The High Priestess

Astrological Correspondence: The Moon

Keywords: receptivity, passivity, potential, knowledge, secrets, something about to arrive

Description: The mysterious High Priestess jealously guards her secrets and occult wisdom. This card symbolizes the unconscious, a concern with our internal worlds, spiritual forces, and the understanding of higher truths through dreams and intuition. As a wise woman the High Priestess is the Goddess of fertility and is seen as a healer, possessing intuitive powers, and clairvoyance, trying to create harmony and inner balance. She emphasizes the necessity to get in contact with our inner self, to reflect and meditate, to trust our feelings, and to let dreams and intuition guide us. Observing rather than participating or acting the High Priestess can also represent platonic love, manipulation, a pause in a process that was progressing or even a standstill, causing doubt and confusion.

The Empress

Astrological Correspondence: Venus

Keywords: ideas, creative impulses, intellect

Description: The Empress signifies the queen of life, the perfect woman, the archetypal mother. She represents the matriarchal goddess, being part of nature, fertility, sexuality, and the generative forces. As the life-giving mother she is connected to the Earth and the natural rhythms, the appreciation of the senses. As a card of good fortune she signifies that if we are gentle and caring, as well as patient we can bring anything to fruition; we have to be able to wait until the time is right for action so that we can reap the rewards, hard work pays off and relationships become satisfying. The Empress can, in negative situations, also depict vanity, undeveloped creativity, stagnation, and apathy.

The Emperor

Astrological Correspondence: Aries

Keywords: taking action, responsibility, competence, leadership

Description: As the complement to the Empress, the Emperor represents the father figure, reigning through wisdom, order, authority, power, and control. Thus he embodies the material world, structure, and order, and balances the Empress' abundance and pure instinct. His stable leadership and authority are not to be questioned. The Emperor reminds us that rational thought, willpower, and fearlessness yield recognition and achievement in general. Through strength he creates and builds, material things, families, communities, and gives them structure, projects are put on a solid foundation. On an emotional level this card symbolizes confirming of established feelings, tightening of links among beings, and self-respect. In a negative situation this card can mean despotism, tyranny, self-righteousness, and hampering of any progress.

The Pope

Astrological Correspondence: Taurus

Keywords: teaching, school, blessing, ritual, marriage, acting

Description: As a priest, the Pope represents traditional values and moral development. He is the wise teacher or counselor guiding groups or collectives on their path in search for spiritual truth or meaning.
Depicted as a religious figure in ceremonial vestments he interprets secret mysteries, divine law, and theological doctrine. Although this card describes that he is linked to the church, the Pope signifies not only organized religion but also focus on groups in general, such as schools, teams, companies, any group with fixed roles and assigned responsibilities. The Pope is a symbol for rules, procedures, structure, and ritual, creating harmony within groups and staying their course so they can find identity and progress as a whole. The negative imagery symbolizes dogmatism and inflexibility, extreme conformity, or conventionalism.

The Lover

Astrological Correspondence: Gemini

Keywords: choice, decision, love, communication (between equals), inspiration (ideas from above)

Description: The Lovers card is representative not only of crucial life choices, but also of lovers, couples, and other partnerships, like business partners, twins, friends etc. The young man between two women, depicted on this card, is symbolic for the struggle of trying to decide whether to follow ones heart or ones temptation/obligation. The Lovers card symbolizes the choices that must be made to progress and grow on the way to higher self-awareness; choices also reflect emotional values, indecisiveness, hesitation, our fears about making the wrong choice. This applies not only to love relationships and marriages, it is applicable to any relationship where people may be drawn together be it a business partnership or a casual, recreational one. The card of uncertainty!

The Chariot

Astrological Correspondence: Cancer

Keywords: victory, (material) success, mastery, graduation, completion

Description: The Chariot symbolizes enthusiasm, competitiveness, and triumph.
Success and victory are achieved by employing all powers at his disposal, physical, spiritual, and intellectual. The positive sides of the self, being strong and self-controlled, balancing conflicting emotions, triumphing over obstacles, and sustaining an effort, support attaining goals, thereby leading the way to transformation and self-knowledge. A dictatorial approach, recklessness, and extreme ambition can be on the other, negative, side of the equation.

Justice

Astrological Correspondence: Libra

Keywords: balance, rules, detachment, karma

Description: Based on the realization that life is ultimately fair and just, the Justice card symbolizes balance, harmony, and fairness in our lives. She represents the choices we make, and reminds us to base them on planning, reflection, rationality, and a weighing of options between the sword and the scales. In love relationships this is reflected by honesty, respect, and loyalty, in professional life by essential values like professionalism, respect for established processes and procedures and adherence to reporting systems. In negative situations this card can resemble imbalance, coldness, and a destructive streak impeding relationships.

The Hermit

Astrological Correspondence: Virgo

Keywords: awakening, enlightening, shedding light, the "key" to a situation, crisis, isolation

Description: The Hermit card symbolizes meditation, reflection, and solitude. As one of the cards resembling old age it also represents bearing the light of wisdom, looking into the unconscious, observing dreams. There is an emphasis on peace and patience, by which maturity is reached, and a striving to connect to the higher spiritual self. The Hermit also depicts the spiritual leader, the taskmaster who leads with purpose, conscience, and wisdom. A mature person, the Hermit symbolizes deliberation about which path to follow, reassessment of achievements and goals, and taking the time to reflect and plan. In a negative environment this card can resemble excessive isolation, lack of communication, intolerance, crisis and doubt.

Wheel of Fortune

Astrological Correspondence: Jupiter

Keywords: unexpected change, good fortune, becoming master of one's own destiny

Description: The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the ever-changing cycle of life, wins and losses, ups and downs, unexpected luck, advancements and set backs, success and failure - the duality of things. Representing a breakthrough, a fortunate set of circumstances, the energies of the turning wheel also suggest incalculability, chance, surprise, rapid change and fate ending problematic times, heralding good fortune, and stimulating development and growth. As one of the cards not showing a human figure at its center, the Wheel of Fortune represents our uncovering of life's cycles and patterns, the discovery of our purpose in life, and the realization that nothing is permanent, everything is always in flux. In a negative situation the card can resemble failure, misfortune, gambling excess, and a turn for the worse.

Strength

Astrological Correspondence: Leo

Keywords: inner strength, vision, self control

Description: The Strength card, depicting a gracious queen-like figure and a wild lion, shows that real strength has to be combined with graciousness and gentleness to become a force. It symbolizes inner strength, determination to overcome obstacles, self-knowledge and self-discipline, as only when we know ourselves and act in a responsible manner will we be able to deal with challenging situations and overcome difficulties successfully. Yet this card does not only represent physical strength, moral and emotional strength are included in the meaning. Patience, compassion, dealing with frustration, accepting of others, tolerating imperfection (in oneself and in others), all leads to being a complete person. The negative qualities of Strength include misuse of power, aggressiveness, and intolerance.

The Hanged Man

Astrological Correspondence: Neptune

Keywords: stop, retreat, reflect (change point of view), observe, meditate

Description: The Hanged Man is an unsettling, mysterious card, because it symbolizes the reversal of our life situations, all contradictions we face in ourselves and in life in general, paradox in action. Although the Hanged Man seems restricted and helpless, he looks calm and relaxed. In this position the card represents the rational mind being turned off, acceptance of a new situation, a unique point of view, reflection and serenity. Deeply thoughtful he seems to have reached a higher consciousness. By letting go and giving up, as painful as it may be, this symbolism suggests that we can overcome restrictions, find what we have been looking for, and ultimately become free, self-determined beings. In a negative setting the symbolism suggests manipulation, passivity, useless sacrifice, and apathy.

Death

Astrological Correspondence: Scorpio

Keywords: stop, retreat, reflect (change point of view), observe, meditate

Description: Initially a nameless card, Death very seldom literally means death. Instead it is the image of profound transformation, the ending of one cycle, and the transition into a new state. It symbolizes sudden and inevitable change, death of the old self so that the new consciousness can emerge. The experience can be saddening or painful and we might be reluctant to accept the inevitability of the ending. To accept and recognize the necessity of endings, liberates and allows for inner change, rebirth, and renewal. The negative interpretation is depression due to neglecting that a cycle has come to an end, break-up of relationships, obsession, and stagnation.

Temperance

Astrological Correspondence: Sagittarius

Keywords: providing aid, healing, concentration, moderation

Description: The Angel between heaven and earth blending different elements into a harmonious substance represents a bridge between polarities like heaven and earth, masculine and feminine, beginning and end. The combining of varied substances serves as imagery for the merging of diverse forces to create a new whole, for cooperation, coordination, a harmonious balance, looking for a middle ground, achieving healing, and recovery. Temperance signifies that moderation is necessary to modify passions and maintain harmony in relationships, and to build on tolerance and cooperation in groups. In a negative situation, Temperance characteristics are indecision, inconstancy, excess, obsession, and lack of control.

The Devil

Astrological Correspondence: Capricorn

Keywords: materialism (sex and money), lies, grounding, slavery, bondage

Description: The card of the Devil represents the darker side of humankind, all that we is shameful and base and that we avoid to confront. Its imagery connects to sexuality, irrationality, obsession, and addiction. Being enslaved by our fears and desires we find it hard to let go of unhealthy relationships, addictive behavior, excessive attachment to material things, obsession with power. Accepting the shadowy side in us can help channel the energetic powers that this card also represents. Understanding, that the chains that tie us down can indeed be lifted by confronting our dark side, and not letting self-hatred and shame take over empowers us to be free. Qualities of this card in a negative situation include excessive ambition, rigidity, and abuse of power in the emotional as well as the material realm.

The Tower

Astrological Correspondence: Mars

Keywords: sudden change, pride, houses and buildings, liberation

Description: The Tower card first and foremost illustrates that neither physical nor emotional structures that we build are permanent and stable instead they can be destroyed suddenly, thereby initiating change that we tried to avoid. The sudden change resembled by the crumbling tower reminds us of letting go of outgrown beliefs and values, of letting go of an illusion, an unhealthy relationship, an old way of life. The sudden change frees us to face the unknown, frees us to move forward instead of stagnate, frees us from social conventions and enlightens us on our path so that we reach a new level of understanding about our purpose in life. Not embracing the inevitable change brings out the negative elements that the Tower also depicts, being struck down by one's own doing, by vanity and the inability to change so that one remains stagnant.

The Star

Astrological Correspondence: Aquarius

Keywords: harmony, abundance, generosity, humility

Description: The Star, being one of the very positive cards of the Tarot, reminds us of hope and inspiration. The Star is the symbol for our faith in the future, for feeling guided on our path by its calm and serene light. As we can feel confident to not lose our direction, we regain motivation and inner strength and can experience peace of mind. The Star protects the future and gathers the forces necessary to expand our knowledge and develop emotionally and spiritually. The sense of protection, promise, inspiration, and joy encourages us to develop our talents to achieve our ideals. Even in an unfavorable situation the negative elements merely throw obstacles in our way, like pessimism, a lack of realism, or the inability to accept a helping hand, thus leading to possible failure.

The Moon

Astrological Correspondence: Pisces

Keywords: imagination, dreams, emotion, competition (the dogs), illusion

Description: The Moon in all its phases represents the world of dreams, illusions, and the subconscious. Traditionally the symbol of the feminine, the card's meaning encompasses the maternal, the Great Mother, womanhood, and cycles. The Moon is an ambivalent card, its imagery signifies the difficulty to see things clearly: inspiring and lacking courage, enchanting and bewildering, deceptive and receptive - all sides of the same coin. Signaling fluctuating moods and uncertainty we must pay attention to our dreams, confront our subconscious and deal with the issues that come to the surface in order to progress to a higher level of awareness. Being able to put our imagination and creative talents to good use is an added bonus. Negative qualities, such as ambiguity, confusion, hidden fears, deception, can be a cause for failure.

The Sun

Astrological Correspondence: Sun

Keywords: joy, friendship, union, stability, brotherly love, (strongly indicates positive outcome)

Description: The Sun card stands as a symbol for the paternal, masculine energy, the cosmic father, and brotherly love. Being regarded as the primary source of life, light, and warmth, the sun banishes the darkness so that we may see our path clearly and are enlightened within, meaning that we can see the truth and understand its impact. The Sun card is representative of energy, good health, virility, opportunity, generosity, self-confidence, success, marriage, children, and material wealth. These positive elements provide us with the confidence that we will be successful in all our endeavors, be it in the spiritual, material, or emotional realm. We need to be aware of the negative elements, like boisterousness, arrogance, vanity, and false appearance that can induce failure and uncertainty.

Judgement

Astrological Correspondence: Pluto

Keywords: judgment, resurrection, healing, music, good news, revelation

Description: The Judgement card represents the judgment day or awakening call heralding a rite of passage. As one cycle comes to an end we need to prepare for a new stage in our development, the future is waiting. Now is the time when past efforts yield positive results, when we can reap the rewards, when we realize that we are drawn in a new direction and recognize our true calling. In it's positive meaning the Judgement card reminds us that through honesty and true reflection we can realize where we have erred on our path and that we need to forgive ourselves to regain a feeling of self-worth and accomplishment. Placed in a negative situation Judgement symbolizes indecision, a fear of letting go, remorse, regret, and imbalance, imprisonment.