Card Number II The High Priestess

Tarot card number : 2

Planet: Moon

positive associations with this tarot card: intuitiveness, understanding, wisdom, mystery, psychic ability, the divine feminine

negative associations with this tarot card: lack of intuitiveness, emotional insecurity, secretiveness, hidden obstacles or opponents

the High Priestess is the guardian of secrets so when she appears in a reading it can mean a secret is to be revealed or there is a secret you wish to be revealed

symbolizing our intuitiveness and the realms of our unconscious, the High Priestess is our guide to our inner self and potential

when the High Priestess appears it suggests you should trust your instincts, let your intuition be your guide. she may even represent a person who will provide wise counsel and advice

in a man's reading the High Priestess can represent the most important woman in his life

negatively the High Priestess can represent emotional insecurity and the danger of being tempted to use emotional blackmail

another negative aspect is that a secret is being kept from you, perhaps unknown obstacles or opponents

in a man's reading the negative aspect of this card could represent a woman who is a bad influence on him.

Article from:
http://www.free-tarot-reading.net/meanings/major_arcanum/02.php

The Magcian the second card of the Major Arcana

The Magician Tarot card meaning deals with the ability to utilize every resource we have available to us. When we think of the Magician, we must understand that there is no question of power. The Magician has absolute power over all circumstances. Simply put, the Magician is in control of his own thoughts, and therefore the ruler of reality.

When we pull the Magician cards for ourselves or for a querent, it is an indication that we have more power than we realize to change our circumstances. It is a card that reminds us of our unlimited potential.

Key Symbols:
This section focuses in on a few select symbols that can help us further define the Magician Tarot card meaning.

magician tarot card meaning of the lemniscate Lemniscate: Also known as the infinity symbol, the Lemniscate symbolizes the endless, infinite nature of energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, and the Magician is intimate with this knowledge. The infinity symbol above the Magician's head illustrates that he understands the energy of his thoughts always lead to infinite consequence. Some decks depict an additional Lemniscate at the Magician's throat - this symbolizes the infinite power of the spoken word.

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magician tarot card meaning of the uroboros Uroboros: The serpent swallowing its own tail is symbolic of cycles, and is another message of the infinite nature of energy. The Magician tarot card meaning here, as with the Lemniscate, is that energy is endless, and our ability to manipulate energy is key. The Uroborus further signifies the concept of rebirth and regeneration. The Magician understands that rebirth occurs in each moment - hence another source of his power. Most importantly, it is a symbol that stands for the maxim "one is all" which is the highest philosophy for the Magician

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magician tarot card meaning of all elements All the elements:The Magician is keenly aware that we are all born perfectly prepared to live our lives. We each have all the tools and resources within us to use at our whim. This is indicated by all the symbols of the suit shown within the Magicians grasp. The Magician realizes that he is the master of these tools, they are not his master. The Magician reminds us that everything we need to live our best life is available to us as long as we master the gifts of potential, and not become slaves to our circumstances.


Article taken from www.tarotteachings.com

Card shown here copyright of www.mystic-revelations.com

Major Arcana the Fools's Journey

The first of the series exploring the major and minor arcana cards in a Rider-Waite style Tarot deck.
THE FOOL

Basic Tarot Symbols

The fool in colorful motley clothes, pack tied to a staff, a small dog, a cliff.

Basic Tarot Story

With all his worldly possessions in one small pack, the Fool travels he knows not where. So filled with visions and daydreams is he, that he doesn't see the cliff he is likely to fall over. At his heel, a small dog harries him (or tries to warn him of a possible miss-step).

Basic Tarot Meaning

At #0, the Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he needs to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop daydreaming and fantasizing and watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool.

Thirteen's Observations

In the Tarot, cards like The Magician or The Hermit can often stand for the Querent or for someone in the Querent's life. The Fool, however, almost always stands for the Querent alone, no one else. In standing for the Querent, the Fool represents a time of newness, a time when life has been "re-started" as it were. The person feels that they are back at zero, whether that be in romantic affairs, or career, at their job or intellectual pursuits. Far from being sad or frustrating, the Querent feels remarkably *free*, light hearted and refreshed, as if being given a second chance. They feel young and energized.

In addition, they likely have no idea where they're going or what they're going to do. But that doesn't matter. For the Fool, the most important thing is to just go out and enjoy the world. To see what there is to see and delight in all of it.

Unfortunately, in this childlike state the person is likely to be overly optimistic or naive. A Fool can be a Fool. This is the card likely to turn up when a Querent is thinking of investing his money in a new, "sure fire" business. Or when the Querent is sure that it's "love this time!" Like the Fool, they're so busy daydreaming of what might be that they're ignoring what is. They're about to fall right off a cliff. It's time for them to listen to that watchful little dog, which might be a concerned friend, a wise tarot reader, or just their instincts.

As a card, the Fool ultimately stands for a new start. When it turns up the Querent might be about to make a move, not just to a new home, but new job, new life. There's more than just change, renewal, and a brand new beginning in the Fool, there's also movement, a fresh, exciting new time.

This article is taken from Aecltic Tarot

How Can Distant Energy Healing Work?

Distant energy healing, also known as remote healing and absent healing has been practiced by healers in the Far East for centuries. In recent modern times many modalities of distant healing are being recognized and practiced in the West. More and more people are turning to alternative healing therapies such as distant energy healing to enhance their health and well being.

Distant healing and energy healing therapy
is being clinically studied in the West by places such as the California Pacific Medical Center in Northern California. China has done many scientific studies on the effectiveness of qigong distance healing by qigong healers.

One strict double blind study on almost 400 patients by cardiologist Robert Bryd determined that people who were prayed for had better outcomes than those who were not. The field of Quantum Physics may provide some answers why distance healing works.

In the early 1980's a team of scientists at the University of Paris led by Alain Aspect made an incredible discovery that may be one of the most important discoveries in modern science. They found that under certain circumstances some subatomic particles were able to communicate instantaneously with each other no matter how far apart they were from each other. It didn't matter if they were millions of miles apart.

In other research in 1997 Nicolas Gisan duplicated these findings and concluded that some particles appeared to be communicating at the mind boggling speed of 20,000 times the speed of light.

These conclusions may give clues as to why distance healing works. Well known quantum physicist David Bohm concluded the reasons why subatomic particles can stay in contact with each other despite vast distances is not because they are transmitting some unknown signal back and forth but because the separateness of the particles is an illusion. Bohm surmises that at a deeper level of reality the particles are not individual entities but are extensions of the same fundamental something and everything in the universe is infinitely interconnected.

Some scientists are now recognizing what mystics from many traditions have said for millennium, that we are all connected and that we are not separate.

Distant healing energy can get transferred over long distances because we are all connected. It doesn't make any difference if the one transmitting the energy is in a different state or country than the recipient.

Article by Michael Mohori

The Tarot's Death Card: A Symbol of Transformation by Geraldine Amaral

Death Card Image Exclusive Copyright http://www.mystic-revelations.com


The Tarot's Death Card: A Symbol of Transformation by Geraldine Amaral

Every exit is an entry somewhere else. - Tom Stoppard

Every time you settle for the unacceptable you suffer a small death. - Stephen C. Paul
The tarot's Death card, key #13 of the Major Arcana, does not mean physical death. Rather, the Death card portrays symbolic death--a change or transformation. Often, it heralds the end of a familiar or more comfortable mode. It conveys a release that is necessary for growth and expansion. Perhaps it even brings a whole new set of principles that will guide you spiritually, emotionally, psychologically or financially. Joseph Campbell, author of A Hero with A Thousand Faces, describes times of personal change as periods when "The familiar life horizon has been outgrown; the old concepts, ideals, and emotional patterns no longer fit; the time for the passing of a threshold is at hand." The sunrise depicted in the background of the Death card holds the promise of the transformation that is about to take place: the death of the old self, but also the dawning of a new day. The Death card is a cue that you are at a "threshold"--a crossing into a new phase, unbounded by the past.

If you are casting the cards in a tarot reading for another person, as a sensitive reader, you should always address this card immediately when it appears in a reading, and then go back to the rest of the reading. The "Seeker" (who is receiving the reading) should be reassured that the "death" being depicted here is symbolic and transformational, not literal. You might even encourage the individual to discuss his or her reactions to the card, relating it to events that may be occurring in his or her life. The white rose which the Death figure holds is the symbol of rebirth. It also portrays the mystery that surrounds death and transformation. Since there is no tarot card that specifically portrays birth, we may wonder: Is the Death card really the birth card? The cycles of life, especially birth and death are mysterious and paradoxical. Such mystery is embedded in the tarot's system. It is meant to challenge you and allow you to explore the meaning of life on a deeper level and from a broader perspective.

When this card appears in your reading, it may be an invitation to embrace change and transformation, especially as it refers to your consciousness or past lifestyle. As such, it represents a quintessential form of "letting go." Its appearance may encourage you as you are clearing out the old and making way for the new. You can even meditate on the Death card in a creative visualization process, allowing its potent imagery to infuse your unconscious with its implied invitation to trust the process of transformation and release. The Death card can assist you in dissolving any negative forces that, knowingly or unknowingly, have taken root in your unconscious mind.

At other times, the Death card may appear in your reading when there are changes that you know you need to make, but which you are resisting. The potent Death imagery may serve to remind you that the more you hate something and the more you run from it, the more you are bound to it. You are caught by that which you seek to avoid. Resistance leads to persistence and sometimes that resistance to a problem or situation may actually help to maintain it. The Death card may help you to become liberated from your resistance. As the symbolism makes contact with your deep mind, it retrieves the more elevated doctrine that shows the meaning of death in a broader context. You can never know what miracles, what healing, what insight or growth might come to you through the difficult times of your life, as you face life's challenges. It is likely that the spiritual forces flowing through your periods of change or difficulty will bring an expanded life, a greater self or a greater good. The symbolic death that follows may allow you to move forward. For example, perhaps you are holding onto friendships that are no longer supportive or nurturing. Perhaps your career or job is no longer satisfying. The Death card’s appearance in your reading may be inviting you to deliberately address the issues at hand regarding these changes. Perhaps Death asks, "Is it time to let go and move on? Can you trust that some greater good will come to you as you surrender to the change?"

It can be one of life’s greatest challenges to know when it is time to let go and allow "death" to claim whatever is being embraced. Meditation on the Death card may allow you to discern if, and when, it is time to let go, to mourn and grieve if necessary, and prepares you to be open to whatever is next. The Death card may guide you through a loss or sorrow so that you will not dwell on it excessively.

If you are in the midst of a difficult life challenge, the Death card may also represent the process of spiritual purification in which you gain a deeper understanding of the love of a higher force. That is, often during times of adversity, you may be called to turn to a higher force to guide and sustain you. The Death card challenges you to expand your spiritual beliefs, allowing more of Spirit to touch and heal you. It also holds great hope--the hope that you can start over, embark on a new journey. As we are purged of the old, we are lighter, more receptive--we are freed of the past, ready to start on a new course.

As the year 2004 draws near, the meaning of the Death card, and the hope it carries for transformation for humanity, seemed a good topic for Tarot Passages. The global conflicts and potential for terrible consequences keep us in a constant state of anxiety. Are we at a turning point for humankind? Are we able to release the old ways of dealing with conflict? Can we hope for a spiritual renaissance, a spiritual revolution? Is the shift in consciousness that our planet desperately needs ever coming? Will this shift elevate Homo Sapiens to another evolutionary level? And if so, what exactly is this shift, and how can we as individuals contribute to the evolution of our species as spiritual beings? Many spiritual leaders believe that there is a spiritual revolution and transformation at hand. Carolyn Myss states that our spiritual journey is about “breaking our allegiance to human reason and entering into divine order.” Marianne Williamson says, “We are now experiencing an alteration of collective consciousness . . . a spiritual renaissance is sweeping the world . . . it is a revolution in the way we think.” Williamson believes that for many this spiritual revolution represents a “yearning for the mind of humanity seeking its source.” It is a shift in our understanding of who we are and what our purpose is on earth. And in that shift, we see a reversal in our focus, away from the external chaos and confusion toward the internal values of love and Spirit.

This “consciousness reversal” is certainly implicit in the Death imagery. It conveys the possibility of a very different view of any situation and provides a fresh perspective. Like the Hanged Man, the Death card’s imagery suggests that a complete reversal of our normal perceptions is needed. Perhaps the transformation that we seek and that we need will come from turning away from the material world and looking inward to the Spirit that resides within each of us.

The darkness of winter is upon us; we have pause to contemplate death's message. As we hunker down into the chill, Nature reminds us that death is part of the cycle of life. All the signs of winter, the bare trees, the raw cold, the barren terrain may keep our spirits at bay. But we can keep Death's emblem of transformation in our hearts, allowing it to remind us that there is a sunrise in the horizon and it holds the promise of a new dawn.

WHAT CAN TAROT BE USED FOR, BESIDES FORTUNE-TELLING?

This Article is taken from Tarot Moon

Tarot has a reputation as a device used for fortune-telling (although historically speaking, this is not entirely the case). This makes some people uncomfortable, who don’t believe the future can or should be predicted. Fortune-telling is also forbidden by some religions, and incompatible with some spiritual approaches to life. However, tarot is a very valuable tool for many things other than fortune-telling.
Questions about the past and present. Fortune-telling implies asking questions and getting answers about events in the future. Instead, you can ask questions as part of a tarot reading that help you understand the past or a current situation, help you develop a plan to achieve a goal, help you gain insight into your own actions or thinking, or figure out ways to improve a relationship.
Bringing positive qualities of the cards into your life. Tarot can be used for meditation or affirmation. For example, choose a card that represents a quality you want to meditate on or increase in your life, or act that way today - maybe it's Strength, Justice, or the Star (which represents acceptance and trust in the universe). Place it where you can see it and think about the image all day. It will trigger that kind of thought and behavior in you.
Symbolic study. Tarot can be used to study archetypal symbols. Archetypes are symbols that all humans have embedded in our minds from the time we are born - we just instinctively recognize what they mean when we look at them. Tarot is full of these symbols, and by studying them we can learn a lot about the mind and how it works. Tarot also includes symbols based on religion, astrology, alchemy, psychology, numerology, color and other systems that we can learn about when we start using tarot.
Philosophy and spirituality. Tarot can be used to support or develop a philosophy of life and spirituality. The tarot is not just a group of unconnected cards. It represents the journey of the Fool (the spirit) through life and all the things that are learned and understood along with way, all the challenges faced and the ways of overcoming them. Learning the tarot gives you tools to understand the patterns of life and to deal with difficult situations. Tarot can also be integrated into religious and philosophical beliefs and rituals.
Counseling. Tarot can be used for counseling, as a way of drawing out what is going on in one’s mind, especially the deeper layers that may not be easily accessible to our conscious minds. What we see in a card that is rich in archetypal and meaningful content reflects in large part how we are responding to a situation that is on our minds. Counselors can work with clients to draw out these ideas and understand how they reflect inner thoughts and feelings. Tarot cards are especially useful for helping children tell their stories, for fun or in difficult circumstances when they may not be able to tell you directly.
Creativity. Tarot can be used to develop inspiration and plot lines for stories or poems, songs, artwork, and other creative endeavors. Tarot can also be used to brainstorm new ideas when stuck on a work or collaborative project.
Games. And lastly, we can return to tarot’s origins and play it as a game known as tarocchi or tarock, still played in many parts of Europe today. Tarock is a trick-taking game with a permanent trump suit, and is believed to be one of the first uses of tarot cards.

Favourite Tarot Spreads

My Favorite Tarot Spreads by Geraldine Amaral

Pick up just about any book on the Tarot and you will probably find more than a few spreads at the end of the book or interspersed throughout the book. There are even Tarot books that are solely about spreads (such as The Complete Book of Tarot Spreads by Evelin Burger), with page after page of spreads. Since there are an almost limitless number of layouts in which the Tarot cards can be placed, how do you know which one(s) to use? How can you choose?

Using the Tarot, especially when you are just starting out on your Tarot journey, is one of those times when “less is definitely more.” The symbols and metaphors within the card’s images, and the wisdom in the stories they tell, hold enormous potential. The fewer cards you use in a reading, the more impact and depth they will have and the easier it will be for your psyche to integrate the messages which are coming through the cards. A simple spread—one to four cards—can be quite powerful and can provide you with endless insights and guidance. If a lot of cards are used in a reading, the messages you receive could be mixed or confusing with your conscious and unconscious mind getting sensory overload, so to speak. Keep it simple!

Here’s one such simple spread:


1 2 3

1 The Current Issue/Problem
2 Action or Lack of Action Needed for Favorable Outcome
3 New Possibility (Based on Advice of #2)

Casting the Spread

Once you’ve decided on a particular spread, it is important to approach the “casting” of the cards for the spread with the proper attitude. It may be helpful to think of the Tarot Spread as the large wheel of life (similar to Key #10 of the Major Arcana, The Wheel of Fortune) that is moving round and round, bringing with it all life’s ups and downs -- including times of energy, inertia, positive flow, negative flow, change, death, rebirth and transition in all realms -- material, emotional, psychological and spiritual. Is there anyone whose life always goes well or always goes poorly? Like the wheel, which travels over both rough and smooth terrain, the cards will display the “road” upon which you are currently traveling, the most likely events to follow and may offer guidance and insights to help you on your way. A Tarot reading can be viewed on one level as simply a snapshot or metaphor for your life. When you lay the cards out in a spread, they are a mirror of how your life (or the life of the person for whom you are reading) is developing! And like all metaphors, the excitement comes through exploring the various layers of the analogy. And, not only does each individual card hold layers upon layers of meaning, but the spread you choose will also show you layers of life and how the various pieces of your life fit together.

Speaking of “wheels” here is another great spread, with cards placed in a circle. These spreads do utilize more cards so are recommended for more experienced readers.


The MAKE A WISH SPREAD
The Seeker should focus on a specific wish before doing this spread.


8
6 7
4 5
2 3
1

1 Foundation/Basis From Which Wish Springs
2 Past Influencing Factors
3 What the Immediate Future Holds
4 Current Influencing Factors
5 Others Involved Whose Help Might Prove Beneficial
6 Forces Which May be in Opposition to Your Wish
7 Type of Action or Lack of Action That You Might Put Forth for a Harmonious or
Desirable Result
8 What You Most Need to Know About Your Wish (MAY Indicate Ultimate Outcome)

The Atmosphere:

Begin by setting up the atmosphere for the reading: a quiet place, where there are no distractions, a table with a special piece of fabric, perhaps a special object, a crystal or a vase of fresh flowers. Next, light a single candle. Then thoroughly shuffle the pack of Tarot cards. If you are the Reader, you should shuffle them at first to “neutralize” or “ground” their energy since the last time they were touched or used. By shuffling the deck, you are returning the cards to their original state of “chaos.” Both the Reader and the Seeker (the person receiving the reading is called the Questioner, the Querent or the Seeker) should shuffle the deck with both feet flat on the floor so that the pack of cards may be neutralized and “earthed” by both persons before the reading. At some point during the shuffling you may want to place your right hand four or five inches over the deck, or lay your hand right on the deck and make a “benediction” in which you bless the cards and ask that the highest and best wisdom be revealed to the Seeker. As you invoke Spirit, ask for help in interpreting the cards as well as help for the Seeker in choosing the right cards. To assist both you and the Seeker in becoming centered, you may even want to join hands with the Seeker to connect your energies. You may want to do some deep breathing with the Seeker, or a short meditation in which you ask the Seeker to focus on his or her spiritual ideal, like love, peace, God, a special prayer or mantra, whatever captures a spiritual presence. You may also ask that the teachers, mentors, guides, angels or ancestors of the Seeker come forth to help with the reading.

Next, the Seeker shuffles the deck. It may be useful to suggest that the Seeker visualize the deck as a vessel into which he or she is pouring her energies or personal vibrations. When the Seeker shuffles the deck, his or her subconscious mind begins to take the cards out of their original state of chaos, and puts them into a new order for that particular person, as directed by the Seeker’s unconscious mind.

Once the cards have been infused with the Seeker’s vibration, there are many ways for the Seeker to select the cards for the reading. The method most directly involving the Seeker in the process is one in which you, as the Reader, gently spread the deck out before the Seeker (with cards facing down) and then ask him/her to slowly hand you cards, also face down. Some Readers encourage the Seeker to gently move his/her hands an inch or so above the cards, quietly allowing the intuition to urge him/her to the right cards. You might say to the Seeker, “Let the cards speak to you . . . the right cards are choosing you as much as you are choosing them.” As the Reader, you take charge of counting out the appropriate number of cards for the spread – the Seeker should be allowed to fully concentrate on selecting the cards, not on counting them.

Once the right number of cards for the specific reading has been selected, the Seeker gently gathers up the cards that have not been selected for the spread in a stack in order to allow for the selection of the “unconscious response.” This is the card at the very bottom of the deck once they have all been collected. The Unconscious Response Card can be thought of as a person-to-person telephone call from the unconscious mind, or God’s special line of communication with the Seeker, via the unconscious mind. The addition of an Unconscious Response Card to any reading often has quite an impact. It is ideal for the Seeker to gather up the cards herself, thereby directly creating the selection process for this bottom card since it represent a direct message from the Seeker’s unconscious mind. It indicates what the Seeker has already summoned into life, or provides some important guidance from the Seeker’s deep mind. Very often, the Unconscious Response Card, which should be the very last card turned over and interpreted, will summarize or expand upon the information that has been gathered from the other cards.

Here’s another simple spread (With Unconscious Response Card):

The Challenge Spread

1

2 3 4

1 You NOW (Your self-definition, self -image or attitude toward issue )
2 Your Challenge
3 Best Result
4 Unconscious Response (Message from the Deep Mind)

The Significator

To focus the energy of your readings, some Readers place the Significator in the center of the reading. This is the card in the pack which stands for the Seeker. The significator is often intentionally selected, usually by the Reader as the symbolic representation of the Seeker. For example, the King of Pentacles could be selected to represent a man who is financially stable and secure, who is generous or well-grounded. The Empress could be selected for a woman who is pregnant, seeking to become pregnant or who is involved in a creative endeavor. The Significator can be based on the personality/“persona” of the Seeker (such as the Queen of Swords for an extremely intelligent, assertive woman), or it can be based on physical characteristics (such as the Page of Pentacles for a younger person who is athletic, nimble and of a strong physique), astrological correspondences (such as The Emperor for Aries or Justice for Libra) or even traits and qualities which the Seeker hopes to achieve (the Strength card for an individual who is working on self-acceptance, compassion and forgiveness). The Significator can also be selected by the deck, allowing the Seeker to “randomly” choose the Significator from the entire deck (in the same way that the other cards in the spread were selected). This “random” method is especially useful as the card selected may add further insight and understanding to the reading as a whole and to the Seeker’s posture toward the situation at hand. The Significator represents the physical embodiment of the Seeker, and since the reading addresses abstract or invisible forces and concepts, this physical representation provides some grounding. The Significator can also act as the focal point for the entire reading and will draw energy to the reading. Regardless of the method of selection, this card works like a TV antenna – it tunes in to the correct “signals” and brings them more sharply into focus.

The following is the Past-Present-Future Spread with the addition of a “Significator.”

6

1

2 3 4

5


1 The Significator represents the Seeker at this moment in time
2 Past
3 Present
4 Future
5 Obstacle or Challenge
6 What You Really Need to Know About the Matter (May Indicate Outcome)

The Energy Field

The selection process of the cards appears to be random. Yet this so-called random selection often yields uncannily precise results. The theories which support this selection process relate to the electro-magnetic field that surrounds each of us and which is a reflection of our biochemistry, our unconscious mind and its projections, and the interactions of all these components with the cards. This energy field is unique for each person and is often referred to as the aura. The theory states that each of us has our own unique magnetic charge and vibration and as you touch and shuffle the deck, the cards are infused with your particular energy and are temporarily magnetized in such a way that the upcoming spread reflects your current life situation. The cards are simply absorbing your energy and then symbolically mirroring these energies back to you. As your force field impregnates the cards, your own personal, unique magnetism establishes a rapport between the all-knowing unconscious mind and the cards. Thus the reading is a “snapshot” of the energies occurring right now and symbolically displays how these energies will be expressed in the future. Another way to look at this process is that the subconscious mind is ordering the cards during the shuffling process. Each person will shuffle the cards in his or her own unique way, reflecting the quiet and unseen work of the subconscious mind. This is why it is so important that the Seeker shuffle the cards -- we want the Seeker’s mind to order the cards according to his or her life. So, there you are -- the cards which you select are not pure chance –- the meaning of the chosen cards are a direct reflection of you and your psyche.

The Card of the Day

One of my very favorite “spreads” is to pull a card in the morning for each day. I simply ask a question such as, “What does Spirit want me to know about this day?" Or “What does Spirit want me to see today?” Once you’ve selected the card, you can look up its definition in any Tarot books you might have, do some preliminary journaling as to what the card means, or you can even carry it around with you during the day to act as a filter through which you perceive the day’s events. At the end of the day, you may want to make some further notes on your experiences and how your impression of the card has changed. Sometimes, just to make life even more interesting, you can choose two cards for the day and disregard one. You get to pick which one you want and which one you don’t want. This can be quite an empowering process. It reinforces symbolically that you have the power to choose what kind of day you will have.

As you work with the Tarot cards, your skill will improve. Your understanding of the individual meanings of cards will develop and your ability to interpret the interactions between and among the cards will expand. There is a learning curve involved, and you can make it easier on yourself by keeping your spreads very simple. The Tarot holds many gifts for those who are sincere about accessing its wisdom, but be gentle in your learning. Take your time and be patient. You skill and intuition will grow as time passes.