By the last day of the decan, I will have something posted publicly on the Arnemancy blog, as well as something posted privately for my Patreon supporters.

I anticipate the exact form of the decan walk will evolve over time, but the posting pattern should remain the same.

Does this sound interesting to you?

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What the heck is going on in the Two of Cups?

The Kabbalah of the Minor Arcana

The pips of the Minor Arcana map onto the sefirot of the Tree of Life. Aces are Keter, twos are Chokhmah, and so on down to the tens being Malkhut. This means that the Minor Arcana can be looked at as a path for divine things to become more and more manifest. In each suit, while the ace is a card of unrefined potential, the two is where an idea starts to come together.

The relationship between the ace, two, and three reflects the supernal triad of Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah – the creative source, father, and mother. The Kabbalistic creation story is one of opposites coming together, making love, and producing as offspring the entirety of the cosmos. While the ace as Keter is about the first moment of attraction, the Two of Cups is the act of intercourse, and the Three of Cups would be birth.

Across the suits, we find an interesting relationship that’s likewise filled with a tale of increasing manifestation and physicality. The active, destructive-yet-constructive Wands represent a male principle, while the receptive Cups represent a female principle. When they interact, they are the generative force that brings forth the more worldly suits of Swords and Pentacles.

This is most obvious when you compare the symbolism of the Two and Three of Wands with that of the Two and Three of Cups. The Wands are all about expansion and looking outwards. Symbols of conquest and exploration dominate those cards. However, the Two and Three of Cups are turned inward to moments of intimacy and celebration. The Fire of Wands burns, consumes, and expands. The Water of Cups nourishes, receives, and protects.

This Kabbalistic background hopefully demonstrates that it is difficult to understand the Two of Cups on its own. This is a complex card whose meaning is heavily informed by the cards around it – and not just its own Ace and Three, but their progenitors in the Wands suit as well.

Cups govern the emotional world, the emotional level of the soul, and the Two of Cups is about growing emotion, emotion that is building and ready to spring into action. The promise of great potential is there. Out of the clink of two cups touching comes every partnership, every empire, every collaboration.

The Mystery of the Red Lion

A youth and a maiden are pledging one another, and above their cups rises the Caduceus of Hermes, between the great wings of which there appears a lion’s head. It is a variant of a sign which is found in a few old examples of this card. Some curious emblematical meanings are attached to it, but they do not concern us in this place.¹

The most remarkable symbolism in the Rider-Waite-Smith depiction of the Two of Cups is the alchemical menagerie sprouting from the central subject matter. A lion’s head is affixed to a winged caduceus. These are old and mysterious symbols. The caduceus is the staff carried by the Greek deity Hermes, as well as many of his later incarnations such as Hermes Trismegistus. It is frequently depicted topped with wings. Through the Emerald Tablet and other ancient texts, Hermes Trismegistus is the legendary father of alchemy, which sent me down the rabbit hole of interpreting the lion’s head.

My version of the Rider-Waite-Smith Two of Cups has a red lion’s head, so I went looking for red lions in alchemy. Now, the lion is a very common alchemical symbol, and the motif of the green lion swallowing the Sun is probably one of the more well-known symbols. The green lion itself is a symbol of some type of vitriol, usually sulpheric acid. However, when it devours the Sun, it’s a symbol of aqua regia, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid that is capable of dissolving gold. This might seem obvious when you recall that the Sun is a symbol for gold.²

What avayleth a Lyon to be Kyng of Bestes
Fast schut in a Tower of ston alone;
Or an Egell under stryte cheynys,
Called also the Kyng of Fowlys everichon,
Fy on Lordschyp than Liberte ys gon:
     Answer herto and hit nat a start,
     Who syngeth mere that syngeth not with hert.³

I scoured the entire Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum for references to the red lion – okay, it was more of a heavy skimming. I found no references to a red lion, but plenty to green lions, lions in general, and even the color red. At this point, I began to suspect that the color of the lion wasn’t important – it’s the lion itself, symbolizing the Sun, and sprouting wings like a gryphon. In this case, the lion could symbolize the spiritualization of an alchemical process.⁴

One of my Patreon supporters, John Geraghty, brought my attention to the 16th century alchemical text Splendor Solis by Solomon Trimosin. This book contains a process called “The Red Lion” which is used to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Waite certainly knew about this book, but it doesn’t seem like he connected the Splendor Solis to his Two of Cups specifically. As he wrote, “The plates of Splendor Solis seem purely and typically alchemical, in the physical sense.”⁵ Even if the red lion in the card is not the same as the red lion referenced by Splendor Solis, looking at it as symbolic of the Philosopher’s Stone can work well with the spiritualization concept.

Looked at from this perspective, the caduceus and lion’s head sprouting from the meeting cups meshes well with the Kabbalistic interpretation of nourishing something greater. The Two of Cups is the beginning of growth and expansion in the emotional realm of the soul, pregnant with possibility, ready to burst forth into something wonderful and new.

Oh, and as bonus, check out John Geraghty with his copy of Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum on Pawn Stars!

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My memory palace-based method of memorizing and using the Minor Arcana tells you two things right away about the Six of Swords. Firstly, sixes are all about love – every Six in the Minor Arcana has something to do with love. Secondly, the Swords are about elemental Air, and they deal with the intellect, the mind, rationality, and frequently the inevitable.

This leads me to think that the Six of Swords is about love of knowledge. But let’s look at the imagery of the card to see if this holds water. The classic Six of Swords from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck shows a boatman and two passengers on a boat with everybody’s back turned to the viewer. Like most Swords, there is a somber and morose feeling to the picture. Things look cold and lonely. The passengers aren’t talking to each other and the boatman is disinterested.

On the surface, it’s hard to see any love portrayed in this card. However, water plays a big part of the story being told, and water is the element tied to emotion and feelings. The vessel, driven by air in the sails, is the interface between the intellect and emotions. Love and knowledge come together in the Six of Swords.

The Six of Swords is frequently associated with travel and making a journey. This is a very literal interpretation of the imagery in the card, and I would offer something more metaphorical. Love of knowledge leads to learning, and learning is a journey. You travel from ignorance to understanding, and by learning, you are indulging in anamnesis, the Platonic process of opening your soul to Divine knowledge.

Knowledge, Healing, and Love

Opening your soul to new knowledge is an important part of tikkun olam, the healing of creation. Knowledge can also bring pain, though. “Ignorance is bliss,” goes the popular saying, which means that getting rid of ignorance can mean abandoning bliss and taking on the responsibility and weight that new knowledge brings. This explains why none of the characters on the Six of Swords are in a good mood. They leave their bliss behind to open themselves up to new knowledge, and they do this not because of a simple love of knowledge, but because of a love of the Divine.

This is a card about accepting the burden of knowledge through love. Yes, there is a love of knowledge, but this is just the gateway through which one learns the love of the Divine, the anamnesis that aids in the healing of the world.

After spending more time with the Six of Swords, I understand more behind Nathan Lee’s choice for the title of his new podcast. It’s a great choice! Go check out the first episode of Six Of Swords here.

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Wands are Fire

Wands are the suit of elemental fire. They represent the level of the soul closest to the divine source, called Chiah (חיה) in Qabalah. This part of the soul, the most difficult for us to reach, is said to have direct knowledge of the divine light. Fire is also tied to the Qabalistic World of Emanation, Atzilut (אצילות).

This association can make Wands difficult to deal with. They can be volatile and unpredictable. Many Wands encapsulate both creation and destruction. This can make them excellent builders, such as you see in the Two and Three of Wands, or indicators of danger, such as the Five, Seven, and Nine. Along with the Swords, this makes the Wands one of the suits that it’s hard to get really excited about. Just remember that without the difficulties and triumphs of fire, you don’t get any of the other elements. Everything stems from these cards.

Eights Overcome Obstacles

Whee!

Getting an automatic solution to something that afflicts you might seem like a great boon. It comes with an element of mystery, though. How did this happen and why? Though the old aphorism tells us to never look a gift horse in the mouth, Tarot cards usually conceal deeper meanings. With the Eight of Wands, it’s important to part the veil and have a look behind the scenes. Since fire cards usually deal with your volatile, unpredictable parts, this card’s seemingly free gift probably comes with a price. When you lay out the entire Wands suit side by side, you can see that the price of the Eight of Wands is reflected in the difficulties you must face in the Nine of Wands.

Be Thankful and Prepared

The Eight of Wands really tells you to be thankful when a chance comes along to right a wrong. But don’t rest on your laurels expecting it to happen over and over. Many times when things just seem to fall into place, it’s actually the result of lots of hard work that you’ve already done. If it’s not the result of past work, then it’s a precursor of future work. Enjoy your success and be thankful for it, but be prepared for the trials yet to come.

1. Looking at the Eight of Swords as overcoming obstacles seems a little weird, but we will talk about that in a different post. ↩

I will refer to the Hermetic Tarot as “HT” in this article, and the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot as “RWS”.

Comparing Different Devil Cards

Here you can see the Devil from two different decks. On the left is The Hermetic Tarot by Godfrey Dawson, and on the right is the classic Rider-Waite-Smith card. There are some key similarities, such as a winged, horned Devil on a pedestal, a torch, a pentagram, and two figures chained in the foreground. However, it’s the differences that really stand out, and outline differences in meaning across the decks. The differences are a result of being based on esoteric workings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which provide different lessons regarding the Major Arcana.

Taking a closer look, these differences seem to really alter the meaning of the card for me.

1. In the HT, the Devil no longer makes an “As above, so below” sign with his arms.
2. The pentagram moves from the Devil’s horns to the pedestal.
3. The torch burns upward instead of downward.
4. The foreground characters are tightly chained and cannot free themselves.

The HT Devil features a lot of additional symbolism, as well. We can see the following bonus elements which change or enhance the meaning.

1. The bat and the spiked crown or collar over the Devil’s head
2. Planetary symbols for Mars and Saturn near the top of the card
3. The astrological glyph for Capricorn on the base of the pedestal
4. The name of the archangel Hanael in Hebrew¹
5. The title “Lord of the Gates of Matter”

Let’s take a look at a few of these elements to see what we can learn about the Devil in the Hermetic Tarot.

Cosmic: Macrocosm, Microcosm, and Correspondences

The Hermetic worldview includes not just the macrocosm and microcosm, but the idea that the macrocosm is divided into multiple layers or spheres. The innermost spheres are associated with the seven classical planets, while the eighth or outermost sphere is associated with the entire canopy of the night sky. With the seven classical planets and the 12 signs of the Zodiac, you have 19 different correspondences to tie to the Greater Trumps. Each Greater Trump card usually gets a single planet, Zodiac sign, or one of the three higher elements.²

Most agree that the Devil is a good match for Capricorn. I supposed the obvious connection is that the image for Capricorn is a half-goat creature, as is the Devil. Capricorn likewise is a negative Earth sign, which corresponds nicely with the Devil’s negative ties to materialism and the Earth element.

What about Saturn and Mars, though? Saturn is usually associated with the World or Death cards, while Mars is associated with the Tower. This is where a deeper knowledge of astrological correspondences comes in. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, while Mars is exalted in Capricorn.

I feel like the cosmological symbolism in the HT Devil is damaged by the missing “As above, so below” sign. This is a very poignant element in the RWS deck and carries a lot of meaning for me.

Chain, Chain, Chained

Bondage is the biggest, easiest message to draw out of the Devil card, and both the HT and RWS feature this symbolism. Both feature two fiendish characters in the foreground chained to the pedestal. However, the RWS characters are obviously able to escape any time they like. Not so with the HT characters.

It’s also interesting that the HT characters are not obviously opposite genders. They do not seem to be sexualized at all, in fact. The RWS characters seem to symbolize the material bondage of physical pleasures, while the HT emphasizes that this material bondage is inescapable. Yet, is there hope for the HT characters? The snake-legged imp on the left is armed, while the frog-footed glam rocker on the right looks like he may be able to slip his chains. It’s hard to tell in the detail, but it may be that he has snakes for arms!

More Depth to Explore

The HT provides a rich set of additional symbolism that we didn’t touch on in this article. In particular, the bat and spiked collar, the change in the Devil’s torch, and the additional meanings behind the card’s English title and Hebrew angelic name. These provide subjects for further contemplation, which I shall leave as an exercise for the reader.

Comparing the symbolism between two different renditions of the same Major Arcana is a great way to pull additional information out of the cards. It works between the RWS and HT decks because they share similar heritage, but the results can be quite confusing when used between two completely different Tarot decks. Experiment and see!

Do you have additional insight into the differences between the HT and RWS Devil cards? I’d love to hear what you think! Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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1. I believe this might be a Hebrew error on the card, because Hanael is usually spelled הניאל‎, while the card just says הנאל‎. ↩

2. Fire, Air, and Water ↩

“Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a gentleman or a yeoman.”
The Fool, King Lear, Act III, Scene 6

This week, we’re talking about The Fool. The deck I’m referencing is one I don’t use very often, The Haindl Tarot. I was just putting the deck away when this card slipped out.

A Muddled History

The Fool has a very interesting history in esoteric and occult Tarot usage. In A History of the Occult Tarot, Decker and Dummett go into great detail about The Fool. For a long time, nobody could really agree on where this card fit in the Major Arcana. Some placed The Fool between trumps XX and XXI. Some placed it after XXI. When it came to Hebrew letter attributions to the card, sometimes it ended up with alef, sometimes with shin, and sometimes with something altogether different.

Even the imagery in the card has been up for debate. In early versions of the Golden Dawn’s esoteric Tarot, for instance, The Fool was depicted as an old man. His younger counterpart only became popular with Pamela Colman Smith’s depiction in the Rider-Waite Tarot.

The Clueless Beginner

I often refer to The Fool as the clueless Magician. This card speaks of a new beginning, but it’s a new beginning without any idea of what’s in store. It’s not knowing necessarily what to do next. In fact, its relation to The Magician is even stronger. Let’s talk about the Kabbalistic significance of alef (The Fool) and bet (The Magician). The first word in the Torah is be-reshit, “In the beginning.” This word is spelled with a bet. The significance is talked about in the Sefer ha-Zohar. Though bet is used to begin the act of creation, the Creator says to the letter alef, “Although I will create the world with the letter bet, you will be the first of all the letters. […] With you all counting begins and every deed in the world. No union is actualized except by alef.”¹

Though The Magician, as bet, has all of the tools necessary to begin the transformative journey, nothing can begin unless it begins in The Fool. That clueless ignorance, the bumbling nothing at the start of a quest, that is very important.

The Dancing Madman

The Fool is typically represented by a jester. In the Haindle Tarot, the Fool wears the jester’s cap and bells. More bells seem to be floating in the foreground. Historically, jesters had liberties with their words that others did not. Supposedly, Elizabeth I once rebuked her favorite jester because he didn’t say harsh enough things about her. Jesters could act like madmen and get away with it. They could appear insane to others, and were expected to do so.

James Ricklef paraphrases Thoreau when he describes The Fool: “Do not be afraid to march to the beat of a different drummer.” This ties into the concept of everything beginning at The Fool. When you try something new, you might appear mad. You might be doing something nobody else has ever done before. It’s time to go for it.

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1.  Sefer ha-Zohar, 1:3b.  ↩

The Best Future

After two weeks of tough cards, this amazing Tarot vision is a nice shift. The Ten of Cups is about a happy, content moment. Emotions are at rest, happiness has been found. It is “also perfection of human love and friendship,” according to Waite,¹ and I agree.

This card is interesting to read when it shows up in a negative position. It can relate to false hope, to misleading emotions, and to the illusion of happiness. Sometimes we like to base our happiness on things that aren’t real. This card can argue against that. However, this week, it’s a happy card. Be joyous! Love your neighbors! Be yourself and be content.

For a far more introspective and philosophical perspective on this card, check out Shelley Ruelle’s post on Sparrot Tarot.

1. Waite, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1959. 206. ↩

The Devil is a scary card. It carries a heavy message and portrays a difficult challenge. Let’s dive into this card and figure out how to understand and ultimately beat the Devil.

Materialism and Bondage

The primary message of this card is the misery and bondage caused by obsession with the material. This can mean wealth, property, physical addiction, or carnal lust. The Devil reminds us of all of the addictions and obsessions in the world that tie us to worldly things and prevent our growth. Most sickeningly, the imagery reminds us that it is of our own volition that we cause the bondage.

We are free to cut the rope at any time, and yet we don’t. We remain enslaved, our spiritual progress bound and diminished, refusing to advance further.

Perverting the Natural Order

The Devil reminds us that we are the creators of this perversion of the natural order, and this block to our own advancement. He parodies the Magician, whose triumphant gesture reminds us of the Hermetic axiom, “That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below.” He shows that we have just as much power to harm ourselves as we do to hurt ourselves. We set our own trap, and then we sprang it.

The preceding card is Temperance. How did that lead to the materialism of the Devil? Is the balance and strength of Temperance too difficult to maintain? Does it lead to ego and self-righteousness? To understand how the natural order of Temperance has been overturned, these questions must be answered.

Beating the Devil

But don’t worry! There is an escape. The Devil himself shows us a way out. On his brow is a pentagram upright, reminding us that the material world is held together by spirit. Between his horns burns a flame that begins to ignite the darkness. Even more than that, he doesn’t hold the rope that binds you: you do. Casting off the rope means understanding the bondage and obsession of the material world. It’s difficult, but it is the only path to spiritual advancement.

This card is a tough one to process, but when it shows up in a place of significance, it should be a wake-up call. Sometimes escaping the Devil isn’t that hard. Stay strong, understand yourself, and remember that progressing through the Major Arcana means encountering significant obstacles.

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Practicality or Avoidance?

Eights can be seen as cards of practicality and balance. In this card, the traveler retreats from the cups. He doesn’t engage with them, and instead is doing hard work. He treks up the hill, abandoning whatever emotional issue he was dealing with. Avoiding an issue isn’t always the best or most permanent option, but sometimes it’s a necessary one.

Sometimes, we can get so embroiled in our emotions that we lose sight of the big picture. The practical side of this card is the one that leaves behind an emotional quagmire to focus on the task at hand. He will get things done.

The Indifferent Moon

Sometimes when I look at the Moon in this card, it seems more indifferent than sad. This indicates that at times, we need to let go of an emotional situation because it’s just not as essential as we thought it was. The Moon is indifferent because he’s bored. The traveler wasn’t doing anything exciting with the Cups.

Walking away from a situation and clearing yourself of its emotional shackles can be liberating. The traveler is about to figure this out.

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Round and Round

There are two sets of letters on the wheel. First, we have the Latin alphabet, TARO. If you read clockwise, this ends up spelling “TAROT”, but it also spells “ROTA,” the Latin word for “wheel.” If you read counterclockwise, you get “TORA,” which could be a reference to the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses, and is referenced on the scroll of the High Priestess.¹ The Tarot-Rota connection is one that’s always fascinated me. It’s not in older decks, so it must have been introduced by Eliphas Levi or A.E. Waite.

There’s more symbolism on the wheel. The Hebrew letters are the Tetragrammaton, or ineffable name of deity. Within, are alchemical symbols for the tria prima: salt, sulfur, and mercury. The fourth symbol in the bottom is the symbol for Aquarius.² It doesn’t match the theme very well. The tria prima show an alchemical progression that can lead one to greater spiritual understanding.

Let’s move on to the figures around the edges of the wheel.

Ride the Wave

The figures riding the wheel are taken from Egyptian mythology, about which Waite says, “It is legitimate […] to use Egyptian symbolism when this serves our purpose, provided that no theory of origin is implied therein.”³ We have, clockwise from the top, the Sphinx, Anubis, and a serpent representing Typhon.

The Sphinx represents the riddles of life. Typhon is associated with the Egyptian god Set,⁴ the usurper who rules over violence and destruction.  Finally, Anubis is a god of the afterlife. This is a vicious cycle for sure, but it represents figuring out important mysteries after passing through difficult times, and finally being allowed to rest.

The Egyptian symbols aren’t the only creatures bringing us hidden meanings and complex messages, however.

A Vision of Four Living Creatures

The four angelic creatures in the corners of the card have layers and layers of symbolism attached to them. Immediately, they bring to mind Ezekiel’s vision, wherein he saw “four living creatures,” each with four faces: man, lion, ox, and eagle.⁵ The four animals show up in other Biblical references, also.

One such reference that Waite would have been familiar with is the use of these animals in the Holy Royal Arch, a deeply symbolic and Kabbalistic degree of Freemasonry. In this degree, they can be said to represent the four worlds and levels of the soul, and are definitely taken from Ezekiel’s vision.⁶

From an astrological standpoint, the four animals represent the four fixed signs of the Zodiac. The man is Aquarius, the eagle is Scorpio, the lion is Leo, and the ox is Taurus. In this sense, they represent the cyclical nature of the passage of time. But we’re not done. They also represent the four elements and the four suits of the Minor Arcana. It is useful to cross-reference the elemental appearances in this card with those in the World.

Pulling it All Together

Like many of the Major Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune can be a difficult Tarot card to read. The most basic reading is that life goes through cycles. If you’re in a bad place, look for good things to come. However, if you’re in a good place, you can’t just coast through life. You must be prepared for highs and lows. As Sean at Cups & Coins wrote recently, “Everything in life, everything in our day-to-day operation, is merely the turning of the wheel. Things may rise and fall and this is to be expected.”

However, as you can see from the amount of symbolism I touched on in this article, there is a great deal to explore and contemplate in this card. This is one that bears deep contemplation and is an excellent subject for meditation.

If you’d like to learn more about this card, I would recommend the Wheel of Fortune at Biddy Tarot and the Tarotpedia page for this card. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my analysis, as well.

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1. I’ll write about this one eventually. ↩

2. Case, Paul Foster. The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages. New York: Macoy Pub., 1947. 122. Case says that it’s also the sign for alchemical dissolution, but I haven’t found any other sources that back up his claim. ↩

3. Waite, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1959. 108. ↩

4. Herodotus. Histories, Book II. 156. ↩

5. Ezekiel 1:5-14.  ↩

6. MacNulty, W. Kirk. “Kabbalah and Freemasonry.” Heredom: The Transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society 7 (1998): 179-86. ↩

Wands are the suit of passions and inspirations. They are the cards of elemental fire. Queens often signify the power to make choices, but can also represent a choice itself. A couple of symbols in this card leap out at me. Some are more subtle.

Act With Inspiration

The Queen looks out over the countryside with a look of benevolent wisdom. She holds a sprouting staff and a sunflower. The sunflower motif repeats on her throne. Solar symbolism indicates inspired wisdom, and the ability to make a decision from a solid place.

In addition, the lion tails behind her make the shape reminiscent of a violin’s f-holes, which makes me think of the harmonious music of the spheres.

Playing With Fire

The Wands are great cards, but they’re not always safe cards. This card is rife with danger signs: The lions adorning the throne, the blasted landscape, and the black cat. Even solar symbolism, though primarily positive, is something to be wary of. Do not forget the lesson of Icarus!

Some decisions, even wise and necessary ones, involve playing with fire. It’s not a time to let your guard down. Watch out for those claws.

Love is All You Need

The Six of Cups is a fitting and reassuring one-card reading. Cups are associated with elemental water, emotion, intuition, and love. The Sixes typically represent harmony and love. The Six of Cups, therefore, is a double-whammy of good feelings, happy emotions, and love.

The Gummy Bear Tarot usually follows the typical Rider-Waite patterns and images. However, in this card, the delicious candy bears don’t look like children. They look like adults. In Bro. Waite’s excellent book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, he associates the children with memories of past happiness, and “things that have vanished.” Having adults in the cup-garden changes that.

Good Vibes Ahead

I really like good news. Who doesn’t? The Six of Cups is a good news card. In my life, right now, this card speaks to me as a portent for happiness and joy in the coming week. I’m looking forward to officiating the wedding of two very good friends of mine this weekend and ushering them into a new era of love and understanding.

In the past, my Card of the Week readings have been pretty generalized. This one is a happy card, and if you’d like to apply it to your week, I encourage you to do so. If only every week could be a Six of Cups week!

Great suffering for brief pleasure.
The Bruegel Tarot

I love this new deck, the Bruegel Tarot by Lo Scarabeo! Before I get  into  the rather straightforward message of this card, please take a moment to look at the image and enjoy the great variety of imagery, both comic and macabre. There’s a man in this card who appears to be the main character. The top of his head has been removed and his brain appears to be flying away while he stumbles cluelessly, grinning like an idiot. In the background, a couple is cupcaking¹ beneath a tree, while a card game has been interrupted by a man having chest pains.

True to the classic imagery in this card, a sneaky ruffian is lurking with three of the swords. Oh, and look closer: Behind the upturned card table, some kind of green monster menaces the lovers beneath the tree! What does it all mean?

Prudence is a Good Idea

This card shows lust, gambling, too much excitement, thievery, idiocy, and greed. These are all behaviors we engage in when we lack the foresight of prudence. Short-term pleasures need to be measured carefully. It is far too easy to indulge in them while forgetting their long-term consequences.

The message of this particular card is pretty simple: Don’t trade in your long-term happiness for immediate pleasures. This is a card that urges you to plan for the future, to step cautiously, and to temper your pleasure-seeking in exchange for easier times to come.

1. My younger brother informs me that this is the new hip term for public displays of affection. ↩

The Sun is the 19th Major Arcana, and the third of the celestial Trumps.¹ This is perhaps the happiest card in the Tarot, and indicates that things are going extremely well. This week, I’m giving myself an additional challenge by looking at the Sun as depicted in a deck that’s brand new to me: the Bruegel Tarot.

The House You Built

The nice thing about the Sun is that it’s not telling you to simply sit back and relax, but that the happiness and joy that comes to you is because of your own labors and efforts. The background of this card is filled with people enjoying the fruits of their labors. We can see a farmer hard at work in the field, a woman seeming to enjoy tall trees, and somebody hanging up their laundry in the Sun’s warm rays.

This card is also a reminder to enjoy the good times when they happen. In the foreground, a man and a woman are building a wall. The tools of the trade are scattered about them, and the wall is obviously unfinished. However, they are happily rejoicing. This is also mirrored in the background, where crowds gather on the hillside and gaze up at the Sun in admiration.

The unfinished wall indicates that happiness and joy don’t need to wait until the completion of your work. You should find ways to also enjoy the process. The means to an end need to be as good for the soul as the end itself. A wall built with faulty materials is not going to be a great wall.

Strong Celestial Influence

This card also carries some potent esoteric symbolism. In the sky, the Sun shines brightly, illuminating the rest of the imagery in the card. Peeking over the horizon are a crescent moon and two planets, one of them ringed. This is a reminder that while the influence of the Spheres may be overshadowed by the power of the Sun, they lurk forever on the edges, waiting for darkness to fall and their power to increase. The happiness of the Sun must be worked for. While you can stop and enjoy it, you still need to sow the seeds of joy in order to reap the fruits of happiness. Like all things, the Sun is part of a cosmic cycle.

What are your thoughts on the symbolism of the Sun? How does this interpretation differ from other decks? Discuss!

In the photograph, the card is from the aforementioned Bruegel Tarot, copyright 2003 Lo Scarabeo. The image in the background is the Tower of Babel from Athanasius Kircher’s Theatre of the World: The Life and Work of the Last Man to Search for Universal Knowledge by Joscelyn Godwin (Inner Traditions, 2009).

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1. I drew it randomly. It’s a weird coincidence to have the Moon last week and the Sun this week, but sometimes that’s how the Tarot works. ↩

Time For Reflection

Unlike the Star and the Sun, the Moon doesn’t create its own light. Though it shines, all of its light is reflected. Because it can only reflect light cast upon it, the Moon spends much of its time partially occluded. Light represents knowledge. If the light is hidden, so must knowledge be. Because of this, The Moon represents thoughts and ideas that we have hidden within ourselves. The water can indicate that the hidden things are lurking in our unconscious mind.

The two dogs, usually one dark and one light, also symbolize two parts of ourselves. One is the part with which we’re familiar. The other is the darker half, or Shadow, which we must learn to face if we hope to grow as individuals.

Wax On, Wane Off

Different Tarot decks depict the Moon in different phases. In the Alchemical Tarot, the Moon is pictured as waxing, or increasing. However, in the classic Rider-Waite deck, the moon is waning. One shows more light and the other less. Both, however, should remind us that our work at understanding ourselves is cyclical. At times, we feel as if everything is clear, and at times, nothing makes sense. Patience and reflection help us integrate more Light and knowledge when it is available, and help us understand the darkness while we wait for the Light to return.

If you liked this post, you might be interested in my class on Lunar Magic!

All Your Ducks in a Row

The Magician has all of his tools ready to begin a new undertaking. On the table, all four suits of the minor arcana are represented: Pentacle, Sword, Cup, and Wand. This is the way to start something new and make sure it works. The Magician is making sure that he’s ready to tackle something large, life-changing, and important.

This is also symbolic of harmony between the four elements, represented by the tools of the minor arcana. Harmony between the elements brings a balanced and sturdy foundation.

As Above, So Below

The Magician raises his own wand into the sky with his right hand, while pointing to the ground with his left. In doing so, he is symbolizing the Hermetic axiom found in the Emerald Tablet, which states, “That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below.” The symbol for infinity floats over his head like a halo, and he is surrounded by a glowing white aura.

With this pose and the tools, the Magician appears ready to perform some great magical act. The ultimate magical act is the unification of the soul with the Divine. The major arcana doesn’t mess around, by the way. Its messages are grand. There really is no better card with which to begin this enterprise.

The featured Tarot deck is some version of the Rider-Waite Tarot which I’ve had for years. The book behind the cards is a volume from the Pritzker edition of the Sefer ha Zohar, a necessary work for students of the Kabbalah.