How Tarot Teaches Us about Itself

How Tarot Teaches Us About Itself

I once spoke with a tarot reader who made a practice of ‘setting’ their tarot cards. Here’s what that means.

When they got a new deck, they would go through the cards and decide what each card would mean to them, for now and always. This is like the practice of activating a card for a specific reading, but it is for every reading they would ever do with that deck.
I commented that this seems like a very limiting practice. The conversation did not go well after that.

This happened years ago, but it has stuck with me. I understand that every reader must develop what works well for them. Yet I have a hard time understanding how limiting what a card can mean is ever helpful.

For me, part of the magic of tarot is that, over time, tarot expands the way it speaks. Over the almost thirty years I have been a professional reader my understanding of each card has grown exponentially. This has served to keep me fresh and has helped me deepen my practice.

In a relationship with another human, we expect to learn and grow together. We expect the relationship to develop. I want the same thing to be true in my relationship with tarot.

Here are three examples of some recent growth that has happened in my understanding of some specific cards. This growth happens in the natural course of giving professional readings. The new information I discover about the cards gets solidified when I talk about it on my YouTube channel, write about it here, or share it during classes and meetups.

One card that has opened up for me recently is Major Arcana 21, The World. Over the past few years, I have seen it come up more often to describe a person’s world view. I have also seen it show up to encourage a larger view. That is, to focus less on minutiae and more on the bigger picture.

How did it happen that I started seeing The World this way?

Part of tarot reading for me is entirely intuitive. I will look at a card, and a group of cards, and things will come to me. The things that come to me are usually related to the card, but not necessarily to classic keywords or to ways I have interpreted the cards in the past.

This is an essential part of my reading toolbox, and one that I would not have if I practiced setting the cards.

A card must appear in a new way a few times for it to come into my consciousness as a new interpretation in my internal tarot lexicon. I remember when I first become conscious of this process. I was reading professionally in Connecticut, just as Foxwoods Casino and the Mohegan Sun Casino were becoming some of the largest casinos in the world. The Wheel of Fortune started appearing for clients who were working at the casinos. Then, the Wheel of Fortune began appearing (often along with the Devil) for people who were developing gambling additions. Although this was not a sudden process, it did feel that suddenly, I understood in real practice that the Wheel of Fortune would talk about the casinos. Gambling is indeed a common keyword for the Wheel of Fortune. However, seeing it in practice was a true learning experience.

Numbers and elements factor strongly in how I understand, read, and teach tarot. Recently I have had revelations about the Minor Arcana Twos, and the Minor Arcana Fours.

Of course, each card stands alone in its unique meaning. Yet, when more than one of the same number appears in a reading, there can be an additional interpretation which adds nuanced information to the reading, or an overarching theme or bit of advice.

For the Twos, what has come to me recently is the message to stay in your own lane. When I see a few Twos in a reading, I often feel that the universe is saying “You do you, Boo!” This may be an admonition to worry less about what others are doing, saying, and thinking, and focus on your own goals.

The Fours have recently struck me as a message about boundaries and self-care, and boundaries as self-care. It is an interesting exercise to look at the four Minor Arcana Fours and find a self-care message within each one.

It is this expansive ability of tarot that keeps me fascinated reading after reading, month after month, year after year.

When we let it happen, tarot can teach us about itself, about ourselves, and about life.

Can Any Tarot Card be Good or Bad?

If you read an older tarot book, like the Eden Gray book I started with, you will see that tarotists of a certain era considered certain cards ‘good’, and others, ‘bad’. There are still many tarotists who approach the cards this way.

It is easy to think about which would be which. The Ten of Pentacles, of course, is ‘good’. The Ten of Swords is ‘bad’. The Sun is ‘good’, the Tower is ‘bad’.

Certainly, any tarotist can admit that there are cards we would rather see appear in a reading, and cards that may concern us when they appear.

Yet, after many years of professional tarot reading, I have come to a number of conclusions. Perhaps some of these conclusions may be helpful to others on their tarot journey.

How We Define Good and Bad

In life in general, my conclusion is that there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’. What is good for the lion is devastatingly bad for the gazelle. As the lyrics of one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs go, “One man gathers what another man spills”.

I also do not think we can label people good or bad. No human is inherently good, or inherently bad. Human personalities and circumstances are way too complicated for that.

So, if good and bad cannot be a metric for people, situations, or tarot cards, what is the metric that replaces that concept? For me, it is what you like and desire, and what you do not like and do not desire. That, of course, changes from person to person, and from situation to situation.

I think our definition of good and bad comes from the monotheistic philosophy of the eternal struggle between good and evil. To me, there is nothing in the natural world that would confirm that concept as spiritual reality. I think it is more likely that this concept was designed by humans to control behavior.

However, duality does exist, and is a present concept in tarot. When we take value judgments away from the duality of light and dark, and find purpose for both, we find a deeper understanding of how duality works.

Does this sort of thinking remove from us the burden of morality? Far from it. Rather, it holds us responsible to find and justify our own moral compass, and to hold ourselves accountable for our behavior within those confines.

What Do We Do with Disturbing Tarot Images?

Not all tarot decks include disturbing images, though many do. I believe those images can be helpful to our process. When we see an image that we find disturbing, it may in fact relate to something in our lives that we find disturbing. The ability to explore this may bring us peace, healing, and understanding.

Sometimes disturbing cards appear to predict, or forewarn, unpleasant things for the future. This is probably the single most frightening aspect of tarot for many people. Sometimes the cards predict misfortune.

Yet, there can be comfort in this as well.

When a disturbing card appears, it may prepare us for a hurt or disappointment. We may not know exactly how to interpret it, or what it is referring to. Yet, when the difficult thing happens, that tarot predicted it can be a comfort. Knowing a hard thing was somehow ‘written’ in advance relieves us of the anxious feeling that we could have prevented the misfortune from happening.

What About Classic Card Interpretations that are Clearly Good or Bad?

Any proficient tarot reader knows that any card can have a wide range of meanings, depending on the context of the question, and the surrounding cards. While it is true that some cards (usually those with happier images) have more auspicious classic keywords and interpretations than others, it is good to leave room for other possible interpretations.

For example, the Sun is arguably the happiest card the deck. Yet, in certain circumstances, the Sun can refer to a narcissistic personality.

The Seven of Swords is the card of the thief, typically indicating dishonesty. Yet, it can also be the card of creative solutions.

The Three of Swords is a card of sorrow. Yet, it can also indicate an opportunity to heal.

The Five of Pentacles is a card of poverty. Yet, it can also speak to finding new opportunities.

The Ten of Pentacles is a card of wealth. Yet, it can also indicate generational and ancestral trauma.

The Ten of Swords is a devastating card. Yet, it can also advise acupuncture as a method of healing.

The Star can be about hope and healing. Yet, The Star can also refer to a person who is acting like a diva.

The Four of Cups can be about apathy, boredom, or limited choices. Yet, it can also affirm the wisdom of waiting for something better to come along.

Death is a difficult card because of its title. Yet, it often appears for pregnancy or for job promotion.

Is This Method of Tarot Reading Just Sugar-Coating Reality?

If you use this kind of critical thinking in tarot reading, you are opening yourself to more opportunity for truth-finding. Sometimes that truth is going to be what you wanted to hear, sometimes it will not be.

In the Petit Lenormand system of cartomancy, cards are designated as positive, negative, and neutral. There is no such clear-cut system in tarot interpretation. I think it is good for modern tarotists to remember this. When we are open to the idea that any card can indicate something that is helpful and fortunate, or something that is hurtful or unfortunate, we have a fuller vocabulary with which to perform a more informative and helpful reading.

Opening Up the Four of Pentacles

The Four of Pentacles is one of those tarot cards that immediately evokes the same easy response from most tarotists. Almost everyone sees selfishness and greed within this card.

Eden Gray called the Four of Pentacles “The Miser”.

Those who practice Law of Attraction see a dangerous “lack mentality” in the Four of Pentacles.

Very often, the Four of Pentacles can speak of the insecurity that comes from the real or imagined fear that you won’t have the resources you need, or that others will try to take those resources from you.

I once read for the very possessive boyfriend of a young woman I knew. The Four of Pentacles appeared in the spread position designated as “love and romance”. Clearly, this young man feared losing his girlfriend. In the end, that fear and its manifestations drove her away from him. As soon as I saw the Four of Pentacles in that particular position it was clear to me that his fear would become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

What I learned from that reading is that the Four of Pentacles is not just about money, or material resources. The Four of Pentacles can speak of selfishness, jealousy, and hoarding behaviors. The resources in question can be anything a person finds valuable, either tangible or intangible. This asks us to stretch the limiting idea that the suit of Pentacles, or the element of Earth, will always refer to only tangible things.

Over time I learned there is even more to discover within the Four of Pentacles.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles is about creating healthy boundaries. It is true that, very often, when we set boundaries, others may accuse us of selfishness.

This means that the selfishness inherent in the Four of Pentacles may apply to the querent, or it may be something of which others accuse the querent.

The Four of Pentacles may appear to tell us that someone in question is being miserly or possessive. The Four of Pentacles may tell us that we need to look at our own fears of poverty or loss.

The Four of Pentacles may also tell us to conserve our resources. It may be time to save rather than spend.

The Four of Pentacles may also serve as a reminder to enforce good boundaries with others around us, even if the people with whom we set those boundaries think we are being selfish.

Any time we start to think about any tarot card as having a simple go-to meaning, there is always an opportunity to look deeper and find more. When we look deeper, what we find within the Four of Pentacles is the push-pull relationship between the need for prudence and the fear of poverty. When we see this card, we might be best to refrain from automatically assuming that the person in question is being selfish. Rather, we might instead explore whether boundaries need to be set, whether prudence is justified, and if and where fear of lack or loss is an issue.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles can be the greatest advocate for self-care. in the Crowley-Harris Thoth Tarot, the Four of Disks is the Lord of Earthly Power. Perhaps a deeper meditation on this card when it appears in a reading can help us understand how we can best cultivate and use our power wisely.

Diving into the Tarot Nines

There are six cards in the tarot deck that are connected to the number Nine. These include the four Minor Arcana Nines, of course. In the Major Arcana we have card Nine, the Hermit, and card Eighteen, the Moon.

When we think of numerology and its connection to tarot, Nine is a particularly interesting number. That is because, in classic numerology, Nine is the final number. Thus, we see Nine as a number of completion and fulfillment.

In tarot, we have cards that are numbered Ten. Therefore, we can’t entirely use classic numerology to help us understand the Nines of tarot, since the Tens complete the sequence of numbered Major Arcana cards.

When we look at the six tarot Nines, we can see that each of them has some individual peculiarities. This might make us wonder what, in tarot, could be considered commonality amongst the Nines. What might we say Nine means in tarot?

Let us look at each of these six cards. Then we will see if we can sum up what the energy of Nine in tarot might be, and how each of these cards reflect that energy.

We will start with the Major Arcana.

Major Arcana Nine is the Hermit. Typically the Hermit is pictured as an old man on top of a snowy mountain, holding aloft a lantern. In some modern decks the Hermit is a young man, or a woman. Yet, the original archetype of the Hermit is ‘Father Time’. That would make him, traditionally, definitely old and male. When we see the Hermit pictured as an older female she is sometimes called the Crone. This fits in well with the concept of the Triple Goddess. From that perspective, the High Priestess is the Maiden, the Empress is the Mother, and the female Hermit is the Crone. This, however, is a very modern approach to the Hermit.

The very first Hermit, as Father Time, held an hourglass rather than a lantern. When the lantern replaced the hourglass it was still meant to represent a timepiece. Candles were often used to measure the passage of time. Now, when we look at the Hermit, we can see the lantern as the lamp of wisdom, yet also as a clock.

The timepiece is important because the Hermit is often a reminder to be patient. The Hermit can also speak of old age. In this case the Hermit might reflect the worry that one might be considered too old for something, such as being hired for a job or having a viable love relationship.

The Hermit has made an arduous journey to the top of a snowy mountain, from which he can shine his light, or hold his clock, over all of humanity. We often think of him as having acquired great wisdom on this journey. He will share his wisdom with those who seek him out. He will not seek out students or followers. Rather, he will wait for them to make the journey to find him.

The Hermit shares his position as a card of great wisdom with The High Priestess. He shares his position as clergy with the High Priestess and the Hierophant. When we think about the search for deeper and hidden spiritual wisdom we can associate him with the High Priestess and the Moon.

The Moon is the Hermit’s Major Arcana numerological counterpart, being card Eighteen (1+8=9). It is here that we find the first Nine commonality. In the Major Arcana Nines cards, at least, we might surmise that amongst the qualities of Nine is included a journey for hidden wisdom.

We also know that the Hermit speaks of patience. He shares that with the High Priestess, Temperance, and a Minor Arcana Nine, the Nine of Wands. Might we see patience as a quality of the tarot Nines collectively?

First, we must consider if the Moon suggests or requires patience. While I have rarely thought of the Moon in that way, I can make a case for it. As we make our journey in the light of the Moon there are many pitfalls. We must choose our steps with care and patience, lest we fall prey to danger or deception.

I can also make the case that all four Minor Arcana Nines, to greater or lesser degrees, can speak of patience. The Nine of Pentacles has all the time in the world. The Nine of Cups might patiently wait for a wish to be fulfilled. The need for patience with the Nine of Wands and Swords is obvious.

One thing that distinguishes the Hermit is his loneness, and his loneliness. The Hermit can speak of the sorrow and anxiety of loneliness in a way that few other cards do. Yet, he can also speak of the aesthetic of the sort of loneness that is a choice. When the Hermit appears this way he is not lonely, he is comfortable in his own company. He shares this with another Minor Arcana Nine, the Nine of Pentacles.

Might we find that the tarot Nines share an aesthetic of loneness? Certainly, the Moon suggests a journey that one can only make on their own. Often this journey is the internal search for personal spiritual truth. The previously mentioned Nine of Wands is also very much alone, whether that is by duty or by choice.

The Nine of Pentacles is traditionally comfortably alone.

The Nine of Cups is a card of happiness and success. It is a card about wishes. Only the individual can truly know what they desire, and work to create it.

The Nine of Swords is certainly alone, and uncomfortable. Here we do not see happiness or satisfaction in ones’ loneness. Yet, the journey this person is on is by definition a lone journey.

Another aspect of the Hermit, along with his spiritual wisdom, is a high level of education. More than any other card, the Hermit is likely to describe a person who is holding or earning a doctoral degree. The other Nines do not seem to speak of this specific honor. Is it possible, though, that each Nine might speak of some sort of attainment at the end of a lengthy journey?

The Moon seeks to attain clarity and intuitive knowledge, for example.

Do the other Nines speak to some attainment, or journey toward attainment? In many ways, I think they do.

The Nine of Pentacles has attained wealth. The Nine of Cups has attained satisfaction. The Nine of Wands is fulfilling a mission. The Nine of Swords is on a dark journey to find peace and healing.

This concept of attainment, or seeking attainment, correlates with the classic numerological understanding of Nine as completion, without competing with the tarot Tens for their position as the completion of a journey. This circles back to our first question. In some ways the Minor Arcana Nines do illustrate aspects of a journey toward wisdom.

When we consider the Nines of the Minor Arcana, I am struck by the difference between the masculine suits, Wands and Swords, and the Feminine suits, Cups and Pentacles.

The Nine of Wands and Swords are both cards which describe difficulty. The Nine of Cups and Pentacles are much happier, each indicating a sense of security. When we look at the Tens of each suit we see that this trend continues.

I also notice that The Nine of Cups is as happy as the Nine of Swords is sad. In this way these two cards are on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, in equal intensity. Likewise, it appears that the Nine of Pentacles is as secure as the Nine of Wands is insecure.

Each Minor Arcana Nine is rich with meaning. Yet, as Minor Arcana cards often are, each is in danger of being dismissed in a reading as a simple keyword. It is easy to call the Nine of Cups “the Wish Card.” and end your interpretation there.

Let us look at some of the deeper possibilities for interpretating each of the Minor Arcana Nines.

The Nine of Wands is wounded, yet still standing on guard duty. This card can speak of woundedness. It can also speak of defensiveness. A question we might ask when this card appears is this. Are you in this uncomfortable position because there really is no one to help you or relieve you? Or have you failed to delegate or ask for help? Is it time to bear this burden patiently, or have you been patient long enough? Must you continue to endure, or is it time to heal?

The Nine of Wands might specifically indicate a physical injury. In a relationship question, there may be communication problems caused by a partner’s defensive stance.

The Nine of Pentacles is a woman alone, under her father’s protection. Over time, this card has come to represent one who is comfortably single. Yet, this is also a card of family money and inheritance. Within this card we see security, both financial and emotional, as well as the safety that can often be the privilege of wealth. When this card comes up for a person who is in a happy relationship, we recognize that a quality of the relationship might be one of independence, equality and autonomy. When this card appears for one who is impoverished, we might discover that they have many resources that make their life livable, even without the abundance of financial wealth.

Very often the Nine of Pentacles can discuss being comfortable in one’s own skin. That is, being secure with oneself.

The Nine of Swords is always a difficult card. Sometimes, though, it is simply an indication of insomnia.

Sometimes it tells a reader that their client has had a disturbing dream which needs examination. This particular interpretation is one that is shared with another Nine card, the Moon.

The Nine of Swords might reveal a clinical issue such as depression or anxiety. It might speak to worry or upset about something that is very real, or something that has been imagined or blown out of proportion.

Very often the Nine of Cups is called “The Happy Merchant”. This can be a card that speaks of successful business ownership. This is interesting since we don’t usually associate commerce with the suit of Cups. Yet, anyone who is an avowed entrepreneur understands the unique happiness that comes from creating one’s own wealth and calling no one “boss”. This is another way that we see independence and that quality of ‘loneness’ in the Nine of Cups.

The Nine of Cups is the traditional “Wish Card”. It may speak of something we desire. In some cases, it may celebrate that we have attained something we desired.

Context is important when interpreting this card. A wish can be a sad thing, when it cannot be fulfilled. A wish can be a thing of fantasy. This card it is often an invitation to think about our wishes and desires and decide what we can and should work to manifest. It may be in this aspect of this particular Nine where we also find that quality of loneness.

What then, is the commonality of the Nines of tarot? This deep dive tells me that within each card we can find patience, loneness, and attainment. Each card may tell the story of a journey.

The concept of attainment is very similar to the traditional numerological understand of Nine. Journey, loneness and patience may be more specific to tarot.

We see that all six Nines do share some important concepts and energies. Yet, as with all tarot cards, each one has their individual and singular energy which uniquely contributes to the book of wisdom which is tarot.

Unpacking the Five of Wands

Unpacking the Five of Wands

I do a lot of livestream readings on Facebook. On Friday I do the Friday Weekly Wrap-up. I pull a single card for the collective, and then individual cards for those who make a request. The goal is to use a card to reflect on the week; to discover what we learned, what we did, and how we will move forward.

Even though I shuffle between each card I pull, I find that very often a particular card comes up a lot. This Friday the Five of Wands was the card for the collective, and then came up quite a few more times for individuals.

Then, in subsequent private readings later in the day, the Five of Wands appeared again.

It seems that the Five of Wands is describing an energy many of us are feeling right now.

A typical keyword for the Five of Wands is ‘conflict’. Yet, there is so much more to unpack in this card.

Let us start with the number Five. I see the number Four as the ‘comfort zone’, and the number Six as ‘Victory’. Therefore, Five is that place of expansion out of the comfort zone yet before we have secured our victory. By nature, Five is an uncomfortable place to be.

Now, let us look at the suit of Wands. Wands, of course, relate to the element of Fire. Fire is our motivation, our passion, our creativity, our anger, our humor, our vitality, and our spirituality.

When we add the expansive nature of Five to the fiery nature of Wands, we see great potential for an explosion. Whether that is an explosion of anger or creative inspiration depends on the individual circumstances.

The classic Waite-Smith image often makes the rounds on social media with the caption “Stupid Tent”.

The card shows an image of five people, each with a wand. They might be fighting. They might be playing. They might be dancing. Or, indeed, they might be building something or struggling to set up a tent.

Sometimes when this card appears, I like to ask my client what they think the people in the Five of Wands are doing. Whatever activity they see in the card is the activity they need to be doing. Perhaps they need to fight for what they want. Perhaps they need to dance more, to bring more joy into their lives. Perhaps they need to focus on building something. Perhaps they need to be more playful.

I think sometimes tarotists see the conflict inherent in this card and don’t bother to dig more deeply.

Sometimes, this card really is about conflict. That might be internal conflict, as in decision-making. It might be conflict going on around the querent. It also might be a conflict between the querent and someone else.

When reversed or ill-dignified, it can sometimes be about people who are unwilling to take a stand. That is, those who are conflict-averse to their own detriment.

Yet, this card can also be about creative collaboration, and the tension inherent in that process. This card can be about taking a creative risk in order to build something bigger and better than before. This card can be about the motivation it takes to push for success, and the anxiety that happens along the way.

Why is the Five of Wands appearing so often right now? Certainly, there is a great deal of conflict happening on the planet at the moment. Yet, within the Five of Wands is the journey toward success, both personal and planetary.

The Five of Wands reminds us that things are uncomfortable right now. Yet, with creative solutions and good collaboration we can, as individuals, as communities, and as a planet, build something wonderful.

The Five of Wands also reminds us that nothing wonderful happens without the willingness to incur a modicum of risk.