major arcana 2

The story of the strength 2

After feeling victorious with the chariot card the fool was also tamed by the maiden's purity, innocence, and strength. Originally, this card was labeled as lust. However, in some decks it is still labeled as power rather than strength. There's a difference between power and strength. Power is external or physical, whereas the strength is very internal. It is though it may seem to be a little similar to the chariot where we are trying to achieve victory over our enemies. There is some wild and impulse in the chariot card, while the strength is a lot of mastery of someone. There is are two strengths in order to overcome weaknesses. The maiden is weak of form, but in mastering herself, she comes powerful. On the other hand, the line which is stronger form, but then he's weak when it comes to mastering himself, just as in we see that in this card, the maiden doesn't try to overpower the beast. Similarly, this card is about understanding and accept our wild sides, passions, so that they work for us instead of against us. We do not completely suppress them; We control them through courage and through internal strength.

The strength definition 1

• Personality

• Somebody who knows how to control one's desires and use them how they should be used.

• It could mean showing strength knowing that you can solve something that's unsolvable; being strong despite suffering, setbacks, having stamina.

• Being compassionate, giving others space and tolerating them.

The strength definition 2

• Persuasion, maintaining one's composure, refusing to get angry, accepting others as they are, yet trying to persuade them towards the right direction, collaboration instead of conflict.

• Being forgiving, accepting, kind, emphatic towards others.

• Guiding indirectly or a tempering force or even demonstrating the strength of love. It is a very soft king of control.

• The card can represent strength in career matters, but also matters of the heart. Querents with important questions relating to their relationship status may be happy to see this card.

The strength reversed

If your querent seems exhausted and this card appears in a reading, you may want to caution them to use self-care. Inner strength is not infinite. It must be replenished from time to time if we are to achieve any measure of success in life.

The hermit sign

Virgo

The story of the hermit

The fool has been busy building, loving, fighting, comprising, winning, succeeding. Now he feels an immense need to retreat and withdraw. So he goes into the woods hiding; he reads, organizes, rests. But most importantly, he takes time off being and thinking. Every night at dusk, he travels across this bare landscape that we see. He carries stuff and a lantern. His walks are restless. He goes within and examines everything that he looks at which he feels that he has missed out during his lifetime. His lantern illuminates everything around him, but he illuminates those things which weren't visible during the day. During the day, he was busy looking at different things which were visible through the day: but through the night, different things come out. Things that are outside, plus things that are inside his mind. He has come a long way, even though as the fool, he carried this stuff, but at the same time, he carried it across his shoulder with all his belongings hidden in a pack. Now he carries his stuff in front of him; Lightning up everything from within himself.

The hermit symbolism

We see a man who seems to be contemplative alone almost as though hiding out, and his lantern doesn't seem to be needing to illuminate much because there doesn't seem to be much around him, it looks as though he wants the light of the lantern to illuminate something with eyes closed.

The six pointed star represents the hermit

The hermit definition 1

• This is the card of mediating, looking within, soul searching, taking time off. * When this card comes up in your reading, it shows a time for introspection analysis, not a time for socializing.

• It shows that time is spent by you, spend time by yourself or else you have the desire for peace and solitude.

• It could also be a card for virginity.

This is not a time for action nor decisions. Think before action. Usually leads to clarity of thought, enlightenment, illumination.

• It represents a wise person, maybe a friend, counsel, therapist, someone who spends a lot of time soul searching, doesn't interact that much, self-reliant, a introvert.

• It can even mean withdrawal from pleasures that you derive from the senses. It could be something as simple as a media detox (cell phone, tv, calming yourself, maybe looking for something, looking for the truth.

The hermit 2

• The desire for a new direction, trying to understand where to go.

• Now on the other hand, it could mean looking for help (from a counsel or someone), helping, being helped.

• It is about all of these things happening in a grounded manner rather than an emotional manner.

• The presence of the Hermit in a spread means that your querent needs to put careful thought and contemplation into a major decision.

• In some cases, this card may mean that the querent needs to withdraw from the world around them, at least for a brief period. In today's modern society, some readers advise querents of the need to unplug from technology for a few hours a day.

The hermit reversed

It cautions them against taking things lightly, without taking the time to gain as much knowledge about the situation as possible.

Too much isolation or not spending too much time for isolation

The story of the wheel of fortune

Our fool was taking some time off. Now he comes out of hiding. He comes into the sunlight. It is time for change. After his time spent as a hermit in isolation, he expects nothing of the world. Yet, a strangely things seem to happen to him, good things seem to happen to him. So he's wondering about the wheel. And he sees a woman and she offers him a drink in a golden chalice (fancy cup holder). Then she offers to keep the cup with him. As he wanders further by the windmill, he stops and sees a young man is swinging his sword. When the fool finds the sword is fantastic and admirable, he expresses himself to the young man saying that he likes the sword, the young man hands over the sword to him and insists that the fool should keep it. He goes further and he sees a rich merchant who's sitting over there and a man hands him a bag of money saying that he had decided to hand over some money to every 10th person who walked past him (being the fool). Even though a little baffled by his good fortune, he is very happy. It is almost like life is giving back to him, everything that he had worked for earlier, but not gotten his due until now.

The wheel of fortune definition 1

• The wheel of fortune basically means that your destiny wheel has moved (up or down). If you've been on a low point, you can expect things to really turn for the better. But if you've been enjoying things a lot, it can come down.

• However, usually in a good position, this card usually signifies good luck coming your way, change (not a certain type of change).

• But whatever you've been doing before is gonna change now and turn into something else (past, present, future). What your past has been, that card will show what was there earlier. Also, that now the past is turning into the future. Your luck is changing.

• Very frequently a positive card (happiness, good luck, measures of joy).

• Usually when we do a tarot reading for somebody, it's about what's expected to happen. However, in tarot, we help to tell the parent what he or she can do in order to change things around.

• But it depends on the question you asked. If you say what is about to happen, then it's a different kind of question.

• Then there are times where you ask what could I do to make things better?

The wheel of fortune definition 2

• This is a card where a good outcome is gonna happen because it was destined for me. My past karma will come back and I will be rewarded with good luck.

• It's about feeling a sense of fulfillment through destiny. It could mean witnessing miracles or sensing the action of faith.

• Opening yourself to luck

You find a good opportunity destined (can mean by using offers you received)

• Turning point

• Things can speed up

• Surprise turn of events (traveling on a path and getting a unexpected result)

The wheel of fortune definition 2

This is only negative if it's reversed

Nothing is permanent. There are good aspects of life and bad, but nothing lasts forever. The important thing is to remember the lessons life teaches you along the way. The Wheel of Fortune can also represent self-improvement and change, depending on the context of the spread.

Justice sign

Libra (Sept 24th - October 23rd)

Justice number

11: creative energy, intuition and righteousness

Justice description

You see a man looking like a judge wearing a cloak, wearing a long robe, majestic manner. There are two pillars on either side of him, behind him on his left hand, he holds the scales and crown on his head. He holds the sword in his right hand upright. Sometimes you will see in some of the decks that the justice figure is blindfolded or maybe standing in between the pillars. In this card, our scales at the center because some of the justice cards have only the scales without the judge.

Justice symbolism

In the Rider-Waite deck, she is seated and is adorned in rich red and gold robes. A sword is held upright in one hand, representing the double-edged nature of karma. The scales of justice are in her other hand. In the Gilded deck, she is blindfolded to signify the pure impartial nature of justice. Her hands are outstretched to the heavens, representing knowledge and wisdom.

Justice symbolism 2

The sword in the card means we are gonna be fair. The justice says I'm gonna be fair. Even if I have to be harsh (and use the sword), I will cut and throw aside everything that is irrelevant and that comes in the way of justice. That is why the justice cards, the judge listens only to logic, reason, facts, no bribing, no emotions, no passions, nothing radical. So when this card appears in your head, it depicts respecting justice, insisting on being fair, trying to do what is right, being impartial, seeking equality, of a commitment to honesty.

The story of justice

The fool is looking for a new path. He is looking for new inspiration in his life, sitting on crosswords, when he notices a blind wise woman sitting listening to two men. These two men are brothers and are arguing over inheritance and they come to her judgment. One of the brothers received the complete inheritance, whereas the other brother has received nothing. He demands the wise woman saying all of the wealth, all of inheritance should be given to me firstly because it's right and doesn't have finances to do so. Also, because I'm not going to be wasteful, whereas my brother is. The rich brother argues it is rightly mine because it has been inherited by me. The wise woman awards half of the rich brother's money to the poor brother. The fool looks at it and thinks she's being fair but he feels like the brothers are happy. What is the point? The rich one doesn't like it and the poor one thinks he should have it all. The fool speaks to the woman and says that she's fair. She says if I give half to each, then the rich one will stop being wasteful and the poor one will have as much. The fool listens to the wise woman and somewhere or the other. Within him comes a realization that he has been unjust upon his own development. He has given all of himself to the worldly part of him, to his ambitions, to his physical goods, and he has completely deprived his spiritual self. It has been left to starve. He should divide his time, his energy, all towards both half, and proceeded in a balanced manner so that he could have been world developed as well as spiritually advanced. With the realization, the fool respects the equilibrium of the scales and thanks the woman.

Justice definition

• A court case

• Legal documents

• Legalities

• Peace (maybe in your marriage or partnership)

• Somebody who doesn't listen to emotions or gets swayed by them

• Preparing for a decision or an outcome of a decision

• Weighing all sides

• Assuming responsibilities

*Understanding cause and effect of things

• Gods justice (which can be inferred)

• May belong to past lifetimes

Justice definition 2

• Being balanced maybe not the exact outcome that the querent wants, but what they need

• Logical, rational balance. It indicates a sense of peace and justice that is acquired through intellect rather than emotion.

• Balance and imparting justice. This card warns us to not run into excesses because excesses have consequences. You cannot indulge in extremes (has impact on your health and mind). So this card urges where to bring balance in his life (physically, emotionally, socially and equally).

• The card tells the querent that the eventual decision falls on the side of what is right, but does not always clear which position that happens to be. Typically, the outcome is favorable for the querent.

After number 11, the meanings become a bit more difficult to define because of..

needing to add two numbers together

The hanged man

1+2=3 (in this context, growth through sacrifice and reflection)

The story of the hanged man

In the justice card, our fool realized that he has neglected his spiritual self, and now he intends on finding it. So he comes and he settles beneath a tree, and he stays over there for nineties. He doesn't eat and hardly moves. There are things passing by but with no conscious thoughts of why he does it. He suddenly climbs the tree and he dangles himself over from a branch outside down. They're lying down but then he doesn't see them as coins. He's able to see them as but then he doesn't see them as coins. He's able to see them as metal rather than money. And he has a different perspective of the world upside down. He is in an inverted position and he's allowed himself to dangle; he's dangling between material and spiritual (but he's able to see both). And in this moment there's a timeless clarity for him. He knows that the moment he's straight again, upright again, that moment will be lost. But for now, he just hangs over there, observes, and absorbs all that he sees. There's a tree branch and there's a man dangling from there, and one leg is always straight. Usually the right and left leg forms a four (enlightening symbol). And something around his head. Despite being upside down, the face of the man is uneasy. In the hanged man, it is always a neutral expression. There's no suffering. His hands are in some cards tied behind his back or dangling.

The hanged man symbolism

In most decks (including the Rider-Waite deck and the Gilded deck) his hands are not bound and the viewer gets the impression that he could release himself at any time. As a result, he may be suspended by choice. This represents a Norse myth involving Odin, who suspended himself from the Tree of Life for nine days so he could achieve enlightenment. Voluntarily suffering to acquire knowledge, wisdom and insight is commonly undertaken in many cultures, to help the individual in question understand more about life, themselves and the nature of happiness and sorrow.

What does it mean when the hanged man appears in a reading?

Letting go: emotional release, surrendering to the experiences around you, ending the struggle. You stop fighting your surroundings, your experiences, your circumstances, most importantly you give up control and accept god's plan. Open to whatever it is; you just let go and you say it's ok. It's not a time for action. You just look at things.

The hanged man definition

• The Hanging Man typically appears to querents who feel stuck in life, but who also have the power to move forward if they only examine the situation from another point of view.

• At other times, the querent may need to delay gratification to fulfil obligations. Remind them that this card does not mean they need to delay satisfaction forever, just for the immediate future while they work to achieve other goals.

• Taking time to just be you and give up on urgency.

• You are living in the moment

• You are waiting for the best opportunity

• Changing your mind

*Seeing things from a new angle

The hanged man reversed

• Sacrificing (maybe for a higher cause)

• You renounce a claim you put away

• Being a martyr (one who voluntarily suffers death rather than deny their religion by words or deeds)

Opposing cards

Opposing cards:

Some cards have similar meanings and yet another set of cards have dissimilar meanings. When we draw out or we pull out cards in answer to questions, we may pull out either a single card or else we may pull out more than one cards, which means suppose comes to you and says that I am facing difficulties at work. Could you suggest the possible outcomes of what I'm facing? Married life is gonna be like from here on. Suppose you decide to pick a single card. It may not give light on the entire question. It's a very varied subject. You can draw a single card for a job, but in martial life, you may need to draw a three card spread, six, or even 10. In that case, when you draw multiple cards, you will have some cards which are completely different in meaning, and you will have some card which repeat the meanings. So those cards, which are contrasting in their meanings or in their significance, called opposing cards.

Reinforcing cards

Cards that are superimposed (placed over something), the meaning of each other.

When you draw out opposing cards in a spread 1

it cuts down the intensity of each other

When you draw out opposing cards in a spread 2

Also, creates a double situation wherein this is also happening.

When you draw reinforcing cards 2

Symbolizing that the situation will be more biased towards whatever those reinforced cards are symbolizing.

Opposing and reinforcing cards

You have an idea of the first 10 or 11 cards. So you have something to compare your cards with.

Contradictory cards

The chariot, four of pentacles, the magician, the high priestess, the strength, the fool and 10 of swords

The magician as a contradictory cards with the hanged man

There are some of the possibilities of opposing cards of the hanged man. Man suggests suspended action. Things aren't in motion. Not everything is chaotic but the vision is. You are looking at things from a different perspective. When we talk of the magician, the magician has a lot of energy to begin new things.

The chariot as a contradictory cards with the hanged man

Suspended action which beckons to start off with new things. Movement has been suggested, contradictory things.

Four of pentacles as a contradictory cards

The fool as a contradictory card to the hanged man

There's a lot of energy here. We are looking at the symbolism which are common in our cards. There is trust in whatever's happening.

The high priestess as a contradictory card to the hanged man

We are talking about suspending activity and walking in the hangman. We are going towards spirituality, intuition, and our concealed side.

The strength as a contradictory card to the hanged man

Taking time and being patient as those aspects are repeated in the hangman.

The 10 of swords as a contradictory card to the hanged man

Sacrifice and martyrdom.

Death zodiac

Scorpio (October 24th - November 22nd)

Death numerology

13 is another special number in the Tarot deck. Instead of adding the three and the one to make four, 13 holds its own meaning. This is the number of change and of karmic debt. It means we need to be open to the lessons and energy around us).

The story of death

Our fool who has hanging from the tree comes forth and moves ahead through a feel. The air is cold and it is wintry, and there are no leaves on the trees. The trees are all bare. He knows that he has earnestly started off with the correct intentions on the spiritual journey, which he had made up his mind to do when he was hanging upside down from the tree. However, deep within he feels empty and sad. He sees a knight (wearing a black armor and on a white horse), along with the rising sun, he sees a skeleton, and he immediately recognizes it as death. He wonders a little and asks how he died. And the skeleton says yes, since in a way you have sacrificed your old world. So the fool feels sad and uncomfortable, and he begins to cry, begs for forgiveness from the skeleton on the horse saying that he's crying. He's so sorry but death says that it is okay to mourn because that it is the way you deal with your loss and accept the fact that you have lost something. It's making room for something new. You have to keep in mind that unless and until the old goes away, it's not room for new. He realized all that he has been stripped away.

Death description

Skeleton with armor on a white horse holding a kind of death flag in his hand. The horse, white rose, golden ray of the new sun coming up, golden man in all gold, people grieving.

Death symbolism

The horse in the image is associated with strength and freedom, whilst the white rose represents purity and purpose.